I did it!

I recently have became more into crafting again. I am unsure of why or what made me decide to get back in to it, but I am excited to learn new tricks and be creative. 


I was really big in to making blankets and scrapbooking when we lived in Texas. I had the space to do it, and I enjoyed it. When we moved to England, we did not have the space for the extra stuff. I rushed through my scrapbooks I was working on and that was the end of it. However, I really miss it, and I am finding more things I want to create. 


For Baby A's announcements and Thank You's, I made the cards myself. I had stamped them and wrote personal notes to each person. I think that is what got me back in to scrapbooking because I enjoyed doing it and seeing the outcome of it. 


With having Baby A, I really want her to have a scrapbook of her first year to look back on. One of just her, so that is where the scrapbooking came back in to play. Then after that first year, I will continue to make them but as a family. Unless there are more children, then of course they would get one dedicated to them for their first year. I started purchasing things and printing pictures to get started, and I can not wait. I can not wait to get started! 


Then, as I was searching for ideas for her scrapbook, I started realizing how easy some things were to make for ourself without purchasing them. So then that all began. My main thing was to make Baby A a new and much larger bow holder because her collection is getting huge. I wanted something that would be decorative and lots of fun for her room. Something that she would never outgrow, but would fit her room and hair bows. I, of course, purchased that material and can not wait to get started. 


Then while thinking about bows, the spark of making bows came back to me. So I decided to take a plunge and buy some ribbon to do that. However, I only bought ribbon for now to play with to see what I think about it. If making the bows does not work out, I can always use it for the scrapbooks. If I do find that I have the patience for making hair bows, then I will finish purchasing the rest. Another thing that I am anxious to try out. 


Then comes the headbands, blankets, onesies, bibs... the whole lot. But shhhh, don't tell Mr. Man. 


I am going to take it one project at a time so I'm not overwhelmed. I just want to enjoy it as a hobby, and I can not wait to get all my stuff in to get started on each project!! 


I will post pictures as I do things, whether they are a piece of success or a major fail! 

Wishful Wednesday: Husband vs. Wife

Mr. Man wants one of these.

But I will settle for one of these.

He wants to do this!

But I would do this!

He would need this! -YUCK!-

All I would need is this!

Don't forget about Baby A!  

She would need this.... 

And this.....

And last but not least... THIS! 

Disclaimer: I do enjoy fishing, and I go and actually fish. We both grew up in Southwest Louisiana, and we both grew up hunting and fishing. However, I refuse to touch those yucky cricket he uses, and I also refuse to ride in one of those little bity boats where alligators can get me!! AHHHH! 

Cloth Diapering: My Stash

This is one of the final posts of the cloth diapering series. There will be one final post on detergent and other natural products to use with your cloth diapers.

For now, I thought (as I promised) I would give you a list of the diapers I have or have tried. If anyone would like some pictures or more information on any of these diapers, feel free to let me know. I know how hard it can be to make a final decision on diapers, especially if you are in it to save as much money as possible. I have even added in a few eBay diapers to my stash just for this purpose. Surprisingly enough eBay diapers are often compared to the highest brand names out there.

This list is going off of my memory, so I apologize if I leave something out. I am always adding and taking away from our stash as I find new things that fit our daughter better. Baby A can still fit in the newborn sized diapers, which is why I wanted to post this now. So here's the list....

Lil Joey's
Blueberry Fitted Pocket - Bamboo
BumGenius All-In-One (AIO) Fitted
Happy Heiny's One Size (OS) Pocket
BumGenius 3.0 OS Pocket
BumGenius 4.0 OS Pocket
Blueberry OS Pocket - Bamboo
Swaddlebees OS Pocket - Bamboo
Rumparooz OS Pocket
Kawaii OS Pocket
Grape-Apple OS Pocket - eBay
iCute OS Pocket - Bamboo - eBay

Best Bottoms OS Hybrid
Grovia OS Hybrid

Thirsties Duo Wrap - Cover - 2 Size
Tweedlebugs OS Cover

BumCheeks OS All-In-2 (AI2)

Diaper Rite Flats
Indian Unbleached Prefolds

Kanga Care Fleece Liners
BumGenius Doublers

GroVia Disposable Liners
BumGenius Disposable Liners

PlanetWise Wetbag - Large
Rumparooz Wetbag - Large
Grovia Travel sized Wetbag
Kushies Travel sized Wetbag

Wondering which are our favorites? Wondering why I chose a diaper I did? Want to know which ones are best for a particular reason? Want to know which ones I like to travel with? Want to know which ones dry faster?

Feel free to ask!

Recipe: Black Magic Cake

Recently, I was on the hunt for a simple dessert that I could take to a gathering. I was suppose to bring a dessert, and for me.... I do not make many desserts. Different recipe sites became my best friend. I came across this one. I just had to make it because of it's name. All the reviews were 5 stars and family tested and approved. I thought I had to give it a go. 

I actually had never made a homemade cake before. Normally I do cookies, cobblers, pies, etc. Never a cake. I have also never done a homemade frosting. This recipe is super easy and delicious. Many people raved over it and asked for the recipe.... when I had to confess that I found it "somewhere" online. Here is the saved document to my computer, and I wish I could show you where it came from but I can't remember. However, if you google the name of it, different variations will come up! I hope you enjoy!

And I must add, before you freak out over the addition of coffee in it. You can NOT taste the coffee at all. I hate coffee and I can always smell it and taste it from a mile away. Not this time! 

Ingredients

1 3/4 c	all purpose flour
2 c	sugar
3/4 c	cocoa powder
2 tsp	baking soda
1 tsp	baking powder
1 tsp	salt
2	eggs
1 c	strong black coffee, cooled
1 c	buttermilk
1/2 c	vegetable oil
1 tsp	real vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 c	margarine, softened
2 oz	melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled
3 c	powdered sugar
3 Tbsp	milk
2 tsp	real vanilla extract

Directions:

 Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.

 Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

 Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Batter will be thin.

 Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a 9x13, or 30-35 minutes for layer pans.

 Combine frosting ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer. Spread frosting on cooled cakes.

Ramble, ramble, ramble

With Mr. Man being gone, I (once again) decided to double up on school. I officially start this term, and I am so excited about it. I can not wait to see what it has to offer for me. Now that Baby A has a schedule and has proved to be such a sweet baby, I am going to take it on! Hopefully this will allow me to take some time off once Mr. Man gets home so we can do some traveling with Baby A. I really want to take her around and show her some things before it gets too late. I really do not want to look back and regret not taking her to see things just because she is this young. I hope that later on she will look back and appreciate all the things we have done for her. We have worked so hard to be where we are at and we want to be able to do these things for her.

If I get a head by a month of school, I plan on taking a week at a time to travel around. Right now we are planning two trips. Mr. Man has already been approved for the time off, so now it is up to Baby A's passport and Visa to determine where we go. If we do not have her Visa in time, then we will be going farther into Scotland. If she does have her Visa, we are going to go to Germany. Mr. Man and I both really want to go to Germany since I have not been and he has only been for work training. I am going to do more research on the whole Visa ordeal because afterall Baby A is part British until she turns 18. She has a British birth certificate, so I do not understand why she can not reenter the UK without an American Visa or why she can not apply for a British passport. Makes no sense to me. Actually, she does not even have an American birth certificate, social security card, or anything else. Her stuff just barely got sent off for her passport. She's been registered in the UK since she was 10 days old!!! So enough on that... I am so excited to start traveling again. It makes it so much easier that Mr. Man has use or lose days. It means they HAVE to give him leave! So I can not wait to make more memories and travel around the world.

With that in mind, I am also planning Baby A's first birthday. Sounds crazy since she is only 3 months old. But since we know that we will be here for her first birthday, we want to do something special, something we will never forget! .... but it's a secret for now! We will not be announcing our plans until a month or two before her birthday. But the planning must begin now!

One Year

It's been a little over a year since I started blogging. Lately I haven't done much blogging because I have been so busy. I rarely do anything exciting because it seems I always have things that have to get done. When Mr. Man is away, this is how it is for me. I focus on school and now Baby A. I do take her out to do things, but it is mostly to shop and for walks. But that's not the point of this post.

The point is that I have been blogging for over a year. It's hard to believe that a year ago I started blogging because Mr. Man was away. I wanted something to document our lives and travels, and blogging was the way I chose. It's hard to believe that a year later, I am in that exact same position. Mr. Man is away... the only addition is that I have a beautiful baby girl to keep me company.

With this year has come some amazing things. I have met some amazing people through blogging. I have open up to more people and have found new friends. I have met people that I could potentially someday be stationed with, some people that I am already stationed with. It's amazing what blogging can do. It's like its own community in the mist of all the fresh air that we breath.

I have recently reached 300 viewers and posted my 300th blog post. I honestly never even realized until I remembered that it had been over a year that I have been blogging! Over a year... !! I know times get slow, and the blogging slacks. Truth! But I always seem to make it back, even when there's nothing exciting going on.

So I wanted to say "Thank You!" to all the friends that I have met through this and for all the support that my readers show me and my husband. We appreciate all of the kind words, and I look forward to more blog posts, maybe another year (?), more friends, and new adventures!

Friday Five: Dreaming

Five things I have caught myself day dreaming about this week.

Beach. 

Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri.

A water park. 

SeaWorld.

Baby A a swimsuit.

What I would do to be able to enjoy all of these!