How To Make Fabric Garland {diy}

Fabric garland is a cheap and beautiful way to add to a decorative table, mantle or party. They are very easy to make and inexpensive. They are a quick DIY project and I can't think of a better use for your scrap fabric.

I made this one for Whitney's Valentine's Day pictures.  Next Valentine's Day I'm sure I will decorate our mantle with it.

Supplies:

• Twine, ribbon or some sort of string
• Scraps of fabric
• Scissors

First:

• Measure how long you want your garland to be then cut your twine about 20 inches longer on both sides so you have room to tie it to something.

Second:

• Cut your fabric into strips 2"x7". 

Third:

• Tie a knot with your twine where you want to begin the garland, like the pictures below. It makes it easier to push the tied pieces of fabric together to give a fuller look.

Fourth:

• Start tying your fabric onto the twine. Just one simple knot works perfect, just make sure to tie it tight I used 6 different fabrics and just randomly tied them on, so it wasn't in any sort of pattern.

Baby Girl Valentine's Pictures

I love having nice pictures of Whitney. It seems like most of mine are quick pictures on my phone. I have been meaning to make a habit of spending some time once a week and taking good pictures of her. 

Like I have said before, I love Valentine's Day, so I had to take some special pictures of her. It was HARD, I really have a lot of respect for professional photographers because what they do isn't easy. 

I made the tutu, fabric garland and the burlap banner. The tutu tutorial is here. 

In order for her to sit still like that I gave her my phone (which I never do).

She was totally eating a cheerio in this one :)

My Mom took this one, I was standing off to the side with one of her favorite toys. Such a silly face!

This one is pretty sick but I had to share it haha. Totally spitting up. I just got done feeding her, mid session.

Another one my Mom took...what's a Whitney picture without that face :)!

The headband was not an option in this one.

One of my favorites.

Big two front teeth :)

And I finally gave her some puffs at the end haha.

How To Make a Fabric Valentine's Tutu {DIY}

I'm a Valentine's day fanatic! I love love love it! And I won't lie, I will be in terrible mood for days if I don't get a box of chocolates for vday ;)!

Anyway, here is a quick tutorial for a fabric tutu. I made this for Whitney so I could take some vday pictures of her in it.  I didn't realize how HARD it is to get a picture of a baby who is on the move. She doesn't want anything in her hair, or on her, and EVERYTHING distracts her.

Supplies:

• 1/2 yard of each fabric (way more than enough, but better safe than sorry)
• Inch Elastic (measure your baby's waist)
• Sewing Machine (or needle and thread, or just a knot)
• Scissors

Tutorial:

Measure how long you want the tutu to come down on your baby or toddler and double that

Cut 40 strips 2" wide by double the length you measured (you may need a few more or less)

Then half the strip and cut the bottom diagonally (like picture below)

Measure your baby's waist and add an inch, then cut your elastic accordingly

Sew or tie the ends of the elastic together (like picture below)

Put your elastic around something firm, I like to use a book

Start tying your fabric on to your elastic until you have gone all the way around.

First half your strip, then make a little loop behind the elastic (like picture below)

Then take the ends of your strip and loop them through and pull your fabric down

Then push the knots together until you fill the elastic and you are done.

Baby Bath Time Favorites

The babe LOVES bath time. It was her absolute favorite time of the day from the very beginning. It seems like it becomes more enjoyable for her everyday. Here are her favorites as well as some of mine :)!

1. Sophie Bath Toy: Everyone is right when they say babies LOVE sophie. I got this as a gift and it's been one of Whitney's favorites from a really early age. 

2. Shea Moisture Cream: This stuff works wonders. Whitney got eczema on her back at the beginning of winter and it cleared up in no time. It's made with natural and organic ingredients, and it doesn't have any smell. It's a very thick paste that kind of turned me off at the beginning, but it really does do wonders.

3. Shea Moisture Eczema Soap: Another one of my eczema MUST HAVES. This stuff is awesome! It's fairly cheap, it has a wonderful light scent to it. Again, it's made with all natural and organic ingredients. 

4. Aden & Anais Towel Set: Good hooded towels are hard to come by. It seems like a lot of them out there are cheap or too small. This one is a perfect size (so far). I can still wrap her up all the way. It's durable, so it can be used for the next baby, which is why I tried to get neutral colors. It's also really nice to have heavy-duty washcloths once they start eating solids. It's much easier to get the grime off their faces with a good quality washcloth.

5.Blooming Bath: When Whitney was a tiny baby and nothing would soothe her but a bath, I credit it to this bath. It lets them lay in the sink comfortably with water all around them. It's also something you can use later on, like when they are sitting up in the big tub, just lay on the bottom so they have something soft to sit on. I went pretty neutral with this as well so I can use it with the next. After every bath I would just squeeze it out and throw it in the washer on just the spin cycle, then throw is in the dryer for 15 minutes. 

6. Bath Drops: When Whitney was especially tired and cranky (or teething), I would drop this into her bath before she got in. I love essential oils! I really think they make a world of difference. It seems to help her calm down and relax for bedtime.

7. Calendula Shampoo: I LOVE this stuff. I would use it for myself! It smells wonderful and I just love all California Baby products! We use this as a shampoo for Whitney. It's tear free which is a must and it works wonders. It also lasts a long time, a little goes a long way.

8. Rubber Duck (hot/cold): This was another gift. Whitney loves it, it's one of her go to toys every night. It also has a hot indicator on the bottom which is awesome. It tells you if the bath is too hot for baby. It's a cheap little toy that is definitely worth every penny.

9. Green Toys Stacking Cups: I've said it before, and I will say it again, these are worth every penny. Whitney loves to play with them in the bath. She loves when I fill one up and pour it on her hand. They also make great cups for washing her off :).

10. Calming Lotion: This is one of my all time favorites. I love how light this stuff is, it's not greasy and it dries quickly. It has a strong lavender smell, which I love. I'm a bit obsessed with lavender. 

10 Months Old

I wish there was a pause button when it comes to babies. They grow way too fast, it's almost like you blink and they are a year old. I'm sure it will only get worse, everyone always tells me it does. I have truly loved every second of the last 10 months. However, I won't lie, in some ways it has been the longest 10 months of my life, but also the best :)! 

Taking her monthly pictures has been quite the challenge. At the beginning, my hubby and I would work our butts off to get her to give one smile, then for a while all she would do is fuss and now all she wants to do is move. She is constantly trying to grab the camera or rip off the sticker. 

I managed to get a pretty decent picture, I was rattling a teddy bear like crazy off to the side :)

Check out that crazy hair, it's so straight and I think it's going to be really thick. It's a little too short to put in a pony but to just leave it be, it looks messy.

Look at those big two front teeth! They are getting soooo big.

And here we go, the grabbing continues :)

My little love bug is crawling around like crazy, pulling herself up on everything and anything. She has five teeth, three on the bottom and two on top. She loves blanket rides, peek a boo, reading and tickles. She can also wave bye bye like a pro, kiss and clap. It's been so amazing watching her learn and grow. Babies truly are amazing!

Fitness Overhaul (week 2)

I am in week 2 of my fitness overhaul. P90X is going good, I am already starting to feel stronger. I'm definitely not as sore this week as I was last week. I have done every single workout except yoga X of week 1. I don't know what it is about yoga X, but I HATE it, and it's a whoppin' hour and a half long...no thanks! I always tell myself I need to get my mind right, it will feel better once I'm done. I like every other workout in the program. I just despise yoga X, I wish I didn't, but that's the cold hard truth. I am planning on rubbing a few drops of wild orange essential oil on my wrist right before I start it, so hopefully it will lift my spirits :)!

I have been trying to use some of Bob Harper's Skinny Rules. I have been trying to take a rule at a time and implementing it in my daily routine.

This week's rule: Eat apples and berries every single day!

Why? They are low in calories, high in fiber and have phytochemicals that aid in metabolism.

Here are a few ways I have added them into my diet.

I like to buy a bag of organic apples every week. I just wash one, then slice it with my slicer and grab a spoonful of PB or Almond Butter as a snack.

Plain oatmeal with berries! I like to buy frozen berries because they are way cheaper. If I don't want them frozen, I usually pop a handful in the microwave for about 15 seconds and then let the hot oatmeal warm them up the rest of the way.

I love smoothies and they are a great way to add berries into your everyday diet. I also love smoothies because I have a really hard time eating enough leafy greens. You can't even taste the spinach in this smoothie. 

The Importance of Going to Church

It seems like most of my life I have had a love-hate relationship with church. I loved going to Sunday school as a child. As a teenager, I spent every minute thinking about unimportant things like what I was going to wear to school the next day, or wondering what my boyfriend was up to, you know, the things that make you wonder why you are even in church. Once I got into college and the choice was left up to me. Of course I wasn't going to get up on Sunday morning to go to church, when I could sleep in a couple extra hours.  I occasionally went to church with my parents when I was home visiting, but other than that my church days were pretty limited, unless you count watching Joel Osteen on TV. Now as a wife and mother, I have come to realize the value in going to church. 

Being someone that went a lot of years without going to church consistently, I have definitely lost a lot of my knowledge of the Lord and ultimately my faith. One thing my pastor said a few weeks ago that really hit home, was that the enemy tries to trick you into thinking your relationship with God is perfect. That's exactly what happened! I was tricked into thinking I didn't need to go to church because my relationship with God was fine. In all reality, no ones relationship with God is perfect. We can always strive to become closer to God and stronger in our faith. There is always something new to learn. Our relationship with God is similar to that of our spouse, parents, or children, we are continuing to learn new things, it's a constant learning process. Everyday should be looked at as a chance to grow stronger with them, and the same holds true with the Lord. Going to church is a place where the Lord is present, and is a great opportunity to learn more about the Lord and become closer in your relationship. 

You know that age old saying...if you don't use it, you lose it? Fellowship is one of the most sincere forms of practicing your faith in the Lord. You practice in order to get better. You go to church to learn more about faith, and enhance your faith. Taking time out of your day to go to church is hard, especially when you feel like there are so many other things you need to get done. We live in a fast paced world and it's easy to forget fellowship. I'm here to say, slow down and think about what really matters. 

You might think your relationship with the Lord is perfect because you read the Bible, go to church occasionally, or pray often, I know at one point I was guilty of them all. Think about what you are spending your time on. So many of us, myself included, spend so much of our time practicing other things like social media, and we think taking a few hours out of the week to go to church is HARD. It's not! Take those few hours out of the week and invest them in the Lord, because you are investing in your future with the Lord and let's face it, forever is a long time. 

One last thing, the Bible says (Matthew 18:20) "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." If you knew Jesus was going to be at a certain place at a certain time, you would drive a million miles to be with him. Jesus is in your church every Sunday, proud of each of us because we are there in his name. Go to church and get closer with the Lord.