The Teleporting Toddler

Procrastinating...

2012-08-04T23:47:00.002-05:00

I have refused to admit it most of my life. I have covered it up with excuses of "I work best under pressure" and "I just haven't had the time before now." The only reason I am even admitting it now, is that there are all of 32 people who even read this blog...so here it goes...I am a procrastinator!
Yep, that's me. While I am a planner, organizer, and somewhat Type A person, at the same time I put things off...again, and again, and again...
Right now, instead of writing this I should really be completely some school assignments. Especially with the house so quiet! Even more so since is it the last week of the semester, but no, I am doing things like this...
Browsing Christmas ideas on Pinterest...

http://pinterest.com/pin/161425967864466674/ Doesn't that look tempting?????
Looking through old photographs...

Where did those paci loving baby boys go?

Reading this...

This is a new project of mine...reading Young Adult literature. Like I need another project! Don't tell Jer!

So I have confessed. I am the master of putting things off. I just wish I would be more constructive with my procrastination. I could at least go put the pile of dirty dishes in the dishwasher or fold the 15 baskets of laundry that have been sitting on my floor all week.

When did this happen?

2012-03-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

Where did those freckles come from?
When did he lose his baby cheeks?
When did his eyes get so deep brown?
How did he get so tall?
And skinny?
What is that look?!?!
When did my baby become such a little man? I must of dozed off or blinked!

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-28T14:23:00.000-06:00

Wow! Unlike most moms posting their top 11 pics of 2011, it wasn't difficult to narrow my pics down to only 11. What I discovered is that I DID NOT pick up my camera enough in the past year...complete embarrassment and shame! This is something that is definitely going to change for 2012!
Here they are in chronological order...
1. Taking pics for Mommy in the Texas bluebonnets was not Jack's idea of fun. I caught this right before his signature dramatic sad face.

2. Sweet Baby Jude turning 1! This is just after the Bernal ritual of getting chocolate birthday cake smeared all over your face.

3. Cracker Jack getting excited to see the animals at the Pumpkin Farm...genuine excitement!

4. My sweet boys waiting, as patiently as little boys can wait, for the hayride.

5. Jude giving me is best dimple face.

6. Jack again, being not so eager to pose for Mommy. This was caught in the middle of him getting as far was from the camera as he can!

7. Loving bubbles!

8. Sweet siblings.

9. My Sweet Baby Jude suddenly turned into a little man. This picture makes my heart swell and break all at the same time!

10. A rare quiet and fleeting moment.

11. A boy and his robot...pure bliss!

Cowboy Picnic

2011-12-27T21:53:00.001-06:00

Being home with the boys the last few days has been a rare treat for Jer and I. It has been a nice change of pace. We have forgotten our hectic daily ~~torture~~ commute and are just, well....being totally and completely LAZY. It's been heavenly! The boys have loved it too. Lazy in their world means staying in pajamas and being more rowdy than any teacher, aunt, or even Granny would ever allow.
Complete freedom from routine has made them a powerful force...a force that brings me to my knees, in exhaustion and prayer, pretty much hourly. So, early this morning when the house became silent, I was terrified to look and see what new messy disaster was waiting for me to clean up. To my shock and awe, I found my darling duo sitting quietly on their sister's bed having a "Cowboy picnic"...according to Jack.

I think Jude was just taking a breather before taking on Jack in a jumping on the bed duel.

There was something so sweet and peaceful about my rough and rowdy boys being surrounded by girly pink, just enjoying some quality time together.

Like most events similar to this, it was fleeting. Jack broke the calm with a "YEEHAW" and duel was on! First one to get a knot on the head that doesn't require stitches is the winner!
Life with these two is exhausting, but it will never be boring!

Hello! It's Me!

2011-08-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

I know! I know! It has been forever since I have updated, posted, or even LOOKED at my blog. It seems that my life has been on fast forward for several months now, and even more apparent that my pause, stop, or even my play buttons are all broken. When things get that insane, something has to give, and unfortunately it has been this blog.

I have missed it! I have missed the energy, creativity, and inspiration that writing brings, but most of all...I have missed the communication and interaction from my virtual friends.
So, Hi everyone! This is what we have been up to...
This Sweet Boy turned 1! We had a fun Monkey party and enjoyed many chocolate cupcakes. I still can't believe he is no longer my infant. The past year is such a blur!

We have taken a few road trips to Louisiana. Mostly for the babies to get spoiled by Granny and Papa Joe, while Jer did a little fishing in Sportsman's Paradise.

This Miss Priss turned 6! She was counting down the days, and couldn't wait! As soon as this birthday past, she began her countdown for number 7.

We had some beautiful family portraits made by Watermelon Photography. As you can see, Sweet Baby Jude was more interested in climbing stairs than saying "cheese"! I just love this picture! Even though at the time all I wanted to do was cry.

My office made a huge move to Dallas. It is a much further drive, but the offices are amazing! I also have a new carpool partner.

Yep! My sweet hubby Jer and I are now working at the same company! It has been an adjustment for our entire family, but at the same time it has been such a positive change and rewarding experience for us both.

That is what we have been up to. What has been going on in your world?

Reminder Board

2011-04-04T00:08:00.002-05:00

You may have seen my post this past fall about my Gratitude Board. We are still using it as much as possible. It is such a great reminder of our countless blessings.
My blessings aren't the only thing I need to be reminded of lately. I am still suffering from Mommy brain. It must truly be lack of sleep. Jude is teething and Jack is having nightmares...sigh.
I find that I have lists and post-its all over my desk to remind me of daily details I need to take care of while sitting at my desk. You know, the little things that you need to do while sitting in front of the computer, calendar, or contact list...well, I have forgotten many of those lately. Forgetting them makes life just a litte more hectic and completely drives me insane! Who needs more hectic!?!?
So, I decided to make myself a Reminder Board to write all those little "to-dos" that need to be done for the day/week. Excuse the awful pictures. They were taken in the middle of the night with my phone...thanks to those toddler nightmares!

It is simply a picture frame with patterned paper inserted. I added a few ribbons to take the cute factor up a notch, and used a dry erase marker to make my list. You can get the full instructions here.

I erase my "to-dos" as I complete them, and add new ones as I think about them. This might actually help my case of Mommy brain.
I also have made one to use to announce sales and such at my Vintage Couture Trunk Shows.

Another quick and easy project! You should try it!

Ribbon Easter Eggs

2011-03-30T21:24:00.006-05:00

I wanted to dress up some plain, white, plastic Easter eggs, while really committing to using just items from my stash.
I tried covering them in glitter...FAIL.I tried a pattern of buttons...double FAIL.I tried fabric and modge podge...triple FAIL.
Then, the light bulb finally went off and I tried my ribbon scraps...

SUCCESS!!!

They turned out to be adorable with very little effort and money. I {heart} little effort and money! These did take a little longer than the wreath. It took one 2 hour episode of Dancing With the Stars vs. an hour of Grey's Anatomy.

Babies and Bluebonnets

2011-03-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

Even before I had children, I have always wanted to take pictures of my babies in Texas bluebonnets. Today I finally pulled it off!
At first, it wasn't looking like a promising photo shoot...

Thankfully, we dried the tears quickly and got some great shots of the boys...

Mission accomplished!

Easter Wreath {Tutorial}

2011-03-25T17:31:00.011-05:00

I've been a really bad blogger lately, and an even worst crafter. Life has just been crazy with my work, Jer's school, and such. Now that things have settled for the moment...I am back! Ready to craft for Spring and Easter and share with the two or three of you who are so sweet to read The Telelporting Toddler. I {heart} you!

I was in the mood to make an Easter wreath while spending as little cash as possible. I have been wanting to make the cute wreaths I have seen around with fabric scraps, so here is my Easter version...
You really just need a coat hanger and some cute, fun, "springy" fabric scraps. I added a couple of more embellishments, but it isn't necessary.

Bend the coat hanger into an egg or oval shape.

Cut the fabric scraps into strips about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long.

Cut enough strips to fill your hangers. I used about 1/4 yard of each of the four fabrics shown above...it was plenty for the basic hanger I used.

Begin tying the strips of fabric to your hanger with a simple knot.

Alternate the different colors of fabric as desired.

Keep tying until the coat hanger is full. Fluff and shape into an Easter egg shape.

I found a cute little bunny pick at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. I just broke off the pick, ran some ribbon through her ears, and hung her in the middle of the wreath. I added a big tulle bow on top....tada...a cute super easy Easter egg wreath! I did the whole project while watching Grey's last night...it is that simple and quick!

Check out some other fun projects at:

The Centsational Girl

Reflecting...

2011-03-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

This week I have been sorting through old pics in efforts to ~~finish~~ begin Jack's first year scrapbook. Jack turned 2 in January...I am a little behind. This pic is of him at about 3 months old, which was 2 years ago! Time flies. Baby Jude is about to turn a year old, and I haven't even started Jack's scrapbook or even thought about poor Jude's.

It really bugs me.

It bothers me that I am so behind. Not scrapbooking major events for over 2 years is just not me.

Neither is...

allowing the floor of my car be coated in cracker crumbs and fruit snacks,

tolerating mixed up colors of play dough and paint,

not noticing the smell of sour milk,

driving with an expired inspection sticker and registration,

enjoying an Imagination Movers concert,

putting on a t-shirt inside out,

preferring Diego over Dora,

getting excited about a sale at Carter's, and not even knowing the dates of Nordstrom's half yearly sale.

Becoming a mother is an incredible adjustment. I've changed my sleep, personal life, work load...the list goes on and on. I think I have handled those adjustments fairly well. I have the occasional, sometimes frequent, meltdown. But what I never expected, was that I would have to adjust to a new me. The me that lets things go and is a complete mess at times. It's hard. It's not easy to look down at my inside-out t-shirt, covered in sour milk. It's nearly impossible not to think of the me that would have been wearing a crisply ironed, white shirt, with stain-free khakis, while wearing those cute new heels I picked up at the Nordstrom's sale.

Just like going to college, moving into my first apartment, getting my first real job, getting married...I changed. Motherhood is the same. It brings a change of self much more overwhelming, but with many more benefits. So, I'll give myself a break and embrace the change. Except maybe the car inspection and registration. I probably should take care of those.

Throw Me Something Mister!

2011-03-11T20:42:00.000-06:00

"Throw Me Something Mister!" That is Jack's new favorite phrase to yell throughout the house while throwing leftover beads in the air. You will be happy to know that I didn't swipe all of them from the kids while they slept. I just had them past them out to all their friends! hehe
What a fun trip! My first Mardi Gras as a Mommy was a success, and surprisingly very little drama. The children were fun, content, and well-behaved. The food was heavenly. The weather ended up being enjoyable and the parade was a blast! A few of the kids (and Roxy, the dog) got pegged in the head with throws, but no permanent damage. Oh, and no one choked on the baby from the King Cake!
Here are just a few shots of the fun that was had...

Brooke, Delaney, Izzy and Roxy waiting for the parade to begin.

Me and my siblings...Tricia and Troy. Yes, we are Tracey, Tricia and Troy. What can I say, it was the 70s?

Iz and D enjoying the scene.

It's fun seeing floats now run through my childhood neighborhood.

Jude catching who knows what from tasting the beads!

Jack wondering how in the world he is going to get untangled.

D weighted down!

Sweet Macey enjoying her first parade.

Jer and being silly with the Bug.

There is nothing better than being surrounded by all the ones that I love most!

Mardi Gras Road Trip

2011-03-04T09:05:00.001-06:00

As I type my post title, I am laughing to myself on how much the meaning of a "Mardi Gras Road Trip" has changed for me in the past twenty years...has it really been that long ?!?!
Twenty years ago a Mardi Gras road trip would have meant a great time in New Orleans with friends, fun, great food, beads, and several hurricanes. If you have ever been to Mardi Gras you know I am not talking about a major weather event went I speak of hurricanes.
Now a Mardi Gras road trip consists of a trip to Shreveport with family, five children under the age of six, fun, great food, beads, and several sippy cups. Not to mention the diapers, wipes, and "lovies" that need to be packed.
For my Louisiana readers, I am happy to report when Jack realizes we are heading to Granny and Papa Joe's, he has the over whelming desire to bring every piece of clothing, toy, and book that is purple and gold or has this image...

He must think that they will send him back if he isn't prepared to prove that even if he is a Texan, he has decided to grow up a Tiger.
Needless to say, getting ready for a trip to Mardi Gras is dramatically different than it was twenty years ago. I am beyond thrilled to be with my entire family and share this special event with my hubby and kids.
I look forward to watching all the baby cousins play, spend quality time with my siblings, and enjoy my parents. I am also looking forward to teaching my kiddos how to catch these...

The appropriate, family-friendly way that is.
I can't wait to overeat on treats such as these...

After I poke my fingers through it to make sure my kiddos don't choke on this...

Stay tuned for pics and I am sure entertaining stories on my first Mardi Gras as a Mommy. Since I have no doubt that our car will be fifty pounds heavier with Mardi Gras beads, I am already planning ways to store and organize them...more like plotting ways to get rid of them without the kiddos noticing.

Looking Back

2011-03-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

About this time in...
2008...We were engaged to be to married.

2009...Had a brand new baby Jack.

2010...Enjoying that sweet face! And me in the background with baby Jude about ready for his arrival.

2011...My precious boys playing so nicely together. I wonder how long that brotherly love will last?!?

I still can't get over how much my life has changed in 3 short years. I am so incredibly blessed!

A Quick Pantry Door Project

2011-02-23T22:03:00.000-06:00

Wow! It's been over a week since I have posted anything over here at The Teleporting Toddler! The Roden house has been crazy busy and sick...again, which leaves me with lots to blog about, but little time to actually sit down to blog it.
Here is a quick project I did with our pantry door...
Our pantry door is the landing place for all the kids' artwork. I have had a bulletin board on it for the past couple of years, but it always seems to be so cluttered...I hate clutter...shocker...I know!

I have thought about adding another bulletin board, but I think that will just create more clutter. So while browsing the aisles of my happy place...Target...I decided to hang up some cork board.
I just purchased a package of the square cork board and some 3M Command adhesive tape.

All of our doors in the house have a decorative inset. To accommodate that and not cover it up, I traced the outline of it with tracing paper.

For once I was very lucky in a decorating/organizing project and discovered that the cork board squares were the exact size of my inset. So I just attached them to the door with the adhesive tape, and trimmed the top one to match the curve in the inset.

Tada! A new cork board pantry door. We have much more room for artwork now. I think having just the cork hung and not a whole bulletin board gives it a less cluttered look.

Now if I can just figure out how to reduce the clutter of viruses running through my house at the moment...

Happy Valentine's Day to My Heart's Desire

2011-02-14T10:02:00.000-06:00

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desire." Psalm 37:4
About two weeks before I met you I received this message in a fortune cookie...
"The love of your life will appear in front of you unexpectedly!"
Like everyone else, I enjoy a good fortune cookie, but I rarely save those tiny pieces of paper. If I do save them, I usually lose them about 5 minutes later. Ironically at this time in my life I was completely down on love and dating; so this fortune made me chuckle...sarcastically chuckle. As I put it in my wallet, I thought..."right, we'll see."
Then several days later, I was rushing up the sidewalk of the Dallas Museum of Art to meet a blind date. A blind date that I really DID NOT want to meet, but thought..."what the heck, surely this one couldn't be any worse than the last."
In that moment, that instant that we said hello...I knew. Yes, it's true. I knew. I never believed in love at first sight. It always sounded hokey...until it happened to me. In the briefest moment of time, I realized that this man that stood in front of me was all I ever wanted. All I never knew I desired, until that moment. Suddenly God revealed to me those deep desires of my heart, and He plopped them right in front of me on that cold December afternoon.

So I keep that tiny little fortune on my desk not only to remind me of the moment I met you, but also how suddenly everything I ever dreamed of came to be...in one moment...the moment I met you. Jeremy, you are truly my heart's desire. Happy Valentine's Day!

Bye-Bye Dining Room

2011-02-09T14:29:00.000-06:00

Jer and I have been dreaming of a new house.
We love our neighborhood, but it is too far out. For the past several months I have been neglecting some projects, organization, and redecorating. I have been saying to myself...in our new house...I will do...this or that. I have been so preoccupied with creating this new perfect house in my imagination that I have fallen a little out of love with my current home.
Well the fact is, we aren't going to move anytime soon, and I need to tackle these projects, and fall back in love with my house. It is a beautiful home. No reason for me not to love it. There actually is a plenty of room for the kids to play and roam. The space just needs to be used more wisely.
The first item of business is the dining room. (Big sigh) I {heart} my dining room.

I love the color, my wall art, and my dining table that I got for a STEAL at the Barn years ago. I especially love and treasure my Granny's mission bookcase. Its from 1916 and still has the original glass. How it survived me and my siblings, I will never understand.

I really didn't want to part with any of it, and frankly I wasn't going to. But Jer and I needed an office. The dining room is used maybe 3 to 4 times a year for Thanksgiving and birthdays. It just isn't a wise use of space. After a little pep talk, I convinced myself it was the right thing to do...say good-bye to my dining room.
So some rearranging commenced.

We moved some shelves and an existing desk from upstairs.

Some items were repurposed.

Granny's bookcase is now used has an actual bookcase. The dining room table became my desk, and the chairs were put in storage to pull out when we entertain.

Now, Jer and I have an actual office.

I thought I would hate it, but I kind of love it. Jer is over the moon to have his own space. That alone makes the 525 trips up and down the stairs completely worth it.

A Rare Event

2011-02-04T09:20:00.001-06:00

Another snowy day. We're going on Day 4 of this winter storm, and the snow is still falling at my house. It is actually starting to come down harder as I type.

There haven't been many times in my life that I could look out my office window and see this view. I can count them on one hand.

This winter weather has caused the city to come to a screeching halt. Schools closed, universities closed, businesses closed...you name it and it is probably closed. I had already had plans to work from home this week. There was a hiccup in my schedule which meant juggling the boys and the office for a week.

This unusual event didn't throw off my plans too much.

Yes, I am going nuts like most moms who have been stuck inside with their darlings all week. Little ones need to roam, run, play. They need to burn off that youthful energy that we would like to bottle and save. Several inches of ice and snow and below freezing temps make that difficult to do with toddlers.

My nerves are wearing thin...

But as I think about the rarity of this storm, I realize it is just as rare that I get to enjoy an entire week in the presence of my little ones. Most days I yearn to be home with them, but can't. Many weeks I anticipate the weekend knowing I get to enjoy time with them....just time. I am always searching for time...more time.

I am not going to lie. There are many days I am so very happy that I get to jump in my car and get away for the day...even if it is just to the office. There are weekends that I dream of childless vacations to all those un-family-friendly destinations. Hey, I am normal!

But today I am going to soak up this rare event. I am going to enjoy the snow, even though I despise the cold. I am going to enjoy this blessing of time.

Snow Day

2011-02-01T10:02:00.000-06:00

More like ice day. This is the view from my front door. I won't be venturing out any further than that today. What you see is about an inch of snow on top of an inch of ice. In Texas that means all schools and many businesses are closed for the day. For the Rodens that means we are going to snuggle up and enjoy our time together.

Dollar Store Decorating-Valentine's Day Version

2011-02-01T09:15:00.004-06:00

I really hadn't planned on doing much decorating for Valentine's Day...HA...clearly I am obsessed. Once I started posting my projects, questions started coming in asking when I was posting my Dollar Store decorating for Valentine's Day. I kept it really simple this time...

I purchased: red doilies, heart table scatter, plastic heart boxes, cardboard heart boxes, and conversation heart candy.

I used the white tulle ribbon, white card stock, candles, and candle holders from my stash.

With this I made a simple heart garland and a cute table decoration.

For the garland...

I simply stapled the red doilies to the white tulle ribbon.

Cut out hearts from the white card stock and attached them to the doilies with a glue stick.

Attached the heart table scatter to the white hearts with craft glue.

And hung it on the stairs.

For the table decoration...

I filled the candle holders with the conversation heart candy. I basically just repeated my candy corn idea. I filled the cardboard hearts with the candy also, and arranged it all in the center of the table. Now if I can keep my little people from swiping the candy! I guess it is time to start the rumor that the candy is covered in glue.

These two projects were super easy and dollar store cheap!

Enjoying the Moment

2011-01-31T16:40:00.000-06:00

I am working from home this week with both toddlers in tow. No, I haven't officially lost it. I just have some schedule juggling for the week.
Day one has been a hectic blur to say the least. After juggling office duties with mommy duties, Jack and I are taking a little break. It's moments like these that make the chaos a distant memory.

Valentine's Day Countdown {Tutorial}

2011-01-27T23:21:00.008-06:00

My brain has been on project overload this week. Either I am really inspired, or I am still avoiding the laundry. Whatever the reason, I have been having a blast! Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday, so why not countdown the days until February 14th?!? Nothing better than getting your children all hyped up for the day...right?

Supplies you will need:

14 Valentine cards (the dollar store has a great selection)
Ribbon (I found this ribbon at the Dollar Spot in Target)
16 Wooden clothespins (I used the small size)
Red and white card stock
Craft glue
Number stickers (you will need enough to make the numbers 1-14)
Hanging shoe organizer
Various Valentine's Day treats

Attach a strip of ribbon to the front of each clothespin using craft glue. I used the small clothespins, but the regular size will work too. Let those dry while you work on the rest of the project.

Separate the Valentine's Day cards. I laminated these to help them survive my toddler duo, but it is not necessary.

Use the number stickers to place a number (1-14) on each card.

Make a pattern you like as you attach the number stickers.

Use the red and white card stock to make a Valentine's Day Countdown sign. You can hand write it, use stickers, or print it from the computer. I printed this one and backed it with red card stock. I laminated this as well...just a little obsessed with my new toy!

This shoe organizer had six rows of four pockets. I cut of the two bottom rows, so that I had 16 pockets total.

Hang on the back of a door. I hung mine on the door leading to our garage, so we can countdown as we leave for the day. I used the removable 3m hooks, so that I don't damage the door when it comes down after the holiday.

Attach the countdown sign to the top of the organizer using two ribbon covered clothespins.

Attach the Valentine's Day card with the rest of the clothespins. I started with the #1 card in the top left corner.

Place the last two cards in the middle of the last row.

Yes, I chose a lot of candy for my treats. To be honest, it was the most inexpensive and easiest to find. Next year, I will plan in advance and pick some non-sugary items.

Place the treats in the pockets behind the Valentine's Day cards. I placed enough treats to cover all three of my darlings.

Begin counting down the days on February 1st.

When you countdown a day, take of the Valentine's Day card and place it in the pocket, and let your little or big ones enjoy the treats!

My total cost for this project was less than $15. Having the shoe organizer in my stash helped keep down the cost, but these can be picked up anywhere for a minimal price.

Now if I can just keep my children from swiping all the treats before we get to February 1st!

I am linked up to some great parties with tons of ideas....The Shabby Nest, Fingerprints on the Fridge, I Heart Naptime, and A Few of My Favorite Things.

Valentine's Day Chair Backer {Tutorial}

2011-01-26T23:00:00.009-06:00

Now that Jack's birthday party is over, and the house is back in order...well almost back in order...I have moved on to some fun projects for Valentine's Day.
I have been dreaming about creating a knock-off of this...

I can use my sewing machine...I can even thread the bobbin! BUT, I wouldn't claim to be a seamstress. Attempting this type of chair backer would be challenging, and at the moment I do not have the patience for anything challenging.
So instead of attacking the mounds of laundry overtaking my house, I went to my #2 happy place...Hobby Lobby. I {heart} that place. After wandering the aisles a bit, I came up with an idea for a chair backer that wouldn't involve dusting off my sewing machine.

Supplies you will need:

Small canvas tote bag
Fabric (approximately a 12 in square)
Coordinating trim or ribbon
Coordinating embroidery thread
Fabric glue (I used Fabri-Tac)
Snap fastening kit
Card stock
Pencil
Scissors and/or pinking shears

Cut out a heart from card stock large enough to cover most of the tote bag while leaving about a two inch border.

Turn the bag inside out and trace heart onto bag.

Cut heart out of bag using pinking shears or scissors. I used pinking shears to give the edge a nice tattered look.

Fray the edges a little more if desired.

Use the same heart pattern and cut a heart out of the fabric square. Leaving a border at least 2 inches wide.

Use fabric glue to attach the fabric (pattern side down) onto the bag. I placed a very thin bead of glue along the edge of the fabric heart.

Once the glue is dry, turn the bag back inside itself and cut off the handle attached to the front of the bag.

Cut the handle attached to the back of the bag in half, but leave it attached to the bag.

Add trim to the top of the bag. I attached my trim to both sides of the bag.

Use the embroidery thread to sew a simple running stitch around the heart.

Use the snap fastener to attach snaps to the two ends of the handle that was cut in half.

Attach the other half of the snap to the back of the bag.

Make sure it is lined up to snap together correctly.

Attach to back of chair and enjoy!

Delaney Bug has been SO into making cards for everyone lately...everyone gets a card...everyday. Sweet Girl! She is going to be THRILLED to make Valentine's and deliver them to her brothers in these bags...

Jude's bag.

And Jack's bag.

Even the boy versions are too cute!

I made all three bags for less than $20! It also took me only about an 1 1/2 hours to make all three bags. I am so pleased with how they turned out, and even more tickled that they took so little time and money! I can't wait to fill these with Valentine's Day goodies for my little angels.

Check out other great ideas at these link parties:

Robot Birthday Party

2011-01-23T21:28:00.011-06:00

I love to plan parties. When I was single and childless I would regularly have friends over for every possible occasion. If there wasn’t a reason to have a gathering, I would create an occasion that we needed to celebrate. I just love the whole planning, creating, and cooking tasks involved. Call me nuts, but it’s true. I tend to thrive under pressure.

I haven’t been having many parties or planning much of anything lately. Now that Jack is 2 and Jude is heading towards 1, I am coming out of my baby blur. For me the first year of both my boys' lives have been all about survival.

So, when it was time to plan Jack’s 2^nd birthday party I was MORE than ready to dust off my party planning skills. He had a lovely little party last year, but with being 8ish months preggo with Jude…it didn't meet my normal standards as a hostess.

This year was a tad different…

If you read this blog regularly, you are very aware that my Cracker Jack is obsessed with robots, or “bobots” as he likes to call them…so we had a Robot Party…

I found this darling shop on Etsy, Love the Day. She has A.DOR.ABLE custom printable parties. Not only does she have totally cute Robot Party package, but she also has a nice selection of parties for many ages and celebrations. Check out her really cool blog to get other great party ideas.

The signs, cupcake toppers, cupcake wrappers, goodie bag decorations, etc. are all from the printable package I ordered from Love the Day. So pleased with how they turned out!

I have always wanted to make these tissue paper pom poms to decorate for a party. You can find instructions HERE…these took hardly any time to make. I put them up a week early in efforts to space out my party planning tasks. The kids were in LOVE! I don’t know if they will ever let me take them down. The star garlands are just diecut stars sewn together. Again, super easy to put together!

We had about ten children in attendance…all age 6 and under! To prevent complete chaos with so many young ones, I had a few activities set up in various stations around the house. There wasn’t a set schedule, I just let parents help the kids choose what they would like to do.

Robot building with marshmallows and pretzel sticks…

And a robot craft made from self-adhesive foam pieces. These were all precut and packaged in freezer bags…

I also had some basic coloring pages downloaded from free printable websites.

I ordered barbeque from a local place and made mini pizzas for the kiddos. I like to wrap up plasticware together in napkins so that everything is easy to grab when my guests are making plates for themselves and their little ones.

A drink and snack station were set up to make sure everyone stayed fed and watered!

I think my favorite part of the party was putting together the goodie bags. Sounds silly, but I have always looked forward to the whole goody bag making event...so much fun! Everything was ordered from Oriental Trading. They have a large selection of robot goodies. I simply had a ball putting these together!

I also labeled some basic lunch sacks for the kids to take their goodies and crafts home.

Jer surprised me by decorating our walkway with sidewalk chalk. It was his special party planning touch. SO COOL! This is why I call him my Prince.

What a great day! Everyone had a great time, especially the birthday boy. How could you not with all that sugar! Just look at all of it!

Now on to dreaming up something just as exciting for Sweet Baby Jude!

Check out some other great ideas at...

Jack's Turning 2!

2011-01-21T10:45:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe that today is Jack’s last day of being a one year old. I can’t stand it! Like every new mother, I am wondering where the last two years have gone. I knew parenthood would bring me joy, but I never realized how just how overwhelming that joy could be. These are just a few things Jack is doing right now that keep the joy overflowing…

His love of anything that beeps, roars, zooms or crashes.
If it doesn’t beep, roar or crash…he is going to make the sound effects to make it do so.
When he doesn’t want his picture taken, he says “No cheese, Momma! No cheese!”
He says “cookie” in the same voice as the Cookie monster.
If allowed he would stay in his pajamas all day long, and Elmo slippers as well.
How he says “hi” to every cow, bus, fire truck, bird we pass on the road…”Hi cow!”…”Hi bus!”…
How proud he is of himself that he sleeps in a big boy bed.
Every container turned upside down is a drum.
That he thinks his tricycle is a bicycle and corrects us if we call it a tricycle.
That every ball now has its own special name….soc-cer ball, feet-ball, bass-ball.
When he wants to go home, he says he wants to go to “Jack’s house.”
That he loves to eat breakfast for dinner, and if given the choice would eat pancakes for all three meals.
His love of books, books and more books!
His infectious and precious laughter! Once he gets going it’s hard to stop. Jack LOVES to laugh!
His protective nature of his baby brother Jude.
But most of all…how he lights up and says “Hi Mum!” when I walk into a room…every single time.

I am so proud of the amazing little boy he is growing into. His smile, laughter and sweet spirit remind me daily that I am blessed beyond measure!

Bobots on the Brain

2011-01-19T14:10:00.001-06:00

I have so many goals and plans for my house this year. It is time to whip this place into shape! Hopefully I will accomplish the projects/ideas that are piling up in my head and filling my notebooks. I have probably set my goals a little high, but I figure high expectations equal positive results. Right? I look forward to sharing all my decorating, organizing, and remaining sane ideas on a very limited...oh let's face it...a nonexistent budget!

But right now, I have robots, aka "bobots" on the brain. Jack turns 2 this weekend. I can hardily stand it! I am planning a totally cool party using his love of robots and teleporting skills as my inspiration.

Stay tuned...lots to share!