Happy Thanksgiving & a Sale

Thanksgiving is very special to me. I wish we had this kind of holiday in my country, Zambia. Its a wonderful time to reflect on the things that bring or should bring us happiness.

I am grateful for:

1. my little family. James, Diana and Eli have been a huge blessing in my life. James is extremely hardworking. He is loyal, trustworthy, kind, charitable and an awesome husband and father to my kids. One thing I love about him is that you will never ever hear him say anything negative or belittling about anyone. If its negative, then its something he would probably say in their face. He just makes me want to be a better person. With my kids, I can write for eternities. I am just grateful that God gave me the opportunity to be their parents. They have filled my heart with joy I never knew was possible.

2. my parents. The sacrifices they have made for our well being, the love and support they show me everyday. Even though they are a continent away, they have continued to be my number 1 fans. My father has always had health challenges as long as I can remember. Being a parent now, helps me appreciate him even more. My mother is one extraordinary woman. She has the biggest heart and loves unconditionally. I want to be just like her 'when I grow up.'

3. my siblings. Growing up, our friends made up a song about us because we were always together and did everything together. We become so close we didn't care very much about making friends outside our circle. I remember being at school and terribly missing my little sister and brother. It was crazy. But I will forever be grateful for parents that helped us realize that family ALWAYS comes first.

4. my in laws. My parents in law are the best people I know. Every time I look at my husband, the life the he leads, the choices he makes everyday, the love he has for us and the respect he shows those around him; I can't help it but be grateful for the 2 devoted parents that gave him life and taught him so well. They are a wonderful couple, parents and grandparents. They mean the world to me. They have been there at our graduations, marriage, birthdays, our kids' births etc. I love it and my kids love them.

5. for good health, a home, freedom, good friends and neighbors.

6. for this beautiful country I have come to call home. I have lived here in the States for almost 7 years now and I love it. I am grateful for the smiley strangers I meet every day in the streets. I am always amazed at the kindness of the American people and their willingness to bless the lives of those they surround. For the bountiful opportunities in store for everyone that wants them. I am deeply thankful to be a part of 2 amazing countries.

7. for my readers;  the kind comments and support you give me as a friend and blogger. You are awesome. Please give yourselves a high five!

HAVE A FANTASTIC THANKSGIVING. My wish is that everyone finds joy and happiness in whatever circumstances you may be in; love and be loved:)

 

On another bright note, Tiny Dazzles is having a sale on all the kids' boots. Use code thanx2013 for a 30% discount. The sale will run from today to Dec 2.



 

Enjoy

 

 

Tickets, Tickets please!

Diana was in heaven when we surprised her with a train trip around town. One of her favorite shows is Dinosaur Train, a PBS kids show with dinosaurs that ride on a train frequently. Diana's favorite line is when the conductor comes around saying, 'tickets, tickets please.'

Anyway, we had a wonderful time. We boarded the frontrunner at Woods cross and it took us downtown. Then we hooped on the Trax to Trolly Square. We walked for a block to my favorite eating place, Cafe Rio. Then got back on the train heading home. The trip lasted 5 hours and it was fun mainly because our kids loved it.

source

Tickets ready

Eli sucks on his fingers when he is tired or hungry

A forced smile and a sleepy face

It was a fun, inexpensive, family date filled with lots of laughs. The kids rode free, James too because he is a student at the U. I had to buy a ticket. I made a 'pretend' ticket for Diana and daddy walked down the isle saying 'tickets, please.' Yes, we had a few people around us. The things parents do for their kids...

What do you guys do with your kids and family that is fun but inexpensive especially in the winter? We did this a few days ago and the weather was nice and warm..

Doll Crib Changing Table

I have had a few questions on how I made the doll crib changing table here. I am sorry it has taken me ages to put up the instructions. I didn't take pictures of it but I will try to explain how I did it with a diagram. I hope it helps.

My crib dimensions are: 24" L X 14" W X 23" H
The changing table dimensions are:
Top - 9" L X 14" W
Shelf and bottom - 6.5" L X 14" W
Outer side - 17.5" H X 14" W

The board I used was slightly less than half an inch thick

1. For the top part of the table, I made an outline on the board using a pencil. I used a reciprocating saw to cut off the excess wood then used a sander to make the edges round(ish) and even.

2. This was the first piece I attached to the crib. I used wood glue and nails. After the glue dried, I used 3 nails across to make it stable.  I had to put in the nails from the inner side of the crib and used a lot of concision because the board is not thick enough; I didn't want the nails to split it.

3. I attached the top and side board as in (# 2)

4. Repent #2

5. With the shelf, I used these shelf support pegs from Home Depot. Using the drill driver, I made 2 holes on both outer sides of the changing table, and stuck the pegs into the holes.

That's it. If you have any specific questions please ask and I will try my best to answer them.

 

For those that have asked about the doll crib bedding instructions, I will probably put them up shortly after the Holidays.  I will be working on my kid's bedding then, and I will be sure to take pictures and write up some good instructions.

Thanx for your kind comments and patience. I appreciate it greatly.

 

Teach them while they are young

We have been in our new apartment little over a month now and we love it. It was hard for Diana to adjust mainly because she missed her friends in our old place. We have made a few good friends here and she is doing great now. We have been very blessed to live among wonderful people everywhere we go. This is our 5th place since we have been married and hopefully the last until we can get our own place:)

Lately, my kids have not been shy displaying their graffiti artistic abilities. This is my favorite picture of them. Most mornings, you will find them all snuggled up like this and I love it. When Eli wakes up, he calls for me and if he gets no answer he calls for Diana (Da-na) is what he calls her.  But those cute faces can be a handful sometimes.

This past week, they have managed to paint part of the kitchen and office wall with my RED nail polish. They drew on the bathroom door with green coloring pencils. Diana poured my whole bottle of body spray onto the carpet. She also dumped out her dad's body wash, my body wash and their shampoo in the bathroom. Eli dropped my new phone and cracked the screen. Diana did the same to the previous one. So, I am phone less as we speak. Please don't ask where I have been when all this was going down:( My kids, especially Diana are very good at what they do.. While, I got really frustrated and gave them both magic erasers and they were actually VERY EXCITED to clean the polish off. My goodness, it was really cute to see Eli 'cleaning.'

Here is some craziness they have been upto:Powdered milk and her baby Tiana, painted in yellow paint

Tooth paste all over the bathroom. And that thing stuck in the tooth paste is a toilet paper holder

Diana covered in tooth paste and the living room decorated in toilet paper

Despite all this chaos, they are really cute kids and Diana does 'help' a lot around the homeAttempting to change  her brother's diaper

Feeding him

Learning how to clean the sofa after hosting an 'unauthorized' crackers party

And actually cleaning after themselves

I want my kids to learn early how to clean after themselves. I remember my siblings and I started cleaning and doing chores around the home pretty early. I hope Diana and Eli will be excited to help even when they are teenagers.

Proverbs 22 vs 6: 'Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.' I love this verse and I know it is right on.

How old were your kids before you had them cleaning after themselves or helping to clean their own messes?

Fringe

Fashion blogger and singer, Abby from Twist Me Pretty is wearing our fringe necklace in turquoise.  Check out how she styles the necklace here.  The fringe necklace comes in turquoise and navy, these necklaces are a must have in every wardrobe.

Happy Monday!

 

Diana's room reveal

It has been ages since I lasted blogged here. We finally found a place closer to my husband's work and school. We will be moving in the next coming days. Never been a fan of packing but I hope I will be all packed when the day finally comes.

It's funny that I finally finished my daughter's room in time for us to move. Next time I will be a little efficient with my timing. Anyway, here it is. Forgive me for the blurry pictures, I need to get a new camera. I have dropped this one way too many times.

The room is girlie, bright and very simple. We have both loved it.. even though it hasn't always been this tidy

This is a Costco Abby twin trundle bed going for $750. We got it on KSL for $80. The paint was less than $30. So, it was an awesome steal for us. I was 8 months pregnant with Eli when I started working on it. That was not fun. I made the night stand too; very imperfectly. I still need to fix the one leg in the back.

I made the comforter, pillow case and curtains. I will be sewing some more bedding in the very near future, I will include a tutorial then. I made them really simple and they have lasted a year and still looking great.

We got the fleece sheets on sale from Ross for $7. They are soft and warm, perfect for cooler weather

The lamp is from Target. It had a nickle finish and I spray painted it bronze

I made the pom poms here, the 'love birds' poster here and bought the cage at Hobby Lobby. It was a distressed blue color  and I spray painted it hot pink

Pom poms

I made the baby doll crib here

Picture frames from Ikea and some from Ross. I spray painted some and used mod podge to stick craft paper on some

Basket from Hobby lobby

I made the table and chair,  here and here

The dresser came from my in-laws,  we sanded and painted it an 'antique white' color like the bed.

In our new place, the kids will share a room. I am eager and excited to start working on it. Hopefully it won't take me a year to finish it. I got some really cute inspirations on shared rooms here. I have been brain storming what colors will work best for a girl and boy's shared room. Do you have any suggestions for me?

 

Mommy & Child Giveaway

 

Today I have a wonderful treat for all you ladies and the cute kids in your life. I have teamed up with a few fabulous bloggers to bring to you a MOMMY & CHILD giveaway sponsored by an awesome 'ladies and child' fashion accessories store called Tiny Dazzles .

Five lucky winners (yes 5) will win: A necklace, a pair of kids' boots and a bow tie of their choice from Tiny Dazzles. Check out the store and leave me a comment below of what you would like to win; please indicate the size of boots too.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Each entry will give you points, the more points you have the better the chances of winning are. The giveaway will run from Sept 2nd to Sept 9th midnight. The winner will be contacted via email.

Such a fun treat, I hope you are as excited as I am. Now, go meet these awesome bloggers who helped to bring this giveaway to you

[caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="377"] Tiny Dazzles Blog / Merricks Art[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_882" align="aligncenter" width="576"] While Camden Sleeps / Twist Me Pretty / Hello Fab Blog[/caption]

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 5 LUCKY WINNERS OF THE 'MOMMY AND CHILD' GIVEAWAY. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE GIVEAWAY. AFTER THE WINNERS WERE CHOSEN THROUGH RANDOM.ORG, I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED A GROUP OF ENTRIES. I HAD OVER 1800 ENTRIES TO THIS GIVEAWAYAND AS A RESULT, THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES SHOWN ON THE RAFFLECOPTER WIDGET DECREASED. I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE SOME WINNERS ARE OVER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES AS INDICATED. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT BUT JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE IN CASE SOME OF YOU NOTICED IT AND WERE CONCERNED. THE MISTAKE IS MINE BUT IT HAPPENED AFTER THE SELECTION SO PLEASE KNOW THAT EVERYONE THAT ENTERED HAD A FAIR CHANCE. . THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR PARTICIPATING AND MAKING THIS AN AWESOME GIVEAWAY.

Weekend Labor Day Sale

I am happy to give you another sale at Tiny Dazzles. The weekend Labor Day Sale will run from August 31st to September 1st 2013. Discount code: RED13 and free shipping on orders of $50 or more. ENJOY!

Shop here

 

Happy Labor Day

Camo pants & kids' boots at Tiny Dazzles

Today, I did a little refashion on these 'not so cute' camo pants. They turned out great; this little girl of mine makes everything look AWESOME!

I came across these cute camo pants from J Crew for $58

And then there were these extremely baggy pants from Walmart for $3.88

So, in just a few minutes I had the same kind of pants as those from J Crew, except mine were $54 less expensive. Now, what can I get myself for $54? Maybe this denim jacket (currently on sale) I have been eyeing for days and still have some change for a cafe Rio salad:). There is a lot this girl can do with $50

I got some old stretchy pants and used them to draw a pattern. I cut only along the bottom side of the pants

This is how they looked after

Notice how the top part of the pants are about 1/2 smaller

I removed the bottom and waist (picture below) stitches.  Turn the pants inside out and sew along the out side of the pants from waist to legs

I used a double needle to sew the legs of the pants

And used double stitch on the waist too. Then I added some elastic

No more baggy business

I love this little model of mine. Taking pictures of her can be stressful but when I let her do her thing, things turn out very well.

The boots are from our store, Tiny Dazzles. I am so excited to have this and other boots for kids in our store. They are perfect for fall and even winter; and they can be dressed up or down... Check them out here

Just a reminder, don't forget about the VISA gift card giveaway on the blog here. What can you get with $50?