From the Desk of A.J. - Sezmi TV

So here we are. The Hubster and I doing our part in making this soon to be crazy, testosterone filled (ai yai yai), house a happy home for our family. Boy wonder # 1…he needs to still feel like he has a place here and isn’t being inched out in any sort of way. Boy wonder #2…needs to feel like this new “womb” is his and is comfy, cozy, warm, safe, and filled to the brim with love (uh…no problems there). Me…I need to feel that “my boys”, all three of them, are happy and I still get some sort of “me time”...whatever that means. The Hubster…needs to feel like we’re not going to be living in a van down by the river because we’re broke;)

First on our list (well…on his…my list consist of shopping and buying new things for the rooms;), seeing where we can downsize/cut out on our everyday things. We don’t live extravagantly by any means…but extravagance and luxury is in the mind of the beholder.

There are certain things I can not live without. Diet Coke, my make up, my flip flops…and my TV (who am I kidding? There are waaay more…but these are at the top of the list;). I know I’ve said it before…but I am a TV junkie. My problem is…I don’t have the time to watch everything that I want to. My DVR is always full and I end up deleting half of the things in there because I am so far behind. Half of the time I don’t even have the time to seek out the shows I want to watch and press the record button. So when we send that payment to the cable company, we cringe, and gulp (uhm…$85 bucks for basic cable…seriously). Thought about doing the HULU and those other things, but the only show that Boy Wonder watches regularly is Sesame Street…and nobody offers full episodes of “The Street”. I also wanted to watch live news…as in…my local insignificant stories and of course my “Storm Watch (insert year)”. Where can we find this…?

SEZMI. We paid a flat fee for the box …and now…$20 bucks a month for all local and some cable channels. If you do indeed watch 350 channels worth of cable…SEZMI is not for you. If you need to watch your local channels and a few cable channels (uhm like, Bravo for the housewives, TLC for whatever humungous family, Oxygen for Tori & Dean, Animal Planet, Discovery and a lot more)…this is for you.

I was not on board at first when The Hubster read it in one of his computer geeker mags (it goes through your internet)…but I am now loving it! It automatically records any shows that it thinks I may like (think of it as a Pandora…but for TV)…and it stores TONS of shows…much more than our DVR did (more terabytes, giga something says The Hubster). Also love it has more PBS channels for little man…old shows you can download (uhm…watched a BENSON the other day and almost died just listening to the song), Pay per view, on demand, You Tube, and podcasts…I KNOW! Anyway…also am loving that little man has his own set of shows…so when he gets older parental control is super easy to set up…and lots of cable channels are hoping on the bandwagon…so its only going to get better.

Just a small adjustment we’ve made so the big adjustment that is coming in a few months will be a little bit easier. Little bits here and there make a big difference. Besides…less money in a cable bill means more money for little men’s’ diapers…and more coffee for me during my “lunch break” with the housewives;)

Find out if Sezmi is in your area here!

Order of the Week - Family Tree

Here's a Family Tree on a Medium Heart pendant, with the date the family was "established" on the back. So sweet!

Let's make one for you! Contact us here!

Lee Arthaus Owl Prints

So when someone tells me they are thinking of doing "owls" in their nursery I am physically incapable of NOT running straight to my computer to search for owls on etsy. Its just not part of my DNA to be able to let that information just sit in my head. And look how cute these are! It took me forever to whittle it down to just four prints to feature. I love the colors and the subtle texture, but I love the owls themselves more than anything. An owl playing drums? An owl pirate? What's not to love?

Find these prints and more here.

Threadless Tees - SALE!!

We've loved Threadless tees for a long time now. One of us *cough*thepregnantone*cough* is on a self imposed moratorium from this website because it saps all her will power and she ends up with tens of tees in her shopping cart. Thats how cute this stuff is. And the concept is cool too, artists submit their designs and the public votes on which designs they would like to see printed. The designs with the most votes get printed. It leads to some pretty awesome t-shirt designs, for adults and kids, but our soft spot is for the kids stuff. And, as if awesome designs weren't enough to get you to fill up your shopping cart, right now (look away A.J.!), they are having a $9 sale on all the kid's stuff! Here's a tip though, they use American Apparel tees and onesies, which means they are great quality, but run really small, so be sure to go up a size or two when you order! :)

Find Threadless Kids here!

Order of the Week - Name Brand

One of our favorite things about our Name Brand charms is the amount of text we're able to squeeze onto the charm, and yet it remains a really simple piece. And we can also engrave the back, doubling the amount of text you see here! We love this one, made for a mama of two girls.

Interested in a Name Brand for you or someone you love? Contact us here and lets get your order started!

Happy Friday!

Have a great Friday! Here's a song from one of my favorite albums to listen to during the summer...

Found My Animal - Handmade Collars and Leashes

Our little dog Tammie ran into our lives one day, literally. So I can't really say that we "adopted" her in a traditional sense. But she was a neglected dog, whose owners, I'm pretty sure, let her out without a collar in hopes that she would "go away" and so neglected her grooming that for the first few days at our house she couldn't even go to the bathroom without severe pain. Now she's a part of our family, cracking us up with her diva attitude and covert intelligence.

We lost Tammie's leash in the move. I finally broke down and bought a new one yesterday, but it reminded me of these amazing leashes I came across quite a while ago. Found My Animal makes leashes, collars and other accessories "for adopted animals and their people." Every product is handmade in the USA. Every leash has a stamped brass tag with a number that represents the number of dogs who've been adopted. I'm especially in love with the adjustable leash, which allows you to "wear" the leash around your waist, or chest, freeing up your hands. And everything they make is beautiful and obviously high quality. I would love to just hang one of these on my walls! The really amazing thing, a full 25% of every sale goes to a foundation that helps spay and neuter animals in rural areas where there is no access to services.

Find out more about Found My Animal here.

Sparrow Key Ring

Its that time of year! Pool time! And for us, that means rounding up the pool keys. My everyday keychain is already way too heavy, so I've found for us, it helps to keep the pool keys separate. And with all the towels, sunscreen, buckets, water guns, snacks and water I have to tote, the simpler the better. I'm loving this little guy and think he'd be perfect for the job of pool key keeper. Easy to find at the bottom of a big beach bag, made from durable plastic, and he comes with his own home. He also doubles as a whistle so I can channel my teenage summer job as lifeguard and keep those kiddos in line! ;)

Find it here.

Order of The Week - You're a Star

We love love love to mix our gold and silver, and this little necklace is a prime example of why. Isn't it so cute?? This is our medium circle charm with a gold inlay star on a gold chain. The medium charm is slightly bigger than a nickel, making it a perfect "everyday" necklace.

Want your own or something similar? Email us here and lets get your order started! :)

Home

My little family just moved, and with all the unpacking and everyday madness that comes with having two kids and a dog I need a little blogging break! So I'm calling it a week and leaving you with our absolute favorite song right now. Be forewarned, its obsession worthy. My kid's hum it in the car and sing it to their animals. When I'm starting to freak about the mess in my house, listening to this takes my stress level down a couple notches...

Order of the Week! - ID Bracelet

We love the combination of the butterfly with the birthstone on this sweet ID! And just a reminder, our bracelets are the perfect size for everyone! Babies, kids, adults, we've made them all and they always come out sweet! Order your own today here.

Heartwood Arts - Play Clips

Saw this via Ohdeedoh this morning and had to share with you! Can you guess what these over-sized clips are for? *hint - it kinda builds on our theme from yesterday...drumroll please...FORT BUILDING!! We've used chip clips before in our house to keep those pesky sheets up, but sometimes even those aren't big enough, so I think these clips are totally genius! Check them out for yourselves and you have to check out these gorgeous gnome houses too!

Find it here!

Joe's Toy Box

Summer is almost here! Or maybe its here for you already. Currently, we are in the process of moving, and while we're moving to a bigger and better place for us, we are losing outdoor space. So I've been thinking a lot about indoor activities for those hot summer days. Last summer one of my kids favorite things to do was to decorate a big cardboard box and sit in it all day. I'm not kidding, you give your kids a glue stick, magazines and markers and you've easily killed about half your day right there. Its a great after nap activity when its just too darn hot to go outside. So when I stumbled across Joe's Toy Box on Etsy a light bulb went off. His play houses would last them all summer, they can decorate it, and its made from cardboard, so when its time to get ride of it I can recycle it without any guilt! *love*

Find them here!

Order of the Week! - Up In Charms

We love our small charms. All piled together or even on their own, they are a great everyday piece. This particular order was one we wanted to share to remind you that you can order just charms from us! When you order from us we sell everything separate, building your piece from the bottom up. Kind of like a sushi bar of jewelry. (sorry, that's a really weak metaphor, I haven't finished my coffee yet) This mama ordered four charms, no chain. I love this, since I myself wear our small charms on a vintage chain that was passed down to me. I love that I'm able to combine something old with something new. Its a great way to really have a unique piece and an option most don't offer.

Want some charms for yourself or your loved ones? As always, check us out here!