Digital Scrapbooking

So, I created a scrapbook layout using Charmed Chic collection by Tayrina's Scrap Designs. Why not check out her digital designs!

I figured grad was a perfect fit for the girly collection! I LOVE a good girly bunch of paper and elements! Especially in such bright colors! I can't wait to experiment a bit more... perhaps with pics of my daughter next time. ;)

Pregnant and Poppin

Just in case you were wondering, this is what I looked like on Sunday... at 39.5 weeks (why do I have the .5 in there? I'm not sure). I can't believe my EDD is tomorrow! As is my next Doctor's appointment. Wouldn't it be funny if I went into labour while at the clinic?

This baby is low... or at least it feels that way. M was as well, so I guess I should be used to that, right? Squirmy little guy, too. Not too bad... hasn't hurt my insides yet (ha ha), but I definitely know when he/she is awake! And no... I really have no clue as to what I'm having. Right now, from the poll in my pregnancy album, the tally is 5 guessing boy, and 6 guessing girl. Pretty Even Steven... with M it seemed everyone was guessing boy, and only a couple of people thought it would be a girl. Then again, a lot of people are hoping it will be a boy... mainly family, ha ha.

What do you think? I should put a poll up, just for fun!

I've been having Braxton's regularly. If you can call them regular. On Monday I literally had one every half hour from 4:30 till 8... then I didn't bother keeping track anymore (I couldn't really feel them... they were there, and the pressure was intense, but they didn't hurt, thank goodness. I just kept feeling my stomach when I felt major pressure and it would be hard as rock). They stopped by the time we went to bed. I don't remember having them this often with M. I know I had a few, and they were very much the same feeling as these, but they didn't come as often... or maybe I just didn't notice them as much.

And I want to paint... and renovate... and fix the yard... and do all my cleaning and laundry and everything all at once (cleaning and laundry are all done already, but that yard keeps calling my name... there are a few loads of dirt I need to purchase, though). Oh, don't worry. I won't do any of that crazy stuff... I'd love to, but I won't (I really don't need to have dozens of people telling me how insane I am... plus I don't feel like smelling paint right now. Nope... don't need that). But my dreams are filled with fixing things in this house. How crazy... as if I haven't done enough work in the last few months...

I did exercise today... which made me feel sick to my stomach afterwards... so no more of that (I don't understand... I did easy stuff!).

So, here I am, patiently (or not so much) waiting for this baby to decide to grace us with his/her presence! Perhaps some of the crazies will leave me after that! Or not.

:)

Project 365

Day 329 - April 25
I've got two pics for today. First, here's M and A in the garden with Grandma. We're starting them early!


And here's M at the park nearby. The kids had a lot of fun playing on the structure. M loves the ramps and the different 'ups and downs' of the 'swinging' bridge and the solid one.

Day 330 - April 26
Smores for dessert... I forgot to make the pudding I was planning on, and so we had these!

Day 331 - April 27
M really gets into shopping. I think she grabbed one of every size... of at least 4 different items. And would you believe she got her size in there as well? And yes... that is our basket. Smarty pants!

Day 332 - April 28

Tis the day before my EDD, and my sister came over and gave me a pedicure this morning! Isn't that so sweet of her? I can hardly reach my feet... never mind for an extended period of time, so it was so nice for her to do this for me! And now I have pretty toes! (this one says 'peace', and the other foot says 'pretty').

To List... or Not To

Yeah... I think we'll make this week's list anyway.

Last week was a good one. I didn't finish everything... never did get a clothesline, so I couldn't put it up, but everything else got done! I even managed to work out! My biggest accomplishment would have to be cleaning up the ditch by our house... did about 1/3 mile section all by myself. I think it would have been more fun with more people (and taken much less time... as it was I spent 2.5 hours working out there), but it's done. I had a few people honking at me as I worked. It was earth day... so I'm guessing it was in appreciation. Not a lot of rural areas get cleaned up like that.

I wonder what I looked like out there at 9 months pregnant, picking up trash... ha ha.

Anyway, this is a new week, and since May officially starts this week (ok... I know it's right at the end of the week, but who cares... ha ha), I decided that the challenge for this week all the way through May would be...
Cleaning items we normally wouldn't.

I know. It's kinda vague. But the idea is to wash those things that you just don't see anymore. Things like dining room chairs, for example. Since we are focusing on the dining room, living room, entrance and hallways, I will try to list a few things that you may have that might need a thorough cleaning.

• blinds or curtains,
• a junk drawer,
• the entrance closet (since it's spring, why not tackle that and pack away the winter stuff?),
• a particular shelf,
• the table centerpiece/runner,
• picture frames,
• the banister/railing
• any fountains or vases that have stones in them,
• fake plants (or even real ones sometimes need a little dusting),
• the dining room chairs,
• the couch,

The list could go on. These are just suggestions. Take a look in these rooms at the things you have that are looking like they could use a little cleaning, and pick about 5 (maybe one 'big job' and four smaller ones) to do this week. You don't have to do them all (that might just be crazy... you know... something I might try to do! Ha ha).

Anyway, here's my list for the week.

To Do April 25-May 1 (living, dining, entrance)

• sweep, vacuum,
• bathrooms, mirrors,
• laundry
• exercise (did Wednesday)
• farm books (meeting on Monday, bills, etc)
• personal books
• scrapbook 2 pages
• mother's day gifts
• mother's day cards
• dust baseboards/trim
• extra dusting
• vacuum couch
• wash 'bamboo' vase thoroughly
• meal plan
• vacuum dining chairs, wipe down
• thorough high chair cleaning
• clean entrance closet (swap out jackets)
• wash dining room fountain
• clean table centerpiece
• yard work

This list looks long, but it really isn't that bad. I'm already over half done! And if I don't finish everything because the baby comes this week, that's ok with me. :)

Good luck with your lists, everyone!

Update

Here it is... my overdue Project 365 Update.

Day 320 - April 16
M seems to think the baskets make good chairs!


Day 321 - April 17
Paying outside while Auntie J does some gardening for me! :)

Day 322 - April 18

Is daddy sleeping? Can I bug him?

Day 323 - April 19

Bath time! Time to 'lap' the water like a dog! And blow bubbles! Isn't this fun?

Day 324 - April 20
This is the gardening and yard work J did for me! She pruned the front bush, put up my lights (I cleaned them while she was digging up dirt), separated some of the plants and replanted them, dug up the dirt in the front of the house, and moved the 'brick' so that it's straight up and down again, instead of slanted outward so terribly. :) Thanks so much, J! I love it!

Day 325 - April 21
Decor.

Day 326 - April 22

I have 3 photos for you today. First, M is eating with a fork! I'm so proud! Yes, she may only get one noodle or pea into her mouth at a time, but she is so proud of herself!

This is my old old chair that I used to use as a kid, all freshly washed, aired out, and re-sewn so the next generation can enjoy it as well! And she was having fun!

Another project I did... took out all of the dragonfly bedding and washed it (along with the cradle mattress I sewed the day before) and decided to put the free bedding we got into the crib for M. It seems like it suits her better anyway with the bolder colors and the more toddler feel to it. She loves it. And I'm glad I could 'create' a bed skirt of sorts from the window valence and a sheet that had a ruffle on it.

Day 327 - April 23

Friends came down for a BBQ supper, and the kids had a ball in the yard. I really need to find M some sandals that will fit her for this year!

Day 328 - April 24
This picture may 'change', depending on what we do today, but I finished setting up the cradle this morning. Isn't it pretty? I love how it looks all nice and new (but still old) having been refinished, and it suits nicely in our bedroom as well. And the basket below is the collection of gender neutral 0-3month clothes that I have. It's not much, but it'll do for awhile. And if we have another girl, I've got lots of girl clothes I can use! :)

Glass or Plastic?

I am in a pickle. I'm not sure how to go about typing this without it sounding like a 'husband bashing' session (which is NOT my intent, let me assure you).

I love my husband. However, there are things I just don't understand about him.

Oh sure, most of the time our differences are our strengths. I don't have a major issue with some of the little things he does that may annoy me on other days. Unfortunately, today was one of those 'other' days.

I don't have anything to complain about, really. He is a gem! A real sweetheart! He made some rump roast into bacon wrapped steaks for tonight's supper with friends, which I am SO thankful he did. The problem, lately, is me. He even managed to clean up (for the most part) after himself (which is SO nice and I'm SO grateful for). And yet I still found myself with issues.

He marinated them in plastic containers! (oh the horror!).

Why on earth would this bother me so much? It frustrates me more (especially now that I'm thinking clearly again) that I was so bothered by the fact that they were in 3 separate plastic containers. I would have placed all the steaks in the nice 9x11 glass pan we have which is perfect for the job (and cleans up SO much easier... and doesn't retain the smell or the bacteria the plastic containers do). Perhaps if he had used plastic containers that have previously been used for marinating and already had the spice odour in them (thus making them useless for anything but) instead of fresh ones that had not been exposed to raw meat, I wouldn't have been as upset. I mean, really, all I needed to do was move them to the glass (which I did) and then soak the plastic in vinegar to kill the bacteria, and later in baking soda water to rid them of smell... but I was SO upset. I cried. And cried. And was even more upset because I WAS so upset that I couldn't lay down for a nap like I wanted (he innocently told me about the plastic just as I was laying down), and then even MORE so when my daughter awoke from all the crying I was doing, making sure I could NOT nap at all...

Really... why did it bother me so much? This is not biblical. This is not right. I need to do all things with a thankful heart. I need to stop my complaining and get rid of all malice. I need to just take it, deal with it, and move on. But I couldn't. I prayed and prayed about it (really... why did I even need to? It's just containers... it's no big deal), and kept on feeling like crap...

And then it hit me.

No, the reason is not because of my hormones, or the fact that I'm pregnant and stressed and tired... although they may all be contributing factors. The fact is, Satan is trying to get to me.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
-1 Peter 5:8-9

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

-Ephesians 6:11

The issue was not actually the containers. It was just a trigger to get to me. So, I had to pray it away. I had to get rid of him, stand firm in my faith and take on the armor of God before I let this little thing get a major grip on me. Sure, I told my husband about it later and asked that maybe he try to use the glass next time (I really don't want to have to do all that stuff to those containers every time we have steak... and my husband is usually a good listener). However, it wasn't in anger. I wasn't tempted to take those containers and smash him over the head with them like I was earlier that afternoon (he should be thankful he had to be in the barn right after he told me... ha ha). However, I really need to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again... that I get a grip on reality and get rid of those negative feelings that Satan sends my way before I DO do something I'll regret.

Basically, I need to wear the armor of God. And, to help myself out, I need to make sure to give my stresses to God more regularly, to rest properly (last night I did NOT sleep well at all, which wasn't my fault, so I did rest all day today, but it still wasn't enough), and to be aware of my hormonal imbalances (don't we all?) so I know when I am my weakest and can warn my loved ones to pray more (and do so myself, of course). And to spend more time with God in the mornings. Not half-hearted time, either. Full-on time. Give-myself-over time. Time where I am NOT thinking about the things I need to get done, or the things I'd like to do, or the baby or the daughter or the husband, but time alone with my Saviour, getting to know Him a little better, and myself as well.

I spend time with him... but not like I should. I usually bump it up a notch after a day like today. I wish it didn't have to take a kick in the pants to get me back on board.

I guess that's something to be thankful for, amIright? Today's meltdown is the kick I need to spend proper time with my Saviour.

Now if only I could do without the kick...

Happy Earth Day

I'm gonna keep this post short and sweet, since my hubby is ready for us to start the movie yet again. We're watching Avatar tonight. So far, it's really good!

Happy Earth Day! I normally don't 'celebrate' Earth day. I try to be 'green' year round, and normally I just don't take note of the date on the calendar. However, this year I had a couple of goals (on my 101 list) that were under the 'environment' section that I wanted to try to do ON Earth day. I didn't do them both, but I did do a few things to 'be green'.

How many of you look at the ditch next to your house? I don't usually do so, but a couple of years ago (when I walked along the highway on a regular basis) I noticed the trash that littered the ditch and thought it was disgusting. Now, where I live, either YOU take care of the trash in your ditch, or nobody does. Really. I've never seen anybody pick up trash along the highway next to our mile. There's nothing but fields (and we are the only house on the entire mile stretch on that side of the highway). So, I made it one of my goals to pick up the trash over that whole mile. Well... I didn't do the entire mile. Technically it is only our responsibility next to our property. I DID do the entire half mile west of our driveway... all by myself. Burned myself a bit too (that'll teach me not to put sunscreen on... sigh). Don't worry, it doesn't hurt. And I already put stuff on it. Oh, and I decided after going all the way to the mile road the one way and filling up one bag just picking up garbage on the 'field side' of the water (there was very little water in the ditch, thankfully), that I was going to do the 'road side' using the gator as my ride so I didn't have to haul a half full garbage bag everywhere. Made the job much easier. It still took 2.5 hours, total. And I feel like I should do ditch on the east side of our driveway as well... although since my brother in law shares the driveway and lives on that side, maybe he should do it instead... (ha ha ha).

I have to wonder what people thought seeing a 9 month pregnant woman picking up garbage in the ditch...

Anyway, today I also did a little yard work (ok, mainly watering flowers) and aired out some foam for the baby's cradle, and for an old chair of mine. It's being reused! I used it as a child, and now it's been cleaned, fixed (there was a hole... I mended it today), and set up for my daughter to use! And she loves it!

And the highlight (for my husband at least)... homemade pizza (with whole wheat crust). Mmmmm mmm. (and it only cost us $2 in the end... for the meat! Crust costs pennies, the meat was in the half-off bin, and we got the cheese for free! And mushrooms and peppers need to be used up before they go bad, although I think they cost about $1... so a $3 large pizza! Woo! Money savvy or what?)

I think I deserve a break. :)

Maybe I'll be able to get a clothesline this week to put up next week! I'd like that!

So, how'd you 'celebrate' Earth day? I'd love to know!

Have a great Friday everyone (since Thursday is almost done).

Tired? Really?

Ok, so I'm getting tired of the same old title for these lists, ha ha. I figure I need to keep myself on my toes, so I will continue making them, even though I am prepared not to finish them necessarily. Which is good. Right?

Last week went pretty well. I never did get around to sewing a cradle mattress of sorts, but I have one all planned out, which isn't bad. I love that I was able to make an anniversary card, as well as a cute footprint craft for the upcoming addition... I'll post that one later. I did do the farm books, but not all the elements of finishing everything I wanted. I need to finalize the 2009 year with the accountant numbers (which I had problems with... NOT my fault, ha ha) and file the GST return. So, those will be back to haunt me this week. I am thrilled to report that I DID exercise 3x this week! I put another meal in the freezer, too(bringing the number of homemade meals in our freezer to 19)! And my biggest accomplishment was filing our income tax! Woo Hoo! Show me the money (ha ha ha...).

This week the focus is in the bedrooms. Our challenge is to clean the bedroom light fixtures. I'm not really looking forward to that... I have stipple ceilings so it's difficult to take them down without getting stipple dust on everything. And one is directly over our bed. Joy. I'm sure it'll be ok, though.

To Do: April 18-24 (focus in bedrooms)

• sweep, vacuum, basic cleaning in bathrooms
• laundry (want to launder an old fabric piece of a chair of mine for M)
• exercise (walks count too! did on Wednesday, Thursday, a little Friday)
• farm books (bills, GST, finalize year)
• personal paperwork
• create weekly meal plan
• bake muffins
• bedroom lights
• organize M's clothes... again
• dust bedroom baseboards, trim, extra dusting (under books, etc),
• bleach diaper pail
• set up cradle, make base mattress (cut, just needs to air out and assemble), sew a washable mattress,
• flip our mattress/swap sheet set
• scrapbook 2 pages
• have bags packed and ready
• pick baby names
• wrap a gift for M (told this is a good idea to help occupy children in the hospital... plus if other gifts are brought for the new baby, here or there, it will be nice to have something to give to her as well)
• clean ditch
• put up clothesline?
• work on yard

I absolutely LOVE the weather outside, so I HAD to include a few outdoor activities on my list (because, you know, I HAVE to have it on my list if I am going to do it, right? ha ha). I have SO many ideas for my yard right now. My sister-in-law came down yesturday and worked on the front flower bed I developed years ago. It doesn't ever look that good in spring (soil needs working and such) and I didn't do anything to it in fall (being in the first trimester sucked a lot out of me, and wanting to do things for M's birthday took a toll as well). So, it needed work, and she wanted to do it! It looks SO good now! I'm SO happy! Now I want to go garage saling for a few neat things to add to the area, put in some brick (no, I won't be doing that myself, although I do want to help), and add some free perennials I've been told I can take from my mom's garden! Eee! I'm not really a gardener as I don't know much about it (except that old coffee and coffee grinds are great for the plants... and egg shells), but it's so much fun when you have a sister in law who likes to help and knows SO MUCH about this sort of thing!

I can't wait to post pictures! Maybe I'll get a lot more done on the yard this week than anticipated! Maybe. Not likely, ha ha.

Anyway, I hope you have fun working out on your yards and gardens this week, not to mention cleaning those lights, right? Right? (Lacey, I know you are already done them all! So, maybe you could do some extra gardening just for me? I SO want to work in that soil!).

Have a great week, everyone! :)

I'm a Winner!

Hi again! I didn't find out until today, but...

I ALSO won a $20 Tim's Card from Kim at Family, Money, and Stuff! Thanks so much, Kim! This is awesome!

I feel so full of winning bloggy happiness I could just burst! (hmm... a premonition? Ha ha ha)

The UBP After Party!

Welcome, once again, to my blog! They're having an after party at 5 Minutes for Mom, and I decided to join in on that as well. Basically, I'd like to say hi to any newcomers to my blog, and leave a little bloggy love out here for all those who commented on my party post!

Also... I have some super news! But you'll have to wait until the end to hear it :) ha ha.

Pippas Mom at Finding What I'm Looking For has a lovely blog about her day to day life! She is a homemaker, not unlike me, which really drew me in!


Jessica at Muthering Heights has some beautiful little sayings she posts, as well as pictures of her children and other beautiful photographs.


Jackie from Lumps on a Blog talks about different recipes and her family. She enjoys writing, too!


AimyMichelle from The Ramblings of Miss AmyMichelle seems to love her memes! I think I want to partake in a few more of those... I haven't been very diligent in that. She also loves crafts and photography (me too, me too!!)


JDaniel4sMom has some great giveaways, and was focussing on 'rain' this week with her little man. I like that idea!


My Silly Monkeys does reviews and giveaways. She's hosting one now for a sweet looking baby blanket! She also posts about her family and the wonders that motherhood brings.


Crystal's Cozy Kitchen has some lovely recipes I wish to try! Especially the crackers and those chocolates... mmmm.


Lace at Keeping my Fingers Crossed has a cute little blog where she talks about her neices, M&M's (mmmmmm), and participates in a few memes herself. I love the conversations she posts between herself and her neices. SO adorable.

And last, but not least, Jana from SideTrackd! Thank you, so much, for the prize! I love your review of the SleepyWrap, and your posts of your family! :)

So yeah... the good news is... I won a sleepywrap at the UBP!! I'm thrilled and cannot WAIT to get this in the mail! I wanted something like that so badly with my firstborn since she had colic and the screaming was unbearable. I'm looking forward to getting and using this with our upcoming addition! Eee!

Anyway, gotta go since I have a baby shower to head off to! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Random Ramblings of Randomness

First, to start of the random ramblings, I can hardly believe I've got 2 weeks till my due date. TWO. THAT'S IT! And I am SO exhausted...

Oh, in case you were wondering, this is what I looked like on Sunday. I decided I was tired of my duds and started wearing my summer maternity wear again (plus, I can't resist a chance to wear my bright pink shoes, and they look SO good with this top... since the pink is practically the same). And no, the white shirt is not a maternity shirt. It is SO old.... but it works as an 'over shirt' of sorts! :)

Pregnancy Ramblings: I'm so close to being finished everything on my baby list now... which makes me happy. I feel like I could pop at any time. I've been having Braxtons already... on a rather regular basis. They don't hurt, but they sure are uncomfortable. And my pants don't want to stay up like they are supposed to. I feel like I'm walking around with about one inch of belly skin showing, no matter WHAT I do. And the bunching of all that fabric is not a comfortable thing. I loved the ability to wear shorts last time... they were ugly but they stayed where I put them. If you ever wish to buy maternity pants, may I recommend going for Motherhood Maternity over Thyme Maternity... the elastic band on their pants is MUCH more lightweight, stays up MUCH better, doesn't bunch as easily, and is not as visible when it IS where it's supposed to be! Win win!

We've finally picked out some names for the baby! We have one of each that we really like, but are keeping the others handy in case the name doesn't 'suit' the baby (you know... sometimes you look at a baby and you just KNOW they aren't a Susan or a Tommy, but just MUST be a Lilith or a Jake... yeah... random names I just picked. No, they aren't on our list). I've also got the bags packed (we have an 'emergency' one... ok, not really emergency, but I'm not sure what else to call it. It's in the van already in case it happens real quick and while we are already in town). We have a second bag 'started' in the house still. That one is for stuff we won't need as much, and would need to quickly pack just before going (toothbrushes, devotionals, things we use regularly that I'm NOT willing to have in the van right now). I feel pretty good about it.

Random thoughts:

1. I filed our income tax today! Woo! One less thing on my mind!

2. We almost were hit by a semi truck on the way home today. The guy was NOT looking, turned on his blinker and started turning into our lane. We were beside him before his blinker even went on... FULLY beside him. He just didn't see us. The horn was going, and we were completely on the shoulder before he realized and pulled back into his lane (he was over halfway into our lane by then). He didn't change back at all after that. Talk about scary!

3. I'm having trouble finalizing the farm year end using the accountants numbers and it's driving me INSANE! It should be easy, but the program will NOT allow me to post to certain accounts, nor will it allow me to create the accounts that they created to do this. So, I'm going to have to find another method. I don't feel like waiting until Monday to do this. I am almost certain I have to have this done before I can file the GST for first quarter, too, and I'm being pressured to have that done already as well. Sigh. April, why do you hate me so?

4. I cannot nap. I've tried. It doesn't work. I cannot sleep well. Even at night. I'm up far too often, and trying to stretch and pop my hips so that I'm a bit more comfy isn't helping like it used to. Ah well. When I'm exhausted enough, I'll sleep! :)

5. I have a strange lump on the bottom of my tummy. Doctor says it's fluid in the skin that the lymph is having difficulty draining properly. I guess I should lay down and massage it out every so often. He figures it's possibly from my pants (see previous 'pregnancy rambling').

6. My husband got a blackberry. We're wondering if it's software is the cause of the computer having freezing issues. So frustrating. I think I may need to reformat soon.

7. I got my hardcover proof of the kids book yesterday! SO excited! I need to make a few changes to finalize it for publishing, but I think it looks good! EEEEE!

8. Yesterday, while at my parents, I heard M singing in the living room. I went to check on her, and, sure enough, she had found my dad's Karaoke machine (which was off) and grabbed a microphone and was singing into it. It was the most adorable thing! I just wish I had my camera... count on that being the one day I forgot to put it into my diaper bag! :) I'll always have the memories!

9. I finally put away my pedometer when I realized that I was getting discouraged at the dropping amount of daily steps (due to me being sore and tired and unable to walk as much as is). So, after 2.5 months of daily tracking, it is getting a much needed rest. I hope it vacations well!

10. The sun is so inviting, that after said pedometer went on it's break, I've been outside for walks more often (which would probably have been encouraging if I still had the pedometer on, ha ha).

11. Cake is good, so are cookies, and chocolate is better. Root beer float, anyone?

12. I'm eating 2 servings of fruit every breakfast... along with my cereal and milk! And I'm hungry during the night, too! Now if only I could cut out the bad sweets (see rambling #11).

13. I'm 75kg... and my 'waist' is 112 cm. That feels HUGE to me. Oh, and my Wii fit is only now saying that I'm 'overweight'. At 8.5 months pregnant. Hmmm.

So, those are my rambling thoughts. Randomness is kinda fun, dontcha think?

Project 365

Day 314 - April 10
The Easter Lilly.


Day 315 - April 11
My sister, niece, and daughter at the piano.

Day 316 - April12

M is pushing the cart... literally. All I did was guide it away from obstacles.

Day 317 - April 13
I have 3 photos for you today. First, I think this one is so cute... looks like M is leading the dog like one would a horse. :)

A new batch of farm kittens! Aren't they sweet?

M and Rosco again. That dog adores her... and she adores him, too.

Day 318 - April 14
Getting a gator ride with daddy!

Day 319 - April 15

I think she looks a little like an 'Astro girl' with no pants and those booties on. And then she had to go slime my mirror again, ha ha ha.

Clean Clean Clean

Ugh... I am so tired lately. I just DON'T wanna do ANYTHING! Except maybe sleep. And scrapbook.

Last week I didn't manage to finish everything... I got the Income Tax stuff ready, and it's all entered into U-file, but I haven't sent it off yet. I was just so thrilled to see that we were getting a return again this year! I need to get the code so I can send it through the Internet, and then I'll be able to do so. As for the exercising... only did that 2x this last week instead of 3. And the 2010 farm plan was worked on... but very briefly. Blech.


Anyway, I AM thrilled with how clean the kitchen is now... not to mention the cards I made this week! I started making one for my mom's birthday and remembered I had to do some other cards yet for April and May. I decided to do as many as I could! I got 7 done... and 1 left (an anniversary card for my husband... why do I always leave that for last? Maybe I just really want to spend more time on it). Eee!

Anyway, on to the challenge! This week, I challenge you to clean the bathroom light fixtures and fans! Yes... the fans, too! Those things sure do get dusty!

Here's my list for the week.

To Do April 11-17: focus - bathrooms

• sweep
• vacuum
• mirrors
• laundry
• exercise (did Sunday,Tues, Fri)
• farm books (enter bills, finish GST and 1st quarter, final year end)
• paperwork
• bath lights/fans
• bath baseboards/trim
• dust bathrooms
• scrub tub
• scrub sinks/faucets
• scrub toilets (don't forget the outside of the bowl)
• bathroom drawers
• 2 scrapbook pages
• bake bran muffins
• wash infant clothes
• sew cradle mattress
• make footprint craft
• meal plan for the week
• make card/wrap gift for weekend
• finish income tax and file
• make anniversary card

I'm glad I managed to get most of the cleaning done today, because I SO do not want to clean anymore. I would rather make crafts! And visit other blogs (did I mention that it's the blog party over at 5 minutes for mom's? In my previous post? Oh, yeah, I did!).

Pregnancy is beginning to take it's toll on me! I am exhausted before I even get up in the morning (and yet I'm crazy enough to try to tackle so much anyway... what is WRONG with me?). I do NOT want to be home (I'd rather go out for no reason, but our fuel bill cannot handle it... ah well). And did you know how boring TV really is? Really? A nap is much more satisfying!

Anyway, I'm off, since my little girl is pulling on my leg. I guess I've spent too much time on here already.

Good luck on your lists, everyone! (Hello, my name is Sabrina, and I'm a listmaker...)

Welcome to my Party!

Hello to everyone, and welcome to my Party! I joined in on this last year, and it was a blast!

I guess I should start by introducing myself.

Hi! My name is Sabrina. I am the mother of an 18month old little girl (we refer to her as Baby M), and the wife of a wonderful man... I'm a farmer's wife! And at 8 1/2 months pregnant, I seem to really suit the role (ha ha)! I'm due at the end of the month, and looking forward to welcoming another member of our family into the world!

I'm constantly on the move (having an 18 month old will do that to you... but that's not the only reason). I have far too many hobbies... and of course I have to do a little of everything. I love being a homemaker/stay-at-home-mom/housewife as it allows me to schedule into my day whatever I wish... besides all the cooking, cleaning, and farm bookwork (which I often do NOT wish to do). I am a part of Project 365, and have my own 101 in 1001 list (which I'm pleased to say is right on track!). I LOVE to do all things artsy... especially sewing, scrapbooking, and woodworking (and re-purposing old furniture). I also enjoy writing books and have self-published a couple. My latest accomplishment was finishing a quilt for our baby! It's waiting for his/her arrival! I've also started posting a weekly cleaning/organizing list, which includes housecleaning challenges for anyone wishing to join in (if there is a list maker's anonymous group out there somewhere, I think I need to join)! And I recently took a cake decorating course and have been having lots of fun with buttercream icing, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies (oh my!)! The only 'homemaking' thing that I don't do well is gardening. My thumbs just will NOT turn green! I wish to attempt again this year, but I'm not sure how willing I will be with a baby on one hip and a toddler on the other! :)

Some would call me insane. I would say they are probably right! But it helps me to know I'm doing something while waiting for this baby to come... I just can't sit still! I have MAJOR nesting ingrained in me somehow!

Anyway, that's just a little blurb on me. I'd love to include pics of my daughter (since that is what my 'camera' loves the most), but I'm a bit tired, so I'll let you look through my project 365 to see a whole slew of them... or her 18 month photos (I love those!).

There are so many awesome prizes at this party! I’d have to say that my top 3 pics would be:
usc61 – sleepywrap by SideTrackd
usc57 - shoes by Jamaise
usc9 - foldable baby changepad by Saffery moore

I also would love any of the following (they are sort of in order of preference):
usc 53 – What’s New Cupcake by HoosierHomemade
usc55 - digital scrapbook by Thrifty Jinxy
usc54 – tiger neckwarmer by KozyKids
usc6, usc10, usc34, usc60, usc4, usc63, usc64
Any of the gift cards (especially target, Etsy, and Amazon gift cards)
Any of the blog designs (intl3, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16)

2010 Ultimate Blog Party!

So, I visited a few of my friends today and found out that they are joining in the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 minutes for Moms! I joined in this one last year, and am really looking forward to joining in this year as well! Ooh, what fun we will have (now to find the time to visit all those blogs out there... ok... maybe a few... I can't believe how busy I've been lately!)

So why not join the fun! Click above for more information!

Project 365... and a Birthday

Day 309 - April 5
I'm not sure what to call this... M was doing some kind of crabwalk around the office floor. It was hilarious.


Day 310 - April 6
I've got two pics for you today... one of M and our dog, and one of her on her bench outside. I love that the weather is getting so much nicer!

Day 311 - April 7
We went to pick up our corn seed, and they live right next to the tracks. See the feedmill in the background? There are more of those now than grain elevators... I kinda miss the grain elevators. Many have been torn down.

Day 312 - April 8

This was the day of a farm tour... and I couldn't resist this photo op of M walking with daddy (ok... I got a lot of them... but the sunshine made this my fave). I love farm tours, although all that walking tired me out quick. Yes... it's been a busy week.

Day 313 - April 9

This is a day full of pics for you guys (ok... only 3... but that's still more than one). It was my mom's birthday party! I stuck around their house from 11am till 10pm. And I would have stayed longer to clean up if I wasn't practically kicked out by my folks! "Go and sleep!"

This pic is so cute! I love all the icing on M's face from the Timbit she recieved earlier.

Here's one of the 'birthday girl' holding her grand-daughter (M wanted by the Kareoke machine all night) and singing with her sister!

And just because there is acually a photo of me in here, here is my daughter holding the mike while I sing with MY sister! I have to say, I don't like how HUGE I look in this jacket! I think I need to find something else I can wear... although I can hardly zip this thing up anymore as is, and I am NOT buying a 'maternity' jacket for a total of 3 weeks! No way!

There you have it, a Project 365 update just a bit earlier than normal. Now we're off to town to help a friend load up their 'new' used furniture (no, I'm not helping... I'm not allowed, ha ha. Plus, I don't feel too well as is, so I'll just look around the store a bit myself with M in tow).

Have a great weekend, everyone!

New List

It's Monday again! I'm so pleased with how last week went. I wasn't planning on actually doing all my regular exercising, but I did it anyway! And the cleaning in my entrance made me SO happy! The boot mats and shoe rack looked so clean and new when I was done! Of course, it doesn't stay that way for long, but it's gotta be cleaner than it was before I did it, right?

My favorite accomplishment last week was the change table! It was an old freebie we got from a friend of a friend. It was white... scratched up, well used, and not very fancy. A change table... they usually aren't. It had these pastel colored plastic covers over the rails which we removed so I could just paint the wood. My husband switched two shelves around (the top 'shelf' for the change pad was cracking a bit, so we swapped it with the middle one), and I proceeded to give it a scrub. The thing looked so much better after just scrubbing it! Then came primer... and it looked like this!

Finally, I took the remainder of my black paint (yes... the remainder. I scraped the very last of it out of the pail so I could finish this thing), and I painted it. It looks SO nice. It's a new piece of furniture!


All I need to do now is scrub the change pad itself and make/buy change pad covers. I can buy 1 meter of fabric and make two covers for this thing (need elastic too, of course), and it doesn't look hard, so I may go that route. I want to go for a nice color that will work well in our living room. And the baskets? I bought 2 in chocolate brown as well, but since they are so tall, M has a hard time pulling her toys out of them, so I used other baskets we had for her toys instead. The brown ones will find homes in our bedroom.

Now, on to the new week!

This week I am focusing on the Kitchen... and I added the office in there as well. The challenge of the week is to clean the kitchen and office light fixtures.

1. sweep
2. vacuum
3. mop
4. bathrooms
5. laundry
6. exercise? (did on tues, thurs, planned for Saturday, but I'm sick, so a walk will be good enough)
7. farm books
8. paperwork
9. shine sink
10. clean microwave, fridge, stove, toaster, drying rack
11. wipe clean the counters/cabinets
12. dust in kitchen
13. clean kitchen light
14. clean office light
15. dust in office (include baseboards)
16. meal plan for the week
17. disinfect bottles/pump
18. work on income tax return
19. work on 2010 farm plan (did a little more so far)
20. make birthday card
21. Dr Appointment on Fri
22. make cake/cupcakes for birthday party
23. take down Easter decor
24. scrapbook 2 pages

Look at that... half crossed off already! I'm so happy! I managed to get enough of a break today that I was able to get even more work done. I'm thinking of working on that card later... or if my husband will relinquish the couch, a nap sounds good too. :) Yes... M is napping right now.

My 'get ready for baby' list is coming along nicely as well. Found out the cradle is refinished and just needs to be reassembled. Blankets are made, most of the remaining items are on lists for the next few weeks. I can't believe it's less than a month till my due date! Aaack!

I had a 'scare' the other night (going into Easter Sunday, would you believe). Being half asleep, I had Braxton's and thought I was in labor (never had them while laying down when pregnant with M before... actually, I don't remember really having much Braxton's with her at all...). I remember praying, "Lord, not tonight... we don't have enough workers on the farm and my husband won't be able to be with me... please not tonight" and hearing "It's just practicing... don't worry... drink some water". I did, and they stopped. Trying to drink more water again... I've been neglecting it for some reason the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, how was your week? Do you feel good about what you did? Do you think I'm insane like just about everyone I've talked to for continuing in crazy huge lists? (don't worry... I think I'm insane too).

Good Luck this week!

Easter!

He is RISEN!

Oh, how I love Easter. No, not the chocolate and ham (although those are good too), but the meaning the season holds for us. And the nice weather this year doesn't hurt my mood much either!

And then there's kids. They have so much wonderment and excitement over the little suprises they get...


Anyway, what will follow is the fun of the last three days... in picture form! So... a bit of a warning, this may be a photo overload!

M is looking contemplative at her grandparents... hmmm... what to do first...

I love to make things for every 'holiday' or event that occurs for some reason. This year I decided to have some fun with some of the easter cookie cutters I got from LW. I made 3 large chicks...

and a bunch of eggs...


two butterflies (for the girls)...

And three bunnies. There are probably about 5 cookies worth in each of these larger ones.

On Saturday morning, while waiting for Daddy to come in for breakfast, M decided to take my 'list' and my pen (which was disabled, thankfully) and 'check' things off. I wonder who she's mimicking now?

We went on a little Easter egg hunt after breakfast. The first one she managed to find and open held some mini marshmallows. She loved those. The chopped jelly beans were a hit too. And the necklace gift was great as well (she's loves wearing things on her head and face, so a necklace seemed to be the next step).

Here is one of the 'harder' eggs to find. I made them obvious. There were 12 in all...

Here she decided that all her eggs should go into these containers instead of the basket.

Oh look! I found another!

She dropped this one on the ground and it opened, revealing its contents... cheerios!

Mmmmmm.

Later that day, after her nap, she brought me the rest of her eggs so I could open them and she could eat whatever was inside. I filled 4 with various cereals, 2 with chocolate chips (not very many), one had jelly beans, one a necklace, 2 had mini cookies (see the little tiny hearts next to the chicks in a previous pic? Yeah, those), and two had mini marshmallows. Her eyes practically popped when she saw the cookies, and she giggled like crazy over the chocolate chips.

At my parents house we had another hunt... for a basket of goodies. Here she is thrilled to pieces about her cousin finding a basket. She just wanted to laugh and giggle for her... and didn't even think to look for one herself.

Finally she spotted the one we were trying to point out to her for awhile now... and ran towards it.

Oooh.... goodies!

It seemed that one of the highlights for the girls were the bubbles in the baskets. I am looking forward to blowing bubbles with M later... once our yard dries enough that I can take her outside again. Our yard is soaked!

So, that was our weekend in a nutshell (or not so much a nutshell as a crazy long photo driven post). How was your Easter? How do you celebrate?