Archive for 2010
DIY Feather Ornaments
Quick post: I used the extra supplies from my DIY wreath to put together these feather tree ornaments. We had the plain, clear bulb ornaments sitting in a closet from another project a couple years ago. I simply hot glued feathers and balls (taken from clusters of faux berries) to the outside of the ornaments and filled the bulbs with more feathers. I made several of these and I think they came out pretty nice for a last-minute project.
Our tree is a small potted one that will hopefully find a home on our patio for the rest of the year – I may even decorate it for other holidays.
What is your Christmas tree like? Do you have any ornament traditions?
DIY Holiday Wreaths
I was inspired by this DIY felt pomp wreath over at Baby Rabies this month, so last week (or so) I got together with my friend & neighbor Brittanie to do our own. Although the pomp wreath is really pretty (I love the glitter!), we were looking for a more creative project to serve as art therapy (Or was that just me?) and we stocked up on an assortment of fun bits and pieces from the craft store. Neither of us had a concrete plan, just a lot of hot glue. I had it in my head going in that I wanted my wreath to have feathers, although I wasn’t sure how it would come together. I also couldn’t pass up on plastic orange slices. Brittanie’s wreath supplies were more traditional, with lots of festive foliage.
It’d been so long since I used a glue gun that I have no idea where mine went, so I bought a new pink one. There wasn’t enough leopard print ribbon to wrap around the entire wreath but luckily I’d purchased a roll of olive green as a backup. Mid-December all of the holiday craft items were clearance-priced, which was awesome. Red and gold millet, sparkly feathers and faux berries were under $1 a piece.
I should have taken photos mid-project, but here are the final results.
The husband said mine looks more like a harvest wreath than a Christmas one (probably true) and I think it looks sort of Native American in the colors. I intended for the leopard to show a lot more but that ended up looking gappy. You can see the ribbon more in person. My ‘Harvest’ wreath is probably not for everyone but I like it and my baby loves to stare at it.
(P.S. Wreaths are kind of hard to photograph straight on!)
Brittanie’s Christmas wreath is below. She wanted a “super Christmas wreath” and went all out with the silver and gold. She used so much glitter that she says she found glitter in her underwear. If I did my wreath over I would keep the feathers but use some poinsettias because her wreath definitely says Christmas.
Results aside, I had a lot of fun on this project and we are considering making craft nights a regular thing.
What are your favorite holiday craft projects? What sort of crafting should we do next?
New Mom Must-Haves
I don’t believe that babies require a lot but there are a few products that I can’t imagine not having. I’m writing this as my son Sebastian is three months old and this is the baby gear you’ll need while your baby is at their littlest. Stick these items on your registry or, better yet, find them secondhand.
For the first several weeks, some sort of bouncer seat is crucial if you ever want a shower. Combined with the whirring of the bathroom fan and running water in the shower, Sebastian slept through my showers in the first couple of weeks and cooed calmly as he got a bit older. Now he gets a bit bored and it is hit or miss, but he still naps in the bouncer during the day. We have the Fisher Price ocean bouncer but if I could do it again I’d probably register for a Mamaroo Infant Seat
A moses basket is probably my favorite accessory for newborns. Having my baby in a basket felt so old-fashioned and I adored the simplicity. The first few nights of his life I slept on the couch with him beside me in the basket on the floor, and for awhile we used the moses inside of his co-sleeper. I bought our basket from Goodwill for $8 but before finding it I had my eye on (much) more expensive baskets. You could easily go the middle route and find one for $30 or so. If you do splurge on a more luxe basket you could certainly save it to use with more than one baby. I had this Tadpoles Organic Waffle Terry Moses Basket Set
There are a lot of nursing pillows out there but my recommendation is the Bosom Baby from Luna Lullaby. While the Boppy
For the slightly older baby: Most recently we have discovered the Jumperoo, which is helpful when your 3 month old wants to do nothing but stand. Holding a still-pretty-floppy 15 pound baby is tiring and a Jumperoo is great for when you aren’t in the mood for the workout. I’ve heard mixed things about how good this product is for babies’ legs, but I don’t think most babies are going to tolerate it for so long that it realistically becomes a problem. Sebastian will go for about half an hour at a time but they are an adorable half hour. He watches the flashing lights, hops from one leg to the other and gazes up at the toys overhead. My mom found ours secondhand in great shape but brand new a Fisher Price Jumperoo
Breastfeeding must-haves to have on hand from the moment baby is born are clothing for breastfeeding (bras and tops that make you feel pretty and confident as well as being practical), organic breast pads (Wear while napping!) and Nipple Butter
Other moms: What am I leaving out? What are your must-haves for 0-3 month olds?
Happy 1st Birthday Mason & Kudos to Kourt
On December 14th, little Mason Kardashian turned one year old. This time last year I was somewhere in the process of getting knocked up, and I was newly pregnant when the Mason birth episode aired on E!. I think that every pregnant woman watches at least a few birthing videos and there was no way I would have missed Mason’s birth on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Mason’s birth was beautiful, and it created a bit of a buzz over the (awesome & natural!) way she pulls the baby out and up onto her chest.
I encourage that all mamas-to-be watch Mason Kardashian’s birth video, or the entire Mason birth episode of KUWTK if you can find it. I remember being in awe of Kourtney as she goes to shower and get prettied up for labor after her water breaks although thank god I didn’t take so much time at home during my birthing experience. Her calmness was so different than the typical baby-drama you see in the movies.
Kourtney blogs about her experiences as a mother and touches on hot topics breastfeeding and co-sleeping. Kourtney has said that sleeping with her son strengthens their bond and that she would nurse in public sans cover if she weren’t a celebrity. She has described breastfeeding as “obviously so natural and healthy for both of us”. I adore Kourtney Kardashian!
For more Kardashians, I just love Kourt’s look in the 2010 Kardashian family Christmas photo.
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