Katie's Nesting Spot

Udi's Gluten Free Foods Review

2012-02-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

There isn't anyone in our household who requires a gluten free diet, however we do have relatives and friends who do. In addtion, when I was still in the classroom I had a number of students on a gluten free diet and would be asked for gluten free food recommendations by their parents. I didn't have a lot of experience with gluten free foods at the time, so I was interested when the opportunity to try several of Udi's Gluten Free Foods came my way.

We were sent a box with a very generous sampling of Udi's Gluten Free Foods. Everything was packaged so nicely. We dug right into the box.

Here's what we found inside, from top to bottom & left to right:

Pizza Crust 2 Pack

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Blueberry Muffins

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Whole Grain Bread Loaf

It was really fun tasting all the different goodies that got sent us. I don't think I'd ever had a gluten free product before these. I wasn't expecting them to taste exactly like their non special diet version counter parts and tried to go in with an open mind. But it can be hard not to compare them to the things were are used too. Some were bigger hits that others and I'd like to highlight our two favorites.

Overall, I thought the Blueberry Muffins tasted the most like their regular non gluten free versions. I enjoyed them very much and ate them right out of the box, nothing added to them. They made a great breakfast and were so good I'd find myself wanting another later for a snack. They were a good sized portion, very filling, with a satisfying blueberry taste. There are several yummy sounding muffin flavors available and I'm pretty sure I'd like each one but the Chocolate I'd really be interested in!

Available in packages of 4 with a suggest retail price of $6.

My five year old's favorites were the hands down the Snickerdoodle Cookies. Soft and chewy with a bit of crunch from the cinnamon these went really quickly. She wanted one, every time she got pick a treat and if I see them on sale I would buy her another container of them. She was quite diappointed when they were gone. Also good enough to make us want to try more of their cookie flavors.

Available in 8 oz packages with a suggested retail of $5.

The Rest of the Story:

In the interest of a complete review, I have to say, one sample we really didn't care for was the Whole Grain Loaf Bread, not liking the taste or texture. I tried it on it's own as toast and as part of a sandwich, thinking that with other ingredients the difference from our regluar bread might not be as noticiable but I really couldn't find a way to make it palatable. The bagels we found acceptable.

I will note that we had some neighbors who eat gluten free try both the bread and bagels and they liked both versions. They said that versus other gluten free brands they were pretty good and plan to look for them at the locations they are carried near our home. It would seem that opinions can vary depending on your familiarity with gluten free foods in general.

The Bottom Line:

Would I purchase these for my household, considering we do not have any gluten free dietary concerns?

Probably not. Even though we did enjoy their baked good treats, they are higher priced as a specialty food. However, I would recommend the muffins and cookies to people looking to have a gluten free diet. They were each tasty and a good way for people with dietary restrictions to indulge. I'd also suggest trying the pizza crusts two packs, as a good base for make at home pizza.

Like most things, I think gluten free alternatives are something your taste buds adapt to. If I was eating them all the time I can easily see how one would grow to like them quite a bit. The slight price difference I could overlook as a trade off for being able to eat gluten free versions of my favorite foods. I know that as a diabetic I sometimes have to pay more for versions of food that work within my meal plans and don't mind one bit as I know it will help my health in the long run.

Find out where Udi's Gluten Free Foods are available locally, with their store locator. They can also now be found at 150 Walmarts. Look for Udi's soft white bread, soft whole grain bread, plain bagels, chocolate chip cookies, and pizza crust in the bakery department.

Connect with Udi Gluten Free Foods

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Disclosure: Complimentary samples were provided for this review, no other compensation was received. The experiences and opinions expressed within are personal and unbiased.

Win a $25 Kroger Gift Card: Kroger's Cart Buster Saving Event is Back Feb 26th

2012-02-24T00:30:00.000-05:00

Kroger's Cart Buster Savings Event is coming back! Beginning the week of February 26th, 2012, shop the Kroger Co. Family of Stores biggest-ever promotion and find the hottest prices around on more than 35 brands, across more than 60 categories from General Mills, P&G, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft and Kroger Banner Brands. During the Cart Buster Savings Event, you´ll find great savings in almost every department at the Kroger Family of Stores.

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Cheerios

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Yoplait

Progresso

Totino´s

Green Giant

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Charmin

Bounty

Pampers

Pantene

Crest

Iams

Febreze

Old Spice

Bounce

Pepsi

Ruffles

Quaker

Tostito´s

Rice A Roni

Tropicana

Stacy´s

Sobe

Mountain Dew

Gatorade

For even more savings, visit CartBuster.com beginning 2/26/12 to find money-savings digital coupons, shopping lists and more. And starting 2/29/12 you can participate in the "Deal of the Day"! Here is how the Deal of the Day works?

During seven days of the Cart Buster Savings Event, 2/29/12 - 3/6/12, there will be a super hot, exclusive offer good on one participating Cart Buster item. Each offer will be exclusive and available for one-day only - but the offer will be good for the duration of the entire event.
You´ll see savings of up to and over 50% with the Deal of the Day offers - maybe even some freebies - and that´s on top of the already-low, low prices that Cart Buster has to offer!
Look for seven days of "Deal of the Day offers" beginning 2/29/12. The Last Deal of the Day offer will be up on 3/6/12. But don´t fret - the Cart Buster event will continue even after the Deal of the Day ends. Check your local store for the exact end date for the Cart Buster Savings Event.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Crafty Soiree #78

2012-02-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I always feel like St. Patrick's Day gets a little overlooked by the crafting world. A lot of us seem to skip right over it going from Valentine's Day and straight to Easter. This is especially easy to do when Easter is early. Here are three fun projects linked up last week that might make you feel a little greener!

Subway Art from Pocket Full of Pink

Pinched Free Printable Kit from I Should Be Mopping the Floor

Folksy Scandinavian design inspired St. Patrick's Day decor from The...Late, Young Family
And since we've upsized our features to five each week, here are two more projects with different ways to personalized your home.

Revamped Coat Hanger with Chalkboard Labels from Destination Craft

Stenciled Initial Canvases from A Glimpse Inside

Party Guidelines

1. Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).

2. Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL.

3. Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.

4. Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All partygoers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

5. Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.

Let's Party!

And before you, don't forget to enter my YCMT Pattern Bundle Giveaway, you have until Thursday Midnight EST & it's open to readers worldwide :) PLUS I have another giveaway starting tomorrow and here's a hint...it will help you go "Krogering" so c'mon back for that!

I Heart You Lip Balm Labels

2012-02-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

This probably never happens to you, but I bought a set of cute Christmas lip balms for ER to give my friend Margaret's two daughters. Then I temporarily misplaced them until they were rediscovered while cleaning out the office last week. I didn't want to hold on to them for a year, so I made these cute little graphics and printed them out onto Avery Sticker Project Paper. Peel and stick right over the Santa Claus and Elves on the lip balms and no ones the wiser :)

Here is a better look at the label

Credits: Litabells Design (You and I Kit): Pink Ribbon, Meredith Cardall Designs (Love is in the Air Kit) Blue & Green String, Blue & Green Flags, Heart, Kristen CB Designs (Love is in the Air Kit) blue rick rack, WM[Squared] (Crazy Love - Mini): I Heart You Word Art, heart paper

Project Life: Week 6

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

After missing last week, did you think I'd fallen off the Project Life bandwagon? No way! I just had a major snafu with the online photo development at Meijers. I do not recommend using them, the colors came out way too dark and the photos were all grainy. They reprinted them but their quality still left a lot to be desired, all together a really terrible experience and it's not like they are even very cheap.

I tried them because I had hoped to save myself a weekly trip to Costco or the ink it would take to print at home. With the time it took to go there twice, because of course I didn't think to check their quality at the store, I would've been too rushed to try and finish the pages in time for last Tuesday. As it is, I ended up reprinting them again at Costco to finally have prints of good enough quality for my pages.

From now on I will be posting a week behind, which I've decided will actually be a lot better for me. Then I won't feel like I'm under pressure to get the last photo taken on Saturday, put everything together in time for Tuesday, and get the the actual pages photographed and edited. You've probably notice I edit out a lot of personal details and any neighbor's for privacy.

I'm not like some Project Lifer's who work a little bit at a time all week long. I need to have all my photos at once so I can figure out what I want to use and where to put it. I do upload photos almost daily and journal ahead of time, so it's really just laying things out I do all at once but it can still take longer than expected and be time intensive at the beginning of the week...time I do not always have.

Now that I've got that off my chest, here's a closer look at the week. I've incorporated some digital frames & titles (all freebies: frames from karenika and photo template from paislee press) as well as some journaling directly onto the photos. I love how it looks and know I'll be doing that a lot more in the future. It also frees up more space for including photos and other fun stuff in the bottom pockets, another look I love, like the pictures of two art projects ER brought home that are way too big for including in an insert. I learned how to include the Facebook status update about playing peek a boo with LB in his carrier on Theresa Marie's blog.

I tried my hand at stamping, and broke out a little alphabet set I got for just a dollar at Michael's. I've always liked the look of stamping but never had the patience to learn all the techniques. Stamping the titles was a fun way to get the look without a whole lot of effort.

Just be sure to clean your stamps between colors and don't try shortcuts and just wipe off like I did. The reddish bits on the green art tags don't bother me because of the red in the tag, I kinda like it. But there will be times I'll want it to be cleaner. I was at Archiver's cropping last weekend and an employee suggested a baby wipe. It worked really well; even cleaned up some ink from previous weeks on my date stamp. She said that should be a fine way to get the job done with my cheapy sets that weren't a big investment.

The little recap tags with bulleted journaling for each day are also something I tried for the first time. Normally I have a lot I want to write, because the stories behind the photos has always been my main focus for scrapbooking. But even I have times when there isn't a lot to add.

For the one longer story I wanted to include I did an 8.5X11 scrapbook page insert. The digital recipe card is from the Holiday Recipe Collection from Shabby Princess, it's one freebie that I've used time and time again.

On the other side of the inert I put LB's immunization record from his 6 month well baby visit on the 9th, matting it so there would be more contrast between it and the growth progress sheets I also included. I cut those down, stapled, and matted the last one on cardstock. They ended up being about half the height of the record sheet. Using a dry erase marker, I marked the height and drew a line with a ruler across the protector. Then I slid a self healing mat into the protector and cut along the line with an exacto knife and ruler. The opening is slightly wider than the growth chart sheets. To prevent the cut from ripping open further, I used a hole reinforcer over each end. Now both inserts are easily accessible.

Linking up to The Mom Creative and One Happy Mama.

February's Take Twelve

2012-02-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Happy President's Day! We are enjoying a four day weekend. I hope you are getting a little break too, while we remember and are thankful for the father of our nation and all the men who have led our country, for better or worse. Regardless of party lines, I am grateful for the men & women who dedicate their lives to public office and law making. It's a thankless job, with so many critics one can never hope to make everyone happy. With that being said, now back to our regularly scheduled postings...

I have some exciting news, my January Take Twelve was featured on this month's post on Ella Publishing's blog!!!! I was so thrilled to see it up there, very fun for me as I love Elizabeth Dillow. I've even got her book, The Scrapbooker's Almanac so knowing she saw one of my layouts is very cool!

I am running a little late with my monthly layout for Take Twelve, which is okay because unlike some participants mine is not made up of photos literally taken on the 12th of each month. Since I am also doing Project Life, I decided that 12 photos revolving around the monthly theme from the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit is how I'll be participating. Although, I wouldn't rule out a month where I will take all 12 on the 12th.

Here is a closer look at the leftside of the page, I used number 4 from the Take Twelve Templates. The kit is Letters of Love Mini Kit from Sara Schmultz. The blue polka dot and red hearts on each side are made from part of the bingo card. To make them, I {badly} extracted the heart. The edges are pretty rough but since the hearts are small I don't think you can tell that much.

The cursive "love" and "hug" on the layouts are from the kit Well Written Set One, a freebie I got from Simply Tiffany Design, during one of the designer blog hops through Design House Digital. The originals are really cute quotes but I only needed the word so I erased the rest of the text.
The Journaling Reads:

No matter where you look in February, pink and red are everywhere all month long! From the clothes we wear - even on LB, to the treats we eat! {12 in 2012}

From Top to Bottom Left to Right:
Lunch at Mongolian BBQ with our friends
Valentines on the mantle
Star Wars Lego book from Daddy
LB’s 1st Valentine package
ER’s drawing of the family for Daddy’s card.

Right Page:
ER writing her classroom Valentines
Chocolate cake - okay not the right colors but with a
big frosted heart in coffee flavored icing, yum!
M&Ms from Grammy & Papa in a bowl
Favorite decoration, a felt countdown I made
LB’s 1st Valentine onesie
ER at her kindergarten party, making a glitter heart
Newest decoration, a wood block with vinyl.

Disney Junior unveils new toy line at Toy Fair 2012

2012-02-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, we love our Disney Junior and when I got sent a link to this video from one of my Disney contacts, I enjoyed it so much I thought other Disney fanatics might like it too. It was so fun seeing the new toys inspired by some of the most popular series.

I can already imagine ~~Brad~~ the kids playing with that pirate ship from "Jake and the Never Land Pirates". I love that Sharon Osbourne the voice of Mama Hook is planning on taking some of the toys home to her son Jack. Isn't she just perfect for Captain Hook's mum?

After getting a couple of glimpses of the toys, I'm also excited to see the new show "Doc McStuffins". I think ER is going to like that a lot! That show's premiere is Friday, March 23rd, we'll be tuning in!

Our Valentine's Day Cards

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Did you make any Valentine's this year? As I mentioned earlier in the week, ER had her heart set on Disney Fairy cards for her classmates but she did make a special card for Daddy.

She drew this picture of our family. From left to right that's her, me, LB, and guess who's all in pink? Ha, ha, why it's Daddy of course! I wasn't sure why she did him in that color, until she rolled her eyes and told me, "Pink is for Valentine's Day, Mommy!"

I made a baby sized mini card for LB, inside it says "We're Nuts and Bolts for You". The envelope was cut with my Wild Card cartridge, which is kind of a waste if your machine only cuts 6X12. The envelopes can only be cut in itty bitty sizes, which means if you want the card to fit inside they have to be even smaller.

I also used the cartridge to cut a large heart shaped card and the heart embellishments twice, once each out of light and dark purple. Since I didn't plan to use an envelope, these I could cut as large as 5.5 inches. The letters are all cut with my Sizzlets Alphabet Fruit Smoothie, which was time consuming but worth it.

When Brad gave her the glittery princess card he bought I thought oh great mine is going to look plain jane next to it. But ER was so excited and loved the fancy pop up hearts, guess she really is my kid, with an appreciation for handmade ♥ The sentiment is a play on the song we sing every night before bed, to the tune of "You Are My Sunshine," only it's, "Sweetheart," instead of, "Sunshine," because one night several years ago ER corrected me saying, "But I'm your sweetheart, NOT your sunshine."

A Crafty Soiree #77

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Last week's party had over 325 beautiful projects! I have so much craft envy after seeing what you're all up too. Seriously, bloggers are among the most talented people, don't you think? Here's what caught my eye, all with a Valentine's theme, of course ♥

Isn't this button burlap heart from Southern Lovely striking? It's so bold and graphic and has all that fun texture! I need something bigger like this for my mantle, gonna have to pin this for next year!

Don't these chocolate cake waffles look yummy? Great idea from Crafting and Creativity to start the love early in the day! I think even I can pull these off, the secret ingredient is a box cake!

When I first saw the Valentine Topiary/Kissing Ball at The Brown Eyes Have It, I thought she had pinned little flowers to a styrofoam ball. Turns out she made each one out of crepe paper, pretty fabulous isn't it? It's so pretty there's no way I'd put it away after the 14th, that would be out all spring...and possibly summer too!

At the afternoon art camp at Mollie's Mom's house the group made these super cute Valentine Hearts and Ice Cream Wooden Boards. I'm always looking for things ER can do with her little friends and as they get older it's been harder for me to think of things, love this! Can't wait to make it with ER!

I got so excited when I saw these paper plate baskets at Shaken Together. They look great and I love a project made out of supplies I almost always have on hand. It would be so easy to switch it up for another holiday just be switching the conversation heart to another holiday icon.

Party Guidelines

1. Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).

2. Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL.

3. Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.

4. Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All partygoers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

5. Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.

Let's Party!
Before you go, please consider entering my giveaways...I've got four going on right now that end on FRIDAY :)

Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops

Dino Dan DVD

A Little Outdoorsy Digital Scrapbook Kit and Template

Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Scale

Plus you can win this awesome pattern collection from YCMT, that one ends Feb 20th.

Valentine's with Friends

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Friends came out to our side of town Sunday and we met for a yummy lunch. It was relaxing to let someone else cook. Since one of my dear readers, mentioned that I don't show myself very much, here I am. Even more of a rarity than a blog appearance is that I'm wearing jewelry and lipstick. I don't normally look so put together, but I like the maintain that fiction in photos. After our meal we all came back to our house for dessert and so the girls could play.

This year with a six month old underfoot all day, I wasn't able to go all out with decorations. Good thing I have the countdown and banner from previous years to make things festive. One of the little touches I did do was adding a scalloped circle punched from sticker paper and a sticker heart to pink glasses. Simple, quick, and effective, that's my crafty motto these days! The girls drank pink lemonaide out of red heart straws while eating their raspberry chocolate cupcakes. It was very girly!

I printed out these darling printables for the kid's table centerpiece from Sweet Rose Studio and put it inside the rag wreath from Holly. I just love that wreath!

I had planned for the girls to make these Valentine Blocks out of some leftover 2X4 scraps Brad has framing out the basement and vinyl. They were playing so nicely that there wasn't time so they took the supplies home.

Brad went out in the freezing cold and snow yesterday to pick up a chocolate cake and raspberry chocolate cupcakes from Whole Foods yesterday. Margaret and her girls made these chocolate dipped marshmallows, which were enjoyed by everyone!

Since Brad and I already went to dinner and a movie, we probably will have a low key Valentine's. What will you be doing?

Happy Valentine's Day: Altered Memo Pads

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you and your honey are showing each other the love today. I had visions of all these super cute handmade Valentine's, for ER to give out to her classmates. What did she want? Store bought ones with a little sucker and her favorite fairy friends on them. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about Disney and I love the Pixie Hallow gang but I'm a blogger, and I like to think a fairly creative one. So store bought were not on my radar. I consoled myself with these little altered memo pads, that we made together for some little friends. ER wrote their message inside and they kept the girls busy while we met their family for lunch on Sunday.

You Can Make This: Valentine Giveaway with 5 Patterns!

2012-02-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

This giveaway is now closed, thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to MaryAnne, #3 who said, "And twitter!"

YouCanMakeThis.com is sponsoring another giveaway, check out the fabulous selection of patterns you can win! They are great for all year round! Here's a little bit more about what's included in the package, From top left to right, top to bottom:

Crochet Hat Pattern Vintage Inspired by Kris Moore $5.99: This is such a gorgeous hat, instructions come for sizes infant to adult so you can make them for all ages. I know I'd personally love one! Directions for how to securely attach the flower, lace and feathers in an heirloom fashion are included.

Rosetta Ruffle Bag by Sis Bloom, $7.95: I will be reviewing this pattern, so excited to get started! You can make it with a single gorgeous print but I love the eclectic look you get from mixing and matching fabrics. One reason I was so interested in this particular one, is because it comes in three sizes - mini (S), purse (M), and tote (L)! I can use one pattern to make Mommy and Me purses, so fun! ER is gonna love those ruffles! There are three options for edge finishing (overlocked, narrow hemmed, and double thickness ruffles), so don’t worry if you're like me and don't have a serger.

Love Elephants by DIY Fluffies, $9.00: What a sweet little stuffed animal, it would make such a great gift and will be so soft made from fleece and felt. It can also be made with stars on the ear and a tutorial for adding tusks is also included.

Just A Little Something for...Valentine's Day #2 "Smitten" by Kimberbell Kids, $6.95: What a super cute pillow! It's described as beginner project and something that can be made in a weekend. I think it would look great out all year round.

Apron Knot Dress by Little Lizzard King, $7.25: I love this adorable dress! I really had a hard time deciding between this pattern and the bag for review. It's on my wish list and I love that it can be made to fit a 6 month old - 12 years. There's lots of time for me to make several versions for ER. I fell in love with all the examples in the gallery, check them out on the product listing page.

Giveaway:

Win an amazing pattern package from YouCanMakeThis.com, including all five of the patterns featured in this post!

To Enter:

Leave me a comment on this post, I'd love to know what your favorite pattern is on YouCanMakeThis.com.

Extra Entries: Leave a separate comment for each additional method you do, to get credit for each one!

Help spread the word about this giveaway! Tweet it or Facebook it and leave me a link! I'd also love it if you subscribed to my posts by email, followed me on GFC, Twitter, and/or Facebook!

Giveaway open now through February 23rd midnight EST to readers worldwide. Please note the patterns are downloads and nothing physical will be mailed to you. Winner chosen via random.org, contacted via email, and will have 48 hours to respond.

Disclaimer: A complimentary pattern for review was provided for hosting this giveaway, no other compensation was provided.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie on DVD

2012-02-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie on DVD

Suggested Retail Prices: $19.99 U.S./$24.99 Canada.

Run Time: Approximately 120 minutes

The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang is back, this time with a new DVD featuring our favorite Minnie Mouse! Come along and celebrate her birthday in the all new bonus "You're Invited to Minnie's Birthday Party!" and continue the fun with five more episodes.

Included on the DVD are:

Minnie & Daisy’s Flower Shower (All-New, Never-Before-Seen) - The botanical highlight of the year is in trouble, unless Minnie and Daisy can get their flowers to bloom! Together, they board the glove balloon to help coax the clouds to sprinkle much needed rain.
Daisy’s Dance -Clap your hands and tap your feet! Join Daisy, as she gets ready for one of the most important events of her life––performing in the big talent show!
Daisy’s Pet Project - The Pet Parade is almost here and Daisy needs to find the perfect animal for which she can love and care. But it’s not as easy as she thinks and soon she has three new friends: an elephant named Bubbles, a giraffe called Longfellow and a bunny called Captain Jumps-a-lot!
Minnie’s Rainbow - After a brightly colored rainbow appears over the clubhouse, Minnie searches for the pot of gold that’s supposed to be at its end. Along the way, she meets a leprechaun and discovers that not all treasure turns out to be as she expected!
Minnie’s Birthday – Today is Minnie’s birthday, but the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse friends need to set up her birthday party.

My daughter is a big fan of all things Disney and has declared that this is her favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD. Why? In her words because, "It's all about Minnie and Daisy and their the girls! Plus I like parties." We'll be going to Disney World soon and she's already decided this is one of the DVDs that will be coming for her to watch on the plane.

I've already mentioned in previous reviews that Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is one of my favorite kid's shows because of the educational content built into the story lines. Released last week, this DVD is the perfect Valentine's gift for your little one because it also comes with two Best Friends Necklaces, one for her to keep and one to share.

Click above to get some great free printables, including a mailbox craft and cute little sharing cards!

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of the DVD was provided for review. The experiences and opinions related within are personal and unbiased.

Flag Banner Happiness Card

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

If you saw my Week 4 Project Life, you got a preview of this week's card. It's one of my POTD, but these are so quick and easy to make, they deserved a quick post. I made a whole batch in no time at all. Plus they use paper scraps, do you recognize bits and pieces from the clipboards and the pocket & flap book? I have lots of itty bitty scraps laying around and am always trying to figure out ways to use them, my husband would not doubt attribute this more to my pack rat tendencies.

To make:

Free hand cut out a triangle flag and use as a template to cut as many extra flags as you need.
Attach each flag, forming a banner.
Make little bows with thin ribbon or twine.
Attach bows with a mini glue dot.
Stamp sentiment & emboss with clear powder, if desired.
Round edges of premade card and ink.

I can't decide which version I like better, the version with three or the four flags on the banner. I think the one with three might have a slight edge, except for I like the red ink better because it really pops and contrasts against the white.

The inside of the bottom card reads, "Comes in the mail" as they accompanied some happy mail packages I sent off to Sharon and Steph last week. The top one went to a family friend in need of some cheering up.

Shared At: Dear Creatives,

Lady and the Tramp: Diamond Edition with Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital Versions

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

I love being able to share with my daughter, childhood classics like Lady and the Tramp. Released last Tuesday, this tale of love from different sides of the tracks is full of timeless scenes like the Siamese Cat Song. I actually a cat person myself, but have never liked that particular breed and part of me thinks it might really have been because of that song! And who can forget the most romantic spaghetti meal ever? It's a love story with a hero and a happy ending. Would you ever expect anything less of a Disney movie?
We are headed to Disney World soon and watching this with my daughter got her excited about the trip and introduced her new beloved characters. She loves dogs and we'll be taking the digital version on our lap top for her to watch on the plane ride down to Florida. As always, I'm interested in the extras and besides exception picture quality and a family favorite this version offers several that Disney fantics will enjoy:

Blu-ray Bonus:

Disney Second Screen: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings*
Audio Commentary: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings
Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
Three Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
Never Recorded Song: “I’m Free as the Breeze”

Classic DVD Bonus:

Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp
Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard
Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film
PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs
“The Siamese Cat Song,” Finding a Voice for the Cats
“Bella Notte” Music Video
Trailers
Excerpts from “Disneyland” TV Shows

Disney's Lady and the Tramp is:

Rated: G (bonus materials not rated)
Feature Run Time: Approximately 76 minutes
Suggested Retail Prices 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) = $44.99 U.S./$51.99 Canada and Product 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada

Disclosure: A complementary review copy was provided, no other compensation was received. The experiences and opinions related within are personal and unbaised.

A Crafty Soiree #76

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oh I had so much fun visiting all the links and seeing all the fabulous Valentine's Day projects. Let kick off this par-tay with our features and the love fest begin!

I love how quick and simple but elegant the Embellished Candles from Life of a Cheap Chickadee are.

Holly's Pretty in Pink mantle from Bella Nest is so romantic and girly. She's put a lot of thought and made several little projects for it. I can't believe how great those little glass hearts from the dollar section look on her pillar candles. Now I am kicking myself for passing those up. Also love how she embellished her hurricanes!

Cheap Crafty Mama has a simple project you can do with your littles to get them into Valentine's Day. I've done this before and the kids have so much fun it's worth the mess, a great sensory activity!

Owls continue to be really popluar and Katie from The Terpblog has a super sweet specimen art project that uses a punch that also embosses. I know, get out...how cool is that. My punches must be ancient because none of them do anything cool like that.

I really appreciated how she discussed tips for using the punch and especially her secret for her well written message. Did you know they make chalk markers?! Maybe I am the last person to find out about them, but now I know how all those bloggers make their writing super cute on their chalkboard tags! I am going to buy some this weekend...and probably that punch too!

I leave you with one of the most awe worthy sweetie pie dresses I've seen in awhile. Love, love, love it and how Cheryl from Sew Can Do even used heart shaped buttons. The aqua and red is just so delicious! I am having serious sewing envy!
Party Guidelines

1. Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).

2. Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL.

3. Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.

4. Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All partygoers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

5. Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.

Let's Party!

Before you go, please consider entering my giveaways...I've got four going on right now :)

Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops

Dino Dan DVD

A Little Outdoorsy Digital Scrapbook Kit and Template

Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Scale

Review & Giveaway: Weight Watchers® by Conair™ Digital Scale

2012-02-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is now closed, thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to #8 Caroline @ Artfully Caroline, who said..I'm a GFC follower.

I don't normally think "smile" when weighing myself. But I've been working very hard on losing the baby weight. New Year's resolutions got me refocused, just when I was beginning to waver and I'm ecstatic to share with you that not only have I lost all my baby weight, I'm actually lost an additional four pounds! Yay me! It's been a lot of work and my weekly weight in on my new Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Scale Model WW58S has helped me keep me in check between doctor check ups.

I love the sleek, slim silver design. It looks great in our bathroom, very modern. I've got bad eyesight and the 1.5" inch digital display is easy for me to read. The scale is 12.4” X 12.4” and has a 400-lb. capacity. The scale runs on one long-life AAA lithium battery (included) and has a 10-year warranty.

The best part of this scale and what makes it special to me, is the 15 reusable stickers (in black and color) that have inspirational messages such as “Every day is a new day”, “Live, laugh, Love” and “Whatever you believe you can achieve”. They actually do make me smile when I step on. You also get some decorative butterfly stickers and a blank label for your own inspirational message. Mine says, "Be the one hot mama on our Disney Cruise!"

The static cling stickers be put anywhere on the glass and peel off easily until you need them again. You can switch up their message depending on your mood. Put on a couple of the stickers to personalize your scale and make it your personal coach or a motivational friend, not your enemy.

The Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Scale Model WW58S is available nationwide at stores such as Kmart as well as at http://www.conair-store.com/ for an average retail price of $29.99.

Giveaway:

Win a Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Scale Model WW58S!

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post. Any comment will do, but it would be fun to hear what your favorite workout is!

Extra Entries:

Make sure you leave an additional comment for each of the extra entries you've earned!

Spread the word about this giveaway! Share it on Twitter, Facebook, on a giveaway linky, etc.
Support my blog by following on GFC, subscribing by email, or following my social media outlets: Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway open to US residents now through Feb 23rd at midnight EST. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified by email, and have 48 to respond before a new one is chosen. Good Luck!

Disclosure: A complimentary scale was provided for the review. No other compensation was received. The experiences and opinions related within are personal and unbiased.

Project Life: Week #5

2012-02-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's Week 5 of Project Life! This time I have my weekly pages and two pages of inserts with scapbook pages and some of ER's kid work. I've also used pictures to fill the slots at the bottom for the first time. I normally just journaling cards in these and it's fun to change it up a bit.

Oh whoops, just noticed I forgot to add the title to my week card. Will have to add that in a moment.

Sunday: E went to a Rainbow Fairy Birthday party filled with fairytale touches! Top picture is of her with the birthday girl. I had so many pictures from this event that I added photos of the cupcakes and ER with the fairy wings, ribbon wand, and book that she got as a favor at the bottom. There are even more pictures of the decorations on my first added scrapbook page.
Monday: No school and as it ended up no dance either, ER was acting oddly and complained of a stomach ache. She spent most of the afternoon curled up on the couch. But felt well enough to do some face painting on Mommy. I ended up with a colorful assortment of hearts and snowflakes all over my forehead and cheeks.
Tuesday: Unlike ER, LB will actually play in the swing. He is a lot more interested in toys than she was as a baby and loves to make things spin, give things a shake, and of course...put everything in his mouth! Great Grandma Emma Jane sent him this little lamb from Missouri and these are the pictures I took to send her of him playing with it.

Here is the second half of the week:

Wednesday: I had two pictures I wanted to include for today. The heart shaped pieces of bread for our traditional first day of February heart shaped breakfast and one of our neighbor who came over to play after the bus dropped the kids off. Together hey whipped up a yummy feast!
Thursday: Groundhog's Day! For the first time ER was really interested in this tradition, I wrote about it on the card for today and included two of her Groundhog worksheets in the inserts (see below)
Friday: Valentine's Day card picture! It wasn't until after I uploaded the pictures that I noticed LB is making quite the gesture in his photo, too funny!
Saturday: We celebrated Valentine's Day with my parents and they watched the kids so Brad and I could have date night. While we were out LB tried rice cereal for the first time. He's still not too sure about it but is willing to try it each time it's offerred. More ends up on him than in him.

Insert #1: The birthday party - my friend went all out decorating her house for her daughter's Rainbow Fairy themed 6th birthday party. I had to take pictures of all the details!

I saved ER's Groundhog story and the poem with litttle puppet she did in school.

Insert #2: Valentine's Day with my family, including the tickets to the movie Brad and I went to with my brother, Underworld Awakening. I know, not the most romantic but hey my little brother was also along with us at this point. I wanted to see a fun movie that wouldn't try to educate me about social issues or depress me with a deep meaningful message. Underworld was perfect and hey who doesn't like to see a strong female who's the toughest one in town?

This week was my most elaborate, but one of my favorite addtions, was also the simpliest, these little self adhesive tabs for my inserts, an idea I got from Steph's Stuff. I'm so enjoying the community feel of this project, and love seeing what everyone else has been up to and their pages! If you're a Project Lifer, make sure you leave me a comment so I can come see your pages or photos!

Linked Up to The Mom Creative and One Happy Mama.

A Bright Colors 8X8 Gift Album

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

We are so sad that one of our favorite families on our block are moving. We'll miss them lots and all the play dates, fun at the park, bus stop conversations, and book club sessions over coffee. The mom is very outgoing and friendly, I think she knew everyone in the neighborhood within a week of moving in. It's really for the best for them, they'll be heading back to sunnier weather and be ten to fifteen minutes away from family. But knowing that, doesn't really make it any easier for us to see them go.

To help their daughter remember her life in Michigan I made her a little gift album full of bright girly colors. It'll be a place for her to put pictures of her bedroom, the house - both inside and out, our neighborhood and town, and all her favorite faces and places to go. Using a coordinating paper pad made it a snap to put together and I'd like to share the layouts in it below.

Cover Page

The idea is for her to add a picture of the outside of the house on this page, the bottom will slip under the border and write her address on the yellow bar.

To help them assemble the album, I wrote directions and photo dimensions on each layout. The design plans for a quarter inch white border around each picture, wherever there is a photo mat. I thought this would not only help them place the pictures, but give the sense of continuity to the book. I suggest removing the flower brads, using an unbent paper clip to poke holes through the photos, and then reattaching the photos so the brads are a little detail over the photo.

I tried to include several 4X6 photos so that there would be minimal cropping. Subtle patterns on the yellow and green flowered papers used throughout the book for journaling spots and title blocks look nicer than plain cardstock. Using a nice black felt tip pen will ensure the writing will is legible.

I consider this a filler page with room for four 4X6 photos, a good place for photos of the various rooms in their house.

These pages fit three photos, two horizontal 4X6 photos go on the right side one right over the other. The ends will tuck under the border and the whole thing can be flipped if they want to use vertical photos instead.

This page also has three planned photo spaces. There are lots of fun embellishments on this page like a layered butterfly, three brads, twine, and a heart clip.

Here is the second filler page, idea for pictures of the little girl with her friends. I made the title banner with layers of semi transparent ribbon, for a fun touch. They can crop the photos to cover the pink placeholders completely, this will give them a white border like the rest of the album. Or then can choose to crop a quarter in smaller and have a pink border.

This is the one page I think might be the hardest to visualize. Basically the three vertical photos are staggered across the page. The first and last photos will both cover the ends of the ribbon.

The third and final filler page is near the end. Both sides of the layout have the same basic design, it's just flipped. The punched flowers each have a different colored mini button center.

Here is the last double page spread. I wish I had reversed the placement of the striped and green paper on the left side. It's a case of shoulda, coulda, woulda because this is the one time I used glue stick and once I put it down it was down! The little strip of paper with flower on the right side is folded over and attached on the back of the page so it's easy to slip a photo under it.

The end page is an 8X8 page like the others, but left blank except for the top where I added a die cut border and rub ons to make an autograph page for all her little friends to sign.

There you have it, a quick set of 20 page inserts ready to slide in a standard 8X8 scrapbook that comes with 10 page protectors. I purposely planned for the photos to be standard sizes, or cropped down from standard sizes, and require just straight edge cuts, thinking this would be easiest for someone without an arsenal of tools to help them.

I am really pleased by how it turned out. Now that I've got the basic structure down I can see myself making this gift album again and again, switching it up with different papers to make it suitable for various themes. I have plenty of paper left from the paper pad and am going to make ER one so she can have her own version. We're not planning on moving anytime soon but I think she'll want to look back at her first house when she's older.

What I like about the gift album is that it can be made with minimal extra supplies. It's mainly made up of cardstock and papers, both of which I have an over abundance of. The embellishments are fairly minimal, keeping the cost down after the initial investment of the dies for the borders.

What do you think? Have you ever made a gift album for someone? How did you help recipients who aren't scrapbookers? If you've post it, link me up so I can come see it!

Shared At: Skip to My Lou, Craft-O-Manic, Sew Can Do, Ninth Street Notions, Serendipity and Spice, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Dear Creatives,

Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition on Blu-Ray and DVD Activities

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

We're excited for Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition on Blu-Ray and DVD to hit stores on February 7th. It's such a sweet canine love story, perfect for Valentine's Day! I've got some fun activities to share with you. Use the widget above for:

LADY AND THE TRAMP Story Book
Video Clips
Coloring Sheets
Spot the Difference Activity Sheet
Special Recipes
Valentine's Day Cards

A Little Outdoorsy Bundle: Kit and Template

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

I back with Snail Mail Fridays, my personal card a week challenge. This time I've got a beautiful hybrid card to share, made with the kit A Little Outdoorsy from Louise Franks Designs. Aren't the little houses adorable? The rolling "hills" were part of the kit so it was so easy to put together this little scene perfect to illustrate one of my favorite sayings. See the little winding road that looks like it's going "over the hills and through the woods", leading from one house to the other? Cute, huh? Yeah, I'm that cheesy!

I put a little message on the inside, you know I had to use that little blue bird! The top is blank for writing a little message. I picked up a set of little 4 in X 5.5 in cards with envelopes and it fits perfectly inside the envelope. Just a little note, the colors in my photos is a little washed out because it was a little overcast when I took the photos. In person they are more vibrant and look like they way they appear in the image below.

I figured out how fit it onto one sheet of high resolution paper and fold it so that when you fold it both the front and inside message work without cutting. Here is a visual so you can see what I did. Just make sure you format your printer for borderless printing.

Here's a bit more A Little Outdoorsy:

This cute little kit contains some cute doodle style houses and a sprinkling of trees, cute little birds, love hearts and more.

The kit contains 2 birds, 3 buttons, 1 cloud, 1 stitched cloud, 2 frames, 1 heart scatter, 3 hill embellishments, 1 hill stitching, 3 houses, 4 journal boxes, 1 path, 1 path with stitching, 1 ric rac, 1 stitched swirl, 1 tag, 2 trees, 1 Photo clip, 4 Build A Flower components, 1 Build A Flower leaf and 1 word art tag.

Now let's see some pages! First I used it to make this layout featuring pictures of the outside of our home during each of the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. It was fun to combine pictures from several different years. My favorite part is the fun little house scene I made for the journaling spot. It's similar to the one I made for the card, but this time I tried to make it look more like houses in a neighborhood would look.

Besides the kit, Louise also released A Little Outdoorsy Template, which I used with Louise's Happy Page Kit, a kit you can get for FREE with just a tweet or Facebook post to help spread the word about Louise's fabulousness :)

Here's how I used the two together. The bright colorful papers look great on the template. With all it's photo or paper slots, it was just perfect for a layout about the things that make me happy...like shopping for my post pregnancy figure, which is currently four pounds less than my prepregnancy weight. Go me!

(Please note I added an overlay from another source over the orange space in the layout, it is not included in the page kit.)

FREE Stuff for Fans

Be among the first to find out about all sorts of opportunities to win free kits by subscribing to her blog, and get new posts emailed right to you! Every time Louise releases a kit, she gives her readers a chance to win it. Right now you can win the Blogwear for A Little Outdoorsy. She also has other freebies like this cute Bundle of Joy (Boy) Quick Page or Happy Page Kit I used with the template example, free in exchange for a simple tweet or Facebook post. Plus more so go check them out!

Because Louise knows that once you try her kits you'll love them, she gives fans lots of opportunities to get free stuff! She is really generous and her newsletter often come with free goodies. This month it's an alphabet that matches A Little Outdoorsy so hurry up and sign up so you can get it! The sign up is at the bottom of her home page.

Shared at: Tidy Mom, Tatertots & Jello, Fun to Craft, Craftionary, Lolly Jane, Dear Creatives,
Disclaimer: As a member of the Louise Franks Design Team I am given access to kits to create promotional items.

A Crafty Soiree #75

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

Another week, another Crafty Soiree, our first for February when it's all about love! Love can be just a step away from obsession don't you think? But sometimes it can be healthy, right...right? That's what I tell myself when I think about how each of the following features relates to one of my obsessions.

In my dreams, my home looks like the pages of a Ballard Designs catalog and one thing I've always wanted are the beautiful big cork boards from them. Now I can get the same look, without the hefty price tag, isn't this Travel Map Cork Board from Just a Little Creative fun?

I finally broke down and added Angry Birds to my NookColor and my daughter, and my husband too - although he won't admit to it, are now obsessed. I got the biggest kick out of these Angry Bird Tiles from Moments with the Montano's.

Talk about obsessions, seriously this thumbnail from Signs by Andrea had me at "Pinterest", LOL! I think this is one that for many of us, would really be saying something. I don't know about you, but I love Pinterest. So if I love you more...well consider yourself lucky!

Anyone who's been reading my blog for awhile knows about my healthy obsession with handprint projects. Just love them, each and every one! If you're going to make art, it might as well include those itty bitty finger and chubby little kiddo palms! Love how perfectly the Sea Life Hand Print project done at The NY Melrose Family matches their bathroom's theme. And while you're there check out the fun Standing Photo Block she also did recently.

Well no list of my obsessions could ever be complete without bringing up paper crafts, I got the room full of paper and tools to back that statement up! Aren't these Guess Hoo Loves You matching Gift Bag and Card from Silver Boxes just adorable?

Well ladies, I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for proving I'm not alone in my obsessions! Grab your Featured On Button and display with pride!

Party Guidelines

1. Link up to four of your creative projects (No Etsy stores or other linky parties pretty please).

2. Add your link to the specific posts not the main URL.

3. Add a "Crafty Soiree" button to your blog or posts.

4. Please comment on the post linked up in front of you. All partygoers love meeting new friends... don't just stop there...if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

5. Your hostesses would love it if you'd follow us. You can find Malia here.

Let's Party!

Giveaway: Dino Dan: Dino Trackers on DVD

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is now closed, thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to #9 Mommydoll13 who said...my son he absolutely loves dino dan and everything dinosaurs..

Dino Dan fans will be happy to know Nick Jr.’s adventure-filled live action/CGI series and “paleontologist approved” show is now available on DVD with Dino Dan – Dino Trackers!

The “Dino Dan – Dino Trackers” DVD contains five adventure stories featuring a boy nicknamed Dino Dan (played by Jason Spevack). He’s a curious 10-year-old who imagines there are real dinosaurs living all around him – but only he can see them! The DVD’s interactive bonus content adds to the enjoyment. It is priced at $12.99 suggested retail.

My daughter has liked the show since it first came to Nick Jr. and I appreciate how plays to her interest in dinosaurs and teaches her something at the same time. Besides the educational factor, the CGI is very well done and what makes the “Dino Dan” series unique is that it was developed under the guidance of paleontologists at Canada's Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta. A real-life paleontologist at the museum named Dr. Don Henderson was even the inspiration for the “Dino Dan” character!

Giveaway!

Win a copy of Dino Dan - Dino Trackers on DVD from NCircle Entertainment.

To Enter:

Leave me a comment on this post. Any one will do but it'd be interesting to know which little paleontologist in training you'd like to share Dino Dan with!

Extra Entries:

Make sure you leave an additional comment for each of the extra entries you've earned!

Spread the word about this giveaway! Share it on Twitter, Facebook, on a giveaway linky, etc.
Support my blog by following on GFC, subscribing by email, or following my social media outlets: Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway open to US residents now through Feb 17 at midnight EST. Winner will be chosen by random.org, notified by email, and have 48 hours to respond. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Thank you to NCircle Entertainment for the complimentary review copy of this DVD and for providing the giveaway copy.

Project Life: Week 4

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

The first half of last week was really busy and I was preoccupied with planning ER's Daisy Investiture Ceremony so I thought I might not have enough to make it through Saturday. But it turns out I had to decide between photos to figure out which stories I really wanted to tell. PL has really gotten me taking a lot more photos, which is great! Now maybe my kids won't wonder why I have stacks of beaten up paperbacks!

Sunday: Nearly six months old and able to get up on all fours. He's been rocking and flopping, which moves him a little bit forward each time. He's been army crawling a bit too. Oh boy, crawling will be next and then we'll never have a quiet second again, he'll be into everything!
Monday: Crock Pot Mondays have been instituted to help get a healthy home cooked meal in the table after ER's two dance classes from 4:30-6:00 PM. Otherwise, it would be too easy to resort to the drive through. We've had luck with chili's and pot roast but you can't eat those every week. Unfortunately, the two attempts to branch out to soups have been misses. At least this soup looks tempting, it was just missing something in reality.
Tuesday: ER's Daisy Investiture Ceremony, this is when the girls officially became girl scouts. Each got their Daisy Membership pin, 100th Anniversary Pin - celebrating 100 years of Girl Scouts, their Daisy Center - for knowing the Daisy Promise, and a Money Sense Pin. I made the certificates each girl received and am the leader shaking ER's hand in blue above.

I also made an insert for the Investiture, using Design F with the last row of little pockets cut off. It was perfect for a photo of each of the fourteen girls in the troop in the little pockets and group photo at the top and a copy of the ER's certificate on the back. I decided not to share a picture of it because it once I edit out all the faces and names it wouldn't look too exciting. But I am thrilled by how handy it is, years from now we probably wouldn't remember each girls name without it.

Wednesday: I finally sent of some happy mail to my friends Sharon and Steph. You can see part of what I sent Sharon here and here. I made each a version of the card shown above, that particular one is for my Godmother who recently underwent a bout with cancer and now has pneumonia. It's been one thing after another for her. I've been trying to send more handmade snail mail and she's definitely one who could use a little love via the postal service.
Thursday: My mom introduced me to the The Cat Who series when I first started getting interested in mysteries. I've got each book, except for the last one which was terrible. I donated it so I wouldn't have a constant reminder of how badly the series deteriorated. The author's photo showed an ancient writer when I first started reading in the late 80's so I suspect there is a ghost writer or she's so old she can't write 'em like she used to. I love book series and this one has been a favorite since the first one. I've been revisiting them all week long.
Friday: Oh man does the baby have stinky feet! I've been thinking it was me and trying everything from constant sock changes, to foot soaks, etc. to fix it. My husband's the one who said it was LB. I think it's because his shoes were made out of synthetic material and I would sometimes put him in them without socks. His feet couldn't breathe and got all sweaty. That's what I am hoping. We went to Target and got him some cute puppy shoes, that say genuine leather on them. When things say stuff like that, I always wonder, as opposed to what? Fake genuine leather?
Saturday: Birthday party time, ER at Chuck E Cheese for our neighbor's 8th birthday party. It's bittersweet, they'll be moving to FL next month and it's kind of like a last hurrah of fun for all the kids. I hate it when things change and people move!

That's how my week went, how about yours? Now if you've made it this far, maybe you've got some answers for me...1.) Do you have any suggestions for good Crock Pot Monday recipes 2.) What was the last card you sent, handmade or otherwise, and why. and 3.) Any book series recommendations?

Thanks for dropping by, leave me a comment even if you don't have any answers, so I can be sure to come see your PL!

Linking up to The Mom Creative and One Happy Mama

Pocket & Flap Mini Book

2012-01-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is a mini book I made for my friend Sharon. I thought a uber bright and sunny paper would be perfect for her as she kicks back and enjoys all the warm weather living in Hawaii comes with. "A Whale of a Good Time" seemed like a very appropriate title too! Hopefully she's had more luck seeing one off the coast than we did on our honeymoon to the Islands.

The book both begins and ends with the same whale and owl papers. These are also pocket pages with a simple cardstock insert for her to add more photos.

Turn the page and you see the other side of the owl paper. The paper on the right was just too pretty, I couldn't cover it up! Sharon can choose to or journal right on it so the you can still see the pattern. A black felt tip pen would work great.

Here's the other side of paper pocket and the first "surprise" of the book, a fold out flap.

When the page is opened up, you can see where I added the photo and blue mats. There are also blank areas for her to add journaling details. The gumdrops with SWEET on them is a sticker I added along with the glittery unicorn.

There are two photo mats on the next pages, just love the bold graphic floral and the sprouting mushrooms. The paper is so bright and colorful, I really let it shine and left a lot more showing than I normally would.

The mushrooms are another flap page and on the otherside is a great little "Growing Up" title, with glitter and an epoxy mushroom.

Inside the flap is this super cute mushroom paper. I added a leaf print photo mat and another mat she can either add a photo or journaling to. The chipboard mushroom has some epoxy on it and is really fun!

Lots of goodies here, an embellished chipboard "What a Hoot" title, which I know Sharon will have the perfect picture for. She is always posting pictures of her youngest doing the cutest things! On the other side I added ribbon and an adorable sock monkey charm to the photo mat.

As I mentioned at the beginning the book concludes with the same papers, photo mat placement, and similar sparkly embellishments for a mirror image effect. This is one of my favorite projects to date and I had a blast making it just for Sharon. It took me forever to decide on the perfect papers for her and I hope she loves it as much as I do!

Here's a little glimpse of some of the details. Aren't they scrumptious? Love the glitter, layers, epoxy, metal...oh how I love my embellishments!

Shared At: Dear Creatives, Skip to My Lou, Craft-O-Manic, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Serendpity and Spice, and Sew Can Do.