Birthday Board!!

Okay, so I am a HUGE fan of the Birthday Board. I found it a while ago HERE and posted it to Pinterest. (Addicted to Pinterest so bad!) And decided I needed to make it for my mom and dad for Christmas (There are 32 of us so far). I now have 2000 repins and counting because it is SUCH A GREAT IDEA! In the process, I had people comment on the pin and ask if anyone was making them or selling them. I am in the process of getting an Etsy account and decided this would be a great thing to start my little shop! Well, I have some orders from some great women even BEFORE my shop is even up! I am so excited! Hopefully they like them as much as I do!

I also had some ladies ask if there were instructions. I am going to give them! I actually found a site that tells you how to make them here. But I am making them a little differently, so I will still tell you how I made them!

Supplies:

~1/2 X 6 X 24 board (I got mine from Lowe's)

~Vinyl (I cut my own. There are tons of places online you can get vinyl from if you don't have your own cutter.)

~1 1/2" circles, hearts or whatever (enough for 12 months and the number of birthdays in the family) you can get them from the craft store, but if you have a lot to do you can also order them online

~3/4" 'S' hooks (couldn't find them at Lowe's. Got them at Home Depot)

~#216 screw eye hooks (better price at Lowe's [pkgs of 10] but you can get them at Home Depot too[pkgs of 8])

~Sawtooth wall hangers (Walmart, or home improvement store)

~paint and brushes

~wood glue

~drill with 1/8" drill bit and 1/16" drill bit

Directions:

Drill holes in circles (not the ones for the months) on the top and bottom.

**For this board I used hearts, but I will be giving instructions for circles, since they are most inexpensive and most requested.**

Paint board and circles your desired colors. Each of my colors represents a family. You can make yours however you want.

Once paint is completely dry add vinyl to month circles and Board. Glue circles to board. I hate measuring, but it's a good thing to do for this. From the end measure 1 inch, then every 2 inches after that. So from each end it will only measure an inch, but in between every month there is 2 inches.

On the birthday circles I wrote the names and date with a white paint marker. You can get creative and use scrapbook paper with the names typed on  and mod podged to the circle like she suggests here (toward bottom of post)

Underneath the month circles screw in eye hooks. You can drill a starter hole or just use good old fashion strength to screw them in. Or you can go a completely different direction and us an Awl (used in leather making) and a hammer to start a hole.

Next simply connect 'S' hooks to the eye hooks and circles like this!

The painting and drilling are time consuming, but if you don't go too crazy with the colors, you can get an assembly line going pretty good and it will go by pretty fast. The more you drill, the faster you will get. Make sure you have extra circles because they can crack if you get too close to the edge or press too hard with the drill. (I ran out of hearts and had to buy more the first time because I did NOT anticipate that happening!)

I hope this has inspired you and given you some ideas! I AM selling them. My Etsy shop is called Pearlized and will be offering to sell them from there in the New Year!! I am selling kits mostly, but will be selling completed boards too. Email me or check my shop for details.

Good luck and Happy Crafting!

** I have another picture of one I've done on the next post check it out!

Way too many!!!

So I have been looking at different people's blogs and have found WAY TOO MANY good ones!! I'm mostly looking at craft blogs and boy are there a lot!! I have so many bookmarks and ideas of how to make them my own, I don't think I'll get them all done until I'm 100! I really need to start getting a system down to which ones I really want to do. That will take some time in itself to organize!! I believe they are on the side of my blog, if not, I'll figure out how to put them there! You really need to check them out! I have found so many great ideas! And I need people to do crafts with, so we'll see if I can come up with a bi-monthly crafting event for people near and far to participate in.


Happy Crafting!

Time Flies

Wow. I'm obviously not a big blogger. I would rather be doing something else than stuck on the computer for hours typing about my life, but then again, I don't write in a journal right now either, so how else am I going to do it? Let me give you the rundown on what has happened lately.

Garrett Owen is 4 1/2 months old and he is a FIREBALL! He is just as stubborn as his mom and dad COMBINED! But he is also excited about life. He has to be doing something all the time, and he doesn't want to settle. It took him less than a week to roll over and then back again. He didn't just want to roll one way, so he didn't for long. He gets really mad if he gets himself stuck. When I get up to do something and look back at him he is facing a completely different direction and has moved a foot or so from his last position 20 seconds before. He is going to start crawling soon I just know it. Then the real terror will begin!

Landon is  beyond awesome. He's beawesome! (From Disney's "Bolt"). He is the best big brother ever!!! He sings to Garrett when he's upset, if Garrett is laughing Landon has to come over and help make him laugh more. He is really helpful with his brother, and now he's wanting to help with a lot more, even when mom doesn't want his help. :) He wants to push the grocery cart, he wants to sweep, he wants help me cook and do laundry, he wants to push the stroller when we go for walks. Not only that, but he gets mad if I try to help! (Not with the housecleaning, he's still working on that) Today at the grocery store he kept getting mad at me for holding on to the grocery cart. I said, "Mom I am so strong. I can do it." He's my little man!

Jeff is working hard at work. Of course this week has been crazy for him because this is the first week that it has hit 100 degrees, so there have been a lot of A/Cs to maintenance. His birthday is coming up Saturday and that will hopefully be a fun day for him. He's an Assistant Scoutmaster and the Elders Quorum Secretary in our ward. But most importantly, he is the BEST husband and dad EVER! He has been sooo helpful, when he can be, with the boys. I have Pres. meetings almost every week and he takes care of them while I'm gone. He also is really great at helping me with the boys at night. He rocks Garrett to sleep almost every night! He also is extremely helpful when I have those occasional breakdowns. He works at the apartment complex we live in, so he's a minute or 2 away if I need him (which was helpful before I had Garrett). I had a come apart the other day and there he was to help me. He calmed Garrett and me down and he helped Landon out and everything was able to get taken care of. He is my Hero.

I am going slightly crazy, but what mom isn't. I had an extremely difficult labor with Garrett. He was posterior and his head was on my tailbone for 6 to 10 hours, almost 3 of that I was pushing. FYI Epidurals don't work on your tailbone. My epidural wore off before he was out, so that was fun. Since he was on my tailbone for so long, my tailbone took a beating. I couldn't sit or lay down without some pain. Now, 4 1/2 months later, I can do almost everything and it doesn't hurt, except sit for too long. It is still there, but SOOOO much better than the first 3 months!! I was called to be Relief Society Secretary in our ward in April, and have been enjoying that calling. I've definitely been busy! When Garrett is content, which doesn't last for long, I am working on keeping the house up and laundry and dishes done, but needless to say, it's been the bare minimum lately. I am speedy Gonzalez when I do get the time though!
As any Rowley can understand, (and McAllister for that matter) I have stomach issues. I discovered that oats bother me, making me suspicious of Celiac. I had 3 blood tests and 2 came back neg and one hadn't come in, but is most likely neg. So that's good, but I still don't know what is bothering my stomach. I had a allergy panel done and I don't have any known "general" food allergies just environmental, which get this, includes DOGS. Fun huh? (I have two). Also Cats and Olive Trees. I think I'm going to go to an allergist to talk to them about specific food allergy tests. The dog thing I suspected, but ignored because we love dogs!! I am on some allergy medicine now, so we'll see how that goes. I haven't sneezed once today!!
I also have the startings of a cyst on my left wrist from holding Garrett and having to feed him in creative ways in the beginning because of my tailbone, so I'm wearing a brace to hopefully help that.
I love my boys and am sooo happy to be in our own place but really would love to get into a house!! Our apartment is really small for 2 growing boys 2 active dogs and 2 adults plus all of our "crap". We are slowly going forward with the prequalificaion process, and will hopefully have a home in the next year. *fingers crossed*

We went to Disneyland for my birthday a couple of weeks ago! It was definitely a different experience taking a 4 month old. We also went to Six Flags. NOT RECOMMENDED! It was really a stressful day for me with Garrett. They have absolutely NOWHERE to feed babies! It was a long day and I will never do that again! Disneyland was so much better because they have a Child Care Center where there is a room you can go in to feed your babies. They have high chairs and changing tables, and even a little potty for the newly trained/training toddlers! That was so much more relaxing!! Garrett definitely doesn't like long car rides or strollers (for long periods) Luckily Jeff had him in the "Baby Bjorn" for most of the time, or Gma and Gpa had him (I can't carry him too long because of my back)

I hope that didn't come off sounding to negative. I have definitely been having my share of health and new mom  problems, but I love my family and I love serving the Lord. I have my challenges, but they are for my good and will help shape me into who I need to be.

2 Years In the Making!!!

So a couple of years ago I told myself that I would grow my hair out to donate. I was committed to do just that. So I started investigating and discovered that I couldn't have bleach in my hair. I had highlights in my hair that had bleach in it, so I had to chop my hair off first, twice! Big setback! So for 2 YEARS I have been growing my hair out so I could donate it. It has been frustrating, because I don't like it that long, and I get bored when I can't dye it, so I definitely was tempted to cut it a few times, but like I said, I was committed to following through with this decision.

Since my hair is at it's healthiest, (for my pregnancy strengthens my hair none of it falls out and once I have the baby it falls out in handfuls) I decided it was finally time to cut it off. If I waited until the baby was born, then my hair would be unhealthy and I would have to wait another 4 to 6 months to cut it off. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! I new I was cutting it close, but this was the best time.

Thursday the 6th, I went in to get my hair cut. It was at about 9 inches, which is too short for Locks of Love, but apparently Pantene has a hair donation program and they accept it at 8 inches. I also discovered that they give their wigs for FREE to women who have lost their hair to cancer. (Click here for more information.) So that is what I decided to do.

 Before the big cut!!

 No turning back now!!

 It's like a weight is lifted off my shoulders!! 

 Little big shorter huh??

 Blow drying my hair!

 Almost done!

 A closer look!

Ta-Dah!! The new me!

I look a little better in this picture! I love my haircut!!

So now, I have filled my commitment and I am very happy with myself. There are so many things in my life I haven't followed through with and I refused to fail at this one, so now I can be thankful I fulfilled my goal with complete success! Thank you Jeff for being willing to put up with how short it is for now, and for my mom for making the appointment and going with me!!

Big Changes for the Whiteheads!

We have been so incredibly blessed these pasted two years living with my parents. It has been a real challenge, but a great growing opportunity for all of us and I will cherish it, but at last we are able to move out and into our own apartment! First time in THREE YEARS!!!

When Landon was born Jeff had just lost his job and we moved into his grandparents place (unoccupied). The family decided 10 months later that they needed to try and sell it or rent it, and we still weren't in a position to get our own place yet. (We have really struggled in the job department!) My parents were angels and said that we could live with them until we figured something out (which we thought would be a few months). Jeff lost his job again three months later and was out of a job for another 6 months.

Last October Jeff FINALLY got a job and things were looking up. He became a Porter for an apartment management company (he cleans up the outside of the property and paints curbs and misc. things like that). He was also told that he can certify for working on Heating and A/C, so a few months into it he started learning about things like that and trying to certify. In June he had receive both of his EPA Certifications for Heating and A/C, but they said he needed more experience, so he worked with the Maintenance Technicians to learn stuff from them and started doing both Maint. Tech. AND Porter duties.

This October, his year mark he found out one of the techs was leaving. Perfect opportunity right?? No. They said they wanted him to have 2 to 3 YEARS experience before he would be considered for a Maintenance Tech position (which would pay 3 to 4 dollars more an hour and make it possible for us to move). Obviously devastation set in for a little bit with that news. Here I am pregnant, wanting to have my own place to raise my boys and hitting another brick wall. Jeff started applying to other places.

But even though Jeff was told that he would NOT get this position, he felt he needed to prove to his Supervisor that he DESERVED the position. He has been working his tail off ever since, showing that he may not have experience, but he has the knowledge and the determination to get better every day.

Unbeknownst to me, Jeff was wanting to see what it would take for us to move out. He knew that getting a different job wasn't going to happen because of his lack of degree and experience required by most companies. So he thought about us moving into the apartment complex that he works at and if that would even be plausible. Tuesday night, November 30th, Jeff tells me this plan. I was completely caught off guard! I crunched some numbers, and new that he would need a raise at least for us to move. He said he would explain things to his boss and see what he could do. That day he looked into the available apartments as well, and even though the complex doesn't have washers or dyers in the apartments he discovered there are THREE that do, and two had JUST become available. One of those was in the area of the complex that Jeff wanted to live (he knows the quiet and good areas after working there for over a year)

That afternoon, his boss told him that he wanted him to take the Maintenance Technician Test and do a "Turnover" (do maintenance on an apartment to get ready for someone to move in) all by himself so they could bring evidence to the Regional Manager that he was ready to be a Main. Tech. Everyone that he works with was supporting him and asking what they could do and how they could help! What a huge blessing! That right there was worth all that we have been through. He was never been truly appreciated for the work he does and everyone was giving their support! So he comes home telling me all of this Wed. night and studies for the test that he is going to take on Thurs morning. He calls me Thurs after work and tells me he passed the test and he did the turnover by himself and things went well.


Friday, December 3rd around 11, Jeff calls me and says he was offered the position of Maintenance Technician that still hadn't been filled and he would start the next day on the payroll as such and his duties would start Monday!!! He brought home the apartment application and told me that we could be in as early as the 10th.!!

Stressful, yes, but such a wonderful weekend!! I wasn't keen on moving before Christmas, but there are many benefits to this: My brother and his family are coming and they would have more space if we weren't there, we would get this apartment that has a washer and dryer, we could have Christmas as a Whitehead family, we can take our time moving in, since our stuff is at my parents' and his parents' houses so we don't have to move EVERYTHING in all at once. And if we do it this weekend, we won't have to do it next weekend, which is our 5th Anniversary.

The Lord has had his hand in this the entire time. Things took longer than we wanted, but it was the time we needed. The complex had some people there that made it unsafe to live in a few months ago, but they are all gone now, and is much safer. Jeff never would have thought of moving there until recently. It will be a great blessing to be in the same complex as Jeff. We are even going to be in the same ward that we were in when we first got married! Major plus since that is the ward we wanted to move back into from the beginning!

Over the past few months things have just been working toward the right direction. Jeff had been given more responsibilities at work, things were going well with his calling at church, and things have just been going right. We truly have been blessed! We are really excited! I just need to pace myself so I don't stress out too much. It will be an exciting month and we can't wait to move into our own place again! It will be like Christmas getting into our stuff over the next couple months because we've had our stuff in storage for 3 years!

Thank you to all of those who have prayed for us and thought about us during the trials we have been facing! Things will still be tight for a little while because he doesn't get the full raise right away, (he has to work in the position for 90 days before he gets the full raise, company policy) but I know things will work out because everything has just been perfect!!! Wish us luck!

I'm Still Alive!

So I haven't posted in a long time! I'm really sorry about that. Life has been kinda crazy. I did have Easter pictures to post a while ago, but I totally spaced it. Now it's almost September! So I thought I would briefly describe (if I can) what has been going on the last few months.

Jeff is EPA Certified to handle refrigerant and coolant, and has been working on air conditioners among other things at his job. We are waiting for a position to open up for him to become a Maintenance Technician for the company he works for. (an Apartment Management Company) Once that happens he will get a nice boost in pay and we will be able to FINALLY get out on our own (we have been living with my parents for just under 2 years now)

Jeff would have had his Associates by now, but the school messed up ROYALLY in the accounting area and claimed we owed them money for classes he didn't take. They wouldn't allow him to register for classes until it was resolved. We even had a letter from a creditor asking for the money! AFTER we had already sent in an appeal!! But, after several months of frustration, we found out they figured out the problem sent us the balance they owed to US and he was eligible to sign up for classes again. Too bad the semester was OVER! I really should have gotten after them more and done something more about it, but I don't think that would have done any good, especially since they really won't talk to anyone but the student, even if I am his wife. Anyway, now he starts classes and will finish in the spring (a year late). Then he will transfer to UNLV to get his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.

We are expecting our 2nd child on February 1, 2011. We actually find out his week what we are having!! It has been a pretty tough one compared to my last one (at the beginning that is). Morning Sickness really kicked my trash. But FINALLY after SEVERAL weeks, I started feeling better. Now I am 18 weeks and, besides being tired almost all the time, I am feeling quite well and am starting to feel the little munchkin move around!

Landon is an amazing boy. He is learning so much right now it's hard to keep up with him! He knows most of the words to "I Am a Child of God," "Grandpa's Farm," (old kid song my mom taught him) "ABCs," "Once There Was a Snowman," "Patty Cake," and "Ring Around the Rosy." He is recognizing letters everywhere now and I think he's even learning some words. I haven't been consistent with the reading program I started with him, but I am trying. We are also going to start potty training soon. Mom has to mentally prepare herself for that one, which has been difficult since my hormones are CRAZY right now! Landon's imagination is growing as well. He is so fun to watch! I can't believe he's going to be 3 in December! He loves trains, cars and Planets. He actually knows what all the planets are according to what they look like in his planet book! I keep talking to him about the baby and will be happy when I can call it a brother or sister for sure. He will be going with us to the ultrasound, so I think that will help him too!

Our latest news is that instead of renting an apartment, we are going to look into buying a house. Yes, it's true. We are still in the talking stage, we haven't been active yet in the Loan area, except to ask one bank what we would be pre-approved for. So we are in hopes that a promotion and house will fall into the "very soon" category. We are looking now because we know how long it can take to close on a house. We still might need to have an apartment for a little while if the house takes longer than we want, but if things go how we think they will, we will be in a house before December.

That of course has me terribly, but cautiously, excited. It has been a very long road for the last 3 years. Being jobless and essentially homeless. We have been immensely blessed by our family members. I can't even describe how I feel. We have had trials but we have learned so much and are forever indebted to all of those who have helped us get through these last few years. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I would LOVE to be able to be in my very own place for once! So, we are earnestly praying for things to work out well in the job and home-finding area.

So, in a nutshell, that is what our life is like right now. We are incredibly blessed and continue to be so!!!

Latest Project

So Mom and I were asked to do a "little" project...

A sister in our ward is a school teacher. She and several other teachers in the area have received a grant to have Ipod Touches in their classrooms. She, thinking mom was a seamstress, asked if she and I could come up with a prototype for a protective covering that the children could have around their necks, and also be clear in the front so they can use their Ipods without removing them from their coverings, but they need to be removable so she can charge them. She figures that if we can come up with something, we could possibly make them for teachers around the valley....

So on to our grand adventure. She wanted 35. She also wanted me to embroider numbers on the back so she could easily assign them to her students.

She calls a few days later she called and said the principal would pay for 70 (two sets for two classes) but didn't want to pay for the embroidery, so since I had already started on the embroidery for hers she would pay that separately. So instead of working on 35 we now have an order for 70!

I will tell you that it was a lot of work, especially for mom, because she did most of the sewing! There are two coverings; one with two layers of denim on the back with vinyl on the front, and one with gray fleece on the back with vinyl on the front. We overlapped the back fabric and added Velcro to keep it secure. Then we stitched a ring in place for a lanyard to be attached.


I really like the denim ones. They turned out well.

These are some examples with and without embroidery on them.

We will see if anything more comes of it. We worked a lot of hours, but by the end I think we got a routine going. It would be nice to make some extra money doing this, so we'll just have to wait and see!!