Pregnancy & Post-Partum Helpful Tips!

With a new baby soon to be entering our lives I've been poking around online at different baby-related things. One thing I have come across a few times are "lists" or "things" to help you prepare for baby. I guess as a blogger I felt the urge to make my own. My list consists of stuff I found helpful with my daughter, things I wish I had done to prepare for her entry in to the world, or things I'm currently doing to help prepare for our son.

Speaking of which, here is a side view (profile) of his wittle face! About 7 more weeks to go :)

Before you have your baby

Kegel Exercises:

BabyCenter.com info on Kegel Exercises
"Kegels are exercises you can do to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles – the muscles that support your urethra, bladder, uterus, and rectum. The exercises.... help women with urinary incontinence, or diminished bladder control, which can happen after childbirth."

Perineal Massage:

BabyCenter.com info on Perineal Massage 
"Starting around 34 weeks, try massaging your perineum (the area around your vagina). Daily perineal massage may increase the area's ability to stretch, leading to less need for an episiotomy and fewer natural tears."

Hydrate:

Drink plenty of water. I admit, I'm not so good at this, but you'll notice less swelling and things will "move" through your system a whole lot better! Hydration can also help your skins elasticity and could reduce cellulite and stretch marks. Plus baby wants water, too!

Expect Swelling:

I haven't experienced swelling in my extremities until around 8 months (32 weeks or so). Most likely you will swell before the baby gets here. Be ready to take off your wedding ring and wear it around your neck! With my daughter I gained weight pretty quickly in the last 8 weeks probably due to the swelling. Prop your feet up whenever you sit! The good thing is it will all melt away after delivery :)

Prepare yourself with a list of items to get an RX for and provide it to your OB at one of your visits:

I have not done this particular step yet, but many OTC health items are no longer covered under the IRS with Flex Spending Accounts (FSAs) or tax deductions. For example: I can not buy Tylenol any longer with my Flex card unless I have a doctor's RX for it. You'll find that many of the items you need for baby and for yourself post-delivery fall under that category, so prepare yourself ahead of time! The hospital may provide you with an RX list upon discharge. Ours did, and it included many regular OTC items. That will cover it, but we were surprised by this massive list of needs. My husband had to rush to the store to go buy everything up so I could have it. I'm trying to make sure you buy it BEFORE you need it :)

• Purchase necessities for BABY that you might not have been gifted from your baby shower: Here is a general list from WhatToExpect.com

After the baby shower for our daughter we took a trip to Walmart and bought a few needs. You'll probably get a lot of the little things (shampoo, rash cream, extra diapers) but you may still need to fill in some gaps. We bought band-aids, Neosporine, a thermometer.. things like that.

•  Purchase necessities for YOU for after delivery:

Little did I know (as stated above), you will actually need some stuff for yourself once baby is delivered. The hospital will provide you with most of it while you're there, but you'll need it for at home as well. Buy it now so your husband doesn't have to!

• Tucks/Witchazel Pads - Get lots. They'll help tremendously with healing. Whether you get a tear/episiotomy or not, it's going to be sore. I had an episiotomy and these came in super handy for the first couple weeks.
• Feminine sanitary pads - Big ol' maxi pads! You're going to have bleeding and who knows how heavy or light it will be. Be prepared to change these frequently (especially if you have a tear or cut).
• Stool Softeners - You don't want to strain any more than you already have. The hospital may start giving these to you along with any other medication you need after delivery. I personally try to take them daily throughout pregnancy since carrying a baby wreaks havoc on your digestive system.
• Comfy panties - Buy some cute cotton "granny panties" (no laughing at that!) that will be comfortable and hold your pads. I remember preferring a boy short style. Don't get something that will fit you too tightly.
• Breastfeeding must-haves for mom -You will need certain items on hand to help with breastfeeding after delivery. In the hospital you may only need a couple of these items on hand (a couple bras and some nursing pads) but when you get home there may be more you find you will need! Check out this great source: What breastfeeding supplies do I need?

Research birthing options (hospitals, birthing centers, home births):

Talk to your doctor/midwife about your specific options (may vary according to your health risks/needs). Be sure to take a tour of the location.

Research Breastfeeding:

I'm a big advocate for breastfeeding. Doesn't mean I disagree with formula-feeding moms, but often-times breastfeeding is given up on so quickly due to lack of education and proper resources to assist you through the problems. Don't give up so easily. I had a horrible time initially with my daughter because I just flat out knew nothing, only that I wanted to breastfeed! Eventually I learned she had reflux which could have saved me a lot of heartache early on if I had know the signs/symptoms and how to handle it!

• www.KellyMom.com
• http://lllusa.org/ - La Leche League

Research Cloth diapering , homemade baby wipes, and other environmentally safe or natural options:

I did not cloth diaper my daughter. Instead we preferred Luvs & Pampers (hooray for coupons!), but this time around I did a lot of research and wanted to take the plunge. I'm loving it so far and I haven't even had the baby yet to stick them in!

Research postnatal procedures for your baby such as circumcision, vaccinations, testing etc:

As Mom/Dad you need to make the choices for your baby you believe are the best, so educate yourself now!

Take any classes you’d like that are offered by your local hospital or Mommy stores: 
Our local hospital offers several different class options ranging from breastfeeding, first aid, birthing techniques and classes for older siblings. We also have a "natural" Mommy store in town that offers classes (Lamaze, Cloth Diapering 101, Breastfeeding Essentials). The hospitals and stores both may charge for these classes. In my opinion the classes offered by the stores may be the best with better in-depth info although probably more expensive. Insurance may cover Lamaze classes.

Consider your birthing options and research the benefits/drawbacks of everything:

Epidural? Pain medication? Laboring at home before going to the hospital? There's a lot to think of. See the next point below for a list to get you thinking about it!

Create your own birth plan:

I used Earth Mama Angel Baby's birth plan form.
You can find tons of websites online that offer "birth plan" print-outs. I highly suggest you take advantage of this, if not for anybody but yourself and your spouse! I asked my OB if they wanted a copy but advised me it is nothing they would keep in my file. She said it's up to me at the time of labor & delivery to ask for/refuse certain options. I have printed out my birth plan anyway to have on hand when we get there. My husband can refer to it if need-be. Things may change and certain procedures may become necessary but my hope is to ward off anything unnecessary.

Organize your nursery:

 We started the nursery organization early due to minor home projects and room switches. We have the basic bit down but truthfully until you have a baby shower or have purchased everything this may be one of the last steps you take in preparation for baby. If you're cloth diapering look up different organizational tips from others who CD. Have the creams, ointments, wipes etc handy. Organize clothes in your closet/drawers by size. Get bottles and other items washed and ready if needed. Open and test your breast pump to make sure it works properly. Clean all of the accessories that come with so it will be ready for use if you need it soon after arriving home.

Wash baby clothes/linens:

Pick your preferred detergent for baby clothes and be sure everything (or at least everything you will need in the early months) is washed and ready. Do not use fabric softeners as these can compromise items that are meant to be fire retardant. Fabric softeners can also reduce absorption. If you have a baby with reflux you definitely don't want your burp rags to not absorb!

Here are some options:

• Homemade laundry detergent (which is all we use now however not recommended for cloth diapers)
• Dreft
• All Free & Clear (safe for cloth diapering)
• Seventh Generation
• Soap Nuts (safe for cloth diapering)
• Most anything without dyes or fragrances. At some point we did move on to washing baby clothes with our clothes, but in the first several months I feel it is safest to wash in a "baby friendly" detergent.

Plan meals ahead for after baby’s birth:

Take a few days in the weeks/month or two before your due date and prep or cook meals that you can freeze.You may have family or friends bring you meals but you'll want to be prepared for anything! There are so many sources online for plan-ahead meals I can't even begin to link just one. Pinterest is your friend here!

Consider newborn photos and schedule them now!

I have heard the best time for newborn photos is within the first couple of weeks. You have a baby that is easier to maneuver and slightly less active than one that has begun to discover their movements. Go ahead and set up an appointment or maybe a tentative date with someone, then be sure to notify them once you have the baby... or whatever it is you decide with the photographer.

Pack your hospital bag:

Here is a well-rounded list from BabyCenter.com
Undoubtedly the hospital bag will be your best friend. And you never know when you'll need it, so have it ready! I suggest that you have it packed or in an accessible place with everything you can by week 33/34. You may still be using some of the things you need up until the last minute (like hopefully your tooth brush) so consider buying travel-size goodies or extras, or make a check list and be familiar with where everything is so your husband can do a quick grab-n-go as you're contracting out the door!

Have your car seat installed:

Around the time you get your hospital bag together, install the carseat base in your vehicle(s). I personally recommend you do NOT keep the seat in the vehicle until you need it. In the event the vehicle is involved in an accident you are then supposed to replace the entire system. I'd rather replace a $30 base than an $80+ car seat.

Check the NHTSA website for a list of local Car Seat Inspection Stations. Typically your local police department and sometimes fire departments have people certified to do them. At this point my husband and I are comfortable installing them ourselves, but initially with our first kiddo, we opted to have them installed by an officer. They gave all kinds of helpful tidbits at the time.

Work out a “delivery” plan for older children: 

Will they be with you? Do you have a baby sitter on-call? I'm not sure yet exactly what I'd like to do but this isn't something I necessarily want to take as it comes. I'd like to be slightly prepared just in case, but ultimately plans with labor can fall through very quickly so we're trying to not over think it. Even just a list of 3-4 willing helpers (you never know who is doing what & when so have more than 1 option!) with phone numbers to go through whenever you need them should suffice I hope.

Cleaning:

Just an idea... Have your spouse, significant other, or another family member/friend come over and help you clean the house thoroughly a couple weeks or so before your due date. Don’t overdo yourself even in the nesting phase, but the more you can get done now the less you have to worry about after! If you have children already you may understand how keeping a house clean at times can be hard. I have yet to experience it in the final days of pregnancy with baby #2, but I can only imagine how difficult it will be! Maybe even see if someone can go by your house while you’re at the hospital and do a little cleaning ;)

After Delivery & when you get home

Nurse your baby as soon as possible:

Breastfeeding your Newborn
Even though your milk has yet to come in, allow your baby to nurse as soon as possible after delivery. I think after about 30 minutes or so is when I first tried. Things had finally settled down in the room for us. The nurse offered some fantastic initial help with latch and a little advice to get me through until a Lactation Consultant was able to visit the next day.

Consider keeping your baby in the room with you:

I opted to have my daughter with me in our room. It wasn't something I ever really thought about but I couldn't bear the idea of not having her near me once she finally arrived! We were able to feed on-demand, and I didn't have to wait for a nurse to bring her to me or go get her myself. Take a break if you'd like and don't be afraid to have the nursery watch her for a while, but I believe you'll truly enjoy having your baby with you.

Take care of yourself:

Looking back I felt incredibly lazy after I delivered my daughter. I took a shower but just laid up in the bed the entire time. I stayed an extra day in the hospital due to her being jaundice. I wish I had pampered myself a little, did my make-up, changed in to something other than a hospital gown, got up and moved around... This time I hope to actually have the will and motivation to do more for myself. You're going to be flat out exhausted but sometimes if you do a little for yourself it'll brighten your day!
 

Have your meals & snacks easily accessible for when you’re home alone with your baby:

My husband had to go back to work just a couple of days after I got home with our daughter. As a manager he couldn't really leave work whenever I needed him so much of my day was spent alone with baby. There were few visitors and family wasn't very close. It was very frustrating at times that I had not prepared ahead of time to have meals and goodies right there where I needed them most. With a significant episiotomy, up and down movements were difficult at times. I'm looking forward to a basket of goodies at my fingertips this time (along with a very helpful 4yr old to go fridge digging for me heheh)!

Consider a note on your door for visitors!

This cute door sign idea from The Leaky B@@b (can't help but chuckle at that!) is perfect. It not only announces your bundle of joy, but also gives suggestions to visitors on what they can do to help! If you don't like this one, maybe it will give you some good ideas for how to word your own.

Don’t be afraid to accept any help that is offered:

If someone offers helps, let them! If there is ever a time that people want to help, it's after you have a baby, especially all the ladies. Most of them know what it's like and they only want to make life easier for you. Be grateful, thankful, and appreciative of course, but don't be afraid to say "yes!"

Sleep when baby sleeps:

Sleep is almost non-existent when your baby comes, or at least you feel it is. When your baby drifts off, you have to drift off (same goes for Daddy, if you didn't already notice hehe)! Use a bedside sleeper, cosleeper, travel crib or pack n' play (here is what I used/use) so that your baby is near you. If it weren't for cosleeping I may have never slept. I had an insane pillow set-up for those times I would drift off while nursing her. You'll figure out what works best for you, but be sure to take safe precautions in whatever you do!

Follow all of your physician’s orders:

The one big thing I was advised to do after delivery was avoid stairs and driving for 2 weeks due to my episiotomy. Unfortunately for me we lived in a little townhouse where the bedrooms and bathroom were upstairs. Avoiding steps was impossible but I still could have handled it better. If I had been more careful my recovery time would have probably been significantly less.

Take lots of pictures:

Don't worry about killing every battery in your house, just take ten tons of photos!! I took so many with my daughter but wish I had taken more... crazy huh?! But my husband and I thoroughly enjoy looking back on them now and again! And now that our daughter is 4 she enjoys looking at her baby pictures as well.

My hope is that this information and the links provided are helpful to you in some way as you prepare for your new baby! It's obviously not an exhaustive list but don't worry. Don't overwhelm yourself and panic about everything! Focus on the things that are important to you (maybe breastfeeding, laboring techniques etc..) and let everything else fall in to place. No matter what, it will be a new experience and later on down the road there will be thoughts of what could have been done differently and what you can focus on with your next baby! That's why I did this list.

Most of all, love your precious gifts from God! Love them and enjoy every single second you have with them!

~Lisa~

From Girlish to Boyish - Travel Crib Repurpose!

Did you know?!?!
Bassinets aren't cheap! You're looking at anywhere between $70-$150+ for something your baby will sleep in for all of a few months in many cases. I was definitely not looking to spend that for our 2nd baby when I already had a perfectly good bedside sleeper/travel crib leftover from my daughter. However, it was just that... leftover from my daughter complete with the cute pink accents!
Nonetheless!! I was determined to make this work for our son!

Initially I thought I'd make one big ruffled/pleated "skirt" to go all the way around the outside from top to floor. But that's a lot of fabric, and it's still not going to cover the inside edges or the bumper pads on the bassinet.
Scratch that idea.

Then I thought, what about making strips of fabric to fit each side just enough to cover the pink in length and width... but how on earth am I going to attach it to the crib? Brainstorming and internet searches were coming up empty but I was so gonna figure this out even if I had to go buy a large sewing needle and hand-stitch with thick thread!
I knew I'd be able to sew fabric on to the bumper pad so I wasn't too concerned about that part.

So here it goes...

There is truly no strategy here, I figured it out as I went so I'll show you some pictures of what I did, explain a little bit, then show you the final product. I don't expect you to drop your jaw in sheer awe because this just isn't one of those projects.

The best part about this is I haven't ruined the original product to where it can't be sold/donated later in its original condition once we are done with it. It's simply a cosmetic fix to get us through.
(hooray for seam rippers!)

Grab ya some scrap fabric (or go buy some, whichever!). I chose green and yellow from my stash.

I took a few measurements including the length and complete width, measuring from the bottom edge on the outside around to the bottom edge of the inside of the pink fabric in my case. This way once you attach the fabric it will fold over the side and cover all of the pink both inside and out of the crib.
Cut your fabric along with a seam allowance, fold in (iron if needed) and sew up the edges all the way around. You will need 2 of these pieces, 1 for each long side.

The short edges might be a little more difficult since it's rounded on top, so I laid the crib on the ground on top of the fabric and traced it. Measure how tall you need the piece to be plus a little bit of seam allowance, then cut 4 pieces to match (2 for each side).

Fold in and sew the bottom and side edges of all 4 pieces.

Sew two of the pieces, right sides together, around the top rounded part only! Don't sew the bottom or sides! Once you've done that, flip it right side out. It should now slide easily over the short rounded side of your travel crib.

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On to the bassinet bumper...

Measure the inside length all the way around your bassinet bumper. Measure the height and cut your fabric to match that including a seam allowance. Fold in and sew your seam all the way around. My fabric wasn't long enough so I did have to attach a few pieces to get the appropriate length.

 This is probably the hardest part: Sewing your bumper fabric on. Make sure you have a good strong needle (like one used for denim) and a little patience to go slow. Shoving the end of your fabric in to a corner of the bumper, sew it from top to bottom to hold it securely in place.

Now you can start sewing the fabric on to the bumper. I started on top since that edge is easiest to reach with the machine and sewed down the length of one side as close as possible to the edge of the yellow fabric while keeping it as close as possible to the binding of the bumper. In the below photo you can see the stitching that was already on the yellow fabric and how my needle is positioned slightly to the right of it.

 On the top of your long sides you are going to encounter the plastic clamps that hold the bumper to the crib. Because those boogers are sewn down in to the bumper pad you'll need to sew around this a little differently. I decided to skip over that part then go back to it after I'd sewn the rest of the top on either side of the clamps.

Alright, got all of the top sewn now except for the section around the clamp as shown above.

It was actually easier to sew this part with the clamp on the left of the presser foot which meant doing a lot of shoving of bumper fabric in the tiny spot between the presser foot and the machine lol, that was interesting, but otherwise the little screw to the right of the presser foot would not have allowed me to lift the plastic clamp up well enough sew. Trust me, I tried to work around that.

Once you've finished sewing the top of one side, go back and sew across the bottom. That will give you one side completely sewn. At the corner where you meet your new side, sew down the edge as close to the corner seam of the bumper as possible (just like you did at the very beginning). 

In the below picture you can see how it's nice and secure and ready for you to move on to the next side and sew.

 

I made sure to be "safe" and not sew over top of the warning label. The yellow fabric is pretty see-through so it wouldn't look very good to cover it up. I just cut the fabric and sewed the edge along the label, then picked up with reattaching the rest of the yellow on the other side of the label.

 Finish sewing all the way around your bumper, top and bottom. Since I had cut a large chunk of yellow out for the label I ended up with a bunch of leftovers at the end. All I had to do was cut it off, fold the edge under, tuck it in the corner and do the last bit of stitching.

~~~~

The final step.... we get to attach those (green, in my case) edge pieces to the crib. I don't really have any pictures of that because there isn't much to show aside from how it looks once all the pieces are on. I decided to use safety pins. It took a little patience and finagling to get them on there and secure.

I'm not concerned about the baby getting to the pins because once the bumper is on they are covered up from the inside, and the crib will be put away long before he will ever walk or be able to mess with it.

Since the crib is wedged between my bed and the wall I opted not to mess with the cute pink skirt on the bottom aside from pinning it back on the one side that is visible. 

For now I covered the mattress pad with the blanket that came with our crib bedding set. I will either buy or make a matching sheet to cover the pad eventually.

***I would not recommend doing this with a full-size Pack n' Play unless you plan to sew on ALL of the fabric you add like I mentioned in the beginning. In general you've got the older babies in these and the safety pins can be a hazard!! This mini travel crib can be used like a Pack n' Play by removing the bassinet... if an older baby that can stand and reach the added fabric is put in it, you need to remove the fabric and safety pins.***

Overall this was a pretty simple project and with using leftover fabric from my stash it really didn't cost me a penny! I'm very happy with not having to go spend $100 on a new bassinet. I hope this will encourage and inspire you to save a little bit of money and consider repurposing!!

Infant Tulle Tutu!

A few weeks ago I did a post about several craft/sewing projects I need to get done before our little guy arrives. The first one was an outfit needed for a onesie exchange in a September due date mommy group. I have been procrastinating BIG time with this, and I need to have it mailed off by August 6th! I finally decided on what I would do and purchased a cute little onesie from Old Navy to get the project started. 

I'm proud to say I'm finally done with it! I can cross it off my list!!

To follow the little bit of info I received about Mom, I needed something for a girl, with green, purples and/or browns, maybe owls or butterflies, along with a little sparkle. With the help of a lot of tulle leftover from projects I decided to not use tulle on, I got to work on making a tutu to go with the onesie!

If you would like to make your own tulle tutu for a little girl here is what you'll need:

Scissors

Elastic (I think I used 1/2 or 3/4inch since it's for a baby)

Tulle in the colors of your choice

Safety pin

Needle/thread or sewing machine

I had a couple yards each of green and purple tulle and might have used about 1/2 yard of each for this project. That will of course depend on the length you want and size of the person you're making it for.

I cut several pieces of each color approximately 7x13 inches. Some pieces were bigger, some were smaller. You can adjust all of it in the end.

My onesie is a 3-6 months size. I only had a small bit of elastic left, but it was enough to go around the onesie plus extra. I used a safety pin to hold the elastic together where I wanted it. That's another thing you can adjust as needed.

Starting on one side of the safety pin I began tying on the tulle alternating colors as I went around.

Fold it in half...

 

Place the folded part behind your elastic...

 

Then take the two ends, bring them down in front of the elastic and through the loop. Pull tightly and adjust as needed.

I used 16 pieces of each color. Really you won't know how many you'll use until you are finished. I had to cut extras as I went. It takes a little working with because the elastic likes to get twisted easily. I have seen where people stretch the elastic around a chair back to hold it in place and make it a little easier to work with. I don't have any 3-6mos size chairs handy so I worked it out as I went.

Once all of the tulle was on the elastic I had some adjustments to make... some of my tulle pieces were longer than others (it can be a pain to cut and get perfect) so I had to go around the bottom and trim it up a bit to make it somewhat even in length.It's going to poof out so there's no need for it to be perfect.

Use your needle and thread or sewing machine to do several stitches up and down the elastic where the two ends meet so it's secure! 

(You may have to loosen one of the tulle pieces next to where you sew that way you can move it over and cover up the elastic. Now that it is completely finished you can adjust the tulle around the elastic so it looks evenly spread out.)

I purchased a couple of little wooden craft accessories as extras to mail out with the onesie and tutu! Maybe she can use them for decor :)

And there you have it, an adorable tulle skirt that should cost you no more than $5-$10+ depending on the amount of tulle you need and what you already have on hand! I purchased my tulle for about $1/yd and the elastic was a hand-me-down from a basket of sewing goodies I was given, so for me it was maybe a $1 project.

Personalized & Reusable Goodie Bags!

For my daughter's 4th birthday I decided to go a little outside the "normal" box of party stuff and rather than buy plastic bags and stuff them with goodies I opted to make my own bags. I went with the idea of giving each kid a reusable "snack bag" that is personalized with their initials!

Here is the original tutorial I found on Pinterest:

Going "green" tutorial - reusable snack bags

The girls got either pink or purple, and the boys got either green or brown. The embroidery, if you choose to do something similar, needs to be done once you attach your outside and inside fabric squares (pretty much after the first step that involves sewing). 

 I am not a master embroiderer... it's still fairly new to me even though I've had my machine a couple years (Brother SE400). I just don't embroider often. If you follow your machine instructions it recommends you to use embroidery thread but that stuff can be very pricy. I use regular machine-grade thread for mine.

Once you get your pieces embroidered you can move on and follow the steps in the tutorial accordingly to get your finished product.

Goodie bags labeled and ready to hand out at the party!

 

 They were are a HUGE hit! The kids loved them according to feedback from parents! I will definitely consider doing something similar again next year.

Oh, and for the cost?? About $3! 

All I had to purchase was some off-brand sew on Velcro from Walmart. Everything else was fabric I had on hand which coincidentally was all given to me by either my grandmother or my sister.

~Lisa~

ABC Bible Flashcards for Kids!

On July 9th we celebrated our daughter's 4th birthday! Wow, my little girl is growing up so much! Literally.... this kid is 3ft 6in tall which puts her in the 91st percentile on height for her age. Do I have a basketball player in the making here?! It seems as though it was yesterday she was a little tiny baby in my arms....

~~~

Sorry about my sappy mommy moment. On to the true purpose of this post!

I'm not the best person when it comes to Bible knowledge. Although I was raised (off and on) in church, there is a lot I don't know even as an adult. In an effort to make sure our daughter has a better understanding and upbringing in this respect, as well as to help me out with baby steps, I have decided to make ABC Bible verse flashcards. Plus she really wants to be a big girl and recite a memory verse at church on Sunday nights!

I found several great ideas online for making your own cards. They even have printables to make it super easy, but for me they would not work as we prefer the King James Bible. 

I made a list of the verses I wanted to use for each letter in the KJB which you can find at the below link.

ABC King James Bible Verses

If you would like to check out the way cuter-looking flashcard sets for use or inspiration in your own project, check out the link below. 

They do utilize varying Bible translations (noted on each card).

Downloadable ABC Bible Verse Cards

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Supplies I Used:

* Index cards (I used 4x6) - $.99

* Metal ring - $.20

* A template on Microsoft Word, Publisher, or whatever your preferred program might be

* Verses for each letter

* Hole punch 

* Contact or laminating paper 

(I chose a local school supply store. They charge $.80/foot of laminate. I used 3ft but the nice gentleman only charged me $.85 for all of it!!)

~~~

To get my daughter involved a little I let her pick out letter stickers in the color she wanted. I could easily have typed letters on my template to save $2.99 but these are for her and giving her a roll in this I believe is important even if it's a small roll.

Once I created a basic 4x6 template with a simple purple border on Publisher I printed 26 of them blank. I don't have the capability to stick index cards in the printer so I also had to print my 26 verses out on the template, cut out around the border, then tape it all to my index cards. The blank pieces went on one side with the letter sticker, then the corresponding verse was taped to the other side.

I took the cards to the school supply store for laminating. Once I got them back I cut them all out, hole punched the top left corner, placed the metal ring, and voila! 

ABC King James Bible verse flashcards!!

The project cost me about $5 but it can very easily be done much more cheaply depending on what you have on hand and how you plan to make the cards themselves. I'm happy with the outcome and Jaiden seems to like it as well!

~Lisa~

ABC King James Bible Verses

Here's a list of King James Bible verses set up in an "ABC" format. These are the same ones I used to make my ABC Bible verse flashcards!

A

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

- Romans 3:23

B 

And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

- Acts 16:31

C

Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.

- Ephesians 6:1

D

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

- Psalms 34:14

E

Evan a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

- Proverbs 20:11

F

Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west,

- Isaiah 43:5

G

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

- Psalms 46:1

H

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

- Exodus 20:12

I

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

- John 14:14

J

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

- John 14:6

K

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

- Psalms 34:13

L

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

- Isaiah 45:22

M

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

- Proverbs 23:26

N

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Hebrews 11:1

O

O give thanks unto the Lord: for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.

- Psalms 118:1

P

Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

- Psalms 147:1

Q

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

- Revelation 22:7

R

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

- Exodus 20:8

S

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.

- Isaiah 55:6

T

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

- Proverbs 3:5

U

Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

- Proverbs 16:22

V

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

- John 6:47

W

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

- Psalms 56:3

X

O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together.

- Psalms 34:3

Y

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

- Matthew 5:14

Z

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

- Revelation 3:19

~Lisa~

Mom's Cheesy Meatloaf

One of the meals you were always sure to find in our house growing up was mom's meatloaf. We loved it! Well, I hear my sister actually hated it but that's her loss ;)

My husband L-O-V-E-S my meatloaf. He will always be sure to let me know if I've gone too long without making it.

I have learned, however, not all meatloaves are created equal! What?? You mean not everybody makes their meatloaf like MY mom did?! Apparently not. And when I share my meatloaf recipe with others they seem to be dumbfounded by its simplicity and the fact it has cheese in it.

I remember as a kid my dad would eat it with ketchup on the side for dipping... to each their own!

I'm not a huge recipe sharing person but this is one I definitely would like to add to my blog. I hope you love it as much as my husband does!

Yields 6 servings.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef, preferably with a 20% fat content

2 eggs

3/4C milk

1C oatmeal

2C sharp or mild cheddar cheese.

I think mom always used sharp but I use whichever I have on hand. We once used the little cheese cubes as an added cheesy bonus which was a HUGE hit... worth a shot to toss some of those in if they are on hand ;)

Optional Ingredient:

Mushrooms

Mom always had mushrooms in her meatloaf and I learned to pick them out. We don't like mushrooms so they are a no-go in our house.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- Be sure to have everything pulled out and ready so you aren't contaminating the containers your ingredients are stored in. Use prep bowls or measuring cups. Or your husband if he is on hand ;) You may need to add to your mixture and having raw meaty hands will make the process more difficult.

- Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large mixing bowl. You can whisk the eggs before if you wish or just be sure to break them up well once you begin glooping it all together.

- If your meatloaf feels really sticky and dry, add a little more milk. If it seems way too moist (to where it can't hold a form), add more oatmeal. I think it's better if you start out too dry and add milk so it wouldn't hurt to experiment with your 3/4C by not adding it all initially then just taking it from there.

- Grab your glob of meat and form it in to a loaf in a 9x13 glass Pyrex pan.

 - Place in oven and cook approximately 30 minutes. At this point your meatloaf should be browned. It's still not done yet!

- Slide out your oven rack and cut your meatloaf in to individual pieces with a spatula. I do this out of habit and believe it helps to cook the meatloaf evenly through.

Be careful, grease is gathering at the bottom of your pan and may pop when you start messing with the meatloaf in the following step. That's why I suggested a 20% fat content meat to help cut back on the grease.

- Place the meatloaf back in the oven to finish cooking, approximately 10 - 15 minutes longer.

- Once the meatload has cooked completely (since you cut it in to individual pieces it should be easy to check!!) you can add some extra cheese to the top and let it melt for a minute or two longer in the oven.

- Remove meatloaf from the oven.

Serve & Enjoy!

~Lisa~