Happy Cinco de Mayo!

What are you doing today? Will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Today is not Mexico's Independence Day, it actually celebrates a battle from 1862 when a small group of the Mexican army defeated the French in Puebla.

My husband's ancestry is Mexican and we will be celebrating tonight and this weekend (holidays on Tuesdays are the pits!)

I have a free printable for you! You can quickly download and print for your holiday display. This would be a great discussion starter for children interested in Mexico's history.

Tonight I will be getting together with my stitching group and I plan on making these churro cupcakes from Desert Chica. Don't they look so amazing?

And of course some fresh margaritas. I made these last weekend and they were insanely good. You can find the recipe on The Pioneer Woman (take her advice and add a bit more sugar in the blender unless you want them tart.)

St. Patrick's Day - Lunch Box Notes - Free Printable

I loved getting notes from my parents in my lunch box. Maybe it was a hard morning or even a fantastic one, but to open my lunch pail and get a note of love was the best. Children are always hungry for reminders of how precious and loved they are, but it can be hard to remember to tuck one in. There's homework to pack, teacher reminders and more. 

I thought it would be fun to watercolor a few St. Patrick's Day lunch box notes to share. There are a dozen formatted to fit on letter sized paper. Print them off tonight on some medium-heavy weight cardstock and tuck them in the kitchen junk drawer. When it's St. Patty's Day week, you can toss in a note of love. I think these are so fun, I will probably hide a few in my husband's coat pocket and gym bag. Who couldn't use more love, right?

You are my end of the rainbow.. These would be adorable with a snack pack treat of Skittles!

You are my pot o' gold.. Mmm, Maybe a few Rolo chocolates to sweeten the day?

You are my lucky charm.. My kids always cheer over a serving of Lucky Charm cereal. They promptly eat the marshmallows and are no longer hungry for the healthy bits!

A fun printable that is sure to bring a smile to those you love! I am lucky to homeschool my brood, but it seems like more often than not, they are on the go during lunch. I can't wait to sneak a few in their lunch pails!

Irish Blessing - Free Printable

Since New Year's Eve, I have been painting and drawing every day without (much) fail. I have posted almost all my work on Instagram and Flickr. A few people have asked about purchasing a print. Right now I can not fathom trying to sell prints while juggling my 3 kids and homeschool, so I have opened up a Society6 account. I haven't had time to upload items yet, but I'm hoping that by the end of March it will be full of watercolor goodness. In the meantime, I have a free watercolor Irish Blessing printable for you.

This printable is a 5x7 jpeg. I printed it with a laser on heavy duty metallic white cardstock. I love the shimmer! I hope this adds some lovely Irish charm to your mantle!

(For personal use only - thank you!)

Father's Day Printable - Mad Libs Card

Today the girls & I had so much playing with some friends that we haven't seen in awhile. One of my mommy friends mentioned a really fun Father's Day card that she was creating with her sons. The card had a number of spots for the kiddo to guess facts about their Daddy. That sounded like so much fun - kids truly do say the funniest things. I kept thinking about it and wondering what craziness Kiddo would come up with, so I decided to create a Mad Libs card and thought ya'll might like to do it too.

Here is a jpeg preview and you can download a PDF here. Have fun! Would love to hear what silly things you hear from the ankle biters..

We Remember Moments

You can download this printable here

When I first started working on this printable today, it had a different meaning. On Facebook a friend of mine mentioned her unhappiness with her pregnant size. I immediately wanted to comment something to effect of that she should enjoy it because as soon as the baby was born, she would miss the feeling. But then I remembered how I would have felt if someone had told me that during any of my pregnancies.

Before I had kids I cried inside each time I saw a pregnant woman. I desperately wanted to have a baby. I wanted to have that baby bump. I wanted to feel the secret kicks and have inexplicable cravings in the middle of the night. It took me years to get pregnant with Isabelle. I remember the feeling of elation as soon as I saw that pink plus sign. And then the pregnancy got complicated. Honestly, the reality of my pregnancies were not easy. I was always very sick, on daily injections for blood clotting issues, and felt guilty about not loving my pregnancy. But, if you asked me how I remember my pregnancies I would tell you about how both girls kicked like crazy when they heard Thomas talk, about my deep love for hot & sour soup, and the maternity clothes I sewed. We remember moments.

The first quote I typed was, "Real Women Have Curves". The point being that having a round pregnant belly is a beautiful expression of being a woman. It took me about a second to look at my graphic and recoil. I instantly remembered the pangs of infertility and my pregnancy loss before Juliette. No, being a "real" woman was more than carrying a child. And so I searched for something else.

As I pondered what would be an appropriate quote and I found this "moments" one, I was still a bit tender from remembering my pregnancy loss almost 2 years ago. And it occurred to me that even though I suffered a loss, I still have that moment when I first found out I was pregnant. I was in my brother's home in Tucson. I was ecstatic. I was over the moon. I called Thomas at work to tell him Isabelle was going to be a big sister. And it didn't work out, but I still have those moments in my heart.

I hope this printable touches you.

Whether it's remembering

the amazing pregnancy journey you're on,

the hard fought pregnancy you had,

the tearful one you loss,

or the one you never had.

We remember moments..

We remember moments..

You Can DO It!

Because it's true.

Because Eleanor Roosevelt said it.

Because I'm offering you the JPEG download of it here.

It would be perfect printed & framed where you need motivation the most.

Friday Freebie - Mom Banner

Here is a sweet little banner you can print out and post around the house. I originally designed it to be a coloring page for little ones - so feel free to let the kiddos color in the letters & heart!

I added tabs to the top so you can fold them over and tape down to the ribbon.

Here is mine! I strung it on some fun Martha Stewart bakers twine. This is our gate to our bottom floor where my parent's guest room is - I thought it would be a fun way to welcome my mom.

I have the green version here

I made a girly pink one here

Do you want a different color?

Leave me a comment and I'll post some color options this evening!

If you like my downloads, could you *follow* me?

That way I know ya'll like them

and you'll know when I post the next one!

Another Cinco De Mayo *Freebie*

Are you ready for Cinco De Mayo? We are going to be having margaritas and some delish tacos!

You can some fiesta to your day real quick too! Come download this mini subway art. You can print it out or maybe cut out on some vinyl. Enjoy!

Did you miss my Cinco De Mayo *freebie* banner? It's over here...

Freebie Friday - Cinco De Mayo Banner & Free Ad Space

Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner! I know it may not be a huge holiday here in the U.S., but my husband's family is from Mexico... and well we just like to find a reason to party! And now you can add a little fiesta to your week with this adorable & free Cinco De Mayo printable banner.

I had soo much trouble finding the right angle for the pictures. They just don't do it justice. The banner is a ton of fun and won't take you much time. I just cut out the circles, adhered them down to a large length of brown ribbon, and hung it up in our kitchen.

Here are a few more pictures...

I would love it if joined you my blog if you decide to print it - that way I know you liked it and want more! Also it will help you stay connected to me and know about the next best freebie!

Now go have a fabulous fiesta and don't forget the margaritas...

***

Are you interested in some *free* advertising? Each month I will rotate 6 ads on my blog. It is a first come, first serve basis. Please leave a comment with your email that you are interested.

This awesome deal will go on till my blog reaches 300 followers...

***

Have a fabulous Friday!

Linking Up To:

Nap Time Crafter

Freebie Friday - Mother's Day Printable

I wonder if this phrase ever worked for a mother...

For Freebie Friday, I hope you enjoy this adorable printable. I'm planning on printing & framing mine, and displaying it on my kitchen hutch.

Now if only I could get my toddler to understand what it means...

Linking up to:

Nap Time Crafters

Serenity Now

Bubbly Nature

Someday Crafts