It’s probably no surprise that the month following gift giving holidays is National Thank You Month! I remember my mother making me sit down and write out thank you notes every year after Christmas and before I went back to school. It’s becoming a bit of a lost art and one that I’ve regrettably not (yet) passed on to my own children. So it’s Pinterest to the rescue for some “pinteresting” ideas for saying thank you in January and all year ’round.

Fun for holiday thank you notes:

 

Lots of variations on this theme on Wedding boards:

 

For the Hollywood buffs:

 

These are super cute:

 

Unique idea for baby shower thank-yous:

 

Useful for the Pre-K set:

 

And useful for the beginning writers:

 

Gratitude is beautiful in any language:

 

Save postage with thank you postcards:

 

Teachers love notes of appreciation & these are perfect for the task:

 

Flattery will get you everywhere:

 

For the coffee aficionado:

 

What are some of your favorite ways to say ‘thank you’?

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Not that I don’t have extreme fondness for other holidays, I’ve just always been rather partial to Halloween. Maybe it’s because that was the one time of year, as a kid, that I could indulge in candy (my mom was a stickler about sweets in the house). Maybe it’s because Autumn is my very favorite season. Whatever the reason, I always start getting very excited around the first of September. It’s the time when I head into my basement and pull-out my fall decorations.

Over the years I’ve accumulated some perennial favorites that I always enjoy setting out again and again. It’s like greeting an old friend after not seeing them for awhile. You reminisce on times gone by and they fit back into your life as if they’ve always been there.

Besides decorating my own home, another pleasure is seeing what others do to mark the holiday. And this year, I’ve loved seeing what our One2One Network members have going on in their homes!

• Over at Fuzzy Sheep Crafts, you’ll find two, very simple tutorials to add a warm, non-decomposing, jack-o-lantern glow to your home, inside and out!
• The Sevin Family knows how to make spooky yet classy Halloween decorations from $1 store finds!
• Missy of Marvelously Messy creates a new Halloween Scene each year in her front yard! So creative!
• And check out the spook-i-fied bushes at Homemade Mom’s place!

What’s your favorite way to add a bit of Halloween flair to your home?

iPad envy

I will admit when I saw some ladies at Type A Mom Conference with iPads I got a little jealous.  I’ve been a MAC convert for all of 6 months and now don’t know what I did before I switched.

Wait now I remember.  I watched my PC crash a lot!

What makes the iPad even more appealing is how you can dress it up.  There are some “fancy duds” out there for them to wear!

Keep it cute, keep it safe

I love pink and was immediately drawn to this fancy cover.  This would dress it up nicely don’t you think?  Available at Amazon.com.

Of course if pretty is not your thing, then go with the whimsical. This etch-a-sketch case made me laugh, and then click to see where I could get one….you know, for when if I get an iPad.  Available at GetaHeadCase.com.

Of course this looks more like me.  No need for cute.  I have stuff to carry.  TONS of stuff!  Love the setup of the M-Edge cover to keep all your essentials together.  More practical and as much as you spend on the iPad, cute is great but I’d stick with functionalities!

Do you have iPad envy?  Or if you own one, what cases / covers are you drooling over?

Seems like everyone is looking for ways to be more “green” these day! It’s a wonderful trend that hopefully is here to stay. A great place to start your eco-friendly transitions is in your home. And by using your own flair and creativity, you can find many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle around the house.

Our members are certainly are riding this green wave and they have great ideas to share!

Nikki of Frugal Green Living is great resource. We were especially thrilled to find this post about composting. It seems that composting goes beyond just fruit and vegetable peels. Did you know you can compost pet hair? Dryer lint? Latex balloons? Go check out her comprehensive list of things from your home and yard that can be composted!

Going from home to school or work often means packing a lunch. These days it’s all the rage to find ways to pack a “litterless” lunch. Gina of MoneywiseMoms breaks it down for us and makes it all look so easy!

In my own home, we’re taking baby steps towards reducing the amount of plastic and paper products that we use. I’ve found that using cloth napkins is not only more eco-friendly, it’s also an innovative way to show off my own unique style. Finding napkins that compliment your decor, celebrate seasons or just even add a splash of color to your table brings a “green” flair to your home.

How do you make your home more eco-friendly using your own joie de vivre?

Has your family been busy this summer?  I know mine has, and from the looks of it, yous has too!   Our One2One bloggers are busy planning something fun and creative!  From baby showers to birthday parties to school events, to play dates, moms are always creating memories.

Lisa at My Thought, Ideas, and Ramblings gives us some creative ideas for Planning a unique baby shower.  Number 1 has me convinced we are kindred spirits.

“1.  Google is your friend.  If you are looking for a themed shower, it will definitely help you find the supplies you are looking for.  You can cross check prices fairly easy too.”

Looking for a fun activity for your Labor Day get together?  Janelle @ Brimful Curiosities has listed some fun craft contests for kids to enter including one for Lands’ End Every Tee Tells A Story Art Contest -Kids submit a drawing based on the theme of “Arctic Exploration”.

For every entry received, Lands’ End will donate $1 to fund art-related classroom projects at public schools throughout the nation via its partnership with DonorsChoose.org – up to $10,000. Great idea and great organization!

And who doesn’t love birthdays?  Preparing for a child’s first birthday party is always an experience!  Andrea from Adventures in All Things Food planned a fabulous party for one fairy princess!  Happy first birthday!  Take a look; isn’t she adorable!  Now I want a cupcake!

Keep busy and let us know what fun events or parties you have in the works!  We’d love to showcase you!

Whether they are keeping up with their schoolwork or making the home more organized these moms are on the ball when it comes to back to school

See what Monica at Pea Pod Squad came up with to organize those triplets!

“I created this chart that shows the expected morning routine. I just stuck it in a frame so I can either stand it on a surface or hang it on a wall (it’s going right outside their bathroom door). I included words and pictures, so they can “read” it on their own. And the best part?”

It works. Brilliantly.

Simple Kids has advice for keeping it…well…simple.

“Be Realistic

It is good to have a goal in mind of where you would like to be eventually, but create a schedule based on the way things are at this moment in time. Do what will work for your family the way things are right now.”

Liz at Hoosier Homemade tackles it all with the Power of 3

“I simply give each of the boys (18,16 & 12) and my husband 3 things each day to do. Simple…huh? Not quite sure why I didn’t think of it before.”

Have any tips for keeping organized?  Bloggers, you are amazing and the advice you give is helping so many!

Enjoy that free time that back to school brings!

The blogging community is getting ready for another blogging conference, this August, Blogher in New York City!  Many cities are holding their own Pre-Conference meetups so people can meet and chat about what to wear, what to bring and which sessions (and parties) are the must hit this year.

Renee of Cutie Booty Cakes attended the Atlanta meetup at the Kirkwood Public House.  And for those of you who are still waiting for your conference badges she has given us a sneak peek at hers!

There is help online too! There is even a Pre-Blogher twitter party tonight with Tara @unexperiencedmom (the original conference newbie!)  Are you getting ready for the Blogher fun?  Or will you be watching twitter streams from the sidelines?