Blog Your Heart

Here are the "rules".

Here's my heart today:

1. I have a new blog template. I know, it's not deep nor meaningful but it makes me smile and this is my first blog post with the new design so I couldn't not mention it. I wanted something gold and bokeh - I think I hit the jackpot with this blog design from Shiny Magic.
2. I need to get back on the diet/exercise bike (literally or at least I would if we had an exercise bike but those things never work for me - at 4' 11" I'm just too damn short for it to be erm well em comfortable) or the treadmill, we have one of those, in the shed. I don't even have to go to a gym to use it, I can go in my jammies if I want to. But I don't.
3. I am just going to write and post this blog. I'm not going to dwell, rewrite, reread. I'm just going to hit publish. 
4. I hear people talking about being present a lot. I get it. I want to put the phone down more. Sit, talk, play with my kids, watch TV, read a book, SCRAPBOOK!!! and not CONSTANTLY have my phone in my hand.
5. I'm nervous and excited about moving home. We are moving. Well (90/10% we are moving). Not far, literally up the road. We need to move to get Noah a place at Jack's school. We need to move further away (and across a main road) from the school to get ourselves back into catchment. It's as simple and as ridiculous as that. I'm not annoyed anymore. I was. But now I'm excited about the new home we get to live in. And kinda dreading moving us and two kids in one go. We are planning to move into a rental house between selling our home and buying the new one but that's just 'a plan' it might not happen.
6. I have post office phobia same as Stephanie. I've have a parcel well no it's not even a parcel it's a gift for a friend in New Zealand that I bought at least a good 6 months ago that I've not boxed or addressed let alone taken to the post office. WTF.
7. I am reading Helen Fielding's Mad About the Boy. I love it. I know it's been slated. But I love it. I can't help talking or writing in strange disjointed manor similar to Bridge though. 
8. I have a spot on a December Daily Design team this year and I am worried that a) I won't be able to keep up and b) that I'll produce rubbish. 
9. I'm a little bit excited about Christmas. I need to curb my spending though. I am a shop-a-holic. I am terrible stash dieter and food dieter to boot.I am hopeless.
10. I have re-read and corrected the post (although I'll still have missed bits).

Thanks Stephanie for giving me a kick up the blog posting ass.

I'd love to know if you have joined in and if you have please link up on Stephanie's blog. xx

Around Here | 26 February 2014

**Opps I forgot to publish this at the time**

Around here we are all sick. I've had four days at home. Doodle has had six days off school and Poppins has an ear infection. In both ears! We are snot machines. A lot of coughing can be heard through the night.

Around here we are closing on the sale of my Dad's house in two days. It's been a long drawn out process for a sale that should have been straight forward. It will be a relief not to worry about it and sad to say goodbye.

Around here Poppins is enjoying Cbeebies Peter Rabbit, Swashbuckle and Sarah and Duck. He will raise his hand to his head for the Swashbuckle Cheer.

Swashbuckle Cheer
Put your hand on your heart
Eye patch (eye patch)
Captains hat (captains hat)
Swashbuckle cheer
Ahoy!

Around here Doodle has discovered the TV and DVD player in our bedroom and has happy found peace and quiet to play with Turtles and Trashies and watch his favourite DVDs (Scoobie Doo, Lego, Star Wars - the snow one).

Around here I am patiently waiting on a new niece or nephew (1 week overdue and counting).

Around here I joined the Stephanie Howell book appreciation society (or so it seems) and read Mary Kay Andrew's Savannah Blues, Savannah Breeze and Jojo Moyes.

Please add a link if you are doing a similar round up post. I'd love to hear what you are up to. Kx

Around Here | 22 January 2014

Inspired (aka downright copied) from Ali Edwards post Around Here...

Around here Jack learned a Scottish poem and recited it in class. He was given a certificate at school and was rewarded with Freddo Faces (a new favourite) and a new addition to his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle family - the Kraang. 

The poem

My wee doggie
does lots of tricks,
Fetches the paper,
Brings back sticks.
Chases aw the craws,
That steal the hen’s feed,
Lowps through a gird,
kids he’s deid.
Sits on his hunkers,
Gies a paw,
Then he gets a bane to gnaw.

Around here Noah is talking. He says 'yeah' for yes and shakes his head for no. He gets excited about bath time and brushing his teeth. He climbs on everything, furniture, people... he can climb the ladders of Jack's cabin bed. He will launch himself right over you if you are sitting quietly on the sofa.

Around here Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are Jack's favourite toy. Noah's go to toy is his VTech Garage but he doesn't show a whole lot of interest in it.

Around here the boys watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles and Despicable Me 2 on a loop. Noah laughs at the funny bits. Jack plays it cooler. They love the music and Ian made them a 'mix-tape' for the car. The playlist includes several songs from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, Calvin Harris - Feel so Close (which is Jack's school song), Julie Fowlis - Touch the Sky (which was Jack's tidy-up song at nursery), The Lumineers - Hey Ho, Psy - Gangham Style (Jack's all time favourite song) and David Guetta - Where them girls at (Noah's personal favourite). I listen to it on the way to work.

Around here I'm reading Every Last One by Anna Quindlen. It's taken me a few days to get into the characters as there seemed to be so many I couldn't keep track. I just finished reading Erica James' A Breath of Fresh Air. I liked it but didn't love it. I thought it was obvious what was going to happen from the very beginning. There was one small twist that I didn't see coming.

Please add a link if you are doing a similar round up post. I'd love to hear what you are up to. Kx

I'm a secret fruit basket tile loving person {stories of home}

 

I am playing along with Becky Higgins' stories of home. If you have not heard of stories of home you can find all the info on Becky's blog. I'm not quite sure how it's gonna go but I think I am mainly going to post my photos on Instagram. Please let me know if you are joining in.

I'm kicking off with a photo of our inherited kitchen tiles. Our house is only 13 year old - someone picked these in reasonably recent times?!? Really? I am looking forward to their demise. It has just dawned on me that we have been in our house for 7 years, which means, we've had the fruit basket tiles for longer than the person who picked them! You know what this means don't you... I'm a secret fruit basket loving tile person.

Insta-what?

While I've not been blogging or scrapping I've been Instagram(ing) and Pinterest(ing). I'm always looking for people to follow so if you are on Instagram or any of these sites please leave your details in the comments box so I can stalk you :p

http://instagram.com/kirsteenyoung

http://pinterest.com/kirsteeny

Please feel free to add me too. You might come across this little guy, please excuse the two fingers :)

Ten on the Tenth in September

10 Things in September brings you 10 things I've learned being a mummy.

1. To wear spit up milk with pride.
2. Baby wipes are the elixir of life.
3. A stash of toy cars in your handbag is not only normal but essential.
4. Your chocolate is not your own.
5. Every inch of grass must be covered by trampolines, swings, slides, playhouses and sandpits.
6. Going straight to the children's clothes section over the woman's section is normal.
7. A never ending supply of chicken dippers, dinosaurs, yoghurt, Dunkers and tomato sauce lives in your kitchen.
8. Toys, crumbs and melted in chocolate must be accepted by anyone who wants to ride in your car.
9. You stick more things to your car than you knew possible; mirrors, mobiles, seat tidies, DVD players, toy steering wheels, sun shades, aerial antennas and still feel the need to add a baby on board sign!
10. I love every minute.

Every month, we blog ten things on the tenth. Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing. Pop on over to Shimelle's blog and link to your specific blog post so we can all come read your own list of ten.

This post was also inspired by Shimelle Laine's class Learn Something New Everyday.

Welcome to the World - Noah Xander Young

Big brother Jack would like to ask you to join him in welcoming to the world his little brother; Noah Xander Young. Noah was born on the 9th August 2012 (Daddy's birthday) at 4.04pm weighing 8lb 12oz.

Having kept us on our toes during July with lots of worry and hospital stays I am delighted he is here safe and sound and in his moses basket where I can keep an eye on him! Jack is enjoying being a big brother and is a great wee helper.

P.S. Jack's not quite got the hang of the difference between photo and video - cheeeeeessssseeee!!

Feeling a Little Folksy

***don't forget to enter my 100th blog post giveaway here***

I have spent far too much time drooling over Folksy lately. It all started a week or so ago when I placed my first Folksy order with Merry Berry and the Little Panda (how can you resist with a store name is cute as this?). I've been looking for a sleeve for my Kindle since Christmas but couldn't find what I was looking for until I saw this {cue drool}.

It arrived last week and is even more gorgeous in the felty flesh. I am so pleased with my purchase. Like all Mummy's I had to add a little something to my order for my little man. I'm always on the lookout for cute decorations for his bedroom. I couldn't resit this little fire engine.

Do you have a favourite Folksy store? I'd love to hear all about it. Thanks for stopping by. Kirsteen x

Grandma's Round-Up

***don't forget to enter my 100th blog post giveaway here***

My 10 Things in May brought you ten pages/photos/projects on my scrappy to-do list. Today I made a start on number five on my list; to look through my Mum's 'Jack' album and take a note of what is missing. I started by taking photos of the pages that I have done and here they are...

I made this page today using Bo Bunny's Blast Off! The photo was taken at Edinburgh Zoo in September 2009. It is a photo that my Mum loves (not that she doesn't love EVERY photo of 'Grandma's little star', hence the title), so I really wanted to include it in the album. I like the page so much I am in the middle of creating another one of my album.

Jack's second Halloween and the first time he did his 'funny smile' face. Supplies for this page include MME Boo to You, Bazzill, Thickers and K&Co.

Jack's first Halloween at only a little over two weeks old, using Bo Bunny's Whoo-ligans collection. I think most of the embellies are by K&Co.

This is Jack at the Almond Valley Heritage Centre in Livingston. I used WRMK's 72 & Sunny.

Jack's first Christmas and first Santa costume. I think the embellies are by Reminisce but I'm not too sure.

Jack in the snow December 2009 not too sure whether he should laugh or cry. I used Echo Park's Wintertime.

Jack only 6 weeks old doing the funny 'hands up' thing that babies do. Suppies are LYB Babysaurus.

Jack's first ever photo! I used Simple Stories Baby Steps for this page.

This is as far as I got but it's a good start. I now know what I've done and can think about what else I would like to include.

I would love to hear about any projects you are working on for other people? Thanks for stopping by, Kirsteen x

Ten on the Tenth in June

***don't forget to enter my 100th blog post giveaway here***

10 Things in June brings you... my top ten items on my baby boy bump to-do list.

1. Find out where the hospital is. Nevermind the labour ward, the hospital will do! We have a 'rough' idea, but it's a new hospital and only opened earlier this year so we should figure out exactly where it is.

2. Start thinking about/packing my hospital bag. I have my eye on the Sunshine Holiday backpack, mini overnight bag and the trolly case from Papercase.

3. Bring all of Jack's baby clothes down from the attic and have a good old ooh and ahh through them.

4. Buy a new change bag. I have my eye on this one from Pink Lining.

5. Convert the cotbed back into a cot, and add the cot top changer.

6. Empty Jack's toy box and find homes for all of the toys.

7. Buy wicker baskets and a clothes tidy for the wardrobe in the nursery. I've been spending a lot of time sitting on the toy box looking at all of these lovely things, it's so exciting to think a little person will be wearing all of these clothes really, really soon.

8. Test the baby monitors. We had to buy new ones as Jack's had stopped charging. We went with the BT ones you can see in the photo above (at the bottom in the purple box). Seemingly you can play your iPod through them. Suggestions of a Pink Floyd playlist have already been made. I'm thinking more along the of lines sounds of the rainforest and Playhouse Disney.

9. Build the baby gym and bouncer chair from Grandad.

10. Decide on a hospital leaving outfit for the bump. Jack was born in October so he wore a bodysuit, sleepsuit, a velour pramsuit, woolie hat and a little blanket. I'm thinking along the same lines but a cotton hat and perhaps a Summer pramsuit. Can you buy Summer pramsuits?

Every month, we blog ten things on the tenth.  Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing.  Pop on over to Shimelle's blog and link to your specific blog post so we can all come read your own list of ten.

I Will Scrap This {love you onions}

Recently we have started saying 'I love you millions' to Jack at bedtime. I usually say this walking down the stairs as Jack stands at the top waiting for me to go into the livingroom, while his Daddy waits in his bedroom to tuck him (and over 10 soft toys) into bed. In reply, Jack shouts 'love you onions'.

This is a cheeky snap taken very, very quickly while trying not to wake him up. Thanks for stopping by x

I Will Scrap This {double trouble}

On Saturday morning I explained to Jack that we were going to see his little brother. I explained he wasn't actually going to come out of Mummy's tummy but we would be able to see him on a TV screen (a 4D scan to you and me). He was super excited and ran upstairs to collection a toy to 'show' the baby. He was bouncing in his chair in the sonographers office whispering to his Daddy that 'the baby is coming'. If only it was so easy - nip into town, llittle bit of jelly on the belly and hey presto a baby - my kinda labour! When the baby appeared he held the little toy lion up to the screen and waved. Cue proud Mummy moment!!

And this is our little man junior, he's Jack's double in so many way but we can also see his own features peeking through. We can't wait to meet you little man x

Ten on the Tenth in May

10 Things in May brings you... 10 pages/photos/projects on my scrappy to-do list:

1. A photo of my friend Lesley, heavily pregnant with her beautiful baby bump number two. The photo was taken at least two years ago as my Goddaughter (said bump) is now over two years old and I have had the photo waiting to be scrapped for an age. 
2. Jack's 4D scan photos. I've just booked a 4D scan for Jack's little brother so it's really about time I got my scrap on. And it's the last of Jack's scan photos I would like to scrap although I think I'll include a scan photo for Jack's Gramdma's album so coming in at number 3...
3. A 2D scan photo of Jack for my Mum's album.
4. Which reminds me - look through my Mum's 'Jack' album and take a note of what is missing.
5. Work on my neice's and nephew's albums. I have five on the go and a neice on the way. Love it!
6. A Disney page. Just because I haven't scrapped a Disney page in so long and I really want to start filling up my American Crafts D-ring album and putting my WRMK divided page protectors to good use. Specifically I'd like to scrap the Hollyday Hollywood Parade we watched at MGM Studios in December 2007 as I have a lot of photos that I would like to include in my album but don't want to commit a whole 12x12 page to each photo so the divided page protectors will come in really handy here. 
7. Scrap The Bump's scan photos. So far I've have three scans and no scrapping. But The Bump is still in that too scared to start, too important a project to 'mess it up' stage in my scrappy thought process so maybe that's one for after August. And I haven't found an album that makes me go oooh buy, buy, buy yet... 
8. Which brings me nicely on to number 8. Decide on an album for The Bump.  
9. Organise, remove duplicates and order more photos for Jack's 'normal' photo albums and add journaling.
10. Back-up photos from old and new laptop, and take external hard-drive to my Mum's for her to copy and keep a second back-up. 

Not too much to be getting on with. Hopefully I'll be back soon with some progress to report!

Every month, we blog ten things on the tenth.  Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing.  Pop on over to Shimelle's blog and link to your specific blog post so we can all come read your own list of ten.

This post was also inspired by Shimelle Laine's new class Cover to Cover. 

It's all about the photos

I am an online printer kinda gal, I don't even own a home printer (at least not one that doesn't live in a cupboard under the stairs without any ink or any idea of whether it actually works or not...). I order all my prints online from Truprint. It's more economical for me and I like the professional finish of a photo from a professional printer rather than from a home printer.I mainly print 4x6. I like how it looks on the page and I like that you can easily add more than one to a 12x12 layout.

My photo process goes a little something like this... point, shoot, delete, upload on to laptop in year/month order, delete, move 'working' photos (i.e. photos of layouts for blogging/design team work/items for sale) upload what is left to Truprint - share with friends/family depending on content of photos. If we have attended a birthday party in March then I'll share my March album with the relevant people via Truprint. I have a 'family' share list that get everything, like it or not. Some of them use my Truprint photos to create their own albums - my Gran has her own physical photo album of Jack that she orders directly from the photos I share with her on Truprint. She's 75 and that rocks as far as I am concerned! The last thought in my photo process is to back-up my photos on to my external hard drive - that still hasn't happened but 'one day' SOON!

I store my prints in a mix of Paperchase photo boxes and RUB photo boxes. They live on a shelf on my Expedit unit (behind the monkey). I would have pulled them out to take a photo but at 26 weeks pregnant and only 4' 11 leaning over my desk is a challenge I can live without.

The photos from my WDW 2007 live in the Paperchase boxes, one RUB houses Jack's photos and one RUB houses everything else - simple. I have a few photo wallets/envelopes for photos that have been given to me for my neices and nephews albums or baby scan photos (next to my recent addition - Monkey - I won him on the PlayMerrily Toys Blog - go check out their amazing toys).

I haven't placed an online photo order since before Christmas and I don't intend to place one anytime soon. Not for scrapbooking purposes anyway. I have plenty photos to scrap and it is my intention to work on these as much as possible before baby boy bump arrives in August. I am going to place an online order for 'normal' photo albums though. Jack has four 'normal' 4x6 photo albums (two full, two empty) and I would like to go through these taking out all the duplicates. I kept, printed, 'albummed' every photo I took of Jack in the first few months after he was born before realising that 10 shots of Jack in the exact same position is not neccessary and that I was going to need 10 albums just for his first year!

This post was inspired by Shimelle Laine's new class Cover to Cover.

Where Am I?

...with my scrapbooks/scrapbooking? I started off scrapping the cat. I spent many a Saturday snapping photos of him, buying catty supplies and I didn't even own a scrapbook album. I have a few pages to show for my efforts, a few, not many. Something else 'came up'; I went to Walt Disney World (twice) and I'm still scrapping those holidays. To be brutally honest, I'm got bored of scrapping the cat and I'm OK with that and so is he. He's 8 now and retired, he's happy the paparazzi photo shoots are no more.

My first trip to WDW in 2005 lives in three postbound albums (one bright pink Papermania album that was bought for another project entirely - that I never quite got around to - that's OK, there is always 'one day'), one Tinkerbell album all the way from WDW and one K&Co American travel themed album that I coveted for two whole years before buying it (cheaply in the states on my second trip in 2007). Although I think of my first holiday to WDW albums as 'finished' I am quite happy to return to them if I want to.

The bright pink album is also home to all my random layouts (and by random I mean anything that is not a WDW page or about my little boy; Jack) - the cat, a random Christmas page that I made for  a cybercrop on UKS and I think that's about as random as I've got. I'm not a 'Project Life' scrapbooker but maybe I will be 'one day'. There is no reason why my first trip to WDW lives with my random pages, only that there were enough page protectors left in the pink album to house all of these miscellaneous pages once I'd decleared my 2005 WDW trip 'closed' (but not officially).

My second trip to WDW has three albums. One postbound 12x12 DCWV Once Upon a Time album (it was our honeymoon - it would have been rude not to buy this album), one American Crafts ring binder with different sized page protectors (all empty at the moment - another 'one day' work in progress) and a 6x12 (by a manufacturer I can't remember). There was an EK Success Mickey Mouse 8x8 album but you can read all about its demise here. These pages in these albums aren't in order, there is no rhyme or reason to which photos are 6x12 or 12x12. I just scrap whatever I fancy at the time or I might follow one of the challenges on UKS or on the Disney Scrappers Ning, it's random, not thought out at all and unfinished and I am happy with that. Maybe 'one day' I'll go back, fill in the gaps, make sense of it all but I scrap for the enjoyment it gives me now and I don't mind if I've left out a day or two or three or four...

Jack has two 12x12 albums - one for his first year and one thereafter. This will change as I scrap more of his baby photos but for now this is my 'filing system'. Both albums are postbound and felty touchy feely works of art from Amanda Blu. I have big plans for 12x12 ring binders as well - I wanna mix it up - I want different sized page protectors - 'one day'. There is no rush.

All of these albums live on the shelves of our Expedit entertainment unit in the livnigroom where everyone can see them and everyone is encouraged to take a peek. Even Jack, although under supervision. He has form for trying to steal my embellishments.

I have one lonely DCWV Once Upon a Time 12x12 album that lives in Expedit unit/desk in the corner of my bedroom. I won it in a competition on the DCWV blog. I have no plans for it but maybe 'one day' I'll add pages of my boys adventures or their first trip to WDW... I hope you have enjoyed my trip down album lane.

This post was inspired by Shimelle Laine's class Cover to Cover.

I Will Scrap This {the one with the green man}

Jack arrived home from nursery recently armed with a masterpiece! Having been given free reign to paint anything he wanted he painted 'the green man'. At first the nursery teachers weren't sure what he was talking about but once they realised that he had painted a set of traffic lights with the correct colours and in the right order they were very impressed!! Well done little man. Love Mummy x

'The Green Man' by Jack Age 3 1/2

I will Scrap This {the one with the mother's day plant}

My all time favourite Mother's Day present is a plant Jack grew at nursery. I had no idea he had been growing it, it was a lovely surprise to see him running in the front door armed with a Mother's Day gift - he was so proud of himself.

This is Jack last week with his plant and his Easter gift from his Grandma and Grandad - his own gardening set. I am loving this new super posing phase he is 'growing' through. I better make the most of it before he changes his mind!

Easter Baskets

**I promise this is the last post from me today. You'll not hear another peep from me, honest**

I bought a stack of Easter decorations last year in the Easter sale at my local garden centre. I wanted to use the decorations to make some Easter baskets this year. Not one to leave things to the last minute I popped into town on Saturday morning for some wicker baskets and shredded tissue paper. Luckily Clintons had everything I needed.

I added one and half packets of shredded tissue paper to each, creating what Jack calls 'a nice cosy bed' for the contents of my basket. With hindsight they could've probably done with two packets each.

I untied and retied two felt butterfly decorations plus a chick decoration and hung these on the handle of each basket. On the opposite side I added two flower pegs. I tied three peices of ribbon to the handles and untied and retied a felt rabbit or chick (bought in Tesco a few years ago) as well. I added a wooden flower decoration and lots of egg decorations along with some chocolate eggs and hearts to each basket. Once I had decided on my design it didn't take long to make these at all.

P.S. Pop over to the Craft Island blog to see my Easter Basket using paper mache eggs. Remember to check out this months 6x6 competition too.

10 on the Tenth in April

10 Things in April brings you... 10 random things {you may or may not know} I am looking forward to right now:

1. Baby's arrival in August.
2. Watching Jack with his little baby brother.
3. The arrival of my little neice or nephew in October.
4. My birthday this month.
5. Our first trip to Disney World as a family (Grandparents, in-laws, the lot!). Planned for October 2015! 
6. My maternity leave. Spending time with my boys and being a 'proper' Mummy for a little while.
7. A week off work in May.
8. Changing Jack's room into a big boys bedroom complete with midsleeper car themed bed with a tent underneath!
9. Going to bed tonight (Jack is waking up during the night for a pee pee/tissue/Calpol/stairgate check (it must be closed)/general attempt to sleep in our bed) = tired Mummy.
10. Christmas! Our first Christmas as a family of four and our first Christmas dinner at my in-laws with three children.

Every month, we blog ten things on the tenth.  Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing.  Pop on over to Shimelle's blog and link to your specific blog post so we can all come read your own list of ten.

P.S.Check out the new competition over on the Craft Island blog. The closing date is Friday 27th April. Here is a cheeky wee 'egg'xample from me.

Country Style Clutter

A little over a year ago I discovered Country Style Clutter. Country Style Clutter is based in Edzell at the foot of the Angus Glens in the North East of Scotland. In the shop you will find hand painted hearts, wall hangings and decorative works of art for your home. Linda is the artist behind the shop front and is one of the loveliest people you could ever meet.

Linda has sent me so many gorgeous items for my home and for my friends and family over the last year or so. I don't think there is a room in my home without a little Country Style Clutter. And if there is, then it's only because I haven't got around to placing my order yet (I'm thinking of the door signs for the bathroom and the downstairs loo). I always think of Linda when a friend gets married or has a baby. I've lost count how many friends and family have Country Style Clutter works of art in their homes. I have sent Country Style Clutter as far as Austraila.

In my recent order Linda popped these little extras in for Jack. How delighted was I? I am going to stick this to Jack's bedroom door in a superstar dressing room fashion.

Jack was delighted with his lovely Easter gingerbread man with his name on! He is gingerbread men daft so much so that we still have a gingerbread man air freshener from Christmas in the car!

This Happy Easter heart is a little something that Linda 'popped' in my order last year. Isn't it the cutest. I have mentioned to Linda that smaller versions of her creations would be welcome additions to my scrapbook pages. Watch this space and hound Linda until she makes some handmade wooden embellishments!!