Merry Christmas!

An epic Minecraft party.

The set up! The food is so much fun for this party!

Food tent cards from https://www.etsy.com/people/michcmo 

This is for a pdf file you can then print and cut out as many as needed.

I made the boys Creeper t-shirts and rolled them and 

secured them with some minecraft bracelets I found on Ebay.

Put the tees in Creeper and Enderman bags I made along with 

some snack bags with the extra candy treats from the party.

Gold foil boxes, blue diamonds, brick background paper

and grass tablecloth found on Amazon.

All tin and plastic buckets are from The Dollar Tree

and the poster is from Walmart.

Potion bottle wrappers from https://www.etsy.com/people/whimzycmo

This is for a pdf file you can then print and cut out as many as needed.

Keep calm and Minecraft on.

Pdf file can be bought here 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MapleSyrupDesign

You get 2 sizes, print as many as you'd like.

I laminated ours so it now is on his bedroom door. 

I also got a pdf file for Minecraft image circles that

you can use to make cupcake toppers 

or a number of other things. I printed them 

on sticker paper and use them on the baggies 

I added to their treat bags.

Minecraft heads were from the boys Halloween

costumes this year. Ours were bought at the beach over 

the summer but they can be found at Target along

 with the foam sword.

Paper crafts were found online for free. Pick which 

ones you want and how many then print on cardstock. 

The kids can then cut, fold and make their own blocks.

Invites are from 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LvLUpLoot

I love these! You buy the personalized pdf file and 

print as many as you need on cardstock. 

Cut, fold, glue...a perfect invite.

One very happy 12 year old had an 

amazing party!

Be calm and Minecraft on.

Foods we used:

• Water, blue Jello 
• Dirt Grass, Chocolate Rice Krispies with green frosting
• Watermelon, Watermelon sour patch candies
• Redstone, Red Hots
• Emeralds, green Mike and Ikes
• Fish, Swedish Fish
• Sticks, pretzels
• Diamonds, Rock candy
• Gold, Hershey Nuggets
• Coal, Chocolate candy coal 
• Cookies, homemade cookies
• Golden Apples, apple slices
• Carrots, baby carrots
• TNT, red and black licorice
• Cake, homemade cake

What children need most...

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. 

And, most importantly, cookies.

 ~Rudolph Giuliani

Happy Grandparent's Day!

When I was 5 years old...

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life." ~John Lennon.

You are 5 years old. Kindergarten. Class of 2026. 

The future is yours. Be Happy.

My plan is to take a photo of you in this t-shirt every year at the beginning of school. I'll add a little money to each picture and put it in a book for you to give you at graduation in 2026. It seems so far away but I know I will blink and you will be 18. 

Time is flying by so quickly. Be Happy. 

This was last years photo, 4K (preschool), still a favorite.

And the winners are...

Thanks everyone for entering!

Here our the lucky winners:

Bookworm t-shirts: Bonnie Greenhalgh Finch (claimed), Ashley Leonard, and Vanessa Vazquez (claimed)

Munchler lunch bag, tiger: Ashley Stephenson Barnett (claimed)

Munchler lunch bag, bunny: Stacy Waters Warden (claimed)

School supplies, red group: Briar Moon (claimed)

School supplies, blue group: Ashley Rock (claimed)

Kate Spade clutch (your choice red or black): Christin Alonzo (claimed)

You have 48 hours to contact me and claim your prize!!!

Please message me on facebook to claim your prize. T-shirt winners please leave the size you would like in the t-shirt and I will get back to you with what colors I have available to choose from. Prizes will ship this week. Thanks again for being here and CONGRATS to all the lucky winners.

 Happy Monday! 

Happy Back to School! Have a great week!

~Alison

Back to School Giveaway Time

I gotta go back, back, back to school again...

August 12-19th

I'm giving away a few things to make the transition back a bit easier...

3 of my new little Bookworm t-shirts...

                                      

2 Munchlers lunch bags, 1 tiger and 1 bunny...

2 groups of back to school basics supplies....

and 1 Kate Spade pebbled ace of spades clutch in your choice of red or black.

...and here's how and where you enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7d1824/

Stop back and see if you are one of the lucky winners on August 19th!

Good luck! and Happy Back to School!

~Alison

Happy Father's Day!

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother” – Theodore Hesburgh 

Hey Kid, you're awesome!

I was looking for something to bring to my son's 5th grade award ceremony in lieu of flowers (what boy wants flowers?) or balloons (dude, he's 11 not 5). I came across the candy bucket idea on pinterest and combined a few ideas and sayings to come up with this mega candy bucket (what 11 year old would not want this?). He (and all his friends) LOVED it. He won first place in the highest award given, The Engle award, for highest cumulative grade point average from 4K thru 5th grade. (Proud Mom moment) It was important to make sure he knew it was a big deal and this was just a little way for us to say

  "Hey kid, you're awesome!" 

Look at you, SMARTIE pants! You went the EXTRA mile. You SKORed high on tests and reached the PAYDAY of graduation. Don’t listen to SNICKERS, that you are a DUM DUM or NERD, because you are one HOT TAMALE in this MILKY WAY, on his way to making 100 GRAND. Don’t be an AIRHEAD, be sure to TAKE 5 every NOW & LATER when your WHATCHAMACALLIT is not working properly. It is sure to be a LIFESAVER. Hope your FAST BREAK of summer is MOUNDS of fun. Have a WHOPPER of a good time!

Lots of HUGS and KISSES,

Mom, Dad and Brighton

Motherhood

Motherhood is about accepting the limitations of time and energy, which stretch beyond you, even though it feels like they could consume you. Search for and hold on to your own true self, because without that, what mother can you be? Things are always changing, no matter how much we might want things to stay the same. You could take a picture of your kids every single day and every single day, they'd just be getting older. That's a fact, a heartbreaking fact, but still a fact. So seize your days and dwell on them fully. Look to your children because they know how to inhabit brief periods of time with extreme passion and for nothing more really than the sake of those moments, they can help you remember that. If you only slow down and let them. Be fortunate because chances are good you actually might be.

~from the movie "Motherhood"

Every day is Mother's Day when you are a mother.

 Cherish the time with your little ones. 

They are little for such a short period of time. 

Happy Mother's Day all!

~Alison

Batter Up!

It's baseball season.

 And it's our first season of little league. My son has never been an athlete and hasn't shown much interest in sports until fairly recently. He has developed a love for baseball. He is a brain, the smart kid (the really smart kid). So, I'm excited and proud of him as he is stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something new. Last night I was snack mom. Anyone who knows me, knows I like, no, scratch that, I LOVE to make little goodies and things for my boys to share with their friends. I wanted to do something a little fun and different. I'm all about making it easy and simple as well. So, I made a trail mix and pretzels snack bag. (We have no food allergies on our team.) To make it a little fun, I printed some kid friendly baseball jokes on sticker paper and stuck them on the baggies. Let's face it, at the end of some games, we could all use a little laugh.

Like I said, it's our first year for little league. I've seen tears and frustration at every game from so many of the boys. They can be so very hard on themselves. They are learning every day.  They will make mistakes and a lot of them. I want my kids to love the game, to learn with every mistake made, to encourage each other and have great sportsmanship. And most of all, I want them to have fun. 


HE'S JUST A LITTLE BOY
by Chaplain Bob Fox

He stands at the plate with his heart pounding fast;
The bases are loaded; the die has been cast.
Mom and Dad can not help him; he stands all alone.
The ball nears the plate; he swings and he misses.
There's a groan from the crowd, with some boos and hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries, "Strike out the bum!"
Tears fill his eyes: the game's no longer fun.
So open your heart and give him a break.
For it's moments like this a man you can make.
Keep this in mind when you hear someone forget.
He's just a little boy, not a man yet.

Earth Day goody for the littles

Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd.

 Finished up a little goody for the little man to take to school. 

Grab a few basic supplies...

kids shovels or garden tools, seed packs...

 bakers twine, some punches.

print a cute note,  use a puncher to cut them out.

tie the tags and seed packets to the shovels with twine...

Dig in and get dirty! Happy Earth Day! 

Friday recap...

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, I managed to get two new tees listed in my shop this week.

"Welcome home Daddy" which started as a custom order for a deployment return celebration.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/128989984/welcome-home-daddy-deployment-return?ref=shop_home_active

and...

"Chalkboard Etch A Sketch Inspired" This one is so much fun! Great for photos, birthdays and just plain fun. Comes with a little drawstring bag of chalk and a cloth eraser.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/129000880/chalkboard-kids-t-shirt-etch-a-sketch?ref=shop_home_feat


also....
Inkspot Blog featured Once Upon A Story for their Hump Day giveaway along with Paper Llamas. $100. up for grabs, $50. from each shop. Ends at midnight tonite. Check it out and take a second to enter. Maybe today is your lucky day!!!
 blog.inkspotworkshop.com/2013/04/hump-day-giveaway-stylish-swag-for-kids/

 Next week, maybe that 3rd new tee will make it's appearance, another amazing blog giveaway and I'm working on a little something for the little one to take to school for Earth Day.

Have an amazing weekend my friends!

~Alison

Everything I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY

Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

Walk softly and carry a big carrot.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There’s no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute little tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off other people’s jellybeans.

The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket.

An Easter bonnet can tame even the wildest hare.

To show your true colors you have to come out of your shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey!

~Author Unknown

Have a safe and happy holiday!

                               ~Alison

and the winner is.....

Congratulations to Nicole!! She won a free t-shirt!!

Hanging with my PEEPS

 

Easter is in a few days and it has snuck up on me. I always like to send my little one to school with a little treat for his class as well as something for his teacher. Before I even realized it, today is his last day before his Easter/spring break. EEK! So we, very quickly, made these this morning. I mean very quickly. We picked up M&M's, Peeps and flowers. Everything else was on hand at home. I've seen this Peep idea all over the place so it's not the most original idea but it's super easy, super fast and super cute.
Easter wouldn't be Easter without Peeps, right?

Happy Easter to all my PEEPS!

 

 

2nd year Etsy-Versary Giveaway!

Today marks the 2nd year Anniversary of when my Etsy shop opened. Yay! Etsy-Versary! A free t-shirt is in order! Winner will be chosen on Friday via rafflecopter. Leave a comment here with what t-shirt you would pick if you were the winner and then enter through the rafflecopter link below.  May the odds be ever in your favor :)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7d1820/

But I'll know where several are...

if my dreams get real bizarre

'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

                          ~Owl City, Fireflies

A new venture...

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic." ~unknown