Guest Post from All My Love for All My Days

Hello. I'm Danette and I blog at All My Love for All My Days.  I was so honored when Misty asked me to guest post for her last week.  Misty is becoming quite the online friend.  I love emailing, tweeting, and Facebooking back and forth with her. Today I want to share a craft with you.  It's über simple, but so pretty and elegant.  So let's get started.

Here's what you'll need...

• Flat Wood
• Paint
• Glitter
• Glue
• Paintbrush or Sponge
• Small cloths pin

Step #1--Paint the background.  I'm a huge fan of monochromatic colors.  That's why I choose this soft gray and silver glitter.  More on that to come.

Step #2--After the paint is completely dry, section off the board painters tape.  You can make any design you like.

Step #3--Follow up the taping with more painting, but this time paint the sections with glue.

Step #4--Glitterize the thing!

Step #5--Remove the tape and affix the tiny clothes pin with hot glue.

This picture frame/memo board can be hung or placed anywhere.  That's probably one of the reasons I love it so much.

I hope you enjoyed reading and I hope that you think creativity and get out there.




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Giveaway coming!

Hi beautiful friends! Just wanted to let you know I am working on the BIG 600 follower giveaway! There is a lot involved when there are 30 prizes! Yeah! 30!!! How exciting!
Our princess shattered out computer screen so to work on the giveaway I have to plug the computer into our tv and pull up a chair lol! Along with wrangling my crazy 3 under 3! I
Promise it will be well worth the wait!!!
Meanwhile here are some fun pics d my crazy loves!

Mommy Moments Blog Hop

Welcome back for another week of Mommy Moments Monday Blog Hoppin'!  

The top viewed link from last week belongs to Nanny to Mommy and her post I'm a Mommy where she shares her birth story!

What a precious little girl, and a great birth story too! 

Make sure you stop by and visit Nanny to Mommy real quick before linking up today and check out some of her other great posts!

 To link up, just...

1. Follow Host: The Life Of Faith 

and Co-Hosts: Monkeys and Tutus, The Not Quite Military Wife, and The Mrs. 
and this week's guest hosts: Amy From This Too Shall Pass and Dawn from Dawn's Disaster

2. Link up your post!
Post can include anything related to mommy-hood, children, homemaking, pregnancy etc. If you aren't a mom yet, feel free to link up your preparation for motherhood, your journey as you try to conceive, or even a post that would be encouraging to the other moms in the party!

3. Add the Mommy Moments button to your post or blog so everyone knows where you are linking up!

4. Explore some of the other posts in the link-up and say hello to some new blog friends! 

5. Tweet or Share the link up on Facebook so we can all make even more friends!

Tweet

<div align="center"><a href="http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com//search/label/baby" title="The Life Of Faith"><img src="http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/faithkonrath/mommymomentsbutton.jpg" alt="The Life Of Faith" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

P.S. I will be having a new guest host every week! Want to be a guest host of the Mommy Moments Blog Hop? Send Faith a message at farmprincess14{at}gmail{dot}com. We would love to have you on board!

Colossians 3:17 
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Linking up with Mom's Monday Mingle, Mama Moments Monday, Monday's Musings, and The Better Mom Mondays

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Sunday confessional

Ok so I'm not catholic but I have some confessions to get off my chest! Haha

Deep breath... Here they go!

~I am totally addicted to anything chevron
~I have a serious Days of our Lives addiction and often dream about the show and that I am one of the characters
~I have the absolute most crazy dreams every single night!
~I am totally weirded out by men bloggers (yea I said it, I am sure there are a lot of good ones out there but there are a lot of creepers too so my guard is always up)
~if any man follows me on twitter I always block them (random I know) it's just weird
~I have over 100 pairs of shoes and can't part with any of them bc I just might need them someday
~I'd totally have lipo and a boob job if I had the money
~I'm ready for a tattoo
~i used to love scary movies but now they totally creep me out and I can't deal with them
~I'd totally live in Uganda Africa if I had the opportunity! Yep with my whole family!
~I think the machine gun preacher is amazing (if you havnt seen it you should! Just skip past the first 20 mins of f words and then it's unbelievable!
~I'm fighting the urge to put up our Christmas tree! I'm totally ready!
~I just got out the Christmas music and am totally in the mood to listen
~I never go anywhere with out my iPhone I even take a bath with it! Bubble baths are a great place to browse Pinterest
~ I want a funky color streak in my hair
~I always lie about my age as well as my husbands!
~I deplore the use of the 'f' word and generally unfollow people for using it, especially on twitter! It's just not necessary people
~if left alone with brownies, cookies or chips ill likely eat them all
~though I said I'd never drive a mini van I totally want one after driving my moms for a month
~given the opportunity I'd totally have my uterus removed
~I think my hubs is truly amazing and seeing him in uniform gets me all worked up! Hahahaha

When it rains it pours

Well I was in the middle of getting ready my huge 600 follower giveaway which is up to 25 awesome prizes and my sweet lil princess pulled our laptop off our tall kitchen table and onto the floor!
The screen is shattered and it will be at least a week before we can get it fixed! Sucktastic!
Bear with me this week as I attempt to blog from my iPhone and the giveaway is gonna be a week later than planned but I promise it will be well worth the wait!
Meanwhile if you want to be a part of the giveaway you can email me and I will send you the deets!

Thanks so much for following and reading Monkeys & Tutus! You are all wonderful and I can't say thank you enough!!!

My Boobs have been found!!!!

I know I know crazy title is probably drawing creepers on Google searches.. hey creepers get lost! No actual boob photos here!  By the way, since my post 'He left my boobs in Afghanistan' I have seen people find me through odd searches for photos of Afghanistan boobs pics - Eww Pervs! Get a life!!!

Anyways! If you missed my post about my boobs being left in Afghanistan, you can catch up by clicking on the link.  Now there is Goooood News!!!

The other day my sweet hubs was going through some of his military bags and boxes of gear from his deployment and guess what... He found my boobs! They didn't get left in Afghanistan and I don't have to worry about anyone snuggling on them any more! Hahaha!  They are a little squished but they still smell like the love spell i soaked the cotton in before stuffing it in the cups lol!  Love it!  Thought I would share the pic because its just too funny!  

Thanks babe for not leaving my boobs in Afghanistan after all!

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Help! We have created a cosleeping monster

Yay! I am finally over the tummy bug!  Still haven't gotten my appetite back and am still crazy dehydrated but feeling mostly better!  Today I wanted to ask for advice from my lovely mommy pals! 

Jaxsen will be 1 year old in one week and is crazy spoiled and spends most of the night in our bed.  We moved his crib to our room a month or so ago hoping to get him used to sleeping in it again and then be able to move him back to his room by his birthday.  He is off formula and on milk now but still in a bottle.  I have tried to get him to drink it out of a cup but haven't had much luck.  Today I am seriously throwing away all the bottles and just gonna make it happen.  I know with Cloee she actually started sleeping better once we finally took her bottle away.

Yes they actually sleep like this most nights!

Jax has to be rocked to sleep, which isn't too big of a deal for the first time but then he expects it every time he wakes up, which is generally 3 times a night if not 5.  Once he falls asleep we put him in his bed and he generally wakes up within the hour.  At that point we are asleep and tired and end up picking him up and putting him in our bed.  If he is in our bed he seems to wake up less.  If he is in his crib he wakes up more often, some times he goes back to sleep if you pick him up and rock him other times you have to give him a bottle with water or milk to get him back to sleep.  

I am totally not into cry it out, especially since we have 2 other sleeping kidos and a small house.  I really want to get him back into his crib and out of our bed and eventually back into his room. I'm just at a loss... Do I keep offering him drinks at night to soothe him? Do I keep rocking him every time he wakes up? I know he has to learn to soothe himself but I just don't know how to get him there!  

We tried not picking him up and just patting his back and getting him back to sleep but that never works unless he is in our bed.  If he is in the crib he is just not happy about it.  He doesn't like being blocked off or confined at all. Which is probably why he doesn't like his crib very much.. ugh I just don't know what to do with him... I expected him to be grown out of this by now!  

What have you done with your little ones?  Do you have any suggestions, advice? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!!!  Thanks in advance!

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Tummy bug boo

Sorry I've been MIA this week, gals!   I have the yucky tummy bug and have been sick since Monday! All while trying to take care of my 3 under 3!  Lots of fun let me tell ya!!!   Hope you enjoyed the guest post yesterday and if you are looking for something fun to read today check out the lovely ladies over in my side bar!  They are all super wonderful! 
Hope to be back tomorrow into the the full swing of things and rid of this awful tummy bug!  Pray no one else in my house gets it!!!


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Guest Post from Sue Diamond Phillips

I am beyond excited for you guys to meet my awesome guest poster today!
If there is one blog that I stalk more than others its totally Diapers or Wine!  
'Sue Diamond-Phillips' is brilliant! Seriously! I frequent her blog because its honest, its hilarious, its real, its blunt, did I mention hilarious? And I can so totally relate to most of what she says!  I love that she uses an Alias 'Sue Diamond-Phillips' so she can write what she wants, when she wants and no one knows its her! Did I mention brilliant? haha Ok seriously check out her blog and follow her because I promise you wont want to miss a post!
Thanks girl for guest posting here on Monkeys and Tutus and for being so real and funny! 

Now here's the guest post from Diapers or Wine


Well, let me start this out by saying thank you, Misty Marie, for letting me guest post on your awesome blog, Monkeys and Tutus! I feel all grown up and legit right now. No, i'm not kidding. I do. I also totally scoped out some of the other guest writers, and i feel like a dork. I don't make cute stuff. I don't have cute recipes. I kind of just write whatever comes out...like we're besties and i vented. So, a little background on me, in my opinion, i am one of the 3 normal siblings in my family. Normal, meaning i am not obsessed with Dr Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, and i can have a normal conversation that is not in Klingon. There are six all together though. I had the best childhood ever, my parents are amazing, we grew up on a farm and i was homeschooled. Raised born again Christian (for all my Bible thumpers out there, woop-woop! get out your quilted Bible cover!), and proud of it. My husband and i have 5 kids, and when they are all asleep, i totally consider trying to drug him and get one more outta him. When they are awake, i switch to considering enlisting them in the military. Especially the 22 month old. I also homeschool my kids, and yes, i drink wine.

So, my family grew up with tons of traditions, one - like many other families - is the pumpkin carving night. It became a hunt for your pumpkins out on this great path my Dad made through the woods and meadow. My Mom makes at least three different kinds of soup, homemade breads, and of course, hot chocolate. It's insane fun - just this great, relaxing time where we all hang out and carve pumpkins...and wait. Patiently wait for someone to leave the barn, then we dump all the pumpkin guts into that poor sucker's perfectly cleaned pumpkin. Cram it in there. Every year. It never stops being fun. This is also the night we siblings and spouses pick our secret Christmas Pollyanna. Also, all during this night, Christmas music is playing. I know. It's just our thing, and it's glorious.

My older brother is married...to...quite a lady. And they have 5 kids also. Who are...*literally shaking my head*...kind of hard to put into words. If you have ever seen The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and know who the Herdmans are. THAT. IS. THEM. Dirty (i know, my kids are sometimes too, but the level...is crazy), they all wore diapers until they were 6-8yrs old, they throw frequent tantrums, and i don't let my kids go where i can't see them, because it's like there is no sense of right or wrong. On Mother's Day this year, their little girl threw a huge rock at my daughter, and it was almost the end of our relationship. I thought she was going to need stitches or surgery. Yup. There's your parenting thing. There was no apology or punishment, because, "she didn't mean to do it". They used to say, "oh, your kids are so well behaved, i guess they're just good", while my husband and i were to shocked to say, "it's called DISCIPLINE". It's Lord of the Flies stuff going on.

My 8 year old nephew believed he was an alien. My brother told him that he wasn't. This started a tantrum, sobbing, and ultimately led to my brother saying he was sorry, and that he wished he never told him he was not, indeed, an alien. They apologize to their kids more than anyone i have ever seen in my life. Takes all kinds? Once when we had bought our kids kites, 4 of theirs threw insane fits, and my sister in law told them, "i know it's not fair that they did that, it was really wrong"...this is what i'm dealing with. This is why my Mom will frequently have a glass of wine on Sundays, and why my Dad locks himself in his train room or in the barn.

So, Sunday was pumpkin carving. Now, my husband and i realize that after kids, this tradition is really no longer for us as adults, but it's for our kids. Making them fun and awesome memories. Um...we are alone in this. My brother and sister in law see this as their time. And kids are just pesky and annoying. I mean, when you need to make a character from Dr Who on a pumpkin, you can't be bothered by kids crying and asking you to please carve a smiley face. When you need to make a dancer's butt and legs, because you are a liiiiiiittle bit psycho, you can't scoop pumpkin seeds out for your kids. My husband and i just watched them - shocked yet again by the bizarre selfish behaviour. This year with having an almost 2 year old and a new puppy, i wasn't much help. My husband helped our 6yr old and 8yr old do whatever they wanted. THEN he made his pumpkin. My brother and sister in law worked for over an hour. With special tools. Telling the kids to go away, go outside, anything.
It never ceases to amaze me. When people cannot put together that once you have kids, life is no longer about you. It's just not. It's about the kids. Raising them right, teaching them how to behave, giving them rules and boundaries, and helping them more than you help yourself.

My Mom always said to me, my brothers, and my sisters, " I love you no matter what, but i want OTHER people to love you as much as i do". And wow, is that true. I do not do everything right, but i think about that so often. I want to raise kids that people like to be around, not kids that they are a little scared of leaving a puppy alone with.

This was long winded, i get that. But holy poop. I had to get it out. I leave you with the end result of pumpkin carving night. Happy Fall, ya'll!! Thank you so much for taking a few minutes (ok, an hour) to read this post - maybe some of you have equally "special" people in your family, and can relate. P.S. While i took the time to write this, my 22 month old precious angel who is so well disciplined took her diaper off and pooped on her Daddy's dress shoes. So...yes, i have pot calling the kettle black syndrome. Pray for me.

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Mommy Moments Blog hop

Welcome back for another week of Mommy Moments Monday Blog Hoppin'!  
Last week we outdid ourselves with 86 link ups! Can we make it to 90 this week? Spread the word! The more the merrier!

The top viewed link from last week belongs to Bren from The Perfectly Imperfect Mom and her post Embracing The Newborn Stage.

What a great post Bren! She writes about the realities of having a newborn (something I will be facing real soon!). Even with all the tears and sleepless nights, Bren has some great perspective on cherishing those moments.

Make sure you stop by and say hi to Bren from The Perfectly Imperfect Mom real quick before linking up today and check out some of her other great posts!

 To link up, just...

1. Follow Host: The Life Of Faith 

and Co-Hosts: Monkeys and Tutus, The Not Quite Military Wife, and The Mrs. 
and this week's guest host: Terri From Rambling Momma

2. Link up your post!
Post can include anything related to mommy-hood, children, homemaking, pregnancy etc. If you aren't a mom yet, feel free to link up your preparation for motherhood, your journey as you try to conceive, or even a post that would be encouraging to the other moms in the party!

3. Add the Mommy Moments button to your post or blog so everyone knows where you are linking up!

4. Explore some of the other posts in the link-up and say hello to some new blog friends! 

5. Tweet or Share the link up on Facebook so we can all make even more friends!

Tweet

<div align="center"><a href="http://the-life-of-faith.blogspot.com//search/label/baby" title="The Life Of Faith"><img src="http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/faithkonrath/mommymomentsbutton.jpg" alt="The Life Of Faith" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

P.S. I will be having a new guest host every week! Want to be a guest host of the Mommy Moments Blog Hop? Send Faith a message at farmprincess14{at}gmail{dot}com. We would love to have you on board!

Colossians 3:17 
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Linking up with Mom's Monday Mingle, Mama Moments Monday, Monday's Musings, and The Better Mom Mondays

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Thank you!

Wow! I just wanted to say a big thank you go all of you for following & reading my lil corner of the blog world!  It was just a few months ago when I really started getting serious about blogging. 

 I wanted to tell you about a few opportunities for you!  First, I am working on my 600 follower giveaway!  Wahoo!  If you would like to be a part of the giveaway, email me at monkeysandtutus@gmail.com I am hoping to take the giveaway live next week!

This next week all of my ads are 50% off!!! Just use promo code tutumonkeydeal

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Benjamins Vaccine Injury Story

Since October is Vaccine Injury Awareness Month I wanted to share our story. This isn't a big Anti Vaccine Post its just our story and a plea to educate before you vaccinate.  If you choose to vaccinate that is totally up to you! Just don't do it blindly like we did.  It almost cost us our babies life. 

When our first baby, Benjamin, arrived I never thought twice about vaccines.  Its what the Doctors said they needed and after all Doctors know everything right?  I didn't really have a reason to question it.  When we went in for Benjamins 4 month check he got several vaccinations which included Dtap, PVC, HIB, Polio, RV.  Of course it always was sad to have to hold him down and listen to him scream as he was injected with what I was told he needed to be protected.  We went home and of course he had the normal after vaccine crankiness.  After a few nights he simply couldn't sleep.  He acted as if he was in pain.  He was a sleep through the night baby at this point but just was so restless and not normal.

A week after his vaccinations he developed a very high fever.  We took him to his doctor with a fever of 104.  They said it would run its course and just to keep an eye on it.  His breathing was very fast and labored so they did an xray but said it was clear.  They took blood work but it would be days before they had any real results.

By the time he got home his fever was over 105!  I called the hospital and the nurse told me to bring him in.  We were promptly taken back to the ER and began tests. They put an IV in his lil head and put a cup over it so he wouldn't mess with it.  With in a few hours we were being admitted. The first thought was that he had some type of meningitis because the spinal tap showed something but they weren't sure yet.  After the 2nd day they came in and said he had a form of staph but they weren't sure where it was.  He was being given all kinds of antibiotics to fight whatever it might be but his counts were still not good at all!
On about the 4th day I noticed he had stopped moving one of his legs completely.   Within minutes of me telling the nurse, he was being prepped for surgery.  We had no idea what for at that point.
They called for a pediatric orthopedic specialist and he came in and told us that it looked as if the infection was in his leg and they needed to do an immediate surgery.  The doctor was hopeful but realistic.  Benjamin was a very very sick baby and it didn't look good. 

There we were in the hospital, new parents and our 4 month old baby on the brink of death.  At the time our childrens pastor and his wife from church had just happened to come by at the right time.  They prayed for Benjamin and the doctors etc and it helped ease our fears a little.

We waited in the waiting room for what seemed like hours, I have no idea how long it actually was but I was focusing on holding it together. 
They did an incision in his hip but the infection wasn't there.  It was actually down in his thigh.  Right where he had his immunizations a week before!  They had to open up his leg and clean out a lot of the very serious infection.  

 These pictures are actually during the last week there when he was getting better.  I didnt have the heart to take pics when he had the iv in his head.

After the surgery they told us he would likely have to go back in again and get more.  

He wasn't getting better after the 2nd week he had even stopped eating and they were having to feed him through a tube! They went back in on the other side of his leg and cleaned out some more infection.  We ended up being in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks!  Several times the doctors told us they didn't know if he would make it.  When he started getting better they were actually surprised.  We knew God protected our precious baby!

The orthopedic surgeon said the infection was likely from his immunizations.  After all the spot of the infection was in the exact spot of shots!  And how else does a perfectly healthy, 4 month old baby who is breastfed exclusively and at home with me 24/7 get a serious life threatening staph infection inside his thigh?  He has 3 large scars on his leg and 2 on his neck from where they had to put in a port line to give him medicines for such a long time. 

Before we were even released from the hospital we had already found a new Doctor. I started doing research on Vaccines and was a little surprised by what I found.  I am not going to get into a big anti vaccine post/debate.  If you choose to vaccinate, thats up to you and your family.  I just ask that you do as much research as possible, research both sides and not just what big pharmaceutics companies that make huge profits say and dont vaccinate blindly.  I did and it almost cost us our babies life. 

When doing research there are two big things I noticed.  First the ingredients and second the lack of need for them, meaning, most of them are for things that aren't life threatening.  I could go on for hours but I just dont have the time! I'm not going to go into everything but I will share a few of my fav pics from one of my fav FBs and some links.

One book I really loved was the Vaccine Book by Dr Sears.  It isnt anti vaccine at all it just states the facts.  It tells you the ingredients and the risks etc.


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vaccination-Information-Network-VINE/69667273997

http://www.facebook.com/national.vaccine.information.center

All these pics below are taken from http://www.facebook.com/thetruthaboutvaccines

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