Clippie Club

Local gals have enjoyed a fun little party I put on every month, called "Clippie Club." It is TONS of fun! What a great escape each month to be able to get away for a few hours, hang out with friends and get crafty!

I set out a variety of cute things I use to make hair clips- sparkly butterflies, crochet flowers, mini silk flowers, buttons- along with different kinds of clips and ribbon. You select the applique you want, the ribbon to match, and the type of clip you want to attach it to, and you're off!

The clip appliques range from $2.50-$4.00, and all the supplies are included. You just pay as you go!

I am opening up Clippie Club to any local gals who would like to come! It is usually held the 2nd Friday of every month from 7-9 pm.

I am also taking reservations if you would like to host your own Clippie Club! I am willing to drive anywhere near Long Beach, San Diego, or in between. I would love to come teach you and your friends how to make hair clips!

It is so much fun! Email me for more info on my monthly Clippie Club, or to book your own!

Santa Pic

So our Santa picture didn't turn out that great this year. Up until the moment he was on the Big Guy's lap he was happy, and the moment I took him off he was happy. I guess it's just the age.

I was actually just happy to get it over with- I've never had to go through this much effort for a picture. We actually attempted the picture the day before. After getting the kids all dressed up, doing Abby's hair, keeping tights clean the whole way there, avoiding the Disney store... the lady closed the line for Santa's break right in front of us. We couldn't wait the 1 1/2 until he came back, so we went home. The next day, we tried again. But this time, it took us all day to get dressed and out of the house. By the time we got there, the line was 1 1/2 hours long! With a sigh, I dragged the kids all the way around the huge Christmas tree and found our spot. I figured with all this effort, at least I should be rewarded with a decent picture.

Oh well. At least we have something to laugh about for years to come :)

Why I'm a Germ-a-Phobe

People call me a Germ-a-Phobe. I will proudly admit my paranoia of all things germ-related. Some folks don't think much about getting sick. If it happens, it happens. No use in trying to prevent it, they say. I disagree. All illness is preventable in my book, and I'm too busy/sleep deprived to be sick. I would rather exert my efforts in the 'prevention' phase, rather than the 'cleaning up after sick kids' phase.

Here is a peek into my Germ-a-Phobe world...

I have one of those baby seat covers that MUST be used whenever we go to the store or eat at a restaurant, no matter how embarrassed my husband is. If for some reason the seat cover is unavailable (my husband has been known to sneak it out of the car and hide it in the garage) then I carry an extra stash of sanitizing wipes with which to wipe down the cart or the restaurant's high chair and table.

When we run errands, like any mother who wishes to keep her sanity, I come well-prepared with snacks. With that being said, I am well-known to withhold said snacks without a smidgen of guilt if the hungry party refuses to allow me to sanitize their hands (husband included). At 8 months old both my kids knew how to spread the foaming sanitizer on their hands in order to get a snack.

**Once we were at the park and I forgot my sanitizer. All the other kids were eating their snacks, and Abby was looking hungry. I felt bad for her and thought, "One time won't hurt," and allowed her to eat snacks without sanitizing. A few days later she got MRSA- a flesh eating bacteria that can be fatal and is resistant to antibiotics. We found out from the doctor that it is most commonly contracted orally (not washing your hands before eating) and had been rampant in the park we were at that day.**

When all else fails, my second line of defense is my trusty Zicam. This little orange box has saved me from more colds and flus than I can count. I haven't figured out how to give this to my kids yet (I wish they would come out with a gummy or something) but it has worked wonders for me. Zicam is actually the inspiration for this blog post.

And this is why I'm a Germ-a-Phobe...

The stomach flu has ruined my 'vacation' week. I was very excited about all the fun we would have this week. Tom was going to have the whole week off work, and I had a lot planned for us! Abby was going to spend time at Granny-K's on Monday, so while she was away we had planned to get our grocery shopping and errands done, AND my hubby was going to watch the little guy so I could go to Nordstrom Rack and use a Christmas gift certificate I was VERY excited about. This nasty flu had other plans for our little family.

It all started two weeks ago, when I ran out of foaming hand sanitizer. My attempts at withholding snacks lasted a while, but the troops were restless and mommy had Christmas shopping to get done, so we couldn't go home. I resorted to wiping their hands with baby wipes as I gave them snacks throughout the day.

Last Wednesday, it hit my little guy hard at about 1 in the morning. I ran upstairs after hearing strange gasps over the baby-monitor. After comforting him, cleaning him up and changing his bedding, I immediately took my dose of Zicam. I sat up with him all night as he was sick over and over again. By about 11 am the next day, he was better. Still weak and a little gray in color, but keeping water down. It took another two days before he could eat a full meal. I continued to take my Zicam every few hours, and warned everyone else to do the same. A few days later, since everyone seemed fine, I thought maybe it was just the dinner he ate that night.

Then, about mid-day on Monday, I suddenly felt super weak and dizzy. At one point I was holding Stryder while fixing him a bottle, and I became so weak that I almost dropped him! I spent the rest of the day resting on the couch with the chills and not really feeling like eating anything. That was it! Apart from being weak for a few days, I got a pretty mild version of it, thanks to my Zicam!

Later that night, I was awakened by Abby throwing up in our hallway on her way to our room. I spent the rest of the night sleeping in her bed with a trash can in hand. It hit her hard, taking her 12 hours to stop vomiting, and another day of me carrying her everywhere because her legs were 'too tired.'

Abby was feeling better today, but we stayed inside just in case she was still contagious. I thought Tom had escaped the bug, until about 3 am this morning. I am actually listening to him run to the bathroom upstairs as I type this. I am going to use this example next time he refuses to take Zicam.

So much for the 'Week of Family Fun.' I guess the moral of this story is run to your nearest Walmart and stock up on Zicam and hand sanitizer.

I'm off to bed. I have another long few days ahead of me.

Sweet Abigail at Auction!

Head over to A Daily Scoop blog to participate in the auction for John Jones (see earlier post).

Sweet Abigail goodies are up for grabs at super-cheap auction prices, as well as some really great items- photography sessions, handmade jewelry, Molly Clothing, etc! You don't want to miss this!!

Good luck and happy bidding!

A Big Hit!

The 50% off all orders was a big hit!! So many orders came in, that I actually ran out of a few products! AND I am completely overwhelmed trying to get all the orders done in time!

However, I have had many requests to extend the sale by some who found out about it a day or so too late because they were out of town. So to all those who missed the original sale, or wish they bought a few more things...

All next week, December 7th through 14th, receive 50% OFF your entire order and receive FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50! Type coupon code LASTCHANCE into the coupon box and press 'Recalculate' after adding all your items into your cart. You should see the savings off your total!

Spread the word, and happy shopping!!

Something you can do

John and Emily Jones

You may have heard of the story of John Jones, a young man from Utah who died in the Nutty Putty Caves after being stuck for 28 hours.

We heard of his death the other day on the news and this story struck home for me- my husband has been spelunking in the Nutty Putty caves.

He was 26 years old, and married with a 14 month old little girl. He and his wife had recently found out they are expecting their 2nd child in June. He graduated from BYU and was in medical school at the University of Virginia to become a Pediatric Cardiologist. He and his family are from St. George, UT.

I can't imagine the stress and hardship his wife is going through right now, and the hardships she will have to face in the future. One of those hardships, especially, will be financial- she is now the widow of a medical student.

A friend of mine is organizing an auction for the family, and all the proceeds will be donated to the John and Emily Jones Memorial Fund. This is something you can do to help by either bidding on an item or offering an item for auction. Please spread the word and post on your blog. Let's all do as much as we can to help this family through this tremendously difficult time.

Here is the link to the AUCTION and you can find his family's statement here.

50% off all orders!!

I LOVE shopping! Unfortunately this year I won't be going hog-crazy as I have in years past.

But SOMEONE has to go hog-crazy, so I am offering YOU 50% off all orders now through Saturday!!

Stock up on fun accessories for you, and upcoming baby gifts for your friends!

This also means you can create Custom Gumdrop Bows to match your favorite holiday dress! You will be amazed at the difference a Gumdrop makes!

Just incase you thought it couldn't get any better...

FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50!!

Enter coupon code BLACKFRIDAY into the 'Discount Coupon' box, and it will take 50% off your entire order!

Are you as excited as I am?

Happy Primping!