Wacky Kracker

Whew...Happy New Year!

2012-01-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

OK...so the fun thing about having a blog is that I can brag on my kids and husband at any time. (sorry about that!) The verdict is still out to see if any of the boys are going to be artistic like their father...but this was a fun start!

One of my favorite new traditions for our family is that we create many of our Christmas gifts. There is something about having the kids involved and creating something that you can not buy in a store that makes me VERY happy and takes the stress out of the chaos of the season! Here is one of our pieces from this past holiday and everyone in our family had a part in the creative process. I came up with the idea, Michael drew the head of the angel, Wesley's foot is the body of the angel, the twins hands are the wings and Christopher "fancied" it up! This particular piece was for my mom.

Thanks for allowing me to brag on my guys...I thought this was such a fun family project that I had to share! Happy, happy, happy 2012! I hope that it's filled with lots of activities and fun times for you and your family!

Halloween, Bugs and Potion...OH MY!

2011-11-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

My husband is DEFINITELY the creative force behind Wacky Kracker. His talent allows our business to grow on a daily basis. It’s entertaining to throw a design suggestion at him and see his artistic talent take flight. I “dabble” in the creative side…I keep my eye on trends and give him suggestions but it is definitely his creative style that is the driving force behind this company. I have clients that will send me pictures and request to have it redrawn “Wacky Kracker” style…the ultimate compliment!

In my previous life, I was a personal chef. Cooking has been and still is a passion for me. I’ve been told that God gave me the experience as a personal chef because He knew that I was going to have 4 growing boys to feed. Soooo…this Halloween I had a few tricks up my sleeve and relied on some bribery techniques. I threatened the kids to be on their best behavior because my magic potion would turn them into a toad. It’s kind of like the “Santa” bribe. The “potion” will know if you’ve been bad, so you better be good or when you drink it…POOF! I also told them that they were going to have to eat bugs if they wanted to eat ANY of their Halloween candy. My oldest was onto me by this point but he played the game well! They were pleasantly surprised to see that the infamous bug was a twice baked potato with shrimp legs. I was told that it was the most creative dinner to date.

Christopher’s got me when it comes to drawing but I’ve got him when it comes to food. What a fun combination! I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Halloween! Have a happy week!

2011-10-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

We just experienced our first Akela Cub Scout camp this weekend. (My back will never be the same.) I was excited about this trip for many reasons…time alone with my oldest boys, Christopher sleeping in a “tent” for the first time in his life, camping with some friends, and bonding with the boys while shooting wrist rockets, BB Guns and arrows. We had a fabulous time but we will be better equipped in the future. We had “THE” 5 star camper beside us. He had the Taj Mahal of tents: heater, indoor light, $200 flashlight and much more. The only thing he didn’t have…a coffee maker. He assured us that he will bring it next time. I knew we were in trouble when one of the dads walked up and laughed while we were struggling with our tent and said, “Now that’s an old tent…I haven’t seen a tent like that since I camped as a little boy!” Don’t get me wrong…I was grateful to have that OLD "teeny" tent on that COLD ~ Friday night! We squeezed in that tent like a bunch of sardines to keep warm! Body heat is an amazing thing...

Here’s where the trip was a little challenging…I was one of a few women that participated in this “guy” bonding adventure and now I know why. They seriously use a Latrine!!! It was a hole in the ground, with a wooden seat and 4 wooden walls…YIKES! What happened to the community bathrooms with running water at most campgrounds? And NOWHERE in the information about the weekend did it mention to bring toilet paper. This camp is definitely attended by mostly men. I had to use the buddy system with my sweet son so that he could “stand guard” while I used the restroom. Not one of my proudest moments but he was a real trooper. I pride myself in being a boy mom but the “latrine” is where I have to draw the line.

Needless to say, this weekend inspired me to design our PRINTABLE camping line of stationery. This is the perfect time of year for camp outs and s’mores. Have a happy day everyone!

Creepy Crawlin' Spiders

2011-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons that I love this business is that 90% of the time I’m dealing with MOMS!! I’m always so inspired by other’s creativity and suggestions. I have noticed over the last year that a lot of moms are looking for DIY solutions. So, I worked tirelessly this weekend on a new product line for Wacky Kracker. We will slowly start adding DIY printables for our most popular design themes. I decided to roll-out this new adventure with our 8-legged Halloween friend.

I was so whipped after staring at the computer for 2 days, that I headed towards the kitchen (as usual) to refocus my energy. So…with kids in tow, we decided to honor our lil’ spider with none other than CHOCOLATE “spider” cakes! How cute are these? For all of you moms out there (or grandmothers) looking for an easy project for the kids…this is it! **Ding Dong, poxy sticks, candy eyes and chocolate frosting** Let the kids go to work. The messier the better…just prepare yourself for the sugar high afterwards…yee-haw!

Have a happy week everyone!

Bats...eeeekkkk!

2011-10-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

When I think of Halloween, I think of black cats and bats. Bats completely “creep” me out! It’s my least favorite exhibit at the zoo but my boys are so intrigued by the dark, cold and STINKY cave. I have vivid childhood memories of hitting a tennis ball high in the air ~ in my front yard ~ at dusk ~ and bats flying out of the trees to check it out! Yuck, yuck, yuck!

As we were putting up some of our Halloween Decorations this weekend, I decided to make a few bat-friendly projects for the kids. These bats aren’t stinky or creepy…

*I made bat straws for the boys. We’ve been labeling our drinks for the last 2 weeks b/c of our battle with strep throat. I thought this was a fun way of keeping the cups separate!

*One of our friends in the neighborhood got sick this weekend...so we sent him a Bat-O-Gram to let him know that we were thinking about him!

*On Friday, I found out that my oldest was…BLIND AS A BAT! I cried in the doctor’s office when he was reading the chart because he couldn’t see any of the letters. I was mortified…Mom of the Year Award…AGAIN! I LOVE his new look!

*And of course…here is our whimsical version of a bat. These are fun little stickers to attach to your Halloween goodies that you send out this year!

Have an awesome week everyone!

Pumpkin Fun

2011-10-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fall is here! I always mark the beginning of the holiday season with our Annual trip to Lake Catherine. Last weekend, my father and his wife treated my family to a little cabin in the woods. This is a precious time for our family. There is NO internet and we all just eat, play and talk…A LOT! I love the holidays but they are a little frantic around our household because it is the busiest time of year for my family and our business. Every year I try to prepare for the 3 month period but somehow things can get chaotic FAST. Last year I got a virus on my computer and one of my best printers died. I was soooo close to a nervous breakdown. This year as my oldest and I were in the kayak I said, “When things get really stressful in the next couple of months, I’m going to remember this moment!” There is something about being on the lake…with my kids…and the ducks that makes everything OK!

*This year I took 4 pumpkins for the kids to decorate. Notice that I only purchased 4. I knew that if I were going to buy one for Christopher…I wouldn’t see him for the rest of the weekend. His pumpkin would have been an artistic masterpiece. I had more fun watching Christopher try really hard to let the kids express their creativity without taking it away from them. It must be difficult to be so artistically talented and watch your children be perfectly content with painting the whole pumpkin green and calling it a day.

*I made these pumpkin tea lights to decorate one of our tables and I think they are PRECIOUS (if I do say so myself)!

*We have 5 babies being born throughout our family over the next couple of months. I’m NOT going to drink the water! I love these lil’ pumpkin baby shower invitations to celebrate Fall babies!

From my hectic life to yours…I hope that your upcoming holiday season is a joyful and peaceful time of year! Let the ride begin…

Frankenstein

2011-09-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year! I get to combine all of my passions…family, food and crafts! There is something about the weather changing that makes me want to stay at home, play with the kids and EAT! As many of you know, I tend to be somewhat compulsive. This week my “fixation” was Frankenstein. I’m sure that it has everything to do with having 4 boys. (I had to buy pink shoes for my tennis match last weekend just to get a lil’ of my “girly” back…A splash of pink keeps me balanced!)

So here’s to my big green friend…

We started our weekend with a houseful of boys on Friday night. (mine and several others) I had them draw their own Frankenstein faces on plastic cups and we made some Green Gook Punch. (You know…the lime sherbet punch served at most bridal showers.) Ohhhh…how they loved to draw the scars on Frankenstein’s face.

We woke up Saturday morning and had to be at their school for a community service class project…planting flower beds. Nothing like waking up 6 boys under the age of 9 after an "all-nighter" for a project involving manual labor. However digging in the dirt was the perfect project for this group! It was a fun activity for our whole family! So…what better gift to give our teachers on Monday…Frankenstein Soap with it’s very own Frankenstein packaging!! (You can roll your eyes now…I told you that I'm a little compulsive.)

And the last project of the weekend…our Frankenstein stationery! Our Big Green Friend is now offered online at Wacky Kracker. Thank you Christopher! Cheers to a wonderful weekend! Have a happy day everyone!

2011-09-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

Those with kids will totally relate to this… I took 3 of my 4 boys to the doctor for their annual checkup on Friday. As I was sitting in the waiting room, I went down memory lane. I remember coming to the doctor with my first child. I was completely “put together”…nice clothes, hair styled and full make up. My precious newborn was in a smocked outfit with a perfectly packed diaper bag. 9 years later…the boys are wearing their dirty school uniforms, I’m in my tennis outfit, I haven’t worn make up in 8 years and I couldn’t find my purse so I’m juggling my cell phone and wallet in my hands.

Every time we visit our “Saint” of a pediatrician, we always walk away with an embarrassing moment. This particular time, one of the twins had a shiny red bead lodged in his ear. He never complained and I had no idea it was there or for how long. How do these things happen? 9 years ago I would have been mortified! I would have questioned my “mom-ability” and I would have seriously considered changing pediatricians due to my embarrassment. Thankfully we all busted out laughing, high fived Aidan for his bravery and I said a quick prayer thanking God that his hearing wasn’t damaged!

With flu season fast approaching, I’ve decided to add a new personalized product to our website. The Speltz boys gave these personalized hand sanitizers to their teachers last year and they were well received! Hand Sanitizer is always on the “wish” list for teachers. These make great gifts for teachers, nurses, co-workers, etc. and they are a reasonably priced and PERSONALIZED! Have a wonderful week!

Simplifying School...

2011-09-13T04:09:00.001-07:00

I’m finally catching my breath since school has started. ALL of my kids are in school this year and it has taken me 5 weeks to settle into my own routine. For 9 years I have had a child "in tow" and this year has been a bittersweet adjustment. I fear that my kids will only remember me shouting orders and moving at lightening speed as "Sergeant Speltz" for the first 30 minutes of their day. I hustle them through their morning routine, shove food in their mouth and push them out the door. They are lucky enough to be able to walk to school each morning BUT the school bell rings at 7:30 so the Speltz house is rockin’ by 6:00! For those of you that have a peaceful and calm morning routine...I don't believe you but feel free to share your secrets!! :)

As a family we are adjusting to homework…whew! This is going to be a tough year for my oldest boys. As for the twins, we celebrate the simple successes each day…keeping our clothes on until we get home, surviving an early 10:00 lunch and getting through a required resting time (they haven’t taken naps since they were 2). Aidan tried real hard to convince us that we needed to find another kindergarten class after his first 2 weeks of school. His argument was that it was too long...he's got a long road ahead of him!

As parents we get inundated with requests for lunch money, Scholastic Book money, Fundraiser money, etc. With 4 kids it becomes overwhelming to get the money to school and in the right hands! I designed these envelopes to simplify my life and the teachers LOVE them! Hopefully they can help you too! You may customize to fit your money or correspondence needs.

I hope that school has been an easy adjustment for all of you parents out there! For most of us, we love the routine. Have a happy day!

Father's Day Weekend

2011-06-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Since I wouldn't have this company without my talented husband, I thought that I would show you guys how we honored him in our own little "creative" way! He's pretty low-maintenance...all he asked for was beer and a can of tennis balls...what a guy! The kids cut these out and I decorated the beer...too cute! It put a HUGE smile on his face!

We spent one morning playing dress up so that he would have a lil' present to take to the office. Each boy picked out a pair of daddy's shoes to represent their personalities...they did a GREAT JOB! The poem reads:

These shoes are too big for me, as you can plainly see.
But even when I'm grown up, they will be big on me.
The reason is quite simple, I'm sure you will agree.
No one can fill these shoes like my Daddy.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as we did! Have a great week!

Eggn' the Neighbors

2011-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago my mother suggested this fun activity for our kids...Eggn' the neighbor's houses. (Don't worry...you don't see the yolk in this type of eggn'!) I really don't know who had more fun...the kids or me and Christopher...

We set these empty cartons on our neighbor's door steps, hid the eggs all over their yards, rang the door bell and scattered like rats to find hiding places...

It was hilarious to watch the kids find places to hide the eggs. The first house took them FOREVER. They were all competing to find the PERFECT spot! Mailboxes, trees, under cushions, under bushes. Oh the pressure...

Oops...one of the kids busted us! She was on her way to bed and came to the front door b/c she saw something "stirring" on the front porch...RUN!!!!

Even dad and Sugar were hiding. Guess how she found us...mom's flash from her camera!!! I was quickly told to put my camera away for the next couple of houses. The boys were mortified that the ONE girl in the neighborhood busted us!

And there are my 4 boys...captured by the precious Alia! What a fun night! Thanks mom for the suggestion...wish you could have been here!

Big Boy Mustaches

2011-04-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

Christopher is not the only one with artistic talent… (I can talk like that when he’s not around!) Our boys have finally graduated to REAL glasses. And what better way to celebrate the milestone than with some big boy mustaches! I have seen this design around BLOGLAND and I thought that they would be perfect for my 4 guys! So…I sat down on Sunday morning and painted 8 of these cuties… We initiated them last night with purple cows (ice cream and grape soda) for dessert! Is it true that the Diego, CARS and Soccer cups are a thing of the past? Anybody want to put a wager on how long it will take for the first one to break?

Getting Ready for St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-10T12:58:00.000-08:00

All I know about St. Patrick’s Day is that you wear green or people will pinch the crap out of you! I hate to be “pinched”. (or “towel whipped”) I researched St. Patrick’s Day and found out that it’s an annual feast day for the commonly recognized patron Saint of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is a day for EVERYONE to be Irish!

Sooo...I married an Irish Catholic that went to an all boys Catholic school for 12 years! I am a Catholic Convert and he is a Cradle Catholic. Which means…anytime I ask him a question about Catholicism, saints, traditions, etc. he says,“You will need to ask my grandmother.” I thought that I would spare his grandmother this time and I pulled out my Saint Book and read about good ole’ Saint Patrick. But what’s the deal with the shamrock? Well..Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and it has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

Now that my questions have been answered...here are a couple of projects to get my house green before next week. I’ve become an obsessive person about home projects…Thanks Christopher and MOM for putting up with me through this period of my life! I’m having so much fun but I know I'm driving you guys crazy!

Clover Printable, Green Wine Lantern (this is a scrapbook covered wine glass with a tea light), DIY hurricane lights with split peas and our Clover for our front door! The clover was my FIRST jigsaw project...Have I told you how much I LOVE power tools?!

1st DIY Home Project of 2011

2011-03-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ok…so the great thing about making furniture and redecorating your home is that you get to see your blood, sweat and tears transform before your eyes! When a project starts, our entire house is in disarray and then it magically turns into our normal dwelling but BETTER! Since my “aha” moment (Power tools on my Christmas list), we have made some functional yet rockin’ changes to our house. A restful weekend is merely a “thought” for this family. We always start with a Family Friday Fun night with the kids and then we have a list of projects for the upcoming weekend. It’s scary for 2 compulsive people to be married. My girlfriends ask how we manage to get so many things accomplished. I couldn’t do it by myself. I start the concept and then Christopher makes it 15X better than I ever dreamed possible! He’s always putting a “Christopher” touch to everything we do…

With all of this being said, here is our 1^st project! We have 2 ½ baths in this house but all 6 of us use our master bath. I got so tired of finding towels hanging on door frames, on the floor and all over my bed. So I simply stated that I would like to have 3 hooks to hang towels outside of our shower. So...my simple 3 hooks turned into a Board and Batten project!

Here’s where we differ from most DIY couples… My husband not only draws "pretty pictures "for Wacky Kracker but he's an architect and designed this house 9 years ago. In my mind, we are making adjustments to an already “perfect” house. 2011 is REALLY fun! More projects to follow…

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:57:00.001-08:00

We were VERY creative in the Speltz house this weekend! I don't know who had more fun...me, the kids or Christopher! We each tackled different projects and here they are...

I made about 100 of the lil' owls for my boys to give as Valentine's...the boys helped me with these little cuties. Patience...I had to demonstrate "intense" patience!!
My 1st grader worked soooo hard on his rockin' ship for his Valentine's box. He came home from school on Friday and was ready to conquer this little beauty immediately. He must have asked at least 150 times..."When can we start?" before we cut the first piece of paper. He enjoys creative projects the most. I think he has his father's creativity!
My 3rd grader changed his mind several times on his creative project but ultimately decided on a speedy race car. Might I add...the sponsor of this hot rod is Wacky Kracker. I was so excited when I saw it written across the back of the car...proud mama moment!
The twins just left us ALL alone and ate the "extras" off of the owl snacks! I'm sure they were snickering while they thought to themselves...next year mom and dad will really be NUTS! Our creative projects will double next year due to the twinks being in school...shew we!

My mom always made this stuff look so easy when I was growing up... Kids sure do make life more fun! Needless to say, Christopher and I started out our Valentine's with a "high 5" this morning. We tackled all of our projects and our kids were able to create with a purpose...AWESOME! I hope that everyone enjoys their day...have a happy heart!

Giveaway!

2011-02-03T09:12:00.001-08:00

FREE giveaway! 2 sets of Family folded note cards with envelopes... These are great for your family or for gifts! Fun for couples too!
1. Must "like" Wacky Kracker on Facebook
2. Leave a comment on FB under the Giveaway post dated 2/3.

Entries accepted until Sunday 2/6 at 8:00 p.m. Winner will be announced on Facebook on Monday 2/7.

Have a great weekend!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T11:46:00.001-08:00

I am a Type A personality that enjoys coming up with a dissertation for New Year’s Goals. I love to have the opportunity to start fresh with new habits to form, new goals to achieve and new memories to make! I could bore you with my lists but the most life altering goal for the Speltz family in 2011 is our attempt to become the Do It Yourself Family!!! That doesn’t sound like too big of a goal considering that my husband is an architect and is in the building industry. BUT...as you can see from our business, he is on the “design” side of the architecture office. So, we’re both learning at the same time! Personally, I believe it’s our duty as parents to learn how to “fix” and build since we’re raising 4 boys!!! I decided to start posting our accomplishments on Wacky Kracker’s blog because so many of our clients have watched my kids grow up while we’ve been growing our business! Not to mention, I’m hoping that many of you will hold us accountable…that is how New Year’s goals get accomplished, right?!

Our first project of the year…our closets!! I was “delicately” told over the holidays that I need to start paying attention to how my boys dress. The Speltzmobile pulls out of our house on two wheels most of the time! I realize that it is “understood” in most families that you do not enter a vehicle unless you are completely dressed but for the last 5 years it has been difficult to get the twins to wear clothes!! They are very comfortable wearing their skivvies ALL day long regardless of the company present!! The last straw was in December…my computer crashed and I was frantic trying to get it back into my possession. I was delivering orders all of over Memphis and I was trying to get last minute Christmas shopping done. As I got out of my car on our first stop, I realized that all 4 boys had on their PJ’s and Aidan had on two different shoes…one cowboy boot/one Crock. I have justified to myself over the last 9 years that there are bigger battles to have with my boys than arguing over their clothes. Opening the door for women, manners, the alphabet, etc. seem more important to me. However, my mother used her amazing communication skills and made me realize that the boys need to start taking pride in how they dress. So what better way to break the habit than to get their closets in order so that they can FIND their clothes!

This past weekend we vacuumed, disinfected and added shelves to our closets. We have weeded through old clothes and hung up new ones. This has been a therapeutic process! The beauty of my marriage is that we are both compulsive individuals! (My kids don’t stand a chance.) I am so grateful to have a husband that is enthusiastic about tackling these projects…it makes the projects go twice as fast and it’s fun to have a common goal! We have plugged in our power tools, my husband has visited Lowe’s multiple times and we have made our lists… Stay tuned to see our next accomplishment!

Grateful Tree

2010-11-15T07:19:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday! I put my staff at Wacky Kracker to work last week cutting out leaf patterns, hole-punching and collecting branches. At dinner, we each take turns telling what we are grateful for…we write it on our leaves and place it on our “grateful tree”. In the Speltz household, there is NEVER a loss for words BUT it has been a great conversation starter! Not to mention, it's so nice to hear tender thoughts that come from our lil’ ones! Enjoy this wonderful season and THANKS for a wonderful 2010!!!

I'm a SUCKER for organization!!

2010-10-04T10:49:00.001-07:00

I have always been a LIST maker! I have found that I start over with the same "To Do" tasks each week! With the help of my best friend (and mother), I created a notepad that works for my family! The size measures 5.5X8.5 and can be personalized to fit your families tasks! I welcome your ideas and customization. You may replace any of our tasks with your own but I can not add columns or additional lines. This would make a great gift for a new mom, teacher or anyone who "juggles a million balls" in the air!! 52 page (yearly) notepad for $10.00

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?

2010-09-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well...one of my kiddos is on a Flag Football team this year. I've had mixed emotions about my kids playing "this" sport. Here is his precious team posing with the Christian Brothers High School coach! These first graders think that the High School players are PROS. I must say that my children are learning many "life" lessons by playing sports BUT I'm the real student! For starters, I'm learning patience and how to bite my tongue...YIKES!

In honor of one of my lil' guys, Christopher designed a new "football" character. Great for bag tags, gift stickers, enclosure cards, etc. Notepads would make great coaches gifts too!

Enjoy a Wacky Wednesday!

Click Like on Facebook

2010-08-03T11:12:00.001-07:00

Announcing our new Facebook page...we will be offering gift certificates, discounts and new product alerts...come join us! Have a great day!

Wilhite Whoop It Up

2010-06-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's funny what photos people find "tender"... We had our family reunion this past weekend in Oklahoma City. I took a picture of the twins, my mom and my aunt walking back to our hotel. With the help of my trusty camera (which has become an appendage of mine over the last year), I was able to capture a cherished memory!

In honor of my family, we are running a special! Buy One/Get One Free on our family note cards. Here is the link: http://www.wackykracker.com/Family-Folded-Notecards-p/p221.htm
Expires: June 22nd, 2010 Please email us after you place your order and tell us that you saw our blog and we will include your free set! Great idea for gifts...

Must be same design/same personalization. Enjoy your family!

Summer Time Fun

2010-05-12T07:19:00.001-07:00

Occasionally we will put up some pictures of our precious children...these are only faces that a mother could love, right? In honor of our twins, we'd like to offer a BUY ONE/GET ONE FREE special...

If you order a set of panel cards, we'll include a FREE matching set. One set per order/household. Expires: 5/19/2010 Please send your personalization to casboy@bellsouth.net and let us know you saw our blog!

Enjoy your day!

Patio Time...

2010-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

We have had a VERY unpredictable, long winter in Memphis, TN! Today our weather is an amazing 70 degrees and it's screaming PATIO... In celebration of our lovely day, we will include a sheet of our fun and festive martini 2" circle labels for every order over $25.00 placed through March 31, 2010. However you must email us (casey@wackykracker.com) separately and let us know that you saw our blog and give us your address for the labels!

Have a Happy Day!!!

Flowerports for Spring

2010-03-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

I love this new design!!! I'm also EXTREMELY anxious for sunshine, 70 degree weather and socializing with neighbors in the back of our house!! Come on Spring... If you place a $50 order between March 9th and March 14th and mention our BLOG, I will include a free set of personalized flowerpot note cards! Enjoy...