~~party at my house~~

Not only is it MY very special 40th birthday!!!!!

(One of my little stinkers wrote on the calendar!!)

**********

But, it's also the kick off of the 2012 Ultimate Blog Party, brought to you by 5 Minutes for Mom!

If this is your first time to my little world...let me introduce myself.

I'm Charlene, wife, mother of 6 and blog author.

Yes, that says mother of 6!!

My husband and I have been married for almost 20 years and we have 6 beautiful children...Amanda, 19; Anthony, 18; twins Sarah and Zachary, 14; Nicholas, 10 and Nathan, 6. 

 

I'm a stay at home mom, but I'm planning on going back to school this fall and getting a degree in elementary education/early childhood development (I'm super excited about this opportunity).

As a wife (for over 19 years) and mom of six...I can say that my life is like one big adventure.

I first started blogging in 2006, when my youngest was almost a year old.  I decided I needed a place to put my thoughts and keep my memories, a place that my children can look at and read about their childhood.  Memories are fleeting as they say, so it's nice to have it all written down somewhere, even if it's written in a place for the whole wide world to read as well.

My blog is mostly about my life as a mom of a big family.  I love crafting, sewing, cooking, baking, thrift shopping, gardening/canning and hanging out with my family.  My heart is happiest when I'm home with my family.

Some fun things you will find on my blog are a kids activity link party called Hey Mom, Look What I Did....featuring children's arts and craft activities.    I love to read about other moms that blog, so I have a Moms That Blog (the interviews) series where I interview some of my favorite mom bloggers.

  I love crafting and also doing projects with my kids (you can find lots of kids projects on my pages Arts and Crafts for Kids and Kids Books and Themes)

My kids love the little arts and craft projects that we do, like


Nathan's Toilet Paper Snake

I also love getting ideas for crafts using children's books like the wall whale art that Nathan enjoyed.

Rainbow Octopus

I love cooking, baking and sharing my recipes.

Like this one for my cabbage rolls

And I LOVE decorating cupcakes....so much so that I have hundreds of sprinkles, cupcake liners and other fun baking decors. 

  

My latest love is sewing....I'm a beginner seamtress (can I call myself that??) and love perusing Joann Fabrics. I love walking through the aisles of fabric and touching them, I love the rows of ribbon and pompoms, the baking supplies, etc.

I recently started an Etsy shop selling my womens and childrens aprons.

I also love making pillows and buntings...and will probably add these items to my shop eventually.

I love making wreaths and decorating our house with all the fun stuff that I find thrifting or making with my own two hands.

(rainbow rag wreath that I made)

(my childrens art gallery and bunting that I made)

I love trying new things.  I have sort of an addictive personality when it comes to my hobbies, which is why my cabinets are crammed full of baking supplies.  My closet is jammed with art supplies and my sewing basket is so full of thread and bobbins that I can hardly close the lid.

Mostly, I just love being with my family and going on little adventures with them.

For more about me and my family come check out my about us page

Hang out with me on twitter or  facebook, I love chatting with friends!!

Hope you enjoy your week of big party adventures and stick around and keep on reading mine :)

In My Next 40 Years....

Happy  Birthday to ME!!

I'm 40....

I don't even know how that happened.

It seemed like only yesterday I was graduating high school and just starting what I thought would be an awesome life...college, majoring in nursing and living life.

I grew up (actually still live in) a small town and I dreamed the same dreams everyone from a small town does....graduate high school and get the hell outta dodge and not look back.

But then life got in the way and things changed and didn't go the way I had planned....God made different plans for me.

I moved back home after screwing up college, got a job at a factory and began again....little did I know that God's plans for my life were way better than my plan ever was.

I met Rich and we got married, began a family and it's been mostly happily ever after, ever since.


The last 20 years or so have been spent raising a family and I hate to say this, but also with me figuring out who I am.

Am I just a wife and mom?

What does my future hold for me?

I realized a few months ago that I wanted more out of life then just working my little part time job.
I earned that title CNA...through hard work and dedication.  I have a little piece of paper that says so.

But I want more....

I quit my job and decided to go back to school.  To sort of finish what I started all those years ago.
Only this time, I wanted to do something different.
I realized that nursing wasn't for me.

However, I really enjoy spending time with kids, not just mine.
And I really loved teaching Nathan.
And doing arts and crafts.

So I decided that I want to be a teacher.

This coming fall, I will be a college student.
Sure, it will be weird going to college and having two kids in college, but I finally decided what I want to be "when I grow up."

In my next 40 years...

I will get a degree.

 and I will be happy.

I will lose some weight

and I will be healthy.

In my next 40 years...

I will not hide behind the camera

I want to be seen in my children's memories,
not just be remembered.

I want pictures of me with them and their father,
so they can show their own children one day what their grandmother looked like.

I will be more adventurous.
I will no longer let fear guide my decisions.

Does this mean I want to jump out of airplanes?

Heck No!

But I won't let myself be so fearful that I can't even climb a ladder.

In my next 40 years...

I will continue discovering who I am
and the things that I enjoy doing.

And if God's plan for me is to be just a wife and mom...
that's ok.

I will learn to love myself

I will be happy

just being me.

Fresh Produce Review

To be honest, I had never heard of the clothing company Fresh Produce before.  When I was approached by them to do a review, I had to google them.  And what I found was what seemed like a fun company with bright, colorful beautiful clothing for women of all sizes and children too.

Fresh Produce is the brain storm of couple Thom and Mary Ellen Vernon.  It all started in the year 1984 in Long Beach,  when they were selling silk-screened t-shirts in bright graphics and custom jewelry at the '84 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the parking lot across the street from the coliseum

Now in its third decade, Fresh Produce continues to be primarily Made in the USA with one of the most original, refreshing and captivating casual, resort and sportswear lines in America. Known and loved by women ages 6 months to 60-plus for lush colors, year-round sensibility, simply inspired design and coastal comfort, Fresh Produce continues to delight customers around the globe.

There are so many beautiful articles of clothing from womens cardigans to clothes for spring and while you are busy planning your trips this summer, take a look at the vacation clothes on their website as well.

I had such a hard time deciding what item to review....the colors are amazing and the styles look so comfortable and the prices are affordable as well.  I seriously lost a few hours looking at their dresses, jackets, shirts and skirts.

So what did I choose?

This fun, sailaway jacket....

I chose the jacket, because I don't have a one, I usually wear a cardigan or one of Rich's button up shirts.  And since he is getting a teensy bit frustrated that I keep raiding his side of the closet for his shirts when I'm chilly, I decided I should really get my own jacket.  My daughters and a few friends told me this jacket looked "more like a shirt" but I don't really mind.  It's such a bright color....very spring-y and so comfortable that I love it anyway.  The big cargo pockets give me a place to throw my keys and cell phone in.  There are also draw strings tucked inside that if I desired a more "tailored" like look I can pull tighter and tie.

The jacket comes in XS to XL....and with such colors as "tropical punch", "sunrise", "cool breeze" and "truffle", I guarantee you will have a hard time deciding as well.

Fresh Produce clothes are available at 25 company-owned retail boutiques, online and at more than 500 independent retailers throughout the continental US, Canada, Hawaii and the Caribbean.   Fresh Produce also ships to over 200 countries, so women outside the US can enjoy the colorful styles, too.

Fresh Produce can also be found on facebook and twitter.

*Disclosure: I received the sailaway jacket for review purposes only.   I was not compensated in any way.  The opinions herein are my own and were not influenced by Fresh Produce.

just a dog and her boys

wahooooo

Coco loves to swing hehehe

and dance

around here, we have fancy trees...

Can you believe this little girl is only 5 months old?

Bandit, our faithful friend

egg hunts and chocolate bunnies

Hey Mom, Look What I Did (#26)

Welcome to the 26th Edition of Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!!!

I had such a hard time choosing which ones to showcase this week

Take a peek at some of the ones I chose...

DIY Super Hero Capes



(as a mom of a little guy who loves to wear  super hero capes, I can't tell you enough how much a I loved this!!)

Handprint Easter Lilies

(great keepsake idea.....we did something similar a few years ago on Mother's Day)

Easter Eggs and Water Sensory Beads

(I love how they glow in the dark!)

Bunny Bread

(love the raisin belly button hahaha)

Paper Plate Bunnies

(we go through so many paper plates making crafts in this house)

*We did the obligatory egg dyeing at our house this week, but I lost my pics when I didn't back them up...so bummed!*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now, it's your turn to show us what you've been working on and

I can't wait to see what you all have been doing this week!!

Please share your craft projects, baking activities and other fun kid friendly adventures. Grab the link button and put it on your blog, if you like, so that others can find us and share in the fun too.

There are no requirements, but I would love if you would follow this blog via GFC and linky tools.  I also would like to invite you to come hang out with me on facebook and twitter.

Thanks for joining us....Hope to see you again soon!!

 <center><a href="http://adventures-in-mommy-land.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd385/jfamilyofeight/art_supplies-3.gif"/></a></center>   

Did you have a bad day Mommy?

Sunday, was a horrible day.

everything that could go wrong - did.

Went to the grocery store and walked off with half my purchases (had to turn around and go back)

The dog pooped on our kitchen floor

I burned the bacon that I was planning on using for dinner (I made Anthony cook the rest of it)

Nathan had a bloody nose and wiped his blood on the couch and the wall, before I caught him

I was dyeing something in our laundry room sink and the water drained out before I was through

there is more...but I blacked those bad memories out haha!

When I told Nathan I was having a really bad day,

he said that's okay Mommy, we all have bad days.

Then he hugged me and told me that he loved me

:)

I left to go to the store.

and when I got back I found this on my sewing table....

Nathan said it was an "I love you Mommy" book

and anytime I felt bad or sad or mad or whatever

that I should read his book and remember that somebody loves me.



Hey Mom, Look What I Did (#25)

Welcome to the 25th Edition of Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!!!

Take a look at some of my faves this week....there were so many fun things, it was so hard to choose!

Toilet Bowl Brush Painting

(the look on their face is priceless - hahaha, love it!)

Planting A Rainbow

(I simply ADORE this...so cute and creative!!!)

Plum Tree

(I love this...such a great use of tissue paper and handpint art)

Paper Plate Robin

(what a great looking robin...so springy!)

Nathan's Bubble Painting

Nathan and I were taking a walk one afternoon, when he started pulling all these little bottles of bubbles out of his coat pocket.  I laughed.

We counted five mini bottles of bubbles.

Nathan blowed bubbles while we were walking and it occured to me...how fun would it be to add some food coloring to the bubbles.

The bubbles were so bright and colorful and when they popped they made such a cool pattern.  We took some white paper and started blowing bubbles on the paper and letting them pop.  The results were these beautiful prints that I'm planning on framing for the little boys' bedroom.

Now, it's your turn to show us what you've been working on and

I can't wait to see what you all have been doing this week!!

Please share your craft projects, baking activities and other fun kid friendly adventures. Grab the link button and put it on your blog, if you like, so that others can find us and share in the fun too.

There are no requirements, but I would love if you would follow this blog via GFC, linky tools, facebook and twitter...to keep up with our latest activities.

Oh and just a little fyi, I have two cute, kid friendly giveaways going on now....a little girl's apron perfect for that special someone's Easter basket (I made the apron so of course it's super cute!). And the second giveaway is a sweet little scrappy buddy doll made by Scraps 2 Love.  Check them out, if you like.

Thanks for joining us....Hope to see you again soon!!

 <center><a href="http://adventures-in-mommy-land.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd385/jfamilyofeight/art_supplies-3.gif"/></a></center> Ooops, sorry to do it again...it's been such a busy week that I forgot about the inlinkz again! hope noone minds the text only links!
 

Scrappy Buddy Giveaway - CLOSED!

Who wouldn't want a Scrappy Buddy?!?

this super adorable doll is made by Scraps 2 Love

Scraps 2 Love is about taking fabric scraps and turning them into something you love.  The idea came from owner Kris' daughter, who one day told her mother that she had too many scraps of fabric and she should make something with them....so Scraps 2 Love was born.

It's a mother/daughter team...daughter picks the scraps and mother sews with them.

Together they have designed scrappy buddies, pin cushions, drawstring bags, mini wallets and more.

Thanks to Scraps 2 Love, you can have a chance to win your very own Scrappy Buddy....

(Isn't this doll, just the cutest thing you have ever seen???)

To Enter...

Visit Scraps 2 Love and tell me another item that you like.

Like Scraps 2 Love on facebook

Follow Scraps 2 Love on twitter

Follow Adventures In Mommy Land via GFC or linky tools

Like Adventures In Mommy Land on facebook

Follow Adventures In Mommy Land on twitter

***You can also purchase a Scrappy Buddy and other items made by Scraps 2 Love during their "It's No Joke" sale starting today April 1st - by liking Scraps 2 Love on facebook, you will have access to a special discount code    

*Contest will end on April 7 at Midnight and is open to U.S. Residents, as well as Canadian Residents. 

*Winner will be chosen via Random Number Generator and announced on Adventures In Mommy Land's facebook page, upon verification.

Good Luck!!!

This Giveaway Is Now CLOSED!!