HAPPY WEEKEND + A GIVEAWAY! - CLOSED

Remember the awesome rocket pops and that adorable pillow from the last few days? Well, thanks to Uncommon Goods, they can be yours! Uncommon goods is literally a one stop shop for any gifts you might need click here to see gifts for men, click here for women, and click here for kiddos! Here's how you can enter to win:

1. Leave a comment here.

2. Tweet and and link back to the post. Include my handle so I can track them.

3. Like Uncommon Goods on Facebook.

4. Follow Uncommon Goods on Pinterest.

5. Like ARDOR on Facebook.

For any entries to be valid, you must leave a comment as well - so we know who/what to look for :) Five ways to enter! I like your odds, my friend. The giveaway ends Friday, August 24th. 

Happy weekend to you all and good luck!

Update: The winner for the giveaway is #10 Gina! Congratulations! 

WE LOVE: ANIMAL CHOPSTICKS

Preston and I love sushi. And now Elliott loves it too! I found these adorable chopsticks for kiddos at a local shop and thought they would be perfect for him and his new found love for sushi. We haven't had sushi yet, but he has been eating everything from string cheese to strawberries with them! They are perfect for his little hands and he absolutely loves the animals on top. The only downer was that the shop was sold out of the horse ones. Elephant, rhino and lion will have to do for now! Even if your little ones don't care for sushi (or if they are too young to eat it yet) these chopsticks make meal time a lot more fun. 

I seriously cannot say enough good things about them. Get some. Now.

P.S. I apologize for the instagram overload lately. I will try and take more "real" pictures soon.

DIY CONSTELLATION SHIRTS

One of my favorite parts of summer is star gazing. I made these constellation shirts for Preston and Elliott and love how they turned out. Preston's is the big dipper and Elliott's is the little dipper. Perfect, right? I thought about connecting the dots, but decided I liked the subtlety of the simple dots better. Check out the tutorial here on Momtastic.

DIY ICY DINO DIG

With the glorious warmer weather also comes eventual hot hellish weather. You need an activity to keep your little ones busy and cool and out of your hair. How about an icy dino dig? Each layer of ice and dinosaurs will make the kiddos squeal with delight at their discovery. Elliott was literally digging for a good 45 minutes and couldn't have been happier. You can see the tutorial over on Momtastic. Enjoy!

WE LOVE: POTTY TRAINING

Yep, we finally did it! I read the book and went to work. It was actually kind of fun! Extremely frustrating at times, but less than a week and more than a few accidents later, he's waking up dry and doing almost everything on his own. I know what you're thinking. "Kersey, why on earth would you potty train your child right before moving across the country?" To that I say, it just had to be done. He asked for his diapers for the first few days, but now he loves his big boy underwear.

If you are needing to potty train soon, I highly recommend two things. One, this book. Once I read the first part of it, I was good to go. The book suggests you to use a wetting doll to show your child and have them teach the doll how to use the toilet. We didn't want to buy a $60 doll for a boy for potty training, so we used Panda and added a pair of underwear. It was perfect!  The second thing we recommend is this seat. We only have one bathroom, and it's very small so a separate potty for him was out of the question. He knows how to put the seat on himself, and takes it off after he's finished using the toilet. It's the perfect solution! I also think it will make the transition from his training seat to a regular toilet seat easier down the road. We really do love potty training. Well, we love being potty trained. The diaper bag is lighter, the boy is happier and mama has more time in her day! It's a beautiful thing.