Happy Heart Day

I'm not sure if it's because I worked at a card store all through high school and college or if it's just too commercialized, but Valentine's Day has never been a big deal to me.  We do celebrate it (David usually does a little more than me), but it's usually very low key.  I typically make some kind of Valentine's dessert and buy a card (though I didn't this), but that's about it.

Valentine's Day 2015

I do, however, love to make it special for my girls and the daycare kiddos.  This year their day started with heart shaped cinnamon rolls.

They had peanut butter and sprinkles sandwiches for lunch

and these yummy treats for snack that Kaitlyn and Madi made last night. 

We also made a Valentine's Day craft and most of the kids brought Valentine's to share with their friends.

I did decorate our house  for the holiday.  Nothing major, just a few simple decorations for our newly painted fireplace, kitchen, and the front door.  All of our decorations are pretty simple and many of them are from my days working at the card store.

Started this last year and finished it this year.

I totally forgot about buying the heart banner last year (Target, of course) and couldn't pass up the XOXO banner when I saw it in the dollar spot this year.  I think they look good together.  

My three Valentine's

DIY Valentine's

It's less than a week until Valentine's Day and even though we don't really do much for it, I always like to make it special for the girls.  I don't remember much about Valentine's Day as a kid except for making Valentine boxes at school and that my dad usually gave us a large heart shaped box of Russel Stovers chocolate.

For the last three years, I have made the girls' Valentine's rather than buying them.  I wish that I could take credit for the cute ideas.  But like many other mama's, I get most of my ideas from Pinterest.  This year I made heart shaped crayons.  I've wanted to make these since I first saw them several years ago, but never could find the silicon molds.  When I saw one at Wal-Mart a couple week ago, I had to buy it.

Here's what you need:

About 60 crayons (unwrapped and broken)

Heart shaped silicon mold

White card stock

Color printer

Hot glue or glue dots

Between the girls and daycare, we had tons of broken crayons that I needed to throw away.  We had just enough for 24 heart crayons.

Preheat oven to 250

Fill each heart with crayons.  I made ours rainbow colors, but almost any color combination would work.  Place mold on a cookie sheet (I didn't use one, but really wish I had.  It was a challenge to get the mild out of the oven without spilling wax.) and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Be very careful removing the mold from the oven.  Let sit until the wax has hardened and then pop the crayons out of the molds.

Anxiously waiting for them to be done.

Once the crayons were done, I needed to make the cards.  There were several printable versions on Pinterest, but I decided to design my own.  I created cards using Lucid Press.  This was my first time using this program.  I much prefer Microsoft Publisher. It is much easier to use and create custom cards, but there is not a free version of it.  

I'm pretty pleased with the finished product.  Most importantly, the girls love them.  Kaitlyn will be handing this out at preschool and in daycare.

Here are a couple Valentines that I have made in 2015.  I guess I forgot to take pictures of the 2016 Valentine's.

Roommates

For the last year, I have been slowly organizing Kaitlyn's room with the thought that one day the girls would share her room.  Last year, I put three totes under her bed.  At the time, that was enough extra storage.  When it came time to move the rest of the toys out of  Madi's room it become obvious that more storage would be needed.  Within the last couple months,  I have added a book shelf, a cube storage  (to the closet), and an extra tote under the in hopes of containing all of their toys.  So far so good.  I even have extra space in their desk for future storage needs.  In the process, I managed to come up with a large trash bag full of stuff to donate and so did the girls.  I am very proud of them for willing giving away some of their things.

For Christmas this year, both of the girls got new sheets for their beds.  They were already exited to be switching beds, but this was the icing on the cake.  Kaitlyn had been wanting to sleep on the top bunk for a months and Madi always wanted to sleep in Kaitlyn's bed (bottoms bunk).

The girls have been sharing a room for a little over a month.  I was a little nervous about how this would go.  I was (an still am) concerned about one keeping the other awake.  For the most part, this hasn't been too big of an issue.  Katilyn is pretty good about staying in bed and now that her naps are being eliminated she of usually falls right to sleep.  Madi used to be good about bedtime, but for some reason it is now a struggle.  There have been several nights where she is still awake when we go to bed.  I know that it's just a phase because Kaitlyn went through something similar when she was the same age.  I'm just hoping that it gets better before our little boy arrives this summer.

As for the room, it didn't really need any changes.  I'm still pretty happy with how it looks and they seem to like it too.  The only big change (other than the toy and closet issues) was the addition of a gallery wall.  This was something that I had been planning for a long time, but never accomplished.  It's finally complete and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Nursery Inspiration

Now that Madi has moved into Kaitlyn's room, it is time to start setting up the nursery.  I am so excited to be planning a boy nursery.  As soon as we started trying to get pregnant, I began looking for nursery ideas in hopes that baby #3 would be a boy.  There would have been a few minor changes if we were having another girl, but a boy calls for a total nursery makeover.  After 5 1/2 years of purple, blue and gray (or maybe blue and white with hints of black) will be a nice change.  The furniture will be the only thing that stays the same.  


Here are a few of my ideas for our little guys room.

Hello wall hanging | Weathered arrow wall hanging | diy or Hobby Lobby |
Modern Burlap arrow crib sheet and changing pad cover |Wire milk crate | 
Abstract Mountain Art | baby stats (Etsy or diy) | 
Be Strong and Courageous | Ladies love a gentleman


The walls will be changed from purple to cream and I would kind of like to paint the wall behind the crib blue (I really like this color.).  I am planning to do a gallery wall either above the crib or the changing table.  I'll include his first initial (perhaps this one) somewhere on that wall too.  

My mom bought me this rocking chair right before Kaitlyn was born.  I thought that it would be okay, but it was really uncomfortable.  When Madi was born, I never could find a cushion that I liked that wasn't super expensive.  I'd really like to get a new glider, but I can't quite justify it since this will most likely be our last baby.  Also, I'm not sure if there is space for anything bigger.  So this time I'm going to look harder for a cushion because there is no way that I can use it without one.  I have seen several options on Etsy, so hopefully I can find one that coordinates with his room.

We're reusing our existing nursery furniture.

It kind of feels like I'm a first time mom all over again since I get to plan a new nursery.  So far, I have only made a few impulse purchases for him.  I'm sure that will changes as it gets closer to his due date.  I can't wait to see the transformation of his room.  I promise I will post with the finished product, but it might not happen until after he arrives.

3 Things (January)

I've seen this idea a few times on some of the blogs that I follow and thought it might be fun to do.  We'll see if I'm able to keep this up all year.  January has been a very busy month for our family.  This should have been easy, but I had trouble coming up with three things for each of us.

David
One | Top Coat Cash was officially released on most digital platforms.  The red carpet premiere was a success and we had a great time in LA.  I am proud of all of the hard work that he put into this project.

Two| Even though the film is finished, it is still keeping him super busy.  Marketing is a full time job. Add that to his full time job as a teacher and you get a very busy man.

Three| He really wanted to lose some weight this year.  He did great for the first two weeks (before the premiere) with going to the gym more and eating smaller portions.  Our trip to LA threw him off a little, but he is working hard to get back on track.

Kaitlyn
One| She was so excited to change beds in her room.  She thinks she's hot stuff because she sleeps on the top bunk.

Two| I have been working with her on learning to read.  She's not a big fan of the flash cards for sight words, but they seem to be working.  She can now recognize about 18 words.

Three | Kaitlyn (and Madi) spent a week with her aunt, uncle, and cousin while we were in LA.  Her excitement about staying with them made it much easier to leave her.  She's still talking about it two weeks later.

Madi
One| Her personality has really started to blossom.  She is extremely intelligent (her doctor agrees), but with that comes stubbornness.  I love and hate this quality.  I've read that strong willed children grow up to be very successful adults.  I hope we can make it through this stage of life to find out. (JK.   I know we'll survive.)

Two| She is so excited to be sharing a room with Kaitlyn.  Unfortunately, this has made bedtime struggles worse.  Often she is still awake when we go to bed at 10 or 10:30.  It's also keeping Kaitlyn up later, which makes for rough mornings for preschool.

Three| It has taken a few months (like 3 or 4), but Madi is finally excited about dance.  For the first few months she would go into the room, but wouldn't dance the first half of class.  I have really enjoyed watching her excitement about learning their recital dances grow.

Hannah
One | I feel like I'm entering the uncomfortable part of pregnancy early.  At least this last week has been.  I'm trying my best not to complain too much, especially since I know several who would love to be in my position.

Two| I have been on a purging and organizing kick.  It started when we decided to move Madi into Kaitlyn's room and has continued throughout the house.  Knowing that this is most likely my last baby, I've been feeling the urge to get to rid of stuff.  I really love the way the house looks without all the clutter.

Three| I really want to grow my blog.  Now that the holidays and the red carpet premiere are over, I hope I can continue to come up with ideas for blog posts (and actually get them written).

4 Months Pregnant with Baby K#3

This has been an exciting month!  Not only did we celebrate Christmas four times, but it also marked the long awaited release of Top Coat Cash and our trip to LA.  Thanks to the predicted ice storm, our four day trip turned into six days.  Though I really missed the girls, I enjoyed getting away for a few days and seeing the beach.  

How Far Along: 18 weeks 4 days

Size of Baby: A can of pop or a sweet potato

Gender: Boy!

Weight Gain: 9 pounds total, but I gained 6 in the last month.  Yikes!!!  I guess that's what happens when you celebrate Christmas four times and take a week long vacation.

Food Cravings: My cravings have lessened this month.  Maybe it was because there have been so many yummy foods available or maybe I'm just not really craving anything.

Food Aversions: I'm happy to say that I currently don't have any!  I can enjoy my morning cup of coffee once again.

Movement: They are becoming more frequent, but still aren't very strong.

Sleep: Sleeping hasn't been going well lately.  I usually wake up once or twice to pee and then it takes FOREVER to fall back asleep.  I've also started having carpal tunnel symptoms.  I never had them during pregnancy with the girls, only after they were born so I wasn't expecting this to happen yet.

Clothing:  Maternity clothes, especially pants, have been making a regular appearance lately.  None of my regular jeans button.  I can still wear them, but need a hair tie and this won't work for very much longer.  Several of my regular shirts still fit, but not for long.

Other Pregnancy Symptoms: I had some constipation issues earlier this month.  I think they may have been caused by the antibiotic and probiotic I had to take for strep.  Either way, once I upped my fiber, I felt much better.  Side note:  My body requires lots of fiber with both of my previous pregnancies, but hasn't with this one.  I have also been having issue with acid reflux... especially when we traveled last week.  The stop and go LA traffic seemed to exacerbate my symptoms.

What I Miss: I didn't really miss anything this month, except maybe riding in the car without feeling sick.

Best Moment: Seeing the final product of David's hard work and celebrating in LA.

Worst Moment(s):  I have flown during all three pregnancies, but this was the first one that has made me nauseous.  I seriously thought I was going to lose it one the decent of our flight on Thursday.  The stop and go LA traffic weren't nice to my stomach either.

Looking Forward To: My 20 weeks ultrasound and setting up the nursery.

Red Carpet Premiere

Friday the 13th is typically considered as one of the unluckiest days of the year.  For the cast and crew of Top Coat Coat, Friday January 13th will be remembered as one of the luckiest days of the year (or lives).  At 8:55pm, we gathered to walk the red carpet, give interviews, and watch the Hollywood premiere of Top Coat Cash.  

Now showing at Arena Cinema

David with Linda Nelson of Indie Rights Movies

The film would have never happened without these men.

Live from the red carpet

Red Carpet Interviews

The cast and crew of Top Coat Cash. 

At 9:55 pm, everyone headed inside for the first showing of Top Coat Cash.

Inside Arena Cinema Hollywood.  David with Rocco Fonzarelli from AM 830 KLAA ESPN Radio

Speeches with producers and executive producers after the showing.

I want to thank everyone that has supported this journey.  I truly believe that great things are to come!

Top Coat Cash...How it all began.

Six years ago, David took me by complete surprise and told me that he wanted to make a movie.  He said that he had always dreamed of writing a script, directing it, and staring in it.  I will admit that I thought he was a bit crazy and that it would never really happen.  Nonetheless,  I supported him and agreed to purchase a camera.  In just over a month, he had the script written and had hopes of getting it filmed. Shortly after Kaitlyn was born, David began looking for actors, actresses, and a production team.  Within two years of beginning this crazy ride, David's first full feature film was completely done.  Although, it didn't win at any festivals or get distributed,  Subdued opened many doors for David's film career.

Almost immediately after Subdued was finished, David and his dad began writing another script.  Writing a script with his dad was another dream of his.  This time they wrote a script that would target a certain audience in hopes of increasing their odds of distribution.  A couple ideas later (and several months)Top Coat Cash was born.  Pre-production began in January 2014 and filming began on our fifth wedding anniversary (June 27th).  Filming was expected to be completed by the end of the summer, but took a little longer than expected.  The final scenes were filmed in January 2015.

After a short break, a post production team was put together and editing began in August 2015.  The trailer was released in October 2015.  Picture lock was complete in early 2016 and the film moved into the final stages of post production, sound, coloring, and visual effects.  In September 2016, just two and a half years later, Top Coat Cash was completely finished and ready for distribution.

Top Coat Cash was submitted to several film festivals and distributors in late September and early October.  On October 11, 2016 , David's dream became a reality.  After receiving offers from three different distributors, Top Coat Cash signed with a Los Angeles based distributor, Indie Rights Movies.  Indie Rights was so excited about Top Coat Cash that they wanted to take it to the American Film Market for International Distribution, even though they had already picked all ten movies they would be submitting.  For four days in November, Top Coat Cash was on display for international distributors and it was one of the most popular movies.

Top Coat Cash has won three prestigious film awards.  Both the movie and trailer were awarded with the Award of Recognition in the Accolade Global Film Competition.   The movie was also awarded with the Award of Merit by The Indie Fest Film Awards.  Beginning Friday, January 13th, Top Coat Cash will be screened at the Arena Cinema Hollywood for one week.  The week will begin with a red carpet premiere Friday night and will be reviewed by the LA Times.  Top Coat Cash will be available for viewing on various video on the demand platforms including (but not limited to) Amazon Prime, Fandago, and Google Fiber.  It will also be in select theaters throughout the country, including Kansas City.

Year in Review 2016

Before we begin a new year, I want to share some highlights from 2016.  Despite what most people are saying, I think 2016 was a great year filled with lots of highs and only a few lows.

January

We rang in 2016 at home with just the four of us and I was completely surprised that both girls made it until midnight.  Later in January, we took the girls to Science City (for the first time) with Kaitlyn's preschool class.

February

February brought Valentine's Day and a few days of spring like temperatures. The highlight of February was spending a day at the zoo with friends.

March

March included all things Easter. Pretty dresses, egg hunts and coloring Easter eggs.  It also brought some beautiful spring weather and a couple visits with cousins (in Oklahoma and KC).

April

The highlight of April was spending a weekend at Great Grandma Bogle's house.  April also included an incredible low.  The loss of a dear cousin's husband.

May

The month began with my 34th birthday.  It also included Kaitlyn's first preschool program and the last day of preschool, meeting two new cousins (Gracie and Ava), and the building of our firepit.

June

June was full of fun!  It began with the Italian Fest, Kaitlyn's first dance recital, staycation #1 (Legoland, Find Dory in 3D, Fritz's and the park), Father's Day, and another trip to Great Grandma Bogle's house.

July

We celebrated the Fourth of July and the girls loved watching all of the fireworks.  July marked the start of our kitchen remodel, which took much longer than expected.  We also enjoyed staycation #2 (two trips to Worlds of Fun, Deanna Rose, and the zoo), and another movie in 3D.

August

Madi turned 3 and celebrated with an Ariel party.  We enjoyed our last long weekend of the summer.  We had our first (and hopefully our last) experience with hand, foot, and mouth disease.  Kaitlyn had a very mild case of it, but Madi's was quite severe.

September

I had my getaway since becoming a mom.  I had a great time in Nashville celebrating with Staci and her friends for her bachelorette party.  Top Coat Cash was officially finished and ready for distribution.  Kaitlyn also started pre-k.

October

Such a busy month!  David's film was picked up for distribution by Indie Rights, we found out that we are expected baby K#3, we were all in Staci and Justin's wedding, and trick or treating without a coat.

November

November brought the start of the holiday season. It also bought the worst pregnancy symptoms I've every experienced.  

December

Lots of Christmas traditions...Crown Center, Union Station, decorations and more.  Kaitlyn turned 5 right before Christmas and we found out that we will be completing our family with the addition of a little boy.

I hope everyone has a safe New's Years Eve and a happy and healthy 2017.