Exciting Stuff :) Launching a new line!!

I am pleased to announce the release of several Pampering products in my Kozy Kuddler by KAL line :)
For years, they've been a select gift I'd make for those "hard to shop for women" or co-workers. Well, I've tested them for a few weeks on my personal page and they seem to be doing well, so now I'm offering them to the world here!

For now I am offering these products:

 Bath Salts (scented, unscented, colored or natural)

I have several scents to choose from. Most are listed on my personal FB page, but will be making an appearance soon on the Kozy Kuddler by KAL Page :)

 Sugar Scrubs...A few different scents...this is just one. These work well by the kitchen sink or in the shower. They are ideal for someone who wants a little extra pampering, but are always in a hurry. Hubby washes his hands a lot (RN) so his hands are forever drying out. This is a good way to get that moisture back! 

Here is one of the Soaks. This one is strawberry scented :) The soaks I feature contain oatmeal and bits of real fruit. They're great for sensitive skinned people and babies. There is a minimal amount of salt in the soaks.


Well, there ya have it! My new products :) If you have any questions, leave a comment or email me at kozykuddlers{at}yahoo.com.

New Blogs to Follow?!

Ok, I can literally spend HOURS and HOURS on here looking at new blogs and "meeting" (ok, reading about) interesting people! It's almost worse than facebook! Anyways, I was wondering if anyone could recommend new blogs for me to check out. I usually just hop, skip and jump around making my way through the blog world, but a little direction would be handy too :)

Do you have a favorite crafting/photography/cooking/inspirational blog that you recommend?

Saving and Earning!!

Sooo I did pretty good with buying Christmas presents on sale and got some really good deals. I was pretty proud of myself! I did swagbucks (click the link to sign up if you're not already a member) for 8 months out of the year and used the FREE amazon.com gift cards to purchase most of the gifts. If you keep a watchful eye, you can get some really good deals on there!! Also, sign up for Amazon Mom (free) and you can get free 2-day shipping on a lot of products. Swagbucks is now offering printable coupons as well! You can earn 10SB for each coupon that gets used!!

Another program I've joined an would like to share with you is ebates.com!
It's simple to use! Anytime you are going to make a purchase online (and they've got TONS of stores to choose from) just go through your ebates page. A tracking ticket is created and once the order is confirmed, you will get a percentage back! I've got mine set up to go straight into my paypal account....very handy! They also have a $5 sign up bonus :)
Check them out and sign up here: My ebates link

What are some ways you plan on saving money this year???

Exciting News!!! A birthday present?!

After spotting felt playhouses here and there on various blogs, I've decided to jump on the bandwagon. I'm making one for Emily's 2nd birthday!! Now, her bday is in May, some months away, so you might be wondering why I'm talking about it now...well...I've got time management issues, mild ADD (self-diagnosed) and a very busy toddler that doesn't always let me do things as I plan.

I've seen these put together in days, weeks and months...I'm going with months :)
So here's my breakdown.

January--
gathering supplies
designing it
getting Matt to make the frame (I'm using a PVC frame instead of a table)
making some patterns to use
cutting the panels

February--
finish the front (and most important) panel
A mailbox is a must! A window and maybe some flowers too.

March--
Finish the back panel.
I've seen a lot of people that have gardens with ripe, "pickable" fruits and veggies...LOVE LOVE LOVE that idea! I've also seen a clothesline...such a neat idea! Google "felt playhouses" and you'll get soooo many ideas! Then, of course, you can come up with your own!

April--
The 2 sides!! And honestly, I have no idea what to do on the sides yet. I've seen dog houses, apple trees ripe for the picking and even an ice cream shop!

May--
Sewing the whole thing together!
And I'll warn you--I'm not the most patient person in the world, so I'm hoping I even make it this far along :) I usually get so excited about a project, then after a little while the excitement wears off and most of the time, the project ends up in my garage or my "office" just collecting dust.

I'm super excited about this because it will be something Emily can play in for years! And really, the creative possibilities are ENDLESS on a project like this!
I'd love to hear some ideas if you've got any...my slate is blank right now :)

Thanks for Reading!

Fun in FL

We got home last night from spending the most time in FL since I moved to NC 2.5 years ago. Our trip started out a little rough. We hit a tire tread from a semi truck blowout while we were doing 70mph on I-75S....scary stuff!!! We pulled over to survey the damage to the Honda...nothing too serious, but the "alligator" did take a chunk out of the front bumper.
Our first stop was in Crystal River to visit my parents. Emily had the best time chasing the water fowl, running through the blackberry rows, driving the golf cart and riding the 4wheeler with her Granny and Granddad. It was too cold to fish, but we still had a great time.
Ailill even came with us! We sure did find him in neat places while we were on vacation! Harley, the GBH, was out and friendly. I love taking his photo and I think he likes it too :) I got a bonus too! While I was shooting (photos) Harley, an otter swam by! The photo is a little blurry, but those suckers are fast! I was lucky to get what I did.
I made a collage to sum it up in pics :)


Next, we made the rest of the drive down to Plant City...ahhhhh! So nice to be back in familiar territory. Went to a 1st birthday party in the afternoon (I dont know what Emily enjoyed more....the cake or the animals they have!) and sweet 16 surprise birthday party in the evening, then had a family dinner the next day. It was so good to see so many people in such a short time! Emily enjoyed dancing and the gummy bears from the party...and GG surprised Emily with the disco ball from the night before!!

My aunt and cousins took us to a neat park in Lakeland too...Common Grounds. This park has something for kids of all ages and abilities. It was a little chilly the day we went so we were able to pretty much have the whole place to ourselves. Kika, Matt and I had a blast playing along with the kids. My favorite part was the papasan/hammock/swing. Emily enjoyed all of it, but I think the roller slide was her favorite.

Photography practice with my aunt was fun!! We did a little experimenting with candle photos, bokeh and action shots. Bokeh by far was the most interesting! The end result came out ok (the red hearts pic in the bottom collage), but I've got a lot more practice ahead of me.


We were able to visit my grandparents for awhile too. Emily loves her Papa and GG (Great-Grandma). Emily picked oranges with Papa and visited a bit with the cows. She was intrigued by the cows for sure. She had never been so close to a live one (that I can remember).

Next up was a trip to Christmas Lane in Dover, FL. Very neat Christmas light display and free admission (donations accepted). Emily loved the lights and displays so much, we made 3 trips around :)  She wasn't too fond of the train this year, but maybe next year she will understand it a little bit better.

We had lunch with Tiff at Cracker Barrel the next day and then headed back to Crystal River. Had a nice dinner with the parentals, then re-packed our car and left the next morning. We did make a very important stop in Macon, GA---to Bass Pro Shops! Emily sat in Santa's lap and didn't cry at all! I was so proud!!

Another pic collage :) I'll be adding more pics on my facebook over the next week or so. Need to get back in the groove of things first. If I don't post again soon, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

Opening Christmas Presents Early...

Hubby and I have a serious problem about buying presents and not being able to wait to give them. We seriously have to wait 'til the last minute before we buy them....or else they'll get given to early then we have to buy more! LOL!
Well, I've tried really hard to work on that for Christmas this year...especially since it's Emily's first Christmas that she'll be aware of what's going on. Last year she was 7 months old and her favorite part was trying to eat the wrapping paper!
Yeah, sooo I FAILED...Emily has spotted one toy (I need a better hiding spot, but at least she couldn't reach it!) and I broke down and gave her 3 books and 2 movies already...I just get WAY too excited because I know she will absolutely love them! Matthew and I were the same way before Emily...maybe even worse!
So where am I going with this? Well, ever since I threw away all the squirting bath tub toys Emily has not been loving her bath time. I tried the fizzy bath drops that change the water colors...didn't phase her. I've tried singing, dancing, even turning on the bathroom heater...nothing makes her want to stay in long at all...until tonight.
We opened up another present! (I know, I know!) Don't let the pic fool you, she totally flipped over it!

We got her the Crayola Tadoodles Tug Boat....washable tub crayons, cute boat...just an awesome little gift. And boy did she LOVE it?! She looked at me a little funny when I started coloring on the shower wall...especially since we've had a little problem with her coloring on our walls lately. Once she realized it really was ok, she was loving it!!

My flower and her random marks.

The finished artwork.
As the water was draining out, I took a spare loofah and wiped all the crayon marks off. Who doesn't love an easy clean-up like that?! Of course, Emily had to add more after it was clean, but that was no big deal. I'm just glad she liked them and stayed in the tub to play for a little while.
We'll have to hope Santa brings her more of these :)

Thanksgiving and Bibs

Thanksgiving has just passed and now we're gearing up for Christmas! This year has gone by so fast! We spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house in GA. The same place we got married! I love going back and taking pics in front of that fireplace. Here is a comparison shot from last year and this year. We'll play the "spot 10 differences" game.


1. Emily gained about 15lbs. and a good 10" in height!
2. I'm wearing glasses! I like the way they look, but not in pics...lol
3. We decorated the fireplace mantle for Christmas this year...and it looks so nice!
4. My hair is longer (much!) and darker from not getting out much this year. My hair goes down almost to my waistband now...it's about time for a trim though.
5. Matt's lost weight...or at least looks like it. He always looks so good in the color green!!
6. Candelabras are gone.
7. I'm wearing a red shirt, instead of green this year...still have jeans and you can't see it this year, but I was barefoot again :) lol!
8. I used an external flash this year...making things much brighter. Need to figure out how to not get the glare off my glasses though...if it's possible. (more practice with the flash is needed for sure!)
9. No palm tree in the corner this year.
10. Emily's not wearing a dress this year...It's been a little too chilly for it. Dressed her in pants to keep her legs a little warmer.

Well, that was fun! And harder than I thought once I started it :)

Been busy crafting and sewing this week. I've made quite a few bibs for some awesome friends :) I love custom orders...and this week's involved:  UF, LSU, Skulls, and Christmas. Here are a few I made...

 






This coming week brings lots of baking, cleaning and packing :) Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of their weekend!! GO GATORS!!