Wall Art and Freebies!!

A Soft Place to Land has informed it's readers of a GREAT giveaway for EVERYONE
(well, I can't see if it is open just to USA residents or Canadian too? Stay tuned for an answer!)

You can win this huge dandelion wall decal - It's over 5' tall and sells for $60!To be the lucky winner of this large wall decal - visit Lewa's Designs and find something you like and then head over to A Soft Place to Land and comment to Kimba what it is you found! Simple!

Look at this decal that can go on your vehicle! I think it is pretty fun!or spicing up your laptop a bit!

THEN, Lewa's Designs is giving away your choice of the following wall decals:
Here's how:
If you blog about Lewa's Designs, you will win your choice of a Medium Caterpillar Wall Decal, or Baby Swirly Bird Wall Decal or Baseball Wall Decal in the color of your choice. You can write whatever you want, just make sure to link to Lewa's Designs website (www.lewasdesigns.com) or etsy shop (www.lewasdesigns.etsy.com)

AND if you add Lewa's Designs badge to your sidebar, you will receive your choice of TWO of those items! Seriously!!!! The badge is available on the Lewa's Designs blog. Once you've blogged about Lewa's Designs, send an email to contest@lewasdesigns.com with with a link to your blog post along with your choice of decal, color desired, name & mailing address.

So awesome! Thanks so much! I can't wait! Now, what will I choose?!

Kimba from A Soft Place to Land is contacting Lewa's Designs for me to see if my fellow-Canadian readers are able to get in on this too... if not, sorry! But if you have a USA address to ship to, you better get commenting and blogging!

Works For Me Wednesday ~ toilets & toothbrushes

I posted this on our "live life to the full" blog, but will also post it here in case you don't go to that blog that often! I have linked this up with more "works for me" posts... you can link to them too from the button below. Happy Wednesday!


Do you clean your family's toothbrushes? If so, how? How often?

I received the following book from a good, life-long friend Jamie... she sent this book to me for a birthday of mine nearly a decade ago. I read this book and wanted to share one of the many great practical tips in this book that I've implemented into my life...
First of all, here is the book:
and the tip I want to share from it is this... clean your toothbrushes weekly by throwing them in the dishwasher or by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide - I've chosen to do the dishwasher method but I did not remember that it should be a weekly thing, which now I will try to do!Here is her blurb on it from the book:

Which now brings me to another part of the bathroom - the toilet! Jason read one time that a flushing toilet "spills/sprays" it's contents a certain radius (that I can't remember) in the bathroom; hence onto your toothbrushes, handtowel...etc. I can't find the article and haven't found key words to search on google in order to get me to this information for you... but trust me and if you think about it, you'll quickly see it's true.
So our solution (Jason must've read this in the same article) was to keep the lid closed all the time and especially before flushing the toilet! You might like to implement this in your home too!Works for me!

Added in after publishing: Thank You Korinne, left a comment saying that a toilet's radius of "spray" is 10 feet! YUCK!
And I thought I would add in a Homemade Dishwashing Soap in which I learnt about on a WFMW post from last week on Abigail's Mommy blog...

Mix equal parts Borax and Baking Soda, and add 2 Tablespoons per load. Increase proportion of soda for hard water. Use vinegar in the rinse cycle or free rinse aid.

Borax .32 a cup
Baking soda .01 a cup

.33 a cup or .04 a load

I mixed up a cup of each and stored them in a container with a tablespoon under the sink.


I participated in the Works For Me Wednesdays hosted by We are That Family ... click on this button to go and visit more posts with frugal ideas!

Cinderella

Today marks the 'anniversary' in which Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria, was called Home. Apparently Steven has been on Focus on the Family this week with Dobson interviewing about the past year... to hear these radio broadcasts click here. There are 3 parts to listen to.

I am saying a prayer for the Chapman Family today as they remember Maria. Steven Curtis Chapman is coming in Concert along with Michael W. Smith this summer... I want to go really bad! I better get us tickets before the show is sold out!

Thank You Jason

Well, today is my birthday. Jason is in Montreal for the week, but all is good! On the weekend we had the privilege of hosting Jason's Sister, Suzan... and hosting a Family Dinner complete with guests: Lorraine (Jason's sister), Tim (Lorraine's boyfriend), Michael (Jason's nephew) and Kylie, Grandpa George (Jason's Cousin - who is also our kids' Honorary Grandparents), Grandma Micheline and Meme Lilian (Jason's Aunt). I had a turkey in my freezer that needed to be cooked one of these days and so I suggested we have it for this large Family Dinner. Thanks to Suzan who took over and got that huge and amazing meal taken care of! It was delicious and great to visit with Family!
Here is Aunt Lorraine, Elijah and Grandma Micheline:Jason surprised me with a cake and the biggest (most expensive) gift ever! Something I have wanted for a long time...(no, I didn't win this from one of the giveaways I enter! LOL - we are joking that Jason spent a pretty penny on me; but we are catching up on all the spending he does/done - which will never get anywhere close even with the accessories I can ask for for many birthdays and Christmases to come!)
And Lorraine brought a dozen roses for me - I am soooo excited about my camera. I took it to the lake on Sunday and will do a post on that once I figure out why the SD card I had in that camera says it needs to be formated... I just want my pictures off of it first (any ideas?)... I'd like to take a photography class eventually now too!
Happy Birthday to me... it was a great day. I enjoyed my kids probably more today than I typically do (that sounds bad; I love my kids to death but today was just a little bit different yet) - we did a little shopping for one of my brothers, storytime at the Library, street hockey outside, DQ for supper... it was a lovely day!
Thanks for all the FB birthday wishes Family and Friends! And thanks Jason for this wonderful gift! I love it!

apron giveaway

In the last bit I've entered a few more giveaways than I ever have! I even got myself a Gmail email account so that I have an address to use and not feel 'guilty' for giving out my regular account... and hey, I can't believe I actually won some things!! I also entered to win this apron from Beautiful Calling blog (also Canadian!) from the Heavenly Homemakers Blog Carnival. I was able to choose an adult size or child size apron as well as a pattern/colour I wanted it to be! I chose a girly one for Gabi when she gets a bit bigger - it might be a Christmas gift for her or maybe for her 3rd birthday.
Ann of Ann's Gifts and "Sew" Much More, is the one that provided this beautiful, very fun apron for Jen at Beautiful Calling to giveaway! Check this apron out - look at this stitching:and it can even be reversed:Thanks so much Jen and Ann!!!(I don't see a website yet for Ann's Gifts and "Sew" Much More yet...)

I won cards!

A few weeks ago I found a blog carnival going on hosted by Heavenly Homemakers blog... I entered some of the giveaways on there that interested me and that I had time to still enter since I only found out about the carnival at the end!
Well, a fellow-Canadian blogger, Sarah from Fifth Street Palace was offering these two homemade cards that I won! Thanks so much Sarah!

Earth Day Giveaway

On Earth Day in April, I came across this Giveaway through Works For Me Wednesday, I think. Mom's Toolbox was giving away gently used Ranger Rick magazines. I didn't actually win, but since I was the first to comment on the giveaway Amy said she'd send me one regardless AND then she actually said she'd send a magazine to each of the people that entered! So I received my magazines today! Thanks Amy! My kids are going to love these!

daybed

Well, on Saturday Jason took a moment to take off the one crib-bed-rail and make Gabi's bed into a 'big girl bed'. :) On Saturday night she did great - though I didn't hear a thump or anything, but I did hear a toy move on her floor. I stood by her door to listen some more but nothing. Shortly after she whimpered or something... I went in to find her across her {little} room sitting on the floor!
On Sunday night we put a large stuffed-Nemo beside her and she stayed beside it all night!
On Monday she napped in her bed with no issues (meaning she didn't get out even though she could).
She loves it. Right after Jason took the railing off, she was up and down on her bed and then standing on that piece on the left side of the bed and jumping off of that!

a taste of Holland

On Mother's Day we headed across the border after Church to get in on the tail-end of the Tulip Festival! It was a lovely day in all regards!

Here are quite a few pictures for you...enjoy!notice these tulips are taller than Gabi:Sammy is looking over at Elijah trying to figure out what he is doing with his fingers so he can do it too:these are for my Cousin, Maureen:tulips found along the way that were broken made a nice bouquet for Elijah:aren't these tulips cool?Happy Mother's Day!

one year blogversary party!

There are soooooo many great blogs out there that I'm finding... wish I had more time to just sit and read and be inspired and encouraged and stretched!

Anyway, if you have access to a USA shipping address, you will want to check out "Like a Warm Cup of Coffee" blog every day this week for a party that's going on!!! :)

There is a button in my sidebar ---> go check out the great prizes!! :)

Blog Carnival

There are nearly 20 giveaways so far (goal is 100) on One Woman's Cottage Life blog. She is hosting a Blog Carnival for the month of May. Her button is in my sidebar --> go and check it out!

I published on the other blog that Alexa and I are working together on... a more annonymous blog that we can invite the blogworld to read (our blogs are not private, but don't get advertised or made known by our profile)... but I thought I'd post it on here too. You are welcome to visit it anytime you like, I have it in my side bar. Right now it is called "Arise, Shine" - we are thinking of a new name (though that one is good I think!) maybe. Here's our other blog: Arise, Shine

I participated in the Works For Me Wednesdays hosted by We are That Family - this week was a theme of "Frugal"... click on this button to go and visit more posts with frugal ideas!

I am one that shops all year long - I grab bargains and fill up 3+ Rubbermaid totes with gifts for all occasions including fillers of goody (loot) bags for parties! Just like We Are THAT Family posted for her WFMW here: Gift Stockpiling.

I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about this and I told them that my goody bags are not all the same most of the time - and that's okay because I give out the goody bags as children are on their way out our door, therefore no comparing can be done! So if you have 10 children but only 8 of something, don't worry and use it! You can find 2 other things for the 2 bags missing that one item.

I like goody bags to have a bit more of a substantial fill to them, rather than just a bunch of candy and toys that break before the child gets home!
Since I like goody bags to be more substantial, I could never fit the goody bag contents into the loot bags you buy from a Dollar Store... I use paper lunch bags (probably cheaper anyhow than even the pack of $1 bags) and then incorporate our theme somehow onto the front with the name... like this:Under the child's name I like to include a 'Thank You For Coming' note too and get that all taken care of right off the bat.

I do start to think of a theme for my children's birthdays far in advance (with my Child's input too) which helps! Or actually what can create a theme some of the time is finding something to work with first (a deal)... for example: I decided my son would have a Shrek Birthday Party in February (his birthday is in October) when I found packs of these (below) Shrek figurines marked down for $1.25 at Target - I bought all 4 or 5 packs that were left... some figurines were used for decorating part of the cake, and the rest were divided into the goody bags - each child got 3 different characters.In that goody bag was also a ziploc bag of slime (cornstarch and water), Prince Charming's truffles (which I had got a box of make-your-own-truffles mix from a Liquidator that was there after Christmas), a Shrek pencil (that came in a box of Shrek Valentines cards that I bought for 99c) and some candy.
As part of the Children's goody bag too, was to bring home the Gingerbread Man Cookie (Gingy) that they decorated at the party (another item, gingerbread cookie dough mix at the liquidator for less than $1)...

Another idea I have done in previous years is making several batches of playdough, putting it in ziplocs and having them as part of the goody bags. It's always been a hit!

Be Creative, Plan Ahead and keep your eyes peeled for RED TAGS, CLEARANCE SECTIONS, DISCOUNT BINS, and LIQUIDATION STORES! (no wonder every shop I do even at our regular grocer takes me one hour - I scour the places for deals!!!)

Last week at Michael's I found (by "accident") their Easter stuff that was still left (2 weeks later), now marked down to 90% off. I bought at lot of what was there including:
Playing cards that were 15cents a pack! These will be great for girl goody bags as well as for the shoeboxes I pack at Christmas Time for Operation Christmas Child. I bought a dozen packs I'm sure!
And carrot-shaped bubble pendants and bubble solution-rings... very fun things for extremely cheap!

I picked up these (below) once the "Back to School" stuff was on clearance... they are supposed to be lunch boxes and pencil cases - but to me they are great birthday gifts! This can be the wrapping paper... or it can be wrapped as the gift... perfect! I bought a few of each design.
Dana: don't read this: This coming weekend the Princess one will wrap up a Webkinz for a birthday party my son will attend - the gift will have cost me $10 (Webkinz bought on "Webkinz Day" last week... buy one get one for $1. Sweet deal.) with the value of $25!


Do you have a cheap, creative idea for goody bags?
Who's birthday is next in your Family? Maybe your next dinner-conversation will be "what kind of birthday party would you like, son?"

Thanks for visiting!

Dayspring ~ The Life Collection Giveaway

Okay, this new line from Dayspring of dishes is right up my alley! I love it! I would love to win and you might like the opportunity to win too! This is the third giveaway I've found for this and so let's see if someone we know will win! Head on over to A Soft Place to Land and enter to win...$50 to spend at Dayspring!She also has a code you can use for the month of May to get 20% off and free shipping when you spend $50 (might be USA only, not sure about that?)...

Go Daddy's Go! Go Daddy's Go!

This morning the K-Family and us cheered on our Daddy's (Jason and Kurt) as they participated in the Competition Division of the Three Alarm Adventure Race! This was a last minute (earlier last week) decision to participate when a team of 4 came together for them! It was a four hour race including running, canoeing, orienteering, cycling, swimming and snowshoeing around our City. How exhausting, hey?! But they did AMAZING!!

Dana and her Girls (Danika, Alise and Makenna) and I with my clan went to some of the different spots to watch them and cheer them on! Next year we plan to have maybe a team colour with matching shirts and so on... but this year it all came together at the last minute that we didn't really know if we'd even be going to watch (it was supposed to be a rainy day, but the storm came through last night and today was pretty perfect for the race).

Here's the first leg. After running from R.Stadium to Mill Lake - here they come! they jumped into a canoe and had 5 spots around this man-made lake where they had to find something in order to have the final clue word of "alphalpha" when they returned to shore:when they left the lake and headed into some trails, we played around a bit still and looked at the goslings. All of our kids did amazing today jumping in and out of the vehicle and following our Daddy's around - here's Danika, Elijah and Alise
Then we went back to R.Stadium where they were headed back to via trails and check in points along the way... since we weren't as prepared as we would have liked to be, these signs were all we made: we were cheering them on (their team name was Survivors - how fitting! Jason and Kurt could soooo be on that show OR they actually talk about going on Mantracker - I can see that happening in the future, for sure!) as they had to push this Fire Truckthen run over and put on a firefighter suit and run with the hose and spray a target...then they ran over to the rec center... they did some snowshoeing in the rink - but we didn't realize they were in there so we missed that - we saw them in the pool, where each team member had to do 6 lengths. Here Jason is just jumping in for his turn as Kurt, in the water, is just finishing up his 3 laps:then they ran back to the stadium and geared up on their bikes for some cycling and orienteering in D.Bowl. At this point we went to Dana's for a yummy, quick lunch (Thanks Dana!) - and got back in time to see The Survivor's arrive and finish the race!here's the team; they each won a pass to go White Water River Rafting (maybe I can go too!):and best friends:and our kids playing so nicely together!CONGRATS KURT and JASON for a job well done! We are SO proud of you!! :) We look forward to next year now!