What's been going on with the Woodhouses?

It's been quite some time since I've posted anything but that is not because I have not had anything to say!  On the contrary I've been too busy to upload photos, too busy to post, too busy to organize my thoughts!  But, I have some time today so I'll be trying to catch up a little.

Olivia turned 10 months on April 22 - she's already a little ham!

We celebrated Easter!  The pink bunny was a gift from Olivia's grandmother.

We've been getting fresh local produce from The Produce Box

I've still been learning to sew

Olivia and Buddy are becoming really good friends

And Olivia has started crawling

Mark has been taking a photography class over the past two months and I'd love to share some of his photos but I'd hate to steal his thunder!

Sewing Nights

The last two Thursdays my sweet friend Crystal has let me come to her home and sew.  This is a wonderful thing because it gives me time to focus on learning without any interruptions and with help nearby.  The first week I made an apron and last night I made a purse.  Here are some photos:

Crafting makes me happy!

One thing I have begun to realize is that crafting really fills me with joy. I light up when I finally find time to exercise my creative side. I'm not particularly good at any one craft I just like to try my hand at lots of different things and see how it goes. I've enjoyed one craft or another for most of my adulthood but having a baby has really brought out the desire to create.

So, here are a few of my little projects over the past few weeks:

Taggie blankie for Olivia



Shamrock applique on Onesie for St Patty's Day







Framed fabric "O"

 

Happy 9 months to our SugarBooger!

52 Weeks of Organizing: 9, 10 and 11

The last time I posted for Org Junkie's challenge it was Week 8.  Since then it is not that I haven't been organizing but rather that I haven't had time to blog about it so enjoy this extra large edition!

My messy utensil drawer received a MUCH needed cleaning. 
Before:

After:

Next up was the laundry closet.  Now, like many things in my house this is an ongoing project, not one I have time to complete in one sitting so consider this to be the first pass with many more to come.

Before:

After:

And for Week 10 I did a first pass on the top area of this storage cabinet.  Before:

After:



First Wagon! - a review

I got this On the Edge 900124 Red Folding Utility Wagon from Amazon last week during one of their Lightning Goldbox Deals and I must say it is everything it said it was. It came already put together and folded up in a very compact size and I was able to get it out of the box and put the little girl in the wagon within 3 minutes.

Our 8 month old little girl had her first wagon ride on Sunday since it was such a lovely day and she absolutely loved every minute of it. It was so much more spacious than her stroller and she was able to roll around and play and even wanted to take a nap in it as we pulled her along. She thought it was her new moving crib.
It pulled very well and we also tried pushing it which was just as easy and the wagon seemed to roll over grass, concrete sidewalk and a paved street without any issues. I love the long handle as I am 6'4" and I didn't have to lean down at all to pull her. I also love the handle clip that allows you to keep the handle in the upright position when not in use. There is also a nifty little basket on the back for things like a cooler or a diaper bag.

I can't testify as to the longevity of the product as we just got it but as far as ease of use and convenience it doesn't get any better. To be able to fold it up so easily and compact was a must for us as our garage is already too full plus we also wanted a wagon we could travel with. So this fits that purpose very nicely.

My wife really loved the canopy and it was also very simple to put on. Simply raise the four corner rods and pull the canopy out of the pocket in the front of the wagon, unfold and place it on top. No snaps, buttons or hooks to deal with of any kind just the simple taught pressure of the fabric keeps the canopy on. Again this being new, I don't know if the fabric, as it gets older, will begin to stretch and lose some of it's tightness around the 4 poles which could then lead to issues with the canopy staying on in higher winds.

My little girl has not yet learned to walk, crawl or pull herself up so I may be singing a different tune about the wagon when she does since there no straps on the wagon of any kind for child restraint. This would be the only downside I could see for the wagon except maybe I exceed the weight limit and therefore can't ride in it myself.

Overall for $85 this is one of my better purchases for our daughter and I am well pleased.

OYtamOL: Week 10

Well, it was bound to happen. 

The Week 10 assignment for One Year to a {More} Organized Life challenge is on meal planning.  Ugh....just kill me now. 

I've been trying to get a meal planning process together since January.  I cannot seem to find a way that works for me.  If you google it I bet you'll find at least 50 free printables out there...I've tried them all...seriously, I have. 

Truth be told I had actually starting making a little progress with meal planning towards the end of February but now I've joined Weight Watchers for the millionth time and need to start making meals that fit with the Points Plus system so the task has gotten even harder.

Sigh....I guess I will try again this week.....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?