Bloggography Week 2: ISO

I just found a neat challenge. Beth and Lolli have a DSLR tutorial and challenge each week. I missed week 1, which was about camera modes.

This week is about ISO. We are to explore the ISO on our cameras and take a picture of a toy or a child playing with a toy.

Well, it certainly isn't hard to find a toy in this house, but I happened to see that Abby left her favorite kitty on the table. I quickly shot a couple pics.


1/160s
f5.6
ISO 200


1/100s
f6.3
ISO 400


1/160s
f8
ISO 800

I like the second pic at ISO 400 best. The only editing I did was to resize the pics to fit.

Check out both Beth at Manic Mother and Lolli at Better In Bulk for more information and to participate.

Mantle Party

I participated in a Mantle Party at The Stories of A to Z a few weeks ago. You can see the original post here. I've since made a little update that I wanted to share. Here's the before:

And a close up of the after:

Can you tell the difference? I redid the heart wreath. I have seen the tutorial on several blogs, but when I saw the one at Mintage Home I actually realized I had all of the materials for it already.

I took the fabric I had wrapped on the foam wreath and some extra I had and cut it into pieces. The fabric was leftover from the ragamuffin garland, so it was torn. I had just enough fabric left of the pink dots to make this wreath.

I'm not going to lie. I didn't dip each piece of fabric into glue. I painted on some white craft glue and then poked the fabric into the wreath.



I love it! I think it looks so great with the ragamuffin garland.

To see more mantle, check out The Stories of A to Z.

stART: Valentine Surprise

This week was supposed to be my sister's week to plan a stART activity, but Abby has a runny nose and like Heather said, we didn't want to have a snART project (snot+art).

Since we were home all day, we did a fast stART project. We read Valentine Surprise by Corinne Demas.

It's a quick read and so cute. It's about a little girl who tried all week to make the perfect Valentine's heart for her Mom for Valentine's day.

After reading the book, Abby and I made a heart doily. I found this at Sweet Pea and it was so easy to make.


It was the perfect quick craft for a sick day.

For more stART ideas, head to A Mommy's Adventures.

Also, please excuse the mess in the background and blurry pics. It was one of those days.

WFMW: Paint Dabbers

I have seen paint dot markers around for a long time, but just finally bought some for Abby this Christmas. We got them out yesterday and we both enjoyed them!

Abby loves to paint, but I don't get it out that much because of the mess. She often paints her hands and I'm left with not only cleaning up the brushes, cups and bottles, but her too.


These paint dabbers solved that problem! Abby made beautiful vibrant pictures with no mess. I also liked how the pictures weren't soaking wet and wrinkled from the amount of paint on them.

I got this shimmer set at JoAnn's. They are $11.99, but I used a 50% off coupon on them.

What Works For You? Head to We Are THAT Family to participate and find more tips.

stART: Care Bears Special Delivery

My sister and I have decided to take turns doing stART projects with the kids each Wednesday. Abby and Matthew really enjoy having this set art time. On Monday I was telling Abby that Matthew was coming over Wednesday for an art project and she said, "I'll go pick out the book!" I thought that was so cute.

This week, we read Care Bears Special Delivery.

In this book, the Care Bears share valentines with their each other and talk about what makes them good friends.

For the art project, we made Love trees. First, I had Abby and Matthew paint some rocks with white, pink and red while I painted some twigs white.





After they dried, I cut out some quick heart shapes and the kids wrote down names of people they love on the hearts.



I put the colored rocks and twigs into a PB jar and then Matthew and Abby hung their hearts.



Both Abby and Matthew really enjoyed this. I was cleaning up while they were writing names on the hearts and I did help Abby spell some names. Matthew called out to me not to look at what he was doing. He put his heart down in his lap and worked on it.

After a few moments, he said, "Look it's your name!"



Seeing this was like seeing your child write Mom for the first time. I always thought of Matthew as my first born son and am so honored that he added me on his tree. Of course that was after the Legos, his Mom and his Dad. LOL!

Oh and I'm not sure why his J is backwards. Abby does that too sometimes. I think he was just more interested in trying to sound out my name and spell it. I didn't tell him he spelled it wrong :)

For more stART projects, head to A Mommy's Adventures!

WFMW: Progressive Phonics

Recently at Mama Smiles, I came across a new online learning resource:

Progressive Phonics

I thought I'd check it out, but honestly I didn't think it would be anything that would work for Abby. I have Rocket Phonics and have checked out other books or online reading resources/curriculum and none of them seemed to fit for us.

I was surprised to see that Abby really enjoys Progressive Phonics. As described on the site, it's an all in one reading program that is easy, fun and FREE!

Abby already knows her alphabet, so we skipped past that section and moved into the phonics books. I printed the first book, hole punched it and used rings to hold it together. I also printed the activity sheets and flash cards. These have been great! I grabbed them this weekend on the way out and Abby practiced reading the words and finding the words.

Abby got bath markers for Christmas and has been practicing writing the words from book 1 on the bath tub walls. I wish I had a picture of this, but I didn't get the camera in time.

I also like the activity worksheets that work on handwriting. I am going to have her work on a few of them this week, so she can learn to write the words as she's learning them.

If you are looking for a good phonics program, you may want to try out Progressive Phonics and see if it works for your child.

For more Works For Me Wednesday tips, head to We Are THAT Family.

Quick note: I was not contacted by Progressive Phonics to post this. I am just so glad to find something that is working for Abby, that I wanted to post about it!

Science Center Field Trip

My husband works at a bank, so therefore he was off work Monday for Martin Luther King's birthday.

After taking the cat to the vet, we headed to one of Abby's favorite places...the St. Louis Science Center.

It was very crowded, since the schools were off as well. We didn't stay long, but Abby had fun.

Pointing out the planets

Standing on foam stacking rings

I have to say the Science Center is not my favorite place. It looks the same to me as it did when I was a kid. It's relatively boring and out of date to me. The exhibits seem kind of pointless honestly. However, Abby likes getting out and I guess to a 5 year old, a place that big is fun!

Dave usually takes her a couple times a year, so I'll continue to sit out the rest of the Science Center visits.

If you are in the St. Louis area, have you been to the City Museum? I'd like to go there and to the aquarium, but it costs a small fortune to get in and I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Also, what are the science centers like near you?

On a side note, we did have some yummy Burger King for lunch and we almost ended up with another cat. Dave and Abby were hanging out at Petsmart while I did some shopping at Old Navy. They found the cutest and sweetest Tabby. Dave warned me not to go see him, but I had to. What a lovey he was!

If we didn't already have 2, especially 2 that are eldery and costly, I know he would have come home with us. I hope he gets adopted soon, you could tell he was a special cat!

As I type this, Ditto is sleeping curled up in a ball on my left arm and AbyCat is on my belly between me and the laptop. I don't think there's room on my lap for anymore cats! LOL!

Wordless Wednesday: 3 Years Ago

I was just looking back at old pictures and saw that on February 5th last year, we were at the park without coats on! I decided to see what we were up to in January the last few years and found these pics:

3 years ago this week, we were without power from a major ice storm. My parents had power so Abby and I took the cats and stayed there. However, being a man and wanting to watch the house, Dave bared the freezing cold temperatures and slept by the gas fireplace in our living room.

Many people were without power for weeks, but luckily ours was on in 3 days.

Here's Abby on the way to Grandma's house:



Look how little she was! She was giving thumbs up because we were going to be having a sleepover at Grandma's! LOL at the sunglasses during an ice storm in January!

My Wordless Wednesday ended up being a Wordful Wednesday. Check out both here:

Go Graham Go
5 Minutes For Mom
Seven Clown Circus

Coming to St. Louis: Disney Live! Rockin Road Show

If you are in the St. Louis area, bring your family to check out the fun with Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show:

Hit the road with Mickey Mouse and your favorite Disney friends for a hilarious talent search in the all-new Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show! Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy set out on a zany road trip where audiences join in and help find the coolest acts around. Along the way, hit a high note with Cinderella; get your bounce on with Tigger; and shout out your loudest "yee-haw" at a hoedown with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story! Grab your family for a fun-filled getaway at this live, show-stopping adventure jam-packed with unexpected twists, turns and hijinks -right in your hometown!

Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show will be at the Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University on

Saturday, February 20 – 12:30, 3:30 & 6:30 PM

Sunday, February 21 – 1:00 PM

Tickets start at just $18. Thanks to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment, click here and use the coupon code: MBLOG to purchase the tickets for $18 (service charges and fees apply), a savings of up to $13!

We will most likely be taking Abby to see this and I'm sure she'll love it! She's really into the Disney princesses and characters right now.

I Heart Faces Week 2: Best Face Photo

I Heart Faces is celebrating their first birthday and this week we are to "enter the face photo that you love the best that you took either in the month of December 2009 or in early January 2010".

I just love this picture of my nephew, Andrew! I took it at one of our family Christmas get togethers on December 20th.

For more best face photos, head to www.iheartfaces.com.

Happy 7th Birthday, Matthew!

I can't believe my nephew Matthew is 7 now! Today we went to his birthday party at the Little Gym and everyone had so much fun!



It's also my cousin Janet's birthday today! As you can see in the slide show pictures, Matthew decorated both cakes with his Lego figures. I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but each cake had a whole story going on. LOL!

I also have to share that baby Andy started walking while pushing a little cart toy this past week! I'm sure he'll be up and running in no time. In fact, even though he's not quite 14 months, he LOVED the party today and was just as into it as the other kids.

Getting Ready For Valentine's Day

Update: Someday Crafts is having a Valentine's link up. Click the button below to see more ideas.


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I'm linking up to the Round Robin party at Keeping Up With The Schultz Family. Everyone can share their projects, tips, recipes, whatever!

And also to the Mantle Party at The Stories of A to Z.


I love pastel colors, so I'm really excited that the reds and greens of Christmas are behind me. LOL!

Last year I made a Nester inspired ragamuffin garland in pretty pastel colors that I could use from January until Easter! I just finished my mantle yesterday:


I put different candies in the jars, depending on the season. For Valentine's Day, it's conversation hearts!


I also made some Mod Podge XOXO letters. I found the white wooden letters at JoAnn's and Mod Podged pretty scrapbook paper onto them. I then did a light wash of pink paint over them, so they weren't so bright. I tied some leftover ribbon from the garland onto the O's for cuteness.


The framed picture is one that Abby made. It's a little mouse and was one of the first real recognizable things she drew. She made it on yellow striped legal paper, however Dave scanned it in the compter and was able to work with it and remove the yellow and lines!

Lastly, is the heart wreath. I bought a Styrofoam heart with intentions of wrapping pink fur around it for Abby's bedroom. However, the fur boas were too expensive. I just took some torn fabric leftover from the garland and wrapped it around the heart. I couldn't get it to hang straight, so I took a risk and let it be sideways! I can't believe I like it like that. I am usually a very symmetrical person! LOL!



I also put out Valentine's Day books in a basket for Abby.

Don't forget to check out the Round Robin and Mantle parties for more links.

Awards

Recently I've been given a few awards and wanted to take a moment to thank everyone!
The first award, from Somewhat Organized, Slightly Crafty and My Family My Forever is the Sunshine Award.

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

- Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
- Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Next up, from Superheroes and Princesses is the Lemonade Stand Award.

The Lemonade Stand Award is awarded for being a blogger who shows great attitude and gratitude.

The rules for accepting this award:
- Put the Lemonade logo on your blog or within your post.
- Nominate at least 10 blogs with great attitude or gratitude.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Lastly, The Happy 101 Award, I received from both Southern Domestic Goddess and My Family My Forever.

List 10 things that make you happy, and then pass this on to 10 bloggers.

1. When Abby isn't whining
2. Reese's PB Cups
3. Saving money
   
4. When I get to sleep in
5. Laying in the sun with the cats and taking a nap
6. Getting to go on a date night with my husband
7. Holiday decorations (from Christmas to Easter to Valentine's, etc.)
8. When Abby sleeps in late
9. Vacations
10. A clean house
    

I've noticed that most of the blogs I was going to pass these on to have already received them. So, here's a list of some blogs I enjoy reading and would like to share the awards with:

Tidy Mom
Home Grown Hearts
Sugarplum Creations
Mama Smiles
In Everything
No Ordinary Moments
I'm Living Proof That God Has A Sense Of Humor
Pink And Green Mama
Sunflower Schoolhouse
Frugal Family Fun
The Activity Mom

Thanks again to everyone who gave me awards! We officially start back into homeschooling next week, so I'm sure I'll have some activities to share then!

A New Year!

Can you believe it's 2010 already? It seems like 2009 went by so fast. I'm pretty excited that it's 2010, because it's just that much closer to 2012 (actually November of 2012).

We had a great holiday season and blog break.

I have to say, this was the first year in awhile that I haven't been stressed about the holidays. I had most of my shopping done early and stayed within my budget. I also think it helped that this year we only did one thing per day. In past years, I've had to leave my family Christmas to head to my in-laws. This year, we made plans to celebrate with the in-laws the day after Christmas and it worked out perfectly. I didn't have to stress about feeling rushed!

Of course, Abby really enjoyed Christmas! Every morning, the first thing she did when she got out of bed was to open that day's door in the Christmas Countdown to see what her surprise for the day was.

Abby's big thing this year was princesses. She doesn't want to watch the movies, but Ariel is her favorite! She's already started planning her Ariel birthday party in May!

We also had a fun New Year's Eve. We played Scrabble for several hours! It's my new favorite game. That and Blokus Trigon Game. Have you played Blokus yet? I played it at my in-laws and loved it. You think it's going to be like Tetris, but the pieces can only touch at the corners. I've been looking to buy this game, but can't find it in stores. I wish it wasn't so expensive, but I guess I'll be buying it on Amazon.

During this blogging break, it's been nice spending less time on the computer. I need to work on keeping it that way. I have so many things I'd like to get accomplished, that I've decided to continue my blog break.

As you all know, it does take time to upload pics, write posts, do link ups, etc. Since none of my family reads this, I feel like I do it for no real reason. I thought it would be a great place to show what we've been doing for anyone that was curious. Apparently, they are not! LOL! I take that back, my sister has read my blog, but she knows everything I do anyway.

I don't make New Year's Resolutions, but there are some things I'd like to do in 201o:

• Find more fun ways to homeschool, including more field trips, activities, etc.
• Learn how to digital scrapbook. Obviously, this will interfere with the less time on the computer thing, but at least I'll have something to show for it :)
• Get back to exercising. I hate it, but if I don't want to buy new clothes I am going to have to make this a priority!
• Pay off our debt. We started this last Summer and it will be paid off this coming Fall!
  

And some events in 201o that I'm looking forward to:

• The 2010 Home Educator's Expo. My sister and I have gone every year for the past 4 years and really enjoy it.
  
• A trip to Florida. We will be staying with my husband's parents in their home. They live in Fort Meyers. We haven't been to a beach since the last time we visited them almost 4 years ago!
• The 5th Annual Spring Getaway with my sister Heather.
• Abby's 6th birthday
• Our 4th Annual family trip to Branson.

What kind of things do you have planned for 2010? I'd love to hear about them!