Desert Botanical Garden

Our library has culture passes, which are free tickets to certain educational places in the area, such as museums. We checked one out for the Desert Botanical Garden and visited it yesterday. It wasn't as beautiful as I had expected, but it did have the coolest looking cacti I have ever seen! It also wasn't little-kid friendly. Only one trail had hands-on things Caden could do, and even then, his interest didn't last long.

The best part was the butterfly (or "bufferfy" as Caden says it) exhibit, which we had to pay for because it wasn't included in the culture pass. It was well worth it! I saw the most beautiful variety of butterflies. They were so active though, so it was hard to get good photos of them, especially the most exotic looking. Caden liked it at first, but soon grew afraid of them flying all around him.

Overall it was a pleasant experience, but I'm glad it was mostly free!

WINNERS!

The winners of the IzzyBizzyME printable Mother's Day card giveaway are comments #1 by Lauren Guilbeau and #25 by Wendy Rozema. The rest of you, remember Mother's Day is Sunday, May 12!

Made by Maggie Mae Temple Bracelet Giveaway [CLOSED]

When Magdelyn from Made by Maggie Mae first joined the LDS Etsy team, I loved her little shop right away. What first caught my eye were the beautiful temple bracelets:

And her personalized family tree illustrations are adorable! They make great Mother's Day/Father's Day gifts as well.

She also sells personalized artwork for weddings, baptisms, missionaries, and Baby's room, which can also be transferred to Baby's clothes.

Magdelyn sent me a lovely temple bracelet to review:

Smiles
*Much more beautiful in person! The photos don't do it justice.
*Perfect size. Not too loose for my small wrist and plenty of stretch for larger wrists.
*Small lobster claw. I have seen some bracelets with larger clips that really stick out.
*Not really more convenient than just taking the name slip out of your pocket or pinning it to your sleeve, but definitely a more reverent and stylish way!

Frowns
*Takes some adjusting for comfort. I recommend folding the slip in half so just the first name shows and then clipping it on.
*Can be hard to clip/unclip the slip. It's easiest to do when the bracelet is off.

One of you lucky readers will win a temple bracelet of your choice! You can also get everything on sale right now using the code MOM20 for 20% off your purchase! Order by May 4th if you want something for Mother's Day.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Made by Maggie Mae and tell me which bracelet you would choose or what else you like.

1 entry: Heart Made by Maggie Mae on Etsy. Leave your username.

1 entry: Pin an item from Made by Maggie Mae to Pinterest.

1 entry: Like Made by Maggie Mae on Facebook. Leave your username.

1 entry: Like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle on Facebook. Leave your username.

1 entry: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect.

1 entry each (4 total possible): Post this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or your blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, May 14. The winner will be announced Wednesday, May 15. Please leave your email address in one of your entries so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to the U.S. & Canada. Good luck!

No More Long Curly Hair

It finally happened: Caden's locks are gone. Thursday Justin gave him a haircut. The last one Caden had gotten was nearly a year ago, so he was due for one, especially with the hot weather already here. He did really well, better than at the kid-friendly salons.

 

It will take me some time to get used to his new 'do, but of course he still looks cute!

How to Reuse Everyday Household Items

If you want to save money and the planet, then reuse your everyday household items. There is a lot you can do with things you would normally throw away.

• TOOTHBRUSHES: Used toothbrushes work great for cleaning, especially for cleaning grout, fabric stains, and around faucets. Just be sure to mark them and keep them away from the kids!
• PLASTIC BAGS: Plastic bags can be used as trash bags in the home or car, and make good packing bags. I like to put shoes and bath items in plastic bags before packing them in my suitcase so that my clothes won’t get dirty, wet, or stained.
• TISSUE BOXES: Empty tissue boxes make good storage containers for plastic bags and napkins.
• SHOEBOXES: Use a shoebox like a pencil box to store office supplies, markers and crayons, and craft materials. You can also store cards, letters, and homemade gifts you want to keep.Or use them as toy bins in the kids' rooms!
• PAPER: Save paper only printed on one side for your kids to color on or for you to make to-do/shopping lists.
• JARS: Jars are great storage containers for many things; for example, leftover sauces and oil, coins, beads, buttons, cotton balls, etc.
• SOCKS: Instead of throwing away socks with holes or missing partners, use them for cleaning and dusting. You can cut them open or stick your hand in them.
• OTHER ODDS AND ENDS: Gather together all the random items your kids could use for crafts (and store in a shoebox!). It will encourage creativity and leave you and your kids guilt-free if the craft breaks or gets thrown away.

Featured Sellers: Olivia & Tarieli from Be Lucky

This week's sellers are Olivia and Tarieli from Be Lucky. The shop is absolutely delightful, full of whimsy and charm.

We are a married couple from Estonia, Europe, and our brand is called Be Lucky. All our products are based on the illustrations made by Olivia. Tarieli's job is to get Olivia's illustrations on the products and the products to people. At the moment we offer pictures, postcards, buttons, and jewelry, but we hope to increase the variety.

Our brand name means that we want to bring the feeling of luckiness to people through our products. We've seen many times how our customers (at fairs and other sale events) smile when they see our products. At these moments we know that we nailed it :)

"When the Cat Is Away"

Check out Be Lucky for more imaginative illustrations! You can also find them on Facebook.

WINNER!

The winner of the Auntie Robin $25 shop credit giveaway is comment #101 by Kathy Davis. Have fun picking out your prize!