Feeding

I saw this video on a random blog and thought it was pretty clever.. I have to admit is it kinda hard to be strictly breastfeeding especially when you are out and about chasing kids most the day. Hard in the way of finding a convenient place to nurse rather than your hot car. Most of the time I end up in the dressing room of target or hidden in the furniture section of Kohl's where there are couches on display :) The grocery store peeps just have to deal with the crying baby since there is no recliner on isle 12. Get with the game store and put a bench or something by the bathrooms! anyhow.. yay for breastfeeding :)

So Sorry!!

I just have to apologize... I promised a tutorial on the dress below and haven't done it yet. I don't mean to give excuses but I have to. We just moved this weekend to some more affordable student housing, so for the past few weeks we have been packing, and now I am unpacking and we have no internet!! I AM DYING!! Not really we are okay, I just hate not having internet. I will put up a post in a week after we get some internet :) I wish I could send you a link but I really just made it up. so, I'm sorry but it will come. Life's just good and crazy for a bit.

projects and pics

The other day some girlfriends and I went to M & L. A glorious warehouse style fabric store that cares full designer lines which are so hard to find annnnndd LOADs of dirty cheap fabric. I am talking 1.95/yd dirt cheap. Yes, you have to rummage a bit it is worth it! Not to mention isle of specialty fabrics at half the price of regular fabric stores. Anyhow.. (if you are ever in Anaheim let me know, I'll give you directions!) 

After loading up on a fresh stock of fabrics.. mostly for a quilt I want to start making, but the rest was open for projects! 

The first project, Bryce needed an apron. Occasionally Addison like to help me make cookies or bread and we put on our aprons together and have a like party in the kitchen. Bryce has recently wanted in on the fun but poor little guy felt left out with out and apron.. so he got one! 

 The second project was a circle skirt, pattern from Dana-Made-It. Such a simple skirt.. and usually the first time I make clothing I don't love it and I make mistakes so this was the trial skirt. It turned out okay, and now I want to make another out of better fabric and change the dimensions a bit. BUT it was a simple fun project and Addison has another skirt that cost all of $2! 

I have a few more crafts I did a while back I want to post, but I am to lazy and my place is too dark for pictures for now. Alas another day...

 

(just messing around with photoshop!)

Shower me with Fluff!

Just a week or so ago I helped host a baby shower for my sweet friend Carly! She is having her first little boy in February! ..Before I go on, doesn't it seem like everyone is pregnant?! It is a little ridiculous actually, can can probably name like 15 of my friends that are pregnant. I can't speak though, being that I too and guilty.

But this baby shower was so fun! and turned out so beautifully! Mostly because it was held at sassy Susie's house which is amazingly beautiful as it is. The day was perfect, sunny and warm in the middle of January. (Sorry to the rest of the freezing cold world). The guests had fun, and the food was delicious so the party was a hit. I just have to post a few pictures of how cute it turned out!

 A few snapshoots of the food... it all tasted as good as it looks!! 

 On the menu... Quiche topped with avocado, salsa, olives and sour cream, Fruit w/Fluffy Fruit dip, Zucchini Bread, A berry bread, bakery fresh cup cakes, green salad with crasens and poppyseed dressing and gum balls!  To drink.. Lime Slushie or Lemon water!!

The recipes for the fruit dip, Slushie, and zucchini bread can be found the food blog I contribute too..

click HERE to find them!!

I love the food at showers!

 and most importantly.. the some of the guests and the mommie-to-be

 That's Carly! She looks so good for being due it just a few weeks! And Susie is in the middle below, thanks for letting us play at your home!! It was beautiful! (She is so crafty.. don't you love her baby banners and center pieces?)

today

Today was a jolly good day. Full of scrubbing, dusting, moving furniture and rearranging! Don't you know how some times you just get sick of your same ol' stuff and don't have the $ to go get something new. Well I have found that a little re-arranging makes it all feel new again. At least for a few more months. SOOO that's what I made Brandon help me with all day. And I am refreshed! Plus we had to make room for our Christmas decor coming out tomorrow!! So excited!!!!!!! Aren't you? for Christmas I mean! To top of the day, I finally showered at 4 in the afternoon then the family had a little night out on the town and saw....

Yes, Tangled. It was adorable. Tender. Clever. Made me tear a little. And so fun. Worth every penny.  All I can say is I wish I had glowing long locks. :)

Stay tuned in, tomorrow I am going to post about my "Cut the Cake" party to find out what gender I am having! 

my new ride

that's right, move over boys, mama's got a new ride on the rode

that's right. a mini-van.

you can stop drooling now.

don't be jealous. some day you might be privileged enough to drive one too.

(I hope you can see my sarcasm. but we do love our practical car with a great warranty :) bubye passat. 3 car seats just don't fit. we will miss you.)

A few other things..

I feel really bad about not up dating my "online journal' because a few fun things have happened in the last month! To be honest I can spend all of about 5 minutes on the computer before I start to get nauseated, therefore no blogging. 

 In other news in my life besides getting pregnant, I have started a new job as an ER RN. I have been there about 1.5 months and so far have really enjoyed myself. If you ever are in need a of crazy, wacky or gory story I already have loads! I have enjoyed the new type of nurse and still have a lot to learn but am adjusting well. I chose to transfer to ER as apposed to any other area because  ER has various shift times because the patients are constantly changing. I work a 'swing' shift (1pm to 1 am) so that I can be home more with the kids during the day when Brando has class. It is working out well so far but I also am starting to dream of the day when we can afford for me to stay home all day with the kids!  

But a quick note I do want to make.. A week ago today I was celebrating with my family about the return of my 2nd brother Andy home from his mission in Australia! Of course on my short trip home I had to forget my camera {but my sister has a post about it on her blog you can go see if you like}. When I was home it was so fun to just sit and chat with Andy about eating kangaroo tail, honey-ants, and the Aussie culture. So interesting. He does have a crocodile Dundee accent and calls us mate with out thinking twice! Fun how quickly things like that rub off on a person! He brought us opals and kangaroo sacks and all sorts of aboriginal paraphernalia. Not to mention the awesome stories of the humble members and converts. Andy has really matured into a man. He has such a great outlook on life, and the mission field really did him well. 

And last but not least a newspaper in Twin Falls, The Times News, published an Article about my sister and her struggle with Lupus as a teen. I think that they did a great job and loved how they included a lot about her faith! She posted in on her blog as well. GO PeEk HERE! 

ANNNDDD I just have to say that there have been some really great recipes posted on the food blog up at the right hand side of your screen.... YOU HAVE to try the Chocolate Muffins and LEMONADE!!!  SOO Delicious and super easy!!! Click HERE !!

AND AND AND .. last one I promise.. is any one as excited for fall as I am? I can't wait to bust out the pumpkins and hot cocoa!

72 Hour Kits

As I said before these earthquakes have me shakin in my boots. With family hundreds of miles away, I feel so responsible to be prepare for an emergency and be able to care for my family on my own. I am not going to wait for the government to bring me toilet paper. Sorry. I have much nice cleansing wipes in my kit! (As if I would really care in an emergency!)

 I have done a lot of research and the best resources are the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), The Red Cross, and The LDS Church website (see provident living). There is a lot of information and basically what I decided to do was to include a majority of including a few things that made it personal. When making your own really consider, can I live out of this bag for 72 hours? Prepackaged bags are probably nice, but are going to cost much more and will lack many things that you might feel are more important.

Okay... so here are some pictures of things that I included and I will tell you why as we go.

Lets Start with Hygiene:

I am making 3 bags. One for me, one for my husband and one for both of my kids ages 3.5 and 1.5. (Four would be impractical as they can't carry bags yet. Everyone has their own hygiene ziplock. It is also good to place things in water proof containers to avoid them becoming ruined in floods or rains.

For HIM: Toothbrush and paste, lotion, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, deodorant, tissues, eye drops, and soap. (The ace compress is for the first aid kits.) For space he can share my shampoo. Somethings I decided to have shared for $ and space others were either cheap enough, small, or important for each to have their own. 
Some of this stuff you might think. I really can do with out lotion or eye drops, but hygiene is health. Your body needs what it is accustom to such as brushing your teeth. Gums do get infected! Smoke or dust in your eyes can hurt. Do you see what I mean? Simple things maybe be very important. Just think what a big deal it is when you can't find your chap stick when your lips are peeling?!

For HER:  Much the same, lotion, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, Vaseline, shampoo and conditioner, hair ties, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, tissues, feminine pads and tampons.  Vasaline is good as a lubricant and protectant for many different things. Tampons and pads can be used for other things such as a bloody nose. (you never know!)

For KIDS: Include what is age appropriate for your children. Diapers (we use about 3 a day for our boy), baby shampoo, baby lotion, Vaseline, Q-tips, baby wipes, tissues, toothbrush and paste. Also picture insect repelant wipes and ace compress.

Everything Water Proofed and Packaged for each bag.! Most of these items I purchase from the travel isle at Target. Also shown is a change of clothing for every person including 2 changes of underwear.

Now for Equipment.

A: A Nifty tool with attributes of a Swiss army knife.. I don't know what it is called but it was only like 6 dollars!
B: Led Flash lights and batteries(not pictured)
C: Shovel that is collapsible.
D. 2 pocket knives
E. An Axe.

A: Large tarp
B: Rope
C: Self Charging Radio and Flashlight! (so cool) **radio is very important for communication
D: Compass
E: Waterproof matches and fire sticks
F: Whistles
G: Ponchos and Emergency Blankets
H. Bungie cords

When I went to buy these items I first hit up a few sporting goods stores and was disappointed by price and selection. Then I tried Walmart and found the jack pot! Good ol Wally world. Now I know that the quality of the knives and things are not 100% but I am only looking to need them for 72hrs essentially. We don't go camping every other weekend with them so for this the will be just fine.

Whistles are important for sound, tarp and bungie cords for shelter, and most of the other stuff I am sure you can reason. A few things that are not shown above but are important is walkie-talkies one in each bag and flares.

Next is Fuel. 

I am not an expert but I heard that a very awesome product is Sterno. This is commonly used under fondue pots. Sterno is great because it will still ignite even if it was sitting in water for an hour. It is naturally water repellent. It is cheap and light and easy to pack. I bought 2 for each bag. It maybe our only source of heat! As shown previously we have matches. I also purchased a few lighters not shown.

Now Food:

This is a ready meal for 2 that all you have to do is add hot water. I bought a few of these along with power bars. If you have access to an army surplus store or want to search online, they have awesome meals that cook themselves with out need for heat or water added! I don't have any yet but these will work for now.

Remember to buy things that your kids will eat. Kids are the first to die in famines from pure disinterest in the food.You have all seen those children on the discovery channel with the little bloated bellies from starving. In my clinical nutrition class my instructor explained out children will starve not because of lack of food, but they just disinterested. Add some hard candy something to flavor it up for the kids.

(Apart of my first aid kit is vitamins and supplements.)

Next is Water:

All back packs have bottled water but also I have ordered some awesome water bottles. This is the thing that I am most Stoked about!! These water bottles fitler not only dirt and particles from the water but also viruses, and bacteria, including things like Giardia!  Or so I am told. I haven't recieved mine yet to read all the details but they have a new filtration system that is supposed to work incredibly. The Church sent a bunch over to Haiti and now supply missionaries with them.

You can order them off of www.ldscatalog.com just search water bottle and it will come up.

And now for the backpacks.

Again these were a cheap deal at Wally World. Lots of little pockets for ponchos and whistles. Brandon's pack as most of the heavier equipment in it. Mine will have the first aid kit and most the food. I am trying to keep it spread between them in case one gets lost or ruined we would be okay with just one.  Consider where you store them. Easily accessible on your escape route. Ours is in the kids room. First grab the kids, second the packs then run! Cars are a good option too. 


***Another Tip is to put a list of what is included in each bag in an outside pocket and updated it as you go. This helps so that you don't have to dig everything thing out just to remember what you put in there a year ago! 

I am going to have to do a separate post on the first aid kit! I don't have pics and am sick of staring at the computer for now!! Hope this helps and motivates you! I can't rely on anyone else for my children's well being and that is what makes me get to work!

Working on it

I am working on a few catch up posts for this blog but in while waiting you can meander over to my other blogs~ a few new posts  for your fancies, and of course my ego loves comments, don't be afraid to stroke it. 

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Ridiculous Video

My aunt sent me the link to this U-Tuber. Pretty amusing and a bit jaunty, but I'll admit, I can relate! Brandon has an addiction to the vampire ways.

 
 (Of course it was filmed in Utah... St. George.   And okay, maybe it is me who has the problem. Don't judge) 

Trying to be like Jesus

a little too hard

moderation Aubrey, moderation in all things.

{if your hubby ever loads the dishwasher remind him to load the knives pointing downward :)}

The Great Debate...

...In my head.

Okay here's the scoop.

In February Brandon has Reading week (A week off to study for finals) then Finals Week (only one test per day) then Spring Break (We aren't planning anything special.).    Therefore there are 3 weeks that he is going to be around and I can work with out having to worry about babysitters. So I am going to pick up alot of extra shifts while I can.

Now for the debate. The extra money is going to in general help us out with $Rent$ and basic living as we are poor college students. But I figure that since I am working so much for the family to avoid debt, instead of playing with Brandon at the beach (which I would sooo much rather do) I am going to keep the pay of one day for myself and get a little treat!!  BUT WHAT TO GET!!??!?!

Option A: 

Yes, a piano! I miss playing the piano SO much! My entire life has been filled with so much music but since I haven't been living at home, and don't have a key board I have been lacking something. Music. And I can tell that after 5 years of not playing regularly my ivory ticklers are getting a little rusty! I would get an Upright, something used off of CraigsList.

I am kinda picky about piano vs. Keyboard. I think keyboards are great, but they just aren't they same touch as a piano. I think I would rather have a used old upright than a keyboard? My Sis will argue this :)

Option B:

 Not just any bike, A ROAD bike. 2 years ago I had no idea what the difference was! But there is a difference! We have mountain bikes which are fun, but a good road work out that is fast and comfortable really needs to happen on the Road Bike. I am loving the Triathlon thing. And want to be more competitive. To do so, would require a bike. 

Okay now for a summary of pros and cons 

 Piano: 

PROs:

A life long love

A talent I already possess and can improve

Will benefit the family (FHE, Addi Piano Lesson)

Can practice Hymn for church

Also a nice piece of furniture!

CONs:

Very Large and Hard to move.

My Apt. complex neighbors will probably dissaprove (MAJOR CON)

Expensive Upkeep

Bike:

PROs:

A Physical Outlet for me

Small easy to store, move

Won't disturb anyone

Easy excersize that will keep my joints happy till I'm 80

A new fancy!

Can compete in Triathlons!

CONs:

I dont know much about them

Every road here is a Major road, a little dangerous to bike. (MAJOR CON)

Only benefits me not the family. (unless you count my good physical and mental health from the exercise!)

cast your vote help me see the light..

PLUGSS>>

are these just dainty?!?!...click on the name to see more!

Kids Christmas Gifts I Spy ::       

Awesomely adorble head bands::

Festive Ties, skirts and Bags::

Sassy Nursing Covers::

 

Need a Photographer?! She awesome:: 

Beautiful Baby Bands!::

ALL home Made with LOVE by some fun friends i love

does any one else love this show as much as i do?!

So whats the deal peeps? everytime I mention to some that I love this show they are like.. oh.. hmm haven't watched it yet ... well you are all missin out because it is hilarious!

the are a few of the classic moments on ABC's modern family. the Dad is my fave.

these are only from one of the first episodes, and the show gets better as it grows.