It's inevitable your little ones will get bump or bruise. Make them a Boo-Boo Bear to sweeten those tough times by Prodigal Pieces www.prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

It's inevitable your little ones will get bump or bruise. Make them a Boo-Boo Bear to sweeten those tough times by Prodigal Pieces www.prodigalpieces.com #prodigalpieces

Hello PHG readers! I’m coming over from my blog, Prodigal Pieces, to share with you a sweet DIY that is easy to whip up and will make everyone smile (not to mention it makes a perfect last-minute gift!).

Do you remember the days as a child when you would stumble and hurt your knee or have some bump that required a little TLC? As a mom to 6 wonderful kids, I know how precious those times can be, and that’s where Boo-Boo Bear (a rice ice and heat pack) can sweeten those troubled times.

Boo-Boo Bear is sweet little friend who serves as a comforting ice pack that is the perfect temperature for those bumps and bruises that come along, AND he can also be lightly warmed in the microwave to soothe aches and pains. Want to make one for a special little person in your life? Read more

Holiday Home Tour 2015 - Living Room | Pretty Handy Girl

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Holiday or just time spent with good friends and family. We had a great day with an unexpected visit from my Mom. (I think she’s relieved I didn’t buy her the 23″ x 14″ box . affiliate link)

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It was especially sweet to see her since we had lied to the boys and told them we were going to see her in Virginia when in actuality we were headed to Orlando to Disney and Universal Studios. We wanted to see how long it would take them to figure out we were driving the wrong way. My oldest finally asked to see how far we were on our trip via Google Maps and exclaimed that we were halfway into South Carolina. After a brief performance where we acted surprised and angry that we drove the wrong way, we pulled over and gave each boy a gift cluing them in to our actual destination. As you can imagine they were both super excited and thoroughly surprised.

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Now that Christmas day is behind us, I have holed myself up at the beach for a few days. I have less than two weeks before I am scheduled to take the Residential General Contractor exam. I am stressed, and I am in no way near as prepared as I’d like to be at this point. One of the best Christmas gifts I received was Pretty Handsome Guy suggesting I take four days to go to the beach and study uninterrupted. I love that he’s the type of husband that 1) supports my goals 2) is completely capable of playing the single parent role for a while and 3) will probably have more fun with the boys than if the disciplinarian (aka Mom) was around.

With that said, I’ll be spending more time studying and less time online until after January 8th. See you in 2016!

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fabric & wood coasters

Pretty Handy readers we are nearing ever so close to the big day!  Jaime from That’s My Letter here today to share a quick and easy last minute gift idea.  These fabric and wood coasters add just a touch of holiday cheer to any coffee table and you just might already have the supplies on hand to make them!

fabric & wood coasters wrapped

All stacked up and tied together they make a great hostess gift or a charming diy gift anyone is sure to appreciate.

fabric & wood coasters 3

The plaid fabric is completely on trend this year as we are seeing plaid and tartan everywhere!  You could use nearly any fabric, this plaid happens to be a thicker woven cotton.

fabric & wood coasters 1

Below are the step-by-step instructions to make your own fabric and wood coasters.  Always use all safety precautions when operating power tools.

Materials:

  • 4×4 wood post scrap (1/2″ thick for each coaster)
  • miter saw
  • measuring tape & pencil
  • sandpaper
  • fabric (4″ square for each coaster)
  • mod podge
  • paint brush
  • rotary cutter & self healing mat

Instructions:

Step 1: Mark the 4×4 post for a 1/2″ cut.  I recommend setting up a stop block (the 2×4 on the right in the picture below) and clamp it to your saw.  This stop block allows you to make multiple cuts of same length without having to re-measure and mark your wood every time.

fabric & wood coasters step 1

fabric & wood coasters cut complete

Step 2: Sand the edges of the wood cuts smooth.  Apply a generous layer of mod podge onto the wood and press fabric in place smoothing any wrinkles.  Let dry. Read more

Pretty Handy Girl Holiday Home Tour Mudroom & Foyer

Last up on my holiday home tour is my mudroom and foyer. This year, I re-used the same wreaths for the front door, but I jazzed them up with silver holly leaf floral picks.

Pretty Handy Girl Holiday Home Tour Mudroom & Foyer

It’s incredibly easy to change the look of your wreaths. Try tucking in fresh clippings like these mahonia leaves:

Pretty Handy Girl's Holiday Home Tour 2014

Or tie ornaments onto your wreath to add some sparkle and shine. Get more ideas for updating your wreaths here.

Pretty Handy Girl's Christmas Home Tour

Inside the front door, I set up the advent calendars on our rustic IKEA hacked chest. Read more

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

Are you pulling out your hair trying to get everything done before Christmas? No? Well, I hate you! Just kidding. I’ve been frantic this past week. Unfortunately, I wasn’t planning ahead and the holiday cards were pushed to the end of my to do list. It sat down there at the bottom with some of the last minute presents for the mailman and service providers we appreciate. I thought about going to a big box store to knock out all these last minute gifts. But frankly, when I walk in the entire magical holiday spirit is sucked out of my body and I’m left feeling like a Hippopotamus squashed my Christmas spirit. You know what I’m talking about, right?! Other people who are frantic and stressed. Cashiers who need a break. And drivers fighting you for that last parking space.

What I really wanted were last minute beautiful photo cards without braving the elements crowds! ‘Cause you and I know, Baby, It’s Cold Outside (in more ways than one.)

That’s why I was thrilled this year when CVS contacted me and asked if I wanted to get my holiday cards the same day from my local CVS store. Wait, what?! I had no idea you could skip the crowds and get photo cards from the local friendly CVS store. There had to be a catch. I figured the card options would be — you know — a bit like bad fruitcake.

I quickly let me fingers fly over to CVS.com/Photo to see the measly options.

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

What to my wandering eyes did appear? Jaw dropping designs from top names like Hallmark and Aperion!

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

Wow, oh wow, beautiful last minute holiday photo cards!

At this point I thought I was dreaming and half expected to see Visions of Sugarplums. I pinched myself and surged forward to create our photo cards.

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

The CVS.com/Photo website is set up for last minute people like me (who don’t have time to figure out a new program or read instructions! Ain’t nobody got time for that!)

Simple, easy prompts:

  • Pick your design
  • Upload your picture
  • Add text
  • Review and buy!

You know this was quicker and faster than most of my tutorials! Hallelujah and thank your lucky Christmas stars!

The hardest part was choosing the design to use. I mocked up at least half a dozen.

CVS Same Day Photo Cards CVS Same Day Photo Cards

Thankfully, my Instagram friends helped me pick a favorite (what would I do without y’all! xxxooo)

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

CVS.com/Photo lets you upload pictures from three different convenient places!

CVS Same Day Photo Cards
Can I get a big Joy to the World for choices?

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

After a few minutes picking our photos and uploading them, I had a winning card design:

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

Raise your hand if you have children who tend to look like the Grinch stole their Christmas in most of your family photos! Thankfully, my matching Santa hat fell off at just the right moment and we all started laughing. Poor Buddy had no idea what hit him.

With one more click I had sent my order to our local CVS store. You know what’s sweeter than a 54′ Convertible, Light Blue? I didn’t have to enter my credit card information online. Payment isn’t due until you pick up your cards.

Can we take a quick second to appreciate this sight? A parking lot with plenty of spaces. And stocked aisles for last minute stocking stuffers, gifts and gift bags.

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

I dashed into the store and grabbed a few gift bags and candies. Then headed to the checkout to pick up my photos and pay for them. In full disclosure, I waited in a line… of two people! Yup, no long lines, no scowls, and no fighting for the last hot item. I purchased my photos and other things. Then I Sprang to My Navy Blue Sleigh Minivan and dashed back home.

CVS Same Day Photo Cards

Now about those last minute gifts…

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Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy for the Holiday How To campaign. I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers. As always, I am particular about the brands I partner with. I will always disclose to you if you are reading a sponsored post.