5 Things I Know for Sure

There are some days when I feel like I don't know a darn thing, but here are 5 things I know for sure:

1. Nursing clothes are pretty blah unless you know where to look... I NEED this sundress in orange and this awesome nursing bra! Who says you need to dress plain and dull if you are nursing?!

2. I am over all the rainy weather Cleveland has been getting! This fort-making bag makes a super gift and until we can garden for real I am making this gardening sensory bucket for the girls to play in.

3. There is something about homemade sweet tea that just makes everything right in the world. This awesome white tea make such a refreshing cold brew! And if you are needing some activities to do with your tea-drinking kids, check out this month's Action Pack from Whip Up. (Pssst... go here to get a code for 20% off the $5 Mini-mag... what a steal!!!)

4. Days are flying faster than I ever thought possible. My oldest girl now can ride a bike without training wheels and my baby is 5 months old today. When people tell you to cherish these days because they fly by, believe them!

5. Even when life gets a little crazy, fate hands you the tools to right yourself again. I have found my parenting inspiration, got an additional job teaching at a local dance studio, met new neighbors, planted flowers that will make my days sunny and colorful, and am surrounded by great music that lifts the spirit.... it is so very good here.

Today I am....

:making: these cool message Easter eggs... seems like the blog-sphere is all agog over eggs filled with cool things! Cupcakes baked in eggs, eggs filled with candy... where does the fun end?!

:playing: with these tumble bunnies with the girls. Who knew that paper and marbles could be so entertaining? (and best of all it is a free printable!)

:hoping: that all the baking that I am doing will earn me these pretty measuring cups from Anthropologie... they would look so pretty on my counter next to this salt and pepper set from Mod Cloth!

:loving: this adorable ballerina shirt and thinking about how I can make it myself with freezer paper and tulle!

:wishing: that I would have seen this Zombie Easter bunny before it sold out... I know what Klint is getting next year!

:looking: around the house to see what piece of furniture could do without it's drawers so that I can make a dollhouse for AJ and Moira like THIS, lol!

:gathering: materials from nature to make the girls some beautiful instruments just like this one... so pretty and clever!

 :helping: Klint take some bokeh photos likes this and this by making his own filter. Who knew it was so easy to create these magical photos?!

(Speaking of photo-taking... I can't, for the life of me, get AJ to look AT the camera!!! She looks everywhere else and throws off the whole shot constantly... AHHHHH!!!! Any tips?? I think that we will be making a "Lens Buddy" like this so that she has something specific to stare at...)

:reading: the second installment of The Walk Series by Richard Paul Evans called Miles to Go... great book!!!

OMG! I NEED to do this with my hair!!!!

Finally, I just discovered a cool blog call A Beautiful Mess thanks to this post featuring way cool looking braids... then I saw the posts about tattoos and I was HOOKED! Looooooove it.... (and wondering what excuse I can have to get more tattoos now!)

5 Things

Today was a good day... Here are 5 reasons why:

1. It was just me, the hubby, and the girls- no other little ones to wrangle
2. I went to a PTO meeting and remembered why I took Gabby out of the public school system in the first place. Not that the particular school or teachers are bad... just that the system itself is so flawed...
3. I finished a very cute monkey mobile for a friend, I hope she likes it... pics to come tomorrow!
4. I stopped freaking out about the upcoming vacation to GA and put a game plan together that is very reasonable.
5. Waffles fries + melted cheese from Mr. Hero's is recipe for a good day, any day!

Now, here are 5 cool things that I have found on the web that really caught my eye:
1. We love the movie Up... here is the real life version!

2. Going along with the whole homeschooling thing... this post really made me smile because I am finding out that a lot of my public schooling friends have some serious misconceptions about why we homeschool.

3. Who cares about Shamrocks and Pots of Gold on St. Patrick's Day when you can make rainbow pudding?! I am definitely serving this to the girls next week!

4. I love love love this idea for a toddler bed for Miss Moira when she is ready!! All the nooks and crannies a little girl could want without all the muss and fuss!

5. Just found this blog today and I am really digging it! Her kids are adorable, the photos are bright and colorful, and everyone knows I am a sucker for kids!


And that's my day!!! We are supposed to get hit with tons of snow tomorrow so we will see what the day brings!

Today...

I got to sleep in thanks to the hubby,

I went to the library and picked up a long awaited book,

Made some new mommy friends,

Had a very yummy fish sandwich for lunch,

Worked with Gabby on her homeschool items... we are learning about states of matter, money, plural nouns, Ireland, Mars, habitats, homonyms, and poetry!

Taught ballet and tap,

Thanks to a friend, learned how to get the van to turn on when the anti-theft system tries to take over!

Ate a truly tasty dinner with two lovely ladies- Angelo's pizza is amazing!

Started thinking about this weeks Project: Simplify assignment,

Spent some cuddle time with my baby,

and did lots of other fun mommy things! Those are the highlights though.... man, am I tired!

right now...

right now I am....

♥ wondering where these new little twists in the road are going to take me... so many fun new decisions... new job options and a new place to rent?!

♥ wanting to get started on making a fun mobile like this for a dear friend who is expecting,

♥ planning out our first family vacation to Atlanta GA in March to see Hana!

♥ thinking about Mrs.Q and her blog devoted to her eating school lunches every day for 2010!.... and thanking the stars that we are homeschooling Gabby.

♥ enjoying the new book Klint picked up for me at the library, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

♥ feeling a little restless... the need to do some serious spring cleaning is creeping up on me fast!

♥ loving this beautiful home children's library and wondering if we could do something like that in our home...

♥ smiling because I finally put up my pretty bird feeder and have so many pretty visitors outside my window now!

Ooh Moon Artwork

I love children's artwork, especially pieces that are really bright and not baby-ish. And I especially love FREE children's artwork! That is why when I found a blog that features one free piece of children's artwork a day for a whole year I was immediately in love. This lovely little space is the blog of artist Katie Moon and is called Ooh Moon.

What is great about this idea is that everyday a new piece of her art is free to download for printing. But what happens if you miss a day and find a piece you really like? Well you can purchase the file for a mere $5! Genius!
Not only is Katie a very talented illustrator, but she has worked for companies like Hasbro, Playskool, and so many more that we all are very familiar with.

I can't wait to see what this artist comes up with and am already designing the girl's room around the art since it is anything but baby!

She's Got the Magic!

Oh how I wish that I would have thought to do this when I first learned I was pregnant!!! I love seeing Cole's belly change and grow and seeing her many expressions.... love love love it!


Magic- A Belly Grows from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.

With Two Cats Giveaway!

One of my favorite part of the holidays is getting Christmas cards from all of my friends and hanging them up around the door. This year I get to not only send out our family Christmas cards but also birth announcements for Miss M! Even though I fully know that I can whip up some pretty awesome cards myself I have always been a fan of Tiny Prints. Well, thanks to one of the awesome blogs that I read, With Two Cats, there is a chance to win a $50 gift certificate!!! YAY!!!
Want to not have to worry about Christmas cards this year? Head over here and enter by 11:59pm on Thursday November 25th!!!
Here are some of my favorite designs for Christmas and for Miss M's announcement:

Getting it all in!

Isn't Miss AJ so cute? Even when she is being all evil and such!

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone, but I am (contrary to popular belief) not ready to pop yet, will not be "exploding anytime"soon, and am actually quite comfy still this late in my pregnancy. Yes, there are signs that labor is sooner than later... but I don't think that Miss M will be showing up today or tomorrow.

That being said, I have been seeing so many cool things online that I just have to share them... crafts for the holidays, neat ideas, and of course Etsy finds that make my heart sing!

I love giving art supplies as gifts and even little ones appreciate crayons and paper to create their own art. How about some homemade ABC crayons that you made yourself? Get the tutorial here and the ABC molds from here!!

Got lots of gifts to wrap? What about making a wrapping station that looks pretty and has the paper and ribbon neatly displayed? Get the how-to here!

I wanted a cute way to keep track of everyone who visits me in the hospital and at home those first few blurry days of new Mommy-hood. I took this beautiful idea of a Wedding Tree and created a Birth Tree for Miss M... I can't wait to show you it when she is born!

I know that I have featured this pretty and simple Growth Chart before, but I didn't realize that you can get the Jute Ribbon to make your own from Hobby Lobby's online site! So cheap too, and even easier to make your own growth chart!

I am seeing this awesome Popcorn Turkey all over the web! Just in case you haven't seen it yourself... come check it out here.

Last year I made 25 fabric fortune cookies from this tutorial with 25 different fun "winter" activities to do as a family. I also want a hanging Advent calendar as well for the kids to do everyday though and when I saw this tutorial from Homemade by Jill and her inspiration calendar, I knew that this would be the one project I would be working on as much as I could before Miss M came!!! (Here is where I get my felt from!!)

Finally, here is something new in terms of Christmas/Holiday cards from Etsy.... photo ornament cards!!! This just might be something I create for my own family with our family photo on one side and Miss M's birth announcement on the other!

Things I LOVE!!!

Here are some things I am LOVING!!!

Apple Dumpling Recipe via here

Pumpkin Apple Butter Whipped Soap via here

(I NEED THIS!!!!) 

Custom Name Banner Necklace via here

Craft Room in a Closet via here

Cake Embroidery via here

Pottery Barn Inspired Luminaries via here

The List 9.23.10

Hooray! I am 30 weeks pregnant today which means I am in the 31st week!!! Holy Moly!! I can't believe how fast time is flying yet at the same time it seems like I have been and am going to be pregnant forever. I am so full of baby that I can't see my feet unless I bend way over and at night my stomach becomes my own Discovery Show special. =) Anyhow, here are lots of cool things that I am finding on the web... enjoy!

With fall right around the corner (today it was about 80 degrees) soon enough the long sleeve shirts will be coming out. This 90 Minute Shirt Tutorial from MADE is perfect for cooler temps!

Speaking of MADE, here is a cute and pretty easy pants tutorial to go with that adorable shirt you made above!

Sometimes I think that in the old days things were much easier and teaching kids basic skills like drinking from an open cup wasn't a challenge because there were no Sippy cups. Here is a great post on a Montessori water station for drinking!

I am fascinated with this beautiful Butterfly Paper Mobile.... the tutorial makes it look so easy too!

One of my strategies for having a successful VBAC is reading positive and inspiring birth stories that are the total opposite to what the media and common society would like you to believe- that you CAN have an all natural birth that is not going to traumatize you for life. This photo slide show of an all natural, hospital, VBAC is something that I watch every day and remember that my body is so much stronger than even I know!

We love cupcakes in this house! Frosting, cake, sprinkles.... yummo! These yummy sounding Pink Lemonade Cupcakes sound absolutely dreamy to this preggo. =)

Gabby and AJ love coloring and most of the time they just free-color. I do like this Color Your Own Renoir Painting though.... so pretty!

One thing that I am passionate about is breastfeeding, especially for first time moms who are not even willing to give it a try because of the stereotypes/restrictions that society has put before breasts and breastfeeding. Crunchy Domestic Goddess has a great article about the "Booby Traps that Set Up Breastfeeding Moms for Failure". This is a great read, especially for us breastfeeding advocates!

Looking for some fall or apple themed crafts to do with the kids? Crafty Crow has a great collection of awesome and easy apple crafts here!

How is that for a roundup?! Lol, there is so much going on in the web that I am constantly finding inspiration and tutorials to share. I hope that you found something here you like and if there are things you have seen that you think I would like- please share! Ciao friends!

The List 9.12.10

Hello friends!
 Is everyone as glad as I am that the heat finally broke and there are signs of fall everywhere? This is going to be a busy week for us here at Casa de Krebs, we have the girls birthday party this Saturday, I have dance classes to teach, and so much more. Here are some fun links to get your week started on the right foot:

Packing Gabby's lunch everyday and making it fun enough to get her to eat everything is quite the challenge. I love putting her stuff in fun boxes like this one so nothing mixes up and stays neat!

There are some days though that she would like to buy, but my biggest worry is that she will lose her lunch money and be hungry all day. I am definitely going to make her one of these nifty money cuffs to keep her money close!

Even though Poptarts aren't exactly the healthiest snack, I still love them. I might like them even better when they are homemade and on a stick. You can snag the recipe here and boy, does it look easy!

I love decorating my front door with wreaths and such for the different seasons. Here are some fun ones I have spotted lately:
Halloween Ribbon Wreath
Book Page Fall Wreath
Halloween Head Wreath
Corn Husk Wreath
Trick or Treat Wreath

Even though this tutorial is for a super cute dry erase board, it is the candy corn bunting that has caught my eye... you can expect a tutorial for that coming up in the next week!!! (I am a sucker for bunting, you all know that!)

Speaking of candy corn, how about some candy corn soap from this Etsy seller? Yummo!

Soon enough the school parties will be starting and of course Gabby will take in something cute for her friends... how about some fun candy apple cupcakes and homemade Playdough?

There is so much I want to accomplish, big and small. How to keep track of all those aspirations and make it look pretty too is the question. These graceful butterflies that have my goals on them are just the think for my craft/dining room!

Finally, yes I know it is early, but I am already thinking ahead to Christmas since my usual shopping schedule will be interrupted this year by an early Christmas present! I love shopping on Etsy for stocking stuffers and such for the girls.... I think this year they will find a little mouse in their stocking from this store!

Well, there ya go! Have a great rest of the weekend and a pleasant Monday!!

Eye Candy- Fabric Stemmed Roses

Want some for yourself?

Learn how to make them here!

Sigh... I think these are way better than the real thing... no wilting!

The List 9.3.10

Happy Friday!!!! I am so glad that it is finally the weekend, a much needed break from the hustle of the school week, plus I got two new Etsy orders out which turned out wonderfully.... And the best part is that I am officially in the 3rd trimester! 3 more months to go unless Miss M decides to premier earlier than December 2nd. =)

Here are some things that I have spotted, tons of eye candy to make and buy!!

I am really starting to struggle with my clothes even though I have only bought two actual maternity pieces... I am thinking that I will whip up a couple of cute shirt skirts this weekend using this tutorial. I had no clue that shirring was this easy! 

My girls are already getting excited about Halloween. I plan on making some cute and creepy clips and bows for their hair, just like these.


There are a lot of things about today's parenting school of thought that I don't agree with, especially this bubble that parents put around their kids to protect them from failure, getting hurt, and exploring naturally. This article is AWESOME about 5 Mistakes Every Kid Should Be Allowed to Make!

AJ loves Disney Princesses... she loves dressing up like them, ALLLLL the movies, and plays with the dolls every day. I never thought about the messages though that these princesses send to our little girls though... this cartoon is a funny but eye opener to the real lesson that each seemingly harmless movie teaches.

I am trying to get my family to not eat out as much, no small feat since at the end of the day the last thing this mama wants to do is try to figure out what to make. Maybe this pretty Meal Planning Board will help with the process?

Every kid needs a bag of their own to carry around the important things in life: some snacks, a small book, a well loved blanket. This Japanese store on Etsy has the cutest bags for that special little one in your life!

With Miss M being a winter baby I am looking ahead to making her some cute outfits for the chilly months... this awesomely easy jean skirt tutorial by Homemade By Jill is perfect! Add some leg warmers and voila!

Finally, I discovered this store and fell utterly in love with the simplicity of the music boxes, birth boxes... basically everything there. However, the price tag was a little steep for the Birth Box that would grace Miss M's dresser. So what is a crafty girl on a budget to do? I am making my own, starting with creating this image to go on the top of the box! Pictures of the finished product to come soon...

And that is all folks! Enjoy all these fun links and have a great weekend!