4th of July

This year for the 4th of July we probably won't be going crazy with the fire works, maybe just a few sparklers.  I'm not sure if its the same for all little kids, but mine are terrified of fireworks!  That's okay with me though because I don't like them too much myself.  Especially considering all the unnecessary smoke they put in the air.  Here are some ideas a came across to make your 4th of July fun with or without the fireworks!

I love these stilts, I can already picture my son going crazy with them. And plus, I know he will have a fun time helping me make them.

This confetti launcher is a great alternative to the oh-so-scary fireworks!

 

Love these chair covers, you can use this idea for more then just the 4th of July too!

Cutest robot ever.  Enough said.

OMG yum! (click here for recipes)

Hope everyone has a happy and SAFE 4th of July!

Summer is Here!

Its crazy to me that my children look so much alike.  I have probably mentioned this before but they look like they are twins to me! with a two and a half year age difference.  Anyway, we had a fun weekend spending time at the pool and getting some sun.  Austin actually learned how to swim on his own although he hasn't quite mastered it yet.  Savannah enjoyed the water and looked cute as ever just floating around in her whale that once was Austins.  I love these little easy going weekends with the family...it's my idea of a perfect weekend.  Whats your idea of a perfect weekend?

Monday Giveaway

I really love this giveaway and I am jealous of who wins it because I LOVE elephants.  I'm going to have to buy one for myself for sure.  So, the giveaway this week is for an awesome Red Coral Elephant Bracelet from the Everydaypretty Etsy Shop.

Please go check out this fantastic Etsy shop because she makes a lot of great unique stuff.  You can find something in this store to match any personality.  Really.  (aside from this elephant bracelet I especially like the Koi Fish Silk Necklace).


How to Enter:

Head over to Everydaypretty Etsy Shop and come back here to leave a comment telling me what your favorite item in her store is.  You also MUST be a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect or Blog Lovin',  if you are not already you can become one by clicking here.


For Extra Entries:  

•Follow Cassy as of Lately on twitter here and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.

•Post about this giveaway in you blog and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.

•Tweet about the giveaway on twitter OR post about it on facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.


(the giveaway is also open to international readers) 

GOOD LUCK my friends!

Giveaway Winner

Hope you all had a chance to check out the Perfectweat Etsy Shop! If you haven't gone there yet do yourself a favor and go browse through her great shop for a moment.  You deserve break anyway, it was a long week. She has some really great items and I want to thank her for sponsoring this giveaway. The Leather Bracelet is fab...

And now...congrats to the (new) lucky winner, Natasha Vaughn!  And don't be sad if you didn't win, there will be more to come. Hope everyone has a grrrreat weekend!  I'll be tackling a few projects this weekend and will share them with you ASAP.

Craft of the Week

I know, its been a while since I have done any project of my own.  Here is an easy one that I got from one of my DIY Home Decor posts.  The original idea was to use nice canvases and add on the clamps to hold the artwork, which would have cost a total of about $30 (not TOO expensive, I know) and probably would have had a better appeal in the end.  But my idea to use clipboards was a lot cheaper than that ($3 to be exact) and much more easy without having to deal with adding on my own clamps.  I love both versions of the projects and I think they go well in kids bedrooms and in you office.

Monday Giveaway

This weeks giveaway is a cute leather bracelet from the Perfect Wear Etsy Shop.

I LOVE this shop and the simple leather bracelets she makes.  Her jewelry is inexpensive and she accommodates custom orders!

How to Enter:

Head over to Perfect Wear Etsy Shop and come back here to leave a comment telling me what your favorite item in her store is.  You also MUST be a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect or Blog Lovin',  if you are not already you can become one by clicking here.


For Extra Entries:  

•Follow Cassy as of Lately on twitter here and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.

•Post about this giveaway in you blog and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.

•Tweet about the giveaway on twitter OR post about it on facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.


(the giveaway is also open to international readers)

Fathers Day DIY Ideas

Fathers day is this weekend, hope you are all prepared!  If not that's okay!  I will share a few ideas a came across for easy DIY fathers day projects.

This first one is adorable...actually they are all adorable but I think this is a good one for a dad that could use some decluttering or a dad who has a lot of stuff to carry back and fourth to wherever.

 I think this hand wrapped chocolate bar would be a great one for those of you that know how to make your own chocolate goodies!  If not, you can still do it by just buying dads favorite chocolate bar and re-wrapping it.

 This website is great and full of a lot of clever ideas such as this picture clip board.

 This is from the same website as the photo above. What father wouldn't love something as simple as having his shirts cleaned and pressed at the dry cleaner? 

Lastly, this photo montage is so cute and I think any dad or grandpa would love to have one.

That's all! I hope all you deserving fathers out there have an amazing fathers day full of lot of love!

Before & Afters

Here are some more  BEFORE & AFTER photos for some summer inspiration.  If you have any before and after photos you would like to share email me and I will post them so you can inspire others too!  You can find more like this from this website. I really like the first one because it shows how you can make a big difference in your room just by making a few small changes.

Marathon & Fundraising Progress

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend.  I just wanted to check in and let everyone know how my marathon training is going and my progress on the fundraising!

First you might wonder what I mean by "training".  So let me share... I am running four days a week.  My running time right now is pretty short (about 30 minutes) and gradually gets longer as the weeks go by.  I use 
MiCoach by Adidas on my iphone and let me just tell you, I LOVE THIS THING! (I swear I'm not trying to advertise).  But honestly it's a great app that tells me exactly how long and intense my runs need to be, what days I need to run, and tips along the way. It also has GPS to track and map your runs and tell you your pace if you are running outdoors. It has a voice of a personal trainer that coaches you and directs you through your run and it lets you play your music from your playlists too.  I highly recommend this app to all runners.  It's crazy how motivating a little piece of (free) technology can be!

I'm finding that with each run I go on I am able to enjoy it more and more.  I actually look forward to each run.  I can also tell I'm getting in better shape because I don't get sore after my runs and I don't lose my breath during them either.  

If you are a mom reading this and wondering how in the heck I have time to work a full time job, take care of two babies, and fit it time for my runs?  The answer is this... I have a gym membership that offers childcare AND I have a double seated jogging stroller.  I try and do my short runs at the gym (less time away from the kids), and my longer runs with my double stroller (more time with the kids). All in all I'm feeling great about my progress and can't wait for race day (a whole 6 months away!)

NOW as for the most important part, the FUNDRAISING.  I am pleased to share that I have raised $570 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation so far and I'm confident there will be more to come!  If you are interested in getting sponsorship information let me know and I will get the forms for you. 

That's all the new I have for now but I will make sure to post updates along the way.  Have a great week lovely friends!

Giveaway Winner

AND the giveaway winner for the Personalized Monogram on French Blue and White Damask Pendant Necklace is... 

Chelsea! Congrats to you and thanks to all who entered.  I will be doing more giveaways so keep reading!

Also, thanks to Spiffy Cool Etsy Shop.  Be sure to check out her store and keep her in mind when jewelry and accessory shopping.  She has some great stuff for fathers day too!

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend.

DIY Home Decor & More

I wish I had an old porcelain bathtub, you know why?  Because then I would be able to make these adorable bathtub sofas!  How charming are these.  And I love the use of color in the cushions, lamp, and bathtub legs. 

This book hook idea is a great (inexpensive) way to add some color and texture to a plain wall.  Its not always convenient, especially having little one running around, to have a big coat rack in your entry way.  Try this as a creative alternative!

 This button calendar would be a great way to add a lil somthin-somthin to a plain office desk!  I think I will have to try this one.  It would also make a great gift because you can personalize it very easily.

Before & Afters

Here is a run-on from last weeks post with some great bedroom makeovers.  I especially love the last one because it shows how to utilize a small space.  I got these pictures from this website.  Its full of a ton more ideas and inspiration for home decor and DIY projects.

As far as redecorating goes, what do you do to spruce up old played out decor without going too crazy and staying in budget? I personally like to change the accent pillows or an accent wall paint color when I get bored with a room in my home (which is often).

Hope you all are having a great day and don't forget to enter my monogram french damask pendant necklace GIVEAWAY!

Monday Giveaway!

This is my first giveaway and I'm really excited about it.  I think you all will love this one...

Head over to the Spiffy Cool Etsy Shop and check out her awesome handmade upcycled jewelry and more.  I love her creativity and how she reuses scrabble pieces to make her super adorable necklace pendants.

As for the GIVEAWAY... see the rules below to enter to win this Personalized Monogram on French Blue and White Damask Pendant Necklace!  The lucky winner will be chosen on Friday.  Good luck!

How to Enter:

Head over to Spiffy Cool Etsy Shop and come back here to leave a comment telling me what your favorite item in her store is.  You also MUST be a follower of my blog, if you are not already you can become one by clicking here.


For Extra Entries:   

•Like Spiffy Cool on her facebook page here and leave a seperate comment letting me know you did so.

•Follow Cassy as of Lately on twitter here and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.

•Post about this giveaway in you blog or facebook or retweet it on twitter and leave a separate comment letting me know you did so.


(the giveaway is also open to international readers)

GOOD LUCK and happy Monday!

My First Half Marathon!

So ever since I had my second child I have fell in love with running.  At first it was just a way for my to lose the extra baby wait but now I do it for so many more reasons then vanity. It is such an amazing way to relax and rejuvenate myself, its like a form of meditation, really.  I ran a 5k a while back for charity and it was such an amazing experience.  I loved that it was doing good  for a stranger and there was a bigger picture then just a bunch of people getting together to do something they enjoy. 

SO, after the great experience I had with my 5k, why not triple the experience and run a half marathon?  I have officially registered for the Rock N Roll Las Vegas (half) Marathon on December 4th 2011!  I have also decided that I am seeking out sponsorship to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation Southern Nevada Chapter. I can't wait to actually run in the marathon knowing each mile I run is going to help someone a little more.   Talk about motivation to not quit! 

If you know anyone who is interest in sponsoring me for the cause feel free to email me or message me for details and forms. I'll try too keep you guys updated on my training progress and will let you know of my fund raising progress along the way as well!  Also, I'm looking for some tips on good running shoes because I'm wanting some new ones.  I have been looking at the "5 finger" shoes but want to talk to a runner who has them to see if they are any good.  So if you have tried them out what do you think? OR what is your shoe preference for running?

Hope you all are having a great week end!

Before & Afters

Lately I have been getting a serious urge to redecorate my bedroom. What do you use for inspiration when you decorate and whats your favorite style of decor?  I know I like rooms with a lot of light colors and an open whimsical feeling.  I also love neutral colors schemes with vibrant splashes of color scattered around. Here are some awesome bedroom makeovers I came across from this website that I just may have to steal a few ideas from (I especially love the first one)...

Hope everyone has a WONDERFUL weekend.

Aaand don't forget to grab yourself a free doughnut today from Kripy Kremes FREE DOUGHNUT DAY today June 3rd!