Wild & Three Birthday Party Highlights

My twins will be turning three soon, and I noticed a cute Wild Things birthday party on Pinterest one day. As soon as I saw the adorable Young, Wild and Three shirts on Zulily I knew it would be the perfect combination for the party. Here are few of the highlights inspired by several of my Pinterest Pins, the book "Where the Wild Things Are" and my sometimes creative mind.  These days I am getting a bit more sleep, and I am able to think of things beyond just getting through the day.  

Wynn's Room Updated from Baby Nursery

Once upon a time we had a little baby girl come home to her room that looked like this...

Now, this little girl is in first grade, and desperately wanted to have a room in all pink.  We finally took the plunge and painted her room to match her request. She is now officially pink-a-licious.

Her crib turned into a full sized bed, and so we are working with this until Rob builds Wynn's dream bunk bed.  The comforter set is from Target, and of course Wynn's three favorite stuffies have to be front and center.

The Pottery Barn Kids letters were easy to hang with screws, some painters tape, and a level. They were on clearance even further than when I purchased them here. They are $39 marked down from $99. They are a muted gold, and are a good size. They are the perfect size for above the wainscotting that we repainted in the same white semi gloss.

The desk area remains prety much the same, and sometimes becomes more cluttered as the school year goes on. But, Wynn loves sitting there to color, do homework, and play with her Shopkin collection.

Her bookshelf that was in the room when the crib was there is now in the closet. It allowed us to add the desk to her room. Bins from Target are there to hold school papers, shoes, and extra toys.  I spent a good hour last weekend cleaning this out and getting out the smaller sized clothes and shoes. I am hoping this stays clean for at least a few weeks.  We shall see.

 The dresser is filled to the brim with clothes, and her acrylic containers include her treasures and hair accessories.  That's all for now, and once we have the time between school and Rob coaching maybe a new bunk bed can be built.  Thanks for stopping by!

O-Fish-Ally One Birthday Party

We just went through the fastest year of our lives I think in our household. I feel like we just learned we were pregnant with our little guy, and now it has been almost two weeks since we celebrated his birthday. I went with a Goldfish theme once I saw the cute idea for "o-fish-ally one" on Pinterest from a variety of sources.

I went with really simple ideas, and I actually held it at my parents house out of town. I really did not want to drag too much extra items there. I'm sure they appreciated that as well. Although, I am pretty sure they would not have minded at all. I ordered invitations from the Etsy shop called Print Pop Party , and I also ordered the party set. I took a banner from Target, and attached the cupcake toppers to it since I was serving cake.

I made simple goldfish lanterns with a little bit of tape, cardstock and a paper lantern set from Amazon.  

I made a Goldfish bar for the kids, and it was only my kids so they snacked on the goldfish the entire week. :) I bought the all at the Pepperidge Farm outlet, and found flavors I had never seen before. The new family favorite is the saltine flavor.

The cakes were from a delicious bakery in Rehoboth Beach, DE called Pasqualini's. I wish I could order all my cakes there. They were so amazing, delicious, and priced very well.

I ordered a high chair banner from SeacliffeCottage Etsy Shop. I just added simple balloons and tied goldfish that I cut out on my Silhouette Cameo machine to the balloon strings.

The birthday boy wore an outfit from the TutifulBowtique.

She was an amazing person to work with and did an amazing job on the outfit.

 We also ate delicious chocolate covered marshmallow from Crumbtastic.

I had the kids decorate a wooden block set for their brother with sharpies and a set from SpudWoodWorks. It was a great birthday present from them to him.

I made a simple guest sign in sheet that I will frame for Rory's wall in his room. 

Lots of cute ideas, but I kept it sweet and simple. It really was the most stress free party I've done yet. Thanks for stopping by!

Wake Up With Breakfast Ideas from Jimmy Dean

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Tyson Foods, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JDgreatdays  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

We are almost in back to school mode in our home as we have a first grader this year, and my husband is a high school teacher. It is great to wake up with breakfast ideas that are healthy and good for everyone. But, we also need a satisfying meal that can hold us all over until lunch. A good breakfast can be put together easily with the help of Jimmy Dean. Jimmy Dean helps your family get a great start to their morning with a variety of tasty and satisfying breakfast offerings that are ready to enjoy in just minutes!

I shopped at Martin's Food Markets and was able to find a variety of Jimmy Dean options for all of my family members. I picked up the frozen sandwiches and bowls, which are a savory and satisfying meal that are microwavable and ready in less than three minutes. My husband and I enjoy the sandwiches as they are portable, single servings for us as we are always on the go . The bowls have worked out as a great option for our kids. I have even made one bowl and been able to split it between my younger children as part of their healthy breakfast to start their day.

School being around the corner means that I will be involved with the PTA activities. Currently, I am co-chairperson of the back to school breakfast for the staff at the elementary school. I will be incorporating the Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches in the menu for the occasion. I want to be able to serve a warm food option in the display, and thought these would be perfect for the staff. Staff members will be able to enjoy a warm entrée during their first morning back. Then head to their classrooms to get ready for the start of the year.

You can even make the first day of school breakfast just a little more special for your own family. Use simple school supplies or items around the house to decorate your table. I even used my fluted cake stand to display the delicious Jimmy Dean sandwiches. Using plates or glasses that are normally not for your everyday use make it exciting for the kids. It certainly gets the first day off on the right foot.

See for yourself how good mornings lead to great days when you start them off with Jimmy Dean.  Right now at Martin's Food Markets when you buy 3 Jimmy Dean products you get $5 off through 8/11.  While supplies last.

Be sure to check out Jimmy Dean on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, & Twitter for recipes, product information, and other great ideas.

A Nursery Into a Big Girl Room - The Beginning

Well, the time has come to change my daughter's room. It had been seven years since we last painted it in a beautiful gray blue, added wainscotting, and new wood floors. We added a wall decal monogram and name above her crib, and lots of fun clothes and toys. It was one of my favorite rooms in our home. I am going to share the finished product soon, but I thought I would revisit the previous look and talk about what I've done so far.

Wynn had asked over and over for a pink room. I was dreading the thought of a pink room, but then I realized that it would only be pink for a little less than half of the wall space. We chose Sherwin Williams Impatiens Petal Pink. It took two coats to cover the previously painted blue walls.  We also gave the wainscotting a fresh coat of white paint as well. It was needed after the years it was starting to look very well loved.

I found ruffle curtains from Target for around $18 per panel. They make the room light and airy. Before, we had black out brown curtains to help our little girl sleep longer. However, now that she is six she could sleep through a parade marching through her room. A few years ago I purchased the pink polka dot comforter from Target.  Wynn requested pink then, and that was as close as I was willing to get at that point.

I purchased the gold letters spelling out DREAM on clearance from Pottery Barn Kids.  They are on clearance now for only $39.  I grabbed a light up heart from Target's Pillowfort line for $15.  

I have a few more items I plan on adding before I share the entire reveal. I shared a portion of it on my Instagram page a few weeks ago after we finally painted it. I first have to convince my six year old to keep the room clean for about twenty minutes in the summer so I can snap a few pictures. That may be my only remaining hurdle.

Summer Footprint Craft

Summer is finally here! I saw an adorable craft on Pinterest, which did not have a working link back to the original blog. I thought it would be fun to do with the boys. They enjoy doing hand print and foot print crafts.

The materials I used were washable paint, baby wipes, card stock in various colors, and pom poms.  I painted each of the boys feet one at a time, and then wiped them off with the baby wipes. I used one piece of card stock for each boy, and then cut out the feet individually. This only took me a few minutes to complete. Crafting with little ones does not have to be long.

Then I had the two older boys help me glue the footprints onto colorful cardstock. I used the scrap pieces to make the dividing part of the flip flop.

Then I cut around the edges of the flip flop. And the boys added glue to the pom poms and attached them to the top of the divider. I let them choose all the colors along the way, and they got a big kick out of it.

Here are the final products for each boy. I wrote their names on it and the date. I am going to hang them above our chalkboard in the playroom for summer decorations. It would seem I have triplets by the looks of these feet. Rory is 21 months younger, but you would never know that.

DIY Workshops - Father's Day Football Toss & THD Virtual Party

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot

Last Monday, we shared the exciting news that we were going to share our DIY Workshop project with you today. The Home Depot offers FREE DIY Workshops at all their locations, and they are for do-it-yourselfers of all experience and age levels. We have participated in them in the past and enjoyed them.

The three types of Free Workshops they offer are:

• Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
• Do-It-Herself (DIY)
• Kids

Customers can learn how to build decor projects, how to make easy home repairs, and how to operate tools through demonstrations and step-by-step instructions. 

If you want to learn how to do this project at the demonstration you can sign up at all The Home Depot locations. You will learn the essential components needed to recreate this project at home.

Saturday, June 18th

10:00-11:00 am

Remember, we are just one of many blogs sharing our version of the DIY Workshop project.  Check out the inspiring ideas from all of the other bloggers in the virtual party at the bottom of this post.  I am sure you will find something that will help you create your own toss game.  

The original project that was the inspiration from The Home Depot was made to look like a football field.  We are a football loving family indeed, but we decided to take another spin on the project. My husband, Rob, loves golf and Father's Day is the weekend in which the U.S. Open is played by The PGA Tour. We decided it would be a perfect opportunity to turn this into not just a game where you could toss a ball, but chip golf balls into as well. Please see the very bottom for the rules we created for this game, and printable score cards. 

Here are the materials that you will need in order to complete the project. 

• 1 - 1/2" x 2" x 4'  sanded plywood board
• 1 - 1" x 4" x 12" common board
• 2 packs - Everbilt #10 x 1 1/4" Phillips Zinc-Plated Flat- Head Wood Screw 
• 1 pack  Everbilt #10 x 3/4" Phillips Zinc-Plated Flat-Head Wood Screw
• 1 Pack - Everbilt 2 1/2" Zinc-Plated Narrow Utility Hinges (2 pack)
• Paint or Stain
• One Foot Length of String or Twine
• One Small Nail of Any Type

Tools Needed:

• Circular Saw
• Reciprocator Saw
• Drill
• Drill Bits - 1/2" and 1/8"
• Heavy Duty Stapler and Staples
• Pair of Snips or Wire Cutter
• Measuring Tape or Carpenters Square
• Pencil
• Safety Googles
• Sanding Block

Step 1 is to measure and mark the boards. The common board will be used to make the legs and the braces. Measure four legs at 1" by 4" x 2', and the brace will be 2' by 3'.  

Using a circular saw, cut the legs and braces from the (2) 1" x 4" by 12" boards, and the front panel from the  2' x 4' plywood board. Assemble the frame next by laying two of the legs flat, 2 feet apart.  Then lay two of the braces on the top of the legs, and one 3 feet below the top.  We then secured each of them with a clamp.  Pre-drill each hole with a 1/8" drill bit before using the screws to avoid splitting the wood.  Next, using a drill and 1 1/4"screws, secure each brace.  Then do the same thing with the second set of legs and braces.

The next step is to create the front a panel. Looking at the 2' by 3' plywood board vertically, mark 9" from the top and 9" from the bottom.  Nail a nail into the center of the bottom mark.   Tie one end of a string around the nail head, and the one end around the pencil ensuring the string is 6" from nail to pencil. Next draw a circle keeping the string tight as you go around.  You should now have a 12" diameter circle.  

Create a circle again using the other nail, but tie the string to the pencil and make the length 4". Then draw the circle around holding the string tight.  Now, you have a 8" diameter circle on the top.

Using a 1/2" drill bit, pre-drill one hold inside the edge of both circles.  Using a reciprocator saw, cut both of the circles out.

Attach the front panel by placing it between the two braces, and making sure it lines up flush with the top of the legs. Pre-drill the holes for the two screws by using a 1/8" drill bit. Using two 1/4" wood screws, attach the front panel to the frame.  

Attach the hinges to the boards by laying both frames back to back with the plywood and braces facing outward.  Using the drill, secure the hinges to the top side of each frame.

Here it is assembled prior to being painted. There are so many ways you can customize this project to your own interests.

We first painted the entire game with Behr Ultra Pure White paint.  We used a quart of that, and then bought the other colors in sample sizes. First we made the golf ball design using Behr Ultra Iron Mountain mixed with Pure White on the front of the board.  

We cut out 2 1/4" cardstock circles and used the circles as a stencil for the dimples of the ball. Using a vinyl cutting machine we cut out the lettering for our last name to mimic the product name on an a golf ball. You can also purchase adhesive lettering for address purposes at The Home Depot. We also assigned it a number as all golf balls have on them as well. 

The bottom of the front section was painted in Behr Ultra Green Energy Flat Matte to resemble the ball sitting on the grass. 

As you can see below, the boys in our house are already finding time to enjoy the new game in the yard. The twins were using the plastic golf balls from their toy sets and wiffle ball golf balls. Rob is using the standard golf balls. To sign up to participate in The Home Depot FREE DIY Workshop where you can build this yourself please follow this link.

Backyard Golf Rules

                Growing up I would play a game of Wiffle golf. The object of the game was to hit a basketball with a Wiffle golf ball.  It was fun, and we would roll the ball out and use flower beds and driveways as pretend water.  Now that I am older,  and The Home Depot gave us this opportunity I have revamped the game a little.  Short game work is important and can be done at home.  I know we do not have a putting green in our front yard, so chipping practice is all we can do.

Playing Set up

The playing board is propped up in a location where you are not going to endanger anyone with a wayward shot.  From the front of the board you designate three lines.  The distance for each line is dependent on the skill level of you and your opponent.  The line closest to the board represents par 3’s, the middle line is for par 4’s, and the furthest line is for the par 5 attempts.   It helps to give each player three Wiffle balls so you are not walking back and forth too often. 

Scoring

                The scoring rules are simple: any ball that strikes the board is marked down as par for that shot and any ball that misses the board is a bogey.   Each shot that goes through the eight inch top hole is an eagle, while the bottom twelve inch hole is a birdie.   You can use the scorecard by clicking this link.

Virtual Party! Here are the links to the other amazing bloggers who have also created their own versions of the Father's Day Football Toss Project!

Fix This Build That

Field Treasure Designs

John Malecki

The Handmade Home

Rogue Engineer

Mom 4 Real

House by Hoff

Her Toolbelt

Life On Virginia Street

Infarrantly Creative

Cherished Bliss

Pneumatic Addict

Here Comes Sun

Remodelando La Casa

Build Basic

House of Wood

Confessions of a Serial Do It Yourself Blog

Our Pinteresting Family that's us! :)

Salvage Sister and Mister

H2O Bungalow

That’s My Letter

Finding Home Farms

I am a Homemaker

Reality Daydream

The Rugged Rooster

We hope you have fun going to The Home Depot Free DIY workshop, and building this yourself.  Do not forget to share you projects on social media using the hashtag #DIYworkshop. We cannot wait to see what you do with your version.

*I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with me to participate in this Workshops Program. As a part of the Program, I am receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words. My post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commision guidelines.*