A Merry Happy Unbirthday to You! (a giveaway)

I am so excited to finally be posting this giveaway! I have been trying to get it planned for a while and was actually supposed to post it yesterday. But, I have been feeling... well, not great (as you may have guessed from the serious lack of blog posts).

This giveaway is all about Alice in Wonderland and a Merry Happy Unbirthday! I thought it would be a great way to have some fun before the craziness of the holidays hits. Also, maybe you will find some great shops that you will just have to do some Christmas shopping from. I know I have!


The Noisy Butterfly has gorgeous jewelry that is right up my alley.

Raquel's watch/locket necklace is for the white rabbit, who, as we all know, is late for a very important date.

Bauble Boxes has lots of decorated wooden boxes that are perfect for any occassion. 

This is what the creator, Camille, had to say about this special box:

"Wonderland was a magical place where the flowers grew in all beautiful colors, this box represents the flowers of wonderland. May it take you into your own wonderland, where you can store things you find along the way... perhaps a magic potion?!"

The next fun shop is Designs by Jamie Irene. 

Jamie creates stationary and wall art. This piece reminds us of the love of learning and wonder that Alice had. If you remember, her adventures all began with a story.

CoonsKreations has lots of cozies for all of those delish hot drinks.

Melissa says this about the above cozy: 

"This little mug sleeve is the perfect addition to your morning cup of coffee or tea! Hand-crocheted with a soft peach-covered yarn, this cozy features a cute quote by Alice in Wonderland to mull over while enjoying your brew. Check out my shop - CoonsKreations - to see more whimsical items similar to this."

Prints for Events has custom stationary and decor. 

A birthday banner is perfect for celebrating your own little unbirthday or real birthday! 

Be sure to enter the giveaway below! There will be five different winners so there is a chance it could be you! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


as always,
love,

Little Monster Craft

I love crafting with little ones! They are so imaginative.

For another Halloween craft I decided we would make monsters. The oldest girl I watch loves Halloween so the Halloween crafts have been right up her alley.

I gathered wooden blocks, glitter glue, sparkly piper cleaners, googly eyes, and other random fun things. Then I let her little mind go! She made the cutest monster. I had to share it with you.

love,

as always,

Great Blogger Opportunity!

If you want more attention for your blog but don't want to spend money I have the solution for you! 

I will be doing a big giveaway with lots of Etsy shop owners. The giveaway will be on October 28th. You do not have to spend a single penny. All you need to do is post the giveaway on your blog on Monday, October 28th. For anyone willing to do that I will include any links to bloglovin, GFC, facebook, and anything else on rafflecopter. There is no limit! Just send me your links and post the giveaway! It's as easy as that. :)

The theme will be Alice in Wonderland/A Merry Happy Unbirthday. I am so excited about this because I am a huge Alice fan! 

If you are interested please email me at maddierosedoodles@gmail.com . Oh, and don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to answer any questions and welcome blogs of all sizes. Thanks!

love,

as always

Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchies Review

If you saw my post, 10 Fall Recipes to try you probably noticed all of the delish treats that I will be making and reviewing. I know how it is to find recipes online and just not be sure if they are worth trying or not. Well, I have a great one for you. Yes, you should jump out of your chair. Yes, you should run to the car. Yes, you do need to go get the ingredients right this minute; because I do have a wonderful recipe for you! 

I found the recipe for pumpkin oatmeal scotchies on Pinterest. It originally comes from Just a Pinch. I had never seen the site but thought I had to try to recipe. If I didn't test them to find out what they were really worth who would?

Do I have you convinced that you need to try them yet? If not, I will continue. If so, get to it my friends! :) When these cookies come out of the oven the butterscotch chips literally melt in your mouth. The flavor of the butterscotch with the oatmeal and pumpkin are absolutely wonderful. I even made them twice in one week because they were so good. Some might say that's crazy but I say it's brilliant!

love,

as always,

Five Current Awesome Deals

I love to shop but not just anything. I am definitely a bargain hunter. Here are five great things that I am loving right now. I hope you enjoy!

1. The Dating Divas are offering 25% off to the Pinners Conference. I am super excited about this! I don't know what deal could beat it to be honest.

2. Pick Your Plum has washi tape for $1.50 a roll! I have never seen washi tape for such a great price. 

3. Groupon has these darling loafers for $13.99 each! They look so cute and comfortable. Oh, did I mention that they are normally $50. I would say that's a pretty good deal!

4. Zulily has Angelina from the Kevin Henkes books. He is one of my favorite authors and Angelina is just too cute.

5. American Eagle has my favorite pants on sale. I love their jeggings in xtra long. They are actually long enough for my crazy long legs. They are the most comfortable pants ever too! This pair is an awesome rust color. Oh, they are 40% off with free shipping (all items are) until Monday. 

love, 

as always,

Kids' Halloween Magnets (a tutorial)

Did you know that Michael’s has darling Halloween cutouts for like 30 cents each? Seriously, they are so cute and could be used for so many projects.

I just had to get some. I decided that the girls I watch and I would make some magnets with them. It’s really easy.

 All you need is:

 any various colors of paint
wood glue
circle magnets
permanent markers
sponge paint
brushes
paper plates, paper towels, and wipes (for easy clean up)



                                     


 First, I gave both of the girls a plate with paint on it. I told them not to mix the colors because it wouldn’t make their projects very pretty. So, what did they do? They mixed them. It was fine when at first they thought it was pretty that they were painting with a dark gray. But, when they figured out they wanted purple, orange, green, and black it wasn’t so great. I then I had to give them each another plate. I decided on the second plate they would not get black. It wasn’t really a punishment as much as that I just wanted them to be happy with their results. Oh, by the way, you should probably know that one of the girls who I watch is a perfectionist. They are both very sweet but if they oldest doesn’t make things look perfect she gets very upset.

 Once that little learning experience was over it got much better. We even turned it into a two day project by shopping, painting, and gluing the first day. Then we let everything dry. The next day we drew on them with permanent markers. It was so fun to see the designs and things that they came up with.




 love,
 as always,
 

October Daily: That one day I almost went without sugar.

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 I do have a confession to make. Yes, I love sugar. 

You see. as part of the October Daily I was supposed to choose something to go without. I told my husband that I wanted to go without my phone. It would be weird to not have it but I could survive. He told me, however, that he needed to be able to talk to me. So I couldn't do that. 

I decided I would go without sugar. Around noon I started to realize what a really stupid idea it was.  I was going to try to stick with it though. At dinner I had a bread bowl with soup. That seemed pretty healthy and tasty. This is when I made my mistake though. 

Without thinking about it I put butter and homemade jam that my friend made on the top. That is the top taken out of the bowl not the top of the soup. I couldn't just let it sit there. Of course I had to eat it. I did. That is when my day without sugar ended. I guess you can decide if that counts or not. I do love sugar but I'm pretty sure that if I actually had a good reason for going without it I could do it. I really don't want to though.

love,

as always,

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October Daily: Childhood Memories

A few memories from childhood...

You might think that I'm freezing because of the way that I'm dressed. This was actually when my family lived in Arizona. It was in the middle of summer. A girl pays a certain price for fashion, right?

Growing up my mom's family went to San Carlos, Mexico every couple of years. The little girls got to learn how to hula dance and then perform.

Sandy, a cockier spaniel,  was my first dog. I got him for Christmas one year. That must have been when my love for dogs began. Oh, I should also mention that he was named after the dog in Annie. :)

love, 

as always,

Molasses Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

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These are the Molasses Pumpkin cookies that I said I wanted to try in this post. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed!

I'm not sure about the pumpkin kisses by themselves but with the molasses cookies they are perfect! I definitely recommend trying this recipe. You can find them at The Diary of Dave's Wife.

I will be making these again. The only thing that I would change is to make more dough. The cookies were pretty small so if you make more dough they can be a great cookie size. But, they were delish in every way! :) 

love,

as always,

Blogtober: Blogging Experience

I started actually blogging like a month and a half ago so I feel like I have no experience to even talk about. I have learned a few things though. 

First, I didn't realize how serious some people really are about blogging. Before actually starting my own personal blog had used blogger. That was only for school related things though. I had a blog for various classes. I also knew bloggers like Six Sisters, I Heart Naptime, and other really awesome blogs like those. But, I still didn't understand. When I attended my first blogger party I then began to understand. Still, I feel like I am still just dipping my toes into it all.

Second, I may not be the biggest blogger. I can only do what I can do. But, if I take small steps at a time working on my potential I just might be something great. To me, it matters a lot more that I have my own creative space. It is also important, to me, that I enjoy it more than having the blog with the most views.

Third, I can learn a lot from other bloggers. I am inspired nearly every day from something that I find on another blog. A lot of times I find bloggers that I would love to be like. Sometimes I even feel like this...

I have a lot to learn but I'm thankful for what I have learned so far. :)

love,

as always,

Award from Madi from and So I Did! :)

I was nominated by Madi at and So I Did  for the Liebster Award! I actually got paired up with Madi for the Cara Box and I have already enjoyed getting to know her. She is real, funny, and pretty! :)

Since I already did this once and partly a second time I'm not going to do it all again. But, I want answer her questions.

Here we go!

1. What is your favorite season?

Fall! I love, love, love fall! I love the smells, the changing leaves, the beginning of the holidays, the cozy sweaters, and all the rest. 

2. What is your favorite breakfast food?
I would have to say french toast topped with fruit and syrup.

3. What would you eat for your last meal?
I had a grilled cheese panini sandwich and salad.

4. What is your favorite team and what sport do they play?
Umm... The only sports that I have ever really watched were the ones my brothers play.

5. Describe your style...

Bohemian Chic? I'm not sure exactly but that's probably the closest.

6. What is your favorite animal?
I love all animals. My favorite is probably a giraffe though. My family always talks about how I'm like a giraffe because I'm so tall. I also just like them though.

7. What is your best personality trait?
I don't know. I asked my husband and he said my silliness. I guess that works! :)

8. What is a hidden talent/skill that you have?
Hmm... I'm not really sure that I have any hidden talents or skills. Maybe I do and it's just so hidden that even I don't realize it. Something that not a lot of people know is that I have started to upcycle clothes and love it. I love taking something that I'm getting sick of it and changing it to make something new and cute that's just my style. 

9. What is your favorite physical trait in the opposite sex?
I would probably have to say height and eyes as far as appearance goes. 

10. What's your favorite physical trait in yourself?
I have started to really like being tall. Now that I'm married it's not a problem. I also like my hair color.


love, 
as always,

Brave

It's day 2 of the October Daily! Feel free to take a look and find out more at Secret Obsession Blog. :)

For the second day I am supposed to share a song and lyrics with you. Lately my very favorite song that I love to turn up the radio and sing and dance to is Brave. It inspires me to accomplish the things that I want to. Take a listen here:

love, 

as always,

Liebster Award #2!

Okay, so, I was looking at blogs while I was supposed to be studying for my math test. Yes, I am guilty. :/

I found out that I was nominated again for another Liebster Award! I'm not trying to be rude by saying this I just felt honored! Thank you, Jen at Morning Coffee Confessions! I'm not going to go through the whole thing again. But, I will answer her questions for those who would like to read them.

1. When you looked at your self in the mirror this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

I have no doubt that the first thing to cross my mind was something about how crazy my hair was. My hair is absolutely crazy every morning. It still never ceases to amaze me.

2. What did the last text message you received on your phone say?

It was a thank you from the lady who I nanny for because she asked me to stay later tomorrow and I said, "Of course!" :)


3. What's your life motto?

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you."

It's just a quote that I found a long time ago and really liked. It just stuck; plus, it's true.


4. If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be?

Hawaii! No question about it! :)


5. What's the best route to your heart?

Diet Coke and bakery sweets! :)

Also, being darling with animals and kids.


6. What do your friends and/or family think about your blog?

My sweet husband supports it because he knows that it makes me happy. That's all that I know. :)


7. When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

ha ha ha... When I was little I wanted to be three things: a witch, a mermaid, and a missionary. I'm pretty sure that was when I was so little that I thought growing up was like dressing up.

Once I actually understood what being something as a grown up meant a little more I wanted to be an artist. I never wanted to be anything else. I still would love to do that but it has become more of a hobby.

8. Did you have any resolutions this year? What were they?

Not really. I'm not very good with that. But, I did have a goal to have this entire year be better than the first half - three fourths of last year. I would say I have definitely succeeded! :)

9. Do you have a day job? If so, what do you do?

I sure do! I'm a nanny. I nanny one family with two girls and one boy and another family with three boys. I love kids. :)

10. Something that you learned recently.

I wish there was more time. I always want to get more done in a day than I possibly can. That's especially true when it comes to creating things, being with awesome people, and just doing what makes me happy. :)

New Name, Layout, and Why I Blog

Lately I have been getting really sick of my blog. I just started it and as you may know, I do not do well with routine at all. I always need excitement and change. Because I was feeling this way I decided that things must change! I am far too busy and don't really want to start any kind of business around my blog. My blog is simply me.

I like chevron but is it me? Not really. I am much more of a floral and lace girl. Now don't get confused, I am in no way high maintenance. But, pretty and elegant things do make me smile. 

That is the first reason why I blog! I just want another way to express myself. I believe self expression is very important. 

I will share four other reasons why I blog. That is a total of five! I found this post idea on She Turned Her Dreams into Plans and decided to tag along! Be sure to check out this fellow red head's blog. :)

Here are my other reasons:

2. I have been trying to focus on the good in life. I know that it isn't always easy but it helps to put in the effort of seeing things in a good light. For years I have suffered from depression and anxiety. I still have my days (we all do). But, when I write about life and try to put a positive spin on things then I really am happier. 

illustration by Kristi Clarke

3. I want a way to help other people on Etsy and other places like that. Since I have a shop of my own I know how difficult it can be to find affordable advertising. Sometimes just advertising in itself can be difficult because there is only so much time. I hope to create a place where people can find shops that I personally love. It will give those shops can have a little extra help too.

4. I want to share my creative ideas with others! I am definitely a right brained person. I have creative ideas flowing in and out of my mind constantly. I just want to help others find their creative side and be inspired.

5. I want to get to know and learn from others. Every single person in this world is so different. We can all teach each other a lot. I hope to get to know and be inspired by others and vice versa.

love, 

as always,

P.S. The October Daily comes from Secret Obsession Blog.