100th Post Celebration and Giveaway (Closed)

The winner of the booklet is: Don and Lisa Osborn!

The winner of the card for most seasons is: Richelle!

Congratulations!

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Finally! I reached 100 posts yesterday! It took me long enough.

So, in honor of this being my 101st post, I thought I'd celebrate by doing another giveaway.

Yes, it's cards again, but not the ones posted here.

I've been cleaning out my card stash, so this time I have 2 things to give away:

*The first would make a perfect gift for someone. It's a little booklet that contains 4 blank cards with envelopes:



















Now, in all honesty, I did not design this. I assembled most of it, stamped it, and colored it; but it is not a Not-the-Queen original. It is beautiful though, don't you think?



*The second thing I'm giving away is a set of cards for all most seasons. Again, I did not design most of the cards, but a few of them I did. I did, however, make them all with my own two hands. I don't have pictures to show you, but if you like these cards, you'll like this set, too.

It contains cards (and envelopes) for 3 birthdays, Easter, Halloween, a wedding, a baby (gender neutral), Mother's Day, Father's Day, and card to let someone know you're thinking of them.


I always keep a stash of cards on hand, but I find myself constantly making new cards and ignoring the old ones.

Lucky you!

To win either of these, simply leave me a comment. There will be 2 winners, one for each giveaway, so let me know which one (or both) you'd like to be entered in. I'll close this giveaway at 5pm PST Saturday, February 2nd. US and Canada only, please.

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For hundreds (literally!) more giveaways, check out Bloggy Giveaways.

For 15 thank you cards, click here.

Works for Me Wednesday--Easy Wall Decor, Part II

As promised, here is Part II of my ideas for easy wall decor. Check out Part I here.

When Cinderella was born, I really wanted to have her name displayed on her wall.

Have you ever priced decorated letters before? The prices are ridiculous!

So, I made my own.

I bought the letters at Devilmart for just over $1.00 each. After buying all my supplies, I spent less than $10.00 for the entire name. Of course, it helps my girls have fairly short names.


1. Paint the fronts and sides of each letter white. The back doesn't show, so unless you're really particular, who cares?

2. Stencil your selected design wherever you want to on the letter. I chose flowers and grass and only stenciled the bottom point of each letter.

This is one of Cinderella's letters. I really like the beveled edges.

This is one of Sleeping Beauty's letters. It has flat edges, but I could fit more of the stencil on it.

3. Measure your ribbon. Make sure you measure enough of it to tie a bow at the top. You can always trim the tails later.

4. Attach the ribbon on the back sides of the top point(s) of each letter with a staple gun.

5. Tie your bows, and hang.

Cinderella's name hangs from hooks on her wall.

Sleeping Beauty's name hangs from hooks on a little shelf. Yes, we have a bright orange wall in our nursery.

Voila! Cheap, easy names charming enough to decorate any child's room!

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For more ideas, check out Rocks in my Dryer.

Wordless Wednesday--Nature's Lacework

Isn't this stunning? I'm afraid the camera didn't quite capture the beauty that I witnessed.

We had a snowstorm Sunday morning, and by Monday morning, the world was covered in this gorgeous layer of lacy frost.

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For more pictures, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

On the Verge of Becoming an Anti-Dentite

I went to the dentist this morning.

At 8:00 am, to be exact.

That's early. Especially since I've been home this year with the girls.

Normally, I don't mind going to the dentist. I'd even go so far as to say I LIKE going to the dentist. I enjoy it.

I don't always take great care of my teeth, but I take pride in them. They're so straight, and I always get complimented on them.

I should. My parents spent a small fortune on my mouth: I had braces twice, plus jaw surgery.

Believe me; it was worth it!

Anyway, I love having clean, polished teeth. I love how smooth they feel. I love how much brighter they look, just from having a cleaning.

Not today, though.

Oh, sure. My teeth are clean, polished, smooth, and bright; but what a cost for these pretty teeth this morning!

The dental assistant was one of those genuinely nice, soft-spoken, friendly, conscientious people. She was a dream, personality-wise. She was meticulous and calm. Everything you could want in a person who's going to have her hands in your mouth.

Her only fault: she was heavy-handed.

First, she checked my gums to see if they were receding. You know, where she sticks that little metal instrument in between your gums and teeth? It doesn't usually hurt.

Today, I was in agony! She plunged that thing in hard, all the while talking in her smooth, calm, friendly voice.

While I was recovering from the shock of the unexpected pain, she took the first cleaning instrument out and began to scrape my teeth.

Now, I don't take meticulous care of my teeth, but I definitely don't neglect them.

Most dental assistants can scrape my entire mouth in less than 10 minutes.

This assistant spent 10 minutes on 5 teeth!

Five! That's it! Five!

Did I mention I had Sleeping Beauty with me? No? Well, 10 minutes on 5 teeth wasn't going to cut it with that child. She was behaving just fine, but who knew when she'd erupt and want out of her car seat.

The assistant (bless her heart) realized it was taking too long (not that SHE was taking too long, but that the cleaning was taking too long), so she decided to use a different instrument. One with water. And power.

Fine. Whatever, I though. Just get the cleaning done.

She did one tooth and asked me if I was okay. Of course I was okay after one tooth. No big deal.

Oh, how I wish I had stopped her when I had that chance!

That instrument was painful! She stuck that thing in my mouth, squirted and scraped away at my gum line, and left a trail of pain in her wake.

O Lord; spare me from this instrument ever again! And perhaps the dental assistant, too.

My knuckles were so white from grabbing onto my sweatshirt hem, trying to be brave, and willing myself to keep my mouth open and steady.

I did not want that instrument to go rogue on me. Who knows what damage that thing could have inflicted if is escaped from my mouth? My poor gums are still bearing witness to its destructive powers.

And then the dental floss. Oh! I detest having anyone else floss my teeth. No one is as gentle and careful with my gums as I am.

Especially not heavy-handed dental assistants!

The only positive thing I can say about it is the cleaning sure went quickly. I was done in no time! Well, no time relative to the speed of the woman cleaning my teeth manually.

I'd probably still be at the dentist, otherwise.

My teeth are still aching. I feel like I just had a wire replaced and tightened on my braces.

I don't have braces anymore.

I know it wasn't the dentist's fault; I don't blame him in the least.

However, I'm more definitely NOT looking forward to my next appointment in 6 months.

Maybe this assistant will have the day off then.

Maybe?

Please, Lord?

Pretty please?

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival (CLOSED)

And the winner is: #139--Maren of The Secret Stitch Club! Congratulations!
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Yea! I love giveaways!

Once again, I am giving away some of my handmade cards. Fifteen, to be exact. One winner will receive all 15.

And, here they are (the pictures don't really do them justice):









They are all thank you cards, and I will include envelopes.

Just leave a comment. Any comment, but only one comment. Maybe tell me which one is your favorite? I'm curious to know what you all think about my creations.

I will ship to the US and Canada. Just make sure I can find your email address somewhere.

I will close this contest at 5pm PST on Friday, February 1st.

Good luck!

I have even more cards up for grabs here.

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For more giveaways, check out Bloggy Giveaways.

Aloha Friday

Sleeping Beauty has her good nights and her bad nights. Two nights ago was a good night. After a little trouble getting her to stay asleep, from 10:00 pm on, she slept through the night.

Last night was a bad night. I was up with her 3 times last night. I'm hoping it's just her tooth. Hoping...


So, here are my questions: How old were your babies when they slept through the night consistently? And how did you get them to do so?


Cinderella was 11 months old. She only woke up because her diaper was soaking wet and she couldn't stand it. We solved that by using a bigger diaper.

Sleeping Beauty is 8 1/2 months old and is showing no signs of sleeping through the night consistently.

Thanks for your input!

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For more Aloha Friday questions, check out An Island Life.

Questions I'd Really Like the Answers To

Why is it that no matter what time your baby goes down for a nap, she inevitably wakes up within an hour because she has pooped?

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How much snot can possibly fit inside the nose of an 8-month-old?

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Why do little girls insist on wearing short skirts and tank tops when it's only 5 degrees outside?

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Why is Mommy the only acceptable parent in the middle of the night? Why is she the one who gets patted on the face when your 3-year-old had to go potty at night? Why is she the only one who can put said 3-year-old back to bed? Why does she throw a fit when Daddy actually wakes up enough to offer to help her? WHY?!?

Just curious...

Works for Me Wednesday--Easy Wall Decor, Part I

Cinderella's room was supposed to be decorated with butterflies.

Of course, life's circumstances, and grandparents and great-grandparents, changed that quickly enough. In one Christmas, when she was 2, Cinderella got a castle rug, a Disney princess chair, and a princess Minnie Mouse.

A new room decor era was born.

Cinderella's room now is, of course, bedecked with a Disney princess theme.

It's fitting.

Her self-chosen name is, after all, Cinderella.

It took me awhile to get used to this new theme (and get the butterflies out of my head), but I have started to embrace the princess look, and have even contributed a few of my own touches. She has a castle clock which the two of us decorated, and, as of this weekend, these beautiful pictures:















They were so easy! Here's how you, too, can make this easy wall decor:

1. Find an old calendar and choose your favorite pictures. Yes, our 2007 calendar was a Disney princess calendar. Guess who picked that one out?

2. Find some cheap frames. I got these for $3.50 for each big frame and $2.50 for each little frame at Devilmart. They were a hideously nasty gold color. Blech!

3. Buy some spray paint of your choosing. I chose a matte pink. Since Cinderella's walls are, as you can see, painted with lavender and lime stripes, I thought a pink would be nice.

4. Have your out-of-town visitor your dad someone bored handy sand the frames down and spray them. That way, if any of the glass pieces get broken, you aren't liable for fixing them. (Did I just say that?)

5. While the paint is drying, cut the chosen pictures down to size. Embellish them, if you want. I found these darling dimensional stickers at Devilmart and added the appropriate princess to each picture.



















6. Frame and hang. Voila!


































Easy peasy!

Make sure you check back next week. I'll have another easy wall decor idea to share!

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For more ideas this week, check out Rocks in my Dryer.

Wordless Wednesday--Learning to Self-Feed

She hasn't mastered the art of self-feeding yet, but she's sure having fun trying!

And no, that's not a booger; it's avocado.

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For more pictures visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wordless Wednesday--The Tech-Savvy Baby

Teaching Mommy how to use the universal remote.

Demonstrating Wii remote safety.

They learn so much so fast nowadays!

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For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

2008 Goody Swap

Kailani over at An Island Life is hosting a Valentine's Day goody swap. Seriously, folks; check it out. You give goodies, you get goodies (i.e. candy, of some sort or another). Could there possibly be anything bad with this?

I think not.

Participants can join until January 31st, and partners will be chosen February 1st.

Here are my answers to a few questions Kailani posted to help my partner know me (or my goody preferences) a little better:

What is your idea of a romantic Valentine's Day?
*Dinner without the children.

In reality, what is your Valentine's Day really like?
*What's Valentine's Day?

If you could have a lifetime supply of your favorite sweet indulgence, what would it be?
*That's a tough one. Caramels, probably. Or anything sour and chewy. Saltwater taffy, definitely.

Is there any treat you absolutely do not like?
*I'll eat black licorice, but it's not a favorite. I don't really like milk chocolate (the darker the better!), or chocolate bars (I prefer chocolate-coated things to chocolate bars). And candy-coated almonds (think weddings).

If you fell into a pool of chocolate, how would you get out?
*I'm not a huge fan of plain chocolate, so I'd probably swim out of it as fast as possible. If it was dark chocolate, I'd probably go a little slower, tasting it every once in awhile. The darker it was, the slower I'd swim, the more I'd taste.

A Sunday Post

I don't usually blog on Sundays. Lately, I've been too busy watching Prince Charming playing Zelda on the Wii, but most Sundays I spend reading, watching movies, or napping.

Napping is my favorite Sunday activity, by the way.

Today, for some reason, I feel like blogging.

I think it's because I've had a nasty day, and I feel like venting.

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My Sunday started at 4:30 this morning.

Yes, I meant to write 4:30.

It's not a typo.

Sleeping Beauty was having an awful night; she woke up every hours and had a very difficult time going back down each time. She was having a hard time getting comfortable while cuddling, and every time I put her down, she'd curl her little, fat legs up to her chest while on her tummy.

My mommy senses were tingling all over.

At 4:30, Sleeping Beauty desperately wanted to sleep, but she could not get comfortable. Everything I tried failed. She would settle down in my arms, her little eyes closed, her little snores resonating in the room, only to start squirming and squealing minutes later.

After finally getting her down at 4:52, I told myself, "She'll be up in 5 minutes."

I was wrong. She was up in 8 minutes.

Fortunately, Prince Charming awoke from his snoring and offered to rock her.

It didn't work.

At 5:30, I took another turn, nursing and rocking; nothing worked.

I eventually decided, "This kid is constipated."

She hadn't pooped the day before, strained her entire body the night before to no avail, and I figured she was feeling pretty miserable.

So, I woke up Prince Charming, got out the glycerin suppositories, and went to work.

Normally I would use prunes, but this problem needed to be taken care of instantly, not after the 12-24 hours prunes usually take.

Blessed relief!

By 6:30, Sleeping Beauty had done her business several times, and she was back in bed by 7:00.

The most amazing thing about this entire ordeal was that Cinderella never once woke up.

She slept through the crying, the squealing, and the screaming.

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After this ordeal, Prince Charming let me sleep in until 8:45.

Prince Charming had lovingly made sour dough waffles (my favorite). I eagerly grabbed my plate and hungrily took a bite of a plain waffle, not waiting to spread jam on it.

I have only one word to describe that waffle: BLECH!!!!

Prince Charming misread the recipe.

He added 2 tablespoons of salt instead of the 1/4 teaspoon it called for.

Whoops!

They were terrible! It took me all morning to get the taste of salt out of my mouth, and several glasses of juice and water just to replenish the liquid I had lost eating that one bite.

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I had a difficult time paying attention and staying awake during church.

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Now that I'm home?

Sleeping Beauty took a fantastic nap!

I'm watching Prince Charming play Zelda.

And blogging.

Crummy morning. Good afternoon.

Aloha Friday

Aloha Friday!

Friday is a great day! It means tomorrow is Saturday, which means tomorrow I have backup for all the demands Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty make on me during the day.

For my inaugural Aloha Friday contribution, my question is this:


What do you and your man do for date nights?


Me and mine? Well, we don't "date." We never really have.

Unless you count grocery shopping as a date.

Which we rarely do together anymore.

Needless to say, I need some ideas. Help me out. Please?

And They Cried, "Whee! Whee! A Wii!" All the Way Home

My sister got a Wii for Christmas from my dad.

Prince Charming SAID he didn't want one (yeah, right), so he didn't get one.

Am I at all jealous? Not really.

Because I got a Wii for Christmas from my dad (he was lucky enough to buy 2 at one time).

Not Prince Charming. Not Cinderella.

Me.

Of course, I do share it willingly, but I also let it be known that it is my Wii.

So, yes, faithful readers, who are few and far between, I have we have joined the ranks of Wii owners.

We share the Wii Sports and the Wii Play; Cinderella has her own Disney Princess game; and I, being the lovely, tender-hearted, generous wife I am, asked my dad for Zelda, Twilight Princess for Prince Charming (it's my game, but I got it for him, just so you know).

Lord knows I'll never play it.

Seriously. I won't.

It's way too complicated for me.

I do like to watch it, though. I guess that makes all Prince Charming's playing time worth it.

Because he's got a problem. He admits it, too.

Although, I do egg it on, sometimes. As I said, I like to watch Zelda.

Does that make me an enabler?

Works for Me Wednesday--Birthday Parties

Cinderella will be four in March.

I am going to have a four-year-old.

How is this possible? Where has the time gone? I'm not old enough to have a four-year-old!

Regardless of my feelings on this, she will be four.

And this year, she should have a birthday party.

So, my question is this: What are your suggestions for how we should celebrate Cinderella's birthday?

Also: What are good ideas for party favors?

Thanks for your input!

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For more questions you just may have the answers to, check out Rocks in my Dryer.

Wordless Wednesday--The Gourmand

She just ate, and ate, and ate, and...

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For more photos check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

Snow Day

After two weeks of vacation,

After two weeks of family time and togetherness,

After two weeks of having Prince Charming underfoot home,

After two weeks of NO BLOGGING,

It's snowing.

And the school district has decided to cancel school today.

Sigh...