iCreate

31 uses for Thermal Totes

2012-01-13T13:27:00.007-06:00

If you do not have these totes (thirty-ones best seller), I suggest you pick one up. They are fantastic and I use them all the time. Lucky for you, for the month of January, they are all sale - $10 for Thermal Zippered Tote and $15 for Cinch-it-up Thermal Tote. You also get to buy the new styles (that don't come out until Feb 1st) on this sale. There are some adorable patterns. Buy Now HERE and don't delay. Too cute to pass up.

I know Valentine's Day and Easter are right around the corner. Why spend $20 on a crappy basket that is just going to be thrown out. Consider a tote for V-day or Easter, personalized, for that extra special gift!

31 uses for your Thirty-One Thermal Tote

Everyday uses

1. School lunches for kiddies
2. Work lunches
3. Snack bag while traveling
4. Snacks for kids sports
games
5. Taking bottles to daycare
6. Nursing mothers who pump at work
7. Take soup/gift to sick friend
8. Going grocery shopping
9. Wine or other beverage tote
10. Keep medicines cool while traveling
11. Snack bag for playmates, pool, etc.
12. Carry healthy snacks
13. Carry protein shakes to gym
14. Picnic for two
15. Snack bag for guys... Fishing, hunting, etc.
16. Shopping at the farmers market
17. Trips to the park
18. Days at the beach
19. Tailgating

Unconventional Uses

20. Cosmetic bag
21. Medicine bag
22. First-Aid kit
23. Mini diaper bag
24. Pool bag for wet swimming suits
25. Kids traveling activity bag

They make perfect gifts for

26. Personalized Easter totes
27. Trick or treat bag
28. Valentine's day
29. Mother's day
30. Thank you for teachers and coaches
31. A just because gift

The possibilities are endless and only $10.00/$15.00 (can be personalized for $7.00) until January 30th. Place your order today.

Elf On The Shelf

2011-12-12T21:29:00.003-06:00

So who doesn't have one? We picked one up about 3 years ago and now it has exploded. EVERYONE has one, EVERYONE - does it kinda lose it's magic?? I think so. :(

M could not wait for thanksgiving night this year. She talked extensively about where she thought he be and why. Can I just say I adore her innocence.

This year our elf, Jingles, was naughty and mischievous.

November 25th we woke to screeches of glee coming from M's room. This is why!

We all woke up with our noses painted red. Jingles sat proudly (wearing barbies boots) on our television holding his paint dripped paintbrush.

Two Little Monkies Review - Part 1

2011-12-11T11:02:00.007-06:00

So if anyone knows me, you know that I LOVE organization. A huge reason why I became a thirty-one consultant was the opportunity to work from home, take care of my children and buy adorable totes to keep my home clutter free.

One of my "clutter" issues is my diaper bag. My 18 month old son is really into matchbox cars now and they are always lost in the sea of diapers, wipes and extra clothes.

Andrea over at TWO LITTLE MONKIES was kind enough to send me a fun box full of goodies to review. My first review is for the CAR CADDY ROLL UP.

Fits perfectly in your hand.

Do you have a child that loves toy cars? Here's a great way to take them with you without losing them! The Two Little Monkies Car Caddy holds up to 5 of your child's toy cars in one compact roll. You can take them anywhere without losing them in car seats or having them roll around at the bottom of your purse or diaper bag.

We LOVE it! Both my 5 year old and 18 month old play with this. The car caddy is fantastic to have in the diaper bag and pull out when we are at a restaurant or doctor's appointment. Best part, the cars stay clean with no rogue cheerios stuck to them. My 18 month old also loves to take things in and out of stuff. This is great because he will pull the cars out and then slide them back into the compartment. Great hand to eye coordination.

All around perfectly crafted, super cute material patterns to chose from and a great way to stay organized.

Mystery Hostess Party

2011-12-02T10:29:00.005-06:00

I'm having a
Mystery Hostess Party!

What does this mean to you?

During the giveaway event from now until December 10th anyone who places an order with me will be entered to win the hostess rewards. Hostess rewards can include free products, half priced items and hostess exclusive products. Everyone has a chance to receive these awesome benefits just by making a purchase during this giveaway event!

Purchases can be made online for this Mystery Hostess Party event HERE!

Thirty-One Can be a lucrative business opportunity. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Thirty-One Consultant please let me know!

December Special:

For Every $31 spent get any of these items - All In One Organizer, Cinch Sac, Soft Wallet, Zip Up Pencil Pouch, or Flat Iron Case - for only $5. The AIO Organizer, Cinch Sac, and Pencil Pouch can be embroidered for an additional $7: That's a handy, personalized gift for only $12

Thirty-One Consultant

2011-12-01T15:14:00.006-06:00

Hi all, I have been having some issues with blogger and not successfully posting.

This is a test post and also a post to share that I am now a Thirty-One Independent Consultant.

I hosted a party over the summer and have fallen in love with their products. I LOVE organization and I LOVE bags so this is just a perfect fit for me.

Here is my on-line store - Patrizzia's Thirty-One Store - Please take a look around and let me know if I can help you with anything.

They are having an amazing December Special (orders must be placed before Dec 12th to get holiday shipping). Spend $31 and get any of these items - All In One Organizer, Cinch Sac, Soft Wallet, Zip Up Pencil Pouch, or Flat Iron Case - for only $5. The AIO Organizer, Cinch Sac, and Pencil Pouch can be embroidered for an additional $7: That's a handy, personalized gift for only $12

As a December hostess, in addition to the every day awesome benefits a Thirty-One hostess receives, we want to THANK YOU for blessing us. Now through Dec. 12th, host at least a $200 party and earn a free Organizing Utility Tote (again, that's in addition to the regular hostess rewards.) Sweet!

Hi!

2011-10-24T17:55:00.002-05:00

Hi all, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I just can't seem to find the time to blog lately. My 16 month old (HOW DID HE GET THAT OLD ALREADY) is six handfuls. Needless to say she keeps me incredibly busy!

I hope to come back soon. HOPE!

Would love to share my most favorite photo ever. Taken while apple picking in late September. LOVE!

M's 5th Dino Birthday Prep

2011-06-30T11:15:00.004-05:00

It's coming up and I am so behind. I wanted to make these cool dino totes as favors, but I just can't seem to find the time. I am wracking my brain trying to figure something else out. It also doesn't help that I have NO IDEA how many kids are coming. We invited her whole pre-K class (14 kids) and all her buddies and so far only 8 have RSVPed. I know they will not all show, but what if they do?!!?? I have to be prepared with snacks and gift bags.

Here is her invite that I created. LOVE the way it turned out!

Chicago Cubs 1st Birthday Favors

2011-06-27T12:50:00.003-05:00

Since I was unsure of how many people were coming (because for some reason people don't RSVP anymore...grrrr) I decided to go the easy way out with favors.

I bought 20 red baseball bats at a local dollar store and make a little tag to thank everyone. CUTE STUFF!

Chicago Cubs 1st Birthday Invite

2011-06-27T12:46:00.007-05:00

This is L's 1st Birthday invite. We knew we were having a Chicago Cubs party, but were unsure on how to do the invite. I told my hubby that it would be cool to do a baseball card invite. We first took the photos and went from there. My husband thought a retro 1980's card design was the way to go. Through our collaboration I think it came out AMAZING! WE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Front of the Card

Back of the Card

Chicago Cubs's 1st birthday party!

2011-06-27T12:31:00.005-05:00

Here is what I did for Baby L's 1st birthday. We were unsure how many people would come so we decided to have it at home. We had a Chicago Cubs Baseball party. We rented a bunch of awesome stuff. We had a hot dog steamer, cotton candy maker and a popcorn machine. It was AWESOME. We also had ballpark fare like peanuts, licorice ropes, cracker jack and of course popcorn, cotton candy and steamed hot dogs. YUM!

We transformed our garage with about 20 blue plastic table cloths to make our little dugout. It turned out really fun and everyone loved it.

The garage

Fun table goodies (I found beers in the shape of cubs bats - any yummy roasted peanuts)

The consessions

Favor bats

Cotton Candy

Birthday Boy!

Dear Blog

2011-05-03T16:21:00.003-05:00

Dear Blog, I am so sorry for neglecting you. I really don't have a good reason for not posting. Perhaps it is laziness or maybe a nasty case of the blahs, wherever it is I am back (I think). I have some fun reviews coming soon and maybe a craft or two.

Post to ya soon.
Love,
P

Cake Pops = too much work

2011-03-28T12:59:00.003-05:00

We tried to make the ever so popular Cake Pops that are all over blog world. I had high hopes for these beauties. I envisioned baseball ones for L's 1st birthday and dinosaur one for M's 5th.

NO WAY.. too much work. To start off I added too much frosting and it was mushy. No way going back from there unless you bake another cake. Then I had to keep them in the freezer overnight to make them hard enough to dip. Blah, too much work!

They are cute and yummy, but TOO MUCH WORK! :)

Baby Bento #56

2011-03-28T12:08:00.002-05:00

Baby L had his very first Bento. We went out for the day and then ended up going out to dinner. I'm glad I brought it because he ate it all up!

pastina pasta in sauce - veggies - blueberries and grapes

Bento Lunch #55

2011-03-28T11:48:00.002-05:00

M has strep and is on the mend. Today is day 3 of her medicine and she wanted real food. I made her a bento in her new pineapple box and she had a picnic on the family room floor! :)

Top: licorice - sour cream - mini turkey peperoni
Bottom: cheese quesadilla - strawberries - fortune cookie - steamed edamame - carrots - grapes

Happy St. Pat's day

2011-03-17T16:43:00.003-05:00

Oh did I ever have a fun day planned. I had my list ready to go complete with a shopping list for corned beef, cabbage, soda bread and ingredients to make homemade green applesauce muffins. 10 am this morning baby L had his 9 month baby well check. What I thought was going to be a teared filled shot visit ended up a hysterical tear filled nebulizer visit. My poor little buddy had the viral equivalent of bronchitis. Poor baby! Worst part... I had no idea. TERRIBLE mother!

So instead of all the fun and happy stuff I wanted to do today, I am taking care of a very clingy and miserable baby. At least M is happy to eat her green apple. :(

In any case here are my 2 very non-Irish kids! Happy St. Pat's day!

Sorry

2011-03-10T15:21:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We were on vacation and it was amazing!!! Can't wait to share some photos.

What to do...

2011-02-24T22:48:00.002-06:00

What to do with an old medicine container from Walgreens?

Put some crayons in it, cover it and pop it in the diaper bag. There are some restaurants we go to that they reuse crayons......gross. Of course I always decline theirs and bring my own along. This is a fun size for M to use and most importantly they are not gross!

Bento Snack #54

2011-02-24T22:47:00.001-06:00

munster cheese - blueberries - peanut butter crackers

Bento Lunch #53

2011-02-24T22:45:00.001-06:00

grape tomatoes - bear & bunny eggs - mini babybel - almonds - crackers - steamed edamame

Bento Lunch #52

2011-02-24T22:43:00.002-06:00

bugles - almonds - mini babybel - cucumber - bagel thin (cut in half and stacked) with turkey - fruit rollup

Another product review

2011-02-23T20:14:00.009-06:00

I am excited that CSN stores contacted me again to do another product review. I am in the process of finding the most perfect item. What is great about CSN stores is that they have EVERYTHING you could ever want and with really great prices. I also love that most of their products are shipped free.

What to get what to get. I have been peeking around once M & L are occupied and I have seen hundreds of things I want. How am I to pick only 1 thing.. lol!

Here are my front runners at the moment.

Stayed tuned to see what I chose and how I like/love it! :)

Bento Snack #51

2011-02-17T13:15:00.000-06:00

fresh fruit salad - caramel mini rice cakes

Bento Snack #50

2011-02-17T12:58:00.002-06:00

mini-babybel - pita chips - steamed edamame - iced animal crackers

Bento lunch #49 - Husband Bento

2011-02-17T12:48:00.003-06:00

My poor hubby had a terrible migraine this morning and was sticking around the house a bit until it went away. When he was about to leave baby L fell asleep so I hoped up and asked him if he wanted a bento lunch. He said yes and this literally came together in minutes.

Packed with an Easy LunchBoxes :
Leftover bbq chicken pizza - steamed edamame - grape tomatoes - fruit salad with blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes and mandarin oranges

Last Minute Valentine Bag

2011-02-17T12:41:00.003-06:00

While we were finishing up M's Valentines for school, I thought it would be cute for her to bring them to class in a Valentine bag. I searched my wrapping paper area and could not find anything pink/red or whatever.

Then a thought... how about an easy hand-print heart bag.

Redecorating Curse

2011-02-14T14:00:00.007-06:00

I want to redecorate, and I want to do it now. In a perfect world, I would have moved by now and started decorating a whole new house. Since I live in the ever so depressing real world, that has not happened. My dream is to have a GIANT kitchen island. I mean, so giant that my whole family could lay on it...at the same time.

A dilemma I may have with this most awesome island is that I am SHORT, my husband is TALL, my daughter is TALL and baby L (I think) is going to be SHORT. So that's 2 tall and 2 short. What to do, you ask?? I found an amazing solution...Adjustable Bar Stools. Who would have thunk it?!?!

I really like this one because not only does it looks comfy, but the kids can't fall out of it like most others that don't have a backing. A different color I think would be better, but I like the idea of it.

One day I will get that island, and I will buy the most perfect stools to go along with it. One day.

Bento lunch #48 - Happy Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-14T13:47:00.003-06:00

This Valentine Bento is for my sweet Valentine, M. Happy Valentine's Day baby! I love you to the moon and back!

grape tomatoes - strawberry hearts - mini-babybel cheese - hot dog hearts - valentine candy mix

Bento lunch #47

2011-02-10T12:09:00.005-06:00

M requested eggs today. This came together super duper fast and it just looks so yummy!

mini baybel - brocooli - french bread chunk - almonds - sweet treat - fresh fruit salad of grapes, blueberries, strawberries and oranges - carrots - 2 boiled eggs sliced

Birthday Parties

2011-02-08T15:58:00.006-06:00

I have been racking my brain on what to do with the kids' birthday parties. They are 6 weeks apart. On facebook, I asked my friends what they would do. I got a lot of "combine them since baby L would not know the difference" or "They should have separate since M is going to be 5 and L is going to be 1 and those are big birthdays".

I have decided that this year we will have separate parties. Following this year, we will have combined until M want's them separate.

M had requested a Dinosaur party.
baby L will get a Chicago Cubs party.

Fun stuff! Let the planning begin!

Bento lunch #46

2011-02-08T15:03:00.004-06:00

Here is a little Valentine bento for M.

Chicken chunks (leftover from dinner last night) - Carrots, broccoli & cauliflower - Blackberries and a giant strawberry heart - Trader Joe crackers - Babybel cheese - Pretzel M&M's

Here is a photo of what I got back. As you can see, she loved it and ate it all up. I am so fortunate to have such an awesome eater. I'm sure baby L will be a TERRIBLE eater just by process of elimination.. lol!

I'm on the crafty Crow

2011-02-06T23:39:00.003-06:00

What a fun surprise. M's Valentine cards are featured on the Crafty Crow. Woot!

New Years Interview - 2011

2011-02-06T18:44:00.005-06:00

I love to do this every New years to see how M's answers have changed year to year. I think the only constant is that Caillou is still her favorite tv show with Sid the Science kid coming in a close second.

Favorites:

1. cereal: Lucky Charms
2. vegetable: Carrots
3. drink: Water
4. toy: Jessie from Toy Story 3
5. TV Show: Caillou
6. game: Mr. Pencil Saves Doodleburg
7. book: 10 Cut-Ups
8. restaurant: Flattop Grill
9. holiday: Christmas
10. animal: Tyrannosaurus Rex
11. color: Yellow
12. fruit: Raspberries

If you could change your name, what would you choose?
Zoe

What do you love about each person in our family?
Mommy: Her hugs and Kisses - Daddy: Reading Books - Baby L: His smell

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?
The Waterpark

What are some of your wishes for this year?
To get a new card from Daddy.

Bento lunch #45

2011-02-03T14:10:00.001-06:00

Another quick and not so fun bento for M

Honey wheat pretzels - Mandarin oranges - Whole wheat tortilla quesadilla with jack cheese and chicken - broccoli, carrots & cauliflower

Bento lunch #44

2011-02-03T14:07:00.003-06:00

A quick non-fun lunch for M.

Steamed broccoli - Babybel cheese - 1/2 ham sandwich - homemade raspberry bars (these were amazing) - Fruit salad with grapes, blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges and blackberries (I love sam's club fresh fruit)

Valentine's Day Cards 2011

2011-02-03T13:21:00.006-06:00

M and I made her Valentine's Day cards for her class this week. It was pretty labor intensive if you ask me. Lots of steps, but I think they came out AMAZING! She was really excited about the whole process and was happy to do them.

Here is our process in photos. This took 3 separate days to finish - yes, she is only in Pre-K - yes, I could have just bought those pre-made character v-day cards. I am just not a pre-made kinda gal. By the way, I bought nothing for these cards. We pieced everything together from old materials around the house.

P.S. We made it on the Crafty Crow! :)

Getting started

Making fingerprint hearts

Once the hearts dried M painted on stems

After that was dry M drew on a swirl border

Then added glitter glue paint to the flower and stem

The front is complete. How adorable?!!?

wrote her name (I added the hearts to hid her name)

Added her sticker sentiments

Heart confetti in the card

Sticker on the front... ALL DONE

16 beautifully hand crafted Valentine's Day cards all ready for her party.

Weight Watchers points plus + Easy Lunchboxes

2011-01-29T22:40:00.001-06:00

Monday I joined weight watchers. I was talking with my husband during dinner 2 nights before about how I am excited to lose weight, eat better and exercise. All of the sudden M bursts into tears. I asked her what was the matter and she told me that she loved me just as I am and that she does not want me to lose weight. Poor baby!!! I then told a little white lie that I would not lose any weight for her, but I wanted to eat healthy and exercise... she was okay with that.

I let her come with me Monday just so she could see what was going on. She brought her leapster explorer so she could play while I listened to the leader speak. About 3 minutes into it I saw M turn off her game, put it away and start listening to the lady. At one point the leader said "does anyone really like to exercise?" and out of the corner of my eye I see the cutest littlest hand start creeping up. Isn't she the sweetest??!?!

I did WW about 5-6 years ago and lost 40lbs in 16 weeks by eating. I ate and ate and ate until I could not eat anymore...and I lost. My problem is that I have ZERO interest in food for the first half of the day. I can wake up and not eat or drink a thing until about 1, 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Bad, I know. I have systematically killed my metabolism. Funny, when I am pregnant I usually lose weight (until the dreaded water weight gain in the 8th and 9th month) because I HAVE to eat for the baby.

Anyways, Tuesday was my Day 1 and I pre-made my breakfast & lunch because I KNOW me and I knew I would not eat if it's not in my face. I used my awesome Easy LunchBoxes and packed it with what I had in the house (I have not gone grocery shopping yet). I can't imagine eating all that just for breakfast, but here I go. I also made them for Wednesday and Thursday. Friday we were out all day.

Tuesday Breakfast

Grapes and some watermelon heart flowers for fun - Greek yogurt with honey (I ended up eating the yogurt as a snack because I was full) - 5 almonds - 1/2 package Nature Valley granola bar - 2 Hard boiled eggs

Tuesday Lunch

Broccoli rabe made with evoo, garlic and pepper flakes - Whole grain tortilla with a little pita chip for some crunch - Ham rolls - Babybel Cheese - Mandarin orange

Wednesday Breakfast

Apple - Fiber one rasin bran with milk - almonds

Wednesday Lunch

Orange and cucumber salad - WW Hearty Turkey Chili - Biscuit cookies

Thursday Breakfast

Grapes - Fiber one rasin bran with milk - Raisin/pepitas/sunflower seeds mix

Thursday Lunch

Morning star veggie patty on wheat bread - 2 egg whites - Babybel cheese - 2 biscuit cookies (Which I did not eat because I was too full) - 2 grape picks - Homemade dill pickles, carrots sticks and grape tomatoes.

Bento lunch #43

2011-01-29T12:26:00.002-06:00

Prosciutto on wheat - carrot sticks - tortilla chips - 2 grape picks - Cheddar jack cheese cubes - Grape tomatoes

Do you wanna know..

2011-01-29T11:51:00.003-06:00

Do you want to know why I am sad these days?!!? That darn tooth (bottom middle left).

He is growing up too fast. He is my last baby and I want him to stay a baby for a long long time. Monday M noticed his gum was really red while we were in the car going to school. Once we got there I inspected and yes, I saw the skin raised. I knew what was coming and I was sad. Once I got home I called my husband at work and cried a bit. Yes I know.. Lame. What can I say, him growing up makes me sad.

New Earrings

2011-01-24T13:52:00.001-06:00

M never wanted to take off the earring that she got her ears pierced with. Once day I noticed that they needed to be taken off because they were really dirty. I finally convinced her to let me take them off so I could clean them. While I did that I remembered that my mom bought these little gold hoops in Italy while I was pregnant with M. They fit prefect and she LOVES them. She feels like such a big girl in them.

Valentine Garland

2011-01-24T13:50:00.001-06:00

Easy peasy Valentines garland I picked up at Target.

Wak a Valentine

2011-01-24T12:00:00.000-06:00

I found these at Dollar Tree and they seemed fun. Basically you hit the pouch and whatever is inside will inflate a balloon and pop out of the package. M had a great time with this. I'm thinking about adding these to her Valentine Treats for School.

Our Heart Head Family

2011-01-10T17:38:00.001-06:00

I LOVE THIS! M asked me to glue the hearts down and she went to work. I adore it so so much. It is going to be framed and kept forever!

Valentine Heart Wreath

2011-01-10T17:31:00.000-06:00

What you will need:

* Red, pink and purple construction paper
* White paper plate (The cheap thin kind work great!)
* Scissors
* Glue
* Super Excited 4 years old

Cut the middle of the paper plate out and cut all different sized hearts to your hearts desire. Glue. Done. EASY!

La Befana

2011-01-07T12:35:00.000-06:00

La Befana came today. Do you know the story? If not check it out here. M was so excited to see socks.. yes socks. She thought La Befana forgot about us, because she went to our Christmas stockings and they were empty. Then on our ottoman where some colorful socks full of goodies. A fun Italian tradition. She even colored a picture of her.. yes, she looks like a witch!

Pay It Forward

2011-01-06T22:25:00.004-06:00

So in facebook and blog land the PAY IT FORWARD posts are in full force. I thought it would be fun so I am adding myself to the PIF family.

Pay it forward 2011: I promise to send something

handmade to the first 3 people who leave a comment here.

To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog,

offering the same thing to 3 other people.

The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it

must be sent to your 3 people *sometime* in 2011.

I'm pretty darn excited. Not sure what I will make yet, but I promise it will be super cute.

I hope to get my PIF's out by the end of February but probably sooner.

Montessori Baby - 7 months

2011-01-06T15:27:00.005-06:00

I started baby L on some Montessori skills. No, I don't practice the teachings 100%, but it's great for developing everyday skills.

Here I have a little basket with some stacking cups inside. This exercise was to see if baby L would take each shape out one by one. He did really good and then got excited and lifted the basket and shook everything out. It was super cute.

We will continue to do these little activities to build hand to eye coordination and cause and effect.

Bento lunch #42 - Valentiney Bento

2011-01-06T15:22:00.002-06:00

Valentine Bento #1. Got the cute picks, heart container and paper wrapper at the dollar tree.

2 Turkey Picks - Gourmet min-cucumber (I got these at sams) - Trader Joe Crackers - Babybel cheese - Blackberries - Trader Joe strawberry yogurt with sprinkles (pink thing is a spoon) - Hershey chocolate treat

New Toothbrush

2011-01-03T15:09:00.005-06:00

Who didn't get one of these Arm and Hammer toothbrushes this year? M saw it in a magazine in October and it was always top on her list. She loved being able to decorate it and is super excited every morning and evening when she brushes. Too bad it said on the package to replace after 3 months.

Bento lunch #41 - New Years Eve

2011-01-03T15:04:00.003-06:00

This is her last lunch of 2010. I made a quick bento while I was getting the family ready to leave for our NYE festivities.

Blueberries - Raspberries - Babybel Cheese - Roasted Red Pepper Humus - Turkey Sandwich on Wheat - Carrots - Tomatoes - Broccoli

The children were nestled all snug in their beds...

2010-12-26T23:05:00.003-06:00

We borrowed my mother-in-law's Santa suit to pull off the impossible and It worked. A Beautiful photo that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. M slept through it all and was in awe when I showed her that someone had 'borrowed' my camera and took a photo of her sleeping and santa holding her hand. I can't wait until baby L turns 4 so we can do the same with him.

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T16:23:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from the iCreate family!

Pre-K Christmas Presents

2010-12-11T23:38:00.002-06:00

M wanted to make ornaments for all her classmates. Found these trees at Hobby Lobby and M picked out the jewels to add. This took a couple days to finish.

She painted them all

Picked out 5 jewels per tree

Make her glue circles with a q-tip

Attached her pretty jewels

All Done!

Wooden Christmas Tree

2010-12-11T23:34:00.003-06:00

Gosh, I bought this years ago on clearance after Christmas at Target. She really enjoyed putting it together. I literally turned to do something with baby L and she was done. She has it on her art table and enjoys taking off the ornaments and putting them back on.

Excited to get started

Mr Nosy trying to see what his sister is doing

All finished

Pipe Cleaner Candycane Ornaments

2010-12-11T23:30:00.003-06:00

Who didn't make these when they were kids?

M loved it and was so excited to see the candy cane come to life.

Finished

Can you see one all the way at the bottom of the tree?

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Easy Gingerbread Man

2010-12-11T23:29:00.001-06:00

HAPPY GIRL

2010-12-11T23:20:00.003-06:00

Wanna know why she is so excited???

Very simply because we were making this kind of popcorn and about to watch a movie with Mommy.

Best part.... she has a 24 hour bug starting that night. She hurled 2am to 8am and was so miserable. At least she was happy during the day!

A reindeer bag

2010-12-11T23:15:00.002-06:00

She picked this craft . I bought a bunch of this type of stuff after Christmas last year. She will fill it up for her cousin Jacob whom she picked in the grab bag. Cute stuff.

Advent Calendar Reveal

2010-12-11T23:10:00.003-06:00

1st Homework assignemnt.

2010-12-11T23:01:00.003-06:00

M had her 1st Pre-K homework assignment. I has been waiting patiently for this day. She was kinda unmotivated to do it. She finally did finish it after a bit of prodding from me and was pretty proud of herself.

The assignment was to write 3 sentences to coincide with an animal that they will play in their Christmas Play "The Hat" by Jan Brett. She picked a dog out of the basket (she really wanted the horse) and came up and wrote (with my help) her 3 sentences.

SO ADORABLE! I can't wait to see how the play acts out. She has been very secretive about all the holiday goodness that has been going on at school. Surprises a plenty I think!

Her 3 sentences are:
1. Dogs have four paws.
2. Dogs sometimes bark.
3. Dogs wag their tails

M LOVES Michael

2010-12-11T20:55:00.003-06:00

Well, I fulfilled my daughters dream of going to a Michael Bublé concert. Her one Christmas request was to see him. LUCKILY and thankfully he came back to Chicago December 4th and I was able to get tickets.

She picked out a fancy dress and got all dolled up with lip gloss. She made a sign and we enjoyed the 2 hours with Micheal. HE IS AMAZING. We both love him.

On the Red Carpet with MB

The sign she made

Our View - AMAZING

Bento lunch #40

2010-12-11T20:12:00.003-06:00

2 prosciutto picks - 1 fresh mozzarella pick - cherry tomatoes - TJ snack crackers - hershey chocolate - TJ yogurt - mandarin orange

BUST!

2010-12-11T19:17:00.005-06:00

Ya, the everyday craft thing was a bust. M has been sick, baby L has been sick and now I have joined them with a fantastic bout of Bronchitis. Hey 2010, I can't wait for you to be over. I must have over 30 different posts that I need to set up, and sadly I bet I will never get to them. Oh well, we have been doing some fun stuff.

Here is a picture for you just because! Isn't he so cute... even when he cries! :) By the way, he turned 6 months on the 9th!

Bento Lunch #39

2010-12-02T16:17:00.002-06:00

Hot dogs - quesadilla - kinder chocolate - raspberries - almonds - crunchy seaweed (yes, I know my kid is weird - she says it tastes like sushi)

Christmas Craft #1 - Ornament

2010-12-01T16:52:00.005-06:00

I am going to try to do something crafty with M everyday this month.

Day 1 was a cute ornament I picked up at hobby lobby. EASY PEASY and she loved it!

Advent Calender times 2

2010-12-01T16:44:00.004-06:00

Wow, what a terrible month November was. Not only did it drag on and on, but M was sick the WHOLE month. Nothing terrible, but just the never ending virus that of course baby L caught. TERRIBLE!! I am very thankful that it was nothing serious, but seeing your kids miserable day in and day out is hard.

I am SO excited that it's DECEMBER. I say farewell to November... good riddens.

I am very behind on posting from November, so I will toss those in when I have a chance.

DECEMBER is here and that means ho ho ho and jolly stuff and Christmas cookies and blah blah blah.

M has been eying her 2 advent calenders (one is a chocolate and the other is a Playmobile one) for quite a while now. She is excited to see what they are all about.

a Picture for Santa

2010-11-23T13:24:00.002-06:00

M wanted to draw Santa a picture. How cute is this?!? If you can't figure it out. It's a Christmas Tree, M holding a heart and baby L. SWEETNESS!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Boutique Tissue Holders - Tutorial

2010-11-19T12:57:00.004-06:00

A mom from my mother's group asked me if I had a tutorial on how to make tissue holders. I looked back in my photos and found a step by step that I meant to post years ago... so here it goes.

You'll need two pieces of fabric (outside and one inner lining). These both should be the same dimensions: 7" H x 7-1/2" W.

Fabric right sides together and sew around the edges leaving a 2 inch opening for turning on the bottom edge.

Turn it right side out and iron. Try to get your points nice and sharp.

Fold the right side over so that it just overlaps the left side. The slit should be more or less centered. Sew the ends down, making sure to reinforce the outer edges as well as the overlap. Clip the corners and some of the bulk on either edge ( I found that you have to cut a bit more from one end to get it nice and snug on your tissue pack).

Turn it right side out, insert the tissues, and there you have it!

Classmates Christmas gifts part 1

2010-11-14T22:15:00.003-06:00

Yes, I have to start this early! Why you ask, because of a certain 5 month old that is an angel when guests are over but is a little demon when no one else is watching. He just wants to stay in mommy's arms ALL DAY LONG...ugh!!!

Anyways, M has started making her classmates ornaments. I picked up some wooden Christmas tree ornaments at hobby lobby. Today's step was to get them all painted. She had fun doing the first 5, then it became a chore. She did finish them though.

Next step.... Jewels.

Homemade Christmas - 1

2010-11-12T21:39:00.002-06:00

So I have decided to do a mostly homemade Christmas except for the usual grab bags and such. It will mostly be for the kids since those are the easiest to make.

I have started and I feel good starting this early especially with a 5 month old. Here is my teaser photo. :) When I am done I will show you what this mess made! :)

Bento Lunch #38

2010-11-11T12:13:00.003-06:00

This week at Pre-K, they are going over the letter H. So I add a little H word for her and a hopping red guy! :)

Ham & Cheese sandwich - Container with Chocolate crackers - Blueberries - Celery - Ranch dressing - Carrot Coins (cut with my new pampered chef crinkle cutter)

At this very moment...

2010-11-11T11:37:00.004-06:00

We are all three sick. We are moody. We are hot, then we are cold. I have giant bags under my eyes, giant caterpillars as eyebrows and two budding fever blisters. M has crazy un-brushed hair and baby L is not amused. I HATE cold and flu season.

Sarah's Silks - Winner

2010-11-08T10:40:00.003-06:00

The winner of the fantastic Sarah's Silk Giveaway is:

Comment 11 - Nina

Congratulations Nina. Send me an e-mail with your address so I can pass it on to Sarah at Sarah's Silks.

P.S. I have no idea whey the number generator is so blurry .

Bento Lunch #37

2010-11-03T21:49:00.001-05:00

Turkey, swiss & honey mustard wrap - Appple - Kitkat treat - Wasabi peas - Animal crackers - Sweet potato, parsnips and potato chips - Field greens with dressing in the container

Coundown to Buble'

2010-11-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

I was a huge fan, but during my last pregnancy the hormones hit hard and well, there she wrote.

I was fortunate enough to see him perform when I was 6-7 months pregnant in March. My sweet M was kinda upset with me because I didn't take her. I suppose my obsession has leaked to her. She loves him too and prays for him every night (awwwww)! She has even started sending him little messages through Bungalow-B (his fan club).

Because I am a fan club member (a surprise from my hubby in July) I noticed that he was going to be coming back to Chicago in December. I knew that I had to jump on the chance of getting pre-sale tickets through the fanclub. Well I got them and I will be taking M. I am so so so so excited to experience her first concert. I know I know she is only 4, but that girl has a memory like an elephant. She remembers EVERYTHING. So a forewarning don't ever promise her something and not follow through. She will feed you guilt until you are blue in the face! :)

We did a little countdown project for the concert. I made up a little photo with a countdown saying. I cut lots of strips of paper and M made paper chains. Everyday she gets to rip off a ring. Once all the rings are gone it's concert day! She is really excited!

1st Pen-Pal letter

2010-11-02T16:22:00.003-05:00

M was sick this past weekend (I know great timing). The only good thing that came out of her missing her Halloween class party and a friends birthday party was writing a letter to her pen-pal. She also drew about 15 pictures for him.

This was her letter. I am so proud of her. I only helped her with the spelling of the words and the spacing. When she saw that she had written a letter that did not look right, she would erase and try again.

I {heart} it!

Sarah's Silks - Review & Giveaway

2010-11-01T16:36:00.005-05:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Happy November all. I have a great way for you to start the month off. Keep reading.

Ever since M was little I pushed for her to use her imagination. Imaginative play is very important to me. We would pretend to be doctors but not use a play kit just our imaginations. We would be stuck on a deserted island (our couch) and our rug was the water. One of our all time favorite toys are Sarah's Silks playsilks. I/Santa bought M 2 for Christmas when she was 29 months and she instantly played with them. They would be her dolls blanket or her apron or water for her fish or a mountain for her dinosaurs. They would be a pirate hat or a scarf or the best superhero cape ever.

We have played with them pretty much daily for over 2 years. They are a open-ended versatile 'toy' and of course WONDERFUL for the imagination. I think it's time that I add to our Sarah's Silk playsilk collection. I think we need a rainbow and maybe a green one. Heck, I want them all! :)

This was the first day she got them. The pink one instantly became a blanket for her baby doll

Fast forward 2 years and she still plays with them. No such luck getting a clear photo. Superhero M never stops! :)

And now baby L is getting in on the fun. The cutest pirates EVER!

Sarah from Sarah's Silk has graciously offered the BEST giveaway ever. One lucky winner will win a set of set of 9 silks, 8 solid and one rainbow. These are amazing toys that never get old. Watch, they will be something different everyday!

Good luck everyone!

- WIN THEM -

One lucky iCreate reader will win a set of 9 silks, 8 solid and one rainbow. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment for each of the following entries. You can choose to do as many or as few as you'd like. Please remember to leave your email address in each comment and leave a separate comment for each entry. You MUST do the mandatory entry in order to be considered for the extra entries.

This giveaway will run until 12:00 am (CST) November 7, 2010

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Sarah's Silks and leave a comment here telling me what other product you would love to own-2 entries

Extra Entries:

~Follow iCreate - 3 entries

~Like Sarah's Silks on Facebook -1 entry

~Follow Sarah's Silks on Twitter - 2 entries

~Blog about this giveaway, tell me where I can find it (make sure you link back here)-5 entries

~Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link so I can find it, make sure you include @sarahssilks in your tweet. - 1 entry

It's Christmas card time

2010-10-29T15:24:00.010-05:00

The time has come for me to start thinking about Christmas cards. I am a little obsessive about it, actually. My Christmas cards are in the mail the day after thanksgiving no matter what. It's my thing. That's what I do.

I have been checking out Shutterfly's 2010 Collection, and I am really liking what I am seeing. Now that I have two kids, I am thinking that I may want to do a collage card or I suppose I could take a photo of both of them together. That may be easier said than done with a 4 year old and an almost 5 month old. Either way, I need to find the card I want and then have about 100 photo shoots to get the perfect photo.

Last year's card was adorable. I LOVED it because that is how we announced that I was expecting.

I was thinking about sending a Religious Card from the Shutterfly Collection. We have never done one before. I'm really liking this one and this one. On the first one, I like the beautiful passage, and on the second one I love the collage look.

Then I saw this one, and I LOVED the amount of photos that could be placed on it. If anyone knows me at all, you know I always have a camera in my hand. I just think it looks so classic and clean. Love the monogram in the middle and of course the Christmas red color.

But then I saw this one, and it just seems so beautiful. Not sure how it will look with my dark hair and dark eyed kids, but it in the top 5 for sure.

This one is pretty cute. It just screams KIDS to me. I like that it has a bit of room to add a little message and not just names.

But I think I found my card. This one is just ME. Love the brown color, the branch is so classy and I love that pop of the red. Now, I just have to take my photos to make sure this is it.

What about you guys? Have you even started thinking about Christmas cards?!?!

Bento Lunch #36

2010-10-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

Packed this using the awesome EASY LUCHBOXES.

Berry fruit mashups - 3 Prosciutto and cheese roll-ups - 2 strawberry hearts - Halloween cupcake - Snow peas, mini red pepper rings - Laughing cow cheese

So is my daughter the only kid that doesn't beg me to buy her this toy or that toy, she begged and pleaded to buy her the fruit mashups. How the heck can I say no to that?

Bento Lunch #35

2010-10-26T17:19:00.005-05:00

I got to use my new 2 tier bento that I wont from Sonoma Bento. Check out the adorable pumpkin bento belt. CUTE!!!

We were pretty much out of food... this was the best I could scrounge up.

PB&J bites with sugar flowers - Trader Joe's cheese curls - Mini orange pepper - Strawberries - Container with m&m's

Check out more bentos here!

Stay Tuned

2010-10-26T15:40:00.004-05:00

Do you love playsilks like us? If you do stay tuned.

I will have an AWESOME review and giveaway coming soon from Sarah over at Sarah's Silks.

Be sure to come back and check it out!

1st Pen-Pal

2010-10-25T10:38:00.002-05:00

Sunday I finally checked our mailbox and sure enough M has her 1st pen-pal letter from a little boy named Owen from Georgia. His mom and I have known each other since both M & Owen were born in 2006.

She was beyond excited to get it. She opened it and it was like Christmas morning to her. She got a little plush Jessie doll, cookies, stickers and of course a letter and a picture of O. Fun fun fun stuff.

1st Library Card

2010-10-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

Saturday after swim class, I took M over to our local library to get her her 1st library card. She was so excited. I filled out the paper work and she signed her name. We spent the next hour searching for the most perfect books. It was a great mommy & daughter morning. I think she really enjoyed the alone time with me.

Signing her name.

Posing with her card (blue mouth from a blue sucker).

Her 1st book choice.

Field Trip

2010-10-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

M had her very 1st field trip yesterday. She went to Lewis University to see a play - The Jungle Book. First she was so excited that I was able to go with her and be a chaperon (thanks to my mother-in-law). Secondly she was ECSTATIC to go on a yellow school bus for the first time. We had a great morning together.

I obviously took 6 million photos, but I didn't want to add the ones that had her classmates (just in case).

Bento Snack #34

2010-10-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

Just a little snack bento for my little Miss M.

1/3 of a turkey and cheese sandwich - Strawberries - Carrot sticks - Wasabi edamame - Italian smiley cookie

Mini Lovies - Taggie Blanket

2010-10-20T13:55:00.004-05:00

Baby L is a chewer. He loves to gnaw on his hands on our fingers on toys on his bib.. whatever. I went ahead and made him a Mini-Lovie blanket to chew to his hearts content.

He loves it and it is the PERFECT size for him.

I also made one for a special little girl. Hope she likes it!

Halloween Gift Bags - Lil' Pumpkins

2010-10-18T11:47:00.005-05:00

We went to a birthday party at the beginning of the month. My friend Jen gave away pumpkin gift bags and once I saw those I knew that I wanted to do the same for M's Pre-K class. The only difference is that I bought smaller bags.

Check out the Witch Broomsticks I made last year.

Bento Lunch #33

2010-10-18T10:15:00.005-05:00

How about breakfast for lunch. Sounds good to me. This is a little container I picked up in the $1 section of target. I don't usually buy stuff for food that is not BPA free, but since nothing was going to be warmed up I thought it would be okay.

Strawberries (with a vintage Halloween pick) - Container with syrup - Pumpkin Pancakes (made by my hubby) - Sliced hard boiled Egg - Turkey Bacon

Check out more bentos at What's for lunch at our house.

Bento Lunch #32

2010-10-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Blah, I didn't realize how monochromatic this was. She loved it thought.

Cheese disks - Crackers - Almonds - Boiled Egg - Apple & Rapberries

Winner: Easy Lunchboxes

2010-10-18T02:22:00.003-05:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2010-10-18 07:32:24 UTC

Winner is Erica: Bar 7 Ranch.

Congratulations!!!!

Please send me your address and I will send it on over to Kelly At Easy Lunchboxes.

Mummy Craft

2010-10-14T22:11:00.005-05:00

M was itching to do a craft today. Of course baby 'L' had no interest in sleeping so this was a doozy.

I got the idea from here and off we went. M really really enjoyed this project and did a fantastic job. She really takes her time and is into details.

First I had her cut out a moon and the orange grass. I cut out a mummy shape and assorted sized strips of paper towel. I showed her 2 pieces and off she went. CUTE CUTE CUTE!

Pretzel Witch Eyes

2010-10-14T09:30:00.000-05:00

So using this yummy recipe from Valentines Day I just renamed it and used 'Halloween' Colors.

M loved making them and most definitely eating them. EASY!

CSN Review

2010-10-14T00:19:00.009-05:00

Have you heard of CSN? Well if not it is AWESOME. CSN Stores are comprised of more than 200 different shopping sites under the overall csnstores.com umbrella. Most sites are named for their primary product offerings or the styles they provide. These include: Luggage.com, AllModern.com, WritingDesksAndMore.com, Cookware.com, and BedroomFurniture.com.

I was luckily contacted by a CSN Representative who asked If would like to do a review of whatever I wanted. WHAT.. free stuff.. for those who know me know FREE = JOY to Patrizzia.

One night after both kids and my husband went to bed I sat with a cup of tea and my computer to search the 200 sites. Of course my first reaction was to buy something for the kids.

Then I could always use some kind of storage

I finally decided on a new computer chair, since our IKEA chair was on it's last leg.

It was shipped (free shipping) and received within days of my order. The box was huge since the chair was already put together. M had a great time with that.

The chair is great, super comfortable and I LOVE the design. The construction under the seat is a bit sloppy. If I would have paid for it, I think I may have wanted a new one, but since it was free I am 100% happy with it.

The site was so easy to navigate and so many wonderful products to chose from. It really is a one-stop shopping since there are so many stores and products in one place. I will most definitely shop with CSN again.

Sue The Dinosaur & Bento Lunch #31

2010-10-12T20:49:00.004-05:00

Saturday we headed down to The Field Museum in Chicago. M had been asking to see Sue the Dinosaur since we saw her in a local magazine. We walk around a good 3.5 hours and explored to our hearts content. M's favorite parts were by far the fossils and the dinosaurs. After the Museum we had a picnic lunch and then ice cream by the lake. It was a perfect day for my little family of 4.

The Field Museum - Chicago

Look at that Dinosaur Tooth

Checking out some REALLY OLD fossils

A Dino bone that she was able to touch. WOW is that thing big!!!

And Meet Sue - the largest, most complete, and best
preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered.

Lunch Time

In our Awesome Easy Lunchboxes:
Couscous salad - Colby Jack cheese pick- Whole wheat Chicken, tomato, mustard & field greens wrap - Container with 3 M&M's - 3 Mini nutter butter cookies - Strawberries & Raspberries

Enjoying a nice cool breeze by Lake Michigan

Bento Snack #30

2010-10-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

Colby Jack cheese - Crackers - Almonds - Strawberry hearts - Raspberries - Monkey container has 3 jelly beans... pink of course.

Eeeek a Mummy!

2010-10-11T12:48:00.002-05:00

How to make a 4 year old beyond happy?

Make her a mummy. FAST, EASY and So MUCH FUN, and all you need in a roll of toilet paper!

Easy Lunch Box Review & Giveaway - bento lunch box

2010-10-10T21:30:00.002-05:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Ok, I have the best product for you called Easy Lunch Boxes. They're truly wonderful products. When I first received them, I thought they were pretty similar to the Glad ones that are sold in the stores.

I WAS WRONG. Those Glad ones are cheap and flimsy. They never stay closed, while these are made of a hard plastic and the compartments are HUGE. Most important to me is that they are FDA approved and have no BPA, phthalates, lead, vinyl or PVC.

I packed a lunch for the family (including my sister), and we headed off to the Renaissance Faire.

While I was preparing, I was really shocked at how large the compartments were. I was able to pack a pretty hefty lunch for all that was healthy, satisfying and most importantly, cheaper and better than the food that we would have purchased at the faire.

Check out all that fit

Starwberries & Grapes - Homemade blueberry Banana Bread (this came out amazing) - Chicken, tomato, onion and mushroom kabobs over a blend of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo Beans, red quinoa, baby spinach, red pepper and feta cheese salad

Seriously, how good does that look??!?! And yes, it tasted as good as it looked.. lol! Nothing had to be reheated because I packed it with an icepack and everything stayed cool and yummy.

Taken from Kelly of Easy Lunch Boxes:

Supporting the waste-free lunch movement, EasyLunchboxes.com offers a reusable, superior solution at a much lower price than other companies.

Great for large families and those on a limited budget.

FDA approved. No BPA, phthalates, lead, vinyl, or PVC. Safe for dishwasher, freezer, and microwave.

The simple chic design and bright colors of our Cooler Bags can even be personalized!  We have included a sturdy grommet in the carrying handle so you can easily attach a pretty key ring, dietary restrictions warning tag, or your choice of any type of handcrafted or store bought “flair.”   Our  Cooler Bags are made of the highest quality 300D Polyester for premium  durability and toughness. Vinyl free (PVC free) & lead free, with an  FDA compliant PEVA lining.

Need lunch ideas? You can get some great ideas on the Easy Lunch Box website.

This is a perfect system for lunch/picnics/dinner/snacks. As a mom who really truly cares about what my children put in their mouths, this is superb to have on hand to pack healthy, balanced and yummy on the go meals. Heck, I have such a hard time eating with a newborn and a preschooler around, I may just pack my 'lunch' the night before ensuring that I actually eat something healthy, yummy and not just a handful of nuts. I bet I would even lose weight doing that (more to come on that maybe).

All in all I, really love this product. I foresee us using them often, and I recommend this to anyone who has school aged kids, adults who brown-bag to work or who just need to bring snacks along in the car.

So now on to the fun stuff!!!

~~~BUY IT~~~

You can visit Easy Lunch Boxes and purchase your lunch system OR you can use my referral link and help me out while helping yourself out with this great system.

Turns out - EasyLunchbox containers were such a popular item during the back to school buying season, they're currently sold out and on back order. But the cool thing is, if you don't mind waiting till they are back in stock, Kelly will throw in a free cooler bag for your patience if you place your order right now!

~~~WIN IT~~~

One lucky iCreate reader will win a lunch system in their choice of color. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment for each of the following entries. You can choose to do as many or as few as you'd like. Please remember to leave your email address in each comment and leave a separate comment for each entry. You MUST do the mandatory entry in order to be considered for the extra entries.

This giveaway will run until 12:00 am (CST) October 18, 2010

This giveaway is offered to US & Canadian residents only. Please do not enter this giveaway if have won or received free product from EasyLunchboxes within the past 3 months.

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Easy Lunch Boxes and leave a comment here telling me what color you'd pick if you win.-2 entries

Extra Entries:

~Follow iCreate - 3 entries

~Like Easy Lunch Boxes on Facebook-1 entry

~Follow Easy Lunch Boxes on Twitter- 2 entries

~Blog about this giveaway, tell me where I can find it (make sure you link back here)-5 entries

~Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link so I can find it, make sure you include @easylunchboxes in your tweet. - 1 entry

Picture Book

2010-10-09T01:23:00.003-05:00

I printed my first photo book from HotPrints. I can't wait to see how it turns out. It's an 8x10 book for only $2.99. You get 4 free books a month and all you have to do is pay shipping.

I am really excited to see what it looks likes. Since having digital cameras I have maybe 1% of photos printed. I just recently told my hubby that I wanted to start printing pictures so we can put them into photo albums. Well if this works out I think I will do this instead. The quality is suppose to be great and you can add a bunch of photos. It was time consuming but I enjoyed the quiet alone time doing it.

Excited!!!

Here is a little sample of a couple pages I did. The book will be from our recent trip to The Dells.

Bento Snack #29

2010-10-08T11:46:00.003-05:00

This was M's gymnastic snack this week. She gobbled it all up.

Pita Chips - Laughing Cow Cheese - Pink Lady Apple - Mini Nutter Butter Cookies

Halloween Pumpkins

2010-10-08T11:39:00.003-05:00

We made some easy pumpkins. M drew circles (we made 5), cut them out, drew stems, cut then out, taped stem, drew face and done.

Bento Lunch #28

2010-10-06T01:13:00.009-05:00

Somebody's Watching You - Bento!

Turkey Sandwich on Hawaiian Bread - Mini Corn - Cherry Tomato Flower -
2 Jack Cheese Picks (on vintage Halloween picks) - Chocolate Fudge Brownie
(I bought the eyes at a local cake and candy supply shop)

Check out What's For Lunch Bento for more great ideas.
Don't forget about the amazing hand drawn portrait giveaway from my husband.