Giggles, Glitz & Glam

#febphotoaday

2012-02-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

--- Day 1: My View --- Day 2: Words --- Day 3: Hands ---

--- ~~Day 4: A Stranger~~ --- Day 5: 10 AM --- Day 6: Dinner ---

--- Day 7: Button --- Day 8: Sun (or lack thereof) --- Day 9: Front Door ---

--- Day 10: Self-Portrait --- Day 11: Makes You Happy --- Day 12: Inside Your Closet ---

--- Day 13: Blue --- Day 14: Heart --- Day 15: Phone ---

--- Day 16: Something New --- Day 17: Time --- Day 18: Drink ---

--- Day 19: Something You Hate To Do --- Day 20: Handwriting ---

--- Day 21: A Fave Photo of You --- Day 22: Where You Work --- Day 23: Your Shoes ---

--- Day 24: Inside Your Bathroom Cabinet --- Day 25: Green --- Day 26: Night ---

--- Day 27: Something You Ate --- Day 28: Money --- Day 29: Something Your Listening To---

Join us in March:

Tuesday Glam Party #70

2012-02-27T21:55:00.002-06:00

Mmm! Check out these adorable brownie cake pops from Lifestyles of the Stay-at-Home Mom. Great for teachers appreciation gift! I want these in my mouth right now.

I am loving this piano bench turned nightstand from over at Rustic Living. She won me over again this week. Seriously I want to live in her house!!

My tummy is in a happy place this week as I look at recipes! Check out these yummy apple kolaches from Treat & Trick. Mmm!

How cute are these vintage book shelves from My Darling Days? I need to remodel my home into a vintage/rustic looking home. Only problem is I'm not very good with my hands so my father-n-law would have to do EVERYTHING.

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

In Awe

2012-02-26T14:07:00.000-06:00

I am constantly in awe of how God created this little baby. Almost every day I look at something about her and sit in awe. The first time I read about how she was developing in the womb I was so giddy about the intricate details God puts into place as he creates each child. As I would read each week about what was happening inside my womb it became more and more exciting. I mean at 6 weeks their nostrils & eyes start to form, at 7 weeks their hands & feet are emerging. So early and yet life is being created. God's hand is a part of each intricate detail. I know that God knows from the beginning just what we will look like and be forever, but I can't help but imagine him making us as masterpieces. Each week taking the time to create the most amazing little baby & paying attention to every tiny detail.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16

Beyond what takes place in the womb I continue to be amazed. Each week your baby changes so much and often without your control at all. Obviously there are things you can do to encourage development but so many things take place that you don't teach your child, but that they just know how to do. Something as simple as them being able to feed right away. How cool is it that they just know what to do? They just have that instinct to suck. As weeks go by they learn to smile, coo, giggle, grasp, etc. Each little milestone is simply so sweet and amazing. God is good! His creation is simply amazing. I stand in awe.

The Parenting Role

2012-02-22T18:30:00.000-06:00

During my graduate work I read the book, The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee, for my Approaches to Christian Counseling class. In the book McGee states "Our parents are our models of the character of God." After reading this short sentence my heart became overwhelming distressed. I want more than anything in the world to raise children who love God and desire to live their lives for Him. Therefore I feel a great call to develop the character of God in my own life in order that they may see that modeled and not have a distorted view of God, but instead be able to see God clearly because of the way they were raised by their own parents.

Today I thought back on a situation from when I was a nanny a few years back. The little boy kicked his soccer ball which managed to go over the banister and into a glass vase lined up across a shelf in the dining room. His mother had often reminded him to be careful when kicking his soccer ball in the house because it is highly possible he would accidentally kick the ball into one of her glass vases. As the ball collided with the glass vase the look on Ethan's face was nothing but pure horror. I said "uh oh" as I thought of the shattered pieces laying on the ground beneath us and the words that came from my mouth sent him running into his room to hide. I walked over to the banister to find the glass vase laying all in one piece on the carpet. What a relief! I went into his room to find him lying under his bed shaking with freight. I let him know that the vase didn't break and it was safe to come out. He was still terrified as he thought his parents would never forgive him for what he had done. I assured him that everything was okay and gently guided him out from under the bed. His father was home on Fridays, but I felt like he needed time to cool down before we broke the news to dad.

So later in the afternoon I asked him to go break the news with me. I told him I would hold his hand, but we had to be honest with dad and let him know what happened. He became overwhelmed with fear of his father's reaction. I know that his parents are nothing but loving and I am certain that his father would forgive him and accept him with open arms. I tried encouraging him over and over again, but he didn't want to tell his father giving me permission to tell him. I open the door to his fathers office and he falls to the ground and begins sobbing uncontrollably. I tell his father that something happened, but Ethan is terrified to tell him. His father gently asks Ethan to come talk to him and Ethan runs and hides. His father goes to find Ethan and tries to get Ethan to tell him the story, but Ethan remains terrified. He then asks me the story and after I tell him what happened he walks back over to his son, puts his arms around him and says "I know it was an accident and it's okay". He then leans down and kisses his son on the forehead and says "I love you!" I told his father that one of Ethan's greatest fears was that he wouldn't be able to get the vase back up on the shelf so his father tells him that they will put it back up together. His father leaves the room to return to work, but assures his son that everything is okay and that he is loved.

I crawled up next to Ethan and began to rub his back to help him calm down as he continued to sob uncontrollably. I reminded Ethan that his father was not angry and that he had been forgiven. I reminded him that his father loved him. Ethan continued crying for some time and I just continued to remind him that despite his mistake his fathers love for him had not changed.

I think about Ethan's fear in a different light as I think about myself as a child. I think about how if I would have done the same thing I would have been yelled at for coming close to breaking something when I had been reminded not to act like a fool in the first place. I would have been yelled at despite the fact that I had done so accidentally because I should have been smarter than that. This would have been my father's reaction to the same situation. I see that in myself now as a wife which makes me know I'll be the same with my own child. I can't let that happen. I will not let that happen.

What a vital role we play in the life of our children. If Ethan's father would have responded the way that he expected him too, Ethan may have began to develop a poor view of God. That is that his love is conditional and he is unforgiving. However, perhaps because of his fathers gentle and loving response Ethan will grow up to learn that God loves him unconditionally and forgives him when he goofs.

As I continued reading the book a very important statement was mentioned time and time again as a reminder to us where our significance comes from. McGee states, "We are deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted, and complete in Christ." I think about these words and they remind me of the role I need to play in my children's lives. I need to consider how I can show my children that they are deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted and complete in Christ. Perhaps remembering the events that took place that day will be a great reminder to me of what I should do as a mother in order to show my children that they are all of these things.

I pray that we all begin to develop these characteristics and that we learned to be like Christ. I pray that I will allow my anger to end with me and that my children will see a loving, caring, and forgiving mother. May we truly be parents that bless our children and shows them the love of Christ through our own actions. May our children grow up to love God and see Him through us.

Tuesday Glam Party #69

2012-02-20T20:00:00.002-06:00

Okay this mason jar light & other pieces of from the home of RusticLiving is super cute, but it's just the cherry on top of a really cute rustic home. Seriously go check out her blog because it will make you consider redoing your entire home. Or at least I thought about it. Her home is the type of place you want to stay at when your on a vacation to float the river.

Then there is this awesome red vintage credenza & photo stand from Creative Raisins. I mean it pops because it's red and as you take a closer look at all the vintage items you become inspired. I feel like I may need a thrift shopping spree.

Holy yumminess! Check out this apple pie with cinnamon roll crust from Feeding My Temple. I am seriously drooling. Just need a scoop of ice cream & I'm set to go!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Tummy Time

2012-02-20T05:33:00.001-06:00

As someone who studied Human Development & Family Studies in college I know a little about child development. Not to mention several of my jobs have caused me to further my education in child development. With that being said there are certain things I know I need to do to help my child along developmentally. On top of that my sister is an Occupational Therapist so I've learned from her what I do and don't need to do.

With all that said I've known that Emily needs to have tummy time every day in order to help with her development. This isn't just to help with her lifting her head which is a common misconception, but also huge in helping her to push up, roll over, sit up, crawl & pull to a stand. Those muscles that she helps strengthen in tummy time are monumental in her overall physical development.

Why yes I did start tummy time almost instantly with Emily. At two weeks old Emily was already working very hard to hold her head up. We would even work on this by laying her across our chest & she would try to lift her little head to look up at us.

Since having Emily I have also discovered a new benefit to tummy time. By teaching her these skills she will be better off breathing when she rolls over to her tummy in the middle of the night. If she is used to laying on her tummy she will know what to do. Not to mention now that babies are sleeping on their backs this helps with the not so fun flat head. So I make even more of an effort to let her have tummy time on a daily basis now.

With all that being said, be sure to let your child have some tummy time. I know a lot of them hate it but it really is crucial to their development. Also, you can let them do this on your chest some which they don't seem to mind as much. Lay down almost flat & put them on your chest. They will want to look at you which will help them strengthen those little neck muscles.

Yummy Recipes #1

2012-02-17T20:09:00.006-06:00

I've started Weight Watchers again so it's back to Skinny Taste for me. Last time I did Weight Watchers I discovered the beauty of Skinny Taste. She posts points on all of her meals so it makes life easy for me! I literally haven't tried anything bad yet. So with that said, I wanted to share with you the things that I've tried thus far as a props to Gina and so you know it's tasty if you've been considering making it.
(Click on the image or the text to be taken to the recipe)

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Turkey Chili Taco Soup

Chicken & White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Black Bean Brownies

I'll continue to post other yummy healthy recipes I try out. Maybe even the occasional unhealthy recipe. I wish I was a good enough cook to give you all of my own recipes but I probably only create one of those a year!

First Valentine's

2012-02-16T08:27:00.004-06:00

Emily's 1st Valentine's was a little anti-climatic. We were supposed to go to a party with a bunch of kids that morning, but the hostesses daughter ended up with RSV. Cody had class so that meant he would be gone all day so it was just me & Emily for Valentine's. I dressed her in her cute Valentine's outfit for the day even though we didn't get out. My mom ended up bringing me dinner that night as she happened to be in town after work. It was nice to not end up being alone after all. I didn't wrap Emily's gift from us & her card is still unsigned sitting in the car from the day I bought it. Good thing she won't remember ;)

Here is her teddy bear from Nana & her signing elephant from Gramma.

We've decided to get books for all of her first holidays instead of random little knick knacks that we will end up throwing out. So we got her the book You Are My I Love You. It's so sweet. I could have got the baby friendly version, but wanted it to last well into her childhood!

Excited about all the other 1st Holidays we will get to celebrate this year!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2012-02-14T11:32:00.005-06:00

(photo by Felts Family Photography)

Wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day!!

Lots of love!!

Tuesday Glam Party #68

2012-02-13T20:00:00.003-06:00

This bathroom redo from lemondropDreams is so cute. Very nautical!

I love this umbrella makeover from Salt Tree. Made such a simple umbrella out to be super cute! Love it!

I love the board & batten done on these nursery walls from A Glimpse Inside. So cute!

Love how cute this hanging heart from Burton Avenue turned out.

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Two Months

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Emily,

Another month has passed us already. It's been a fun month with you. You are smiling a lot these days. For a couple of weeks you would smile just because but now some of your smiles seem purposeful. The other day you were crying & as soon as you saw my face you let out a little grin. It pretty much made my day.

You still love playing in your little chair, we call it the poop chair. It has a way of making things happen. If you have a tummy ache we always put you in it because it tends to do the trick plus you love it. You coo, smile & kick your legs. I normally play the Caspar Babypants pandora station when you play, but daddy tends to let you listen to the 80s Throwback station.

You have discovered that we have a TV in the living room so we decreased the amount of times me & daddy watch it. You will throw your head back as far you can so that you can see the TV. Or if you are taking a bottle & the TV is on you can't focus on the bottle because you are entranced by the tv. Now we listen to music a lot!!

Nana says all the doctors & nurses at her office can't seem to stop talking about how alert you are. I guess that means it's a really good thing if you are amazing doctors & nurses with your alertness. Even your pediatrician mentioned how alert you were at your appointment. She also said you have excellent head control and you are a great talker. You talked your entire appointment. She also kept saying how cute you are & well I'd have to agree.

You went to church for the first time last week and all of your teachers just adored you. Ms Evy even said she gives you the Miss Congeniality award. We pray you will come to know Christ at an early age. Your teachers pray over you every week while you are in their room which is just another reason I love our church.

We love you more today than yesterday and this will be true tomorrow and every day after that. You are the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Love,

Mommy

Overly Optimistic

2012-02-09T15:06:00.003-06:00

You can probably already tell this post isn't about me. I am not by nature an optimistic person and most definitely not overly optimistic. You know the type of person I am talking about? The one whose life is perfect (in their eyes of course), you know the one who never has anything bad to say & everything always works out perfectly for them.

If I have learned one thing about motherhood in the past 8 weeks it is that there are good days and bad days. We are in the midst of some really bad days in our house. I'm holding my head up high & knowing we will come out on the other side, but it's been tough. I have that friend in my life whose little angel just fills her with so much joy that when she's screaming she isn't faced with a hint of frustration. Or when it's 3am, she's tired & the baby won't sleep she just cherishes those sweet little moments for in a year she won't get to cuddle her baby anymore. Don't get me wrong a breath of fresh air is nice, but at the same time life can be difficult and not always so AWESOME! With that said, I'd much rather talk to my friend who is willing to tell me she remembers crying for hours on some days when her child wouldn't stop crying. Or how she's had to put her child down & take a break for herself in the other room. Or that at 3am when her baby is screaming all she can think is I wish this would end.

I love knowing that I'm not alone. I'm not a bad mother because I get frustrated or upset when I can't make my baby better no matter how hard I try. For me I need to know that what's going on in this crazy head of mine is pretty darn normal. I need to know that I don't have to walk around on cloud 9 because my sweet little baby girl is gracing my presence and making me the happiest woman alive.

I love my sweet little Emily. She is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I can honestly say that there has been a 3am wake up that I have reminded myself to enjoy the cuddle because it won't be long before she won't cuddle me. But there has also been the 3am wake up that I've had to go tag my husband because I can't handle it anymore. I cherish every single minute with my baby girl, but there are moments that I need a breath of fresh air & a moment of relaxation. So sometimes in the middle of the afternoon I grab a cup of coffee, turn up my worship music & cry. And I think it's normal.

(Emily's 1 Month shot--this picture breaks my heart, but it was great for the quote I wanted to add to a photo)

A New Mom Fail

2012-02-08T10:26:00.002-06:00

In some regards I am like a new mom & in other ways not at all. When it comes to germs I am very much like a new mom. My husband will itch his head & I'll make him sanitize his hands. If the paci hits the ground I almost want it sterilized. If someone other than immediate family tries to kiss her I want to give them a smack upside their forehead. The dog fair I find on her makes me squeamish. No one can watch my sweet girl except for me, Cody, my mom and his mom. Everyone else is not capable, but really they probably are.

My sister was really good with her first child about staying in until she had her 2 month shots, but not me. We were at church on Christmas day and haven't looked back since. We've been to many dinners, play dates, first check-in at the nursery, etc. In fact, we probably leave the house at least once every day. This momma can't stay cooped up inside all day. I had plans to stay in like a good little momma, but just couldn't do it. After all, you get out with your 3rd on day 4 to attend your kids ballet recital (my sister did this) so why not do it with #1? But don't worry she is in her car seat with the canopy covering her to keep unwanted guest out. This I feel like is still minor in regards to my new mom status.

When it comes to milestones though I am AWFUL. I honestly can't remember when she started holding her head up or when she smiled. I have pictures of her smile so I can track that it happened somewhere between 4-7 weeks. And now her smile at 8 weeks is seeming to be a little more purposeful. Yesterday when she got what she wanted she let out the biggest grin I've ever seen...little toot. I know she was trying to hold her head up as early as 2 weeks, but when she finally got pretty good control...beats me! :)

How am I going to fill out her baby book if I have no idea when she did anything? I guess on a positive note she will be just as neglected as her younger siblings when it comes to her baby book. When I wrote out my birth story I had to ask my husband and mom for some of the details. Surely I didn't lose that many brain cells with this pregnancy that I literally can't remember anything any more. Please tell me I'm not the only mom who hasn't written down every single milestone. I have a feeling I will miss many more.

And in regards to my pregnancy...I kept track of nothing. I have no idea when she first kicked or first time Cody felt her kick. I was going to be so good too and write everything in a little journal I bought to write to her in. Can I post date journal entries and write them now? And just hope they are the truth ;)

Tuesday Glam Party #67

2012-02-06T20:00:00.003-06:00

I apologize for the inconvenience of the links being temporarily unavailable. I had no warning that my subscription was up so it's been renewed but it may take a little time to get things running again. Please check back it should be up again soon. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.

How cute are these paint chip garland strands from Amelia Bedelia? I've considered doing something very similar in Emily's nursery so I might have to add the cute garland.

I love how this family tree from From Gardners 2 Bergers turned out. Although it will take some time I wouldn't mind making one of these for myself.

This white hot chocolate from The Seven Year Cottage not only looks delicious but sounds good too. Mmm!!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Exclusive Pumping

2012-02-06T07:20:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I feel like a cow. And not because I gained weight while I was pregnant, but because I'm always hooked up to this machine. I'm an exclusive pumper.

If you haven't read about how I quit nursing, than you can read my nursing blues. We may have stopped nursing, but I refused to not give my child breastmilk for as long as humanly possible. I'm on a drug that stimulates production as I didn't have a full supply. By the time all this went down we were off the breast, me at the pump and her with a bottle. I could have had the lactation specialist come back out & made it happen, but I was kind of enjoying not having to spend an hour breastfeeding or waking up every 2-3 hours when my husband could take some feedings. So I became an exclusive pumper.

When my husband is home on the weekends and at night pumping isn't so bad. He feeds her while I pump. It works out pretty nicely especially during the night. However, in the middle of the day it's not always that easy. I've learned to sit her on the couch next to me in the boppy while I pump if she's hungry. Or I'll put her in her happy chair right after a bottle. Or perhaps some time in the swing. But let me just say she doesn't always let it happen. I need to pump for a good 20-25 minutes, but occasionally 10 minutes is about all I can swing. Sometimes I wish she knew how important it was that I sat down for those 20 minutes. I mean after-all two weeks ago I had strep and she didn't and I'd like to think it was the breastmilk helping her. With all this being said, some days exclusive pumping isn't too bad but other days I hate it.

The other night we headed out for dinner as soon as Cody got off work. We were eating when I realized I needed to pump. Cody had hoped we could go run a few errands but I had reached my time limit. Or Monday I went to hang out with my mom and had to take my pump with me. I had to make two pumping pit stops in the midst of the day. And Tuesday I had to pump in Cody's bosses office before we went to lunch together. I almost wished she nursed so I could just use a nursing cover and be done with it. On days like those I think about how easy that formula is. (She still eats some formula because even with the medication I just can't keep up.) My goal is to pump until April to get us through flu season, but some days like this week when I had to tote around my pump I want to quit. I can do it. I can pump until April!

Anyone else out there ever been an exclusive pumper?

Bye Bye Baby Bulge

2012-02-04T10:35:00.003-06:00

Shortly after Emily was born I remember looking at myself in the mirror and thinking I look good. So I looked good considering I had just had a baby, but in the grand scheme of things who was I kidding? The picture below shows my sweet bulge that I thought was so tiny! In my defense I had been HUGE forever! I normally would never let someone see this picture of my sweet little bulge, but I am using it as accountability. I really considered taking a picture of the flab in it's bare state but then I got nervous so here it is folks. This picture was taken 2 weeks after Emily was born.

(my husband would give me a GIANT bag of skittles & starbursts, my favorite candy! He hid a Target giftcard in it.)

I'm not one of those people that gained the 25-30 lbs your supposed to gain. Nope I gained the 55 lbs you aren't supposed to gain. Oops. Two of my friends that had babies near the same time as me and well after me are already looking like they did before, but let's be real in saying that I don't have those genetics. Unfortunately. So here we are 8 weeks out & I'm still sporting my sweet maternity pants because I can't get my own jeans past my thighs. I REFUSE to buy a pair of "fat" jeans just so I can stop wearing pants with a belly band that comes up to my chest. I kept avoiding the "diet" because I was enjoying the extra calories still. The extra calories that made me gain 55 lbs.

Before I got pregnant I was doing Weight Watchers. I was nearly to my goal weight when I threw in the towel and started eating like a piggy again. Forget healthy living I can eat 300 extra calories. So instead of eating healthy calories I pigged out on anything and everything I wanted hence the 55 lb gain. So after Emily was born it was Christmas & I wasn't ready to give up my delicious foods. I wanted to wait until my 6 week appointment to get approved for working out before I started anything. Why I couldn't have started eating healthy I am not sure, but I still pigged out. So I lost 20 lbs right off the bat but still have 35 lbs to go. So on Wednesday February 1st I started Weight Watchers again. The first two days were tough and I broke into my extra weekly points...I blame my husband for bringing fresh cookies in the house, soft cookies at that. However, yesterday was much better. I stayed within my points and even had a couple extra plus I got to enjoy dessert. So here's losing 35 lbs a good chunk if not all of it by summer.

Simply losing weight will not be good enough so I've been looking at some work outs that you can do with baby PLUS it's time to get the jogging stroller out more than once a week. I'll probably walk mostly at first because of how hard it's been to keep a supply I'd hate to lose it again, but come April or so I'll be starting to run again. So here's to a new me!

Now if only I could erase the stretch marks.

#janphotoaday

2012-02-03T20:30:00.004-06:00

I failed majorly at the January Photo of a Day, but here's what I got...

Day 1: You

Day 3: Something You Adore

Day 6: Makes You Smile

Day 10: Childhood

Day 11: Where You Sleep

Day 12: Close Up

Day 14: Something You're Reading

Day 15: Happiness

Day 16: Morning

Day 17: Water

Day 19: Sweet

Day 20: Someone You Love

Day 21: Reflection

Day 25: Something You Made

Join me & many other for February Photo of a Day. So far I'm on top of it, but granted it's only day 3!! :)

Our Beloved Pooches

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Don't get me wrong...I love my pooches! However, we have decided that the best decision for our family is to find them new homes. This came to us as no easy decision as we rescued them in the first place. We love them and are determined to find them the best families that we can. We'd love to keep them together, but it's not easy to keep two large dogs together.

Yesterday afternoon a lady came by to see Abby (the boxer) and decided to take her with her. I love my sweet little Abigail, but am excited for her new family and the life she will have with them. They have another white boxer in their home that I know she is going to have a blast with. The lady runs her dog daily so she will get to go on those too. I know that she is living in a great home and even though I wanted this for our family it didn't make it any easier. I will miss my sweet little Abby!

We still need to find a home for Mikey and I am hoping that will take place soon. We love our big guy, but I know it's better for him and us.

Vintage Chalkboard

2012-02-01T07:20:00.003-06:00

When debating what I wanted to do for monthly/weekly photos of Emily I came up with the idea of doing a vintage chalkboard to write down each age. I had thought about the little stickers everyone seems to be using or whatever those are, but wanted something more original. I had pinned a few ideas, but some of it was just too much work for me. I managed to not get the frame made in time so her first photos were just with her elephant. I loved the idea of the elephant because it will be neat to see how she gets bigger and bigger next to that giant elephant. So her monthly or weekly photos look like this:

Not to mention it serves the purpose of being use as a message board too. I posted this picture on my sisters facebook wall on my niece's birthday. I plan to use this for many more birthday and messages for her to leave for people she loves.

So how did I make it??

I wanted a vintage/victorian looking frame. I looked in places like TJ Maxx, Ross, & Marshall's where I had purchased some of that style frame for her room, but to no avail nothing. I was ready to go thrift store hopping when my mom found this frame in her closet. I grabbed a can of yellow krylon spraypaint & gave it a quick spray. It could probably use a second coat, but I like that it has a slight hint of grey in the background as it matches her room. The paint ran a little, but for this project I didn't care that much.

I then grabbed a can of krylon chalkboard paint to spray the glass. Can I just say pay attention to the color you purchase?! I bought green on accident and wondered why it didn't dry black. Doofus.

Then when I sprayed black over the top it crackled like crazy! I turned the glass over and sprayed it black & it worked out just fine until I ruined it another way. Yep...don't spray paint on a windy day! Grass & leaves blew into the garage landing on the glass. I pulled them off but they left little scratches & dents in the paint. You can't tell in the pictures so it's not a big deal, but I can see it which drives me crazy.

Regardless...I love how it turned out even with all of its flaws. And it's perfect for what I needed it for. I love my little chalkboard message board!!

Linked up to Show & Tell, Hoo's Got Talent, Whatever Goes Wednesday, & Wow Me Wednesday. See other places to link up on my linky party page.

Diapers & Wipes Case

2012-01-31T08:20:00.000-06:00

Let me just go ahead and say this is by far one of my new favorite products. I love the convenience it provides for me as a mom. I hate having to carry the entire diaper bag with me when I need to change Emily's diaper. So now I just grab this cute little case & make a quick run to the bathroom. I also love that with this I can occasionally carry my purse instead of the diaper bag & still have what I really need. I've looked online at many diaper & wipes cases and this is by far one of the cutest I've seen. If your a mom constantly on the go like myself I'd say it's totally worth the investment.

Ashley from My Sweet Lizzy has been kind enough to offer my readers 10% off any purchase through the month of February. Just use the code: GGGsave10

Don't miss out on this because it's a diaper bag must have!!

Tuesday Glam Party #66

2012-01-30T20:00:00.002-06:00

I'm sorry there are no features this week. I got caught up and the week slipped by me a little too fast. Will have features back up next week. Have a great week!!!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

A Praying Mommy

2012-01-27T07:14:00.001-06:00

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So, now I give him over to the Lord, for his whole life he will be given over to the Lord" 1 Samuel 1:27-28

As you already know Emily visited the NICU shortly after she was born. It was then that I remembered that she is on loan to me from God & ultimately she belongs to Him. It was much to my relief that He loves her far more than I can ever love her and I love her a lot. Knowing how much He loves her I knew that everything would be perfect no matter how it turned out. It was then that I committed her life to Him & released my control over her (as if I had any). I remember praying for her that afternoon as His child & begging Him to take care of her. I'm elated that He has chosen for me to be her mommy, but rest knowing He is her Father.

Little did I know that this would become a truth I would rely a lot upon. When I am faced with a moment where I can choose to worry or let go of it and trust God it's easy to remember I need to trust Him. I have spent a lot of time praying over sweet Emily already and thanking God for watching over her. It's amazing how much you begin to pray once you have a child. I needed to learn to be a better prayer warrior and I think motherhood has taught me that among the millions of other things it has taught me. I've prayed through her NICU experience, through breastfeeding & sleepless nights, for her future & her present. I've prayed for my ability to be a good mother. I've prayed a lot & hope to continue to pray a lot. I hope that my daughter will always know that momma was praying for her. I'm delighted to spend the rest of my life praying for her in every way possible.

Tuesday Glam Party #65

2012-01-23T20:00:00.003-06:00

I love all the pretty decorations that come around Valentine's Day. The stuff in the stores really kind of makes me want to vomit a little. It's just too much. I love the simple yet sophisticated stuff that I seem to find in the handmade community. This is stuff I can accidentally leave out and not be embarrassed that I left out my holiday decor. OR even purposefully leave out because it's so darn cute!

This yarn wrapped wire from Everything Under the Moon is simply stunning. I just absolutely love it & would totally put it up in my house which I promise is saying a lot.

Loving the simplicity and the creativeness behind this beaded heart frame from over at The Tattered Tag. So cute!

I love how pretty this rosette Valetine's wreath is from I Heart My Glue Gun!
I'm really hoping to have time to make a Valentine's wreath this year, but of course no promises with a baby in the house.

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Valentine's Giveaway: Facebook

2012-01-22T13:37:00.004-06:00

I am hosting a giveaway on my facebook page today! Look for the status with all the rules & then comment away. Up to 5 entries!!

You will win one of my Valentine's onesies!

Don't worry I didn't forget the boys...

If you want to order one then check out my shop & get 20% off using code: SUNDAY20

Floral Headbands

2012-01-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

Just had to share these two adorable headbands that were sent to us from Amanda at Toaster's Transformations. I desperately wanted some red & black headbands for Emily's newborn photoshoot. Amanda sent these my way and I just love them! Plus Emily looks adorable. I loved the two completely different styles and how perfect they were for the shoot. They were exactly what I was looking for.

Sleepless Nights

2012-01-20T08:30:00.000-06:00

Before we had Emily everyone kept telling us to get plenty of rest which I did occasionally. I didn't really realize just how little of sleep I'd get that first week. The first night Emily was with us in the hospital after a few minute of trying to get her to fall asleep we paged the nursery for them to come take her. It was nice to store up on two nights of okay sleep. She was brought in every 2-3 hours to feed plus I had my vitals checked in the middle of the night too, but other than that we had peaceful sleeping!

The first night we were home I grabbed Emily's swaddle wrap, then got her all nice & snug! I got her to sleep & laid her down in her cradle. Easy! Only 2 minutes later she let me know she wasn't about to sleep in her cradle. My thoughts? Must be too big we will try the bassinet tomorrow. We took turns that night holding her in the living room...me, Cody and then my mom. We were exhausted day 2 home from the hospital.

The next day came & I laid her in the bassinet, to no avail she had no desire to lay there either. She wanted to be with us. Not to mention she hated being swaddled. She loves her legs to be swaddled, but she likes her hands up in her face. I should have known considering she literally had her hand by her face at birth. This is when we came up with shifts and everyone got a 3 hour block to sit up with Emily while she slept on their chest. I became increasingly sleepy at night as I had to get out of bed every 2-3 hours to nurse, but at least I was getting some sleep between nursings at least twice a night. Once when Cody was on shift & once when my mom was on shift. Our schedule worked for us at least for the time being.

Once my mom left Cody & I worked out our own schedule. I'm blessed that he's so willing despite the fact that he has to get up early to go to work. We average about 6 hours of sleep a night granted it's broken up. I'd like to say things are improving but not yet. It will get there & for now I'll cherish all these cuddles because I know in a year or two I'll be wishing desperately that I could sneak a cuddle in.

Removing the Stress: Nursing

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

One thing I kept hearing over & over again as I gave my hand at nursing was that if you were stressed out then your baby would know it. It's crazy to me that your baby can be that intuitive. This reason is one of the number one reasons why I decided to remove Emily from the breast. As she would bobble around & scream at my lack of milk supply I'd become increasingly discouraged & frustrated only adding more stress to the matter. It was only a matter of minutes before we were both crying.

I just read a blog post over at Mama and Baby Love called Make Your Boobs a Happy Place. After reading her post I am encouraged to continue giving it a try occasionally to see if perhaps Emily will take to the breast. I love those moments when she latches because there is a bond in that moment that is like no other. Sometimes when she's really fussy I just let her nurse herself to sleep because she will take the breast in those moments and she's completely comforted. In those moments my boobs are a very happy place for her. We still mostly pump & bottle feed but occasionally I still try the breast. I've been on domperidone for a couple weeks now & my supply is up but still not enough to take care of all her needs. My lactation consultant has encouraged me to nurse her from time to time even if I do spend a majority of my time pumping. So I'm going to attempt to continue making it a happy place. And when it doesn't work I'm not discouraged as much & it doesn't end in tears. I take her off & give her a bottle making all well in the world. No stress.

One Month

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

8 lbs 12 oz 21. 5 in.

Dear Emily,

You are one month old. It's hard to believe that a month ago I was going into the hospital to have you. It feels as though all that happened just yesterday. You are growing up too fast already. You are no longer that teeny tiny baby, but you are starting to get so big. Every time I look at you I am surprised by how much you have grown. You try very hard to hold up your head as long as you can. You have a very strong neck!

You actually love tummy time which I hear is rare. Not to mention you love playing on your play mat. You kick and kick and kick while the music is playing. This is one place you are always happy to spend time. All too often you'd much rather be laying with either me or daddy than swinging or sitting in your chair.

You have brought so much joy to our lives. While we still would like extra sleep the cuddles we get with you make up for the hours we are missing out on. Not to mention nothing is sweeter than the grins & giggles that occur in your sleep. We both love you with everything in us & find you absolutely adorable!

Love ,

Mom

Okay here is your real one month photo. The other one was taken 7 days late but I wanted to trick people into thinking I had it all together.

Tuesday Glam Party #64

2012-01-16T20:00:00.002-06:00

So happy to be back & enjoying all the wonderful things you guys are sharing! Getting me excited about some projects brewing in my head. If only my child would take long naps outside of my arms so that I can get some fun things done. Oh and I need money to grow on trees so I can afford everything I need to accomplish my goals.

Loving this floral fabric & vinyl rug from over at Happy Go-Lucky!

This china cabinet from Dumped & Discovered turned out fabulous. The before & after is amazing! I need these skills.

I just love this tile frame made by Loving Life! I think I will have to make one of these for little Miss Emily's room. It would be perfect for some of the empty space on her bookshelf.

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

The Birth Story

2012-01-12T08:30:00.000-06:00

Normally I would not be one to share my birth story, but I've been encouraged to share it. If you've ever been pregnant you know just how quickly one wants to share their horror story with you. I personally never let anyone because I didn't care to hear it. Between my sister & my close friends I had a good understanding of what birth looked like, both the good & the bad. So I share my story with you because I want you to know that good stories do happen...

The night of December 7th I didn't get very much sleep after a night of contractions. They would be getting closer together and then just dissipate. I called my doctor on the 8th & went in to be checked. I was at a 2 so she advised me if I started contracting again to be sure to head to the hospital this time. That night I had excellent sleep, but woke up around 6:30 because I had "wet" myself. I called my mom & told her I thought my water had broken but not to come to the hospital just yet in case it was a false alarm (i.e. pee'd my pants).

We got to the hospital around 6:45 or so & got all checked in. The nursed check me and my water had not broken, but I was indeed in labor. I was dilated to a 3 so she was keeping me there. We called our parents to let them know it was a go. They asked if I was in pain & if I wanted an epidural. I had no pain but knew I wanted the epidural and didn't want to miss out on it because I waited too long.

The anesthesiologist was in with another woman, but would come see me as soon as he had a chance. Pretty sure it was a couple hours and I was dilated to a 5 by the time he came to visit me, but I wasn't experiencing any pain so I didn't mind. I wouldn't have known I was having contractions if it wasn't for the machine telling me so & according to my mother-n-law some of them were fairly severe so I was lucky. Getting the epidural hurt a little, but was totally worth it. It wasn't long before I couldn't feel from my tummy down. I was happy!

We spent much of the day just watching TV & talking. Sometime around lunch my contractions started getting more intense so my mother decided to tell my dad to get to the hospital around 1:30 because that's probably when I'd have a baby. My guess was closer to 3:30, but what did I know? So around 1:30 my contractions slowed down so much so that the nurse decided to put me on pitocin. She had to keep increasing the amount I was getting because I wasn't progressing at all. I was starting to have to push my epidural button to get more drugs because I was actually starting to feel some of my contractions just a little bit. At one point my nurse asked about my pain & when I told her I was feeling them but it wasn't too bad she told me that there was no reason for me to feel anything since I had chosen to get an epidural. So my sweet friend, the anesthesiologist came back to up my dose! Shortly there after the nurse came in to tell me it was go time, she was going to go call my doctor so we could start pushing. However, my doctor was busy so wanted to hold off 30 minutes. Fine by me I couldn't feel a thing ;)

About 10 minutes later the nurse came in to prepare me because my doctor was ready. They told me to pull up my legs and I just laughed because I couldn't do a thing with them. They just lay there motionless even though I was desperately trying to move them. The nurse took one leg & Cody the other. It was time to push. Four contractions & 16 minutes into pushing and we had a beautiful baby girl! My doctor really thought she might come out during the 2nd contraction, but it took just a little longer. Needless to say I was lucky!!

Emily came into this world at 4: 18 pm weighting 8 lbs 2 oz. & measuring 21 inches long. She was absolutely flawless & I was madly in love. As I lay there holding her I thought the sweet little grunts she was making was adorable until the nurse told me it wasn't a good thing. It was only a matter of minutes before they decided to take Emily to the NICU. She never let out a big wail to let loose the fluids so when she started grunting they were concerned especially since I was Group B positive. Hours passed by before I even received an update on my child & one with which I didn't want to hear. She was fine, but they wanted to monitor her for 48 hours. They wanted to definitely keep her in the NICU over night, but maybe even longer. I sobbed. All I wanted to do was hold my sweet baby again. I prayed & called on my closest friends to pray. I wanted her in my arms again. I wanted everything to be okay.

Around 10:30 that night I held my baby again. I went down to the NICU to see her. The nurse told us we could stay as long as we wanted. So as I sat there doing skin-to-skin I prayed over her. I prayed that we would get to have her back with us soon. As it got later in the night I knew I needed to get rest as I wouldn't be getting much of that so we left her even though I could have sat there all night with her on my chest.

Before we left the NICU they told me they would bring her down for feeds in the middle of the night & that I could visit whenever I wanted. I felt better as we headed back to our room. I slept pretty good that night & was so happy to see her that morning even though my sleep was interrupted. When 7am came they released her from the NICU to the regular nursery which meant my baby could be with me. God had answered our prayers! Our parents (aside from my mom) got to see her for the first time on Saturday morning. We were released Sunday morning which was a blessing because they originally weren't sure if they would be willing to release Emily until late Sunday afternoon.

White Noise

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000-06:00

My husband is one of those people who has to have a fan on & the room completely dark in order for him to sleep. I on the other hand am that person who lays down with the lights on, people talking and the dogs barking and just pass right out.

I had always heard that whatever noises your baby is used to in the womb they will sleep through once they are born. Boy is that true because I can yell at the dogs with her right at my chest and she doesn't budge. However, she flails about if a cabinet door is opened in the other room. I knew that we should make as much noise as we wanted so our child wasn't that child who could only sleep in the pure dark in absolute silence. I leave the TV on all day mostly so she will always have background noise. I yell at the dogs just like I normally would. I still vacuum & don't care if someone rings the doorbell. I keep the lights on during the day to help her differentiate day from night (once she's older she can nap in the dark).

So I am all about getting my child to a place where she can sleep anywhere and everywhere with no problems, but I've seen a growing trend in using some sort of white noise in infants rooms. I took a survey among friends and of 30 something only 2 didn't use anything. It has me thinking on if I want to do something or not, but I'm still liking my method of not using a thing. I may use a lullaby CD to help her fall asleep, but it shuts off when it's done and doesn't keep playing all night. I still have month or so to make a decision though...

Here's some of what people told me they use & there are TONS more products out there:

The white noise machine:
The slumber bear...
The sleep sheep...

The box fan...

So what do you do? White noise? Nothing special?

Tuesday Glam Party #63

2012-01-09T20:00:00.002-06:00

Hoping I can convince my father-n-law to make Emily a doll house like this one from Sew Much Ado. How fun!!

This black end table from 551Eat Furniture Design is simply gorgeous!

I am loving this craft room from over at Alyssabeths!

And a yummy treat...

This apple cinnamon cream cheese coffee cake from Feeding My Temple looks delightful!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Emily's 1st Christmas

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Emily's 1st Christmas was wonderful! We are so blessed to be given such a sweet gift this Christmas. Our little girl was more than enough for me!

I was a little nervous to visit Santa because of the germs, but decided I just had to. We got up early on a Sunday morning & headed to Bass Pro Shop to get our picture. I handed her over in her blanket so he didn't touch her. We all survived!!

Here is me & Emily on her small little family Christmas.

I'm reading her the book we got her for Christmas, I Love You Through and Through.

Here is a great picture that shows just how our photo shoot of the cousins went. I think we got a half way decent photo, but for the most part they are full of chaos!

My nieces & nephew just adored Emily. It was so sweet to see how caught up in her they were. This moment was such a special moment for me.

Christmas morning we all headed to church. All of the girls wore matching dresses so this was our attempt to get a cousin picture yet again!

Christmas morning dress!! :)

Our little family...

Little Santa baby!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

Chicken Pot Pie

2012-01-04T08:30:00.001-06:00

Hello Giggles, Glitz, & Glam readers!

My name is Amanda, and I blog over here. I'm so thankful that Jana is allowing me to come and spend some time with you today!!! I'm hoping Jana is enjoying her break and her time to getting adjusted!

That's me and my wonderful hubby, Aaron.

My husband and I are expecting our little one in mid-January! I can't wait!

I don't know about you but whenever it starts to get cold out, I start to desire comfort foods. Soups (oh if only my grandma lived closer, I'd have her chicken noodle every day), Stews, and Chicken Pot Pie.

Last year, ~~my husband~~ I decided we should have chicken pot pie for dinner during the fall when it was just getting that chill in the air. I thought it was a great idea, so I decided to make one (or two). They were so tasty that they have become a staple in our ~~house~~ home, (we have an apartment). And they're not terribly difficult to make, just slightly time consuming. (But I'm a slow cook, you can ask hubby about that. It usually takes me twice as long to make something as it does him.)

So without further ado:

Chicken Pot Pie

First I start by making a pie crust or 2. If you need a good recipe go here. (or you can always buy a double pie crust.)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. And if your oven looks like mine, get out your lighter, turn on the gas, and light it up, yup, it's that old.

In a sauce pan, combine 1 lb chicken (cubed) and a bag of mixed frozen veggies.

Source

Add water to cover and boil 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, cook 1/3 c onions in 1/3 c butter until soft (very soft, we don't want them to crunch so yucky!) Sorry for that, continuing.

Your onion cutting attire (if you're anything like me)

Stir in 1/3 c flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper (unless you've been having gall bladder attacks), and 1/4 c celery seed.

Slowly stir in 2 c chicken broth and 2/3 c of milk.

Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Place chicken mixture in bottom pie crust.

Pour hot liquid over chicken.

Cover with top crust and make slits.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes before serving.

And that's it! It really sounds more intense than it actually is. A few useful tips:

Make sure you put foil on the bottom rack of your oven in the event that your pie ~~inevitably~~ possibly spills over.

If you make this for your husband, he will tell you you're the best wife ever.
He'll also ask you to make it again, tomorrow =P.

What are some of your favorite comfort foods in these cold winter months? Do you have any go-to recipes that you can share? I would love to have more recipes (especially easy ones with a little one on the way).

Well thank you for allowing me to share this recipe with you today. If you try it out let me know how it goes please!

Tuesday Glam Party #62

2012-01-02T20:00:00.002-06:00

These butterflied baked shrimp from The Mediterranean Diet look delish!

I seriously need to make one of these since I hang on to my Christmas cards every year. This is a great idea from Lisa's Craft Blog!

Love this ribbon wreath from The Crafty Scientist...

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Nursing Blues

2012-01-02T14:05:00.005-06:00

Before having Emily if I were asked if I was going to breastfeed I would have said, "yes as long as it works out for us." I didn't know why it wouldn't work out, but knew several friends had said it just didn't work out. I didn't realize it could be challenging since after all it is "natural".

Let's just be honest in saying had I known what I do now I think things would have gone a lot differently which is why I am writing this post. I write this so that if there is someone like myself out there looking for hope or wanting to figure things out they can find it here.

Right after Emily was born I was able to hold her for a few minutes before they decided they were concerned about her grunting & the fact that she didn't let out a big wail (to clear her lungs) so they whisked her off to the NICU. Had I known what I do now...I would have made sure in those couple minutes I had with her that I attempted to breastfeed for the first time. Unfortunately I didn't get that chance so it wasn't until 6 hours later that I would for the first time breastfeed my baby. And can I just say that they gave her a bottle during those 6 hours away which I really wish wouldn't have been done. They said she needed it because her blood sugar was low, but from everything I've learned now her blood sugar was actually fairly normal for a newborn & I could have supplemented at the breast allowing her to familiarize herself with that region. Again...had I known what I do now.

The day the lactation consultant came to my room I had visitors & so she she briefly gave me a run down and left. Had I known what I do now I would have told my visitors to leave.

We headed home & I thought things were going great. We went to our first pediatricians appointment and Emily had lost too much weight. At birth she was 8 lbs 2 oz, at discharge she was 7 lbs 11 oz & at our appointment she was 7 lbs 5 oz. The pediatrician was nervous that she had lost too much weight and wanted me to supplement 10 cc's after every feeding. Had I known what I know now I would have known she hadn't lost too much weight & was fine. I would have disregarded my pediatrician & kept trying to nurse her more frequently to help with the weight gain. After starting to supplement the 10 cc's Emily hated to nurse so I scheduled an appointment with the lactation consultant at the doctor's office. Emily wouldn't nurse because she wasn't hungry so we didn't get a lot of help. She gave me a device to to supplement with at the breast since the pediatrician hadn't done so. Things got worse not better. We went in for another weight check & Emily had lost again and weighed in at 7 lbs 1 oz so I was then instructed to supplement 1 oz after every feeding. Supplementing that much at the breast with the device given to us was an absolute pain in the rump. I had two hands full & had to always have my mom or husband assist. It quickly became easier to just give her the supplemented amount via a bottle. Before I knew it she hated nursing & so did I. Most feeds ended with both off us crying, but she had gained!! :0) After she gained weight it was back to breastfeeding except she wouldn't so I had to give her formula or she would have screamed at the top of her lungs. I couldn't give her what she wanted fast enough & this is when I realized my supply was low. (Had I known what I do now my supply would have never got low).

I realized I still needed help so I got information on another lactation consultant. I emailed back & forth with her but she wasn't a lot of help. Really just kind of helped me learn how to increase my supply via pumping which wasn't working out too well either. So I was trying hard to at least pump breastmilk for Emily, but couldn't keep up with her feedings. I was only able to provide her with 2-3 feeds a day & the rest had to be formula. I read up & talked with friends and found out about a herb called fenugreek so I started it right away. After 48 hours it hadn't been working & my supply was remaining the same. Nothing seemed to help!

I got a hold of yet another lactation consultant one that came highly recommended. I was greatly encouraged after hanging up the phone with her, but it would be several days before we could meet because the holiday weekend had occurred. I was supposed to meet with her when she returned, but we couldn't get our schedules to work out until a full week later. She encouraged me to take more fenugreek & get a hold of Mother's Milk Plus. My supply still remained low & nothing seemed to be changing. Emily sometimes nursed & other times refused. We did what we could. The time to meet her finally came & things went well. Emily latched well & got 1.5 ounces from me. So the consultant showed me an easier way to supplement at the breast so that she would be increasing my milk supply as she supplemented. She received her extra 1.5 ounces this way. The next feed came & it wasn't as easy as I thought. And it seemed as though each feed after that only got worse. It was very evident from my conversation with her that a lot had gone wrong from the very beginning which is why I was having so much difficulty. She had hope for me, but I was left feeling pretty hopeless still. But I wanted to persevere.

With all that said, had I known then what I know now...

I would have nursed Emily from the start. I would have refused her to be given a bottle in the NICU. I would have met with the lactation consultant at the hospital. I would have refused the first recommendation to give her 10cc's after each feed. I would have met with a lactation consultant then to help increase my supply to help her gain. When recommended to start giving her even more formula I would have rented a hospital grade pump to increase & help keep up with my supply. And had I met with those lactation consultants early on I would have had an increased milk supply & likely things would have worked out a lot better.

My encouragement to you if you are struggling with nursing is to seek help right away!! There are so many resources & if you are cheap like me don't be because the money is worth the investment. Read as much as you can so you can be ready! Every book or blog I read said the funny things about breastfeeding is it isn't as natural as you would think. Almost every mom I talked to told me how hard it was. Had I known all of that before this started I think things would have gone differently.

So today I am throwing in the towel. After 3 1/2 weeks of giving it all I got it's time for me to stop. The stress it's causing me & Emily is making it not worth it. She is much happier taking a bottle & therefore I am much happier when she is taking that bottle. It's hard because I wanted to be able to provide for her in this way, but it just didn't work out for us. To think before she was born I didn't even care about nursing & now I long for it. I prayed day in and day out that things would click. I prayed often that my supply would increase. I will continue too pump for as long as I can, but for us the bottle is the way to go. I am so thankful to those who have prayed with me & for me along this journey. I am also extremely thankful for those who have encouraged me when it's been tough especially during those late night hours. I am thankful for those who told me I was still a good mom even if I didn't breastfeed. I am blessed beyond measure for each & everyone of you who has walked with me in this journey. Thank you for all your kind words & your prayers! Now my hope is that God will bless me with my second child & I will get to nurse them. But for now...me & Emily will just enjoy bonding over a bottle & some snuggle time! :)

Tuesday Glam Party #61

2011-12-26T20:00:00.002-06:00

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

The last two weeks have been absolutely incredible. I most definitely am beyond blessed this Christmas with the best gift in the entire world. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

Tuesday Glam Party #60

2011-12-19T20:00:00.002-06:00

We are home & happy to be enjoying our sweet new baby! I hope to be back featuring next week, but if I don't make it please be patient for another week. Much love!!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Baking for the Holidays

2011-12-19T08:30:00.001-06:00

Do you ever have people to buy for that have everything? Or you just don't know what to get them? Or how about those people who tell you, "don't get me anything" but you know you need to get them something (ahem, my dad)?

Hello Giggles, Glitz, & Glam readers!

My name is Amanda, and I blog over here. I'm so thankful that Jana is allowing me to come and spend some time with you today!!! I'm hoping Jana is enjoying her break and her time to get adjusted!

That's me and my wonderful hubby, Aaron.

My husband and I are expecting our little one in mid-January! I can't wait!

Anyway, back to those questions.

You wouldn't happen to know anyone like that right??? I wish I didn't and I'm sure all of you have at least one of those people.

For me, one of the hardest people to shop for is my father. I never have any idea what to get him, I mean, a guy can only use so many pairs of socks right? So a few years ago, when my husband and I were just dating, I would make my then boyfriend lots of baked goods when I'd go visit. Dad would ask, "Where's mine?" So that got me thinking, "Hey, dad really likes it when I bake for him." So probably since 2008, I haven't really gotten my dad any gifts. Instead, I bake.

My dad and mom :) (No wonder I don't have eyes when I laugh, they don't either.)

Last year for Christmas, I also had some people I wasn't exactly sure what to get for Christmas either, my sister's boyfriend, my sister-in-law's boyfriend, my father-in-law and a few others. So what did I do? Got in the kitchen of course. I was also a nanny at the time so the girls I watched thought this was the greatest thing in the world. They loved to help me bake.

Last year, I made these cookies:

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Oh, how the girls, LOVED using the cookie cutters, and putting on the frosting, only ours didn't look as nice (they were 1 & 3).

and some of these:

Chocolate Candy Canes

Wanna keep two little ones busy for a while? Put some candy canes in a container with a lid and let them throw it at the floor in an attempt to break up the candy canes.

Well, if you forget to bring your blender, this is your best bet, however, it's not very efficient. At least the kids have fun! :) (And that's an understatement.)

Along with those, we made some dipped pretzels, some were dipped in chocolate, some in white chocolate, and others in butterscotch. These were a huge hit with my family. My uncle particularly liked the butterscotch ones because they were so different.

Source

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This year, here are some of the recipes I hope to make.

Mint Chocolate Delight cookies from Baked Perfection

Don't they just look darling?

Source

I will use my own brownie recipe, but aren't these so stinking cute??? I will have to make these. So simple, and yet perfect!

Ok, ok, I think I do too much chocolate, let's give everyone else a chocolate break (everyone but me of course).

Reindeer Feed

How simple is that? Rice Chex, White Chocolate and candy canes. Super PRETTY!

Super Easy, Super Amazing Coconut macaroons

My hubby and I finished them up in an evening. Yup, that good. Or bad depending on your perspective ;)

And the last one for now, especially picked for my gingerbread loving hubby:

White Chocolate topped Gingerbread

What do you think? Do you have any Christmas cookies that are "go-tos" in your house? I'm just getting started on this baking journey but I love it! I'd love to hear some of your thoughts!!!

Thanks for spending some time with me!

Praying your family has a Merry Christmas!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

Princess Emily is Here!!

2011-12-16T09:38:00.005-06:00

Emily arrived a week ago today. I can't believe my sweet little girl has been here a week already. She entered the world at 4:18 pm 12/9/11 weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz & 21 in long! I am blessed beyond words. Here is a small glimpse into our first week together...

The second I held my baby for the first time...

Just hanging out...

Emily meeting her boyfriend, Aiden. I had the pleasure of being pregnant with a dear friend of mine. We both struggled to get pregnant & ended up being two weeks apart in our pregnancy. What a sweet journey we got to take together.

Our family headed home...

Emily's going home outfit. Check out her sweet boots from Jacqui at CrafteeMcGee!!

Our little Red Raider...
(onesie made by me)

Reading with daddy...

Posing with her friend...

12 Before 2012

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hi all!!! I’m Darby from Life with the Hawleys :-) I’m delighted to be guest posting here today while Jana is spending quality time with Miss Emily. Thank you so much for having me Jana! Today, I wanted to share with you the fun to-dos I want to accomplish before the end of the year.

Here are my 12 before 20-12:

See snow

Snuggle up on the couch with my honey watching Christmas movies, especially the old classics like “It’s a Wonderful Life” and drink hot coca.

Wear big soft warm fluffy socks

Go to the food court at the mall and people-watch the Christmas shoppers

Take Tomlin to Petsmart to see Santa. Yes Tomlin is my 4-legged baby, and I’m totally that crazy lady who’s head-over heels in love with her dog lol Look at that face! Can you blame me?!

Decorate our house for Christmas

Wrap Christmas gifts

Go see the Steelers crush the Rams on Christmas Eve

Celebrate my 4-year Anniversary with the Mr. I can’t believe how fast these years have gone by!

Bake a ridiculous amount of cookies to send home to family

See the Nutcracker- Hubby surprised me with tickets again this year. Isn’t he wonderful, to take me to the same ballet two years in a ROW!?

Get all glitzed up to ring in the new year with a kiss from my sweetie :-) I've got to start the year with sparkles!

I have to say, this sounds like the most *fun* to-do list I have ever made! What is on your list of to-dos before the end of the year?

image credits

DIY Flower Accessories

2011-12-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

I am happy to be a guest poster here for Jana as she welcomes her new little one into the world! Motherhood is an awesome adventure. My name is Brooke. I have a little blog called TaaDaa Designs where I do a little DIY crafts, recipes, this and that. It is a lot of fun to share things I make!

Today, I want to share with you this really simple tutorial on making pretty flower accessories. It is so quick too. You can have a new gift for that girly girl in about 10 minutes.

Thats "glue on" instead of "glueon". It isn't some special craft procedure. I like to make up new words. :D

Happy Crafting!
Brooke
blog: www.taadaadesigns.blogspot.com
etsy: www.taadaadesigns.etsy.com

Tuesday Glam Party #59

2011-12-12T20:00:00.002-06:00

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

It's Cookie Time - Family Tradition

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

Stephanie is the mom to two boys who is trying to figure it all out with the help of her trusty side-kicks: coffee and her camera. You can follow her trials and tribulations at A Grande Life, on twitter, and on Facebook.

Every year, my family gets together for a huge cookie baking day. The date is usually decided on Halloween when we are all together. We clear our calendars and on December Saturday is solely dedicated to baking cookies. We all have our cookies we want to make {chocolate chip, thin mints, and crinkles} but we all stop to help make the most important cookies of the year.
Italian Christmas Cookies. I am not sure if that is the official name but that's what we call them!
Everyone helps out. Everyone. My kids, nieces, sister, cousins, uncle, grandfather. Everyone crashes my parent's house to make the cookies. If you don't help make them, you don't get to take any home!

My dad pre-makes the dough so that when we get there we can get down to business. We spend the first few hours rolling out the dough, cutting out shapes, and making the traditional balls and half moons. If there aren't enough balls and half moons, my mom starts yelling! The adults take care of the traditional shapes. We let the kids handle the cookie cutters. As we are shaping, Mom is manning the oven. She rotates tray after tray until there is nothing left to bake.

Then we all patiently wait for the cookies to call. While we wait, we bake some other cookies and eat lunch {usually pizza!}.

Then it's time. The part everyone is waiting for. It's time to decorate!

If my mom is lucky, there are a ton left. Someone is always snagging a bite, usually using the excuse that that cookie didn't look good. I am not sure exactly how many dozen cookies we make, but it's a lot. Everyone is sent home with a tin or two packed with cookies!

I look forward to cookie day every single year. I love that my family does this together. No matter what else is going on in our lives, we take the time to make this a special day.

Old Navy Bundle-Up Bash

2011-12-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've briefly mentioned Crowdtap before, but yesterday got to host my first event thanks to Old Navy and Crowdtap! I had been accepted to be part of their winter bundle-up bash & was honestly a little nervous if I would be able to participate in time because of how close I am to my due date. I got my packet on Tuesday & recruited some friends right away for yesterday morning so that I could guarantee I'd be able to go.

Can I just say we had a blast?! I took with me my friends, Sara from Wallflower Photographer, Erin from Grace-Filled and Monica, an old high school friend. Okay technically Sara is also an old high school friend & in fact we know each other because we worked at Old Navy back in high school. Another fun fact about Sara? She's the one who took my announcement photos, maternity photos and soon to be newborn photos!

So we met up at Old Navy first thing yesterday morning to try out their winter wear! Nothing is more exciting than grabbing arms full of clothes to try on. Okay, I would have had a lot more fun if I wasn't 39.5 weeks pregnant but that's okay. We went to an Old Navy that had a maternity section so I'd have pants to try on although I did try to sneak into a pair a size or two up from the usual size. They were skinnies though and they wouldn't even go up past my mid-thigh and there is no way I was grabbing 3-4 sizes bigger than usual!! :)

I have to say this might be my favorite outfit: I would have totally purchased the shirt & boots if I was planning on being pregnant longer, but since it's coming to an end too bad!

Glass Bottle Snowman

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000-06:00

Hey all you Giggles, Glitz & Glam Gals (& possibly Guys), I am Stephanie from My Li'l Pumpkin Patch and I am happy to be guest blogging here today as Jana gets to enjoy her new precious bundle of joy! I want to share a quick craft that I came up with one day. It is really quick and (would have) only taken 5 minutes, if I knew exactly what I was doing! I am going to share with you how to make this simple glass bottle snowman.

This would make a perfect last-minute gift or decoration.

I used vinyl, wire, a glass bottle I have had for years, pliers, a hole punch, and book pages (not pictured).

First, I made a handle around the top of my bottle with the wire. I have seen this on pinterest and love the look!

Next, I punched some holes out of my vinyl (much faster than getting the silhouette out).

The next part is pretty self explanatory, but I stuck the vinyl circles in a face shape. Next, I rolled up several book pages together and stuck them inside, and ta-da!

I love the simplicity of this project and it is so easy to change if I get tired of it in a few years! Thanks for letting me share my project with you! I would love it if you stopped by to say hi!

Traditions and Crafts for Christmas

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Excited to have Jessica from The Beginning of Crafting share with us some of their traditions & crafts for Christmas. Maybe you can be inspired...

As a parent, Christmas is even more special than when it was just my husband and I. We both always had these wonderful ideas we couldn't wait to do with our kids. I will say that I think we are fortunate to go through this recession while my children are very young. It taught my husband and I to not go overboard or spend to excess. Our kids have what they need and more than what they want on any average day. So I would first off say that the tradition we started first was to determine that Santa has a "limit" whether price or size. My husband didn't want Santa to get the credit for the large item that he and I saved up for. So Santa does the stocking, and one normal size gift. We do 3 gifts to represent the 3 gifts the Magi brought to Christ, after all He is the reason we celebrate the season and give gifts at all. We think it is both meaningful, and controls the excess and spendiness of the holiday. Then we have guidelines within that lol.

1 gift is usually something that they Really want- last year was the Rapunzel tower
1 is something handmade or homemade
and 1 is usually something practical- like a craft project, or book, or clothes

We hope by starting this early with our kids, they will remember the importance of what the holiday stands for and not just about getting gifts.

Other things we enjoy doing are things that are exciting and fun traditions for us, typically experiences and crafts.

Every year we decorate as a Family, usually Thanksgiving weekend. We put the tree up, add the ornaments, hang the stockings, put out the Christmas village and nativity. We also use the time setting out the nativity to discuss who is in the nativity and what they did- a starting point as to what the holiday is about. The Christmas village is a reminder of our neighbors and friends and the beauty of the season with its lights twinkling.

We always go to the Christmas show- The Southern Christmas show, to be exact. I get an ornament for my kids, a family one- if our family has changed that year, and one for my niece. We get the dough ornaments, and now my daughter gets to pick hers out- usually something fluffy, frilly and pink, and their name and the year is added to it. I was fortunate that we had so many ornaments that my parents kept and passed on to me when I got married. I hope to do the same with my kids, give them ornaments to start out with. My daughter loves looking at ornaments from when I was a little girl, and ones hubby and I made and picked out when we were dating and since getting married. We are sentimentalists. Before we had kids, we had a "pretty" decorative tree, and a sentimental tree. Now it’s just the sentimental one.

We also make an ornament or decoration for the house to use later. This year I convinced our Uncle Troy at the beach to save us a large trash bag full of massive sized pinecones. I remember these crafts when I was growing up. We are going to spray paint them and put starlight mints between the "branches" and set them out for decoration. A few we will put peanut butter and birdseed on for the animals that come through our yard. In past years, we have made canvas art using handprints, footprints, or finger prints. I have had my daughter make her own gifts for her grandparents, some art work or craft. Pinterest is a great site for ideas if you need some fresh ones.

We have a couple events we don't miss- McAdenville, NC- Christmastown USA has an amazing light show. We drive through there and let them look and sing. We also make sure to go to Rock Springs Campground for A Night in Bethlehem. Campground is set up like old shacks, they convert it to look like an old marketplace and homes from the night Christ was born, then we see the angel appear to the shepherds and then go into the arbor- which is set up like the stable where you see Christ and Mary, Joseph, the Angels, Magi, and of course animals- real animals. It makes it real to my daughter to see it. It’s more than just a story.

We do the normal cookie baking, and yes I do some that I like to be pretty, but I do make sure my daughter gets to make and decorate her own. I love that she is old enough now to ask about when we will be doing something. It means those traditions and memories are staying with her. We of course Have to have some Peppermint Mocha creamer for my coffee, and It is a MUST to have hot chocolate and mulled cider going. An easy recipe for mulled cider is to get the mulling spices at walmart, target, or Williams Sonoma, and I put it in a tea ball to steep in a large pot of apple juice. It smells so yummy. You can taste or smell when its done and just ladle it out into a cup. OR another recipe we use is the apple juice and toss in a handful of cinnamon candies. As it dissolves you have a slightly spicy cinnamon cider. Also very yummy and it makes the house smell great.

In the last several years I have tried making at least something handmade or homemade for all of our family. If nothing else, a personal ornament from the kids. My most recent fun projects were to make personalized aprons for my MIL and Grand MIL. They turned out really cute, and they both wear aprons all the time when they cook. I also made a hot/cold pack- a pretty big one, for the GMIL since she has a lot of problems with her feet. I wanted her to be able to heat it up and lay it over top of both of her feet and it keep them warm, and the weight of it seems to help massage it as well. Hubby even asked for one after I finished hers. So that was a definite hit. Plans for this year include an i-spy bag for my daughter, and a dress. A pot rack for MIL, and a few other things I can’t mention openly yet for fear of someone reading this, or of me not getting it completed in time.

Well I hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse in our Holiday traditions. I hope it helps you find ways to either curb your spending, or find ways to enjoy the Holidays without spending a lot of money. We just love doing things together. Feel free to follow my blog The Beginning of Crafting as I go through blogging about what I make for the holidays.

Tuesday Glam Party #58

2011-12-05T20:00:00.002-06:00

Surely this will be one of the last weeks I get to do a feature for a little while, but maybe not! Little Miss Emily might be hanging on for the long haul. I was hoping she'd come out a week early, but not looking promising as of now. Can't wait for her to get here!!

I am absolutely in love with this vintage lace doily monogram from avery & anderson!
This would look absolutely adorable in Emily's room so I might just need to add this to my DIY list. Seriously so cute!

How beautiful is this frame turned bow holder from Watch Me Daddy?
This would also look super cute in little Miss Emily's room!

This cabinet door turned tray from Pondered Primed Perfected would look great sitting on my new coffee table. It's gorgeous!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

DIY Christmas Card Display

2011-12-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season!!!

Hello lovely GGG readers!!!

My name is Kassi and I blog over at Truly Lovely!

You might have seen me hanging around here before, but if not, you can click this little button here to learn more about me and my blog.

In the meantime, I am thrilled to be here guest posting while Miss Jana is on her mommy leave!

I have a fun, inexpensive Christmas card display to share with you today. All materials were purchased at my local Wal-Mart.

For less than $10, $9.93 to be exact!

I started with a small wooden plaque, red and green Christmas ribbon (I ended up not using the red), red and green paint, a package of foam brushes, and six wooden clothes pins.

I chose a green JOY Christmas tree decoration ($1.00!) for my wording because I didn't have a nifty Silhouette machine at the time. ;)

I went with a small plaque because me and the hubs are just starting to get Christmas cards from family and friends...

So we don't need a huge display just yet... :)

I painted the plaque red, and three of the clothes pins red and three green, then left them to dry for a few hours. FYI, clothes pins are HARD to paint... But worth it in the end!

After everything was dry, I hot glued the green Christmas ribbon to the back of the plaque, ~~eyeballing~~ carefully measuring so that it was centered, forming a loop with which to hang my project. I also ~~eyeballed~~ carefully measured two lengths of green ribbon (to attach the cards to) and hot glued those onto the plaque as well.

Please excuse the old, yucky glue gun... I have a new, cute little one but it was in storage at the time...

Then I felt like I was being super lazy by not painting the back, so I went ahead and painted around the ribbon...

Again, I let everything dry well. In the meantime, I ~~haphazardly popped off~~ carefully removed the loop (for hanging) from the JOY decoration. And hot glued it to the front of the plaque.

Tada! Here's my finished Christmas Card Holder!

I took the six painted clothes pins and clipped our Christmas cards to the hanging ribbons. I LOVE it!

It's the perfect little size for our card collecting (for the time being) and it's quite cheery, don't you think!?!

And in use, hanging on the door.

Apologies for the glare from my camera flash... I work during the day and closet craft at night, so the lighting wasn't so optimal... :)

There you have it! ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS from TRULY LOVELY!!!

And our happiest congrats to Jana and family on their little holiday bundle!

Winter Family Fun

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Please welcome Holly at Nap Time to the Giggles, Glitz & Glam blog as she talks with us about some fun activities for the family this winter!!

We’re coming into a day and age when families are spending less and less quality time together. Jobs, sports, extracurricular activities and electronic devices keep us all busy, and often the times the time that we do spend together with our family leaves us staring blankly at one another in boredom. I blame it on lack of creative thinking, or the mere fact that families just don’t spend enough time trying to come up with family focused activities.

Luckily for me, my daughter is still at an age where she has no choice but to hang out with mom and dad. That’s not to say that I don’t realize these days are limited. I’m making it my goal to stockpile ideas for future outings and activities so that when boredom strikes I’m armed and ready. Last fall, I showcased a “Fall Family Challenge” in which I took each letter of the alphabet and tied it to one (or in most cases, several) fun family centered ideas. Here is what I came up with for W = Winter Family Fun.

Go See the Lights

{source}

As a child I absolutely hated car rides, except for at Christmas time. I lived for those moments when after my mom finished cleaning up the dinner dishes, she and my dad would suggest going for a ride to see the lights. These days, even more people get into the holiday spirit with giant inflatables and walk-through wonderments. Remember what it was like to see the whole world light up around you as a child? Make sure to share those memories with your family! Many cities host a “tacky light tour” – meaning an area where lots of people have dressed up their homes for Christmas. Some offer rather expensive limousine tours or carriage rides, and a lot of botanical gardens also put on a show as a profitable way to stay open for business during the dormant season. We recently took our daughter, toted in wagon, to a festival of lights here in Virginia, and the “Wows” and “Whoas” that came out of her little 13 month old mouth just melted my heart with the holiday spirit.

Play “Snowed In”

This idea is perfect for the growing family. The younger kids will eat up the imaginative play, and your older kids will secretly delight in it as well! The game is simple – pretend that your family is snowed in the house for a weekend. 12 feet of snow encompass your entire house, you’re stuck. Let your little ones show their survival skills in setting up a family “nest” of blankets in the living room; the place where for the next 48 hours you’ll watch movies together, play board games and share family memories. How about a pizza? No can do – the delivery man would never make it! In advance, stock up on supplies that will allow your kids to be creative in the kitchen and make their own special dishes. A perfect family retreat without leaving your own home! You’ll be amazed at the bonding your family does in this short time. (Also a great idea for couples looking to reignite a relationship!)

Snow Treasure Island Hunt

Who doesn’t like a good mystery? Get the whole family involved in this chilly weathered treasure hunt. Bury a chest of goodies out in the snow and create a map with clues on how to find the prize. Argh, matey! No snow in your neck of the woods? Try and indoor hunt, with hidden spaces like inside the dryer or under the stairwell. Check out the full details over at Disney’s Family Fun.

Create a Little Winter Wonderland

{source}

We have all seen them, in store windows across America, those little decorative towns with perfectly painted houses and people, lampposts with working lights and dainty little cobblestone walkways. As a child, I could stair at the little utopia for house, imagining what it would be like to be in it.

If you’re like me, you know that you don’t have the time or money to create such a Christmas ambience in your home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help your children create their own. Given a table top and some stuffing (to be used as snow, of course), help your little one come up with a world all their own, with recycled shoe boxes, empty cocoa tins, Lego men, block sets, dolls, and action figures. The holidays are a time of coming together, and toys should be no exception. You’ll be smiling on your child’s little utopia until the snow melts away in the spring.
Mush! Mush!

Be a Snow Guide

For toddlers, it can be hard getting around in a snowsuit! (Not to mention bending your arms and legs and learning what mittens are!) That doesn’t mean that they should be left out of the winter fun, though. Children of this age love to go for walks, and this is the perfect opportunity to pull them along in a sled and point out the different objects around you. Trees, pinecones, wreaths, cardinal – with most of the world around you dusted in white, it’ll be easy for your little one to point out the pops of colors they see. Don’t forget though! The sun can be bright for those little eyes when reflected off the snow. Pack along a pair of sunglasses and make sure to put some Vaseline on those cheeks to keep them from getting chapped!

Hot Cocoa Party

2011-12-01T09:00:00.003-06:00

I'm Randi from a little crafty blog called Dukes and Duchesses and I'm so happy to be guest posting here! Christmas is absolutely my favorite time of year and my favorite time to entertain. Today I'm going to share a simple idea for a Hot Cocoa Party.

I wish we'd get more wintry forecasts in hot ol' Texas but when it finally gets chilly I break out the hot cocoa. Setting up a hot chocolate bar is the perfect thing for a last minute get-together.

I often make a batch of my own hot chocolate {my favorite recipe can be found here} but you can also throw a pile of hot chocolate packages in a basket and let guests choose their favorites.

Jazz up the hot cocoa bar with some self-serve toppings: marshmallow snowmen, cute seasonal marshmallows {even Target carries fun winter marshmallows}, vanilla sipping straws {found at Harry & David}, crushed peppermint candies, and whipped cream.

The little snowmen are made by stacking marshmallows on skewers, adding a fruit roll-up scarf and a Hershey Kiss hat, some pretzel arms, and faces/buttons that are made by dipping a toothpick into black food coloring. Perfectly simple.

Enjoy the season, practice hospitality, and remember what we're really celebrating this Christmas season. Merry Christmas to all of you ... and I hope you'll stop by Dukes and Duchesses to say hi!

The Cradle

2011-11-30T15:56:00.003-06:00

I just had to share with you our beautiful cradle that was made for us my Cody's dad (Emily's Poppy). I found a cradle I liked at Buy Buy Baby, but we wanted to see if he could make it before we bought it. He was a little nervous at first because I wanted one that could rock & he hadn't made anything like this that rocked. He did an incredible job!!

And now all of our children will get to use a hand crafted cradle made from their Poppy. Not to mention we will keep it for our children to use some day as well. He made several things when his kids were younger that have been passed down now. Cody's cousin has a rocking horse that his kids will not get to use that were made by Uncle Jerry. I want to say there is a rocking chair and even a crib out there somewhere. My father-n-law is truly talented and we are deeply blessed.

Tuesday Glam Party #57

2011-11-28T20:00:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited about Christmas so this weeks features are some fun Christmas projects & decorations!!

Here is some DIY Popsicle Snowflakes from Sew Fantastic:

I absolutely love these custom ornaments from Redefining C:
(may have to try to do this before baby comes)

And who doesn't love an awesome holy night printable like this one from taidye original:

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Santa Claus

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!

I don't really recall at what age I figured out he wasn't real any more. Although my mom told me if I didn't believe I wouldn't get gifts so of course I still believe to this day. I seem to remember a time when I decided I no longer believed to which I believe my mother told me that yes Santa no longer visited everyone's homes all by himself, but that all the Santa's I saw at the mall helped him which is how he hit every house. Maybe my mom never really told me that & my own little imagination came up with it, but it kept me believing a little longer.

Cody & I have talked about our stance on Santa Claus since my sister & her husband chose to tell their oldest he wasn't real. Personally I love the fun of the holidays & believing in Santa Claus. I see no harm in enjoying the make believe especially as long as our children also know the true reason for the season. We will continue to read the story of Christ's birth every Christmas Eve and share with them what really matters, but with all that we still want to have fun with the holiday.

We've recently discovered someone else within our family who has chosen to tell their children that Santa is not real. They've decided it's a lie and they will not lie to their children. I get it, but at the same time still see no harm in the make believe. I mean I'm not going to let my kids play with real food instead of their make believe food because it's not real. I just hope that we can enjoy the fun of Santa in our family without those around us spoiling it. Or maybe I will be convicted otherwise before our children are old enough to believe anyway.

Does your family "believe" in Santa Claus? What's your take or stance?

It's the Little Things: Celebrating Love

2011-11-25T08:00:00.003-06:00

This has been an excellent week!!

We put up our Christmas tree just in case Emily decided to make an early appearance. This is Emily's first ornament from my Aunt & cousin...

Saturday night we went to dinner, enjoyed coffee & music on the patio, stayed in a hotel...all to celebrate 2 years of wedded bliss!

Cody engraved my wedding ring to say "Thought I loved you then" which is lyrics from our song!!

The coffee & dessert we indulged in after our dinner date.

Cody had to study in the midst of our anniversary weekend so I joined him for BOGO drinks at Starbucks.

And then on Monday for our actual Anniversary we went to a Brazilian steak house & my sweet husband brought these beautiful flowers home to me!

We went to my parents house on Wednesday night to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. After dinner my mom pulled out our wedding cake from two years ago. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad, in fact my dad actually had a small slice.

Linking up...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from me and mine!!

We don't really have any family traditions as of now & I'd like to change that for next year when Emily will be here for the celebration. I read somewhere of a tradition where everyone goes around the table sharing what they are thankful for until they reach 100. They write them down every year so they can reflect back on years past.

We bought a little notebook to write letters to Emily in for the next 18 years of her life so it might be fun for us to write in it every year things we are thankful for.

Here's just a small glimpse into the list of things we are thankful for this year:

1. Our little blessing, Emily.
2. Two years of marriage.
3. Friends who also were blessed with pregnancies after a season of struggle.
4. Provision allowing me to stay at home.
5. Community within our church.

What are your Thanksgiving traditions?

The Bump: 37 Weeks

2011-11-23T22:32:00.003-06:00

Sorry it's been 7 weeks since I've updated the bump. So here it is...

Don't worry...Mikey still has to be in my pictures. He just loves to get right next to me.

Nothing really happening as of now. Emily likes the incubator as of this point and hasn't made her decent yet. My doctor is out of town this week so I haven't started doing anything to get her out of here. But starting Sunday it's all about squats & pedicures! :)

I can't believe little Miss Emily will be here in the next 3 weeks...

Tuesday Glam Party #56

2011-11-21T20:00:00.002-06:00

I just love this growth chart from Creative Raisins!
We had a wall growth chart at my Grandmas house & when she moved it was so sad to have to leave that wall behind with all of our measurements. You would think we would have learned and made something for my moms wall, but we didn't. So now my moms wall holds our stats as well. I need to be sure to make something like this so we can take it off our wall and take it with us if we ever move.

Loving this give thanks art from Digiart Cafe.
Such a sweet reminder to give thanks in all circumstances.

These ooey goeey cinnamon buns from Life with the Hawley's has me drooling!
And I don't even like cinnamon rolls...

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Two Years!

2011-11-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

Two years ago today I married the man of my dreams!

Sometimes it seems as though we have been together forever and then other times I can't believe it's already two years. Looking forward to many more years together!!

And I have to say I totally got the better end of this deal. I have the most thoughtful and sweet husband ever. He on the other hand has a true pain in his butt for a wife, but he's patient and loves me anyway. That might just possibly make him crazy, but either way I'm thankful! He is simply amazing.

It's the Little Things: A Few Weeks of Them

2011-11-18T09:46:00.006-06:00

I grabbed this books a few weeks ago for me to fill out for little Miss Em! It will be fun to give her this one day and for her to be able to read about my life as well as how I felt the day I found out I was pregnant with her.

One morning a couple of weeks ago our alarm went off bright and early. It sounded with "fire...fire...fire...carbon monoxide". We were very confused by what had happened, but with coincidental headaches and a pregnant momma we decided it was best to have our house tested. Thankful that it was nothing!

Cody continues to read to Emily from time to time. He's going to be such a great daddy...I am so blessed by him!

Why yes something as simple as the cups at Starbucks switching to the holiday cups made my day! I am excited for the holiday season to be here!

The next three images show how loved we have been as we've been blessed by many showers! We are truly blessed & Emily is truly loved!

Linking up...

Arrival of Baby

2011-11-16T18:15:00.004-06:00

My first niece was born January 20th, 2006. I remember it like it was yesterday which makes it hard to believe that this year she will be 6. I wasn't in the room for the birth or anything, but sitting in that waiting room waiting to hear of my sweet Ellie's arrival was a memory I'll never forget. Little chunkers full of hair!!

I'll say I was very lucky to be able to be part of this day as I had flexibility to just drive down for a few days to be there for everything. My sister was two hours away so even if she went into labor before I got there I would likely still make it before Ellie was even born. However, Ellie wanted to stay incubated for a long time so she was scheduled to be induced 10 days after her due date so I was there the night before.

Little T also came on a scheduled day when I was able to take off time from work to make it for the entire event. I took care of his big sister and brought her to the hospital when they were ready for her to meet her big brother. What a special memory!

Here's me & Tristan on June 17th, 2008...

Unfortunately I didn't have the same luck with Little Miss Ashland though. She was scheduled to be induced as well, but with a new job I was afraid to ask for the time off. Cody & I headed up two days later though for the weekend.

Ashland arrived April 21st, 2010...

With all that said...

I am terribly saddened that my sister won't get to be here when little Emily is born. I've had moments that I'm fine by this and others that I'm so torn up by it. I understand why my sister can't come & am in no way upset with her, but I wish that somehow I could have her here. I've thought about seeing if we could afford to fly her in or even asking for that for Christmas from my parents. If Emily is born on her due date it will be about 15 days before my sister gets to meet her. This really hadn't caused me tears up until this weekend when I got to see my sister. She told me to go ahead and go in labor since she was in town, but it just didn't work out that way. It's weird that the person that gives me all of my advice and will teach me everything I need to know won't be here. I know I'll have my mom, an excellent medical staff, good friends, a lactation specialist, and my pediatrician there to answer any of my questions...it just won't be the same. And while it makes me a little teary eyed at times, I am at the same time so thankful for technology which will allow us to have FaceTime when she is born and I can ask her all the questions I can think of over the phone. But oh how I long for her to be in that room with me the day Emily is born...

Tuesday Glam Party #55

2011-11-14T20:00:00.003-06:00

Since I may not be getting to feature to many people over the next two months as I'm out on maternity leave I've decided to feature a few extra today...

I adore this scripture wall decor from I Heart My Glue Gun!
I could find a place for this in my home for sure.

After discovering I only have a few fall decor items, these fall block letters from Everything Under the Moon captured my attention. I need fall decor, but will have to wait until next year because with baby coming soon we are decorating early for Christmas this year!

Loving this fall inspired wreath from Roubinek Reality!
This would also be good to add to my fall decor for next year...

How adorable are these apple outfits from Polkadots on Parade?
Wish me, my sister & cousin would have had something this cute to wear back when we used to go to the Apple Orchard every year. Too cute!

This 1980's vintage care bears night gown turned into a dress from avery & anderson is just simply adorable. Kind of wish I had one of my old nightgowns still so I could make something cute & sentimental for my sweet little girl.

I could really use one of these infant carrier canopy's from Lil' Pink Pocket for little Miss Emily! I especially love how cute this one turned out! :)

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Maternity Shoot: 34 Weeks

2011-11-10T09:52:00.006-06:00

Here's a glimpse into our maternity shoot with my friend, Sara, from Wallflower Photography. I was happy to pull off shoes for an hour so I didn't look completely homely in my shoot.

The Organized Life Winner

2011-11-09T14:34:00.003-06:00

So were you the winner??

If you didn't win or you missed the giveaway altogether then check out this great deal from The Organized Life on Heartsy!!

Tuesday Glam Party #54

2011-11-07T20:00:00.002-06:00

{To my faithful party goers: With my baby coming soon I just wanted to let you know of some changes that would take place around here in regards to the Glam Party! I cannot guarantee that I will pick features each week as I have no idea how my weeks will go, but I do promise the linky party will be up!}

Clearly I'm a little hungry this week...not to mention I've been looking for some recipes.

This easy pork chili from Kathe With an E looks so tasty!
I love that for once it's not ground beef or chicken in the chili. Not to mention I think Cody would love pork over the other two as well!

These chipotle chicken cups from Reduce Heat and Simmer look divine!
I will have some left over wonton wrappers from another recipe I'm trying out this week so this will be perfect to try too!

This baked frito pie from The DIY Sweet Home Project looks really yummy!
With cooler weather slipping in I think this dish is kind of a must.

This pizza from scratch from over at Atelier Cecilia Rosslee looks simply delish!
Granted Cody wouldn't eat the good stuff on it...only pepperoni & mushrooms for him. Maybe I can try this one out with my mom!

Can't wait to see what you have to share!

Do me one favor and link back to my page with either my button or text link.
Also, go ahead and visit the 2-3 people before you and leave some comment love.

Mommy Mondays: The Tie That Bonds

2011-11-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Pull up a chair and hear a small glimpse into what motherhood is for Jamie of
The Roubinek Reality. Love her!

When my husband and I married in March of 2007, I had a ready made family. He already had two children, ages 8 and 6, and that made me a step-mom right away. I loved our little family, even though we only had them almost half of the time. We participated in all of their activities, whether it was our time to have them or not. Throughout all of that, we began to meet their friends’ parents.

My husband was fresh out of his teenage years when he became a dad and I was just a senior in high school. As you can imagine, most of the other parents we were meeting were several years older than us. It was very intimidating for me, in the beginning. I figured no one would want to really get to know me because 1) I was just the step-mom and 2) I was several years younger than the other moms.

I was so wrong. One of the moms of my step-daughter’s friends found out I graduated from Texas A & M, just like she did. We quickly found out our graduation years were ten years apart. Of course, I was prepared for her to just brush me off and expected for her to not be interested in getting to know me. What she told me next, really blew me away. She said, “Oh, it doesn’t really matter. It’s all about motherhood. That’s the tie that really binds.”

She was so right!

Two years after we married, in June of 2009, I had my first son, and then 16 months later, I had another son. From the moment I became a mommy, I hit the ground running, trying to meet and connect with other mothers. I started out in a playgroup with kids of the same age and eventually became very involved in my neighborhood mom’s club.

I’ve always really enjoyed making new friends, but it wasn’t until I entered the world of motherhood that I realized how easy it was to make friends with other moms. Our age differences don’t matter, because the fact that we are all mothers is really the tie that binds us all together.

Since I became a step-mom and mom, I couldn’t be more thankful for the bonds I’ve formed with other moms. Whether it be at ball games, play groups, or moms nights out, there’s always a connection to be made.

I have friends whose children are older than mine and I look at them as mothers I would like to learn from. I also have friends with children the same age as mine. Those moms are the ones I’m usually comparing notes with as our children enter different stages. The rest of my mom friends have kids younger than mine and I’m always interested in helping them get through the same hard stages I went through, along the way.

The day after I delivered my first son, my mom wrote a letter to me welcoming me to the club -- the motherhood club. She was so right. It really is a club and one I’ve waited my whole life to be a part of!

The bottom line is, as moms, our ages really don’t matter. It’s motherhood -- that’s the tie that really binds us.

Giveaway: The Organized Life

2011-11-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

{This giveaway is closed.}

I don't know about you, but lately I've really felt the need to be more organized. I need to schedule my cleaning each week and our meals. I start the week with every intention to keep the house clean and make all the meals I want to make & pretty much fail every time. I think it has to do with the fact that it's all just running around up there in the brain of mine (that's no longer fully functioning thanks to pregnancy)! So why don't you join me in getting your life a little more organized. Who doesn't enjoy checking something off their to do list!!

So with that said...

My friend, George of The Organized Life, is giving away a Week at a Glance PDF file to one of my lucky readers!!

Organize and plan your week with this printable PDF Week at a glance planner. See everything at once, so you can plan, prioritize, and complete your weekly tasks and to do lists!

Includes spaces for each meal of the day so you can also plan your meals or keep it as a journal of your meals for each day of the week.

Just print and start organizing!

You will receive a PDF file containing a high resolution version to print as many times as you would like. Formatted to a convenient 8.5"x11" size. Colors may vary slightly from online view to final print.

{GIVEAWAY}

Win the PDF for a week at a glance planner.

How to enter: (Please leave a separate comment for all of the following)

{Mandatory Entry}
Tell me in what ways you need to get organized.

{Additional Entry} Become a follower of Giggles, Glitz & Glam via Google Friend Connect!
{Additional Entry} Add The Organized List to your etsy favorites!
{Additional Entry} Tweet about this giveaway & mention @giggleglitzglam

Giveaway will end Tuesday, November 8th at midnight and winners will be announced Wednesday, November 9th.

Relationship Ramblings: Time Together

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many times I say, "let's do something after dinner."
And Cody almost always responds, "a movie?"

Maybe I deceived my husband when we were dating. In fact, I might have even deceived him before that. I can recall an evening of flirtation where I told him I'd always be his date to the movies. He works for Cinemark and as an employee has a movie card that gets him and a guest into a movie for free. When I was single that sounded kind of fun to use him for a free movie. Yes, I just said use him. I wasn't necessarily into him at the time. When we dated we saw a lot of movies, I mean it was free so why not!

However, for some reason I am not interested in movies any more. I think I got burned out or something. I want to see movies, but not at the same hour of the day that my husband does. I'm more of an afternoon or early evening movie watcher while he's good with the 9pm movie. Guess I'm an old lady because a 9pm movie sound dreaded! :)

Long story not so short...I want to do something else besides go to a movie. So Monday night after dinner I said no to the movie idea but wanted to do something. Cody's other go to option, frozen yogurt, which I also denied. So he started googling ideas. His favorite? Tag. Yes please I want to play tag 35 weeks pregnant! :0) So we opted to just go home...

Cody had brought home some movie theater candy left over from their work trick or treaters & wanted to pass out candy. In years past I've never done candy because we have one of those porch lights where you have to be near it for it to turn on so it turns off before any kids make it to the door. With the weather being beautiful I decided we could sit out on the patio & pass out candy. It was nice to just spend time together without the TV on or without our computer in our laps. Sometimes I think that's all we need...attention from one another without a distraction.

HELP US...What do you do for fun? We feel like losers these days.

Materny Leave Second Call

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

{pinterest}

I posted awhile ago about having guest posters for my Maternity leave, but still need a few more. I will need guest posters for both December & January but I need the posts by the 15th of November! So with that said...

I am looking for posts about Christmas decorations, crafts & traditions for the month of December. And then for January I would love some winter recipes, crafts & decorations. These can be old posts from your own blog that you are willing to share on my blog this year. I just want several different options.

If interested please email me at gigglesglitzandglam{at}gmail{dot}com