Here’s a little peek at Charlotte’s favorite Christmas present. . .
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Wordless Wednesday: This is Happiness
January 4, 2012 by crystal
Category My Life | Tags: , Wordless Wednesday | 6 Comments
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DIY: Prettying Up an Old Chair
January 3, 2012 by crystal
Before I started blogging, I fixed up several old pieces furniture as a hobby. I wish I would have taken a before picture of this chair! The paint was white and peeling, and the seat was thin, threadbare, and stained. I picked it up for $5 at an antique mall. Here’s how I made it mine. (more…)
Category Get Crafty | Tags: , Crafts, Furniture | No Comments
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DIY: Shipping Crate Toy Box
December 28, 2011 by crystal
When I started to put together my vision for Charlotte’s nursery, I came across a gorgeous toy box that looked like it was made from an old shipping crate. I loved the idea, but didn’t love the price tag. (more…)
Category Get Crafty | Tags: , Crafts, DIY, Furniture, Nursery | 2 Comments
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Hand Print Ornaments
December 24, 2011 by crystal
I have been following Lesley Graham’s blog, and I came across this article on how to make homemade hand print ornaments. Tons of my friends have been making these with their kiddos, and I couldn’t resist jumping on the wagon. I modified the recipe a little, so here’s my spin on Lesley’s handmade hand print ornaments.First, combine:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups waterMix it with your hands in a big bowl, until it’s soft and doughy, but not sticky.
If it’s too stiff, add a tiny bit of water. If it’s too sticky, sprinkle in a bit more flour and salt.I flattened the dough onto a plate, so that it wouldn’t stick. I cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and created circles with my hands.
Then, I put them on a greased cookie sheet, and punched a hole in each one using a straw. After bribing, begging, and crying (from both of us!), I was able to
trickconvince Charlotte to let me smoosh her hand into the ornaments. I baked at 300 degrees for one hour.
After they cooled, I used a large needle to thread a ribbon through the hole. I’m thinking that I might end up adding a coat of varnish to seal it.
I’m already teary thinking about how precious this ornament will be in the years to come. Happy crafting!
For more crafty fun, check out our other articles!
Category Get Crafty | Tags: , Christmas, Crafts | No Comments
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Krome Photo Book Winner
December 23, 2011 by crystal
The Krome Photo Book contest is officially closed.
Thank you all for entering our contest, and thank you to Krome for an awesome giveaway!
Congratulations to Shannon! You are our photo book winner!
We will be contacting you shortly.If you’re not Shannon, and you still want a photo book – pop on over to Krome Photos.
They will actually design a book for you and send you a preview for free,
and then you can buy it if you like what you see.
So head on over and try them out!
Category Reviews & Giveaways | Tags: , Giveaway, photo book | 1 Comment
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Passing the Torch
December 22, 2011 by crystal
Last night, I went to visit a friend and her new baby. Holding that tiny baby really brought me back. I had forgotten how small Charlotte had been. How tired I had been. How quickly it all goes.
I began thinking back to my breastfeeding experience, and what other breastfeeding mothers said that helped me.
“You can do this!”
“Trust your baby.”
“Your doctor is wrong, and The Pill will make you dry up.”
“Breastfeed wherever you are comfortable – Whether that’s a park bench, your parent’s living room, or your car.”
And, finally, “You can breastfeed as long as you want to. It’s no one else’s business.”
So, now it’s my turn. It’s my turn to give advice when asked, and butt out when I’m not. I think that’s the hardest part. Breastfeeding was such a major part of my life for so long, that it’s hard not to talk about it with whoever will listen. I’m really trying to be there for my friends who are breastfeeding, without being pushy. They know that I’ve been down the same road, and that I’m there for them. That’s all I can do.
This was written for the Breastfeeding Blog Hop. This week’s topic is “Passing the Torch.”
Link up and join in!
Category Breastfeeding | Tags: , blog hop, Breastfeeding | 1 Comment
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Wordless Wednesday – Hiding from the Baby
December 21, 2011 by crystal
Category Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments
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Handmade Photo Cube
December 20, 2011 by crystal
When Charlotte was about 5 months old, her day care teacher asked us to send in some pictures to practice saying “Mama” and “Dada.” A friend of mine suggested making a photo cube out of an old tissue box.
You will need: An empty tissue box, 6 photos, contact paper, and tape or glue.
Start by taping or pasting photos around the outside of the tissue box. Then, cover it with contact paper. I like cutting 2 long strips to wrap around the box, so there are fewer seams for her to peel apart. Remove the backing from the contact paper, and attach it to the box. Be careful to push out any air bubbles as you go.
We made two cubes, and Charlotte still plays with them. Because they’re laminated with contact paper, they’ve held up nicely to all of the sloppy baby kisses!
Click here for more crafty ideas from Sooo Big!
Category Get Crafty | Tags: , Crafts, Photo Cube | No Comments
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Making Nonslip Socks
December 19, 2011 by crystal
Toddler:
tod·dler [tod-ler] n.
1. One who toddles, especially a young child learning to walk.*Yep. That’s Charlotte. While she’s quite confident in her walking abilities, she’s not all that stable just yet. Why on earth children’s clothing makers would create toddler socks without skidproof bottoms is beyond me. We have quite a few really slippery socks, and I set out to fix this problem.
You’ll need:Fabric paint (I bought white and hot pink puff paint)Cardboard (I used an empty cereal box)A pencilScissorsFirst, use your little one’s foot or a shoe to trace a fake foot on the cardboard. You’ll need two of these little feet.
Slip the cardboard feet into your socks. This creates a hard surface to paint on. Paint on dots or designs, and wait for your socks to dry.
I wash Charlotte’s clothes on gentle and dry them on low, and the nonslip bottoms have stayed put so far!Click here for more crafty ideas from Sooo Big!*TheFreeOnlineDictionary.comCategory Get Crafty | Tags: , Crafts, Nonslip Socks, safety | 2 Comments
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Krome Photo Book Giveaway
December 15, 2011 by crystal
As promised – We are giving away a custom designed Krome Photos photo book!
One lucky winner will receive a 20 page, 8X10 photo book created by a talented Krome designer.
This includes photo enhancing and shipping!Entries will be accepted until midnight on December 23, 2011.
A winner will be announced on December 23rd – Just in time for one lucky winner to start planning an awesome holiday photo book, or whatever other kind of book you want!Until then. . . Go ahead and upload your photos to Krome. They’ll put together a book for you and email you with a preview – For free! This first part of their service is always free.
If you’re the winner, then your book will be sent to you for free.
There are tons of ways to enter – so get clicking!Category Reviews & Giveaways | Tags: , Giveaway, photo book | 10 Comments
