Geocaching with Kids

We just got back from a week long holiday trip at my husband's parents house in San Jose. We struggled with things to do with the kids and I knew that I wanted to spend time with my niece and nephew that I rarely get to see. I also knew that despite the gloomy weather updates my boys HAD to get some energy expelled. 

have you ever heard of geocaching?

it is awesome for kids...and big kids...

its a treasure hunt and if you have a smart phone you can do it too for free! 

at least that is how i do it...with my droid...

geochaching.com is the place to start if you want to get started. 

let me just say that if you are looking for a way to get your kids to hike with you, this is the way!! bryson would have never climbed the hill we climbed if there was not "treasure" at the top waiting for us.

just a few tips for us newbies:

the geo points can really only get you within 20-30 ft of the actual cache - then you need to start searching and thinking like the cache planter...

be prepared and bring a little something to replace some of the "treasure" (we like to stock up on $.25 machine goodies like rings and homies and bouncie balls and things like that) 

be sure to sign the log and to track your caches on the site - as a record for where you have been! 

make sure not to get spotted! they call people who don't share the love of geocaching "muggles"

make sure not to promise a find to the kiddos...sometimes it can be tricky! 

have fun! hope to help encourage a lifelong cacher!

Zoodies in Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine

So thanks to my beautiful and talented and tenacious friend Liz, Zoodies was featured in Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine this month. and LOOK! my little dino zoodie guy is golfing!!! they must have read my blog...ha!...too cool! Thank you Liz and Thank You Tampa Bay Parenting!

Fremont Community Market

this last saturday was my first craft fair by myself...without my girls. well...one of my girls still showed up to keep me company, of which i am so so grateful! without her there, i would have bummed out on the day! there were not a lot of customers to be had and thank the good Lord there was a playground directly across from my booth to keep my kids occupied!

i had planned on selling off some Zoodies and SweetB inventory...i ended up only selling 4 zoodies all day. the optimist in me is like, so many people were so excited about them and i got exposure! and the pessimist in me is like, no one liked them THAT much.

i go back on forth on craft fairs. i have done a handful of them and some of them are spot on and others seem to be a total flop and it seems like i can never tell which is which.



when i have my oldest, bryson, ask to come with me all day it makes me a little glee-full. he stressed about making stuff to sell. on a brilliant note bryan suggested he sell his paper airplanes for a quarter each.

you should have seen his face light up!

he set up a little booth and i made a little sign.

he ended up giving them away (kinda like his mama!)

plus he was too distracted by the playground.

but him in his shark zoodie and bodie in his skunk zoodie were my best advertisement of the day.

that night at dinner Bryan led grace and thanked the Lord that the boys have a mama that appreciates handmade and loves to share her gift with our community and my heart just opened up and spilled out and i couldn't have felt prouder...that my boys were all a part of it...from Bryan setting up and tearing down and helping me market my booth...and Bryson telling people his mama made his sweatshirt and wanting to sit with me...and Bodie wearing his hood all day...and Bobby being oh so patient...makes it all worth it...despite my actual sales :)

Sweet B at the Fremont Community Market

hello friends! we are all so busy right now - i know you probably still have shopping to do, so why not support a local school, support handmade and your local community...oh and eat YUMMMY sandwiches from Kut-N-Sow and see lil' ol me!

I will be at the Fremont Holiday Community Market - details here

Fremont Elementary School - Tomorrow - Saturday the 11th from 8-3 - 4000 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814

Along with my zoodies, i will also have my vintage stuff and my handmade stuff too! so a little something for everyone!

Hope to see you there!
C

A Thoughtful Christmas

so this Christmas was a very new experience for me. i bought the majority of my presents online.

part of the fun for me is going to the stores and getting inspired, but with 3 young boys under 5 and 2 businesses to run, i knew that was not going to happen...at least not in a fun way...in more of a "i would rather poke myself with dull toothpicks" type of way.

i had so much fun online shopping for people though after the kiddos went to bed! Etsy makes this oh so easy.

For example...(i know bryson can't read yet, so i am safe on this one)...Bryson recently turned 5...which means he can officially golf on a course. Bryan has only taken him to the local par 3 course for 9 holes, but pretty soon he will outgrow that and move on up. When he did go with his dad i realized he is sorely lacking in golf attire. I just typed in a few search words on etsy, like "boy golf" and i found these adorable pants.

pair it with a nice black polo and sweet golf hat and he is going to the the most stylish 5 year old on the course!

also - its no secret i love my TOM'S shoes. i own about 5 pairs and i probably shouldn't wear 4 of them, but i do. I totally believe in the company and the idea of self-perpetuating/sustaining non-profit and so my nieces (already, so again i am safe) received their own pairs.

I tried to make as many presents too as time allowed, but these days that doesn't amount to many...so i relied on other talented people to spread handmade love for me! For example - the very talented, beautiful friend of mine, Whitney of Bel Kai Designs - she is accepting orders until the 11th, so hurry up folks!

more examples AFTER the holidays - i don't want any spoilers!

i encourage you all to do the same - there is still time for a lot of stores! www.etsy.com - spread the handmade love!

Geocaching - 3rd Attempt and First Find!

we had tried for the first time when we were in Colorado. 

Robin - if you are reading this...i read your FB post about how you went with your girls and then someone told me there is an app for geochaching and now you can do it with your *smart* phone, so i downloaded one while we were in CO and we went to test it out. So you totally inspired us! 

Unfortunately, the one we tried to find was excavated due to construction...bryson was super bummed too because he wanted to find "treasure". The second one i think my phone and my free app is not the greatest at the coordinates, and my kids' blood sugar levels must have been low because they were all kinds of crazy and i didnt have the time to look around for it. this third time i came prepared with snacks and a stroller...

So - this is so fun! what a perfect activity to do with the kiddos...you get exercise, teach them to use a compass and the different directions (N,S,E,W) and it gives your hikes a focus and goal...which, let me tell you is HUGE - kids dont always understand hiking for the fun of it!!! i am still super new at this and need to figure out what all the terms are and the different types of caches, but i can see it being a past-time of ours for sure!

we found this one near our stomping grounds at the El Dorado Nature Walk...Bryson found it - he was soooo excited. and, being new to this, i am not 100% sure that this was it...pretty sure...our coordinates matched up and everything, but i thought there is usually a log sheet in them? i dunno...still new to it all.

Here is the geocache website in case you are interested too!

The Butterfly Zoodie - Part Three

so...it first started like this...and then there was this....now here is the third version of the butterfly.

oh dear...that first butterfly was only done in May...why does Bryson now look 2 years older? i feel like every birthday his face transforms a little. his motivation changes too. i had to give him a quarter to pose for me this time.

anyway - this was a custom order for a friend. if people seem to like it I will eventually post it, so let me know which butterfly you like best!

(i do have to add that this version is more washing machine friendly since the wings are made of fleece and not felt...)