Staying Entertained

The hardest job of a mother with 2 young kiddos, is trying to keep them entertained while trying to get everything else done in the house. We don't want to have them plugged in all the time to the t.v., computer, and video games. So I have been trying to do a little idea searching to see what things would be fun for all of us this year.





I love these I Spy Bags for home and the car!! How great is this idea! There is a list of little items on the back of the bag and the kids have to squeeze and play with the bag to try and find the item! LOVE IT!! Great for those days when you have to run around in the car or a rainy day when you are stuck inside!!

I really love the site stubby pencil studio. They have fun products for kiddos that are non-toxic and eco-friendly. Cute art supplies and some fun toys! I think these pencils would hold the boys attention with the cute animals and great colors. They have a triangle shape which is great for the little one to try and hold.








I was also thinking of the days where my preschooler was home from school, these little Earth School learning activities might be fun for when the weather keeps us indoors. I love that you can pick and choose what lesson and how many you would like! There are some really fun ideas and categories to pick from. I just figure why not start with fall and take advantage of a fall hike! This fun little idea was put together by a former kindergarten teacher. Everything comes packaged together for you. What a great idea and it saves time so that you are not hunting for the ideas, props, directions and so on! There are other great sections such as animals,seasons,and early childhood series,books and all kinds. There is plenty to pick and choose from to keep you busy all year long!!

It's Froggin' Stew

This week my father in law stayed with us for a couple of days. He was on his way home to upper Michigan after a few long days in North Carolina helping his son and very significant other move and settle into their new digs. I thought I would make a homemade and hearty meal that would be easy, yummy, and keep with the southern roots we all seem to have. Here comes the Frogmore Stew. I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com and it was a great choice. It was easy and everyone really enjoyed it. There were plenty of leftovers to go around as well.

FYI there is NO FROG involved! We had fresh corn, potatoes from the farmer's market, fresh shrimp, onion, turkey sausage, amazing seasoning, and a little beer. Boil it up and you are ready to rock. I made some french fries for the kiddos to enjoy as well. The best part is that if you really want, you can throw it onto newspaper when you are done making stew and let everyone have some fun with finger good. Great for kids and adults.

My blank blue canvas!!

I was inspired to paint the living room while my husband was out of town. It desperately need new paint, and I was ready for a change. We had a nice warm beige on the walls and now we have a cool blue. It took me three evenings 8-12pm and two naptimes (I can only paint when the little one is sleeping) to paint because I added the kitchen/eating area to my list too! The kitchen was green a very medium tone green - now it is a slightly darker version of the living room, so I put two coats of primer on to guarantee it would cover up. My husband picked the color a few weeks back, not knowing that I would tackle this project. I planned to surprise him, but when I put the first coat of paint up I freaked out- it was a big change and I ruined the surprise and told him on the phone.

So now I need to pick out fabric for window treatments. I would like some new photographs of my children on the walls too. I am hoping to paint the frames I have to silver (will that work?)I have some ideas for other pictures/art too.

The room isn't done yet. I need to paint the trim - it looks awful with the new blue and we would like a dark brown wall too (we haven't agreed on which wall yet). So here we again!

While the Dads are Away...

The Kids Play.
Katie and I both had our hubbies away this weekend. So we made good use of our time and had a planning session (is it possible to plan with 2 two year olds around?)as well as a photo session for our scarves. I couldn't resist taking pictures of these three playing. We are together so often, but no pictures to prove it. It was a beautiful morning to play outside and get some fresh air. Joely and I were also missing Calla and Carter this week, they were off camping with grandparents, so she needed the time to play with other kids because day after day Mom gets boring (sad but true).

Something Just For Me

With back to school in full swing, I am taking advantage of the slight down time. With acquiring a new sewing table, I now have no place to safely set my drink of choice iwithout leaving a ring. I thought now would be a great time to do a little stash busting and make a coaster or two or okay 6! So here is my stash busting quick fix!

And here are all 6 face up. A fun little quick sew that gets rid of those scrap pieces of fabric. When using such beautiful fabrics, you want to use every little inch of it! My coffee mug never has such a pretty place to sit.

And the flip side of these lovlies.

Things have been a little busy around here! Family has been in town and as school, soccer, and last minute summer to do things start to gear up, it shows no sign of slowing down. We hit the beach, talked, my hubby was the man of the campfire. It was a good time. As we are moving forward and starting to think about school and schedules, the organizer in me is starting to take hold....... ahhhhh good ole type A personality, sneaking out to try and get me back on track. I found these fun little bits to help me out.

These thumbtacks would be very cute to pin up patterns, notes, school papers, and anything else I might need on my "office" board. Found on Etsy (of course).

I also thought these are cute to keep fabric in. They have a great look and I think it would help keep that every growing fabric stash in order. You can always count on the container store to help a girl out when it comes to organizing!

I love this idea for getting sewing thread under control. I just wish I had all this thread to sew with!
Now it is not to hard to get organized. For me the challenge lies in STAYING that way. We shall see how it all goes.........

A little love affair with orange!

We have been keeping busy with our little Hyena cart shop. Our head scarfs have been such a fun project for us. We are clearing out some summer colors to make way for fall. I have to say that I LOVE orange and here is the evidence.....

Sometime it is hard not to want to keep some of these for myself. I just hope they find some happy homes :D

I am also very excited that my F.O.E. came in the mail today!! Maybe this weekend I can get my skirt done!! Nothing says summer comfort and easy livin' like a 5 minute skirt!