a ribbon wrapped, cellophane stunner.

So, I've cut down on pie eating.

And truthfully, I haven't even peeled back the tinfoil from the pie plate once in the last day and a half.

I credit my friend Resa for part of that. That girl! She did it to me again.


She sent me eye candy at it's finest. And you know how eye candy holds a dear place in my heart. I'm so glad she did. I consider this my distraction package:



These clips and magnets have been keeping my mind's eye off of that darn succulent Strawberry Rhubarb.

When I pulled out this ribbon wrapped, cellophane stunner, I gasped. Oh my Lord, I wanted to lick them, and then put them somewhere. But where? I didn't think that attaching them to my outfit, for an easy, creative pick me up would be appropriate.

I had an idea.

I took this old, grimey, how-in-the-world-did-this-thing-get-this-way cookie sheet:

Then, I ran to the bottom of the hill to our scrap store to get coordinating paper so I could slather it with Mod Podge and make it look like this:

That's when I placed a few things to feature on my new magnet board, grabbed a hammer and nail and hung it here:

...in the laundry room that's right off my kitchen.

A perfect place to showcase new eye candy. Wouldn't you say?

They pot nicely together.

It's no secret that leaving a big ol' treat on someone's doorstep, sending a little something to someone's mailbox, or placing a perfectly, cellophaned gift, adorned with ribbons and tissue paper in someone's hands totally trips my trigger. Some of the best ways to make my day, is by trying to make someone else's. (Two 19-month-olds, a husband full of surprises, and Oreos have also been know to make my day.)

And, it's a good thing I saved this LUSH box--that used to hold the Bath Bombs that I've been raving about:

Because when I spotted these mini, potted, glimpses-of-spring in the floral department the other day:

..I knew they'd pot pair nicely together. It just took a little paper, mod podge, and ribbon to make this gift fit for a queen friend.

Now you see it. Now you don't.

If it's out of sight, it's out of mind. Right?

Take food for example. For Norah & Hazel--but mostly Norah--if they've been enjoying an afternoon snack in their highchairs for a half hour already, and they look as though they're about to burst, we quickly stow away all animal crackers, clementines, raisens, and grapefruit segments so that food slowly shifts out of mind. And it works.

Or, take chapstick. Again, if Norah & Hazel have spotted a couple tubes of this lovely lip hydrant, you allow them both to practice putting it on by themselves, give them a few minutes to relish the time of holding it in their own little hands, then you quickly pry it from their tiny fingers, stick it in your back pocket without them noticing, and try to entice them with a Eric Carle book hoping they completely forget about it since it's out of sight. ask nicely, "Please give mommy the chapstick," in which they both obey, place it in your hand, and you put it back in the drawer, hoping that by keeping it out of sight, it will stay out of their two little minds.


Or, how about all this stuff that's under the desk in my craft room:

Looking at it tends to stir up an undistinguishable restlessness that usually leads me to scrubbing the toilet, munching on a bag of Reese's Pieces, or vacuuming pretty little lines into my carpet.

Little did I know, all I had to do was this:

..and put all that stuff out of sight. And pleasantly out of mind.

I'm not saying that it helped--in the least bit--with the Reese's problem.

I knew that old Starbucks apron would be put to good use.

Remember this little ditty?



..the one that Gina found at 23Hearts and insisted that I have. To me, it's like Strawberry Sour Punch Straws bottled up in fabric. Or it's like the sound of classical music and baby giggles captured in thread. That's how much I [heart] this coffee sleeve. I think that's why I sometimes slip it around my water glass during the day, too.

Well, today--as it kept my velvety Caramel Macchiato warm--it inspired me to create comrades for it to commune with.

So I did.

Make Your Own Napkin Rings

We've been discussing "Christmas lists," pretend playing with baby Jesus and the nativity scene beneath our tree, and giving our Christmas cds a run for their money, as they've been filling the house with Christmas cheer for quite some time now.

And, I understand that most people decorate for Christmas sometime after Thanksgiving day. But I'll be honest, we've had our tree up and this table decorated for Christmas for nearly 2 weeks now.


Pretty cute, right? That's what I thought each time I walked by our dining room table that's set for six. But it seemed as though something was missing. Until today.

Ahh! Much better. Napkins dressed with a napkin ring. I found a similar idea over at Charlotte's and thought it was a grand idea. Here's how it's done.

First, gather paper towel or toilet paper tubes, flatten a little, and cut to your desired size. Then, glue a coordinating paper and ribbon around the tube. Embellish with a button, and wala! Napkin Rings at their easiest.

Now this little crew has plenty to cuddle up with while they're waiting for the three wise men.

Can I sit on the ballerina's lap instead of Santa's?

Halfway through the play that the Children's Dance Theatre put on this morning, Julia turned around and whispered quietly in my ear. "I love this Mommy!"

And I did too.

I was out on a special morning date with my firstborn, she was sitting on my lap holding my hands, I was breathing in her sweet 4 year old smell alongside one of her pigtails and we were watching The Polar Express together in an auditorium filled with children.

"Thank you for bringing me," she whispered again, with a honey-of-a-smile.

Ah. I could have melted. I mean, I know I melted. And, I'm sure I've said that 3 year olds are the most fun--and I bet before that I declared twos to be the best--but I take it back. The fours are so fantastic!

It's a good thing that I decided to make this to keep track of all these wonderful memories:



It's the memory journal I made for her. Soon, "Julia" will adorn the front in the most perfect font. It's here where I started writing her letters about my thoughts, perspectives, and feelings of a day in the life of Julia's Mommy.

Before naps are over, I'm going to write about the mini-sermon she gave in the car on the way home. And how she much rather preferred hugging one of the little ballerinas that was dressed in a white tutu...over Santa Claus.

I can't hold it [in] any longer.

Remember the Gift Giving Elf I warned you about?

Well.

She's excited to announce that it's time to dispense her first packages into 3 unknowingly oblivious mailboxes. If you left an "ok" to be added to the gift receiving recipients list of 4under3, then your name and snail mail address is snuggled in a rod iron basket next to my computer monitor. When I complete a new, crafty eye candy item or find a much loved cutsie item while I'm out and about, I pull a name, package said item, and send it off a sailing. All this done in efforts of calming my compulsion to give.

I can't wait!

I know, I'm kinda spoiling the surprise here. But I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I mean, look at those Christmas books in all their ribbon-and-pretty-paper glory! As much as I love them, I love it more to give them away.

If you're eagerly awaiting the names of those receiving these part ornaments part books, don't worry. I'll share them in a couple of days, giving the delivery team enough time to distribute the surprises.

I'm even biting my nails because of all this excitement and suspense. I love surprises. Like when Mr. Marvelous surprised me with a 5am Hot Air Balloon ride. Or when my MIL surprised me with an hour long Facial Massage just 2 hours prior to the appointment.

But even more, I love to do the surprising. It feels good. Kind of like the heat radiating from the fireplace right now. That feels good too.

focus in on.

When snapping this photo of Juj and I--ready and rearing for her first field trip that I helped chaperone--our intention wasn't to focus in on this green bus seat, leaving Julia and I blurred in the background. But after thinking about it, this green bus seat was the #1 reason our little 4-year-old wanted so badly to go to preschool this year. Therefore, it was quite appropriately developed after all.


And speaking of eye candy surprises. (Well, we weren't really speaking of those, were we?.)

Christmas is coming! I know this full well because of what I saw outside my window this morning. And, because of these bEEutious falling flakes and the snow dusted trees, I'm feeling as though I'm about to go off the deep end in the gift giving department. Tis the season, right? So, if you'd enjoy a random surprise gift, or maybe a Christmas card from the Gift Giving Elf that helps run 4under3, please leave me your, "Ok" to do so. Oh, yea, and then email me your snail mail address.

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Wahoo. I'm off to focus in on gifts, packages, Christmas music, and this hot pink boa that I bought for our Girls Night this evening.