Thursday, September 27, 2012

time to decorate...

I anticipate each and every holiday and get all giddy to decorate!  After living in a townhouse for almost 10 years and never having a front porch to decorate I just couldn't wait any longer to decorate our front porch for Halloween/Fall!  I've been collecting decor for years and now I finally get to use everything!  I think B thinks I'm a little crazy ;)

This is just a start, I have even more work to do out there. I mean we don't even have any real pumpkins yet!



 scarecrows - daisy may and farmer joe


This post is also to showcase the work of the Etsy Shop CountryKissez!
Erin sent me that huge burlap pumpkin bag! I love it!  It's huge, durable and definitely reusable!  

Erin is very talented and makes all kinds of unique gifts, jewelry,  decor for wedding, home decor and organic bath and body products.  

This is just a taste of some of the work she does.... 
soaps and body wash...

a tiny sample of her home and wedding decor...


Erin has offered a discount for all of you!  Just go "heart" her store on Etsy and use the code ANNIESPECIAL to receive 15% off!  Erin's prices are already low so an extra 15% off makes her prices amazing!!  
Erin included one of her sprays in my package and it now smells like fall in our house! The spray scent is apple orchard and that's exactly what our house smells like. I can't wait to take Cullen apple picking!
Erin always includes samples with any order she ships out which is an added bonus for any purchase you make! 
Have fun shopping everyone!! 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

ABC house lately...

I've come to the realization that I never use my nice camera to take pictures of Cullen anymore, makes me kind of sad.  Although I am happy I have a ton of pictures of him on my phone that I can always share with my family. I want to be better about taking "good" pictures of him though instead of just the blurry ones with my iphone.

Here are some recent pictures of our growing boy and our family, of course everything is random since these are all pictures from my phone.

Daddy skipped work last Friday (a.k.a. worked from home) so we had a park date and pizza!
I'm not sure who had more fun at the park, C or B ;)

Who needs toys when we have paper towels!  This is what we did while watching the CMA Music Festival, we danced a lot as well.
Culley fell asleep the other day sucking his thumb, he hasn't found it again since...
C and I went to lunch with my Mom and Sis a day last week, it was beautiful outside! Cullen indulged in sweet potato fries while running around.
C sporting his fall fashion, decked out in gymboree and wearing some speery's. Waving and chasing after school busses!
 Juice boxes are so last week now that Cullen has red solo cups....with lids and straws.  A sweet lady that my sister works with bought these for C! :)
Cullen's great grandma (my Dad's mom) came to visit over the weekend! 
My parents have a slot machine in their garage  and C knows how to put the coins in it and push the buttons so my Grandma and C spent a lot of time together playing slots ;)
They kept winning and when you win the machine plays music so C was in heaven since dancing is his favorite thing to do these days!

Cully giving his Gma hugs...
My Dad took C and Dom for a wagon ride, this was the best picture I could get. In the others Dom kept covering C's face. Little stinker.

On Sunday Culley and I went to Billy's (and my) niece's birthday party, I was so bummed B couldn't come since he was sick but C and I ended up having a lot of fun. Cullen loves his cousins!
DIY candy corn spray painting by yours truly....
Can't wait to show ya'll the rest of my Halloween decor ;) 

lastly....
sweet sleepy C

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!
I need to post some winners for 2 of my posts, that will be done tomorrow so please check back!!

p.s. If anyone has a small business, Etsy shop or blog they want to advertise on my blog let me know!!  I'm also open to swapping!

Saturday, September 22, 2012

WREATHS!!!

After a lot of requests I have decided I am going to be opening up an Etsy shop!  It won't be for a month or so though.  I have 5 orders I am working on right now and I have my first craft show coming up in less than a month!

If anyone is interested in the wreaths I already have made, please let me know!!
I have priced my wreaths based on other Etsy shops.
Since I am just starting I have priced my wreaths a bit less.
Email if you would like any of the wreaths posted below!

LARGE DECO MESH WREATH
20"
$55
*I can customize this one more as well, adding more of the brown leaf ribbon or removing it all together, buy can decide!

LARGE RAG RIBBON TIE WREATH
20"
$45

MEDIUM RIBBON WREATH
(one layer)
14"
$35

LARGE FEATHER BOA WREATH
(spiders have been added as well)
$50

 LARGE RIBBON WREATH
16"
$45

MEDIUM YARN WREATH
14"
$28

LARGE DECO MESH WREATH
23-24"
$55

XL DECO MESH WREATH
26-28"
$65

XL DECO MESH WREATH
26-28"
$65

LARGE HALLOWEEN WREATH
20"
$55

I am thinking shipping will cost anywhere from $10-$12.  
I will calculate shipping based on your zip code.
Email me if interested any of the wreaths above or if you want a customized wreath, I can make anything!
 chaptersofourlife@yahoo.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Happy Snax...

GIVEAWAY CLOSED
NEW!! 
Earth’s Best Happy Snax!

With summer drawing to a close, it’s essential to find ways to keep toddlers smiling as seasons change and the cool temperatures close in on us. Luckily, Earth’s Best recently introduced a brand new tasty and visually appealing on-the-go toddler snack- Earth’s Best Happy Snax!

New Earth’s Best Organic® Happy Snax Whole Grain Cereal Snacks are fun smiley-face shaped snack products available in delicious apple cinnamon and graham varieties for toddlers. Happy Snax provide the perfect wholesome snack for toddlers, containing 12 grams of whole grains, 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber per serving and 25% of the recommended Daily Value of Vitamin C.

Each canister of Happy Snax is created with a great concern and consideration for the health of its tiny consumers. They are made with organic ingredients grown without potentially harmful pesticides or herbicides and are specially formulated with an excellent source of iron, zinc and six B Vitamins. As with all Earth’s Best® products, Happy Snax Whole Grain Cereal Snacks do not contain any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives nor do they contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

With the fall season comes new adventures- driving to fall sporting events, car rides to school and play dates with new friends! Earth’s Best Organic® Happy Snax Whole Grain Cereal Snacks are sold in 2.6 oz. canisters (Earth’s Best OrganicTM Pop Snax rice & potato crisps!) that are easily resealable, making them an ideal and fun snack for travel.
Potential Giveaway: Earth’s Best Organic® Happy Snax Whole Grain Cereal Snacks

I haven't received a sample of these but I was at Babies R Us the other day and I bought some for Cullen, needless to say he likes them! I believe in all Earth's Best products and giving Cullen new snacks to sample so I had to get these for him.  Babies R Us only had the graham flavor. There isn't much my sweet boy doesn't like so these were a hit! ;)  I tasted them and to me they taste like a sweet cereal but there is only 5 grams of sugar per serving so they are not high in sugar at all, at least compared to most sugary cereals. 

If you would like a chance for your little one to try these, just leave a comment!! 
Winner will be posted and contacted by me within a week.

WINNER #1
Lindsay - congrats!!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Project Pinterest

I haven't done a link up in a loooooong while but after all the emails I received on my DIY apothecary jars I decided this was a must.  After all, I do have pinterest and my sweet friend, Carrie to thank for the fabulous idea!  
I am linking up today with AP over at ILOVEYOUMORETHANCARROTS for Project Pinterest! 
AP is one of those super moms! If you thought I was busy you should probably go check her out.  She is an amazing Momma to two adorable boys.

For the DIY apothecary jars I made I had received a FB message from a sweet friend with the link below that she found from Pinterest!
 THIS LINK 
From that Pinterest link I was able to read and click links to find all the necessary items for the DIY apothecary jars!
In my area in Minnesota the only craft stores we have are Michael's and Joann's so I had to just make due with what I could find.
Hobby Lobby, if your company ever decides to come to the suburbs in MN, I will be your #1 FAN and customer....just sayin'.

I found the unpainted wooden candlestick holders, blocks of wood and the the knobby things for the top....


I spray painted everything black that I could and did touch-ups by paint/paint brush.
I then went to town using the hot glue gun.
You can never have too much hot glue on anything.

I found the jars at Michael's, making multiple trips a day because you can only use one coupon per visit. I was like a crazy lady, the employees there might even know me by name. I think I know theirs.
I also found the black painted letters and the gems at Michael's.

FINISHED PRODUCT!!
Everyone knows everything looks a little better with some glitz and glam....




I made around 10 of the "homemade DIY" holders. I used them for candle holders as well.
The front entry table is not the only place I used them.  I'm a Halloween hoarder, I have more fun to show y'all soon!!

I just LOVE how the jars turned out and I will be using them for all seasons/holidays! I think I'll make some more as well....probably in white.  They are so fun and universal.

p.s.
If you have heard of Moose and Zee from NickJr you've probably seen this little one minute song ;)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

the ABC house lately....

Kids have gone back to school which means B now works evenings/nights.  He has been gone pretty much all day and night the past week.  Always a very hard transition but we always make it work. I've started watching a 9 month old little boy part-time and life just never seems to slow down!  I was contacted to make decorations for a first birthday party and it's a Mickey Mouse party, I'm excited about that!  My sister is also having me make decorations for her bosses baby shower!  I just love crafting.  
The first baby shower I was hired for is this weekend!  I have everything ready to go and can't wait to go there and decorate!

 I have not posted many (any) pics of our sweet C lately and I have a TON on my phone so it's time for an instagram phone dump!  I have relatives that read my blog just to see my little bear so I must share all his adorable photos :)  Cullen is at such a fun age and seems to be learning and comprehending so much these days, it amazes me! 

This post is all over the place but I'm sure you wouldn't expect any less from me!! ;)

Last Friday my sister came over to hang out with C and I.
We went out for mexi food, my sis and I had a margarita! 
Who doesn't love chips and salsa and margaritas?!
 We found out that C loves guac!  He used to eat avocados when he was younger and he couldn't get enough of the green deliciousness that evening ;)  He would even clap for himself out of excitement ;) 
 It was cooler last week and then 95 yesterday and today the high is only 70.  Such strange weather.  I am hoping we are done with the hot, humid weather.  I'm tired of turning the AC on for a day especially since it runs non-stop!
Even though it was only 75 during the day, our house gets warm in the evening.  C is always hot from running around so it's just easier to let him run in a diaper. Then he isn't sweaty and sticky...he has no complaints ;) 
 Juice boxes are all the rage in Cullen's world these days! 
Last night he had a juice box, pretzels and fruit snacks on the 3 season porch.  He sits so nicely up to his picnic table, most of the time.  Sometimes he crawls to the top and then whines because he is stuck ;) 
C isn't that big of a snacker anymore.  He only drank his juice and had a pretzel or two. 
 On Saturday we went to my best friend's little man's birthday, he turned 4! So crazy to think about.  Cullen wore his new dino outfit, I thought it was adorable! 
 (oh man, I have to wear this silly hat.....yes, Cbear you do!)

 Our non-profit organization, Beyond the Pond, had the first annual golf tournament on Monday! It went great!!  
The big winner in the middle....B is all the way to the right.  His friend that coordinated almost everything for the auction is all the way to the left, Nikki. Her son was the MC, he did awesome!  Her son has been coached by Billy for 3 years.

Cullen at the auction (with his beloved juice box)

daddyB and babyC
 The only picture of C and myself is blurry and he's feeding me ;) I shouldn't complain, we had such a fun time!
so attractive....
I have a lot more pics from the tournament and I'll be putting those on facebook!

C ridin' his motorcycle into the sunset ;)

With all this fall time play outside we are certainly protecting C with Earth's Best sunscreen!!


We may no longer be spending all of our time outside with trips to the beach, park and other
summer time activities, but did you know that your face is exposed to the sun’s rays year round?
It’s important to remember to protect both your babies and your own face, regardless of the
temperature outdoors! Here are a few tips to follow:

  Seek the shade or wear a hat if you’re planning on spending an extended amount of
time outdoors.
  Invest in a stylish pair of sunglasses for you and your baby- make sure they indicate that
they block ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
  Don’t forget about your lips- too much sun exposure can lead to dry, cracked lips! Find a
lip balm that is SPF 15 or higher.

However, not to worry, Earth’s Best has you “covered” once again! Earth’s Best Organic 
Chemical-Free SPF 30 Sunblock is organic, chemical-free, paraben-free, 100-percent vegetarian,
and hypoallergenic. It was even recently voted Best Organic Sunscreen in the Babble Blogger
Favorites 2012 Awards in the Sunscreens for Kids category! Even better, Earth’s Best sunscreen
is fragrance-free so your sun safety habits won’t be leaving an unwanted trail in the fall and
winter!




Lastly and very importantly....
Kristen over at First name Smith is hosting an auction to raise money for the American Cancer Society!  This is near and dear to my heart as I lost my Grandma to cancer at a very young age, she was only 53.  I am sure almost everyone has known someone or lost someone to cancer.  I donated a bow holder to her auction, go check it out and bid for your favorite items, you know all proceeds will be going to a great cause. 

COMING UP AROUND HERE....
As always, Earth's Best giveaways
Halloween personalized tin pails 
C clothes sale - it's going to be a HUGE one!
Blogging tips