Flamingo Party- planning PT 2 - CENTERPIECES

Hey guys! So, I am only days away from my party now, and have so much to do still! 

I decided last night to start putting my centerpieces together and then individually bag 

them so that on the day of the party I can save some time, and only have to take 'em

out of a bag and set them on the table!

I want to share some really easy centerpieces, that literally cost me LESS than $5!!

Also, I will share where you can *hopefully* find the same items, or similar ones.

First off, I'll share the cup and utensils holders that I bought at Target.

The holder itself is designed by Poppytalk in their Poppytalk for Target party line!

This line is currently on clearance, so now is the time to go snag it really cheap!

I also found these cute cups at Target, they're also Poppytalk's.

The picnic napkins were from Michaels Craft Store and the spoons/forks were from Walmart

I really wanted them to have a picnic feeling, so I wrapped the utensils in the

napkins and tied a little piece of thin yarn around them.

Now for my centerpieces!!!!

For these, I really didn't spend a whole lot on them!

I bought the tin chalk bucket at Target, it was found in the $1 bins!

They currently have a cartwheel offer for 20% off this section of the store!

Which would make them .80 cents!

The chalk pen, I bought in April for my sister's car windows after her wedding,

so I didn't spend anything on it. But- they run for around $5 at Joann's.

Obviously you can use regular chalk and not have to spend a lot at the dollar tree.

I only used the pen because I am putting it into the bags and didn't want it to smear.

Next, you'll need the foam. I also already had this, but you don't need a lot 

and can find this really cheap at Walmart for under a couple dollars!

You'll also need flowers! I opted out of the real deal to keep in

 my budget! I found these at the dollar tree, and because my party 

is in the evening, nobody will notice that they're super cheap! 

Especially if you take the not so cute leaves off of them!

These pinwheel picks are from Michael's, they're the brand "Celebrate It!"

I believe they were on clearance for around $1.

If you use wire cutters and trim the flowers to be just high enough to poke

out of the bucket, it'll look great and nobody will see inside!

Opal Moments

I want to share a couple of Opal's silliest moments from this week. 

She started sticking her little tongue out and waving this week. 

Both have been the CUTEST things ever.

 

Here are some of the other cute snaps from this week!

She has been standing, and trying to walk all week. 

-Luckily, she hasn't fallen tooooo many times.-

 

-standing-

 -playtime-

-toes-

 -goodmorning-

 -focused-

 -toys-

Flamingo Party - Party Planning Part 1 - Glitter Name tutorial

Hey everyone! So I have been doing some projects for my 21st birthday party and want to start sharing some of the things I've done so far! I saw this cute photo on Pinterest and decided to do something similar. I haven't quite decided how I am going to set them up, but I think they will be along the side of the house, hanging from the side of the roof by fishing line (surrounded by lights, lanterns, and other cute things) or something else, (I have no idea). 

I will definitely let y'all know how I end up doing it!

Supplies:

• Wood letters (I found mine at Michaels craft store.)
• Glue (any kind of liquid glue strong enough to hold the glitter.)
• Gold glitter (I found a cheap jar at Walmart for like $3.)
• Acrylic paints
• Paint brushes/ foam brushes
• Clear coating (I haven't done it in these photos yet.. I am waiting until I'm done with some of the photobooth props!)

 STEP ONE: PAINT THE LETTERS

I didn't do much but picked a couple different colors and designs. 

I wanted the letters to pop, obviously without the glitter they look sort of blah!

STEP TWO: GLITTER THOSE BABIES UP!

This is the size I picked of glitter. I wanted it to be BIG and FLASHY, 

especially because my party is at night and outside.

I used a foam brush to add glue to the gold upper half of the letters, 

and poured tons of glitter all over and waited for it to dry a bit before tapping the excess glitter off.

STEP THREE: CLEAR COAT.

I haven't done this step yet, I still have some other pieces to finish.

But- Here's a picture of each letter with the glitter and paint completed!

I can't wait to see how cute they'll make my cake table.

(excuse the "E", I totally accidentally dropped and broke it!)

Taylor Swift's new Music Video!

I've been obsessed with Taylor Swift since I was in middle school.

I was given her first CD along with a Sony CD "walkman". 

I would listen to it on repeat allllll day. So, naturally I am still obsessed with her. 

I've tried so many times to buy tickets to her concerts that sell out in minutes. 

My husband, thankfully, puts up with it and will sing along 

in the car to make me happy.

I was so excited when I saw her announcement for 

her new album, "1989", coming out on October 27th. 

She also shared her newest music video during a live stream with fans.

I think it is so cute and quirky. I love how she uses different professional dancers 

from all different styles in her video. Another cool thing, was using 100 of her biggest fans

in the video too! Must have been such an awesome experience for those involved! 

I cannot wait to see what is going to be on her first ever POP album. 

Trusting my mommy gut.

Today was the first time since the day I gave birth to Opal, that I was truly worried and scared for her life. The first time, her heart rate was dropping dramatically because she was stuck in my pelvic bones facing the wrong direction for many many hours, leading to an emergency C-section... 

This time, because she swallowed an unknown item and began choking.

It was all really strange, and one of those situations that you can literally say, "This could've been prevented if _______". What happened was, I was watching TV with Opal in my lap, and my sister had just gotten home from school. About an hour later, I had the sudden urge to clean the living room. Particularly, vacuuming. So, my sister held on to Opal and I started cleaning. Then, I remembered a bag of confetti had fallen out of my craft box the day before in my room and wanted to vacuum that carpet as well. So I went to my room and was putting Opal's clean clothes away and picking up her toys before vacuuming. Before I got the chance to do so,  my sister brought Opal in because she got a bloody nose. So I made sure that there was nothing on the rug she was playing on, and let her play with the toys that were already on the floor. I didn't worry about the confetti, because that had happened on the other side of the room, and I hadn't seen any on that side of my bed.

Well, I turn around to grab a pile of folded laundry, and I hear Opal choking! I turn and pick her up, stuck my finger in her mouth to see if I could pull whatever it was out, but couldn't find anything. Her poor little body was tensing up and trying to throw up whatever foreign object was in her throat, but couldn't. She wasnt able to breathe, because of all of the saliva and gagging that was happening, and was getting really red. I ran out to ask my sister to help me free her passage, and to call 911 after I couldn't find what she swallowed. She was barely breathing for 5 minutes while we waited for the paramedics. 

When the firemen got there, they checked her breathing (which about 30 seconds prior to them pulling up she finally started screaming and crying) and said she was okay. The paramedics arrived a minute later, and basically said they couldn't do anything for us. One of them basically told me that Opal would be OK, to nurse her and just watch her. He told me taking her to the ER wasn't necessary. 

Something just didn't feel right with her, though.

You know that feeling when you have a popcorn kernel stuck in your throat? Well, it looked like she had that situation going on! She isn't a drooler, (even while teething) but her shirt was becoming drenched in drool. She looked like she was in pain, and her eyes were becoming sunken in. This is when I was beginning to nurse her, and she started choking more!

I stopped nursing her and decided to just take her to the Children's hospital, even if nothing was wrong. I wanted to be SURE that there was nothing blocking her airway. I just could never forgive myself if I brushed it off as easily as a man who didn't even look down her throat, and was there for a total of 3 minutes..

My daughter wasn't fine.

When we got to the ER, they got us in quickly and we saw a DR within minutes of going back. He checked her throat and didn't see anything, and right as he was going to pull away, he saw a flash of red. He had the weirdest and confused expression on his face and said, "She does have something in her throat!" This scared the crap out of me, because of course I wanted to be wrong! I asked if it was big, and he said, "I honestly don't know! It is shiny and red."

That's when I knew it had to be a stray confetti piece! 

I told him and he went out quickly after mumbling something about suction and possible operation..

OPERATION?!

Yeah, I almost had a panic attack at that point, luckily my sister reminded me to be brave for Opal. We were then taken back.... to an operating room!!!!! I was becoming a nervous wreck while 5 people were around my poor little baby and trying to get this confetti piece out of her throat! Thankfully, the suction did work, and they got that stupid thing out!

I was cautious before this incident, but I'm definitely paranoid now!!!!!!

I did learn though, to always trust my gut.

If this was about me, I would've taken that paramedic's advice and called myself crazy.. But this wasn't about me. It was about the 8 month old baby that can't explain to us what is going on.

Even if they would've found nothing, I still would've been proud that I got a second opinion.

I'm just so thankful that my babe is once again her happy, healthy little self.

<3

Eight month update.

 I know I say this every month, but I seriously cannot believe it has been 8 months since this precious girl came into our life. She changed our lives so much. She makes every argument and disagreement seem miniscule compared to the magnitude of what our family means and stands for. Living apart from my husband the past 2 months has shown not only I, but Dillon too, how much we love each other and want to raise our daughter together.

This past month, she has changed so much. She mastered the crawl, and then surprised us by pulling herself up and standing! She started this with her playpen gate, and now does it in her crib, to the couch, toys, and even to me! She is brilliant!

She has 5 teeth now, her bald spot grew in, and she says "da-da!" We started her on 3rd step foods, but she actually has been eating food off of my plate. She hates eating the mushy baby foods and is all about the textures of actual food.

Jake and the Neverland Pirates has been her favorite tv show, and it still is. She also is loving Sofia the First and Doc Mcstuffins. She also loves the intro song to The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Last but not least, she has learned the "Happy and you know it" song... but instead of clapping, she slaps her thighs with her little hands. It is honestly the cutest thing. She is so cool.

I cannot wait for Dillon to see her next month, he is going to be so amazed at how much she has grown so far. I can't even imagine what I will be writing and sharing in another month. She blows me away every time.

Thankfully, next month I will also be preparing to pick her daddy up from the airport days later! Let the countdown begin!!

-Chels.

Life as mommy, and temporary daddy.

Today I was chatting with Dillon about my next blog post and he had suggested sharing my experience doing 100% of the parenting for the past couple of months that we've been living across the country from each other.

At first, I really didn't even want to talk about it. I don't know if I should refer to myself as a "single" parent, because I'm not single. I have a wonderful husband who is so supportive, emotionally and financially. I don't carry the same burdens or challenges that single mothers and fathers (who have no support from the other parent) have. I would never want to compare the two. 

I also didn't want to talk about it because I wouldn't want to offend my husband in any way. He is seriously such a great daddy and husband, and I don't want him to feel bad or to think that I don't need him. That's absolutely not true. I need him badly! Parenting is much more enjoyable with the support of another person.

But- I have been thinking about it all day...

I just want to say, as someone who grew up in a home that once had physical violence, then a father in prison, and raised by a struggling single mom... I know how hard it can be. I have always admired my mom for how amazing she is, how determined, and strong.. She never relied on anyone else to provide for my sisters and I, aside from the occasional help from my grandparents. I thank God every day that I was raised by such a beautiful and independent woman.

And here I am, currently living with her again, with a baby of my own. She is such a great grandma! She helps me so much, but not in the diaper changing way. She actually has probably only changed 3 diapers in the past few months. (Lucky her!) Her help actually comes in motivation, positive words, great advice, and the occasional "Chelsea, you need to calm down."..

I also have been getting help from my sisters, Marissa and Reyna. They've been the ones to watch Opal while I shower, do my makeup or eat. They are still trying to adjust to having a baby in the household, so its not always easy to ask them, honestly. 

Being Opal's only parent physically right now is tiring. I wish I could just hand her to my husband and take a long hot bath, paint my toes, and draw. Those days are nowhere near the present... So I will have to continue to look forward to them as I go crazy at 3 am when I just want her to sleep. 

I don't know if it is just because she has 5 teeth cutting through right now that it seems harder, but damn... I am exhausted. 

She's been SO fussy, constantly wants to be held... BY ME ONLY.. She will fight a nap all day, and wait until 2 am to fall asleep. And when she finally sleeps, it is in my bed. If I try to move her to the crib she will wake up.. and then it is a nightmare to put her to bed again.. which will eventually be in my bed. Did I mention I am sleeping in a twin size bed right now? Then, when I finally fall asleep around 3, I'll be woken up at 4:30 am for another nursing session. And then awoken again by 8 am the latest... At which point I have to get us up and ready for the day.

I just can't imagine my entire life doing this alone. I hope Dillon and I will be under the same roof as soon as possible! 

I want to tell every parent doing it alone, that I have so much respect for you and everything you do for your children. It is hard work being a stay at home mom, I can't imagine being the breadwinner and sole parent alone. Breaks are few and far between as it is, I seriously don't know how I would do it all.

Instagram winners announced!

I had so much fun with this giveaway and I am already brainstorming up the next one!

This one was themed for breastfeeding awareness week/month,

but NEXT month is MY BIRTHDAY! I want to celebrate it

with my readers, so I may just have to come up with 

something sweet for y'all!  - Chels <3

My breastfeeding journey at 8 months post partum.

Here we are, eight months postpartum! How in the heck did this happen?! I seriously feel like I sat down on the remote of my life and accidentally switched it to "fast forward".... WHERE'S THE PAUSE BUTTON!? I would totally love to pause my life and enjoy Opal at this stage in life for a bit longer. I wish Dillon was here to enjoy her. She's beautiful and just so, soooo smart.


I want to focus on how our breastfeeding journey has been thus far, and share a couple of things with y'all for World Breastfeeding Week.


First of all, I want those parents who may be reading this, and weren't or aren't breastfeeding to know that I am in no way wanting you to feel offended or less than those who do. I support you and however you are feeding your babe! They're being fed and that is all that matters! I know that there are so many reasons parents use formula, and that is your business, completely!


I happen to be breastfeeding though.... and I want to share my experience and the lessons I've learned.

Try to sleep as much as possible.

First off, the first couple weeks sucked. Having a newborn baby and being super tired sucks in general. I remember waking up so many times to my husband, Dillon walking around the room holding a pillow in his arms and "shushing" it back to sleep.... He was asleep and thinking he was comforting our new baby. That is how tired we were!

Life has to go on.

Dillon and I had no family in DC.. It was just us. There was no hospital visitors, balloons, prepared food, clean house, or welcome home party.. It was just us and the dogs with a brand new little baby. Neither of us had changed a diaper before. We had no idea what we were doing. And we had no one to do our errands for us. Opal literally was out grocery shopping with me in snow storms at 2 weeks old. I had to take her out. I had to resume my normal life, even with a fresh cesarean scar.

 Talk to a lactation consultant.

Engorged boobs were the worst! I started out with a B cup, by the time I was 9 months pregnant I was a DDD, and I am now a D to DD, depending on how much milk they're carrying. Opal had a tough time the first day that my milk came in, but we happened to still be in the hospital when that happened (due to an infection in my uterus) so I had a lactation consultant come by to help me out. She was an angel. She helped me out so much, taught me so many tips, and gave me so much confidence.

Create a circle of support.

When we got home from the hospital I was soooo scared. Nobody in my family had breastfed so I had no idea what it was even supposed to look like! I called my mother in law for advice and asked all of my friends for so much advice. It was a lot of pressure knowing that I was responsible for our daughter's nutrition! I didn't want to do anything wrong. How was I to know if I was feeding her enough? What if I would wake up one morning and not have a drop of milk for her? Should I keep formula on hand? What kind of bottles would she need if I caved and used formula? All of these questions would run through my head and I would have panic attacks every day. I definitely want anyone and everyone to feel comfortable coming to me for anything! If you have a question about nursing, I am here for you. If you need to vent about how tiring it is, I know, and I'm here to listen!

It actually got better!

I didn't believe anyone that it would get easier, but Opal and I became better at nursing every single mealtime. She was really good at latching on early into it. I think the hardest part was when my letdown was too much for her. She would get really overwhelmed and start coughing. It scared me so much, that I actually went to Target to look at formula... I started reading everything about it and was actually ready to switch because I thought I was hurting her. I decided to reach out to some of my friends who told me to try out some different nursing positions that may help. They actually worked and we got stronger and better.

Nurse in public because you're f*cking awesome. *excuse my language

My family continuously asked me how I would feed Opal when we were out running errands or shopping. They would ask if I would use a cover or just pump... And you know what? I've done both.

I've tried using a cover and that sh*t sucks. I couldn't see Opal, it made us clumsy, she was so sweaty, and I almost dropped her because we got all tangled up.

I've also pumped, and it sucks too! The only part about nursing that hurts, (aside from the occasional bite) has been pumping. I seriously give moms who have to pump everyday props. I cannot imagine how hard that must be, especially to keep a positive attitude while doing so. I actually just invested in a hospital grade breastpump and I'm very excited. I hope it is a lot better than my smaller one and that I can enjoy pumping somewhat more.

When I'm out running errands or hanging out with my family and Opal tells me she is hungry, I stop and feed her. If I'm at a mall I find the family restroom and nurse her in the room set aside for that. If I'm at target I just sit down somewhere quiet (yes, in a random aisle- I don't care) and I feed her. If were using the carrier I just pull my shirt down and feed her, that simple. If were driving, I pull into a parking lot and feed her in the backseat. I don't use a cover and I don't pump and take a bottle with me. I tried those things and I just didn't like it. I've learned that feeding my baby wherever and whenever works for me.

Teething sucks, but it will get better! 

As I type this right now, I'm laying in bed watching breaking bad. Opal is latched on, dream nursing, and every couple minutes she will sneak in a little tiny bite. It is JUST barely noticeable. But, that's not always the case. Sometimes she will look at me with a very sneaky smile... And she will chomp down! I've learned to over dramatically scream and to say OW! She instantly looks shocked and will kiss my boob or my arm. I hate when she bites, but she's cutting 4 teeth right now and I don't blame her one bit! I go absolutely crazy when my wisdom teeth flare up every couple months, and she's just a little baby who can't even understand what the heck is going on with her mouth and ears. That must be so frustrating! 

When she first started teething I had asked what to do when she first started biting. Instantly, people who had never breastfed in their lives told me "that means she doesn't want to breastfeed anymore." 

I was devastated! I was so confused! How could my 3 month old baby already be done? How could this be? 

Well, they were wrong. I researched a lot. And my baby kept asking for my milk. And I just flicked her and over dramatically said "OW!" If she bit me. And you know what? It got better!! Now were going through another hard teething phase and I'm not taking it as "mom your breast is no longer necessary!" I'm taking those bites as, "HEY MOM MY MOUTH HURTS AND I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO." ;-) 

Don't give up. It gets better!

It takes dedication.

Being a breastfeeding mother is easy and hard at the same time. It is hard to be solely responsible for your baby's nutrition. But you know what makes it easy? Knowing that you are giving your baby exactly what God planned and blessed us with!

If you ever need help or advice, I'm here for you!

:)


-Chels.

instagram giveaway!