Inexpensive Baby Bow Holder

I've been looking for a good storage solution to store all of my daughter's headband bows.  I went to Hobby Lobby and didn't find what I was looking for. After feeding the ducks yesterday, I came home and looked at my oatmeal container. That would be perfect! I went to Target today, grabbed some wrapping paper that was on sale for $.50 and four paper bows for $.50, then came home and made a beautiful and inexpensive baby bow holder that cost less than $.50 total since I have more than half of the wrapping paper left as well as 3 more bows to use. As I eat more oatmeal, I'll use the containers and make more. I can probably make 3-4 of these with the $1 supplies I bought today. Since my family will eat the oatmeal, I'm not including that in my cost. For an infant the smaller oatmeal containers work best. When she's a toddler you could make one using the larger containers. This is a great way to up-cycle something you were going to throw away anyway.

How to make a cute bow holder

Supplies

- Empty Oatmeal Container
- Wrapping Paper or construction paper
- Paper Bow, optional
- Tape

Directions

Wipe out the oatmeal container with a damp paper towel. Then cut some wrapping and tape it to the oatmeal container. Tape a pretty paper bow on top. Add your headband bows and you're done. Cheap, simple, fast, and practical! I made this in less than 5 minutes while my baby lay next to me on the floor.

How to make cloth diaper wipes and solution

We didn't start using cloth diapers on Blue Rock until he was around 10 months old. Here are some of my posts from my first experience in cloth diapering and how I potty trained my almost 2.5 year old son. We started cloth diapering Princess when she was about a week old. In fact, we even bought newborn cloth diapers. I bought GroVia Newborn All In Ones and they worked great for her. I wish we had had more except that she quickly grew out of the newborn diapers. We were able to use them about 6 weeks. I pulled out my stash from when we started cloth diapering Blue Rock and have since ordered more.

One thing that I'm doing differently is I'm using cloth wipes. I started with several packages of baby wash cloths. Then the other day I had an idea to cut up one of my husband's old t-shirts. The t-shirt works just as good or better than the wash cloths. I also made a diaper wipe solution. 

Cloth Diaper Solution

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1 drop of lavender or tea tree essential oil

- 2 Tbs of witch hazel

- store in a squirt bottle

Cloth wipes go hand-in-hand with cloth diapers. I love it! You simply spray the wipe and use as you would a disposable wipe.

We don't cloth diaper full time, yet. I don't have enough smaller diapers. Although I just ordered some more. Right now we use cloth diapers at home and disposables at night and when we are away from the house. Once my new diapers arrive, I hope to use cloth diapers almost exclusively. Both of my kids have sensitive skin and I just love the feel of cloth and I think it's better for their little bottoms. Also it's very easy to do, better for the environment, and saves money. In a few weeks I hope to post about some of my favorite cloth diapers for newborns.

Cloth wipes made from a t-shirt

How to Build an Ice Snowman

"Do you want to build a snowman?" Yes, we saw the movie, Frozen, and decided to build our own snowman. Anything that has to do with balloons, Blue Rock loves! Make it a water balloon and he has a hard time sleeping at night, seriously. He was so excited about making this. This was super easy to do. Here's what you need.

How to Make an Ice Snowman

- 3 balloons, filled with water

- magic dust (salt)

We made three water balloons, one a little larger than the others for the base. Then we froze them overnight. The next day we cut the balloons off of the ice balls, I brought out some magic dust (I didn't want Blue Rock eating the salt, which is why I called it this), and put some on the tray to stick the first ball of ice. Then put salt on top of that one, and add another ice ball, and repeat. This was a fun and easy project. Then we put the little ice snowman outside and watched as he melted away over several hours.

Our snowman enjoying the sun...

Week 19: My Father's World K - Unit 15: Elephant

We just finished Unit 15: Elephant of My Father's World Kindergarten. Since Blue Rock started attending a preschool two days a week, it is now taking us about two weeks to get through one unit.

Verse: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NIV

Theme: I will remember what God has done for me.

In Unit 15, we talked about elephants and how God made them big and strong. I was hoping to take the kids to the zoo but I wasn't sure if Gracie was up for it. Hopefully we'll go soon.

A lot has happened these past few weeks, I became an aunt! My sweet niece was born 3 months early and is in the NICU at the Children's Hospital. She's a fighter and just precious. Please keep her in your prayers.

We've spent as much time as we could outside when the weather is nice. Over Spring Break, I took Blue Rock and Princess to see a children's opera. This year we saw The Ugly Duckling. My dad came with us which was really neat. Princess slept through most of it. Blue Rock loved it. He also went to tennis camp two days and has been having soccer practice and games each week. Blue Rock has also been collecting seeds and planting them in various pots in our backyard. He loves collecting bugs and bringing them inside to show me. I always remind him to not bring them inside as I sometimes scream like a little girl. He's ALL boy!

Blue Rock loves art. He loves to paint and draw pictures. I'm trying to incorporate things he's interested into our schooling. Monday we did a shaving cream color experiment. He loved it. Yesterday we made an ice snowman. I'll post a link soon.

One day we read a book about making igloos and decided to make igloos out of marsh mellows for our snack. Blue Rock even made me a silly face with blueberries and a tomato one day. I love his creativity. There is never a dull moment.

Building a marsh mellow igloo

A snack he made for me

Soccer practice

Tennis camp

He's a pretty fast runner

He was doing great hitting the tennis ball over the net

At one of his friend's birthday party

One morning he made three primary colors in glasses and a bottle using his paints

He also made a huge mess!

Sadly he lost the paint for a while.

At the playground at the hospital when we visited his cousin

Doing some school work

He made an obstacle course in our living room

Kissing little sister

Ready for our color experiment

He liked all the bags of colors

Reading the words

Making a story book

Shaving Cream Color Experiment

My son loves art and making colors. I decided to let him have some fun with food colors and shaving cream. I had four food colors: blue, yellow, red, and green. I put shaving cream in 7 sandwich bags. I made a list of the color combinations he was to make.  The 7th was mixing all of the colors. Just add extra red since blue and yellow make green and you're adding green. Or just use blue, red, and yellow for the 7th bag.

This was a fun and cheap experiment. I basically monitored him and helped remind him not to put too much food coloring in the bags and try and put equal amounts. He had fun mixing the colors. Just open the bag, have your child drop a few drops of food coloring on the shaving cream. Let out most of the air, seal the bag, and mix.

Princess is 2 months!

Dear Princess,

Today you are two months old! For this blog we're referring you to you as Princess. As you are a daughter of the one true King, God!

We are loving having you in our lives. You and Blue Rock are truly gifts from God. You are growing very well and thriving, as your doctor said at your appointment today. Of course we already knew that. This past month you have started smiling even more. You are such a cute and wonderful baby!  You have slept wonderfully at night since you were born. You sleep 5 to 7 hours at a time and I usually just get up once sometimes twice to feed you. You continue to have a happy and easy going personality. You are also holding your head up very well.

You love watching your brother and he loves talking to you! You also love to be held and cuddled. You like getting a bath, which is a pleasant surprise. Blue Rock still really doesn't like getting baths! When I put a bow on your head you usually smile really big!

Here are your stats:

12 lbs, 1 oz, 75% - weight
23 in, 75% - length
37.5 cm, 30% - head

You feed on demand, about every 2-3 hours during the day. You sleep when you're tired, I look for signs and rock you to sleep. It seems like you still sleep quite a bit but are awake more and more every day. I try and wear you and hold you as much as I can during the day as you are still a newborn and keeping you close keeps us both the happiest. I love hearing you coo and make sweet sounds. I'm having trouble getting you to take naps in your crib. Sometimes it's because your brother comes in and wakes you up. We're working on that. You take good naps in your swing, my arms, in a carrier, or while driving. You still sleep in our room at night and will continue for at least another month, maybe longer. I love having you nearby!

We have decided to delay and skip certain vaccinations. We have been doing extensive research. There is too much controversy and risks over vaccinations and your brother experienced several side effects. Since I have a certain mutation that makes vaccinating very risky, there is a chance you and your brother both have it. Therefore, it's better to wait until you are a little older before you get any shots. Most likely we'll wait until you are six months or older. We want to keep you as healthy as we can. Thankfully your doctor is supportive of this. I was afraid she might not be. You are exclusively breastfed and God made breastmilk the best immunity for babies.

Several weeks ago I thought you might have an allergy to something I was eating. You would cry off and on during the day and sometimes an hour or more at night. We went back to the basics and started swaddling you. That helped a lot! Then we'll sit or stand and rock you. This usually calms you right down. I also try and not let you get too tired. If you get overly tired you end up crying. Thankfully it doesn't look like you have an allergy afterall and are back to being your easy going and happy self.

Here are some sweet pictures of you today. We love you, Princess!

Love,
Mom

Week 18: My Father's World K - Unit 14: Horse

I'm finding less and less time to blog. But I just dropped Blue Rock off at his new preschool, an hour late, and am home doing some laundry while Princess is sleeping and thought I'd do a quick update. Our main lesson ended up being about stealing which ironically worked well with our theme.

We're not going through My Father's World Kindergarten as fast as we were last Fall because two days a week Blue Rock is going to a preschool and does plenty of work there but mostly has fun with the other kids. On the days he's home, he still does plenty of art work and creative things, even if we don't get to our actual school work. At this age you really don't need a curriculum as life should mostly be about play. I also am finding I don't end up taking as many pictures as my hands are literally almost always full. Usually holding a sweet baby. We also have been blessed with having more visitors than usual. We love having friends and family visit and put some of our work aside when company comes over.

We finished Unit 14: Horse, in My Father's World Kindergarten, last week. It was a great unit and we're really enjoying it. I really liked the obedience lessons with it. We've been really working on listening and obeying right away. Even though he's going through a kindergarten curriculum this year, he's still going to be in kindergarten starting this Fall, since he actually won't be 5 until this summer. I've been researching as I find time, on the right curriculum for him. There are so many great options to choose from.

Theme: I obey right away.

Verse: Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Colossians 3:20 NIV

We talked about how a well-trained horse obeys right away and how it's important for children to obey right away too. We also had a lesson on stealing. We went to Wal-Mart, not a fan of that store but it was on our way home, and when we were almost to our house, Blue Rock told me he had lip balm from Wal-Mart. We didn't purchase any lip balm so I asked him to hand it to me and told him that he should not have taken it because we didn't pay for it and that is called stealing, which is wrong. He said, "well, we can go back and pay for it." I told him that we were not going to do that but that we would go back and he could give it to the manager and apologize for taking it. I told him people who steal sometimes go to jail which is a scary place with a bunch of bad people and he's not a bad person. Also sometimes they have to pay a lot of money. I thanked him for telling me about what he did so that we could make it right. This store is about 20 minutes from my house. The baby was crying, I needed to feed her. So we weren't able to turn around right then and return it. Rather we waited two days when we were back over there and went then.

The employee was great. I prepped her about what happened before we went in. Blue Rock apologized and said he was sorry and handed the lip balm to her. It breaks my heart that he would take something that didn't belong to him but made me happy to see him make it right. I'd rather him learn this lesson early on than later on.

Here are some pictures of the past few weeks. When the weather is nice, we spend a lot of time outside. We've taken a few field trips. We went to a little farm where he pet a goose. We also went to the museum. He also just finished basketball season and has started soccer season. We stay plenty busy. I've included a few pictures of our baby smiling. I love her smile. Her and Blue Rock both have cute smiles.