almost done

Last week end I cleaned out the pantry closet and we took a truckload to the Goodwill (including our broken treadmill{I think it died from under use}). I've pretty much tackled the whole house organizing and purging. But that leaves that last room where everything else has been dumped. I hope to have it finished next week and then I can a few months before it starts to pile up again!

cute and green organizing tip

A great way to reuse tin cans! And of course I love any excuse to break out the label maker. I'm thinking this would be a great way to organize Aiden's craft supplies. Just run the tin cans throught the dishwasher and mount a magnet on the backside. The 12x12 magnet boards from Treasury would be perfect!

motherhood is not for sissies.

Amelia is on round two of the stomach "crud" and now I have it too. I am splitting my time between Amelia's room, the bathroom and the laundry room. good times.

monster trucks

Dale and Aiden along with some friends headed to the Monster trucks on Saturday night. Aiden still isn't a 100% but he wouldn't admit to that. He had a great time but we all paid for the late night yesterday!

deep thoughts....

Recently I came across these "9 be's" online and it really spoke to me so I thought I would share them.

be grateful
be smart
be clean
be true
be humble
be prayerful
be involved
be still
be positive

I really want to incorporate these thoughts into my attitudes and actions towards myself and others. I have two others thoughts or sayings that I have found especially true throughout the years. I think it was someone on Oprah that said this "the only person you have control over (or can change) is yourself and your reactions to what happens to you in your life." The other was on a church billboard "comparison is the killer of contentment." So there are my deep thoughts for the day.

cute gift ideas for kids

Yesterday I was perusing the toy aisles trying to find a gift for my nephew I began to think about some fun homemade gift ideas. Fortunately for my nephew and unfortunately for his parents I did find a very loud, large plastic toy to fill any 3 year old's idea of a proper birthday present. Here are a few ideas I've found since:

to go along with yesterday's pudding paints I found a recipe for jello play dough;
Jello Play Dough
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
1 three oz package of jello (any flavor)
combine ingredients and cook over medium heat until it thickens and pulls away from the sides of pot and becomes dull. * this burns easily so don't put over too high of heat and keep stirring. Mold and knead until cool enough to touch. Store in a closed plastic bag. For a fun gift idea store in a cool looking airtight container ( one of those glass jar with attatched lids) and tie a fun plastic cookie cutter or two to the jar with cute ribbon. I'm thinking green jello and a dinosaur cookie cutter or pink jello and a butterfly cutter. I know Michael's carries a giant box of plastic cookie cutters and then you would have everythingg you needed on hand!

My next idea is something I though up a few years ago but have never tried!
Fort Building Kit
Buy a couple yards of inexpensive lightweight fabric ( the silky kind that is easy to tie up) girl or boy color themed
10 clothespins
* adding a wind up flashlight would make any kid happy!
and wrap it and present as a fort builder kit with cute instructions!

Fairy Door
I found these on Etsy and thought they would be the cutest things to make for all the little girls in my life! The one's I found were made out of wood but I think you could make a cute chipboard/cardboard variety. I think you definately need to improvise with what materials you could find but the idea is to place these in a little girls room along the baseboard and a fairy can come and go as they please!

cuteness