Happy Halloween from Charlie and Fuss!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
My Memories Suite Scrapbooking Software Review and Giveaway
I was contacted by Liz from My Memories and asked to do a review of their scrapbooking software. My external storage is down right now, so the only photos I have to work with are the 200-some I have on my phone. (I know, ONLY 200! LOL) They aren't all the best quality, but I decided to play with the software anyway. I have had SO much FUN making scrap book pages as well as a couple of calendar pages. I used the preloaded templates to start with. I chose the "Princess Diva" designer template and began adding my photos. The templates are very easy to use since they are point-and-click. All you need to do is double click, choose your picture, choose the area to be displayed, and click "Okay"! The templates are changeable as well. If you only want one photo on a page, select the second picture and click "delete."
My second attempt was a calendar page. I decided to try the "Create your own Template" option. I chose a layout that had 2 photo slots with a blank space in the center. I chose to add word art (January) and added a background paper and a text box. The hardest part was then getting the text aligned correctly so it actually LOOKED like a calendar page! I swear, I worked on it for over an hour adding spaces, changing text size, etc. However, I really think it was well worth the extra effort!
I have really enjoyed working with My Memories Suite and I can't wait to try out some more ideas I have! With this software you have the ability to create photo books as well as the scrapbook pages and calendars. A really cool feature is that you can make a video collage with music! (Since my desktop and external storage are down, I didn't have my music files either so I didn't do this one...YET.) The software comes with tons of background papers, fun little embellishments, and really neat word art and text effects. I even used a color match tool to match the colors in my calendar template to the colors in the photos! How cool is that!? Then, in addition to the preloaded templates, there are many more templates and add-ons you can download from www.mymemories.com! The calendar template was one of several that was free to download!
If you're interested in purchasing the My Memories Suite software, simply click HERE. As a special gift to my readers, Liz is giving anyone who purchases with the code STMMMS39352 $10 off the purchase price of $39.97 along with a $10 credit to the My Memories Suite store where you can purchase extra templates and embellishments! :)
Now, here comes the fun part: The giveaway! Just use the super easy Rafflecopter form below.
*Note: The purchase link above is my affiliate link and I will be compensated for each person who purchases using my affiliate code. Thank you! The software itself was provided by Liz from My Memories for review purposes. No monetary compensation was given in exchange for this review. The views and opinions expressed are my own.*
Saturday, October 29, 2011
In honor of my upcoming birthday...
I will be hosting a review and giveaway starting on Halloween and ending on November 7th. It is for My Memories Suite Software and I really hope you enjoy it! I can't wait to share it with you on Monday!
Much love!
Much love!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Levels of Hippie
This is just for fun, so I hope no one gets offended! My husband made the comment to me the other day during a conversation that I was a "little hippie", but that it was okay. I'd hope so...otherwise he and I are in trouble! He's actually a "little hippie" too, honestly. So I thought I would share a list of the different levels of hippie. Thanks to my dear friend Jillian Courage for helping me name and describe all the levels! *Jillian is probably the "crunchiest" person I know.* This was too much fun!
Level 1: Buttered Toast
-You do a few things to be green such as recycling, but you still prefer the conventional way of doing things.
Level 2: Wheatgrass
-You really try to be environmentally friendly. You breastfeed, buy local/organic, and use the more natural cleaning products. You may have also begun cloth diapering.
Level 3: Hemp
-You baby wear instead of using a stroller. You may be choosing to use unpaper towels and reusable shopping bags in order to reduce the waste you put into a landfill. You avoid using harsh cleansers and believe that a little dirt never hurt anyone.
Level 4: Trail Mix
-You are well on your way to being "green" and some may already consider you a "hippie." You are choosing to use homeopathic medicines instead of Western medication. You also may be using home made soaps and composting. You have begun to make your own baby food in lieu of buying commercial. Perhaps you have begun to use mama cloth or menstrual cups as well.
Level 5: Granola
-There are different levels of Granola. This includes at a minimum everything listed in the previous levels. In addition, but certainly not limited to: the "no poo" method, Elimination Communication, the oil cleansing method, family cloth, delayed/selective/no vaccinations, extended breastfeeding, extended rear facing, and using homeopathy instead of traditional medicine.
Level 1: Buttered Toast
-You do a few things to be green such as recycling, but you still prefer the conventional way of doing things.
Level 2: Wheatgrass
-You really try to be environmentally friendly. You breastfeed, buy local/organic, and use the more natural cleaning products. You may have also begun cloth diapering.
Level 3: Hemp
-You baby wear instead of using a stroller. You may be choosing to use unpaper towels and reusable shopping bags in order to reduce the waste you put into a landfill. You avoid using harsh cleansers and believe that a little dirt never hurt anyone.
Level 4: Trail Mix
-You are well on your way to being "green" and some may already consider you a "hippie." You are choosing to use homeopathic medicines instead of Western medication. You also may be using home made soaps and composting. You have begun to make your own baby food in lieu of buying commercial. Perhaps you have begun to use mama cloth or menstrual cups as well.
Level 5: Granola
-There are different levels of Granola. This includes at a minimum everything listed in the previous levels. In addition, but certainly not limited to: the "no poo" method, Elimination Communication, the oil cleansing method, family cloth, delayed/selective/no vaccinations, extended breastfeeding, extended rear facing, and using homeopathy instead of traditional medicine.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Naps, Be Gone!
That is what my Fuss has said the last 3 weeks. She has apparently decided that she's "too big" to have naps now that she's passed the 18 month mark. I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I no longer have to work my daily schedule around when she's going to be ready for a nap. However, I have had to deal with a VERY cranky Fuss lately. She gets to the point at around 1-2 p.m. (her normal nap time) where she is so tired she's completely out of control. Jumping, screaming defiance ensues and Mommy is ready to pull her hair out by the handfuls.
The worst part of this isn't the defiance or the crankiness...it's the fact that Daddy is on night shift. That means he needs to sleep during the day. This is not an easy feat when you have a screaming Fuss in your home. *If you don't believe me about the screaming Fuss, just ask my mom.* Fuss has one scream we like to call "the Banshee". It is a high-pitched shriek that could nearly shatter glass and it is done as loud as humanly possible. Seriously, if she does it right by your ear you may have permanent hearing damage. At least you usually have a warning before hitting "Banshee" and complete meltdown.
This week has been better because during the mid-afternoon, we have been visiting my friends' house to babysit their little ones: a spunky 4-year-old girl (Princess) and a laid-back 16-month-old boy (Charlie Brown). One might think having 2 kids nearly the same age and a third, older child would be more complicated. In some ways it is. Overall, though, it is easier since they entertain each other. The entertainment alone is enough to satisfy my Fuss and keep her from being, well, fussy! It also gets us out of the house for a while allowing Daddy some much needed time for sleep.
The biggest thing that has helped with Fuss, by far, is an earlier bed time. With a 1- to 2-hour nap in the afternoon, she often stayed up until 9 or 9:30 p.m. Since we are now negating naps, Fuss goes to bed closer to 8-8:30 p.m. That gives me more time for school work and just time to relax. The only drawback is that she likes to try to sneak in cat naps in the car. If that happens, we can expect an extra hour of fighting before bed. Fuss will scream like no other! She cries like we have beaten the living daylights out of her and then begs to get back up. Some nights Mommy gives in. I do know that her teeth are also part of the issue. The few nights she didn't sleep well, she actually took a couple of good naps for me! LOL. I am not sure which I would rather have. The nap or a full night of uninterrupted sleep...scratch that! I want the uninterrupted sleep!!
What was the hardest part of nap transitions for you? Any advice to try to make this one easier on all parties (especially poor Daddy)?
The worst part of this isn't the defiance or the crankiness...it's the fact that Daddy is on night shift. That means he needs to sleep during the day. This is not an easy feat when you have a screaming Fuss in your home. *If you don't believe me about the screaming Fuss, just ask my mom.* Fuss has one scream we like to call "the Banshee". It is a high-pitched shriek that could nearly shatter glass and it is done as loud as humanly possible. Seriously, if she does it right by your ear you may have permanent hearing damage. At least you usually have a warning before hitting "Banshee" and complete meltdown.
This week has been better because during the mid-afternoon, we have been visiting my friends' house to babysit their little ones: a spunky 4-year-old girl (Princess) and a laid-back 16-month-old boy (Charlie Brown). One might think having 2 kids nearly the same age and a third, older child would be more complicated. In some ways it is. Overall, though, it is easier since they entertain each other. The entertainment alone is enough to satisfy my Fuss and keep her from being, well, fussy! It also gets us out of the house for a while allowing Daddy some much needed time for sleep.
The biggest thing that has helped with Fuss, by far, is an earlier bed time. With a 1- to 2-hour nap in the afternoon, she often stayed up until 9 or 9:30 p.m. Since we are now negating naps, Fuss goes to bed closer to 8-8:30 p.m. That gives me more time for school work and just time to relax. The only drawback is that she likes to try to sneak in cat naps in the car. If that happens, we can expect an extra hour of fighting before bed. Fuss will scream like no other! She cries like we have beaten the living daylights out of her and then begs to get back up. Some nights Mommy gives in. I do know that her teeth are also part of the issue. The few nights she didn't sleep well, she actually took a couple of good naps for me! LOL. I am not sure which I would rather have. The nap or a full night of uninterrupted sleep...scratch that! I want the uninterrupted sleep!!
What was the hardest part of nap transitions for you? Any advice to try to make this one easier on all parties (especially poor Daddy)?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Battling the Yeast Beast
Well, here we are yet again, battling yeast. My Fuss has such sensitive skin that even teething (and the subsequent frequent bowel movements) will upset her skin's natural balance. I am so frustrated! Right now, she is in 'sposies until we're done with the Nystatin cream - in about 5 total days. I am going to start using probiotics in some of her foods to see if that will help keep her more in "balance." I currently have all of her cloth diapers ready to be washed. Half have already been bleached and are awaiting the day we can finally use them again. The other half are clean, but I want to be sure they weren't infected with yeast before I noticed the rash. So, they are waiting to be bleached.
Sunning is a wonderful option to help sanitize diapers that are infected with yeast. However, this week we have had rain on all the days I would have been able to keep an eye on them. (I live in the city and use a portable drying rack that I MUST pay attention to in order to be sure my neighbors' dogs don't eat them or knock the rack over.) I normally use tea tree oil (aka TTO) in my wash to help prevent yeast and other infectious agents, but every now and then bleach is essential. I recently found out during a Twitter party with Charlie's Soap that TTO isn't recommended for baby boys. Who knew!?
The other thing you have to watch for with yeast is to NOT use disposable wipes. The ingredients in most of them will feed the yeast and make the infection last longer. A good wipe solution with grapefruit seed extract will help to kill the yeast quickly. GSE is a very wonderful thing! As is coconut oil. Coconut oil has natural antibacterial properties and is a great cloth diaper safe rash cream.
If you've had experience with yeast and yeast rashes, feel free to comment below with any advice I may have missed!
Sunning is a wonderful option to help sanitize diapers that are infected with yeast. However, this week we have had rain on all the days I would have been able to keep an eye on them. (I live in the city and use a portable drying rack that I MUST pay attention to in order to be sure my neighbors' dogs don't eat them or knock the rack over.) I normally use tea tree oil (aka TTO) in my wash to help prevent yeast and other infectious agents, but every now and then bleach is essential. I recently found out during a Twitter party with Charlie's Soap that TTO isn't recommended for baby boys. Who knew!?
The other thing you have to watch for with yeast is to NOT use disposable wipes. The ingredients in most of them will feed the yeast and make the infection last longer. A good wipe solution with grapefruit seed extract will help to kill the yeast quickly. GSE is a very wonderful thing! As is coconut oil. Coconut oil has natural antibacterial properties and is a great cloth diaper safe rash cream.
If you've had experience with yeast and yeast rashes, feel free to comment below with any advice I may have missed!
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