tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71115460715789304972024-03-04T20:34:14.500-08:00Pop Heart PressCustom art prints for the modern familyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-22015598077265628112012-03-02T12:05:00.004-08:002012-03-03T12:11:21.172-08:00Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!This is my all-time favorite Dr. Seuss quote! I inscribe this whimsical wisdom inside every baby shower notecard, but I also think it would look amazing as a vinyl wall decal in a playroom, library or nursery!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve3IOF_Bd36pCTZKsc3fnn_iHckpB4BQCKr-TLwIKhQo43aBExakJFmJZa5Q4MTZOzKcnGuPPzgAaQRVynuImvlnC_KLXGTdDnhCZpa3qblF27vwWeswC2Aw654XBgn7vKHMjqWdP9NAG/s1600/127683071_RQrYupmJ_c-300x185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhve3IOF_Bd36pCTZKsc3fnn_iHckpB4BQCKr-TLwIKhQo43aBExakJFmJZa5Q4MTZOzKcnGuPPzgAaQRVynuImvlnC_KLXGTdDnhCZpa3qblF27vwWeswC2Aw654XBgn7vKHMjqWdP9NAG/s400/127683071_RQrYupmJ_c-300x185.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-32581003719175328602012-02-24T20:09:00.005-08:002012-02-25T11:06:03.133-08:00Tips for Expectant Moms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't believe it's been 3 years to date since I first visited with my doctor and saw two heartbeats blinking on the sonogram monitor! I felt like I couldn't breathe, think or hear anything around me. The earth stopped spinning and time stood still. I remember laying down, clenching Kit's hand and asking him if this was really happening. As we were leaving the office in a daze of disbelief, my doctor handed me not one, but two copies of <u>What to Expect When You're Expecting</u>. "One for each of your babies," he said! For the remaining eight months, I took those books everywhere I went, reading every excerpt over and over until I felt confident and prepared for the boys' arrival.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1q-3SEwScbU9RHnLTnDS2TmZawMO_F1nZvUSfkkgV_SMT4XbPCAqOjptAgU2tWfleymcxH0PFU5W0Pv92RdwYP8MUv5m7OmKxaajfYxbLekCXt77k2QBr5TSK1_3FeUUB1JphQjMIl_S/s1600/pregnancy-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1q-3SEwScbU9RHnLTnDS2TmZawMO_F1nZvUSfkkgV_SMT4XbPCAqOjptAgU2tWfleymcxH0PFU5W0Pv92RdwYP8MUv5m7OmKxaajfYxbLekCXt77k2QBr5TSK1_3FeUUB1JphQjMIl_S/s320/pregnancy-movie.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Today, Katie Moore, our guest blogger, has sent some words of wisdom for expecting moms to summarize and build on the list of what to expect when expecting.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="yiv466339577MsoNormal" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Tips for Expectant Moms</span></span></span></b></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></span></span></div><div class="yiv466339577MsoNormal" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></div><div class="yiv466339577MsoNormal" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Whether this is their first pregnancy or they already have children, women approaching their due date can be anxious about how it will all come together. With the proper preparation, however, mothers can avoid most of the stress completely. Here are six ways to help prepare for the big moment:<br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>1. Take a childbirth class</b>. Doctors and local hospitals have information on childbirth classes where women learn the stages of delivery, choices in pain management and about other potential delivery issues, what to expect immediately after birth, how to breastfeed or bottle feed, and </span></span><a href="http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/getting-ready/birthing-parenting-class.cfm" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">much more</span></span></a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">. <br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>2. Make a childbirth plan</b>. </span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">In a birth plan a woman can write down her preferences for medication, which she wishes to have in the delivery room, how the baby will be feed post delivery and other similar decisions. This plan should be given to the doctor or nurse. Women should also be prepared for the chance that some part of the plan might need to be changed based on how the delivery goes. Talk with your doctor or do some </span></span><a href="http://takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/holistic-pregnancy-childbirth/how-can-i-best-prepare-pregnancy-and-childbi" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">research</span></span></a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> to determine the best way to construct your birthing plan. <br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>3. Plan a mode of transportation to the hospital</b>. Women should arrange transport with at least two people, depending on whether the process starts during the day, at night, at work, at home, etc. The designated drivers should be familiar with the route.<br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>4. Pack for the hospital</b>. A couple of weeks before the due date is a good time to pack a hospital overnight bag.</span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Items to include could be: pajamas or nightgown, a robe, clothes to wear home, toiletries and items such as a photo or musical CD – anything to make the stay as comfortable as possible.<br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>5. Plan for childcare</b>. Women who already have children should have a couple babysitting options available the moment it’s time to go to the hospital. This impromptu child care works best if the children have a chance to get to know the babysitter first, before the stress of the big day; relying on a family friend or relative who is willing to come at any hour is often best.<br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;" /><b>6. Plan for baby’s future needs</b>. As much as expectant moms are looking forward to holding their newborns in those first moments, they should also think about the baby’s future. Looking into </span></span><a href="http://www.viacord.com/" rel="nofollow" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">cord blood banking</span></span></a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">, for example, will ensure that the umbilical cord blood stem cells are saved as a potential medical resource for the baby or maybe a sibling. Another thing some pregnant women take care of before delivery is enrolling their child in day care. </span><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Even though the baby won’t use the day care services for several months, waiting lists are often long so signing up as soon as possible will alleviate any necessary stress when the time comes.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 1.2em; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-47701262650487765262012-02-20T11:06:00.002-08:002012-02-21T20:11:36.821-08:00Life with TwinsJack has been doing this for quite a while now and I <i>finally</i> caught it on tape! Yay! I'm trying my best not to be an obnoxious overly boastful mommy, but I am so proud of my little guys! Only two years old and Jack is counting to twenty, all by himself! I just had to share it with you guys!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzN-MyqGehOOVQjiwD2u_njgcoYe7ot57NEP4VNVconGKK7XtZSIt0eHzPipiFk71FNg9mCjvNI-NSI8SRtnw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here's a little clip of Logan spelling his and brother's names during our "art" class. God has blessed me with the cutest, sweetest and smartest little boys!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz27vgd_VJ0VWiJ9z2Jqv-yR2xTzE_MUoq4u14EAgwi6zjxMeC9L6eg9SH0GgnhM9cIlPLAAZVmOnUFrrBufQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-72873091191871687722012-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:002012-02-16T20:06:09.138-08:00What Teachers Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHtnQHWZPeVSTggZMC-mmJFjUF6eRJz5ioH7JWmUs-u4aX9H7drrw-x_kZJavZfee35Pv_eYjriYR79opWdPq_H1Dmm0dLGI6-orAjgnS-jC0SnVKt9iu9IGx4ZrkiH099cKtm70AWOvf/s1600/430150_566973299596_79500494_31232008_299139424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHtnQHWZPeVSTggZMC-mmJFjUF6eRJz5ioH7JWmUs-u4aX9H7drrw-x_kZJavZfee35Pv_eYjriYR79opWdPq_H1Dmm0dLGI6-orAjgnS-jC0SnVKt9iu9IGx4ZrkiH099cKtm70AWOvf/s640/430150_566973299596_79500494_31232008_299139424_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A few of my teacher friends were floating this funny pic around Facebook tonight and I thought it was SPOT ON, too good not to share!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HmKzeIgr_CGyCUk0DSMm53L2Y89OqC9zYbeo-FM6-1oSWAo-nNOQwy2cyvqa6tiJFgMB_w4zCzJjhgU7MzV0OKG9abpMYDEVKbESpjDzNkAw-c16hdgG-FhimKTXL8xfTZTfqrppby67/s1600/430150_566973299596_79500494_31232008_299139424_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-55363198825095428092012-01-31T19:26:00.000-08:002012-01-31T19:26:42.010-08:00Shop SwapGeez Louise! Our town has had a head cold that's been circling us for weeks and weeks, and the cycle just won't end! I was hit really hard last week with a fever, chills, cough, sinus headache and runny nose (hence the blog sabbatical), and now that I'm finally starting to recover, everyone around me is catching it once again! Ugh! Looks like the boys and I will be hiding out in the house all this week. Which is sort of good news because it gives me more opportunities to share with you all of the goings on happening in Blogland lately!<br />
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I've just found out that Danni from the "Oh Hello Friend" blog is hosting a shop swap! Mid-February a group of online shops will share an exchange of their best goodies with a partner perfectly matched and handpicked by Danni herself! I think this is a fantastic opportunity for sellers to share and learn from one another and I. can. not. wait! If you own a shop, you should definitely consider jumping in! Slots are available until February 7th or we reach 100 people. Click below for more info.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ohhellofriendblog.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNC2nGNOZpzLcrW0GRrN0nVFPlkboUTwCj3-Q2By4piphsvbqJzyyiuJb8uX3NjTzVNFFBpx6rVVIQvO9P7fWH8CosRbfkSQOB_E2zefKJrLQepbqFTUptyYNkt1GMUPjNUXXRr0qDqDC/s1600/shopswap-banner1.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-80032118305475504462012-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:002012-01-20T13:12:57.912-08:00Fabulous Friday Freebie Valentines!I know it's sort of early to start thinking about Valentine's Day, but I'm the sort of mom who is always about 2 days behind schedule and usually ends up giving her kids Valentine's to hand out a week past due! (Mostly because I'm far more unorganized than you would ever believe, but also because handing them out late means I get to buy the Valentine leftovers at Target for 50% off!)<br />
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But not this year! No, this Valentine's Day I will send my sons to school prepared with adorable, handmade, cheeky cards that they (and I) can be proud of! And I'll save money, too!<br />
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"How?", you ask. With these super cute, silly, and sweet FREE Valentine's Day card printables from some of my favorite blogs! I absolutely adore these colorful cards and cannot wait to get started printing and cutting! But since my <s>secret</s> not-so-secret habit of procrastinating has been ingrained in me for years, I must start now to get them done on time. Here's to making my family proud and not having to spend the rest of the school year avoiding their teachers!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NVpvdAGWQoZPB2Ik95qPyNmIkrPGqRCQBa8KHmtcNnKQ7XJWN-Bh5xo7mLZ55Qo5IvVSOIoj00Mb1fUZnN2eVtcWZm4DXoNcWx2vcVBbiDJwDYxwx7x9PxeNMOVWcijMMw10hLClCkMz/s1600/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NVpvdAGWQoZPB2Ik95qPyNmIkrPGqRCQBa8KHmtcNnKQ7XJWN-Bh5xo7mLZ55Qo5IvVSOIoj00Mb1fUZnN2eVtcWZm4DXoNcWx2vcVBbiDJwDYxwx7x9PxeNMOVWcijMMw10hLClCkMz/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.plumadorable.com/fan-tache-tic-valentines-cardsfree-printable/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FAN {TACHE} TIC Valentine Cards from Plum Adorable</span></i></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.plumadorable.com/fan-tache-tic-valentines-cardsfree-printable/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizerYmYDvTLxKk9kojWaQxOoxyAJJxNMkl0z5bghq23RvpnOl5ifRArByZ88jn2qZhR_2iri_faPJTqFU5vHft6YsbhHIJWXfYX0C3YlWdAwbKNIDKP6b2hqFoFr5jLL3v5xrMNvn5C7iO/s400/Mustache-Valentine-Ice-Blue.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.plumadorable.com/fan-tache-tic-valentines-cardsfree-printable/"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIk_jhXnQVHWv8qyTPM6QLlIT7Xn9F1m03-zU4wZQJKI0E-lKfwb2mGJoOVyxThZqL7xhyphenhyphenJhY-iuUAB4rwPQ8NReB6ahqp6zN5epjGdfGck21O-39NTY2lcLX7hzwPaMKa9dwl3-FFeWN/s400/Mustache-Valentine1-1024x731.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://saltandpaper.com/blog/?p=18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>I Like You ALOT Valentine Cards from Salt & Paper</i></span></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://saltandpaper.com/blog/?p=18"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1LPAUlVCQtdoWovgOK8r1BG1g24W9OrTOWwvuzwri-5D5P1NbmBswUI1IUJn3tvm7NkIL7O4GTZhyphenhyphen42LA8FX-8YN2iBB2apbfqVzldMMNDbFNWmdf_37HrHKAOpSyYY43AnDkxbnXOXH/s400/valentines-free.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/01/valentine-freebies/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Owl Valentine's Day Cards from Living Locurto</i></span></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/01/valentine-freebies/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHpeu8FMiGfBK6KIOUHGLxn8MSWKztUAyhN-gmID1oWPA3a35qwWeEiQIdtEVmDYGDXaX5V7b5K11KTo5Zq9CZgPSDNrjJ7L9JW4nfzB_qofaEdcHWWbDdYNZJ6k81P87aow2OWHT2n2r/s400/vcard.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.livinglocurto.com/2009/01/valentine-freebies/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0lhh_Z-bUDxo3msczKAERVhYv1mxfVUhcU-nLgJ1QL8ppXjuMQUce4CjbS_RA8_TGkLCKKADIbJIIv2BSlbHDZDGzXb6mEmNLk8bk8Em6LPm-T7h0wFqdXxO03AM3vT78jQkxsquu7Ny/s400/bookmarks.jpg" width="376" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pinkandposh.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/free-printable-valentine-cards-for-kids/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Cheeky Valentine's Day Cards from Pink & Posh Designs</i></span></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinkandposh.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/free-printable-valentine-cards-for-kids/"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C51DkfKF4KWM_1F_yFAb5oXeeQLMEhj0J7i8EViXBNxd1LilrG-ViTne7nSlJcHzDDTTw-ZuiEMi6DasJig4eCJsVsKCFq7jM9vITKfOLCakw9fYx8qHPAQDtWydVDtLbaTV9PW_CVWe/s400/free-printable-valentine-ca.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-38678430992738359682012-01-16T22:53:00.000-08:002012-01-20T19:45:08.267-08:00New Year Resolution Updates...I NEED YOUR HELP!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">It's been 17 days since I made my New Year's resolutions and surprisingly, I'm still keeping every one! Woo hoo! I think a big part of that (minor) success is that I'm making myself accountable by having told my goals and plans to family and friends. Whenever they ask me how my new designs for the shop are coming along or give positive comments on my weight loss (5 pounds by the way!), I am reminded that I have an obligation, not only those around me, but also to myself, be the best me I can be! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8qdvSA6HmBv5d0-Oq9wQwQ8KfRt7t3C_kTmIHWQ5R7FbGwQQDbNUqL9XM6GUxxZzTCcsLmv-atyVnuL2PN6XzWO0JyCYV8iycELdSH2mqKwe40h8lxNErk8CcznciXuTe47AZg2PB5CL/s1600/DSC01540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8qdvSA6HmBv5d0-Oq9wQwQ8KfRt7t3C_kTmIHWQ5R7FbGwQQDbNUqL9XM6GUxxZzTCcsLmv-atyVnuL2PN6XzWO0JyCYV8iycELdSH2mqKwe40h8lxNErk8CcznciXuTe47AZg2PB5CL/s320/DSC01540.JPG" width="234" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Here's an interesting secret no one knows: I have actually kept my past 2 New Year's resolutions from January straight through December without fail! Last year, I noticed that I wasn't doing a very good job of saving and vowed to find a way to put more aside each month. So, for an entire year, I wrote down every penny that we spent, categorized to find out where we are spending the majority of our money, and pinpointed exactly what we can cut out. The year before that, I felt sad that I had lost touch with so many of my friends throughout the years, and I made a resolution to, if nothing else, send every one of my Facebook friends a happy birthday message.<br />
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This year, I have two sets of resolutions. One is for my personal growth and the other is for Pop Heart. I have found from past experiences that I am more likely to reach my goals if I set out to accomplish them one at a time and list specific strategies for achievement. So this year, I am finally going to tackle the BIG ONE.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><b>I. WILL. LOSE. WEIGHT. </b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I haven't set an amount as of yet, so I won't be disappointed if it's unreachable or if I accomplish it before December. Instead, I am focusing on my strategy; to spend, at minimum, 10 minutes of extra exercise per day, apart from my regular mommy duties, and break a sweat. And the absolute best way for me to do this... is to join a gym. I've actually never belonged to a gym before. I've always enjoyed walking/jogging outside, roller skating and playing intramural sports (especially tennis!). But the twins are toddlers now and <i>absolute</i> "Mama's boys"! I can't get one thing done around the house without one of them wanting to hold my hand or stop what I'm doing to play or read with them. And while I really love <i>nothing</i> more than to do that, I just can't while I'm trying to work out.<br />
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So the gym is really working out great! The boys love meeting new friends at the "Kidz Zone" and I love having an hour each day to dedicate to my health and fitness!<br />
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As far as my goals for Pop Heart, there are so many it was quite difficult to narrow them down to a small list of dreams that I believed might be achieved by year's end. But by New Year's Day, I compiled my list of three.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>1.</i></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> Create new products (posters, teaching tools, labels, etc.) and branch out into different media (i.e. melamine plates + bowls, t-shirts, aprons, bags, stamps, and school supplies).</i></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><i> </i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>2.</i></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> Revamp and rework my website so that it's less generic and functions as it's own e-commerce site (This is the BIG ONE)</i></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><i> </i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>3. </i></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Be a better blogger!</i></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I have already added a few new posters to the shop since the beginning of the year, and now, while I'm continuing on with that goal, I'm setting out to reach my second dream, to rework my website! But this one has me stumped! I am so embarrassed to say that while I consider myself a "graphic designer", I actually self-taught myself how to design in a range of programs and since having not been formally trained through a university, I have NO CLUE how to go about web design!<br />
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As I'm sure many of you have noticed, my blog is as generic as it gets and my website was created using a free template from wix.com, completely stuck and simple, and most annoyingly, not available as an e-commerce site. I NEED HELP!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://girlsguidetowebdesign.com/"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3jsdWDBL5bMKTY2Ky2aYARwzVcjYiJtNHtEeP8trXiKRQ8YleAj6tGXrjZ9G-UsgqB7EJTs319ywjjieaCM1I3Lu5b3RwywO7eafvPTUozsq_Z0TM9ACN49BNhoSmTOQBi2HIiYnUqRX/s640/GGWD-banner-rs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
And I know just who can save me! Amanda and Allie, from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1872165118"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The </span></a><a href="http://girlsguidetowebdesign.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Girls' Guide to Web Design</span></a>, have created two super awesome learning programs that teach everyday DIY wanna be graphic girls how to create a beautiful, custom and completely creative website using Wordpress! I would <b>really</b> love to join in on their First Class session! Not only do you get their amazing 8 step program, you also have the opportunity to "meet" other girls going through the same learning process as you and actually ask Amanda and Allie questions as you go along! How awesome is that?!<br />
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And here's the BEST part! A & A are offering scholarships to 3 lucky contestants! So I'm taking my chances and asking you guys for your help! All you have to do is go to their <a href="http://bit.ly/girlsguidecontest"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">contest page</span></a>, look for Heather Bredimus, and click "<b>Like</b>". That's it! And you guys will have helped make my New Year's dream come true!<br />
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, soooo much! Winners will be chosen on the 25th and you know I'll be here to tell you guys if I made it! I'm so excited!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-67879455744652529872012-01-16T13:25:00.000-08:002012-01-20T19:56:38.565-08:00What Teachers Really Want to Say to ParentsWell, I always wondered how I would react when it happened. Would I clam up in shame? Would I fight back? Would I believe them or simply ignore their comments thinking that they are overly sensitive, too strict, or just don't have the strategies to redirect my child's behavior?<br />
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I'm speaking of how I, as a parent, would react the first time my son's teacher pulls me aside to discuss his poor conduct. As a former teacher, I have very clear memories [nightmares] of parent-teacher conferences gone bad. Back then, I was a new grad and newlywed with no children of my own and quite limited experience in behavior management, learned mostly from sparse babysitting jobs and reading course books while studying education in college. Oh, the stories I could tell of those dreaded meetings! Oh, what I wish I could tell myself then what I know now!<br />
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Though my years as a formal educator were short, I was fortunate to work in many different learning environments with children of various ages, races, abilities and income. Through my experiences I learned that, among other characteristics, regardless of any child's parent involvement in their educational or extracurricular activity, their parents only wanted, expected and believed the best of their children. Which is why this cartoon so accurately depicts almost every single one of my parent-teacher encounters!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3YmiOKx8ZW7fVhS9fR5Tlou8Rq2t076Qm4JAvwJDe26Mnq_fg4CUOLi71CRCOTmj91pE4Y_qytJuZKIT0svINttdPFVt45X-ToeWtRnd5rcSm-jj90ekbKtcHiXEkvQhnoHlARi6sLMK/s1600/61anN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3YmiOKx8ZW7fVhS9fR5Tlou8Rq2t076Qm4JAvwJDe26Mnq_fg4CUOLi71CRCOTmj91pE4Y_qytJuZKIT0svINttdPFVt45X-ToeWtRnd5rcSm-jj90ekbKtcHiXEkvQhnoHlARi6sLMK/s640/61anN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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So because of my experience on the other side of the desk, I always wondered how I would feel and what I would say to the first (of many, I'm sure) teachers who wish to discuss with me their concerns about my sons' development. Well, yesterday the moment finally arrived. After only 2.5 years of parenting, my toddlers' church daycare teacher asked to speak with me after class! Apparently, one of the twins (she couldn't remember which one) had been put in time-out because he refused to say "I'm sorry," to a fellow classmate.<br />
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And what do you think was my reaction? Much to my relief, as I later reflected on the inevitable "talk" that I had dreaded for so many years, even before having Jack and Logan, I said, "It was Logan, wasn't it?" Knowing my sons so well, even if (as she claims) the teacher couldn't recall who the defiant troublemaker was, I was proud that I at least could recognize the strengths and weaknesses of my sons, acknowledge them, and promise to work harder in teaching them empathy and remorse for their wrongdoings.<br />
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It's so coincidental that I had this experience only yesterday, because today my Facebook feed has been blowing up with friends sharing the exact same article in their status updates! I guess since it's a federal holiday, school is out and the majority of my Facebook friends are teachers, they all felt compelled to share this read, as now am I! CNN recently posted an article titled, <a href="http://us.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html?c&page=3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">"What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents"</span></a>, by Ron Clark, named a former "American Teacher of the Year" by Disney and Oprah Winfrey's pick as "Phenomenal Man". I found it refreshingly honest, something I hope every parent and teacher has the opportunity to read, and words of wisdom that I hope to carry with me and keep in mind as I encounter many more parent teacher conferences for my sons in the future.<br />
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It's a bit of long read (especially for those private school teachers who didn't get out for the holiday today), so I copied and pasted the article here and highlighted some of my favorite parts for easy skimming during lunch or prep time. To read the article in it's original form, <a href="http://us.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html?c&page=3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">click here</span></a>, and enjoy!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">"What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents"</span></i></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">by Ron Clark</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent.</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76a5af;"> </span></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer.</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you.</span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.</span></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Please quit with all the excuses.</span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them.</span></span></span></i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me had hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Can you feel my pain?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. </span></span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then </span></span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.</span></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor.</span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It build character and teaches life lessons. </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Wow. Come on now.</span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. </span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape.</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.</span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Teachers walking on eggshells</span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next.</span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds.</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off wish a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession?</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">If our teachers continue to fell threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators. </span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal,</span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems. </span></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-57317244202954727662012-01-13T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-21T18:52:51.446-08:00Valentine Etsy Inspiration and a Fabulous Friday FreebieWow! This month is just flying by! So far I've been pretty good about keeping my new year's resolutions (even though it's only been 13 days). But here's to celebrating successes where we can find them, eh?<br />
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So with all of the new time, energy and commitment spent working out, cleaning house, organizing, and budgeting, I've also been quite busy designing custom posters! Lately, it seems everyone is getting that lovin' feeling and my long distance love posters are flying off the electronic shelves! Here are some goodies I'll be printing and shipping this afternoon (but Shh! It's a surprise!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T8dGqiswFtzI80DVYpVs0jUJswYeWTX6nYJT1TOb8CxCG318UfMuHblKOiQLe1-6Px8EHRT58Z0482bGqadceQC2pu-CIQP3Xk-qC8xKYNywNaKQALfPH2RrW_cUeGbT3yPtkVOXIhZT/s1600/Chantelle+w-o+marks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T8dGqiswFtzI80DVYpVs0jUJswYeWTX6nYJT1TOb8CxCG318UfMuHblKOiQLe1-6Px8EHRT58Z0482bGqadceQC2pu-CIQP3Xk-qC8xKYNywNaKQALfPH2RrW_cUeGbT3yPtkVOXIhZT/s400/Chantelle+w-o+marks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuffIMr998vmjEvQti8OEVpIpPJlIkDu-XCjQfqCNu01GIz2RHb7aU0PFsDhXf_paFYNPFnHm0pw8ZWnpGlCXwdqPfzZq2UgxSyU1FxS3-LF1V3yd-pqc8P-fqF4EUR-sz7DkYmD7Pleh0/s1600/Becky%2527s+home+is+where+the+heart+is.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuffIMr998vmjEvQti8OEVpIpPJlIkDu-XCjQfqCNu01GIz2RHb7aU0PFsDhXf_paFYNPFnHm0pw8ZWnpGlCXwdqPfzZq2UgxSyU1FxS3-LF1V3yd-pqc8P-fqF4EUR-sz7DkYmD7Pleh0/s400/Becky%2527s+home+is+where+the+heart+is.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR11gEDTxRLCWfylrbTFpF211yZ_dwQ9RN6ZygPHqWTocm2Vg7nyPm9btQk2VF0c4Vfyr91ijB61Hd6cxum6ifpEkSyUdR-MatFRJis0MT1ju9nE1ntUcoieLqSLQUv2scWLIoM-gS6Nmj/s1600/Tom%2527s+long+distance+love+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR11gEDTxRLCWfylrbTFpF211yZ_dwQ9RN6ZygPHqWTocm2Vg7nyPm9btQk2VF0c4Vfyr91ijB61Hd6cxum6ifpEkSyUdR-MatFRJis0MT1ju9nE1ntUcoieLqSLQUv2scWLIoM-gS6Nmj/s400/Tom%2527s+long+distance+love+poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
From Rhode Island to Toronto, Lebanon to Australia, these posters always remind me that love <i>will</i> find a way! I've actually just been commissioned to create a custom love poster with a map silhouette of France which I'm super excited about! If you share a long distance love, this would be an awesome Valetine's Day gift! Just visit <a href="http://www.popheartpress.etsy.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">the shop</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> </span>to view the different map and color swatch choices you can choose from to make your poster super special! Don't see a map of your country? Just message me and I'll create one just for you!<br />
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All of these love posters and New Year effort to stay organized and attempt to give gifts on their respective holiday dates (instead of my usual 10 days after) has inspired my search for the perfect V-day gifts my sweeties! Here are some lovelies I just found on Etsy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi9C4av9xpXZ_pbAVq1i-HDLTbcgOW7NVZma31uDgnkE6pdRfbms4XoSCmvxde8ZrLM-EmXXVBYIBP9-iCQ-NYI0rCvxJ-y3j-43gCtTL9eSC7u1cqMFIY-ed8-MVnqFTIIxbcdZFtJqi/s1600/valentine+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi9C4av9xpXZ_pbAVq1i-HDLTbcgOW7NVZma31uDgnkE6pdRfbms4XoSCmvxde8ZrLM-EmXXVBYIBP9-iCQ-NYI0rCvxJ-y3j-43gCtTL9eSC7u1cqMFIY-ed8-MVnqFTIIxbcdZFtJqi/s640/valentine+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89884825/woodland-love-wooden-blocks-kids?ref=sr_list_18&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=valentine+gift&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">1. Tiny Giraffe Shop</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90197757/valentine-gift-for-him-personalized?ref=sr_list_15&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=valentine+gift&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=10&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">2. Rock Candy Vintage</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88376284/little-deer-valentine-gift-tags?ref=sr_list_19&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=valentine+gift&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=20&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">3. Charonel Designs</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/90209255/love-large-19-x-13-inch-dove-grey-bird?ref=sr_list_31&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=valentine+gift&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=27&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">4. Nancy Jean HomeGoods</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88087819/love-necklace?ref=sr_list_1&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=love+necklace&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">5. Morgan Prather</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60974921/heart-jewelry-valentines-day-gift-felt?ref=sr_list_9&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=heart+jewelry&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">6. Fishes Make Wishes</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85946346/bespoke-nine-heart-map-art-framed?ref=sr_list_5&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=heart+map&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">7. Bombus</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/89782105/crocheted-hearts-garland-red-puffed?ref=sr_list_4&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=crochet+heart&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">8. Rose Jasmine</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> | </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86609855/love-is-patient-love-is-kind-1?ref=sr_list_29&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=love+scripture&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=8&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">9. Kari Machal</span></a><br />
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And since I'm totally in the loving mood, now is the perfect time for my Fabulous Friday Freebie!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQDMxfCB3dgKgwqMjtYpUP2HZNV8aewfmuYIIqE4IxDWFgbA4ZVmLNU-MOH5UyoEFBJPI-FY-CWuAtDv8NQiNWyYWq2vk3NcJo9HnYEjNSkeyR4IEZ7SDIxA-IxLcKMsaEAJuf04Z0ORN/s1600/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQDMxfCB3dgKgwqMjtYpUP2HZNV8aewfmuYIIqE4IxDWFgbA4ZVmLNU-MOH5UyoEFBJPI-FY-CWuAtDv8NQiNWyYWq2vk3NcJo9HnYEjNSkeyR4IEZ7SDIxA-IxLcKMsaEAJuf04Z0ORN/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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If you purchase any "Love Will Find A Way" or "Home is Where the Heart is" poster between now and February 1st, I will send a second art print of your custom design to you for FREE! Woo hoo! It's a two-fer! Give one as a gift to your honey, sweetie, mommy, granny, sister or friend, and keep the second print for you! It's sort of like a modern take on a best friend heart necklace. You know, the ones that you traded with your BFF back in the second grade!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquAIqyU05JttIAFQBAEpG8GjjRAKqJUFUf2Zc0L3vizfoLHwK2Q3KrhhJTeCqniojasNppcFnF69l_w0WL-Q22tnMVmXxGz6Fz9OSkTga47j8MZAeNLmn8qey7z3RXZeBSNVp40eDV8Zy/s1600/%2524%2528KGrHqV%252C%2521hkE1gNOLU%252B4BNiQWCBvV%2521%257E%257E0_35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquAIqyU05JttIAFQBAEpG8GjjRAKqJUFUf2Zc0L3vizfoLHwK2Q3KrhhJTeCqniojasNppcFnF69l_w0WL-Q22tnMVmXxGz6Fz9OSkTga47j8MZAeNLmn8qey7z3RXZeBSNVp40eDV8Zy/s1600/%2524%2528KGrHqV%252C%2521hkE1gNOLU%252B4BNiQWCBvV%2521%257E%257E0_35.JPG" /></a></div>Have a happy weekend everyone!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-11384906040282624142012-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:002012-01-08T20:48:09.971-08:0025 Rules for Mothers of SonsYesterday, a friend of mine, and mother of 2 sons (plus one on the way), sent a link to this <a href="http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">awesome blog post</span></a> by Tabitha Studer, author and creator of the "Team Studer" blog. Inspired by a pin titled, "Rules for Dads with Daughters", Tabitha created her own rules for mothers of sons. I think she did such an awesome job and wanted to share it with all of you! These 25 ways to raise and love little boys is absolutely perfect and honestly, I couldn't think of any other rules I would add. I hope you love it as well, and if you have any additions, just post down at the bottom and be sure to send some comment love over to <a href="http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=0"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Tabitha</span></a>!<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font: normal normal normal 30px/normal 'Covered By Your Grace'; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.75em; position: relative; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">25 Rules for Mothers of Sons</span></span></span></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 25px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/94199432/" style="clear: right; color: #3abb21; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/94199432_5pYf9yHF_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">1. Teach him the words for how he feels</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.</span></i><br />
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</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #222222; float: left; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-right: 1em; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="221px" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/28/article-1290360-0A3F2A70000005DC-29_634x438.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 0px 0px 0px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="320px" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">2. Be a cheerleader for his life</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img height="141" src="http://static2.bigstockphoto.com/thumbs/2/1/5/large2/5123209.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="200" /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">3. Teach him how to do laundry</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/258540566/" style="clear: left; color: #3abb21; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/258540566_XG9PRLlC_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. Read <i>to</i> him and read <i>with</i> him</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1794676337352335834" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 660px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyagXW2Sc1wKt4ue_BGH5Cu4W8TR15pcVVWaiWgzLkR7E9rNJ_9L0FtBHfTEJUk09kjfMX3TlH8ntJaC-duJBKevzPOB4T28_kIPBO7DDGV9goO_I3H69IDPSSBePxct-QBX92x8AZnU/s1600/kochwedding5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #43ff32; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyagXW2Sc1wKt4ue_BGH5Cu4W8TR15pcVVWaiWgzLkR7E9rNJ_9L0FtBHfTEJUk09kjfMX3TlH8ntJaC-duJBKevzPOB4T28_kIPBO7DDGV9goO_I3H69IDPSSBePxct-QBX92x8AZnU/s200/kochwedding5.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="165" /></a></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">5. Encourage him to dance </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.</span></i></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"></span></span></i></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"></span></i></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"></span></i></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="242px" src="http://firstflight.open.ac.uk/images/wright/wbrother.gif" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="320px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Batman </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamar_Woodley" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">LaMarr Woodley</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Albert Einstein</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their pen (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_twain" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Mark Twain</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their words (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_luther_king_jr" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their determination (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Hoyt" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Team Hoyt</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their ideas (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wright_Brothers" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The Wright Brothers</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their integrity (</span><a href="http://www.wish.org/about/the_first_wish" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Officer Frank Shankwitz</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and fearlessness (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_armstrong" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Neil Armstrong</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_robinson" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Jackie Robinson</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">).</span></i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="177" src="http://www.unsv.com/voanews/specialenglish/scripts/2007/07/04/0045/amelia_earhart_2w_3jul07_21.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.09375) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="200" /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_Blake" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Daphne Blake</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Jasmine" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Princess Jasmine</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_spears" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Britney Spears</a>) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Curie" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Madame Marie Curie</a>), and their pen (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Harper Lee</a>), and their words (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Eleanor Roosevelt</a>), and their determination (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sullivan" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Anne Sullivan</a>), and their ideas (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Oprah Winfrey</a>), and their integrity (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miep_Gies" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Miep Gies</a>), and fearlessness (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_earhart" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Ameila Earhart</a>), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;">Aung San Suu Kyi</a>).</i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320px" src="http://momland.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/super_mom.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="243px" /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"></span></span><i>You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing <u>anything </u>- remember this: If you have done <b>any </b>of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering..<b>.you are a superhero</b>. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/194650095/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/194650095_u1nIclpV_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="257px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">9. Teach him to have manners</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.</i><br />
<br />
</span></i></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/213258428/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="242px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/213258428_P3OzpOgw_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">10. Give him something to believe in</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.</i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/300613873/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/300613873_qyBqD7o6_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="226px" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.</i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/258792796/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/258792796_R0aOMFRH_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #76838b; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">12. Let him ruin his clothes</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbC74bNG8ArEs0dwCaAZRnXZQMsvRCvHzDaxtXL5SvpdGCZBnvJqbOiqEVMiWF1LNjNJdLfldnSHoYNplRCNYxVPycT3HCMyk4KMvhiAlN-EQXAh9tcOnx_sF3l9xxY10LvHrX7mBH67G/s320/mom-catch-e1306022272205.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="306px" /></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">13. Learn how to throw a football</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference betwee<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">n <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">Gryffindor and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.</span></span></i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/279169813/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/279169813_O4Ck9Ylu_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">14. Go outside with him</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320px" src="http://plugandplayfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/bigstock___1658709.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="251px" /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">15. Let him lose</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.</i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/180451374/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/180451374_N76vWo1R_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="256px" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">16. Give him opportunities to help others</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together. </i><br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/61572719874994152/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/61572719874994152_tG8lps8E_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">17. Remind him that practice makes perfect</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="177px" src="http://www.reliableplr.com/images/inquisitive_boy.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;" width="320px" /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>especially the wipes.</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">20. Let his dad teach him how to do things</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows <u>everything</u>. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.</i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">21. Give him something to release his energy</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll be sorry.</i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/305443658/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/305443658_zy19jjHX_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">22. Build him forts</span></span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></span></span><i>Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can </i><i>transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.</i><br />
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<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/15445670/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="212px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/15445670_IVscZNq2_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">23. Take him to new places</span></span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></span></span><i>Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.</i><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/249563029/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="310px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/249563029_AwOVnKTm_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">24. Kiss him</span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><i>Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too). </i><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/237848380/" style="color: #3abb21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="214px" src="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/237848380_5cP4RNK3_c.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" width="320px" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">25. Be home base</span></span></span></span></i></span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><i>You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.</i><div style="clear: both;"></div><div id="lws_0"><div class="linkwithin_outer" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="linkwithin_inner" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 358px;"></div></div></div></span></i></span></span></i><br />
<div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-style: normal;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></i></span></span></i></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-77494424573000806032011-12-30T01:00:00.000-08:002011-12-30T01:00:11.935-08:00Alphabet Letterpress Cookies... YUM!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8r880Xo9ianE_zoMWJW6p4EoS7YRYTHRmzKsSlIQVvszitn4Gk5ktE92gKPP4alMmM5lk3kjtZuabg1DtzJJMieocjcTZZ4gU2iHHr1Lv5at1hQ4qNS9Dk4auOtT9GX2ZfJUSCTOeK3Cm/s1600/34743656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8r880Xo9ianE_zoMWJW6p4EoS7YRYTHRmzKsSlIQVvszitn4Gk5ktE92gKPP4alMmM5lk3kjtZuabg1DtzJJMieocjcTZZ4gU2iHHr1Lv5at1hQ4qNS9Dk4auOtT9GX2ZfJUSCTOeK3Cm/s200/34743656.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Well, I finally did it! For the first time in my life, I made cookies from SCRATCH! ... And they were AWESOME! Thanks to the holiday break, I turned into a mama with too much time on my hands and a need to express my creative, crafty, homemaking side! I attempted to use an old recipe that my mom had passed onto me years ago, but as I was mixing the ingredients, it never really formed into dough, so I tweaked it a little and unbelievably, the cookies came out perfectly and so super tasty! After a few (dozen or so) test bites, I had enough to ice, sprinkle and decorate with candy during naptime and after, with the twins and my handmade sweets tow, we made Christmas deliveries the hospital, printshop and lucky neighbors!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/Letterpressed-Cookie-Cutters/3305_001/415801.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfyDQ1P8ga8290vcbP5nqCXWAW3R38YVdUm3dmk-UZLib_L1FcxFPzlOgUFqaHTtG7pL_eQhvrP5T83Beyy58XBcGEzWMj0fL2wgChoehXojnmvjF4pVgtMnMNVb4BcWlPCgQXfiCJ97D/s400/415801.jpeg" width="285" /></a></div>Now that all of the cookies have been eaten, I haven't been able to stop thinking about making more. But because they are so time consuming, energy draining and tough to clean up after, I have resisted the urge to whip out my rolling pin once again. That was until today, when I found these Ah-mazing letterpress cookie cutters on <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/Letterpressed-Cookie-Cutters/3305_001/415801.html">Paper Source</a>! Some genius found a way to combine my love of typography and baking, and now the possibilities of incorporating these cookies into fun learning games with my boys are flooding my mind!<br />
<br />
I know Christmas is over and Santa is long gone, but I think I'm just going to have to treat myself to this gift! And at only $18.95 for 26 letters, an ampersand and an exclamation point, I know I'll never find such an amazing deal! So if you guys are in the cookie baking mood, you're going to LOVE this Fabulous Friday Freebie! Below is my mother's handed-down butter cookie recipe, tweaked by yours truly! And if you happen to use the letterpress cookie cutters, please post pics to share and possible learning games to use with these alphabet cookies!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6SVBVjjI9-GPj4cpb5X2r0rMhXat4eW9fTVkR8hHURmUxz8PPmZ3MrGcDELf5AGV3ZTlYs0TCa2Egu1Lc5oIz3mGcmc6NErrzrh2YvQL8rVtaalvKI0juDqpwvYeJdiUjMWbY8Mj4jD0/s1600/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6SVBVjjI9-GPj4cpb5X2r0rMhXat4eW9fTVkR8hHURmUxz8PPmZ3MrGcDELf5AGV3ZTlYs0TCa2Egu1Lc5oIz3mGcmc6NErrzrh2YvQL8rVtaalvKI0juDqpwvYeJdiUjMWbY8Mj4jD0/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Heather's Butter Cookies</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(makes about 2 dozen cookies)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until a putty like consistency is formed.<br />
<br />
1.5 cups sifted cake flour<br />
2 sticks melted unsalted butter<br />
.75 cup sifted powdered sugar<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
.5 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
<br />
When a putty like dough consistency is realized, remove from mixer. Cut the dough into four equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Cover your workspace and rolling pin with an even heavy coat of flour and one at a time, roll each ball of dough out with a rolling pin until a flat even surface is formed into the shape of an oval with about a quarter of an inch thickness in height. Use your cookie cutter to cut out shapes of dough and place carefully on your baking sheet, about half of an inch apart. Place baking sheet into an oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until edges of cookies begin to brown. Cool thoroughly, remove from pan, and start decorating!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-34251747280621346322011-12-15T11:35:00.001-08:002012-02-21T20:17:47.561-08:00Life with Twins<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTK5E1TXWaqiQOKYYWIWABW9UxkIrImytf5_hsdT3C8pGj-aKVqvxN2XjgBsYHkuGD3ZCDzbyPGYQ9jLb_gA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-91974606706548871542011-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:002012-01-20T20:02:56.065-08:00White Elephant InspirationEvery Christmas Eve, my mom and godmother host a family get-together/party with yummy enchiladas, tamales, queso, pico de gallo and other mexican goodies. And ever since my grandmother developed alzheimer's, I've hosted the Christmas Day dinner with the traditional favorites from Thanksgiving (i.e. macaroni, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, etc.) But last year I decided to make it a little less formal and lot more fun by giving my party a "White Elephant" theme. It was SO. MUCH. FUN! The best gift of the night was definitely the inflatable big booty implant for jeans stuffing! No one wanted to end up with that one, but in the end, my sister's fiance was left with it and to everyone's surprise, he found the real gift, a $50 gift card, stashed inbetween the butt cheeks!<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>For many of my family and friends, this was the first time they had played the win/lose game of gift giving and since then, have been plotting and shopping for the tackiest, funniest gift to bring to the party this Christmas! So, as I was getting prepared to design the invitation for this year's party, I looked to Etsy for some elephant inspiration and completely fell in love with all of these goodies! I hope you love them too, I think they'd all make great gifts this year! Stay tuned tomorrow for a long overdue Fabulous Friday Freebie!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-b_eHUpf5occSZ66qSMyb6eUqEE7WxLQV_2gEpu0UWrSXlZIQVZC5jCVeH44JMwUrq4cD3mTa2qfalCIZl7SgK-1NvPUAzNW9ZkX52bFoPL4UlcWzxi7cicmpTFnrFYPrpVardqtcSIo/s1600/elephants+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-b_eHUpf5occSZ66qSMyb6eUqEE7WxLQV_2gEpu0UWrSXlZIQVZC5jCVeH44JMwUrq4cD3mTa2qfalCIZl7SgK-1NvPUAzNW9ZkX52bFoPL4UlcWzxi7cicmpTFnrFYPrpVardqtcSIo/s640/elephants+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">1. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64844786/macbook-air-11-inch-sleeve-elephant-gray?ref=sr_list_34&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=14&ga_show_panel=true&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Boutique ID</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 2. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/67861917/aqua-blue-elephant-print-zoo-animal?ref=sr_list_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Man vs. George</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 3. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/83218071/elephant-cupcake-toppers-modern-fondant?ref=sr_list_33&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=13&ga_show_panel=true&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Modern Luxe Events</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 4. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71741018/baby-blanket-elephant-parade-and-white"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Sir Bubbadoo</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 5. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80120667/elephant-original-acrylic-elephant?ref=sr_list_18&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=15&ga_show_panel=true&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Elisa Alvarado</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">6. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/84076051/boy-baby-shower-invitation-blue-elephant?ref=sr_list_15&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=16&ga_show_panel=true&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Pearenthetical Press</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 7. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80405393/elephant-baby-crib-mobile-u-pick-colors?ref=sr_list_6&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">April Derek</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 8. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/83672170/ele-the-elephant-fabric-basket-ready-to?ref=sr_list_36&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=elephant&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=10&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Too Cute Originals</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 9. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85555951/huge-anniversary-sale-limited-edition?ref=sr_list_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=white+elephant&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fclothing"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">New York Couture</span></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-47922533166119726312011-11-23T18:38:00.000-08:002011-11-23T18:38:14.864-08:00Contest Winner and Happy Thanksgiving!Yay! Congratulations to Kayla! She is the winner of one custom silhouette calendar from last week's contest giveaway! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*Doing a little happy dance for you!*</span><br />
<br />
A big thank you to everyone who shared their unforgettable moments and wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving! Be on the lookout for our next giveaway! It is sure to be the best yet!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCkYBabyK37wrKtfD9x2RvRpmAJAd7sssm0iG6d4TDp2EuTpW57K69OijSj3hwVWTZlqYHfNqiaMo65KfD3x6w2zpkDm-7dslF2xamFOakKhl_sxoKZpJ3iHFlLuKyLnAqbc-XRXBSgcd/s1600/6+up+silhouette+calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCkYBabyK37wrKtfD9x2RvRpmAJAd7sssm0iG6d4TDp2EuTpW57K69OijSj3hwVWTZlqYHfNqiaMo65KfD3x6w2zpkDm-7dslF2xamFOakKhl_sxoKZpJ3iHFlLuKyLnAqbc-XRXBSgcd/s640/6+up+silhouette+calendar.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-40981870142413547212011-11-20T11:42:00.001-08:002012-02-21T20:32:14.624-08:00Life with Twins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzRPQEZ1qAWr-gXgkBu1N20cy0obACG_a3vAtuCAqNIairjvmnV6BqiDRu5gku621HgQHUOROKeXSGfprphRg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-72674531507053720452011-11-17T21:02:00.000-08:002011-11-18T06:37:18.789-08:00Updates, a Celebration and a super duper Giveaway!Wow! It has been incredibly crazy around here lately, as I'm sure you've gathered from my lack of postings! In the aftermath of my hectic Heartsy feature, we celebrated the boys' 2nd birthday, a trip to the Texas State Fair, Halloween, and the passing of my beloved Grandmother. Here are a few pics I am super late in sharing, but so sweet nonetheless! (Logan is Elmo, Jack is Cookie Monster, and I'm supposed to be Big Bird!)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-YHNL_wK0I1PmDf0Xhj4DfIjAtmVFMqQQcnupshXBbrMrS2NnQrbc-kqxGbO5eta-us1739WdMiHu9oXFfwRwdiHlgw5AqtNAzKhyDIN5cUKUPr-_9CHgKb2LAznHYAiohXwX5FxshYD/s1600/DSC08716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1-YHNL_wK0I1PmDf0Xhj4DfIjAtmVFMqQQcnupshXBbrMrS2NnQrbc-kqxGbO5eta-us1739WdMiHu9oXFfwRwdiHlgw5AqtNAzKhyDIN5cUKUPr-_9CHgKb2LAznHYAiohXwX5FxshYD/s640/DSC08716.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGdgHPJ5ybSnCwDBPDhitynfwuR5H94KYpQLyJPtbT19-jBhYI6ArG1pE7AbopfTZvs_Bu8NpVD7k22mjitfy27M8FB3sEGbqlGRlMAc1uScTPB13KdWrf3DoEyhg-yicP2002pd2cFGf/s1600/DSC08501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGdgHPJ5ybSnCwDBPDhitynfwuR5H94KYpQLyJPtbT19-jBhYI6ArG1pE7AbopfTZvs_Bu8NpVD7k22mjitfy27M8FB3sEGbqlGRlMAc1uScTPB13KdWrf3DoEyhg-yicP2002pd2cFGf/s640/DSC08501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We also had a chance to fit in a photo shoot with my absolute fave photographer, Kayla Barker of <a href="http://spinkstudio.com/">Spink Studio</a>. These turned out so fantastic, especially considering I was busy chasing down two toddlers in red high heels along a rocky walking path! Here are some of my favorite shots from that day!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFT9XBb79rOLVP92BB-TXiu0jhPb24DypHMujP0Ql9Y9OuQKViA_SJgA6DvOsqGmYF_vJE_wilapxMSg7TxejEQlHkjhD9jvRmFtrmSLCHNvOch-DXucaMop4SRtk-P_fjiaNoIppeiGm2/s1600/47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFT9XBb79rOLVP92BB-TXiu0jhPb24DypHMujP0Ql9Y9OuQKViA_SJgA6DvOsqGmYF_vJE_wilapxMSg7TxejEQlHkjhD9jvRmFtrmSLCHNvOch-DXucaMop4SRtk-P_fjiaNoIppeiGm2/s640/47.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTN2yDWIIbZ74rn9Z0IAwQEZYFrk4y_8FOE_peWca7dpfw9xtT4E3vrnr6F6h9fbKvwlmqGIvNjhkAbQog99pG2wQ2UkZcw-4o4T-iNtzRVWk1cUfa8EevN9TI6V8rntOSbuUWfzFUWHo/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTN2yDWIIbZ74rn9Z0IAwQEZYFrk4y_8FOE_peWca7dpfw9xtT4E3vrnr6F6h9fbKvwlmqGIvNjhkAbQog99pG2wQ2UkZcw-4o4T-iNtzRVWk1cUfa8EevN9TI6V8rntOSbuUWfzFUWHo/s640/41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Those are going to make for an awesome Christmas card this year! Kayla is the best and a miracle worker with her camera! If you are in the West Texas area, definitely sign up for a session with her! She is ah-mazing!<br />
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But, honestly, the real reason I interrupted my crazy busy week to post this loooong overdue blogging, is to celebrate Pop Heart Press's 100th sale! Eeek! I am so giddy with pride, I've been doing my happy dance and smiling from ear to ear this entire week! And to celebrate, I am giving away a brand-spanking new item in my shop, the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86438828/2012-magnetic-calendar-custom-family">2012 Custom Family Silhouettes Calendar</a>! One lucky winner will receive this set of 12 colorful calendar sheets, padded together for a clean and quick tear off at the end of each month, finished with a heavy duty magnetic back, perfect for displaying on your fridge or desk! This super duper lucky Pop Heart reader will get to choose 12 silhouettes and ink colors to add spunky, whimsical personality to their custom calendar!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/86438828/2012-magnetic-calendar-custom-family"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wmtjWSj_5PM4z51_I-KRjP4sUZXRaIvp0wFdOn-bwe5Fpq4Q4WQp-vAiVf-nMcIaa49KJf4zoeChkQsOVIO9O5faldb2vQNnbGfoAFpn5pmJMwIzWVx1VwQVqr_JaVsk2PZdKl5htoyB/s640/6+up+silhouette+calendar.jpg" width="483" /></a></div><br />
<b>Here's how to WIN:</b><br />
Leave a comment with one unforgettable, incredible moment in your life from this past year. It's as simple as that! On the day before Thanksgiving, I will randomly choose one winner to receive the custom silhouette calendar!<br />
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*** Earn one extra entry by including a link to this contest on your blog or Facebook page! Just be sure to link back here so I know who to give credit to!<br />
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I just want to thank you guys so much for your support, encouragement and loving words this year! It has meant more to me than you'll ever know!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-7684867864947681492011-09-27T19:48:00.000-07:002012-01-20T20:12:25.303-08:00Makes Me ThinkOne of my favorite friends from high school/college posted a link on Facebook tonight. In the infinite midst of oversaturated self-absorbed status updates, I'm not sure what made me click on this. I'm usually a scan and scram Facebook friend stalker, but something about this intrigued me. The link carried me over to a blog article titled, <a href="http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/12/27/101-short-stories-that-will-leave-you-smiling-crying-and-thinking/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">"101 Short Stories That Will Leave You Smiling, Crying and Thinking"</span></a>.<br />
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At first, the idea of reading 101 short stories seemed way too daunting a task for a worn-out, burned-out mom of 2 year old twin boys just trying to kill time and zone out before my husband turns off the lights and crawls into bed with me. I told myself that I would only read the first 10, but after reading a few short sentences, I just couldn't stop! By story 4, I had the full-on ugly cry and a confused husband walking in and wondering what just happened to his wife!<br />
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<a href="http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/12/27/101-short-stories-that-will-leave-you-smiling-crying-and-thinking/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Makes Me Think</span></a> is the originator of this awesome article. As stated on the MMT About page, sometimes the most random everyday encounters force us to stop and rethink the truths and perceptions we have ingrained in our minds. These encounters are educationally priceless. They spawn moments of deep thought and self-reflection that challenge the status quo and help us evolve as sensible individuals. Every day, users share their thought-provoking life stories and vote on stories that other users have shared. Some are happy, some are sad, and others twist your emotions, pulling them in several directions at once.<br />
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Here are my ten favorite stories that definitely "Made Me Think" (MMT). Please click on any of the <a href="http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/12/27/101-short-stories-that-will-leave-you-smiling-crying-and-thinking/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">links</span></a> to read the entire article and share your favorite or one of your own stories that you'd like to add!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face. MMT</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I was working in a coffee shop when 2 gay men walked in holding hands. As you might expect, heads started turning. Then a young girl at the table next to me asked her mom why 2 men were holding hands. Her mom replied, “Because they love each other.” MMT</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, my richest friend growing up filed for bankruptcy and one of my poorest friends growing up purchased his second vacation home. MMT</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I was all dressed up and waiting on my blind date to arrive. He never showed up. It made me feel ugly. I thought he may have seen me from a distance and bailed. Then as I left the restaurant alone, I heard a little girl ask her mom if I was a princess. It made me smile and it MMT.'</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today in downtown San Diego, I watched a blue collar Mexican man get harassed for being Mexican. It was a blatant act of discrimination. And the man actually began crying. As he left the office building, he took off his jacket. His t-shirt underneath read, “I love the USA!” MMT</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy. MMT</span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 23px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I interviewed a woman who is terminally ill. “So,” I tried to delicately ask, “What is it like to wake up every morning and know that you are dying?” “Well,” she responded, “What is it like to wake up every morning and pretend that you are not?” MMT</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, when I told my 8 year old son that all of our dreams are within reach as long as we follow our heart and take action, he asked me if it was always my dream to be a waitress. MMT</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.” MMT</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Today, I asked my 6 year old son what he wants to be when he grows up. He said, “Mommy, all I want to be is happy.” MMT</span></span></i></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-86053146384462466602011-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:002012-01-20T20:05:40.255-08:00Dark CloudsWhen I was a little girl, my dad and I joined a wonderful organization called "Indian Princesses". It was a group similar to Girl Scouts (sans the cookie sales, uniforms, badges, and award ceremonies). Actually, it wasn't at all like Girl Scouts, <i>BUT</i> we did go on father/daughter camping trips at least once a month! I have wonderful memories of horseback riding, hiking, swimming in the lake, building forts, and telling ghost stories while we roasted marshmallows by the fire.<br />
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One of my favorite and most vivid memories is of the first trip we took together when I was asked to choose my Indian Princess name. At the time, Disney's "Peter Pan" was a big hit so there were about 5 "Tiger Lily"s in each tribe. Other girls chose names like "Sunshine Bear" or "Pocahontas". I was about 4 years old at the time and needed a little guidance, so my dad told me to name myself after the most beautiful thing found in nature. As I looked around, my eyes were drawn upwards to heaven where rain clouds started to fill the purple sky, each magnificently highlighted by a silver lining. And I knew then that I had seen one of God's most beautiful creations, and subsequently named myself "Dark Cloud".<br />
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Tonight, as I sit nestled in my quilt, staring out the window at a sky lit with life of lightening, I am so grateful for God's blessing of rain in this humbling drought! And again, I am amazed at the beauty of a dark cloud!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJySJZxfa8vMjoz7CIqVu5L-bhiQV5_VnO-WMM6WgcJGRmUbwzLgcjRVwjKjZDiL9k98ovszqM1EGquQyt3psd1fCSL_0C-UqQ_8iT6EUpeY8uwAABnlDyJTwml-ZPJscsOlnhHJ70GMAs/s1600/rain+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJySJZxfa8vMjoz7CIqVu5L-bhiQV5_VnO-WMM6WgcJGRmUbwzLgcjRVwjKjZDiL9k98ovszqM1EGquQyt3psd1fCSL_0C-UqQ_8iT6EUpeY8uwAABnlDyJTwml-ZPJscsOlnhHJ70GMAs/s640/rain+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">1. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79846103/upstate-oil-painting-8-x-8?ref=tre-746774686-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Erin Spencer</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 2. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59606741/made-to-order-custom-soft-leather-winter?ref=tre-609787834-7"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Spiro Creations</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 3. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64404504/rain-drops-lariat-necklace-czech-glass?ref=tre-728207468-2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Kosmika</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 4. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61409464/rainy-day-letterpress-card-in-blue-and?ref=tre-694275785-4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Letterpress</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 5. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74250473/you-are-my-sunshine-art-prints-2-11-x-14"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Pop Heart Press</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">6. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65098404/thunderstorm-photo-11x14-fine-art?ref=tre-710639001-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Cactus Huggers</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 7. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71176639/lightning-storm-cloud-sterling-silver?ref=sr_list_14&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=necklace+cloud&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Asilomar Works</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 8. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69259642/singin-in-the-rain-12x18-inches-movie?ref=sr_list_6&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=rain+poster&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Claudia Varosio</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | 9. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70080768/singin-in-the-rain-movie-poster?ref=sr_list_2&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=rain+poster&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Funny Face Art</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-47262980716633038722011-09-16T08:49:00.000-07:002012-01-20T20:14:34.867-08:00A State Fair Birthday Party and A Fabulous Friday Freebie!Happy Friday everyone! Wow! You have no idea how happy I am that it's Finally Friday! Here's what's playing in my head right now!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oNxMXDIzSCI?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
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LOVE that song! I have been as sick as a dog for a week straight with a stomach bug and am finally starting to feel like myself again! Just in time too, because the boys will be turning TWO next Saturday and I am way behind on planning their party! I'm super disappointed because last year I went ALL out! I made their invitations, birthday banner, cupcake toppers, birthday hats, sewed a tablecloth and baked and decorated their cakes and cupcakes. Here are some pics from their first birthday party. It was a county fair theme at our church's annual family fair!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tXxHR7MT6RNC9BegS3FUPXrCPa0n7sdg6zAcSVg2NSCjdh1SmODJOYchU8xOvGJfsqpADjTbjrXcdS2-d501PJpULn_XuIqwI4opRGnHwocWOsdizxrxq8aBMWH7r4xsVe7gcuT-KFL_/s1600/248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tXxHR7MT6RNC9BegS3FUPXrCPa0n7sdg6zAcSVg2NSCjdh1SmODJOYchU8xOvGJfsqpADjTbjrXcdS2-d501PJpULn_XuIqwI4opRGnHwocWOsdizxrxq8aBMWH7r4xsVe7gcuT-KFL_/s640/248.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWnITkYWArABlS8ZPf7xR0g7ysbXwaLMl1cbq3pV0GrrJDOHKGuQVa7GoAB74wQUDHAt-IlBhaZbjTF3Gv8NylJjZtdsVaIz1sWHJh7I85iFn6XrIPC2I3q3HaGE02bA4H1a_WDZI_Qns/s1600/53839_443229668143_24900688143_5443145_2982646_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWnITkYWArABlS8ZPf7xR0g7ysbXwaLMl1cbq3pV0GrrJDOHKGuQVa7GoAB74wQUDHAt-IlBhaZbjTF3Gv8NylJjZtdsVaIz1sWHJh7I85iFn6XrIPC2I3q3HaGE02bA4H1a_WDZI_Qns/s640/53839_443229668143_24900688143_5443145_2982646_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfWxiPf5YpMd-huzEaNPRmAxYa-HPBx9rmLoMTfGpOavLmBdc6Qf_Lg-xdCh5aRSM4z6oUabKkmG0dKViUYIJetfERuexE-ffLBfitg9HXIE5-k72HR3LBo6pbhBUVjxj11shsV2PuW88/s1600/56542_443230138143_24900688143_5443163_2700316_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfWxiPf5YpMd-huzEaNPRmAxYa-HPBx9rmLoMTfGpOavLmBdc6Qf_Lg-xdCh5aRSM4z6oUabKkmG0dKViUYIJetfERuexE-ffLBfitg9HXIE5-k72HR3LBo6pbhBUVjxj11shsV2PuW88/s640/56542_443230138143_24900688143_5443163_2700316_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This year, I just haven't been able to get out of bed, so (I can't believe I'm about to admit this) I actually sent out store bought invitations! Ooh! That hurt! The boys' invitations were so cute last year! I was half tempted to just reuse them with new wording! But what's done is done. (*Hanging my head in shame!)<br />
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Here is a pic of their invitation from last year, front and back.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3QofYUZQLC-HrDiVh2ylOUVSaZfabI5CvIXfok2pXT0NGs3yjV4mnQfcu5B8KeOxElIc5icCJkX3MgLXSqomx4_ThG0X5gk1NvypWEHc55jIRzq4WrzPMXMXGc6-sY632X63VE1kK5q9/s1600/circus+fair+birthday+invitation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3QofYUZQLC-HrDiVh2ylOUVSaZfabI5CvIXfok2pXT0NGs3yjV4mnQfcu5B8KeOxElIc5icCJkX3MgLXSqomx4_ThG0X5gk1NvypWEHc55jIRzq4WrzPMXMXGc6-sY632X63VE1kK5q9/s640/circus+fair+birthday+invitation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>So, for today's Fabulous Friday Freebie, I have decided to do something extra fabulous! If you love this invitation as much as I do, click on the link at the very bottom to download your FREE blank invitation, ready for you to place and type in your personal party information. It will look like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9gbPU2E9AkXyOHfArDXtNnhXAk1Mh38Ir0e2-87ciLCelrNs7h941WvWPewHVJG6hlnjfl6yvRHVTfI29WQGssl9KD7WO0ayi8uuQsWNq5HA4qA63SC7HYk_6W7peHj-9zrh8EaSsieV/s1600/circus+fair+birthday+invitation+blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9gbPU2E9AkXyOHfArDXtNnhXAk1Mh38Ir0e2-87ciLCelrNs7h941WvWPewHVJG6hlnjfl6yvRHVTfI29WQGssl9KD7WO0ayi8uuQsWNq5HA4qA63SC7HYk_6W7peHj-9zrh8EaSsieV/s400/circus+fair+birthday+invitation+blank.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br />
But for my very favorite fabulous readers/party planners (that's you!), I am offering something extra special! If you're not quite savvy on how to type in your party info on the blank invitation, send me your party details (name, date, place, how old, rsvp data, etc.) to my email, popheartpress@yahoo.com, and I will design and email a pdf version of your invite for FREE! You can get it printed at your local printshop, or just let me know if you need help with that too, and I'll set up a custom listing for you in the shop for printing costs! Enjoy you guys! And wish me luck on planning the final details of their second birthday party! They grow up so fast!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/m3c89kl5xfvi4zp2ty7n"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mba3jkjf6c9CKvDMPHTyc5VjhyW92al6rePPxSNd6nFSP-nA73MEXb_oFesDNFcRI_9HySPiIW7FHZtLqqdAsTgfVCcOyO2UGoKg9FJrfo_n15i99_C-hC_m35TFnm10JJy4mSPFkE0c/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-33207650274900751472011-09-09T07:52:00.000-07:002011-09-09T07:54:59.358-07:00FINALLY! A Fabulous Friday Freebie!Whew! This week has been crazy! In an attempt to get more done around the house, work from the printshop a little more consistently, and try to catch some free-time and a breather for myself every now and then, I signed the boys up for 2 different mothers-day-out programs! I <i>thought</i> this would be awesome! Mondays and Wednesdays at a neighboring church and Tuesdays and Thursdays at our home church. Wowza! What was I thinking?! Two different programs means two different sets of school supplies, two different schedules, two different sets of friends/potential birthday party invitees, and TOO much for mama to remember! I know it's only a matter of time before I forget where I dropped them off and show up to the wrong church to pick them up!<br />
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But on the bright side, I did find a little me time to do one of my favorite things this week, bloghopping! In my aimless wander I came across an awesome site called, "Homemade By Jill". Written by a mommy, crafter and sewer, this blog is jam-packed with amazing tutorials and printables, one of which was too good not to share! So for today's Fabulous Friday Freebie, hop on over to Jill's blog for these supercute alphabet flash cards, perfect for nursery decorations and as a playtime teaching tool! Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend everyone!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqIBJoWmNHgl3D-eFLuEoC7DQDfbVv5WB8iL1MiWruusFAsFeQJhMSPmvLoau1mUWYZ-vsX0Loh-6Jzu_AyThhQEct5jsfXW-93JU4IX5WMvOxa68UcnuXCHaR4ywq-qXX2ymM-h0tmAL/s1600/B+flashcards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqIBJoWmNHgl3D-eFLuEoC7DQDfbVv5WB8iL1MiWruusFAsFeQJhMSPmvLoau1mUWYZ-vsX0Loh-6Jzu_AyThhQEct5jsfXW-93JU4IX5WMvOxa68UcnuXCHaR4ywq-qXX2ymM-h0tmAL/s400/B+flashcards.png" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUYCJgujnWMCyWxO1A7aTIbWLEIxdD8gs01KdF2RS403xP0t6yn2SHeAhpFe3JGaukaVyOx4GnDA3HR3OjN6xjouWukcF06Mt4VmlM-80DXDBoV_sIa-c8pLav_pAwQ_ubx4nyu8mzz4X/s1600/K+and+L+flashcards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUYCJgujnWMCyWxO1A7aTIbWLEIxdD8gs01KdF2RS403xP0t6yn2SHeAhpFe3JGaukaVyOx4GnDA3HR3OjN6xjouWukcF06Mt4VmlM-80DXDBoV_sIa-c8pLav_pAwQ_ubx4nyu8mzz4X/s640/K+and+L+flashcards.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2010/08/alphabet-flashcards.html"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yFIY4sKnr0jzlb6DnfLyvHS2henYvfQxmdDGfj8gfm1DE4JGFXCshrsZ33ihaC_abxRyIlW0lFSm0x-ZHifWy8cMg1BURudKeD58-WlgzvTYTpsyiRZ4bWv53VyKNf43ONUCJaiTc0-b/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-69459474971019464422011-09-06T19:17:00.000-07:002011-09-06T19:24:44.383-07:00Raise A Child That Loves To Read!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">I just recently became new friends with Dan Gilbert, an advocate for balanced learning and communications coordinator for Primrose Schools. I absolutely love his insightful tips, tricks and tools for teaching children in and out of the home and classroom! So when he offered to guest post today, I jumped at the chance! I hope you enjoy his article and please check out more about balanced learning at <a href="http://www.primroseschools.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><b>www.primroseschools.com</b></span></a>!</span><br />
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<div align="center" class="yiv893892305MsoNormal" style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Raise a Child That Loves to Read</span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="yiv893892305MsoNormal" style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">by Dan Gilbert</span></div><div align="center" class="yiv893892305MsoNormal" style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="yiv893892305MsoNormal" style="display: block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Parents often wonder when they should begin reading to their children. No longer is reading associated with school-aged children, but children of all ages. Research shows that introducing books at an early age is one of the fundamental building blocks to a child’s literacy and success in school. In fact, the more books your little one has in her bookcase, the better for his or her academic future. It’s never too early to start reading to your child, even if he or she is still in the womb. Being read to allow a young child to hear the basic sounds of the English language and begin making these connections early on.<br />
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If you want to raise an active reader, the process must start at home. Robert Needlman, M.D., author of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Dr. Spock’s Baby Basics</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"> and member of the Education Advisory Board for </span><a href="http://www.primroseschools.com/" rel="nofollow" style="outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Primrose Schools; the Leader in Education Child Care</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">, suggests that one of the most important things about nurturing a reader is to read with a child from a very early age. You can start reading to your child at any age, although you will notice your infant taking more of an interest around six months. Start by introducing basic picture books to your child and point to different objects. You don’t have to read what the books say; instead, make the story interesting by personalizing it with your child’s name or other significant people in her life.<br />
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Most importantly, don’t think that there is a special set of rules you have to follow. The goal is to sit down and create a bonding experience with your child that is enjoyable for the two of you. You may want to pick the same time each day, just be sure that the story time is relaxing and not rushed through. This will show your child that reading is something to be enjoyed.<br />
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Choosing the right books is also important, so look for titles that are interesting and age-appropriate for your child. Generally speaking, the best books will have bright illustrations and simple language. It’s usually these basic books that are the favorites of young children. It’s also a good idea to choose books that you’ll enjoy as well. Kids love repetition, and this is how they learn to speak themselves, so you can expect to read the story multiple times. The more the story comes to life for you, the more animated and fun you can make it. Of course, the curiosity your child will exhibit will be enough to make you fall in love with reading all over again.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;">Try these simple tips that will help you create a rewarding, nurturing environment for your budding reader. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">- Surround your child with a wide range of books. Keep several books in the bedroom and playroom so your child has access. Also encourage different types of books such as those on colors, letters, the weather or sharing.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">- Read with your child from the time her or she an infant. Let them touch the pictures, repeat sounds and participate in the story.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">- Place books in areas where your child may be waiting such as in the car or at the kitchen table.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">- Connect with your child’s teacher by asking for a list of books the students are reading, or ones that relate to what the children are learning about. This is a wonderful opportunity to read with your child at night, while reflecting on the day’s experiences.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">- You may notice older children wanting to read aloud and re-telling the story in their own words. This is a milestone in literacy development and shows that the child is making the right connections. Instead of being the reader, listen to your child and show the same interest that he or she’s given you in the past years.</span> </span><br />
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It's no surprise that infants have a natural curiosity for language development. Foster this interest by singing, talking and reading with your child today.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-46983567324916387552011-09-03T11:21:00.000-07:002011-09-03T11:48:35.868-07:00A Whirlwind Week!Wow! The past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind! My head has finally stopped spinning and I can finally share my excitement! It all began at the end of August. Kit, the boys and I headed to Vegas for one final summer vacation to visit the in-laws! We had a fabulous time and I actually ended up winning a poker tournament on the last day of our stay! Woo hoo! Which is fantastic because, up until that point, not only had I lost all of <i>my</i> gambling money, but had begun begging for and subsequently losing money borrowed from my husband and dad! So I ended up winning just enough to pay back my debts and break even, which, in my book, is leaving a BIG winner! Here's a cute video we took in the backyard of Nana's House!<br />
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As soon as we returned, I was featured on a site called, "<a href="http://heartsy.me/home"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Heartsy</span></a>" - a website similar to Groupon which offers amazing discounts and deals on handmade items from sellers on Etsy and Artfire. My deal ran from August 28-31 and offered $30 store credit for only $15! And $40 for VIP members! Needless to say, the deal was too good to be true, too good to pass up, and left me WAY too busy and exhausted to blog! I posted a link to the sale via my facebook fan page, so hopefully you all received the heads up! But if you haven't signed up yet, please become a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/popheartpress"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Facebook fan</span></a> today so you'll receive news about our next giveaway/sale/contest!<br />
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Orders are still trickling in, but I've finally completed and shipped out everything that was ordered this week! Whew! Now it's the holiday weekend, and though I desperately need rest, I have one more HUGE adventure awaiting me Tuesday! I have been so excited, nervous, anxious, thrilled, etc. about this announcement! There have been times that I thought I might burst if I don't share it with you! But now I finally can! Drumroll please....<br />
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My art will be framed, featured and up for sale in a new furniture boutique opening on Tuesday, September 6! Ahh! There just aren't enough words to express how elated I am! Not only have I found my passion and purpose, a way to work from home and still spend quality learning and loving time with Jack and Logan, and share my love of teaching and interior design with friends, family and fans in a creative, expressive way, I finally found peace in knowing who I am and how to best share my talents and ideas!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmVdnsPgnbNtQWa4WWWnAtgFst-LG2Oqy5JMJd5R-3CWQWrVVeui8tPj0vCY3PVY_hAXOb7e1MmJ-5nte3TvMzLBVphdhhVmlGpJ6ZecsXEMef0zxyk4vczYmr6_M1h8_3LXkaT7gPgGQ/s1600/265722_207650335953038_207637035954368_612836_4414757_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmVdnsPgnbNtQWa4WWWnAtgFst-LG2Oqy5JMJd5R-3CWQWrVVeui8tPj0vCY3PVY_hAXOb7e1MmJ-5nte3TvMzLBVphdhhVmlGpJ6ZecsXEMef0zxyk4vczYmr6_M1h8_3LXkaT7gPgGQ/s320/265722_207650335953038_207637035954368_612836_4414757_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Please go check out the store when it opens Tuesday! It is called "ReFind Furnishings" and is located at 3211 W. Wadley, Ste. 16B here in Midland, Texas, right behind Murray's Deli, next door to JoAnn's Fine Gifts. Doors will open at 10 am. If you're anything like me, and absolutely love shopping for quality, beautiful furniture, art and accessories at an affordable price to dress your house, I just know you are going to love it! To find out more, check them out on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Refind-Furnishings/207637035954368?sk=info"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Facebook page</span></a> and become a fan!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-23341525553576881392011-08-17T20:50:00.000-07:002012-01-20T20:17:40.304-08:00Falling in Love with Fall!Some handmade goodies "falling" off the Etsy tree!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVqUQfxjMnG7-Oh4qpND6hJpTr_LXWWQH15-C7iYNwWMcjXd5Q1HtrtastGoFU5vl0vEHf-rGQSU4KJuPftrLscscLh09pcfOryhd-ANycyDUTKJ-7QZVPCgo-b1pgWgSDk8pcOZohS57/s1600/etsy+fall+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVqUQfxjMnG7-Oh4qpND6hJpTr_LXWWQH15-C7iYNwWMcjXd5Q1HtrtastGoFU5vl0vEHf-rGQSU4KJuPftrLscscLh09pcfOryhd-ANycyDUTKJ-7QZVPCgo-b1pgWgSDk8pcOZohS57/s640/etsy+fall+collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">1.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/78543778/autumn-fall-bowl-fillers-tucks-ornies?ref=sr_list_32&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Ryens Marketplace</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">2.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79581338/fall-pumpkin-love-kids-shirt?ref=sr_list_21&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Wiggles and Giggles</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">3.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/60030593/edible-sugar-fall-leaves-1-dozen?ref=sr_list_25&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Andies Specialty Sweets</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">4.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/59769190/fall-harvest-mix-shea-butter-soap-3-bars?ref=sr_list_32&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Megans Menagerie</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">5.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/76040130/fall-canvas-wedding-tree-18x24?ref=sr_list_11&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Lovliday</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">6.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64912103/fall-in-love-wedding-invitation-suite?ref=sr_list_33&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=8&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Inviting Moments</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">7. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/58091191/fall-pumpkin-hat-for-a-little-boy"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Beezie Bee</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> |</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> 8. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79348332/fall-leaves-long-sleeved-nostalgic?ref=sr_list_24&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=list&ga_page=17&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Elizabeth Horton</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"> | </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">9. </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79811356/fabric-rosette-bib-necklace-orange-cream?ref=sr_list_19&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=fall+orange+necklace&ga_view_type=list&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;">Baby Sprout Boutique</span></a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-78887509590847613132011-08-11T22:45:00.000-07:002012-01-20T20:20:05.622-08:00It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!This is my favorite time of year - the beginning of fall, tax free weekend, back to school shopping, and the excitement of meeting the new teacher and learning which friends will be sharing your classroom! Yesterday I posted pics of my sister's third grade room. Seeing everything all set up and hearing stories about how elated her new students and parents were to be greeted with such an inspiring room and teacher, I felt a little pang in my heart! It is quite bittersweet not to be decorating my own classroom this year! Especially, when lounging in her fabulous reading nook, my mind was flooded with memories of my past classrooms and ideas that I never had the chance to see through. I had always envisioned having an absurdly extensive book collection for my students to read from during free time and intriguing books to check out and take home to read at their leisure. I loved the idea of having personalized library cards posted on the inside of each book jacket, filled with names of former students who had shared the same adventures and fallen in love with the same characters. In the middle of my daydream, I realized that even though I'm unable to see my ideas carried out in my own classroom, I could still create and share for you guys and your little kiddos! So for today's Fabulous Friday Freebie, I present my personalized library cards! Just print them out on 8.5" x 11" heavyweight cardstock, sign your name at the top of each card, cut on the dotted lines, and attach with double sided sticky tape to the inside book jacket! I hope you guys love them!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/6pn1srl7amzho3nvx8dp"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdd6hP43nmhgOgVxvvDEpsFeQe6is905bBdcbmSg9X7RosrbAlFKWmB-rTF7we6e8TsuzCPnoiRf5F88PsA3vPzj9_Cx2gB5o1DbRVPnHZfn3tNIDkKVK0VWswGhUalr6ASyWyn8By_JA9/s400/library+cards.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/6pn1srl7amzho3nvx8dp"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbV_Eq-1db3krHUa7PNtrruxcCjDRvFE3-wQu7RU2rnf7tEyCqENygW9IyO0rkjGN8-89xCSc1FfG6OePvYHgp03COqV3dDcN8bz7xu-odImCU4Z240PFzKkBfO3EWuKfpfiEhVRBL8Wl/s640/fabulous+friday+freebie+print+download.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I have really enjoyed seeing all of your classrooms, playrooms and homeschool setups! You guys are so inspiring! I wanted to jump in on the fun and share pics of my first grade classroom from my very first year of teaching! Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E5F4GRV6yy9ffbghTnziT3-Hq3zOV-xcHvhVrHrFNPGYLEFoqCk_JbHelaZLqAKEyZA_dbHXF-6DjEnuJkHb8oiRwFQhhetOA4N0QDLS9wpnyg93x0e1_IgmQIimh9ZV0XwOFKTjA16g/s1600/100_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0E5F4GRV6yy9ffbghTnziT3-Hq3zOV-xcHvhVrHrFNPGYLEFoqCk_JbHelaZLqAKEyZA_dbHXF-6DjEnuJkHb8oiRwFQhhetOA4N0QDLS9wpnyg93x0e1_IgmQIimh9ZV0XwOFKTjA16g/s640/100_0500.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikafA3seDbWqsmLTlVxzlMlRk6Io1WP-0uZTCSNMFFznSRph9DkAIH7ygdyqAsWHAomVOFfcKZZ69mBI45df9_EsmSrz7jzUyrcoqLOe7_c5CdodERRatAXohZAH2SdHt0l0VjKVqwzhx7/s1600/100_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikafA3seDbWqsmLTlVxzlMlRk6Io1WP-0uZTCSNMFFznSRph9DkAIH7ygdyqAsWHAomVOFfcKZZ69mBI45df9_EsmSrz7jzUyrcoqLOe7_c5CdodERRatAXohZAH2SdHt0l0VjKVqwzhx7/s640/100_0501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6bc2Q6YS8I_L44hVawkuIDN4KS2j1s7CgF-R6Di24ldmoJnRLeHtkcr8WvKEIF_hfIqr6FGnyP3x3h_u44ECpwFoxqlqwsU82n8B4hQccm9HGrt9g0oOW3mN2I0sGKzx0DfuzkAuznBB/s1600/100_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6bc2Q6YS8I_L44hVawkuIDN4KS2j1s7CgF-R6Di24ldmoJnRLeHtkcr8WvKEIF_hfIqr6FGnyP3x3h_u44ECpwFoxqlqwsU82n8B4hQccm9HGrt9g0oOW3mN2I0sGKzx0DfuzkAuznBB/s640/100_0502.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7JW_tTT0lCmBl2aVRHkP_aAEZ_R6jVFEp-7jpHJD5P9_0DUHqx3RB7lNBDoBI5_oLaap9nQ5_lKx79dDL1jMlth0PhNKIUZRZrQ1mNb_bOwrwFEk5QmGlG6yVn52erPfLQZdHkF04PdV/s1600/100_0503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7JW_tTT0lCmBl2aVRHkP_aAEZ_R6jVFEp-7jpHJD5P9_0DUHqx3RB7lNBDoBI5_oLaap9nQ5_lKx79dDL1jMlth0PhNKIUZRZrQ1mNb_bOwrwFEk5QmGlG6yVn52erPfLQZdHkF04PdV/s640/100_0503.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYx-UISWsdt_FPOf7C_rYp-bKhGTGPxHZ1bIEgk3TADVRoQuakuOh6jrCDETb-0uGzJsdRhsHa37pVlv8duY94d3J1PWNDb3fSRV8La8QWQfmBxd5xMAsxaVK5Ib1W3q7H9XgSkAU-nQL/s1600/100_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYx-UISWsdt_FPOf7C_rYp-bKhGTGPxHZ1bIEgk3TADVRoQuakuOh6jrCDETb-0uGzJsdRhsHa37pVlv8duY94d3J1PWNDb3fSRV8La8QWQfmBxd5xMAsxaVK5Ib1W3q7H9XgSkAU-nQL/s640/100_0504.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qeqt3SKsvaKC4VgFNxTf1c_hSVdXUT8mymrzMQGm92cxFKD3egQQDcn2ZkGVNht0Uy8KceZZXVDoFISDCADJ3LuxoeNOknyAQddSPrrAFc9Qqkak0uqdFHiQ3O_40oFATEU4MMVOgdku/s1600/100_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qeqt3SKsvaKC4VgFNxTf1c_hSVdXUT8mymrzMQGm92cxFKD3egQQDcn2ZkGVNht0Uy8KceZZXVDoFISDCADJ3LuxoeNOknyAQddSPrrAFc9Qqkak0uqdFHiQ3O_40oFATEU4MMVOgdku/s640/100_0505.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDNQ2sAD3PnxHaxCwzBZMWhlP8vom_d_mRgw0pIIPQLcynAVpbie58FPmAEracLGBcEAqMCK_9AvfRD5ocRv3XpMDgtr5YL79aDE2bPrEpwMNBJ00lzAqXt9kpNgrlNVbAg8S7XBmpaF-/s1600/100_0506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDNQ2sAD3PnxHaxCwzBZMWhlP8vom_d_mRgw0pIIPQLcynAVpbie58FPmAEracLGBcEAqMCK_9AvfRD5ocRv3XpMDgtr5YL79aDE2bPrEpwMNBJ00lzAqXt9kpNgrlNVbAg8S7XBmpaF-/s640/100_0506.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111546071578930497.post-123281038899870862011-08-11T12:50:00.000-07:002011-08-11T12:50:06.317-07:00Meet the Teacher!Tomorrow is "Meet the Teacher" night for my sister. She has been scrambling around like a madwoman for weeks now getting everything prepared for her kiddos to start school next Monday. Her efforts have really paid off! I absolutely love her superstars at the movie theme! Completed with popcorn buckets holding their supplies, movie ticket stub name plates, and (my favorite) a drive-in movie life sized mural in her reading nook, her classroom is an awesome, inspiring space that any student would be excited to learn in and parents proud to send their kids to!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60UgzXMYcxgksGJQGf4wUQJAoIaPDsHS037GXBWISAUwXBloY1-KaA5eRzzGtppL-CtB4vCY9sEUI3kgJHC0TO9sMQOkufFTPAullKt8YlMyrXN2Qz9PzUxj__mZiBn-5zXgLBMzEz6ZX/s1600/289452_524976861492_149100013_30502583_1379695_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60UgzXMYcxgksGJQGf4wUQJAoIaPDsHS037GXBWISAUwXBloY1-KaA5eRzzGtppL-CtB4vCY9sEUI3kgJHC0TO9sMQOkufFTPAullKt8YlMyrXN2Qz9PzUxj__mZiBn-5zXgLBMzEz6ZX/s400/289452_524976861492_149100013_30502583_1379695_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMqoLClmGbpwwQufBtcWryJ7d5ouZZzoL79wPRkVGS2N3LMLLG7_7tUO01ctG_KGwhM85AVdyAwPPf9tIhTZpl4EjPK8W5dvEFTtknnWKAotMojRIyHObASjDvKUx67M9yQjsqaNvzK8R/s1600/287468_524976806602_149100013_30502580_7983364_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMqoLClmGbpwwQufBtcWryJ7d5ouZZzoL79wPRkVGS2N3LMLLG7_7tUO01ctG_KGwhM85AVdyAwPPf9tIhTZpl4EjPK8W5dvEFTtknnWKAotMojRIyHObASjDvKUx67M9yQjsqaNvzK8R/s400/287468_524976806602_149100013_30502580_7983364_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As a special back-to-school gift, I made her business card magnets to pass out tomorrow night when she meets her new students and parents. I thought it would make a fantastic impression and would be a great way for parents to keep her info close-by all year long!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79543381/teacher-business-card-magnets-set-of-20"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiamO53maqHY1CmS9bJ1Pi4vT-kEgUWsk29TU0vlksr0mG-zK4LgDRelg58iauNVBMtHZdHzhsfPVqRS-x8U7U-7-i2k3y-c-5CCtxCuTZWbkaqmOYrjd03UirEPFgbqzXQUSr9b-NneY78/s320/tracy%2527s+business+card+magney.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you know a special teacher that would love to hand out these amazing magnets to their students this year, go to the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79543381/teacher-business-card-magnets-set-of-20"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Pop Heart Press shop</span></a> to find out how you can customize this awesome teacher's tool to fit any classroom theme!<br />
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I also wanted to send out a congratulations to Grace, winner of the postcard giveaway hosted by <a href="http://primarygraffiti.blogspot.com/2011/08/pop-heart-press-giveaway.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Primary Graffiti</span></a>, and a special thank you to Cheryl, superblogger/teacher extraordinaire! I also sent out a coupon code just for the contest participants in the comments section! Check it out now to find what you won!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1