Pinteresting Wednesday

It's that time again!I think we should have a St. Patrick's Day theme this week, don't you?

Source: createdby-diane.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Source: cakecentral.com via Tammy on Pinterest

Source: taidyeoriginal.blogspot.com via Kelli on Pinterest

Source: youtube.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: alexandrahedin.blogspot.com via Graham on Pinterest

Don't forgot to link up at The Vintage Apple!

On an entirely different note, I got the best thing today. I just ordered it on Amazon, so I won't know how much more I love it until it arrives, but just LOOK AT IT. It's awesome.



I'll let you know how much fun I'm having in a week or so, hah.

Pinterest - E-book giveaway!

I received one or more of the products mentioned for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

As an avid user of Pinterest, it isn't terribly surprising that I would be very interested in anything involved with it. As part of the Mom Blog Society, I was offered an opportunity to review a copy of an e-book based on Pinterest, and ways to use it to further a business. Be it a shop, a blog or a photography business, Pinterest can really work wonders to help you build an audience and reach hundreds, even thousands, more viewers than you would the old-fashioned way. It is such a valuable tool.

So when I came across an opportunity to read an e-book all about using Pinterest to build my readership, by Kim Garst, I jumped on it.



As a fairly new blog, my "brand" has not really been built yet. I don't have a ton of followers, or a steady posting on certain days of the week. I usually just do my best to drop in and post something that might be interesting once or twice a week. So using Pinterest to gain attention for my blog is key right now. As I read through the e-book, I found myself clicking back and forth between my Pinterest boards and the PDF so I could make changes as I read. Some of the hints were things I was already doing, but certain key points - like organizing my Pinterest boards so the most active ones were near the top on my profile! - were quickly implemented because they just made so much sense, I had no idea why I hadn't thought of them before.

Kim Garst is just awesome. She has taken a virtual pin-board that most would use as a bookmarking tool, and evolved it into a way to expand a business. Genius. You can find her all over the net!

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kimgarst
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/socialmediabrandinggal

So...would you be interested in getting a copy of this e-book for yourself? You know you want one.

So leave a comment! Name and valid email required so I can contact you if you win. Want a another way to win? Follow me on Facebook and get another entry. I will be using Random.org to choose the winner.

Good luck! Contest ends Saturday, March 17th.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Can we just skip the rest of the year, please?

My poor little blog. It started off as a way to show some of the things I made that I found on Pinterest. Instead, I get to come here once a month and talk about how sick everybody is at my house.

Poor Micah. He's had one heck of a year so far. Strep in January, a stomach bug in February, and now in March he has a crazy bad cold. Fever off and on, tons of drainage, and a yucky, loose cough. I'm sure that's just what you wanted to know about, hah. My poor little monkey sounds like a heavy smoker, his voice is nearly gone so even when he cries all that comes out is a squeak. I miss hearing him laugh normally. I can't wait until his little immune system gets beefed up and we stop with the constant illness. It has to be daycare...right?

Do you know I have a project I downloaded last September, and then bought the fabric for in December, started sewing in January, and is STILL NOT DONE? And I keep buying and planning more projects! I clearly have a problem. But I really need to get this first project done.

On another note, I started the Pinterest Challenge with the SITS girls. I'm rather excited because it's my first time joining in with them and of course, Pinterest is, of course, a huge favorite of mine. I look forward to sharing what I look and enjoying Pinterest in a new way.

New cars, new carseats

It's been one heck of a year so far, and it's only just begun.

Last weekend my husband was hit by another car, barely clipping his front end but ripping his bumper off and bending the frame. (FYI - Elantra's are not the most durable cars on the road.) So the last week has been a long process to find another car after our insurance paid off the balance with the GAP coverage, which I was very thankful we had. But after jumping through a heck of a lot of hoops to get a new loan, we are the proud owners of a brand new Dodge Nitro. I cannot recommend this car enough.



Back when I bought my Mazda5 (more on that in a bit), what I really wanted was a Jeep, preferably a Wrangler or Rubicon four door. Needless to say, they were just a tad out of our new parent price range. This Nitro is so similar to a Jeep for a fraction of the price. It's heavy, strong and durable, and very dependable. It's also surprisingly good on gas, and since my husband will be the primary driver, we likely won't be spending any more on gas than we did with the Elantra.

Somebody else really likes it, too. He got very excited the first time he rode in it. "Truck! It's BIG."



Along with the replaced car, we got a new carseat since you're supposed to replace them after an accident, even though it was minor. We originally had a Graco MyRide65, which was super cushy and reclined pretty far so he was comfortable enough to fall asleep without his head resting on his chest (which I hate - he just looks so uncomfortable that way.) I wanted to get something similar, but that could convert to a booster so it would last him at least a couple of years. Thanks to the insurance I was able to get a Graco Nautilus.



This thing is awesome. We put it in my Mazda5 instead and it fits perfectly in the bucket seat, and it will last him a really long time as it converts to a booster as well. We tried him out in it but he hasn't taken a ride yet, because he was tired and started crying when we put him in it before bed. Hopefully he will enjoy riding in it tomorrow. He really likes my Mazda5, and with the sliding door similar to a van it's the best car I have ever owned. It's comfortable for my size (I'm short at 5'2") and while in most cars everything is out of my reach, in the Mazda5 it's all perfect for the length of my arm and legs. It's the ultimate mommy-mobile, hah.

I guess all things happen for a reason! Now we have a much better, newer car and a fancy new carseat for Micah. But please, life, be good to us in March!

Pinteresting Wednesday

It's that time again!

These look seriously delicious, and I want some. Like right now.

Source: 27.media.tumblr.com via Aimee on Pinterest

I love this idea for the back of the car seat, since we have buckets and no center console.

Source: Uploaded by user via Aimee on Pinterest

My dream - to be able to sew this, and then wear it for Halloween. So pretty.

Source: etsy.com via Aimee on Pinterest

Super cute photo idea! I may have to try it this weekend, we both have iPhones.

Source: grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com via Aimee on Pinterest

I absolutely love this dress. It's flattering for just about any shape.

Source: saksfifthavenue.com via Aimee on Pinterest

And this, made by a favorite seamstress of mine, GiannyL, could easily be adapted to look like the dress above. And super easy!

Source: instructables.com via Aimee on Pinterest

What are you pinning lately?

The vacation of my dreams

Well...almost. I admit that my ideal vacation would involve sleeping in, whereas if my toddler comes with me, that is pretty much impossible. But no way would I ever go to visit a beach like these without him! I can already see him splashing and screaming through that clear, warm water.

Source: google.com via Annie on Pinterest

My dream - to sleep in a hammock in a shady spot of a gorgeous beach. Or maybe just sleep in a hammock.

Source: weheartit.com via Beth on Pinterest

In Croatia, there is this magnificence. I didn't even know Croatia had areas like this. Learn something new every day.

Source: hellomagazine.com via Scott on Pinterest

Greece. I would go just to take pictures of the homes built into the cliffsides like this. Though I'd really like to do more than that!

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

The California Redwoods both freak me out and fascinate me. So, incredibly, LARGE.

Source: google.com via Laurie on Pinterest

Yucatan. Oh, the WATER. Falling from the forest sky!

Source: thefancy.com via Robyn on Pinterest

And of course...the Big Apple. Times Square at night, in particular. I have a friend that shot a long exposure of himself with a girl in the middle of the street of the square, and it is just brilliant. I would pay good money to recreate that shot.

Source: google.com via Jess on Pinterest

Where would you like to go someday?

I have no idea what day it is.

This last week has been one of the hardest I have had in a long time. Do you ever have times like that? Where it just seems like every single thing that could go wrong, does, and life seems to just suck the energy out of you? This was definitely one of those weeks.

On Sunday I had a really hard time sleeping, so 4:30AM came WAY too early. Micah was a touch cranky and wouldn't let me take his pajamas off to get dressed, so we went to Lita and Tata's house in our jammies and a jacket.

Tuesday was ok. I stayed up later than I wanted because The River came on and my friend Emmet came over to watch it with me. If you watch the show, you'll know how funny it is that my friend is named Emmet, lol. Micah had a hard time sleeping for some reason and woke me up for milk twice. Then at 3:30am, Antonio came in and told me he was taking himself to the ER because he was short of breath, and had tightness and pain in his chest, with vomiting. No way was I allowing that, so Micah and I got up and got dressed and took him to the ER. Since I had the baby with me we stayed out in the waiting room while they did an xray and EKG on Antonio, then my dad came and got Micah and I was able to stay with my husband. We were there until 8am. Thankfully he's ok now, but needless to say, I missed work.



Wednesday I got up and got Micah dressed to go to my mom's, and right as I opened the car door, he threw up. Covered his jacket and pacifier clip. He got very upset, so I brought him back in the house, cleaned him up, and called in to work yet again because one of my co-workers had a stomach bug as well as her daughter the previous weekend. Micah's was pretty mild, but it was made worse every time he had milk so I stopped letting him have anything but water. He threw up only two more times, but he was very lethargic and spent the whole day on the couch with me. He was still sick the next morning, but my dad kept him so I could go back to work. Now he has really bad congestion and a runny nose so he's a tad clingy, very sensitive and cries about everything, and just wants to laze about all day. Hopefully that will clear up in a day or two.





On top of all this, I had two projects friends of mine commissioned me to sew for them. Neither turned out exactly like I wanted, but they are still cute and they will be getting shipped out in the morning...hopefully. One was a set of toddler bed sheets and one was a set of soft baby boots. The former ended up with too-short elastic, the latter with wonky seams and strange velcro placement. I'm planning another post about the boots, but here's a bad Instagram photo.



I also have a half-finished hoodie I've been working on in bits and pieces for Micah for weeks, and I've reached a point in the pattern where I'm confused, so I'm letting it marinate a bit. Hopefully next weekend I will have a bit of free time.

I'm finding that now that I'm working, I just don't have the time or energy to do much of anything. Tragic, really, since I now have the funds to do them! Maybe when it's summer and the sun is out longer I'll have more drive.