These are some embroidery pictures from the summer. I have been embroidering and sewing alot on my project list. I have been sewing curtains for several rooms. Rooms that I bought curtain fabric for when we first moved in our house (6 years ago!). I have also been working on a lot of projects for Little Bit's birthday that I will share next week!

Beach Towels...I think I have monogrammed a few dozen beach towels since the beginning of summer! They are great for gifts, and they last forever! I still have mine that was a highschool graduation gift!

My poor girls are usually the last ones to get things monogrammed, but I did monogram their bathing suits and really liked it! It makes these Target bathing suits look extra cute!

Are all of my pictures driving you crazy yet? Just a couple more days!:) We are still getting ready for Little Bit's big party day on Saturday!

Summer Projects: The Girls' Room: French poodles...almost finished!

Things Done...

1. Move out old stuff!
2. Move in new stuff from craigslist (includes the two paintings, the two duvet covers (Little Bit's not shown), pillows matching theme, boxspring, new twin bed for LaLa, etc.)
3. Purchase needed items (new twin sheets, use crib sheets from nursery from LaLa's decor, etc.)
4. Use what we had (crib (matched perfectly!), changing table/dresser, bookshelf, toy box, table and chairs, etc.)
5. Paint (opposing walls are different colors)
6. Hang pictures
7. paint eiffel tower (chalkboard paint)
8. paint ceiling (darker shade of sky blue)
9. paint clouds on the ceiling (if you look closely, some of the clouds take special shapes...a teddy bear, mickey mouse ears, the letter c, the letter s, a flower, etc.)
10. organize closet

Still to do...
1. Put sheets and bed ruffle on crib. Little Bit's nursery decor was brown/pink so it did not go with the new room. However, LaLa's nursery decor was pink and green...matched well! See, good thing that I save everything!
2. Make curtains with the fabric that came with all of the wonderful craigslist goodies! It's not enough to do both windows. Instead, I put up Pottery Barn curtains that I had bought for LaLa's old room. They work for now until I can make the new ones. My girls like it dark when they sleep. I plan on using that striped fabric that you see on the bed in one of the pictures with solid dark pink. I'm trying to think of something I could embroidery on the solid portion of the curtains...poodles? french saying?
3. Hang LaLa's collector's shelf beside her bed. (I'll have to tell you about that later! It is like the ones from pottery barn, but they are a fortune! I made it out of trash...basically!
4. Hang LaLa's "princess" valance above her bed. It's from the nursery that both of the girls had from newborns. I want it to follow them as they grow up.
5. Pull out all the 18 month clothes from the closet and drawers. When I started this project in April, Little Bit could still wear them! Now, I have to pull them out just about the same time I finally finished!
6. See that white tall floor lamp? We had this lamp post in our front yard...until the contractor (from our kitchen remodel) hit it with his monster truck. It is unfixable. I plan on sweet talking my dad into using the "shell" of the lamp post that I would not let Robert throw out to make that floor lamp look like a lamp post in their room. I'm not even sure if that's possible!

LaLa's New Bed...hasn't even fallen off...YET! I love the sleigh bed! I love that it matches the crib so well! I couldn't have planned it if I would have tried!

First,, do not look at the curtains...still have to do that. Now, look at the Eiffel Tower out of chalkboard paint. The girls love it, but I have this thing about chalk EVERYWHERE...so I have to hide the chalk! Little Bit draws on EVERYTHING if you don't watch her closely!

I love this table in their room! I might paint the top with chalkboard paint too. Why didn't I put a table in their room forever ago? We use it all the time!

Close up of her duvet covers...cute, huh? I can't wait until Little Bit can use hers on her bed, but then again...I'm not ready for her to be loose at night! That's the fabric that came with the bedding. I love all the colors that it pulls in!

I need a new changing pad cover, but I am hoping to potty train in early fall. This is the changing table/dresser from the girls' nursery. I spray painted that previously white shelf, and of course, LaLa had to put her new ballet trophy on display! (Oops! I still need to post pics of my little ballerina!) I had the girls silouettes done a few months ago. I plan to frame them and put them up here as well. And, yes, they have a television in their room. It keeps me sane...they use it for rest/nap time. It only plays dvds...no cable.

A new sign to welcome the girls into their new shared room!

LOVE the details on the bed! Did I mention it matches the crib?! Ahhh...wonderful luck! All of these wonderful pillows came with the beds, bedding and such! LaLa puts them in special spots every morning...she may be a little type A like her mommy!

That's the ceiling...clouds.

Toy box...found at as a "display item" of a boutique going out of business. It's the same cream color as the beds. It's where I hide the toys they leave all over the floor!

There is no more space in this room, but I desperately need a spot for the books, books and more books that the girls have. They inherited a lot from my teaching days. I don't have any floor space...hmmm...any ideas?

I'm so close to finishing...I just need to mark off those last things on that list!

If you ask LaLa, she loves her new room because it's not just for her sister and her to share...they're best friends too! I hope they stay best friends forever!

Summer Projects: My Girls' Room: Charlotte's Web & Growing Up Too Fast!

I'm writing this post for two reasons. First, I am posting to share all the work and ideas that we did in my girls' new room. Second, I am posting because one day when I print my blog out for my girls to remember our little things everyday, I want them to remember how  much they loved each other's company. Each of my little girls had their own room that I spent time working to make it special and individual. However, in November, LaLa began to insist that she had to sleep with her sister as you may remember here. Well, after a few weeks of sleeping on the floor, we moved our guest room bed in the nursery so LaLa would at least have a bed to sleep in at night. The nursery was quite small, and the girls were getting bigger every day. By March, we realized that this sleeping situation seemed to be sticking around our house. Now, both girls really enjoyed each other's company at night and during naps. They even began sleeping better!

We decided to change LaLa's unused room into the girls' new room they would share. It is the largest of the four bedrooms upstairs (excluding ours). It currently had a four poster queen size bed, a dresser, etc. Since two little girls were going to share, we had to look for furniture. We were right in the middle of the remodeling our kitchen...remember here, here, and herewhen we were in the chaos of our kitchen and everything else in the house started falling apart?! I began to peruse Craigslist in January, but I was looking for something very specific.

After looking and calling around for several months, I happened to come across cute bedding on Craigslist. It had poodles and a French theme. The perfect colors and idea for a "sister" shared room that varied in ages! Here was the bonus...the seller even listed McDonough as her location...very close to me! I contacted her and didn't hear anything for several days. It was actually someone that I knew. She has four kids of her own. She has been involved with all kinds of things (like owning and running a successful baby gym business!) and has completely amazed me with how she juggles it all so well! She mentioned that she had two twin beds for sale as well. Now, I had in mind something....like bunk beds (but were nervous about my girls' ages) or loft beds, or a carriage bed...but I knew I was really limited with my resources too!

I looked at the beds...and looked...and looked...and asked everyone else what they thought about them...I deep down already liked them...A LOT. However, a friend's husband could make the beds in my "head" for about the same price. I could get the beds, but then I would not have all the bedding that I fell in love with! Or, I could get the bedding and have to wait a few months to save up for new beds. I made an offer on everything...and didn't tell Robert. She totally worked with me...within very close of where I was trying to get...pricewise! Then, I had to tell Robert. After the initial shock, he was okay. I couldn't even go the day we planned to pick up the beds because our sitter canceled and one of the girls were sick! I was so excited!

The girls helped choose the colors and shared ideas. It has been a slow process getting it all done, finding mattresses, moving everything out, and moving stuff back in the room. Now, the closet has both of the girls' clothes. We have another twin bed that is at my parents' house waiting until Little Bit needs a big girl bed, along with the mattresses (who knew mattresses were so expensive?!), and her new matching bedding.

Before we could start in the new room, we had to paint over the "charlotte's web" mural that I painted in her room when she was little (sigh, wipe a tear). A friend and I painted grass around the room and the ceiling light blue. Both of my girls loved running up to the animals and saying their names and sounds. I had to leave the room when Robert painted (three coats!) primer over it! First, before we picked up the new beds or anything, I had to snap a picture. Oh, sweet LaLa, if you only knew the time and love I put into your "big girl" room! I'll miss seeing you and your little animals, but I am so excited about your new room that you and your little sister will make many, many fun memories!

I'll post more tomorrow.
I have to go hug my girls...
feels like I painted this just yesterday...
time is going by way too fast!!!

Enjoying the Backyard...Refurbishing our Swing

Our backyard has this gradual slant to it. We never use this back corner in our yard that is shaded by large trees in our neighbors yard. In order to take advantage of space, Robert moved the swing in this back corner. (after trying it several other places...I'm visual!) It looked kind of lonely back there. We added jasmine plants on both sides of the swing. Hopefully, they will start vining around the swing eventually. Plus, they smell so good!

Covered in rust...this swing needed some TLC. It was a gift Robert and I got my grandmother. Since it was hers, I couldn't just get rid of it and get another. It has lots of memories of swinging and talking with her.

Magic Wands...

After just the first coat, it made a great difference. We put brick pavers around the jasmine plants and planted various plants that had color to make small flower beds. This has turned out to be one of my favorite spots in my backyard. Now, the girls and I can make our own memories swinging and talking in a part of our yard that we never used. If I could just figure out how to make new cushions, I would be set!:)

Summer Anyone & My Embroidery Revelation...

I have started to monogram all gift bags. They are perfect to throw in ballet clothes or for nursery or toys for a restaurant or whatever!

Okay...my embroidery plan that I mentioned a while back...for those of you who care:).

I have decided to no longer do any embroidery of personal items. (in other words...I will no longer embroider anything you give me.) I have reasons...I promise. First,  it makes me a nervous wreck (that should be reason enough!:)) I have had people ask me to embroider all kinds of wild things. I do not want to embroider your grandmother's childhood blanket (I still love my friend that asked me). Good grief...I would die no matter how much you assure me that it is fine if something happens to it. With embroidery, you can remove any stitches (for the most part), but it is always a possibility that it will leave a mark or holes. If I embroider something I have (a towel, a bag, a shirt, etc), I ususally have more. I can replace it easily. If I can't replace it, I won't feel bad...well, as bad!

Second, I cannot embroider everything. Let's see...people have asked me to embroider crazy, crazy things...umbrellas (which would be super cute if I could do it...and you can with "embroiderable" umbrellas"), little bitty items (I don't even know how you fit a letter on it much less fit it on an embroidery machine), hats (nope can't do hats), shoes (nope can't happen), smocked dresses (probably, don't want to "probably" do a dress that you paid eighty dollars for! I would stop breathing), bathing suits (yes, you can do some types...only some) etc. The thing is even if something is embroidable...it has to "fit" on a hoop or rather pull the object far enough from the front where it is embroidable! Okay...boring rambling...but this is my reasoning...so I thought I would share. No mean looks...you still have to love me...lots!

My hubby gave me this wonderful machine last mother's day because I embroidered all things in my house. What's embroidered in our house (by the way, I do not know how to properly conjugate the verb "embroider" so excuse my mistakes!!)? I have embroidered curtains, framed fabric, my lamp (tricky), towels (hand, beach, bathroom, kitchen), blankets, pillows, pillow cases, shower curtain, basket liners, etc.. When I had girls, it became an obsession to monogram all their little things. He figured he had a lot of high priced hobby toys. My scrapbooking and purse obsession added up to be costly overall, but I did not have any big toys. He thought he would share the love a bit and surprised me with a wonderful mom's day present...my embroidery machine. I never thought it would turn into a great way to make extra (secret) spending money! I love doing it...especially when my kids cooperate and give me time to do it! It can make anything special when you add a monogram. If I thought I could get away with it, I would monogram my own shirts!

If you find something just wonderful that you want embroidered, ask me! Like...hey, I found these cute bags at Target. Do you have anything like it? I probably do! Or, a friend of mine...will call and say I really need two hot pink shirts that have a black monogram to go with a cute black skirt the girls have. No problem! I'll try to find them for her! It eliminates the randomness of "trying" to embroider something that may or may not be possible and the possibility that I could mess up something you own.

I'm hoping sometime this summer to have a site or etsy shop...the only thing is my dear friends and their friends are keeping me so busy that I'm scared to add more (strangers' orders) into the mix! Do any of my wonderful friends know how to do this kind of thing or set up paypal...hint...hint?!

Beach Bags for the twins...can I please have twins. Did you hear that? That was my hubby choking when he read that! Their stuff is just too cute! Hee hee...that's what would happen. I would finally talk Robert into having a third, and it would be twins! Better yet...twin girls! Four little girls...I better stop while I'm behind!

Well, now that I shared (and you all promised to still beg and want my stuff I make) my plan...

I can tell you the important stuff...

I am loving this weather....the sun...the walks...the jasmine...the garden. I love it all. I am not a winter girl, but I just can't get enough when spring hits. It just gets better and better after that point.

And, I just love this little face coming to ask me if we can go play in the "pood".

Of course, sweet girl, who could say not to playing in the "pood" with two cute girls! And better yet...they won't tell that I haven't shaved my legs in a week...I know too much, huh?!

I'm off to splish and splash in the pool with my girls. Gotta love this time of year!

Beach bag and towel for LaLa's little friend.

My Chandelier's New Look!

Before

The picture is fuzzy because I remembered to take the picture AFTER I had turned off the power!

I have been "puttering" around my house doing project after project since our kitchen remodel. Of course, it's inspirational and quite frustrating all at once. As I focus on a project, other "household" chores seem to pile up! Hopefully, I will get a bit better at managing it all! I did manage to clear out all the dust from the remodel (jack hammer thingies are messy), but I still have quite a bit to organize in my kitchen, spring cleaning projects to finish, and declutter obsessions to work on! Everyone knows when you spend a great deal of money on a purchase....something always fall apart...something unexpected.

Well, that is certainly true for us! Our water heaters went out as our kitchen remodel was underway. AND, you will never believe it, but our flat screen TV was hit by lightning yesterday. My poor husband sat quietly in the living room mourning his lost for quite a while yesterday. It's just part of how it works. We have to just be thankful for the blessings that we do have and not worry about what could go wrong next! If you see my husband mourning his lost, please feel free to remind him!:)

Now for my chandelier project! My husband was not very supportive of this project. He feared that this was my secret ploy to just get a grand replacement to match the new kitchen. It sincerely wasn't a plan! I had seen on blogs and research that this was totally possible! My brass chandelier was about to be a beautiful rubbed oil bronze (ORB) color just like my kitchen!

It was not very difficult, and I did it with two children under four underfoot. My small dog did get a bit of spray-paint on his back after being a bit too curious during my project!

Here is what I did...

1. Take down the chandelier. (You must turn off the main power. You also need a second set of hands because it is difficult to unhook the wires and hold the fixture.)

2. Put some sort of plastic or cardboard down to protect the floor where you plan on working on the fixture. I used whatever I could find in the garage! Some people recommend a cardboard box to sit it in while working. I also used something (empty baby wipe box) to prop it up on both sides.

3. Remove anything that comes off. For me this included the light bulbs, the "candle thingies", and such.

4. Tape around the wires to protect them from paint.

5. Lightly sand all the brass.

6. Clean the fixture.

7. Spray-paint with a primer. I used Kilz Spray-paint Primer. Let it Dry. Turn it upside down and repeat. You don't have to be very thorough with your spraying with primer.

8. When it's all dry, spray-paint with your chosen color. I used Rustoleum ORB. It took two cans. After I had let it dry, I went back with a small art brush to get any spots that I might have missed or need some touch up.

9. Pull off tape and add the pieces back that you removed.

10. Hang your "NEW" chandelier back up and enjoy your new look...costs less than twenty dollars!


After:

Hmmm...several questions come to mind. First, can I buy the ORB spray-paint in bulk? (I have a LOT of brass in my house. I really like this color.) Second, what else can I spray-paint?!

I'll keep you posted on what else I can "surprise" Robert and spray-paint!

On a side note, to those of you who have asked...I ordered some more needles for my embroidery machine so I should be up and running by the end of this week...maybe. I still need to get it serviced for its yearly visit, but I think this will help it to "go" a little longer until I get it down to Macon! I'm having an embroidery debate (mostly in my head). I'll share it this week...

Have a great week...and remember when things go wrong, count your blessings...

and admire your "new" chandelier!

Tammy

Rainbow Cupcakes Revealed!

I had to make you wait just one more day...just to build my poor cupcakes up a little bit! The little icing "puffs" are suppose to be a cloud at the end of the rainbow! The recipe suggests icing or whip cream, but I was concerned about allergies at preschool so I went with icing.

TaDa! Rainbow Cupcakes with the goodies that the St.Patty's Day leprechaun left this morning for my girlies at breakfast!

They look pretty, but I have to be honest...they don't taste any different than regular cupcakes and a lot more work was involved. My kids were super excited when they bit in the cupcake and saw the rainbow. That made it totally worth it!

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

If you haven't signed up yet...Don't forget March Giveaway is going on now. Click here to enter. It's easy & quick! No one has guessed it yet, but I am definitely stealing some of your ideas for the future! Keep guessing!

St. Patty's Day Fun

Don't forget March Giveaway is going on now. Click here to enter. It's easy & quick! Plus, I get giddy when I have comments...even if it is bribery!:)

LaLa's teacher requested these "Taste of The Rainbow" cupcakes on Family Fun's site. Now, I am not a baker by any means! My first thought when she said "rainbow cupcakes" was I would just march my happy self to Publix and get a nice baker lady to make some cupcakes with rainbows on it. She might even throw in some rainbow sprinkles. So, I went home and looked up the cupcakes to find a surprise. The batter of the cupcake was the rainbow. Hmm...how would I do that?

I read on to find out that multiple bowls would be involved and mixing of colors and careful layering of batter in little bitty cupcake liners would be involved. On top of this today we had ballet, I flooded my kitchen (forgot to turn off the water...can you say this mama needs a nap?), my Little Bit opened the fridge (so not normal for a 19 month old & is going to start a whole new mess of chaos) and dropped a bottle of syrup which cracked and exploded everywhere. The syrup explosion happened while I was leaving a message for one of LaLa's preschool parents. Yeah, they might think we are off our rocker over here in this house after that message. I have mopped and mopped and mopped and mopped. It's still sticky?!

This chaos seems to be our normal though so we just try to roll with the punches! Determined me (maybe stubborn would be a better word) still went against all odds of this crazy day to make rainbow cupcakes. Uh-oh...only two eggs! I needed one more. Off to Kroger we all go! Okay, so now we're home and I begin again. All my bowls...all my mixing of colors (This would be a great activity to do with a kid to teach color combinations! Not this mama though. I definitely did not have enough patience for the project much less to encourage a little helper on this day!) and I began! I think my oven preheated for over an hour while I meticulously dropped precise numbers of food coloring to make the six colors. For a normal person...in a normal house...with no interruptions, this would not be too difficult. It's a lot of extra work, but they end up looking super cute and unique. I am cautious about giving LaLa a lot of dye though...and these cupcakes definitely have dye in them! On a side note, you also have to use different spoons for each bowl. Yeah, they mess up your colors. It looks pretty with all the bowls...except when they were in the sink to be cleaned!

Then, you take each color (which by the way is the actual order of the rainbow) and layer the cupcake liners. Make sure to spread the batter of each color to the edge. Now, I have been known to be a perfectionist. This drove me crazy a bit. I think a few cupcakes might be missing a few colors because I would run out of batter of a one color by the time I got to the end.

Next, you cook just like the box says for cupcakes. You let them cool, remove the liners to see your amazing rainbows, and ice the top to look like a small cloud (according to the directions found here.) I have to say that their icing cloud was better than mine. However, despite the excess of dishes...despite the distractions...despite the frustration...despite reading the directions over and over...

I am quite proud of the results! I patted myself on the back and went to blog about them!

 I hope LaLa' preschool class enjoys them...

and my family since I stashed the extra to save for tomorrow's dessert and ate two while cleaning up...

and ultimately, I think they will make some proof of how wonderful mommy is fun memories of St. Patty's Day!

Check back tomorrow for the final result of my baking ordeal masterpiece!

"Me & My Peeps"

A friend of mine came up with this idea for a shirt for her little man. She's crafty and creative like that. She is probably the one who buys the most embroidery from me. Yeah, she supports this crazy hobby of mine regularly! I had seen "my peeps" on etsy, but I loved this idea the best!

I even had to go buy some little peeps because I was SOOO inspired...umm.. to eat little marshmallowy bunny rabbits...yum!

I have these spring short sleeve shirts in blue, white, and green.

I have most sizes 12 month-5T.

$12.50 or buy 2 for $22.50

Email drtammy@gilreath.com for orders

Well, I have to go enjoy my 30th (yes, I cringed) birthday dinner & cake with my own little "peeps" who have gotten into my real marshmallow peeps!

Show some Dr. Seuss Love!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

I didn't plan on sharing this today, but since it is a great opportunity to have some fun with your kids, I thought I would go ahead! Check back tomorrow to see what fun my kids and husband had over the weekend!

A lot of kiddos are celebrating Dr. Seuss this week because it's his birthday! Dr. Seuss is just so much fun so I wanted to share some ideas that might inspire you to go a little Dr. Seuss silly too!

LaLa and I made OOBLECK to take to her preschool class. The book, Bartholomew and the OOBLECK, is long, but it has a great message. The king learns that he made a mistake, but there was something he could do to fix his mistake. He could admit it was his fault and say those magic words..."I'm Sorry!" That was right up our alley with what we have been working on it in our house! OOBLECK was super fun to make, but you have to be brave! IF you are not so brave, make it first, and then let them squish their little hands in it!

Recipe for OOBLECK (there are quite a few...here is an easy one)

• 
  
  2 cups corn starch
• 
  
  2 drops of food coloring (I put mine in the water before mixing)
• 
  
  water (add it in a half of a cup at a time and stir. it is usually close to the same amount of starch you put in.)

Other favorite Dr. Seuss things to do with little ones...

1. anything rhyming! You can't help but to rhyme when you read a Dr. Seuss book. It's perfect to teach and master those concepts!

2. have a Dr. Seuss book fest! Grab lots of pillows and snacks, cuddle up, and read your favorites!

3. make a Dr. Seuss hat & teach patterns (red, white, red, white)

4. bake a cake and sing happy birthday!

5. read Green Eggs & Ham. Then, you can eat green eggs and ham. I sent in some to LaLa's class on Monday. I wish I would've taken a picture because it looked so gross! Her teacher said they loved it though!

6. read the Foot Book. Trace your kid's feet, cut them out and use them to measure things. Little Bit didn't get this concept. She just wanted to keep stepping on the paper again...and again...and again.

7. read a Great Day for Up and draw all the things you can think of that can go UP, UP, UP!

8. our last one that we are doing this week is to watch a Dr. Seuss movie for movie night. LaLa's little class is watching Horton Hears a Who! I think we might watch it again that night and make little whos out of pipe cleaners and googly eyes. There are lots of good Dr. Seuss movies out though! My kids learned to jump on the couch from the movie, The Cat in the Hat (thanks Dr. Seuss). PLUS, I didn't realize everyone didn't know this until I told two girlfriends of mine...and they didn't know! They do now and take advantage of it, but BLOCKBUSTER is doing 99 cent family/kid movies. We go on Fridays and get a few for a week. Cheap and easy! There is also a BIG variety!

Great Links...

http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/250.shtml

http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/themes/seuss.html

http://www.seussville.com//university/

Baby Proof with Style!

Of course part of our mama drama with kids is baby proofing. I think every family has to baby proof according to their child's curiosity or ability. Some houses will need minimum baby proofing because their children may not be as adventurous or...umm...let's just say creative. If you follow my blog, you know that my kids fall into the busy, creative, adventurous, and can you believe they thought of that?! category.

Well, if we must baby proof, I think we should definitely do it with some crafty style. I saw these little thingies (technical term) at a boutique a while back. They were nine dollars. Yes, I'm serious. Nine dollars for one. My brain was instantly thinking, "You have gotta be kidding. I can so make that for a lot less."

They are very easy. AND, this was something that was easily versatile for a boy or a girl. In fact, you can switch them out when you need a change. All you need is a hot glue gun (or some strong craft adhesive), little painted, wood item(s) (I found these for .50 to .99 at Michaels), and a box of outlet covers. I obviously went on some sort of bender at one point or another buying these wood animals because I found several of them in my craft closet. The flowers were used to "label" drawers in LaLa's room, and the jungle animals were for some project that I intended but didn't do for the girls' bathroom! We have boxes and boxes of outlet covers. When I was pregnant with Little Bit, I thought I'd save time by registering online at a local Baby superstore. Well, rather than clicking 1 for outlet covers, I accidently clicked 11...too many ones. So, if you have received outlet covers with your baby gift in the past, that is probably why!!

Hmm...now where is my glue gun? I had just collected my materials, and so impressed that I had remembered to snap a picture only to find my glue gun had walked away! Of course, with kids and crafts, you have to look in the unobvious places...Ah ha...there it is...

You just have to put a dab of hot glue or craft adhesive on the back of an outlet cover. Then, push it firmly onto the animal or item. Let it dry completely before you stick it in the outlet. If you get a little anxious and plug it in before it is dry, it will come off the next time you pull out the outlet cover to use your plug in!

It makes a fun difference in boring outlets...

        Before...So boring!

After...with a sweet monkey hiding the outlets...perfect for our jungle themed bathroom.

Before...in LaLa's Charlotte's Web themed room...takes away from her cute grass bordering the wall.

After...I had to keep the outlet cover in the bottom holes because the flower only covered the top one.

I think I could have glued it lower and covered them both...but I'm too lazy to do it again! The flower used to have labels in the center. I found these oval mirrors on clearance for .25 (pack of 3) at Michaels. They fit perfectly in the little flower's center. It would be fun if you had a little toddler pulling up to see himself/herself in flower mirrors around the room. They look like they "fit" mixed in the grass around LaLa's room. She decided on all flowers, one ladybug, and a little frog to cover her outlets.

Hmmm...now, off to do another breathing treatment with LaLa! I think we are all getting better! AND, of course, to enjoy the snow falling in Georgia. Can you believe it?! Snow...twice in one year in the SOUTH! Of course, they closed schools in our county last night because of the chance of snow! If they just say snow in the South, they shut it all down!

I've never done this before, BUT I am going to try to link to DIY day on a Soft Place to Land...Click the link here to check it out and all the fun, creative do it yourself ideas! Plenty to get your crafty, mama brains busy on a snowy, cold day!

Focus on that Crazy Love!

When I was getting my doctorate, one of the first classes that I took had each of us decide on a word or mission statement to get us effectively through the process of school. It was a practice that I thought was silly at first, but it has definitely helped me even after I finished school.

What's the love of your life? Where is your focus? I've decided that's my WORD for 2010 is FOCUS. I am an expert on NOT focusing! Let me just take you into a moment of my brain and my world...I start folding clothes. Then, I think, "ooooh, I need to put out meat to thaw out for dinner." Oh, yeah, while I am getting the meat out of the freezer, I think of this wonderful magazine article that describes ways to organize your freezer. I start moving things around in my freezer and make a list of what I need to buy and find for this project. Oh, no, there was a scream...two little girls are wrestling on the floor for a naked baby doll. I become referee for the moment. Suddenly, I realize that I had left my dryer open and the clothes halfway folded. Some little person has placed handfuls of crayons in the dryer as well, which I notice several hours later that I somehow missed one. Was that the phone ringing or the doorbell? Oh well, back to my chaos. Now, I have towels and a sheet with blue wax melted forever on them. This is the way my days go as a mama. I am a professional, self-proclaimed sidetracked mama or a mama with ADHD. My brain runs so quickly of what to do and what needs to be done. I have so many creative things I want to get accomplished, and I have two little cuties that need full attention. So, my word for the year, my focus, and my mission is FOCUS. Focus on what needs to be accomplished (timers and lists really help me), and FOCUS on what is important! I am working on it diligently, but I am continually reminding myself not to forget!

Our Sunday School group is doing a book study on a book called Crazy Love. (12 dollars at Walmart!) It has just reminded me over and over to FOCUS! It has taken me out of my 360 view, which is quite limited and often very selfish. I feel like I am looking at everything from a bird's eye view...when I step back and FOCUS! My husband is even reading the book! He doesn't care to read (I know, isn't that crazy!), but the book is very reader friendly. I  love my crazy life. I love how much I am learning in this season of my life. I feel like my world as a mama is overflowing with blessings. I'm continually intrigued at how hard mamas work to do it all. I'm intrigued and inspired. It's the same crazy love that mamas have for their children that the author of Crazy Love talks about we should have for Jesus.

Check out this video http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html. It'll help you FOCUS:).

Do you like your husband enough to...

Our dusting of snow is melting in Georgia!

It was a great deal of fun while it was here!

Now, we have no snow & lots of freezing weather!

Goodbye snow!

Hee Hee. You didn't know what I was going to say. I like these husband posts such as this one here. My husband always gets nervous when I write about him. I love it when someone we know comes up to him and asks him a question from something I have written on the blog. See, if he would just read it, then he would know when I wrote about him! Well, I am going to stick to my rule of not writing anything negative about him! However, (again...giggle, giggle) I have to ask, "Do you like your husband enough to....voluntarily spend time with him?"

Yes, I mean a date, and after children it is really...I mean really...difficult to find time to make a date with your husband! Once you add in babysitters, food, planning, and entertainment and so on, you are too tired...and too broke...to really enjoy yourself. Then, you probably sit across from each other talking about your kids! We are all mentally broken. Our minds are short circuited because we become so accustomed to not having dates with one another that when we do...we do not know what to do or how to enjoy it! Now, considering the divorce rate is at 50 percent (that's half...for the non-math people including me!), we have to make ourselves divorce proof! It's way easier to just have the mindset to get through it. However, that seems the quickest way to be living in the same house but going in two different directions.

Part of being a good mama is making sure your marriage is solid...which takes knowing each other and sharing time with one another. This is the hardest part for me in my world. I can focus on my children, but I struggle when I have to focus just on my husband. Where do I find the time? Better yet, where do I find the energy? I do not have the answers, yet I know that it needs to be a priority. If I have extra money...can I just buy something crafty and fun and skip the date. If I have extra time for a date, can I just sleep instead? I am always in need of sleep.

Hmmm...Where are my priorities? Where are yours? When is the last time you have been on a date with your hubby? A real date. You planned it. You looked your best. You focused on each other. Don't ask me...I can't remember! Hopefully, you can! This was one of mine and Robert's New Year's resolutions or family goals...however you want to say it. We did several "date" inspired activities last year in our young married Sunday School class so we knew this was an area we were lacking. We also made finding a babysitter a priority because this is a big deterrent from our date opportunities! Then, I found this blog site. This mom at simply modern mom has made a goal of 52 dates with her husband this year. She even has a nifty section for ideas and a contract. Redbook magazine also featured "Date Nights In" in their most recent issue. Hmmm....is someone trying to tell us something?!;) I was very inpired by the Redbook suggestions because they were date nights that followed all of our rules, yet they were dates that were frugal and did not require actually going out. I think a combination of "date nights in" and special date nights out would be a great scenerio. We altered our plan a bit to incorporate our other marriage resolutions or goals such as being more appreciative of one another and finding creative ways to "express" our love and/or appreciation. It's often easy to forget to appreciate those that are closest to us!

I am trying to consciously make myself find an appreciative comment to my husband...even if he isn't doing it right or as quickly as I would like him to...I need to remember that he is trying! I am trying to focus on us and our relationship...as much as everything else in our world. It really helps that we are alternating planning the dates...that doesn't leave all the planning to one individual. In addition, planning the dates inside rather than not always going out makes you be really creative!

Happy marriage=happy family! I encourage you to make some relationship goals too! Let me know if you have any creative ideas...I can always use them when it's my turn to plan!8)

We are going to have a visitor! He's about 6 inches tall...

Okay, so I have decided to succumb to the Elf fun that I have heard others discuss. Honestly, at first, I thought it was kind of a silly concept. I also thought it would add something else for me to do in my world! However, I decided that I wanted to do a 12 days of Christmas kind of thing with our advent/counting down to Christmas Calendar. In the last twelve days, we will do something with the "Christmas spirit" in mind. I hope that it will be a fun game that will also inspire a better idea of what Christmas is about and build some anticipation of Christmas! I have plans to incorporate the elf fun with our countdown!

From what I understand, I am starting it a little late! I think it will still be a lot of fun, and I figured that it will give the kids a week to get used to the concept before our 12 days start! I could not believe all of the stuff that I have found for this Elf fun!

Our Elf is coming tomorrow! He has his passport ready from the North Pole. He has his letter from Santa explaining that my girls are in charge of the care of this little mischievous elf. They will write a secret report to Santa on what they all did during his stay. They will creatively take care of him, and each day our little Elf will be discovered in a different part of our house and into some sort of trouble! The Elf is also coming with a little notebook (a small version of a trapper keeper-remember those!-in reality, it is a recycled velcro day planner!) to keep their recordings of the Elf's mishap!

I asked my husband his suggestion for a name for our little Elf. Well, now our little Elf is named, LEEROY. Yep, that is what he chose! I'll share pictures of some of our Elf fun this week!

Here are some great resources if you want to make your own Elf Fun!
Santa and his elves-fun site for kids
Elf on the Shelf-same concept...different angle (author graduated from my alma mater)
Cute plush elf doll (I just used a mini Santa shelf sitter that I actually bought after Christmas last year)
An abundance of great ideas: printable passport, letter, report, etc.
Message Board (Yes, I'm serious! of elf suggestions and ideas and so much more!)

Let me know if you try out Elf fun this year or if you have done it in the past! I'd love to hear ideas! Our Elf is about to go leave sticky notes all over the house of places he visited and checked out during his first night. He is leaving paper punched Christmas trees lying around the house making a trail to various places! I'm not sure how much my one year old and three year old will understand the idea...but we shall see!:)


Mama Drama Rule #84: Imagination always begins with a little magic!

Ideas to Countdown to Christmas!

Hmm...21 days and counting. It's so funny to me that when I was little, I felt like waiting for Christmas lasted an eternity! Now, I am making list on top of list and still can't seem to find enough time. I'm trying to remember that child-like feeling and anticipation so my kids do not feel the adult stress and anxiety that can come with the holidays! When I feel like we are constantly looking for this and that for holiday parties, programs, and events...not to mention that last minute gift check list and menu, I try to take a deep breath and look at the holidays and the moment through my children's eyes. Then, the excitement can be absolutely contagious.

Our favorite thing to do right now is counting down the days to Christmas. LaLa brought home this cute paper chain counting down the days until Christmas from Preschool. Of course, Little Bit constantly grabs at it and takes off! We also have this little house that has a little drawer for each of the 25 days! I haven't figured out the PERFECT item to put inside the drawers, but for now, I'm using candy (yes, halloween candy that was left over) in each little section! I tell my girls that they appear in the mornings only after they go to bed! It makes them fall asleep just a little quicker! Plus, it reinforces counting and number recognition!

Here are seven fun ideas that we liked or have planned to do to enjoy each and every day during the holidays...and to count down the day until Jesus' birth!

1.  Advent Activities: recipes, activities, crafts and more for each and every day!

2.  Countdown Chain: Make a simple paper link chain special by numbering the strips from 1 to 24. Write a special message or event on each link before you stick them together in order. I used to do this when I was a classroom teacher. I was so excited when LaLa brought one home! We are working on her writing her name smaller (she writes it BIG now). So, each day, she takes off a link and writes her name on the broken link. It provides her a limited space to practice those fine motor skills! It's part of the "game" of counting down so she never questions the activity as "work"!

3.  Twelve gifts of Christmas: wrap 12 gifts from the dollar store...or here's an idea (saved happy meal prizes). It really doesn't matter what it is...it's the mystery and the opportunity to unwrap them! Wrap each one and place a number on it. Each day, the child looks for the appropriate number and gets a treat! It extends the gift fun that is usually limited for morning of Christmas!

4.  Make your own calendar and place a note behind each number counting down the days until Christmas. Some of the notes could have jokes, riddles, an errand, or a 'treasure' hunt to find something in the house! This would be great for new readers!

5.  Coloring sheets for the 12 days of Christmas-so cute

6.  More coloring sheets with the words to the song

7.  For older kids-Several activities from crossword puzzles, vocabulary & wordsearch, etc.

Mama Drama #83: We should all countdown to the day that we celebrate Jesus' birth! Our kids and family will know just how wonderful of an event it is if we are excited and looking forward to it!

Little Bit tried to eat Baby Jesus!

Have you tried explaining to little ones about Baby Jesus being born in a manger? I have the cutest little Fisher Price Little People Manger Set....see, I'm getting to be a smarter mama...they can't break it! I'm also learning that with little ones...I just can't have those beautiful glass (BREAKABLE) ornaments out and the detailed (BREAKABLE) nativity scene we used to put out BC (before children)! Our Christmas tree is decorated half way down (to avoid our active one year old pulling off ornaments)! In addition, I have wonderful memories of setting up our manger with my little brother as we were kids. I want my kids to be able to manipulate it and play with it, make a lot of memories, but still fully respect and understand the meaning behind it. I bought ours years ago before they had this deluxe version, but it is a wonderful, tough little nativity scene that I would definitely recommend!

LaLa is finally getting where she understands the concept of Santa and Baby Jesus and everything Christmas. Remember teachable moments?! This was a perfect one. I wish there were more child-friendly Christmas centered kind of concepts that we could use! As we were putting it out piece by piece tonight, we talked about the three wise men, what a manger was, why Jesus was born there instead of the inn, what an inn was, why Jesus came to Earth, etc.

When you push the angel on the top of the manger, it sings Away in the Manger. Of course, we had to sing along with the angel. When the song says, "no crib for a bed," LaLa just could not understand this part because Jesus is lying in a "crib"-like thing in our manger. I explained (I thought well and simply) that it was what the animals ate out of, but that is all they had for Baby Jesus in the manger. As she put out the animals around the manger scene, she insisted that all the camels, the sheep, the horses, etc. were far away from the manger, which I thought was kind of odd. However, out of desperation that it was way past bath and bedtime, I just accepted her way and moved on with the task at hand. Little Bit sat intently the majority of the time and watched us. Periodically, she would point to baby Jesus and say, "baby". Little Bit would say, "no, that's baby Jesus."

Finally, our manger scene was all set up. I started to gather the girls up to go upstairs for baths and beds only to find Little Bit over by the manger scene with baby Jesus in her mouth. LaLa squealed her dramatic, ear-piercing scream followed by, "Nooooooooo, stoooop, you're eating BABY JEEEESUUUUS!" and snatched it away. She continued to coddle and rock this little baby Jesus figure saying..."I know your mommy had to put you in the animal's food because you didn't have a bed. BUT I put all of the animals far, far away so they wouldn't eat you in their food bowl. I should have put Little Bit far, far away too because now she's ate our baby Jesus. Mommy, maybe you should put our manger up higher before she gets a chance to take a bigger bite next time."

I thought it was even funnier that on amazon they have replacement baby Jesus'....just in case....I bookmarked it:).

Other nativity scene ideas and crafts:
homemade nativity scenes
Fisher Price's little people nativity set (also at Walmart...a bit cheaper)
Coloring Sheets of baby Jesus in Manger
Nativity Scene coloring sheets
Wonderful Site with lots of great ideas...nativity
Story of Baby Jesus...in Child-friendly language (This is a favorite site of mine that I use often with our little awana group at church)

Mama Drama Rule #82: Children are never too young to understand the special gift that God gave us!