I've Moved!!

Exciting stuff!  I now have my own domain.  Please be patient, it is still under construction, but from now on I will be posting at the following web address.

www.lifeonagravelroad.com

YAY!!  Can you tell I'm pumped??  Hoping to be on there with a new post tomorrow, so make sure to check me out!

Pink or Blue??

Cold Weather Car Emergency Kit

Well, Winter has settled in here in Morgantown, WV.  I can't stand Winter.  I would be perfectly fine with one snow for Christmas and then straight into Spring.  Nope.  Usually we don't get a white Christmas, the snow starts in January and doesn't stop until March.  Ugh.

Right now this is what our front yard looks like.

Yeah, I had to sneak a few pictures of the fam in there. :)  Snow does make for some cute pictures.

The snow is a lot of fun when you get to stay home and go out and play, when it's not so much fun is when you have to drive to work in it.

This year, I'm even more concerned than usual because of the bun in my oven, it's not just me braving those roads. We live in WV and there are still spots with patchy cell service.  I started thinking about what would happen if I slid off the road in a snow storm and didn't have cell service.  What if I had to spend the night in my car? I decided it was high time to throw together an emergency kit to keep in my car.

Here's a list of what I included:

• Blanket
• Socks
• Gloves
• Hat
• Hand warmers
• Flashlight
• Flasher/ glow stick/ whistle (all in one- shown below with the pink handle)
• Peanut butter & spoons
• Beef jerky
• Bottled water

 

 I put it all in a plastic container and keep it in the trunk of my car.

 I also keep snow boots and a car charger for my cell phone in my car.  I don't wanna be caught walking a mile in the snow with high-heeled boots on.... not fun!

Hopefully I'll never have to use anything in this kit, but it is nice to know that it's there in case I do need it.  Any snow where you guys are yet?

-Brooke 

DIY Kid's Art Center

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years.  Our's was amazing.  Khloe is at the perfect Christmas age right now- she loves lights, presents, snow, Santa.... pretty much anything that has to do with Christmas.  I hope this stage lasts a long time.  Nothing is better than viewing Christmas through the eyes of an excited child.

It's back to work for us and I'm having a really hard time getting out of holiday mode.  I had the opportunity to stay home with Khloe the entire week of Christmas this year.  We made crafts, baked cookies, watched Christmas movies, played dolls... everything that I could think of.  Anyways, it's hard to come down off a week like that and go back normal everyday responsibilities.  But, I'm trying.

We started a Christmas tradition last year of making Khloe a homemade gift.  I love the idea of putting a lot of effort into something for my child.  Last year we made her play kitchen.  You can read about that by clicking the link below.

Khloe's Play Kitchen

I spent a lot of time this year on Pinterest trying to find the perfect gift to make.  Khloe loves drawing, coloring, stickers and crafts, so I decided to make her an art center.  Plus that would give me a way of organizing all those coloring books!  2 birds- 1 stone.

I started out with this little table my dad had given me.  He's always looking for stuff I can use :)

The leaves on the table made me a bit nervous- didn't want any pinched little fingers- and the decorative side panels weren't really my thing.  A few screws later and they were gone.  

I painted the table white using the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations that I had leftover from painting my cabinets (Kitchen Re-do In Progress).  Same as always with this stuff, it took about 4 coats.

Sorry for the lack of in-progress pictures, it was the week of Christmas and I was struggling to get everything done.

I then painted pink stripes on the table.  Just measured it out and put down some painters tape. I wanted to match up the pink paint to the little Ikea stools that I bought, so I took a leg of one of the stools to Lowe's and matched it up.  I ended up going with Olympic Panama Rose in semi-gloss.  It matched up perfectly.

For the legs, I wanted to add a little pizzazz and since it was an art table, dripped paint legs seemed like a smart bet.  Fair warning- this is NOT a 1 person job. 

First I wrapped the top of the table in wrapping paper to protect it.  Then I poured pink paint into 4 styrofoam cups.  I put the cups to the left of each leg so we could pick up the entire table and move it over to go down in the cups.  After dipping the legs, Chris lifted the table and I quickly removed the cups.  We then quickly turned the table over to let the paint drip down the legs and dry.  It was nerve- wracking, especially since we had to do it inside due to the cold.  I had drop cloths everywhere!  I absolutely love the finished legs.  I think it's so cool to have paint dripping down an art table.

We set up the table on Christmas Eve night in her room after she went to bed and showed it to her in the morning.  I said "Khloe, now you can color whenever you want!"  Her response was, "And eat pizza!"  She's always making us laugh. This picture was Christmas morning.  She sat down and started coloring right away.

To finish off the desk, we put 2 spice racks above it to hold her coloring books, 2 Ikea stools (so she can have friends over), and three buckets on top to hold her crayons, markers and colored pencils.

Here is a link to the stools-  MAMMUT stools. They're only $7.99 each and they are crazy sturdy (my husband and I both sit on them regularly to color).

Here is a link to the spice racks- BEKVAM spice rack

The little buckets were from Target's dollar spot this summer.

Khloe loves the table.  She colors for at least an hour everyday (no exaggeration). Did you guys make any fun DIY gifts this year?

-Brooke

Linking up to:

Domestically Speaking- Inspire Me Monday

The Thrifty Home- Penny Pinching Party

Savy Southern Style- Wow Us Wednesdays

The Style Sisters- Centerpiece Wednesday

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Yep!  We’re expecting baby #2!  Here are a few random tidbits about my pregnancy.

• I’m 13 weeks &  1 day along
• My due date is July 6^th, 2015
• If this baby is born on July 4^th, I’ll have a Labor Day baby and an Independence Day baby :)
• I’ve gained 2lbs so far
• I’ve heard the heartbeat 2 times and had 1 ultrasound
• I’m showing WAY faster than I did the first time around
• I’ve already broken out the belly band, something I didn’t do until around 20 weeks with Khloe
• My best friend is pregnant too and we’re due only 7 days apart!
• I’ve been sooo tired.  To the point of not functioning outside of going to work every day. The last two weeks it has gotten way better, though.
• So far, this pregnancy has been completely different than Khloe.  With Khloe I had zero symptoms.  Every time I would go to the doctor and they would ask how I feel, I’d say “I feel normal”.  Yeah…. Not this time.  I’ve been nauseous on and off, my gag reflex is overpowering, I’ve been super fatigued, and some other weird pregnancy things that I won’t gross you out with :)
• We don’t know the gender yet, but I feel like it’s a boy

Hope you have a great New Year’s Day!  I’ll be back after the first of the year with a renewed vigor…. Maybe :)

Top 10 Most Useless Baby Items (That I Just Had to Have)

When you find out you're pregnant with your first child, there's happiness, there's joy, there's laughter and maybe a little crying.  Then after a few weeks of soaking in the magic and people telling you that you're glowing, there's a slight realization that comes to you- HOLY COW, THIS BABY HAS TO COME OUT OF ME SOMEHOW!  It is shear panic.  Not as if you didn't know that you actually had to have the baby, but at some point it all becomes entirely too real.  For me, I started looking up relaxation techniques for labor, scriptures to help me during labor, relaxing music for labor, you get the idea.  I thought I would be a basket case when the time came.  I pictured myself being one of those women you see on TV who try to run out of the hospital only to have the IV in your arm jerk you back.  Well, when the day finally came, I woke up to my water leaking.  My first thought wasn't panic or fear, it was more like, "Huh, I guess I'm having a baby today."  So, I called the doctor and he said to come on in.  I thought, "I have things to do before I go."  I cleaned the entire house, made muffins, took a shower and gave Chris a haircut.  Then I was ready to go.  The ride to the hospital was peaceful and when we got there I walked up to the maternity floor and checked myself in.  I was calm through the entire thing.  Never panicking or crying or screaming.  Well, no crying until after I had her and then it was happy tears.  I was so calm that I think I freaked out my husband.  He thought he was going to have the be the strong one just to get me through.  I guess mommy instinct took over and I knew it was going to be okay.

Fast forward a few days and we're at home going through all the little trinkets and tools that we bought for baby.  Things that I just had to have, I couldn't do without these things.  If we didn't have these, there was absolutely no way we could take care of our baby. 

As a new mom, I actually panicked more after I had her than before.  But, as you go along in this crazy journey, you realize that they aren't made of porcelain and they're not going to crack.  You also realize what crazy ideas you had before you had the baby about what you HAD to have.  Okay, okay to the point.  Here is my top 10 list of what I found to be the most useless baby items.

1. Newborn shoes- They can't walk.  They don't need shoes.  Granted, they are pretty stinking cute, but they're out of that newborn size in a blink of an eye and you just spent $15 on shoes they wore under the blanket that they're always covered in and no one even saw them.  

2. Baby washcloths- This one just seems so ridiculous to me now.  I bought packs and packs of baby washcloths.  Now I think, what was wrong with the washcloths we used?  We're we washing with sandpaper??  Plus, those baby washcloths are so tiny you can barely get a grip on them.

3. Wipe warmer- The wipes are in my house, my house is warm.  I don't know about you, but I don't keep the wipes in the freezer.  If the wipes ever felt cold, I would just rub it in between my hands for a second before using it.

4. Newborn coat- Okay, so you may think I'm crazy on this one.  You're thinking obviously you're baby needs a coat.  What I found was there was no way she could fit in her car seat/ carrier with a coat on.  We ended up going with a hat, blankets and a fleece carrier cover.

5. Baby cologne- really... I never wasted my money on this one, but really?

6. Baby shampoo- My kid had no hair.  Even if they do have hair, baby soap is for hair and body.  Why do you need a separate bottle just for that peach fuzz?

7. Wearable baby carrier/ sling- I know this one is more of just me, but I could not figure these things out.  When I would put her in, I felt like she was going to fall out.  When I would tighten it so that wouldn't happen, I felt like she was going to suffocate.  Some people swear by these things, so this is one you just have to figure out for yourself.  I love the concept, but just couldn't get comfortable with it.

8. Newborn toys- They literally do nothing but eat, sleep and poop for about the first 5 months of their lives.  We bought all these toys to occupy her and she didn't pay one bit of attention to them.   Despite me putting them in her face over and over just to get a picture of her with her toys.

9. Baby laundry soap- If you're baby has sensitive skin, then you may have to use this.  When I was pregnant, I called my sister-in-law to see what kind of baby laundry soap she used so I could buy some to get the newborn clothes washed.  She gave me the greatest piece of advice ever.  She said to use your regular detergent starting out and if they have a reaction, then change to baby detergent.  Baby detergent is expensive and you have to wash everything separately.  I never used it with Khloe and she never had a reaction.

10. Bottle drying rack-  If you don't have a dishwasher, ignore this one because you will need one of these.  If you have a dishwasher, the bottles are washed, sanitized and dried in there and there is no need to put them on a drying rack.  

So, what's my point in all of this?  Relax new mommies!  Go buy the gadgets you want to try out.  Some of them will change your life (for me it was the battery powered nasal aspirator- game changer) but if you can't afford all of the new fangled things, it's okay.  You don't need them.  Your baby needs clothes, food, warmth and love, lots and lots of love.  That's it when you boil it down. People told me that my mommy instincts would take over and I would know how to take care of the baby and for a long time, I thought they were wrong.  I was constantly questioning if I was doing things right.  But you know what? She survived.  She not only survived, she thrived!  She's a healthy, happy, funny little toddler.  So, in the end, I realize that I did have mommy instincts and they were right, you just have to learn to trust them.  ;)

-Brooke

$3 DIY Tiered Cake Plate

This post is LONG overdue.  I was cleaning up my SD cards and found these pictures, so I decided it was time to share.  

I made this cake plate for Khloe's 1st birthday party back in September 2013.  I needed two tiered cake plates for my table arrangement and I wasn't about to pay $30 each for them.  So, I was in Dollar Tree looking around one day and the idea struck me.  I could take two plates and a vase and make a cake plate!  I love it when the stars align.  

I chose 1 large round platter...

1 smaller platter...

 And 1 skinny, single rose vase. I chose a sturdier one, not a glass one.  

They were all kinds of mismatched, but it didn't matter.  

I used Gorilla glue to attached together.  Large platter on bottom, vase in the middle and smaller platter on top.

After the glue was dry, I spray painted the whole thing white to make everything cohesive.

I used these cake plates for Khloe's birthday party last year and again this year.  I couldn't be happier with them.  

So, as far as pricing goes-

Large platter: $1

Small platter: $1

Vase: $1

Gorilla Glue & spray paint: already owned

Grand total: $3

-Brooke

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!  I don't know about where you are, but here is Motown, WV, it's cold and rainy (on the verge of icy and snowy).  I'm glad our trick or treat was last night.  

This year, Khloe went as Molly from the Bubble Guppies.  I looked around for a costume to buy, but I couldn't find one Molly costume in her size.  So, I decided to give it a go at making one.  Here is our inspiration pic.

Isn't she a cutie!  By the way, I'm that pathetic parent who knows more Bubble Guppies songs than top 40 songs.... yep, I own it when I'm singing "Take me away on a train!"

I started out trying to find a skin-colored shirt for the base of the top.  No luck.  Kid's clothes just don't come in tan.  I improvised and bought white onesies and dyed one tan by using RIT dye.

You use this dye in your washing machine, scared me to death the first time I did it.  I thought I was going to ruin the washer.

But if you follow the directions on the back, you come out with a clean washer and a tan shirt.

Then came the skirt.  I am no seamstress, so I really don't even know how to give a tutorial on this.  I bought some fleece fabric (any stretchy fabric would work) and made a straight skirt.  I basically wrapped the fleece around her, cut it, sewed a straight seam down the back and added a piece of elastic at the top to hold it up.  Then I made a tutu out of bunched up tulle and sewed it on the bottom of the skirt.  This was the hardest part because the tulle wasn't exactly easy to get through my machine.

Next, I cut random pieces of darker blue felt and attached them to the front of the skirt with fabric glue.

I wrapped a piece of tulle around Khloe's chest to finish the top and put a pink wig on her and it was done.

She was hating the wig in these pictures.  I really wanted her to wear the wig, so I told her she would get more candy if she wore it and she ended up wearing it the whole time she was trick or treating.  Mom- 1, Khloe- 0!

This costume was pretty cheap to do, here's a breakdown of the costs.  i already owned the thread and glue.

T-shirt: $2.50
RIT dye: $2.50
Fleece remnant: $1.98
Felt: $0.23
Tulle: $2.00
Wig: $5.00

Total: $14.21

Did you guys DIY any costumes this year?

-Brooke

Fall Party at Mom and Dad's Farm

This year we started a tradition at my mom and dad's house.  My family, my brother's family, my grandma, and my mom and dad all gathered at they're farm and had a fall shindig.

The kids had a blast!

We had a hay ride, painted pumpkins and played outside on the playground dad just built for the kids (he's amazing).  For the food, we had potato soup, chili, cornbread and hot dogs.  

We also took some time out to take some photos.  My mom and dad had not had a picture done in forever, so it was a good opportunity.

We had such a good time!  Love making memories with my family.

-Brooke