4 hours ago
Baby showers can be so much fun - I love being able to celebrate a brand-new life with my family and friends who are expecting! However, sometimes buying for a baby shower can be challenging. It seems like there is always at least one duplicate gift (despite the registry), and I'm always hoping my gift isn't one of them!
As a general rule, I like to buy mostly practical things for first time moms, because I know when I was pregnant with Wyatt I was hoping to receive all the practical items we needed so I could spend my own baby money on the fun stuff. But when I put together a baby shower gift, I still like to throw in an extra little gift - and if it's something unique (that won't be duplicated by someone else), all the better! I've got three ideas for you today.
1. A Car Mirror. This is something that I always tell new moms to get before they have their babies, because for some reason no one ever thinks of getting one beforehand. I just remember putting my teeny, tiny baby in that huge carseat, and putting him in the backseat of the car, and being stressed out the entire way home because I couldn't see if he was okay back there! Was it new mom paranoia? Yes, but even as a more experienced mom now, I still appreciate being able to see my baby with those rear-facing car seats.
(Can we just take a minute to say "aw" over itty bitty Wyatt?
Can't believe that little guy is four years old.)
2. Lip Balm. My favorite one to get new moms is the lip salve from Bath and Body Works, because it is thick, and it smells really good. I didn't realize before I went into labor how dry your lips can get - slow-breathing for hours will do that to you. I was putting on lip balm every few minutes during my first labor, so I made sure I had a good, thick lip balm for my other labors. I love to throw this into a baby shower gift, because almost every gift is for the baby, so this is always a nice surprise for mom.
3. A Book For The Baby. Some baby shower invitations ask you to bring a book as part of your gift, but if the invitation doesn't specifically ask for books, there usually aren't many books in those gift bags. And there is almost no chance of you giving the same book as someone else! Grab your childhood favorite to add to your gift - or if you need an idea, I really enjoyed "Mommy Loves You So Much" from Tommy Nelson! Each page has adorable little animal babies doing things with their mommies. To me, this is the perfect book for a baby shower gift, because what new mom doesn't dream about all the things they will do with their baby once they arrive? The rhymes on each page are so sweet, and the simple daily activities that are described will apply to any mom and baby.
What are some of your favorite things to give at baby showers? I'd love to get more ideas!
Note: I received a copy of "Mommy Loves You So Much" from tommy Nelson in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion!
I think my favorite Christian romance stories are the ones where the two main characters have known each other for a long time, and one or both of them start to realize they have feelings for each other. I don't know why, maybe it's just the added suspense, but I like reading how those stories play out best.
If The Shoe Fits by Sandra D. Bricker is a story about Julianne Barlett, a lawyer who is looking for her Prince Charming - and she thinks she has found him when she sees a strayer rescuing a dog from a busy highway. But what she doesn't realize is that her real Prince Charming has been right there under her nose for years.
This book was written from a humorous perspective, and there personalities of the characters were fun and quirky. I really liked how the author had a couple side plots going on, so it wasn't all focused on two characters. I like when authors can show the main characters in a community instead of in isolation, and I thought Bricker did that very well. At times I got a little irritated at Julianne, because she seemed so dense when it came to romance, but that was part of the charm.
One thing I didn't like was that though Julianne was supposed to be a Christian, finding a Christian man to marry didn't seem to be high on her list of priorities - no kind of alarm was really sounded when she found out the guy she was dating wasn't a believer. If you are looking for a role-model type romantic book for younger readers, that might be something to discuss further.
Still, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were funny and interesting, and I felt like the story developed at the perfect pace.
I have no idea if there is a second series in this book, but I wish there was, because there was a rivalry between Julianne and another female lawyer that was never really resolved - and I think it would be interesting to see that play out in another book.
If you want some light, fun beach reading this summer, this is a great one to check out!
Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Last weekend my baby turned ONE year old! We threw a little party for him on Sunday, just for close family and friends.
I'm not sure what made me decide on a rubber duck theme - it just came to my mind one day and seemed perfect. It turned out to be a really good choice, because it is so easy to make rubber ducky-themed decorations and food!
I'm not sure what made me decide on a rubber duck theme - it just came to my mind one day and seemed perfect. It turned out to be a really good choice, because it is so easy to make rubber ducky-themed decorations and food!
Here are all the details:
Food
-Rubber Ducky Cake. My sister is into cake decorating, and she made this adorable cake for Clyde's party! I thought it turned out perfectly, and it really was the centerpiece for the theme/decorations!
-Smash cake. Also my sister. It was the cutest little cake!
-Pudding cups. I just bought clear plastic cups, made six boxes of Jello pudding, and dyed them blue, then stuck a rubber duck on top.
-Cookies. I used Pillsbury's Blue Raspberry cookie mix and frosting, which I bought at Walmart. Then I burned an entire batch, so I made my own blue raspberry jello cookies using this recipe.
-Punch. I mixed one bottle of Welch's Chillers Blue Raspberry drink with two bottles of lemon-lime pop. I added a packet of blue raspberry Koolaid mix, just to intensify the color. Then I three some rubber duckies in on top!
-Popcorn. I used blue raspberry jello and this recipe to make the jello popcorn.
-Sandwiches. Just tuna fish, cut with a rubber ducky cookie cutter.
Decorations
-Picture banner. I printed out the monthly pictures of Clyde that I have been taking and hung them with baker's twine and mini clothespins.
-Rubber duck banner. I used scrapbook paper and the rubber ducky cookie cutter as a stencil.
-Chalkboard. Made at one of our MOPS meetings this year! It even matched my color scheme.
-Paper fans, balloons, streamers. Bought them on Amazon - they have so many color choices!
Other Details
-Water bottles. I used scrapbook paper and washi tape to match them to the party color scheme.
-Bow tie. I made that bow tie for Clyde, and I also made a matching bow tie for Wyatt and hair bow for Gwen. They turned out so cute! There are whales on them, not ducks, but it matched the colors (and whales…water…ducks - it works right?).
-Ten Little Rubber Ducks book. This is the book on which I based our party color scheme (royal blue, teal, yellow). I got a copy for Clyde and had all our party guests write birthday messages inside!
I am really happy that the rubber ducky theme randomly came to mind, because it was simple and easy to pull off! It took a little while to make the food, but that was the hardest part - the decorations came together really easily. This was an inexpensive theme to work with, and it turned out really cute!
If you want to share, here is the pinnable image! For more inexpensive party ideas you can check out my group Pinterest board "Great Party Ideas" (or comment if you are interested in contributing to it!).
For more family pictures at the party, check out my photo blog (or subscribe to my newsletter - I'll send out links)!
Every now and then I like to read books on photography. Even though I am not a professional photographer, I do like to get good shots of my kids whenever I can, and when I read photography books I am more inspired to take pictures of the kids and try new things.
Capture The Moment is written by the CEO of Clickin Moms, Sarah Wilkerson. Each chapter is on a different aspect of photography, and each page is filled with gorgeous photos accompanied by photography tips. This book covers natural light, composition, story-telling, fine art, black and white, and low light photography.
I loved this book, and I think it has great inspiration to improve your photography, particularly portrait or lifestyle photography. I loved all the tips, and though I already knew some of the information presented, I learned a lot of new things as well. I especially liked the focus on how the photographer can change the mood of their photos by adjusting lighting, white balance, items that are within the frame, etc.
This book not only gave practical/technical tips, but it gave a lot of ideas for encouraging you to be creative and try new things with your photos. I liked the challenges at the end of each chapter, ideas for activities to help you experiment with style. I thought the tips and exercises would be helpful for beginners or for more experienced photographers. You should probably have a DSLR camera to get the most out of this book, but if you just have a point-and-shoot- or phone camera and are looking for composition ideas, this book is full of them.
If you are a mom (like me) who just likes to play around with photographing your kids, this book is perfect to get you thinking outside the box! Check it out!
Note: I received a copy of this book for free front he publisher in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
You know how at baseball games, they play a song for each baseball player as they go up to bat? The songs the players pick for themselves? Usually they are some intense song that is supposed to say something about who the player is.
When Derek and I went to our first baseball game together, he told me that if he was a baseball player, his song would be "The Rubber Ducky Song".
You know, "Rubber Ducky, you're the one! You make bath time, so much fun!"
He'd rather make people laugh than try to be some big, tough guy. I kind of love that about him.
But what were we talking about? Rubber duckies. Somehow, when I thought of Clyde's first birthday, rubber duckies kept coming to mind. And when I was working on Clyde's first birthday invitations, the rubber ducky song was playing through my head.
Excuse the long intro, but if you don't know Derek, or don't know the "Rubber Ducky" song, you wouldn't get these invitations.
I've made almost all of our party invitations myself, and today I wanted to share a simple little tutorial for these first birthday invitations.
Materials:
Blank notecards
Coordinating scrapbook paper (about 1 sheet per 15 invitations)
Word processing program and printer
Washi tape
Modge Podge
1. To start, I created a document with all of our party information on it. I created mine in Photoshop Elements, so I could add the stripe border, but you could also do this in a regular word processor program. For this invite I used the fonts Return To Sender, KG Somebody That I Used To Know, and Notera.
2. Print the party invite papers, and also a paper with the number "1" in a large font (I used Allstar font in 244 pt).
3. Cut out the number "1", and trace it onto your scrapbook paper. Cut it out, and repeat for your number of invitations. Cut out the party invitation information into rectangles that will fit inside your notecards.
4. Tape the information to the inside of each card with wash tape.
5. Use the Modge Podge to glue the numbers onto the outside of your cards. Cover with a thin layer of Modge Podge to seal (it will dry clear, but use matte Modge Podge so there isn't an obvious shine).
And you're done! I have a terrible time finding party invitations that go with the themes that I pick, and if I do, they are often expensive. I love making my own invitations because it is easy to really personalize them to my own party theme!
Ideas for making invitations that will match your theme seamlessly?
1. Think about the colors you will be using for the party, and incorporate them into your invitations.
2. Add wording to go with your party theme. If you are using a specific theme, it's nice to give your guests a heads up of what to expect!
3. Add cutouts or confetti to the inside of your invitations that will match your colors or theme. I was thinking of adding little rubber ducky cutouts to the inside of these invites, but I ran out of time.
4. Finish them off well - add a strip of washi tape, a sticker or envelope seal, or a little hand-drawing to the back of your invitations before you drop them in the mail!
Have you ever made your own party invitations? I'd love to hear how you went about it!
Check back soon to see how Clyde's rubber ducky first birthday party turns out!
When Derek and I went to our first baseball game together, he told me that if he was a baseball player, his song would be "The Rubber Ducky Song".
You know, "Rubber Ducky, you're the one! You make bath time, so much fun!"
He'd rather make people laugh than try to be some big, tough guy. I kind of love that about him.
But what were we talking about? Rubber duckies. Somehow, when I thought of Clyde's first birthday, rubber duckies kept coming to mind. And when I was working on Clyde's first birthday invitations, the rubber ducky song was playing through my head.
Excuse the long intro, but if you don't know Derek, or don't know the "Rubber Ducky" song, you wouldn't get these invitations.
I've made almost all of our party invitations myself, and today I wanted to share a simple little tutorial for these first birthday invitations.
Blank notecards
Coordinating scrapbook paper (about 1 sheet per 15 invitations)
Word processing program and printer
Washi tape
Modge Podge
1. To start, I created a document with all of our party information on it. I created mine in Photoshop Elements, so I could add the stripe border, but you could also do this in a regular word processor program. For this invite I used the fonts Return To Sender, KG Somebody That I Used To Know, and Notera.
2. Print the party invite papers, and also a paper with the number "1" in a large font (I used Allstar font in 244 pt).
3. Cut out the number "1", and trace it onto your scrapbook paper. Cut it out, and repeat for your number of invitations. Cut out the party invitation information into rectangles that will fit inside your notecards.
4. Tape the information to the inside of each card with wash tape.
5. Use the Modge Podge to glue the numbers onto the outside of your cards. Cover with a thin layer of Modge Podge to seal (it will dry clear, but use matte Modge Podge so there isn't an obvious shine).
And you're done! I have a terrible time finding party invitations that go with the themes that I pick, and if I do, they are often expensive. I love making my own invitations because it is easy to really personalize them to my own party theme!
Ideas for making invitations that will match your theme seamlessly?
1. Think about the colors you will be using for the party, and incorporate them into your invitations.
2. Add wording to go with your party theme. If you are using a specific theme, it's nice to give your guests a heads up of what to expect!
3. Add cutouts or confetti to the inside of your invitations that will match your colors or theme. I was thinking of adding little rubber ducky cutouts to the inside of these invites, but I ran out of time.
4. Finish them off well - add a strip of washi tape, a sticker or envelope seal, or a little hand-drawing to the back of your invitations before you drop them in the mail!
Have you ever made your own party invitations? I'd love to hear how you went about it!
Check back soon to see how Clyde's rubber ducky first birthday party turns out!
I woke up, blurry-eyed, and snuck quietly into the living room to do my morning devotions before the kids woke up. But before I started I shot off a quick text, apologizing to Derek for the night before. I had gotten angry at him for something, and yes, I'm admitting right now that we don't always resolve arguments before we go to bed. This case is a good example why - they night before I was furious, and felt perfectly justified in my anger. When the morning came, I realized what a "contentious women" I was really being (and if you've ever read Proverbs, you know that is not a good thing).
Appropriately, after reading the day's passage in the Bible, I opened up Matthew Henry's Commentary, and this is what I read:
"The way to be angry, and not to sin, is to be angry, as Christ was, at nothing but sin."
-Matthew Henry
Initially my reaction was one of ugly self-righteousness and trying to justify my own actions (even though I had already recognized that I was wrong - just being honest here, guys). Could it be righteous anger then, to be angry when someone has sinned against you?
But immediately this verse ran through my mind:
"For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
And I realized what a hypocritical attitude I had, to direct anger at someone else's (supposed) sin against me, and completely forget the blackness in my own heart.
The only way to really be safe in righteous anger at sin is to be more angry at your own sin than anything else.
The example of righteous anger that is always cited is when Jesus become angry because of the money tables in the temple. And Jesus did have righteous anger at the cheating and lying that was going on, but there is a big difference between Jesus and me - Jesus has no sin of His own. He had a pure right to be angry. I, on the other hand, have a heart full of sin - and if I am going to claim to have righteous anger, it needs to be directed at my own sin first.
And today, of all days, it is easier to be angry at my own sin. Because today, thousands of years ago, Jesus suffered unspeakable things to pay for it.
Justice is a big talking point among Christians these days, and people mean so many different things by it. But if we are going to talk about justice, let's apply it to everything. What would be just here, really? God could have chosen to be angry with us forever, to give us our punishment, and He would have been just in doing so. But instead Jesus, our righteous Judge, took our punishment Himself. That is the most unjust thing that ever happened, but He did it because He loves us, and He continually offers us every chance at His forgiveness.
When we accept and believe what Jesus did for us on the cross, there is no more anger there, though we continue to do things to deserve it - but Jesus took all that anger on Himself. Now, for the one who trusts in Him, there is only love, and mercy, and grace. I am so grateful for what He has done for me, even though I constantly prove I am unworthy of having the King of the universe die for me (see example above).
And I love that it doesn't end with death. Death and sin did not defeat Jesus - He defeated them once and for all when He rose from the dead on Easter morning!
"One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!"
-One Day, J. Wilbur Chapman
He is risen, and He is coming back someday to take His own home!
Are you one of His too?
I hope and pray each of you reading this can know the mercy, and grace, and victory that is only found in accepting who Jesus is, and what He has done for us!
Happy Resurrection Day (on Sunday), my Friends!
He is risen indeed!
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