From Body To Bed

When my baby was a newborn, he'd wake up every time we'd put him in his bed. We wondered what the cause was, because frankly, it could've been a number of things. But after using our noggins and trying a thing or two, we found the trick to keeping him asleep.

Heating up his bed was the trick. 

When we'd take him away from our warm bodies and put him in a cold bed, it'd wake him up. As a result, we got a little heating pad and warmed up his bed before putting him in it, that way his bed matched our body heat. And being safe as always, we'd move and turn off the heating pad before laying him down.

So if you find that your baby is waking up when you put them in bed, try this trick, especially if it's colder out!

What To Ask Your Caterer

When it comes to your wedding or party, you want to be well informed. You want to know all the little details. And you want to get the best bang for your buck. There are so many questions to be asked and one group you should be asking a lot of questions to, are potential caterers.

Here are some questions you should ask caterers.
What does the cost include:

• Do they provide the linens or do I need to find those elsewhere?
• Do they do the set-up and take-down of tables, chairs, table settings, buffet, etc.?
• Do kids eat free? If so, at what age do you have pay for them? 
• If more people come then planned on, then what will happen? Will I be charged extra? If so, how much?
• What if there is left-over food, what happens to that?
• What's the customary amount of gratuity people give?

These are just a few questions that you could ask caterers. Hopefully this will get the question juices flowing.

Preventing Baby Hair Loss

I can't claim this next tip as my own; I got it from a friend.

If you don't want your baby to rub all their hair off when they sleep, then buy some satin and put it in their crib. It doesn't necessarily have to be satin, just a slick fabric. I don't think I bought satin, I just bought what was cheapest.

I folded the fabric so it was just big enough to cover the whole area of his head. You also want it long enough so you can tuck it into the sides of the mattress, you don't want loose fabric for safety and efficiency reasons. It's that simple!

If you really want to prevent hair loss, then you could have a piece of fabric that you move around with baby, so that wherever baby is, satin is there too. I think that's a hassle, but if you're all for it, more power to ya!

The Party Dress

I don't know how I have failed to blog about THIS WEBSITE. I stumbled across it some time ago; perhaps a year or two ago.

I absolutely love it! It is SO inspirational and it just makes me want to throw and host constant parties. Not only do they have inspirational ideas, but they have a shop where you can purchase some of their fabulous products.

They also started a magazine; they just released the 5th issue, which you can read here. It's great being able to view the magazine online, but you can also purchase a wonderful copy to hold in your hands. One day I'll catch up and buy them all or if I'm lucky, I'll win the give away that's going on right now.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be the one randomly selected!

So I highly recommend taking a peek! And I guarantee if you do, that peek will turn into an obsession.

Ditch The Stink & Cut Down On Trips

I think there is some debate out there on whether or not a diaper pail is a necessity.

I have to say for me, it is.
I live in a condo on the third floor, so to take a dirty diaper to the trash every time I change one isn't realistic. If I lived in a house with my own garbage can just outside the door, then it might be a different story.
But even then, it is still a hassle to take multiple trips to the outside trash can, that is why they invented diaper pails. You cut down the number of trips to the outside garbage, but contain the stinky smell (for the most part).

The diaper pail I have, Baby Trend Diaper Champ, works great! Bonus: you don't have to buy special trash bags for it, you can just buy the generic brand. It keeps the stinky smell trapped for the most part. The exception is when you open the trap door to throw a diaper away or to change the bag, a little bit of stink slips out. I'm trying to find a way to neutralize the smell, so if you have any tips for that, I'd love to hear them!

So if you'd like less trips to the trash can and a stink-free baby room, then I'd definitely invest in a diaper pail!

Wedding Program

If your wedding calls for a program i.e. a sit-down function, then you want it to flow. Keep the speaking portion short and sweet. Yes it's nice to hear from your loved ones and to express your gratitude, but you don't want your guests to get bored, as well as yourself. It's a party, not a conference.

Here is an example of a program outline from my wedding:

• Dads speak 

• Bride's "person" speaks
• Groom's "person" speaks

• Bride & Groom thank everyone

• Bride & Groom start the buffet line
• Cutting of the cake

• Bouquet & garter toss

• Dancing: Daddy-daughter THEN Bride-Groom 

• Bride & Groom send-off

This is not "the way" to do it, just an example that flowed well and was short & sweet. 

Good luck creating your program!

Just For Fun Parties: Idea #1

I've been thinking of ways that I could share some of my favorite recipes and still have them connected with the purpose of the blog. So I've come up with some ideas for "just because parties." These will be themed around food. Here is the first idea.

A pizza dinner party.

Each guest can make their own pizza. Supply all sorts of sauces and toppings.
Some of these could include marinara, Alfredo, BBQ sauce, chicken, pepperoni, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, fresh veggies, ricotta cheese, and on and on.
You could really get creative with your toppings.

I have a great pizza dough recipe that is fairly simple and quick to make, as well as on the healthier side. Unfortunately, I can't claim this as my own recipe. I got it here.
Just a side note, it tends to be a thicker, heartier dough, so be sure to roll it out thin enough.

Enjoy!

I Never Told You

I failed to let you know the result of these.

They ended up in here.

Here is the story why.

When I got to work the following Monday, there was a floral arrangement on their kitchen counter, but it wasn't one of mine. It was in one of the vases I used though. 

I was a little curious what the situation was. My guess was that someone else had brought an arrangement and she gave all the ones away that I had arranged and kept that one. I planned on calling her to see how things went on Saturday, but she called me first and this was what had happened.

I had called Noah's on Friday to arrange bringing the flowers that night so they would already be there for Diana Saturday morning. I, with the help of my husband and two friends, delivered the arrangements Friday evening and the girl working at Noah's was expecting me. She showed me to a small room where I could put the arrangements for the night and the room would stay locked. I left a message on Diana's phone telling her where the flowers were.

Well.......Diana never saw the flowers. There was a miscommunication with the cleaning lady and she threw them all out Friday night! What made it worse is that room usually doesn't get cleaned on Friday night. Just my luck!

As Diana told me what had happened, I got a little sick and emotional. I had worked hard on those and I felt they looking pretty dang good and NO ONE saw my work! That was the most devastating part! I thought for sure that once I got off the phone with her I was going to shed a few tears, but I stayed tuff and didn't. I told her I had pictures and would show her. It was neither mine nor her fault; it was Noah's!

So Noah's staff used their floral people and had one made up for her, no charge. I don't think it looks nearly as good as mine DID. 

Hopefully next time I do arrangements for something similar, they won't get thrown out.

Cure For A Rash

My little guy got a REALLY bad diaper rash. I tried a few things and eventually found the cure.

I believe it was a combination of things. So here the tips and tricks to clearing up a bad diaper rash.

• Use wet paper towels instead of wipes. The chemicals, no matter how gentle or natural, will irritate the rash.
• Completely dry the baby's bottom before applying cream. I highly recommend using a blow dryer. If you don't have time, then use a dry paper towel (pat dry) or other means.
• Use Aquaphor! This was THE only cream/ointment that worked for my baby. I tried two different diaper rash creams and a prescribed cream from the pediatrician; none of them worked. The prescribed one actually irritated it more.
• Let the baby's bottom air out for periods of time. Lay him on his tummy with towels underneath in case he needs to go.

i'll talk more about aquaphor at a later time.

With those tips and tricks your baby's rash should clear up in a few days. You have to be patient with rashes. If it gets worse or doesn't improve at all, then I'd call your pediatrician.

Your Music Selection

There are a few options when it comes to selecting the music for your wedding.

• You can make a playlist from songs you like.
• You can hire a DJ and have him play the playlist you made or you can let him "do his thing".
• You can hire live musicians. A pianist, strings, band with a singer. 
• You can even do a mix of these. 

For my wedding, I had a pianist for the first part and a DJ for the second. I had the DJ play songs I selected for the father-daughter dance and the bride-groom dance; after that he played whatever his heart desired.

The type of music you select will probably coordinate with the feel of your wedding. This part of the process is fun, so enjoy it!

The Best Wipes

When it comes to my mom-related posts, I think most of them will be quick. Most, if not all, of the posts will be my opinion and discoveries. I'm just offering what I've learned or discovered; I don't expect everyone to agree with me. So here goes the first mama post.

I received a few different brands and types of wipes as gifts from showers. By using a few varieties, I discovered what I think are the best wipes out there.

Pampers Sensitive Thick Care

They are awesome! 

They are thick and so slick; that's the best word I can think of to describe them. They just wipe up the mess like it's nothing. And since they work so wonderfully, you don't have to use as many! I actually like changing messy diapers. That's weird.
They aren't that expensive either. Yes, there are cheaper wipes out there, but for what you get, I think these are the best bang for your buck.

So if you're curious, give them a try. You can buy the size picture above at Target for $2.39. I've seen a smaller size, so that would be best if you're just testing them out. Happy wiping.

Changes Have Been Made & Welcome The New Element

I made a couple minor changes to the image of the blog and I've added another element.

Tips and tricks for mothers.

I am no expert, by any means, in this area or any of the areas for that manner, but I like to share what I've learned from my experiences. And hopefully my knowledge and passion for these things will help you out. As I said earlier, these are areas I'd like to grow in and learn more about.

So follow me on my journey and maybe pick up a tip or two.

Doing A Little Tweaking

I've been giving this blog a lot of thought and brainstorming.

I'm going to continue posting tips and tricks for the bride-to-be and everyday party planner, but I'm going to add another element and do a tiny bit of tweaking. I'm still thinking through it a bit, so with that said, I believe the new element will make it's debut in the next day or two.

I think this blog will change and evolve as I have more experiences and continue to learn. I'm excited to see the journey it takes and where it ends up. So keep checking back!

Thank You Cards

Everyone knows they have to send thank you cards for all the gifts you receive from wedding & baby events. Most people probably dread this part too.

There's no way to get around it, so I'll give you a tip or two to make it a little bit easier.

• Have a notebook designated solely for the purpose of writing down received gifts. It'll all be in one place and you'll know exactly where to find your lists.

• Have all the supplies you need; cards, envelopes, stamps, maybe even a favorite pen. You can buy boxes containing a large quantity of thank you cards that come with envelopes. I got mine at Target, they were about $10 for 50.

• Write down everything you get and who it was from. It'd be wise to have everyone write down their address as well, that way you won't have to ask for them later.

• Write your thank you cards ASAP. If you can, write them the next day. If you stay on top of it, you won't have 200 to write at one time. Instead you'll have 10, that sounds much better, doesn't it?

I hope these tips prove to be helpful. Good luck!

Wedding Invitations

When it comes to wedding invitations, there's a lot to be said, but I'm just going to touch upon two areas.

Wording

There are many ways to word your invitations; you'd be surprised. So do your research. You want to be sure that your invitation matches the feel of your wedding, whether it's formal, casual, playful, etc. You even have to think of the nitty gritty details; like if you're going to spell out numbers or use the numeric symbol. There are quite a few things to consider with wording, but don't worry, it's fairly quick and painless.

RSVP's

Getting people to RSVP can be a difficult thing. In general, people just aren't good at it. One reason I think people don't RSVP is because they don't like to call someone and tell them their attendance decision. Well, I have one suggestion that may help you to get more responses.

Set up an email account solely for receiving RSVP's. This way you don't have a bunch of other mail getting mixed in; you'll only receive emails that are RSVP's. If you go the email route, make sure you put the email address on the invitation.

This won't get everyone to RSVP, but it may increase the number you do get. You'll still probably have to contact people to get their response, that's just the way it goes.

So with those two pointers in mind, have fun and enjoy picking out your wedding invitations!

Marriage License

I told you I would post again soon.

This one is a no brainer. Everyone knows that you have to get a marriage license in order to make your marriage official.

I have a couple of pointers for you though.

• Before you get your marriage license, make sure you know exactly where to get it, the hours they are open, and what you need in order to get it (fee, documents, ID's, etc.).
• When you go, give yourself plenty of time, because it's a first come, first serve basis.
• Get your paperwork and fees taken care of early. You want to make sure you've got your marriage license ready to go on your big day.
• Most importantly, make sure you bring your license with you on your big day and that all the necessary parties sign it, that includes you.

This isn't a fun part of the process, but an essential one.

WOW!!!!! It's Been A LONG Time!

I don't know if many people read this blog or any for that fact, but I'm sorry I've neglected it for SO LONG; 9 months to be more precise.

I'll blame it on pregnancy and the arrival of my sweet son, which you can read about here. 

i couldn't resist posting some pix of him.

 

 

I'm back now and I plan to make my posts more regular. I've quit my nanny job, so this gives me a little extra time; that is until I find a new job.

But this blog is something I'd like to keep up on and develop. 

I'm also sad to report that I haven't done a floral arrangement since the last one I posted about. Funds just haven't allowed me to enjoy such luxuries. Hopefully one day soon that will change.

here's a pic from last years' Valentine arrangements.

posting it for the sake of having some flowers to post.

So if you do read this blog, stay tuned, because I will be posting again soon.

Provo College Graduation Floral Arrangements

The lady I nanny for works for Provo College and their graduation is tomorrow. She asked if I could do a few arrangements for it. I, of course, wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. I get to work with a variety of flowers and get paid for it while expanding my experience, so it's a win-win!

I think they turned out great! This isn't my typical style (spacey) for arranging, but I really like it. I guess I never do it because it takes a variety of flowers to get the best effect.

So here are the results.

Now I just have to transport them; the tricky part!

Wish me luck!