Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Travel Time

The fam and I are driving home to Alabama, the Beautiful tomorrow. We'll be home for ten days, so that means today is filled with lots of packing.

I'm reusing my Tom's bag to keep my socks and other small items from getting "lost" in my suitcase.


I'm including some books to keep me from going crazy. I plan on starting "Instructing a Child's Heart."

I've recently discovered Keel's Simple Diary. It's not your typical journal. Each day has a different page to fill out, like...

Your day was... (a) a nap (b) a gap (c) a snap Explain why...
Make up your mind. You are better at ( ) talking ( ) listening
You would like to spend a day in this person's life:
You can handle a lot ( ) yes ( ) no

I cannot wait to fill the pages of this journal up!

Packing tip of the day:
In order to maximize space in your suitcase, layer similar clothes on top of each other. For example, all sweaters together, all skirts together, etc. Roll them up and place in suitcase.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

How to Style Your Little Man, Final Day

The final day of "How to Style Your Little Man" focuses on accessorizing! Girls may have cornered the market on bows, ruffles, and lace, but little boys can still rock cute hats, shoes, and jackets.

Again with the BOOTS!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little hat-obsessed. I think hats are so versatile and can really change an outfit. I hear moms complain that their baby won't keep a hat on. When I dress G in a hat, I try to make sure he is in front of a mirror so he can see himself. Then I make a BIG deal about how cute he looks and he usually ends up admiring himself for a few minutes and decides to keep his hat on. If he decides he's had enough and throws his hat on the floor, then that's that and I don't make him put it back on.

Happy Accessorizing, and thanks for reading!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

How to Style Your Little Man, Part Two

Day two of "How to Style Your Little Man" involves having fun with his wardrobe and picking a "theme." Today, I dressed Gibson in a western motif. It's important not to go overboard if you're going with a theme. Notice I didn't top G's outfit off with a cowboy hat. This isn't Halloween. You just want one or two pieces to do the talking.

Gibson is wearing:

Shirt- Thrifted

Jeans- BabyGap

Boots- Thrifted

LOVE these boots!


Above is Gibson's "preppy" look. The plaid golf cap is what brings this outfit together. He's not afraid to wear a pink polo because he's comfortable in his masculinity :)

So, have fun with your little man's wardrobe. Try a sporty look, or go with a color theme. Pick two colors that wouldn't normally go together and see how they look. Children can get away with fashion risks that adults wouldn't normally try.

Hat- BabyGap
Polo- Ralph Lauren, gifted
Coat- BabyGap
Pants- Thrifted, BabyGap

Featured

My Bird Nest Necklace was featured on Charm Topia's Last Minute Bird Gifts! To view the treasury, click HERE.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Charm Topia December Giveaway

Charm Topia is giving away these beautiful Blue Rose Earrings. Click HERE to enter!

How to Style Your Little Man, Part One

I've had a number of people compliment Gibson's style. (I've had fewer compliment mine ;) One lady, a mother of two precious little girls, pointed out how hard it must be to dress little boys considering the clothing options in the department stores are fewer in comparison with all the options little girls have. I don't think it is necessarily harder to dress little boys than it is to dress little girls. I just think you have to be a little more creative. That's why I'm starting a mini-series, "How to Dress Your Little Man." Each day I'll share a tip that I've found to be helpful in dressing Gibson stylishly while on a budget.

Today's tip: Thrifting! Oh they joys of thrift store shopping! I'm surprised to learn that while so many women shop for themselves and their homes at thrift stores, they don't do so for their little ones! I buy most of G's clothes at thrift shops. I've found three things to be helpful in this area:

1. Be patient. You're not going to hit the jackpot every time you set foot in a thrift store. If you don't find something that catches your eye, ignore the temptation to buy something just to make the trip "worth your while." You won't be saving money!

2. When you do find something you like, make sure it's actually a bargain. Second-hand clothing stores are trying to make a buck. I've found some things at these stores the same price at Target. Be savvy!

3. Shop your friends' closets! When your children outgrow their clothes, share them with friends. Thrifting can be just as fun and profitable at a friend's house. Swap clothes with each other!

This entire outfit (except the hat) is thrifted. The pants still had the tags on. $70. I paid $7. That's right.

Gibson is wearing:
Hat- Baby Gap

Shirt- Janie and Jack (thrifted)

Pants- Janie and Jack (also thrifted)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Great Holiday Deals offered by Sprint

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Still looking for a gift to give that last person on your list who has everything?  Sprint is offering a great deal online only!  You can get the HTC EVO 4G or EVO Shift for free!  Both phones have a customer rating of over four stars, and are Android-powered.  One customer even stated, "The camera is awesome and takes excellent pics!"   Also, they are waving the activation fee for new lines of service, and offering free shipping!   

If it's taken you a while to take the plunge and finally purchase a smartphone, my advice would be to go ahead and do it!  This is a great deal that will not last long!  Still not sure?  Consider Sprint's Everything Data Plan.  With this plan, you enjoy unlimited data, text, and calls to any U.S. Mobile number! 

What are you waiting for?  Click on the link below to check this deal out!

Android™ powered EVO 4G devices

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Christmas Card Lovin'

My SIL was gracious enough to let me share her Christmas cards with you.

She is a talented photographer and took these photos herself! (With the help of a tripod of course!)

It reminds me of a "Down-home, Blue Grass, Country Christmas!"

I think this one's my favorite. Did you notice the bunnies?! Love it!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sunshine-y Day

Benji raked some leaves into a pile in our front yard this afternoon.

Gibson was giddy with excitement!

This kid is the bee's knees.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Share the Outdoors Sweepstakes by New-Skin

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New-Skin for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm excited to tell you about three new products I just discovered and cannot wait to try!  New-Skin offers products that heal and protect wounds, and minimize scars.  The Liquid Bandage covers wounds as they heal and protects skin from infection, all while allowing skin to breathe.  No more finding gross band-aids around your house that have fallen off of your child!  The Poison Ivy Treatment combines an OTC medicine to treat the itch and a wash that cleans off any toxins from the plant.  I'm most excited about the Scar Fade topical gel.  I recently had surgery and was left with two nasty scars.  New-Skin's formula has been used for years to minimize scars and show results in less than six weeks!  product-family.png (2 documents, 2 total pages)

Right now, New-Skin is offering the Share the Outdoors Sweepstakes!  You could win one of three four-day trips.  The trips include your choice of either skiing in Breckenridge, CO, hiking in Yellowstone National Park (which would be my favorite!), or touring the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta, GA!  Also, the first 500 participants will receive a New-Skin waterproof container!  All you have to do to enter is fill out the form on the New-Skin's Share the Outdoors Sweepstakes link.  You can earn five additional entries per day just by having your friends and family click on your sweepstakes link.  logo-landing-page.png

After you enter the sweepstakes, please come back and leave a comment letting me know you did, why you want to win, and how you would use New-Skin products if you win!  Include the link to your sweepstakes page and I promise to click on it to increase your chances of winning! 

New-Skin sweepstakes

Visit Sponsor's Site

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tryin' to Catch Me Ridin' Dirty


Made G this onesie with my Silhouette and heat transfer vinyl. 'Cause I love the way he rolls.

Check out my Husband!

My husband was featured on the blog, Polished. He shared his Top Seven Wishlist. Don't tell him, but he's getting the Best Made Japanese Higo knife next week for our 5 year anniversary! Check him out HERE!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

What We Ate Last Night

I found this Veggie Pasta Bake recipe on Pinterest. I've been trying to make a Vegetarian meal at least once a week to save money and have healthier dinner options. For the recipe, click HERE.

I left out the mushrooms. There are enough veggies in this casserole, that we didn't even miss them. I also used half the amount of mozzarella. Next time I'll use the whole pound, though. Also, instead of using a roasted pepper, I used a drained jar of pimientos. Saved a few minutes.

And for dessert, these "lowfat" pumpkin cupcakes. I used a recipe I also found on Pinterest that calls for a box of yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin. I had a can of pumpkin in the fridge leftover from a previous recipe. It had half a cup missing from it, so I compensated with a half cup of applesauce in the recipe. It didn't seem to change the flavor drastically, and the cupcakes were just as moist as ever. I have to say, the first time I made these I was amazed that they actually turn out well. No egg or oil? It's very magical.

For the icing, I just blended a stick of softened butter, a package of softened cream cheese, and then mixed in some powdered sugar until it became the consistency I was looking for. The cupcakes are lowfat. The icing definitely is not.


It smelled amazing in my house last night!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

An Early Christmas Present

Gibson received a package in the mail today.

New Christmas jammies!

Just want to pinch that little tush.

I wonder if these come in adult sizes.