It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

When you start a new business you constantly feel like you're planning for the next thing ahead (at least I do).  That means that I've been singing Christmas carols to get in the Christmas spirit since June.  Well, if I'm totally honest, I never take my favorite Christmas songs off of my normal playlist, but I've been listening to them more intently recently!

I am so very excited to introduce to you today the first Christmas collection for Tales of a Peanut!  I have been working on these for such a long time now and hope that you will enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed creating them!

I'm going to first introduce the "Merry" collection.  A set of four cards that bring back the little girl in me when I think of Christmas.  These are fun and whimsical with lots of bold pattern and colors!

Next, I'll introduce you to the "Joyful" collection.  These cards are more refined and sophisticated and help convey the importance of Christ in Christmas.

Both of these collections will be available in multiple ways.  I will keep some cards in stock to be sold like the "Inspire" sets where they are 4.25" x 5.5" folded cards with a blank interior.  They will start at $20 for a set of 12 of these non-personalized cards in a set of 3 of each design.

You could also choose to personalize them with a message, or even a picture and a message, from your family on the inside.  These would come in a minimum order of 25 of the same design and would cost $35.  Once the 25 card minimum is reached, cards can be added in increments of five and the price would increase as well.

We could also work with you to create any kind of package that you would like out of these designs.  All orders will come with white envelopes and all cards will be printed on the Classic Felt card stock which is very thick and feels very luxurious!

If you're looking for a more custom approach to your Christmas cards, remember that I can create just about anything that you can dream up.  Come back tomorrow for a highlight of some of my favorite pre-made photo card designs!

Friday Favorites

**This post may contain affiliate links.  See my link/review disclosures for more info.

I love this post by 3 Peanuts.  It's prompted some discussions with Jason and with Charlotte.

Found another site that shares eBook deals: eReaderGirl.

I'm working frantically trying to finish at least one of my blog books so that I can take 15% off of it with Blurb for the month of August with the code BlurbBook15.

If your struggling with the last week of summer like I am, maybe this Kiwi Crate Free Digital Download will help you keep your kiddo's occupied.

I just saw this article from a graduation speech and it's awesome.  I hope that I grow kinder every day.

30 by 30 Update

Hope you're having a morning of snuggles and rocking like we are!  And now, my monthly update...

In an effort to be transparent in my efforts to better myself this year, I thought I'd try to update you all once a month to let you know how it's going.  Here's my status as of today (only 10 months to go!):

1. Go to Paris - went in April!

2. Implement a chore chart with the kids and myself - HA! Maybe once school starts....

3. Implement a menu schedule - I've been working on this and have this post to show for it!

4. Get Supper Club going again - started

5. Attend dotMom in the fall - hotel room was booked and is now cancelled since I've decided not to go

6. Throw a Christmas Party - caterer is booked

7. Plan a "Light 'Em Up" program for us to do in the summer - Courtney has done that so just need to implement! - this didn't happen, we'll transition this to a Light Em Up program at Christmas

8. Become more proficient with Photoshop & organize my pictures - I've spent some time going through and organizing and deleting old/bad shots, it's a start!

9. Finish my 2011 One Tale a Day Blurb book

10. Complete the 2012 OTAD pictures

11. Make a 2012 OTAD Blurb book

12. Complete the 2013 OTAD pictures

13. Make a 2013 OTAD Blurb book

14. Make blog books up to present day

15. Start an Etsy shop - Yay, it's open! 

16. Go on a by-ourselves date with Jason every month - We went to Watercolor by ourselves!

17. Re-vamp the blog design - DONE!

18. Re-learn all about my camera and start taking great pictures

19. Take pictures of and blog about the new house (complete all my unfinished projects!) - working on it

20. Be more diligent about keeping up with friends - working on it

21. Take kids to Disney World - booked for December

22. Cook at least two new recipes every month - see #3

23. Re-start and finish reading the Bible in a year - restarted

24. Get kids into doing Random Acts of Kindness together

25. Start learning Bible Verses with the kids

26. Write 30 letters to friends and family telling them what they mean to me

27. Start some type of exercise program - Jason and I started Couch 2 5k this month and so far it's going well!

28. Get our family eating more whole/real foods - Again, all goes back to #3

29. Learn something new (computer language, language, cooking style, way to fix my hair.....) - installed a trial of Adobe Illustrator and have a book to help me learn it

30. Spend more time in the moment, cherishing my family - I'm enjoying having more snuggle time with the kids and time just keeping up with Jason

Show Us Your Life - Favorite Apps

**No affiliate links are used in this post, but there is some self-promotion. :) These are all apps that we truly have on our devices.  Please see link/review disclosures for details.

So Kelly's topic today is Favorite App's.  And since I spent some time earlier this week trying to suggest some to a Mama about to fly cross country by herself with a one year old, I thought favorite kids apps might be helpful.

Apps for Kids

(Mine are 4 and almost 2)

1. Laugh & Learn Animal Sounds for Baby
Both kids loved this app (J(almost 2) still does).  It's catchy and easy for them to do themselves when they're small.
2. Peekaboo Barn HD
Another favorite of ours.  Charlotte (4) still plays this sometimes and James loves it.
3. Peekaboo Wild
See above.
4. Mickey Mouse Road Rally - couldn't find this exact app but Disney Junior Appisodes has it
The kids love this app because they're watching Mickey but it's interactive so they aren't just mindlessly watching a tv show.  I think the Appisodes app has shows from other shows as well as Mickey.
5. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
I feel like this taught C a lot and James enjoys playing it now (although he needs some help and often just touches things not recognizing what he's doing)
6. BabyPiano HD
This is good for when the kids want to make some noise.  There's even a two-person option so that they can both play together.
7. Fish School HD
This is good for letter recognition.  C enjoys "cracking" the eggs to get the app started.
8. Bedtime Music
C used this at my parents when she was 2/3 and was having a hard time going to sleep there.  I don't think that she uses it anymore.
9. Easy Bake Treats
C loved baking cookies and cupcakes with this app.  She hasn't played it in a while but it's great for the 3 year age group.
10. Toddler Jukebox
This one can get annoying because it just plays the typical songs over and over again, but the kids both like it and like singing along.
11. IntroToLetters
This app has been great helping C learn how to correctly write her letters.  It's a little difficult for the younger ones who don't have a lot of motor control but is good practice.
12. 123 Color HD
This color app has kept C busy many a day.  It's easy enough that they can do it themselves at 2, but complicated enough that she's still enjoying it at 4.
13. Disney Palace Pets
This is a new addition (along with some other Disney app's) that we haven't had for very long, but C loves hearing the stories and "playing" with the pets and James likes seeing the dogs.

My real, every day home screen

(i.e. the app's I use all the time)

1. Baby Monitor
This is the monitor that we use for the kids when they're sleeping.  You can read more about our monitors here.
2. Twitter
This one's pretty obvious.  But you can follow me here.
3. Mail
4. Bloglovin'
I switched to Bloglovin' after the end of Google Reader and like it pretty well.  You can follow my blog here.
5. Pinterest
Again, obvious.  I check this probably twice a day.  I like the app a lot.  You can follow me here.
6. Kindle
I don't think I could survive without my Kindle app.  As I said on Twitter last night, I think I am addicted to free eBooks.
7. Nook
Ditto to above.
8. Facebook
Again, self explanatory.  But my page is here.
9. Instagram
I love the way photo's look through Instagram.  I've got to make an instagram book!  Follow me here.
10. Anylist
We (sometimes) keep our grocery list with this app.  Jason and I log in on the same one so that we can both access it.  It's nice but we still use paper lists sometimes, we haven't fully transitioned over to digital yet.
11. ICE - looks like the version I have is not available anymore, but you should definitely download an In Case of Emergency app
12. NuVo Player
This is what we use to control our sound in our house.  I really like it.  C really likes the "princess music" station that I  made her on Pandora (i.e. a station from "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid).
13. Etsy
I check my shop stats and shop using this app.  You can check out my store here.

1. Paper
I love doodling with this app.  I get some initial ideas for my shop while I do this.  Plus the kids can play with it too.
2. Paper
I haven't played with this much yet but some serious designers that I follow really like it.
3. Facebook Pages
This is how I monitor my facebook page when I'm not at my computer.
4. Amazon Instant Video
Did you know that Amazon has tons of shows and movies that you can watch for free if you're a Prime member?  We haven't taken advantage of it yet but are planning to!
5. Radarscope
With a weather lover as a husband I, of course, have multiple weather apps.  This one is my favorite though.
6. Snapseed
This is fun to play with editing pictures on the iPad.  I'm not a fan of the iPad instagram version.
7. Bamboo Paper
Another great drawing app.  This was the first one that I downloaded and I really like it.

Hope these helped you! Can't wait to see other's on Kelly's link up!

Five Minute Friday - Lonely

I've been hearing about Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday for over a month now, since I started following her on Twitter.  But have yet to get brave enough to join in.  But with today's prompt being LONELY I felt like I couldn't NOT join in.  The rules are to write for 5 minutes, unedited, so here goes.

*****************
As a young girl I never thought that the word LONELY would describe my time as a stay at home mom.  Words that I thought would describe the experience:

Happy
Lovely
Fun
Easy
Fulfilling

It was always my dream to be a stay at home Mom.  I guess I never considered the fact that it's a stay at HOME kind of job and the fact that HOME, even when it's YOUR HOME, can get claustrophobic.

And so I find myself here.  With a four year old and an almost two year old.  At HOME almost every day and very rarely ALONE.

And yet, I am so lonely.

It's amazing how being a Mom can be so wonderful and yet so isolating.

I wouldn't trade this season with my kiddo's for anything.  I am so thankful to be their Mom.  And so overwhelmingly grateful that I get to stay home with them.

But some days....

I just want to get out and meet a friend for lunch without it revolving around nap times.
I want to be able to run with my husband in the morning without constantly checking the monitor to make sure the kids are ok.
I want to be able to text with someone and not be asked constantly what I (or the other person) is saying.
I want to be able to not edit everything I say to omit worry or fear or tiredness or crankiness (yikes) out of my speech because of the little ears hearing.
I just want a second ALONE.

And that's the crux of being a Mom.  Probably any Mom but I only have experience being a stay at home one so I don't know even half of the troubles that a working out of the home Mom faces.

It amazes me that I can be lonely and yet never alone.  It's a good thing that I can talk to God any time of the day regardless of company otherwise I might be even crazier than I already am.

I wonder if anyone else feels like this.  Surely this can't be just me.

********************
Time's up.

Kind of freeing to write like that.  Maybe I'll join the party more often.  Thanks Lisa-Jo for having me!

Facebook Giveaway

I'm in full on panic mode trying to frantically get ready for my first "in person" show next week at our local art stroll.  So I'm working on new designs and putting everything together for people to look through and order.  The good news is that I've got tons of new designs that I think look awesome.  The bad news is that any spare time that used to be spent blogging is now being spent trying to get ready for this.  Plus Jason and I went to the beach last weekend and I'm getting a sister-in-law this weekend when Jason's brother gets married!

So, all that to say, if you are missing me I post pictures and updates fairly regularly on my Twitter and Instagram.  And there's currently a giveaway going on through Friday on my Facebook page for our newest product that you can't even buy yet.....10" personalized melamine plates!  Don't forget that you can find links to all of my various social media outlets and the shop over on my right hand sidebar.  Hope to be back with real posts soon!

Sneak Peek

Last week we had a family photo session with our friend Mrs. Erin.  Charlotte wouldn't quit talking the entire time, but James was comfortable in his sweet spot of making us all sweat trying to get a smile.  Typically he hasn't wanted to be put down in previous sessions, but in this one he didn't want to be picked up....or go inside.  Thankfully Mrs. Erin always has tricks up her sleeve and we weren't above bribing with marshmallows!  And it sure worked because Mrs. Erin got these stunners....can't wait to see the rest in a few weeks!

All photo's are copyright by Erin Cobb and used with her permission.  You can see her blog post with these pictures here.