Mondays with the Mouse: WINNER!!

Happy Halloween! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I know my Princess Tiana and her Frog Prince sure did. (Pictures to come, promise. :))

Last week I did a giveaway for a copy of The Lion King. Random.org told me #2 so that means the winner is....
JESS! At The Pretty Physicist!

Shout to PA Bloggers! Jess is one of my newer blog buds and she's fantastic. Go check her out! :) Jess, email your address to miss(dot)kate (at) verizon (dot) net and I'll get your movie in the mail. :)

It's Okay. For real.

Linking up with my 2 girls, Neely and Amber for today's edition of It's Okay Thursdays. Let's face it, we all need to declare some things okay at least once a week. ;)

It's Okay...

...to overuse smilies in blog comments and on twitter. I just can't help it!

...to secretly hope you win every single one of Neely's giveaways this week. Feel free to rig the contests, friend. ;)

...to not be enjoying your fall break as much as you thought you would be. It's stressful being home all the time.

...to have cried when you go the confirmation email from Disney Performing Arts yesterday. One step closer to my (which has become OUR) dream!

....to be really ticked when girls who don't attend my studio have pics all over FB in my studio's shirts and hoodies. Especially when they are haters. Oh my word that's so 6th grade of me. Ugh. ha!

...to be super jealous of people with real "gyms" in their town. I want to take legit classes!

...to be really unmotivated to workout this week. But be counting calories like a drill sergeant, hoping it balances my non-motivation out.

...to want extensions super bad. Short hair was a bad idea.

...to have improved my fashion and makeup skills 100 fold since I became an active blogger.

...on that same note, my cooking, decorating, crafting and work outs have improved tremendously since Pinterest came in to my life. And yes, I do make/do/cook all that stuff! :)

Gratitious Dance Pictures.

Just some pictures of my students...as always, I only post face shots of dancers whom have public Facebook profiles. :)

365 Days of Trace.

Today, my friends, is my son's first birthday. My son! My precious, wonderful Trace.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Fizzy!
I can't believe you are one already. This year has been so different from any other year in my life. When I found out I was having a son, with your Aunt Chelsea, Mr. Phil and Daddy in the room with us, I was so excited. And scared. I didn't know anything about little boys! Girls I was good at it. I was used to pink, fluff and baby dolls. I was nervous about trucks, baseballs and dirt. I wanted to be the best mom a son could ever ask for.
Daddy and I spent a long time discussing your name. We searched websites, books and through our memories to come up with an appropriate name for our son. Originally, you were to be named Carter. Then my friend named her son Carter and since he lives 6 houses away, we thought that might get confusing. :) Jackson was suggested, then I realized the Jackson on Hannah Montana looked quite similar to an exboyfriend so that name got the axe. I pushed for Parker, after my favorite Steelers played. I wanted Davis, it means son of David. (How appropriate!) Joel, Toby, Owen, Christian...I tossed out so many suggestions. And then one day, Daddy and I saw one of my dance students riding by in a car with her family. Her little brother's name is Trace. And it hit us. You were destined to be our Trace. Our precious, wonderful, complicated Trace. A simple, unique and quiet name for a little boy who is going to change the world. Your middle name, thought I wanted it to be David for the longest time! :)), is Joseph. Daddy tells people it's after Joe Paterno, and yes, that is true. You were born in the heart of Penn State season and Daddy is a huge fan. But I agreed to Joseph without a moment's hesitation when your (great) Uncle Dude suggested it because that's Baba's middle name! My dad is one of the most wonderful people in the world and naming you after him in that subtle way gives you someone wonderful to model your life after.
You were born, via scheduled c-section on a cold Monday. Dr. Maljovec took such great, easy care of you and me. Daddy got to be in the operating room for your birth and he says it was awesome. I was pretty out of it but I promise it didn't hurt one bit! I got to hear you cry the minute you were born and I cried. My family was complete. You were the missing puzzle piece.
You had some health troubles from the start and we're still trying to figure it all out. At the moment, you have relatively severe acid reflux and you are allergic to all things with dairy protein in them. You do fine with eggs baked in to things though. You are allergic to lactose. You are allergic to cedifinir based medicines. You are sensitive to dyes and scents in lotions, soaps and laundry supplies. Your poor little skin gets so dry and scratched. We're going to head to a pediatric allergist this week though. Don't worry, my little man. You'll be just fine.
Trace, you are the biggest learning experience I've ever had. You've taught me to be an advocate for your health and to stand up and demand more tests, better information and safer treatments. You've taught me to be diligent in cooking and keeping things healthy in our house. You've taught me to survive on very few nights of full sleep. You have made me 100x a better mom. I'm much more patient and understanding. I'm learning, every day, that being a good mom isn't being an ideal mom, it's being the best mom I am capable of being. And I have you to thank for that Trace! I had all these "ideas" about parenting that had worked for Rory that didn't even begin to touch what you needed. I had to adjust, rethink and try again. I'm so thankful for that, Fizz. You are a blessing in so many ways.
A mother's connection with her son is special. There's real meaning behind calling someone a mama's boy. You are my mama's boy. You call for me when you are hurt, you want me to be with you all the time. In the middle of the night when you get sick, it's mama you call out. I'm so proud to be your mama and be the one who can dry your tears the fastest. You love your Daddy and light up when he comes to pick you up every day, but I know there's a special place for me in your heart. I'll always be your mama, Trace, even when you're too old and too cool to call me Mama. I'll be the one standing on the sidelines, cheering you on and washing your smelly uniforms after every game. I'll be the one studying spelling words and reading you your literature stories. Your Daddy is pretty great, but I'm already your biggest fan. And nothing can ever change that.
I love you to the moon and back! Mama

I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

Mondays with the Mouse...a GIVEAWAY! :)

Today's my second ever Monday with the Mouse. Because I'm a giant nerd and kinda sorta really obsessed with all things Disney. I thought today would be an appropriate day to give away a copy of one of my all time favorite movies in general.

Source: None via serenity on Pinterest

The Lion King!!

We have two copies at our house right now. Dave picked one up at Wal Mart last week for Trace's birthday and forgot we'd be getting one in the mail from the Disney Movie Club. I decided I'd share the love and send our extra copy to a new home! This giveaway is really simple. No hoops to jump through at all. Just be a follower and leave me a comment. Want an extra entry? Tweet to @567k8. That's it! 2 possibilities. This giveaway will run through Sunday, Oct 30 at 6:00 pm. I'll announce the winner on Monday morning. Simple
And don't be shy, because you know you love this movie as much as I do! ALL people my age love this movie and want to see it again. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, friends. We all sing Hakunna Matata every once and a while. :)

Hey, It's Okay

Before I link up, I just wanted to give a shout out to No Hate Day or Spirit Day. Wear your purple with support today for the LGBT Community. (And if you don't agree, please keep those comments to yourself.) As a woman in the arts, I have many wonderful, intelligent, kind, caring excellent examples of just plain good people that happen to be gay people in my life. To me, judging someone based on their sexuality is like judging someone for having brown eyes or blonde hair. It just doesn't make sense! Hate not welcome here! :)

Now on to our regularly scheduled programming...



Linking up with 2 of my fave bloggers, Neely and Amber, for It's Okay.

It's Okay...
to be contemplating driving an hour to Starbucks today with the kids because you just need to get out of the house and your routine.
to be oddly excited there's an episode of the Fresh Beat Band on this morning you've never seen.
to say verbatim a line about labor and delivery last night while watching "Up All Night" then have Christina Appplegate say it 10 seconds later. I keep telling you guys that they are me and Dave in that show. :)
to be really ready for the Holidays. Oh goodness gracious, I'm ready.
on the same note, to be super ready for Halloween to be over. It's the worst holiday at my studio, the kids go bananas. Worse than Christmas!
to need a day off from life.
to want a housekeeper. For real. I suck at cleaning and laundry schedules.
to be thinking about Disney World so much you dream about it. I have issues.

What's okay with you today? Link up!

Christmas List

I have a problem, you guys. Every year I struggle with the same thing. I LOVE shopping for other people. I love the hunt for a perfect gift, I love to wrap and I love watching people's face when they open a present. Big, small, doesn't matter, I really enjoy gift giving. I start Christmas shopping in the summer and spend months budgeting, perusing, stock piling things for everyone for Christmas. I scour Ebay, get coupons, hit the sales. I love it.

But. Here's the problem...

I never know what to ask for for myself. Dave gets "mad" at me every year because I wait until the last minute and the list I give him always adds up to exactly whatever our budget is that year. He wants a list with lots of options so he can surprise me. (What a good man, that David. :))
I have nothing on my list this year except Bridesmaids. (haha) So give me some suggestions! What are your favorite electronics? Movies? TV seasons on DVD? What jewelry should I have? What's number one on your list this year? Help a sister out! :)

Dear Rory

My dear darling, Rory...

It's been a while since I've written you a letter. Life has been so crazy this last year. You were there, like a champ, every step of the way. You smiled, laughed, sang and danced your way through the last 12 months and I am so proud of you. Your sunny disposition has lifted me up when I needed it. When you tell me I'm the best mommy ever or that Daddy is the best Daddy ever, it warms my heart. Listening to you sing "Jesus Loves Me" fills my heart right up with pride, joy and thankfulness.

You are my sunshine, Rory. Trace is my learning experience. Trace teaches me every day to be a better person and mother. You, my Rosie Girl, light up my life. You sparkle. You are so sweet and polite. I am in awe of your personality!

You are so smart, Rory Beth Ann. You taught yourself the ABCs, you know your colors and most of your shapes. You potty trained yourself. You sense when I am sad or upset and always want to fix any situation. You love to learn and take in all the lessons Daddy and I teach you. You constantly say please and thank you. You count! I am so excited to see how much more you learn this year and next year when you start preschool.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by being your mommy. There's so much I want to do with you, show you, teach you, let you experience. I want you to look back on your childhood with the same fondness and great memories as I do. I want to show you that this world we live in is amazing and there's so much God has given us to discover. I hope you know that you are not limited by anything. Money can be made. Lessons can be learned. Jobs can be worked. Goals can be achieved. Set yourself up for the best life you can imagine.

Your Gaga and Baba taught me a long time ago that they would love me no matter what. They might not always like my choices, but at the end of the day they loved me. Nothing I did (or will do) will ever CHANGE that fact. They love me unconditionally. The same goes for you, little lady. You will make mistakes and poor decisions. Right now, that's ripping pages out of books and refusing to nap. It won't always be that petty, sweetie pie, but it will be okay. It. Will. Be. Okay. Through prayer and hard work, we can come up with a solution to any problem or situation that comes our way. As you grow, I'm going to push you. I'm going to encourage you to try new things, set lofty goals and work as hard as you possibly can to achieve them. You will do the hard work yourself. You will figure out your own path, just like I did with the studio. Gaga and Baba gave me advice but they never once held my hand and "babied" me along the process. I will do the same for you. It might drive you crazy at the time, but you will be so much stronger when you realize you can fly.

Rory girl, your empathy and sympathy for people is unparalleled in any other 2 year old I've ever met. Who else has to leave The Lion King after Mufasa dies because it makes them too sad? Certainly no other two year old I've ever met. Never ever lose that quality. Being able to feel other people's emotions so honestly and openly is a gift from God. It will help you relate to people and make you someone others want to be around. Be honest, be open and be yourself.

I love you so much, Chicken Little. Daddy loves you too. And Trace. And Gaga. And Baba. And Grandma Ann and Grandma Mike. And Aunt Chelsea. And Mr. Phil. And The Hemdals. And the entire dance studio. Your whole family. You are so loved, Rory, and you don't even know it. I miss you when I'm working and I miss you when you're sleeping. I loved you the moment I knew you were tucked away inside of me, growing and changing every day as God saw fit. As sick as you made me, I would do it 100 times over if that's what it took. You are worth it. Never ever forget that. You are enough. You are enough!

Love you to the moon and back, Mommy

I'll sing you a song my little one, my little one. I'll sing you a song, forever I'll love you. I'll sing you a song, my little one, my little one. Angels are watching above you, I love you.

Mondays with the Mouse

Hi, my name is Kate and I'm a Disney-aholic.

For real you guys? I'm addicted to all things Disney. The music, the movies, the parks, the history. I have such admiration and respect for Walt Disney as a humanitarian and visionary. This year our dance recital is Disney themed and I'm taking 22 students and their families (80 people total!!) to Disney World for a 4 night, 5 day performance and workshop trip. Because of this deep obsession love for all things Disney, I've decided to dedicate Monday to all things Mouse related. (Most Mondays, anyways! :))

Countdown until our next trip: 248 days!

Source: thedisneyprincess.tumblr.com via Kate on Pinterest

This week I want to talk about one of my favorite rides at Disney World. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person in the world who loves this ride, but MAN I LOVE IT.
The Carousel of Progress, Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, Disney World

Source: davelandweb.com via Derek on Pinterest

This ride was originally designed by Walt Disney himself for the 1964's World's Fair in New York. According to Wikipedia, "The Carousel of Progress holds the record as the longest-running stage show, with the most performances, in the history of American theater. It is the oldest Disney-built attraction not only in the Magic Kingdom, but the entire Walt Disney World Resort. It is the only attraction in Walt Disney World to have a direct physical tie to Walt Disney."

Source: flickr.com via Jen on Pinterest

The Carousel of Progress is an animatronic stage show that takes viewers on a journey through the progress of invention over history. Viewers sit in an "auditorium" that slowly rotates to each stage in history represented. It's rather humorous when you get to "the future" to see what Disney though things would be like in this day and age. It has a fantastic theme song (that Dave HAAAATES) that I sing all the time. I love it because it's so true. There really is a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day!


If you are so inclined, that's the entire show up there. (HA!) It's 21 minutes long, but if you skip forward until around 1:30 minute or so, you get a good idea of the song I love so much. Go ahead and tease me, everyone does. :)
How about you? Ever been to Disney World of Disney Land? What's your favorite ride?

Erin Condren Giveaway Winner!

Are you ready for the winner??

According to random.org, the winner is...Cait from Fit, Fierce and Fabulous!

Thanks for participating everyone! I'll be having a few more giveaways through out November and December so stay tuned. :)

Happy Friday eve! ;)

Oh How Pinteresting!

Looking for my Erin Condren Giveaway? It ends TONIGHT (Wednesday) at midnight!!


It's been a while since I've linked up with the newly married Michelle at The Vintage Apple! I thought I would today since I've been on a pinning spree lately

Follow me on Pinterest! 567k8

Source: domessticated.com via Kate on Pinterest

A copycat version of McD's Frappe. MUST TRY!

Source: skinnytaste.com via Kate on Pinterest

Crock Pot Chicken Chilli. Yum!

Source: tinyandpetite.tumblr.com via Kate on Pinterest

A little exercise inspiration...I kicked my butt back in to high gearing, hoping to be down 20 pounds by Christmas. I can do this!!

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Kate on Pinterest

Always timely!

What have you pinned lately?

Burger King Fail.

So when I go to Wal Mart or running errands out of town with the kids, we often grab fast food for lunch. I get a salad and Rory gets a kids' meal. This is usually a big win because Trace can nom on some fries and cut up pieces of her burger, some lettuce from my salad, whatever while Rory eats and plays with her new toy from the kids' meal. At a fast food joint, people expect children to be present and no one gives you the evil eye if say, for example, your daughter stands on the bench and sings the ABCs for the whole room to hear and refuses to sit down. Fast food restaurant patrons are our kind of crowd these days. We don't do sit down restaurants very often right now. It's just not a good experience! Fast food is much more enjoyable.

Best kids meal? That's tough. Subway has great choices, Rory loves the apples but the "toys" lately are a Lion King Bag. Ro was excited for the first one, but after that...meh. We're toy purists over here in the forest. ;) The winner for this always goes to whomever has the best toy at the moment. Usually McD's wins since they typically have the Disney themed toys for each movie.

But uhh Burger King? You failed me.
Straight. Up. Failed. Me.
We've been in to BK lately. Rory loves their nuggets and I think their iced coffee is the best of all the fast food places. For REAL. (McD's has the best everything else coffee related, but Iced Coffee is definitely BK.) There's a really nice Burger King in the same plaza as the Wal Mart we use most. It's always very clean, staffed by friendly people and typically filled with adorable senior citizens whom are amused by my kids. Seems like a great fit to me!
Until last week when they changed their kids' meal toys.
Now, CHILDREN who order a kid's meal get a Simpsons toy. Yes, like Bart or Marge or that cat. I was seriously shocked when I pulled Rory's toy out. I was really disappointed! Rory has no clue who the Simpsons are and should have no clue for many years. That show is NOT appropriate for anyone young enough to be ordering a kids' meal. The typical age range for a kid's meal is 2-10. TEN. That's 5th grade. I'm sorry but a 5th grader should not be watching The Simpsons. And certainly anyone younger should not be watching it either. I didn't enjoy having to explain to Rory who the character on her toy was. She thinks anyone animated is from a "Rory show" (what she calls a kid's show) and of course asked me if she could watch "this cat show." Granted, she forgot about it a few hours later and we haven't had to discuss what The Simpsons is and why can't watch it since, but still. That's so inappropriate!
Burger King, you failed on this one. I'm so disappointed! We won't be eating at BK until the toys in the kids meal cycle to something much more appropriate for our kids. With tv and media inundating our kids these days with images and messages of things much too mature for their little eyes, it makes me angry that a restaurant would find it even slightly acceptable to put toys in kid's meals from an adult cartoon.
Makes those bags from Subway look pretty great, doesn't it?

Some Open Letters

Wait, you're looking for my Erin Condren Giveaway?? It's right here! It's open until Wednesday the 12th at midnight. $50 worth of Erin Condren goodies?! Good deal. :) Shout out to Erin Condren Company. They are aaaamazing. They got wind of my giveaway yesterday via twitter and have been so supportive and excited! Normally companies don't pay attention to tiny little blogs like me, but EC sent me several emails with tips, support and general excitement. They are so sweet! Find them on FB here and show them some love! Tell Kate sent you. :o)

Now on to today's business...Some letters to business...

Dear Facebook,
I really like the new prof layout. Not crazy about the new news feed, but whatever, I'll get used to it. But I really hate the friend suggestions at the top of my news feed. Especially since EVERY time I log on, you suggest I be friends with my exboyfriend. Like...the one I will never speak to again, not the normal ones. Please, for goodness sake, make it stop!
Sincerely,
Kate

Dear Starbucks,
I understand that my town is about the size of an ant hill. But I firmly believe you should consider opening a store here. I mean, our closest Starbucks is over an hour away. That's an awful long drive every time I need a white chocolate mocha or Rory wants a cake pop. Seriously, think about it.
Sincerely,
Kate

Dear Target,
See what I said to Starbucks, but substitute an hour and a half for distance and "all sorts of awesome" for white chocolate mocha and "crack like popcorn" for cake pop. Love yah. Please open near me sooner.
Sincerely,
Kate

Dear McDonalds,
Shout out for your new plans for the Happy Meal! Half the french fries, half the apples. I firmly approve of this. Rory will be a happy kid! I think it teaches better portion control AND that you don't have to ignore fries, just balance them with healthy stuff. Well done!
Sincerely,
Kate

Dear Nike Golf,
You could send me a bunch of stuff for Trace's birthday party. Balls, tees, pictures, whatever. I wouldn't mind. I'll review you on my blog. Just saying.
Sincerely,
Kate

Happy Weekend, everybody! I hope your weather is as beautiful as ours is going to be. Low 70's, sunny and gorgeous! Probably our last chance to get outside until the snow flies. Yay! Enjoy!

My First Giveaway!!! (And...it's a good one!)

Sooo...I've never done a giveaway before and I've always wanted to. I've won a couple and really enjoyed it. I enter them all the time, because heck who doesn't love free swag?! I decided I was going to giveaway one of my favorite things in the world.



Are you ready?



No seriously, you want to know??


AN ERIN CONDREN PLANNER!!!!!!!

Or $50 worth of Erin Condren goodies if you already have a planner. A tray, stationary, whatever! :) Now before you go thinking I'm some huge big spender, I'm using my $25 off coupon to help out. ;) I just want to share the Erin Condren LOVE with everyone! Seriously you guys? My life planner is my hands down fave thing I've bought in the last year. It's rivaling my Keurig and Kindle. It's perfect. I love it. I'll be getting one every year, for real. Some pics of my little beauty...


The outside


Inside the front cover! How pretty are you, love!




A view of a monthly calendar and space for notes each month! And yes, my October is bananas.


A week view!


Super cute stickers that came with the planner! There's two pages of printed stickers and two pages of blank ones!


Some beautiful extra goodies!

So how do you enter? Easy! Please leave a separate comment for each entry!!
1. Be a public follower of my blog. Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite Christmas movie is. Head on over to Erin Condren and tell me what you think you'd pick! Mandatory! :)
2. Like Erin Condren on FB! Mandatory! (Updated on 10/6 at 2:30 pm. If you entered before then, no worries! You still get your two mandatory entries. Erin Condren asked me to add this because their FB page need some loving, and I'm happy to oblige! :))
3. Tweet about this giveaway and link it to my blog. Use my handle! @567k8 (Optional)
4. Blog about this giveaway and link it to my blog, please. (Optional)
5. Post this giveaway on FB and link it back to here! (Optional)

So that's FIVE potential entries! This giveaway begins on 10-6-11 and will be open until Midnight on Wednesday, October 12. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, October 13! Good luck!!! :)

PYHO: A Year of Exhaustion

Trace was born on Monday, October 25, 2010 via scheduled C-section. Everything about him was wonderful. 9 lbs, 2 oz, 21 inches long, a little dash of dark hair, big beautiful blue eyes. My recovery was easy, he got great reports all the time from the nursery. We left the hospital on a Thursday with him already on a good eat-play-sleep scheduled (Thanks, Baby Wise!) All things considered, I assumed this would be a relatively similar situation to Rory's newborn days. I expected lots of sleeplessness, lots of snuggling and new challenges. I was prepared to be tired. I wasn't prepared for an entire year of exhaustion.

Around 3 or 4 weeks, Trace started screaming. All. The. Time. I don't mean just being fussy or crying. I mean SCREAMING. This lead to a discovery of a milk allergy. We ended up switching to soy formula, thinking that would be the solution.

Nope.

Not even close.

Things got worse and worse. The crying, the screaming, the fighting between me and Dave. We were arguing out of fear, out of anxiety, out of frustration.

Eventually, Trace was diagnosed with Acid Reflux after an incredibly trying trip to Florida. That was in March and we've been doing Zantac twice a day since. Add in some choking episodes, a handful of trips to the Children's Hospital, a flouroscopy...yeah. We've had a year of doctor's appointments.

But this is all old news to anyone who's ever been around here. Trace's stomach issues are exhausting but the worst part of all of this? The emotional wear. The strain it's placed on my relationship with my husband, the anger I feel, the constant worry that Trace will get his little paws on something dairy related. Dave and I have tried to hard to be a united front on this issue, but our naturally personalities vary so much. He gets mad because he worries. I slip into problem solving mode and try to fix the problems away. Neither approach is appropriate. Neither is a solution. And certainly neither is God's vision for my marriage. That I am sure of.

If I had to sum up the first year of Trace's life, in regards to his health, I could do it in one word. Exhaustion. Sheer, pure exhaustion. It's probably about a 50-50 split on the number of nights I've gotten uninterrupted sleep and the number of nights Trace has required me to get up and help him. My emotions are run down. I look like hell, mainly because there are days when it's either get ready for the day or grab 45 minutes of sleep. I have barely even scratched the surface of getting my post baby body back. I'm using food as a comfort item because I'm stressed. That's no excuse but it is what it is.

I guess what I mean to say is...I'm pretty darn proud of myself for surviving the last year. When I look back, I can honestly pat myself on the back for the things I've accomplished. I spoke up, clearly and loudly, to doctors giving us the run around. I learned quickly to curb my frustrations and give Trace positive energy. I grew really close to the Lord, spending lots of time in devotions and prayers. I realized that it isn't necessarily true that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I could NOT have handled all of this with Trace alone. He gave it to me to lean on Him through.

Things aren't fixed by any means. We've got issues to deal with. Trace's health issues are far from resolved. This next year, we're going to focus on being a family. Connecting. Rejuvenating. And being so thankful that we survived!

Let's Par-tee!

Trace's birthday party is in two weeks. I'm woefully unprepared. As in...I got the kid one present so far. Invitations have gone out, actually and the cake has been ordered. BUT. Other than that? Yeah...not much has been done!
His theme is Golf, of course. We're calling it his first birthday "par-tee!" (Excuse all the awful golf puns to come in this post...! :))


Some projects I'd like to accomplish between now and the 15th...

Project #1: A golf wreath

Source: holidayhelpings.com via Kate on Pinterest

Okay, this one is actually well under way. I used an old grapevine wreath and cut up streamers (left over from Rory's birthday party!) for grass. I'm in the process of adding tees, golf balls and fabric letters. Total cost? NOTHING! Everything is upcycled!! :)

Project #2: Centerpieces with donuts acting as golf balls.

Source: frogprincepaperie.com via Kate on Pinterest

I finished these up the other day! I bought 2 glass vases (taller and round) from Pat Catans, a pack of moss and some ribbon. I upcycled more of Dave's old golf balls and more of the green streamers to decorate mine. Total cost? $20!! Plus, I can pull all the ribbon off and everything and use the vases for tons of stuff.

I need to make table cards for the food, make Trace's banner, make some golf flags, order the rest of the food...so many little things! Thank goodness the party is at my mom's. I don't have to clean that way. ;o)

I just can't believe Trace is almost one!! It's blowing my mind. He's got 2 teeth and 2 more on the way. He's walking a few steps at a time now, pestering his sister, refusing to say DaDa just to annoy Dave. Yesterday Dave took the kids to visit his parents while I was working. Dave's mom told him that Trace has the same personality Dave did when he was a baby. Laid back, relaxed and a little mischievous. I love that!