Life ¤ Love ¤ Laughter ¤ Linds

In between my crazy packing blitz, I've been brainstorming for a number of projects I've been asked for input on. One project invovles some empty frames and an office - what can be done without adding more of the same-old photos or prints to the wall? These are some of the ideas I've had and of course, between Google & Pinterest, I've seen once again that there truly is no such thing as a new idea!  From Bella Home Fashions  Skeleton keys are really big in home decor right now. These framed rustic keys on burlap from Bella Home Fashions are delightful in their simplicity, which makes a knock-off easy to reproduce if you can find some keys you love.  From Royal Bebe Shoppe  I've seen some similar ideas with keys grouped and framed, or instead of being mounted on burlap, being mounted on textured wall paper scraps. I've also seen other curios (bats for halloween, interesting knobs, etc) displa...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas celebrating an occasion of joy, hope & love!   We scaled waaaaay back this year and we spent the day quietly, enjoying family time and no stress with the monkeys! (Santa is bringing me keys to our new place in a week, along with a shopping spree for appliances.  No pretty bows - but hey, I'm a grown up, I'll deal!)   For family, I tried to give heartfelt and handmade and stick to a budget for our guys!  I'll go more into detail once the dust has settled, been wiped away and the furniture has found a new resting place. Boxing Day took on a whole new meaning for us this year.  The trees (yes, trees... the boys decorated our litttle porch trees - one on either side of the fireplace) came down, pictures came off the wall and boxes started travelling up the basement stairs.   There is no doubt in my mind that anyone coming to our front door will wonder if we're still moving.   Eve...

Here are some of my favourite, regularly go-to small gifts for imaginative, crazy, energetic boys.  Easy to tuck into stockings (or use as bribery, should the need arise), they don't cost a fortune and they're always a hit!  Side note, the monkeys in our household are 4 & 6 - the recommended ages don't always coincide, but hey, whatever works. 1) Lego Surprise Minifigures, $3.49 ; Every year, Lego releases another series of these minifigures.  We love them!   The kids are never sure what's inside until they open it, but they know it will have a character and accessories.  Also, as it's not part of any "themed" Lego set, it easily adds to their collection.   You can find them everywhere - toy stores, Chapters, department stores and I even snagged a couple at Shoppers Drug Mart. 2) Crayola Color-Filz Activity Kit, $6.48 Whether you choose a brandname kit (like Crayola) or hit your local craft, department or dollar store...

There are only 5 days left until Christmas, 4 shopping days, and a whole lotta last minute shopping procrastinators!   I would like to say that I'm done, but unfortunately, I have to exchange one item, pick up something for my grandparents who have no room for anything else (suggestions?!) and a quick trip to the dollar store for tool boxes, screws and nails for the monkeys who have requested their very own tools for Christmas after participating in a Home Depot kids' workshop.  I don't want to shop - I'd rather stay home and read.  I am a self-professed word-nerd bookworm. I love nothing better than a yummy drink, great book, comfy blanket, some quite time and a little chance to escape the chaos of modern-day existance.   It's a cheap form of entertainment and I don't have to look pretty to enjoy it.    Everyone knows a bookworm, an occasional reader,  or perhaps someone who should just give a book a try to exercise their br...

My monkeys have been asking me to bake cookies for days, but I haven't had any eggs in the fridge.  A simple solution would have been to run to Shoppers or hit a grocery store any number of times I've been out since the weekend, but in between tying up the last of the orders before Christmas, packing, and trying to keep my house clean, little details (like remembering I need eggs) seem to keep slipping my mind. Today, Kaleb is home *sick* again.  This is the third time in the last week and a half.  He just can't shake his cough and has a fever when he wakes up in the morning.  On top of that, none of us are getting much sleep (and by us, I mean me.)  He just coughs, and coughs, and coughs... and even though it's just a typical run-of-the-mill cold, my mommy heart breaks because beyond giving him regular doses of medicine, there's not much I can do for that annoying, scratchy cough.    So he's home because he's tired and well, th...

My kids are spoiled.  Even this year, though in general we have all cut back due to budgetary restrictions, they were spoiled.  We have had 2 family Christmases already and with a house that needs packing, I'm shocked  at the amount of "stuff" they have and I remind them that they are blessed and fortunate to have so many toys, food on the table, comfy beds to sleep in, and their healthy growing bodies.  In an effort to remind them to see beyond their own little worlds, we try to use various community and charitable programs over the holidays that they can participate in.  We donate food to food drives, drop our dimes in the Salvation Army kettles, pick out toys for police-sponsored toy drives for local shelters, and load up shoe boxes to send overseas - all in a hopefully successful attempt to get the monkeys to think beyond themselves.   There are so many opportunities to give beyond our families, our friends, beyond the material and just...

I find choosing the perfect stocking stuffers for the guys on my list to be a big pain in the butt (which is not the word I would usually choose but I don't want to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities.)  Most of the guys on my stocking stuffing list are pretty average.  Oh, don't get me wrong, they're extraordinary men, but realistically, they're as excited about the contents of their stockings as they would be about oh, say, doing a load of laundry.  Yeah, no big excitement factor there, which makes picking a non-typical gift more than difficult.   So what can you toss in the sock that says "you might be typical... but I think you're great?"  (For demonstration purposes, we'll pretend that they *deserve* more than a lump of coal...)  Here is a collection of stocking stuffers and small gifts for The Typical Man - someone who has a little bit of everything, has well rounded interests, and would enjoy a nice cold brew rather than a co...

  We all know her and wish we could be just a little more like her.  She can charm the world with her smile, she's always pulled together and she's not afraid to accessorize.  She's girly, she's charismatic, and her laughter is infectious.  She's always ready for a good time and you can't help but find her bubbly existance inspiring.   This collection of budget-friendly stocking stuffers or small gifts that sparkle & shine at less than $15 each were chosen with the Fun & Flirty Girl in mind. 1)  Essie Nail Polish: Turquoise & Caicos is called "a flirty and pretty tropical aqua."  $8, MSRP.  DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free (available at Shoppers Drug Mart).   2) Curved Filigree Stretch Bracelet, Rickis, $14.99 ;  The best part about Ricki's jewellery is that it's always buy one, get one half off - so you can pick up something pretty for a friend...

Today I went to Shoppers Drug Mart... twice!  I racked up enough Optimum points to take advantage of their "biggest redemption event of the year" at two different reward levels.  I got some groceries, some stocking stuffers, and some me-gifts because a girl deserves to be pampered.   My first bill came to $287 and change including taxes and I paid a little over $37.  Wow!   Our second time through, our bill came to $66 and change but we paid only $6.58... so we got more than $318 worth of stuff (more actually, as a lot of what we chose was on sale)... for about $44 out of pocket.   What a deal!!!!   (Now, I would just like to point out that I realise it takes alot of spending to earn the top tier reward level multiple times throughout the year... I'm not a compulsive SDM customer, I just take advantage of the 20x reward days and buy all my diabetic supplies - instant crazy points!) Next... after wandering aisles of a drugstore for...