Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Click Here:  Thanksgiving with Debra

Simple Yummy Scrumptious Apple Baby Breakfast Delight

     This was such a simple thing that I never even thought about putting it on my blog.  My friend told me I was crazy when I told her about my little concoction. She said  I had to share it with the world, so here we go....

Here are the ingredients you are going to need:

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (I was Quaker Oats but any brand is fine)
Apple Sauce
Milk (I use whole milk cause my guy is still little)

You'll also need a blender or Magic Bullet.


1. Prepare the 3 packs of the oatmeal as directed on the box.. ( This yields about 5 containers of the breakfast)

2.  Fill the containers that you are going to use to store this yummy baby breakfast 1/4 way with apple sauce.

3. Put  the oatmeal in your magic bullet or blender.  Blend it until the consistency is  nice and smooth.

4. Pour into the containers with the apple sauce and mix together.

     I store it in little mason jars.  They are easy to use, store, clean, no bpa etc.  My little man loves it.  He would lick out the jar if I let him.It tastes like liquified apple pie. Try it with your little ones.  If they like apples, they'll love it!!!  Enjoy Enjoy!!!

Pic Monkey Tutorial #1

A Super Simple Photo Edit

     I had a lot of people have talked to me about PicMonkey since I made my last post about them.  Many readers had never heard of this site that I am so very in love with.  I'm glad that I could be the one who opens the door to this whole new world of picture editing through PicMonkey for you.  Here is a basic basic basic bear bones tutorial to get you started...

    I choose this photo to work with in this tutorial because it only needs a small amount of work done (my little Jack Jack is just so cute isn't he?!?!?!?).  Here's what we are going to do with it:

1.  We are going to crop it down a bit.

2.  We are going to remove Jack's little baby blotch from his forehead. 

3.  We are going to brighten up his eyes a bit. 

1.  Go to www.picmonkey.com

2. Click on Edit a Photo

3. Upload a photo from your computer.

     (I usually email my photos from my phone or camera to myself.  Then I save them in My Pictures in 

       My Documents)

4.  Once you upload it, you will see this screen.  Its for basic edits.

5.  First, we are going to crop the photo down a bit.  So go ahead and click on crop.  A grid will appear over your photo.  Move the curser around to move the grid box and adjust it's size.

Once you get the box to the size you want in the position you want click apply. Your image will appear as it does below.

6.  Next for Jack's little forehead blotch.  It's in the shape of a "V"  my nephew had the same one, weird right?  He eventually grew out of it, but for now we are just going to cover it up.

     Look all the way to the left of the screen and click on the thing that looks like a little tube of lipstick.  It's the third icon down.  Then click where it says airbrush.  You can slide the little dot on the bar that says brush size back and forth to make the area you are working with larger or smaller. Then click on the areas you want to touch up.  See below.

7.  When your happy with your outcome hit apply.  If you want to redo it you can use the eraser option or click cancel and it will revert back to the beginning.

8.  Finally we are going to brighten up those beautiful blue eyes a bit.

9.  Click on Eye Brighten.  Adjust the size of the brush you want to work with.  My suggestion is the smaller the better on the eyes.  It looks weird if you go over on the skin.  Then click away over the whole eye, then do the other.  Hit apply when finished.

10.  Now just make sure you save your work so you can print it out or order it up!!!!  Good Luck and have fun playing with it!!!!

PicMonkey...Where have you been all my life!!!!

      

Click here to try PicMonkey out!!!!

     Since I am very new at this whole blogging thing and not a computer wiz by a long shot, I frequently browse other blogs.  Many times, I look though blogs that have tutorials on how to in fact improve your own blog.  While perusing these tutorials I found that a few suggested using Picmonkey to edit photos, create collages or buttons.

     
     You can use Picmonkey for free or you can choose to purchase a membership at a ridiculously reasonable price.  If you choose to purchase a membership, you can work on your project without having  any annoying ads popping up and around. You also have the advantage of a few more effects, overlays and texts that aren't available when your using it for free. Please don't misunderstand though, even the free program is awesome.

     
     It is so easy to use.  After just playing with it for an hour or so, I was creating awesome effects in photos I have taken, editing photos like a pro and creating cool collages to use as thank you notes and even as an advertisement for my Etsy shop.   

   
     If I haven't convinced you to try it out yet, this should hook you.  When you edit your photos there are options to clear blemishes, air brush faces, add highlights to hair, brighten eyes, whiten teeth, and ready for this one there's an effect to thin you out!!!!!!  Below are some of the quick little projects I made.  I'm planning on creating some Picmonkey tutorials.  If your interested in getting and email when they are posted sign up on the left to subscribe!!!!  Check it out and have fun!!!

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!!

     Check back often this week!!!!!  I'll be starting my first GIVEAWAY by the end of the week.

Who Doesn't Love Something Free?!?!?!

Transforming an old Tee Shirt

     We all have that tee shirt drawer in our house. You know the one...it's jam packed and always hard to close.  Well, what if we could transform some of those old tees into something new?  Perhaps even a Christmas gift or two?  Here's one idea:



Materials:

• Tee Shirt

• Something to go under the tee so the bleach won't seep though.  I used a white board. 

•  Bleach Pen

• Stencil

Slip the tee onto the board, so the bleach won't seep through.
















Lay the stencil down use the bleach pen to fill it in, just as you would if you were painting it.

****TIP**** Less is more!!!!!  You can always go back and fill more in.  If you use too much it will turn into a giant white blob.  Trust me, I learned the hard way!!

 Let it sit for a few minutes.

Ready to go!!  Wash it in cold water and wear your new creation out.

One of the BEST / I Should Have Thought of That Inventions for Kids

   I'm writing about this because up to a few months ago I thought I had the only child in the universe that would swim, splash and play in a pool, lake, ocean, puddle or any body of water all day. Yet give them a bath and they scream bloody murder when water gets in their eyes while rinsing shampoo from their hair. On a whim, I bought a two pack of bath visors by Sassy at Babies R Us.  They worked like a charm.  The little fashion diva of mine loves to sport hats, or really anything she can put on her head to model.  The bonus is they keep all the water out of her eyes in the bath and there aren't anymore screaming/alligator wrestling matches in the tub.
     I know what you are going to say "A little water in the eyes is no big deal." Okay, I get that...but I think that soon enough she will realize that getting the pool water on her face and getting bath water on her face are the same.  My best friend ALWAYS tells me that you have to do what works for you and your kids, that's the best advice I have ever gotten. 

You can get these at Amazon.com.  Just click the link below:

Sassy Bath Visors 

Putting Halloween All Together

Here's how all those little projects came together and looked.  I have to tell you it was so worth every second I put into it.  Finn was so happy and so amazed.  Jack was his mellow self and left the hood on all night.  3 and 1 are AWESOME ages!!!