Christmas Countdown

Good afternoon!

If you are like us, you have had your fill of turkey for the time being!  I have just enough left to make a turkey pot pie and then it will be gone - hurray!!! Thankfully, my family enjoys turkey so it really was okay to have as much as we did.

I really don't have anything to show you today.  I do, however, have one super excited kid who is counting down the days until Santa comes! As of today it is 26 days.  And folks, I'm here to remind you that it will go faster than you want it to.  I've usually finished my shopping and have only a few things left to wrap.  But this year, that is not the case.  Still have buying to do, wrapping to do, decorating to do, cookies to make, etc., etc., etc.!!!!  Now with only 26 days left - the pressure is on!  

We are welcoming Santa again into our home since we've been blessed with another year of our 9 year old believing.  But I'm sad because we are pretty sure it will be the last.....but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one more year. I'm still very surprised that one of the kids at school hasn't spoiled it for him yet!

Here's to hoping that you are more on top of things this year than I am!  Have a great Cyber-Monday and we'll chat soon!

From Me To You.......

Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your Families!!!!!!

New Soda Tab Bracelet

Happy Friday everyone!

I just noticed that it's been 2 weeks since my last post - WOW - time is flying by! The holiday season is getting closer and closer and there's so much to do!  And it seems like there's not enough time to do it! LOL

Today, I want to show you another Pop/Soda Tab Bracelet that I made recently. It is not as wide as the crocheted bracelet I did before. This one uses fabric strips and has a snap closure with a button decoration. 

From snap-end to snap-end this bracelet measures approximately 7.5 inches.  It can be made bigger or smaller very easily by using more or less tabs. You could use ribbon also, but I think it might be more expensive in the long run. You could also use other things to adorn and help cover the snap instead of a button. I just happened to have a button that matched the fabric I was using!

This bracelet is very lightweight and does have some flexibility and stretch to it.  The variety of colors available in fabric just blows my mind - you could have one in every color of the rainbow if you wanted!  The fabric I used is part of a fat quarter bundle that I already had, but they are sold at Walmart and lots of places online.

So, there you have it!  Start saving your tabs today and you can make one, too!  Have a fantastic Friday and I'll see ya soon!

Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles

Happy Friday everyone!

With Thanksgiving in a couple weeks and Christmas only being 51 days away, I thought I'd post this cute craft. I love long ornaments on the tree. It helps to fill in bare spots where the branches aren't quite as full. This ornament would be lovely on any tree and is easy to make.  Follow the link to get the step by step instructions!   

Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles:

Get in the holiday spirit and make some today! 

Have a fantastic Friday and I'll see ya soon!

Backyard Scrabble

Good morning! I hope that everyone had a safe Halloween and got lots of goodies.  

I adore this time of year. The weather is crisp in the morning and gloriously temperate in the afternoon. If I could just find a place that has this weather all year round - boy, I'd be one happy gal! Even our little guy even seems to prefer this fall weather. 

We recently introduced him to the game 'Words with Friends' (it's interactive scrabble, if you've never played it) that can be played on Facebook and even our smartphones.  He's hooked, to say the very least. And truly, we are pretty happy about that!  It is a terrific game to increase his vocabulary and spelling skills which will in the long run improve his reading. So when asked, we will always play the game with him!

Shortly after his introduction to the game I game across this outdoor version. It is quite unique and would certainly be a nice way to spend a few hours together. Wouldn't you like to have a scrabble board in your backyard? I seriously think I would!  So if you're like me, follow the link to see how:

Backyard Scrabble - Sunset.com

Can't you just picture yourself with a tall drink and a good friend? Awesome!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!  See ya soon!

DIY - 2 Variations of Giant Jenga

Good morning!

I really love this idea (can't you tell?).  My husband and I are planning on making this for our little guy.  But we have been debating using 2x4 or 2x3 studs.  I think that the 2x3 size will be better and not as heavy - although he thinks that the set will be larger using the 2x4 size (he's right, of course).   Apparently, it just comes down to personal preference!

As usual, once I decide to do something, I need to be sure to have the right instructions. (You know - kinda like measure twice - cut once....LOL) So with that being said, I found 2 more set of instructions - they both use 2x3 studs.

The links are below - one is plain wood and the other (which, in my opinion, looks awesome) is a multi-colored set and uses a Wii game concept.  We don't have the game but, I think I may have to see what I can find out about it.  It would definitely be fun to have a variation for the game!!

So, if I've peeked your interest and you are dying to make a set for yourself then follow the links below and get to cuttin' and sandin'!!! 

Jenga Maximum:

Colored Mega Jenga Backyard/Jenga Based on Boom Blox

FYI - I've priced these sets on several sites and they range in price anywhere from $69.99 and up.  So if working with wood isn't your thing and you'd really like to have a set, then it could be a bit pricey to add this game to your collection!

Have a great Thursday.  See ya soon!

DIY Giant Jenga Tower

Good Monday morning!  I hope that everyone had a very nice weekend.

This time of the year is my favorite.  Not only is the color pallet one of my favorites, but the weather is just glorious!  We had some brutally hot weather this summer as did a lot of you.  Now that the temperatures have become more moderate, it is very nice to spend time outdoors.

With a 9 year old boy, I am always on the look out for interesting and different things to do.  I came across this outdoor game and just fell in love.  I think we would have a blast playing this version!

I did some research and found that I could buy one of these sets (in fact, amazon.com has one with several links to outside sites that have them as well) but I think they are a little pricey.  I know that making a set would be much more cost effective.  So, I went about finding the instructions and sure enough instructables.com has them - step-by-step even! Go here to get them:

Giant Jenga Tower:

I am 5'2" and my son is about 10 inches shorter than me, so I'm thinking we might need a step ladder to play this game... but, it sure would be fun to see how high we could get it before it falls!!! 

Have a fantastic Monday - see ya soon!!!

Skinit Promo

Happy Saturday!

I recently found this site and since my son is getting his very own tablet for Christmas I wanted to customize it for him. It was super easy to do. I designed the skin for the tablet on the 18th and got an e-mail telling me it shipped today! But, if you don't want to design it yourself there are BUNCHES to choose from on the site.

Just about any device you can think of has a skin available - iPhones, MP3s, laptops, tablets, e-readers, smartphones. You name it - they've got it!  Even if you don't want a skin - there are cases, sleeves, protective covers to pick from, too.

I was so happy with my experience that I wanted to tell you about it and pass along their current promotion. I believe you can alternatively choose free economy shipping instead of the free skin. So take a few minutes, follow the link, and check it out if you're in the market for a 'skin' or case for your device:  Free Skinit Offer:

Have fun bringing your devices to life!  Have a great day.  Chat with you soon!!!

My Birthday Present and Missing All of You

Good morning!!  

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! I'm a Bad Blogger!! LOL! I'll try not to let that happen again....

I have a confession to make. I've been a little preoccupied with something.  My awesome better half gave me a wonderful birthday present this year.  Yes, it's a 10.1 inch Toshiba Thrive Android Honeycomb 3.1 Tablet!!!!!! 

I LOVE this thing!  It does so many things and I'm still discovering new and amazing apps everyday.  

I'm an avid reader and now have a whole library of e-books (approx 500+) at my fingertips!  I'm able to read in 3 different apps - Overdrive Media Console (which I highly recommend), Amazon Kindle app for Android, and the Barnes and Noble Nook app for Android.  I already own a Pandigital Novel and it does a fine job, but I was looking for something more and hands down this tablet certainly has been the ticket!  

But let's not stop there.  Not only is it convenient as an e-reader, it also handles my e-mail, online browsing, and game playing.  One of the other things that I love is the Android Market and all its apps.  I have found so many that totally streamline my life.  

For example, grocery shopping has to go on the bottom of my list, but with these apps it is so much easier to keep track of what we need and even what's on sale!  (I've put these on my Droid also and it updates across our wi-fi network automatically so I just need to take my phone to shop!)  Here are the ones I like: Grocery Pal, Saving Star, and Our Groceries - now I easily save money at the store - in fact, on Sunday we saved $63.50 off our grocery bill - awesome!!!!

There are so many things that are terrific that I could go on and on and on - we can rent a movie at Redbox or Blockbuster Express while sitting on the couch (the other day we ordered Dominoes Pizza online in our living room) - buying a newspaper is a thing of the past - I read newspapers from all over the place but my fav is USA Today (that app is World Newspapers and it also has magazines!). Simply put, the Honey Dew app is a MUST have. Heck, I can even set up my DVR to record a program that we want to watch!  Now, I'm seriously considering making ALL my recipes digital! I'm here to tell you that the uses are endless!

Before our purchase, I was undecided and compared the Motorola Zoom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and the Toshiba Thrive. The things I knew for sure was that I wanted the 10.1 inch screen and an Android OS. At the end of the day, for the money, the Thrive always came out on top!  I'm sure the others are very nice as well, but with the Thrive I was able to get a 16GB 10.1 inch tablet for under $375.  And did I mention that the Thrive has a full size SD card slot so I can expand my memory?!!

I really can't say enough about this tablet!  So if you're in the market for a tablet I can say without a doubt that the Toshiba Thrive is awesome. The only thing is doesn't have is 3G capability but since I have the Droid for when I'm on the go and mainly use the tablet at home - it suits my needs quite well.  Many apps don't even need the wi-fi once they are downloaded and Mobile Hotspot is always an option.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to lately and I definitely want to get back to posting more regularly.  Thanks for your patience!

Have a wonderful Tuesday.  See ya soon!

P.S. I'm working on a new Soda Tab Bracelet and will show you when it's done - so stay tuned!

DIY Wooden Doormat

Good morning and hello weekend!!  It's been a busy week of homework - spelling words, vocabulary, math, science and reading!  I swear I don't remember having this much homework when I was in the 4th grade.  I understand that homework is for practicing what you learn but....it just seems that there's always an awful lot of it!

Anyway, on to today's post!  I just love DIY projects and this one is no exception.  The monogram is unique but even without it I think this doormat would be very nice.  The steps to make this are very simple and I'm sure it wouldn't take any time at all to get your very own doormat.  

Interested?  Go here to get the scoop:

DIY Doormat | The Accent Piece:

Thanks to the Accent Piece for this project. The only change I might make is to add a few strips of non slip tread (prevention of it getting slippery when it rains and gets wet). But other than that I just love this project.  

These would make an interesting gift especially for those people on your list who have everything and are hard to buy for! 

Have a great Saturday - see ya soon!