THE PARTY POST

My daughters 2nd birthday is just over a month away so you can bet I'm in major party planning mode. This year we are doing an IcE cReAM sundae theme where the guests can expect to dig into some pretty gourmet ICE CREAM SUNDAES...mmmmm.

So in my blogosphere party travels I have come across some wonderful sites with a ton of party planning inspiration. Since I adore you, I wanted to share with you some of my finds. And please if you have a great party site to share then be sure to fill us all in!!!





Well those should keep you busy for a while. I'll be sure to update and add more sites as I stumble across them.


{Happy Party Planning}

 

Crafting With the Stars @ SEW DANG CUTE

There's a wonderful Blog competition going on over at

Sew Dang Cute called....

Basically how it works is 12 lucky crafters will be chosen based on their submitted craft and paired with one of the 12 Crafty "Stars" from Blog land. (list can be seen at Sew Dang Cute).

For 4 crafty weeks all 12 teams will compete for the top

Crafter position.

This sounds so fun so I had to enter my Pumpkin Patch Sign over at Sew Dang Cute.

So now that your done reading this hurry over to Sew Dang Cute to enter your crafty project....who knows maybe you'll be one of the lucky 12 chosen.

 Contest starts today and ends Friday, October 15th.

CREATIVITY WEEK @ Seven-Thirty-Three Creative Blog

It's CREATIVITY WEEK  at 7-3-3 Creative Blog.

Head on over there to check out Kim's blog where she will be featuring an array of guest posters sharing their wonderful crafty talents. I might even sneak a tutorial in there. A week of crafts and GIVEAWAYS = one kick A** week... so go check it out.

TIPS FOR TOTS TUESDAY- 30 Printable Valentines

The Long Thread  has put together a wonderful list of 30 FREE printable Valentines.

Ashtyn is going to give these cute ones out at her baby Valentines party on Friday.

They are ANIMALS FROM SECRET AGENT JOSEPHINE

BEST WEBSITES TO HELP YOUR YOUR PRESCHOOLER LEARN - TIPS FOR TOTS

We all know that there is a lot if CRAP online when it comes to sites for our children. Now I don't think children need to be on the computer ALL the time however, I feel a small amount of exposure while visiting the right sites can be a great learning experience for children while getting to know basic computer skills. I  guess you can say it's Quality over Quantity when it comes to child computer use. The other day while visiting Quirky Momma I came across a list she had compiled of the BEST COMPUTER SITES TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN. I have recommended a few of these sites to my preschool parents in the past however, I was delighted to find that Rachel had many more great ones I hadn't heard of . I thought I would share this wonderful list with you. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief the next time your little pride and joy wants to spend time on the computer.

THE BEST OF '09

So as most of you know, I'm fairly new to this whole blogging thing. My blog is only two months old. I have to say that blogging has changed my life. I know it sounds silly but I've learnt so much from the wonderful blogs I have come across and many of the great ideas and tutorials I have found just make me giddy. 2010 is going to be a VERY crafty year I can feel it. But before I move onto 2010 I must bid farwell to 2009. And what better way to do it than a recap of some of the best blogs, and craft tutorials I have blogged jogged across. Enjoy and Happy Crafty 2010!

The two very talented sisters over at Shanty 2 Chic create lots of amazing home decor especially these Vintage Dominos. Wouldn't these look awesome in a game room? Most of their vintage inspired  projects are created with Rust-oleum spray paint, and a sanding block. With lots of pictures and oodles of great projects Shanty 2 Chic is definitely one of my favourite blogs.

LARGE VINTAGE LOOKING DOMINOS

Another blog definitely worth checking out is Make it and Love it. When you get there be sure to scroll down to the left and find her project list. Ashley has a gazillion great projects and turorials that will keep those fingers busy.

MR. POTATO HEAD

PROJECT DISPLAY BOARD

LIGHT SWITCH COVER

I wish I knew about Design Dazzle when I was in the process of decorating my daughers nursery. If you're looking for the perfect designs to inspire you for your little ones domain then this is the Blog for you. Toni features pictures gallore of brilliant designs relating to room decor, children's parties, play spaces, and crafts. I spent two hours on this blog last night and I didn't even get through it all.  Here are some of my favourite posts.

HIP, FAB BABY NURSERY

ACHIEVING THE NURSERY OF YOUR DREAMS

PARIS THEME TIFFANY BLUE NURSERY

THE DIY ART ACCESSORY ORGANIZER

Valerie at The Crafters File Box

CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN HEADBOARD

designed by Shelly from fliptstudio

A FUN EARRING HOLDER

Stacie at the Creative Crate

 

ELEGANT MONOGRAM DESK ORGANIZER

Picture Tutorial at So Lovely Creations

SHAPED CRAYONS 
Oops I Craft My Pants

Not sure what to do with all those broken crayons sitting in the art bin? How about make shaped crayons using Ikea ice cube trays and crayon pieces. For complete instructions visit http://www.oopsicraftmypants.net/2009/12/shaped-crayons.html

HOMEMADE BLOCK TUTORIAL

Making the World Cuter

These are on my to do list for 2010. A set of handmade blocks for my little girl to play with. Check out Making the World Cuter for this tutorial and other simply wonderful projects.

HEARTS AND HANDPRINTS

Created @ Max and Ellie

I think this heart and handprint frame would be a wonderful gift for a grandparent or special family member at Valentines. If only my one year old would stay still so I could trace her hand.

ABC and 123 A LEARNING COOPERATIVE

I know I'm on hiatus from teaching preschool but I'm always on the look out for great preschool blogs. I came across this one the other day and boy oh boy am I ever glad I did. This blog is FILLED to the brim with activities and craft ideas for children. And better yet it's a cooperative blog to share and borrow ideas with others. What a valuable teaching tool.

MELTING BEADS

http://michelle-onecraftymama.blogspot.com/2009/11/melting-beadsits-oh-so-fun.html


From this....

To this...

HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS

Are you looking for a blog that features all things related to entertaining and parties?  Be prepared to spend a long time searching around on Hostess with the Mostess. She covers all parties including bridal showers, baby showers, holiday parties and special occasions. All the pictures on this blog so bright, lively and inspiring, making it one of my favs of 2009 and beyond.




When your done going through all 226 pages on the Hostess with the Mostess blog head on over to the
Tom Kat Studio, a place for all things pretty. Kim is one crafty mama who inspired me to create a cupcake themed birthday for my little girl.

Well there you have it, I could've kept going and going but this mama needs her sleep in order to keep up with my little one year old whirlwind in the morning. I hope I've featured some fun new blogs that you can add to your follow list for 2010. Also take a look at my blog roll for some of my favourite blogs that I didn't mention here. Once again Happy New Year, and Happy Craftin'

FREE PRINTABLE ROUTINE CARDS FOR KIDS

Getting back into routine after a long Christmas break may be tricky come Monday morning. How about these free printable routine cards from Living Locurto to make the transition a little easier?

So the morning routine is running smoothly but how about the after school madness? There's also a free printable to help tackle that obstacle. Amy hangs her after school routine chart right at the front door where her son hangs his backpack so when he comes in he knows exactly what to do. Click here for the free  printable routine chart.

While your visiting Amy's website be sure to check out the other printables pages where you can find more cute and fun printables that are completely FREE!!!!

Merry SITSmas to ALL!

 It's hard to believe that it's that time of year again. My year has been a great one and I've been blessed with the opportunity of watching my little newborn baby girl blossom into a adventurous toddler. As usual I've been crafting away any chance I get and tending to my new addiction..... BLOGGING! I love it, I've even gotten my mother in law into it. During my blogging adventures I've come across a great site called The Secret is in the Sauce. If you want to share your blog with others and get connected with thousands of great blogs then you must click the pretty pink box below. Oh and we SITS girls love comments so before you click please share some love and leave me a comment and I'll do the same for you. And to the current SITS girls, Merry SITSmas to you!

**Merry Christmas**

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME..

Hey Ladies, I've submitted my blog to a wonderful site called Top Mommy Blogs. If your looking for new blogs to visit or a place to add your own then this is a great site for you. If you like my blog click on the button below and vote for me then go check out Top Mommy Blogs. Don't forget to add your blog while your there. Oh and I wanted to mention they just cleared everyone's ranking and are starting a new voting period.

Find It for Cheap in the U.S.A

Well we're back from our weekend in the States where we enjoyed cheap shopping and cheap beer. Well my husband enjoyed cheap beer, and we both enjoyed cheap shopping. It never ceases to amaze me how much more we pay in Canada for our alcohol, food, gas and everyday items. I'll give you an example: an 18 pack of beer here is $29.99 (plus we pay 10 cents deposit per can) and in the U.S an 18 pack is a measly $8.99 (at least where we found it this weekend it was). The alcohol content is the same and I'm sure it's made at the same factory. 

Not only are the prices so different but the variety in the States for something so simple like marshmallows can leave you scratching your head in aisle 9 of Walmart thinking to yourself, should I buy strawberry marshmallows or coconut? Here in Canada you're just going to be buying the plain old marshmallows because that is all there is to buy. Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud Canadian, I just don't get why we pay through the nose for our stuff here. Ok well I do know why, it boils down to the government taxing Canadians for everything in order to pay for public health care. I'm apprecitive of our health care system but it doesn't change the fact that I hate paying top dollar for a pathetic bottle of wine. 

Well that said, we made it to the Carters half price sale, everything in the store for 50% off. If that happened here people would be trampling one another to get into the store and it would most likely make the top story on the evening news. So with the Canadian dollar strong and the U.S border just 15 minutes away call me a proud Canadian who likes to spend her time and money in the U.S.

MOMMY JEWELRY...a site worth checking out

MOMMY JEWELRY

My girlfriend recently found this company's ad in the back of an US weekly magazine and ordered a pendant from there with her son's name and birthdate on it. The company is called Mommy Jewelry. It turned out great and it's something she can proudly wear to celebrate the love of her son. I checked out the website today and was surprised to find that they have lots of different designs to choose from at very reasonable prices. They also offer their jewelry in both sterling silver or gold to accommodate anyones price range. I thought I would share this great site with you. Hey ladies perhaps it's something we can put on our Christmas wish lists. I wouldn't mind a round pendant with my daughters first initial on it (just in case my hubby happens to read my blog...he he). I also noticed today while thumbing through my old People magazine that Nicole Richie wears a gold pendant exactly like the picture below, to represet her daughter Harlow.

I looked it up and it costs $1250.00. Yikes!! So for those of us with champage taste on a beer budget, mommy jewelry might just be what we were looking for.

A MUST VISIT...YOUR BLOG WILL THANK YOU FOR IT

If you havent done so yet, you must check out Shabby Blogs for some fantabulous finds for your blog. Do you like my background, how about learning how to add a cute little post divider. I found all this plus more  at 

So what are you waiting for? Go go go get your design on. Oh and don't forget to check out Amanda's Shabby Blog for lots of free designs and tutorials.