thank you teachers!

My boys have two days of school left until summer break!  Yaaahhhhooooo!  Although I've loved every minute of waking up at 5:45 to get #1 off to zero hour (stupid idea) and then waiting a full hour and forty minutes to send off #2, I'm OVER it.  I'm over our 20 minute morning game of 'shoe-hide and-seek', finding day old spaghetti in the Nino's thermos, and I'm over giving pre-tests for words  I don't even know how to spell. 

Here's the reality.  I wish I was organized enough and smart enough to teach my children everything they need to know.  But I'm not.  So I'll continue sending them into the wide world to learn from brave people who really know what they're talking about.

Luckily this year #2 had an amazing teacher.  He had her for first grade too and I almost considered holding him back so he could have her again for 'third'.  She's like a little piece of fairy Godmother heaven and the second graders think she's Santa's angel.  I've been in her classroom almost every Wednesday for the past two years and not once have I seen her raise her voice, get flustered, loose her cool, or her smile.  She's amazing.

One thing I realize is that raising children takes a village.  It's a partnership. Joint custody if you will.  The nino has a special speech teacher and a special reading teacher too. I've come to realize that  extraordinary teachers can move mountains. 

It's for this reason I needed to make a few "thank-you's" for the people that made their mark this year.  Something simple but something to let them know how much I appreciate them.

I was reading {The Vintage Mother } and found the cutest teacher appreciation idea.  So I headed straight to my local World Market, found these Italian Sodas, and paired them with my favorite praline chocolate and a thank you note.

I made a quick tag with Photoshop. Click {here} to download.

I even made one for our Principal, and the three ladies that run the front office.  They know everyone, their grandparents, and their dogs by name, and they run the school like a well primed paint sprayer.

I just got home from Nino's last 2nd grade assembly where he accepted the award for student of the month and sit and reach school champion!  Who knew the kid was so stretchy?  

It's not too late to send a quick thank you to the people who make your kids better.

Happy Summer from one mother to another!
 

mother's day winners

Hopefully you are all just out of your bubble baths and tucked away in preparation for the big day tomorrow!  But since we said we would pick the winners tonight, we thought we'd post the results as well.

Lucky girl #1, taking home The Vintage Mother loot is:

#26, 1littlemom.  Congratulations Steph!

Lucky girl #2, adding some new kitchen gear is:

#15, Penelope.  You're going to love it all!

Lucky girl #3, who will be enjoying a great new book is:

#6, Beth, who happens to be one of our biggest fans!  YAY BETH!

Lucky girl #4, winner of the tags and trimmings is:
#13, Teri. You will be blessing our names the next time you wrap a gift!

To claim your prizes, please email your addresses to us at meandjilly@gmail.com. 

Hope you all have a blessed day tomorrow.  Thanks for being so wonderful.  It has certainly made our Mother's Day celebration a little sweeter to read through each and every comment.  Virtual hugs from us!

xoxo,

Jilly + Mia  

mother's day wrap up

Well, it's been such a fun week!  Thanks for being here with us.  We have thoroughly enjoyed putting these giveaways together for you in celebration of Mother's Day.  We have one last offering that we are bringing back from our 2nd Blogging Anniversary.

Isn't it disheartening when you get a gift packaged up all cute, and then realize you have no tag?  And no time?
Jilly and Mia to the rescue.

We are giving this collection of our own designs, packaged up and sent to one of you.  This gift includes four of each tag (24 total), as well as ribbon, lace and bakers twine to seal the deal. 

As far as wrapping gifts goes, we have certain things on hand at all times.  We like to keep our gear basic because it's so versatile.  If you have nothing else in your arsenal but the following,  you're well on your way to a successful package.

-Brown Kraft paper
-White Kraft paper
-Black ribbon, satin and grosgrain in varying widths
-Bakers twine in neutral colors
-Off-white lace in varying widths
-Assorted colors, patterns and textures of cardstock
-Take out boxes {restaurant supply}
-Misc sized white boxes

Here are some examples of gifts we wrapped with our basic supplies and tags to give you an idea of some different combinations.

 {paper bow tutorial HERE}

And just because we want all of you to feel like winners, (because you definitely are!) we found this super cute printable by the very talented Hillary Henslee who lives right here in our own town.  She blogs at {the painted arrow} and is obviously crazy creative and talented.  She painted this (!) and turned it into a downloadable image.  Pay a visit to {this blog post} to print yours.  But grab a snack, you'll be there for awhile.  Thanks Hillary, this is simply beautiful.

How to win the tags: 

Please become a follower of our blog, and leave us a comment letting us know you did it so you can be entered in the drawing.  It takes about 20 seconds, and we would appreciate it oh so much!

Are you already a follower of Me and Jilly?  We LOVE you.  Leave a comment that conveys your undying devotion to us!  That will count as your entry.

You can still enter our {giveaway} from Tuesday, our {giveaway} from Wednesday, and our {giveaway} from Thursday.  You can leave a comment on each separate post to increase your chances of winning one of the four gifts.    We will be picking winners via random.org on Saturday evening, May 11th at 10:00 p.m. 
We hope you enjoyed our week of posts as much as we did.  Thanks for visiting our blog, and again, thank you so much for all the kind comments and encouragement.  We hope each and every one of you has a meaningful Mother's Day, filled with the people you love and cherish.

xoxo,

Jilly + Mia

mothers love to read

Ya know, me and Jilly have quite a talented group of girlfriends.    

Girls who share the same passion for motherhood and are amazing examples of it.

Meet Jennifer Nielson and her daughter Hadley.  We call her J-lo.  Not because her booty is insured for one million dollars, but because some day this friend will be famous.

J-lo and Hadley have been through some truly unbelievable experiences.  Over the past 15 years they've faced lots of ups and downs with unexpected medical issues, uncanny accidents, and even the risk of losing each other.  One day Jennifer's best friend asked her why she hadn't written a book and  that's when the wheels started turning. 

A few years, and many sleepless nights later, this baby was born. 

Jennifer's own words....

"When Hadley, is diagnosed with Marfan’s syndrome, a potentially fatal ligament disorder characterized by extreme height and joint flexibility, Jennifer is heartbroken. But she soon discovers that events from Hadley’s early years and her own past have prepared her to face these obstacles head on. Through trials large and small, Jennifer marvels at Hadley’s resiliency, consistent maturity, and sunny outlook on life epitomized by Hadley’s mantra: "I’m not tall. Everyone else is just short!"
Anyone who has experienced life's unexpected twists and turns will relate to this inspiring memoir, including parents with children suffering with disabilities. Readers will root for young Hadley as she navigates the uncertain path before her, challenging her physical limitations with an unbreakable spirit and a belief that no dream is beyond her reach."

I was privileged to snatch up one of the first signed copies and I read it in one sitting.  The real life issues, the funny stories, and the dramatic twists and turns of Hadley's illness were intriuging and inspiring.  As I turned the last two pages, there I was on the treadmill in the middle of the gym, bawling like a newborn.  And I didn't even care. 

Jilly and I want you to have your very own copy of this amazing book, and we're paring it with one of our favorite quotes by Mother Teresa.  I printed a 5x 7 and framed it for your pleasure. 

  

How to win: 

Please become a follower of our blog, and leave us a comment letting us know you did it so you can be entered in the drawing.  It takes about 20 seconds, and we would appreciate it more than you can imagine!

Are you already a follower of Me and Jilly?  BLESS YOU!  We heart you.  Maybe you can leave a comment convincing us that you love us more than anyone else on the planet.  That will count as your entry.

You can still enter our {giveaway} from Tuesday and our {giveaway} from Wednesday.  We will be picking winners via random.org on Saturday evening, May 11th at 10:00 p.m.  Check back Friday for one more Mother's Day Giveaway!

xoxo,

j + m

p s  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you win this book, but in the unfortunate event that you don't, you can purchase your own copy {here}.

mothers love food, right?

It's certainly no secret that we love food.  Pretty much all of it, all the time.  So when one of our BFFs puts out a cookbook, you know we get really excited and want to share it with you!  Allow us to introduce you to our friend Allison who also happens to be one of the cutest Grandmas in the history of the world.

Allison raised 7 kids and provided them with a hot and healthy breakfast every morning, which is something we are passionate about as well.  Actually, our kids get cold cereal on Friday mornings and they think it's Christmas.  We don't have the heart to tell them that someday they will miss sitting down to waffles with homemade syrup and fresh fruit smoothies before heading off to school.  They will come to that cruel realization on their own when they have survived on Captain Crunch for an entire semester of college and decide they never want to see another box of it!

At any rate, Allison has put together an excellent collection of many different tried and true recipes.    Her breakfast section will inspire you to get up 30 minutes earlier each morning to feed those hungry mouths that need a great start to their day.  Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes maybe?  Raspberry-Cinnamon French Toast, anyone?   Jilly made Allison's notable Egg Pinwheels for her sister's {baby shower} a few months ago, and about a hundred people asked for the recipe.

Her famous knot rolls will have your eyes rolling back into your head.  Try making them into cinnamon rolls or orange rolls, but only if you need to gain five pounds in one day.  Jilly's special Key Lime Cupcakes even made it into the book, along with hundreds of other recipes you'll wonder how you ever lived without.  This cookbook is 272 pages that can be read like a steamy love novel but kept in plain view in the kitchen because you'll want to use it every day.

We are so grateful and lucky to call Allison our friend.  She is nurturing, supportive, compassionate, genuine, beautiful, gracious and that girl can COOK!  She just finished culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu here in Scottsdale and we are so proud of her!  On the off-chance you aren't chosen as the winner, you can purchase a copy {here} for yourself or buy one for someone you love a whole lot.

We are giving one lucky reader a cookbook and  have paired it with a couple of our favorite kitchen things.

That funny looking gadget you see is not a curry comb you use to brush your horse with, but it is something that we honestly never want to be without in our own kitchens.  It's called a stir stick and it will change your cooking life!  It is such a handy tool to use when preparing a dish that you don't want to smash.  Think pastas, salads and vegetables.  It might not look like much, but we would never lead you astray in the kitchen, and you NEED this!  Also, we embellished an IKEA dish towel with a sheer little ruffle and put together a simple tutorial in case you'd like to make your own.

The IRIS gray dishtowel comes in a two-pack for $3.49.  It's nice and big and washes up beautifully.  Jilly happened to have a sheer curtain panel with a ruffled edge in her hoard fabric stash.

She simply cut the ruffle off of the panel, leaving the finished edge intact to minimize any extra work.  She sewed in onto the right side of each edge of the dish towel then went the extra mile by sewing a strip of elastic right across the center crease to make it fun!  Use a zig-zag stitch and make sure your needle is down, then stretch a small section of elastic and sew just that section.  Repeat until you have gone all the way across the towel.

The gathered look is flirty and might encourage your man to want to dry the dishes. You might actually have to tie it on with a ribbon over your birthday suit as a flouncy little skirt.

It's definitely worth a try.

How to win: 

Please become a follower of our blog, and leave us a comment letting us know you did it so you can be entered in the drawing.  It takes about 20 seconds, and we would appreciate it more than you can imagine!

Are you already a follower of Me and Jilly?  BLESS YOU!  We heart you.  Maybe you can leave a comment convincing us that you love us more than anyone else on the planet.  That will count as your entry.

You can still enter our {giveaway} posted yesterday.  We will be picking winners via random.org on Saturday evening, May 11th at 10:00 p.m.  Check back Thursday and Friday for more Mother's Day Giveaways!

xoxo,

Jilly + Mia

the vintage mother

 

 Have you ever met someone you were instantly drawn to like a magnet?  Or wanted to shout AMEN to every single thing that came out of their mouth?  Or felt so loved and accepted by them that you made up excuses to spend time with them whenever possible?

Let us introduce you to our dear friend Katie Hughes, who is one of beautiful women behind the new blog {The Vintage Mother}.  Katie and her darling sister Ginny are downright passionate about being mothers.  And not just any mothers...... They are working hard to restore the values and traditions that are being forgotten by our generation.  They are trying to bring attention to and show the importance of the family values and practices that the mothers of yesteryear lived by.

Here is a picture of Katie and Ginny, with their own dear mother.  Katie is on the right.

And they are off to a great start!  Every single one of their posts is so uplifting and heartfelt.  You can't help but be touched in some way after visiting their blog.  Whether it inspires you to start a new and beautiful tradition with your own children, or sparks a memory of being in your grandmother's home, we promise you will fall in love with following their blog and gleaning every ounce of inspiration that comes with it. 

Some of our favorite posts of theirs include {What is a Vintage Mother?} and {Build Great Husbands}.  If you really want to wish yourself a Happy Mother's Day, you can catch up on all their posts.  You will leave their blog wanting to be a better person, guaranteed!
    
This past summer, Mia and I were fortunate enough to visit them at their parent's gorgeous home in Midway, Utah.  We enjoyed a casual dinner and sat outside enjoying pleasant conversation while the children explored and played until the sun went down.  It was a magical evening of perfect weather, good food and excellent company.  To be honest, we were ready to spend the rest of our vacation with them, just eating and talking!  Too bad we had already promised the little boys high adventure every single day as well as hours of fun playing "Big Booty" in the car.

These sisters have graciously offered up a couple things that represent their blog to one of our readers.  An adorable t-shirt with their cute logo,

as well as a vintage inspired cuff.

The two of us enthusiastically join with Katie and Ginny in their efforts to celebrate purposeful motherhood and in working to foster a positive inner voice in our own children, as well as every child we have the opportunity to spend time with. 

How to win: 

Please become a follower of our blog.  It's not hard.  It takes about 20 seconds, and we would appreciate it more than you can imagine!  Imagine us on our knees, begging.  Leave us a comment telling us you're our newest and biggest fan so we can enter you in the drawing.

Are you already a follower of Me and Jilly?  BLESS YOU!  Can you please leave us a short comment that convinces us of your devotion and persuades us to keep blogging?  Cause seriously..... we do this for you and when we don't hear from you it makes us really sad.  REALLY. SAD.

A winner for this giveaway will be picked via random.org on Saturday, May 11th at 10:00 p.m.  Be sure to check back every day this week for more fabulous giveaways and chances to win! And don't forget to go check out {The Vintage Mother}!

xoxo,

Jilly + Mia

Mother's Day

There's nothing Jilly and I want more than to be good moms.  Moms to 5 little nuggets who all  need nutritious meals, clean underwear, basketball shoes, piano books, listening ears, chaperones on the field trip, gas in the car, back tickles, and a happy dad.  Perhaps that's why our little blog baby has taken a seat in the back of the station wagon. 

But we're back in full force and we're celebrating this upcoming weekend with a........

Stay tuned for a giveaway Tuesday through Friday this week.   We won't disappoint.

xoxo,

Jilly + Mia