Weekend

Man this has been one sick weekend. And I don't meant the fun kind of sick.
Who am I kidding the whole past week was a hot mess.
Lo started it all off with pink eye last Monday. Which she kindly shared with her brother by Wednesday which he affectionately shared with me Thursday morning. I haven't had pink eye since I was a kid. I remember waking up and I couldn't pry my eye open to save my life. It actually looked sick {the cool kind. :) } Sort of wish I took a picture since I can't wink unless my eye is glued shut.

Moving on. MW is not getting better he looks more and more pathetic, I should have trusted my mommy gut and just went in on Friday {BEFORE the long holiday}, but decided it was just allergies and he would have to suck it up.

Saturday he wakes up from his nap SCREAMING!!! He won't let anyone near him, or touch him. Not even me, the one who gave him life, the one who is loves more than anyone {unless Grandma Rachel or Papa is around then I can pound sand.} This worried me. Finally I asked him---tell me what hurts little buddy. My FROAT {throat}. Crap...he could have strep---he was running a high fever off and on since Thurs.

So for the first time ever I packed us up and went to minor emergency. I hate going to the regular doctor's office, so for me to take him there meant I was concerned. It actually ended up not being too bad of an experience.

Here we are waiting...

They swabbed him--NEGATIVE. Great what the H is wrong with my kid...once the ARNP got in there she checked him out and found an ear infection! This sounds so bad, but thank God it was something. She even let me look in his ears with the otoscope. I thought that was cool. Then due to his severe congestion she gave him a breathing treatment which he LOVED. He sang Let it go the whole time. Nut. 

I promised him if he was good we would go to QT and get slushies for our throats. Because mine was on fire. However, I don't get strep--like ever. You could swab me with a live culture of it and I probably still wouldn't get it. I just chalked mine up to post nasal drip.

Sunday came and my throat was horrible. The pain I was experiencing was horrific. I felt like I had swallowed shrapnel. I couldn't eat, I could barely swallow a thin liquid. I went to the BBQ party anyway and talked way more than I should have...it kept my mind off the pain, until I got home. Then I died. Again due to the holiday I couldn't get into my doc until Tues where he said if I waited another day or two I would have given myself and ear AND sinus infection along with my laryngitis. AWESOME.

Now I am all about being crunchy and using Essential oils etc etc. But sometimes you have to call in the big guns. And my doc gave me a z-pack. Oh how I heart z-packs. You know within 12-24 hours you WILL feel relief, he even boosted it with steroids. {WHICH I HATE, they make me nuts, but at this point I will take nuts, over not being able to eat, drink, talk and swallow!}

I raced to Target and didn't even get out the doors before for slugging back my pills!

I then attempted to go to work and coach 3 yos with no voice. Thank God my boss is a jewel and helped! I was fading fast. I came right home took codeine cough syrup and passed out in my bed for 4 hours....I woke up at 9p when Chad brought the kids inside. {Ah, summer nights have started} And then proceeded to sleep until 6a this morning. I FEEL so much better. Still no talking---but that will come.

My sweet sister felt sad for me and brought me my favorite vanilla chai latte. I love her. That was sweet!!

In other boring news my sister and I have started working out again. It feels so good. I haven't worked out in nearly 7 months since I got my coaching job. It is just hard with my kids and kidzone time allotments, plus I am there so much I hate going back. HA! But my body needs to tone up a bit again---after all it is swimsuit season...so here goes nothing. I need this and I need to make it a priority again. Sweating feels good.

I also found time to get a few projects done, like scrapbooking {YAY!} and finishing a pillow for MW that I have wanted to do for 2 years.

He has this navy blue body pillow and all I wanted to do was put the word HERO on it. That's it. So I finally get around to it and go to iron them on and in pinterest fail burned a hole right through the pillow. Geez.

So then I now get to make a navy pillow case for it since apparently navy pillow cases are in style or something...what was suppose to be a quick project how now turned into a longer project.

But here's the finish product. I still have to sew the letters on for extra support, but I am happy.

1 project down 99 more to go.

And that my friends is my long weekend.
Hope yours was better.

Weekend {and Beyond} Recap

This weekend was a busy one and I think we are due for another photo dump. I am losing track of what has been posted where and when yada yada yada. If you follow me on Instagram...most likely you know all of this.

These are my kids. Words that come to mind are: cute, clowns, eternally happy, frenemies, and hilarious.

Fell asleep in her canopy.

Micah got to see his first movie back in February...of course it was FROZEN. 

{Lo got to go again!}

I knew he would do great. He LOVES to veg out on tv/movies.

He can now quote every.single.line from the movie. Every line.

Lo she could take or leave it. 

 

For our Kidzworld {Kids Church "Sunday" School} the BIG idea was Forgiveness, using Frozen as the theme. We had to dress the part.

Mommy FINALLY got a hair cut. I know it doesn't look drastically different, but trust me it is!

It was too long and lost all shape. YAY! A friend who does hair had an opening on my only night off and I jumped on it!!

 

Have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE my sewing machine?! I love just whipping up projects. In case it isn't abundantly clear I CRAVE creative outlet time. I really should look into a craft weekend. Anyway, I needed an exercise arm band holder for my iPod. Boom! Done.

I also whipped up this maxi skirt. I am NO seamstress, but I love pretending.

In other BIG BIG BIG!!!! News, MW at the tender age of 3 years 3 months gave up his BELOVED paci!!! We were down to one. IT got lost. The end. Wait, then we found it--but it had already been 2 days so we said good-bye and got FUNSHINE bear!! The end.

The adorable Fur baby!!! Thatchy Beau Jangles.

Speaking of Thatchy...he loves me and his sass. When she is outside he goes beserk trying to climb out the window to get to her and then once he figures out how to go out he goes beserk trying to get back to me. He is a mess.

Lo and I started reading chapter books before bed. I love this photo. My mom has one similar when I and my sister were kids. #fullcircle

NOW onto the Weekend...yes, that was all just the last 2 months worth. HA!

I am an RD for the Red Cross GO Red program.

Here I am passing out words of wisdom on Emotional Eating. 

Then it was off to my nephew's FIRST birthday.

He is so freakin' cute!! #nofilter #noedit #thoseeyesarelegit

I will leave the party to my sister...but here are some misc photos from the day.
My Grandparents with ALL but ONE great-grandkid. This is a feat as everyone lives near and far.

Once upon a time these two little girls fit in this bucket...now they are all grown up.

Then I went home and finished making my niece's FIFTH birthday cake. TWICE! As two minutes after I snapped this pic the top layer completely fell off! I cried and then I put my big girl panties on and went to the store and got stuff to make another one. The end.

We had a low key park/zoo party.

She LOVES Elsa and Frozen too!

Melissa ridin' in style. {It was for grandpa}

These two are the biggest BFFs. They just thrive off each other. 

MW reuniting with his orangutan family.

And finally...did you stay with me?!? I planted my garden! Please little seedlings grow!

{I have the black plague of thumbs!!!}

DIY Tent

MW and Lo got tents for their rooms. I know such a great and fun mommy. ;)

Actually Lo got a canopy and MW the tent--because that is more manly!

I am not going to take credit for the idea, because let's face it I am just not that creative, Lo on the other hand is terribly brilliant, me not so much.

However, these are not exactly rocket science.

Lo's canopy consisted of a large embroidery hoop {just the outer ring}, but you could use a small hula hoop, or a even larger embroidery hoop. I get mine at goodwill. :) This all depends on how big you want the canopy. We were working with a smallish corner so this size worked, plus it was what I had on hand.

2. Depending on your budget and or sewing access or ability you can get sheer curtain panels for $7ish dollars a piece. You will need 2-4 depending on the size of the hoop. You want it bunchy and flowy. I have this really tight wallet and a mommy who "loves to sew for her favorite daughter!" Thanks mom! Kisses!! So I just bought 3yds??? {I actually don't remember maybe it was 4?!?!} of fine tulle fabric.
The point is this: Measure from the hoop to the floor and add 1/2- 1 inch for a seam allowance and maybe another 1-1.5 inches to puddle on the floor. Then multiply it by at least 3 panels for fabric.

3. Sew a rod pocket  for the hoop to slip through. Now if you have a hula hoop, you will have to cut it apart to get the hoop in the pocket {then just tape it back or glue it. You are going to want to hide the hoop with ribbon or something anyway.} With the embroidery hoop you just unscrew it and screw it back together.

4. put on your "curtains." and viola done.

5. Well maybe not done you can add a ribbon to the top like I did to cover up the hoop and the LED lights that  I weaved around the top. NOTE: YOU MUST USE LED LIGHTS. They doNOT get hot and they won't start your fabric/tulle/curtains on FIRE!!! SAY IT WITH ME LED lights ONLY!! Yes they are a bit more, but your house and kid are worth it! :) END PSA.

6. Pile pillows and books in for a fun reading corner. and it makes a nice "night light" for kids who insist on having them. :) Although I wish I would have gone with the warm tone of lights vs. the cool tone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Manly Tent.

Well as predicted MW wanted one too!  And while I am okay with him doing some "girly" things. This just wasn't the look I was going for in his room.

Enter A- Frame tent.

1. Enlist daddy to take you to Home Depot/Lowes or Menards.

2. Buy 4--4x2x1 inch boards {cost was like 2.25/board}
    Buy a .75 inch dowel rod. I think it was 4 ft long too??!?! {cost $2.25ish}

3. You will need a 3/4 inch spade bit. My Handy Manny doesn't own many tools so we had to buy one and got a really good after Christmas deal on a whole set for like $6.

4. About 2ish inches down {just make sure the are all lined up} one at a time drill the 3/4inch hole with your spader drill. Go slow and be careful as the wood splinter a bit on us.

5. Crisscross 2 of them and insert dowel rod and repeat on the other end of the dowel rod.
We had to cut nearly a foot off our dowel rod as the tent takes up quiet a bit of space. So move the tent to where you want it an judge the length of the dowel rod accordingly. The dowel rod and boards fit snug together so we didn't need glue or rope to keep it together.

6. Now comes mommy's part. Sewing! This was my first ever sewing project.
I know this tutorial isn't fantastic, but everything just depends on what you measure.
Measure from the top of the dowel rod to the base of the tent. x2.
Ex. our tent was around 44 inches top to bottom. SO I needed 89/90 inches of fabric {to account for seam allowance and wiggle room} OR 2.5yds.
I got 2.25 yds in one fabric and .25 yds in the contrasting fabric.
This ended up being a bit to much and probably need to shave of a few inches at the bottom to make it tighter. But like I said this was my first sewing project.

7. If you just have the one fabric. Sew all the raw edges under and add 4-5 inch elastic loops in the corners to hook on to the frame. If you have 2 pieces. Piece it together how you want. I use the .25 yd on top and cut my animal fabric in half and sewed them together and then finished the edges. A big THANKS to my mom again for sitting with me and showing me how to work my new sewing machine and being patient with me while I learned!

the elastic loop for easy on and off.

8. Viola tent is done. Add lights. What kind of lights? LED! Good answer!!

I wrapped the lights around the inside of the tent along the dowel rod and ran them down the legs in "back."

9. Because my tent was a bit too flow-y and not as taunt as I wanted I just added ribbon ties half way up on all 4 boards to make it a bit taunter.

10. Let your little boy camp "out!"

The End.