Back to School Party!

My dad watches all of my nieces (6,5 & 2), nephew (8) and my son while we work! He's Super Grandpa!! Drew gets to play with his cousins and Grandpa all day which he loves. It makes going to work so much easier. I know he's with someone that loves him as much as I do! 

My dad is incredible, but when summer is ending he's one happy man. He often runs around singing "This is the happiest time of the year"  I know... he's seen the Staples commercial a little too much.

He's finally reached the finish line and this year we are sending another one off to school! Our local school posts the kid's teachers at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the new year starts! (Smart...parents can't complain; they just have to show up Monday morning!) 

I love that all the school supplies are so cheap right now, I've certainly stocked up so that I can keep creating at a discount all year long!



I started off with making a pencil flower vase for my niece's teacher. As soon as we find out the teacher's name, we'll add it to the apple! Cameryn is going to pick some flowers from her garden. We can keep refilling the vase throughout the year.  

  Cost was under $3.00 (Glass Vase...$1.00 from Dollar Tree, Pencils (2 packs of 24 on sale $1.00) and an Apple Wooden Decal .59 cents, Ribbon from my stash!)

Since I've been in cupcake tower mode lately ... I thought I'd make one using the same techinque I used for the flower vase!

I also found these great first day of school sign printable on I Heart Naptime. I loved the printables so much, I was able to incorporate them throughout our whole party!

 

I Love Being an Aunt!







Yard Sales Make Me Happy!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE a bargin and over the past year my husband and I have become frequent yard sales shoppers ... Today we struck YARD SALE GOLD!!!

I got this fantastic stand-up cabinent that swivels that I transformed into my craft cabinent! The lady that sold it said that she used it for her home schooling. She attached wire baskets on the sides. GENIUS!

The cabinent cost me ... wait for it... $25!!! WHOO HOO!!!


Now if only they had a few more for sale. I'm on a mission to have my husband make me more!

I also got a few candle stick holders that I have plans to turn into a cake stand, an amazing lamp, a chalk board, halloween lawn decorations and my husband got a Ryobi mitar saw for $20!

Total Spent...Less than $60! An amazing shopping day!

It's Potty Time

We're a month out until Andrew's 2nd birthday, he has been hiding when he goes potty so I finally decided to start introducing potty training. A moment I've been dreading since I found out I was pregnant! 

Watching Toy Story from the Potty

I don't want to force him...that will make it just more frustrating for both of us. Over the past few days, we've strategically added several potty seats around the house. We've been spending a little time each day with Andrew not having to wear a diaper (Which he absolutely LOVES!...my little nature boy!)

Today, we let him pick out some big boy underwear. Which was very interesting. Picture this... Brian, Drew and I standing in the underwear aisle at Walmart with Drew screaming, "Put them Back! I don't like them!" Not the most positive way to start this whole potty training business. We finally convinced him that he would match Daddy so he picked out the generic Fruit of the Loom pants and we were off.



I am not above bribery!

 I introduced Andrew to the Potty Jar and he helped me fill it with candy. After explaining that if he wore underwear and went potty in his chair he would get to eat them, he decided to put the new additions on. After about 20 minutes of strutting around like and Abercrombie model and when I turned away for 2 minutes he did go potty!!! Half on my carpet..half in the potty...all with the underwear still on. We celebrated anyways! If a drop goes in the toilet I'll take the victory.

So Day 1 of the Potty Training...I'll consider a success. At least he knows what underwear and a potty is!