Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Pop Sugar Review - November 2012

This was my second month with Pop Sugar. The items in the boxes are great, but don't appeal to me specifically. I'm sticking around for December in hopes of something great, but if nothing appeals to me thus again I may be cancelling my subscription. Just no point getting items I'll never use, and I don't give gifts very often so no point holding on to items for gifts either. Yes Christmas is coming up...but I only have a few people to buy for (thankfully). There are a couple items that may be going to someone on my Christmas List this year.

So on to what I received:

Must Have Fashion - Gorjana Parker Bracelet - Retails for $55. This is a super cute bracelet and I tried it on as soon as I opened the box! Disappointly though you can only wear this bracelet if you are skin and bones I guess. I am a petite person with small wrists and I couldn't wear this comfortably. So sad as it is cute! To get your own - Gorjana


Must Have Beauty - Mor Lip Macarons - Retails for $10. Love it. Smells great and goes on great. I will definitely be using this up. To get your own - Mor Cosmetics


Must Have Home - Snow & Graham Thank you Notes - Retails for $15. Cute, but don't seem very special for the cost. I'll be using these at some point I'm sure. To get your own - Snow & Graham

Must Have Food - La Boite Spice Mixes - Retails for $24.  I do not cook much so these will be a gift for my Mom for Christmas. Sound really neat and can't wait to try some food with these spices in it! To get your own - La Boite


Must Have Food - Stonewall Kitchen Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix - Retails for $10. I really really want to make these! I love to bake. However I do not want to spend $13 on a doughnut pan. Trying to find a friend to let me borrow theirs! To get your own - Stonewall Kitchen

Must Have Fitness - Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy DVD - Retails for $15. I don't do Yoga and don't plan on it. I'm sure someone will want this DVD! To get your own - Gaiam
Special Extras:
StyleMint - 1 free credit. Supposedly worth $30, but I really hate to give someone my credit card number to get something for free so I haven't tried it yet.

CanvasPop - $30 gift certificate - however if you really want a canvas they cost more than $30, so you still have to spend money to use this. Saving it until after I get Adeline's pictures taken this weekend, so may be ordering then.

So if you think Pop Sugar Must Have is right up your alley - sign up!

Disclosure: You sign up and I get credit towards free months.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

This is Adeline's first year getting to celebrate Thanksgiving. Last year she was only a week old so we stayed home.

Here is a picture from Thanksgiving last year, and one from this morning. Amazing how fast they grow up!



Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Citrus Lane - November Box Review for 12 month Baby

This is our second month with Citrus Lane. The theme for the month was Fun With Food and all of the items definitely matched that theme. All of the items will be used, just wish there was another toy.

Plan Toys Fish Castanets - Set of Two - $10.00 - Noise makers, received two and they are cute - but could have used just one.

Green Eats Set of Four Snack Bowls - $6.99 - These will really come in handy, and better quality than some other brands you find in stores.

Goodbyn Small Meals - $6.49 - Nice container to put in two different type of snacks/meals you don't want mixing. This should fit in my diaper bag pretty well. Unsure if they will leak if liquids are put in them though - not a real good seal.

Plum Organics Training Meals - Oatmeal - $1.49 - We'll try this, but seems pretty runny.

Juice Beauty Nutrient Moisturizer - $9.00 - for Mom - I'll try this as soon as I run out of my usual.

Then you received a 20% off code plus Free Shipping to Tiny Prints. Which to me isn't included in the value of the box as you have to spend money to use it!

Total: Approx. $34 - depending on where you shop of course! And you pay $25 - which appears to be a good value. However other boxes I get have a better cost/value ratio. Really think Citrus Lane could step it up to provide a higher value box for their loyal costumers.


Disclosure: This post contains Affiliate Links - you click and purchase, I get credit. Thanks!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Adeline is 1yr old!

I cannot believe Adeline is a year old today! We celebrated her birthday on Saturday, November 17th - which is fitting as it is the day I went into the hospital a year ago to be induced! I was induced on the 17th, and she was born almost 48 hours later on the 19th at 3:04pm!

I decided to go with a Care Bear Theme for her party. Adeline hasn't yet showed preference for certain toys, so I just picked what worked for me! I already had a bunch of care bears and we'd been reading care bear books for awhile.

I found Nestling Designs on ETSY and she had a blog post on her own Care Bear Party - go check it out. She has several different party packages as well available in her ETSY shop. I went this route since Care Bear stuff isn't widely available right now, it was a little expensive (at least more than I wanted to pay) since I had to get everything printed somewehre. I don't have a decent printer. But I also think going with a print-your-own party package that you can do it with better quality and if you have a really big party then it would be cheaper. We just had a small party.


The dessert and gift table. I made rainbow cupcakes and her small cake was rainbow too. I didn't get any pictures of the cupcakes - but here is where I got the directions.

Who knew crepe paper wouldn't adhere to PERMANENT tape? These things drove me crazy.

The Food! We had little BBQ Weiners, Ham/Cheese sandwhichs, Chips & Dip, Chipped Beef Cheese Ball, Fruit, and Veggies. I also had punch, tea, and water (using the cute water bottle covers in the party package - no pic though)
Our little family before the party.

Adeline loves her bus (not a birthday present)! Putting on a show for everyone.

Adeline's Uncle Scott - yes ladies, he is single. Better catch this one fast...

Play time for the kiddos.

Adeline and Clifton

Clifton, Lucy, Rory, and Adeline - all within 6 months of each other.

Cake time

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Adeline, Happy Birthday to you!

Not very excited! haha

She wouldn't eat it, so I ate some of her fingers so she would see she could eat it.

Ended up on my nose and face

Not a happy camper!

At least Clifton enjoyed the cupcake!





Sunday, November 18, 2012

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Crafty Weeks Giveaway! Nov 14th - Nov 30th

I'm hosting a Giveaway starting today through the end of the month for products from my ETSY shop. Keeping it simple - just enter on the rafflecopter below! If you win the prize you will get to pick whichever items you want from my shop!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 12, 2012

Family Hiking

Sunday we went for a family hike at a local greenway that we hadn't been to before near our house. The Greenway goes from Hollins College to Carvins Cove, we got on the Greenway at the Trail Head off of Exit 146. This greenway is for hikers only, no strollers! The trail from the trail head to Hollins College is not finished, but you can walk it. Which we did first because we weren't sure where the trail was. Very easy hike to Hollins College and we even got to look at some horses!
Back carry with my Ergo

Alan got to carry the diaper bag - JuJuBe

The trail to Hollins, part gravel, part grass.


Horses at Hollins


Adeline fell asleep hiking
Sleepy baby
We decided to go on the trail towards Carvins Cove as well since Adeline was sleeping. However if you do decide to hike to Carvins Cove you must purchase a land use permit for $2/person! You can pay at the trail head and carry a stub with you and place a stub in your car. We didn't have any money so we didn't hike that far. Pretty ridiculous I think!
This is the trail to Carvins Cove - just a path through the woods.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Craft Shows

This next week I have two Craft Shows!

First up is the 8th Annual Newport Craft Festival in Newport, VA (my hometown). So if you are in the area come on out!

8th Annual Newport Craft Festival
Newport Rec. Center, Newport VA - Off Route 42, Newport VA
Saturday November10, 2012 
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Help Support This Community Event!
Items Include: Robert Tuckwiller Prints and Paintings; Jewelry; Egg Ornaments; Hand Painted Items, Sewn Purses, Aprons and Placemats; Embroidery Items; Wood Toys and Outdoor Ornaments; Floral Arrangements; Licensed Hokie Items; pottery and much more!
 
Festival sponsored by the Newport Community Action Committee

The second one is a MOMS Club Open House night in Roanoke (closed to the Public). Tuesday night from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

I'm hoping to sell a bunch of stuff so I'll have the excuse to make more! Shhh..don't tell Alan!

I've put my ETSY shop on Vacation Mode until I'm done Tuesday night. Wednesday I'll open the shop back up and I'll be posting a giveaway to all my Blog Readers! I'll be giving a way a few of my products that I have left. Hoping I'll have enough stock to offer a boy or girl package (you choose)! 

Next weekend we will be having Adeline's 1 year birthday party! I am so excited, and worried how I'm going to get everything done! Thankfully my MIL is coming over Monday to watch Adeline so Alan and I can get a bunch done around the house together. Then I'll be doing decorations throughout the week so I'm not in such a rush the day of. 

Adeline's Birthday theme is Carebears! Here's a preview of some of the decorations:
These are all MY Carebears, most are from the 80s with a couple new one's I bought several years ago when they were a hit again, I guess when VHS was still popular since one comes with a VHS Movie!
I also purchased a printable party package from here! Check out her Care Bear party on her blog, it is amazing - I only hope Adeline's is as great!
 
 Have a great weekend everyone.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Infant Train Table

Train tables are very popular! It seems that everyone has one or wants to have one! Adeline had her first experience with a train table at Barnes & Noble.

Here she is in August playing at the B&N Train Table
I do plan to make (yes, DIY!) Adeline her very own train "table". I really don't think though that it will be an actual table. I follow John & Sherry Petersik on Young House Love and I really think I will follow their version of the train table. Only I'm not thrilled about screw holes in the track.

Picture Courtesy of Young House Love


For now I just used double sided wall tape to hold down the track. I'm sure it won't hold it forever, but it's pretty sturdy. I found a craft table by Land of Nod on Craigslist this week and I thought it would be the perfect height table for Adeline to play with, then I thought it would make a great train table! Well...I wasn't thinking how big the track is! A circle barely fits on the table top! It hangs off a bit, but with the double sided tape it holds just fine!

Alan's dad built this train set for Alan when he was little - so it's pretty special that Adeline now gets to play with it. He even made the train cars and vehicles! Adeline may be getting some of her own trains for her upcoming birthday as well. 

Exploring her new toy!

Some of the trains/cars.


Playing before bedtime.