Pinspiration : Father's Day

Sunday, it's Father's Day, it might be time for me to think of the present for my husband...

http://walyou.com/creative-fathers-day-cards/

Because I'm sure you'd love to know, for my Mother's Day, I got a peonies bouquet (I loooove these flowers) and a letter written by my two months old boy (yes, yes !).

To avoid being a bad wife, in addition to an unfit mother, I used Pinterest.
And, here's what I found :

1)

Make a footprint in salt dough

Source: theimaginationtree.com via Julie on Pinterest

The recipe :
- 1 cup salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup warm water

Mix it all. If the dough is too sandy, add a little water. You can also add food coloring or spices (saffron, ...) to colour your dough.
Finally, let it dry during a few hours, then bake it at 200°F during 2 to 3 hours (depending on the thickness of your object), when it's hard, it's done :)

If I choose to do this one, and especially if Baby lets me do it, I'll post my tutorial soon.


2)

Make an "artist" frame

Source: millybee.com via Julie on Pinterest

Well, with this one, it can't be a surprise, unless you regularly ask your husband to put his handprint on a sheet of paper... I've tried, he found it suspicious !

Nothing more simple :
- cardstock
- dark paint (black or colored) : Dad daub his hand with it and put the flat of his hand on the cardstock
- clear paint (white or colored) : try to do the same but with the hand of your baby... hoping it doesn't move too much, otherwise you must start all over again !

For painting, you can create a "Home Made" paint :

Source: easiepeasie.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

If I choose to do this one, and especially if Baby lets me do it, I'll post my tutorial soon.

TOP 5 : Must Have Baby Items - My IT-list

My baby IT-list !


1) Bib'Expresso (Béaba)

For me, this is THE must have feeding bottle warmer ! I hadn't planned to bottle feed so early on so my husband had to run out and buy it the day I left the maternity hospital.
I was afraid to purchase this non-thought item, but I don't regret it !!! It makes our lives easier !


+ points :

• very good quality/price ratio, because when you add up the price of a bottle warmer and the price of a sterilizer, you go over the price of this one !
• easy and fast ! Essential for an impatient baby like mine ! If he could he would have his bottle in his mouth even before being woken up !!
• 2 in 1 : it's a bottle warmer and a sterilizer
• compact and nice design (several colors)

- points :

• you have to tip the machine to retrieve all the water from the heater compartment
• contrary to what one might think, the machine doesn't prepare the milk as espresso machines make coffee ! This unit only heats water, you must then manually add the powder in the bottle !

2) The Up&Down Bouncing Chair (Beaba) 

+ points :

• THE big advantage is the adjustable height ! It makes you wonder why nobody thought of it before ?!? Easily, you can choose the ground level, the "sofa" level or the "table" level ... which allows baby to participate fully in the life of the house and be even  closer to his parents. It also allows pet owners to not let their babies near them.
• back adjustable with just 1 hand from lying to sitting.
• nice design and various colors available

- points :

• casters are missing to move it easily
• accessories (canopy and play arch) are sold separately

3) The Avent Bottles

+ points :

• clinically proven to reduce fussing : allows air into the bottle instead of your baby's tummy
• no leak bottles
• you can adapt all Avent nipples : 1, 2, 3 or 4 holes, variable flow for thicker feeds, ...
• robust shape and appearance, easy to clean

- points :

• expensive but like all brands bottles

4) The Nursery Basket (Beaba)

This item is so convenient when you change baby in multiple rooms of your house : its nursery during the day, our room at night, the bathroom when bathing, ...

+ points :

• thanks to its many modular storage compartments, it allows you to keep everything you need close at hand
• very compact
• its double handle makes its transport through the rooms easier

- points :

• i don't know !!

5) The Babycook Duo (Beaba)

+ points :

• in this latest version of the famous Babycook, there are 2 compartments in order to achieve twice as many compotes, purees, ...
• of course, it still steams, blends, defrosts and warms !
• nice design and various colours available
• there are plenty of very nice accessories (sold separately !) : individual portions for freezing baby's meals, babypote, cook books, seasoning balls, rice-cooker, ...

- points :

• very expensive
• the blending system is only available on 1 bowl !

Pinspiration : Monthly Pictures of Baby

Our little angel is 3 weeks old, so we are fast approaching his first month of life.

I realize he has already changed so much !!! I don't want to miss anything ! We take pictures of him every day, but I want something different.
So, I'd like to begin the ritual of the monthly photo : every second day of each month (because Gabriel was born on the 2nd April), I'll take a photo to make a collage as found on these blogs.


1)

image from blog famillesummerbelle.typepad.com

This one doesn't seem too hard to make : you just need a white sheet ! You don't have to buy specific clothes because it's just a portrait !
I also need funny letters... I'll try to make it with felt !


2)

 

Source: chiccheapnursery.com via Julie on Pinterest

This one requires a little more accessories : customized onesies like these...

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest

However, the bottom is too gaudy and the baby isn't highlighted ! So, I'll stay with the white background !


3)

Source: tabithablue.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

This one seems easy to make too : we just need to find a seat where baby can be comfortably put without falling (it's better for the first few months).


4)

Source: blogs.babble.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love this one but unfortunately I haven't a slate wall ! What a shame !!


5)

Source: diycrafts.blogspot.com.au via Julie on Pinterest

And finally, an idea of baby diary !!!

I think I'll try the first one ! You'll see it in a next post !

The Day everything changed

I have the honor to announce the birth of our son, Gabriel !
He was born on the 2nd April and we're crazy about him !!!

On the 1st April (and it's not a joke) at night, after the arrival of my parents, I felt my first contractions. In the night, my husband drove me to the maternity. And on the 2nd April, in the morning, our little angel Gabriel was born !

Of course, he's the most beautiful baby in the world !
Of course, we are extremely happy and fond of him !
Of course, I realize how lucky I am to have a healthy baby !
All moms will tell you the same thing ! And I must confess that myself, having heard this all my life, I was shocked when I felt the baby blues !

To young mothers who are concerned, many women have felt the same ! So, don't believe you're abnormal !
And if, like me, you're a mum without family near you to help you, accept every sort of help from everybody !

A friend offers to shop for you, to cook for you, to keep an eye on your baby while you take a shower and wash your hair, ... SAY YES !!! And try to relax with a bath or a walk outside !

Good luck !!!

DIY : Flag Garland

I'm still in the process of decorating the nursery of our future baby.

Because the walls have to stay white, we had to find other ways to color the room...
A few days ago, I showed you my paper globes (tuto here). Today, I wanted to decorate the long white wall with a flag garland.

How to make it ?

1) Choose assorted papers
My curtains are white with blue, green and orange polka dots. So I tried to find these colors in the papers I have selected.
As for the paper globes, I use cardstock because their thickness is perfect for this project.

2) Prepare the pattern
I chose to draw 17cm (6,7'') triangles , extended on the top by a small border of 1cm (0,4'') wide.

3) Cut out as many flags as desired
Because my wall is very large, I made 22 flags.

4) Use a string, thread or tape to connect the flags together
Several options are available. I noticed that many tutorials advise the sewing machine. As I didn't like this idea, because I think the thread is too fragile to really hold the flags together, I chose to use white string.

5) Make 2 holes in each flag at 1,5cm from the edge (the dotted line on the pattern above) with a needle or compass.

6) Put the string through the holes to let the thread visible on the front of the flag.

7) Continue with the other flags... or choose to integrate a little item between each flag.
I chose buttons.

8) Stretch the string for a better result.

DIY : Wee-Wee Proof Cones

A new tutorial/DIY for today : how to make your own "wee-wee proof cones" for baby boys !

As a future mum of a little boy, all my friends have cautioned me : "prepare a lot of towels because you're going to be attacked during each diaper change"...
Me ? Be attacked ? By my baby, my wonder of the world ? No way !!!
And yet...
Even if I can't be sure about it for my baby (because he isn't yet born), I noticed that this statement was exact with the baby boys of my friends. The little guys seem to love to pee when their penis is in the open air : on the person who changes them, or even on themselves !

As usual, I used my friend Google to find solutions.
So I typed "how to protect myself from pee-attacks", or "how to avoid getting peed on by my baby", ... but without any success !

Fortunately, thanks to the US blogs I read, I discovered a magical object : the wee-wee proof !

This is actually a small cone with felt or terry-towelling to place on the penis of the baby during the change. The thick fabric will absorb the urine and you will just have to wash the cone rather than the walls, the floor, the baby and... YOU !

But, I can't find it in France ! So, I decide to make it by myself for my future baby and for my friends !



How to make it ?

1) Prepare the materials :
- a sewing machine
- terry-towelling
- cotton fabric
- scissors
- a piece of cardstock
- a fabric pencil
- pins

About the terry-towelling, I had a good quality towel... but pierced ! So, instead of throwing it away, I've used it for my project.

2) Using a model, draw a circle on the cardstock to make a pattern.
Personally, I used a bowl (upside down) to get the desired format.

3) Use the pattern to cut out circles in the fabric and in the terry towelling.
Then cut each fabric circle in 2 semi-circles.

4) Place 1 semi-circle of terry-towelling and 1 semi-circle of cotton fabric right sides together, using pins. Then, sew just on the round edge.

5) Return the project to put the fabrics wrong sides together, and hide the seam.

Fold the project in half along the rounded to obtain a quarter circle (using pins). The cotton fabric must be inside.

6) Sew the straight edge (the only edge not folded or sewn).

Return for the last time the project to hide the seam and get a cone (terry-towelling inside and cotton fabric outside).

The cones are ready to be used !!!



And for those who still don't understand the use of this object, Mr. Duck has agreed to be our model today.

DIY : A Globe Paper Mobile

I posted on Facebook some photos of my decor for the nursery of our future little boy. Some of my friends (and family) were particularly interested in one thing (to copy me !!!!) : my colored paper globes.


First, the idea came to me by reading the blog of Paige Evans, one of my favorite US bloggers. Since the walls of the nursery would remain white, I had to find something to cheer. Here's THE solution...

The One with the First Nursery Item and Other Baby Stuff

Unfortunately, I haven't found a tutorial on internet, but because I'm not really too stupid (yes, it's possible !), I easily managed to create these globes by myself.
And because I'm very (too?) nice... here's the way to do it !!

1) Cut out circles of paper (the size of the circles depends of the size of the globe you want). You have to choose a thick paper, like scrapbooking paper.

2) Draw an equilateral triangle which passes by the edges of the circle. Then fold the edges on the lines of the triangle.
To make it easier, I used a circular protractor and I put a mark in degrees 0, 120 and 240 to draw the triangle. So easy !!

3) Repeat this, cutting and folding 20 paper circles.
The result is prettier using a monochrome or matching colors.

4) Glue the circles edge to edge.
Each globe has 5 circles above, 10 circles staggered to the middle row, and 5 circles in the bottom.

5) Don't forget to put a link inside the globe to hang it !

Here's the final result !!!

It's your turn, now !

Pinspiration : Baby Pirate

As a good future mum, I use Pinterest to find ideas for my baby.


And because, I looooove pirates, I must confess I enjoy searching ideas to dress my baby or decorate his nursery.


A beautiful bib to avoid getting himself dirty after his pirate drinking session !

Source: shirtcity.fr via Julie on Pinterest

A rhinestone skull baby onesie...

Source: specialbabyshowergifts.com via Julie on Pinterest

Failing to find a hat like that, I'd have to knit one (it may be difficult because of my knitting level) or buy a black hat and embroider a skull on it !

Source: celebuzz.com via Julie on Pinterest

And beautiful little silver slippers... to buy !!!

Source: shopmania.fr via Julie on Pinterest