Photo Dump

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Sorry I seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth lately.  I have a teething infant, so I haven't had much time for blogging.  I apologize!  Since I've been such a crummy blogger, enjoy this photo dump, most of which are of my adorable son.

-- My wild little man suffered his first goose egg today.  Let me just say, little boys are rambunctious.  For the rest of the afternoon, all he wanted were Mama snuggles.  I'm filled with mama guilt.  I realize that these things happen, but it's the first time and he's my first baby.  

-- We bought Gene a tunnel the other day at Target.  It's so cute to watch him crawl through it.  The other day he went back and forth through it several times over a period of 5 minutes.

-- We also bought him a musical piano.  We went to visit some friends who have a little boy a few months older than Gene and they had a similar one.  Of all the toys, this is the one he played with the most.  He spends a big chunk of his day playing with this toy.  Best money ever spent!

-- Gene outgrew his baby tub a while back, so we packed it away.  Now he takes big boy baths!  He loves it.  He has tons of water to splash and plenty of space for his toys.  Oh, speaking of bath toys, we recently tossed all of his in the garbage and bought new ones.  His was the last bath before the bat plague.  There were several bats in our bath tub, snuggled up with his toys.  One even died in the tub.  We could have bleached the toys, but we felt better just buying him new stuff.

-- Where's the baby?

-- Who is this big boy?  He's pretty darn handsome. :)

A Little Monday Humor

Pin It Now! I saw this on Facebook and couldn't help but share.  I got a chuckle out of it.

8 Months

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Dear Gene,

It feels like I just wrote your 7 month post last week.  Time is just whizzing by.  So much has been happening!

Scooting seems to be your favorite way to get around.  You will occasionally get up on your knees, but you get around just fine doing your little army crawl.  You move so quickly.  You can get from the living room to the kitchen in the blink of an eye.

You seem to have cut out your second night feeding.  One night a couple of weeks ago you slept all night, but generally you wake up once to eat.  

You have been sleeping in our room for the last month or so because of the bats.  We put you in your pack-n-play, but you generally end up in our bed at some point.  Now that the bats are gone, I'm trying to transition you back into your crib, but you aren't happy about it.

You have been eating more solids over the last couple of weeks.  You have rice in the morning and a fruit or vegetable in the evening.  You love to eat.  So far there are only a few foods you don't care for -- peas, bananas, cauliflower, and oatmeal.  You love apples, pears, peaches, carrots, green beans, and squash.  We also bought you Puffs to snack on.  It's so cute to watch you pick them up with your fingers, though sometimes you just smack them with your hand and let them stick to the slobber. :0)

A few weeks ago you started pulling yourself up on the furniture.  You used to crash back to the floor, but you're getting better.  You can gracefully sit back down on the floor.  You even started cruising around the edge of the furniture this week.  You'll be walking before I know it!

A couple of weeks ago we finally decided that you were getting too heavy in your infant carrier so we upgraded to a convertible car seat.  You look like such a big boy in your new seat.  You seem to enjoy it, though, because you talk and sing anytime we go for a car ride.

We put away your baby tub this month and now you take baths like a big boy.  You love to play with all of the toys that float around and splash in the water.

You are such a wonderful baby.  You light up my world, even at 5:30AM {this is why you're going back to you room!}.  I love you so much!

Anniversary Week: Day 2

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Welcome to Day 2 of our Anniversary Week!  Today I want to share four things I love about my handsome husband. 

#1 Great Work Ethic

Michael is a hard worker and knows the value of a hard day's work.  Over the last few years, I have worked with many ladies whose boyfriends/husbands weren't employed because they were either in and out of jail or didn't go to work when they were scheduled.  It made me really appreciate what an amazing man Michael is.  He recognizes that in order to have things like electricity, food, and clothes, he has to show up to work.  He doesn't just show up for a paycheck either.  He works hard in order to advance his career.  

#2 Sense of Humor

I love his sense of humor, with the exception of the farts.  I have a hard time being mad at him because he is always making me laugh!  There is rarely a dull moment at our house between his jokes and the silly things that Gene is doing.

#3 Mr. Fix-It

Michael is incredibly handy and knows his way around a hardware store.  I didn't think this was strange until my friend admitted that her husband isn't able to do DIY projects around the house.  He has a room full of tools and he knows how to use them.  He remodeled our bathroom with a little help from friends.  He wasn't sure how to lay tile, but he didn't let that stop him.  He did research and watched videos and figured it out!

#4 His Good Looks

What can I say?  He is a good-looking man. ;)

Anniversary Week: Day 1

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This week Michael and I will be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary.  Instead of celebrating just one day, I thought it would be more fun to celebrate all week!  For Day #1 I want to tell you about 4 memorable dates in our nearly 9 year relationship.

December 13, 2003 -- Our 1st date!

I'm not sure if Michael would ever admit this, but I called him first.  I broke things off with a guy who didn't make me a priority and called Michael the next day.  We made plans to go out on the 13th after I took the ACT.  Imagine my dismay when I woke up to 6" of snow that morning!  My parents knew and liked Michael, but they weren't about to let him drive their daughter 30 miles to go to the movies with that much snow on the ground.  Instead we watched Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at my house.  With my parents.  I know, just what every teenager wants to do on their first date!  Obviously it didn't scare him off.  He told me to call him if I wanted to hang out again.  I had planned to call him in a few days, but he called me the next day!

{did you know we were neighbors as tots?}

February 7, 2007 -- Michael proposed!

I was completely caught off-guard when Michael popped the question.  We had been living together for a few months and had talked about getting engaged at some point in 2007, but nothing definite.  I had been at a meeting for an organization I was involved in.  When the meeting was over I had several missed calls from Michael, who was wondering where I was.  I got home and noticed that he had been there and showered (he had been at the library).  He showed up a few minutes later and ran in the kitchen.  He came into the living room, still wearing his coat, and handed me a blue box.  I opened it to find a beautiful Wedgwood bone china jar inside.  I remember being confused to see a ring when I took the lid off of the jar.  I still had no idea what was going on!  At this point Michael got down on one knee, took the ring out of the jar, and asked me to be his wife!

{a few days after he proposed. doesn't he look excited about being a husband?}

June 21, 2008 -- Our wedding day!

We were married on a beautiful June day in the church I grew up attending, surrounded by family, friends, and the annual rodeo.  We still haven't been on a honeymoon, but every day is an adventure. :)

{mr & mrs at last!}

October 19, 2011 -- The birth of our son!

Last fall we welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world.  He is the light of our life and the center of our universe.  He is the reason I was put on this earth and the reason God brought Michael and me together.

{our pride & joy}

Father's Day

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Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there, especially this special guy...

Happy Father's Day, Michael.  We love you!

How do you COOL WHIP?

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Growing up, there were certain things about holiday gatherings that remained constant -- spending time with family, cramming too many people in a small space, and Grandma Nona's Cherry Dump Cake.

Oh, the cherry dump cake.  This is my Grandma Nona's go-to dessert.  It is a little bit crunchy and a little bit sweet.  The perfect dessert.  My favorite part?  Making it with Grandma Nona.  Since I grew up in the same small town that my grandparents lived in, Grandma Nona often invited me over the day before a holiday to help her prepare the cherry dump cake.  I remember struggling to get the can opener to work, dumping the contents into the pan {hence the name}, and using the flour sifter.

Sifting the cake mix over the top of the cake was my favorite job and one of the fondest memories I have of growing up and spending time with my Grandma Nona.  Consequently, it's also my favorite part of the dish.

Another thing that I could always count on was my Grandma Nona having a container of COOL WHIP Whipped Topping in the fridge.  She would serve a slice of warm cherry dump cake with a dollop of COOL WHIP on top for that little extra something special to complete the dessert.

Grandma Nona's Cherry Dump Cake

-- Large can crushed pineapple

-- 2 cans cherry pie filling {or apple pie filling. or blueberry pie filling.}

-- 1 box of cake mix {I prefer yellow}

-- 1.5 to 2 sticks of butter

-- COOL WHIP

-- Preheat oven to 350F

-- Grease a 13X9 baking dish by rubbing butter all over the bottom and up the sides.

-- Pour crushed pineapple into the pan and spread across the bottom with a spoon.  Pour both cans of cherry pie filling next and spread throughout the dish.

-- Using a flour sifter, sift the cake mix over the top of the cherry pie filling and pineapple.

-- Using a knife, cut sticks of butter into thin slices and layer over the top of the cake mix until covered.

-- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

-- Using a spoon, scoop out a serving and put on your plate or in a bowl.  Add a dollop of COOL WHIP to the top.

-- Enjoy! :0)

Because of his job, my husband, son and I live a few hundred miles from our families.  It can be tough, but recipes like this help bridge that distance.  Eating this piece of Cherry Dump Cake made me feel like I had a little piece of my Grandma Nona here with me, rather than six hours away.

Not only did the recipe remind me of home, but so did the COOL WHIP.  I am certain that if I walked into my Grandma Nona's house right now, I would find at least one tub of COOL WHIP in her freezer. :0)

How do you COOL WHIP?


Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Cloth Diaper Bucket List

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Everyone seems to have a bucket list these days.  I've decided to make one, too.  Mine is a little different, though.  Instead of places I'd like to visit or things I'd like to do, my bucket list is comprised of cloth diapers I'd like to try.  I may not get to try them all before Gene is potty trained, but I plan to have more children.  There's plenty of time.

-- bumGenius 4.0

-- bumGenius Freetime

-- bumGenius Elemental

-- Flip

-- FuzziBunz one-size

-- Prefolds + cover

-- Kissaluv size 0

-- Kissaluv Hybrid

-- itti bitti

-- Swaddlebees Simplex OS

-- Sbish snapless multi-fitted

-- Tots Bots Easy Fit

-- Thirsties duo diaper

-- GroVia AIO

-- Rumparooz

-- Knickernappies

-- Chelory
-- Bummis Swimmi
--

**Highlighted diapers are ones that I currently own or have tried in the past**

Etsy Update: New Inventory!

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I've restocked a couple of items in my Etsy shop this week and I think you all are going to love them!  The first is another peasant dress.  I love this pattern.  The dress is simple, sweet, and looks good on every baby.  The second is a pinafore.  Jeniffer from Sisters 'n Cloth suggested it because the back is somewhat open and can show off your babe's adorable cloth diaper.  The one in my shop comes with a set of bloomers if you'd rather go that direction.

{click to buy}

I love this apples and pears fabric!  I picked it up a couple of months ago and have been trying to decide what to make with it.  Paired with the dark pink, I think this dress is definitely sassy!

{click to buy}

How cute is this polka dot pinafore?  I was very excited to post this dress.  I love the pink/red polka dots paired with the mint green lining.  The best part though?

The back!  It criss-crosses in the back, which allows it to show off the bloomers {or an adorable fluffy bum!}, which match the mint green lining.

The pinafore is listed as 6-12 months, but will fit your little one much longer.  Once your little lady is too tall to wear it as a dress, pair it with a pair of jeans to wear as a tunic or shirt.  In the cooler months you can layer a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath.

As always, I gladly work with people for custom orders!  Looking for a certain size?  A certain color?  Convo me on Etsy or e-mail me here.

Blog Star: Hi! I'm Etta

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Hello there!  I am the Cheerful Homemaker {usually}, but you can call me Etta.  I am a stay-at-home-mom to a beautiful 7 month old little boy named Gene.  I have been married to my handsome husband, Mike, since 2008.  We have a Hallmark Channel love story.  

My family and I live in central Illinois, but that hasn't always been the case.  Mike and I grew up in a tiny, rural town in Missouri.  We moved here from Columbia, Missouri just before our wedding day.

I love to sew and recently opened an Etsy Shop with products geared towards babies and toddlers.  Since I don't have a little girl {yet!}, I'm living vicariously through the customers who buy my dresses. :)

Here on my blog you'll read posts on a variety of subjects.  Everything from cloth diapers to our ever-evolving nap schedule.  Home improvement projects to bat evictions.

Summer Crafts: Ticker Tape Canvas

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I came across a cute idea the other day for 4th of July decor that anyone can do.  It only takes a few supplies and can be easily created in one afternoon {I made mine while watching a movie}.

I got the idea from Crazy Mom Quilts and she calls it a Ticker Tape Canvas.  She used a variety of different fabrics on hers, but I thought it would look great using a variety of reds, whites, and blues for the summer.

Supplies needed:

-- 1 canvas

-- Mod Podge

-- Brush {I used a foam brush so I could toss it afterward}

-- Fabric

All of my strips are cut anywhere from 1"x1" to 2"x3".  The size and color/print varied so I could get a more random feel.

Coat the area you're working on in Mod Podge and press your strips to the canvas.  When you're done, apply a coat of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric.

Hang up and enjoy your custom art!

Featured Shop: Peony Plush

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I wanted to take a moment to tell you about an Etsy shop that I love.  It's called Peony Plush and it is run by Kristin of Our Growing Garden.

The shop features a variety of headbands, hair clips, and gorgeous wreaths.

My favorite wreath in her shop right now is perfect for summer.  You can leave it on your door from Memorial Day through Labor Day {which is when I bust out the fall decor}.

{click}

Check out these adorable hair clips!  One great thing about her clips is that she lines each one so you won't have to worry about snagging your little one's hair.  If your kiddo is anything like I was, this is brilliant.  I was very tender headed. 

If you don't love the pink, Kristin can make it in a variety of other colors.  Just condo her for details!

{click}

My favorite products in her shop right now are her headbands.  They feature beautiful, multi-colored felt flowers and come on headbands for newborns all the way up to adults.  Kristin is totally flexible.  Love one headband but want a clip?  Let Kristin know!  Any of her products can easily be made as another product.

{click}

Doesn't she make the cutest stuff?  I'm thinking I may need a red dahlia headband for the 4th of July.  :)

So if you're in the market for something a little different from the normal bow, check out Peony Plush!

**Note: Kristin is about to give birth to her second son {hurry up, baby Luke!}, so custom orders are currently not available.  Add her shop to your favorites so you can see when she turns them back on!

B is for Bat

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I've been trying to decide what to tell you and how much to tell you where the bats are concerned.  I'm just going to type a chronological timeline of the events as they unfolded.  This could get quite lengthy.  Also, I have a couple of photos.

You've been warned.

May 7: We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to find a bat flying around our bedroom.  Mike chased it around the upstairs, eventually knocking it down, trapping it in a sheet and throwing it all out our bedroom window.  I, meanwhile, was hiding under the comforter with Gene.  It was hanging on the house when the sun came up, so we called animal control to pick it up and test it for rabies.  Thankfully it tested negative and we went on with our lives.

Little Brown Bat

May 21: I had just finished my weekly #clothdiapers twitter chat and was doing a bit of sewing before bed.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement and turned to look.  It was a bat flying around my dining room and living room.  I dove to the floor in the kitchen and tried to decide how best to get Mike's attention and get to the baby.  I eventually settled on army crawling through the dining room, living room, and up the stairs.  I lost sight of the bat.  I woke up Mike and grabbed Gene.  We never found the bat.  Realizing this was not an isolated incident, I was really uncomfortable staying in the house.  We packed some stuff and headed to a hotel.

May 22: Mike took the day off from work to search for the bat and paint our bedroom (He told me to Pack. Our. Things. We are MOVING.).  I spent the morning making 412 phone calls as I searched for someone to come out and tell us if we had bats living in our house.  My first call was to Animal Control.  They gave me a couple of numbers, including the wildlife trapper.  He was my second call.  I got his voicemail so I kept dialing.  After searching 'nuisance animal control' I came across a website for a local guy who deals with bats.  I dialed.  It was the wildlife trapper.  He called me back a short time later.

I'm not going to lie, talking to him on the phone made me want to cry and throw up.  I knew when he started with "Are you sitting down?" that it was going to be bad.  He guessed correctly that I live in a brick house in the West End without me telling him.  Apparently bats are more of an issue in this area because we are near wooded areas and a river, so there are plenty of bugs.  He talked about scary things like bat nurseries and colonies, but assured me he could take care of the problem if indeed there was one.

May 23: The Bat Man came out around 8PM to talk to us and look at the house.  He checked for areas where they could potentially be getting in and out of the house.  We found two spots on the front of the house that appeared to have what we can only guess is raccoon damage.  Once the sun went down, it didn't take long for the bats to start pouring out of the house.  He watched and counted as 22 bats left our house over the next 45 minutes.  Since the roost is never completely empty, he estimated that we had a colony of 30-35 bats living in the soffit on the front of our house.

May 29: Bat Man came over to measure the holes on the roof and to explain his plan of attack.

May 31: Bat eviction device was supposed to be installed, but it rained.

June 2: Bat Man came over late in the afternoon and began working on our roof.  He sealed up one hole and was preparing to install the eviction device on the other hole when it began raining.  It was a steady downpour, so he had to stop.

June 3: Bat Man came back and installed the device in the early afternoon.  He returned at dusk to make sure bats were leaving through the device. 

They weren't.

There was apparently a spot that didn't seal well and bats were getting out under it.  This meant that Bat Man had to get on our roof.  In the dark.  With bats flying around.

Awesome, I know.  We all want his job.

He ripped the device down and bats slowly began coming out.  Instead of coming out and flying away, they came out and were flying around the front of the house, visibly agitated.

A few minutes after Bat Man left, I heard loud crashes coming from upstairs.  When I asked what was wrong, Mike said there were bats upstairs.  He swatted at the bat and it landed.  He trapped it in the net and took it outside.  While he was releasing it, I heard scratching in the bathroom.  I quickly shut the door.  Mike caught the second one and released it and a third bat showed up.  At this point we chose to shut the door and shove t-shirts underneath.

While all of this was going on, I was on the phone with Bat Man asking what we should do.  He offered to come back over and catch them, but we told him it wasn't necessary.

June 4: Bat Man came over in the afternoon to install a different eviction device.  While he was here, he went up to the bathroom and caught the bat.

This was in my BAThtub

Around 6PM I decided I was going to take a shower.  It was still daylight, so I figured it was safe to go up there.  I opened the door and cautiously looked around the bathroom.  I saw a wing sticking out between the linen closet door and the wall.  Mike came up, caught it and took it outside.  

Bat Man came over again that night to watch the eviction device.  We told him we'd had another bat.  We checked the bathroom before he left and it was clear.  Ten minutes later there were bats.  Again.

June 5: We checked in the morning and saw two bats on the window -- one above the window and one hiding under the blinds.  I called Bat Man and asked if he could come by.  He quickly came downstairs with a bat and asked if I had a container with a lid.  The bat under the blinds was not one bat.  It was three bats.  All together, Bat Man got 5 bats out of the bathroom that afternoon.

That evening we went outside to see if the bats were coming out of the eviction device.  We noticed scratching sounds coming from the soffit for the main level of our house.  

Four bats!

June 6: While cooking dinner, I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.  When I turned around I realized there was a bat, in my kitchen, at 5PM.  I ran from the room screaming, "MICHAEL! THERE'S A BAT IN THE KITCHEN!"  Mike knocked the bat down and took it outside.

That afternoon I had called Bat Man and asked if he could more bats from under the blinds.  I also mentioned the new sounds in the lower soffit so he came over in the evening.  He found another three bats in the bathroom.  One of them was dead.  He also discovered that the bats have found a new place to stay during the day.  So now we need another eviction device.  Awesome, right?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

One of the obstacles about the bat situation is that we are dealing not only with the normal bats, but also juvenile bats.  The baby bats are in the upper soffit, chirping away.  The bats in the lower soffit are mama bats who don't want to leave their babies.

So there you go.  The whole ordeal.  There's a bat in our bathroom right now.  We've had 16 bats in our house in the last month, 14 of which have been in the house in the last week.  They were coming through a humongous hole in our linen closet.  We've covered up the hole, so hopefully they stop getting in.

I am so tired of the bats.  My tolerance of them is wearing thin.  I want my house back. :(

Geffen Baby Update!

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Remember when I did a review of a few Geffen Baby products for Lovely Eco Chic?  I thought I'd provide a little update.

I occasionally use the prefold.  Now that he's up to 17 lbs, it no longer fits around his waist.  I do, however, fold it in thirds and lay it in a Flip cover.  I use the hemp doubler quite often.  I put it in a bumGenius 4.0 for night use.  It gives a bit more absorption so I don't wake up with a baby in wet pajamas.

What I really wanted to tell you about is a discount code from Lovely Eco Chic!  Use the code CheeryHome and receive 10% off of your order!  This is good through the end of the year, so if you have to wait until pay day, it will still be good!

Monday Mix-Up

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BATS: They're still here.  There is a lot to say about the subject, so it's going to be its own post.  Bat Eviction attempt #1 over the weekend failed.  I will say, though, the we had at least 3 bats in the house last night.  Never a dull moment in Casa de Cheerful.

YARD SALE: I had a yard sale with a friend this weekend.  It was cold and gloomy on Friday, but we did all right.  Saturday was sunny and warm.  It was actually the West End Community Yard Sales (the city is too big for city-wide sales), so there were a lot of people in the area.  We both did really well.  We had a lot of kid/baby items, which always sell really well.  We even posted photos of things on a local kids resale group on Facebook.  We had quite a few people stop by and say they had seen our posts. :0)

GENE:  We introduced Gene to sippy cups the other day.  Since we use the Nuk bottles, we bought a Nuk sippy cup.  He did great with it.  I think he really likes the handles.  It doesn't hold an entire feeding, but we can use it at supper.  We've started giving him water when we feed him fruits and veggies.  He doesn't drink much of it, but it's good practice.

NAPS:  This is still a work in-progress.  It has been going better.  He will occasionally let me put him in the pack-n-play for a nap.  I still lay down with him for a lot of them.  Yesterday he was fighting his nap, so I laid him down and left the room.  He fussed for about 10 minutes, but then fell asleep on his own.  I decided to try the same thing last night at bed time.  He went right to sleep without a peep!  I'm really hoping this trend continues.

ETSY:  Thanks to the bat situation and getting ready for the yard sale, I haven't been doing much sewing.  I do have a couple of things I need to list.  I also have a couple of new patterns to try out.  I love sewing!  I can't wait to share my new projects with you!  Check out my store HERE.

Don't forget to follow me via GFC.  When I reach 100 Followers, I'm going to have a giveaway!

Honest Toddler

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Have you heard of the Honest Toddler?  

It started out as a Twitter account recently {@HonestToddler} and then became a blog.  It's a play-by-play of life from the viewpoint of a toddler.  It's hilarious.

I sent a tweet the other day and was shocked to get a tweet back {the account has 11,000+ followers}.  The tweet has since been retweeted quite a few times.

So what was my tweet?  See for yourself...

heeheehee :)

Follow me on Twitter!