Peter Rabbit Birthday party!

Since we couldn't be at our extended families homes for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year we decided to throw Tristan an early birthday party in Durham so we could see everyone and celebrate at the same time. It worked out really well and Tristan had a blast! I decided to go with a peter rabbit theme since Tristan is so cute and sweet but at the same time mischievous. I channeled my inner martha stewart and made a Happy Birthday banner, home made vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting, coconut "grass" and home made candies that looked like garden vegetables! I also made cupcake toppers that were SO easy!! Here are some pictures and how to instructions so you can interpret the ideas and use them at your next party!

1. Cupcake toppers

you will need:
toothpicks
hot glue gun & glue sticks
Photo paper
Scrapbook paper

How to make them: First, find a picture that matches your theme online, then save it and print it off on photo paper in wallet size( i used picasa photo software to edit and resize my pictures). You can usually get 6-9 wallet size photos on one piece of large photo paper (which they sell at the dollar tree). Cut out the pic's in whatever size and shape you want and then glue them onto your scrap book paper which is cut in the same shape but slightly larger so it peeks out from behind your picture. Next, flip them over and glue a toothpick to the back leaving enough so that you can stick them into the top of your cupcakes! Couldn't be easier.

2. Birthday Banner

You will need:

Scrapbook paper
Glue stick
Embroidery floss or yarn
Hole punch
Computer paper

Cut your scrapbook paper into large squares, circles, or triangles. You will need one piece for each letter plus two pieces for a picture on each end. Using Word or some other program find a font and color you like and print off the words "Happy Birthday" onto plain computer paper. Cut out the letters however you like and paste them onto your scrapbook paper. Print off two pictures that match your party theme and cut them out and paste them to your two extra pieces of scrap book paper. Punch a hole in the two top corners of your paper and thread through your yarn, making sure to leave a few inches at each end so you can tie a loop to hang the banner.

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5 uses for used baby food jars

1. store home made baby food in them- perfect tool to measure your home made baby food into portions for your little one

2. make butter- just pour heavy whipping cream into a large baby food jar until it is about 1/3 of the way full. Shake, shake and shake some more. You will notice it turn into whipped cream but keep shaking until it turns into a ball and then shake some more until some liquid starts to come back out. Pour this liquid off and you should be left with a semi soft ball of fresh butter! Yum

3. Store thumbtacks, nails and screws-helps keep that Junk drawer organized!

4. Store dried spices- when winter comes instead of letting your herbs die out in the garden chop the plant off and dry the leaves in your oven (warm oven to 250* then place your herbs inside in a single layer on a cookie sheet and turn oven OFF, leave herbs inside without opening oven until oven is totally cool. Repeat if needed until herbs are dried out)

5. Make votive holders! To make votive holders: paint the jars with glass paint from your craft store, fill bottom of jar with sand or salt (you can even dye your salt with food coloring) and add a tea light or small votive!

A Single Stay at Home Mom

Since Jake has been gone to academy during the week I feel like I have been thrown into the world of being a "single mom" mon-fri and to top it off staying at home has made it even harder. Moving to a new area and not being connected with any other moms here yet has made my life so hard! But we have gotten through it and I start work tomorrow morning and Tristan will go to day care. I think it will be great for both of us. I just don't have the personality to stay at home day in and day out with my little one and be all alone while doing it. Also, Tristan is so very active and stares at other kids when we go out and loves the nursery at church and I feel like he has been deprived of play time with other babies and that he needs the interaction of day care. I honestly have to say I have no idea how my mother did it and how many women today are stay at home moms while their husbands are away at work. It is certainly not for me right now. Maybe when I am older if we have more children it may be an option, but now is the time to get back on track and try to get a career started for myself! I can't wait!

Tristan's favorite books

Tristan loves books. He will sit for a long time and just turn the pages, look at the pictures and "read them". However, he doesn't like just any book. Tristan is a little picky about his literature. So far he does not like "Goodnight Moon" or "Guess How Much I Love You?". As a mom I love these books because they are so cute and geared towards bedtime, but maybe Tristan will like them when he is older. Here are a favorite baby books as picked by Tristan.

1. "Moo, Moo Brown Cow"- Tristan loves this book and it has been his favorite since he was about 4 months old. He will now make the animal noises and point at the animals (of course all of his animals noises sound like "ooo", but its still super cute.)

2. Are Lemons Blue? My only complaint about this book is that it is really short and after reading several times over it can get very repetitive for the parent. Tristan never seems to tire of it though.

3. Pajama Time Tristan really loves this one mainly because it rhymes very well and we have made up a little song so it is more like a song than a story now. He adores it and tries to sing along. http://www.amazon.com/Pajama-Time-Sandra-Boynton/dp/0761119752/ref=tmm_other_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1322807130&sr=1-1

4. Theodore mouse goes to sea. I have to be really careful with this book because it is not a board book, but Tristan is in love with the pictures in this book.

5. Daddy Hugs . Tristan really likes this book and it teaches counting as well as the word "daddy". A great book for dads to read to their baby.

6. Thats not my bear Tristan's favorite touch and feel book.

Thanksgiving 2011

What a great thanksgiving weekend! This Thanksgiving we spent with Jake's dad and his wife Lorri. We had way too much food (as always) and enjoyed some good times talking and relaxing. On black Friday Jake ventured out to get a new game on sale and also a new blu ray movie. I decided to stay at home since we are doing a small Christmas this year and I wasn't super excited about any of the deals I saw in the multiple ads I looked over. Friday was also my grandmothers birthday and it was nice to get to go to Hickory and see my aunts, uncles, and a few cousins. My mom and dad came home with us and spent the night. We drove them around downtown Greenville (which is AWESOME) and then they had to go back home. I was sad not to have more time to visit but I will see them soon at Tristan's birthday celebration. Now Jake is out hunting, the house is decorated for Christmas and I am enjoying the peace and quiet of Tristan taking a long afternoon nap after his super busy weekend. I am thankful for such a great weekend and for catching up with my wonderful family.

my thoughts on unplugging

**after re-reading this post I decided to edit the content. It was a bit harsh at first I believe.**

I'm not a huge fan of the no technology kicks some people go on, but at the same time I also don't like the overflow of technology I am seeing in a lot of peoples homes and lives. I just don't feel that an iphone, ipod, ipad, laptop, desktop, e-reader, multiple tv's and game systems are really necessary. I'm noticing that a lot of people my age are obsessed with having it all when it comes to technology. Why not just pick and choose your electronics and be a little more economical while at it? I have fallen into this WANT of new shiny things when the things I already have do the job perfectly. Here is my list of things we have and things that are just really overload.

1. Laptop- This is the piece I use the most. It is my gps (google maps), internet browser, coupon printer, e-reader, word processor, etc. It is portable and I feel like it does all I need. No need for an extra desktop which just takes up space and is bulky!

2. Smartphone- yes, I have a smartphone and no it is not connected to the internet and I do not pay extra for it to have a dataplan. I purposefully got a touch screen "smart" phone that I was not required to have a data plan on. Why? because it saves me lots of money, it does everything a phone should do and everything else I can go to my laptop for. I have no desire to have an iphone and as a previous iphone user I can honestly say I don't miss it at all.

3. Books bought on e-bay, Amazon, or half.com- I read a lot and I have no problem buying used books for super duper cheap online and having them delivered to my door or getting them for free from the library. I have no desire at all to have an e-reader. Can you imagine the frustration of the battery going out while reading or having to charge your book or not taking your book to the pool or beach because it is an electronic that could get damaged? No thank you! There is something about turning the pages and smelling the paper of a real book that is just magical to me. I will never have an e-reader.

4. multiple game systems- we have a ps3 and a wii. We never use the wii. So we have a pointless game system laying around. We keep it because we figure one day Tristan will like it and it has a lot of kid friendly games and it is fun to play with a group of friends. It is not really needed but we bought it before the ps3 so there ya go. We did also have an xbox360 but when we got the ps3 we got rid of the xbox because it would be just another game system and that would have been pointless! My point is choose your favorite and go with that. I would say choose a system that is also a blu ray player so you can consolidate that way as well.

5. ipad- don't even get me started on these, lol. To me if you want the technology of an ipad just get an iphone, that way you have your ipad gadgets as well as your phone and you can cut down on an electronic. I know they are different things but I just don't get the point of these.

6. multiple tv's- not a huge fan of a tv in the bedroom. To me a bedroom is for sleeping, romance, and relaxation.

I guess my point is this: Take a look around you at the gadgets you have and ask yourself if they are really necessary. What else could you be devoting your time, money, space, and electrical bill to? Unless you are a business owner, serious gamer or programmer then more than likely you don't NEED the overflow of electronics.

Back to Work and Giving Thanks

Starting Dec 7th I will officially be going back to work. After being a stay at home mom for 6 months I can honestly say I have a greater level of respect for stay at home moms. Let me tell you it wears me out! I love love my little man but I will be glad to return to work and our finances really really REALLY need it right now. I will be working 34hours a week so there will be some flex time hopefully to spend some time with Tristan during the week. There is an awesome church near here that has a fantastic day care which had ONE spot available and will save us 30-40$ a week. I keep seeing God working in our lives and it never ceases to amaze me the way he has taken care of our needs this past year. As Thanksgiving rolls around this coming week (Tristan's first Thanksgiving!) I can honestly say the thing I am most thankful for is the many prayers said for our family and the many blessings God has given us this year as we moved to a different state and have started new jobs. Also, I am thankful for my little boy who is walking! Actually he also started climbing and is now in the sofa chair...guess I should go rescue him.