Secret Spy Birthday

Caleb's Secret Spy Birthday

For Caleb's 5th birthday he wanted to have a secret spy birthday party family style (our family is so big, just having family over is a big party). So first I sent out text invites to all the family members using the spy's picture.

Here he is showing off some of his spy gear.

Then I went to Hobby lobby and found these cute goody bags, although I must admit they are actually wedding thank you bags, but they matched our color scheme- RED/BLACK/WHITE. Inside, I packed some goodies that were spy worthy: dog tags, compass, stick-on mustache, shooting rings, candy and ballons (just because).

The goody bags were labeled in secret code and then a scavenger hunt took place to find out where Carmen San Diego hid them. The kids followed the clues and eventually found them in the trees. 

Unfortunately, I was sick with the flu the day of the birthday party, so I don't have a copy of all the inside decorations. BUT here are a few of the boys dressed up in their secret agent hats and disguise. 

I also did get a good picture of the the 'cute and clever' cousins who are EXACTLY 9 months apart (we are soooo blessed). 

Here's another activity from the party, the laser force field- otherwise known as a yarn maze- but the kids seemed to enjoy climbing through it while on mission to find the goody bags.

And here's another picture of the birthday boy (he's in disguise, so you'll have to believe me). He's on his way to get his birthday oreo cupcake. Such a sweet little secret spy blessing!

Closet Art Organizing

If you have little ones, you probably have plenty of empty wipe containers and art supplies. Seeing how art supplies can easily take over any house, I started using an extra shoe organizer to store containers full of crayons, colored pencils, paints, etc. It hangs nicely in the closet and is easy access for my son to get his own supplies.

I also use the back of the closet to display some of his artwork, because at this stage there is  a LOT of display worthy projects and my fridge can only hold so many. :)

Just a preview into one of the boxes (sorry its a little out of focus).

Hope this organizing idea helps - as always, I don't claim to be an expert, but wanted to share what works for us! 

:) Enjoy your day!! 

Taking Notes: Remembering the Little Things

After my oldest was born I was given lots and lots of advice. Being overwhelmed, many of the words were forgotten, but my sweet sister-in-law provided me with great insight that has lasted ever since. She said it was important to make a note of the special things that my son said or did.
(Notice she didn't say ALL the cute things, because, let's face it, there's not enough time in the world to write down ALL the cute things kids do. Plus you'd miss out on the new cute things when recording the old).
What she did (and probably still does) was keep a word document for each child and there record what special thing they accomplished, said, or did. That way she could always look back on it and when the child is old enough they can appreciate those sweet memories.
If  you are a parent, you know what happens after your baby blessings are born- LIFE GETS CRAZY.  So I listened and took to heart her advice, but instead of keeping a word document, I've been recording these precious moments on my phone. I periodically email a copy to myself for safe keeping, and its such a special thing to have to reflect on anywhere and anytime.

Here's a Sample

Sweet memories, that are way to easily forgotten, are now easier to remember than ever!

I hope you will take my advice and keep a record wherever works best for you. :) 

Blessings!!

Personal Side Projects- Kid Aprons

I haven't been creating or sewing as much as I'd like, but fortunately my blessings are on the upside of this end of winter allergy sickness. 

In the spare time of the day (you know, those moments that are few and far between), I have been working on using some of my Grandma's materials to make aprons for the girls in my family. So, before I started an adult sized apron, I decided to attempt a children's size.  My first attempt is displayed below.
 

 

 

I used ribbons for the ties, which I'm not sure if I'd use them again (for strength and durability purposes), but I thought it coordinated well. The pocket was made from clearance material from the Hobby Lobby clearance section (the BEST place to find just a little fabric for cheap). :)

 

After I made this apron, Caleb asked a common question, "What about me?" Which made me think, boys can have manly aprons, after all he does help me in the kitchen. So, in perfect John Deere fashion, he picked out the fabrics he liked from my pile (no special trips to get fabric this time) and we created his very own apron...

 

Reversible apron...

 

Simple and cute, and I am hoping to embelish the aprons even more, well, embelish the girl's a little more at least. ;)

 

Now to go and enjoy my blessings!

The Ultimate Weatherman

I've been meaning to share this, but the other day I was sitting at home and listening to the stormy weather, which made me think of a simple truth that we too often forget. God is always in control.
I think God sometimes uses the weather to remind us that we have absolutely no control over circumstances, and that He is in charge. We should all be thankful that He is the Ultimate Weatherman, especially when the storms of life come our way. :)