csn | stores - Reveiw

• A few week’s ago I wrote a post about reviewing something from CSN Stores.
• I decided to pick out two items, which it wasn't easy to decide with their 200 + stores. There is so many awesome items to look at. I was browsing for a long time.
• I decided to get two things for my youngest son's big boy room. The items I got can work for a nursery too! CSN Stores has additional Dr Suess products that will work with what I purchased.

Trend Lab Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat Wall Clock

• I got this clock for a very reasonable price $18.18
• I have to admit that it did have a little smudge on it and I couldn't get it to hold its time. It impressed me that they sent a new clock right away!
• Both of my son's love this clock!
• I like that it has big numbers to teach them how to tell time.

Trend Lab Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat Window Valance

• I got this valance for a very reasonable price $18.18 as well.
• I love how this window treatment looks with the many plastic balls that I hung up!
• I've washed it twice. Both times I only ironed the white part with Cat in the Hat on it. The other fabric didn't need to be ironed. I wanted to see if colors were going to fade when I washed it, and none of them did. This pleased me because I love color!

Go to CSN Stores to check out their 200 + stores. You will be amazed at all the things they carry. I was completely blown away!

Disclaimer: The opinions on this post are my personal take on the products. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I am not compensated to provide my opinion except for receiving the products themselves to test out. If you have questions about this post please contact me at: alissa4illustration@hotmail.com

Happy Fourth!

• I want to tell everyone if I don't get a chance, Happy Fourth of July!
• Daddy is having a solo art show this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Apel will be coming into town. 
• Things will be busy in the Apel household!

Daddy's Solo Art Show

• Daddy's solo art show is this Saturday. I'm both nervous and happy for him. He still has to set up, and that can be a chore!
• The image above is just a teaser of one sculpture he's been working on. He'll be displaying jewelry in the show as well.
• You can see more of his work here.

Peanut Ball

• Crazy House has both a Review and Giveaway going on right now that is really fun!
• They are giving away a Peanut Ball from Fun and Function!
• Check out Fun and Function's site. There are lots of really cool toys there.

Cox Cable Truck

• We were driving home from getting groceries tonight.
• Isaak says, "Mommy there's a fire truck!"
• Mica says, "No Isaak, that's a Cox Cable truck."
• Isaak says, "Oh! Ok Bica (Mica)."
• I said, "Mica how did you know that was a Cox Cable truck?"
• Mica said, "Because it does have the letters C O X on the truck, which spells Cox Cable."
• I'm not sure if he really knew how to sound out the word, or if he's seen a commercial on TV. He got the Cox right, and just added the cable on the end. There was no picture on the truck, so I know he didn't get this company name from looking at a giveaway image.
• He is sounding out small words, so it wouldn't surprise me if he did sound it out. Not bad for a 4 year almost 5 year old. He still has one year of preschool left before he goes to kindergarten.

Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man

• Mica likes to watch The Wizard of Oz.
• He's really been into it the last few day because I have a pop out The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-up book that I got out to read to him and cousin Evan. It's amazing! I get into it too!

• Mica flew around this Little People house and pretended there was a tornado. He was landing in the land of Oz. He uses this same house to pretend it's Mr. Fredrickson's house from the movie Up. He's great at pretending!
• I saw this 20 min video on how the tin man came to be. It's low budget, and you'd never guess that.
• Pretty interesting.

Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.

Green With Envy

• I've noticed that everyday I've taken off this summer where I'm watching my own kids and their cousins, Isaak's been green with envy.
• He's especially jealous when I'm holding his cousin Elijah, who is the same age as him.
• He wants his mommy to himself!
• My sweet little Isaak is fussy! He wants me to hold him most of the time. I don't mind when I'm just sitting there watching them play, but I do mind when I'm trying to get breakfast and lunch made.
• I like to give all the kids attention, not just Isaak.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Bad Hair - Good Hair Day

• Mica just got a short summer hair cut.
• Compliments of Daddy.

• Isaak woke up form his nap and went straight to dinner.
• Bad hair day for Isaak! LOL

This Little Piggy's House!

• My Wee View is giving away this cute This Little Piggy's House!
• I love the windows, roof, shutters and all the other extra additions!

Art Time

• It was fun having Mica, Isaak, cousin's Evan and Elijah paint.

• Mica was very into mixing colors! He was painting a volcano. He kept saying, "Mommy what happens when I mix all these colors together?", "What do these two colors look like when they're mixed?" and "Why do these colors make brown?" He wasn't as pictorial as his cousin Evan who is 3 months older, but really interested into what he was doing!

• Isaak had a paintbrush in one hand and a crayon in the other throughout the majority of making his picture. He painted, and would color in the paint. His work of two year old art looked like a scratch board.

• Cousin Evan is really getting pictorial. He wants to paint or color something and makes it very representational to what he is after.

• Cousin Elijah used his fingers as much as the brush. I saw him paint his fingers then finger painted.

Let's Get Out of the House!

• I got a little sick of hearing the boys running around in circles in the house!
• Mica was pretending that there was a tornado; he was flying this Little People house around making sound effects and would crash to the ground into other toys.
• Cousin Evan didn't want to hear Mica's silly made up stories. He kept saying, "Mica there really isn't a tornado in here!"
• Mica's into marching, and Isaak's into jumping.
• The boy's have really been into Melissa and Doug's Alphabet Nesting, Stacking Blocks. Mica puts them in order by saying the alphabet over and over again, then he karate chop's them to the ground over and over again.
• Cousin Elijah and Isaak put together this Little People puzzle together over and over again that plays How Much is that Doggy in the Window. Isaak now sings the song, and dances whenever the song plays.
• Needless to say we needed to get out of the house! Too many boy's with too many toys!
• I would of taken pictures at the park, but it was like trying to take pictures of moving ants.
• Cousin Evan hurt his leg somehow. He was sobbing, asking for his Mommy and Daddy, but walking just fine. Then on the way home I heard no complaints about his leg.
• When it was time to leave the park Isaak and cousin Elijah were trying to run from me. I chased one down, put him in the stroller and moved on to chase the other one down.
• They had fun though!

Watching Tom and Jerry

• Mica and cousin Evan were amused with Tom and Jerry.
• I was amused watching them being amused.

Daddy's Solo Art Show

• Daddy's solo art show is coming up this weekend. He's been working his tail off!
• You can see his work here!
• Google Friend him please! He really has very little time network.
• I've decided to make a few treats to add.
• The first one is Strawberry Cake Balls. You can check out how to make them here!
• I'm also going to try and make pillow cookies. I'll post how to make them once they are made. I want to make sure they work before I post them because I've never made them before.

Playing Ball

• We just about ready to wrap t-ball for the year.
• I think Mica had fun! It was his idea to play, so I went along with it. We see him more into an individual sport like swimming or karate. He's just not strong in groups yet. But Mica asked to play t-ball when he heard about it through preschool.
• I'm not really sure how Mica would of done had I not helped out. I was in the outfield with him. I helped him pay attention. I also was in charge of line up.
• There are some parents that sat in the bleachers every game. It's good they were there, but I felt like I needed to help coach. The team was full of 4 year old kids. I spotted a few kids digging in the dirt paying no attention to the game. They are just 4 and needed some guidance.

• Here's Mica's typical look on the field. He's usually like, "Where do I go?", "What do I do?" and staring off at the train moving along the track behind the field. He loves trains!
• A look that he got from both parents. Artists often times have this look. Our minds are always going and Mica is pretty creative minded. He's not great with coloring, but he's extremely imaginative.

Helping Mama in the Kitchen

• I have the boys help me in the kitchen sometimes. They love dumping in the ingredients into the bowl!
• The problems I have are:

1. The boys fighting over who is going to help me. Usually I make them take turns. This time Mica was happily watching TV.
2. Spilling the ingredients outside the mixing bowl. I've learned to guide them instead of let them have the power.
3. They want to eat what's in the bowl; I place raisins, walnuts, or chocolate chips on the counter for them to snack on.
4. The apron Isaak is wearing is sized more for a 4 year old, so I put an extra knot in the back. Don't you just love his skulls and cross bone underwear?

• I have to tell you; I don't care about those problems.
• I love help in the kitchen.
• It makes it much more fun when I have them in there. Except when I'm frosting cookies. I get a little anal about my decorating. ;)

Step Into Summer With Borders!

• Jolly Mom is giving away a $100 gift card to Borders!
• There is so much stuff there that we easily could spend a whole night in the store just reading, playing with their Folkmanis Puppets, looking at their games and crafts.
• Even though I'm an adult I always go to their children's book section. I love the quick reading and fun sometimes beautiful illustrations in the books.

Baby Tub

• I cleaned out most of my linen closet yesterday.
• The baby tub that was in there was set out in the hallway.
• Isaak said, "What dis Mommy?"
• I said, "It's a baby bath tub. You used to take baths in there Isaak."
• Isaak said, "I take a bubble bath now Mommy!"
• He sat in the tub and said, "Mommy I ready for my bubble bath!"
• Too cute!

Grille Playhouse

• My Organized Chaos is giving away a Gather & Grille Playhouse from Step 2!
• Enter to win!