Candy Land Birthday Party

Okay so I have to pat myself on the back for Brayden's party.  It was simply adorable.  It's kind of crappy, and stupid, that I spent probably 200 hours working on a party that lasted for three hours.  But whatever.  I'm glad I did it and won't regret any part of it.  I still wish I had done more for Kien's first birthday.  I didn't get some pictures of some cute things, like the gift table and the lattice-display with banner that had a blue background (it was just a vinyl tablecloth behind the lattice) and instead got a pic after the tablecloth already came down.  I also didn't get a picture of the "lollipop" with the awesome "Rainbow Pass" arrow on it that pointed the way to the party.  Oh well, I did get lots of other great photos.  Great memories too :)

Brayden's cake, banner, and my family

Giant CANDY Pinata

Kien with a slice of cake from the top section

bottom section of the cake

This was hanging above the gift table with a blue vinyl tablecloth behind it, it was totally adorable.  I wish I got a picture of the whole set-up!

Rainbow family

I made everything, I worked hard but it paid off. The next party pack that will be hitting my Etsy shop will be this Candy Land set.  As soon as I finish the thank you card I'll get the whole shabang listed. 

I got a lot of new experiences out of this. Like doing such a HIGH cake! I always layer, but normally I slice a "normal" 10" round in half and just throw something between those two half-layers. Also I made this frosting from scratch, it's the BEST cream cheese frosting ever and it's thanks to my mother-in-law for giving me her recipe.  Also I mixed up the colors of the rainbow when I was putting the colored cake in layers, and then I tried to slice the baked cake and fix it, but it really didn't matter in the end.  I greased the wrong side of the spring-form base :P. I spilled mod-podge all over the kitchen floor.  All the stress I put on myself made everything EXTRA humorous.  I have WAY too much candy left over, but I am pretty optimistic that Walmart will take a bunch of it back. OH and the pinata, I paper mache'ed it for weeks and finally got it shaped and decorated how I wanted it, coated the whole thing with glitter paint, and hung it outside to dry.  That night was the night that this desert decided to RAIN.  I had a smooshy soggy dented up and ripped pinata four days before the party.  OH WELL! I set it to dry and then taped the ripped part and glued the tissue paper back on.  It was still soft so I knew that when it got hit it would wither break quickly or dent and NEVER break.  It lasted through all the littler kids and girls, and then it broke before any of the big boys got a whack. The kids don't care if they hit it, they just want the innards.

Happy Easter, PEEPS :)

I love these Easter treats I made for Kien's class last night.  So from me to everyone else; Happy Easter, PEEPS!

I made the nest with rice crispy/pretzel treats (substitute some of the rice crispy for some broken pretzel sticks), the eggs are the Robin's eggs Whoppers, and of course there's the PEEPS!  Cute and simple!

I'm really looking forward to this long Easter weekend. I hope everyone has a fun, safe, and HOPPY Easter <3

Tipping the scales

Literally!

This morning I put on my comfy-but-cute jeans and they were ....wait for it.... TOO SMALL. I blame camping this past weekend. After all, a diet of beer and chips will do that. Regardless, it's sickening. I haven't lost much weight since having Brayden for a couple reasons- first I'm a lazy ass. I like to walk and do yoga but not when I feel as huge as I do now. Second, I can't diet because I'm Breastfeeding. I have lost lots of weight on Atkins before and I am willing to do it again. I know how, I'm educated in the Atkins interpretation of carbs, and by golly it WORKS for me. So my plan has been to atkins for a month, lose 20 pounds, and then pick yoga back up to shed the last 5 pounds. After actually tipping the scale today and seeing an extra 5 pounds on it I've decided today is the day. I'm already only nursing Brayden at bedtime and at wake up. So if I get some carbs in with dinner, he shouldn't be missing out on any nutrients. I'll also fill him with fruits and starches during the day. If this leads to weening him a little before his first birthday (tomorrow starts the one-month countdown) then I'm all for it too.

My theory is that if I blog every day about what I've eaten that it'll give me accountability and the inability to cheat or lie to myself.

Because I'm not throwing myself 100% into Atkins (carbs at dinner, remember?) my weight-loss wont be as rapid as it would if I were totally cold-turkeying carbs. But I'm okay with that. I just hate being this FAT. Yes I say fat because I am currently 30 pounds over MY normal and it's gross.

Ready---set---Atkins.

Lyn

Spring Break task: keeping the Kindergartener busy

Kien is happy playing Legos ALL DAY.  He might take a break to play cars or draw some pictures, but he is a generally easy kid.  The only bummer is that after a long enough stretch of him playing in his room he becomes a cranky little man.  He thrives off repetition, schedules, and routine.  So I have to incorporate some kind of organized structure in between the Lego airplane and Lego beach house just so we can have a sane evening.  Spring break is only a total of ten days, but the first day will be a day of soccer-shoe shopping and stocking up on supplies for the next week.  I've compiled a list of things I want to enjoy so I can put some creative structure in to Kien's day and get him out of his beloved bedroom.  My standards are that they all need to be realistically completed by working for about an hour at a time because that's the maximum time frame that Brayden lets me leave him alone for. Each project needs to be affordable, either using things I already have or by spending not more than a couple dollars.

#1: Painting pots 
My first thought was to pick up some cheap terracotta pots. I might still do that, but there's a chance I'll spend the first day paper mache-ing (what would the verb of paper mache be?) on to plastic posts we already have because we have a lot.  you know, those cheap green ones that potted plants from the store come in? They're floating all over my yard and garage.  So paper mache, paint (have it), and spray-sealer (have it) should do the trick.  I hope.  We'll see :)

#2: Yarn-wrapped picture frame
Cardboard (have it) cut into picture frames, various colors of yarn (I have teal, gray, ivory, and pink, maybe I'll let Kien pick out a new color if there are any small balls on sale).  Wrap the yarn  around the frame, and VOILA, a picture frame.  Maybe we can make a few coordinating ones and will have a beautiful montage on the walls. Art is always better when the kids create it on their own.

#3: Pretend stained glass
 Between two pieces of wax paper (have it) sprinkle crayon (have it) shavings, pictures, and anything that's flat like pieces of grass, flowers, magazine cut-outs, etc.  Iron it all slowly and once it's all done and pretty we can hang it in the windows, or maybe put it in the frames we made ;)

so many earrings, so little room. until now :)

Check out my new jewelry display :). I still need to figure out what to do about post-earrings (I don't have many anyways) and I need to decide if my rings should be a part of this or not. 

It's just a canvas that I painted on and then nailed some panel board nails in to the frame of the canvas for my necklaces and bracelets, then hot-glued buttons onto the nail heads.  The ear wires poke right through the canvas, and I used little tacks with backs as a little rod to hold my hoop earrings that don't use an ear-wire.  I got this canvas idea from my friend who did similar for herself.  She told me about it while I was drinking wine and can't remember if she used nails also or not :P

aftermath of home-heartbreak

I have been very hesitant about posting pictures anywhere of my parents' house.  If you need to catch up, read my entry about the house fire that took my parents' home on Christmas night. I think I've been hesitant because it's very personal at a level that I wasn't sure was okay for the blog-world.  A strange realization is that I moved in to this house when I was the age that Kien is now. It's been HOME.  I know that people do not always have the best intentions and I felt that posting pictures would make my family more vulnerable to judgments or something.  Maybe it's silly. But I am finally ready to share some pictures and I hope that it helps me move on.  Every time I go up to the house it's like another punch in the gut and my gut is sick of hurting.  Though it's been nearly two months and my parents are settling in to their rental house, it doesn't seem real.

I took these pictures this weekend...

The cabinets were WHITE

The cabinets were white and the back splash was green tile

Kien's toys were in a cabinet

Harry Potter didn't survive the Avada Kedavra curse this time

Patio chairs

Where Kien's rope swing hung

My (deceased) uncle painted this of my great uncle

My dad

poor Barbies

What remains of the Christmas tree

Two mugs up front are a couple I got my dad on my travels seven-ish years ago

My dad's Powerbook

laundry day

Crying-it-out part three

I just have to brag that over the past few nights Brayden has been going to sleep like a CHAMP. Last night he fussed for around 20 SECONDS. In the time it took for me to close his bedroom door and give Kien goodnight kisses, Brayden was quiet.
I
am
so
THANKFUL!

Xoxo Lyn

Catch-all Catch-up

I know I've been failing at contribution to my blog, but I have a damn good excuse.  MY WRIST HURTS! My doc says I have tendinitis. I say it's painful.  I've been wearing a brace and it's been helping but today I got cocky and thought I could do without it.  Bad move.  My brace is currently in the dryer so I'm still without it and typing is probably going to aggravate it more.   But I miss my computer-world :). 

This week has been fun. Kien was getting sassy at school and on Tuesday crossed the line (running in the library- GASP!) so I popped him up twice a day with the homeopathic remedy "Sulphur"-something-or-another and grounded him from his favorite things; legos, iPod, and DSi. He had to be an angel Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in order to earn back his iPod for our road trip to Hilo tomorrow (Saturday) morning.  The cringe whenever I think of Hilo as a "road trip" because the 1-1/2 hour drive should hardly qualify as a road trip but being as how we live on an island, my kids must be deprived of such luxuries of a true road trip. When I was 16 I drove from Minnesota to California (via Texas); THAT was a road trip.  At 14 years old I went motor-homing (is that a real verb?) with my grandparents for nearly a week all around Wisconsin and maybe in to Michigan. I was young and stupid and didn't pay much attention to where I was, and I regret that now.  Back to Kien; he was perfect the rest of the week and I am so thankful; I couldn't handle the "road trip" to Hilo at 6:30 AM with Kien NOT having his iPod. He is a talkative little know-it-all.  Not the greatest combo when sleep deprived and carsick.

SIDEBAR: homeopathic remedies are always my first go-to choice for anything.  I know it's debatable and that a lot of people think it's bogus, but it has worked -- and continues to work -- for me and my family all the time.


I saw the coolest soap dispenser on Pinterest, so obviously I had to make one for Kien.  The soap dispenser cost $6 from Target and I already had clear hand soap and Lego pieces I took from Kien's billions. Kien loves it and I'm so impressed at how adorable it is in his bathroom!

In other news, I decided to do Brayden's first birthday party with a CANDY LAND theme.  It's going to be completely adorable and I'm loving my ideas and how creative I can get with it.  I'll have a TON of pictures after the party.  His birthday isn't until April 29th, so I have a couple months still.  Just looking forward at the fun ahead.

Going to ice my wrist,
Lyn

"Crying it out"; quite possibly the finale to the saga

I am ridiculously excited to share the last three nights with Brayden's "cry-it-out" progress...

Eight minutes
and then ten minutes last night
but nothing is better than the TWO MINUTES tonight.

He also turned nine months old tonight.  Where (seriously; WHERE THE F***) does the time go?  He turns nine months old at 11:44 pm anyways.  It's a good story about 11:44 on April 29.  Maybe I'll tell it one day ;)


Celebrating two minutes by watching stupid TV with the hubster,
xoxo- Lyn

Crying it Out

“It’s YOUR turn”

Glaring with envy at my husband laying in bed with our five year-old, I can hardly get the words out without sobbing of frustration, guilt, and a broken heart.  Really though, it’s his turn.  I just spent an hour nursing the baby, who by the way is a 8-month old monster about to pop teeth, and then another thirty minutes swinging, dancing, and patting said 8-month old.  How had it come to this? When he was a baby, I’d nurse on each side twice, lay him down, and he’d pass out.  Around the time he started sleeping all night (two months) was the same time that he wanted to be snuggled to fall asleep.  I was perfectly okay with that. I’d nurse both sides twice, throw him on my shoulder, and firmly pat his but until he’d nod off.  Then someone started the bounce-swing-pat and Brayden has never returned from that black hole.

Just after I’ve showered, gotten ready for bed, and I’m finally laying down, my bliss is inevitably interrupted;

“Are you sure he’s not still hungry?” daddy dearest has to ask the one thing that’ll throw me over the ledge.  Because getting sucked raw is totally the top of my to-do-twice-in-one-night wish-list.  Why not, huh?

Flash-forward another hour and I’m finally cleaning up the kitchen from dinner and the prospect of bed looks like its really nearing. Until… Yep, I spoke to soon. Thank everything or everyone that is holy or has ever even used the word holy, Ryan jumped up quick enough that he’s on put-back-to-bed duty. 

Nearly three hours later Brayden is finally asleep for the night.  He’s asleep so Ryan and I get to meet up with our pillows. Hit our pillows and sleep for a total of five hours before the alarm clock blares at us to start the day all over again.  

*****************

This was happening every night, and nights were awful.  I actually started to resent Brayden at night.  I desperately wanted to read a bedtime story to Kien and snuggle him in his bed until he fell asleep.  I wanted to doze off in Kien’s room like I used to.   And I wanted to go to bed before 11:00 at night.  It was all these things that made me finally ready to let Brayden “cry-it-out”.  You can read my Ferber vs. Brayden entries and see that I have been against any form of letting my baby cry.  I couldn’t even handle the five minute intervals in the Ferber Method.   But this time, I was desperate.  I hit limits in myself that I hadn’t known existed.

The outcome: After SEVEN nights of Pandora on BLAST in my headphones we’re still going strong.

Night 1: 55 minutes of straight screaming.  This was so hard for me.  I couldn’t hear him during songs on my iPod, but between each song my heart broke more and more. 

Night 2: more Pandora echoing off my eardrums; this time for only 45 minutes

Night 3: under half an hour!

Night 4: 40 minutes :(

Night 5: 30 minutes

Night 6: 5 minutes!!! 5 minutes!!!!!!!!

Night 7: 20 minutes but I also put him in bed a little sooner than normal. He was wide awake (but tired) when I put him down tonight.  The other nights I let him drift off in my arms and THEN put him down and he woke up.

Now I’m totally ready for bed by 8:00.  I’ve had “me time” listening to music and working on Created by Lyn or making myself a new pair of earrings.  I’m a happier person, a happier wife, and a happier mommy.  I just have to get past the 20 minutes of heartbreak, but it’s so much better than resenting my baby for two hours every night.

I don’t in any way think that this approach is for everyone. I will not dare to begin preaching that this is what all families should do.  I was so completely against even the thought of it!  It’s all up to the baby and what his/her parents feel.  Brayden never had tears when he cried for us at night, so I know that he wasn’t hurt or anything, he just wanted snuggles. He gets so much affection during the day that I’m not worried anymore about him feeling neglected or deserted. We needed to do this for our sanity.  After all, what good are we are parents if we are completely loony, exhausted, and pissed off?

Seeing results, getting work done and going to sleep at a decent time,

Lyn

project: Yarn Wreath

I finally got to check off one of my Craft List To-Dos!  It's exciting and oh-so-rewarding when I get to look at something pretty and know that I did that

I've been seeing these yarn wreaths all over Pinterest and in magazines. I finally got to make one and for my first run, well,  I love it.

Pink spring daisies and orchids

Created by Lyn will be featuring some themed ones very soon!

Love my front door,
Lyn