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My daughter LOVES to scrapbook….I for one do not love that she loves to be in my stuff, but I know she loves to spend time with me. I know that she is very proud of what she accomplishes. She watches every page I make and most often tries to "recreate" what I have made. With my current project (her Disney Album) I give her the extra photos to work with. Her pages are always included in the album. This way she is included in the project and gets to show off part of it.

Buying supplies for kids… obviously kids can work with just about any kind of scrapbook supplies. I keep a box of extra stickers and papers that I know I am not going to use and give them to her as I see fit. I also pick up clearance or supplies at the dollar store. A package of 270 Disney princess stickers for $1.79 has lasted longer than one might think! I recommend glue sticks vs. tape rollers for kids. Much cheaper and a whole lot less adult interaction!

Character photos?? If you have been to Disney, you have them and you remember the dreaded lines! I thought for a while how to make character photos “fun” for scrapbooking. My daughter loves to look at her autograph book because she can put together the names and the photographs. I had the idea to scan in the autograph and print it for the scrapbook. Here is Mulan – the page is rather simple, but it shows all the important stuff for a 6-year-old.

Of course making Disney scrapbooks can be expensive. I recommend not using ALL the Jolees products, but limiting them to what is important. Shop around, look for discount supplies. In this page, I actually used paper from Far and Away, a company that makes travel products…this was from the Asian line…perfect for Mulan, I thought!

After years of trying to decide whether I wanted to build
a patio or grow grass in the old spot where our jacuzzi used
to be, I finally "committed" to growing grass and if I didn't
like it I would just lay brick down over it. Brilliant,
or at least better than staring at the gaping hole in the
middle of our yard for another minute. So I talked to my
landscaper who gave me a quote I couldn't stomach to resod
the whole yard - which would have to be done if I wanted it
to look right - and figured I would go the seeding route,
which was a teeny fraction of the cost but takes way longer

Hello – my name is Aleah, I own a company that sells discount scrapbook supplies.
I also do Custom Scrapbook Design. I was referred to Mommywood to write a blog
about scrapbooking… A HUGE topic to discuss. I have been thinking for the last few
days about where to start… I do so much scrapbooking for other people that my own
kids’ albums are neglected. Honestly they have more albums that they will ever
need, I just take too may pictures! The current project I’m working on is our trip to

That pretty much sums up my afternoon.

We got passes to the screening of Tinkerbell - of course we went.

I tried the Coffee Bean's Pina Colada Ice Blended for the first
time. It's possibly my new favorite drink in the world - SO GOOD!
SO, SO GOOD!

After having our bags checked for recording equipment by three
menacing looking but sweet talking men dressed in black, we went
inside, found great seats and settled in for a perfectly lovely
afternoon with one of our favorite Disney characters.

By the way, Tinkerbell looks great for her age!

My daughter Gemma is a shoe lover, she absolutely has to have the right shoes on before going to school. This morning after we ate our cereal, brushed our teeth, combed our hair and moved the cat, we went through 3 pairs of socks before Gemma could find the right cushioning for her new pair of Reebok sneakers, yes P.E. was today. Needless to say we were 30 minutes late. Sorry Miss Mac!

Okay, so Glendy is back in Chicago safe and sound
with all the expected drama delivered during her
trip, but I am too wiped from living it to talk
about it, so ... I'll just quickly fill you in on our
fabulous backyard movie party. It was fabulous!

We put up a sheet on the garage wall and used a
projector with our DVD player. It was just
like being at the drive-in - without the cars.
The kids had a blast even though we had to wait
for it to get dark so we could see the picture.
I think it's worth mentioning that there were
26 six and seven-year-olds and we had no tears.

I'm about to find out. In a few short hours, my sister, Glendy, who is coming in for my daughter's birthday party, will be landing at LAX - an answered prayer in and of itself given that American Airlines has canceled flights to and from Chicago, and without prayer, she would have 100% been booked on one of those flights. Trust me, no one knows "drama" like Glendy knows drama.

Anyway, we're all really excited - my girls love her and I don't know about you, but anytime I get around my sister, I revert to childhood. When we were little girls, we used to play these ridiculous little games, like "Sharks" and "Hot Lava," both of which required one of us to run and jump onto the couch while the other kicked and flailed wildly trying to keep the runner off - we made them up all by ourselves - don't ask me why - I guess we really needed an older brother. And then there was "tetanus shot," where one of us poked the other in the arm and chanted, "tetanus shot." I'm pretty sure this game was born when Glendy had to go get a tetanus shot and she was scared. Being the supportive little sister that I was, I came up with the little chant to taunt her and it stuck. So now my youngest has her play "shot" at the ready to sneak up on "Aunt Glendy" and give her a tetanus shot.

Doesn’t seem that long ago that the yellow “Baby on Board” car window signs were new
and all the rage, but then it must have been, because one; I haven’t seen them in forever
and two; my oldest, who was a baby at the time is now behind the wheel of a car herself -
which brings me to my public plea for all speed racers to slow down on the streets and freeways and canyons and the Target parking lot. I mean, really, where in the world can anyone be going in such a hurry and do they realize that if they get pulled over or in an accident they'll be even later? I asked a particular twentysomething guy that a while back - right after he almost ran my daughter off the road to pull into a parking spot - about 14 seconds sooner than us.

I appreciate the efforts I see all over the web for women and moms to connect. Having a community is so important. If for nothing else than to feel understood when you are dealing with the myriad of emotions that moms deal with.

I have been researching and interviewing moms for 5 years now as I develop my coaching curriculum for the different courses and services I provide. It has been heartwarming to learn of the courage and determination moms have to get through anything and everything. We posses the greatest gift to mankind, our motherly intuition, without which we would not have the capacity to do, be and provide all that we do!