Every{day} Matters... in memory of...

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I always say... Every{day} Matters... but sometimes life gets away from us... so when someone is taken home to Heaven... and are so young... I know I need to once again be reminded that Every{day} DOES Matter.... Every{day} Matters with Christ as my Savour... Every{day} Matters with my family... my friends... Because I know from the time we were born... the days of our lives are numbered... and God knows the day and the hour when we will be home with him...

For those who have gone on before me to Heaven... I miss them... and for those who have just recently left us... it is a reminder to be Thankful for everything I have... to live my life pleasing to God... not wanting for more... but being content with where I am and with what I have... for today's moments are what matters most... live each day... the way God would want me to live... because Every{day} DOES Matter...

Mustache Bash....

I know I'm a little behind... but here's a look at our St. Patrick's Day Mustache Bash Party... it was one really great day... all the girls had fun playing with all the mustache things... mustache suckers, mustache rings, mustache party blowers... and oh so much more!

They loved playing all the games... like... "Mustache Hot Potato", "Pin the Mustache on the Leprechaun" and "Leprechaun's Pipes" (to see who could keep the ball in the air the longest)... oh and let's not forget the "Leprechaun Scavenge Hunt" which led them to the special hidden surprise!

St. Patrick's Day... Mustache Bash... & A Freebie...

No we're not Irish... but ever since Rainee was in Pre-school, we've been doing a little St. Patrick's Day celebration... each year we do something different... Sometimes it's just Rainee & I... other times she has a couple of friends over... but this year... I thought it would be fun to do a St. Patrick's Day Mustache Bash... because Leprechaun's do have mustaches don't they??? And they are red, right?

at etsy shop

I wanted to share the invitation I made for her friends (in my etsy shop)...  and a few mustache signs I've been working on with a little Irish twist...

I found some of these signs and reworked them to match my St. Patrick's Day theme... but others... I just couldn't resist to make and have fun with for our little party...

PLUS PLUS PLUS... just for YOU a cute little FREEBIE Leprechaun... print it out and wrap it around a toilet paper roll and oila... there you have the cutest little Leprechaun...

Well... I really 'mustache' I've got so many ideas going through my head... I'm hoping I'll have enough time to get them all done...
 

Knott's Berry Farm Field Trip...

Today Rainee's third grade class goes on their field trip to Knott's Berry Farm... It's an educational field trip so they'll be learning about how the Old West lived, the American Indians & they get to pan for gold... plus the other treat for the day is one ride on the Log Ride...

And... me being me... I of course HAVE TO go as a parent chaperon.... But I wasn't so sure it  was going to happen with our house getting sickly... First me, and a couple days later... Rainee caught the bug... but with LOTS OF REST... tons of chicken soup... & my fav.... ColdEaze... we're both doing better and are all ready for a day of fun!!! Let the day begin!

Happy New Year...

I can't believe the first month of the new year is nearly done... so before it's gone completely, I wanted to do a quick post...

know.... I should have posted this yesterday.... but It's still the first day of the year... and it's still a blank page... and a good place to start a new,  new year....

I want to... Thank You All.... for sharing in my life... with all it's ups & downs... scraping, crafting & creating... I look forward to finding more delight in the everyday blessings all around me and leave the worries behind.

My New Year's prayer for you is... that your dreams are fulfilled... that love, joy, possibilities, wondrous things and blessings would fill every{day}... Enjoy each day, with
those you love!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Stuff For To{day} ... Free Santa Notes Download...

Free Santa Notes Download

I was just getting out all of our Christmas decorations... and remembered... Sparkle... Rainee's, Elf on the Shelf... who comes to "life" on December first... and brings along a little note from Santa. So I thought I'd share these little notes with you... They're great as gift tags... lunch box notes... or just them for a little something from Santa...

Hope your kiddos enjoy them...
Happy December 1st!!

Happy Thankgiving...

Well it's here... Thanksgiving... and the question to be asked this year is...

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Are you sleeping outside in line waiting for a store to open so you can get the best deals... or... are you holding back, just a little, and gobbling down your food so fast you can't enjoy it to get to the store of choice doors opening... or... are you spending time with family and friends and enjoying the day... and aren't you wondering, just a little bit, what happened to this holiday of giving thanks....

Well, here in my little house?... I'm looking at my family... at my home... at my little part-time job... at all the blessings I've been given this past year... feeling blessed by little things taken for granted.

If you've followed my blog at all... you'll know I haven't blogged like I use to this last year... and when I do, it's been something quick... but the truth is... the reason is... I've had a hard year... so many ups and downs... so many things going on in my life... I haven't had the energy to put much into anything other than caring for what's most important...

I'm not going to go into everything that's been going on this last year... but I will tell you if it hadn't been for Lord, my prayers and those of others... what I'm thankful for would be much different...

So, today instead of passing by this holiday with shopping and meaningless things that don't last... I'm going to make memories and enjoy every moment of the day... I'm going to remember Thanksgivings past with those I miss... and enjoy... enjoy every family member... enjoy every giggle... enjoy every football cheer... enjoy every board game... enjoy every bite of thanksgiving dinner... down to the very last bite of pumpkin harvest pie...

I'm going take in the blessings that surround me... and be thankful...

I hope you're surrounded by blessings to be thankful for today and always... Happy Thanksgiving...

Happy Father's Day...

Happy Father's {Day}!!!

As I was looking for a photo of Steve with Rainee for this post... I came across one of my favorite layouts of them together... so I had to post it again...

Anyway... to Steve... Rainee's daddy... I love watching you teach Rainee little things that help her grow... you make her smile, laugh and play... I love seeing how very much she loves you... you are a great dad... and we love you very much!!!!

And to my dad... even though you're not here... I still miss you... I feel blessed to have had a dad with such a kind caring and loving heart... you are missed to{day} and every {day}...

Father's, enjoy your {day}... enjoy your children...  and have a happy father's {day}!!!

It Is Still Spring... Isn't It?.....

Spring cleaning to me... conjures up images of sunny days with the windows wide open and sunshine flooding into every room.  It brings thoughts of summer...

So with it still officially Spring...
I have been doing my annual Spring cleaning these last
2 1/2weeks... and every {day} Rainee asks... "Mama, If you're doing Spring cleaning, when is it going to be Summer? I thought we were on Summer vacation?" And every {day} I answer with... Summer actually begins June 21st... and that when she gets out of school it's still Spring... which is great for mommy... I can get to Spring clean, while it's still Spring!!! But I've noticed over the last couple of days... she's stopped asking.... do you think she's realized, she'll probably get the exact same answer if she does ask???... lol!!!

Sooo thinking I was nearly done on Monday... my husband decided to get involved and add a few things to my list of "to do's"... sooooooooo after giving me his list of projects to tackle... I'm now just hoping to finish before Summer enters and Spring ends... My fingers are crossed that to{day} will be the {day} I finish up... so our Summer vacation can officially start... because honestly I'm exhausted... I really need some R&R... plus a little bit of fun!!!
What about you... did you get all you wanted done with your Spring cleaning??? Or are you still working on it like me??? Whatever it is... I hope it's fruitful.... so you can enjoy the sunshine of Summer!!!

The Blogoversary Winner...

The Blogoversary Winner to the Owl Coffee Cozy & Starbucks Gift Card is...

CHRIS RANDAL

Congratulations!!!! Email me your mailing info so I can get this to you!!! And thank you all so much for making my blogoversary special!

Rainee's Angry Bird Party...

I told you we were having a simple Angry Birds Birthday Party for Rainee... with cupcakes and such... Wellllll... I kinda went overboard on doing some fun things for her party... Because you know... you only turn 8 once! Soooooo I whipped up a fabulous bit of birthday fun. You've seen the invitations here...

Now for the party stuff... I wanted to do something for the snacky food... so, for the candies... I rolled brown lunch bags and made nests for the put worms, eggs and Angry Bird poop... instead of cakepops I made lollipop covers and put them on my cakepop stand.

I also made Angry Bird faces for the buckets that held the chips and cheese balls. 








Rainee also wanted to play a few games... so together we made some green pigs...we painted cans, then decoupaged pig faces on to them that I'd printed... We used these Angry Bird Pigs to shoot at with sling shots... and also for Angry Bird Bowling. Rainee wanted to do this fun game we'd done at a baby shower last year, so instead of drawing a baby... the kids had to draw an Angry Bird on top of their heads with a crayon and paper plate... and our last game... the tried and true cotton game... except I changed it up a bit and said the cotton balls were eggs and they had to put them into the frying pan... too fun... The kids loved the games!!!!

Here's Rainee with her silly friends and her cake table... 

And before our guest left... each received a thank you for "crashing" my  party bag... with a water play sling shot, a mini frizbee and some candies...

All in all it was a very fun party and Rainee had a blast!!!

My 4th Blogoversary... Plus a gift...

There is so much to celebrate {to}day... My 4th Blogoversary... Rainee's Angry Bird Bird{day} Party... AND... National Donut {Day}... so because it's such a festive and full {day} of delightful things... I thought I'd give a gift to celebrate!!!

So, how do you celebrate donut {day}??? You have a donut and a cup of coffee, of course!!! Because I can't give a donut... I thought I give a $5.00 Gift Card to Starbucks PLUS a blue Owl Coffee Cozys from my Etsy Store... You can enter Every{day}... until next Wednesday... then I'll pick a winner... it's that easy peasy...

Happy Blogoversary... go on enjoy a donut to{day}...







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Angry Bird Birthday Invitations...

Rainee had been wanting an iPad tablet for sooooo long... that back in October I told, I would try to get her one... BUT... it would have to be for her birthday... AND...  she could either have a party OR a tablet... not both... so Rainee decided on the tablet... sooooooooo there wasn't going to be a party...

But as her birthday came closer... AND... mommy being mommy... I couldn't let her birthday go by

without her sharing it with a few friends & family... so when I told her we could have a cupcake party... no fancy thing birthday... what would she like this years birthday theme to be... she said an Angry Bird Party... And of course, me being me, I could just buy invitations... I had to make them... so here they are... Rainee's Angry Bird Invitations... and I love love love them...

Now that they're done... I've had so many people wanting to buy them... I'm thinking about putting the a digi file along with instruction on how to make them in my etsy store... what do you think???

Photos of the party will be coming... have a fabulous Wednesday...

Happy Memorial Day...

Freedom. I'm blessed to live in a country who fights for our freedom. Blessed by those who've served and are serving now. They chose to fight and even die for our freedom. So on this day of remembrance I want to say... I am grateful. I am blessed by the freedom they have made possible.
Thank you.

Happy 8th Birthday Rainee...

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY... RAINEE... she's having a great day so far... donuts & hot chocolate for breakfast... Nerf guns from daddy... and after many months of crocheting and selling hats, coin purses, cup cozys, water bottle holders... mommy was able to buy her a tablet... just what she wanted... it's going to be a wonderful day... we love you Rainee! Happy Happy Birthday...

Teacher Appreciation Week - Noteworthy...

Day 5... The best teachers are noteworthy!


For tags download here.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Hot Stuff

Day 4... When it comes to giving you're hot stuff!!!



For tags download here.

Teacher Appreciation Week - Quenching...

Day 3...Thank you for quenching our kids thirst for knowledge....


For tags and waterbottle label download here.

Teacher Appreciation - We're So Fortune-ate...

This year I headed up our PTA committee for Teacher Appreciation Week... for every day of this week each board member was given the task to do small thoughtful gifts for 2 of our teaching staff... then as an extra treat on Wednesday we're giving them an Ice-Cream Sundae Party...

For my day 2 gifts I did... We're so 'fortune'-ate to have you as one of our teachers... Our group of teachers are wonderful!!! I am sooo very happy Rainee attends this school... I truly feel fortunate to be able to share in this great school and staff... we are completely blessed by our teachers...


See you tomorrow...





For tags download here.

Teacher Appreciation - S'mores

Do you love S'mores as much as I do? Well I thought this was such a cute saying for Teacher Appreciation Week I just had to use it...

But but but... I wanted to do something fun with the s'mores, instead of just a packaging up the the ingredients. So, I decided to make my very own "Michelle's Picnic S'mores".  I love making these tasty treats for a quick picnic surprise... I came up with these when I wanted to bring something fun and yummy for all the kids (young & old) to munch on at our park-day picnic...  These are soooo easy to make and there is never a crumb leftover...

Michelle's Picnic S'mores:
First, break apart graham crackers. Next, melt candy melts. Last, dip marshmallows in chocolate and place it on the graham cracker, now set aside on wax paper to dry... enjoy!

For the link to these S'mre tags, click here.