Tot School

33 months

I must be a total slacker because we didn't get in much Tot School again this week and I don't have many pictures. I was sick for a couple of days, Bud had his 1 year check-up and I am now watching another little one 2 days a week. So, I guess that is why I didn't get much done. We still play with "educational" toys a lot, but we haven't been doing a lot of the themed activities and such. I really wonder what I am going to do when Moo-Bear starts "real" homeschool because I won't be able to slack as much. I guess I will just have to enjoy it now and worry about that later ;)

We had a couple of days in the 70's here so we really took advantage of it. We went on lots of walks and even had a picnic one day! We were out running a couple of errands and I told Moo-Bear we could have a picnic when we got home. So, we got home and I told her I had to get lunch ready and she cried because she "didn't want wunch, I want a picnic". I got to explain to her that a picnic is when we eat lunch outside.

Papa and Grandma were visiting from Texas because we had Buddy's birthday party this weekend. So, grandma was able to join us for our picnic.

Moo-Bear is totally attached to this Clifford costume right now. In fact, one day we went to Panera for lunch and I let her wear it and she barked at someone. Thankfully the lady was very nice about it ;) Anyway, here she is gluing cotton balls onto a paper to make a snowman. Anything with glues and cotton balls is a hit around here!

I got her this Cranium Caribou game at a consignment sale. It doesn't have directions so we just played with it and figured some things out. I don't know how to actually play the game, but there is a little key and you stick it into the holes and the little "thing" pops up. She is trying to find all the bouncy type balls underneath these "things". Once you find them all you put them in a little slot and the treasure chest opens up. There are cards with it and I think somehow you are supposed to match colors/letters/numbers, etc. But, she just had fun looking for the balls and making the treasure chest open up. I plan on looking on-line for instructions for next time!

So, that was most of our week. We have a lot going on again this week so we probably won't do a whole lot. On Wed. we are having a coffee playdate here and then going swimming at the YMCA. Then on Friday we are going to a Youth Fitness Zone about 45 minutes away. It is for gymnastics, but on Friday they have open gym. Then we will probably have lunch and do a little shopping. We live in a small town so there are a few stores I would like to hit up while we are there. My sweet hubby is taking off Friday so he is going to stay home with Bud so Moo-Bear and I can have a girls day!!

Saturday we are welcoming a new family member, our puppy!! He will finally be 8 weeks old so we get to go pick him up and bring him home!!! We are getting an English Mastiff. My hubby has always wanted one so this is very exciting!

Hope everyone had a great week. Check out 1+1+1=1 for more great ideas!!

Walgreens $100 Challenge- Week 4

I didn't go shopping at Walgreens this past week. There weren't any great ways to roll my RR's so I just decided to wait until next week and see if it was any better. I checked out Wild for Wags and it looks like I will have quite a few options for how to roll my 20RR's before they expire so I should have some good shopping this week!

Product Review: Oliver's Labels

My daughter attends a mother's day out type program every Tuesday morning and one requirement is that all belongings need to be clearly labeled. Being the thrifty mom that I am I decided to try return address labels because they were so inexpensive. I have to admit this was not my best idea. Every time I need to wash the cups (which is daily) I have to put a new label on afterward because they come off and leave just a white strip. Then, if I am really picky I need to use Goo-gone or something to get that sticky layer off the sippy cup. I wasn't even going to attempt clothing or shoes because I did not want small sticker pieces in my laundry.

I was thrilled when I found out I was chosen to do a review of Oliver's Labels. Name labels tend to be pretty pricey, at least compared to return address labels, so I wanted to see for myself how much better they were. I looked through the Oliver's Label's website and chose the "Rococo" design. I also chose the optional "Found-it" code. This is basically an on-line lost and found system. If my daughter loses something the person who finds it just goes to the Oliver's Labels website and inputs the 9 digit code found on her labels. This connects directly to my e-mail and will notify me. Oliver's Labels then acts as an intermediary so that I don't have to disclose any of my personal information, but I will have my missing items returned. What a great feature!

These labels shipped very quickly and I was excited to try them out. I did notice that I received the polka dot design rather than the rococo that I requested, but they were cute so I just kept them and did not contact anyone about the mix-up.

These labels are adorable and there are so many designs to choose from. I was very pleased when I got mine in the mail. I put the original and mini-labels on my daughter's sippy cups and put them to use. After 2 weeks of being carried around, taken in her back pack and run through the dishwasher these labels are still on her sippy cup and look just like new!

I applied the stick-eez clothing label to my daughter's hooded sweatshirt, which she wears all the time. I love that they are small, yet easy to read. They are also super easy to apply as there is no ironing or sewing involved. Just peel the label off the page and stick it on the clothing tag. After a few washes these labels are still on my daughter's clothing and look great. These would be great for coats, hats, and mittens that tend to get left places!

Finally, I applied the shoe labels. I think it is adorable that they are actually shaped like feet. My daughter wears these shoes almost on a daily basis and the labels are still in the exact spot I placed them. She is quite picky about how her shoes fit/feel and she has not complained about these labels one bit. She thinks it is great fun that she has name stickers in her shoes!

I am very pleased with these personalized labels. They are super cute, durable and a cinch to apply. If you are looking for a great company and cute kids' labels check out Oliver's Labels.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Tot School

33 months

This week we spent more time on our winter theme. There is just so much to do and it is all so fun! Plus, my kiddos were sick again so I didn’t really have to plan much and could just snuggle and play!

I have been putting some puzzles out in our play room and rotating them every few weeks. We seem to be getting more use out of them this way rather than having them as Tot School activities!

My little Buddy loves his Busy Ball Popper. He plays with this every single day and loves it!

Playing with Barrel of Monkeys. Buddy just likes to take them in and out of the cup. Moo-Bear tries to attach the monkeys, sometimes!

We made snow, an idea I got from Growing Up Our Style. She didn’t really like the feel of it on her hands so we got out a sponge. Then she decided she wanted to finger paint so we did that, too!

We played Don’t Break the Ice and Cooties. I remember playing Cooties when I was little and loved it. Moo-Bear really enjoyed them, too. She kept calling them her friends!

We also froze some things in ice (and used food coloring to color it) and then she used a little hammer to get them out. Actually, we ended up taking it to the tub and pouring warm water over it. She loved this. I got the idea from Counting Coconuts (I think).

I love that little Buddy is now joining us for some tot school fun. He loved playing with this homemade shape sorter. He really likes to drop objects into buckets, etc.

Love my little Moo-Bear. Here are a few fun shots from this week. She keeps me laughing!

And my little Buddy. He is such a funny boy and oh so happy!

Thanks for checking out our week. If you want more ideas go to 1+1+1=1. Have a great week!

2011 Walgreens 100 Dollar Challenge: Week 3

Another slow week for me at Walgreen's. I am trying to only buy things I truly need so that limits what I buy and also how much I spend. And, the joint juice may seem like a strange buy, but my knees hurt when I run and I am just starting up again so I thought I would try it out!

2 Joint Juice

Price: $10.00 each

Mfg coupon: none

Store coupon: none

Final price: $20.00

RR earned: $20.00

1 Skintimate Shave Gel

Price: $3.99

Mfg coupon: $1.00

Store coupon: $2.00

Final price: $.99

3 Skittle (fillers)

Price: $.49 each

Mfg coupon: none

Store coupon: none

Final price: $1.47

RR earned: none

RR Used: $5 Gummy Vitamins (4), $2.00 Kellogg's

Subtotal before coupons: $26.06

Subtotal after coupons: $.66

Sales Tax: $2.05

Savings Percentage: 97%

(Note: Since I have no control over the tax rate in my area, savings percentage are calculated prior to tax.)

RRs in hand: (2) $10.00 Joint Juice

*****

Yearly Totals

Amount Spent (including tax): $23.17

Amount Remaining: $76.83

Amount Saved: $86.02 (this doesn't include my 1st week b/c I threw away my receipts before adding this in)

Product Review: Applies Labels LLC

I was excited to be chosen to review Applied Labels LLC. For the most part I have been using return address labels to identify my kiddos' sippy cups and snack cups. I haven't used anything in their clothing or shoes because, let's just be honest here; the return address labels are awful for this purpose! Every time I need to wash the cups (which is daily) I have to put a new label on afterward because they come off and leave just a white strip. Then, if I am really picky I need to use Goo-gone or something to get that sticky layer off the sippy cup. I wasn't even going to attempt clothing or shoes because I did not want small sticker pieces in my laundry.

I looked through the Applied Labels LLC website and chose the "cutie" font. I also chose to have a small soccer ball icon on the label because my son loves to play with balls. It wasn't long before my labels arrived in the mail and I couldn't wait to try them out!

The labels look great! I love that they are white with black print to give a simple, clean look. The labels came with an instruction card and also a link to a video tutorial. I received 60 name labels, 30 blank clothing backers, and 12 clear shoe shields.

I labeled my son’s sippy cups, shoes, and a few pairs of his pants and shirts. I love these labels. They are super easy to apply and you can use them for virtually anything. I also love that there is only 1 label that serves various functions. I used the same label for cups, shoes and clothing. I just added the backer to the clothing tags and a shoe shield for the shoes.

The manufacture's assertions that these labels are “ultra-tough and dishwasher safe” and laundry-safe on tags” were 100% correct. Our labels have gone through the washer, dryer, and dishwasher multiple times and they still look great. No more replacing labels every time I wash something, which is a huge plus for a busy mother of 2! I am thrilled with this product.

If you have been looking for great labels for your child’s belongings I suggest you check out the Applied Labels LLC website. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

A Special Year!

A year ago today I was at home getting ready to go to the hospital to meet one of the loves of my life for the 1st time. I said good-bye to Moo-Bear and told her that the next time she saw me she would meet her baby brother. At 8:41pm, my little boy was born and my heart grew by leaps and bounds!

I love this little boy so much and am amazed at how much he has grown in his first year of life. He has blessed our lives in so many ways. The first few weeks I wondered how it was all going to work, going from a mommy of one to being a mommy of 2. Looking back it wasn't so hard after all. My little man brings so much laughter to our home and I am forever grateful for his life!


He is a happy, easy-going little guy. He loves to play, watch his big sister, crawl to daddy when he gets home from work and chase balls around the house. He loves to eat, play in the tub, and snuggle with mommy when he wakes up at 5:30 in the morning (which makes this mommy so happy...the snuggling part!). My little boy is growing up and I am looking forward to all the new, fun and exciting things he will learn in this next year.

Buddy, we thank God for bringing you into our lives. You truly are a joy and blessing beyond compare. We love you, always and forever!!

Happy Birthday, little man!

Book Review!

I am part of a book club and have been for over a year now. We meet 10x per year and take off July and December. We also have 10 members so we each take a turn hosting for a month. When it is your month to host you get to choose the book, prepare a meal, and lead the discussion. I have enjoyed this group so much. I love to read and the best thing about this group is that I have been introduced to many books that I don't know that I would have read otherwise. I have decided that I would like to do a book review of the book we read for our club every month. Maybe someone out there will be introduced to a wonderful book they haven't heard of yet!!



For the month of January we read the book Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker. This book is about a young woman, named Natalie, who suddenly finds herself facing breast cancer. She is 27 years old, unmarried and living in her parents backyard in a cottage house.

This book really had me from the beginning. Laura Jensen Walker is an amazing writer. She takes a topic as sad and daunting as breast caner and turns it into a touching yet humorous story. Her writing style is so easy to read and at the end of this book I was disappointed because I wanted to read more about Natalie and the other main characters. Laura Jensen Walker makes it so easy to feel connected to the people she is writing about.

I found myself thinking about me, personally, because I am about the same age as the main character, Natalie. I like to think that I am too young for bad things to happen to me. But, the fact is bad things can happen to anyone and we get to decide how these "bad" things will affect our lives. We can dwell in depression and despair or we can push through the fear and sadness and become a better and stronger person.

This book has a lot of Biblical values weaved throughout it, but in such a way that you don't feel bombarded with religion. I really enjoyed reading about Natalie's struggles and how her cancer diagnosis shaped and challenged the way she was living her life, not only spiritually, but in many other ways as well.

If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry and think then I highly recommend this book! You will not want to put this book down until you have read the last page!

Tot School

32 months

This was our 2nd week back and we had a great time. Now that Buddy is getting a little bit older he is joining us in the school room for play. I am blessed to have a lot of space in my house so we have a playroom and a school room. The school room is the formal dining room, but we never use it. I have a dining table in there right in the middle of the room. But, it didn't leave much space for playing on the floor. I decided to move it against the wall to give us more of an open space and let me tell you it has been great. We spend so much more time in there with our school toys (the playroom had educational stuff, too). The kiddos love going in there to play and for some reason just changing rooms throughout the day breaks up the monotony

This week we focused on winter activities from 1+1+1=1 and the S is for Snowman from COAH. We didn’t do all the activities we had planned b/c of a busy week and we got some snow so we spent time playing outside, too! Next week we will finish up the winter theme and hopefully move on!

Moo-Bear has got down the 3 sizes (small, medium and large) so I thought it was time to include some more and arrange from largest to smallest or vice-versa. She had a difficult time with this. She definitely knew smallest and biggest, but didn’t quite understand that there was a size order. Something to keep working on. This activity was from COAH.

Another activity from COAH. This was color matching. I cut out and laminated the different colored scarves and Moo-Bear matched them to the snowman’s hat. She did great with this. Color matching is very easy for her now.

We got out the Aqua-doodle this week and she has loved it. She was drawing circles for me and trying to trace her hands and fingers.

My little buddy playing in the snow. Yes, this is his sister’s snowsuit from last year. We don’t get much snow here so I am too cheap to buy him a new one. This is probably the only time we will get snow. He wasn’t too impressed with being out in it. It could have been b/c he isn’t walking yet and it is kind of hard to crawl through snow. Especially when the snowsuit is so tight that it restricts your movement!

And Moo-Bear out in the snow. She loved every minute of it. She is so much fun!!!

My little munchkins. I just love these 2!!

So, that was our week. We did do more school type things, but my camera was dead and it took me 2 days to remember to charge it. Hope everyone had a great week and check out 1+1+1=1 for more great ideas!

2011 Walgreens 100 Dollar Challenge: Week 2

There wasn't a whole lot that interested my at Walgreen's this week. I had about 19 RR"s from last week so I wanted to roll them and the gummy vitamins were perfect for that. Moo-Bear gets a vitamin 2x a day and we are running low so I wanted to stock up. So, I also bought a couple of pill glides so I could roll RR's and not spend any OOP on the vitamins! Here is what I bought.

2 Kellogg’s Special K

Price: $2.50 each

Mfg coupon: B1G1 free

Store coupon: none

Final price: $2.50

RR earned: $2.00

2 Pill Glides

Price: $5.00 each

Mfg coupon: none

Store coupon: none

Final price: $10.00

4 Gummy Vitamins

Price: $5.00 each

Mfg coupon: none

Store coupon: none

Final price: $20.00

RR earned: $20.00

RR Used: $9.00 Oscillo, (2) $5.00 Pill Glide, $5.00 Chloraseptic

Subtotal before coupons: $40.00

Subtotal after coupons: $1.51

Sales Tax: $2.17

Savings Percentage: 96%

(Note: Since I have no control over the tax rate in my area, savings percentage are calculated prior to tax.)

RRs in hand: (4) $5.00 Gummy Vitamins, 1 $2.00 Kellogg's

*****

Yearly Totals

Amount Spent (including tax): $20.46

Amount Remaining: $79.54

Amount Saved: $40.03 (this doesn't include my 1st week b/c I threw away my receipts before adding this in)

Shutterfly Cards!

Check out the card I made from Shutterfly. This was our 2010 family Christmas card. I love to send and receive photo cards every year for Christmas. Shutterfly has wonderful prices and the quality is amazing. There are many different types of cards to choose from, such as folded stationary cards or flat photo cards. They also have cards for every occasion so next time you need to make a card check out Shutterfly.com!

Matte vs. glossy finish

Shutterfly uses a heavy card stock paper to print Stationery cards. It is a high quality paper noted for its smooth, even finish. Stationery cards are only available in a matte finish.

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Tot School

32 months

We jumped back into our tot schooling this week. I didn’t have any theme so I was just going to skip, but I figured Moo-Bear wouldn’t know any different. So, we just had fun with our Tot School tools that we have around the house. It was nice to get back into our routine and spend some quality time together

I found these crayon hair things so I cut them apart and used them for our school. She just put one into each compartment. I tried to get her to sort by color, but she wasn’t interested. She did count as she put them in, though!

Melissa and Doug happy handle stamp set. Somehow Buddy got a hold of this and got some ink on his face

I got these foam shapes from the Target dollar spot and the ice cube tray is triangle shapes and I may have gotten it form Ikea. She used her tongs to put one in each triangle. this was the 1st time she was able to pick something up with her tongs

We were coloring when daddy got home form work so Moo-bear wanted him to join in the fun!

Little Buddy has been joining us for some of our Tot School times. I got this flower game form Walgreens. It spins around and you use fishing poles to get the flowers, except we don’t anymore b/c Moo-Bear bit the end off all the fishing poles. Buddy is constantly holding things up and grunting so that we will tell him the name of the object. That boy is a learning machine

They both loved this shape hammering toy. Notice the look on Moo-Bears face in the upper left picture. She is not happy b/c Buddy is about to get in the way.

Me and the little bud were playing peek-a-boo with the tubs I could just eat him up!

We got these tool lacing toys from a consignment sale. For some reason she had a much easier time with these than she does the cardboard ones. But, we haven’t done lacing in a couple of months so maybe her fine motor skills are getting better!

So, that was our super fun week. I always have a much better week when I focus more on having fun with my kiddos and less on getting things done. I am still working on finding a good balance. And a side note: she did not wear the same clothes every day. She is obsessed with her Clifford costume and asks to wear it every day as soon as she wakes up. And I say yes

Check out 1+1+1=1 for more great ideas!