and the winner is....

out of 13 entries...

 

we put all the names in the box....

 

and peanut chose a winner!! watch the video below to see if it's you!!

 

congratulations!!! shoot me your address and i'll get it out to you :) and don't worry if you didn't win, this was a blast so i plan on doing it again. who knows? maybe an i-spy bag? apron? only time will tell! thanks to everyone who entered!

simple pleasures

in honor of this blog today i am going to share a few of my simple pleasures. you know those tiny little things that in the grand scheme of things aren't that important but yet they just make you smile? the ones that make you so happy, if even momentarily? those kinds of simple pleasures. so just like heather and katie, here are my simple pleasures:

 the smell of brownies baking in the oven

getting a really good picture of all 3 kids, even if it takes 300 shots to get the one

running into an old friend/co-worker/teacher at the grocery store and catching up

checking on the kids at night to find all 3 little ones curled up with their bottoms in the air

crushed ice from pizza hut, sonic or QT

when a TV show that you love gets recorded on your DVR and you didn't even know it was on again 

(psych on USA)

going to starbucks and getting a free upgrade or free drink

wearing a snuggly sleepy baby

 

sunday mornings

staying in our pj's all day

 sidewalk chalk.

when you reach into the pocket of a coat you haven't worn  in awhile and find money

when you imagine something it in your head and it comes out exactly the same

 

getting an unexpected hug

finding a shirt that you love, then looking at the tag and discovering its on sale!

going on walks in the fall, kicking the leaves and smelling fireplaces

getting a great compliment

who knows picky toddlers?

well, i’d like to think that i do. after all i have three toddlers!
sometimes i get comments from followers asking how i get my kids to eat certain things. or on facebook i get wall posts asking me to share a recipe, asking for snack ideas for young kiddos or a question about making sugar cookies or babyfood. i get it, i post about the kids eating, making and throwing foods all the time. here, facebook, in other peoples comments or in the online forum i post in, i try to share any ideas that i have. and i love sharing those ideas/foods/recipes that actually work! while i am definitely not a baker or a cook, i do enough to impress toddlers!
lately i’ve been really trying to get all of us to eat healthier, and this includes the kids. as a way to share my ideas and recipes as well as get new ideas and feedback, i’ve decided to start a new “feature” on my blog. because several people have asked me to share my recipes and methods…
may i please present to you: starting next tuesday (and every tuesday there after) i will share a toddler approved snack, recipe, suggestion or bribery technique that pleases even the pickiest little ones. everything from fun recipes to make with your kid(s) to easy ways to sneak veggies into the meals that they will eat.
i’m not a baker, or a chef and i don’t claim or pretend to be. i’m just a mom whose been there, done that and remembers what works!

crayon rolls and a giveaway!?

**giveaway has ended**

here are the crayon rolls, all wrapped up and ready to go...

one of these is an extra, and the Cars ones are for bubba and pooks.

this is for bubba-

 

and for pooks-

and you might be wondering what the extra one is for? no, it's not peanuts. his is in the works {i'm making his slightly different to fit the larger beginner crayons}

well it's for one of you, my loyal and awesome blog readers! it turned out great and is fully functional. it's a very cute brown and turquoise polka dot pattern and holds 16 regular sized crayons{not included}. i think that it could be for a girl or a boy and i'm sure your kiddo would love it!

 

if you would like to win this crayon roll, simply leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to win! i will give you until the evening of Friday, February 5th to enter, then i'll use random.org to choose a winner. if you want to comment but don't want to be entered, just say so. (happy mom??) good luck! :)

randomness

i have quite a few pictures to share, but they are so very random. from haircuts, to crayon rolls and even murder?! aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 ***

saturday night auntie M stayed with us and her and i attended a murder mystery party. we knew ahead of time that she was to be Starr Bright, a hollywood star who was on the verge of losing her contract due to an alcohol problem and i was to be Agent Hollywood, Starr's agent. it was so much fun! we really got into character and had a blast. as an agent i was decked with cell phones, a bluetooth, a hands free set, pens everywhere and several watches. Starr Bright, well she was a hot mess. here is auntie M with her ensemble, minus a hot pink feather boa that shed far too much to be brought into the house. notice all the bling? yeah by the end of the night she had green marks from all of her jewelry. ha!

"oh jeez Starr, you're a mess!"

hopefully she got better pics than I did...b went all crazy paparazzi on us but they weren't very flattering! 

 ***

so that was saturday. before that, on thursday, the boys all got haircuts. again! their hair grows SO fast. while i couldn't get a single pic of them looking at me, i did snap a few while they were playing. lately they act like getting their picture taken is more painful than having to get vaccinated, so good pics are few and far between.

and this one i thought was particularly funny; simply because you can see the detesting glare from pooks and peanut but there is bubba, cheesing it up!

and without the binky he looks so grown up! (you know, minus the bib catching his drool)

 

***

and lastly with Valentine's day just around the corner, i was trying to figure out what to get the kids. scratch that. what to make the kids. lately i've been on this homemade kick. using my sewing machine to create i spy bags and capes, i needed an idea of what to make next. i've been hitting up the fabric store like it's going out of business and everything was on sale. (ha, i wish!) i've picked up a 1/2 yard here and a full yard there of fabric that i just *had* to have or knew that the boys would love. 

after stumbling across this blog, Make It and Love It, i figured it out. a crayon roll! i know that they will love it, i know they will use it and more importantly, i knew i could actually make it! i have a sewing machine (and a great one at that) but i am self taught and use my seam-ripper, a lot! so after just a few hours (seriously, like maybe 3 hours total) i whipped up three crayon rolls. what is a crayon roll you ask? (well, you'll have to wait for my camera battery to charge, then i'll snap up some pics and you will see) it's to hold crayons in. then the whole thing rolls up, ties with a ribbon and you can throw it into your backpack or diaper bag for when you're out and about. you know at restaurants when they give your kid 2 crayons that only God knows where they have been? yeah well no more for the these brothers.