Congratulations!

Just want to say Congratulations to all those couples that will finally be able to marry because of the legalization of marriage equality in all 50 states.

This may not be a personal win for me but it is for so many people that I know and love. I am so happy that my daughters will grow up having the right to marry whom ever they love.

Simple Teacher's Gift

It's the end of the year and everyone is scrambling to come up with a teacher's gift. Before you run to Dunkin Donuts for a gift card, here is a simple gift that will make a great impression without costing you much.

Morrigan gave her teacher a straw cup filled with individually wrapped mints. I attached a card that says

"Thank You
For all your hard work this year
It "mint" a lot
We think you are a
"SIP" er star teacher!"

It was incredibly easy and so cute!

Custom Mug Craft

This Father's day we were tight on money so I decided to make my husband a gift.  I have this inexpensive gift idea that I made this year for my husband. It's very simple and the supplies are items most crafters will already own.

What is needed....
Plain white mug
Sharpie permanent markers (in as many colors as you would like.)
Dry eraser marker
Something to erase the dry eraser marker.
Mod Podge
Paint brush

First,  I started with a plain white mug. I got mine at the Dollar Tree for $1.00. Then I took some Sharpie permanent markers anddraw a design and wrote a few things on the mug.

I drew a mustache on one side and I wrote "World's Best DAD." I did the DAD the way it's shown in the picture by making many lines going one direction and then more going the either.  Then I took a dry eraser marker and wrote "DAD" on top then I quickly erased over the top which removed both the dry erase marker and the permanent marker. Quick tip, I messed up on writing the words and I was able to get the marker off with a baby wipe and then I dried the spot with a paper towel.

Then I added the Mod Podge on top. I used the gloss finish. Once I covered the entire outer surface of the mug I put it on a cookie sheet in the oven. I turned on the oven and let it heat up to 350. Make sure that you put the mug in the oven before you turn it on,  it has to heat up gradually or it will crack.

Once the oven is at 350 then set a timer for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes shut the oven off but do not remove the mug. Let the mug gradually cool down in the oven.

There you have it, quick and easy. There are so many possibilities for this craft. Have fun and be creative.

My Work

Life sometimes gets in the way of things like blogging. We seemed to have had a bunch of different colds circling around our house for the past month. Just as you are getting well, you get hit by the next cold. I didn't just have me to deal with being sick, I  had a sick 5 month old child, a sick 8 year old child, and a sick 32 year old man-child aka my husband, to deal with.  There were two of these colds that made me so dizzy there was no standing, certainly no walking, so nothing got cleaned. My living room and kitchen looked like a bomb went off. It was destroyed. Some might have looked at the mess and saw a terrible overwhelming mess. What I saw was a renewed sense of importance.

My husband's role in our family is very clear. He is the bread winner, the provider. He works sometimes two jobs. I on the other hand stay at home. I hold no job, I earn no paycheck, but I still work and I work hard to maintain our home and raise our kids. The evidence of home much I do actually contribute was no greater than after being so sick I couldn't leave my room. Nothing got down and it was disastrous. My oldest was so happy to see me up so I could find her missing leotard for dance class.

See, I'm not just child care provider, I'm the maid, the cook. I pack lunches, I do the laundry, I wash the dishes, I glue broken things, I change diapers, I scrub the shower and the toilet, I scoop the cat box, I mop the floors, I find lost things,and  I teach things. I'm the official battery changer, a lady of lactation, and a expert boo boo kisser, I play a mean game of patty cake and I wield a laser pointer like no other.

My two human babies and my furry baby count on me through the day for so many things. Not only do I have to attend to their needs, I teach them, love them, play with them, and cuddle with them. All are important to foster a good relationship but it also fills our hearts with love and joy. I give all of my love and attention to my kids even if it means vacuuming the rug. I keep a clean house not just for myself, but for my kids and my husband too. That is what holding down the home front means. That really is my work.

I'm not feeling that great, still have a sore throat, a cough, stuffy nose, and I'm tired but at least I don't feel miserable anymore. I do however feel worse when I look at the overflowing hampers. There is probably 6 loads of laundry to be done and two folded that still need to be put away. But its nearly 11 at night so that will wait until tomorrow.