Crazies of Craigslist

Yesterday a little yappy Yorkie showed up at our house, walked in like it owned the place and is attempting to steal the hearts of my children.

This dog obviously had someone that cared for it, at least for a day... She is freshly groomed and smells like groomers baby powder scented shampoo (or whatever they use!).

Cute, right?! Take her home today ;-)

I decided to turn to Craigslist first to find the owners, I published a little "Found Dog" post and then....

I was quickly sucked into the outrageous, outlandish, sometimes crazy, weird and rather funny things people put on this site. 

NO WONDER no one has called about this dog! Everyone is too busy sifting through the bizarre posts from their fellow neighbors that they completely forget what they set out to find on the site to begin with.

Just to save you some time I gathered a few INTERESTING posts for your amusement.... You're welcome :-)

free mug to "Fred"

Location: pit

Large glass mug with "Fred" etched into it. Free to anybody named Fred. Photo identification is required.

Location: Monroeville/Pittsburgh

Seriously?! This "Fred" mug is SOO sentimental they require IDENTIFICATION?! Keep your damn mug, write your name over the etched "Fred" in permanent marker and get on with your day! No one cares except you, OBVIOUSLY!

Free Birthday Hat for a Dog!

Location: bli

Barely used, birthday hat for a dog. Fits all breeds of dogs, as long as they have a medium to large head. May also fit a huge cat, llama or a red panda - not recommended for lemurs. Respond to this message if interested.

Location: Bellingham, WA

Hey, light bulb!! This may also fit on YOUR head! Please, please keep this silly "birthday hat" rock it at your next birthday bash and see how many compliments you get.... Or lack there of.... Who PAYS for a specified DOG BIRTHDAY HAT ANYWAYS?! (Maybe I'm crazy, who knows!)

Possibly in Need of Exorcist

Location: tal

So my boyfriend is buying a house on Wednesday. An old house. Built in the '40s. And I firmly believe it's haunted. Like ghosts and shit just flying out of the walls. So in the event we walk in there and find out there's some Omen-level shit going down, I need to have the number of a good exorcist. References required. 

Location: SE Tallahassee

Compensation: Negotiable

So let me get this straight.... Ghosts are flying out of the walls and you're A: still BUYING this house and B: plan to just casually call an exorcist (that you have on speed dial) while still chillin' with these ghosts?! Did you not learn anything from scary movies?! Who am I kidding... Carry on with your ghosts and "$h!t" it could quite possibly make a good movie, just remember to bring a video camera!

Require Dragon Slayer

Location: grr

I am quite sure most of you have seen the rather large green dragon that has been flying over the north east side of Grand Rapids for the better part of a week. I am looking for someone to:

1.) Lure said dragon away from Grand Rapids to a more rural area.

2.) Force said dragon to land in rural area.

3.) Slay said dragon in whatever way you see fit.

No Pay, dragon slaying is it's own reward.

Please note that I am not talking about the red dragon that frequents the area from time to time. He and I have an agreement. 

Location: Greater Grand Rapids Area

Compensation: no pay

Ok, ummm.... This person must be on some pretty intense drugs, bath salts maybe?! He has not seen just one dragon but TWO dragons... One of which he made an agreement with?!? He is also "quite sure" OTHERS have seen this dragon as well... Not sure who you hang out with buddy but I'd start looking for new (possibly sober) friends... Just a thought!

So does anyone remember what I started talking about?! 

Oh yes, right!! This YAPPING dog that is trying to call our house its home!

Someone rescue me from this dog and the Crazies of Craigslist before I take the dragon slaying position!

Craft Room Organization on a Budget

Craft Room Organization on A Budget

Phase 1:

My crafting and scrapbooking room was far from organized and needed a face lift....

BEFORE

I had started the organizing process once before then we moved and everything just slowly piled up, unorganized chaos! Nothing had a specific place so it was just thrown wherever. Talk about an eye sore!

Over the years I have accumulated several plastic storage bins and purchased a few extras at Dollar Tree and began sorting through my supplies.

I labeled each bin using scrap pieces of scrapbook paper I already had on hand and permanent marker..

I secured the labels with tape to save time.

I had already designed a peg board I acquired from scraps left by old renters at my previous house. It now hangs on the wall in my craft room.

I used scrapbook paper and Modge Podge to cover up the yucky brown colored board and finished it with ribbon weaved in and out of the peg holes around the edges.

I purchased hooks of various sizes from Walmart for cheap.

During a few of my sale shopping days I picked up several small tin buckets for $0.25 each.

I ordered 40 adhesive chalk board stickers and a liquid chalk marker from Amazon.com for less than $10

And labeled each bucket accordingly..

The boxes pictured above were Valentines Day themed gift boxes I purchased for $0.10 each after the holiday and covered with paper/Modge Podge scraps left over from the peg board facelift.

One great thing about holding on to "potentially useful" items is being able to transform your space several times without spending MORE money..

I had Rubbermaid closet organizing shelves from years ago that I utilized in this tiny space.

This 10x10 space needed to hold all my crafting and scrapbooking supplies as well as gift bags, kids games and extra holiday items for goodie bags and such. I needed floor room and more shelving!

I used the hanging rod from my Rubbermaid shelving and white hangers for gift bag organization and easier access for those last minute gift ideas..

I sorted the bags by color/holiday and I was done!

I've had enough for one day and will tackle the rest of my organizing project next week!

Stay tuned for Phase 2 and project completion! I can't wait to share more tips on transforming your craft room on a budget!

Cupcakes and Memories Giveaway

CUPCAKES AND MEMORIES!

This week I am celebrating my one month "Blogversary" and thought to myself celebrating alone is no fun so I'll host a giveaway!!

Then.... My computer crashed throwing a curve ball into my celebration. 

Thank you Dylan for attempting to clean my laptop with 409! However, little buddy dousing the keys was NOT the best idea, nor did it HELP mommy in ANY WAY!!

Another curve ball... I am still trying to find a giveaway site I am completely happy with...

But it's my party and ill cry if I want to! 

And I decided the celebratory festivities must go on..

So this weeks giveaway is Cupcakes and Memories!

I compiled a few special items that reflected my first month of blogging the best and my cupcake themed celebration of course :-)

This weeks giveaway consists of 

2 cupcake purses (the theme DUH!)

8 "Sweet Treats" and cupcake goody bags (for the wannabe overachieving baker in everyone... Or for a cute lunch surprise from mom).

4 mini cupcake note pads (for your little ones cute doodles)

1 pack of pink and white sticky notes (for those sweet little notes you've been meaning to leave your kids)

1 small cupcake note pad (for yourself and the never ending TO DO lists)

3 stylish paper clips (to organize your memories)

4 pastel gel pens (to write with sheesh!)

AND best of all... 

A Mommy and Me Journal to design and create your own forever keepsake like my daughter and I enjoy doing :-)

This giveaway begins 8/27/13 at 12:00pm CST and runs through 9/3/13 at 11:00pm CST

How to Enter:

Head over to our fanpage, 

https://www.facebook.com/ourlittlelife2013

Look for THIS giveaway blog post and comment with HAPPY BLOGVERSARY!

That's it.

One winner will be chosen using random.org Open to US residents, no purchase necessary. Google, Facebook or Pinterest are not affiliated with this giveaway. Winner will be announced via Our Little Life's blog, fan page and Facebook message. Winner has 48 hours to respond at which time a new winner will be selected.

Good luck and thanks for celebrating with me!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was nothing exciting. No date night, no allergic reactions, the pool is back to sparkling and we are back to being lame.

The kids spent TWO days at school and came home with a bug. I swear some people's kids these days and hygiene UGH! ;-)

Poor Lexi doesn't have the slightest clue what being sick means. So when she has the sniffles and a scratch in her throat you'd think it was the end of the world!

I had to explain and re-explain exactly what was going on... I had to come up with creative ways to tell her "YOU HAVE A COLD!"

We are still dealing with the dang germ bug and it has trickled down thru all three kids now...This is tolerable until it gets to my husband ;-)

I don't know what it is about men and sickness but if they have the slightest cold it appears to others (especially their wives) that they just had an extremity amputated with no lidocaine or sedation.

They roll about moaning and groaning, crying out, whimpering like a puppy and complain til YOU'RE blue in the face. So... Fingers crossed he stays well :-)

Aside from the bug, my husband and I spent some quality time together building furniture.... What kind of furniture you ask?!

Well the same kitchen chairs we began working on four months ago....

We differ greatly when it comes to wood work so I have been kicked off the "chair committee" a few times and have been recently reinstated so we shall see how this goes....

Obviously not THAT well considering our chairs are still sitting in the garage, unfinished, not next to my kitchen table.

We survived building a table together so the chairs should be a cake walk, right?!

Have a great week!

One Month "Blogversary"

Today marks just one measly month...

One measly month of GREATNESS!!! 

I am more than grateful for the mini milestones my baby blog has accomplished and look forward to many many more.

My little infant is just learning to sit up on its own but has already sparked interest in 160 Facebook fans and received over 2,000 page views...

To me, that's a PLUS!! More than I expected and the blog is growing DAILY! 

I have already had a featured guest post and been accepted into The Best Mom Blogs Directory. So much more to do!! But thanks to YOU I'm excited to keep going!!

Be watching for this weeks Blogversary Giveaway!! It's pretty AND sweet ;-)

Now to enjoy this day with a bottle of Cupcake wine and relaxation, Ahhh!

Guest Post Blog Opportunity

Guest blog opportunity!

I am looking for a few crafty, sassy, creative, witty moms wanting to get their awesomeness out to a new set of readers! 

If this sounds like you please send any guest posting ideas to Ourlittlelife13@gmail.com

I am looking for DIY projects, funny parenting advice, crazy kid experiences... Anything family oriented! Just send it over and get started on guest posting :-)

*I reserve the right to reject any post if I feel it does not fit the criteria I am seeking.

However, open to all the fun, interesting, amusing ladies and their ideas!

Lets make this fun!

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Back to School Blues

Waking up early..

Backpack loaded down with sharp new supplies..

Perfectly combed hair..

Freshly painted nails..

New outfit with matching shoes and a bow to boot..

Tummy butterflies and nervous smiles..

Picture after picture capturing the moment..

The car ride home filled with exciting new stories, gossip and more smiles...

The first day of school.

Every year I look forward to the day. Summers over, the house is quite and chaos is at a minimum.

But every year the silence, I anxiously awaited for three months, takes over my thoughts. I realize its another year closer to my little girl not being so little anymore.

I reminisce on the great memories we made as a family over the summer...the laughs, the tears and the funny stories. And every year it gets to me. One more summer down, not many more to go.

This year hit a little harder, I have a third grader and now a kindergartner. Two down, one more to go and the snowball takes off... Before long summer time will be a thing of the past. 

There will be no more giggles, no more pretend, no more up all night movie marathons...No more summertime excitement... One day they will all leave the nest and the silence will be something I dread rather than welcome.

It brings a tear to my eye... EVERY YEAR. I realize how selfish I acted, anxiously waiting for school to start so they would get out of my hair for 8 hours a day.

I realize the opportunities I missed by allowing myself to become too overwhelmed with 3 kids just enjoying the summer. 

I realize how truly blessed I am and how easy it is to take it for granted.

They won't be little forever, embrace it... All year round. 

Not just the first and last day of school... Every day.

Every memory and milestone in between... Cherish the summertime and making the memories.

Do not long for school to start because your tired...

One day, in a blink of an eye, it will all be gone.

This year I plan to make some changes. Enjoy more and worry less. It's over before you know it. 

I look forward to another school year and yet ANOTHER summer...

And I am excited :-)

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Fall Home Decor WINNER!!

Thanks to everyone who entered and made my FIRST giveaway a success! More to come! 

Congrats Jenny!!

Mini Mommy Wednesdays

Lexi woke me up bright and early to wish me a Happy "Mini Mommy Wednesday" 

Today she made lunch for everyone so I wouldn't have to ;-) 

Mac 'n cheese!! She did great.

She also helped out extra around the house... Loading the dishwasher, folding laundry, picking up toys. All just because it was MY pampering day :-)

She even made a new journal since we filled the first one...

And she completed her mommy pampering with another cute little poem:

FAMILY 

My family is always here and there,

From feeding the cat to washing underwear.

Like as you see they are always busy but they are family.

And that's what makes them easy. 

But most of the time they hang with us because they love and cherish us. 

                  -Alexis

She sure knows how to make her mommy's day :-)

Hope it made yours!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was an interesting one!

Saturday started with cleaning the split pea soup of a pool and picking up the house.. That's not thel interesting part....  

Let me just stop here and say having a pool is more then a headache! Whoever (me) thought that amenity was a good idea?! 

Next time I will think things thru and hire a Channing Tatum look-alike pool boy to make the headache a little more tolerable. At least then I won't notice the green pool as much, I'll be too busy gawking at the hired hunk :-) 

Anyway, Saturday evening we hung out with old friends and barbequed. Not at our house obviously since our pool looks like a lagoon!

We brought the sides, mashed potatoes and Mac 'n cheese... Matt slaved over them all day ;-)

We played a few games of horse shoes and Hubby showed off his amazing athletic ability....

Or lack there of...

I'm not a pro or anything but tossing over hand doesn't even LOOK like a good idea...

It goes without saying but those techniques did NOT work, however they sure made for good laughs :-)

We were having a great time but was cut short when our friends realized they were allergic to us...

Her eye swelled up like a baseball... 

Benadryl was the Debbie-Downer of the night... So we said our goodbyes and headed home...

Sunday consisted of family time...school supply shopping, jamming out to One Direction (Lexi's newest PHASE), treating the kids to dinner out (McDonald's DUH!) and winding down with a "SPY-mEEan" marathon...

Pools still green.....

Matt's still perfecting his horse shoe skills...

And our friends' eye is still swollen...

But I'd say it was a great weekend! 

Next time we will prep the potatoes with Benadryl to prevent allergic reactions to our "awesomeness".... 

And maybe go bowling since Matt has better form for that activity...

And settle for a rusty pool boy to care for the pool....

Have a great week!

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Sale Shopping Secrets Saturday

Frankly, this week I have been so busy with work that sale shopping was put on the back burner :-(

Talk about a stressful week! Work, work and more work with no retail therapy?! That's recipe for disaster!

No worries I still have plenty of secrets to share. The next best thing to actually shopping is reminiscing on shopping.

Our little town we live in only has one place to shop... Good 'ole DG.

Dollar General that is!

Some may laugh but others may find this secret helpful! Especially if your the type of mom aspiring to be the best room parent at school or the latest Pinterest sensation.... All while keeping a budget!

I comb the aisles of DG on two occasions... After major holidays and between seasons.

Have you ever tried putting together goody bags for classroom parties ON A BUDGET?! It's difficult when paying full price to please 24+ kids. Each bag can easily cost $5 or more..

Unless you plan ahead... A year :-)

DG practically gives away their seasonal items after the holiday. Cheap just got cheaper! 

Valentine's Day cards, Halloween decorations, Easter basket fillers and all the goodies to send to school sell for pennies!

(Treat bags for Valentine's Day 10 cents a pack)

Christmas is my favorite time to shop...after the holiday of course! 

I buy table runners and decorations for the house dirt cheap. Even gift sets are on sale. My house looks like a freakin' winter wonderland every year and my favorite part is always having new stuff to display each year and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg :-)

Just take off the tacky yellow and black sticker and no one knows its from the DOLLAR STORE :-) 

How do I store it all, you ask?!

Well after every holiday the color coated totes are also ON SALE! Makes organizing your holiday items that much easier!!

Don't blame me when you didn't plan ahead and your assigned treat bags for a school function :-). You're welcome!

Let Them Be Little

The country song Let Them Be Little by Billy Dean gets me every time.

I find myself asking the question, "Do I let them be little?"

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in LIFE we take for granted the small things.

I have learned to incorporate every day life into making memories the kids will hold in their hearts forever, all while letting them be little.

My kids love crafts, they enjoy just watching me with my crafts and doing their own. We have shared so many bonding moments and memories just sitting around the table making projects. 

Homework turns into an all out family event, especially the art and science projects. Even the hubby is pretty crafty :-)

What do you do to let them be little? 

What memories will they take with them when they grow up and leave home? 

What kind of influence are you making? 

Do you turn up the music and let loose and just dance silly with them?

Do you secretly fill water balloons just because?

Do you put down the paperwork and phone to jump on the trampoline with them and show off your skills?

Are you spontaneous and drop everything to go down the slide into the pool just to hear them giggle and cheer you on?

Do you unleash your best Super Hero moves and fight their imaginary battles?

Do you bust out silly rhymes and dance silly jigs just to see them smile?

Do you use your Internet browsing downtime to find cute hair styles and nail polish designs just for your daughter? And turn it into memories?

Do you wake them up with donuts from the local shop just because?

Do you take crazy pictures and laugh at them later?

Do you bust out the sidewalk chalk for fun? 

Do you show them your best shadow puppet skills?

Do you tuck them in at night?

Do you say I love you every chance you get?

Do you let them "sleep in the middle?"

I do!

And let me tell you the rewards are endless! 

"Let them be little cuz they are only that way for awhile."

 

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