Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Cricut Cake Class & how YOU can EASILY win a $25 gift card to Target! (even if you never decorate a cake in your life)

So, some of you may have heard of the Cricut Cake machine. Or you might be using your Cricut Expressions to cut gum paste for cake decorating.
Or, maybe you got crafty and are using your Silhouette or Gazelle to do the same thing!
Well, if that is you, have I got a class for you! Linda McClure is teaching some amazing Cricut Cake classes on her techniques. It's very hands on, and explained in away that even novice's can handle. At the end of Linda's class you will have learned many skills to use to decorate beautiful cakes.
There is also an intense two day class for those wanting even more...this class is one not to be missed for those serious about their machine and cakes!Linda provides everything you need, computers, machines, gum paste, even a fabulous instruction manual with the two day class. Contact creativedesignsclass@deseretdesigns.com to sign up today.
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Help me spread the word about these fab classes and you could win a $25 gift card to Target.

The website is creativedesignsclasses.com and we want YOU to post this site everywhere, including the keywords: Cricut Cake Class ! (Both the keywords AND link must be posted)

Post on a blog (hey, even copy and paste what I just wrote!) about it, include the link on twitter (make sure to @jessremington so I know you did it), facebook, myspace, any forum you belong to, etc. All you have to do is a leave a comment here (include your name/email if you don't have an account) including a link to the post/mention and you are entered!

Tweet about it up to 5 times a day (at least one hour between tweets please!), post on any facebook page (even the Cricut Cakes fan page if you want!) up to 4 times a day, and blog about it as often as you desire, even if it is a link at the end of a post about something totally different. Just make sure to leave a comment including a link to your post to be entered to win!

Sample Tweet:

Go to creativedesignsclasses.com to see a schedule of cricut cake classes! @jessremington #cricut #cricutcake

You don't have to even have the desire to decorate a cake and you don't even have to know what a Cricut is. Just post a link to creativedesignsclasses.com and you are set!

Thanks...contest ends May 15, the day of her first two day class!

Cribs, Toddler Beds, and the Big Boy Bed

When do you go from cribs to toddler beds? I've always struggled with this. I see the transfer as a definitive "you are no longer a baby"statement and that has always made me sad. So, my children stay in their cribs until they are at least 2 1/2.I wish I had bought a convertible crib, like this one from CSN.com. They are so pretty and I wish MY bed looked this classic. Instead, we bought a cheap-o crib from Burlington Coat Factory and I will not be able to pass it on or save it for grandchildren because it is becoming a bit ghetto. I guess if I'd bought such a beautiful crib, it would be easier to make the transition to toddler bed because he'd still be in his safe place that he'd slept since birth.
However, I do not foresee Ethan moving out of his crib anytime soon. No...that would mean he is growing up, and I am just not ready for that.



CSN.com is an online site with over 200 stores. They have free shipping (a must when I order online) and hassle free returns. Check them out for just about ANYTHING you want to order online. I was not paid for this post but I will be reviewing an adorable pair of shoes from them very soon!

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Goodie Bags (and really cool pins by lattegrande)

The goodie bag...of course it was full of robot goodies. There was one child at the party with some sever food allergies, so in lue of any candies and food, I did goodies that hopefully weren't junkie.
One thing I put was the 1 inch pinback robot buttons.
Yes, I know the kids were only ages 4-6.
Yes, I know pins poke.
But, aren't they cute?
How could I say no?
I got a 3 pack to review and ordered enough to fill the bags as well.
I thought they were a great addition to the bag and different, too.
So far no parents have called complaining, so they either loved them, too, or hid them. They reminded me of the 80's and made me happy.
Coffee's Shoppe was super speedy in shipping and replying to questions.
Jackson still wears his pin, even now!

Other things in the goodie bags: Create Your Own Robot sticker book ordered from Amazon.com, snack mix of Nuts & Bolts (download the cute printable here...there is even an invite PDF!), glow sticks, and Ro-Doh...play doh with a label (I cut and pasted one of the images from the Nuts & Bolts) bag and created the labels. The girls got an alligator clip with ROBOT RIBBON! What the heck? Yep, American Crafts makes robot ribbon and it was only a dollar for a roll!

Overall I was happy with the bag. yeah, I know play doh and glo sticks are a bit junkie in the goodie bag department, but I thought they had a short lived purpose and hope the parents didn't mind too much.

Thanks Coffee's Shoppe for letting me review the 3 pins for free...we LOVE them!



Sunday, April 25, 2010

Peanut, Peanut Butter (JELLY!)

CRIME: Leaving the lid off the peanut butter when returning it to the cabinet
BUSTED: Jackson
CRIME: Peanut Butter Snatcher
BUSTED: Ethan









Custom Robot Stickers by Chickabug




How do YOU close your goodie bags?
Me, I love a cute sticker, complimenting the theme and being adorable. They are simple, cute, and kids love 'em.
I found just that on etsy at Chickabug.
The robot stickers are really cute, and I love that the belly of the robot is personalized with Jack's age (close up her sample from her shop)! It was by far the perfect thing to close each treat bag that I worked so hard to create. Much better then a simple robot sticker or ribbon.
Oh, and if you think her stickers are cute, check out her other products! She has invitations, address labels, thank yous, cupcake toppers and more! My favorites:


So, next time you are searching for some adorable party items, check out Chicabug...you won't be disappointed.
Esty shop
Blog

Feel free to share your favorite item in the shop OR share what theme you'd like to see added.

This review was my opinions only. I was not paid for this review, but I did get some CUTE stickers and tags to use! Thanks so much for letting me share your great shop with my blog readers!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Designfruit Vinyl Decal Stickers (Review)

Edited to add: Visit Designfruit.com to see more! Follow them on Facebook or twitter.


Of course there are robot vinyl decals at Jackson's birthday! And...of course I used them for "Pin the Robot on the Robot"...I need a better name for that!

The only bad thing is that I didn't capture any outstanding pictures of them on my walls. :(

Designfruit is an etsy vinyl decal shop. The images they have are fresh and original (or at least I think so!) From the site: Welcome to Designfruit's vinyl decal store. We sell high-quality vinyl decals for placement on walls, windows, laptops and just about anything with a smooth surface. Our focus is on wall art for office or home decor. Simply, our products are removable wall stickers, using the power of the silhouette. These products are easy to install, and easy to remove. They're good for rustic home decor, modern home decor, and many in between. We hope our shop will provide you with plenty of inspiration for your own home decorating. Our products our great for adding art to the walls of bedrooms, bathrooms, living-rooms, kitchens and more. Our vinyl wall stickers make great gifts for friends, and help keep all those epic friendships alive. Everything in this shop is unique and original artwork of Designfruit.OMG...If I had a wall over my bed (we have a window, boo!) I would have ordered this decal the second I saw it...LOVE it!
And this birdie? How fabulous? Right!

Not only was Jason fast and professional, but he is so nice, too! I mentioned that I wanted to move the decals from the living room after the party to Jackson's room. He told me that the decals would not transfer but that he'd send me a second set for free! How stinkin' nice? And now Jackson has a set of robots hanging out with him each night (I'd go sneak a picture of that but I don't want to watch Sleeping Beauty up...)...it is just adorable. I think that the colors of the robots will be the next color choices for bedding in the room since the boys need a bit of a make over anyways in there.

So, if you want something fun and fresh to dress up your office, computer, house, whatever, give Designfruit on etsy a look and see if they have what you are looking for. I know I will!

(This post is purely my own opinions. I was not paid for this review but I did get to keep the vinyl wall clings!)

KidJovial personalized robot t-shirt (what else would I be reviewing right now?)

(I think I will be buying this for Jackson soon...)

(Jackson modeling the new shirt)

I got on contact with KidJovial on etsy to review a great tee shirt...I wanted one for Ethan to wear to Jack's party and LOVED this one at KidJovial. I was lucky enough to get to review it (these are my opinions and I was not paid for this review, but I did get a cool shirt for my son), too! When it came I was a bit disappointed with how large a size 2T was, but that is just the tee shirt companies sizing...I decided instead of washing it to see if it shrank and then have Ethan wear it, I'd just let Jackson (who still would not recognize a J if it were yelling in his face) wear it on his big day. :) Jackson recognized the "A" and was a happy camper.Other then being big...I LOVE THIS SHIRT! Oh, and once I washed it (inside out w/o bleach or fabric softener) it shrank some and now will fit Godzilla...I mean...Ethan the great, with room to grow all summer! So, I'd say order the size you want and when you get it, don't fret about it being a bit too big because it will all work out in the end, now won't it?
It washed up great, too. From the shop: The process I use won't cause peeling or cracking. This has a stretchy, softer consistency than lesser quality heat press items. And the statement is correct...there was no cracking or peeling!
KidJovial has got a ton of awesome shirts. From the shop: We create cool, personalized t-shirts as well as other fun designs. The child in your life will surely love rockin' these tees! Choose from already made themes or feel free to place customized design/size orders. KidJovial - tees for kids with cool parents.

My favorite part? The part where they call the PARENT cool...cause you know we are, right? :)

I also love the price of these shirts...$8.99 with $2.50 shipping! I have a birthday party we are invited to this May and I do believe I will be ordering one of the shirts for the birthday boy! Probably this one (but I need to double check and make sure the dino love is still there!):
So, go check out KidJovial on etsy...you know you want at least one new shirt for your kid's summer wardrobe, and at less then $12 shirt (including shipping) these are some not to be missed!



Tuesday, April 20, 2010

It Just Keeps On Giving...


Because I am lazy and didn't feel like dragging it down to the basement Because the boys begged me to leave it, we've had the Robot Bean Bag Toss in our living room ever since the party last weekend (wait...that was two weekends ago, oops!).
It's provided a great place to hide the clean laundry that didn't get folded when Bren's friend came over on Friday night entertainment for the boys. It's been a bean bag toss, pirate ship, robot head quarters, and even a super secret hiding place for a game of hide and seek. It was base for a lego battle, a step stool for Ethan to climb on, and a library where Brennan stored some books.
It's funny how much joy and pleasure a simple box with (or without) a few holes cut into it can provide! I am not sure that I want to take it down to the basement, even though I know the boys will have fun with it down there...I still need a place to throw the random toys lying around tonight when our dinner guests come over I love watching the boys be so creative and would miss that if it were all the way in the dungeon playroom/basement.

Only Remnants WINNER!

Comment #9: Keeley!!!!

The funny part? She and her son were AT the robot party!!!! Keeley, I'll get your info and get these adorable robots to you ASAP!

Monday, April 19, 2010

My Latest Business Venture

Yes, I work from home during nap times and a few nights a week.

Yes, I have an etsy shop.

And a scrapbooking hobby.

And I am going to be teaching some classes soon (I hope anyway!)

And yes, I have three children and one husband.

But...I have started a new blog, hoping to get some new business...so, without further ado, go check out www.iwishthatihadjessiescakes.blogspot.com YEP...I Wish That I Had Jessie's Cakes (If you don't get it, click on the radio link in the sidebar and thank Bart for that clever name later) is up and running. I will be showcasing cakes, cookies, and cupcakes I make there, will post a price list (that is so hard to figure out how much to charge), and even list classes I can teach as part of girls night out! (Well, girls night in b/c it will be at your house!)

May 15-16 I am going to Louisiana for a two day intensive training course and I will be certified in the Creative Designs Method of cake decorating, created by my mother! So, I will have the confidence I need to teach others how to use their cricuts (and not just the new cake ones, but ANY cricut or electronic cutter!) to decorate cakes just like me.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Rib Bones


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

So, I know you should not tease your kid, nor should you taunt him with a rib bone, but this was too funny. We had some yummy ribs for supper last night and I gave Ethan a rib bone to see what he'd do...he did not disappoint in providing some comedy. He got VERY angry when it was time to take the bone away from him, too, and stood screaming at the trash can when we threw them away.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Cutest Sailor Suit and the only pictures I'll ever get of Ethan in it...

Photobucket

Ethan is getting so round that the first time he wore this adorable sailor suit from Aunt Jamie is also the last. Every time he bent over at church you heard "POP POP POP POP" as all four snaps at the crouch popped open! And...that was WITHOUT wearing a cloth diaper!
Poor baby needs some Jenny Craig.
At least I have some helpful tips for kids in how NOT to pose...I am not sure if it will come in handy, but next time I want a pre-church photo shoot, I will pull this guide out and show the boys what NOT to do...or what TO do if they want to take twice as long for the photo shoot to end. :)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Cakes I've Made with my Baby Bug (and NOT the Cricut Cake Machine)



No Cricut Cake was harmed (or touched) in the making of these delicious adorable cakes. :)
Yes, a 6x12 inch Cricut machine was all I used!

Happy Creating!


Today

Today, I am not finding Joy in my Journey.
Today the boys are too loud and fussing too much as they play/argue with each other.
Today my head hurts and it's all because of beautiful spring, which I love, but hate the sinus/allergy issues that come with it.
Today my kitchen smells weird and I can't figure out why.
Today I am trying very hard to remember to BE HAPPY!

But I will remember, and then things will be better, but for now, I wanted to share that life is not always gumdrops and roses for us :) Because it is always easier to blog about the happy then the sad for me.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Only Remnants Review and Giveaway (ends April 20)


One of the really cool thing about robots is that so many of them are "recycled"...bits and pieces of junk that nobody else wants and somebody figures out how to use them (think "Robots" the kids movie).
An etsy shop I found takes this idea to the max! Remnants-Recycled and Found Object Art by onlyRemnants.
When we got these little cuties in the mail, Jackson actually lined them up and had them watch t.v. with him (so yes, you are going to win something that Jackson played with a tiny bit. :) He walked them around and made them talk in robot voices. And then...I was a mean mommy, took them away, and hid them until his party. Then they got to come out and play and decorate the goodie bag table. They were the perfect finishing touch to that area, too.

On her shop: At Remnants, you will find art made mostly from recycled and found objects. About a year ago, I began experimenting with different objects and textures and have found that I like to make many different things--from mosaic artwork and frames to steampunk jewelry and robot sculptures.
So...go check out Remnants collection and see if there is a robot that needs to join your family! If robots aren't your thing, look through her steampunk jewelry...I want some!!!!
If you'd like to own the two itty bots pictured above, leave me a comment telling me your favorite item at Remnants!

Extra Entries: (leave a separate comment for each)

  • Become a fan of Remnants by RJ on facebook.
  • Follow the blog Remnants by RJ. Leave a comment on a post there and then in the comment here, tell me which post.
  • Follow my blog (on the left)
  • Post my button on your blog (leave a link so I can see it :)
  • Follow me on Facebook (upper left corner)
  • Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (jessremington...make sure to @jessremington the tweets so I know you did it...oh, and you can do this up to three times a day BUT it must be AT LEAST one hour between tweets.
  • Share one thing you'd love to have a robot do for you, if you were smart enough to invent robots that could do all the work.
Contest ends April 20th. FYI: There is FREE shipping until the 17th on the etsy shop!!!!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Robots Attack! Jack's Party



It finally arrived! Jackson's fourth birthday party! Robots have been slowly taking over our house for weeks, in the form of shirts (found a great one for Bren at Gymboree, then I made Jack's and Ethans...I will do a super easy tutorial on Ethan's later on), bean bags and bean bag robot boards, party favors, banners...the list goes on and on!

Warning: Before you begin reading this, do not think I spent a ton of money on this birthday. I did not. Not including the goodie bags (more on that later) and cake (to bake and cover in fondant always costs me about $7-10 for the supplies), I spent maybe $25 on everything!

I used my cricut to create the images, but you can use ANY electronic paper cutter. Thanks Diana for letting me borrow the cartridge. If she had not had that cartridge, I would have just utilized my Make-The-Cut program and created my own image to cut out of gum paste.
I used the MTC program to get some "robot" lettering. The same font is on both the cake and the banner...and that makes me happy. :)

A quick tip on adhering gum paste: There are a couple of different ways out there to do this. For this particular cake, I used a tiny paint brush and dipped it in a tiny bit of shortening. I then "painted" very very lightly the back of the gum paste items just like glue. It worked much better then using water (the red was destine to run if I did that) and I don't own "gum paste glue".

Fondant and gum paste make it so easy to create a beautiful cake! I love all the skills I've learned from my mom. If you've ever wanted to make a cake for your little one's party or a baby shower or just because but have been intimidated...DON'T BE! Working with these two mediums is so easy. I was so scared for a while, but once I tried it, I LOVED it and am hooked! Even before I did anything with gum paste and my electronic paper cutter, I was having a lot of fun using just fondant to decorate. A tip on using fondant: DO NOT USE THE STORE BOUGHT KIND! It smells and tastes awful. Find a recipe online and go from there!
But...I digress. Back to the PARTY!

DECORATING DETAILS:

I am LOVING the current trend to make beautiful fabric bunting banners. However, I was a bit burned out on sewing from a big order I had. Then, I found some adorable robot papers at Hobby Lobby and knew I could make the same thing quicker with the papers. So, I cut my paper into triangles (I think i got 6 per 12x12 sheet), taped ribbon to the back and BAM! I had some cute decorations. TIP: I made the bunting in various lengths, hanging them by the goodie bags, over the kitchen door, by the gift table, and outside. I then reused one of the buntings in some silly pictures I took of Jackson after the party (see first picture). I LOVE my buntings and am so glad I made them. (If bunting is not the word, please feel free to leave a comment and correct me).

The food was simple...water bottles with cute stickers on them, apple juice with "ROBOT JUICE" or "ENERGY DRINK" labels (complete with a robot stamp over the wording) and NUTS AND BOLTS, a mix of pretzels, cherrios, m&m's, marshmallows, and cheez-its. It was a cute mix and the kids seemed to gobble it up. I also used a great printable to make snack bags of Nuts and Bolts for the goodie bags. (she has other robot printables as well, check her out!) I baked a LARGE cake and I didn't want kids getting full of grapes and finger foods before it was time to dig in to the good stuff!



Our activities were fun and simple. At first I planned a coloring station to color this cute robot, a station to create robots out of toilet paper rolls and other crafty items, a robot mask station, etc, etc. Then I thought of how much work that would be and how frustrated the kids would be when they poured too much glue for their robot eyes, finished their robot picture before everyone else, and had to sit still when they wanted to wiggle and giggle.

So, I scratched my first set of ideas and started thinking of what I could do that would be fun, keep kids attention, and not cost an arm and a leg. I came up with doing the Robot dance (check out the pics...Bart taught the kids to do the Robot...got a few robot songs from Yo Gabba Gabba, Phineus and Ferb, and another band whose name escapes me but is not a kids band...will post that when Bart is awake to tell me...we bought ours for 99 cents from Amazon.com), Hot Bot (think Hot Potato but with a bean bag I made that has a Robot on it with flannel from Joann's), Pin the Robot on the Robot (I really need a better name for this one :) Also, I used some vinyl rub ons I will be reviewing this week...I could have easily created a robot by drawing squares and rectangles on a poster board and letting the boys color it in), and a bean bag toss whose basic concept came from another blog.

Bean Bag Toss Tutorial:

  1. Beg, borrow, or steal a wardrobe box. This was perfect because it is about four foot tall (the kids are all less then 4 ft. tall so they think it is huge), has its own base, and gives you a large surface to work with.
  2. Either use the back side of an ugly roll of wrapping paper that came with some adorable wrapping papers OR buy some white paper on a roll.
  3. Sketch out what you want your robot to look like. Robots are so easy to recreate because they are basically rectangles. I used the image from the blog and my own imagination.
  4. Use some cheap craft paints that you have lying around to paint your robot with sponge brushes and small tip brushes for the tiny parts.
  5. Once dry, cut some holes in various spots to create targets for the bean bag toss. I then used packing tape and went around my edges so that the paper would not rip.
  6. Hand your kids some bean bags and let them go to town!
(email me if you want exact dimensions)

Bean Bag Tutorial:
  1. Find a cute fabric you love or use some of your stash. The kids really won't care if there are robots on the bean bag...since I'd already purchased 1/4 of a yard of robot fabric from Joann's, knowing I'd find a use for it, I used that.
  2. Find an old c.d. that is all dusty because you only use your MP3 player now.
  3. Trace the c.d. on the backside of the fabric a circle around the image on the fabric you want to cut.
  4. Cut it out.
  5. Repeat twice for each bean bag you want to make.
  6. Sew with the right side up and down (does that make sense? So that they wrong sides are touching in the middle), back stitching a few stitches at your start. I had my needle in the middle position and used my presser foot as a seam edge guide. Go almost all the way around (I left about a 2 inch opening), back stitch, pick up your presser foot, turn your circle around and sew back the OTHER way...meaning, sew around your circle, then reinforce your stitches by sewing around again. I found this necessary when an out of town guest tried out the bean bag toss last week and beans went EVERYWHERE!
  7. Find some dried beans from your food storage and stuff until about 3/4 of the way full.
  8. Carefully place your bean bag under your sewing machine again and seal the gap you left. I sewed over the open edge twice, once again for reinforcement!
  9. Enjoy tossing your new custom made bean bag at your targets. Overall I'd call the party a success. Jackson got enough money to buy the rocket he wants, the kids all left with smiles on their faces, and my boys didn't stop talking about playing with friends, doing the robot, and "winning" the pin the robot game for hours afterward!
TIP: If you really want to get fancy, you could use heat n bond and decorate the bean bag (before it is sewn) with an initial, number, coordinating fabric, whatever.

Stay tuned this week for an easy tutorial to make a shirt like Ethan's, reviews of some robot products, a few giveaways, and a run down of the goodie bag loot! This post is long enough :)




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