Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY

The Pregnancy Care Package

The Pregnancy Care Package Not only am I terrified of having my own screaming baby at home, but I am equally as terrified to be pregnant. This was a major factor in my decision to not have the six children I always planned on. Instead, my mom can just hope that I get over this fear one day and have one. Since I’m the only child, I am her only hope for grandchildren. I guess she didn’t like being pregnant either.

Every time I consider the possibility of attempting to procreate, I seem to find myself surrounded by those beautiful bundles of joy. Only they’re screaming. And smelly. Or bratty. Or all of the above. Like at the airport. Have you ever left the airport thinking you wanted to have children? I’m telling you, it’s not possible. Guess it’ll be a while before the urge returns, since I just got out of the airport yesterday, barely alive.

Filler Ideas for a Pregnancy Care Package

While I sit back and enjoy my freedom quiet nights, my friends are out procreating. And this is perfect for me, because I get the best of both worlds. I visit them a few times a year, bring gifts (and sugar), get them all riled up, and then fly home. I’m the “cool auntie” for sure.

Mail a Pregnancy Care Package

Since I can’t be there to eat sympathy ice cream and pickles, I have to send my love another way. Not that I wouldn’t mind the ice cream and pickles. As long as they’re separate. And the pickles are Claussen’s. That sounds like a party to me.

I put together this Pregnancy Care Package for my friend who lives across the country. Literally. West Coast to East Coast style. She’s expecting her second son, and when I found out, I was thrilled for her. Because although kids aren’t in my current life plans, I still get all excited when they’re in my friend’s.

Make a Pregnancy Care Package Basket

Pregnancy Care Package Ideas

Pregnancy Magazine – Getting the Latest Information

Prenatal Vitamins – Staying Healthy

Tums – Stomach Aches

Tea – Heart Burn

Saltine Crackers, Lemon hard candy, Ginger hard candy – Morning Sickness

A “Things to Do” Notepad – “Pregnancy Brain”

Journal – Keeping Memories

Cocoa Butter – Stretch Marks

A pack of Thank You Cards – For all the baby gifts that come in

Picture Frame – For the Sonogram

Comfy Socks – Cold Feet

Baby Name Book – For decisions!

Chap Stick – Dry Lips

Body Lotion – Dry Skin

Sleeping Mask – Fatigue

Candle – Eliminate Foul Odors

Chocolate/Sour Candy/Favorite Candy (or gift cards to ice cream stores) – Food Cravings

Send a Pregnancy Care PackageYou can print all the tags here, tie them with twine to each item, throw it in a box, and mail it out to your friend. You may want to include a pack of tissues, since I’m sure there will be tears. Hey, she is pregnant after all.

Lifestyle

So Your Friend Has a Blog…

How To Support Your Friend's Blog You might be wondering, “What does this mean to me?” Well friends, it means you fall into one of two categories.

Category One: It could mean nothing. It could mean you occasionally read one of the blog posts, or you might remember to visit the site once a month. After all, your life is pretty hectic, getting some free time is hard, amiright?

Or it could mean something different.

Category Two: It could mean that you want to support them, but you’re just not sure how to do that exactly. If you fall into this category, you came to the right place. Today I’m giving out free lessons in “How to be Supportive to Your Blogging Friend.” You can thank me later. Remember that your friend blogs for a purpose. Keeping an active blog running is not easy, so any pat on the back you can give them is well worth it.

I started my blog over a year ago, and I still have friends that don’t even know I blog. That, or they don’t read it. Ever. I mean, they literally have never even clicked on the site. Which is A-Okay with me, because after all, they probably wouldn’t even like it. Or they can’t read. One of the two.

For those other friends, the ones that ask me all the time about my blog, this is for them. And for all of you out there who have blogging friends that you want to support, or show a little love to.

So without further ado…

How You Can Support Your Friend’s Blog

1. Sign up to receive email notifications when your friend posts. Even if you start marking these messages as spam, even then, sign up. Gaining a large group of followers is most likely extremely important to your friend, and each sign-up helps. You will only get an email when they post, so what is a few emails a week (or less) going to do to you? Don’t worry, your inbox will not over-flow. Plus, this will help you with Step 2.

2. Visit the site. Often. Like every day. And if you don’t have that much time, then visit every time you see an email. All blogs track the traffic, and your simple “hit” will be counted. Even if you just open the site, to close it right back down, that hit is counted. Your friend will appreciate the traffic. Do NOT just read the email notification. This will not count as traffic on your friend’s blog. Just click on the email and let it direct you to the site, where you can read the post in its entirety.

3. Read the posts. Or try to. It will help you with Step 4.

4. Comment, Like, or Share. Seriously, just comment. It will take one minute out of your day (you can’t be that busy!). If your friend has posted something “Pinnable,” then pin it (Pinterest here folks). If it’s something “shareable,” then share it. Facebook, Twitter, anything. But if the topic is not really “your thing,” than fall back on the comment. Don’t worry, the whole social media world will not be notified that you commented on someone’s blog. If you’re worried that adding your email address to the comment will spam your inbox, don’t be. You won’t be spammed.

5. If your friend has an Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest page for their blog, follow them. All of them. And if you need to “hide” them on your Facebook feed (because your life is just too busy for that too), then do it. The “Like” alone will make them happy.

6. When said friend posts on said social media accounts: Like, Like, Like! And comment! Again, a few minutes in your day, and they will really appreciate it.

7. If you’re feeling REALLY frisky, share their blog on any social media platform. Or tell your friends. Or your co-workers. Or your dog. Any followers that your friend gains from you will be appreciated, and they will know how proud of them you are.

If all of these suggestions are out of your comfort zone, then I’m afraid you fall into the Category 1. Sorry, friend. It’ll be okay, just don’t expect any cupcakes from your blogging friend on your birthday. She’s busy.A Friend that Supports You is the Best Kind of Friend

DIY, Party Planning

Baseball Themed Party

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants PartyI’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: I’m not a fan of wedding showers. Even when it was my own. But when your boss puts you in charge of throwing a wedding shower at work, you take the bull by the reins and you throw that party. Even if it’s for a dude. A straight dude. A straight dude who doesn’t particularly even want a wedding shower. And then you throw that dude the best work wedding shower he could have hoped for. Because, well, let’s be honest with ourselves. The best part of a shower is the alcohol. And when you have a work wedding shower, there is zero alcohol. Zip. Zilch. Nada. You get the point.

This particular dude loves the San Francisco 49ers and the San Francisco Giants. Because I couldn’t fathom throwing a 49ers party (Go Pack Go!), my vote went towards the Giants party. I wanted a winning party, and the 49ers just aren’t there yet (ohhhhh burn). Besides, baseball is a much easier theme. I was thinking Popcorn! Peanuts! Crackerjacks! And that’s what he got. And it was the best wedding shower he’s ever had. Okay the only. But it was damn good.

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants PartySince I had a rather small budget (about $2.50 per person), I made just about everything by hand. I started with this baseball serving dish, and this wooden stand. I used picture frames from home, printed baseball quotes and Giant’s photos. I printed several Giants logos on cardstock, and used them to decorate around the room. I borrowed baseballs from friends and filled vases, along with orange beads. I converted a box top into a large Popcorn tray, with red construction paper and red/white Popcorn pattern. I wanted to create a “Snack Bar” along one wall, so I purchased these snack items:

Snack Ideas

Popcorn

Peanuts

Crackerjacks

Baby Ruth Candy Bars

Bubble Gum (Big League Chew if it’s within budget)

Cheese Ball Puffs

I picked up black cups, white favor boxes, and tuxedo boxes from The Dollar Tree, that I decorated with Giants logos I printed at home. I printed these table tents for snack descriptions, this Giants Snack Bar Banner (print this Snack Bar Banner without Giants logo), and printed these Under-Eye Stickers (on mailing labels, that I cut out individually).

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants Party

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants Party // Centerpiece Ideas

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants Party // Centerpiece Ideas

Since our guest of honor didn’t want to be the center of attention, we decided to give him a collected amount in a gift card instead of embarrassing him with a gift opening. Because of this, I wanted to come up with some time-consuming tasks. I started with a homemade photo booth. I printed these props, and took photos of the guests in front of a white wall backdrop (white wrapping paper). I printed out Giant’s logos and added them to the white backdrop.

Photo Booth Props // Baseball Party // Giants PartyI printed out small baseballs on white cardstock and had everyone write their marriage advice for our guy on each ball.

Wedding Shower Idea // Best Marriage AdviceAnd because no guy wants to play a real wedding shower game, I printed all these famous men heads, glued them to mini-tux’s, and stuck one under each chair. Whoever’s chair held our groom’s head, won a door prize.

Find the Groom // Wedding Shower Game I also filled a vase with peanuts, and had guests guess how many peanuts were in the vase. That person also won a door prize: a Popcorn bucket (Dollar Tree), filled with popcorn packs, peanut packs, crackerjacks, Big League Chew, full size candy bars, and a water bottle.

Baseball Themed Party // San Francisco Giants PartySo what do you think? If you were a guy, would you like this wedding shower?

Lifestyle, Travel

Away We Go: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Playa del Carmen, Mexico // Boat DockOh Playa, how I love thee. And not just the beach playa, but the town Playa as well. I love it all. Except when there’s a hurricane. Then it’s a little tough to love you. But who am I kidding, I still love you, even then.

Our trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico this year was full of new experiences. From buying over-sized sombreros for the first time, to surviving our first “hurricane,” and coming through the storm to enjoy all that the town had to offer. While stepping over fallen palm trees at the same time. And did I mention buying sombreros?

The Reef Coco Beach, Playa del Carmen, Mexico // Parrot

We booked this vacation through Expedia and everything went smoothly. We stayed at The Reef Coco Beach hotel in Playa del Carmen, and the location could not have been more perfect. We wanted all-inclusive (when you drink by the pool all day it can add up quickly!), and Playa doesn’t have a lot of options close to town. The Reef is literally three blocks from one end of 5th Avenue, which is the Place To Be. Everything is on 5th Avenue, including some of the best shopping and restaurants in the area, the sombreros, and tequila shots. We had our fair share of all of the above.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico // Lucha Libre Masks

 After purchasing said sombreros, we could not walk down 5th Avenue without being stopped by every merchant looking to make a quick buck. Nothing screams “AMERICAN TOURIST” like a sombrero on a white dude. Luckily, we were able to talk these boys out of the Lucha Libre masks.

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico // Beach VolleyballThey didn’t let that put a damper on their vacation. Before the storm hit, we were able to get out and play some beach volleyball. Then we spent two days in our hotel room hoping that the roof stayed on the hotel! Which, in case you were wondering, did in fact, stay on the hotel.

The storm may have brought 40+mph winds and buckets of rain, but it also brought pretty views and quality time (QT) for my husband and I. So really, I can’t complain. Two days of rain won’t bring us down! He, however, might say it was a little too much QT. Is there any such thing?

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico // Beach Storm

The hotel grounds were beautiful, and even more so than I had expected. Being that we like to travel on a pretty cheap budget, you never really know what to expect from your hotel. Ours was perfect for us! Pretty views, great staff, and lots of beach room! Too bad the storm brought in all the seaweed, or it would have been even better.

The Reef Coco Beach, Playa del Carmen, MexicoThe Reef Coco Beach, Playa del Carmen Mexico // Our TripWhen the sun finally decided to grace us with it’s presence, we got right back out there to enjoy it. We spent all our days by the pool, lounging with a Miami Vice in hand. Reading, playing pool games, and taking crazy photos. Seriously, we are crazy photo-people (if you didn’t already figure that out).

The Reef Coco Beach, Playa del Carmen, Mexico // Pools

Playa Del Carmen, MexicoYou have never completed your vacation until you take a “jumping” photo. So in true Vacation Ending mode, we went out to the sea and jumped to our hearts desire. Because one photo wasn’t enough, apparently. 

Playa del Carmen, Mexico // LagoonUntil next time Playa! Adios!