National Craft Month: Spring Banner

In honor of March being "National Craft Month" {my favorite month of the year, not just because it's my birthday month} I have decided to make 1 craft a day for this whole week.

They are all simple, easy, springy and best of all CHEAP crafts!

This first craft is one of a few that I will be doing for my mantle. Since I took down my Christmas decor, this fireplace has looked pretty bare. Time to spruce it up!

I am all about the quick crafts that can be made in one nap or less:)

Although I used the word SPRING, you could really do this with just about anything. I thought about writing "HE IS RISEN" or "HAPPY EASTER" but I wanted to be able to use it through April even after Easter was over. Although they are so easy to make I could easily make multiples and swap them out.

Spring Banner!

Supplies:
Scrapbook paper
Cut out letters
Glue
Scissors
Hot Glue
Ribbon

Directions:

Gather your scrapbook paper

Cut out triangles

Trace and cut out the letters...or you could just buy pre-cut letters, or print them out on the computer...the possibilities are really endless;)

Glue the letters to the triangles

Hot glue the triangles to the ribbon

Hang your cute new banner

Happy Spring!

My "Diaper-Pail" List

Most people have a Bucket List {I have one too}, but I made a Diaper-Pail List as well.

What is a Diaper-Pail List...It is my list of things I want to do before I kick the next Diaper-Pail {which will happen most likely in the middle of the night, in the dark with a screaming baby and a leaky chest while I pray my husband and Emrie sleep through it}.

The count-down is on...Only 113 more days until baby girl is due and I am already mourning my one-on-one time with Emrie. While I know we will be so excited to have BVG2 join us, I can't help but mourn the fact that I only have 4 more months with just Emrie {and her wonderful, long naps when I have time to get projects done}.

Diaper-Pale List:
1. Take Emrie to the Zoo 4 times {once each month}
2. Take Emrie to the Children's Museum 4 times {once each month}
3. Make BVG2 a baby quilt
4. Sew Emrie's 'Big Girl' bedding
5. Finish Emrie's 'Big Girl' room
6. Make 4 matching outfits for Emrie and BVG2 {eight total, one set each month}
7. Teach Emrie all the parts of the face {right now we only have eye}
8. Go on a hike
9. Read the Hunger Games series
10. Plan Phil's high school reunion {this is kind of a big one}
11. Shoot at a shooting range {just because I have really wanted to}
12. Go on 4 Picnics {once each month}
13. Make all three of us girls matching headbands for the 4th of July {assuming she gets here by then}
14. Finish 2011 and start 2012 scrapbooks
15. Plan a really nice date night with Phil
16. ENJOY THE SMALL THINGS!!!

I am sure other things will come up, but for now, these are my goals!

What a Hoot!

These pictures were only taken about 4 months ago and I can't believe how big my little girl has gotten since then...She has now officially outgrown these pants.



While she has outgrown lots of outfits in her 14 months, for some reason, these ones make me the saddest.

I think because I loved them SO much and when I saw them at Bruisers and Ballerinas {an awesome little boutique in Zionsville} I just KNEW they were the perfect fit for me, I mean her...well us!



Here is to one baby growing into a little girl and the joy of knowing another baby girl will soon get to wear these in a year!

Closet Dividers

When we had Emrie we really didn't have many clothes for her. No one knew what we were having, so people tended to buy us stuff we needed rather than clothes {if you notice, gender nuteral clothes are hard to find}. That was actually strategic on our part:)

Just last Friday when I was at MOPS a woman there asked what I was having. I told her another girl and she said a friend of hers just gave her boxes of girl clothes that were too small for her girls and I could have them. I went to her house and loaded an entire garbage bag of adorable girl clothes.

Project "Organize Baby Closet" was underway because there are 2 big consignment sales this month and I needed to take inventory.

So I made closet dividers and they turned out really cute.

Supplies:
Wooden Letter O's
Scrapbook paper
Exacto Knife
Mod Podge
Number stickers
Paint
Ribbon (optional)

Directions:
You can find directions here since this is where I got the idea anyway!

This is how mine turned out:

I had to hang mine with a string because I don't have a removable closet rod, but if you do, they are even cuter just on the rod itself.

Thanks to my new friend from MOPS, as you can see we are pretty well stocked up {that is only NB-6 months, and isn't even any of the bottoms, onsies or shoes that go in the dresser}!!!

Now that inventory has been taken, time to hit the consignment sales!!!

It's What's For Dinner: Chicken Enchilada Soup

Maybe it's because I am from Southern California, maybe it is because my mom made Mexican on average 4 nights a week, or maybe I was just blessed, but I married a man who loves Mexican food just about as much as I do. So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest {a while back, before my Pinterest fast} I knew I had to make it...AND it's healthy!!!!

I am now averaging making this about 4 nights a month {mom, I'm catching up to you}.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used the kind with sweet onion in it)
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper (I used red, which is my favorite pepper)
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese (4 ounces)
2 chicken breasts

Directions:

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.

The ingredients

Throw it in the crockpot
Four hours later...
Top it with cilantro and pepperjack...MMMM!


Just a note: This is not a really creamy soup, it is a little more like a stew, but it is GREAT!!! Even Emrie ate a full bowl of it last night!

Insomnia

Never in my life have I had trouble sleeping.

Not when I was a baby {my mom said I only ever woke once each night}.

Not when I was in middle school {and they say you are changing so much during adolescence}.

Not when I was in college {we had the last room at the end of the hall next to the stairs and I slept through a real fire once and the fire man had to bang on our door even}.

Not when I became a wife {although about two weeks into marriage, Phil did punch me in the face while he was sleeping once, by accident of course. He didn't wake up. I did}.

Not while I was pregnant with Emrie {although around 7 months I did suffer terrible, jaw clenching, tear evoking calf and foot cramps. But once they would pass I fell right back to sleep}.

Not even when I became a new mom {I fell asleep nursing in a regular chair only to wake up disrobed with a sleeping baby on my lap?}

Why NOW am I suffering insomnia.

For the past month I have been waking up around 1:45 am and staying awake until about 6:00 am just to finally get tired and lay down for an hour before Emrie wakes up. This occurrence is averaging about twice weekly!

I have tried everything from just laying in bed, reading, surfing the Internet, drinking tea, counting cotton balling going in a jar {I have no idea why that was my vision instead of sheep} and every little trick my mother-in-law has taught me {imagine you are redecorating an entire room in your house...I get through the whole house and start on the neighbor's}.

Worrying about how tired I am going to be eventually and how I better enjoy sleep now while I can only makes it worse {duh}.

Tonight, I finally just figured, "If I can't beat it, join it!"

So I went to my craft room and made closet dividers for the baby's room and cut fabric for a new quilt.

As long as I'm up, I might as well be productive...I see a LOT of projects in my future!!!

Picture Ledge Book Shelves

I am embarking on a new project...Emrie's "Big Girl" Room {although it isn't really a big girl room yet, because she will still be in a crib for a while}.

My first project in there was a very small bookshelf wall out of Ikea picture ledges.

I love that it doesn't take up any floor space, it's cheaper than a bookcase {each shelf was $10}, and it is a cute way to display some of her fun books!

The wall I used is fairly small so I could only use the smaller picture ledges, even though the longer ones would look better, but I still love it. The best part is that she already walks over to it to pick out her bedtime book.





Stay tuned for more projects coming soon {hopefully}!