One of those days

Today is just one of those days. Hubby has been out of town since Sunday night. We were hoping that last night was going to be his last night out of town, but they had to extend it for at least one more night. BG had a bad night too. She was up at least four times and I have idea why she didn't sleep well. After her last time waking we were dozing in my bed (as I wasn't sure if she would stay asleep when I moved her) and Hubby called, thus waking BG. This time she decided she was done sleeping. It was 7. Not long after LJ woke up too.
This morning and early afternoon were just one of those days. Both kids just are wound up or totally upset for no reason. One of those days when you lose your temper way too easy and just want to SCREAM!
I lost my temper, I yelled, and I apologized multiple times to LJ for mommy getting upset so easy. I think he knows when we are all just having a bad day.
I can't wait for Hubby to come home. I am also so thankful for living so close to both my parents and my in-laws. Monday I could go over to my parent's house for the evening and earlier I got a blessing call from my mother-in-law inviting us to dinner tonight. I am looking forward to getting some other adults to talk to and to have extra hands for the kids.
Here's hoping one of those days does not happen again for quite some time!

Until next time... Happy Living!

Party Planning Checklists Review

I can't believe I am saying this, but the thought of planning BG's first birthday party has already crossed my mind. She is 8 and a half months old. Yes, that is almost 4 months away from a party, but in that time we will have Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and all that comes with those times. I don't want it to get to be January and I don't have a party planned.
Party planning takes time. One of the biggest things to take up your time when planning is food. Well, that is if you are anything like me. When our big families get together, food tends to be a focus of the gathering. That means that I make sure to have varying types of food and plenty of it. Planning for all of that food and things like venue, guests, theme, and decorations, it can be exhausting and frustrating trying to keep everything straight.
Now there is an eBook to help you with your planning. Party Planning Checklist by Theme Party Queen is a FREE eBook that helps you plan for your parties by keeping track of things like food recipes (by category and prep day), table arrangements, grocery lists, and more.
I like that I can plan for multiple main courses, appetizers, desserts, and more all in one place. I can figure out how I want the tables and where I want to put things like garbage and recycling all in one packet. It helps me find the things I may be forgetting and give details where I need to so others can help me with my prep work and set-up.
You can get your own Party Planning Checklist by liking them on Facebook or signing up for their newsletter (providing our email). This is a really nice resource for any time you need to plan a party and need a little help with your planning.

Until next time... Happy Planning!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

One Day Left!

Today is the last day to enter to win your own 8 oz bottle of Prefense Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer.
This is a nice hand sanitizer. I keep it in my diaper bag all the time now for when we can't easily get to a sink to wash hands or LJ might be playing around some pretty germ-y stuff. The giveaway ends at 1201 am October 15th.
Entries are pretty low so your chances of winning are even better if you enter.

Until next time... Happy giveaway entering!

Slow Cooker eBook for FREE

I just found the perfect eBook for this time of year. If you are anything like me, the slow cooker gets a lot of use during the cooler winter months. For us that is mostly because it just makes so many great comfort foods.
If you like the Family Circle facebook page, you can then get a 15 Slow Cooker Favorites Cookbook from Family Circle. There are some great looking recipes in there. They even have two desserts. I may have to try out the crab and corn chowder recipe. :)

Only 3 Days Left!

There are only a few days left to enter to get your own bottle of Prefense hand sanitizer. Prefense sanitizer really is great stuff. I make sure to keep my bottle in the diaper bag so we have it whenever we are out. Cold and flu season is coming upon us quickly and I want to try to keep my family as healthy as possible. Prefense lasts all day long, so you know you and your kids are covered.
If you want to help keep your family happy and healthy this year, head on over and enter my giveaway to win an 8 ox bottle of Prefense's hand sanitizer with no alcohol.

http://lynifer.blogspot.com/2011/09/prefense-hand-sanitizer-review-giveaway.html

What to Make next!?

As a follow-up to my last blog post, I had been a little inspired. I really want to get a bunch of things that I can make relatively quickly to sell at craft shows this season. After LJ's preschool and lunch with my mom, I came back and perused my sewing room to see what inspiration I could find. I found a bunch of pieces of holly fabric that I cut in strips to make napkin rings. Well, the napkin rings I was making are just too much work for the outcome. I wanted to think of something I could use these for. So, What did I make, bias tape! Okay, I know it is not try bias tape as it was not cut on the bias and all, but it worked out nicely.
I sewed three of the strips together and then found that they were about twice the width I needed. So, I cut the strips down to make two long 1 inch strips and then sewed those two strips together. After ironing everything flat, I was ready to start putting the strip through the bias maker I had bought months ago and not used. I was amazed at how quickly it came together. The maker I have makes 1/2" bias tape. Of course that is with just the two sides folded over. So, I folded it in half then to make some great double fold bias tape.
I ended up pinning the double folded tape while I ironed it so it would hopefully hold a little better. That is why you see it pinned while being wrapped around the cards. Once it was done I was ready to wrap it around something to store it until I could use it. I got out two of my business cards to act as the cardboard core.

I couldn't think what to use it for at first but then another crafty idea hit me. While perusing the internet for ideas I came across some ideas for a glasses case. I put a few of the ideas together and then used this tape to compliment the holly fabric I used for the case. This bias tape circles the top of a glasses case now. :)  I don't have any pictures of it yet, but I have a second case already cut out and ready to sew up. Maybe I will make a little tutorial or something of it. Who knows!
You know, now that I think about it, I have had a very crafty week. Earlier in the week I made a very cute little bag that I think I will have to make more of since they are so cute!

Until next time... Happy Crafting!

Dont forget to enter my giveaway for a nice big bottle of Prefense's Alcohol free hand sanitizer! Giveaways ends October 14th.

Behind the 8 ball

We are fast approaching that time of year when craft shows abound. I am quickly losing time to try and get items put together that I could possibly sell that the numerous shows in my area.
Since I first started Lynifer, I have wanted to do craft shows as a main way to get my brand out to the community. I was able to do one craft show in the beginning, with my mom. That is as far as it got. When was that craft show? Oh yes, that's right, it was within a year of things going south financially for most of America. Sales were NOT good.
Last year I didn't even try to get to craft shows since BG was due in Feb. and I was just trying to get ourselves ready for Christmas and such and getting settled in the house. Craft shows just did not work into our equation.
This year, things have flown by so fast, I have come upon craft show season and I don't really have much of an inventory to show. Between LJ and BG, I don't get much time to sew. It usually is an hour if that during nap time. I feel so out of the loop, I don't even know when or where most of the shows are going on and how I get my foot in the door. Then a great thing happened this morning!
As I was chatting with another mom waiting to pick up our kids from preschool, she mentioned that she was a crafter. She is actually doing many of the shows in our are, filling up her weekends completely in November (minus Thanksgiving so far) and possibly some in December. This was great! She even offered to take my stuff to the shows and set it up alongside her crafts and sell for me. Oh my goodness!
If I can get more inventory together in the next week or so, I have the potential to get my items out there for more people to see and touch and buy. I am just amazed that she is offering to do the hard part (taking a Saturday to sit at a show) for me. Don't get me wrong, I love craft shows, but at the same time, family time is more important to me.
Our weekends have become so precious to us since the weeks are always so hectic. Weekends tend to be when we can finally just do things we want to be doing whenever we want to and be a family. When having to make the choice of family time or selling a few things to make a little money, family time will trump. That is where my heart lies. Always will. :)
Do any of you do craft shows, or attend them as a buyer? 
As a seller, how do you balance shows and family time during such a busy show time of year?

Until next time... Happy Crafting!

Baby Girl Growing Up (8 months)

Baby Girl is now 8 months old. I don't know where the time has gone really. She has two working on three teeth and now she has fallen asleep in her own crib twice now. Most times BG will come into our bed and nurse until she passes out. Then I pick her up and carry her over to her crib once Hubby and LJ are through their bedtime routine.
I know that she needs to learn to fall asleep on her own and in her own bed, but I really don't know how to do that when she nurses right before bed and just falls asleep while doing so. There have now been two nights in the last week where she has not fallen asleep while nursing. Then when we try to get her to go to sleep, nothing works. Finally we put her in her crib and eventually she falls asleep.

I don't like to let her learn the cry it out right now because she shares her room with her brother. I don't want her to wake him or keep him up at any point. I have enough sleep problems with him (but that is a different post). So, if BG fusses too much when trying to go to sleep or in the night, I go to get her pretty quick so she doesn't disturb LJ too much. I am very grateful for him being a heavy sleeper like his father. I will say that much!
Also, last Sunday my Baby Girl learned how to crawl full on. Now she is getting faster every day. She loves shoelaces, toes, and fingers. She loves to put anything in her mouth that she can get her hands on. She can hold a bottle with "mommy milk" or juice in it all by herself and she loves that!
Oh and did I mention that she almost pulled herself up to standing the other night? The only thing that stopped her was the foam of her brother's kiddy couch giving way under her weight. Oh my, my big girl is growing up was to fast!

Until Next time... Happy Living!