Birthdays. Boys. Budgets.

Many of us out there are not swimming in the moola. And with multiple children, it can be very easy to get out of control with your budget...especially on birthday parties. But it doesn't have to. Now, I didn't throw a whole big bash for my one-year-old or anything, but I don't think he's going to know the difference. You don't have a huge blowout to show your children you love them. Just saying. With that said, I still feel like birthdays are a big deal and the birthday person should feel special and loved. Now, being a military family, we have had to slowly build our friend circle and it isn't huge, but this can be a blessing in disguise...I mean who wants to deal with the drama of inviting everyone you know or hurting people's feelings when they are not included because you don't have the budget to. We don't have a lot of friends who have children the same age as our youngest...he is kind of in between with the families we know. In fact, there is only one child who was within months of turning one as well. The rest of the children in attendance happened to be related to friends we wanted to spend time with.

Anyway, we invited 5-7 other families/couples/individuals and ended up with 6 children celebrating Little B's 1st birthday. And all in all, I believe I spent less than $100 for the whole party. Here's how I did it.

The whole party was based around all things wheels - cars, trucks, trains, etc. My boys love everything that goes! So, I started by gathering all of the trucks and cars I had intended on using as props, decor, etc. These were free. :)

I also made my own road signs from scrap paper I had lying around. They said things like "Dead End," "Party Ahead," "Dig In," and various arrows. I also used the same yellow paper to create road markings that I taped to a black table cover I bought at the Dollar Tree bringing my total to..............$1.00

I also made my own little orange cones from construction paper. I didn't have any orange paper so I did indeed have to buy some from Michael's, but I used a 40% coupon making it maybe $2.00 or so. But I'm not going to count this toward my party budget mostly because I only used a handful of sheets from this multi-pack that will be used for scrapbooking and other crafts. These were used to decorate the main table and were stuffed with the favors I handed out at the end of the party. The favors included cheese/cracker snacks ($2.00), tattoos ($2.00), puzzles ($4.00), and mini cars ($2.00). This brings my total to about $11.00.

At the age of 1, there isn't a whole lot of party activities that they can take part in. That made things easy. I gathered a bunch of car-themed items I found around the house - wooden puzzles, books, matchbox cars, etc. I layed them out on a mini table (excuse the sticker-covered Dora set I borrowed from my daughter) with seats. I also bought several wooden cars/trucks from AC Moore craft store and provided crayons for them to decorate. These were a $1 each totaling $8.00. Now, my budget comes to $19.00 and we're more than half way ready for the party!!

The food is where parties can get expensive. That's why I plan my birthday parties at off-prime meal times like 2pm. That way, guests should have already eaten lunch, but will not yet be ready for dinner by the end of the party. I only have to provide some refreshments/finger foods. On this day, the menu included a case of water ($3.00), soda (less than $3.00), pretzels ($3.00), a cheese bread bake with fruits ($12.00), veggie straws ($3.00), and cake ($0.00)! A friend offered to make some cake pops in traffic light colors decorated with some of the boys' car and truck toys! We also had a few adult drinks that cost somewhere between ($15-20.00). That brings us to a total of about $63.00. I have to note that I found a super cute snack idea on Pinterest using apple slices and grapes. Basically, I cut the grapes in half and using a toothpick, I attached 2 halves on either side of the apple slice to make it look like cars! Check out the picture below.

The only items I have left out so far are balloons (which I hung from the ceiling instead of having them blown up with helium) and other very minor decorative items that cost about $3.00 and the invitations which were maybe $10. Final cost = $76.00. How amazing is that?!!! It was a relaxing time where I could focus on my guests and the birthday boy and it seemed like we all had a great time. Here is the final set up of the heart of the party. :)

P.S. Stay tuned for a budget-friendly spa party for my daughter taking place in just a couple short weeks.

New Year, New You

(Please note that this post was written 2 weeks ago, but I went on a trip and brought back a really, really bad cold that I am still recovering from)

Holy guacamole! It has been a really long time since I wrote a post, but I have been on a really crazy ride called life. I have been working really hard on my photography business and getting it off the ground which is taking quite a bit of my time up. There was also all that family time during the holidays and we're leaving on another trip in a few days so I'm packing, packing, packing for the 5 of us. But there is so much that I want to share with you all. I want to share the Christmas gifts I put together for my daughter's many teachers, I want to tell you all about our Christmas, I want to talk about resolutions. And I hope to get to all of that. But before I do, in celebration of my first post of the new year, I would like to talk about a few products I have recently become acquainted with that are reasonably priced and have made a difference in my life. :) I cannot stress enough how OK it is to take care of yourself as well as your families and work. Do not feel guilty...and at these prices, there is no reason to feel guilty.

The first item is Josie Maran's Bear Naked Nail Wipes. I have a tendency to linger near the checkout counter at Sephora where they keep all of the travel/trial sized products and look for new things to try at low(er) costs. These go for $9.00 for 20 pads and 1 wipe is supposed to remove the nail polish off of all 10 fingers (thought it took me 2 since I had those stubborn nail polish colors on) and treat your cuticles and nails. I was quite surprised how great my fingers felt and I was more than prepared to use the whole container of pads for my digits. And how can it get any better than proceeds going to help the polar bears. :) Oh, and I have to mention that they smell pretty good, too!! I rather enjoyed doing my own nails on a 2 hour drive to New York.

Another product I found from Sephora is Bumble and Bumble's Grooming Creme. This hair creme is meant for the women who does not have the patience or time to make fiddle with her hair every morning. That is totally me! I just ran my fingers through my hair with the product on and it kept from frizzing and acted as a very light gel/hairspray. I really liked it and it didn't make my hair feel oily or anything like what normal frizz-free serums tend to feel like.

Last, but not least is the new Botanical Effects line of face care from Mary Kay. All my time as a consultant, I used the TimeWise line, but once my last facial bar was gone, I switched it up to this line, the newest of the face care thus far. My face didn't feel dry at all after cleansing, but felt very clean. And once I applied the moisturizer, my skin just felt amazing. I am winding down my business with Mary Kay, but this is a great product I have come to love at the last minute. And I can't fail to mention that it is made from natural ingredients.

Are there any new things you've tried recently that I should know about?

Peace To All - UPDATE

Today I woke up in a rush to get 2 of my 3 children off to school on time. Once they were dropped off, I breathed a sigh of relief to have a short break from the crying and yelling and whining. However, throughout the morning and early afternoon, my feelings have changed. I want nothing more to go and pick both of them up and hug them tight. What caused this change you may ask? The continued coverage on the news networks on the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

I live on the other side of the state where this occurred. I cannot possibly imagine what would possess a person to open fire at an elementary school housing children ages 5-10. My daughter recently started Kindergarten and other than here at home, school is another supposed "safe haven" I thought my child could spend her days. I was nearly brought to tears imagining being called to my daughter's school and having to wait an hour, maybe two to find out if she is OK and to hold her again.

As is being reported, the gunman is the son of one of the teachers at the school and one can only wonder, being that he became a victim himself, what his thought processes were to do this in the environment filled with innocent children. Apparently the motive was targeted toward his parents (the 24-year-old gunman's father was also found dead in his home in Hoboken, NJ). No judgment toward the deceased parents, but one has to wonder what the shooter's background was, his childhood, etc. More importantly, this reminds us as parents to hug our children and tell them we love them every day, to teach them to respect others and to be careful of their surroundings.

(I want to note that you please excuse any scatter-brained thoughts here as I have one ear on the television keeping up with the breaking news of this event).

Some facts that the news has reported so far:
- The gunman was a 24 year old male targeting his mother, who opened fire in the front office and continued on to his mother's classroom at approximately 9:30 this morning. The gunman turned out to be a 20 year old male who did indeed kill his mother though she was not in fact linked to the school in any way. It is still unknown why the shooter went to the school.
- 18 of the 26 victims were in fact children, only 3 made it to the hospital (no word on their conditions at the moment) 2 of the 3 that ended up in the hospital did not make it. They were also young students of Sandy Hook Elementary.
- The gunman's father was also found dead in his Hoboken, NJ home. This statement is untrue. Not sure what the connection between the body found in Hoboken and the Lanza gunman.

My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims of this tragedy so close to one of the happiest times of the year. I appreciate all of the efforts the teachers made to shield as many of the students as possible. They seemed very well trained in this situation. It could have been a lot worse seeing as one person recalled that the shooter intended to kill all that was present at the school. I pray those children find peace with the loss of their friends and administrators. I pray they are held tight by their parents tonight and every night.

Love and hug your children each and every day. Cherish them always. Listen to all that they have to say, no matter how minute it is to you, as it is not minute to them.

Peace to all.

I believe myself to be sensitive to the mentally disabled, which is what Adam Lanza was said to have suffered from. In elementary school, I spent a lot of time with a mentally disabled peer who often through fits more suitable to children 2-3 or more years younger than we were and was not able to speak. I enjoyed being her "helper." However, I am also naïve to many situations and unfamiliar with the different aspects of, types of mental disorders, etc. I was pretty upset with this whole situation and have been keeping up with the news. I was also very upset with the individual who started this and in some way probably blamed his parents. However, I came across an article that a friend posted on Facebook. And I must say that my eyes have been opened and unfortunately there is not always anything that can be done and no real reason for the actions that these individuals may take. I pray that some day we find a cure or some way to better help these individuals and their families. I do believe that there ought to be strict laws on gun control, but also believe that guns are not the ones that kill people - people do. Nonetheless, full background checks, home searches, etc should be taken as a precaution to putting these types of weapons and others in people hands and homes. I grew up in a home with a gun and my parents did well to keep it hidden. I was not aware of its whereabouts for the most part. I was also educated to stay far, far, far away from it.

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify all of the "facts" that had originally come out and that I have posted. There is still a ton of unknown out there and I hope to learn more in the coming days as the investigation continues if not for my own sanity and education, but to help better prepare my own children for scary, sad, unfortunate situations.

Thanks for lending an ear.

Peace To All

Today I woke up in a rush to get 2 of my 3 children off to school on time. Once they were dropped off, I breathed a sigh of relief to have a short break from the crying and yelling and whining. However, throughout the morning and early afternoon, my feelings have changed. I want nothing more to go and pick both of them up and hug them tight. What caused this change you may ask? The continued coverage on the news networks on the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.

I live on the other side of the state where this occurred. I cannot possibly imagine what would possess a person to open fire at an elementary school housing children ages 5-10. My daughter recently started Kindergarten and other than here at home, school is another supposed "safe haven" I thought my child could spend her days. I was nearly brought to tears imagining being called to my daughter's school and having to wait an hour, maybe two to find out if she is OK and to hold her again.

As is being reported, the gunman is the son of one of the teachers at the school and one can only wonder, being that he became a victim himself, what his thought processes were to do this in the environment filled with innocent children. Apparently the motive was targeted toward his parents (the 24-year-old gunman's father was also found dead in his home in Hoboken, NJ). No judgment toward the deceased parents, but one has to wonder what the shooter's background was, his childhood, etc. More importantly, this reminds us as parents to hug our children and tell them we love them every day, to teach them to respect others and to be careful of their surroundings.

(I want to note that you please excuse any scatter-brained thoughts here as I have one ear on the television keeping up with the breaking news of this event).

Some facts that the news has reported so far:
- The gunman was a 24 year old male targeting his mother, who opened fire in the front office and continued on to his mother's classroom at approximately 9:30 this morning.
- 18 of the 26 victims were in fact children, only 3 made it to the hospital (no word on their conditions at the moment)
- The gunman's father was also found dead in his Hoboken, NJ home.

My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims of this tragedy so close to one of the happiest times of the year. I appreciate all of the efforts the teachers made to shield as many of the students as possible. They seemed very well trained in this situation. It could have been a lot worse seeing as one person recalled that the shooter intended to kill all that was present at the school. I pray those children find peace with the loss of their friends and administrators. I pray they are held tight by their parents tonight and every night.

Love and hug your children each and every day. Cherish them always. Listen to all that they have to say, no matter how minute it is to you, as it is not minute to them.

Peace to all.

Save the Knees!!!

Man, I think it's been a while. Well, I'm here now and that's what matters, right? Hope you missed me. Lol. Anyway, tonight I'm posting about another DIY craft I did. My youngest is almost 10 months young and well, he's on the move...and fast. I don't know how this happened. One minute he was idle and cried every time he wanted to move. He didn't like being on his belly for very long...he even refused to roll over from his back onto his belly, but had no problem going the other way around. I know, I know. Every mother says that time flies and kids grow up too fast. But seriously...I don't know how this happened. And as if this wasn't bad enough, he's sprouted 4 teeth. What the what? I am not happy about this. And quite frankly, neither are his knees. They were starting to get red and full of scratches. :( Therefore, all of this recent activity has sparked a craft project!!

Sure, you can purchase knee bads online or what have you...but really, why bother when this stage is only going to last a few mere months? So, I got to thinking and researching online for DIY knee pads. I didn't care for much of what I saw online, so I decided to take a few different ideas and a couple of my own and put together my own little thing. It was rather simple. All it requires is a pair of old tube socks, reusable nursing pads (just in case you find the need to wash them you don't want to use disposable pads), fabric scraps, needle and thread. I kindly asked the hubby for a pair of old socks (he would only give a pair of plain ol' white ones...not the cute stripedy ones) and since I recently finished nursing, I collected a pair of my old reusable boobie pads. And I have some scrap fabric laying around from old projects I did. You can find some at your local fabric store or by about a pound on Etsy for about $5-$10 depending on the quality/brand of the fabric. But you really are only going to use about 2-3"x3" squares. And this is what I did.

The first step was to wrap the fabric over one side of the pads and using a simple hand stitch, secured it to the pad. This is just going to add a little bit of comfort and padding to baby's poor little knees.

Then I cut the tube off the socks and to keep it from fraying, I "hemmed" the side I cut.

The next step was to attach the fabric-covered pad to the sock. Again, all of this sewing really requires the simplest of stitches. Whatever you think works best. I also doubled up on the thread just to increase durability. Ta-Da! You've got knee pads for your little one to move about wherever he wants. If only I could create a DIY invisible baby gate to go around the Christmas tree!!!

Hope you have fun saving your baby's knees!!! Stay warm!

P.S. These photos were taken with my awesomely bad camera phone!!!

Upcycling this Season

Part of our Thanksgiving week traditions are for 1) to have a scrumptious homemade meal of the works - turkey, gravy, stuffing, rice/mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc. etc. etc., 2) Black Friday shopping at midnight and 3) getting our Christmas tree and decorating the house Friday-Sunday. This year we mostly skipped tradition, but for good cause. We ended up hitting the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC (though I still want to go again when the kids are a little bit older and will remember the day and actually get up on the parade route even if that means waiting around for 3+ hours). Then we did indeed go Black Friday shopping, but not at midnight seeing as the drive back home from New York took a lot out of us. But on Saturday morning I gathered the family and dragged them to a Christmas tree farm to pick out our tree and have it freshly cut even if it caused my hubby to miss almost the entire first half of a very important football game he really, really, really wanted to watch!!! Nonetheless, the tree is up and decorated.

We had to trim a few branches from the bottom of the tree in order for it to sit nicely in our stand. And since I like the smell of fresh Christmas tree, I decided to make some cute decorative branches with them. It was a great way to use up the excess and I've listed a few of the extras on Facebook for sale. :) Alright, I guess I have to admit that my husband teases me for being a "hippy" and a tree hugger because I like to recycle and reuse good stuff. Haha. Whatever...let's save the planet one branch at a time. Check them out. They are super easy and cute.



Simply bunch branches together, rubberband them, attach ornaments with wire, twist tie, ribbon, etc. and complete with pretty bow and ribbon to hang.

From a quiet home (successfully got 3 kids in bed), to yours...whatever decibal it may be at. :)

All Aboard!

As you know, I put together a train themed birthday party for my son who just turned 2. He had a great time. It was intimate in our home with few family and friends - we had originally requested the neighborhood community center and were pretty upset to find another party going on there...oh overbooking. Anyway, just about everything I put together was handmade. Take a look at the fun, however please excuse the photos themselves. I was a bit distracted by the party that the pictures are really subpar. I was a bit scatter brained and couldn't figure out the lighting for the life of me!!

I ordered the invitations off of Etsy. I also made all of the snacks that were served including Pizza Bites, Apple Chips, Candied Popcorn, and Chips and Salsa for the adults. The snacks were labeled and served aboard a train constructed by the hubby and I from cardboard boxes and wrapping paper. The drinks consisted of bottled water (labeled Steam Water) and chocolate milk (labeled Fuel) - all labels were made by myself and were super easy...just print out the words in your favorite font, cut them out and glue to layers of scrap paper.

 

The décor was really simple as well. It consisted of balloons and railroad tracks (electrical tape) leading to the front door. A "Happy Birthday" sign that we reuse every celebration and more balloons.

Since my son is only 2 (even if most of his guests were over that age), the activities were pretty limited, but still maintained a decent flow throughout the party. I passed out favors at the beginning of the party including a conductor's hat, a wooden train whistle (both ordered off of Amazon) and Chuggington coloring pages with molded crayons I made. They had a great time snacking and blowing their whistles for the first half hour-ish. Luckily we were at home and had the availability of my kids' toys. They started playing with cars, trains, dinosaurs, books and more right here in the living room where parents could keep an eye on their kids. And all of them got along great! They were playing well together and sharing and talking and laughing. It was amazing. Another simple activity I had lined up was a Silly Photo Booth. You can buy prepackaged props from Wal-Mart - the one that I got was in the party section and included a plastic background and face props (mustaches, hats, lips, glasses, etc.) And before a lull could make its way into the party, I brought out a cardboard box my husband had transformed into a train with windows (luckily we had just received our new couch in this very large box) and the kids colored away on it. :)

 

The reoccurring theme of the party is that it was simple, but fun. Nothing too extravagant and beyond my means...we saved a lot of money by making things ourselves (we probably spent on the lower end of somewhere between $100-200). This was all for 6 children and 10 adults.

For my son's 2 year portraits, check out my photography blog at Happy Child Images. :)

If I don't get a chance to post before Thursday, Happy Turkey Day to you!!!