Ask a Baby Blogger: Our Whole Family Isn’t Invited to the Wedding

Question: A cousin of mine is getting married in a few months and on the invitation she invited myself and my husband but not the baby. My baby will only be 4 months old when she gets married. Isn’t it rude of her not to invite the whole family? So what should I do? Do I tell her that we won’t come unless she invites the baby? (I’m not comfortable leaving the baby as I am nursing.) Or do I go anyways despite her being selective? Since this isn’t the marriage blog I won’t spend a lot of time on … Continue reading

Tea Party Birthday Parties

Tea party themed birthday parties can be loads of fun, and aren’t hard to put together. For invitations consider a teacup-shaped card with a string and tag attached mimicking a tea bag. You can write your party details on the tag and on the cup. Dressing up is the most fun part. You can invite your guest to come dressed up, or consider it a party activity. Position a mirror in the party room so the girls can see how they look. Provide boas, tiaras, and loads and loads of beaded necklaces and bracelets. Thrift stores and garage sales are … Continue reading

Cheap Scrapbooking Supplies From The Bathroom 2

Nobody could possibly believe that it is possible to find scrapbooking supplies in the bathroom? This is the second part of a two article series on discovering frugal supplies and embellishments in the bathroom of your own house. You more than likely already have these items, and it will be fun to discover how you can use them on your scrapbook layouts. Barrettes and Bobby Pins – These are fantastic accessories to use as embellishments on your scrapbooking layouts. They can be altered, inked, embossed, painted or otherwise to make them coordinate with your layouts. They act the same way … Continue reading

6 Uses for Used Calendars

Don’t throw out that 2007 calendar just yet. It might be 2008, but there is no reason to let something like that go to waste. After you have recorded the dates and other information you want to remember, follow these creative and clever ideas to use that old calendar in a new way. Nearly every calendar has a pretty picture for each month, here are some ideas to use those pictures. They make a fun and creative gift wrap for small packages. You would wrap the same way you would wrap with wrapping paper leaving the date part on the … Continue reading

Six Days til Christmas

Less than a week to go! Are you getting excited? Now that we’re in the home stretch, it’s time to take care of details. Do you have Christmas music? If not, you can pick up a CD or you can find some holiday music online and play it from your computer. Bookmark a site ahead of time so you don’t have to search for it during the festivities. While you’re on the computer, look for a nice, holiday wallpaper or screen saver too. You may have music stations as part of your satellite or cable TV package as well, so … Continue reading

Last Minute Frugal Gift Ideas (2)

Still trying to find that perfect last minute gift for someone on your shopping list? Or perhaps you found yourself the recipient of an unexpected gift from a friend, neighbor or co-worker. The frugal side of me says we don’t have to get a gift for every person that buys for us, especially if we wouldn’t normally exchange with that person. However, the practical side of me tells me that I love to give gifts and that I would feel horribly guilty at not getting them at least something. Here are a few more ideas to keep you from stressing … Continue reading

Thoughtful Gifts for Holiday Guests

When you’re entertaining guests over the holidays, it’s nice to have a little something to give them to help remember the occasion. The Gift that Keeps on Giving You know everybody wants the recipe for your famous cranberry orange muffins or your special oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Make a nice big batch of your specialty to serve, but also wrap up individual servings. As your guests leave, give each person a treat, complete with the recipe. They can make it at home for years to come. Printing up the recipe on pretty paper is a nice touch or use Christmas … Continue reading

The Upside-Down Christmas Tree

Upside-down Christmas trees are a hot thing this year. Learn all about them right here, including where they came from and where you can get one today. Last Friday, Black Friday to be exact, our family enjoyed some time out at a local botanical garden to see Christmas shows and holiday lights. We had a great time, and decided to come in from the cold for a bit to enjoy a nice meal in the gourmet cafeteria. As we were finishing up our dinners, and the kids were enjoying some gingerbread, we started talking about one of the Christmas trees … Continue reading

Are You “Martha Stewart Challenged”?

My friend is funny. She always says things that make me laugh. Her latest is her new habit of calling herself “Martha Stewart Challenged.” When she asked how I would like it if I was thus challenged, I replied, “Hey, who isn’t?” I’ve got nothing on Ms. Stewart. I just like decorating and finding new ways to do things around the house to keep from becoming bored (and boring). I don’t want to get to the point where the only things I have left to talk about with my husband are the best carpet cleaners for pet stains or just … Continue reading

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Seven Days and Counting

One week! Yes, that is all the time we have left until Thanksgiving Day. Are you ready? Breaking down your lists into tasks to tackle each day may make things go more smoothly. Having a plan helps, and even if you don’t get everything done on the designated days, you’ll still be steadily crossing items off your list. Let’s start the countdown with these suggestions (please check back daily): Exterior Decorate your front door with a charming wreath or find a terrific new mat to welcome guests (don’t forget a mat or rug inside as well, for wet shoes). Rake … Continue reading