Sick of being sick!

All three of us are sick...BOOO!  What do you expect?  It's the holiday season.  Everyone is out, sick or not, and getting their nasty germs on everyone else.  We went to the doctor last Wednesday thinking that Lila had an ear infection.  Turns out she just had fluid in her ears.  Basically, we just had to sit around and wait for the fluid to turn into an infection...and it did.  Poor girl was miserable all weekend.  We finally went to the doctor Monday afternoon and BAM...ear infection.  It was at that point that we got the big referral to the ENT.  While I hate that she keeps getting the ear infections, I will be anxious to see what the ENT doctor tells us; whether we need to get the tubes or not.  The thought of her having to go through this makes me sick, but I know that it will make her better in the long run.

Last night, I got all of our Christmas present wrapped and put under the tree.  I AM DONE!!!!!!  I will still find myself buying some stocking stuffers for Neil and Lila, but other than that...I can relax.

These are a few of my favorite things...

I was thinking of this song the other day and wondered why it was considered a Christmas song.  My mom and I couldn't decide, but we did agree that it's time to watch the movie again...and Lila will love it I'm sure.  She'll especially love my mom and I dancing around singing (in our completely in tune voices) to EVERY song that comes on.  Yes, she knows we're crazy!

It also got me thinking of some of my favorite things.  There's the obvious things...my wonderful husband, who I just so happen to think is the BEST husband in the whole world.  Even when he drops his coat in the middle of the floor and I trip over it or when he ignores me because he's watching a ballgame...even then I think he's the best husband in the world.  He loves me, he sticks up for me, and he is a great Daddy to Lila.

Which brings me to my next favorite thing...my beautiful daughter.  She never ceases to amaze me...in good ways and bad.  She is so smart and is also a smarty pants.  Her attitude makes her who she is and will probably make for some wonderful mother/daughter fights in our future, seeing as to how she already shakes her head and tells me "no".  :)

Then there's my family...I love every single one of them with all my heart.  If I went in to detail, you'd still be reading this on December 7, 2012...I don't care how fast you read.

Top 3 favorite songs right now:
1. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (I love him)
2. A Woman Like You - Lee Brice (I just hear this for the first time yesterday and cried...I'm a little emotional right now.  It immediately reminded me of Neil)
3. All Your Life - The Band Perry (I love all their stuff)



Top 3 favorite TV shows right now:
1. Revenge - Thanks Deanna.  I love this show so much.  I love the lead character and how she always gets the job done, no matter what.
2. Modern Family - Nuff said...
3. The Biggest Loser - It is such an inspiring show.  I cry a lot when I'm watching mainly because it's amazing to me to watch people choose to change their lives' for the better and then DO IT.

Top 3 favorite websites:
1. Facebook - Seriously, people?  Did you really think I'd put something else?
2. Pinterest - DUH...I'm obsessed...only slightly more than Facebook, however.
3. Amazon - Sometimes I just get on there and do a blind search.  I look for the first thing that pops in my head and see how cheap they have it.  It's weird, I know, but I'm always in awe of how cheap some of their stuff is.

Is there anything else you wanna know?  Post a comment and ask!

More Pinning

I can post this because it is a gift for my dad and I'm fairly certain that he doesn't read my blog.  If you do, Dad, sorry. Stop reading now so it doesn't ruin Christmas.

I have, once again to my surprise, successfully pinned and completed another DIY project.

I didn't take pictures for a step-by-step guide, but I will try to explain the best I can remember.

First, I got my masking tape and placed it on the glass.  The very wide masking tape would work the best, but all I had was the skinny kind.  I overlapped the tape so there was no area where I was going to monogram that wasn't covered.

Second, I drew (in pencil...because I ALWAYS mess up) the block letter that I wanted etched.

Third, I got a knife.  Pretty sure you're supposed to use an exacto knife, or something similar.  I chose the most dangerous way, since my husband was working the ER that night, and used a paring knife..freshly sharpened and hoped for the best.  I cut along the lines of the letter that I just drew.  Once I was done, I peeled the letter off.

Fourth, I very thickly applied the Etch Armor to the glass.  Waited about 10 minutes (my directions said 5-7, but I got sidetracked with another project.

Fifth, I rinsed the Etch Armor off with very hot water and then took the tape off.  I wiped it clean and BAM!  You have a monogrammed beer mug that makes a great gift!!

I took a couple different pictures to show how they turned out.  I will be making more, so next time, I'll post step-by-step pictures.  I hope this helps though!!

Christmastime is Here

I love Christmastime!  I HATE cold weather.  Yesterday it snowed.  WTF?  That is all on that topic.

We have our Christmas tree up and the outside lights put on.  

Lila helping Daddy put the star up

"The Smile" with Mommy

In other news, we should be getting L's Christmas gift in the mail sometime this week I think.  We got her a personalized chair of her own from Pottery Barn Kids.  I am so excited about this.  I registered for this for the shower and we didn't get it.  I didn't think we would; it just wasn't practical at the time.  Now at this age, I know she will love it.  Others that I have talked to said their babes are in and out of it all the time.  For those of you who are looking for a good gift, (even though we don't have it yet) I'm going to recommend the Anywhere Chair from PBK.

I'm also looking for other ideas for L for Christmas.  We were also going to get her this little riding toy with my Pampers GTG points, but I am still lacking like 600 points and there's no way we can get that many by Christmas, unless we go buy like 30 big boxes of diapers! LOL  That kinda defeats the purpose of getting it FREE with the GTG points.  So I just went to look for it annnnd.....it's no longer even available on the GTG website.  Dang!

Basketball started Monday night for the Bulldogs!  So excited for this, but I have to say, I think it's going to go a lot like football....I'm not going to be able to catch much of the game due to L being ALL OVER THE PLACE!  Still though, I'm pumped!  Go Bulldogs!

I finally got my sewing machine moved to the small desk in the "office".  Neil got his desk back for the computer and his studying.  Now I just have to figure out how to add about 4 hours to each day so I can get some crafting done!  LOL  If anyone has successfully done this, let me know!

Addicted to Pinterest

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I'm a Pinterest-aholic.  Yes, it's true.  I'm admitting it.  Now that I have gotten it out, I'd like to share some of the things that I have "pinned" and actually done.  Thankyouverymuch!

This first shout-out goes to my Grandma Judi.  She has taught me a lot about sewing these last couple months.  She showed me how to make a ruffle with ribbon or fabric or whatever you have.  It totally worked.

I made this ruffle-butt onesie (I actually only did the ruffle-butt, not the entire onesie...I'm not THAT good) for a friend of mine's baby girl.  It was my first actual sewing creation.  

 I made this little dress for Lila.  MUCH harder than I thought.  This was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  She was sleeping...so I really wanted to get it done while I could.  The other side of that was, I couldn't quite measure her while she was asleep.  LOL  So I just kinda went with it.  It's a little longer than I anticipated, but I learned a lot doing it.

And last but not least, I made the "no sew" Christmas Tree skirt.  It was actually so easy.

The instructions came from this blog...

http://mycrazylife-lauren.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-pinned-it-i-did-it-ruffled-tree-skirt.html

Getting started...

Done!

I actually did this entire project at the Hampton Inn in Rockford.  Ahhh the things you can get done when you're on the road. LOL

I would I also like to share that I have pinned and made other things, but I cannot post them because it could potentially ruin Christmas.  I hope to be pinning and sharing many more times!!

Big Girl

Once again it's been another month.  So much has been going on.  I will probably be posting a bunch of blogs all at once.  I have been crafting...A LOT.  I have to be honest with you.  I actually have a new addiction.  It's called Pinterest, if you haven't heard of it before.  Those of you who know what if is, you're probably addicted too.  Those of you who don't, go now.  www.pinterest.com  Seriously, you can read the rest of the blog later.

So Lila has gotten so big.  She is now such a big girl.  She looks and acts like a toddler now.  It's bittersweet.  I don't want her to grow up any fast than she is, but at the same time it's so exciting all the new things that she's doing these days.

She was a peacock for Halloween and quite the cutie if I do say so myself.  For some reason I can't get that picture to upload here.  I'll try to post in another blog.

She knows where her eyes are, where her nose is, and is learning ears and teeth.  It doesn't take her long to learn new things.  She seems to have a new "trick" every other day.

Lila is quite the performer.  She likes when people pay attention to her and if you're not, she'll make sure you are.  :)

Today she wanted to help me in the kitchen.  Deanna got us matching Mommy and Lila aprons for my Mother's Day present this year.  It fits her now and she was quite the helper.

We'll never be bored again!

I have come across the best blog article ever!!!!  101 Things to do with your toddler.  I was on pinterest, my new favorite website and saw this blog entry.  It's amazing.  Lila is still kinda young to do some of the stuff, but there are plenty now and we'll get to the others later!

http://counting-on-me.blogspot.com/2011/05/101-things-to-do-with-your-toddler.html

101 Things to do with your toddler

1. Color
2. Blow Bubbles
3. Play Hide-and-Seek
4. Peek-a-Boo
5. Play Chase
6. Do Finger-plays
7. Sing a song
8. Collect rocks in a basket
9. Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
10. Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
11. Go for a Walk
12. Make a Car out of a Box
13. Read a book
14. Go to the park
15. Finger-paint
16. Play with Play-Dough
17. Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
18. Play the shell and pea game
19. Dance to music
20. Download games for toddlers from the Internet
21. Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
22. Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
23. Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
24. Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
25. Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
26. Put on a puppet show
27. Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
28. Make a Horseshoe game
29. Make a Shape Puzzle
30. Play paper basketball
31. Run through a Sprinkler
32. Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
33. Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
34. Play with a kazoo
35. Wash windows together
36. Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
37. Brush each other's teeth
38. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
39. Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
40. Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
41. Make a playhouse out of a large box
42. Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
43. Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
44. Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
45. Go on a Smelling Hunt
46. Frost Cookies
47. Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
48. Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
49. Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
50. Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
51. Have a splash party together in the bathtub
52. Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
53. Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
54. Make and try on paper hats
55. Give a piggy-back ride
56. Play "Horsey"
57. Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
58. Play tug-of-war with a blanket
59. Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
60. Make a camera and go on a Safari
61. Play games with frozen juice lids
62. Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
63. Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
64. String large beads onto or along a shoelace
65. Squirt each other with squirt bottles
66. Glue shapes onto paper
67. Make sock puppets
68. Make paper puppets
69. Fill an old purse with toys
70. Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
71. Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
72. Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
73. Act out a story from a book
74. Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
75. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
76. Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
77. Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
78. Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
79. Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
80. Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
81. Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
82. Do the Hokey Pokey
83. Make a super-hero costume out of household items
84. Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
85. Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
86. Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals
87. Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
88. Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro
89. Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
90. Learn numbers from a deck of cards
91. Play the matching game with a deck of cards
92. Make a domino chain
93. Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
94. Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
95. Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
96. Make a nature collage
97. Mirror each other
98. Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
99. Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
100. Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
101. TAKE A NAP!

I honestly can't wait!  I'm going to try to take pictures of all the things that we do and post them on here!  Hopefully everyone can follow along!