Easy Christmas Gift Ideas {handmade christmas}

Source: the36thavenue.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Head over to The 36th Avenue to find a HUGE roundup of easy tutorials that make great gifts!



Meanwhile, I'm unpacking and getting our laundry done, while making lists for Christmas!  :)  Happy Thursday!

Top 10 iPad Apps for Kids

Since holiday travel is just around the corner, I thought I'd share our favorite apps for the iPad.  Our girls are 2 and 4, and so these are geared towards that preschool age!!

{most are available as iPhone apps too!}

We absolutely love Mille Was Here.  {free!}  It's an interactive storybook about a sweet little pup who gets into a little mischief... and fun too of course.  Both the girls love playing and I think it's suitable for a wide range of audiences.  We also have Book 2: Millie and the Lost Key {$3.99} which is fantastic too!

Candy Count {free} is a simple yet engaging app that encourages sorting, counting, and other great math concepts, along with color recognition in a basic "game"... sorting candy into jars.  Plus, no sticky hands!!

We have the Cut The Rope: Holiday Gift {free} which is a simplified version of the full app Cut The Rope {$.99} but this is perfect for us!  Both girls like to play this, even if it's just the first level, and work on getting the candy cane to the frog's mouth.  Nothing too educational, but problem solving skills are required!

Who can resist the lovable Talking Tom?  {free} The in-app ads are a little bit annoying to my 2 year old, since she is encouraged to click on every one, but they do like talking and listening to his response!  For free, it's a pretty entertaining app!

Jingle All The Way {free} is the sweet story from Hallmark, available in an app!  For a free app, I'm pretty impressed with the activities and interactive options in the story!  Perfect for Christmastime!

Lakeshore Learning has a great offer until December 31st -- 3 free educational apps!  Sound Sorting, Letter of the Day, and Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe are all loaded with great interactive features that grow with your kiddos.  We love Sound Sorting!!

Noah's Ark {$1.99} is a super book that's pretty interactive and tells a great story too!  I actually used this in Sunday School to teach the Noah's Ark lesson, and there were plenty of activities for all the busy hands in the class!

This Intro to Math app {$4.99} continues to be a favorite of both the girls.  It's perfect because it structures activities around the ability of the child, and really hammers the math concepts home!  Well worth the money!

Monkey Preschool {$.99} is such a great way to introduce educational concepts in a fun way!  Although it's geared towards a younger set, both my girls really enjoy exploring the many games on this app!  Such a steal for the price! :)

Sticker Book {$3.99} by Disney is a pretty entertaining app for the girls.  Lots of interactive stories and of course, their favorite dress up princesses!  Pretty popular!!

Your turn!  What are your favorite iPhone/iPad apps?  Please share!

give thanks...

...wishing you and yours a lovely and blessed thanksgiving...

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Labor Day shopping {at zulily and amazon!}

Just a super quick post!  I got an email from zulily earlier today and was just browsing their Labor Day sale.  Most of the time stuff I miss out on the good stuff, but I am so excited and happy with the Blowout Sale!  Here are a few things I was checking out:

Super cute Little Soles shoes for 8.99!

Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Castle - $30.99

Penelope and Mack Swing Jackets - tons of styles for 14.99 {love the matching hats!}

Rain boots for fall!  Henry Ferrara's with TONS of choices for 13.99 - originally $50!

I just had to get these Michael Antonio boots for 17.99.  I'm in love with boots for fall!

zulily is offering free shipping on your second purchase this weekend, and I think shipping starts at about 5.95.  Hope you can find something you like!!

And then, for any jean lovers out there...

Amazon is having a big Fall sale right now, and I spotted these Rock & Republic Women's Kassandra Bootcut Jean With crystals that I just adore, and for a steal!  Amazon is great because they offer free returns on their clothing and shoes, which helps ease the fear of buying without trying on.  Anyway, they have tons of denim, dresses, and more!

Have you been shopping this weekend?  Do share!!

Birthday Party {with pinterest!}

My little Reese turned two at the end of July, and I knew I had extra help to plan a special little party for her!  So, off I searched on pinterest for party ideas...

With millions of ideas on girl's birthday parties, I settled on a pink lemonade party.  I wanted to keep things pretty simple, so we came up with an easy menu, fun decor, and lots of water and outdoor play to make for a smashing party!

The pink lemonade!

The food:  Build your own burgers, hot dogs, iceberg wedge salad a la The Pioneer Woman cookbook

, and a really refreshing watermelon tomato salad {recipe from my mom!}

Pink and yellow cupcakes for dessert...

Along with some pink and yellow popcorn balls!

We didn't have any organized games, but the kids really liked playing on the slip n slide, in the sprinklers, the little pools, and with water balloons!

The birthday girl had such a great time and we all did too!

How do you celebrate birthdays in your family?

summer breeze

Is it already the end of June?  Eek!!

We're getting through our busy season on the ranch, which includes working our cows, checking our pregnant mamas, moving them to different pastures -- and waiting until it's time to start putting up our hay.  {and usually, whenever I talk about ranching, my actual degree of participation is pretty minimal. :)}

On top of all that goodness, I'm finishing up an all day volleyball camp!  I'll check back in tomorrow with some long awaited winners, and I've got some great features coming up in July!  Yay!

Don't miss the current giveaways!!  Get entered!!!  :)

Oh, and happy Wednesday too!  What is on your schedule this holiday weekend?

workin' cows

There is nothing better than watermelon break when you're working cows.

You might just have to take my word for it!

A little blogging help {blogging 101}

When I started blogging way back in 2008, the blogging world was a lot different.  {here's my personal blog, which I started when my oldest was just a wee little bug}  Blogger itself has changed dramatically over the years, moving towards more customization and user friendly aspects -- well, besides the little hiccup this past week.

I have gotten a few emails about the how-to's of blogging, and while I'm not anywhere close to an expert on the subject, I have utilized many different tools and sites to boost my blogging knowledge.  I thought I would take this week to go over some common questions and share what I've learned, along with some really great resources.

Today you get the basics:

If you don't have a blog, you can get one, for free!  Blogger is super easy to use, and as long as your desired name is open, it's yours!

You can also use WordPress, which has varying levels of costs ($0 - $17 per year) and honestly, I've heard from many many people that WordPress is the best!

I'm just throwing these options out there, so take what I say with a grain of salt!

We'll talk more about blog design this week, but play around a bit!  Blogger now has tons of options to customize without having to know a single drop of html coding.  {website design language}

here is what you'll find under Template Designer

Now, what will you write about?  Why are you blogging?  What is your purpose?  Do you want to make money, network, share your product, or connect with family and friends?  And just who will read it?  All great questions, and ones you'll want to look at when requesting that blog address!

While you think those over, here are some really valuable resources when it comes to the nitty gritty of blogging.

MomComm is seriously one my my latest, and most favorite resources for all things blog.  She offers weekly blog critiques, great tutorials, and hilarious but oh so true commentaries on social media, writing quality content, and motivating you to become the best blogger you can be!

Must reads:
- Comment Vomit
- Six Non Spammy Ways for Bloggers to Engage on Facebook Fan Pages
- How to Improve your Writing (Without Improving you Writing)

The SITS girls have been around for a while with an ingenious concept:  a place where bloggers can network and connect, and gain followers and supporters, and readers!  They not only offer a huge gathering of bloggers, but host forums and classes to further "teach" you how to blog, and blog right.  I just took part in their "Think Like a Marketer" Series, and it was so helpful!



I'd love to hear what YOU want to learn! 


How to make buttons, headers, curing writer's block, or making sense of twitter/facebook?  Do share!




oh, and have a great day!!!

spring fever + spring cleaning help

Ahh.  The very best way to swing!

You may have noticed the quiet around here, the slow down in features, and the days skipped between posts.  Well, it seems as though I've been hit by spring, finally, and the girls and I have enjoyed day long adventures in our flower beds and garden, catching frogs and spreading grass seed.  The usual.  :)

Don't let your little heart worry though, I have some very awesome features with some very sweet people, and a June Give Back that is beyond fabulous!  Stay tuned for some great Ivy Twines coming soon!

In the meantime, are you all spring cleaning these days?  I found some helpful resources I just had to share with my friends!

Ahhhh-mazing book!  Check out this post here {plus I just love MSM.com... subscribe!} and get this book for half off!  It is inspiring, helpful, and such a positive lift for those of us who don't really care for cleaning.

Who does cleaning better than Martha Stewart?  Check out this free printable spring cleaning checklist and helpful hints from the queen of domestic herself!

travelin'

We braved a lengthy car ride, complete with movies, movies, and more movies, and made it to our destination:  Grandma's!

What are YOU doing this Easter weekend?  Any fun plans?  Do tell!!  

Over 600 friends? Nice to meet you!

Wow.  I checked in on Google Friends and was blown away by the number.  I can't begin to thank you all so much for reading, coming back, and supporting handmade and talented folks I have met in my little over a year of The Ivy Twines.  {shoot, I missed by anniversary, didn't I?}




That comes to you.  Yes, you reading!  You guys are really who make this site.  I love shopping and connecting with creative souls, but I love hearing your stories, and meeting you through the comments too!  Wow!  I'm getting sappy here!




But the truth is, when I started this site, I had no idea who would be out there reading besides my faithful mother.  {hi mom!}  It has become a true love of mine, and a motivation to do more and give back, too.  I never fathomed that I would have lovely readers like you!




So, I thought I'd give you 10 things you don't know about me.  Just like an awkward first date.  Ready?


1.  I have 3 sisters, 2 daughters, and a sweet little niece.  Trust me, I know the whole girl thing!


2.  I grew up a ND girl, but after falling in love with a cowboy, we ended up as the 4th generation on a cattle ranch nestled in between three mountain ranges in Montana.  {anybody interested in organic, free range, grass fed delicious beef?}


3.  My hubs and I watch American Idol.  {don't tell him I told you!} My sisters and I love Glee.  I really really love music!  {and Pandora!}


4.  I don't like the last sip of milk in a glass.  Not sure why?


5.  I've always loved crafting.  It started young as my mama always sewed us matching outfits {4 girls!} and was always a DIY-er.  My dad and my mom completely restored an old 1890's house together!  But I'm a habitual un-finisher.  I've got great intentions, just not the completions.


6.  I graduated with a degree in History Education.  Yes, I'm a history geek.  Someday I'll teach, but I'm very blessed to be able to stay at home with my girlies!


7.  I'm competitive.  I played college volleyball, but I actually think I'm most competitive at board games, like Scrabble.


8.  I went to work one day with my husband.  I drove a pickup with a trailer load of 5 huge round bales. I ended up getting stuck in a ditch and busting up the trailer.  Yes, I went to work just that once I think.  :)  {actually, I've been more employed as a cook and more nurturing jobs, like checking out heifers and bottle feeding calves.}


9.  My dog Leroy barks at birds with a ferocious growl but will give happy puddles to anyone who comes to visit.  {you have been warned!}


10.  I've used coupons for over a year.  My level of coupon hardcore-ness {think TLC Extreme Couponing} is pretty mild, because we literally are a three hour round trip to the nearest Target.  But, I save my family mass amounts when we do make it to civilization.  Anyone else use them?  Or want to?




and an extra:  11.  here is a typical day in the life of me.

Now it is YOUR TURN!  Yes, take the mike and tell us a little bit about yourself, please!  I can't wait to learn more about you! :)

And just THANK YOU.  For your support, your encouragement, and your love.  You out there, are AWESOME!  Hugs!

ANOTHER daily deal site... plus pretty good deals! Happy Friday!

Like I mentioned before, I sign up for a lot of daily deal sites, because you never know what you'll get!

So I signed up for Totsy a while ago, and read on one of my fave blogs that they are running a special promotion via Facebook for $15 off a $15 purchase!  Shipping starts at $7.95, but the promo code applies to shipping too!  So, we're talking pretty good deals!

By using the code 15credit I scored this DVD for $.75!!!  {seriously!}

AND they plant a tree for every purchase!  That's worth every penny!! :)

Now, I can't really say anything about these DVDs because we've never watched them before, but hey, it's worth a shot for our family, who seem to scratch every single DVD we own!!

Head over to Totsy to see what you can score!  There are about 10 different DVDs to choose from, plus toys, shoes, KidKraft... endless possibilities!!  Sometimes with these sites they can pull promos pretty quickly, so hop on this if you're interested!

fyi:  Wondering why I share stuff like these daily deals on my lovely site?  Well, I don't get out much living here on the ranch!! :)  Meaning I don't get to go shopping in actual stores very often, so I get pretty excited about finding good deals online!  I absolutely LOVE shopping online.  I buy diapers and books and some groceries on Amazon, find lovelies on etsy, and find myself window shopping Anthropologie quite often!  I live in rural MT ya'll!!  Hope you don't mind me sharing them with you!  Happy Friday all!!

today...

my baby girl atop Spotsy, one of our spunky ponies (with a fresh mohawk!) on a sunny winter day!

today...

Gymnastics!  

We're making progress, one little baby step at a time :)

An Ordinary Gift

  I haven't even read this book yet.  But it looks amazingly beautiful.  Plus it's under $10 on Amazon right now and, if you'd like, you could join me on the (in)courage site in reading this for their first Bloom book club!  {It's a virtual club that used to be hosted by Angie Smith of Bring The Rain, but it's moved over to (in)courage now!  Have you ever been over to (in)courage?  I've been a fan for a couple years now and LOVE it!  Anyway, I ordered mine today, and I'll let you know what I think!}

 

 

Christmas Biscotti!

Hi Ivy Twines friends!

Thanks so much for the fun ride of the Christmas Gift Guide!  Phew, that was a busy month + wasn't it?  We'll take a mini hiatus from features until after Christmas, where we'll come back with fabulous "New Year, New You" ideas for 2011!!

Meanwhile, we've been busy baking at our house!  Last week, the girls and I baked some biscotti!  Super easy to do (trust me, it really is!) and such a cute gift!  I packed some biscotti and hot cocoa mix and put it in a holiday mug!  Perfect for coworkers or friends! 

All Recipes has a great collection of their top 20 recipes, which are delicious!

Next up for me is this Chocolate Dipped Orange Biscotti.  Yum :)

today...

My dog Leroy's attempts at making this year's Christmas card! :)

Back later with some winners!  Woop!