Stolen kisses

"The only thing worth stealing, is a kiss from a sleeping baby." ~ unknown

Christmas cards from Shutterfly

'Tis the season for all things festive, fun, and family! I love Thanksgiving, I love Christmas! Traditionally, I really don’t stress too much about holiday preparations. But there is one small detail that does draw out my perfectionistic tendencies….the family Christmas card.

Growing up, some twenty-odd years ago, Christmas cards typically had a painted wreath on the front with some gold-foil lettering. And that was the crème de la crème, some even included a wallet-sized photo of the kids.

Gone are those days (mostly), and enter the modern Christmas card, ala Shutterfly. Where you can use templates to customize designs to your heart’s desire. The sample photos are amazing, which only forces me to emulate that look. Here are some of the gorgeous designs from Shutterfly that I am loving!

I have not used Shutterfly for Christmas cards before, but have used them for greeting cards. The recipients loved seeing familiar faces on them, and noticed the professional appearance and quality cardstock. Shutterfly has oodles of designs and price points for anyone interested in sending out unique and memorable cards. So, what are you waiting for? Go check them out!

Pumpkin Patch: Now & Then

What a precious boy that he's grown into! Last year, he couldn't even sit up by himself, so he remained propped up between pumpkins. This year, he was running like a maniac between the rows of pumpkins, and we barely snapped a photo of him looking directly at the camera. I do see a common theme here: his oral fixation and my love of bulky sweaters. We love you little guy! This Fall has definitely been a lot more fun, watching him discover the colors, leaf piles, and cooler weather.

A New Family Tradition

DIY Fall Wreath

To celebrate Fall's arrival, I decided to do something I've never done before: make a wreath. As with most projects, I began my quest at Dollar Tree. They had a nice selection of wire ribbons, leaf garlands, mums, sunflowers, etc. I ended up buying two 5-foot leaf garlands. The wreaths they had were too small for a front door, but thankfully Michaels was right next door. I found an 18" grapevine wreath with a gorgeous orange sunflower pick with berry accents. After using a 40% off coupon and getting a 50% off sale, the total to make this simple wreath was $6. Not too shabby!

When creating the wreath, I first tried two ways with the garland. The first time, I wrapped it around the wreath, like a running stitch. But that didn't look so great. Next thing I tried was just laying the garland in a circle on top of the wreath. That added the fullness it needed. Enter floral wire and hot glue gun, and tada! About 30 minutes later, my little $6 wreath had blossomed into autumnal beauty.

Fabric Fancy & Fleece

It's never a good thing when I just happen to wander into a fabric store. Mainly because I get so inspired by the colors, textures, and patterns, but really have no clue where to begin. Earlier this week I happened into Hancock Fabrics and began instantly drooling. See the problem here though, is that I am not a master seamstress. I am extremely limited in my sewing ability. So you can understand my creativity pangs when I see all of those gorgeous fabrics, but don't know how to physically manipulate them. It's not that I don't have ideas for oodles of things involving fabric, it's just that I don't have the time to sit down and learn sewing with a cute toddler around. I know, I know, that's such a convenient excuse for, well...everything.

In my mind, I would love to be Amy Butler... a girl can dream, can't she? So here's a very short list of a couple of things that I have been able to sew: pillow cover/case, knitting needle roll-up case, wipes, dog bed, dog poncho, annnnnd I think that's all. Well for a complete novice like me, I really appreciate no-sew projects. You get the best of both worlds (thanks Hannah Montana) by using fun fabrics, with none of the expertise required! :-D

Which brings me back to standing in Hancock Fabrics on Tuesday, eyeing all of the whimsical fleece prints. I love fleece for a plethora of reasons, but mostly because it's extremely easy to make stuff with. I saw this print in the clearance section called "Bugs & Worms," and knew instantly that this was perfect for my little Bubster. He loves all types of creepy-crawlies, alive or dead. I envisioned a cute reversible blanket for him, a larger size for the big boy he is becoming. I then grabbed a solid turquoise bolt to pair with the print. Folks, I gotta tell you, one of the only drawbacks to fleece is the price at times. But right now at Hancock, they're having an anniversary sale where most of their store is 53% off. It runs through the end of the month, so stock up now for Christmas projects :)

After 1.5 yards each of the fabrics and roughly $12 later, I had a cozy blanket to create. Instead of retyping directions for this, I'm posting the link that will give you the lowdown. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I kid you not, all you need is a pair of scissors to do this. I'm seriously considering making two more for my niece and nephew with other fabrics. Have fun, y'all.

Consignment Sale Debriefing & Tips

It's been a busy and fun weekend so far. Hubs and the DS went to go visit his family, and therefore I'm getting some fun girly stuff done! I've been waiting for today, for several weeks now, knowing that two major consignment sales would be open for business. I couldn't sleep, I tell you. It was like Christmas Eve or something. Plus, I had to get up before the sun to be ready for the first sale.

6:50 am: roll up to a church parking lot and see small line of frugalistas waiting for the gym doors to open.

7:00 am: mad dash inside. people falling down. screaming. something caught fire. well, not really, but you get the idea.

7:01 am: overwhelmed.

7:02 am: My confidence increasing, I weasel my way over to the 18-24 month boys' rack and begin quickly skimming. Hello, stripes. Hello, Ralph Lauren. Meet...my shopping bag.

8:00 am: Checking out and glory Hallelujah, I only spent $22 for several nice pants and shirts. Not to mention a cute puzzle depicting how to set the table. Gotta start 'em young.

8:20 am: roll up to a church parking lot and see a cop directing parking traffic. oy.

8:22 am: overwhelmed. again.

8:24 am: go straight to shoes and see lots of cute styles, but not in his size. shimmy my way over to the 18-24 month boys' rack and begin skimming: Nothing...nothing...nothing...ehhh....hmm...maybe?... I wasn't as impressed with the selection at this particular sale, saw several stained items. Ventured out to the books/puzzle area and toys.

9:15 am: Checking out in the "express" lane, and my total was $18.75.

9:30 am: Visiting the final sale of the weekend, and the one I hadn't planned to visit. After combing the racks, found a pair of jeans for $2.

10:30 am: Leaving with my sanity in tact, and only a minor dent in the budget DH and I had agreed upon after 3 sales!

And here is the final stash of clothes bought for Fall/Winter:

Not too shabby for roughly $44, tax-free too! I love all of the pieces, and they average $2 a piece.

So here are some of my tips that I've heard from others, and that I've learned through experience:

• Try to leave your kids and DH at home. I don't say this to be mean, but simply that space is extremely limited at this type of sale, and most shoppers are on a mission. Plus, you won't have to worry about someone getting bored or whiny.


• Go first thing at opening if you can. The early bird gets the worm, or rather the early shopper gets the best selection.


• Bring a bag or laundry basket, something. I am constantly amazed at how many people have nowhere to place their items. The IKEA bag was made for this.


• If there are windows available, take your clothes over there and inspect them for stains, tears, missing buttons, broken zippers, grease stains in natural light.


• Take cash or check with you. Most sales are not debit/credit equipped.


• To stretch your dollar further, visit sales hosted by non-profits since there will be no tax included!


• Volunteer at your favorite sale and shop the preview sale for even better selection (before the public gets their grubby hands all over it).


• Take some measurements of clothing that currently fit your child well. I used a string of yarn to measure some jeans from waist to bottom cuff. Holding it up against other pants will show you how it compares. For shoes, I simply trace a foot, then take out the insole of a prospective shoe to compare for size and width.


• Know prices of brands. This will help you in the long run. For instance, I really don't like the idea of paying more than $3.50 for a shirt because I know I can buy a new one for the same price at Walmart (Garanimals brand) or Kohl's (Jumping Beans). Some consignors price items too high for the brand, i.e. GenuineKids by Oshkosh for Target, $8 sweater...not a deal.


• Keep a towel with you in case you need to sit on the floor and sort your clothes before buying. I did this at a sale and many buyers wished they had one too. A lot of the venues that sell do not have seating or a table to do this. Plus, this will keep your clothes clean too.


• Some buyers/sellers frown upon this ("stockpiling"), but I call it smart shopping. If you even think for a second that you like a particular item, shove it in your bag. I may start with a bag overflowing with clothes, but after sorting, pondering, etc. I may decide it's not worth it. Please put the items back where you found them. I have 'lost' several items to other shoppers because I hesitated.


• This should be an obvious one: know what you need to buy. I'm sure lots of poor souls fall prey to impulse buying at these sales since everything is so cheap. But it's not much of a deal if your kid already has more of the same.


• Have fun :)