Cool decorating ideas!

Found this website!
Check out the ideas for the votive candles



and the embroidery hoops for wall decor


So easy and creative, it shows you how to do all these cute things! Love cute, cheap decorating ideas!

Digital scrap

It's September and what holiday is coming up?! Halloween! I am so excited to dress my two munchkins up this year! I always want to be crafty and creative, we'll see how this year goes!

For all the digital scrapbookers out there, I found the cutest kit! Here's a preview of the kit and a link. There's a way you can get it free, or for only $1.97! Love it! Happy scrapping!

Click Here for the link to this cute kit!

Eating out... with kids!

Being pregnant, for me (at least this time around), means eating out a lot, lot more. More than a babysitter is really available. So we go as a family. To McDonalds, to Firehouse, to OliveGarden, everywhere. We aren't brazen enough to take our crazy toddler to Hamiltons or something as fancy as that, but we're not limited to only Chucky Cheese, either. Most of our experiences are good, but some have been disastrous. When I came upon this article from BabyCenter, I figured I had to share. It's helpful info for me, and hopefully it will be for you as well.

Tip: Click on the "teaser" to read more. Or just go here. Bon appetite!

Highlights

Before you go
Once you're there
Heading off behavior blowups

It's easy to see why many parents of young children avoid restaurants and prefer to eat at home, where thrown food will hit only members of the immediate family. But sometimes it's necessary — and even fun — to eat out. If you have a 2- to 4-year-old and you're still uneasy about dining out, these suggestions will help: ...

Fruity

I figured since we're in the season of yummy fruit, I'd share a little tidbit about fruit.

Fruits that ripen AFTER picking:
Bananas
Melons
Kiwi
Papaya
Pears

Try to eat as close to picking: Stone fruit (apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches, etc)

Fruits that DON'T ripen after picking:
Apples
Grapefruit
Pineapple
Lemons
Limes
Oranges
Tangerines
Watermelon

*smell is the best indicator when something is ripe.

*ripe stone fruit should smell like the fruit they are, they also give slightly.

*color: deeper, more intense color the better the fruit.

Baby Shower

This past weekend I did a baby shower with my sister for our cousin. I love doing these things even though I stress myself to the max I enjoyed doing it! One of my favorite parts was decorating the table. To give height and a little variety I used different sizes of boxes underneath the table cloth. I had little blue plastic pacifiers I got at a dollar store I sprinkled through out along with baby shower ribbon and metallic ribbon that I also got at the dollar store.

Since she is having a boy I tried to say with a blue-ish theme. For the cupcakes I put a blueberry on the top of each one. I borrowed this cute stand from my friend- it is from Wilton. I really love this stand- maybe I will just have to get one too!


I adapted a Taste of home recipe for these ham wraps. Instead of mixing a ranch packet with cream cheese I mixed an onion dip packet with soy cream cheese. They were way yummy and you can't even tell I used a different kind of cream cheese. I chilled for an hour and then cut them up! For the fruit dip I made a cream cheese and marshmallow cream dip that is soooo yummy (and again i used soy cream cheese). For the veggie tray I got an idea from Taste of Home to have different salad dressings for dip so I had ranch and a way yummy honey mustard that everyone loved. The great thing about that was I didn't have to do any prep work!

For these yummy crackers my sister diced tomatoes and green onions and put them on top of herb & garlic crackers! Some of them she put cheese on them- I couldn't believe how fast they were gone. They were a hit.


To give out as prizes/favors I made these little boxes and filled them with m&m's, skittles, and mints. I made them on my Silhouette and just used ribbon or rub-ons to decorate. I also made a way cute little book that everyone wrote advice or something for the mom to be. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture (which I am sad about cause I won't remember how to do it again!) But each page had a letter from the word baby, and all the pages were different widths starting with the first page- that that when the book is closed it spells baby!

Anyway lots of fun and we had such a great time!

Unlock the gun closet

My arms are horrific and flabby (especially while pregnant. . . ). I found an arm routine online, and hope that I can follow it to at least get some muscle going on.

Workout At a Glance

• What you need: Set of 5 to 8 pound dumbbells, exercise mat, sturdy couch or chair.
• How to do it: Perform the exercises in the order shown 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. Start with the Main Move. If that's too difficult, do the Make It Easier variation. For a greater challenge, try the Make It Harder version. After each move, do 3 to 5 push-ups.
• For Faster results: Use a heavier set of dumbbells (such as 10 to 12 pounds) so you can do only 5 or 6 reps of each exercise without resting and do the whole routine twice through. To burn more calories, try some of our fun cardio options that engage the arms.
• The expert: Oscar Smith created this routine.

Lying Reverse Curl

Main Move: Lie with knees bent and feet flat. Hold dumbbell in each hand, palms in, with upper arms at sides, elbows at 90 degrees and slightly off floor and hands toward ceiling. Without moving upper arms, straighten elbows and lower weights to almost touch floor, then lift back to start. Do 8 to 10 reps.

Make it easier: Rest elbows on floor or use lighter weights.

Make it harder: Lower in slow motion and pause before slowly raising weights.

Push-Up

Main move: Begin in a modified plank position on hands and knees, body in a straight line from head to knees, hands directly under shoulders. Bend elbows back, keeping arms close to body, and lower chest toward floor. Straighten arms. Do 3 to 5 reps.

Make it easier: Do knee pushups with hands elevated on a couch, chair, or staircase.

Make it harder: Do full pushups on hands and toes, body in a strait line.

Lying Triceps Extension

Main move: Lie on back, holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended straight up over chest, palms facing in. Keeping arms parallel and upper arms stationary, bend elbows to lower dumbbells toward face. Straighten elbows and press dumbbells back to start. Do 8 to 10 reps. Now do pushups!

Make it easier: Hold a single dumbbell with both hands.

Make it harder: After each rep of the main move, lower one weight across body toward opposite shoulder, press back to start and repeat with opposite arm.

Two-Part Curl

Main move: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at sides, palms facing back. Bend elbows to 90 degrees, rotating wrists so palms face up. Pause, then lower. Do 8 to 10 reps, stopping at 90 degrees on final one.

Do 8 to 10 more reps, bending elbows to raise weights toward shoulders and lowering to 90 degrees. Now do pushups!

Make it easier: Do just the first portion of the exercise, curling to 90 degrees.

Make it harder: Lift dumbbells to 90 degrees, pause, and then curl all the way to shoulder before slowly lowering to start. Do 15 to 20 reps.

Arm Press-Back

Main move: Stand with left side facing a sturdy couch or chair, a dumbbell in right hand. Place left knee and hand on seat, keeping back straight; bend right arm to 90 degrees, elbow by hip, palm facing in. Keeping upper arm still, straighten elbow and press dumbbell back, rotating wrist so palm faces up. Lower. Do 8 to 10 reps on each side. Now do pushups!

Make it easier: Skip the couch and stand for more stability. Hold dumbbell by right hip, elbow bent behind you left hand at side. Straighten arm to press weight backward. Switch arms after reps.

Make it harder: Balance on one leg, and use both arms at once. Tighten abs and hinge upper body forward slightly while extending other leg back, toes off floor. Switch legs halfway through reps.


The best cardio for your arms. . .

1. Swimming: The water doesn't just cool you off. It provides a full body resistance you don't encounter on land. Your arms are key for propelling you forward, so you'll sculpt strong, sleek swimmer's arms while burning as many as 680 calories an hour.
2. Cardio Machines with movable handles: Focus on pushing and pulling with every stride. Start by doing 1 minute with arms/1 minute without, and gradually increase. If your machine doesn't have handles, bend your elbows and pump your arms as though you're power walking.
3. Rock Climbing: Grasping overhead handholds gives your upper body a fresh workout, and you can blast up to 750 calories an hour as you figure out the best route to the top. Find indoor climbing facilities nationwide at indoorclimbing.com.
4. Kickboxing Classes: Throwing punches and jabs is a great way to get your heart pumping and melt up to 680 calories an hour. Get to free 20 minute routines to try at exercisetv.tv (click on 'kickboxing')
5. Canoeing or Kayaking: Paddling down a river is the perfect family adventure - and it burns up to about 500 calories an hour.

Provided by Prevention

Swimsuit Season!

Since we are upon the dreaded swimsuit season, I thought I'd throw out a post for our rockin bods. I found a really good treadmill walking routine that I LOVE! I do it all the time, it's really easy. I feel so good and sweaty when I'm done too, who doesn't love that! It has a beginner and advanced routine, so it's great if you feel like your getting bored with the one. And I plan on doing it my entire pregnancy (when I can fight the urge to just sit). Anyway. Here's the routine. And holla to our bodacious bods!

Beginner Routine

Time.......................................Incline.............Speed
0:00-5:00 (warm up)------------------1%-----------3.0 mph
5:00-7:00 (intensity) ..........................2.5%...............3.3 mph
7:00-8:00 (recovery)-------------------2%-----------2.7 mph
8:00-11:00 (intensity)...........................4%................3.3 mph
11:00-12:00 (recovery)-----------------3%-----------2.7 mph
12:00-16:00 (intensity).........................4%................3.5 mph
16:00-17:00 (recovery)-----------------3%-----------3.0 mph
17:00-21:00 (intensity).........................4%.................3.5 mph
21:00-23:00 (recovery)-----------------3%-----------3.0 mph
23:00-25:00 (intensity)..........................3%................3.3 mph
25:00-30:00 (cool down)---------------1%-----------3.0 mph

Advanced Routine

Time.......................................Incline.............Speed
0:00-5:00 (warm up)-----------------2%------------3.3 mph
5:00-8:00 (intensity)...........................4%..................3.7 mph
8:00-9:00 (recovery)------------------3%------------3.4 mph
9:00-13:00 (intensity).........................5%..................3.3 mph
13:00-14:00 (recovery)----------------3%-----------3.5 mph
14:00-19:00 (intensity)........................6%..................4 mph
19:00-20:00 (recovery)----------------3%-----------3.5 mph
20:00-24:00 (intensity)........................6%................4.3 mph
24:00-25:00 (recovery)----------------4%-----------3.6 mph
25:00-30:00 (cool down).....................2%.................3.3 mph

Good luck!

Sweet Pea Bow-tique

My sister-in-law, Mindy, and I are in the hair-decorating business it seems! We made up a ton of hairbows, flowers and clippies to adorn either mother OR child... and we're selling them NOW! We call ourselves "Sweet Pea Bow-tique." We have practically our entire inventory over at Grandma's Corner Bakery in Richmond, and we are currently taking custom orders. Visit our website (or Grandma's Corner Bakery) to check us out, and TELL YOUR FRIENDS! ;)

Family Sign

My mom had this great idea for a cute little family sign. She had a bunch of frames that were the same style in different sizes and wanted to put each letter of the word Family in the frames. But she also wanted to have each letter be a different font. So that is where I came in, I played around with a lot of different fonts until we came up with this finished product:




What do you think? My mom was way happy with it, and I love it!

Parenting Book

I have been on a quest to find a good parenting book, and this book has been recommended to me by several people including my pediatrician. So last weekend I finally decided to get it- and so far I LOVE IT! After just a few chapters it really had me thinking and arranging my parenting style. I am not even done with it yet, but already I am using the suggestions. This book has really helped me feel like I can raise this crazy toddler to be a responsible adult- and that is a great feeling. So if any of you are looking or just feeling crazed try this book it is so great!