Giving Back: December 2013 and January 2014

With all the generosity that Christmas brings from others to our family, as well as the gift of his promotion in September, my husband and I have decided to pick a charity for giving each month in 2014. I have been feeling guilty about the limited time and funds we've given in the past - especially with how good God has taken care of us. It's been a little here or there, but not enough for me to feel sated. Maybe writing it down this year will help.

We actually started right away by giving in December, where we gave a small donation to a fellow blogger who was raising funds to purchase new infant equipment for a local children's hospital they visited. Since its not a non-profit status, but was just a fund raiser, we weren't able to match the gift through our company, but we did see the photos of all the new baby rockers and chairs purchased, which should make anyone stay a little more comfortable.

In addition, we donated to our church, canned goods to two food drives, and a car-load of clothes and house hold items to two local thrift stores (local ones, not a large Goodwill / Salvation Army) that directly benefits other charities we have supported in our town. Lastly, we cleaned out some of our own baby-swings, seats and play mats and gave them to a teenager-pregnancy support group.

Now that it's January, we were blessed to give another $50 (which this time we can match 100% through my company) to our local food pantry / soup kitchen. I've volunteered there once before stocking food in the pantry, organizing their cold storage and vegetable donations and ladling food to the hungry. If they had more open hours outside of my work schedule, I'd volunteer there every month. Happily, my mom has also been donating to the same pantry once a year for a few years now. We're all so glad to have full refrigerators and heat, it felt very good to give to others. As a bonus, I'm scheduled to give blood to the red cross next week.

I'm still looking for a charity to focus on as our "premier" charity, but at least we're finally acting on our desire to give back.

Playing Dress-up: a Christmas craft

For our 2012 Christmas, I had a lot of crafts I wanted to do. By far the biggest was to create a dress-up closet for my kids. As mcNugget got a bit more into dress up this year, and I saw all the potential hand-me-downs from my sister, I wanted to get a head of it all. It was also a project for my own excitement, really - getting back to my love of reinventing furniture and doing house projects that make me so happy. Plus, at the end of the day, I like to show my love through crafts and hard work... those are the gifts that have always meant the most to me: the gift of time means more than buying things.
So I went shopping. There was a fun wine rack at Homegoods that I was considering at first; it was $75+ though and I don't have any experience with working in metal. Plus the cabinet wasn't closed at the top, so it would need to go in the playroom and out of view until we re-re-purposed it into something else.

The next day I found this at my favorite thrift store, which was marked at $35, but I had a 25% off coupon. They said someone came in earlier looking at it, but they had trouble opening it since the top closures were stuck. Bonus? It closes and helps with hiding all the wonderful mess kids bring with them. I always tell them, it's alright to make a mess as long as you clean it up! Plus I LOVED the book door pull, and it was the perfect size - about 4' X 2' X 2'. SOLD.


The staff hoisted it in my car (it JUST fit) and the husband put it in basement for me. I pried off the closures with a flathead screwdriver - they just popped right off. The doors had swollen over time, and didn't need the latch to keep shut.

The style fit with our dining room furniture but really was not attention grabbing for a kid. You can also see all the scratches it had from years of use, so I picked up three Valspar brand paint samples ($3 each at Lowes) to refinish the doors and outside. Sanding was the worst part, but fortunately I just had to rough up the finish - not remove it. The first night took me about 2 hours. I primed the whole outside (1 hour) the following evening, then sanded lightly and painted my two coats of paint the second night (2 hours).

I decided to put a clear coat of polyurethane on it to protect it from the kids scratches, banging, drawings, and whatever else they did to it. That took another hour or so on a fourth night, and was something I had never done before. I was worried because our basement was pretty cold that night, and the poly seemed to have little tiny bubbles in it -but when I checked on it two days later, it looked great! I'm sure another coat would do it some good, but with lots of other crafts left to do I wanted to finish it up.
The last thing was to hang a clothes bar ($15), contact paper the inside ($2.50) and re-attach the front hinge. Since they would much more likely scratch up the inside where they can reach I didn't bother painting it; and contact paper can be redone cheaply and quickly if they ruin it somehow. I was also lucky the walls were really thick so the screws holding the clothes bar didn't go through the other side. The only thing I would change is I wish the middle shelf was movable to give more height to the long dresses. And maybe it is for someone a little more keen on cutting and drilling and all that - but I worked within the confines of the existing structure.

For Christmas morning, we loaded it with some of their existing play clothes and hats, ten cent hangers from a thrift store, an existing bin for things that didn't get hung up, and all the purses and costume jewelry they played with (which was previously all over the house). The other family members gave some new costumes, masks, and a doctor's bag as Christmas gifts since they knew what we were planning.

When they get older, maybe one of them will use it to hold their books or other stuff in their home. Or maybe they'll let me keep it :) I really didn't want to banish this awesome new piece of furniture to somewhere only they would see it. It's currently the first thing you see when you walk in our house.

October Catchup- the fourth

One of the other things that kept me busy during October was my future sister-in-law's bridal shower. I can't begin to tell you how lucky I am to have such an amazing brother-in-law and future SIL. They're mcNugget's godparents, and definitely some of our best friends. They just moved home - after years of us all living states apart, and I cannot wait to hang out with them every week!!

My key responsibility for the party was the invites. They're getting married New Years Eve - and we're all in the wedding. We decided to have a Winter themed shower - so here's the invite I designed. I did the trees by hand - all using a program called "GIMP" (I am trying it out - since its free- until I can save up the money for Adobe Photoshop; its working really well!). I kept it close to her wedding colors (Red, Black & Silver) - trendy, and not too "Christmasy". What do you think? Obviously I removed all their information :)

I had them printed at FedEx Kinko's on cardstock - and they cut them all for me (YAY!). Here's a tip - 5X7 envelopes are really expensive, so go with a smaller photo size if you don't need the 5X7. We did though, so I spent the extra money on the envelopes from Staples.

Also, we asked everyone to bring a Christmas ornament for their future tree. I found this fabulous idea on Pinterest.com - and made them one out of this invite (original photo found here). I'll do the same out of their wedding invite after the wedding. (Sorry I didn't capture my actual ornament yet, I'll have to get that sometime soon). A box of 4 glass ornaments cost $4 at JoAnn fabric - and I still have two more leftover to make us an ornament from our extra wedding invites.

Crafting for Kate

There are some friends that you get in life that you always feel you can't do enough for. They are always there supporting you - being excited for you - and end up going way beyond your expectations for you... rain or shine.

My friend Kate - who I've known for about 13 or 14 years now - is one of those people; and happens also to be the most creative, artistic girl I know. From handmade blankets and a handmade purse for mcNugget's first birthday - to the invites for mcNugget's baby shower - she can pretty much do it all flawlessly. I like to think I'm crafty - but my stuff always ends up with wiggly lines and extra threads. I'm quite in awe of her creativity, and want to return the favor - but knowing that many of the things I can do, she can do better!

So after buying some key baby gifts for her shower this weekend and sourcing the adorable cake from our friends, I looked high and low for a creative idea to make for her - with the expected wonkiness of a handmade item coming from me.  After the search, I decided that I'd make her a mobile. Her colors were grey and yellow - with a hint of pink (she's expecting a baby girl just two months after we're expecting our boy... hello arranged marriage!).  Kate's also in love with elephants, so here's the result:

The six elephants are made of felt and hand stuffed and hand sewn, each with a different color set between their body, ears and embroidery thread. We used the inside of an embroidery hoop at the top, padded with extra felt and then covered in a satin ribbon. I tied the elephants on so that she could change their height if she needed to. I hope her impending bundle likes it! I really had fun making it. I'll try to get a better shot of it up close when its hung.

And below is the cake we had made for her shower. I think it speaks to her craftiness (see the cute buttons on the top tier?) and of course ties in the elephant and color scheme. It was delicious.

To her ever-unbelievable character, in the middle of her opening up her presents at her baby shower, she handed me one. A baby blanket she made for my mcMuffin. Seriously, this girl is awesome and I hope everyone gets a friend like her someday.

Just a little trim...

On Saturday I got a haircut - and donated 10" of my hair to Locks of Love! Its been growing for about 2 years now - with the help of my pregnancy to speed it up. I hadn't had it cut in so long - months - and it had just gotten a little unhealthy. It was also hard to take care of with a nearly 9 month old pulling on it and spitting up in it.

Oh and I'm pregnant again - 16 weeks along - maybe you can see the baby bump in the first photo? So I'm feeling blah about my looks anyway and needed a change. :)

So here's the before and after of my new do... I LOVE it. I was a little nervous about it before hand - its a big change; the husband doesn't like short hair; would my face look fatter; will I be able to keep up with it? But I think its perfect for summer - and this pregnancy can help it speed up growing it back if I want it to. And its a nice thing to do.

My new "mom" hairstyle is actually about 12" shorter than my old one, and my hair was layered, so they wont be able to make a wig out of all my hair, but they can sell or whatever they do with shorter layers.

Jen's Maternity Photo Shoot

Here's the latest of my photo adventures. Taken with my new Nikon D3100 (which I LOVE) in mid-March I went to a local park with my friend Jen to do her maternity photoshoot. I'm really pleased how they turned out despite the gloomy and chilly weather. The clouds parted during the last 15 minutes for us though; she's beautiful pregnant and I know will wear motherhood just as well!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Another Gliding In Style

Well I screwed up the photo taking - only capturing the footstool part of this project, but the glider was made of the same stained and gross material. My friend is having a baby this month and the room theme is 'jungle' for her little boy. I went with her to look at the $25 set on Craigslist and the glider was well made and the cushion on that portion was thick and fabulous. I'm actually a little jealous of it!

So we picked out the upholstery fabric, I cleaned it up, and brought the new chair and footstool to her baby shower last month. I think it turned out fantastic. We did have to replace the cushion on the footstool (it was saggy) so the whole project (chair, fabric, and cushion) was under $50. Not bad! And its something no one else has exactly the same!



A Super Homemade Christmas Gifting

What a wonderful Christmas we had. McNugget received more stuff than we can even imagine. And Santa was very good to us too. One of my favorite gifts was this homemade jewelry rack from my sister. From the crackle paint to the industrial mirror wire, I absolutely adore it. :) I haven't gotten a homemade gift since I can remember; it just makes the holidays so much more special.

Two other Baby Shower Details

Here's another photo-op of me enjoying my baby-shower, and an amazing diaper cake my neighbor gave me. I just found photos my family took of two other awesome baby-shower details: the centerpieces and our mcNugget sign.

Do you see the vases in the middle there? Lemons and limes are the best centerpieces. The vases came from my friend's wedding (mine are being staged for my cousin's wedding!)


And below is a shot of the mcNugget sign my aunt made at my mom's request. done up in our room colors, this is the cutest wall-hanging for our nursery! You can also see above my head the baby shower umbrella that my grandmom had handmade many, many years ago. Pink and blue, its a lacy cover for a standard umbrella. We have a white one for bridal showers. My aunt cleverly covered it in lime green taffeta.

Seriously, for events like these, the more home-spun, the better I think. I love knowing that people will go far above and beyond for me and now mcNugget too!

Shower Favors: A Close-Up

The photos from the shower didn't do my party favors justice - here is a better photo of the basil plants now residing in my kitchen:

Wish me luck in learning to actually cook with them- I'm brand-spanking new to herb gardens. I am quite pleased at this opportunity to avoid having to buy basil from the "stupidmarket" that goes bad before I can use it though - its a great 'green' gift that way.

Anniversary Giftings

I just got the sweetest surprise from my husband - flowers at work! The flowers came with a "Happy Anniversary" balloon and a card that said "Happy 2 Years Sweetie! And Happy 2 Months McNugget!"

Flowers are one of those things that I just adore, but never can justify spending the money on. So when they come as a surprise, they really do light-up my day. He even picked out a bouquet with bright yellow lemons in the vase - in thoughtful throws to our wedding centerpieces. Gah, I do love that man.

Haiti & My January Contribution

Continuing with my goal from last year to participate charitably in something every month, I decided to donate some money (and a couple of prayers) to a Haiti earthquake relief fund. Its situations like this that make me so glad for the safety of my family and friends, for the general peace my life has had to date, and the ability to help others. My friend posted this link on Facebook: https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=homepage

She also posted about a website called Charity Navigator, which ranks charities. It makes me feel a lot safer knowing my money is going somewhere real - and to my mother's point, mostly to its operational efforts, not to the "fundraising machine".

Happy Birthday Missy!

It's Missy's 9th birthday! We celebrated with gifts of bones and a new huge girly bed for her. She seemed to really love the bed, and Trotter at least loved the bones. Missy just guards them; silly girl. I can't believe she's 9 already! Where did the time go?

Giving Back (Some More)

In September I donated 6+ bags of summer clothes to GoodWill. That's both a win for the community, the environment and my closets.

Last month I ran an impromptu cell-phone drive at work - collecting 25 phones for Verizon Wireless' Project HopeLine which benefits victims of domestic violence through funding, new phones and donated cellular airtime minutes. We recycled 6 phones and countless batteries and charging cords ourselves which was both environmentally friendly and helped us clean our closets a smidge.

This month we're running a food drive at work, so I've brought in a few cans of soup and vegtables. I'll buy some more things like crackers and toothpaste when I'm shopping later this week for the donation pile.

I'm also thinking about going and volunteering at our town's Soup Kitchen for thanksgiving. Its always a little nerve racking doing something you've never done before, but hopefully it will be a good experience!

Baby Kakes' first photoshoot

My wonderful sister & I spent Sunday photographing my uber-pregnant friend "Jelly" at a nearby park. The first photos came out beautifully - I'm so proud! It helps that there was a light wind, beautiful lighting and the most adorable and hip pregnant model to make the photos this awesome. Now we just wait to meet the baby!!

In my next life, I want to be a therapy dog. How great would it be to have a job where you were just supposed to snuggle up to someone and let them read to you? http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/10/22/dogs.irpt/

Actually, one of my 'bucket list' items is to train a therapy dog. There are so many kinds of therapy dogs: seeing-eye dogs, visitors for people in nursing homes, and even companions for people who have severe stress/panic. A few years ago, I heard about a place in the mid-west that raises therapy dogs for autistic children, and instantly fell in love with the idea. I have an intense love for dogs; because we don't have any kids yet, I really consider my dogs as my children. I've seen first hand what they can do for people going through tough situations, and believe whole-heartedly that they are the best thing I have in my life after my family. With my 13 years working with special needs athletes through Special Olympics, I think this would be a great nitch for me, but any therapy need would be okay.

The difficult part is understanding how to train the dogs. My own dogs need to be trained; or rather, I need to be trained how to train them. They're not terrible dogs by any means, but they do have thier quirks. Missy has the tendancy to guard things - me, our groceries, her bone, her toys, my purse, my suitcase, etc. So when my other dog Trotter gets near, she gets jealous and angrilly flips out on him - scarying him into submission. Trotter, on the other hand, is just plain hyper. He has two speeds, Zero and Sixty. Part whippet, he can be the sweetest cuddle monster, or a crazy racing dog. They both bark when people come to the door, think that the couch and the bed are thiers, chase the two cats and bark at anyone who walks by our house or dogs we meet on the street. Its really sad because of how much it limits them to their own house, and it limits us from not being able to take them with us everywhere.

So once I can get my two dogs to behave, I think I could train them or another to be a therapy dog. It would be an accomplishment for me, a purpose for a dog, and years of giving for one or many people.

Wombmate Giftings

Here's the poster that Kate and I made this weekend for our friend Kelly's impending baby. We did the alphabet (her chosen theme) with animals next to each one. It turned out super cute- I'm going to have to get up-close photos to post soonish.

Giftings: Baby Book & Bag

My book club friend K just had a little baby boy - and as our gift to her, we're all giving a baby book. To package her mini-library, I decided to make her a bag as well; it turned out so good I'm really tempted to keep it myself! 1 yard of fabric, 30 minutes of my time. Too perfect!!

Giftings - Best of 2008

Next week is Thanksgiving (ahhhhh!) and the start of my holiday shopping season. This will be the second year for a polyanna for my family. This year, we'll be including my husband in place of my mom (since she can't stick to the rules!) in our Christmas gift swap. The rules of our polyanna are simple: You buy every other person 1 gift under $20, and then your polyanna person you buy one gift under $50.

The reasons we've decided to do this are three-fold: First, none of us have gobs of money to spend and we were in a competitive spending pattern every year on each person; Second, we want Christmas to become less about the gifts than about the birth of Jesus again; Lastly, we're all old enough to buy our own things so we don't really need anything we can't buy ourselves.

Mentioning #3, here are my favorite gifts I bought for myself this year that give me joy almost every day:

1. Our Wedding Rings- because every time I look at my hand I'm still floored that a) I'm married and b) that I have that much bling on my hand!! ($Priceless)

2. My Leather Wallet from Italy - because its sleek and fabulous and from my honeymoon ($125)




3. My Kiva reusable bag- because its been handy more times that I could imagine, and its environmentally friendly ($5)


4. Sony Under-The-Cabinet Radio / CD Player with IPOD hookup - because now I dance in my kitchen more often than before and it gives me some company while I learn how to cook. ($90)

5. White High Heels- I bought these for my wedding of course, but since they aren't made of bridal satin or anything, they have been able to go many places with me this year: my bachelorette party, my wedding, a friend's 21st birthday and work. They are some of the sexiest yet simplest shoes I own and I love them.