Just popping in with an update!

Well, I am sure you all can guess where I have been? I had my baby girl 2 weeks ago and needless to say I haven't really been able to get on the computer at all since then. I will probably be blogging here and there...but for the most part I will be holding my little one who doesn't like to be set down and who likes to keep me up all night! So sorry for those of you who have emailed me, I really haven't been able to catch up and respond but I will try to!

The short version: I went in to be induced and they started the pitocin at 8:35am, my doc came and broke my water at 9:45am, at 11:22am baby girl was born! No time for an epidural, I knew I would be fast but I wasn't expecting it to be done in under 3 hours. It was intense but we are so grateful for our little miracle. Now I am just trying to re-learn what it is like to be a mother of a newborn. I feel like I am starting all over again. Any tips to get your newborn to sleep in crib? Any time I set her down she wakes right up. :/

Want updates and spoilers on projects and ideas?  Come like me on facebook , twitter, and Google + to keep up on whats up next!

Changes and Baby Updates

This past week has been full of changes so I thought I would give an update of what's going on in our world. Our house for the past week was a little crazy because we decided to get new countertops throughout our kitchen and all our baths. We are so happy we invested in them and are already loving them. Here is a sneak peek of the granite we chose...before and after room pics to come!

The explanation

Well, I hope ya'll will forgive me for being such a slacker in my posting. I have been quite busy going out of town visiting family for spring break and winter break and besides that I haven't felt well. One night I woke up in the middle of the night and I thought I was having a heart attack! I was freaking out because I was having weird chest pain/pressure. It was steady through the night and I couldn't figure out what was going on. We had a friend who is a cardiologist come over and check me over. He said that he didn't think it was anything heart related and said everything looked good. He suggested waiting it out a bit so I did. I waited for a month and it never got better. It got worse, eventually the chest pressure had subsided and it was more extreme back aches, tightening and pressure around my sternum and bust line and upset stomach. After spring break, I scheduled an appointment with my family practitioner and after a weeks worth of testing and ultrasound we FINALLY figured out what was wrong. Turns out I have gall stones and my gall bladder is inflamed. I have an appointment to meet with the surgeon next week and hopefully the surgery will be scheduled for shortly thereafter. Needless to say, I have pretty much spent the last bit laying on my bed, on the couch, or in the tub. It hurts to even sit up for long so I rarely get on the Internet. I am quite excited to finally know what is causing me this pain, and to get back to being healthy and feeling normal. I miss that! I also miss blogging and have some fun things to share(Some burlap and twine and cheesecloth projects!), I just don't feel well enough to sit here and write them up so please bear with me. Hence the reason I haven't posted in over a month! I will be back in a few weeks hopefully feeling somewhat back to normal. If you subscribe to my blog then I guess you'll know when I'm "back" officially. Thanks for being patient and I'll be back soon!

Personal favor

I know this is annoying...sorry! I entered a photo contest on facebook and would love some more votes. To vote, just go to the bottom right and rate it with stars.  You can vote once per day.
You can vote here.
Here is the link, hopefully it works. If not you can go to http://www.facebook.com/DeseretBook?sk=app_107727025983833 and look for my photo, I think its on the 2nd page and looks like this:

Thanks so much!

Celebrate!

Hi ya'll just poppin' in for a minute to share my good news. We are officially homeowners! We have had so much going on with closing on our first home so I haven't had much blogging time, but I am seriously excited! I have some fun plans...but I know they will not be happening soon :) Baby steps right? Greetings from Windy Wintery Wyoming!

Cleaning Schedule for each day

 I was talking with my Sister the other day and we were chatting about keeping our houses clean among the myriad of tasks and daily living we have to do. Sometimes it really does seem overwhelming doesn't it? My Sister asked me to pass on my 'system' to her. I decided to share it here in hopes that maybe it will help someone too. Basically, I have a family organizational system that I implemented over 4 years ago just after having our first child. I have compartmentalized my life into a binder. This binder contains everything we 'need' about us and our lives. It contains anything from our contact phone numbers- to auto care history- to our Christmas card list. I will be sharing this with you in the next coming months. I am pretty excited about it, #1 because it works, #2 because it is clean, #3 did I mention it works?


I won't necessarily be starting at the beginning of our binder because of this time of year and things getting crazy, I think that covering the "cleaning" section would be in order. First off, let me say that I know and understand that there are 100 ways to do this and that everyone has there own method. Also, I think that with anything you should take it and make it your own and adapt it to your personality, style, and lifestyle. Here is the book that got me all started:

If you know me and have ever invited me to a bridal shower, than you know that this is a popular gift I give. I love this book and I found it such a huge resource. I follow the Martha Stewart method of cleaning. I must say, I hate cleaning. No really, H*A*T*E* it. The thought of all I have to do each day makes me want to just sit in my pajamas and surf the internet. If I know I have my whole house (which isn't that big) to clean it just wears me out dreading it thinking about it. Hence the saving grace of my cleaning method. I have my cleaning worked into different 3 different sections, 1-Daily Quick Clean, 2- Weekly assigned tasks(these are tasks designed to each day of the week), 3-Monthly Cleaning.

First lets talk about Daily Cleaning. These are things I need to do everyday to keep my house running smooth. When I say NEED, I mean it. Rarely will you find a dirty dish in my house, mainly because I hate stuck on food. I would rather just get things cleaned up quickly and be done with it. I also wash the countertops and table after every meal. This is mostly my way of trying to avoid bug infestations, but it has turned into a healthy habit that makes a difference. It only takes a few minutes. When I let those little things pile up...it gets harder to face. Sitting down to read the paper at the table with crumbs just doesn't work for me! Its a little thing that I know has to be maintained and it makes all the difference. Also, mostly at the end of the day, I go through and declutter. Not clean myself silly, but pick up some of the stuff that has strayed like shoes that are 2 feet from the entry closet (see an example from our last house),

 mail sitting on my cute entry table, toys, etc. 

 Its amazing the difference it is to wake up to a mostly picked up house, versus waking up and walking out to the living areas and finding clutter and toys already and you just woke up! If you get in the habit of picking up something here and there throughout the day...it isn't so bad. Also, your husband kids will start to learn to pick up after themselves as well without having to be scolded into it. Healthy habits make a healthy happy home! Here is my daily quick clean sheet. These are my chosen daily things to keep my house running smoothly.

 

This is the page that I have printed and placed at the beginning of my "Cleaning" section in my binder. I know it by heart now, but I like lists. Lists promote action from me. :)

Go here to download this sheet with my list. Go here to download this pdf sheet that you can write in your own daily quick clean schedule. Join me next week for our next installment!

Its that time of year...

Family photographs! I went shopping today for coordinating outfits...not matching, just coordinating. I am sure my husband is going to be so annoyed and make me return love the shirts I bought for him today. I came home with 3 choices, for each of us! We are only a family of 3 so thats not too bad right? Jcpenney was having a killer sale and I got pretty much everything for 50% off. I do plan on returning the extra's, but I just wasn't sure what items my husband would wear/look good in. I decided our color palette would be purple and teal blue. That is the plan anyway. After I got home I photoshopped a little outfit sample board for my photography clients and I thought I would share here as well. I love seeing ideas. These are from old navy and gap. Very similar to my choices from Jcpenney today. I will be making a few more of these the next couple weeks for my clients and I will share here as well.

Sorry the little guy is kind of getting cut off! Oops!