Water Table Wonder

As I mentioned yesterday this week is spring break.  So no preschool and what is a mom to do?  Never fear, Walgreen's is here! No, Walgreen's isn't paying for a plug on my blog and no they didn't send me anything free. But hey if they want to I wouldn't say no. LOL  I'm singing the praises of Walgreen's today because I was in my local Walgreen's about two weeks ago and I happened to go down the toy aisle and lo and behold they had a small water table for $20.  I was so excited because I've never seen one this reasonably priced before. And my boys LOVE playing in water.  I love shopping at Walgreen's because I always find really cool things.

Right after I purchased our water table I was with my mom and told her about it.  She immediately went to a Walgreen's near where we were and purchased one to have at her house for the grandchildren.  So I can see that good times will be had by all at our house and at Nonni's house. 

For $20 we got the table, a great cup for pouring, a water wheel and two boats.  The only sticky wicket was when we opened the set and put it together the water wheel was missing a wheel.  Since the boys had already started playing with the table, I decided to call the company and ask them to send us a replacement rather than try and get another one from.  DH called the company yesterday and they should be sending us a replacement.  My mom got her table out and it had all the pieces, so it was just dumb luck on our part.  But I'm not complaining because the table is still great and the boys haven't fussed because a wheel is missing. 

So if you are looking for some outdoor fun you might want to see if you can get a water table.  My mom works with kindergarden kids and she says in their classroom they will fill the tables with sand, rice, or beans.  So you can extend the use of the table into the cold winter months too.

We've also found some great little water squirters at Dollar Tree and they've had packs of those squishy water balls in the dollar spot at Target.  Great accessories to add to your table.

By the way, can you tell from Logan's shirt that we are ready for Cars 2?  We are huge Cars fans here. 

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Archer Farms Greek Inspired Chips

Chips.  And I don't mean Ponch and his partner. I'm talking about the Archer Farms Greek inspired chips I bought at Target.  They are heaven in a bag. If you like salt and vinegar chips, I think you'll love these. The bag says that they are seasoned with feta cheese and kalamata olives.  I like them because when I've eaten salt and vinegar chips, they are so strong.  But these chips remind me of those with the power turned down and instead of making my tongue want to curl, you can save those tangy flavors. 

These chips were on sale at my local Target this week. So if you are making a winter storm survival kit, get yourself a bag of these. I was also intrigued because they had General Tso's flavored chips. If you've tried these, let me know what you think.  Were they super spicy?  That is what kept me from pulling the trigger.  I just wasn't sure if they were hot.

Hope you are having a great in your neck of the woods.

Target Happy Shoe Dance

Have you seen these Merona Ballet Flats at Target?  I wish the link I had sent you to see them in black.  I bought a pair yesterday in the black and thought I'd do a happy dance right there in Target.  I have been on the hunt for a pair of flats.  My problem is I wear a wide size in shoes and the ballet flats I've been finding in the stores have all been too tight.  I also recently saw some cute ones at Charlotte Russe, but they had sequins on them, or they were velvet.  Those were so cute too and a great deal at $10, but I needed something plain that would go with more. These Target shoes seem to be the ticket.  And they are on sale this week for $18.

They also come in zebra print.  Be still my beating heart.  But, I had to leave those in the store because I told dh I'd try to be good with Christmas coming. But I knew I had to snatch up the black pair to make sure I'd get them. 

I am so excited about finding these.  Do you have any ballet flats or have you found any good shopping deals lately?  Are you excited for dressing up for anything coming up over the holidays? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Target 75% off Halloween

What an exciting morning it has been here.  First, I have to shout it from the rooftops that my baby boy who turned 2 pooped on the potty today for the first time!  I know from just having gotten the oldest finally potty trained that I'm going to have to take a relaxed attitude, but it is nice to get that first time out of the way.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blog post. LOL  After preschool drop off this morning, Logan and I went to Target.  We hit the mother load people.  Target had gone 75% off on the Halloween stuff. We got two costumes (one for $3 and one for $5) and some fun Halloween signs that were 50 cents a piece.  I figured the Halloween costumes would be great for dress up.  I also stocked up and got two bags of M&Ms.  They are great for potty training.  We got some spooky spider webs.  I also got three of those Disney Light Spinners. There was a Tinkerbell one which I'll give my niece and the boys will get the Mickey Mouse spinners. I thought they would make perfect stocking stuffers for my boys. 

So all in all it was a great shopping day at Target.  I was so tempted to buy more Halloween lights, but I know we have enough so I was trying to be good.

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Alert! Alert! Target has gone 90% off!

Alert! Alert! Target has marked their Christmas stuff down to 90%. I know what you are thinking, what do I need. What is even left? Well, let me show you what I bought and explain why you should get thee to Target!

Both tubes of these shatter proof ornaments were 50 cents. 50 cents people! And that garland was 69 cents. Oh, I threw the gift tags in there because we bought those when they were 75% off. I think the reason we bought the gift tags is self explanatory, but here is why I bought the garland and the ornament balls. The fun garland I bought to decorate my kids wagon. Even though it gets really cold here, there were a few times during the Christmas holiday that we used the wagon. With having two little ones under the age of four, sometimes using a wagon for both of them is easier than a stroller. We do this when we Trick or Treat at Halloween and last Halloween I bought Halloween garland to decorate the wagon. So when I saw this was still left, I decided to go ahead and buy some Christmas garland to jazz up the wagon. Just call it the, "Pimp my Wagon" episode here at the Chic Crafty Chick Blog.

The ornaments I have two ideas for using them. This year I had shatter proof ornaments that I'd purchased after Christmas the year before and I used them on all my outdoor decorations. I wired them into garland with floral wire. I put them on the garland that went around my front door, as well as on some small topiaries we had by the front door and some of the small trees out in the yard. The large homes on Monument Avenue that are decorated by the big time florists do this. So, I decided to steal this idea and do my own "Christmas chic on the cheap". I was so tickled with the results. My garland and topiaries really popped from the street. I chose red and gold because I knew that the gold would especially show up well. I also bought some ribbon after Christmas last year that will match, but the bows didn't get made for this year. So hopefully we can get those done for next Christmas. I'm not a bow maker, so I'll have to enlist the talents of my mom and/or my mother in law. I can't tie a bow to save my life. And I'm ok with that.

So back to the ornaments. These tubes of ornaments are possibly going to be used indoors for me to add to a green garland that I wound around the banister going to our upstairs. I figured with two wild boys, shatterproof ornaments were a good way to go. The other idea I have for them is to wire them into wreaths to go on my windows. I took a picture of the wreaths I made a few years ago that hang in the bay window of my kitchen. I bought those wreath's at Dollar Tree and then dried the fruit in my oven and I bought the ribbon. I probably didn't even spend $15 dollars to make those wreaths. I'm not sure if I'll retire these wreaths that I have pictured below, or if I'll just make wreaths to add to other windows. I haven't decided. But I thought that wiring those ornaments onto a wreath would be good.

Even if you aren't a crafty person, you can easily make a wreath with ornaments. Just get three ornaments and add some floral wire to them and "tie" them onto your wreath in a cluster. I remember a florist telling me a secret that arrangements look best when you put three items together. So, when I was bunching my ornaments on my garland this year that is how I made some of my clusters.

Some of the Target stores had sets of small ornaments left. They would be really nice to grab up to put in a wreath too. With Valentine's Day coming up, you could easily add them to a glass vase for a centerpiece or to glass hurricanes. The sky is the limit. That is if you don't want to wait to use them for next Christmas.

So those are my suggestions for planning for decorating for next Christmas. Buy now, save now and enjoy later!

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Operation Black Friday aka Shop Til I Drop

I am so excited because this year I will finally get to go shopping on Black Friday. I haven't been out on Black Friday in at least three years. If you remember, Sawyer is three. There has been no way I was going out with a small child in tow.

The other cool thing about Black Friday is that my birthday falls on that day. So here is my "plan of attack" for enjoying, not just surviving the Black Friday Frenzy. And things I'd recommend you consider if you are going out.


So here are my Top Ten Black Friday Shopping Tips

1) First and most important the kids are staying with my mom. Yay!!! That is probably the best birthday gift. I love my kids, but a momma needs to have some time away. And I won't be gone all day long. You can't cover ground and look at things with a 1 yr. old and 3 yr. old in tow. It just won't happen.

2) Use the buddy system. It is way more fun if you can find the right person to go with you. I'm going with my sister. We used to always go out on Black Friday. It is so fun going out with her. We have the same taste in clothes and shoes so when we shop together we are able to scout out things that we both like. I can't tell you the number of times we've been in a store together and have come around the corner with the same item to show the other one. It is uncanny.

Taking a buddy is great for not only sharing the excitement, but they can help pass the time while standing in line and they can also help hold packages as you take time for bathroom pit stops.

3) I recommend taking change with you for mall vending drink machines. Yes, they are outrageously overpriced, but you will save yourself time by not spending it in line at the food court. Stay hydrated people, there is no reason to find ourself passing out on the shopping trail.

4) Take a page out of Santa's play book and make a list. If your main objective is to get your Christmas shopping done then take a list. When you are in the midst of your shopping frenzy, the last thing you want to do is try and remember if you needed to pick up something for Aunt Edna's cat Mr. Binkles. Perhaps a string of lights? (Anyone pick up on that slight Christmas Vacation reference LOL) Also, if you've already bought items for some folks then make a note of that so you aren't over spending on them. You don't want to get home and think, "Oh yeah, I already had X,Y, and Z for Uncle Buck. That way you can stay within your budget.

5) My next tip is to have a budget. So many people have such big hearts, but a small wallet and they get themselves into trouble at the holidays. Having a list and a budget will help you stay within your means. I also recommend if you can swing it, to give yourself a little fun money. There are great deals to be had. When I've shopped Black Friday in the past, I've planned ahead and gotten some great sales on things I need around my house. Having a budget is also good so that even if you end up spending over it, you will hopefully control yourself so you don't go way, way over. Everyone's will power is at different levels. I'm just sayin.

6) Wear comfortable shoes and layers. I plan on wearing boots like these so that I can slip them on and off quickly while trying things on, but they are also comfortable and won't wear a blister. I got mine at Payless, but Target has them available as well. As a side note, the lady at Payless told me the black are easier to keep clean and I'm glad I went with black. http://www.target.com/Xhilaration-Kendra-Suede-Boots-Black/dp/B001VSEI4Y/ref=br_1_1?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=2233127011&node=2233127011&searchRank=pmrank&searchPage=1&searchSize=30&id=Xhilaration%20Kendra%20Suede%20Boots%20Black

http://www.target.com/
Instead of having to wrestle with a jacket I wearing a Rachel Zoe inspired faux fur vest with my boot cut jeans. Who says you can't be comfortable and stylish while out on the shopping trail?

7) Take some hard candy or breath mints. I don't know what it is, but when I get in a mall I get all dried out and my mouth tastes terrible. Maybe it is the heat? But, I'll be taking something so that I don't get all dried out. Along those lines some lip gloss or chapstick will come in handy too.

8) Hand sanitizer. I have discovered that Bath & Body Works has these in their holidays scents. My favorite is the Winter Candy Apple. I have already purchased one that I will be taking with me, but I think I will go back and stock up on some more. My hands might as well smell good if I'm having to use that stuff a lot. With the swine flu going around, I'm not taking any chances. Also, I love those small bottles because they fit easily in my jean pocket.

9) Vera Bradley Wristlet. I've featured this on my blog before and I can't say enough good things about this wallet. It has a place to hold my cell phone and will just hang right on my wrist. It will be so much easier to keep track of my wristlet then a huge purse.

10) Snacks. Put some kind of snack in your car. Just call me "Meals on Wheels". After shopping and fighting the crowds you'll need a pick me up and the drive thrus and mall food courts will be packed. Have a little something ready to go in the car to tide you over.

So go out there, have fun, be kind and patient with others and all will be merry and bright!

http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/what-is-your-black-friday-plan

Target Love

Happy Wednesday everyone! The weather is so crummy here. It is cold and rainy. At least if it was going to e crummy weather to prevent us to go outside, we'd like to see some pretty snow flakes.

Today I thought I'd share two of my recent Target finds. The first are these cute pair of cleaning gloves. They were only a dollar in the dollar spot. They had another pair too which I believe were some kind of blue pattern. I love this cheery lime green and pink combo. It is so girly. I thought they were so cute. I might as well try to look chic while cleaning the bathrooms. Forget the June Cleaver pearls and heels, get yourself a cute pair of gloves. With Valentine's Day coming up, these would be a fun, inexpensive thing to give a friend. Show some glove love to your hands and your friend's hands.





My second Target find were these Wellington boots. I bought these about 2 weeks ago. I've had my eye on them for a while and figured I'd take a chance to see if they would go on clearance and they did. They were originally $24 and they marked them down to $12. I loved this pair because I knew they would look cute with lots of different outfits. Since we get primarily rain and not tons of snow, I figured these would be a good thing to have. I wore them out last night for girl's night out. They kept my feet dry and they weren't too hot. My jeans were able to tuck in them comfortably (notice the adjustable straps on the sides). So, I highly recommend them.

They also had another pair of these boots that had different hearts all over them. They were really cute too.

I hope things are going well in your part of the world. Have a happy hump day!

Fabulous Favorite Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Another week down and we are marching forward towards week 35 of this pregnancy. We got a good report from the ob on Wednesday. I'm still on bed rest, but I'm hopeful that if I can make it two more weeks to 36 weeks the doctor will ease up on that. He said we are taking this week by week. When they did my ultrasound on Wednesday, they were pleased with how the stitch in my cervix is holding up and the baby was responding well and the amount of fluid was good too. He is weighing approximately 5 pounds 3 ounces, so his weight was good to. Getting that good news at the appointment has really lifted my spirits. After 3 weeks of being on bed rest and house arrest, it is good to hear that what I've been doing is working. Hopefully this little guy will hang on a little bit longer.

And now for my Fabulous Favorite Friday picks. Before I went on bed rest, I saw this soda in the store and we were finally able to find it in diet (have to do that because of the gestational diabetes). But it comes in regular and diet. It is Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash. I LOVE this soda. I can tell that I would like it in the regular, even though I've been drinking the diet. The diet reminds me of how Diet Dr.Pepper tastes the closest to regular Dr. Pepper.

Apparently Pepsi has this out as a seasonal soda. I highly recommend this soda. I can see this being one where it would be great as a mixed drink (think Sandra Lee and her cocktail time).

So, if you are looking for something new to try, check out Sierra Mist Free Cranberry Splash.




My second Fabulous Friday pick are these slippers from Target. I LOVE these slippers. My sweet sister sent these to me. Aren't they cute for Halloween? Before I went on bed rest, I saw them and I know they have different designs too.

Last year for Christmas my sister got me a pair for Christmas pair and I have loved them. They stretch so it is a one size fits all and they run $4.99. Also, the bottom of these say Meow that is made of a material that will keep you from slipping around in them.

If you saw my previous post this week about Booing, these would be really cute to put in a Boo bag. Or, if you plan on doing Elfing for Christmas, keep your eye out for the Christmas ones. They'd also make a great stocking stuffer for someone.


Have a great weekend. If you get either this soda or these slippers, I'd love to hear that you did and see what you think about them.