Personalized Valentine's Day Cards from Tiny Prints

I just sent off some Valentine's Day cards to the grandparents this afternoon, but I hadn't even thought about getting valentines for Austin's class party until today.

Since I participated in their Christmas card promotion a few months ago, Tiny Prints sent me an email asking if I would do a blog post about their classroom Valentine's Day cards.

Personalized Valentines. What a neat idea!

Tiny Prints has some cute Valentine Cards that you can make your own with text and photos, and there are even some superhero cards for boys. If you are looking for something to send to the grandparents, you might also want to check out their Valentine's Day Greeting Cards.

This batman card is one of my favorites, but I'll let Austin choose which ones we end up ordering. (Tiny Prints is going to give me some for free for doing this blog post :)

Gone Batty

I first ordered from Tiny Prints over Christmas, and I was very pleased with how our cards turned out.

You can check out Tiny Prints on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I've found that you can often get good promo codes on these sites, so check them out before you order! Shipping is free right now, so if you were planning on buying valentine's from the store, you might as well personalize them and order from Tiny Prints!

Kindergarten Cup--- half- empty or half-full?

Is the cup half empty or half full?
What do you think?

Austin has made it to the half-way point of the school year. He just received his third six-weeks report card, and we are so proud of the progress that he has made (see video of him reading here).
Overall, I have a positive feeling about our public school experience so far and don't have any regrets about not homeschooling this year. Actually, by sending Austin to school to learn the basics, we have been freed up to focus more in depth on phonics and reading when he is at home. As a result, Austin is at the top of his grade-level in that area.

Christmas at Grandma and Papa Gould's House

David

Austin

I love this one of David.

Embracing the chaos of present time.

Toddler Classes, Part II

I mentioned in a prior post that I was going to check out some free demo classes to get ideas for a toddler movement/music class of my own.

The first place I tried was Gymboree, and it was so much fun! Too bad for the $62/month price tag.

The second place I tried

Valentine Card

The best thing about making cards with Shutterfly is that they give you the option to "share" your card on your blog and get a free $10 credit. Love it!

Valentine's Collage Red Valentine's Day

Click here and see Shutterfly's one-of-a-kind selection of announcements.

View the entire collection of cards.

Videos from Christmas

Get a blog makeover while supporting adoption!

I've been attending a local Bible study every other week at our apartment, which has been a great encouragement to me this past fall. Most of the ladies attend Immanuel Baptist Church, and one of the girls I've met has started a blog design fundraiser in order to raise money for her and her husband's international adoption. You can read about her services on her website Blog Design by Bethany. She is also hosting a giveaway on her personal blog, so you could possibly win a free blog makeover if you enter.

So, if you your blog needs a makeover and/or you want to support a family's adoption efforts, contact Bethany right away!

Blog Posts that Need a Second Chance

I've had a lot of people reading my blog this year, and that makes me happy. However, there are some posts that I wish had had more hits. Maybe the titles weren't catchy enough or the timing wasn't right- for whatever reason, these posts weren't that popular. But I gave them a lot of thought, and I want to give them another chance to be read.

On Memorizing Scripture
This post is convicting to me now. It's been awhile since I worked on scripture memorization.

A Gingerbread Boy of Our Own
Austin loves the story of the gingerbread boy, so Joseph helped him make his own gingerbread boy cookie.

More Than Just a Pig in a Pond
Over the summer, we read 100 picture storybooks from our local library. This was one of the most shocking that we read!

Worse Than a Squirrel
David got into the trash one day. He made quite a mess.

Status Updates I don't Share on Facebook
I was in a revealing mood the day I made this post.

Strange Men Should Not Talk to Little Boys
I still see this man in the Lower Brownsboro area from time to time. Creeps me out!

Are We Home Yet?
Thoughtful words about whether Kentucky has become our new home yet?

Oats
This one will make you laugh. Trust me.

Gym Classes for Toddlers

I'm on a mission.

My motivation is this:

David is a very active child. He loves music and rhythm. He has good motor skills, and I want to get him involved in some kind of activity.

The problem is

It must be in his genes...

In the past two weeks, Austin has had a serious breakthrough when it comes to reading on his own. In fact, it's really only been about six weeks or so that he has even been reading books at all. Granted, we have played around with BOB Books for several months, but until recently, it was always a lot of work for Austin to read even simple three letter words.

However, like I said, since Christmas, Austin has just taken flight when it comes to reading, and he actually likes it. Joseph and I are both lovers of books, so we couldn't be more proud.

To illustrate how far Austin has come, let me tell you