::I give up::

I want to confess.  I don't finish everything I start.  I am not very into wreaths but I saw this one and I loved the colors and textures.  I had a vision of it hanging on the main door during every ones birthday weeks.  But six bags of balloon and three boxes of pins latter... I gave up.  

If I carry on this wreath will end up costing me...

Wreath $2.50

Balloons 18 bags X $2 = $36

U Pins 12 boxes X $2 = $24

Total = $62.50

Bummer.  It was going to be cool.  The directions don't make it sound so needy.  I wonder were I went wrong.   

::park playtime::

The shorties and I went to the park the other day.  Their babysitter takes them all the time but I feel like our house is a park, so I get lazy about taking them.  They loved it and I am going to try and take them more.  

Almost all pictures of Lily are from afar because she was running around with her "new best friend".  

Max was so happy once she slowed down long enough to talk to him. 

So he tried to tackle her.  

And he was almost successful.  Please note that they already have the same size heads.   

::a chair treasure::

Look at the treasure I brought home from my Mom's house.  A true midcentury modern chair, and it has a twin.  Don't they just make you laugh just to look at them?  I think I am in love. 

I am currently working on redoing my playroom to make it a space we use more.  These chairs are going to be perfect in there.  

::cake decorating::

Here is the master cake decorator at work.  This is Shealynn, a family friend, that I helped do cake decorating.  You ice a piece of styrofoam that you cover is the horrible icing (it is not edible) that dries to be rock hard.  After we put the first two coats on the base we took it to my Dad's wood working shop for him to sand it down flat.  Shea came up with her own design and we used YouTube to learn about how to use the tips to make the correct decorations.  We had to do certain techniques, such as writing and a shell border.  

Can you believe how amazing she did one this?  What a smart kid.  This is her first time to do this project.  

AND SHE WON GRAND CHAMPION AND HONOR GROUP AND FIRST PLACE AND SHE GOT PICKED FOR STATE FAIR!!!!  This is our biggest win in a project at fair ever.  I am so impressed with her.

::play dough sucker cookies::

This is a project that I am trying to decide if we are going to make for Lily's birthday party.  I was excited because we got to use our first farm fresh egg to make the recipe.  It was still warm out of the nest.  

The recipe originally comes from allrecipes but there is also a tutorial to how to make them on theidearoom.  I just loved all the bright colors.  

The dough really does look like play dough, but taste wonderful.  

I had two little helpers, but this one was being photogenic.  This one also ate his fair share of raw dough.   

I liked how they turned out but they are way to labor intensive for the big birthday party.  Plus if you walk around with them they are soft enough to fall right off the stick.  I think this would be perfect for a sleep over, but too much for the amount of them I will need for the party.  They did taste amazing.  Who would have thought that cream cheese would make a cookie taste awesome.  

 

::homework tools::

Earlier this month I bought some really cool tool boxes at a yard sale.  But then I had some buyers remorse.  I don't have any decent closets in this whole house.  Were did I think I was going to keep all this?  So I gave a few away, but the green one just had to stay.  


I have been thinking about back to school and what did and didn't work last year.  I realized that it didn't work well to have the kids do their homework at just one spot.


They kids need a portable homework station...


And I have a green tool box that needs a job...

I went to walmart and for $11.50 I got all the supplies I needed to put it together.  


Crayons, scissors, ruler, scratch paper book, colored pencils, mechanical pencils, regular pencils and sharpener, post-its, and calculator.  All set for first grade and seventh grade.

 

::back to school::

first day of school, waiting for the bus

I have been getting progressively cheaper over the past few years.  (Something that I actively wanted to encourage in myself.)  I was always fairly cheap about kids clothes, buying mostly on ebay, but I have kicked that up to new heights in the past few years.  I was making some of my ritual lists last week and worrying about paying the $200+ that we need to pay the PUBLIC school to register the girls - when I realized that I better start budgeting for back to school clothes.  Josh's ex-wife usually pays for most of Emma's clothes.  Which is one less worry on my brain, but what about the little Princess?  She only wears dresses, and I am still vain enough that I want her to look good.  I can't bring myself to dress her in crap.  I know - some of the snobbiness that I grew up with is still part of me.  I am a work in progress, maybe by the fifth kid I will not care at all, but right now I do care.  

So - here is the list of clothes that Lily needs for school, the estimated cost, and the plan to make them cheap.

  

Back pack - I really want to get her a Pottery Barn one that has her name on it.  She will use it all year and then it will be just about   trashed.  I may have to go to the source on this one.  Estimated cost - $50  (that makes me want to throw up)  Maybe ebay can help me out.

10 pairs of leggins - that will get us through the whole year, and I don't mind buying them at walmart.  Estimate $3-5 each pair.

10 new pairs of socks - she HATES socks, but tough.  Maybe I will let her pick them this year.  Also a walmart buy.  Estimate $18.

10 new pairs of undies - I love to buy these at Justice.  They are so cute and colorful, but really who cares?  Maybe I will buy half at justice and half at walmart.  Estimate - $15-25

One pair of daily shoes - they have to be some kind of higher sided Mary Janes.  I am think ebay for Stride Rite.  Estimate: $20

One pair of winter Ugg type boots - I can steal these off ebay.  Maybe $10-15

One pair of gym tennis shoes - EBAY for sure $15

10 dresses - I think I will buy five now and five in late fall.  Ebay and used clothing stores.  I am giving myself a budget of $100 total to get this done.  

With this all in mind I made it over to a local used clothing store.  I spent $36, and bought three dresses for Lily, two pairs of shorts for Maxo, and one pair on jammies for the Max.  Plus got a 10% off coupon to use in August.  I think I really can do this and stay on budget.  Right after school starts I will post a follow-up to make myself remain accountable to this original budget.