Welcome to my little corner of the institution...

My parents are coming to visit. Ugh. At least they won't have the dog that we constantly have to shove off the baby. I can't wait until Aiden can do serious damage to that little Yorkie and the tables will be turned...


In other news, I'm on the Peppermint Creative Team and I'm designing away! Here are some of my layouts using the new Rebel One papers & element kit:








































I am pretty proud of myself. Aiden will have a pretty cool scrap book to look back on. The best part is I don't have to scrub ink off my fingers or curse when I misspell something in Sharpie!

Really Busy!

Why is it that this time of year gets so busy? I have lots of "my" stuff going on, especially with the new calling and being a creative team member. Now it seems like my phone keeps ringing and the calendar keeps filling up!

My parents are coming in town. TWICE within 7 days. I could just scream.

Cool Link: www.WishingFish.com
They scour the web for you to get really great gift ideas. My sister loves this site - it always has something you would love and generates awesome gift ideas.

Creative Team

After several e-mails with Miss Mint, the owner of PeppermintCreative.com, I think I have finally been accepted onto her creative team! This is pretty cool, not only because I will get free digital scrapbook stuff to be super-creative with, but because everyone will see my layouts online and it will force me to scrap everything that has been sitting since last summer! (All with out having to get out all my scrapbook supplies and take over the kitchen table for a week while I worry about Aiden finding a brad that I dropped!!)

I'll link to my layouts when I have some done. And Kelsey, if I run out of things to scrap but I still have to make the 3 layout minimum per month, I'll just HAVE to start in on the girls! So be thinking of what size layout you'll want. :)


Cool Link: http://www.inchbug.com/1a2.html
Yet again Parent's magazine is providing all of the great links for my blog! This site has cute rubbery bands that can be customized with your name and phone number and slid around bottles and sippy cups that so often seem to walk off. Great idea, even if it is a bit pricey.

Tay's Cheap Alternative: www.wristbands-with-a-message.com
These folks are here in Houston somewhere and will make a regular custom wrist band that you can put around your own sippy cups.

Procrastination...

I feel like I have a million things to do so I made myself a to-do list of things I need to get done within the next 6 weeks or so. I just have to laugh at myself when I look at the list because nothing is particularly difficult. In fact, most of the items are fun! For example, I need to edit and upload some photos to Samsclub.com. That will involve playing in photoshop - like that is so bad! I just bought a 2008 planner and I need to get out all of my colored pens and fill in birthdays and other events. Coloring, what a chore, right? I need to get a birthday card & gift for my mom (Shopping! Whoo-hoo!) and I need to get the fall decorations down from the attic. So why on earth am I putting all this off to write on my blog? I simply cannot explain...


Cool Link: www.Lather.com
I'm not in to expensive soaps and shampoos but on a business trip last year, while I was still working, the hotel I stayed in had the bathroom stocked with Lather goods. I had never heard of them before but I took every last bit of product home with me! The Lemongrass soap smells like the most pure and delicious lemon cake. Not "grassy" at all. The mint shampoo was amazing, too. Brian kept burrying his face in my hair!

I Love TCP!!!

Believe it or not, Aiden needed a few short sleeve tops in 6-12 months. (That's the size he's in now.) He's grown faster than I expected so we're busing into the clothes I thought he wouldn't be wearing until winter. He only has about 5 short sleeve shirts and since it's 95 outside and Aiden drools like a maniac, we go through them quickly!

The Children's Place is having a sale - like always - and I was able to snag some really cute tees for $4 and $5 each! I also picked up some camo shorts for $5.59 and a pirate sword for his dress up collection that I couldn't resist for $5.50. (I'm really in to dress ups for boys and girls, although I think boy dress up stuff is MUCH more fun!!)


Cool Link: www.Trumpette.com
I'm hesitant to give this link away because it's been an Ace up my sleeve that I haven't used. This site sells fairly pricey - but extremely cute - baby socks that look like shoes! Aiden has a pair of the red high-top looking ones and they really are adorable on. If you need to buy a baby gift for someone who has EVERYTHING, check out the girl's "Pixies" or Ballerina socks. Both are precious and sure to be a hit.

Scrap For Charity

I stumbled across a really great website that sells one very large and very special digital scrapbooking kit every month and donates 100% of the profits to charity. The kits are amazing - honestly the best money can buy - and at $8, they're a steal for what all you get. Check them out and if you see something you love, BUY IT! Once the month is over, you can never get it again!

Cool Link: www.SongbirdAvenue.com
Digital Scrapbooking Charity site!

Holiday Fever

I have to admit that after one stroll through Hobby Lobby I have been bitten with the holiday bug and it's only September! Brian really hates decorating for the holidays - he thinks it's clutter that has to be put up, taken down and stored for a whole other year - but I adore the look of a festive house. One of these days I'm going to go all out and he won't be able to do anything about it!

I have been wrestling with the idea of skipping the Christmas lights. I know I'll regret it when everyone else has theirs up but the thought of hearing Brian complain for two Saturdays as they go up and then come down is daunting. I don't know why I married such a scrooge but I am dreaming of the day that Brian, eyes gleaming with excitement, will want to tripple the electric bill and drape the house and yard in lights. A girl can dream right? For now I have to figure out what I want to do inside the house. I have already decided that the entryway MUST be festive, even if nothing else is decorated. We don't have a large christmas tree of our own, we had one of my parent's faux trees, but the first and last time we set it up was Christmas of 2002...and the dog broke about a half-dozen ornaments just brushing it as he walked past. Now that Aiden is here, I am thinking some sort of tree will be necessary but I am toying with the idea of skipping the actual tree in favor of one of the more "modern" approaches. You'll have to wait and see what I mean in December....

For now, I'm dreaming of huge bowls of candy, flickering Jack-O-Lanterns and all the trimmings for the only holiday we're going to be in town for! Will anyone laugh at me if I put decorations out October 1??


Cool Link: www.MuseumTour.com
I found this site in my Cookie magazine and it has some really great toys! Yes, they're the "educational" sort, but they are the kind of educational toys I prefer because there is more than one way to play with them. (Eat your heart out Leap Frog!) Send the grandparents here for some brain-building, creativity-boosting gift ideas!