Mommy Project – menu planner

I feel like I am the most unorganized person out there. Which is incredibly frustrating, because I really do try to be organized. I never used to be this way. I had the greatest memory and I never ever forgot things. Ever since I became a mom, I feel like I am so scatter brained. I am constantly losing things, like my cell phone. Which is probably still somewhere on the 22 freeway, because I left it on the roof of my car one day back in December. I am also constantly forgetting things, like Aaliyah’s doctor appointment last Thursday to get her second flu shot. The worst part is – I didn’t even know that I had forgotten until my mom asked me how her appointment went the next day. If it wasn’t for her mentioning it, I probably still wouldn’t know that I had forgotten about it. But you get the picture.

My newest Mommy Project is intended to help me bring a little more organization to my messy life. I created a Dinnertime Menu Chart for my kitchen. I figured it would be a huge asset for my personal organization. At the end of each week, I will use my board to create a meal menu for the following week. Then I will go through all of the ingredients I will need to complete each of my planned dinners. Once I know everything I will be needing, I can go through my cupboards and refrigerator to see what I have and what I need. At which time, I can create a shopping list for my trip to the store that weekend. Then on Monday I will do all of my mixing and chopping and what not to prepare for the upcoming week. Sounds good in theory, right? We’ll see. If anyone can mess this up, I probably could.

Meal Planning Chart

I created a cute little board out of a picture frame that I write on with a dry eraser marker. And it is really easy to do.

Materials Needed:
11 x 14″ Picture Frame
Glue
Markers
Card stock paper
Scissors
Dry Erase Marker

This is an easy project. One that allows you to get really creative. So have fun with it! I really did.

On the left side of your paper you’ll want to create 7 separate blank rectangles. Each one should be labeled for one day of the week. I recommend starting with the day of the week that you typically do all of your meal prepping. For me, it’s always Monday.

Then on the right side, you’ll want to make one long blank rectangle that will be labeled Ingredients and one small square labeled Grocery List.

Now it’s time to come up with a fun title for your board. And put that at the top. I chose Mom’s Cafe.

Once you have finished creating your meal planning page, put it inside your picture frame and close it. And you are finished.

Now it’s time to find a place in your kitchen to hang it up! Hopefully you’re feeling inspired like I am and are ready to start planning your family’s meals. Hopefully this will help us all get more organized when it’s Dinnertime.

Enjoy!

10 Things I loved about being pregnant

Tonight I was looking through all of our pictures on the computer. It’s one of my favorite things to do. When I came across my pregnancy photos, it got me thinking about how much I loved being pregnant. It was such an amazing experience.

These are my 10 Favorite Things about being pregnant

1. The prenatal vitamins strengthened my hair and nails. Everyday was a good hair day!

2. Feeling my baby girl moving around inside of my belly.

3. The sight of my belly brought a smile to people’s face.

4. Even total strangers were excited for me and would congratulate me.

5. Being able to wear pants with an elastic waistband. The holidays were great!

6. The random cravings out of nowhere.

7. Watching my husband’s eating habits and moods change along with mine.

8. Always having someone to talk to and sing to. I was never alone.

9. No matter how small a task, people were always impressed that I had completed it.

10. Not having to use harsh cleaning products.

What are some of your favorite things about being pregnant?

Baby Shower Keepsake Quilt

I might be the only one in the world who dreads going to Baby Showers. Bridal showers too. They’re just so awkward. Especially when you don’t really know anyone at the event. You are forced to sit around and play weird games like guessing what type of candy was melted into a diaper or insulting the mother to be by guessing just how huge her belly has gotten. Women without children are forced to participate in conversations about motherhood, even though they know absolutely nothing about it. All while trying not to cross their legs or say the word Baby It’s awful. Or at least I think so.

So last May, when it came time for my Baby Shower, I was dreading it even more than usual. Not only would I have to endure an entire shower once again, but this time I would be the one on display. Not something I really wanted, especially since I was 25 pounds heavier with cankles and Fred Flinstone feet. Not a pretty site.

My best friend and I had compromised on the games. Only a few noninvasive low key games. Nothing too obnoxious. But as a result, we had trouble deciding how to keep everyone occupied for an extended period of time without boring them all.

That’s when I decided that I wanted some sort of keepsake for my baby girl from my shower. Since I am a sewer, I decided that it would be fun to make a Baby Shower Quilt for my daughter. So my mother, grandmother, and I went to the fabric store to pick out some fabrics that I liked. Then I cut out large squares (10 d 10″) for all of my friends and family to decorate however they might choose. We also bought some permanent fabric markers for them to use. It was so great. They all really got into it and they were all so creative.

My nesting project was assembling my Baby Shower quilt, which was perfect since I hate to clean. I spent the last two months of my trimester sewing my squares together and putting my quilt together. And in the finally weeks when I began my maternity leave and was too uncomfortable to sleep, I sat in my rocking chair doing my quilting. Believe it or not I finished it before I had my daughter. And it turned out better than I had imagined!

I left it hanging In our living room for about a month, so I could admire it. Then George packed it away for when Aaliyah gets older. A great memory and keepsake that we’ll both cherish forever.

So if you are looking for an alternative to the typical baby shower activities, here is something to consider. If you like to sew, try making a Baby Shower Keepsake Quilt. It is something that will last forever.

Party Planning – Aaliyah’s first birthday

When my brother and I were growing up, birthdays were something we looked forward to. My mom was always really great at making us feel special on our very special day. She would be the first person to wish us a happy birthday in the morning, she would make a delicious homemade birthday cake, and she always planned a spectacular birthday party. My birthdays were always special. As a matter of fact, they still are. Just last year, for my thirtieth birthday, she planned a surprise party for me. It was spectacular!

My mom played a pivotal role in my love of birthdays. She has created hundreds of special memories for me, which have inspired me now that I am a mother. In about two months, my baby girl will be turning one. It’s bittersweet, because I can’t wait to celebrate our first year as a family, but it feels like it has gone by so very fast. All you mothers out there know what I mean. Nevertheless, I have been brainstorming all month about possible party themes for Aaliyah’s first birthday party. I want it to be perfect, so I have been weighing my options. And I am pretty sure that I have selected the greatest theme possible! We’re going to have a Not a Box Party.

I’m sure you are all wondering what I am talking about. I really wanted to get creative and keep it simple for Aaliyah. And for the past two months, Aaliyah has been playing in a large cardboard box at my grandparents’ house every weekend. She has a blast playing with it. So I started thinking that it might be something that I could use. There is a book called Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. It basically illustrates how using your imagination, a box can become so many things to play with. So I have begun to collect large boxes, and I will use them to create an imaginary play area in my grandparents’ backyard. I plan to make a train, a rocket ship, a car, a helicopter, a hot air balloon, and so much more. I can’t wait to get started!

DIY Baby Shower Gift – Receiving Blankets

Swaddling your baby is the newest craze! Wrapping your little one up nice and tight, so they can take a nice little nap. If you find yourself not so in love with all of those receiving blankets sold in the stores and want something different, then you have come to the right place. This is a quick and easy project that you can knock out in about 20 minutes. You can create yourself some great new swaddle sheets that will be your go to item for baby. They also make great gifts for all your friends. All your friends will be so impressed with your creative style.

Materials:
-1 1/4 yard solid or printed flannel
-Matching Thread

Step One:
Begin by squaring off the raw edges of your flannel fabric with a rotary cutter or scissors. Once you have done so, you should have a square shape measuring approximately 43″ x 43″

Next clip the four corners diagonally as shown below. Don’t cut off too much of the corners. I usually cut about a 1/2″ or 3/4″. You want the edges to be thin. But if you want to make it a little easier on yourself, you can cut about 1″.

Step Two:

Now it’s time to break out the old iron, but just for a sec. Fold each edge down approximately 1/2″ and press, like shown below. If you are a stickler for avoiding frayed edges, cut or fold the corners down a bit more, then fold each edge down twice. Your corners will appear mitered.

This is what your corners should look like once you’ve finished….

Step Three: And my favorite part….
It’s time to sew! Set your sewing machine to it’s zig-zag stitch. You want to sew close to, but not over the raw edges. Sew all around each of the four sides.

Now you’ll want to zig-zag over each of the mitered corners, as shown below. and secure them with a backstitch.

Your corners should look like this once you’ve finished…

And that’s right….you’re finished! You now have your own homemade swaddle blanket to wrap your little bundle of joy up in. Enjoy!

A little End Note for all you mavericks who’d like to really impress. Buy a little extra fabric, so you can make some matching burp cloths. They are perfect for any Baby Shower gifts.