Materials:

Clay Pot and Base: I used an 8 inch pot and base but you could go bigger or smaller according to your needs.  Making small ones would be a great craft for a party!

Bubble Bowl: You can find these at Michael’s or Walmart.  I used the 8 inch bowl.  The key is to test the pieces to make sure they all fit the right way.

Doll Heads:  If you can find a single one, awesome.  I purchased a bag of them from Michael’s for a couple of bucks.  Basically they are a ball with a flat bottom so it can be glued easily to your top.

Super Glue:  I think any kind would work for the top but I had E600 so I went ahead and used it.

Velcro:  Most of the tutorials I saw used glue.  That would work fine, but I wanted to be able to take mine apart and use the pieces separately.  Now I can use the planter and the bubble bowl for other things as well.  I found super strong Velcro at Home Depot.  I only used 1 of the 8 strips so just know you don’t need much!

Spray Paint: 1 can.  Glossy will look best.  Pick a color!  I wanted pink but Miles was insistent that these machines are red, so red it is.  It literally took minutes.

How To:

I think the pictures are pretty clear but just in case…

1.  Spray paint your pieces.  I did 3 coats, each about 30 minutes apart.  I let them dry for a few hours.

2. Glue your doll head to your top.  Follow the directions on your glue to get a really good seal.

3. Place 4 pieces of Velcro on your pot with the opposite side attached.  Do a dry run first and set your bowl on top to make sure the Velcro will sit right on the bowl.  Then attach the Velcro to the base.

4. Remove the backing from the Velcro on top and stick on your top, being careful to get it in the center.  I was a little nervous but this super strong Velcro rocks!

5. Stick your top on and voila! You have an empty gumball machine

A Few Tips:

1. So I bought what seemed like a giant bag of gumballs and dumped them in.  I realized that these bubble bowls hold a heck of a lot of stuff and my gumballs were very sad at the bottom of the bowl.  You can see it above.  Candy is MUCHO expensive and I had no need for hundreds more gumballs so I looked around and saw my pile of balloons for the hard candy decorations.  I rinsed it off and blew it up inside the bowl to create a “hollow” center to put the gumballs around.  Yep, I felt like a genius.  I still needed to run to the store to pick up a few tubes of Rainblo but man did my machine look full and happy.  I was so glad I did this because even after the kids made their goodie bags full of candy there were still tons of gumballs left!

2. Please remember that these are clay pots and they will break.  Tell your husband.  When we were cleaning up the party he did not realize that the top came off.  Yes, I know, how could he not.  It is a fake gumball machine how the heck did he think we got the gumballs in or out?  Anyway, he pulled it off the table and the top went flying onto the ground.  It broke.  Maybe these could be made with the fake clay plastic pots?

3. If you are going to use this on a blog, for instance, take a picture of the completed machine before the party.  I didn’t so all you get is the action on the table.  I promise it is so adorable and as soon as it stops raining here I will make a new top.

This whole project takes less than an hour of actual work and it looks amazing!  Have fun and please let me know if you try it!

I originally saw the bubble gum machine at Kara’s Party Ideas.

As we read through the posts, a few really stuck with us.

A Few Favorites

We loved hearing about making every day an adventure.  What a wonderful way to enjoy life and teach kids that adventures don;t have to be grand to be fabulous!

If we could all Live Love, the world would be a more lovely place.

It was a real push to make changes for more together when we read that It’s Never too Late and nodded the whole time.  There is always time to focus on our families, our friends and our communities.

Our hearts swelled when we read about how important it is to physically spend time together and how it becomes all the more important with children and very clear during a time of separation. Boy are we happy to know that Redefining Together means this family is going to live under the same roof again!

We all need to be reminded that it does not need to be perfect.  In fact, striving for perfection can mar an otherwise amazing moment.

Every relationship is so unique.

Little Boys have something very special.

Sisters are a gift to each other, as rocky as their relationships usually are.

Expanding our own lives to include a partner and a family opens a whole new world of together.

It can be difficult to come into a family as a step parent, but by making sure to make time together and through establishing wonderful family traditions, these moms make it work.

It is important to remember that you are a better person to be together with when you are happy.  Don’t be afraid to focus on making a better you!

Lest we forget how priceless our moments on this Earth are and how precious are the people in our lives, we can remember little Delaney and live every day to it’s fullest.  She had only a few months on this Earth but she changed every life around her and made a difference.  This baby girl’s story broke my heart and then opened it wide open to more love and more experiences and more together with the people I love.

We laughed, we cried, we took notes, we smiled.  It was truly a pleasure to read all of your words.  Again, thank you!

Drumroll Please

While I did not vote, the team at Brica read and read and narrowed down and read again and did all of the above and finally came to a unanimous decision.

A story of 3 sisters and their support for each other and their mother’s tears as she watched them be together moved us all.  Beyond the celebration of the girls’ accomplishments, this is a story of how to be together in this world.

Watching my children celebrate each other is one of the biggest joys of my parenthood journey.  Watching my children support each other through the tough times is even a bigger joy.

Teaching my children to be present for one another is a lesson of humility, courage, strength, and love.   And it’s a lesson that needs to be taught at home.  How can we expect our children to be present for their neighbors, community, friends, and strangers if we don’t expect them to celebrate and cry with their family.

Yes, we will be proud to win and to do our best each time.  Not everyone can win a blue ribbon – but we will celebrate the person who did (when more times than not – it is not us) …just like we will celebrate every person that tried.   We will congratulate others and offer our warm embrace to those who need it.

Congratulations Tracy!  Brica could not be happier to announce that you are the big winner!  We shall see you at Type A!

If you do not read Sellabit Mum, you should.  Tracy is full of heart and humor and love.  Her stories somehow come back to being together and they are lovely.  She is a riot too.  Trust me.

Brica Loves You All!

Once again, it was an absolute pleasure reading your words, both for me and the team at Brica.  Thank you so very much.

While we could only choose one winner, we are excited to continue developing great relationships with bloggers!  We will be at Type A with bells on and hope to meet many of you there!  If our products are a good fit your family, please send me an email and let me know.  Also, don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Let’s keep Making Together Better!

Here is Phase One of my shared room update.  The beds.  The other size of the room is a work yet to be started.  Oy!

Here’s a little close-up.  We’ve still got lots of decorating to do on top but boy does this thing pack a punch as far as space!

This project is sort of funny because more than 2 years ago I built a storage bed for Sophia – the same one that would go with this corner unit in twin.  But I built a queen bed.  So, when Violet learned to get out of her crib at 16 months old and would not stop the room had to change.  I took that big labor of love apart (it was made in 3 pieces) and now it is a giant couch for the kids.  I chose to stick with good old bed frames with this corner unit.  The girls and I like the bed skirts and using under bed boxes turns out to be much more convenient for storing their toys and keeping them hidden!

We wanted the girls to have a little space right by their beds for their special things and night time stuff.  I love that it is hidden while the pillows are on the bed but then there for the girls when they hop in bed!  These cubbies are about 14 inches deep and provide tons of room for books and jewel boxes and all of Violet’s beloved Disney figures.  Right now, at 5 and 2, they use the corner shelf for passing back and forth books at night and for special displays when they play store.

How to Build It

To build this unit I followed the plans from Ana White’s site for the Corner Unit.  I do have a few suggestions for those of you trying this plan.

Hip to Be Square

We used 2×2′s as Ana suggested, but here in North Carolina the 2×2′s at Lowe’s and Home Depot are furring strips and they are as warped as the day is long.  They are also very flimsy pieces of whitewood.  If I was to build this again I would go with 2×4 premium lumber.  It is not hard to find straight boards and they are much sturdier.  A few easy adjustments would need to be made.  I have built a lot of furniture to be square within a 1/32 of an inch.  I know how to check for square and keep square.  Let me tell you, when actually building a square out of totally warped wood it will never be that square.  Lesson learned.

When not totally square, each piece of wood is measured and cut to fit your frame.  In this case, I had small differences in measurements of each piece of wood, but in the end it all worked out.  And for awhile it was a fun fort.  Its tough to find time with 3 kids!  So, if you are having your wood cut at the store, make sure to have them cut each piece a little large and you can trim them at home using a circular saw or a jig saw.  No one wants to waste a huge piece of wood!

If you look closely at the picture below you will see that the top does not fit fully flush on the frame because it is not totally square.

As a note, I used 3/4 inch plywood for the top of the base unit and the top cubby portion and 1/4 inch plywood for the side panels.  For the top unit, I used pine boards.  You could also use beadboard for the side panels if you want that country look.

Cut and Paint

Get through all of your cuts.  Assemble the frame first and then cut each piece and test it out.  Then paint it!  This frame is too large to fit through our doorway anyway so it had to be assembled in the room.  It was super easy to paint all of the wood laying flat on the ground.  I used 1 coat of primer and 3 coats of paint color matched to a very cool pinkish orange in the quilts.  Once you have painted you can start assembling your corner unit.  Yes, you will need to do some touch up at the end.

When cutting the panels, I allowed for an extra 1/4 inch on one so that it would overlap on the corner and cover the other edge.  This created a clean corner to apply my trim.

Attaching the Pieces

I followed Ana’s instruction on screw length but used deck screws to assemble the frame and attach the top to the bottom. They have a star head that does not strip when screwed in.  I did countersink each screw using a countersink bit and then the screws went in like butter and pulled my unit together.  Deck screws are super sturdy and also come in a wood tone that is much easier, in my opinion, to cover with wood filler and paint over.  Wood screws strip and break easily and are not fun to remove.  I did use regular wood scres to attach the panels.  For the top unit I used my Kreg Jig but you could easily use regular screws for this as well.  By the way, the Kreg Jig is the absolute best thing ever for joining wood without fancy joinery skills.  It is about $100 and is so worth the money!

Finishing the Corner Unit

I went simple and safe here.  I used a piece of rounded corner trim for the corner edge so that any injuries would be a bruise and not a bloody mess if they hit the corner.  Then I ripped 1/4 inch MDF into 2 inch strips and attached them to the unit to cover the joint between the top and bottom parts of the unit.  Here’s what it looked like before the trim.

I still want to add trim to the top, but for now I am taking a breather and focusing on the dozens of other projects I  started!  I think it looks great for now and is just what I need to start thinking about the rest of the shared room. I attached the trim with my nail gun but it would be fine to add with small nails and a hammer.  Once it is on, simply fill your nail holes and any gaps and paint!

I added a hole on the top for cords.  I will probably add another one in each cubby for the girls when they get old enough to have their own things that need to charge.

The good news is that you can build this no matter what your skill level with a little patience.  It is large and that makes it a little more difficult.  It can be taken apart to move.  That is awesome.  The kids have climbed all over this thing and is does not budge.  Thank goodness!

Now, I’ve got  the beds down and I’m on to the rest of making a shared room work and look good.

Let me know if you have any questions and please share if your kids share a room…how do YOU make it work?

I am linking up to the lovely Laurie from Tip Junkie.  There are always some great DIY projects every week so check it out!

Also, if you like this would you be so kind as to pin this post or share it with your friends?  Thank You!

You can win $100 to Tea Collection so you can see and feel why I am loving the clothes from Tea!

Each Season the folks at Tea travel to some wonderful place and bring back patterns and colors from their travels to design their clothing.  Yes, I would like to work there.  So would my kids.  We chose items from the Modern Mexico collection but this spring Tea is featuring clothing inspired by Bali! The clothes are stunning!

Oh the Colors We Love

What I love about these collections is that they go together no matter what you choose without being too matching.  The color palettes are made to complement each other so Miles can wear one of their T-Shirts and the girls can wear their dresses and still look adorable together for a picture.  Let me just say that the color palettes themselves are stunning.  They are the colors of nature highlighted with gorgeous jewel tones and placed in fantastic patterns.  We want coloring books full of these designs!

Mix, Match and Save Money with Wardrobe Sets

I love that for between $100 and $150 you can get 5 or 6 great pieces to mix and match.  We always go with the dress sets for the girls and they are so excited when they come in the mail!  I usually order short sleeve or tank dresses for the girls and T-shirt sets for Miles.  I also order a little big so I get the most wear out of the clothes.  In the fall and winter we simply add a long sleeve shirt under the top and leggings on the bottom.  That way we get year round use out of the clothes!

When you can mix and match you get more outfits out of just a few pieces of clothing.  Instead of buying 5 or 6 outfits you buy 5 or 6 pieces and combine them any way your child’s heart desires.  This is also great for travel because you can take less and still have a new look in all those precious photos.

We explored the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine in  our Tea duds and boy did the kids look cute!

Made to Last

My kids are hard on clothes.  I bet yours are too. They run and jump and climb and dance.  They play in the dirt.  They color.  They paint.  They eat. Basically, they get dirty and scraped and have a ball doing it.  I am very impressed with how well Tea Collection holds up.  The fabrics can be washed over and over and the seams do not pull or rip under duress.  I am confident that I will be able to pass down these clothes even after hundreds of wears and washes.  That say a lot.

Made for Fun

The Tea Collection is perfect for kids going anywhere.  You can dress is up or dress it down and your kids will look fabulous and very cool wherever you go.  There are play clothes and party clothes to choose from, though in my opinion the clothes are so nice that almost anything you get could go anywhere!  We rock out or Tea Collection at school, in the yard, at restaurants, at theme parks, eating snacks, riding bikes…you name it…it works!

Made for Cool

I have to say again how awesome the patterns are.  For girls, something beautiful is easier to find.  For boys, they want something cool like a Hot Wheels T-Shirt and you want them to feel cool but be a little more hip.  Well, Miles adores the Tea patterns.  They have tons of wild animals and bright colors with really unique patterns.

Made for Nature

I can’t repeat enough how fabulous these clothes are for photos, especially outside.  The colors, whether bright or muted, seem taken from nature and bring out all the wonderful tones of our kids and the world we live in. I can’t get enough of taking shots of Violet as she explores her surroundings and my favorite pictures are always in Tea Collection.

If the Clothes Weren’t Enough

We have been having the most fabulous time on the Tea Collection blog, where they have an incredible set of Cultural Activity Printouts based on their collections!  Just today we colored butterflies, jaguars, nesting dolls and monkeys!  Each printable has a little tidbit about the animal or custom for your child to learn as they create!  They have a monthly contest where you can share your child’s artwork and win a little moolah to shop at Tea!  The kids are so excited to submit their art and we have been reading all the great travel stories on the blog as well.  We can’t wait to take them around the world!

Also, right now when you sign up to receive Tea Collection’s email updates you will get 10% off your first order!  It works, believe me I did it!

How You Can Win $100 to Tea Collection

Head on over to visit me on Facebook because that’s where you can win!  It’s easy peasy baby.

Here’s an easy link for entering.

All of my fans are welcome to enter and you will get extra entries for liking Tea Collection on Facebook and for sharing the giveaway with your friends!  How cool is that?  Tea has a great community on Facebook and they share great photos and inspiration.  Mommy Words has lots of great conversations and there will be a lot more great giveaways coming soon!

Good luck!

Disclosure: I was provided with a gift code to purchase Tea Collection clothing for my kids.  These opinions are all my own.  So are the kids in the pics.  That little banner is an affiliate link.

Here are 5 simple ways we can all be a little greener and help the Earth a lot.

Make less Trash.  Period.

The goal is simply to throw away less, put less stuff in landfills.  Whether you go all geek and weigh your trash or simply count your trash bags and set a goal to throw away one less bag a week to start and then 2 and then 3, you will be making a change.  This can be a goal for the whole family.  If you get down to your set goal, have a treat planned for the fam.

To reduce trash?  Always think if what you are throwing away can be re-used or recycled.  If not, just think whether there is something that could replace that item in your trash.  Plastic bags, paper towels and plastic bottles come to mind.  They are easily replaceable with reusable bags, cloth towels and your very own washable water bottle.

Unplug Your Appliances.  Especially Your Computer.

It’s called vampire power and basically it means that even when you think your stuff is off, it is still using power.  Your phone, your computer, your lamps…everything.  If you take a few minutes to unplug you will save power and save money.  Turn off your electronics using the on / off switch and not just letting them turn off on standby.

Drive Less

It’s no secret that gas is expensive and a limited resource.  When you can walk or ride a bike it is good for you and for our planet.  I know we all have to get to the grocery store and run errands so what about just combining these errands so that instead of running out every day you just have one day a week where you run around.  If you have kids activities try to combine something you need to do near where you are already going.  This will save time, money and energy!

Open Your Windows

When it is temperate outside, open up your windows and turn your AC or heat off!  It will save money and energy and make your house feel a little fresher.  In the warmer months, let the fresh air and sunshine in during the cool morning hours when the sun is low in the sky.  If you are trying to keep a cool home, close the windows and pull the shades when it gets hot and the sun is overhead to keep the house as cool as possible.  Open back up again in the evening to let the cool breezes and not your AC cool your home.  In the colder months we do the opposite.  We close up the house in the evenings as it starts to get really cold.  As soon as the sun is up and really shining we open up the windows and get as much light and warmth in the house as possible.

Shop Local and Seasonal

The closer your food is grown to home, the better.  Not only will you be helping your local economy, you will also be saving all the energy it takes to get your food from the other side of the country to your home!  We have a number of farmers markets here that are excellent for produce and meats.

We also have a tiny garden that we grow veggies in.  We just finished the brussel sprout season and our broccoli is peeking out!  A simple raised bed takes up very little space and provides the freshest option possible!  You can’t get more local than your own yard.  I am even begging my husband for some egg laying chickens these days…we shall see.  Wouldn’t fresh eggs be heavenly?  Chickens eat mosquitoes too!  Here’s a great little plan for a $10 cedar raised bed from the awesome Ana White!

Just doing a few things will make a big difference and make your life a little simpler and more budget friendly too.  Helping the Earth is a Win-Win-Win!  Don;t forget to check out my tips for getting kids involved in being a little greener!

Haven’t you heard that orange is the new green? Seventh Generation and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax have joined forces to inspire families to conserve the earth’s resources with conscious consumption. Created with your family, future generations and the environment in mind, Seventh Generation is the natural choice for high-quality and effective products that preserve the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people in your home–as well as the world outside. Make a difference by choosing Seventh Generation products, now offering free shipping for orders over $50. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

How do you live like the Lorax? Tell Seventh Generation below and be entered to win a Green Your Home prize pack!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Seventh Generation. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Our Earth is immensely beautiful and while our Earth is strong, it is also fragile.  My kids know what that word means.  Believe me, they know that fragile means breakable.  We say this a lot around here.  We often talk about being careful and respectful in terms of our home and our belongings and of our fellow human beings.  We use the same terms to talk about our planet.

My kids know (as much as a 5,4 and 2 year old can) how to take care of the Earth and they are proud to help protect her.

Here’s how we roll with love for mother nature!

Mother Nature’s Hero

If the Earth is so important, the people who protect it are certainly superheros!  Getting kids excited about being  a superhero or a magical nature fairy (Sophia is 5) makes being Earth friendly fun!  Why not give them a cape and a name and go out to pick up trash?  Taking out the recycling is certainly more fun as The Great and Awesome Protector Man than just a kid taking out the recycling.  It’s just plain cool to clean up and teaching my kids to have fun doing it makes it fun and easy!

R is the Magic Letter

As long as we are singing the alphabet a thousand times a day, we may as well put emphasis on certain letters and talk them up, right?  Well, we teach our kids Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and talk about where we can do these things.  They have a lot of ideas and are great about recycling.  The other R here with small children is Reminding them.  We don’t use paper towels for simple spills, we use a cloth towel because it is reusable.  We turn lights off because we need to reduce the amount of energy we are using.  We turn the water off when we are brushing our teeth to Reduce the amount of water we are using.  The reminders are constant, but they get it.  They now remind me sometimes!

Oh – another R.  Rewards!  Why not add our Eco-friendly tasks to the chart and let them get points for helping out our planet.  That’s right, you turn off lights and water, don’t use wipees or paper towels, wear one outfit a day (saves laundry water you know) and pick up trash and you get stars that are good for money.  Money is always used to buy Playmobil figures around here.

Show them What Happens

We watch all those nature channels all the time.  The kids have seen animals dying due to global warming and the loss of ice.  They know that because of changes on our planet, the poor babies cannot survive and their mothers have no milk.  Yep, we’re fans of poplar bears and penguins.  We watch their faces as they listen and start to understand how important our planet is to animals and to us.  We live in beautiful Charlotte, NC and without showing them what can happen it might be hard to impress upon them how important it is to take action.  It is okay for kids to be sad sometimes.  It is okay for them to see what can happen when we ignore our planet.  When they are sad they ask what we can do to help and it gives us another opportunity to tell them about being a Planet Protector.

Get in the Garden!

Kids love mud and they love flowers and holy moly they love to watch things grow!  This year we planted brussel sprouts, watched them grow, talked about how good it was to grow your own veggies and then we ate them!  Well, to be honest Violet loves them, Miles won;t touch them and Sophia took 10 bucks from our neighbor who bet her she wouldn’t eat a huge one.  It was awesome to have our own veggies and they loved being involved.  This week we planted our entire front gardens and the kids know how much work it is to take care of plants.  They are proud of themselves for watching over the little ones and giving hem water and food.  The more in tune they are with nature, the more they will care.  Also, there is little better for the soul than planting a seed and watching it grow.

Live like the Lorax

The Lorax did not stay silent when he saw his world being destroyed.  We teach our kids about the earth and we tell them it is okay to teach their friends.  It is okay to talk about the planet and encourage others to love it as much as they do.  If we do not use or voices, things cannot change.  While we do not ever offend others by criticizing a plastic water bottle, we can tell people that we like to have our own water bottles because we are trying to have less trash and recycling every week.  Get it?  We can share when we have an opportunity and start making a difference in other people’s lives!

These are just a few of the ways we get our kids to stand up for our planet.  I hope they inspire you to raise your own little Planet Protectors!

Win  a Green Your Home Prize Pack

I wrote this post as part of Seventh Generation’s Live Like the Lorax Campaign and I was happy to do so.  We have had diapers in the house for 5 years and we love the Seventh Generation wipes and diapers.  Violet asks for the Seventh Generation Lorax Training Pants because they are the most comfortable and she is right.  I would have given a lot to have those in my size after I had a baby.  Ladies who have had babies know what I mean.  These things would rock in the hospital!  They are actually soft.

Using eco-friendly products is an important step toward teaching my children about conservation, and Seventh Generation and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax have joined forces to inspire families to save the earth’s resources with conscious consumption. Created with our little ones and the environment in mind, Seventh Generation is the natural choice for high-quality and effective products free of fragrances, latex, chlorine and other harmful chemicals. Make a difference by choosing Seventh Generation, now offering free shipping for orders over $50. As the Lorax says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

How do you live like the Lorax? Tell Seventh Generation below and be entered to win a Green Your Home prize pack!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Seventh Generation. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Somehow, this is all real, but I look at myself again and I know I am lying.

I look at how I actually spend my days and I am a woman who craves change, who wants to change the way things are and who dreams of adventure and days filled with unknown and unplanned activities. I know I want to do more with my life than I am doing now and I spend hours upon hours trying to figure out how I will break out of my ordinary.

The little things tell me I crave constant change

I am a constant re-arranger of furniture.

I don’t leave anything the way it is.  My house, my blog, my planners, my schedule, my refrigerator…I am always tinkering.

When my husband mentions a possible job opportunity outside of Charlotte, my heart leaps.  A whole new place sounds more than exciting.  I jump on the computer and start house hunting.

I don’t leave anything alone.  Whether it is arranging a counter for the hundredth time or putting my books in a different order or totally re-organizing all of our stuff, I can’t leave well enough alone.

I am planning a trip around the world for the year Sophia is in 8th grade.  She starts Kindergarten next year.  It feeds my soul to imagine all the things we will do.  Making these plans takes me out of this life, if just for a few hours at a time.

When I see something I like, I make it or build it.  It gets added to my list immediately and I begin planning.  I never wait.

There is more, so much more, but I think you get the point.

Why am I not satisfied?  With all my blessings, I should be.

A million miles an hour

My husband says I get ahead of myself.  Here I am, thinking I am all satisfied and he knows I am not.  How could someone with a constant unachievable action plan feel settled?  I can’t tell you how many times he looks at my face and quietly says, you have that look.  Stop thinking.  Just enjoy life.  My brain works a million miles an hour and I can’t stop it.  I have a  great idea and I get excited, unable to sleep.  I lay in my bed planning all these changes I imagine.  I wake up with ideas and write them down.  The list is overwhelmingly long at this point.  I need less brain or more time or both.  Because, at this point, I am tired.  My brain creates projects.  My life is now one project after another and many at the same time.  I adore projects.  They are a part of my soul.  But no one can work, raise 3 kids, build a corner unit for a bedroom, plant a garden, get the bills paid, do laundry, clean house and throw a birthday party for more than 25 kids in one week.

It is too much.  But I will do it.  This week, I will.

And then I will stop

I had so much more to say.  I had this all planned out.  I was going to talk about positive changes I have planned and I looked at my list. It was a million miles long.  I  realized I need to focus on what I can be satisfied with and where I should be spending all my energy.  I need to quiet my brain and take stock.  Of myself.  Of my marriage, of my family, of my desires.

Because I want to be happy.  And I keep myself so busy changing everything all the time that I don’t know what I want.  I need to figure that out.

Change is coming.  In one word.  Simplify.

And then I will start

I will do the hard work to unravel the mess of plans I have made and keep only what is important.  Only what makes me say Hell Yeah!  I will make time to be quiet and work on not thinking, but simply being.  Being alive, being me, being a wife, being a daughter, being a sister, being a friend, being an advocate and being a mother.

Change is hard.  My world spun while I wrote this post.  Change is coming, and it is good.

We always make our own invitations to save money and get what we want.  Usually we all help decorate and deliver, but this time we made a simple printable.  The kids wanted lots of color and candy.  They are happy with the result and it was super easy!

Download the Invitation In PowerPoint Here

I made the invitation in PowerPoint and used 2 free fonts, League Gothic and Ribbon (I gave a donation to the font creators because I believe in supporting these fabulous designers).  If you download this in PowerPoint you will need to have these fonts installed.  I’m on a PC so I just hit download and then extract the files and then copy them into my fonts folder.  Easy Peasy! Once you have the document simply change the names and ages and your contact info and you are done! Or just use it as inspiration and make your own!

For the lollipops and candy I googled Free Candy ClipArt and Free Candy Vector.  I did not want to purchase these icons.  You won’t get quite as many options as purchasing images from Shutterstock or the like, but you won’t play either.  If you do not have access to a program that can open vector images you will want to search for clipart and search for .jpg or .gif or other standard image files.  If you have Photoshop Elements you can open .psd files as well.

This invite is meant for half of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.  We used a thick white paper that we always have around for other projects like our DIY Disney Autograph Books.  Simply cut your paper in half and position it in your printer and voila!  A very sweet candy invitation.

I hope you like it and have fun planning your own parties and making your own sweet invitations!

p.s. This is the first time I am uploading a PowerPoint file so let me know if you have any problems and I will fix things so they work!

If you like printables check out my 2012 Calendar and my Weekly Blog Planner!

Last month I was lucky enough to travel to San Jose with a group of fabulous bloggers to the eBay headquarters for a few days chock full of learning and a lot of fun.  I came home inspired to clean our house of clutter and start a little fund for family travel.  More than that, I was overwhelmed with the number of resources and tools that eBay has for both buyers and sellers.

But I know that a lot of you are afraid of eBay because of something you have heard or a past experience.  Please, give it another try.  eBay has been working around the clock to make it easier and safer to buy and sell.   I want to tell you all about how to sell on eBay and I will in the coming weeks.  I am planning a little series on spring cleaning and eBay is a BIG part of my plan.  You can make a lot more than with a yard sale.  Beyond spring cleaning, you can supplement your regular income with a little shopping and selling on eBay and it could change your life.  I met two wonderful people, Tristen and Windy, who can tell you that without a doubt eBay changed theirs.

In the past week what I keep hearing from my community both online and off is one of two things.  One:  people LOVE eBay and have realized that they can buy cheaper and sell for more.  Two: People avoid eBay completely and feel overwhelmed by buying and selling.  This was surprising to me.  I have always bought on eBay with great results.  I can save money on almost anything and many times receive a completely NEW product.

Before you can feel comfortable selling on Ebay, I encourage you to buy some of the items you need for your home and your life and get accustomed to the site.

My eBay Buying Tips

For these tips I am going to use my friend Stephanie as an example.  She was looking for an Ergo baby carrier and mentioned it on twitter and of course, the cost.  I responded to check out eBay but she is afraid of shopping there.  The Original Baby Carrier retails for $120 on their site.  The Ergo is awesome and worth the money, but at that price many people want a deal! I searched the completed listings and found TONS of Ergo transactions with sale prices from $50 all the way to $100.  Some came with extra accessories and many were sold NEW for $65 to $75!  I knew Stephanie could find a great deal and I realized that before we all start selling on eBay, we need to get comfortable buying.

Before we start, if you do not have the mobile app for eBay you should get it!  You can check prices and manage your auctions while you are out and about.  It is awesome!

1. Coupons on eBay: Before you buy anything anywhere, check eBay for coupons.  YES!  I have been doing it for years.  This is a great way to start small.  Just type in your store or product and coupon and start saving! There are thousands of coupons on eBay for you to save lots of money with very little effort.  The coupons usually sell for .99 to about $5 if they are big ones.  If you eat food, use diapers, buy clothes or buy anything really, wouldn’t it be nice to have that coupon?

The Ergo is a very specific product but I did find a rebate coupon.  If Stephanie chose to buy the carrier new, she could purchase this $10 rebate for $2.15 and would save $7.85 cents on her purchase.

2. Enter in your search term: Start general and adjust if your results are not what you want.  Sometimes you will search for an item and your results will be a mix of that item and the accessories that go with it.  I usually get more specific in my search or actually sort from highest to lowest price to eliminate the accessories.  Don’t be intimidated by all the pages of results.  This is good.  It means you have a lot to choose from and should be able to find what you want.

Here’s what came up for the Ergo. I sorted by ending soonest because I love to know right away if I win and I get a little giddy with the whole auction process.  You can see that there are Buy It Now options as well as brand new Ergo’s and multiple options for returns and shipping.  I love to find items that have a return policy and if there is free shipping too it’s a win!

3. Select a Listing You Like: Simply click on your desired listing for all the information you need.  I chose to click on an auction with 30 minutes left that is currently at $46 with $9.99 economy shipping.  That is significantly less than retail and this item is listed as “Like New” by the seller, who has a 100% positive rating from 30 buyers.  I find the best deals on “Like New” and “Gently Used” items so I almost always go with this but if you add NEW or NIB (New in Box) to your search you will come up with brand new items to buy.

4. Review details carefully: The biggest things to check out are item description details, the shipping costs and the seller’s history.  I do not need to buy from a Top Rated Seller but if this is a must for you you will see a little ribbon that says top rated seller.  Lot’s of sellers on eBay are casual sellers like you and I who have great products at a great deal and are honest and upstanding members of the eBay community without thousands of sales.  If I have a question I submit it to the seller.  If you are searching for items and want to save a couple to review simply place the items  you are interested in on your watch list by clicking the button in the top right corner of the listing.

Hint: If I am looking at multiple items from the same seller I always look for sellers who are willing to combine shipping.  If it doesn’t say that on the listing, I can send an email and ask.  I have had a lot of luck with this!

5. Make Your Bid or Buy It Now: Once you have made your choice simply enter the amount you are willing to pay into the box and wait.  If you have a limit, eBay will continue to bid for you up to that limit.  I love this simple feature.  You can get a notification if you are outbid and choose to up your bid or search for another item.

6. Pay Promptly When You Win: Both buyers and sellers receive feedback on eBay and I believe this is the most important part of the transaction.  I am stock piling for my big eBay sale but I have 100% positive feedback as a buyer because I pay right away with my PayPal account.  It is really easy to do.  If you have had problems with PayPal in the past, take the time to contact them and they will tell you what they need to fix your account.

7. Receive and Review Item: As soon as you receive your item look it over to make sure it meets the description and your needs.  If there is anything amiss, contact the seller directly before leaving any negative feedback.  Most sellers are more than happy to work with buyers to make sure they are satisfied.  I have never received an item that I had a problem with, but things happen.  Maybe an outfit doesn’t fit or there is problem with a New In Box electronic.  Simply contact the seller first.  eBay has a Buyer Protection plan that will refund you your money plus the shipping if the seller does not respond and a solution is not found.  Check out their video to know you are safe.

8.  Leave Feedback: The best thing you can do after an eBay transaction as a buyer is to leave feedback on the seller.  In the case of a great transaction, you are letting other buyers know that this is a good person to buy from.  In the unlikely case of a bad transaction, you are leaving thoughtful criticism to warn other buyers.

Now you are done!  Enjoy your well priced new item!  Fell free to ask me any questions in the comments or tell me what awesome finds you have picked up on eBay!  Currently my favorite thing to buy is Playmobil!

Stay tuned as I start my spring cleaning with eBay and see how much I can make and how easy it is!

 Disclosure: I am compensated for my time on the eBay Parent Panel.  However, all thoughts and feeling and love of saving and making money are my own.

You may have heard that I am the new Social Community Manager for Brica and loving it. Brica is focused on making products for families that give you time to enjoy the little moments. Whether you are in your home, out and about or up in the air, Brica is always working to find ways to make your life run more smoothly. Our motto is “Making Together Better”, and the team works towards that goal every day.

Brica helps make together better by providing parents with smart solutions with less hassle and less headache. Every Brica product is designed to work great, look good, be portable and easy to use.

We are excited to announce that Brica will be a sponsor of the Type-A Parent Conference here in Charlotte. The team can’t wait to meet the amazing bloggers and social media professionals that attend each and every year and see what is so special about this conference.

The Type-A Parent Conference is about learning, of course, but it is also about building professional relationships and real friendships. It is a conference that absolutely makes together better.

This year, Brica is offering a full sponsorship to Type-A including your airfare or gas, hotel and conference pass. How fantastic is that?

How to Enter:

Entering is simple. Brica wants to connect with you and hear your voice. We are asking that you write a post on our motto, “Making Together Better”. Isn’t that what we all try to do each and every day? We will highlight these posts on Facebook and Twitter and the team at Brica will choose a winner. Simply link your post up here and have fun reading what I am sure will be some great posts!

If you need a little inspiration, check out Brica’s awesome brand book. With tiny thoughts on smiles, hugs, steps, journeys, laughter and life it may just bring tears to your eyes. I love it.

The Nitty Gritty:

We ask that you include Brica before or after your post by mentioning the contest and Brica’s motto. Please include Brica’s logo or the contest graphic at the top of this post.

Provide a link to Brica’s website (www.brica.com) as well as our Facebook (www.facebook.com/BricaInc) and Twitter pages (www.twitter.com/Brica). We would love to connect with all of you so please join us and watch for some great giveaways coming up on Facebook for our fans!

Tweet your post and mention @Brica with the hashtag #TypeAwithBrica. Share your post on your Facebook wall and / or Fan Page. (Clearly these do not apply if you are not on Facebook or Twitter)

We are a family-friendly company. Please keep posts clean so we can share them with our community!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. It begins on April 12th and ends on May 10, 2012. The winner will be chosen by the team at Brica based on the post submitted. I will not be a judge of this contest. The winner will be announced May 15 .

The winner will be asked to disclose in posts about attending the Type-A conference that their trip was provided by Brica and write 1 post about their experience with Brica after the conference. We also ask that the winner be available for a call with the Brica team prior to the conference and that he or she helps spread Brica’s messaging during our time at Type-A through Twitter and /or Facebook.

We can’t wait to see you all in June at the Type-A Parent Conference and welcome you to Charlotte, the Queen City!

Prize Package:

• 4 day/3 night stay at Hilton Charlotte Center City (conference hotel)
• Choose between Double or King bed Deluxe Room
• 1 Full Pass Registration
• $1,000 in travel expenses (to be applied to airfare, fuel, parking, meals, etc….)

Approximate prize package value: $2,100

Eligibility:

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada residents, 18 years of age and older.

Conditions/Restrictions:

All entries must be received prior to 11:59 p.m. (EST) May 10, 2012. All entries will become the property of BRICA, Inc.

Hotel:

BRICA, Inc. will reserve and pre-pay for winner’s hotel room (King or Double bed) and associated room taxes at conference hotel for the duration of the conference (June 22-24, 2012). Hotel incidentals (telephone usage, mini-bar, room service, etc…) are not included and are solely the winner’s responsibility.

Conference Pass:

BRICA will pay for (1) Type-A Full Registration Pass in advance.

Travel Expenses:

Prize money of $1,000 will be awarded to winner in the form of a check at the conference. Intent of prize money is to cover travel expenses (i.e. airfare, fuel, parking, meals, etc.) associated with conference; however, prize money can be used at winner’s discretion.

Other:

Winner will be responsible for any taxes or fees that result from the receipt and/or use of their prize and will receive an IRS Form 1099-MISC.

Winner must attend Type-A Parent Conference.

Let’s Get Writing

I can’t wait to read what Making Together Better means to you!  Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or general shouts of awesome!  Good luck!