Moving Stinks

Although this move has been anticipated since we moved here, it doesn't make packing & loading/unloading a million boxes any easier. My hands are so dry and I HATE that! Thank goodness for helpful family, friends, and church members! Thanks guys!

And Aidan, I feel ya babe...





It will be over soon!

Crayola.com=so cool

I had to post this before I forget. {And yes, I'm packing...:)}

My dad just send me this code {prrvbtr2} to use at Crayola.com. He found it in a magazine at Tanya's house & tried to explain what it was for, but until I actually saw it I didn't really get it. And it is totally great. {Thanks Dad!}

Get this--

You upload a picture and in seconds they turn it into a cool coloring page for you to color!



So this picture went from this...



to this!!! How cool is that!



Talk about a fun time! And what a fun gift idea! Wouldn't a little cousin or friend love to color pictures of themselves with friends and family? They also have a ton of other things on the website that I'm excited to try! {Oh yeah, and Ethan is excited about it too.:)}

Once again go here to check it out. If you want to print the picts-- use the this code {prrvbtr2}-- and you have 24 hours to print as much as you want! Have fun & you can thank my dad later!;)

Win a Tilty & Here's a Moving Tip

Hello bloggers! Today's post will be full of fun, although its not the shortest post you've ever read.:) {Just hang in there.;)}

It will include baby item Review #3 & DRAWING, a quick moving tip {yes, we are moving}, & a bit about Phineas & Ferb.

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For those of you out of the loop, a few weeks ago I was asked to review some baby products for ABC4. They mailed me a bunch of baby products, I learned all about them, and then they came to do the segment at my house. So now I'm reviewing the items and giving some away to you! {For my past reviews you can click here.}

Quick Sidebar: The media is wild. When I agreed to be on TV I understood the segment would be me reviewing these baby products. However, the actual segment turned out to be me as a blogging advocate for postpardum moms. Go figure! {Yes, I was as surprised about this as you were. I was NOT prepared to be interviewed about myself when they came that day!} But hey, I got a bunch of free stuff and now I'm giving some to you too!:)

So, with no further ado I'd like to introduce the Tilty Sippy Cup!

Review #3: Tilty Sippy Cup

Rating: Thumbs Up {If you don't mind a little dripping.}
Cost: $5.99 for 2
Pros:
-The bottom is angled so your baby won't have to strain to get that last little bit of drink.

-Its clear so the baby can easily see how much fluid is left in the cup.

-BPA free and dishwasher safe

-No extra attachments {valves, straws, etc.} to lose.

-For more details you can visit the Tilty website.

Cons:
-It drips. However, it was designed this way to help toddler really get the feel for using a real cup & also to keep the baby from sucking so hard to get a drink. {Apparently the ADA says excessive sucking isn't so great for little mouths.}

-You can't find them everywhere. You can order them online though.

Overall:
I think its a good concept & Aidan did really well with it. I only put water in it though...I didn't want to have to worry about anything dripping out when he was done drinking. It was GREAT for drinking in the car though...they don't drown when you slow down or stop!:)

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Moving "Tip": Don't get a 24 footer!

If you haven't heard yet we are packing up and moving across town! This may come as a surprise to some of you, but this move has been anticipated since we bought this house 3 years ago. For those who want the skinny here you go...

With Bob *potentially finishing school in December we wanted to keep our options open, pay off some student loans, & prepare for the future! We have a GREAT family who is going to rent our house & we are going to move to Draper {into a place Bob's parents have} until we figure out where we are going to be. {BTW--Thanks Will & Claire for kicking out your tenants for us!} And no, we won't be moving back--renting out our house -instead of selling-was just a great option for us right now.

*He has 15 credits of really hard classes this semester and some professors are being pretty lame. {Yes, while working full time and running the computers for a local company.} Hopefully all will go well so he can be finished!

But YES, Bob is actually almost done with school! Although coaching football has set him back a few years, he has been working really hard to get his BA degree in computer science. I'm so excited and very proud of him. Getting his degree will potentially open some doors for his career as well as grad school. Moving now will give us some flexibility on when/where we can go to reach Bob's career & our family goals.

School is not cheap, especially when you have a wife and 2 kids to support. This move will help us pay off some of that debt that comes with school quickly, and open our options for grad school, more IT certs, or even adopting a baby {I would LOVE to.}

This move is really going to get us prepared for the future...whatever that may hold! The boys are so young that being in limbo for a little while shouldn't be too bad, & the schools down in Draper are suppose to be the best in the state. I'm sad to leave our house, but I'm excited for this next adventure in our lives!!

Anyway! Now for that moving tip!:)

If you ever need to reserve a dumptster for all of that trash when you move, the 12 footer should be fine. I wish I would have known that before they delivered this enormous trash bin the size of our driveway. I'm still laughing, and so are the neighbors I'm sure. I think we could take apart our entire house and it would fit in there!:)

When I dropped a load off at DI today I saw this...


um yeah. Even the dumpster at the DI isn't as long as the one we got!:) So if any of you locals want to get rid of some trash---or alot of trash--come on over! My dumpster is your dumpster. I'm still laughing.

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Finally, the end of my post. Let me introduce you to Phineas, Ferb, Perry the Platypus, & Ethan on this surfboard. Ethan wanted a Phineas and Ferb theme for his "family" birthday party Sunday night.

Sidenote #2: When he 1st starting watching P&F I wasn't too fond of it because of all the yelling Candace {the sister} does & how she treats the boys. But I decided to use it as a teaching tool & we talk about it...hopefully I don't get fired as a parent for it. Heaven knows I'm already out of the running for mom of the year!:)

So here you have it--

And it was a yummy end to a few great days of birthday celebrations! {I love boxed cake mixes and store bought frosting!} Love you Ethan.

OH YEAH! If you want to be in the drawing to win 2 Tilty sippy cups just leave me a comment and let me know!! Good luck!

Super Spy turns 5

Oh what do you do when your little birthday boy wants a "Super Spy" party? Get inspired by Mission Impossible & Agent "P" aka Perry the Platypus {from Phineas and Ferb} and then hope for the best!


First we had to deliver our Secret Agent invites. Ethan his friends were very excited about these. They were delivered in manilla envelopes with a return address of "Spy Headquarters" {with our address} & addressed to each Secret Agent with a "Secret Mission" sticker next to it.


Then we had to get ready for our guests! Since I made a banner for Aidan's bday, I thought Ethan would like one too. I put a picture of each year of his life on it...and no, the 2nd picture is NOT Aidan.:)

I also made a vertical "Happy Birthday" banner this time. The party bags were simple with each SA's name on front {gotta love that} but the candy wrappers on the treats made them special.


This balloon arch over the table was super easy and a hit. I just used one of those cheap *helium tanks for the balloons and then tied them about a 18 inches apart to a long piece of curling ribbon {about 12 ft}. Then I attached it diagonally to the legs of the table.
*{I used the tank sparingly and it lasted me through 3 parties! Our soccer party, Aidan's Bday, & this party!}


Upon arrival to Spy Headquarters each Secret Agent had to give the secret password from the invite: {Cake and ice-cream}, & were then given some important Spy Gear {see below}. {Ethan especially loved this.}




Once all of our SS {Secret Spies} arrived ,they had to receive their mission via a pre-recorded video message by the Spy King {aka Ethan's Dad}. {Believe me, this short "mission" video was not professional by any means but the kids LOVED it.}Then they began their mission assignments!

Mission #1: Open presents {You can guess who's idea this was to do 1st!};)
Mission #2: Spy Physical Training

{This activity is HIGHLY recommended if you have a party with alot of active kids! I think they ran around this obstacle course for 20-25 minutes. They were really ready to sit and have cake, ice-cream, and a big drink after that!}
{Could these kids be any cuter?! And I love that Hollee wore her disguise glasses the entire time.:)}
Mission #3: Cupcakes and ice-cream

{So what is the deal these days? Hardly any of these kids wanted to cake or icecream? It was the strangest thing. Maybe I'll just serve cookies or carrots next time.;)}

{If you'd like me to make you a cute face topper for $5,  just check out my PartiesUPrint Etsy shop!}



{I know, I love making these little toppers!:)} And after one big Super Spy picture pose...

And a sweet smile and "thank-you" from our gal Hollee...


Their mission was complete.



And our boy aka Code name "King of Karate" was one happy little 5 year old.
{And yes, I made his shirt. It was totally easy and he loved it.:)}

Family Picts

I just looked on our photographers blog and she posted a bunch of pictures of our family! She did a GREAT job. If you live in or around Southern Utah she's definitely worth checking out.

Click here and scroll down to find us...MyFramedPhotography. I hope she won't mind, but here's sneek peak at one of our family {above} that she posted!:)

Also, remember how I mentioned Aidan was having a "hard" time with the family pictures? Well, now can can see what I'm talking about.;)

I'm working on Ethan's bday post for all of you "out of towners". Last July after spending time in OR during his cousin Trey's birthday, Ethan had a clear idea of how he wanted to spend his...
1. He wanted 2 parties like Trey had--one for friends and one for family. The friend one he wanted to be a "Super Spy" party and his family one he wanted to be a "Phineas & Ferb" bash. {Yes, I really had to get creative with these random themes.;)}

2. He wanted to stay up all night on his birthday. {He made it to 10:30 and then told Bob he was going to lay in his bed, but not sleep. Thank goodness he got some shut eye.:)}

3. He wanted to be able to do whatever he wanted. {Fortunately at 5 that wasn't too bad---it pretty much meant bossing us around to play what he wanted.}

So you know where my next few posts are headed! And I didn't forget about the baby product giveaways! I'll be reviewing and giving away the Tilty sippy cups very soon!

Some more winners...finally!

Sorry about the slight delay of the Epattern & cookie cutter winners!

After many hours in a car {thank goodness for redbox...you can rent and return them ANYWHERE}, too much fast food, & having a great time, we finally made it safely home. Our little trip included family pictures by that photographer {Brittany} I mentioned before. Aidan was a total pill so we'll see if any of them actually turn out...just one reason we don't get them very often!:)

Our road trip also included a little visit to see my 93 year old Grandpa. He is so great. He lives by himself, golfs every Monday without a golf cart, does Family History & Temple work almost everyday, & goes to Kolob to visit friends {hee hee...its a nursing home where my grandma lived before she passed away in 2006} .

Yes, we love him. Someday soon I'll do a post just about him-it will bring a tear to your eye...what an amazing life.

He is also Aidan's namesake...Aidan Marden Ashby. {Grandpa's name is Robert Marden.}

Now for our lucky winners! Since I feel badly that I took so long to post the winners I decided that I'm going to give out 3 Epatterns! I know, I'm just a wild woman.:)

The winners of the Epattern are...

Corey&Kim
Bobbie
And Amanda

The winner of the Halloween Cookie Cutters is PI!!

Congrats guys! Just email me at toadstreasures@yahoo.com with the email address you'd like your Epatterns to be sent...and PI email me with your address!

Next week I'll be giving away some more baby things like the Tilty sippy cups, TubTime Bumper, a Baby B'air so stay tuned!:)

Car Seat Blanket Pattern {All you wanted to know!}

Car Seat Blanket Pattern

Cost: $6 for the PDF EPattern to be emailed to you or $10 if you want it mailed USPS. {FYI-$35 for pre-made blanket {$40 for custom} & $25 for a CSB Kit

How do I get it? toadstreasures.etsy.com

Great things about the blanket pattern:

{Note: This is just info about the pattern...if you'd like to learn more about the Car Seat Blanket click here.}

-This is a very easy pattern that comes with full color step by step instructions! I struggle at following "normal" patterns, that's why I created this one {with the help of my mega-seamstress sister-in-law Tanya}.

{Confession: I just got my 1st sewing machine last Christmas...this year has been the 1st real sewing I've done since I took a sewing class at Waldo Middle School. I'm loving all the fabrics they have now!!}

-You can make a million blankets with this pattern! {Okay, a million my be pushing it, but you get the idea.}

-This makes the best "from the heart", most unique baby gift ever!

-How does it work? If you get the Epattern it comes in PDF form. Just open it up, print out the pages, and tape it together...

or if you want the hard copy I can mail it to you USPS. It takes 3-7 days usually.

Overall:
This really is an easy pattern. Even if you aren't the best seamstress in the world...if there is a will there's a way right? {And you can always email me with questions.}

Click here if you want one! The epattern is only $6 & $10 if you want one mailed to you. Happy sewing!

+Emily Ashby

Chalkboard Pumpkin Craft

Need something fun to keep your kids from doing something besides eating candy? ;)Here you go! Its a "chalkboard" pumpkin!

Its totally simple, but this is what you do...

1. Grab a pumpkin and a shirtless little helper. {Okay, my little guy doesn't have a shirt on for 2 reasons...1)So he wouldn't spray his shirt 2)He just got his hair cut and it was itching him.:)}


2) Put the pumpkin in a box.

3)Get some chalkboard spray.

4)Spray the pumpkin.

5)Let it dry.

6)Make your pumpkin a face!

7)Take it outside for all to see & do a few karate moves.

8)If you act like you are going to kick it your little brother {in the background} will really like it...

9)When you are ready for a new face just grab an old rag {or your moms kitchen towel} and wipe!

10)And hopefully you'll be having fun drawing on your pumpkin all day!

Car Seat & Stroller Blanket + Pattern

{Car Seat Blanket}

My favorite baby accessory.  I'm not just saying that.  I really think you will love it. Its unique, but ever so practical.

Not a car seat cover.  This blanket that has 3 openings to allow your 5-point harness buckles through to wrap and snuggle your baby!

{The Pattern}

This is an easy pattern that comes in PDF with full color step by step instructions!  Oh, and its only $6.;)

Buy Now

How does an Epattern work?

Easy Peezy. 

The Epattern comes via email {via my ETSY shop}  or you can just pay and download it here. Just open it up, print out the pages, and tape it together.  Follow the step-by-step picture tutorial and you'll have your blanket done in no time!

I {heart} this blanket. Why?

-It keeps your baby warm without having to layer them with too many clothes before you leave the house. {Who likes to try and put a sweater, coat, etc on their baby just to have them sweat to death in the car or post office?}

-It's EASY to wash. If you're little darling has a big blowout, no worries. Just take it out, wash it, and put it right back in. {I used my carseat with both kids and it still looks brand new.

-It won't fall out. {We've all thrown a blanket on our babies as we walk out the door only to have it end up in the 1st puddle you see.}

-You can also use it in strollers that have a 5 point harness

-It hides your baby from all of those "baby adoring", germ infested people!

-It makes a great baby gift!

Cost: $6 for the PDF EPattern.  


Buy Now

I know...what are you waiting for?:)

{Don't forget, I do make the blankets upon request...$35 plus $5 shipping--US only. Just email me! ToadsTreasures@gmail.com}

+Emily Ashby

TV TOMORROW!

Can you believe it? The segment is actually going to air! Here's the email I just got from the reporter...

Emily –

Your story is airing tomorrow morning on Good Morning Utah between 5:30 and 7:00 am…I will hopefully have time to talk about it on Good Things Utah and then it should air again on our evening news at 5 or 6 pm and it will be on our website abc4.com all day. I hope that helps and I loved your interview…great job!

Nicea

So there you have it! If you happen to see it, my only request is that you don't laugh too hard at me.;)

Patience&Pictures

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid? Mine was attempting to be the beautiful Princess Leah. My mom took a white sheet and somehow made it look like a robe, & then she put my hair in those twisted buns. {Remember how cool they were?!} If I remember right, I was pretty persistent about wanting to have a light saber too. I thought I was the bomb.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want to hear about your favorite childhood costume.

Since you've been waiting for the "baby" giveaway {well, baby ITEM giveaway...sorry, babies are not given away on my blog}:), I thought I'd reward your patience with a Halloween drawing! All you need to do is tell me your favorite custome as a kid {in the comments} & you're entered in the drawing!

And what will you win if your name is picked?

If you can't tell {because they are so huge in the picture}, they are a set of the same cookie cutters I used in my brownie post! {On the right side bar.} I {heart} them. So think back to your younger years & let's hear about it!

{Pictures} I've been wanting to get family pictures taken for a while now. Since we haven't had family pictures in over 2 years {kids change ALOT in 2 years!} I finally made the appointment.

The crazy thing is, I can hardly wait! My cute friend Janette {she is so great! sorry, her blog is private though} had a baby not long ago and posted some picts that this photographer took. I instantly loved them.

I'd copy and paste some of her picts, but they are all copyrighted. So you'll have to go and check out her website and blog called Framed Photography. I'll let you know how our session goes!:)

Coming Up: Ethan & I have been crafting! Can't wait to show you a super fun idea...its late tonight, so maybe I'll post it tomorrow!

Holidays

{Holiday Ideas}
more updates coming soon!


Christmas Photo postcards!

Photo Gift Tags

Halloween

Agent P costume

Crafts

{Crafts}

pictures coming soon...

Twig Decor

Twig Decor



Fix that Photo, Find that Frame!


Cookie Cutter Collage


Foam Valentines Magnets


Water Bottle Label Tutorial


Chalkboard Pumpkins

Stick Broom