Slice of Life: Reading to a Fetus

I want to read out loud to my baby... my baby that is still inside of me... Is that weird?

Slice of Life: Sew Fabulous

I have awesome parents-in-law!! For my birthday they got me a beautiful new sewing machine. Droooooool! Since getting it I keep getting more and more ideas of things I want to sew. I need to make a list of them, though, so I don't forget.

1. Finish my blue polka dot maxi skirt
2. Sew a pillow for my couch
3. Emy's blessing dress

4. Turning an old sheet into curtains for the bedroom
5. Cutting down and sewing the edges of our king sized blanket
6. Figure something out with my duvet cover (It's too big for our duvet so I just have it laying on top of the bed.  It's not too bad but it's still a little big and baggy looking.)

I feel like I'm forgetting some of the things I want to do... Oh well, I think I have a pretty good list so far!

Slice of Life: Nesting

(This was from saturday...)

Today I worked like a banshee. Perhaps a little too much... BUT I got soooo much done and that feels delightful! When Mason came home and saw what I had done he was like, "Um, are you nesting?" I said "No! That's ridiculous.  I was just working around the house." Then the next day I was telling my sister in law a portion of the things I did and she exclaimed, "Wow! You are TOTALLY nesting." Huh, I guess I was/am. Whether I was nesting or just being productive, though, it was a great day.  Here are some of the things I did:

1. Read (I haven't read for enjoyment in ages!)
2. Assembled Emy's crib
3. Moved a TON of stuff into our storage closet AND organised our storage closet
4. Swept my bathroom and kitchen floors (How is it that I am STILL finding dog kibble when I sweep my kitchen...we don't own a dog...)
5. Scrubbed my kitchen and bathroom floor (hands and knees style)
6. Moved my shoe trunk across the room
7. Changed my sheets
8. Folded and put away a bazillion items of clothing
9. Cleaned the potty
10. Had a bag filled with Mason's power drill and saw fall on my head
11. Rearranged my kitchen table
12. Had friends over that night
13.  Cleaned my kitchen
14. Did dishes (But, they are still in the dishwasher waiting to be put away...SHH!)

I didn't even get everything I wanted to done! I did, however, pull a muscle on my stomach somehow and messed up my back again. My back got all pinched up so bad that I couldn't move that night. Not good.  And definitely not good for a pregnant lady.  But, don't ya worry - Emy has been moving around MORE these last few days so I am taking that as a good sign.

Slice of Life: Impromptu Date

My poor hubby is stressed out because of all the things he has to do, and he just hasn't been his normal chipper self. Well, tonight that changed! Randomly Mason said, "I'm going out to get food. Are you coming?" ... "Um, okay? Is everything okay?" "Yes, I'm just hungry, cold, and stressed."

A few minutes later we were on the road headed towards JCWs. (YUM!) We ordered our food and ate. Then we just sat there, neither wanting to go back home. So we sat and talked. I munched on some ice. We snooped at a first date couple (She TOTALLY got all cutesy for the guy and he just wore a t-shirt. Lame). Then we decided we still didn't want to go home so Mason ordered us a fudge and banana shake. Drool-icious! I was already so full but I just had to eat some of that yummy shake, hurt as it might!  I think Mason was feeling the same way because we both ate until we were sick. We still didn't want to go home.  We were just having so much fun snooping at that awkward little couple, picking out the cutest kids in the restaurant, watching the hockey game, and chatting away.  It was wonderful!!!

Finally, though, we decided we should go home so Mason could work on his homework. Boo.  The drive home was just as fun as the restaurant had been! We were laughing, talking, reminiscing, and quoting our favorite youtube videos and movies. Then, Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" came on. You know how he always ends each line swooping up in pitch? Well, we started out just singing those words to make fun of the swoop. And then we sang a few more lines. Until finally, we were belting out that song like nobody's business! We were sing/yelling that sucker so loud, laughing so hard and having a blast.  We were having so much fun, in fact that when we got to our apartment we kept driving around the block. We couldn't quit before his epic screaming bit at the end!!! Obviously!

You know, sometimes marriage gets fairly monotonous. Sometimes you get so comfortable in the normal rhythm that you forget to have fun. Sometimes you forget how much fun you can have together. Don't let that lapse in memory stay. You have to remind yourself how happy he makes you. Sometimes you just need a good, spontaneous date and sing-a-long to get you back into the routine of having fun!

Take the time to do that! I promise, you will NOT regret it :)

Slice of Life: Diet Coke and Allie

For six years I have had an awesome Diet Coke buddy.  My first semester here at BYU I was matched up with Allie to be roommates at good 'ol Helaman Halls and we hit it off instantly.  We were roommates up until she went on her mission and I still refer to her as my roommate, even though it's been three years since we lived together.  We have a TON of memories and funny stories together so when we get together we pretty much laugh the whole time. Even though we are no longer roommates we still see each other a lot because of one thing: Diet Coke.  We are each other's Diet Coke buddies.  It is a weekly activity that one of us will text the other, "Hey! Do you want to go on a Diet Coke run?" The answer is always yes.  I love this little tradition we have because it is a way for us to catch up despite our crazy, busy schedules. It is so therapeutic to take a break from homework and classes, get a delectable drink, and chat about past adventures and our current ones. I always am in a better mood afterwards and feel ready to start tackling life's little quirks with gusto...I just got home from a Diet Coke run and I feel fantastic! :)

 It's the little things in life, I think, that are the most valuable, and I definitely value these Diet Coke runs pretty high!

Slice of Life for March

For one of my classes, Teaching Composition, we are doing a writing challenge that started on March 1st. It's basically just a way to encourage people to write every single day.  It can be about anything. Can be as long or short as you want. Can be pointless. Can be deep. Can be like a journal entry. Can be random ramblings. All that is required/encouraged is writing every day.  I missed March 1-3...Oops. Anyways, I am going to be sharing my Slice of Life here on my bloggy blog for the rest of the month.

(One ramble before I share my post for today...On our class syllabus this activity is shortened to SOL March... This made me giggle/snort when I first saw it. I am way too immature for my own good.)

Okay! Here is March 4th:
I got some money from my parents for my birthday and I have never been so conflicted! I keep thinking of so many things that I want/need now! I want a new hairdryer. I need a dresser to use as a changing table. I want a bookshelf. Shoes are always good... Oh! I want a nightstand for my husband's side of the bed.  Decisions, decisions...I feel relieved that I don't have any serious conundrums.

March 5th:

I love, love, love to organize! I get the organizing bug "itch" and can't stop thinking until I have made a huge mess and pieced it back together into a nice, tidy system.  Right now I have the organizing itch...the only problem is that I have SOOOOOO many places that need a serious overhaul that I am stuck in sit-on-the-couch-because-I-don't-know-where-to-start phase. Another bummer is that because I am pregnant I shouldn't be lifting all of the heavy stuff, climbing up chairs to put things on the top shelf, etc.  Normally it isn't too bad because I do what I can and then have my husband do the rest.
BUT, now I can't do hardly any of the heavy lifting and he's so stressed that I don't want to ask him. I hint, but even I know that it won't get the job done.  Each Saturday I think I'll ask him to do a ton of things, but then I look over at the poor guy in bed that morning.  He doesn't get to sleep in ever, but he never complains when I do.  He needs sleep badly so I let him sleep in until whenever.  And then when he does wake up, I don't want to hand over the "honey-do" list because he has been going, going, going all week. So I usually encourage him to work on his projects, play a video game, or watch one of his sci-fi movies.
And the list gets longer, but I don't mind.
Speaking of the organizing list, I'm off to work out my linen closet!

I've Got a Bug...That is a Knitting/Crochet Bug!

Ever since I saw this cute little bunny tutorial:

 (compliments of http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/  .  You should check her site out because it's way fun)

I've had a SERIOUS crochet/ knitting bug! I HAVE to make these things because I love the look and feel of homemade toys for kids.  And, I think they would be cute as decorations for holidays and for kids' rooms.  I want to get good enough so I can just whip them out for gifts, too.  

After stumbling upon All About Ami, I've been fascinated with amigurumi.  (It's fun to say aloud...try it! You'll like it...anyways...)  According to Wikipedia, Amigurumi is a Japanese style of knitting/crocheting small and cute stuffed animals (or other cutesy things).  This part of Wikipedia's definition cracked me up: "Amigurumi have no practical use; they are created and collected for aesthetic reasons. The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness."  Haha, maybe I'm easily amused or I'm delirious seeing as it is now 2:30 am (on second thought, I think it is a combination of the two), but I found this hilarious yet accurate.  Amigurumi are incredibly useless but there cuteness factors make them a necessity of life - except the really weird and creepy ones.

There are a ton of cute stuff out there, and I just keep finding more and more that I wanna make! Raverly.com has kind of become my new favorite website - I can't stop finding cute things on there. Also, Etsy has some unbelievably cute amigurumis on there that are an inspiration.  Woohoo!