More photos of cuteness

I mentioned that I was waiting until this morning to take pics of Charli in her pillowcase dress, so here she is!

(never ask a child of mine "do you want an M&M?" to encourage happiness while taking photos)

I was so excited that we can do pigtails now that I got a little overzealous with the bows. : )

She's a bit small still (just hanging out at 18lbs), but it still looks adorable. Not to mention that it will work next summer, and the next.....

We also thought we'd drag one of our friends into the fray, so we borrowed cute little Olivia for some photos as well.

Loving these dresses!

Friday Freebie-Jumping the gun!

I know, I know, it's not Friday here for another 3 hours, but our feature today is so unbelievably on top of things that she's already started! : )

First, meet Lisa.

Adorable, organized, sweet, organized, happy, organized, crafty, creative, organized Mama to 4 sweet little Southern babies. Not to mention she always has an immaculate blog with adorable pictures and great ideas.

And did I mention she's organized?

I love this woman. And she has the cutest accent ever. Ever.

I also love her Etsy shop, A Diva and 3 Dudes Designs. So stinkin' cute!

This week Lisa has so generously offered not only to give one of her products, but a custom one at that! Up for grabs is a pillowcase dress in the fabric of your choice!

I can't wait until tomorrow morning when my own little Diva is awake so I can share some pics of her in her new pillowcase dress!

Come fall you add some tights and a little cardigan....too cute!

And look how cute this is:

Uber functional! Adorable over jeans or leggings as a top when your little Miss gets too tall to use it as a dress. Hello! Cute and super practical! Can't be beat.

(I told you her kids are adorable!)

You know the deal-get in to win!

-And all you previous winners-it's random every time, so don't be afraid to enter even if you've already been lucky!

First entry (mandatory)-go here:

and pick your favorite pattern, then come back to this post and comment with your pick.

Additional entries:

*Be a follower here at Random Thoughts from the Zoo

*Comment over on Lisa's blog, One Hip Mom

*Become a follower there (One Hip Mom)

*Share the love! Blog/FB/Tweet about this giveaway

And I'm throwing one more in there this week too...

Any purchase from A Diva and 3 Dudes designs, earns you five, yep-five!, additional entries.

Now there's a sweet deal.

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

Contest closes at midnight MST on Thursday September 3rd. Winner will be chosen next Friday, September 4th using random.org

And the booty....

well, booties belong to:

Kelsey said...

oh...you know I love names :) But do I wanna share????? What is she having? Congrats Rheanna!

Congrats Kel! : )

And the good news is that I know where to find you, so we'll get you all taken care of!

I'm Baaaack!

{there is supposed to be some fun picture of me here....but those are lacking. Use your imagination!}

And hopefully almost all of the kinks are worked out now too! Still working on getting everything up here, so please excuse any random rearranging, disappearing elements or weird things that show up every once in a while. And the text change? Yay or nay? I like it but is it annoying? I still can't decide.....

Nothing fancy, but a change none-the-less. This was about enough to do this technically challenged girl in!

All sorts of fun things have been going on here, not to mention this week's freebie is one you'll want to check back for!

And speaking of-the last giveaway is still open until Friday morning, so if you haven't entered yet, get in there!

So at this point, consider yourself fully warned that I'm very likely to just verbally vomit. It has been a whole week you know. My head has nearly exploded. Time for a brain dump in the next few days.

Under Construcion

(Those orange cones are for you people who don't live here in this great state where we have two seasons, winter and road construction.)

Allrighty folks! I've decided that I've been looking at this design for way too long, so I'm working on a blog makeover.

But I'm really feeling brave, so instead of just downloading another free template, I'm making my own. ACK!

I'd love to pay someone to do it, but let's face it, we all know I'm way too cheap.

Plus I just mortgaged my next month's salary on Coconut M&Ms.

Those were important. Plus some of them are bound for Germany. That's even more important.

So in the interest of the fact that I know this will take me longer than I assume (but I'm getting closer!!), I'm leaving last week's giveaway open until next Friday, August 28th.

And don't be alarmed if you come back and it looks like my blog has imploded. I'm not sure how you'd get a blog to look like that anyway, but I'm sure I could find a way to make it happen. Inadvertently of course.

In the mean time, if you're really desperate for entertainment, you can follow my daily chaos on Twitter. Because sometimes you just need to feel better about your day, and odds are if you peek into mine, that will happen.

I'll be back as soon as I finish wading my way through all this lovely html. Wish me luck.

Sweet Tooth Sunday

If you didn't catch it on one of my more recent posts, my oven is dead. Poor thing.

The oven, not me.

Well, no, me too!

It has been five days since I've baked anything. That's almost a record, except for times when I was on vacation and unable to bake. Wow.

BUT-it all works out nicely this week as in my craving for something sweet, I've had to default to treats that don't require baking.

Do not let that put you off....this is a good one.

Who doesn't love the ultimate summer classic, ice cream? No one.

Everybody loves ice cream.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

If you don't, then there must be something wrong with you. And whatever it is, it is no small thing.

Now-I am not a fan of fruity ice cream in general. There are a couple of exceptions, both of which happen to be homemade ice cream. Homemade ice cream is pretty hard to beat in any form though.

When it comes to fruity homemade ice cream, I will do peach and I will do raspberry.

So, hello! Let's marry them.

Oh sweet brilliance.

Even my husband who doesn't like fruity ice cream at all enjoyed this.

First, if you don't have an ice cream maker, get one. We have one of the lovely 1970's yellow bucket things. But I was out of salt. Bless my parents for letting me borrow their wonderful new ice cream maker.

I'm putting this baby on my wish list!

Second, I was so intent on getting me some ice cream, that I forgot to take pictures of making the ice cream.

Use your imagination.

You need peaches.

You need raspberries.

(please tell me you all knew what those looked like without pictures. Thank you.)

You need the ice cream basics, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla.

After you've peeled and sliced your peaches, throw them in a bowl with your raspberries, and mash them up together. Put half of your sugar in there and mix it up. Mmmm....good.....and it looks so pretty. (you'll just have to trust me on this one)

Following my cardinal rule, make sure you taste that.

Fruit + Sugar = yum.

In another bowl, mix up the cream, milk, vanilla and sugar until the sugar dissolves.

Marry your two bowls, mix it up, and pour it in.

Wait for it.

This is the hardest part.

Find something productive to do. Maybe. Or just read the Sunday paper. But don't do the dishes, that's no fun. Plus they can wait for tomorrow.

I promise they are not going anywhere. And maybe tomorrow you can make one of the kids do them.

Yes, I did just show you my sink full of dirty dishes. Even with the big chip out of the front there. I have no shame.

Once it's ready.....

Oh.....

Dear......

It's time for dessert.

Raspberry/Peach Ice Cream

4 peaches; sliced, pitted, peeled

6 oz raspberries

2 3/4 c cream

1 1/4 c whole milk

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Combine cream, milk, vanilla and half of the sugar; mix until sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, combine peaches and raspberries, mash until as smooth as desired. If you like chunky ice cream, leave it a little chunky! Combine fruit with remaining half of sugar, mix well.

Pour fruit into milk/cream mixture, pour into ice cream maker, run until firm.

Better late than never, Friday isn't over yet!

So, despite my slothfulness, let's have a freebie!

I am so excited for this giveaway, except it makes me miss when my baby girl was little. Now she thinks she can run all over the place. Darn kid!

Today, courtesy of the mad crochet skills of Rheanna (my partner in crime at Mymby-Etsy shop coming as soon as I get my pictures resized)......

Take a look at these:

Oh so cute!

Truthfully, the pictures do not even come close to doing these justice. They are adorable!

And look....more colors!

Brown

and White

or whatever color you want. Really!

This week's freebie is a pair of these adorable booties in the color of your choice! You can go basic with one of the pair that you see here, go soft and sweet with a pink or purple, or make a statement with something bright and fun like red or yellow.

You know I'd go red or yellow.

Wish I would have thought of that when my little one was little-I would have ordered one in every color! Maybe one day we'll have another girl.....

But don't be put off if you don't have a little one of your own, these make a great baby gift!

To enter to win booties of your choice, leave a comment. And for that obnoxious other thing I love to throw on there, Rheanna is having a baby in Januaray (YAY!), so she's gonna need a name. Don't know yet if it's a boy or a girl, but you can leave suggestions for both and I'll make sure she gets them.

No, she didn't ask for suggestions, I'm just being an annoying friend and asking for her anyway!

Doesn't that make many of you glad you don't live a few houses away from me? ha!

Extra entries for tweeting/facebooking the giveaway, and for being a follower.

And another entry this week for sharing the news with any of your friends who are expecting or have a little one of their own. Just leave a comment telling us who you told!

For example: "I told Ashley, my friend who just had a darling little girl named Elsie, who needs a pair of these!"

( *ahem*, Ashley, you'd better enter now!)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and a link to the tweet or facebook comment.

Giveaway closes Thursday August 20th at midnight MST, winner announced Friday August 21st.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

And the cape goes to:

#2

Deedles said...

Capes are awesome! I love this giveaway once a week! Thanks Catey! :) One year a couple dressed up as Barney and Betty Rubble from the Flinstones and it was so fun!

Congrats!

email me to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone for your Halloween ideas-I think we may have figured it out!

I am super excited about some upcoming giveaways....like from A Diva and 3 Dudes...among others!

Stay tuned for today's giveaway-sorry it's a little late, I'm having photo issues today!

There seems to be a running theme in my life lately

I guess there are many, it just depends on which moment you happen to catch me in.

Maybe I'm just trying to cope with the whole "back to school" thing. The four oldest kids are going to public school this year.

We have kind of a reversal of roles thing going on here. My kids are very excited to go to school. I'm so bummed that one week from today summer vacation is officially over.

Ironically, when then end of May rolled around, I was the one throwing a party that our school year was over and the kids were slightly bummed. Hmmm....I'm sure a therapist would have a heyday with that one.

To get me through these weeks of chaotic anticipation, I've turned to two good old friends of mine.

First:

Oh dear. Yes people, that's a case. A whole stinkin' case just for me! Bwahahahahaha!

The timing on this gift (yes, someone gave me this!), was impeccable. Especially because my oven is not working for some reason. And since baking is my therapy (hey, it's cheaper than counseling, and tastes better), things could get interesting around here.

And then:

*Swoon* Could you not just die?!

I am nearly dying, because despite the fact that I got these in the same size as my red ones, they are too small. That is not good. Now I just get to bask in their glow until I can exchange them and let my feet enjoy all that glorious goodness.

At least while I wait, my 4 yr old has promised to entertain me by practicing his fire dance with a closet rod. Sounds like a great way to spend part of these last days of freedom.

Oh, and it's not on fire, just in case you were wondering. I've seen this kid in action with scissors, you really think I'd let him play with fire?

I'm nothing if not predictably unpredictable

Because if I did anything on the schedule I'm supposed to follow it would be shocking.

And it often takes me much longer to finish a project than I assumed. Though sometimes I do surprise myself and finish earlier than I anticipated. But hey-maybe I do my best work when I'm really eeking up to that deadline. Maybe.

So Sweet Tooth Sunday was me munching down Coconut M&Ms.

And my Happy Home Monday, well, it was more like Haphazard Home Monday, but only because sometimes (um, always with me) when you undertake a huge organizing project, things get really messy before you finish. And I haven't finished yet because I keep staring at the little bit that I have gotten done and basking in it's glow. Maybe I have project ADD? But hey, I found the office floor. And the desk. Who knew they were still under there?!

Oh yah, that comment about "check back this weekend" if you wanted an apron.....I think I meant to say "next weekend".....yah, that's it. Though if I weren't a total photoshop flunkie, I would have been on time with that one. I'm working on it.

My backyard is covered in rainbow colored poop

Nice, huh? Hey, at least it doesn't involve my children.

I just heard the collective sigh of relief from the nether regions of the online world.

This time the blame falls squarely on my dogs.

They have acquired this nasty little habit:

they eat crayons.

And pencils too, but mostly crayons.

Whenever anyone leaves the hall closet open

(which happens a minimum of 237 times per day), they sneak over there to see if they can find a stray crayon that did not make it back into the big box o' crayons, colored pencils and random markers without lids.

They usually find one.

I have vacuumed three times today. I just found this in the dining room.

And this in the living room.

Nice.

This does not help my Crayola issues.

Do you remember that Reading Rainbow from way back in the day where you got to see crayons being made? Was it Reading Rainbow? Maybe it was Sesame Street. Whatever. Apparently it made it's impression on me. I get a little tingle in my toes when I open a new box of crayons. So I suppose it's really not fair to blame the dogs-sometimes crayons are just irresistible.

Amongst my OCD tendencies (of which there are many), I have a need for new crayons. I tend to buy a few when they go on sale at the beginning of the school year. Then I put them away. For when I need them.

So I like to have new crayons on hand. Is that really such a bad thing?

While I'm writing this my husband is at Walmart. I just asked him to pick me up a couple of boxes. He told me that there is something wrong with me and all my boxes of crayons.

I just wanted to see if he'd actually pick some up for me. ha! (We'll see if he remembers)

But for the record, he's never complained when he wanted to color with the kids and I gladly shared my nice new pointy tip crayons with him. In fact, last time, he requested them.

Also, it is much easier to clean up the backyard when all the spots that need picking up are marked with specks of brightly colored remnants of the kids tattered Crayolas.

Today's Fabulous Freebie!

We've focused on the girly, so let's hear it for the other side!

What is brave?

Faster than a speeding bullet?

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?

I have four boys. There is never a dull moment in our house. And though I think that my boys are super as they are, sometimes they really want to feel super.

Every boy needs a cape.

Every boy. If my oldest hadn't been born in the pre-digital days, I'd show you pictures of my husband entertaining himself with the hooded towels. Instead, because he's a good sport, I'll show you a picture of him playing Buzz Lightyear. Ha!

Wow, that was a long time ago-that baby is now 6! My kids are so lucky to have such a fun dad!

And you are lucky because today this cape is up for grabs!

And don't be put off if you don't have boys, my project yesterday was capes for two cute little girls! ('Cause girls are super too!)

You know the drill by now-leave a comment!

Today's comment challenge, should you choose to accept it: Halloween costume ideas. Halloween is only 12 short weeks away now so last night we officially began the process of figuring out our costumes. The hubby and I go as a pair. We're goofy like that. Two years ago we were The Incredibles, last year, George and Martha Washington. This year.......well, that's where you come in!

As before, extra entries for being a follower, and for blogging about the giveaway. Also this week-another entry if you mention the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. Please leave a separate comment for each, and leave a link if you Tweet or FB. Giveaway closes Thursday August 13th at midnight, MST. Winner will be announced Friday August 14th.

If you are interested in sponsoring a giveaway please email cateyball@yahoo.com. Thanks!