Wordless Wednesday: Our Cats

Toddler Tuesday: Take Cover

Isn't this the cutest little boy toy you have ever seen? Maiz over at The Brooding Hen says these little toys can shoot 15-20 feet. They are going to make some awesome stocking suffers for my boys. The best news is that it does not take much to make them, a Popsicle stick, a q-tip, and floss and they are great for fine motor skills. Do you have a toddler that would love these as much as my kids? Or is your hubby going to have more fun with them?

Sunday Project: Pumpkin Cake

Halloween is always an interesting holiday at our house. The kids aren't really old enough to understand but E and I like to do something fun. Last year we got together with the aunts and uncles for the evening and it was a blast. This year for our family party I think I'm going to make this cake. It is so adorable and shouldn't be too hard to make. Rather than use her fancy pan and special frosting however I think I'll opt for a bunt pan, some orange food coloring in my regular frosting, and some fake leaves to top it off. Happy baking!

Saving Saturday - An Awesome Week

This was an awesome week. I am so excited to have some new clothes, that fit, to wear to school! I shopped Target and Walgreens.

Total Spent: $14.31

Total Saved: $384.32 (96.4%)

Rewards Earned: $32.00

Support Breast Cancer Awareness with EdenFantasys *Adult*

It's that time of year again when we all support breast cancer awareness. This year EdenFantasys is taking part through an awesome deal of 25% off select Evolved Novelties. This includes some awesome items that you should check out today.

First off is the Serenity. This is a four star rabbit vibe that is said to be easy to operate and waterproof. It sounds like it would make a great addition to any collection as it comes in your choice of pink or purple.

Next is the Bendable you too. This seems to be a very popular style of vibe today and this particular one has a four star rating. It is known for its flexibility and seven vibration settings.

E and I have these love dice and they are lots of fun. They also make a great bridal or wedding gift. I know I have some weddings coming up that I will be stocking up for while they are on sale.

This romance collection kit would also make a great gift. It includes a small vibe, a set of love vouchers, some lube, silk ties and a blindfold, dice, electric candles and a few other small favors. I think this would make a great stocking stuffer.

While you're at EdenFantasys don't forget to stock up on toy cleaner which is also on sale. This is something that is always needed so don't forget to add it to your cart. Happy Shopping!

It's time to start that holiday planning

The Kerr house got about 4 inches of snow yesterday which means it's time to start thinking about Christmas. Here are a few tips to help your planning go smoothly.

1. Decided where you are celebrating. This is a dilemma this year because we were going to celebrate in our new home but E's sister is getting married the week before and my brother is coming home from a 2 year mission the day after. This means we'll probably be traveling and we've got to decide what days to spend with what family.

2. Family Pictures. This is what the grandma's always ask for for Christmas so it's that time of year where I need to get a new family photo. This is not usually hard but I have to start early to make sure it happens.

3. Holiday Cards. One I have the family photo it's time to get the holiday cards going. I usually like to do something like this card because the Aunts and Uncles keep them up year round and this makes it look not quite so holiday.

4. Clean out the toy room. We like to clean out the toy room so there's room for all the awesome stuff Santa will bring.

5. Plan Holiday Parties. We really like to decorate gingerbread houses with friends but I have to plan a time to get that done.

6. Think about your holiday menu. I know last year I waited for the last minute to purchase some of those seasonal ingredients and they were all gone. Make sure you get these items early so you have them.

7. Gifts. Start looking for gifts, if you haven't already. You'll get the best deals if you start now. Also, don't forget to shop discount and/or thrift stores.

8. Decorate. Now is the time to put those lights  on the house before it really starts snowing. So much safer and easier this way.

9. Get your children excited. This is not usually hard and finding them a way to enjoy the time right before Christmas can be so much fun. An advent or other type of countdown can be lots of fun!

10. Plan time to relax. I like to make sure I have everything done by about a week before Christmas so I can spend that time with my family relaxing. There is no reason to be stressed over the holiday if you plan wisely.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine.

Gift Ideas for Men

Buying for E is always hard. Not only is his birthday just a few short weeks before Christmas, and our anniversary a few weeks after, but he has this bad habit of just going and buying what he wants so I never have any good ideas. This year I have thought of a few fun things to get him (hopefully he's not reading this post) and I thought I'd share my gift ideas for men.

1. Electric Drill - He always wants one of these and he killed the last one building our chicken coup. I'm on the hunt for a nice one at a decent price.

2. Clothes - I don't know about your man but E goes through clothes faster than I can buy them. I don't know how as he wears his work clothes almost all the time but somehow it's his shirts and pants that always have holes.

3. A new razor - This can be a big deal for a man (apparently). E is required to shave for work and school (oh and it's also a requirement for me) so having a good razor is extra nice. I bought him a nice electric one last year but have been saving to buy him a replacement head.

4. Electronics - It seems like guys always want electronic stuff. E really wants a TV. I don't know if it's in the budget this year but I'm going to see what I can find.

I hope this helps as you begin, or finish, you buying for this holiday season. Good luck and happy shopping!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog about shaving tips and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Babee Greens Review

About Babee Greens:

Our line of certified organic cloth baby diapers and baby products was developed out of a desire to provide an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemically grown cloth and plastic disposable diapers. Created in the Blue Ridge Mountains nearly ten years ago, Babee Greens, formerly Baby Greens Diaper Company, began as a small business with one big goal of nurturing babies and the environment. Now owned and operated exclusively by mothers, Babee Greens has continued to expand its sustainable and biodegradable product selection, with all of its products made in the USA. The diapers and related diaper products are manufactured in Asheville, N.C.

Babee Greens maintains ethical and safe manufacturing standards and is proud to deliver the highest quality organic diaper and baby products to customers and retailers worldwide. 


Babee Greens uses only the highest quality, eco-friendly fibers in its cloth diaper products, including 100% certified organic cotton, organic cotton/hemp blends, hypoallergenic, non-PVC poly resin snaps, and 100% unbleached cotton thread and elastic.

Organic Cotton is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or insecticides. It is wonderfully soft making it a pure and natural choice for baby's delicate skin. The organic cotton used in Babee Greens all natural fitted diapers is milled locally, making this line of products 100% USA made.

Hemp is one of the world's most biodegradable and sustainable fibers. The natural oils contain anti-microbial properties resisting mold, fungus, and bacteria that can cause diaper rash. In combination with its unique breathability, the dense fiber absorbs four times more than cotton alone, thus creating an ideal cloth to touch your baby's skin. Our hemp and organic cotton blend diaper is one of the softest, most absorbent diapers you can buy.

Our Thoughts:

We have used our new Organic Cotton Diaper on all three boys. Since B doesn't wear diapers as much I missed the photo opportunity when he had it on but C and D's photos are below. I really love this diaper! It fits both boys easily and is slim yet very absorbent. D wears the diaper without the insert and it still works well and we have had no leaking problems. 

My other favorite thing about this diaper is that it is natural. C has so many allergies diapering is more trouble than it should be. This diaper works great for him however because there is nothing for him to be allergic to. 

The only complaint I have is that E complains about having to get his fingers wet when changing a diaper. Spoiled, spoiled boy!

We have been machine washing and line drying this diaper and after a month of use it still looks almost brand new!

If you are looking for an awesome organic diaper that will last make sure you check out the selection at Babee Greens today!

Adoptable: Princess

This week we had the opportunity to meed this wonderful dog who needs a home. B wanted to take her home with us. She already knows sit and other basic commands. Princess is an adorable dog. B had no problems feeding her treats, she sat and took them so nicely from his hand. She is a mid-sized dog and is just the right age at about a year old.

Princess really needs a loving home where she can have friends to play with. If you're interested in adopting Princess you can find more information on her Petfinder page.

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy Brothers

(Face art by Amber Marie Studios)

Toddler Tuesday: Halloween Ideas

 I'm sure you are all working on your child's Halloween costume but have you thought about how you're going to make those last finishing touches? If not you might consider face painting. These faces were done at C's birthday party by our good friend from Amber Marie Studios. She does such an awesome job and the result is beautiful!


Face painting can be a great way to add finishing touches or just to make you feel special as you take the kids to trick-or-treat.





If you live in Eastern Idaho you can check out Amber's page. If not than I highly encourage you to look for an awesome face painter in your area!

Saving Saturday and more to do

This week was a good week. I shopped Walgreens, Target, and Fred Meyer. I'm going to try to go back out this afternoon for a bit but we'll see if that happens.

Total Spent: $19.71

Total Saved: $219.94 (91.7%)

Rewards Earned: $42

Date Night: Love Messaging

E and I don't have a ton of time for "dating" these days. Between the kids, 32 school credits, and 40 hours of work each week anything not mandatory gets overlooked. We know from previous experience that the extra stress puts extra strain on our marriage. Today I'd like to share one way we like to help ease that and still feel like a couple through all the work.

We attend school together on a campus where EVERYONE is looking for a spouse. It's kinda crazy but I will probably have 3 or 4 guys open the door for me a day and each one looks at my left had in the process. I just have to laugh but it's kind of fun to use all the pickup lines we hear on each other. We usually do this through texting. In my mind there is nothing better than having a love note waiting for you when you get out of class. It's nothing fancy but it is so nice to know that E is thinking about me even when we're not together. If you need some great ideas to get you started you can see 101 here. I'll just list a few of my favorites. Let me know how it goes!

A.

1. If I bite my lip will you kiss it better?
2. Hershey factories make hundreds of kisses a day, but I'm only asking for one.
3. I wish you were a sine squared and I was a cosine squared, because together we could be one.
4. Can I have your picture? (Why?) So I can show Santa what I want for Christmas!
5. Lets make like fabric softener and Snuggle!

Adoptable Pet: Harvard

After our recent visit to the fair E and I have been talking about rabbits so here's today's adoptable pet.

Harvard is a neutered male rabbit that's about two years old. He loves to play and the best part is he's adoptable today from the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals!

Some reasons I think rabbits are great pets is that you can litter train them just like cats so they make awesome house guests. Rabbits are extremely soft and you will love to cuddle with them. There are also many sizes, shapes and colors to choose from so you are sure to find a perfect fit for your family! Make sure you check out Harvard and all the other adoptable rabbits today!

Wordless Wednesday: Tummy Time

Pre-Christmas Organizing

In many homes it seems to be tradition to have a pre-Christmas cleaning session. It is like spring cleaning but for the toy room and the closet so all the new gifts fit. The Kerr house is not exempt from this project and this year we are so excited to have awesome new rooms to clean. Today I'd like to share with you some of our best organizing tips.

1. Get sturdy bins. A good bin that is not going to break when your child steps on it is an excellent first step. Broken bins are the first step to a huge mess so we have found this investment to be well worth the money. We also like to use ones with nice handles so the kids can carry them without leaving a trail.
2. Avoid lids. Especially for little kids, lids are just something else they cannot put back. Lids make a mess, break easily, and in general are just something else to keep track of. We've found that it is much easier to keep things clean if we just leave them off.
3. Use pictures. For our little kids this is very important. B & C have no idea what "truck" means but if I draw a picture as a label for the box we all know exactly what belongs there and they can then get the right item in the right spot all by themselves.
4. Have sturdy Shelves. Another important part of every toy room is the shelves. Sturdy shelves save so much space and help keep things organized. Once again, avoid doors as it is just one more thing that makes your room look messy. At the Kerr house we have opted for a set of bookshelves with the backs taken off so our boxes fit better.
5. Get a stuffed animal net. We got this last Christmas and it has turned out to be a lifesaver! The animals used to slowly overtake my house but now that they are out of reach it has greatly reduced our mess.
6. Clean up regularly. It has become routine at our house to clean up each night after dinner. The big deal is Mom & Dad do not clean up the toys, B & C do. This has been a great learning experience for them and they now do it willingly while we clean up dinner and do other necessary chores.
7. Don't be afraid to throw toys away. Get rid of broken toys, toys your kids no longer use, or toys that don't have all the pieces and do not work. Not having all the little pieces for a game the kids have destroyed will save you a lot of pick up time. Just wait till the kids are in bed before throwing them away and they will never be the wiser.
8. Rotate toys. Another strategy is to rotate toys. Kids often get bored of toys when they play with the same ones day after day. Try rotating which ones are on the lower shelves and/or putting some in a box and putting them away for a month or two. Each time you do this it will be like Christmas all over again.
9. Don't buy little dinky toys. Don't waste your money on little dollar store toys. It is so much better to save your money or purchase a better quality toy so that it does not break a week later and then lay around your toy room for the next year.
10. Keep toys out of the kids rooms. This is something we are just beginning to do now that we have an actual toy room but so far it is working well. The boys don't have hardly any toys in their bedrooms which helps me keep them clean and be able to have successful nap times. I think this is especially important for toddlers who are easily distracted.

 I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Cleaning up the Mess

Most of you have probably read about our recent water mishaps if not you can read about them here. As a result we had quite the mess to clean up. The funny thing was that after E wrecked his car last week, still working on getting to that story, we had the insurance adjuster over to look at the car. He then preceded to tell us that he did a plumbing fix on this house just over a year ago.

This made us very sad as obviously whoever the previous owners hired to repair the damage did an awful job. It made me realize how thankful I am for the people who do home repairs the right way. Weather you do them yourself or hire someone your home is important and making sure it is a safe place to live is an important job.

Thankfully our plumbing is all fixed now, at least until we redo the other bathrooms pipes. Now all I need to do is finish repairing the water damage in the cupboards. Wish me luck!

This post has been brought to you by repairing water damaged floors Austin.

Toddler Tuesday: Holiday Shopping

It's just about that time of year again when you need to start thinking about holiday shopping. Yes, I'm one of the crazy people and I have everything bought except their clothes because it is so hard to guess what size to get for my growing boys. I am however now on the lookout for some awesome outfits for this holiday season. One of my favorite places to shop for discounted clothing is Zulily. They have adorable clothes, and lots of other fun stuff at great prices! Here are some of the items I'm currently watching. Go check it out as they sell out fast!

Mom Shop: Head To Toe

About Head to Toe:

My name is Christy. I am a stay at home mother of three girls (ages 11,7,4) and one boy(age 9). I have been selling on etsy since Aug. 7 2007 on a different shop. I was born in Texas and have lived in Texas, all 35 years of my life. I was taught to sew by my mother 20 years ago and still love sewing. I made my first Queen Size quilt when I was 17 years old. I even hand quilted it. I now teach my three daughters to sew. I am doing what I love. Thank you to everyone who buys from my ETSY store HEAD TO TOE.

You may wonder how I came up with my shop name. Just like most moms, I started making and selling hair bows(HEAD) and sewing ruffled ribbon on socks(TOE),so that is how I came up with HEAD TO TOE. Now I am making something totally different, which I enjoy creating with all the different fabrics. I decided to keep my shop name the same. 

My Thoughts:

With allergy season in full swing I felt this was an appropriate shop to feature. These tissue covers are so cute! I wonder if she could make one for our tissue, aka a roll of toilet paper. It sure is ugly! Happy shopping!

Blogorama Bonanza Winners

Thanks to all who participated!

Our two lucky winners are:

Kids - LB

Adult - Christine

Congrats!

Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond.