randomosity: July 2011

How to Keep a Birthday Party Under $100

So I might not quite be like the lady who kept her daughter's birthday party under $10 bucks, but I know how to be thrifty when I want to be! There are quite a few variables that go into planning any party - location, age of child, number of guests, etc - so planning a party on my budget may not be as easy for you, but I'm going to show you how I'm planning my daughter's 5th birthday party for under $100. If you have any tips, please leave them in the comments!

Location -- We are planning on having her party at the park. They charge $15 to rent a pavilion, so that only leaves $85 to work with. Sometimes you can have a party at the park for free, or have it in your back yard or even at a relative's or friend's house. Brainstorm to come up with different free venues. Sometimes restaurants that have indoor play areas will not make you reserve and pay for tables for your party, but that also means there may not be tables available when you show up. -- $85 left

Party Supplies & Decor -- There are great sets out there when it comes to buying things for character birthday parties, but don't get sucked in! Sapphire wants a Hello Kitty birthday party, so we are going to get a few HK balloons and the rest will be solid colors to match. The plates, napkins, etc will be solid colors to match as well. This article talks about using origami to fold the napkins. Great idea!

Napkins, table cloths, plates, cups, decorations - Under $15 total at Dollar Tree. -- $70 left

Party Favors -- Depending on the age and gender, tiles, crayons, or even hair accessories (tutorials here, here & here) may be good party favors. A good rule of thumb is to spend no more than $1 per guest on party favors when trying to stay under $100. I'm going to use organza bags that I have on hand, and fill them with hair accessories for the girls and bugs for the boys ($1 for 10 at Wal-Mart for bugs in the party supply section). - $10 total, as we expect 12 guests and I have most of this stuff on hand. -- $60 left

If you search for cheap birthday party ideas, many places will tell you to skip invitations. I disagree with this, because I absolutely love receiving mail - so I figure everyone else does too! You can have the birthday girl create invitations, or you can make them in Word - your expenses will be minimal. Or you could even purchase them at Dollar Tree for $2 and use the rest for postage. Under $10. -- $50 left

photo credit

Games & Entertainment -- Skip the cheesy $200 magician, or the $100 creepy clown, and go old school. Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs, and any other games that are free. -- $50 left

Remember, most kids just want to have fun and eat cake. Read this article on how to simplify your party.

Food & Drinks -- For our party, we are serving hot dogs and chips: think end of August in St. Louis... do you have a better idea?? :) I know this opinion isn't favorable, and almost every "budget birthday" article tells you to bake your own cake, but I do not like them. So we are going to serve cupcakes that we purchase from a bakery. Drinks will be water - I have a ton of bottled water from when it was free - and punch (on hand). $35 total -- $15 left.

The last $15 can be spent on gifts, or on making and filling a pinata!

Labels: birthday parties, saving money

Mid-Summer Moolah Event

Welcome to Mid-Summer Moolah!

hosted by Formula Mom

As the heat of mid-summer takes over, wouldn't you like to win some cash (or Amazon gift code) to buy yourself a little something

special this summer? Well, here is your chance!

41 blogs have come together to offer one winner $410 cash paid via Paypal or $410 in an Amazon gift code (winner's choice)!

Each entry is another chance to win, so check out the Rafflecopter form below and get clicking to visit all of the amazing blogs

participating in this event! You will be able to enter until 11:59pm on Saturday, July 30th. Following the conclusion of the event, a winner

will be drawn and notified via email. The winner will have 48 hours to confirm their win or another winner will be drawn. Thank you for

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Click 2 Comment

Labels: giveaways

Switching to Word Press

I'm switching to Word Press, folks!! So Randomosity may be down for a few hours... 48 hours at the most but she said it should be much less than that. Please don't abandon me during this time!! :) Can't wait to see you when I get over to WP!

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

I must confess, I do not like cold pasta under normal circumstances. I guess you could say I'm making an exception here. I love bacon, so bacon + pasta = yummy, right? How about this...

bacon + lettuce + tomato + ranch + pasta = ???

Um, yum! Let's hop to it. You'll need some pasta (I chose the spiral kind), ranch, fat free mayo, cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced in half), lettuce (chopped up), and bacon bits (don't use the imitation kind).

Boil the pasta and drain it in cold water. Make sure you run the cold water over it for a while, so the pasta actually gets chilled. Put it back into the pan and add ranch and mayo to your liking. I didn't measure (I rarely do), and I know everyone's tastebuds are different. I added about 5 tablespoons of mayo, and then drizzled ranch in just for flavoring.

Add the tomatoes, bacon bits, and diced up lettuce. Toss until coated. Add some shredded cheese on top if you'd like. Enjoy!

Labels: quick recipes

FREE BEST SELLING Woven Headband EBOOK

It's craft time again! You've mastered the loopy bows, pom pom bows, original tutus, and criss cross tutus. Now it's time for woven headbands!

LINK to ebook -- Please remember I wrote this ebook when I still owned Nellie Bug's! Please do not use the email in the ebooks to ask questions.

Labels: cheap crafts, ebook, how to, tutorials

Would you let your girl wear boy clothes?

At age 6, my oldest daughter asked for a mohawk. It's no surprise that I'm a pretty liberal parent, but even I have boundaries. I'm pretty strict when it comes to actual rules, but as far as expressing themselves I do try to let my kids make their own decisions. She stuck with the idea of wanting a mohawk for quite some time before I finally said "You know what? It's just hair, it'll grow back. Let's do it." I'm sure you can imagine the look of absolute horror on the stylist's face when my beautiful 6 year old with long golden hair said she wanted a mohawk. She (the stylist) even tried to talk her into a faux hawk instead. Nell was not budging. It wasn't that she was being defiant, it was that she knew what she wanted and she was going to get it (the makings of a powerful businesswoman, perhaps). After asking for what seemed to be the tenth time, the stylist finally buzzed her hair off. Buzzed. Her. Hair. Off. Just leaving the strip in the middle for the lovely mohawk.

Nell learned very quickly that people (adults as well as children) are cruel. Absolutely cruel. Complete strangers would say mean or rude things to her just passing by. At that age she was still wearing a little bit of pink and purple (usually mixed with black), so they knew she was a girl. Some older woman even came up to her and asked if I made her get her hair cut that way and told her it was not right for a little girl to look like a boy.

So, anyway, enough of the rambling... that story brings me to my dilemma today. Well, I guess it's not really a dilemma since I've already decided - but I want to hear what my friends think. Jenelle is almost 10 now. She has obviously been a tomboy for a while. She would love to have a mohawk still but the school won't allow it (only boys can have mohawks.. pfft). So she decided this year she wanted to switch to all boy clothes. She has been wearing what could be considered "boy's" clothes, but she said when we go back to school shopping she wants to actually shop in the boy's department.

For some reason, this was a tough pill for me to swallow. I'm okay with a tomboy, but my beautiful little girl dressing like an actual boy makes me a little sad. I have two other girls that I can dress up in pretty outfits, but it just feels like I've lost a little girl and gained a little boy. I don't want to stifle her creativity or personal style, but we did have a long talk about how cruel people are. Apparently she is ready to learn the hard way (again). In just a few weeks, we will be going school clothes shopping. Barring some miracle that makes her say "Mom, I'm going to get all dresses! Put me in beauty pageants!", I think my little angel is going to be picking clothes out from the boy's department.

Jenelle & Rachel last year

Would you let your daughter shop in the boy's section if that is what she truly wanted? Let me know! I'd love to hear your opinions. Leave a comment after voting please!

Labels: girls wearing boy clothes, jenelle, mohawk, personal

Red Robin Copy Cat - Turkey Burger Recipe

There's actually no recipe for this one, just grill a turkey burger (I seasoned mine with cajun spices), an egg, and some mushrooms all side by side on a griddle. Then, toast your english muffin, add a slice of cheese, and you're ready to dive into the best turkey burger ever. :)

So, what'd ya think? Simple enough? And kinda healthy, too!

Labels: copy cat recipe

back 2 School Giveaway

Welcome to the Back 2 School Bloggie Boogie Giveaway!! Please stop by and thank my lovely sponsors after you've entered the giveaway!! The WiC Project and Barefoot Mommies are hosting the cash giveaway -- you MUST enter there for the cash prizes! You are entering HERE for the prizes below.

Cuddle Feet -- Shop

Faith Family & Scents -- Shop

It Works With Andrea -- Shop

Social Media Meg -- Blog

Treasured Star Artistry -- Shop

Sowing the Seed Beads -- Shop -- Mystery Prize

Other giveaways:

Sponsor:

Visit www.saveandmakemoola.com to find the latest coupon codes and deals for your favorite online
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Labels: giveaways

A sad day.

This is hard to write. A friend of mine told me about this story and it just breaks my heart. This isn't some chain letter going around, it's actually a friend of a friend's child that this happened to. Please send thoughts and prayers, and if possible donations. I would really like to see some bloggers come together for this cause. Most of us are mothers. I couldn't even imagine losing a child, much less one that was not even on this earth for two months - and in such a tragic way. :(

Marcello Vasquez was killed in Los Angeles at the Downtown Artwalk. He was just one month and twenty five days old. His short life ended when a man, attempting to park his girl friend's car, is believed to have hit the gas instead of the brake - jumped the curb and crashed into Marcello and his mother. Baby Marcello's short life tragically ended on the streets of LA. While the family struggles to fund a funeral for their lost son, the man responsible walks free. Marcello deserves justice. Donations are being accepted at Wells Fargo account # removed -- email me please if you'd like to donate. (randomosityblog AT gmail.com) Thank you for supporting the Vasquez Family during this tough time.

See the newspaper article here or send a message to the family here.

I'm Not a Highly Effective Blogger.

I was reading this nifty article over at BlogHer and have realized I may not be a highly effective blogger. Oops.

#4 says bloggers are lifelong learners. I've got that covered. I learn something new every day. I learned today that if my 9 year old was an only child, she'd probably weigh about 30 pounds more. Why? Because now that her sisters are on vacation, I am letting her fend for herself and she has eaten frozen pizza 3 days in a row. Bad mommy.

I've also learned that my readers think (know?) I have ADD. I was looking at my Alexa reviews today and saw this one from Real Mom Reviews. It says: Sadie is a mom to three beautiful girls. Her blog is full of stories on being a same sex parenting couple, coupon deals, and some amazing recipes (marshmallow brownies OMG yum)!!! She does have a bit of what I assume to be ADD, because she switches from subject to subject super fast, but THAT is what makes this site worth reading! :) -- When I read this review, I had to giggle (and call my mom, so she could too). I know I jump from subject to subject all the time. It probably drives some of you crazy! I just can't help it. Forgive me?

That brings us to #5. It says effective bloggers are focused and consistent. Err... um... oh look, a butterfly! Just kidding. But seriously, I'm rarely consistent. I mean, I am consistent in the fact that I blog almost every day. And I'm also consistent in the fact that I change subjects at least once a week. So, maybe I am consistent after all??

#6 says effective bloggers plan ahead. I totally agree with this one, and if you want to be a good blogger you should try to plan ahead. This is one of those "do as I say not as I do" things, because even though I'm a planner in some ways (my budget, grocery list, etc), in other ways I am not (er.. blogging). Did I mention that my designer was up til 5AM configuring my layout because I emailed her saying "The guy from the newspaper is going to look at my blog at 7AM and I need a new layout!"? Yeah, bad blogger. Lack of planning = stress. So, it is best if you plan ahead. It leaves you much more relaxed. Trust me!

Last but not least, #8 says: effective bloggers are self-starters. This is so true. So many people ask me "how do I start a blog", "how do I make money blogging", "how do I get more followers"? The answer is simple: be a self-starter. The readers are not going to come to you unless you go to them first! Find some blogs and comment on them. Leave genuine comments (not the annoying ones like "Great post come look at mine here ____".) Ones that show the blogger you ACTUALLY read their post! Ones that show true interest in what they have to say.

Overall, the BlogHer article is pretty correct. I am a known rule-breaker though, so of course a few of the points didn't apply to me. If you want to get started blogging, all I can say is just do it. Dive in head first. And if you have any questions at all, just email me or leave a comment! I always answer as soon as I possibly can, and I never charge to help people out. It's just something I love to do. Just remember to pay it forward. :)

Labels: how to make your blog better, make money blogging

10 NEW SPF Secrets - Protect Your Skin!

I recently started receiving "Women's Health" magazine in the mail, and while I won't say it's my favorite subscription I will say it has a few helpful articles. With it being the middle of summer and all, I wanted to pass this one on.

Some dangers lurk within: A form of vitamin A is added to some sunscreens to minimize the aging effects of the sun. However, researchers have found that this vitamin A compound may speed up the development of skin cancer related tumors and lesions when used on skin hit with sunlight. You'd think the developers would not want this, right? Ugh. Be careful what you put on your skin, folks!

Sunscreen can harm the environment. What?! The article states that 20,000 tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers, divers, and surfers into the oceans every year, eventually affecting marine life - especially coral reefs. So, if you're going to be swimming in the sea, make sure you use biodegradable sunscreen (who knew there was such a thing?).

SPF doesn't always block UVA rays. I know most of us knew this already, but the FDA is considering a set of guidelines that would use a four-star system to rate a sunscreen's effectiveness against UVA rays. Keep an eye out for it.

Sunscreen expires. Leaving sunblock in intense heat for long amounts of time may make it less effective. Sunscreen also has an expiration date - so check it!

Medications can make you more vulnerable. Meds like tetracycline, diuretics, and painkillers like Aleve can up your chances of getting burned according to this article. They make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so be sure to reapply sunscreen often if you take any of the medications listed above.

Certain foods can turbocharge your protection. Whodathunkit? Load up on lycopene-rich fruits and veggies (think watermelon & tomatoes) to help aid in the protection of your skin.

Labels can lie. Well, I think we kinda knew this, but still. The FDA doesn't regulate sunscreens so the manufacturers aren't legally required to prove what they claim on their labels. So when a sunscreen says "waterproof", it doesn't necessarily mean it. I've heard that they are working on improving this system, but haven't read anything solid on it yet.

The SPF number doesn't mean much. Now, I admit, I didn't know that until this year. I used to buy the highest SPF possible, but now I just use SPF 30. According to this Women's Health article, the super high numbers are just a marketing ploy. *gasp* They lied to us again?

Makeup with SPF doesn't cut it. This is kind of true, kind of untrue. If you reapply every two hours or so, they'll protect you just fine. But, let's face it, who does that? Solution: Always add an extra layer of lightweight sunscreen (the article suggests Clinique's City Block Face Protector SPF 25).

Soaking up vitamin D is no excuse for skipping sunblock. Vitamin D is good for lots of things (strengthening your bones, reducing your risk for certain cancers, and more), but no amount of unprotected sun exposure is OK. Vitamin D is very important, but there are other ways to soak it up (try milk, or a supplement).

What are your sun safety tips?

Labels: articles, summer fun, sun safety, womens health

Deal of the Day 7/17

PLEASE PARDON THE DUST!!! RANDOMOSITY IS GETTING A MAKEOVER!

I know, I've been slacking! I'm sorry! To make up for it, here's an AWESOME deal. You can get a free 8x10 canvas, just pay shipping.

Labels: deal of the day

Cool Cash Giveaway

CLICK HERE FOR COOL CASH GIVEAWAY... RAFFLECOPTER IS GIVING ME TROUBLE WITH HAVING TWO GIVEAWAYS ON ONE PAGE.

Labels: giveaways

FREE BEST SELLING Spiky Pom Pom Bow EBOOK

These are so stinkin' cute! And just in time to match with back to school outfits. Spiky Pom Pom Bows are so easy to make, they literally take just a few minutes and you can match them with anything! They can be put on a clip or a pony-o, so they are perfect for any length of hair!

While you're here, be sure to check out my other hair bow tutorial, as well as my tutu tutorial (say that 10 times fast)!

LINK TO EBOOK -- Please remember that I created these ebooks while I still owned Nellie Bug's. Please do not use the email in the ebooks to ask questions!

Labels: cheap crafts, ebook, tutorials

Stop Heroin Rally #2

Unfortunately, heroin has left its mark on our small town here in Missouri. Dozens have been killed and hundreds have been harmed because of this drug. A group of people got together for a STOP HEROIN RALLY last month, and they are doing it again this month.

They all got custom t-shirts made and we are going to wear them for the rally -- it's THIS Saturday July 23rd. If you are local to the St. Louis area, please join us! Here is the Facebook event. If you haven't had time to order a t-shirt, just wear yellow or orange.

Labels: events

Summertime Fun!

I don't know if I have mentioned it yet, but my younger two girls are in Arkansas with their Grammie for a few weeks, so Jenelle and I have been getting to spend a lot of one-on-one time together. We went to Six Flags last week (so fun!), have been lounging around the house being super duper lazy this week, and then today we went to Grant's Farm with my friend Sam and her kids. (Sam does Beauti Control so check it out! << Shameless plug for my friend.)

Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures. I love that a lot of you do the Wordless Wednesday thing, but if you know me at all you know I can't do a wordless anything! And sharing a picture without words, well, it's nearly impossible for me. I do share a picture every Friday but for some reason the little intro that is allowed makes me feel not so closed in. I guess I'm just not a good rule-follower.

These pictures were taken with my camera on my phone, so they're not the greatest quality, but the camels and goats were so cute I just had to share!

We will start the tour with the photos of this historic building. Anyone know what it is?

Were you right? It's the historic home of Ulysses S. Grant!

We took a tram ride up the hill, and we saw a few cutesies along the way.

^^ Deer in the lake.

^^ Donkey wanted to hop on the tram!

And this weird looking goose followed alongside the tram for a bit.

This big guy was blocking our path on the bridge, but he kindly moved.

When we got to the top of the hill, we saw the carousel right away. This is Jenelle pretending to have fun, I think... is 9 too old for a carousel ride? :/

Then we got to feed the goats! She was kinda leery at first, but quickly warmed up when one of the smaller goats followed her around. One of the little guys chewed on my toe! Gross! And another kept chewing on my pants.

The brown one is the one that really liked her. Even when he wasn't hungry anymore, he kept rubbing up against her leg. It was adorable.

Here he is up close...

After petting and feeding the goats, we got a snow cone - the perfect thing on a 90 degree day. Then, we fed the camels. This camel was so funny! He had personality.

So, that was our day. What was yours like?

Labels: pictures, summer fun

Back 2 School Shopping

What kind of budget do you have when doing back to school clothes shopping? I think we are going to do about $100 for each girl, because that seems like a fair amount. We usually shop at Once Upon a Child, where the shirts are about $3 and the jeans are no more than $7. Lots of times they also have sales, so that's a plus. Sapphire could wear the clothes that Gracelynn outgrew, but I wouldn't want hand me downs so I'm not going to make her have them (unless she wants them).

I want to make my girls shirts that say "I love my Moms" - Saff has one but the other two don't. Since I've been really busy lately, I've just been thinking about ordering custom t-shirts for them. Do you think that's too cheesy?

They all have a different sense of style, which is cute. Saff likes Hello Kitty, Minnie Mouse, etc. Gracelynn likes very fashionable things (though sometimes the outfits she puts together are questionable), and Jenelle is kind of stuck between a punk rock and tom boy phase. It's cute to see them all do their own thing.

I noticed that the clearance at Target is pretty nice - especially if you use coupons. Where do you do your back to school clothes shopping at?

Labels: back to school

Protect your photos online!

I created this video to show you how to protect your photos online. This is great for blogs, Facebook, etc. It's a simple process, it's free, and it will only take you a minute. Let me know if you need help with anything!

Labels: blog tips, how to make your blog better, pictures

Wordless Post -- This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Leave your link in the comments if you have a similar post. - soulemama.com

Labels: this moment, wordless

Social Parade!

I know there are a lot of new folks strolling through here lately so I just wanted to say hi!! And let you know that there are lots of ways to get in touch with me should you have any questions. Right now my friend is working on my blog design so please pardon the dust until it is finished.

There are a few great giveaways coming up so please stick around this week to check them out! I will also be posting again on how to get more visitors to your blog and how to lower your Alexa ranking (don't worry, I'll explain what Alexa is too), so if you're here to help your blog grow be sure to check back!

Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate it more than you know.

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

Suggestion/Email Box

Or you could always leave a comment! I try to comment back right away.

Labels: contact me

Sneak Peek @ Giveaway Sponsors

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to those that are donating to my upcoming giveaways! I appreciate these sponsors so much and I hope you all do, too! Giveaways are NOT possible without sponsors!!

You can click the links to view the prizes.

HINT: To get a head start on the giveaway, LIKE all of the Facebook pages and FOLLOW all of the blog. :)

Cuddle Feet -- FB -- Shop -- Prize

Treasured Star Artistry -- FB -- Shop -- Prize

Social Media Meg -- FB -- Blog -- Prize

Sowing the Seed Beads -- FB -- Shop -- Prize

It Works With Andrea -- FB -- Shop -- Prize

Faith Family & Scents -- FB -- Shop -- Prize

Labels: giveaways, shout out

Make $$ Blogging: Escalate Tutorial

I've received a few emails asking how to use Escalate. I created a video tutorial. Hope it helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

Labels: make money blogging, tutorials

Suggestion Box: Quinoa Recipes

I received a request for some quinoa recipes in my suggestion box last week. I have never even tasted quinoa, much less cooked with it, so I wanted to pass on a few I found on Pinterest! After reading up on this strangely named food a bit, I might try it some time.

Often referred to as a “wonder food,” quinoa is a versatile and healthy addition to your table. It’s most often treated like a grain (in fact, it’s a seed), but, unlike grains or rice, it’s a complete protein, making it a smart choice for any meal.

21 Recipes From Whole Living

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

Quinoa Spinach Bake

Italian-Style Stuffed Quinoa

Lemony Quinoa

Top 20 Quinoa Recipes - Allrecipes.com

Suggestions? Submit them via the SUGGESTIONS tab above! :)

Labels: quick recipes, quinoa, suggestions

Make $$ Blogging: Quick!

This offer is only good through Sunday, but if you have signed up with Escalate you need to tell everyone about it!!

If you don't have a blog, or you aren't on Escalate yet, there's no better time to start! Check out my tutorials section for how to create your own blog.

Click here to join Nielsen Consumer Surveys and to give your opinions on products!!

Making $$ blogging: Affiliates

I already made a post on how to make money with your blog, but I'm still receiving quite a few questions so I'm going to break it down into steps.

If you do not have a blog, you have to start on the other post. :) Also if you check out this page, you'll see all of my blogging tips.

If you do have a blog, but it's not active, sit down for an hour this evening and write 5-10 posts. Schedule them to post every other day for the next week or so. After the week is up, apply at the affiliates below.

If your blog is active, you're ready to start here. This is a message I send people that ask me about blogging for money.

The main way I make money is through EN. They offer $3.50 per referral (if you have 100 followers and get even half of them referred, that's a decent chunk of change), and they also pay really well on ads that you place on your website. The thing I love about EN is that they let you choose the ads, unlike some affiliate places. The link to sign up (it's free) is http://www.escalatenetwork.net/signup/2828 . If you have a fairly active blog, you'll be approved. It's harder to get approved for LM but I've earned about $50 from them this month so it's worth a shot to try them as well if you're wanting to make $$ blogging. The link to sign up with LM is (free): http://lm.logicalmedia.com/signup/CD13311

I don't blog just to make money. I blog because I love it. If you start your blog for the right reasons, it will grow. I spend a lot of time on my blog, so I figured I might as well make a little money with it as well, right?

If you have any questions, leave them in the suggestion box at the top of this page. I will respond as quickly as possible.

While you're here, be sure to check out some of my other posts!

The next Making $$ Blogging post will be on how to boost your Alexa rank!

Labels: make money blogging

Interesting Uses for Household Items

I found this image on a networking site I'm on... very useful stuff! This chart shows you interesting things you can use regular household items for. I especially love the rubberband on the shampoo!

Labels: interesting, useful info

FREE BEST SELLING Criss Cross Tutu EBOOK

So you've tackled the perfect no-sew tutu, and even some awesome loopy hair bows to match, but this is the ultimate test. Are you a Super Star Mommy? If you can make one of these rockin' criss cross tutus for your little girl, you'll be Queen for a week!

Click here for the tutorial. Please remember I created these e-books when I owned Nellie Bug's so do NOT email the address in the e-book with questions. :)

PREVIEW of the tutus you will make with this ebook:

Criss Cross Macrame Inspired Punk RockTutu

Criss Cross Macrame Inspired Punk RockTutu

Labels: cheap crafts, tutorials, tutus

SOCIAL PICNIC IS HERE! HUGE $500 CASH GIVEAWAY!! -- CLOSED

Congratulations to the winner of the $500 CAD Cash via PayPal, Kodak digital camera AND the Kobo eReader Touch Edition with case (in black) hosted by This Lil Piglet and Family Approve. The winner is...

Angie Beechan, one of our US readers!

Click 2 Comment

Labels: giveaways

Deal of the Day 7/11 - FREE SLURPIE!

Our Birthday, Your Bash!! Stop by for a FREE 7.11 oz Slurpee drink, general merriment and a one-man dance party should you choose to start it. “Running Man” and “Raising the Roof” welcome. “Macarena” NOT welcome.

Time	Tomorrow at 12:00am - Tuesday at 12:00am

Location	Participating 7-Eleven Stores

Labels: deal of the day

25 Random Facts - Add Your Blog!!

This is a great way to start your blog if you're new, or a really good way to let your readers know a bit more about you if you're a seasoned blogger!

Make a blog post listing 25 Random Facts about you, and then add the URL to the linky below - LINK TO YOUR POST not to your main page.. Please be sure to visit the other blogs in the linky! This is a small hop so it won't be hard to visit them all. :)

1. I am 6'2"
2. I was born in Texas.
3. My mom was in the Air Force, had to get out when she found out she was pregnant with me.
4. I got pregnant at 15.
5. I have been married and divorced.
6. I'm 26.
7. I have 3 daughters.
8. I was a surrogate.
9. I type over 100WPM.
10. I had my first job when I was 14.
11. I've been homeless.
12. I've lived in IL, MO, and TX.
13. My first car was a Ford Escort.
14. My first stereo system was won in a race, using the Ford Escort. lol
15. I like to go to bed at 8PM. Never happens, but it's my dream. :)
16. I enjoy reading books from the teen section more than the ones from the adult section.
17. I used to sell Mary Kay but now I sell mark.
18. I have visited CA, OR, FL, MS, AL, GA, AR, TN, KY, NC, KS, CO, UT, NV, and WY.
19. I would love to live in California.
20. I met my best friend online.
21. I bite my nails.
22. I used to play basketball in school, and was pretty good at it!
23. I want to be a Sign Language Interpreter some day.
24. I'm an awesome cook.
25. I used to be a Sunday School teacher.

Labels: blog hop