Deck the Halls

 Today I'm an Interior Designer (see I'm a Mom)

I love Christmas and right after Thanksgiving I want my home to feel and look like Christmas regardless of where we'll be spending the holiday. I have discovered many cheap and fun ways to Deck the Halls in the past 2 years and I want to share the fun.

Our 1st Christmas my husband and I had about a shoe box full of Christmas decorations between us. We spent our money on travelling and presents. Our decorations consisted of paper snowflakes mostly. The snowflakes inspired Frosty the Snowman. My husband had a few projects at school that he had made posters for and since the projects where over he no longer needed the posters so we cut out a snowmen and taped the writing side facing the wall. Then my husband used his artist skills and Frosty is 3 years old and looking good.




Of course having a Nativity is a must, after all that is what Christmas is all about. My mother in law loves making homemade cards and she shares her supplies with us at most family gatherings. She had a lot of old Christmas cards and the idea was to up-cycle them create a new card from the old. So I took parts of Nativities from different cards and I had a pretty cool Nativity. I still put it up on my wall because I love it.


Now for the new additions this year:

As I mentioned earlier Snowflakes were a big part of our 1st Christmas. I fell in love with the simplicity and beauty of snowflake decorations that year. I will always include snowflakes in my Christmas decor, plus they have that added sentimental value now. I got the idea for the snowflake wreath from Pinterest this year. This one was also free. I used card stock that I already had and then made more snowflakes. 





Thanks to my Mother-in-law I have made some pretty cool Christmas Cards, my problem is I like them so much I don't want to write in them so a few of my favorites have become apart of the Christmas decor along with the cards we receive from others. My parents displayed Christmas cards on the fireplace. No fire place, so my thought was to get some twine and string them along the wall. We don't have any twine, but I found some red ribbon. I don't have a cute way to attach the cards to the ribbon but paper clips do the job for now.



This Merry Christmas sign credit goes again to my Mother-in-law. She has a vinyl lettering business, Wilcox Writes, and is always finding fun ways to use vinyl. This Thanksgiving she brought up everything we needed to create our own. She cut up blocks of wood in the sizes you see and printed out the sayings in vinyl then I got to modge podge scrapbook paper on to the wood and apply the vinyl. Another great thing about this is that it is 2 sided so I have decor for Thanksgiving on the other side.You can use almost any season or phrase you want 





I took all the pictures out of this frame and replaced them with Scrapbook paper. I found the Winter Wonderland at a dollar store along with the snowflakes.




I spent a few hours shopping around a few dollar stores and then Hobby Lobby to make my 2 wreaths, both ideas from pinterest, and very simple. Socks, ornaments, a glue gun, and 2 wreath forms. 

 The End.

Let it Snow

I have been looking forward to the 1st real snow for almost a month now, and at last it came. As I have not been checking weather reports it came as quit a surprise. Confession: I hardly ever remember to look up the weather, and to honest I don't mind not knowing, like this morning I woke up thinking it would be any other day and then my husband opened the door to leave and BAM snow every where, and its still snowing!

There is something so magical about freshly fallen snow. I grew up in sunny southern California and while I loved it  I want you all to know that southern CA is missing out on the wonder and beauty of the 4 different season. I was 20 before I even knew what I'd been missing. I could probably write an entire blog about the wonder of each individual season all by itself. The beautiful colors of fall are more then pictures and center pieces, spring is an entertaining game of summer playing peek a boo with winter, and then theirs the winter wonderland, and of course that perfect summer day. But today is all about the magic of the 1st snow.

As I sat at my window watching the snow fall today I was asking myself why does the world seem so magical when its blanketed in white. There's the obvious: excuse to drink hot chocolate and apple cider, snowball fights, sledding, and all the things you can only do in the snow. Plus snow also has ties to Christmas and the holiday spirit. And then I thought back to all the memories I have in the snow. The one that sticks out above the rest is last years 1st snow fall. I gave birth to my daughter during that storm. Yet another reason that the 1st snow is most definitely magical.

I often see on Facebook or hear in conversation complaints about the weather no matter what season it is. Rain, snow, heat, cold, I'm sure you have complained about all of these at one point or another, I know I have. However lately my 1st thoughts when I see such a post or comment are along the lines of why can't we just enjoy what we have. All four seasons have there ups and downs but they only last so long so remember to take a moment to enjoy them while they last. Its turning into winter and while I miss the vibrant colors and the comfortable temperature of fall, I'm so excited for winter and the snow storms that come with.

Yes driving is more of a pain but the snow will be gone  in a few months so don't forget to throw some snowballs, make crazy snowmen, wear the nice coat you have in the closest that makes you feel like your in a movie, and of course go sledding and or hit the slopes with skies or snowboards if you get the chance, because so many people don't even know what they are missing.  

So next time before you say any of the complaints that may be on the tip of your tongue in regards to the weather, just stop. We have all heard every version of what you are about to say.

Winter only comes once a year and it will be gone in a few months so I want to know what you love about the snow and the winter season. (If you have taken the time to read my thoughts I'd like to hear yours so please leave a comment .)

"...that there shall not be room enough to receive it"

Yesterday when I got home from church these 3 bags were just hanging out at my front door.

No explanation or note, but a full wardrobe of clothes just the right sizes for my growing little girl. So we brought them into the house and this morning I sorted through them. "Full wardrobe" was no exaggeration dresses, pants, shirts, shoes, tights, and jackets. The first thing that comes to mind is

Malachi 3:10  
"... if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Yes literally we do not have "room enough." I keep her clothes in here.

 As you can see this new wardrobe is not going to fit. Its time to make more room for my little girls clothes she is not a newborn anymore.

Today I am reminded that I will never be able pay back Heavenly Father for all that he has done for me because he just keeps giving. Which leads me to my second thought. I am going to quote Jeffrey R Holland because he says it better then I ever could.

"I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind." The Ministry of Angels (Jeffrey R Holland, Oct. 2008)

Yes I believe in angels, and if the angel that did this is reading my blog, I say Thank You. The only thing left to do now is to live my life so that I can be be an instrument in the hand of God and help his children whenever I can. That is a tall order, but I'm up to the challenge, and thanks to Jesus Christ I don't have to be perfect...yet.

Continuum Mechanics

"Avery do you remember Continuum Mechanics?"

I was in the other room when I heard my husband ask my baby girl this question. My husband can be very silly and my first thought was, ha ha your so funny. Then I had a second thought. Maybe once Avery did understand Continuum Mechanics or not, but she did know many things that she can't remember now, as do us all. I believe that we lived before we came to earth as a spirit without a body then we chose to come to this earth to learn and grow and gain a body to become more like our Heavenly Father.

That simple question lead me to reflect on what might have I known before coming to earth, or my daughter what did she study before she came here, I don't know. I love being a part of her discoveries. She has learned so much in the year she has been here. She can walk and crawl and get into tight spots, she knows when I am eating food and she knows she wants some too. She knows what a book is and I often find her studying the pages. She often goes straight to my husbands text books when he gets them out to study, she studies them as a one year old does looking intently at the pages and turning them often babbling to herself. While I don't know whats in her mind I can tell she is happy and curious and excited to discover something new. It was such a sort time ago she was in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

The world has a way of distorting truths and confusing even the strongest minds. But when I look at my baby girl and I watch her play and discover I realize life is simple. We are not unlike children curious and excited to find and figure out new things.

The Plan

Recently my husband and I decided to live on his graduate student income and have me stay at home with our little girl. The goal was that I would become a stay at home mom eventually. Originally this wasn't going to happen until my husband finished school but I've learned that life doesn't often go as planned. I like to have a plan but when things don't go to plan then I just make a new one. No more stressing over babysitting every new semester. So new plan ...

I miss college, I'm one of those people who loved school. I've been out of school for sometime now. I have found that it is a lot harder to learn on my own with out tests and due dates and  textbooks and syllables. I believe education is so very important. Although I don't have the opportunity to be pursuing more formal education at this point we have the internet people, more information at our finger tips then we could hope to understand so I'm going to use it. I'm making up my own course to becoming a home taught chef.

Recently I discovered the show MASTER CHEF with Gordon Ramsey. If you haven't ever watched it I recommend it. Home taught chefs (with no formal training) compete for 1/4 million dollars, writing there own cook book, and the master chef title. Watching the show I know there is no way I would be considered any kind of chef. But maybe someday I could be good enough to compete on the show not that I really would but the goal is to get that good. The other night I made home made pasta, before I watched this show I didn't even know people did that. The pasta turned out well, although I also made my own Alfredo sauce and I didn't time the cheese right so it took away from the meal a little bit.  

My 10 month old is letting me know I haven't given her enough attention today. So off I go, it's time to play. Which really means I get to learn how to be a teacher because as a mom I've been given the responsibility and privilege to teach and  help her discover and learn all about life. 

...that's about all my new plan consists of so far

Breastfeeding: You Don't Need an Electric Pump

Recently I read an article or a blog I don't remember which, with tips for breastfeeding. While having breastfed my baby girl I would agree with most the tips however one thing bothered me. The number 1 on a list of 10 was that an electric pump was a necessity for success. I felt that everywhere I looked when I was pregnant and starting out as a new mom said I needed an electric pump. That is why I decided to right this blog so that one place even though its not well read can say you don't need one.

When I talked to my doctor about my plans to work and breastfeed she told me I would need a good electric pump and recommend one, it turns out that pump cost over $300 dollars. A couple women at work were breastfeeding and they all had that pump my doctor had told me to get reaffirming its necessity. After I had my baby girl and breastfeeding was a success I decided to start out with a $40 hand pump and when it became necessary my husband and I would bite the bullet and find a way to get the electric pump.

It never became necessary. Maybe pumping at work would have been easier I don't know maybe if I'd ever used an electric pump I too would say its essential to successful breastfeeding. I breastfed my baby girl for 8 months, using a hand pump at work on my breaks, and as far as I could tell it didn't take me any longer to pump then it took the ladies with the electric pump. Pumping at work is never fun it takes up your breaks and I would much rather spend the time with my baby girl then in a small closet by myself, but I believe that would be a complaint from every working mom regardless of electric pump or no. After 8 months my husband and I decided to switch to formula. She had made the transition to solid foods well and didn't need much milk anymore, plus to be honest I had not lost my baby weight yet and I heard sometimes you don't start losing weight until you stop breastfeeding. (Side note it did help but I'm still not down to pre-baby weight but that's OK I am healthy and am working on it at my own pace.) .


Moral of the story if you don't find an affordable way to get an electric pump then a hand pump works just find, take it from a full time working mom who breastfed her baby for 8 months using a $40 hand pump.