Mia's card table playhouse

I have to admit, I was very nervous about how this project would turn out, but I am very pleased with it! And Mia has spent many hours in it already! It made completely out of felt with multiple pieces that can be removed and reattached by Velcro. The total project cost me about $35 and took roughly 24 hours to complete. I looked into buying one but they were upwards of $150! I now know why, due to the massive amount of time it took to complete! I worked on it in the evenings after Mia had gone to bed. This is a great concept for us since we don't have alot of storage or open available play space. So whenever Mis (or mommy) is done with it we just fold up the playhouse and the card table and put them away! and I love how it turned out!

 All the flowers and leaves are removable for endless play. I put mesh on the window so that air would circulate but I didn't want Mia or the cats thinking they could use it as a door. By the way, the cats think I made this hideout for them :)

 The front: the mailbox has a flap with storage for mail and the door is attached at the top only for easy access for big and little people inside. Good thing too, because Patrick spent about 3 hours inside on Saturday playing house.

 The garden has 4 ears of corn (they were in Mia's room during naptime when this photo was taken) 2 carrots and 2 beets that can be placed in pouches in the dirt

 The apple tree has removable apples and leaves, Mia loves to 'pick the apples'

She also loves to read books to her babies in the playhouse, so much so, that she thought she needed to bring her chair into the playhouse!

I hope that you Christmas brings you much JOY and lots of LOVE as we celebrate JESUS' birthday!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mia's 2nd Christmas

Mia got a kitchen from Gramie! She loves it and I am afraid that it is nicer then ours!

  Before the Chaos

 The only picture I got of Mia looking at the camera the whole morning! 

 A vacuum so she can start pulling her weight around the house!

 Veggies to cut and cook in the new kitchen

 Stocking stuffers

Aqua doodle, she kept asking us to draw circles!

As you begin your Christmas celebrations I hope you have a wonderful memory filled time with you family and loved ones! Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We celebrated Christmas as a family this past weekend as we are preparing to head out of town this weekend for Christmas.We have lots of pictures and videos to share, but I wanted to share this first video of Mia for Dad. This is Mia opening up Pop-pop's gifts! Thank you Mia Loves them!

Christmas time

I LOVE Christmas time! This year I really wanted to focus on what Christmas is really all about and try and spend more time dwelling on the gift God gave us in His Son and put the presents on the back burner. Here is one thing we are doing with Mia. It is called a Jesse tree. It is an Advent calendar that has pictures and a Bible reading and an application for each that. The idea behind it is to prepare your heart for the coming Messiah throughout the Advent season. I made a felt tree and hung it on the door. Each evening we the passage and Mia gets to climb onto a chair and put the ornament on the tree. She is loving being able to participate and even through she doesn't really understand all that we are saying, it reminds me how important it is to take time to reflect on God most Amazing gift. Here is a picture of our Jesse Tree:

 As we are in the midst of this Advent season, I hope you take the time to reflect on what God's gift through His Son means to you. What do you think Jesus would want for his birthday?

Why my house never seems to be totally clean

Mia decided to empty the box of Q-tips one day, just for the fun of it

She also emptied the napkin holder and then attempted to put them back where she got them

It was a valiant effort

Needless to say, my house will never be spotless, I have a child.

From the mouth of Mia

We now have a chatter box on our hands! Mia seems to be learning new words everyday and is quickly become a parrot! Here are a few of her specialties:

• counting to three
• naming animals in pictures books and saying what sound they make
• speaking in small sentences (i.e. This is mommy's phone, That's daddy, etc)
• Diego (she calls both cats Diego and she called a dog Diego today-we are still working on it)
• If we sing 'If your happy and you know shout hooray" she will throw her hands in the air and say "Hooray!"
• naming the family members from pictures on the fridge
• she talks constantly about her 2 friends at school Asher and Saschi
• can name her shoes, socks, and shirt; she can even out her own socks on!

Here is a video of her putting her socks on. I was so proud of her. We had been working on it for a few days and she just 'got it' one day and is has become her new obsession!

Here is a video of her saying sounds animals make!

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I am thankful for...day 19

I am thankful for a boss who is understanding and who bent over backwards to re-arrange the Thanksgiving week schedule so that I could head to NJ to with my mom-in-law this week! I have to work a 10 hour day on Sunday and a half a day on Monday, but it is a small sacrifice to pay!

I am thankful for...day 18

I am so thankful that my mom got the job she was interviewing for at Nationwide Children's hospital! Not only is she moving out here this month but she has already found a job! Praise the Lord!

I am thankful for...day 17

I am thankful for my small group at our church. We are a group of 5 couples that get together once a week to discuss a topic and pray for each other. What a huge blessing this group has been to me this past year! I am so grateful for them!

I am thankful for..day 16

I know I skipped a few days, but our family is going through a difficult situation at this time and my mind has been elsewhere that past week, so please forgive me. Today I am thankful for spontaneous trips to NJ for the holidays! We will be spending both Christmas and Thanksgiving with Pat's family this year and I am really excited. We always have a good time and it will be great to spend a few more precious moments with this side of the family. I am so thankful for family!

I am thankful for...day 9

I am thankful for the freedom to choose how we want to raise our family. There has been much controversy over the Duggar family announcing they are expecting their 20th child! Granted 20 children is probably not God's plan for my life but I am so grateful that by living in America I have that right to choose how many children I would like to have and how I want to raise them!

I am thankful for...day 8

I am thankful for my cozy bed, which makes it so hard to get up in the morning! I could spend a whole day (ok well maybe half a day) in bed. I love sleep and flannel sheets

I am thankful for...day 7

I am SO thankful that my mom sold her house today! After MONTHS of issues and dilemmas she finally closed on her house in NJ. Thank you to all of you who have been praying! Now just pray her job interview goes well and her move to Ohio goes smoothly! I am a little biased because this means free babysitting :)

I am thankful for...day 6

I am thankful for my church family. This past Sunday at New Life Church  was such a huge blessing to me. I often find that throughout the week God sends me little messages and signs about a particular thing and then by Sunday morning at church I feel like he is screaming it in my face so I don't miss out on what he is trying to teach me! What a blessing this body of believers has been to me and my family.

I am thankful for...day 5

I am thankful that my sewing machine started working! I have had multiple plans for Christmas gifts, craft projects and baby shower gifts in the works, but all were put on hold as my sewing machine was not cooperating. I left it alone for a few days, came back with a fresh mind, tried a few things and it worked! Praise the Lord! Now off to sew. Here is one thing I have made with my new found working sewing machine...Mia's Thanksgiving shirt

I am thankful for...day 4

I am thankful for my health. In my line of work I am reminded daily of what aging does to the body and what is in store for me down the road. This fore site causes me to be very grateful for my current level of health, independence and freedom to do the things I want without fear of pain or frustration. Thank you Jesus for my health, may I always cherish and take advantage of that.

I am thankful for...day 3

Today I am thankful for my job. In this economy having a job is being one step ahead and so I am grateful for the career path I have chosen that allows me to work at a wonderful company doing something I treasure. Even though my hearts desire is to be able to stay home and raise my family, my time for now is spent in the workplace and I am grateful that I am able to provide for my family in this way.

I am thankful for...day 2

I am thankful for my marriage. I am truly blessed by God with helpmate Patrick. We communicate really well together and work as a team with the same end goal. I love my husband and I am reminded daily of his love for me. He is such a joy to be around and always makes me laugh. He has such a gentle spirit and we compliment each other through our strengths and weaknesses and that is what makes our marriage work and flow together so well for us. It works for us and I am so grateful for him and our almost 6 years of wedded bliss! 

I am thankful for...day 1

As November starts, I am reminded to slow down and take the time be thankful. Today (well actually yesterday-I didn't get this written last night) I am thankful for my daughter. As we were sitting down eat dinner, I said "let's pray." Mia folded her hands. We did not start praying right away as there was a conversation going on between my husband and his friend Brad. Mia decided to take matters into her own hands. She started babbling then said "food, Amen". She then looked up with a huge smile on her face. It was priceless, she melted my heart. I couldn't believe that this little 18 mos old had gotten the concept of Thanking Jesus for our food!

And for Halloween she was a ladybug! We had many adventures in her costume that I hope to share this week, but here is a sneek peek:

Meal Plan Monday

I have been kinda slacking with my planning and blogging lately. This week will be no different with the amount of stuff we have to do but should be a fun week. I love fall in Ohio and I am looking forward to a few fun fall activities this week. At my work, they have a trick or treat night where kids can come dressed up and the residents hand out candy. We will be bringing a ladybug and a tiger, so it should be great fun. We are also going to boo at the zoo on Saturday. We have to get lots of use out of our costume. Then next Monday is our trick or treat for our neighborhood. We love to hand out candy and see all the costume. I am working on a fun fall menu for that date. But in the meantime, here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Turkey and cheese sandwiches and leftover chili

Tuesday: chicken veggie stir-fry

Wednesday: 5 cheese cannelloni with side salad

Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs

Friday: Chicken enchiladas with black beans

Saturday: Possible Turkey dinner (they are 59 cents a pound at Giant Eagle this week!)

If you are looking for more meal planning and menu ides head over here!

A down side to my job

Part of being an OT is educating, not only the patient, but also the families involved in the patient's care. For the most part I enjoy educating people on various topics such as: diagnosis, outcomes, transfer training, adaptive equipment use etc. But one of the hardest or shall I say most difficult things for me is educating families on a patient's deficits or impairments and bringing to light the reality of the situation or diagnosis. Often times, families have the pleasure of knowing who that person was prior to arrival at the facility and with that comes a strong desire to get that person back to that prior level. With the geriatric population, achieving that prior level is not always possible or realistic. Conveying that to families is challenging because it must be done with tact and compassion but at the same time they must be aware of the reality of caring for their family member in this new capacity. Explaining this to patient's and family members is an emotionally draining experience for me. I try to put myself in their shoes and how they must feel in this new situation. My heart often aches for the families and challenges they will face. On the bright, I have the opportunity to educate them on resources, equipment, training, and additional support services that may ease the burden of being the caregiver and maximum the level of independence for the patient.

Wordless Wednesday

Proud Wife

This past weekend, my husband partook of a 102 mile bike ride called the Pelotonia in order to raise money for cancer research. He did awesome. He was such an inspiration to me and what a great role model as a dad to teach his daughter to pursue and invest in the things that are important to you and promote a healthy lifestyle while doing it! We are so proud of him! He still has til October to finish raising the rest of his support for the ride. If you know someone effected by cancer and would like to donate to his ride that goes to research to end cancer click here. I still can't believe he rode 102 miles through the Hocking Hills of Ohio from Columbus to Athens in one day! Way to go Patrick! Here are some pictures of the day in reverse order:

Patrick after the race

Heading toward the finish line

Leaving a rest stop

Arriving at the rest stop

Daddy's cheerleader-she actually got really into cheering and was waving and saying hi to as many biker's as her attention span would allow, it was so cute!

Pat's sister, Pam, (above) and his mom came to cheer Pat on as well!

A tired cheerleader, her shirt says, "My dad rode 102 miles today", on the back it listed the names of family member, in honor of whom Patrick was riding

How I have spent most of my summer

I feel like I have been slacking on my blog, so will probably see several posts close together as I play catch from the summer. I often think, I should post a blog about that...but never get around to actually doing it. This summer I have been busy and I can't believe it is almost September! We have not really done anything exciting or gone on any vacations this summer but we have been busy nonetheless. Most of my free time has been spent getting good deals at the grocery store to stockpile since prices are skyrocketing and I have also done a far bit of freezing and canning of fruits and veggies. Currently this summer, I have made 2 batches of strawberry jam (approx10 jars), 1 batch of peach jam (approx 6 jars), froze 2 peach pie fillings, canned 5 jars of peaches, froze 2 batches of tomato sauce, canned 3 jar of salsa, and froze over roasted tomatoes! I have to admit, even though it is time consuming, I love knowing what is in my food, how it was prepared and where it came from. Besides, there is nothing like homemade fresh from the garden!

One reason I love my job...

One of my favorite (and I have many) reasons I love my job is because I get to go on home assessments. I get to take my patient to their home, in their own environment and assess accessibility, functionality, and patient independence within the space. I love the challenge of a home assessment because no two are never the same and you never know what you might find. The main purpose of a home assessment is to determine if the person will be able to function safely in their environment at their level of independence. This involves analyzing the entryway, all main living spaces including kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc. There are many aspects to a home assessment. For example, is the person able to get in/out of bed? is there enough space to maneuver with a cane/walker/wheelchair? can they can in/out of the bathtub or do they need adaptive equipment to complete the task safely? This often involves re-arranging furniture, recommending grab bars be installed or changing the way a task was completed in the past. Home assessments include a lot of education for the patient and the family to ensure that the patient will be able to return home safely. This can sometimes pose as a problem, because not everyone likes to be told they have to move a dresser or remove the throw rugs that they have had in the same spot for many years. Home assessments can also be a eye opener for both the patient and the family. Doing something simulated in the therapy gym is not the same as doing it at home and those 13 steps may be more of a challenge than the patient realized when completing them in the gym. I, however, love home assessments because I feel like I am able to provide people with the information and resources that they need to be able to age in place safely and make educated decisions on care for family members. I love the critical thinking aspect of my job that allows me to problem solve how to make a space accessible for a person so they will be able to return home safely.

Our Garden

This year is my last chance! According to my husband, if my plants die and my garden is flop he is refusing to spend another dime on it! So, I have been faithfully watering and grooming it to make sure that does not happen. This is what my garden looks like:

Patrick made the garden bed and I planted the plants and I am now head gardener of our little estate.

We have:

4 tomato plants

6 pepper plants (3 red/green, 2 yellow, and 1 orange)

1 zucchini

1 squash

1 eggplant

2 strawberry plants

I am hoping to have enough tomatoes to can homemade tomato sauce! I will keep you posted on the progress. I currently have 13 tomatoes growing, with one harvested and eaten already, 3 peppers, 1 zucchini and 1 squash in the works!

What is occupational therapy?

I have decide to try and do a post every week about various aspects of my occupation and what it entails. Not very many people are familiar with occupational therapy and what exactly I do. So here goes.

What is occupational therapy? Most people often confuse Occupational Therapy (OT) with Physical Therapy (PT). They are NOT synonymous. PT, in the skilled nursing setting, focuses on gross motor movements including (but not limited to) ambulation and gait, lower extremity strengthening, stairs, transfers, bed mobility. OT focuses on Activities of daily livings (ADLs) including bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, self-feeding, and ADL transfers; instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) including home management, and meal prep, along with strengthening of the upper extremities and safety awareness.

My perspective comes from a skilled nursing facility(SNF) perspective, meaning I typically work in a rehab facility with the 55+ population who either were living independently prior, or were living in assisted living, Independent living or in long term care.

The role of OT in SNF's is primarily to teach and facilitate maximum independence with ADLs and IADLs in order to allow the patient to return to their prior level of functioning. That does not always happen but it is the ultimate goal. This often requires getting into the nitty gritty of daily life to ensure the patient is able to function as independently and safely as possible. The motto of OT is to allow people to "live life to the fullest."

This is a broad overview but OT has many relams and areas including hand therapy, outpatient clinics, pediatrics, acute care, school based therapy, and home health. I love what I do and look forward to opening your eyes to a marvelous profession.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: tortellini's, cresant rolls, and brocoli

Tuesday: CrockPot pot roast with potatoes and green beans

Wednesday: Stuffed shells

Thursday: breakfast for dinner

Friday: spaghetti and meatballs

Saturday: grilled chicken and veggies

If you would like more info on menu plan and/or better ideas then I have this week head over to organizing junkie

Mia's life these days...

So Mia has been growing like a weed and learning lots of new things and getting into lots of things! She recently completed her first swim class (tiny tots) which she loved! The slide was her favorite. She just loves the water and had such a fun time in the pool!

She has also started eating with a utensil. She mostly just holds onto it but if food is placed on it she will put it in her mouth. It is a work in progress.

She has accrued her first walking injury. She got it while at church in the nursery and it appears to be a rug burn. It looks worse then it really is.

For Memorial Day, Mia had the standard hamburger with a side of tomato and potato salad. She also had some watermelon but appeared to have a allergic skin reaction to it. The skin rash went away after awhile and only appeared after she ate the watermelon. In the evening we went to the park with Grandma to play.

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Meal Plan Monday

Only a day late!

Monday: Memorial day hot dogs and hamburgers

Tuesday: Spaghetti Warehouse for our friend Sherri's birthday

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: chicken Parmesan

Friday: stuffed shells (my mom made them while she was here this weekend and I froze them!)

Saturday: grilled chicken and grilled potato

If you would like more info on Menu planning head over here.

Meal Plan Monday

Well I have to admit that the last 2 weeks we have stuck to the meal plan almost to a tee! Let me tell you, not only is this good for our finances but I am finding that it is also good for my waistline! Hmm imagine that! We have really been trying to pear down our spending including groceries and eating out, so I apologize if our menu doesn't sound super appetizing but it meets our needs with the goals we have set.

Sunday: Cookout at the Miller's for small group

Monday: Grilled white roughy with corn

Tuesday: Chick-fil-a (this is Mia's last swimming lesson so we are having a scaled down celebartory dinner! plus it makes me feel like I am eating out and gives me something to look forward to!)

Wednesday: breakfast for dinner (my favorite!)

Thursday: grilled hot dogs, potato wedges

Friday: Spagetti warehouse to celbrate a friends birthday (plus we have a BOGO coupon!)

Saturday: Chicken brocoli alfredo

Hope you guys have a fantastic week! If you would like more ideas on menu planning just head over I'm an organizing junkie

It's only Monday!

Whew! I can't believe that it is only Monday! Today was a crazy day! I started out by heading to my part-time job from 6am to 8 am, stopped at home to put dinner in the crockpot, went to my full-time job. I worked there from 9-3:40, then drove back to my part-time job (there was some scheduling issues and they needed more help then originally thought!). They serve dinner there at 5pm so I needed to see my patients before then. I was there from 4-5pm, then drove back to my regular job to finish up my billing, physician orders, and paperwork. I got home around 6:30pm ate a quick dinner and hurried off to the mechanic (with Mia in tow b/c Pat had some work to do that would not get done with Mia) to pick up Travis as his car was about to catch on fire without any brakes! All the while I was trying to keep Mia from falling asleep b/c she desperately needed a bath. Got home, gave her a bath, changed her crib sheets, rocked her and sang a few songs (I don't normally rock her but she needed a few extra snuggles tonight) and put her to bed. Now I am posting my menu for this week and man I am exhausted. I can't believe it is only Monday! (Tuesday doesn't look too much better!)

So here is my plan for this week:

Sunday: Lasagna (made by my wonderful husband!)

Monday: fajitas in the crockpot (super easy and quite tasty!)

Tuesday: BLT's (Mia has swimming lessons!)

Wednesday: Chicken with creamy pasta salad

Thursday: Tacos!

Friday: grilled chicken

Saturday: chicken with broccoli Alfredo

If you would more menu planning ideas head over here to I'm an Organizing junkie.

Happy Mother's Day!

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys Or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not My plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind And my thoughts. I slept all night. Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child So doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night Watching a baby sleep. Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces When I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small Could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom. Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of Having my heart outside my body.. I didn't know how special it could feel To feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond Between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small Could make me feel so important and happy. Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night Every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment Or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, Before I was a Mom I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day! I am so blessed to be a mom!

CVS sweep!

I am so excited for this post. Today I headed to CVS to score some great deals with their extra care bucks (ECBs) deal they have going on this week. I started out with $14.98 in ECB from my previous trip to CVS. I did my shopping in 3 transactions.

Here is the breakdown:

Transaction #1:

1 bag tostitos (1$ coupon)

1 can of tostitos queso dip (1$ coupon)

2 Starbucks Frappacino 4-packs (2$ off coupon when you purchase of 2 4-packs)

1 Pepsi Max (free coupon with purchase of chips and dip)

2 colgate toothpaste (75 cent coupon x2)

total before sales, coupons, and ECBs: $32.60

Out of pocket $.37! and I got $10.54 in ECB for my next transaction!

Transaction #2:

2 Dawn dish soap (50 cents off coupon x2)

2 All free and clear (1$ off coupon x2)

1 Bic Soleil razor (3$ off coupon)

total before sales, coupons and ECBs: $29.53

Out of pocket: $3.69 plus 5$ in ECBs

Transaction #3:

4 Rightgaurd body wash (BOGO x2)

2 Dawn hand soap (50 cents off coupon x2)

1 Charmin toilet paper (1$ off coupon)

total before sales, coupons and ECBs: $33.48

Out of pocket: $2.10 plus $3 in ECBs for next shopping trip!

So in summary, I purchased $95.61 worth of items at CVS and paid $6.16 out of pocket with $3 in ECBs left! Whoohoo! I am so proud of myself!

If you are interested in learning more about using coupons at CVS check out this link!

Happy Shopping!

And thanks to my grams for clipping some of these valuable coupons, (you are helping me to be a better steward of the money God has given me!)

Mia's 1st birthday

Mia's first birthday was a success! Although there was torrential downpour and high gusty winds, the party went on. Mia had lots of helpers to open gifts, good thing too because she was not so interested in opening them herself. Mia did great for most of the party, but became very exhausted by the time 7pm rolled around. Here are a few snapshots of our ladybug party (thanks mostly to Alexis for taking these photos!) And HUGE compliments to my Mom-in-law and Sister-in-law who made and decorated the cake/cupcakes!