Does your tot know his/her numbers yet? I know when my little one was learning her numbers that she responded very well to flash cards. Very well is putting it mildly too. She used to walk around everywhere with them asking me over and over again "What's this mama"? I loved her enthusiasm for wanting to learn. Of course Eric Carle and Dr. Seuss helped tremendously. Their flash cards were by far the cutest I have ever seen!
April 30, 2013
April 29, 2013
FREE set of 5 digital Polaroids & Frames!
While the hubby was cleaning out the trunk of his car, he came across some old photos of when he was younger. I couldn't wait to get my hands on them to be reminded of just how adorable he was. As I was looking through them I was delighted to find some great Polaroids and bordered photographs in his collection. They were distressed and discolored and I absolutely loved them! I couldn't help myself, my brain immediately switched into art mode. I chose my favorite Polaroids and bordered images and scanned them to my computer. I opened them in Photoshop, made a few adjustments, and created digital templates. I am so happy with how they turned out but even more excited to present this NEW set of Vintage Polaroids and Frames to all of you! I hope you'll love them as much as I do! Oh, and did I mention they are FREE? That's right. So go ahead and download the entire set! All I ask in return is, if used on your website, credit with a link back to my site would be absolutely fabulous and much appreciated!
April 28, 2013
Am I a horrible person for finding beauty in Boston?
I was in Boston on Saturday for a hair appointment. It's not often I get into the city so it's easy to forget how beautiful it can be especially on a warm and sunny Spring day! For the first time since last year, I got to sport my open toe sandals and pretty pedicured toes! It was a good day. A much needed "ME" day and I looked forward to the next two hours I would have to relax in a chair and have someone make me pretty! With that said, I walked the streets of Boston with a smile on my face. That is of course, until I got to Boylston Street.
April 25, 2013
Diane Von Furstenberg at The Gap (and my Spot the Differences game for Friday)!
I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on my Spot the Differences game and it’s been a great help! THANK YOU to everyone who has been participating and leaving comments! For today’s game, there are eight differences (instead of 7) so I hope you are up for the challenge! Going forward, I will be displaying the images side by side to keep you from having to scroll up and down a million times. I think this will also make it easier to identify the differences. Of course, now they are side by side, you will notice I had to make the images smaller to fit the width of my posting area. With that said, I highly recommend using the link that will open a new window for you to view at it’s original (much LARGER) size. If it becomes too large for your screen, just go to VIEW on your toolbar at the top of your web browser screen and zoom out! This should do the trick.
The PIN IT Party is Live! Come link up!
Grab the code here!
Host: Ellie @ Creative Geekery the Blog
Co-Hosts: Kristin @ One Organic Mama
Elena @ Cropped Stories
We will each choose our three favorite posts from the party and pin them to this party's collaborative Pinterest board:
THE Pin It Party - The Best of the Best! Woot woot!
{BTW, if you are interested in co-hosting, please shoot me an email.}
April 24, 2013
Wordless, who me?
Not completely wordless, but close.
Looking over at my little one makes me think of how great it is to be a kid. When all it takes are little things like a pink hat or animal print sneakers to make you smile, to make you happy, to make you love life! There is no confusion, fuss, chaos, stress, worry, responsibility. Just SIMPLICITY! I wish it could always be like this for her.
April 22, 2013
How to increase your blog traffic and make new friends!
Hope you don’t mind if I get right down to the nitty gritty! Feel free to grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and make yourself comfortable. I have some good tips for you today!
INCREASE YOUR BLOG TRAFFIC WITH THESE 11 TIPS
1. LINK UP TO BLOG HOPS but participate with CAUTION! Before you move on, please read Blog Hops and Facebook (have you read Facebook’s terms)? I can’t stress this one enough! They are the best tool out there for bloggers to meet new people with similar interests. Most blog hops require you to follow the hosts and co-hosts, then you’re on your own. You are able to follow the sites you like and in return they’ll follow you back. It’s that simple! It’s a great way to drive traffic to your blog, increase your following and social media contacts. Feel free to visit my Link Ups Page for a list of active Blog Hops!
April 21, 2013
My Top 15 Men’s Gift Recommendations
With the hubby’s birthday coming up soon, it got me thinking about men’s gifts. I almost love shopping for the hubby more than myself! Almost. With Father’s Day around the corner too, I thought this would be an excellent time to publish a post on my top choices for men’s gifts! Ladies, we can’t forget about the men in our lives. They deserve a little spoiling too right?! I know Mother’s Day hasn’t even passed, but I like to get a head start on my shopping! I’m not very good under pressure. I’d hate to think of what it would be like shopping for a gift at the last minute. It gives me anxiety just thinking about it!
Shopping early also gives me the opportunity to take my time and do it stress free! I am able to put a lot of thought into finding the perfect gift! So today, I’m excited to share a list of the Top 15 items I would recommend for men! If you are looking for something affordable, I have you covered. Want to splurge a little? No worries, I have you folks covered too! You’ll find everything from electronics, tech toys, and clothing, to jewelry, accessories, and gaming tools, etc. so I hope you are ready to do some clicking!
April 18, 2013
Can you spot the differences (a fun game for Friday)!
This will be my second post with my Spot the Differences game. Thought it would be a fun idea especially for a Friday! So call in the kids and see if they can find all seven differences between the following two pictures. They may be subtle so look carefully! When you’re ready to check the answers, click HERE. No giving up though!
Want more? No problem. Feel free to check out my previous Spot the Differences game! Better yet, leave me a comment and let me know how many you get right!
April 17, 2013
Free 8 x 10 customizable photo template to print!
I had this idea for a word search photo frame. Initially my design contained the child’s name which I thought was kind of cool. Then I thought it would be a little more difficult to customize with a child’s name especially for those that are unfamiliar with their text and format tools/layers/etc. in Photoshop and Elements. With that said, I decided on this ‘Be ONE in a Million’ theme!
With all my templates, this is a .psd file that can be opened in Photoshop or PSE. It is an 8 x 10 customizable photo template and is very easy to use. Once open, find the ‘Place Photo Here’ layer (highlighted in RED) and make sure it is selected with your mouse. Now go to File / Place. This will allow you to choose an image from your computer files. Once you have placed your photo in the square, you may adjust its size to fit the frame.
April 16, 2013
Blogging resources, tools, widgets, html etc. you should check out!
If you can believe it, this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for at least a month. It’s a good thing I checked it! I’d hate to deprive you all of the adorableness! I love these pictures of Livi in her room. I took them the same day I photographed her BIG girl bed. If you missed this post, feel free to check it out!
Come join the Friend Connect Blog Hop!
It's Tuesday again which means it's time for the Friend Connect Blog Hop!
It's the time to meet new friends and find new blogs. You can choose to follow the co-hosts in whatever way is best for YOU! Here are some of my favorite ways: GFC, BlogLovin', HelloCotton, RSS, Twitter, Facebook.
Ok, so let's get to the party, shall we?
RULES are simple:
1. Follow your host
The First link below
2. Follow your co-hosts
The Next 8 links below
3. Link up below using your main blog url not a specific post.
4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link up and follow them
and if you want to leave them a comment, I'm sure they'd appreciate that as well.
5. Tweet about this blog hop
6. Share about this blog hop by grabbing a button and putting it on your sidebar!
I have co-host spots available! Email me if you're interested at melissa@thelifeofanotsoordinarywife.com
April 11, 2013
Guest Bloggers Wanted (and a game if your up for the challenge)!
I’m looking for guest bloggers for May 27th (Monday), 29th (Wednesday), and 30th (Thursday). I’m looking for posts related to family, children, photography, motherhood, recipes, how-to, tutorials, etc. so if you think you are a good fit, we definitely need to talk! If you are interested or know someone who is, please feel free to contact me at croppedstories@gmail.com. Please DO NOT leave a comment as I’ve noticed a growing number of people (either with or without their knowledge) are marked as no-reply and I’m afraid I will have no way of contacting you.
April 10, 2013
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas!
If you love your mother, raise your hand! Now I know I can’t see you, but I sure hope you have your hand raised. Actually, no I don’t ‘cause that would just be weird. You know I can’t see you right?
Okay, seriously though, are you prepared for Mother’s Day? I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of gift giving! There’s nothing else I rather be doing than looking for, buying, or giving a gift! There is just something about it that makes me happy. With that said, you can bet I already started looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. I know my mom would be happy with almost anything, but I like to put a lot of thought and effort into it. That’s what makes it so much fun! Then once I find the perfect gift, it’ll be almost impossible to contain my excitement! I guess I’m just a BIG kid at heart. Well that, and I love my mother VERY much!
Okay, seriously though, are you prepared for Mother’s Day? I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of gift giving! There’s nothing else I rather be doing than looking for, buying, or giving a gift! There is just something about it that makes me happy. With that said, you can bet I already started looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. I know my mom would be happy with almost anything, but I like to put a lot of thought and effort into it. That’s what makes it so much fun! Then once I find the perfect gift, it’ll be almost impossible to contain my excitement! I guess I’m just a BIG kid at heart. Well that, and I love my mother VERY much!
April 9, 2013
4 Educational Toy Recommendations!
Once you click on the Read More link and start scrolling down, you’ll see the little cutie that prompted this post! If you can imagine, these pictures are from Easter! I’m so behind with my photo processing, it’s a little ridiculous! I am happy about becoming best buddies with my camera again! We separated for a few months awhile back there and boy did it hurt. I just knew we’d get back together though!
Today, I have a few educational toy recommendations for you. So if you have a little one at home, these are some must have items!
April 8, 2013
Helpful resources for your child’s eye condition (Intermittent Exotropia/Strabismus)
It’s been awhile since I’ve published an intermittent exotropia post/update. Mostly because we haven’t had another Ophthalmologist appointment and nothing new to report. Since I’ve received quite a few inquiries from parents with children that have the same or similar conditions, I thought it would be nice to share some helpful resources.
Incase you missed my previous posts on this topic you can find them on my Intermittent Exotropia Page.
April 7, 2013
Mom’s Monday Mingle Blog Hop!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO “CO-HOST” WITH US?
There are a few opportunities left in April. Sign up now!
Email Jessica@allshecooks.com
Please help spread the news on this growing hop!
Please tweet about this hop! Tweet
April 4, 2013
FREE Customizable Instagram Printable (for 35 images)!
A little treat for all my bloggy friends! Your very own customizable Instagram printable. It is an 8 x 10 .psd file for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Like all of my templates, it is very simple to use. Just navigate to the layers that read ‘PLACE PHOTO HERE’ (highlighted in red) and go to FILE / PLACE to insert an image from your computer files. Once inserted, all you have to do is resize your image to fit the frame. When you are ready to print, remember to use photo paper for best results! The paper I used for the print out in the images below was 8.5 x 11 HP Premium Plus Soft Gloss Photo Paper.
April 3, 2013
A brief glimpse into Evernote!
I’m sure by now you’ve heard of a program called Evernote? It’s been mentioned even more now that it has quite the competitor, the NEW and POPULAR Google Keep. Can I be honest with you? I downloaded Google Keep as I planned to publish a comparison post between the two but, from looking at it briefly, I wasn’t very impressed. Now don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure that Google Keep is strictly a phone application and that you are unable to access it on your computer unlike Evernote which in my opinion was a deal breaker for me.
To familiarize you with Evernote, it is a program designed for taking, keeping, and sharing notes. You can capture almost anything from anywhere and it’s easy to sync across all your electronic devices such as a computer, cell phone, and various mobile devices. It’s great for bloggers that are looking to organize such things as:
April 2, 2013
5 Free customizable photo bookmark for print!
Have you, by chance, seen my post on 4 customizable photo bookmarks? If you liked it, than you are in for a treat. I created another FREE set of 5 customizable photo bookmarks to print in five assorted colors. The template is an 8.5 x 11 inch .psd file that can be opened in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. The template is super easy. Once opened, all you have to do is click on the layer that reads ‘PLACE PHOTO HERE’ (highlighted in red) and go to FILE / PLACE to insert an image from your computer files. Lastly, you would resize your image to fit the frame I created. That’s it, you’re done!
April 1, 2013
What are you pinning? (check out my list of most current & favorite pins)!
First, if you missed my previous post Blog Hops & Facebook (have you read Facebook’s terms)?, feel free to catch up! It’s a must read for blog hoppers!
On a different note, I’ve been pinning repinning a lot lately. I try to do it on a daily basis as it inspires me greatly! Today, I thought I’d share some of my most recent and favorite pins with you! Get ready, ‘cause I have some good and fun things for you!
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