blankets Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Make Moments Last Forever with FUJIFILM Printlife

Paula — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 12:47:55 +0000

FUJIFILM Printlife sponsored this post, which means I received product or compensation. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could bottle time? All parents know that time slips by far too fast. You can’t stop time, so how do you slow it or capture it? The obvious answer is photos of course. But, for the most part our photos live on our phones. Sometimes, lately, I have a near panic thinking what if everything crashed and all my digital photos vanished. FUJIFILM Printlife created by FUJIFILM focuses squarely on inspiration, education, and awareness of the importance of printing digital photos. I’m a fan of FUJIFILM Printlife because I think printing photos is important too and also sharing them on canvases, or personalized gifts, even Christmas ornaments helps us too cherish our most valuable memories. Some of you are aware that I have a gallery wall in my basement family room. The purpose of the wall is to highlight our travels together. It makes me happy to look over and remember the time we skied Bromley in Vermont, or Sugarbush. But this time around I wanted to share some summer memories with my kids. Why I love FUJIFILM Printlife If you’re my age, you probably remember poring over photo albums with your parents and grandparents. In fact, I still have many photo albums kicking around the house. I have a box filled with photos my Mom kept as well. So many moments printed off and captured. For years, that’s how we connected with our past and our most cherished memories. Those albums were always there, just waiting for us to open them up and peer into our history. Then digital came along. Don’t get me wrong, I love digital. I mean, I really love it. I never have to have the film developed. I never need to worry about what kind of shots I got, waiting impatiently until the prints come back. With digital, I have complete, real-time control over all my photos. The one major drawback to digital for me is how easy it is to just forget about those shots after I’ve looked at them one time. With cameras that have 128 gigs of internal storage, the ability to augment that further with microSD card, and external hard drives attached to our computers that can hold more pictures than any human can take in a lifetime, it’s easy for digital shots to get lost. That’s why I’m a fan of the message that FUJIFILM Printlife is bringing to us all, which is the importance of bringing back that personal connection to our photography. I’m a Part of FUJIFILM Printlife FUJIFILM Printlife is a part of the wide array of FUJIFILM services, and it’s how I’m making sure I’m a part of both the Printlife movement and the preservation of my family’s most cherished moments. Their Printlife service offers all kinds of ways to help you turn your digital photos into memorable physical pieces. You can choose options like: Using the FUJIFILM Printlife service, I captured three incredibly important family memories – a shot of my daughter, Ainsley, and her close friend at camp, our amazing ski vacation we took this past March, and a shot of Payton with her squad at her high-school prom. Remembering a Squad For Ainsley and Payton, I simply uploaded my photos to the FUJIFILM site and ordered two wonderful canvas prints. They go perfectly with my daughter’s rooms. Payton’s squad has gone different ways now, some opting to stay for another year of high school. Two left for university and one has switched to an art program. So, the canvas of her group of peers and friends hits the perfect mark. She was thrilled to open it and hang it in her room. Camp Memories Ainsley waits for camp all year long, and she has a few super close friends that are like sister of the heart, whom she sees only during that special two weeks in August at camp. Otherwise it’s FaceTime for her and her friends. This year, when we dropped her off, I made sure to take a photo of her with one of her closest friends there. She’s thrilled to be able to look at this memory all year long. These are both special prints for my girls. Ainsley’s fits in perfectly with her recently-painted room. Payton is all about her friends. They were joined at the hip last year and the year before that, so having a print of her and her pals will be extra special for her, as well. Christmas Ornaments Finally, my husband and I will have a Christmas keepsake commemorating one of the best family trips we’ve ever had. I uploaded our ski trip shot and made it into a lovely Christmas ornament which will go on the tree every year. That makes me happy. I can’t wait to hang it on the tree and frankly think these make the best gifts ever for Christmas. For those of you who are all about giving experiences instead of presents – this combines a bit of both in my opinion. How Will You Printlife? I hope you’ll join me in printing your life instead of just storing it on a hard drive. You know what sparks joy for me? Photos of our memories and happy moments we have shared. FUJIFILM Printlife is an excellent way to capture time and slow it down a little. Head over to their website and see how FUJIFILM Printlife can help you capture family memories in a unique and personal way. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a $75 gift code to make your own canvases, books or gifts. Entry-Form

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Honeybird Weighted Blankets for Anxiety Relief

Paula — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 05:39:41 +0000

Honeybird weighted blankets offer comfort, relaxation, and anxiety relief that’s clinically proven to work. For a host of reasons, weighted blankets work. Post contains affiliate links and I received product for consideration. Insomnia? Yes, they help. Anxiety? Yes also. Simply need to relax? Yes indeed, also useful. Five Reasons to Choose Honeybird Weighted Blankets For Sensory Issues Both of my daughters have varying degrees of anxiety, which can also cause some issues with sleep. My youngest daughter has used a weighted blanket on and off since she was 4 years old to help with sensory processing disorder. Her weighted blanket has been through the wringer, and it’s a bit on the ugly side, but it’s still functional. There’s a reason that blanket has seen so much action. Weighted blankets work. They’re clinically proven to help ease anxiety issues and help people sleep better – even those who don’t have anxiety or sensory processing disorder. For Anxiety Recently, we decided to give weighted blankets a try for my oldest daughter. Oddly I never really contemplated using a weighted blanket for her. But, I have noticed her sleep issues getting a bit worse and that is troublesome. She has issues relaxing and shutting her brain off. Her brain is always on and frequently worrying. If she wakes up at night she has trouble getting back to sleep. So, when I learned about Honeybird Weighted Blankets I was excited to see them for myself and try them here. For Sleep, Period Did you know that more than one third of adults don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis? It is an epidemic, but weighted blankets can help with the relaxation piece of sleep. Stress Stress, not unlike anxiety, keeps you up at night. If you are hunting for a non invasive way to manage that sleeplessness that comes with feeling stressed, consider weighted blankets. The deep pressure of a weighted blanket can help. It’s like a big hug. (This is also why these weighted blankets work for sensory processing disorder.) The Duvet Cover This might sound like a cosmetic thing to you, but we have lived with weighted blankets for a decade here and while many are washable, they are not attractive. The exception is Honeybird weighted blankets. With a removable duvet cover they are as attractive as they are functional. Did you Know? In an occupational therapy study, 63% of the participants rated their anxiety lower with the use of the weighted blanket. According to the exit survey, 78% reported a lower anxiety after using the blanket than when not using the blanket. Using Honeybird Weighted Blankets I cannot believe how far weighted blankets have come! Take a peek at Honeybird weighted blankets website and you will also be surprised if you know anything at all about weighted blankets. Their blankets are luxurious and they look gorgeous. They come in a variety of colors, and they are super high quality. The one we chose for our oldest daughter fits her room well. Her new Honeybird weighted blanket is grey, which blends well with the colour scheme of her room. The black and capri blue of one wall, green on another wall, and the grey of the blanket pair perfectly. That’s important to me. Weighted Blanket Facts The weight of the blanket matters. You need to decide the weight of the person using the blanket and order one that fits that criteria. It should be 10 % of the person’s weight. Also the composition of the blanket matters. As in, what is it made with? What makes it weighted? True story – when my daughter was little I made a weighted blanket. Basically I bought a quilt and pulled it apart and inserted weights (washers that would give it enough weight) I thought I would save money making my own. Lesson learned, because it made too much noise due to what I made the blanket with. That defeated the purpose of calming my daughter at night. So, you need a good quality blanket and these blankets by Honeybird are a great price too. Easing My Daughter’s Anxiety I can say that Honeybird weighted blankets work incredibly well for easing anxiety. I know because her Honeybird has helped immensely. She has been able to fall asleep and stay asleep with her new blanket. However, she doesn’t use it for naps because she needs those to be shorter. Yes, my teen naps but that’s another story….She cannot use it for a short nap. That’s how well it works. If you, or someone you love, has anxiety, trouble sleeping, falling asleep or staying asleep, I highly recommend using Honeybird weighted blankets. Thus far, my daughter’s blanket has met and exceeded all of our expectations. Order Yours Here: – > Honeybird Weighted Blankets NOW AVAILABLE TO CANADA and the US.

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All Your Favourite Memories Close to the Heart

Paula — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 13:16:10 +0000

If a picture is worth a thousand words then these gorgeous personalized photo blankets are priceless. And they should be. Here are 95 pictures of our travels, her plays, one graduation, two martial arts gradings, birthdays and so many celebrations. The moments of a childhood. When I found out about these personalized photo blankets from Collage.com I decided I wanted to make one for my oldest daughter. It was pretty simple to make, uploading pictures to a collage template on the web site. The hardest part was finding the right photos to add. When the final personalized gift arrived here this week I was excited to see how it turned out and maybe a bit hopeful. I hoped it showed exactly what I wanted to. In fact I have rarely been this invested in a gift. See, it won’t be that much longer before she leaves for college or university. It’s almost her last year of high school. And while I hope for her to do a Victory Lap, even if she does take an extra year to take more courses and travel it’s still a short two years to go before she spreads her wings. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say that makes me emotional. As happy as I am to see her growing and finding her passion, I will miss both of my girls when they move out. So how to bridge that gap and the time from now until then? These gorgeous blankets are an easy way for someone to bring a touch of home with them wherever they go. Wrap yourself up in the warm embrace of home with a plush photo blanket with loved ones printed on it. Gift one to someone you love. That’s why I got one for my daughter from Collage. Their personalized photo blankets make it easy for loved ones to carry their family and their memories with them anywhere. Personalized Photo Blankets Hold a Special Place for Me At this point in parenthood, photo blankets like this hold an extra special place in my heart. I got one for my oldest daughter thinking of a couple of different things. My sweet older girl has anxiety. She struggles with it sometimes and being cocooned up with a blanket is calming and soothing. She’s also 17, which means two things – she loves sleep like many teenagers and she’s just about ready to head off to college or university. I have no idea where she’ll go, but even the closest college is still not our home. I’m so proud of the woman my daughter is becoming, but I’m also just a touch heartsick when I think about her venturing off into the world without me. Both of my girls are also my friends, my travel companions and my favourite people in the world. It’s bittersweet growing children. They are the only things we grow that are forever walking away from us. A little bit each day and then all of a sudden. I want my daughter to know we are here for her always even when we are separated by time, college or university. That’s where the blanket comes in. Personalized photo blankets like this one are keepsakes and this can travel with her wherever she goes. So I’ll feel like I’m with her, too. No matter what, we’ll always be together, and I think that makes both of us feel better. Personalized Photo Blankets for Everyone I ordered my daughter a photo blanket filled with shots of the trips our family has taken together, as well as images of positive inspirational quotes. And there are a few shots of her performing in several of the plays she’s been in since starting theatre. There are also a few snippets of Grandma and pets that we can no longer see or touch. I feel like it’s the perfect way to keep us in her heart and keep her motivated and positive no matter what life throws at her. They’re so sweet and easy to make, I plan on ordering something similar for my younger daughter, as well. I can honestly say when I opened this package of the completed blanket I almost started to cry. To me it’s perfect. Just like her. When I gave her this present this week she was surprised and we sat for a bit and reminisced about all the photos. Cousins, trips, skiing together, seeing her plays. Memories that are happy and super sentimental. The plush fleece blanket at 60 by 80 is super soft and large enough to curl up underneath and be completely covered. Before I reminded her to get back to doing her homework she told me: “Mom, this blanket is happiness to me.” So, I think it hit the mark precisely as intended. With Collage, you can order personalized photo blankets to gift someone you love. Fill your collage with photos or mix it up with a few inspirational quotes as I did. These are the perfect gift for family and friends to keep loved ones, special events, and special places in their hearts. These will melt someone’s heart this year. So back to what I was saying at the start of this post. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, my beautiful new gift to my daughter with 95 photos is 95,000 words and it is EVERYTHING this week. Like the idea of making your own? Enter for a chance to win one to gift to someone you love. Follow the directions below. I was provided with product for consideration here. My opinion is all my own. Entry-Form

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EASY Kids’ DIY No Sew Fleece Blanket

Paula — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:51:00 +0000

So, some days I need to get out in front of that energy before it takes over my house. Back in the winter we started sewing together and she also learned how to knit. Then I was popping around on Pinterest and I spied this great idea. It’s a knotted fleece blanket that is so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little bit of help. Off to the fabric store we went and one day later we had these great and amazing little blankets for each girl. They are completely thrilled and proud and it was all very simple to pull together. I was going to post this DIY no sew blanket later in the month, but then I spied this crafty linkup and thought why not? My girls are 11 and 8. They have been crafty from the time they were two. I am not joking at all. The oldest one, shown here, is crazy in love with making things. Harnessing the Craft Energy So, some days I need to get out in front of that energy before it takes over my house. Back in the winter we started sewing together and she also learned how to knit. Then I was popping around on Pinterest and I spied this great idea. It’s a knotted fleece blanket that is so easy an 8 year old can make it with a little bit of help. Off to the fabric store we went and one day later we had these great and amazing little blankets for each girl. They are completely thrilled and proud and it was all very simple to pull together. [tweetthis]This EASY Kids DIY Fleece Blanket is a great project for a weekend, or a summer day.[/tweetthis] Source: anewchelseamorning.blogspot.com via Paula on Pinterest All of the directions are here on New Chelsea Morning. http://anewchelseamorning.blogspot.ca/2007/08/anyone-can-do-this.html Thanks to them for a great idea. There is no sewing involved. Did I mention that? So, start with one and a half yards of fabric – it does look best if one side is solid and one side is patterned. We went with the cutest Little Miss and Little Mister Men character fleece on one side and then a plain colour on the other. You need one and a half yards of each fabric. Then trim the rough edges off and cut out a square at each corner (6 inches out of each corner.) You need to measure well for this job and you also need to have a large floor or counter space to spread everything out. Of course you need scissors too. So once the squares are gone from the corner (crucial don’t miss) then you measure one inch wide strips down all four sides and cut through both layers of fleece. Kids can easily do all the steps and finish this DIY Fleece Blanket, but they need supervision with scissors and measuring too. Plus I didn’t want the TV on so they had full focus on what they were doing. It took a whole afternoon, but each child was thrilled with the results. Oh, and I almost forgot loop the strands. Don’t tie them individually, loop them together for a nice finish. (Here’s a little aside too, my girls both are sensory seekers in different ways, so the fringe on the edges of the blanket and the softness of the fleece, makes this a perfect sensory tool for both. This is a crafty linky as I mentioned, and I spied the link up on Setting For Four, so pop by her site and link a post up there too. Have a crafty week! [tweetthis]This EASY Kids DIY Fleece Blanket is a great project for a weekend, or a summer day.[/tweetthis]

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