Free Gift Codes for your Feedback

So, if you haven't been following me long I'm a Wife/Mommy, promoter of Marriage/Family relations, AND a graphic designer. I've sold on etsy for over a year now. My awesome hubby built me a website to alleviate some of the stress from the etsy shop. We get a decent amount of traffic on the site but not many sales. I would love for some feedback as to what you think my store needs. If you're interested comment below. The first 5 will get $10 gift codes to my store. Once you leave your comment, please email me at prettifuldesigns at gmail dot com and I'll get you a code. :)
Here's the store:
http://www.prettifuldesigns.com

Thankful Banner

Thankful Printable Banner coming soon!

Halloween Papers

So I know I said I was going to work on Christmas stuff in July. Well, I have and....I couldn't resist making more Halloween stuff to do crafts to decorate my own house! (check out my Halloween craft post here) 

AND here is the first of the fall papers. :)

Giveaway ending in 4 hours!!!

Check it out at the right! :)

Love 'em as if you're going to loose 'em

Today we're going to do some pretending.

First off though a little back story so you understand where I'm coming from.

I was looking at some stuff today on the Make a Wish Foundation. To me their mission is pretty awesome--allowing kids with life threatening illnesses and their families a super happy and fun experience to remember for always.


Their website and the stories on it got me thinking about life and death and I started to think how I would treat my husband if I knew he was dying. I try and treat him really well as it is but I imagined how much sweeter I would talk to him, how many more massages I'd give him, how I would dote on him and probably never leave his side. 

Life is life though. I may have him the next 50-60 years or he might go tomorrow--or me for that matter. Why not treat him now like I would if I thought I'd loose him. Why not kiss him more passionately, hug him more, sit in his lap when we talk, stroke his hair? Why not tell him how much I appreciate him and his hard work, his attitude, and his love for me. 


Why not? 


Why wait? 

So think about how much you'd miss 'em and then show 'em! Show your spouse this week how you would treat him/her if he/she was dying. Dote on him/her. Treasure him/her. Treat him/her like a king/queen. None of us know how long we have. Why not make more moments count. More moments that bring smiles to the lips and tears of joy for living a good life and less regrets. Go NOW! Give him/her a kiss that tells him/her how much you really love him/her and would miss him/her. Seriously. GO NOW! Don't wait. Don't wait for more time. It ain't comin! Don't wait for better health. It ain't comin either. What is more important than the relationships you have with the people you love most?

Crazy Easy, Practically Free, & Super Fun Crafts

I've really been slacking on this. Well, I've been spending lots of time doing things that are totally blog worthy and hopefully I'll get a chance to post soon. I've been in a crafting, designing, and creating groove and I don't want to get off kilter because, well...it's awesome!

So I have been wanting to do some crafts lately but how does one ever make the time to really sit down and do things just for the heck of it? I had an idea to invite over some friends and make some crafts but I wanted to supply all the materials. If you've been following me  you know the mullah is uh....non existent so I had to get creative. I wanted to have several Halloween crafts (I'm super addicted) so I started scouring yard sales for used books and bottles and dug up a bunch of rocks out of the pile in the back (Utah is infested with them) and did some digital designing & printing. 

So here is what I made and some variations because its just too fun:

  

Painted rocks. I felt like a kid again. I've been picking up paint at Lowe's and the local Habitat for Humanity Restore for $5 a gallon on mistints in hopes we'll someday move and have something to paint. For now I waste it on rocks. :) Here are some variations I've done since:

I found this color and it made me happy. I think it is perfect for summer.

I left the "love" rocks on my neighbors porch. She actually challenged me to prank her every time she doesn't go to church. Uh. hello! I love pranking AND challenges--and her! I've tried to make my pranks super sweet and focused on how much we love her and her family. One week I spray painted hearts in her grass. Another week I wrote all over her car windows about how much we love them etc. 

Can't wait to use these at Christmas.

Spell books. Check out my inspiration here from Piccolina Designs.

Potion bottles. I think I came up with this on my own? Who knows. Does my brain really even know? Did a little designing. Not my best work but I was super pressed for time. I may revamp and add more and throw em up in the store one of these days. They say "ogre snot" and "dragons blood" I also had "deadly night shade" but didn't get to it yet. 

These awesome bottles are compliments of my sister in law. I can't wait to slap some labels on these bad boys.

A banner of course. I'm addicted to these lately too. I've designed a ton lately but haven't "packaged" any yet. That honestly takes the longest. I love designing. Dread packaging. 

Another Giveaway Has Started

Check out the new giveaways to the right. Sorry I've been neglecting the blog a little. I've been working on marketing and Halloween and Christmas designs--what a combination right? I'll be showing some designs soon. :)

Some Verbal Lovin for your Spouse

So for those of you who have been doing my 7 Ways in 7 Days to knock the socks off your spouse, how is it going?

I noticed my husband reacting differently after I started giving him more love and attention. For days I kept seeing him checking the garbage can and I finally asked him what on earth he was doing. He responded he wanted to help me out and every time he had checked the garbage I had already emptied it. He was excited one day to finally find it more than half full and he emptied it promptly.

Now that was just ONE of the amazing benefits we've experienced since following my own advice from this blog post. There have been MANY other benefits and I feel we have been drawing much closer!

Today, I have another idea about a super important aspect of marriage--communication.

If you're reading this you probably don't have a problem telling your spouse I love you. Today we're going to talk more about the ways and reasons why you love them and how you can more effectively tell them.

Below are 7 ideas on how to use your verbal language to help your spouse feel more loved.

Fill in the blank this week with some of these quotes to help your spouse feel more loved by you!

1."I love your _____! It is one of your best physical features." Tell your spouse one of the things you love about his/her physical body. 
I think my most favorite part of my husband's body is his wrinkles right next to his eyes when he smiles. They are so hot! He is one of those guys who is going to look hotter with age! :) Just telling him/her "you look nice," is well....nice. Being specific takes your compliment to a whole new level.
2. "I love how you are so _____. It is one of your best qualities." Tell your spouse one of the character traits you love about him/her.
3. "I love it when you do _____ to serve me. It makes me feel so loved." Tell your spouse how much you love one of the ways he/she serves you.
My hubby watches the kids a lot and yes he does it because he loves them but he also does it because he loves me.
4. "I love (doing, going, watching, playing, etc.) _____ with you."
Tell your spouse an activity you love doing with him/her.
 I love racing my husband to the car when we are out on dates. He always wins but I love the wind in my face with him at my side.
5. "I love _____ about your quirky side." Tell your spouse one of his/her quirks that you love.
I wrote this in my thankful journal the other night: "Richard always makes up songs. Some of them are sweet....they are all funny...and some are just plain queer! But I love them anyway! His songs always put a smile on my face." I read him my entry that night and I think he felt honored to be my reason to be thankful that night.
6. "I love to look at you best when ____." Tell your spouse when you like to gaze at him/her without him/her knowing. It is ok to stalk your spouse because it is not stalking but rather showering him/her with attention. If you don't do this yet--start!
7. "I love to cuddle with you most like this___." Tell your spouse how you love to cuddle with him/her and then show him/her!

Each week look for new things to fill in these blanks and keep your spouse feeling like he/she is on top of your world! Easy huh?!

A Thankful Journal

Sometimes in life we are faced with trials that are of course to help us grow but also allow us to be able to better understand other people and where they are coming from.

After my 1st baby I soon became very aware that depression is quite real and if you don't think it is then you obviously have never had it. Previous to that 1st baby I was in denial about how devastating depression really can be.

I'm a very stubborn person and I really don't like medications so I've decided to battle my depression without meds. I have good days and bad days....

Lately we've had soooo much going wrong that getting through an entire day really takes all of my available energy. There really are so many things that are going wrong that if I dwell on it, I just spiral downward ALL day long.

On the flip side I have soooooo many things to be grateful for. When I think about how extremely blessed I am its a lot harder to feel so miserable.

So this weeks tip is something I used to do a few years ago. I stopped because I let myself feel embarrassed--which is ridiculous. I NEED to do this again and in order to properly motivate myself, I'm going to tell all of you about it.


Thankful Journal
Each night before bed I would write in as little as a sentence (sometimes more) about one thing I was grateful for that day. I tried not to ever repeat so I would spend the day looking for something new I was grateful for. It really was an amazing experience. I did this for over a year and ended up publishing everything in my family's yearly book I get printed at Blurb. My comments were very personal and after I gave my book away to some family members I felt pretty embarrassed and ended up ending my nightly writings.

I'm bad at keeping a journal or doing anything that is super habitual but the trick I found that worked for me is well... a little embarrassing too but maybe it will work for you. :) I kept my little journal in a cupboard in the bathroom and since I ALWAYS use the restroom before bed I would write while I ahem....you know.

I HIGHLY recommend this practice. If you want to modify to improve your relationship with your spouse or someone else, just think about one thing a day that this person does that you love and you'll soon notice less and less things that bother you and find more and more reasons to love the other person! :)

Winners Announced

Congrats to the winners announced at the right. Winners have been contacted via email.

I've got A LOT of family stuff the next week so I will probably be MIA but you know I will be scheming and designing in my head the whole time. :)

Have a great weekend!!!

Items for today

Whew...was the 4th awesome! My friend Emily and I threw a pretty sweet party last night with some neighbors and no one was maimed with the pinata, water balloons and fireworks so I consider that a success! :) Actually it was one of the best parties I've been to. EVER!

I'm a little behind in everything for this blog. I enjoyed yesterday with my family and I don't feel an ounce of guilt.

YES. I will post the winners soon for this weeks giveaway and YES I will get back to some blog posts but for now you can just find out about my super sale at my store http://www.prettifuldesigns.com. It is a BUY 3 GET 3 FREE SALE. Sweet huh? Just put all items in the cart and the 3 with the least price will be FREE.

Telling you about the sale is super easy....the other stuff will take more time. :) Be patient with me and hopefully today or tomorrow I'll get those winners announced!

FREE Freedom Banner Printable

I love my country and I am so grateful for all of the men and women (AND their families!) who have ever served to protect our liberties and freedom. For those of you celebrating this Wednesday, I hope you enjoy this freebie.

Click on the picture above to get your free Freedom Banner Printable.  

It is super easy to make! 

Directions: Print, cut out, punch holes, and thread ribbon. I laminated mine because I ran out of cardstock. :) Finished product is 36" wide (without slack) by 7 1/2" tall.

Comes as a pdf file and prints out on 4 pages.

I won't do that!

The more I get to know people, the more I realize that we all have bad things happen to us--often by the people we care most about. It is REALLY hard to move past. I've tried to let things go, I've tried to change, and I've even confronted at times but it is really hard when people don't change and continue to rub you wrong or treat you unfairly. Is any of this sounding familiar?

I visit teach someone who said something awesome to me once (well, ok I think pretty much everything she says is awesome). She said something along the lines of "I can't change them so I'm going to change how I will act when I'm in the position they are in so the people I'm dealing with don't have to feel the way I do." There was a lot of paraphrasing in there but that is the gist of it. She said she wrote a letter to herself, (lest she forgets) about what she will and won't do when she is a grandmother some day and she said it really helped her deal with some issues.  

In thinking about my big motivational article I'd write this week about improving family relations this kept coming to mind so I'm hoping this is meant for someone. Here is my advice and the steps to take to help you move past:

1. Think about but DO NOT dwell on some grievances that are really irking you. (This is the easiest step--it gets harder but will be worth it!)

2. Think about what the other person could have done to eliminate the problem, never start the problem, fix the problem, etc.

3. Decide right now what you will do if you find yourself in those persons shoes. How are you going to make  the person in your current shoes feel loved, appreciated, cared for instead of hurt, humiliated, etc. 

4. Write down (it really is therapeutic) how you are going to react in situations and the things that are really important for you to do to others and then don't forget it! 

What this will do for you:

If done correctly this activity can help you release some of your burdens, taking your focus from blaming others to what you can do to be better to anyone who may be in your situation. Maybe God has allowed us to have these difficulties because we are strong enough to learn and not repeat them. Maybe we are allowed to have people in our lives that hurt us because we are strong enough to not repeat the wrongs done to us--that we can be the ones to break the bad habits and help others to excel. 

I hope this helps and as always I'd love feedback--especially if this helps!!!

 

My Christmas shopping for 2012 is all done..WHAT?!?!?

Yes, it is true (its wrapped too!). "She's crazy or eccentric" you may say (true) but I also thoroughly enjoy the relaxing holiday season!

How it all started:
Several years back my sister told me she had all her shopping done in September. I totally thought she was crazy at the time. Flash forward a few years and I was pregnant with our first fall baby. I decided to try to get my shopping done early and had everything bought and wrapped before the baby came. I was amazed and shocked at how EASY and RELAXING Christmas was that year. After that Christmas I started shopping for the next year and got some SUPER, AWESOME, AMAZING deals from companies that had too much extra after the shoppers were all shopped out (which is practically every store.) I saved tons of money and it is actually way more fun having things bought and wrapped in advance because I honestly forget what I've bought (I do keep a running list written down somewhere...) and its soooo fun to see them opening something I had forgotten about!

When I shop early or right after Christmas I find I spend SO MUCH LESS and I get better, more thoughtful gifts (rather than impulse buys). I usually only go to the store like twice between Thanksgiving and Christmas for groceries. Can I tell you how wonderful it is to avoid rude and inconsiderate people during the holidays?!?!

This year we've decided to give each other and our kids only 3 presents for simplicity and because the  wise men brought Jesus 3 gifts. I read this on a friends private blog and I thought it was crazy at first but I remember back to each Christmas and although we have pretty frugal, simple Christmas mornings as it is, the kids are always overwhelmed! Why not spend less and enjoy more? This year we got gifts  that will encourage sibling and family play so we can spend the day relaxing and playing instead of unwrapping and wading through mounds of wrapping paper.

Here are some tips I shared in a previous blog post which you can see HERE

1. Make a list of EVERYONE you need to shop for (don't forget co-workers, neighbors, old friends, that random relative, etc.)
2. Set a budget of how much you're willing to spend.
3. Divide money between each person/family. You may have to do some adjusting for a while to get it right. We try to focus on one family or person each year to spoil and get them something extra nice. We've also learned that something simple is all that is needed for other people--they'd rather you not go into debt for some present they won't even like. They just want to know you remembered them.
4. Start to list ideas of gifts to give each person (this is the hardest part I think).
5. Now start shopping!
6. Keep a list of how you're doing.
7. Once all presents are purchased--wrap. I love doing this early because I always forget a bunch of what I get my family members and it makes Christmas morning even more fun!
8. Purchase extra non-personal gifts like nice boxes of chocolates or nuts or gift cards for the people you forget (the first few years you do this you'll forget someone!)
9. ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!

Tips about shopping:
Right after Christmas (when most people don't have any money) are the BEST deals. I can't emphasize this enough. If you budget and plan, you can find the money to shop at this time. EVERYTHING seems to be on sale at rock bottom prices somewhere. I think most things are even better than black friday prices. Shop online or in store. Ask store clerks where clearance sections are. You may be surprised you never saw them before. 
Other months that seem to have great deals are March (toys are cheaper a month before Easter and if you find coupons you can really score) and September (lots of items go on clearance as stores prepare their shelves for Christmas).
 Shop used. Depending on the person and what you'd like to get for them, sometimes you can find AMAZING things used (or even brand new) on places like craigslist, local thrift stores and Yard Sales.  My husband found me a Kitchenaid mixer used only 2-3 times for at least half the price. It is amazing.

So, I am ok with you thinking I'm crazy but I would love it if you tried some of these ideas so that you can have a more relaxed and wonderful holiday season to spend with your family! Try it and I think you'll like it!

Do you have any other tips or tricks to make the holidays stress-free?

6 Tips for Teaching & Learning Fun with Little Ones Guest Post by Lauren

Holy cow did I ever need this post by Lauren from Daisy Cottage Designs! My 4 year old hates structured learning. She LOVES to learn but only on her timetable. I got out of the swing of things while trying to sell our house (how on earth do you do craft projects and have 3-5 showings per week?) and being pregnant/having a baby. I'm going to be spending some serious time on her pinterest pages and preschool pages (links in the article below.) I love her photography style! She is seriously gifted! You should check out her etsy shop--she crochets too!!! (Did you know I'm addicted to anything crocheted?) Without further ado, meet Lauren:

For starters, let me introduce myself. I'm Lauren, the girl behind the Daisy Cottage Designs blog and shop. My wonderful husband is the youth/assistant pastor at our church in Central Florida and works hard to provide for us so that I can stay home with our two daughters, Riley (2 and some change) and Caroline (almost 4 months).

Before I had the kids, I was a third grade teacher and loved every minute. I enjoy staying at home with my little chickadees even more, but I definitely needed some way to work my passion for teaching into daily life with my girls. When Riley hit two years old, I decided to get serious about teaching my toddler. Riley and I embarked on our preschool adventure and we haven't turned back. Every week or two, we pick a new theme complete with a letter, shape, and Bible verse. We then spend time having age-appropriate discussions and doing fun activities that will help us learn as much as we can about the topic.
I occasionally have people ask me how we fit so much in or friends think I'm crazy for trying to do so much with a two year old. I know you haven't asked the question, but I'm going to share 6 tips that have helped us accomplish lots of learning and crafts over the past few months.

1. Let the dream of a perfectly clean and orderly house fly out the window. If you're like me, you'd feel like a successful lady if your house were always clean and you wore a size 4. You might be a size 4, but you're definitely not going to have the perfect house if you're spending lots of time finding, preparing, and conducting fun activities for and with your little preschooler. The counter will get paint splatters on it (thank you, Lord, for washable paint). Clothes might get streaked with marker (invest in an adorable smock or apron). It's okay. Your children will remember the fun activities and things they've learned. Not the mess that may or may not be around them.
2. Have high expectations. My grandfather said it best: Kids are smarter than people. Your two year old might not be a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon when she grows up, but face it: it's pretty amazing what she's able to learn. Your child is probably capable of more than you think so be sure you take that into consideration when you're planning. This isn't to say that you can do activities geared for a 7 year old when your child is 18 months, but it does mean you should try to push them a little bit.
3. Be willing to say no. This might sound like a weird tip, but it's important. Your three year old is just as opinionated as he is intelligent. If you're constantly listening to your child's every whim, you'll end up with blue trees, a very messy floor, and a huge headache. You have to set boundaries during your learning time.
4. Take your toddler's interests into consideration. This may seem to go against the last tip, but I promise they go together. If your little scholar is into fish, read books and do crafts on ocean life. Sort sea creatures by color and learn about other animals in the ocean. Your goal is to get them to love learning and there's no better way to do this than to include activities that they're going to love.
5. Repeat after me: Pinterest is your friend. While I do come up with a few activities on my own, most of them are found on Pinterest. I typically type our current theme followed by the words craft or activity into the search bar and find tons of ideas. I then pin them onto my preschool or craft boards for future reference.
6. Document the process. Whether you decide to take on preschool as a daily activity or you just incorporate crafts here and there, be sure to snap some pictures. We have done far too many crafts to keep each and every one until Riley gets married (though there are some keepers for sure). Each week, we have a photo shoot to capture the crafts. I've found a great way to take some fun, candid shots is to have her show Daddy what we've been up to. I'm off to the side with my camera snapping away.

We have a great time doing our projects and I know you and your kiddos would enjoy them, too. I encourage you to start out doing a project one day a week. Talk about it, pick a letter to learn, and go from there. If you want to do more, go for it. If that's enough for you, that's okay, too. Just remember, whatever time you spend actively engaging your child and teaching her to learn will pay off down the road.

If you're interested in keeping up with our adventures, please see our Preschool at Home posts on our family's blog.