Archive for August, 2012

Cold weather and stocking stuffers are right around the corner stock up on Lids over at BabySteals…

   And in case you forgot how cute the Lids actually are…

Living in Orange County means we have national tourist spots in our backyard. One of our flavor-favorite spots is Pretend City! (I’ve posted about Pretend City before.) So so so fun for little ones. And they were nice enough to donate favors to my pinterest party. THANK YOU thank you THANK YOU!!

Eli got to go on a field trip to Pretend City in June. He hated it:

Pretend City was created for kids like Eli. Imagination at it’s funnest! (Hey, that would be a great tag line. You have my permission to copy me Pretend City.)

If you are looking for something to do this Friday check out “When I grow up” day. Your kiddos will get to meet: Angels Baseball Player (he’s now retired), Doctor, Personal Trainer, Shoe Designer, Dentist, Firefighter, Policeman, Lifeguard, Chef, Hairdresser and more!

Or Parent’s Night Out, Children’s Night In – Treasure Hunt! on Friday, August 31 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. For all kiddos 4-8 years old. It’s $35 per child, $30 per child for two or more children from the same family, $25 per child for members. And the kids will learn how to make maps of Pretend City and watch Muppet’s Treasure Island. You have to register for the Parent’s Night Out by 8/29/12 so check out this link for details.

I got to write a check today.

A check to help bring a lil’ boy home.

Not just any lil’ boy. This one…

People get ready.

Henry is coming home.

To his forever home.

I love this.

This is why I started Eli’s Lids.

Really.

Henry’s family is close to their $$ goal. (SO CLOSE!!!)

You’ve helped a lot by buying Fedorables. (THANK YOU!!!)

Wanna help some more?

You might win an iPad.

Henry’s family is holding a contest for the month of August and the winner will win an iPad. There are also 2nd, 3rd, 4th place prizes (maybe some Lids in that mix soon).

Tickets are only $10 each or $40 for 5 tickets! (ONLY! Only $10 and you can be part of something big. Bigger than we may ever know.) AND if you share on FB you get a free ticket. EASY. And you should just share on FB anyway because, really folks. REALLY!?!?! (old SNL reference) Read this post for all the details, but you basically just decide on an amount to donate then click on the “donate” link in their blog sidebar.

Our kids separate a portion of their money to give away. They get to decide when, to whom, and how much (approved by us, of course). Tonight at dinner we talked about Henry (again) and gave them the option to donate. They decided to use all their money to get 2 tickets. Here they are talking about it… (Cora Jane mimics Eli the first half then you get to see them bicker… a peek into my daily life.)

Are you wondering how much we were able to donate to Bring Henry Home?

I’ll tell you…

Yep, $350!! That’s 25% of our Fedorable profit!

Holla!!

And in case you forgot the adorable-ness of our Fedorables…

And they are on sale now. See!

I hosted a Pinterest party a few weeks ago. It was soooooo much fun. The stress of having uber creative people in my undecorated house was a bit unnerving, but I think everyone had as much fun as I did! There was a lot of talent going on and I’m gonna show off for them a bit…by sharing their hostess gifts!

Bev from Flamingo Toes bought this dish towel from Anthropologie… oh wait… no she didn’t. SHE MADE IT. Embroidered free hand with her machine. A detailed bicycle. With lil’ flowers in the basket. I die. It’s truly a work of art and I’m going to put it on a shelf (I have yet to make) by my kitchen window. Those funky pom poms in the pic are an awesome homemade pom pom bunting from my friend Amanda. The only thing on my kitchen walls to date. Those gerber daisies? Grown from a seed by Aimee from Fancy Little Things. (J/K Not homemade but I love them.)

Richelle and Stephanie brought these mason jars (mason jar + spray paint + ripped fabric and bakers twine = awesome) with fresh flowers and 4 beautiful coasters (which I’ll use as kitchen décor on my future shelves as well!) with original artwork, designed by Richelle. Don’t you think she should have a shop? I want to enlarge some of her other designs for the kitchen.

Elizabeth from Sew Chatty made this pleated clutch. Which is just the right size for a kindle… which means I need a kindle to go with my clutch. Right?

Elizabeth also wrapped it really cute. Sooooo cute, I may have carefully taken out the clutch and saved the wrapping in hopes it will fit a future gift I give someone. Unless you think that’s weird, then I totally didn’t do that. Lame. (Or awesome? You be the judge.) Photobomb from our first pinterest party.

And Drew from Drew B Photography gave me this lil’ lovely. How the hay do they get such strong smells in such a lil candle? So so so yummy. And the perfect scent for summer.

Thank you friends!!

Now I understand it’s kinda mean for me to brag about all the presents I was spoiled with at the party. So I made this printable for you. (Inspired by a birthday gift Kyla brought me.) Print, then attach it to the front of a gift bag (extra points if you use a brown paper package tied up with string) filled with a few of your favorite things. Kyla gave me, cinnamon bears, new sharpies, milk duds, journal, gum, lip gloss, glow sticks, nail polish… Loved it. What a special gift!

You wouldn’t think for a minute I let all the guests leave the party empty handed. Thanks to some great companies, here’s what I put together…

RoseArt supplied us with TONS of back to school goodies. (Giveaway coming soon!)

FarFaira with 100s of kids books, via our iPad. (Giveaway coming soon!)

Juice it Up and Burke Williams with coupons for us moms.

Pretend City, Discovery Science Center and the OC Zoo with tickets for some end of Summer FUN!

And I can’t forget the main crafty awesomeness from The Decal Lab and The Board Dudes.

I made reusable chalkboard tags and bought bins from the Dollar Tree so guests could easily take home all their crafts. (Click here for the chalkboard tag tutorial over at OC Family. Along with a giveaway to win some of your own.)

Fun right?

More posts about the actual party coming soon along with tutorials for the crafts!

I thought I would share my Top 10 Tips for those of you going to the OC Fair (or any local fair) because I’m super mom.

Now presenting…

Top 10 Tips for the OC Fair from a Super Mom… (me)

OC Fair Tip #1: Forget your sunglasses.
There is nothing better than squinting your way through the crowds while your two-year-old bolts to the nearest shiny attraction.

OC Fair Tip #2: Don’t bring sunscreen.
You’ll thank me later when your husband’s head looks like a tomato and you have a kick a&$ farmer’s tan. All that skin “cancer is caused by sunburn” research is bogus anyway.

OC Fair Tip #3: Be sure to go to the OC Fair at the hottest part of the day. 
When your knees are sweating, you know you got it right. (This will really heighten the impact of tips #1 & #2)

OC Fair Tip #4: The OC Fair is great for little kids.
Especially if they are under 36”. They won’t mind at all if they can’t go on any rides. NOT ONE RIDE!

OC Fair Tip #5: Play the fishing game in Kid Land. 
Even if you lose, your kiddo will get a light saber. And we all know a three foot light saber is the perfect toy for a crowded place, especially in the hands of a two year old. And it’s only 10 freakin’ tickets. (He has mad skillz, right?)

OC Fair Tip #6: Bring water and snacks.
Unless spending $50 on water and animal legs is your thang.

OC Fair Tip #7: Try to have a minimum of two bathroom trips per child.
The first trip is just a teaser for the second trip, which includes #2 (if ya know what I mean), a potty that doesn’t flush and roughly 4 squares of toilet paper.

OC Fair Tip #8: Stand next to the balloon pop game.
The balloons popping pierce your ears like a gun shot and your 4-year-old might even find a chew toy… from the ground.

OC Fair Tip #9: Do the petting zoo near the green gate.
Seriously. It’s free. They have refreshing water misters to keep the animals cool and your lil’ animals will get to learn first hand how goats poop. (This really is fun and is always a huge highlight for us and they have the cutest baby pigs right now)

OC Fair Tip #10: You can’t take tickets home, so give them away.
No matter how you plan it, you will always have a few tickets left on your card. Not quite enough for a ride or a game. Head on over to a ticket line and let your kids pick another kid to bless. We had a great conversation with our kiddos about giving and prayed for the kiddo who would receive our tickets. They picked a kid wearing a giant cowboy hat and it was SO MUCH fun to watch the excitement Eli and Cora Jane had about blessing another friend.

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This post is a bit silly, but we actually had an awesome time. REALLY! We love love love the OC Fair. Check out this OC Fair post from 2009 about the awesomeness. (I’m going to try to post some pix from last year soon!)

AND…

I got an email today about a FREE movie at the OC Zoo. We already have plans that night, but I wish we were going! Here are the details…

Event: Zookeeper at the OC Zoo
Location: OC Zoo, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange, CA 92869
Date Friday, August 10
Time: 5 to 10 p.m. (movie starts at dusk, 7:45ish)
Cost: Free
Parking: $3

Clip from the movie…