Fun Find Friday: Father’s Day

June 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I’m not sure how it happened, but Father’s Day is next Sunday and that means we need to get serious about some amazing gifts.  If your husband is anything like mine, he’s horrible to shop for.  While I love celebrating him and making him feel special I get a tad bit stressed out trying to find the perfect gift for him.  Well, this year I think I have it under control (let’s just hope he doesn’t read this post).  Have you been to Paper Coterie yet?  If not, run, do not walk there now (click here to go to their website).  They have an amazing selection of custom cards, stationary and gifts, and the coilbound “All About My Dad” book has got to be the best Father’s Day gift out there.  It’s similar to the Shutterfly books we’ve all seen before but it has space for your child to truly customize the book for his or her daddy.  Daddy is sure to cherish this book for years to come and you, my friend, just hit a home run in the gift department.

What’s more meaningful than a DIY project? A Do-It-Together project! This unique and creative DIT book is perfect for documenting a child’s special relationship with Dad. Each book can be personalized with 19 photos and your own text. When the book arrives, plan a special activity time together to complete the book by capturing all the important details they love about Dad. It’s the perfect DIT project! Printed on premium, uncoated, 100% recycled fiber paper. Just add crayons!

* Note, we are in no way endorsed by Paper Coterie, we simply love their stuff!

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Project Nursery

April 16, 2012 by 2 Comments

I don’t know if there’s something in the water, the spring air or what, but it seems like there are pregnant women popping up everywhere I go.  I swear, that was just me.  I was the pregnant lady.  My, how much has changed in a year!  Well, a friend is in the final stages of prepping her nursery for the arrival of their first – a little girl.  I’ve watched her choose each and every detail and it brought back so many memories from designing my son’s perfect room.  While obsessing over the perfect paint color, fabric selections and decor, I relied heavily on one amazing website — Project Nursery.  For those of you who just have a passion for interior design and children, Project Nursery is your mecca.  It is the cream of the crop for inspirational websites because not only does it include nurseries, it has ideas for toddlers, playrooms, bathrooms and so much more.  In case Pinterest wasn’t enough, you now have another time-sucking website to spend hours on.  I can’t pass up this opportunity to show you a few pictures of our completed nursery.  I want to bottle up the feeling I get from that room and carry it with me forever.

Our Nursery Storyboard

Yes, there was still plastic on the glider at that time. Ha!

We've since hung shelves above the glider to hold frames, books and the video monitor camera.

Don't mind that clutter all over the dresser. It was a work in progress.

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Food Pyra-what?

April 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

That’s right, it doesn’t matter anymore!  The Food Pyramid that has been droned into our brains since the first day of first grade is officially no more!  The USDA is now no longer endorsing the Food Pyramid, but now creating plans specified to the individual based on” your age, sex, height, weight, and how much physical activity you usually do.”   Doesn’t this sound so much more reasonable?  Doesn’t this truly sound like any healthy eating guide we’ve looked at in the past ten years?  I certainly think so!  It’s a good thing the USDA finally got on board!  Make sure to check out www.myplate.gov to learn all about the new system, as well as generate a healthy eating plan for you and your family!

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It’s a Hump Day Giveaway!

March 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Today we are pleased to be giving away some handmade crafts off from Kate & Lola’s!  If you haven’t seen some of the very cute and crafty things Kate & Lola’s has to offer you must check them out at kateandlolas.blogspot.com!   Everything on the site is made by the creator Ashley with the slogan in mind, “Heartfelt. Homemade. Just Plain Good.”  Kate & Lola’s has been kind enough to give us an adorable 0-3 month onesie with matching barrettes that could be yours today!  This would great for your own little one  or would make a wonderful gift to a mom to-be!  To be entered to win today’s giveaway all you have to do is like the Hump Day Giveaway Post on our Facebook page and comment and tell us why you would love to win!  It’s that simple!  You have until midnight this evening to enter!  Good luck and here’s hoping you have a great rest of the week!

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Music Together in Phoenix

March 6, 2012 by 2 Comments

We are happy to announce a new-comer to our “Businesses We Love” Music Together in Phoenix!  Nora and I have been attending “music class” as we like to call it, since our little ones were only four months old, and we are now entering our third semester!  I can truly say from first-hand experience that this is an amazing program for you and your child.  It’s amazing to me that my nine-month-old can actually recognize and acknowledge the music from class!  She moves, grooves and giggles whenever we’re in class or even when we put the CD on at home.  If you are looking for a wonderful experience for you and your children, infants through preschoolers, you’ve got to check out Music Together in Phoenix!!  Spring semester registration has begun, click here to check it out – and make sure to tell them Ties & Tutus sent you!

Below is some great info provided by the director Kathy:

10 weeks of MUSIC FUN!

Music Together®, a research based national program for early childhood music and movement development, is committed to helping families rediscover the pleasure and educational value of informal music experiences.  Classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical.  All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat and participate in the music of their culture, given their early environment supports such learning.  By emphasizing actual musical experiences rather than concepts about music, Music Together introduces children to the pleasures of making music instead of passively consuming it from CD’s or TV.

 

Each class is:

  • A community of families sharing songs, instrument play, rhythm chants and movement activities in a relaxed, playful, non-performance-oriented setting.
  • Music learned through developmentally appropriate activities that support and respect the unique learning styles of very young children.
  • Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers participating at their own levels in family-style classes of mixed ages.
  • Parents and caregivers contributing to the enrichment of their child’s musical environment—regardless of their own musical abilities.
  • A new song collection every semester for three years, featuring great arrangements of original and traditional songs in a wide variety of tonalities, meters, and cultural styles.

 

45  minutes of PURE FUN with your child every week!

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Ties & Tutus Now on Pinterest!

February 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We are huge, I mean HUGE, fans of Pinterest!  It eats away much of our nap time “free time.”  If you haven’t already signed up for this addicting new social medium, don’t wait a moment longer!  What makes Pinterest better than ever is that Ties & Tutus has on official account!  Make sure to follow all our boards for more info on things we love, things to do and so much more! Click here to view our boards, or if you aren’t a member, make sure and sign up at www.pinterest.com.  Happy Pinning!

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Have a Seussical Week!

February 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Personally, I am getting super excited for the new theatrical release of The Lorax, which coincidentally comes out on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2nd!  To get ready for the big release we wanted to give you all some fun things to do with your kids to get  into the Seussical spirit.  If you haven’t done so before, check out the Seussville University  which provides teachers and parents awesome activities for kids of all ages.  It is also a fun interactive site for those kids who want to stare at your iPad all day!

And for an easy peasy way to get that Seuessical Spirit flowing… here are some fun Seussical printables for the kiddos:

Seuss Door Knob Hanger

Green Eggs and Ham Tic Tac Toe

Pin the Eggs on the Plate

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Today’s Free Amazon Download

February 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Head over to amazon today and download Happily Married With Kids: It’s Not a Fairy Tail for free.  Hurry because prices change fast!

Nora Ephron said that “having an infant is like tossing a hand grenade into a marriage.” Carol Ummel Lindquist, who has spent twenty-five years as a marital therapist, agrees wholeheartedly. She says that sixty-seven percent of couples with children are less happy than they were before kids–largely because of unrealistic expectations. Some of Lindquist’s advice seems simplistic (“Try to go one hour, one day or one week without criticizing anything,”) but perhaps simple is the best place to start for couples trying to function on four hours of sleep. Happily Married With Kids has chapters on constructive fighting, how to find quality childcare, and ways couples can revitalize a lackluster sex life. While the topic of new-parenthood has been covered before, this is still a worthy reference for couples short on sleep and patience, but desperately in need of quick solutions to bring the fun and connection back to their marriage. –Erica Jorgensen

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It’s another Hump Day Giveaway!

February 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

We here at Ties & Tutus want your Hump Day to be filled with joy and excitement and what better way than to win FREE stuff!  Today’s giveaway is especially exciting because it is personalized for you!  The Embroidery Chick, an awesome online store that offers everything from personalized rings to towels has donated a FREE personalized scarf of your choice!

All of the scarf options can be seen here and any scarf in stock can be yours!  If you are the winner of today’s giveaway you will be able to pick your scarf, personalization and colors!   To enter to win you simply need to “like” this post on the Ties & Tutus Facebook page and like The Embroidery Chick Facebook page as well!  It’s that easy!  You will have until midnight tonight to enter to win!  The winner will be announced on Thursday morning.  Good luck to all and thanks so much for the generous donation by The Embroidery Chick!

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Baby Sensory Academy

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you are not familiar with Baby Sensory it is definitely something to check out.  There are Baby Sensory classes throughout the valley and nationwide as well.  The classes provide a fun and engaging environment for you and your baby to build up development in all their senses!  However, if you are unable to get to the classes there is a FREE tool online that you can use to track your child’s sensory development.  The Baby Sensory website provides parents the ability to create a profile where you can chart baby’s progress as they reach all the fun and important milestones!  Check it out here! 

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