I Blinged My FitBit Flex

I got a new fitbit flex for my birthday from my sweet husband and I love it.
Hold on, I will also show you how I added a little bling to it but first let me tell you a little about this thing.

I had been wanting one of these fitness trackers since they came out.

Its pretty  neat how it works. I set a goal for myself and it tracks my steps, how far I walk, how much I eat, and even tracks my sleep habits and lets me know how well I slept and how many times I was restless each  night.

Here is an example of how mine looked one day.

I use the silent alarm to wake up in the mornings. Yep, this neat little gadget will even vibrate to wake me up when I want it too.

I could go on because it does so much more, but just go to the fitbit.flex website and check out all the cool features for yourself.

You can get these in many different colors but I wanted the slate blue. It looks blue with some outfits and gray with others.

The problem is, they are not too fancy. While I like the sporty and futuristic look of it, I also wanted mine to be different. So I took a trip to to the craft store and bought some bling.

 

Now It feels prettier.

You will see, I didn't add anything to the top part of it, that's because that is where you tap it to put it in sleep mode or see your progress.

I have had my Fitbit for month now and I have lost 5 lbs. It has encouraged me to keep going to reach my goal.

Now I just need to find other friends with a fitbit so we can compete together for extra support and encouragement. I can just log onto the app and it will show all my friends progress in order from the highest to the lowest for the week. This can be fun.

Crochet Car Coasters

Have you ever placed a fast food drink in your car cup holder and find yourself fighting against the puddles of sweat it creates? Here is a little idea I came up with....Ok, well, I'm sure someone else beat me to it somewhere, but I still came up with it at the moment. Its these adorable coasters that will fit in the bottom of the holders. They are made of 100% cotton to absorb the moisture.

If you have a newer car, they have these awesome illuminating interior lights that you can change to different colors. When one of these crocheted coasters are placed in the holders, the lights make them glow. Looks like the coasters themselves light up. pretty neat huh?

Not only will they absorb moisture, but will also absorb any dust and dirt that decides to accumulate in there. No matter how clean we keep our cars, the cup holders (especially the ones with the rubbery liner) are dirt collectors. You can even take them out of the cup holder and use them to wipe pretty much anything you need to wipe such as the speedometer window, radio screen, your sunglasses, kids, and more.

When these little coaster get dirty, you can just throw them in the washing machine. Being 100 percent cotton, they may shrink just a little, so just reshape them and lay flat to dry.

I will share the pattern with you. They are quite simple to make if you know how to crochet a circle. If you can't crochet and would like some of these, you can find them in my Etsy shop ready to go. I have different colors available. My favorite is the blue.

Crochet Car Coasters

finished size is approx 3 inches, this is a standard car cup holder size.

G Hook

• Magic Circle- ch 1
• 10 sc in circle, sl to first sc to join circle, ch 1 (10).
• 2sc in each sc, sl to first sc, ch 1 (20).
• 2sc in same stitch, *1sc in next, 2sc in next* (*cont), sl in first sc, ch 2 (30).
• 1dc in each sc around, sl to first sc, (30) finish off.

I made my husband some gray ones for his truck. They were not made of cotton but he just wanted them for the dirt and dust protection. I found that for his truck, one of his cup holders is bigger than that of my daughters Ford Focus (where the pictures were taken), and his other cup holder was smaller. So if you make any of these, you can just adjust the stitches by one or two at the beginning and it should be fine.

Now go make you some or visit my shop and purchase some already made. Your welcome to use my pattern and idea as you wish but I'd love for you to link back to me if you do.

Ive shared this at:
inspire-me-monday- at create-with-joy 
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome  
mix-it-up-monday at flourmewithlove
made-by-me-126-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
worthwhile-wednesdays at thecraftiestallie
thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop at katherinescorner  
anything-goes at bacontimewiththehungryhypo
city-of-links-party at cityofcreativedreams
dare-to-share at pamspartyandpracticaltips
nifty-thrifty-sunday at niftythriftythings
submarine-sunday at usscrafty

Twenty Years Together

Twenty Years- That's how long I have been married to a wonderful man, my best friend.

He takes care of me and our daughter. We know we are loved and cherished. He can also cook and has our dinner ready and waiting every day when I get home from work. He makes sure we have everything we need and want. Yes, I'm spoiled.

We took a three day trip to the beach to celebrate. It was nice to get to spend some alone time together away from all the bustle of our home town. We got away from all the family matters, work tasks, and politics. We spent numerous hours walking around and down the beach, dreaming of where we would like to see ourselves one day.

The weather was nice. We watched all week as they called for major storms across the state but they managed to pass us by. The first day was rather cloudy and in the 60's. It was a nice day for a walk. We ended up walking at least nine miles. On our walk we saw some sea urchins crawling around in the tide pools along the beach and found two sand dollars and other pretty shells.

We also saw a star fish in which I didn't get a picture because I didn't have my camera with me at that time. Don't you hate when that happens? Someone told us that star fish are deadly if they bite you. ?? Is this true?

The second day was even better, It was mostly sunny and we were able to catch some rays before the clouds rolled in again early in the afternoon. It was clearing up later as the sun was setting. The beauty of the sunset was awesome! God is my favorite artist.

 
The last full day was all sun and in the high 70's. Perfect. I did walk into the ocean but it was freezing cold. We soaked up the vitamin D that day. The pool was empty while everyone was on the sand.

The only complaint I have about the whole trip, is how the camper behind us set his little dogs pin right under our bedroom window, so at 6:00 every morning was "yap yap yap" by two little Chihuahuas. So we were up early and not sleeping in on this trip! Not to mention, we have to hear this every day from our neighbors dog next door.

 You can see in this picture of our camper, bottom right .....Dog pin. grrrr.

Now its back to the grind of my everyday life, counting the days until our next beach trip.

Song Sunday

The pathway is broken and the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reasons why you brought me here.
But just because you love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley if you want me to.

Cause I'm not who I was when I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You’re not through with me yet.
So if all of these trials that bring me closer to You
Then I will go through the fire if you want me to.

And it may not be the way I would've chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone.

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear you answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering that your love put you through
And I will go through the valley if you want me to.

~Ginny Owens-"If You Want Me Too"

Crochet Beach Theme Cozies

I'm getting excited for summer. That's when I take several beach trips. We will be heading down to the coast in a few days. While I was crocheting last night, thinking of something new to add in my shop, I definitely had the beach on my mind. I crocheted these cute little mug cozies.

Each one was created using a different stitch. I'm feeling happy enough to tell you how I made them so if you crochet you can make one too and if you don't crochet, then head over to my shop and grab one of these cuties.

Sorry I'm not good at writing patterns so I'll just tell how I did it and hope you get it.
I used an H hook. But there is really no rule.

The little camper cozy:

• chain 9
• (starting 2nd chain from hook), sc/dc in stitch, skip, sc/dc in stitch, to end, sc in last stitch. ch2 turn.
• dc in same first stitch, skip, sc/dc in next, to end, last st, sc, ch 2 turn.(you will be doing the sc/dc in the skipped stitch of each row).
• Repeat rows and continue until you have approx. 8 inches long. ch1 turn.
• sc 2together, sc, sc, sc 2together. ch1 turn
• sc each row for 2 more inches (total length of cozy should be approx. 10 inches long).
• on the last sc row- sc, sc, ch2, sc, sc (this makes the button hole). do not finish off
• sc all around the cozy, finsh off, weave ends. sew on button.

Sail boat Cozy:

• Ch 10
• starting 2nd ch from hook, hdc in each ch, ch1 turn
• continue until you have approx. 8 inches long. ch1 turn.
• sc together two times(using up 4 sc), sc across, sc together two last times (using up last 4 sc) ch1 turn
• sc each row for 2 more inches (total length of cozy should be approx. 10 inches long).
• on the last sc row- sc, sc, ch2, sc, sc (this makes the button hole). do not finish off
• sc all around the cozy, finish off, weave ends. sew on button.

Cut out any shape from a piece of felt and stitch on the cozy. Be creative, make it your own. It does not have to be perfectly placed or stitched. This will be one of a kind. Any flaws will make it a unique master piece.

I have put these in my Esty shop and are ready for purchase.
What are some new things you have been putting together lately?


Ive shared this at:
cityofcreativedreams
dwellings-theheartofyourhome
create-with-joy
jaqsstudio
something-fabulous-wednesday at roubinek
worthwhile-wednesdays at thecraftiestallie
submarine-sunday at usscrafty
2crochethooks
monday-handmade-linkup at judyscardmakingandpapercrafts
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy
mix-it-up-monday at flourmewithlove.  

Lil Camper Dreamin

People who have never camped will not get this...I have been going camping now for 18 years. We own a nice big travel trailer that we keep stored at our favorite vacation spot. I have grown to love camping. Its nice to have your own little place with our own bed and toilet.

Speaking of "own little space", I have gotten a fever for wanting just that. If you follow me on Pinterest, you will notice I have pinned a lot of tiny little  campers lately. My favorite is the Canned Ham type. They are tiny little 10 to 13 ft  vintage campers. They are just so darn cute. I don't know what hit me, but when I seen this, I wanted one for myself. Not saying I want to be alone, even though sometimes its nice, Im just saying I want a big/little project of my own.

Source

I keep thinking how fun it would be to find one that I can play with. Just a shell of one would be great so I could restore it to my liking. I could not do it in the neighborhood I live in now, but I would love to have one in the back yard just as a resort. A place to think, doll it up, and decorate it in a girly fashion (sorry Husband). But think about it, men have their "man caves", garages, sheds, and workshops. So, why cant a woman have her doll house? Come on girls, you know all of us wanted a doll house at one time or another. This would be a great get-away to read, craft, nap, study, quite time with my husband or just to have a fun get together with girl friends. hmmm wonder just how much gossip and secrets this little thing would hold?

 

shabbyrosedecor.com

I have this bike! Wheels are turning 

 stylemepretty.com

I remember drinking Shasta from a tin can.

Ebay

This is too cute. On the link, there are more inside pictures to see.

adventureideaz.com

I love the chalkboard on the inside of the door idea here.
 

 cornbreadandbeansquilting.wordpress.com

Inside a little Shasta. I love the arrangement in this one. More pictures on the link.  

 

If me and my husband ever decided to go somewhere for a quick over night trip, we could just hook it up to the back of the truck and go. It would be perfect on the side of a lake with a campfire and fishing poles. Hey im up for anything.  My daughter is 23 and still living at home. We need a quick resort sometimes.

 Source

This is perfect! Crafty mind overload!

The inside colors I would use would be aquas, greys, and a splash of yellow or red. 
I could go on and on. The possibilities are endless. Just Google or go to Pinterest and search "tin can campers" and see what happens. Just be careful and don't get suck in and get a fever like I did.

Maybe one day....Maybe one day I can have a ten foot, tin can condo of my own.



Ive shared this at:
tell-me-about-it-tuesday at sweetsillysara Featured!
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome

Crochet Bird Nest

I just made another attempt to help the birds. Its now springtime and they are all over the place trying to find a place to nest. I have only one tree in my back yard and its huge! It is full of birds of all types and its fun to watch them from my kitchen window. However, there are still some that refuse to nest in the trees and want to use parts of the house, plants, and even my car. I can leave for 3 days and come back to a dove nest on the hood of my car. They are so silly.


While looking on Pinterest the other day, I found a really cute bird nest. You can find the pattern HERE. I just knew I had to make one of these and see if it really works. I followed the instructions, but for some reason, it did not come out looking as beautifully egg formed as hers.

Its ok though. I kind of like the "gourd look" or "Pear shape" that mine took shape of.

I carefully placed it on a limb, hidden deep inside the tree and now I will wait to see if I get any renters on this unique home. I do not know how well it will hold up in the rain but hopefully the thickness of the shrub around it will protect it from damage. So far it has withheld strong winds.

I hope to get an update for you all in a couple months. Meanwhile, Ill stick to making hats.






Ive shared this at:
cityofcreativedreams
nifty-thrifty-sunday at niftythriftythings
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy  

Creamy Lemon Tarts

"When life give you lemons.....Make lemon Tart!"

This lemon tart isn't like most I've seen. Its creamy and more on the cheese cake side. But don't get confused...Its NOT cheese cake. Just creamy like one. I have to give my mom all the credit on this one. This is her recipe. One of the family favorites. Mom always asked each of her children what kind of dessert we want for our birthday. Let me say, four out of six of us were born in May. Someone always asked for the lemon tart. Not that its me every time or anything, im just saying.

It was so easy to make, a kid could do it.

Lemon Tart
2 blocks cream cheese (room temperature)
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Lemon Juice ( more or less to your liking)

With a mixer, cream the cream cheese (Not doing this first will cause lumps)
Add the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and continue to cream all together.
Pour into graham cracker pie crust.
Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Mom makes her own graham cracker crust, makes it thick and puts it in a casserole dish. Its the best but I was in a hurry. I used the small premade pie crusts and halved the recipe.

These little pies are so sweet and tarty. Perfect for a quick treat or a party.

Enjoy


Ive shared this at:
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy
mix-it-up-monday at flourmewithlove
amaze-me-Monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome
nifty-thrifty-tuesday at linda-coastalcharm
momstheword--livingforhim
made-by-me-123-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
something-fabulous-wednesday at roubinek 
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims  
worthwhile-wednesdays at thecraftiestallie  
full-plate-thursday at mizhelenscountrycottage
anything-goes-linky at bacontimewiththehungryhypo
cityofcreativedreams

Crochet For a Laugh

The other day I was looking around on the internet when I came across some funny pictures of mice, ferrets, chickens and even frogs wearing hats. It was the most usual yet cutest thing.

My mind began wondering and a thought popped into it.  I immediately messaged one of my friends that I knew had guinea pig. I asked her "if I were to make it a hat, would she take a photograph of it?".  She agreed without hesitation. We both thought it would be a good laugh and who doesn't need a good laugh every day?

Soon as I got home and settled, I grabbed my needle and some scrap yarn and started crocheting a little hat. It was so fun, I ended up making her three.

Here is a picture of her guenia pig wearing the green hat. She said it was hard to keep him still so its the best she could get. I guess he was just really excited and was ready for his lucky charms.

She also sent me a picture of the other two hats. I just thought the green one was the cutest and it was near St. Patrick's Day at the time.. It did bring on a good laugh.

When my nephew seen what I had done, he asked if I could make him some kind of hat for a guinea pig that he was soon going to purchase for his girlfriend. So I did. Both of them have a love for farming and horses so......

I made it a cowboy hat. Which brought on another laugh. I cant wait to see pictures of her guinea pig wearing it.
I do not plan to make any more tiny animal hats but it I just had to give it a try. I love how they all turned out and I hope it made you smile a little bit.


Ive shared this at:
f mix-it-up-monday at lourmewithlove
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome
nifty-thrifty-tuesday at linda-coastalcharm
tell-me-about-it-tuesday at sweetsillysara
made-by-me-122-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims
something-fabulous-wednesday at roubinek
hookin-on-hump-day at mymerrymessylife
city-of-links-party at cityofcreativedreams
nifty-thrifty-sunday at niftythriftythings  

Veggie Spread

This is one of my favorite "trip to the beach" snacks.
"Veggie spread sandwiches".

It all started when my husband and I took our first family beach trip years ago. His mother made us these little finger sandwiches to snack on during our trip. They quickly became a tradition.

Twenty-Two years later, I still make up a batch of this stuff before we leave on a trip. I have also had to make it several times for my daughter while she was in college.

Its simple to make and has that refreshing taste of summer garden.

Vegetable Spread

1 block cream cheese
2 small cucumbers or one large (grated)
1 tablespoon onion (grated)
3 baby carrots (grated)
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
salt / pepper

Mix together well and refrigerate at least one hour.
NOTE: Sometimes the cucumbers will have a lot of water in them, so I squeeze out any excess water before mixing.

This spread is tasty on bagels, and crackers too!
There are no rules to making this, you can adjust the amounts to your own tastes.

Enjoy!




I've shared this at:
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy
mix-it-up-monday at flourmewithlove
amaze-me-monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome
full-plate-thursday at mizhelenscountrycottage

DIY Heat Buddies

I've been home all weekend with a daughter that's recovering from a tonsillectomy. Let me just say, She's 22 and the older you are, the worst these things can be.

Its day 5 and the pain continues to get stronger every day. She has tried to eat the best she can. Everyone tells us, "ice cream, Ice, and popsicles!" Well with this girl, that's not the solution. She has discovered warm feels better than cold. However, we are trying to make sure she gets cold stuff on that throat so she does not suffer bleeding during the healing process. That's our biggest fear and concern right now.

Her ears are giving her a lot of pain and again, ice is not working. So I thought fast and went to my all time favorite solution for discomfort pain...."heat buddies".

They are really simple to do and work perfect in a rush. If you have a sewing machine, you can make all kinds of cute shapes but I have yet to learn how to thread my machine so sewing aint gonna happen any time soon. {I need my Mom for that}. So, I ran to the single convention that my socks were having in the laundry area and grabbed a couple lonely footies. I filled them with rice and tied a knot in the end. I put them in the microwave for one minute and they were ready to use.

She held them against her ears and fell asleep. The rice produces a nice moist heat that is very comforting. These nifty little things will stay warm for about an hour. They are also great in the winter, to throw in your pockets to keep your hands warm when you are going to be outside for a period of time.

They can be reheated several times until the rice just gives up.

Warning: These may be too hot at first. Please let them cool for a couple minutes if you are sensitive to heat. Heat factor depends on the thickness of the sock as well as the microwave wattage.


Ive shared this at:
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy
amaze-me-Monday at dwellings-theheartofyourhome
nifty-thrifty-tuesday at coastalcharm
Handmade tuesdays at ladybug-blessings
create-link-inspire at thecraftyblogstalker
made-by-me-121-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
something-fabulous-wednesday at roubinek

Rapunzel Project

"Rapunzel Rapunzel, Let down your hair"

That quote is all I know from the fairy tail. To be honest, I haven't even see the movie "Tangled".

The other day, one of my customers from my Etsy shop sent me a request. She asked if I could make a hat for a friend of hers whose daughter was a patient at St. Judes Hospital. She said the little girl was starting to loose her hair and wanted to give her something special. She showed me a photo example of the hat that was in her mind. I had to do some searching around. I needed to see some pictures of Rapunzel. At first I was hesitant because I wasn't sure I could do the whole hair braid thing. It wasn't but within a couple hours, I decided I could do this and I was going to make one for this precious child. Somehow I would figure it out.

I began crocheting a hat. That was the easiest part for me. My daughter likes to craft so I asked her if she would make some felt flowers for the hat. Neither one of us knew how this would turn out. I just crocheted and she cut.
Then with a little glue and ribbon, we pulled it off. I think it turned out lovely.

 

 

I ended up giving her the hat. I really hope it fits her. I can only imagine what it would be like to have a sick child. I do not know who this person is but I wish her and her family the best and sending out prayers for them all. And to my customer who requested this gift, you are a very thoughtful and generous person. People like you are few.

I do not plan to make another hat but I have made a couple Rapunzel headbands by request.

Want one? Right now, you can purchase a Rapunzel head band from my Etsy shop.

Blessings


Ive shared this at:
ladybug-blessings
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims
made-by-me-120-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
whatd-you-do-this-weekend at tumbleweedcontessa
under-100-link-party at beyondthepicketfence
create-link-inspire at thecraftyblogstalker
freedom-fridays-with-all-my-bloggy at myturnforus
Think Pink Sunday at flamingotoes
inspire-me-monday at create-with-joy Featured
hookin-on-hump-day at mymerrymessylife
yarn-party-time-excellent at bugaboominimrme

Crochet Dish Cloths

Winter is about over and frankly, I'm tired of making crochet beanies. I still receive special request to make different baby hats but I plan to create more spring items until the fall.

One of my favorite things to make and just in time for spring cleaning are these nifty little dish cloths.

They are also perfect to use as wash cloths, car washer, dust rags and window cleaners. They are so versatile, you can use them for any thing from baby butts to mechanic rags.

I create them using my newly found crochet stitch called the "up-down stitch". This same stitch has other names for it too such as "lemon stitch" and "seed stitch".
Unlike nasty germ collecting sponges, you can toss these in the washer and use over and over. They will shrink a little since I used 100% cotton. Actually, they work and look better after they are washed.

If you do not crochet and want some of these nice little cleaner uppers, I will have some in my Etsy shop soon. If you do crochet and want to make some for yourself, here is the instructions how I make them.

CROCHET DISH/WASH CLOTHS
chain stitch an odd number (I chained 25 using an H hook)
Mine turned out 7 inches by 7 inches. You can make it any size you want.

Ch 25, turn
Row 1- sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each st across, ch 1 turn,
Row 2- sc in first st, dc in next st, sc in next- repeat sc,dc to end, ch 1 turn
Repeat row 2 until you have a square.
(you will notice you are sc in the dc from previous row and dc in sc from previous row).

Hope I didn't confuse you to much.
You are welcome to make and sale what you make with my pattern. I just hope you will link your project back to me. But if not, well that's ok too. You can find similar patterns all over the web. You also may be interested in my swiffer pad pattern as well.


Ive Shared this at:
whats-on-my-needles-wednesday at ababyssmile  featured
made-by-me-119-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio Featured
create_link_inspire_linky_party at thecraftyblogstalker
freedom-fridays at myturnforus
under-100-link-party at beyondthepicketfence 
kitchen-fun-crafty-friday-link-party at kitchenfunwithmy3sons
submarine-sunday at usscrafty

Cilantro Lime Rice

This past weekend has been busy with a trip to the beach. The weather was a nice 70 degrees but a little windy. I walked into the ocean but the water was freezing cold as usual for this time of year. We had a great time. I really hated having to leave and get back to work.

With that being said, I totally forgot about getting my traditional St. Patrick's Day Corn beef brisket. I was pretty bummed about it. I always look forward to that each year. We had pork chops instead. The pork chops were delicious too.

I had to make something green to celebrate so I decided to make this Cilantro lime rice.

It was not a big hit with my husband but me and my daughter really liked it. I love anything with cilantro. I think it will go great with fish or tacos.

It was so easy to make.
All you do is cook two cups rice then mix about a 1/4 cup or more of chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime.

That's it. This dish explodes with flavor!

Now I hear my brother in law is making a corn beef brisket. I may have to make a trip across the neighborhood soon.

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY !

Ive shared this at:

Handmade Tuesdays at ladybug-blessings
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims
made-by-me at jaqsstudio 
raisiebay.com
whatd-you-do-this-weekend at tumbleweedcontessa
full-platethursday at mizhelenscountrycottage
 

No Ice Cream Banana Split

Who says you cant break rules and enjoy a banana split without the ice cream?
Ok all of you out there wanting to eat healthy and still have a sweet treat without the guilt. Your going to love this.

I just created a banana split using all good stuff. I can call it a banana split because I DID split the bananas right?

• Get a banana and split it in half long ways.
• Drizzle a teaspoon of melted peanut butter onto it.
• Add a mixture of fresh fruit such as strawberries, apples, blueberries, pineapple, etc....
• Add a scoop of sugar free cool whip on top of that and sprinkles with nuts or almonds.
• Now enjoy!

Perfectly healthy and the peanut butter adds protein. You can even add your favorite yogurt in there somewhere.

This is a great way to enjoy a snack without the fat and calories of Ice cream. Not saying its better, but that its better for you if your on a diet. My favorite part is the sugar free cool whip ( not "fat free" its just nasty).You will never know the sugar is not in there. I love that stuff.

Ive shared this at:
ladybug-blessings 
whatd-you-do-this-weekend at tumbleweedcontessa  
made-by-me-118-linky-party-and-features at jaqsstudio
your-whims-wednesday at mygirlishwhims  
full-plate-thursday at mizhelenscountrycottage  Featured
showcase-talent-thursday at whatscookinglove

Phlebotomy Certified!

I cant hold it in any longer. I am now a certified phlebotomist! I am so excited. Call me weird but I have always wanted to be a phlebotomist. I am so thankful for my friend Tammy for telling me where to find this opportunity.

It was quite a challenge for me. I kept this achievement secret for a couple reasons. Only a handful of people knew I was going for this certification. I did not want to take a chance on hearing any negative remarks to interfere with what I wanted to do. I studied like crazy and never got bored of it. I'm just not a good test taker. I was so nervous about the final exam. The National Exam was not too easy and two weeks waiting on the results were agonizing. I lost sleep. I mean after all, I had put a lot of "sweat and blood" into this. Literally!

Class was fun. It was a small class of only eight women and two instructors. It lasted ten weeks. In those ten weeks, I took challenging test which some were perfect and some were below average (go figure). I was interested in the studies the whole time and could not wait for the next class so I could learn more things.

We were already doing capillary sticks within the first 3 weeks. That was painfully easy.

Here I am doing my first finger stick and trying to get the blood in the tube.

Then we moved on to venipuncture. We had to have so many successful sticks to pass the class. We started with an orange. This is where we got comfortable holding the needle steady.

  You can see who the sympathetic one in the class was, now cant we?

The next week we moved on to dummy arms. After one stick to the dummy, I was ready, and the instructors let us practice on each other. We did half our sticks using class mates.

 Here I am doing my very first blood draw.

I was some body's first stick! eeesh. It was perfect. Everyone of was good at it. I think it came natural. My arms looked like a drug user so I had to keep them covered. Eventually I had to tell a few friends what I was up to because I knew I could no longer do this on my own. We had a stick-a-thon, where we had to ask friends and family to come in and let us use them to get our stick quota. That was fun.

Whats Next for me? 
I'm going to continue to learn all I can about phlebotomy and study more the order of draw. I do not plan to leave my current full time job any time soon. However, Id love to do phlebotomy on an "as needed" bases or some weekends for a while until I get some experience. This will gives me a direction to head towards one day. Id love to be in a more professional environment. Its scary but exciting to think about what my future holds.

Special thanks to my daughter and those that offered themselves to be my guinea pig. Also a special thanks to my husband and the ones that continued to keep my confidence on high. They have no idea how much they all helped me and how much I appreciate them.