Coloring Apron

One of my girlfriends text me a picture of this the other day...

 As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make one!!! So she came over tonight and I made it...

Mine isn't perfect, but i had fun making it! I need to make a few changes, mostly with the straps, I need to do it how they did, I was just being lazy, but it will work much better if I did it like the one on top and make the crayon holders go all the way across. But I am pretty happy with mine for the first try. Just means it can only get better next time! I will have to make another one and post a tutorial so you can make one too! 


Have a wonderful night :) 


Katie

Personalizing Blog!!!

Just have to share that I just figured out how to add the pin it button and add my customized header!!! I am so excited!!! Check out these websites I used...

For the header: http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2007/06/how-to-create-custom-header-in-blogger.html

For the pin it button: http://www.bloggersentral.com/2012/02/add-pinterest-pin-it-button-on-blogger.html


Love the internet, especially google, you can find anything with just a search!!!!!

Teething baby and Baby Fried Rice!!!

There have been multiple times since Alyssa was about 5 months that I have thought she was teething. Never was. But I SURE hope she is this time. Not because I want her to be in pain, but because I don't want something else to be wrong with her. She was actually surprising good and happy today. She even stayed with my cashier and the lifeguards for a while so mommy could work. But still usually in the evenings, especially when Joe isn't home, she is very clingy and just wants mommy to hold her and nurse. She wasn't today. Well she was at first, but then I remembered something I did when we were out at a restaurant for lunch a few weeks ago. She was chewing on everything so I held a piece of ice for her to suck on. Of course she loved it. So I looked in the diaper bag for a rag or something that I could put the ice in so she could suck on it. I didn't have a burp rag, but I did have a pair of her socks! I put the ice cube in her sock, tied it in a knot, and gave it to her. She LOVED it!! It was amazing! It kept her occupied and kept her happy. So this evening when I wanted to cook her dinner I went in to drawer and got one of her mismatched socks (not sure when I keep them even though the washer and dryer have eaten the other one...I bet your thinking, she's only 9 months old, how many mismatched socks could she have...out washer and dryer get hungry...) anyways...I got one of the socks, put an ice cube in it (wll 3 ice cubes, our ice maker makes small ice cubes) and gave it to her. She just crawler around and played while sucking on it. I think she likes it so much because  it is cold and she can suck the water out of it. I usually can never leave her in the living room and cook in the kitchen (I can see the living room from the kitchen, no worries...) But today I was able to make her dinner (see below for Baby Friend Rice) and clean up in the kitchen. It was amazing. She just crawled around sucking on her sock laughing and playing. It is my new favorite thing. And the best part is, when she is done I can just toss it in the wash. My (and Alyssa's) newest favorite thing...

Testing it out

Awwww.....

Look mom, no hands!!!

Just playing, sucking on my sock <3

We don't usually use the baby gates too often, we are usually right there with her at all times, but today since she was being so good I wanted to put the gate so she couldn't go in the hall and I wouldn't be able to see her, especially since it was hot in the house so I wanted to keep our bedroom windows open to get the breeze to cool our rooms down. So I out the gate up in the hallway. I HATE it. We have the super cheap like $10 one from target. We got it for Mack a while ago, and just never got another one. It takes me forever to get it to fit. So once I fianlly got it to fit I decided to mark which little groove it goes in for the hallway. Look...

"H" is for hall, in case we use it somewhere else...

I was so proud of myself I just had to share. Not sure it other people have done this, but I thought it was pretty awesome!!!

Ok...now on to Alyssa's dinner tonight...something I will call Baby Fried Rice. I made her some rice yesterday, its kind of hard for her to eat it, but she is getting better. And I made a little to much so I have been thinking about what I can do with it. I decided to make her some Fried Rice, well not fried rice like you would normally think of but here is what I did.

I scrambled 2 eggs with a little bit of pepper and paprika. Then I grated a carrot and added some tiny cubed chicken from last night. I let it all warm up (wanted to carrots to get a little soft) then I added about 1/2 cup of rice. I let it all mix together to heat up the rice. I was thinking I wanted to add some flavor, but I didn't want to add soy sauce (she hasn't done too well with salt). I remembered I had put the water I used to steam her pears and apples from lunch in the fridge (I am saving the apple and pear flavored water to use when she has to have her MRI and can only drink clear liquids for 5 hours before). So I added about 2 tablespoons of the water to the rice and let it simmer.

Doesn't that look yummy?!?

Once all the liquid was gone I let it all cool a bit. Then it was dinner time...

She enjoyed it quite a lot! She made quite the mess with all the little tiny rice, but she appeared to like it!


So today was a good day. Even though she is teething, we are working through it and find things that help. I love her so much and hate to see her in pain. But I know it is just a stage, that she will continue to go through for the next few years, and now is the time to figure out what works for us!!

Thank for reading :)

Katie

Clothing tags and "new" clothes!

Joe had to work this weekend so my little princess and I got to hang out just the two of us! Today we got all out shopping for the week done- Costco, Trader Joe's, and Safeway! It took a while but feels good knowing I don't have to worry about it! 

Before dinner tonight we went on a bike ride! Her seat was on Joe's bike and I didn't want to ride his bike (his seat is uncomfortable!!) so I figured out how to put it on my bike. I was rather proud of myself! We had fun! 

Isn't she adorable with that little helmet on?

We rode to the Marina so she could swing! 

She loves the swing!

Then she had pasta, chicken, broccoli, and cheese for dinner. She ate it up FAST! All that swinging wore her out! She is quite the little busy bee! 

Once baby went to bed mommy went to work! I got my clothing tags in the mail this weekend!!! I am so excited about them! I had to sew something tonight so I could use them! I decided to add them to the dresses I made the other night. I ordered the tags from the Etsy shop Mommie Made It. She was very helpful, nice, and prompt with all correspondence. I would highly recommend.  Here is the first Kate and Aly tag being sewn on...

It was so exciting to sew the first one on!

Don't they look so official now? Not that I need to be official, but it is fun! And it looks SUPER cool!!!

I decided that Alyssa needed a new outfit so I made her a pair of leggings from a tank top I got at the thrift store for 99 cents and a dress which I made from a t-shirt I also got at the thrift store. I used tutorials from the blog I was talking about yesterday, Make it and Love it. I am pretty proud of them...

Cute summer outfit!

And a couple close-ups of my fun tags! 

Glad I had such a productive weekend, but even more GLAD (and relieved) that this was the last weekend Joe has to work! Starts his new schedule beginning of August and has next weekend off! The weekend is the hardest time for me when he works because at least during the week we go to work and everyone at the pool wants to play and hangout with her so I get somewhat of a break...but the weekend is just me...all day...even when she doesn't want to nap and is super grumpy...so I am very happy! 

Thanks for stopping by :) 

Dresses and Swimming

It took quite a while to get Alyssa down for a nap. But since she is napping here goes...

We went swimming (as we do a few times a week since we work at a pool) and Alyssa is quite the ladies man...She had a swim date (or met a friend, who is a boy, at the pool and went swimming as Joe would call it) with her friend Gabriel. Whose mom also used to work at the pool so it is perfect for us to take them swimming!!!

Aren't they just adorable? They had fun playing and swimming together! Alyssa of course had to shove her hands in his mouth...

While nursing when going to sleep she does that to me too...not quite sure why, I guess she wants me to eat like she is?!?! hehehe I can't wait until they are both bigger and able to run around together and talk to each other! It will be so fun! I am glad we have people in our lives whom she can play with! Friends are the BEST! 

While swimming she also learned how to crawl out of the baby pool on the stairs all by her self! Isn't she only supposed to be 9 months old? My little munchkin is WAY too independent! But I love every second of it! It is such a joy to watch everything she learns and teaches herself. She is such the little Curious George! She also went under the water...

And she didn't even cry! What a BIG girl! Gabriel went under for the first time also, he didn't cry either (they must be meant to be)...hehehe

Since I didn't get to finish Alyss'a party dress for next weekend the other night when my little princess had a hard night, I finished it (and made Tori's dress) last night! 

I LOVE it! I am getting much better at it! I love that it is Tinkerbell (for Toribell) and it has purple butterflies ( my favorites.) I got pretty lucky with this fabric. Here is Victoria's dress...

And a close up of the top.

It was much more difficult to make hers. I didn't have one of her t-shirts to use as my guide...so hopefully it fits!! I pretty much just went for it...with a lot of stopping to think, and looking at Alyssa's. Although I pretty much just went for it with Alyssa's, I at least was able to try it on her as I went. I am hopeful and excited for her to try it on. 

I keep wanting to make a tutorial on how to make it...I start off very well with taking pictures...but then I get wrapped up in it and forget to take pictures. Next time I will ask my husband to come out and by my photographer and just take pictures the whole time. Here is how I started though...

Making the "pattern" and my first cut

I just lay the paper towel (I like using them to trace the piece of clothing I am going to use) over the shirt and sketch the arm opening. The top is the only part I use a "pattern." I just go with what looks right for the rest. It is pretty easy. After cutting the top part I cit it for the length of the top of the dress then fold over a couple inches from the top and start sewing with elastic thread (which I discovered and learned to use from my all time favorite blog, Make it and Love it. It is full of tutorials, sewing tips, and all kinds of wonderfulness. I discovered her site through pinterest a while back and once Alyssa started sleeping at night I pulled out my sewing machine and started creating! I credit my starting to sew again to her blog and the fact that I am now able to create on my own with out needed a tutorial is a blessing! I LOVE IT! I love being able to see something (I have been taking pictures of things I see in the store or online so I can sew them myself) or think of something that I think about be cute and just make it! It is such an awesome feeling. Finishing an item (and trying it on Alyssa and knowing it fits/works) is wonderful! I did make myself a shirt last week and I was super happy with out the top came out...but I made it too short...It is cute...and I will try again and it will be perfect! I do want to try to find the fabric I used and just add it to the bottom, because that is how the shirt I used as my guide is, I just didn't buy enough of the fabric to do that (or Joann's didn't have anymore of it, since they are selling everything to move to the new store, maybe the new store which open next week will have it!!) So hopefully I will have a wonderful story to tell in the next few weeks about how I fixed my shirt...

And lastly for today...

My three candlesticks I have collect over the past few weeks to make cake stands for Alyssa's first birthday. The glass and wood ones I got at Marshals and the white one I found at Ikea yesterday! I plan on doing this and this. I found clear glass plates at the Dollar Store, but they have a sharp bottom circle, so I am not sure how well it will work. But I plan on trying tonight. If it doesn't I saw some at the Goodwill that should work (I bought one and then dropped and broke it while cleaning it.) I want to use the tall wooden one for Alyssa's cake. I plan on making her this cake. Not the recipe, just the design. I am so very excited! And hopefully I will be able to use the glass one for the guests' cake. I hope it end up being sturdy enough, I guess we will find out. And I just bought the while one because it was so cute, I will find something to do with it...any ideas would be wonderful! 

Thanks for reading! Hopefully I will get to create something great tonight since I already cleaned the house (steam cleaned the kitchen and all, even cupboards!!) during Alyssa's first nap, just have to put the dishes away and then I can escape to the garage with baby monitor in hand :) 

Busy week!

It's been a few days, life of this part-time working/full-time momma has been busy!! I have accomplished a lot though. I made Alyssa banana bread in the bread machine! Recipe found here, I just used applesauce from 2 apples I made and only a splash of milk (I meant to use yogurt, but I guess I forgot). It isn't too bad. Alyssa had it for breakfast this morning and loved it! It is a little moist, I think from the applesauce instead of sugar, but it is perfect for her, I even find it pretty tasty!! 


And I loved watching her pick through the mango to get a piece of the bread...

Doesn't her face just show how tasty it must be!!!

Since Alyssa doesn't really let us feed her anymore (she's a big girl...duh!!!) I feel like I have been giving her the same finger foods, so the other day Joe was making salmon (which she has had, just in a puree) and I had him make an extra one (we buy it at Costco and portion it in the freezer). She absolutely LOVED it! I put the first piece on her tray and as soon as she put it in her mouth she was reaching for another piece. She was picking it out of the rest of her dinner (pasta and bell pepper) to eat it all! She is SO her daddy's daughter (I HATE fish!!!) But I am glad that she isn't picky like me- makes life much easier! 


Happy Crafter: Joann's in Hayward is moving to San Leandro (happy dance). So The Hayward store is selling all their fabric at 50-75 % off. 

This was my third trip and they were no longer cutting fabric, you had to "Buy the Bolt." I got $200 of fabric for $50. SCORE!!! And the past 2 times I have gone  I have gotten around $100 of fabric for $50. I have quite the stock-pile of fabric now! But Joe doesn't have to know quite how much I have :) I will be having fun thats for sure!!! Plenty of things I have in mind I NEED to make! 


Another exciting thing that has happened these past few days...we got Alyssa a helmet and bike seat! She LOVES it! She is so cute with her little helmet on! I am so excited that we have something else we can do as a family now! Especially since we live so close to the Marina we can just ride over there (she gets a little fussy on the way back when we walk, but it is too close to drive). Check her out though, isn't she a cutie pie (her dad isn't too bad looking either). 

Joe had the day off today, so we decided that when Alyssa went to sleep we would drink some wine and go out to my craft room (aka the garage) so he could finish her birthday banner (he started it last week) and I could sew. The banner is adorable! I found the tutorial here. A few weeks ago Joe and I cut a big piece of butcher paper and painted a bunch of huge squares of different colors to cut HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSSA on. Here is a sneak peak, I think it is going to be ADORABLE!!! 

I am so proud of Joe who figured out how to use my Cricut! He really liked being able to help make the banner. And I know I don't have to worry about it being messed up, because he is so scared of messing up that he is try super hard to be perfect. 

He is so serious!!! Thanks hunny!!!

And just a cool picture Joe took of some of the dots for the banner. 

Like I said above, while he worked on the banner I sewed. I am making a dress for Alyssa to wear to my friends kids birthday's. She has two little ones whose birthday's are 3 weeks apart so they are having their parties together. Victoria will be turing 3 and Rudy will be 2. The these is Rudy and the Neverland Pirates and Toribell. They always come up with cute party themes to incorporate the kids names. Last year was Tori Story and Rudy's Roundup. Anyways...I found some lime green corduroy-ish fabric with Tinkerbell and butterflies on it. Here is the top I started...

I almost had the dress finished (just had to add the straps) when our little princess woke up screaming! So that ended couples wine and craft time. It took Alyssa almost 2 hours to fall back asleep. I tried everything (except nursing, since I had drank wine, of course, the one night I drink wine in weeks she can't sleep). I tried rocking her, laying with her in our bed, rubbing her back, letting her cry...Finally she fell asleep. Her poor little gums must be hurting BAD! I hate it! I wish I could take all her pain away. And I feel horrible that we fianlly gave her Tylenol. I had already rubbed alL Natural Orajel on her gums and that wasn't helping. But I am glad that she finally was able to get back to sleep and I just hope that she sleeps well the rest of the night. We all need our sleep! 

Fun at The Academy of Sciences

Today we went to the Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park with my mom, nephew, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. It was SO much fun! Alyssa loves hanging out with her cousins! I can't wait for her to be a little older so she can play with them. They are all so stinkin' cute <3

But my favorite part of the day was watching Alyssa in amazement of the tanks! She just stood there and stared, and laughed, and loved it! Isn't she a cutie?!?!

I can't wait to do more fun things and watch her grown and learn! It was a fun day, but she was very grumpy and tired come 5pm. She is sounds asleep and I know she will sleep well tonight! 


On another note I got some super cute candle sticks as Marshall's the other day that are just waiting to be turn into cake stands for Alyssa's first birthday. My mission for tomorrow is to scope out the Goodwill and Walmart for some clear glass plates to go on top of the candles that I will cover with scrapbook paper. Here is the tutorial I will get to use hopefully tomorrow!! Can't wait! 

Its a success!!!

The bread experiment was success!! See...

Doesn't that look yummy?!?! Find the recipes I used on my previous blog here. I should have, and will next time, had more sweet--I will add applesauce and take out some oil. But I tried it and it wasn't bad, and Alyssa loved it for breakfast: 

But then again...she loves pretty much EVERYTHING, except peas :) She definitely proved to me that she is her daddy's daughter and really is Mexican, be it only 1/4 Mexican, but Mexican none the less, tonight when she ate ground beef, mexican rice (I even think it is a little spicy), cheese, and tortilla. 

But I think her things of today were hanging out with daddy for the day and her pureed peach and yogurt popsicle she had after dinner...I am pretty sure she is teething (I hope at least because she has been one grumpy baby the past few weeks, and its about time she got some teeth, she will be 9 months on Sunday)...

Sorry for all the pictures, but expect them, she is too darn cute not to sit here with the camera and take pictures. Every thing she does I want to capture and stare at- every cute little face, giggle, new "trick," grumpy face, and silly face all day long!! And you will probably see a LOT of pictures of her eating, I LOVE watching her eat. It showcases her progress and skills. Watching her use two fingers and pick up one little piece of food, that she usually searches for through all the food on her tray. She will go to pick up a piece then see another piece and go for that one. Or, like the other night, she had green beans, avocado, and cheese on her tray, she sat there and picked out every piece of cheese and ate them one after another. Then she got angry that there wasn't anymore cheese. Eventually she decided to eat the rest, but not after a little tantrum. Which we have come to expect with her. She already thinks she knows how to get what she wants. And we are trying very hard not to give in. It often shows itself when she finds something on the ground, or tries standing on something we don't want her to. If you take something away from her she will scream as soon as we take it. She will look at us ad scream, not a real cry, but a SCREAM! She will even lay on the ground and flair her arms and yell. It is pretty cute. And if we just ignore her she will eventually stop and crawl or scoot on to something else. 


But enough from me tonight. Hopefully I will get out to the garage to create tomorrow night. Academy of Sciences is planned for after her morning nap, that should be fun. I have been wanting to see the Earthquake exhibit and I think Alyssa will enjoy the aquarium (I know Joe will!!) 


Goodnight :) 


Katie <3

BREAD!!!

Alyssa hasn't had any bread yet (because I haven't made any) so the other day my mom's side of the family got together to play Bocce Ball (my aunt was here visiting before they move back  to the East Coast from Japan). My grandmother is notorious for always having "stuff" to give us all. I was joking with Joe that I should call my grandma before she comes to the Bay from Sacramento and ask her if she had a bread maker. He said "NO!" because when you ask for something you pretty much always get MORE then you asked for. Well I didn't call but before everyone was leaving she pulled our her bag of "stuff" she had for some of us. Let me just say that none of this "stuff" is anything anyone necessarily wants or asked her for, but she thinks we need it. I ended up with a little flower headband for Alyssa and a purple (I get a lot of "stuff" because my favorite color is purple, so is hers) cube candle. When she was done passing out the "treasures" I jokingly asked if she had a bread maker in there and she look up and said, "NO. Why? Do you want one?" I said yes, and she said she had two at home somewhere and she would find one for me and when would I be in Sacramento to get it...haha....very typical of my grandma. Well my aunt who is here visiting from Japan/Virginia was in Sacramento and was coming to the Bay Area and emailed me and told me she had a bread maker, pasta maker, and toaster for me from my grandma (like I said, MORE then I asked for).


 So that whole story just to share that I am sitting at the kitchen table writing this while I smell the bread cooking!


Let me start by saying that I have never used a bread machine, or made my own bread (other then banana bread). The machine didn't come with the instruction manual (but I found it online). I found two recipes on Pinterest (links below) that I used as a guide and made my own tweaks, to suit my needs. It took a while to find one I would use because a lot of them called for honey and babies can't have honey.  Alyssa also hasn't had any processed sugar (I use homemade applesauce and grated apples in her oat pancakes) so that was the major tweak I had to make. I just decided to juice an apple and see how it would work- I can't say if it has worked or not yet because the bread isn't done, but the yeast foamed and the dough rose so I am hopeful.
 Also, I haven't given her vegetable or olive oil (I make her tortillas from a recipe I found here which uses avocado oil)  Here is a picture of the ingredients I used for the bread:

The other tweak I did was I used 1 cup all purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour. 

Here is the link to the recipe I used for the bread machine part and this is the recipe I used for the wheat/all purpose flour idea) I am hoping that the bread works and is edible..one hour and fifty minutes until I find out!!! 

And here is the dough while it was kneading (it was fun to watch!!)

And here is Alyssa watching mommy make the bread...

She was rather patient, she usually won't sit there once she is done eating, but it could have been the whole large mango, half an avocado, and sweet potato/cheese quesadilla she ate! 

One hour and forty minutes to go!!! I guess I will put the dishes away and find other ways to keep myself busy until it is done! I will share good or bad once it is done! 

It starts...

I guess it's about time I wrote something! I have been meaning to do this for a while, and just couldn't wait anymore! There have been so many things I have thought, "I should blog about this," but I just never started. So here it goes!


I have been having fun sewing the past few weeks and finally ordered labels for the things I sew! I can't wait to get them, so I decided I better start blogging so I can share!! They are simple, yet super adorable! That is what finally made me decide to start this. 


The label weren't the only thing that made me want to start....


I am so excited for Alyssa to eat her very first quesadilla! I made her a mozzarella cheese and sweet potato quesadilla with homemade whole wheat tortillas (my fav, minus the sweet potatoes). 

Doesn't that look yummy?!?!

Can't wait for her to try it! Will post pictures of her reaction!! 


Thank for reading and I am looking forward to sharing my many different experiences :)