Easy Valentine Craft

Got this super cute idea from No Time for Flashcards, one of my favorite places for ideas. Monkey had a play date today so this is what the girls did. They are two very independent little girls, so I let them free with basically all aspects of the craft and they turned out adorable! I was going purely by memory so I forgot the mouth! Whoops..

Oh, and suprisingly, I found the heart doilies at Wal-Mart in the craft section, near the Wilton cake stuff.

You can get the step-by-step instructions here.

25 Random Things about Me...

Trina posted this and I'm totally game, so here goes!

25. I've never had a broken bone or stitches or anything like that. 24. I used to have an eyebrow piercing.. whhhhaaaat. lol
23. I don't want to even be in the same room as mayonaise.
22. My two favorite numbers are 75 and 90. As in % OFF! ahh yehh :).
21. When I was little and it was yard work day, I hated it. I prefered to be inside organizing. Go figure. I compulsively organized my dad's tape collection and the tupperware cabinet.
20. I was a legal assistant for 5 years WITHOUT college.. ;)
19. I first kissed my hubbie when I was 14 years old.
18. I love the smell of burning leaves, burning trash, even gasoline...lol
17. I very rarely remember my dreams....
16. ...Except for a recurring dream I had as a kid about the dude from Beetlejuice and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I dreamed he was after me. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was arrested for doing not nice things to children. CREEEPY.
15. As a rule, my house is clean and tidy, but for the life of me, I cannot keep my vehicle clean...inside or out.
14. Two pushes and my daughter was here :)
13. I was sick EVERY DAY of my pregnancy even down to the last hour or so during labor. I mean, sickety-sick, sick.
12. I'm pretty good under stress and pressure and if I have a meltdown, it's usually waaay before the actual event takes place.
11. Anytime something or someone won't die in a movie, no matter what they try to do, it completely freaks me out. I can't breathe.
10. If a song is too sad, I won't listen to it. It goes on my mental "no-no" list. Seriously. I will leave a store if its playing and it's on 'my list'. Like the time Home by Michael Buble was playing in Hallmark? I like ran out of there. If I don't, it will be in my head for weeks and I'll be really down.
9. I can be really weird with pain. Like when I got my nose ring or my ears pierced.. I needed to be told it was all over, because I didn't know.. and I thought my tattoos hurt worse than giving birth. I know the contractions hurt, but I was still thinking, this is it?
8. I've never had steak and I. don't. want. to. I associate big hunks of red meat with cows and flies and hair. Ew. IF I have a hamburger, I want it so thin you can see through it, lol.
7. Almost every other sentence to my daughter is "I love you". My husband and I are the same way. We tell each other we love each other even if I'm just running to the store or he hops in the shower. I love it.
6. I am deathly afraid of knives and I won't use 'em. If it can't be cut with scissors or chopped or processed, etc., I'm not cooking it.
5. I am very particular with the way I organize my daughter's toys. Blocks go with blocks, dress up stuff with dress up stuff and so on.. Toys thrown in a toy box would keep me up at night. Seriously.
4. I do not like blatant copy cats. Makes me furious. I wish I could take it as flattery, but I just can't. ugh..
3. I've said this before on my old blog, but you can gauge my mood by my toes. If I'm scared, I crunch 'em. If I'm uncomfortable, they are up in the air. Man, am I weird or what, lol.
2. I am obsessed with vintage homemaking. The cocktail dresses, house dresses, dinner parties.. just the pride women had in homemaking and entertaining.. I collect vintage cookbooks and home magazines and I have vintage ads in my laundry room and sometimes I wish it were those days again and women were expected to do those things..
1. I love my name.

Hehe, now that you know all my weirdo quirks, it's your turn!

Thrifty Valentine Decor.. yet again!

This is so easy, I can't believe it! I picked up some dollar store candles, red gems (Wal-Mart), scrapbook paper and glitter 'foamie' stickers at Michaels. There really isn't a great Valentine paper selection to choose from, so I went for matching my kitchen decor, which is damask. Also, I found the tray at Goodwill, originally a light oak color with some circa 1989 ducks on it and PROMPTLY spray painted it black... hehe...

Check out the cost:

Gems: $2.50

Candles: $3.00 (all)

Tray: 50 cents

Scrap Paper: 30 cents

Stickers: $1.00

I cut strips of paper and wrapped them around (think paper chain activity from back in school) and taped them with double-sided tape. You could even use regular tape or hot glue it down. Next I positioned my stickers, put the candles on the tray and poured the gems on the tray...I used the whole bag.

This is so easy and festive! Come on, February, Mommy's ready!

Attention Rub-On-aholics...

Are you like me and have an unnatural obsession love rub-ons? Our Big Lots has them for A DOLLAR. They were in the photo album aisle! They had ones that were even better than Hobby Lobby and Michael's selections, if you can believe that! They also had scrapbook paper pads for $2 and $5, as opposed to the ones I eyeball at Michaels for $15.. so go check it out!

Wordless Wednesday...

Obviously from New Years, this is my favorite picture of hubbie of all time. I love the face here. I know this face. This is the "I can't believe I am doing this, you'd better not blog or myspace this moment, but I'll do anything to make my girls laugh" face.

We've been married 7 years this April, and of all the places to be on New Years Eve, at the kitchen table as a family is by far the best way we have ever spent it. I love it when my "Big, Bad Marine's softer side" is captured on camera. Ok, I'm officially gonna get it now if he reads this.. ;)

(I sure do love you, I love our family and the family man you have become. Nearly 10 years together, two tours in Iraq and not too proud to wear pink...)

Wow, am I getting super sentimental this week or what? sniff.

A peak into our classroom..

slash craftroom. slash storage.. slash third bedroom ;)

Slowly but surely, I have been working on a creative haven for my little monkey and I to "get our craft on" and we are loving it!

I'll be posting more about this, including places to score CHEAP learning tools and activities, the best blogs to follow for teaching a toddler, and so much more...

I feel so passionately about this, so I look forward to everyone sharing! In the meantime, check out my old blog, Memories at Home, where I posted similiar things like Toddler Time, and Teaching in the Home. I'll also be working on a Mr. Linky for this site and can't wait for us to share our ideas and tips!

Just a note: if you followed my old blog.. here's the deal in a nutshell. I had not planned to neglect it. I went on vacation only to come home to find I had a major copycat on my hands. It. was. bad. Hurt and frustrated, it completely took the fun out of blogging for me. I took a small break only to realize I could no longer access the blog. (still can't...) So, if you followed Memories at Home, thank you for becoming a part of mommy has a blog... I have so many ideas and am so excited!

It's Official...

My "baby" girl is TWO. How did this happen?

It seems like it was just yesterday I was giving my husband the news we had waited for for nearly 5 years. It seems like yesterday I was patting and singing to my belly, while she was cozy and warm inside, waiting to meet the world. It seems like just yesterday I saw those big, beautiful eyes (before the rest of her little body) as she made her grand entrance... It seems like just yesterday I was rocking my daughter to sleep and checking every five seconds to make sure she was breathing and that this little wonder was really mine.

Some things haven't changed a bit, but others.. well, before the tears come flooding, I'll just say God has blessed me more than words can describe and I still can't believe she's really mine.

Happy 2nd birthday Ella Beth. You make me smile when I don't feel like it. You make me happy with just a glance of those big, beautiful eyes. You have made your daddy and I, and our home, blissfully happy. All the dreams and thoughts I had as I dreamed of your arrival are nothing in comparison to what you have done to my life and my soul. Mommy loves you more.

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

With there being a weekend behind us, it's only natural there would be beau coups of things my monkey has said that leave my husband and I speechless.

With each passing day she's only picking up speed in the speech department and it just goes to show she really does absorb more than we think by watching mommy and daddy.

Saturday went a little something like this:

Daddy: "Monkey, you need to clean up your toys before we go bye-bye. Put all your toys back in the basket."

Ella Beth (a/k/a "Monkey") just sits there for a minute and studies the mess and studies her daddy...

Daddy: "Monkey, put you toys in the basket."

Ella Beth: "It's not a basket Daddy, it's a TUB!"

Hmmm....

Yesterday we were eating dinner at Mi-Mi's and I ask her if it was hot. She looks me straight in the eye and says, "No mommy, it's warm."

Sheesh.

Oh, and let's not forget the stray kitty I forgot to tell you about last week. This kitten comes up and is perusing my vehicle. Ella Beth starts yelling at the poor thing, saying, "No, no, kitty- that's mommy's car and it's naaaasssty!".. gives a whole new spin to "Wash Me" on the back of a window! :)

Swagbucks.com

I wanted to take a quick second to tell you about Swagbucks.com. It is super easy. Use it instead of your normal search engine, such as Google.com, or Yahoo.com, and earn points to get prizes.

Say you are searching online for recipes. Instead of "google-ing" 'recipes', simply search through Swagbucks.com, and earn points! That's ALL there is to it! No strings, nothing annoying, no spam, etc.

I use it exclusively and sometimes earn one or up to five points PER search. I have only been using it for a little over a month and if I wanted to cash in right now, here are just some of the things I could get:

- $10 Barnes and Noble Gift Card
- $15 i-Tunes Gift Card
- A variety of concert merchandise, Play Station 2 memory card, controllers, and games, tons of DVDS, Target, Macy's, and Disney.com gift cards.. I could keep going!

(I am saving my points for a Wii Fit..hehe..)

Oh, and so I don't forget it about using it, I changed my homepage to Swagbucks.com. You will love it!

Frugal Fridays

I'm an avid thrift store shopper and garage sale junkie, but I had yet to shop at Goodwill until this week. Whoa. I scored two awesome finds and it's officially now my go-to for crafting!

See this candle? (not the dust, the candle..groan..) Got it at Hobby Lobby a while back.. probably paid too much considering I found this little beauty for a quarter!

See this styro tree I just had to have for a craft I haven't even gotten around to doing yet?

Got this one for... you guessed it.. A QUARTER.

In addition to these, monkey and I picked up some cute pails to hold markers, etc., in our craft/classroom, and unopened glitter for... umm. yeah. a quarter :)

Feelin' frugal? Head on over to Biblical Womanhood and share!

New Veggie Tales Movie

The Gospel Music Channel is promoting the premiere of "Abe and the Amazing Promise", the newest Veggie Tales movie, which is set to air on Saturday, February 7th, at 9am and again at 2pm Eastern Time. AND... leading up to the premiere there will be a 2 week run of all the classic Veggie Tales cartoons every morning at 9am (ET) starting Monday, January 26th!

We are huge Veggie Tale fans in this house so I thought I'd spread the word.. I will be definitely setting the DVR!

Quick, Easy, and Beautiful Gift Idea

I made this for my mom's birthday, but I have one of my own as well. I found this (very) large glass container in the "kitchen stuff" section at Wal-Mart, as well as the scoop, filled it with yummy smelling laundry detergent, and made a bow out of wired ribbon (the best in my opinion), looped the scoop through, and viola! A chic, affordable gift that you don't see everyday!

Oh, My.

It's 10:40 p.m., here in Texas. The house is quiet. I'm the only one up, catching up on my blogs... and this is what I hear coming from my two-year old's room:

"Noooooo, mommy, I DOOOOOO IIIIT!!!"

Even in her sleep, she is THE Little Miss Independent.

Valentine's Decor..Inside and Out!

Little by little I'm decorating for Valentine's Day.. and I finally got the "go-ahead" for the outside ;) I'm curious, do you go all out for Valentine's Day? I never have before, but this year I've been bitten by the decor love bug!

I'd love to see what you do!

Wordless Wednesday...

Holy Rub-Ons, Batman!

I've jumped on the "rub-on" bandwagon, and if you haven't yet, YOU NEED TO DO SO! This has got to be the easist thing I have ever done. Go to Hobby Lobby or Michaels or any scrapbooking store and pick these up! (I mean, RUN, don't walk, and I promise you'll thank me!) Every time I see the things I've made I feel so proud, creative, and chic like I totally know what I'm doing. Anything I can do to spruce up these wood-paneling-not allowed to paint-walls. groan.

These rub-ons can be found in the sticker aisle, they look just like stickers, only usually in small print they say "rub-ons" (derrrr...). Follow the instructions, but basically, in a nutshell, you just rub 'em on (double derrr ;) ). I found the damask plate at Dollar Tree, did a little rub rub, and finished with a ruby rhinestone. It's definitely my favorite piece in my home!

I found this plate at Hobby Lobby in the ceramics section. A little pricier, but you can thread ribbon through the holes and hang. Definitely worth it.

They have many different options to choose from and you can use them on almost anything! I am in love. (again.)

P.S. I think my little monkey's fingers found their way to my camera. Hence the smudgey-pics. Hmmm...

Hmmm...

My not-quite-yet two year old informs me this morning with keys and play money in hand, that she's "going shopping", but first she "needs to get gas"....

I think we'll be staying home today ;)

Help a sista out!

Everyone wants a cute blog layout, right? But, you don't wanna pay an arm and leg for blog candy? Well, I'm sure you have heard of Cutest Blog on the Block... not only are the layouts absolutely adorable, but they are FREE! Lately, they have been having major troubles with their server. (I know this because I want one of their layouts some kinda bad and I keep checking the site, only to see that it's continually down.) So, this morning I checked it again to find that, with no hope in sight, they have to change servers. This costs them money.. so because they offer these layouts to us for free, could you take a quick minute to donate $1 to help with the costs? I did and I think it's the least we can do to say "thanks" for this free service she offers. Thanks girls!

Here's the link: Cutest Blog on the Block

Valentine's Day Decor

My husband has given me "permission" to start decorating the inside (only.) for Valentine's Day. Holiday after holiday I stock up on clearance decor, so I guess you could say I'm a little excited to get started on the next occasion. So, because Valentine's Day is still a good month away, he finally gave in to me doing the inside, so we don't look like total nuts ;)

I have been in love with the idea of glass jar decorating for quite some time and I finally found jars at T. J. Maxx super cheap. The ones I chose ranged from $3.00 to $5.00. Wow, I know.

Here's what I did: (Keep in mind, I'm not exactly a genius with the camera, so pardon the glare and multiple repositioning...)

Where have I been? I didn't even know they made Valentine candy corns! I was going to use conversation hearts, and I still might, but I thought these were pretty unique.

Notice my oh-so-cute placemats? Thank you, Target dollar bins!

Check out what other ideas I've come across here, here, and here. I ADORE this!

Watch those Christmas Markdowns!

I found these Christmas wreaths marked down like 80% at T.J. Maxx. Not bad for a buck a piece. Upon closer inspection and with a spark of creativity I thought, "hey, these would be perfect for Valentine's Day!"

So, I took these bad boys home and removed all the snowflakes. I'm thinkin' a little ribbon, a little sumphin, sumphin. We'll see... I'll be sure and post what I come up with.. Sure beats the Valentine's Day wreaths I'd been eyeballing at Michaels for $30.00!

Oh, Muffin Tin, How I Love Thee...

First, you separated stickers, pom-poms and googly-eyes for crafts, and then sprinkles for decorating cupcakes... Your possibilities are endless and you make clean up a breeze...

And then you go and make my family think I'm a whiz in the kitchen. Seriously, I love you.

PSST.. Check out how to make these amazing pop-up pancakes here. So easy!