Disney Nesting

One reason I really really want Spawnie to be a girl is because I really want to watch Disney movies with her. I know boys can like Disney movies too but I'm pretty sure that princesses are move of a girlie thing. But then again there are a bunch with boyish action and stuff. What do you think? Anyone out there have boys who like Disney movies?

I got to see The Princess and the Frog a week early thanks to a perk of my job... Advanced press screening!

While I really did enjoy it, it didn't break my Disney top 5. I was SO EXCITED to see Disney go back to the hand-drawn characters, the musicals, the singing, dancing and color! Loved that. Loved that the princess was black (now COME ON Disney, make a Hispanic princess!), loved the New Orleans scene (that's where my dad is from) but it didn't make me cry from laughing or sadness... It didn't break or melt my heart like some other Disney movies. I have to admit though.. I think part of it could be because my expectations were SO HIGH (and that I'd been anticipating it for over a year) and part of it could be because *gasp* ... I'm not a little girl anymore.

But I can talk about Disney for days! I can out-play ANYONE at Disney Scene It. I'll stand and correct you when you call "Anastasia," "All Dogs Go to Heaven" or "Land Before Time" a Disney movie (cause they're not.. Although I have those too!).I've collected all 100-and-something Disney and Dianey-Pixar Animated Classics (oh yes, did I mention I have the sequels too?) from Snow White on to Ratatouille. I just need Bolt, Wall-E, Up and I totally missed Meet the Robinsons (I found that one, I do have it! Watched it for the first time, it was great!). I also would LOVE to collect the Pixar short films! Boy will Spawnie have quite a collection... I'll be HEARTBROKEN if (s)he doesn't like it.Being the Disney freak that I am, I decided to rank my top ten Disney movies so you can get an idea as to where The Princess and the Frog fits...

10. Princess and the Frog '09: Not too bad at all, it made my top 10. I'm being kind of generous. But I really could stop smiling at the beautiful characters and their cute accents and the music! My dad is from New Orleans too so I felt a special connection with the people. Aww. Love! Oh... But don't get surprised like me... This fact ALMOST ruiened the movie for me. When you think of Tiana (the princess) don't think "Jasmine" think "Belle" or "Cinderella." There... Not giving too much away :)

9. Lady and the Tramp '55: This is the oldest movie on my list. One of the original classics I LOVED and will always love... In fact, I watched it a few months ago and loved it just as much. Snoop also loves this movie.. I think the dog barking noises are actually real cause he totally likes watching this!

8. Hercules '97: Loved the colors, love the music, love the love (You'll see a trend with this). And I also just enjoyed the Greek mythology coming to life!

7. The Little Mermaid '89: This was the first Disney movie... Or movie period, I can remember seeing and understanding in the theater. I left wanting to be a mermaid and I did become one... For Halloween my Kindergarten year. I had the red wig and all.

6. Beauty and the Beast '91: I swear this movie was my entertainment for at least an entire summer. I was one of those kids who could watch the same movie over and over and over and love it each and every time. My sister and I would sct out the characters, running around and singing the songs in our basement.

5. Pocahontas '95: I know... How can this be above #6? Well, this movie to me was inspiring. A brave brown girl stopping a war between two groups of people... Ok, maybe it didn't exactly go down that way in real life, but I loved the movie nonetheless. Still do, and I love the love connection with John Smith.
4. Mulan '98: Once again, I know my taste in Disney Classics may be different than other's but I LOVED Mulan.. Still do. Mushu was hilarious, Mulan was so pretty, loved her singing.. Loved ALL of the songs! I can put that movie in today and still die laughing through it. it's also very touching and has a good message.

3. Tarzan '99: This one is about a tie with Mulan. I LOVE the music in Tarzan probably more than any other Disney movie, however there's one song I hate so much I almost want to fast forward through it. I love the mother-son connection though, and I like that little boys could like it too. It also makes me tear up!! LOVE this movie.

2. Aladdin '92: Who doesn't like this movie? It was on TV a few weeks ago and my husband actually watched it with me. I have this entire movie memorized, love the music, love the humor, love the love! And can't I have a genie?!

And no surprise to many # 1. The Lion King '94: This I think will forever be my favorite Disney movie. I will be SO HAPPY if Disney can one day top this but I'm not sure that's possible. The gut-wrenching plot was enough to bring me to tears time and time again before I was 10 (why do they do that to kids?) and time and time again even today (but it could be the hormones). I can recite this entire movie no problem.The 3-5th grade I had an entire collection of Lion King attire... Clothing, book bag, lunch box, toys. I don't know how many times we went to Burger King for those collectible cards and figurines. I was obsessed... And obviously still am.

Honorable mentions: Wall-E, Finding Nemo, The Emperors New Groove.

I'm hoping Disney movies are fun for babies to watch cause I'm already envisioning Fantasia lullabying Spawnie to sleep.

What are your favorite Disney movies?

Now that I have movies squared away though I think I'm on to books. Good children's book recommendations?

PS: I Promise my next post will be about Snoop knowing I'm pregnant, a few people have asked me about that!

A Girl Can Dream, Can't She?

So yesterday I shared bedding I love. Today I showed them to my husband, he loved the price. Especially the $50 9 piece frog set I love if Spawnie is a boy.

But I wasn't totally IN LOVE with any girl sets. They were all OK, and cute, but nothing was IT... You know, popping out the moment it's spotted knowing it's THE ONE... Like a wedding dress. Yes, I know I sound slightly insane for comparing my child's nursery decor to my wedding dress. And maybe I am... Insane that is. If you don't think so now, you will once you see the bedding I've decided is PERFECT for a daughter... One I would DIE to have if Spawnie is a girl. One my husband would actually KILL me for buying if she is (so yes, are we clear? I would be dead). Just look at this:**dies**

One of my sinful wonderful Twitter friends was so kind to send me a link to a simple Myspace page... A page that was so glorious I actually signed into my ancient Myspace account just to see more pictures... And fall more in love. I was taking suggestions from friends and simultaneously grateful and depressed that she introduced me to this work at home designer.

My eyes watered. I'd never seen any little girl bedding so beautiful in all of my years (yes years) of searching. Hunting nursery designs have been a secret hobby of mine since before I was even thinking about children!
The bows, the ruffles, the mix match designs! It's PERFECT!

I wanted to cry because I knew it was going to be expensive... Something out of my reach. I wanted to cry because I knew I'd be disappointed once I realized I couldn't afford it, and that any bedding I chose after setting my eyes on this would be settling. I wanted to cry because I couldn't believe I was seriously freaking out about baby bedding right now... Ok I could.I may be one of the biggest girlie girls you'll ever meet, and these designs were the epitome of girlie. By the way, all of these are by Love Bug Baby Bedding.

I know there are so many more important things I will buy for Spawnie, and some would argue it's selfish of me to look at such glamorous bedding that will get peed, pooped and barfed on... But I would be lying if I said I cared. The ONE thing I REALLY want to splurge on is bedroom decor. I'm not too proud to buy a used high chair, dresser, clothes, books, toys, or whatever else we may need... Heck, I'd buy a used set like this in a SECOND if I could find one. I'm eyeballing my prized possessions wondering how much I could salvage for them. Selling Snoop even popped into my mind... But only for a second (don't tell him I said that)! Ready for my excuse to splurge? Well, I got a crib for free, so that saved like $400! I could use that $400 to pay for (part of) this! Look at all the adorable matching stuff!! **dies**

No no, that free crib argument is not convincing enough, my husband won't go for that. I must work hard to think of a master plan so I won't die... And so my husband won't kill me. But until then. I'll keep dreaming, and hope that most of you are right in that Spawnie is a boy so I can buy the $50 frog set I LOVE for a little boy, and pack my dreams of a pink princess room away until I get a promotion or two.

**PS: (Added an hour later) I JUST found these on Ebay by babyloom! Similar and HALF the price!! Hubby still laughed at me, but we're getting closer!**

My Pregnancy Checklist and Finally Nesting!

I'm a list person... Big time. I like lists so much I will write something on my list that I've already done just so I can check it off and feel more accomplished. My problem is I usually forget where I put them. My checklist are best kept in my binders or on my computer somewhere, though I usually like having them in my purse.

When I first found out I was pregnant (and it was still a secret) I used The Bump's website to figure out what kinds of things I should be doing... When should I set up my appointment, what should I be doing differently. I started using their checklist and have been a little bit of a slacker lately but I went in today to see how I'm doing and where I left off.

We decided not to do the genetic testing stuff so I crossed those off my list today too. It's so weird because at 18 weeks I still feel like I'm just starting, but when I stop and think that I'm almost halfway there I can't believe it! If the second half goes as fast as the first half this baby is gonna be here in no time!!

I've done most everything on my list up to where I'm suppose to be. I've been having my regular OB visits, exercising (for the most part) and preparing here and there. But am I really getting to the point already where I need to start looking for a pediatrician? Signing up for birthing classes? HOLY COW!
Granted I'm still looking a few weeks out, technically that's a month away... But still! I get so excited seeing upcoming things to plan such as maternity photos (I'm soooo getting them done, and if you've had some done I'd LOVE to see them cause I want to have an idea of a theme to go for).

Most of the stuff in the upcoming weeks of my list looks like the fun stuff. Notice my extra excitement for one particular item below:
Yep! It's finally beginning to kick in... The "nesting" mode. I'm turning our guest room into the nursery and I'm SO EXCITED! We find out in a week if Spawnie is a boy or a girl and then I plan to GO CRAZY! I will need a clean slate to start with and that means a clean room. I would put up a before picture of it now so you could get an idea but if you know me you know I'm messy so I won't embarrass myself for those who still picture me as the organizational queen.

I told my husband a few weeks ago that soon my "nesting mode" would kick in and I'd want to clean and organize our house. The conversation went something like this:
Husband: *Silence*
Me: "What?"
Husband: *Laughs*
Me: "What?"
Husband: "I'm sorry but I just can't picture that happening to you."
Me: "No, it's going to happen, it's my instincts. I'll just want to clean and stuff."
Husband: "Yea right, I'll believe it when I see it."

If you know us you know that he does most of the cleaning, the laundry, the dishes and things of that sort, and you'd understand why that conversation went the way it did. But now as my friend Heidi put it, it's a battle of my motherly instincts vs my messy personality.

Last night I told my husband that I wanted to organize the room today and tomorrow (my weekend) and he just gave me the same blank stare... He still doesn't believe me. And granted I'm writing this post out rather than organizing right now but hey... I have the rest of the day!

I know once we find out what Spawnie is I'm going to want to shop and I want to have a clean slate in this room to have a place for everything. So wish me luck my friends! I have 21 weeks and 4 days left if Spawnie comes on time, and today's task... Turning the room from guest room/storage room to a baby room in the making!!

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Questions of the day:

When do you think is the best time to have a baby shower?

When do you think is the best time for maternity photos? Have yours? Link them please!

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$145 Fertility Package Winner according to random.org: #14 The Honey B. Congrats! Email me your address to babymakingmachine(at)gmail.com

Getting Spawnie Some Rhythm: Lullabelly Giveaway!

I love all of the youtube videos of cute dancing babies. In case you missed them all here's one of my favorites:

It's kind of a given that my child is going to have to dance around and be cute for me... Cause it's adorable and funny and that's just what babies are suppose to do!... Bounce around and entertain me in their adorable little diaper bottoms!

I'm trying to give Spawnie a head start now by tuning into good music on the radio when I'm driving in the car. I was so excited when I saw my pregnancy update saying that Spawnie could probably hear now! Then I started to crank up the music some more and picture him/her listening to it.

I started to wonder how I could get Spawnie to listen to music more often (I know, for some reason I'm really into this concept) and I didn't dare break my headphones in half trying to fit them across my stomach, but I found this cool prenatal music belt called Lullabelly. You can listen to music and there's a little speaker in the pouch that points towards your belly and plays the music to your baby too!

I read more about pregnancy music and read that it's good for mommy and baby, plus it's a fun way to bond! I've had several friends tell me while they listened to certain songs, or played guitar/sang certain tunes etc. and their baby REMEMBERED them after birth! Well... Recognized at least, and they'd stop crying or quiet down when they'd hear it. Have you heard of that too? I promise I'm not crazy. I really want to test this out on Spawnie!

Lullabelly was nice enough to send me my choice in color for a prenatal music belt and I choose the green even though they have blue and pink too cause I'm still not sure what Spawnie is (MONDAY people... MONDAY!!). Green is more boyish to me still but since I have a feeling Spawnie is a boy I went with it, plus, I'm wearing it not the baby.

I was SO EXCITED. When I got it in the mail. Right away I was impressed with how soft it was and how big the pouch was. My iPhone fits in it fine, though it's a tight squeeze when I zip it up with the adapter and everything.

The strap is celcro so it's very adjustable. I'm VERY small compared to the average user (for now) so I have to more than overlap the straps a little but it stays on just fine. You can wear it over or under your clothing. I prefer under, and since I wear an undershirt anyway, I put it between that and my top.

I've pretty much worn it every day since I bought it. I can't clean without music and it arrived at perfect timing during this nesting spurt I'm going through so I strapped it on and cleaned out my ENTIRE closet! Then I reorganized it to be color-coordinating!

(proof)

I've worn it out when I'm on walks with Snoop. I dunno why but it's more fun and exciting to exercise, clean etc, when I picture Spawnie dancing right along with me.

I seriously LOVE my Lullabelly... And they aren't paying me to say that. It's probably one of my favorite pregnancy items so far. I think partly because I love music so much but I personally have no musical talent. This is a nice way to get Spawnie accustomed to good music but not have to torture him/her with my singing.

More features:

-Plugs into your ipod or Mp3 player

-Encourages learning, language and memory skills

-Play the same music after birth for better sleeping habits

-Speaker projects volume at a safe level (so much so that I couldn't hear it until I put my ear up to it.)

You can BUY a deluxe package Lullabelly for $55. It comes with the band, the removable speaker, the split adapter for your headphones and a pair of headphones! The Standard Package without the adapter and headphones is just $49.

You can WIN a Lullabelly in a color of your choice right here on my blog! Just leave a comment telling me what kind of music you'd listen to on your Lullabelly or what you'd use it for.

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Contest Ends February 9th at 11:59 PM. Good Luck!

This giveaway is a part of my Full Term Of Giveaways! One a week every week until Spawnie arrives!

Disclosure: I was not paid for conducting this review. I was given a Lullabelly only for the purpose of conducting the review and the opinions stated are my own. Thanks Lullabelly for sponsoring the giveaway!

DIY Butterfly Mobile: See Spawnie's and How to Make Your Own!

Blogging has sorta been pushed to the back burner a little while while I've been going through my massive crafting nesting phase! I need to come up with a system where I have time for both. I think I'm going to need to save crafting for my days off because it can take up so much time in the evenings when I get home from work. I think as time goes on and I get more experience (I'm NOT a crafty person) I'll get faster but for now I'll enjoy being a slow poke and seeing my finished product weeks later!The first project I've been working on is a butterfly mobile for the nursery. I didn't like any of the regular store-bought kind, they just were to kiddish for me, so I looked up butterfly mobiles and decided to attempt to make my own! Now I'm going to try something else... I'm attempting to write my FIRST Do it Yourself post and share what I learned with you in case you want to try!

Beware for a lot of photos coming! I'll do my best to describe how I made it!

First, here's what you'll need:
-Scrapbook paper and cardstock paper in your desired colors
-A butterfly cutout about 3" by 3" in heavy paper or cardstock
-A 14", 16", or 18" wooden embroidery hoop (depending how large you want your mobile to be)
-(3) strips of 1/2" balsa wood
-Acrylic paint (the color you want the base of your mobile to be)
-Nylon thread (or something like beading thread or fishing wire)
-A needle
-32 small crystal beads
-About 32 other crystal beads in the color you like to make your mobile shine!
-(1) metal or plastic ring
-Scissors, glue, pencil

1. Take a traceable picture of a butterfly you like the shape of and use that as your template. I used a butterfly that was about 3" by 3". Trace the butterflies on cardstock and/ or scrapbook paper.I used both because I liked some of the scrapbook paper I found, but it wasn't strong enough for it to stay bent the way I wanted.

2. Cut out all of the butterflies you've traced. I cut out about 200 butterflies total (though I didn't use them all) and matched the scrapbook paper butterflies with color-coordinating cardstock. I folded the paper and cardstock to make the cutting quicker. I matched a pair of cardstock buterflies with a pair of scrapbook butterflies so four total.

I ended up using 128 cut out butterflies total. 64 of them cardstock butterflies and 64 scrapbook paper butterflies.

3. Glue the cardstock butterflies and coordinating scrapbook paper butterflies together and trim around the edges to they match up. You've now glued two seperate butterflies together so there's cardstock on one side and scrapbook paper on the other. They look identical though. Then take the one of the butterflies and bend up the wings slightly. Put a little glue down the center of the bent butterfly (on the under side), then stick it to the butterfly that's not bent. You can match the colors in the center or have them both facing the same way, I alternated the direction I glued mine.
4. Make the base of the mobile by taking the center of the wooden embroidery hoop and evenly crossing strips of balsa wood to make 8 spokes.
5. Paint the wood in the color you desire, I painted mine using a metallic bronze.
6. Attach 8 equally-sized strands of ribbon, or the beading wire to the mobile base and then attach them all to a metal or plastic ring. This is what's used to hang the mobile from the ceiling. (Don't make my mistake and do this last... It's much easier to attach the ribbon or string before you have tons of butterflies dangling off of it.)

7. Take your beading wire and needle and thread the wire through the butterflies and beads you desire. Then tie them to the spokes around the base of the mobile.Here's how I spread mine out:
On the outer 8 spokes I had 2 butterflies dangling from each string.
In the middle I had 3 butterflies from a string on every-other spoke.
In the center there was the longest string with 4 butteflies dangling.

I added beads between the butterflies and at the very bottom of the string to weigh each strand down.Initially I had 3 butterflies hanging in the middle of all 8 spokes but I decided it was too much and went back and cut off every-other.
8. Find a pretty spot to hang it and show it off to the world! This is what Spawnie will be staring up at after she's born!

So what do you think? You going to try it?