halloween

Well, we're almost halfway through September and I'm still chugging along with the September Blog-A-Thon! I don't think I'll keep up daily blogging when September ends (it's hard!) but it's definitely gotten me back in the groove. Hope you blog readers are enjoying yourselves :)

I mentioned earlier that besides this blogging commitment, I also committed to a week of sewing for my kids, specifically. And all that on top of starting to work again for my dad, once a week, plus I'm back to school full-time as a weekend college student (2 classes away from being a senior, woohoo!) This will be a busy few weeks (and months!) But I'm really looking forward to the week of sewing for Kieran & Maia because I'll be starting to work on their Halloween costumes. I am usually a bit of a procrastinator, so I have to start early or I may not finish in time! And I'm sure Halloween will creep up on us really fast - after all, it's already mid-September!

Prior to this Halloween, I picked out Maia's costumes myself, because, well, she was too little to pick!

Halloween 2008 she was "turnin' Japanese"...

Halloween 2009 she was a ladybug. (Note that I only have one picture of her, and it wasn't even Halloween - she was in a "flee the camera" stage at the time, ha!)

This year we started talking about Halloween, dressing up and trick-or-treating a few weeks ago to jog her memory and get prepped - we're HUGE Halloween fans at the Collins residence, so I figure she's got to know what she's getting into. We pulled out her Halloween-themed shirt from last year, which happened to still fit, and when she asked what that was on her shirt - it was a witch, by the way - she said that SHE'D like to be a witch. So, teeny-tiny-toddler witch it is! A friendly witch, if you will. She's already got a mini-broom & some adorable black boots. I'll come up with a black top for her, and I'd like to make a tutu for her, plus some tights or leggings and she'll be set! She did request that I put stars on her outfit, so I'll pick some metallic fabric out and embellish the top. So cute!

I'll probably buy some Babylegs brand leggings (& Kieran can wear them later!)



And I'll likely use this tutu-torial to make her skirt, probably in some more witchy colors.

Maia also decided what Kieran's costume should be (well, I helped her.) I set out a few items for inspiration and allowed her to pick. I gave her some options I thought I could easily make myself, so I set out a plush owl, a gnome-print diaper, and a shirt with a monkey (wouldn't a monkey be cute!? I could sew tan fur on a brown onesie for a furry tummy?) Anyways, she picked the gnome, which thrilled me because I have a weird obsession with gnomes that I'm pretty sure stems from watching David the Gnome on Nickelodeon when I was growing up. David was so cool! (Did anyone else watch that show? I probably watched it in the early 90's.)

Anyways, here's the diaper:

And this is David the Gnome, bless his tiny heart.

For Kieran I think we'll make a pointy red hat out of some posterboard & felt, make a white beard, have him wear a blue shirt and tie a little rope or ribbon around his tummy, and we already have some brown fleece pants to go along with it. I'll try to embellish some shoes with a cute decoration, or try to add a pointy end to them. And we have a little mushroom rattle I'll have him pose with for pictures. How cute will that be!?

Well, what do you think? Can I handle these semi-DIY costumes on top of my other commitments? I think so, and I'm excited to try!

baptism

It was another busy day in the Collins household, and it kick starts a busy week! Kieran was baptized today while surrounded by the many family members who love him. What a lucky, loved and blessed little guy he is. He was such a good sport, too - smiling at the crowd, chatting with the pastor and there was no crying when the water was poured on his head! Such a sweet pea. Thank you so much to his godfather, my brother Devin, and his godmother, my bestie Angela, and to everyone who helped put on the luncheon!

Enjoy a few pictures of the baptism itself, courtesy of my mom - thanks for the photos, mom!

minnesota zoo

My in-laws are in town this weekend for Kieran's baptism, so we took the Minnesota Zoo for the first time! It was such a gorgeous day & it wasn't too crowded, which made for the perfect zoo experience. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. I am pretty annoyed (and embarrassed) at the quality because my camera's dying (hence the ultra need for a new one!) and half the time I tried to take a picture the camera started shaking - weird, I know - which then resulted in a blurry picture. Ugh! So, Canon S95, I shall be purchasing you soon!

We're monkeys!


My little bat


My boys :)


Sweet baby boy in the Beco


Passed out!


How many redheads can we fit in one shot!? (Josh's mom + the kids & I)


So gorgeous - another redhead!


Maybe I should get my husband some sunglasses?


Sally the camel had...2 humps, Sally the camel had...2 humps. Good song, right?


Maia LOVED that the tiger kept pacing back and forth in front of her!



And this shot's from dinner at Broadway Pizza - look at that proud grandma!

more than just a pretty necklace

When I take little miss M out in public, one of two comments is usually inevitable: 1) something regarding her hair color, or 2) a compliment about her pretty amber necklace.

June 2010

Have you ever seen a kid wearing one of these necklaces? Would you believe me if I told you it's a teething necklace?

December 2008

Yep, it's a teething necklace, but it never goes in baby's mouth. It does its work simply by laying on the skin!

I don't remember where or when I first heard about amber teething necklaces, but all I know is that after we put it on Maia our lives were changed. At 6 months, she had popped out 2 teeth in 2 days, and then 4 more teeth the next week - it was insane! We were dosing her up with Tylenol for pain & fevers and losing tons of sleep because she was miserable, poor baby. We ordered this necklace shortly after her teeth started popping out, and would you believe it - we never gave her Tylenol for teething again! We never had another (teething-related) sleepless night again! Josh and I would wake up and discover that overnight Maia had pushed a new tooth through, all while sleeping. The only teething medicine we ever ended up giving her post-necklace was Hyland's teething tablets, a homeopathic remedy that seemed to quickly relieve any breakthrough pain. Magic, I tell you, pure magic!

October 2009

Here's some background information on amber jewelry from Inspired By Finn, the website we got ours from and the one I refer other moms to:

"Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.

Baltic amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc."

Now that Kieran's almost 6 months actual age, I suspect we'll be seeing teeth soon. I think he might even be on his way - this past week he's been drooling a bit and sticking his hands in his mouth much more frequently that usual. With that in mind, it's time to get Kieran his own! Inspired By Finn sells this adorable boyish version called Semi-Polished Cider. Wouldn't that look fantastic with his red hair?! I definitely want to buy it when it's restocked.

If you're interested in using amber teething necklaces and have any questions, go ahead and ask me! Or head on over to Inspired By Finn. You can also "like" them on Facebook - they frequently post discount codes!

taking on another challenge

Lately I've been all about taking on challenges to get out of my comfort zone - case in point, this September blog-a-thon I'm participating in with about 30 other bloggers! So when my friend MJ posted a link to Elsie Marley's "kids clothes week challenge" on Facebook, I was intrigued! With Kieran coming home in May and taking up quite a bit of my formerly free time, then packing up and moving, I haven't sat down at my sewing machine and really cranked out a worthwhile project in awhile - I did embellish a dish towel for my mom's birthday, but that was amidst boxes and chaos before we moved. It's time I set my sewing machine up at the new place & finally complete one of the many projects I have in the pipeline!

So, here goes nothing - I commit to taking one hour a day to make (in my case, sew) kids clothing during the week of September 20th to 26th. If you're a crocheter, knitter or seamstress, join along! I'll post progress pictures of what I do daily.

I'm looking forward to this! What should I work on? I'd love to make a fleece dress for Maia, and something for Kieran (but it's got to be easy...maybe just a shirt or pants?) I'm a semi-advanced beginner - still scared of zippers and haven't worked a pattern yet, ha! I guess I really need this kick in the pants to get moving and work on something for the kids!

indecisive.

I have had the same camera for over 5 years now. It's a good ol' point & shoot, 7 megapixel Sony CyberShot. It served me well for a couple years, but lately it just doesn't give me the shots I desire, nor does it ever flash in time to capture anything cute my kids do! So the money I received for my birthday last month was definitely going towards a new camera. But what to get? I've always loved the beautiful photographs that DSLR cameras take, but at the same time, I love the simplicity of a point & shoot. Maybe there's a middle ground?

My Facebook friends helped me a few weeks ago when I polled them: for a starter DSLR, the Canon Rebel is where it's at, they said. I figured I could get the 8 or 10 megapixel camera to start, take a photography class or read a book (or soak up some knowledge from my DSLR-using friends, if they'd let me.)

Canon Rebel EOS DSLR

But then I got cold feet. Josh reminded me that I have a lot going on (2 kids, school, plus I can barely get time in to craft, or to sew - a hobby I started after getting my sewing machine last Christmas.) Do I want to spend a chunk of change on a camera that I potentially won't have the time to learn how to use, at least initially? Also, it's so large - I like a camera I can just keep in my purse.

So I explored the most high-quality point-and-shoot options and found the Canon Powershot S90.

Canon Powershot S90

Right in my price range and it's supposed to be fabulous - a sort of DSLR/point & shoot hybrid, combining the best of both. The only downside in all the reviews I read is that it doesn't have HD video recording capabilities. I do record short videos frequently and if I'm going to get a new camera, I'd like to get something that will have the newest technology since I'll be using it for quite awhile. I decided to buy it anyways, and was all set to order it, until I found out that Canon just released the Canon Powershot S95 - with 720p HD video capabilities!

Canon Powershot S95

From Canon's website: "The ultra-slim, ultra-intelligent S95 is loaded with all a serious photographer's must-haves, including a bright f/2.0 Wide-Angle Lens and professional-style control ring for intuitive manual control. Canon's HS SYSTEM is on board for spectacular performance and image quality in low light. And, new for a compact, the S95 incorporates Canon's Hybrid IS for blur-free shooting even close-up. You'll shoot stunning 720p HD video with stereo sound, then watch it immediately on your HDTV with the simple HDMI connection. If photography's your passion, now is the perfect time to step up to PowerShot S95."

So now I'm back at square one and I can't make up my mind! If I do the Canon PowerShot S95 then I have a little more saving to do, but I could get a DSLR for about just as much. I need to figure out what the heck I want. If you haven't weighed in already, dear blog reader, let me know what you think! What do you use and why? What do you think I should get and why? Am I just putting way too much thought into this?

procrastinating has its drawbacks...

One being that I barely have time to get in an entry for day number 7 of the blog-a-thon. Wow, it's been a week!? Woohoo! Anyways, I had a bunch of blog entry ideas a-brewin' today, but nothing can come to fruition. Since I'm typically a late-night, after-the-kids-go-to-bed sorta blogger, my style's really being cramped by this little bald dude, who usually goes to bed at 10pm, but is still wide awake at 11pm! I guess I can't blame him, he's apparently got an upset tummy AND now, he just gave me a late-night present in his diaper. Ahh, babies. Just a second ago he smelled so marvelous & perfect, I couldn't get enough of it...now I can barely breathe! Ha!

I do have a couple pictures from our time at the State Fair yesterday - we had a great time with the kids in tow! I think next year we'll go twice, once alone and once with the kids, but all in all we got to hit our favorite spots and even braved some rain! And our photobooth picture ROCKED - we succeeded in getting ALL four of us in there! That's quite an accomplishment, if you've ever been inside a photobooth - we all balanced on Josh's lap somehow! I'll have to scan it in tomorrow.

Josh & his Big Fat Bacon (on a stick) - everything is on a stick at the Fair!

Maia & I eating French's Fresh Fries - SO good with salt & vinegar.


I cannot even describe how HUGE this rooster was. AND loud! Insane.


An "open mouth" picture for my friends ;) Ha! I guess we (I?) do this a lot!