Coupon Disaster..

My Attempt at a DIY coupon binder...  Fail..

I have been working on creating a simple to use coupon book for my mom.. Seriously.. who isn't trying to save money?    I couldn't manage to get a hold of  a pocket portfolio so I attempted to make a faux version out of one...  yeah.. didn't work

I just don't get it...

Oh No.. Here she goes again....

There are things in this life that I just don't understand... abortions being one of them. Yep... here I go getting all controversial again... I'm really, honestly, trying to understand the thought process that makes it ok..

Friday Happy!

For all of those who require or wish they required meds to get through the day.

Enjoy your Friday!

And another one bites the dust... :(

My Guys

Last Wendsday Big C got word back from the last place he interviewed at.. and pooh..  It was his second interview with them too... Plus it would have been a fantastic fit for our family.. :(
Currently he works as a dishwasher/cook for a local restaurant, barely making min wage... 
He has been looking for a good job since shortly after Lil' C was born.   He had a job he liked in OK, but then when all hell broke loose, he had to come back to MS to be with us.  He has interviewed and sent out resume's everywhere...  anytime he gets negative word back I get a text "I hate this state".. It's really eating at him.  This one was probably one of the worst, since it was a second interview and he was really excited about the position..

I know he is not a fan of MS (I think my MIL is part of the reason for that) but I was born here... my family is here... Lil'C's hospital and doctors are here...  The amount of paperwork it would take to move alone would bury us..
*sigh*
We have talked about moving to OK anyway, but the last time we tried his mom said that we/him could not stay with her because she decided to move an hour or so away from the job..  so he would have no where to live and no money since he wouldn't get paid for 30 days, which would still leave Lil'C and I at my parents with no car..

So...
Does anyone know of a job for a 3 class short of a Bachelor in computer sciences?  He does have an associates with many MANY years of food service and customer service?    Preferably in MS or a WAH position?

DIY Extreme Wet Bag

Our old wetbag. Great single pouch wet bag.

As I have said before... we use cloth diapers.  When you use cloth then you become introduced to SOOO many other neat things..  One of which is the "Wet Bag", which is basically a carry all for wet/dirty things.   I suggest one to any parent, even the 'sposie using ones.    They can be used to carry dirty cloth diapers, wet swim suits, dirty outfits of a potty-training toddler, etc.  home to be washed.

It's a birthday today!

I get strawberry cheesecake every year.. I want these this year!

It's MINE!  :D 
Last year today we celebrated by me getting to hold Lil'C both of the two times that we were allowed to hold him a day.  Big C got to do the same on Father's day that year.
It is crazy how different one year can be.  Now I'm gonna go snuggle my miracle. :D

How the garden grows

The white bags are deer deterrent.

So this year I started off doing a square foot garden... then about a month ago my mom decided to add to it... but she wanted a traditional garden.   So now we have....  lettuce, corn, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, zucchini, tomato, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, strawberry, okra, sweet potato, regular potato, black eyed peas, navy beans, banana & bell peppers, peas cammomile, arugala, swiss chard basil, canalope, sage, chives and probably a kitchen sink...
It has kinna gotten crazy.   We have already been eating the carrots, lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes and potatoes. 

Happy Father's Day!

I hope everyone had a good one!

Lil'C and his Great-Grandfather "Daddo" (Dah Do)

Lil'C and one of his Grandfathers (my dad)  "Poppy"

Lil'C and Daddy Big C

We had a DIY Father's day. I made Big C a tie and then used India Ink to stamp Lil'Cs foot print on the bottom. I used this pattern. Big C says it is a bit short.. but it is a good pattern. If you have a "thicker" guy, you may want to lengthen it a bit. I also made lil'C a matching bow tie using this pattern.

Poppy's Father's Day gift was a little more involved.  Actually everyone in the family helped in some way.  He has had a saw blade that he wanted turned into a clock for some time now...   Big C picked up the clock works, hands and spray painted the base coat (Rust-oleum),  My sister did the lettering (my hand-writing is BAD), I put it together and drew the stick-cousins.  The guys also took Poppy to the movies to get him out of the house so it could be finished.
The stick cousins are just drawn on with sharpie.

Lil'C is 6'oclock.  The other circles are for future cousins.  Which will be a WHILE!

Well to all the Dads out there... Happy Father's Day!

One year old! Both ways!

My big boy :)

Today Christopher is One year old gestationally.  June 17 was my due date.  He was born 15 months ago so he has been a "one year old" for 3 months now. Now when people ask me how old he is I can just say "one year" instead of " __ months old and __ months gestational"  and then have to go into the whole 1 trimester short explanation.

DIY baby food grinder case

Finished bag. Wait till you see all the features!

Lil'C has a Kidco Baby food grinder (edited to update link to new version by the same brand).  It works pretty good, but I dropped it the other day at church and snapped the latch on the case.  I decided I needed a working case, since we usually use it when out and about.   So, to the sewing room I went. 

I found something!!!!

I found another Micropreemie mom-blog!  And her MP is older!  :D  It is like peering into the future.  A must-follow for any MP mom!
Here is her Birth Story
She also has a GREAT series on dealing with insensitive comments!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Here is her MP post list!   I'm just starting to read through them all.  I think it is gonna take awhile :D It just makes me so excited to read that it isn't even funny!  :D

For my new readers....
My Birth Story

And my MP posts...
Pumping Queen- My pumping helper
War of the Passy- My stance on Passies
Pre-Nom- Dealing with pre-nursing babies
Breastfeeding in the NICU- My BFing info
Being Kanga and Roo- All about Rooing
Comfort Babies = Not worth the Effort  - About the term "Comfort babies"
Saving you Sanity - Keeping your sanity as a NICU parent
Swaddiling in a womb with a view - How to swaddle when you can't touch
Make it Personal- the NICU is your nursery
Drs: The Good, The Bad, The Dangerous- What to watch for
NICU Happy Song- A MUST WATCH for any NICU parent :D

Are you a MP parent?  Have any NICU posts you want to share?  Post them in the comments!  :D

Friday Fun!

A don't know how much more geeky I can make it.   DH & I both love Stephen Torrance.

ENJOY!

DIY Nursing Necklace

I have been coveting some nursing necklaces since Lil'C has gotten REALLY REALLY good at removing my glasses.  I have such bad eye sight that I do actually walk into walls/poles/chairs/stairs/etc. without them, and he can remove my glasses in about 10 seconds flat.   That can become really dangerous.

I dream of...

Hopefully my mannequin won't be ruined in storage...

A full sewing space!
As I posted the other day.. we are currently staying with my parents until Big C can find a better job... (I wonder how many families are doing that right now...)  In our last house (rental) I had a room just for my sewing/crafts... I miss it..

I shall 'splan

It wasn't supposed to be a big deal...

I kinna feel like I need to explain myself...  After seeing all the other bloggy Moms doing the flats challenge I feel kinna left out...
or something like that...
The reason I decided NOT to do the handwashing part is actually pretty simple...  I've already done it.   I lived in Hattiesburg, MS in August of 2005.   I was living in a nice apartment complex off of I-59.  No one took the storm all that seriously...  We were all joking about how we would all get a day off from class... and that would be the extent of it.... boy were we wrong.
The eye of Katrina actually passed directly over my apartment.  I still vividly remember the feel of the walls of my neighbor's apartment shaking under my fingertips.  I remember watching the faux chimneys on the sides of the apartment buildings rip off and fly past the windows.
My neighbor had friends from the coast, with him who had run from the storm to the "safety" of Hattiesburg.
After the storm passed we were without power and water for about 2 weeks.  
Between the two apartments there were 8 people.  I fed everyone on a small 1/4" steel grill that didn't have any feet.  We burned the wood from the faux chimneys to cook and heat water. 

I had two of these.

Me and the only other girl between the two apartments (were we outnumbered or WHAT!) ended up washing clothes in my fabric stash buckets.
Yep.. I washed clothes for 8 people for 2 weeks in buckets.  See why I decided not to hand wash?  I've had enough hand washing for a life time.

But I did learn something from the flats challenge.  I learned LOTS. 
I learned that I like using flats, most of the time.  DH hates them and refuses to use anything other than Smartipants.. or some other form of easy change diaper.  Sometimes, if all else fails, he will change a Flip. 
I think they are great for at home use and for healing diaper rash.   Sure I have gotten wet a few times since I started using them, but that is because I never use a cover.  It isn't like I get soaked... just a bit damp.   We have also had a few poo leaks.  These past few weeks have been crazy with him being sick.   The antibiotics caused horrible diarrhea which caused horrible yeast diaper rash. The rash needed to breathe as well as meds.   Well.. I REALLY don't wanna use diaper ointment of any sort in my Smaris..  So.. I got rather good at the origami fold... and learned to make sure I fold it right to keep the diarrhea from leaking out..  ICK!!!

I'm still hopping to eventually get a Snappi though... I'll have to beg DH.. :P

What did you learn from the Flats Challenge?  Have you ever had to hand wash?  If so, Why?

DIY window cleaner

I feel that we have had enough chemical exposure to last a lifetime... so I try and avoid it.
One of the ways I do so is DIY cleaning products.   One of those products is Window cleaner... it is actually very easy to make!
Supplies:
Spray bottle
6 parts cooled VERY black tea (I use 3 cups)
1 part vinegar (I use 1/2 cup)
2 marbles
1 t-shirt cut into squares. (I used one of Big C's old ones, with his permission)

Poor tea and vinegar in spray bottle.  Drop the marbles in the bottle, they help keep thing mixed (think spray cans).

When using, spray the cleaner on the t-shirt squares and NOT the glass.   This keeps you from over using and having streaks. 
Plus when it comes to unframed mirrors, it keeps you from ruining the mirror.  The liquids will seep under the edges and eat away at your mirror.  
Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Here are some of my favorite DIY cleaning links!  It's enough to do your whole house!

Laundry Detergent
Giant List of 25
Green Cleaning
Cleaners from the Garden
Dishwasher Detergent

Furniture Polish
The MOTHERLOAD!!

Plus a little helpful motivation!



What are your favorite cleaning links?