12.27.2011

Cute, Cheap Onesies

A while back, someone on Twitter asked me for a tutorial for the onesies I've made decorated using my Silhouette. I did this soon after, but kept forgetting to post it. =P Since I'm all busy with family, I thought this would be a great time to fill up the silence on my blog with a little tutorial!

First, it'd probably be a good idea to get all your materials together. =) These include:


  • Silhouette
  • Heat transfer material
  • Onesie
  • Iron
  • Cloth {a washcloth or scrap of fabric will do}
  • Scissors
  • Hook tool {especially if you have a tricky design}


The next thing you'll want to do is pick out your design. {duh}




Make sure you get it sized right and then you MUST flip {or mirror} the image. Right click on the image and click "flip horizontally." DO NOT forget to do this!! It's very important.


I set a bad example here, but to avoid wasting your heat transfer, you should move the image closer to the left. Then you want to "Send to Silhouette."


Then you want to make sure you have your settings correct, so click "Change Settings."


Change settings to Heat Transfer material:


Once you've done that, you're ready to "send to Silhouette" and "cut page." Provided you've loaded your choice of heat transfer first! Do this with the plastic side DOWN. {Side note, I am using what was in the heat transfer kit, so yours may or may not look different.}


Once it's been cut out, get your scissors and cut out the design. Then you're ready to peel off the excess material. This is also where you'll need your hook tool, if your design is intricate like mine.


Once you're done with that, admire the pretty work your Silhouette has graciously done for you. ;-)


Now you're ready to put the design on your onesie! Get out your onesie, iron and cloth. Along with your design, of course.


Place the design exactly where you want it to be, plastic side up.


Place the cloth on top of the design and iron for 45 - 60 seconds. {Sometimes mine even takes a bit longer. Just keep ironing until the design is completely stuck.}


Once you're done with that, peel the plastic off very gently, step back and admire your little creation.


Cuteness! If you've got all the materials, this is easy and quick to do. Good for baby shower, Christmas, or even birthday gifts. Or you can just make some for the little cutie in your life. You're welcome! =)

12.25.2011

Happy Christmas

I hope y'all are having a wonderful Christmas today!! I'm sure hardly any of you will be on the interwebz today, but I just wanted to say Merry Christmas from all of us!



I hope that no matter where you are - or what you're going through - you can find some happiness in this day and remember the real reason for this season of joy and peace. =)


Merry Christmas!!! 

12.21.2011

Twenty Four


How far along: 24 weeks {and almost 2 days}! 16 weeks to go! {Seriously, this is flying by! Probably only because I'm in the 2nd trimester and feeling good.}

Weight gain/loss: About 19 lbs so far. Still not so sure how I feel about this.

Body changes: Not too much really... I've noticed maybe a couple more stretch marks. And my belly is definitely getting bigger. See for yourself!



Gender: It's a girl!

Movement: Still lots of it. =) She loves to hang out down low and kick my bladder. {Seriously, when we had my appointment on Friday, the midwife had to use the tiny doppler attachment to find her heartbeat. Silly girl!} And those kicks are getting harder every day!

Sleep: Well, since we flew from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning....not much. And now that we're at my SIL's house, I'm still adjusting. It's been better lately, but I'm sure I won't sleep great the next few weeks being in a different bed and not having my preggo pillow.

What I'm looking forward to: Christmas with family, of course!

What I miss: Without hesitation, sleeping on my stomach. I sort of attempted it yesterday when I laid down for a nap... I guess I was so tired I forgot there was a soccer ball where my mostly flat tummy used to be? Lol!

Cravings: Ice cream, cookies...lots of sweet things.

Symptoms: Holy back pain, Batman. And hip pain. I also have been feeling rather large today. My belly just feels really heavy for some reason. Oh, I know! 'Cause there's a kicky, squirmy baby in there! ;-)

Best moment this week: Seeing family again and staying with my SIL, her hubby, and two sweet kiddos. =) 

For fun, I'll say that the absolute worst moment this week was flying 15+ hours while 24 weeks pregnant. I don't recommend flying to the east coast from HI {or vice versa, really} while this pregnant. My back hurt most of the way and I didn't get comfortable enough to rest much. While the dramamine kept the nausea away, it did not help me sleep. Sad.

I wanted to share some photos of my cutie pie niece and nephew, but the camera and my phone {both of which hold photos I've taken today} are out of reach and I don't feel like moving right now to get them. {Spoken like a true preggo, right?!} So you'll just have to wait until next time!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

12.19.2011

You Can't Beat Home Sweet Home

Over the ocean and through the skies.... To Grandmother's house we go!

As you're reading this, Joe and I are on a plane crossing the ocean. We are officially headed to NC for the holidays!!! =)

Friday was my doctor's appointment and - much to my mother's dismay, I'm sure - we were a GO for travel! I just have to remember to drink ungodly amounts of water, get up and walk, and stay away from salty airplane snacks. Oh, and sleep and avoid puking. Should be fun, right?!

The real fun will start once we're there. Usually we stay with Joe's grandparents, but this year we have the pleasure of staying with my SIL, Anna, her hubby and two sweet kiddos! I can't wait! =) Joe is excited to be with family this Christmas and I know I will have a great time too. Personally, I'm hoping for a repeat of last year... Snow on Christmas Day:

Joe's grandparents' house

Even if it doesn't snow on Christmas Day, I'm sure it's going to be a great Christmas. It'll definitely beat last year's by a long shot!

I'm sure you can imagine how busy we're going to be over the next few weeks. I will update when I can {probably with photos of my cute niece and nephews}, I promise! Until then, I hope all of you have a very merry Christmas!!


Or as the locals say, Mele Kalikimaka! 

12.16.2011

Christmas Came Early...

Since I've been talking about it for who-knows-how-long, most of you are aware that we're spending the holidays on the mainland with family. We won't have much time to ourselves while there and we also had some family who sent gifts to us anyway. *ahem*

Joe had kind of a rough day yesterday and we both felt like we could use a little bit of a pick-me-up. So what's a couple with Christmas on the horizon and presents under the tree to do? Have our own little Christmas celebration, of course!

We started with a nice little dinner of pasta, salad, and garlic bread by the tree. {And a little bit of wine. =) No worries, I had maybe half a glass.}


It really was a nice little dinner. We even turned on a Pandora Christmas station to enjoy while we ate. After dinner {and cleanup, of course} the real fun began!

It wouldn't be Christmas without a photo op!

Presents!!!

We were very nice to each other and took turns opening presents and snapping photos. =)


We definitely got some goodies! Charlotte got some bibs that my mom embroidered. =) I got a couple of maternity shirts {yay!}, a pair of black maternity cargo pants {more yay because they're super comfy}and a cookbook mainly for baking. Joe got a few shirts, and together we got a picture frame that we already own {my mom really doesn't pay attention} and salt and pepper shakers that match my living room instead of my kitchen. Whatevs. The real gift I was waiting for was from Joe - and vice versa. 


Being the awesome wife that I am, I got him Skyrim. He asked for 2 games and when I walked into GameStop the other day, all I could remember was this one. I totally blanked on the other!! {Further evidence of the preggo brain.} It worked out pretty darn well, though, because this was the one he really wanted. Score for both of us!


Joe got me the complete collection of the Harry Potter movies on Blu Ray! =D I've been begging him to buy the movies for at least a couple years now, but he's been insistent on waiting until they all came out. Lucky for me the box sets came out just in time for Christmas! And yeah, we totally popped in one of the movies last night. We have to play with our new toys, right?!


Somehow, this bow found its way to my belly. Still not sure how it happened, but I love it! She's our present too, right? =)

Have you ever celebrated Christmas on a very non-Christmas day? What do you do to make it seem a little bit more Christmasy?

Merry Christmas!

12.15.2011

Twenty Three


How far along: 23 weeks {and 1 day}!! It's crazy how fast this pregnancy is flying by. I was thinking the other day how this many weeks in the deployment just drug by and these are flying. I guess there's something true to the statement "time flies when you're having fun" after all!



Weight gain/loss: I don't even wanna know right now. =P To be honest, I'm still having a hard time realizing that the weight gain is all for baby and isn't necessarily just making me fat. I know I need to gain the weight, but at the same time... My brain is having a hard time grasping that.



Body changes: The stretch marks have arrived. =( At first I thought they might be spider veins, but Joe confirmed they were stretch marks. Not on the belly {yet}, but on "the girls" and bum. I don't even wanna know how you get stretch marks on your bum. *sigh* And of course, our girl is growing, growing, growing! So that means my belly is too. =)





Gender: It's a GIRL!



Movement: Lots of it, every day. =) Mostly just in the evenings and night though. Occasionally I'll feel her moving in the mornings, but it's rare. The other night, I swear she was having a late night dance party in my belly! I absolutely love feeling her kicks - and seeing them! she makes my belly move sometimes now - but she kept me awake. Silly girl.



Sleep: Not so great lately. I don't think it's pregnancy related because I'm getting used to only sleeping on my sides. I just haven't been able to turn my brain off and just sleep. And of course I get up 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom. Yay, preggo bladder!



What I'm looking forward to: My appointment on Friday {hearing her heartbeat is always wonderful} and heading out to see family for Christmas soon after!



What I miss: The lack of back and hip pain, less frequent heartburn... Sleeping on my tummy and being able to wear ALL the clothes in my closet.



Cravings: Anything sweet!! Sunday night I randomly had a craving for an ICEE {strawberry, of course}, so we stopped for one on the way home. Gotta love it!



Symptoms: Other than back and hip pain, I've been mostly symptom free lately. Woohoo! And Yoga and Pilates can help with that, so all in all...not too bad.



Best moment this week: Joe and I both seeing her kick and make my belly move. =) It's a little strange, I guess, but we really think it's fun! If she does it again, I plan on trying to get a video of it. Hehe!


P.S. If you missed it yesterday, please feel free to check out the Milspouse Holiday Blog Swap! I had a blast participating and reading everyone's posts. =)





12.14.2011

Milspouse Holiday Blog Swap!



Hello, my lovely readers! Today I - along with several other Milies - am participating in a holiday blog swap hosted by the lovely Wife on the Roller Coaster! I'm very excited to be participating in this lovely little holiday-themed event! As I said before, a bunch of Milies are swapping blogs today so be sure to click this cute little button and check out all the swapping that's going on! 












I have the pleasure of hosting Mrs. P from A Little Pink in a World of Camo today! When I got word she'd be taking over my blog for a day, I was a little more than excited. ;-) I've been reading her blog for only...forever, and I love connecting with my favorite bloggers! She's prepared a great post for you guys today, so be sure to leave her lots of love here! 


And don't worry, you're not missing out on what I have to say about the holidays. You can check my post out over at Max & Kaylee. {Thanks for hosting me, Kaylee!}

Now, without further ado, here is Mrs. P's post. Merry Christmas!!

The Places of Christmas

It's no secret that I have been on the go-go lately. Most recently, I've been in the Lake Geneva area of Wisconsin, the glitzy city of Los Angeles California, and my home town of Aberdeen, Maryland.  I would really like to share with you the difference in decoration but still the presence of holiday cheer in Wisconsin and Los Angeles.

For Wisconsin, I happened to be there the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and a few days after. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Wisconsin embraced the holiday spirit early and whole heartedly. Lights were already appearing on houses in the days nearing Thanksgiving. For an area that is much less urban than what I am used to it was surely lit up like a city. My nearly two year old daughter loved the lights, it is so exciting to watch her face lighting up just as much as the lights make the houses sparkle. We were only there a few days after Thanksgiving, but the town really came to life as soon as one holiday was over, it was embracing the next. As a resort town, Lake Geneva's many inns, spas, and resorts came alive with holiday spirit. These grand buildings were decked out head to toe (er… roof to sidewalk?) in lights announcing Christmas is on it's way! The little towns were even adorned with lights and garlands on awnings and street lights, almost like something you'd see in a Christmas storybook. My favorite by far was the Geneva Grand resort. Upon entering the Geneva Grand, a lit sign welcomed you with the message "Christmas in the Country." As you drive up toward the main building, you pass all sorts of lighted holiday friends. As we went by the lighted 12 days of Christmas, we all sang along. We saw an elf summersaulting onto a house, a reindeer jumping over a pond, Santa golfing, and a holiday castle, to name a few more. At the end of the drive of lights, we reached the main building that was elegantly done in white lights with touches of blue. In front of the main building was a huge Christmas tree that, of course, we had to take pictures in front of. The good part was we got to pass through the drive of lights on the way back out to the main road and pass all the houses lit up on the way back home. The last evening we were there, a light snowfall took over the area and I got to see what all the hype was with "you should see the lights when it snows." Beauty doesn't even touch it, and the spirit of Christmas shone from the buildings and reflected in the falling flakes. It was our trip to Wisconsin that really started getting me into the holiday spirit and start decorating my own home.







During my trip to LA, I was surprised with all the holiday spirit in that city. I kind of mistakenly assumed that a city like Los Angeles, in sunny California, would be lackluster on the holiday decor and I was happily proven wrong. It wasn't the classic and timeless decorations that graced Wisconsin, but a more modern Christmas/holiday spirit that seemed to thrive in this city. As we drove the roads of downtown LA, the trees were lit in a bluish/white light with little lights the seemed to be falling from the trees (one of the coolest light tricks I've seen and I wish I could copy it for my own decorations). It was like tiny stars dripping in the trees and was really cool. In LA Live! there was a carnival set up (which is more of a summery activity to me) but a very neat addition to this carnival was the ice skating rink. I was super surprised to see ice skating outside in LA. Even though it was pretty chilly the weekend we were there, it was still a pleasant surprise and I loved watching the skaters, even some in tee-shirts twirling around the ice. In the middle of the carnival was a neon lit Christmas tree, definitely not traditional Christmas but still pretty cool. In my hotel, there was a huge Christmas tree with presents collected by the Marine Reserves for Toys for Tots. That was one of the first things I saw when I arrived at the hotel, in fact, was the Marines standing there collecting the toys beneath this ginormous tree. In another corner of the hotel lobby was a huge menorah with blue and silver packages underneath. None of the lights were lit yet, but I think it's safe to assume they will light one on each day of Hannukah (at least, that'd be the cool thing to do). While it was a less traditional Christmas scene than I might be used to, even Los Angeles was all decked out for the holidays. 






Being in these cities has really prepped me for the holidays. I'm so excited to get home and finally get our  decorations up and our Christmas on in our house. I bet the baby will be super excited when it's done, too, because she LOVES Christmas decorations, we've learned. I am also inspired by tons of hand made Christmas decorations and gifts on Pinterest. I can not wait to get started. I hope everyone out there is having fun getting all decked out in the holiday spirit, I'd love to see what you've done (and maybe steal some of your ideas - just saying')!

Big thanks to Mrs. G.I. Joe for letting me have a bit of her space today and patiently dealing with my horrible procrastination. You rock girl!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year to you all!!
Semper Fi,

Mrs. P

12.13.2011

Home Is...Where?

You've all heard the saying, "Home is Where the Heart Is." I've even seen this pin on Pinterest that says "Home is Where Your Husband Is." But is that really where "home" is?

Joe and I were in the car on our way to do some shopping when I mentioned that, even after living here for over 1.5 years, it still doesn't fee like home. Sure, the surroundings are familiar and I pretty much know my way around our slice of the island. But it just doesn't have that "homey" feeling.

That got me thinking... What makes a place feel "homey"? Is it the people, attitudes of the people, surroundings or an attachment to a certain place?

Since we've been married, we've lived in 3 different "houses" in 3 different states. We've been married for 3.5 years. Our first "house" was in NC, where we moved right after we got married.


It was cute, cozy and had a decent yard {which we only used once we got Jasper}. Our landlord lived about 50 yards in front of us, and on a private drive. It was nice and peaceful. We had an amazing church and had a great group of friends. We also lived about a mile from family and were able to spend lots of time with them, allowing me time to get to know my new family. We went through a lot there... I totaled my car within the first 2 months, we celebrated our first married Thanksgiving and Christmas, adopted Jasper, Joe lost his job, enlisted in the Army and went off to BCT and then AIT. See? A lot happened. And it was definitely home.

When Joe was in AIT, I moved to GA so we could actually see each other. We got a cute little apartment in town, not too far from the post. And apparently I don't have any decent photos of that little apartment. I guess I was a bad little blogger back then. =P Anyway, even though we only spent about 6 months there, I began to feel like it was home. It was only a 3.5 hour drive to see family in NC - a drive we made several times. We managed to find a church we liked pretty quickly, it was sort of a small town and I was able to find my way around after less than a month. I still don't understand how that place felt anything like home... We only lived there 6 months!

And then we moved here, to Hawaii. House number 3 in almost as many years.


As I said before, we've been here for over a year. Okay, well I have been here for over a year. Joe has been here for about 8 months total, thanks to deployment. I've made friends, found a couple favorite beaches, places to shop and know my way around. I don't know if it's that Hawaii is so completely different from the places we've lived before, the people are different, or that the culture is different...but it's not home. Our house, I guess you could say, is home... It's decorated the way I like, has all the things we need, and we're going to bring our baby here in a few months. But it's still not really home.

So what exactly is it that makes a place, home? I'm not sure... And I have to wonder if I'll feel this way about the other places we move while Joe is in the Army. Will they all feel strange? Will I ever be able to feel like we are "home" when we're not living near family?

I guess this is just another one of those military family conundrums.

Do you feel like where you live is "home?" Or are you having the same problem I am?


12.09.2011

Yummy Food Friday

Blame it on the preggo status or on the season - I've been seriously jonesing for craving gingerbread cookies. As in, I've been wanting them for almost a week. =P I went to the commissary for our weekly food stocking Wednesday and got the few things I still needed to make the yummy cookies. Then yesterday afternoon, I got to work! And since they're so delicious, I thought I would share the recipe with you! You can thank me later. {And I promise, you will.}



Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:

{flour and sugar not pictured}
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves {to your liking, I use about 1 tsp each}
1 cup of butter flavored crisco
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses {Spray cooking spray on the inside of your measuring cup so that this doesn't turn out to be a giant sticky mess. Trust me, it works like a charm.}
See? It works!

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinammon ginger and ground cloves together. {You can also just stir with a fork. Same effect. I do it all the time.}

2. Mix the crisco, brown sugar, egg and molasses together until fluffy.
In case you're like me and wonder what exactly "fluffy" looks like. =)
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be pretty dry and thick. 
{Since I have a sad hand mixer, I do about 1/4 cup at a time.}

Finished dough.

4. Now, you can either roll them into 1 inch balls and bake them like regular cookies or you can roll them out and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. They taste great either way!
I use my medium Pampered Chef scoop and bake them like regular cookies. =)
5. Bake at 350° for 9-10 min.

6. Smother with cream cheese frosting and inhale.
Trust me, you need the cream cheese frosting.

These got finished baking right around the time Joe got home yesterday. He helped himself to one while I was wandering around the house and I could hear him "mmm"ing while he ate it. =) ::pats self on back:: They did turn out pretty great...if I do say so myself!! Not to mention they made my house smell a little bit like Christmas, and that is always fun!

Now, go get baking and enjoy!

Happy Friday!

12.08.2011

MyMemories Giveaway WINNER!

Today I bring you the winner of the MyMemories Digital Scrapbooking Software! Only a few people entered {much to my dismay}, so those of you who did enter had a great chance! Yay for you, right?!

Before I get to the winner, I want to remind you that even if you didn't win you can still get a discount on the software by using my special coupon code {STMMMS86011} at checkout. With it, you'll get $10 off the software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories store! {And if you play your cards right, you can get a lot for $10!}

Now, for the winner!! I used the trusty random.org to choose the winner of this giveaway.


And who is lucky number 7?!


Jane!!! Congratulations!!! If you will just send me an email or leave a comment {making sure your reply-to email is set!} I will make sure you have what you need to get your free software. Enjoy!!

12.06.2011

Twenty Two


How far along: 22 weeks!!

Weight gain/loss: Around 18... I weighed myself this morning. I really need to just wait until I go to the doctor from now on. It makes me all self-conscious

Body changes: Nothing new, really. Just a bigger belly and maybe some stretch marks on my hips. 



Gender: It's a GIRL!

Movement: Holy moly, does this kiddo move! I'm feeling a lot more these days! Last night she even woke me up twice kicking around. A couple days ago, she made me squeal...she kicked really hard and then she shoved! Joe's also been able to feel her a lot more lately. I love it. =)

Sleep: Meh. I always suspected that I was a light sleeper, but now I know it. I end up sleeping mostly on my left side because it's the most comfortable spot...but then I wake up with a sore neck. Sigh.

What I'm looking forward to: My appointment next week and then going home to see family just a few days after that! =D

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach! Oh, how I miss it. Being able to wear the clothes that I want to... Oh, and not grunting when I get off the couch. 


Cravings: Everything sweet. Seriously. I only thought I had a sweet tooth before! I bought some Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream a couple days ago and it's been all I can think about lately! Sad, isn't it?

Symptoms: Heartburn! And of course the occasional back and round ligament pain too.

Best moment this week: Hearing Joe say, "How is it possible to miss someone you've never even met?" It melts my heart and makes me happy because I feel exactly the same way.

Also, today was my sweet little niece's birthday!!! This cute little girl is a whopping 2 years old now!!! I still can't figure out how she's already TWO. {What am I going to do when my baby girl is 2?! Cry, I think. =P}


Poor thing has an Auntie Sarah with preggo brain... Her present has yet to arrive at her house AND I forgot to call today. Epic, epic fail. Thankfully she probably won't remember when she's 16! ;-) Shhhhh, don't tell her!

P.S. One more day to enter the MyMemories giveaway!! You've got a great chance to win - only 4 people have entered!