easy diy giant fringe number

If you haven't already noticed I love projects that are easy to tackle! 

This piece of party decoration took me all of about 30 minutes to complete.

I used left over cardboard I had that came with some Ikea packaging (yay for going green).

Cut out the number five that I free handed.

I used different color tissue papers and cut them as I would if I were making a tissue paper garland.

Taped them to the cardboard.

Repeat the taping process as you go!

And voila a cute giant fringe number!

Kid you not this easy DIY project will make its appearance at every party simply because its so easy and makes a big statement!

Hope you liked this easy DIY!

xoxo

Jocelyn

diy zootopia inspired favor bags

Yesterday I shared some photos of my daughters birthday party. Today I wanted to share a little more of the details behind the party favor bags!

When it comes to putting together favor bags I always start off with a plain brown lunch bag!

For two reasons!

(1) They are a blank canvas that you literally can do anything with!

(2) They are ridiculously affordable!

I knew right off the bat that I wanted these favor bags to represent the theme in a not so in your face way.

To represent Judy Hopps I went with the carrot and for Nick Wilde I went with the pawpsicle.  And to my surprise the kiddos totally understood the references!

I can't draw to save my life so I used templates I found on the internet. 

A template, construction paper, glue stick and brown lunch bag is all you need! 

Inside the party favors our guests were treated to some of Cailee's favorite things!

Candy necklace and bracelet (not pictured)

Play doh

Judy Hopps coloring page

Zootopia fruit snacks (not pictured)

Custom sugar cookies

The adults at the parties went home with their pick of a custom sugar cookie by Mpressive Creations :)

xoxo

Jocelyn

party time

Two weeks ago we celebrated Cailee turning 5 years old with a fun pool party! SADLY these were the only photos I managed to get of the party! 

Cailee really wanted a Zootopia party so I did my best to incorporate small details where I could. Because we had the party at our community pool we are limited on how we can decorate etc but everything came out great!

Just like always my sister made the cupcakes and cake for the party. And just like every other year they were a big hit!

The party favors had paws and carrots on them to represent Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps from Zootopia! 

The cookies were made by a local baker and boy were they absolutely delicious! 

Cookies made by Mpressive Creations (located in Southern California)!

Stay tuned this week for some extra party details.

xoxo

Jocelyn

my easy diy lego table

After researching and gathering everything I needed (which wasn't much) I was eager to put together Cailee's Lego Table! 

It was by far the easiest DIY project ever!

What I used:

Ikea Lack Coffee table

Lego Baseplates 

Velcro squares

Target Pillowfort bins

All I did was make sure the Lego baseplates were centered on top of the table and attached the velcro to the corners! Keep in mind the velcro does make the baseplates lift a tiny bit on the corners (so far it has not been an issue). 

I used velcro instead of glue because I wanted the option of taking off the baseplates without potentially damaging the table top. 

The bins add a tiny bit of color and are the perfect storage for the small space!

Considering this little project took me all but maybe 30 minutes (including assembling the table) it has already brought hours of joy for my newly turned five year old :)

To check out some of the inspiration behind this Lego table click here! 

xoxo

Jocelyn

five on friday

Happy Friday Everyone! 

This was our last week of summer vacation and we literally did nothing! Not that I am complaining because come next week I will be missing our "nothing to do" days. While we still have today to soak in all the nothingness (yes I am sure that is a word and if its not it totally should be!), I wanted to join in on the Five on Friday fun!

| one | Back in April I shared my Trader Joe's must haves, since then I have added two more to the list! The Butternut Squash Zig-Zags are delicious and a great way to add more veggies to your meals! The Riced Cauliflower is an absolute favorite of mine! I saute it with a little bit of olive oil and white pepper. When I feed it to my girls I mix it into their brown rice and they gobble it right up. 

      

| two | While we are on the topic of food, I wanted to share these Yummy Spoonfuls I found at Target recently! I love these for so many reasons but let's be honest it is a lifesaver. When Charlotte is hungry for the millionth time I just pop these into the microwave and voila a little healthy meal! It is made in the USA, is organic, gluten-free, and so much more! So far Charlotte has given her stamp of approval on the Pinto Beans Brown Rice & Turkey and the Lentil & Carrots! Just picked up a few new flavors today and I am pretty sure they will be big hits too!

 | three | I stopped by Carter's earlier this week to pick up some new pjs and I was sucked in. I normally contain my need to buy every cute outfit I see but this time around I gave in just a little! In my defense I had just cleaned out both of the girls dressers and they were in need of some new clothes. Everything I bought was either on clearance or on major sale (double win) so to the mommas out there looking for deals swing by Carter's! Out of all the goodies I got these two onesies(geo print bodysuit/horse bodysuit) are my favorites! 

| four | Last Friday Cailee turned the big 5 and we surprised her with a Lego Table. She loved it and put it into use right away! This easy gift was a big hit and will last her for years to come. I will share a separte post on the lego table soon :) 

| five | Cailee's 5th birthday pool party was last weekend and it was a blast! It was well over a 100 degrees but the pool kept our guest happy.  I can't wait to share more pictures soon! But for now I'll leave ya with a picture of some yummy cake!

Now I am off to enjoy our last Friday of summer vacation!

xoxo

Jocelyn

lego fun

This month my oldest daughter Cailee turns the big FIVE! 

While brainstorming gift ideas, I knew whatever I got her had to incorporate Legos!

She has loved Legos ever since last Christmas when she got them as a gift!

It really is amazing to watch her sit at the kitchen table and tediously get to work!

Any gift that caters to a child's creative side is a no brainer!

She already has plenty of legos but doesn't really have a designated space to build them. Because lets face it by the time dinner rolls around those tiny pieces have got to go!

I went straight to Pinterest to see what I could whip up as a work station or fun storage. 

Leave it to Pinterest to give me so many options!

See for yourself the options are truly endless!

From Fancy Ashley...

From A little of this, a little of that...

From My Frugal Adventures...

From Family.Food.Fun...

After plenty of research, I gathered all the supplies needed and can't wait to tackle this project this weekend! 

Stay Tuned :)

xoxo

Jocelyn

introducing...

Our newest family member and the prettiest little lady I ever did see. 

I present to you all our girl Hannah! 

I mentioned back in May(find that post here) that we were trying to adopt this sweet girl. And yesterday was the big day! 

Thanks to some very amazing volunteers she made her journey from Arizona to us in Southern California.

In case you are wondering...here is a little back story of our doggie adopting story!

Hannah was abandoned in the desert in Arizona and turns out she was pregnant! She was found by a caring woman who reached out to a friend at the Arizona Puggle Rescue! This amazing puggle rescue took in Hannah a cocker spaniel and cared for her and her puppies. We have been in talks with the rescue since April to adopt this beautiful girl. Countless emails were exchanged with much needed updates on her health and her puppies. 

All those days of waiting and wondering if we would be her forever family were so worth it!

We are so happy to give this girl the life she so deserves! 

If you would love to donate to this amazing rescue click here! 
And before you consider buying a puppy from a pet store or breeder please look into a rescue dog :)
xoxo Jocelyn

bake crew { golf cupcakes }

Today was my very last assignment for Bake Crew for Cailee's school and I knew I had to go out with a bang! The Golf Tournament was an event I have been looking forward to for months! Not because I golf or anything of that sort but because I wanted to make some cute looking cupcakes! And according to my 4 year old I nailed it! 

After getting inspiration from Pinterest I was confident enough to try these out! Every single tutorial I found said to use the Wilton #233 decorating tip to get the grass effect. Of course I didn't have that tip but I did have the Wilton #21 decorating tip and that worked just as well! 

And here you have them...my golf inspired cupcakes! 

These were by far the funniest cupcakes to make and from what I heard they were well received! 

Big kuddos to my sister for helping me with the little flags! She made them from templates she found on Pinterest of course ;)

Farewell Bake Crew!

xoxo

Jocelyn

room parent {easy end of year gift for the kiddos}

With the school year coming to an end so is my time as room parent. 

I wanted to give the kids a special end of the year gift, that could also serve as a keepsake!

I thought long and hard about this even though you could say its a no brainer.

A class photo was the best keepsake option for the kids and for their parents! Double win!!

I found these rectangle unfinished frames for less than $1 at Walmart. I already had the paint and permanent marker needed for this little project. It really does pay to stock up on arts and crafts items ;)

During Charlotte's nap time I was able to paint all 17 frames and believe it or not they only need one coat of paint. 

I added the school name(edited out of photo) on top of the frame and class year at the bottom.

I got the sand buckets at the Dollar Tree and the frames fit perfectly inside! I also added bubbles and a bag of snacks!

The other TK room parent and I coordinated so all our kiddos would get their end of the year gifts together!

These gifts were a big hit with both the kids and their parents!

Not really sure how I will top this next year but I can't wait to try ;)

xoxo

Jocelyn

five on friday

Our week went by so slow but so quick at the same time(if that even makes sense). This week has been so great on so many levels and I really can't wait to share with you all! So lets get to my five stat!

 

- one -

 

I signed up both girls for their Summer activities and we are all so excited about it! My 4 year old will be enjoying soccer and I even scored her some cleats on clearance at Payless(seriously who knew and the reviews have been so great on them). My 1 year old and I will be attending a "mommy and me" dance class! I am currently tracking down small enough tap shoes for her! Seriously can't wait to get her a little dance outfit! I found the cutest leotards on Etsy that I am highly considering getting for Charlotte!

 

 

- two -

 

I was treated to a fabulous Mani and Pedi by my mom as a late Mother's Day gift and boy was it heavenly. The picture doesn't do it justice at all but I love the mint color so much!

 

 

- three -

 

I am a big Carter's fan for clothes for my little ones. I constantly get coupons from them and always put them to good use! The clothes are cute and affordable which are two qualities I can appreciate! My youngest even made her way onto their website! There are so many cuties on the website but seeing your own when your scrolling thru is always so fun.

Charlotte is in the yellow ;)

 

   - four -   Friday's are typically the day we eat out as a treated for making it thru the week! Today however I am making my go to absolutely could eat the whole thing by myself Classic Chicken Pot Pie! I got the recipe from Pillsbury website over a year ago and so glad I did! It tastes delicious and is so quick to put together people would never now that it only took you about 25 minutes to make!   - five -   I saved the best for last! This week I got an email from my daughter's principal informing me that I was nominated for PTO Secretary! I honestly couldn't believe it! I may have completely overreacted and even shed a tear or two but hey that's just the kind of person I am! Whether I win or lose I am just so excited that someone thought of me for the job! A little fun fact but my sister is the Secretary for the PTO at my nieces school! How cool would that be both her and I as Secretaries :) Our mother would be so proud lol     Make sure to join in on the link up fun with all the girls!  

 

And just like that we are sailing into the weekend on such a high note!  I already got the wine and movie ready for tonight, because you better believe we are celebrating ;)  

end of the year class party inspiration

The closer we get to the last day of school the more in denial I get! 

This year flew by faster than I ever imagined it could. 

One of my last room parent tasks is the End of the Year Class Party!

The other TK room parent and I are joining forces to throw one big party for our little ones!

I absolutely love how busy I am right now. Planning this party and getting all the goodies taken care of has completely distracted me from the fact that my first born will be turning 5 and entering Kindergarten. 

I originally planned to stick with the class cute monster theme for the party but then I saw the cutest sun balloon from Party City! Then one thing after another and I was consumed by the idea of summer. Bright fun colors screams summer and that's exactly what I want this party to look like.

I put together this little inspiration board, mostly because it just makes me smile ;)

yellow balloons | pink balloons | orange balloons | smiling sun balloon

wooden frames | yellow sand pail | red sand pail

I am putting together little goodie baskets for the kids that will include the beach pail, bubbles, goldfish crackers and a picture frame with a picture of the whole class! 

The teachers end of year gift however has me completely stumped! And I have already done plenty of Pinterest searching and am still at a lost. So if you have any suggestions at all please please please let me know!

Ps I am already dreaming of summer, margaritas and s'mores ;)

free summer fun

With summer vacation just around the corner I have been brainstorming various ways to keep my littles entertained. Sure we have some mini vacations planned but for the most part our days are free for adventure. 

When I am on the hunt for fun activities to do with the kiddos my number one criteria is that it has to be free or reasonably affordable! You would be surprised to find how many things you could do with your kids that cost nothing. All it takes is a little bit of time and research. 
Aside from the main "go to" like the park, I absolutely love going to the library! Who knew?! My local library offers so many fun free activities for all age groups. Dare I say it's almost like a one stop shop!
My local library offers the following events:
Youth Chess Club Baby and Toddler Storytime Bilingual Storytime Just 2's and 3's Storytime School Readiness Storytime - a program designed to get 3-5 year olds ready for school - Yoga Basics for Adult Senior Creative Writing
And that is only a few of the events they have to offer!
I encourage you to check out your local library this summer.
And if you don't know what to do with that extra money your saving yourself this summer check out my friends at Personal Capital (where you can get a head start on retirement planning).   If you have any fun tips on having some free summer fun please share in the comments below!
I'll leave ya with a picture of my little family a few summers back :)

Happy Monday Everyone!
xoxo Jocelyn

five on friday pet edition

Happy Friday Everyone! If you happened to read yesterday's post than you know that we are trying to adopt a beautiful little Cocker Spaniel named Hannah! And if you haven't already noticed I tend to get overly excited about things and start planning almost immediately. So it only makes sense to make today's Five on Friday the pet edition :)
| one |

This personalized dog tag inspired by Lilly Pulitzer is just the cutest. This Etsy shop has so many other personalized dog tag options it is really hard to pick a favorite!

| two |

Another Etsy shop that I came across makes these dog bed pillow covers. They have four different cover sizes and even more color options! 

| three | 

I was on Pottery Barns website looking for some throw pillows and my mind wandered. Next thing I know I am looking at pet products. I found this Pet Bowl and Stand that just looks so fancy lol! Yep because dogs care what they eat out of right?!

| four | 

I was looking into dog beds and came across this bed on Amazon and thought this dog bed looks like its more comfortable than my own couch! The bed is a bit out of our price range but its too nice not to share. 

| five | 

I am all for car safety when having a pet in the vehicle but I had no idea such a product existed. Browsing on Petsmart and I came across dog car booster seats and I couldn't help but laugh! I thought I only had to worry about the girls car seats not the dog. Giggles aside I think this product is actually pretty cool and will definitely get one for our future pet! 

Join in on the link up fun!

All the dog parents out there I'd love to hear about your favorite dog products!

Have a great weekend everyone :)

xoxo

Jocelyn