BLOGGER OPP!

I have a Free Blogger Opp I would like to share. We are having a Back to School Bash! It will run from August 1^st till the August 16^th! These are all the dates and the wonderful vendors we are sponsoring!

First we have the KIDS items:

Aug. 1 Tin Tree Gifts Custom Lunch Box

Aug. 2 Plum Paper Designs Family/School Planner

Aug. 3 Mayberry Primitives Custom Monogrammed Backpack

Aug. 4 Mouhoxtab Monster Pencil Case

Aug.  5 Designs by RJH Custom 16oz. Water Bottle

Aug.  6 Moja Creations Reusable Lunch Kit

Aug. 7 Mad Tilly Crayon Roll

Aug. 8 The Printed Party 60 Personalized Waterproof Name Labels

Aug. 9 Heads Up Designs Custom T-Shirt

Now not to forget our wonderful TEACHERS:

Aug. 10 JK Trends Insulated Teachers Cup

Aug. 11 Lolu Designs Customer Teachers Yearly Planner

Aug, 12 Gracie Lou Kangroo Custom Monogrammed Lanyards

Aug. 13 Owl Paper Scissors Clothespin Picture Hanging Kit

Aug. 14 Mya C Designs Teachers Pencil Case

Aug. 15 Monica Rysavy Designs Monogrammed Teachers Clipboard

Aug. 16 The Burlap Butterfly Classroom Rules Subway Sign

I am looking for bloggers willing to help promote my bash and all these wonderful prizes! I would require you to promote 3x weekly on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! Each participating blogger will get one free (Facebook or Twitter) giveaway spot. Any second entry can be purchased for $2.00 sent as a gift to lu413@frontier.com through paypal! Any co-host spots are $10.00 contact me for more info! Please email me at lu413@aol.com if you are interested all HTML will be provided by email at least 48 hours prior to date. If you know any bloggers that might like to help please forward the info onto them! Thanks in advance! ~Sarah

 

Car Seat Safety Just A Reminder!

"Car crashes are a leading killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the United States. The best way to protect them in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way.

There are so many car seat types and models, how do you know which one is right for your child? The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car, and is one you will use correctly every time you travel. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, you will be establishing the foundation for a lifelong habit of seat belt use every time your child travels." ~NHTSA

 

I have noticed more and more on Facebook pictures of my friends kids in the car in a car seat that is not correctly buckled! Now this is one of my pet peeves.  That buckle called a chest buckle goes on the chest of your child not the belly button!

 

I am constantly checking Little Mans seat to make sure that he is properly secured and snug as a bug in his seat! I just wanted to give all my readers and my friends a little reminder car seat safety is SUPER IMPORTANT! We are carting around precious cargo and we need to remember as mommies they are our first and most important priority!

 

BUCKLE THEM UP and MAKE SURE THEY ARE SECURE!

 

Here are some friendly reminders from the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration! Check them out and make sure you are securing your little one the proper way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farmers Market Day!

My kids love fresh fruit and there is no better place to get fresh fruit than a local farmers market. We are truly blessed to have one about 10 miles from our home. Orr's Farmers Market is a wonderful place that offers year round fruit, veggies, bakes good, and some local meats. They are offer prepackaged fruits or pick your own.

 

 

My kids love to pick fruit themselves. There is just something fun about running through the rows of fresh fruit picking your own selection of yummies.

 

 

 

So on the first official day of summer for my daughter we headed out to Orr's and picked us some beautiful strawberries and we plan to go back in the next few weeks for blueberries and cherries!

 

 

 

We got really lucky with the weather today it was 75 and breezy with no humidity! It was a gorgeous day and we had a blast. So find your local farmers market and take your kids.

 

 

 

Teach them where the food comes from and support a local business!

Summer Feet

Feet! Yuck! Or pigs as we call them in our house (like this little piggy went to town :)!) Well in the summer time I have to come to terms with the fact that I do not have the prettiest feet in town. I hate to mention it but I hate my feet they are a size 10 thanks to having two kids (they used to be a nine but with each child I gained a 1/2 a shoe size). They are tough skinned from running around all summer as a kid without shoes and the will never be soft and pretty like those feet models on tv for shoes and toe nail polish.

 

Finally I did find something that helps with the tough skin on the bottom of my feet and it is all natural and really easy to use so I figured I would share with you all!

 

All you need is: 

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Epsom Salt

Add warm water to cover your feet

 

 

Soak each foot in this mixture for 10-20 minutes and then lightly scrap with a pumice stone. This helps that icky tough skin come off easily and then cover in a good foot lotion and wear socks for a few hours. I must say this helps a lot. My feet are at least ready to wear sandals and not frighten the critters away!

 

Hope this helps you get summer ready piggys, have a Faith Filled Footstep kind of day!

 

Rubbermaid Sale & United Way!

If and when I can I support American made, local business and charities! I feel this is my duty as an American.

 

 

So when I heard about the local Rubbermaid factory having a damage sale to support local charities I was all over this. It turns out the local factory takes all of its slightly off specs or damaged items and the last Saturday of every month they set up at the local mall and sell all the stuff at SUPER low prices and give that money to a local charity. Well as far as the frugal giving mommy in me was concerned this was a win win!

 

 

The last Saturday in May (it happened to be freezing it was a whopping 46 degrees BRR!) my hubby and his mom and dad the kids and I all packed up in the car and ran down to the sale. They set up all the stuff in the parking lot and rope it off. You can try and look from 7-8 and then a 8 am it becomes a free for all. They have all kinds of stuff garbage cans, bins, garden carts, kitchen spatulas, mops, dusters, toilet bowl brushes. Every month they have different stuff. I got toilet bowl brushes for a buck my hubby got a HUGE outdoor rolling trash can for less than half price! It is awesome!

 

 

 

Check and see if your local factories do this and go check it out! We will be going back every few months to check out the goodies! Good Luck!

 

Microwave Love

So a few months ago we purchased a “new to us” house.  The house was built in 1996 and the appliances scream 90’s. We have made a lot of upgrades to the house like paint and light fixtures but the kitchen needed some work. We replaced all of the door handles with beautiful stainless steel knobs the old ones were cream and NASTY dirty!

I read an article this past week about appliances that turn themselves on and how they are a fire hazard and should be removed or replaced immediately.  That was truly frightening to me so this had to be resolved ASAP! So we decided to tackle the microwave that seems to have a mind of its own. It turns itself on and stops working when you need to use it. I am not a huge micro waver but when I want to use it the thing it really needs to work. I have no patience for things that don’t do the job they are intended for.

 

So off to Lowes we went and found a really nice Samsung microwave in Stainless Steel. We got a good deal, over the stove microwaves are really expensive the cheapest being 175.00 to the most expensive I saw 699.99 (YIKES!). We spent around 250.00 and got all the thing I wanted a spinner thing inside, a good fan and light so I can see what I am cooking on my stove an essential as far as I was concerned.

 

It took us about 2 hours to install this but the directions are super easy. The hardest part was taking out the old microwave this took forever. Whoever installed this bad boy was clueless or lazy and my Hubby said he was surprised it hadn’t fallen off the wall!

 

 

Once we got the old one off they give you this handy little template for the new one you just tape in into the hole and drill the holes in the indicated spots and hang the new microwave as directed. Super dummy proof if you have a stud finder and a drill you can do this all by yourself. If not, Lowes charges about 100.00 to install for you and haul away the old one!

 

Remember to have a Faith Filled Footsteps kind of day!



Sewing 101

To say that I am a great sewer is probably a silly statement.  I can sew and I do but I am by no means a seamstress. I love the thrill of making something by hand but I am not wonderful at it. I have the basics. So I thought I would share what I made for my son this week. He has a Mickey Mouse little kids couch that he loves to pull in front of the television and watch cartoons or play Nintendo DS with his sister, they both cram onto this couch and snuggle up. The only problem with this couch is that when you fold it out to a lounger the back is not really sturdy and needed something. So I decided to make a nice fluffy pillow for them to use. I looked for months for Mickey fabric that was bright and fun and I just never found any so I ended up making a construction pillow another thing my son loves trucks!

What you will need:

1 yard fabric (Wash it first)

Matching thread

Pins

 

Stuffing

 

Sewing Machine

 

I measured the back of the couch and decided what size pillow I would need. It just happened to be the same size of the packaging of stuffing I bought (Lucky Me!).  I took the fabric and folded it over making the fabric inside out. You would then measure the size of the pillow you want if you want to make a round pillow you can use a dinner plate or bucket to get the right shape remember to add 2 inches to each side to leave room to stitch the pillows together. I just used the package of stuffing since it was the perfect size. 

 

 

Once you have it measured out you then pin it all the way around to help hold it together as you sew.

 

Hopefully you have a sewing machine and basically know how to use it. If not you can hand stitch the pillow but it will take a lot of stitching. Thread your machine and start at one end. When I make a pillow I use one continuous stitch when I get the corners I just lift the foot and switch directions of the thread. Remember to leave about 2 inches at the end open to stuff all the stuffing in.

 

 Once you have it stitched remove it from the machine and turn inside right.  Stuff the amount of stuffing need to make the pillow extra fluffy.  The stuffing will flatten over the time so the more the merrier.

 

Once you have your pillow filled you then need to stitch closed the stuffing hole you can either do this by hand I prefer to use my machine and double stitch it closed to make sure it stays tightly closed. Then enjoy your handy work!

Little Man love his new pillow!

Remember to have a Faith Filled Footsteps kind of day!

 

 

AM I OVERREACTING!



Am I overreacting…..

My daughter is in the 5^th grade and this week she came home on Monday and told me that her school had been broken into and a few things had been stolen. She said that when they got to school that morning the front vestibule was trashed and a suit of armor and a bike were missing. Later that day they had the kids write a paper about the robbery and they where who asked they thought would do something so bad. They were asked to report anything they might know about what happened. I can tell you that personally my daughter was a little freaked that her school was so easily broken into so we talked about safety and how the person who did this was wrong. Good learning experience!

Then I get a phone call the next day and I am informed by a friend that the school staged the whole thing and that they are doing this as a Relay for Life fundraiser. Supposedly the children were shown a You Tube Video on Tuesday stating that if they wanted the knight back they needed to drop coins for “ransom” and then they would get the knight back!

Ok so here is my problem my daughter goes to a school that has 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders. These children range in age from 8 to 12 depending on birthdays and age when enrolled in school.  I feel that in this crazy world we live in do we need to scare kids by making them feel unsafe in the school they attend.  The parents were not notified of the farce and they still have not officially told the kids that it was a prank. I feel like this was extremely inappropriate and that they would have been better served to do a more Where is Waldo theme. I am debating writing the school board and complaining and I crazy or am I overreacting? I would love your thoughts on this! Please let me know what you think on my Facebook Page!



Chickens Chickens Everywhere........

For those of you who don't know we have chickens. Not one or two but 20 some.  We have one rooster Old Man and his flock of lovely ladies.  Me personally I am not a huge chicken fan (my husband is the farmer) but I do love me some fresh eggs.  In the future we will be bringing you Chicken love with some facts, recipes and egg love!

 

So keep an eye out until then check out Old man and his flock of ladies!

 

 

 

 

Things that go BUMP in the night!

I had to share my crazy experience last night with you all. Around 11 pm last night I heard a very loud noise outside in our back yard it was so loud my husband who was on the other end of the house heard it and came with the spot light. We keep our trash cans in the wood shed behind our house. When my husband shined the light out what we say surprised both of us it was a raccoon. He had knocked all the trash cans over and was looking for dinner. I can honestly say I have seen baby bears smaller than this coon he was HUGE! Like dog huge! To say the least our next project will be to build a trash can holder that can keep a very large and hungry raccoon out! You just never know! Wish I had a night vision camera I would have shared a picture with you all. 

 

 

Remember to make it a Faith Filled Footstep kind of day! Oh.......just a reminder go check out our Facebook page. We are having a giveaway when we get to 100 likes!

My Life!

 

Meet my kiddos!

 

 

Sugar Bee is my baby girl she is 11. She is my craft critic, my yummy taster and the person who challenges me the most in this world. She makes me patient and creative.  She plays the violin and the piano she also sings in the after school chorus.  She loves all things outdoors! She is growing into such a beautiful lady and I am so proud of her!

Little Man is 22 months old he will be 2 in June! I am so not ready for that. He is a constant joy! He makes me smile and laugh and do things I would never do in public.  He is super smart and likes his big sister he loves to be outside.  He loves animals and anything with wheels.

These 2 little people are the reason I do everything I do and I would not have it any other way! I love my kids!

 

 

Just a Thought!

 

This is exactly how I feel about my kids!

They are only little for a small amount of time!

New Opportunity, New Friends (Hopefully!) and Some Fun

I would like to start by first saying that I am so greatful to Alex of Mommy's Craft Obsession for this opportunity.  I have been thinking about starting my own blog for a few months now and then I saw Alex's post and knew that this was the little push that I needed.

My name is Sarah and I am a mommy to two super special kids. My daughter is 11 and my son is 22 months. Now that is a BIG gap (that is always what people say to me....it makes me laugh every time because you have NO idea!). I thought I was one and done and then we got a suprise and what a blessing he has been.  After my son was born in 2011 I quit my job in the banking world and became a stay at home mommy.  I love this new job and journey but I have a great perspective on both sides. It is hard to be a working mom, the struggles of missing things, guilt and work always being there needing more time. It is also hard being a stay at home mom. People think you do nothing as if taking care of kids, home and everyone elses needs it not a FULL time job. So I totally get it! But I would not trade this great time with my kids for anything.  Then there is my husband we have been together for 10 plus years he is my best friend and the person who gets me better than anyone, he makes me laugh when I shouldn't and brings great joy to my life. I wouldn't want to tackle this crazy world with anyone else! Check out my awesome family below this is four generations of love!

So now to the good stuff, my blog is new and hopefully will grow with each new friend we make.  It is called Faith Filled Footsteps because that is what I do every day.  I step out into this crazy world with Faith the God knows what he is doing and that what we have is provided by him. He places things in our paths for our growth in him. I raise my children to believe that he is our all and the only thing that we need. So please join us in this crazy journey as we take every day with Faith Filled Footsteps.

The fun stuff.............

We just finished up spring break here and I don't know about you but all I hear from my daughter during school breaks is " I AM BORED!". So we try and find something to do a few days during breaks.  This time we tackled a super fun project a pop cap bracelet.  My daughter saw these on Etsy and they were $8.00-$13.00. Now I don't know about you but my budget does not allow for kids jewelry in this price range. So we set out to make one. We tried a few that ended up terrible but here is the one we ended up making and my daughter loved.  In fact my 23 year old sister wanted one too!

Pop Cap Bracelets

What you will need:

Ribbon of your choice (thinner is better)
18-26 pop caps
tape 
scissors

To start off take the ribbon and wrap it around your wrist 4 times this is to allow for the proper length.  Fold the ribbon in half to find the middle. Once you have the center take a few pieces of tape  and tape in to your working surface tightly (you will be pulling on this so tape it down good, I used 3 or 4 pieces).

You can do this 2 ways you can face all the pop caps the same direction (this is what we did to eliminate any confusion) or you can alternate them to make the bracelet a little wider.

Take your first pop cap and lace the ribbon up from the bottom through the 1st cap. Pull this cap tight to your tape. You don't want the loop to be to large at the top because this is how you tie the bracelet on.

Take your second pop cap and lace the ribbons down through the holes. Your ribbons will go straight they never criss cross (thought you could probably do this for a more decorative look if you wanted but after so many tries I wasn't going to make this any harder!). Then lace the ribbon back down trough the first cap. Remember to keep the first cap thight to the tape as you tighten them down!

Take your third cap and lace the ribbon up through the holes don't pull it tight to the second cap because you need to lace the ribbon up through the second cap then pull tight.

 

 

The first and third cap should be making a row on the bottom with cap two making a row on the top. The side should look like one cap stacked on two caps.

Now take cap four and lace the ribbon down through the holes don't pull tight because you then need to lace the ribbon down through the cap underneath it cap 3.

Continue these steps until you have the desired length for my daughter it was 18 caps for my sister 21 caps. Then tie a double knot underneath the last cap and lace up to make your end ties.  Tie the braclet around your wrsit like a friendship bracelet making a bow then you can cut any extra ribbon. You can also make a belt but that takes about 65 pop cans! 

 

 

 

 

We loved the way these look.  Just a side note we found 1 yard spools of great pattern ribbon at Jo Anns Fabric for $1.00 so these bracelts were CHEAP! And the yard of ribbon was the perfect length. You can also use colored pop caps some different sodas have different colors or you can spray paint them. These are the three we made!

I hope you love this craft enough to checkout my blog and Facebook page. I can't wait to bring you another guest blog next time.  Remember to make everyday a day of Faith Filled Footsteps

Love,

 

Sarah