Start My Own Business?!

I'm toying around with the idea of opening an Etsy shop or just a Facebook business page that I can sell through. See, I have this obsession with crocheting baby blankets (aside from being generally crafty when the occasional whim hits), and I get really giddy when I find a new yarn that is soft and thick and comes in lots of great colors. I've gotten in the habit of making them for my expectant friends, but they just aren't popping out the little ones fast enough.

I've thought for a while how nice it would be to make a little extra income doing something I love, without having to leave my kids. But, I haven't felt confident enough that there would be much demand for my creations, despite some hints from friends and family that I should do it.

However, I was encouraged by the recent success of my friend Kathryn and her new business, Baby Buttons Designs. She and her mom make the sweetest, most fabulous hats and booties, for all ages!

So, I think it might be time to just give it a whirl! I'll also be looking into donating some to NICU babies, due to a great suggestion from a couple friends.

I do scarves and diaper cakes as well, and am trying to get good at leg warmers, but the main thing will probably be blankets, at least starting out!

It would be really cool to to do a jumpstart giveaway soon too, either through this blog, or maybe on a friend's. So stay tuned for that!

Alright, so what's in a name?!... I need votes and/or suggestions. Here's my list so far of ideas: (some variations that were already taken have been eliminated...be honest but don't laugh!)


Sweet Snuggles
Sweet Little Snuggles
Cozy Little Snuggles
Little Baby Cuddles
Little Baby Snuggles
Little Cuddles
Little Snuggles
Cozy Petite
Cozy and Sweet
Cozy Cuddlebugs
Sweet Cuddlebugs
Cuddly Petite
Pookie Petite


I think I prefer the 2-word names for simplicity sake, but I want something that's catchy and cute without being cheesy.

It will probably take a little while to set everything up, what with samples and pictures and pricing and sizes and colors and kinds of yarn, etc... but I've been analyzing and calculating that lately anyway  so I have a starting point to work with.

Ok friends and family... now it's your turn... opinions? suggestions? advice? words of wisdom/encouragement?

Out of the mouths of moms

Many a laugh has come from the things our kids say, but every once in a while, our own words bring about a chuckle or two. Here are a few things that in no way definitely slipped past my filter recently, which I just laughed at and thought how embarrassing it would be if someone, besides my gracious children, had been there to witness it. So, naturally I have to expose my lack of eloquence here to you all!


~ "I'm sorry, but we just can't put your baby in your tummy while we're driving."

~ "Momma gotta poop, momma gotta poop, momma gotta poop right nooow" to the tune of "Dinah won't you blow your horn"

~ "Mmmm, sweet boy... You smell like lip gloss!"




Now it's your turn: What have you caught yourself saying lately?

Honeyboo-isms and Hunkaboo-ese

Josiah doesn't say much, so this is really all I have to report:


Baba = bye-bye

Ba-puh or da-puh = diaper

That's it. Don't worry though, I'm sure he'll learn more soon enough!



And now for Julia--


Flitball = football. She can say it right, but thinks it should be pronounced flitball, "because they flip the ball"

Because = so (let me explain, she'll be talking about something and gets it backwards, e.g. "I'm hungry because I need a snack")

Ok I'm drawing a blank, so she only gets two too. Of course, she's pretty articulate and most things come out exactly as they should! (except for the occasional "losed" instead of "lost" and the like)


Stay tuned for some things that come out of MY mouth =)

We were meant to be... =)

Alternate title: 11 weird facts about Riley and me.

(Preface: Riley and I did not meet until 2006)


~ Growing up, his family had a cat named Tux and mine had one named Zedo. Think about it.

~ We say the same thing at the same time to such an extent that it's kind of creepy.

~ When I was 16 I worked at a grocery store with a guy named Brad. At that same time, Brad's sister Crystal was in the choir with Riley at college 3 hours away.

~ We do it almost every night. Snuggle, that is.

~ Someone compared us to Beauty and the Beast one time. It was meant as a compliment.

~ He drives 99% of the time we go anywhere together. We both prefer it that way, for different reasons.

~ We can both sing the ABC's backwards really fast.

~ Our favorite show is The Office, and our favorite movie is the Princess Bride.

~ Wedding facts: We got married on a Monday, 391 days after we met. In his vows, Riley referred to me as the jelly in his triple decker PBJ sandwich. The song for our first dance was "Walk the Line".

~ We usually pick out our own presents, but I'd like that to change.

~ On his birthday this year, we will have been married 1500 days.

Love ya babe! You're the bestestestestest <3

Belated New Years Resolutions, er, To-Do List

I've never been one to seriously make New Year's Resolutions. I guess I'm just too idealistic, or maybe realistic, or maybe pessimistic, I don't know.

But that doesn't mean I don't have desires or goals for myself. I just keep them running in my mind throughout the year and don't mentally put them off till January 1. Instead, I put them off till the morning. Or the evening. Or Monday. Or Saturday.

Oh well.

Most things I want to be done yesterday, but that's just not how things fly around here, and I'm learning to accept that and give myself and my family grace. So, I'm giving myself aaaallll year to get these done. Some of them are actual plans, some are goals, some are in-my-wildest-dreams-but-maybe-sometime-this-life.

So without further ado...

* finish reading all the books in my stack!
* get regular pedicures in the spring and summer (not like every 2 weeks, mind you, more like every 5-6)
* organize the closet in our study
* organize Riley's side of the master closet (haha, some of these goals are for HIM!)
* organize the garage
* teach Julia how to read
* go on a 5 day trip with Riley for our 4th anniversary in May (I'm thinking the beach!)
* help Julia learn how to stay dry at night
* improve the consistency of our daily/weekly routine
* make meal plans every week, with one new dish each time.
* throw lots of parties: Superbowl, Purim, Julia's B-day, Riley's B-day, Josiah's B-day, End-of-Summer Cookout, maybe a baby shower?
* go on a date with Riley twice a month
* have a playdate at least every other week
* have time out of the house alone, not running errands, by myself or with a friend, once a week (same for Riley)
* take the kids to the park and storytime more often
* maintain a clean home more often (here's my ideal plan: every weekday I do 4 things-- a load of laundry, a weekly chore (vacuum upstairs, steam mop, wood floors and play room, kitchen, bathrooms), dishes, and picking up clutter. It sounds so simple but it's not.
* exercise I'm not going to throw that in there just because everybody else does. Because I really don't feel like it. I've convinced myself that I get enough just keeping up with 2 toddlers all day. But, I'll probably join the Y right outside our neighborhood anyway, because they have a special going on right now.
* get the 1599 pictures off my phone and saved into our computer.
* blog more often
* visit Riley's sister and family in Midland
* visit my mom and family in Novice
* have a consistent bible reading/prayer time
* dance more
* sing better
* finish our taxes by february 1.
* (maybe) get pregnant later this year --ok, ok, that's totally not a goal, especially now that the last several months of baby fever finally broke, but I'd be okay with it.
* do something about our broken stairs
* decorate the outside of our house for Christmas
* plant an organic food garden
* start a vermicompost
* learn how to sew
* sell/give a bunch of stuff
* learn how to crochet something really good, besides my usual blankets and scarves
* go to bed and hour and a half earlier and wake up before the kids so I can get a few things done
* spend less time on the computer and more time with my kids
* make some new family traditions
* learn my way around our Mac
* convince Riley to get Josiah's hair cut
* plant a holly bush and flowers in our front bed in the spring
* hang my living room curtains (that have been sitting under the end table for several months now)
* update the kids' baby books
* stay within our food budget
* get free laser hair removal so I can stop shaving my legs (one can dream right?)
* do the 40 Days of Christmas again (or maybe just 12 or 25)
* take the kids to see their great-grandparents more often
* go to the Mom Heart Conference in February
* learn how to play violin? (still thinking about this one)
* get Julia swim lessons this summer
* take the kids to Sea World this summer
* visit my friend Dollface in Austin
* grow my hair out a few more inches
* finally hang pictures in my house
* have people over for dinner more often (at least once a month... who's next?)
* make a big extra house payment to start our 5-years-early payoff plan
* get a massage or 12.
* do more homemade gifts vs storebought
* eat at some local restaurants that serve real, healthy food

Woah, that's a lot! Can't wait to look back at the end of the year to see how I did! Alright well, I guess I better get started on the laundry. {sigh}