FHE = I *heart* monday nights

I look forward to Monday nights every week. Not to be mistaken for MonDAYS, those still stink but at night I can shed the worldly worries and focus on what is most important...family.

This year I wanted to strive to hold Family Home Evening (aka FHE) more often then last year. Then I found this wonderful blog that has the FHE lessons already with monthly themes and new songs to learn and some fun activity every lesson. It is because of this wonderful site I am happy to report an almost perfect "attendance" yay! I missed one this month because I was uber sick but Joe and Maribel had their own mini lesson without me so they are 100% while I am behind by one. That's okay because there's no rule that says you can't have more then one a week so I'll sneak the missed one in. Can't be too blessed if you ask me.

Tonight's lesson was on missionary work. It was so sweet watching and listening to Joe share his mission experience with Maribel. I asked him the questions about his mission and he eagerly answered while Maribel listened so intently which is rare since she liked to wiggle and roll around during every lesson. But afterwards she was our teacher showing us pictures and basically repeating the lesson back to us. I love hearing the lessons through her sweet little voice using her super sweet words like "Lestertime" (yesterday and last time combined) and trying to keep our focus by clapping her hands in a rhythm so we would have to repeat the same rhythm back. So cute!

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! I'm off to 'cultivate my talents.' That's code for I need to scrap my layout for my March challenge at Skrap n' Chat. Guess I better get crackin'.

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under the big top

Today we celebrated M’s birthday with music, games, prizes, and food but best of all friends to celebrate it with.

We turned our backyard into a personal carnival with several stations to play. When M was just a baby I received a monthly subscription to Parent Magazine and in the July ’08 issue they showcased a carnival birthday party theme and I was in love and knew that someday I would have one of our very own. Well here we are 3 years later and now the “someday” has come. I kept the same games and set up because frankly why would I change a good thing? Right now I’m all about less thinking more doing. I’m still working on Balance in my life and this is one way I can do that. Anywho, back to the par-tay…

Uncle Phill was such a trooper! He managed to escape many attempts on his face but alas he could not escape them all. Muahahaha.

Other games included Ring Toss, Knock Down the Cans, Squirt Targets, and Clothespin Drop. The guests were able to visit each station with their game tickets in hand and play to their heart's content for some.....

Prizes!!!

What's a carnival without prizes, right? We had a wide variety to choose from like candy, noise makers, pencils, clown noses, plushies, bubbles, and oh yes more candy!!! :D

We even had our very own fortune teller reading lucky fortunes to our guests. Thanks Anna ;0)

Another hit was the photo op backdrop. All the kids took turns sticking their heads through even though I wasn't able to capture them all. But still I think they enjoyed it. I did see a few mom's capture a few snaps with their phones so that made it totally worth it.

This was the first birthday party with friends and as it was a lot of work it was also worth every moment.
Happy Birthday, my little darling. I hear 4’s are going to be fabulous!
Oh and next year it's gunna be a pinata because this momma is beat.


Links: Music-Amazon carnival music; game setup inspiration-Parent Magazine; Treat table and prize table-Elizabeth Kartchner; Tickets, Big Top table set up, photo op, striped bunting-Oriental Trading; carnival banner-Hobby Lobby; prizes, candies,-Wal Mart and Target; paper plates, table cloths-Dollar Store. yes. I blew my budget...by like, a lot.
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still laughing

This girl keeps me in stitches. I notice the closer she gets to the big 4 the funnier she is, and sassier...I can feel my mother's "It's only fair" coming at me from the other side...along with some "I told you so's."

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just floatin' around

Been drinking a lot of these as of late 'cause I need long necked bottles for one of activities planned for M’s upcoming  party. There's nothing like bringing out a childhood fave to help with the consumption of soda bottle after soda bottle. Yup, I'm taking one for the team... 


Happy Tuesday. Tonight I’m teaching a bunch of 14 year old girls to crochet.
Gotta spread the creativity.

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kitchen board

I've been in need of some organization and something that would keep my scattered thoughts together in a central place since lately all my spare time has been planning M's upcoming birthday bash and preparing for  my cousin coming down to escape the white stuff. It's amazing I haven't gone to work in my pyjamas or something redonkulous as that. Yup, I just said, redonkulous. Aye ya yi.

So as inspired by a previous post I "rescued" a larger frame that Joe bought to hold photos of me when we were dating. I know, right? Aww. So with his "blessing" to repurpose the frame for better suited function, here is my new kitchen board.

As you can see there's lots of variety of items that usually require a separate list. There's a spot for a menu for a week, a place to note when so & so calls, a To Do list, grocery list, a calendar, and a blank spot for other noteworthy thoughts. At least I think my thoughts are noteworthy...

I was getting a little tired of trying to come up with dinner after my tiresome drive home from work so I'm hoping this will assist with after-work-brainmush that seems to happen when I get home. Also now Joe has no excuse for not having something to write on when someone calls. I have lost count on the number of times he tells me "Oh and by the way, somebody called for you." Me, "Who?" Him, "I dunno, someone. I think it was a chick." He tries and that's what counts.

Here's a closeup on the always depleting, never replenished grocery list. I bought this pad from Anthropologie awhile back and since I'm always forgetting something I need this list really helps. I also thought this would be a good way to always know what I need. When I run out just check it off as I go. I see a few things right now that I will need to pick up....soon.

And since I had to change the batteries in my favourite cat clock, I decided to keep it in the kitchen instead of my scraproom. Maribel likes how his tail moves back and forth but the rats cats keep staring at it like they think it's going to steal their food or something. I can see why since it's sitting above their food station at least until I can find another kitchen clock I like but I might take my time looking. I kinda like it there...

So....Maribel is turning 4 this week. I'm not freaking out or anything....*booooooiiiiip* Great. There went my Pinocchio nose.

supplies: old frame; acrylic paint; chipboard and shape stickers: October Afternoon; Papers: October Afternoon, MME; Thickers; Basic Grey Alpha stickers; All Out Of-Anthropologie; Making Memories notepad; Calendar: Creative Cafe.

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the 'us' in fabulous

2011 Goal #1: Date my husband.

I was sick this Valentine's Day so Joe and I made up for it later with some popcorn and chick flick. Sometimes you don't have to leave the house or leave the little onions with a sitter to have a sweet date night. Those are my favourite dates by far.

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the good play dough...

This weekend I had to make so many batches of salt playdough that I lost count and will be set for play dough for a long while. It was part of my Sharing Time lesson on Sunday and since we have 50+ kids I knew I couldn't do store bought. Then I remembered a homemade recipe to make your own that I've been meaning to try and I loved it so much that I couldn't help but play with it a little...lack of sleep makes me more than a little silly.
You can find the recipe here. It's Mom, Grandma, teacher, and Maribel approved!

My lesson was about the creation of the world and the things in it. Unfortunately I ran out of time to use the dough balls which made me so sad, especially after staying up so late making the multiple batches. Instead I gave them their little dough balls with instructions to make something that they are thankful for to do at a later time. Here is Maribel making snakes. Yes, she's thankful for snakes and bridges and her kitties but after each creation she just as swiftly squooshed them back into the ball whence they came.
Ah well, it's the thought that counts right? *sigh*

I hope your Valentines was sweet and filled all things loving.


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*swak* eeeewww

photo credit: Maribel

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tic tac toe

And now the project:

As promised here is the project that developed from the Hugs and Ki**'s layout. At first I was satisfied with just a scrapbook page but then the more I looked at the photos the more I was inspired to make a custom tic tac toe game the whole family can enjoy on game night.

Here's what you'll need to make one of your own:

• 2-6x12in piece of chip board or a cereal box (I used Tim Holtz grungeboard found at Michaels-remember to use a coupon)
• 6-2x2in photos cropped to fit 4x6 photo printed twice (for a total of 12 little photos)
• 1-12x12in sheet of pretty paper
• acrylic paint in the colour of your choice
• paper trimmer
• scissors
• modge podge 
• 2-sponge applicators (one for painting and one for the modge podge)
• don't forget your lovely smile ;-)

The first thing is to cut the chipboard (not "chopboard" lol) into12- 2x21/4 inch squares. Then trim the photos into 1/8 inch smaller then 2x2 inch squares and set aside. This will give a nice little border which makes it easy when sealing it with the modge podge later.

I had our Stinky Winky help me with this part as she loves to paint everything when given the chance. :D Just paint one side of the chipboard squares and set aside to dry. As you can see you won't need to paint the entire square as your photo will cover most of it.
**Unless your name is Maribel, which then you just can't help yourself and MUST paint the entire square, and fingers, and table, and anything else that needs a little colour.**
While the paint is drying cut your pretty paper the same size of the chipboard in the same amount. This will be the backside of the playing pieces.

Alrighty so the paint should be dry now so you get to get all sticky with the modge podge. Start with glueing the pretty paper squares to the backside of the chipboard pieces, then flip them over and glue the photos to the painted side. Once you have everything all glued together just run a smooth coat of modge podge over the front and back giving ample time to dry on each and there you have it! Your custom tic tac toe game.

As for the game board you can use anything to make the grid. Ribbon, chalk, chopsticks, regular sticks, etc. I like to use the chalkboard cookie sheet that a friend inspired me to try sometime back. It works great.

Maribel sort of gets the object of the game but ends up playing it her own way. She's always "X" while we have to play the "O" but that's okay, X's are kisses and she gives the best little kisses.

xoxo

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hugs and ki**'s

Have you ever had an idea that you wanted to try and create but just never got around to doing it? For like, a year??? yeah, that was this layout which resulted into a project.

First the layout...

I had this idea for over a year to do a little photoshoot with each of us holding an X and O to create a page to look like a Tic Tac Toe game. Taking the photos was a little more challenging that I thought it would be. Mainly because Maribel was so anxious to return to her Horse Land cartoon that she couldn't stay still for very long. I may have thrown out a bribe or two since there were two letters I need to capture but I finally got it.

Once I got the photos edited and printed together on a 4x6 it all came together rather quickly until I ran out of "s's" so I had to improvise. It works. I so want to make a larger version of the heart garland. Someday I'll get around to it.

Coming up....the project. I though it deseved a post all on it's own. ;o)

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love is in the air

I’m not sure why but I don’t really decorate for holidays except for Christmas and maybe Halloween but this year I have had the inspiration and urge to celebrate this month of Love. After all, pink is my favourite colour so why not enjoy it?

Maribel and I decorated the wooden XO letters together a couple weekends back. It’s so cute watching her create and concentrate on the project at hand and afterwards she’s always so proud of her finished project. She covered the ‘O’ in paint then helped me modge podge the glittered cardstock on top. It was for a fun photoshoot which you will see in the upcoming week.
The large red painting was a wedding gift from my late brother Michael. It's name is Red and I thought fits perfectly with the theme. I had hoped to be able to reuse the coffee filter garland I saved from M's birthday last year to string about but when I pulled them out of storage they were not salvageable. They were all smooshed and I'm sure I saw some evidence of life in one of the puff poms...GONE!!! *shiver*

Mmm...candy......
We’ve gone through a “few” of these bags already. One repeat trip I had Maribel in the cart and when she saw me adding a couple more bags to our purchase, she asked, “We’re getting more of these? Again?!?” My only reply was, “Nooo…. this is my first time buying these…ever…” Yes. I know I lied to my daughter and to the few patronages in the same department. *hanging my head in guilty shame* I had a feeling that might have been a dangerous adventure but thankfully I can only have a few at a time. It just happens to be at night time while watching tv with Joe. Hey, at least I share so that’s gotta count for something right? Right???

When creating this layout for SnC’s online crop I was overcome with emotion. Oh how I love these two and how much we’ve grown as a family. We’re always looking for ways to learn and grow and have fun. Being parents is a tough job but SO worth it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The photos are from a photobooth after watching Tangled in the theatres. One thing is for sure, we really are a bunch of goofey goobers and I LOVE it!!

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a frame of mind

I shared this tutorial at Skrap 'n Chat during our 2nd birthday crop last weekend and was so delighted to see so many beautiful frames come from it that I just had to share here too. :D
Here's what you'll need...

• an old frame with the glass
• acrylic paint and brush (optional if you like your frame as is)
• scissors
• paper trimmer
• glue
• pretty paper
• any flat embellishments like rub ons, flowers, anything that will fit under the glass with relative ease (I used a paper doily for simplicity)
• ruler (not pictured-oops)

First thing you will want to do is remove the glass and backing from the frame and paint. Mine took two coats because of the dark wood and made sure to let it dry completely before adding the additional coat.

After the paint is dry and the background paper is cut, decorate and embellish to your heart's content. I kept mine simple because I really liked the October Afternoon paper. Simple yet elegant.

Put the frame back together and voila!

Now you have a fancy new dry erase board to keep track of all those thoughts and notes. My memory is a sieve so I take all the help I can get as my youth has begun to catch up with me. I have to say, though, it is very satisfying to use materials already on hand and also very rewarding.

This particular one is on it's way to a new home. Where it's going I cannot say....but it's cold there. ;o)

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red+blue+green+purple+yellow+pink=

this...

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