A Girl Named PJ

Desktop Designs / 07

February 14, 2014

My Valentine’s Day treat for you is a new desktop wallpaper! It’s message is perfect for Cupid’s holiday or any day of the year: Love is about all the changes you make and not just three small words.

The line is from “The Way I Tend To Be” by Frank Turner, and I immediately jotted it down after hearing the song for the first time. It’s so true, isn’t it? Since actions speak louder than words, love is more than simply saying, “I love you.”

Real love is about the changes you make and the actions you take to keep your partner happy. For example, keeping the bathroom counter clean of bottles and cosmetics or being on time for scheduled events. Or cooking dinner every once in a while even though the kitchen is your least favorite room in the house.

And yes, I speak from personal experience.

Mariah from Oh, What Love created this exclusive desktop wallpaper in a variety of sizes for your computer, iPad, or phone. I’m a little bit obsessed with the washi tape-inspired design. Click the size you need below to begin the download:

1920 x 1080 / 1600 x 1200 / 1400 x 1900 / iPad / iPhone / Android

PS – Find all of our past desktop designs here.

Ombré manicure: Pretty pink nails for Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2014

As much as I love a spa pedicure, I hardly ever get manicures at the nail salon.

I generally prefer how I file and shape my own nails. I’m that annoying customer who asks the manicurist for her nail file and buffer so I can tweak her handiwork before she paints my nails.
Salon manicures nearly always chip by day three, so it seems like a waste of money to pay for one when I’ve discovered a DIY manicure that lasts a week.
I like wearing what’s trendy when it comes to nail polish, and the nail salons I go to in Omaha usually don’t have the latest “it” colors.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I had the urge to go pink, so I thought I’d experiment with an easy ombré manicure. It took two attempts to nail it (pun intended!), but I liked how much it looked that I thought I’d share the how-to with you.

There are two things to remember when doing an ombré manicure. First, try to use as few coats of polish as possible. The more layer of nail polish, the more likely they are to chip.

Second, apply your top coat while your polish is still damp. Brush it on as soon as you finish painting both hands. At first I applied my top coat after finishing each nail, but polish was too wet and it blended the light and dark pinks together rather than sealing the ombré look I had created.

Ready to learn how to do an ombré manicure?… READ MORE!

Are you watching the Olympics?

February 12, 2014

Have you been watching the Olympics? Since the Opening Ceremony, which we recorded and viewed later that evening (I fell asleep during the ballet segment), we’ve only caught a couple of minutes of primetime coverage each night. (Poor Bob Costas!)

I just haven’t been as interested in the Sochi Olympic Games as I’ve been in past Olympics, partly because I don’t understand most of the snow sports (slopestyle, huh?) and partly because I’m not as familiar with the athletes. There seem to be fewer “celebrity” athletes competing this year. Yes, Shaun White is a household name, but I’m more interested the ice sports athletes, and Gracie Gold was the only name that sounded vaguely familiar when the games began.

I may also be subconsciously boycotting the Olympics because they’re being held in Sochi. Politics aside, I just can’t understand how Sochi won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in the first place–it’s a Russian resort city with a subtropical climate!

Another thing I don’t understand? The Sochi Olympics slogan: Hot. Cool. Yours.

I also don’t feel as compelled to watch the Olympics in primetime because of all the “breaking news” spoilers throughout the day. Since I’m online for work, it’s hard to avoid finding out who won, who lost, and who crashed in real time. If I remember correctly, these type of social media spoilers were a big problem during the Summer Olympics in London, too.

However, I’m assuming the biggest reason I’m not quite as captivated by the Winter Olympics this year is because I’m just a wee bit preoccupied with baby #2’s impending arrival…

Have you gotten into the Sochi Olympics? Which sports or athletes are you most excited to watch?

Confession: I didn’t understand the point of the new team figure skating event, which I figured was airing for commercial reasons, so I didn’t watch it at all. And I kind of wish I had, especially after a friend explained it to me in simple terms: “It rewarded countries with competitive programs in all disciplines.” Aha!

(Olympic Rings photograph by Cody Hamilton)

DIY heart stamp

February 11, 2014

I’m not a crafty person. I consider myself creative, yes, but not DIY-inclined.

So when Levi’s teacher asked each student to bring in a decorated shoe box or bag for their upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration, I began brainstorming the easiest way we could complete this arts-and-crafts project together.

Knowing I’d be too lazy to cover a shoe box in construction paper and that Levi would be too distracted to decorate such a large container, I decided to use a plain white paper bag we already had in the house. My thought was that we’d use leftover paint from Halloween to make hearts and swirls and other pretty designs.

But Levi doesn’t know how to draw hearts. He is, after all, only 2-1/2. He also doesn’t have the attention span to finish a lengthy art project, so whatever we were going to do would have to be quick and simple.

Inspired by a painting of the Olympic rings Levi recently brought home from school, I created a DIY heart stamp using a toilet paper roll. It was so ridiculously easy that I almost feel silly sharing this how-to:

Flatten the paper roll to form two creases
Invert one of the creases
Slightly manipulate the cardboard on both sides of the inverted crease to create the curved top of the heart
Lightly wrap paper roll with rubber band to help keep its shape

So simple, right?

Levi was excited to “stamp, stamp, stamp!” the heart-shaped paper towel roll onto the plain gift bag — for a few minutes. Then all he wanted to do was mix different colors of paint onto the plate. But with a little bit of ~~coaxing~~ encouragement (and some literal hand-holding) he stamped all four sides of the bag.

We added polka dots with oversize paint markers (similar to these) to fill in some of the white space, and I later used a metallic Sharpie to write his name on either side.

Is it the prettiest bag for collecting Valentine’s Day cards? No, it looks like a toddler painted it. But that’s the point! Levi was so proud of his artwork, and I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with a quick arts-and-crafts project that involved minimal clean up.

Classroom Valentine’s Day cards c/o Minted

Nearing the end of pregnancy

February 10, 2014

Several friends and acquaintances asked me this weekend how I was feeling this late in my pregnancy.

“Eh, ok,” I replied over and over.

“That’s not true,” JB interjected each time. “You’re in a lot of pain. Tell them how you really feel.”

The truth is, I feel like shit. I’m struggling physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Let me break it down for you.

Physically… I’ve had Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks, if not months, but now they’re more intense. My sciatica is getting worse (I literally could not walk the other day), and I have terrible hip cramps from sleeping on my side. (Not that I’m sleeping very well, though.) Occasionally, I have groin and lady-parts pain.

Then there’s the waddling. I operate on one speed these days: slow. From getting out of bed and standing up from the couch to walking up the stairs and getting into the car, I exert a ridiculous amount of energy on such simple physical tasks.

I’m also tired. So very, very tired, in fact, that I took a two hour nap in the middle of writing this post — and didn’t realize I had fallen asleep.

Mentally… My mind is foggy. Pregnancy brain is interfering with everything. In just the past week, my creativity and attention span have decreased significantly, making it harder and harder to do my work (blogging and freelance writing). Just forming complete sentences is a challenge. Like, I know what I want to say, but I can’t figure out how to write it.

Making decisions has also been harder than usual. As I mentioned on Facebook yesterday, I’m kicking myself for not getting the baby’s room and Levi’s big boy room decorated and organized months ago. Now I’m struggling to figure out what we need and where it should all go. Does the changing pad cover have to match the crib sheet? Do we have enough burp cloths? Where is the My BrestFriend cover? What will the baby wear coming home from the hospital?

And let’s not even talk about finalizing a name (and a Hebrew name!) for this baby.

Emotionally… I’m not sure whether it’s a final surge of pregnancy hormones or because I’m feeling so overwhelmed, but I now find myself spontaneously bursting into tears several times a day. And as exciting as it will be for Levi to have a baby brother, it’s bittersweet knowing that soon Levi won’t have our undivided attention anymore. (Though to be fair, we do give the dog his fair share of attention.)

Levi and I don’t spend the whole day together (he’s at preschool in the morning), and he’s not always on his best behavior when it is just the two of us, but he’s my buddy. I’m anxious about how our relationship is going to change with another sibling added to the mix.

Let’s talk about what’s really scaring me.

Knowing I’m nearing the end of pregnancy (38 weeks) doesn’t make the physical pain or anxiety any more tolerable because, before I reach the light at the end of the tunnel, I have to give birth. And I’m terrified about labor and delivery.

I know what you’re thinking: This is your second baby, PJ. Don’t you remember what giving birth was like the first time around?

And that’s just the problem. I do remember. I had a ridiculously easy delivery with Levi; I wasn’t even in labor when we checked into the hospital.

At my morning OB/GYN appointment on the day that Levi was born, my doctor and I decided I would be induced that afternoon for medical reasons. In the two hours between her breaking my waters and when I received an epidural (I was already dilated 5-6cm when I arrived), I only had one painful contraction. And I can barely recall what it felt like.

I’m terrified of going into labor at home. Or worse, in public. What if I don’t recognize my contractions for what they are and end up having this baby in the restroom at Target? What if JB is at work when they start and doesn’t make it to the hospital in time? What if the contractions are just too unbearable?

Thankfully, my mom arrived from New Jersey on Saturday and is staying to help us out for the next month or so. Which is good because, between the physical pain and my mental haze, I’ve become pretty much useless to JB and Levi.

Over lunch yesterday we started talking about what to do with Levi when I go into labor. Assuming JB takes me to the hospital, does my mom bring Levi separately and wait with him while I’m in labor? Do they visit me in the delivery room or wait several hours until I’m moved into recovery?

The answer is, I’m sure, “wait and see.” It’s the standard answer to just about everything having to do with giving birth.

I hate that answer.

(Baby bump photo taken at 37 weeks. Ultrasound photo taken at 15 weeks.)

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