Valentine’s Day Bookmarks

A craft for kids:

This is a simple yet cute craft to enjoy this valentines.  It would be great for preschool, 4H groups, Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts.  I think that it is better for children ages 3-6 but I know Abigail enjoyed making one.  As always let Alli and I know how it comes out.  We would love the feedback!

Difficulty Level: 1 Star

Supplies:

1. Popcycle sticks
2. Glue
3. Wooden conersational hearts
4. crayons, markers or paint

Step 1:

Have the children color or paint their popcycle stick.  They can decorate it in any way they want.  Younger children could just color the stick while older kids can get a little more creative adding designs, words and just about anything else they can think of.

Step 2:

Glue the conversational heart to the top of the popcycle stick.

Step 3:

Let it all dry and you have a new bookmark to keep as children begin to learn to read or they can pass it along to parents or grandparents as a great little gift.

We hope that you enjoy the valentines day bookmarks.  Our kids all had a blast making them.  We would love to hear and see how yours came out.  Please leave us a message in the comment box!

Becca and Alli

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Valentine’s Day Bear Pins

This is a great craft for scouts, class craft projects or just for gifts for grandparents.  This craft is designed to make 15 bears.  Each bear will end up costing $0.51 each!  Here is all that you will need:

Difficulty level: 1 star

Supplies:                                                                                                                                                   

1. Felt Board in cocoa
2. Tacky glue
3. Google eyes
4. 1 bag of pins
5. 1 hot glue stick
6. hot glue gun
7. sizzers
8. Sticker or wood conversation hearts
9. Black marker
10. Printed template

Step 1:

Click here to print bear template and then cut the template out.

Step 2:

Trace the template onto the felt board.

Step 3:

Cut out individual bears

Step 4:

Hot glue pin onto the back of the bear.

Step 5:

Glue on google eyes

Step 6:

Glue on conversation heart

Step 7:

Draw bears paws, ears, nose and mouth

We hope that you enjoyed our first craft together.  Come back each week to see what we will think of next

Becca and Alli’s Craft Corner

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Children’s Crafts

Coming soon to www.askbecca.com is a new focus for the new year.  I know that time and time again I am looking for crafts to do with 4H, daisy scouts and brownie scouts.  There are even times I want to do something fun on a snowy day with the kids.  I will be introducing a new section to askbecca.com.

Becca and Alli’s craft corner is a new place to find all of your favorite crafts for kids and more.  Once a week we will be introducing a new, low cost craft that you can enjoy with the children in your life.   Each new craft will have a 1-5 star rating.  This rating will determine the difficulty level of each craft.

We are so excited to be crafting away!  Perhaps we will become the Martha Stewart of the kids crafts world!  You know a girl has to think big.  We will see you here!

Becca and Alli

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We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration

Tonight on HBO

I know that this is not the post that I would typically choose.  I am so impressed by this celebration.  It has featured so many famous people not only in the Hollywood realm but others as well.  I watched Martin Luther King III speak briefly and was moved.  I am not sure it was his words that moved me the most.  I had thought to myself how far this nation has come in such a short amount of time!  I thought of the pride that Dr. Martin Luther King would have been feeling on Tuesday if he had lived to see it.  It brings tears to my eyes.

Other things being discussed were about the great depression.  I know that many people are struggling right now and that is why now more then ever we need to be one.  We are coming together for new hope, new goals and a breath of fresh air.  I think that we need to be sure not to put too much on Obama.  Rome was not built in a day and all of the world problems will not be fixed in the next 4 years.  Perhaps though if we all vow to be more involved we can fix it and build it all quicker.  We are after all Americans!  We through out history have been able to overcome and strive for change time and time again.  It seems to me that the troubles are not more complex although the answers are.  If we step back and learn from history we will be able to achieve great things because “We are one”.

In my mind is also the Bush family.  Do not misunderstand I think that George W. has done this nation and its people a great disservice in his presidency.  He is perhaps one of the worst presidents ever.  You have to take a step back though and look at what he had to deal with and how hind sight is 20/20.   I think that George W. Bush must be feeling like he has failed, like he is unloved by this nation and fearing what the history books will say about him.  I tend to get emotional about how these families are feeling in this much honored process.  So George W. and family thanks for the sacrifices your family made.  I wish it had been worth it for all of you.

As for the Obama family you are in my prayers!  You are about to be tested like never before.  Race is still something that some people look at, hate is still prevalents and hope could  be crushed.  I ask you a few things as a woman, as a mother and as an American.  Please be honest and forthright.  So many people have their eyes on your family right now.  So many will judge and hate.  Show us all how “we are one”.  Make the people of this nation whole again and bring peace to our hearts.  I know it is a big order but it is what we are looking for and I am honored to see that we have this time elected a leader.

“We are one” says it all and I know we will all be watching on Tuesday.  I will keep you all in my prayers.  Here is to the begining of that new hope!

Becca

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Webkinz Snowflakes are back

Webkinz Winterfest

It is that time again, Winterfest!  Webkinz World is full of snow.  As you are in your room make sure that if you see a snowflake floating by you click on it.  This is only happening for a limited time.  From January 12 until January 18.  According to Webkinz there will be some of your favorite prizes from last year and even some new and exciting prizes!  You never know what you will get so be sure to hop on into Webkinz World and join in the Winterfest!

Becca

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Becca Cosmetics Half moon brush

Is Becca Cosmetics new half moon brush worth it?

Becca Cosmetics has come out with a new half moon brush.  It is made from goat hair and synthetic fibers.  This brush is nice and wide so it is great for cheeks, neck, face and even your shoulders if they are showing in January.  You can tell by the feel of this brush that it is a higher quality then most other brushes.  This brush also makes application of powders and bronzers effortless.  The only thing that I do not like about this brush is the price.  I think that $45 is a bit much for a brush.  Perhaps it is because I am a mom and I can think about 100 other things that I would rather have spent $45 on or perhaps it is because I am looking at the total global economic state.  I just think that many of us need things like food and gas in our cars more then we need a $45 makeup brush!

Becca

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Weight Loss Story Part 1

My Resolution:

Now that 2009 is here I am tackling my resolution with you.  In some ways I think that this will make it happen.  It is the 14th year that my resolution has been the same and I would like to make it happen this year.  Like millions of other people I would like to, I need to, loose weight.  I am not a mildly overweight or pleasently plump woman.  My weight is killing me and I feel it.

I think that an important part of loosing weight is discovering why you want to looke weight.  I have many reasons all of which are very important to me.

• My girls: Everyday I discuss with my girls, especially Abigail, why we need to eat right.  I have drilled it into her hear that it is important to eat right to be healthy.  Many times I feel like a hipocrite.  I know just about everything there is to know about eating health and loosing weight.  I have many times considered being a nutritionist.  Who would go to an obese nutritionist though?  So for my girls I need to make this resolution stick.
• My Foot: Over the summer I broke my foot in a bad place.  The Lisfranc joint is what supports your arch and wouldn’t you know that is the spot I broke two bones.  I am in need of surgery and would like to be able to bounce back a little easier.
• My Health: At the age of 31 I am a borderline diabetic, borderline high blood preasure and who knows what else.  I think about my future.  I am dying everyday!  Each yummy treat I eat a little more of me dies.  I am killing myself and I need to stop!

We will do this together.  Join me in living a healthier life.  I will post a recipe that I have tried and liked every week and will post a picture of myself on Sundays.  Feel free to loose with me.  All we can loose is weight and all we can gain is LIFE!

Becca

Becca Cosmetics Eye Tint Vicuna

Becca Cosmetics New Product Colour:

As I explored the new products available I found one that I really loved.  Becca Cosmetics has come out with a new colour for their eye tint.  Vicuna is a wonderful light colour that really lightens up your eyes for day use.  I liked how it goes on wet and dries into a powder.  This helps to assure that you get even coverage.

The funny thing about this colour is its name.  After doing some research I discovered the true meaning of vicuna.  A vicuna is a llama like animal.  Yuck is what I was thinking.  As I looked further I had discovered that the wool of the vicuna is spun into fine Spanish fabric.  This certainly redeemed the name some for me.  I just thought that it was certainly an interesting choice for a colour!

Becca

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New Year’s Resolutions

How to make them stick

Well it is that time of year again.  It is a new year and a new beginning.  If you are like millions of others you will make a New Year’s resolution this year and if you are like me you will give up by February.  This time of year everyone wants to know that one thing that you want to change about yourself.  It is all they want to talk about.  If it were brought up any other time of the year it would be a huge insult but after New Year’s it is for some reason alright!

So the important question to ask is how do you keep your resolution?  Here are some tips that are sure to help.

1. Be specific: Do not just say that you will loose weight or quit smoking.  Lay out the steps that you need in order to achieve that goal.
2. Reachable: You need to assure that your goal is a goal that can be reached.  If this is not done you will fail.
3. Reward: It is important to plan ways to reward yourself.  For example if your goal is to loose weight you should set up a reward every 10 pounds.
4. Keep it real: It is important to be able to measure your success and be realistic about your resolution.
5. Put an expiration date on it: Your resolution should have a start date and an end date.  It should be something that is clear.  An open ended resolution is sure to fail.

Another thing that I am going to try this year is to write my goal down and hang it up on my dresser.  I hope that this will be a motivational tool that will keep me motivated.  Good luck to all…

Becca

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New Year’s Eve

Not Quite what it should have been:

As the ball dropped in Time Square this year I was feeling a little down.  New Year’s Eve. was partially ruined when Analiese threw up everywhere just before we were about to leave.  This made Abigail beyond anoyed, it made Emma cry and it left me yet again in a place where I was about to feel disapointed in myself.  I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry and be anoyed right along with the kids.  I hate change even when it is so small and minimal.

I had to stop as we got in the car and regroup.  I could not start out the new year bad.  I told Abigail and Emma we were on a mission.  We needed to gather everything we could think of from Grandma’s and Pop-pop’s and make a party at our house. I knew that they still had tons of left overs that they were looking to get rid of and I was short on cash.

As we began to rummage through the treats in their house the girls began to have a good time.  They started to look forward to our small intimate party.  We left with cheese and crakers, some dips and chips, a plate of cookies, fruits and veggies to snack on and even drinks.   In the car on the way home from our treasure hunt I assigned each child a job with an adult to help.  Abigail and Dad were in charge of the food and drinks and Emma and I were in charge of streightening up the livingroom and setting up a small table for our new found snacks.

The amazing thing was that we all had fun.  We watched the ball drop and a few of the musical acts.  This year we did it by the light of our Christmas Tree and the comfort of our couch.  There were people who were disapoointed that we did not come.  We even recieved some funny calls from friends who wated us to come and sit in the car as the ball dropped at their house so that we were a part of the party.  Just between you and I it was a nice change of pace.  I enjoyed this New Year’s Eve more then any other.

I think that the thing that I walked away from in 2008 is that when I adjust to the changes in a positive way the kids will follow.  I think that we will all remember this New Year’s Eve for a long time to come.

Becca

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