Valentines

4 Feb posted by

Lili came home yesterday with a list of her classmates names for Valentines.  Much like Halloween, where the kids come home with bags overflowing with treats and candy, Valentine’s Day is the same way in elementary school.  I often send in holiday themed pencils for the kids to hand out, because what classroom can’t use more pencils?  One year I found mini tubs of Play-Doh specially marked to be used as Valentines as well.  But this year I’ve seen a few cute sweets-free ideas on Pinterest, and am trying to decide what to do.

If I do go with pencils, this would be a cute way to personalize them- this owl perched on a pencil is adorable.

Or rulers… I should ask my girls if they use them a lot in school…

I love the idea of dressing up the little wedding bubbles for kids for Valentine’s Day- especially for younger kids who love bubbles.

These are unique and a great way to encourage reading. But I always wonder about the paint chip projects I see on Pinterest- do people just go snag a ton at the hardware store?

I wonder if there are still 10 packs of glow sticks in the dollar section at Target…

These are really sweet too. I wonder if the boys would like them though…

Just awesome. I love that it includes a photo of the giver. The original creator included a stick on felt mustache for each kid on the Valentine. I don’t know that Lili would let me take her photo with a mustache though…

What do your kids hand out?


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Filed Under: Valentine's Day

Happy Happy New Year

2 Jan posted by

It’s officially a new year. In the past, I’ve posted resolutions, but mine were easily attainable.  Things like go to the dentist… I’m not big on making big declarations to change or improve myself when I know I’ll never follow through.  I have thought of a few that are do-able:

  • Everyone always quits some bad habit, so I’m going to quit drinking.  This will be easy because not only do I drink maybe 3 glasses of wine a month, but now I’m pregnant, so I won’t be drinking anyway.  I think I can handle this one.
  • Cut back on the Dunkin Donuts coffee.  If I thought  of this a week or two ago, it would have been a no-go.  However, the last couple of times I drank one, I didn’t finish it because it just didn’t taste as good.  Damn pregnancy, ruining my taste buds.
  • Don’t get pregnant.  Well, I already am, so I can’t again, right?  And by the end of the year, Aaron and I both plan to make ourselves permanently infertile.
  • I’ll continue to keep track of the books I read, and I’ve already started a 2012 list.
  • OH!  And get the boys hair cuts.  It’s seriously in their eyes and driving them (and me) nuts.

All over the blog world, people are posting their 12 favorite posts or photos of the year.  I thought about going back through my blog and doing the same, but then I decided I was too lazy and it seemed like a lot of work.  I’ve posted a lot this year.  Plus, I notice my eyes start to glaze over while reading some of the ones out there (no, not yours!)… and I figure if I do it, it’s really one of those things for my own benefit, and I just don’t care that much right now.

The beginning of last year, we were several months out of chemo for Ryan, so really 2011 has been smooth sailing for our immediate family.  Everyone has been healthy and happy.  Our big event of the year was moving, but for me, the move was a giant stress reliever.  I’m so happy we decided to do it.

It’s been 10 years since we lost Raime, and really all of our losses and all the grief I carried seems further and further away- a lifetime ago.  And I really hope this new pregnancy doesn’t bring it all back again.  2011 was a wonderfully happy year for the Tate family, and I’m hoping that 2012 is just as good, if not better.  And maybe this summer if we are super lucky, we’ll have a new little Tatertot in our house.

Little techy boys on New Year's.


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Filed Under: 1featured, New Year's

2012

1 Jan posted by

So the world is going to end this year, so it seems silly to make resolutions, right?

If that’s the case, there is some stuff we can take comfort in.

If you do make resolutions, I think displaying them as art is a great idea- I’d think if you’ve got them staring you in the face, you’re more likely to keep them.

You could use a fancy font and print it out and frame it…

Or you could follow a tutorial like the one linked here:


Do you make New Year’s resolutions?


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Filed Under: holiday

2011 Resolutions

8 Jan posted by

I should probably make some resolutions for this year.  I’m not generally a fan, but the whole goal thing worked out quite nicely last year (despite failing at a few) so I’ll do that again.  In no particular order:

  • Keep a running list of books again this year.  I don’t care how many I read, I just like to keep track for whatever strange reason.
  • Learn more about my camera and how to properly use it.
  • One of my goals last year that never made the list was not to get pregnant.  I did it, and hope to have another pregnancy-free year.   Every year.  For the rest of my life.
  • Learn how to shoot a gun to prepare for the Apocalypse.  This one is inspired by Megan.
  • Pare down on my blog reading.  Oh don’t worry, I’ll still read yours.  It’s just that there are so many in my reader that are irrelevant to my life, or abandoned, or just plain boring to read.  Then I get all behind, and miss stuff on the good blogs when I mark all read.  I tried to cut them back one other time, and spent all this time picking and choosing the blogs that I most enjoy and the ones that interact with me on mine, only to have Google add them all back.  Some now show up twice- grr!   And now you all are thinking- cut back on blogs that bore me!  Great idea!  I’ll do it too!  as you promptly delete The TaterTwins from your readers…
  • And of course, do all the crap I didn’t do last year.

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Filed Under: resolutions 2011

2010 Resolution Recap

1 Jan posted by

Last January, I’d posted about my goals for 2010 in a resolutions post.  I thought I’d go back and see how I fared.

I’m going to keep a running log of the books I read this year. I did it in 2007, and started it in 2008, but didn’t keep up with it. I enjoyed looking back over what I’ve read, so I’m going to do that again.

I did that!  I’d hoped to read 75-100 books, and I made it to 101 books for the year! I am going to continue this and I’ve started a 2011 Book List.

I’d love to learn how to take better pictures. I don’t know if I’ll be able to take a course at the local community college for something like that, or if I will only be able to learn from tutorial websites and books, but it’s something I’m interested in. And to go hand in hand with that, I’d like to complete a 365. I attempted one awhile back, but I was going to only take pics of myself and that got old fast. This time I’m not going to limit it to one subject.

I did pretty good with this one- although I still have a month and a half worth of pictures to upload to my 365.  I’ve only updated through mid-November.  BUT I’ve managed to take the pics and I feel I’ve learned a bit- in the time since I started the project, I’ve gotten a new and way better camera along with an additional lens.  I think this is another habit I’d like to continue for another year (although I’ll need to make a new header for that blog!).   

I’ve been seriously procrastinating about a few things, and I really need to get them done this year. That list includes going to the dentist, getting a new eye exam, renewing my drivers license, and getting a new social security card. Boring, and shouldn’t be stuff I put off, but I have, and they need to be done.

Well, this one only had a 25% success rate.  I went to the dentist.  I still haven’t renewed my license, updated my social security card, or received an eye exam.   Hopefully I’ll cross at least another one off of my procrastination list! 

I’d also really love to find a babysitter that I’m comfortable with and trust 100% and have monthly date nights with Aaron. I honestly can’t remember the last time we went anywhere alone, aside from the NICU to see the twins while the girls were with their grandparents in NY. Prior to that, I believe it was for the USMC Birthday Ball in November of 2008.

And this one- well it didn’t happen.  I admit that I didn’t try very hard to find a sitter.  Maybe this year I’ll be ok with leaving the twins- the girls go with the neighbors quite often.  It would have been nice to have a sitter on our anniversary this past year, so my plan is to find someone by next December!

I need to think about some more goals I’d like to achieve for 2011, and make a proper post listing them.  But I guess I did ok for 2010!

Gratuitous Kid Pic having nothing to do with the post.


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Filed Under: resolutions 2010
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