DIY Diaper Cake

I helped Mimi put together a diaper cake for a baby shower in honor of a gal in her bible study group. I had never made one before, but knew it couldn't be that difficult. 

I did a bit of Googling and found the easiest tutorial from Momaroo.

We used a basic cake stand as our base. 

The instructions said to start out with one large piece of twine and add folded diapers until you've made the size you want {I'm not sure how this was done alone, Mimi and I found it difficult with two of us trying to hold the diapers}. We found it easier to create smaller sections of diapers with twine, then wrap each section together with the larger piece of twine. It comes out exactly the same as the tutorial, and prevented the diapers from moving around while trying to tie them together. 

I decorated each layer with pretty girly ribbon using double sided tape and bit of hot glue. Mimi made the bows. And we topped it with a cute pair of baby booties. 

-Karla

Independence Day

Happy 4th of July!

We didn't have any big plans for the day...no day at the beach, no barbecue or picnic, and definitely trying to avoid the fireworks {especially since the wonderful people in my neighborhood have felt it necessary to put on a show for the last 3 days}. I'm starting to sound like a grouchy old lady. 

Bubba and I celebrated in our own way. We went bowling and swimming. 

Made this festive sensory bin.

Attempted to make our own firework art,

which didn't work out quite how Better Homes and Gardens said it would. {Note: to make diluted glue use 2 parts glue to 1 part water}

And Bubba worked on his 4th of July Preschool Unit from 2 Teaching Mommies.

Hope ya'll had a great 4th! 

-Karla

Boys Building Stuff

Just another Saturday....

Bubba building stuff with his Big Bro. 

If you're curious as to what it is they actually made....it is a tube for Bubba to hold all of his little Lego men. 

-Karla

Half Way to Christmas

Last Monday, we had a few friends over for a Half Way to Christmas Party play-date.

What better way to stay cool in the summer, than to celebrate the moderately cool (in Florida) month of December?

source

We kept cool with this awesome Frozen Hot Chocolate (recipe from Serendipity's).

And kept our tummies full with yummy semi-homemade "pop tarts," cut into fun holiday shapes.

To make your own tarts, you'll need:

store bought pie crust

preserves or other filling

cookie cutters 

Cut the pie crust with the cookie cutters, or use a knife to cut into small squares. Spread the preserves on one side of pie crust. Top with the second piece and crimp edges with a fork. Bake at 400º for 9-12 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Top with your favorite frosting, or make your own...

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla

-Karla

Dear Daddy,

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Even though you can't be here today, 

I just want to say....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

I love you so much!

You're the best Daddy in the whole world!

I can't wait for you to come home!

Love & Kisses,

Bubba

Counting Goldfish

This activity was part of the Letter F pack I put together for Bubba.

I cut out 10 fish bowls on construction paper, numbered them 1-10, and laminated them. Then gave Bubba a small box of goldfish to count with.

For every one fish he put down on a card, he would put one in his mouth.

Check out some of the other fishy activities:

Rainbow Fish CD Suncatcher

Ocean in a bag

-Karla

DIY Wedding Day Emergency Kit

I put together this handy Wedding Day Emergency Kit for my friend JJ, to give to her at the bridesmaid luncheon the day before her wedding. I intended to make a cute little tag for it as well, but you know how I am. Maybe it will make it on Moni's kit in a few months...or not - we'll see. Either way, it is quite a handy little bag. 

JJ swore up and down she did NOT need an emergency kit. But, she was wrong. As I knew she would be. Which is why I made it anyway. 

Of course you can pick up a pre-made kit {you can also find M.O.B/M.O.G survival kits, bridesmaid's kits, and even a cute Hemergancy kit here}. Funny fact: I saw the survival kits I linked to on the Today Show the other day - while I was writing this. 

I'll be honest, making it yourself and purchasing it off of the website is about the same price. However, making your own version is much more meaningful, you can pack it with any specific products that your bride uses, and you can pick out a pretty cosmetic bag that you know your friend would like. 

Here is what I included:

Sewing kit

Small scissors

White chalk (for masking stains)

Clear nail polish

Mints

Bandages

Blister protection

Antacid

Pain reliever

Blotting Papers

Cotton balls and Q-tips

Tweezers

Emery board

Nail clippers

Lip balm

Tissues

Lint Roller

Lotion

Bobby pns

Comb

Small Mirror

Baby wipes

Wet Ones

Makeup remover wipes

Stain remover

Baby powder

Razor

Deodorant

Straws (so the bride doesn't mess up her lipstick)

Toothbrush/paste

Toothpicks/floss

Tampons/panty liners

Snacks

Matches

Krazy glue (for shoe heels, decorations, even jewels, etc.) 

Not included in my kit, but equally important:

*Static-cling spray or (my favorite) Dryer Sheets

*Double-sided fashion tape

*Eye drops

Contact lens solution 

Extra earring backs

Smelling salts

Nail polish in the shade the bride is wearing

Hairspray

Hair ties 

Scotch tape

Safety pins

Linen handkerchief

Corsage Pins

I went through my house first, and found quite a few things on the list - including the snacks. Then, I went to Walmart's travel product section and found nearly everything remaining. What I didn't find in that section was in the surrounding area. I picked up the cosmetic bag at Target. 

I also created myself a "Matron of Honor Emergency Bag." Which included the dryer sheets/fashion tape/eye drops {mentioned above}, sand paper (to rub on the bottom of slippery new shoes), flat iron, hair dryer, headbands, a clothes steamer, and bottled water. I'm the kind of person that likes to be over-prepared...can you tell? You just never know what you might need. 

Although, we didn't use everything from the kits, they were EXTREMELY helpful for those unexpected emergencies. Moral of the story, don't let your bride try to tell you that she won't need an emergency kit....because she {and everyone else getting ready with her} will need it. 

-Karla