My Sweet Babu

I must be insane...

"Mama, Fifi won't share the chalk!"

I'm scrambling through the junk drawer for a piece of paper and pen to write down a coupon code for typepad that I just googled. 

You see, I have written this post before.  Just last week I spent an hour and a half {which is very hard to come by these days with 3 kiddos} trying to write something heart felt and witty about what I have been up to the last few months when I all but abandoned my little blog.  I did a pretty good job too!  Oh, I talked about how the "ups and downs of life" from the end of last year had made me "motion sick" {cute, right?} and how the birth of my little Liam Francis was just... {gush, gush, gush...}

Publish

5 minutes later....DELETE

Yeah, I know, it makes no sense.  I'll be real here, things really sucked.  My little circle of towny friendships had kind of dissolved and while I was feeling very vulnerable and pregnant, well, I guess I just allowed it all to defeat me.  I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself out there again...I still don't know what my plan is for this blog...  Last week I was just not ready, so I hit Delete.  {and being the extremest that I am, I cancelled my pay'd typepad account...that's why I needed a couplon code...the backgrounds for the free account are ugly!}

I think the new theme of my blogg will be honesty; being real.  You know what, crafty home made goodness is great, but it is also expensive...so, I'll do it when I can.  And being an "uber creative" mama is wonderful, but alot of what I have been able to accomplish is because my kiddos are exceptionally well behaved and they enjoy watching movies.  I am uncertain of many things, however I am also very fortunate in that the Universe seems to point me in certain directions and lately, I keep comming back to this place. 

The best compliment I have ever received was that I was congruent.  I said thank you, and made a note to self to look the word up in the dictionary.  I think that congruence is so relevant in being a mama, being a friend and being true to yourself.  Yeah, that's where I'm at...

"Mama, Fif just tried to bite my hand!!!"

The phone is ringing, the screen door just slammed and there are a pair of tiny perfect eyes staring at me...

S**T!  I'm going to be late for story time at the library!

getting ready for baby

Some people would think that by the time you are having your third baby, you would have everything that you could need...not so.  I think perhaps, you might have a better idea of what you actually need, vs. all of the stuff Baby's R Us would lead your to believe you need.  That beign said, I did make some special purchases for the little guy who will be arriving shortly.  I figured that since I was only purchasing a select few things, I could splurge on some things that I really loved...one of them being this bedding set that had coordinating big boy bedding {the boys will eventually be sharing a room}.

But ofcourse, nothing is ever simple.  First, half of waht I ordered was on backorder, sending me itno a panic that it would never arrive.  Then there was the issue of what was available...for example, there was a navy gingham crib skirt, but not a navy gingham bed skirt...I have always said that my best crafting has come from necessity, so this is what I did.  I had planned on buying the navy gingham sheet set for my big boys bed, but I figured that since he does not like sleepign with a top sheet, I could use that material to make a skirt for his bed...

I have not wanted to drag out my sewing machine lately, so I used some "stitch witchery"  iron on adhesive to hem the edges, then I secured it to the wooden bedframe along the inside {pleating as I went} with thumbtacs.  As it turned out, I had enough of the sheet left to make a skirt for the crib as well...saving me quite a bit of money and frustration since, yes, it was on backorder!

I'm really happy with the way everything turned out!  I'm sure there are others who may have taken a different approach to this project, but I'm happy with what I came up with...and I just love getting what I want... and managing to save some money didn't hurt either! 

a.

Merry Christmas!

Whatever holiday you might be celebrating this season....

From our home to yours, we wish you all the best for the season and the upcomming New Year!

See you in 2010

alison

gift giving...

Gift giving at the holidays can be a puzzling time for me for a variety of reasons.  First, we are a young couple and are not wealthy by any means.  We usually end up spending the most on our kids and then try to buy a little something for everyone else.  This might not seem too crazy, except for the fact that both my husband and my parents are divorced and remarried...then there are the grandparents on my husbands side...oh, and I have cousins that are very generous our kids....close friends...

{the oatmel cookie recipe from the Quaker Oats container with craisins and white chocolate chips instead of raisins, then drizzled with melted white chocolate}

You can see how the list can go on and on and perhaps you are nodding your head in agreement, finding yourself in a similar situation.  What to do?  At some point this year, I decided that when it came to gifts, whether it was for a wedding, a holiday or birthday, I was not going to worry about perfect as much as I was going to focus on giving something that I liked and that was from the heart.  I like to think that I have pretty good taste, and I am happy that the gifts I have given seem to have been well received.

 {Homemade Chocolate bark, melted milk chocolate with slated peanuts stirred in, pour on a parchment lined baking sheet and swirl in melted white chocolate.  Let set in fridge and break apart.}

I am very fortunate in that I do not feel like anyone actually expects any gifts from us, but I like to have a little something to give all the same.  Hey, it makes me feel good!  Last year was the "green year" where we gave candles and home made soap in recycled glass dishes and had a tree planted in everyone's name...this year, however, I did not have a stellar idea, so we have decided to go with the failsafe, food.  Making special holiday breads and cookies, putting it all in a nice basket with a nice bottle of wine or champagne; now that is a gift I'd be very happy with!  I am hoping that everyone enjoys them...I'm sure they will! 

So if your stuck on an idea, it is never to late to do some baking and hit the spirits section of your food store for come nice bottles of wine or champagne that you can keep to hand out in a pinch! 

a.  

cookie swap

Many years ago, I was invited to participate in a cookie swap.  Ok, talk about baptism by fire...I was instructed to make 12 of 2 kinds of cookies for like 8-10 other women...yeah, that was like 240 cookies!  I should probably mention that we were living in a small apartment at the time that had an even smaller kitchen!  And then there is that little thing that I'm not exactly the world's cookie baking master...

So not long after we moved to this town, I was invited to participate in a cookie swap, which the next year, I ended up hosting myself.  Having been through cookie swap boot camp, I called this swap the "bake, borrow or buy" cookie swap, because I did not want anyone to not participate becasue they did not have the time or desire to bake a million Christmas cookies.  In addition, the nuber to swap was 6...of one kind of cookie! 

Over the years, the cookie swap has turned into more of a mama's night out, wine swap...where guests happen to stumble home with a variety of different cookies.  However with everyone's busy scheduals, it works out that the best night to get together is actually the 23rd of December.  Being all pregnant and trying to be a mindful host {I don't my friends to be totally hung over for Christmas eve} I'll have to make sure that the party does not go on too late!  But whatever the evening turns out to be, we have all agreed that it is well worth it!  It is so much easier to make one kind of cookie then to make several...but with the swap, it works out that we all have a huge selection of Christmas cookies to offer or bring to our individual holiday gatherings.

It's not too late!  If you don't do a swap already, try to throw one together!  If there are less guests, up the swap # to 12 per person, or whatever you all agree on!  It is such a fun time...and if it does not work out for this year, make sure to put it on your holiday to do list for next year!!

Happy baking!

a.

christmas trees, part 2

And this would be our lovely, live tree!  I insist on buying it right after Thanksgiving so it can be up and decorated for my big boy's family birthday party that usually falls the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We are able to pull this off and still have it look fresh and green for Christmas because we put it on the closed in front porch.  Although the windows are new, with the doors to the dining room shut it is still much cooler out there, which helps our tree to not dry out...or get knocked down by little people!

Last year, I realized that we had quite a few green decorations, so I decided that to tie together the rest of the glass ornaments, this would become our "green tree".  Again, I was in need of some decorations to fill in the gaps...so in keeping it "green", again, I cut up some of the cardboard packing boxes we had from my Christmas shopping in the shape of simple triangular christmas trees.

Then I had the kids decorate the the ornaments with green crayon and green glitter paint.  Again, this would make not only a wonderful decoration for your tree, but would also make a wonderful gift for family memebers! 

 
 I have to quickly mention that I do find it rather silly that what we refer to as out "green tree" of live tree is actually neither "green" or alive!  But I figure that buying a cut tree does stimulater the economy for tree farmers.  But getting back to decorations...For a variety of other great holiday craft and gift ideas for you to make with your children, please check out my dear friend, Elyse's blogg, http://bylittlehands.typepad.com .  He book, full of great craft ideas, would make a wonderful holiday gift!!

Have a great weekend!

a.