cave creek canyon.. That mamas cross, is fairly old, several years.. one of my oldest crosses still surviving, it was from the first year I ever bought anything from the lily auction.. I dont think I spent more then 3 bucks on a cross back then. it was orginally just a fun thing to do one winter, those years crosses are all mostly moved, or trashed, sometimes you really get what you pay for. Silverkelt

Hmmm! Kathleen, for Valentines, I have collected quite a few cupid pieces that I plan to use in the stacked plates. I will probably use my red roses since I have quite a few of them already and the white cupids will show up good against them. I'd better start thinking about what I want to do since I will probably need to shop. ;o) Jenn, those gold sparkly candles were on sale at Marshall's and while really pretty, I don't know what to do with them, Just seems they need to be in some kind of an arrangement. Lynne, the thrill of the hunt is half the fun! Surprising what we can find sometimes. I'm trying to look at things and think how I could use them in a vignette or centerpiece, but I don't think I have a knack for it! ;o( But I'll keep trying just because it is fun. ;o) Karen, you are doing great with the stacked plates. Bird figurines sounds cute, hope you come up with a plan so you can show us a new "creation". ;o) I just have to keep "playing" and "experimenting" partly because it is sort of fun, and partly because I am really trying to learn what things go well together. Hope you all had a little fun looking. Now back to the packing up and putting away Christmas decos! LOL Luvs

My oldest daughter did not sleep well as an infant, and I bought a noise machine at a friend's recommendation. It made a huge difference, and my daughter started sleeping much better. The book "the happiest baby on the block" also recommends white noise as it simulates the womb. I have now moved the noise machine into my youngest daughter's room, and my oldest daughter, now 4, no longer uses it. So she is not dependent on it. However, I did find it helpful to bring it when we slept away from home as it blocked out the noises of a new place and was a familar nighttime sound. The noise machine blocks out the noise of the dog barking, my older daughter yelling, my husband clomping down the hall. In the middle of the night, my younger daughter would probably sleep through all that without the noise machine. But in the morning, the noise machine makes the difference between her waking up at 6 or 7:30. As far as breastfeeding, I was kind of grossed out by the idea (for me, not anyone else). I decided I would try, and if it worked, great; if not, I would bottle feed. I went to a class prior to giving birth, and the one thing I remembered was that breastfeeding should NOT hurt. If it does, unlatch and relatch. At first, it would take numerous tries to get the latch right. But, I never had any issues with pain. I also used Gerber's NUK Gentle Moisturizing Balm, which is like a big chap stick. I liked it better than lansinoh as it was not so messy. Plus, it is not harmful to apply and then feed the baby. Anyway, initially nursing did not feel at all natural. But it worked out good for me--so easy and convenient. Our hospital offered a session with a lactation consultant which was very helpful. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Such wonderful tips you've shared, and now I'm feeling a bit more confident about the whole thing! I work best when I have an organized process going on. It's when things become jumbled and chaotic that I tend to feel like I'm going to lose it. And speaking of losing it - yesterday, DH and I were working together and found that we kept moving things. The scissors - which were JUST RIGHT HERE not five minutes ago, had somehow taken flight and flown two rooms away. The packing tape ... where'd the flippin' packing tape run off to? It went on like that for quite some time, until we determined it would work best if DH would go out and mow the lawn and leave me to the packing on my own. Sometimes having a helper isn't much ... help. Our boxes are all broken down into flat pieces at this point, and DH is going to "make" two or three of them that I can work on each evening. I think that methodically working my way through the breakables and getting them all boxed up will be a big load off my mind. I know this will all come together and we'll get it done. I appreciate the encouragement and the info shared here -- definitely ideas we will be putting to use as we get further along in this.