Friday Favorites: Books On the Upcyle

1. book planter  2. recycled book chandelier 

3. vintage upcycled book safe   4. book frame

A Nursing Mother's Breast Friend

 photo by frogsthatmoo
No, I'm not talking about hooter-hiders, pumps, or even the perfect nursing bra (does one even exist?). I'm talking about my smart phone. My iPhone, to be exact.

Obviously this is not a required device for breastfeeding (Apple isn't that good), but it has made my nursing experience more enjoyable this time around.

For those of you who've ever breastfed, you know how much of a sacrifice it can be. Not that I don't love being able to provide the nourishment my baby needs from my own body--I absolutely do. It's so much more convenient for me than having to mess with mixing up bottles of formula, not to mention the cost-saving benefits and the bond it builds between mama and baby.

But breastfeeding can also be a challenge. Only you can provide your baby with the milk she needs--which means feeding her on demand for at least the first 3-4 months until solids are introduced.
And there's only so much you can do while holding and nursing your baby.

Although I have managed to push a shopping cart, eat dinner, work on my computer, read Steinbeck's East of Eden (not all in one sitting), sleep, and even made an attempt at crocheting once, it can still feel pretty immobilizing. And when there are days that I go without seeing, let alone speaking, to another adult, sometimes updating my status on Facebook really does help keep me from going mad.

With my iPhone, I feel more connected to the outside world--I can find inspiration from other mamas on the web. I can chat with my girlfriends or my husband while he's at work. I can read about what's going on in the world or watch the latest viral video on YouTube. I can find out what my friends are doing across town or across the country. And I can take photos of my kids running circles around me while I'm taking the time to feed the baby.

Now would losing my iPhone ever affect my choice to breastfeed? No way! I love holding Amelia and feeding her, being the only one who can always soothe her crying.

I absolutely cherish this time I have with her while she's so little. With a seven-year-old who's half-way there to the teenage years, I know how fast time with Amelia (and the other two) will go. So I'll gladly nurse her for as long as I can. But I'll also enjoy the excuse to read my Google Reader while I do!

How about you? What life-saving tools do you use to keep your sanity in the throes of motherhood?

**This post was written over the course of four days, often while holding Amelia. Oh, and although I wish, I was in no way paid by Apple to endorse the iPhone.**

Friday Favorites: Halloween Crafts for Kids

1. Handprint Spiders  2. Ghost Garland  3. Ghost Wreath  4. Bottle Cap Spiders

Check out these kid-friendly Halloween craft ideas! You may even have most of the supplies on hand already--we'll be making some of these ourselves this weekend.

Featured On One Pretty Thing

Yay! Rachel from One Pretty Thing featured my Last-Minute Angel Wings tutorial in her costume round-up today. One Pretty Thing is an awesome resource for daily crafty round-ups--swing on by and see what you find!

DIY Wall Art Ideas

We've lived in our house for just over a year now, and I'm still just getting around to decorating some of the walls around here. For some reason, it can just be really daunting having a big blank wall staring back at you. I had a few ideas in mind but never got around to making any of them happen. Well, I finally have and wanted to share some of them with you, along with a few other ideas I've found on the web.

Calendar Art

I've been hanging on to some old art calendars for years now, and I finally found a place to hang some of them after remodeling our bathroom. My favorite calendar is a collection of photographs by French photographer Robert Doisneau, shown above.

Customized Family Tree

I found this personalized family tree in Martha Stewart Living and they had free printables online. I did draw and cut out my own rectangles for the family names, but other than that, this was a really easy way to add something other than photos. And you could easily draw your own custom-sized tree, too.

Check out Martha's other family tree ideas. And check out these cool family trees on Etsy here, here, and here.

Children's Book Art

I have a tendency to take the dust jackets off of the kids books, or at least of our favorites, otherwise they get torn to pieces. This is a great way to preserve and display them! Our favorites framed above are The Fantastic Mr. Wani, The Curious Garden (starring a boy named Liam!), Harry the Dirty Dog, and, of course, Goodnight Moon.


And finally, check out these ideas from the Swedish designer behind Lilla A:

Butterfly Collections

The designer gave her daughter a butterfly printout to draw and then cut out a selection of them to add to a shadowbox. And she even shares the printout with her readers, I love it! 

Toy Plaster

Although this idea is a little different, I admire how original it is--and it really captures the plethora of toys so often in a child's room! She gives a brief tutorial in English (most of her site in Swedish) and has some great photos to go with it.  Check out the rest of her blog too; I'm just blown away by all her great ideas!

Mini Bat-Mask Tutorial

Our bat friend made a second appearance early Friday morning and this time the kids got to see him, too. Chris was home this time, so between the two of us (and turning on the lights so the bat would move from room to room) we were able to get him safely out the front door.

So, after our bat-in-the-house adventure, I decided to do some bat-themed crafts with the kids. I found this template for a bat mask online, and also printed out a couple bat printables.

I gave the coloring pages to the kids while I started on the masks. Here's how I made them:

I printed and cut out the template on cardstock--I cut the eyes out with my handy craft knife. I didn't have any black construction paper, but I did have a large sheet of craft foam, which will last a bit longer anyway. 

Using some double-sided scrapbooking tape to keep the template on the foam, I traced around it with my craft knife. You could just as easily use scissors, but the craft knife was easier to use on the eye cut-outs. If you do use a craft knife, be sure to use a cutting mat!

Placing the template as close to each cut-out as possible, I was able to make three masks from just one sheet of foam. Now use a hole-punch on either side, tie some yarn, ribbon, elastic--whatever you have on hand--and voila! you have a bat mask!

If you wanted to get even more creative, you could glue some googly eyes on the bat's head or even add some glitter! I left ours unadorned, because I only had so much time before baby Amelia demanded my attention.

Add a cape and a superhero fist and you're ready to go! (I'll spare you the really bad photo of me with my mask on.) 

So what kind of crafty endeavors are you up to this month? Any quick and easy kid's crafts you've fallen in love with? Or what about any cool Halloween ideas? I'd love to hear your crafty ideas!

Friday Favorites: Going Batty

1. felt bat mask  2. bat placemats  3. toilet roll bats  4. batman cookie cutter

 

Wednesday night I had an unexpected encounter with a bat. Chris was on shift at the fire station, the kids were asleep and I was readying to put Amelia in her swing (currently her favorite sleeping spot), when all of a sudden I was ambushed. 

I'll spare you all the details of how I freaked out and could hardly sleep, but Mr. Bat has yet to reappear. So in an attempt to conquer my fears, I'm dedicating this Friday's Favorites to my nighttime visitor--and just in time for Halloween!

1. Felt Bat Mask: Susan from Living With Punks guest posts over at Whip Up with this simple tutorial including a free pattern download--perfect for trick-or-treating or the dress-up box!

2. Bat Placemats: Anneliese at the Aesthetic Nest offers an easy way to dress up your table for Halloween with these vinyl bat placemats.

3. Toilet Roll Bats: Stop by Filth Wizardry for a step-by-step photo how-to on turning your discarded tp tubes into creatures of the night--and check out how her husband added flashing LEDs for greeting trick-or-treaters!

4. Batman Cookie Cutter: Bento-queen Wendy shares how she transformed an angel into a fantabulous new batman cookie cutter using simple household tools--and shows you how you can use it for more than just cookies!

I love seeing so many creative diy-ers out there! Support the handmade movement and make one less trip to the store--craft up some of your own Halloween goodness!

Chalk It Up 2010

Last Saturday was Artpace's annual Chalk It Up event here in downtown San Antonio. Skyler and I had so much fun attending the free event last year, that we couldn't miss out--and luckily my mom volunteered to help me out with the kids so we could all make it down to Houston street. 

We started off in the free-style chalk zone. We got there early in the day, so there was still a lot of street space left for drawing. Of course the kids weren't super-interested in doing that for long, but I managed to get a couple of shots, like Skyler creating his own rendition of the yellow brick road above (at least that's what it reminded me of). 

Liam coloring in the (very realistic) woodpecker Grandma drew for him.

And Eleanor showing me her chalked up hands which she washed and then got dirty right after. 

Next, we headed towards the kids zone, checking out some of the featured and showcase artists along the way. I'm not sure who put together the display above, but I thought the robocleaner chalk exhibit was pretty clever. 

This creepy guy also stood out--he was set up at a table without a sign to indicate who he was. He sat there with a leather bag full of chalk, pulling out one piece at a time, grinding it up onto the table. It reminded me of something out of a movie, like Dark City, or Brazil. 

The kids zone had a handful of activities just for kids. The Children's Museum (also located on Houston Street) had a table set up for chalk pastel drawings. The kids have never worked with pastels before, but I really liked how vibrant their pictures turned out. Maybe it would be worth investing in some higher-quality art supplies?

Artpace also had a kid's craft table where they could build and paint their own wooden furniture (the project was based on the work of one of their current artists-in-residence).  Skyler was definitely into this project, but it was a little too messy for my two and three-year-olds (and I'm not sure that the paint was washable). 

Overall, we had a great morning out (despite the inevitable whining as lunch time grew closer). I love what Artpace is doing in our city--they offer free admission to their exhibits, field trips with awesome hands-on projects, and free workshops addressing relevant issues for practicing artists, just to name a few. 

I love that there is always something going on in San Antonio. If your interested in learning more about the arts in San Antonio, visit SAHearts.com. And check out the upcoming free Blue Star Family Day. This mama loves her city!

Friday Favorites: Costume Edition

1. Rosie the Riveter  2. Kids Owl Costume

3. Last-Minute Firefighter Costume  4. Milk Jug Storm Trooper Helmet

Although I'm keeping this year's costumes much simpler than last year, I've still been keeping my eye out for cool costume ideas for the future.

I love the Rosie the Riveter costume, and it would be such an easy one to put together--and I have a certain friend who I know would love this one!

I thought the owl costume was a sweet alternative to the super-frilly girl's costumes out there (although I think our girls will be wearing frills this year). 

This firefighter costume is not only a great last-minute idea, but also an inexpensive one--with costumes for four every year, I have to stretch my budget as far as I can--maybe I could even get daddy to wear his firefighter gear!

My favorite find this week is definitely the storm trooper milk jug helmet. Lindsey of Filth Wizardry shares a photo tutorial detailing how she made one for her daughter out of two milk jugs. She also has a post on torch and balloon light sabers and some amazing diy Star Wars toys--I am in awe!

I have a couple of my own costume ideas up my sleeve. I've got to go shopping for some supplies, but hopefully I'll be able to share some photos with you before Halloween.

How about you guys? What are you and your kids dressing up as for Halloween?

Bridge to Yesteryear

Chris and I flew up for a wedding in his home town of Tulsa last weekend and it was a much needed break from the chaos at home. We brought Miss Amelia along with us (my mom had her hands full enough watching the other three), but it was still a much quieter weekend.

We found ourselves with some free time Friday afternoon, so we took off for some ice cream and a walk along the pedestrian bridge. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, and although it wasn't an extravagant date, I would do anything to have more peaceful moments just like that afternoon. (It was amazing being able to eat an ice cream cone without kids crying in my ears!)

Amelia spends much of her time in my Zolo ring sling when I'm out and about, and it's definitely been a life saver--she usually goes right to sleep. Although I've used various slings/carriers with the other three, this is the first that I've used regularly.

So with a sleeping baby we enjoyed a nice little walk. It's amazing how rejuvenating a simple walk can be, especially with the sound of water (the bridge crosses the Arkansas River). 

It reminded me of this photo taken about five years ago before Chris and I got married. Life was so much simpler (in some ways) back then, but it was just a prelude of what was to come. Chris adopted Skyler the spring after we married, and we've created three little people since then--how quickly life changes!

 

And here we are now with a new fall season underway, the holidays just around the corner. This time last year we were yet to discover that Amelia was on her way, and now, of course, we couldn't picture our family without her! All of this looking back makes me think about where we'll be this time next year--Amelia will likely be walking (or close to it), Skyler will be in third grade, and Eleanor and Liam will be three and four (yikes!).

Although it feels like an eternity at times, their childhoods will pass by much more quickly than we think, and taking time to breathe a little deeper gives me the chance to step back and soak it up a little more. Here's to living life a little more deeply!

Chicho Boys Fruit Market

I used to take part in a produce co-op and we'd get about $70-$80 worth of fruits and vegetables for just $25. We would meet the first Friday of every month at about 8 am, but with two toddlers in tow (and now an infant), it became too much work, and too much of the produce would go bad before we were able to use it.

I was disappointed to lose such an inexpensive source for fresh produce for our family, but a good friend of mine, Trina, told me about the Chicho Boys fruit market near downtown San Antonio. I checked out their website and decided to give them a try. I've found great discounts on everything from blueberries to pineapples, and potatoes to squash--I've been going back ever since!

After checking out their weekly specials online (I love being able to comparison shop ahead of time), I saw that they were having some great deals on pumpkins and made it a point to make it out this morning. So, with my $20 in hand and the kids rounded up in the car, I drove the whole six minutes it takes to get there from our house.

I may have gone a little overboard on the pumpkins, but I couldn't resist having some to decorate the house for fall. Here's what I came home with:

• 2 jack o'  lantern pumpkins @ $2.50 each
• 2 pie pumpkins @ $.50/lb for a total of $2.52
• 6 mini pumpkins @ $.50 each
• 1 butternut squash @ $.79/lb for a total of $2.10

I also picked up some fruit:

• 5 pears for $1
• 4 apples for $1
• bananas @ $.44/lb for a total of $1.18
• green seedless grapes @ .$50/lb for a total of $.94
• and 1 lb of strawberries for $.99!

and some veggies:

• 3 yellow onions @ $.50/lb for a total of $.93
• and a 5 lb bag of russett potatoes for $1.79

My grand total came out to $20.45--okay so, I went a little over budget, but in my defense I had $1 of my blow money to spare--if I hadn't I would've just put one of the mini pumpkins back.

Granted, not everything I picked up today was the best deal (I think the bananas may have been less at  HEB this week)--but I do know that carving pumpkins were $3.88 at Walmart as opposed to the $2.50 at Chicho Boys, and strawberries and grapes were definitely not going for $.99 and $.50 a pound anywhere else!

There are some other pluses and minuses about shopping at Chicho Boys:

• they often have a bigger selection than my HEB plus--this week there were still pineapples and watermelons, and also pomegranates and coconuts! (I would name some others but I was so busy wrangling in Liam and Eleanor while carrying Amelia in the sling--those are the only extras I can remember!)
• their prices are usually much less than the grocery store (I've found blueberries for as low as $.50 a pint!)

but...

• their selection isn't always of the same quality--sometimes their prices are cheaper because the produce is a little riper than you'd find it at the mainstream markets.
• and their prices aren't always less than the supermarket--that's why I check online for their weekly specials so I know ahead of time if there's anything worth making a trip for.

Overall, I really like the Chicho Boys fruit market--I like that it's small, the workers are friendly, I can find some great deals, and the kids have fun going--they even had a pumpkin patch this time!

As for buying pumpkins so early in the season, I found this great website that has some great pointers on how to keep them fresher longer, and anything else you ever wanted to know about pumpkins!

How about you? Do you have any great money-saving tips for the grocery store? What about favorite pumpkin recipes? I can't wait to try out some pumpkin bread!

Friday Favorites

1.  paint and embroidery combined  2.  circle skirt tutorial  3.  kids stitch sampler  4. sippy cup leash

Time for another round of Friday favorites! Here's what I've found in the blogosphere this week:

• An awesome way to channel and preserve your kids (or your own!) artistic abilities through the combined media of embroidery and painting.
• A great tutorial on how to make the oh-so-simple yet oh-so-sweet circle skirt for your little girlies (also easily adaptable for adding to your own wardrobe).
• Another colorful example of teaching your child to embroider with easy-to-use fabrics like burlap.
• And a tutorial for a sippy-cup holder, which, any mama of a toddler knows would be a very useful tool for the stroller or one of the millions of errands completed by car each week! 

We're visiting family up in Tulsa, so I don't think I'll get anything posted for a few days, until then, I hope you all enjoy your weekend!