Back To School

My babies went back to school 2 weeks ago and I am not quite sure what to do with myself.  I am one of those crying mommas and yet I held myself together until both girls were out of the van.  Our school district has a separate kindergarten building so while my oldest attends the elementary school right in our neighborhood I have to drive across town to drop off the youngest, so holding back tears was tough until she was delivered to school.  I didn’t want to cry in front of them and leave them feeling stressed or sad.  They were so excited to go to school. 

I did well keeping tears at bay but there was a day last week when I looked into the back seat to tell my youngest something and I remembered I had already dropped her off and I cried all the way home.  I still need some time to adjust to our new normal around here. 

On a crafty note, I used my Silhouette Cameo to make the cute apples with their grades.  Of course I needed cute props! 

Mason Jar Mugs

I know everyone has seen these by now as they have been all over the internet so they are not new but, I tell ya, I had the hardest time finding the instructions for them.  By instructions I mean, I needed to know what size grommet and drill bit I would have to locate or purchase.  I wanted this to be a one and done type of project.

So, I’ll share my supplies with you in case you have been wanting to make these fun jars to keep your drinks bug free while outdoors this summer.

I picked up the blue Ball Mason Jars which are a limited edition.  They were too pretty to pass up even though they cost a little more than regular jars.  You’ll need a 3/8” drill bit, a drill and rubber grommets sized 9/16” outer diameter and 1/4” inner diameter.  The grommets were the most difficult thing to locate but I found them at Lowe’s in the hard to find hardware drawers in the same aisle as the screws, nuts, bolts, etc.  There are 2 grommets in each pack for a $1.04. 

Then you simply drill a hole, carefully snip off any hanging pieces of metal and then fit the grommet down into it.  Such a quick and easy project and would make a fun hostess or even housewarming gift.   

Wordless Wednesday

Honfleur, France – March 2012

Exploring

I realized that it has been over 2 months since I posted!  It doesn’t feel like it has been that long at all.  We’ve celebrated 3 birthdays and enjoyed the spring weather.  We have also done a little bit of exploring our some things in our new state. 

These photos were taken near an old mill about an hour from our home.  I was so excited to see the old truck and snap some cool pictures.  I love finding the unexpected while exploring.  And that red roof on the old barn?  Awesome! 

I’ve been crafting, painting, gardening and enjoying having a home that I can finally personalize.  What have you been up to?

Chateau Gaillard, Les Andelys, France

After we left the magical Disneyland Paris we drove north towards the Normandy region.  Along the way we stopped at the beautiful Chateau Gaillard.  The castle ruins sit high above the Seine River and the small town of Les Andelys. A quick stop in town to grab some lunch and we headed to the ruins.

We arrived in the off season and the main building was closed but we were able to wander around the ruins for free and take in the beautiful view.  It is hard to not be in awe while visiting the fortress that was built by Richard the Lionheart.  The structure took a year to build and was finished in 1198.  It was built as a deterrent to the king of France to keep him from invading Normandy.  

If you click on the link in the first paragraph it will take you to a site with the complete but brief history of the castle. 

Big G & Dream Works Team Up! (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Have you seen the Dream Works DVD Samplers on select boxes of Big G cereals on your recent shopping trip? If not, be sure to check it out as they are only available for a limited time on select cereals.  If so, have you wondered what exactly is on the DVD’s?  These samplers are filled with fun content from characters we have all grown to love from some of our favorite Dream Works films such as “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Shrek”, “Kung Fu Panda”, and “Madagascar” along with a trailer from Dream Works upcoming film, “The Croods” which will be in theaters March 22!  It is a win/win for you: breakfast and entertainment!


I was given the opportunity to receive a gift pack* which included all 4 of the DVD samplers, a movie tin filled with delicious movie snacks (popcorn, Raisinets, Twizzlers, Swedish Fish!) and 2 books from the movie, “The Croods”.  My girls were so excited to sit down and watch these DVDs as soon as the box arrived.  We have been long time fans of all of these characters and to able to re-visit them in new, short episodes was so much fun! The books are great and have my girls super excited to see “The Croods” over spring break.

I have the opportunity to share one of these gift packs with one of my readers!  How awesome is that?  Just leave a comment below telling me your name and what your favorite Dream Works movie is or your favorite Big G cereal!   I love Reese’s Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  Fortunately, my girls do, too, so we always have at least one of them in the house.  My favorite movie?  Shrek!  I’ll close the giveaway on Friday, February 22 and post the winner on Saturday. Please share this giveaway with your friends!

*Disclosure:  The information, products and General Mills gift packs were provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark, however, the opinions expressed are strictly my own! 

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED!  I have contacted the winner.  Thank you for visiting!***

That was a mistake!

Over the past couple of years we have made pinecone bird feeders for our feathered friends.  We were a little late getting to it this winter but we do have a regular bird feeder that is stocked all year round so it wasn’t a big deal. 

Since the girlies like to help make these feeders we took a few minutes this afternoon and spread lots of peanut butter into the pinecones and then rolled it in some bird seed.  We tied on some pretty pieces of yarn and I put them in the tree outside of my office window. I snapped a photo and came in. 

No sooner than I had shut the front door my girls yelled that we already had a visitor in the tree!  Awesome!  That was so fast.  I came into the office and lo and behold there is a squirrel attempting to reach our newly hung feeders.  The sneaky little rodent made off with one of the feeders in less than 2 minutes!  I caught him on the roof before he bolted away.

My oldest said “That’s okay.  I wanted the squirrel to have mine.  I wanted to be kind.”  Bless her little heart.  In the moments like this, where she chooses to be positive and thoughtful, I feel like I may just be doing an okay job as a mommy after all. 

I hope you are having a great weekend!