May Madness

Things are getting a little crazy in the Presley house now that summer has pretty much arrived and I was hoping to be picking up the pace with some of my bigger projects and blogging more, but my toddler is preventing that by siphoning all my energy and draining my patience.

Anyways, let me jump off my crazy mom-of-a-toddler train. I have been trying to work on some projects this month and try out some new stuff I found on Pinterest. But I only really got two things done. But I did get some new ideas for projects I want to work on (see more on that at the very bottom of this post!)

 French braid up the back with a sock bun topknot

This is actually pretty easy if you know how to french braid. I like it better than regular french braids because my arms don't get as tired when I am braiding with my head upside down. I think this may be a go-to this summer for my 2nd-day unwashed hair. The sock bun was super easy too. There are a million tutorials online for this. 

Leopard Dresser

I am in the process of transitioning baby A's room from cutesy baby room to a room more fit for the chic, diva almost-preschooler that she is. I finished this painting part, now I am just waiting on the awesome drawer pulls. I am working on a post about the room re-do, which should be up soon!

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I haven't done much else in the project department, but I have decided that I might change around the log side table I did a few weeks back. We had originally decided to leave it natural and plain, just coating it with a protective water proof sealant, but we don't really like the raw nature as much as we thought. I saw this stump stool idea on pinterest and I would really like to make that (or a set, I have more logs!) I also saw this idea too which would give it a colorful update, but still keep it natural without feeling like we have a tree in our room. I have also considered making both of these since we have several log pieces I could work with.

via Pinterest

via Martha Stewart

So I decided to take a poll! 

Stool or Side Table?
	Stump stool all the way!
	Stick with the side table!
	Make both of them!
pollcode.com free polls

Potty Training: Epic FAIL

Last week I was reading some articles and tips about potty training your toddler in a day/weekend. I got extremely excited and very motivated. I was sure I could do this, and I knew Addy could too, she is so smart and she is two and half.  I was so excited and went out to target and stocked up for our big potty weekend. We had neon posterboard for a potty sticker chart and the stickers were oversized sticky rhinestones at the request of Princess Addilyn, the best treats and sweets, salty snacks, a new special cup, ballons, everything.

We made the chart and decorated it with curly gift ribbons and glitter markers. We set up the potty and I explained to Addy what the plan was.  SN: We have had the toddler toilet since last July and so she knows what it is, she has even successfully used it once or twice when we catch her making the potty face, so she is up to date and informed on to what it is and what it is used for. 

I followed the tips and made Barbie have an "accident" with a water filled medicine dropper and rushed her to potty in an excited, and positive way. Then I had Barbie use the potty and praised Barbie with stickers and a special Barbie crown. (I will admit to looking like a complete fool talking to Barbie, but I am so desperate to have Addilyn out of diapers, I don't even care).

We used a timer set for 15 minutes and every 15 minutes we sat on the potty. We did this for two hours, and cam up empty. I had been feeding her salty snacks and loading her up with water, hoping for more potty opportunities, but so far it was not panning out. I thought Addy might need some encouragement, so we called Grandpa in NC, she wasn't interested in the phone call and I chatted with my dad for a minute, venting about my unsuccessful attempt so far, and I was distracted for maybe 2 minutes and in that time, dear Addilyn squats and pees on the floor. Addy and I cleaned up the accident, and I took the blame because I was distracted and not watching for the signs. Then I vowed no more distractions and reset the timer.

We played  and sat on the potty when the time went off and it was getting close to Addy's bed time so I slowed down with the water and snacks.We decided to play with her big ball and were rolling it back and forth. When Addy is standing behind the ball it comes up to about the middle of her chest, meaning I cannot see her waist and down. I rolled the ball to Addy and she held it in front of her, she was smiling and rolled it back, just in time for me to notice the puddle. Accident again. Addy laughed and ran, taking off her big girl underwear and running around yelling and laughing.

I was not laughing, I was near tears. All the blog posts and boards and tips and articles were so positive and encouraging and made it seem so easy. It was getting late so I cleaned Addy up, read some books to her to calm her down a little and put her to bed. I cleaned up all our messes and set everything up for Saturday morning, I was determined to try again. I had lost a little hope since Addy showed no real interest and the night had ended with Floor- 2 and Potty - 0.  I was trying not to force something on her she wasn't ready for, but I wanted to try. She will be 3 in the fall and I was really hoping to be done with diapers. She is so smart and we have been reading potty books and making using the toilet a regular part of her life. We talk about potty-ing all the time, but try to do it in a way that doesn't overwhelm her or leave her feeling guilty. I was holding out a little hope for Saturday, although I was a little bruised by Friday night.

Saturday morning came and I took off Addy's diaper and put on some new big girl undies. She looked at me, right in the eye and said, " Please don't make me potty, I won't do it. I don't want to." 

And that was it.

 The end of the potty training weekend. Saturday morning was over before it started. 

Everything I have read and heard says don't push them, they will regress and it will be harder. So I stopped my efforts right then. Part of me was a little let down; I was so excited Friday morning to start potty training and have a mostly trained child by Sunday; but part of me was relieved because I was tired and upset from my Friday night failure. Our day went on as any regular Saturday would, we ended up going to the store and buying some gardening supplies and gardening that afternoon. It started raining mid-afternoon so we came inside and played until bed time. Dustin and I watched a movie (Warhorse, which was surprisingly fantastic) and ate dinner and went to bed.

The potty training weekend intensive was a total bust, but I learned straight from the source that my child wasn't ready and it wasn't going to work. I am glad I have an outstandingly verbal child, because otherwise the whole day could have been a bitter battle of will and we probably would have ended two steps back rather than advancing.

Every time I have to change a diaper or purchase a box of diapers, I just have to remind myself that she will not graduate high school in diapers and that we will get there one day, today is just not that day. 

Customized Rocking Chair

Today's project is NOT a pinterest found project, I just decided to do this randomly.

D's mom (who is an amazing scrapbook-er) got me a Cricut for Christmas. After the craziness of Christmas day and the mess it left behind, I didn't get to play with my new toy until recently.  I was just cutting out letters and pictures and playing around when I started thinking what I could do with all these things I have cut out now. And then it hit me. I can customize things with some paper letters and some DIY decoupage.

Last Christmas, my parents got baby A an unfinished wooden rocking that I was going to paint. I haven't yet and decoupaging seemed like the perfect fit for this handmade wooden rocking chair.

I had cut out A's name and some hearts so I arranged her name on the back rest and put one of the hearts on the back of the chair. I covered the seat with coordinating paper and decoupaged it all. It turned out amazing. You could really apply this technique to anything. I covered it with some spray on acrylic sealer.

I love it and so does Addilyn. Her reaction was: "ooh Mommy, I love it! It's beautiful."

And that makes it all worth it!!

Plastic Bag Organization

I have a two year old which means trips in the car can go a variety of ways. But almost every time we travel any distance greater than across town, we usually have some need for those plastic grocery/shopping bags. They are awesome as on-the-go trash bags, dirty clothes containers, or stinky diaper eliminators but they are a nusance to have laying around in your car or crammed in your diaper bag. They also are a bit of a choking hazard. I'm not an over-protective-terrified-of-every-thing-mom, but I do worry about a toddler having easy access to those plastic bags. So finding a way to store them in a cute way was an awesome discovery.

<<<< Turn that into....

                                                                Into this! >>>>>>>


















I saw a pin a while back about rolling your plastic bags to pull out of cleaning wipes containers. It links you back to an awesome website, called tater tots and jello, definitely something to check out!

The instructions are simple and she gives a great photo-full how to guide on rolling the bags.

Its as easy as it seems and you can mix and match the plastic bags you are rolling together.

Once you roll them up and pop them in the container you just load up an 8 x 10 piece of cute, coordinating fabric with DIY decoupage and stick it on the container. I didn't have spray adhesive handy so I just decoupaged it and spread a little fabric glue I had handy on the container and it worked just as well.





This could make an awesome little gift for anyone! But especially an expectant mother (you never realize the things you actually need when you are mom, until you become one!)

Glow Stick Bath

Last night I thought we would shake our bath time ritual up a bit and use Glow Sticks! 

bath time fun!

I bought a 15 pack of glow sticks from target for a dollar, and made baby A's night!

She had so much fun cracking them to make them glow, and playing with them in the dark and in the bath that after the bath we ended up playing with them all night and had a mini-rave in her room until bed time!

It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again.. maybe we will have a glow stick night after her next big potty training victory!