A few figures

A few figures from today:

19: the number of times I put 40 lb. Kayden in and out of his car seat
2: black puddles Kayden fell in
3: postal workers laughing at me as I tried in vain to open the locked door, sure they were not closed as the clock said 4:58pm
30: minutes it took to drive to the other post office
2: products I completely cut through on my quest to expedite packaging
0: minutes in Kayden's nap
and finally- 10: feet I ran after my car. Nothing has scared me more than my car hurling in reverse up the neighbor's yard with Kayden strapped in and me not in it.

Why parents drink

Recently my friend sent me this e-mail, and it is too cute not to post.

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper,"Hello.""

Is your daddy home?" he asked.
"Yes," whispered the small voice.
"May I talk with him?"
The child whispered, "No."

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
"Yes."
"May I talk with her?"
Again the small voice whispered, "No."

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, "Is anybody else there?"
"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman"
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?"

"No, he's busy", whispered the child.
"Busy doing what?"
"Talking to Daddy, Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"
"A helicopter " answered the whispering voice.
"What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.

Again, whispering, the child answered, "The search team just landed the helicopter."Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, "What arethey searching for?"

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle: "ME!"

Want some free stuff?

I am dutch. I love coupons. I love saving money, and I LOVE free! Right now, over at 5 minutes for mom, they are collecting all sorts of free goodies to be won at the Ultimate Blog party. Held March 2-9, this event is a way to get your blog noticed, meet other bloggers, and win some free prizes in the meantime. All you have to do is put an invitation on your own blog and add your name the week of March 2nd. I have included two of my rufflebutt onesies as prizes, so head on over to 5minutesformom and check it out!

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Birthday Ideas

My son loves puppies, so for his 2nd birthday we wanted to do a dog themed birthday party. I found a great site for birthday ideas-www.birthdaypartyideas.com. This site has a ton of ideas regarding themed parties, all organized and ranked. Not just your normal character themes, many I would not even think of! Playdoh, Olympics, Mystery Parties, so many more. If you are planning a party for your kids anytime soon, check this site out. It was very helpful.

I also found this site that sends bounce balls through the mail. Bounce Greetings balls are sent fully inflated without any external packaging. They sell for $10, which might get a bit expensive if you have a lot of guests. What a great concept though!

Apparantly, you can send all sorts of things through the mail without external packaging- flipflops, pool noodles, anything that won't break in transit.

If you are really creative, you could do this yourself. Buy an inflated ball at Walmart or Target, grab a marker, handwrite an invitation, some great birthday stamps, and you've got yourself a great greeting card. Come to think about it, these would be great for any other time you just want to cheer someone up.

Sigh, what a day.

I wait for it all year. I bide my time until it comes around, and make sure to double check the alarm. MOPS Spa Day. Relaxation at it's best.

MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, a wonderful organization for moms that have children prior to preschool age. Really, it's a time to get away and socialize with other moms. Breakfast is eaten hot, and conversations are not interrupted every five minutes. It is wonderful. There are many of them around the US, so check the MOPS organization (http://www.mops.com/) to find the one nearest you.

During regular MOPS meetings, time is varied between crafts and speakers. However, once a year when massage therapists, facial and makeup experts, and all other sorts of spoils are available to moms. It is a great time to connect with other moms and relax, especially on spa day.

16 lbs over 30 years?

I was just skimming the new Allure magazine. Somehow I got a free subscription, and it is fun to check out the new styles-although it is disturbing just how many ads they can fit in one magazine. I digress...

Anyway, one of the articles talked about people who do not get enough sleep. A survey showed that lask of sleep contributed 16 extra pounds over 30 years. Disturbing! I am the epitamy of nocturnal. The suggestion is to get at least eight or nine hours of sleep per night. I do not know about you, but when is the last time a mom has gotten that? This is not good news.

Baby Dedication, Christening, or Baptism?

One question I am often asked is what the difference is between baby dedication, christening, and baptism. Outlined below are definitions and denominations participating in each:

Baby Dedication- when a child is dedicated to the Lord by their parents. Typically, the parent is stating before friends and family that they commit to raising their child according to God's word.

Baby Baptism/Christening- pretty much interchangeable currently. According to Wikipedia, both are generally a purification ritual using water. If you are wondering which term the church uses, I am sure the office or secretary would clarify.

Baptisms: typically Lutheran, Presbyterian, Christian Reformed, Catholic, and Methodist to name a few

Dedications: Baptist, Bible, some non-denomination

If you are looking for a favorite verse for the ceremony:

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139: 13-14

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from him" Psalm 127:3

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there." 1 Samuel 1:26-28

Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a Godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. It is a special event for all involved, and I am glad you choose MinimeBabyGear to be a part of it.

Valentine's is right around the corner...

I love the various holidays we celebrate. Valentine's Day is always a fun one for my family. Since hubby is a teacher, we gets lots of cute Valentine's cards.

This mail box above is from pottery Barn Kids. Does it get any cuter than this? I, however, have to do the poor man's version since I am pretty sure my husband could care less about a Valentine's box. Brought to you by FamilyFun.com, this box is cute and affordable.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Rectangular cardboard box
Craft glue
White self-adhesive shelf paper
Craft knife
Colored paper
Scissors
Stapler
Velcro dots
Stickers, stamps, and other decorations
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Glue the box lid closed and cover the entire box with several layers of white self-adhesive shelf paper (enough to block out any writing on the box).

2. Starting 2 inches from the top, use a craft knife to carefully cut along three sides of the box, leaving the back intact to serve as the hinge (a parent's job). Cut a mail slot (also a parent's job) in the front of the box.

3. Make a tab closure from a 2 1/2- by 3/4-inch strip of colored paper. Fold it in half and staple it to the center front of the cover. Attach Velcro dots to the tab and the box to keep the top shut. 4. Decorate the entire box with paper cutouts, stamps, or heart-shaped stickers.

Not quite the Pottery Barn version, but making it together is half the fun!

Procrastination Station

I will go ahead and admit it, I am a procrastinator. This woman to the right could easily be me. I hate paperwork. I hate taxes, accounting, and filing. It is tedious and time consuming and I have no use for it!

So, how about you? Are there any ways that you procrastinate?

Even now, I could be inputting numbers and instead I am blogging. I guess there is always tomorrow...

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Four years ago, my new sewing machine's permanent home was the kitchen table. Our apartment was so small that was the only sensible place for it, unless I wanted to sew sitting in bed. I sat down in front of that beautiful machine, and realized I had no idea where to begin. Amazing how time flies sometimes. It has been a journey.

As my business grew, so did my idea of what it would look like. First, it was just a seasonal hobby during craft shows, then came the website I naively thought could be built in two hours. After a few months, I had over fifty items offered for sale.

Over the next few weeks, you will be noticing a few more changes. I am going to return to making fewer items, as it has gotten too crazy to make everything myself and offer so many choices. Right now, I am thinking the following will still be offered:

• Breastfeeding Buddy
• Burp Cloths
• Minkees
• RuffleButt onesies
• Diaper Bags
• Wet Bags
• Dress Up Robes
• and the Dedication Line

Thanks to all of you who have ordered the other items. It certainly has been fun to make them!