DIY Fall Swag

  Tis the season to bring some nature inside.  I  haven't been privileged the fall colors yet so I chose to work with artificial leaves.  I picked up the leaves and the raffia from the dollar store.

  For this project I used:

 Raffia and artificial leaves.

Pinecone

Pick a pinecone that is open all the way.  That way you can stagger your leaves.

I poked holes in the leaves tied a knot and hot glued the raffia to each leave to keep them secure.  I cut the raffia in various lengths to give the look more depth.

After I had all the individual leaves glued to the raffia I glued it to the pinecone in different areas.

Your quantity of leaves is your personal preference.

I tied another piece of raffia around the top, glued it and that's how I have hung mine.

For $2 and some nature it's not a bad display.  I could have made two and put one on each side of the curtain for decoration too.

Have you started decorating for fall?  Do you make some decorations with nature?

Brickfest Live in Richmond

  This weekend Oct 7 and 8 from 8 am -6pm at the Richmond Convention Center located at 403 N. 3rd St. Richmond, VA 23219 is the Brickfest Live event!

  If you love to see sculptures come for the artistic beauty of it.  If your looking for a hands on experience bring your imagination!  

This will be a fun event for the whole family.  Plan on staying awhile as in addition to the sculptures you can see and build there are many interactive areas to include a Brickfest Derby and mini golf.  There will also be shopping available to add to your home Lego collection.

 My readers get to save $3 off your tickets with promo code  USFGTHREE.

Halloween Accessory

  Every outfit has its accessories.  Sometimes it's jewelry.  Maybe a purse, definitely shoes are a must but as we approach Halloween in addition to the candy and costume a candy collector is a must.  I'm not talking about bellies or mouths of monsters or little ponies, ninjas or Moana's.  I'm talking about the vessel to get your candy home.

  A bag!  For older children this is the perfect item to carry the loot.  A bag has handles that are more comfortable when the load is heavier and a bag will definitely aid in ensuring every piece makes it home.

  My daughter was so excited to receive a new bag for her trick or treating experience but way more excited to get to style it .

  She loves to color and design so coloring was right up her alley for a nice afternoons entertainment.

  She's pretty good at starting a job and staying there till it's finished!

  She loves how her new bag came out.  She also loves that it glows in the dark.  That's a nice treat.  Our routine doesn't keep us out too late but, fall does make it get dark sooner.   I love that it's durable and will hold the candy.  The glow part is fun but I also like that she will be able to use this bag again next year!

  The canvas bag came with 3 markers to color the bag.  It has easy to follow instructions.  No need to wash before coloring so your bag will be done quicker!

  Bags even come in two different colors but still offer the same great fun and glow in the dark magic!

  Check out the special code for a discount!  There are also other items available your child can color too!

  I was provided this product complimentary for review purposes and all opinions stated are my own.

School with Letter C

Each day or most days I try to get my son outside.  Not just to play but to explore and observe.  We look at what's around us as well as hunt for letters.  We go out looking for the letter of the week but, he also points out other letters and that's OK to.  That's part of reading.  Letter identification on everything we see and repetition brings the process full circle.  It may take to the next day or week when he catches on to a particular case lowercase letter.

We made no bake cookies because baking starts with b and we were all about the c.

No bake cookies take a little time to turn solid but if you watch them waiting goes quicker.

The sand on a walk is the perfect place to practice letter writing!

Each week I pick up a couple books with the letter as a word in the title. He has to identify the word.

C is for cutting.  He likes activities that let him use his scissors!  He is left-handed and I have to let him do his thing.

 

His cutting strips helped make c for popcorn.  Does that count?  We also used shaving cream and made cotton candy!  What a sweet week! 

We were greeted one morning by a Cicada! Perfect timing big fella! 

A peek at the desk for one day of the week.  I think he really enjoys seeing the new books and identifying the objects on it.

We finished our week with Chick Fil A. Chicken for the win!  This is one of the few places my little people eat all of their meals.

Thanks for following our journey.  Learning the letter c was a good week!  Did you see any new ideas to share with your little ones?  

August Ipsy Bag Review

My August Ipsy beauty bag was all about the wild and free.  Again each bag comes with 5 items based on your beauty profile and reviews from previous bags.  The monthly subscription is $10 and includes shipping.  Each month the products received can range from skin, health, or nail care as well as makeup.

Shimmer Bronzer in Flush by Hikari

I have not used this product yet but am excited to play around.  It can be used from highlighting to contour.  One color or a combination of all.  It can even be used as an eyeshadow.

Excessive Lash mascara by Make Up For Ever

This mascara comes in black.  I also have not opened this product yet but, I read that it has both hard and soft bristles which allows for a batter application.

Liquid Waterproof Liner in Coal by Seraphine Botanicals

I like liquid eyeliner and am still practicing those fancy lines!  Liquid liner always seems brighter to me.  Waterproof is always a win for me as well.

Romantic Rose Blending Brush by Glamour Dolls

This brush will go perfectly with my 1st product the bronzer.  Small tip for better around the eye coverage.  I like the rose gold color and it's got a nice comfortable grip.

Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay by First Aid Beauty

This cleanser works nicely.  My face felt cleaner after I used it. Not dried out was a plus.  It is red in color.  The cleanser has a gel look but a smooth texture not sticky.  It does have a chemical smell but, it didn't bother my face.  

That's a look at my August Ipsy bag.  Now to get reviewing my September bag!  When you review you receive points toward future purchases and the reviews also play a part in consideration of your next bag.

Feel free to use my link to start your own Ipsy subscription.

Do you know how many monthly subscriptions are out there? What's your favorite? Whether it's makeup or other I would like to know.  

Wordless Wednesday (Mushrooms)

   I get outside all the time.  I try to walk, hike, jog or cycle on a daily basis.  I may walk on the sidewalks or trails but, I'm always watching everything.  I enjoy nature and I love to spot mushrooms.  I don't go out to look for mushrooms but  so excited when I see them.

  I don't know one type of mushroom from another.  I guess I could try to look them up in a book but it doesn't really matter to me. I like to just find them and snap a picture. So today I'm sharing my view of mushrooms!

Some look like flowers with rough edges.

Some look like a round ball.

I don't know who came along and took a bite of this one.

I only saw one area with these. These were huge too.  They were the size of dessert plates.

This one looked like chocolate and peanutbutter.

Red ones were few and far between.

Mushrooms taking up a home whereever they felt.

Clusters of mushrooms.

These make me smile because they have the perfect little tip on top.

Yellow ones too!

I love mushrooms!  Do you go on hikes or walks around the neighborhood? 

What's one thing you look forward to seeing when you go on a walk? What makes you enjoy being outside?

It's OK (by me)

  I'm going to play along with airingmylaundry today as I tell you what items/events/activities I missed but didn't lose sleep over.



  It's OK that sometimes I accept that the weekend went by too fast then two days into the new week I want to fast forward back to it.



  It's ok that Starbucks has another new drink called Maple Pecan.  I haven't tried it but, whether I do or don't I'm still good with pumpkin.

  It's OK fall is here. We need a buffer between extreme heat and extreme cold.  I do like the warmer clothes and love to see the new leave colors.

  It's OK that Cadillac unveiled a hands free car because once my teen starts driving I will be hands free too and it didn't cost me even half as much.

It's OK that I woke up on a Saturday for a (new to me) 8 am class at my gym pool! Partly because I like the teacher and the other half because I thought someone I knew would be there. She wasn't but I still liked it. So it's OK to workout alone! The moral of this is try it you might like it!

  It's OK that the lawn was mowed and the grass clippings went all over my truck.  It will rain soon and wash it all away.  My son insists on spending money to take it to a car wash because it's filthy!

  It's OK to try new food you may like it.  I always get chicken and rice at the Chinese restaurant.  Maybe shrimp fried rice but usually a chicken rice combo.  I tried shrimp pancit and really liked it!

  Now it's your turn.  Tell me what your OK with?  Are you OK with the weather and temperature?