I am one of the hosts for the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop this year and so excited about the giveaway on my blog as part of the event. The event runs December 1 to 5th and there’s over 300 blogs participating so far! I think its going to be so much fun for everyone involved!
The giveaway theme is cash and gift cards/gift certificates. I am currently looking for companies and shop owners who wish to sponsor my blog giveaway for this event with a Gift Certificate from their business.
How will this help your business? We are expecting this to be a high traffic event and the buzz is already building online about it. Your company will gain exposure and I am offering a few Sponsorship Packages to give you more incentive to sponsor my blog giveaway!
The Sponsorship Packages are:
Gold Package- Donate a Gift Certificate of $100 and up. You will receive:
Company or Product Feature Post the week leading up to the Giveaway (300+ words, 2 keyword links of your choice, pictures, links to your site and Social Media sites).
Sidebar Button Ad through the month of January. You must provide me with the picture for the button.
Weekly Facebook Posts about your company on the Texas Monkey Facebook Page for the whole month of December and I will suggest your page to all my Facebook friends.
Weekly Tweets the whole month of December about your company and a link to your site.
Description of your business with a link to your site and a picture on the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop post.
Silver Package- Donate a Gift Certificate of $50 to $99. You will receive:
Sidebar Button Ad for the month of December. You must provide me with the picture for the button.
Facebook Post the week of the event about your company on the Texas Monkey Facebook Page and I will suggest your page to all my Facebook friends.
3 Tweets about your company and a link to your site the week of the event.
Description of your business with a link to your site and a picture on the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop post.
Bronze Package- Donate a Gift Certificate 0f $49 or less. You will receive:
Sidebar Button Ad the week of the event Dec 1 - 5. You must provide me with the picture for the button.
Facebook Post about your company on the Texas Monkey Facebook Page and I will suggest your page to all my Facebook friends.
1Tweet to over about your company and a link to your site.
Description of your business with a link to your site and a picture on the Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop post.
So far I have some great sponsors and some great gift cards including cash lined up so I know readers are going to be flocking to this blog to enter and I don't want you as a shop owner wanting PR and advertising this holiday season to miss out on that opportunity!
Please email me at texasmonkeyboutique@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a sponsor or if you have any questions.
October was SIDS Awareness Month. And Aden + Anais, a company for babies that does so much more than just sell products is a huge supporter of SIDS Awareness. They make and sell a product that improves the lives of your baby and you as a mom. They have also partnered up with The CJ Foundation for Sids to help bring awareness to moms and support to those that have lost their precious angel.
I had the pleasure of receiving one of their Muslin Sleeping bags and can I just say that immediately you will feel a difference in the quality of the material and it will stand out from any other blanket or sleeping wrap you've ever had.
From their site:
"Single 100% cotton muslin sleeping bag. aden +anais sleeping bags are designed to be worn over a baby’s pajamas, ensuring a safe night’s sleep by eliminating loose crib blankets, which can be dangerous. Muslin’s light, open weave allows a baby’s body temperature to regulate itself naturally helping to prevent overheating. aden + anais sleeping bags offer the ultimate in breathability and softness, as the more the more you wash them, the softer they get. Each sleeping bag zips from the bottom, making diaper changes easy, and a strip of muslin over the zipper by baby’s face provides extra comfort. aden and anais award-winning sleeping bags are the perfect sleepwear to follow our popular swaddling blankets."
The sleeping bag is perfect if you have a baby that doesn't enjoy being swaddled like my monkey! If yours is a swaddler then their blankets are for you and you will never go back to anything again. With the 47x47 size and the breathable soft Muslin material it's the perfect wrap for your little one.
Aden & Anais has graciously offered one of my awesome readers the chance to win one for your own. I'm thinking this would be a great Christmas gift to give or keep.
You can choose girl, boy, or neutral color classic sleeping bag.
WhooHoo it's Friday people and you know what that means, it's all about you! What's more fun than you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, recipes, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
First I want to say Congrats to Cheryl Ray who won last week's Zing Zang Zoom giveway. My first winner D'Ann K informed me her family was not going to be able to attend so we drew again and Cheryl won!
I've got some more fun giveaways lined up so keep coming back.
This week's For You Friday is a giveaway. If you live in the DFW area I have a family 4 pack to Hawaiian Falls tickets a $100 value.
With rides like The Torpedo, Pineapple Express, and The Pipeline, adults and older kids are sure to get their fill of excitement. Have younger kids? Splashwater Harbor, Waikiki Beach, and Keiki Kove will keep you shaded and entertained.
Parking is always free at Hawaiian Falls. I love that! You can rent lockers, cabanas, huts, even bring in your own cooler with food and drinks for $5. I don't know about you but I can not wait to go to Hawaiian Falls. Hawaiian Falls Water parks is your destination for fun for your entire family! Attractions will thrill a 2-year-old to an 82-year-old! Hawaiian Falls offers a SAFE and AFFORDABLE place to enjoy your family and friends… From the lazy river to the wave pool to the thrilling new Torpedo Ride, Hawaiian Falls is perfect for birthdays, play groups, church outings, & family gatherings!
My family is going this Sunday to cool off and enjoy the day and I want one of my subscribers and readers to enjoy family time as well.
IF you don't win but still want to go to this fun park then I've got some coupon goodies for you, just click HERE to get them.
Don't live in DFW area? That's ok, it's still in your best interest to subscribe because we have many exciting giveaways, contests, sweepstakes, freebies, tips, recipes, crafts and more for moms and dads and kids.
Just a little teaser, coming up we have a giveaway for a MP4 Player with color screen, Speaker System for your MP4 or IPOD/IPHONE and a $15 ITunes Gift Card. This is a $100 value so you won't want to miss out but only subscribers are available to win.
Mandatory Entry: To Enter the Hawaiian contest all you have to do is subscribe to Macaroni Kid and leave a comment here that you are a subscriber.
Additional Entries:
Follow Texas Monkey (1 Entry)
Tweet Hawaiian Family 4 Pack giveaway for DFW Families just subscribe http://nedallas.macaronikid.com/subscribe/ #mackiddallas (2 Entries)
The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
WhooHoo it's Friday people and you know what that means, it's all about you! What's more fun than you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, recipes, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
This week's For You Friday is a giveaway. If you live in the DFW area I have a family 4 pack of Ringling Brother's Zing Zang Zoom tickets for Wednesday, July 28th show a $120 value.
Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion offering hours of exciting family entertainment for about the price of a movie ticket. Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, Levitytia, lead audience members through an extraordinary world of fantasy that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and also wards off the cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of Heavies who try to bring everyone down all at ZING ZANG ZOOM, the 139th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®
We will be at this show and excited to offer a Macaroni Kid subscriber the chance to win this family 4 pack. The winner will be notified on Monday, July 12 and announced in our newsletter.
Don't live in DFW area? That's ok, it's still in your best interest to subscribe because we have many exciting giveaways, contests, sweepstakes, freebies, tips, recipes, crafts and more for moms and dads and kids.
Just a little teaser, coming up we have a giveaway for a MP4 Player with color screen, Speaker System for your MP4 or IPOD/IPHONE and a $15 ITunes Gift Card. This is a $100 value so you won't want to miss out but only subscribers are available to win.
Mandatory Entry: To Enter the Zing Zang Zoom contest all you have to do is subscribe to Macaroni Kid and leave a comment here that you are a subscriber.
Additional Entries:
Follow Texas Monkey (1 Entry)
Tweet Zing Zang Zoom Family 4 Pack giveaway for DFW Families just subscribe http://nedallas.macaronikid.com/subscribe/ #mackiddallas (2 Entries)
The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
WhooHoo it's Friday people and you know what that means, it's all about you! What's more fun than you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, recipes, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
So for this week's For You Friday, how about a yummy and very easy recipe. We're heading to float the river and rented a house down in New Braunfels this weekend and so I needed a simple recipe that would get eaten up and this is what I did.
Oreo Truffles.
Ingredients
1 8oz package of Cream Cheese (softened)
1 package of Oreo Cookies
2 packages of Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, or your preferred melting chocolate
Finely chop your cookies using a food processer. Take out about a 1/2 cup of the cookie crumbs. Then mix in your cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
Shape your mixture into 1 inch balls. I use a mellon baller for this part. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.
Tips:
To easily coat truffles with the melted chocolate, add truffles, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks or toothpicks to roll truffles in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove truffles with forks or toothpicks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand until firm.
Additions:
Sprinkle truffles with colored sugar or sprinkles in addition to, or in place of, the cookie crumbs.
Enjoy this yummy goodness and make sure to put some back for yourself as they will be gone in no time.
Oh this makes about 48 truffles.
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop or Social Parade. The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
Today my candy necklace tutorial is being shown over at Becca's awesome site, Blue Cricket Design. I'm such a huge fan of her's and would love it if you stopped by over there to take a look at it. I was so honored that she is featuring this tutorial.
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop or Social Parade then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! Good now on to For You Friday.
Last week we did a video camera giveaway, did you win? You have to check your MacKid newsletter to see if you did, you have until tomorrow to contact me or someone else wins. So since we did a giveaway for one person last week, how about a giveaway for everyone this week? Yep you read that right, everyone is getting one of these.
Our friends at Pixable are back with another great deal for Macaroni Kid readers. Last month they gave you a 50% off coupon, you think half-off is good? How about FREE! That's right, if you've never tried Pixable, now's the time because you can make a FREE photo book (just pay $2.99 for shipping).
Pixable is a super-easy way to create photobooks (and cool mosaic posters) from photos you've already posted online on sites like Facebook, Flickr and Picasas. Pixable let's you import the pictures and create your own photobook in minutes.
Pixable is offering Macaroni Kid readers a free photobook for first time users. So how do you get it? Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here and leave me a comment on this post letting me know you did and I'll email you the code to enter to get your FREE GIVEAWAY Photo Book! How cool is that, I'm ordering one for my monkey's birthday, what are you going to do with your free book? They make great gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, showers, and so much more.
Happy Friday Ya'll.
For more information, please visit: www.pixable.com
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop or Social Parade then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! Good now on to For You Friday.
We haven't done a giveaway in a while and you deserve one so how about a Coby Snapp Digital Video Camera? Let me tell you a little about this adorable little device.
It’s a cinch to record video and take photos with the compact, portable SNAPP handheld camera. The camera boasts a 1.44" LCD screen; 1.3MP CMOS sensor with 4x digital zoom, and up to 8 GB of expandable memory. A built-in SD/SDHC card slot allows for expandable memory of more than two hours of recording time, and the integrated USB plug eliminates the need for a cable. Coby’s camcorder comes bundled with AV cable, USB extension cable, installation CD, hand strap, pouch, and two AA batteries. Total value: $39.99.
This camera is perfect to take along all the summer events and vacations you are enjoying this summer. So how do you win?
MANDATORY TO BE ENTERED
Simply be a subscriber of our newsletter at Macaroni Kid and you are automatically entered just leave a comment here letting me know you subscribe.
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop or Social Parade then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun.
The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! Good now on to For You Friday. This post comes straight from my article that I publish with Macaroni Kid. It's filled to the brim with awesome stuff so if you like this post, check out the rest of the articles and because I have no shame, I'd love to beg you to sign up for my weekly newsletter. It's for moms and dads filled with activities and ideas to do together to build family bonding. PLLLEEEASSE! Just click HERE to read more articles and click HERE to sign up. Oh did I mention it's free? :)
Today's For Your Friday is ideas for Father's Day gifts that kids can make at home with things you already have or for very inexpensive at the local dollar store.
Sometimes children just don't understand the concept of giving to their parents on certain holidays. And sometimes buying a tie or another coffee mug just doesn't hit the spot for good ole Dad. So I've got some fun and easy gifts that kids can make for Dad this year for Father's Day.
Keepsake Handprints - Simply use ordinary flour dough, which you can make at home then have your child can press their hand print into the dough. Put a name and a year on it, and then bake for several hours. Now you have a great gift for dad for Father;s Day that symbolized that particular year in his child's life.
Handmade Cards - Definitely the easiest craft for kids to make is a card. You can just use construction paper folded in half to make your card, or you can print out pictures from your computer, glue them onto the card and color. A nice Father's Day gift that kids can be proud of.
Decorate Picture Frames - Use picture frames from discount or dollar stores and have your kids use various paints and glitter glue that you already have around the house to make it unique and special. They can write messages like #1 Dad, Happy Father's Day, Best Dad in the World, and on top of a great treasured gift for dad it didn't cost you very much money!
Hand-print T-Shirts - Use a plain t-shirt, all the kids in the family pick a color of fabric paint and paint their hand with it then put their hand-print on the shirt. Mom or older siblings can write special messages on the shirt, as well as put the kid's names under the prints.
Fun Coupons - What does dad need and want? Maybe his weekly chores done, a clean car, give the dog a bath, his pick for movie night? Well, he can get all that and more with homemade Father's Day coupons! You can print them off your computer and have the young children color them.
So are your kids making something for dad this year? I'd love to hear all about it.
Happy Friday Ya'll.
Boy I'm so glad it's Friday, it's been a heck of a week and it was a short week because of the holiday but it was a LONG and STRESSFUL week. Needless to say I have plenty of material for next week's Dear So and So.
Today's For You Friday is tips for raising readers.
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop or Social Parade then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun. The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! Good now on to For You Friday. This post comes straight from my article that I publish with Macaroni Kid. It's filled to the brim with awesome stuff so if you like this post, check out the rest of the articles and because I have no shame, I'd love to beg you to sign up for my weekly newsletter. It's for moms and dads filled with activities and ideas to do together to build family bonding. PLLLEEEASSE! Just click HERE to read more articles and click HERE to sign up. Oh did I mention it's free? :)
In my newsletter you will notice I included a summer reading program article to help you and your kids earn free items and encourage the use of the brain throughout the summer months. So to add to that I thought some good tips on getting a child to read would be fitting and beneficial so that the excitement of reading throughout the summer will last for years to come.
From the time I was a child I've been told or heard that reading is so important and honestly I never second guess my mom on this. Now other stuff I did second guess but we'll leave that for a different article, called, teenagers be nice to your parents. :) Back to reading, I too tell my toddler this and I've never stopped to consider WHY is it so important. I'm not questioning it's importance, just curious as to the many benefits it has. Here are 5 reasons reading is so vital.
Books help children develop vital language skills.
Reading can open up new worlds and enrich children's lives.
Reading can enhance children's social skills.
Reading can improve hand-eye coordination.
Reading can provide children with plenty of good, clean fun!
So we all probably agree that reading is important, reading is vital, reading is even fun, but how can we motivate our children to want to do it? How can we raise readers?
I have many many parent friends and to me, you as a mom or dad are the best resource for finding out what works best. So that's just what I did, I polled parents and asked them what they did to help raise a reader.
Visit your local library often. Get your children their own library cards. Try a story hour or other free event at the library.
Check out the local bookstore. A book or gift certificate always makes a terrific gift.
At the library, let your child choose some of the books.
Let your child see you reading, whether it's the newspaper, a magazine, or the latest bestseller.
Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Or have the whole family set aside some time to read together!
Show your child how people use reading all the time. Read aloud street and store signs, maps, billboards, menus, and labels on packages.
Create a library for your child of new or used books. Try looking for affordable books at yard sales, second hand book stores, and library book sales.
Set up an area in your home where a variety of reading materials are within easy reach. Encourage writing by including paper, crayons, pens and pencils.
Subscribe to a children's magazine. Read it with your child every month.
Carry books to read to your child wherever you go - at the doctor's office, in line at the store, or on a long car ride. (You can also listen to stories on tape.)
Encourage a love of words by playing rhyming and word games, singing silly songs, or writing poems and stories together.
Talk about daily activities or tell stories about your family or culture to help children develop their language skills.
As a baby start a nightly routine of bath, reading a book, then bed.
One of the ways listed above is to set up an area in your home where reading materials are within easy reach. This is one of the first things we did in our home when our baby was no more a baby. We built bookshelves ourselves since I wasn't interested in paying around $40 a shelf. Instead I paid $20 for materials and had a wonderful building session with my husband. You can read all about it HERE.
Since then our child goes to it many times a day to pick out a book and sit and read. These tips really do work and I know together we can raise tremendous readers!
So what are your tips for raising a reader or to get your kids excited about reading? I'd love to hear them.
Today's For You Friday is tips for making traveling with our children a little more enjoyable. With it being a holiday weekend and the summer upon us I know a lot of folks will be getting into their cars and embarking on a fun road trip. So I've got a few little tips that just might help you out.
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow or Blog Frog Hop then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more make it that much more fun. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun. The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often.
I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! Good now on to For You Friday. This post comes straight from my article that I publish with Macaroni Kid. It's filled to the brim with awesome stuff so if you like this post, check out the rest of the articles and because I have no shame, I'd love to beg you to sign up for my weekly newsletter. It's for moms and dads filled with activities and ideas to do together to build family bonding. PLLLEEEASSE! Just click HERE to read more articles and click HERE to sign up. Oh did I mention it's free? :)
This past weekend my family found ourselves traveling from NE Dallas to San Antonio right in the middle of Monkey's prime time playing time. If any of you have experienced traveling with an almost 2 year old in the middle of her playing time then you can imagine the frustration on both the parents and child. Traveling with kids can take a lot of planning and a lot of patience and having a few go to tips for each trip will help in both the planning area and the patience area so that we can all have a more peaceful trip.
Never underestimate the power of new loot. Start a bag of toys you collect over the months and save them for the upcoming trip. You can collect from happy meals, attending a conference with the free goodie bag filled with erasers, key chains, and bouncy balls, dollar bins at stores, etc. Watch your child be forever dazzled by all the new toys and ample opportunities to play with new said toys.
Bring fun and easy to clean up snacks and fresh water. This will help cut down on extra non planned stops and gives them a chance to fuel their body. I like to bring fruit snacks, string cheese, and gold fish crackers as some of my go to snacks.
Plan for stops. Find places in the area that has a park or a restaurant that has a playground. We try to allow for 45 minutes at these types of stops. Yes it adds more time on the trip but what means more to you, an extra 45 minutes of laughter, giggles, and playing out of the car or screaming, crying, and whining from the back seat? Your call.
Music Cd's and movie dvds can be a life saver. I like to use this time to show educational shows or music to help our toddler with her ABC's and 123s. It keeps her entertained and allows me some time to read or rest my eyes while driving. Oh I kid, the awesome Poppa/hubby is driving.
Games. No not the hand held video games, but games that gets you and your kids to interact with one another like: I Spy, or The Number Game. Of course we aren't at that age yet so we play peek a boo and sing Itsy Bitsy Spider but those are great car activities too.
Remember attitude is everything when traveling. It can make or break a trip. Plan on the unexpected but go with the flow. Treat your trip like an adventure and let the bumps in the road along the way become little additions to your trip. Besides, I've never seen Dora let any of the obstacles that she has to travel over get to her, even that stealing fox doesn't get her down!
Have fun this holiday weekend and enjoy your family bonding time. And nothing brings the family together like a screaming toddler in a cramped car for 6 hours. Can I get an Amen?!
Hey my wonderful readers and new friends. Don't you love Fridays! I sure do. Today's For You Friday is all about making your bedroom a place to go for relaxation. But before we get into that you know I've got some goodies for you right!! I'm so excited to let you know that I'm sponsoring a great giveaway over at one of my all time favorite blogs, The Girl Creative. I've gotten so many compliments on my blog layout and design and well folks this is the awesome and talented gal that did it up right for me so please go over there and tell her hi, hop on her New Friend Friday blog hop and enter to win $40 worth of goodies from my store Texas Monkey Boutique, and if that wasn't enough fun for you I've also included a discount code for you but you'll have to go HERE to find out what it is!
Now if you're new here or stopping in from one of the awesome Friday Follow Blog Hops like New Friend Friday or Friday Follow with Trendy Tree House then let me tell you Friday's here are fun. It's all about you and what's more fun that you? Well maybe some giveaways, tips, things I think you will enjoy, advice, and more make it that much more fun. I'd love to have you as a new follower but only if you are interested in crafts, DIY projects, humor, honesty, tutorials, and fun. The only thing I request is to let me know why you've decided to follow me, that lets me know you read my posts, looked around and made a decision, not just clicked follow to add numbers, it also encourages me to come visit your blog, follow back and come back often. I am wanting to develop friendships and more interested in relationships with my readers and not just numbers. Deal?! I've met a lot of wonderful gals through this blog and I look forward to featuring each of them soon. Anyways on to For You Friday.
Master Bedrooms, our sanctuary, our cave, our escape goat from pressures and reality. Your master bedroom should be a comfortable retreat where you can rest, relax and unwind after a busy “mommy” day. If the bedroom is well organized, it can become a haven and make it easier to enjoy the comforts of your room.
But let's face it, life is about living right and well sometimes living life can result in a room like mine, a cluttered room. Bills are stacked up on the desk, the night stand becomes a catch all, laundry baskets with laundry to be put away hide in the corner, laundry baskets with dirty clothes screaming at me from all corners of the room, toys, shoes, a burnt out light bulb needing to be changed in the lamp, ribbon left out, oh you name it, my bedroom has it. A room like this can cause you to get very disoriented and stressed. And I've been trying to figure out why is it my so called haven becomes the storage for items with no home, catch alls for clutter especially if I'm having company over and the last room to get cleaned or any focus on? My theory is whether you're a working mom like myself or a SAHM like I dream to be one day, we are all managers of the home, meaning we take care of everyone else in the family leaving ourselves last, thus our sanctuary gets left out too. Being a mom, a home maker, is a wonderful job, rewarding, humbling, exciting, and noble but taking care of ourselves needs to be a priority as well. If we aren't taken care of, giving to ourselves, then how can we expect to have anything left to give to others?
But by making just a few simple adjustments in our master room we can all achieve the AWWWW moment every time we step in that room. Don't we all crave to have the one place where we can find solace with our spouse and some grownup time?
See the difference in the two pictures above, before and after. (Note, this is not my bedroom but the before is a close resemblance with the clutter. :)
Clutter
De clutter your room. We all have clutter- books, papers, jewelry, pictures, etc. If you don't love it or haven't used in the past few months then get rid of it, you won't miss it.
This is the picture I used for my guest room inspiration.
Multi-purpose Room:
If you are like me you have a small house which fits us and our need but there isn't extra rooms to house an office or craft room so the bedroom becomes a multi-purpose room. Keep your desk clutter free and clear of paper and mail as much as possible. Use file organizers and trays to keep them out of sight. Keep your crafting table or sewing table as clean and clutter free as possible, use shelves, organizers and bins to store your items and label them. You want to do your best to make sure this secondary purpose of the room doesn't overwhelm the first which is to be a haven to you and/or your spouse.
Check out the before and after desk area I found on google.
Before
After
Closets:
Use double rods, vacuum storage bags, shoe holders, hooks, and bins to help keep your closet organized. Hang clean clothes and put dirty ones in a hamper. Keeping things off the floor will do wonders for your closet.
Beds:
Always make your beds. It's amazing how making a bed in the morning will make a room look and feel so much more organized and cleaned.
15 Minute Clean Up:
Take 15 minutes and spruce up your room.
Pick up all dirty clothes and put in the hamper
Hang or put away clean clothes
Vacuum or sweep and mop
Throw away all trash that is laying around
Grab a bag or basket and put all misplaced items in here to be put away later, IE: kid toys, hair brush, dog collar, etc. Don't put them away now, just gather to be put away.
Straighten surfaces like book shelves, lamp that is crooked, etc
Make your bed
Making your bedroom a spa like atmosphere doesn't have to take big bucks or fancy decorations, it just takes a few minutes a day to keep it clean and organized. Now come home light some candles and relax your day away.
It's once again Friday, and that means today is for you. Friday's are reserved to show my readers love and tips, advice, and support. Speaking of support, this week is for you and the girls, the cha chas, the ladies, the pillows, Thelma and Lousie, the Ta Tas, the sisters, whatever you call yours, those are the girls I'm referring to, the ones that need TLC and support via a good bra. So let's discuss bras today shall we? I promise you it will be worth your few minutes to read through this as it's not only stocked full of tips but it's got a little something extra for you and a little added humor bonus.
Let's get started shall we?
Bras are a staple to most women's wardrobe. They can make us feel sexy, confident, even powerful, ok mostly the girls make us feel that way but a good bra helps. We use bras as purses when going out I've tucked money, DL, cell phone, and gum in my bra. We match bras to our panties and clothes. Heck I've seen some even bling out their bra. Most of us love a good pretty bra.
BUT, Have you ever found youself stating one or all of the following at some point? “the bra I have doesn’t give much support”, “the straps are digging into my shoulders”, “the band in the back is riding up” or “the underwire is cutting into my sides”?
There are so many little problems that the wrong bra can cause that it ends up being a big hassle when you’re trying to go about your day. And it doesn't matter if you’re a 32B or a 40DD, a 22 year old or a 57 year old, your bra problems are unlikely to go away unless something changes. And the only person who can make those changes is you. I know change can be scary and unwanted but I assure you contrary to popular belief at least in this category if you're having problems change will be AMAZING!
So let's look at a few common bra problems.
Problem: The Girls are bulging out of bra
If your girls sometimes bulge out of the top of the bra cup, then the bra cup size could be too small. If your girls bulge out of the sides of the bra then you more than likely you need a fuller cup or a larger around size.
This leaves you a less than attractive lumpy appearance under clothes and if you’re bulging out, it’s often very obvious to other people that you’re wearing a bra that doesn’t fit properly. This is one of the most common bra fitting problems. Solutions:
Try going up a cup size so that the girls are totally encased in the cups (e.g. if you’re wearing a C cup, try a D). Or perhaps you need a bra for fuller shapes in the size you are currently wearing. If bulging from the sides then try going from a 34 to a 36 or a fuller cup bra that provides better coverage.
Problem: Bra cup Wrinkled and squashed Solutions:
You may want to try one cup size smaller as if it's wrinkled and squished it probably means your cup is too large. However, if the wrinkling is only at the tip of the cup, this could mean that the cup size is too small because your breasts cannot fit into the cups properly – in this instance, try one cup size bigger.
You may also want to try a cup with fiberfill or a stretch cup to avoid this problem.
Problem: Bra Underwire sticks out or digs in
Bra Underwire can sometimes stick out, or more uncomfortably dig in under your arms. This is often a sign that the bra cup size is too small and your breasts are forcing the bra away from your body. Solutions:
Try one cup size larger so that the wires lie flat against your body and fully encase your breasts. You might also want to try a non-underwire soft cup style.
Problem: Bra straps dig into shoulders
When the bra straps dig into your shoulders it can cause tension, piercing pain, strain and make for a very long and uncomfortable day and it could be a sign that the back size of your bra is probably too big. Also make sure that you have the right cup size. A cup that is too small won’t support full figures and can create a lot of pull on the shoulder straps. Solutions:
The main support provided by a bra should come from the strap around your back and not from the shoulder straps. If your shoulder straps are digging in, you are probably wearing a back size that is too big for you, so try going down a back size. Alternatively, you might simply need to loosen the shoulder straps. Wider or padded straps also might help stop the shoulder straps from digging in.
Problem: Sagging Girls
It’s possible that your bra band and cup size are too big. When the band is too big, it can ride up your back, resulting in your girls being pitched downward. If your cup size is too big, your girls have more room to sag. If you’ve been wearing the bra for some time, it might simply be that you need a new bra.
Solutions:
If you have naturally sloping shoulders, this could contribute to slipping straps consequently allow more sag. If your shoulders are rounded and sloping, try a t-back or leotard-back bra, which bring the straps closer together in the back and help prevent strap slippage.
If you’re not already doing it, try a bra style with departing cups and / or an underwire. Try shortening the straps. This pulls the top of the cup upward, repositioning the breasts and minimizing any sag. You should also try to avoid stretchy fabrics.
Most all Problems stem from NOT wearing your size. And most all solutions consist of getting fitted and wearing the correct size.
What's that you say? Oh you were fitted for a bra two years ago. Um does it still fit? If the answer is no then you're not alone.
While it’s great that you were measured for a bra two years ago, because of the changes a woman’s body can undergo over time, it’s recommended that you get your bra measured about twice every year. Did you have a baby in that 2 years, lose weight, gain weight, have stress, age, etc? More than likely you and your body went through changes, small or big and that can alter the girls even in the slightest and the slightest can change how your bra supports those ladies.
If you’re still wearing that same bra you bought two years ago, it’s likely to have stretched considerably and sadly …worn out.
So go get fitted again and show those problem causing bras to the door and show your girls some love with a new bra. Oh and since you're getting a new bra how about some tips on taking care of it.
Home Weekly have but together some simple tips to keep your bras looking fresh and new
1.Wash your bra often so perspiration and body oils don’t linger. A bra will be worn next to your skin, so it’s essential that it’s free of dirt, sweat and grime.
2.Fasten the hooks on the bra before washing. This will prevent them catching on trim or on other clothes and place in a lingerie bag.
3.Hand-wash a bra to prolong its life. Use cool water and a gentle soap made for delicate fabrics
4.Place the bra in a lingerie bag if you machine-wash it.
5.Wash your bra in cool water on the delicate cycle, using a mild detergent.
6.Air dry your bra after washing.
Oh and since I said this would be worth your few mintues of reading and more than likely you are like me and in dire need of a fitting and a new bra then how about a $20 gift card to Victoria's Secret?!
Ok you talked me into it, it is FOR YOU FRIDAY after all.
So how do you enter to win?
Simply become a follower if not already and in the comments section tell me what's your favorite bra, a funny bra story, an embarrassing girls story, a tip, a suggestion, what you carry in your bra, nything related to the girls or bras, just can't be a "I'm now following comment" I want to know you read this and what your thoughts are in order to be entered. That's easy enough right?
And since I promised some humor, spend another few minutes and watch Anita Renfroe give tribute to underwire.
This week's For You Friday are tips and ideas for you moms or soon to be brides who are having wee members of the wedding party. Love is in the air this Spring so this may help you to avoid mid-nuptial bloopers or meltdowns with I Do's for the kids.
Monkey made her debut as flower girl in my cousin's wedding last September. She was 13 months old and had yet to meet a stranger so I was pretty confident she would do ok in front of a lot of people but I still realized that she's 13 months old and unpredictible so it was mine and my cousin (the bride) to take steps to help Monkey be successful.
Here's Monkey and the Beautiful Bride
1st: - Do Have a Dress Rehearsal:
Not the actual wedding rehearsal but a dress rehearsal for your child. About a month before the wedding we started having Monkey wear her dress which was a tutu dress that I made, usually you probably will only need to do this a week or two before the wedding but because kids act differently to tulle I knew to start earlier than that. You want the child to feel comfortable on the big day so having her wear the outfit for a little bit of time ahead of time will help ensure this. You just may want to be sure to keep markers and grape juice far far far away from any white dresses or any color for that matter.
Monkey in her dress playing a few weeks prior to the wedding
2nd - Use Book, Pictures, and Stories
Reading books, showing pictures, or sharing stories to psych your child up for any event will help build the excitement and know how. Some books your child may enjoy are "Angelina and the Royal Wedding," "The Flower Girl/The Ring Bear," or "Alligator Wedding."
3rd - Ask For Help
You may be concerned about a toddler freezing up in the middle of the aisle when walking down. But there are many ways around this scenario.
A bridesmaid could walk with her or even carry her down the aisle.
Have the mom or dad or grandparent of the toddler/child seated near the front so she/he can see them and walk towards them.
Decorate a little wagon to have the ring bearer or a bridesmaid pull her down the aisle in. You can even have a sign on the back of the wagon that says Here Comes the Bride.
For Monkey we had all 3 of these planned. On the night of the rehearsal we would get a feel what we thought she would do best with. If she wasn't into walking with the ring bearer then since I was the matron of honor she would walk down with me. But we found that she would walk with the ring bearer and he was so good with her and patient. We had my mom, Grams at the front encouraging her along so she walked straight down towards her. For a back up on the day of we had a wagon ready in case she wasn't willing to walk.
This is the wagon we decoorated just in case.
I can't seem to find a picture of it decoarated but we covered it in white satin material and added flowers and ribbon, pretty simple.
4th - Keep It Simple
A young ring bearer may want to toss the pillow around like it's a toy, so have him carry fake bands in case of a football toss. A young flower girl may not be ready to stand still through the ceremony so have a family member near the front to have her sit with them.
During the rehearsal we found that she did not want to be on the stage.
Again we had Grams sitting at the front so once she walked down the aisle, the ring bearer just sort of dropped her off with Grams and he contined onto his spot.
5th - Remember that it's Ok if all doesn't go according to Plan:
Even if you practice and plan and think things through, a child is a child and something still may go wrong, like a missed nap or being hungry BUT it makes for funny stories to share with them when they get older and it does not take away from the most important part and that's the bride and groom becoming one!
Monkey started showing signs of being tired.
We thought we had it all planned out, we had practiced, Monkey walked down with ease, (although she's a little OCD with cleaning and messes so we taught her how to drop the flower petals from her basket which she did beautifully but then she'd stop to pick them all back up too so we opted for no flower petals). We were feeling confident and she seemed to be ready but one thing we did not rehearse or think of was the dim lighting in the church for the ceremony. During rehearsal it was bright with every light on so Monkey could see with no problem, but the ceremony was different and she could not see Grams and got a little spooked walking down. The ring bearer was great and she went with him and finally saw Grams and all was well. So keep in mind mishaps happen but even though she whimpered a bit she was still adorable and the bride was still beautiful.
Starting the walk down and looking for Grams
Oh There's Grams
Look how sweet and cute the ring bearer is to take care of her.
Happy now that she's with Grams
Hope you enjoyed the tips and would love to hear your tips or suggestions or even funny flower girl/ring bearer mishaps stories.
