Christmas Shopping Links

If you love to shop online, these are some good resources I have been using:

 

with their trials to prime shipping, and the even better trial through the Amazon Mom promotion, this has been a handy resource. Even better next week when the good Lightning Deals start. 

If you are gearing up for the Black Friday madness, BFADS.NET shows all the ads that are out early.  A great resource for planning ahead.

I also check the deal sites, that list the best deals:

http://slickdeals.net/

http://www.zappdeals.com/

http://www.utahshoppingsecrets.com

And to verify I am getting a good price I often search the item by name here:

Google.com

thefind.com

See my post from last year with more links to Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

An important note! Sometimes you can deal search all day and still find a far better deal at the big box store in person.  Example: I was shopping for a certain item that was cheapest on the web at $24.50 on Amazon with free shipping.  I couldn't find it online in any box stores. So I ordered it at this price. It is due to arrive today, so of course, this morning while at Wally I found the item for $10.  The kicker? It rang up at $8! If only it didn't cost me to ship the other one back. 

Christmas Crafting Links

Keep checking back with the I heart naptime blog, where there is a month long Christmas Crafting Event going on! Keep your eye on the Saturday link parties, there is sure to be something you love!


Tip Junkie has nearly endless collections of ideas here.



Skip To My Lou has a great set of tutorials for homemade gifts
 

I will be adding to this post as I come across other posts & blogs with fabulous Christmas ideas. Check back!

Halloween Dinner

 Our Halloween traditions take place on the Monday night before Halloween.  We have a spooky dinner and carve our pumpkins.  This is what we served this year.

 

A Spooky Meatloaf with blood dipping sauce

 Mashed Potato Ghosts

 and Slimey Bog Punch

Happy Haunting!

BOO your neighbors!

 This is a fun neighborhood tradition. We were "Boo"ed tonight. The hard part is finding a copy of the poem/ghost that you like. So here is the one I made up.

Click to enlarge and print. It is a Jpeg, so take care to preview before printing to make sure it is the size you want.  I just insert my boo gram into a Word Document to make sure it fits one whole page.

UPDATE:  I made a new version this year with simple instructions instead of a poem.  If you would like it, go here 
 

Time for a Fire Drill

Today I ran out to the mailbox, stopped to pick a few long-ignored weeds, and came right back inside. My little three year old told me, "Mom, I heard a beep. I heard the phone."  I showed no missed calls and dismissed her announcement. That is until my CO2/Smoke Detector went off 30 seconds later.  I love that it talks, but I didn't understand what it said from the other room.  Don't make the mistake of waiting underneath it if it has a high decibel output, my ears are still ringing from the next alarm.  It was time to change the batteries. 

Here are some tricks I have learned from today:
1- Keep the manual nearby! We have a hall closet just a few feet away from our main floor alarm.  It was so nice to be able to pull it out and get right to the solution.  I would not have known how to remove the alarm without it. My alarm also asked for a specific brand of battery, so that was good to know.

2- Keep some earplugs with the manual! I wish I had put these in before I waited below the blasted thing.  They were very handy while changing and testing the batteries. (Plus, you are supposed to test often, weekly or monthly depending on the model.)
3- Bring a sturdy step stool. Luckily I had one nearby, I didn't have to learn this one the hard way!
4- A pen. My manual has to blank pages in the back that are a perfect place to write down the date I changed the batteries last. 
5- Put it on your calendar.  I had it on mine for last week but ignored it. Next time I hope to change them before they run out.
6- Make sure you have them in all the proper places. At least one per level of your home and one near or in all sleeping areas. Specific instructions can be found in the manual.

If you are interested in knowing more about fire alarms, including the latest recall information, go to the U.S. Fire Administration Website

We will be holding a fire drill sometime soon. We will make a fun night of it with activities from the US Fire Administration's Website for Kids. 

What do you do to practice fire safety in your home?

Chocolate Hutch

I have been hankering for a hutch. I found this one on the local online classifieds and had to have it. We got it for a screaming deal at $50.  Used paint leftover from other projects, as well as spare lumber to remodel the top.  Add to that new lighting in the top and it cost us about $75.

Here is the before- the actual picture from the online ad

And the After - still waiting for cute knobs, but hey, it keeps the kiddo's out!  I have a fabulous hubby who busted out his tools and lumber and gave the top a makeover.  We added beadboard to the back, gave it a stronger top to support the lights,  removed the doors, and added supports to the shelves. I love how it turned out.

From zero houseplants to

Nine, as of today.  Thank you to my dear daughter who picked out most of the varieties for my mother's day gift, and to my next door neighbor, who shared her abundance of hens & chicks with me.

(Apparently I have a thing for succulents. Who knew?)

My New Apron

I have been hanging on to this skirt for at least a year.  It looked like a cute apron to me, and today was the day.  I busted out some brown jersey knit, I love the way it flows, and whipped up a ruffle and a bib/bodice using elastic thread.  Then I just sewed it all together and added satin ribbon for the ties. I like the look of the neckline tying on the front, plus I am less likely to tie my hair into the knot.  I pinned on a little tatted-lace flower and I am ready to go.

Except the fact that it is so cute I can't wear it to make things that stain.  I'll have to bust out my lunch lady apron.  Because birdhouses and sunflowers are what gourmet cooking is all about.

Go Bag

Have you ever left the house and realized you didn't have deodorant on? Had a kid pour a waterbottle on themselves in the car?  Or had a kid need to potty in the middle of nowhere? 
Do you need bandaids to soothe little owies at least once a day? Oh boy, do I!

Couple that with a long lost blog post that inspired me to have a bag in the car for a time when you have to leave home right away, have no time to pack, and may not get to return for hours.  Like if a loved one was admitted to the hospital or you have some car trouble out of town and have to stay over. Something like that. You don't need regular 72 hour kit stuff, instead you need snacks, money to buy food wherever you are, stuff to stay overnight in a pinch, etc.   Basically a super-stocked diaper bag for the whole family. 

This is where our Go Bag was born.  Depending on the time of year it contains the following things:

• A change of clothes for the kids, doubling the underwear for potty training
• Diapers & wipes
• Foods that serve as snacks or meals in a pinch, like pop tarts, fruit cups, and energy bars. 
• Bottled water
• Sanitizer wipes
• Activities for kids
• Cash! For buying meals, renting rooms, whatever. I end up using mine at garage sales. :)
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste. These come in handy when we are traveling at bedtime and don't want the kids to fall asleep with sugar in their mouths.
• Feminine hygiene items
• A first aid kit- mostly band aids & pain killer 
• Comfortable walking shoes- not that I get stranded in heels often, but it is a good suggestion. 

 Next to our Go Bag is a travel potty, including toilet paper and spare underwear/pull-ups.

Custom Kiddie Art I Adore

I am loving these custom pieces over at Infarrantly Creative! 

Pillow Craft

All Things Thrifty had an inspiring post featuring pin-tucked pillows. Cute!

U-create has lots of great pillow posts (I am serious, keep scrolling)

I have been liking this scrunched pillow idea from V and Co

and think using this tutorial from Make it and Love it would give the right effect, if you skip scrunching the center and only do the sides.

I kept remembering this tutorial from H is Handmade- I had to go find it! This is definitely and accent pillow!

Our Favorite Online Kids Games

https://www.hasbro.com/en-us/games

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play/