Giveaway Winner!

I am so excited to announce the winner of the Petit Beast Air Plant Jellyfish giveaway!

But before I do, here's how the winner was chosen.

5 people left comments.  I numbered each comment in consecutive order.  So if you were first to comment, you were number 1.  Second, number 2, etc.

Then I let random.org do the real work.  And the winner is....

Number 5!  Which is.... *drum roll*  *or something*

Emily B!

Yay!!!

So, Emily, send an email to yaysugarcrumbs@gmail.com with shipping information and I'll have your prize shipped out to you asap.

Congrats to this months giveaway winner and be sure to keep a look out for May's awesome giveaway! 

Happy Wednesday!

Pinterest Pick; Puppet Theater!

So thanks to my husband, both of my children are OBSESSED with The Muppet Show.  Seriously.  They would sit around and watch The Muppets all day if I'd let them.

Don't worry, don't worry.  I don't.

However, the TV limit I set doesn't seem to affect their obsession with The Muppets.  My oldest will pretend to be Kermit and introduces family members as guest stars.  And the youngest?  He's often Gonzo the Great.  Not too surprising if you ask me.

So it became apparent that my boys NEEDED a puppet theater.  But I wasn't about to buy one.  I'd thought of everything from a simple curtain rod across a doorway to a more complex wooden one that I saw DIYed out of an old hutch top.

But nothing beat the ease of the PVC Pipe Puppet Theater shown at She-Wears-Flowers.com.

That. Is. Cute.  Light weight, portable AND you can take it apart and store it when you're not using it. Perfect.  And it's PVC pipe.  Which is, like, dirt cheap.  (Yes, I added the like in there.  Imagine me cracking my gum now. lol)

So I got to work.  Making a list for my lovely, hardware store visiting husband.  He picked up the PVC pipe.  And cut it.  Oh yeah, he assembled it too.

Hey, I contributed.  While he worked on other stuff later, I made the curtains and helped the boys make some epic sock puppets.  But if it had been up to me to measure, cut and assemble pipes... well, the puppet theater never would have made it to this point.

Pardon me while I giggle with glee.  I am in love with this theater.  The blogger at She Wears Flowers opted to paint the PVC and I think it's a good idea.  Unless you do what I did and make it on a day that it's, you know, pouring.  Under normal circumstances, I'd have painted in the basement.  But Jon says no spray painting down there. 

*facepalm*  Smart man, but I wanted to paint it.

However, it doesn't seem to matter that the frame is still white.  The boys LOVE it.  I've been honored with private puppet shows all day.  

Well, you know what they say...

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights...

Until next time, Happy Monday!

** Be sure to follow me on Pinterest!  And check back soon.  I think it's only fair that I give an awesome sock puppet tutorial since you're about to have a puppet theater. ;) *

Petit Beast.

So remember back in the day when I promised etsy reviews?  And then they stopped?  Yeah... I have a few stories for you all soon.

However, the April Etsy Shop review is on!

Okay, I have to tell you that searching for the perfect shop to review is a little tedious.  There are tons of shops on etsy that are review worthy.  Plenty of products I'd love to test.  Really, the problem is that there are just too many choices.  April's pick, on the other hand, was an easy decision to make.

Early April, I sat down thinking this month I'd be reviewing a natural cleaning supply shop.  That changed as soon as I saw this.

Jellyfish Air Plants?  Seriously?  The name itself was enough to distract me from natural cleaning supplies.  So I ventured into the etsy shop, Petit Beast.

All I have to say is that this shop in incredible.  I have never seen anything like this.  This California based business managed to combine my love of plants and jellyfish, though, so naturally I was in awe of the products. But would they live up to their online appearances?  I ordered 5.

My package from Petit Beast arrived a few days ago.  I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the lovely packaging.  I'm a sucker for lovely packaging.  But nothing prepared me for how gorgeous these beautiful pieces would look in real life.

Amazing.

So each jellyfish is an air plant suspended inside a sea urchin.  How creative is that?  These three are currently residing in my window so that I can enjoy them every time I work at the computer.  And thanks to the shop owners thorough nature, I know exactly how to care for these low maintenance plants.  A full care sheet was included with my order!

Now, because I am SO in love with this shop, I'm giving away 2 of these gorgeous jellyfish.  Leave me a comment on this blog and you'll be entered into the random drawing on Wednesday, April 25.

And be sure to check out Petit Beast on etsy for more of these stunning creations.  I'm having to hold myself back on another order.  What do you think?  Are you as tempted as me?

Happy Friday!

Pinterest Pick: Masking Tape Wall Art

It's supposed to hit 89 degrees today!  A part of me is yearning to venture out and play in the dirt.  Another part of me, the pregnant part, is glad to be inside, blogging in the air conditioning.

This weeks Pinterest Pick is the perfect excuse to get outside for awhile, though.

When we first moved into our house, one of the first things I wanted to work on was the boys room.  I had a vision in mind and once it was brought to life, I knew exactly what was missing.

Wall decor.

I wanted to avoid kiddish prints and posters but I just couldn't figure out what the room needed to give it a little zing.

Until I came across this.

ReadyMade.com is all over Pinterest but this is one of the first projects that really caught my eye.  DIY graphic art?  That seemed promising!  Fun enough for a kids room without cartoon characters or animals.

And the best part? This is one of the easiest projects I've ever done!  All you have to do is wrap masking tape (or painters tape) around a canvas very randomly and spray paint.  When the paint is dry, pull of the tape and tada! You have custom graphic wall art.

So how did mine turn out?

Like this.

Gorgeous.  I opted for a bright yellow to add some pop to the primarily blue walls.  And while I love how one came out, I decided one more would REALLY add to the room.

Ah! That's better!

Head on over to ReadyMade.com for the full step by step tutorial!  And if you decide to try this incredibly simple, yet totally awesome project, be sure to let me know.  I'd love to see yours!

Until next time, Happy Monday!

Busy Mom Beauty. Birchbox

I think I mentioned once before that I didn't want this to become a "Mom" blog.  But I'm a mom and I blog so the occasional shift to momish blogging is inevitable.  I'll try to keep it at minimum!

However, one of the things that I've been thinking about for a while I think most moms can relate to is that I don't get more than 5 minutes to myself a day.  I can't even use the bathroom in peace.  

(In fact, my kids "need" me more then than ever.  Or when I'm on the phone.)

That being said, you can bet your bottom dollar that I don't get a lot of time to peruse the cosmetic section of any department store.  Having 2 monster truck/robot obsessed boys doesn't help that.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I didn't spend a lot of time in Sephora before I had kids but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could branch out beyond my basic Cover Girl Pressed Powder and my Wet n Wild eyeliner. (What? It's like .99!  I'm a cheapskate!)

I'd pretty much resigned myself to never changing my make up routine up when I saw someone mention that they FINALLY got their Birchbox subscription.  They posted with such enthusiasm, such exuberance that I had to check it out.

So Birchbox is an online beauty supply store.  Big deal, right?  There are only a bajillion of those.  However, Birchbox offers one thing that sets themselves apart from the rest.  A monthly subscription.  Each month, subscribers received a box of luxe, high end samples of new beauty products.  And when I say sample sized, I don't mean tiny.  These are some generous samples.  The price? $10.  I think I can swing $10 a month to get a surprise box of girly stuff delivered to me!

So this is what I found in my mailbox yesterday.  What is it about cute packaging that gets me?  As cute as the packaging was, it definitely didn't beat the contents.

It's like Christmas!  (Or my birthday?  That's closer...)

Okay, so I sort of expected some cheesy, useless cosmetics.  Something that would either make me laugh or make others laugh because of how clownish I looked when I wore it.  But Birchbox won me over this with this months Natural Wonders campaign.  My box contained

• Willa Naturals (on the go) Gentle Cleansing Lavender Face towelettes 
• Dropps Scent + Dye Free Laundry Detergent Pacs
• J.R. Watkins Hand & Cuticle Salve
• Zoya Nail Polish in Bevin
• Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift Eau De Toilette

Not. Too. Bad.  

I haven't had a chance to try everything but I did use the Willa towelettes AND the laundry detergent this morning. (Hey, I'm still a mom that needs to wash cloths!) and I'm impressed.  But really, I'm just thrilled to open a package that's just for me.  Nothing baby related or school related.  It's just for me.  And that on it's own is worth $10.

So, all you busy ladies out there, head to Birchbox.com and see what the fuss is all about.  I'll be keeping you in the loop monthly as I receive these packages. Maybe actually get some products reviews up? *gasp*  But today, I'm just going to give Birchbox a twp thumbs up. (Two thumbs that are about to be painted!)

Until next time, Happy Wednesday!

**Fine Print.  I am in no way affiliated with Birchbox nor is this a promotional post.  This is the rambling of an overly excited mom who desperately needs a makeover. End Transmission.**

Pinterest Pick of the Week: Fairy Gardens

I should NOT be posting this.

I was going to get Jon to write up a little blog about this particular topic but I didn't.  Truth be told, I had little to do with today's post.  In fact, this is about how far in depth I got into this project.

"Jon!  Look at this!  Look at this little garden!  I want one!"

And in my defense, that's about as close to this project I should be!

So I found this little beauty on Pinterest.

Isn't that gorgeous?  Obviously, I fell in love at once and wanted it.  Problem is that while most people are born with a even a semi green thumb, I was born with a dead thumb.  I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT make any plant grow in a container.  I can grow a garden in the ground but not a container.

Luckily, I married someone who has 2 green thumbs.  Jon's a hobby gardener and has impressed me quite a bit throughout our relationship with his beautifully green plants.

(I'll never know how he figured out the appropriate watering methods... I over water or underwater.  And by underwater, I mean forget I have a plant until it's brown and crispy. lol)

So when I approached him with the "little garden," it was no big deal.  And he was glad I spared some poor plants life by asking him to do it instead if taking matters into my own hands.  I told him what I wanted it to look like (organized chaos, natural, a place I'd like to be if I were an inch tall...) and within a few days, he'd selected plants and the container and put it all together.

Eep!!!  Isn't that gorgeous?  

I love the little trails and smooth stones, perfect for a fairy to relax on after a stroll through.

It's just perfect, better than I had even imagined!

Have you made a tabletop garden or a fairy garden?  Let me know about it!

(And feel free to pass some gardening tips my way!)

Happy Monday!

Ah, Sunday.

I had a million different posts ready for this weekend.

And I decided to post not a single one of them.  Because Easter weekend is not about DIY cleaners, cool home made toys or even Pinterest.

*gasp*

It's about spending time with family and friends.  

So from my family to yours, Happy Easter!

Busy Mom Meal, Take 2! Barbecue Chicken.

The sun is out!  After several days of grey, the sun finally starting showing itself yesterday.  And apparently, it's here to stay for a while.

Days like this always make me think of summer.  Iced tea, lemonade, watermelons, water balloon fights and barbecue chicken.

Okay, mostly barbecue chicken.

(I'm pregnant.  I can't help that my mind gravitates towards food!)

I just looooooove barbecue chicken.  But these days, I'm just too lazy busy to spend all that time making normal barbecue chicken.  This "busyness" doesn't prevent me from enjoying my favorite summer time food, though!

Oh, delicious barbecue chicken.  You make my mouth water just looking at you.

Okay, so this amazing meal took me about 5 minutes to prepare.  The kids devoured it, my husband loved it and anyone that step foot in my house couldn't help but comment on how delicious my home smelled.

5 minutes of prep time for the kind of reaction can't be beat.

(Someone, somewhere is saying "Sure it can! Make it 4 minutes.")

How did I do it?  I cheated.  With my crock pot.

All I did was dump a package of boneless, skinless thighs in my crock pot, add a bottle of barbecue sauce and turned it on low for 8 hours.  Perfect "make in the morning" meal.  My new favorite thing to do?  Wrap corn on the cob in foil and pop it in the slow cooker with the chicken about 2 hours before it's done.

Now, I like to use boneless, skinless chicken for one reason.  After being cooked for soooo long, it's gets so tender that it shreds very easily.  And makes for the most awesome next day lunch ever.  Shred it and put it on a kaiser roll and try it.  Delicious. I guarantee you won't be able to stop at one.

Or maybe you will.  I could be the only one who could live on bbq chicken sandwiches.

But seriously.  Who wouldn't love to live off of that?

Pinterest Pick of the Week! Wreaths!

Hola!

So guess who's in her third trimester?  Yep.  And let me tell you, it's definitely hit me hard.  At what point does pregnancy become a beautiful thing? Lol, okay... feeling baby kicks and decorating the nursery has been wonderful but this fatigue!  It's kicking my behind!

The one perk of the fatigue is that I've gotten to spend an ample amount of time browsing Pinterest.  And you know what been super popular lately?

Wreaths.

I love wreaths.  Not enough to go out and buy a premade one, but enough to attempt to make one.  The problem is that not only do I love wreaths but apparently I have a thing for tacky and gaudy decor as well.

Take this "beauty" from Halloween a few years ago.

Uuugh.  What was I thinking?  I think I saw a pink feather wreath somewhere and decided that a black feather wreath with a ridiculous red bird was just weird enough to be classified as a Halloween wreath. Or something.  Yikes.  I'm still embarrassed that this was on the door the first time my husband picked me up for a date. *facepalm*

Luckily, my tastes have changed quite a bit and Pinterest is around to inspire me.

I mean, just look at these gorgeous wreaths all on Pinterest!

Love. Love. Love. So bright! So Cheery!  After seeing these, I was inspired to take down my yarn wreath from fall (yikes.) and replace it with something more spring like.  But because I am Erin, after all, it had to have something with feathers.

(Okay, maybe my taste hasn't changed that much.)

And so, my spring wreath was born.

Ah, much better.  Even against the pumpkin colored door.  And it only took me maaaaaaybe 30 minutes since it's just strips of white fabric wrapped and glued around around a wreath form and a few spring floral department items attached to that.

I'm thinking this wreath will be up till, oh I don't know... Christmas?  Lol.  Actually, it shouldn't!  I already have a million and ten ideas for a summer wreath.  Lets just see if I actually execute any of those.

So tell me!  Have you DIYed a wreath?  Or are you thinking about putting one together?  I'd love to hear about it!  (Especially if you've successfully pulled off the feather wreath, ha!)

Happy April, folks and don't forget to follow me on Pinterest to see whats keeping my Pinterest!

*snort, chuckle*  Pinterest Humor.