I was going to write about this prior to Vday to give y’all a free gift idea, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise to Jonathan.  Sorry, I guess I love him more.

Anyway, here’s a gift you can do at any time, not just Vday:

I covered some canisters with paper and stickers.

Here are the rules:

His & Hers Requests

-Write 46 things (since there are 46 weeks left in the year) that we want the other spouse to do with us or with us.

-Put those sheets of paper in your canister, and then we will swap canisters.

-On Sundays, we will each pull a strip of paper out of each other’s jar, and we’ll have to do whatever the spouse asked for.
-We will have the whole week to do the request.

-We will put the papers (with the writing hidden) on our bathroom mirror as a reminder.

On Sunday, Jonathan and I each drew one strip of paper (his were blue; mine were pink).

I don’t know what he’ll be doing for me or when, but I’m pretty nervous about what I’m supposed to do for him.  I’ll update you after I do his request.

I got this idea from an article I read, and I was happy that Jonathan was super excited about this project.  Yea for a good, free gift!  This way, we can work on showing love in the ways we want to receive it.

Do you have any good, cheap ideas for gifts??

Here’s the tutorial for how to make a crinkle square mini blanket with taggies like the one below for a baby.  It’s super easy, quick, and doesn’t cost much.  If you don’t have ribbon on hand, that might be your biggest expense. 

Supplies

• thread
• 2 squares of flannel (I used 9×9 inches)
• ribbons cut to about 4 inches long and folded in half (I used 4 big pieces, 4 medium pieces, and 4 skinny pieces)
• crinkly sheet/package, the same size as your flannel (I used a wrapper from a sample diaper I got in the mail).  Some other options: wipes package, microwave popcorn wrappers, chips bag, clear gift wrap . . . Just make sure that you cut your flannel pieces to whatever size your crinkle sheet ends up being
  

Directions

1. Put one piece of flannel right side up and pin ribbons along the edges with the cut sides off of the flannel.  between the two pieces of material (wrong sides together).
2. Put the second flannel sheet on top of the ribbons right side down.
3. Put the crinkle sheet on top of the flannel and pin all layers together.
4. Sew along all the edges– except, make sure to leave a big enough section not sewn so that you can turn the blanket right side out.  Take the pins out.
5. After sewing, turn the blanket right side out.
6. Then, sew all the way around the square, and you’re done!

   

Back in November, we decided to grow my daughters hair out, but her hair kept getting in her eyes.  Bows come in and out easily, so I decided I’d try to make her some headbands.  You could make some for yourself, too, and your daughter might be extra excited about wearing headbands, just like Mommy.

Materials Needed:

• material
• an elastic hair band/ponytail holder without the metal
• coordinating thread

Instructions

1. Measure around your toddler’s head to the nape of her neck.
2. Cut your material to the appropriate size and iron flat.  [Cut a rectangle that is double the width of what you want your headband to end up, plus about 1/2 in for seam allowance and 3 inches less than measurement you got from step 1.  I think I cut mine 3.5 x 15.5inches.  If you want it to be reversible with two different patterns, cut accordingly.]
3. Measure in on the bottom ends in about 1/2 “  on each side and mark, draw a line up to the top corners and you will have a tapered rectangle.
4. Fold right sides together “hot dog style” and iron flat.
5. Then pin together and sew around, but leave a “U shape” opening in the bottom, as if you were sewing a pillow.
6. Turn tube of fabric inside out and iron flat.  Also, fold a 1/4 inch or so on each end and iron down.
7. Put elastic pony tail on one end inside the flap created in step 6.  Fold the 1/4 over the pony tail, and sew straight down.
8. Do the same with the other side.
9. And you’re all done.

I made the headband in the pictures and a pink one.  I also made a reversible one: one side black and one side red.  Abi loves them.  Let me know if you have any questions.

I love these soaps from Bath and Body Works.  Not only do they smell great, but they’re soft on your hands, and it’s so much easier for Abi to wash her hands with the “bubble soap.”

I had even put them on my wish list for Christmas this year because we just ran out of the bottles in our kitchen and guest bathroom.  Then, I discovered there might be a way to make the foaming soap with regular soap and save lots of money.  Easy and super quick.

Ingredients

• An empty bottle of Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand soap
• Any liquid antibacterial soap (I used Bath & Body Works)

Directions

1. Put about an inch of the liquid soap into the empty foaming bottle.
2. Pour water into the bottle pretty slowly.
3. Screw the lid on, and turn the bottle upside down slowly several times.  Try not to shake it up because it’ll get too soapy.  And you’re finished!

Also, you could just keep pouring a little water into your regular Bath & Body works Foamy Soap whenever it gets a low.

*In these pictures I used a creamy hand soap, which didn’t work as well as when I used a liquid hand soap.

PAMPERS Gifts to Grow Codes

Worth 10 Points Each

• JUSTFOROURFANS1
• WELCOME2GTG2010

HUGGIES Enjoy the Ride Codes: (here are some codes I’ve posted in the past)

Worth 5 Points Each:

• BCTDHBQWLPZKPGB
• BCSTDHJZXTKPPGB
• BXZWTNJFSLHCPGB
• MLXRCCNRWKKWPGB

Worth 1 Point Each:

• BGGHSPLHNBLFPGB
• BGCSZMBLDWWDPGB
• BGCJJZSTLNNSPGB
• BGDZBQLXKNNCPGB

If you have a baby like Abigail, you can never have too many burp cloths.  Abigail had GERD, so spitting up was a very regular event.  We literally kept two burp cloths in every room and constantly had cloths over our shoulders.

A lot of the burp cloths that you’ll find in stores are so thin and ineffective for a baby like Abigail.  So, what I found worked best were cloth diapers. But they’re kinda plain, so here’s how you can dress them up.

And I am definitely a novice sewer, so know that these are so easy to make!

Items Needed

• Sewing machine
• Cloth Diapers.  Make sure they’re pre folded and 3-ply
• Ribbon
• Matching Thread and White Thread

Directions

1. Wash the cloth diapers and iron them before you begin sewing, so that sewing the ribbon won’t cause shrinkage.
2. Measure your ribbon for the an inch or so wider than the width of the cloth bottom and cut.
3. Then, fold the ends of the ribbon and iron so you can sew more easily.
4. Sew the ends of the ribbon.
5. Sew the edges of the ribbon onto the bottom of the cloth.  
6. Fold the burp rag like this, and you’re all done.

I had planned on doing a post last Tuesday (which didn’t happen) and then today on how to make baby burp cloths, but seeing as how I’m STILL pregnancy sick, I cannot gather the energy to do that.

Instead, I will solicit your help . . .

I’m trying to be informed about the flu and swine flu vaccines, so I can make a good decision for me, my unborn child, and Abigail.  I hear conflicting “evidence” as to the safety/harm of it all.

My OB said I should get the flu shot, but she didn’t mention the H1N1 shot, specifically.  I got the seasonal flu shot last year to try to protect Abigail and ended up getting flu symptoms four days later only for a day.  I predict that would happen again this time if I get the shot, but I wonder if that’s safe for baby if I show symptoms for a day?

And Abi hasn’t had her flu shot yet because they’re always out.

We live in Texas where 5151 people have been infected and 27 have died, as reported on July 24.  And it’s only gotten worse since then.  Two of Jonathan’s co-workers kids got swine flu and my hair dresser’s (who cuts hair in her home) daughter had it WHEN I WENT OVER THERE TO GET MY HAIR CUT . . . WITH ABIGAIL!  Ahh, thank goodness we didn’t get sick.  So, it’s not like it is not gonna get close to me.

Anyway, what’s your opinion on getting either shots?  Especially if you have  toddlers or are a pregnant, too, let me know.

I’ve never liked Fruit Salad because most of the ones I’ve had at potlucks have marshmallows, gelatin, whip cream, or nuts in them.  But when I tried Diana’s, I loved it.  Here’s the easy, yummy recipe below:

1. Pour 1 Medium can crushed pineapple (in its own juice) into a bowl.
2. Stir in 1 Small box vanilla instant pudding.
3. Then add 3 - 4  Tablespoons of Tang (or you could save this step until the end**)
4. Add any amount of diced fruit: apples (Jonathan said he liked the apples in the mixture, but I didn’t like the hard texture with everything else being softer), grapes, bananas, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, etc.  Cutting up the fruit took awhile, but at least it’s easy and ready to serve right away.

**In hind sight, I think you should wait to mix the Tang until you’ve got your fruit in there.  I think 3 TBS was too much Tang for the amount of fruit I used.

Sorry I’ve been going through a blogging drought lately :(  But good news for today: Sonia gave me an idea about what to write.  Here was her comment to this post:

i watched abigail’s video a while back when you posted her talking.  she is very advanced.  is there anything that you are doing that you would recommend to help other parents?  is she around other children alot or just you?  i am happy to see how your little one is progressing.  she speaks better than some 2 1/2 year olds.  she is still the cutest!!!  take care and i will read your blog for futher entries.

Thanks Sonia!  I’ll try to recommend some things that might help other parents.  And no, she’s not really around other children a lot– in that she does not go to a daycare or preschool.  I stay home with her.  But she does have bible class on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights with toddlers her age.  And maybe about once-twice a month, we have a play date, but she’s the oldest of the group.

Now, let me first say that she is my first and only child, so who knows if our next child will be to the same level as she.  And I’m not a speech therapist, doctor, or anything like that.  With that said, I do feel like we did some things to help Abigail get off to a great start with speech.

1. When she was a newborn, I read to her constantly.  Every single time we nursed for the first 4 months or so (after that, she got distracted), I would read aloud whatever I was reading at the time, normally a BabyTalk magazine.
2. Also from the time we brought her home from the hospital, I talked to her as if she were blind.  I’d hold her and say, “I’m walking to the white refrigerator.  I’m opening the door.  I’m taking out Orange Juice.  I’m closing the door.  Now, I’m going to sit down . . .”  I literally narrated everything I did.
3. Even if we were just sitting around and not being active, I talked and talked and sang and sang to her.
4. She didn’t/doesn’t use a pacifier.  So, when she wanted to communicate, she could with words because she didn’t have something blocking her mouth.
5. We never babbled to her with baby talk (as in using poor grammar, not real words, only sounds.  But I did use a sing songy voice and try to be animated with my facial expressions) OR repeated her when she made sounds, rather than words.  If she said, “buh buh” for ball, we wouldn’t say, “Yeah, here’s your ‘buh buh’”, we’d say, “Okay, here is your BALLLLLL.”
6. We praised her like crazy when she’d say a word– even if it didn’t sound much like the actual word.  We’d yell over the top and clap, “Yea Abigail.  You said ‘please’.  Good for you.  You’re so very smart.  Can you say ‘please’ again?!”  We did this instead of getting sad/frustrated when she didn’t say words.  We learned by training our dog that positive reinforcement works best when training a new skill.
7. I made her communicate with words in order to get “rewards”- like getting down or getting a snack or a toy.  When she would point or whine or gurggle (she never really grunted) for something, I ignored her.  I told her she had to say, “please, up, down, or out” to get what she wanted.  And I didn’t give her what she wanted until she did this.  She learned really quickly that she had to articulate what she wanted.
8. We taught her a few signs, like “more, milk, all done”.  We also learned this from teaching our dog tricks that signs help reinforce words.
9. I respond every time she says anything, to reaffirm that what she is saying means something.  I’ll say, “yes, tell me more, okay, that’s good,” etc.  Every time.
10. Whenever she starts to cry, I say, “What do you want?  Can you tell me with words? I’ll help you if you can tell me with words.”

Here is a video of her saying our favorite 3 words:

Does anyone else have any tips or questions?

I don’t know what else to say except please visit this blog and start praying for Brad (sweet, brave husband), Sara (might be brain dead, new mom with cancer), and Chloe (precious newborn).