Sunday Funday – Superbowl Snacks!

It’s Superbowl weekend and I am sure folks are going crazy in Seattle and Boston - right FinPop? Here in Chicago, the game is not anywhere near as exciting without our beloved Bears. However, Chicagoans never miss an excuse for a party, or an excuse for some great party food. Those that know me, know that there is always a reason to get excited about the food that comes along with watching those can’t miss commercials. Our annual Superbowl party hosts have put our party on hold until 2016 (Da … [Read more...]

Craft Closet: Turning the Reality into the Dream

So I have this guilty pleasure (one of many, in fact). I LOVE to leaf through design magazines, HOUZZ and Pinterest and dream of the day I have that blissful space that is just mine all mine. In fact, I set out to do that very thing when we remodeled our basement in our cozy but SMALL 100 year old city house - which brings you to my Craft/Office/Closet - the Cloffice! We had a 5 x 7 ft walk in "room" or closet built into the plan and I had the amazing Teri from Closet Works  come in and … [Read more...]

Disney Money Savings Jar & The Wet Method of Vinyl Application

  So, let this serve as your first and only warning: I am currently Disney Crazed. A year ago, my parents let us know that they would be taking the entire family (all 22 of us) to Disney World to celebrate their 40th anniversary. I immediately fell down the Pinterest rabbit hole (Pinhole) that is all things Disney...I may have a slight addiction....Departure Day is fast approaching, and I am in full on, balls out, no shame Disney Mode...with the arrival of the Silhouette Cameo, I am also in Put … [Read more...]

My Least Favorite Day of School….

Aside from the LAST day of school (honesty IS the best policy), my least favorite day of school is the dreaded 100th DAY of SCHOOL celebration. Having five kids means I've been through about a gajillion classroom celebrations, and I flinch when I even hear the number 100. I finally got smart and solved the problem of "MOM! I need 100 of _____ today for school" at 8:03 in the morning.  I created a rainbow shirt of 100 buttons to pull out in such crisis situations. Supplies: White … [Read more...]

Cake Pops En Pointe

One of the most favorite things I recall about being 5 was when it was my week to bring treats to Kindergarten. I LOVED it when my mom would bake cookies and send them to school with me! Once I became a mom, I couldn't wait for the days where I could bake and send homemade treats to school.  I was so bummed when I learned that you can't do that anymore!  As far as I was concerned, it was going to be one of the BEST parts of being a mom. I now understand all the reasons why this is and of … [Read more...]

AARGGH – The Invasion of the USB Cords!

If your household is anything like mine, you are challenged in managing the cord craziness of our electronic age. “Mom, I can’t find my charger and my Kindle is going to die. You HAVE to help me!” There are phone charging cords, iPad, Kindle, PlayStation, Laptop, and Gameboy charging cords to name a few, but then multiply by that by 3 kids and 2 adults and you will see where I am coming from. But to be honest, it’s not just the unsightly mess that is so frustrating. I am tired of hearing the … [Read more...]

Kids Say the Darndest Things

When I had my first child, it was easy to remember all of the adorable things she said and did. As first time parents, each was not only etched in my mind, but was chronicled in photo and baby book journaling.  However, the minute the second pregnancy was on board, all bets were off and "Mommy Brain" was in full effect. We do not remember the days, we remember the  moments - unknown I knew I wanted to try to remember these sweet moments, so I bought a journal for each of my kids and started … [Read more...]

Packing Up Christmas

It’s that time of year where we wrestle the Christmas tree down, tangle up the lights for next year and pack up the ornaments. The Christmas holidays are officially over. This year, I was pretty timely in my clean up and  have only found a few holiday stowaway pine needles throughout the house. I am not sure how they even got into the bathroom!? However, I am left with one gorgeous pile of Christmas cards and as you may know -- I love PHOTOS. So, each year I save the photo cards and create … [Read more...]

Kid Craft: Hungry Bookmarks

Looking for a fun way to adorn the gift of a book? Or maybe you are looking for a fun craft to do with the kids? The corner bookmark is the answer! The possibilities are endless on how to decorate them and you already have all the supplies you need at home. Supplies Needed: Cardstock paper of any color or pattern. Scissors Glue Stick or paper adhesive of your choice (Optional) any art supplies your little ones enjoy working with like, crayons, googly eyes, glitter, markers, … [Read more...]

Secret Agent Birthday Party

As you may recall from my earlier post, my son celebrates a December birthday. This year, My son turned 8 and instead of one of my crafty theme parties, he wanted to have a laser tag party.  I was fine with this, but of course I couldn't just do simple party favors.... I had to have a theme!!! I decided laser tag was secret agent/spy like and after quite a bit of Pinterest surfing I found quite a few ideas I could make work! Secret Agent Kit Supplies: Envelopes ( I got mine at … [Read more...]