Im a self-proclaimed Etsy addict. Whenever I am in the market for something that can be purchased handmade from another mom, I first check Etsy, a place where anyone can put their handmade goods up for sale! My experience there has been very positive, with a few exceptions. The key to a successful shopping trip there is to check the feedback and return policy of the shop youre thinking of purchasing from. Then order with confidence! The shop I would like to feature today is a mother/daughter team-run shop called Made By Mardi. Here youll find handmade goodness intricately embroidered personalized gifts that any child or new mom would love. A little bit about the mother & daughter who create all this loveliness:We are a mama and grandmama just trying to share some personalized crafts as a passion we love to pay for more hobbies and crafts of our own…
Weve made some progress in the potty training area, finally! Well, I call it progress, but Emmas actually being potty trained is still afar off. Mainly because Im too worn out with this pregnancy to be consistent at the moment. Sad, but true. 🙂 But I can tell she is very close to being ready! For these reasons: She sits on the potty very willingly (of her own accord), and associates it with fun since Ive given her stickers every time she does so. She now says ewwwww! regarding her dirty diapers when I change them. Hey, thats progress! She sheds her diapers as often as she can I dont think she likes them (and I dont blame her). These are very good signs, but there are also signs shes not quite ready. Yet. I tried dangling some pretty undies with Fancy Nancy on them in front of her in…
I have great plans for my nursery now that Im teaching myself to sew. Its exciting! I mean, have you seen all of the adorable fabric out there? I know that I could make exactly what I want for much cheaper than it would cost to buy a lower quality nursery set. Getting all the matching odds and ends is pricey. Here are some tutorials I intend to follow to make our nursery beautiful enjoy! And let me know in a comment if any of them inspire you! How to make your own crib dust ruffle (left) Sew4Home has a great tutorial! And an appliqued dust ruffle for your crib! This tutorial can be found at Kojo Designs. Smile and Wave has a great tutorial on how to make soft baby blocks like these (left)! Cover your glider with designer fabric! A complete tutorial can be found at Lil Blue…
I cant believe how easy this is. I love this type of creative outlet because its SO FAST youre done with the entire project in about half an hour or less. Thats my type of project. 😉 What Youll Need: Fusible Backing (I used Wonder Under with much success) (about $3) Scrap fabric (you can find some great scraps or fat quarters on Etsy) Sewing scissors Iron T-shirts or onesies (pretty much anything) Tutorial: Note: Make sure you wash all fabrics and clothing before continuing! You dont want anything to shrink. 1. Search google images for clipart and print, or create your own applique design. Cut it out. 2. Trace around the cut-out onto the fusible webbing. 3. Find a cute fabric scrap and iron it and the t-shirt or onesie youll be applying the applique to. 4. Iron the fusible webbing onto the WRONG (not-pretty) side of the fabric,…
Surely theres nothing as heavenly as a swing when youre a kid. 🙂 Shes very thankful to her grandma for this swingset to keep her busy during the summer! Theres a slide, too, but she really prefers the swing to even the thrill of speeding downward six feet and catching the ground with her feet. Im shopping at
If you havent heard about the Pookster and Bubs series of books yet, you and your children are truly missing out! But have no fear, Im about to enlighten you. After all, no one keeps their favorite books a secret, right? Book-lovers are among the most pushy of all the people Ive met, and Im no exception. Im forever pushing the best reads at my friends, insisting that they borrow and read them immediately so that we can talk about how much we love them together! And thats why I have to tell you how much I LOVE the Pookster books! So here I go. 🙂 I own two books featuring the extremely likable blond-headed Pookster and her brother Bubs, but Im sure well be collecting more as they are released. The two we have are Pookster and the Unloose Tooth and Pookster and the Practically Perfect Pickle. Both are…
Im a lover of all all things sparkly, and have been a fan of Swarovski crystals ever since I saw my first glimmering crystal! My mom makes jewelry and she showed me her stash of crystals in almost every color so beautiful! These crystals are special, they are real. They sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight and when added to jewelry or placed in a specific design on clothing they really are extremely attractive. Theres a huge difference between cheap t-shirt crystals and Swarovski crystals, without a doubt, and at Just Jen youll find birthday t-shirts, tank tops, onesies, hoodies, aprons, caps, and much more all designed with Swarovski crystals! Thanks to Just Jen, I was able to review a birthday age t-shirt for my daughter, Emma. She turned two in May and I was so happy it had finally come I want to declare to the world that she…
I am generally **not** a dress person. I dont know why, but Ive never been comfortable in them. Probably because Im a bit of a tomboy Id rather be climbing trees or riding horses, and how can you do that in a dress? But this dress oh this lovely dress it simply speaks to me. Isnt it beautiful? Its totally a plus that it looks so good with cowboy boots, dont you think? I might have to buy some With that baby blue color, the tiers of fabric masking any body imperfections I might have (all my weight goes to my rear and thighs its my curse), and the simple and comfortable pull-over design, I fell in love at first sight. Could this be the dress that would cure me of my I hate dresses attitude? Say it is so! When Shabby Apple asked me if I would like to…
I had to share this I downloaded the Zoodles Firefox Toolbar Add-on not long ago when my mom suggested Emma might like it. Zoodles is a web program for toddlers and young children that basically gives you and your child access to games available on the web that might be hard to find I mean, who wants to google free toddler games all day long? They also have fun cartoons and programs found on YouTube. Zoodles is completely free though you can upgrade (I havent) for a better experience supposedly. So far Im happy with the free version. The verdict? Emma loves it! Especially the Fisher Price alphabet games. You can find the ABCs Zoo game (simple for toddlers because they can hit any key to move on to the next letter) at Fisher Price, too. And now that that commercial is over (lol and Im not affiliated in any…
Ive never met a Skin Free brand skin care product that I didnt LOVE. This is a natural beauty line that I want to use constantly and if theres a product I havent tried yet, I wont rest until I have! Ive worked with the wonderful Julie from Skin Free before you can find my review on their popular Extra Moisturizing Soap & Shampoo Bars, Green Clay Mask, and Corrective Face Nectarhere. For this review, I was more than delighted to receive another group of great beauty products to try out and share my experiences with you! The first two products I asked for and received are actually natural anti-aging products. I may be only 27, but this is the age Im starting to notice that my skin doesnt look the same as it did when I was 19. Im not necessarily worried yet, but I figure that if I…