Goodbye Smartphone... for now!

So, the one time I actually gave in and let my daughter have my phone, she ruined it!!!!!! It was slobber nation all in that phone and I did get it to come back on but the screen kept going out and now its done! I had the line switched over to a phone I was using 5 years ago. A samsung flip phone! 

It's so weird not to use a QWERTY keypad but there is some good in this. We are saving a little over $40 a month since this phone doesn't need the crazy data plan. No more internet, but that is what the computer is for! What I'll end up doing is getting a smart phone that doesn't require the data plan. Cell phone plans shouldn't be so expensive and maybe you should consider the "downgrade" too!

Quick Wall Art

 I tried my hand at some fabric wall art! I am pretty happy with how it turned out and will be doing more around the house.

What I used:

-fabric

-hot glue gun

-cardboard flaps from box

-straw string? (I found it on a bag of poparey I had)

-iron/ironing board

-pen for tracing

-ruler

This was a pretty easy project except my baby kept trying to get the wires!! I'd save this for when the babies/kids are sleeping if you are a mom. 

STEP 1-  Iron your fabric! I didn't do such a good job so you can see some crinkles and I'm sure you don't want that. 

STEP 2- Take your piece of cardboard and measure an inch around it (this is for folding) and trace it so that it is an inch bigger than you piece of cardboard. 

Step 3- Hot glue the first side you want to work with and fold it onto the cardboard. I used a pen cap to smooth it out so I didn't burn my finger.

Step 4- Clip the corners diagonally so that they lay down flat when folding. 

Step 5- (not pictured) I took my string and hot glued it to the back. I determined which side I wanted to be up. Make sure you let it sit 15mins before hanging so the glue hardens. 

I'll get better as I go! This was also my first tutorial. Try it out! It's fun and I have everything in the house and added from flavor to the wall!

I'm going to do my daughters room next and try some fabric wall paper using cornstarch. Keep a look out for that next!

Is Your Family Prepared For a Disaster?

First off I want to show off my 8 month old. Yesterday she turned 8 months old and I cannot believe how big she has gotten!! (Why couldn't pregnancy go by this fast!?!?) She is crawling like a maniac and is addicted to pulling herself up on anything she can (including mommy). Hopefully she will be learning to cruise soon!

With the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and living in Southern California, I think now might finally be a good time to use this as a reminder that we too are vulnerable to mother nature and we need to be prepared. So I will post about how to be prepared and every mom especially with a baby should be prepared.

When it comes to being prepared for a natural disaster, I am sure some may think its a lot of work, but when it happens to you, you will have wished you were more prepared. You don't have to go all out with underground cellars and generators galore, but you can stick with the basics that will help you out tremendously in case of an emergency.

You should at least have these things: (and keep it together/know where they are!)

-flashlight (make sure the batteries are fresh)

-candles (with lighter/matches)

-bottles of filtered water

-keep your important papers in a safe but easily accessible place in case you need to grab them quickly

This website suggests a Go Bag with items necessary for being prepared. It also gives information on what to do in any disaster situation. At least read through because knowledge is power. Stay informed!

Another extremely helpful website is FEMA. They have articles that help you plan and prepare, recover and rebuild, apply for assistance, and you can look at disasters and maps. Make sure to "Like" FEMA on Facebook to get preparedness and disaster related info directly from FEMA. And if you didn't know, FEMA stands for "Federal Emergency Management Agency".

You've got time right now, go look now and get ready!! Southern California has a 94% probability of a 7.0 magnitude or greater earthquake in the next 30yrs. I will post back with my safety kit and what I've done to prepare.

COMING UP: Hubby's birthday (on St. Patrick's Day!), losing 10lbs, & I haven't forgotten about the stars!!! 

It's Been A Rough Week!!

Quick Recap - the baby got sick, runny stuffy nose and we moved at night with no lights and a crying baby!

We are finally in our new home! I still have some unpacking to do in the kitchen and bathroom but the bathroom has to wait because we need more shelves! (no place to put anything at the moment) The baby has been a fussy one and it's been a veerrrryyyy long week. With her not being able to breath out of her nose from time to time and being in a new environment, I am sure this is all very overwhelming to her.

We were supposed to move on the 1st but my husband worked all day so he took off the next day. I had already had the gas and electric switched over so after we did our errand we had, we came home to no power! We had to pack and move in the dark with a few candles but we managed to do it!

Home Sweet Home

I want to share some products that have helped me with the baby being sick. The first product is called Nosefrida. Instead of using the nasal aspirator (bulb) to suck out the boogers/snot you use your mouth/breath to suck it out for the baby. I know it sounds gross but it really works and makes a lot of sense! With the bulb, you only have so much suction to pull boogers out. Depending how much breath you have, you can suck a lot out in one breath! It's a bit pricey but totally worth it. It's for small noses and since they say babies/kids get sick 4-5 times a year, it will come in handy I am sure. You can order it at Amazon or if you need it right now, check out your local Whole Foods which is where I got mine for $15.99. I also got the extra filters because it says you should change it every time you use it.

Another product I want to share is Boogie Wipes! They are wipes that have saline on them so I find that they easily grab the snot/boogers better than a regular wipe and not as harsh as a tissue. They have two scents, grape and fresh scent. I recommend fresh scent because the grape is a bit overwhelming and I regret getting that one. You can get these at Target for $3.99.

COMING UP: My attempt at decorating this house, getting back into shape with some other moms, and hubbys birthday! (st. patricks day)

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!! :-)