High five for Friday

Welcome to this picture-less high five for Friday post... I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that definitely sounds better than what it looks in writing, but you get the picture, right?)

Regardless of how busy I am allowing myself to be, there were still some high's from the week - here are my top 5!

ONE | Last Saturday my sweet friends in the neighborhood had a baby shower for me and gave us some of the most practical, handy, and thoughtful gifts.  Thank you!

TWO | My family came to visit last weekend for Father's Day.  Not that we did anything too exciting but it was fun to host them and see them.  They are excited about their next trip to their house because they will be coming with new titles - Grandparents and Aunts!

THREE | This past week I got to meet with a really neat business in our local town of Carroll, Iowa.  They asked me to help them with ideas to build their business through social media.  It was such a fun meeting - stay tuned, I'll be sharing some of the fun things they will be doing!

FOUR | Wednesday night Adam and I attended a prepared childbirth class.  Not sure if we are more prepared or not but I did learn a few things I didn't know. The good news is that the class facilitator guaranteed us that they baby will come out eventually!

FIVE | This morning I heard my husband fumbling with something in the basement.  When I headed downstairs to check it out I discovered he was busy un-packaging the car seat and figuring out how it works.  It just made me smile to know how incredibly excited he is!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend - we plan to stay active to see if we can shake this baby out! :)

Bump Day: Maternity pictures

Just a couple of weeks ago a friend that I met through a local women's networking meeting approached me to ask if I would like to do some maternity pictures so she could practice her photography hobby.  I had pretty much ruled out taking maternity pictures until she had asked, even though I see all sorts of beautiful maternity photos through the blogs I read.  

A little known secret about me is that I don't care to have my picture taken, I don't feel that I am very photogenic...but I gave it my best shot for these pictures.  I love how they turned out and really like Julie's style of photography, which is causal, natural, and comfortable.  

My favorite pictures are the sun-kissed photos on the walking trail - she captured the light just perfectly!

It will be fun to put these pictures into an album with our newborn and first family pictures so as the little guy or gal I'm carrying in my belly becomes curious we share these fun pictures.

What happened to my husband?! Well, pictures aren't really his thing and that's ok. He said the only reason he took engagement pictures was because he got to wear a t-shirt. (I told him he could wear a t-shirt again, apparently that trick only worked once...)

If you would, please stop by and like Julie's Facebook page - Julie Lueth Photography!  I know you wont be disappointed in any of the neat photos she takes!

High five for Friday

Yay for Friday! My family is coming this weekend to celebrate Father's day at our house - I'm really looking forward to hosting them in our newly remodeled space and just to see them in general.  Crazy to think that the next time I see them, we will have a baby!

One. Wednesday night was so perfect at our house. We sat on our front porch until late, just hanging out and talking.  'Axe' also thought she was a lap dog - she just can't get close enough to her owner. :)

Two. Last Friday my friend Julie took some maternity photos for me.  They turned out awesome - I can't wait to share them with you in an upcoming Bump Day post!  This girl has some serious talent!!

Three. I have received some pretty neat baby gifts from friends this week including onsie's packaged in Starbucks cups with a Starbuck's gift card, baby clothes - a boy and girl outfit - from my friend, Katie, and this diaper bag that my friend Cynthia MADE! It was filled with all sorts of good.  It's already packed and ready to go too! 

Four. I took a break from working on "real" work and did some creative things - like card-making.  It was re-energizing after spending a lot of extra time at my job these past couple of weeks. You will see some new assorted card sets in my etsy shop soon!

Five. I've found a new love for cleaning! I had a Norwex party a couple of weeks ago and cleaned my house last weekend using their products.  I'm in love. If you've never heard of Norwex or been to a party you must check them out!

Cheers to you all - I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Father's Day weekend!

Bump Day: 4 things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy

Photo courtesy of Julie Lueth Photography - check out and like her Facebook page!

In approximately 3 1/2 weeks our baby is supposed to arrive - eeekkk!  There is a lot of emotion in saying that - excitement, panic, love, doubt... you name it, this expecting mother feels it!  

I think we are pretty well ready - or as ready as we can be.  Adam and I  are both pretty easy-going (more Adam than me) so we will take it one day at a time.  

I used to be pretty scared of labor but now I'm just ready - a million women have survived, I trust I will too!  Plus, there are a few things I am looking forward to post-pregnancy.

Seeing what our baby looks like. It is so crazy to think that we are going to meet this little human-being that we created for the first time.  Will the baby be a boy or a girl?  Who will the baby look like?  What color hair and eyes?  So many little things I'm curious out?

Expanding my wardrobe. I am pretty tired of my maternity clothes, although I've been creative enough to mix and match some new outfits and accessories with what I have on hand.  Even though I know this reward wont come immediately, I'm still looking forward to shopping my closet before too long!

Being active again. Pregnancy hasn't stopped me, but it has slowed me down. I still go to the gym 3 times a week but not for nearly as long as I'd like.  I really am excited to walk the same speed as my husband out to the barn, and take our dog, Axe, for a walk again.  I think she misses our walks!

Having a drink. Summer time calls for drinks on our front porch and I'm so ready to have a beer with my husband at the end of the day. (Or my mixed drink of choice - Kinky and diet 7up)

I know, some of these seem to be selfish things but I do believe that it's ok to do something for yourself once in awhile - it's who we are and what we love.  While sometimes these things need to be done in moderation or adjusted, we should never have to give it all up, right?

What did you look forward to post-pregnancy?

Painted Spoons

I have wanted to paint wooden spoons for a long time and finally took the time to do it!  Yes, it is as simple as it looks!  Here is the how to:

What You Need:

Wooden Spoons (Walmart)

Craft Paint

Paint Brushes (1 for each color is ideal)

Painters Tape

 

Step one | Tape off where you want your color end.  And of course, protect your surface by putting an old newspaper or (farm-supply ad that you think your husband wont need) underneath the spoons. 

Step Two | Start painting! This is where one paint brush per spoon comes in handy.  It will take multiple coats to cover the spoons.  The wood is really dry so it soaks the paint right in. I painted two coats per side.  Unfortunately the silver spoon didn't make the cut. The Martha Stewart paint I used never dried. :( 

Step three | Admire your quick handy work!

I have many ideas for these painted spoons - hostess gifts, housewarming gifts, and a set to add some extra color to my kitchen!

High five for Friday

Good Morning and happy Friday! I snapped this picture of Wednesday night with my phone.  This is a quick look at my world, on our Iowa farm, at the end of the day!  I am thankful to live on such a beautiful place. Not to mention, these babies keep us entertained with their on-going curiosity and antics!

Here are my high 5 from the week.

One. My doctor, bless her heart, told me that my belly was all baby and I might get to walk away from pregnancy with a flat stomach.  That is music to a pregnant ladies ears!

Two. We finally launched a program that I've been leading the development of at work.  The program has been two years in the making.  It feels so good to have it running and filled with motivated participants.

Three. I reconnected through my blog with two friends from high school.  So neat to reconnect to find out what they have been up to.

Four. On Tuesday I delivered a lunch workshop on driving business through social media and blogging.  The audience was such a great group of women!

Five. One of my best friends got to bring her sweet baby girl home from the hospital this week - so exciting for her and her husband to finally have their precious gift home with them!

Bump Day: What I'm packing in my hospital bag

I hate packing.  If you are a regular Design Your Dwelling reader I know that you're note surprised.

My current baby-prep task is packing my hospital bag.  So far I have piles of things scattered between our bedroom and the baby's nursery - now they just need to get packed in a bag.

Of course I've never had a baby before, nor have I ever in my lifetime been in a hospital, which makes this task just a little tough.  However, with a little bit of research, I think I'm off to a good start.  Besides, if I don't have everything I should only be there for a little over 24 hours (right?) and we don't live too far away so I can always send my husband to get it for me. Someone's got to take care of the dog, after all. :)

Here is a glimpse of what I'm packing for me, dad, and the baby.

Things for Mom

Pajamas. I'm going with one size larger than I normally wear. I want to be comfortable and know that there will still be some extra "cushion" after the baby is born.  Plus, if I end up having a C-section, a little more room around the mid-section is an ok thing.

Briefs. AKA - grannie panties.  Yep, I found this as a suggestion and I'm gonna take it!  Again, I'm going with one-size larger than I normally wear.

Nursing tank and/or nursing bra.

Going home clothes. I bought myself a new shirt that I've had my eye on at Target so that I have something to look forward to.  I'm also, more than likely, going to be wearing maternity shorts or crop pants home. Again - it's the cushion and comfort thing.

Yoga pants.

Toiletries. Shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, toothbrush/toothpaste, face wash, lotion, body wash, contacts and solution, etc... I know that I'm going to want to feel like a human again. 

Make up. I'm sure we'll have a few visitors.  Again, this goes with the human experience.  At the very least, I'll have mascara with me. 

Lanolin or lotion too use for your sore nipples if you are going to nurse. Another good suggestion I came across. 

Things For Dad

Adam did his own research and came up with the following list.

Shorts. Not sure if these are the type of shorts he was considering but the give a good representation of "shorts."

Toothbrush. He can share toothpaste with me. 

Ipad. I included this in his packing list.  I'd hate for him to get bored during the process. :)

Things For Baby.

Babies don't need much - at least that's what I'm told so I'm going with it!

Receiving or Swaddle Blanket.

Going home outfit.

Hats. Since you can't necessarily always tell if the baby is a boy or girl in pictures, hats to help indicate this is helpful - especially if we post pictures online.  

Onsie.

Socks.

Infant Pacifier.

Bottle. Just in case you start bottle feeding in the hospital it will be helpful to have a type of bottle you might use with you. 

Gadgets

Phone.

Chargers

Books

Journal

Magazines

Camera

Necessities

Insurance Cards

Identification/driver's license

Cash

Car Seat. Apparently they wont let you out of the hospital without this properly installed.

Other Things

Nursing pillow

Snacks

Pillow. Put a patterned or colored pillow case on it so that it doesn't get kept by the nurses or hospital.

Blanket. Dad might appreciate this. Or, like my husband says, "we are paying enough to be there, they should be able to afford an extra blanket for me to use..."  Agreed!

Gifts for nurses that help take care of the baby and you. I haven't decided on this yet.  I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Things to Have On-Hand at Home

Maxi Pads. A couple of blogs have suggested the Always Overnight, heavy flow maxi pads.  That's what I went with.  Regardless, makes sure to grab all of the extras from the hospital that you can!

Nursing pads.

Milk storage bags.

Diapers & Wipes.

Ok friends - what am I missing??!!  Leave your comments below!

Also a HUGE shout out to Carolina Charm.  Her blog post on packing her hospital bag was detailed and awesome!!  

Cheap & easy framing solution

I am still working away at getting Baby K's nursery pulled together and Saturday I was feeling, not only creative, but also motivated.  That can be a dangerous combination for me and scary for my husband because he never knows what he might be coming home too...

I had been thinking of adding just a couple more simple prints to the nursery but didn't make it to Target before the weekend (my closest Target is ~60 miles away,  poor me huh?) to get frames.  So what's a girl to do?  Improvise! I came up with this cheap and easy framing solution and I really like how it turned out!  All it took was a few supplies that I already had on hand!

Here is what you need:

Frame mat

Pick any size you want, since I already had an 8x10 frame on the same wall, I opted for 5x7 prints, plus this is what I had on hand.  These are dirt cheap, maybe a $1-2 depending on where you shop.  You can always use an old mat frame too.

Push Pins

These work as your "nail." I feel better about using these pins than I do pounding nails into my walls... I happened to have clear push pins (bulletin board pins) on hand so that's what I used. You can get creative here since there are so many great colors, and styles!

Binder Clips

I used small/medium size binder clips that were silver.  I also had light blue on hand but since I'm going for gender neutral I opted for silver.  So many awesome colors of binder clips out there too!

Art

There are so many awesome bloggers out there who offer FREE art for you to print. Just do a quick search on Pinterest.  There are also a lot of great Etsy shops that offer inexpensive printable downloads.  I purchased my two prints from a Sandy Hook fundraiser awhile back that Brickyard Buffalo was hosting.  Out of respect for the fundraiser and sellers, I'm not able to share them with you.

Here is what you do:

1. Pick out your artwork.

2. Laminate it (optional).  I did laminate mine so as temperatures changed, the paper wouldn't curl or do anything funny. 

3. Center it in the mat and secure it with tape.

4. Stick the push pin in the wall.

5. Hang the mat on the push pin using the binder clip.

Ta Daa!!  See SUPER simple.

For a sneak peek of our nursery, go here. 

In case you're curious what a pregnant lady looks like taking pictures, or wears to church on a hot day, here's a quick 35-week selfie for you!