Under the Sea

This past weekend was my Sweet Pea’s birthday party and I am happy to report that we all survived! She had a ton of fun with her friends making crafts, blowing bubbles, playing games, and eating lots of cake.  I believe it was a success and executed on a very small budget. Here are some photos of the fun! Enjoy!

Now that we are done in the Ocean, it's time to go to the North Pole! Christmas blogs coming soon!

Five

Tomorrow my sweet baby girl will be turning 5. I must have my math wrong because it just couldn’t have been that long ago. Yet, I cannot remember what my life was like without her in it.

Often times, before I was a parent, I tried to imagine just what it would be like when I became one. I thought my kids would be babies for such a long time.  The prospect of raising children into adulthood frightened me so much.  My own childhood seemed so long and it felt like it would be a million years before I grew up.  Now that I am an adult, I’m watching the years fly by and my children are growing far quicker than I could have even dared to dream.  Now, rather then being frightened about how long childhood will be, I am terrified knowing that it will never be long enough.

As I sit here, I am reminded of just what it felt like on this night 5 years ago.  It really was the most painful thing I have ever experienced and complication after complication made it the most difficult thing I have ever done.  But then, at 1:42 am she was there and none of that mattered.  She was so tiny and soft.  I smelled her sweet little head and couldn’t stop giving her kisses.  I can still feel her there in my arms. I had never felt so complete. I suppose time is something you can always count on.  It will keep passing faster with each day.

My baby, my sweet baby, is turning 5.  I will always be thankful to God for choosing me to be her mommy.  She is a beautiful, smart, amazing little girl who was born to shine.

Happy 5^th birthday my little darling! I love you infinity!

Lone Star State of mind

I am a California Girl, born and raised. I have never lived anywhere else and I have no idea what it would be like to live outside of this state. 

Over the years, living in California has become more and more difficult.  The expense of living in this state has gotten out of control and it has become a place where few people live the good life and more often than not, struggle just to get by. Cost of living is very high, homes and rent (even is this terrible economy) have stayed unaffordable on most wages.  Taxes are high, car registration is astronomical, and each year strange fees suddenly appear (such as $175 bill sent out in 2012 if you live in a high fire area).  In Los Angeles county alone sales tax is 10%. Gas prices have been $4 or more per gallon for over a year now and property taxes are expensive because of the higher property values.  Many professionals who have paid for a very expensive education, have a hard time finding employment and end up taking minimum wage jobs.  It is that way everywhere right now, but with a cost of living triple what it is in most places, it is next to impossible to get by.

Many people, including my family, have started to look for other living options outside of the Golden State.  I have always loved living here and I feel such sadness at the thought of leaving. But even with all of the things I love being considered, I am so tired of struggling each and everyday just to get by. My parents have always made a decent living, but being here in California I have watched them constantly fight to keep what they have attained, struggle to give us the good life, and they have never had a break. I look into my future and wonder what awaits us if we stay here?  Will we ever be comfortable? Will we ever be able to put money away, send our kids to college, take family vacations, or live for more then just what each payday brings?

Mr. Practical and I have worked in the theme park business for many years.  While searching for other places in the country we might be able to find work, we stumbled upon an array of options in Texas, particularly San Antonio. I’ve heard wonderful things about living in the state, housing seems very affordable, there is no state income tax, and I have read good things about the school system.  There are so many things to consider before making a decision like this and we most certainly want to go there as a family and see how we feel about it before making any sudden movement.  Never the less, Mr. Practical has begun to apply for jobs in the area to see what there is to offer.  If we visit and like it there, and if there is a good position for him to move into, we might just be moving in a very short time.

So much to think about, so much to worry about, so much to be overwhelmed about. With the holidays around the corner, it is very difficult to imagine moving away from my family and friends but we must consider what is best.  For now, we will be taking it one day and one step at a time.  You never know what the future may hold.

Oh, poof!

My Sweet Pea is going to be 5 this month and I can hardly believe it.  It feels like she was born yesterday and at the same time I can’t remember how my world was without her in it.  5 years ago today, we were having a huge baby shower and I felt like I was ready to explode. My how the time passes.

With the ending of October, I found some more free time (as much as a mother of 2 little ones can find), so I began birthday party prep for my extremely excited Sweet Pea.  With every party, my goal is to have great looking décor on a very tiny budget.  It sounds difficult, but it can be done. After all, that is what Pinterest it for! I found a super cute decoration idea that I just had to try.  Not only did it work out great, I decided to do a tutorial for y’all and share the love.  These cute little things don’t really have a name so let’s just call them “poofs”.

Here’s what you will need:

-Food coloring

-Water

            -Small containers

            -Paper towels

            -Coffee filters

            -Trays or baking sheets

            -Needle

            -Thread

            -Twine

            -Scissors

Step 1: Put water and food coloring into your small containers.  You can make as many colors as you want (I chose varying colors of blue and teal to match our theme). You can make them as light or dark as you would like.  Tip: All of the colors will be lighter when they are dry so if you would like a dark color be sure to use a lot of food coloring.

Step 2: Each poof requires 9 to 10 coffee filters.  Separate your filters into stacks depending on how many you would like of each color for each poof. Tip: If your stacks are too large the color doesn’t distribute well.  Try not to dye more than 10 filters at a time.

Step 3: Dip each stack into your desired color removing it quickly. It will only take a second to soak it up. Tap off the excess water.  Place your filters upright on your tray or baking sheet allowing the excess water to bleed into the filter or drip off. Repeat until you have dyed enough filters to make however many poofs you want.

Step 4: When the filters are no longer dripping, separate them and lay them out flat on paper towels.  Allow your filters to dry completely.

Step 5: Once your filters dry it is time to assemble them. Put them in stacks of 9 or 10 using the colors you would like your poof to be. Take your stack and fold each filter into a pie shape.

Step 6: Using a needle and tread at least 24 inches long, string all 9 or 10 filters onto your thread.

Step 7: Once all your filters are threaded, clip the needle end of the thread. Gently push your filters together, take both ends of the thread, and tie a tight knot.

Step 8: Open each filter and fan it out until all the filters are open.

Step 9: String your poofs in anyway you desire onto twine. I chose to string them vertically but really the sky is the limit!

I absolutely love these and you can make a ton of them for next to nothing.  I made over 30 of these poofs for less than 5 dollars, and my living room is going to look great!

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.  I will be glad to help you out!