Suprise Graduation Gift for Daddy!

I racked my brain on what to get for my husband for graduation.  When a person graduates a gift is usually a nice thing to get in celebration...but what could I get for my husband?  He worked so hard in school and at work while juggling four children and a wife.  I searched and searched for the right gift.  Yes, an engraved beer mug or a key chain are popular graduation gifts but that just doesn't say Thank you for turning your life upside down and enduring homework, classes, tests, sleepless nights while making every moment count when with your family.  How do you search for the perfect non-traditional gift for a non-traditional student? He didn't want anything big, which is good because this Momma has to keep as low cost as possible! 

One night I had an epiphany and prayed that it would work!  The next day, I grabbed the kids, an old graduation gown and my camera and headed to the back yard...and then headed back into the house because storm clouds were headed our way...and then back outside once the sun reappeared!  The kids had a great time dressing up and I was so happy to get some good shots within 10 minutes!  Here are the final pics!

 The picture collage was blown up to a 24x36 print and framed in a poster frame and placed on the Cookie Buffet Table at his graduation party. I was able to score this and t-shirts for $4.00 each from Staples.com! When I got on their site they were having a major sale!  Boy, was I excited to see this!

Each child got to wear their own picture on their shirt!  Daddy was so surprised to see these! 

He said they were perfect!  

 I added a mug to the order as well.  The mug has the collage picture on it and will go on his desk in his classroom.  This will be a reminder of all he has accomplished and the 4 little smiles that root him on everyday!

Congratulations! We are very proud of you!

Project: Valentine's Day Can 'O Dates

The blog Dating Diva's is fabulous if you need date night ideas. You can find them by clicking HERE!  I found them a few years ago and it is a blog that is a go to when I need some ideas on a creative date night!  I got the following idea at their blog for my man (I guess it is for me, too!).  My husband is so incredibly busy.  He is in school full time and working whenever possible.  We have cut back in a lot of areas while we are in this season.  We coupon, eat in, enjoy family nights at home, etc.  When it comes to gifts we also try to come up with something that is usable, made if possible, and fun!  

Here is the perfect thing for us this Valentine's Day!

The paint can can be bought at Home Depot for a few bucks.  

My hubby had one that he used for school last semester so I repurposed it for him!

 You can find this with free printables HERE!

How cute!  

Project 52: Glimpse Into Motherhood - Father's Day

Here is my link up of the week and a shout out to the best Daddy in the world!  Happy Father's Day! These shorts made me the most proud Mommy!

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Jam!

Who doesn't like Strawberries?  Okay, maybe a few of you but you have to try this and you could be won over forever!  Strawberry Jam ~ Make your own and you will never go back to the store bought kind again!

Tips for better jam:

~Strawberries - Try to get the fresh picked or from the Farmer's Market

~Have your kids smoosh'em ~ they have fun and your arm doesn't get as tired!

~Turn up the music and jam while you jam!

~Be ready to taste test!  Nothing like liking a spoon or a few spoons for all the little helpers!

~Save a few berries for an extra special treat at the end of the day!

~Box up a few for a surprise for someone special!  This box was for Daddy!

Iddy Biddy Etsy Love

 Iddy Biddy Etsy Love

Before my little man came along, I fell in love with a little bear hat that I saw on ETSY. I thought that if I ever had a boy I wanted this hat for his first pictures.  I decided to order this had so that it would be here on baby day!  After I ordered this hat we waited and waited for it to come.  On a snowy Saturday morning we heard the doorbell ring and there was a man with a package.  The 3 girls and I sat on the floor in front of the fireplace and wondered what could be in this package that came all the way from the land of the kangaroo's!  We opened up the padded envelope and there was a beautifully wrapped present.  

We carefully unwrapped it and there it was! So soft and so cute! It then was packed away for it's debut. March 3rd, 2010 a boy was welcomed into our lives and the hat was the perfect accent to this new little life!

The funkyhooker @ Etsy.com

5 Year Old Birthday Gift

Today I took my daughter to her first classmates birthday party.  We do not know the family but the little girl has been a great friend in class and on the bus this year! We went with the gardening outdoor theme for the present!

~ A Gardening Bucket

~Gardening Tools

~Pink Gardenia

~A few packets of pink flower seeds

~Gardening Gloves

~Several cards made by my daughter

~Personalized for the Birthday Girl

Nothing like Spoiling Yourself!

Me time?  What does that mean anyways?  Sometimes it seems like everything is spinning around me and I am trying to keep up with everything and forget about the ME in me!  I got a great deal on Strawberries  at Sam's club the other day and not only made strawberry jam because they were yummy but I also dipped a few for me, my wonderful hubby and my sister for an anniversary present. 

I now know that if I am too busy with the world around me and I need to pause time all I have to do is sit with a box of chocolate covered strawberries!

Project: Christmas Lighted Glass Block

Make your own Festive Lighted 

Christmas Glass Block

This glass block Christmas project is simple and elegant and requires minimal time to complete, yet still achieves a very nice, warm look for the holiday season.

Here's what you'll need:

A strand of straight-line mini lights. Straight-line lights are lights that don't have a large female end. A large end would cause problems, as the hole you're drilling is too small to accommodate anything but the lights themselves.*

A glass block, available from most home stores (Home Depot, etc):



 A glass drill bit, also common:

Safety Glasses:

A dust mask for any airborne debris is also recommended.

You will also need some mini lights, and ribbon of your choosing.

Caution! Always follow all safety instructions set out in your drill's instruction manual. Failure to do so may cause injury or worse. Always wear proper safety equipment, including safety glasses, gloves and dust mask. Proceed at your own risk. Author takes no responsibility for any injuries incurred. Play safe.


Begin by using the glass bit to drill a tiny pilot hole in the side of the block. Really, you're just trying to get a small guide hole in place. Once the hole has been started, some people spray a little water, oil or mineral spirits to keep the bit cool and increase its longevity. I chose to use olive oil as it was all I had handy. You only need a few drops. Align the drill directly over the hole and continue drilling. When drilling the hole, be careful not to apply too much pressure as this might crack the block - think slow and steady. It is tempting at times to speed things up by adding more pressure, as it's easy to forget that you're drilling into glass, but try to refrain, as this will only lead to problems! I find that a direct and steady drilling, with little movement, works best. Many people use a drill press for this, so that might be the way to go if you have one.

After a few minutes of steady drilling, I had a hole!

For some reason, I was under the impression that mini lights were smaller than they were when I purchased the glass drill bit, which was only a 1/4", because when I went to feed the lights through it was not even close. To correct for this, I had to actually drill another hole directly beside the first hole. When the second hole was nearly complete, the section between the two holes chipped away easily, to my surprise. Avoid this by buying a larger drill bit! At this point, the hole was still proving to be a tight squeeze for the mini lights, so I got out the trusty Dremel (knock-off) and used a grinding stone bit to expand the hole ever so slightly. This worked much better (and much quicker) than I anticipated. I only had to grind for about 20 seconds, if that.

After drilling the hole, you may have dust and glass bits inside the glass block, as I did. I half filled the block with water and shook it vigorously. The problem with this is that after emptying the water from the block, it does take some time before the block is completely dry. Not a big issue, obviously. This block was set out over night and was dry by the next morning.

At this point, we fed the mini lights into the glass block...
...and tested the lights again, before going any further.
~Once the lights were fed through, a ribbon was attached. Many people choose to paste Christmas images to the side of the block instead - the choice is yours! ;)
And you're done! Enjoy your festive masterpiece :)


****Make sure that your mini-lights have a female end (in other words, they were straight-line lights). Buying lights without a female end will make the job much easier.

Here is our new Christmas gift project! Finished and super sparkly! Love It!
Thanks to HouseHacker for the detailed directions!