Too Many Dave's

Yesterday we did our civic duty and #voted!
We saw a bunch of people we knew working the polls, Spence was with us and one lady we knew asked if his name was Spence, he said yes.
She said "did you know my name is Spencer? And I have 5 boys named Spencer!" (last name in case you're wondering).
He thought that was pretty great, 5 Spencers! And kept saying "and my name's Spencer too!"

It reminded me the story of Mrs. McCave who had 23 sons and she named them all Dave.
Read it HERE.



Perhaps we'll start calling Spencer Marvin O’Gravel Balloon Face?

Artsy Fartsy

I'm really into Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator lately. I realize I'm just barely scratching the surface of all the things it can do, but I'm loveing it! In fact, I just finished helping with a local health clinics fundraising dinner and auction, I did their invitations, RSVPs and program for the evening.

Though I wouldn't consider myself an artist, I am pretty happy with the results as of lately. I even designed our family Christmas card this year, any recommendations on where to print them for a reasonable price?

Anyway, here's a few of the projects I've done lately. It's about time for another one!

 

5 Favorite Gift Ideas for Kids

My son's birthday is coming up and I was stressing out bad about what to get him! He has plenty of average toddler boy toys like cars, trains, blocks, and his favorite...DINOSAURS! So what do I get him?? He's finally old enough to understand he's having a birthday, he even got invited to his first friends birthday!

So here's 5 favorite gift ideas, in no particular order, for young kids!

1. Books

There is never an occasion when a book isn't a great gift idea. They're fun, imaginative, and can be used again and again! Plus, they're easy to wrap! Some of our favorites include:

Dear Zoo

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Little Blue Truck
(or the Halloween version Little Blue Truck's Halloween)

Where the Wild Things Are

Is Your Mama a Llama?

2. Puzzles

I love puzzles and I think they're the perfect activity for the colder winter months when its wet and dreary outside. They make you think and problem solve and some of the children puzzles are cute!
You can pretty much find puzzles anywhere, I love to check out Target's clearance toys and games for them! Amazon also has a great selection. I just bought this T-Rex 3D one for my son's birthday and I can't wait to give it to him!

3. T-shirts

This seemed like such a "duh" once I actually thought  about it. Kids grow so fast they almost ALWAYS need or could use clothes. I got one nice, dressy shirt for special occasions, and one fun, play shirt (dinosaur of course). I'm always a fan of Carters and Old Navy for great deals and cute stuff (I just got next years swim shirt for $1.97)!

4. Play-doh

I was hesitant to let this stuff into my house. I thought it was just messy and would cause me stress. However, I've been pleasantly surprised since allowing it into my house. It's not that messy, easy clean up, and entertains for hours!

Bonus: The mini cups make excellent Halloween handouts if your trick-or-treaters need a candy alternative!

5. Outdoor toys

This is my favorite category of toys! Anything to get us outside playing! The sandbox has always been a major hit at our house, even in the fall my son runs outside in his undies first thing in the morning.

I often have to remind him it's not 90 degrees anymore, clothes are required! This year we got a scooter and I am dying to let him have it already!! In addition, helmets are always a good idea in conjunction with bikes, pogo sticks, skateboards, and scooters!

                

Happy shopping!