I was Awarded....

the Stylish Blogger Award! for the second time. It is so wonderful! Magical Memories contacted me via email with this news and I was floored! She has a wonderful blog and cuties for kids. Oh and I can't forget the giveaways as well! Go check her blog out and stay a while, I know you will!

The rules are to link back to the person who gave it to you. Also, to tell 7 random things about you and Award 15 'recently discovered' blogs this award. Then contact them!

7 about me:
1. I make my bed every morning as soon as I roll out of it.
2. My family and i have been moved in this house for a little over a month and I have yet to make a dinner 2wice :)
3. I love to decorate for the Holidays
4. I am a planner and I plan everything in a very routine way.
5. I am not a picky eater but my husband is and so I make what he would like instead of making 2 different things.
6. I hated eating leftovers growing up but now I eat them.
7. I take my camera almost everywhere we go.

Now to the Award passing out:
Domiciliary Artillery
Dealicious Mom
B is for Boy
Diary of Momma
Little Family Fun
Living at the Whiteheads Zoo
Mom of Boys with Toys
New York Family Times
Riding the Roller Coaster
Style and Decor deals
Tantrums, troubles,and Treasures
The Thrifty Military Wife
Mommy Miscellaneous
My Life is a Reality Show
Pick Family Nonsense

So these blogs may not be 'newly discovered' but they are wonderful blogs! You will fid crafts,giveaways,coupons,deals,and wonderful stories. But the new friendship you will gain will last forever :)

A Birthday weekend!

Saturday was planned over a year for Colton's birthday party. Deciding on what the theme would be was up in the air. As time went on I knew it would be THOMAS! Someone tell me please how boys can be so addicted to something? The husband and I decorated from 9pm until 12 midnight. I printed off some train signs and added contact paper to the front and posted them on the walls and also on the doors. When I was living in Michigan I found some foam trains and put them on yarn and hung them on the door, over the banner, and then set them on the long table. I really think husband and I did a great job!
One of the first things I did when arriving here was to find a bakery. I like the taste of a yummy homemade cake and not a store bought one. So my favorite part of the decorating was seeing the cake and how it really is the center piece.

Don't you just LOVE it? It looked AMAZING but tasted AMAZING as well!!
For the guests we bought Papa Murphy's pizza and baked them at the house. I used coupons for them as well and was cheaper than 1 pizza. My parents and friends from Michigan couldn't make it. However, this year my husbands family could and that was nice to know we wouldn't be celebrating alone. We worried about that since we don't know anyone here. Colton loved all the attention over the weekend  and loved all his gifts too. Along with the kitchen the husband and I made for him, my mother in law made a chef hat and apron for him too. The husband and I bought him a Thomas tricycle which he can't reach the pedals due to him being so short. The weather was unbelievable and we all visited and enjoyed being outside and have fun. That night after putting him to bed we enjoyed a bonfire with the Father in law.

Birthday Fun Day

Colton turned 2 on the 31st. Blogging hasn't bet as much as a priority for the past week due to getting ready for the Birthday and the weekend. Well, here i am ready to report! The husband went back to work last week and Colton's birthday landed on a Thursday. We still wanted to give him a very special day so we took him to Chuck E Cheese. Colton has been there before and husband hadn't. I printed off coupons to get the best deal and set off for some fun! After Chuck E Cheese we took him to Toys R Us. He is a member of Geoffrey's birthday club and when you are you get a balloon and a crown and also a phone call when it is your birthday. Has anyone noticed how Chuck and Toys R Us seem to always be next door to each other?
The morning of his birthday I had the cube puzzle waiting and also a bottle of bubbles. I made a banner and put Thomas stickers on it. I made blueberry train pancakes and #2 hasbrowns. For lunch I made a special #2 lunch; a sandwich and oranges.
Here are pictures sharing in a very fun birthday!

We all had a very fun birthday. It is still unusual to me to be writing or typing 2. Looking at my baby now it is hard to see anything baby besides the diaper. Soak up those Rays of Sunshine before they get bigger and bigger

Cube Puzzle(Melissa and Doug Inspired)

With Colton's birthday being tomorrow but his party being Saturday I wanted to have a special day for his actual birthday. Going through Google showing my husband this puzzle asking him if he thought I could remake this. Well he said of course because he has the items to cut the wood and also told me it would be really easy.
On one of the trips to Lowe's we bought a 2X2 board for $1.77 and there is PLENTY left over for other projects. While he was cutting the board into squares (2X2)

 I googled Thomas the Tank pictures. I found two pictures I was happy with and would be fairly easy to piece together. I could have done all four sides, but for a toddler i thought it might be too much for him. I modge podged the paper to the wood and added two layers on top.

After I thought it was finished I noticed that there needed to be a frame to keep it together. I looked around the house and chose a Dollar Tree 8 1/2 X11 frame I had and had husband cut it to the puzzle size. I then painted it black and left it without a back so the frame can be used for other puzzles I may will make.

So there you go! A fun and easy puzzle to fit Colton's two loves! Puzzles and Thomas. I can't wait to have this waiting for him along with some bubbles in the morning when he wakes up!
Happy crafting and enjoy your Rays of Sunshine even on the dreary days!

Easter Bunny craft!

Supplies needed

SWEET!!!

Stepping into Hobby Lobby just for some framing when a 50% off Easter decor sale is happening just doen't cut it. There is NO WAY someone addicted to sale signs as I am can hold off. Browsking and loading up the cart with goodies I found a plain old cardboard type of bunny. On a first trip to Hobby Lobby I bought modge podge seeing as many people use it and the possibilities are endless. So I just bought 1 bunny but may go back and load up on some more. I bought some Easter scrapbook paper; just a yellow with polka dots. In the Easter aisle i found some felt flower stickers...yes i said stickers! They are amazing! So cute as well!!!
So I traced the bunny on the paper. I added a layer of modge podge to the bunny and then the paper and added a layer to the finish product. Once the modge podge dried I added a few felt stickers as well.
I don't think I could be happier as how it turned out! Oh and the best part? It only cost $2! Yes, $2!! Imagine a crazy woman jumping up and down in her sun room yelling( as it echos) and the husband walking in on you as your so excited to tell him all about a project he doesn't really care about  and that my friends is me.
Happy frugal crafting!

Repurposed Entertainment Center

While the husband was deployed through many a talks we shared one was swapping ideas and plans for Colton's 2nd birthday. Even though his birthday isn't until March.31(just a couple days) we decided on a project I found.Sutton Grace click the link and you will see her work and take on a kitchen she made for her kids. Josh and I already had an entertainment center. We were the couple that had a tv in our room as well as in the living room; however we never watched it.
Since husband was deployed for a year he got a whole month off  and just so happened it was this month. We went right to work on the kitchen planning everything that w needed to get and do. We also made a trip to Habitat Humanity Restore. Yeah, lets say that place is awesome! We could have gotten things we needed for the house instead of having to buy brand new. But anyways, this project was fun and can't wait for the next project husband and I embark on!

Before...in process

Finished!

The sink bowl is a dog dish, the counter top is floor laminate. The knobs,hot/cold,and coils are real and bought from the Restore. I painted a chalkboard menu with chalkboard paint. Both frames were made from Hobby Lobby. The beach picture was taken by me when husband and I lived in Hawaii and of course where Colton started out in my tummy! We bought Colton a set of pots and pans they are way small! But once i took a look at the kids kitchens it all came to me. Our kitchen is more like the real deal which I love! Our little boy will be 2 in two days and I can't believe it! But, the party is Saturday so the kitchen will be kept in hiding in the garage until then.
What do you all think? Don't you notice the yellow paint? I think it is a coincidence that the kitchen matches my blog. When I think of sunshine I think of my yellow. When I think of My Rays of Sunshine I think of my boys :)I am so excited to see Colton's reaction!

Pantry Organizing

A few weeks ago on a trip to the Dollar Tree I loaded up on plastic containers for pantry things like Sugar,Salt and so on. I was waiting to buy some vinyl for my Cricut to put the name neatly on the container. On one of the many trips to Walmart I was looking at what to add to the craft closet and decided to take a look at the clearance back aisles and low and behold I found chalkboard paint! Now, I bought it for a different project I will reveal soon. But, once getting home I thought of the PERFECT idea for it- the plastic containers! I ran and grabbed a paint brush and painted a strip on each container. Once dry I wrote the name. The chalk I have isn't the best, so the writing will look a little funky in the picture. It does look better now. I really am happy with how they turned out.

Not perfect, but good enough for us!

Yes, the Salt container is empty. We go through it like no tomorrow, I am always making a new flavor of playdough. As for using it to cook with I don't. I don't add salt and pepper unless absoutely neccessary and any other time I let the person eating add it themselves. My food is not bland either, I choose other seasonings. Happy painting!