MOPS (end of summer) Play Date!

Near the end of August (the day after we got home from a long weekend of camping), we met up with our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group for a play date at Discovery Park...about 30 minutes south of us. I have been a part of this MOPS group since Mikayla was 6 months old and I was excited to be back for yet another year and to spend more time with these wonderful ladies and their kids! To kick off the new MOPS season, we headed to a fun park that I actually hadn't taken the kids to yet. I figured they would have a blast, so I put aside the running list in my head of "things to do" and we headed that way for some fun in the...sun? Not so much the sun! It actually turned out to be a cloudy, overcast morning (the day before was HOT!!) That's Oregon for you, but it didn't stop us, so I dressed the kiddos in bathing suits anyway to prepare for the chance of being able to play in the water.

They have this really cool sand hill that the kids loved running up and down on. It was the first thing that attracted them...like a magnet! (I am not a fan of sand. However, they are!!) It took them forever to actually first get the hang of getting up the hill...

{almost there}

{reaching}

{and they both came tumbling down}

...but after they figured it out, it was a beautiful view!

Another fun attraction to this park was the water feature with fun fountains coming out of the ground. Even though it was a bit cool and cloudy, the kids still had to try it out. Austin loved it!


Mikayla enjoyed it for the first couple of times running through the water...


...but it didn't take long for her to get all bundled up and sit on the sidelines with her BFF Ellie.

And, in case you didn't know:
When you mix a wet body with sand...it's a mess!

I'm a little biased, but how cute are these two?!

And, there really were other kids (and moms) having fun with us!!

Another priceless memory with friends!

When I'm taking pictures, I kind of feel like the paparazzi,
but I'm always so glad to have them after it's all over!

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I'll leave you with a fun little Thanksgiving treat I made for my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. It's a favor box (found at Target on clearance a few years ago...and finally using them for something!) I created the hole in the top using the oval punch and then made a scallop oval ring. Such a fun little goody to give at each person's seat at Thanksgiving.

holiday bazaar creativity

Normally, I save sharing about my Stampin' Up! goodies for my Stuck on Stampin' blog, but I just had to share it all here first! Enjoy!!

A couple of Saturdays ago, I participated in my first craft bazaar as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. Not only did I set up my own booth, but I was coordinating all of the other 40+ vendors who would be there. Talk about STRESS!!! (A little reason why I was MIA here in blogland for 2 weeks!) But, I wasn't alone. This was a Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale Fundraiser for our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, so all of us on the leadership were able to pull together a very successful first year!

Although, yes, indeed, it was super stressful with getting everything ready to have a great looking table, in the end I was glad I was able to pull off the projects that I did! My list was MUCH longer than everything that I actually got accomplished, but at one point I decided that I could only do what I could do. I can save the other projects for next year!

My upline and friend, Andrea joined me for the bazaar, which made our table double in size! Overall, it was definitely all worth it as I made a good chunk of money to put back into purchasing more great Stampin' Up! products and continue my love for creating and inspiring others!

Our Booth

Christmas Cards
3 designs in packages of 5
I was so surprised that NONE of them sold! I have 7 packages. Let me know if you're looking for some handmade Christmas cards. *wink* (5 cards for $8 or 2 pkgs. for only $12!)

Reindeer Food
Mikayla helped me make these. Basically it is oatmeal with red and green sprinkles. On top, I included the poem that goes along with it. I don't think many of the bazaar shoppers knew what it was, but I think the kids would get a kick out of leaving this reindeer food on the lawn on Christmas Eve.

Sprinkle on the lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright.
Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
This will guide them to your home.

Post It Note & Pen Holder
I found this cute tutorial here and had so much fun making these! They really are super easy and would make such great gifts!

Decoupaged Christmas Stars

I had 4 different patterns and colors for these and made 2 of each (I didn't get a picture of each of them separately, but if you look at the table in the above picture, you might be able to catch a glimpse). I sold all 8 of them to my friend! I look forward to seeing how she decides to use them for decoration in her home. I LOVE how they turned out and will definitely be making more of these for Christmas!

Decorative Clothespins & Altered Binder Clips
These are so easy and fun to make! You could whip a bunch of these out with a little bit of Mod Podge and some patterned paper.

Snowman Candy Bar Wrappers
These are mini Hershey candy bars covered to look like snowmen. Another tutorial, I found and knew I had to make a lot of them. 20 to be exact! The tutorial can be found here.

Gift Tags
I just recently purchased an adorable Stampin' Up! die for my Big Shot die cut machine and it makes it so super easy to make gift tags. I can't wait to make up many more of these to add to the packages at Christmas!

Snowman Kisses Tic Tac Covers
LOVED these! These sold really well! Again, the minute I found this tutorial, I just knew I had to make these...as many as I could! The tutorial link uses the large sized Tic Tacs, but Costco only sold the packs of small sized. Maybe I'll make a new tutorial for the small size? Interested?
Inside it says:
He's cute, cuddly & full of good wishes.
He wants to give you these snowman kisses!
Decorative Matchboxes
These were decorated with patterned paper and are the perfect little size for putting money inside or a small little Hershey chocolate.
Snowman Soup
Hidden inside is a package of hot cocoa, mini marshmallows in a clear baggie, Hershey's Kisses and a candy cane. I had an assembly line in making these, so they came together rather quick and easy and turned out so cute!

Click on this next picture to view the poem larger.

There you have it!! I tackled my FIRST ever bazaar! Next time, I think I'll work on getting things tackled way ahead of time and I might enjoy the process a bit more! That might mean I need to say no to coordinating next year's bazaar. We'll see...

For more Tackle it Tuesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

lost and just a whole lot of other randomness

Help! I've lost my blogging mojo...

I can't seem to get back in the groove of blogging on a regular basis, like at least twice a week might be nice.

It might be the fact that I've been a bit busy preparing for some Stampin' Up! events (check out the cards and projects over at my SU! blog from my last two events)

Or I wonder if it's the fact that I came down with a sore throat late Friday night and I'm finally just now getting over it with a finale of coughing fits. I lost my voice starting Sunday morning...it's been kind of quiet around here for the last few days. I wonder why? The motivation factor in getting things accomplished just has not been there. Wiping noses of two little ones probably doesn't help either.

Or it could be that I am getting ready for participating in my first ever craft bazaar and my mind has been filled with what to make for that. Production is a bit at a stand still, but I've worked on a few things. Oh...and not to mention I'm coordinating all of the other vendors, too. So, here's a little shout out to anyone local - We are holding our 1st Annual Newberg MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Holiday Bazaar & Bake Sale on Saturday, November 7th, 10-4 PM at Newberg Christian Church. Currently we have 30+ vendors, so we're super excited! Now, we just need lots and lots of shoppers!

I hope to be back soon with lots to share...I'm hoping some inspiration will strike soon!

And on a sidenote, I have tried uploading the cutest little video of Austin for a couple of days now, but Blogger doesn't seem to be cooperating. Now I have the cutest little video of Mikayla, too. Anyone having issues with video on Blogger?

And, because I can't have a post without a picture...

this boy just gets me with those blue eyes
(helps take away from the messy little boy face!)

Oh yeah, and Ryan and I are still discussing the 2 kids versus 3 (no, I'm not pregnant!) Mikayla, who just days before wanted a doggy, has now informed me that she would like a baby brother AND a baby sister. SAY WHAT?!


And, Linsey...I actually did write this post at 12:56 AM. My mind just won't shut off!

MOPS crafts showcase

I thought it might be fun to share some of the crafts we have done over the last few months at our monthly MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meetings. I get the pleasure of being the Creative Activities Leader and enjoy being able to come up with a monthly craft for 40 ladies. Sometimes it's a bit stressful having a tight budget and choosing a project that will fit all levels of creativity, but I really do enjoy it! As best I can, I try to find a project that will either go along with the theme for that month or for the holiday closest to our MOPS meeting.

February's Craft
Ribbon Decorated Tea Light Holders
Theme: Marriage/Communication
Holiday: Valentine's Day

March Craft
Shrinky Dink Water Bottle Tags
{thanks to this wonderful tutorial at WhiMSy Love}
Theme: Staying Healthy While We Parent

These tags can also be used for bags.
April Craft
Tin Can Pen/Pencil Holders
Theme: Living Green

For more fun craft ideas that I've used for MOPS, check out the following:

September - Decorative Mini Notebooks
October - Conversation Starter Containers
November - Cornucopia of Thanks
December - Snowman Gift Bag
January - Decorative Note Pad

We'll wrap up the year after next month's MOPS meeting and take a break for the summer. I already have so many different ideas I would love to use for next year's agenda, so I look forward to planning the next round of crafts.

the handmade touch

Updated to add on July 16, 2009: This tutorial was featured on Tip Junkie! Welcome to all of you visiting from there. Feel free to take a few minutes to browse around my blog. Whether you're looking for crafts, tutorials, or organization...it's here (and more)! Thanks for stopping by and hopefully sticking around!

Looking to create a cute, inexpensive,
useful, easy, and unique gift?

I have the fun pleasure of being the Creative Activities Leader for my local MOPS group. Some of the challenges of preparing crafts for our MOPS monthly meetings are that I need to make sure to find something that is inexpensive, easy to complete with a variety of craft abilities, and something quick (less than 30 minutes). But since I love to be creative, I'm always up to the challenge!

I found the following idea while visiting Paper Zone and thought that it would be perfect for January's craft!

The MOPS moms loved it, so I thought I would pass the idea along.

Here's a quick and easy how-to...

Step 1: Purchase blank notepads (I found a pack of five 4x6 notepads at the Dollar Store).

Step 2: Using a piece of 12x12 scrapbook paper (designed or plain) cut a 4x12 strip (or whatever size of notepad you will be using).

Then wrap the piece of paper over the notepad starting in the front.


**Note: If using the 4x6 notepads, there will be a small strip on the back of the notepad at the bottom that will have no paper (see picture below).


Step 3: Choose how you would like to decorate the front cover. I used some rub-ons I have in my scrapbooking supplies.


Step 4: Decide where you would like the ribbon to be by placing it between the back of note pad and back cover (keep in mind where you have added your embellishments on the front).


Step 5: Using Modge Podge, glue the paper to the back cover, making sure you have put the ribbon in place, as well.


Step 6: Turn it over, tie a bow and you have your completed project!! You can even add a large magnet strip on the back to hang on the refrigerator for some handy (but cute!) scratch paper.


Here are a couple more samples I had used for MOPS (with a few minor embellishment changes than what I had the ladies create).


This one is a birthday gift for a friend of mine. Today's her birthday!! (Hope she doesn't check the blog today to spoil the surprise!)


Being crafty is what I'm hooked on for today (and most days).

To see what others are "hooked on", visit Hooked On Houses for Hooked on Fridays!

Happy Crafting!!

And, don't forget to check out my scalloped punch craft challenge ending March 5th. Are YOU up for the challenge?