Funky Polkadot Giraffe

{Love} Month: Little Heart Rice Krispies Treats

2012-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

We made these cute little Rice Krispies treats last year.

They are the perfect size for little hands to eat.

And they are oh, so pretty :)
They'd be perfect to share with friends at park day too.

I made my Rice Krispies treats in a jelly roll pan,
cut them out with a tiny heart shaped cookie cutter,
dipped the tops in red candy melts,
and sprinkled with multi-colored Valentine nonpareils.

The perfect quick treat to share with friends!

{Love} Month: Ruffled Tuxedo Front Shirt

2012-02-09T00:01:00.001-08:00

I made this cute little shirt to go with the
{The Isabella} Pleated Flounce Skirt
I made for my Isabella back in January.
I knew that since I used my favorite Riley Blake fabric for the
skirt that I would save it to be worn for Valentine's Day.
This weekend when we went to Knott's Berry Farm I
thought it would be the perfect time to debut the cute little skirt.
However, she needed a shirt to go with it!

In keep with the pleated idea of the skirt,
I wanted something pleated or ruffled for the front of the shirt.
I used the same technique for the shirt that I use for my Ruffled Headbands.

HOW I DID IT
I figured out that I wanted my ruffle to be 4" long,
so I doubled the length and added a 1/2" for folding under the ends.

Then I decided how wide I wanted the ruffle to be and added
a 1/2" so that I could do a narrow hem on each side for finishing.
If you have a serger or want a frayed effect, you can do that too.

So, I ended up with a piece of fabric that was about 8.5"x4".

First I did a narrow hem down each long side of the strip -
ie fold over an 1/8", iron, fold over an 1/8", iron, and edge stitch.

Then I ran my gather stitch up the middle and gathered/ruffled my fabric..

Next, I laid a remnant piece of single fold bias tape down the middle.
I used the bias tape because I had it and it matched :)
You could easily use ribbon, twill tape, ric rac or a strip of fabric.

I pinned the bias tape down and sewed it to the ruffle with an edge stitch.

Then, I found 3 cute buttons and sewed them in place.

I ironed a piece of fusible interfacing that was slightly larger than my ruffle
to the inside of the shirt.
I used the lightweight fusible interfacing because I already had some,
but you could use that or stabilizer.

Finally I sewed the ruffle to the front of the shirt by edge stitching
around all four sides of the ruffle.

Now we have a fun, sassy shirt that matches her flouncy skirt!

Pretend City: February Events & 2 for 1 Entry!

2012-02-08T22:32:00.001-08:00

Have you been to Pretend City lately?
They recently opened the Sushi Restaurant where the Cafe was and it is so darling!
The kids loved playing in the new digs.

This week they welcomed a new family into the home exhibit -
The Meyers Family!!!
You can find out about the Meyers' family beliefs and celebrations
around being a culturally blended family.

Along with Valentine making workshops for all ages all month long,
on February 14th there is 2 for 1 admission!!

Valentine’s Day Celebration- Tuesday, February 14^th

Fun activities all day long, including:

Sensational Story Time: The Kissing Hand – What better way to celebrate the day than with a story about the love of family!
Poetry Play: Love Poem – Poetry is another language used to express love and it only needs a few words. By 2 years of age your child can express themselves in simple words. Use these words to create a love poem to remind you of these special times.
Symbols in a Second: Hearts, Cupids, and Roses – oh my! During this holiday many symbols are seen in the community that represents Valentine’s Day and so much more. Today is your chance to learn more about these symbols and what they represent.
Good to Go Game: Pin the Arrow on the Heart – Watch your child turn into cupid as they try to pin the arrow on the heart!

There are several other fun things going on this month:

Way to Play Day: A Package of Learning! - Friday Feb 10^th(10am-3pm)

Prepare your child for playgroups, preschool and even kindergarten! Learn to understand your children’s developmental progress and successfully prepare them for the world.

Developmental Check-ups from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.: Assesses speech, motor, cognitive and social areas (first come, first served; limited spaces available)
Story times, tips for learning at home and a chance to spin the wheel for a take home prize!

Baby Steps through Pretend City! - Monday, Feb 13^th (2-3:30pm)

Share your love of Pretend City with even the littlest of learners. Pretend City has amazing learning opportunities for every age, even infants! Your infant’s heart will go out to you as you explore Pretend City in a way that was designed with them in mind. This exclusive, infant only hour engages your infant in age-appropriate facilitated activities, which will teach you about your baby’s developmental milestones. Don’t forget to pick up a free Ages & Stages Questionnaire!* to ensure your little one is developing on track! They're FREE, fast and easy! * Available for Orange County residents only

RSVP: Required at http://pretendcity.org/education/classes/; max 150

Fee: $11 per adult, infants and Pretend City Members are FREE!

Connect With Your Child Through Play- Thursday, Feb 16^th (9-10am)

Did you know that children learn best through their play? Discover the connections between learning and play during this hands-on seminar. Learn why play is important and how to play with your child while fostering attachment, development, language and social skills, all while having fun! In addition, receive an introduction to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), which places an emphasis on improving the quality of your parent-child relationship and parent-child interaction patterns. Learn more about the PCIT here (link http://www.cgcoc.org/nbc_tv_video_clip.php) and keep an eye out for therapy sessions at Pretend City!

RSVP: http://pretendcity.org/education/upcoming; max 25; min 5 or subject to cancelation

Fee: $10 per adult (price includes children)

Family Autism Event- Monday, Feb 27^th (5-7:30pm)

This special evening is an opportunity for children and their parents/siblings/caretakers to have some fun in an autism-friendly environment along with other families. Many of our community partners who specialize in supporting children on the Autism Spectrum or with Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) will be on-hand to enrich your family’s play experience with their welcoming smiles and practical support.

RSVP: Please call 949.428.3900 extension 233 or visit: http://pretendcity.org/education/classes/; max 80 families (1 ticket per family of up to 5 people); only those families who have a reservation and a confirmation number will be admitted.

Fee: This event is FREE thanks to the OC Register and The Festival of Children’s Season of Caring, Possible Dream Grant.

{Love} Month: I love jUice! Valentines

2012-02-08T00:01:00.001-08:00

I really loved making last year's Valentines with the kids' faces.
It seemed so personal and a fun way for the kids to participate
in their Valentines with their neurotic perfectionist mother :)
But this year I was stumped!
I couldn't figure out what we could do that hadn't already been done.
Pinterest is an amazing thing, but it also puts on the
pressure to think of something new and exciting.

On Monday I was perusing the Dollar Store to pick up
some glitter bugs.
Isabella talked me into the the "treat" aisle
so she could go and get some Jesse juice boxes
like she got on our last trip there.
They didn't have any Jesse juice, but they did have Hello, Kitty!

They were so dang cute and got my wheels turning.
Juice.
Olive juice.
I love juice.
I love jUice!!!!!

So we started with our photo shoot again.
She was easily distracted and got bored :)

And then she got silly.

But then we captured the perfect one and added
a little red text to match her cute Joy's Hope dress.

Once I had the picture I had to figure out how to package it all up.
I remembered a cute idea for a Cupcake Take Along,
so I used it as a jumping point.

Since I was making them last minute (what's new?) - I was glad I had
all the items to make them in my stash :)
My inspiration used a fancy glue thingy, but I just used my glue gun
and a gluestick and they worked like a charm.
I added a tiny bit of Velcro to keep the Valentine closed
until you open it to reveal the secret.

If you'd like to make some I love jUice! Valentines of your own,
I have a PNG file for your picture - you just slide your picture
in behind in a photo editing software program
and a PDF file of the I love jUice! page for you to download.
You can get them HERE!!!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #69

2012-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we got to kick it at Knott's Berry Farm
for their TWOgether is Better celebration.
It was so much fun!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

TOO Cute Tuesday will be open Tuesday-Saturday.
On Saturday or Monday I'll highlight some of my favorites
and then we'll start over on Tuesday!

This post brought to you by:

I changed the linky party so that the most recently uploaded project will show up as number one. This way everyone gets a chance on top. So, look in the first spot for your project, not at the end. Thanks!!!

Knott's Berry Farm: TWOgether is Better!

2012-02-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had the opportunity to attend
the TWOgether is Better celebration at Knott's Berry Farm.

TWOgether is Better will be at Knott's Berry Farm
February 1st-28th, and during the celebration you can
purchase tickets online for $34.99 per person.
AND on February 29th, admission is just $29!!!!!

JT was super excited to see Snoopy and Charlie Brown.

Isabella was content to stay at the table and enjoy the centerpieces :)

While you're there you can enjoy the special show at the Camp Snoopy Theater -
"Love is in the Air, Charlie Brown!"

JT had the good fortune to be part of the show and show
the audience some of his sweet moves :)

Of course there are plenty of fantastic rides to be had inside Camp Snoopy,
and Isabella was enjoying the pint-sized thrills it has to offer.

This time I even got to do some of the big thrill rides with JT - like
Sierra Sidewinder and Jaguar!
I even did Wind Seeker with Jaime.

We were up HIGH!!!!!

The kids also loved the opportunity to make Valentines
for their family in Camp Snoopy.

And I loved all the cute photo ops that were available!

Yes, I did make an outfit just for the occasion :)

Don't miss out on all the {SWEET} things
TWOgether is Better at Knott's has to offer!

Disclosure: We were invited by Knott's Berry Farm to attend the VIP TWOgether is Better event. I attended because I was wanted to create fun memories with my family. I received parking, brunch and park admission for free. I blogged about it because I wanted to and not because Snoopy & the Gang told me I had to. All the thoughts & opinions are mine.

Saturday Shout Outs: {Sweetheart} Edition

2012-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I did some Valentine crafting last week
and framed up my Valentine's Day printable,
so I'm feeling in the spirit of things.
How are things coming along at your house?

{Valentine Pendants @ pitter & glink}

{Family Photo Valentines @ Home Delicious}

{Tousled Heart @ Tousled Day}

{Conversation Hearts @ Artsy Fartsy Mama}

{Knee Socks @ Nancy's Couture}

{Friendship Bracelet Headphones @ Craft Geek}

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

The Biggest Baby Shower Ever!

2012-02-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to share this fun upcoming event with you -

the 11th Annual Biggest Baby Shower!
It's taking place Tuesday, February 28th
at the Skirball Center in LA by Big City Moms and TheBump.com.

(+)

It's a chance for moms-to-be to browse and shop
the latest and hottest products from more than 70 leading baby retailers,
while being treated to fantastic food, mocktails, spa activities and educational seminars.

Every expectant mom at the Biggest Baby Shower will go home
with baby products galore, because no baby shower
would be complete without great gifts!

(+)

At the Biggest Baby Shower you can expect to meet celebrities
like Jessica Alba, experts like pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene, and
industry leaders like Wendy Haldeman of the Pump Station.

(+)

This is the first time this amazing NYC event will be held in LA,
so if you're an expectant mom,
don't miss the opportunity to attend this fabulous event.
You can find more information on registration HERE.

{Love} Month: Valentine's Day Printable

2012-02-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun 8x10 Valentine's Day subway art printable

I made for all of you as my Valentine to you!
Thanks so much for being loyal readers of
Funky PolkaDot Giraffe.

I appreciate all your kind comments and encouragement.
Thank you!!!

You can download them HERE and there
are three color schemes to choose from:
red, pink, and multi!

Enjoy!

Fine Print:

Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use.
Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.
Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

{Love} Month: Valentine Round Up

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some of my FAVORITE Valentine ideas
to help spur on your creativity this season.
I love seeing what other creative minds come up with.
Here are some favorites I've bookmarked in years past
or Pinned this year.

Are your Valentines done?
Do people buy the boxes of Valentines anymore?
I'm glad I'm not the only crazy person that finds
making Valentines cathartic and calming :)

{b mine valentine @ Yesterday on Tuesday}

{Angry Birds Valentines @ Brassy Apple}

{Super Valentine @ Zakka Life}

I'm also in the unique position of having
to make an non-edible Valentine this year.
Whoever heard of such nonsense in Kindergarten?
But our principal has a very strict NO FOOD policy - BOO -
but I have to abide by it, so I did some searching and found
some adorable non-edible Valentine options.

{Bookmark Valentine @ Thirty Handmade Days}

{Heart Rocks @ Color me Katie}
I thought these rocks were darling and so fun to put on a
printable that said - You ROCK Valentine! :)

{Pirate Booty Valentine @ Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line}

{Glow Stick Valentine @ The Teacher Wife}

{Bee Mine Chapstick Valentine @ Pizzazzerie}

{Mustache Valentine @ The Craft Monkey}

What Valentines have you found that were adorable?
I'd love to see your ideas!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #68

2012-01-31T00:10:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that I'm keeping my New Year's
Resolution to be a better reader :)
Here we are at the end of January and I've already
finished four books!
Are you on Goodreads?
Let's be friends!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

January Fun: Fleece Snowman Hat

2012-01-31T00:01:00.001-08:00

Here's one last snowman idea for your winter fun -
a fleece Snowman Hat!!!

I made these a few years ago - well, I guess more like five . . .
where does the time go?

I made them for JT and my nieces and they were super cute.

You can find the tutorial HERE at Family Fun.
One thing that I would do differently than the tutorial says
is to sew the face and the buttons on before you sew the two
pieces together. I've done it both ways and I liked doing
all the details first.

Saturday Shout Outs:The {Almost February} Edition

2012-01-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?
I'm hoping to get myself together and be
all decked out by the end of the day.
Here's a few ideas to get you on your way . . .

{Valentine Printable @ It's a Crafty Life}

{Love Mug @ Creative Mind}

{Love Tree @ Alderberry Hill}

{Monster Gift Card Holder @ rae gun ramblings}

{Angry Birds Magnets @ Moments with the Montanos}

And because I'm not ready to let go of winter and snowmen . . .

{Snowman in a Jar @ Something Swanky}

{Hot Chocolate Dippers @ The Moody Fashionista}

{Terra Cotta Pot Snowman @ Flatrock Cabin}

{Snowflake Soup @ Blue Skies Ahead}

{Winter Wreath @ A Fish Who Likes Flowers}

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

Check Me Out: {Featured} on KSL Studio 5

2012-01-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

So excited to be featured on KSL Studio 5 today!!

They did a feature on Trendy Valentines
and my MUAH Valentines were featured.

Here's the clip!

January Fun: Snowman Soup

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we're back into the 80's 'round these parts :(

And just when I thought the rain
and wintry weather was going to stick around.

But, one of my favorite snowman themed treats to share
with friends is SNOWMAN SOUP!!!
I've done it almost every year for the past 10 years.
It's so fun!

I've done it several different ways:

::INDIVIDUAL PACKETS::
These were made with small cellophane bags,
but I've also used sandwich bags.

Then I add:
1 packet of cocoa
mini-marshmallows
mini candy canes
Hersey Kisses

Then staple a cute little topper to it.
I used the text free version of Kate Hadfield's printables.
She also has her own little Snowman Soup poem,
but I used my own.

::BIG FAMILY SET::
For this version I got a new paint can
from the home improvement store and cuted it up with
THIS PRINTABLE by Penny Springmann.
It's already the right size for a paint can, so it's perfect.
I changed it up a bit and used my own poem,
but you can totally use as is.

I filled this one with:
several packets of hot cocoa
large candy canes
mini marshmallows
Hershey kisses

::IN A MUG::

Grab a cute snowman themed mug,
add the ingredients for your "soup",
wrap in cellophane,
add the tag and you're good to go!

And because I like you so much,
I made you a little tag to make your own.
It's a 4x6 print, just right click and save!

Fine Print:
Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use.
Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.
Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #67

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

So my craft room/nursery had become shamefully messy.
We're talking my husband was going to call Hoarders: Buried Alive
on me if I didn't do something about it ASAP.
So since I've been really sick and have been home bound,
I decided yesterday was the perfect day to get 'er done!

::BEFORE::

::AFTER::

It's still not perfect and I really want to
go through my fabric stash and PURGE things
I know I'll never use, but we're saving that for another day :)
And of course a I dream of a REAL craft room one day,
but who doesn't?

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Saturday Shout Outs:The {Almost Ready for Valentine's Day} Edition

2012-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, I guess that since February is about a week away,
I can start getting into the Valentine's Day spirit :)
Here are some fun ideas from last week's party.

{Valentine's Day Countdown @ mushki loves}

{Molding Heart @ delicate CONSTRUCTION}

{Love Grows Bookmark @ Ella Emmett}

{Keep Calm Printable @ Polkadots on Parade}

{Valentine Centerpiece@A to Z Celebrations}

{Valentine Printable@ Food Folks and Fun}

{Framed Heart Art @ Just Sew Sassy}

And because this is the "almost ready for Valentine's Day"
post, here are some fun winter & snow ideas too!

{Snow Gear Organizer @ Benson Avenue}

{Snowball Fight Cupcakes @ Hungry Happenings}

{Snowman Breakfast @Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons}

{Snowman Cake @ Cute as a Fox}

{Melting Snowman Cookies @ Home Grown Beanes}

{Snowman Pops @ The Seven Year Cottage}

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

January Fun: Snowman Printable

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's another fun printable to help celebrate
the wonderful month of January!

It's an 8x10 and you can download it HERE!!! Enjoy!

Fine Print:
Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use.
Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.
Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

January Fun: Winter Subway Art Printable

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!!!
It's been a wacky week around here,
and so I've had lots of bed rest along with
lots of chicken broth and Gatorade :)

So I made some winter subway art while
I was kicking on the couch and watching The Help.

They are 8x10 and I made it in two different color options -
multi to match my Winter Bucket List or all blue.
I always print mine at Costco
with a "lustre" finish and turn auto correct off.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Fine Print:
Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use.
Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.
Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

January Fun: Snowman Hair Clip

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun little snowman guy you can make

and turn into a pin, hair clip or ornament!

What you'll need:

3/8" grosgrain ribbon in white, black, red, brown, and orange
scissors
lighter
black craft paint
pearl topped straight pin
ribbon covered hair clip
glue gun

Step One:
Cut your ribbon into the following lengths.

Step Two:
Using your lighter, heat seal all of your cut edges to prevent fraying. You can also use a wood burning tool - it will cut and seal your ribbon at the same it. It's awesome!

Step Three:
Slightly overlap the edges of the 2.75" ribbon piece for the body to create a circle.

Step Four:
Repeat with the 2.5" body pieces so you'll have 3 circles.
I make second 2.5" piece slightly smaller than the first, so that they will fit snugly inside of each other in the next step.

Step Five:
Take the larger of your 2.5" body pieces and slide it into the 2.75" circle body piece, matching the seams. Secure with a dab of hot glue in the back at the seams and in the front by slightly pulling the 2.5" circle out, dabbing with glue, and slipping back into place.

Step Six:
Insert the smaller 2.5" body piece into the two-stacked body and secure with glue the same way.

Now you have your body! Onto the head!

Step Seven:
Repeat what you did in Step Three and make the two pieces for the head into circles - roughly the same size. Then, slightly flatten them, careful not to crease the edges and slip them inside of one another - forming an "X".

Step Eight:
Secure with glue on both sides of your "X" where they "cross" one another.

Step Nine:
And now you have your head! If you were careful not to crease your edges when forming your "X" - it should pop up like this.

Now we'll give that headless little snowman body his head.

Step Ten:
Set the snowman head on top of the body. I like the "inside" circle to face forward and be my face, but you can place it however you think looks best.

Now secure with glue in the back where the seams of the body are by put a dab of glue at the top of the body seams and holding the head there until it cools.

Step Eleven:
Then flip it up and place glue where the arrows in the following photo indicate. Then gently press the head down and hold until the glue cools.

Step Twelve:
12A & 12B: Take your 1.5" black piece from the hear muffs, and clip closely to the seam, so that you have a piece that is about 1/16" wide. Heat seal the cut edge.

Step Thirteen:
13A: With your 1" red pieces, create two similarly sized tubes for the ear muffs. I like to use one of my wooden dowels from korker making to keep the edge in place while I glue it together. And it helps keep them the same size.

13B: Now you have all the pieces for your tiny snowman ear muffs!

Step Fourteen:
14A: About half way down the side of the head, secure one piece of the headband portion of the ear muffs with a dab of glue.

14B: Repeat with the second side.

Step Fifteen:
15A: With the back of your snowman facing you, so you can see the seams, take one ear muff and position it so that the seam is coming toward you and the body seams. Secure the ear muff with a dab of glue so the ear muff seam is slightly more toward the back than the front.

15B: Repeat process with the second ear muff.

Step Sixteen:
16A: Now, just like you did in Step Nine, take your 2" brown piece and clip closely to the seam for a 1/16" to an 1/8" wide piece, but do it on both edges, so that you have two pieces. Heat seal the cut edges.

16B: Then clip two 1/2" pieces from one of the 2" pieces, heat seal the cut edges.

Step Seventeen:
Position the 1/2" pieces at opposite ends of the 2" arm piece - making little snowman stick hands - and secure with dabs of hot glue.

Step Eighteen:
With the back of the snowman facing you, put a dab of hot glue on the top body section and secure the arms to the back. I like the "hands" to point up.

Now our little snowman just needs his face!

Step Nineteen:
19A: Take your 1" orange piece and fold it in half, securing it with a dab of glue along the open, heat sealed edges.

19B: Then, cut down the 1" piece, about a 1/3 of the way over from the edge and heat seal the cut edge.

19C: Put a dab of hot glue on the edge of the nose and position on the face.

19D: Now he needs eyes! You can use googly eyes - like I do on my turkeys - but I prefer painting on the eyes for the snowman. Take your black craft paint, a piece of paper (or paper plate) and your straight pin and get ready to paint some eyes!

Step Twenty:
20A: Pour a teensy amount of black paint out onto a piece of paper, and dab your the pearl end of your pin into the glue. I then dab once onto the paper and then onto the snowman - creating an eye. Repeat the process for the second eye.

20B: Now your snowman has a face! Holla!

Now at this point you can turn him into a pin, an ornament or a hair clip. We're going to make him into a hair clip today.

Step Twenty-One:
21A: Take your ribbon covered hair clip and put a line of glue from the end that opens, right up to the point where the clip bends. Don't glue where you pinch to open the clip.

21B: Then secure your snowman to the clip with the bottom of the snowman butting up to bottom edge of your line of glue.

He's done! Now if you want him to have a girlfriend, just make a bow instead of the ear muffs!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #66

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have been a reading machine this week and it's been awesome.
These are two of the three books I read this week.
What have you been up to?
Read anything great?

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

January Fun: Keep Calm and Snow On Printables

2012-01-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

Can you believe we're halfway through January?
Here are so pretty printables to keep your house pretty
until we hit February!

You can download them HERE!!!!

Fine Print:
Please feel free to use this printable for your personal use.
Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.
Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.

Saturday Shout Outs:The {Wintry} Edition

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

So many great winter ideas linked up this week!
Here are some of them!

{Winter Wonderland Party @ Uncommon}
This apothecary jar is snowmen is darling!

{Free Winter Printable @ Happy in Red}

{Winter Wreath @ Krista Artista}
I really wish I could hang a wreath on my door.

{Winter Tree Jars & Frosty Candles @ Homespun with Love}
These are both so sparkly and magical!

{Winter Sensory Bin @ H is for Homeschooling}
My little Isabella would love to explore something like this.

{Snowman Votive @ The Pike Family}
This snowman is fab and good for her for making something she Pinned!

{Winter Mantel @ Fake it Frugal}
If I didn't have my little snowman village up, I'd make
some sparkly branches!

{Let it Snow Sign @ Two Yellow Birds Decor}
You have to check out the technique for adding texture to the board.

{Paper Plate Snowman @ Bowl of Cherrys}
This is so fun! Great January art project for the kids.

{Mitten Pocket Shirt Tutorial @ My Own Road}
Fabulous idea and oh, how I love ric rac!

{Foil Snowflake @ Mom on Time Out}
I love how they are shiny and sparkly!

{Dress Up Snowman @ ewehooo!}
No snow or even signs of winter where you live?
Try this fun idea!

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

January Fun: Paint Stick Snowman

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's another fun craft that the kids can do.

Meet the Mr. Paint Stick Snowman!

He has a cheery disposition,
and a button nose - just like JT likes it :)

You can find out all about him HERE!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #65

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Does this photo bring back childhood memories for anyone?
Please tell me I wasn't the only child that endured
Saturday nights sleeping on sponge rollers?

Well, this weekend I started the tradition with Isabella.
She was eager at the start, but a little less
thrilled when she tried to sleep :)

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

January Fun: Roll a Snowman

2012-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

The January snowman fun continues!

When I first started this project, I was going to make
it out of paper, but decided making good use of the
abundance of felt that I've collected over the past year
would be an awesome idea.

You'll need:

felt
snowman template
Roll a Snowman Card
old cereal box
freezer paper (not necessary - but awesome)

First I traced the snowman shape onto freezer paper.
I love freezer paper, because then you can iron
it onto your fabric and it adheres temporarily.

Next I cut two pieces of felt that were slightly
larger than the piece of cardboard that I cut from
the cereal box.
I wanted it to be semi-stiff.
If you want yours to be soft and pliable,
you can skip the cereal box.

Then cut out your snowman and sew it to one
of your larger pieces of felt.

I hadn't planned on giving him arms,
but this really bothered JT, so I used some
pieces of ribbon as arms.

On the other piece of felt I sewed a little pocket.
Mine was 7x9" and I folded the top down 1"
and top stitched before using a 1/4" seam
to attach it to the large piece of felt.

Next I stitched around three of the four sides with a 1/4"
seam, leaving the top open so I could slip the piece
of cardboard in between.

Then I closed off the top and my snowman board was ready!

Next I made the pieces.
Except for the hat, I just free-hand sewed the shapes.
It was my first time doing such a bold thing and it was a lot of fun :)

I used kind of a reversed technique where
I had two squares or rectangle pieces of felt sandwiched together
and then I would free-hand sew the design on and then cut it out.
It worked really well.

I made both a carrot and button nose again for JT,
because, "Mom, Frosty has a button nose."
Awesome.

I made the Roll a Snowman card
(which I plan to laminate),
and we are ready to ROLL.

You can download yours HERE!!!!

You can do this with paper and laminate the pieces
if the felt thing isn't your gig.
If you do make one for your kids, I'd love to see it!
You can link it up to my Flickr group - it's looking a little sad.

Saturday Shout Outs:The {Rad Idea} Edition

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed all the fun ideas
that were linked up to this week's party.
Here are just a few of the many wonderful ideas.

{Drive In Movie Night @ Ladybird Ln.}
My kids would go cuckoo for this great idea!

{Hopscotch Quilt @ Love Affair with my Brother}
This quilt is adorable!!! Now if only I knew a quilter . . .

{Bustle Skirt Tutorial @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff}
Sumo had me at bustle! I love this. Isabella definitely needs one.

{New Year's Eve Party Poppers @ Nifty Thrifty Things}
I am definitely Pinning this for next year.

{Orange Rolls @ The Farm Girl}
I am on a citrus kick right now, eating lots and lots of cuties.
Do these yummy rolls count toward my fruit/veggie intake?

{Ruffle Front Cardigan @ The Little Giggler}
Cardigan? Ruffles? Adorable!

{Sweet Snowflakes @ Pam's Party & Practical Tips}
JT is cuckoo for tortillas right now, so I know he'd love these.

{Mockingjay Skirt @ Rae Gun Ramblings}
Are you ready for the movie? Just in time for my birthday!

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

January Fun: Mixed Up Snowman Snack

2012-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know Valentine's Day is ALL OVER Pinterest,
but I love January because I {adore} snowmen.
So, this month I'm going to highlight a few
old and new snowmen projects you can do with
the kids to celebrate the wonder that is Winter!

First up is the Mixed Up Snowman Snack!

This is a fun treat that the kids can help with
and you can enjoy at home or share with friends!
So, hop on over HERE for the details on how to make your own.

Saturday Shout Outs:The {2012 New Year} Edition

2012-01-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

Have you already started Pinning
Valentine's Day ideas?
I can't help it - it's just so fun!
But don't forget the Wintry fun of January!

{Peppermint & Snowflake Party @ Homespun with Love}
This is such a cute theme and I love all the decorations.

{Christmas Card Book @ Lisa's Craft Blog}
This is a fabulous idea! Time to pull them down and make a book.

{Mississippi Mud Brownies @ Country Momma Cooks}
Need to kill your Resolutions? Here ya go!

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #64

2012-01-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!
Did you rock it out and party hard?
My kids made til about 11:30 and then passed out.
The weather was gorgeous here yesterday so
we made a little trip here . . .

It was glorious.
I am not looking forward to getting back
to the grind of non-vacation life today.

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Tutorial Thursday: {The Isabella} Pleated Flounce Skirt

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm slightly obsessed with making skirts for Isabella.
She loves them.
She likes dresses, but she {LOVES} skirts!

It all started with this skirt.

At Halloween, it was the tutu skirt
for her Little Red Riding Hood Costume.

Then I repurposed a pillowcase
dress I made for Isabella for her first trip
to Disneyland into this skirt
to match her the Minnie Cupcake shirt I made.

For Thanksgiving I made a skirt to match
her turkey face shirt.

And most recently I made a fabulous
little skirt for a cookie decorating party the
kids were invited to.

I just adore the pleats at the bottom,
so I decided to share with you how I made it,
in case you adore pleats like I do.

You'll need at least a 1/3 of a yard of your main fabric,
at least 15" of your contrasting fabric for the pleats,
and elastic to fit your little lady's waist.

Here is how I worked my math :) -
get ready for a wild ride into madness. LOL

I measured my little Isabella and I wanted my skirt to be 10" long.
However, I wanted my pleats to be about 2.5" long
and I need 1.75" for my waistband and work in .5" for
seam allowances.

10 - 2.5 = 7.5 + 1.75 = 9.25 + .5 = 9.75

I determined I that my main fabric piece
needed to be 9.75 inches long.

My waistband measurement comes from the fact
that my elastic is 1" wide, I roll it under .5"
first, and then 1.25" the second time to create
the casing. I roll it 1.25" the second time
so that I can topstitch the top seam too -
to keep the elastic from rolling.

First, cut your main fabric.
Using my measurements above, I cut 9.75"

When you open it up, you should have a long
piece that is 9.75" wide from selvage to selvage.

Next, you'll need to cut three 5" strips of your
contrasting fabric. Again, when you open them up
the will be 5" wide and run selvage to selvage.

Iron all of your pieces.
Then sew your pieces for pleating together
at the selvage ends, so you have one long strip that is 5" wide.
(Do not join the ends - you want a strip, not a tube.)

Now, go back to your iron and iron your pleat piece
in half - wrong sides together - so that it is now 2.5" wide.

Now it's time to make the marks for the pleat folds.
I decided I wanted my pleats 1.5", so every 1.5" inches
I made a mark with a Sharpie.
Continue marking the entire length of the fabric.

Starting at the right end of your strip, match
two marks together for each pleat. Pin pleat in place.

Continue pleating and pinning down the entire length of the fabric.

Run a basting stitch along the top edge of your pleats.

Pin the pleats to the right side bottom edge of your main fabric.

Sew the two together with with a seam allowance that is
just wider than where your basting stitch falls.

If you are fancy and have a serger, I recommend serging
the edge of this seam.
If you are not fancy like me and don't have a serger,
sew over the edge with a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.

Flip your piece over and iron the seam.
Then topstitch.

Now it's time to join the selvage edges of your fabric,
creating a big fancy tube of fabric.

To create the casing for your waistband, fold and press the top
edge to the wrong side twice - first .5" and then just slightly larger
then the elastic you are using. I used 1" elastic
so I folded and pressed it about 1.25" the second time.
Now, topstitch both the bottom and top of the casing.
Leave about 2" open at the bottom of the casing to feed your elastic into.

I figure what length of elastic I need by just measuring
Isabella's waist. I don't add or subtract.
I know there are different methods for this.
I've been most successful by making the elastic the exact
same as her waist and then when I secure it
in the waist band, overlapping it about 1".

Feed your elastic through the casing by attaching a safety pin
to one end of the elastic and feeding it through the opening, all
the way around, and back out the opening.

Then, overlap the elastic about 1" and sew a rectangle on
the overlapping edges.
Push the remainder of the elastic back up in the
opening of the casing and finish the topstitching
to close off the casing.

VOILA!
You're done!

Saturday Shout Outs:The {After Christmas} Edition

2011-12-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

There were so many fabulous ideas at
last week's TOO Cute Tuesday,
that I had to feature some of them!

{Santa's Suit Pops @ the seven year cottage}
I should have totally made these for my Cookie Exchange Party!
They went perfectly with the theme!

{DIY Hair Headband Tutorial @ Ruby Jean}
This is just gorgeous. I need Isabella to grow about
3X's more hair and then we'll be in business.

{Snowman Ornament Tutorial @ The Sasse Life}
I am such a sucker for snowmen. I wish I would
have seen the giveaway before it ended!

{Christmas Cupcake Ornaments @ Homespun with Love}
I've always wanted to make these and I love the tutorial!

{Big Bow Beanie @ Little Rays of Sunshine}
This is super darling!

{Cookie Exchange @ Just Sew Sassy}
Staci was inspired by my Cookie Exchange and hosted one of her own
It was super cute!!!

{Fleece Blanket Tutorial @ Polish the Stars}
This is perfect because JT got a fleece blanket and Isabella
didn't and she, of course, wants one :)

{Simple Puppet Tutorial @ Serving Pink Lemonade}
So, so, so fun! And I love that the kids can help design them.

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #63

2011-12-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
I'm a couple of days late,
but what's new :)
I hope your Christmas was fabulous.
Now link up the last minute gifties
and lovelies you made!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Cookie Exchange 2011: Cookies for Santa

2011-12-23T17:22:00.000-08:00

It was time once again for my annual cookie exchange.
So, a theme was chosen (Cookies for Santa), the invites went out,
an apron was made, and eleven awesome ladies converged on my home.

The contestants were . . .

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
Reindeer Cookies, Spritz Cookies,
Chocolate Cake Reese's Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies,
Gingerbread Cookies, Apple Chip Cookies,
Alfajores and Cinnamon Roll Cookies.

Of course there were treats and snacks served -
including a hot chocolate and hot cider bar, complete with Cinnamon Dolce Syrup.
My favorite snack was the Santa Hat Party Mix.

The little Santa hats were just so dang cute!

After some snack eating and waiting for the last
two guests to arrive, we had a little handmade gift exchange.
We all unwrapped a gift and then for two minutes
two sets of dice went around the circle.
Every time you rolled a seven or doubles you had
to trade/steal another gift.
It was CRAZY!
I lucked out and got these yummy
and darling cupcakes from my friend Vicki.

Next year I will take pictures of all the fabulous handmade gifts.
Angry Julie brought a pennant that was fiercely fought for,
Kara-Noel made a cute bow tie & bow tie headband set,
Jaime sewed up some HO HO hot pads,
Syl made a fab sugar scrub,
Sam made a darling purple monster friend
that she stole back FROM ME so she only had to make
one for Christmas - smart lady!
There were other fabulous gifts that I don't remember,
but they were all awesome.

Then it was onto the official vote!
I got really fancy this year and made cute voting sheets.

And of course there were prizes!

Vicki took Most Festively Dressed!
And added more hair accessories to her coif.

Jen took the tastiest cookie and won the coveted apron.
(Double Mint Yummies)

Kara-Noel claimed the Best Looking Cookie
and won cute cookie cutters.
(Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies)

Jaime was shocked to take The Most Creative Cookie
and got some serious Ghiradelli hot cocoa with mugs.
(Reindeer Cookies)

Marianne definitely had the Prettiest Cookie Display
and took home a rad cheese cutting board.
(Cinnamon Roll Cookies - lighted tower)

And no Cookie Exchange Party would be complete
without a little gift to take home.
Keeping with the "Cookies for Santa" theme,
I made these!

The haul was quite lovely!

And I had to fight my kids and husband from
eating them the minute the last guest left.

I made Alfajores this year and I'm sharing the
recipe card I made with you.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #62

2011-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

So sorry I'm late!
I was too busy playing dueling sewing machines
with Jaime yesterday and forgot
that I hadn't posted this!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Saturday Shout Outs: It's Almost {Christmas} Edition

2011-12-18T23:56:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for Christmas,

but I kind of wish I had another week before it was coming.
This month seems to just fly by
and I'd love to slow it down.
How about you?

There were so many great ideas linked up!
I love seeing what you all are up to
this time of the year.
Here are some of my favorites!

{Ornament Cake Balls @ A Step in the Journey}
These are super darling!

{Holly Cupcakes @ The Seven Year Cottage}
How fun are these cupcakes?

{Gingerbread Man Rattle @ Vixen Made}
You can't catch me . . .

{Reindeer Poop @ Raising Oranges}
My son would go CRAZY for this!

{Stocking Holders @ Southern Lovely}
I love how personalized these are.

{Bustle Skirt Tutorial @ Rae Gun Ramblings}
Is it too late to make IzzyMoo a skirt?

{Handmade Gifts @ Serving Pink Lemonade}
Ahhh! Such a fabulous handmade gift.

May the Christmas force be with you :)

Celebrate the Holidays at Pretend City

2011-12-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

There is some SERIOUS fun to be had at Pretend City this month.
Isabella asks me almost daily if we can go to Pretend City
while her brother is at school.
I think we just might have a mommy/daughter
date there this month.

IRVINE, Calif. (December, 2011) – December at Pretend City Children’s Museum is designed to discover all the wonderfully different, diverse and dynamic holiday celebrations that this season has to offer! Journey through this month’s programming with an open mind and a thirst to learn. Through exceptional classes and programs, children will learn about new and different holidays, diverse cultural celebrations and dynamic traditions that people around the world enjoy celebrating throughout the winter season! But that is not all, before the start of a fresh year, ensure your child is in tip-top shape to enter 2012 by taking advantage of our free health screenings throughout the month.

December Activities at Pretend City:

Las Posadas Celebration- Friday, December 16^th (All Day)

This day marks our annual kick-off to Las Posadas celebration. Come celebrate the first day of this 9-day celebration through special activities, which will allow your children to have a better understanding of the history of this celebration. Activities of the day will include:

Let’s Move: Piñata Party – Help your child work on their swing while they learn more about a common holiday tradition.
Colorful Cultures: Posada Placemat – On the 9th day of Las Posadas families will gather for a feast. Make sure you are prepared with your very own placemat.
Sensational Story Time: Uno, Dos, Tres Posada – Practice your counting in the fun tale that counts down this special holiday.
Symbols in a Second: Star Piñata – Join us to make your very own piñata and learn why the most common piñata shape during Las Posadas is a 5-pointed star.

Hanukkah Celebration - Wednesday, December 21^st (All Day)

Happy Hanukkah! This is a special time of celebration and learning! There are many symbols associated with Hanukkah. This is your opportunity to come and learn more about many of these symbols. Engaging activities are sure to have your little ones delighted while wanting to learn more about this special holiday. Some activities are:

“Good To Go” Game: Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel - The dreidel is painted with letters, gimel, hey, nun, and shin which are written on the sides. Learn and play this traditional game while your 4-year-old works on cognitive skills including counting, symbol identification, and following commands.
Colorful Cultures: Smart Art Star of David – Use your creativity and new knowledge of this holiday to make your very own Star of David ornament.

Hanukkah Olive Press Workshop - Wednesday, December 21^st (11:30am)

At Pretend City step back in time as you pretend to be a group of Macabees. Children will utilize their fine motor skills to refine the olive oil needed for the Menorah while they:

Pit fresh olives and squeeze them with a hand press.
Strain and then spin the extract in a centrifuge to separate the pure oil.
Fashion a wick out of cotton for use with the oil when lighting the Menorah.

As an added bonus, each child will have the opportunity to create Hanukkah sand art and make their very own Menorah.

RSVP: Online registration through Event Brite

Christmas Celebration - Friday, December 23^rd (All Day)

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…over to Pretend City for this Christmas celebration! This Christmas festival will have you and your child wanting to keep those musical notes and dancing feet jingling throughout the city! Don’t miss out!

Music & Movement: 11:00a.m. Christmas Concert presented by Young Music Company
Symbols in a Second: Meet & Greet with Santa – There’s only a few days left before Christmas! Make sure to come and let Santa know what your Christmas wish is while he shares a bit of history with you about his origin.
Cooking Up Cultures: Crunchy Christmas Tree – This Christmas tree isn’t just for looks, but for eating too! As we learn how the Christmas tree came to be, you will enjoy working on those hand and finger skills to create an edible tree.
Let’s Move: Rudolph’s Race – When Santa called upon Rudolph they were in a race to save Christmas. Get moving in your Rudolph gear to beat the Christmas clock!

Kwanza Begins - Monday, December 26^th (10am-3pm)

Kwanzaa is a Pan-African holiday that was created to reconnect African-Americans to their African roots. The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, meaning the first fruits of the harvest. In honor of this holiday, guests will learn about the Nguzu Saba (“seven principles of blackness”) through creative hands-on art projects, videos, and interactive story times featuring African cloths, drumming, and traditional dolls.

Ring in the Noon Year! New Year’s Eve Celebration- Dec 31^st (10am-12 noon)

Spend this New Year’s Eve ringing in the New Year Pretend City style! Today will be the day for family and friends to gather at Pretend City to celebrate the New Year. Festivities of the day will include:

Let’s Move: Rockin’Dance Party – Ever hour as we countdown to the “Noon Year” we will have a dance party! Featuring the latest and greatest in party songs you will enjoy moving and grooving in the Orange Plaza.
Colorful Cultures: What New Years is complete without the traditional party wear! Join us in the art studio to find color decorations to signify your New Year’s Resolution.
Sensational Story Time: The Night Before New Years – It’s the night before New Year’s and all through the house…? Come find out during this story time followed by a fun streamer making activity!
12:00p.m. Ring in the Noon Year! Join us in Orange Plaza as we ring in the New Year at Noon! This party comes complete with a countdown, ball drop, and dancing!

I think that everything sounds amazing!

And celebrating the Noon Year is a genius idea!
Way to go, Pretend City!

Are You a Winner??

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Custom Ornament from the Handprint Lady
is #3 Cory!!!!!

The winner of the iMo camera strap
is #24 Sarah M.!!!!!

The winner of the Shabby Apple necklace
is #14 Donna!!!

Please contact me within 72 hours to claim your fabulous prizes!!!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #61

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I was invited by Fresh&Easy holiday preview event.
I took Jaime as my +1.
It was so much fun and the food was amazing.
We had fun in the photo booth!

I am in {LOVE} with their Sparkling Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider.
You must find some and consume the entire bottle :)

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Angry Birds Birthday Playdate

2011-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

This year we had an Angry Birds Birthday Playdatefor JT's 6th Birthday.
He invited his friends from kinder carpool and his bestie Jeremy.

This was supposed to be less stressful for me and more fun for JT :)
We started with decorating our treat bags.
I printed off coloring pages from Cartoon Jr.
and the kids colored them.

Then Jaime and I helped them cut them out and they glued
them onto their bag.

Then we played a little Angry Birds game.
The kids loved it, but it was hard waiting their turns :)

Then we headed outside in the Angry Birds costumes
that my friend Kirsten had made her family for Halloween.

The kids loved them!!!!
First they just ran wild . . .

And then they broke into a more organized game
of DUCK, DUCK, Angry Bird!

No Angry Birds Birthday would be complete
without some super cute cupcakes!

So I ~~begged~~ hired my cousin Cory of Lady Cupcake's Corner
to make some awesome toppers and she shipped
them to me for the big day.

JT requested red velvet cake.
What?
6 kids + red velvet = No Bueno.
So we ate them outside.

One of the fun things in the goodie bag was
an Angry Bird mask that I made for the kids.
As you can see,
my model wasn't a willing participant.

However, the other kids loved them!

Here's how I made them:

Cut out all the pieces using my template,
cutting two of each piece.

Then I top stitched around the beaks and the feather fluffs.

Then I basted the feather fluff and 11 inch piece of elastic
to the back piece.
Then stitched the front piece to the back piece
and stitched around the eye holes.

Then, I changed thread to match the beak
and sewed it onto the mask.
Finally, I used Fabric-Tac to glue the
angry eyebrows onto the mask.

If you'd like to make your own mask,

you can download my pattern pieces HERE!!!!!

It's Christmastime: Christmas Book Advent Countdown

2011-12-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

We did this last year and had so much fun with it,
that I had to do it again this year.
I already had enough books last year -
perks of being a former 2nd grade teacher -
but I wanted to collect some new ones this year.
So when it was time for Scholastic Book orders,
you know I grabbed some of $3 deals :)

I got wrapping paper at the 99 cent store and I love
how it turned out.
Last year I used the same wrapping paper to wrap each
book, but this year I wanted it to look just a little
more colorful and exciting.

We are five days in and the kids are loving it.
If you haven't started yet,
never fear!
You could start on the 12th or 13th,
depending when you want to end,
and do the Twelve Days of Christmas.
There's still time!!!

Some of the books we used this year:
The Jolly Christmas Postman
Snowflake Bentley
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!
Dinosaur Christmas
The Tale of Three Trees
Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed
The Gingerbread Girl
Snowmen at Christmas
The Polar Express
Snowmen at Night
Gingerbread Baby
Milly and the Macy's Parade
Oh What a Christmas
Christmas in the Country
Snowbears Christmas Countdown
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
Tacky's Christmas
The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever
A Pirate's Night Before Christmas
Night Before Christmas
Christmas in the Manger

And remember, if you don't own 24 Christmas books,
you can use winter books, holiday books,
or even check them out from the library!

Enjoy!!

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #60

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to TOO Cute Tuesday!
Did you see my post about Gift Gloss?
You have to check it out and let me know what you think.

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Picture a Christmas: A Christmas Lesson

2011-12-05T00:15:00.000-08:00

This year it was my turn to teach the Christmas
lesson to all the Young Women at church.
I worried for weeks about what to do,
and then one evening I realized I wanted to use the theme
"Picture a Christmas" from the LDS Children's Songbook.
One Christmas was I was about 9 years old - I'm guessing -
Christmas fell on a Sunday and I sang it for sacrament meeting
and then I sang it for the children at juvenile hall.
I've been in love with the song ever since.
(P.S. I can't believe my mom took me to juvi to sing!)

So I asked my friend Leilani and her beautiful girls to open my lesson
by singing "Picture a Christmas".
My friend plays ukelele and they all sing beautifully.
Leilani writes her own harmonies,
so the song was gorgeous.

Then I shared the quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!"

And then proceeded with the following
activity/experience that I found on Sugardoodle.net.
I used my favorite Nativity that my Grandma Meyer gave me.
It is truly a treasure.
I wrapped each piece individually and placed them in a large basket.

I had each girl take a gift from the basket,
and we opened them in the order below.
I created the cards using some of text from the lesson
on Sugardoodle and the digital scrapbook kit
by Jacque Larsen at The Lilypad.

After the Shepherds my friend Jen and I sang
"Were You There" by Natalie Sleeth.

After Joseph I read an excerpt about Joseph
from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk -
"Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come from a Store."
Then I played for them a recording of the song
"Guard Him, Joseph" by Sally DeFord.

After Mary I read I read an excerpt about Mary
from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk -
"Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come from a Store."

After we opened Baby Jesus I shared this video that I also
found on Sugardoodle.

I ended by bearing my testimony of the divinity of
the Savior and my gratitude for His life, his sacrifice,
and his resurrection.
I shared my gratitude for His mother and surrogate father,
for their sacrifice and strength.

I reiterated the quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!"

And challenged them to make room for Christ in their lives
this Christmas season.
I gave them a pillowcase to remind them that
when they go to rest their head, that
Jesus had no place and to give Him a place.
I also printed a set of the cards for them so
they could use them with their own families.

Saturday Shout Outs: The {Countdown} Edition

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Do you have your countdown calendars up?

We've got several going over here,
but there were such cute ideas shared for
Too Cute Tuesday,
I might just have to make another!

{Christmas Advent Calendar @ Holy Craft}

{Advent Calendar @ Destination: Craft}

{Garland of Giving @ Polkadots On Parade}

{Christmas Present Advent Calendar @ Creation Corner}

{Toilet Roll Advent Calendar @ Serenity You}

{Advent Calendar in a Mini Muffin Pan @ Modern Yet Old Fashioned}

{Gingerbread Pancakes @ Sandy Toes and Popsicles}
These were too cute not to share!

{Rainbow Birthday Party @ minimoz}
And you know I love rainbows!

Product Review: GiftGloss

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to share this fun product with you.

The fab ladies at GiftGloss
contacted me about doing a review of their wonderful
gift wrapping system.

I was excited to have it arrived all foofed and looking beautiful.
Betty says they don't usually ship it foofed, but she wanted
me to get an idea of how fabulous it is.

I was sent the GiftGloss kit,
so I received:
* the dispenser
* One 50' roll of 6” wide tubular GiftGloss
* One 50’ roll of 12” wide tubular GiftGloss
* 2 sheets "foofed by me" stickers
* One "Helping Hand" tool

We just happened to need to wrap
a couple of treats for JT's teacher,
so I whipped out my GiftGloss and got to foofing!
I used the 6" tubular GiftGloss.

And they both came out so cute!

And on their website, there are so many
creative ideas on how to foof your items in style!

I loved using the system,
and I love that the entire thing fits inside of a drawer!!!
Right now the FoofQueens have two fabulous deals going on.
You can either use the code "GIRAFFE" to get 20% off your
purchase

OR

FOR A LIMITED TIME, GET A FREE DISPENSER WITH THE PURCHASE OF A $39.95 GIFTGLOSS KIT! TWO Dispensers, one for each size of GiftGloss, for the price of only one... SAVE $26.95. NOTE: FREE Dispenser does not apply when using a coupon code.

Disclosure: I was given the GiftGloss system for free. I blogged about it because I wanted to and not because all the foofing went to my brain. All the thoughts & opinions are mine.

It's Christmastime: Fun Activities for you fam!

2011-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

December is my most favorite month.

Not only were both of my children born this month,
but there are so many wonderful things
going on in the community.

I wanted to share a few of the awesome events
going on in the OC this weekend.

I had no idea how close to me Heritage Hill was to me
until I attended an event preview last night.

It is such a little treasure hidden away in Lake Forest.
The grounds and buildings and charming and
all the Christmas lights make it so charming and inviting.

The kids were excited to take the tour and find out all about the Victorian Christmas.

As a special treat for the bloggers and their families
attending the preview they had two yummy food trucks -
Taco Maria and The Tailgate Truck.

My favorite was Meringue Bake Shop.
The kids inhaled TWO Push Cakes each!
(thanks Kristin)
And HELLO eggnog cupcake!

The kids got to make Victorian crackers to pop open on Christmas Eve.
They were so fun and the Parks staff was amazing to work with.

You definitely need to visit Heritage Hill during the Holidays
if you haven't been before and go back if you've already been.

I fell in love with the schoolhouse.
I wish schools were cute like this these days.

The Victorian Christmas celebration will take place
Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be handicraft vendors, festive holiday entertainment, free children's crafts, living history demonstrations, historical exhibits, tours through the decorated, historic buildings and visits with Santa Claus.
It's not to be missed!!!

*************************************
Another fun event is the 20th Annual Community Christmas Celebration.
I took JT to this a few years ago and it was wonderful!
There are Creches from around the world, activities for the kids,
and wonderful music from local groups.
It's this weekend Dec 2-4 - check the website for details.

The Living Nativity in Rancho Santa Margarita.
I've never been to this event, but it looks awesome.
You can find all the details about it HERE.

Don't forget about the Little Penelope Lane open house tonight!

Holiday Giveaway: The Handprint Lady

2011-11-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

I've got another fabulous giveaway today!
It comes from the fabulous Handprint Lady.
She does AMAZING things with ceramics and handprints
and makes them into beautiful keepsakes.

She has plates and platters . . .

Plaques and stepping stones

Vases and Mugs

Custom Ornaments

And so much more!
She is wonderful to work with
and is an expert at planning and creating
beautiful keepsakes.
And what's even more awesome
is that it can all be done via mail.

Because Monica loves you all so much she
has offered a 10% discount off any handprint
order with the code "HANDPRINT".

Today she is also giving away a custom ornament!!
You can personalize it with a wedding date,
anniversary, baby's first Christmas,
family names - the options are endless!

Want it?

Well, you can WIN IT!
If you want to win
then here is what you to do!

MANDATORY ENTRY

(this MUST be completed for any other extra entries to count)

Visit The Handprint Lady and have a look around.
The come back here and tell me the names of some
of your favorites items.

Extra Entries:
(You MUST complete the mandatory entry before completing any extra entries.)

1 Extra Entry: {LIKE} The Handprint Lady on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall saying I sent you! (leave 1 additional comment)

1 Extra Entry: {TWEET} about the giveaway with a link back here and mention @funkyPDgiraffe (leave 1 additional comment)
1 Extra Entry: {FACEBOOK} about the giveaway with a link back here and mention Funky PolkaDot Giraffe in the update. (leave 1 additional comment)

As always, giveaways are only open to
FPG Google Friends Connect PUBLIC followers.
Open to US residents only.
This GIVEAWAY will end on December 7th at midnight PST.

1 lucky reader will be selected using Random.org and will have 72 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen.
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU,
IF YOU DON'T LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS, I WILL
PICK A NEW WINNER.

Note:
Delivery by Christmas is not guaranteed.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #59

2011-11-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

Happy ThankYouGivings Day!!!!
I know, I know.
I'm like a week too late :)
But I was having too much fun enjoying
the holiday with the family.
And of course doing some serious Black Friday shopping!

Speaking of shopping . . .
My cute friend Sarah of Little Penelope Lane is having an
open house on Thursday!!!

We love us some Little Penelope Lane up in here!
They are so darling and so perfectly priced.
If you're an LA/OC local - I definitely recommend checking it out!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Holiday Giveaway: iMo Camera Strap

2011-11-29T00:01:00.001-08:00

Are you ready for another giveaway???
Well, it's time!!!

iMo makes the coolest camera straps.
They are so stylish and functional.
Some of them even have a quick release option,
which makes changing straps as easy
as changing your socks.
I love it!

Today iMo is giving away one camera strap
of your choosing to one lucky winner!!!!

Want it?

Well, you can WIN IT!
If you want to win
then here is what you to do!

MANDATORY ENTRY

(this MUST be completed for any other extra entries to count)

Visit iMo, look around,
and come back here and tell me the names of your favorite camera straps.

Extra Entries:
(You MUST complete the mandatory entry before completing any extra entries.)

1 Extra Entry: {LIKE} iMo on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall saying I sent you! (leave 1 additional comment)

As always, giveaways are only open to
FPG Google Friends Connect PUBLIC followers.
This GIVEAWAY will end on December 6th at midnight PST.

Nutrisystem: November Update

2011-11-28T23:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
I'm sorry that I've been lax at reporting my
Nutrisystem progress.

It has been a good month
and I feel like I finally got my head in the game.
Does that make sense?
I feel like I finally found the fire I've been
searching for the past two years
and I'm ready to go.
That's exciting for me.
I'm starting boot camp with friends this week
and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Are you nervous about heading into the holidays
and all the food that seems to pop up?
I swear - when I was teaching -
there were treats in the lounge every day.
That can make it hard.

Here are some tips from Nutrisystem to help you stay on track:

Nutrisystem Holiday Survival Smarts

10 Diet-friendly Strategies for Thanksgiving and Beyond

The holiday season is a dreaded time for many people on a weight loss program, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 10 easy ways you can enjoy the celebration days without feeling punished or sacrificing your Nutrisystem progress.

1. Have a plan. Think things through before you get to the actual holiday meals and parties. Maybe your strategy is to take tiny portions of different dishes; that’s okay. If you’re cooking, you might want to have your bottle of water with you in the kitchen, so you’re less tempted to snack. Do what you can to stay away from the appetizer table. Plan to avoid anything that’s not homemade. The point is that if you go in with a plan, you’ll be less likely to get caught off-guard.

Utilize “The Low GI Cookbook – Nutrisystem Edition,” for cooking up some delicious holiday meals such as the Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom Lasagna or Pork With Honey Glazed Apples, while staying on track and not depriving yourself of the holiday festivities. The cookbook is available for purchase over the phone or on nutrisystem.com.

2. Stay on track. Holidays are not the time to skip meals in an attempt to “bank” calories. That’s a strategy that can backfire miserably. Instead, eat everything on your meal plan leading up to the holiday event, and make sure you’re drinking all your water. You’ll be less likely to overindulge at the big event.

3. Set a goal. There’s something about holidays that makes people forget what they do the rest of the year. Do you already have weight loss goals set up for November, December and January? If not you can start today. Once you’ve set a short-term goal, decide on a way to reward yourself once the goal has been reached.

4. Drink smart. Face it, overindulging during holiday events—whether it’s an office party, a family gathering or a neighborhood open house—can add a lot of extra calories to your day. In addition, when you’ve had too much to drink, it tends to weaken your previous resolve and derail any strategies and plans you might have had. Besides, you don’t want to end up as that karaoke-singing family member or neighbor everyone will be talking about for the next month.

5. Trim the calories. This tip is especially useful if you happen to be the primary cook for an event. In baked items, replace the fat with an equal amount of applesauce and the sugar with a sugar substitute; substitute a quarter cup of egg substitute for every egg called for in the recipe; replace butter with low fat margarine; replace whole milk with 1% milk and sour cream with yogurt; reduce the amount of nuts called for by half. And don’t forget both veggies and salad.

6. Enlist support. Trying to maintain your Nutrisystem program can be hard at the holidays, but there’s no reason you have to go it alone. Ask for your family’s understanding or even their help, so nobody’s trying to foist “seconds” on you. Nutrisystem counselors can help you strategize, based on your individual circumstances. Or you can go to the Nutrisystem Discussion Boards, where you’ll find people who definitely understand what you’re trying to do. Discuss your concerns; share tips of your own, or join one of the many weight loss challenges. Some of them are specifically geared to the holidays. Introduce yourself well before the event, so you have that support already in place.

7. Keep moving. Instead of just sitting around after dinner, suggest a family walk, or organize a touch-football game. Most people will be grateful for the chance to move around, and it can keep you on-track with your exercise plan.

8. Quality not Quantity. If you do plan to indulge in some of the traditional Thanksgiving favorites, use these portions as a guideline:

Turkey—3 oz. white meat, no skin (about the size of a deck of cards)
Mashed potatoes—1/3 cup (about the size of half of a baseball)
Gravy—1 Tbsp. (just drizzle it)
Relish made with sugar—1 Tbsp.
Stuffing—2 Tbsp.
Dinner Roll—if not homemade, skip it
Pie—1/12 of a 9” pie

9. Eat Before You Go. Whether you are hosting or just attending a holiday function, be sure to eat your Nutrisystem entrée before the festivities begin -- that way you won’t be tempted to overeat during the meal and will be able to stay on track.

10. Embrace the holiday spirit. This last tip may just be the most important: You can get so caught up in all the planning and hoopla that you lose the whole meaning of the holiday season—coming together with friends and loved ones. It’s the time that’s really valuable, not the food and drink.

CURRENT STATS:
Week One: -6 lbs
Week Two: -3 lbs
Week Three: -.5
Week Four: -2
Week Five: -0
Week Six: -1
Week Seven: -1
Week Eight: -.5
Week Nine: -1
Week Ten: -1.5
Week Eleven: +3
Week Twelve: +2
Week Thirteen: -2
Week Fourteen: -1
Week Fifteen: -0
Week Sixteen: -1
Week Seventeen: -1
Week Eighteen: -0
Week Nineteen: -0
Week Twenty: -.5

TOTAL: 17

Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me free of charge in exchange for blogging about my experience as part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. The opinions above are my own.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling tel:1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

Holiday Giveaway: Shabby Apple Jewelry

2011-11-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Holla!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
So I'm going to be a little unorthodox and do
giveaways whenever I feel like it this month!
Woohoo!!!

My first giveaway comes from Shabby Apple!
They have gorgeous vintage jewelry, women's dresses,
and little girls dresses.
I love everything about their style and products.

Today I'm giving away
The White Rabbit's Time Keeper!!!!

It is a gorgeous piece of vintage jewelry and
a wonderful addition to any collection.

If you can't wait to see if you've won,
or if there are lots of other things at Shabby Apple you'd like,
use the code "giraffe10off" for 10% off your purchase.
(expires 12/16/11)

Want it?

Well, you can WIN IT!
If you want to win
then here is what you need to do!

MANDATORY ENTRY

(this MUST be completed for any other extra entries to count)

{LIKE} Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave
a comment on their wall saying I sent you.
Then come back and comment here!

Extra Entries:
(You MUST complete the mandatory entry before completing any extra entries.)

As always, giveaways are only open to
FPG Google Friends Connect PUBLIC followers.
This giveaway is open to USA residents only.

This GIVEAWAY will end on December 5th at midnight PST.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #58

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Did you have a fabulous weekend?
I spent my {EARLY} Saturday morning helping
a friend get her booth for the CUW Boutique
up and running.
I didn't sell this year, but it was fun
to still be part of the action.

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Want It? Win It! Wednesday: My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software

2011-11-16T23:13:00.000-08:00

I shared with you before that I'm a digital scrapbooker.

It's such a less cluttered way to scrapbook
and I was totally smitten with it once my friend Mandy
introduced me to almost 6 years ago.
I have to admit that I don't do it as often as I'd like,
but it's still fun to use to make printables and other
fun things!

So I'm excited to be able to offer a giveaway
of Amazon's #1 rated digital scrapbook software -
My Memories Suite!!!

It's a totally affordable and user-friendly option
for digital scrapbooking.
You can make scrapbook pages, edit and
embellish your photos, and create printables!

Jaime and I recently took our kids out to the
the mountains to enjoy some Fall apple fun.
I used My Memory to make a quick album
page and a funny printable of a sign then had up
at the cider mill :)

I was impressed with how user friendly My Memories Suite
was for digital scrapbooking.
I opened the program and started right in with no problem.

Today one winner will win My Memory Suite
Digital Scrapbooking Software!

BUT!
If you can't wait to see if you win,
you can purchase My Memories Suite
right HERE and use the code

STMMMS24096

for a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!

Want it?
Well, you can WIN IT!
If you want to win
then here is what you need to do!

MANDATORY ENTRY

(this MUST be completed for any other extra entries to count)

Visit www.MyMemories.com
and tell me which digital scrapbook kit you'd
like to use for your first album.

Extra Entries:
(You MUST complete the mandatory entry before completing any extra entries.)

1 Extra Entry: {LIKE} My Memories on Facebook. (leave 1 additional comment)
1 Extra Entry: {FOLLOW} the My Memories Blog. (leave 1 additional comment)
1 Extra Entry: {FOLLOW} My Memories on Twitter. (leave 1 additional comment)
1 Extra Entry: {SHARE} about the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. Be sure to mention or tag Funky PolkaDot Giraffe so I know you did it!. (leave 1 additional comment)

As always, giveaways are only open to
FPG Google Friends Connect PUBLIC followers.
This giveaway is open to USA residents only.

This GIVEAWAY will end on November 23rd at midnight PST.

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of My Memories Suite software to try and use. I am also a My Memories affiliate and receive compensation only when someone purchases using the referral code above. All the thoughts & opinions are mine.

Free Printable: Winter Bucket List

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun with our Summer Bucket List
and Fall Bucket List . . .

That now it's time for a Winter Bucket List!!!!

I made one for you too!!!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
There is a version with text and a BLANK version,
in case you have no idea what a beach sandman is:)
ENJOY!

As always - please adhere to the rules:
- Funky PolkaDot Giraffe printables are for PERSONAL use only.
-Please do not remove the watermark.
- Please link back to this site if you post anywhere on the internet.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #57

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we took the kids to the Universal City Walk.
It was a lot of fun and one of my favorite places
was It's Sugar.
Think real life Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Look at this rad festive candy!

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Saturday Shout Outs: {The Festive Ideas} Edition

2011-11-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?
I can't believe it's next week.
I'm in the throws of organizing the Kinder Thanksgiving Feast,
so we're all sort of crazy around here.
However, I've come to realize I like it crazy.
If it's not crazy, I'm not quite sure what to do with myself :)

Here are some of my favorite ideas from last week.

{Thanksgiving Quote Printable @ Capital B}
Love President Monson and love this quote!

{Pumpkin Doodle Cookies @ Something Swanky}
Mmmm . . . pumpkin!

{Leaf Garland Tutorial @ Crafty Mischief}
Can a girl have too many garlands? Cuz I want this one too!

{Be Thankful Garland @ ReMade Simple}
And this one too!!

{Thanksgiving Subway Art Printable @ Food, Folks, & Fun}
This is so cute!

{Glitter Thumbtacks @ Vixen Made}
Got any tweens in your life? They'd love these!

{Happy Couple Blanket @ Craft Buds}
I almost fell down laughing when I saw this because it's just too perfect.

{Super Hero Puppets @ Serving Pink Lemonade}
JT would flip for these!

{Playdoh Beads @ Vintage Chic by Bri}
Who would have thought? Fabulous idea!

{Handmade Stockings Tutorial @ The Pless Press}
I want to make some of these!!

{Scrappy Christmas Tree @ Beneath the Rowan Tree}
I love this idea! And my little youth girls at church
could do it too!

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!

Carapelli Olive Oil Tasting

2011-11-13T19:01:00.001-08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carapelli for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We love Olive Oil at our house.

I use it for everything - even things that aren't Italian -

like Quesadillas and popping corn over the stove :)

It just gives everything a fantastic flavor.

So I was really excited to receive a bottle from Carapelli of their

Extra Virgin Olive oil to taste test.

Did you know that Olive Oil Master Testers test olive oil

much like wine testers test wine?

I had no idea.

So it was fun to learn about how to properly taste olive oil

and then try it out with Carapelli Extra Virgin OIive Oil.

The Olive Oil Master Testers use a small, stemless blue glass to taste

the olive oil. They use the palm of their hand to cup the bottom of the glass

and gently warm it and release the aroma. The blue glass also conceals

the color of the oil - which isn't an indicator of quality.

Then they use four S's - Swirl, Sniff, Slurp and Swallow.

1. Swirl – By swirling the olive oil in your glass, you release the oil’s esters, which are the molecules that
contain the aroma.

2. Sniff – Now inhale deeply. The aroma is the key to the fruitiness of the oil. Is it intense or is it
more subtle?

3. Slurp – Sip the oil while “sipping” in a bit of air. This slurping action emulsifies the oil and helps spread it
throughout your mouth. Take note of the various tastes and sensations. Is it fruity, peppery, smooth?

4. Swallow – Once you swallow the oil, it should leave your mouth with no aftertaste. Again, take note of
any peppery or stinging sensation in your throat.

I tried out the four S's and when I sniffed the Carapelli it

had an intense and yummy aroma.

When I slurped I was immediately struck with a peppery

taste that was surprising and was not what I was expecting.

Then as I swallow there was a stinging peppery sensation

in my throat that left me exclaiming - WHOA!

I was impressed with the quality of the Carapelli Olive Oil.

It's a company that has been around since 1893

and I trust that they know their olive oil.

If you'd like to try Carapelli for yourself here's a $1.00 off coupon!

$1.00 OFF coupon at www.CarapelliUSA.com

Check Me Out: {GUEST}ing at I Heart Naptime

2011-11-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey all!

I'm over at I Heart Naptime today
for her Crazy Christmas Crafters series.

Come and check out my tips for hosting
a holiday cookie exchange party!

WINNERS!!!!

2011-11-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

I've got FIVE winners to announce today!

The {THREE} winners of the 25 Free Shutterfly Cards are:

#17 Shutteryfly Addict

#7 Jen

#8 Michelle

The {TWO} winners of the Razzle Dazzle Ruby books are:

#12 SarahLynn

#7 Mindy1024

Hurry and email me at funkypolkadotgiraffe {at} gmail {dot} com
within 48 hours so I can get your prizes to you!

Thanksgiving Garland

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

I am totally in love with this changeable garland
tutorial from Twinkle and Twine.

So, since I was hosting book club this week
and really wanted to the Thanksgiving
decorations up for the evening,
I decided the day of the meeting to make one.
Awesome idea, right?
It's always great to start new projects
when you have company coming and the house
needs to be cleaned.

I am so in love with how it turned out.
I also cut out the word {HAPPY},
but I ran out of time to top stitch the letters,
so right now it just says Thanksgiving.

I can't decide whether to leave it or finish the {HAPPY}.
What do you think?

I also thought I might make more letters so that I
can change it to say:
THANKFUL, BE THANKFUL, or GIVE THANKS
whenever I want.

Right now I'm just feeling proud of myself
for finishing something I Pinned!

What have you accomplished that you're proud of?

Veteran's Day: An Invitation and FREE Printable

2011-11-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite places - Pretend City - is hosting
some of our favorite people - military members -
this Friday for a Veteran's Day Celebration!

Members of the military and their immediate family
will enjoy FREE admission to Pretend City.

The Museum will be open to everyone to celebrate
our American Veterans and thank them
for their service and sacrifice.

Guests are invited to dress in red, white and blue
and member of the military are invited
to wear their uniforms.

There will be fun activities and patriotic music
throughout the day.

Friday, November 11th
9:00am-5:00pm
Pretend City Children's Museum
29 Hubble
Irvine, CA

I hope to see some of you there!

And here is the free printable I promised you!

Just a little printable I whipped up to help me remember.
You can download yours HERE.
As always, printables from FPG are for PERSONAL USE only.
Honor bloggy karma and it will honor you.

TOO Cute Tuesday: Linky Par-Tay! #56

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

So last week the stomach flu hit our family . . . and hit us hard.
But it was also the weekend my parents
and little sister were coming for a trip to Disneyland
for my parent's 33rd wedding anniversary.
Awesome timing, huh?

So since I was up until 3am with a sick 2.5 year old
on Thursday night before we were going to Disneyland
at 9am Friday morning,
I used the time to make these :)

And I was so glad I did,
because they looked dang cute.

I'll share more about them later this week.

Now onto TOO Cute Tuesday!

What did you make this week that is TOO Cute??

Come link up!

Rules:

Must be made by you.
Link up to the specific post - not your main blog.
No Etsy shops or giveaways please :)
Please post the button or link back here so more people can join in the fun.
Visit some of the other participants and leave them some LOVE!

Saturday Shout Outs: {Welcome November} Edition

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm back!!!
How was your first weekend of November?
Mine was eventful, to say the least :)

Here are some of my favorites from last week's party,
check them out and leave them some love!

{DIY Tights @ Southern Lovely}
Such a fabulous and darling idea!

{Farm Felt Finger Puppets @ Red Fly Creations}
My farm animal loving boy would flip for these!

{Rag Doll Tutorial @ Becoming Martha}
These are just so cute!

and to start getting you in the mood . . .

{Jingle All the Way @ And I Thought I Loved You Then}

If you were featured,
please feel free to grab a button if you'd like!