A Bit of String

Are you looking for the cutest newborn photo shoot props? Or even just an adorable hat for the new baby in your life like the one below?

My SIL Peggy has an Etsy shop that sells hand knitted and crocheted items for little ones. Check out her shop: A Bit of String.

potty training blues

My daughter turned two this month. I don't know what it is about the magical number of two, but in my mind it means that there should be ZERO diapers in the house; like there should be a magical switch you turn on and they suddenly know and understand their bodily urges and have zero accidents. 

I got pregnant with Jovi when Corban turned two-years-old. I DID NOT want to change two diapers from two different kids and had it in my mind that he was going to get potty trained and he was going to be potty trained NOW! 

Boy, did that blow up in my face! 

I started out with the potty train in a day method and tried EVERY SINGLE METHOD after that. He barely got potty trained when he turned 4-years-old! 

I am not the most patient person. I would over-react when he had accidents, I got upset when he didn't want to sit on the potty, and would sometimes yell. Yikes. Not a very fun time for him or me. And now I get to do it all over again. *sigh*

Even though I told myself I would not push Jovi to potty train, I fantasize about not having to change any more diapers EVER AGAIN!! Isn't that a great thought? So, we're going to take it slow and wait, as patiently as we can, for Jovi to be ready to go on the potty.

First, let me say, I HATE HATE HATE potty chairs! It totally grosses me out at the thought of cleaning poop and pee out of a little container--I'm gagging just thinking about it--that's what a potty is for; so you don't have to touch that stuff once it comes out!! We just sat Corban on the potty and let him sit side ways while we read him stories or he watched shows on the computer. I tried sitting Jovi on our toilet, but she FREAKED!! I'm not completely heartless, so I bought her a potty seat, kind of like this one:

So now every time she gets naked to take a shower, we sit her on the potty and let her get comfortable with the whole process. And I'm trying not to get vexed, even when she pees on the floor RIGHT after I take her off the potty!

Wish me luck!

pioneer day

In Utah, and in the Latter-day Saint (Mormon) culture, we celebrate July 24 as Pioneer Day. This the day back in 1847 that the first LDS Pioneers traveled across the United States, searching for a place where they could practice their religion without persecution, and made it into the Salt Lake Valley. 

The stories of strength, courage, and faith from most of the companies are... amazingly inspirational. This is one of my favorite art pieces: When Angles Come. The handcart companies started later in the season than they should have and were caught in Wyoming with early snow storms. The conditions were awful and a lot of people died. 

I love this painting because I know God loves us enough to send us help when we need it. He will not leave us alone. He will send us aid. 

Lorenzo Snow, a modern-day prophet, said, "The sacrifices that are required of us are of that nature that no man or woman could make them, unless aided by a supernatural power; and the Lord, in proposing these conditions, never intended that his people should ever be required to comply with them unless by supernatural aid, and of that kind that is not professed by any other class of religious people. He has promised this aid."

A book I am currently reading is "Remembering Wholeness". In it, Carol Tuttle talks about all the energy around us and how it affects us and how we affect it. She also talks about our angels. She claims that angels are at the disposal of God, their purpose is to serve humanity, and we can ask for their support! We need to decide what we want, ASK, get out of the way of it happening by not creating resistance, and then say thank you when what you wanted happens.

Angels our supernatural aid!! And they are all around us, wanting to help us.

So Very Blessed ... and a Little Crazy

A friend of mine has THE best food blog out there! She is kind, loving, and generous. She loves to entertain. And she loves to cook, which is good for me because I get to sample a lot of her food at her get togethers!

She came up with the Sonoran Hamburger:

(I made these for Father's Day. They were SO good!!)

And Mango Salsa:

She has so many more recipes that will knock your socks off! She also talks about her weight loss journey, her brood of animals (2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 sugar gliders), weekly meal plans, and what she and her husband have been up to. 

Check out her blog: So Very Blessed ... and a Little Crazy. 

happy birthday jovi

 I went into labor with Jovi around 4 a.m. and had her around 8:30 a.m. She came out scowling and hasn't stopped. And has been full of sass and attitude ever since.

It has been a love/hate relationship between these two. At least I have proof that deep down they really love each other.

Happy Birthday Jovi!!

musing

I would have been 6 months pregnant this week. I would have found out the sex of the baby by now. I would have had a baby bump. And I probably would have still been sick.

At least I know I can get pregnant. At least I have two healthy, wonderful kids.

book review: The Hero's Lot

Back in March I got to review the first book in this trilogy: A Cast of Stones. When this book popped up on the list of books to review this month, I snagged a spot immediately!

I still loved this book, the story and the writing, but this second book felt a bit rushed. Patrick W. Carr explained some things in great detail and other things he rushed right through; however, I can't fault him for hurrying, the book was 448 pages! I also got a bit confused with the old characters' names, the many locations they traveled through, and all of the new characters.

"The Hero's Lot" was a great book and an easy read. I'm ready for the third and final book to come out and am now hoping it shows up on the list to review!

**I review books for Bethany House and was not compensated for my review.

birthdays

I am a tad obsessed with birthdays. There should be fan-fare, balloons, and memories. And above all, that birthday person should feel special. Like, they are the-only-ones-that-matter kind of special. 

My daughter is turning 2 this year and my son is turning 5. Here are their invitations:

The zebra is one of my kid wall art designs that will, hopefully, be available soon in my Etsy shop.

I am all kinds of UBER excited for Corban's party! Too bad it's not until September. You'll have to wait until then for pics of his party. It was a lot of fun to learn how to create the sunburst design. And what can I say, I'm a sucker for the Marvel comic's super heros.

independence day 2013

I love super heroes; especially Superman. I recently watched "The Avengers" and LOVE IT (I've watched it 4 times now that it's on Netflix)! And this is my absolute favorite scene:

Super heroes are brave, they protect, seem invincible, are strong, and above all, they fight for the little guy. To me, the real super heroes are those men and women in the armed forces.

God bless them and their families. And God bless America.

dirty clothes

When I joined Dressing Your Truth, I found out that a few colors do not work with my energy type, a.k.a. black, navy, gray, and white. I kind of jumped the gun and got rid of A LOT of clothes. 

BIG MISTAKE! HUGE!!

About one week--7 days--after I shipped off my clothes, I found out about bleaching and tea dying. Now, all those clothes that I thought I HAD to give away, I am repurposing them and using them in my wardrobe again!

Want to know how to dirty your clothes? Well, here you go.

1. Gather your supplies: 

My jean jacket, jeans, white shirts, white skirt, 

and pink striped shirt all ready for their bath.

My jumbo box of tea bags. 

2. Get your clothes wet.

3. Steep your tea. I didn't know what steeping was (I'm not a tea drinker) and had to look it up. You boil water and put your tea bags into the boiling water. I boiled 15 cups of water and added 30ish bags of tea and boiled them for 5 minutes. 

4. Fill your tub (or large pot or tupperware or other LARGE container) with warm water and the tea. **Make sure that the water is and stays warm/hot the entire time and that clothes can move freely. 

5. Add clothes. Leave them in tea bath until desired darkness is achieved. **Make sure if you have clothes in pot on stove that you simmer the entire time and STIR them!

My jeans didn't really change colors but I LOVE LOVE LOVE how my whites turned out. They're dirty looking and NOT white! Perfect for me.