tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34173851409603920552024-03-05T04:16:35.000-06:00i thought of it second.amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-32229134455138178052014-05-03T01:11:00.000-05:002014-05-03T01:12:37.846-05:00Real Food with Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">hey strangers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">just thought i'd share our family's latest adventure!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We've had a snow ball of health concerns come up in the last year and it's caused me to put an even higher priority on the level of nutrition i provide for my family. Emery has developed problems with gluten, dairy, and all grains. She's handled it well for the most part, but i can see an even greater need for me, as her mom, to teach her the importance of healthy eating!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A few months ago, i started an Instagram account called RealFoodwithKids. I've been documenting my time with my little ones in the kitchen - posting recipes, activities, and discussions we've had. It's been so much fun to watch her grow in knowledge and skill!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I just wanted to share some of my favorite images and invite you to check out our IG feed if you're interested in including your little ones in a real food kitchen. I'm in the beginning stages of creating a blog to expand on the topics i've touched on, but for now, feel free to check out IG and/or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealFoodWithKids">our Facebook page</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><u>We work together:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVayS7sg-328vCeTpy52QgJeKHpIkkQE-jM3CmkaqI7-NY3beNiHrWF-gSpPFMs_dY9XjPeFhUGy1RfVkM2BbV_R9A2yQmOsIeiNWVweDC5cHAnkrRn6L0yF0WegC4f_oxS5DxF6O3VT0/s1600/IMG_7465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVayS7sg-328vCeTpy52QgJeKHpIkkQE-jM3CmkaqI7-NY3beNiHrWF-gSpPFMs_dY9XjPeFhUGy1RfVkM2BbV_R9A2yQmOsIeiNWVweDC5cHAnkrRn6L0yF0WegC4f_oxS5DxF6O3VT0/s1600/IMG_7465.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3EhtgAPQ8jTPzIx32FnxNgWRGJLbI2KGEzesFpaTT20_xG3Hvpg7bBE1TQ_v1i5FNOTlOXgg_PGtWgaKXKLPMlsTVOBbMu0hMv669znt1k0jP6BBGJdiEwE4Rtcuc0-H1qN61eXJtZg/s1600/IMG_8756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3EhtgAPQ8jTPzIx32FnxNgWRGJLbI2KGEzesFpaTT20_xG3Hvpg7bBE1TQ_v1i5FNOTlOXgg_PGtWgaKXKLPMlsTVOBbMu0hMv669znt1k0jP6BBGJdiEwE4Rtcuc0-H1qN61eXJtZg/s1600/IMG_8756.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqULMG2Rw3QfJeB6WC1Zp-1t7X6P_e77xZKYSOBPgUUF5HR4R4aAjX_TXYQNAmY2AOzqgJD05L02FrOkWRwwXKhr16q5AVMV57Kfms4z9cMMVY5mFv_PKVc2VjTh3fnzH3fA2IDHOWtY/s1600/IMG_7400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaqULMG2Rw3QfJeB6WC1Zp-1t7X6P_e77xZKYSOBPgUUF5HR4R4aAjX_TXYQNAmY2AOzqgJD05L02FrOkWRwwXKhr16q5AVMV57Kfms4z9cMMVY5mFv_PKVc2VjTh3fnzH3fA2IDHOWtY/s1600/IMG_7400.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23Y_A4iainY3eqY8jBEOJVgJhh_F2s_kIysaqdU_itUSJ-7n8nszVZ3hu42In0rvqxtcgtBXGiU_73hgw7d9DJdKknNt-459QjVRh2VWjlLR0RIWDDWQsLAzZXIYQRz0HcRORBGb4Guc/s1600/IMG_7684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23Y_A4iainY3eqY8jBEOJVgJhh_F2s_kIysaqdU_itUSJ-7n8nszVZ3hu42In0rvqxtcgtBXGiU_73hgw7d9DJdKknNt-459QjVRh2VWjlLR0RIWDDWQsLAzZXIYQRz0HcRORBGb4Guc/s1600/IMG_7684.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkNdBP25u5ObjyFBePrWe8v9dFrjexuWGYfcx7vMqI7NueKrQwOt_8oApXxQh88FPZZfRDHyiHWQcfKMMj03xWwN_ApQ9FDgQ8gADdJ3fNpua42Mfm9JaYw-tytH41KYSLQBRXwPi_7I/s1600/IMG_4801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkNdBP25u5ObjyFBePrWe8v9dFrjexuWGYfcx7vMqI7NueKrQwOt_8oApXxQh88FPZZfRDHyiHWQcfKMMj03xWwN_ApQ9FDgQ8gADdJ3fNpua42Mfm9JaYw-tytH41KYSLQBRXwPi_7I/s1600/IMG_4801.JPG" height="200" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8wZOTxFL1nMGWb-_zZVXBbYuctPWZCbWp3U4mWaWET5sppSZ0KdzXZZv_n03uoKDoN6xLObbCiV3wBXOF5SCOQsQaDh0yl6wbFm-FfDKRkpRglB2SN_zTAH2GUiZTwgASRUeIuhfGhk/s1600/IMG_6540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8wZOTxFL1nMGWb-_zZVXBbYuctPWZCbWp3U4mWaWET5sppSZ0KdzXZZv_n03uoKDoN6xLObbCiV3wBXOF5SCOQsQaDh0yl6wbFm-FfDKRkpRglB2SN_zTAH2GUiZTwgASRUeIuhfGhk/s1600/IMG_6540.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><u>I teach her a skill and then she works alone:</u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAguO6giFp4tWdorTa4zlYrZySTIVXTqp3p8Po-L61qC1zrHXQQpSYgxX6W3lvqNbhEvm7LRvTO_CKuuKfBMBNdmoPnyJbWPqxbGr5Kdh66D_o1O3TBtrwv9uqV0oy-uY2dchfPcoN_nU/s1600/IMG_8702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iAD0gz-Mlva3BzHFQAwVpgIiohLbQeO02CT7UQj6hpe_QxPjUmYizXOjUoH0e6dHmMWHpS0prAJW68buEaZxiatD4tgumohK4aKZA-F-I6DvNPHPXqIZ_4aH-HriiwIGSwr2R4gMrtI/s1600/IMG_8687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ANdTAY7XY6xfeaDUNjvhNdC8Y7CTLtSu6CfvObng_yW9hurn7JyGFUW_cIJZdc7GryyiMsXpihi0GRKs9DhmB0wPprfjKbjhXlMBIMapHDR4U6byrJF3FU1HViY2A5fPykWmW_Hf2UY/s1600/IMG_8359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ANdTAY7XY6xfeaDUNjvhNdC8Y7CTLtSu6CfvObng_yW9hurn7JyGFUW_cIJZdc7GryyiMsXpihi0GRKs9DhmB0wPprfjKbjhXlMBIMapHDR4U6byrJF3FU1HViY2A5fPykWmW_Hf2UY/s1600/IMG_8359.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U8QW1tb6ohKgcgqCv97lqNo8uQfmnecBPKVXKslPC6QalEh0XlYTzkBsI0BYSPqzq0Zr9DSuG6DjvwousMParG885tuvuiECRD4YFbGQ0P0kM5rGk7IhZvnEF7rHDJBDxiHKPz-TuJU/s1600/IMG_7683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_U8QW1tb6ohKgcgqCv97lqNo8uQfmnecBPKVXKslPC6QalEh0XlYTzkBsI0BYSPqzq0Zr9DSuG6DjvwousMParG885tuvuiECRD4YFbGQ0P0kM5rGk7IhZvnEF7rHDJBDxiHKPz-TuJU/s1600/IMG_7683.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRLSITle5KbA7CeBMujmppv65IS0vEbmsFY33k9poQly2crpJ4KqFPTCsKSpfGlbnrMzJBzXDp66WSyZXv22ZjBKWtCsQh6nnE4S_D9-QMlJYO5BLKAariKfiNhbXFPP8fZMX5p4GHA4/s1600/IMG_7139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZRLSITle5KbA7CeBMujmppv65IS0vEbmsFY33k9poQly2crpJ4KqFPTCsKSpfGlbnrMzJBzXDp66WSyZXv22ZjBKWtCsQh6nnE4S_D9-QMlJYO5BLKAariKfiNhbXFPP8fZMX5p4GHA4/s1600/IMG_7139.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStmx5OKEHyNh9MGIAGj2_qlpPtQ1Vru5PCqV1J9r2fL9FE2SEfpwPk9IgXXOmsYWXu0qA4Ri0WV72zpjtCjyRslj1ZUYpqAwUEYqd3Dq-2rqPhhPd04JBaG2RVR7qZMHSw9UEYYHDMRU/s1600/IMG_6262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStmx5OKEHyNh9MGIAGj2_qlpPtQ1Vru5PCqV1J9r2fL9FE2SEfpwPk9IgXXOmsYWXu0qA4Ri0WV72zpjtCjyRslj1ZUYpqAwUEYqd3Dq-2rqPhhPd04JBaG2RVR7qZMHSw9UEYYHDMRU/s1600/IMG_6262.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6luytuLiIco_hX_acTpGA2redk6TNBcnwRNQQUHDDs6mjF1rCqvg9A-qA0lo_2bjFUySHVEC5TZR3qsdZW3AniCmcq1uppXau9xJhhWnf2tQ8v9inz2stmCidiUyo1c7eUEQViPP1Tg/s1600/IMG_6638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6luytuLiIco_hX_acTpGA2redk6TNBcnwRNQQUHDDs6mjF1rCqvg9A-qA0lo_2bjFUySHVEC5TZR3qsdZW3AniCmcq1uppXau9xJhhWnf2tQ8v9inz2stmCidiUyo1c7eUEQViPP1Tg/s1600/IMG_6638.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUTiP9Mo3VBip8CxESa489YlaqWu_lReaJPF5OvbxIcPhlqqFWsxvu6VJR3gH3txZr5b0u8IkJUgIm3Wlip0-hPKxBfpallt_l7IX0BQJmNJthIOp9BmzsBs-2qxyN7kaRJkQgA2BGhA/s1600/IMG_6991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUTiP9Mo3VBip8CxESa489YlaqWu_lReaJPF5OvbxIcPhlqqFWsxvu6VJR3gH3txZr5b0u8IkJUgIm3Wlip0-hPKxBfpallt_l7IX0BQJmNJthIOp9BmzsBs-2qxyN7kaRJkQgA2BGhA/s1600/IMG_6991.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5MdGqKNoefYVR71fk4ELIbsLQ1rRX3u9KyE7UyWNHx0swXaxJ5crNfs2cQDmbKlOuEGhznM9t6z4DluDbJD56cRlghOpXPHHf5nEItBfKLYFI9mwglLs2EcohSdASa57m8hYe1jfH5A/s1600/IMG_8692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5MdGqKNoefYVR71fk4ELIbsLQ1rRX3u9KyE7UyWNHx0swXaxJ5crNfs2cQDmbKlOuEGhznM9t6z4DluDbJD56cRlghOpXPHHf5nEItBfKLYFI9mwglLs2EcohSdASa57m8hYe1jfH5A/s1600/IMG_8692.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5T9WPcn_MFOgRjDoU0AYxRFeeDQ0y-PlzSnd4CXnnC2gjrJJC4Pahr01qHzY79lBIZWoDP0UoUQGSsuZ5GdYZA_E13iGF07-gEzik-wSrrqiFVDzyjwqL_qf395Mdk8sw6WuUabrBrA/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5T9WPcn_MFOgRjDoU0AYxRFeeDQ0y-PlzSnd4CXnnC2gjrJJC4Pahr01qHzY79lBIZWoDP0UoUQGSsuZ5GdYZA_E13iGF07-gEzik-wSrrqiFVDzyjwqL_qf395Mdk8sw6WuUabrBrA/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGz6eVC7FQdjdHIRSnBS5jJarco4qyVaVmtQiKtY1NNGcXvYpxcoCEkN_VQ-uMKHI48UkL99KFlm1UeJrg6c_vkFFBosVf8IQIYvPTJOBfbj4tAhLvczcCPHnoqhAC1AnvniS2MD-awso/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGz6eVC7FQdjdHIRSnBS5jJarco4qyVaVmtQiKtY1NNGcXvYpxcoCEkN_VQ-uMKHI48UkL99KFlm1UeJrg6c_vkFFBosVf8IQIYvPTJOBfbj4tAhLvczcCPHnoqhAC1AnvniS2MD-awso/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iAD0gz-Mlva3BzHFQAwVpgIiohLbQeO02CT7UQj6hpe_QxPjUmYizXOjUoH0e6dHmMWHpS0prAJW68buEaZxiatD4tgumohK4aKZA-F-I6DvNPHPXqIZ_4aH-HriiwIGSwr2R4gMrtI/s1600/IMG_8687.JPG" height="400" width="400" /><br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><u>Cooper is involved:</u></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEWmc46EC63E4un2SXMmdUcd-QK0vAGBVMIJ5_Zf5j03qJBYrSnTvKOfSY5o0bb4TbWxfbtlmmJpjxXtB3PmjKEXC9UOCACiKB8HnK-F_69i09qruUyxyV1xr1WgClHrfJxG3_Wx-iCo/s1600/IMG_8470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEWmc46EC63E4un2SXMmdUcd-QK0vAGBVMIJ5_Zf5j03qJBYrSnTvKOfSY5o0bb4TbWxfbtlmmJpjxXtB3PmjKEXC9UOCACiKB8HnK-F_69i09qruUyxyV1xr1WgClHrfJxG3_Wx-iCo/s1600/IMG_8470.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7x6fe2esMFYaFf5wA5j_aiundoXKAvvYFFhIupa8PZulrUjDEyGEKATFUPQ7hpEJrEenkLab6GEG4DJBdttgrcqn0n4H4OhrWfpEv45biBljG3YIwVcU8fzZApG_7OVuQNaJFOt8H9o/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7x6fe2esMFYaFf5wA5j_aiundoXKAvvYFFhIupa8PZulrUjDEyGEKATFUPQ7hpEJrEenkLab6GEG4DJBdttgrcqn0n4H4OhrWfpEv45biBljG3YIwVcU8fzZApG_7OVuQNaJFOt8H9o/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q030rpLjnq3loze2wm_XA6RxH_eE-bXW4TMB33Lxy1KYBwTq96_-_TMATSAy0PrHLqHXq8HNAeRqoVIYrDFwgfToR3rMESB4Z8QBxE_1OnGKdzfJi40tk_6MHrvB6Ffx6XI7Ro3BNvU/s1600/IMG_6932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q030rpLjnq3loze2wm_XA6RxH_eE-bXW4TMB33Lxy1KYBwTq96_-_TMATSAy0PrHLqHXq8HNAeRqoVIYrDFwgfToR3rMESB4Z8QBxE_1OnGKdzfJi40tk_6MHrvB6Ffx6XI7Ro3BNvU/s1600/IMG_6932.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeD7HOCOeh1MfI1mtSe90gzwRpUnp8kG4W7fAMY8s2Y4lAphHNCgwNbrpGGMPD342JIohg_T-E3wz27zjOtmttrrNVHSF2VhKPuaGDO5pZ0AjwHwm7Zf9Ez9dMIu6KbIzP5SCO_Yw_OQ/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMeD7HOCOeh1MfI1mtSe90gzwRpUnp8kG4W7fAMY8s2Y4lAphHNCgwNbrpGGMPD342JIohg_T-E3wz27zjOtmttrrNVHSF2VhKPuaGDO5pZ0AjwHwm7Zf9Ez9dMIu6KbIzP5SCO_Yw_OQ/s1600/IMG_6366.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">Daddy is involved:</span></u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5_mhdwwXZh8Nt1h_JJ0jhZdNNF7WJ76MNiQTz9cIaPncbjghpe_EOHUaCnQRiqyWtttbmlG7HK0kuOqbZpzc4ddrG5zJpYBLWbPQ9Vlb2naATub6UtF1WODobxDJ_oPKXTNoB_j49BM/s1600/IMG_7578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5_mhdwwXZh8Nt1h_JJ0jhZdNNF7WJ76MNiQTz9cIaPncbjghpe_EOHUaCnQRiqyWtttbmlG7HK0kuOqbZpzc4ddrG5zJpYBLWbPQ9Vlb2naATub6UtF1WODobxDJ_oPKXTNoB_j49BM/s1600/IMG_7578.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRkMDY92rZ3WvmkWHkXGFlu81qD8KEfqukv_fT40JWDaWG8CxpYxzZ2-DjNjIlSpz3QRw8VbyoBLnJzemudPV39YamQZHL44nyVpIueC0zIk8cnh_TMK6lh3c1Ez4aeg4gaAqTsLeSsM/s1600/IMG_6765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRkMDY92rZ3WvmkWHkXGFlu81qD8KEfqukv_fT40JWDaWG8CxpYxzZ2-DjNjIlSpz3QRw8VbyoBLnJzemudPV39YamQZHL44nyVpIueC0zIk8cnh_TMK6lh3c1Ez4aeg4gaAqTsLeSsM/s1600/IMG_6765.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpKcL4f0kxTkqpGpVVmONUPwHOMiRh3oLOZw-L9o9ZQweFPb9RtPb73fexS2HMFsVAlDL06jE_AvYg2I4NP5_lPFANW2RppUmZ_TIVYHTvKD1BLXWvyGxpBB4k6jKFZ-WslHpJaPhrrA/s1600/IMG_7432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpKcL4f0kxTkqpGpVVmONUPwHOMiRh3oLOZw-L9o9ZQweFPb9RtPb73fexS2HMFsVAlDL06jE_AvYg2I4NP5_lPFANW2RppUmZ_TIVYHTvKD1BLXWvyGxpBB4k6jKFZ-WslHpJaPhrrA/s1600/IMG_7432.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8slVJGl8oXqYbk98EYfzy710om9pBvrHTiUiux6wzzriNVgnUIFpm0rM84YFGoKpb0LbZ_IZvK7NwelEwECELEc4MMOuZWO_QNgnNMYbzY1wiJpcT3wyv-yLPR3NphYtfPlPyrEJalOE/s1600/IMG_6365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8slVJGl8oXqYbk98EYfzy710om9pBvrHTiUiux6wzzriNVgnUIFpm0rM84YFGoKpb0LbZ_IZvK7NwelEwECELEc4MMOuZWO_QNgnNMYbzY1wiJpcT3wyv-yLPR3NphYtfPlPyrEJalOE/s1600/IMG_6365.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtHIVPkuOfjK9IXW6KQ2IzfFQ6y71dCF4pJVYADqR9uV1YjQ2pWTg59nN-bH_5EaH52s1PGlJiP61v446UHEARReY3NvrktVmW1U5eh54bPX2qqvHCx2Nuy1Lf4AVVoYYdASDxqNNYh8/s1600/IMG_6622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtHIVPkuOfjK9IXW6KQ2IzfFQ6y71dCF4pJVYADqR9uV1YjQ2pWTg59nN-bH_5EaH52s1PGlJiP61v446UHEARReY3NvrktVmW1U5eh54bPX2qqvHCx2Nuy1Lf4AVVoYYdASDxqNNYh8/s1600/IMG_6622.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOrfzMZCY64b1uxF69QPkvGe2GNFh2kKxNz6dIN0Si2WqqK-5iMd1DgkNmkEDFPyyJMsUS-wAIklE1oTZVcidkVMOXN4IJvma_Xt76Zv48jkWrSf5ai835oR6vxGYoASxJ2BwoT3qk9U/s1600/IMG_6624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOrfzMZCY64b1uxF69QPkvGe2GNFh2kKxNz6dIN0Si2WqqK-5iMd1DgkNmkEDFPyyJMsUS-wAIklE1oTZVcidkVMOXN4IJvma_Xt76Zv48jkWrSf5ai835oR6vxGYoASxJ2BwoT3qk9U/s1600/IMG_6624.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">We talk about purees and Baby Led Weaning:</span></u></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOkcUgU2L3_LLJQfFiW4r10Qnw3_xUKiIjFuKOP6yzbqNzKoeEDvhIVEQCUrxtIBxUPugZQY2ISx_a8ijqBOyVAXTHLEEgUBJm3K1NHtLr7SW3M1c9s77IziS5uZ9sbZWLdLq0LupbGk/s1600/IMG_7636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOkcUgU2L3_LLJQfFiW4r10Qnw3_xUKiIjFuKOP6yzbqNzKoeEDvhIVEQCUrxtIBxUPugZQY2ISx_a8ijqBOyVAXTHLEEgUBJm3K1NHtLr7SW3M1c9s77IziS5uZ9sbZWLdLq0LupbGk/s1600/IMG_7636.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoNY0dwovSnmv1I6pBS2n7MYOa5sy42T5EJ95xR3jR0y0r5fI3j6jkilX8lPCRz0D-gEwUIMsTS4WpTy09g2k4H7uz2I8yIHiz3xipQNilkHdRi3-hOhaRrZIsRYMlEYChqPhyphenhyphenWxSPtg/s1600/IMG_7750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoNY0dwovSnmv1I6pBS2n7MYOa5sy42T5EJ95xR3jR0y0r5fI3j6jkilX8lPCRz0D-gEwUIMsTS4WpTy09g2k4H7uz2I8yIHiz3xipQNilkHdRi3-hOhaRrZIsRYMlEYChqPhyphenhyphenWxSPtg/s1600/IMG_7750.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoFadh9Ok8NxV0T4wCi4Nhg-_aa4LERWz8z2stccWkyaNp5tLhtWZw-a-hLkEyX6BW4wJWySPaHkpz0oHhGZ67HknW8erB4mnbSF6udkNsbeXO8xflnNMw_a8gqaGxFqp-zuYLJExO7k/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoFadh9Ok8NxV0T4wCi4Nhg-_aa4LERWz8z2stccWkyaNp5tLhtWZw-a-hLkEyX6BW4wJWySPaHkpz0oHhGZ67HknW8erB4mnbSF6udkNsbeXO8xflnNMw_a8gqaGxFqp-zuYLJExO7k/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8i2dq08pxRmVljcL9wyJyC7b_w8jOW14gBn6VCDQ3p80PCmJGyMRltMYeUn3vwhGzYxdD23blCrHrI7aZdPE1dSSmVBwHeRZpjLFyTLQKgrlcwgNJ7v0u2r4m8p1v-Jpw7kvXxxo5w7w/s1600/IMG_7584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8i2dq08pxRmVljcL9wyJyC7b_w8jOW14gBn6VCDQ3p80PCmJGyMRltMYeUn3vwhGzYxdD23blCrHrI7aZdPE1dSSmVBwHeRZpjLFyTLQKgrlcwgNJ7v0u2r4m8p1v-Jpw7kvXxxo5w7w/s1600/IMG_7584.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoFadh9Ok8NxV0T4wCi4Nhg-_aa4LERWz8z2stccWkyaNp5tLhtWZw-a-hLkEyX6BW4wJWySPaHkpz0oHhGZ67HknW8erB4mnbSF6udkNsbeXO8xflnNMw_a8gqaGxFqp-zuYLJExO7k/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcvymBKlNHyjvmk4jDI2cAjHtr1O88h86sW5bMZ3XvDm98FCKGklsDN4gUd7lk6grTpjf7hwad_Or6vPXIaEFUIzTKEZDa-snajyCUOHzxp6JinEJpM_EAi1gu17tUSad0YFZZzenSXo/s1600/IMG_8314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTUWYDhToi5bSOm0W5Al6e0A4Eq8e9NWEbUGYbVRfErNxX0cvLBH-s6J44oCFJNnPkCt0mHf47UFiO2eQh0YkZb71dwnDG-rTFYGxBizUvL_Khi3YM8r8LmvE80TcKSrEOZr8oFir4QE/s1600/IMG_6261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTUWYDhToi5bSOm0W5Al6e0A4Eq8e9NWEbUGYbVRfErNxX0cvLBH-s6J44oCFJNnPkCt0mHf47UFiO2eQh0YkZb71dwnDG-rTFYGxBizUvL_Khi3YM8r8LmvE80TcKSrEOZr8oFir4QE/s1600/IMG_6261.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcvymBKlNHyjvmk4jDI2cAjHtr1O88h86sW5bMZ3XvDm98FCKGklsDN4gUd7lk6grTpjf7hwad_Or6vPXIaEFUIzTKEZDa-snajyCUOHzxp6JinEJpM_EAi1gu17tUSad0YFZZzenSXo/s1600/IMG_8314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcvymBKlNHyjvmk4jDI2cAjHtr1O88h86sW5bMZ3XvDm98FCKGklsDN4gUd7lk6grTpjf7hwad_Or6vPXIaEFUIzTKEZDa-snajyCUOHzxp6JinEJpM_EAi1gu17tUSad0YFZZzenSXo/s1600/IMG_8314.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcvymBKlNHyjvmk4jDI2cAjHtr1O88h86sW5bMZ3XvDm98FCKGklsDN4gUd7lk6grTpjf7hwad_Or6vPXIaEFUIzTKEZDa-snajyCUOHzxp6JinEJpM_EAi1gu17tUSad0YFZZzenSXo/s1600/IMG_8314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><u>We ferment, soak, sprout, render, pickle, clabber, and culture:</u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAguO6giFp4tWdorTa4zlYrZySTIVXTqp3p8Po-L61qC1zrHXQQpSYgxX6W3lvqNbhEvm7LRvTO_CKuuKfBMBNdmoPnyJbWPqxbGr5Kdh66D_o1O3TBtrwv9uqV0oy-uY2dchfPcoN_nU/s1600/IMG_8702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAguO6giFp4tWdorTa4zlYrZySTIVXTqp3p8Po-L61qC1zrHXQQpSYgxX6W3lvqNbhEvm7LRvTO_CKuuKfBMBNdmoPnyJbWPqxbGr5Kdh66D_o1O3TBtrwv9uqV0oy-uY2dchfPcoN_nU/s1600/IMG_8702.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzCLGZqXP92SRcugsyHR_S4fdDFIJsGokbETlow3NxxTnb7ZTiKRmK8XzyXeKMXxjlLPPc4XiP5br7W0wzU3VOzXWKRrLptvt1KU9EdhnYYv3nI0d8GS932mMZGL72tKxC46odhoI6lM/s1600/IMG_6564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzCLGZqXP92SRcugsyHR_S4fdDFIJsGokbETlow3NxxTnb7ZTiKRmK8XzyXeKMXxjlLPPc4XiP5br7W0wzU3VOzXWKRrLptvt1KU9EdhnYYv3nI0d8GS932mMZGL72tKxC46odhoI6lM/s1600/IMG_6564.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPezBWJaHoJN7qsJMQSpX4HrJDvXZ48o_-iNPhTFQO1aBEfAsXZ4XlT8xmRiMcfvPrbPK-5evY899yIL9JaHkqEldsI8mNKL7M9jUzlsgGbzttx7lJ5Kvnv9F1XIxvidfG8XbyOZUR_2Y/s1600/IMG_4762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPezBWJaHoJN7qsJMQSpX4HrJDvXZ48o_-iNPhTFQO1aBEfAsXZ4XlT8xmRiMcfvPrbPK-5evY899yIL9JaHkqEldsI8mNKL7M9jUzlsgGbzttx7lJ5Kvnv9F1XIxvidfG8XbyOZUR_2Y/s1600/IMG_4762.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn1_WQ5BfvkgGIfoN4TfMEnQnhoDqcxy-_mQOzzgUMt18kEaKp9zzmntxMM2P8fUamsb8lVVftoLqMzXf0ltDHSSc75hQ4egvHm-Y-VuMyrNfq6GR6u4mxfhyfuhbaFXARkbyrSbPm-A/s1600/IMG_8374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn1_WQ5BfvkgGIfoN4TfMEnQnhoDqcxy-_mQOzzgUMt18kEaKp9zzmntxMM2P8fUamsb8lVVftoLqMzXf0ltDHSSc75hQ4egvHm-Y-VuMyrNfq6GR6u4mxfhyfuhbaFXARkbyrSbPm-A/s1600/IMG_8374.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjhRK5LDZi1nE64UdYW-9p1Lor-k8woN98loleT2b0-iQTOgbQhzbwb8ihTJLzDTPQ_jhDif5yKXmPq69bKTclJ0rnngC6nKQyYFlKSt09_9H_yjVxjZmNBHowtz-Ph1JD6xYjIFcO9Y/s1600/IMG_8428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjhRK5LDZi1nE64UdYW-9p1Lor-k8woN98loleT2b0-iQTOgbQhzbwb8ihTJLzDTPQ_jhDif5yKXmPq69bKTclJ0rnngC6nKQyYFlKSt09_9H_yjVxjZmNBHowtz-Ph1JD6xYjIFcO9Y/s1600/IMG_8428.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSX5Ya70KvgWvlBU18oTyD2_BqrE866fDC6eWmRc9d-XtWBYNK4nmmGNDsCqcafdKtB3xcFLSTWz40l_Fa6PSmlsUZyO68UzGKhfy5P1YqF0eL4wraJtP6hPQr-oyz-HXsb4IaNIA0XI/s1600/IMG_5253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSX5Ya70KvgWvlBU18oTyD2_BqrE866fDC6eWmRc9d-XtWBYNK4nmmGNDsCqcafdKtB3xcFLSTWz40l_Fa6PSmlsUZyO68UzGKhfy5P1YqF0eL4wraJtP6hPQr-oyz-HXsb4IaNIA0XI/s1600/IMG_5253.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT3Y377R-P90TJhsbCGjKaGeS_98sgk2eFOnJi7Y9XhMpiu145HiT2KA6SUAdcKZfVNog9W4cmtFkHymqvFBDtti8GDa0dgHa6R-ieXNVTpjCczJiGAz4socnpUFMZYL4CzwzZuuMqUw/s1600/IMG_6461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZ6IEeX64k-MkNdhxUeKQIOD0Ary1d-B1ZJ4bv731TFfH4sIowJbVnnNHaD_8RYzYeyyEhUyrwzWaaqPsCGf-vzqnTGvovsXQ4tVMatZnxdHQwpIvLvXiKFdPrAtTnWbdd-O9iQ6XjLA/s1600/IMG_6183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZ6IEeX64k-MkNdhxUeKQIOD0Ary1d-B1ZJ4bv731TFfH4sIowJbVnnNHaD_8RYzYeyyEhUyrwzWaaqPsCGf-vzqnTGvovsXQ4tVMatZnxdHQwpIvLvXiKFdPrAtTnWbdd-O9iQ6XjLA/s1600/IMG_6183.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT3Y377R-P90TJhsbCGjKaGeS_98sgk2eFOnJi7Y9XhMpiu145HiT2KA6SUAdcKZfVNog9W4cmtFkHymqvFBDtti8GDa0dgHa6R-ieXNVTpjCczJiGAz4socnpUFMZYL4CzwzZuuMqUw/s1600/IMG_6461.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">But most of all, we have FUN:</span></u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX7gNhq5ZwZfQOQrcr-Ctdsb7bsM5LK5fhCbr7pFlhNmJPkuFZN0f5ThBvxvKXH1tmcC1xRz4kmEocuW7fyCZzT6jGxiUlZKKsTKluxFddZ5ti0aOiE-1b_ILhpzJ9f7m0Pn4AUu5Ksc/s1600/IMG_8124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX7gNhq5ZwZfQOQrcr-Ctdsb7bsM5LK5fhCbr7pFlhNmJPkuFZN0f5ThBvxvKXH1tmcC1xRz4kmEocuW7fyCZzT6jGxiUlZKKsTKluxFddZ5ti0aOiE-1b_ILhpzJ9f7m0Pn4AUu5Ksc/s1600/IMG_8124.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM386xlksAYVlucz0q2gPvCo5YgdGndGR8G3gPhN5MDE49AzuesSS0hZOqsQFA8y6X2BenNucafHFwqqZ62Ve8xY8gdf4fWFvWSuyKDMsyOQDtDFs33AjZl3zN3piwb03LB4wemRUI6AI/s1600/IMG_8634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM386xlksAYVlucz0q2gPvCo5YgdGndGR8G3gPhN5MDE49AzuesSS0hZOqsQFA8y6X2BenNucafHFwqqZ62Ve8xY8gdf4fWFvWSuyKDMsyOQDtDFs33AjZl3zN3piwb03LB4wemRUI6AI/s1600/IMG_8634.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZtwtZQzMvSH64J9PuVaeK_m0RHL8Xqr1ucubrOk5-Am9GRkwnxrS7To_mZLI37eq4x7ns4h76zjYjjVwAQJTcVlbW6n_ycpSnC6A0p8qh_AdHGTzvbW8OjpgxdVzK7zd6Qhmm_MRDdE/s1600/IMG_8623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZtwtZQzMvSH64J9PuVaeK_m0RHL8Xqr1ucubrOk5-Am9GRkwnxrS7To_mZLI37eq4x7ns4h76zjYjjVwAQJTcVlbW6n_ycpSnC6A0p8qh_AdHGTzvbW8OjpgxdVzK7zd6Qhmm_MRDdE/s1600/IMG_8623.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">feel free to join our journey! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">IG name: RealFoodwithKids </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RealFoodWithKids">Real Food with Kids</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">love and intentional parenting,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">amber</span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-f2Pj9nY9XEA%2FU2PZxctbAbI%2FAAAAAAAATPI%2FQhDqkRftiZA%2Fs1600%2FIMG_8702.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAguO6giFp4tWdorTa4zlYrZySTIVXTqp3p8Po-L61qC1zrHXQQpSYgxX6W3lvqNbhEvm7LRvTO_CKuuKfBMBNdmoPnyJbWPqxbGr5Kdh66D_o1O3TBtrwv9uqV0oy-uY2dchfPcoN_nU/s1600/IMG_8702.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Eenh9QgVYOo%2FU2PZxUxgMiI%2FAAAAAAAATPI%2FuH6tlIscjM8%2Fs1600%2FIMG_6540.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8wZOTxFL1nMGWb-_zZVXBbYuctPWZCbWp3U4mWaWET5sppSZ0KdzXZZv_n03uoKDoN6xLObbCiV3wBXOF5SCOQsQaDh0yl6wbFm-FfDKRkpRglB2SN_zTAH2GUiZTwgASRUeIuhfGhk/s1600/IMG_6540.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-HbxRTQryhiw%2FU2PZxcp4rxI%2FAAAAAAAATPI%2FxyZiMhtej0U%2Fs1600%2FIMG_6896.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoFadh9Ok8NxV0T4wCi4Nhg-_aa4LERWz8z2stccWkyaNp5tLhtWZw-a-hLkEyX6BW4wJWySPaHkpz0oHhGZ67HknW8erB4mnbSF6udkNsbeXO8xflnNMw_a8gqaGxFqp-zuYLJExO7k/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Q2bj4YYfH0g%2FU2PZxbQyFWI%2FAAAAAAAATPI%2F3bUjIWcKu80%2Fs1600%2FIMG_8314.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcvymBKlNHyjvmk4jDI2cAjHtr1O88h86sW5bMZ3XvDm98FCKGklsDN4gUd7lk6grTpjf7hwad_Or6vPXIaEFUIzTKEZDa-snajyCUOHzxp6JinEJpM_EAi1gu17tUSad0YFZZzenSXo/s1600/IMG_8314.JPG" -->amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-56276724688180638962013-10-09T15:19:00.003-05:002013-10-09T15:27:27.523-05:00urban rehab: our soon-to-be home {part 1}<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this has been the <u>craziest</u> year of my life, hands down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">shortly after getting out of the NICU in May, Andrew asks out of the blue, if i'm up for moving to midtown <b>this year</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if you know us personally, you probably know we've wanted to move for several years now, but the timing hasn't been right. we've come up with about <u>87 different plans</u> for when we're going to move and where - the most recent being that we would move as early as June 2014.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">after my crazy pregnancy and our stressful NICU stay, i seriously don't remember what a normal life feels like anymore. so <b>why not</b> move and continue on with the roller coaster life?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we toured 3 houses and quickly knew which one we preferred. we hit a few obstacles, but <u>seriously</u>, doors were flying open for us to proceed. We would think we ran into a problem and were ready to sit back and wait on God's timing again, but then someone would approach us, saying, "did you know about such and such organization?" "have you heard of such and such new program</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">we're being <u>very cautious</u>, but so far it seems like this is the right time and the right place for our family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>a few random facts:</i></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">the home was built in 1905</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a company called </span><a href="http://ribboncuttersinc.com/completed-projects/" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Ribbon Cutters</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> bought the house and is remodeling it for us, to our specific standards.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We will be involved in as much of the process as we can. We will be doing all the painting, building a new fence, sanding the hardwood floors, painting all the trim, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we are in the beginning stages of the process. We meet with the company to do our final walk through this friday, October 11th and then the work should begin shortly after that!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">we are tentatively moving in on Dec 2013</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we are under no obligation to buy the house when they are done, even though they're rehabbing it to our standards. if something unexpected comes up, we can choose not to buy the house from them.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">without further ado, here is the first floor of our new abode, <b>pre-rehab</b>. i'll share the 2nd and 3rd floors in the next few days so this isn't an annoyingly long post ;-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Exterior - 1st Floor:</span></u></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqo4iWAOREEJwIyD70WFy1sqJ9QH7r-KAI0hUIS8VHDhfviV5EPcFlhwLxzkNX_36I3tIZ7qi6O6jeI8iKYv7qWxVdmoNrwb5jC83JkMlNva1LOKiEA2ERNLZ2zmldA4VFzZvNP0JEvM4/s1600/exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqo4iWAOREEJwIyD70WFy1sqJ9QH7r-KAI0hUIS8VHDhfviV5EPcFlhwLxzkNX_36I3tIZ7qi6O6jeI8iKYv7qWxVdmoNrwb5jC83JkMlNva1LOKiEA2ERNLZ2zmldA4VFzZvNP0JEvM4/s640/exterior.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">{exterior}</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">clearly we have a lot of yard work to do. we plan to cut down the pine tree and plant a fruit tree in its place. we need to rebuild the retaining wall and eventually we'll repaint. The Ribbon Cutters will be repairing all the damaged wood. I CAN'T WAIT to put a rocking chair on that killer porch.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITdMGx4oRhQzGumAvCfFLKHs9SCdx1vrdSw-xCqkluQNfDLpoF7nrCar1PjZkencUOrzkGILNzkVoTEKCjXnFSlVm-QeC5XzS6ZPLPKZvpNbo4W0PlXNcrqAalYaUDqPPF1mwT9Oe-nk/s1600/1st+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITdMGx4oRhQzGumAvCfFLKHs9SCdx1vrdSw-xCqkluQNfDLpoF7nrCar1PjZkencUOrzkGILNzkVoTEKCjXnFSlVm-QeC5XzS6ZPLPKZvpNbo4W0PlXNcrqAalYaUDqPPF1mwT9Oe-nk/s640/1st+floor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">{entry.way}</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">we will be keeping the windows with character, but all other windows will be replaced.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtX2yz2aCHD3YNyNOQYRT3NNoN49QlsU0b1qt_a9u1cJcOgVyJXkO7HXCFljw9n4Wzcb_wxbUp_jqM5gmampG9y8_n4WPGuSpTr1RP-9erCnEU-JhMSnOUoPcp9SVqTlyU2eKaZk8aMzM/s1600/1st+floor1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtX2yz2aCHD3YNyNOQYRT3NNoN49QlsU0b1qt_a9u1cJcOgVyJXkO7HXCFljw9n4Wzcb_wxbUp_jqM5gmampG9y8_n4WPGuSpTr1RP-9erCnEU-JhMSnOUoPcp9SVqTlyU2eKaZk8aMzM/s640/1st+floor1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">{living.room}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIT61kNa_5MhJiz6_bYnc9Py9Q5-NH-jXAik4ooca5TBTXVEOaDpIlpmNVtg0xvEj158Zf4x9cgytrIDaGAwfIkMH5O3L8jBWlopgdhWp6_t4bZKsAPHbwLPUTXI76rAtP1Wttu7tjvo/s1600/1st+floor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIT61kNa_5MhJiz6_bYnc9Py9Q5-NH-jXAik4ooca5TBTXVEOaDpIlpmNVtg0xvEj158Zf4x9cgytrIDaGAwfIkMH5O3L8jBWlopgdhWp6_t4bZKsAPHbwLPUTXI76rAtP1Wttu7tjvo/s640/1st+floor2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">{dining.room}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9HdUenQR_Wavsg3SHyeFX9DMc07QSjUpVvRk8GzrJpDWZOsQepva3sjIMEkqw46OhEGa98KFsaHkUjvOKLYhcT9gTQnXXemZ7Nau188H79QX1E6jnwyz2IhOZCwQhqJXGQ2lXsAOhvo/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9HdUenQR_Wavsg3SHyeFX9DMc07QSjUpVvRk8GzrJpDWZOsQepva3sjIMEkqw46OhEGa98KFsaHkUjvOKLYhcT9gTQnXXemZ7Nau188H79QX1E6jnwyz2IhOZCwQhqJXGQ2lXsAOhvo/s640/kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">{kitchen}</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">we plan to knock out the awkward wall in the middle and have the only entrance be the opening on the right. the space on the left will become a large counter work space with a stove, to keep the space open. In my perfect world, we would be continuing the counter tops/cabinets to go all the way to the wall {under the window, where that step ladder is}, but i'm pretty positive it wont fit in the budget. it's such wasted space though! hopefully we can finish it in the future.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokHBw8lsw1tORUu7WLw_CaflAHQQYWY1CLGy2T7pKYN3ojbvSjPUpl9cMPDgpWolO8IkMhPbUjQL0TxbHIy7cGUDLiBMQ0FlZUH5B8nr-2pgeqv2rGWt3yKjKO_V0VdA7xDBTkNX_AHc/s1600/1st+floor3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokHBw8lsw1tORUu7WLw_CaflAHQQYWY1CLGy2T7pKYN3ojbvSjPUpl9cMPDgpWolO8IkMhPbUjQL0TxbHIy7cGUDLiBMQ0FlZUH5B8nr-2pgeqv2rGWt3yKjKO_V0VdA7xDBTkNX_AHc/s640/1st+floor3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">{playroom+bathroom}</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">this is on the other side of the dining room. the photo on the bottom right is taken while standing in the kitchen. i'm excited for emery's play space to be right next to the kitchen, for the times she doesn't want to help me cook :-) i love having her nearby!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">can't wait to post the progress and end result photos! i'm soooo excited to own our home, despite all the grumbling i hear from home owners about the bummers of responsibility ;-)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
love and new adventures, </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
amber,</div>
</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-74136424335428239312013-09-07T10:54:00.000-05:002013-09-07T10:56:36.400-05:00color & shape theme for toddlers: beads and pipe cleaners.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sometimes i make blogging complicated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i follow tons of bloggers that i love and admire, who do fairly elaborate posts 5 days a week and i wonder when they ever get sleep. or when they play with their kids. they must be way more efficient that i am!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i always want to post, but have been telling myself i can't right now because i have 2 kids that take up 90% of my day. They will ALWAYS be a priority over blogging, but i <i>do</i> love blogging. the 5 days a week of elaborate posting is not what's best for me and my family. it's not what works for me, but for some reason i've had it in my head that it's what i wanted to strive for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">silly me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>epiphany of the week:</u> do what i have time for. this doesn't need to be an all or nothing thing.</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">if i don't have time for an 80 page tutorial, blog anyway. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">+ + + + +</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">so here's a little something emery loves to do every few days:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJRejnjzjKybqBrvCXCtT4pc09j915afhsUOpsGey4KlmvuY3XaYkBi7S4sFHlikZ8W-j8pd4h4aOhPqALHx69eOMpqdrgQpuMN2PWEZPd0c5RvNLYZ2xrlZoIC-B-iupXzNjyJ-5I1c/s1600/2013-09-06+11.16.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJRejnjzjKybqBrvCXCtT4pc09j915afhsUOpsGey4KlmvuY3XaYkBi7S4sFHlikZ8W-j8pd4h4aOhPqALHx69eOMpqdrgQpuMN2PWEZPd0c5RvNLYZ2xrlZoIC-B-iupXzNjyJ-5I1c/s320/2013-09-06+11.16.29.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">color bead sorting. she sorts them onto pipe cleaners, she sorts them in muffin tins, she sorts them in piles on the floor. the girl has found a way to combine her OCD personality with her love colors.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">// i kid you not, she really is OCD. when she cleans her toys and puts her 2 baskets away on the shelf, the baskets have to be lined up evenly. the shelf we use has no back to it, so last night she went back and forth between the two baskets, pushing them a little to get them even with the other one, until the baskets finally hit the wall and were perfectly lined up. she would push one, start to run off, and then realize they still weren't even and come back to push the other one a little. it took her 5 tries. i love her. //</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaa8uUqRe6R4FnoQxo5LFF9rBCvsu9UIxOncZHyxA-IE4rbekqObssCAmux68WNHQjfvgZH38pTFziJUtIRlbnpeOAW11L143rL1T3jZ2hWR05Uyp-MGKJ1Dk427XE31Mf5oJsmkqOEU/s1600/IMG_20130610_145733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaa8uUqRe6R4FnoQxo5LFF9rBCvsu9UIxOncZHyxA-IE4rbekqObssCAmux68WNHQjfvgZH38pTFziJUtIRlbnpeOAW11L143rL1T3jZ2hWR05Uyp-MGKJ1Dk427XE31Mf5oJsmkqOEU/s320/IMG_20130610_145733.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">{she normally sorts them by color...<br />i think this was the very first time <br />she did beads with a mini muffin tin, <br />so she didn't care what color went where}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
so that's that. super simple, super easy, super fun for the toddler in your life.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and OCD two year olds, </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-64269590953778201462013-06-27T13:50:00.004-05:002013-06-27T14:00:13.630-05:00facial features + discussing emotions with toddlers.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">emery has always loved pointing out and naming facial features when snuggling up with people. she likes to count people's eyes, nose, ears, chin, mouth, and eyebrows. just in the last few months though, she's been loving imitating emotions and facial expressions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i wanted to help her explore emotions more, so i dug up some fun things i pinned on my <a href="http://pinterest.com/abarraclough/kids-toddlers/">toddler</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/abarraclough/kids-pre-k/">preK</a> boards awhile back. i printed off the goods and got them laminated for 25 cents/foot at mardel! she's LoViNg it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<u style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">playdough faces:</u><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjGIhBzMCnjObV6J3GC_44VjzEJBaLOSKcbdg8a25uug-42EbUhaT2pbfZCtt6DQy2Y9a_BOxOXuStTJSBS24PHBH7xPhxvqTDRdmYq4V7uXeF9lit_l0W_IZ2g-sr4cFtxwyPbOuvGA/s1600/DSC_0068-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjGIhBzMCnjObV6J3GC_44VjzEJBaLOSKcbdg8a25uug-42EbUhaT2pbfZCtt6DQy2Y9a_BOxOXuStTJSBS24PHBH7xPhxvqTDRdmYq4V7uXeF9lit_l0W_IZ2g-sr4cFtxwyPbOuvGA/s400/DSC_0068-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.jp/2011/09/busy-bag-swap-day-5-playdough-mats_05.html" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Planet of the Apels</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> has printable pages for playdough books! most of them are above emery's level right now, so i just printed off the 2 blank face pages. emery is definitely not to the stage of rolling a "snake" and bending it into a smile, or rolling up balls for eyes, but she pinched off chunks and put them in each spot, telling me which feature they were. she gave the girl a bunch of tiny balls for teeth instead of lips :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">to discuss emotions, i plan to create the faces for her and chat with her from the dialog described below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>paper faces:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDB-OxK7JNXPQV3iI1KILEtxwxyoWkmto0I2lUydYIKzUxQ0e-zS_Yc0JxyqmHBleCxULkueqcM-YgjJ4UZQdBBswSIBZtZhX1ebO8mP9AdWRgz3GTWxZ2_rEzpojE1UIUpeHTxSDX_k/s1600/DSC_0082-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDB-OxK7JNXPQV3iI1KILEtxwxyoWkmto0I2lUydYIKzUxQ0e-zS_Yc0JxyqmHBleCxULkueqcM-YgjJ4UZQdBBswSIBZtZhX1ebO8mP9AdWRgz3GTWxZ2_rEzpojE1UIUpeHTxSDX_k/s640/DSC_0082-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AbPUpKE9HeGYfTCcnsyWHsCDO-7yKf5TRydeattERArEd7QVfBdsMMaIPmwkTeNiH8vsiWtuW8Ad4b6QBx62Gm7mhsLGO7Yl0um1xQklxQuviTq67i7kW_vCif2Hl7xEXPn2NMtrjBI/s1600/etsy+-+ithoughtofitsecond1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5AbPUpKE9HeGYfTCcnsyWHsCDO-7yKf5TRydeattERArEd7QVfBdsMMaIPmwkTeNiH8vsiWtuW8Ad4b6QBx62Gm7mhsLGO7Yl0um1xQklxQuviTq67i7kW_vCif2Hl7xEXPn2NMtrjBI/s400/etsy+-+ithoughtofitsecond1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i found the idea at </span><a href="http://www.theiowafarmerswife.com/2012/03/making-faces-magnets.html" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Iowa Farmer's Wife</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> and tweaked it a little bit to fit our needs. </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">she found her features in magazines - i couldn't, for the life of me, find enough that were big enough and the same general size, so i gave up and got them off the internet. i didn't want to use the same features from the same people, so i copied each picture into paint, cropped off a different feature, pasted it into word, resized it to fit my preference. it took awhile and sure did pull up some gross faces. <u>if anyone is interested in the word document i created, let me know and i'll email it to you!</u></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">all of her mouths were smiles - because i wanted to specifically talk with emery about emotions, i chose puckered lips, a tongue sticking out, a baby crying, and a smile. she loves imitating each one! (i also chose a nose with a nose ring because she loves touching mine and ears with earrings.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">she attached hers to a cookie sheet - i love this idea for things like the car, but for some reason i'm addicted to sticking things on our fridge! {see <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/09/fridge-magnet-tree.html">here</a> and <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/12/fridge-magnet-christmas-tree.html">here</a>} i love that the activity stays off my floor!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i taped heads onto the fridge for her to use as a guide on where to put the features. i found them <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=blank+face+coloring+page&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=-zvLUdSqEIHk8gSUxYBg&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1440&bih=799#rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=blank+face&oq=blank+face&gs_l=img.3..0l10.28282.30970.0.31376.18.10.2.0.0.3.95.885.10.10.0...0.0.0..1c.1.17.img.I3d3bNwhUpY&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48340889,d.eWU&fp=4a98b5993a6b0696&biw=1440&bih=799">here</a>!</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgjP0BSkBGBKMqvlB5ouQ2vI183Ey6EcUcvOriZomWKwHHBpDMcrZUYmcGHEJGnuY75RGxUrUIBUj5MC6OGJiQ6n3o13wyqBbkaaR2YSfsbJcYQqzakSgTyamBwVemPoZAY-t7tXSetM/s1600/DSC_0072-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgjP0BSkBGBKMqvlB5ouQ2vI183Ey6EcUcvOriZomWKwHHBpDMcrZUYmcGHEJGnuY75RGxUrUIBUj5MC6OGJiQ6n3o13wyqBbkaaR2YSfsbJcYQqzakSgTyamBwVemPoZAY-t7tXSetM/s400/DSC_0072-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">am i the only one with a toddler that likes <br />to dress herself like a goober? i sent her upstairs<br /> to get panties on and she came downstairs with an <br />extra headband on her head and <br />a head band around her waist like a belt!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>discussing emotions with toddlers:</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">right now we're at a very basic level of talking about emotions. emery doesn't usually dialog about theoretical stuff, she mostly just answers black and white questions. here are some examples of how we chat:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhXAO4xLhnxIGi0BzWHTFyaolrE1UnDTBNNzvfyFs_ap9U0zZG0UcSuEmjZ-gdcMBSOhKRwX6c2rUb3aJbs9HSr8krOfQgknUUodkAwtnTLDIFkc8U9lDppYt9HnEfk1ORi0KcMO8gCw/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhXAO4xLhnxIGi0BzWHTFyaolrE1UnDTBNNzvfyFs_ap9U0zZG0UcSuEmjZ-gdcMBSOhKRwX6c2rUb3aJbs9HSr8krOfQgknUUodkAwtnTLDIFkc8U9lDppYt9HnEfk1ORi0KcMO8gCw/s200/DSC_0026.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>with the sad face:</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Is the boy crying? can you frown too? what do you think made him sad - do you think he got hurt? could it also make him sad if a friend took his toy? could he be sad if his mommy said "no more TV today"?</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>then we dialog about biblical responses:</u></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if he got hurt, how can you make him feel better? if you hurt him, what should you say?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if you took his toy, should you give it back? should you say sorry? is it ok to take people's toys? no, it's not because God tells us to think of others as more important than our selves. You're thinking of your self as more important when you take a toy from someone. God wants us to love our friends and we can do that by sharing!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if his mommy said "no more TV," is it ok to throw a fit? no, he needs to respect his mommy! if his mommy says something, he needs to obey and say "yes, mommy!" God teaches us in the bible that we're supposed to be joyful in all things and to have self-control. Self-control is choosing not to throw a fit even if you're sad and joy is being happy even if you don't get what you want. i bet his mommy can help him find something else fun to do when he gets control, and stops crying!</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRCM4qW_qAALTpH84f0R322lFLZIbQi_qWFoNq5x0lfpPC4_3OQtDB0mFeJNboUyoFgyNSCzHst_hk-7mo1TiR1jMzMcVxfTYnYUCMrF8DWrEENvT2eZfQtmDlClssMXJoFtcS3LPVbE/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRCM4qW_qAALTpH84f0R322lFLZIbQi_qWFoNq5x0lfpPC4_3OQtDB0mFeJNboUyoFgyNSCzHst_hk-7mo1TiR1jMzMcVxfTYnYUCMrF8DWrEENvT2eZfQtmDlClssMXJoFtcS3LPVbE/s200/DSC_0025.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>with the happy face:</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">is the girl happy? can you smile like she is? what makes emery happy? are you happy when you ride your bike? are you happy when daddy tickles you? are you happy when you're holding cooper?</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>dialog with a biblical tie-in:</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">do you know what makes mommy and daddy happy? we're happy when we snuggle emery and cooper! we're happy when people come over to our house! we're happy when we're cooking with you in the kitchen! <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">but what makes us happy more than anything is knowing that when we disobey God and ask him to forgive us, He does.</span> that makes mommy and daddy so happy - we're so thankful God loves us!</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKyS-zFySUJdd-QjS6XQN36AQgbODUVz9DIW9nx4qiC4hxAgx9NcMXuPU3UveHWE2Z0A7pHFVXPtI4FGon63XGOztfZLVaMRUorbOu3w0xIr7O16So5UnB-yrb10n5ryQCnveQhw8R5c/s1600/DSC_0027-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKyS-zFySUJdd-QjS6XQN36AQgbODUVz9DIW9nx4qiC4hxAgx9NcMXuPU3UveHWE2Z0A7pHFVXPtI4FGon63XGOztfZLVaMRUorbOu3w0xIr7O16So5UnB-yrb10n5ryQCnveQhw8R5c/s200/DSC_0027-001.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>with the kiss face:</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what's he doing with his lips? can you make a kissing face? who can emery give kisses to?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRbZp4sg46nqOmeboKReYOa-oDk7QO_uDdQgscFquRB0E4lBpq715MUKN3t922rxDd_incZea3nB4oeoSKW-BNwesnUUTo6abA_K_PJdaDJ3cOgtHTAOnzIG1_-MFyuKdtTs5k8u5dUw/s1600/DSC_0028-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRbZp4sg46nqOmeboKReYOa-oDk7QO_uDdQgscFquRB0E4lBpq715MUKN3t922rxDd_incZea3nB4oeoSKW-BNwesnUUTo6abA_K_PJdaDJ3cOgtHTAOnzIG1_-MFyuKdtTs5k8u5dUw/s200/DSC_0028-001.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u>with the silly face:</u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what's she doing with her tongue? can you stick your tongue out? what's another silly face you can make?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">emery's not to the point of knowing that sticking your tongue out can be an attitude issue, but once she gets there i'll definitely address it! it would probably sound super similar to the chat above about a good response when mommy says no more tv :-)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4jpz7Hgq2P8M-pp9lfJFgQCt6RiTLY4N-K8eRjOGbH1tKb5_Uq5DGCnh6LR6Pcsamta9XQpMGbrZ46nwmSqQWAINj2ARLLsQneodrWwbDcKNFAAvqQfdhP86MBKX6PQ4M3C4yVydLkc/s1600/06+-+june1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4jpz7Hgq2P8M-pp9lfJFgQCt6RiTLY4N-K8eRjOGbH1tKb5_Uq5DGCnh6LR6Pcsamta9XQpMGbrZ46nwmSqQWAINj2ARLLsQneodrWwbDcKNFAAvqQfdhP86MBKX6PQ4M3C4yVydLkc/s400/06+-+june1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">she's mastering the silly faces with daddy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i love when emery plays with this while i'm making dinner and being able to talk with her while i cook. she has fun mixing and matching all the features to create new "people!"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what are some ways you teach your toddler emotions??</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and silliness,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-55357039794650016472013-06-14T13:23:00.000-05:002013-06-14T13:23:52.348-05:00terra cotta: 3 ways.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mznBekA_VEs-qVlGmsK_gLnDnBr6JvbNPQ-ZXgvQg_80haUViLykBiRtJz6vMJwLO76KIrj0T87ZlhTBVMHHPi-dCNkCoQiAGXmUx37G1j4iEICuw9p9PMzlGHpfC9mRJbZuQ9PRg4w/s1600/06+-+june.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mznBekA_VEs-qVlGmsK_gLnDnBr6JvbNPQ-ZXgvQg_80haUViLykBiRtJz6vMJwLO76KIrj0T87ZlhTBVMHHPi-dCNkCoQiAGXmUx37G1j4iEICuw9p9PMzlGHpfC9mRJbZuQ9PRg4w/s640/06+-+june.jpg" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">my pots needed help. in a bad, bad way. i had painted them for an event several years ago with leftover paint from our old town home walls and the rain had started peeling it away.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYPN-iosLy63U-sXcFv5kLbAFJPAVP2TVvD_ENYHih0ShkSLud8caxQfEYVCiqx0-sVmvITiSpCmE9fZprjirKhkaQD-Pq73zQMcvxzcOtcwaEcm05ZZ6MJ9PlNIFOzei7sVnKSb37OA/s1600/DSC_0016-008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYPN-iosLy63U-sXcFv5kLbAFJPAVP2TVvD_ENYHih0ShkSLud8caxQfEYVCiqx0-sVmvITiSpCmE9fZprjirKhkaQD-Pq73zQMcvxzcOtcwaEcm05ZZ6MJ9PlNIFOzei7sVnKSb37OA/s400/DSC_0016-008.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">*hangs head in shame* </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">yes, this was sitting on my deck.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">thankfully, after a massive pinterest hunt for DiY flower pot ideas, i transformed my sad herb garden into something a lot more perky!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">#1 - hemp and hot glue</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">idea from <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/280912095480196871/">http://pinterest.com/pin/280912095480196871/</a> {exact link is broken}. this is pretty self explanatory. the original idea kept the terra cotta unfinished on the top, but clearly i didn't have that option. plus, i like the pop of color! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrFjskLrVtjq-29MUDIh0YI_NzAaOQA8bIRpZa1qCE5pwECKDA0oibpOWhnUM2bMrBeXLAuXXeF7ij_MhoTvPM0ZxIS6LGqMSdzaLUu4FJ1MyUoVaFjmcJVEDEpaMyh0_a7xG6idS3CE/s1600/DSC_0163-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrFjskLrVtjq-29MUDIh0YI_NzAaOQA8bIRpZa1qCE5pwECKDA0oibpOWhnUM2bMrBeXLAuXXeF7ij_MhoTvPM0ZxIS6LGqMSdzaLUu4FJ1MyUoVaFjmcJVEDEpaMyh0_a7xG6idS3CE/s400/DSC_0163-001.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="285" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwu3WW_-EjRpxp-LY7ksQKBOS-VvaEfut_2P9Db2lKnBiQ5LCoywNRAVXdB0KwldgRkHjkB0FYfaqyTB-kcGvWM7QwRnCbQkiJnP4CtuWlSKYlzi-HWqNjX0VBrBRVyDRJGB8u8-NJvU/s1600/2013-05-24+14.40.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwu3WW_-EjRpxp-LY7ksQKBOS-VvaEfut_2P9Db2lKnBiQ5LCoywNRAVXdB0KwldgRkHjkB0FYfaqyTB-kcGvWM7QwRnCbQkiJnP4CtuWlSKYlzi-HWqNjX0VBrBRVyDRJGB8u8-NJvU/s400/2013-05-24+14.40.04.jpg" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">#2 - toddler art</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i used to be obsessed with everything in my house matching perfectly. if something was going to be on display, it had to coordinate with my decor. mommyhood gave me a radical change of heart - emery's creations are like gold to me - there's no way it has to match my house for me to want to set it out to be seen everyday! she made a flower pot for each of her grandma's for mother's day and i was so sad to see them leave our house that i quickly ran to the store and got a pot for her to paint for me!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28U2gXTcXdyuSVGTNgKTSruBINAC_Y3LTbsAj0JbRwLVxmpcuptUnvnImy9ERciiw7iV22-UcqQ4g1XRLtZAc938PRDTnACzj124hxTtqLjYOTUlKhJXsRWk4qoSW6DyXRiiTu4mhEYg/s1600/DSC_0011-007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28U2gXTcXdyuSVGTNgKTSruBINAC_Y3LTbsAj0JbRwLVxmpcuptUnvnImy9ERciiw7iV22-UcqQ4g1XRLtZAc938PRDTnACzj124hxTtqLjYOTUlKhJXsRWk4qoSW6DyXRiiTu4mhEYg/s320/DSC_0011-007.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="320" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVF2jKsTllroHkVu_Ulu4LSkIg4hm0RjdsV-zYX9JAK8zGpuGxe_JNbZu-Um402nyupWVM4BnS952Bq7AM1bIVQUz9IEwd8ejtCXAeB6-6toduIetKze164N1d37RBMTv_xRkTqjJKiE/s1600/DSC_0019-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVF2jKsTllroHkVu_Ulu4LSkIg4hm0RjdsV-zYX9JAK8zGpuGxe_JNbZu-Um402nyupWVM4BnS952Bq7AM1bIVQUz9IEwd8ejtCXAeB6-6toduIetKze164N1d37RBMTv_xRkTqjJKiE/s400/DSC_0019-002.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">can anyone tell me why my dill<br /> is dying at the bottom but <br />continuing to grow at the top? <br />i'm a newbie and confused..</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">#3 - free-hand stripes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this one is original...i liked the bright colors combined with neutrals of the<a href="http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=color%20block%20pots"> color blocked pots</a> i was finding on pinterest, but i didn't want it to look too similar to pot #1. i only wish i had fewer stripes, more spaced out, but i'm too busy with 2 kiddos now to even day dream about redoing it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xj-ucTlQURbHA7SuC_LhN92mJXKYE_QUAAxd4_L0nI9Nk-1R9B0vva9aI1TYXSkGJ8Ni5oHg0eVM2fYB6FWkK6AoG2LWi8WSTtkT9OXbI0xIZ5_D7oDlqonG55CbsuDenkluT5-ED1w/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6xj-ucTlQURbHA7SuC_LhN92mJXKYE_QUAAxd4_L0nI9Nk-1R9B0vva9aI1TYXSkGJ8Ni5oHg0eVM2fYB6FWkK6AoG2LWi8WSTtkT9OXbI0xIZ5_D7oDlqonG55CbsuDenkluT5-ED1w/s400/DSC_0122.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="285" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X3v8aBRbHbDBVq3Xp4gTBqk_3TFH-HeW2lnS-oe99HQlNmjdgwVND5U3YAsDoJ0UGZbZc3RBlx4s_am-vpYHvzZeA9cl6IrO6DOinJ8yzUkO2ZkqOkstKuABYgVicbYFx8H51xJe2Ic/s1600/DSC_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X3v8aBRbHbDBVq3Xp4gTBqk_3TFH-HeW2lnS-oe99HQlNmjdgwVND5U3YAsDoJ0UGZbZc3RBlx4s_am-vpYHvzZeA9cl6IrO6DOinJ8yzUkO2ZkqOkstKuABYgVicbYFx8H51xJe2Ic/s400/DSC_0116.JPG" title="DiY terra cotta pot updates" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm loving using fresh herbs in my cooking! i just started culturing some pickles with our dill a few days ago and can't wait to make pesto with my 2 basil plants! i'm also going to try my second attempt at mint extract...i tried it once with store bought mint, right before all <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2013/05/emerys-first-time-meeting-cooper-this.html">the hospital stuff</a> happened, but it smelled weird. hope it works this time around!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCVyddErzwdkbrNpnLxwRRQZHpUxzbvbzwgUHmlQSiOvzI_D-UQVRakj4UiSwiq_HChyusmIkHW02xS9jtRhDn2BWAKFrugrODqiff036Pm-f_hyphenhypheniC6tMGGADZBSkMpIxAu7zlGP8ndE/s1600/DSC_0047-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCVyddErzwdkbrNpnLxwRRQZHpUxzbvbzwgUHmlQSiOvzI_D-UQVRakj4UiSwiq_HChyusmIkHW02xS9jtRhDn2BWAKFrugrODqiff036Pm-f_hyphenhypheniC6tMGGADZBSkMpIxAu7zlGP8ndE/s400/DSC_0047-003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">emery loves helping in the garden &<br />is great at watering the plants everyday!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOnFtuRTw_J4qye4kVYjP0b3xWMcZGxEEPQtVMuWKgKJmwWtUmbh80aST_fX-vHbEqR4E9walscNmcI_-Iod6D2JB1SfMMBXv00IRSWY8VSKwNzXWoQDafo8xS6Egih7r4i-nrbXtEMg/s1600/2013-05-22+19.53.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOnFtuRTw_J4qye4kVYjP0b3xWMcZGxEEPQtVMuWKgKJmwWtUmbh80aST_fX-vHbEqR4E9walscNmcI_-Iod6D2JB1SfMMBXv00IRSWY8VSKwNzXWoQDafo8xS6Egih7r4i-nrbXtEMg/s400/2013-05-22+19.53.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i have to tell her to stop stealing herbs<br /> from the garden - she could eat them all day!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">love and fresh picked deliciousness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-52427087514273402022013-05-15T14:47:00.000-05:002013-06-05T09:59:24.092-05:00NICU stay + emery's birthday weekend.<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this has been quite the blogging hiatus! for those that don't know me personally, our little peanut, that was due May 17th, decided to come April 4th!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk28C2NwsdRJ0Bs2JJLiMPypQqnKqZrUc2pW7rUURrC2qkvfaxy3i5C2drDybJeZluTYMGD_tu1ioyQPzJcBSmUv1mJIygaKINlsGvVVfWxMBourD_k1SMy8SkcwVPj2DokjM7UCUJwk/s1600/DSC_0054-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBk28C2NwsdRJ0Bs2JJLiMPypQqnKqZrUc2pW7rUURrC2qkvfaxy3i5C2drDybJeZluTYMGD_tu1ioyQPzJcBSmUv1mJIygaKINlsGvVVfWxMBourD_k1SMy8SkcwVPj2DokjM7UCUJwk/s400/DSC_0054-002.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{emery's first time meeting cooper!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">FEB 22nd</span> - i went to the ER {at 28 weeks} with a sharp and increasing pain in my side that had been happening for 3 days. I thought the dr's were going to laugh at me and send me home, but apparently i was having the pain with contractions i couldn't feel. i was in the hospital for 5 days - we stayed longer than we needed to because of a snow storm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i came home on bed rest and our amazing church and family took great care of us for 5 weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">MAR 25th - </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">my water broke at 32 weeks and 3 days. after chilling in my luxurious hospital room for almost 2 weeks, cooper decided to finally make his appearance {the day before they planned to induce me}.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsCCWlJyKmLvfJ4noLvzF86EiVSt2PovB3im3kXN5knX5XqeyZVcgIOOo0zixVQULjo2q5iPIcmjnY7v7Up19xnpkqXcnqIZMQeL55OqBqgQHfIyQZ9ZQRQklnQ_Hd4yH_UNONT7Kl9Q/s1600/cooper's+here!1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsCCWlJyKmLvfJ4noLvzF86EiVSt2PovB3im3kXN5knX5XqeyZVcgIOOo0zixVQULjo2q5iPIcmjnY7v7Up19xnpkqXcnqIZMQeL55OqBqgQHfIyQZ9ZQRQklnQ_Hd4yH_UNONT7Kl9Q/s640/cooper's+here!1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{easter sunday!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">APRIL 4th - </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">he's here! 4 lbs 3 oz of pure sweetness.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTF0WkyE0zBIFp80F0x8ixJwiq7_ntw5FEFo3bzby0_srdxsGM7jsFYejc10g3WaDLJ_XjiWO7As05j7eE_B8bav1KxTtC_wqodpJDhLtxqIN0CvKcN-x6BHfgLAysPFGVF4JvBTV6LU/s1600/cooper's+here!2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTF0WkyE0zBIFp80F0x8ixJwiq7_ntw5FEFo3bzby0_srdxsGM7jsFYejc10g3WaDLJ_XjiWO7As05j7eE_B8bav1KxTtC_wqodpJDhLtxqIN0CvKcN-x6BHfgLAysPFGVF4JvBTV6LU/s640/cooper's+here!2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9rpkEhiQOUSVfAfRR-cJc9uBHAWSYxdvNqNmwNyEUfeIIpWJCAPuOZ43D3h0NlisnB2pBaT0TbzTJFVhPSsen6y8WGduGOuf23qsUCojnGTUD2O49I2Ua5FChbdOUvN7YUyn5L3af8U/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9rpkEhiQOUSVfAfRR-cJc9uBHAWSYxdvNqNmwNyEUfeIIpWJCAPuOZ43D3h0NlisnB2pBaT0TbzTJFVhPSsen6y8WGduGOuf23qsUCojnGTUD2O49I2Ua5FChbdOUvN7YUyn5L3af8U/s400/DSC_0099.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{photo therapy <br />for a few days}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">he never needed any oxygen, they took out his IV after 2 days, and he nursed like a champ after a week or so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EMTfFIDKvzK-2ZgDnjBJEt9W47amptFyKavsucghpJHnoCJWSf1t-Y0JqsibpWqun8xZ9yYL_Md0kA2CKl0SgbcH7GLKo3ERU_Hb7meVuzX8xOsIGcjSafZKo7koqlbezF_pFo3rhDI/s1600/cooper's+here!3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EMTfFIDKvzK-2ZgDnjBJEt9W47amptFyKavsucghpJHnoCJWSf1t-Y0JqsibpWqun8xZ9yYL_Md0kA2CKl0SgbcH7GLKo3ERU_Hb7meVuzX8xOsIGcjSafZKo7koqlbezF_pFo3rhDI/s640/cooper's+here!3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5m3PiTibFEx3DMcZr7tRWPBh8jaYYvMxMEUsbrB7zX6m4KA3bGX0v0ZulU3UuxBZjSQAlXt-ZRUl9ZxDMag3v_XeoHpWLjObHkP1s4_SjrxMgJ71gjJWH3TKKX-lP3tGaHnn4rBxaKQ8/s1600/cooper's+here!4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5m3PiTibFEx3DMcZr7tRWPBh8jaYYvMxMEUsbrB7zX6m4KA3bGX0v0ZulU3UuxBZjSQAlXt-ZRUl9ZxDMag3v_XeoHpWLjObHkP1s4_SjrxMgJ71gjJWH3TKKX-lP3tGaHnn4rBxaKQ8/s640/cooper's+here!4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">however, the stinker decided to hava bad apnea the day before we were supposed to get discharged. for those that don't know, each time they have one, you can't leave the NICU for 5-7 days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">after 3 attempts to go home, cooper finally decided he was ready after 5 weeks in the NICU. we decided to come home on an apnea monitor, which is bitter sweet. i love the security of knowing when he needs help, but man oh man, i'll be glad when i don't have to lug the thing around everywhere and make sure i'm near an outlet to plug it in while i hold him. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mUSAgZeg3Y7nvVghJflGXQYKO8VbsiTCo21yMSSPB-BlMIYVCULh6e_Uq8GZyyPS5AFq_F_1dTtvZVTrS8AQqMbMgmj8cM7vS2ZOjoTAeXBRwru8I8HyolKf3_JFH6UkIWvtrZdkKHw/s1600/DSC_0052-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mUSAgZeg3Y7nvVghJflGXQYKO8VbsiTCo21yMSSPB-BlMIYVCULh6e_Uq8GZyyPS5AFq_F_1dTtvZVTrS8AQqMbMgmj8cM7vS2ZOjoTAeXBRwru8I8HyolKf3_JFH6UkIWvtrZdkKHw/s640/DSC_0052-003.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRo_PI90znNP_79nSMB1gpbfX-zfeD8VAeJ-tE36bxhvVbcg0Ezm3JFN2Oa0Oj2c5C2aJQENLLhKQZ-TvXjBfvzxzORkRWXdFyTa-yr5cWMoz60P8TzzjHLawYj3IdYxtUdZMyWfNiK8/s1600/DSC_0072-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRo_PI90znNP_79nSMB1gpbfX-zfeD8VAeJ-tE36bxhvVbcg0Ezm3JFN2Oa0Oj2c5C2aJQENLLhKQZ-TvXjBfvzxzORkRWXdFyTa-yr5cWMoz60P8TzzjHLawYj3IdYxtUdZMyWfNiK8/s640/DSC_0072-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{explaining the monitor to emery}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">and, </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">not gonna lie, i do not miss having to drive 15 minutes, ride an elevator, sign in to the NICU, and scrub my hands for 3 minutes every time i want to feed my baby!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">my math oriented husband just realized last night that either cooper or I have been in the hospital a total of 54 days. and praise the Lord for insurance, these bills are unbelievable!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-fXOTtGHB4QEArtg7DWJp1YJ85qUNBjbyAJ9TgUmk843E41tJFu_FnyKU1WUoAx0t3Xvxx_aClncdRGO-kNmVHGF7l9SxSznJiEzgutYlgV0SN1snBSKB3ruZQoUOTN0RGcMy7fAZSU/s1600/DSC_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-fXOTtGHB4QEArtg7DWJp1YJ85qUNBjbyAJ9TgUmk843E41tJFu_FnyKU1WUoAx0t3Xvxx_aClncdRGO-kNmVHGF7l9SxSznJiEzgutYlgV0SN1snBSKB3ruZQoUOTN0RGcMy7fAZSU/s320/DSC_0157.JPG" width="228" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWQ2XVgCw1Kwo8jZWZueOCYwA5n37ROMcBj8cqQYIvZN3210KuRWl08jHivBDldBO1ptyqveRmp_7JlUsyPQdFantMZjxwMeeai1Hv4mrEsJbf_ctUNQuxALizJSViJLv0S8Zt9OXXwQ/s1600/DSC_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWQ2XVgCw1Kwo8jZWZueOCYwA5n37ROMcBj8cqQYIvZN3210KuRWl08jHivBDldBO1ptyqveRmp_7JlUsyPQdFantMZjxwMeeai1Hv4mrEsJbf_ctUNQuxALizJSViJLv0S8Zt9OXXwQ/s320/DSC_0224.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">+ + + + +</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">the day we got home we had a super small ice cream birthday party for emery with some left over decor from her party last year! she was just as giddy about her party as she was for cooper to be home :-)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2DcC8pcg9Jun0P6u8sMcCb8f-7SeDF-JQU6YC8e85ok_dHjK1NVAEkqtBI3DCdkersxj8MP4X-9SMLJNlXumEMdtf_kSlj0N68MBU55WrSUdni6lXdl95UHzeP1ye9MeRO4w8tw-R4E/s1600/cooper's+here!5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2DcC8pcg9Jun0P6u8sMcCb8f-7SeDF-JQU6YC8e85ok_dHjK1NVAEkqtBI3DCdkersxj8MP4X-9SMLJNlXumEMdtf_kSlj0N68MBU55WrSUdni6lXdl95UHzeP1ye9MeRO4w8tw-R4E/s640/cooper's+here!5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">emery and andrew are ice cream addicts. my parents got me an ice cream<br />maker for christmas and i'm so excited to be making <br />healthier dessert for my sweet tooth family!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQnNayP3-CEAEtbrQtdedWZYUJbcZy0jpC47CTF7ku9kcrp-M4aKGrmpWorAGT2mXMlPYTFNBlz2QgITaaqPUSBIuKLNjwuNCPm04Ts7WvRQDVKQ_DwjXLcv5PXUSIKromdYKLjXSeAg/s1600/cooper's+here!6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQnNayP3-CEAEtbrQtdedWZYUJbcZy0jpC47CTF7ku9kcrp-M4aKGrmpWorAGT2mXMlPYTFNBlz2QgITaaqPUSBIuKLNjwuNCPm04Ts7WvRQDVKQ_DwjXLcv5PXUSIKromdYKLjXSeAg/s400/cooper's+here!6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEoNVmHs-QjPgMhyphenhyphenh0l8E_FiUqxqi6s7TWehSCkL-DOMBpFQ4nVPBtf8vlApxMte0AYZNd2fTikEsixDJxCuDxk413b_sfcn5NZJWrQU0wWmywDPbkVdpYXBZh_wFwdAyMCdgh-eK0v0/s1600/cooper's+here!7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEoNVmHs-QjPgMhyphenhyphenh0l8E_FiUqxqi6s7TWehSCkL-DOMBpFQ4nVPBtf8vlApxMte0AYZNd2fTikEsixDJxCuDxk413b_sfcn5NZJWrQU0wWmywDPbkVdpYXBZh_wFwdAyMCdgh-eK0v0/s640/cooper's+here!7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">emery and cooper picked out presents for each other {;-)} ahead of time and exchanged them on sunday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5mzLlSLqlFq5VdWPcJQETkut0AqbfX4BYlyUgtobNz3EuIx1At3_eB93D6ez5nh17zWCwrDuRvfQGBF2sX99IVNhoHKlwCdArQiGDjWJP0d5G4PZD19WWj4P8ux-iGH9LsfeMyPzeCE/s1600/cooper's+here!11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5mzLlSLqlFq5VdWPcJQETkut0AqbfX4BYlyUgtobNz3EuIx1At3_eB93D6ez5nh17zWCwrDuRvfQGBF2sX99IVNhoHKlwCdArQiGDjWJP0d5G4PZD19WWj4P8ux-iGH9LsfeMyPzeCE/s400/cooper's+here!11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">cooper got emery a stroller for her baby dolls!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8XxmU0M8iiOwvQDdsLkvWjdDW41GiX9aWIRVJZmJnSTr7FKHRxg6AOjagY14vs84xSEEJunMGccB9jr3h3ZmlldmNEv_rlo-4NXLWYHVG_X0YtS012VhcuwyJtW11VqQekBk9A8y0vQ/s1600/cooper's+here!12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8XxmU0M8iiOwvQDdsLkvWjdDW41GiX9aWIRVJZmJnSTr7FKHRxg6AOjagY14vs84xSEEJunMGccB9jr3h3ZmlldmNEv_rlo-4NXLWYHVG_X0YtS012VhcuwyJtW11VqQekBk9A8y0vQ/s400/cooper's+here!12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">and emery got cooper a toy for his car seat and an elephant rattle!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">monday was her actual birthday - since we'd been dying for months to have some fun family outings, we decided to brave Deanna Rose Farmstead and were thankful both kiddos did great! emery was most excited about the chickens, because she was hoping to see baby chicks, but sadly there weren't any :-/</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbyrJ0y0wlp4_aSZqUG8kXTFpjHdeb4-DVBJ1f2_WtEIT6yZSZcq12DGS_B5rfyRHWdrjeEvKmwFdWd7r9Um0MVVz5G8vePkqNDGKlS14Ri4pRP26mXkQZ7cJbHiS7iSofAOuf768OgQ/s1600/cooper's+here!8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbyrJ0y0wlp4_aSZqUG8kXTFpjHdeb4-DVBJ1f2_WtEIT6yZSZcq12DGS_B5rfyRHWdrjeEvKmwFdWd7r9Um0MVVz5G8vePkqNDGKlS14Ri4pRP26mXkQZ7cJbHiS7iSofAOuf768OgQ/s640/cooper's+here!8.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we let her push her baby doll around the farmstead <br />and she loved it! cooper knew just what she wanted ;-)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUe9yv0wzq9ToE7EUYxtfpaCXKoNnFRPa1U4tkyA79vgF9FxMn29kotLlsef-obm8K0m8X1Z9NhH8KwGuSOWY6Bwxw1f_eWNKVHmDV1o6npDrud3Sy9JdhVx7whKFPeuG53YFpEgLhZY/s1600/cooper's+here!9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUe9yv0wzq9ToE7EUYxtfpaCXKoNnFRPa1U4tkyA79vgF9FxMn29kotLlsef-obm8K0m8X1Z9NhH8KwGuSOWY6Bwxw1f_eWNKVHmDV1o6npDrud3Sy9JdhVx7whKFPeuG53YFpEgLhZY/s640/cooper's+here!9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i was super impressed that she wasn't scared!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sjR15qRFh1X7KJ9y-UFWzo6s9VXkxRb65fT-bIKRqYEIcqCu1Z15dF1ou5uz1JljdlAGwiXDSlOrs_VpprIUX7nqAIpSPZsMb83x1KjM7wkKYwAWp3ay0yUnCH-wpndmBH7xl-jR67k/s1600/cooper's+here!10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sjR15qRFh1X7KJ9y-UFWzo6s9VXkxRb65fT-bIKRqYEIcqCu1Z15dF1ou5uz1JljdlAGwiXDSlOrs_VpprIUX7nqAIpSPZsMb83x1KjM7wkKYwAWp3ay0yUnCH-wpndmBH7xl-jR67k/s640/cooper's+here!10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">we're loving being under the same roof! emery smothers cooper with hugs and kisses, constantly asking "hold you? hold you?" can't wait for them to play and interact together as he gets older! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">hoping to get back into a routine with blogging! now you know why i've been MIA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">love and 4 pound babies, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">amber</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-83063514850557203112013-02-19T10:50:00.001-06:002013-02-19T11:00:43.658-06:00garlic oil for ear infections.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmMLQxNLDgO5JJSVyoF5CbGDBJUPnyj304OS0mUdEiKGYlnb_tZDmAGh3ufEMDn9SeCBpYPBWb31AYZ5OC3Q5cEtuIV4yiPErTenl_yFXqX3YyoJJX4i2WOzTB9OaO2t1WPrgKR_yKRU/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmMLQxNLDgO5JJSVyoF5CbGDBJUPnyj304OS0mUdEiKGYlnb_tZDmAGh3ufEMDn9SeCBpYPBWb31AYZ5OC3Q5cEtuIV4yiPErTenl_yFXqX3YyoJJX4i2WOzTB9OaO2t1WPrgKR_yKRU/s640/DSC_0188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">as i slowly get off the mainstream path, i'm constantly fascinated by the gobs of information on natural remedies. i used to often think about how lucky i was to be alive in the current era with all the modern science of care. not to say that doctors aren't a huge blessing when truly needed, but i'm surprised it never occurred to me that all the generations before us "somehow" survived. it seems the only things you hear about are the bubonic plague and how no pioneer ever showered or washed their hands and come to the conclusion that society as a whole was completely ignorant before modern care came around. at least that's what i thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">one of the most basic and common remedies i've found is homemade garlic oil for ear infections. i've found several websites and blog posts about it, but all were a little different. if i'm going to attempt to heal my family naturally, i want to read everything i can! this is a collection of my findings.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-82J_yVPQHc9TJMur5z_ddd7GSdg5uY28mR750cRhgDv6w-GgaYjw82zkMaZw4AoGsvjJAypuaHj6w1u5NzTeqPNJfoFEEMUQkYaWKSWvO9calziOvJUDdmiFN202WSJNxgSObxhAJ8/s1600/DSC_0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-82J_yVPQHc9TJMur5z_ddd7GSdg5uY28mR750cRhgDv6w-GgaYjw82zkMaZw4AoGsvjJAypuaHj6w1u5NzTeqPNJfoFEEMUQkYaWKSWvO9calziOvJUDdmiFN202WSJNxgSObxhAJ8/s320/DSC_0192.JPG" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wyFYa0oAImsp2UDsppMBnLnuasASopolRWlZSniaWvt1xJkRYV9ZuNrKo9-uRTe6PbLCgI17RBTbUm9R_SpjljJtEShpQ2nmaJbnQ9B3GXcL5llKhnxc5xhEFawPTRclUUk_FF4xIFg/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wyFYa0oAImsp2UDsppMBnLnuasASopolRWlZSniaWvt1xJkRYV9ZuNrKo9-uRTe6PbLCgI17RBTbUm9R_SpjljJtEShpQ2nmaJbnQ9B3GXcL5llKhnxc5xhEFawPTRclUUk_FF4xIFg/s1600/DSC_0188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wyFYa0oAImsp2UDsppMBnLnuasASopolRWlZSniaWvt1xJkRYV9ZuNrKo9-uRTe6PbLCgI17RBTbUm9R_SpjljJtEShpQ2nmaJbnQ9B3GXcL5llKhnxc5xhEFawPTRclUUk_FF4xIFg/s400/DSC_0188.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YUGiKnMdxXMxQo7qMqVzzmKoib8q8gfmmm_h0Ashrxj7Og87OU1UtX6YmUVcqk0B2lWQSdro-mr5xx4U1yssYhNHII2H6vXfuv8KnJI9JzHsaBm3u29d_MB3ocSHkNv8DlzffI-2TMI/s1600/i+thought+of+it+second5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YUGiKnMdxXMxQo7qMqVzzmKoib8q8gfmmm_h0Ashrxj7Og87OU1UtX6YmUVcqk0B2lWQSdro-mr5xx4U1yssYhNHII2H6vXfuv8KnJI9JzHsaBm3u29d_MB3ocSHkNv8DlzffI-2TMI/s320/i+thought+of+it+second5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRqfachuk4fdGNPhI3u1u449O4Xwmmg3Gxmg6naKwkq7_zDLI6_qqV8bTxTEwsuJOyL-0Bnm9_EyZSKT_IV5fiPqMZixt1GDXrw0dclWF2d6OVKBQtvl3pUdWnho44W916SNU3n1cbck/s1600/DSC_0197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRqfachuk4fdGNPhI3u1u449O4Xwmmg3Gxmg6naKwkq7_zDLI6_qqV8bTxTEwsuJOyL-0Bnm9_EyZSKT_IV5fiPqMZixt1GDXrw0dclWF2d6OVKBQtvl3pUdWnho44W916SNU3n1cbck/s320/DSC_0197.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlbBKAQh38qT_gTN41TEYN02DNcUp-u7EsiCvEIK0faoW1D7gR02DtGNl9xrz14JLpppssmHV0Kfa47SuJIjAfNz9-itObG82s5ouDPCKZ0ysCGxkMf3VYgg0PQsB1DoTwgvZwYrQ5uk/s1600/DSC_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlbBKAQh38qT_gTN41TEYN02DNcUp-u7EsiCvEIK0faoW1D7gR02DtGNl9xrz14JLpppssmHV0Kfa47SuJIjAfNz9-itObG82s5ouDPCKZ0ysCGxkMf3VYgg0PQsB1DoTwgvZwYrQ5uk/s400/DSC_0190.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">heat 4 TB olive or coconut oil on low. once warm, add 2 cloves minced garlic and remove from heat. let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i read different places that it can be stored in fridge for 4 - 14 days {range from 3 different sources}. just to be on the safe side, i opted for the smaller number {i only needed it for 3 days anyway}. either way, when you apply it to the ear, <a href="http://www.greenandgrateful.com/2012/08/garlic-and-olive-oil-ear-drops/">this article</a> warns that <u>if done while oil is cold, can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and pain. heating in the microwave can cause hot spots, which would also be awful.</u> i warmed my oil the same way you would warm a baby bottle - in a container of warm water, to bring it to room temp.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">you don't want to get garlic chunks in the ear! strain your oil through a cheese cloth or clean, fine mesh towel and squeeze all the excess into a bowl.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">now you're ready to go. i used a dropper from Whole Foods that cost about $2. {but i kept the oil stored in the glass bowl out of personal preference. i wanted to be able to feel that all the oil was the right temp, which i didn't feel like i could do if i stored and warmed the oil in a dropper bottle.} Apply 3-4 drops of oil per ear, about 20 minutes apart. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this was not the easiest thing to do with a toddler, but she also had RSV so she was super lethargic and fell asleep in daddy's arms while he read her books. Andrew would hold her while she laid on one side, i'd add the drops, and they would read books or watch a movie until it was time to switch to the next ear.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this is something i haven't come across on a blog, but that a friend {who's been doing this for years with her 4 boys} recommended - she slices a piece of garlic, sticks it over the ear {large enough that it wont go in the canal},covers it with a bandaid, and leaves it for the day. While i'm sure it helped, i probably wont do this with a female toddler again. she was squirmy enough that i caught her hair in the bandaid which made her even more miserable during naps {she couldn't move her head without it pulling her hair}. If she was a boy with short hair or old enough to understand what was going on and hold still, i wouldn't have had the same problems and would do it again.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>Misc. Notes:</u></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">our chiropractor told me a few days ago that a simple adjustment will often heal an ear infection. He explained that in young children, their ear canal is horizontal and often has a hard time draining properly. He said eventually, the canal forms a slant that enables easier drainage {which is why younger people tend to get infections more often.} He said that if a certain disk in the neck is slightly out of place, it can also effect the drainage. He said it's one of the most common reason he sees kids for adjustments and that it's simple and effective. We'll definitely be trying this next time!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">garlic oil is the most basic way i've read to treat an infection on your own. it worked great for emery and i didn't have any concerns. if you feel like you need to do more, or that things aren't getting better, check out <a href="http://creativechristianmama.com/natural-remedies-for-ear-infection/">Creative Christian Mama's post on healing ear infections naturally</a>. She did several things above and beyond the garlic oil that helped achieve a speedy recovery. She also notes several warning signs to look out for that might indicate the need for doctor's care.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i've considered <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=otoscope&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&aq=f&oq=otoscope&aqs=chrome.0.57j5j0l2j62l2.1668&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=otoscope&hl=en&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&sa=X&ei=DK8jUavoE-a-2AWzuIGgCg&ved=0CDIQpwUoAA&tbs=vw:l%2Cprice%3A1%2Cppr_min%3A%2Cppr_max%3A50&tbm=shop&tbo=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42553238,d.b2I&fp=cc186a9efe4a1d90&biw=1440&bih=799">buying an otoscope</a> for personal use and reading up on what a healthy and infected ear look like for the times i can't tell and my kids can't communicate it to me. If we hadn't gone to the ER for emery's RSV, i would have had no idea she had the infection. She never tugged on her ears or acted like they were bothering her. i think i would be more comfortable being able to check her ears when she's acting differently just to make sure i'm not missing the signs!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if you're looking for natural remedies for other things, check out<a href="http://pinterest.com/abarraclough/"> my pinterest collection</a>! i've been gathering all sorts of information on treating different illnesses and have pinned them under several boards labeled "body care". If i have need for them in the future, i plan to post about my experiences with each of them.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what natural remedies have you tried? have they worked? i'd love to hear your experiences!</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and healthy toddlers,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-81508290349604507942013-02-04T13:01:00.000-06:002013-02-08T07:16:45.481-06:00color & shape theme for toddlers: valentine matching.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i've never been into decorating for valentine's day, but for some reason {probably thanks to pinterest} i can't stop planning valentine projects!</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNC4RiAUCtvhq_vJLhI4b8A1FXGxFwNpm7iVe5YQu_40GfpmnJn1wQRyWSYs8PYGjmBR-d-LdWwbkuoFqF_JfaJe4ZpaYtniXU7xsUteMCdw1YDPdjuo_zb99y2WEpi4jxelo8CoocOQ/s1600/01+-+jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNC4RiAUCtvhq_vJLhI4b8A1FXGxFwNpm7iVe5YQu_40GfpmnJn1wQRyWSYs8PYGjmBR-d-LdWwbkuoFqF_JfaJe4ZpaYtniXU7xsUteMCdw1YDPdjuo_zb99y2WEpi4jxelo8CoocOQ/s400/01+-+jan.jpg" title="misc toddler art projects" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">painting, gluing, and coloring valentines!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIwq6F7eZTuVH0EN5sBLVXkEEZ9OgNcfcg7GvNHOjBoM2ePxTma1YNViDu7v8B0PPWXSG7juwidiFo6P3juVRkE3xlnT0ZhC27GvQ7Y24xzFYcoXoTxZ1tTAT8o_1KYW4Gg3vy8CEAOw/s1600/01+-+jan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIwq6F7eZTuVH0EN5sBLVXkEEZ9OgNcfcg7GvNHOjBoM2ePxTma1YNViDu7v8B0PPWXSG7juwidiFo6P3juVRkE3xlnT0ZhC27GvQ7Y24xzFYcoXoTxZ1tTAT8o_1KYW4Gg3vy8CEAOw/s400/01+-+jan1.jpg" title="marble painting valentines" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63ktjSIucnlSOgK2sAXTs8FgDq5LShBBKlittaB_6zhXMdVf2QA8ziEpiqFsp4MOwNhAtUwK6we1-f8-wwOaYRwTtUh4cKpf50HJSninsCWEv-sDTBpoLpvcafa87FeCLVlanHPSOuB4/s1600/01+-+jan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63ktjSIucnlSOgK2sAXTs8FgDq5LShBBKlittaB_6zhXMdVf2QA8ziEpiqFsp4MOwNhAtUwK6we1-f8-wwOaYRwTtUh4cKpf50HJSninsCWEv-sDTBpoLpvcafa87FeCLVlanHPSOuB4/s400/01+-+jan2.jpg" title="valentine photo shoot" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">a little photo shoot!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHN_Cs5KmlAqD7pmmcHdg2SVVQTzmcq1drAUnLfNGruJkJprEymgwGmDSi5CxpJWqq621DnFp1C7mlE70-cd75EdUBQHp1VTF3eu15A2n3epOSx0N4OWzvwWs4eWv01C8A99ykSUHZPlc/s1600/from+phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHN_Cs5KmlAqD7pmmcHdg2SVVQTzmcq1drAUnLfNGruJkJprEymgwGmDSi5CxpJWqq621DnFp1C7mlE70-cd75EdUBQHp1VTF3eu15A2n3epOSx0N4OWzvwWs4eWv01C8A99ykSUHZPlc/s400/from+phone.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{left - i couldn't throw away the hearts from the <br />photoshoot so i made a giant heart above our desk!<br />right - a simple burlap banner hanging from our mantel}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">but, the real reason for this post: another color learning activity!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReyYVArLk4ba8Yb3hnWupThLeQ1QqNscjbpavSylQd9T0KCvPDr4rGvLFaz51UlPsnohGGY3ybXqI4QiyT2JZ_4D1N0DDA1VMsY5IUINBsIRLAGyUf8n_Yt3OeQQDws9Fz-CwHmY1F6Y/s1600/20134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReyYVArLk4ba8Yb3hnWupThLeQ1QqNscjbpavSylQd9T0KCvPDr4rGvLFaz51UlPsnohGGY3ybXqI4QiyT2JZ_4D1N0DDA1VMsY5IUINBsIRLAGyUf8n_Yt3OeQQDws9Fz-CwHmY1F6Y/s640/20134.jpg" title="learning basic colors and heart shape with toddlers using valentine theme." width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i just did another search for </span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=clip+art+hearts&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ugEQUcDfGojdrAHW8oHYDQ&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=799" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">clip art, this time for hearts.</a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">printed one of the hearts on card stock as a stencil and traced 8 hearts {2 of each color}. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i taped one of each color to card stock {i plan to laminate this next time i'm at mardel}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">and then put the rest in a pile.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">she did really well, other than one mistake. She gets the concept of one-to-one correspondence, so she could match them without knowing what color was what. To make sure she was learning as she played, i told her what color to pick up next. She knows purple, but this was great practice for white, pink, and red. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">like i said in the <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2013/01/color-theme-for-toddlers-polka-dot-bath.html">circle bath post</a>, i like keeping the color options small to keep it from being overwhelming and i like</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> to play the game several times a day for reinforcement</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i also love taking advantage of the holidays to learn specific colors and shapes!</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ReFOSLLZEA5MDT-w2h6l6ei25wjufNDkrt1Pl_eYSrO2KuSkZbWpQZTDbInBZww0r6C2spuXR1iD2Ej75bxbxcTWUttPcRDRZJGN5kbFdPKw0gdDFbVady4an5CWG0PZcN3bnohKZmU/s1600/DSC_0015-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ReFOSLLZEA5MDT-w2h6l6ei25wjufNDkrt1Pl_eYSrO2KuSkZbWpQZTDbInBZww0r6C2spuXR1iD2Ej75bxbxcTWUttPcRDRZJGN5kbFdPKw0gdDFbVady4an5CWG0PZcN3bnohKZmU/s400/DSC_0015-002.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">you can't tell by her face, <br />but she was excited when she <br />looked down and realized she had <br />hearts on her jammies!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what valentine fun are you up to this month?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and hearts,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
</div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-34031048582162368292013-01-17T09:25:00.000-06:002013-01-17T09:25:56.562-06:00burlap bean bag door stop tutorial.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">my door was driving me crazy. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHQ2SWCVWmiFy_jgKQp-vdK7wtNbj9k1FhQYLD2z2nOeU4ari6FqLC09l-GYiPWtBCwfO4_ENSZAnCTGYybefj4sf1UKcNeKvhYtw9fQls7Yw67UOMH5nFqoPL6eOV3sYcD5ZiV8y9A4/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHQ2SWCVWmiFy_jgKQp-vdK7wtNbj9k1FhQYLD2z2nOeU4ari6FqLC09l-GYiPWtBCwfO4_ENSZAnCTGYybefj4sf1UKcNeKvhYtw9fQls7Yw67UOMH5nFqoPL6eOV3sYcD5ZiV8y9A4/s400/DSC_0018.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i love to have it open when we're expecting guests, so they can just come right in, but i always had to move our ottoman to prop it open.</span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i wanted a small, simple door stop but didn't feel like shelling out much cash. i searched on pinterest {like always} for different ideas and came across a few super cute burlap ones on etsy. they had basic silhouettes painted on them, but were $10 plus shipping and handling. i have burlap (only a dollar or 2 per yard, with coupon), i have black paint, i have a bag of beans, and i have a hot glue gun. how hard can this be?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">crazy easy.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">first, i found the images i wanted through a google image search for <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=clip+art+silhouette&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=T_z2UNGzDY38qAG0zIDwDA&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=799">clip art silhouettes</a> {i did 2 different pictures, one on each side.}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnSU6Jl0omaXRC633mZ2psLrFe9QBhfiOgcNOGcpcMXdUQmkDtAmUt_6GBfEv_eR5oNfJco8aiZLMjpJgSDFK1WUKmJPsVWyymaPnYxQNULWeKICvxlClUS6WD3zV9MzZrfLu1zxrSG8/s1600/DSC_0241-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnSU6Jl0omaXRC633mZ2psLrFe9QBhfiOgcNOGcpcMXdUQmkDtAmUt_6GBfEv_eR5oNfJco8aiZLMjpJgSDFK1WUKmJPsVWyymaPnYxQNULWeKICvxlClUS6WD3zV9MzZrfLu1zxrSG8/s400/DSC_0241-002.JPG" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">second, i cut out and traced the images on the burlap.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV28T5bCKZjVMvrG8sxg3qsoVcFArGq48KrxFK7lhI2fiXQRIGZ5Ghqm0DeFyTSZKBtpH2CvXS4YAQz0RgkMIrQPn1Vy8GjldqjVula-Hvr9OYEA6CsLubDUO7p28giElOmX5EkW002Bc/s1600/DSC_0242-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV28T5bCKZjVMvrG8sxg3qsoVcFArGq48KrxFK7lhI2fiXQRIGZ5Ghqm0DeFyTSZKBtpH2CvXS4YAQz0RgkMIrQPn1Vy8GjldqjVula-Hvr9OYEA6CsLubDUO7p28giElOmX5EkW002Bc/s400/DSC_0242-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">third, i filled in the images with black paint, 3 times because it was hard to fill in all the holes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2RkEY2xfHyym7vatRct8-E9EUs8ikWWWs74uS2NTngEZ4XFaLMUmhSivr1R8nYx_fQ3qGQhyphenhyphenz3IFM_tcEPeFFELwNn8YGTwpYvZhFvqKOnARayesyIhpF3Br6tfuOGCE0Vcvy2rONBQ/s1600/DSC_0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2RkEY2xfHyym7vatRct8-E9EUs8ikWWWs74uS2NTngEZ4XFaLMUmhSivr1R8nYx_fQ3qGQhyphenhyphenz3IFM_tcEPeFFELwNn8YGTwpYvZhFvqKOnARayesyIhpF3Br6tfuOGCE0Vcvy2rONBQ/s400/DSC_0243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">fourth, i cut out the images in a square shape {i wish i had left more room around the edges :-( allow space for glue!!}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">fifth, i layed the burlap pieces on top of each other with the pictures facing each other. then i hot glued 3 of the 4 sides together IN BETWEEN the burlap pieces. {sry, i was so focused i forgot to take pics}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sixth, once cooled off, turn the burlap right side out, fill with beans half way. fold the edges of the opening and hot glue HALF of the last side.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">seventh, fill bag rest of the way. finish gluing {if you try to fill it all the way with beans and then glue the whole thing all at once, the beans pull the sides too far away from each other to glue easily. and if you, on step 5, glue 3 and a half sides, when you flip it right side out, the burlap rips apart because the hole is too small. trust me, i speak from experience.}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgtGhkevzhymHXhjPdZPvet8zvYpJXpWvPHfta1aUp7_mphfAopkLkpZd-A6myl1JMcTNN2d1f3Eu-OUTwClgXIOnpYfXbYHnXYETjSQTcEoMTn1U296NA3Z9fHNfl2SfSIOZZkBvQmc/s1600/20132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgtGhkevzhymHXhjPdZPvet8zvYpJXpWvPHfta1aUp7_mphfAopkLkpZd-A6myl1JMcTNN2d1f3Eu-OUTwClgXIOnpYfXbYHnXYETjSQTcEoMTn1U296NA3Z9fHNfl2SfSIOZZkBvQmc/s640/20132.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and a welcoming door, </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-39305461589761740512012-12-12T13:09:00.003-06:002012-12-12T13:33:20.549-06:00tea stained gift tags.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm a little obsessed with <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/01/antiquing-paper.html">antiquing paper</a>. i've done it for ornaments, framed art, a <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/09/cowboy-wanted-sign.html">cowboy wanted poster</a>,</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xMaYGfSTsc5q12qjkO_e5Qja0aLg8Nn0HEjaYtowi6kBvD69rb8MNhY0ufijGL_ZdbM6sv_esZUoT3Cv_4paUme05ouS16zhZCFK5LdeLj8CLXkr2uTwiWWuuTivfD_pJoYelJXUITM/s1600/DSC_0032-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xMaYGfSTsc5q12qjkO_e5Qja0aLg8Nn0HEjaYtowi6kBvD69rb8MNhY0ufijGL_ZdbM6sv_esZUoT3Cv_4paUme05ouS16zhZCFK5LdeLj8CLXkr2uTwiWWuuTivfD_pJoYelJXUITM/s200/DSC_0032-001.JPG" width="142" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> and now gift tags for christmas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7qRa29pGsggUNqVOL3Du0i3x14gaZboOxqVdFZ8RxFHojvszJOtc1dqiYAVonmu2x0IvjJIdCgDRaxOsoLQbM6NHW5D9_CN4pIc4Qxo8gy0Xb3yqPG2l1dOk5ai2tKrbynU5_N75AQM/s1600/DSC_0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7qRa29pGsggUNqVOL3Du0i3x14gaZboOxqVdFZ8RxFHojvszJOtc1dqiYAVonmu2x0IvjJIdCgDRaxOsoLQbM6NHW5D9_CN4pIc4Qxo8gy0Xb3yqPG2l1dOk5ai2tKrbynU5_N75AQM/s640/DSC_0124.JPG" title="super easy, super cheap, DiY gift tags" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i love it because it's easy, cheap, and has such a stunning effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">in the past i've always used coffee, but i'm not a coffee drinker. i'm a tea girl. i was always under the impression that tea wouldn't work as well - not the case.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">first, i typed up the label in word, changing up fonts and text size for fun. i printed them on card stock and punched them out with my mom's "stampin' up" gift tag punch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bDURJdyw_2hg2F_4BYhVc9JIiX4b5nI4uNIWhr8vjpv0NbLuNSkD4SEEmIKgveJmTtPM2qvwOCI2ZCERXZsDFrBGntLSjppmQuVZCHl2_sHvpppsQatmR0-6k0fXtVeSaBsC2LtlZV8/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bDURJdyw_2hg2F_4BYhVc9JIiX4b5nI4uNIWhr8vjpv0NbLuNSkD4SEEmIKgveJmTtPM2qvwOCI2ZCERXZsDFrBGntLSjppmQuVZCHl2_sHvpppsQatmR0-6k0fXtVeSaBsC2LtlZV8/s400/DSC_0077.JPG" title="super easy, super cheap, DiY gift tags" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">then i laid them out on my super gross cookie sheet (we switched to stoneware cookie sheets awhile ago, so i pretty much only use this for staining paper. incase you were worried i actually cooked on that greasy thing.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz14pwp3viyd-lH5kUWvF8vlpY3KeBnW-Sy-jIWGUJPd6N1gU5Db3R1zpiWNgtjZgfDVbuj6bcf7cxCiGzrpHqlF0UMt8d9c9i3FsffZmIwE7jqKv7kXe1_BZ9kt1aYTiHLpejrWPrvWw/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz14pwp3viyd-lH5kUWvF8vlpY3KeBnW-Sy-jIWGUJPd6N1gU5Db3R1zpiWNgtjZgfDVbuj6bcf7cxCiGzrpHqlF0UMt8d9c9i3FsffZmIwE7jqKv7kXe1_BZ9kt1aYTiHLpejrWPrvWw/s400/DSC_0079.JPG" title="super easy, super cheap, DiY gift tags" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i boiled about 3 cups of water with a tea bag (the darkest tea i had was a chai. something like sleepytime might not work as well.) for about 15 minutes to get it concentrated. i attempted the same method i used when <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/01/antiquing-paper.html">antiquing with coffee</a> (pouring it all over the paper on the cookie sheet), but the stain was so dark i couldn't read the tag.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i tried to water down the tea, thinking i had boiled it to long, but it still came out too dark. 3rd time's a charm - i dipped the tags in the tea and laid them out on the cookie sheet. perfecto.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">you know they're done when the tags start to pull away from the cookie sheet. <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/01/antiquing-paper.html">click here for a visual.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuAMjw0vae8rI3rARkKasyGIIegxxXs7inSNcyWOoKma9ok7D7fGs2VpqqvFxE-K-DERZHmXD5SjfUDsRzaGsakfVlfL6dxeNnjDb37BMkOiIRgQ8AWIFSYvDTtwN8BNiHolGcidCDvs/s1600/DSC_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuAMjw0vae8rI3rARkKasyGIIegxxXs7inSNcyWOoKma9ok7D7fGs2VpqqvFxE-K-DERZHmXD5SjfUDsRzaGsakfVlfL6dxeNnjDb37BMkOiIRgQ8AWIFSYvDTtwN8BNiHolGcidCDvs/s400/DSC_0129.JPG" title="super easy, super cheap, DiY gift tags" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sorry this is a little blurry.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i absolutely love adding personal touches to homemade gifts! i also contemplated gluing the paper to fabric after i stained it to add a layer of texture, but didn't have any fabric on hand that looked right. these would also look neat with torn edges! the possibilities are endless!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and personalized presents,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-47242550769725775822012-12-08T12:52:00.000-06:002012-12-12T13:11:02.085-06:00fridge magnet christmas tree.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm back in the land of the living! first trimester is over and i'm pretty much functioning like a normal person again :-) SUCH a good feeling! for anyone interested, the accupuncture and magnesium pills saved me - for anyone that deals with Hyperemesis Gravidarum {aka extreme, extreme "morning" sickness}, i beg you to try these 2 things out! i was better several weeks sooner this time than last time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ok, now onto my reason for posting!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm having a blast making emery a part of christmas this year - she's been having so much fun with all the decorating and DiY projects going on at our house right now! this fridge magnet christmas tree is right up her toddler alley...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_5qlJVyheV7Ogte0TTchxl-_5vjv0CaBIwyo8YMJwtFpIYdSvJ1Belmt2OmLAO6nkEwkRK-wBD1mvXydq-byaPX0H8N3YL5Ln0nOxA8O6GbtI9SkV1sKolEYNpW9wKIkXLLyJVSOy5g/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_5qlJVyheV7Ogte0TTchxl-_5vjv0CaBIwyo8YMJwtFpIYdSvJ1Belmt2OmLAO6nkEwkRK-wBD1mvXydq-byaPX0H8N3YL5Ln0nOxA8O6GbtI9SkV1sKolEYNpW9wKIkXLLyJVSOy5g/s640/DSC_0085.JPG" title="DiY fridge magnet christmas tree." width="456" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if you missed it, the tutorial is pretty much the same as <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/09/fridge-magnet-tree.html">the fall magnet tree</a>. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i taped green paper on the fridge, free-handed the tree shape, and cut it out. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">printed off ornament and star clipart on cardstock and cut them out.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">and </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">laminated it all for 25 cents a foot at Mardel. easy peasy.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6qgFwhyphenhyphen0uaMBhs1CswBXtNomQOMB0wisFs0VeTzvQlhSUD7e7JND4DfTftgmdBtRssOTsEiAsiNYqulE8yIO_shVKauSdqAZR_1GSkRoeNKs_iF1bnftkSulKvRP9AD3nGvgDs7a8g/s1600/IMG_20121126_141708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6qgFwhyphenhyphen0uaMBhs1CswBXtNomQOMB0wisFs0VeTzvQlhSUD7e7JND4DfTftgmdBtRssOTsEiAsiNYqulE8yIO_shVKauSdqAZR_1GSkRoeNKs_iF1bnftkSulKvRP9AD3nGvgDs7a8g/s400/IMG_20121126_141708.jpg" title="DiY fridge magnet chrsitmas tree" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">{while i was sick on the couch, <br />emery developed an obsession with being naked. <br />i hear this is normal, but i don't how she <br />isn't freezing!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this is perfect for her to play with while i'm cooking dinner or cleaning the kitchen, especially because the ornaments on our real tree are no-nos :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what are some fun ways you make christmas decor kid-friendly??</span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and happy toddlers,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-75604161966131971072012-10-25T10:44:00.000-05:002012-10-25T10:45:19.019-05:00fall art for toddlers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm still not game for much DiYing lately, but i only have 3 weeks left until the end of first trimester! can't wait to be back to myself again!</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">here's a fun time-killing project emery and i did back in august that she absolutely loved!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">crunched leaf art:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2aR6M_7juQiWIJ1L70isL5Qj2EGSMrlyu7qbz2Xnua7iXwbGjoP14_3r70NJmB4nss0TT8cmLqM6WKi01ARZCzKlhnM-NIzcNI-nj7D0pKEIoyGUZkWW90ed21jsdgPtlvZ66aBTdNI/s1600/08+-+August4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2aR6M_7juQiWIJ1L70isL5Qj2EGSMrlyu7qbz2Xnua7iXwbGjoP14_3r70NJmB4nss0TT8cmLqM6WKi01ARZCzKlhnM-NIzcNI-nj7D0pKEIoyGUZkWW90ed21jsdgPtlvZ66aBTdNI/s400/08+-+August4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">my little leaf collector :-)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdpBeP6M-MjRLPoXKf_sWn5qZU-gLXH6XRVAtV-Cpu2L-QhyphenhyphengcBOijXGVzKa4UxUlmlHV5o9bAW0Qgc0azaV79CNCAF25BRpxGFYwXKJGfmYAF08tQH0x2V-kWKmc4aNfFXIyWsGlQE8/s1600/DSC_0983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdpBeP6M-MjRLPoXKf_sWn5qZU-gLXH6XRVAtV-Cpu2L-QhyphenhyphengcBOijXGVzKa4UxUlmlHV5o9bAW0Qgc0azaV79CNCAF25BRpxGFYwXKJGfmYAF08tQH0x2V-kWKmc4aNfFXIyWsGlQE8/s400/DSC_0983.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">her loot.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyIqNNYNLqFtZeJfP6XXYWvH9uxq5JziVBq2QQT0NZsKyL7jBPlur950PshUvcBZnnbmOk7afwL7Gp7hEQY-lU4ZRSNQ8roZSV7eBANgwqDil9DAdMAZN70ItnAPfGBNw5x3thtpb8Vw/s1600/DSC_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiyIqNNYNLqFtZeJfP6XXYWvH9uxq5JziVBq2QQT0NZsKyL7jBPlur950PshUvcBZnnbmOk7afwL7Gp7hEQY-lU4ZRSNQ8roZSV7eBANgwqDil9DAdMAZN70ItnAPfGBNw5x3thtpb8Vw/s400/DSC_0996.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she helped me crunch them up in the bag.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5v2s_gCS4yTfv9mWfmjjIMdj_EVvxjlpmBneWWOtKdE0LIm-tiikluzA1oxahJ4n6Vjy5RrRQFi1dDEztTJzGI8gtRfPtfgUbv2xL8js28FrRtGo6rMbTpSKcurn4drCh_7e264vGDU/s1600/08+-+August3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5v2s_gCS4yTfv9mWfmjjIMdj_EVvxjlpmBneWWOtKdE0LIm-tiikluzA1oxahJ4n6Vjy5RrRQFi1dDEztTJzGI8gtRfPtfgUbv2xL8js28FrRtGo6rMbTpSKcurn4drCh_7e264vGDU/s400/08+-+August3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">then we smeared glue all over <br />our paper with a paint brush.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH12-PJKCx0PmdpZT4bc0SxkEZ_SYB3KJI_bYDZ4c5nnCdvhJhi1qyVOIGfXxMefNSTuRBsjPf31Z-GvtsF9xTE3QMfZs3XgS9gAj79e5qjnt03cBWKUzPYcLCEaTBdWs2oeOACwEDnPI/s1600/DSC_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH12-PJKCx0PmdpZT4bc0SxkEZ_SYB3KJI_bYDZ4c5nnCdvhJhi1qyVOIGfXxMefNSTuRBsjPf31Z-GvtsF9xTE3QMfZs3XgS9gAj79e5qjnt03cBWKUzPYcLCEaTBdWs2oeOACwEDnPI/s400/DSC_1001.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">i love this face!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0ZFzvbexJ_qNZ_rS0cCuNIxws7F8P0wHgmvfDT_09AuD9yvPArq8T2P7oFblxfSjz3VzYrVTVaNQ3Ew5GAKxh90CCC_6pIgwh2iMNLXVi8PqWMSaolmXib6mJGLNNpi8paIIwH-aChM/s1600/08+-+August5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0ZFzvbexJ_qNZ_rS0cCuNIxws7F8P0wHgmvfDT_09AuD9yvPArq8T2P7oFblxfSjz3VzYrVTVaNQ3Ew5GAKxh90CCC_6pIgwh2iMNLXVi8PqWMSaolmXib6mJGLNNpi8paIIwH-aChM/s400/08+-+August5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she got into a groove :-)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1_UzVSln57EuwqCY-owsACawaPPI8AFNv8iPRCBF1eXxIqU_pzW9eJ3QSMplZLfifUtNcDQ-718C9VVadGs6H5cm9lPe4oGwi4qLif0FGVXATcNEk7u7O_96_HTKnYV4BjJMMR_orsE/s1600/DSC_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1_UzVSln57EuwqCY-owsACawaPPI8AFNv8iPRCBF1eXxIqU_pzW9eJ3QSMplZLfifUtNcDQ-718C9VVadGs6H5cm9lPe4oGwi4qLif0FGVXATcNEk7u7O_96_HTKnYV4BjJMMR_orsE/s400/DSC_1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">as usual, we made a mess,<br />but as usual, it was worth it!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we made several and delivered them to a few family members. daddy took the turquoise one to work and mommy hung one up on the fridge! they didn't last very long, but it was all about the process, rather than the result!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if i'm feeling up for it today, i'm going to enlist emery's help after nap - our yard is full of sweet gum seeds that i want to make a garland out of and i need an experienced collector.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and crunching leaves,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-82214916060939093032012-10-15T10:38:00.000-05:002013-06-08T22:32:32.578-05:00DiY banana invitation.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">it has been a season for babies in my family and i love celebrating with mommies-to-be! while sitting on the couch this month, i had the chance to do a little prep for decorating a monkey themed baby shower! here's a peek into the festivities!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tw-LdrPOzg96ZufldqZM7LZ9g6ia7SJLriecYS3U1Q_9A43dOCy9qudxWz7yGw1n446CMqMduOwh-QZU31U-_Wqh0v7asICLNNqn5W8SkjKdxWZiQ3CSJAoKO7ISex7kkqAiREf4ORc/s1600/text+banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Tw-LdrPOzg96ZufldqZM7LZ9g6ia7SJLriecYS3U1Q_9A43dOCy9qudxWz7yGw1n446CMqMduOwh-QZU31U-_Wqh0v7asICLNNqn5W8SkjKdxWZiQ3CSJAoKO7ISex7kkqAiREf4ORc/s640/text+banana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">good ol' pinterest led me to this gem. i knew it was The One when i saw it - i'm not good at making cute traditional style cards on the computer and i didn't want to spend much on invites cause we had a tight budget. these cost 50 cents + cardstock i needed to buy anyway.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">there was no tutorial on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ducksinarow/3970031592/in/pool-88608758@N00">the site</a>, just a picture, so i thought i'd do a step by step just for fun :-)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">first, i found </span><a href="http://www.clker.com/clipart-banana-outline.html" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a banana image</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> on google and copied it into word. i used multiple text boxes to add the necessary info and make it curve with the shape of the banana. i added a monkey picture for good measure. no worries if the text box takes away part of the lines - you're going to cut them off anyway.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cnp_ZpxuB698hy6x6rEofPj343ha9eepSan-ReswFRxde32Ez5Go9H0WkjcZm1NCOpIV0R1j69_ZIU9z1glQF_N8zUlbgVofyAGiCCIGLpQL0XaHOvcXfi9Fi-kuveF5EilcMpoWOQU/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cnp_ZpxuB698hy6x6rEofPj343ha9eepSan-ReswFRxde32Ez5Go9H0WkjcZm1NCOpIV0R1j69_ZIU9z1glQF_N8zUlbgVofyAGiCCIGLpQL0XaHOvcXfi9Fi-kuveF5EilcMpoWOQU/s400/DSC_0014.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">next, i printed off as many invites as a needed + 1. i cut out the extra banana OUTSIDE the black line and used it to trace the banana shape on the pieces of felt.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7X-ykKbC3dsWQT0RlffhbpVj-KUS-FnerMHTUmWp-OxFhLuW-_P-ir64sKj7FzFTVGpWeyNeL0Q4iidt3ugd_4cenLLTOySOHFP3qJ-tzerg2PZaq0BZ-vxxOExohzrxwH2XiVH5Omk/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7X-ykKbC3dsWQT0RlffhbpVj-KUS-FnerMHTUmWp-OxFhLuW-_P-ir64sKj7FzFTVGpWeyNeL0Q4iidt3ugd_4cenLLTOySOHFP3qJ-tzerg2PZaq0BZ-vxxOExohzrxwH2XiVH5Omk/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6n9EEMDrSDhoK6iNGcUBg8mR0Ezaz9CWfejL_cUGFL2WdSXo_smvSKbdgnenZdeiSFw8LsQC73MjHanK1StSWaIvNboAzrUCvSJ3A0ymdh8oScwYjTUm5yZRPZrBi8fFoQvmGe4INVs/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6n9EEMDrSDhoK6iNGcUBg8mR0Ezaz9CWfejL_cUGFL2WdSXo_smvSKbdgnenZdeiSFw8LsQC73MjHanK1StSWaIvNboAzrUCvSJ3A0ymdh8oScwYjTUm5yZRPZrBi8fFoQvmGe4INVs/s400/DSC_0007.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7MmclBUBBURYMdfwM3Aq6Tvp74TBLkUZfM4OJ_AG1llUF6gYkKvQFBgAVm8g_5_f8-VLkXlFnfsQ32PO2etlV6xmVI46VOhZiYIyrAbUkUX1C1VIsnG3Sh_p7lzG168SlReqZIQkYU0/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7MmclBUBBURYMdfwM3Aq6Tvp74TBLkUZfM4OJ_AG1llUF6gYkKvQFBgAVm8g_5_f8-VLkXlFnfsQ32PO2etlV6xmVI46VOhZiYIyrAbUkUX1C1VIsnG3Sh_p7lzG168SlReqZIQkYU0/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> i cut out all the rest of the paper bananas INSIDE the black line, to be the actual fruit. i glued the bottom half to the felt, centering it on the felt peel.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUT3_AKmOBhYGm5gdDKx735rLk7SiSgC2rsHQKBSo_3rop7m69N1Va3bvptnVv81Lw4_9AsGgWOwvKI9RuY5ACUnttJrMETl0IUj_xz-5LlYP4nU5DsR2tyv5rLrnzrYMOBZWkhzgcQk/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUT3_AKmOBhYGm5gdDKx735rLk7SiSgC2rsHQKBSo_3rop7m69N1Va3bvptnVv81Lw4_9AsGgWOwvKI9RuY5ACUnttJrMETl0IUj_xz-5LlYP4nU5DsR2tyv5rLrnzrYMOBZWkhzgcQk/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" width="286" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0lkFQfgwKBahrBu9TPEhKUQBpy7dmnlrcbemr6q2e7zAGpotWqdN2zpGTDi31JqJe1e7mp2sFp6zMKIBcGUFShGh29tSxNul8f7Ki_MBjaE87hdRFS1ZeYvanhKAKXLkfMch6-hLXkQ/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0lkFQfgwKBahrBu9TPEhKUQBpy7dmnlrcbemr6q2e7zAGpotWqdN2zpGTDi31JqJe1e7mp2sFp6zMKIBcGUFShGh29tSxNul8f7Ki_MBjaE87hdRFS1ZeYvanhKAKXLkfMch6-hLXkQ/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> once dry, i cut the peel in half, starting at the base of the stem.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVx1yXfosgseDQ_CszmaPK-pbkgCocx9KsGX_6W7dIKt6Y1Dy0j1t70mAwt0veXIbivMJu8StT8X2GyLB5JcP7daOe_hyphenhyphenpV1Lv5JOnWpHFQ0rcOMR-HOL9pUWZBNaoxWFWJotulDaFzA/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVx1yXfosgseDQ_CszmaPK-pbkgCocx9KsGX_6W7dIKt6Y1Dy0j1t70mAwt0veXIbivMJu8StT8X2GyLB5JcP7daOe_hyphenhyphenpV1Lv5JOnWpHFQ0rcOMR-HOL9pUWZBNaoxWFWJotulDaFzA/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrTPJLwBfiVjaMCXBsdfsuYJrUmDGkAk-xc0ajF7Z3O5DmTmcGjJ71TcV5-iWb3mFVB3mKTWSGvK5rprbhOz7-PeYHF7KWLmn05ZIi9a7_Y-GHLx3xlfGOcYU-fIeHYop5WkY4qgHONo/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrTPJLwBfiVjaMCXBsdfsuYJrUmDGkAk-xc0ajF7Z3O5DmTmcGjJ71TcV5-iWb3mFVB3mKTWSGvK5rprbhOz7-PeYHF7KWLmn05ZIi9a7_Y-GHLx3xlfGOcYU-fIeHYop5WkY4qgHONo/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j3XpDCzGLZwByHPLmpJqhyClkpevN1XNNuemnzI97jOAOHvWv4cYQAd-eOwfm28NC0l9KGq7S-Kx2jAV0J4JgIClY82JfnLI8XbkFSKnGG0AZ-IWCLb_O2Qmjv1OR6Au91cvWlvxrxo/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j3XpDCzGLZwByHPLmpJqhyClkpevN1XNNuemnzI97jOAOHvWv4cYQAd-eOwfm28NC0l9KGq7S-Kx2jAV0J4JgIClY82JfnLI8XbkFSKnGG0AZ-IWCLb_O2Qmjv1OR6Au91cvWlvxrxo/s400/DSC_0024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">how's that for cheap, easy, and adorable? gotta love pinterest.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and soon-to-be babies,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-20470686409749978392012-09-12T11:53:00.001-05:002012-09-12T17:09:39.827-05:00the latest news...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1DTVsPbJzdycYG7nrIw734empG6tw7Ur1G5xDz2o0UXx-BCSHIBs0qt4nPJ0IZQs0nhq_bYQMX59L0CuBnNFQ6psyZhxYg-JufpnzD0krzNhzWHyAf4ZAHXYeieWXwMjhE63hdg5Ucs/s1600/z.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1DTVsPbJzdycYG7nrIw734empG6tw7Ur1G5xDz2o0UXx-BCSHIBs0qt4nPJ0IZQs0nhq_bYQMX59L0CuBnNFQ6psyZhxYg-JufpnzD0krzNhzWHyAf4ZAHXYeieWXwMjhE63hdg5Ucs/s640/z.JPG" width="456" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">baby #2 is on the way :-)</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">due may 17th!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm sooo excited - i can't imagine having 2 little loves to take care of everyday! being pregnant is quite the mix of emotions though - we've had baby fever for months and couldn't be more excited but, on the flip side, with emery i had the most awful pregnancy i could have imagined. if it's as bad as last time, i'm going to miss out on the next 3 months of emery's life, pretty much completely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">with emery, i started feeling sick right at week 4 but didn't actually get sick until 6 1/2 weeks. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">with this one, i started feeling sick at week 3 and got sick for the first time at week 4. not looking good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">one thing that gives me hope is the fact that our life style has changed so much since emery was born. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">with emery, i used everything the doctor could provide for me {meds, a trip to the ER for dehydration, vitamins, etc} to eliminate my sickness, just short of bringing a nurse into our home to keep me on an IV drip. {they really did offer. i didn't even know you could do that.}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this time around, </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">as soon as i found out i was pregnant, i dove into natural pregnancy websites and blog posts to read all i could about relieving morning sickness.<i> {just for the record, i hate calling it morning sickness. i have all-freaking-day sickness. morning sickness sounds like the clouds have parted, angels are signing, and a glorious gift has been bestowed upon me in the form of a promise that i will only get sick in the mornings. that sounds like a dream. when i say morning sickness, i feel like i'm lying and tell you i've been given that special gift. i haven't.}</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>this blog post is to track:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">what i'm reading</b></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">things i'm trying</b></li>
<li><b style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">what worked and didn't work</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i plan to update this with more info and keep it as a personal journal for future reference. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">if anyone else is looking for info on natural pregnancy, check out </span><a href="http://modernalternativepregnancy.com/" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Modern Alternative Pregnancy</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">. </span><a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2010/8/18/healthy-pregnancy-series-managing-morning-sickness.html#.UFC1po2PVn0" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this link</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> is what i've been pouring over for the last few days. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">so far i've already:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>made some infused water</u> {she said to do lemon water, but i also added ginger slices and crushed up fennel in a tea steeper.} last time i couldn't handle the intensity of the ginger candies, so i'm hoping a little ginger in my water will be enough to ease the feeling.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>eaten straight fennel .</u> i remembered her mentioning fennel was good for you, so yesterday while i was doubled over in the kitchen with my eyes closed, trying to think happy thoughts, i remembered her praise of fennel. i pulled it out off the spice drawer and ate a small handful. within a few minutes, i was good to go. {i think this will only help for mild nausea. when it gets too bad, things like this don't help me.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>increased my protein.</u> </span></li>
</ul>
<ol><ol style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">
<li>we picked up sprouted bread and bagels from whole foods last night, along with some organic valley grass-fed cream cheese. it made the perfect breakfast this morning. sprouted grains are also high in vitamin B {i was taking vitamin B supplements with my last pregnancy because it reduces nausea. i'm hoping my diet will eliminate the need for pills this time around.} </li>
<li>as i'm typing this, i'm finishing up an amazing bowl of lentil soup from my aunt. </li>
<li>i also got some raw pepitas {shelled pumpkin seeds} from whole foods and plan to cook them in mild spices later today to have on hand to munch. Andrew scouted out the nuts in the whole food bins and said pepitas and peanuts had the highest protien content.</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>worn sea sickness bands.</u> these only help me in the first few weeks, but i'll take what i can get.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>sipped pregnancy tea.</u> there's a link to a homemade liquid vitamin recipe below that i plan to make this week, but in the mean time, Yogi pregnancy tea contains a lot of the same herbs.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">in the coming days and weeks, i also plan to:</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>make homemade chicken broth</u> to sip when i can't eat anything else.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>make <a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2012/01/23/monday-health-wellness-herbal-multivitamin-tincture/#.UFC7vo2PVn0">this homemade liquid multivitamin.</a></u> read her post for the benefits of making your own vs taking a pill. only downer is that it has to steep for 6 weeks.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>regularly visit the chiropractor.</u> i didn't start going to a chiropractor until after emery was born. i had no idea that simple adjustments can help relieve nausea. i hope this helps!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>get acupuncture.</u> i hate hate hate needles. but i love my daughter more. if getting acupuncture means that i'll be well enough to have quality time with emery, then sign me up.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">you could probably assume this, but if i'm as sick as last time, the blog is going to be pitiful for awhile. there might be a post here and there if i'm able to do things worth blogging about, but for the most part, i'll probably be in the bathroom on my knees. {or making the most of the little moments i can get with emery without loosing my lunch}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">anyone else have any natural "morning" sickness remedies?? i'll take any advice i can get! i'll try to keep you posted on how the natural remedies work {or don't work} for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and running to the bathroom,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-18718918824652524102012-09-09T22:32:00.001-05:002012-09-13T16:05:03.165-05:00cowboy WANTED sign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">my husband's love for football always means increased creative time for me. we have a history of chilling out in front of the TV - him engrossed in the game and telling me random facts about players while i get my craft on.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this week i had a rootin' tootin' fun time planning the decor for my husband's cousin's new cowboy bedroom! first project down - </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><u>cowboy wanted sign</u></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx07Y0JGEsQ1GU3wST25O3rpt4LAGupFNHcE6vN4R6jVaFVao2p03L3MXj2du5_xk4K_Q8LyJWuoDEYnwX22LuavThi6c0JdjnPGlmQ1kMDcAuMDCfAX_N63VYrkoc_OhLthoLotWrm4/s1600/DSC_0032-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx07Y0JGEsQ1GU3wST25O3rpt4LAGupFNHcE6vN4R6jVaFVao2p03L3MXj2du5_xk4K_Q8LyJWuoDEYnwX22LuavThi6c0JdjnPGlmQ1kMDcAuMDCfAX_N63VYrkoc_OhLthoLotWrm4/s320/DSC_0032-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">cardstock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">coffee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">oven</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">cookie sheet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">printer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">computer</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i came across this idea on <a href="http://bellezaeluce.com/blog/?p=260">bellezaeluce.com</a>, but she didn't have a tutorial. stink. i know very little about how to do things like this. i got my game face on and pretended like i knew what i was doing. google has the answers to everything, right? right.</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i downloaded </span><a href="http://www.dafont.com/de-louisville.font" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this free font</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> and </span><a href="http://www.fontspace.com/category/cowboy" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this free font {the serial publication one}</a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> and used it with Playbill {already in word}</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i called up benjamin and had him tell me what he wanted his nickname and his crime to be! he had fun brainstorming his elaborate heist, but for space's sake, i had to narrow it down to bank robber and train hijacker.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">if you want to add the lines {i use word 2010} go to "insert", then "shapes", select "line". once you have it lined up where you want, double click it. a new group of options will pop up at the top. select the down arrow on "shape outline" and then the arrow for "weight" to select the thickness of each line.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i originally had a sweet-faced picture of him from easter, but really now, what bad guy wants his smiling face on a wanted poster plastered all over town? not this one. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">he rounded up his cowboy gear and gave me quite the glare as i stared down the barrel of his gun. i'm super grateful he didn't pull the trigger.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkqbYGhaadFvm6sCKOxxNVQevD98461q4X90JDqzVyH3S_1xh57AWI2adlG5IkuOo6aiOBKyJ1stytyqV9FFz2Tm-ntlFXmRWH3XcMDnQrrN12ec6AL82DNav7_hNtkciU1Yr-pA1NfQ/s1600/DSC_0012-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkqbYGhaadFvm6sCKOxxNVQevD98461q4X90JDqzVyH3S_1xh57AWI2adlG5IkuOo6aiOBKyJ1stytyqV9FFz2Tm-ntlFXmRWH3XcMDnQrrN12ec6AL82DNav7_hNtkciU1Yr-pA1NfQ/s400/DSC_0012-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="286" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">following the same plan as i did for <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/01/antiquing-paper.html">my Christmas ornaments</a>, i printed this in black ink, tore the edges, placed it on a cookie sheet, poured about 1/4-1/2 cup coffee over it, and stuck it in a 200 degree oven.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ9uC_El_j1KEukcG3vjECKCNjCM_qZsmoG1NIaD9_dTZqeCIAlms9Xpl4voZmwlI-ALxkqXaE9W7uJgAy10Kl1-MGFu1v28eApSqDWQei5vvJJBtXjzSBnXo5IN2OjXutJ5WWScEo7Y/s1600/DSC_0001-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJ9uC_El_j1KEukcG3vjECKCNjCM_qZsmoG1NIaD9_dTZqeCIAlms9Xpl4voZmwlI-ALxkqXaE9W7uJgAy10Kl1-MGFu1v28eApSqDWQei5vvJJBtXjzSBnXo5IN2OjXutJ5WWScEo7Y/s400/DSC_0001-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">it typically takes 15-20 minutes. you'll know it's done when the edges are peeling off the cookie sheet.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-edG4glDe4dDpkQPPsDg5F4x3-GMmUIzE0iG7AZ4k4mR_GROG5mZC8qCRkJiqieTWCXj-pWsEzKZwmOmye1JLFR5oieJ6OPZm-9SMnZP-qq1k7ug_vm00lPwEfOp6vOq1-HFzrQL45PU/s1600/DSC_0002-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-edG4glDe4dDpkQPPsDg5F4x3-GMmUIzE0iG7AZ4k4mR_GROG5mZC8qCRkJiqieTWCXj-pWsEzKZwmOmye1JLFR5oieJ6OPZm-9SMnZP-qq1k7ug_vm00lPwEfOp6vOq1-HFzrQL45PU/s400/DSC_0002-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bxBNPKnOrVKhaX7JkZeZ4SzSMZkEiPMq6hJZRb9qymvw5MrbYYbarkE1j5XdRkFobXCBe34xk7dvtzOwq5Q8pj-RfOI9kGk9vME1RgfNiSatvjK4jIpeuqdACoPdDSFlYqmD8Mr-kbo/s1600/DSC_0003-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bxBNPKnOrVKhaX7JkZeZ4SzSMZkEiPMq6hJZRb9qymvw5MrbYYbarkE1j5XdRkFobXCBe34xk7dvtzOwq5Q8pj-RfOI9kGk9vME1RgfNiSatvjK4jIpeuqdACoPdDSFlYqmD8Mr-kbo/s400/DSC_0003-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoB0NI-oZLk46dwDIAwV8ye2p0b2zjMgzZOc6WlS95td3g1J4DremxiJQ4kuKbaYDTRtcbEfZiSC57G8swcqRKTMmya7Y1M0yFso09m53gq6DtLMNjl_856ucUtgXWIVzsNk14wFOJLUw/s1600/DSC_0004-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoB0NI-oZLk46dwDIAwV8ye2p0b2zjMgzZOc6WlS95td3g1J4DremxiJQ4kuKbaYDTRtcbEfZiSC57G8swcqRKTMmya7Y1M0yFso09m53gq6DtLMNjl_856ucUtgXWIVzsNk14wFOJLUw/s400/DSC_0004-001.JPG" title="cowboy WANTED sign tutorial" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">we're nailing it up on the wall as part of his cowboy decor. from the sound of it, i think he's pretty pumped to show his friends and my husband has declared it to be his favorite of all my projects. i love boys.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and outlaws,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-22928081197203793822012-09-06T07:39:00.005-05:002012-09-07T00:39:44.188-05:00fridge tree with magnet leaves.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'm practically giddy thinking about september 22nd. it begins the seasonal wonderfulness that i look forward to every year and i'm so ready for emery to be a part of it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i absolutely refuse to decorate for fall 1 day before fall actually begins. that being said, i couldn't help but start this project for emery so i could get it ready in time! if you're looking for seasonal fun for your little one, read on!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86vQjCHOW-n1Dao2DHjUUWrotZ_OLlBHXqU1gIeRTTSznYbG4vUQE0rEXRQv35Ls0S7zX38ViHl56nv6Q5AzDdwEvOmzaEU72PEXeMM3gUMKBgHJtt-HrS7kN-kKH1BBIMG3KutSaDxA/s1600/IMG_20120905_164812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86vQjCHOW-n1Dao2DHjUUWrotZ_OLlBHXqU1gIeRTTSznYbG4vUQE0rEXRQv35Ls0S7zX38ViHl56nv6Q5AzDdwEvOmzaEU72PEXeMM3gUMKBgHJtt-HrS7kN-kKH1BBIMG3KutSaDxA/s320/IMG_20120905_164812.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">incase you want to get into my brain, here's how this project evolved. i was looking through my preschool curriculum, writing down anything that would be age appropriate for my 15 month old. when i got to the Fall curriculum, i remembered i had taped a tree to a cookie sheet for the kids and made magnet leaves for them to place on the tree. i immediately wanted to make one for emery and wrote it down on my list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">a few minutes later, i remembered this </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Felt play Christmas tree!!! Love this" height="155" src="http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/265501340502657565_G3wY1aaN_f.jpg" title="http://www.solandrachel.com/2011/12/pinterest-christmas.html" width="200" /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">that i found on pinterest from <a href="http://www.solandrachel.com/2011/12/pinterest-christmas.html">solandrachel.com</a> a few months ago and thought was super cute. i loved the idea of making it huge and decided to do it on the fridge. it would save a cookie sheet from being held hostage for a few months, and a bigger tree equals more fun.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">being the project-obsessed girl that i am, i immediately got started. {i'm the kind of person that has to start right when i think of it, or it will never get done} </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i taped construction paper to the fridge and then sat on the floor and stared at it in fear for a few minutes. flashbacks of a highschool self portrait came to mind when i tried to draw myself climbing a tree. my eraser was my best friend that semester. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQSiCA27eg7cIQHJJcoT6Zzb2vpnVcI5dltr50ePn4gkMzs824Uw94cHi8gJV5IF4NOn1Z2veMCTtyVC7_yvM9A-9ajcTI1UAPJN6fr1xhT-QUsvl0q7XjniMje2eK2EPHlRd2TFOcPA/s1600/DSC_1017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQSiCA27eg7cIQHJJcoT6Zzb2vpnVcI5dltr50ePn4gkMzs824Uw94cHi8gJV5IF4NOn1Z2veMCTtyVC7_yvM9A-9ajcTI1UAPJN6fr1xhT-QUsvl0q7XjniMje2eK2EPHlRd2TFOcPA/s400/DSC_1017.JPG" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="267" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">after a good 5 minutes, i finally got on pinterest and found this</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Pinned Image" height="400" src="http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/186055028326141330_WJGW0bAk_c.jpg" width="314" />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">thank you, thank you, to whoever made this. my branches don't look <i>as</i> ridiculous now. {i always want to draw trees with the trunk being one massive arrow with awkward branches coming off the side, rather than splitting it halfway up into a few different branches. this gave me a good visual on how to split them.}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCj4zl4TxsJ7tDY-NkvZAYm-Zo8ltPlg4u7G4wu-7VDMVGgrbLpczJ_78PCGhQGDo-y3f2CGg4sbx5ZEtWOhOCLkTpAwo1IFZcoSBw7FIarFmlS2K7hUm-LOaX38mWlUZKQYQoeHQT5c/s1600/DSC_1019-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCj4zl4TxsJ7tDY-NkvZAYm-Zo8ltPlg4u7G4wu-7VDMVGgrbLpczJ_78PCGhQGDo-y3f2CGg4sbx5ZEtWOhOCLkTpAwo1IFZcoSBw7FIarFmlS2K7hUm-LOaX38mWlUZKQYQoeHQT5c/s400/DSC_1019-001.JPG" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="267" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i used clear tape and secured each place on the paper where a part of the tree overlapped from one page to the next.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ8phSlfz02so9QX4WVc8vNZag5SUWYN8kY6JBLk3p3ZnVX4eEq1sM2dxkn6I-L4JXxlejHb3sWwpYS4fLrM7m4VjCLW-6MISlPV4YheYfJhq7BZPLthOp_mPBfJRN17VTCviqfsEYZI/s1600/DSC_1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ8phSlfz02so9QX4WVc8vNZag5SUWYN8kY6JBLk3p3ZnVX4eEq1sM2dxkn6I-L4JXxlejHb3sWwpYS4fLrM7m4VjCLW-6MISlPV4YheYfJhq7BZPLthOp_mPBfJRN17VTCviqfsEYZI/s200/DSC_1020.JPG" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DsDEWbHaw-U1pOPdsBGziPdP2iEjTL9wnrbZ0_TOi12mF3TUojBCEkvpWbDPCY23KDdDVcRq6qeYkr30OXLExnyvsy_j9BQQ0h22Fy7HfQiS2qUclT8O-Wq7tI159gS8sepI7Jk4Bxk/s1600/DSC_1021-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DsDEWbHaw-U1pOPdsBGziPdP2iEjTL9wnrbZ0_TOi12mF3TUojBCEkvpWbDPCY23KDdDVcRq6qeYkr30OXLExnyvsy_j9BQQ0h22Fy7HfQiS2qUclT8O-Wq7tI159gS8sepI7Jk4Bxk/s200/DSC_1021-001.JPG" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">then i got to work, cutting the tree out while it was still on the fridge. i didn't like the idea of wrestling with it and spinning it around as i cut each branch at a different angle. i'm lazy like that.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3V6WvbUqr0MrCHkAbhRa3dYxs0eVFiyr488C5h351dvFr3GLqWuo5K8yTE6e0x-DvcHItviINYwV8muVeVBsb4eY1c-9hs25utzYeYQqAWbQEiZSKEMk0bedfQ7FRxOHRR1YsdJ2GBQA/s1600/08+-+August2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3V6WvbUqr0MrCHkAbhRa3dYxs0eVFiyr488C5h351dvFr3GLqWuo5K8yTE6e0x-DvcHItviINYwV8muVeVBsb4eY1c-9hs25utzYeYQqAWbQEiZSKEMk0bedfQ7FRxOHRR1YsdJ2GBQA/s640/08+-+August2.jpg" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">hmmm. it should be a little taller up top <br />{i've never seen a flat-top tree in real life}, but overall, i'm satisfied.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i took it off the fridge and tucked it away to keep it safe from curious hands until i could get it laminated. and then i cleaned the gobs of brown paper off the floor so my husband wouldn't know our kitchen had been a disaster.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">next, i found clipart for leaves at <a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.shtml">this link.</a> i printed them off {you should use cardstock. i didnt. it was harder.} and traced them on red, orange, and yellow construction paper. i used markers to highlight them and make them more interesting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="leaf template" border="0" height="320" src="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.GIF" title="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/leaf/leaftemplate.shtml" width="272" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBCJdIwDtKD7yxPLd_P_RQUFx67rs8vcNp9_f_nVLutNFbUpLN5IHOCmJBX3NYkWnwqQeFP3qXHEK4LfoS8RWMCOQmxcHGFcWNvtpM9ntcEl0mbl2Y1xxGapnvU5hyphenhyphenA5_2-i40FInNqI/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBCJdIwDtKD7yxPLd_P_RQUFx67rs8vcNp9_f_nVLutNFbUpLN5IHOCmJBX3NYkWnwqQeFP3qXHEK4LfoS8RWMCOQmxcHGFcWNvtpM9ntcEl0mbl2Y1xxGapnvU5hyphenhyphenA5_2-i40FInNqI/s400/DSC_0027.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{i did 45 leaves.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:</u> mardel will let you laminate stuff for 25 cents a foot. true story. i went and got these bad boys and a christmas tree version with ornaments laminated for $2.44. i walked out of the store one happy mamma.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOz8qy36hpQ9WEzy9d4nLZWQwrXkHQdL2hyphenhyphen0EgZ8IWfW7MmRqwqS6PqlGQKCKNbD9L8mx_HGFjD8X23T0sxfnKXpAhxlZpA7i6gHGkl_5GagDOJeKN9xCXwccQJJw16F6yAZL1nGGq70/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOz8qy36hpQ9WEzy9d4nLZWQwrXkHQdL2hyphenhyphen0EgZ8IWfW7MmRqwqS6PqlGQKCKNbD9L8mx_HGFjD8X23T0sxfnKXpAhxlZpA7i6gHGkl_5GagDOJeKN9xCXwccQJJw16F6yAZL1nGGq70/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for the fall!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">see that fairly innocent bowl of chocolate chips? <br />i most definitely forgot they were there after emery woke up. <br />i went to clean the kitchen and came back to this:</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMev734X-oRjSeZFCyS_waNVTLEWe1RfaVPrl5ZjZWHVp-i8UrAu3M0rc9v1NIhqcVV4YIlHwmRXCFRZrrRVZ-xWS2k7zrT-jHAPOMNd_bwsXOeHPy__fRJ6c42AhlA8ioAxEpcXZXlo/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMev734X-oRjSeZFCyS_waNVTLEWe1RfaVPrl5ZjZWHVp-i8UrAu3M0rc9v1NIhqcVV4YIlHwmRXCFRZrrRVZ-xWS2k7zrT-jHAPOMNd_bwsXOeHPy__fRJ6c42AhlA8ioAxEpcXZXlo/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">good thing you're cute...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: left;">the magnets i had on hand were really thin and i was nervous they weren't going to hold, so i went ahead and broke my "don't decorate early rule" put it all up just to make sure. it was a hit!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4n8qKq8IiEEwLXh16hbf-pLkpLTlUejiKVbGpuT-y6fMmsd5yvFbSvHCWmjIQ-hwnVNk66lOzQzeNquAlA8IpGUNSkaV9U_wja2maHc8nwfUGX2VnpfGO5WDRMFCAqurW7Eb-pgUKjI/s1600/IMG_20120905_164812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4n8qKq8IiEEwLXh16hbf-pLkpLTlUejiKVbGpuT-y6fMmsd5yvFbSvHCWmjIQ-hwnVNk66lOzQzeNquAlA8IpGUNSkaV9U_wja2maHc8nwfUGX2VnpfGO5WDRMFCAqurW7Eb-pgUKjI/s640/IMG_20120905_164812.jpg" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="456" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y8Sg0rA_4dRMhEPhlVYbmMFQdcFZ8N-d3uo8FSlIytGJTh-tww4Eh8Z-WK3z8srqj1HEJDInAJYQwlfdG-wCW_t6c-TF6-szypM9Yet8mFH4-NgjY8nzUucD3tu9fEAgqF_ibOGPixE/s1600/2012-09-05+17.31.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_y8Sg0rA_4dRMhEPhlVYbmMFQdcFZ8N-d3uo8FSlIytGJTh-tww4Eh8Z-WK3z8srqj1HEJDInAJYQwlfdG-wCW_t6c-TF6-szypM9Yet8mFH4-NgjY8nzUucD3tu9fEAgqF_ibOGPixE/s400/2012-09-05+17.31.50.jpg" title="paper tree with magnet leaves for kids in the fall!" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">we are now sporting a diaper because her <br />chocolate drenched clothes are soaking <br />in oxyclean. does chocolate stain? <br />i dont know, but i keep ruining her clothes<br />so i wanted to play it safe.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">love and leaves,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-16587977661687364792012-08-31T07:22:00.000-05:002012-08-31T15:35:32.163-05:00sports themed garland.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">one of emery's favorite buddies turned 1 the other day. we absolutely love him and his family and were super excited to celebrate such a big occasion with them! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">when his mom, kim, told me what she had in mind for his party, i was even more excited! she took the idea from the <a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/05/polka-dot-garland.html">sewn garland post</a> and gave it a sports twist! i love everything about this party!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzYx8i1CqjHUHQ0nBQHI16IZbLUsBLKKN6-EWVwcL0ui7Sv7XC_c7juLRbmXjYOZo7paM5tBucmYxXqKHJpWpxZGPqqiU9qqKX1ndpj04xjBGnM0kAApVzDtWQXvNUHuxrKw7E_1FY80/s1600/DSC_0936.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzYx8i1CqjHUHQ0nBQHI16IZbLUsBLKKN6-EWVwcL0ui7Sv7XC_c7juLRbmXjYOZo7paM5tBucmYxXqKHJpWpxZGPqqiU9qqKX1ndpj04xjBGnM0kAApVzDtWQXvNUHuxrKw7E_1FY80/s400/DSC_0936.NEF.jpg" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyMFCf90TgUCKQk_6zThw3C4Y-QNK-6M3W76P7MSf6gD419H9H2KSZrZUk4WM4F0-InlZZXf1bzbFuNzMDbqhaH28-5m0KiAvvjRLbxc3IA99BCNr59vCoEP67bYBOlRpQfHw7PGNGE0/s1600/DSC_0972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyMFCf90TgUCKQk_6zThw3C4Y-QNK-6M3W76P7MSf6gD419H9H2KSZrZUk4WM4F0-InlZZXf1bzbFuNzMDbqhaH28-5m0KiAvvjRLbxc3IA99BCNr59vCoEP67bYBOlRpQfHw7PGNGE0/s400/DSC_0972.JPG" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she made a sewn garland with his </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">name and little footballs!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1MmW_a8fmU5LoI-lrpVQ-jNsIeNpvZsMmk6_yfm65ZlJb2xk8PAuM5CT6HIP19OfYiU2fcnuf5U9GrRz8rgd6FO9hQmI-eh4sa9mnWdOib2yxbB85Hh1UyJM8Y6Ve_jJF389tz0Ltuo/s1600/DSC_0942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1MmW_a8fmU5LoI-lrpVQ-jNsIeNpvZsMmk6_yfm65ZlJb2xk8PAuM5CT6HIP19OfYiU2fcnuf5U9GrRz8rgd6FO9hQmI-eh4sa9mnWdOib2yxbB85Hh1UyJM8Y6Ve_jJF389tz0Ltuo/s400/DSC_0942.JPG" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she created all the circles into different <br />sports balls before sewing them together!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKzbtoP9fRUwDbe9jLHqzv_WQE19h_TWLAZq-VvFQtMgY88VP2ycQSYL71m1OEdeexA3HQbNpMDUVo-PxGH5_IDn6n9TB7FoE3As80hN56kThsJ0eVQKWVSFNBmKG05n8WRS3AG9IS0M/s1600/DSC_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKzbtoP9fRUwDbe9jLHqzv_WQE19h_TWLAZq-VvFQtMgY88VP2ycQSYL71m1OEdeexA3HQbNpMDUVo-PxGH5_IDn6n9TB7FoE3As80hN56kThsJ0eVQKWVSFNBmKG05n8WRS3AG9IS0M/s400/DSC_0943.JPG" title="sports themed party - drink table labels" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she used a few extra balls as <br />labels around the drink table</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkNGLWpgk0dRcgUUYHWLCUKG6hiSTt4jESWAxttnYiB5DXIhDgHXBv4MP1o5w4yO5OmF5cJDEf-4XOWxpnVP1eyohg0X3ptcp5lbPNZ-352sQ164xxdz0B9rMLvXY0PJVosvwacmc3gM/s1600/DSC_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkNGLWpgk0dRcgUUYHWLCUKG6hiSTt4jESWAxttnYiB5DXIhDgHXBv4MP1o5w4yO5OmF5cJDEf-4XOWxpnVP1eyohg0X3ptcp5lbPNZ-352sQ164xxdz0B9rMLvXY0PJVosvwacmc3gM/s400/DSC_0945.JPG" title="sports themed party - drink table labels" width="400" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNn5NIumz8wcC1WwTNaBZKhu_4HdFjby1luFXhAJs-mEJ9GDWPpCNNCVw8Ngl0hy3xuTblILlTiQ5Tda5l2Ir7mxCt1Dnd3nvwkUx0zkFxbR3X_Nax0wOiPAuoOmthJod66Ow-lxjW2k/s1600/DSC_0946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNn5NIumz8wcC1WwTNaBZKhu_4HdFjby1luFXhAJs-mEJ9GDWPpCNNCVw8Ngl0hy3xuTblILlTiQ5Tda5l2Ir7mxCt1Dnd3nvwkUx0zkFxbR3X_Nax0wOiPAuoOmthJod66Ow-lxjW2k/s400/DSC_0946.JPG" title="sports themed party - drink table labels" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she filled this with <br />ice and water bottles</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLFl3yE0dI2I_LhmAC0_2Z-HyNYk_3VEZKDexlsgvL_us9tMVs3m3EvmbJi5ZkCrpMtvkc8iGTo7A9dihLBPAqRRYfqe1uxFjF0h-sHHuzBm0-THK7zW6ssR8vLas2sLz0duO_3O2au0/s1600/DSC_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLFl3yE0dI2I_LhmAC0_2Z-HyNYk_3VEZKDexlsgvL_us9tMVs3m3EvmbJi5ZkCrpMtvkc8iGTo7A9dihLBPAqRRYfqe1uxFjF0h-sHHuzBm0-THK7zW6ssR8vLas2sLz0duO_3O2au0/s400/DSC_0944.JPG" title="sports themed party - drink table decor" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBQVkNHdDmTujKRP1T3n4hy5y0UOib2T1yk3RGy3_P8ap2ZRAUxhSJs6EuHVxW3TjmYqHOjRk_Af5ZAQGjaZuNdGdADvgzIHNi6gFoxf705UEQJ9xAc-bnrFHM_F2R30esLhyphenhyphenZem2k8w/s1600/DSC_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBQVkNHdDmTujKRP1T3n4hy5y0UOib2T1yk3RGy3_P8ap2ZRAUxhSJs6EuHVxW3TjmYqHOjRk_Af5ZAQGjaZuNdGdADvgzIHNi6gFoxf705UEQJ9xAc-bnrFHM_F2R30esLhyphenhyphenZem2k8w/s400/DSC_0947.JPG" title="keep drinks straight at a large parties: draw pictures/write words on the caps ahead of time!" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">one of my favorite tricks i <br />learned from my aunt - <br />draw different pictures <br />on the caps of water bottles <br />so you can tell drinks apart! <br />with 40+ people at a party, <br />this comes in handy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dTYlCWUm8ZSJ76dC43UGc8uLAPXis9BPAt8Z0RbeA8GyVTgBzAcy4ozxvbMVBv5q517AsPptXrEDXbtOE-0OMALPTNkaDPwKPEvQv2VVei5Mu5PqTeLa3VoQT3K4CtP03IN0p3po4Vc/s1600/DSC_0951-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dTYlCWUm8ZSJ76dC43UGc8uLAPXis9BPAt8Z0RbeA8GyVTgBzAcy4ozxvbMVBv5q517AsPptXrEDXbtOE-0OMALPTNkaDPwKPEvQv2VVei5Mu5PqTeLa3VoQT3K4CtP03IN0p3po4Vc/s400/DSC_0951-001.JPG" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAM5fraXwJYtU1H9Kr4fPqPJfBH3uFB-qc2jimiMIWBdhQxvrmcmW7zR1_N5KlTbVGzwgDZXHU-PwnJrzHRc7M5U7NY4aSK8lQ0ZNPljHBo8s5-hfB9WVPXOYR0H1fph_x74wKCH1rNA/s1600/DSC_0953-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAM5fraXwJYtU1H9Kr4fPqPJfBH3uFB-qc2jimiMIWBdhQxvrmcmW7zR1_N5KlTbVGzwgDZXHU-PwnJrzHRc7M5U7NY4aSK8lQ0ZNPljHBo8s5-hfB9WVPXOYR0H1fph_x74wKCH1rNA/s400/DSC_0953-001.JPG" title="sports themed cupcakes!" width="267" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyU3f3yy8aDnf414xo3Zp3e1yyNJ0TEea3dQBhLNsJ0mVc9_DPvBxqMVMHSXadT0B_DwSq985U54WDcW-fXmKCOjg8XjUDUk746ZW60Wh134Pq5rnhctGoht8U5Ozykz5FWI6S6B_uThE/s1600/DSC_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyU3f3yy8aDnf414xo3Zp3e1yyNJ0TEea3dQBhLNsJ0mVc9_DPvBxqMVMHSXadT0B_DwSq985U54WDcW-fXmKCOjg8XjUDUk746ZW60Wh134Pq5rnhctGoht8U5Ozykz5FWI6S6B_uThE/s400/DSC_0962.JPG" title="sports themed cupcakes!" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFFc6-vY0YxLc00nuNfp5LMaVkGwFTJixHsLrkkgHdMoV97aKRwAdNG601ASapRL06fz4fjZbf2lAFUTM2dwnBg7yMMywkUPouT7Y5T3q5iCSsozVGEda0kslWb0nUV0GptwEcjGRcDw/s1600/DSC_0966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFFc6-vY0YxLc00nuNfp5LMaVkGwFTJixHsLrkkgHdMoV97aKRwAdNG601ASapRL06fz4fjZbf2lAFUTM2dwnBg7yMMywkUPouT7Y5T3q5iCSsozVGEda0kslWb0nUV0GptwEcjGRcDw/s400/DSC_0966.JPG" title="baseball cake!" width="400" /></a> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFU8Y17KSc2-fBvtJLfKfAkMqsl8lyj9_CQ1s5FCyyVcp1aQF-dI9uryGLtjFzEkou4jPy-SzT3y2M5TItCBeKA__pkLV-knwTOFvwKgpdqciV7SHNYBR4IlCGFTvAGitva9PJkjwaEY/s1600/DSC_0976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFU8Y17KSc2-fBvtJLfKfAkMqsl8lyj9_CQ1s5FCyyVcp1aQF-dI9uryGLtjFzEkou4jPy-SzT3y2M5TItCBeKA__pkLV-knwTOFvwKgpdqciV7SHNYBR4IlCGFTvAGitva9PJkjwaEY/s400/DSC_0976.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">the birthday boy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bHcoXTCDihxNZkDh_1JEL3gcmf7QHZfFR_QHz5AJIn9awrKa0eQNarJFtaZyn6S82HYkNbDPsO4qZ5Mnqwz1L3RfqdMVhhp6ujhwfdMUGcfEIK7OELYTXav5X518LGLLMgG5iV4Wgns/s1600/DSC_0992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bHcoXTCDihxNZkDh_1JEL3gcmf7QHZfFR_QHz5AJIn9awrKa0eQNarJFtaZyn6S82HYkNbDPsO4qZ5Mnqwz1L3RfqdMVhhp6ujhwfdMUGcfEIK7OELYTXav5X518LGLLMgG5iV4Wgns/s400/DSC_0992.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">kim made tommy this super cute sports shirt!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05usMnCmDZTXHfOAa31Mdrk2MAQqDkUkwb0Oxd1e8f3JRRPTJ-vmBrumknyjG1YD2vmmyYiat3xXelWIXenMMhQmjEODuDFdZmHC1NCLh7q_Xf5LHqChEKanNfLnv__KWS5JHH6Xhw6g/s1600/DSC_0935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05usMnCmDZTXHfOAa31Mdrk2MAQqDkUkwb0Oxd1e8f3JRRPTJ-vmBrumknyjG1YD2vmmyYiat3xXelWIXenMMhQmjEODuDFdZmHC1NCLh7q_Xf5LHqChEKanNfLnv__KWS5JHH6Xhw6g/s400/DSC_0935.JPG" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">time for cake!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRIImp52y91nRF7QuzzbfdqVFJyjxHrIUUgSdMvoHZ4IxLRzQfas8RG0yZa6vEEGNLwMFp5cv31uKsUUlZH_mnxEUeUhVM9MQGoe0ew3xRYX1KqxXrIgQpdP2vbPhA2q08lCjz8IDqAI/s1600/DSC_1053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRIImp52y91nRF7QuzzbfdqVFJyjxHrIUUgSdMvoHZ4IxLRzQfas8RG0yZa6vEEGNLwMFp5cv31uKsUUlZH_mnxEUeUhVM9MQGoe0ew3xRYX1KqxXrIgQpdP2vbPhA2q08lCjz8IDqAI/s400/DSC_1053.JPG" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_-FwbKSjNgKDam5uwN-qRcVUZzHmmkNZMt4GDFeDAHVjN3DxX_BzZNyi7bn6OSVdg4KpieeSWHy0FtwCyVFcDWp-L1HYaa5bpyhRBDMI4ZGbTQnX69duhoQRpUZ_j0dyxv3hgy0X7l8/s1600/DSC_1118.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_-FwbKSjNgKDam5uwN-qRcVUZzHmmkNZMt4GDFeDAHVjN3DxX_BzZNyi7bn6OSVdg4KpieeSWHy0FtwCyVFcDWp-L1HYaa5bpyhRBDMI4ZGbTQnX69duhoQRpUZ_j0dyxv3hgy0X7l8/s400/DSC_1118.NEF.jpg" title="sports themed sewn garland" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and first birthdays,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-45094618152532960722012-08-29T09:21:00.001-05:002012-09-06T23:44:32.460-05:00letter R sensory bucket.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i love looking back on my life and seeing all the ways God directed me exactly where i needed to be, even before i was a believer. working at the preschool taught me so much and prepared me in so many ways for being a mom. the biggest bonus - all the stuff i bought for my classroom when i was single and had the cash to do it. i saved all of it for my future kids and am sooo thankful to have activities on hand! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">whenever we get bored, i tell emery we're going to pick something out of the super secret special activity room {also known as a closet in the basement}. i think it's her favorite room in the house!</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">toddler/preschooler activity: </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Letter R Sound Box</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">at the preschool, every week was devoted to a different letter. we would read a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=my+sound+box&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&aq=f&sugexp=chrome,mod=2&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#hl=en&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS485US485&tbm=shop&sclient=psy-ab&q=my+R+sound+box&oq=my+R+sound+box&gs_l=serp.12...9679.10014.1.11101.2.2.0.0.0.0.90.175.2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.jFZQW-q1OIE&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=21b5f02c17b6b406&biw=1440&bih=756">book</a> specific to that letter, do an art project about the letter, and i would create centers themed around the letter. One of my centers for letter R was an R Sound Box...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fEUkRpSGaouOFZtRTdKjURikVaciS20escqt29xC3ahZI4sb085QcskiQEHFLKOoCyYC3iDPqNc4eaf5BRHOPZ8rj2JUoTR2osTtBBcybszkhQHCUTqpsgmDG3-5Z-51JXPodODlhkc/s1600/08+-+August1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fEUkRpSGaouOFZtRTdKjURikVaciS20escqt29xC3ahZI4sb085QcskiQEHFLKOoCyYC3iDPqNc4eaf5BRHOPZ8rj2JUoTR2osTtBBcybszkhQHCUTqpsgmDG3-5Z-51JXPodODlhkc/s640/08+-+August1.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Tools:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">small rubbermaid container {i got this at the dollar store, but they also have them in sets of 5 at target.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">rice {or if you do a different letter, pick something else, like confetti for C, pebbles for P, sand for S, etc.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">a few objects that start with your letter. i choose a ruler, rose, red ribbon, race car, ring, rooster, and rock. most of these i got at the dollar store.</span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94-rB8H8TCM7Mfa3QIICLb1oPLOlhyphenhyphenDvkb7iez26nsFwkBabrI9vh6ncGZIZvd9b6lcbOWm2-3Lo-0hbHay6rISiC2TG34qihc0yvHn41Iru6vtz1vA52igZIj9sj_ObkXVvXo1VyKc/s1600/08+-+August.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94-rB8H8TCM7Mfa3QIICLb1oPLOlhyphenhyphenDvkb7iez26nsFwkBabrI9vh6ncGZIZvd9b6lcbOWm2-3Lo-0hbHay6rISiC2TG34qihc0yvHn41Iru6vtz1vA52igZIj9sj_ObkXVvXo1VyKc/s640/08+-+August.jpg" title="Letter R Sensory Bucket - great for teaching preschool kids or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">obviously emery isn't learning what starts with what yet, but it's a fun sensory bucket just the same. I still talked with her about everything like she was 4, but she mostly just wanted to throw rice on the floor. all in all, it was a good day!</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKsUFrl7Qo2w0DU_HEAU4NxqACGVMVX_J5FQYXsb55JgFCZtDPHFnv3Gnhli2K48zSTWdZ_zQGp764O7sn_liEzg54BbAt51eqOsWgAlgNmBsreu_1JN5yeLNdp4ec7ogl25s8zICKlc/s1600/i+thought+of+it+second3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKsUFrl7Qo2w0DU_HEAU4NxqACGVMVX_J5FQYXsb55JgFCZtDPHFnv3Gnhli2K48zSTWdZ_zQGp764O7sn_liEzg54BbAt51eqOsWgAlgNmBsreu_1JN5yeLNdp4ec7ogl25s8zICKlc/s640/i+thought+of+it+second3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she loved finding all the treasures and she loved making a mess!
<br />i don't mind her doing it, as long as it's supervised and structured!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNGzuFyTVfvAZiuBpIplDLi5fBnJ-M5sXQIOEAp-PqNF7ur7yYKblDDgeGTklfLTB-x8G_CWDtCaLGm439qm_jucmwFTeHlh9eIo19pWAmTHvynQzgvIKzAUwP2r1brcfPhSVlHuQE2w/s1600/DSC_0960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNGzuFyTVfvAZiuBpIplDLi5fBnJ-M5sXQIOEAp-PqNF7ur7yYKblDDgeGTklfLTB-x8G_CWDtCaLGm439qm_jucmwFTeHlh9eIo19pWAmTHvynQzgvIKzAUwP2r1brcfPhSVlHuQE2w/s400/DSC_0960.JPG" title="Letter R Sensory Bucket - great for teaching preschool kids or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">burying mommy's hand in the rice</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">love and the alphabet, </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span id="goog_730434558"></span><span id="goog_730434559"></span>PS - this post was featured on <a href="http://creativechristianmama.com/weekend-whatever-link-up-96/#comment-9230">Creative Christian Mama's Linky Party</a>! i'm more than a little pumped!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-74456448377823597512012-08-23T07:48:00.004-05:002013-06-08T21:41:01.070-05:00throw it out thursday: eye make up remover.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">when i ran out of eye make up remover a few months ago, we were in an unexpected financial bind. i didn't want to spend any extra money until i knew what was going to happen {long story} so i hopped on pinterest and started searching. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i found TONS of eye make up remover recipes, but they were all AWFUL! maybe i was just spoiled with the effectiveness of the brand i had been using, but the recipes i was finding took 2-3 cotton rounds, burning eyes, and gobs of remover to get my eyes completely make up free. not cool.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i have also been on an insane blog kick - subscribing to tons of blogs through facebook and email so that i have to do less work when finding healthy alternatives - the research now comes to me! anyways, a few weeks before this, i had signed up for emails from </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-whole-crunch">http://www.crunchybetty.com</a>. the wonderful lady read my mind and sent out an email about all natural face wash and eye make up remover. she only briefly mentioned that she used EVOO as eye make up remover, so i thought i would share what i did and give all the credit to her! the best part is the ingredient list: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn-h-gc5kTIWMcQpACalHsxzWoyPySRJLQago7HrhS5p0rrKC7uXgeN5k_AAy6DvjI0_Q3cgDjYBOHeAjf2BYLwQJUfXBeMShOuTn5KlElboFLZLvNmDJ1T_GrPGWIObY2gLrQbIXzQo/s1600/DSC_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn-h-gc5kTIWMcQpACalHsxzWoyPySRJLQago7HrhS5p0rrKC7uXgeN5k_AAy6DvjI0_Q3cgDjYBOHeAjf2BYLwQJUfXBeMShOuTn5KlElboFLZLvNmDJ1T_GrPGWIObY2gLrQbIXzQo/s400/DSC_1459.JPG" title="DiY eye make up remover with olive oil." width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ingredients: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">EVOO</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">that's it. {maybe crunchy betty is crazy...surely there's more to it!?}</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">tools:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">eye dropper {i got this one for under $3 at whole foods}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">cotton round </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRIUukqLr5rTu6GLSejU5UIZmOf0NfTrRorha2mdnj0AfWaeS-61wNnlIekSAlKvpkUgTzmcqDmc6yHwj7BsospB1-ZYoo6O0t6uYRNlHIezU11duEEcLoeLhr5-78borRWGCSHxjhvA/s1600/DSC_1450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRIUukqLr5rTu6GLSejU5UIZmOf0NfTrRorha2mdnj0AfWaeS-61wNnlIekSAlKvpkUgTzmcqDmc6yHwj7BsospB1-ZYoo6O0t6uYRNlHIezU11duEEcLoeLhr5-78borRWGCSHxjhvA/s320/DSC_1450.JPG" title="DiY eye make up remover with olive oil." width="228" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> directions:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i find this works best right after i've gotten out of the shower, or if i've held a hot wash cloth over my face for a minute, to soften the mascara.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">soak the cotton round with water. squeeze out all excess. {i cannot stress how important this is. when i first tried EVOO as eye make up remover, i HATED it because i didn't do this. somehow it helps the olive oil spread better and not get globs in your eyes - which BURNS}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">fill dropper all the way with EVOO, squirt evenly over cotton round. use fingers to spread it out more.</span> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf0c89qOsTT3Hpitkq8po0fhHX7SJPn2Pqh9dSjCFb3-xlUk749IjtGEa8SS_Rvzw7qrOJn5QGwYPH8pl8Drza6ZRU81S_blQVluQe-wDLa52E3p3-m6hhNPZj2tweyEHmxkxB5yRgbo/s1600/DSC_1461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf0c89qOsTT3Hpitkq8po0fhHX7SJPn2Pqh9dSjCFb3-xlUk749IjtGEa8SS_Rvzw7qrOJn5QGwYPH8pl8Drza6ZRU81S_blQVluQe-wDLa52E3p3-m6hhNPZj2tweyEHmxkxB5yRgbo/s400/DSC_1461.JPG" title="DiY eye make up remover with olive oil." width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7GkLOr9ugZLvgoHAwoxyprM0FI6tCZc0g9j-3AjZ0Ce-q6euc-W6TlinGWTl0NYkH7LSIq9R2UFZDO8gFY1KT4iAE0rr7kEH8TyWEIrJIAw5JsxRLTlI4IJmXf-yyhC9MOTSmdqJ0gg/s1600/DSC_1466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7GkLOr9ugZLvgoHAwoxyprM0FI6tCZc0g9j-3AjZ0Ce-q6euc-W6TlinGWTl0NYkH7LSIq9R2UFZDO8gFY1KT4iAE0rr7kEH8TyWEIrJIAw5JsxRLTlI4IJmXf-yyhC9MOTSmdqJ0gg/s400/DSC_1466.JPG" title="DiY eye make up remover with olive oil." width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">remove eye make up as usual.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dNg3sEa9b7Zo4AMAuLKVAnGx9IHNCPRKV1x2fx6PajUgG6OGhLmA1Q4KFPcXtFnb-cJQzvaRpErMAxwaBFcmnOtYt6RGZ9x4TH4F-9YOjt5zmgGlWULIwBcsDP7tywBaxXTz26O_oO4/s1600/DSC_1468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dNg3sEa9b7Zo4AMAuLKVAnGx9IHNCPRKV1x2fx6PajUgG6OGhLmA1Q4KFPcXtFnb-cJQzvaRpErMAxwaBFcmnOtYt6RGZ9x4TH4F-9YOjt5zmgGlWULIwBcsDP7tywBaxXTz26O_oO4/s400/DSC_1468.JPG" title="DiY eye make up remover with olive oil." width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and less chemicals,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<br />amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-67597598193675038052012-08-22T07:38:00.000-05:002012-08-23T07:47:42.156-05:00how to quickly cut a watermelon. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bdchYD3eUNQf_etiLgrTxmL7wtwJGsCNR276KQBy5yx27fFelYeHMlxIyOpqz8Q3YRJgPTdy69Ape6p0_S_i5jL5peMwtsCw9mcJLJQxHKy1KU_nHporklfU7FD1nHXyj_vBbTSB3fI/s1600/DSC_0946.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bdchYD3eUNQf_etiLgrTxmL7wtwJGsCNR276KQBy5yx27fFelYeHMlxIyOpqz8Q3YRJgPTdy69Ape6p0_S_i5jL5peMwtsCw9mcJLJQxHKy1KU_nHporklfU7FD1nHXyj_vBbTSB3fI/s400/DSC_0946.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">a few years ago i was over at my husband's aunt house and as usual, she was working in the kitchen. i pretty much always sit at the counter and watch her work because i always learn something new at her house!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i dont even know that she knows this, but one particular day i'm pretty sure my eyes were bugging out of my head and my jaw was on the floor {but i think i was trying to play it cool because she was telling me story}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">as a little background to this event - i got married when i was 19. i was super insecure in pretty much everything homemaking related and was pretty positive everyone out there knew exactly what they were doing except me. being 25 now and having talked with many married friends, i now know this isn't true. there are tons of homemakers out there that are totally winging it! i'm not alone!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">so, back to my story. i went on with my life for years assuming everyone else knew this trick but me until just a few weeks ago my mom needed to cut up a watermelon and i offered to do it for her. she went upstairs for a few minutes and when she came back down, i was done. i'm pretty sure her eyes were bugging out of her head and her jaw was on the floor. she wanted to know how in the heck it didn't take me 14 hours to wrestle with and conquer the watermelon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this, dear people, is the answer:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sAdryWeGaFvFyLUzTMbUepc96NVkJoPm3JYj_cyAN7t8w_Yg8xRaw8DUVWDSbUszIvKFmiWiKxs1roqbeDJ7qOtXTs5vNO81e0g5F8aQ41WjJ3_FhwaMK5zZzbeXJ2OboX84Z9cWUSE/s1600/DSC_0933.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sAdryWeGaFvFyLUzTMbUepc96NVkJoPm3JYj_cyAN7t8w_Yg8xRaw8DUVWDSbUszIvKFmiWiKxs1roqbeDJ7qOtXTs5vNO81e0g5F8aQ41WjJ3_FhwaMK5zZzbeXJ2OboX84Z9cWUSE/s400/DSC_0933.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">get yourself a watermelon. <br />and a knife. <br />and a cutting board.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQKrcD4dcayLdq2VO-1jPHkEVAK7zGFfo380eUqRFq8iAhm7hTqB5FCK4Gu0gwVYEi8QdQPU4HONVIwerWeze3VQmCYwNB4WYZ-3vZcgt3m_8vldCBa8jtJBnJDpprTur3p94ym9BKgQ/s1600/DSC_0935.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQKrcD4dcayLdq2VO-1jPHkEVAK7zGFfo380eUqRFq8iAhm7hTqB5FCK4Gu0gwVYEi8QdQPU4HONVIwerWeze3VQmCYwNB4WYZ-3vZcgt3m_8vldCBa8jtJBnJDpprTur3p94ym9BKgQ/s400/DSC_0935.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">cut the beast into 4 sections.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cx5BN8yxRrZ4Wtme4X4UyrDGiZurwYX8T5SWNd7Zgs4MVgdOm5oheUudoTxHlrEwk5Q_8jkrDao0chWnrfSADg4Z4HvaLyiKEPVopgZ7W2gnLyTYzigUPNtdN4UXxHAfJIK0ZKv6u-w/s1600/DSC_0936.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cx5BN8yxRrZ4Wtme4X4UyrDGiZurwYX8T5SWNd7Zgs4MVgdOm5oheUudoTxHlrEwk5Q_8jkrDao0chWnrfSADg4Z4HvaLyiKEPVopgZ7W2gnLyTYzigUPNtdN4UXxHAfJIK0ZKv6u-w/s400/DSC_0936.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">from the back of the rind <br />to the front of the fruit, <br />cut even sections.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr9ZQW2-Jee2_EK0ea55K_0VCNnETsvueAaEmyBgYcYV9bHOid2vjnhfkstdZx1UeMI34DwX3811D3_czEJO56s9H1dRxCwGPW0fQtQv0mHVFB6TRGMf5XYBR5SWeATQ1bOLzCD6cpJk/s1600/DSC_0938.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr9ZQW2-Jee2_EK0ea55K_0VCNnETsvueAaEmyBgYcYV9bHOid2vjnhfkstdZx1UeMI34DwX3811D3_czEJO56s9H1dRxCwGPW0fQtQv0mHVFB6TRGMf5XYBR5SWeATQ1bOLzCD6cpJk/s400/DSC_0938.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">then, coming down from the top,<br />cut from rind to rind <br />to make bite sized chunks.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHviUE-2QIvzH347qAhW0cuqEIGs_TURSgEnjnjvtF2tuzTNIV-nUyi8Wqf9T_j0DuZtdHG7hyphenhyphennPEn1u144tYLT0UgFN7Kwkv1q3bEMQqlpFMF9RKpCg-f7R6BrxpJXQ56PFDWvjZ_TBc/s1600/DSC_0942.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHviUE-2QIvzH347qAhW0cuqEIGs_TURSgEnjnjvtF2tuzTNIV-nUyi8Wqf9T_j0DuZtdHG7hyphenhyphennPEn1u144tYLT0UgFN7Kwkv1q3bEMQqlpFMF9RKpCg-f7R6BrxpJXQ56PFDWvjZ_TBc/s400/DSC_0942.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">then, going from front to back, <br />make the final cut, separating the chunks <br />from the rind and rest of the watermelon.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnzkghbsRoY7Q2xV7J5dTN2NOBzWVHCsfsBDDGT739EbovDj7uPQQV-7P4t1jR1_N9OaLWbSQ00aZhuas0bkNKQWOALWrGDRSfOF2MRHK1bWPxOMYc5etxDtJ3684T-tWh7lM5JOjI2Q/s1600/DSC_0945.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnzkghbsRoY7Q2xV7J5dTN2NOBzWVHCsfsBDDGT739EbovDj7uPQQV-7P4t1jR1_N9OaLWbSQ00aZhuas0bkNKQWOALWrGDRSfOF2MRHK1bWPxOMYc5etxDtJ3684T-tWh7lM5JOjI2Q/s400/DSC_0945.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">as you loosen a section, <br />keep the chunks on the knife, <br />secure them with your hand, <br />and dump them in the bowl.</span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ST9DLie_BjHfbrJxBe9cGltdn1bKnLiWJ3XQqcwU3fUxBZ4y-gaSeOfi43pcBK1F4VAraEApQMNC5Xrp6GPVqYT7M6n0xRBRsXxTXKHXFNlEtXlMJcN8gjDj_4t5BNTGV4G5Ke9hF3E/s1600/DSC_0940.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ST9DLie_BjHfbrJxBe9cGltdn1bKnLiWJ3XQqcwU3fUxBZ4y-gaSeOfi43pcBK1F4VAraEApQMNC5Xrp6GPVqYT7M6n0xRBRsXxTXKHXFNlEtXlMJcN8gjDj_4t5BNTGV4G5Ke9hF3E/s400/DSC_0940.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">pour the juice from the rind <br />into a glass and drink it! <br />have flashbacks to my honeymoon in mexico.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqXqXDQqSSf3hkJ1dgyPbp7bL0J41Skn8PSTq7JTrR0SndheTi89wbA3WEVLv_FtajtMWbB9t2jTLuAMV2KAPK1tUYXaqeQNy1IZOGNt0MzxiLTlV3xup51oshRNAmOdLdMDDZtbhYsQ/s1600/DSC_0950.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqXqXDQqSSf3hkJ1dgyPbp7bL0J41Skn8PSTq7JTrR0SndheTi89wbA3WEVLv_FtajtMWbB9t2jTLuAMV2KAPK1tUYXaqeQNy1IZOGNt0MzxiLTlV3xup51oshRNAmOdLdMDDZtbhYsQ/s400/DSC_0950.NEF.jpg" title="how to cut a watermelon efficiently " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">sit back and enjoy the fact <br />that you did that wicked fast.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">if you're looking for something to do with all the watermelon you bought and</span> <span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">cut j</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ust to try out this trick, i have a solution. last night we made this amazing <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3274">watermelon and arugula salad</a> from the Whole Foods website. i left out the red onion cause we were going to someone's house and wanted to be able to talk to them after dinner, but you can leave it in if you don't mind onion breath. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">hopefully this helped some newbie 19 year old wife out there...if not, at least my mom now has photos to go along with my verbal explanation.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and watermelon juice,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-31082109475013370102012-08-21T07:27:00.000-05:002012-09-14T07:19:12.364-05:00balloon sensory matching.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i wouldn't change my job title for anything. being a wife and mom is the BEST! emery's curiosity is my daily reward for staying home - we have the best adventures and she makes everything so much fun. yesterday wasn't any different...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">toddler activity:</span> balloon sensory matching</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhjdR-LGNZgjMLA2e3tV3izs221usnORbGfgqq-EGYbkxWbTJzA0Id2Xe0WTG_5qnF1sO_Siw20calaHgHwGnorD3aEZCcGmCyfkDigT6HINi2PkhXvTBorytN2qGCv_oroqaoxoA8Tw/s400/DSC_1150.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">when i worked at the preschool, one of my all time favorite themes was the week devoted to the 5 senses. one of the center time activities was a matching game. I filled balloons with various things and created cards with pictures of each thing. the kids got to squish, poke, and prod and then lay the balloons on the card they thought was the right match.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i know emery isn't there yet, but i keep seeing sensory balloons on pinterest and thought i'd make them again! i still have the cards, so for the sake of the post, i thought i'd fill them with what's in the pictures, even though it wont matter for her right now!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZozEkKHiFm-4lLwEc7mxzBsGAutirCqmmLNvS1bW2Ct7bGVRw3UVq52W7xW56OUEZSCpmtXG4Y3-Wp-7_LG6m_GuYK0fwUySBIt0yJ13tN4WG7_StF6kspvCxhlODeGjmg2UjM80cro/s1600/DSC_1130.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFZozEkKHiFm-4lLwEc7mxzBsGAutirCqmmLNvS1bW2Ct7bGVRw3UVq52W7xW56OUEZSCpmtXG4Y3-Wp-7_LG6m_GuYK0fwUySBIt0yJ13tN4WG7_StF6kspvCxhlODeGjmg2UjM80cro/s400/DSC_1130.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">all you need is a funnel {for some things}, <br />the balloons, and various items <br />that are different sizes and textures.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC0MxWBwDHrC2o_LwvWfdZKZU-xkarSRKe-mEYVGvjWRbPltJ-h0Zeg9p5wNP4Dc6wFdR5axKFtUSadJNs1z6llTupGNf7yq8ID5_W12yeMkYujTzuqbHfxyCLFEf9QvVNHtPhtDzngE/s1600/DSC_1131.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHC0MxWBwDHrC2o_LwvWfdZKZU-xkarSRKe-mEYVGvjWRbPltJ-h0Zeg9p5wNP4Dc6wFdR5axKFtUSadJNs1z6llTupGNf7yq8ID5_W12yeMkYujTzuqbHfxyCLFEf9QvVNHtPhtDzngE/s400/DSC_1131.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">feeling the rice balloon! <br />she loved watching mommy </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">use the funnel to fill it!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggosx2LRj0HXBLFqXGiD2wgtccNYPazhI2RtxoORaXuW-xQsakSK3hKl0z-4ftCbUi_O-HR03seWRPr_42dB7TF_4xWNz-OLbHMnDsjWsWiaRKdGV-70bekQTVVXgJzTRdf5ndG1DG7yI/s1600/DSC_1137.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggosx2LRj0HXBLFqXGiD2wgtccNYPazhI2RtxoORaXuW-xQsakSK3hKl0z-4ftCbUi_O-HR03seWRPr_42dB7TF_4xWNz-OLbHMnDsjWsWiaRKdGV-70bekQTVVXgJzTRdf5ndG1DG7yI/s400/DSC_1137.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">things got a little messy...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2DyptJ_5lZ7jhqN_usQCIeuRxOrKsY7vMtgu2vyFCloU8GnZT0-meCHSyJ_412-z2MdmonGYVcjIv_39mxcCTNJj2AzdIYHuR9eAvFA9uPUKIevtz9D1eT4MfJmDI3P-NQ0AR0CFX1M/s1600/DSC_1134.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2DyptJ_5lZ7jhqN_usQCIeuRxOrKsY7vMtgu2vyFCloU8GnZT0-meCHSyJ_412-z2MdmonGYVcjIv_39mxcCTNJj2AzdIYHuR9eAvFA9uPUKIevtz9D1eT4MfJmDI3P-NQ0AR0CFX1M/s400/DSC_1134.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">corn through our <br />funnel was a no go.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIZSkwuMb8P5Q2IiZ7DOuHoCShdguksZJkxiijd3exFwJaJIUjzLMVlc7GtgacbRpoAOXhyphenhyphen5NCUQRP1DwZpEpJKd5UWRL9DNUmPXsWzQGr5lHG9xe-PWmJQtMbwuQLS3fIU8WIJDemHE/s1600/DSC_1135.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIZSkwuMb8P5Q2IiZ7DOuHoCShdguksZJkxiijd3exFwJaJIUjzLMVlc7GtgacbRpoAOXhyphenhyphen5NCUQRP1DwZpEpJKd5UWRL9DNUmPXsWzQGr5lHG9xe-PWmJQtMbwuQLS3fIU8WIJDemHE/s400/DSC_1135.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">so we put them in ourselves.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1pLE6xNEq5H_h_0wEyVVF9iEYkjqgypuroiCWpb1lg6k8_djf9FQOr2zdSTGRENEIqBeN7YxlYehlAuuvTDFzD-DGQiO53f89MFU1WzyRceBPf9EHiPymFn7SgBL11VvEl1jqEh7WzY/s1600/DSC_1136.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1pLE6xNEq5H_h_0wEyVVF9iEYkjqgypuroiCWpb1lg6k8_djf9FQOr2zdSTGRENEIqBeN7YxlYehlAuuvTDFzD-DGQiO53f89MFU1WzyRceBPf9EHiPymFn7SgBL11VvEl1jqEh7WzY/s400/DSC_1136.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvDjgjvTDsh4htzIB7O6hKFqQ_x98Ia4FYYXpLisAIm-7JgbHrMFwDR6vBGdNoP81lQsibRyG9mUfsHlawbXymQpPjuxbNFtLohdyOlIOX1Hgt7gR5YNGRbLQznOgfmyxOc9TVI9aI_g/s1600/DSC_1138.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvDjgjvTDsh4htzIB7O6hKFqQ_x98Ia4FYYXpLisAIm-7JgbHrMFwDR6vBGdNoP81lQsibRyG9mUfsHlawbXymQpPjuxbNFtLohdyOlIOX1Hgt7gR5YNGRbLQznOgfmyxOc9TVI9aI_g/s400/DSC_1138.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">she wanted in that flour bag so bad!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVW23cezo-Wu1IdlamhslLUC6uGB_ChxD6QEanF9lUFb9ST3Lbhy87_fHwsS2ZjnJakzH_A_5fZ-C7qY3WCPifjNxhgbAGWNMpC9hQWO1gWwawx7IDv-8lB7ROabrCvkKWb7Sgte8W0I/s400/DSC_1148.NEF.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="267" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">funneling the sand. <br />we also did shampoo and marbles.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqb9L9PfqAcMOIF3J_5Aph1kdoFRg-0O6gz9TScXCeZfNSDXpRon1JbJQCfg6GllYidBKxbJbnfNSNVUfVOQRzlZyxZKFCz1sCKi8z1wGgeM7rCLAa-rhb5a4rz5t6bzNriLTXWSlG2M/s1600/DSC_1139.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqb9L9PfqAcMOIF3J_5Aph1kdoFRg-0O6gz9TScXCeZfNSDXpRon1JbJQCfg6GllYidBKxbJbnfNSNVUfVOQRzlZyxZKFCz1sCKi8z1wGgeM7rCLAa-rhb5a4rz5t6bzNriLTXWSlG2M/s400/DSC_1139.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">honestly, i was surprised <br />how much she loved these - <br />i didn't think they would <br />last that long, but she <br />loved picking them up <br />one by one and squishing them!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6d_jW2wAcmIToNXcItqon_larqWOeNFTEzPFxZJBhvHaxT0_-p4byegvixcPCmY4Nsd7p7lB86Mt75obtYF9KAxymkcwjk2heHKueFmjpFFi-8Y1jAoSKOL-50NrFpbICHYp9UXEPsiQ/s1600/DSC_1147.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6d_jW2wAcmIToNXcItqon_larqWOeNFTEzPFxZJBhvHaxT0_-p4byegvixcPCmY4Nsd7p7lB86Mt75obtYF9KAxymkcwjk2heHKueFmjpFFi-8Y1jAoSKOL-50NrFpbICHYp9UXEPsiQ/s400/DSC_1147.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">in a few years, i'll add in the cards and i wont let her help me fill them so she wont know what's in what!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhjdR-LGNZgjMLA2e3tV3izs221usnORbGfgqq-EGYbkxWbTJzA0Id2Xe0WTG_5qnF1sO_Siw20calaHgHwGnorD3aEZCcGmCyfkDigT6HINi2PkhXvTBorytN2qGCv_oroqaoxoA8Tw/s1600/DSC_1150.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhjdR-LGNZgjMLA2e3tV3izs221usnORbGfgqq-EGYbkxWbTJzA0Id2Xe0WTG_5qnF1sO_Siw20calaHgHwGnorD3aEZCcGmCyfkDigT6HINi2PkhXvTBorytN2qGCv_oroqaoxoA8Tw/s200/DSC_1150.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i just found the pictures on google images, printed them off, traced a balloon image, and laminated them {which definitely isn't necessary, i just had access to one at the preschool and with 12 new kids every year, i needed them to last!}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEESKs1tVPGSig1pGY78qB3DIziWmHkfaUaaQH4ObbYIHhQSvumSXLQ1pcWrPaDdIlNFvXvteTGLpOpX_66PDLRZp6hVXBt0WnvhCl63uVQAdG4brq2xpO-N2ngOjKD3ou8Xr3lrveIU/s1600/DSC_1151.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvEESKs1tVPGSig1pGY78qB3DIziWmHkfaUaaQH4ObbYIHhQSvumSXLQ1pcWrPaDdIlNFvXvteTGLpOpX_66PDLRZp6hVXBt0WnvhCl63uVQAdG4brq2xpO-N2ngOjKD3ou8Xr3lrveIU/s400/DSC_1151.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNqQUoDQK6VV2Pfwl1bZPIi0MTHaneFQXf-vYE0-q_ocO4f-6zl9wC6sd-ZcbAEeZGRByYAnhjJ3cgStU2nbdpLjF1mKFzS_WRd8Jqiro71hKc3gjX4yDxGVjcEn7FRL8i8AZ2vqM1Wo/s1600/DSC_1152.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNqQUoDQK6VV2Pfwl1bZPIi0MTHaneFQXf-vYE0-q_ocO4f-6zl9wC6sd-ZcbAEeZGRByYAnhjJ3cgStU2nbdpLjF1mKFzS_WRd8Jqiro71hKc3gjX4yDxGVjcEn7FRL8i8AZ2vqM1Wo/s400/DSC_1152.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{marbles, corn, rice.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGu9gBjpD08DEzf5TdawuJDW-bUwRLMO9KsmOyS226FGOHencXGCaKtQoeN0VghiDpkF-asevr8-F4Rat-ccSYpQ2XocO2ysBDsm7rutT_FxMMKca-tVgsOduHqrrdiZJ3zu3kkKcXbE/s1600/DSC_1153.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGu9gBjpD08DEzf5TdawuJDW-bUwRLMO9KsmOyS226FGOHencXGCaKtQoeN0VghiDpkF-asevr8-F4Rat-ccSYpQ2XocO2ysBDsm7rutT_FxMMKca-tVgsOduHqrrdiZJ3zu3kkKcXbE/s400/DSC_1153.NEF.jpg" title="sensory balloon with matching cards. great for teaching 5 senses to preschoolers or keeping toddler hands busy!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{flour, shampoo, sand.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and guessing games,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">PS - <a href="http://creativechristianmama.com/weekend-whatever-link-up-831/">Creative Christian Mama</a> and <a href="http://onecreativemommy.com/">One Creative Mommy</a> featured this post in their weekly linky parties! check out their blogs!</span>amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-72559627751863251022012-08-16T14:49:00.000-05:002015-02-26T22:18:34.151-06:00throw it out thursday: microwave.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i know what you're thinking right now. "this girl is crazy. i can see why she wouldn't want to clean her house with chemicals, but really, no microwave? this is over the top."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i'll be the first to admit i've taken the plunge. i've been doing things the last few months my former self would have made fun of me for. only conspiracy theorists avoid microwaves...right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">for me, the reason i thought that in the past was because of a lack of education. i know there are plenty of people out there who know the facts but aren't bothered by it - to each his own. after doing the research though, i couldn't help but make the change. does this mean i will never eat something that's been microwaved at someone else's house? no. it does mean that i'm avoiding continual, habitual microwave use. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>throw out:</u></span> microwave. {i just stuck mine in the basement}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>why:</u> </span>read<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/022015.html">this</a> and </span><a href="http://foodbabe.com/2012/07/30/why-its-time-to-throw-out-your-microwave/"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> for the science behind it. {really, go read them. esp the 2nd one - it's an easier read.} in short, the microwave kills most nutrients in your food. my family eats for </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">the purpose of nourishing our bodies, not just fill to our stomachs. if food heated by a microwave is void of nutrients, why eat it? food helps my family grow properly, to have the right vitamins and minerals, to give us energy, to help fight illness, etc, etc. if we can't get that with microwaved food, then i need to change what i'm doing. one of the articles states that vitamin B is no longer present in food after being microwaved. when i was pregnant with emery i had to take vitamin b pills to help with nausea and energy...i wonder if i hadn't used a microwave if i could have skipped the pills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>how we did it:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">honestly, i was </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">skeptical</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> that i could make this work. i was totally sold on the concept of faster meaning easier, so i didn't want to get rid of the microwave until i knew i could do it. we left it on the counter and for several weeks and tried not to use it. i had a moment of panic when i needed to soften butter for cookies and hadn't set it out in time, but other than that, it was super easy! {and i have successfully softened butter in the oven now!} once we both felt like we could survive without it, we put it in the basement.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">take food out of the fridge 30-45 min before you want to eat, to get it closer to room temp.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Kb1w0e9SRkGFb4mCDJ-Geqx4CNsarfHAYdzmxJ_ReR0NFKBBaQoWcsMn7e8s2ySjP46OmrNwOTlGrDn18L4pCXU5KwKJHpQPsGwB10CaQSxMPTK4nfWdSIud7ZmhpRHBAFTCIkDBT_w/s1600/DSC_1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Kb1w0e9SRkGFb4mCDJ-Geqx4CNsarfHAYdzmxJ_ReR0NFKBBaQoWcsMn7e8s2ySjP46OmrNwOTlGrDn18L4pCXU5KwKJHpQPsGwB10CaQSxMPTK4nfWdSIud7ZmhpRHBAFTCIkDBT_w/s200/DSC_1445.JPG" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{salmon and veggies for emery and i. <br />the small pampered chef bar pan <br />is perfect for reheating lunch. <br />i just use the pan as a plate!}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">set the oven for 250-300</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">place food in oven safe dish/cookie sheet, place in oven. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">walk away. {i used to check it every few minutes, thinking it would burn if i got distracted. after a week or two, i finally noticed that the same time it was warm enough was right after i could start to smell the food. it's the perfect alarm! so walk away, play with your kids, read your bible, and let your nose tell you when lunch is ready.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">if you're wanting to heat something like leftover pancakes - use a toaster!</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">here are the reasons i LOVE not using a microwave:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">COUNTER SPACE!!!!! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">nutrient rich food.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">texture & flavor - i was excited to find that eggs reheated in the oven taste exactly the same as when you make them fresh. eggs reheated in the microwave? not so much.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">convenience. it may sound crazy, but for me, it's actually more convenient to heat things slowly.</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">food heated in a microwave cools off SOOO quickly! if i heat something up in the microwave and then get distracted with emery, i have to warm it up all over again. usually it's too hot when i get it out, there's a 60 second window when it's the perfect temp, and then my last few bites are cold again. not cool.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">food heated in the oven stays warm for awhile - it's ok if i get distracted - it's still warm when i get back to it. it's also ok if i leave it in the oven for several minutes after i start to smell it - the oven is set so low it wont burn or dry out in a few extra minutes. the oven is mommy-friendly! {but it does take a few days to get in the mindset of thinking ahead. don't give up if it doesn't become a habit quickly - just munch on some fruit while you wait for it to heat up!}</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i definitely am learning to plan ahead - i try to think about dinner in the morning - do i need to get out some frozen chicken broth so it will thaw in time for dinner? do i need room temp butter for dessert? i've forgotten both of these until right before i needed them and still survived, but it made things take longer - i put the jar of chicken broth in warm water to melt it and put the butter in a dish in the oven and stirred it every few minutes. thinking ahead would have save me lots of time! forming new habits after 5 years of being a homemaker is hard, but worth it! sometimes change is good :-)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">love and good health,</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-61737533719050759122012-08-13T07:51:00.000-05:002012-08-23T07:43:13.882-05:00mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyOBOHhUSUvr0_yw1JgpU52GUaoJ8Xsn1WIvebcRJAuwiYLgKkxR3ZL1GRFkR3CdaVCGO1PCBPmkfE-F2a9BY6vrQ5YrWRAwsUqFHwlikctw3JBeOG4XQ7_jPrKzRFJ7rJZ-EJQHiKGY/s1600/DSC_0939.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyOBOHhUSUvr0_yw1JgpU52GUaoJ8Xsn1WIvebcRJAuwiYLgKkxR3ZL1GRFkR3CdaVCGO1PCBPmkfE-F2a9BY6vrQ5YrWRAwsUqFHwlikctw3JBeOG4XQ7_jPrKzRFJ7rJZ-EJQHiKGY/s400/DSC_0939.NEF.jpg" title="mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy made into asian salad" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">once upon a time, before i was sick-as-a-dog-pregnant, andrew and i accidentally started a sort of game/tradition...</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i don't know what to call it. i don't remember how it started. all i know is that it was fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i had almost forgotten about it until the other day, andrew comes home with a big bag from an asian market and says "baby bok choy. that's your mystery ingredient." </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i then had a few days to find or create a new recipe to try out, using baby bok choy. best.game.ever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i got to work, researching baby bok choy recipes on pinterest and finally settled on one that sounded good for a 100+ degree day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">recipe: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 21.983333587646484px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Crisp Baby Bok Choy Greens in Tangy-Sweet, Sesame-Soy Vinaigrette</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="line-height: 21.983333587646484px;"><span style="font-size: large;">slightly adapted from:</span> </span></span><a href="http://thecozyapron.com/cozy-cameo-pass-the-bok-choy-greens-and-my-skinny-jeans-please/">thecozyapron.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXb9ZlIfXbtgIX5RJ5YMX85rTGciZEKlTiSKz_v4R8TCz50FCBIf7A7Tcl9T6eusnJXQvnypNw7Rb3ii_IMcBvQjV_s2IFPMHU8JBzOoVGezB25KuqjAPmdAONThsohLnPT8dukBr21I/s1600/DSC_0942.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXb9ZlIfXbtgIX5RJ5YMX85rTGciZEKlTiSKz_v4R8TCz50FCBIf7A7Tcl9T6eusnJXQvnypNw7Rb3ii_IMcBvQjV_s2IFPMHU8JBzOoVGezB25KuqjAPmdAONThsohLnPT8dukBr21I/s400/DSC_0942.NEF.jpg" title="mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy made into asian salad" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">hey, baby.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Crisp Baby Bok Choy Greens in Tangy-Sweet, Sesame-Soy Vinaigrette</span></u></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{slightly adapted} {serves 4}</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYVX0sETVyUKFkAeLnlWVnwLBu0u-IDSPISbnjkV7tasKuhw8FuC2Rzr-UKR6yuHdBsLDeYUY0b1qlMW-CG332GOKUXhXMcquTTfxg4UcA6opKkm946pzrcesgyaykq0W3KnGmwIDwBY/s1600/DSC_0944.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYVX0sETVyUKFkAeLnlWVnwLBu0u-IDSPISbnjkV7tasKuhw8FuC2Rzr-UKR6yuHdBsLDeYUY0b1qlMW-CG332GOKUXhXMcquTTfxg4UcA6opKkm946pzrcesgyaykq0W3KnGmwIDwBY/s400/DSC_0944.NEF.jpg" title="mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy made into asian salad" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">the goods. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">{except the garlic, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">i removed it from the recipe below, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">it was too strong.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<u>ingredients:</u> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Courier New, Courier, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">8 baby bok choy, thinly sliced {including leafy greens}, rinsed, dried. {i rinse first because there is so much dirt btwn all the leaves it's hard to get out before it's chopped. i used my salad spinner.}</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">½ cup shredded carrot {i used the julienne part of my mandolin}</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">1 TB toasted sesame seeds, for garnish</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">2 tsp toasted sesame seeds</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">1 TB honey</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">1 TB soy sauce or braggs liquid aminos</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">3 TB rice wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">1 TB toasted sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">3 TB EVOO</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
directions:</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">place sliced Bok Choy and carrot into a large bowl.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">in a small bowl, add all remaining ingredients and whisk together until well combined.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Courier New, Courier, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.983333587646484px;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A4a1pWbs7iFCUYyPE8hjLhcGaziSBpWb5vaqUIpvQM_EgkoZlIAysU4BniNMDlrYqRW14bM-RF9sTtBkdAFHR664U7eIQa71HasvJMI8SVbHSlMu7PDCxb4Du36ymFAWch-C0a0xR-E/s1600/DSC_0950.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0A4a1pWbs7iFCUYyPE8hjLhcGaziSBpWb5vaqUIpvQM_EgkoZlIAysU4BniNMDlrYqRW14bM-RF9sTtBkdAFHR664U7eIQa71HasvJMI8SVbHSlMu7PDCxb4Du36ymFAWch-C0a0xR-E/s400/DSC_0950.NEF.jpg" title="mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy made into asian salad" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">is this a joke? this is so easy.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">pour the vinaigrette over the greens and carrots, toss together to coat.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 21.983333587646484px;">divide among plates, sprinkle with sesame seeds.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hiPf5_5FiQKW1qy5r1h5BzzsTMvUjXJDQzQVntmpoq_6CCL0ZG8v-jF7KXIiAKvCC17uvrt678Lp2jDv21npNTutMCj-WLj7NkhJoXWabyebJoS_IWvcezk3FrLFJ-G1BIgb4Wyv3NM/s1600/DSC_0960.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hiPf5_5FiQKW1qy5r1h5BzzsTMvUjXJDQzQVntmpoq_6CCL0ZG8v-jF7KXIiAKvCC17uvrt678Lp2jDv21npNTutMCj-WLj7NkhJoXWabyebJoS_IWvcezk3FrLFJ-G1BIgb4Wyv3NM/s400/DSC_0960.NEF.jpg" title="mystery ingredient monday: baby bok choy made into asian salad" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">yum.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i served it with this yummy soup: <a href="http://www.manifestvegan.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-cauliflower-soup/">manifestvegan.com</a>, but added an extra 2+ tsp of garam masala to the pot before simmering and did chicken broth instead of water. i'm not vegan. at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJUA7mguCCxvBe99IPdo8eIvLiMY5qYYPmyF5-b3wUJrRZK05Lms5owqjH4iUByzy1vqgAzm3ubDsRm8lBGx4g72hAM2HtlU0PoLv5HSJu49FE_IQm5NzQiGaM2rgaoP01nt_WvflcU/s1600/DSC_0969.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpJUA7mguCCxvBe99IPdo8eIvLiMY5qYYPmyF5-b3wUJrRZK05Lms5owqjH4iUByzy1vqgAzm3ubDsRm8lBGx4g72hAM2HtlU0PoLv5HSJu49FE_IQm5NzQiGaM2rgaoP01nt_WvflcU/s400/DSC_0969.NEF.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and kitchen experiments,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-66883452104595206682012-08-09T15:18:00.003-05:002013-05-27T09:14:14.998-05:00throw it out thursday: lotion/moisturizer.<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">can't.stop.learning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">in a quest to get andrew's liver numbers low enough to have a normal rate for life insurance, i've learned so much. what started out as a diet change has turned into a life style overhaul. i look at everything i purchase differently now. that sunscreen my baby just *has* to have - hardly necessary. it's chock full of cancer causing ingredients and doesn't even block out the rays that are harmful. good thing advertising has people everywhere convinced it's a necessity and there are no other options. emery has been outside a lot this summer and only worn it once {during a lengthy trip to worlds of fun} and she hasn't been burned once. it's crazy what you can learn from other bloggers and homeopathic websites! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">the down side to our new lifestyle - not every homemade recipe i find is a winner. in fact, very few things i've tried have met my standards. i've been experimenting with homemade body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc, etc. this is not a walk in the park, but i have such a passion for keeping my family healthy by using what God created to care and heal for our bodies, rather than what man has created! as i find recipes that actually work, i'll be posting the results and reviews here. hope it helps!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>throw out:</u></span> body lotions and moisturizers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>why:</u> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">do a google search for "harmful chemicals in lotion" to find out why. in short - if you wouldn't eat it, don't let your body absorb it. the aveeno lotion i was using contains: dimethicone, avena sativa, kernal flour, benzyl alcohol, catyl alcohol, distearyldimonium chloride, glycerin, isopropyl, palmitate, petrolatum, and sodium chloride. i don't know what most of those things are. yikes. i definitely wouldn't eat that, so i don't want it soaking into my system.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><u>replace with:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">homemade lotion/moisturizer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{makes 2 cups}</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">recipe from: <a href="http://www.readymade.com/blog/fashion/2010/12/20/handmade_gift_idea_natural_body_moisturizer">readymade.com</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0t_wXE1ZHphl6RrmBH4Ml47LFZmHefR9sm2vbEW7DlCEteQpa9Hrvlgilb09roRvt1jvwFhtDu1GtaikU_a0NT4PTysuqg042T4wXw9zfGFID_9xTqdj9jnDsKDCGgKaz95lnZimmXo/s1600/DSC_0979.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0t_wXE1ZHphl6RrmBH4Ml47LFZmHefR9sm2vbEW7DlCEteQpa9Hrvlgilb09roRvt1jvwFhtDu1GtaikU_a0NT4PTysuqg042T4wXw9zfGFID_9xTqdj9jnDsKDCGgKaz95lnZimmXo/s400/DSC_0979.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">ingredients/tools:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUbbVU2X0o2lsoBN4zBMMAT5hHNlgEnHcL0hV5RFiv5hakTUSfnerVAxSqa8Nbq1jBVaNLAEhs13p8t9h64-xoPOavUG_8F23pwhfU4H8DljsWxF35Mhui5mYt4sM4RC5tHWskLzXn2w/s1600/DSC_0970.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUbbVU2X0o2lsoBN4zBMMAT5hHNlgEnHcL0hV5RFiv5hakTUSfnerVAxSqa8Nbq1jBVaNLAEhs13p8t9h64-xoPOavUG_8F23pwhfU4H8DljsWxF35Mhui5mYt4sM4RC5tHWskLzXn2w/s400/DSC_0970.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">glass measuring cup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pot</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">blender</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">microplane or small holes of cheese grater</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">spatula</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://ithoughtofitsecond.blogspot.com/2012/06/glass-jars-saving-and-reusing.html">clean glass jar{s} </a>- i used 2 clean artichoke jars. i recommend something short and wide enough to stick your hand all the way to the bottom.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">a few drops of essential oil {optional}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">3 TB beeswax {acts as an emulsifier. i got this beast for $6 at the farmers market}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 cup water or tea {for scent}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">1 cup oil </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">side note about oils - you can use most oils {avoid vegetable, canola, sunflower, safflower}, but i prefer coconut. the smell was great & the lotion was pure white! i will warn you, the lotion takes on the texture of coconut oil. for those who don't know, coconut oil changes consistency depending on the temp. if 76 and higher, it's solid and cloudy, if 75 and below, it's clear and liquid. no matter the temp, it went on my skin great, but after using both coconut and EVOO versions, i actually prefer the solid texture of the coconut oil because i found i used less and it lasted longer than the runnier EVOO batch. however, if you're giving it as a gift, i'd warn the recipient so they don't think something's wrong with it! the only con for me is that coconut oil is more expensive {best price i've found is at costco}. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i used olive oil the second time, to save $ and i regret it! i don't like the smell of the olive oil, the lotion is tinted yellow, and the scent of the olive oil drowns out the scent of the essential oils i used. however, the pro is that it's more budget friendly, and has a smooth texture if you prefer that. </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">directions:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">put 1 cup water into blender.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMHVAv3lL9-JZx5GBPepjqCcYoiSMqhusl60CG8P2Gnl9ei6d9uWu7ISZ9ilEZHQrIOMlU5Rp1mvVlWE4dGS-D4X6shZK_MqDn0PIJSRvVyl_2xu_8O9WAOcYxSPOs657t_a6Y9YjHqI/s1600/DSC_1026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMHVAv3lL9-JZx5GBPepjqCcYoiSMqhusl60CG8P2Gnl9ei6d9uWu7ISZ9ilEZHQrIOMlU5Rp1mvVlWE4dGS-D4X6shZK_MqDn0PIJSRvVyl_2xu_8O9WAOcYxSPOs657t_a6Y9YjHqI/s400/DSC_1026.JPG" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it! " width="267" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pour 1 cup oil into measuring cup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">grate 3 TB beeswax, place in measuring cup with oil.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPa6gq6H2tJk-8MSOGIWPxlwLJ-sBp1KjkmEmXzjDx7lEOn_wenlWHzGV3jHXUZePhlLSpfHgD2C4udJqrUtBuV4Dj3und8WceuBEJo3C9SVEpwhIGCPiqOfp1qkySjRhvd1M7YtOYHU/s1600/DSC_0971.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPa6gq6H2tJk-8MSOGIWPxlwLJ-sBp1KjkmEmXzjDx7lEOn_wenlWHzGV3jHXUZePhlLSpfHgD2C4udJqrUtBuV4Dj3und8WceuBEJo3C9SVEpwhIGCPiqOfp1qkySjRhvd1M7YtOYHU/s400/DSC_0971.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">i've made 2 batches of lotion {4 cups} and<br />i've only used that tiny corner. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">place measuring cup in pot, pour water in pot to reach up to the level of the oil. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoKuBvqqniZx9IHSS91YXO0yhLDenzzIjfPitTXhOKtkZoBIkw3br0SgyZL-B2dPz17cfwlW5hyphenhyphenp3AmiDBjFeUIx1HuiRO5NZXYKYka-yiFqcM8JaRhePxJM-8dKFGeNPPQfiLH_TSo4/s1600/DSC_0974.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoKuBvqqniZx9IHSS91YXO0yhLDenzzIjfPitTXhOKtkZoBIkw3br0SgyZL-B2dPz17cfwlW5hyphenhyphenp3AmiDBjFeUIx1HuiRO5NZXYKYka-yiFqcM8JaRhePxJM-8dKFGeNPPQfiLH_TSo4/s400/DSC_0974.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">bring the water to a gentle boil. stir the oil until the wax melts/disappears.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cJ3ua5tzMvjj8whs2qPMdnBlIqZymU0s9G5FR3ExM-9E5rvuODK7ULOBSiP2ftoeEJGBt652uABscDb6P8YxhY0IHD7zauVcBUjK2S1XmlYWf_rQDyE5RNGeEU9sfvyLCgmrB6-tTYY/s1600/DSC_0975.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cJ3ua5tzMvjj8whs2qPMdnBlIqZymU0s9G5FR3ExM-9E5rvuODK7ULOBSiP2ftoeEJGBt652uABscDb6P8YxhY0IHD7zauVcBUjK2S1XmlYWf_rQDyE5RNGeEU9sfvyLCgmrB6-tTYY/s400/DSC_0975.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> let the oil sit to cool for 2 minutes.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBo2i416gL7OBU-BS9jwVJq8Ttbw0uWxUw5R2mDm1UQ4-577D8oKqGx9ejqFtYje-Fo1rc7Wp34MfKtpJ2Gw6fqMNyTH73MWNbsnl33o20inBl2h5RsU7Xf9fXbN6fYhZbOXHugJJMM8/s1600/DSC_1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfBo2i416gL7OBU-BS9jwVJq8Ttbw0uWxUw5R2mDm1UQ4-577D8oKqGx9ejqFtYje-Fo1rc7Wp34MfKtpJ2Gw6fqMNyTH73MWNbsnl33o20inBl2h5RsU7Xf9fXbN6fYhZbOXHugJJMM8/s400/DSC_1024.JPG" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="285" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">turn on the blender, keeping the center of the blender lid off. slowly pour oil mixture into blender.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBPob_fgcMDGPpUkBeW7jDCf7_RU2z1RDx3gUA9C5wJ4UTZ68fFQ749S5NTerbMksBZqORTIaRlKYB6ZcUWHgy55SoNeYDipFTNw0xrGA5RGbt5LYxSlMITxNf88tJRl-Kcd43O6nFKc/s1600/DSC_0976.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBPob_fgcMDGPpUkBeW7jDCf7_RU2z1RDx3gUA9C5wJ4UTZ68fFQ749S5NTerbMksBZqORTIaRlKYB6ZcUWHgy55SoNeYDipFTNw0xrGA5RGbt5LYxSlMITxNf88tJRl-Kcd43O6nFKc/s400/DSC_0976.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> some water will remain on the edges - use spatula to mix it in.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHkPTe8ZemzCXCTuF5jJKOltyOAasXxbcmzrxqhX3YcqS0s8PGqMe5JD7BjCb5V5BGbkR-xvGGqEECLzQwpfXnKU1k8z75VbCP125pLhAWCn_7iyzeEohPOL1BtnSk4Rh5uNk52Q1m0U/s1600/DSC_0978.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHkPTe8ZemzCXCTuF5jJKOltyOAasXxbcmzrxqhX3YcqS0s8PGqMe5JD7BjCb5V5BGbkR-xvGGqEECLzQwpfXnKU1k8z75VbCP125pLhAWCn_7iyzeEohPOL1BtnSk4Rh5uNk52Q1m0U/s400/DSC_0978.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">you can see the color difference - <br />this photo is lotion made with EVOO <br />and the one below is made with coconut oil.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-Nkx8xPZUvn1euuoJ0DuCsAPcZiSVshRuWOAenG8bVuM7jZW_YajMjP08gbq808NqtFJLRL3skIFLgjsY4h-diyhur9glKI-ZudiwPSZ0fzphLXwt94v1MU2GDIXPLiyYOrPPCU_Wdk/s1600/DSC_1027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-Nkx8xPZUvn1euuoJ0DuCsAPcZiSVshRuWOAenG8bVuM7jZW_YajMjP08gbq808NqtFJLRL3skIFLgjsY4h-diyhur9glKI-ZudiwPSZ0fzphLXwt94v1MU2GDIXPLiyYOrPPCU_Wdk/s400/DSC_1027.JPG" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">pour lotion into jars. let cool completely before screwing on lids. {the condensation can cause mold}</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTdrUPp0hsfOAxOu9wsLekG21RSdOD4N1rQ9sb5U7Lr1oSf2jaPcDh8_fF-8sbG28zdtlSfYDDszAQ87N6IRaFSXc8Z3MglaGmv1GZ9Lw8fGh-WYPcM-AIHGvW_c83aJCaG4LjyACjWY/s1600/DSC_0981.NEF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTdrUPp0hsfOAxOu9wsLekG21RSdOD4N1rQ9sb5U7Lr1oSf2jaPcDh8_fF-8sbG28zdtlSfYDDszAQ87N6IRaFSXc8Z3MglaGmv1GZ9Lw8fGh-WYPcM-AIHGvW_c83aJCaG4LjyACjWY/s400/DSC_0981.NEF.jpg" title="DiY lotion and moisturizer using only oil, water, and beeswax. baby is eczema free now that she's using it!" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">according to readymade.com, this lasts 3 months on the shelf, 6 months in the fridge. with emery and i using it every other day and andrew using it occasionally, it lasted us almost exactly 2 months. i plan to make a double batch next time and keep the extra in the fridge.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i love this more than any other homemade product i've tried. my very favorite thing about it -since making the switch, <u>emery's eczema has disappeared</u>. i love that i've saved money on a prescription {and the lotion itself} by choosing not to put chemicals on my baby.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">the only con - in the middle of using this lotion, i switched to a homemade body wash that called for Dr Bronners Soap. the soap left my skin feeling waxy, and when i went to put on the lotion, the water separated from the oil and left water beads all over my skin. super weird! i was still moisturized from the oil, but the little beads take a few minutes to dry up! if you use Dr Bronners, you've been warned!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; line-height: 115%;">also, i know that i wont
always have the leisure to make things like homemade lotion. instead of waiting until i used up all our store bought lotion, i just tucked
it away in the back of the closet to save for those times i can’t get around to
making it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">what are your favorite homemade recipes?? i'm trying everything i can, so i'm craving some good recommendations!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and healthy families,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3417385140960392055.post-56623744646898748712012-08-06T11:03:00.003-05:002012-08-09T12:31:56.523-05:00organizing manuals.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">i used to think i was being organized by having all my manuals in this:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbeFddNJcic5H3YJfmiEywuuzn5BZ4DM1up-73QDqZAyjH414CjQUYcJyWUdG0UDaksvOeheLIm4UCGv2l3YDJ9h18VM8Cfi7Bbcob6rp1zrRALixIIkT0S68fL3NCZxp7Yity4yW6g/s1600/DSC_1234.NEF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbeFddNJcic5H3YJfmiEywuuzn5BZ4DM1up-73QDqZAyjH414CjQUYcJyWUdG0UDaksvOeheLIm4UCGv2l3YDJ9h18VM8Cfi7Bbcob6rp1zrRALixIIkT0S68fL3NCZxp7Yity4yW6g/s320/DSC_1234.NEF" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">but the truth was, i hated the idea of digging through this box, looking for multiple papers for one product. i don't want to tell you how many kitchen appliances have stopped working in the last 5 years, that were probably still under warranty, that i didn't return because i hated this box. i should have taken a picture of the mess inside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">but, thanks to pinterest, my dread is no longer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">in comes the manual binder - </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>creative idea #28:</b></span> manual organization.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>idea sparked by:</b></span> <a href="http://www.simplyfrugal.ca/2012/03/organization-tip-keep-all-manuals-in-a-binder/">www.simplyfrugal.ca</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">tools:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">large binder - a few manuals take up a TON of space! i think mine is at least 2 inches.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">page protectors {preferably the ones that seal all the way up on both sides. i have some in here that are only closed on one side and the manuals slide around too much and almost fall out.}</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sticky tabs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">sharpie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">printer paper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">printer</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">directions:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">insert manuals into page protectors. group all papers for each product into one sleeve.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">use sharpie and tabs to label each sleeve.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">create pages to insert into binder cover to label binder. i got creative and labeled mine "manuals." {after i took these pics}</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_m0MLexotfmuKYFBg8iCCKThL0Yod76BQBTD5Od6cvRDGGrACcxFabfwrrFNTMaoOz8N4zIue93LHqaBzbhmzysCywAzmmfcHTk4BJYjs281RJaLzCZhzrbvKel7RwDhhqOadFr0jGfk/s1600/DSC_1239.NEF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_m0MLexotfmuKYFBg8iCCKThL0Yod76BQBTD5Od6cvRDGGrACcxFabfwrrFNTMaoOz8N4zIue93LHqaBzbhmzysCywAzmmfcHTk4BJYjs281RJaLzCZhzrbvKel7RwDhhqOadFr0jGfk/s400/DSC_1239.NEF" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDWUmHwrRPb1zZsemUgZWM0Zh5C9rZYEeAocJcNhd8XXnbry9IZqqNKETJ9DgCYDQ5w2n4p5ej2On_SIV2BXqOAVPQo3LwaLTNWauCABfNb_toFFEXsniWlaH-7mZ7Q8MPyr68cG8GHI/s1600/DSC_1237.NEF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDWUmHwrRPb1zZsemUgZWM0Zh5C9rZYEeAocJcNhd8XXnbry9IZqqNKETJ9DgCYDQ5w2n4p5ej2On_SIV2BXqOAVPQo3LwaLTNWauCABfNb_toFFEXsniWlaH-7mZ7Q8MPyr68cG8GHI/s400/DSC_1237.NEF" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCazjgf-hLV25ZNFbTKM9kGVemE3mY-JOKi1Gi6wQA_dS4PaKMNLDTSXXyN1y5nBpqcBoomnfewn_jjrFkwumVdUpNmtwvp9IGzHdTRyvvR7AAuYeDfjmknzu2ebR8NOfywGPPcWjQjus/s1600/DSC_1240.NEF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCazjgf-hLV25ZNFbTKM9kGVemE3mY-JOKi1Gi6wQA_dS4PaKMNLDTSXXyN1y5nBpqcBoomnfewn_jjrFkwumVdUpNmtwvp9IGzHdTRyvvR7AAuYeDfjmknzu2ebR8NOfywGPPcWjQjus/s400/DSC_1240.NEF" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">glory hallelujah. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">i don't dread needing a manual anymore because they're easy to find and all grouped together! no more digging in a dusty box :-)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">love and happy manuals,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">amber.</span></div>
<br />amberbarracloughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08785179199270942857noreply@blogger.com0