Play Dates

Haley went on her first "play date" on January 20th. She went to the library's story time with a buddy who is 6 weeks younger than her.

Lately I have also done some babysitting so Haley has got to spend time with some of her other favorite friends. She is becoming quite the social butterfly.

I love watching the little one's interact. They have a tendency to play rough with each other, but their learning, and I try to stop it if they are being too aggressive. It is a joy to watch them observe and explore each other.

The older girls are already incredibly maternal. They love to take care of the baby, bring her blankets, and giving her a pacifier. It's amazing to see their instincts played out.

Friday Favorite's

Her are some of my favorite posts that I have been reading lately. Enjoy!

Tips for Raising Strong-Willed Children @ We Are THAT Family

The Things you Don't Need (But they say you do) for a new baby @ simple mom

Slowing Down: Taking the time to make some time @ simple kids

I don't want my children to be happy @ It's Almost Nap Time

Holding on the Sentimental Things @ Small notebook ( this is an old post, but oh how I need it)

Crafting Rich Experiences @ Simple Mom

Turn off the TV @ Zen family habits

Get your chore on @ the creative mama

Pointy Hats

I am way behind on posting...

I owe you all (especially all the distant grandparents aunts, uncles, and cousins reading this) an update on Haley's latest milestones, and that will come eventually

but for now I have been spending my free time crafting, I have been racing to finish several projects for all of the impending babies in my life. Julip is here, Elijah's brother will be here by Friday, with Krewson and Imogen following close behind. As I get things in the mail I will post pictures of the other crafts I have been consuming my time with.

But for now here are pictures of a hat I made for Haley, and for one of her new friend.

I hope that I will be selling them on Etsy soon under the name desultory designs. Let me know what you think. (seriously, please leave a comment and let me know if you think these will sell, and how much you think I could charge)

enjoy!

Vote for Me!

The Top Baby Blogs site has just reset so if you've voted for my blog before it has cancelled out. To vote again just click the top baby blogs button on the right. It will just take you to the website but once you click your vote is in. Thanks!

Putting the Bean to Bed

In January we started a simple sleep routine with Haley. It has been very effective, and it is also simple. The routine takes less than 5 minutes (this does not include baths, massages, putting on a fresh diaper and pajamas, and eating, which are not always precursors to bed time, and sometimes happen much earlier or not at all.)

Haley usually goes down between 9:15 and 9:45, It just depends on how the day has gone with naps, and her eating schedule.

Here is the routine...

We sit in her glider together. I read Haley a bible story from the Beginners Bible. (which she usually tries to eat)

I pray over her for her and for us as her parents. I sing her a song or two and put her in her crib with her binky and playing the music on her mobile. I then rub her back and give quiet shhh's until she rests her head, or if she's really fighting sleep I just walk away, knowing I will soon be back to re-administer her pacifier and give her one last night-night kiss. Luckily even on fussy nights that tends to do the trip.

Haley is great about Zach or I putting her to bed. She usually will not cry for more than about 7 minutes before putting herself to sleep. There are of course exception to this, like nights when her teeth are coming in strong and she screams for hours; or nights where we are out late as a family and the sleepy routine is to transfer her as carefully as possible from car seat to crib.

Of course once the bean is in bed I become incredibly productive knowing I have a few uninterrupted hours (mind you my version of productive on some days is just reading a lot of blogs, or catching up on a tv show I've been following online.)

You win insomnia... you always do!

Haley's a Finalist!

Mama Notes is another blog I like to read and she decided to have a contest for babies in cloth diapers. Haley currently doesn't have a lot of votes, but I'm glad she was in the top five. The other pictures are pretty cute too, and well worth seeing.

Go here to vote for her.

DVD Workouts

All of the snow that has been blanketing the nation does not make it easy to work out. After women everywhere set hopeful resolutions for the new year to lose weight, get fit, and generally be healthier the clouds decided to open up and mock us with never ending snow.

There's no denying that it's harder to go work out in the winter. Over the next few weeks I will try to do at least a weekly post about how I've been trying to beat the snow day blues and get in shape for summer. (swim suit season here we come)

On days when it's to cold to go outside I like to pop in a workout DVD and work up a sweat. This can be difficult since I live in a tiny apartment, but I work with the space to the best of my ability.

I usually try to do DVDs right when Haley goes down for her nap, that gives me anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to work out, and then usually time for a shower before she wakes up and demands my attention.

Of course, things don't always go as planned during nap time, (aka, I get distracted reading blogs or looking at pictures) so occasionally I have to force myself to work out while Haley is up and about.

She was pretty content sitting in her bouncy seat to watch her crazy mama for a little while. (Maybe if I can keep up with a healthier lifestyle it will rub off on her... here's to wishful thinking)

But, she does eventually get restless, so she opts instead to roll around on the floor. Did I mention my tiny apartment. Hopefully adding leaps over Haley will make my workout that much more effective.

Here are a few Tips

-Embrace the cheese. Most work out DVDs can be really cheesy, but don't let that stop you. You might even find the trainers encouragement and self-talk motivating.

-Don't worry. Even if you only do one segment, be proud of your 10 minutes. Any time spent moving is better than time spent sitting. Even a 10 minute workout is worth the effort.

-Push yourself. Hold yourself accountable and give it all you've got. Don't hold back just because you feel silly or because no one is watching. Even if you can't work out for long, you can work hard. A lot of DVDs offer modifications on different moves, only do the easier version if you need to, and don't be afraid to try the harder versions.

- Be Prepared. Nothing breaks up your workout more than stopping mid lunge to get a glass of water. Get your weights, some water, and any other equipment you need ready before you start. Also, set the thermostat a little lower and layer your clothes, that way you can just take off layers as you get warmed up. You're acting like an athlete, so don't forget to dress the part.

- Partner up. Working out with a friend, spouse, or your older kids can be a fun way to bond, and a great way to push yourself. I love when my husband joins me for a DVD. He finds some of them a little too cheesy, but will gladly admit that there are some tough work outs. Also, it's pretty hilarious to try to find room for both of us to do push-ups in our limited floor space.

My top 5 work out DVDs ... (I'll add the other 5 to my top 10 list after I try out a few more)

for most of these all you need is some 2-5 lb. hand weights.

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred

3 2o minute workouts of increasing difficulty. They are done in intervals, 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute abs with a warm up and cool down. These workouts are intense but you feel incredibly accomplished when you're done. My only complaint is that I haven't figured out how to skip the DVD intro that come on each time I put the DVD in. ( I usually try to do some dishes while I wait for the main menu to pop up)

Perfect Body Workout with Amy Dixon

I really like Amy Dixon. This DVD has some fun sports inspired moves and a great yoga stretch in the special features.

Total Workout in Ten with Amy Dixon

If you only have 10 minutes this is a great way to spend them, or you can stream a few workouts together to create a more complete routine. There is a bonus section using an exercise ball.

Train for your Body Type with Jessica Smith.

This DVD is nice because it can be tailored to your specific needs. It has a custom workout feature to help you set a routine to attack your problem areas in the time you have.

Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease

This DVD is fun and helps you feel sexy. But, it is not the most challenging workout. However it does have some good stretching and once you learn the routines they are easy to do when you are away from our TV or away from your exercise equipment.

There are several other workout DVDs I'm eager to try; The biggest loser DVDs, the rest of Jillian Michael's DVDs, and skinny bitch fitness DVDs. I also want to find good DVDs for yoga, kick boxing, exercise ball workouts, and cardio dance routines.

check out more great tips at Works For Me Wednesday.

Heart Headband

I really enjoyed this quick and easy crochet project. It's a simple headband made by adding a crochet heart to a band of rows dc.

The heart I made (which I messed up a little) is from geeky crochet. But, I also like the tutorial at skip to my lou.

Just 2 days before Valentines Day I was babysitting for a friend. I finished this quick project while both of the little ones were napping. After nap time was lunch, and I had a beautiful model slightly adorned with sweet potatoes.

just lovely!

Check out more crafts through these link parties:

Do It Yourself Day @ A Soft Place to Land

Get Your Craft On @ Todays Creative Blog

Show and Tell @ Blue Cricket Designs

Make it Wear it @ The Train to Crazy

Happy Valentines Day!

We hope your day is filled with love, smiles, and chocolate!

Haley's 6 month photo shoot.

Haley is a half!

Sorry for the ridiculous amount of photos, I had a really hard time choosing my favorites. To help you put it into perspective I took 252 pictures, so this really is a limited selection. I am so glad photography has gone digital. extrernal hard drive number 2 here I come.

check out more monthly photo updates.