Halloween costume cheats 101.

Here's my "Mom of the Year" tips on creating a mediocre and mostly reusable Halloween costume for your 4 year old, knowing 13 days previous to the holiday your other child will be sliced from your womb. AKA, preparedness.

Own this movie and watch it 3 times a week, minimum.

Take him to see this movie so it instantly becomes quotable and his favorite and he begs to be a minion for Halloween.

Buy this hat on etsy for $15.

Buy overalls on ebay for $8. (Unless you already own overalls for your toddler, in which case, I'm sorry for your toddler. Listen, it's not personal. I just have a hate/hate relationship with overalls.)

Buy this pin for $3.50 to put on the overalls. Yes, even though you "could" make it yourself out of felt and super glue for like a penny. But this is easier. And you'll swear less.

Buy this shirt for under the overalls.

Put it all together to make an adorable Minion costume that is 50% post-Halloween reusable.

And that, my friends, is how this internet-loving Momma (see also: lazy and crafting-avert) does an easy-peasy Halloween costume for her Minion-loving boy.

Christmas in July.

If you've known me for a minute, you know I LOVE Christmas. It's a borderline unhealthy obsession and my house looks like the garland fairy threw up all over it from December 1 (respect the Turkey!) until mid-January. It's fine.

You might also know that the secondary centerpiece of holiday decor (next to the tannenbaum) is the stockings hung by the chimney with care. I've been waiting five years to buy a personalized family set, and now that bV has a real name, I took the plunge.

I know. They make my heart smile and I'm so jazzed for all the years I have ahead of me to fill them with things that will make my children smile. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I got them at this etsy shop. Jackie was GREAT to work with and she's even running a sale right now - $5 off each stocking.

Why I love small businesses.

Earlier this year, I wanted to purchase a keepsake for myself as a little reminder of my sweet tWIPs. Something special that only I would know what it meant.

I went to all my favorite little sites and shops and eventually ran across this ring from an etsy shop called Hand Stamped by Lorelei. I've purchased many gifts from this shop before, and I knew the ring would be the perfect thing. I loved that it was sparkly and fabulous with a little, hidden engraved secret that only I would know about.

via LoreleiVella

I had mine stamped with "twips" instead of the "xoxo" and when it arrived I wore it every single day. When I looked down at my hand, I would smile to myself knowing each moment I stole was a memory for me and me alone.

And then we experienced another miscarriage earlier this year. I don't know if I ever blogged about it, but we named that baby "BDub." I sent Lorelei a note asking if she would do a custom listing for me to have "bdub" stamped in the ring...and for whatever reason, I also told her the story of why I was choosing to get such weird-sounding names stamped into a ring.

Lorelei offered to do it...and at no charge to me. And if that weren't enough, when she shipped the ring back to me she included the sweetest, kindest, hand-written note expressing her heartache for our situation. It's my perfect reminder.

Lorelei and her shop are one of the many reasons I love small businesses and why I will continue to promote them on my little corner of the Internet.

Click here to discover some of Lorelei's one-of-a kind hand stamped items. Some of my faves are pictured below. (Think ahead for Christmas gifts...it's just over 3 months away!)

"I do, me too" forks

"personalze your day" keychain

vintage silver spoon cuff

wedding date ring tray

"you are my sunshine" cuff

I have talented, crafty friends.

Which is largely due to that age old "opposites attract" thing, in that I have no actual crafting talent of my own. Ergo, my friends do.

Specifically, Sarah. Sarah has more talent and creativity in her left pinky than I will ever dream of having. She has a gift and has been smart and savvy enough to use it.

You've heard me brag about her before, as she is the owner of her own businesses called so sarah designs. She handcrafts super adorable aprons, fabulous key fobs/wallets, napkins, market totes, iPad cases...girl does everything.

Last weekend was a milestone for her business and I was honored to share in the day with her. For the first time ever, so sarah designs can now be purchased at a retail brick & mortar store. The shop is called Hammer & Thread and is located inside a historic fire house in Allendale, Mich. Sarah is one of a handful of artisans whose wares are available in the shop. It's charming and delightful and I may or may not have purchased many things there. Stay tuned for future new house tours to see some of my finds!

So, if you're local to the area, stop on in. And if you're not, peruse online!

These exist.

*blink* *blink*

Source, etsy.

Cashmere underwear. For the low, low price of $45 EACH.

And I thought VS was pricey!

Mind in the gutter.

Ok. So I was spending some time on Etsy this afternoon looking for Christmas pillows (note: got these) and for some reason THIS product was in my feed. I literally spit my Diet Cherry Pepsi out my nose when I saw it.

I know it's a maternity shirt. And I know the sentiment is rather lovely. But I just can't help giggling like an idiot everytime I think about it in the other way. You know, like if Joey wore it.

Not that I bought it for him or anything...

TIME. OUT.

Brace yourselves, folks. It's giveaway time around these parts!

Glances left.

The ever-so-creative Momma of 3, Amy of Amy Sews It has graciously offered TWO ABM3 readers the chance to win one of her super kick arse time out mats.

The design, while uber simple in nature, is actually quite brilliant. I ordered mine about 2 weeks ago after a long hunt that stretched to the corners of amazon, etsy and ebay (and everywhere in between) to find the perfect product. Here's what I love:

• It's small enough to take with us wherever we go. And we go a lot of places. It's also diaper-bag/purse friendly because of the ribbon tie design.
• It's washable. Kids = messy. Washable = good.
• Her fabrics are SUPER cute. (And she can do custom orders!)
• Alex's time outs are now more consistent. No matter where we are, he knows that the blue mat is where it's at.

So back to my original point: TWO of you are going to WIN one of your own! There are up to 4 ways to enter--do one or do them all, but be sure to leave a comment for each separate entry. It's not rocket science, promise.

1. Be a public follower of ABM3.
2. Visit Amy's etsy shop and tell me which fabric or product is your fave. Umm, like her awesomesauce hats! Or these!
3. Post a linky to Amy's shop on YOUR facebook page.
4. Tweet about this giveaway.

Giveaway ends at midnight on May 11. I'll announce TWO winners on May 12.

And because I think it's hilarious that you can truly find anything online, please visit ehow's advice on how to effectively use time outs "Super Nanny" style. That's how we roll.

...stay tuned, because if you don't end up winning, Amy's going to offer a special discount to ABM3 readers!

Werbegeschenk Gewinner!

Which, according to Google Translate (my bff for the next 10 days) is "Giveaway Winner!" in German.

I asked one of my German colleagues to pick a random number between 1-25 and she selected "zwei," which also according to Google Translate is TWO...Stephanie!

Glückwünsche, my dear! Email me at kveedub{at}gmail{dot}com to claim your prize.

And don't for a minute think that I'm just letting the rest of you down without something to cheer you up...Grandma's Little Lilly has generously offered ABM3 readers a $2 discount on any order when you use coupon code "lilly30". Be sure to mark it in "comments to seller" and she will send you the refund via PayPal. This code is good thru Nov. 10.

Merry Halloween!

Gifts on Halloween? That's preposterous!

False. That's how we roll around these parts. I'm a giver...what can I say?

If you noticed this week's "What I'm Loving Right Now..." (glances left) then you probably can guess what I've got up my sleeves for this giveaway. And if not, go look. We'll be waiting.

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Got it? Good.

Now, let's get down to business. One lucky reader will win their very own coupon organizer from Grandma's Little Lilly. Weeee!! I have one of my own and love it. Instead of fumbling around with a disorganized pile of clippings stuffed into a gently used Ziploc bag, I'm now an organized, chic shopper with an UBER cute filing system to prove it. As I waltz down the aisles at Meijer all hands-free with my organizer attached to my cart, other shoppers longingly gaze at me in envy.

Want to experience this couponing/shopping nirvana for yourself? Enter to win!

Here's how to enter: visit Grandma's Little Lilly Etsy shop and leave a comment telling me your favorite fabric and the one thing that always manages to sneak its way into your shopping cart, despite your best efforts. For me, it's Cheez-its.

That's it! Easy peasy. Oh, and you must live in the continental U.S. Sorry, neighbors to the north.

I'll announce the winner on Wednesday, November 3.

So Sarah Designs.

Peeps! The day has finally arrived! My fabulously creative and stunningly sparkly friend Sarah has freakin' finally opened her etsy shop! I've raved about her around these parts before (here, among other places) and am psyched to finally share her wares with you.

Although everything she makes isn't up yet, she does have the bulk of it up. Her so girly, so chic, and so cute lines of aprons are beyond fab. The so girly (aaahh ruffles!) line is new, so I don't yet own one of my own. But I do have an apron from each of the so cute and so chic lines...and while they don't help me understand the difference between butter and shortening while whipping up my latest culinary masterpiece, at least I look fabulous while trying.

She also has a so elegant line of matching nappy-kins that are just to DIE for. The set comes with napkin rings that are so above and beyond anything you'd ever find at any kitchen store. And hopefully soon she'll get her other kitchen accessories up for purchase - included sparkled up serving utensils and appetizer spoons/forks.

She specializes in custom orders, so if there is a fabric, pattern or color scheme that would match your personality and kitchen perfectly, convo her on esty for a listing made just for you.

 so elegant.

 so girly.

 so chic.

so cute.

Father's Day.

Sunday was a relatively low-key day at the VeeDub household...just how we like it. In the world of gift-giving, I think I did pretty well this year. I got Joey hand-stamped silver collar stays from a sweet etsy store. One says "baby loves joey" (also on his wedding ring) and the other says "alex loves daddy". I know. Awesomesauce.

Alex got his Daddy a book called "Geek Dad." I He saw it in last month's Parenting magazine and just had to get it. It provides instructions for all sorts of cool/geeky father & son projects - like making a WORKING lamp from Legos. Again, awesomesauce.

We took a little trip to Great Lakes Crossing to visit Joe's personal Disneyland, Bass Pro Shop. We also got Mister Ragamuffin's hair cut. Behold:

Sleeping pre-haircut.

Being awesome during haircut.

Sleeping post-haircut.

 Best. Kid. Ever. He also happens to have the best Daddy, ever. I love my life.

Treasures.

It's strange to think that a year ago I would have posted a "Hump Day, Bump Day!" picture today. Actually, this would have been the one. Scary!

Back to today's post - recent treasures!

For starters, I won a blog giveaway yesterday! The savvy savers from Cha-Ching on a Shoestring hosted a partner giveaway with Jiffy Lube and its "Go Red for Women" campaign. I won a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card and a coupon book worth over $100, which is simply fab because a) Jiffy Lube is the only place I will take Tessa for her oil changes...for the locals, Andre and his peeps at Dequindre and 14 are the b-o-m-b. and b) my love for coupons is limitless. I can't wait to get it in the mail! Oh, and if you're not a follower of this blog, do it now. I guarantee that every day you'll learn something new about saving, couponing or some other trick of the trade that will put more $$ back in your pockets.

...which leads me to treasure #2. I received a package in the mail yesterday which contained some of my recent ebay purchases. Another small obsession. I found a goldmine of a seller who has impeccable and expensive taste and a closet full of boys' 12-18 month summer clothing being sold for pennies on the dollar. Even with shipping, it was all a steal.

And finally, my favorite treasure of the day - my bracelet! It came yesterday and I couldn't love it more. I like to think of it as a little successory for my "Mommy branding," because from pretty much here on out, I'm no longer Kristi, I'm Alex's Mom. Sorry it's such a craptastic picture. Cell phone + desk ≠ Olan Mills Portrait Studio.

Goofus and Gallant.

Ha. Remember them from 'Highlights' magazine? I can still smell my childhood denist's office whenever I think about it. Strange, but it's the only place I really ever read it.

Anywho, this is my shopping version of G&G.

Gallant

This bracelet that I just bought for myself on Etsy. No special occasion...I basically just loved it and had to have it asap. Perhaps I'll consider it a V-Day gift to self? Obvi, mine will say "alex joseph"...and I even asked the artist if she could add a little heart stamp to either side of his name. Le swoon.



Goofus

Need I say anything more? Well, yes...actually I do. I would like to take this opportunity to hippity hop onto my little soapbox and scold the PR people @ Toyota for their cheesily done "goodwill" commercial proclaiming how they made the decision to do this recall and make things right. Um, bullshit much? The government made them do it. And the quality problems have been present for years...it just took this long for it to catch up with them. Buy American!!! And let me stop this before you go all bananas on me with the knowledge that foreign companies have plants in the U.S. I totally know that. I work in this industry, remember? And in PR, nonetheless. Two thumbs up for the American jobs creation, but the profits still go overseas. Two thumbs way, way down.

::Kristi jumps off soapbox and sticks a perfect 10 landing, arms proudly in the air.::

Tomorrow I think I shall post some recent and adorable photos of Mister Alex. It's  been far too long since his sweet cheeks have graced my little corner of the internets.

Love.

Looking for incredibly adorable & personalized Valentines for your little one? Visit bleu soleil design's esty shop to see some of my faves!

And in case you were wondering, Alex will be sharing his love via the variety pack. I placed a special order for the standard size notecards so that they could be mailed. I love, love, love the idea of the mini cards, but Alex has too many Valentines far, far away that we must mail our love to.

Hallmark Holiday, schmallmark holiday. I love spreading the love!

Morning Announcements.

Kind of like the high school kind, only without the Vice Principal's annoyingly squeaky voice and unnerving penchant for clicking her tounge in the middle of random words.

First up: BABIES! Congrats to Keliann and Michael on the birth of little Miss Abigail Mae. She's basically ADORABLE and I will be able to prove this in person tonight when I GO VISIT HER. :) I'm superdeeduperdeeduper excited. And, I will probably cry when I hold her because it will be too hard to believe Alex was ever that little.

Next: LUNCHTIME! And we're not talking crappy frozen chicken sandwiches, a sorry excuse for french fries and expired chocolate milk that tastes like cardboard. I'm talking super delicious food from Mind Body Spirit in downtown Rochester. But it's not the food I'm excited about...it's the company. My dear friend Karen Marina back in the land of the free and the home of the brave for a hot minute and I get to steal her for lunch!

Finally: ARTS AND CRAFTS! It seems I have far too many crafty friends. I've already raved about the brilliance that is Jackie of bleu soleil design, and now I must brag about Jamie from be.love(d). Basically I adore her from head to toe and now she's putting all of that hotness into some amazing pieces of canvas. It's gorgeous stuff. Ch-ch-check her out on Etsy.

And that, childrens, completes your announce(tounge click)ments for today. Enjoy!