Family Yearbooks

Here is finally one idea I had actually started doing before I saw it on pinterest.  I take a few pictures of my kids...ok so a "few" might be a tad of an understatement.  I take a TON of pictures throughout the year, especially during holidays or special events, but also of everyday fun.  I used to love to scrapbook, but after I had the kids, it became a pain in the butt to try to scrapbook, while keeping them out of my scrapbooking stuff.  I started to use shutterfly for my photobooks, mainly because that is where all of my pictures are stored online anyway, but mostly because I get a lot of them for free from Pamper's Gifts to Grow program.  My whole family, including the husband, love to sit down and look at these all of the time.  Since my kids are death on books, I keep them out of their reach, and they can only look at them if I'm holding the book and turning the pages.

Pamper's Gifts to Grow

My sister introduced me to the pamper's gifts to grow reward program after my daughter was born.  If you buy pamper's products, you might have notice the little stickers in the inside of the bags or on each of the individual bags if you get a box.  Each sticker has a 15 digit code on them which are worth a certain amount of points, depending on the product.  All you have to do is register for the program at pampers.com and start entering GTG codes (there is even an app for it).  The more codes you enter, the more points you'll earn, which you can use to redeem for varies rewards.  The main reason I love it, is because they are partnered with shutterfly, so many of the rewards are for shutterfly products.  Not only do you earn points toward rewards from the codes, but you also will receive emails from pampers every so often with a code for a certain free shutterfly product just for being in the program (as long as you are entering GTG codes every month).

A few of my free products I have gotten from Pamper's Gifts to Grow

Newborn Shadow Boxes

I've been holding onto stuff from when my kids were born because I knew I eventually wanted to do something with them.  I saw a post on pinterest to put it all in a shadow box, so that was what I did today.  I made a stop at hobby lobby this morning, and got 2 16x20 shadowboxes (normally $35 each, but were 50% off this week).  The unfinished wooden letters were also on sale (30% off), so I picked up a "K" and a "P".

Supplies that I had to buy

I ended up needing other supplies that I already had, including white paint for the letters, black cardstock paper for the backing, scrapbook paper for the pictures, and sewing pins to hold things in their places.  Here are the finished products.

Both of them had the bands from the hospital in them

Kemper's hat he wore in the hospital

Footprints from the hospital 

Piper's headband and picture from her newborn photo shoot (Unfortunately the flower on it fell off and was lost)

Alligator Baby Shower

My brother-in-law and his wife are expecting their first child in August.  They picked out the Pottery Barn's "Alligator Madras" as the nursery theme, so I planned the shower to match it.

                                

Pottery Barn's Alligator Madras bedding

Diaper wreath on front door

Prints I made for the nursery

Popcorn Bar 

A Pirate Birthday Party

For my son's 4th birthday party back in January, we did a pirate theme.  Like usual, most of the ideas I got from pinterest.  The decorations I got from hobby lobby and Amazon.

Cake table and banner

Tattoo Station

Favor Table

Cardboard pirate ship and buried treasure pit