baby shower planning fun

I've been having some fun planning a shower for my sister-in-law. It's going to be a co-ed shower, but I couldn't resist making it super girly cute (because they are having super cute baby girl!). I'm sure the guys will give over it.

For the invitations, I used Evite for an online option to RSVP. I also made invitations to give out to their friends and family. It was the first time I made an invitation sized to fit a 4" x 6" photo and get it printed 1-hour photo. It worked really well! Despite the frustrations* I've had with the quality of prints from Walgreens, the invitations turned out well.

The invitation (with personal details covered up)

Now that the invitations are done and sent, I can work on decorations, food and party activities! Actually, before making the invitations, I had the urge to make one of those cute diaper cakes I've seen online everywhere. Before starting, I checked out a few tutorials featured on YouTube. If I had more time, I would become a YouTube junkie..you can find a video about ANYTHING there..crazy!

Here's the diaper cake I made. Inside I managed to stuff it with bottles, breastmilk storage bags, and onesies.



*Mini-vent about Walgreens-they have great sales on photo prints, but everytime I get the photos printed I've noticed the colors seem off. This last time 1/2 my photos looked bleached out by the sun or like the settings on their printer were set too bright. The staff was really nice though and tried to print them out again (for free). Still the photos looked off. The only way I'll be able to know if it's Walgreens or my photos is to get them printed elsewhere. Think I'll do that!

homemade baby food

Tyler is now officially eating solids and because it's not only easy, but also really inexpensive, I whipped or pureed up some homemade baby foods. Doesn't take much time or effort. Once I get started, it's actually kinda of fun. I really enjoyed being to make Ava's first foods (beside milk..you know what I mean), so I was excited to do the same for Tyler.

And Tyler really likes all the new tastes:

Eating peas


The other day, I made his veggie purees: peas, green beans and brocoli (although, we'll wait on the brocoli. He's already a gassy baby). No new photos of that since the photos just looked like the ones I took for a post about hiding veggies in Ava's food.

I used frozen mixed fruit (bag contained mango, pineapple, peaches, strawberries, honeydew, grapes) and separated them before making the baby food. For apricots and prunes, I used dried and rehydrated them before pureeing them.



Makes A LOT of food. I didn't use the pineapples, or strawberries, or the grapes for the baby food. He won't be eating those for a few months (just what our pediatrician recommended to wait on due to possible strawberry allergies or his acidity of pineapples). Nothing wrong with grapes..I just snacked them all gone :)

Board

I made this felt board for Ava last night. Actually the board isn't covered with felt. It's actually some type of flannel/fleece textured fabric. Something I bought off the $1/yard table at Walmart a long time ago, but never really used it for anything except the backing to Ava's cheerio bib. You can use felt, flannel or fleece (although fleece has the least amout of "stick-ability"). I like the way this fabric makes the board look like a chalkboard, but is made for felt projects. I didn't have any felt onhand, but found some felt cutouts from a holiday kit set. Now that I know felt will stick to it, I'll get some pieces to make other shapes. I'm also cutting out photos from magazines, cards, and coloring books to laminate. Just adding a piece of felt, sandpaper, or the hook part of velco tape will make it stick. I hope Ava likes the board. I bet she'll end up taking the pieces and toting them around the house until she realizes how fun it is to stick them on the board.

I used a 16 x 20 frame and placed the green fabric over the cardboard back. The frame also came with another piece of cardboard so I put that on the back to cover up the fabric edges. No glue needed. I just used the frame's closures to secure the cardboard back. I also placed the plexiglass (sp?) piece on the backside of the frame. It doubles as a dry erase board. No photo of that side to share.

I still have a huge piece of the green fabric left and might make a wall hanging version to put up in the playroom. I could hang this framed one, but didn't want her to put it down off the wall and drop it on herself. It find a simple wood easel, I'd prefer to use that. For now, she use it on the floor or table (or lap? Might be a little too big). It might be fun for her to have a lapsized version, too. Some much fabic and ideas, so little time!

After making it, I came across this a good link for instructions on Martha Stewart's site.