A Simple Reminder to Maintain Balance in Our Lives

If you are a longtime reader, then you may have noticed that things have slowed down here on 3G2S.  This blog will be turning 6 years old in March and this is post number 3,838!  Until 2014 rolled around, I could barely bring myself to go a whole 24 hours without publishing a post.  In fact, I was often publishing multiple blog posts daily and getting by on 4 hours of sleep per night just to make my deadlines.  The truth is that I had burnt out nearly a year ago, but kept going at the same pace.  Why?  Well, partially because I had set a standard and did not want to let my readers down.  The other part was needing to contribute to our household finances as much as possible.

I have shared a few inspirational quotes I've come across in the past, but this is the first and only quote I have displayed in our home (well . . . aside from a few refrigerator magnets).  It reads . . .

"Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life."

I have this wooden sign displayed where my husband and I can see it multiple times per day.  We both work more than we would like because it's necessary, but we need to remember why we are doing it.  It's not so we can buy a larger television or a nicer car.  It's so we can provide for our children, whom we want to be happy and well-rounded.  Part of that is having parents who aren't exhausted and grouchy all the time, who have just enough time and energy to help them with their homework and prepare the meals, but little else.

When I put my mind to it, I am able to make some lasting fond memories for our children.  So, if you don't see a new post from me for 2 or 3 (or 5) days, it doesn't mean I've deserted you.  I'm talking with my children, playing games with them, surprising them with freshly baked cookies,  . . . or taking a much-needed nap.

I haven't quite achieved the perfect balance in my life yet, but I think I'm on the right track by accepting the fact that I cannot have so many full time jobs at once.  It is impossible to be successful at all of them.

What do you do to help maintain balance in your life?

Words To Live By (No. 4): Quote From Audrey Hepburn on Beauty

One of the things I am very conscious about as a parent of a girl is teaching our daughter what true beauty really is.  My husband and I take every opportunity that presents itself to tell all our children that inner beauty is what's most important and that someone can be beautiful on the outside, but be very ugly on the inside.  I think it is natural to be a little vain and I do not necessarily think that vanity has to go hand-in-hand with being shallow.

Even though my children probably do not know who Audrey Hepburn was, I'm sure they would think she was exquisite if they saw a picture of her.  Then I would explain to them that she was a great humanitarian who was also very beautiful on the inside.

I just love this quote by Audrey Hepburn.  I think it is a formula for true beauty that should be shared with every young girl.

For further inspiration, read more Words to Live By.

Weekend Wishlist: Scrabble Tile Canvas Art, Sbyke (Scooter Bike), Ice Cream Sandwich Maker, and More!

It's Friday!  That means I've been browsing the new sales on Zulily.  I love shopping on the weekends because I only pay shipping on my first order and get free shipping on everything else from Friday through midnight on Sunday.  On holiday weekends, however, Zulily usually extends that free shipping deal for an extra day.  This weekend I only had to pay shipping once from Thursday through Sunday!

In addition to their regular sales events, Zulily is also having Blowout Sales in children's and women's clothing and shoes, as well as in accessories, kitchen, and home furnishings.  Yesterday, I ordered a boys Hurley hooded winter fleece jacket for $17.99.  I was having a tough time finding a hooded fleece jacket for my 9 year old son.  All of them for his age seem to have no hoods.  I'm so glad I ordered it right away because the jacket was gone already this morning.  I couldn't even find it on the website to share a link to it in this post.

What's new on my Zulily wishlist today?

1.  Norpro Ice Cream Sandwich Maker - $7.49 (Originally $11)

2.  Norpro Silicone Ice Pop Maker Set - $8.99 (Originally $14)

3.  'All You Need Is Love' Scrabble Tile Canvas Art - $17.99 (Originally $44)

4.  Yellow Polka Dot Cornhusk Tote - $12.99 (Originally $25)

5.  Silver 'Love' Beaded Leather Cord Bracelet - $16.99 (Originally $38)

6.  Boyz Wear Green & Navy Surf Shorts Set - Boys - $14.99 (Originally $40)

7.  Nannette White Floral Patch Tee Set - Infant, Toddler & Girls - $14.99 (Originally $40)

8.  Matte Black & Lime Green Sbyke - $172.99 (Originally $250)


If you haven't already, be sure to checkout my post "6 Tips for Shopping on Zulily"!  What's on your weekend wishlist from Zulily or somewhere else?

Words to Live By (No. 3): Before You Speak . . . THINK

At first glance, this piece of wall art seemed plain and ordinary to me.  After I read it, however, I realized that it embodies much of what I would like to teach my children about being a person in this world.  They may think that words cannot hurt, but they can.  They also may think that the words from one little person cannot make any impact in this world, but that is not true at all.

The fact is that these words go beyond the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  It is saying to, not just avoid making a negative impact on someone else's day, but to make every effort to make a positive one.  I know my 6 year old daughter has experienced the wonderful feeling of offering comfort, reassurance, and kindness through her words multiple times and I hope her brothers will too someday soon.    I know that our daughter has inspired me to choose my words more carefully and to try to show more kindness to others, even though it is my natural instinct to not get involved in other people's affairs.

Has anyone in your life inspired you to be more kind, inspiring, and helpful?


For further inspiration, read more Words to Live By.

Turn Your Child's Name into Wall Art, a Personalized Placemat, and Much More

Thank you to NameArt.com for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Whether you are decorating a newborn's nursery or looking for a unique gift for an older child, the personalized name art gifts at PersonalizedGifts.net will surely give you inspiration.  This site offers gifts, such as posters, prints, name bars, placemats, bookmarks, and more that are personalized with the name art that you design.

I very much liked the look of the wooden Personalized Name Plaques.  We do not have much empty wall space left in our children's room, but these name bars do not take up much space.  They can also sit on a desk or a shelf.  Someday, when we move to a larger house and each child has their own room, I can see these name bars hanging on each of their doors.

Our children are 6, 6, and 9, so I was able to let them customize their own name bars.  There were just a few easy steps to follow . . .

1.  Enter the child's name as you would like it to appear on the product.

2.  Choose a theme for the letters.  You can try out one or all the themes to see which one you like the best.

3.  Once you've chosen a theme, you can choose between two different letter styles within that them.

4.  Next, you can customize each letter one at a time by choosing between two versions of that letter and then by going on to customize the colors for that letter.

That's how easy it was!  All 3 of my children created something different.  Our youngest son, Luke, tried the Teddy Bears theme first, but ultimately ended up with the dragon theme.  He decided to make the first two letters in his name red and the last two blue.  Our daughter was sure she wanted her name done in the Fairies theme, but ended up liking the Mermaid theme the best.  She changed the hair and tail color of each mermaid, being very careful to make each mermaid look different from the ones on either side of her.  Our oldest son, Jake, tried the robots first, but then opted for the dragons as well.  The default color for the dragons theme is red and he decided to keep the color as is.  He did change the letter styles so that they all included dragons with baby dragon eggs.  I have to agree that the red is just stunning in the dragon theme.

The Name Art name bars each come with a black wooden easel so they can be prominently displayed.  If you choose to hang the name bar up, you will need to nail a hanger to the back, which is not included.  Each name bar retails for $26.75 regardless of the length of the name.  Visit www.PersonalizedGifts.net to view their full selection of personalized name art gifts.

The winner for this contest will receive their choice of one of the following . . . 

• Personalized Poster
• Personalized Placemat
• Personalized Fine Art Print
• Personalized Name Plaque

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

Words to Live By (List No. 2)

I came across a few inspirational quotes about courage I would like to share.  These are all things I would say to my own children (if they'd only slow down and really listen to me).  My list today is short, but the last words of wisdom is quite long.  It is a different take on the concept of house rules.  Instead of concentrating on what those living in the house should not do, it lists out what they should do, thus putting a more positive spin on it.

The first quote, which says "Courage does not always roar.  Sometimes it's the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"  This is something I would love for my children to learn.  Courage is often thought of as strong, bold, and obvious, but that is not always the case.  Even the smallest, quietest child can be strong and filled with more courage than an adult 10 times their size who can bellow loudly.

"You are far too smart to be the one thing standing in your way."

"Make today amazing.  Say I love you . . . then say it again.  Keep an open mind.  Keep an open heart.  Failure is not fatal, try again.  Embrace different.  Try something new.  Be grateful.  Be happy.  Be fearless.  Apologize and mean it.  The book is always better, read one.  Remember how much we love you."

For further inspiration, read more Words to Live By.

Words to Live By (List No. 1)

When I was younger, I thought inspirational quotes were a little corny and just something employers would hang on the walls around the office.  Now that I'm almost 40 . . . well, I do still think many of them are corny, but I can also see the wisdom behind some of them.  As a parent, I read these messages and hope that someday my children will be this wise.  I also hope that it doesn't take them 39.5 years to appreciate the meaning behind them.

As I come across words that speak to me, I will be sharing them and hopefully there will be one or two that will speak to you.  The one above that reads "Collect moments, not things" is my favorite from this list.  Which one is your favorite?

"Believe you can and you're half the way there."

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want.  And all that is left is compromise." - Robert Fritz

"Breathe in the future, breathe out the past."

"Small acts transform the world."

For further inspiration, read more Words to Live By.

Shop 'n' Share: Bought the Perfect Mother's Day Gift for My Mother-in-Law on Rue La La

Recently, I've been discovering the wonderful world of opportunity deals shopping sites.  I actually had registered on Rue La La when the site first launched quite awhile ago.  I remember receiving an email invitation, so I thought "Why not?".  I never really took the time to look around until recently.  With Mother's Day coming up, I was searching out unique gifts for both my own mother and my mother-in-law.

Like many other opportunity shopping sites, Rue La La offers several categorized sale events that will last a few days.  Each event even has a countdown clock, so you know how long (hours or days) you have to make a buying decision.  There is usually some type of deal for shipping too.  On this site, you just pay $9.95 for shipping once every 30 days.  So after this order, I got free shipping on everything for 30 days!  (Yes, this could be dangerous.)

I was truly stumped for a gift to get my mother-in-law this year.  I think, if there is something she really wants or needs, that she would just go out and buy it for herself.  There's always the old restaurant gift card standby gift, but we've turned to that option so many times.  Then I saw that Rue La La was having an "Outfit the Beach House" Sales Event.  My MIL lives by the beach and I think it is one of her true loves.  So I started browsing and found this Sandy Toes & Salty Kisses wall art by Michael Dexter.  I thought it would be the perfect thing to hang in a home near the beach occupied by two empty nesters.  I was able to ship the gift directly to my mother-in-law's house and was also able to include a gift message.  Gift wrapping is not available on this site, but I don't usually opt for that anyways unless I'm purchasing a gift for someone who is just an acquaintance.

I guess what I love about shopping on opportunity sites is you just never know what you'll find!

P.S.  I actually shopped on this site with my mobile phone.  Overall, I prefer to shop opportunity sites on my computer.  There is always so much to see and it is just too time-consuming to browse the items in a single column.

I made this purchase with my own funds and did not receive compensation from this retailer to share about my shopping experience with my readers.

A Stunning Photo Canvas Portrait of Our Children by Canvas Memoirs

Last year, we had a really difficult time photographing our children for our Holiday cards.  After much frustration all around and about 70 clicks of the camera, we ended up with 2 usable group photos.  One of them turned out to be one of the best photos I have ever seen of our children together.  It was taken by my husband who must have worked his magic on them somehow.  I think only he can make them smile like that in unison.  So, when Canvas Memoirs invited us to try out their services, I knew right away that I wanted to have this group portrait transformed into a photo canvas.

I have to say that, when I unboxed the 20x30" gallery wrapped photo canvas, it took my breath away.  I think if someone had presented this to me as a birthday or Mother's Day gift, I would have been in tears because it was such a stunning representation of our children.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

If you take a look at the photo above, the printing is such high quality that it captured even the smallest freckle on our son's face.

What I was most impressed about with Canvas Memoirs, aside from the print quality, is that an actual person checks your order.  This is something that I have found not to be the case with many photo gift services.  Canvas Memoirs will make recommendations based on your particular photo and product ordered.  For example, since my photo did not have much room around the edges, they recommended that I use a mirror or blurred mirror edge instead of trying to have my photo continue around the sides.  I opted for the blurred mirror edge and am extremely happy with how naturally it blends in on the canvas.  Canvas Memoirs also offers free touch ups and other photo enhancements.

There are currently 27 different size and shape options available on Canvas Memoirs.  Each of those are available as a rolled canvas, a .75" gallery wrapped canvas, or a 1.5" gallery wrapped canvas, which was what I had opted for.

I love this photo canvas so much and can be confident that it will not deteriorate anytime soon because it has been coated to make it waterproof, scratch-resistant, and UV-resistant.  I hope to have this canvas hanging in our home even after our children have grown up and have started families of their own.  I will always cherish it.

To learn more about Canvas Memoirs, visit www.CanvasMemoirs.com.  Currently, you can take advantage of their 50% off promotion and their $14.95 flat rate shipping or free shipping on orders over $150!  The 20"x30" gallery wrapped canvas I received would cost just $58 (not including shipping) with this promotion.  Mother's Day is coming up in just 2 months and then Father's Day right after that.  Personally, I would love a few smaller gallery wrapped canvases that could sit on the shelves currently hanging on my living room wall mixed in with a few of my other favorite things.


Thank you to Canvas Memoirs for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a gift certificate for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Good luck in the drawing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Show Off Your Favorite Photos with a MailPix Wrapped Photo Canvas

I have pictures of my children hanging all around our home, including a few large poster prints, but the one photo canvas I have made from a picture I took of my husband and our now nearly 9 year old son when he was just 3 is my absolute favorite.  There is just something about putting a photo on canvas that makes it seem more timeless.

Since I recently took photos of our children for our Holiday cards, I thought the photo of the 3 children together would look beautiful on canvas.  Because I wanted to adhere to spending about $100, I tried the photo out for size on a 20" x 24" MailPix canvas.  As you can see below, if you shoot your photos with a D-SLR that usually takes photos that are less boxy, this size canvas will cut off quite a bit of your photo.

(Click any image to enlarge)

When I tried the photo out on the 20" x 30" canvas, it looked perfect.  However, it was out of my budget, so I decided to use their individual portraits to make a set of 3 8" x 10" canvases.

Using the MailPix software to position and size my photos was extremely easy.  I did find it a bit odd that I could not look at the portrait in a format that was not landscape.  I actually had to tip my laptop sideways to be sure I had each photo centered properly.

Our 3 canvases arrived extremely well-packaged.  All 3 were perfect!  I am extremely happy with how the canvases kept the details, colors, and lighting of my original photos.  These canvases are wrapped around a wooden frame and neatly stapled on the back.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Below you can see how the image wraps around the sides of the frame and around to the back.  That is why it is so important to follow the guidelines when positioning your photo during the ordering process.

Since my husband had just moved into a new office, he was so proud to hang these three canvas portraits on his wall.  I had always pictured them hung three across, but he chose to hang them vertically, which fits the space much better.  He said that everyone at work made remarks about how great the portraits look.  It is hard to believe that they only cost $35 each to make.

MailPix offers 6 different sizes in photos on canvas.  In addition to these, they also offer other photo gifts, such as photo books, ornaments, calendars, bags, glass cutting boards, jigsaw puzzles, fleece blankets, and much more.  Right in time for the Holiday, when you register on MailPix, you receive 100 4" x 6" prints for free!  After you register, be sure to stop by the MailPix Deals page to see what special promotions are currently being offered!

Thank you to MailPix for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.

A Note to 3G2S Readers:  In the spirit of the Holidays, you can earn an extra entry by liking the non-profit food pantry that I have identified as needing some fans on Facebook.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

WallPops! Vinyl Decals Wall Art Kits

WallPops is an online retailer that features fun, romantic, contemporary, retro, and many more differently themed wall décor stickers. We were fortunate enough for WallPops to send us their Love Birds wall art kit to use in our home and offer our opinion about. I’ve reviewed a wall saying in the past and loved it, so was thrilled to try another wall sticker.

We’ve been having an issue finding a decoration that goes well behind our TV, so that was my initial thought upon seeing the Love Birds online. When it came, I was thrilled that it would work perfectly for that open space.

Love Birds features a beige-ish background and the tree and birds are white, so it will match just about any room décor. It is designed to look like you’re looking through a window, and thus comes in four repositionable pieces. To get it straight, we had to position and reposition several times and it stuck just as well the last time as the first and left no sticky residue. It is thick and well-made, not likely to wear out any time soon. I really love the way it looks and what it adds to our room. We’ve gotten many comments from people about how nice it is, and I am thrilled to have it.

WallPops can be found at www.wall-pops.com in many sizes, styles, and themes. The Love Birds set sells for $31.99.

Thank you to WallPops! for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive one WallPops! product of their choice (excluding Fathead and Euro Wall Decals).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of wall decals offered by WallPops!. Then leave a comment telling me the name of the item you would choose to receive if you won this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Facebook profile.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, follow WallPops on Twitter and/or "Like" WallPops on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


5)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

7)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 17th, 2011 at 10:00pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Mini Room Makeover with My Wonderful Walls

If I were wealthy, I would probably redecorate a different room in the house once a month.  Since I have to live in the real world and must live within a budget, I find less costly ways to give our home mini makeovers now and then by changing some throw pillows, an area rug, or wall art.  My Wonderful Walls is an excellent resource for adding new life to your walls if you have children in your household.

My Wonderful Walls offers wall stickers, wall stencils, and customizable wall art that is perfect for nursery decor or children's bedrooms and playrooms.  Since we live in a townhouse, there is not enough space to discern which parts of the house are child-friendly and which are not.  We do not have a separate playroom for the children and they have pretty much taken over the living room.  That is why I thought it could not hurt to add a little whimsy to our dining area, which is adjacent to the living room.

This is our dining area BEFORE the mini makeover . . . 

Of all the products offered by My Wonderful Walls, my husband and I liked the Garden Tree Wall Stickers the best.  To prep the walls, we only had wipe them down with cold water and let them dry completely.  Having used wall decals before in other rooms, we were prepared to have two people to apply this wall sticker.  With this wall sticker being so large and the branches looking so intricate, we thought it would be tricky to apply the tree all in once piece.  We were so pleasantly surprised!  Instead of having problems with the curved branches sticking to the wrong places or to each other, we found this wall sticker to be incredibly easy to manage.  It was repositionable and, if two tacky parts happened to come together, we could peel them apart without damaging the sticker.


Take a minute to see how simple it actually is to apply wall stickers by My Wonderful Walls . . . 

Other than how easy to manage the wall stickers are, I also love the quality of the decals.  We had no problems with any of the stickers tearing.  I also like the look of pressed paper each decal has, giving the entire display a more handcrafted feel.  The decals adhere to the wall beautifully and you have to really take a close look to figure out if it is in fact a decal or stenciled wall art.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

For the rest of the room, I had my children create some coordinating framed kids art.  (You can find the instructions here.)  I also picked up some silk flowers and ribbon at A.C. Moore to change the look of our vase and napkin basket.

Here is our dining area AFTER our mini makeover . . . 

The Garden Tree Wall Sticker is also available with your choice of coordinating birds or butterflies.  We chose the birds because we thought they would be more fitting all year round.  Our tree is in the Turquoise, but you can also choose from Lavender, White, or Pink flowers and accents.

You can view all products available from My Wonderful Walls by visiting MyWonderfulWalls.com, My Wall Stencils, and My Wall Stickers on Etsy.  Through August 31st, 2011, save 15% off your entire purchase when you checkout using Code: 3G2S on MyWonderfulWalls.com.


Thank you to My Wonderful Walls for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a gift code for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $75 gift code to shop from My Wonderful Walls.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of wall decor offered by My Wonderful Walls. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one product you might like to use your gift code towards if you won this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 1 extra entry, subscribe to the My Wonderful Walls YouTube Channel. Then come back here and leave a separate comment with your YouTube username.

4)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow My Wonderful Walls on Twitter and/or "Like" My Wonderful Walls on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, August 29th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!