Burlap Patriotic Banner

When I get an idea in my head there is no way I can get it out. My grandma was very crafty and if she saw something she liked she would figure out a way to create it. I am exactly the same way and I also have Pinterest to thank. I came across a fun burlap banner and I thought to myself "I know that I can make that while my kiddo naps!" I raced over to my local Hobby Lobby in search of burlap, twine, and paint. The rest of the supplies I already had.

Cardstock triangle & trace on burlap

Cutting out triangles, not that bad (felt itchy afterwards)

Adding stripes to this triangle

Stars placed then red paint rolled on top

In less than an hour I had created all of these

The finished product! Placed the triangles on twine.

My hubby wanted the banner to stretch the length of the fence in our backyard. Next year it will!!

Fourth of July Festivities

Outdoor area set for our guests

We had a fabulous celebration on July 4th!! It has taken me a while to upload pictures and since I did not take any with my good camera, I had to resort to posting ones from iphone. Oh well, there is always next year. We had over 30 people over at our home for a big celebration. We had a bbq, played games, laughed a ton, a huge water balloon fight, roasted smores, and watched fireworks (we did have some of our own fireworks to play with sshh don't tell).

Made this banner the day before, happy with the finished product

I am already thinking of decorations for next year and we are thinking that a patio cover is a must, plus plenty of misters to keep us cool.

Oh yes we also had bobbing for apples

Patriotic little skewers- blueberries, raspberries & marshmallows

Yum dessert time- cake with cool whip topped with blueberries & strawberries 

Welcome everyone!

Another snap shot of our front entrance (don't look at the weeds)

Time to chow down (cousin Jenny first in line)

Protein style burger for me, I think this is all I ate the entire day

Musical chairs gone wrong, Uncle Grailin ended up on the grass

My honey and I

Sweets before bedtime! Why not?

Everyone had a blast and I think they are looking forward to our next big celebration. Maybe a New Years party!!!

Travel must haves

I am a beginner when it comes to traveling with a toddler because my son is only two years old. Yes, my son has traveled outside of the United States quite a few times but now that he is older it is a bit harder. Here are some of my must haves when traveling with a toddler:

1. Twin size Aerobed! You read that correctly.... He has not been sleeping in a crib (almost a year now) retail price $99. The nice thing about our aerobed is that all you need is an outlet and the bed is inflated in less than a minute. EASY!! It comes with a handy remote so you can decide if you need more or less air, and a handy bag to store the bed when not in use.

2. Johnson & Johnson head to toe washcloths (Bed time scent) retail price $3.99. These are perfect because you do not need to bring your own washcloths nor use the ones at the hotel. There are 14 in a pack so you have plenty and you can save them for your next trip. These are gentle and have a awesome scent. He slept like a baby!

3. Stretch Island Fruit Co. All natural fruit strips "fruit leather"!! They are organic and no GMOs (LOVE it) retails for 99 cents each. My local Costco has them in a large pack with various flavors. My son never passes up on "fruit leather." Toss these into your beach bag and you have 1/2 a serving of fruit. EASY!!


4. gopicnic. Ready to eat meal, cannot get easier than this. I do not feed these as a meal but he enjoys the turkey pepperoni pack and I like the multi-seed crackers with the asiago cheese spread (and my hubby likes the almond roca that comes in this pack) retails $3.99 each. These picnic packs are gluten free, no artificial colors or flavors, each items in the box come individually wrapped and make a complete meal. There are 6 different picnic packs to choose from and they can be purchased at any grocery store, Target, or sometimes at Costco. I keep my eyes peeled out for when they are at Costco because they come out to less than $3 a pack.


5. Trunki by Melissa & Doug (retails for $39.99). This has to be one of the cutest suitcases for little ones. They come in various colors and as animals. Made out of hard and durable plastic so they will hold up. Comes with a leash so little ones can pull it just about anywhere, and it has wheels so they can ride it if they get tired or want something to play with in the hotel room. My son has this exact one (pictured below). He spotted children with it last summer while on vacation in Puerto Vallarta and he wanted one to play with. I got a great deal at Macy's.


6. I created my own back pack of goodies- coloring book, crayons, books, bubbles, cars, goldfish crackers, cranberries, bath toys, and play doh with a variety of cut outs. This back pack comes in handy especially if there is a long line to check in/layovers at the airport or hotel.

What are some of your must haves when traveling with your little ones? I am always up for checking out new stuff!

When the going gets tough

Well I am not going anywhere, mentally I am at a complete stand still and crying. Yes crying again! Parenting is not easy and you don't get a break. Had I known I would not have signed up. If I could have caught a glimpse of my future (2013) back in 2010 then I think I would have done things differently. Since I cannot turn back time or change anything that happened yesterday then I need to move forward and swallow hard to my brutal reality. This post is mainly another opportunity for me to vent. I have not slept well in weeks so maybe that is partly what is wrong with me. Factor in a two year old boy that his "character" desperately needs fine tuning, then you will understand my current state. 

I am through with the tantrums, lack of eating, outbursts, not wanting to potty train, and above all disobedience. Yes, I will read this post to my son one day because there will come a time that he will want to "reminisce" his toddler days. I will pull up this blog and pictures to prove what I endured. To make a long story short I feel like my present circumstances are tough and I sort of feel stuck. Kind of like being stuck in heavy thick mud or quicksand. I know there is a way out and in the end I will learn a lesson but when is the end?? That is a question that I don't have an answer to and of course it is driving me CRAZY! I don't see "mother of the year" award coming my way any time soon so with that said I will pout. The thought of pouting is not what I intended to do but in this case I am out of options. Crying has not lead me anywhere and neither has thinking things through. 

Let's get to the bottom of my dilemma- my son is a two year old and we are at a crossroads. At the intersection of "hurry up get it together because you are a big boy" and the other "you are still like a baby but it is ok because you are my only one." He sure knows how to push my buttons daily, along with whining, tantrums, and acting out. We have tried everything from time outs to let him cry it out and don't pay attention then to giving  a disciplinary spanking. Many people will disagree with spanking but it is a form of disciple and it is done with the best intentions. So what will we do? Since coming home from our vacation we have not gone out anywhere. Partly because he has not earned the privilege to get to go out and he cannot act properly in public. Yes he screams at the store and throws himself on the floor. (I vowed years ago that I would NOT have that kind of screaming child). Fast forward 8 years and I am that woman that has "the child!" Haha, NOT!!! I am frustrated and stressed out beyond imagination. I need help but most importantly he needs help!

In order to move forward we need help.

Calling super nanny comes to my mind and I will be contacting her tomorrow. Many people have great parenting tips but each child is unique and one parenting technique may have worked with your child but it might not work for my son. 

I'm exhausted and in need of a vacation by myself!!!

When vacations take on a whole new meaning

These past four days have been bittersweet. Not sure how to exactly sum up our current vacations. There are tons of pictures to share but the stories and behaviors of two year olds are probably ones to omit. We are blessed to have wonderful friends that we could head down to beautiful Coronado Island. If you have never been this is a MUST! We went to the zoo, beach, pool, Sea World, and simply stayed busy. Don't let the photos deceive you- there were melt downs, lack of sleep/naps, big tantrums, screaming, picky eating, and laughter in the midst of everything. Not sure I can take another trip like this. It was packed with lots of fun things to see and do because it accounted for very little down time. I would like Kaden to be well behaved before we venture out with the world that we live in. I currently cannot take another tantrum at a restaurant or any place in public. You truly need a vacation from your vacation. Don't get me wrong we had a blast sailing, seeing animals, running on the beach, soaking in the sun and capturing memories. Our friends understand us because they have twin boys (soon to be 3 years old). The boys loved running around together and just "being boys!" I truly hope behaviors turn into model gentlemen and everywhere we go everything will go smoothly (I know this is wishful thinking and one can only pray). In the next blogs I will post pictures! We ate a TON!!! I told everyone that we were on the negative calorie diet while on vacation. I don't want to scare anyone about traveling with a toddler because every toddler is different, ours seems to me a "special case." We are home now and we have other issues to tackle~ air conditioner needs to be fixed....grrr! 

When seeing cute little pink outfits make you cry

The title of this blog summarizes my present state of mind, again, yes this is happening AGAIN!! Today the world was rejoicing that the royal family welcomed a new little boy. Well today I cried as I saw the Serena & Lily catalog (beautiful bedding for a little girl). It seems like little girls are being born more than little boys. I began to wonder then I thought it must be my frame of mind. 

I go through phases and this state of mind comes around every few months. I get sad, I cry, I pout, I ask God why I don't have a little girl, then I ask God how will I manage the toddler boy I currently have, I cry more, get depressed, and finally choose not to tell anyone how I am feeling. So once again I am writing it out, maybe this will help. Cheaper than seeing a counselor or a therapist. Here goes nothing... 

I have to admit that I really want a little girl but apprehensive about getting pregnant and then finding out we would be having another boy. There is no fool proof way to 110% guarantee a girl. With that said, I feel stuck. Stuck in the sense that I cannot get what I desire SO much! How can this be? I can easily go to my favorite store and pick out a pair of shoes that I adore but I cannot get that cute little girl that I so desire. Yes, I have tried praying and asking God for direction or to eliminate this desire and make me happy right where I am. This has to be a hormonal issue because if it isn't then I have no clue what it could be (lack of pink girlie things syndrome!) People don't get me wrong if I don't go head over heels when I hear you announce that you are having a girl. Now you know why. This has not been an easy road for me and I just hope and pray that the road ahead will get better. I won't be going to the nail salon with my daughter nor will I enjoy a fun filled day of shopping. Why oh why do I continue to think of the things that I will not be doing and focus on the things I can do with my son. As I lay here on my bed, typing out this blog, I'm an emotional mess and my hubby is asking me why. I proceed to tell him nothing, in hopes that he won't ask another question. Yes, I just pulled the typical "nothing is wrong with me" line and expecting it to work. I do not want to get into this conversation with him right now and not quite sure how to proceed with a topic like this in the near future. We have reached a comfortable stage where we are enjoying plenty of sleep and our days are structured. No sleepless nights, no crying, no teething, no Breastfeeding at 2am. I like that I do live in a structured life and our days go semi smoothly (a few tantrums) but nothing huge. When you see that amazingly adorable pink outfit you will think of me... I will hold back the tears! 

Power of a Praying Mom

I had a the pleasure of hearing a fantastic speaker at a Spring Tea back in May. She was encouraging and real. When I say real, that means that she was not ashamed to share stories in her life that were tough but an opportunity to point back to Christ. It has encouraged me to be a prayerful mom! I have read the book Power of a Praying Wife and it brought up areas in my life and heart that I need to work on. I also need to work on being a mom. It is not easy being a wife and a mother all in the same day. I have my battles within myself and with others (mainly my son). Recently I have been on my knees in prayer for my son.
Here are a list of things that I am praying for him (me being real with the world)......

Praying for Kaden:
*Instill in him a LOVE for the Lord! May he seek God in a wonderful way at the young age of two.
*Come to Christ at a young age!!
*Serve the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and mind.
*Have a passion to serve others- his community, church, and the world.
*Love those that are in his life! 
*His current behaviors- he is in the terrible two's (he has been in this stage since he was 18 months old). He is throwing tantrums at the grocery store, church, restaurant, you name it we have experienced tantrums. Praying this ends soon.

The list will grow as he gets older and I know that it will. I am embracing this age because I can still carry him, kiss him, cuddle him, watch the world through his eyes. I love him and praying for him is my passion and joy.

Who will you be prayerful for? Begin today to pray for those around you! You may see prayer requests answered in a marvelous way that only God can. Join me in the power of prayer.