My first Stitch Fix...

I have been wanting to try Stitch Fix for a while but I am the kind of person that has to try on everything and likes to pick out my own things.  But I was still intrigued by the idea of having a stylist and letting someone else pick out clothes for me.  So when I was gifted a Stitch Fix credit I thought that was a perfect time to give it a try!

You go online and fill out a style survey with your sizes, likes/dislikes, items you may be looking for, etc.  Then you schedule how often you'd like to receive boxes.  Each box comes with 5 items for you to try on and review.  If you don't like any of the items you can return them in a prepaid envelope that comes in your box.  

There is a $20 styling fee you will pay if you don't keep any items.  If you choose one or more to keep, then the fee is waived.  If you sign up through my link we will both get a $25 credit when you check out with your first fix!  

I received some great pieces but sometimes it takes a few boxes for your stylist to learn your style and sizes better.  Take a peek at my items and what I ended up with...

My first item was a pair of jeans.  These are elastic waist skinny jeans by Liverpool.  They fit pretty good but not sure I love the elastic waist.  Plus they were a little long.  I usually need short or ankle length.  $78....Returned

I also received this blouse by Brina & Em called the Lemmy V-Neck.  The top was cute but a little snug.  When I'm teaching and moving around with my preschoolers I need something more comfortable.  $39...Returned

  

This next piece was my favorite right out of the box!  The elbow patches were super cute and a unique touch to the black and white stripe cardigan by Market & Spruce.  But it was little more than I wanted to pay, plus the sleeves were a bit snugger than I'd like.  $64...Returned

I also received a Daniel Rain scoop neck top (not pictured) in an eggplant color but the fit and style were not for me.  $58...Returned

This last one was a keeper!  The fabric was so soft and the perfect neutral.  It is a cowl neck brushed knit top by Cupio Blush.  I love that I can dress it up with jeans and flats or booties like the above photo.  But also pair it with leggings and sneaks for a more casual look below!  $44...Keep

I also threw on my black puffer vest and love this look even more!  This is a great piece with versatility and I'm happy to add it to my wardrobe!

Overall I enjoyed this experience with Stitch Fix!  I still love shopping for myself but think it's fun to get goodies hand picked for you and shipped right to your door!  The pieces are a little more than I like to pay, but if you want to treat yourself, want quality items and especially don't like shopping then I think you should definitely give Stitch Fix a try!

Big things in a small town...{day trip}

Summer is flying by and we wanted to take a quick family trip before the back to school busyness begins.  We had heard about a place not far from us that had some of the world's largest roadside attractions so we decided to check it out!  Casey, IL is just over 2 hours east of Springfield.  Big things in a small town is the tagline of this quaint little place.

We got into town around lunch and headed straight for Richards Farms to eat.  It is a classic American style restaurant in an old 1930's barn.  They offer a hot bar filled with mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, mac & cheese, fish cakes, BBQ pork, fried chicken, chicken livers, bread pudding, apple crisp, etc.  Plus they have a salad bar, bread station and a variety of soups.  You can also order off the menu.  The food was wonderful, especially the homemade bread!  They had whipped butter, cinnamon/sugar butter, apple butter and strawberry spread toppings to choose from.  After eating you can walk around the grounds, explore the flower gardens, see the chickens and goats out back and view the world's largest pitchfork!

Most of the world's largest items are right along Main Street in downtown Casey.  You can park and walk up and down the street, viewing the large attractions and stopping in the unique and interesting shops.  Our favorite was the world's largest mailbox!  You could actually walk up inside of it.  The red flag even rises when letters are submitted! 

If you walk back behind the mailbox, you can see the world's largest wooden shoes inside the Casey Candy Depot.  Pick up a sweet treat after you view this fun attraction!  There is also an ice cream shop beside the mailbox if you'd like to satisfy your sweets craving with that instead.  ;)

Just down the street you can view the world's largest wind chime and rocking chair.  They are also working on more items and getting them world record certified.  There is a teeter totter currently being built across from the wind chime. 

There are also other large items throughout the town that aren't necessarily world's largest but just big!  My favorite was this giant pencil!  I love writing utensils, so of course I was getting a pic! 

My daughter loved the large bird cage.  You could open the door, go in, and swing on the perch!  We loved all the interactive elements of these attractions. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this day trip over to Casey and would recommend checking it out for yourself.  Or if you aren't near Illinois,  I encourage you to research your area and discover an interesting place within a few hours and plan a visit!  

{preschool} Valentine week

Last week at Preschool we celebrated Valentine's Day.  I wanted to share some of the activities that we incorporated into our unit.  Even though they are heart themed, they can be adapted to many different themes!  

Pom pom painting...We printed a heart outline on red paper and then gave the kids pink and white paint to dip their pom pom painters into.  Just take a clothespin and clip in a pom pom and let the creating begin!    

How many hearts?...This was a free download and is a wonderful math activity.  It incorporates counting, number recognition and fine motor.  The students must count the hearts in each box, identify the number and then circle it.  

Heart patterns...I love the worksheets that Paging Supermom creates and this one worked perfectly into our Valentine unit.  We work on patterns with the kids, especially during our calendar time.   So this worksheet helped the kids create their own AB pattern.  

Beading chenille stems...This is a great fine motor activity but also another idea for learning patterns.  I put red, white, light pink and dark pink heart beads in a container and let the kids string them onto pipe cleaners.  One student was super proud to show me his ABCD pattern using all the colors!  

Cut hearts...The kids also cut hearts.  I used publisher to created a template with 4 simple hearts on a page.  Then we copied it on pink, purple and red paper for the kids to cut out.  We then hung them around the classroom for decor!  

Heart transferring...I put some small plastic hearts in a container and had the kids spoon them into smaller heart containers.  

Valentine sensory bin...The kids always love playing in the sensory bins.  These are usually simple and easy to create!  For the Valentines bin we had a base of white and red rice, red pom poms, rose petals, heart erasers, red jewels, small heart containers, mini spoons and scoops.  The kids loved pretending to make soup!  ;)

Here are a few past Valentine posts to check out as well...

{check} this out Valentine's Day

{valentine} tree

{heart} day reads

preschool {winter} fun

One of my 2016 goals is to share more preschool tidbits on my blog.  The last couple weeks we have been talking about winter, snow and all things cold at preschool.  So here are a few super fun things we did during our winter unit...

Make a winter scene...Each child had to cut out 3 triangle trees, tear the white paper for snow and glue to the blue background paper.  Then they used a white crayon to add some "snow" to the sky and trees.  Finally they placed some fun wintery stickers on to finish the scene.  

We are always working on counting and number recognition, so this number snowman fit in great this week.  The child is told a number and they must find it on the snowman and cover with a snowflake.  The number line at the top is for those who needed a little help identifying the numbers.

Who doesn't love to make a snowman?!  We had 2 versions...the first was a manipulative.  The children were encouraged to take turns building a snowman using the provided pieces...cotton rounds, buttons, small twigs, foam hats, and ribbon pieces.  It was interesting to see color choices and number of scarves or buttons each snowmen had!

The next snowman was paper snowman.  Each child had to cut out 2 circles and attach them.  Next they glued on the arms, scarf and hat.  Then they were told to draw eyes, carrot nose, mouth on the head and buttons on the body.   These turned out especially cute.  I loved seeing the different mouth expressions some made..this one is a cute, simple smile while there were others with open, surprised mouths and even mad, grumbled ones!

Learning to identify colors and sort them is another skill we worked on.  Here I had cut mittens out of several colors of construction paper.  Then I grabbed a variety of colorful objects for the children to sort.  We incorporate this activity at circle time also.  The children identify a color on their clothing and then find something in the classroom that matches.

Another activity that is fun to do in our winter unit is hot chocolate tasting!  Most of the kids love the hot chocolates.  Only a few opt for water instead!  ;)  Everyone knows that hot chocolate is better with marshmallows, so we do several fun activities with those too!

marshmallow painting...use a large marshmallow, dip it into white paint and stamp it on paper.
marshmallow sensory bin....place a mix of mini colored fruit flavored marshmallows and white ones in a bin with foam cups, spoons and scoops.
marshmallow art....have children practicing using small dots of glue and stick on mini marshmallows
marshmallow drop...using tongs the children pick up a marshmallow or white pom pom and drop into a mug

Here are some other winter themed ideas I posted last year.

12 Days of School

Little Bit was so excited to start school today.  She was so chatty last night, just thinking out loud about everything, that I could hardly get her to settle down for bed.  Luckily she had a wonderful first day and loves her teacher!

Tonight she was telling us all about her day and was still very excited....which I love!  School is definitely on the brain.  She even made up a song about it to the 12 days of Christmas tune.  I just had to share!  ;)

On the first day of first grade my teacher gave to me,

an apple in a tree.

On the second day of 2nd grade my teacher gave to me,

2 homework sheets.

On the third day of 3rd grade my teacher gave to me,

3 books to read.

On the fourth day of 4th grade my teacher gave to me,

4 colored pencils.

On the fifth day of 5th grade my teacher gave to me,

5 highlighters.

On the sixth day of 6th grade my teacher gave to me,

6 erasers.

On the seventh day of 7th grade my teacher gave to me,

7 notebooks.

On the eighth day of 8th grade my teacher gave to me,

8 art pieces.

On the ninth day of 9th grade my teacher gave to me,

9 math problems.

On the tenth day of 10th grade my teacher gave to me,

10 titan tickets.

On the eleventh day of 11th grade my teacher gave to me,

11 stickers.

On the twelfth day of 12th grade my teacher gave to me,

12 recesses. 

Too cute...love my girl!

Jewelry find...

Have you been to Hobby Lobby lately?!  They have got some great jewelry on the cheap!   The brand is Iron Lily Studio.  I'm not sure how long this line has been around but it is a fairly new find for me.  At my store they are located near the checkout lanes. 

They have rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and hair accessories!  It looked like the prices begin at $1.99 and go up from there.  Most of what I was looking at was in the $3-$5 range.

They have a good variety of styles and colors to choose from.  I was most impressed with the earring selection!  

I thought these initial necklaces were super cute and would make a fun girl gift...only $4.99.

Of course you know I loved this little owl necklace!  I couldn't believe the price...only $2.99 and it comes on a 24 inch chain.  The necklace options came in several different lengths.

These are what came home with me...for now anyway!  ;)  I was looking for a pair of orange earrings and these are perfect.  Plus you can't beat the price.  I used a 40% off coupon and only paid $1.94 with tax!  Score!!! 

If you are a frequent Hobby Lobby shopper and have a smart phone, download the app (iphone or android) and you will always have a coupon with you.  If you prefer to print your coupon, they are available on their website. 

Where is your favorite place to score awesome jewelry deals?!

strawberry chocolate {cupcakes}

What to do on a snowy day when you've already played in the snow, had hot chocolate and watched a movie?  Why make cupcakes of course!  Little Bit wanted to make cupcakes, so I asked her what kind.  She said strawberry chocolate!  I went to the cabinets and this is what I had, so we made it work...

We first took a can of strawberry pie filling and dumped it into a bowl.  With a fork we mashed up the strawberries.

Then we added 2 eggs and the cake mix.  Mix until all dry ingredients are moist and incorporated.   Stir in the chocolate chips. 

Then fill each muffin tin 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  

Little Bit really wanted chocolate icing for them, so I grabbed a can of butter cream icing that I had in the pantry and added some cocoa powder to it!  Delish!

She even helped me ice them...and eat them of course!  The verdict is...yummo!!!

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can strawberry pie filling
2 eggs
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Dump the can of pie filling into a mixing bowl and mash strawberries with a fork.  Then add the 2 eggs and cake mix.  Mix until all dry ingredients are moist and incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Place muffin liners in 18 muffin slots.  Then fill each muffin tin 2/3 full.  {If not using liners, spray pans}.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!....or add some yummy icing like we did!


Chocolate butter cream icing
1 can butter cream icing
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Mix together until chocolaty and smooth! {Or you could make your own if you want, but I prefer this shortcut!}

Winter day fun...

We are definitely feeling the WINTER weather this week.  It is C.O.L.D....COLD!  Little Bit has been out of school due to cold weather so she has been coming to Preschool with me....cause we have still been in session.  This week we are talking about snow and snowmen.  Here are a couple of fun activities we have done that would be great to do with your kiddos at home when you are couped up due to the cold!

Do you want to build a snowman?...cotton rounds for body, buttons for eyes, ribbon pieces for scarves, little sticks for arms, foam cut into hats and triangle "carrot" noses.

Sparkly snow sensory tray...I saw this on Pinterest.  Instead of salt I used sugar and glitter.  I let the kids use their finger to draw in the "snow".  Then use a pencil to form shapes.

Shaving cream....This makes great faux snow and the kids have a blast with it!  Plus it is easy clean up!!!  They can have fun just playing in it with their hands but it's also fun to drive cars in the "snow" or walk animals through it to make tracks!  

I hope you enjoy these fun, indoor winter ideas!   

{It's my birthday} and I'll shop if I want to....

Today I celebrated the big 35.  Yep, that's right it's my birthday!  I have had a pretty fun and laid back birthday so far doing things that I love.  First off spending time with my family!  Little Bit told me that I could do whatever I wanted today and she would even shop with me if she had to...lol!  I did take time out to enjoy an arty party with her and some of her friends.  {Happy Birthday Annie!}

I also enjoyed some Starbucks with a good friend, scrapbooked with other friends, chatted with family and got in some shopping time!  Here are a few of my birthday shopping treats thanks to gift cards I received for my birthday and Christmas...

 

First stop....Old Navy.  The women's clearance was an extra 20% off yesterday and today.  I was lucky enough to snag this cute jeweled sweatshirt in cream for under $8!  I couldn't find it online but this grey one is still $30 online!  I think I got an amazing deal! 

Next up....Target!  My home away from home...lol!  I wasn't even really looking for anything but I walked by these long sleeved raglan tees and this green one just jumped out at me.  So I brought it home.  ;)

In Hobby Lobby I really wasn't looking for anything for me but you know how that goes!  ;)  {We were shopping for blank canvas so Little Bit and I could continue the arty party at home.  I will post a pic soon!}  I happened to see those black metal owls on clearance and knew I had the perfect spot for it in my craft space. 

Such a wonderful start to the new year!!!

Happy New Year!

A new year started today!  I hope you enjoyed spending time with the ones you love! 

2014 here we come...

 

{super} girl...

Little Bit has been wanting a new cape to play with.  I made her one several years ago but the neck bothered her and it wasn't quite long enough anymore.  Luckily I had seen and pinned an idea for one not that long ago.  So...as fast as a speeding bullet we were off to get supplies!  ;)

 

All it takes is an adult Large or Extra Large shirt and something to decorate it with.  We got our shirt from Hobby Lobby.  They are only $3.99 and usually on sale or you can use a coupon.  Plus they have lots of colors to choose from.  I let Little Bit pick the color shirt she wanted...we got an adult large because it looked plenty big for her. 

Now to cut!  I started at the back bottom left, just to the right of the side seam.  I cut up all the way to the shoulder, about 2 inches away from the neckline.  Then I cut around the neck of the shirt, making sure to leave the neck hole in tact.  Once you get to the other shoulder cut all the way down the back until you reach the bottom of the shirt.

Tada...now you have a wonderfully soft and easy to get on and off super girl {or boy} cape!  :)

We then took puff paints and got to decorating!  Little Bit really wanted to do the painting herself but the paints have to be shaken and squeezed just right, so she ended up telling me which color to use and what to draw!  Waiting for the paint to dry was the hardest part! 

Now she's off to save the day!

{Sidenote....We saved the rest of the shirt.  You should have been left with the sleeves attached to the front panel.  It would make a great smock wearing it with the panel in the front.  Or wear it the other way as a pretend doctors coat!  We had fun decorating it too while we had the paints out!}

{summertime} adventures & a crafty project!

I saw this super cool summer schedule while blog browsing one day and thought it was such a fun idea.  So of course I instantly pinned it for future reference! ;)  Even though I love the catchy names of each day...I wanted a bit more flexibility to my weeks.  

 

So I've decided to incorporate these things throughout each week but the order will just vary.  Plus with Little Bit in a cast we can't quite do water days yet.  This was our first week putting our summer schedule into motion and it was fabulous!  

Monday...took a trip to the local museum for a butterfly storytime and played in the children's area

Tuesday...doctor appt, ran errands & met friends for lunch

Wednesday...stayed home, cleaning & organizing day

Thursday...craft day & picnic/play at the park

Friday...library reading program, grocery shopping & garage sales!

Each week will also include...reading time, writing practice, exercise, cleaning, errands, play dates & plenty of snuggling!

I absolutely loved how our first craft project of the summer turned out.  As soon as it was dry I framed that bad boy and hung it in the craft room!  So of course I had to show you all!  ;)  

The inspiration for this project came from Pinterest....where else...it is just such a great resource!  This one uses paper, a plastic cup, and paint.    

 

You start out by stamping circles with the cup.  They used black paint to do this but I tried a black ink pad instead to lessen drying time and I really like the more subtle lines.  

Here are all the circles stamped.

Then Little Bit got to work with her water colors!  She did such as amazing job coloring in each segment of the overlapping circles with different colors.  She even added some personal touches of her own. 

I especially love the little smiley face in the upper left corner!  :-)

So our summer fun is off to a great start!  What fun things do and your kiddos have lined up for this summer?