Jellyfish!!!

I made a blue jellyfish!!
He turned out way cuter that I expected!!

Yarn organization..

Johnny, rightfully, got fed up with a huge craft box sitting in the hallway and put it upstairs. The only problem that when my yarn is out of sight, it is out of mind. I totally got crafty-lazy for the last couple of days, so I had to find a way to integrate my supplies into our living space- out of reach of toddler hands. His main argument was the annoyance of babies running around with stolen balls of yarn while I was away. No more! There will be no more of that!!! The yarn is organized (for now).

Yes on Switzerland!!!

OK, go I am officially the most indecisive, travel-resistant person I know. Johnny just called me and announced the price of the ticket and asked me "Yeah" or "Nay". [What, I have to decide right now?! Johnny- "Well, you DID have a couple of days to think about this!" Me- "Ok, give me a couple of minutes" ..(hang up phone)] I hang up the phone and ask God for a sign. I pray and then ask my two year old. She says "No" then "Yes". (Maybe I am not the MOST indecisive person I know) Then I think of the mail. I tell myself, if there is something in the mail that is TAX-related then I will say yes. (I was not in the traveling mood today, and I thought that tax-documents in the mail would be unlikely) The annual Church donation TAX records were in the mailbox... looks like we're going to Switzerland!!! And France!!! And Germany!!! Oh man... so excited and nervous at the same time!!!

Pondering Switzerland..

...France and Germany.Basel, Switzerland

Basel, Switzerland is positioned in the Swiss border of both France and Germany, and looks gorgeous!!! Johnny is going there on business in a few weeks, and I am pondering tagging along. I just submitted my passport application, expedited, and the Postal Worker looked at me like I was nuts when she realized the trip was in a few weeks. She actually thought it was a week farther away than it actually is. We'll see!!! I have studied convo threads on the internet for the last 15 minutes, and if my sources can be trusted it'll get here in the next 10 days or so. We'll see!! It should be a ton of fun!! It would be pretty sweet to get to go visit multiple countries in the same trip!

...

Until then, we've got some work to do!!

The mid-winter urge of renewal is still thriving. My hair is cut, my daughter's hair is cut, and the baby also got his very first hair cut. We are lookin' pretty snazzy.
I just got my labels in the mail (Thanks MommieMadeIt.etsy.com!!!) and they are beautiful. Now I've got some sewing to do!!

...I have also organized the cleaning products, hallway cabinet, daughter's room, baby toys, and pantry. Living room redecoration still in the works.

I just ordered custom tags...

It's about time lady!!! I know, I know. All those non-labeled products out there. Oh man. How unprofessional!!!


.................................................................................
MommieMadeIt is gonna fix things up She is printing me out some custom tags as we speak!! Thanks Mommie!!! After my latest sale, I decided to reinvest a few bucks. She really has some great deals!!!

My First Crochet Doll

She'll be up in the shop later

Etsy Front Page!!!

Holy Moly!!!The Red Light Sabers made it to the front page today

...and then were promptly Tweeted to 600+ people thanks to AlamodeStuff on Etsy!!! Thanks AlamodeStuff!!!

Threadbanger Feature!!!!

Freakin' Threadbanger feature!!
...Dancing in the kitchen!!!

Threadbanger feature!!! Hey guys... did I mention that Pretty Peapod was featured by Threadbanger?!

Check out #50 on the list!!!

Corinne from Threadbanger lists 75 handmade gift ideas and I was #50!!! (Alphabetical order) You can check out the post and entire list here

Sleep tip of the week...

Art Print Courtesy of Shirae.etsy.com

So, Friday after I found out about Aiden and his possible illness I prayed and I fasted (because fasting has always added a good power punch into prayer, Biblically). Result, went to bed on an empty belly and I woke up in the morning and felt great!!!

We have all heard not to eat before bed, but I forgot about that one. I was always told, when you go to bed with food in your belly, you spend all your energy digesting instead of recharging.

Apparently that has some truth to it, because I went to bed around 10pm and woke up ready to go at 6am, full of energy. I need to make every bit of sleep count these days, and apparently I have been wasting all of my sleep time digesting. No more evening snacks for me!!! I feel great!!!

Man... she's good!!!

The Science of Sleep

I have been dead tired for the last month. It is no mystery why, our sleeping habits have slowly merged the sleeping habits of a college student and those of parents with young children. We had been going to bed later and later, and still waking up at 7am to keep up with the tots. We are like little children that don't want to waste a moment of our lives to the uselessness of sleep.

We have realized the folly of our ways as we become more and more tired during our waking hours, wasting so much more time to fatigue than if we spent the proper time sleeping. I need at least 8 hours a night, or else I'm worthless. Optimally I would sleep 9 hours a night. This is when I am at my prime operational capacity.

So, I should be going to bed at 10pm to wake up at 7am. That sounds reasonable, but that is only 2 child-free hours per night with my love!! We had been slowly becoming a more consistent 1:30 am bed time couple. That only leaves 5 1/2 hours!
I have been depending on coffee, mountain dew and Monster energy drink. Oh man, the Monster makes me feel like I am constantly in a hurry, sloppily and groggily rushing to and fro. I noticed that when I depend on artificial sources of energy, the energy is not as high quality and short-lived.
So, beginning this week we have been behaving like responsible adults and getting some good sleep. The first day, still tired. The second day, pretty good. The third day I'm doing frickin' jumping jacks and push ups in the living room while my two year old is telling me to settle down!!! Man, who knew?! Sleep is amazing!!!

Here is an article on the science of sleep...not the movie (although I highly recommend the movie as well.)

....

7 Myths About Sleep

(to read, click here)