DIY: Wooden Pacifier Clip

When I first thought about how I would conduct the journal portion of my site, I wanted to have a DIY section because I love making things. I am; however, lazy about documenting what I make or have made. Everything I have been writing about is all about baby stuff; nevertheless, I swear I had and have a life outside being a mother. tee hee!!

On another note, when I was registering for items, I came across these wooden bead clips for the pacifier and thought, "I can totally make this!" and I did.  I want to share with you how to put it together.

MATERIALS

DIRECTIONS

  1. Decide how long you want your pacifier clip to be (maybe 5 inches), now double the length (10 inches of string). If you want wrap string around the suspender for an added touch, then add 2-3 more inches.
  2. With your string folded in half, tie a knot and make a loop, so you can your pacifier. Leave about 3 inches between the loop and knot.
  3. Keep tying knots on top of this knot until you have a big knot, so beads do not slide through. 
  4. Slide your beads through to the knot.
  5. Once they are all on, tie the ends of the string in a knot around the suspender clip.
  6. If you want, you can tie remainder string around the suspender clip for an added touch

OPTIONS

*If you don't want to make a wooden bead clip, you can always use a bandana by tying one corner into the handle of the pacifier.  

*You can find Juniper's dress here.

Baby + Mama: Two Month Update

I can't believe it has been two months since Juniper has been out of my womb! I learn something new about her everyday. I have noticed that she is getting so big. My little girl is growing up!

Mama update: I've noticed my hormones are leveling out, but I am much better than last month. I am looking forward to being more active. I started out with walks during my first month and now I am ready for the next challenge of implementing resistance training using my body weight. I am mostly exercising 30 minutes at a time during one of her naps. I don't want to push myself too much, but I definitely need to let out some energy. I am also more cognizant of my snacking and making healthier choices. On a side note, I started reading The Happy Sleeper, which has been so helpful with figuring out babies and their sleep. As first time mom, this has been my bible to getting more sleep for Justin and I and helping Juniper find her own ways to soothe herself with out crying.  Another thing I have been trying to do for myself is illustrating and diy-ing for the sake of getting away from the monotony of baby life.  Don't get me wrong, I love baby life, but it can get overwhelming at times, so I try to normalize things by finding seeking healthy outlets.

I love her two month photo. It is quite ironic that she chose a neutral face given the message I put on the board.  However, you can see all of Juniper's smiles that I caught on my phone throughout the month. She definitely has different types of smiles. 

Juniper update:

  1. Juniper finally likes baths now and lifts her booty when she needs to be wiped for a change: I no longer go into panic mode when giving her a bath from her screaming her head off. She now enjoys baths. We don't keep her in there very long... maybe five minutes max.  Also, I gave her a bath alone for the first time. This was a huge stretch for me because I was terrified to give her a bath. On another note, I haven't quite found the right the bath products to use. I'm looking to find something natural, cruelty-free, and has a natural smelling scent (if possible). Lately, I have been loving this bath oil to massage her.
  2. She is making all sorts of baby sounds: Ugh, I can't get over how obsessed I am with her little noises. I never thought I would be that mama who is completely smitten with her baby. I try not to make her the focal point of the conversation when people come over.
  3. Juniper and Justin enjoy listening to David Bowie in the morning: Justin grew up watching Labyrinth and will play this soundtrack while singing to her in the morning.
  4. She is full of smiles, especially before she eats: This is the cutest thing. She will often have the biggest smile in the morning and before she eats. She also smiles after she spits up. I am not sure why that happens, haha.
  5. She often fights going to sleep: Juniper has so much energy and I am finding new ways of putting her down.  She was loving the Hevea pacifier, but now she just spits it out. Perhaps, she is thinking, "Why are you giving me this to suck on? It doesn't give me any food."  Also, for the first time, I was able to put her down sleepy and she fell asleep all on her own!

 

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ELY Vol. 4 Mixtape: SUMMER JAM

Lately, I've been into florals, pastels, and neutral colors (maybe I'm always into that?) Anyways, summertime makes me think about summer camp and winning awards for being the best at ultimate frisbee or winning an award for the best marshmallow tower. As a result, I created an illustration of an award you would give to someone that has ultimately been your summer buddy or summer crush. Could this be a card idea?

As a way to help us get through the rest of the summer, I compiled a list of songs that will help me get through the rest of these hot days.