Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

We've got a winner on those shoes! Marie (#5!)
You have 48 hours to contact me and then I will have to go through the scientific method of asking Bart for a new number.

Wordless Wednesday, because I am feeling overwhelmed and really want to blog, even though I am too busy...

We have an old friend and his son coming late tonight. They are driving and stopping here on their journey east. Instead of doing the dishes and vacuuming, I cut down the bushes in the front yard. My neighbor told me they should be chopped to 12 inches every 5 years. Well, we lived here three years and they were pretty tall when we got here, so I cut them. He also let me borrow a chopper thingie...made it much easier then the trimmy thingie I was using...but it sure didn't get those dishes washed. Oh, well...Bart can do that when he gets home.We are enjoying the great outdoors as much as we can since the snow is finally all gone! Yeah! It's going to rain Friday but this weekend will hopefully be beautiful...maybe the Easter Bunny, who is bringing coins instead of candy in the eggs this year!, can even hide eggs outside. Maybe.
So, enjoy my goofy boys. They make me laugh and remind me to have fun every day.

Groovy Guitars

So, Robots are taking over my house, but the Michael Miller Groovy Guitar fabric is taking over my etsy shop! Just today I got SIX orders (4 for one customer, 2 for another!) How fun is that?
I hope the groovy guitar tie shirts I took to Chicque Boutique to sell did their job and made Mama some money!
So, this week I get to sew shirts and dream in robots! At least one can help pay for the other.

Don't forget, my Eleven shoe giveaway ends tomorrow, so be sure to enter today! (see link on right sidebar)
Oh, and guess what...it is 73* in my house! Awesome! It has not been that temperature since last September! We played at the school park after school with a few other mamas and kids and enjoyed the fresh spring air.
And my daffodil's bloomed today! Well, two did. Plus those pink and purple flowers are blooming, too...I am sure they will be in full beauty by Easter. Wonder if it will be nice enough for the Easter Bunny to hide the eggs outside this year???

The Robots are Getting Closer

Y'all know how excited I get for a party...from invitations to banners to coordinating shirts, I love it all.
And Jackson's birthday is quickly approaching. I put the finishing touches on his robot shirt last night and he was so excited to try it on. He quickly had to take it off because I didn't want for him to get it dirty before the party (I am not sure how the silver fabric will wash up).

Speaking of my love of a party...I get to teach a class at Southern Scrap Escape called, "Cricut Parties 101" (I think that is it's name)! I will be showing how to cut fabric, freezer paper, and gum paste with the Cricut (or ANY electronic cutter) and a few of my ideas, such as banners, party hats, and more! If you were to attend this class, what party decorating ideas would you want to see showcased? I am only using paper, the Cricut, and a few embellishments so that any mom with paper and a Cricut can do it. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Want to Win some Hot Tamale Dinner Ware???

Jen at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, life in mexico {and other places} a picture a day, 365 Days of TV-Free Toddler Time, and Mega-Family Blogs is giving away nearly $100 worth of Hot Tamale Dinner Ware...

This, to be exact...

...and this...

To enter, go HERE!

Eleven Shoes...Review AND Giveaway, ends March 31

Updated: Please do not do your tweets less then 20 minutes apart. I love that you are so excited to tweet about the contest, but 4 times in a row doesn't help spread the love quite so much as spreading the timing out. Thanks!

CLOSED! Marie won!




Spring has sprung and as we sit and wait for a semi-warm day to allow us to shed our jackets and catch a few rays, we search.

We mothers search for the *perfect* dress or outfit for Easter, the *cutest* basket for the eggs, and of course, the *exact* sandals or dress shoes to complete the outfit.
One site I have found that offers exactly the shoes I am wanting is Eleven. This fall I wanted some brown shoes for Brennan that were dressy enough for church but casual enough to go with jeans and a nice shirt.
Found them at Eleven!

Eleven is a sister company of See Kai Run and offers the perfect shoe for every occasion. They are a family run company and are excited for their great new line.
Shoes are whole sizes 9-3 with flexible, high proportion rubber soles. They have cushioned insoles and easy on/off velcro closures (something that I adore since Brennan STILL has not learned to tie his shoes!).
They are made with all leather uppers (ever seen a pink cow? J/k) and durable soles. I can attest to this because Brennan has worn his at least once or twice a week since November and they STILL look good!
You can even spray them with a water repellent for extra protection...They do not recommend machine washing, which makes sense.


This spring, I was asked to review a pair from their new spring line. Knowing how much I loved the shoes I had bought Brennan this fall, and knowing I wanted to get Jackson a pair of brown leather sandals, I jumped at the chance! They had exactly the shoes I wanted, too!

Now, it's still a wee bit too cold for Jackson to wear sandals and NOT have me arrest for child endangerment, so for now they are sitting in his closet, waiting for that first warm day to come. However, after seeing how well Brennan's shoes have stood the test of time, and how soft they feel, I have a feeling these shoes will be on Jackson's feet way more then they are off.

Do you want to see for yourself how great Eleven shoes are?
Enter to win a pair here! All you need to do is visit Eleven's site and tell me what pair of shoes you'd pick if you were to win! (Open to US and Canada only, shoes are children's sizes 9-3) MUST be done before any extra entries are valid.

Extra Entries (leave a comment for each):

• Follow my blog (google friend on the left...I can't wait to get over the 200 mark...help a blogger sister out!)
  
• Grab my button (leave URL where to find it)
• Follow my blog on FB (see upper left sidebar)
  
• Follow me on twitter (jessremington)
• Tweet about giveaway (can be done up to four times a day, make sure to include a link to giveaway AND @jessremington in it AND leave a comment here.)
• Share what outfit you are searching for the perfect pair of shoes for (or that you did in the past search for)
• Blog about this giveaway (one or two lines, leave a link to post)
• Join Eleven's mailing list (Scout's honor you did it!)
• Suggest a store that you'd like to see carry Eleven (Don't be lame and say WalMart or Target, either...list a real boutique or shop in your area! Also, suggest it both on the website AND in my comments section)
• Order something from my etsy shop. Totally not related to shoes, but hey, it's my blog. For each item ordered, receive 50 extra entries. I really do need to list the rest of the fabrics I have out...just ask and see what I can create for your little dude.

So, good luck! These shoes are so cute that even if you don't win, you should totally go and buy a pair! Or, buy a pair now, win a pair later...if you buy a pair of Eleven shoes between now and March 31, leave a comment for an extra 50 entries!


The views expressed in this post were MINE. I was NOT paid for this post but I did get a great pair of sandals for Jackson once Jack Frost takes a hike. Thanks Eleven!!!

One Year Makes a BIG Difference (for little guys anyway)

Ethan seems to still not dig the groovy "Let Your Sham Rock" headband...what is wrong with that boy? Doesn't he know how rockin' he is in it?

Oh, and my baby has always been quite a chunky hunky boy, eh?

Happy Saint Patrick's Week (HA!)

The Robot's are taking over...

Jackson turns four in April. As you all know, I start getting a little bit obsessed about two months before a birthday party with my planning, reviewing, creating, etc. And of course, this birthday is no different. This year I've actually considered getting new kids bedding to correspond with the theme. I have the vinyl rub-on robots to add, it would be perfect! CSN has a fabulous rug that would rock the robot themed room, and a space ship toy that I *really* think Jackson would love.
But, then reality enters and I remember that if I were to re-decorate the boys room in a robot theme this month, I'd have to re-do it in June for the upcoming legos party!
So, instead of cool new kids bedding, rug, and curtains, Jackson will get a cool new robot. The Wowwee Tribot Talking Companion. I do believe he will be the hit of the party!

Stay tuned the week of April 6 to see all my fabulous robot finds!

This post contains my personal opinions. I will be receiving a Wowwee Robot to review from CSN stores and can't wait to review it! If anyone out there wants to buy Jack that rug or space ship, I won't be saying no... :)

Jerky=Yum

Have you ever had Spencer's Jerky? We have and it is goooood. We tried the mango sweet n spicy and the orange sweet n spicy. It's got a kick, so it is not for the timid jerky eater. It's for those of us who LOVE beef jerky. Bart actually thought it was a little too hot, but I thought it was just right. I think Bart is not as big a fan of spicy as he says he is...
So, if you are looking to try some jerky, maybe some turkey jerky, go order some today. You will not be disappointed. The jerky has a good quality to it, with no fatty parts (something jerky should never have, in my opinion) and a nice chewiness to it as well. I actually had Bart make a video reviewing this jerky, but well, Ethan started crying during the video, then the phone rang, so I didn't make him do it a second time :) But you can imagine Bart describing eating the jerky. He made it so that you could almost taste the sweetness of the mango mixed with the spices. My mouth was watering...I think I will go eat that last piece now...

This is my opinion of the jerky. I was not paid to write this review, though I was given some delicious jerky to try out and tell you about. If I were you, I'd quit messing around and go order a pack right now. But remember, the spicy is HOT...so if you're a sissy, order regular.

Naps

Naps are nice.

:-)

Even for mamas.

Especially the day after day light savings time.

Sew, what's up?

I got this crazy idea (did one of you give it to me? I can't remember) to contact a local shop and see about having my Easter chick tees sold there. It's a new shop (Chique Boutique on Harrison/168) so I am a little nervous that the 20 tees I am making with chicks on them will NOT sell. Then I will be stuck with 20 shirts with chicks on them. Happy birthday kid. Sure, I know Easter was six months ago, but it's the THOUGHT that counts, right?

So, I sew. I'm trying to only sew while "working" so that I am not taking time away from my family, so that means I will be sewing all night tonight (I work r.e.a.l.l.y late tonight...twitter friends, be prepared) and hopefully will finish my project. I want to try and bring one each of size 12M-5T of the groovy guitar tie tees as well. We will see...


If you are interested in any of the tees you see here, or creating your own personalized one, visit my etsy shop...click the etsy button on the top left corner. I can do whatever color combo you want and have a ton more fabrics that I need to list, but alas, I must sew.

Half Full?

FYI: The following pictures have nothing to do with the post :) They just made me smile today and today is a day to search for things to smile about as it's been a l.o.n.g. daddy-less day.




How do you see the glass? Half empty or half full?

Do you see the snow as ruining your day or as giving you a reason to have a p.j. day?


How you respond to the things that come to you in life is important, especially if you are a parent.

Our children watch us each and every day. They see how we respond to life. How we respond to the driver who cuts us off or goes too slow, the boss who calls with ridiculous requests, the prank phone call as we eat dinner, the cable guy who "fixes" the internet, just to have to call them again the next day.

Those little eyes and ears are taking it all in...and learning.

"Daddy gets mad and fusses when he burns the tator tots, I guess that is how you react when you cook."

"Mommy whines and complains when things don't go exactly as she wants. Does that mean I can whine and complain, too?"

As a parent, I feel it is my responsibility to present the glass as half full...I try hard to not let the little things get to me. Now, I am in NO way perfect. I do get angry, I do get frustrated. But...I try to not lash out when I do. I try to remember that I have a responsibility to my children to teach them better ways to deal with the lemons of life. Not always perfect, but I'm trying...and I hope you are, too.

Now, seeing the glass as half full is something I try to do not only for my children, but for myself as well. I mean, who wants to go around life seeing the negative...never even noticing the blessings we have. It seems like a really sad way to go day to day, not something I want for myself.

So, each day, I try to find the joy in the journey of my life...even when those lemons are being hurled at me faster then those bobsleds went down the track in Canada last month...

Hair Glue...Coming to a toddler near you

There are a few minutes, at the beginning of nap time, that a little noise is a good thing. When there is a bit of rustling from quilts being rearranged, books looked at quietly for a moment, pacis sucked in pure happiness (Paci has to live in the crib).

These moments are sweet. I know that very soon, there will be two sleeping cherubs upstairs and I can hardly wait!

OR...they aren't sweet. They turn into big ugly gooey messes, like this:

A very sneaky Jackson, sporting 6-12 Month GAP p.j pants and enough hair glue to keep a bad toupee on in a windy day. A very sneaky Jackson, who wanted to have a "sleep over" in Ethan's room, bringing with him, quilts, pillows, dragon castles, hair glue, etc. You know, the usual stuff you encounter at a nap time sleepover. (How in the world did I not hear this happening? Oh, right...I was in the basement switching out laundry)

When I decided that the first few minutes of naptime were a bit too quiet and went to check on the boys...I discovered very quiet chaos. Jack decided he needed HIS p.j. pants for nap time (but they were Ethan's too small p.j. pants that were hanging out on the rocker, just waiting for the Goodwill bag, that just match Jack's p.j pants.)..."to be comfortable."

When I saw something funny was going on with his hair, I asked, "Why did you put water in your hair?" only to discover (to my horror...we were going out to eat supper that night and I had to log into work in about five minutes) he'd used Got2B HAIR GLUE! A LOT of hair glue.

He'd also decided that ETHAN needed a "spikey" hair do and had put GOBS of it in Ethan's hair as well. I am telling you, these pictures do NOT do the mess justice.

All this in maybe five minutes while I switched out laundry.

So...I dunked and dunked and dunked Jack's head in a sink of water to try and get some of the WATER RESISTANT glue out of his hair. Finally I dried it off and sent him to bed, deciding to worry about the hair mess later.

Then I tried that with Ethan, ending with the same gooey results.

After naps, I worked for about twenty minutes on Jack's hair, prying the mashed bits up with water, a brush and unfortunately, more glue. I finally got a bit of an extreme mohawk going and settled.
Ethan's finally hair do was much better, a bit of a piece-y textured style that made him look a bit like a baby model. :) His was not so extreme as Jack's.

Needless to say, it took THREE BATHS to get all the glue out of Jackson's hair. THREE DAYS of having a matted mess.

Now the hair glue is HIGH in the bathroom cabinet and if all is too quiet too fast, I come running.



One the bright side, I decided to experiment WITH Jackson with a tiny dot of hair glue and we created a much cuter, less extreme version of a mohawk. He rawked that hawk, too. For TWO days!

Shamrock winner

Dawne, you won the Shamrock Iron On Giveaway! Congrats! Now, let me go email you so I can get that out in the mail today!

Now in my etsy shop...

Easter Chick tees! Only $12 per shirt!!!! Order yours today.

The chicken is made of the minky dotty fabric (but obviously not the dotted variety) and is so soft and lovable. I'm making a girl chickie tonight with a hair bow!

Order 3 or more and receive a 20% discount. (Not including shipping)

All orders for these chickie shirts ship within 48 hours of receiving payment (via paypal)

AWESOME!

Did you see the Ultimate Cake Challenge on TLC last night? Well, one of the teams used the Cricut Expression to cut a few items...and guess whose idea THAT was? Yep, my mom's! She is the one who came up with this crazy idea that JUST MIGHT WORK when Ethan was born.
She tried it out on my small 12x6 Cricut, stating, "I'll buy you a new one if we mess this up"...it didn't mess up and the rest is history! (FYI: It was not her idea to do that design on that cake, it was her idea to use a Cricut at all)

My mom has so many wonderful ideas floating around in her head. I inherited this trait from her as my mind is always planning the NEXT thing, whether it be blog post (I compose so many in my head!), craft project, dinner idea, or birthday party, my mind is always reeling.

Anyway, I had to laugh when Norm said, "Only 12 people in America use this technique" or something to that effect. It just made me giggle because my mom has sold THOUSANDS of DVD's around the world. Cool, right? The boys call her a movie star because she has commercials on Youtube and is in movies. I thought the cakes were pretty neat last night, esp. the solar power idea...how innovative!

So, if you are interested in using YOUR Cricut Expressions or ANY electronic paper cutter (I really want a Silhouette so I can buy individual images online) to cut gumpaste, go check out her website and order a DVD...you will NOT be sorry! Even if you never do anything but cut out cakes or cupcakes for your kids, you will LOVE the results. Joann's has the 6x12's on sale for like $85 this week! Once the Cricut Cake comes out, it's going to be like $400 or something, so I do believe I will keep using what I've always used and save that $$$ for a PS3 for Bart. I bet he'll like that a lot more then ANOTHER toy for me!

So, The Ultimate Cake Off should send my mom a thank you note for coming up with such a cool concept, don't you think? :) I bet we start seeing cakes decorated in my mom's technique all over the place. Oh, and go see her Damask wedding cake DVD...talk about fantastic!

So Excited!

Do you have ANY idea how excited I am that the highs this week for the city of Omaha are ABOVE FREEZING every single day in the 10 day outlook? That one day, it MIGHT even reach 50 degrees...I am giddy.

Bye Bye snow. See you next year sucker.

I am going to find my Easter decorations after work to celebrate. Then, I am going to design an Easter appliqued shirt for Mr. Ethan and friends.

Man, I am pumped...I hate the sand at the beach but this year I want to appreciate EVERY aspect of being warm, including sand between my butt crack, sweat dripping down my spine, and the smell of sunscreen! I don't care if I do have a muffin top pouch...I am wearing my swimsuit and you can just suffer in silence (OR maybe I will get my butt in gear w/ a new DVD series my friend just gave me and be HOT like Jamie girl this summer. It could happen, but I think eating Girl Scout Cookies for lunch is NOT in that diet...)

Okay, so my ranting and raving is over. Let me just say one last time I AM SO EXCITED FOR WARMER WEATHER!


I think I might start spring cleaning! Won't Bart be surprised when he gets home from his trip!

What are you doing to celebrate the upcoming warmer weather? Do you love winter or count down the days til the first bloom of the daffodils?