My Sweet Design

As you can all tell my blog recently got a makeover.

I was so lucky in winning this makeover from Frugal Mommy a little while ago. She was giving away a free custom blog design from Traci at Sweet Cheeky Designs!

When they contacted me that I won I was so excited! Traci wrote me right away and she was so easy to work with.

I took a look at some designs in her portfolio and LOVED what I saw. A bonus? She never duplicates ANY of her work--so each blog design is a custom made design made especially for you! I looked on some of the scrap sites for a package that I loved and she went from there.

She was SO easy to work with and made it a lot of fun. I would recommend her to anyone! She was quick, nice, funny....and it made for a really great and positive experience.

Thank you, Frugal Mommy and Sweet Cheeky Designs--I LOVE my new look!

And Just Like That...Poof! It's Disappeared.

The nap.

The much beloved second nap.

Isabella has flat out refused for a week....or so....to take the much needed second nap. Okay, so it was much needed for this momma. Obviously she doesn't need one anymore.

What do I do?! We both need that nap...desperately!

She takes her morning nap--no problem! Waves to her toys, waves to me and happily drifts off to sleep without a hitch.

But the afternoon? Just not happening....screaming, crying, throwing things out of her crib, trying to climb out of the crib....*sigh*

Guess this was her early Christmas gift to me.

TuTu Winner!

Congratulations.....

KRYSTYN!!

She is the lucky winner of the tutu and portrait paci!

Little Miss Natalie will look adorable in it!

The Spirit

Isabella is in LOVE with everything Christmas which is a huge change from last year when she had no clue what was going on.

The ornaments (which I have found a few hidden and tucked away in her room, cute!), the gifts under the tree, the songs, the singing animals at the stores...everything! And if you are wondering...we didn't make it to see Santa yet...that will be this Friday after my prenatal appointment, yay!

Anyway, I've always been a firm believer that when I have a child or children I want the season to be for them. Learning about Jesus, his birth, giving to others, donating money to different causes as they are out in the bitter cold hoping to get some change that will make a difference. I want her to know that the season is for giving to others and to know what we are celebrating.

I recently nominated a family for an amazing Christmas giveaway. You had to nominate them on the Barefoot Mommies blog and then readers voted to see who would be the winner.

Guess what...my family won! (It was actually a tie!). I was so touched by the people who took time to vote for the nominated families. I am so happy I could help make another family's Christmas a little brighter. It could be my hormones, but I was crying as I saw how many votes my family got. It. was. amazing.

So, this Christmas, if you have a chance to make someone's season a little brighter....I urge you to do so...this was so rewarding for me to do this.

The One Where I Dream of No Christmas

Do you know what I just realized today? That Christmas is two. weeks. away.

Maybe my stress of nothing done was the cause of part of my dream last nite. Isabella woke up on Christmas and nothing was done!

No presents from Santa.

No gifts under the tree.

No cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

No Christmas dinner in the works.

How sad is that?! I have felt so lousy this week that now I am dreaming of no Christmas? This Momma needs to kick it in gear.

And fast.

Here's my plan:

I have declared that tomorrow Isabella will see Santa. If she wants to, that is. I'm not going to force her up to the man in the big red suit if it means our happy-Christmas-get-a-move-on-Momma day will become a not-one-dang-thing-got-accomplished kind of day.

I am going to mail off the rest of our Christmas cards.

Order a few more Christmas gifts for some family members.

Finish my shopping for Leo and Isabella.

And hopefully if I feel okay I will treat myself to a Starbucks...if it sounds good tomorrow.

So here's hoping I will feel good tomorrow.

And honestly? Here's hoping I get one of those things accomplished tomorrow....because who am I kidding with a list like that...we all know I am a procrastinator....and love the last minute rush at the mall on Christmas Eve early afternoon.....

A Fabulous Giveaway for You!

I know, I know....it's been awhile since my last giveaway ended and you may want another one....right?

I love this shop....oh how I am hoping I have another little girl so I can buy some of her adorable items!

The shop is TuTu's Bliss....and it. is. amazing!

She has the cutest TuTu's and Paci Portraits. No kidding! And she has generously offered one lucky reader a tummy time TuTu and portrait pacifier! So cute!

Here is a little bit more about Jen and her shop TuTu's Bliss.

How did your business get started? I wanted to create something that would photograph well and still be comfortable enough to sleep in. My oldest daughter had so much fun and I had so many requests that it just took off from there.

What are your favorite items? The portrait pacifiers for newborns. I remember having to pull the pacifier out for pictures, popping it back in and hoping the photographer had a fast shutter finger. I wish I had created them sooner.

What is your favorite item to create? The leaf wings with my fairy sets because they are so elaborate and different everytime.

So now that you know what you are entering for and you got to read more about Jen and her shop, let me give you the rules.

• This giveaway is open to US residents including Alaska, Hawaii and APO/AE addresses due to shipping costs.


• For one entry, go to her shop and come back here to tell me what your favorite item is.


• For an extra entries you can do any of the following: grab my button and put it on your sidebar, become a subscriber or follower (if you already do that is okay, too!), and/or blog about this giveaway on your blog and come back and give me the link. Make sure you do a seperate comment for each that you do!


• You need to leave an e-mail address in your comment. The past few giveaways I've had no way to contact the winners! So please, if you do not have a blog leave me your e-mail in your comment.


• This giveaway will run until December 17th @ 9 AM CST. From there Random.org will be used to pick the winner.

Thank you to all who enter and good luck! Thank you to Jen who made this all possible!

Because Her Face? Makes Me Smile....

An Apology

I'm so sorry I haven't been posting much. I'm just not feeling so hot.

My doctor's office called me back this morning and want me to try Unisom and B6. If that doesn't help then they'll write me a script for something.

I promise I'll write more once I start feeling somewhat back to normal. I even have some cute pictures of Bella to post sometime this week.

I'm going to lay down for awhile....I still need to finish my Christmas cards and get those mailed this week. Anyone want to come over and help *smile*

Thanks for being patient, sorry to be so boring....and I promise to start posting more interesting things once I start feeling better.

A Letter to My #1

Dear Isabella,



I think it's time I tell you that Mommy's pregnant. I know I've told you, but I wanted to document it--all of my thoughts, feelings and what you are possibly thinking right now.



I know you've noticed a change in your Momma....and it breaks my heart a little bit. Momma used to be fun, silly, laughing all the time.



Now you come up behind me and give me the sweetest pats anytime I am getting sick....and that is the sweetest thing to me. Just knowing that you are trying everything to make your Momma feel better melts my heart into a million little pieces. You come and lay on me when I am laying down on the couch. That has to be one of the sweetest things you have ever done, munchkin.



I want you to know that you will always be my #1, my first born. Nothing, no baby, no person, can ever take that away from you, okay, honey? I know at first it's going to be hard. You may feel like you are replaced or that we no longer love you. But that is so far from the truth.



You and I have a special bond. You taught me how to love and care for someone more than I ever thought that I could. You taught me to appreciate the simple things--whether it's an airplane in the sky or you pointing at my eye when I ask you where my eye is (which I can't believe you can do! Smart girl!). Those are little things that as I've gotten older, I've forgotten about.



I love how you eat things and look at me and say "Mmmmmm" no matter what it is! I love how sweet you have been lately, you have no idea how much that is helping me during this first trimester. Thank you, sweetheart.



I do know something. You are going to be the best big sister in the world. You are going to protect, love and care for your little sister and brother and that is going to make Momma and Daddy so proud.



So, my #1, I love you. You are not being replaced, we are just adding another addition to our little family. A little person who will one day, someday, be your best friend ever.



Love always,

Momma



PS--Sorry, sweetheart, if this is too sappy. Momma has been a total emotional wreck lately....

Dear Quiznos

Dear Quiznos,

While pregnant with Isabella I wanted you. All of the time.

Except I lived in Turkey for 7 of those months. Away from you.

When I arrived in the US, I was sooo happy to see you right by base where we lived for 2 weeks. Amazing!

I even ate you the nite I was admitted to be induced.

You were, how shall I say it, my final meal.

Now that I have beanie numero dos, you are at the top of my hot list (besides Dominos which I had tonite). I thought about you all day.

And now I am thinking about you all nite.

Leo promised that we would all go to eat your yummy sandwiches (which are baked so I can eat the meat! Yay! Ew. The word meat makes me gag a little a lot.).

Anyways, I just want to say thank you for whatever it is that you do.

To a momma where nothing sounds good, this. is. amazing.

Thank you, Quiznos. And I will see you for our date tomorrow nite.


Your #1 fan,
Chelle

TCM is Hosting Something Magical

When I think of Disney Classsics I think of the original Parent Trap, Old Yeller, Pollyanna, Bedknobs and Broomsticks....you know, the classic movies that most of us watched growing up.

I have so many wonderful memories of watching the classics when I was younger. Whether it was sipping on a strawberry milkshake when I had the chicken pox or gathering around the television to pop a tape in our VCR to watch something as a family.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is going to help bring some of the memories back and they want to help all of us to create new ones with our families. Starting Sunday December the 7th they will be having a classics movie marathon each and every Sunday in December! How fantastic is that?!

Here is line up of the scheduled shows for December the 7th per their media advisory:

Sunday Dec 7th:
Noon: Treasure Island (1950)
1:45 pm: Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
4 pm: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
6:15 pm: Old Yeller (1958)
8 pm: The Parent Trap (1961)
10:15 pm: Pollyanna (1960)
12 am: The Barefoot Executive (1971)

On December the 14th, The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics--which comes from writer/director/producer Peter Fitzgerald, will follow the studio's history as it ventured beyond its animation to develop non-animated family fare--will air at 7 pm.

So remember to tune in each Sunday in December to create some wonderful memories with your family! I know we'll definitely be watching the movies that will be showing.

Bleh.

Dear morning sickness,

Although I hate the way you make me feel 24/7, I am grateful that you are here.

Because you are here it means that you and my bean are working hard and working together.

And I couldn't be happier.

But can I tell you a secret? I can't wait until the end of January when the second trimester arrives and you begin to fade away (although replaced with many other symptoms). I don't really like feeling sick and being sick all day every day...

Yours,
Creative Momma
5 weeks 5 days pregnant w/our bean

WW Times Two

Bella with her favorite ornament

Bella and her Papa taking a snooze together

Bugaboo Friends Review

I was recently contacted to see if I would be interested in signing up for a new Bugaboo program online called Bugaboo Friends. I was very excited to try out this new site and to see what it was all about.



Let me give a quick background on Bugaboo. In 1999 the first Bugaboo debuted in Holland. Bugaboo was created after wanting a stroller that could be used for both leisure activities and for use in the city. When the designer, Max Barenbrug, tried to sell his revolutionary design in the beginning, it was believed that the whole concept was much too revolutionary. However, Max never gave up on his creation and in 1999 the first one was sold!



Now that we know the background of Bugaboo, let me tell you about Bugaboo Friends. Bugaboo Friends is located at bugaboofriends.com. When you register they will ask you a few short questions. Who are you, about yourself, what you like to do on a day out, etc. It didn't take long to register at all.



The whole registration took less than five minutes. After I got my confirmation e-mail I was able to log back onto http://www.bugaboofriends.com/. They have cute videos of families with their Bugaboo strollers out in the city, on a subway or in a park. Normal families that you can actually stop and think, hey--that could be me!



You are also added to a gallery of friends where you can connect with other members. See who's like you, maybe meet some new people that you wouldn't be able to meet otherwise. You can find different photos and videos in the gallery--I loved it! You can also be inspired by the many stories that are in the gallery of friends.



Monthly the gallery urges you to complete a challenge. This month's challenge is to create a video showing your Bugaboo in the city. Not only do you get to watch other videos and get inspired, but you also can win a prize for being the most creative one out there!



You can upload this to your social networks--Facebook, MySpace, etc. You can invite your friends, find friends and see how others spend time with their Bugaboo.



Thank you, Bugaboo, for providing me with the chance to join this amazing group!

We're Back! Plus Picture Overload...

We actually got back Sunday morning around 1....talk about a long drive! We had to stop so many times due to me being pregnant. Leo was a trooper and kept stopping anytime I begged and pleaded....what a great husband!

We had such a great time in Missouri with my family. It was great to see everyone and spend some time with them. Have I mentioned I have the greatest family? I do. I truly, truly, do.

The food was amazing....yum! I love Thanksgiving and all of the food, the family...everythin

Above are some pics that I took on Thanksgiving and the following days. I hope you enjoy them!