Friday, December 19, 2014

Newborn ornament keepsake


What you'll need:
•big plastic or glass (I used plastic) ornament. This is not your standard size ornament it's a little bigger. I found these at walmart for .98.
 
•Paint Pen/Sharpie Marker
 
•Newborn hat, bracelet and a picture cut into a small square.

How to:
•on one side of ornament write babies name and birth info. Let dry.
 
•stuff the ornament with the hat first and then add the bracelet and picture to the opposite side from the baby's name and info. 
 
•Arrange the bracelet and photo how you'd like and hang on the tree.
 
I love this because otherwise these items would be hiding away in a box all year. Now, these items are on display once a year and adds a special touch to the tree.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Yay for 6 months and our 2nd BF goal!

 
12-17-2014 Berran turned 6 months old. My baby is already half way to his first birthday, nooo! He has grown so fast and I am still not ready for him to get any bigger. He is my sweet little tiny baby that needs to stop growing I wish I was able to stop the hands of time for all of my children. Time goes by too fast and they grow even faster.

 
Berran is such a happy baby although his spoiledness has been coming out much more than it ever did before. He used to put himself to sleep during his day times naps if I was busy and unable to let him latch, no more. Now he HAS to latch on or HAS to be held to nod off to slumber land. He used to chill the entire time I cleaned the house unless he was hungry or needed a diaper change but not now. He loves to have my attention now more than ever before, rather it be me carrying him, talking to him, letting him latch on, or just him seeing me near by its almost always a must.
 
Lucky me he still isn't an awful child that cries a lot or seems overly spoiled. I can still get my house cleaned, dinner cooked, home work done and everything else inn between while giving him the attention that he needs and without him throwing a complete fit.
 
He is still in the bed with us. He was always in the bassinet until his reflux got bad when he was still small so we put him in the bed to be sure we heard him and reacted fast because he would choke a lot. Once it improved he still slept in the bassinet when he first went to sleep but when he woke up he was placed in the bed to nurse and I left him there to nurse as he pleased. Now, he just goes to bed when we do but the past 2 nights I have laid him down in the bassinet until he woke up because it WAS nice to have the bed to ourselves again, but I wouldn't trade his cuddles for anything.
 
Berran is now sitting with support, he has found his feet and puts them in his mouth all the time. Berran loves his pacifier and has began to follow it with his eyes when we dangle it in front of him and he will grab it and put it right back in his mouth. He thinks Braxton and Broox are hilarious. Speaking of Broox he finally admitted that he loves Berran to Berrac and I but its a secret and we are not supposed to tell anyone especially not Braxton. Anyways, we haven't been to Berrans 6 month check up yet so I am unsure of his weight and height but he is a chunk that is for sure. I gurantee he is 20 pounds or more. He seems to do more and more each day and he keeps a smile on his face!

 
Along with him being 6 months means we have reached our second breastfeeding goal! I really have had many problems this go around mastitis, clogged ducts, over supply, low supply. Luckily I have over came every single one. I do notice some weeks I have a lower supply, I no longer freak out as I did the first time it happened, instead, I heat up some oatmeal, throw in a little flax and brewers yeast then take fenugreek 3 times a day until its back to normal. So far those things seem to do the trick and I haven't even had to make the lactation cookies.
 
I am proud to say my baby has not had one drop of formula. It is amazing knowing that my body has nourished him since day one and still to this day my body is what is continuing to nourish him. With this being the 6 month I am supposed to introduce baby food. I think I am going to hold off until he begins to show interest. He still doesn't seem too interested in food and not to mention he was 5 weeks early so I feel as if he could use the extra 5 weeks before being started on food.
 
I have attempted some table foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, bananas and peaches and he did like the banana and peaches but he did not chew or keep them in his mouth well and would not try to grab them himself.
 
Also, this is my third child and it was never brought to my attention that the baby food is NOT supposed to replace feedings but the food is supposed to compliment a feeding. I love that I know this now because I do not want our breastfeeding to drastically decrease. Once we do start food I will nurse first and then offer baby food. So, to you mothers out there who didn't know, there ya go!!
 
I plan on nursing him as long as he pleases. Yay to a happy, healthy exclusively breastfed 6 month old baby!


Easy no sew DIY Christmas shirt


This is a cute easy cheap shirt idea I done a few years back. 

What you'll need:
•plain colored shirt. Mine was purchased for around $4 at walmart.
 
•2 brown, 1 black, 1 red, 1 white, & 1 green (or dark brown) felt sheet. These are really cheap and can be found at walmart.
 
•fabric glue/adhesive 
 
•scissors 
 
•piece of cardboard or something thick

How to:
•I used the initial idea so we done the letter B for Braxton and Broox. You may also do a normal reindeer head if you'd like.
 
•Cut out the letter or rein deer head and the ears out of brown. 
 
•Cut the antlers out of green or if you'd like you could do brown.
 
•Cut big circles for the whites of eye and smaller circles in black for the pupils.
 
•Also, with the black you want to cut smaller ears for the Inside of the brown part of ear and smaller mouth piece for the inside of the red lips.
 
•With the red cut out the nose and the mouth/lips.
 
•place cardboard or thicker material inside of shirt to avoid glue seeping and sticking to the back of shirt.
 
•After everything is cut and cardboard is inserted then position felt on shirt how you'd like to get an idea how it will look before you glue.
 
 •Antlers should be on the bottom so apply adhesive and glue those down first. 
 
•Then Glue the ear pieces and the head.
 
•After that glue on the eye whites, pupils, nose, red mouth/lips and the black center of mouth.

•Let dry





Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Snowflake picture ornaments


What you'll need:
•snowflake ornament (or any other ornament you'd like) I bought a pack of 6 from the dollar tree for $1.
 
•pictures
 
•Foam paper or something thicker to glue the picture on. I bought a pack of glitter foam paper from the dollar tree it was maybe 12 in a pack for $1.
 
•Glitter glue (optional) I wanted to add a little something to the edge of the circle
 
•Spraypaint (optional) if you'd like to change the color of your snow flake.
 
•Mod podge 

How to:
•cut your pictures out in a circle. as you see mine are not perfect.
 
•using your picture as a guide place it on the foam and cut just enough so it shows around the edges. You may cut 2 for each picture if you'd like one on the back to write the year.
 
•use the mod podge and glue the picture to the foam and let dry.
 
•if you want to change the color of your snowflake spray paint both sides and let dry.
 
•once dry use mod podge to glue the foam piece with picture onto the center of the snowflake. If you want to add one on the back glue it on as well and let dry.
 
•once dry apply mod podge to the snow flake and foam/picture. Let dry then do the opposite side. 
 
•Once completely dry tie on the string and hang on the tree.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

It's the most wonderful time of the YEAR!

Now I know I'm about 2 weeks late with this post but I have spent the last 2 weeks with sick kids and a sick me. I've been extremely tired and extremely busy. So here I am at work catching up on my blogging so I can bring you some good DIY posts this week. I hope you all are looking forward to trying some of these ideas out and I'm hoping to see some of them on my instagram feed here soon!
 
I love December how about you? I'm sure we all feel the same way about December. It is such a beautiful month with all the holiday cheer. The decorations are spectacular, everyone has their best scented holiday candle burning, the trees are decorated. Everything really puts everyone (me at least) in a good mood.

 Sadly along with December comes money spending. Luckily I had some extra cash last month and got majority of my shopping done at that time and then I ordered a few items online. I cannot wait until Christmas morning I know the kids will be pleased. 
 
It is always fun playing Santa year after year and I love that my kids still believe. Last year Braxton was questioning Santa being real and he didn't believe the elf on the shelf was real either. At that time I told him he didn't have to see Santa at night for him to be real but if you want Santa to visit you then you must believe otherwise you will no longer receive presents from Santa. With this I also enforce that just like we believe in god and we cannot see him that is how Santa came about was from the birth of baby Jesus and how we believe in god. We believe in both Santa and god to keep the holiday spirit alive in our house hold.
 
With that said i'm finishing this post up at home and the baby is hungry so i'm hurrying off.

Sending positive holiday wishes to all my readers!