Martha Stewart Cricut Explore Air 2

About ten years ago (I think) I was up late watching tv as  recently laid off depressed unemployed people tend to do at times (it's part of the grieving process - it's a real thing, Google it if you don't believe me).  As I was flipping through the channels I stumbled upon an infomercial.  I'm typically not an avid fan of infomercials, but this one had me captivated and held my attention.  At the time one of my hobbies was scrapbooking.  If you have ever been into scrapbooking, you know how tedious it can be sometimes to get it to look just right.  This especially holds true if you are not the most artsy fartsy type of person (as in I draw stick figures - that is my level of artsy fartsy).  They were demoing (wow, that word looks weird) this wonderful machine that could cut out so many different designs.  One of their selling points was that it was perfect for people that scrapbooked.  The price however, was astronomical compared to my non-existent-then-budget and every other budget after that it seemed.  This wonderful machine was called a Cricut (pronounced like cricket, not cry-cut - correct pronunciation is a huge source of contention in some Facebook groups).  Since then Cricut has released multiple versions of this machine.  One of the more popular versions is the Cricut Explore Air 2.

Last year after a ton of heavy hinting, one of these wonderful machines was gifted to me by my husband.  <happy dance> One of the major cons of these machines is that you cannot use craft store coupons on these.  Once in awhile there will be a sale.  I ordered the Martha Steward limited edition version.  It was hyped as coming with some free Martha Stewart stuff.  And I mean you can  hate on Martha all you want, but you have to admit she is rather crafty.  Don't be a fool like me.  Just get the regular one - your wallet will thank you immensely.  It honestly did not come with anything much different than a regular one would.  I thought it was supposed to come with some free Martha Stewart clip art, and free Martha Stewart projects.  I never could find it. Everything had a price on it.

So this huge fru-fru looking box arrives on my front porch.  I was excited.  I pulled it out of the box and looked for the instructions.  There was a book that told you how to "install" the software (I use quotes because the software is internet based).  The book also had nice looking pictures of all the things you could potentially use it for.  Nothing, and I mean nothing told you how to work it.  I mean there was the intro project, but that tells you nothing.  I mean come on people I'm in my thirties, I'm at the age where I'm starting to become afraid of using new technology.  I'm afraid I'll break it and it is too expensive to break (generally speaking of all new technology).  I understand all the "old people" in my past.  I get it now!  Instructions are important.  Not like in my past where I'd throw the instructions away and somehow instinctively just knew how something worked. Nope, it's like that part of your brain dies when you get older. It is inevitable, your technology related brain cells jump ship when you get older.

So anyway, "Big Martha" (that's what I call her) sits proudly on top of my corner desk.  There is a bit of a learning curve with this machine.  As with most things for me these days, YouTube to the rescue!  There are a ton of tutorials out there.  Facebook groups are also a way to learn.  I mean the drama llama is alive and well in some groups - just a fair warning. 

The first time I successfully made something it felt as if the heavens opened up and the Light was shining down upon me and the angels were singing.  Yes, I am a dork, but it really made me feel that awesome. In reality, the only light that was shining down on me was the can LED lights in my kitchen at 4am in the morning after I had spent three hours fighting transfer tape and reigned victorious!  The (what I'm going to call) happy dance endorphin rush was spectacular though.

The biggest con to me is that the creative possibilities are quite literally endless.  To quote Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, "To infinity and beyond!" I have a very creative mindset.  My mind won't stop thinking of all the things I can try to do with this machine.   My advice to you if you purchase one of these machines is to start small. Practice cutting on cardstock.  Cardstock is way cheaper than vinyl. Your wallet and your spouse will thank you.

Do not get one of these machines thinking you are going to be able to make a lot of money off of it. Although to be fair, I suppose it depends on what your personal definition of a lot is. Is it possible?  Yes. There are people that have been able to make a living off of them.  I assure you that I am NOT one of those people.  The market is saturated with elves and vinyl decal coffee mugs.  There is a very real possibility of making some extra spending money within your social circles, family, friends, and/or craft show(s).

I have compiled a short list of some pros and cons.


Pros:

• Extreme DIY - the possibilities are endless
• Supplies - you are not limited to the Cricut brand vinyl
• Sleek Design - not much bigger than a desktop printer
• Ability to make extra cash - kinda - you have to really find your niche
• YouTube - tutorial videos to help you learn how to use the machine
• Professional looking products - you can create professional looking products without having an artistic bone in your body - remember - I draw stick people

Cons:

• Extreme DIY - the possibilities are endless - potential to be overwhelmed
• Software Platform - Design Space is primarily Internet Based
• Design Space - seems to crash a lot
• Price point - few hundred dollars and the sales on Cricut brand products are not the greatest
• Supplies - can  be costly and most craft supply stores do not allow the use of coupons on Cricut brand products
• Learning Curve - can be a bit intimidating.
• You're paying for the name - just go with the regular Cricut Explore Air 2.

To conclude, I would rate the Cricut overall as 3 out of 5 stars. It is more of a neutral rating. It is one of those type of things where you are going to have to put the time into learn.  It can be a great thing if you take the time to learn how to use it and find your own niche.  It can be a bad thing if you lack patience to learn and expect to make a living off of making stuff before finding your own niche in the overly saturated market.

Baby Bum Diaper Cream Brush

So there we were with our preemie daughter in the NICU. She had her first ever diaper rash! We were new parents. The nurse, Jane, was teaching us newbie parents how to apply diaper cream.  Eeeeeek!  Wait..... you want me to put my fingers where? Yeah, I can have a c-section and practically bleed everywhere for days afterwards; I can change a poopsplosion (aka diaper blowout - but not as serious as the poop-pocolypse) with no problem; I can be projectile vomited upon, but I'm totally squeamish on applying diaper cream. <shrugs> I'm not sure what it is about it.  I just hate the way that it feels on my fingers.  It's thick, gooey, and sticky!  It gives me the heebie jeebies I tell ya! The worst part is because it is designed to repel moisture, it is the hardest thing to wash off.  I feel I would honestly have an easier time washing off cement!

So fast forward a few months.  It's a super slow day at work, and I'm scrolling through an Internet forum for new parents. I see someone mention something called a Baby Bum Diaper Cream Brush.  I was immediately intrigued. No, more icky cream on my fingers?  Sign me up! I signed onto Prime.  2 day shipping?  Yes, please! 

Two days later I get a notification on my phone that my Amazon package had been delivered.  <happy dance> I raced to the mailbox..... Okay you got me, I did not actually race to the mailbox.  This fat chick does not run for anything.... so if you see me running, you'd probably better start running too because something is chasing me.  But I digress. 

So I open the package and there is this thing that looks like what I imagine an alien anal probe would look like <shrugs> (I'm full of bad jokes). It was neon blue, made of a very soft silicone, approximately 6 inches long, and had a suction cup...... ahemmmmm get thy mind out of the gutter please!  All jokes aside, it honestly reminded me of a bluer (is that even a word?) smaller version of a silicone spatula with a suction cup. Due to having mommy brain I started calling it the "baby butt spatula" because I could not remember the real name.  To be honest, I had to search my Amazon order history to get the real name of the product before I started writing this entry -- again with the mommy brain! It's a real condition, I promise.

So let's get down to it shall we?

Pros:

• Suction cup - will stick to a hard surface making it easy to find when you need it (unless you have a toddler that is attracted to bright shiny things).
• Soft silicone - perfect for a tender skin baby tushie.
• Thin applicator - it is thin  so you can apply the cream on those hard to get to irritated areas between the cheeks.
• The applicator also makes it easier to apply a thick and even layer of cream to the irritated areas. 
• No mess - just wipe it off with a wipe and you're done.

Cons:

• Colors - they are bright and fun.  This really isn't a true con.  The bright color attracts my ever so curious toddler. 

Bottomline: I highly recommend this item. If your baby/toddler gets diaper rashes frequently, it is the absolute best thing. If you are invited to a baby shower, gift one to the mother-to-be. She'll thank you later.