Tissue Paper Flowers

I've decided to make tissue paper flowers for the party. Besides party hats, I'm getting into more decorating for Sophia's first birthday. There is something really gratifying about do it yourself projects. It is a lot fun.  I'm sure you've seen plenty of these. They definitely are not anything original. My mom showed me how to make tissue paper flowers. They are another simple project that come out looking pretty good (especially for the little effort needed to put in). I used six sheets of tissue paper. Fold the paper back and forth (like a fan) about an inch and a half wide. I used a twist tie in the middle (or use wire). Trim the ends however you would like the ends of the flower to look (I curved the ends). Open up the fan and gently peel the layers back (one at a time) until they have all been pulled a part. Shape your flowers however you like. Create a loop using the ends of the wire. Hang flowers from a light fixture using fishing line. … [Read more...]

Party Hats

Let's make our own party hats today. We're getting ready for Sophia's first birthday party and I think making party hats is a fun project. I can't believe my baby will be one. Everyone said how fast this year would go and they were right. It seems like yesterday I was bringing her home from the hospital. Those nights of waking every 3 hours seemed like they would never end and now they are long gone. Not to be dramatic, but it's kind of a big deal. She's no longer an infant. She'll officially be a toddler in six days. So we're going to have a first birthday party in honor of Sophia's first year and we're going to make party hats. These party hats are simple to make and you don't need many supplies. What You Will Need glue gun, scissors, party hats from the 99 cent store, burlap, ric rac, pom pom balls for the top, felt, rhinestones, and whatever else you want to use to decorate Steps 1 and 2 I unlatched and opened up the hat from the 99 cent store, traced onto the burlap, then cut it out. Steps 3 and 4 Put hot glue on the cutout of burlap and roll it onto one of the hats. Glue the trim of the burlap on the inside of the hat. Measure the ric rac around the … [Read more...]

Does Your Baby Have Diaper Rash?

Does your baby have diaper rash? If you are a new parent, sooner or later while you’re changing a diaper you may notice a rash on your baby’s bottom and or the genital area.  What is diaper rash? How can it be prevented? What should you put on it, if anything at all? Diaper rashes are common between the ages of 4 to 15 months.  They may become more frequent when baby begins eating solid food.  There are 2 main types;  those caused by yeast or fungus and those caused by direct irritation of the skin from acidic stools. Candida (yeast) is typically fiery red with scattered red dots around the periphery called “satellite lesions” and grow in warm moist area. Causes include recent antibiotic usage by baby or by a breast feeding mom, staying in a wet diaper too long, and frequent stools.  Treatment includes frequent diaper changes (keeping area dry) and over the counter creams that target fungus and yeast. Ask your pharmacist if you can’t locate. Acidic stools can cause a painful skin irritation.  These stools begin after baby begins eating solids. These are areas of skin that look “raw” or irritated.  Treatment is aimed again at keeping baby dry (frequent diaper changes) and … [Read more...]

I Love My Baby Girl

I love my baby girl! I can't get enough of her! She brings me so much joy. It's no wonder I take hundreds of pictures of her a week. I don't know if it's hundreds, but it's a lot. At this age, the return of good pictures is not many compared to the hundreds I take. I shouldn't say that. They are all cute. It's just difficult to get her to look at the camera. She's at that age- she's moving all over the place. Just when I think I've captured the perfect one, she throws the binky in her mouth! I love my baby girl. She inspires me in so many ways. I love the sweet open mouth kisses she gives. I love her little giggle. I love giving her baths and getting her dressed in the morning. She's growing and changing so much and I'm grateful for the hundreds of pictures (whether she's looking at the camera or not) I get to take of her every day.  Just a few pics from this week … [Read more...]

Jewelry Hanger

Over the holidays, I took this picture while shopping at Anthropologie. It’s a display of ornaments hung on little nails on branches. I thought it was a really cute idea. I imagined my necklaces and bracelets hanging this way. Anyway, I finally got around to doing it the other day and it was super easy and came out pretty good. Step 1 Cut down some branches (however many you want). I used two. Wash them off and then spray with Tree House Studio Clear Acrylic High Gloss Coating Spray. I did it over two days and used 3 coats. Step 2 Once the gloss coating is dry, tie heavy duty jute string around each end. I wrapped it around several times and left a generous amount after wrapping it. The extra amount is used to hang the branches up. See images below to show you how it will be hung (this will give you an idea of how much extra string to allow). Step 3 Once the string is wrapped around each end, hammer small nails across the front wherever you want them (these nails will be used to hang your jewelry on). Measure out where you want the rack on the wall and put the nails up. Hang up your new rack. Hang your jewelry up on your new hanger. … [Read more...]

First Birthday Invitations

I just made Sophia's first birthday invitations and they came out pretty cute. They were easy to make- just a few simple steps to follow. Supplies I Used 1. Wrapping Paper 2. Ribbon 3. Glue Stick 4. Card Stock (white and pink) 5. Envelopes 6. Foam mounting tape 7. Double sided tape 8. Scissors Steps 1-6 Create an invitation on your computer. I use indesign but you can do it in word or however you usually type up a document (center it, change the color, font, and whatever else you like). Print out invitations on card stock. Cut the invitations slightly smaller than the card stock you will use behind the invitation. I cut the mounting foam in four small quares. Stick the mounting foam on the background card stock. Stick your invitation on top. Add Ribbon Feed your ribbon between the two cards and tie in a knot or bow. Used the double sided tape behind the knot to hold in place. Trim the ends. Line the Envelopes I created a template for a lining using my envelope then traced onto the wrapping paper. Cut out the liners, use glue stick on the back and glue on the inside of the envelope. … [Read more...]

Happy Birthday Dada

Happy Birthday Dada. I love you. You're the best! Thank you for playing ball with me, taking me on walks, giving me baths, and watching Yo Gaba Gaba with me. I hope you have the best birthday ever! Love, Sophia … [Read more...]

Lemon Bars

What You Will Need 1.  1  1/2 cups of flour 2. 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3. 1  1/2 sticks of butter 4. 4 eggs 5. 1  1/2 cups granulated sugar 6. 1/2 cup  of lemon juice 7. 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon 8. parchment paper Steps 1-3 Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture evenly into parchment lined pan. Bake for 20 minutes until crust is light brown. Take out of the oven. Steps 4-6 Mix together the remaining ingredients until well blended and poor over warm baked crust. Return to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until filling is set and bars are brown around the edges. Pour powdered sugar over the top, slice up, and serve.   … [Read more...]

Does Your Infant Need Iron?

Does your infant need iron? Oxygen is essential for the life of every cell in the body. When we breath, the oxygen in the air goes into our lungs. From our lungs, the oxygen is transported by our blood throughout the body. Actually hemoglobin; the red pigment found inside the red blood cells do this job. So what does iron do? Iron is a main component of hemoglobin. One hemoglobin molecule has four iron molecules.The oxygen temporarily binds with the iron molecule and is transported to our organs and tissues. Without iron, our body cannot produce hemoglobin. Low levels of this red substance in the blood is called anemia. Your baby probably doesn't need to take supplemental iron drops (at least not for the first four months). It depends on whether she's formula fed or breastfed and whether she's eating solid food. It's important for babies to get enough iron, because iron deficiency can cause serious delays in growth and development and have long-term effects. In general though, healthy, full-term infants get enough iron from their mother in the last trimester of pregnancy to last them for the first four months of life. Premature babies have less of an iron reserve and need … [Read more...]

Baked Apple Pie

This is another very simple recipe. It's so simple my friend and I did it while our babies had a play date. They are 6 and 10 months. That should tell you how easy it is. We did this extremely quick and they came out great. What You will Need 1. 2 pie crusts (we used Pillsbury pre-made) 2. 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (6 medium) 3. 3/4 cup sugar 4. 2 tbsp flour 5. 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 6. 1/4 tsp salt 7. 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 8. 1 tbsp lemon juice Step 1 Pre-heat oven t0 425. Place the sliced apples in large bowl (as you can see we didn't completely slice the apples-we had infant children who needed us). Mix all the filling ingredients in the bowl with the apples. Step 2 Place the pie crust in the pie plate. Pour in the sliced apples with the mixed ingredients. Step 3 Place the second pie crust over the top. Press the two edges of the pie crusts together. Cut slits in several places in the top crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover 2 inches of the edge of the crust with foil after 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. When apples are tender and crust is golden brown, pull out of oven and place on cooking rack to cool. Slice up … [Read more...]