Birthday Party Fun

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN(5) AND KAYLIN(4)!!!

2 Birthday Girls Cakes! Kaylin Loves Pink and Megan just loves LIONS!!!!

Happy Birthday Kaylin!!!!

This is what Chaos looks like when girls start to open presents all at once!

My Baby Turned 4!!!

WHERE has the time gone??? My baby.... MY BABY GIRL.... MY VERY LAST BABY.... turned 4!

Kaylin has always ONLY done things when she KNEW she could do them!

*Sitting up... When she began to sit up, she just sat up, NEVER falling over!

*Crawling... the day she turned 6 months old, she got up on all 4's and crawled.... never trying, just doing!

*Walking... The day she walked, she got up and walked... no 1 step or 3 steps, Just walking!

(1 YRS OLD!)

*Going up and down the stairs... When we built our home, we made a gate to match our railing... but we really never had to use it, because she wouldn't even go near the stairs until the day she turned around and crawled down them!

*Talking... Kaylin never really said much, until she could just SAY IT! She of course said MAMA and DADA and other little words, but one day, she just spoke in 2-3 word sentences!

*Chewing gum... Kaylin had to have been the youngest child I have ever met who could chew gum... She started at just over 1 yrs old.... and just started chewing it... NEVER swallowing it! I am sure this is because we are all gum chewers... BUT STILL... 13 months and chewing gum...!

(2 Years Old)

*Potty Training... I tried and tried from 2 1/2 on to potty train the girl, but she just really wanted nothing to do with it! Then the day before she turned 3, I told her "Big Girls who are 3 don't wear diapers, they wear underpants!" and when she woke up on her birthday, she put on panties and never looked back! No accidents, No night time wetting, NOTHING!

She has ALWAYS been this way.... Not really doing until she knows how to FULLY do it! I am NOT sure if this is bad thing or a good thing... HMMMMM......

(3 Years Old)

For being the baby in the family, she is VERY independent! She wants NO help with anything! She will TELL YOU HOW IT IS, and repeat pretty much anything you DO NOT want her to!

She is also very loving still, she wants to cuddle at story time, and dance with you in the kitchen!

Hanging out with Mom is of course, STILL COOL!

She has started liking FRIENDS and wanting to PLAY with them...instead of IGNORE them!

AND, right now she is my spoiled baby, because she gets to spend all day with mom while all the others are in school!

She loves to play barbies, Polly pockets, littlest pet shops, Little ponies, Kitchen set, and Baby dolls!

She is AWESOME at Memory, Go Fish, Counting, but most of all Singing! (She loves Taylor Swift!)

SOOO, Happy 4th birthday baby girl! Your mommy and daddy love you very very much!

EASTER BASKET STUFFERS

So, I just added some a new (new to my shop that is) item!

Chalk Board Mats!!!!
They are super duper fun! Just need a piece of chalk and an imagination!

You can use these babies for anything really! Practicing spelling, math, pictionary...etc.....


What a great functional item to stuff into their easter baskets!



While you're there, a Kids Tote would also make a great stuffer, or Doll Diapers !!!!

My STUDIO...

OK, I don't call it my STUDIO...LOL, I call it MY ROOM! As in "GET OUT OF MY ROOM, I AM BUSY!" or " I AM GOING TO MY ROOM!" or "HEY, WANNA SEE MY ROOM?"
This is the room I LOVE in my house.... it is ALL MINE... ALL MINE!

It is not finished yet... I don't know if/when it will ever be finished... but all it really needs is a door and molding and base board... and a closet door! For now there is a sheet hanging in the door way, and that works just fine (although, it does NOT stop others from just walking in...

HELLO, ever heard of knocking on the sheet????

This is the place that all my creativity flows and the place that I make all the wonderful items I put in my Etsy Shop!

Fun things like Doll Diapers

Or Little Bags for kids that are great for trips to the library!

And Kids Aprons so they can help you in the kitchen!

Of course there are other great things like I SPY QUILTS, and CHALK BOARD MATS, and MONEY APRONS, that are also great for wearing around the house while you are cleaning, to put your little items in!

There you have it..... MY STUDIO!

P.S: No it isn't always that clean.... but I couldn't show it to you messy, could I? AND YES, the cabinets and drawers are all full of FUN FABRIC!!

What has the world come to???

THRIFT STORES ROCK!

So, yesterday I headed to the THRIFT STORE because it was 50% off day for presidents day! It is always crazy there, but I did learn that you should go right around lunch time... The huge 10am rush seems to be clearing out and others are busy going to get lunch... It is still BUSY, but lots better than getting there right when the doors open!

SO here is what I got... ALL FOR ONLY $47.63!!!!!

Trevor-

5 size 12 pairs of jeans

1 size 10 pair of jeans

1 size 10 pair of basketball shorts

1 size 4 1/2 pair of Nike skater shoes

1 size 12 Pair of Tan Cargo Pants

Lucas-

2 size 8 pair of basketball shorts

Shayla-
3 super cute tank tops

Kaylin-

1 purple gymnastics outfit!

MYSELF-
2 Tank tops for running

2 tank tops for summer (if you know me, I LIVE in tank top for 1/2 the year!)

3 Tee Shirts, 1 NICE cute shirt, and 1 shirt for my Sister In Law (the black and turq. one!)

Hubby-
Not Pictured, but a Plain Grey Sweatshirt

Family-
Magic Tree house book, 1 Deltora book, Scatergories for kids, and a dora memory game!
(NOT pictured is a Flower shaped Ice Pack for the cold lunches!)

I did set a goal for this year.....
My goal is....

To buy all our clothing needs at the thrift store,
except for Underwear, Socks, and Tennis Shoes!

***I know some people could never bring themselves to shop at a thrift store, and that is OK, but my belief is "WHY BUY NEW?" when these shops have so many nice things just waiting for a new home! I have never had anyone come up to me and say "Great Shirt, Did you get that at the thrift store?" In fact when I usually follow it up with "THANKS, I got this at the thrift store!" They are usually shocked that something cute and in great shape could be second hand!

My challenge to you is.... Try out a thrift store if you never have! You do NOT know what you are missing out on...

DAVE RAMSEY!

So I have a new love... a daily LOVE! I love to listen to DAVE RAMSEY! I get him on my SMART PHONE with stitcher!
I have read his Total-Money-Makeover book and even gave a copy to my mother for mothers day (don't worry I wrote NICE things in it so she wouldn't think I was being mean!
Ok, what is my point???
My point is... We have one large debt... it came about from having our last child (she cost almost $5000 to have OUCH, but soooo worth it!) and from having to finish things around our house after we built it... things that we would be FINED if we DIDN'T do them... like retaining walls and such!!
Anyways, I have goals, it is part of the 101 goals in 1001days... I started mine on Feb 1st of 2009... and one of those goals is to pay off that debt by the end! Which is OCT 29th 2011, RIGHT after my baby goes to school ALL DAY!
SO I have decided I want to get that goal done quicker, so I am going gung ho with selling things on EBAY... and craigslist in my area! So far in 3 weeks I have made over $300 selling OLD partylite stuff from my days of selling!
$300 added twards are monthy payment feels AWESOME!!!!!!

Anyways, I encourage all of you to start to read/listen to dave ramsey, EVEN if you just try it out... you might learn to like it! He has great finacial advice and just SAYS IT LIKE IT IS!!!!
So try it out, you can listen HERE on his website, you can listen to archives also! You can also download them to your ipod, or get stitcher for your smart phone!

THEN come back and let me know what you think!