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I'm now MommaMaria.com!! Come on over, Reader readers!

I've got a new design, a new domain name, and cute baby pics to share! I know you don't want to miss out!

See you over at MommaMaria.com!

Pin It Thursday

I am loving this.

Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

Duh.

Source: suzyssitcom.com via Maria on Pinterest

Nail polish to organize your keys.

Source: realsimple.com via Maria on Pinterest

Just in time for Halloween:

Source: growingkinders.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Quilling

Is it as hard as it looks?

Source: behance.net via Sherry @ Young on Pinterest

Cause it looks awesome and hard at the same time. But I love it. And I'd love to have this made for Lillian.

Or I'd love for one of you to be like, "Heck, yes! I know how to quill! And Lillian is so awesomely adorable. I'm going to make this for them."

**Please make it so I can put it in at least a 5x7 frame. ... obviously with no glass, right?

**** I'd totally be willing to do a review and advertising for you! :)

Is it wrong

that I kinda want to switch my choice for Lil's costume this year to ....

via

Weekend Recap

Happened
Not so much


Friday:
Re-cooperate from concert last night.
Clean bathrooms
Make sure guest room is ready

Saturday:
Garage Sale
Homecoming Game
Sweep floors/vacuum upstairs
Lunch: @ the game
Dinner: Corndogs, green beans - This is not what we had. But I can't remember what we did have. Sad, right?

Sunday:
Visit with Mom & Dad about their vacation
Make menu for week
Go to grocery store
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Pizza @ Mom and Dad's

Week's Menu:
Monday - Spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, salad
Tuesday - Nacho Pie
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie
Friday - Rehearsal Dinner for friends' wedding
Saturday - Reception Dinner for friends' wedding
Sunday - Chili Mac

Linking up with My Happy House

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

Friday:
Re-cooperate from concert last night.
Clean bathrooms
Make sure guest room is ready

Saturday:
Garage Sale
Homecoming Game
Sweep floors/vacuum upstairs
Lunch: @ the game
Dinner: Corndogs, green beans

Sunday:
Visit with Mom & Dad about their vacation
Make menu for week
Go to grocery store
Lunch: ?
Dinner: ?

Linking up with My Happy House

Pin It Thursday

Awesome idea. I could totally see this in my mom's basement. Except its just her and Dad now. Womp womp.

Source: ana-white.com via Maria on Pinterest

Are you kidding me? Easy-peasy.

Source: crissyscrafts.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

Super cute. May change playroom design to match these!

Source: etsy.com via Maria on Pinterest

Disappointments

Life is full of disappointments.

Like when you return to the sale rack 2 days later and find that those shoes you wanted but didn't buy are gone.

But life offers even greater disappointments.

Like when someone you thought was good turns out to be not so good.

And then that someone throws a huge boulder at your house of cards life.



And that person doesn't even realize how many people they have effected with their actions and decisions.

But, the people around clean up the mess left behind.

Roll up their sleeves and get to work.

While that person lies around wondering (or not) what is happening.

While friends and relatives try to stay calm for the one who got hurt the most.


Will they ever learn?

Probably not.


Will we have to keep picking up after them?

Hopefully not forever, but probably for a while.


Would we do it all over again because it means helping someone we love who got burnt?




Absolutely.

Freezer Meal Planning

So, I'm trying to start a freezer meal group.

I sent out a message to 23 of my friends on Facebook. The requirements to be invited?

1. Must be a girl
2. Must be busy (isn't that all of us, really?)
3. Must live close by (in order to swap meals with easily)

The event was sent out. So far a few have replied that they are interested.

The meeting will be strictly informational as of right now. Then I think we'll do most via Facebook group/messaging. I think adding that into the mix will make it helpful for busy moms.

I got the idea from here. She is planning to post more about organizing a group, so hopefully that will be helpful. It can't be that hard, right?

Here's what I'm thinking:

• try to get at least 6 girls/families involved. If more are interested, we may have to divide into 2 groups... not a lot of us have deep freezer space, I'm sure.
  
• everyone does an 8x8 - BUT if your family requires more than an 8x8 at each meal, you count as 2 people. (So, if there are 6 families, but one requires 2 8x8 dishes per meal, we'll all be preparing 7 dishes, and 2 of those would go to that family) This also means that family makes 2 8x8 dishes for every person involved (they would just double the amount they are making)
• everyone shops on their own for their own recipe
• have a scheduled time to meet to swap
• all food must be frozen and labeled before arriving to swap meeting (labels will be provided -- I like things to match)
  
• food aversions and allergies will be noted at initial meeting
  
• meals will be frozen in the most space-saving way possible
• recipes will be sent to me by the weekend following our initial meeting so that a master list can be posted & no replicates are made
• swap will be 1 month after initial meeting (where we will discuss further meetings/swaps)

Bad idea? I hope not.

All about me!

I grew up in the same town I live in now. I live less than 3 miles away from my parents, 2 blocks from my sister, and 6ish miles from my brother. And I love it... most of the time. :)

My husband and I met during my freshman, his junior, year of high school. He went to a different school, but my school and his co-oped our high school sports. So we met through mutual friends at youth group.

We started dating right away (like most do in high school) with out really knowing one another or their families. Best decision ever.

We dated all through my high school career and got engaged during spring break my senior year. And no, it wasn't on a stereotypical spring break. He was house sitting for my parents while we all went to Disney World. Yea. And then he surprised me when we returned home.

That was in March 2006. On December 30, 2006 we were married! I had just turned 19. He just turned 21.

We lived in the his apartment for about 6 months so I could finish school at the community college. Then we moved to an apartment in my hometown so we could be closer to family and 20 minutes closer for me to drive to Eastern Illinois University. Although the hour drives one way, every day, were exhausting, they were so worth it. I got to finish my college degree and live close to family!

So, in May 2009 I finished student teaching and was a teacher! I looked for jobs, but never found one. I started subbing and found out that December that we were expecting our first child. I finished out the year subbing, had the baby in the summer, and have been blessed to stay home with her ever since. Sure, I do some subbing days here and there -- just to give her a break from me -- but nothing like I was doing.

Brandon is a full-time web designer at a small company close by and has a design business on the side. We are so blessed that his income takes care of all our needs, plus some.

We are learning how to grow together. Which, I think, comes from starting our relationship out so young. We were able to form our ideals and love together. Neither one of us were done growing when we met.

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

Friday:
Set up garage for sale
Go to bachelor/bachelorette party for dinner

Saturday:
Garage Sale
Lunch: frozen pizza
Dinner: BBQ Chicken on grill, broccoli, and mashed potatoes

Sunday:
Church
Garage Sale
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Out with friends


Linking up with My Happy House!

Pin It Thursday

Halloween Ideas!!

I have the perfect mirror for this...

Source: thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

How fun!

Source: fahrenheit350.blogspot.com via Maria on Pinterest

I've totally already collected 8 gallon jugs for this:

Source: familyfun.go.com via Maria on Pinterest

Kill me with cuteness.

Source: None via Maria on Pinterest

#2

Well, I think it's time.

Since our lives seem to be moving forward now, I think it is time to quit ignoring what happened over the Fourth of July weekend. Because it isn't something I ignore from day to day. And something is telling me that my story might help someone -- at least by knowing there is someone else out there, too.

We found out that we were expecting baby #2 on May 20, 2011.



And we found out we lost our baby on July 2, 2011.

We were so excited to find that we were going to be welcoming a new baby into our family. We had names picked out -- much more quickly than last time. We had nursery themes ready. We had people ready to contact about boy's clothes if necessary.

And all the while, I had a nagging feeling this was not OK.

I didn't feel morning sickness -- but chalked it up to "all pregnancies are different." I had some occasional sharp pains in my stomach area -- but thought my body was just adjusting.

On July 1, a Friday, I started to have some darkish brown discharge. I was really worried. But I have a tendency to over-analyze. So I prayed and tried not to worry. Saturday morning when I woke up, I saw the worst thing I'll ever see.

I called my doctor. She said it sounded like I was miscarrying & that I should get to the ER.

"Is there anything they can do at this point?" I asked. But I already knew the answer.

Hesitantly, she said, "No. I'm so sorry."

We made our way to the ER, met up with my sister, brother, and a close friend of my mom's. (My parents were out of town on vacation.) Sister & Brother took Lil to my grandma's house for the day while we stayed at the hospital. By 8:00, everything was in full-swing. I was getting checked, sonograms, morphine... I was miscarrying at 13 weeks.

And by 3:00 that day, we were eating a late lunch at Jimmy John's. Everything was over.

Physically.

Emotionally, I still deal with our loss every day. Every time a significant occasion arises, I think, "I should have been pregnant right now."

When it reached what should have been my 20-week check up, I thought about whether that baby was a boy or girl.

When January rolls around, I am sure I will think about what that baby looks like.

What makes me feel better? Initially, I'd like to say nothing.

But that's not true.

"He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."

Job 2:10

Who knows better than God? Not me, that's for sure.

And although since that moment in July I feel like we've been pushed close to our limits, I know we haven't. I know so many people have it so much worse.

But you know what? I have a baby waiting for me in heaven. One who is so happy right now -- so happy I can't even imagine.


And -- I'll be honest -- I was hesitant to put this up. Posting about my miscarriage online? Wow. Pushing privacy a little, I agree. But if it weren't for reading about Blair's, Katie's, or Leah's miscarriage experiences, I might not have known how to deal. I might not have known what was normal to feel. What IS normal to feel. Because, frankly, you don't stop feeling.

These girls have amazing stories. I have chosen not to go into full detail on the pain, both emotionally and physically right now. But, please... PLEASE ... if you need to talk to someone about your experience, feel free to email me. I'd be honored to listen to your story. To tell you it is normal to feel pain in your heart. And to be there for support.

In no way am I saying that by being willing to listen to you that I am healed -- over it -- or ready to move on. I am dealing. And I think that is all anyone can ask of a mother who just lost her baby.

Cloth Diapering Dilema

I love our cloth diapers. We use the BumGenius 4.0 (snap). I love that it doesn't take a scientist to use them. The care instructions are straight-forward and understandable. Even with all the rinsing, we still come out ahead as opposed to disposable diapers.

But, I'm running into a problem: they are starting to not come as clean as they once did. The covers (meaning the outside and suede layer) come clean. Completely. No staining. No matter what the mess that was touching it before the wash. Which is amazing. And I kind of get a small kick out of that. I enjoy it way more than a person probably should.

No, I'm talking about the microfiber inserts. They have always been the part of the diaper that get discolored. Obviously, they are the part that hold the bulk of the mess (wet or dirty) and smell.

I'll give you my current washing method. Then, let me know what I can do to get the inserts to not smell as much/freshen up a bit. OK?

1. Wet: Take wet diaper and set it by washer. Dirty: Shake off mess into toilet. Set by washer.
2. I do not run a load unless we have at least 5 of our 10 diapers ready to wash. And I don't do a load in the middle of the day. So these diapers can sometimes sit overnight or all day.
3. Remove inserts from covers. Throw everything into washer. Wash 1 whole cycle on cold/cold with no detergent of any kind.
4. Change temperature to hot/warm, put about 2 Tbsp. of Purex Clean and Clear, and set it to extra rinse.
5. Line dry covers. Line dry or machine dry inserts.


I've seen suggestions for scrubbing with Dawn to strip the diapers. Also, I've tried sun bleaching, which helps with the color of the suede lining, but nothing else.. or so I think.

And what methods do you use for holding your wet/dirty diapers before you wash them? We do not have a wet bag, but I've put them in plastic bags before and then when I open them my nose nerves die because of the ammonia smell. Nasty. Is there something that makes wet bags special? Do you completely rinse out the diapers before you wash them? I did that at first, but found that it was so much more work than just putting them in a cycle on their own. Especially on days that I am washing all 10 at once.

Suggestions would be appreciated.

Fall Garage Sale

I'm in the mood to purge. I just feel like my life is weighed down by all this stuff -- and we don't even have a lot of clutter that you see. It's all hidden away..


Every year, our town has a fall and spring town-wide rummage sale. This year, we have a wedding to attend/video on the day of the sales. So we are trying to get things ready so we can have one of our own before the town-wide ones. I don't know how well we'll do. I've never had a sale that didn't participate with the town. We live on the main drag, and I'm planning on doing a lot of advertising, so hopefully we'll do OK.


I've gone through the whole house now. I got rid of 6 trash bags worth of clothes from both my and Brandon's closets, my dining room table was covered with kitchen stuff (I have no idea how that all fit in it to begin with), and lots of stuff that was ... stuffed... in our china cabinet.



This isn't even a percentage of the things we plan to get rid of at the sale. I just forgot to take pictures of it all piled in the dining room when we were done.

Update of sale to follow!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

Friday:
Make cookies
do "new" daily routine for cleaning (we'll see how this goes..)
laundry

Saturday:
start preparing garage for garage sale
make signs for garage sale
make cornbread for cookout
make potatoes for Sunday
do "new" daily routine for cleaning
go to cookout!

Sunday:
church
finish potatoes
go to sister's to watch her & BIL open wedding gifts
do "new" daily routine for cleaning

Linking up with My Happy House!

Pin It Thursday

This week I've found lots of random goodness. Things that just make me happy.

Like these shoes. Yes. Please!

Source: sweetdreamsdarling.tumblr.com via Maria on Pinterest

This is one of the coolest things ever. A shower with mood tiles -- they change wit the water temperature!

Source: blavish.com via Maria on Pinterest

One of the cutest poses for a family!!

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Maria on Pinterest

This would certainly make me eat my healthy lunch.

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via Maria on Pinterest

Rolo Cookies

I've got something for you!!

It's a super easy cookie recipe!

1 pkg. Rolo's
1 box Devils Food Cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs. Take a small ball of dough and form a ball around the rolo. (Only use enough dough to cover the rolo so it can spread through the cookie.)

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.


I know you're excited...

Recipe originally from here.

Water Play Time

We had lots to get excited about last week!

We got invited to Nicci's house for a picnic lunch and to swim...

Lillian loves Cooper!!... and her lunchmeat and cheese.

... and her Nicci!

We went to a local splash park for the first time.
It was a little overwhelming at first.

She got used to it pretty quickly, though.

She is saying "Choo Choo" now when a train goes by!
I love her lips when she says it.

Kisses for Momma!

So tired... found her paci in the bag!