Collab Fab!

Mommyish has 2 new kits out this week and both are collabs! The first is a collab with Sweet Lilac Studio callled Summer Blooms.

This is the layout I made with this kit...


You can get the kit here! I also used another fabulous font from Kevin & Amanda called Cry Kitty.

The second collab kit was created by Mommyish & Amanda Heimann Designs. It is called Pretty Picnic.

The layout I made with this kit is quickly becoming one of my favorite layouts that I've created so far...


You can get Pretty Picnic here. The font is once again from Kevin & Amanda, it is called Socially Awkward.

Have a great Thursday!

What Happens at Cabelas...Stays at Cabelas

What happens at Cabelas, stays at Cabelas...that is unless your mother is a scrapbooker!

One fine day we went to Cabelas with the grandparents to "feed the fish" and "see the animals". Then we saw a bunch of "stuffies". Those are stuffed animals for those of you who don't speak Emmanese. She picked up the opossum and the rest is photographic history. I'm thinking that these might go into the collection of photos I'm saving to embarass her when she's a teenager.


The kit is Live Out Loud by Mommyish. The font is My Own Topher by Kevin & Amanda.

More Mommyish Love

Mommyish had a new release yesterday...Easter Fever!

You can get it here.

It coordinates with...Sprungle Fever!

And you can get that one here.

Or just buy the bundle here, and save some money!

You can even get this cool freebie from Mommyish's blog!

And last but not least, here is my layout for Easter Fever. I know, the anticipation was eggciting wasn't it! :)

10 Uses For Baby Wipes

Really...I know, but for the past year and a half we've been trying to figure out how to use up all of the wipes we stockpiled while my dd was still in diapers. So I thought I'd pass on a little of what I've learned in our conservation experiment. On a side note, we have always used unscented wipes. I have fragrance allergies and frankly, the smell of baby powder from most wipes just grosses me out!

1. washing little hands & faces - These are great to use while camping, shopping, dining out, etc. I usually have a few on hand at all times. They work just as well for adult hands & faces.

2. makeup removers - They work great on washable waterproof and regular mascara (I've never tried it with traditional waterproof mascara). They don't irritate eyes like some cleansers can. It's a great alternative to "I'm so tired, I'm going to sleep in my makeup".

3. smoothing flyaway hair - As a photographer by profession for several years, this is one of my favorite tricks. Glide the wipe gently over the hair a few times and the flyaways will tame. It won't make the hair look wet either. DO NOT make the mistake of using a Clorox wipe for this trick. I heard a lovely story from the photgrapher when we got my daughter's Christmas pics taken. She said it bleached a noticable patch of the child's hair almost instantly. I feel sorry for that mom and I wasn't even there!

4. cleaning rubber stamps - I always hated trying to clean rubber stamps, especially the kind with the wooden base before I discovered this trick. Just wipe them down with a baby wipe when you're done. It gets into all of the nooks and crannies and saves a lot of time and frustration.

5. quick clean ups - Occasionally I use wipes to pick up dust, clean dirt off of a wall or wipe down counters. Baby wipes sure are handy to have around aren't they?

6. cleaning tile floors - You would laugh if you came to our house on "cleaning day". You might find my daughter and I "floor skating" in the kitchen on our tile floor. We put wipes on the floor, put our feet on top, then we "skate" around the floor to clean up the dirt. It really is a fun way to do a boring task and she doesn't complain at all about helping.

7. paw wipes - Our dog likes to get dirty sometimes. I would rather not have to clean the tile floor everyday so occasionally we resort to using wipes to clean paws on days with bad weather. We taught her to "wipe her feet" on the rug when she came inside as a puppy but now that she's getting older, she just ignores the request. She hears, she just doesn't listen.

8. dry erase clean up - Yucky streaky dry erase boards can be remedied with a simple swipe of a baby wipe. Just wait a minuted for it to fully dry before you try to write on it again.

9. light stain removers - Got something on your shirt at lunch? Splatter yourself with a bit of toothpaste? Were you the victim of food flinging by your toddler? Notice a spot of dirt on your pants? Baby wipes to the rescue! Just wipe the stain with a baby wipe. Depending on the stain, it may just get the whole thing out or leave a less noticeable spot. Either way, the stain will be easier to get out in the wash later.

10. wiping baby bottoms - And last but not least, the original use for baby wipes...for baby bottoms. Did you think I was going to forget this one?

This was not an exhaustive list by any means. Just my top 10. What creative uses have you found for baby wipes?

Busy Busy

Sometimes I forget about my blog. The past few weeks have been one of those times. I started designing layouts as a member of the creative team for an amazing digital scrapbook designer, Mommyish, a little over a month ago. She opened a new shop a few days ago at The Digichick and has had the whole team in a flurry of activity with lots of new releases. I'm keeping up...barely! But I'm enjoying this experience. I'm having to use a single kit, as is, without adding or altering things. It's a challenge but I like challenges! Here are a few new layouts...enjoy!


This is the desktop wallpaper currently on my laptop. It was made using Preppy Priss by Mommyish with an absolutely adorable photo showcasing my daughter's amazingly blue eyes.



In honor of my sweet girl getting her passport photos taken and completing the application process last week, I made this layout. The kit is Sprungle Fever by Mommyish. I love the colors in this kit. Of course I used my new favorite font... Baby Boston by Kevin & Amanda.

Do You JBF?

I am not embarassed to say that I am very frugal. My husband is a spender, I on the other hand, am not. I would like to pay the smallest amount I have to in order to get what I want. I think a lot of this is due to my mother's spendthrift example when I was growing up. Paying off a small mountain of debt a few years ago and not wanting to go into debt again has been my motivation to stay that way. Thank you Dave Ramsey!

When our daughter was born almost 5 years ago, I learned about something almost magical for saving money. It's a little thing called consignment sales. My favorite is Just Between Friends in Grapevine. Kids grow out of their clothes so fast and it seems pointless to spend a small fortune on just a few outfits. So I go to Just Between Friends and buy most of my daughter's clothes for the season and spend no more than I would for 2 or 3 outfits at full price. I know...crazy isn't it! That is why I love these sales. I spend an hour or 2 looking for great deals on gently used clothing and I save a bundle.

In honor of the next sale that is coming up this weekend, March 26th & 27th, I thought I would share a few tips that I've learned over the years.

1. Don't bring your kids with you to the sale.
I made this mistake as a rookie once when my daughter was almost 2. It was not fun having to keep pulling her out of the racks of clothes because she wanted to "hide." Or she wanted to keep playing with all the toys. (In case you didn't know, these sales are more than just clothes!) Draft your spouse or get a babysitter...you'll thank me later.

2. Write down your child's measurements before leaving home & take a tape measure with you to the sale.
This always comes in handy for me, especially for dresses. My daughter has a very long torso and most dresses in her size are too short on her. So I measure from the back of her neck where the neckline should be to the back of her knee. At the sale I use my tape measure to check the length of a prospective dress. If it's shorter than my measurement, NO SALE.

3. Know what you're looking for.
The last thing you want to do is go to the sale and buy 10 pairs of jeans when you really needed shirts and you came home with none. It's just like going to the grocery store, make a list.

4. Bring a huge bag or a laundry basket.
This JBF sale offers IKEA shopping bags to shop with and they will even sell them too you when you leave. Save yourself a buck, bring your own. If you bring a laundry basket, you won't have to carry anything. Just push it along with you as you browse the racks.

5. Examine clothes carefully.
I pay attention to clothing labels. I'll pay more for Gymboree than I will for Circo because the original price is more. I also pay more for adjustable waist pants because for us, they are absolutely necessary and usually cost more in the store. I tend to buy outfits (tops & pants sold together) or multiple pieces bundled together because the are usually a better price per piece. My last step is to check for stains & holes, a deal breaker for me.

6. Set a $$$ limit and stick to it.
I set a budget before I walk into a sale. I pick up the clothes I like as I shop. When I'm done, I take a look at each item again & add them up. If I'm over budget, I put back the items I like the least until I'm back within my budget. It's also a great time to use your shopping list. If you have too many shirts, shirts go back first, etc.

Just writing this post has made me a little giddy. I love saving money! If you're not in the Grapevine area, check out Just Between Friends for a sale near you!

DISCLAIMER: I am not consigning items for this sale...I just love great deals and want to share them with my friends!

Two For The Price of One

I'm not going to bore you with a lot of words in my post today...there are enough of them in the scrapbook layouts that you will see shortly. I'm really enjoying this new creative outlet of being on Mommyish's creative team. The other talented ladies I'm working along side are a riot. We have an online forum where were communicate with each other and it never ceases to amaze me or make me laugh like crazy...sometimes both. I've also been made aware that I have an ellipsis problem. Thankfully the creative team helps enable it!

So here are my latest creations...


Credits: kit - Phat Camp by Mommyish, fonts - Thinking of You & My Own Topher by Kevin & Amanda

And in honor of the 5 year anniversary of my first bout of preterm labor...


Credits: kit - Pinch Me by Mommyish, font - Baby Boston by Kevin & Amanda

Enjoy!