This is the first of the Thankful Thursdays posts and since I have been missing my oldest while he is away at camp this week, I'm thinking about how thankful I am for my children. All three of them. They are such a blessing in my life and I can't imagine my life without them. I know what it feels like to think you may never have children of your own, and I'm now honestly thankful for those days and years that taught me a lot about myself and drew me closer to the Lord. I'm thankful for all of my friends that have chosen to adopt a child and make them their own. Although that opportunity has not been able to happen for us yet, I have not given up hope for the possibility of it in the future. Whether you have one child or 21 children, they are each a perfect gift from God.
What are you thankful for today?
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
First 50, First Giveaway!
I want to have a fun little giveaway!! When I reach my first 50 followers, I will give away one of my own creations that I have blogged about. Perhaps a tutu and coordinating hairbow? Maybe...but there might be other things coming between now and then I could giveaway. More details will be given the closer we get to the goal, and the more I blog about. I'm sure you know some little girly girl that would love a fun, surprise gift. I hope you will follow me, today and join in the fun. (And don't be stingy...tell your friends, too.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My First Handmade Hair Bow!!!
With two very cute girly girls, it is inevitable that I learn how to make hair bows. With Pinterest and Youtube, there is no excuse not to learn. There are so many amazing resources out there with step by step instructions and even videos, you can learn to make any kind of bow you want.
I picked Twenty Three Oh One to start my bow making adventures. Her list and instructions were simple and easy to follow and her pictures were very helpful, especially for this visual learner.
So...drum roll, please...My First Hair Bow!
I will confess, I did not follow the instructions on the site I chose, completely. I did not have enough 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon to make a complete one~layer bow. So, I decided to do the triple bow, only I used one layer with the 1 1/2 inch ribbon, and the other 2 layers were 1inch ribbons. I think if I had enough ribbon, I would have used contrasting colors with the different size ribbons. But, as it is, I used left over ribbon that I saved from various gift packaging. (That, my friends, is called recycling, lol!).
I don't think it's quite 'etsy' quality, yet, but my Sweet Pea was very pleased with me and with the bow, and was a most gracious hair model.
Here's how it looks on a headband for the littlest ones...
(This was the only still picture we could get of Sunshine, and just before she removed the bow...again!)
All in all, I am happy with my first attempt and my girly girls are happy, too. And that's what matters to me. Thanks to Twenty Three Oh One for your awesome directions and pictures.
I can't wait to make even more!!
God Bless!!
I picked Twenty Three Oh One to start my bow making adventures. Her list and instructions were simple and easy to follow and her pictures were very helpful, especially for this visual learner.
So...drum roll, please...My First Hair Bow!
I will confess, I did not follow the instructions on the site I chose, completely. I did not have enough 1 1/2 inch wide ribbon to make a complete one~layer bow. So, I decided to do the triple bow, only I used one layer with the 1 1/2 inch ribbon, and the other 2 layers were 1inch ribbons. I think if I had enough ribbon, I would have used contrasting colors with the different size ribbons. But, as it is, I used left over ribbon that I saved from various gift packaging. (That, my friends, is called recycling, lol!).
Here's how it looks on a headband for the littlest ones...
All in all, I am happy with my first attempt and my girly girls are happy, too. And that's what matters to me. Thanks to Twenty Three Oh One for your awesome directions and pictures.
I can't wait to make even more!!
God Bless!!
Funnies on Fridays
Every Friday, I will try to post something that I find funny and amusing. I hope it at least brings a smile to your day.
This week, I have been laughing at my Buddy, now 8yo. He is insisting on wearing white undershirts all the time. He wears them alone, under other tees, and even under his pajamas. He says it's because, "That's what a man does. And I'm almost a teenager, which is almost a man."
When he was about 3 or 4 years old, he went through a phase in which he had to wear socks at all times. Day and night. The only time you could get him to take his socks off was to take a bath.
My Sweet Pea, now 6 years old, went through a phase just a year or two ago, in which she would only wear dresses. Because "princesses don't wear pants." She even told me I was just a "regular queen," not a royal one, because I wore pants. I can't wait to see what my little Sunshine will come up with.
What funny phases have your children, grandchildren, or other kiddos in your life gone through?
Remember...if you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at me. :)
This week, I have been laughing at my Buddy, now 8yo. He is insisting on wearing white undershirts all the time. He wears them alone, under other tees, and even under his pajamas. He says it's because, "That's what a man does. And I'm almost a teenager, which is almost a man."
When he was about 3 or 4 years old, he went through a phase in which he had to wear socks at all times. Day and night. The only time you could get him to take his socks off was to take a bath.
My Sweet Pea, now 6 years old, went through a phase just a year or two ago, in which she would only wear dresses. Because "princesses don't wear pants." She even told me I was just a "regular queen," not a royal one, because I wore pants. I can't wait to see what my little Sunshine will come up with.
What funny phases have your children, grandchildren, or other kiddos in your life gone through?
Remember...if you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at me. :)
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Few of My Favorite Things
In my journey of being a mom and being a homeschooler, there are a few things that I don't want to do without. Oh, I can do without a lot of things, but I am certainly thankful for the small blessings that make my life easier. My Top 5 Favorite Things are in no particular order...I love them all. I highly recommend these items if you are a mom, a homeschooler, or work with kids on a regular basis. Drum roll please.....
#1 ~ My Thermal Laminator
I love laminating!! I'm a laminating junky, I confess, but only since I bought my Scotch Thermal Laminator. You know, the one they sell at Walmart for about $25? Yep...that's the one.
If you don't want to spend the money on the laminator and the added cost of the laminating pages, you can use clear contact paper. I've been there, done that. It works. But...in my humble opinion, it was such a pain. I actually laminate quite a lot of things so that posters will be sturdier, and downloaded homeschool units will be reusable...saving me paper and ink. Since the laminating pages are a bit expensive...around $15 for 50 sheets, I do try not to go overboard and spread the laminating parties out over time. But, overall, it saves me time and a headache, and that's worth every penny to me.
#2 ~ Dry Erase Crayons
In my homeschool area, you will find a traditional chalkboard hanging on the wall, not a whiteboard. The main reason for this is because, as easy as the dry erase markers wipe off of a whiteboard, they do NOT easily come out of clothing or off of walls and furniture! When you have small kiddos, they WILL get it on their clothes and/or drop it, causing marks to get on the table or walls, or whatever.
But, last year, Crayola came out with dry erase crayons...yes, crayons! Not only do they easily wipe off of whiteboards and laminated sheets, but they don't get all over my kiddos clothing or my furniture. WIN~WIN! I might even replace that chalkboard someday.
I will say this...just last week, I found actual WASHABLE dry erase markers at Target. Maybe enough moms and teachers had the same complaints. I haven't used them yet, though, so I make no promises on them. But, by all means, get some dry erase crayons for your kiddos or classroom!
#3 ~ Ziploc Bags
Ziploc Bags~not just for food! I cannot tell you how many times I go to the Ziplocs when I need to store small toys or school supplies. They are perfect organization tools for small spaces. You can store a lot of them together in a larger container. You can see see through them at a quick glance. You can write right on the bag, or use tape to label. And if/when it actually wears out, just go to the box and pull out another. Cheapest storage containers ever! We have stored everything in them...action figures of all kinds, small girly toys, crayons, flashcards, batteries...you name it. If it can fit in a Ziploc bag, we've put it in there. And the wonderful storage bags do come in different sizes to meet any number of your needs. My son even caught a live bee in one the other day...but that's another story. Yes, always keep these wonderful bags on hand! (And, no, I don't always buy the name brand, it was just easier to use that name for the sake of the blog.)
#4 ~ Disinfecting Wipes & Baby Wipes
The wipes have to be mentioned at the same time. Disinfecting wipes (such as Clorox) are great for quick clean ups in the kitchens and bathrooms, and wherever else you may need them. They are essential during flu season to keep those door knobs and light switches cleaned, not to mention telephones and keyboards. And, they are safe enough for my 6yo daughter to use when she wants to help clean (yes~she actually loves to clean & dust), but I don't want her to use the more powerful and therefore, more dangerous cleaners.
Baby wipes are great for quick touch ups after your children have eaten a peanut butter sandwich or other wonderful, but messy, foods. You surely wouldn't want to use the Clorox wipes on their delicate skin! We keep them in the baby's room, in the kitchen, and in the car...and wherever else we need them. We panic if we leave home without them.
#5 ~ My Keurig
Last, but not least, I give a shout out to my Keurig coffee maker. I am inept when it comes to making coffee. I've tried, but it usually turns out so strong, it can get up and walk away by itself. Therefore, I never had coffee in the mornings. So, a couple of years ago, my husband bought me a Keurig for Christmas. It has been wonderful! Ours came with a "MY K~Cup" unit that you can use with your regular coffee grounds instead of having to use individual k~cups all the time. I like the different k~cups, but I also like the option of regular grounds. If you do have a Keurig, this little gadget is worth looking into. Now, this is a little more expensive than the other items I've listed, and if you know how to make a good pot or cup of coffee with a regular coffee maker, have at it. But, this is my list of things I don't want to live without, and I definitely don't want to live without the Keurig again!
So there you have it. My top 5 things this mommy doesn't want to be without and highly recommends to all the other moms out there to make your days just a little bit easier.
God bless!!
#1 ~ My Thermal Laminator
I love laminating!! I'm a laminating junky, I confess, but only since I bought my Scotch Thermal Laminator. You know, the one they sell at Walmart for about $25? Yep...that's the one.
If you don't want to spend the money on the laminator and the added cost of the laminating pages, you can use clear contact paper. I've been there, done that. It works. But...in my humble opinion, it was such a pain. I actually laminate quite a lot of things so that posters will be sturdier, and downloaded homeschool units will be reusable...saving me paper and ink. Since the laminating pages are a bit expensive...around $15 for 50 sheets, I do try not to go overboard and spread the laminating parties out over time. But, overall, it saves me time and a headache, and that's worth every penny to me.#2 ~ Dry Erase Crayons
But, last year, Crayola came out with dry erase crayons...yes, crayons! Not only do they easily wipe off of whiteboards and laminated sheets, but they don't get all over my kiddos clothing or my furniture. WIN~WIN! I might even replace that chalkboard someday.
I will say this...just last week, I found actual WASHABLE dry erase markers at Target. Maybe enough moms and teachers had the same complaints. I haven't used them yet, though, so I make no promises on them. But, by all means, get some dry erase crayons for your kiddos or classroom!
#3 ~ Ziploc Bags
Ziploc Bags~not just for food! I cannot tell you how many times I go to the Ziplocs when I need to store small toys or school supplies. They are perfect organization tools for small spaces. You can store a lot of them together in a larger container. You can see see through them at a quick glance. You can write right on the bag, or use tape to label. And if/when it actually wears out, just go to the box and pull out another. Cheapest storage containers ever! We have stored everything in them...action figures of all kinds, small girly toys, crayons, flashcards, batteries...you name it. If it can fit in a Ziploc bag, we've put it in there. And the wonderful storage bags do come in different sizes to meet any number of your needs. My son even caught a live bee in one the other day...but that's another story. Yes, always keep these wonderful bags on hand! (And, no, I don't always buy the name brand, it was just easier to use that name for the sake of the blog.)#4 ~ Disinfecting Wipes & Baby Wipes
The wipes have to be mentioned at the same time. Disinfecting wipes (such as Clorox) are great for quick clean ups in the kitchens and bathrooms, and wherever else you may need them. They are essential during flu season to keep those door knobs and light switches cleaned, not to mention telephones and keyboards. And, they are safe enough for my 6yo daughter to use when she wants to help clean (yes~she actually loves to clean & dust), but I don't want her to use the more powerful and therefore, more dangerous cleaners. 
Baby wipes are great for quick touch ups after your children have eaten a peanut butter sandwich or other wonderful, but messy, foods. You surely wouldn't want to use the Clorox wipes on their delicate skin! We keep them in the baby's room, in the kitchen, and in the car...and wherever else we need them. We panic if we leave home without them.
#5 ~ My Keurig
Last, but not least, I give a shout out to my Keurig coffee maker. I am inept when it comes to making coffee. I've tried, but it usually turns out so strong, it can get up and walk away by itself. Therefore, I never had coffee in the mornings. So, a couple of years ago, my husband bought me a Keurig for Christmas. It has been wonderful! Ours came with a "MY K~Cup" unit that you can use with your regular coffee grounds instead of having to use individual k~cups all the time. I like the different k~cups, but I also like the option of regular grounds. If you do have a Keurig, this little gadget is worth looking into. Now, this is a little more expensive than the other items I've listed, and if you know how to make a good pot or cup of coffee with a regular coffee maker, have at it. But, this is my list of things I don't want to live without, and I definitely don't want to live without the Keurig again! So there you have it. My top 5 things this mommy doesn't want to be without and highly recommends to all the other moms out there to make your days just a little bit easier.
God bless!!
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