Making the World Cuter: March 2011

Making Us Cuter-A little Spring in My Step

Ahhh...yesterday was the first warm day we have had in for what seems like FOREVER! And when I say warm, I am talking high 50's, really nothing to write home about! But still so nice to get out and soak up some vitamin D while watching the kids run like crazy wild animals through the yard.

It just felt like the perfect day to wear a twirly skirt and flowers in my hair...and for once...the jacket was optional.

What are you wearing this week?

The link up party is back! Link up what you are wearing and give us inspiration to make us cuter this week! I will share a few of my favorites next week and maybe even try to incorporate some of your looks into my week...

Link up to direct posts only-you can link up as many times as you want for each outfit or if you have a post with all of your outfits for the week-link that up. I will leave this linky list open for one week!

Let's see it cuties! If you link up, I would love it if you linked back or take a button so that we can get more people joining the party!

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Linking up to Pleated Poppy, Momma Go Round & Jewelscapes

Labels: fashion, Linky Parties, making us cuter

AdoraBelle Pettiskirt Review & Giveaway

EDIT: ARRGGH! I just realized this posted twice, here and under my baby nerd shirt tutorial-I closed the comments on the other one, but if that is where you entered, you will still be entered. So please do not enter here too. If I find comments on both, they will be disqualified. Thanks! :)

Oh are you guys going to LOVE me today?!?!

The answer is YES!!!

I am so excited for the winner of this giveaway, because I was lucky enough to be able to review one of these AdoraBelle Pettiskirts, and it is soooooo cute!

Would you check out all those layers? Layers and layers of soft, fun cuteness!

My little girl thinks she's pretty much a princess in this thing-walking with her hands in it, making it swish side to side...

One of my favorite features, since my girl has no bum to hold it up, is the adjustable button closure like they have in jeans for kids, so I can squish it up for her, and she'll be able to wear it for a long, long time! Of course I will be using it as a photo prop for any other little girl who wants to feel like a princess as well...yay! :)

You get your little princess one of these beautiful skirts and just try to stop her from twirling all those layers and giggling her cute little self silly!

This is seriously the softest and fullest pettiskirt I have ever seen first hand and they offer worldwide shipping, and it's FREE if you live in the US! Gotta love that! They also have some newborn petti's that I need to get my hands on as well!

Want to win one?

Yeah I thought so!

One lucky winner will get to choose from one of these three styles in the size of their choice;

AdoraBelle Fuchsia Pink/Black Pettiskirt
AdoraBelle Fuchsia/Light Pink Pettiskirt

AdoraBelle Light Pink/Fuchsia Pettiskirt

To enter-all you have to do is tell me which one you would want sent! :)

Want more chances? Just leave Comments for each one...

Vote for me on Babble
Follow me and subscribe either by email or in your reader
Like me on Facebook and Facebook about this giveaway (you can click on the 'f'' below this post to share on FB)
Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway (you can click on the 't' below this post to share on Twitter)

Contest will close Tuesday, April 5 @ midnight PST. Contest open to all humans who like cute things. International entries will be responsible for all shipping and handling costs. I was given a pettiskirt to review, and it thrilled me, delighted me and made me sing a little happy song, but I was not bribed, paid, or otherwise compensated for this review. The comments, opinions and other ramblings are my own. To infinity and beyond. That was not my saying though. That was a quote from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story. Thank you.

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: giveaway, review

Baby Nerd Shirt Tutorial

While I was in Portland a couple weeks back, my mom surprised me with a bunch of onesies that she had put together for my little Oliver while she was making stuff for and with my sister for her new little one on its way.

My fave was this funny little nerd shirt-as I like to call it.

My mom has this thing for suspenders, as a kid it was kind of humiliating, I mean "parents just don't understand" and all of that right? She wanted me in suspenders while I just really wanted to wear boxers over my pants!

Well now I can see their appeal, especially on cute little babies.

Problem though, my mom made this bowtie out of fabric that she didn't pre-wash. When I washed it, the whole shirt was ruined and stained brown, plus the bowtie wrinkled up bad and wouldn't lay flat.

So I transferred the pieces over to a new shirt and sewed the bowtie completely down to the shirt on all sides so that it would stay put.

Cute huh?

I love him in it!

One more little problem though-he is rolling all over the place right now and those big buttons really bother him when he is on his tummy-so I will have to reserve that one for church...

...and I made him one that he can wear any day.

First you will need your supplies...which you probably already have laying around if you have a baby and if you craft or sew.

Onesie (with shoulder fold overs like this one)

Buttons (flat if you have a roller or tummy time kid)

Ribbon

Needle & Thread

First you will need to make a bowtie.

Then you just attach it all to the shirt!

To make it easier to sew on the bowtie, I sewed a small piece of ribbon onto the neck of the shirt (and I messed up on the numbering #4 should actually be #2) then I wrapped the bowtie in the small piece of ribbon and sewed it into the inside so that no thread shows on the front of the shirt.
Sew down the edges of bowtie, especially if you made it out of fabric.
For the suspenders-Fold over the ribbon and sew the button onto the fold, that way you don't have to worry about fraying or trying to get a clean edge.
(see step #1)
Sew the other end of the suspender ribbon under the shoulder piece on the onesie.
Sew the button onto the shirt-really tight and secure, you don't want baby pulling it off and choking!
Take picture of cute baby wearing his little nerd shirt.

Giggle when your baby makes this face and poses just like a little nerd! :)

Love it! Thanks for the inspiration mama!

Sharing this at Today's Creative Blog & These other FUN LINKY PARTIES

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: boys, Toot Toot Tuesday. tutorial

AdoraBelle Pettiskirt Review & Giveaway

EDIT: I closed the comments on this post, because it posted twice! If you entered on this post, you will still be entered into the giveaway, so please do not enter on the other one or I will have to disqualify you. Thanks! :)

Oh are you guys going to LOVE me today?!?!

The answer is YES!!!

I am so excited for the winner of this giveaway, because I was lucky enough to be able to review one of these AdoraBelle Pettiskirts, and it is soooooo cute!

Would you check out all those layers? Layers and layers of soft, fun cuteness!

My little girl thinks she's pretty much a princess in this thing-walking with her hands in it, making it swish side to side...

One of my favorite features, since my girl has no bum to hold it up, is the adjustable button closure like they have in jeans for kids, so I can squish it up for her, and she'll be able to wear it for a long, long time! Of course I will be using it as a photo prop for any other little girl who wants to feel like a princess as well...yay! :)

You get your little princess one of these beautiful skirts and just try to stop her from twirling all those layers and giggling her cute little self silly!

This is seriously the softest and fullest pettiskirt I have ever seen first hand and they offer worldwide shipping, and it's FREE if you live in the US! Gotta love that! They also have some newborn petti's that I need to get my hands on as well!

Want to win one?

Yeah I thought so!

One lucky winner will get to choose from one of these three styles in the size of their choice;

AdoraBelle Fuchsia Pink/Black Pettiskirt
AdoraBelle Fuchsia/Light Pink Pettiskirt

AdoraBelle Light Pink/Fuchsia Pettiskirt

To enter-all you have to do is tell me which one you would want sent! :)

Want more chances? Just leave Comments for each one...

Vote for me on Babble
Follow me and subscribe either by email or in your reader
Like me on Facebook and Facebook about this giveaway (you can click on the 'f'' below this post to share on FB)
Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway (you can click on the 't' below this post to share on Twitter)

Contest will close Tuesday, April 5 @ midnight PST. Contest open to all humans who like cute things. International entries will be responsible for all shipping and handling costs. I was given a pettiskirt to review, and it thrilled me, delighted me and made me sing a little happy song, but I was not bribed, paid, or otherwise compensated for this review. The comments, opinions and other ramblings are my own. To infinity and beyond. That was not my saying though. That was a quote from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story. Thank you.

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: giveaway, review

Making the World Cuter Monday -Sponsored by JumpStart

EDIT: Giveaway closed! Winner was #371 {L}. Congrats!

Don't forget to check who to follow along with this week on the follow along over there on the sidebar-follow them, leave them a comment and they'll follow you back.

3 cute new friends in 3 minutes! Doesn't get better than that!

Am I the only one who remembers computer time in elementary school? Walking down to the media center quietly in a line, sitting down in the hard plastic chairs, waiting for what seemed like forever for the computer to boot up and the green lighted screen to glare out at me. It was the best! We would play a couple learning games, and one of them was of course Oregon Trail and one was Math Blaster.

Does anyone else remember Math blaster?

Defending the Universe from evil through logic...super cool!

Well Math Blaster has gone through some transformations since I was in elementary school...

Now JumpStart has brought Math Blaster into their world and your kids can have even more fun and learning with Max than we used to! :)

My daughter is a JumpStart fanatic.

She has been playing the online game now for about a year and loves all the new things that they add each month so that it never gets boring, so she was super excited to find out that she got to explore a whole other world!

I am a big believer in technology learning, my daughter goes to a virtual elementary school for home school and gets a stellar educational curriculum, while still being able to stay home and learn other things that I want her to learn. We use JumpStart as a reward. If she does well in school that day, without whining or complaining about writing or math, she gets to play for a bit when she is done. She gets to practice her math skills with Math Blaster that can otherwise sometimes be a bit boring for her, so I am in love! My daughters favorite game right now is the Oozami, which is great because she is learning about the different places in math, and this helps her to learn them in a fun way.

I don't want my daughter to be the only one who gets to learn in this fun environment, so today the nice people at JumpStart are giving away a 6 month membership to this fun world!

To enter just link up here your cuteness!

Everyone who links up is entered to win, for an extra entry just leave me a comment telling me if you played Math Blaster as a kid, or what was your favorite computer game to play in school?

Can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Be sure to link back here with either a button, or just a link is fine! Love ya!

Check out these other Linky Parties too!

Disclaimer: Anything posted may be used in an upcoming feature including pictures, (linked back to original owner of course). If you don't want me to use your pictures, please don't link up

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Disclosure: I was provided with a membership good for Math Blaster and Knowledge Adventure at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Labels: giveaway, Making the World Cuter Monday

Show me some Love! :)

My blog friends are the BEST! I am so excited to be on The Babble's Top 50 Mom Craft Blogs, and as I write this, I just got knocked out of the top 10. I am hanging on in the #11 place, but I know that my friends will come through for me and push me back up into the top 10 right? :)

You don't have to register or sign up for anything, -just go HERE, find Making the World Cuter and click 'LIKE'. While you are there you can click like on your other favorite blogs too and show some support for all of their hard work!

While you are here-be sure to check out who to follow this week on the follow-along! They are over there in the sidebar just waiting to be your new friends! Follow them, leave them a comment and they will follow you back-and look you have 3 fantastically cute new friends! Fun!!!

I am going to include them here for those who follow along in their readers...

New Followers are so much fun! Go follow these cute ladies and leave a comment on their post letting them know and they will follow you back!

To participate in the follow along go HERE

Have you seen everything that went on this week at Making the World Cuter? It's been a busy week...here are a couple highlights!

Tea Collection is giving away a $50 gift card to get cute new clothes for your kids...or for you-hurry and enter, you just need to leave me a comment HERE, winner chosen on Wednesday.

Bleach Stamped t-shirts I combined some old scrapbooking supplies and a household cleaner to make some totally awesome shirts for my little monkey!

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Making the World Cuter Monday to link up all the cuteness in your world and to enter to win a 6 month membership to JumpStart for the cute little kiddo's in your life! :)

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: giveaway, review, shameless plugs

Show Offs from Monday

I know it's been awhile since I've done show-offs, but I have ummm....excuses! I won't bore you with those, but I am going to TRY to do show offs on a weekly basis again!

Here are a few of your cute links that stood out to me this last week.

The dress is cute, but the title made me lol...Tidbits made this 'Business in the front, party in the back' dress out of old t-shirts! Love!

Decorate with yellow...and decorate with lemons...I'm all over it!

The Adventures of Ordy & Joon made this awesomely cute wreath and has an easy to follow tute!

The Autocrat made this super over the top, and super over the cute moon, Easter peep centerpiece.

Love. love, flippin LOVE, love to pieces...this table makeover from Momma Hen. Yellow is my absolute fave....

Loving these Pillows from Midnight Creations-you need to see all the details she put into these things!

If you were featured...grab a button! And don't forget to come back on Monday and link up more cute stuff!

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: show offs

Friendly Friday-I'm a Mom not a Professional

Friday! New friend day! I am excited to show you this adorable project from Jaime at I'm a Mom not a Professional. Love the simplicity of it! She has so many other cute projects over at her blog, and some DELISH looking recipes-so check out the tutorial and then run right over and see what else she's got! :) Here's Jaime...

I loved my girl’s scarfs so much that I have wanted to make one of my own and so I did. Again all I used was material and some elastic thread.

I bought two different fabrics for this project because the, I LOVE BLACK side of me couldn’t pass by this beautiful charcoal gray fleece I found. And then I got pink (and black) because the little voice in my head (it’s my mothers voice) kept saying “Jaime! you wear too much black, you need some color in your life!” The little voice won out and I’m very glad it did I love how my new scarf turned out!! (Now if I can only have the courage to wear it)

Both fabrics look way better in real life and the gray is much darker. We got a new camera for Christmas and I still haven’t figured it all out yet.

I cut the fabric the the size I wanted then sewed two pieces together to get my desired length. Then I serged all of the edges. From there I sewed four lines of elastic thread down the middle of my scarf.

Elastic thread is white (does anyone know if it comes in other colors?) So I serged another strip and sewed it down the middle to cover the elastic thread.

All Done!!

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

The ideas, and opinions expressed on Friendly Friday do not necessarily reflect the owner of this blog. Friendly Friday is a day where new blog friends are invited to share a post of something they think makes the world a cuter place. If you are interested in participating in Friendly Friday, please send a post in html format to tiff@makingtheworldcuter.com, with the subject Friendly Friday. Thanks! And keep it cute! :)

Labels: Friendly Friday

Tea Collection Clothing Giveaway & Review!

EDIT: GIVEAWAY CLOSED! WINNER #15 -JADE! CONGRATS!!!!

Umm...yeah those are my cute kids...when did there get to be so many?!?!

Sometimes it is still weird to me that I have children and that I am not just out of high school anymore. But look at my oldest! That little girl is not so little, and my baby is already 6 months old!!!
My kids are cute, I'll give them that, but did you notice the designer children's clothing that they are sporting?
Cute huh?
Courtesy of this super cute company here!

Tea sent my kids each a sample of some of their newest items, and I have to say that they are pretty darn spectacular! Tea has something for everyone Girl's Clothing, Boy's Clothing & Baby Clothing...even something for us momma's! :)

Bekah loves her new casual dress that she can wear on any day and to church.

Topher is a huge fan of hoodies, and this sweater makes both him and mama happy since it is so soft and it makes this little rugrat a little more dressed up than he is used to.

Porter LOVES this new t-shirt, it is super great quality, and the lizard goes over his shoulder, which entertains this little 2 year old more than you would expect a t-shirt to...it's like a dog chasing it's own tail people!

And finally what really sold me was this adorable little baby outfit for Oliver. It's thick, soft, and so baby scrumptious, I want his whole wardrobe in this stuff!

You want some for your sweet ones?
Tea is giving one lucky reader a $50 gift card to spend on anything on their site that your little heart desires!

Here's how to win!!!
Just leave me a comment here...telling me how pretty I am...just kidding! Just leave me a comment, any comment to be entered!

Want more chances? Leave a comment for each one that you did or do...

Vote for your fave blogs on Babble (hint: I'm one of your faves!)
Like me on Facebook
Like TEA on Facebook
Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on this blog
Tweet about this giveaway
Facebook about this giveaway
Blog about this giveaway

I hope you win!!! (EDIT: I will draw a random winner next Wednesday) (EDIT #2: I received product samples in exchange for this review, but as always...opinions 100% my own!)

Current Sponsors:

Canvas People $25 off & Free Shipping on Any Size Canvas

Melissa & Doug Quality Educational Toys & Children's Products

Shabby Apple Dresses & Accessories for all Occasions

Tiny Prints Stylish, Modern & Unique Stationery

Glasses USA Smartest Way to buy Prescription Glasses

Your Ad Here! Click for Details

Labels: giveaway, review

Swimsuit Ready? Express Swim Collection has you covered...

...unless you prefer uncovered.

If you prefer to skinny dip, this post is probably not for you! :)

Express Swimsuit

I am a big fan of Express anything, and their women's swimwear collection is no different! I may not be ready to be sporting this suit quite yet, but I would feel sexy and still covered up while chasing my kids around at the community pool or in the back yard with the sprinkler on.

Here are some reasons to "dive into the season's sexiest swimwear!"

designer details include flirty ruffles, sexy self-tie sides, glam beaded embellishments and polished metal hardware
removable padding in tops
sexy swim shorts available for men
accessorize your sexy beach look with sandals, tote bags, sunglasses & hats for you and your hunny
OH and did I mention if you sign up for Express e-mail you get the chance to win one of ten $200 Express GiftCards?

Silly me, leaving out that tiny bit of happy information! :)

So suck it in ladies, or flaunt it if you've got it, whatever floats your boat!

Head over to Express and find your sexy swimsuit and be sure to sign up for their emails so that you can be entered to win one of those fabulous $200 giftcards to really get your sexy back! (The giveaway ends 4.21 @ 11:59pm sweepstakes rules).