Yes, I'm still here

I haven't posted for a while. I have a super awesome list of all sorts of things I would love to blog about but it has been crazy. The baby was sick and teething for about 3 weeks and then I taught preschool, did my 2nd Crafting for Charity event, taught some classes and we had  a birthday party and other craziness mixed in between. I'm trying to reorganize some things and trying to design in spare minutes. Not sure when I will post something super awesome but hopefully soon. Don't give up on me. :)
Dedra

Gift Code Offer

I will be offering $5 gift codes to my shop for layouts using my products that I choose to put on this blog and in my shops. That seemed like a complicated sentence. Lets break it down:

• Send me jpgs of something you've designed/made using my products 
• Send to prettifuldesigns at gmail dot com
• Can be scrapbooking layouts, invitations, cards, wood crafts, t-shirts, etc. 
• You must be willing to let me use your pictures on my blog and in my shops.
• You must own the rights to the pictures - if including someone's photo you must have permission for me to use it.
• Submission Deadline October 15th
• I will pick my favorites. If I Super Duper Love, LOVE, L.O.V.E. your stuff I will give a $10 credit!
• I will post my favorites on my blog and in my shop.
• I will give you whatever credit you want (name, blog, facebook, shop, etc).
• Others will get inspiration and create and we'll all be happy.

***Note -- Sending me a design does not mean you will get a gift code. I will be choosing my favorites. I'm not setting a limit. I'm not sure what it is exactly I'm looking for but when I see it I'll know. Please keep this in mind if you don't get selected. I may do this again too and you could always try next time. 

I will pick October 17th and will notify by the 19th.

FREE Halloween Bucket List Printable

I am so excited to share this Halloween Bucket List printable with you. 

Click HERE to download for FREE

Love it and want to support me? Just click on the picture above to purchase. 

Just print,(laminate if you want) and check off each time you complete one of the items. 

Enjoy!

~Dedra

A Fun Experiment for your Spouse

I had a random idea yesterday. I went to a church meeting last night and I remembered a story I heard a few years ago about the man conducting the meeting. His wife has some sort of chronic illness and she can't do much at all for herself. He does a lot for her including her hair and her make-up EVERY DAY. He does a pretty good job at it to. :) When he talks about his wife you can tell how much he loves her! I so strongly believe that he loves her so much because he serves her.

I decided last night to serve my husband in some of the same ways this man serves his wife. I told my husband I was going to do something random the next day to show him I love him. I also told him to not expect the world because we have 3 kids AND  we are still catching up from having the stomach flu all week.

This morning I slapped some hand cuffs on my husband and told him he couldn't use his hands and I was going to get him ready for church (he went and I stayed home with the kids because we are probably still contagious and we absolutely don't want to share!).

For the next hour (it did take a while) I got him ready. I bathed him, dressed him, did his hair, brushed his teeth, shaved his face, put on his socks and shoes and brushed the lint off his suit.

It may seem like a weird or non-important thing to do but by the end his face was really beaming. We had to communicate about things we never have before as I asked him how to do his hair and if I was hurting him while shaving etc.

When he left for church he said he wanted to do that for me sometime and I can't wait.

If you want to do this, hint at it the night before. I think this really helped and had him wondering what on earth I would do to him the next day. Also, make sure you do it on a day when you have time as it did take a while. It also doesn't have to be getting him/her ready. You could feed them a meal or something else.

I hope you'll try this and that you have amazing results. Let me know how it goes! :)
~Dedra

DE-STRESS ALREADY!

Good morning, Mom!  It's Monday!!

Like most people's homes, things have been pretty crazy around here.  Even more so than usual.  To sum up:  car died-as in DEAD, dryer broke, vacuum broke, I have morning sickness the worst EVER 24/7, lost my wedding ring...pretty much a country song!  I keep telling myself to breathe and calm down.  I do deep breathing often to slow my heart.  BUT.  I have discovered a secret all purpose de-stresser!!  Talking one night, my husband and I came up with a plan that has changed our perspective.  Once a week, we sit down (in the evening when the kids are in bed and it's finally QUIET,) and have a talk.  We list on a piece of paper all the things that stress us out.  (One column for each of us.)  Underneath we write what we can do about each item.  The deal is to do all the things we CAN do, and then forget it...as much as possible.  HOLY COW, you guys, this has been amazing.  Some of the things that were bothering me I didn't want to bring up at first because I didn't want to stress my husband any more than a father of almost 7 should be already.  It created a really safe, non-confrontational venue to discuss hard topics.  Now we share burdens and work on them together.  Often times the only thing we can do is pray.  But it's enough to know we are truly doing all we CAN do.  I know we're not the first to try this, but I'm so excited about it, I had to share it.

Ice Cream Will Never Be The Same Again

Dedra here. Big things have been happening in my household lately. No, I'm not the one pregnant--Michelle is. :) Just making sure we are all clear on that one! :)

I've been exhausted with everything lately. My husband's work still hasn't improved. We aren't too far from the end of our rope. Still can't buy the house that we walked through 15 months ago but we are still trying!!! Half of our things have been packed up for almost 2 years and I have had enough. I have been unpacking, reorganizing, throwing even more things away and giving boxes of stuff to charities. I'm hoping to be done by the end of next week and hopefully I will be able to blog more and design more with a box-less and more organized home.

The oldest started preschool this week. Little sister got to tag along too. We are doing a "Joy School" type of thing where each mom takes a week. It's pretty low key which is what I was looking for. It is good but sad at the same time. The oldest also lost a tooth last week. Crazy! She got her first two teeth before 4 months so it is expected but still crazy to see her toothless.

NOW on to the reason you're here: 

Ice Cream Goodness

I made some yummy desserts to take to a dinner party. I was going to look at pinterest but the idea just came into my head and it sounded to yummy to ignore! I was soooo right.

Its like an individual ice cream pie with some twists. 

I started with a suped up graham cracker crust topped with chocolate chips. Bake.

Then comes ice cream.

  Top with whipped cream and candy bars. I used Reese's Fastbreak (my favorite), Kit Kat, Reese's and York (not my favorite combination but one of the kids was super excited for the York so it was definitely worth it!)

Here's the real instructions:

Graham Cracker Crust:
12 full graham crackers
1/2 c. sugar
3 shakes cinnamon (the secret weapon)
6 T butter (the real goodness!)
1 t. water

Put graham crackers, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor OR how I did it: place in ziploc bag and beat and roll with a rolling pin. It is actually super easy--maybe takes a minute. Add melted butter and water to the bag. Close. Scrunch with hands until it forms nice clumps.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cupcake pan with some sort of oil/butter spray. Put decent amount of gloppy mixture in each section. If you want, sprinkle in some chocolate chips. (It makes the pies a little hard to dig your spoon into. It still tastes really good without.) Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and smooth chocolate with a spoon. Put in freezer. Place candy bars in freezer. Pull out ice cream and frozen whipped topping to thaw (I usually only use real whipped cream but this is really good this way!).

Remove candy bars and cut up. Fill cups with ice cream. Put a dollop of whipped cream on top. Sprinkle on the gluttony candy bars. Put back in freezer. Pull out 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I've tried smaller muffin tins too (yeah, I've eaten more than I'm willing to admit this week) and the crust got really crunchy cooking at 10 minutes and I LOVE it too! I can't decide which I like better. I recommend making both about 3 times a week. Of course you'd probably have to excercise 16 hours to keep that many at bay but hey--it's worth it!

~Dedra
Prettiful Designs

I am newly pregnant, and being pregnant, I would like to dedicate this post to something that is dear to me right now:  food.  Over the years, my husband and I have tried to cut back on the processed sugar and processed food in our diet.  We've cut out all cereals other than cheerios or corn flakes (most of the time-I am weak), hot pockets (I miss them), and fruit snacks.  That kind of thing.  We avoid artificial colors and flavoring and lately I've been trying to introduce beans as a better alternative to eating so much meat.  (I'm losing the battle.  There's not much one can do when the flu hits after the first all bean meal.)  HOWEVER, there are just some foods that are WAAAAAYYYY better pre-made.  Like pudding.  What is it about the pre-made pudding that makes it more...elastic?  I can't figure it out.  And I can't stop eating them.  Oreo icing.  Ummmm....double stuffed oreos with whole milk.  I have to stop eating that.  Hamburgers.  They don't taste right unless there are lots of chemicals mixed in with all the fat and grease.  Though I will say that not even Arctic Circle can compete with my dad's burgers.  He is a chef in that area.  And brownies.  The stuff that comes from the box is so much better than anything I've ever made from scratch.  My from scratch brownies are always too buttery or too dry.  I've given up on those and will pay the $0.99 it costs for a mix.  What are your thoughts on the subject?  I await your responses, and while I wait I will also dream of hot dogs and hamburgers with french fries, my daily all-the-time cravings which would normally gross me out.

Family Adventures

We get out of the house A LOT as a family. On weeknights, Saturdays. You name it. I Rarely ever get out during the day with the kids so it is a welcome break. Friday night I needed a drive so we drove a ways to the Little Sahara Sand Dunes near Eureka/Delta/Nephi (which means in the middle of nowhere!) in Utah. 

Our kids loved it!!! The baby put her face in the sand first thing and came up smiling. Whatever floats her boat I guess. We brought a bunch of water and built a sandcastle, buried the oldest in sand and then ran around on the tops of the dunes playing follow the leader and sliding down the hills (babies favorite!) We had a blast! 

If you are not in the regular practice, my advice for tonight is to get out at least once a week as a family. Create your own family night where you only do things as a family. You don't have to spend money. Go for a walk, go to the park, find a free concert, play at a mall playground, see a dollar movie, go throw rocks in any body of water, lay on a blanket and watch the stars come out, etc. Just be together. Finding places without cell phone coverage can be great for us parents who are easily distracted!!! (i wouldn't know anything about that)

Families that play together stay together. I firmly believe it! Plan something fun right now to do this week as a family and get in a regular practice. 

~Dedra~

3,000+ Sales=Huge Sale! :)

I've recently reached 3000 sales so to celebrate I'm throwing a 

Buy 3 Get 3 FREE Sale 

in my shop. 

Just add items in increments of six and the 3 with the lowest price will be automatically FREE! Cool huh? I have an awesome programmer! 
You could take advantage of this sale to buy things like these newbies:

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!!

Musings of a Mother of Six

I've heard people say that when you have a baby you lose like 1/4 of your brain cells.  I believe it.  Though, with six kids, that means I've lost my whole brain plus half of someone else's brain.  I still believe it.  I try to help my poor brain with Sudoku and logic problems and cross words.  eh.  Reading too, should help.  So I use my poor moldy brain as an excuse to escape to the world of Hogwarts or some romantic spot in another time and country where kids don't whine and never fight.  What was the point of this post again?...ah...Oh yes. Cameras.  When we moved into this house, I lost my external hard drive with ALL my pictures on it.  ALL OF THEM.  My twins in their blessing dresses, weekly excursions all around the state with the kids, anniversary trips, everything.  I backed some of them up on flikr and some on my desktop.  I kept meaning to buy a bunch of jump drives and put each year's worth of pictures on one (I like to organize.)  I never got around to it.  My brain didn't let me remember to do it and now my brain won't let me remember where I packed that dang hard drive!  So, moral, don't make the same mistake I did.  Back up your pictures!  And then back up your backups.  You'll have fun looking through them as you do it, and so will your kids.  Do it together.  Then, when you're done backing them up, scrapbook them (insert shameless plug) using Prettiful Designs products!

-_-_-Michelle-_-_-

My Lack of Motivational Posts

It's been weeks since my last marriage/family/life motivational post. I am truly sorry for that. I have wanted to but I have just been lacking in the motivational department.

We found out a few weeks ago that someone has been deceiving us and lying to us and it was a really low blow. We've just been trying to get our minds past it. I'm really not angry, which is kind of surprising for how much this persons actions have hurt our family. I'm just really disappointed.

The house we're trying to buy has moved forward in the last few weeks and we've been pretty occupied with trying to figure out how to make things work and trying to keep it moving forward.

In all my busy insanity I also decided to start a charity (we've been watching a lot of Secret Millionaire) and it involves collecting food and money through CRAFTS---I bet you're wondering how the heck I'm going to pull that one off. I will post more about it once I get all the logistics worked out.

So, I am sorry you all have been neglected! I just am trying to keep our little family going and it is taking all of my available brain power.

Other Peoples' Ideas are the BEST

I have a secret (or probably not so secret) addiction to pinterest.  I love finding other peoples' ingenious ideas and using them for my own.  I do reserve the right, however, to pin stuff that I never intend to really try.  ;)  For today's post, I want to do a review of children's activities that I have actually tried.  With reviews, of course!

1. Barbie bathtub boat made from plastic bottles.  Okay, this one I haven't actually done-yet.  But it was WAY to cool to not have on this list.  I want one now because I never had one when I was a kid.
2. Water blob.  This is basically a water bed mattress for the kids to jump on outside.  We even used it as a slip'n'slide.  On one "slip" my daughter tore a HUGE hole in the top about 2 feet in diameter.  The thing was still usable.  The kids could still jump on it and everything and the water stayed inside.  It's one of the most fun activities we've ever done and it cost about $5 total.  So. Worth. It.
3. Candy jewelry.  We made bubble gum necklaces for my daughters' Valentine's Day class party.  I premade the holes the night before (using a sterile nail or thumb tack) and it wouldn't have worked if I hadn't done that.  A child wouldn't have been able to thread the needle through the gumball on her own. They're quite tough, gumballs.  Also, if you're going to do it, the little gum balls are very difficult to work with, so get the big ones.  Jelly bean look a lot easier to work with.  The necklaces were SO CUTE when they were done though, the teacher said she'd never seen the students have so much fun in the craft before.
4. Pool noodle marble races.  My kids actually came up with this one on their own and spent 2 HOURS happily racing marbles down the track.  After a while, they discovered they could aim with the noodles and began shooting them at targets...I have boys.
5. Using yarn to make an obstacle course.  This one took WAY too long to set up, and the kids only enjoyed it because I put M&M's at the end.  Basically they were bored to tears.
6. Glow in the dark F.U.N. with glow sticks, black lights, and highlighters.  We've done glow in the dark volcanoes, baths, balloons.  The list is really endless.  You can take the cartridge out of a highlighter pen and soak it in whatever liquid you're going to use-anything from bath water to vinegar, and then use a black light to see the glow.  I've even seen people mix it with pop and dry ice for a fun Halloween drink.  (Make sure it's non-toxic-I wonder if it makes the taste gross?)  Put glow sticks inside balloons, etc. for nightlights and evening entertainment.  This blog has lots of really fun ideas.

The ideas on that website are ENDLESS!  ENDLESS!!!  I may have to do a post on all the cleaning stuff I have learned.  But that's another day...
-Michelle

New Printables and Clip Art!!!

Is it really FRIDAY?!?!?! Phew....I'm exhausted. So much has been happening lately. Some good....some pretty bad.... but that is a post for another day. Here are some things I've worked on this week:

 Mistletoe Flowers And Borders Clip Art

Spooks On Clip Art Set 2

Cowgirl Happy Birthday Banner

Girly Rainbow Birthday Banner

 Halloween Advent Printable Cards - I AM SOOOO Excited to use these in October

 Graveyard Bash Boo Banner

 Halloween Night Boo Banner

 Spooks On Boo Banner:

 Zombie Dance Boo Banner:

 Jonathan Birthday Banner:

 Crisp Fall Thankful Banner:

Available Exclusively at http://www.prettifuldesigns.com

I want to introduce one of my favorite products of ALL TIME.  Seriously, this is the coolest thing we have ever bought.  In fact, we bought two because we have two toddlers.  My kids BEG to go on it everyday.  We can now go on long family bike rides together.  My husband and I each take a toddler on our bike and we're off!  At first I was nervous, thinking it would be really easy to fall over.  But the child is right at the center of gravity and it's actually really comfortable.  Way better than having one of those big seats up behind you or lugging a trailer. 

-Michelle

How do you TOTE your TYKE? The Tyke Toter front mount child bike seat is the perfect solution for you and your growing child. Intended for children ages 2-5, it takes over where other front mount child bike seats leave off.  Tyke Toter child bike seat is adjustable higher or lower on your own bike’s seat post to accommodate children as they grow and until they are old enough and big enough to ride along with you on your bike rides. Other child bike seats have low weight limits as well as other size limitations, and while they are great for infants, they are not designed big enough for the toddler and pre-school age child. And who wants to miss out on a fun, interactive bike ride at this magical age? Your child is getting bigger; he can hold on to his own handlebars, balance and wants to ride a big bike like you. Give him the thrill of his life every time he rides along with you on his Tyke Toter! The Tyke Toter child bike seat has a generous suggested weight limit of 45 lbs., and is designed purposely without straps allowing for the feeling of balance and freedom of a more real and intuitive riding experience. This is a child bike seat that gives children their own handlebars and foot rest, nestling them securely between the arms of their parent, and setting them in a central, well-balanced location for the easiest bicycle handling experience for you, and the most interactive bike ride you’ll have with your child! Tyke Toter child bike seat boasts a unique quick-release attachment which allows for a super easy, super fast  install/uninstall in less than a minute and is simple and intuitive even for the novice bike rider- no tools required, no extra hardware on your bike! It fits most standard bike frames whether road bike or mountain bike, women’s or men’s style making it easily interchangeable between more than one bike. Each Tyke Toter is hand-made and assembled in the USA.

The Big Reveal

So I alluded to something huge coming a few days ago and here it is:

A HUGE welcome to Michelle a new writer on my blog. I've known Michelle for almost 10 years. Whew, that makes me feel old. She happens to be my Sister-In-Law and I can't wait for you to get to know her. I think you'll really enjoy what she will be writing and sharing with you soon.

Here is a little bit o' info about Michelle:

I am a mother to six wonderful crazy children. I met my handsome husband in college where we both graduated as music majors. We’ve been married for 12 years now and I still think he’s the best man on Earth. 

Being a full time mom is the best and hardest thing in the world. Three of our children (so far) have been diagnosed with ADHD, and while I try not to focus on that part of them, it has a refining effect on me and has taught me a lot of patience. And how to yell. But I’m working on it. Last year, I home schooled my children which I thoroughly enjoyed, and though they’re going back this year, I now feel equipped to do anything I need for their education. I learned a lot of cool things that I’m excited to share.

I love old movies, music, reading, quilting, and decorating. Currently, I am the accompanist for a women's octet called Resonaire. I love to be outside with my kids. I also love Christmas. A lot. I don’t like being cold, wearing shoes (though I love to BUY them), or being ignored. I think most problems in life can be solved with humor and, like Elizabeth Bennet, I “dearly love to laugh.”

Since Michelle failed to send me a funny picture of herself I took care of that for her. :) This is her and her hubby at a Tacky Sweater Party. She warned me if I included something like this there would be payback. I say Bring it! :)

Everyone give Michelle a huge welcome and look forward to some awesome posts!