Craft #4 of 30 Day Challenge

I told you I was really excited about craft #4 of my challenge.  It's not because it took a lot of time or effort.   It's because I have been looking for artwork for the boys' bathroom for over a year & I finally came up with a solution.

 

When I started looking for prints or canvases to put in the bathroom, I knew I wanted something appropriate for boys, something that looked good with the yellow, blue & gray color scheme & preferably something bathroom specific.  I looked in several stores here & there but nothing ever seemed right.  I found some cute stuff on Etsy but it was usually more than I wanted to spend.  I thought about trying to make something myself with Photoshop but never sat down & tried.  Until last weekend.

 

While browsing kids bathroom art on Etsy (sounds a little odd but there are actually a lot of options out there), I saw some monster themed prints.  I thought if I could get a hold of some monster clip art, I could hopefully make some similar ones myself.  A few clicks later, I found a cute group of ten monsters on Etsy for a few dollars.  I paid & was able to download the files immediately.  I might have been able to find some free clip art but I really liked these monsters & the quality was good.  Plus, I'm sure I'll be able to use the files again in the future with a houseful of boys!

 

It didn't take long & I had my four pictures.  I printed them on cardstock & voila!  I just had to buy the frames, hang them & I was done with something that's been on my list for a long time.  Hurray!  I put one above each towel rack by the sinks & two above the towel rack in the room with the shower & toilet.   

 

I love how they turned out & Alex loves them, too.  I'm still an amateur when it comes to Photoshop, but I'm pretty proud of my basic skills!

 

 

 

Twelve Months Old

Our little monkey is a year old!  I took the day off work on his birthday.  It was nice having some extra time with him mid-week.

A big development since last month...  Ethan started walking!  None of this 4-5 step business but full on walking across entire rooms.  Now he pretty much prefers walking to crawling.  It didn't take long once he got going!  I guess that makes him an official toddler now.  Wahhh!  I miss having a baby already!

More teeth came through after Christmas.  Now he has four on top & three on bottom.  Ever since those last few teeth poked through, he has been such a happier baby.  I mean, even when his teeth were bothering him, he was still pretty happy.  But he definitely was higher maintenance than usual.  We weren't sure if it was from his teeth or if his personality was just developing.  Michael & I really were hoping it wasn't his personality.  I love him but he was driving us both a bit crazy.  He wanted your full attention pretty much all the time, which is ok sometimes but not non-stop.  It gets old when a baby is crying & whining while you're trying to get ready in the morning (etc).  Michael & I were pretty relieved when Ethan was back to his happy, easy-going self.

Everything went well at his one year check up.  He's growing good & handled his shots like a pro - only a little crying.

Ethan still is a great eater.  And we've transitioned to whole milk.  No more bottles!!!  In fact, I packed them all away today.  That's one thing I won't miss!

His current faves: a ping pong ball, these blocks, turning over the dog's water bowl, phones (play or real), getting into cabinets that aren't baby proofed & knows are off-limits, boxes, Little Duck Organics Tiny Fruits.

As you saw in my last post, I did a photo shoot with Ethan on his birthday.  I also took a couple in his chair & of Alex who thought balloons in Ethan's crib were pretty awesome.  Yes, Alex is wearing a cape.  And making silly faces.  J

The last year has been so wonderful.  Hard to comprehend how 2014 could be better but with these boys, I have no doubt I'll be pleasantly surprised!

Craft #3 of 30 Day Challenge

Confession: last week's craft wasn't really a craft.  Ethan's birthday & birthday party were last week.  I was pretty busy with that, so I didn't fit in a craft.  BUT... I did a little photo shoot on his birthday.  I'm counting that as my craft for my challenge.  It required time, creativity & patience, so it was pretty much the same as doing a craft!  And I'll be printing some of these out to display in the house.  It counts, right??  I'm no professional, but I'm happy with how these turned out!

I'm really excited about craft #4 - working on it this weekend!

Craft #2 of 30 Day Challenge

For my second craft of my 30 day challenge, I decided to make a burlap wreath.  Burlap wreaths have been a popular for a long time but I never had much interest in making one.  Then I saw a super cute one at my mother-in-law's house.  It was OSU themed & she got it as a Secret Santa gift.  The lady who made it told her how easy it was.  I decided it give it a try.

I saw this tutorial on Pinterest & used it as my starting point.  But once I started pushing the burlap ribbon through the wreath frame, I kind of figured it out from there.  It was super easy.  My wreath ended up not as puffy/big because I didn't buy enough ribbon but I like how it turned out.  Then I used wire to attach some fabric flowers & a "C" from Hobby Lobby.  I like that I can easily switch out the decorations on the wreath for different holidays or just to mix it up.  Overall, I'm a fan because it was easy, quick & inexpensive.

Doing good on my challenge so far!

 

Fire Station Party Decorations

As I previously mentioned, Alex's third birthday was a fire station theme.  Here's a look at the decorations.  Before you start thinking I'm just so artistic & creative, let me stop you.  My friend's sister pretty much made it all.  I would take credit for it, but she really deserves it (and is available for hire!)  Savannah lives in North Carolina but I just told her what I wanted, pinned some ideas on Pinterest & she worked her magic.  I had a box full of awesomeness in about a week.  I would definitely recommend her to anyone who doesn't have the time, patience or skill to make decorations.  I think she's working on an Etsy page but in the meantime, check out her Facebook page - Savy Creations.

I did make the invitation, though.  I thought it turned out cute (personal details changed for any stalkers out there).

Here's a look at the party.

And of course, we had to have a fiery candle for the little guy.

I loved how everything turned out & more importantly, Alex loved it & had a blast!

Craft #1 of 30 Day Challenge

Since I decided to commit to making one craft a week this month, I browsed my Pinterest boards for inspiration.  I pinned this idea awhile ago & had forgotten about it.  A few weeks ago, I actually put "bathroom tray" on my shopping list because I decided I wanted to display my perfume bottles on the bathroom counter.  They have been under my sink in the back of the cabinet, so the boys wouldn't grab them.  I hated reaching back there to get them.  When I came across this idea again, I knew what my first craft could be!

Yes, it was ridiculously easy & didn't require much crafting but I was able to cross two things off - a bathroom tray off my shopping list & a craft from my 30 day challenge list!  I used a picture frame I already had & bought some scrapbook paper (instead of fabric).

I may switch out the frame sometime for one that has a slightly skinnier profile but this works for now!

30 Day Challenge

I've never been big on New Year's resolutions.  Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of taking a look at your life & finding ways to improve, simplify & enjoy more.  But I like to do it throughout the year, not just in January & I like smaller goals that you can tweak & change without feeling guilty you didn't keep to your resolutions.

So when I saw The Hollywood Housewife blog about doing month by month resolutions, I thought - maybe I should do that.  Then when our health coordinator at work suggested cutting out one thing for 30 days, I decided to jump on board.  This Ted Talk also gave me some inspiration.

First I made lists of ideas for my 30 day challenges.  I'm going to have two parts - one health component & one personal component.  Although sometimes these may overlap.  Here are some of my ideas:

Health

No chocolate 

No Coke (or other pop)

No fried foods 

No sweets

No eating after 8:30 pm

Take at least 10,000 steps every day

Personal

No spending

No negative talk 

Journal every day

Set time aside specifically to pray/meditate every day

Set specific workout plan 

Say/do something nice for spouse every day

Photography challenge 

Complete one craft every week

Write a gratitude list every day

Try new recipe at least once a week

Turn off phone/computer for one hour every day

Do a new activity/go to a new place with the family once a week

I decided on these goals for January:

No chocolate 

Complete one craft every week

To be honest, the ones I'm dreading the most are no sweets, no spending & no negative talk because I think they'll be the hardest for me.  Which probably means those are the things I need to work on the most.  To clarify, no spending doesn't include groceries, toiletries, etc.  It's to cut out anything we don't really need.  I am the queen of online shopping & I know this will be tough.  I don't spend beyond our means but there's a lot I could cut out - especially for 30 days.  And as much as I'd rather not admit it, I have a tendency to be on the negative side.  I know that's going to be hard for me but I also know I'll probably benefit a lot from it.

I'll try to check in here & let you know how it's going & what challenges I'm doing.  You can help keep me accountable! 

Here's to a great 2014!