Spring Break is fast approaching and I am happy to welcome it!
While Spring doesn't officially starts until March 20th, I thought we could get a head start and take advantage of the several sales the local crafting stores have available now.
My last spring wreath was fairly easy and inexpensive to make. The total spent on making the above wreath was approximately $23.79.
Unfortunately the ribbon didn't last very long and the letter became unglued. Therefore, instead of fixing it I decided to change the look of it completely.
Of course, we saved some money by using the same grape vine round wreath form. We saved even more by buying the "Hydrangeas" at 40% off at my local craft store.
I originally purchased eight (8) Hydrangeas, but as you can see on the above picture, it doesn't look as full as I wanted the wreath to be. I decided to go back to Michael's and buy two (2) more Hydrangeas and rearrange the flowers to bring them closer together until I was happy with the result.
Now, after seeing and taking in consideration both looks, I felt like it was missing something.
As I mentioned in the video, the technique is not new but it was new to me. It is fairly easy to make, however, I had a hard time cutting the "v" due to the fact that my ribbon was a little bit thicker and my stack doubled in size because I used two sets of ribbon instead of one. To learn more about it visit: How to Tie a Bow from DIY Ready
Total amount of dollars spent in flowers $34.90
Ribbon $ 6.00 Grape Vine Wreath Form FREE Large Letter FREE And now my beautiful wreath is done! To view more of our DIY Wreaths make sure you follow us on Pinterest: Caramel Curlz & Swirls Pinterest
Hello Everyone!! Well, I had very high hopes that the "flu" would stay away from me but I guess it was bound to happen. Yes, I'm the one who is under the weather and I was forced to finally see the doctor and get a "cold-pack". Although I'm currently on Day 2 of the treatment, my duties remain the same. No breaks for this mommy, especially now that Baseball Season has arrived.
As many of you know, my son loves to play Football. All boys love sports, but I believe that our son's special interest in this sport is due to the fact that his cousin, Austin, started playing football at a young age and is now playing football at Cornell University.
During his Senior Year at Maret School, Washington DC
at Cornell University, Ithaca N.Y.
Our son also wants to be a professional football player.
Their team won the 2015 Football season with an undefeated record.
But what some of you may not know is that our son also plays Baseball. Baseball is a sport my husband is very intimate with since he played it through his high school and college years. I had the intention of embarrassing my husband by posting picture of his high school and college years (big fro and all) but I was unable to find the scanned photos. But do not fear, I will totally update this post as soon as I can get my hands on them!!!
In all honesty, I didn't think my husband coaching our son's team was a good idea. Our son may look like me but he can be as stubborn as his daddy can, and sometimes their personalities crash. Fortunately, I have and continue to watch the bond between father and son grow due to their shared love of sports.
While I envisioned my children playing sports, I never thought my husband would be a "Little League Coach", therefore giving me the title of, "Coach's Wife". I don't know much about sports, so my son enjoys teaching me all the fundamentals needed for me to follow the games and understand the plays.
As the Coach's wife I do find joy doing my appointed duties which start by preparing and sending all the parents a "Welcome Letter":
Preparation of the Coach's Book;
Preparation of Forms (attendance record, players stats, parent/player information, line ups rosters or any forms my husband believes he will need in order to make sure that all his players are given equal time playing different positions, as well as identifying those who needs extra help in certain areas of the game;
Preparation of Snacks/Drinks Schedule
Preparation of the Awards given at the end of the season; and
all email/texts communications to parents as needed.
I suppose you can call me the "coach's personal assistant"... without the pay of course, but it's totally alright with me. My reward is seeing my husband and son making memories together. Our son will forever have these precious memories of his dad coaching his little league baseball team.
Hello again Everyone!! Today we will be talking about Monster High! Our daughter has been fascinated with these monsters for quiet some time. Ms. Bree asked for several of the dolls and received some Monster High dolls for Christmas and some for her her 7th Birthday a few weeks ago. The majority of the dolls are from the new line, Boo York, Boo York. She also received a Wii Game, the new Deadluxe High School Play Set and some storage trunks. This will be the first post of a two posts series. We can, but we will not go over all the Monster High items on one post.
I have to admit I like seeing her play this game and I love playing the game myself. Okay, NO, I'm not allowed to play the game without her but I do play the game when Ms. Bree can't figure out how to find the object she is supposed to find in order to move to next challenge.
**I will say this, the game has a couple of difficult parts. But not too complicated. If you press #2 at the bottom of your remote, a green arrow will appear letting you in which direction to look in order to find the object.
In this game, the child gets to pick how their "Ghoul" looks, whether is a vampire, werewolf, werecat, ghost, zombie or mummy. They get to select skin color, hair color and screename. Then the adventure begins! The child will receive (oral and written) directions.
Product Description: The Monster High gang returns for this trip to the big city, Boo York, for a musical adventure of frights, fashion, and new friends.
Our Review:
I would pick a Monster High movie a thousand times over a Barbie movie. Yes, this is a musical but and is full of contemporary music- rock, and clean rap. The songs are not annoying as you would think.
While some reviewers believe that it has too much boyfriend/girlfriend action, I disagree. Cleo and Deux have been an item in every single movie, and its no different in this movie. It contains the usual positive message and observations about diversity. It teaches the little ones that they don't have to do what other people want them to do. To be true to themselves as well as the value of friendship.
New York and the landmarks of this city are on the center stage, and who doesn't like a good multi-threaded plot with some suspense and action.
With this movie came a new line of character dolls as well as a CD described as an "original motion picture soundtrack". I purchased the soundtrack for Ms. Bree so that she may listen to it whenever and as many times she wants.
Here is one of Bree's favorite songs from the movie.
Product Description: Monster High Deadluxe High School Playset
With multiple levels and rooms, the Monster High Deadluxe High School Playset holds plenty of ghoulish secrets. Slimey tentacles emerge from a locker to offer your doll a seat. Head to the library/Study Howl to find a secret passageway between the walls, then eat lunch in the Creepateria. In the Vampire Lounge, hang a Monster High student upside down (doll not included) by clipping the doll's feet directly to the ceiling or snapping him or her into the gore-gous pink and black quilted chair that attaches to the ceiling. Wander into a classroom to take notes from the monstrous blackboard and try not to get sent to Headmistress Bloodgood's office! The hidden office reveals itself only when the clock tower is opened. Hang out in the main hallway, which doubles as an event space with plenty of freak-tabulous accessories, then head up the sinister staircase to the radio station, which supplies the ghostly beats. With guillotine silhouettes, spider webbing and other monstrous details, this playset offers plenty of creepy fun!
Product Highlights
Main entrance is great for hosting parties, such as the monstrous school dance
Radio station with radio booth and signage on the first floor
Library/Study Howl hides a secret passageway
Hang your Monster High dolls upside down in the Vampire Lounge using the black and pink quilted chair or by clipping your doll's feet directly to the ceiling
Take notes in the freaky classroom from the monstrous blackboard
Access Headmistress Bloodgood's hidden office by opening the clock tower
Playset features multiple levels and rooms for hours of ghastly fun
Slimey tentacles come out of a locker to create a chair
Folds with accessories inside for storage
Note: Monster High dolls not included
For this specific Deadluxe play set you are going to need a large space!
What can I say about this playhouse... she loves it!! I was hesitant in buying this item at first. It is not really cheap (unless you are able to get it on sale) and like many kids, my kids can and will lose interest in some toys within a few weeks. I am amazed that she continues to play with this set every minute she has for free play. Keep in mind this was given to her as a Christmas Gift almost two months ago.
There is so much space containing doll holders for her to place and/or store her dolls, three (3) stories and eight (8) rooms in total! As well as chairs, picnic tables, desks and other accessories to re-create an every day high school scene.
My Husband and Daddy had to put it together and it does take some time. As you can see on the above picture, it is pretty big once this play set is fully assembled. If does not fold completely into a neat rectangle like some doll houses. When folded this play set resembles more of a triangle, freeing some space.
I am truly impressed with all the little details like:
the spooky spider webs;
the sneeze guard over the "food" in the "Creepateria";
the DJ Beat station,
You can also hang your Monster High doll upside down in the Vampire Lounge using the black and pink quilted chair or by clipping your doll's feet directly to the ceiling; and
Take notes in the freaky classroom from the monstrous blackboard.
To be honest, this is by far, the best product I have purchased. With the years Ms. Bree has received Frozen Castle and other sets but quickly lost interest in them.
Bottom line ladies, I totally recommend this product!!
Interested in purchasing these items? Click on the links below:
Many of you have asked me what type of school our children attend and why don't they attend the school assigned based on their home address.
The reason as to why they don't attend their designated school is because we learned very early on that the curriculum was not advanced enough for our son. In fact, our son was regressing instead of progressing. Little Billy had attended private school since he was six months old. Therefore, we decided to look around. We were recommended to Virginia L. Heard Elementary and their Advanced Learning Specialty Program about three years ago. Our son was tested during the summer and the rest is history.
WHAT IS AN ADVANCED LEARNING SPECIALTY PROGRAM?
An Advanced Learning Specialty Program provides elementary school students with an enriched, accelerated curriculum that meets the needs of the advanced learner. Visual and performing arts are also an important part of this program. To qualify, all students, first through the fifth grade must meet rigorous entrance requirements.
WHY ATTEND AN ADVANCED LEARNING SPECIALTY PROGRAM?
STEAM--Students are engaged in lessons where they investigate and incorporate concepts from science,technology, engineering, art and math to become innovative life long learners.
Students are provided R.A.R.E. (Rigorous, Accelerated, Relevant, and Engaging) learning experiences. Core Knowledge® materials are used as resources to teach students in culturally-based, comprehensive activities. Student-centered lessons allow students to work collaboratively using higher-level thinking skills and problem-solving strategies.
Twenty-first century technology is used throughout the school. Computers are in each classroom, as well as in our state-of-the-art Computer Lab.
Students in first through fifth grade are offered the opportunity to take violin on campus before or after the school day.
Dance classes are offered by the Maxine Patterson School of Dance on the Heard campus.
Foreign Language is taught in kindergarten through the fifth grade.
Students take weekly Art classes from a certified Art teacher who frequently supervises student teachers from SCAD on the Heard campus.
Science Lab, hands-on experimentation and investigation, enhances classroom science instruction as part of the weekly Fine Arts classes at Heard.
All specialty program teachers are gifted-certified.
Heard has five teachers who work with students in the Gifted Education Program (GEP).
GEP Teachers serve all classes through enrichment. Identified gifted students are specifically served in pull-out classes.
The GEP Program features competitions in the Stock Market Game, Quiz Bowl, and various contests throughout the year.
There are various student leadership opportunities at Heard: Student Council, National Junior Beta Club, and Safety Patrols.
Students have an opportunity to participate in after-school enrichment camps held every marking period.
Heard has a strong school-family-community partnership. PTA projects offer parents numerous opportunities to participate in both the academic and social events at the school.
I think the information above answers a lot of your questions. Now, keep in mind that all schools operate at a different level. Since the cost of a private school is very high, I think this is the next best option.
We are constantly helping the kids with projects. We have lots of homework that include reading and comprehending as well as Math online.
Our son's biggest project was his science project which lasted approximately five months, from beginning to end.
Our daughter was presented with a "February Choice Menu".
Students had to chose ONE topic to research, it can be someone who has had made an impact on history and can be remembered during Black History Month or a President of our country. Students also needed to research and write five important facts about their person. They also needed to create a poster or craft that represented their person as well.
This activity was created to help the students become more familiar with the engineering design process as Heard is on its way to becoming a STEAM School. As parents, we were instructed to talk with our children about the five steps of the engineering design process:
Ask;
Imagine;
Plan;
Create; and
Improve
Ms. Bree chose to do her project on "Harriet Tubman". I truly believe in letting my children express themselves and I push them to try to make their own decisions. Our sweet daughter has no problem in that area.
She knew from the very beginning who she wanted to talk about. Of course, I still asked the question: "But do you even know who Harriet Tubman is ma petite?"- her response was simple, closing her eyes and pressing her little fist to her forehead she said "of course I know, she was the brown girl who was a teacher, she conducted the underground railroad and help lots of people to be free".
Now, let me say this. You think you remember everything you studied in your younger years, but no, you don't, at least I don't.
My job was to help her do research, I found all of the first grade level biographies I could find. We read them together and we learned so much about Harriet Tubman. It was an eye opening experience. Sad at times but she was a very brave, strong and determined individual.
Below you will see a few other projects from Bree's classmates.
GEORGIA DAY PARADE
As part of the annual commemoration of the founding of the Georgia colony of February 12, 1733 by James Edward Oglethorpe. All students, musicians, local dignitaries, and costumed historical figures march through Savannah’s historic squares during this beloved annual event. The parade usually starts at 10:30 in the morning and the kids end at the park to enjoy some sun and a fun filled picnic before returning to school.
Not everybody is required to dress up but, what kid doesn't like to dress up right? Well, unfortunately, our son was sick and was not able to be part of the parade but Ms. Bree did and she was in the good company of her "BFF", Ms. Madi.
Hello Everyone!! I'm so sorry we have not posted anything lately. It has been an eventful couple of weeks. If you follow us on Facebook than you already know that Ms. Bree was sick again last week. To add to my already stressed week, my dear hubby had to have surgery as well. If you don't follow us on Facebook than you need to do so right away.. Caramel Curlz & Swirls Fan Page, where we have the most fun! But why stop there, you can also find us on: Instagram: caramelcurlznSwirls Twitter: @CurlzNSwirls YouTube Channel: ElenaCunninghamCCNS and now, on Tumblr: caramelcurlznswirls
Because my two lovings were down, I didn't have the energy nor the time to properly prepare for Valentine's Day. After having high fevers for a week, Ms. Bree was able to return to school on Friday.
Unfortunately, no special treats were prepared nor Valentine's Day baskets. However, Hubby decided to do something special for the children. While I learned my lesson the first time around, apparently my husband has not. By that I mean that this is the second time we have a fish tank.
A few years ago my darling husband decided to invest in a 25 Gallon salt water fish tank because our son was into "Nemo & Dori" at the time. Let me point this out. What a mistake that was!! Unless you are serious about the hobby, have the patience, the time and are willing to do the extra work involved in maintaining a salt water fish tank, this hobby is not meant for you.
Needless to say, it was not meant for us at all! During that time we also discovered that our son was allergic to some of the ingredients contained in the fish food. Thankfully he has outgrown said allergy.
What triggered this idea? Well, my husband decided to set up our old 25 Gallon Tank in his new office and the kids immediately began to ask for one, I kindly rejected their request!
This kit includes all you need to start an exciting hobby for the whole family. Just add your imagination! The aquaculture aquarium hood and its incandescent lamp brighten and enhance fish colors. The hood allows for easy maintenance with contoured cut-outs for your filter and optional heater. Plus, the hood's convenient front access door makes it easy to feed your fish.
It includes: size 10 glass aquarium, aqua-tech 5-15 power filter with bio-fiber biological filtration and ez-change #1 filter cartridge, full incandescent light hood (complete with bulbs), water conditioner sample, tetra fish food samples, easy set-up instructions and tetracare support information
Now, this item is no longer available online but I suggest you visit your local Walmart Store.
However, if you don't mind having a bigger tank, you can always obtain the 20 gallon tank online or in store.
Our Review:
While you can make the choice to purchase the 5 Gallon, let me point out that the 10 Gallon is only a couple of dollars more and will remain clean longer than the smaller tank. Therefore cutting your cleaning time in half.
If you are new to this hobby, this tank may be for you. It's neither too small nor too big, it comes with also priced at the right amount for first timers.
The kit has everything you will need to get start it, filter, hood with LED lights, water sanitizer and an envelope of food. The only item missing in this kit is the "heater" and decorations. But I think it was a great buy for only $29.00.
2 Silver Skirt Tetras 1 Cat fish (Bottom Feeder) 1 Black Molly
The fishes were purchased at PetSmart because of their current sale. The orange fishes were only $0.88 each and the Skirt Tetras were $1.69 each.
The children gathered some of their allowance money and purchased the decorations from Walmart as well.
*1 bag of neon colored gravel;
*"Be Aware of the Sharks-No Swimming Stone; and
*Rock with plant;
All of these items ranged from $0.99 cents to $2.99.
Like any new hobby, you don't have to buy everything on the very first day. I love the look, the fact that does not take over my living room, and the noise is not an ugly noise, in fact, is a bit relaxing.
I do wonder if having real plants will make the tank stay cleaner for longer periods instead of using the plastic ones the kids purchased. But I am not running the thought through my kids. Like any kids, they get excited over new ideas but fail to really understand the amount of work involved.
Below is a photo of my loving and you can see how the tank looks.
However, our children gathered some of their allowance money and went back to Walmart the day after and purchased three more decorations. In total my husband and kids spent approximately $60.00, including all decorations and the fishes. Compared to the amount of money we spent in setting up the salt water tank a couple of years ago, we save hundreds!
This is what their tank looks like now:
Have more questions? Here are some answers from the experts:
This product does not come with a thermometer. You might consider getting a thermometer depending on which species you intend to keep and how you maintain the temperature of your home.
Hardy tropical species will be able to survive in room temperature water in most homes, but some more sensitive species might get too cold if you like to keep your home cool. In this case, you'd also need to purchase a tank heater, which this kit does not come with.
Actually, every day is a special day for
us. God has blessed us with two
beautiful children. But like with any
relationship, parenthood has not been easy.
When Bill and I began dating, we knew that we
wanted to have a family together. After
our son was born, I faced many difficulties including Post Partum
Depression. But with the help of my
husband and God, I over came my depression and made a life changing
decision. I vowed to try very hard to be
the best mother I could be for my son and that he was never going to feel alone
and unwanted.
I was no longer going to
dwell on my mother's decision to disown me.
In order to be a better person,
wife and mother, I needed to move past that.
When my husband came to me with the idea of adding
one more bundle of joy to our family, I had many doubts. Especially, when I had finally managed to keep
up with a full time job, motherhood and of course my wifely duties.
When we
became pregnant, I was static but that came to a stop when we lost the
pregnancy at 12 weeks. While it was difficult,
physically and emotionally, we decided to try again. Keeping in mind that we did lose one pregnancy before we were able to have our son.
After many months of trying, we became
pregnant for the fourth time. But by 16
weeks we were given the very sad news that it was not a liable pregnancy and
that it was a matter of time before I started the process of miscarrying. When it eventually happened, I was
distraught and emotionally I was exhausted.
I decided not to try again, and accepted the fact that God only wanted me
to have one child.
I remember the day my best friend, Maria called
me. It was early morning and I had just
walked into my office. She needed to
take a pregnancy test but didn't want to do it alone.
Therefore, she persuaded me to do one with her,
even though I was sure it was a waste of money and a perfectly good pregnancy test because I knew nothing was there
waiting for me to discover. We argued while we were
on the phone, okay more like I wined the entire time while we were waiting for
results of the home pregnancy test, I
was flabbergasted by the two little pink lines telling me to "shut up and
think again". I couldn't believe
it, we were BOTH pregnant!
While I didn't share the news right away with my
husband, I did call my Doctor right away.
My husband didn't find out until October 2007. I didn't want him to suffer another
heartbreak; instead, I decided to live in fear alone until I was 100% sure that everything was good. So, Thank You Mom and Mari for keeping my
secret, which, if you asked my husband, is the only secret I have been able to
keep from him. Yeah, I can't keep a
secret from him!
But my happiness was short lived. On, November 2007 I was put on mandatory bed
rest, I was not allowed to work or do the smallest task. I was bed bound due to the lack of amniotic fluid,
our inability to gain weight and the baby's inability to grow at a proper rate. It didn't matter how much I ate, how much I
drank, nothing helped. We had to go through bi-weekly
ultrasounds and we were at the doctor's office weekly to monitor the baby's
heart rate and movement. I was terrified every day.
But our baby was showing us even then that she was a
fighter. By February 1st, I had grown restless, and it
was clear that our baby felt the same way.
On February 7th, after another ultrasound, we
discovered Ms. Bree was faced the right away and ready to come so I decided to give her a hand! How you ask? I walked
the mall with a huge pretzel in one hand and a jug of water in the other. By 8 pm, my contractions were strong and
steady and Grandmother had finally arrived from North Carolina to take care of
little man. I was admitted around 9:30
p.m. that night and I was ready to rock and roll! However, our little Bree was not! Ms. Bree had fallen asleep, flipped the wrong
way and my contractions had stopped. At
5 a.m. and after 9 hours of labor, I was tired, hungry (okay I was mainly
hungry) and ready to push that lazy baby out but I couldn't since she was
facing the wrong way.
The nurses tried everything to get her to
move to no avail, my doctor had no other choice but to break the water and try
to move her but my baby was a stubborn baby!
Ms. Bree made her entrance right before lunch
time at 11:03 am weighting 5 lb 10 oz.
I
honestly think she smelled the food or maybe it was me telling her that she needed
to come out because mommy wanted to eat!
And if you know me, than you know that nothing comes between me and my
food.
Little Billy met his sister on the evening on
February 8th. While he wanted a little brother, he was more
than happy to have a little sister.
Ms.
Bree was born with a head full of straight hair as well as "infant jaundice",
which is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. This usually occurs because the baby's blood
contains an excess of bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bin), a
yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells. Infant jaundice is a common condition,
particularly in babies born before 38 weeks gestation (preterm babies). She had to
spend some time under the direct sun.
Ms. Bree was not all that well for her first
birthday but, the fevers, congestion and the teething didn't stop her from
enjoying her first cake! Ms. Bree started experiencing lots of colds and ear infections.
A few days before her second birthday, Ms. Bree
and Little Man became ill with the Flu.
While our son responded well to the antibiotics and breathing
treatments, our little princess actually developed pneumonia and had to be
hospitalized for a week. Her inability to eat, drink and use the bathroom became an issue. During our stay at the hospital, she had many wonderful nurses and around the clock care. But even during this difficult time, she never stopped smiling and her brother did everything he could to make her smile.
After her recovery, Ms. Bree had surgery to
implant the ear tubes and remove her adenoids.
She thrived after the surgery.
She began to talk and began to sleep through the night. I no longer had to make sure she was laying
the right way in order for her to breath.
But that really never stopped me from looking at our video monitor. I mean, I'm super paranoid, I'm sure that if
you look up the word you will see a photo of me!
Ms. Bree loves to dance and sing. She is a girly girl but she can easily switch
and play rough with the boys. The
perfect balance if you ask me.
5th Birthday Celebration- Frozen Theme
And who can forget her Frozen Birthday Party! She
celebrated her birthday with many of her classmates.
This was the year we went all out. All the DIY decorations, cake and
treats. Her special outfit designed by Miss. Teeny Fab Couture and her very special Barbie Cookies made by Tiffany's Homemade.
We are so glad that our daughter was able to celebrate her birthday with her family and close friends. Ms. Bree is due to have surgery in March 2016. Please continue to pray for our little angel. We pray that her inexplicable fevers stay away and that the surgery helps her body get rid of everything that is currently weakening her system. And that after the surgery she is able to enjoy her childhood even more.
A
Special Letter to My Daughter
Dear Bree:
You are now seven
years old and truly I can't believe it.
I remember the day I first held you in my arms. You were so small, skin so soft and
delicate. Trust me when I say that your
father will always be wrapped around your little finger. You may not know what that means now, but one day
you will know what that means.
You have grown into a
beautiful little girl who loves to smile, who loves God and always chooses to
do right thing. You are independent,
caring and talented in many ways. Your
love and dedication to art and dance surprises me.
Your ability to see
the best in everything or everyone shows me every day how kind your heart truly
is. Please continue to do that. God has given you a kind heart full of joy
that people find very hard to ignore.
Your laugh is infectious. But
when the time comes, the time when you experience cruelty and rejection, don't
forget that I will always be there for you.
There are many things in this world that I will not be able to protect
you from or fix, but I will always be there to comfort you.
I know I'm not
perfect, I know I scream a lot and I promise to do better. Don't ever be afraid to share things with me,
because I will never judge.
And if one day a boy
breaks your heart and makes you feel less, we will tell your father and he can go
hunting.
I pray every day that
you never stop caring for your brother, he may not tell you this, but he loves
you very much. You are his baby sister
and he will always be your older brother.
You are very special
to us, even when we are mad at each other, okay, I have to think about this for
a minute because we are never mad at each other… You are perfect, from your big
hair, tan skin and toothless smile, don't ever forget that. I promise to improve as a Mother and to
always be your friend. You are my baby
girl, my only girl and I will always love you no matter what. Your
father and I are so blessed to have you in our lives, our love for you will
never end, will never falter, this is an everlasting love!
