Bat-Cycle!

 As I was coming home one night, I noticed that my neighbor was throwing out this old Step 2 motorcycle. "Ohhh! I need that! Stop the car!" I said to my husband as we drove past. Know what he said? "Ain't happening!" Oh, the horrors of the neighbors seeing me cart their trash home! He told me to go back when it was dark out. So, I did. And I brought this little gem home. It was roughed up and has definitely seen better days.

I knew that with a little TLC I could have this baby looking spiffy. By a little TLC, I mean a can of spray paint and a little vinyl cut out with my Silhouette Cameo. With a days worth of work (mostly paint drying time), the Bat-Cycle was born.

I knew I wanted to give it to my nephew, so I had to customize it a bit. His nickname is Brockie, so I found some Batman font and put "Brockie-Man" on the back.

He is officially the coolest kid on the block now.

As luck would have it, I found a really cool Little Tikes beetle type car last weekend in someone else's trash. I can't wait to start work on it, but I am still trying to think of the final look I want.

Party Like A Hollywood Star!

You all know Mariah just turned 14 on Sunday. She wasn't sure if she wanted to have a party this year, but we figured it's probably her last themed birthday party, why not? She thought it would be fun to have a Hollywood type party this year. She asked all of the guests to come as their favorite movie character or someone famous. It was quite fun seeing what the kids came as. We had Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift, Katniss, Ke$ha, and Hermione from Harry Potter.

We made up some Hollywood looking invites:

No famous guest can arrive without walking the red carpet:

I kind of kept with a movie theme, even though it was an invite for all sorts of "celebrity" people. We decorated the buffet in a theater type style, complete with candy, soda cups and goodie bags.

I am going to correct myself. It is not cool to have a "goodie bag" when you are a teenager. Calling it a "Swag Bag" worked though. Then I had the problem of figuring out what to put in a swag bag that would work for both boys and girls. I had the bright idea to pass out "Bling" to the guests. Since this was no P. Diddy party, I was working on a Mahoney budget, we settled for candy bling.

Ring Pops, Candy Necklace and Bracelets worked well for swag bag fillers.

I found these tumblers at the $1 store. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out vinyl stars with each guest's name in the center. Another cheap party favor that the kids loved!

 

After playing party games, we finished with cupcakes. Mariah decided to pass on a birthday cake this year, and instead the kids had fun decorating their own cupcakes.

Overall, I think the party was a huge hit!

Have you thrown or gone to any themed parties this year?

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Supermarket Sweep

We have been super busy with school activities here these past few weeks. There were no field trips scheduled all year, then BAM! We are going on tons at the end of the year. It is exhausting! We just went on a trip to the local supermarket. Even though a trip to the grocery store isn't quite as much fun when you are an adult, it was entertaining to see it through the eyes of 9 year olds!

They got to ring up and bag the groceries.

 

Learned all about each department from a supermarket tour guide.

Got a backstage pass to see how the store is run behind the scenes.

The trash compactor was a huge hit!

Brrr! The walk in freezer- not so much.

I'd say the best part was learning about the lobster. I forgot how inquisitive 9 year olds are, and had to bust out laughing when they left the seafood lady speechless by asking "How can you tell if it is a girl or a boy lobster?"

"Uhhhhh. How am I supposed to answer that one?" Sorry lady, you are on your own there....

 

 Have you accompanied your children on any field trips this year? Where did you get to go?

 

CVS Total Home- Where Performance And Value Live!

I think most people can agree, running a home is no easy task! As a mom, I know that the job is never ending. There is so much to do each day! Laundry, dishes, trash duty, and just general home maintenance keep me pretty busy. I take pride in keeping my home running and looking the best it possibly can, but I can’t do it all on my own. I depend on products that help me effectively manage each task as quickly as possible, without breaking the bank. That’s why I am excited to tell you about CVS’s new Total Home line of products!

Through the Total Home line, CVS offers you 150 quality home care products that help you maintain your home efficiently and affordably. When it comes to managing every day tasks, Total Home has you covered. The products will help you clean, organize and cook, all while saving you 15% to 20% over the national brands! 

When I made the switch to Total Home, my family never noticed a difference in quality or performance. The toilet paper was soft and durable, as were the tissues. The antibacterial wipes stayed wet enough to get my kitchen counters done, and they were very easy to remove from the canister. The dryer sheets left a light, clean scent on our clothes, and the dry floor cloths pick up dirt off my hardwood just as well as the national brand. The dry cloths state that they fit on the Swiffer. I have the larger Swiffer, and they do fit, but I have to use 2 to cover it completely. I also love to use the dry cloths to wipe down my window blinds and ceiling fans as well. They are great at trapping in the dust as I swipe over them!

You can find these exclusive Total Home products at your local CVS store, along with many other products from the Total Home line:

All of the Total Home products have undergone rigorous testing to ensure you are receiving high quality merchandise. If you try the Total Home products and are not satisfied, CVS does offer a full 100% money back guarantee! 

If you would like to learn more about Total Home from CVS, you can find more information on their website or by dropping in to your local CVS store!

*Disclosure- I was provided with Total Care samples courtesy of CVS for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided.