Digital Scrapbooking: MyMemories

I know I love to scrapbook. I do both digital scrapbooking and paper scrapbooking. Both provide me things that I like to do - being crafty and saving time!

I have tried several different software programs for digital scrapbooking and card making. My favorite is the MyMemories Suite. I can make so many different things with this program. I did our Christmas cards from it,  my daughter's modeling collages, scrapbooking pages, cards, and more. It's so easy to use and so inexpensive!

MyMemories was kind enough to provide me with a discount code for my reader's to use to get the program as well. It gets $10 off the actual software and an additional $10 for materials. The program comes with some free stuff, which I used for a long time until I was ready to start buying. Then I realized they had specials and free downloads year round from their site! I had been missing out for so long on that deal, so even if you are unsure about putting too much money into it, you always have the options of the free things available. Templates, papers, designs, seriously so much that I couldn't even tell all. It's just too much, and I am sure I haven't even been through all of them! But if you do decide you like it and you decide to invest more into it, it is so inexpensive compared to other softwares I have tried. The quality is great. I have printed several things from it. I did all of A's one year in a small book. I have done most of our travels with it as well. The quality of the printed versions are extremely nice.

The software is $39.97 at full price. Seriously, you can not beat that. $10 off, and you just got yourself a $29.97 digital scrapbooking software that is easy to use, fun, and great quality.

I will do another post showing some of the things I have created! For sure! :)

The exclusive code is: STMMMS70177

Feel free to copy and paste the code into the block provided to avoid from any typos!

**Right now they are having a get a FREE Photobook with the purchase of the software! SCORE!

Selfish?

I have been thinking about starting my career here soon. I know that being 36 weeks pregnant and not knowing how my life will change in the next few weeks is not the "perfect" time to make that decision. However, I feel like I am getting to the point to where I need to start looking into our futures as a family so I can help provide for our children when they are older. Retirement, college funds, first cars, and they only get more expensive the older they get.

Mr. Man and I have been discussing it for a while. I have to admit that I am very excited to start my career; however, I really, really, really enjoy staying home with my children. It's a hard decision, especially when there is no financial burden or any thing else to give more guidance.

A little background information is that I have been unemployed since March of 2008. I quit my job as an Eyewear Specialist to prepare for our overseas move that summer. When I arrived in England, I refused to work at the commissary, BX, and CDC. And I really wanted to start my degree program. I started my degree program and doubled up on classes so I could finish by the time we left England. The thought was when we went back to the states, I would be prepared to find a job and start my career. While being in England, we decided we loved being overseas. We wanted to stay longer, and that is what we were granted. My thoughts at the time on my career was that most people don't start their careers until their late 20s and since I was so young, I still had time. I do feel this way, and I will explain more.. this is where the selfish comes in.

Living in Italy does not provide very many professional opportunities for spouses and their careers. You are not allowed to have home businesses. Italian laws. I started up the business of making hair bows, children's clothing, and crocheting. However, that took a huge dip when we moved. I still do it for returning customers, but no more advertising and no more selling for a profit. I also started selling Barefoot Books while in England. I absolutely adore their books and found that A did, too. It was a great opportunity, but again - no advertising and no using the post office to mail off things or receive them.

When we got here, I didn't care about any of that. I was perfectly happy with the simple fact that I was going to be granted my dream - continuing to be a stay at home mom. Little did I know that I would start feeling like I was getting old and time was ticking away. Mr. Man is in support of whatever I choose, and that I am thankful. It gives me more options, less stress, and the freedom to make sure I am happy with whatever I choose to do.

While searching for these opportunities and thinking about my options, I came across the idea of distance learning. Being an instructor for an online university. I knew I wanted to continue my education if I wasn't going to work. That was a given. But I was having a hard time deciding if I should get my Master's in Elementary Education or continue with other Bachelor programs for other accreditions with focuses for teaching. After all, I am qualified for middle school as well. Most schools require that you have a qualified focus when you are hired since middle school teachers teach a specific subject. Thinking about this worried me some because I wanted to concentrate on things that I already had a huge lead way in  - like art, physical education, and special education.

While I was in England and completing my degree, I had an eye opener to these areas in both elementary and middle school. They are starting to phase out. Schools are moving away from PE, recess, art, and other areas. Their focus is on the core curriculum. After thinking about this, I realized that it may not be worth it in the long run since teachers are required to include those areas in their classroom anyway.

But then there was the thought of, "I really just want to stay home with my babies." That is where Distance Learning came in to play. I wanted to get my Master's and getting my Master's in Elementary Education would only give me the opportunity to progress in the school system - principal, supervisors, etc. But in order to do that, you have to have experience in the lower positions - like teaching. Well, duh. Makes sense. But who says that I want to be a supervisor, principal, or superintendent. Well, put all this together and VOILA! Master's in Adult Education and Training! DUH! Why didn't I think of this before?!

After doing some research, I found that this Master's Degree would give me the flexibility to teach online for a university and also give me the accreditation to do any wellness and fitness programs for adults. Umm, hello.... Not sure if I ever blogged about this, but I have been going back and forth about getting certified to be a personal trainer or nutritionist or wellness coordinator. This fits ALL categories  plus provides the opportunities for me to work from home and stay with my babies.

The next step was to see what is required for online teaching - the qualifications. One (and the hardest one for me) is two years in a professional work environment. With that said, I have to get a job and work for two years in order to even be considered to teach online. Well, back to finding a job and what to do.

I started searching for job availability. My problem is that I am very picky. I want something that will enhance my experience and knowledge in my chosen career path. Not something to just get me by. The only things available to me are right now and open through the summer is 1- teacher's aid, 2- child development center leader, and 3- substitute teaching.

Obviously my first choice would be the teacher's aid because I would be allowed to be in the classroom and assist a teacher without all the extras of actually being the teacher. Good way to get my foot in the door. The next two options I see as equal. The CDC position would be great. It requires my degree. The pay isn't the best, but it would be another great opportunity to getting my foot in the door. My two degrees are in Child Development and Elementary Education. However, I would work year round. That would suck. As far as substituting goes, I love the idea. It would be great. However, it's not permanent - salary - nothing is guaranteed. But I would have summers off. So now what?

Here is where I am stuck. If I do go to work, it will be once Baby E is 6 months old, so at the end of summer. The next is I really don't want to work year round. Selfish? I really want to be able to continue our travels and enjoy being overseas while we can. But I also would rather something more guaranteed. Sigh. What to do? Decisions, decisions.

Any advice, tips, recommendations, thoughts?

Recipe: Peach Tea Mix

Two things that have really brought me to drink tea. Pregnancy and living in England. Since it was always chilly in England, I always wanted a hot drink. I got tired of drinking hot cocoa all the time (which I also have a mix recipe for), so I decided to indulge in their tea drinking. My favorite brand was Twinnings. 

Now that I am in Italy, tea isn't as big of a deal. And none are as good as the Twinnings. That is when I started looking for alternatives. Peach tea is one of my favorite flavored teas, so I began my journey. I did a lot of research and I tried to find alternative routes to substitute for things I couldn't get or feared, and this is what I have came up with. 

Peach Tea Mix

Ingredients:
2 large Peach flavored jello
1/2 cup instant tea
1/2 cup Tang
1/2 cup sweetened lemonade mix
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Mix and store in air tight container. 
Use 2 or 3 teaspoons per cup of hot water. 

35 Weeks Pregnant with Baby C2

First off, I hope everyone had a great holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. May this new year brings you  love, peace, health, wealth & happiness for you all!

Now to the original thought of this post. 

I am 35 weeks pregnant now. Nothing really exciting going on or has changed since my last post. A has become more affectionate to me and the belly, which I find absolutely adorable. When you ask her if she is going to be a big sister, she lights up and says yes then squeals a big Yayyyy! and claps her hands. She just started doing that, and I thought Mr. Man may have taught her that, but when I showed him he was just as surprised as me. It's very cute. I'm determined to get it on video. 

As far as the back pain, hip pain, and crotch pain that I talked about in my last post - it is still there. I'm sure it will be there until I deliver. I hear after your first you feel things more intensely, so I don't think there is much I can do to make changes for it to not happen. But stretching, repositioning, and so on really helps. It's not unbearable by any means, but I would just rather it not happen - especially when dealing with a 20 month old and trying to manage a house. I have to remind myself to take breaks and relax because the Braxton Hicks Contractions will start getting to me. 

I am having a harder time staying on my feet for long periods of time. This is another thing that I really don't remember experiencing this severely with A. The only time I remember having to sit down from being on my feet too long was when Mr. Man painted my belly for Halloween.  I was only about 15-16 weeks then, though. Right now, it's literally exhausting to just stand and sometimes to just sit. I think it is because this baby is so much lower than A was. 

As far as labor and delivery goes, I have had a few questions about my plans/goals, what I will do differently, and so on. So I thought I would go ahead and share. I don't really have a "plan" per say. And I definitely don't have a written or typed out plan for my doctor. I didn't with A, and I don't regret it so I figured I would take the same route this go around. With A, I went in with an open mind. I knew I wanted it to be as natural as possible, but I also knew that there were circumstances that could arise that I may  not be able to control. I personally feel like this is the best way to go for me. My goal is to make it to 39 weeks. I will not induce unless medically necessary. If I go until 40+ weeks, I will also be happy. I really don't want to deliver before 38 weeks. Other than that, I think it is fairly simple. Just to deliver and have a happy, healthy baby. If I need an epidural, I am not afraid to get one again. If I can go without it, then I definitely will. C-section will be uncontrollable, so no true opinion on that. 

Here is a 34 week picture of A kissing on her baby sister! 

Recipe: Beef Vegetable Soup

I have tried so many different types and styles of beef vegetable soups. I grew up eating a version that my Mom made, and Mr. Man grew up eating a version that his Mom made him. Both of our parents made them differently. Not by much, but enough to tell a difference. Mr. Man preferred his Mom's while I preferred my Mom's. In order to find something that we both loved about the version we cooked, I had to do some testing and changes to make it "our's". Here is what it has become. 

Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1-1.5 beef stew meat
2 qts. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 onion - chopped
6 peeled potatoes - chopped
1-1/2 tsp parsley flakes
salt to taste 
1(2lbs) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 (8oz) tomato sauce

Directions: 
Brown stew meat in dutch oven. 
Add onion, water, bouillon cubes to the pot and simmer for 2 hours. 
Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another hour. 
Add water as needed. 

You can serve this with crackers, cornbread, bread sticks, or rice. 

Leftover soup may be heated and served again. It only gets better! 

Tips on Increasing Your Breast Milk Supply

Ok, so I know this is a controversial topic; however, this is something that is important to me. I nursed A until she self-weaned around 13 months. I plan to do the same with Baby E. Since we had weight gaining concerns with A, I thought I would get a jump start on writing, reading, and discussing ways to increase my breast milk supply. There are many things I learned that I definitely didn't know before she was born. Many of them helped me. There are also things that I did in the beginning (or lack of doing) that I will change. I thought a simple reminder post for when/if these moments hit would be a great support and help during that time. 

One of the things I will do differently this time is start pumping sooner and more consistently. With A, I never had to return to work and the small amount of work that I did I was able to pick and choose when I did it. So I never had to worry over it. By the time I started doing this work, A was already on solids and about 7 months old. By this time, preparing a supply of breastmilk in the freezer wasn't going to happen. Not at a fast and steady rate. She was already nursing much less, sleeping through the night, and I was enjoying the sleep. So this go around, I plan to start pumping immediately - even if I am not getting anything right away. It will help me build and maintain a schedule so when I have to return to work in November for 16 weeks full time (and baby will be 9 months), I will have a good supply and a steady pumping routine - hopefully. 

It is known that breastfeeding is hard and it takes work to have to build a supply if you need to return to work or leave your baby with someone for several hours a week. With pumping, it is not as effective as the baby actually latching on to you during skin to skin. A pump can not successfully empty your boobs like a baby can. With that said, there are some tips and advice that I have been given that can help you maintain a healthy flow of breast milk. 

Here are some natural ways to build your milk supply: 
* Many of these can also be used even if you need a boost for skin to skin nursing.

1. Water. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated while nursing is an important factor. I was advised to sit down with a glass of water every single time I nursed to guarantee that I was drinking enough. I definitely saw a difference. I thought I was drinking enough before because I always had a water bottle full with me but I guess I wasn't going through it fast enough. Rule of thumb - drink more water! 

2. Eat. Now I know this one sounds silly and it was natural for me with A. I was always hungry - actually more so than when I was pregnant. But I learned quickly that dieting and even exercising can decrease your milk supply. Make sure you are eating healthy calories and often enough. 

3. Oats. This is one that I discovered after some research when we started having the "weight gaining concerns". The lactation consultant told me to eat oatmeal every morning and see if I saw a difference. I definitely DID! Oatmeal isn't the only way, oat based granola bars would work, too. There is even a recipe for special oatmeal cookies that are called Lactation Cookies! Want the recipe? 

4. Skin to Skin. Spending extra time just cuddling your baby while topless and baby is naked is a great way to help boost your supply. It reminds your body that it has a baby to feed! 

5. Pump. Pumping has been proven to help boost milk supply even when it is unnecessary for one to pump. Try pumping for 10-15 minutes after every feed or try pumping in between feeding sessions.

6. Fenugreek. Fenugreek is a natural herb supplement that has been known to help boost a mother's milk supply. This is another one that I did and I noticed an immediate difference. I will leave you with a few links to what it is and how it helps. Check out Breastfeeding.com, Medela, and Breastfeeding Online.

7. Eat plenty of these: Asparagus, Green beans, Carrots (especially carrot seeds), Yam, Watercress, Sweet potatoes, Dandelion greens, Peas, Beet and all other green leafy vegetables. Parsley, fennel, and sesame seed. Millet, barley, brown rice and all other grains and legumes. Oatmeal. Garlic, onion and ginger.

8. Nurse in bed. Lying down in bed may help you relax and allows baby to nurse for longer periods of time. 

9. Mother's Milk Tea. Try drinking mother's milk tea. It is full of natural supplements to help boost your breast milk supply. I did try this with A, and I found it absolutely gross to drink. However, I would heat apple juice instead of water and it was much, much better.

I wish I could think of a 10th one because I really hate odd numbers; however, I think I have covered most of what I have learned throughout my first journey of breastfeeding. The only other tip that I have been mentioned is ask for a prescription of Reglan, but I know nothing about it and have not tried it myself.

Christmas Traditions

Today I thought I would blog about the Christmas traditions that I am starting and hoping have a big impact on our family so we can carry them on throughout the years.

A is 20 months old, so she is starting to get to the age where is understanding things a bit more.

Right now, we are just going with the flow. We brought her to see Santa, and it was a fail this year. No Santa picture. She wasn't scared of him. In fact, she was extremely curious. However, she didn't want him holding her. My thing is as long as she isn't scared of him I'm happy. She walked up to him, shook his hand, and talked to him. But just didn't want to sit on his lap. Fine by me.

We don't really thought much about Santa in this house. Probably because she is still a bit young. Mr. Man didn't grow up with Santa or even gifts, and I grew up with it all. With that said, I really didn't want her to have huge Christmas's and it be about the gifts. But I definitely didn't want her to not have anything at all because I know at some point she will start learning from other kids and seeing what they receive and so on and so forth. We decided to meet in the middle. I have a few simple rules that I follow that I started last year.

Since our families spoil her with Christmas, we DO take that into consideration. 1 -  because they are mailed to us and placed under the tree for Christmas day and 2 - I personally do not feel a child needs a new playroom every single Christmas.

This year my Mom and Grandma bought her some things as well as Mr. Man's Dad and Grandma. I'm sure others have bought as well, but none have told us anything or what they got. We just go by what we know.

With that said, my rules are simple. Each child gets an outfit or two, a movie or two, a book or two, educational toys, something they "need", and one large gift. We definitely stuck with that, but my Mom bought her about 5 or more (she lost track) of DVD's. We pulled that thought from our list and bought her something she would want. We got her a bath time baby doll.

She's definitely getting a lot of things, and most are not from us! How pathetic. As bad as I feel about it as her parents, I really can't justify doing it without getting rid of some other toys. I figured this year was our year to relax because next year we will have two and she will REALLY understand. We bought her 3-4 gifts and stocking stuffers, that's it.

One of the new traditions is a Christmas Eve gift to open. Since we aren't close to family, we have decided that we need to do our own tradition to bring in the next day. I have decided to do one large gift for the whole family. Each year it will be different. Last year, I bought a few Christmas movies and the original Christmas story book. This year that book along with one Christmas movie will be placed in the gift, along with Christmas PJ's for the whole family, and a hot cocoa set. Yes, A is probably too young for a hot cocoa set but we have been letting her have it. She takes a few sips and is done, so I don't see any harm in it. I bought her a special penguin cup for her hot cocoa and a cup for me and Mr. Man. Next year, I will probably do a game of some sort or something that the family can do together to have family time and fun on Christmas Eve. I will rotate it out so every year is different.

Another tradition I am going to start with her next year, since she should be old enough by then, is to fill a bucket with 25 gifts or envelops. Each day we will schedule a Christmas-y activity to lead up to Christmas. Maybe it will be a book or a movie, maybe a simple note that says "donate toys" or "make a snowflake ornament" and so on. I think that will be fun to do!

Mr. Man and I have always donated to a variety of angel trees and Toys for Tots. Last year, A was really too young but we still walked her around the trees and she chose the tags for us to buy for. This year I chose two tags (one around her age and one infant). I talked to her about children in need and buying/giving to others. Then I brought her to the toy section of the store and told her to pick out a toy for a girl that is similar to her. She picked out a really cute "My Little Pony" horse that is also a baby. It has a pacifier, bottle, and you can teach it to walk. Ironically, we also bought that for her to help teach her about things for Baby E and taking care of babies. Then, we told her to pick out something that she thought that "new baby" would like to give to another baby. We went to the infant section and she picked out a couple of small toys - one was a bath toy (Minnie Mouse squirters) and the other was Lamaze attachment toy. Mr. Man and I also did older children, both boys to even out the gender choices. Even though A is really to young to understand this right now, it has to start somewhere. And I believe that the more we do this with her and explain to her, the sooner she will get it and be more giving.

With that said, these are our family traditions so far. I will start baking with her this year, too, and I also let her wrap her father's present. Other than that, we keep it pretty simple.

I would love to hear other people's traditions and their thoughts on Christmas. How it is handled, when they celebrate, what they cook/bake, and so on. I really enjoy this time of year!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Oh, almost forgot. I am also linked up today at Wednesday Walkabout! Come check it out!