Unexpected Surprises

As the clutter in my home multiplies, I've found myself dreaming of simplicity. Handmade, handpainted toys from Unexpected Surprises Wood Toys (US Toys for short) are beautifully made. Their simplicity gives children room to grow their imaginations rather than be entertained by a toy with only one function. Not only that, but they're safe made with only wood, glue, and non-toxic water based acrylic paint!

i left my heart in new zealand...

New Zealand has it's newest resident, baby Hope Noel Heitman! Our dear friends, Dave & Mel moved over there in January for ministry (read more here). Mel has to be one of the most amazing women I know - to move all the way across the world with two little boys and being pregnant! Not to mention the fact that they didn't have a home yet when they left, and their belongings only arrived about a month ago. *There is a job opportunity my husband has, and if it goes well (and that's a BIG if) we just might get to see them in person this summer.*

NZ has been heavy on the hearts of Dave (my husband) and myself for a couple of years now, and especially so since he visited last summer. We were all set to move over there as well, but it would seem God had other plans for now. Maybe one day I'll be blogging from down under. For now, check out these other blogs from "The Land of the Long White Cloud."

tiny happy
gigi designs - SUPER cute kids clothes
so tread softly
anemone - crafty stuff

*looks like he didn't get it. :( NZ will have to wait awhile now...

sick

Sick. And I don't mean in the germy kind of way. Guess what this is a picture of?
It's a placenta sandwich. Now, I'm all for natural things, I make my own baby food, try to buy green products ,etc. etc, but I'd have to draw the line here.

New mom, Chrissy Schilling said this about the menu, “The energy levels I had before and after the [placenta] consumption were immediately noticeable to me,” Chrissy told Momlogic in this post. “The first 24 hours after my daughter’s birth, I would nurse on the move around the apartment, showing her around, but would have to take frequent breaks to sit because of how light-headed I felt. But after that second night, with a belly full of placenta, those dizzy spells completely vanished….” Some cultures believe that eating the placenta after birth restores mom's horomone levels and other such things. Read the whole article here, I can't look at this another minute!

easter left-overs

no time to blog, just wanted to leave you with this... one of my favorite "left overs" from Easter.

HGTV

In case you're wondering, I didn't win the HGTV dream home last month. Shocking, I know. The new home has been revealed and I'm thinking I'll have to send in another entry. Just look at this girl's bedroom. I am in LOVE with it. (pretty incredible for someone who used to despise pink). Can anyone tell me where to find the pillow and mermaid picture?

wren willow

Woo Hoo! The dear husband has spring break this week! Although that doesn't mean the same thing it did several years ago, it has been a wonderful and relaxing week so far... I even got some time to myself to surf Etsy. And look what I found!"Wren Willow" has literally hundreds of silk screen tees and onesies to choose from, not to mention that you can chose your own color of shirt and the ink color for no extra charge! LOVE the rabbit design. This mom does it all herself, including the original sketches! Gotta love Etsy. See you soon.

i could have been a millionaire

I could have been a millionaire (or at least paid off my student loans)... if only I had thought of this... "Little Lasso" How many times has your kiddo dropped their: sippy cup, softie, bottle, paci, blankey....A mom from Texas came up with this BRILLIANT idea to keep you from having to pick up the cup off the floor of the grocery store for the 14th time. Wow, I need to be more inventive.