spring???

It has been very spring-like around here lately. It has been so great to get outside and play with the kiddies without having to put on snowsuits. The snow has pretty much all melted, leaving us a very muddy yard {can't wait to get grass}, the days are feeling longer and warmer. The kiddies were were thrilled to see a deer and a robin in our backyard this morning as we were having breakfast.

To celebrate the spring like weather, Jill had the first BBQ of the season at her place on Saturday.

The kiddies and I had a great time time {K was working}. There were so many kids, and they all played so well together, it was a very relaxing time. It was great to see Kelly and her sweet baby boy finally {I have been so sick lately I haven't been able to visit with them}. Jill had just set up their new trampoline, which was a big hit with R and Miss S {who said she was going to jump "as high as the sun"}!

I love BBQ's. So much fun gathering with friends and sharing good food and good times. I hope this is truly the start of spring and that we are done with snow for the season!

old made new

I needed some storage space in my scrapbooking room. It is on the main floor of our house, and you can see right into the room through it's double french doors and there is no closet, so I needed a place to hide some of my tools and supplies that don't fit on my bookcases, in baskets, etc. So, I took this old armoire that was in my Grandma's basement {made by my Grandpa circa 1940ish}...

and gave it a new life...

I primed, painted and distressed it {although that doesn't really show up in the photos}. I am still on the lookout for a new handle for it, but at least now I have a place to hide some of my scrapbooking stash.

Next, I think I am going to paint this drop-leaf table, also from my Grandma...

that holds my sewing machine. I just need to decide what color...

smitten

A day back home, when Grandma & and I took the kiddies to see Toopy & Binoo live at the shopping mall...

eye candy

So, the other day I was enjoying some retail therapy time, shopping online at Etsy.


Jenny's Bake Shop {Every Day is a Holiday} had these back in their shop...

so I ordered one for Miss S's new room {you know the girl loves her cuppy-cakes}. I love it!

This got me started looking for more art for the kiddies rooms.

I think I need these, to hang in the hallway between their rooms...

from Nella Designs...
Of course I am going to order them with my kiddies names, and I think in red and/or the grass green colors. I love that you can choose the silhouettes to suit your kiddies. How cute is this...

I love the Dr Seuss quotes!

How cool are the By Order of Management signs in John W Golden's shop? I think we need this for the playroom...

and these for R's bathroom...

I love Etsy. I love buying handmade. I love shopping.

Clearly.

toy testing

I am officially a toy tester! What a great job...although I am not getting paid. And technically, it will be my kiddies that are doing the testing, although I will be the one writing the reports {R is getting very good at printing, but not that good}!

I found out about the Canadian Toy Testing Council from my friend Jill. Her family has been a testing family for over a year now. Because the head office for the CTTC is located in Ottawa, they use families from the Ottawa/Gatineau region to do all the testing, and we have been chosen as a testing family.

Every 6-8 weeks my kiddies will see new toys, books and software {that are specific to their interests and ages} being rotated through our home. I just have to observe my kiddies with the toys, and report back what I see. We may even get Wii games and LeapFrog toys, as I had to specify which systems, etc we have in our home. And R should see lots of LEGO and Playmobil, which he loves...

{photo of R after last Christmas, playing with new toys}

Bring on the toys!

teeny chef

{photo of Miss S, still on the lookout for 'flamingos' or other such wildlife, in our backyard}

Miss S and I dropped in our first ever cooking class together, this week. Our local grocery store hosts cooking classes in their upstairs classroom, and each week there are themed classes for 'tots'. We went with Monique and the other Miss S, and had a great time. The girls did a craft, were read a story, and did some baking. We got to sample some of our baking as a snack, and then were given some, boxed up to take home. Yum!

mani pedi

While R was at school the other day, Miss S and I had a 'girl day'...

I gave Miss S her very first Mani/Pedi! She had picked out some pink {of course} polish while we were shopping, and was very excited to "paint on fingers"...

It is harder than I thought to give a two year old a manicure...

If only she would sit still for a minute! {Miss S also insisted on painting my fingers and toes. R was not impressed when we showed him. He said "Mom, is that paint going to come off, all over your skin?" - Miss S does not have good aim with the polish brush!}...