sponsor highlight, giveaway day!

welcome to our first ever sponsor highlight/giveaway day :)

we have been so fortunate to have some pretty amazing shops come on board with us these past few months...they are not only advertising their shops and blogs, but they are also helping us get elsa home.  all ad spaces go straight to our adoption fund, so a big thank you to our sponsors---ya'll rock.

so scroll through for the give-a-way...one lucky person will win all the loot!

let's get things started, shall we?

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First up is Elizabeth St.

Betsy at Elizabeth St. makes the most adorable unique accessories and home goods!

Not to mention she is a rockin' photographer :)

She is giving away this set of pinwheels:

plus this headband:

Adorable!

Make sure to visit her shop or her blog :)

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Next up is Tweet Baby Designs:

Ashlee has become a friend through this online world...she is a darling mother of 6!  And still finds time to be super crafty.  Love it :)  She is the maker of the fabulous teething necklace that Kohen is always sportin'.

We also own one of these chomping necklaces...it's such a brilliant idea...a cute necklace that mom can wear, and baby can chomp on.  Fabulous.

Adorable headband!

Ashlee is generously offering one lucky reader a $20 credit to her shop!

Check out her shop and blog :)

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Next up is Nourish Baby Organics:

Melissa is the owner of this fabulous baby and mama organic skin care line.  She has generously sent me a lavender wash and balm and let me tell you...it's fabulous stuff.  I like to think it helps the baby (and the mama) sleep a little better at night :)

She is giving away a jar of the coconut balm:

Our organic coconut balm is so incredibly effective in moisturizing and soothing irritated skin. Organic plantain leaves & chickweed are infused with organic virgin cold pressed coconut oil and added to organic beeswax and organic shea butter. A touch of GMO-free vitamin e is also added to naturally preserve and moisturize.
Coconut oil serves as a protective layer, helping to retain the skin's moisture. Plantain leaves help to stop the itching of eczema, allergic rashes and even poison ivy. Chickweed is an herb that is incredibly healing by reducing inflammation and aiding in tissue repair.

and, a bottle of the coconut wash:

Cleanse, soothe and hydrate your baby's delicate skin with our Organic Coconut Wash. Made with organic saponified oils of coconut, olive and jojoba, organic aloe vera, organic coconut oil and organic rosemary extract to naturally preserve. Has a wonderful light coconut aroma that comes naturally from the coconut oil.

Use as an all over baby wash and shampoo! This is my personal favorite for newborns and extremely dry skin types because it is richer in consistency than our lavender wash. Just shake well before using!

Thanks Melissa!

She is also offering our readers a 20% off discount, just use the code "andersoncrew20" at checkout!

Be sure to stop by her shop and blog :)

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Next is Wild Olive:

Mollie makes adorable embroidery patterns and printables...her shop is full of yummy goodness!

Stop with the cuteness...a gnome?  I love it.

Mollie is giving away a $10 credit to her shop!

Be sure to check out her shop and blog :)

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Up next is Beattie Studios:

Elizabeth is a fabulous photographer based out of San Diego...she is not participating in the give-a-way but is offering $250 off any of her 3 packages, if you book a January 2011 session!

Be sure to check out her "charity" page as she is a part of "OpLove".

“OpLove” is a charity organization of professional photographers that have joined together to offer our military men and women FREE special sessions with their families if your loved one is about to be deployed, is deployed or will be returning soon.

That is such a wonderful thing she is a part of...thanks for sharing about it!

Be sure to check out her site and her blog :)

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Next in line is Lisa's Lovlies:

Lisa is a full time silver smith and creates all of her beautiful jewelry.

She has already participated in a give-a-way on this blog, but I wanted to make sure to show again, her fabulous jewelry...I am a fan of this nose ring:

and these earrings:

Thanks for being a sponsor this month, Lisa!

You can visit her at her shop or blog :)

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Up next is Andi Adams:

Andi is an adorable youngin' (I can say things like that, now that I'm old) who loves to create things.  Here is a peek at a few of her creations:

And is giving away a handmade necklace and Christmas tree ornament!

Check her out at her shop and blog :)

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Up next is The Vintage Pearl:

I'm pretty sure I don't need to do any explaining of who Erin and The Vintage Pearl are...I will let this picture do the talking:

The Vintage Pearl = fabulous jewelry.  Nuff' said :)

Erin is generously giving away a $50 gift certificate to her store!

Be sure to check out the shop and blog :)

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Next up is Made 4 Adoption:

Meg is another mother in the adoption journey.  She has started an etsy shop, full of shabby flower goodness...all her proceeds go to their adoption fund!

Here's a peek at some of her creations:

Meg is offering a $25 credit to her shop!

Be sure to visit her shop and blog :)

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And last but certainly not least, make sure to visit the adorable blogs who are supporting our crew:

Ashley from Under the Sycamore:

Jami (a.k.a. my BFF) from The Natos:

And another Ashley from The Domestic Wannabe:

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So, let's recap, shall we?

Here's what 1 lucky winner will win:

$25 shop credit to Made 4 Adoption

1 set of pinwheels and 1 headband from Elizabeth St.

$20 shop credit to Tweet Baby Designs

1 coconut balm and 1 coconut wash from Nourish Baby Organics

$10 shop credit to Wild Olive

Necklace and Christmas tree ornament from Andi Adams

$50 shop credit to The Vintage Pearl

To enter this give-a-way, simply leave a comment on this post.

The give-a-way will close Wednesday, Dec. 1 at midnight (eastern time).

I'll post a winner on Thursday :)

Thanks to all of my fabulous sponsors for making this give-a-way possible!

made with love mondays: DIY husband gifts

okay, we're back for the second installment of made with love monday, today.  this time, it's all about the husband/men in our lives.  i will be the first one to tell you that mr. anderson is so hard to shop for.  he never tells me what he wants.  he would much prefer an "experience" to a "gift"...so, i'm always scrambling around to find the coolest "experience" out there (i.e. a night away, day at a theme park, etc.). 

he usually always enjoys what i cook up, but a nice "what i want for christmas" list, would be fantastic.

you reading that, mr. anderson?

our DIY project is a super sweet and simple one by my friend amy.  and yes, i can call her my friend, cause not only are we online buddies, but we have since met and become friends, in real life.  she is a sweet girl...with such a big heart.  i'm lucky to have her in my life...it's nice to sit around and talk with someone about the blogging world, and they actually understand what i'm saying, rather than look at me with a blank stare.  yah, i love that.

welcome, amy!

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Hello out there.  It's little ole me, Amy from Buggie and Jellybean.  Em asked if I would help out with her day filled with fun for the boys in our lives and I was all over it.  I had an idea floating around the dusty corner of my brain and this was the perfect time to pull it out and try it. So here is my "Travel Frame for Daddy".

What you will need:
- 2 or more wood frames {I used two I had on hand they held a 2.5 x 2.5in pic}
- hinges {enough to have one in between each frame}
- spray paint
- ribbon
- card stock
- tacky glue
- scissors
- screwdriver
- your photos

step 1:
Spray paint your frames {let dry completely, unlike me. BOO touch up needed!}
After it's dry, trace the outside of the frame on your card stock and cut out. Repeat for each frame.

step 2:
Screw in your hinges.  Make sure you lay them out to how you want them to fold.  I preferred mine to fold into each other.

step 3:
Glue your ribbon in the center of the outside frames.  Add you photos to the frames. Then cover the back with tacky glue and place card stock on the back.  I am going to let Buggie color some pictures on the card stock, but I did not have time.

step 4:
Let tacky glue dry for at least an hour.  I would place a heavy book on top as it dries.

Now you have a little travel frame for Daddy to pack with him next time he travels. I think his will just stay nice and cozy in his luggage so it never gets left at home.

 I love that you can do two or four frames. Completely adjustable to your family.

Oh and that nice texture look my frames have was a complete mistake.  I had try something else with these that did not work.  But it left glue on the front of them. When I sprayed them with a metallic it gave them, what I thought, was a more MANLY feel.

Well that's it from me today.  I hope you enjoyed this, I know I enjoyed marking it off my always growing crafty list.  So thanks Em for encouraging that check mark!

Happy crafting (or as my husband would say "crapping").  LOL.

thanks amy, for such a fun and easy craft!

here are a few more ideas, that i found whilst searching online:

have a dad or man in your life that loves to read?  these photo bookmarks are a great idea.

found here.

i'm not a huge fan of ties for gifts, but this one is fabulous, with that extra special touch of personalization.

found here.

i love the look of these retro labels.  you can download them for free from martha.

found here.

so, we all know that your man will want a little bit more than a jar of nuts with DAD on it...but while you may be buying him that power tool that he's had his eyes on, you can still add a little homemade love into your gifts this year.  hope this post inspires that!

have any fabulous gifts you've made some men in your life?  link up in the comments to share with everyone!

happy monday, ya'll!

made with love mondays: DIY boy gifts.

this edition of made with love is going to be a fun one...it's all about those cute, hilarious, sweaty, smelly, over-the-top boys in your life.  do you have any of those?  i've got a handful of them, and when it comes to gifts, i always want to find them something that's not plastic and/or has a gun attached to it.

i have a fabulous guest blogger, posting a boy DIY project...plus, i've attached some links to a few fun gifts that i found while surfing the intranet.  later, i'll also be back with another guest blogger, who will be showing a husband DIY gift :)

first up!

do you know ashley, from under the sycamore?  you don't?  well okay then, i will let you crawl out from under that rock you've been in...head on over to her blog...check things out...then come back.

be warned though, you'll be there for a while.

fabulous, right?  i love her blog on so many levels...but the main one is the fact that we both have 4 small kiddos.  it's always fun to meet another mother of 3 boys and a little lady.  we can relate on the wrestling matches that take place in our homes on a daily basis.  i usually read her blog and think "yup, that's happening right here, right now too".

she is also full of fabulous DIY projects.  i'm convinced that she will take over martha stewarts empire one day...she would be perfect for it.

so, she's over here today with a fun boy gift, that is super simple to make...sit back and enjoy :)

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It is hard for me to remember that there was a time in my life that didn't involve daily sword fights and wrestling matches. The volume level in my house is always on high and you are guaranteed to find a Lego man hiding in the plants and pillow cushions if you come to visit. Even in our arts & crafts projects I have found that my boys rarely are content with a calmer activity like drawing or painting. To keep their attention when we are creating I try to include random objects that can combine to make whatever pops into their imaginations. I am also that mom that likes to give gifts that provoke creativity. So, I thought I'd share a recent gift my oldest son gave a good friend.

Supplies:
Basic composition notebook
Document box with dividers (mine was about $5.00 at Walmart)
Mod Podge
Boy friendly paper to cover notebook (I used the cover off an old kids story magazine)
Random objects (yarn, tape, glue, googly eyes, magnet strips, paper clips, scrap paper, sticky notes, rubber bands, etc.)

Step 1: Create a new cover for the composition notebook. Apply a THIN layer of Mod Podge to cover, place new paper on top, let dry. Trim excess paper on edges. Cover with a second coat of Mod Podge. If you put your Mod Podge on too thick it can cause bubbles.

Step 2: Using vinyl stickers create the child's name on the top of the box. Most kids like having things that are their very own. By adding the name it makes it extra special.

Step 3: Gather your items for the inside. I used a circle punch and cut out lots of random circles from envelopes, Starbucks coffee sleeves, paint samples, etc.

Step 4: Fill the box with your items. Office supply and hardware stores are great places to get items that aren't just your basic markers & stickers.

I attached 6 pencils to the top (in honor of Jaxson turning 6) using masking tape and string.

There are so many ways to make this personal to the boy in your life. I love the action and noise my boys bring to my life. I also love to see their creativity at work making things that would never come to my mind. Yeah for little boys!

Thanks for having me Emily....and thanks for sharing ideas for handmade gifts for boys!

thank YOU, ashley...fabulous tutorial :)

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here's a few other projects i found while surfing the 'net.

enjoy :)

a cute mobile for a little man in your life:

quick and easy tutorial here.

a soft baby book---this is adorable:

tutorial here.

this tent fits over your kitchen table---brilliant!  my boys would LOVE this...heck, even my girl would love it.

tutorial here.

what boy couldn't use more belts?  at the very least, little boys might use these for weapons (at least mine do), if not for holding their pants up.

tutorial here.

a trinket keeper?  yes please!  my feet are feeling the wear and tear of stepping on trinkets daily.  this would be a great gift for caedmon...he is a trinket lover.

tutorial here.

these gift ideas came from celebrate the boy...it was a month full of awesome boy tutorials!
i'm hoping that this inspires you to create something for those boys in your life.  if you have or know of  a great boy DIY project, link up in the comments and share with everyone.

i'll be back later today with a husband DIY project, from my super sweet friend, amy!