Friday, May 30, 2014

Disney Stache Tutorial

I shared this craft a while ago when I was still Cox's Corner and I STILL LOVE it! I had been wanting to make it for a while and I finally got around to it!
#disneystache #disney #whatdoesthecoxsay #savingsjar
The tutorial is super brief.

If you don't have a silhouette (other than the writing) the mickey and mustache should be super easy to cut out by hand. The writing can still be cut out...it just won't be as easy.

Supplies:
Vinyl -I used a light turquoise color and black
Silhouette
Transfer Tape
I just chose which designs I wanted. I traced the mickey silhouette to make the mickey head and I just used a mustache shape I bought from the silhouette store.

For the font I used "waltograph" which is a free download and shaped it by following this tutorial.
 I placed my vinyl onto my cutting mat in the correct places. Black where the Mickey Head is and turquoise where the writing and mustache is.

I then applied my vinyl to my jar. One thing I learned about applying vinyl to glass jars is...holy air bubbles! Start from the middle and work your way out on each design. Don't put it all on at once and then rub it in...unless you want to spend the next five minutes popping air bubbles...not speaking from experience or anything!

This was seriously such a quick project to put together and I'm thrilled with the results!

Have I mentioned that my hubby is amazing?! Well he is! :) We went on a Disney Cruise on our Honeymoon and it was TO.DIE.FOR. We were hooked! A few months after PJ's first birthday I got the cruise bug and talked my sweet hubby into it and we went again as a family of 3. I've had the cruise bug ever since...but unfortunately we haven't really had the cash to provide the cure!

I decided to reinstate my original reward from last year to keep me motivated:

I came to the conclusion that I need a reward, an awesome one for when I lose my 100 pounds...and well, we can't just go on a cruise to cruise because we don't have money to spend like that. That's when it hit me! The cruise can be my reward for losing 100 pounds! And then, when I reach my goal weight we could go on another one!

All throughout our cruise with PJ people kept telling us how brave we are. I'd like to say brave, no. Prepared, yes! I shared the post on tips to cruise with toddlers here.
 If you have any questions you'd like addressed in a follow up post...please feel free to post them here!
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Memorial Day

I know that usually I post a Weightloss Wednesday update, but Memorial Day this year was such a special experience for me, I just wanted to put it on here so that I can remember it forever. 
The picture below, to me, perfectly represents Memorial Day. 
#memorialday #whatdoesthecoxsay
An Air Force Veteran, whom I am proud to call my Dad teaching the younger generation what service and sacrifice truly means. I teared up seeing my little ones walking towards the crosses and flags with my dad. 
I found myself reflecting on the men and women who gave their lives in the wars for freedom. How many of them left behind children of their own? 
I reflected on how each one of them is somebodies child. 
I know how badly my heart would ache to lose one of my babies. 
To lose my husband, or my father. 
I'm grateful that we have a special day devoted to reflect upon those sacrifices. 

When I was in High School, we did a special night of Honor and Remembrance for the veterans that had participated in the past wars. For each war we had the veterans come up to the stage. We even had some WWI veterans there. 
But what stands out to me this day was that one of the WWII Veterans recalled from that night, the as he stood there on the stage looking out to the audience. And he saw in the seats that were originally empty he fallen comrades from the war. I bet that would be an amazing experience to have. 

As my day progressed we went to a splash pad to cool off with the babies, then we had an easy lunch and naps (I of course blogged during naptime). Then it was time to head to my parents house for a family BBQ. I loved being gathered together with my family. We laughed and joked. And as the evening progressed and people went home, it was just me, my mom and my oldest brother sitting at a table watching my dad play in a kiddie pool with my babies. In the background my brother was playing patriotic music. Some of our favorites. 
My heart became so full. I was filled with gratitude for the sacrifices made that I was able to sit and watch my children freely. The only thing I maybe would have feared was them getting a cold from being in the water for too long. 

I didn't have to be afraid of an air attack from enemies. Or gunshots from enemy forces. For that I am eternally grateful.

To the men and women who fight for my freedom, who have fought for my freedom, and especially those that gave their lives for my freedom,  I want to say thank you.
You are prayed for and thought of. 

May we all remember that "All gave some and some gave all". 
Our freedom isn't free. 
We are so blessed for what we have.
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

17 Projects To Get You Excited for a Disney Vacation

I've got the Disney Bug...BAD. I am planning and looking forward to a Disney Cruise that we haven't even booked yet and probably won't be taking for a while, but I can't help it. There is something magic about Disney. We went to Disneyland last year and it was amazing, but I have to admit...Disney Cruises are my favorite. 
I love them, I love them and I don't care who knows it! 

So I decided to share some fun projects to help you get the bug too. Some of them are ones you can by but I'm willing to bet you could make them yourself if you're into that kind of thing! 
#disney #disneyvacation #whatdoesthecoxsay
















Nautical Nails, Source Unknown 
(If you know where they came from please let me know so I can give them credit).

 




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Monday, May 19, 2014

Tips for Cruising with Kids on Disney Cruise Line


#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisetips #cruisingwithkids
 Hi friends! I am SO excited to share this post with you today! 

When we went on our first Disney Cruise on our Honeymoon, I knew from the moment our bus pulled up to Port Canaveral Florida that we didn't stand a chance...we would be loyal Disney Cruisers for life.  I knew that I wanted to cruise with Disney as much as our budget would allow. Now that our family is growing, it's less often than I'd like...but it's the way it goes!
#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisetips #cruisingwithkids

The entertainment on the cruise ship was amazing! They had parties on the top deck and the most spectacular shows in the theatre. They even made it snow INSIDE the ship. It was so cool!
#dcl #disneycruiseline #crusingwithkids
 And the food...the glorious food. It was heaven in each bite. I still crave their Chocolate S'more Cake. I wish I could get my hands on the recipe!
#dcl #disneycruiseline #crusingwithkids
What you'd like to see more food pictures?! Of course I can oblige!
#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisingwithkids
After our first Disney Cruise, I found myself thinking more often than not about when the day would come that we could cruise again. That day came when shortly after our little man turned 1. We booked our cruise and went for it! People would comment on the ship that we were "brave" to cruise with a little one so small, and I'd find myself wondering what they were talking about. I realized halfway through what they meant and thanked my lucky stars that we had decided to cruise with Disney because they helped make it easier to cruise with a little one. They didn't do all the work for us, but boy did they help!

I knew that I wanted lots of picture with Characters on the ship! You can tell the difference in the times that we got the pictures. In the pictures with Mickey and Minnie we had just eaten dinner and he was awake and aware. In the Princess pictures he was so ready for a nap. But all of the characters were so kind to him and just loved on him and called him "Little Prince". It was so neat.
#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisingwithkids
They also had plenty of activities catered to the littlest prince or princess. I'm proud to announce that PJ is the "fastest crawler on the 7 seas"!
#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisingwithkids
The food was delicious as expected BUT in going above and beyond in making the "Disney Difference" they really try to make sure that the kids menu caters to even the pickiest little cruiser. If your kid hates their meal, they'll bring out a different one...no big deal. If your little one only likes fresh fruit (like PJ) and it's not on the menu, just ask, they'll hook you up.
Disney Cruise Line knows what their doing! It was so much fun for us to cruise with our little guy! Now don't be fooled that it was all sunshine and daisies. At the end of the cruise we were ALL tuckered out. BUT it wasn't as bad as those folks who commented on how brave we are were thinking it would be for us.
#dcl #disneycruiseline #cruisingwithkids

I'd like to share a few of our tips that helped ease the cruise for us and also a few things I wish I would have brought. In no particular order here they are:
1. Bring a stroller...it will save you in the airport and on the ship. They will not let you bring it into the restaurant but we picked up an inexpensive stroller that had a basket underneath it and it was a life saver! It was especially convenient for when we stopped at Castaway Cay...it's not ATV but it sure helped us not to worry about hauling everything.
2. Bring your own bib (I forgot ours and ended up just tying a cloth napkin around PJ's neck bandit style. It worked but not as well as I would like.
3. Bring your own sippy cup (and water bottles for the adults). They have all you can drink soda fountains on the top deck AND in addition to the soda they have free water up there. And, unless your little one is a master straw user...you'll need the sippy.
4. If your baby has a special blankie or lovey, bring it. They like having something familiar, especially at nap time.
5. Don't skip naptime...trust me. Meltdowns will ensue!
6. KEEP YOUR CAMERA READY! I can not emphasize this enough. The characters are all over the place. We ended up in an elevator with Donald and Daisy and just us. They are PJ's absolutely favorite characters and I couldn't get my camera out in time so I missed getting the picture of them doting on my little man and him soaking it in. I'm still annoyed about it to this day.
7. If your baby is loud and you don't want to miss a show, you can catch the show on your room TV. It's not the same as seeing it in the theatre, but it's better than missing out completely.
8. Take advantage of the room service. It's delicious and order the "All Hands On Deck". Trust me.
9. Don't forget that tips are NOT included in the cruise fare. You'll need to tip your room person and servers etc, but you do it at the end of the cruise.
and last but not least...
10. Just have fun. If you forget something important like diapers, don't sweat it they have them on the ship. They won't be cheap, but it won't ruin your cruise either.

If you have ANY questions about Disney Cruises you'd like addressed, I'd be happy to answer them! Just leave your question in the comments!


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Friday, May 16, 2014

Father's Day Gift

Today I wanted to share with you a super easy and inexpensive Father's Day Gift Tutorial. I'm all about easy and inexpensive tutorials on my blog! So I had to share this one.
#fathersday #fathersdaygift

Supplies:
Shrink Plastic or Film (remember shrinky dinks)
Sharpie
Scissors
A cute little hand
Hole Punch
Keychain

1. While you're gathering your supplies, preheat your oven to the recommended temperature on the package of your shrink plastic. Take your little ones hand and trace it on the shrink plastic with a sharpie.

2. Finish the rest of your little ones hand that you couldn't get around with your sharpie. You could just free hand it.

3. From there you can write a little message on the hand print or leave it as is. It's completely up to you! I like adding a little message. As you can tell I made this gift for Mother's Day as well.

4. Cut around your hand and hole punch where you'd like to put the keychain through. It is super important that you hole punch BEFORE you bake the plastic. You will not have a chance to after.

5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place your hand and anything else you'd like to shrink down on top of your parchment paper. Make sure to give them some room so that they don't stick together while they're shrinking. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your shapes so that they don't stick together either.

6. My apologies for the terrible quality of this picture. My sweet husband took it and I hadn't adjusted the settings. I had to include it so you knew how to do the next step.
From here AS SOON AS your recommended bake time is up (usually 2-3 minutes...have a spatula and oven mitt ready), take your hand from the oven, it will be VERY hot, but it cools fast. So you only have a small window. Use your spatula to fold the two middle fingers over to form the sign language "I Love You".

7. Thread your hand onto your keychain and that's it! You're done. It is such a simple sweet keepsake since it's your little ones hand shrinked down.

You can put it into a cute little bag and you're good to go!
#fathersday #fathersdaygift


You can also find me on facebook, pinterest, twitter and instagram. Stop by anytime and say Hi!
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Artsy Corner Link Party

Welcome to Artsy Corner Link Party!

I hope you had an awesome week and are ready to link up what you've been working on!
artsy-fartsy mama
Thanks to all those who linked up last party. I loved looking through the amazing projects you had to share. Here are a few of my favorites from last week!

Printable Mother's Day Card from I Should Be Mopping The Floor
 I know that Mother's Day has passed, but I am totally saving this one for next year! This printable is beautiful.

Superpower Mother's Day Printable from Live Laugh Rowe
The other day my little man told me I was a Super Hero. I felt pretty dang cool! I am so going to print this out and put it in my craft room.

Stuffed Animal Storage from MondoMom
The sheer number of stuffed animals my kids have drives me absolutely crazy. I think this storage idea might be a great idea for them!

"Ewe" are the best Printable Gift Tags from Liz On Call
I'm big on expressing gratitude. I think we are so much happier when we do. How adorable is this idea? I love it and will be on the hunt for these adorable sheep!
 
Polka Dot Mason Jars from R&R Workshop
I love color, if you were to see my house you'd know I'm not even exaggerating. I love these jars to add a lil somethin' somethin' to any area of your home!
 
The Abby Dress from Night Owl Corner
 The cuteness of this little dress melts my heart. I NEED to make it for my little lady.


Please grab a featured button! You deserve it!
artsy-fartsy mama

Link up your awesomeness here:

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Weightloss Wednesday

Basically I'm keeping my motivation but nothing new is going on. 
I just gotta remember what I want and why I want it.
Source
My weight loss is still: 
But let me be honest here, I gained about 8 or 9 back, got my tush in gear and lost it again. Which is a relief. Also, I'm working on getting things straight in my personal life as well. I can not begin to tell you how important it is to get things straight with your higher power, for me that is my Heavenly Father. I have received so much inspiration since I decided to. Everything is starting to fall into place. 
I know that with him, ALL things are possible. 
Even this weightloss which seems like the longest road ahead...ever. 
But it will be SO worth it. I just know it.
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In The Mood For A Picnic

 Spring is here, and with it is some beautiful weather! It totally has me in the mood for a picnic. I wanted to share some of the ideas that got me in the mood for a picnic, and maybe I'll see you at the park!

Celebrate Spring Picnic by Echoes of Laughter
Wrapped Picnic by One Charming Party
Simple Picnic Idea from Called To Serve

If you'd like to see more picnic ideas, head on over to my pinterest board!
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