These are a few of my favourite things.......

This weekend I went to a going-away party for my good friend Misty who blogs over at LifeWhereWeAre. I don't actually like to call it a going-away, as I am sure that I will see her again. I may even have to take a trip to New York just to visit her as I have heard nothing but how wonderful that city is!

The theme of this going-away party was Favourite Things. I had heard of a favourite things party before but I had never been to one. So when it was decided that this would be the theme I was excited to finally get to go to one myself.

The general idea is that you buy 5 items (all the same) that are all between $5 and $10. You need to bring something that you actually use and love. Sometimes there are rules that are placed like No Candy Bars etc... as you want some variety in the items.

When I got to the party the host, the wonderful Merry of MerryWithChildren, asked us all to place our bag of items on the table and to write our name on 5 different pieces of paper and to place them in a bowl. Once everyone had put their names in the bowl, she went around the room and asked us to pick out 5 names - not ours and not two of the same.

Then we started handing out the items. The first person stood up, introduced themselves to everyone and talked about their favourite thing. Where they bought it, why they love it, etc. They then looked at the 5 names that THEY had picked out and handed out their items to those 5 people. It was so neat to see what everyone brought and how it was all so different!

I thought that it would be fun to show you what I scored from the party.

The lovely Catherine from TheDabelsDivulge brought a book by Kim Edwards called The Lake of Dreams. She said that the reason that she brought this book was because she loved The Memory Keeper's Daughter and thought that this author was just great. I was happy to be on Catherine's list as I am in need of some new reading material for the summer, and books are always a favourite of mine!

My friend Kristina the creative mastermind over at Bouncing Off The Walls brought one of my most favourite things; sour soothers!! Who doesn't love a giant tub of candy?? It was exactly what I wanted.

Leslie the owner of Hippo Hug and who also blogs at RuffRuminations brought Arnica Gel. I am no stranger to arnica as I use it myself when I have a headache (especially when pregnant) but I have never used the gel. I joked with the ladies that with my 3 boys and camping all summer that there will be enough bumps and bruises from bike riding alone that I will have to replace it!

Derby Girl Marlaine who is one of the most fearless and fiecest women I know in the Rockyview Rollers brought the most amazing lip stuff that I have ever tried. EOS lip balm in sweet mint.  I also love how big it is!! I am constantly losing chapsticks in my bottomless pit of a purse! Never again!!!

And lastly, Dana from CalgaryPlaygroundReview (where I recently did a guest post) brought dairy-free chocolate from Theobroma. I am pretty sure it was fate that let me get this one! I have to say that this is the one item that is all gone!

This was the funnest party that I have been to in a while, even though it was supposed to be a sadder occasion. ;) I will be doing this again for sure - maybe for my next birthday as it really was so neat to see the variety that people brought. I think in total there were over 30 favourite things.

If you decide to throw a party like this - drop me a line and let me know what you think!!

Oh, I almost forgot! You may be wondering what my favourite thing is.....

40 Week Pregnancy T-shirt Tutorial

As I said in my last post this pregnancy has hit me the hardest out of all of the 4 pregnancies that I have experienced. I think because of this I am having more ambivalence towards this pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, I am super excited to meet my new little bundle of joy, but the pregnancy is really draining.

So to get me out of my funk and to give this baby the excitement that he/she deserves I decided to make a cute pregnancy t-shirt to help me remember to take pictures - and to easily remember when I look back!

Want to know how I made this adorable shirt? Wait no more! 

First, you need to go and buy a shirt that will accommodate your bump as it grows. I know how big I get as this is not my first rodeo. For some women a bigger t-shirt from Superstore would be great, for others a maternity shirt would be a better choice. 

I chose a cheap maternity tank from Old Navy - in case I made a mistake and had to buy another one. 

Next you need fabric paint and a stencil.

I bought spray fabric paint because I thought it would be easier - but it turns out that what I had first thought of wasn't that easy.

It still worked for me. I just used a sponge tip brush and sprayed the paint on another surface and then blotted my brush and applied. 

When using the the stencils I used a lot of scotch tape to make sure that I didn't go over and mark up the rest of the shirt. 

I wish that I had bought two stencils as the double digits were a little more challenging. 

However, it all worked out in the end and I am so happy with the results!! 

So tell me, how would you mark off the dates?? 

An Apology and an Excuse - or an Excuse and an Apology.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed that I have not put a post up since January.

If you are a long time reader of my blog - you will have noticed that I follow a pattern like this.

I made up this picture as a "surprise I am pregnant" for my blog and meant to post it again and again... However, I have had the most horrific morning sickness that I have ever had for any of my pregnancies - and for the most part (for the last 14 weeks) all that I have been able to do is scroll facebook on my smartphone.

So, yes, this is my excuse for neglecting you dear readers. I hope that you will forgive me.

I promise that I will get back on track in the next couple weeks!!