12 Daytz of Christmas

I just found this really cute idea for Christmas. I know you can all agree with me that life with little kids leave very little alone time with your husband. My husband and I are lucky if we even get to go out and eat alone once and a while, but going on a whole date with no kids - FORGET IT!
And once we finally get some alone time we are both to worn out that we come home early. So I of course got all excited when I saw this cute Christmas idea.

You pre-plan a date for every month of the year. So I am hopeing since it's already planned on what we are going to do that we may actually do it! :)

Here is where I saw the idea:

Cute CD holder

I know, I know...I have been MIA for almost a month - what can I say: "LIFE HAPPENS"

I really don't have time to post much but I just ran across this was cute idea and I want to share it.

I would love to make one but who knows when I'll get around to it. If anyone attempts this please share!

I am hopeing to post some of the baby projects I did but never got around to posting sometime soon.

Hope everyone is happy and well!

-Misty

Watch Me Grow

My mother gave me this idea when I had my baby boy and it's a fun way to document your baby's growth. You buy a 12 month onesie and you take a picture each month of your baby in the onesie (starting with the first week the baby is born) up until the baby is a year old.

This worked for the first 5 months with my baby boy...than he grew out of the onesie at 6 months. He is a very tall boy for his age. But it was still fun to see him grow so fast.
Here is the collage I made for him out of his monthly pictures in the onesie:

I know there are a lot of new mother's out there and I thought I'd share this fun idea. I am starting to do this with my new baby girl, go figure she was born a lot smaller than my boy was and I bought an 18 month onsie just to be safe - I guess we will see if it works out!

And you can start the documentation at any stage - if you have a month old just start with the one month picture and document until 12 months.

A Gift for a Sweet Tooth

There is always that one person in the family that you have a hard time shopping for. For me it is my brother. So for his birthday this year I just decided to give him a bunch of candy because face it who doesn't like candy! I found this idea from the crafty website "The Idea Room" - but they used it as a Father's Day Present and I just changed the labels and it worked out great for a birthday gift.

I figured it's pretty self explained so I did a quick photo tutorial:

It is made using a four pack of Stweart's soda and some scrap book paper.

You can also make it out of a six pack of IBC Cream Soda if you have tons of candy.

Find out what the persons favorite candy is

Fill the bottles with candy

Scrapbook on a label...I just looked up the candy logos on a google image search and photoshoped a little label for each individual candy bottle.

And top it off with some birthday ribbon!

Easy as can be and a fun gift for anyone and any holiday.

Bow Holder

Here is the bow holder I just finished yesterday for all the bows I have made for my little girl. I have seen this on so many crafty blogs so I don't know where to give credit to. It is so easy it took me only a few hours to do (that's including painting twice).

I found a picture frame at DI for only $2 (I picked one that was already sanded and ready to be painted-that saved me some time). I painted it brown to match the brown dots on the material I used for the background. Next time I do this project I won't be using material with dots (they weren't even and it made the frame and ribbon look way off centered). I just superglued the material and ribbons on the back and it was easy as that.

Ways Motherhood makes you a Celebrity

1. Someone's always hounding you for your autograph. Even if it's just on a permission slip for the class trip to the recycling center.

2. You travel with an entourage. Okay, so two of them are fighting over a bag of Doritos and one of them has a crusty nose, but STILL.

3. You spend your days club-hopping. How else would your kids get to Brownies?

4. You're front and center at every awards show. Because your 10-year-old would never forgive you for being absent when he wins the school carnival karaoke contest.

5. You change clothes three times a day. And it's much more fun if you pretent it's because you're being stalked by the paparazzi, not a messy toddler.

6. You're on a spa diet. Your kids only leave broccoli on their plates for you.

7. You've flashed your boobs in public. Hey, it's not easy to juggle a hungry baby in one hand and unhook a nursing bra with the other!

8. People beg to sleep with you. Well, only because there's a monster under their bed.

9. You're covered in tatoos that your kid got in a birthday-party goody bag and plastered on you when you were too pooped to resist.

10. Hassled as you feel right now, in 20 years you'll miss all the chaos.

I found this in the September 2009 issue of Parenting. Thought it would be fun to share.

Enjoy your time in the spotlight!

Sippy Cup Leash

I saw this neat little project on one of my favorite blogs Make It and Love It forever ago and decided I needed to finally sit down and do it. And I actually did it and it has been wonderful to have.

Here is my end project

learn how to make this Sippy Cup Leash:

My leash has a few alterations:
-I didn't put in a liner around the leash for the cup
-I used Webbing (I think you call it that) for the leash and not ribbon, seems for durable.
-I sowed on a large snap around the part of the leash that hooks to the stroller instead of Velcro, stays on better.

It really does come in handy! It's actually a lifesaver if you have a child that likes to throw their cup when they are done, like mine does.

Hooded Towels

I am such a fan of hooded towels. I think they are the best! But you go to buy the cute decorated ones and they are anywhere from $30-$40 (at the baby boutiques). Or they are hard to find. So I decided I'd take a stab at making my own and well now I am addicted!

I found some really cute towels and hand towels at T.J. Maxx on clearance and even some cute decorated towels at Wal-Mart on clearance and now I have some very cute hooded towels for my kids. I didn't take pictures as I went along - sorry (I was kind of experimenting as I went) but I took some different pictures to hopefully show how to do-it-yourself.

I made a couple of really cute towels for my baby girl they were even cheaper because I used a hand towel and a wash cloth for a smaller version. My favorite one is pictured above.

How I made my hooded towels:

I took the hand towel and cut 1/3 of it off; than I took the finished edge and sowed it together (this forms the hood). I had to hand stitch the edge because it was to thick for the sowing machine.

I measured the big towel and found the middle and sowed the hood to it. (If your towel is a loose knit you may have to pinch the material in the middle at you are sowing the hood on because the material moves a lot).

And it's as easy as that!

Another nice part of doing it yourself is the 1/3 piece of the hand towel you cut off you can cut up and make matching wash clothes...or if you have a baby they work for burp cloths also.

Here are all of the ones I have made so far.

Hospital Bag Checklist

By Babytalk

You can't anticipate every need, but keep these in your bag, and you'll be ready for almost everything.

-Pre-registration forms
-Health insurance card
-Cash and credit cards
-Watch (with a second hand to time contractions)
-Massage lotion
-Lollipops or lozenges
-Lip balm
-Your favorite pillow
-Robe
-Nightgown(s)
-Light sweater or bed jacket
-Slippers
-Nursing bra
-Breast pads or shields
-Underwear (3 pair)
-Socks (3 pair)
-Sanitary pads
-Toothbrush
-Toothpaste
-Soap
-Moisturizer
-Body lotion
-Deodorant
-Shampoo & conditioner
-Hairbrush
-Hairdryer
-Makeup
-MP3 or CD player and favorite songs
-Magazines
-Books
-Snacks
-Water
-Camcorder
-Disposable or instant camera
-Film
-Batteries
-Contacts list
-Pen
-Travel clothes and shoes
-Coat or sweater
-Shopping bag (for gifts)
-Baby's Take-Me-Home outfit
___________________________

My wonderful Mother-in-Law asked me the other day if I had my hospital bag packed...honestly it hadn't even crossed my mind. I wasn't even really prepared with a bag for my first pregnancy and I totally spaced it again this time. And I can't, for the life of me, remember what I even packed so I checked out Parenting.com and they had a list. I personally don't think all of the item are even necessary but I just listed everything for those of you who are getting close to your due dates and are starting to prepare to the hospital.

If anyone can think of something that they think was a need at the hospital that's not listed PLEASE leave a comment with the suggestion!

Thanks - And happy packing!

Lots to Share...

I have been MIA for a while…sometimes life just catches up with you and the things you want to do get put on the backburner.

Anyways I have been doing TONS of fun projects lately for my baby girl who will be here any day now (I HOPE) and I’ve been reading a lot of fun things for Mommies so I have been putting together a bunch of post that have been in the editing stage for a while now. I will be finishing those and I will have a new post up one right after the other so check back for tons of new things.

I also wanted to do a shout out to Shelley one of my faithful followers she had her baby girl on August 28th - Congrats Shelley!

Thanks for hanging in there with me everyone! Check back soon!

Guest Washcloth Holder

I got this idea from both my sister and my sister-in-law. I wanted to share it with everyone because I thought it was cute idea.

In my sister's bathroom she has a tiny wooden basket with a bunch of rolled up washcloths for her quests to use.

In my sister-in-laws bathroom she has a glass container with a bunch of rolled up washcloths with ribbons tied around them for her quests to use.

So I decided to put both ideas into one and this is what I came up with:


I just bought some brown and tan washcloths to match my colors and I tied little bows around them with golden ribbon and placed them in a cute little wooden basket.

I found the monogram washcloths at TJ Maxx and they fit perfectly with my colors.

I love it!

Tips for Painting...

I have recently been working on getting my nursery ready for our new addition - scheduled for next month. As always I wait until I am 8-9 months pregnant to get my nursery done. I did it with my first one and now here I am in the same boat with the second one. Believe me I am paying for it - my body hurts! Anyways I thought I would share with everyone some things I have learned last week as I attempted to paint a mural on my nursery wall...

Painting Tips:

1. 
   You don't need a gallon of brown paint when you are just painting a tree trunk.
2. Mr. Clean Eraser pads come in handy when you paint something you didn't want to (like a window seal or wood work).
3. Mr. Clean Eraser pads don't work if the paint is already dried.
4. Don't get frustrated when you can make a perfectly straight line on a heavy texture wall.
5. It doesn't have to be perfect (That's a big one for me, I'll repaint 100 times and I am still not happy).
6. When you open the paint - that's not always the color you get.
7. If you don't like the color - sleep on it, it's amazing how it can change magically over night when it has dried.
8. Paint usually dries a tad darker.
9. Experiment - you can always repaint (And I usually do)
10. Don't be afraid to try something new.
11. Painters tape doesn't always work.
12. If you have a steady hand just use an angle brush for painting around windows, woodwork, and ceilings.
13. No matter how small the project is, you should always use a drop cloth because accidents DO happen.
14. If you don't want fuzzies on your wall - don't buy the cheap rollers from Wal-Mart.
15. Don't paint over nails or screws - it takes a few seconds to pull them out and it looks so much better.

These are just a few things I have picked up by painting my nursery. I needed a way to separate the boy side from the girl side. I was so afraid to paint this tree mural over the window wall, and I am so glad I tried it because I love it! And yes I freehanded all of it - shocker I know, I didn't think it would turn out!

Oh and if you were wondering this isn't all I am doing to the walls, I am putting monkeys on the tree branches. That's why I left a lot of bare space. If I remember I will try and post a finished photo when it's all done.

Amish Friendship Bread

If you would of asked me a month ago what I loved to eat, I would have told you Amish Bread!

One of my friends gave me a start for Amish Friendship Bread and I kept it going for a month or so and finally I had to stop because I was the only one eating it! (and because I am never home anymore)

If you haven't had Amish Bread you are missing out. I kept the directions (which tell you how to start your own) and thought I would share them with you.

It takes 9 days to make but believe me this little bread is heavenly!

Just click on the image and you'll be able to read it better. If not right click it and save it to your computer, than you can print it out.

How to Make Orange Julius

My husband totally loves Orange Julius and lately we have been stocked up on Minute Maid frozen orange juice and I was trying to find a way to make something similar to an Orange Julius with the frozen Minute Maid....and I actually found how to make Orange Julius through a simple Google search. And it is just as yummy as the Orange Julius in the Mall.

Thought I share it with everyone! Enjoy!

Things You'll Need:
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (6-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 c. sugar
12-15 ice cubes

Step 1
Put the milk and 1 c. water in a blender.

Step 2
Add the vanilla extract.

Step 3
Add the frozen orange juice concentrate and sugar.

Step 4
Start the blender.

Step 5
Add the ice cubes, one by one, until the beverage reaches the desired thickness.

Step 6
Pour and enjoy.

Scrapbooked Magnets

Making cute magnets is a breeze!

I did some of these scrapbooked magnets last year and I have loved them!


When I was doing my $.88 Tuesday shopping at Honks $1 I found these colorful magnets that I thought would be fun to scrapbook.

They are so simple and cheap! Just find some cute scrapbook paper (mine was left over from an older project) and some plain colorful magnets:

Cute the paper to fit:

And scrapbook some fun extras to finish:

See how easy and cute they are!

Flip-Flop Home

I came across this idea, about 3 years ago, in a magazine. They had turned a planting box into a flip-flop holder and I thought it was a cute idea. And about a week ago I was going through the many flip-flops I have and I remembered that cute idea. So I decided to get crafty and make my own version of a filp-flop holder. I'd like to call it my flip-flop home.


Here is how I made my Flip-Flop Home:

I found a good size container (you could use anything) I found this little planter pot-basket (don't know what you call it) at Ross for $2.99 and I thought it would be perfect because I wanted some texture.


Spray paint your whole container with your base color (I chose hot pink because I thought it would be cute with all my flip-flops) I used Krylon Outdoor spray paint - Satin finish because I didn't want my flip-flop home to be shinny with gloss finish.


Than I took another fun bright color and added some demention to my home.


After all the paint was dry I added these really cut buttons I found at Wal-Mart they matched so perfectly and added a nice finished touch.

I do have to say my flip-flop home is much cuter!

Other ideas:

-You can add sand to you holder to make it extra fun (I decided to hold back on the sand because I know my 1-year-old would love to play in it).

-If you have a pool you could use it for a flip-flop holder and/or towel holder located pool-side.

Oreo Cupcakes

I had a roommate in college that would make these really yummy giant oreo cookies. And for some weird reason I have been craving them lately. Today was a bad crave! The only problem was I didn't have any clue how to make the cookies. So I improvised and came up with my very own type of Oreo creation.

I'd like to call it the "Oreo Cupake" -

they may not look the prettiest but they are REALLY GOOD!

They are so simple to make.
Just get a box of Duncan Heines Devil's Food cake mix (mix as the box says)

place batter into well greased muffin pan (fill cups 1/3 - 1/2 full - to get flatter cookies)

Follow the cooking temp and time on box

Let cupcakes cool. Cut in half and spread your favorite type of frosting in between halves.

There you have it, "Oreo Cupcake"

ENJOY!

Warming if you are pregnant and hungry it will be hard to eat just one!

I am trying to freeze the rest to see if they are good frozen. It would also be fun to use colorful frosting and decorate the tops - but Im not that creative! Let me know what you think!

Family baby gender announcement idea

My friend Jenna just posted this as a comment and I thought I'd share it with everyone, it's a way cute idea!


Here's a cute family gender announcement idea from my friend Cindy...thought you preggo's might enjoy it!!

It’s A………GIRL!Before going to our big appointment where we would find out the sex of the baby, we decided to steal an idea that my friend Melissa had told me about.

The plan was to find out the sex of the baby while surrounded by our entire family. We took a card with an envelope to our appointment, with the intent of having the ultrasound tech write the sex of the baby in the card and seal it up for us. We told the ultrasound tech what we were doing, but during the ultrasound she accidentally let the news slip. She apologized profusely.

That evening we invited several family members over to find out the news. We made a poster with “It’s A……… Boy / Girl” written at the top and made everyone sign their names under which one they thought. Then we had the two grandmothers open the card. When the news was announced, the ones that guessed right were put into a drawing for movie tickets! Then those that guessed wrong were put into another drawing.

Sounds so cute!!

_______

What a fun idea, Thanks Jenna!

Tackling my List and Getting Crafty

You know the type of people who make lists of things they want to do, and the list just keeps getting longer and longer and nothing ever gets crossed off? Well I am one of those people! One of my goals for this year was to be craftier…and I have yet to tackle that goal and it is almost July! So I have decided to “Just Do It” – I am going to try and do one crafty thing each week…even if it is little! I am so excited! My first craft was a success and so I will be posting that one hopefully soon, just have to put the finishing touches on it. Many of the things on my list require sewing…I am clueless on how to sew – I always wish I was but never have had the chance. My wonderful Mother-in-law was going to get me a machine a few years ago for Christmas but my mother told her I would never use it…and I want to prove that wrong! :) Anyways just thought I’d make it official (since I posted it now I have to do it)!

If any of you are crafty out there and want to show some of your projects or would like to do a post of a how-to project just e-mail me at: little_brendle@hotmail.com

Wish me Luck! I may fall off the wagon come September but I have a good reason! :)

Creative Goodies

Many of you know I am not a baker at all but I'd love to become one and I keep finding all of these cute little goodies I want to make!

Check them out:

Mini Cupcake Suckers

(This lady is amazing and has tons of cute ideas surf her blog)

Flower Sugar Cookies

S-mores Cookies

Tee-Time Cupcakes

Father's Day Ideas...

I ran acrossed this cute idea for Father's Day and decided to post it:

Here are a couple of other

ideas that the kids can do for Father's Day:

I love you Daddy poem:

Me-and-You Book

Treasure Box

This website also had a few cute ideas kids can put together for dad:
http://www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/mengifts.html

Remember Father's Day is Sunday!