Forever February: Little Valentines

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I gots me a little thang for arrows; so when i saw the above free download on Sweet Muffin Suite I was over the top excited about doing this for my little's Valentine's. Simply print, cut, slice and add a pencil from the Dollar Tree. Bam! One seriously super bangin' valentine.

Here's how mine turned out:

(sorry for the hipstamatic action...I got these done late last night.)

Then I saw these little numbers on MPMK and knew I had to do a variation of it!

Add a little of this into the mix...

And BOOM! You get a little of this...

Dino-mite!

These little dinos were being suffocated at the bottom of my littles' toy bin so I rescued them, gave them a coat of gold spray paint and attached them to Dollar Tree paper explosions.

I'm well aware that the littles should be the ones making all their valentine's, but I was having so much fun! Besides, I need a little fun right now and my sweet friend Kristen took my boys for the entire afternoon! (I know, God has blessed me with amazing friends.) Laundry and Operation Valentine were calling my name. Who am I to shun the call? xo

Forever February: Love is in the Air

LOVE is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13

Not self-seeking:

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could be moved to near tears at a Monster Truck Rally. But when my dear friends' 11 year old daughter spent her $20.00 on my boys, I was speechless. (PS - I highly recommend a Monster Truck Rally at least once in your lifetime!)

Is Kind:

My Mom's nails were in bad shape - even my Dad said something about her chipped polish. Over our morning coffee, I decided to give her a little manicure. (She messed them up in the shower, but Love is patient too, remember?)

Always hopes:

We started our count down calendar for Dad's release from the hospital. This was my oldest's idea. Love it.

Always perseveres:

He will fight and he will win!

Never fails:

My little petri-dishes are discouraged from visiting their Pop, so we sent hugs via this little craft. Kind of a life-saver. My Dad held their little hands up to his chest and hugged so tight. It melted my heart.

How will you show love today? xo

Forever February: Remember

Forty years. To me that's a lifetime. To my parents, it's the sign of a lot of love and a lot of hard work. If anyone has ever told you marriage, or any relationship for that matter, is easy...they're lying. Plain and simple.  And don't let Hollywood fool you into thinking that 1. sex comes easy - and always rocks, 2.  your man should, and will, always romance the pants off you (this goes back to the big sex lie #1), and 3. you'll live happily ever after. Lie. Lie. Lie. The divorce rates in America and around the world clearly speak to the fact that marriage is hard.

So how can we keep our relationships alive and strong year after year? Well, there's a lot of answers to that, but let's just focus on one for today... Remember. Remember why you fell in love with your spouse in the first place.

Forty four years ago, my Mom made these undies for my Dad at the ripe old age of 19. He still keeps them in his undie drawer. I'm not sure why he does, perhaps as a reminder - I sure hope so.  Anyway, the point is this - I'm pretty sure my Mom still thinks sex is fun (although it kinda gags me to think about that) and I'm quite sure that his body does NOT look like it did 44 years ago. None the less, I do think she still "craves his bod" because of the love that she has for him, not for his abs or firm bootie (both of which were lost in a time/space continuum). My parents have seen and experienced a lot and they are still romancing one another in their own little ways.

So, why did you marry your spouse and promise forever? Me? Well, my hubs was and is hysterically funny, extremely smart, wicked talented, a leader, and above all - a godly, humble man. Sure he still annoys the heck out of me by leaving the toilet seat up, mistaking the floor beside the bed for a dirty clothes hamper, and oh sooo much more, but no one is perfect. Not even me. The little things that annoy me and quite honestly piss me off sometimes are not things he does to make me mad or hurt me. They are simply a part of who he is... a tad forgetful and a tad messy. But when I married him, my vows were for better or for worse and I'm pretty sure his little idiosyncrasies are far from the worst that we'll face together. Year one was proof that we'd face super hard times but we're fighting like hell everyday to make our marriage forever and it is so worth it.

 Now it's your turn to remember - what was it that made you fall in love? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Divorce. Hate. Etc.

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You knew it was coming right?  Posts about love and all the warm fuzzy feelings that it brings about... But what about the flip side of love? Hate. Divorce. Bitterness. Etc. Not a fan. My guess is you aren't either. So, for the next two weeks leading up to February 14th - International Romance Day - I am going to be posting crafts, marriage tips, truths about love and the like. 

I hope you'll join me on this 14 day journey - Forever February. I promise it's gonna be fun. xo

Around the House: Five Lessons Learned

Wouldn't it be nice if every weekend were a three day weekend? There was so much that I wanted to get done this weekend, but my head cold prevented me from accomplishing a lot of it. I was as productive as anyone could be in the midst of sneezes, nose blowing and ear popping. 

I did learn a lot this weekend though:

One - don't have your sick son blow his breath on you to diagnose him as sick or healthy. I think the true litmus for that is via thermometer. I have this crazy idea that I have a seventh sense. I'm pretty sure I can tell if my littles are sick by the way their breath smells. Is it just me or is this a mommy thing? From now on... Daddy's smelling. His immune system seems to be stronger than mine! 

Two - that lump up top is what happens when you leave your clean laundry in the basket for way too long - it takes the shape of said basket.

Three - When your hubs puts the littles down for a nap... they are likely to wake up with sucker sticks in their hair.

Four - Happiness can be found in a $23.00 kitchen mat from West Elm.

Five: Valentine's Day can be super inspiring.

I hope your weekend was full of lessons learned, hugs and kisses as well as sticky sucker heads. It's Monday homies, let's kick this week's booty! You with me? xo

Around the House: Love Edition & Winners

Nothing can prepare you for being a Mom. And there is nothing quite like the joy you get from the strangest things that your kiddos do. Among some of my current faves floating around my house right now are:

Brotherly love

A rainbow ribbon tied to our back door. Every time my youngest sees it he says, "so beautiful!"

Little tiny buns running around the house - sometimes covered in teeny tiny undies, sometimes bare.

LOVE letters

Stickers in random places awaiting to be found.

And lovely color combinations brought about by straws (for cereal milk) and Kleenex boxes (for runny little noses).

Then there are the unexpected things that aren't loved so much, but are just a part of the package.

oogies on your jeans

foam letters in toilets

pencil marks on walls

markers on the couch

sand in the bed (also known as the little crusties that stick to the edges of nostrils and get picked off in the middle of the night - sick.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! What unexpected lovelies are you finding around your house? xo
*Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous or boastful, proud or rude. 1 Corinthians 13:4* Live it!


Tic Tac Tote Winner: Desi Brown - "sloppy snotty kisses are the best"

Heart Felt Pouch Winner: aPearently sew - "I think the little heart pouch would be a great place to keep my business cards."

Winners selected by Random.org - Random Number Generator - Thanks for all of your lovely comments. You guys have some pretty clever things to store in pouches. And I love getting to know who prefers hugs over kisses. Interesting. Winners - send me your information via email! xo

Heart Felt DIYs

I'm back from my little "love break." Didn't really seem like I was gone, but thanks to more "snow/ice" in Dallas, I did get a lot accomplished. Oh, it also helps that the littles took major naps!

Valentine Bags for the Kiddos

Inspired by this:

shot through the heart

Materials:

paper bags

pencils

pipe cleaners (red and white)

hole punch

candy

pencil sharpener (if needed)

marker

Make heart out of red pip cleaner.

Write name of recipient on bag.

Place gifts/candy into bags. (We included bookmarks and handmade crayons in little pouches.)

 Fold top of bag over and punch holes at angle.

 Put sharpened pencil through holes.

 Add pipe cleaner heart.

 Add feathers (cut one pipe cleaner in half and wrap each one) to end of pencil.

 Voila! Instant sweet goodie bag!

For the Hubs:

Materials:

felt

fabric scraps

stamps & stamp pad

paper

markers

For Littles or Grown-ups!:

Inspired by this:

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Materials:

tree printed fabric or wrapping paper

toilet paper roll

candy

double-sided tape

ribbon

marker

I love this idea, because there is so much you can stuff into a toilet paper roll - think jewelry, undies, love coupons... But for the kiddos, I'm stickin' with candy or Chuckie Cheese game coins.

What do you think? Will you try any of these?  Check back later for a super fun giveaway! You don't want to miss it. Promise! xo

Guest Post: Valentine's: It's A Family Affair

Love is: Having your super talented bestie surprise you with a guest post. I hope you enjoy her take on a Valentine's Dinner at Home.

Truth: My husband and I have been together for twelve years. I don’t need a romantic Valentine’s dinner. However, I don’t want to give up on the holiday all together. There are enough cynics out there already. So this year, I’m going to celebrate with ALL my true loves: my husband and two sons. It’s going to be quick and easy, and hopefully memorable. Here are some ideas to get you started if you want to trade Hallmark for a simple night together.

pizza

Dinner: Homemade Pizza
Dough (Boboli thin crust for each person), sauce, toppings (see ideas below), bake (follow package directions).

Let everyone decorate his or her own pizza, bake, cool, and enjoy! Turn on Andrea Bocelli
and sing along. My kids crack up laughing when they hear their dad try to sing opera.

Topping Ideas (prep before hand, let the kids wash and pretend chop with plastic knives while you do the real cutting and chopping. Put all in individual bowls):
Bowls of sauce with spoons for scooping
Shredded mozzarella
Mushrooms
Olives
Bell peppers
Fresh tomato slices
Sun dried tomatoes
Fresh spinach
Cilantro
Black beans
Pepperoni
Canadian bacon
Chopped chicken

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While the pizza cooks, have a contest of who can learn to say “I Love You” in five languages:
Spanish: Te Amo
Italian: Ti Amo
French: Je T’aime
Chinese: Wo Ai Ni
English: I Love You
Winner gets his or her favorite movie-theatre size box of candy (Purchase beforehand and get everyone’s favorite. After the winner gets his or hers, hand out the rest for the runners up.)

AND
Bring out all of your kids’ valentines -- from relatives, classmates and schoolmates -- and read them out loud. Kids are usually so interested in the candy that they don’t bother reading them. Hearing what people think of them, like “Crazy for You from Jane,” can be a big boost! My oldest actually BELIEVES what each Valentine says was written just for him.

AND
Learn 1 Corinthians 13:4. “Love is patient. Love is kind. Love never fails.”

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Dessert: as much candy and popcorn as you can stomach.

Movie: Beauty and the Beast


The end result? A night full of laughter and memories. xo