going through my stash {and making snuggies for kids!}

My husband has a New Year's resolution for me: de-stash my craft stash! I have to agree--it needs to be done before we move across the country this summer. So started with the yards of University of Utah fleece I bought on sale and finally made my kids the knock-off Snuggies (you know, the blankets with sleeves?) I promised them! Perfect for snuggling up and playing their new Wii.


I found a great pattern for the kid-sized Snuggie (or Snuglet) here and made a few modifications. Since my kids are young, they needed a smaller size. I changed the length of the fleece piece to 50" for my 7-year-old and 45" for my 5-year-old. Measure your child from shoulder to the floor and add a few inches for a custom fit. I also measured their arms and trimmed some length off them, too.

Secondly, I moved the arm holes up about 5 inches. They gave me more length and less bulk around their necks. Lastly, I added a strip of Velcro to the back so they would stay closed while they were wearing them. They kept walking around and complaining they were falling off (they don't stay sitting down for very long!).

We're Huskies now, and soon we'll be Hawkeyes, but we'll always be Utes (we've given them way too much money not to be loyal!). So of course we've already started indoctrinating our children. The leftover fabric was plenty to make them simple scarves and little pillows, so they can dream about their future college years at the greatest school on earth.



I noticed Hancock's Fabrics has licensed school fleece and cottons on sale this week, so go make a Snuggie and start showing your school spirit while lounging on the couch!

kids helping hand towels

It's a new year. That means I can resolve to keep my house cleaner this year. To do that I really need the help of the little boys who contribute to many messes at my house! I heard of an idea to have the kids decorate their own hand towels to use when they clean up. This way when I want the table wiped off, or there is a spill, they can run right to their own towel and help me out.

This is an easy, cheap, fun activity to do with your kiddos. The supply list is simple as well. I found a big pack of towels on clearance at Target. All you need after that is crayons, newspaper, an iron, and ironing board (or use your counter top with several layers of towels for protection).


You can have your child use the crayons to decorate the towels however you like. I helped trace my boys' hands on the towels since I called them helping hand towels. Then I had each boy write his name so he would know which towel was his. Make sure you pick a dark enough color and press hard so the color is bold.



After you are finished coloring on the towels, place them face down onto a thick layer of newspapers. Using the cotton setting on your iron, apply some pressure and iron all over the towel for several minutes. Replace the newspapers since a layer of crayon will come off of the towel and then repeat. After this, you can wash and dry the towels and the crayon will stay!


I have noticed that it does fade over time, but my boys loved this activity so much that I won't mind making more in a few months! Best wishes for a clean home (and happy helpers) this year!

hand-cut snowflake banner tutorial

Yea! Something fun to do on Christmas day, courtesy of that crafty Jennifer. We'll be making a few of these for sure once the fun of unwrapping is over! Merry Christmas!

Snowflake Bunting Tutorial

I’ve been trying to think of a couple of fun projects to keep everybody busy on Christmas Day. As soon as I saw this idea at How About Orange, I knew that we would be cutting snowflakes.


I picked up a big pack of Christmas tissue paper at Costco a few weeks ago, so I had plenty of paper work with. I cut a stack of tissue paper into 6 inch squares and started playing with them while I was waiting for my husband to finish one of his projects. It was so fast to make them. I had a stack of about 6 or 7 in just a few minutes. Once I mastered the basics, I started looking for some patterns online. There were lots, but I really fell in love with the Christmas tree and snowman designs that I found here. I was able to draw the tree onto tissue paper and cut it out. I was pretty impressed with myself.


Once I had cut a whole stack of them, I was wondering what I should do with them next. I ironed them flat and then used baker’s twine to make them into a banner to hang in front of my window. So easy, so cute and so much fun to make, just watch out for all the teeny, tiny paper pieces that are left over from cutting. They are all over my floor and I think I will have to get the vacuum out to clean them up

favorite christmas stories for children

As we get close to Christmas, we hope you are all enjoying time with family (instead of madly sewing and crafting like we know some of you are!). Our friend Jennifer shares her favorite Christmas books for kids that she and her family have enjoyed over the years. We hope you'll enjoy them too, and maybe start your own Christmas book tradition!

Christmas at our House – Family Story Night

When our girls were growing up, one of our family traditions was to read a Christmas story each night before bed. It took me many years of buying one or two books each year before we had enough stories to read one every night in December. Each year as I shopped for the special book, I tried to pick something very special – the illustrations might be wonderful or the story was especially touching. When the girls were very little I wrapped each book and they took turns choosing one. The story was a surprise. As the years went on the wrapping fell by the wayside because it became a chore, but we read stories together every year until the girls left home.

Let me introduce you to just a couple of our very favorite Christmas stories.

Hoshmakaka, a camel, is the star of the book “The Last Straw” by Fredrick H. Thury. Hoshmakaka is an cranky older camel who complains about his gout and sciatica when he is asked to carry a load. He ends up carrying all the wisemen’s gifts to the Christ child. After adding more and more gifts during his journey, a small child gives him a piece of straw for the the Christ child’s bed. – This piece of straw ends up being the last straw for
Hoshmakaka and he falls to his knees in front of the Christ child. My children loved the illustrations and seeing Hoshmakaka loaded down with so many gifts. They also loved that he complained about his gout and sciatica, so much so that “my gout, my sciatica” became a code phrase in our family for being near our limit. Hoshmakaka, the grumpy camel, has to be
one of our family’s favorite Christmas characters.


Another family favorite is “Don’t Forget Me Santa Claus” by Virginia
Mayo. This delightful book has no words, only illustrations, so the story
changed every year depending on who was reading it. The storyline is
about a darling baby in red striped pajamas who is determined to get Santa’s
attention after having his Christmas stocking overlooked by the Jolly Old
Elf. The baby has darling expressions, particularly when he is letting Santa
know how he feels about being forgotten. In our family when Dad read the
story it was hilarious, with all the kids chiming in when he said “don’t forget
me Santa Claus”.


I’ll Be Home For Christmas is the title of this Toot and Puddle book by
Holly Hobby. Toot and Puddle are two dear piggy friends. Puddle likes to
stay at home and Toot likes to travel the world. When Toot promises to be
home in time for Christmas, Puddle starts getting everything ready at home
for a wonderful celebration. Toot has travel trouble and Puddle wonders if
he will ever make it, but in the end the two friends are together at Christmas.
Watching Puddle work so hard to make everything just so for Toot’s arrival
reminds me of how hard my mom worked to make Christmas a magical
time of the year. When my kids left home it was my turn to make sure
that Christmas at our house had all the magic that they girls remembered
from when they were growing up. Reading this book reminds me of how
much we all love each other and how hard we work to please our family at
Christmas time.


This list hardly scratches the surface of the many delightful Christmas books that we have enjoyed over the years. Everyone in the family has a different favorite. After the kids left home, I thought about dividing the books up among the girls, but this year I have read to a daughter in Germany and grandchildren in Oklahoma over the webcam. I won’t have to give away my collection. I can read with my family, wherever they are, for years to come.

Kix Cereal Review & GIVEAWAY

"When it comes to starting off your day right, a new survey from Kix found that 84 percent of parents turn to cereal with milk for a quick and healthy breakfast.

Cereal is one of the healthiest breakfast choices parents can make. Ready-to-eat cereal has fewer calories than almost any other common breakfast option, while also being nutrient-dense and convenient. In addition, cereal eaters consume less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters.

With the same great taste kids have loved for more than 70 years, Kix makes it easy to serve your family a simple and healthy breakfast! Whether you choose to serve Original Kix or Honey Kix, you can be sure that your kids are getting a wholesome food with nutrients they need to grow.

The "Kid-Tested Mother-Approved®"cereal is made with whole grain corn and is an excellent source of iron. It also is a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins C and D. Original Kix has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

To find out more, visit the recently launched Kix website, http://www.kixcereal.com/, featuring background on the history of Kix, nutritional content, and special offers"



My kids were so excited when our review prize pack arrived. It included a 24-piece counting-themed floor puzzle, fun learn-to-count flashcards, a sippy cup, a portable snack container and a box each of Original Kix and Honey Kix cereal. The boys were already fans of Kix cereal but had not tried the Honey Kix Cereal before. They love it! They both like it as a snack without milk too. J was thrilled with the floor puzzle as well. He's put that thing together countless times and he's even nice enough to let L play with it sometimes too.


One random Oh My Baby reader will WIN their own prize pack including all the same items we received. Leave your comment by 11:59 pm EST on December 17th. U.S. addresses only please

To Enter: (this is mandatory)
Have you ever had Kix cereal before?

For Extra Entries:
- Follow Oh My Baby publicly (2 extra)
- Add an Oh My Baby button to your sidebar (leave me the link)
- Help spread the word about this giveaway (leave me the link)
- Enter any of my other current giveaways (1 entry per giveaway)

I received these products free of charge for review on my blog from Kix Cereals and MyBlogSpark. All views and opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Rock 'N Learn Phonics Review & Giveaway

"Rock 'N Learn is easy to use and follow, each program is crafted especially to allow for self-instruction, especially appreciated by busy parents and teachers. Completely kid-friendly, Rock ‘N Learn is expressly developed to empower kids to learn on their own—or parents can help further apply the material that kids have learned. Because Rock ‘N Learn is all about effectiveness—and simplicity—the programs are designed to provide an alternative to the complicated kits and workbooks that demand a lot of adult supervision.

Rock ‘N Learn DVD titles are categorized by subject as well as age group. Programs begin at the preschool level 2–5 and continue for children 4 and up. Subjects covered include reading and writing, math, science, test preparation, other languages and social studies. Recently, Rock ‘N Learn introduced phonics to its educational offerings with the launch of Rock ‘N Learn Phonics, a multi-DVD program. This program features new animation, oral segmenting, oral blending, word families, rhyming phrases, sentence practice, and short stories. It provides kids with an easy and fun way to learn the phonics skills that lead to reading and spelling success."

J loves music! He always has. Even at 4 years old, he's already memorizing song lyrics from the radio. I knew Rock 'N Learn would be a great alternative then the traditional books and worksheets. I must say these DVDs came in handy when we went on what was supposed to be a 2 hour car ride that turned into 4 hours. These were a lifesaver! We were all singing the AEIOU song. The characters are entertaining and the songs are catchy. They were easy to sing along without realizing you were learning. These Rock 'N Learn DVDs were truly enjoyable.

One lucky Oh My Baby reader will WIN their own copy of Rock 'N Learn Phonics Volume 1 DVD. Simply leave your comment by 11:59 pm EST on September 16th. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. and Canada Addresses only please.

To Enter: (this is mandatory)
Visit Rock 'N Learn and tell me another video you would like to see

For Extra Entries:
- Follow Oh My Baby publicly (2 extra)
- Add an Oh My Baby button to your sidebar and leave me the link
- Enter any of my other current giveaways (one entry per giveaway)
- Help spread the word about this giveaway (leave me the link)

I received this product free of charge for review on my blog. All views and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.