Tutorial Tuesday: Cake Stands

So, I've been wanting a cake stand for a while now, but I didn't feel like spending at least $30 or more. Found this great, super easy tutorial HERE. Try it out and let me know how it goes!

I went to the local thrift store and bought some sundae cups and glass plates.. less than $1 each.I used clear caulk (it looks like a white paste then dries clear) I used way too much here... about half this amount is good and not too thick.Wipe any excess caulk off with a wet q-tip.

Then let it dry for a few days (It took mine a good 2 days to dry)

Then once it dries.. you're all done!!

Then... I was at the dollar store last night and saw these... you can really make a cake stand with anything!

Here are some extra tips

• Sand the areas you'll be gluing so it will hold better.

• Use the E-6000 glue found at Walmart. I heard it's the best.

• Let it sit for a couple days just to be extra safe:)

Have fun!

Monday Moments: Your Turn

I'll be honest, this past week and this week are full of finals finals finals for me - - leaving me few moments to be a mom. {Sad, but true.} I just keep telling myself four more days.

So, this weeks Monday Moment is up to you. Is there anything you'd like to discuss? Vent about? Just put out there?

Leave me a comment and next week we can discuss all the mom moments you're experiencing.

Thanks! Can't wait to discuss with you!

Freebee Friday times Two!

Happy Friday Everyone! Today's giveaway is on My Tiny Sweet Cheeks, and lucky you, I've decided to give out TWO freebee's! Those lucky few who commented last week already have a 10 entry start on the rest of you, so you better catch up!

Giveaway # 1
Hangable Bow Holder plus 3 Flower Hair Clips

The perfect solution to managing all those hairbows, clips, and clippies. Hangs on the wall and is approximately 22" in length.
*Note, the orange flower at the top is not a clip, but decor.

Giveaway #2
Crab Hooded Towel

The perfect size for the little man or lady in your life! Made of super soft terry cloth. One size fits 18 months to 5T!

TO ENTER:

1 Entry: Create a new post about this Freebee Friday on your blog & leave a comment here! If you don't blog, you can also email and CC it to me.
{Please leave your email address if it is not on your profile}

1 Entry: Become a follower of My Tiny Sweet Cheeks. Leave a comment if you follow, please!

1 Entry: Add a My Tiny Sweet Cheeks button to your sidebar! Again, please comment!

Bonus Entry: Suggest a site you frequent often you'd like to be seen spotlighted on My Tiny Sweet Cheeks.

Give-a-way ends April 30th, 2009 at 11:59 pm

The lucky winners will be selected by Random.org and will be notified by email. You will have one week to respond and claim your prize or another random winner will be chosen.

Thrifty Thursday: Keeping your landscape lush

Planting costly permanent landscaping plants such as trees, shrubs, and perennials is a major investment that you want to pay off in the future. And here, too, you can use a lot of everyday things from your kitchen and recycling bin to make sure that these expensive plants thrive.

• To reseed bare spots on your lawn in spring, don't shell out big bucks for a spreader. It wastes seed by throwing it everywhere, and only a small fraction will land on target. For precision seeding, fashion a spot seeder from an empty coffee can and a pair of plastic lids.
  Drill small holes into one lid to let grass seed pass. Snap this lid in place when reseeding and keep the other non-pierced lid snapped over the can's bottom end. When you're done reseeding, simply reverse the lids to seal in unused seed.
• To secure a young tree, use a short length of old garden hose to tie it to its stake. Young trees often need a little help to stand up straight, but you must take care not to damage the tender bark when you stake them. A length of hose is perfect because it is flexible enough to stretch when the tree moves in the wind, and it won't damage the bark.
• To stake young delicate plants or saplings, use strips of pantyhose to attach the stems to the stakes. The nylon will stretch as plants fill out and mature, and it is nearly invisible.
• If a plant gets bent by blustery winds, wrap the damaged area of the stem with transparent tape and leave the tape on until it mends.

** Check back the next couple of Thrifty Thursday's for more Spring Gardening/Landscaping Ideas!

Workin' Wednesday: Peekaboo Bowtique

Peekaboo Bowtique is run by a mother and daughter. Mom (Cindy) loves to sew, and daughter (Brittney) loves to make bows! They are dedicated to making cute, high~quality Boutique items and selling them at very reasonable prices.
They have some darling products, as well as some for boys! I really like their pillow case dresses and their BYU boy gift set. (I'm sure any team can be arranged with a gentle prod!)
This week thru the 23rd, due to Spring Fever, they're offering FREE shipping on all orders over $14.00 so hurry over and get shopping.

Tutorial Tuesday: Kid's Hooded Towel

There are a lot of tutorials online for a "big kid" hooded towels. After sifting through all of them, this one found HERE at Infarrantly Creative has been my favorite. These are easy, durable, and a great project for your own kids/grandkids, or that baby shower you don't want to spend a fortune on. Keep looking, you just might be able to win one later on this week...along with a few more surprises!

Here is what my final Hoodie Towel turned out like. I didn't have a cooperative model, so forgive it hanging on the doorknob and laying on the floor. I wanted you to be able to see the design on the hood, the pleat in the back, and the decorative edging on the main towel. Send me pictures of yours to display!!!



1. First what you need is a bath towel and a hand towel (not a face towel). I usually get mine when they are on sale! Get a nice, thick, soft one.

2. Cut the hand towel 10 inches on the short side of the towel. Make sure if there is a design you have that in the part you cut out.

3. Next fold the 10" hand towel right sides together with the sides you cut touching each other. Zigzag stitch the side you cut closed.

4. Next zig zag stitch a little triangle in the upper corner of the hood. Just wing it no need to measure or anything. Cut the excess off and turn the hood right side out.

5. This is the toughest part of explain. Fold your towel in half and put a pin in place (where the hood goes) so you know where the center is. Mark 4" from the middle on both sides of the towel. Take that point and bring it into the middle and pin in place. Do the other side. It should look like this.

Close-up view. You will be sewing through 3 layers.

6. Sew through all three layers on a zig-zag stitch.

7. Now take your hood and match up the center of the back of the towel with the center of the back of the hood. Pin that in place and now pin the entire hood to the towel.

8. Sew the hood on. I usually do a straight stitch through all layers and then go back and zig zag stitch for added strength. You can see all the place that were sewn in this picture.

Easy peasy. If you do make this please let me know how my tutorial was. I would love to see pictures of yours. There is a nice pleat in the back.

Monday Moments: The transition

I have been worrying and fretting lately over the upcoming changes that loom over my family. I realize I have time, but somehow summer ends all too quickly, and then WAM! baby is here.

To make this transition as easy as possible, I'm trying to get Bryson all ready for giving up his crib and moving into a toddler bed. Granted, I can't seem to afford one yet, but surely soon it will happen.

I'm thinking by June he needs to be in his new "big boy" bed so he has a few months to warm up to the idea before another little rugrat steals his domain.

So, I need mothering advice.

How do I do this? Is it better to just buy a twin size bed or are toddler beds really worth it? How old was your little one when you made the transition? Any tips? Please let me know!

Freebee Friday: Make More Cents

This GiveAway was found HERE from Baby Loving Mama- and while I quote the majority of her post, I will just add my two cents {no pun intended} about how now, more than ever, I feel it is so important to teach our kids from a young age the value of a dollar. I think it is important for children to know what the money in your household goes for, and how toilet paper doesn't just appear in the cupboards. That was a hard lesson to learn in college. Read on for more info!
..........................................................................................................................................

"I'll admit that I'm a sucker for anything that involves saving more money whether that be an articles on ways to cut back or make wise money decisions. While I would never classify myself as cheap or frugal, I do enjoy a good deal and making smart money choices. For example, we've never taken out a loan to make improvements on our house but instead pay for them along the way. I think back to childhood and remember asking my Grandpa if he would let me count the massive amounts of change that he had accumulated in this gigantic red piggy bank for "fun". I don't know why but I loved the idea of counting money and trying to guess how much was in there. Growing up I was always careful with my money and was creative to find ways to make it so I could save more. I learned the value of money at a young age I'd like to instill these same kind values in my children. Chris Hayman, business entrepreneur and retail expert of Makes More Cents, wants to do the same.

Chris wants to help you teach your children the value of money and the importance of saving. He would like to give one of my readers their choice of any piggy bank on his website. There are a lot styles to choose from ranging from digital to classic to downright silly."

Win it:

Visit Makes More Cents and tell me which bank you would choose if you won. Who would it be for?

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, YOU MUST LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON THE BABY LOVING MAMA BLOG POST IN ORDER TO WIN!!

Want more entries? (shake your head up and down)

After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.
-Give a money saving tip. (1 entry)

-Follow Baby Loving Mama blog publicly (1 entry)

-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email (1 entry)
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1 entry)
-Fave me on Technorati (1 entry)

-Subscribe to the Make More Cents Blog feed in a reader or by email (2 entries)

-Add the Baby Loving Mama button to your blog (2 entries)

-Blog about this contest and link back to Baby Loving Mama (2 entries)

-Make any purchase from Make More Cents & come back tell me what you bought! (10 entries)

This contest will end on 4/28/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.
..................................................................................................................................
Leave a comment on My Tiny Sweet Cheeks for an extra ten entries for next weeks Freebee Friday!!! I promise you'll LOVE what's coming!

Thrifty Thursday: Safe ways to clean grimy hands

Got your hands messy with grease or paint? Don't use smelly solvents to get them clean. Try one of these safer solutions:

• Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray, work it in well, then rinse. Wash with soap and water.
• Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sugar or salt into your palms. Vigorously rub them over your hands and between your fingers for several minutes, then wash with soap and water. Your hands will be clean and very soft.
  

Credit Due

I'm always so flattered when readers like what I post, leave comments and send it out to others to view. However, a lot of the tutorials I find/post aren't coming from me. I always have a link going back to the original poster, where credit is due. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you forward these on, be sure to note the original posting. I would hate for anyone's feelings to be hurt or become offended by anything My Tiny Sweet Cheeks puts out there for all to see.

Thanks - and check back tomorrow for some Thrifty Ideas!

Workin' Wednesday: Sew Chic

As an aspiring seamstress, I LOVE when people share their ideas, teach, and show how do make fun, simple projects.

I came across Sew Chic while searching for a way to make my own jeans into maternity wear. {Gosh darn being tall!} Click HERE for that tutorial. {Easy so far, I'll post pictures when I'm done!} But that's not all she has! There are links for bags and purses, embroidery, crocheting, smocking, and so much more.

This was one of my favorite projects of her's {so I'm now determined to have a girl so I can try it out.} I love the pleats in the front and the flow of the overall shirt.


Definitely worth a trip over to Sew Chic if you need some ideas or want to learn new sewing techniques!

Tutorial Tuesday: Teepee

This Child-Size Teepee Tent is perfect for a rainy day or great for the outdoors! This easy, no sew project found HERE stays together with the addition of grommets! I love this idea and am so excited to get started on mine. Way cheaper than many an outdoor toy for kids to play with!

Materials Needed:

• 6- 6ft bamboo garden post (can be purchased at Home and Garden Centers)
• 3 yards of 60 inch wide white painter’s canvas
• Scissors
• Pen
• Craft paint & brushes
• 3 Strong rubber bands
• 6 plastic 1 ½ inch rings
• Embroidery floss or strong thread
• Sewing needle with large eye
• 12 Large Grommets & grommet setting kit (I used 1/4”)
• Hammer
• Ribbon approximately 3 yards for lacing (additional ribbon for decorating is optional)
• Straight pins

Step 1
Hold all 6 bamboo post in your hands wrapping the 3 rubber bands tightly around the posts leaving about 4 inches at the top. Spread the posts making sure they will sit evenly on the ground.

Step 2 (Steps shown in diagram above)

• Lay fabric out flat folding the piece in half lengthways.
• Fold on the diagonal in to a triangle.
• With a marker draw a half circle on the top and cut away extra fabric.
• At the folded tip of the triangle draw a small half circle and cut away extra fabric.
• Unfold the fabric. You should have a large half circle which will be the sides of your teepee.

Step 3
Drape the cut fabric over the bamboo posts and pin the fabric in place at the top to make sure it will fit properly. After fitting, remove the fabric, lay it flat and use fabric paints & brushes to decorate the fabric anyway you like! The kids had a lot of fun with this step!

Step 4
After paint has dried, drape the fabric back over the post and pin in to place spreading each bamboo post approximately 18-20” apart leaving the front two a little further apart for an entrance. Then measure 8” from the bottom of the fabric at each post using a straight pin as your marker so you will know where to sew the plastic ring into place. Continue to measure every 18-20” at each post where the other 5 rings will go. Take fabric down from post and using strong thread or embroider floss sew the plastic rings into place. These will help hold the fabric in place when the teepee is standing and keep the posts separated evenly.

Step 5
Grommet time! Measuring 1 inch in from the side edge of the fabric and 1 inch down from the edge of the small half circle which is the top of the teepee, mark every 2 inches with a pen. A grommet will be set on each mark for a total of 6 grommets. Once you have marked where the grommets will go, cut the small circles out and then set your grommets.

Step 6
On the opposite side of fabric, measure 1 inch down from the top half circle and 2 inches in on the side of the fabric. Mark with a pen, every two inches for six grommets.

Once you have six grommets set on each side, lay your fabric painted side down and fold the side flaps over until you have both sides of the grommets matching up. Start on the underside, lacing the ribbon back to front through the grommets in the same style you would lace a shoe. Pull the ribbon to the front of the bottom two holes so you can tighten the fabric in place on the bamboo post!

Step 7
Sliding the bamboo post through the laced top part of the fabric, pull the bamboo post down through each ring on the inside of the fabric one at a time until all 6 post are through the rings. Then holding on to the top of the fabric, set the posts up spreading each post evenly, leaving the front two slightly further apart as this will be the entrance. Tighten the ribbon laces so the fabric stays on the post and finish in a knotted bow. Note: This process is easier with two people! I pinned my fabric in place at the top with a straight pin to help hold the fabric in place until the ribbon was tightened then I removed the pin!

Finished Teepee with the side flaps folded back and flaps down.

Step 8
Optional and Additional Views
I added a handful of ribbons around the rubber bands at the top for decoration.

Interior views, top of teepee and plastic rings around post.

Step 9
Have lots of fun!

GiveAway Update

Go HERE to see if you were one of three lucky winners from Make It and Love It.

Monday Moments: The Name Game

Picking a name for your child is one of the hardest things to do out there. You have to consider all the possible nicknames, good and bad. You have to look at the initials. And if you're a member of my household, you have to battle between classic names and more unique names.

Now, with all those celeb baby names out there like Honor, Apple, and Shilo, I use "unique" in the loosest sense of the word. No, I will not be naming my child after a piece of fruit.

However, my DH prefers classic names. I guess this goes with the fact there isn't one name in his entire family that I didn't have three of in my third grade class. I refuse to have my child be Jennifer {Last Initial}. I just won't let it happen.

And thus our battle began...

After only a few minor squabbles and my favorite name of all getting the boot, we finally settled on two names:

if it's a GIRL Aniston Brie {Last Name}

or

if it's a BOY Colton Emmett {Last Name}

I think we compromised fairly well. How do you pick names in your house? Did you let your kids have a say? How do you feel about the modern versus classic debate? Weigh in and let me know!

Freebee Friday: Make It and Love It

Time for another awesome Mompreneur giveaway! One of my favorite blogs, Make It and Love It is having an awesome giveaway. Keep reading for details!
3 of you will be winners this week. Wahoo!

I have an apron to give away for all of you who want to keep tidy while cooking/cleaning.

Also, I have a boy (peas in a pod) and girl (buggy) Bootie/Onesie set to give away.......

These sets are size 0-3 months but were made before I really determined what my 0-3 size shoe would be. So they are 1/4 inch smaller normal, but they will still fit most babies this age.

The onesies are Gerber brand onesies, size 0-3 months.

Do you have someone to gift one of these 3 things to? Or would you like to keep one of them for yourself????

You can enter all 3 giveaways. Random.org will be used to select one winner from each category.

How to enter?

• Leave me a comment HERE, telling me which item you'd like to win, or if you'd like to be entered to win all 3. And PLEASE leave your email address so i can contact you if you win.

Want to be added in again?

• "Follow" THIS blog. (Already are? You're automatically entered in again. Just remind me.)

Another entry?

• Put my button on your blog. (Already have one? Just remind me in your comment.)

Okay, just ONE more entry......

• Mention this free giveaway, with a link, in a post on your blog. (And then tell me you did so. Don't have a blog? Tell me why you'd like to win.)
  

The giveaway closes on Saturday, April. 11th at 11:59 p.m. (mountain)

Thrifty Thursday: Relief for Colds and Sore Throats

If your household is anything like mine all these changes in weather and springtime bring out the sniffles. Here are some ways to ease those dreary cold symptoms.

Congestion caused by a cold or sinus infection
Add 1/4 C white vinegar to the water in your hot-steam vaporizer. (Don't add vinegar to a cool-mist vaporizer without checking with the manufacturer.)

Raw throat from a bad cough
Get fast relief by dissolving 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water and gargling several times a day.

Sore throat from a cold or flu
Combine 1/4 cup cider vinegar and 1/4 cup honey and take 1 tablespoon every four hours.

Cough and an irritated throat
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 4 teaspoons *honey, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Swallow 1 tablespoon four or five times daily, including before bed.
*WARNING: Never give honey to children under one year old

As a super happy side note, I noticed the tulips in my flower bed had sprouted. Spring has sprung!

Workin' Wednesday: Erinmtz

One of our loyal blog readers was kind enough to show me her new blog that is now up and running. It's so cute and I am anxiously waiting for the day for my potty training sessions to begin {just so I can get a fun chart!}

Erinmtz is a fun place to get custom character party items and incentive charts at a great price. They also offer placemats, iron-on decals, and invitations.



I love how many character selections are available. My favorite being the Backyardigans because it's one of the few shows I can actually stand to watch with my boy. The music is kinda catchy...anyway, I digress.

Head over and check out Erinmtz for all your charting needs! You won't be disappointed!

Tutorial Tuesday: Bowling Pin Bunnies

Found this great tutorial HERE and it's such an original idea. Love getting ready for Easter!

We started out to paint our wooden nesting eggs from themercshop on Etsy.

Supplies:

• mini wooden bowling pins
• acrylic craft paint & palette
• brushes, sponges etc.
• craft felt (white and pink, or whatever you like!)
• scissors
• glue gun
• fabric glue
• sealer/ varnish (we use non-toxic/ water based exterior sealer)
• paint cloth, water
• cotton balls or wool roving

1. Give the bowling pins a base coat of white paint to seal the wood.
2. Put out all your desired colours in a palette (available in most craft stores for $1 or so) or pie tin. Choosing 4-6 will be plenty of variety and still manage the mess. Line up brushes, small sponge pieces or other painting tools with your cup of water and paper towel or paint cloth at hand.
3. Paint the bunnies! Hint: paint the 'body' and let it dry, and then paint the neck and head for ease of handling. Also remind kids to hold the pin as they paint it (Rowan refused and our wet bunnies rolled on the floor in the dog hair!). In our case, we painted their bodies and heads, let them dry and then I added the faces and tummies.
4. Seal with water based sealant and clean up paint supplies. At this point we broke for a bath to get rid of the paint!
5. Plug in your hot glue gun. Cut out ears from white felt. We made one ear and then used it as a template for the rest. Counting ears was a great math exercise! Cut out inner ears frompink felt using same method.
6. Using a fabric glue / white glue, attach the inner ears to the outer ears and then hot glue the ears to the back of the head. Tear up your roving/cotton and hot glue on the bunny tail.
7. Voila! Hop on down the bunny trail!

Approx. time (including prep time & bath!) 1.5 hours.
Definitely a number of grownup jobs, but enough to keep a preschooler busy, too. Rowan did the multicolored bunnies (I just did their tummies/ faces) so there was a high satisfaction level for an easily frustrated kiddo, too.
Have fun!

GiveAway Update

Go HERE to see if you were a winner of one of My Posh Baby Designs clippies giveaway.

Monday Moments: I am not a fun mom

I've written before about how my son likes my husband better. Today I realized why.

I am not a fun mom.

I'm the one who tells him to eat his dinner and sit down and stop hitting the dog. Matt doesn't put him in time out. Matt doesn't say, "I can't play right now" and "Put your shoes on." Matt doesn't drop him off at the babysitters. Matt is fun. I'm just Mommy.

I'm always on the computer, or on the phone, or doing laundry, or cooking dinner. I don't have time to be fun. Matt gets home everyday an hour before Bryson's bed time, plays with him, and helps put him to bed. Although Matt sees him less, he has specific one on one playtime carved out almost every day. And Bryson knows that, and looks forward to it. And when it doesn't happen, there is hell to pay.

Me, not so much. Even though I spend more physical time with Bryson, I spend less one on one playtime. When Matt is home, I let Matt take the lead. I feel like he sees Bryson less and therefore should have the opportunity to be in charge every once in a while. What's interesting is Bryson still comes to me for his basic needs, food, drinks, kisses for any boo-boos. I'm in charge. Matt is fun.

I'm trying to be more fun. To set aside time to do nothing but play.

Any suggestions?

Freebee Friday: My Posh Baby Designs

The results are in from our fabulous give-away last week, and there were so many people who answered my question. Thanks to all of ya'll!

Congratulations to our winner #12 Brecca chosen by random.org. I will be contacting her and she'll have one week to claim her prize.

I was told you wanted more from other mompreneurs, so here's one. The timing is a little short notice, so just hurry and scoot on over to My Posh Baby Designs. Two cute hair clips are up for grabs, so all the better for your odds!



How to enter:

1 entry: Leave a comment HERE and let us know why you want to win
1 entry: Become a follower of My Posh Baby Designs {leave a comment saying you did it}
1 entry: Grab their button and put it on your blog {again leave a comment}
5 entries: Blog about My Posh Baby Designs and their great giveaway {leave 5 separate comments saying you blogged}

This giveaway will end on Saturday, April 4th at midnight MST and the winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on the following Monday.

Thrifty Thursday: 6 ways to make your toilet bowl gleam

Commercial toilet bowl cleaners are often expensive and environmentally questionable -- forget them. For a shining and sanitized bowl, try one of these alternatives:

1. Sprinkle several tablespoons of baking soda directly into your toilet bowl and scrub it on any stains. Wait a few minutes, then flush.

2. Pour a mixture of 1/2 cup of borax in 1 gallon of water into your toilet bowl, scrub with a brush, then flush.

3. For a different approach, drop a denture-cleaning tablet into the bowl, wait for about twenty minutes, then flush.

4. Pour 1/4 cup of alcohol-based mouthwash into the toilet bowl. Let it stand for a half hour, then swish with a toilet brush, and flush.

5. For a really novel approach, spray WD-40 into the bowl, then swish with a nylon toilet brush.

6. Pour half a box of baking soda directly into your toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight, then flush the toilet a few times the next morning. This actually cleans both the tank and the bowl.

** Note on sugar easter eggs **

I mentioned that I like to use egg whites with my sugar instead of water for a stiffer feel. I had a few questions on specific amounts to use. It honestly depends how many eggs you are making, but for a small batch, mix 2 eggs whites with 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well.

Hope this helps!

Workin' Wednesday: Homemade by Jill

I absolutely love blogs that show off one's own craftiness. Perhaps because I never think to document my love for crafts until after it's done, let alone teach others how to do them. While perusing many a craft blog, I came across Homemade by Jill. It has fabulous tutorials for all things baby, as well as a few things for mom's too.

Here are a couple of my favorite projects she has posted.

Flower Tote

Felt Food Toys

Impressive and Inspiring, huh? Head on over to Homemade by Jill and start crafting!

Oh, and Happy April Fool's Day!!