Ike Pic

Just wanted to share this cute picture of Isaac. I took it when I came into his room to get him from his nap. Nothing like a well-rested child!

Some DIY Recipes

Doing it Yourself

I am not a crafty person. Doing "arts and crafts" pretty much lost my interest after preschool, as my perfectionist nature does not handle being crafty very well. However, there are some activities that allow my right brain to let loose, such as music, cooking and some do-it-yourself recipes. I decided to do a little post on some of them because I need a central place to find the recipes when it comes time for me to make them again!

Deodorant

This first recipe and video is from my sister-in-law, Kate Hasson. This deodorant is cheap, easy and safe. The only real downside is that there is no anti-perspirant; so if you're looking not to sweat, keep looking. When I am going out with people I usually stick to good ol' Secret because I hate sweaty armpits in public. However, there are many days when I'm just at home or I'm going out to exercise and I don't want to not sweat, but I don't want to stink and in those situations (which are many!) I appreciate using this deodorant! Thanks Kate!

Recipe:

                                                                             1/4 cup cornstarch

                                                                             1/4 cup baking soda

                                                                             1/4 cup coconut oil

                                                                             10 drops essential oil 

(good oils for deodorizing: geranium, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, melaleuca (tea tree), thyme)

Hand Sanitizer

**Ingredients

5-10 drops rosemary, sage, sandalwood, peppermint, or lavender
30 drops tea tree oil
1/4 tsp vitamin E oil (natural preservative to increase shelf life)
1 Tbsp witch hazel or high-proof vodka
8 ounces 100% pure aloe vera gel

**Directions
Add essential oils and Vitamin E oil to a small glass bowl or container and swirl to mix. Add witch hazel (or alcohol) to the oils and swirl again. Add this mixture to the aloe vera gel and mix well. Shake gently before each use. (Sanitizer should last several months with the addition of Vitamin E to help preserve.)
This recipe I got from a website: http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-hand-sanitizer/

I like it a lot. I use it most when we are on the go or after I change Isaac and I am not able to leave him to wash my hands. Not as drying as commercial hand sanitizer and smells nice!

Yoga Mat Spray

**Ingredients
1 cup distilled water
1/4 cup witch hazel (without alcohol) or white vinegar
15 drops Melaleuca (tea tree) oil. FYI Melaleuca has been documented to kill many bacteria, viruses, and fungi on contact. pretty cool!
10 drops of another essential oil of choice. (Lavender, Eucalyptus and Lemongrass essential oils also contain antibacterial properties)
Spray bottle. Glass is preferred, since some essential oils can start to degrade plastic if left for too long.

**Directions

Mix together all of the above ingredients and pour into spray bottle of choice (any extra can be stored). Place the top on the spray bottle and shake to combine the ingredients. Shake the bottle before each use.

This recipe I got from this website: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2014/07/make-antibacterial-yoga-mat-spray.html

That's all I'm going to do for now. I have a few oil blends that I like for Isaac, but I'll mention those another time. Hopefully others will find these recipes as helpful as I do!

Annabel Lee

Today, the 17th of December, my first born furry child turns 10 years old. Happy birthday Annabel Lee (aka Belly). You are nothing short of amazing and my life is forever better because I've had you in it (wish she could understand)! Here's to at least another 10! ;)

I got this little hybrid (half miniature poodle, half Chihuahua) for my 21st birthday. She may not move as quick, but her devotion and love are just as vibrant as she is in this video.

another fun clip of Belle and Persephone wrestling (sorry about the quality):

and a little video of Annabel and Bug cuddling:

I LOVE THIS DOG!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLE!

SEE FOOD!

I need to go to bed and I'm exhausted, but I want to share this little video with you, accompanied by a joke:

What's Isaac's favorite kind of food??

SEE FOOD!!

I know it's kind of gross, but you have to admit he's cute and it was so unexpected! He had been dancing to the music and I wanted to record it. Of course, once the light from the camera came on, he stopped, but then decided to open his mouth! goofy boy.

1 Year

Today marks Isaac's FIRST rotation around the sun!

It's amazing that one whole year has gone by since this little man graced us with his presence. We had a pretty mellow day: went to Music Together, opened a couple presents from Grandma and Grandpa Springsteen and Ike got his FIRST true dessert- a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting. 

Betty did the flower on the top :)

Mmmm. The cupcake is actually not that unhealthy; it has carrots in it (that has to count for something)! 

Isaac was not impressed and  a little unsure about the cupcake at first...

Then after exploring it some...

he decided it was quite a yummy treat!

It's been really nice having Jake's parents here and Ike has enjoyed the attention!

Ike tuning his first guitar

Ike loved his card!

I often think I couldn't love him any more and then I wake up to another day. Thank you, God, for continually growing my heart more than I could ever imagine.

Happy Birthday, Ike

Back Tips

For the last couple months, I've dealt with some lower back pain. It's getting better slowly, but surely through yoga and simply being mindful about not doing things that agitate it. When talking to my mom today, she told me of a couple tips from her friend who is a seasoned yoga instructor who has also dealt with some back pain. The tips were about proper body mechanics/alignment: try not to lock my knees when standing and to tilt my pelvis in order to create a more neutral position. Naturally, as my mom was telling me these things, I was trying to do them. I felt a little goofy and thought of my niece, Eleia, and her dance moves from a few months ago:

I doubt I looked as cool as her (as I practiced my new posture in the kitchen), but maybe if I got my arms moving more...

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 51

My favorite video from this week:

I love how Isaac is getting better at imitating us. Many times he'll repeat what we say, but it's not reliable repeating. Either way, it is fun to make sounds with him.

Isaac is on his way to walking. Early in the week he walked from my parents’ recliner to the futon (about 3 steps). It was really fun to watch, but not shocking, as he has been taking little steps here and there, but again, it was cool to watch! He’s getting better! I do feel confident to say that Isaac started walking when he was 11 months old (started being the operative word). He takes steps when he wants to and that’s not necessarily that often (actually, similar to his crawling style). He began crawling around 8 months, but it was unmotivated and on his time. By his 9 month mark, Ike was crawling everywhere. It will be interesting to see if Isaac is walking that much by his 12th month or still “cruising.” Either way, he’s getting there.

Jake is good about showing Isaac the right/safe way to get down from things. Isaac enjoys crawling up onto furniture and when crawling around on the bed, he can sometimes appear reckless. Jake is quick to help him down and it looks like Isaac is remembering! so that’s exciting.

At my parents’ house, Isaac has taken on “cart wheeling.” It’s pretty fun to watch. In all honesty, at first I wondered if there was something wrong with him as he went in circles, but he sits up so happy and reminds me of spinning in circles as a little kid and enjoying that sickening sensation. My parents’ living room is very open, so there’s lots of room for Ike’s circling. :)

This has been a weird week for his sleeping. He slept great the first two nights at my parents’ and then these last couple nights he has woken up crying passionately. and getting him back to sleep has been no easy feat. We had one bad night once we got home and I concluded that it was a napping problem. It's amazing- when he doesn't get his two naps in he wakes up at 11pm almost like clockwork. The downside is that he had a difficult time going back to sleep and so ended up spending a couple hours in bed with us. Luckily, once he was in a deeper sleep we were able to put him back in his bed.

One more week of weekly reporting! Whew!

Thanksgiving Visit

There was talk that Jake, Isaac and I would be in Florida for Thanksgiving since he had training down there. However, with the stress of traveling and the attention that training would require of Jake, Isaac and I stayed back. With this new development, Isaac and I were able to drive to San Luis Obispo to spend the holiday with my parents. Thankfully, Jake was able to take an early flight on Thursday and made it to SLO by noon! Pretty lucky. Then on Friday my parents watched Ike so Jake and I could get some time alone. We went to Nautical Bean (a favorite coffee shop) and then drove out to Port San Luis to watch the sunset over the ocean. Such a beautiful and peaceful place.

My parents had a fabulous time playing with Ike and naturally he enjoyed himself too. He made circles on their floor, played with the popper and rang my mom's bell (a trophy bell she got for running a 5k back in the day). That bell is definitely the most multifunctional trophy. I remember enjoying playing with it when I was a kid.

Anyway, as always, the weather did not disappoint and even though our Thanksgiving meal was low key, it was nice to have it with family.

I didn't get any pictures, but I also got to see my sister and her family as they passed through on their way to San Diego for Thanksgiving. Jake and I also visited with Travis and Kate and played Spontuneous with the girls. :) 

Lovely time and the drive back wasn't too bad either. Here's a little video of our time with the Hasson Grandparents. :) wonderful memories made.

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 50

So maybe I was a little optimistic about Isaac’s switch to ending daylight savings… It’s a gamble these days if he will wake up around 7 or around 8 and I praise the Lord when it’s closer to 8. Of course, with his waking times varying, his nap times vary. I want to start attending a Music Together class with him on Friday’s at 12:15, but I am nervous about his morning nap. I think I may just have to go for it and wake him if needed.

Time in his crib is a funny thing to watch from our baby monitor. Many times we’ll put him in his crib to nap and we notice that he’s taken his pants off within minutes of being in there before he goes to sleep. Now he has begun to take every blanket he can get a hold of and his monkey and drops them over the edge.

He has also begun sorting his food and toys. At the table, he will organize his food (like pieces of chicken) into a pile either in one area of his tray or on the table. In his play area, he collects items and places them in either his toy suitcase or Annabel’s basket. In and out, in and out- this is the stage we are at now!

We got a lot of cute hand-me-down clothes from my sister-in-law, Kate Hasson, a few weeks ago and we’ve enjoyed dressing little Ike up. This colorful sweater is one of our favorites (the colorful rope chew toy is one of Ike's favorites...).

Point Reyes

Yesterday, Jake, Isaac and I took a day trip to Point Reyes. Jake has wanted to visit this spot ever since he use to fly over it while working for SkyWest Airlines. I simply love to travel to scenic areas and since Jake and I won't be traveling together to Michigan or Florida for Thanksgiving, this was our time to get away, even if just for a day.

This part of Point Reyes is at the "point," just a walk from the Lighthouse. It was very beautiful...

and WINDY!

Then we went to the visitor center and walked along a beautiful and manicured path- 4 miles to the ocean. When we got to the marker that said we had one more mile to go, it was already getting dark and Isaac was beginning to get cranky, so we turned around. It was still a marvelous walk/jog and being a person of completing goals, I am anxious to get back and make it to the ocean!

We don't have any hats for Isaac, but I found this bomber hat that I bought him awhile back. I got it because it was cute, but it thankfully keeps his head and ears warm too! win win.

Isaac Weekly Update: Week 49

Welcome to week 49. Whew, almost a full year, just three weeks to go! This week Isaac decided to finally join much of the world in accepting the end daylight savings. The end of daylight savings has always been a favorite morning of mine, as I cherish sleeping in. This year, it has been a struggle and a forced waking up early until a couple days ago when Isaac's body finally made the switch. YAY!

Isaac is taking a few more steps and becoming more eager to stand on his feet. 

He also has begun throwing balls. I have two balls that I use for my back- a lacrosse ball and a Pinky ball and he can hold them and throw them well.

And here are some pictures of Ike and his Dad...