Life in the Dub Lane: June 2010

Need Advice!

HELP ladies.... no one I know "in real life" has had any advice that has worked thus far. I'm turning to you now in hopes that someone out there knows the trick.

The "Situation": Kyah has always been a wonderful sleeper. We would just lay him down and he would go to sleep. Really... it was that simple. He would sleep through the night (12+ hours) no questions asked. These last 2 weeks have been a whole different ball game. Although Kyah has been able to stand up, walk along the furniture, crawl...etc, he just figured out that he could do this in his crib as well. Talk about a turn of events at bedtime.

When I lay him down he wiggles out of his blankets, crawls around, stands up and eventually screams {and yes, he knows how to lay back down}. I have no idea who this new child is, but I would gladly take my pervious Kyah Baby back.

What I have tried {and keep in mind that he is tired... and needs to sleep. I'm not laying him down for kicks and giggles}:

he has always slept with a sound machine (white noise) with the volume up loud. This has not changed nor will it.
we have tried tightly swaddling him (arms included) in his blanket. This worked for the first few nights. He has since figured out how to maneuver out of it.
I have let him scream for hours in hopes that he would get tired and fall asleep. Nothing. I would check on him after about 40 minutes and lay him back down. I dis NOT get him out of the crib.
Since birth we have followed the Baby Wise Method and it has been great. It just doesn't have tips for the standing... That's my only concern right now... that darn standing.
we have played soft lullabies next to his crib. He is in a phase that any music he hears is "dance music" and he thinks that there's a party going on.
lastly, I have rocked him until he is woosy and his eyes are rolling. I lay him down and all is well. He falls right to sleep, no questions ask. This has worked every time (except for maybe twice).

Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE rocking him. I adore the time we spend together. It only takes about 10 minutes max for him to fall into the sleepy state. I however, don't want him to become dependent on this. But the way I see it.... I believe that sleep is extremely important. It is far more important that my child gets sleep than if I am worrying over wether I am rocking him too much. It's vital to their health and that is what's more important to me. This is the only reason I am justifying the rocking.

What I really want is a child that can lay down and go to sleep. I don't always have access to a rocking chair. I would love for him to be able to self soothe again. This is where I need you!

What would you do?
How do you get them to stay laying down? {is that possible}, how many times should you go lay them back down? Do you swaddle? Should I just keep rocking him? Are there any other tricks out there that I am missing out on? Is this standing up just a phase? If so.. how long did it last?

I know that I am not the only one that has a child that does this. {though sometimes It feels like I am}.

NOTE: I tried something new last night and it worked great. We took our bath, got into a jammies, read a book, played for about 10 minutes to let out that "bath" energy. I bundled him up with his blanket, gave him a bottle and he was out like a light just as soon as I put him in the crib. I have high hopes that this will work again, but in case it does not, any advice you have is greatly appreciated!

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And of course... here he is in all of his morning glory. He has recently learned to eat with a spoon. As you can see.. it's still a tiny bit of a messy adventure.

mmm... that was yummy!

I am a WHAT?

I have always been one that will try anything to see if I like it {in reason of course}. I have been a consultant for Avon, Arbonne and Advocare. I even had my own Wedding Planning Business called Everbrooke Weddings. It was very official and I loved every single moment of it! {for proof you can visit my website.. it's still up and running}.

For years I have been trying to find something that I could make money at while still being able to raise my son at home. Most moms seem to agree on that. It would be awesome to be a work-from-home-mom that really only has to work a few hours a week. Is that not a great dream to have?!?!

It was not until I began blogging that I found a passion. A passion that I never knew existed. My passion is working with graphic designs. It began when I was tired of my current blog look and it was also before a lot of these fancy shmancy blog looks were out. I piddled around and figured out how to slowly create new designs. I played with the html coding until I figured out what each little thing did. Little did I know that this was becoming a knowledge that I could use and would eventually become a business.

As time went by and my blog had a facelift every week or so, I had blogging friends contact me about designing their blogs... then it was by referrals and finally I created a blog just for blog designing.

With my newly revamped e.b. designs studio site and my upcoming move I have decided to take blog designing to a new level.

I'm very excited about diving in head first on this venture and look forward to making this into a fun and semi-lucrative business! I guess I will now be known as a "Work-From-Home- Mom"... it has a nice ring to it huh!

So.. what are you waiting for... I now invite you to visit my new and improved Studio... e.b.designs.

What do you think?

Project- 1 Mile from Home

As promised {and also by request}, here is the button for 1 Mile from Home.

It all started when I got the phone call from my husband that we would be relocating to a new city. While I was beyond excited that we are moving, it was also the birth of 1 Mile from Home. I had always known that there were some really neat places around the house and I set out to capture them on film.

I realized during this project that although you see the same sites over and over again {some on a daily basis}, they take on a whole new life when photographed.

We have been blessed to live with convenience of Dallas, while having our home in the suburbs. It's a nice escape from the hustle and bustle. However... when captured on film, I gained a new appreciation for the true "country" feel that I never was able to see before. While knowing that we had horses, crops, fishing and trains within driving distance, looking back over the photos, it gives a whole new look to my "1 Mile From Home".

I would love for those that are interested, to grab the button and join in. And please be sure to leave me comment letting me know when you post. I would LOVE to check it out.

Also... a big thank you to all that are entering the giveaways. And a huge welcome to all of my new followers. For those of you that have blogs, I am enjoying stopping by for a visit!

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I'd also like to announce the winner of the PANTHER BECO CARRIER....

Congratulations Christy @ All aboard the review giveaway train
The Winning Comment:
#1 Your Bling is on my Blog!
http://allaboardthereviewgiveawaytrain.blogspot.com/
Please email me within 24 hours to claim your BECO! You are going to LOVE your new carrier!

A Mile from Home

"What I will miss"....

Majority of my life was spent in this small town in the suburbs of Dallas, TX. At the young age of five my parents moved me and my brother to this town. Briefly I moved away (to the other side of the metroplex) when I married Mr. Dubs. After our wedding I moved to be with him in our new place only 34 miles from "home".

After 9 months we made the decision to move back to my home town to be with family. We figured that if we were going to live in the Dallas area we may as well live near our families. Both of which lived within a 1 mile radius from our new house.

We bought our current home 6 years ago and only planned to live here until we started our family. It has been the perfect starter home. It's just a dandy little house.

{Dirt Racetrack}

A few days ago I decided that I would drive around and snap a few pictures of the things I love most about my town. I have always been aware of my surroundings, as I have grown up listening to the nearby sounds, diving the back roads and visiting the fun and unique places around my home. I know every little thing there is to know about this place... and I like it that way.

While driving, I kept my distance within 1 mile of my home. Which is also 1 mile away from the home I grew up in. Therefore things have remained virtually the same.

I grew up listening to the same railroad. The trains have been on an ongoing commute 24/7 and pass by at an average of 15 minute intervals day and night. The sound is very soothing and I have always been comforted by the the soft lullaby of the train horns.

Throughout all of my years in this town, I have never set foot on these tracks until now. Granted, I knew my time would be short lived, as there is always a train a comin'. It was so fun to stand there, looking down the track at what lies ahead.

While driving around, Kyah sleeping in the backseat, I made a point to absorb the sights in which I saw; the places that I visited for the first time and the smell of my town on a hot summer day.

Though I always knew we had a small Airport, I had never once been behind the gates. On this particular day, I took the liberty to enter into unknown territory. I snapped a picture of a few small planes that seemed to have been parked for quite some time. I watched a plane or two land and take off. It was so fun to witness first hand the planes that I listen to daily {as current as this very moment}.

{note the small plane on the right under the power line... it's just taking off}.

There were many things that I learned this day but one thing stood out. No matter how long you live somewhere and how many times you see your surroundings, everything looks different through the lens of your camera.

There are many things that I was not able to capture on film today. For instance; the acres upon acres of crops that are used to farm every season of the year. The water plant, the landfill, the country roads, the main highways. The giant mansions and tiny farm houses. The goats, emus, lama's, camels. The chickens, the cows and even the ostrich. Pictured above is "Catfish Corner". It's a catfish fishery, where you are also allowed to pull out a lawn chair, umbrella and a coke and just go fishing. All of this is within 1 mile of my home.

A few months ago we were informed that Mr. Dub's current position would be relocating to a new city. This gave us ample amount of time to pray. We prayed for God's hand in the entire process. After months of waiting patiently {sometimes not so patiently} we were finally informed that his position will in fact be transferring to a new location.

Folks... we are moving to a new City... and we have 8 weeks to get there. We are beyond excited and are looking forward to what the future has in store for our family!

Moving details are to follow... however, I did want to invite you all to join in on "1 Mile from Home". I was so fun to drive around our home and take pictures that capture all of the memories. I will be creating a button that will be available tomorrow. Please stop back by to grab the button and join in the "One Mile From Home" fun!

Baby Legs Review & Giveaway

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!
If you have a little one that is in the age range of 6m to around the age of 3 and you do not already own several pairs of Baby Legs, you are missing out my friends.

Baby Legs generously offered me a pair of tights, baby leg warmers and the most adorable little socks! We have been sporting them non-stop ever since. With a new crawler in the house it seems they are a must. Cruisin from the carpet, to the tile and even outside, these Baby Legs have come in so handy. They protect his little knees while providing style.

Because my son has super large feet (more puffy than "long") Baby Legs was kind enough to send a larger pair of socks. SO STINKIN CUTE! They fit perfectly and are perfect to wear without shoes. In my opinion they are too cute to put shoes over.

The tights resemble the Leggings (Baby Legs) but have a tighter fit. Bottom line... they all just rock!

WHY I AM A BABY LEGS FAN:

For the obvious: Saves his little knees when crawling... and they look cute to boot.

They are SUPER affordable at only $12 for Warmers, $10 for a package of socks, and $15 for a pair of the worlds cutest tights!
It makes diaper changing super easy. No need to remove pants.
They have been SUPER handy to take into chilly restaurants. Because it's summer, it's hot outside but so cold indoors. It's a great item to carry in the diaper bag and have on hand. Promise!
Great for travel. If you are planning any type of vacation this summer, they are great to have on hand for those air planes and well.. even for long car drives. Again.. like pants to keep warm, but easy to remove and easy for diaper changes.
One of the best features that many overlook is SUN PROTECTION! They are light weight and great for sun protection. We all know that young children's skin is so sensitive. Baby Legs provides UPF 50+ Sun protections when worn outdoors.

WAYS TO WEAR BABY LEGS:

Be creative! There are so many ways that you can incorporate Baby Legs into every day outfits.

With Onsies
With dresses!
Just with the Diaper!
Dress up solid color dresses or shirts with the adorable selection of prints that Baby Legs has to choose from.
When they outgrow them... they can wear them as sleeves! So fun!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Baby Legs is offering one of Life in the Dub Lane followers a chance to WIN an ENTIRE COLLECTION of Baby Legs! It includes, 1 pair of Warmers, 1 pair of Tights and 2 pairs of Socks! Just in time for summer, travels, chilly restaurants and those adorable summer outfits!

MANDATORY ENTRY (ALL of these must be completed to qualify.. no fibbing.. I do verify):

Be a Follower of Life in the Dub Lane
Visit Baby Legs and leave a comment letting me know which products/style you are in love with!
You MUST"like" Baby Legs on Facebook.

:::: LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH OF THE 3 ITEMS LISTED ABOVE:::

ex: Comment #1 I am a Follow of Life in the Dub Lane

Comment #2 I "like" Baby Legs on Facebook

Comment #3 I love the Blue Croquet Leg Warmers!

FOR BONUS ENTRIES:

For 1 Extra Entry (1 Comment) vote for us on Top Mommy Blogs. This can be done 1x daily.
For 3 Extra Entries (3 Separate Comments) grab our button and post on your MAIN blog
For 5 Extra Entries (5 Separate Comments) post about this giveaway on your MAIN blog.

*MAIN BLOG: In order to receive the 3 or 5 extra entries, you will need to post on your main blog where you have your followers. Blogs that are used only for giveaways will not qualify and comments will be deleted before the drawing takes place.

DEADLINE:

July 2nd, 2010 @ 11:59pm CST

Open to all US readers (NO PO BOXES)! Winner will be chosen using random.org. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment unless it's visible on your Blogger profile. (If I can't contact you, a new winner will be drawn.) Winner will have 24 hours to respond to my email. If winner does not claim their prize in the 24 hour period, a new winner will be chosen at random.*I was not financially compensated for this review or giveaway.

Blog Titles... What Stands Out?

I have been thinking about Blog Titles lately. What titles catch other's attention? I am not necessarily talking about my blog titles, though I never can figure out what to title my blog entries. It's possibly because I lack creativity... maybe it's because I am missing the true meaning of my post or it's because I suck as a blogger... {which is more than likely the case}.

Instead, I'm talking about ones that catch my attention. The ones that make me say... ooooo... I have got to read that blog.

Are they the ones that say "If you are reading this, then click here", "Weekend Recap", "Day at the Lake"... not likely. And just so you know... I'm not knocking anyone out there. These are the titles that I use too. And well, the honest truth is, they are boring.

Of course, we all have blogs that we read daily. At some point or another a title of their post caught our attention and we were hooked from then on. Even if their titles are boring now we still go back for more. More than anything it's probably because we can relate with them, they make us laugh or we are just nosey.

With that said I wanted to share with you a few blog titles that caught my attention.

IT'S A __________ by: The Pettijohns {cause really... that kind of news is just too awesome to miss}
The Negative Side of Blogging by: Theta Mom {Being a blogger and wanting to know the ins and outs better, I found it very intriguing. And ya know what... it's a great post}.
Parenting Funnies by: Full Time Mummy {I love to laugh and it sounded like there was a good possibility it would get the job done}
I didn't know I liked people so much by: Both my Home and my Hips are Double Wide {What on earth made her say that? Of course I had to figure out what brought that on}
So Berry yummy Popsicles by: The Fuller Family {It's summer... I love new recipes and this was a great combination of both. I highly reccomend these little popsicles. Even for the adults! }
What blog titles catch your attention?

Oh and... I can guarantee you that I have some blog stalkers out there that are lurking around but will not make the commitment to "follow". If you are one of those... would you be so kind as to let me know you exist. I try my hardest to reply to comments and more than likely I would love to meet you. After all... that it what blogging is all about.

Also.. if you are totally loving those new "Baby Legs" that all the cool babes are wearing, be sure to check back tomorrow cause this here mama is hosting another giveaway.

And of course, if you have not entered to win the Beco Carrier ($140) be sure to do so. It ends on 6/24. {giveaway details are listed on the right}.

AND.... Please vote for us as a Top Mommy Blog. I'm practically begging now. I'm currently sitting in the 90s. That's a long way from where I was a few weeks ago... up in the 900's. So.. thank you to everyone that has voted. It's means a whole whole bunch!

NBA Finals... Mommy Style

The other day I was thinking about just how much my nursery has changed since we brought our little man home 9.5 months ago. Everyone told me that my nursery would be a complete and total wreck shortly after we brought him home. That we would realize things needed to be moved around and things would need to be redecorated. Well... things have definitely come and gone and have been moved around.

All of this got me thinking... NBA! Of course... not like the NBA Finals that just ended, but Nursery Before & Afters! Isn't that creative... {not}.

So... if you are a new mommy {or not so new}, I would love for you to join in and share with us your NBA pics! Now, because there are some mommies that have babies who are a little older {toddlers} it would be fun to see how much it really does change over time.

Be sure and let me know you joined. I'd love to check out your post!

Here are a few pictures of my NBA...

As you can see... the bedding was nice and neat. Now... we have removed the bumpers, the mattress has been lowered and the mobiles have gone bye-bye. We have a new toy on the outside and a projector "mobile" attached on the side {which has been out of batteries for nearly 5 weeks}. I have a few new nick-nacks on the shelf by the window... as well as a few toys stowed in the corner.

Well... for starters the "before pic" was taken before we had a changing pad, however... you will notice that the diaper basket has been moved down to the (other added) set of drawers to the right. Other than that, most of this area has remained the same.

Well.. Well.. Well.. Lots of changes here. First... the Jumper which is no longer used and needs to be put up in the attic or sold was placed next to the chair. In addition we have added books and more books to the shelves, a clock and a fake fish aquarium to the top. The boppy that you see pictured here has always been stored in that same location, though I don't think we had it when I took the before pictures. The only bad part about that boppy being stored there is the fact that I have NEVER used it.

As for the pictures on the wall... I added more before Kyah arrived and switched out the non-baby photos for baby pictures of family members. Everyone from me, to B Dub, My mom, My grandparents as well as my great grandparents as babies/teens. It's such a special wall to me. When he outgrows this room, these photos will make a new appearance another place in our home. Also... my good friend Lisa Bonny made that cross especially for Kyah's room! It was the perfect touch to finish things before he arrived!

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to seeing your NBA post!

My New Craft Room - Revealed!

I'd like to introduce you to the "e.b.designs studio".... or more like my "at home craft room". All of the furniture in this room was completely redone/refurbished. This coming week I will share some of the before and afters with you on the small projects that I did in order to get this room complete. Of course, there is a lot more that I would have loved to do in this room. It could use a little bit more decor, as I will explain in the photo captions.

:: Captions are below each photo::

Craft Room View 1

If given more time I would have sewn some curtains for the windows.

I would have also put up some stenciling or wooden letters above the window.

Craft Room View 2

I bought this desk from a friend that is moving to London.

It was solid brown (which was pretty) but I had my heart set on a green desk.

In order to match the zebra theme that my heart also desired, I painted the top of the desk black.

This is the same chifforobe that I redid once before. (here)

This time I redid it completely and even refinished the inside.

My Sewing Machine.. of course will be moved to the craft table should I need to use it.

This is my Craft tower!

That is the Librarian Wreath that I made (here)

As well as my Zebra Scentsy Warmer!

Up close and personal with my cd/dvd storage box.

You know how you always end up with cd's for your computer programs, cameras, printers, etc. Well.. this was my solution for having a place to find them again when I need them.

Larger Styrofoam Balls

A few books that I found around the house while looking for craft stuff. They make a great addition to the Craft Room!

Embellishment Jars. There are Letters, Flowers, Beads, Pebbles, etc.

More flowers that I use as embellishments.

Inside the doors of the desk.

Glue Sticks, Acrylic Paints, Glue Sticks for the Glue Guns, Glitter, Brads, Embellishments galore, Ink pads for stamps, etc.

My Bulletin Board, Printer/Scanner/Copier, Paper Shredder and File Cabinet.

My wonderful Chifforobe that was going to be trashed. I saved it!

(Underneath you can see where I store large spools of ribbon)

Inside my Chifferobe

You will notice that everything throughout the room has labels.

Scrapbooks. Some are filled. Others are still waiting.

The drawers were covered with scrap paper and painted green inside to match the desk.

Party Supplies

Everything you need to wrap a present will be found in this drawer.

No more looking for scissors, tape, ribbon... It's all here.

Some of my daily tools are kept here...

These are just the tools that I find myself using each day.

I guess I take after my dad... always working on something.

Premade Scrap Pages.

When I find premade pages on sale, I pick them up. This is where they sit until I decide to use them.

Metal Stamping, Punches, Scissors...

Scissors

GLUE! My best Friend!

These are just my craft glues, fabric glues and wood glues. I keep all of my super glues and gorilla glues set upright in another location.

Sticker Embellishments (and a few other things)

Plain Envelopes and some Christmas Embellishments

My Shelf.... I have plans to decorate that picture frame soon. I just have not had the time to get to it yet.

This is the base of my lamp. It holds, Pencils, Sharpies, Scissors, Glue sticks... and more importantly... Chap Stick!

My Tunes & Clock!

This is the ribbon rack that I made for about $2. I found this old shelf in the ally and brought it home and repurposed it. I plan on adding something to it to finish it off... give me some time.

Again.. I had big plans (just not enough time). I would eventually like to have a separate file for all colors of scrap paper and another set for cardstock.