thankful

-that blessed assurance, Jesus Christ -beautiful and as close to perfect as any man I know, my Matt -the love him it hurts so much place in my heart for my Ben -a loving Cairnsey pup currently snuggling my leg -All the Little Birds -More friends than I have time for -meeting Geert

DIY Sandblocks

I teach an infant/toddler sign language and music class and am always looking for new instruments...at a good price. The cheapest sand blocks I could find online were $2.80 a pair. Doesn't seem like a lot, but buying enough for all of the kids would've been too much for my budget. I saw these stamps in Marc's 5 for .99. and bought a pack of sand paper for .87. After removing the rubber stamp from the block, I hot glued sand paper to them. They sound just like the real thing and Ben had a great time playing with them!

Flensted Mobile

Preparing for Ben's arrival was a full time job for me. I had a major case of nesting and wanted things to be PERFECT when my little love came home. I scoured the interwebs for the perfect mobile and found this one by Flensted. $50 may be a bit pricey for a cardboard mobile, but my son thinks it was well worth it.


This is when Ben was still a bitty baby, but he still laughs just as hard when I hold him up high to look at his swimming buddies.

Ultimate Blog Party

Not that I need to spend any more of my time checking out new blogs, but I just can't help myself.
I'm Rachel, a SAHM to my almost 17 month old, Benjamin. I began blogging to document my son's life and decided to create one for my other interests. Here you will find posts about christianity, photography, DIY, my business (All the Little Birds), sign language, style, home decor, fitness, marriage, and whatever else strikes me. Can't wait to check out as many blogs as I can!

Lamp Revamp

When my husband an I purchased our house, we were also left with lots of treasures from the previous owner who had passed away. These lamps have been on craigslist and in two garage sales for as low at $2 with no interest. I decided I would give these lamps a permanent home in my dining room (still a work in progress).
Before:
I used white spray paint and fabric I found on clearance for $3yd. I was too lazy to sew the fabric, so I simply hot glued it to the shade.
After:

Making do with what we have

For 2 years I have been looking at our hideous outdoor furniture that was a hand-me-down from my parents. The seats were terribly discolored and a an awful shade of green. I didn't want to spend a ton of money on furniture, so I bought 3 cans of spray paint and voila! I know they still aren't fantastic, but definitely an improvement. I love how spray paint can make such a big difference for such a low cost!

Reason #567567567 not to watch Oprah.

Goldie Hawn and Oprah telling the world how to be happy and raise their "joy level." I think I'll pass.



You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
—Psalm 16:11