en3g2stag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4151062646001083532022-06-13T20:06:24.711-04:003 Garnets & 2 SapphiresStories and photos of my family of 5 plus shopping, fashion, easy recipes, simple crafts, tech tips, and family-friendly activities.Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comBlogger4011125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-3542028810126962422019-05-10T21:01:00.002-04:002019-05-10T21:11:55.515-04:00Thinking About a Gift Card for Mom? Think Etsy!
Still need a last-minute gift for that special mom in your life? Lots of people steer away from gift cards because they think they are impersonal, but those people probably have never received an Etsy gift card. Etsy gift cards can be printed or emailed directly to the recipient, which will open up a magical world of endless possibilities for her. Not only can she shop for just about Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-18626673909898024012019-02-26T15:30:00.005-05:002019-02-26T15:35:03.904-05:00My Obsession with Color Street Started 2 Months Ago If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably saw this post below, sharing my very first experience with Color Street nail polish strips. My friend had asked me to try them a few months before that, but I wasn't very interested. My nails were strong and healthy, and I was used to painting them every 6 or 7 days myself. What changed my mind about trying them months later was a nailfie (Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-30202709497096335302018-12-29T13:36:00.003-05:002018-12-29T13:45:47.875-05:00DIY Soft'n Slo Squishies & Paint Markers
The following post contains sponsored content.
Squeezed many times after two coats of Soft'n Slo paint markers completely dried over two days.
My 11 year old daughter has been on the crazy-for-squishies train for a couple of years now. She may even consider herself somewhat of a squishy expert. That being said, she and her twin brother own several Soft'n Slo squishies, and have been Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-72104457721261516542018-11-28T15:52:00.001-05:002018-12-10T09:31:14.932-05:00Fun Last Minute 'Game Show' Advent Calendar Idea for Big Kids { Free Printable }
Our children are now 11, 11, and 14. If you have older kids like us, that means you might be running out of ideas for ways to make the annual tradition of an advent calendar a fresh and fun experience. We have done everything from puzzle pieces to Lego minifigure parts, from Christmas books to dollar scratch tickets.
Since all 3 of our children are gamers, I thought it would be fun this Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-37900710590161873242018-11-13T18:40:00.001-05:002018-11-13T18:44:39.302-05:002018 USA Taekwondo National Championships
2018 Baystate Taekwondo USAT Nationals Competitors
It's that time of year again. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we are all reminded to think long and hard about what we are thankful for this year. Topped only by our family road trip to Walt Disney World, one of the things I am most grateful for is the opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to cheer my 14 year old son on Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-79911201207983462062018-09-21T20:05:00.001-04:002018-09-21T20:09:07.002-04:005 Tips for Visiting King Richard's Faire with TeensThe following post contains sponsored content.
Visiting King Richard's Faire in Carver, Massachusetts is a fall tradition for our family, like picking apples, except with far more fun, excitement, and laughter. This year, our children are a bit older, with our oldest being just a few months shy of 15. For the first time in 7 years, our children did not ask to go through M'Lady's Shady Maze.Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-1994144156127981372018-09-10T20:37:00.001-04:002018-09-10T20:51:18.464-04:00Personalized Star Wars Pet ID Tags
Since we adopted this pair of kittens in July, life has been interesting (and lots of fun). These are not our first kittens by any means, but they are the most mischievous kittens we've ever welcomed to our family. If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that Yoda is the one with the big ears, and Kenobi is the one with the smudge of black on his nose.
Although we had purchasedKaren Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-40384918707829210232018-08-23T12:58:00.000-04:002018-08-23T13:07:50.495-04:00Easily Attach Iron-on Patches Without Ironing or Sewing This past July, our oldest son competed in the USA Taekwondo National Championships for the third year in a row, and brought home a bronze medal for poomsae. I was so proud of him because, although he had earned a medal in sparring in the past, he had yet to medal in poomsae, which is his true passion.
While at Nationals, we picked up some patches for his competition uniform and for his Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-85572124254176765992018-08-15T15:18:00.000-04:002018-08-15T15:32:05.155-04:007 Tips for Gifting the Ultimate Custom Photo BlanketThis post has been sponsored by Collage.com.
My father just celebrated his 78th birthday. It feels like we just celebrated his 70th. I really wanted to show him how special he is to everyone and how much we appreciate him for all the caring things he does daily. We ended up gifting to him a photo blanket from both my family and my sister's family. This might be one of the best gifts we've Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-70281035190718925772018-08-05T19:29:00.003-04:002018-08-06T15:37:07.060-04:00Adjustable Breakaway Kitten Size Collars
As I had previously mentioned, our family recently adopted a pair of kittens that needed to be rehomed. Having had kittens in our family before, we stopped by our local pet supply store to pick up everything we knew we'd need on our way to picking up Kenobi and Yoda. Yes, my husband is a HUGE Star Wars fan.
One of the items we picked up at the store was a pair of kitten collars. They wereKaren Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-1590847043177965492018-07-30T14:21:00.000-04:002018-08-06T15:36:35.418-04:00Best Cat Toy Ever for Kittens!
A few weeks ago, we welcomed two new additions to our family, Kenobi and Yoda, a pair of kittens whom we adopted from a local family. They are in great health according to the vet, which explains how each one is just a furry ball of energy. We highly recommend adopting kittens in pairs because they just want to play all day and all night.
After shopping around, I found very few kitten toys Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-73694894031873443522018-05-06T16:28:00.000-04:002018-05-06T16:38:51.199-04:00Even MORE Fun Things Kids Can Say to Alexa (Amazon Echo)
Two and half years later, we still love our Amazon Echo. In fact, we ended up purchasing an Echo Dot for the upstairs and another for my husband's office at work. We love discovering new things to say to Alexa. Check out some kid-friendly things we've tried asking or saying to Alexa recently.
50 More Things Kids Can Say to Alexa:
"Alexa, be a superhero!"
"Alexa, who is your favorite Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-32580214097813430002018-05-01T22:06:00.000-04:002018-05-01T22:10:12.531-04:00Custom Made Disney-Inspired Handbags for Star Wars & Disney Princesses Fans
When I went to Walt Disney World in Orlando earlier this year, I was determined to find a designer Disney bag that I loved. Alas, it just didn't happen. There was no magic between me and any of the bags I found. Did I find some that I liked? . . . Sure! I just couldn't bring myself to spend a few hundred dollars on a bag I didn't absolutely love. During the weeks following our trip, I Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-86919337901608809342018-03-27T21:23:00.003-04:002018-03-27T21:35:28.777-04:00DIY Family Disney Road Trip KitsThis Disney Road Trip Kit project was sponsored by Oriental Trading Company. All opinions expressed are my own.
Last month, our family of 5 took a family road trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the very first time! Not knowing when we'd have the chance to make this trip again, I knew I wanted to make it as fun and memorable as possible for my children. The ride was two days in Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-68225953152429844852018-01-31T20:36:00.000-05:002018-01-31T20:42:52.078-05:00Easy DIY Disney Pin Trading Pouches
Our family will be making our first visit to Walt Disney World in just a few weeks. My husband and I have spent quite a bit of time planning in order to make this a memorable trip for our children. Being in their tweens and early teens, among the many things I thought they would enjoy is Disney pin trading.
How did I get them started? I bought a large lot of pins from a reputable seller on Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-80500799338427480972017-12-16T11:38:00.000-05:002017-12-16T12:00:50.223-05:00Celebrate the New Year or Any Special Day with a DIY 'A Year of Smiles' Mason Jar Craft
This 'A Year of Smiles' mason jar craft post has been sponsored by Oriental Trading Company. All opinions expressed are my own.
Years ago, I created another 'Year of Smiles' craft for my own family's use. It was a makeshift craft, using an empty potato chip can. Eventually, it was retired. This year, I feel like many families around me have been struggling with gratitude, including my own.Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-53709432835088737762017-11-30T20:41:00.003-05:002017-11-30T22:07:38.902-05:00Easy DIY Wall-Mounted Shoe Organizer
This post was sponsored by Oriental Trading Company, where the possibilities for DIY and home decor projects are infinite.
We live in a small townhouse, and are often challenged by the lack of space we have for five people (and all their belongings) to live comfortably. One of the first rules of living in a small space is to maximize usage of the walls. I was pretty happy when we put up Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-57313028330248735162017-11-02T21:10:00.000-04:002017-11-02T21:18:10.264-04:00Handcrafted Spirit Bracelets - An Easy School Fundraiser Idea!
This school spirit craft fundraiser post was sponsored by Oriental Trading Company. All opinions expressed are my own.
Our twins started 5th grade this fall, which is a year filled with many field trips. There are also yearbooks, a graduation ceremony, a graduation party, the class gift to the school, and the gifts to all the 5th grade teachers. Since money is tight for many of the familiesKaren Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-72156672956659029322017-10-10T20:47:00.000-04:002017-10-11T15:05:46.734-04:00Easy-to-Make Venus Flytrap & Snake-Wrapped Candy Halloween Centerpiece
This easy Halloween centerpiece post has been sponsored by Oriental Trading Company, your Halloween headquarters. All opinions expressed are my own.
October is a busy time of year for us, especially now that my children are older and are not all at the same school. Between all the fall festivals, fundraising, and help with homework, I hardly have time to even think about Halloween. That's Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-58831701315882830372017-10-03T21:46:00.000-04:002017-10-03T21:51:11.697-04:00King Richard's Faire: Holiday Gift Guide for Dragon-Lovers, Music-Lovers & Renaissance Collectors
This post has been sponsored by King Richard's Faire. All opinions expressed are my own.
After souvenir hunting at Carver, Massachusetts' King Richards Faire for the 6th year, I just had to share some of the unique finds I've come across. If you wait until the holiday shopping season officially starts in November, then you'll miss out on these unique gift ideas because this wildly popular Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-3498853508246562342017-09-19T08:32:00.000-04:002017-09-19T08:35:14.461-04:00King Richard's Faire 2017: Old & New Favorites
We received passes for our family to attend King Richard's Faire 2017. All opinions expressed are my own.
This was our 6th year returning to King Richard's Faire, a favorite tradition for our family, located in Carver, Massachusetts. Through the years, we've come to accept that we will never be able to see everything this Renaissance faire has to offer in one visit. Take a look at which Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-20997752683818957332017-08-30T19:34:00.001-04:002017-08-30T19:41:59.850-04:00Dress Up School Gear and Favorite Books with DIY Bag Tags, Bag Charms & Bookmarks
Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing some of the beads and craft supplies for our back-to-school craft project. All opinions expressed are my own.
Our children returned to school today! My daughter, in particular, was super-excited for her first day of 5th grade. She had her first day outfit all picked out, along with new shoes, a new lunch bag, and a new backpack. She Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-24458406036156281322017-08-08T20:41:00.001-04:002017-08-08T20:49:34.805-04:00Craft with Glitter Fabric Paint Pens on Denim for DIY Back-to-School Fashion Fun
Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing some of the supplies used for this DIY back-to-school fashion craft. All opinions expressed are my own.
In some parts of the country, the first day of school has already arrived, but where we live, we still have a few weeks of summer vacation left. This is usually around the time our children start to get bored. Well, a fun craft is alwaysKaren Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-74408385230978649972017-07-18T21:27:00.002-04:002017-07-20T19:38:41.021-04:00Let the Wand Choose the Wizard with This Handmade Gift Idea for Your Harry Potter Fan
Since this year marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter, my children's keen interest in this series was renewed. Their choice for every family movie night has been a Harry Potter movie for the past few months. It wasn't a surprise when they brought up the wand we purchased as a birthday gift for my daughter's classmate last fall at King Richard's Faire. They started to get excited about Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-415106264600108353.post-4925150119941872462017-06-19T20:39:00.000-04:002017-07-16T09:56:02.657-04:003 Things to Look for in a Fidget Spinner (According to My Children)
Thank you to Oriental Trading Company for providing supplies for our service project in exchange for our sharing my children's tips about fidget spinners. All opinions expressed are our own.
It used to be that fidget toys were only associated with children who have special needs when it comes to a variety of learning and social situations. This is definitely no longer the case. For example,Karen Coutuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16063526613753692333noreply@blogger.com