Don't forget to sign up for this weeks awesome giveaway: an amber necklace from Inspired By Finn!!!
But, as with my other giveaways, please don't forget the rules:
1. You MUST be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER.
2. You must comment on the giveaway post.
3. You can get extra entries by commenting on any other posts during the week of the giveaway (Monday to Sunday.)
This week you can get two extra entries by (leave a separate comment for each):
4. Commenting on the original post letting me know that you "Like" Inspired By Finn on Facebook
5. Go to Inspired By Finn, decide which item you like best, and leave a comment here telling me which it is.
I have gone through the comments and deleted any made by people who are not public followers. Sorry. If I deleted your comment in error, please feel free to comment again and let me know that you are a follower.
27 October 2010
26 October 2010
Pumpkin Carving and a Spidery Treat
First of all, let me remind you of this weeks amazing giveaway from Inspired By Finn. You get one entry for every post you comment on this week! Please remember though, you MUST be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of my blog. Shameless, I know, but them's the rules folks. If you aren't, none of your comments will qualify for the giveaway. Extra entries are explained in the original post and comments can be made on that post. Good luck, everyone!
Now that that's over with:
Every Monday night we try to do Family Home Evening. It's a chance to have at least one night a week to do something together as a family, learn about the gospel and usually have a good treat! Last night Jared's sister Renee invited us over for dinner and to carve pumpkins. After seeing this great idea for a Halloween treat, I volunteered to do the dessert, we packed up our pumpkin, and headed over to Renee's.
Spider web making. I'm apparently concentrating really hard!
Okay, not that hard. I got the chocolate from Super Store, and it's organic, fair trade! Nothing tastes better than chocolate NOT harvested by slave labour.
Silas got his first taste of chocolate, and wasn't disappointed!
Then out came the pumpkins, the spoons and the knives, off came the shirts, and away we went. Eli and Rhiannon picked the patterns for their pumpkins, and did a fine job of it, if I do say so myself!
Bet you didn't know that one of my super human features is my ridiculously long tongue. Well, now you know, and even have pictorial proof. The crazy eyes are on purpose, I swear!
The finished products. Eli's is the one on top.
I'm beginning to enjoy Halloween. Every year I warm up to it a little more. I think this was the first year I actually did the pumpkin carving (usually I leave it to Jared) and it was fun. Just imagine me, in a few more years, with a full spook alley in my front yard. It could happen...
Now that that's over with:
Every Monday night we try to do Family Home Evening. It's a chance to have at least one night a week to do something together as a family, learn about the gospel and usually have a good treat! Last night Jared's sister Renee invited us over for dinner and to carve pumpkins. After seeing this great idea for a Halloween treat, I volunteered to do the dessert, we packed up our pumpkin, and headed over to Renee's.
Spider web making. I'm apparently concentrating really hard!
Silas got his first taste of chocolate, and wasn't disappointed!
Then out came the pumpkins, the spoons and the knives, off came the shirts, and away we went. Eli and Rhiannon picked the patterns for their pumpkins, and did a fine job of it, if I do say so myself!
Bet you didn't know that one of my super human features is my ridiculously long tongue. Well, now you know, and even have pictorial proof. The crazy eyes are on purpose, I swear!
The finished products. Eli's is the one on top.
25 October 2010
Inspired By Finn Amber Necklace Review and Giveaway - CLOSED
When Eli was three months old I started to look for teething remedies that didn't include over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for Tylenol when I really need it, but I wanted to find something that could help Eli grow his pearly whites without having to drug him. While doing a little research I happened upon a website that has since become a very favourite, Inspired By Finn.
Started by a mom (to a boy named Finn), Inspired By Finn sells Baltic amber necklaces for children and adults. Amber is great for teething (and various other ailments) because it contains analgesic properties. When warmed against the skin it releases trace amounts of succinic acid, which is absorbed into the skin, benefiting the wearer with pain relief, immune system boosts, and more energy.
To be perfectly honest, I totally attribute the fact that my boys both teethed so incredibly well to the amber necklaces that they have both worn since they were three months old. I hardly noticed either of them teething until I had a finger in their mouths and felt a tooth. Amber really works! I have bought several different necklaces from the shop: round and chipped, light and dark. I have lost a few, so needed to replace them, but I also like to have some choice! My favourite part about them is that they aren't just useful, but they are absolutely beautiful. I wear mine and feel like I am dressed up. I love my boys in them, too. I really think they are great!
Beyond teething, I wear an amber necklace to help with back pain. My mother swears it has relieved her chronic headaches. My father says it has helped in his healing with a skiing accident he had last year. My entire family wears amber every single day.
This week I am so excited to announce a giveaway by Inspired By Finn! One lucky winner will get any in stock necklace, 16 inches or smaller. Yeah!
The rules still apply with this giveaway: all you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment on any post between now and next Sunday evening. For every post you comment on, you get an entry into the giveaway. However, you can get additional entries by doing two things (leave a separate comment for each):
1. "Like" Inspired By Finn on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did.
2. Go to Inspired By Finn, decide which item you like best, and leave a comment here telling me which it is.
Who's excited? I am!
Also, if you just can't wait to get an amber necklace, you can get 20% off NOW by following the directions here.
Just so you know, I was not given any products by Inspired By Finn. I am reviewing this based solely on my experiences over the last 3 years with the amber I have purchased. I have had multiple wonderful experiences with Inspired By Finn and recommend them whole heatedly.
Started by a mom (to a boy named Finn), Inspired By Finn sells Baltic amber necklaces for children and adults. Amber is great for teething (and various other ailments) because it contains analgesic properties. When warmed against the skin it releases trace amounts of succinic acid, which is absorbed into the skin, benefiting the wearer with pain relief, immune system boosts, and more energy.
To be perfectly honest, I totally attribute the fact that my boys both teethed so incredibly well to the amber necklaces that they have both worn since they were three months old. I hardly noticed either of them teething until I had a finger in their mouths and felt a tooth. Amber really works! I have bought several different necklaces from the shop: round and chipped, light and dark. I have lost a few, so needed to replace them, but I also like to have some choice! My favourite part about them is that they aren't just useful, but they are absolutely beautiful. I wear mine and feel like I am dressed up. I love my boys in them, too. I really think they are great!
Beyond teething, I wear an amber necklace to help with back pain. My mother swears it has relieved her chronic headaches. My father says it has helped in his healing with a skiing accident he had last year. My entire family wears amber every single day.
This week I am so excited to announce a giveaway by Inspired By Finn! One lucky winner will get any in stock necklace, 16 inches or smaller. Yeah!
The rules still apply with this giveaway: all you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment on any post between now and next Sunday evening. For every post you comment on, you get an entry into the giveaway. However, you can get additional entries by doing two things (leave a separate comment for each):
1. "Like" Inspired By Finn on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did.
2. Go to Inspired By Finn, decide which item you like best, and leave a comment here telling me which it is.
Who's excited? I am!
Also, if you just can't wait to get an amber necklace, you can get 20% off NOW by following the directions here.
Just so you know, I was not given any products by Inspired By Finn. I am reviewing this based solely on my experiences over the last 3 years with the amber I have purchased. I have had multiple wonderful experiences with Inspired By Finn and recommend them whole heatedly.
24 October 2010
Pom-Pom Tutorial, and a Winner!
While this may be Simple Simon to some, I had to have a lesson to make the pom-poms for the legwarmers. My sister Alice, who was a true child of the 80's, assured me that I didn't need to buy a special pom-pom maker like the tutorials I found said I did. So... here's the simple, no special tools required, pom-pom tutorial!
First of all, cut a piece of yarn about 8 inches long and place it between your first two fingers (this is easier than trying to shove it through your fingers when they are wrapped up). Then wrap yarn around the tips of those two fingers.
I wrapped it around 100 times.
Then take the 8 inch piece of yarn, bring it around the entire bundle of yarn and tie a really tight knot.
You want this to be really, really tight. It helps to have someone put their little finger on it while you tie. I couldn't take a picture of that, while tying the knot. Sorry.
Then, after you tie the first knot, wrap it around to the other side and tie another. And then wrap it around again, if you want. This way you know it's really secure.
Then take scissors and cut the loops all the way around.
You'll end up with a super messy looking ball like this.
Then, using the scissors trim your pom-pom until it is nice and round. You basically want to trim all the strands until they are the same length, the length of the shortest ones. This gets messy, so I did it over a plastic bag so I could pick it up and throw it away.
Once it's all trimmed, you will have a darling little pom-pom to use as you wish. Eli wants to add googly eyes to these and make monsters. If monsters aren't your thing, thread some yarn through the centre of the pom-pom using a tapestry needle, and then you can sew them to whatever you like!
There you go. I really do love these things. I'm making a hat right now that I'm going to add some to. They'll be cute as well!
Anyway, on to this weeks giveaway winner. Picked again at random, this time by Eli, the winner of the Christmas tags (which, by the way, my sister-in-law Renee said would also be great to use as decorations with current pictures of children - just change them up every year) is.... Shannon Evans... again! I swear, it isn't rigged. There were 19 comments made this week. I wrote the numbers 1-19 on evenly sized pieces of paper and Eli picked the one with number 14 on it. Shannon happened to be the 14th comment of the week. So, Shannon wins for the second week in a row!
Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a sponsored giveaway! You are so excited, I promise!
First of all, cut a piece of yarn about 8 inches long and place it between your first two fingers (this is easier than trying to shove it through your fingers when they are wrapped up). Then wrap yarn around the tips of those two fingers.
Then take the 8 inch piece of yarn, bring it around the entire bundle of yarn and tie a really tight knot.
Then take scissors and cut the loops all the way around.
You'll end up with a super messy looking ball like this.
Then, using the scissors trim your pom-pom until it is nice and round. You basically want to trim all the strands until they are the same length, the length of the shortest ones. This gets messy, so I did it over a plastic bag so I could pick it up and throw it away.
Once it's all trimmed, you will have a darling little pom-pom to use as you wish. Eli wants to add googly eyes to these and make monsters. If monsters aren't your thing, thread some yarn through the centre of the pom-pom using a tapestry needle, and then you can sew them to whatever you like!
Anyway, on to this weeks giveaway winner. Picked again at random, this time by Eli, the winner of the Christmas tags (which, by the way, my sister-in-law Renee said would also be great to use as decorations with current pictures of children - just change them up every year) is.... Shannon Evans... again! I swear, it isn't rigged. There were 19 comments made this week. I wrote the numbers 1-19 on evenly sized pieces of paper and Eli picked the one with number 14 on it. Shannon happened to be the 14th comment of the week. So, Shannon wins for the second week in a row!
Don't forget to come back tomorrow for a sponsored giveaway! You are so excited, I promise!
23 October 2010
Working in the Yard
This summer was so packed with fun, with excitement, with traveling, that the back yard kind of got neglected. About the only thing that happened to it was an ocassional mow. No weeds were pulled, no trees were pruned, nothing. So, here we are in the most glorious October ever, and my mom and Phoebe have decided to tackle the forest of weeds. And Eli. Eli helped.
Jared didn't get a picture of it, but at some points it just got to hard to push his wheel barrel, so what did my son do? Hi just picked up the whole thing and carried it to where it needed to be? He's a monster!
And, the finished product. Too bad it's going to snow now and we won't even be able to enjoy it. Oh well, it's beautiful while it lasts.
And, the finished product. Too bad it's going to snow now and we won't even be able to enjoy it. Oh well, it's beautiful while it lasts.
22 October 2010
Hat for Hattie!
A friend of mine has asked me to knit her kids some hats for Christmas. It is super fun, because I can try out new patterns and yarns that I wouldn't otherwise do. This is the first one I've done, and I'm hoping the four year old I've made it for isn't a follower of the blog, otherwise I've ruined Christmas! The pattern is a heavily modified version of this. The flowers I got from here. I absolutely love how it turned out.
20 October 2010
Ten Things I want for my House
So, while we live in my parent's basement, we do actually own a house. Actually, we own two, but one of the ones we own sits empty waiting for us to live in it. We will live in it once a number of things happen:
1. We get rid of the water problem.
2. We redo all the flooring.
3. We paint all the walls and ceilings.
4. We figure out to fit all the stuff that fit into our glorious Michigan home into it.
5. Jared gets a killer job so we can afford to buy our own groceries.
But, in the mean time, it sure is fun to dream of how we are going to decorate it, and what we are going to do with it. I would sure rather make these dreams with a bigger, more luxurious house in mind, but for now I'll make due.
As I search the web for ideas, here are ten things I LOVE LOVE LOVE, that I want to do in our house:
1. Make the boys room as cute as this one:
2. Except, instead of the super cute awning, I would put in this, right above the train table:
Okay, not the whole thing, but something kind of like it, inspired by it. Trust me, it will be rad.
3. Have my living room be this color:
4. And my kitchen this color:
5. This clock
6. Beadboard in the bathroom:
7. This amazing hallway (minus the light - cute, but I'm not going to do it.)
8. Crown Molding in my bedroom:
9. A new mailbox:
10. And, a beautiful back porch I can actually enjoy:
Okay, realistically not all of this is going to be done before we move in, but I can dream, and continue looking, and plan for one day when I will have it all! We've torn out a lot, but I will go in and take before pictures soon so you can see what amazing things we do accomplish. Then we will have a big house warming party (but not too big, because really, we don't have that much room) and everyone can enjoy it with us. It will be wonderful.
1. We get rid of the water problem.
2. We redo all the flooring.
3. We paint all the walls and ceilings.
4. We figure out to fit all the stuff that fit into our glorious Michigan home into it.
5. Jared gets a killer job so we can afford to buy our own groceries.
But, in the mean time, it sure is fun to dream of how we are going to decorate it, and what we are going to do with it. I would sure rather make these dreams with a bigger, more luxurious house in mind, but for now I'll make due.
As I search the web for ideas, here are ten things I LOVE LOVE LOVE, that I want to do in our house:
1. Make the boys room as cute as this one:
2. Except, instead of the super cute awning, I would put in this, right above the train table:
3. Have my living room be this color:
4. And my kitchen this color:
7. This amazing hallway (minus the light - cute, but I'm not going to do it.)
8. Crown Molding in my bedroom:
9. A new mailbox:
Okay, realistically not all of this is going to be done before we move in, but I can dream, and continue looking, and plan for one day when I will have it all! We've torn out a lot, but I will go in and take before pictures soon so you can see what amazing things we do accomplish. Then we will have a big house warming party (but not too big, because really, we don't have that much room) and everyone can enjoy it with us. It will be wonderful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
