You've Been Egged!

With Easter just days away

here is a fun activity to start with your family,

neighborbors or coworkers!

Attach this note to a basket of goodies

and leave it on someone's door step or desk!

{very similar to "Booing" at Halloween}

Click on over to Eighteen25 and download this for free!

This is a great little idea for Easter...

The hardest part is picking who is going to get EGGED!!

Happy Easter,

BigSis LilSis

Fishies...

as miss Cadee would say!

What toddler doesn't love

goldfish crackers?

I think these are Cadee's favorite,

she asks for them so much that we have

moved up to buying the Costco size!

I came across this recipe {from cupake project}

to make your own

and wanted to share it with the rest of the Moms!

{and so I didn't lose the recipe ;}

Make sure to come back and

let me know how they turn out :}

ENJOY!

BigSis LilSis

xoxo

Twihards...It's not over...

COMING JUNE 5, 2010

{In stores)

For those of us that LOVE the Twilight Saga

and were so disapointed when Midnight Sun

was not going to be released :(

Stephanie Meyer

has decided to release a short story {novella} 

that is a follow up to Eclipse called:

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Telling her side of the story

It will also be available for FREE download!!

{starting at noon June 7th thru July 5)

Mark your calendars to get your copy ;}

Happy Birthday Brady!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRO!

We hope you have a perfect day

and take some time for fun!

We had a great time celebrating

with you over the weekend!!

You know I think you are starting

to catch up to me ;)

You are great guy and stepbrother,

keep up the good work!

Love ya,

Big Sis
(Adam & Cadee too!)

xoxo

Never Ending Lists...

I know I am not the only one who has
endless lists around the house!

Just when I get things done on one,
there is something else to add to another.

This is my way of staying sane ;}

If I don't write it down, it is lost forever!

So when I stumbled across this blog...

"How About Orange"

I was so surprised to see these lists

that you can download and print for yourself, for free!

There are the basics like, TO DO's, GROCERY,
and HONEY DEW,
but the BLOG TOPICS  are what caught my eye ;}

{I have different topics I want to add to my blog, but write them down all over the place}

So I of course printed some for myself,
now I can be a little more organized!

Check them out and print some for yourself ;}


Luv,
BigSis LilSis

Deal of the Day: Free Pastry at Starbucks

STARBUCKS LOVERS

Today is your day!

Get a FREE pastry with the purchase of a beverage

Just go to their website to print your COUPON 

or show it to the barista on your phone

{you gotta love technology!}

But get there EARLY because the offer only lasts until 10:30am

{or until the goodies are gone!}



Have a great day,
BigSis LilSis
xoxo

Happy Birthday Emily!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EM...

{sorry for the day late posting, but did you notice I used PURPLE!}

{Funny Girl}

I just wanted to make sure you know

how great you are

and special to us!

Cadence absolutely adores her Auntie Em

and you are just so sweet with her!

She is so lucky to have and Auntie like you

and I am just as lucky to have a

Lil Sis like you!

We hope you had a fabulous BIRTHDAY weekend

and we can't wait to celebrate the

BIG TWO-ONE

with you next year!!

Crafty: Hair Bows

Having a little girl is so much fun,

especially when they like wearing hair bows.

Since these bows can be pricy at times,

I decided to start making my own!

And with two little girls,

it will be double the fun :}

First up...

BEAR EAR BOWS

{click on the picture to see it closer}

I just made bows out of ribbon and then used elastic thread

to attach them to the hair tie.

{I have also used these types of bows to attach to alligator clips wrapped in a coordinating ribbon}

Next up...

KORKER PIGGIES

{I don't think my model was in the mood to pose}

I have seen these little cuties everywhere!

But most or the time they run $2-5 a pair

and now that I know how to make them,

I can make a dozen for that price!!

{Check out the tutorial here so you can make your own!}

I changed mine up a bit,

using hair ties instead of clips and mine have less ribbons.

{I assume you can make them with as many ribbons as you want}

Most of the time I find my ribbon in the $1 section at Target.

{They have some really cute one right now for Spring!}

These would make great gifts or

just have fun adding to your little girls collection!

Be Crafty,

BigSis LilSis

xoxo

Deal of the Day: Bargain Betty

Who loves a great bargain?!

I know I DO!

I am going to share some of my

TIPS and TRICKS

to getting the best bang for your buck!

With the slow of the economy

I have been noticing that stores are starting to compete

with prices much more than before:

*Offering price matching

*Coupons / Double Coupons

*Special Day Deals

*Giftcards with purchase

One of my absolute favorite places to shop is TARGET

The great thing about Target is that they will take

 1 store coupon {which you can find and print from their website} 

along with 1 manufacturer's coupon,  

so you can get DOUBLE the savings!

They also price match,

so if you find an item cheaper somewhere else,

they will give you that price!

If an item you bought goes on sale the next week,

go to customer service and ask for a price adjustment!

{If you are like me, I am there every week so I am not making a seperate trip
 each time to do this}

Another great way to save is to stock up!

Target often offers gift cards with purchase 
on certain items for you to use
on your next purchase and save even more!

Many of the Target stores are now expanding their
grocery items and I have found a huge difference
in prices on their store brand
compared to other store brands {i.e. Safeway}

Especially for dairy {milk, cheese, eggs}, cereals,

frozen food and even produce!

One thing Safeway has that Target does not are

 Special Deal Days

they frequently highlight items for a reduced price
on specific days!

{just check your weekly mailer}

Or

They will have coupons for FREE items
with a minimum purchase

{We once got a free O.J., english muffins, dozen eggs, and bacon!}

*One EXTRA tip for those coupons you just can't seem to find:

Go to the manufacturer's website
and find their contact information,

Take a minute to write them a quick email, letter
or give them a call.

Let them know that you LOVE their products,

but notice the items are not on sale very often
or rarely find coupons.

Most likely you with find coupons in your mail box
within a week or two!

I have personally had success with this many times :)

*I owe thanks to my 6th grade teacher Mr. Clarkson, he had us write letters to our favorite candy company and everyone received coupons or candy in return! ;}

So take a little extra time to compare prices,
cut coupons, or check your weekly ads

you could be saving more than your think!

A penny saved is a penny earned, right?!

HAPPY SAVING ;},

BigSis LilSis

Fabulous Find: Baby Jogger City Select

I am absolutely in LOVE with this stroller!

{I know... the things that excite me as a Mom}

I wish this was available when we had Cadence,

there would be no need for any other stroller!!

{instead we ended up with 3 different ones that probably added up to the cost of this one!}

If you or someone you know is having
a little one,
this is a must have!!

Introducing...

BABY JOGGER CITY SELECT 2010

{click above for more info}

"For Parents on the Grow"

The City Select offers parents the unique opportunity to customize their stroller into 16 different combinations to suit their family needs.

*Patented Quick-Fold Technology - allows you to fold your stroller in
one simple step

*Innovative multi-functional design allows you to select your seating arrangement up to 16 unique combinations
(with double conversion kits – sold separately)

*Hand operated parking brake

*12" forever-air rear and 8" lightweight front wheels with front wheel suspension and sealed ball bearings

*Swivel front wheels lock into place for long distance strolling

*Multi-position seat recline for passenger comfort

*Multi-position sun canopy with peek-a-boo window and adjustable head height

*Adjustable 5-point safety harness with shoulder pads and buckle cover

*Multi-position foot well tilt adds leg support for smaller children

*Telescoping handlebar with wipe clean grip

*Seat back storage compartment and large under seat basket

*Secure fold latch to keep stroller folded for transportation or storage

*45 lb. per seat weight capacity

This stroller has everything we have been looking for!

Throughout our stroller search we have often said,

"This one would be perfect if it just had this too,

or that like the other one."

I think my favorite feature is that it doesn't always have to be
a double stroller...

Or maybe that you can attach the infant car seat and a
second seat and still fit through a regular size doorway...

Or maybe that the seats can swivel so the kiddos can face eachother...

Or maybe it's just everything!!

One thing I do know,

this is going on my wish list for baby #2,

along with tons of diapers ;}


I would love your feedback on this Fabulous Find,
especially if you already have this stroller or also considering it!!

BigSis LilSis
xoxo

Happy Birthday Nancy!

Happy Birthday to the

BEST Step-MOM

a girl could ask for!!

You are beautiful inside and out!

Thank you for all that you do for

our family!!

I hope you enjoy your day

and Cadence can't wait to see her

Grammy :}

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Benny!

Wishing a very

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY

to my wonderful baby Brother!

I just want you to know

how proud of you I am,

you are doing great things!

Make sure to take a break

from studying today to

have a great birthday!!

We love you and wish you the

best year yet :}

Love,

Big Sis

{Adam and Cadence too!}

Shannon Cline Photography

We recently got the opportunity to take some family photos

with a new photographer named

Shannon Cline

Her specialties are maternity, newborns,
children, families, and weddings.

She posted a message on a family forum

that she was looking to add some new families to her portfolio.

She had a huge response to her offer for a free photo shoot

and we were lucky enough to be chosen!

The last time we had family photos

was when Cadence was 6 months old.

We met her at Vasona and had a great time.

I love how playful the shots came out.

Shannon was very easy going and
a pleasure to work with.

Here are some of the shots from the day!

I believe she is looking for couples to do
engagement photos next!
Check out her website and shoot her an email
if you are interested in finding out more :}

Thank you again Shannon!

MealBaby

I just came across this website

and thought it was a pretty great idea!

The website works like a registry,

where friends and family can sign up

to bring you food after having a baby!

{or recovering from surgery, a loss in the family, etc.}

It is a free website and super simple to use.

Just enter your contact information to sign up

and then follow the quick easy steps

to enter information for

specified dates and meal preferences.

Also, if you have family or friends out of town 

they can purchase gift cards for you

to local restaurants as well!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Toddler Bed Success!

So Cadee is 20 months now

and we thought it would be a good time to transition her

to her new toddler "Big Girl Bed" {this one}.

That way when Aria arrives

she won't feel like we are taking it away from her.

A few months ago, we had tried converting her crib
to a toddler bed,

but she definitely wasn't ready {and honestly, either were we}.

This time seemed to be a lot easier

and she seems to like the little bed better

{I personally like that it is closer to the ground}

and she looks so darn cute in it!

Here she is taking her first nap, looks pretty cozy to me!

To me this was a success because it only took

15 minutes of crying :(

and putting her back down 1 time

before she decided to just get in bed and crash out!!

The funny thing was, she wanted her two teddy bears with her,

which she never asked for in her crib!

So what the heck, I guess they made her feel safe :}

The evening went similar, but she was a little more tired

so I just stayed with her until she closed her eyes {about 30 min.}

 She woke up at about 3:30am,

so we just brought her in bed with us!

{I know bad habit, but they are only little once} 

Last night was heaven, she didn't get up until 7:30am!!

TODDLER BED SUCCESS!!

Toddlers can be tough at times,

but there is nothing sweeter than watching your little one 

sleep like a little angel.

Happy Birthday to MY BigSis!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORI!

We are not biological sisters, but have grown up together as sisters. We met each other when we were only 11 years old. I had moved to a new school and she was nice enough to ask me to have lunch with her!

As we grew up, we were constantly asked if we were SISTERS {we both have dark hair and blue eyes},
so we thought it was easier to just tell people YES!

And that is how we became BigSis and LilSis!

So when I started this blog I thought it was a great sentimental name since it would have multiple meanings for me!

Now as we are both Wives and Moms
we have shared so many great moments
and I know there are many more to come!

I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you for being the wonderful sister I never had!

Love you,

LilSis