Help Me! I’m Living With Hoarders!

Apr 22, 2013 by

I am a tidy and organized individual. My daughters, on the other hand, are total hoarders! Yes, just like on the A&E television show. They are obsessed with collecting junk and they refuse to throw anything away. Their ‘junk piles’ and purses filled with ‘neat stuff’ are driving me crazy!

My middle daughter is the worst offender. She has three or four special purses in circulation at any point in time. Stuffed inside the purses you will find old marker caps, broken toys, mismatched puzzle pieces, old junky baby toys, wash clothes, slips of ripped paper from school and random wooden blocks. The picture below highlights the typical junk pile she attempts to bring to school, to the grocery store or in the car whenever we are running errands. In this picture you can spot a special purse, broken tambourine and an old necklace with the beads falling off.  Read more...

1st Birthday Party Planning: Excel Sheet Style

Apr 12, 2013 by

I cannot believe that I am writing about my daughter’s first birthday party when it seems like just yesterday she was born. Before I became a mother I remember women telling me that the first year would go by so fast and it surely has.

Call me crazy, but I have been planning her birthday party since last December and I’ve even suckered my dear friend Kerry into helping me plan the bash; by coming over for bi-weekly planning meetings. Yes, you heard that correctly, meetings to review our  excel spreadsheets! I don’t know about other mothers, but I would be lost without my spreadsheets. I don’t know how anyone could remember all those birthday party planning details.  Read more...

Thrifty Thursday: Colorful Coasters

Apr 11, 2013 by

Well folks, it’s that time of year again. April showers bring… time for crafts! Last week my three-year-old and I had a great time creating our very own coasters. I am by no means a neat freak but one thing I CANNOT stand are water rings left under glasses and when I came across an idea for making my own coasters I was a little (okay, a lot) excited. It’s the little things people!

Caroline is ready to get started! (Photo Credit: C. Corrigan)

Caroline is ready to get started! (Photo Credit: C. Corrigan)

Here’s what you will need:  Read more...

  • white tiles – you can get these at any home improvement store and they are super cheap
  • rubbing alcohol
  • alcohol ink dye - you can find this at craft stores. I found mine at Michaels craft store and they usually come in sets of three different colors (I chose red, green, and blue).
  • sealer (to protect it from chipping, etc.)

Thrifty Thursday: With Love

Feb 7, 2013 by

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and although it may not be a major holiday, it’s very special to me none-the-less. My husband and I started dating on Valentine’s Day a whopping 13 years ago! Now that we have two little girls to share it with, I love it even more. It’s not about the flowers or  candy and I certainly don’t like the commercialism of it all. I simply think of it as a day to celebrate LOVE so I’m going to share with you some creative ways to do just that (without breaking the bank of course)!

I find so many incredible projects over on Skip to my Lou and there’s no shortage of great Valentine’s Day ideas either. I’m planning to make my own version of these DIY Scratch-off Lottery Tickets for my sweetheart <wink wink>. Think about how much fun your kids would have making these for friends, or scratching ones you make for them!  Read more...

Thrifty Thursday: DIY Gender-Neutral Dollhouse

Jan 3, 2013 by

NEWSFLASH:

Dollhouses are NOT just for girls! Even some top toy retailers are catching on to this fact according to this article on Daily Mail. They even have educational benefits and can promote the development of social, emotional, and intellectual skills when children start to explore dialogue and role-play.

Growing up, I always wanted a dollhouse but did not get one (it’s ok, I get to live vicariously through my children)! I decided a few months back that I wanted to make a dollhouse for my kiddos as a Christmas present. Now, when I say make, I don’t mean “build from scratch” although if you have those skills (I do not) then go for it! Instead, I came across some ideas online for creating a dollhouse out of a bookcase. Now, that seemed do-able!  Read more...

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