Humble Beginnings...

I can look back and smile at the progress that Button has made.

I shared last year the story of our little lady coming into this world at 24 weeks and 6 days and how it was a trying time for my husband and I.

Those days seem so long ago as Button is almost 2! I sometimes look back at trinkets and pictures from her younger months and sit in disbelief because she is doing so well physically and mentally (Praise him!).

With help from the man upstairs as well as the hospital staff at Duke ICN, TCN and March of Dimes we can look back on her humble beginning and smile.



Want to know more about premature birth and how you can help support babies and families?

♡♡♡♡CLICK HERE♡♡♡♡

Easy DIY| Sensory Gel Mat

Hey hey!

Being a new mommy and being a mommy to a child that is still small, I have been listening very carefully to Button's pediatrician and physical therapist on what we can do to help with her development. 

One thing that I really want to take on is DIY projects that she can use because most of them are cost effective and... I LOVE TO CREATE!

Now that Button is improving in her motor skills, I wanted to go ahead and make her a sensory gel mat to help her out and to give her something to be interested in during tummy time.

What You Will Need: 

• Large or Jumbo freezer bags
• Hair Gel
• Pom Poms (or anything soft )
• Duct Tape
• Clean place to work

Luckily, I found all the items that needed/wanted at Dollar Tree (>>>click here<<< for my Dollar Tree Mini Haul)

Step 1| Pour

Take your freezer bag and fill it with hair gel. I was able to find Jumbo bags and clear hair gel but feel free to use whatever you are able to find. With the bag being larger, I purchased 2 bottles of gel.

Step 2| Add

Now that the gel has been poured, you can add your "entertainment". I chose to use soft pom poms however, you can use round buttons, foam figures...Again, whatever your able to find that is soft, flat and will NOT puncture the bag.

Step 3| Close

Now that all of your items are in the bag, ensure you have taken out as much air as possible and close it up. Something that assisted me in closing the bag was rolling the opening of the bag down one time after closing it and then applying my duct tape along the top to keep the bag folded down

Step 4| Complete

Now that the bag is closed, you can use more duct tape to create border around the bag. I doubled the layer of tape to enforce the bags edges. 

And now your little one has a new toy to play with. It was fun to make and keeps Button's attention while we trick her into a little tummy time. 

Have you ever made a sensory gel mat? If so, what items did you use and where did you find them?

Pick 6| Winter

Hello loves! Springs has sprung in a sense so I wanted to share my favorites from Winter:

Hair| Whipped Shea Butter
This item is nothing new to the blog as I have shared the recipe on how to make this lovely whipped shea butter and talked about it in previous Pick 6 Posts. I use it on my hair and body a lot during the colder months for conditioning. Want to know how to create it? CLICK HERE

Fashion| Joggers
I am pretty frumpy when I don't have to leave the house but when we have company over... I try to look semi decent. Joggers help me achieve this. I have found them at Target and Rose's (a store similar to Ross and Marshalls). I have an Aztec print, dark and light grey pair that stay in heavy rotation.







Beauty| Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes.The best mascara I have used so far. It really defines my lashes. Also, I am "multiple application" gal and it makes my lashes look great.

Skin| Facial Brush
Such a simple product makes such a difference. I purchased this from Dollar Tree in a recent haul (Click Here to view my recent haul) and have been using it very often. I rub it on my black soap bar and scrub my face at the end of the day for some deep cleaning.






Accessories|Nude polishes
I like more natural nail colors during the colder months, so I lean towards nude polishes. I have a few from various brands (Sally Hanson, essie, and charming charlies) but my favorite is "Over The Taupe" by opi. I've have been using this up when I have my pampering days.





Random| Baby's First Years Bottle Warmer
This item is a God send. When it was given to us I had no clue that I would end up using it as often but this really comes in handy for those middle of the night feedings. I load up a cooler with Button's milk and take it upstairs for the night and this warmer sits right on the nightstand. I can changer her diaper and the bottle is warm by the time I have finished.


So, what items were you loving on this Winter?

No Fast Food February| Update

UPDATE



Hello, back and give an update on the February challenge of not eating takeout food whatsoever...

I DIDN'T MAKE IT
*hangs head in shame...not really*

Of the 29 days I made it 19 without any sort of fast food or takeout. The temptation was real and at times it slipped my mind that I was suppose to go without:

• Invitation to go out for sushi
• Kind gesture of someone bringing buying fries
• ...or pizza...
• ...or ice cream...

Yeah, it was a bust however, I will say that I'm better off than I was 2yrs ago because I'm not compelled to buy a "quick meal" to combat hungry.

Avoid the easy way out (ie: fast food) has helped me realize that I'm an OK cook and I don't always need a recipe to follow to create a meal.

Aaaanywho... two meals that I really enjoyed to during the challenge and actually made multiple times in February were:

Vegetable stir-fry 

Spinach panini with creamy chicken soup

Even though the challenge is over and I failed miserably, I am still working on it because it helps save money by forcing me to cook what is already home and not allowing groceries to spoil. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary or any other monthly challenge?

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

I have become a fan of Dollar Tree over the past few years as they have some items that I [personally] never found there prior. Other than cleaning supplies, I have found e.l.f. products, glue guns, essie nail decals and other items that have wowed me.

A new DT recently opened by my house and of course I went in to take a look at their inventory and ran across some really nice items and wanted to share what I found: 

Books | Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

I own and have read some of Mary Monroe's books before and was very surprised when I saw this book in Dollar Tree. Retailed for $24.00.

Books| Special Occasions Craft book

Pretty cool book on paper crafts; banners, cards, place cards and more. This book is full of cute ideas and even has templates in the back to cut out and use as a guide. 

Beauty| Face Mask with Charcoal

I have a regimen that I try my best to stick to when it comes to skin care, One thing I enjoy doing at least once a month is a face mask (on that rare occasion when I have a full day of pampering). I figured why not take a shot at this mask at DT because I enjoy using mask with charcoal and well....it was ONE DOLLAR.

Beauty| Cooling Face Mask 

To contribute to my full pampering day, I will incorporate this cooling face mask to my day to help with puffy eyes (which may or may not have gained with our new addition finally coming home for us to love on). You simply place the mask in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then put it on for a few minutes to combat the puffiness. 

Beauty| Facial Brush

I actually use this facial brush every night before going to bed to assist in exfoliating and clearing my pores; I dampen the brush and rub it across my Shea Moisture Black Soap then clean my face. I have noticed that it helps my face out a lot to clear up dead skin and avoid using a wash cloth which can house germs. It also comes with a brush cover. I since gone back and purchased 2 more.. 

What interesting items have you found in your local Dollar Tree?

Easy DIY| Headband/Bracelet Holder

Attempting to organize Baby Girl Button's room (yes, she had been home for almost 3 months and we're still getting her space together) I am already building up a collection of headbands but no place to store them so, I got the idea to make a holder for them. I have created this before to store my bracelets and figured "why not use the same concept for headbands?"

Items you will need:

• Toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls
• Duct Tape
• *optional* rocks, sand or something weighted for the base

Easy list right? 

Lets get Started!

1  I chose to use one paper towel and 2 toilet tissue rolls. I inserted the 2 toilet tissue rolls into each other to get the desired height for the holder. Once that was accomplished, I wrapped duct tape around it to secure them together. 

2 Now that the base is together, I set the paper towel roll horizontally and attempt to make it line up evenly on the base. Once I have it set evenly, I duct tape it to the base.

3 LAST STEP! Now you duct tape the entire piece. I decided to use white tape for the base and then pink on top as the pick tape was pretty thin.

*Optional Step* I put rocks in a bag and inserted it in the bottom of the holder then taped the bottom closed so helps keep it steady.

There you have it. The easiest DIY project I have ever done. I know this has been circulating on social media for years now but wanted to share in case there is someone out there looking for inspiration to create. It may just take one simple project to get your gears turning. 

DIY

"Boo Thang" and I purchased a new bed and are now attempting to decorate our bedroom. If you have ever been our house or you are a follower of my blog you know that I love to make my own wall art. So it is not a surprise that I would look for a DIY art project for our bedroom.
I was on Pinterest and came across a pin that showed an assortment of DIY home decor projects for any room and I  immediately repinned it when I saw a DIY for fabric wall panels:

The post on Pinterest was done with [what I believe was] canvas so it would sit off the wall.
I recreated this using foam poster board.

Items you will need:

• 2 foam poster boards
• At least 1 yard of each fabric (of your choice)
• Glue gun (and glue sticks)
• Ruler
• Box Cutter
• Scissors
• Iron

*And some assistance if needed. My sister helped me*

I purchased 2 poster boards in order to make 3 panels. Both poster were cut in half  using a knife (had to improvise because I have no clue of where my box cutter is *whomp whomp*). Each panel measures 15x20 inches.  The sections didn't come out clean cut but once you wrap them you wont notice the rough edges. 

Once your panels are cut you can start wrapping them in fabric. However, I'm one for attempting to utilize and item as many times as I can so I took the width of the ruler and traced it around the perimeter of the panel to  turn it into a frame (so the insides can be used for another project.

Once you have cut the panels to your preference, you can begin wrapping. Our fabric measures 22x23 inches the extra inches around the perimeter of the frame help with stretching the fabric around the frame for a smoother finish when it is time to glue. There is not a special technique when it comes to gluing. Take your hot glue gun and run a line of glue along the edge of the frame and then apply the fabric.

Once you have finished applying your fabric to the panel you can then hang them. With the panel being cut out like a frame you can use nails, push pins, or  double sided tape to mount the on the wall. 

And there you have it! We spaced our panels out with the intention of adding something between the panels (perhaps another DIY project). Happy Crafting!

DIY

Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Sending positive energy up for everyone in 2013. 

So, I have this easy DIY project for cute pom pom earrings. I created these earrings from a hair bow purchased from Old Navy. I'm not a fan of hair bows but immediately thought of an alternative use when I spotted this piece.

What you'll need:

• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Earring post and backings (I purchased a bag from AC Moore for less than $4)
• Hair bow

Simple enough right?

The pom pom hair bows at Old Navy are pieced together by felt and hot glued to the the hair clip/clamp. Majority of the bows I've seen there have two pieces to them, so you will end up with two earrings (not to mention I caught this one on sale for $2.99 yay!)

You will carefully remove the bow by pulling the felt piece that holds it together from the clamp. If you fear tearing the felt, take the tip of your hot glue gun (while it is hot) and run it between the felt and metal of the clamp. This will reheat the glue that was already applied to make for   easier removal.        

Once you have removed the bows from the clamp, you can mount your post. You can choose to place your post either in the center of the bow or on the edges. I chose the edges so the fabric doesn't tickle the ear as much...Don't judge me :).

...There you have it.... A fabulous pair of pom pom earrings.

ENJOY!

DIY - Whipped Shea Butter

Fall is here! Time to change our attire and how we take care of our hair and skin. With that being said, there is a Shea butter mix that I've been whipping up since last fall. I've done a lot of different methods and this by far is the best for me. Its a light whipped product that isn't as greasy or thick as others I've attempted. 

What you'll need: 

• Shea Butter 
• Coconut Oil
• Oils (of your choice)
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Aloe Vera Gel. 
• Electric Mixer
• Measuring cups
• Spatula
• Container (for storage)

*These products are found at your local market, beauty supply and retail stores*

Lets begin! Take 1/2 cup of Shea butter and partially melt for easier manipulation. Combine your coconut and other oils together and add 1/3 cup of this mix to your Shea Butter. The oils that I use are olive, argan, grape seed, jojoba, and castor oil (cold pressed, cold processed).

Once these are combined, start mixing. I go ahead and mix mine in the container that I'm storing the product in to cut back on clean up. My container is small so I only use one of the beaters. Mix the Shea and oils together for roughly 10 mins (you'll notice that your mix will begin to fluff). 

After mixing products for 10 mins or so add a few tablespoons of Aloe Vera gel and 1 tbsp of glycerin and start mixing again for roughly 5 mins (at this point you can choose to add essential oils for fragrance).

There you have it! It is a bit tedious with all the mixing but trust me...It is well worth it. It makes a nice amount of product and can be used for hair and skin. This mix comes in handy in warm and cold temperatures. I prefer not to use the this product on my hair in the Summer because it is still a bit too heavy for my liking however; I use it on my legs for that extra bit of shine. I certainly use this on my hair and skin in the colder months stay moisturized. 

Happy mixing!