Mommy's Share...

Bow-tiful Bow Holder

2011-10-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am getting ready to move to a new house. Which is often times a very BIG pain. One thing I do enjoy about moving is the opportunity to really organize and clean out. The house we are moving to has 3.5 bathrooms! Which for us is a huge upgrade. We are used to sharing one bathroom between the six of us. As excited as I am, you can imagine my disappointment when I realized two bathrooms didn't have any drawers in the vanity area. CRAZY!? Yes, I agree. I had to figure out a way to store the girls' hair bows. I have seen and tried several different "bow holders" over the years. They were either too flimsy or not large enough. So what did I do, you ask?! I made my own.

I took this old calendar holder that has been sitting in my garage for probably six years now...

I took the back of it off since it was no longer going to be needed. Then I spray painted it. I chose brown so that it would match the same color scheme as the girls' shower curtain.

After it was dry and several weeks later (because I am a slacker) I added some wire mesh to the back. I did wire mesh, because it was free. We already had it in the garage. I have seen this done with chicken coop fencing, also.

The only other tools you will need is a pair of wire cutters and a stapler with staples. (I love that power stapler!) You cut the wire mesh to fit the length of your frame. Then staple it on the backside of the board. It was super simple.

After it was complete I stuck all of our bows on there. We have quite the collection--but I guess that's to be expected with two little girls.

I'm looking forward to hanging this in their new bathroom.

~Celeste

Halloween Candelabra

2011-09-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

The other day my good friend and I were exploring a home decor store, when we came upon a darling Halloween Candelabra. I was instantly in love with it and probably would have bought it until I realized it was over $60. I let the idea of having one go until the other night. I decided to google 'How To Make A Halloween Candelabra'. Instantly a blog popped up with a really cool idea of how to make one. I thought to myself it can't be that hard and headed out to our local thrift store.

I bought this chandelier for $8.00This old lamp for $5.00

Then I stripped them to pieces. I took out the wires, light sockets, and everything else I wasn't in need of.

Then I searched the dress-up box for old broken beads.

Put my lamp and my chandelier together.

I spent $2.00 on black spray paint at Lowe's. Then I spray painted everything!!

After it was dry, I hot glued the beads around the chandelier.

Added some candles and some creepy cloth for decoration effects and TADA....

My very own DIY Halloween Candelabra!

And it only cost me $24.00 including the candles.

School Days Autograph Book

2011-05-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's happened. I have turned into my Father. And spending money for something that is just going to get thrown away in a couple years has become, well, difficult. When they sent home the note that Year Books were $15.00, I choked. Okay not really. I did throw the note away, though. Then as the end of the year approached, I felt terrible. I didn't want to be known as "The Mother Who Didn't Buy Her Kids A Yearbook". And I didn't want my kids to feel any less important. Sure, yearbooks are fun to look at once or twice, but they usually end up in the trash. Most of mine did anyway. I thought about it and decided, the best part of yearbooks is signing each others. I decided even though I couldn't justify the $30 in Yearbook fees--I would still make Yearbook signing day fun. (While I still can--cause I know this wont suffice them forever.)

Using blank index cards, my cricut, decorative paper, a hole punch, and book rings I created these autograph books. Maybe it's still not as cool as seeing every one's picture, but it sure beats having to use a sheet of copy paper for your autograph page!

Disclaimer: I have nothing against our school's year book committee. Or Yearbook's in general. I think we have a wonderful elementary school and a wonderful, hard working PTA. Thanks for a great year!! :]

~It's Time To Appreciate Our Teacher's~

2011-05-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

The first week of May is that time of year that we appreciate our teacher's.

At our school they wanted us to show our love for our teachers all week long. They had ideas like a service project, favorite treat, a list of things we like about our teacher, bring their favorite school supplies, etc. So I have 4 different ideas I wanted to share with you. Thank goodness tomorrow the kids are just making a card/picture for their teacher:)

Idea #1 --

What better act of kindness than brightening some one's day with flowers!

We purchased these at our local market for $5, stuck a fun printable that I found over at Skip To My Lou onto a skewer with ribbon and it made a cute gift for their teachers on Monday!!

Idea #2 --

A surprise treat in a can!

I have always wanted to make these. I have seen them for quite some time and just never had a reason to make them. Well Our Best Bites posted some cute Mother's Day printables along with a Teacher one and I knew this would be perfect for the kids to take.

I got can's with pop top lids, cut the bottoms off with my can opener and washed/dried them out. Next we filled them with their teacher's favorite treats and than stuff tissue paper down inside before hot gluing the lid back on. This helps prevent any glue from sticking to the candy if it drips:) Than decorate and attach the label!! Very quick, easy and FUN gift!!

Idea #3 --

"10 Things I Like About _____!"

The kids were funny trying to come up with things to write. Dalton wanted to write things like "She meets us in the morning, than we sit down" - basically his whole day - lol.

I thought it would be fun to give them a cute little note pad along with a pencil. They were only a dollar at Walmart and we had these cute pencils in a pack Ellie had. I saw this idea to stick a flower (which I doubled) through the eraser with a corsage pin (which I have tons from doing flower balls) and than cut off the end with a pair of wire cutters.

The idea was to make lots of pencils with flowers and put it in a vase like a flower arrangement:) I may have to try that next year!!

Idea #4 --

This last idea I have been wanting to do for months and almost did it for Christmas but kept it tucked away till now. I got the idea over at Eighteen25 from those talented ladies.

I found a bead container at Micheal's for $1, got all the fun coordinating school supplies at Walmart and than added extra goodies that looked cute with it!

I then traced the top, cute out paper, added ribbon underneath and any other embellishments that went with it!:) I cut out their names with my Silhouette and glued them on last.

These were my favorite and I loved how they turned out.

I hope these help give you some ideas for your teacher's or even mother's this week. Head over to those websites for other GREAT ideas!!!!:)

And...

♥A HUGE Thank You to ALL our Teacher's out there!!♥

{Countdown to Easter}

2011-04-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get this posted before I head out of town for our Spring Break:) I found the idea somewhere out there in Blog world and thought it would be great for our family this Easter.

It is a quick, easy and fun countdown that you can start this week with your kids...

Supplies:

-egg carton

-plastic eggs

-treats --I used Hershey Kisses and Cadbury Eggs...mmm!

-Easter grass

-number stickers, rub-ons, or vinyl (which I cut out with my Silhouette)

-12 different Easter activities

Here are my ideas...

1. Read an Easter story.

2. Color an Easter picture or two.

3. Send an Easter card to someone you love.

4. Visit the Easter bunny.

5. Make egg shaped sugar cookies.

6. Make Resurrection rolls.

7. Do an Easter craft.

8. Have an Easter egg hunt.

9. Make a treat & “Egg” our neighbors.

10. Watch an Easter movie.

11. Dye Easter eggs.

12. Happy EASTER!!

Our kids are excited to start it on Thursday. We have lots of fun things planned:)

I tried to focus on some Spiritual things for FHE and on Sunday. If you have any questions just send me a message!!

Easter Decorating Ideas

2011-03-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

I love holiday decorating. Here are just some fun and easy Easter ideas: I can't take credit for this one. I got it off of this really cool blog!

Tile with vinyl sayings, pictures, etc... This is just plastic Easter Eggs in a glass vase. I liked the iridescent look. I tied a cute ribbon around it for a little embellishing.

Wooden Egg door hanging. Seriously this was like $7.00.

I found this cute little Easter Bunny at a craft fair. I think it looks fun next to my Easter Blocks.

Subway Art & Blocks

2011-03-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

I love spending time making crafts, but with four little ones, it's easier said then done. However, I have been trying to get a little more crafty lately.

Shannon posted about her new love for Subway Art. It instantly caught my eye and I decided to create subway art would be just as fun. I have dabbled a little here and there. The first one I did was for St. Patty's Day. Then I made one for a friend of a friend who is having a baby boy.

I love making blocks with names, seasons, holidays, etc... I helped my friend make a set earlier this month. Then I created a set for Easter. They turned out way cute. I can't wait to decorate this month.

Hope this sparks some creativity for everyone!

Celeste

{BaBy PrOdUcTs WoRtH ShArInG}

2011-03-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

My baby is going to be turning one in little over a month - sigh!

So bittersweet:)

There is quite a gap between him and his older siblings. When we became pregnant it was a huge surprise. We had gotten rid of almost everything and it was fun to be able to shop around for baby stuff again. I found some great baby products that were never around years ago when I had the twins. I thought it would be fun to share them with you today - in no particular order. My sister and I had babies a few months apart so some of them are her picks. Maybe you have heard or seen most of them. Please let me know if you have any others that are worth sharing or your opinion on these products!!:)

To start off I found all but one of these products over at Amazon.com. That is one of my favorite websites! Whenever I need anything I look there first - just not baby stuff either. Another great site is Diapers.com, they have tons of baby things at great prices too.

But at Amazon they have a deal were if you sign up for Amazon Mom's you get 15% off your purchase and than an additional 15% off if you have stuff like diapers and wipes shipped every month through their Ship & Save program. My sister and I get cases of diapers for around $23 and wipes for $14. It makes them cheaper than Costco even:) You also get enrolled in Amazon Prime free for 3 months so your stuff is shipped in 2 days for free!! Than each month that you order $25 or more you get another month of Prime for free up to a year. Kinda sounds confusing but it's so worth your money:)

Aden and Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets & Sleep Sacks

My cousin Jen received these as a gift a few years ago for her twin girls. So when I became pregnant she highly recommended them to me. They are so soft, stretchable and breathable. Doug and I learned how to swaddle the twins in the NICU but I could never find big enough blankets. These are GREAT for doing the swaddle technique. I like how thin and soft they are. The blankets are still Logans favorite.

The sleep sack below is also from Aden and Anais. It's 4 layers of muslin that keeps your baby warm during the winter months. I love Logan's and I like that I don't have to worry about blankets during the night. It's also VERY roomy. My sister and I just bought one that is a single layer that I can't wait to use this summer. We purchased them from Babysteals.com - another FAVORITE website I check daily. They have another one called Kidsteals.com that I have found lots of fun things from too! Both are deal a day websites with stuff up to 75% off sometimes:)

There are lots of other sleep sacks on the market and one other favorite of mine was the Halo Sleepsack brand. I got a fleece one that I really liked during the really cold winter months. I also purchased it for a GREAT deal from babysteals.com.

Bumbo's

Ok, I know Bumbo's have been around for awhile but I never had one with the twins. So I was excited to try one out with this baby. I LOVED it - and so did he!! Logan like to be up where we were and looking around at everything:) I used ours as a high chair for him when he first started eating as well. I highly recommend getting one of these - WITH the tray, I think it helps them sit up better!!

Baby Bjorn Carrier

The Baby Bjorn carrier is such a wonderful thing to have. I had received another brand with my other kids and never liked it, so I never used a carrier with them. But after my SIL Jesica said how much she loved hers I started researching it. It's rated one of the best out there. So I purchased one and fell in love with it. It came in handy going on walks with the kids, shopping or just toting him around getting things done when he was fussy. It was easy to get on without any help and very comfortable to wear.

JJ Cole Diaper Caddy

This may be something that isn't really necessary but I sure liked mine. It's a diaper/wipe caddy from JJ Cole. I found mine at Diapers.com for a wonderful deal too. I liked how nice it looked sitting out in my living room and it kept everything together.

Woombie's

I really should have put this one up on top. It's by far my absolute FAVORITE thing I found. When searching around for ideas on how to get Logan to sleep I came across this fun little thing. The Woombie worked miracles the first night we used it:) Baby's are used to sleeping tightly wrapped, it's what they are used to in the womb. That's why we swaddled him. But as he got bigger and moved around at night he would always work his arms out, waking himself up from the jerking motions of his arms. The Woombie keeps them snug and tight inside a stretchable, breathable "cacoon" while they sleep. Their website says it works wonders for babies with colic as well. I wish I had these for my twins!!

Dr. Brown's Bottles

I nursed Logan from the beginning so I never have used bottles. With my first babies I nursed Ellie and bottle fed Dalton. He loved Advent bottles. They never had Dr. Brown back then. My niece Payslee bottle feeds and LOVES these!! My sister says they help with gassy tummy's and are recommended for colicky babies. She switched to Advent for awhile and Payslee got an upset belly and spit up more. So this is Mel's pick for a great bottle!

Logan got used to sleeping in his bouncer while I got ready each morning. He would fall asleep to the sound of my hair dryer. Even after he got bigger and started napping in his crib (in our room) I admit it would run long after I was done just so he would sleep longer. It helped to drown out the noises of everyone in the house. Well my blow dryer started to wear out and I started looking for other white noises. You can download Apps from Itunes that have similar noises but I wanted a CD. I found this one on Amazon that was highly recommemded. It's been wonderful to have for bedtime and naptime. The disc is 75 continuous minutes of white noise.

Bumkins Bibs

I thought my sister was crazy for buying these bibs because they are so pricey. You can buy cheap 5 pack bibs at any store for the price of just one of the Bumpkins bibs. Well after trying out hers and loving it I caved and bought me just one. I absolutely love them and would definitely spend my money on them. I have three now and not one has stains on it. I have had them for 3-4 months. I bought another local chain store brand and within a week they were stained and yucky. Bumpkins bibs wipe off/wash nice, stay on tight and are a great product!! Totally worth spending the extra money to have them last.

Baby Mum-Mum

I hated those yucky, messy cookies we used to give the babies when they were teething and learning to eat:(

My mom recommended these to me when Logan got old enought to start chewing. He LOVES them!! They dissolve just like the puffs and are not messy at all. I like that they are big and will last so I can get dinner ready;)

Nuby Mesh Feeders

So I will admit I always thought these things were weird. But this time around I thought I would give them a try with Logan. I don't like banana in them - ugh a huge mess and horrible to clean out of the mesh. But everyting else is great. They work wonders on soothing him while he's teething too!

Cloth Diaper Burp Cloths

Last but not least these wonderful burp cloths. I found them searching on Etsy one day. After buying 3 for around $15 my mom realized she could make me more. So we bought a 10 count package of cloth diapers and material. They turned out so cute and I recieved 3x's as many for around $15. She has started making them for my sister and as baby shower gifts. I like how big and obsorbent they are. Logan gets all silly when he plays with his. They are turning into his lovey's:)

I hope you find some of these products useful and fun like we did!! Please let me know if you have any questions:)

LOVE this!!

2011-01-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

I LOVE all the subway art I have been finding out there in Blog World! Today I came across this VERY cute one over at Craftily Ever After. Go check it out!!!!

It's Freebie Friday!!!

2011-01-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Robert's Crafts always does awesome giveaways!! Check out this giveaway on their blog!!

The ELF on the Shelf!

2010-11-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just told me about this book and I am excited to be getting mine in the mail next week!!

You can find it Here or Here:)

What is it about? --

"This clever holiday book uses playful rhymes and an entertaining story to remind kids that Santa is watching who’s naughty and nice. The accompanying elf keeps an eye on children by day, reports to the North Pole after bedtime and returns to a different location in the home, creating a fun hide-and-seek game each morning."

And the parent reviews said it helped their kids behave better this time of year...

Well that sold me!!

Now I am crossing my fingers that it works;)

○YuMmY pLaY-DoUgH○

2010-11-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Spice Playdough:
2 cups water

orange food coloring (or combine yellow and red)

2 TBSP vegetable oil

1 cup salt

4 tsp. cream of tartar

3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 cups flour

Combine all ingredients in large pan on stove. Over medium heat, stir until most of the lumps disappear and it thickens up to a dough-like consistency. Put on countertop and knead like bread dough. Store in a air-tight container.

Chocolate Playdough:

Mix together:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

Make sure you combine these ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed together. Then add 1 1/2 T. cooking oil and 1 cup boiling water. Mix and knead until you have a nice smooth ball of dough.

Roberts Give Away!!

2010-11-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Robert's Arts & Crafts is having a FREEBIE FRIDAY giveaway! Check it out!! There is a cricut cartridge involved!! Check it out, and enter to win!! :)

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE??

2010-10-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have never heard of a Tooth Fairy Pillow before, until today. A friend of mine got one for her little girl. She said go to www.etsy.com, and type in Tooth Fairy Pillows. There are tons to choose from!! Such a cute idea. From what I understand, you put the tooth inside the pillow pocket, then the Tooth Fairy leaves treats inside! BRILLIANCE! I swear, whenever my kids finally start to loose some teeth, I am getting some! Click HERE for information regarding the above pillow.

HaLlOwEeN Preschool Movies

2010-10-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

My Preschool age children LOVE these movies!! (My older children do, too. But Shhh! They would probably be mad if I told.) It really gets us in the Halloween spirit around here, when we watch these. We even pop popcorn, and put them in festive Halloween cupcake wrappers.

Halloween Forest Centerpiece

2010-10-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this look like fun?!

Directions:
Black licorice, threaded with wire and shaped to make a forest of spindly trees, makes this creative non edible Halloween table topper. Snip off the ends of six pieces of black licorice and push heavy-gauge wire through the holes of each piece. Holding the pieces together in the middle, bend the ends to form a tree trunk. Bend the opposite ends to form gnarled tree branches and wrap black wire around the center of the pieces to hold it all together. Repeat for each tree. Place each tree atop a chocolate-frosted graham cracker, add a candy-corn fence, and arrange mini artificial pumpkins under the trees to complete the landscape.

Thanks for the idea, Parents.com.

~Picky Sticky~

2010-10-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

I snatched these up from babyhalfoff.com right after the little man turned 4 months old. Man I wish I could have found them sooner. But they still are GREAT and fun to use. Just peel, stick to a onsie and snap some pictures:) When your done just take off and I plan to stick them in his scrapbook along with the photos. These are great for a shower gift or if you are expecting!! They also have milestone ones...i.e. I can sit, I crawl etc. These are the boy ones and I bought my adorable niece Baby P some girlie ones. They also carry generic:) Check out their website for all the info PICKY STICKY.

My handsome little man is 5 months old - YEAH!!

Servin' Up Some Ice Cream...

2010-08-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

I feel bad I don't remember where I got the idea from and the picture that I stole isn't all that great but I LOVE this!!

We had a Cupcake Baking Party for my daughter's 6th birthday. I not only thought this was great to go along with the theme but I plan on using it at all our parties from now on.

I hate trying to dish out ice cream amongst the chaos at the party so when I found this I thought it was a genious idea.

Take cupcake liners, fill them with scoops of ice cream and place on cookie sheet BEFORE the party starts and stick back in the freezer. Pop them out of the freezer and let everyone take their flavor from the tray. Perfect portion, no mess and no chaos!!:)

4th of July Prizes!

2010-07-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

I just happened to be out shopping for our family BBQ when I ran across some fun things. I ended up making these cute little prize boxes for the kids for the 4Th. Each little box, and the stuff inside cost me $3.80 to fill. The shaker thingy is actually a pen, but it was so fun to wave at the parade. It also came in handy for them to color with during the boring spots. The glow sticks were way fun during fireworks. Then of course the sparklers & pop its were a blast! They really didn't need the candy, especially after the parade, but it was fun anyway! Then they took the boxes to the parade for picking up candy there!

--yummy SUMMERTIME treats--

2010-06-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have seen this idea on numerous blogs so we thought we would give it a try...

All you need is a melon - cantaloupe, honeydew or a watermelon

and a package of Jello.

Examples --

Raspberry, Cherry or Strawberry for the cantaloupe

Lime for the honeydew

or we are going to do Watermelon flavor for the watermelon;)

Cut in half and scoop out the middles to whatever thickness you want.

Place upside down to on paper towel to dry.

Make jello according to the Jello Jigglers recipe and pour into fruit.

We placed ours in a bowl to make it stand flat because our cantaloupe wasn't that round on the bottom.

Put in fridge till Jello is set up, cut and enjoy!!!!

My kids thought it was so fun and YUMMY!!

Another FUN and refreshing treat this summer is homemade SLUSHIES --

I found this recipe over at The Idea Room!!

You need: Large resealable plastic bag, small resealable plastic bag, rock salt, ice and a drink.For a drink you can use orange juice, lemonade or Kool aid. We used Root Beer -- mmmm!!

Place the ice (about 2 cups) in the large bag.

Add rock salt ( about 1/3 cup) to the ice.

Pour the juice in small bag a seal tightly. Put the small bag into the larger bag and seal the large bag.
Now shake the bags until the juice turns into a slushie. Gloves helped because it's SOOO COLD! And I suggest making it outside...our counter was covered in salt;)

Enjoy with a spoon or a straw!!

Another GREAT recipe is ICE CREAM in a bag (which we are going to try up camping)!!

ICE CREAM IN A BAG --
2 TB sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salt (The bigger the granules, the better.
Kosher or rock salt works best, but table salt is fine.)
Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
1 pint-size ziplock bag
1 gallon-size ziplock bag

1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.
2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.
3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.

{Our Newest Addition}

2010-05-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in quite awhile but this little cutie has been keeping me pretty busy...

And I am madly in LOVE with these nifty swaddling blankets!!

My wonderful cousin Jen has the most adorable twin girls and recommended these to me. Not only do I like them but baby L does too!

Check out Aden + Anais's website for all their GREAT products.

Or head on over to Diapers.com were you can find the swaddlers for even cheaper!

Or better yet check BabySteals.com daily and you may just get lucky and find them for an even BETTER price!!

Vintage Pearl Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE the Vintage Pearl!! I started following their blog and today it's her BIRTHDAY!! Yeah:) So she's having a giveaway for this pretty little thing...

Oh how I want it!!!!!!

So head on over there and enter her drawing...GOOD LUCK!

ONLINE SHOPPING - Woo Hoo

2010-03-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered that Carter's and Osh Kosh has ONLINE shopping - YEAH!! I am an avid online shopper and so I was very excited to discover two of my favorite stores is just clicks away:) Here is a link to their stores...Carter's/OshKosh online! They will link to both stores in the upper left corner!

Discovery Gateway

2010-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Free Day at the Discovery Gateway!! Wednesday March 17th, 2010.

○Smore FUN○

2010-03-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

For family night on Monday we made our family favorite (chocolate dipped marshmallows) and added a little twist to make THE easiest Smore's ever:)

Ingredients:

Popsicle sticks or sucker sticks

WF or Kroger brand chocolate (also called almond bark)

Jumbo Marshmallows

1 pkg Graham Crackers crushed

Melt chocolate according to pkg instructions. Dip end of stick in chocolate and put on marshmallow. Place on wax paper and put in freezer to harder up. When ready, dip marshmallow in melted chocolate and roll in Graham crackers. Place on foam block to harden. Then enjoy!!

This is so easy and fun for kids and a GREAT, yummy snack:)

Husbands will LOVE them too...my wonderful husband gave me the idea!

Oh, the Places you'll go...

2010-02-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

...like Target!

For Free story telling, and fun activities.

Go to any Target, Saturday February 27, 2010. From 9am-11am. In honor of Dr. Suess, and Read Across America. If you want more details click the following link:
http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-034346&ref=sr_shorturl_readacrossamerica

{Fun NEW Websites I Have Found}

2010-01-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything new lately...
The holidays were crazy and I was trying to recoupe and finally get our house unpacked (we moved 5 months ago...lol) the past month.
But I have come across a couple fun new blogs...

Want FuUuUn bows, bracelets, watch bands and crayon rolls for you and your kids? Head on over to Oh So Girly!! I just recieved my order in the mail and they are great products and at a GREAT price. I can't wait to give the crayon rolls to my kids for Easter (or Valentines cause I just can't wait) and the bows and flowers will be so fun in Ellie's hair. I bought a bracelet for her too that is adorable. She was wonderful to work with and I got my order very fast!

Another GREAT site for fun Scrapbooking deals is...

It is a lot like cropchocolate.com! They have a new deal everyday at a GREAT steal...so check it out!!

If I come across some other great sites or if you have any that would be great to post here please let me know!:)

Letter's For Santa --

2009-12-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

An old HS friend of mine works for the USPS and posted this on her blog last week so I wanted to share the information with you.....

Get Your Stamp Cancellations from the North Pole
Did you know that you can obtain the North Pole Postmark on a letter from Santa or on a greeting card? Here’s how to do it.

A letter from Santa
Write a letter to your child and sign it “from Santa”. Place the letter into an envelope addressed to your child with the return address from Santa, North Pole. Please make sure you have a First-Class stamp affixed to the envelope. Place that envelope into a larger envelope, with the appropriate postage and address the larger envelope with this address:

On Greeting Cards
Write your greeting cards like you normally would. Place the cards into their envelopes, addressed and stamped as normal. Either have the return address from the NORTH POLE or from you and your address. Then place the greeting cards into a larger envelope or box, with the appropriate postage and address it to:

North Pole Holiday Cancellation
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

All mail needs to be received in Anchorage, AK before December 15, 2009. After that date, they should be sent via Express Mail.
~*~ This is a new address this year ~*~

Last year I had the help from my mom aka "Grandma Elf" and we mailed our letters to her. Since my kids can't read it didn't matter that their Santa lists were addressed to Kemmerer, WY;) Plus she had the help of a friend of hers put a watermark authentic Santa stamp on their letter back from Santa. I also enjoyed my mom's "personal" touch she added to them. Telling each child things only "Santa" would know!! Well this year I found out about this and thought it would give each letter an even MORE personal Santa touch. We even went as far as leaving cookies and the letters for the elves one night so they could pick them up. Honestly it was the only time we would be seeing Grandma and due to the deadline I knew we may not make it if we had to mail them to her first.

So let your kids have fun writing their lists and send them a letter back from Santa from the North Pole!! Any questions feel free to email me at bushdsbush@aol.com♥

Get Disney UP! for $10

2009-11-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

My family and I LOVE the newly released movie UP! We watched it at the drive-in with the kids when it first came to theaters and I thought it was such a neat movie!! So I was excited when I came across $10 off...
Go on over to BE DIFFERENT ACT NORMALS blog and check out her post for UP!! at a great price!! Can't beat a 4 disc combo pack for $10!! And enjoy a fun family movie night!!:)

LDS Capes

2009-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

So I came across the neatest blog this evening. I just had to give a shout out for her. She makes the cutest capes with Book of Mormon heroes on them. Check it out...I want to order some for Christmas!
http://thedressupdrawer.blogspot.com/

--HOMEMADE MAKEUP and LIPGLOSS--

2009-09-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today I came across this awesome post about making homemade "fake" makeup!! Emily over at Not So Idle Hands came up with this fun idea. Check out her blog and make your own. Sorry the picture is huge - she uses bigger photos:)
Even better she had a post for homemade LipGloss...Ellie is going to LOVE making both of these:) Check out her post for the LIPGLOSS :)

September Events!!

2009-09-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun activities coming up this month:

PHUN with PHYSICS at the Utah Museum of Natural History. 5:30-7:30. Free Monday. :) September 7, 2009
www.umnh.utah.edu

Annual Labor Day Pirate Party on Monday, September 7, 2009 12 noon until 4 p.m. At the Treehouse Museum!

UTAH STATE FAIR www.utahstatefair.com September 10-20, 2009

SCRAPBOOK EXPO (for the moms!!) September 11th-12th, 2009. http://www.scrapbookusaexpo.com/

KID to KID Halloween costume event!! September 12, 2009 They have a ton in the Riverdale store. They wont be selling until the 12th!! www.kidtokid.com/show_location.php?id=13

PIRATE DAY at HOGLE ZOO!!! September 19, 2009. http://www.hoglezoo.com/

WHAT WOMAN WANTS SHOW (for the mom's) September 25-26, 2009 http://www.whatwomanwantssshow.com/

Smith and Edwards Toy event!!! September 14 & 28 th!!
http://www.smithandedwards.com/

Also lot's of Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes, and Pumpkin Patches open up September 18th-26th!! Here are some websites to check out different times, and locations!! http://www.hauntedhouse.com/, http://www.blackislandfarms.com/, http://www.heehawfarms.com/, www.gardens.com/go/browse/pumpkin/Utah/all/ !!

Want FREE Stuff????

2009-08-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

I came across this amazing website today from That Went Well's Blog...check it out or link to it from my favorites!!
MOM BY HEART!!

sTiCk 2 SaFeTy!!

2009-07-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Even though my kids are getting older I still have this fear of loosing them. My almost 5 year old son still puts the fear in me in public places. But today I came across this great website called SAFETY TATS that puts a tattoo of your info on your child - VERY clever!!

For other great kid friendly finds check out this WONDERFUL website called...
Kid Buy Products☺

▬To All Those GREAT "POPS" Out There!!▬

2009-06-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

I love Father's Day and the opportunity to Celebrate our DAD'S!! But I admit it's hard to find gifts for those wonderful men in our lives!☺ So this year I cam up with a "POP" theme. It was really fun and you can't go wrong with giving guys food as a present! My talented twins helped me decorate some brown bags for their Dad and Grandpa's. Than I added these fun "POPS" --
-Pop
-Corn Pops
-Pop Tarts
-Oreo Pops (chocolate covered Double Stuffed Oreo's on a stick)
-Pop Corn
-A Tie that "POPS"
-Pop Rocks
-Ring Pops
Than I tied a saying I had printed "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO A GREAT "POP"!!"For my BIL I gave them each their favorite Pop and Popcorn tied with the saying...

This was a fun and inexpensive gift to honor our Dad's this year! Wishing all the best to Dad's out there this Father's Day!!♥

!!S'MORE FUN!!

2009-06-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun alternative to the classic S'mores...
S'MORES--
Put marshmallows on Popsicle sticks.
Warm WF Almond Bark in the microwave for 30 sec. intervals till smooth.
Dip the marshmallow's, I didn't dip all the way to the stick and found this helpful when melting them back in the microwave for the s'mores. It allows the marshmallow to expand.
Stick in foam block to harden.
When ready to assemble place 1 chocolate covered marshmallow on top of graham cracker square and melt in microwave for 6 sec. (yes we perfected the timing☺).
Remove and place another graham cracker square on top and smoosh!!
Enjoy☺

My kids love when I get out the chocolate and start dipping things. Yesterday while dipping Oreo's, another favorite at our house, I had the kids help me dip some marshmallows. Than we turned them into a fun new way to have s'mores!! They store nicely in an air tight container and you can pop them into the microwave when you need a fun easy snack!!

Fee-Free Weekends in Your National Parks

2009-06-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today on WeeFinds she posted a great find for camping this summer...

America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this summer with three fee-free weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees.

Mark your calendars for fee-free weekends this summer:
June 20-21, 2009 (Father’s Day weekend)
July 18-19, 2009
August 15-16, 2009
And to make the fun even more affordable, many national park concessioners are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors on this summer’s fee free weekends with the their own special offers.

Utah
Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Hovenweep National Monument
Natural Bridges National Monument
Zion National Park

Wyoming
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Devils Tower National Monument
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park

-Smmart Ideas-

2009-05-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love finding fun new ways to teach my kids (it's the teacher in me☺), so while watching GTU the other day they featured this awesome blog...SMMART IDEAS!! She has the coolest idea to teach your kids how to spell their name through songs. Plus the blog is full of really neat tips and tricks for your kids - Check it out!!
Here are other great name game ideas at Good Things Utah!

Stock Up!!

2009-05-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Get 80% off Restaurant.com certificates now

Just in time for the weekend!

Pay only $2 for a $25 certificate with code SPECIAL

Stock up for the summer at this price!

These make great Father's Day gifts too!

We Appreciate our Teacher's!!

2009-05-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

It was the twins last day of preschool yesterday...so sad:(!! They really love their teacher and looked forward to going to her house every Wednesday. But they will be attending Pre-K this fall, so that will be fun! I really appreciated teacher Shelley, she was so awesome and very sweet. I wanted to show her how much she meant to the kids by giving her a little something from all of us. A few weeks ago Celeste and I found all this fun Crayola stuff in the $1 section at Micheal's. She came up with the clever title and putting it in a paint can. I added some Skittles, scissors, pens, pencils, sharpies, stickers, paper clips (in the Crayola tin), and ribbon to tie it all together. I stuck the lid to the bottom of the can with some removable adhesive. It turned out so cute and she loved it. The title says..."Teacher's fill the world with color...thanks for brightening our year!"

TASTY

2009-05-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Restaurant.com certificates are now down to 70% off.

That means your $25 gift certificate is only $3! Sweet.
Don't forget the code to take off 70% is TASTY!
Restaurant.com

!FLIPPER Toothbrush Holder!

2009-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I want these for my kids- FLIPPERS - they suction cup to your cabinet and hold your kids toothbrushes! Awesome!☺ No more dirty toothbrush cups on our counters! You can get them at Target for $10.99 for a two piece set or at their website for $6.99 - Check them out!!

◘Dinner Time Fun◘

2009-05-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

I love Children's Book of the Month Club!! They have not only fun books but games and movies as well. Yesterday I got this fun Beginner Dinner Games in the mail and it was a huge hit at our dinner table last night!!☺ My kids ate all their dinner without complaints...probably because we had them entertained the whole time and they didn't even realize they had cleaned their plates. We played Silent Supper - you have to eat in silence for 1 minute and than tell about the sounds you hear. Daddy liked this the best;) My favorite was the Fruit and Veggie Game - you think of a fruit or veggie and than everyone asks you yes or no questions till someone gets it right. We were all laughing and having fun...a huge change from the milk spilling, silly slurping, arguing to get them to eat meals that we usually have! This one is for ages 3-6 but they have other's that are for older kids. You have to be a member of CBOMC to order this but here is a link to Family Time Fun Dinner Games or Amazon for this and other great dinner games!!☺

Utah Kids Club 1/2 off Deal

2009-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed our Utah Kids Club membership. It has discounts to hundreds of places, you get lots of coupons each month when you get your card, and you can take your whole family on just one membership. GTU's Real Deals is offering the membership for 1/2 off again...don't pass this up!! Check out this link REAL DEALS:) Each month I get my membership for just $6.00 (1/2 off their regular price) and I can cancel at any time. It just comes straight out of my checking and I get the new card in the mail at the first of the month along with great coupons...such as two free kids meals to Applebee's! Don't miss this deal, there are limited quantities!!!!

RESTAURANT.COM

2009-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

60% off Restaurant.com certificates with code GIFT

Buy Restaurant.com Gift Certificates!

Pay only $4 for a $25 certificateAlso get a $15 FTD Reward with each purchase!!

♥Happy Mother's Day♥

2009-05-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day I took this...
And created these...

A while back in RS we had a lesson about journal keeping and they had a fun idea for Journal Jars. So I thought it would be a fun gift for our Mother's this year. I found these cute jars at Walmart for $3 a piece, the paper is CTMH and the books were only a dollar also at Walmart. I re-typed the questions I got that day in RS and added them to some ones I found on the Internet. Than I spent hours cutting and folding all the papers for the jars (thanks to my wonderful daughter for helping me). I decoupaged the paper to the books, distressed the edges and added embellishments to the books and jars. There is a fun poem I attached to the jar and inside the journal. They turned out so cute and were greatly appreciated. I can't wait some day to read them. Every year I plan to make them a new one and find more fun questions.

For our SIL Mother's Day gifts we took these...

And created a delicious little treat like this...
A week ago when I bought the other jars I purchased the smaller ones for $2 and racked my brain for hours trying to come up with a fun idea for them. Finally my wonderful husband after hearing me grumble suggested this great idea..."You're a 'BERRY SWEET' mom! Happy Mother's Day." We dipped the strawberries in chocolate, let them set up, filled the jars and added ribbon and embellishments. They were so adorable! We gave them to all our SIL and plan on sending a fun slightly different version to our SIL that live out of town (post those pics after we send them;)). I hope all you Mommy's out there have a great Mother's Day!! Sending all my love♥-Shannon

Crazy 8

2009-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out Crazy8.com today for great deals on kids clothes. They have a new Summer Break line that has adorable dresses, shoes, and shirts. They have an awesome $6.99 deal on shorts and tanks. Use code SAVE10 and get $10 off, don't know when it ends though so hurry on over and take a look:)

~Old Navy Weekly.com Deals~

2009-05-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

$10 off $50 - Click the popcorn repeatedly
30% off- Move Josh's head to the empty supermodelquin.
$5 off the purchase of a swimsuit- GONE! Click on Heather's orange shirt
$5 off WYB adult and kid shorts- click on the dogs frisbee
$5 off $25- Take the blue umbrella and stick behind the blond girls ear, in the same photo!
$75 off $100- GONE! You had to answer a quiz that would come up on the right column. Answers were Wesley, Wilma's Wearables and Barker. Like it matter's now! Just thought you might like to know?

Tyson Chicken Giveaway!!

2009-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

So today I am finding the best giveaways. Don't miss out on these...Win 10 coupons for any bagged or boxed Tyson Frozen Breaded Chicken or Tyson Any’tizers, up to 9.99 value each at Busy Mom. Ends 5/12/09

Awesome giveway...

2009-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today I found this awesome giveaway over on Two of a Kind Working on a Full House. They have the cutest hand stamped mommy necklaces that would be great for Mother's Day coming up in less than 2 weeks. The one that is pictured looks like a twin one and having twins I about died when I saw it! ADORABLE!! It has their names on it and birthstones that dangle. But check out the website Lauren Nicole Gifts for the neatest monogrammed stuff. They have baby blankets, headbands, bags, wedding stuff. It's really fun and lots of ideas for moms!! :)

RESTAURANT.COM

2009-04-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Save 80% on Restaurant.com certificates with code LUCKY
Pay only $2 for a $25 certificate, or only $8 for a $100. Stock up at this price, certificates last for a year! They make great Mother's Day gifts!

Saving Codes at Target

2009-04-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

So I am a huge fan of Target...I love their store and today I came across this info and thought I would share:

While I’m not sure how much money you can save with this information, I recently learned that Target has a numeric system for letting employees know which products are discounted:
*Items with prices ending in $__._9 are the regular price
*Items with prices ending in $__,_8 are discounted
*The small numbers in the top right corner of the price tag indicate the percentage discount you’re getting off of the regular price (for example, if you see “75”, that’s 75% off the regular or original price).
Another bit of info...if the price ends in a 4, such as $5.94, that signifies that it is the last time an item will be marked down...if it doesn't sell, it'll get pulled off the floor. Now, this is not concrete...the person marking down the item usually has the option to mark it down once or twice more...but if you really want it, grab it while you have the chance!!!

{Hightlights for Kids}

2009-04-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

New puzzle fun for ages 4–7!
Puzzle Buzz gets kids thinking and feeling excited about what they can accomplish...
Puzzle Buzz is a wonderful opportunity to introduce your young child to the skill-building fun of puzzles, mazes, matching games, and more! Each 32-page book includes 3 interactive sticker activities and a wide variety of colorful puzzles that will keep your child happy and busy as a bee. With Puzzle Buzz, kids think just for the fun of it!

A about a month ago I got an offer in the mail for these Highlight books and thought they would be great for my "puzzle loving" kids. They come every 5 weeks and are pretty inexpensive for all the stuff that come inside the books. Extremely worth it for the hours my children have spent devouring them. I checked out the website and there dozens of other magazines to subscribe to for all age groups. Click here for the website: HIGHLIGHTS

$$OLD NAVY WEEKLY$$

2009-04-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

So I came across this website OLDNAVYWEEKLY after hearing about some great coupons you can get by clicking on hidden things on the mannequins or within their scenes. It comes out every Friday at midnight and I hear it's tough to get the good one - $75 off $100 purchase. But there are some other great deals I thought I would share with you...
Click and drag the blue stripe shirt onto the pink stripe shirt on the mannequin for $5 off swimsuits.
Watch the video and click on her powder puff for $10 off $50 purchase.
Double click on the lady's red hair (comb it like Kelly) and get 30% off - right now I think that's the best one!
Click on the little girls shorts and get $5 off by purchasing adult and kid shorts.
Click on the mom with the girl and get $5 off purchase of $25.
There are two that are out and that's clicking to erase the cotton candy and a red ball bouncing in the screen with the mom and little girl. I think one of those was the big one - they both will say scandal and the coupons are gone. The coupons are good for a week and only in store. You can only print one not all of them. Good Luck!!

○○Easter Eggs○○

2009-04-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

This year I tried a fun new way of decorating Easter eggs with my kids. It's fun to use the white crayon that comes in the package, but I came across the idea to use rubber cement. We were in a hurry that afternoon to get to a baptism so I ended up just writing the kids names on them with the glue. It dried really fast and they were able to dip them and than that evening I peeled it off while the kids added stickers to their eggs. It wasn't too messy but next year I will let them paint it on themselves. I wanted to try it out first and ran out of time to let them do it. Sorry I am not very overly creative, it was an after thought and a quick idea. So next year have fun with it and send me your pictures.

Jelly Bean Bracelets

2009-04-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today after our church Easter Egg Hunt I wanted to try this fun project with the kids. All you need is jelly beans, stretch cord, and a small dull knitting needle. All of it probably cost me less than $5.00!
Poke a hole in the jelly bean and than flip it over and push it totally through. It was a very sticky and long process, but the kids had a lot of fun. My suggestions would be to keep cleaning your needle, your hands, and the ends of the cord to help string it better. My jelly beans did keep cracking but they stayed on the cord with no problems. If anyone has any suggestions to keep them from breaking and cracking let me know. I found the idea done with other fun colors such as browns and pinks like the ones you get from bins at your local grocery store. Make them to cordinate with any outfit and enjoy eating them afterwards - LOL!:)

70% OFF MOVIES

2009-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Check out Amazon today or my all time FAV website WEEFINDS where they have it posted for great deals on movies such as Madagascar 2 or Kung Fu Panda for only $8!! When you spend $25 you get free shipping. What a great gift or addition to your movie collection :)

"I'm OvEr HeRe...I'm HiDiNg"

2009-04-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Do you want a fun game for your kids?
I found these in my Family Fun magazine and fell in love!!
You hide him, push the on button and listen to him shout out giggles, silly noises and a few "I'm over here, I am hiding - hehehehe!." Open him up and there is a suprise hiding inside.
Saturday I found it a Wal-mart for $5 and got so excited to bring it home to the kids. They come in all sorts of colors.
My husband was being silly hiding it over and over for the kids to run and find.

I thought it would be great for younger toddlers as well. It's a fun alternative to hide and go seek. Run out get one, two, or a dozen and have a FUN!!

My New Favorite Website...

2009-03-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a place that will give you coupon codes, store sales, and anything else that will help you save. WeeFinds is a great new website that I visit daily...you should too!

Mommy's Share...

Bow-tiful Bow Holder

Halloween Candelabra

School Days Autograph Book

~It's Time To Appreciate Our Teacher's~

{Countdown to Easter}

Easter Decorating Ideas

Subway Art & Blocks

{BaBy PrOdUcTs WoRtH ShArInG}

LOVE this!!

It's Freebie Friday!!!

The ELF on the Shelf!

○YuMmY pLaY-DoUgH○

Roberts Give Away!!

HAVE YOU SEEN THESE??

HaLlOwEeN Preschool Movies

Halloween Forest Centerpiece

~Picky Sticky~

Servin' Up Some Ice Cream...

4th of July Prizes!

--yummy SUMMERTIME treats--

{Our Newest Addition}

Vintage Pearl Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ONLINE SHOPPING - Woo Hoo

Discovery Gateway

○Smore FUN○

Oh, the Places you'll go...

{Fun NEW Websites I Have Found}

Letter's For Santa --

Get Disney UP! for $10

LDS Capes

--HOMEMADE MAKEUP and LIPGLOSS--

September Events!!

Want FREE Stuff????

sTiCk 2 SaFeTy!!

▬To All Those GREAT "POPS" Out There!!▬

!!S'MORE FUN!!

Fee-Free Weekends in Your National Parks

-Smmart Ideas-

Stock Up!!

We Appreciate our Teacher's!!

**TASTY**

!FLIPPER Toothbrush Holder!

◘Dinner Time Fun◘

Utah Kids Club 1/2 off Deal

**RESTAURANT.COM**

♥Happy Mother's Day♥

**Crazy 8**

~Old Navy Weekly.com Deals~

Tyson Chicken Giveaway!!

Awesome giveway...

RESTAURANT.COM

Saving Codes at Target

{Hightlights for Kids}

$$OLD NAVY WEEKLY$$

○○Easter Eggs○○

**Jelly Bean Bracelets**

70% OFF MOVIES

"I'm OvEr HeRe...I'm HiDiNg"

My New Favorite Website...

TASTY

RESTAURANT.COM

Crazy 8

Jelly Bean Bracelets