Trash, I mean, treasure hunting...

Yeah, I'm alive. And desperately trying to get back into blogging. But since I usually have a baby that sleeping in my lap (Alli apparently thinks she is going to die if I put her down), that means I can't exactly bust out the glue gun or mod podge. What can you do though. She's our last baby, and especially after losing out on so much baby time with Ava and her long NICU stay, I'm soaking it up as much as I can. 

Last weekend, my friend Candace and I went to a show in Arlington TX. It's called The Junk Hippy Roadshow, and a bunch of vintage/thrift vendors were there with all of their goodies. 

Of course, there were a couple of things that I wished I had bought, like a gorgeous shade for a hanging lamp that would have looked perfect above my kitchen table. I did score a couple of things. One is a frame from a house that was built in 1897, one is a small wooden seal, and one is a giant dog. I think it's made of cardboard, it's lighter than it looks. Hubby likes how it is now, but after living with it for a week, I'm going to decoupage it with brown craft paper so it blends in with my decor. I bought it on sight, it made me smile and reminded me of my dachshund that we had to put down last year. Hubby said "Wow, look at all the trash, I mean, treasures you brought home." He always teases me about my "trash" hunts. :)

This past Saturday, hubby and I went to the Old Red Lumberyard Market in McKinney. It was a lot smaller than the Junk Hippy one, but it was fun to wander around. 

Doesn't hubby look thrilled to be there? 

I did find something I was excited about. I've been wanting some new letters for our kitchen. I saw a vendor that had an "e" and a "t", but no "a". So a bit bummed about that. Then later on, I was at another booth, and I see a lady ask about a bin that I hadn't seen before that had letters in it. The vendor pulls it out, and I see the lady dig through there. And I see an "a"! And I see the lady pull out the "a" and look at it for a minute. Well crap! After a few moments, I see her put it back. Which is when I swooped in a grabbed it. And for a whopping $18 total, I now have these.

I'm going to clean them up and paint them a pretty color, like a sky blue or something. I'll have to find a way to make them stand up, but I'm thrilled with them, especially for the price. 

Are you a "trash" hunter like I am? What's been your favorite find? 

20 Dogs

So, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to review a DVD called 20 Dogs. Knowing how much my three older girls love dogs, music, and the TV, I said yes. 

They sent me a DVD, a music CD, and a shirt for each of my older girls (can I just say that I love that they sent a shirt for each girl, instead of just one shirt that they'd fight over?) 

Ava was so excited about the movie that I couldn't even get her to look at the camera. 

The DVD was really cute. It showed all different kinds of breeds of dogs, and the girls loved identifying the ones that they knew. The DVD wasn't just all cutesy songs either. It was also educational. It would tell you about the breed, things like their characteristics and where they came from. My 9 year old was excited to tell me that chihuahuas come from Mexico. 

I think it's going to be great for my two year old. The DVD would sing a song about "small", and then show a bunch of small dogs to show what small means. 

The CD is my 7 year old's favorite. The songs are catchy, but thankfully not annoying like some kids songs can be. Jasmin has had the CD on constant repeat since we received it. Twenty Dogs even has their song lyrics on their website, which my 9 year old really liked. She loves to sing along to things, but doesn't always have the patience to learn all of the words. So the lyrics being written out was great for her. 

The shirts are a great quality, and have held up well in the washing machine. It's a thicker material with a clear, crisp picture on the front. For size reference, my two year old is wearing an xs, my 7 year old is wearing a small, and my 9 year old is wearing a medium. Here is a better pic of the shirts, even though Ava looks like a goober. Lately she just refuses to be cute in pictures and usually does a one eye squinty pirate looking face. Darn two year olds. 

Overall, it's fun and educational (which the kids love) but, like some kids stuff, it's not annoying (which Mommy loves). 

Thanks Twenty Dogs for the chance to review this! My kids have truly enjoyed it.