Author: Sarah Barkley

Categories
Craft Teenager

How To Create A Graduation Card Box

My nephew graduated from high school last month and his mom asked me to make the card box for his graduation party.

It sounds so hard and like quite a process, but it really wasn’t!! It was actually really easy.

I bought all the material at JoAnn’s.

Materials:

  • (3) Paper Mache Boxes of different sizes that can be stacked together.
  • (1) 9″x9″x4-1/2″ Paper Mache Box
  • (1) 8″x8″x4″ Paper Mache Box
  • 1 1/2″ ribbon, enough to go around all 3 boxes. The one I bought was 21 ft.
  • 3/8 in. black ribbon
  • 3/8 in. ribbon (same color as the 1 1/2″ ribbon)
  • Paint and brushes
  • Pocket Knife
  • Hot glue gun and glue
  • White sticker letters (or any color you choose)
  • A small graduation decoration
boxes
These are the boxes I used.

 

Directions

  • Paint all the boxes. I chose to paint the 3 larger boxes black, the bigger or the two smaller boxes red, and the smallest box black. You can do whatever is best for your theme or colors.
  • Stack the boxes and use a pencil to mark where the next box will sit. On the next step, you’re going to need to know how much space to leave for gluing.
    IMG_6156
  • Using a pocket knife, cut holes in the top/bottom of the bigger boxes. This is so that the cards can fall all the way through to the bottom. The bottom box should only have a hole in the top (and not the entire thing! You still need part of the box there for stacking and gluing). The middle box has to have the bottom AND the top of the box cut out (leave enough space for glue and stacking). The top box should only have the bottom cut out. I used a pocket knife because the boxes were too thick for a box cutter to cut through.
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    IMG_6159
    Notice I didn’t paint the bottom of the boxes. No one will see that part.
  • Hot glue the boxes together, stacking them like a pyramid.
  • Wrap the thicker ribbon around the 3 big boxes and hot glue it on the back of the box. I chose to put mine a little closer to the bottom instead of the center of each box but you can do it however you want. I hot glued on the back because when I noticed that you could see the hot glue through the ribbon.
  • Wrap the thin ribbon around the smaller boxes, gift wrap style. I used black ribbon on the red box and red ribbon on the black box. I hot glued it to the bottom of the box.
  • If you choose to use one, glue or tape a tassel to the top of the box. If you don’t have one you can make your own from the leftover thin ribbon. Make sure the smaller boxes will cover where it has been glued or taped.
  • Hot glue the 2 smaller boxes to the back lefthand corner of the top. I did mine a little crooked to change up the shape a bit. This is totally up to you, though. Do it however you like it best!
  • Add graduation decoration next to the 2 small boxes. I couldn’t get the decoration to stand up on its own so I put a small dab of hot glue and put the decoration toward the front of the dab so the glue wouldn’t show.
  • Cut a slit in the top of the box. Make sure it’s big enough to fit cards into. I used a birthday card of my son’s to make sure it was the right size, then I made it a little bigger just in case. I used the pocket knife for this, too. Be careful!!
  • Add the letters. My nephew’s mom wanted his first and last name on the box, so I did his first name on the top box and his last name on the bottom box. On the very top of the card box, I put the abbreviation of the school he graduated from.
  • Add any other embellishments. The middle box definitely needed some embellishment so I used a sticker that our local school district passes out and stuck it to cardstock to make it thicker and more durable. I cut around the sticker so the cardstock wouldn’t show then I hot glued it onto the box.
  • Touch up any paint. Throughout the process, I dinged the boxes up a little. When I was completely finished, I went back and used a small brush to touch it up.

**I put a black box over my nephew’s last name – that obviously isn’t there in real life.

 

Categories
Big kid fun Family Activities Teenager Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

How to Host the Perfect Sleepover & Movie Night

Nevaeh wanted to have a sleepover for her 14th birthday and we decided to do homemade pizzas, a bonfire, and a movie night.

The first step was to figure out what to have for dinner and what snacks to have.

We decided on homemade pizzas so the girls could choose their own toppings and have as much (or as little) cheese and sauce as they wanted. This option was definitely a hit. They loved making them and everyone thought the pizzas were delicious. Even my toddlers had fun making their own pizzas! It was fun for all of us and that’s always a plus.

We used Jiffy pizza crust mix. It was super inexpensive and soo delicious. It was actually really sticky when I was trying to flatten it out so I was worried it wouldn’t work well but it did! It turned out perfectly. It doesn’t make enough dough for one “large” pizza, but two girls were able to share one. We used Meijer pizza sauce, pepperoni, Tennessee Pride sausage, yellow pepper, and mozzarella cheese. You can buy whatever toppings your family wants. We decided bacon and banana pepper would have been a good addition so we’ll be getting those next time.

After dinner we went outside for a bon fire and s’mores. Again, everyone had fun and loves s’mores so it was another one that even the littles enjoyed.

 

The girls played in the yard for a while when the s’mores were gone and while they played and Chris put the fire out, I started preparing the movie snacks!

We did popcorn with mix-ins and that was so much fun. I prefer my popcorn plain but the kids loved adding yummy stuff to theirs.

We did cheerios, mini marshmallows, pretzels, mnm’s, and a couple popcorn seasonings (nacho cheddar and caramel corn). Everyone got their own bowl of popcorn and then added stuff in. You could do other things like chocolate chips, gummy bears, golden grahams, or any other treat.

We also put candy and drinks in small bins for each girl. The girls chose to put a napkin in one side of their bin and just put their popcorn in there (and hot Cheetos once the popcorn was gone).

After one movie the girls went out to the backyard and played hide and seek (it’s so dark out there!). Then they played some games and watched more movies. They all said they had so much fun, so I’d it was a success. 😉

 

Do you have any popcorn mix-ins you prefer that I didn’t include? Pizza toppings? Movie night snacks? Drop a comment and tell me about it! 🙂

 

Categories
Craft Sensory Play Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning

Easy Art Collage for Toddlers

If you are anything like me, you prefer your kids to create artwork from things you already have at home. This means coming up with creative, easy activities that use up materials you have no other purpose for.

This time, I had leftover streamers that I would never use. I always save the un-opened streamers just in case I need them for the next birthday party, but I usually throw away the rolls that have already been opened.

I decided not to waste them this time and used them for crafts instead.

I grabbed the streamers, some old newspapers, scissors, glue, and paper and let the toddlers go to town making a collage.

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Liam is still too little to use glue and scissors so I just gave him some streamers to play with while we did the craft and he was able to get in some no-mess sensory play, too. It was a win-win.

IMG_E6009IMG_E6011IMG_6003

This activity was actually really fun even though it was super simple! The toddlers explored the newspaper while we did it, and asked questions about some of the pictures. I always love a good learning experience.

What are some easy crafts you like to do with your littles? Tell me about them in the comments! 🙂

Categories
Marriage

10 Steps to Make Your Marriage Last

They say the first year of marriage is the hardest and if that is true, my husband and I will do alright throughout the rest of our marriage. We had some hard times but never anything that we couldn’t work out. My husband Chris and I are coming up on our one-year wedding anniversary and I want to share some of the things we’ve learned so far and the things that helped us connect better.

  1. Communicate – I know this seems obvious but it’s the thing we have struggled with the most. When we fail to tell each other how we are feeling, it gets to the point that we are shouting at each other and making passive aggressive remarks to one another. This obviously isn’t the way to handle issues in a marriage. Luckily, we have learned to tell each other when we are mad, sad, frustrated, hurt, etc. and what exactly made us feel that way. Nothing will get better if you don’t talk about it.
  2. Listen – This one kind of ties into the last one, but it is SO important on many different levels. Yes, you need to listen to your partner when they are telling you how they are feeling and why, but you also need to listen to the things that aren’t so obvious. If you overhear your spouse and they sound like they are having a hard time, step in and help them out. If they are frustrated or overwhelmed with the kids and you can hear that in their voice, take over. Give them a break for a few minutes. If they are feeling stressed out about work and you can hear that in their voice, help them relax. You know how to help them relax or what activities will relieve their stress… help them out. Listen to those tones in their voice and lend a hand when you can.
  3. Learn to bite your tongue – Hubby’s tip. Have you ever said something to your spouse that you regretting? Something that caused an unnecessary argument or made an argument worse? Yeah, we have, too. Work on that. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s essential to making a marriage last. Learn when to stop yourself from saying the first thing that comes to mind. Learn when to just take a deep breath and walk away. Learn to not say things you don’t mean when you’re angry. Ask yourself if it will help the situation. Will it solve the problem?
  4. Cook together – Hubby’s tip. This might be our #1 tip. We bond so much in the kitchen. We listen to music, dance, sing, talk, laugh, and enjoy being together. The kids are sometimes involved… they help with the cooking when they can and they dance and sing when they can’t help with dinner. When we want a little “alone” cooking time, we turn on the kids’ favorite movie or TV show and bond on a more intimate one-on-one level. It has helped us through so many fights and helped us bond during the happier times.
  5. Cuddle – Chris and I are always happier when we cuddle. We feel emotionally connected to one another, reminding us of who we are when it’s just us. Not as parents, but as the people we were before we started focusing all of our attention on the kids. It helps us relax and can ease the tension after a long day, and when I’m feeling anxious, it always helps calm me. For us, there is no better way to bond, either.
  6. Go on dates – This is so important and very often pushed to the side in a marriage. You need one-on-one time with your spouse with no distraction. I need time to remember who my husband was when it was just him and I. The super funny, affectionate man who would always hold my hand and grin at me. This helps me get to know my husband again. Remember that person you started dating all those years ago and fell in love with? Find them again. Go on dates. You can find some free/cheap date ideas here if you need some inspiration.
  7. Do things you don’t want to do – I’m not saying to ignore your wants, but your spouse wants to share the things they love with the person they love. So watch that basketball game, see that movie, listen to that song, and go ice skating or wine tasting if that’s what your partner wants to do. They’ll do the same for you when the time comes, and they’ll see that you are interested in them enough to experience these things that make them happy.
  8. Don’t lose interest in your own interests – While I did just say to do things you don’t want to do… you still have to do stuff YOU want to do alone. If you like to play trivia with your friends, keep doing it! If you want to see a movie with your friend instead of your spouse, do that, too. I like to scrapbook and that’s something I know Chris is just not going to be interested in. I like to do it and I’ve always done it alone while watching TV shows or listening to music, so I still do. It is still important to take time for yourself and do things you enjoy on your own.
  9. Do things to let your spouse know you are thinking of them – So my husband will randomly surprise me with my favorite candy bar or drink, or he’ll make a pot of coffee in the morning even when he doesn’t have time to have any himself. He’ll send me a random text message in the middle of the day to tell me he loves me and I do the same for him. I was at dollar tree and noticed they sold Mr. Pibb and I know that’s Chris’ favorite so I grabbed him a bottle. Just little things like that… they don’t take much effort, but they’re meaningful. It’s like saying, “Hey babe, I was thinking of you today”. It’ll make your partner feel special.
  10. When you are wrong, say so – Admitting that you’re wrong is the first step to working through a problem. Apologize, make it right, make up, and learn from it.

These are the little things that have helped us become closer during our first year of marriage. We are constantly learning and growing, and we have found that focusing on our relationship is just as important as spending time with the kids. It is essential in a marriage to work on the things that harm the relationship, and also on the things that make our relationship better.

Bonus Tips from teenagers – 

  • “Always say 3 kind words a day, besides ‘I love you’. ” – Stevey (Nevaeh’s best friend)
  • “Be loyal.” – Nevaeh 

I know that teenagers haven’t had marriage experience yet (obviously), but I thought it would be interesting to hear what they thought would help a marriage last. They do observe their parents, after all. Plus I thought it could be kind of funny…. this is how their answers really went:

“Umm.. I have one but I don’t know what it is right now” – Stevey
“Nevaeh, do you have a tip?” – Me
“I don’t know… be loyal” – Nevaeh (with complete confusion in her voice about why I’m asking her)
“OK Stevey, got one yet?” – Me
“Yep, it says …” – Stevey
“Wait are you reading this from Google?” -Me
“Yeah. Um, it says “Always say 3 kind words a day, besides ‘I love you'” – Stevey

I tried to google where her answer came from so I could link it but literally, nothing even close came up… lol

 

So now that I’ve told you how Chris and I made it through our first year of marriage, I’d like to hear from you! What is your advice for other married couples? Tell me in the comments! 🙂

 

 

Categories
Our Family Teenager

Advice for a Teenage Girl

Do you remember being 14 years old? What was your life like at that time?

I was 14 in 2005. When I think back, I think of hanging out with my friends, going to concerts, having boyfriends!!!, watching Laguna Beach, and essentially becoming my own person outside of my family unit. I feel like once I reached high school, I became so much more independent. I had friends who had cars so I didn’t need my parents to drive me everywhere anymore. It felt like freedom.

I spent quite a bit of time in my bedroom, wishing my parents would leave me alone and reading magazines or talking on the phone. You know, normal teenage stuff.

We were wearing layered polos and popped collars and some people were even wearing awful trucker hats (I may or may not be guilty of that myself..).

Gone were the days when I spent most of my time with my parents and siblings. Gone were the days of playing with toys and watching cartoons. I was 14, and that was a huge deal.

Well, Nevaeh turned 14 today. OMG. We are IN TROUBLE.

Just kidding… kind of. I know we are entering a whole new chapter with her, but I also know she’s learned how to make better choices and respect herself, and all we can do is hope that we have taught her right.

When Chris and I started dating, Nevaeh was only 8 years old. She was a kid, a 3rd grader.

Now she’s 14. She’s going into high school, will be learning to drive a car, beginning an entirely new chapter in her life.

I constantly think she’s just a little kid. Reminiscing on my own memories of being 14 has made me realize that she’s not. We’ve got a high schooler on our hands now!!

It’s such a HUGE milestone. Life happens fast, guys.

This silly little girl…

 

has become this beautiful young woman.

One thing that hasn’t changed since I was 14? Girls still wear hair ties on their wrists even when they’re dressing up. LOL!!

One thing I’d love to give Nevaeh for her birthday is some advice, but I know she won’t listen. My only hope is that she reads it here and maybe takes some of it to heart. 😉

Advice For a Teenage Girl

  • Surround yourself with positive people – When you’re choosing your friends, think about how they treat you and how they speak. Are they always being negative? Do they say things that hurt your feelings or make your start thinking negatively? Maybe it’s time to rethink the friendship. Be friends with people who build you up and always want to see the best happen. Surround yourself with people who truly love you and will never intentionally hurt you.
  • Boys should come last – I know teenage girls are going to be talking to and dating boys, but don’t make them the priority. Spend time with your friends, make memories that will last forever, build lifelong relationships with your best friends so that you will still have them in your life 20 years from now. Don’t ditch your friends for a boy, don’t pass on experiences and opportunities for a boy, and don’t lose yourself for a boy. You’ll have plenty of time for boys when you are older, don’t let them fill every thought and moment of your life.
  • Put down your phone – Honestly, this piece of advice could work for any age group. Live in the moment, enjoy what is going on around you, and talk to people in person.
  • Be nice – Say kind things to others, help others out even if you have to go out of your way, stick up for people. Talk to the person sitting all alone at lunch or in class. Being kind is something you’ll never regret. You never know how someone is feeling or what they are dealing with, never be the person to add to their pain or the person who ruins their day.
  • Save adult stuff for when you are an adult – I know adult stuff seems exciting but it’s really not. You’ll have plenty of time for that later. You aren’t expected to make adult decisions or do adult things, leave that to the trusted adults in your life. They are in your life to guide you and help you, let them. Learn from them. Then, when it’s your turn, you’ll see why it’s best to hold off as long as possible.
  • Step out of your comfort zone – Try something new or go somewhere you’ve never been before. Take a chance at something you might suck at because you just never know. You won’t regret making new memories of things you’ve never done before, so just do it. Don’t worry about what others will think of you or about messing up, everyone has to start somewhere!
  • Do what makes you happy – If you love doing something, keep doing it!! Even if your friends aren’t interested, keep doing the things you love. Don’t lose your passions or miss out on things that make your heart happy. Stay true to yourself.

What is one piece of advice you would give to a teenage girl? Leave it in the comments below, I know a couple teenagers who will definitely be reading them! 🙂

Categories
On My Mind

Emotional Parenting

Guys, I have become so emotional since I gave birth to my oldest.

Before kids, I would pride myself on my ability to leave emotion out of EVERYTHING. Nothing bothered me, I rarely cried, and I would laugh during moments when I should have been sad or at least a little bummed. I don’t know why I thought this was a good characteristic of mine, but I really thought it was great.

Fast forward to pregnancy and I was emotional. Not TOO bad, but bad enough that it shocked me. I cried over swollen ankles, broken sandals, and ice in my drink. I thought that was bad.

Then, I gave birth. The moment he was born I was overwhelmed with emotion. That part I expected. What I did not expect was to be overwhelmed with emotion ALL THE TIME about EVERYTHING. Breastfeeding made me emotional, bath time made me emotional, cuddling and kisses made me emotional. Obviously, I wasn’t sad all that time (I did suffer from PPD but that’s a different issue), but I was feeling some bittersweet emotions. I loved my new baby so much that everything made me cry. Tears of joy, tears of pain (breastfeeding), tears of amazement (is that even a thing? I think for moms it is). Seriously, everything.

I thought this emotional stage would pass once the newborn stage passed. I was wrong. So, so wrong.

I cry when I see something I relate to (like this post from Creating a Mama), I cry when my kids learn something new, I cry when I think about how big they are getting, I cry when something makes me happy. STILL. Years later, and I am still an emotional mess ALL THE TIME. I cry when I don’t even know the people involved in an incident or when someone that I barely know posts on facebook that they had a death in their family. Oh and today I cried when I noticed that Peyton forgot his lunch at home and I couldn’t make it to his school before lunch started, even though I am fully aware that he will get lunch at school and be completely fine.

Where does this come from? What happens in a woman that turns her into this emotional mess all the time? Am I the only mom that is like this?

Sometimes I wish the emotions would go away but at the same time, I like to be aware of how a situation is making me feel. Before I was a parent, my mindset that nothing could bother me was probably unhealthy and I feel like I never connected with anyone on an emotional level.

My kids amaze me and I just can’t believe how much they are growing. Pretty soon I will no longer have a “baby”.. I actually technically already don’t. Liam is a “toddler” but he’s my baby. I look back on pictures from when my kids were newborn babies and it’s so bittersweet… take me back for just a day, please. Let me hold my infant in my arms and nurse one more time. Let me rock my baby to sleep and spend hours staring at their tiny little face.

The emotions don’t end after pregnancy or even after the newborn stage. At least not for me. Now I’m emotional for every milestone, no matter how tiny, for every time my littles are hurt, for everytime my big kids are left disappointed or sad… and for a million other reasons that don’t make sense to me.

Parenting is a rollercoaster, that’s for sure.

Categories
Our Family Printables Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday!!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. We tried to just relax as much as possible because last week was such a long, busy week for us.

Relaxing when you have five kids is a little different than relaxing with no kids, however, so we still stayed a little busy.

Friday we had doctors appointments for the kids, but after that, it was pretty chill.

Saturday morning we hung out at home and spent time together. Later we dropped Peyton off to spend time with his mama and then went to the train station in our town to take pictures before Nevaeh’s 8th grade formal. The train station is beautiful so it was a good spot for pictures.

When we got done there we took Nevaeh and her date (her boyfriend, but Chris doesn’t like me to say that) to the dance.

When Nevaeh got home Chris, Nevaeh, and I watched YouTube videos of Conan O’Brien and Kevin Hart driving around with different people in the car… it was pretty hilarious.

Sunday we went to the Rose Parade. Chris wasn’t thrilled but he’s a team player so came along anyhow. He actually ended up enjoying himself, so that was a bonus. LOL. Liam LOVED all the cars and trucks. He wouldn’t stop saying “ca” and when there were no cars that he could see he would say, “all gone!” and get squirmy again until the next wave of vehicles came. It was adorable. Sylas liked the firetrucks and police cars, and Josie liked the horses. I think she liked the horses, it was really the only thing she paid attention to other than the candy being thrown her way. She didn’t want to talk about anything but the candy after we left. I think candy being thrown at parades should be banned… lol. I’m totally kidding but my kids brought home SO MUCH candy.

Watching a parade is on our Summer Bucket List so the kids were excited to put a check mark next to it afterward. If you want a copy of our Summer Bucket List or if you want a template to write your own list, click on the link and download my free printables. There are 5 of them so you have a few to choose from, plus a few blank ones if you would rather create your own.

After that we came home and while the kids napped and I worked on my blog a big, Chris went to pick up some mulch for me. I didn’t get it put down yet… I’m sure that won’t happen until next weekend at least. I tend to get nothing done in the yard during the week LOL

We went to pizza night, I had good wine, and then we went home to relax before the week started again.

My kids didn’t nap all weekend it seemed like. Even Liam’s naps were shorter than normal. I seriously ended my weekend wishing for a babysitter so I could have a couple minutes to myself without anyone interrupting. LOL. I live for nap time.

Tell me about your weekend in the comments! I’d love to hear about it. 🙂

 

Categories
Blogger Award

Mystery Blogger Award

Mom. Wife. Wine. has been nominated for its first ever award and I am so excited about it!! I am so flattered and beyond honored about the nomination for the Mystery Blogger Award.

I received the nomination from Morgan at Binkies, Bottles, and Babies and I would like to first thank her before I get started. Morgan is an amazing mama to her first baby and blogs about her parenting journey. She shares the BEST content and it is all so helpful to other mothers. She is also so supportive of other bloggers, which I think is so amazing of her. Make sure to hop over to her page and check out her work!

The Mystery Blogger AwardRULES

  1. Put the award logo/image on your blog.
  2. List the rules.
  3. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
  4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link to their blog.
  5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
  6. Answer the 5 questions from the person who nominated you.
  7. Nominate other bloggers.
  8. Notify the nominees that you have nominated them for the award.
  9. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice, with one weird or funny question.
  10. Share a link to your best post.

CREATOR

The creator of the Mystery Blogger Award is Okoto Enigma and you can check out her blog here. She blogs about lifestyle and travel.

THREE FACTS ABOUT ME

  1. I love to read. I prefer historical fiction or fiction that is written about controversial topics. I can get so wrapped up in a book that I don’t realize how much time has passed until I’m late getting somewhere. Oops.
  2. I question every single choice I make and everything I say. I spend hours afterward repeating it all in my head and beating myself up over it. I think it has a lot to do with my anxiety, but it is a huge problem that I’ve been dealing with for years and am working to get better about it.
  3. The age difference between my three babies is very small… 17 months between each of them. I got pregnant when Sylas turned 9 months old and then again when Josie turned 9 months old. Liam is lucky because we broke the cycle with him… now he gets to be the baby forever. 🙂

QUESTIONS THAT MORGAN ASKED ME

  1. What inspired you to start your blog? I have always loved blogging. I had a couple blogs in the past but I really had no idea what I was doing so they were mostly just blogs for myself. This time, I wanted to make my blog more successful in hopes that I can eventually earn an income doing what I love. I became serious about it when I realized that I wanted to be home with my babies every single day instead of working a “normal” full-time job while they were raised by a babysitter.
  2. What is your favorite thing about motherhood? Oh, this is a tough one! I love so much about motherhood. I love the hugs, kisses, cuddles, and unconditional love I receive from my babies every single day. I love watching them learn, grow, and become their own person. I love guiding them and being there as they achieve something new and seeing the excitement on their faces.
  3. If you could move anywhere in the world where would you live? South Haven, Michigan!! It is my FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH. My husband and I were married in South Haven so it makes it even more special to me. My husband always says he wants to live in New York City so I think we’ll run into an issue if we ever decide to move.
  4. If you won the lottery what would you do with the money? First I would pay off all of our bills. Every single one. Then I would probably invest a ton of it before installing a lazy river in the backyard of my brand new farmhouse.
  5. Who are three people who inspire you and why? My husband, my brother Scott, and my kids. My husband inspires me because he always encourages me and supports all the crazy decisions I make (like quitting my job and starting a blog) and he gives me his input and ideas whenever I ask. Scott inspires me because years ago he quit his “real” job to focus on his DJing business full time. It started from nothing and he managed to build a successful business. His dedication and drive inspire me to do great things outside of the normal ideas of a job. My kids inspire me (obviously, just take a look at my blog LOL) because they make me want to work harder every single day. They make me want to fight through all the depression and anxiety I deal with and come out stronger than ever. They give me purpose every single day and inspire me to be a better person and a better mother. They inspire me to make something of myself.

MY NOMINEES

The bloggers I am nominating are amazing women who put out amazing content consistently. I love following their journeys and seeing what is coming next. Take some time to check out their blogs and see why I love them so much!! I promise you won’t regret it. 🙂

Creating a Mama

Dominique – queenDOMsized

Chantel – Chavant Garde

QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES

  1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
  2. What is your least favorite household chore and why?
  3. When you have a couple hours to yourself what do you do to relax?
  4. What is your all-time favorite TV show and why?
  5. If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

 

Thanks again, Morgan, for nominating me for this awesome award!!

Categories
Craft Marriage Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

40 Free or Cheap Date Night Ideas

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. It was not exciting at all… he got his gift early (last) week, which was a circular saw and the rest of his gifts won’t be here until tomorrow because I’m a crappy wife and ordered them late. He went to work, after work he rushed home to grab Sylas and Josie and then rushed to Nevaeh’s choir concert, while Liam and I went to my nephew’s high school graduation.

After the choir concert, Chris rushed back to our side of town to pick Peyton up from the school when he got back from his Macinack field trip. By the time we all got home, it was 9 pm and we hadn’t done anything fun all day. Sylas asked about 10 times when we were going to the park for daddy’s birthday because we always have Sylas’ parties at the park. LOL.

I knew ahead of time that Chris’ birthday wouldn’t be very “special”, so the littles and I took some time to make him a couple of homemade gifts.

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I helped the kids make him some handprint crafts. Josie made a birthday cupcake using her hand, and then the flames on her “candles” are made from her fingerprints.

Sylas and Liam made little monsters. Sylas used his hand (minus the middle finger) to make his monster, and then I added the eye and mouth myself. Liam made a monster using his foot, and then I added the smile and eyes. I helped Liam make polka dots on his monster, too.

Sylas and Josie also did some free art time and they both chose to make pictures for daddy. They’re so sweet and I’m trying to help them understand that they should try and make daddy feel special on his birthday like he does for them on theirs.

 Josie’s artwork for daddy, it’s two different spaceships.

 One of Sylas’

 Sylas’ other one… this one is a tall tower, a dragon, and rain.

So then MY DIY project for Chris was a date night jar. We struggle with finding things to do when we are stuck at home and I always want to bond more than we do during a normal week.

We ALWAYS talk about having more date nights but with the kids, it’s really hard to find the time.

I decided to create a “Date Night” jar, full of things we can either do at home or (with a little planning ahead) find a babysitter for a couple of hours while we do something quick but fun.

I used a mason jar (I buy mine on Amazon) to hold the date night ideas. Then, I made a tag for a label, used a hole punch to make a hole in the tag, and slipped it onto twine before tying the twine around the neck of the bottle.

When we are wondering what we should do to have some fun, we just draw a date from the jar and go with the first one we pulled out. The ones that require a babysitter or a little planning ahead, I marked with a different color so that we know to avoid those ones when we know we are stuck at home.

No more sitting around wasting time on our phones or cleaning when we want to bond and spend time together… now we have plenty of ideas. 🙂

Are there any free/cheap date nights you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments. 🙂

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Wine Wednesday

Wine Wednesday

I love Wine Wednesday. Gives me an actual *reason* to indulge in wine, know what I mean? 😉

This week I’m going to talk about Flipside, which is a dry red blend.

The cherry in this blend is very overwhelming, both when smelling and tasting. I also smelled hints of cocoa and pepper. Again, the taste has an overwhelming dark cherry flavor and I also noticed flavors of pepper and vanilla.

The tastes did blend together very well, but I would definitely pair it with a bolder food, probably something spicy. My husband (who thinks everything tastes like Mad Dog 20/20) actually said it’s not too bad!! I didn’t mind it but it wasn’t one of my favorites. I’d give it a 3 out of 5.