Sunday, March 31, 2013

Beach towel to bathing suit coverup!

While perusing Pinterest, I came across an adorable little bathing suit coverup that was made from a beach towel! I have actually been looking for a cute coverup for her, but refuse to spend that much money on baby clothes, and I've been striking out at my favorite consignment shops and tot swaps! So while shopping with Jenna we saw a cute towel at five below, and thought I'd try it out!

I enlisted the help of GG and we got to work! I still need to add the binding to the arm holes but it looks adorable! And the towel was only four bucks!!

Here is the basic tutorial we used: http://www.crafterhoursblog.com/2010/06/beach-towel-dresses-tutorial-ish.html?m=1















Friday, March 29, 2013

How to hard boil an egg...

Easter is here! Charlotte and I decided to spend our Friday night dying eggs.  Best Friday night ever. I know Charlotte is young, and won't remember the exact moments, but she will see pictures and hear stories, and I want to make every day special and fun, and the holidays even more exciting for her.  I hope every year we get to do these special things together!

So, to dye eggs, you have to hard boil the eggs.  I hate eggs. I think they are gross.  I clearly have no idea how to do this.  So I started with google and FB friends idea.  It seemed like a lot of work and a lot of monitoring them on the stove, also I was unclear what specific pan was a sauce pan.  So I quit that idea and moved on to pinterest.  This is where I found out you can hard boil eggs in the oven! I think it worked well...I won't know until someone eats one haha!

What I found on pinterest is put them in a muffin tin so they don't roll around.  Bake at 325 degrees for thirty minutes then put in ice water for ten minutes.  I used a mini muffin pan to minimize all rolling.  I think it worked well, but like I said, someone will have to eat one to be the judge!

Well after they were baked not boiled, I set up all our colors on the table and got ready to go.  I stripped down Lotte to her diaper and the fun began! She had a blast with the eggs.  They were small enough for her little hands to hold, and she loved throwing them in the color cups.  She watched intently as I pulled them out and exclaimed at their new color and cracked up everytime I said "wow, look at this one it's pink (or whatever color haha)".  We did have two tragedies.  First, when I was transferring eggs from the muffin tin to the ice water, I dropped one.  You will see it below in the picture.  I used that one to cut it open to ensure the insides were cooked haha.  The other tragedy was on egg that Charlotte threw on the ground.  She loves to throw things these days, especially from heights.  This was the first egg, before she was aware they were to go in the solo cups filled with fun colors haha!

Despite the two tragedies we had fun! She laughed and giggled, and loved to touch and feel the new textures! It was immediately followed by a bath, story and bedtime! I am excited for the rest of the holiday weekend, each day is a blessing with Charlotte. 

Ready for the Oven:
 
I can help too mom! 
 
Look at me standing! 
 
I will help by eating this cookie: 
 
YUM!

 
The ice bath, and the inside of the tragedy egg: 
 
Ready to go! 












Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Pillow case dress!

So in sure I'm sure everyone has seen the adorable pillowcase dresses everywhere! I saw them most recently on shark tank. When I went to the website they were selling for 40 some dollars!!! Outta control!

So? I took to Pinterest!! Found some great tutorials and have begun making pillow case dresses!

My first dress cost about $1.25 to make, and took me twenty minutes!!

I kind of combined all the tutorials I saw! I started with an actual pillow case I bought at a thrift store for $0.99. I "measured" by making Charlotte lay on top of it haha, cut it to length, then sewed up the sides. Next I cut some arm holes, then folded the collar down and sewed it up, threaded some ribbon through, and voila!

So easy! So cheap! Will look adorable in the summer! I am going to work on crafting some others, maybe one with a belt and one with a lace overlay!

Here are some tutorials I used:
http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/pillowcase-dress-tutorial.html
http://www.babyrabies.com/2012/07/a-refreshed-pillowcase-dress-tutorial/














Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Hair pulling

Charlotte has finally started to grow some hair! It is so exciting! The problem? She loves pulling her own hair. It is mostly while she is nursing or drinking from a bottle, but of course I was concerned. Her doctor told me it is something that is fairly normal. It was suggested to me by other baby mammas to buy a nursing necklace! Well I did, and she loves it so far. She will play with it while she is nursing or eating, and it is great for her teeth while I'm just holding her and stuff, she will pull on it and eat it!! Love it! Great product and totally recommended! They have another one that I want to buy too, more fashionable or the same in other colors!
http://www.jellystonedesigns.com/index.php/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=2&category_id=9

That's the one I have in gray! I love it and Charlotte loves it!

I really want this one! It's cuter and more wearable! Has anyone else tried this one or similar? Shoot me a message for advice or tips!
http://www.jellystonedesigns.com/index.php/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=8&category_id=9


Monday, March 18, 2013

Port Discovery!

Well Charlotte went to port discovery for the first time! We met some friends there on Friday night for $2 family fun night!

It is still a challenge traveling places by myself with her but I must admit I'm getting good at it. It's always nice to have an extra set of hands but I am happy I am awesome enough to be able to get out and about by myself with some success hahahha! Now moms or dads of more than one little child?!? They are super heros! I have no idea how someone with two or three little ones can manage, I feel like grocery shopping would be the worst thing ever.

Anyway. Port Discovery. It was def awesome and I can't wait to go back when Charlotte is older, but if you have a little one save your money on regular priced days. Regular admission is $14 for ages 2 and over. Charlotte had fun in the tot trails section, but quite honestly it was a lesser version of Storyville ...which is FREE!

The older kid stuff is amazing though' and for two bucks we had a great time!! I love going downtown and pushing her around, she loves all the noise and colors! The one thing we loved that Storyville doesn't have was the sand tables and water tableS! Charlotte had a blast playing with them, which makes me excited for the summer! I put a sand/water table on her amazon registry! I'm also looking at tot swaps and yard sales for one! Fingers crossed!

All in all I had a great time, but I'm glad I didn't pay $14! And I think $14 for a two year old is ridiculous, Charlotte and I will stick to the AMAZING Storyville until she is old enough for the jungle gym at port discovery!













Sunday, March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patrick's day!!

It's Charlotte's first St. Patricks day! We had a pretty low key day! No green beer for her! She did however have her first bacon!!

Charlotte and I met some friends for brunch today and she had a blast! Always hamming it up when we are out and about! I had French toast and bacon and she loved it!





Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Gratitude.

Having this little girl has changed me more than I could have ever imagined! I definitely feel more grown up and all of my priorities have hanged! Construction has started on charlottes play room! Who would have thought I'd ever give up my amazing closet to turn it into a playroom?!?!

Sometimes the hardest days and longest nights lead me to complain. Don't get me wrong I love complaining, it's awesome, but I have found making gratitude lists help more and give me some perspective over things. They say write three things you are thankful for for each day, but I like to do more on particularly hard days/nights, so here goes.

1. Charlotte....duh
2. Friends
3. Family
4. Getting to work on time
5. Baby babble
6. Baby smiles
7. Baby cuddles....notice a theme?
8. Free dinner at GGs plus enough left over so I don't have to pack a lunch
9. Being broke because I was able to pay all my bills this month, not being broke before paying them
10. Spring
11. Exiting plans with friends and family this weekend
12. 7 working days left until I have ten days in a row with this amazing kid off!!!
13. The boppy...seriously I love this thing.
14. Play place to contain this kid so I can get stuff done
15. Food in the fridge
16. Nice makeup
17. Good shampoo
18. Hugs and kisses
19. Roku
20. A rocking chair with padded arms
21. A working automobile
22. A job with summer vacation
23. A library with awesome free programs lotte and I can go to
24. That I learned how to charge the baby monitor
25. My awesome blog
26. Health insurance!
27. Everything bagels in the fridge
28. Nighttime routines
29. Baby laughs
30. Baby feet
31. Baby fingers and toes

The one thing I wish could be on the list was diet coke. I am so sad I am out and would probably pay a million dollars for someone to bring me one tomorrow before work, how I will get through the morning without my caffeine ill never know, but I am so much more lucky than most.

May be a simple life but that's okay, yeah
If you ask me baby I think I got it made

'Cause I got a roof over my head
The Charlotte I love layin' in my bed
And it's alright, alright

I got shoes under my feet
Forever in the eyes staring back at me
And it's alright, alright

Yeah, I got all I need
And it's alright by me






Monday, March 11, 2013

Spring has sprung!

Hard to believe that we just had a snow day!! It was a beautiful weekend!! The weather was warmer and the sun was shining!!

Charlotte took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park on Saturday! Before the park we went to baby boosters at the Catonsville library! They only have one Saturday class a month so I thought we check it out! It was definitely not as fun as the smaller group one we used to go to every Tuesday but Charlotte had a blast anyway! She loves singing and bouncing and crawling with the other kiddos!

At every baby boosters (and thanks to our knowledgable mommy friends that told us about it we've been going since July when Charlotte was one old!!) they bring out tunnels and things for the babies to crawl through! It's a program for ages 0-23 months and Charlotte has never made it through a tunnel haha! This week she crawled through on her own like a pro and loved it!! It was so much fun to peek around the other side and watch her crack up! Eventually I had to pull her away so the other kids had a chance hahaha

After baby boosters we went over to the amazing awesome tire park! Was busy but fun! We met up with a lot friends and their kids and had a picnic and played! It was awesome! Afterwards we came home to relax and lotte had her first taste of sushi, although she had more fun using the chopsticks as drumsticks!

Sunday lotte got to spend some time with Mimi while I went a grilled cheese and company focus group! Was fun, got free food and a gift card just to give my opinions! Then we came home and played and work has begun on operation turn closet into playroom!! I got rid of four bags of clothes and one of shoes! I painted all the walls and we went to Home Depot for supplies!

The time change was a little rough forbid! Had a hard time waking up for work this morning, but so did the whole world I hear lol! Monday was made better by eating out for dinner! We went to one of my fave places, eggspectation! Charlotte ordered her own item off a menu for the first time! What did she get you ask? One scrambled egg!! I can't believe she is so big now I order real ppl food for her lol!

All in all a great weekend! Love this kid from her button nose to the tips of her toes!!! She is amazing, and I am so lucky to be able to enjoy this time with her! I am loving every minute of watching her grow up!










Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Snow day was a bust!

Well I did have off work today so that was great!  An entire extra day to spend with my babygirl it was great! However, we had no snow.  Well we did briefly but then the rain washed it away! It was my first "snow day" with Lotte.  Was so fun not to go into work in the middle of the week and just enjoy a day at home. 

Charlotte was great as usual! She has been waking up in the middle of the nightand standing up in her crib and screaming until  I come to the rescue, because once she is standing she doesn't know what to do next! I love her, but one day, I swear I am going to get some sleep and she wont cry about things like that :)