Fudgey Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I could probably teach a course entitled "How to Ensure Your Child Ends Up in Therapy 101."

The first class would be titled:  Kevin*

Birth Stats & Bribery

Did you know . . . that I have an Etsy store?

You probably did, because I have been blogging about it and facebooking about it and instagraming about it and pinning about it and . . . . no, not really tweeting about it, because I kind of stink at tweeting.

Did you know . . . that I am now selling the ever popular birth stat subway art?

How to Print Your Instagram Photos for Less

I have a problem.  It's kind of serious.  It's a daily issue.

I don't have enough storage on my phone (#firstworldproblems #stopwhiningyouspoiledbrat).

Want to know why?  I have, at this very moment, 1,441 pictures on my phone.

I know.  It's ridiculous.  It's because my kids are so damn cute!!  I can't stop taking pictures of them.

It's also because of Instagram!  I'm kind of obsessed with Instagraming my pictures.  I'll take a kind of cute picture of my kids and then make it all INSANELY cute and fancy on Instagram.  I looooooooove it.

So when I saw this project on Pinterest, I knew it was right up my ally.

But the question was, how to print off all my adorable Instagram shots without paying an arm and a leg?  Easy peezy lemon squeezey.

It's Friday! Cheers!! {This is Me}

It's Friday!  Cheers!!

I have a whole long list of complaints about this week.  The top of that list is how I have to do continuing education to maintain my certification as a social worker (my career from my past life), which meant that I had to spend four hours today remember what it means to be an ethical social worker.   Which means that this was my first chance at blogging today.

Blogging is more fun than being told that social workers shouldn't sleep with their clients.

Yeah . . .

So, one of my blogging buddies recently issued a challenge.  Amy over at While Wearing Heels suggested that we, who are so skilled at being behind the camera, step in front of it.  She suggested that we embrace who we are and not look at each and every picture of ourselves with such a critical eye.

Oreo Cookie Birthday Cake Pie

Do you ever have one of those days as a mom where you kind of wonder not only where this child came from, but what it would take for them to be occupied for more than two minutes doing something?  One of those days where it seems like at every turn you are being asked for something?

I mean, seriously kid.  I just fed you.  You really need another snack?  Really??  And you have 8,000 toys, why are you begging to play with the one that we can't find??

Sigh.

I have a five year old, and a one year old.  I have no shortage these types of days.

39 {AWESOME} Winter Activities for Kids

It's cold here today.  Like so cold that there are 700 pictures of thermometers in my Facebook feed.  So cold that I want to cry a little bit.

Cabin fever.  It's definition includes the words post-Christmas, January, and stir-crazy kids.

It's something I struggle with every year, and this year I'm taking it head on with a Winter Bucket List.  These are all the things I would love to do with my kids.  And better than being boredom busters, they are all easy!  Almost all of them involve materials that  you might even already have laying around your house!

Why 39?  Well, I may or may not have difficulty counting, and may or may not have originally planned on it being 40.  If you are looking for more ideas, find me on Pinterest, and look at my Winter Fun! board.

{Please note:  All these bloggers work really hard at creating awesome ideas for kids.  Do them a favor and visit them and pin your favorites!}

Shall we get started??

Obsessed with Fonts {Part 1}

Does anyone remember that magazine, YM?  It stood for Young & Modern?  Yeah . . . well at 14, I was young, but I was in no way modern.  None the less, I obsessed over the magazine with all its teenage drama and angst.  I even remember sitting at the kitchen counter talking with my mom about some pour tortured teenager who had shared her story with the magazine.  Her boyfriend had broken up with her or she had a zit on prom night or something.  Kuddos to my mom for getting through that conversation with a straight face.

Anyway.  My obsession got carried over to the back of my bedroom door where I methodically made a magazine collage of every interesting word and image I could find from with scotch tape over the entire door.  (Fast forward ten years and you see my dad cursing my name as he tries to take them down!)  "My-So-Called-Life" may or may not have played a staring role.  I mean, who can say no to Jorden Catalano??

And when I ran out of space on my door, they went around the edges of my windows (apparently I can't cover wood bedroom spaces with magazine clippings fast enough).  When I ran out of space there they went on the front of cassette tapes, making the perfect covers for such powerful and moving collections of music such as, "Sad Days" and "Happy Days."  Yup, I've always been a word smith.

I'm still kind of obsessed.

But now I get to torture all of you with my "collages."  Seriously, if I could spend eight hours a day playing around with graphics, I would be a happy happy woman.

Anyway.  Want to see some of the fonts I'm loving lately?  They are all free and gorgeous!  I love downloading new fonts.  It's like a fun new toy to play with.

Spinach Artichoke Pizza {Meatless Mondays #9}

Let me paint a little picture for you.  It involves me in a sundress as big as a house and in my final three months of pregnancy with Quinn.

Wait.  You don't like the picture I'm painting so far??

Hang in there, it gets better.

It's Friday!! Cheers! {The Amazing Kindle Fire AND Amazon Giftcard Giveaway}

It's Friday!  Cheers!!

And no.  Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.  My It's Friday logo has been replaced by the image of a Kindle Fire.  YOUR Kindle Fire!

Wisconsin Bacon and Cheese Beer Bread

Can I tell you something that is going to make you so happy you want to cry??

{Free} Valentine's Day Printable!

I am in the midst of putting together a BIG giveaway.  {So be sure to come back Friday!}

It's kind of awesome because . . . it makes me feel like a real blogger!  You know.  Like how paying bills makes you feel like real adult.  Only about 800 million times better than that.

Because of that, I've put putting together a post on the back burner.

In the mean time, want a {Free} Valentine's Day Printable??

Scratch Offs, Bon Bons,& FREE Printables!

Are you looking to be the coolest Mom ever come February 14th?  

It's Friday! Cheers!! {Bloggy Love Edition}

It's Friday!  Cheers!!

Even Gavin and Quinn are toasting to Friday today!

Can I just get a woot woot for the fact that it's Friday??  (I don't really talk like that . . . but given that this is the faceless internet, and I don't have to see anyone snickering at me as I type it . . . Woot! Woot!).

This has been the most ridiculous week.  Ok, maybe not the most ridiculous.  The one recently where we were going through round two of ear infections and stomach flus was pretty insane.

This week there was a trip to the doctor (I could not be more grateful for the delicious cocktail of pain killers and antibiotics that I consumed this week), a new water heater (never tell someone to go take a cold shower - it is a form of torture), a family crisis (which included lots of prayers and big sigh of relief that everyone is ok).

NFL Logo Etched Glasses

Have I told you about my new found obsession with Armour Etch??

{Probably not, because I'm absolutely horrible at photographing the finished product.}

Recently when I finished my Brewer's glasses, I showed a picture to my brother, and he promptly asked me to make 32 NFL glasses.  One with each team's logo.

How to Watermark Photos {Part 2} & Giveaway!

Anyone remember last month when I posted that tutorial about how to add your own watermark to photos using PicMonkey?  Yeah . . . about two seconds after I posted that, PicMonkey changed things up on us and now adding your own overlay to photos is part of their members only package.  I will say that I LOVE PicMonkey.  They are by far the easiest photo editing site to use, and the fact that they have a hilarious monkey as part of their logo doesn't hurt their case any either.  But I know that a lot of bloggers, myself included, don't make much (read: any) money blogging.  And because of that, $5 a month is a lot to pay for photo editing services.  My hope is that the cost comes down at some point, because I would love to still be able to use the awesome things they have to offer.

But until then, I will be going a different route, and I thought you might like to also.

Skylander Party Favor Keychains {Tutorial}

You may recall that, last month, before the tinsel and gingerbread I threw together a tiny little shindig to celebrate my 13 year old's five year old's birthday.

After going just a tiny bit overboard for Quinn's Rainbow Party, I decided to take it down a notch (Could you tell?  Were you wondering when I became such a slacker?  I know.  Me too.)  So I decided to just make keychains.  Because, as my brother said, five year olds are always needing a place for all their keys.  Yeah.  His second language is sarcasm.

Skylander keychains!  With a character on one side, and the party guest's name on the other side.   These of course would be just as awesome with Disney Princesses or some other character your kid is obsessed with.  Well . . . I suppose "just as awesome" depends on who you ask . . . Gavin would probably chuck a keychain that his name on one side and The Little Mermaid on the other.

Anyway!  Want to know how to make them?  Great!

It's Friday! Cheers!! {Quinny!}

It's Friday!  Cheers!!

Did you survive the short week that felt like three long weeks??  Why are routines so hard to get back into??  I got up at about 5 a.m. all fall like a champ, and now, when my post-holiday gut needs it the most, I want to give up on my early morning work out and stay in bed until approximately three minutes before I need to be in the car with both kids (dressed & fed) to take the big guy to school.  Ugh.

Anyway.

Let's talk Quinn for a moment shall we?

Grandma's Meatballs

I briefly considered doing a New Year's post . . . and then remembered how horrible I am at keep New Year's resolutions.

Something I'm good at?

Eating meatballs.