MiMi's Babies

Giveaway ~ 3,500 Facebook Fan Appreciation Giveaway

2011-07-14T06:00:00.004-05:00

Edited ~ July 25, 2011 ~

Congrats to Anna Krcil Images for winning our 3,500 Facebook Fan Appreciation Giveaway

Mimi's Babies opened almost two years ago with the dream of Mimi and myself to be able to support our families by being home and share our love of crafting with others. Through the past two years, we have learned a lot and met some wonderful people both online and in real life.

We appreciate the love and support from our Facebook fans and friends. After reaching and thanks to you SURPASSING our goal of 3,500 fans, we have gathered some of our favorite vendors for a fan appreciation giveaway.

One winner will receive each of the fabulous prizes listed below:

{1} Mimi's Babies Facebook / Shop

$30 Gift Certificate

{2} RoRonGiGi Facebook

Fabric Rosette Necklace

{3} 3 Little Birds Boutique Facebook / Shop

Swarovski Crystal Drop Earrings in winner's desired birthstone color

{4} Birdie Baby Boutique Facebook

$15 shop credit

{5} Swanky Soles Facebook / Shop

Custom Shoes in winner's choice of size (up to size 13)

{6}Kat's Krafts Facebook / Shop

Earring and Necklace Set - Turquoise and Black Glass Beads

{7} Splash of Color by Moonlight Facebook

$50 Gift Certificate

{8} Posh Props Facebook / Shop

$25 Gift Certificate

{9} Clearwater Designs Facebook / Shop

Pink Satin Flowers Vintage Headband Photo Prop

{10} JLH By Design Facebook

Custom "Name Story" Frame

{11} Backdrops Floordrops by ByImajen Facebook

$50 Gift Certificate

{12} Hahatiana Creations Shop / Facebook

(1) photo prop top hat with winner's choice of an item designed for boys or girls

and one (1) Cameron Headband in the winners choice of size and color combination

{13} Make it Matter Facebook

46" Clear Dome Personalized Umbrella

You Choose Personalization

Free Shipping within USA

How to Enter:

1 - MANDATORY entry ~ Like each vendor's page and leave some love. Be sure to let them know that Mimi's Babies sent you for the 3,500 fan appreciation giveaway. When leaving your comment use the @ in front of Mimi's Babies so that it will tag our page.

Example Entry: "Leaving some love from the @Mimi's Babies 3,500 Fan Appreciation Giveaway. Thank you for donating to the giveaway celebration."

2 - Optional entry ~ Share the giveaway with your friends and leave a link on your Facebook page (personal or business) and/or Twitter page. Come back and leave a comment letting us know that you did. This can be done once DAILY for the duration of the giveaway.

The giveaway will begin on Thursday, July 14th and end Sunday, July 24 at 12:01 am CST. Winner will be randomly drawn from all entries using random.org.

This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook. All prizes have been donated by the vendors listed.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

~ Mimi and Charissa

May 2011 Photo Contest

2011-06-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our May 2011 Photo Contest. The winner chosen by Random.org. is Tait's Mom!! Congrats! Please email us to claim your $15 shop credit.

To enter our June contest, share a picture using one of our products on our Facebook page or email it to us. Winner will be randomly chosen on July 1st.

~Mimi and Charissa

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-02T06:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday got away from me and I didn't get a chance to post a picture of my sweet, sweet Caleb. Isn't he cute?

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

10 Reasons I love Back to School Time

2010-08-31T07:05:00.000-05:00

1. School Supplies – School supply shopping is one of my favorite things!! There is something exciting about buying fresh unused boxes of crayons and new loose leaf paper. The smell of Crayola in the house brightens my day.

2. Fresh Starts – The start of the school year is a fresh start. To me, the beginning of school is a better time to make new resolutions than on New Year’s Day.

3. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Those of you who know me know that I am a morning person. After about, um, 9:00 pm, I should crawl under a rock and not speak to others. By getting up early, the boys are ready for bed earlier and we all have a much happier day!

4. Routine – Having a carefree summer was fun, but being out of routine wore on my house and my nerves {yep, I said it!}. The kids and I had fun this summer, but being out of routine was stressful. Next summer, I am going to HAVE to get a routine going at the beginning of summer.

5. New Teachers – All of the teachers my boys have had so far have been WONDERFUL and AMAZING! There is something fun and undiscovered about new teachers.

6. Shoes – Back to school means back to school shoe shopping. The boys needed new shoes so they could run faster and jump higher. Because new shoes do that right?

7. Backpacks – The boys were so fun when we were looking for backpacks. Andrew is a big 3rd grader now and he wanted a “cool” backpack {i.e. one with only one strap}. Jacob wanted a Lightning McQueen backpack {complete with matching lunchbox}.

8. New Friends – Every year brings with it a new group of friends. New friends to chat with, learn from, and play with.

9. Better spectator weather – With three boys, sports occur in almost every season. Right now, we are playing baseball (fall ball) and soccer. When the season began, we sat outside in 100+ degree weather for practices. Now that school has started again, temperatures have been cooling off and we are reaching much, much, much more reasonable temps.

10. Beanie Season – Those of you who know me, know that I love beanie season. That is the time of year when the weather cools off and the kids can wear all their cute beanies. Most people might just call this time of year fall, but around our house, it is beanie season!

Hope you are enjoying the fun, exciting, and occasionally stressful back to school time. We are!

This post is linked up to Oh Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday. For more Top Ten lists, visit Oh Amanda!

Back to School ~ Back to Routine

2010-08-30T08:38:00.001-05:00

After much debate in my head as to how to start this blog post, I thought it might be best to explain the long absence to our blog. Well, summer has been busy, crazy, fun, hectic, and hairy! We have been so busy. With that being said, the kids are all back in school and life is back to the new normal pace. Routine has arrived and with it, more blog posts. I hope that you will stay around and share with us. The kids have started back to school and this school year teaching jobs have been scarce so for now, subbing and crocheting are my full time job.

Andrew has started in 3rd grade and he LOVES it. His principal has asked him to be an escort for the Kindergarten students for the next week. He is thrilled to have been given the responsibility.

Jacob is now a Kindergartener. He LOVES school and all of his new friends. I had the opportunity to volunteer in his class on Friday and it was so much fun to see him playing and socializing. He rides the bus to and from school now. Riding the bus was the most exciting part of going to school for him.

Caleb wishes he were in big school, but preschool is enough for him. This year, he gets to play on the big kid side because he is completely potty trained. Woo Hoo!! This is the first time in YEARS that I have not had a little person in diapers.

Mimi and I have been working on lots of new items for fall and back to school. Check out this cute owl shirt and Lil’ Hoot Beanie.

Have your kids started back to school yet? What is your favorite part of the back to school routines?

Wordless Wednesday ~ That’s What Pa’s are made for!

2010-07-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Going to Mimi’s house is always fun, but the boys love it when Pa is there. Why? Wrestling, of course! Uh oh, 4 against 1!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Family Fun Days!

2010-07-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

This summer my sister in law, Amy, and I decided that it would be fun to get the boys together to play at least once a week. And to make it even more fun, we have had small projects for the kids to do when they get together.

The Thursday before 4th of July we decided to make Rice Krispy Treat Pops like these. Mimi and I were talking and decided it would be even more fun to let the kids decorate the “popsicles” after dipping them in chocolate.

First, the kids decorated a Rice Krispie treat flag “cake.”

Then it was time to dip and decorate! Jacob enjoyed trying to get the M&M’s to stick.

The kids placed their creations on a plastic cutting board to dry while they went to play.

Jackson had a lot of fun eating the sprinkles and M&M’s.

Overall, we had a great time making these. Note for future attempts, M&M’s don’t stick well.

I am so thankful that we have taken a day out of each week to spend time as a family. Getting together with Amy and Jackson is such a precious time!

This post is linked up to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting at the Sky.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-07-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

So, I have totally fallen off of the menu planning wagon. Our dinners are so completely boring!! This week, I am posting our menu to help keep me accountable and to ask for your advice. Please comment with your favorite recipes or blogs for family friendly recipes. Thank you in advance for your help.

Monday – Hamburgers

Tuesday – Chicken Quesadillas

Wednesday – Tater Tot Casserole

Thursday – Chicken Fingers

Friday – Pork Roast

Saturday – Stuffed Bell Peppers

Sunday – Spaghetti

This post is linked up to Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie!

Don’t forget about the Christmas in July Specials in our Etsy shop! Buy any monogrammed shirt and get a matching skirt for only $5. Buy any 2 hairclips, get 1 free (of equal or lesser value). Specials end July 22, 2010.

Sneak Peek Sunday

2010-07-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

It’s Sunday! Hope everyone had a great week last week. We are gearing up for another fun week at our house. The kids are excited to go to the library and turn in their Summer Reading logs.

In our Etsy shop, Mimi and I have been extra busy this week making new things for fall and finishing up custom orders.

Here are some of the newest listings from our Etsy shop.

Funky Monkey – Hot Pink / Lime Green Monkey Earflap Hat

Tractor Birthday Shirt

New Style Wallet

Watch for some new things coming this week…

Hairclip Holders

Hello Kitty Beanie

Hot Pink and Black Crochet Flower Hairclip and Headband Set

Have a fantastic week! Join us on our Facebook page to be the first to know about new products and upcoming giveaways.

Family Traditions ~ Lots of 4th of July Fun

2010-07-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday week!! Sorry for being so long between posts. Mimi and I are hoping that the blog will be updated more regularly with more about all the fun we are having around here! And with three boys in my house, we have a lot of FUN!

As long as I can remember, the 4th of July meant going to Grandma Dee Dee's cabin, playing in the water, going on boat rides, and having fun with fireworks. Well, this year did not disappoint! It was so much fun to see the kids enjoy the tradition that my family started when I was a kid.

The cabin is a great place for boys to enjoy all there is to enjoy about the great outdoors....

Andrew went kyaking, fishing, paddleboating, swimming, and boat riding.

Jacob loved all of it. He is Prince Charming after all. At the end of the first day, he told Grandma "This is the funnest day ever!"

Caleb was not so sure about swimming in the water, but he got over most of his fears and swam with me. Thank goodness because it was so HOT!

And my little sister Tara caught a HUGE catfish!

What fun summer traditions have you and your family been celebrating?

This post is linked up to Finer Things Friday at Amy's Finer Things.

~Charissa

Birthday Shirt Redo

2010-07-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Hello, Mimi here. Charissa has been very busy with the boys this summer, having lots of FUN! She'll be back soon, hopefully with lots of pictures!

We've kind of neglected the blog lately, but like I said Charissa has been busy, so I wanted to bounce something off ya'll! I love the Birthday Shirts in our Etsy shop, but I've been wanting to try something a little different with them. Naturally I didn't want to waste a shirt just in case, you know, it was u.g.l.y! This is what I came up with. An apron to practice on! How's that? Anyway, I love the little monkey in this design, added to the number 3 with the lacy stitch around it. So here's where you come in!

What do you think? Do you like the monkey combined with the number? Oh, and I added the balloons because the design was a little low on the apron.

Come on, help me out here. I need a little feedback! I'm also thinking about a certain Kitty, maybe a robot or spaceship for little boys, a barn and tractor, maybe?

If you have a minute, tell me what you think!

Have a great 4th of July weekend. And may God bless America!

Checkerboard Win!

2010-05-26T00:59:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but it just makes me happy to get fun stuff in the mailbox!
You know, something other than window envelopes?!

Well, look what I got in the mail this week. I love it!! I won this jewel in a giveaway on House of Hepworth's blog a couple weeks ago.

It's from LanieRee who blogs at Life in the Pitts She also sells these cute checkerboards and some megacute frames at her Etsy store, Made in the Pitts
How cute is that?! Anyway, check out her cute store and her blog. And while you're at it check out HOH!

Thanks ladies, I love it!!

Mimi

Car Breakdowns and God’s Timing ~ A Finer Thing

2010-05-14T07:59:00.001-05:00

This week, I find myself reflecting on how good God has been to me. He is always right on time. His timing and ways are so much higher than my own. Personally, I prefer a world where nothing needs to be maintained, repaired, cleaned, or cooked. So that I can just play with my kids, watch their 5,248,357th baseball game, and crochet. Since we do not live in this world, things do break down and have to be repaired.
This week, it was the van. Please understand, my van is my lifeline. It is my favorite vehicle EVER. SERIOUSLY! I love it. It takes me where I want to go and has room enough inside for all the kids to separate. It even has doors that slide on both sides. Oh, and the air conditioning works on a regular basis. Since it has been nearly 500 degrees out with 150% humidity, A/C is ESSENTIAL!!! The van is also an older model with about 156,000 miles on it.
About a month ago, my husband went on an overnight business trip. Right before he left, the transmission went out!! Oh no, what will we do!! Well, God is divine and His timing is perfect.
On my way home from my mother in law’s (aka Mimi) the transmission began slipping. The next day, my sweet husband went out to check on what I meant by “it just won’t go, there is something wrong, it made this PPPPPPLLLLLTTTTT sound” and the van would not go into gear. Off to the repair shop it went.
Since hubby was going on a business trip, his company rented a car for him so the kids and I drove hubby’s car while the van was getting fixed. We did not need to get the kids up before sunrise to get hubby to work. {Thank you, Jesus!}

The Bad:

Transmission died. No van, no go!

The Good:

Transmission began to die on the way home. The kids and I made it home. No whiny, tired, and hot kids stuck on the side of the road. {Thank you, Jesus!}
Since hubby was going on a business trip, his company rented a car for him so the kids and I drove hubby’s car while the van was getting fixed. We did not need to get the kids up before sunrise to get hubby to work. {Thank you, Jesus!}

Fast forward to a month later. Transmission is fixed and hubby has another overnight trip to the SAME place as when transmission went out.

The bad:

The van begins sputtering when you go 40 – 50 mph. As long as you stay below, 40 and above 50, no problems.

The good:

We make it home and no tired, whiny, cranky kids stuck on the side of the road. {Thank you, Jesus!}
Hubby is going on another overnight trip and his company rents a car for him. So we do not need to get the kids up before dawn and drive hubby to work. {Thank you, Jesus!}
Also, the repair shop thinks it might just be a wire that needs to be replaced. {Thank you, Jesus!}

So, long story short, God is always there and sometimes we have to look beyond the right here, right now and see the good that God has for us. Cars will break down, people will be rude and hurt our feelings, we will be tired, cranky, and whiny {and so will the kids}, but God is there and He always has been.

Hope that this post has been an encouragement to you. When have you chosen to see God’s perfect timing rather than the imperfect situation?

For me, God’s perfect timing is a Finer Thing. Visit Amy’s Finer Things for more Finer Things Friday.

Buttons, Buttons, and More Buttons

2010-05-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

Sorry to have taken a blogging break. I hope to be back soon with some new fun stories about the kids and the zany-ness of our lives. But for now, I thought I would share my newest obssession. I found these scrapbook paper buttons on Etsy and fell in love. They are covered with resin so they can get wet and can be wiped off if the outside gets dirty.

And who knows.... A few of these might become brooches...

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great day!

~Charissa

'Nuff Said!

2010-05-04T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm not a very good photographer, but I think you get the message here!!

Linking to Wordless Wednesdays @ 5 Minutes for Mom Here

Birthday Shirt Winner!!

2010-05-02T19:59:00.001-05:00

A Big Thank You to everyone who entered our Giveaway last week. We are so grateful to have you as friends!

Congratulations to Jennifer!! She was the winner of the Birthday Shirt we gave away for my birthday. This is Jennifer's winning comment:

"When I turned 13 we had a tea part in a gazebo at a park, that was my fav birthday party."

James is her little man, and he will be turning one in June. He'll be sporting this custom-made-just-for-him Birthday Shirt!

Now, if you have a little person having a birthday soon and need a special
shirt for the celebration come see us in the Etsy Shop to place your custom order! And we do make larger than toddler sizes for older children!

Stay tuned, we'll do something special for our 300th sale soon! Watch the shop, or better yet, go buy something and make it happen soon!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Extreme Monkey in the Middle

2010-04-28T08:44:00.000-05:00

While we were at Mimi’s house for Zach’s birthday, Andrew and Mimi began throwing a small ball in the house. This is one of those you can do it at Mimi’s house, but you better not do it at home activities. While they were playing the little boys decided to put on motorcycle helmets and try to catch the ball. This turned into what I like to call Extreme Monkey in the Middle with the ball bouncing off the helmets.

Oh, and it is not often that you find Caleb and Jackson playing nicely and quietly so this should be shared.

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 minutes for Mom!

Baseball Season ~ Top Ten Tuesday

2010-04-27T07:43:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is so much fun! Visit Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday Fun.

At our house, Spring is not just a season that leads to Summer. Spring is BASEBALL season. With three sons, baseball season is exciting, frustrating, and a huge balancing act. This year, Andrew and Jacob are playing so baseball season started in February and will last until June. While baseball can be busier than Christmas at our house, we LOVE it!! Caleb has spent so much time at the baseball field that it is almost home away from home for him.

Ten Reasons I LOVE Baseball Season:

1. Trophies ~ The boys love it when they get a new trophy each year. The trophy might be Jacob’s main goal in playing ball.

2. Team T Shirts ~ Caleb is only 3, but he knows it is baseball time when we put on our baseball shirts! Some mornings he will wake up and ask if it is a “bay-ball” shirt day.

3. Outside ~ Nuff said! What better reason to play outside than to watch brother play baseball.

4. Dirt ~ In their hair, in an old cup, in a water bottle, make a mound, drive your little car in it. Baseball dirt is almost like orange sand. Most of the time after baseball, my boys are COVERED in dirt. I use their dirt covering as a fun meter. More dirt = More fun!

5. Concessions ~ Nachos, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Popcorn, Gatorade, all my available cash….

6. Friendships ~ Baseball gives the boys the opportunity to make new friends as well as Josh and I the opportunity to get to know our neighbors. We live in a small community and you can see most of our town at the ball field.

7. Bags ~ Since I am a total bag lady, my first thought when Andrew played T Ball was what kind of bag should we get him. Seriously though, I love that the boys learn the responsibility of keeping up with their bag and their stuff.

8. Responsibility ~ Baseball teaches kids to be responsible for their own belongings and their actions. Mom is not in the dugout with them to keep up with their glove, hat, and helmet.

9. Balls ~ Need I say more?

10. Patience ~ Baseball involves a good bit of waiting. Waiting for the game to start, waiting for the ball to be hit to your part of the field, waiting for your turn to bat, waiting for coach to finish talking. Baseball reinforces waiting nicely.

Well, this post got a bit more random than I expected, but we are a baseball family. We love every minute of the boys playing ball and baseball is by far our favorite sport.

What sports do your kids play?

Not Me! ~ Sunscreen, Cereal, and Brother’s Stuff

2010-04-26T08:37:00.001-05:00

Want to know what I have Not! been doing this week? Hope you find it encouraging! Saturday was one of those days. You know, the ones where you wake up and about an hour later wonder if it is naptime yet! But I would NEVER feel that way. My children are always a blessing and I am always thankful for them. I would NEVER complain about their whiny ways. Not me! I would NOT allow Caleb the opportunity to pour ALL the cereal out of the boxes onto the kitchen floor and I would NEVER make his big brother help clean up the baby’s mess. Not me!So, Caleb had a good talking to and sat in time out until I felt better. Well, the day goes on and then Caleb decides to play in big brother’s room. While he was in there, he played guitar, pulled out ALL the art supplies, and became a tattoo artist. So, it was back to time out for Caleb. While he was there, I walked by to see him rubbing something on his face. He was rubbing sunscreen on his arms and face. I took away the sunscreen and began to lecture my three year old about playing in his brother’s room. While I was talking to him with my stern you-better-never-do-this-again-or-else voice, this is the face he shared with me. This face went from this to a goofy smile complete with blinking eyes. I did NOT begin to laugh. Not me! Discipline is always a serious matter. Ha! Oh, and of course, I would NEVER share pictures of my kids with dirty faces online because they NEVER have dirty faces! Ha! Not me!So, what have you NOT done this week?

That’s it for my Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">MckMama</a>. You can head over to <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog</a> to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Sneak Peek Sunday

2010-04-25T13:39:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our first ever Sneak Peek Sunday. This week we have added some new skirts and shirts from Mimi as well as some new color combos of our best selling crochet flower hair clip and headband sets.

This brightly colored and absolutely adorable cat skirt is available in toddler and infant sizes and the length can be customized to your little one.

Pillowcase dresses are here! There are lots of fabrics to choose from or you can send Mimi an email with your favorite colors and she will send you pictures to choose from. Vintage fabrics available as well.

Blue and Green is one of my personal favorite color combinations. This week we have added a pair of crochet flower hairclips in turquoise blue and lime green.

Stop by our Etsy shop next week for some new hairclip and headband sets, beanie and interchangeable flower clips, skirts, and pillowcase dresses. Here's some of what you have to look forward to.

Hope ya'll have a great week and stop by tomorrow to hear about the fun that Caleb and I had yesterday. Here's a hint - cereal, brooms, markers, sunscreen, and smiling faces....

Birthdays are a Finer thing {and a GIVEAWAY!}

2010-04-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend we celebrated Caleb's 3rd birthday! Hard to believe that my sweet baby is 3. Well, he is still the baby and until about a month ago he was CONVINCED his name was Baby, but that is a different story for a different time...

This year we decided to try something different and have a location party. We called the local petting zoo and set up the party. It was AMAZING! They had animals for the kids to pet and feed. The kids were able to get really close to the animals and they LOVED it! They even rode on ponys.

The Backyard Barnyard Petting Zoo is located in Danville, Alabama and is a great party location as well as outing. If you are in the North Alabama area, you should check out their site for more information and directions - Backyard Barnyard Petting Zoo.

While we were there, one of Caleb's friends got the sweetest llama kisses ever! This llama, Freckles, is HILARIOUS!

Birthdays are a great time for friends and family to get together and enjoy each other. Family time is TRULY a Finer Thing. Be sure to stop by Amy's Finer Things this week for more Finer Things Friday.

We had so much fun at Caleb's birthday and Mimi's Birthday is coming up next week so how about a BIRTHDAY giveaway?

We thought you might like that!

Are you ready to party?

Do you have a party shirt on? No?

Well, it's your lucky day! One lucky blog reader will win a custom monogrammed Birthday Shirt. Check out all the shirt options in our Etsy Shop.

To enter, simply leave a comment telling us about your favorite birthday party.

For extra entries (one entry each):

Check out all the birthday shirts in our Etsy shop and tell us which is your favorite.
Follow us on Twitter or let us know that you already do - @mimisbabiesetsy
Tweet about the giveaway and include @mimisbabiesetsy
Like us on our Facebook Page or let us know that you already do and share our page with your friends using the Suggest to friends link.

Remember to leave one comment for each entry.

Giveaway will end at midnight on Mimi's Birthday - April 30, 2010. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and notified via email. Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Charissa

Plumbing Issues ~ Friday Fails

2010-04-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

So, Myra at My Blessed Life has challenged us to share our weekly fails and imperfections.... Ok, maybe not so much imperfections, but she is definately helping us to keep it real!

Before I tell you about my FAIL, let me share some info about my house. My house is an older home that has been added on to about 547 times. Let me tell you that I LOVE my house. It is a small house, but it is just the right size for us.

We have lived here for about 7 years. During that time, the kitchen sink had days when it would not drain well. Some days it was the best kitchen sink in the world. Other days, not so much. Well, this problem went on for ~~days, months,~~ years, until it stopped draining completely!

Being the handy supermom that I am, I proceed to pour different things down the drain. Bleach solves a multitude of problems right? Um, NO! Still not draining. Oh, I heard that salt followed by boiling water would work. Um, NO!

So, I told my husband about the problem. Being the fantastic man that he is, he called the plumber. So the plumber came out and got to work. After taking apart the plumbing under the sink while the little boys watched and gave a play by play of every move he took, he found the problem.

The sink would not drain because there were 4 plastic straws that went down the drain and got stuck! Turns out that sometimes the kids would put their drinks with straws in the sink and the opening was just big enough for them to go down.

Plumbing bill - $115.
FAIL!!!

To read more Friday Fails and to link up your own, visit My Blessed Life.

And I hear that to be a good blogger, you should have a picture on every post so how about some pictures of my cute boys taken by Marsha Barton Photography?

Did you see their tie shirts and shorts? Mimi made those. Aren't they fantastic?

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Charissa

"Stop Pretend Eating Your Brother"

2010-04-20T22:58:00.000-05:00

Never in my life did I think I would need to put these words together... It all started innocently enough. We were all in the car and Jacob started to pretend eat Caleb. Caleb had a MELTDOWN. So, then the words came out - "Stop pretend eating your brother."

"But Mommy, I will spit him out." said Jacob. Ok, that makes it better. If you are going to pretend eat your brother, you should spit him back out. "Caleb, is it ok if Jacob spits you out?" Yes. So, I hear pretend chomping and spitting for a bit.

Then Jacob starts crying. I asked "What's wrong?" Through his tears, Jacob said "Caleb is pretend eating me and not spitting me out." So then came the words that I NEVER thought I would have to say - "If you are going to pretend eat your brother, you HAVE to spit him out."

So, down the road we went. Each of the little boys pretend eating his brother, but spitting after each bite.

Share your favorite I can't believe I said moment. I would love to hear your stories.

And yes, ALL the boys have been in time out at the same time! But this was not for pretend eating brothers.

~Charissa

Sneak Peek ~ New Headband and Hairclip Sets

2010-04-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

Some of these will be coming to the shop soon. Any faves?

Gone Wild

2010-04-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

If you have been following our blog long, you know that we have ALL boys in our family! So, thank goodness we have some great friends with little girls we can "borrow" for photo shoots! One of these girls is Miss Itty Bitty. Her Mom has a great blog for freebies and discounts at Bargain Bombshell Blog. {For this week, there is a special giveaway, you might like!}

Want a Zebra Headband Set for your sweet one? They are available in our Etsy shop here.

Our 200th Sale!!

2010-04-12T22:18:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? We Can't!! When we started in August we thought it would be exciting to have a little shop, maybe have new people find our shop and occasionally sell something. How exciting!! You may remember our first blog post if you've been with us all along. You can find it here http://mimisbabiesgifts.blogspot.com/2009/09/labor-dayalready.html

Wow, that seems like a really long time ago! Not that we're old pros or anything, we still slip and let time slip by without either of us posting anything -sorry- :(
But, we have learned a few things, (one of us needs to learn a lot more), posted a few things, shared a lot of our lives and met a lot of other amazing women out there in the blogosphere. We have also sold a lot of things in our shop which makes us very happy!

So in honor of our 200th sale we had a little surprise giveaway. Charissa tweeted about it, but we didn't do a lot to advertise. Our 200th sale came this morning when I sold this little outfit

to Ava's Mom, Jennifer Parsons in North Carolina!! Woo Hoo!!!! Congratulations Jennifer, you're the proud recipient of a $10.00 gift certificate to Mimis Babies Etsy store! I hope you will enjoy using it! And by the way, thanks for our 200th sale! You made our day! Stay tuned, more to come!

Ultimate Blog Party

2010-04-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

So, the Ultimate Blog Party is happening and we are excited to participate. I can't wait to check out the other blogers and Mompreneurs out there!

If you are new to our blog, welcome and hello from Mimi's Babies. Since we are in the South, we have to hug your neck and ask "How are ya'll?" Hope you enjoy getting to know us. Please leave a comment letting us know you were here.

Mimi's Babies is a family business with Mimi, Charissa, and Amy. Mimi is my AWESOME mother in law. She has four grandsons (three from me and one from Amy) and LOVES sewing and has a slight obsession with fabric. Although, I can't really blame her for loving fabric so much. She makes some of the CUTEST things ever!

Here is a bio she wrote:

I'm Mimi, a Christian wife, mother, daughter, grandmother and lover of all things fabric. I've been married to my husband for 35 years, have three grown children--two boys and a girl. My oldest son Josh is married to Charissa and they have three of my four grandsons. Middle son Joey and his beautiful wife Starr have been married for 6 years and ride motorcycles with us (time for a ride!) Daughter Amy is married to Zach and they are the proud parents of my youngest grandson. I am blessed beyond measure!

Amy is my AMAZING sister in law. She has recently joined us at Mimi's Babies making silk flower hairclips. Have you seen the HUGE pink and white peony in our shop? No? You should totally check it out! Amy is married to Zach and Jackson is her cute 18 month old.

I am Charissa, Christian, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, and Lover of all things YARN! I have been married to my husband (MiMi's oldest son, Josh) for almost 8 1/2 years. Wow, time goes by fast. We have three of the most amazing children ever! Andrew is an 8 year old genius (or so I think). Jacob is a 5 year charmer. MiMi calls him Prince Charming! Caleb is a 3 year old organizer. He loves to put things in and take things out. But if you ask him, he'll just say he's Baby. You can usually find me at the ball field watching one of the boys play baseball.

Visit our shop to find that perfect gift for your little one or next baby shower at http://www.mimisbabies.etsy.com/. Join the conversation and get to know us better on Twitter – @mimisbabiesetsy. Join our Facebook fan page to be the first to know about new products, specials, and surprise giveaways at www.facebook.com/mimisbabies.

Mimi and I both blog and we love to share new things we have made and pictures of the boys!

For the prizes, we would love to win - ANYTHING! We are just excited to participate.

Thanks for stopping by and ya'll have a great day!

~Charissa

Ladybug Birthday

2010-04-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

At Mimi's Babies, we LOVE custom orders. When a customer asked if I could make a ladybug hairclip set for her daughter's upcoming birthday, I couldn't resist! Here's the set I made her. Hop she has a great special day!

Want your own custom hairclip set? Just send us an email - mimisbabies {!at} charter.net.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Charissa

Easter 2010 Part 2

2010-04-04T20:21:00.000-05:00

Amy and family

Boys enjoying Easter egg hunt

Jacob and Caleb

Yep, Mimi made the tie shirt and shorts - want one? Visit our Etsy Shop!

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:12:00.000-05:00

We had a great Easter and enjoyed all our family time. Hope you enjoy some pictures of our family and Mimi's sweet babies.

All the babies!

Caleb and Jackson

Charissa and family

Andrew, Caleb, and Jacob

Thanks to B. Green Photography!

2010-03-24T19:38:00.000-05:00

We love our customers and we LOVE when our customers share pictures with us. These pictures were provided by B. Green Photography. You can find this knit egg cocoon in our Etsy shop here.

Do you have pictures of your babies using Mimi's Babies handmade goodies? Email it to us and we will give you a shout out on our blog and fan page.

Caleb is 3 (Well, Almost)

2010-03-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

So I won a giveaway from Bargain Bombshell Blog for a custom birthday invitation. So exciting since Caleb's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. So, I took Caleb out to get some pictures wearing his birthday shirt from Mimi.

This one is my fave! It might be the one to make it to the birthday invite.

~Charissa

Custom Colors

2010-03-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

Custom orders are always welcome and now you can see all the yarn colors we have available. Scalloped edge beanies, tarfs, and hairclips can be made from any of these colors.

Which is your favorite?

Just add Sprinkles

2010-03-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

These cupcake purses were created for a custom order. Hot Pink and Yellow with sprinkles on top. What's not to love? Easter is coming and these make great Easter basket stuffers. Check them out in our shop at Mimi's Babies.

I Love Chocolate Bunny!

2010-03-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Don't you?

Bead Sorting

2010-03-16T08:08:00.000-05:00

What do you do when the bead color you *need* for cupcake purses is only available in a mixed bag? Put the kids to work, of course. Ha! The little boys enjoy sorting and I thought this would be a great "project" for them. Don't let Caleb's angry eyes fool you, he was loving it. He just didn't want his picture taken!

Jacob was busy at work.

Caleb was working, but he still didn't want his picture taken.

"Caleb, can I see your beads?" He was so sweet to share!

An hour later, all the beads were sorted and ready to be sprinkled onto cupcake purses. Not sure what a cupcake purse is? Check them out in our Etsy shop - Mimi's Babies Etsy.

~Charissa

Custom Cupcake Purses

2010-03-12T21:30:00.001-06:00

These cupcake purses were requested by a fellow Etsy D List team member looking for cupcake purses for sisters. Check out her blog some time at SassyBelle's Spotlight. She also has an Etsy shop with some beautiful jewelry. Check it out sometime at Sassy Belle Wares.

Which is your fave?

~Charissa

T-Shirt Fix

2010-03-12T00:11:00.000-06:00

How's this for fixing a t-shirt? Jackson had this blue t-shirt with some stains on the front of it. So, I appliqued over it! It actually says J is for Jackson, but you can't see it very well in the picture. Sorry 'bout that!
Linked to Today's Creative Blog here.

Caleb's Birthday Shirt

2010-03-08T21:27:00.000-06:00

Caleb is going to be 3 years old next month. How can that be? Seems just yesterday....well, you know. Time flies.

This is Caleb's birthday shirt. I hope he likes it. See the zebra peeking in? How sweet is that? Just like Caleb. But don't make him angry. He will use his "angry eyes" on you!

Here are another couple shirts I've been working on for Special Birthdays. Cute, huh?

Doesn't your little person deserve a Birthday Shirt?

100th Post and a Win!

2010-03-08T21:08:00.000-06:00

How about that? We've made it to 100 posts! I didn't even realize until I logged on tonight.
Woo Hoo!

Last post I mentioned that I loved to win prizes. Who doesn't? Before the flu hit me really hard I was just killing time reading blogs when I found the cutest blog! Rachel at A Cupcake for Moose was having a giveaway and I entered. Guess who won?? Look at the package I got in the mail today.
I just love those hankies, they are the best hankies ever and too cute! Look at the gloves, aren't they sweet? And a ring and some handmade Thank you notes and the sweetest little handwritten note. Don't you love a handwritten note in the mail? Come on, now!
Anyway, thank you Rachel, I love my goodies! Ya'll check out Rachel's blog. How can you not love anything named a cupcake for Moose?! Did you figure out who Moose is?

Things I love Thursday

2010-03-04T08:51:00.001-06:00

I'm back! What? You didn't miss me? Ouch, I'm going to ignore that. I've been away for awhile with family matters and then the flu (YUCK!!) Yesterday out of the corner of my eye what did I happen to get a glimpse of??? This little jewel:
This little hook makes me happy. I found it for 80% off at Hobby Lobby. It's a little bird in a cage and on the back of the inside it says "Count your Blessings: Now doesn't that just make your little heart sing?

Giveaways make me happy too! Hop over to Myra's blog at http://myblessedlife.net/2010/02/its-party-time.html and enter the giveaways she has going to celebrate her blogiversary. We're giving away a $15.00 shop credit to our etsy store. There's lots to love there too!

I love winning a giveaway too, so hopefully I'll have something to show you that we won at a cute little blog I stumbled on before the flu hit! Stay tuned!

Linking to http://thediaperdiaries.net/things-i-love-thursday-healthy-choice/

Congratulations! ~ Custom Crochet Flower Clip Winner

2010-02-25T06:34:00.000-06:00

Congrats to AliciaMarie112 for winning a crochet flower hairclip from Mimi's Babies. Visit AliciaMarie's blog at Making Time for Mommy. {You don't want to miss it!}

Visit our Etsy Shop at Mimi's Babies to order your own crochet flower hairclip.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to all our Facebook fans. Remember, we will have another giveaway when we reach 350 fans!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Reading Daddy's Paper

2010-02-24T07:23:00.000-06:00

Caleb told me that he was "Reading Daddy's Paper." Ummm, yeah, Daddy is going to be so happy!

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Top Ten Tuesday ~ I am Thankful!

2010-02-23T10:14:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Tuesday is so much fun! Visit Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday Fun.

This week I have been contemplating what I could share with ya’ll. What top ten would be interesting? And fun. And informative. Well, maybe not too informative. And then I thought of it. A top ten Tuesday of thankfulness.

We are so very blessed. We have been given so much more than we will ever deserve so today, I want to share some of the things I am thankful for.

1. Salvation

The Bible tells us that “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. God loved us even before the world was formed. That is amazing and mind blowing to me. I am thankful everyday for my salvation and that Jesus died on the cross for me. Not because I did anything special, not because I am a good person, not because I give to others, just because He loves me. He loves you like that too, I hope you know.

2. My Husband

My husband, Josh, is a wonderful man. He enjoys taking the kids to extracurricular activities and practicing for baseball. He makes sure that everyone at our house is well taken care of. He works hard and goes to work even when he doesn’t want to. After almost 9 years of marriage, I love him more now than when I married him.

3. My Three Sons

My boys are all-boy, but they are good boys. I am thankful everyday for them and for the perspective they are teaching me. Each one is different and has the personality to prove it. They are such a blessing! :)

4. Birthdays

We are entering birthday season at my house. We have a birthday every month. Someone has a special day every month in our family. Right now, I am especially thankful for birthdays because there are only two options, either you are aging or you are dying. There is no pause button. We don’t get to stop where we are or rewind. Having a birthday means that you are moving forward.

5. Living Room Messes

If you come to my house unannounced (and some times if you give me warning), there will probably, most likely, almost definitely be toys scattered in the living room. We spend a lot of time together in the living room. The boys don’t play in their rooms alone a lot. They prefer to be in the living room. Building a railway, playing with blocks, throwing the ball (but if Mom is looking – rolling the ball), reading a book, or making a “house” behind the chair. These messes don’t aggravate me.

The boys will clean the living room when it is time, but for now, they are a constant reminder that our house is full of life. Life from three little people that will one day be grown men. When they are grown, I will have a clean living room, but for now, bring on the railroads, pretend houses, and legos.

6. Coupons

Snagging a deal makes me happy! When I have a coupon and there is a sale, it is exciting! Knowing that I paid less for a name brand than I would have for the store brand brings joy to my heart. Coupons make this possible. I enjoy matching coupons to sales, but I love to go to Southern Savers and make my printable shopping list. There are lots of other deal bloggers that I love to follow as well.

7. Online Friends

Thanks to the Internet, blogs, and Twitter, I have “met” some FABULOUS people! It is encouraging to hear from others and learn from their stories. Wanna chat on Twitter sometime – Join the conversation - @mimisbabiesetsy .

8. Marsha Barton Photography

Marsha Barton Photography is AMAZING! She takes amazing pictures and I love her motto - “You pick the spot…I’ll take the shot.” Her goal is to get away from the dry studio feel of most photographers. Marsha is a wonderful person and friend. I would highly recommend checking out her website. Most of the pictures in our Etsy Shop are from Marsha Barton Photography.

9. Sticky Notes (Post It Notes)

I.heart.sticky.notes. My desk and workspace are usually covered in them. Have an idea, jot it on a sticky note. Something important that I need to remember? Jot it on a sticky note. This is seriously a picture of my desk with my assortment of sticky notes. Going to the store? Write the list on a sticky note.

10. Diet Mt. Dew

Diet Mt. Dew is my friend. It helps me to stay awake and it just tastes so good. It is a state of emergency (ok maybe that is a bit dramatic) when we run out or come close.

So what are your top ten of the week, share and link up at Oh Amanda’s Tuesday Top Ten.

Custom Crochet Flower Hair Clip Giveaway

2010-02-21T10:36:00.000-06:00

Woo Hoo! We reached 200 fans on Facebook and would love to celebrate with a giveaway. As promised, here you go.

The winner will receive their choice of large crochet flower hairclip. Just visit this listing in our Etsy Shop and leave a comment telling us which color you would love to have. It's that simple. :)

The winner will be choosen randomly on Wednesday from the comments left.

When we reach 350 fans, we will have another giveaway. We would love for you to become a fan and be the first to find out about new products, colors, and giveaways! Visit our Fan page and click Become a fan. Share our fan page with your friends by clicking the Suggest to Friends, choosing the friends you want to share with, and then click Send Invitations.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment!

So Sweet

2010-02-20T14:21:00.000-06:00

"So Sweet." That's what my sister in law thinks of this newborn bootie and hat set I made for her to give to a friend. Come to think of it, tiny baby hats and shoes are really sweet.

Spring Beanies Are Here - Yippee!

2010-02-19T14:07:00.000-06:00

Now that the snow has passed (i.e. the snow melted the day after it fell), we are ready to move on to Spring. With Spring comes bright colors, Easter dresses, and warmer weather. Bring it on!

This post includes lots of cuteness for little girls, but I don't want any boy Mommies to feel left out. Here's a sneak peek secret - We will be carrying cotton newsboy visor hats in the shop soon.
As most of you know, we have some really cute beanies in our Etsy shop that will keep your little one warm. But now, we have some Spring beanies that are designed for cute! They will keep your little one warm, but they are light and airy enough to wear on transition days when it is too cold for no hat, but too hot for a heavy one.

Our new Spring beanies are available now in blue, green, and bubblegum pink. More colors will be added. These beanies are super stretchy and will fit from about 9 months - 8 years. I tried them on all my boys, but please don't tell their Daddy.

Headbands and Hairclips are available as well. Here are some color combinations I made, but feel free to make your own with our new custom listings for nylon headbands and crochet headbands.

Want a hairclip to attach to a beanie or headband you have now? Check out this Custom Crochet Flower Hairclip Listing. Choose the flower color and/or button color.

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment and let us know you were here.

~Charissa

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Snow Day

2010-02-16T00:07:00.000-06:00

So, today was a snow day. Schools closed, roads closed, it was a snow day. All of this for 1" of snow. Only in Alabama. Here are my top ten reasons for loving a snow day:

1. Snow in Alabama usually means you get a day off, but never fear you will only be stuck for a day.

2. It is a good reason for your almost 5 year old to wear his rain boots (as close as we get to snow boots).

3. Tarfs - Need I say more? Check out the inspiration behind the tarf at Counting my Pennies and Blessings. Her son requested a tarf to match his beanie hat.

4. Elmo Hats

5. Beanies

6. Snow Angels

7. Snowball Fights - Although we spent a lot of time pulling grass and leaves out of the snow to make a snowball.

8. Snowmen - Oh wait, you have to get more than 1" of snow to make a proper snowman... Maybe next time...

9. A good reason to go outside even though it is FREEZING!!!

10. A fun time with my sweet boys.

For more Top Ten Tuesdays, visit Oh Amanda.

Custom Orders

2010-02-12T21:22:00.000-06:00

At MimisBabies we love Custom Orders! This is an order for a special little lady who has a birthday in March. She has a sister to share her birthday month with named Grace. How sweet is that? Grace and Faith. Brings to mind a few verses, doesn't it? Eph. 2:8-9 says For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. And we would, wouldn't we? More on that soon.

Here are a couple of pics of Miss Faith's Birthday Shirt and Bloomers. So Cute!

Grace's outfit will be done sometime over the weekend. Stay tuned!

My Valentine Date

2010-02-12T21:06:00.000-06:00

Well, it's Friday night and I have a date! He's a little bit short but what he lacks in height he makes up for in confidence! He's been working very hard. Already he has reprogrammed my new TV (hubs will be so proud!) then he had to make a few overseas phone calls. There are a few guys in China that he calls pretty regularly. Oh, and then there was a BIG job he had to take care of. There was some paperwork that had to be done after that job! Eeeewwwwwie! Then he had to check his email, and that's where I got the pic!

If only the cousins were here, they could teach him a few new tricks!!

Stay tuned for a really cute project I've been working on! Gotta go now, my date wants my attention!

Finer Things Friday ~ Routine

2010-02-12T09:59:00.001-06:00

Routines are lifesavers. They make it so that I don’t have to spend all morning reminding the boys to brush their teeth for the 567th time. Or ask Andrew if he feed the cats on his way running out the door.

Routines have saved me from completely losing my mind between raising three sons, loving on my husband, working, running an Etsy shop (had to fit in here somewhere – Ha!), and life in general.

Routines are great, but they have to be used and done so everyday. I recommend starting small and building up. At our house, the only routine that is used everyday is the morning routine. Each morning the kids get up and do their “morning stuff.” No nagging needed.

Here’s Andrew’s routine:

-Up (You are probably thinking Thank you, Captain Obvious, but you have to get up and do so on time!)

-Make Bed

-Brush Teeth

-Put away clean clothes

-Pick out clothes to wear

-Shower

-Get dressed

-Feed cats

So for me, having a routine (especially a morning routine) is truly a Finer Thing!

To read about more Finer Things or to link up your own, visit Amy’s Finer Things.

Hair Accessories

2010-02-11T09:30:00.000-06:00

This is our first week of linking up to The Diaper Diaries - Things I Love Thursday and we are proud to share our hairclips and headbands.

Although I have three boys, I love a good headband. And flowers in a little girl's hair are just so cute! So this week, I want to share my love of girly headbands and flowers.

Stretchy headbands are great! They are stretchy enough to fit from baby/toddler to 8 years old. Paired with a cute crochet flower hairclip they make a great accessory to any little girl's outfit.

Hair accessories have made their way to MiMi's Babies and we LOVE them.

We now offer waffle weave crochet headbands in the following colors:

White
Brown
Lavendar
Hot pink
Red
Pink
Black
Orange

We also have nylon stretchy headbands in the following colors:

Hot pink
Lime
Brown
Red
White

The crochet flower hairclips can be made from almost any color. I spent some time this week making small flowers to show the colors that we have available. See a color you like?

Thanks to Marsha Barton Photography for the wonderful pictures!
Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Be sure to stop by The Diaper Diaries for more Things I Love Thursday.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-02T20:17:00.000-06:00

See anything you like?

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 minutes for Mom.

Charissa's Netbook Cover

2010-01-31T22:17:00.000-06:00

Those of you who follow Charissa know that she recently graduated from Athens State with a degree in Elementary Education. Yea-Charissa!! You Rock!! Anyway for graduation she got a Netbook from Grandma DeeDee, whom we all love! So, she's been telling me she would like to have a cover to protect it but I hadn't really had the time to make it for her until...last night! I finally got my sewing room cleaned up and somewhat organized and after seeing Myra's cute little cover, I put this together for her finishing it today with some buttons. I'm loving the buttons right now, can you tell?
So what do you think Charissa? Do you like it???? I hope so. (Actually, she did like it, that's why I finished it.) Pretty good fit too, considering I had never laid eyes on a netbook, huh? It's about 8"x11" more or less. It's drapery weight fabric on the outside and lined with a quilted fabric. The flap is a separate piece that I added, to give it some definition. I would have monogrammed it, but I wasn't sure she would like it, or that it would even fit.
So what about the rest of ya'll? What do you think? Come on, I know you're out there, let me know what you think. Any improvements you would make?

Here are our graduate and Grandma DeeDee with Jacob. Did I mention that it was freezing that day? And that Charissa was 'bout dead with the crud? It was worth it though. Grandma Didi earned that diploma!

Brimmed Newsboy Beanie

2010-01-30T15:19:00.000-06:00

Andrew is my all boy 8 year old son. Very rarely does he ever ask me to make him anything so when he requested a brimmed newsboy style beanie I jumped on it. First, we had to choose some colors. He wanted it to match his favorite football team at the moment the Tennesee Titans. After talking about the colors, he decided that he would rather match to his next favorite team - the Pittsburgh Steelers. So here is what we came up with.

Friday Fails - Shipping Costs

2010-01-29T21:37:00.000-06:00

So running an Etsy shop with my wonderful Mother-in-love is so much fun! We get to meet new people and share our love of handmade products. We try to keep our prices reasonable and affordable including our shipping costs. Well, this brings me to my fail. Myra at My Blessed Life has asked us to share our fails.

You have all read about how much MiMi loves the hand knit dishcloths I made her. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Anyway, I have not really sold any of these dishcloths and wondered what the problem could be. The price seems reasonable at $9.00 for a set of three. The colors are bright and fun, but they still were not selling. Well, I looked at the listing and realized I was charging $3.50 for shipping!!! The shipping has been changed to $2.00 if purchased alone and $1.00 if purchased with another item. Much more reasonable. Don't you think?

And of course, I have to share some pictures of MiMi's Favorite Hand Knit Dishcloths.

Carribean Getaway

Lemon Lime Colorway

Playtime Colorway

Share your Friday Fails and link up at My Blessed Life.

Faith's Diaper Bag

2010-01-28T00:20:00.000-06:00

I seriously need some photo skills. This is my niece's diaper bag. She wanted a large bag with pockets on the outside to put a sippy cup in. I added some large pockets on the inside along with a cell phone sized pocket with Faith's initials to make it a little more personal.
I wished after I got it finished that I had used a different font to put her name on the outside. All in all though, it turned out nicely. I've made lots of bags. Here are some of them.

Ok, enough of that for now! Have a blessed day!

Doors dont wear clothes very well!

2010-01-27T00:33:00.001-06:00

Doors don't wear clothes very well!

He Became Our Sin

2010-01-21T21:22:00.001-06:00

This is something that has been on my mind and my heart for a while now.
I want you to think of the worst thing that you've ever done. Yes, that thing you hope no one knows about or ever finds out about. That thing you don't even want to think about. You've buried it so deep you had almost forgotten about it. We all have something. Maybe it was something that only happened once. Perhaps it's a habit that you got caught up in. Maybe it is just thoughts you have or the way you feel about someone that is just wrong. Oh sure, yours may not be as bad as mine, but we all have something wouldn't you agree?
Now, think about this. "He (God) made Him (Jesus) Who knew no sin, to be made sin for us." Jesus took on your sin. He even took on my sin. But not only did He take it on Himself, but He was made to be sin on our behalf. He became that thing. That awful, hidden tried-to-forget-it thing that we all have in our past. Not only took it on Himself, but became it. It cost Him. It cost Him pain, humiliation, shame, all the things that it cost you, it cost Him. He who knew no sin. He didn't have any sin in His closet, but He was willing to open that closet up, take out all that stuff we had hidden away, dust it off and put it on Himself. And be judged as sin, for us. God judged sin in Him that day at Calvary.
Does that speak to your heart like it does to mine? It speaks love to me. A love that can never be matched. Your parents can't love you that way. Nor your spouse. Not a friend. Not your child. No One.
Do we deserve that? No. Can we earn that? No. It's a gift. It's grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found.
Was blind but now I see.
Thank you Jesus!

Time to Clean Out!

2010-01-21T21:11:00.000-06:00

My sewing room is a mess. No, it's really a disaster. No, I'm not going to take a picture so you can see. I've taken over the entire living room of our home. It's not a tiny space, but it's full of fabric, scraps, buttons, thread, patterns, tables and more...stuff. So it's time to clean it up. I've listed three little sundresses in the etsy shop that I made last spring or winter, I don't even remember. I didn't even make an effort to sell them last summer. Don't know why, I just didn't. In my opinion they are quite cute. Just your classic criss-cross dress with bloomers. The thing is I used a vintage pattern to make them. Really just to see how the pattern worked, as opposed to a newer pattern. Guess what? Not much different. Of course, it does have really simple clean lines. A Classic.
Oh, did I mention that if you buy two of those you can have the other one? And I'll pay part of the shipping. I just don't need 3 little sundresses. We don't have any girls! I'm just saying......
Let me know what you think. I'll be making up some new stuff soon. First I have to hem Charissa's pants before she fires me!

The Boys are Ready for Winter

2010-01-10T15:57:00.000-06:00

Ok so I had a lot of pictures to share so I thought maybe a blog post was in order. As those of you who who follow us on Twitter know, I (Charissa) have started making tarfs. Tarfs are crocheted scarves for little people. They are so adorable. Tarfs came about when a customer's son asked for a tarf to go with his beanie.

Here are some pics of Jacob in her son's new tarf.

Tarfs will be in our Etsy shop - MiMi's Babies in two sizes. Regular - approx. 5" x 44" and Long - approx. 5" x 56".

Jackson and his beanie and matching regular tarf.

Caleb in his regular tarf and matching beanie. Caleb's beanie has been washed and dried more times than I can count and is now in its 2nd year of use. These beanies are tough and wear well!

Jacob and his long tarf. He such a good little model!

At one point Caleb decided that Jackson should be wearing his tarf and beanie. Caleb is a year older than Jackson and they are both tough little boys. Caleb has been wearing his tarf and beanie since we left the house this morning. He wore it all during church and lunch a Mimi's.

So what do you think of the new "tarfs"? Leave a comment and let us know.

Bag W/Accessories

2010-01-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

A picture of the bag I made to go with previously posted tissue holder and wallet. Made a keychain to go with it too. Just because.
Not a very good picture.

New Stuff

2010-01-09T10:36:00.001-06:00

The reason I wanted it to snow was so that I could get caught up on some projects and start something new. Well we didn't get snowed in, really, but I did get some things finished up. Yes Kelly I have finally finished the bonnet to your car seat cover and your head rest for same. See you soon!

I made a purse for a friend's GD, and then had some fun making accessories for it. What do you think? (Pics of purse later.) It's a little wallet, just big enough for folding money, a license and debit cards (cause we don't carry those nasty Credit Cards now, do we?) and a tissue holder. Maybe a key chain to match would be nice....

I had so much fun making the little wallet that I made a few more! The one on the bottom right is MINE! Love that vintage button!

Well, back to the real world. Gotta brave the cold to buy snaps for bags. How did I run out of those?

Christy your bag is next. Almost done. Need snaps....

Big Snow?

2010-01-07T21:28:00.000-06:00

Is that all there is? I was really hoping for at least an inch! Which here in the South would have been enough to shut everything down for a couple days, easy! Oh, I know there are people who don't really need it to snow for different reasons, but I really wanted to get snowed in...I think. It is supposed to be dangerously cold the next few days. Stay warm and be careful. Cover your little people really well if you take them out. Exposed skin is not a good thing in this kind of cold.

Is everyone else in Alabama watching THE BIG GAME? We are too. Well, Hubby is really watching it. I'm in the same room with it. I should be sewing, but I'm keeping him company while he watches. I know he appreciates it. And I know he loves my commentary on it. Ha! Roll Tide!

So, it's the new year already, can you believe it? I'm a little late with that, but sometime during Christmas a BUG got me. Felt more like getting hit by a truck! It's mostly gone now, but I know from reading some blogs while I was sick that a lot of others have had it too. Hope everyone is feeling much better.

An update on the curtains. They are done! Thought I would show you a pic. They look pretty good hanging. My friend took a picture of them hanging in his kitchen so I could show them off.

If you've been to our store you know that Charissa has been very busy! She's got some amazing things there. Take a look.

There is also a new tshirt for little boys. It's too cute. Another one coming soon.

Well, I'm done rattling. The team may need me. Better get back to it.

Maybe it will snow some more...
Mimi

Wordless Wednesday - It's Gonna Blow!

2010-01-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

Over Christmas break, we built a volcano from a water bottle, newspaper, tape, and flour. It was so much fun!! Too cold to take it outside and blow it up so we put it in the tub!

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom

Reading through the Bible

2009-12-31T19:35:00.000-06:00

As 2009 draws to a close, I am reminded of a commitment I tried to make year after year to read the Bible from cover to cover. The Bible tells us that "All Scripture is God breathed." To me that means that everything in the Bible applies to my relationship with God. As part of my commitment to Christ, I feel that it is important that I have read what his words tell me. Christ died on the cross for my sins and I haven't "found" time to read what his love letter, the Bible, has to tell.

This always seems like such a duanting task. Reading the WHOLE Bible. Wow! That's a lot of pages... But when I read that the entire Bible can be read in 90 days by reading just 12 pages a day, I thought I can do that. 12 pages is reasonable. 90 days, 3 months, I can do that.

Then when I heard about the weekly Twitter party and the support that would be given to participants through weekly videos and other bloggers, I was hooked. A group of people working together to read the entire Bible.

Will you join me tomorrow as I begin to read the Bible from cover to cover in 90 days? Link up at Mom's Toolbox.

Tutus - What Fun!

2009-12-24T20:17:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to show you the Tutus I made for the Great-nieces for Christmas. Got a few pictures. So cute! I think the girls liked them. What little girl doesn't like to dress up?

Yeah, I know this was just wrong, but I don't have any little girls to try these things on and the other boys are too big now. He was having a fit to get that thing off until he realized I had the camera out! Little ham!

Favorite Cookie Recipe Blog Carnival

2009-12-10T20:39:00.001-06:00

Shelly at Chic Crafty Chick has been hosting a Cookie Blog carnival this week featuring different bloggers sharing their favorite cookie recipes. She has even snagged some great prizes that are being given away on her blog at Chic Crafty Chick. Be sure to stop by and enter to win.

With three young boys running around, I try to keep things really simple. This is especially true of when I am cooking. My favorite cookie recipe is for Cake Mix cookies. They are so quick and easy!

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix – any flavor

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

Chocolate Morsels (optional)

Directions:

1. Using a spoon, mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Roll the dough into small balls and press into a cookie shape on a greased baking pan.

2. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

3. Enjoy!

My favorite combination is Devil’s Food Cake Mix and White Chocolate Chips.

Happy Baking!

~Charissa

Recent Projects

2009-12-10T12:48:00.001-06:00

Here are some things that I've been working on that have kept me quite busy lately.
This is not counting the part time working, babysitting, picture-taking, wife, mom and mimi jobs I keep in the air at all times. whew, I'm tired.

Stockings I monogrammed for DIL to give as gifts. Aren't they pretty with those colors on that silver? I took the stocking apart, opened up the cuff, monogrammed and put them back together. Quick and painless.

This is a cell-phone holder I made. I wish I had more time, I would put them in the shop, but not right now. Any suggestions?

Two Buggy Buddies made for a friends twin grandbabies. Aren't they cute? Exactly the same fabric pattern, just different color combos. Check out the insides!

I'm also making Tutu's for great-neices for Christmas presents. They're so cute! Pictures later. Hopefully on the girls!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

I hope to have the curtains finished...soon. How many times have I said that? Well, I mean it...this time.

Santa Pictures

2009-12-09T21:54:00.000-06:00

After the big picture taking event and the trip to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday, Amy and Charissa went to the mall to have the boys pictures made with Santa. By then Caleb had all the fun he could handle and he wasn't having any of it! Jackson wasn't too sure about that big guy in the funny suit either. Jacob enjoyed himself as usual and Andrew went along with the fun too! Very special memories!

Christmas Pictures With the Cousins

2009-12-06T18:25:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we had a lot of fun! We made family pictures of the cousins, a tradition started when there were only two little boys who were less than 2 years old. This year we had 10 children in the pictures! We now have 6 boys and four girls, aged from 3 months up to Andrew, who at the ripe old age of 8 is the oldest in the group.
This started as a way for young parents to give a unique one of a kind gift to their Mawmaw without a lot of expense, since they didn't have much to spend on gifts. After all, only parents can give the gift of their children to us doting grandparents. Mawmaw is my hubby's Mom and Great-Grandmother to all these children.
As more of the grandchildren have had children of their own they've gotten in on the picture too.
Last year my sister-in-law Sandra decided that her gift to the children would be a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese after pictures were made. It turned out to be a big hit with the kiddos! They all loved it and so did the parents.
Now this picture taking event doesn't go off without a few bumps. There are children from 5 different families and as I mentioned before there is a big age spread. So any given year there is someone who doesn't want to have his/her picture made. And did I mention the meltdowns? That just adds to the fun. All the Moms need to come prepared to be in the picture, just in case. Bless her heart, Heather didn't think she would have to be in the picture again this year. Maybe next year.
You should have been here! A big time was had by all. Well, by most, anyway!Here are a few of the pics I took. We had 5 or 6 cameras going, so we're hoping to get a few good shots.
Merry Christmas Mawmaw!!

Andrew’s Birthday

2009-11-28T06:06:00.001-06:00

Today is Andrew’s Birthday Party day. His birthday is Monday, but we are celebrating a few days early. He will be 8 this year!!! I really can’t believe it. He is just growing up way too fast. This year he has requested a football themed party. His cake is a sheet cake with green icing and football field lines in white. We found some other football decorations so he will be so excited. In honor of Andrew’s birthday, I thought I would share some pictures of my sweet boy. He is so excited about his birthday this year!

Andrew and his best buddy, Don

Happy Birthday Andrew!!! We love you!

You are such a smart, kind, and loving young man.

A New Project

2009-11-27T16:55:00.001-06:00

Since it's the day after Thanksgiving and everyone is all worn out from eating, shopping and watching the big game, thought I'd share a new project with you.
This is a car seat cover I'm making for Kelly at Joyful Adorations, who is expecting a precious little girl next month. She was given a perfectly good car seat to use, but we've girlied it up a little bit for Lily Grace!
The pattern is really for a larger car seat, but I think it's going to fit just fine. It has 8 bound buttonholes for the straps to pass through. She will need more buttonholes when she moves up to a larger seat, but we'll worry about that later.
Kelly, I hope you like it so far. Now to work on that cover. Hmmmm
More pics later. Maybe.

Wordless Wednesday – Thanksgiving Crafts

2009-11-25T11:48:00.001-06:00

Jacob has had a lot of fun with Turkey crafting this year.

Hand and footprint turkey – The body is made from two feet cutouts and the feathers are his hands.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

~Charissa

Tuesday-Yea!!!!

2009-11-24T10:31:00.000-06:00

It's Tuesday! Aren't you excited?! Tuesday is my only day of the week that I have to myself. Now, I know that sounds very selfish, but I really don't have much time for...well, just to do what I want to do. Between working part time, babysitting, sewing and just being a wife mom and Mimi I stay pretty busy.
I know that life is not about what I want to do, but isn't it nice to just have a day now and then when you can put everything else aside and do the things that you've been wanting to do? Let me know if it ever comes, ok?
So, on this Tuesday I'm going to sew. Sewing is something I really enjoy. (Yesterday I had to buy a new machine. My old one died. Just gave up. That's pretty traumatic for me, but I found one and today will be finding out if it's a keeper. Thankfully I have two months in home to decide. Isn't that wonderful? Especially if you're not good with decisions, but I'm rambling again.) I'm working on curtains, a car seat cover for a sweet friend, alterations, a diaper bag, monogramming bags for Cubbies, two Buggy Buddies and some more Christmas shirts to put in the shop. It's a blessing to have this much work to do, and a family who needs me to be there for them.
One day I won't be able to do all this. And I will miss it.
Enjoy your Tuesday, just because you can!
God Bless you as you serve Him and your family and friends.

Not Me Monday – Because I Would Never Do THAT!

2009-11-23T05:32:00.001-06:00

Last Thursday, I attended Myra and Kelly's couponing class to learn more about how to use coupons to save money at the grocery store. The class was wonderful and I learned some great tips. Prior to attending the class my coupons were in a small expandable coupon holder. I have been couponing for years and have quite the coupon collection. My coupon holder was so jammed full that it would not close.

In the class, Myra shared her coupon box and I thought it was a great idea. So I decided to move all my coupons to a pretty little box with pretty little tabs. All was well and good. Coupons were moved, labels created (Thanks Andrew!), and coupons were sorted (Thanks Jacob!). After moving all my coupons, I realized that the coupons I needed for this week’s fabulous deals at Publix were in an envelope because I went ahead and pulled them out.

Weren’t those coupons in the coupon box you might ask? No!!! Panic set in. Did I accidently leave the coupons in a store? at school? in the car? Did I throw them away? Throwing them away definitely DID NOT cross my mind because I have NEVER thrown away anything important (i.e. W2 from the Marine Corps or a Netflix movie). So I most definitely DID NOT dig through the garbage in search of my coupons. I would NEVER be completely discouraged when I did not find said coupons in the trash after touching all of it – YUCK!

And there is no way, I positively DID NOT find my coupons sitting in the enevelope on the counter where I left them the night before. I would NEVER do that!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Beanie Models

2009-11-22T07:16:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted on Etsy by Marsha Barton Photography about trading some of our baby accessories for professional pictures of children wearing them. After looking at her portfolio and reading her blog, I jumped at the opportunity that God placed before me. I crocheted a lavender beanie with a brown flower and a chocolate brown, bright blue, and pistachio green beanie to send to her. A couple of days after she received the beanies, I received the cutest pictures. The pictures I got back were amazing!

Marsha Barton Photography is located in Mobile, AL, but she is from North Alabama and visits frequently. She specializes in outdoor photography. Feel free to learn more about Marsha Barton Photography on her blog or Photography Shop. In the future, I am planning to trade more of my creations with her. If you are selling baby items and would love to trade for professional pictures or are interested in a photo session with your own children, please contact Marsha. I would highly recommend it.

Thank you again Marsha! You did a fantastic job!

~Charissa

Things I love Thursday - Photo Calendars

2009-11-18T22:55:00.001-06:00

This is my first time participating in Things I Love Thursday, but I wanted to share how much I love the photo calendars I ordered for Christmas gifts. Kodak was giving away $15 credits to the Kodak gallery shop. I was able to order a photo calendar for $10 with shipping.

This is a great gift for grandparents and great grandparents. Everyone needs a calendar and why not have some pretty faces to look at throughout the year.

For more Things I Love Thursday, visit The Diaper Diaries.

What happens at Grandma Dee Dee’s house….

2009-11-18T05:26:00.001-06:00

We all LOVE going to Grandma Dee Dee’s house. She always makes each one of us feel so special. Here’s what going to Grandma Dee Dee’s house looks like.

We play outside.

We go to the school next door.

We play at the park.

The we go back to Grandma Dee Dee’s house. It is always so much fun!

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

~Charissa

Baby Booties are Coming…

2009-11-16T16:13:00.001-06:00

Babies are so much fun to make items for. Everything is so much cuter when it is baby sized. This week I found a pattern for the CUTEST pair of baby booties I have ever seen. I shared it with one of my customers and she loved it. It was so exciting to have someone to make these sweet booties for. They will be coming to the shop sometime this week.

I have also been working on hat orders. The sweet baby girl hats with big flowers are my best sellers.

All orders arrive to our customers ready to gift.

Thanks for looking. Check our Etsy Shop - MiMi's Babies for a one of a kind gift for all your special babies!

Week In Review – 30 days of giving

2009-11-15T20:56:00.001-06:00

The giving challenge posted by KingdomFirst Mom certainly has been fun. I have been looking for more ways to give to others and more that I can do for those around me. This week I have given back by:

Allowing another customer in front of me in line. He had one item and I had several. Found out afterward that he was an employee who had been standing on his feet all day and recovering from back surgery. He was ready to go home and I don’t blame him!
Gave an extra pair of socks with a crochet edge to a customer. Just because.
Made a hat to give to a girl at church. She loves girly things. Prettiest Princess Pink with a 3 layer crochet flower. It is listed in the shop here.
Shared coupon information with fellow shoppers.
Gave the cashier at Target a copy of the Glade mail in rebate.
Packed up some food from my pantry to give at the canned food drive at school. We are so blessed to have more than we need and most of it was free or nearly free with coupons. Thanks coupon bloggers!

The 30 day giving challenge has been such a blessing to me this month. I can’t wait to see what opportunities to give God allows in my path this week.

Have you given this week?

~Charissa

Thanksgiving Traditions

2009-11-13T12:36:00.001-06:00

The TwitterMoms group is hosting a $50 Target giftcard giveaway for sharing your favorite family Thanksgiving traditions. You can find more information about it here.

1. We always spend time with Grandma Dee Dee on Thanksgiving. We have done so since I was a kid. I can remember what a big deal it was when she came over every Thanksgiving.

2. We watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

3. We eat stuffing from inside the turkey! Now that I am grown, I have heard that this could be really bad for you, but we do it anyway!

So what are your family traditions?

Febreeze Giveaway

2009-11-11T22:17:00.000-06:00

Pop over to Myra's blog at www.happyhousewifelivinglife.com and enter her giveaway. You have several ways to enter, so Get at it! There's a WalMart gift card involved!
Tell her you came from our blog!

~MiMi

Wordless Wednesday - Fall

2009-11-11T03:00:00.000-06:00

It's fall, it's beautiful outside and there is work to be done! Take a look at my boys working...or not!

What’s Your Favorite Homemade Gift? McLinky Blog Hop

2009-11-09T20:01:00.001-06:00

The holidays are coming soon than I like to admit to. Although I have finished the majority of my Christmas shopping (thanks to my sweet MIL finding some GREAT deals!), I still have some presents to buy and some to make. This year I have been especially thoughtful of how much money I am spending on gifts for family members and friends.

In teaching my children that it is more blessed to give than to receive (a hard lesson that I should teach myself more often as well), I am planning to have them help in making some homemade gifts this year. I haven’t really set any ideas in stone, but in year’s past the kids have made picture frames, handprints on candles (works well with craft paint and solid color candles), tied fabric wreaths, and food goodies. This year I am planning to make dishcloth sets for my kid’s teachers and hopefully gift them with a handmade food treat.

Handmade gifts mean so much more than something just purchased at the store. Anyone can go to {insert store name here} and purchase {insert gift here}, but to make a gift requires thoughtful consideration and sometimes a leap of faith! Don’t get me wrong, sometimes store bought gifts or gifts purchased from handmade retailers (such as MiMi’s Babies) are the perfect gift, but there is something special about a handmade gift.

So what will you be making this holiday season?

~Charissa

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30 days of Giving – Week 1 Wrap Up

2009-11-08T07:31:00.001-06:00

Kingdom First Mom has challenged us to give back for the next 30 days. This is the first of our weekly wrapups to share some of the ways we gave back during the week and the blessings that have come from that.

This week we gave by:

Sharing couponing information with fellow shoppers
Sharing coupons with fellow shoppers
Leaving coupons in the store
Sold two hats and only charged for one – just because.
Gave my children some extra snuggle time even though it was a long day.
Gave some of the clothes my children did not need with a single day
Sent a Christmas card to a little boy dying of cancer

Next week, I hope that we are given more opportunities to give and share the gifts that we have been given.

What have you given today?

Christmas is Coming….

2009-11-05T19:25:00.001-06:00

Christmas will be here before we know it. At MiMi’s Babies, we have many affordable gifts that would make excellent gifts.

Set of Hand Knit Dishcloths - $9

**Other colors Available – Just ask!**

Kitchen Set – 2 monogrammed kitchen towels and 3 hand knit dishcloths - $19.95

**Other colors available – just ask!**

Monogrammed Christmas Onesie - $9.95

Monogrammed Christmas Bib - $5.95

Crocheted hat with Flower – Newborn – 3T - $12

Reversible Flannel/Cotton Blanket with Crochet Edge - $18

Cupcake Purse - $5.95

Visit our Etsy shop for more great holiday gifts!

Also check Frosty’s Christmas Finds for more affordable gifts.

30 Days of Giving

2009-11-02T02:00:00.000-06:00

The 30 day giving challenge posted by Kingdom First Mom begins today. MiMi and I have been pondering ways that we can give back to others and we are excited to give back to others. We have been given more than we deserve. We have been given the ultimate gift and that is salvation through the blood of Jesus. He gave his all and we should give Him back our best.

The Day After….

2009-11-01T17:01:00.001-06:00

This is what Halloween and the day after looked like at my house. The kids come to eat lunch on Sunday after church. Today everyone was dragging and droopy. They didn't actually eat a lot of their candy, they just had too much fun.
Halloween - Before

And after...

Did I mention that parents didn't look much better for the "holiday"?

Halloween Fun

2009-10-31T11:34:00.001-05:00

My boys were ready for Halloween!!

Andrew is a cowboy.

Jacob is the Red Power Ranger.

Caleb is a baby tiger. He will even growl when you ask him what he is!

This is such a great year. All the boys are big enough to enjoy trick or treating. We are planning to go to all the great grandparents then Trunk a Treat and on to MiMi’s.

Ready For Christmas?

2009-10-30T08:35:00.000-05:00

Anyone else like me out there already wondering if you'll get it all done? Christmas planning, I mean. Usually I start worrying about it now, but I'm waaaayyyy too busy to actually tackle the planning. It's so much easier to fret about it and complain that I don't have time. Well, I AM hugely busy (Praise the Lord!), but Christmas is coming. On the same day, every year! Go figure!

I did find an incredible buy on toys at Target some months ago and bought a lot of stuff, but most of my bargains I passed on to other members of my family for their enjoyment. Some I will use for my own gift giving, but I still have those all important gifts to buy. It's not really about the gifts, though. It's all the things that make the season memorable, at least in the sensory department.

Decorating the house. I mean come on! You need the house to look like it's Christmas, right? I love the lights, the trees, (yes, I add to my own frustration by putting up two trees and I know many of you do more than two!) The only problem is I have to clean my house before I can drag all that extra stuff out! OUCH!!! It's true I'm not a domestic superstar. Never made any claim to it. Anyone want to come and help me? I'm entertaining all offers!

But Christmas is so much more than all the lights and sounds and smells that we enjoy wo much. It's about the greatest gift ever given. The gift of God's amazing love! The gift of a savior, given in the form of fleshly babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. But we dare not leave that babe in the manger as so many do. Remember He grew up. The Bible tells us that He grew in stature, just like our babes do. The only difference in Him and our children is He came and lived a perfect life, to lay it down. Lay it down to pay the price for our sins. A debt He didn't owe, but we couldn't pay. AND THEN...we don't leave Him on that cross, either!
He rose again on the third day!!! He prepared a way for us. Bridged that gap between Holy God and sinful man. Through His perfect life and sacrificial death we can live eternally in His presence!! Amen!

So, back to all that Christmas preparation. I think I'll just concentrate on preparing my heart for Christmas right now. What about you? There is plenty of time to prepare the house and the meals and the gifts, etc. Let's spend some time now, preparing our hearts, refocusing on His Majesty. Oh come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!!!

The menu will wait.

Outside Fun

2009-10-29T20:31:00.001-05:00

The kids and I went outside to enjoy the beautiful fall afternoon. Sure it has rained for the past ~~day, week,~~ month, but the kids just needed to get out! Jacob rode his bike. Around and around in circles.

Andrew made his own target including the numbers for points and kept score.

The baby played in the water. He loves to put things in and take things out. This is especially true of water!

Such a fun time!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T19:52:00.001-05:00

How much is that baby in the window…

The one with the camo cap…

How much is that baby in the window…

I do hope that baby’s for sale…

For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, please visit the Wordless Wednesday Headquarters here.

~Charissa

EtsyKids: EtsyKids Design Challenge - We Have a Winner!

2009-10-28T19:35:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who voted for us! We are so excited to win!

EtsyKids: EtsyKids Design Challenge - We Have a Winner!

Family Fun

2009-10-26T19:34:00.001-05:00

After reading this week’s blog hop, I just had to join in. In our family, time together is precious. With work schedules and life in general, time gets away from us. When I began student teaching this year, I knew that I really wanted to start a tradition in our family that I cherished when I was little. Growing up, every Friday night was Pizza and TGIF. We all gathered around and enjoyed some time together. Well, I couldn’t let my kids watch Friday night TV so we decided to make Friday night movie night.

To make it simple, we signed up for Netflix and set up a queue of movies our family would love. I love that it is so simple. I don’t have to remember to stop and get a movie. Although, I did accidently throw one away (but that it another story altogether)…. I did find it before the trash went out!

Every Friday night, we pop popcorn and the kids get out their sleeping bags, blankets, cuddle buddies, pillows, etc. and we turn on the movie!

We are loving it.

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Motorcycle Riding

2009-10-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

Today my DH and I went for a ride on the Harley. IT WAS COLD!!!
The original plan was to ride towards the mountains to look at the leaves changing colors. I so enjoy riding on the motorcycle and I do so love the mountains and of course I SO enjoy seeing what God does in His creation (Don't you just love how He redecorates every season?) But as I get older, I don't so much love the cold!
I forgot to take my camera with us, so I don't have any pics. Not that I would have taken them anyway because I was too cold to take the gloves off! Remind me to buy new gloves.
Now, we have headed to the beach in February when the weather was very cold. Like 25 degrees with a wind chill of 70mph (or whatever speed we were going). That's cold. That may even border on crazy.
Today was supposed to be cool with clouds in the morning, clearing by 10 or so and warming up. Well not where we were! Just goes to show, no one can really forcast the weather. Only God knows what the weather is going to do.
We shortened our trip. We went through Guntersville, up to almost Fort Payne, over the mountain at Skyline (did I mention COLD) to Fayetteville and down Intersatate 65 home. We were home by 4pm! And I was ok with that! Really would have enjoyed the mountains and a weekend getaway but...maybe next time!
By the way, the leaves are gorgeous in spots but not all over. Valhermosa Springs, Lacey's Spring have pretty good color. Not so much around the Guntersville area, SPECTACULAR in the Skyline area. If you haven't taken the ride to Skyline I would highly recommend it. We stopped at the Walls of Jericho trailhead, but didn't hike.
I hope it's warmer tomorrow. Enjoy your weekend!
Don't forget to take time to worship God and thank Him for all your blessings!

Hand Knit Dishcloth Giveaway – Winner!!!!

2009-10-22T20:13:00.001-05:00

Using the random number generator at www.random.org, the lucky winner was comment number 33.

Result: 33

Congrats to Cindi of Tally’s Place. She just won a set of 3 hand knit dishcloths in her choice of the colorways below.

Carribean Getaway Colorway

Lemon Lime Colorway

Playtime Colorway

All these colorways are available at our Etsy Shop – MiMi’s Babies. Thanks for entering!

**Cindi has 48 hours to respond with her choice and address or another name will be drawn.

Etsy Kids Challenge

2009-10-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

We are a part of the EtsyKids monthly challenge for October. Please visit the EtsyKids team blog at http://www.etsykids.blogspot.com/ and place your vote.

Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T09:19:00.000-05:00

Random Pictures

2009-10-20T05:51:00.001-05:00

Since we have been blogging, I am finding myself taking more and more pictures of the kids. This week’s blog hop was a share some random pics week so here you go!

Caleb – Are we ready to go yet?

You want some?

At the zoo – better watch out for the zookeeper, he might put you in with the monkeys!

Camel Ride anyone?

I can write my name all by myself!

Friday is Movie Night

Looking forward to seeing everyone else’s pictures!

~Charissa at MiMi’s Babies

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