It's time for a GIVEAWAY!!!

***Thank you to everybody who entered! The giveaway is now closed, and I'll be drawing a winner in the next day or two. Thanks for all your input on my Etsy shop, for all the new subscribers, and new followers!! I look forward to getting to know all of you! Check back on June 2nd to find out who won..... will it be you?***

**************************************************

Last time I did a giveaway on my blog was in celebration of my one year Etsy-versary. It was so much fun that I just have to do it again! Not only have I just passed the 200th sale mark, but tomorrow is my birthday, and Sew, Mama, Sew! is having their annual May Giveaway Day! I think it's meant to be!

First of all, if you've found my blog through Sew, Mama, Sew!, welcome!!! Thanks so much for stopping bye. If you're here because you're one of my readers, I highly encourage you to click *here* for a list of hundreds of other blogs that are also doing a giveaway right now. Spend a little while blog hopping, it's lots of fun!
Now, on to the good part.

Here is what you could win:


~One ribbon blankie, one pair of baby booties, and one pair of Sock Monkey socks~

I made these especially for you! First is a ribbon blankie, measuring about 8"x8":

There are 20 tags securely sewn in, with many different textures to keep baby busy! The top is Moda Sock Monkey print, and the back is ultra soft smooth red minky. Next is a coordinating set of
baby booties:

I have been wanting to try making some for the longest time, and this was the perfect opportunity! They are also made from the Moda Sock Monkey print, with thick soft red fleece on the inside. So cozy! I'm not sure about the size, but I'm guessing they would fit somewhere between 6-12 months old. The sole is about 4.5" long. Last but not least is one pair of original Rockford Red Heel
sock monkey socks:

These come with directions, so you can make your own sock monkey to go with the blankie and the booties. All you will need is a sewing machine, stuffing, and a needle and thread. It's a great project for beginners too!

There are a few ways to win.
Feel free to do one or all three.
Just make sure to leave a separate
comment for each way you enter.

(Please only do each thing one time,
for a maximum of three total entries).

1. Go to my Etsy shop, Treasures Under the Willow Tree, and find your favorite item. Come back here and leave me a comment, telling me why you like that item! You could also give me a suggestion for something else you'd like to see in my shop!

2. Subscribe to my feed!

3. Follow my blog! The link is in the righthand column, a little ways down the page.

*Please remember to leave your blog link or email address so I can contact you if you win!*

I will ship your prize anywhere! The contest will end at 10pm, Sunday, May 31st. I'll throw all the entries in a bag, shake it up really well, and let Kade draw one out. I'll notify the winner and post it here by Tuesday, June 2nd.

Good luck, and have fun!!!

************************************************************
In the mean time, here are some quick and easy tutorials
(not written by me) for each of the items I'm giving away! So, if you don't win, you can make your own :)

Ribbon Blankie:
Twiddler Tag Blankie Tutorial by Mama's Doodles
Baby Taggy Ribbon Blanket by Melissa Sews
Baby Booties:
Reversible Fabric Baby Shoes Tutorial by Bare Maked
Cloth Shoe Pattern by Stardustshoes
Sock Monkey:
How to Make a Sock Monkey at Supersockmonkey.com
Sock Monkey Tutorial by Web-Goddess

************************************************************

Vacationing at Home

Jer and I have this week off from work! It turns out to be the perfect week for it, too... it's been such a beautiful one! Instead of going on a vacation, we opted to stay at home and spend the week doing fun things together and relaxing. Here is our little itinerary:



Saturday: Kade had swimming lessons in the morning. He put his head under the water for the first time, so we took him to McD's playland to celebrate! After playing and having lunch, we went to the pet store and got some supplies for Po, and also got a new hermit crab to accompany our other two. The rest of the afternoon was spent with our little pets, re-arranging their homes, etc.

Sunday: After church, we went letterboxing! We went to a few different parks, had a picnic lunch, played on some awesome playgrounds, and found three new letterboxes.


Later that evening we had a movie night. We set up Kade's little tent in the living room, made up the futon for me and Jer, and watched movies! We ate pizza and had popcorn and ice cream. Jer and I fell asleep by midnight, but Kade kept going past 2 am!! Then he woke up bright and chipper the next morning at 7! Kade really got a kick out of the "no bedtime tonight" rule, and took full advantage of it.

Monday: We took Kade to his grandparent's house for the day, and he got to have a sleepover with them. Jer and I went to see Star Trek, and then treated ourselves to dinner at the Olive Garden. It was really nice to actually go on a date, just the two of us!

Tuesday: Kade got out of school at 11:45, and since it was cloudy and drizzling, we went home. Jer and Kade played Mario Kart Wii (Kade's favorite game) all day, with the goal of unlocking all the tracks, vehicles, and characters. I worked on a custom order. It's not done yet, but here is a sneak peek:


(Yes, I know it's odd looking! It's a character from a 1957 childrens book. Do you know which one?)

Wednesday: Every year we like to take a nice day trip over the mountains to Leavenworth. It was pouring rain when we left in the morning, but we ended up chasing the sun and found it again in Leavenworth, where it was sunny and warm all day! We ate crepes at our favorite restaurant, wandered dozens of fun little specialty shops, walked down to the park and explored an island, and lots more. Here are a few pictures from the day:


Thursday: After Kade got out of school, we had a picnic and played for a few hours at Lake Tye Park. The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent relaxing at home.

Friday (today): Kade is spending the day with one of his grandmas. I am going to help my sister redecorate her room, and Jer is going to hang out at home.

We have more planned for the weekend, but I'll share that after it happens! It is turning out to be a great week. It is so much less stressful than going on a big vacation somewhere and having to plan out plane tickets, hotels, packing, and spending tons of money! It's nice to just have a break. In July we have one more week of vacation that we're going to spend camping at Dosewallips State Park. Other than that, maybe a few camping trips here and there on the weekends.

Speaking of stuff that is coming up- it's almost my birthday! To celebrate, I'm going to host a giveaway on my blog!!!


It will start May 27th and will be open until the 31st. I'll be doing a special giveaway post on the starting day with more details, and you can also head over to May Giveaway Day on the 27th for your chance to win hundreds of other prizes from other bloggers! Go check it out!! :)

Classic Kade

Kade: "Mommy, you're so beautiful!!!"

Me: "aww, thanks, sweetie!"

Kade: "Um.. would it make you sad if I said that you're not beautiful?"

Me: "...maybe?...no?..."

Kade: "Well, I don't want to hurt your feelings, so yeah, you are beautiful. I just want you to be happy!"


Silly, honest, sweet guy! :0)