I'm a Knitter! WIPS

I'm a knitter now!

Well, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but I can knit and purl and follow a super-duper-simple pattern.

I am making this Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf and so far it looks like I know what I'm doing.  Already I think I'm doing a better job controlling the tension.  (Something that I had trouble with just last week.)  It is still rather slow work.  I can easily crochet a hat in an afternoon, but these mere inches of scarf have taken me a couple of afternoons.  That's alright though, I know speed with accuracy takes time.

I do have (another) question for all of you experienced knitters!  (And a big thank you to everyone who helped me out last week!)  I found this super easy method of casting on and since it seems so much easier than every other method I found online I was curious if it had any drawbacks.

I will be sharing this post at the following:

Frontier Dreams with Nicole

Work In Progress with Tami

Yarn Along with Ginny

$25 Target Gift Card FOUR WINNERS (Ends 11/3)

Black Friday – the Super Bowl of shopping – is only a few short weeks away, which means it’s time to start making your game plan now! Our friends at FatWallet are making it super easy for all of us this year with their Target Black Friday Deals page. Now you can see deals before they're released, so you can start planning your Black Friday shopping now. Your Strong Tower, Simply Sherryl, and a great group of bloggers are excited to be partnering up with FatWallet to bring you this Black Friday Target giveaway!

Four lucky fans will each win a $25 Target gift card!

 I  will be on the lookout for Christmas presents for my family this Black Friday, as well as possibly some new toys for my hubby! What will you be looking for?

FatWallet.com has everything you need to make sure your Black Friday shopping trip to Target is a smashing success! Did you know that you can already sneak a peek at Target’s Black Friday ad here? There are going to be some great toy coupons in the ad and if you’ve got a Target debit or credit card you can save an additional 5%. And be sure to download FatWallet’s Black Friday Mobile App, so you’ve got all the great deals at your fingertips this year!

Contest starts on Wednesday, October 30^th and ends on Sunday, November 3^rd. Open to US residents age 18 and up. The Philosopher's Wife is not responsible for prize shipment or fulfillment. Winners must respond to email notification within 48 hours; otherwise another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday: Soft Fabric . . .

Someecards.com  

Do you know the reference?  When I saw this one I literally laughed out loud! 

Share your own family friendly Wordless Wednesday posts!

10 November Themed Coloring Pages for Preschoolers

This post contains affiliate links. 

At time of posting these are all free printables.  Simply click through to get to the coloring pages.

Autumn Leaves
Fall Squirrel
Thanksgiving Turkey
Pilgrim and Indian Children Sharing Dinner
Pumpkin
Scarecrow
Horn of Plenty
Indian Teepees
Hello November Pilgrims
Give Thanks!

Here's a few BONUS November themed coloring pages for you! 

Basket of Apples Coloring Page

Raccoon

Squirrel  

Acorn 

Feel free to let me know about any broken links and I'll update this post accordingly!

7 Quick Takes

1. Pregnancy: one of the few (only?) times when the aftertaste of plain water makes you sick.

2. Pregnancy is also one of those times when you can have a freezer full of (normally delicious) food, a well stocked pantry, various fresh fruits and vegetables and everything you have is utterly disgusting and completely unappealing.

3. Well, the above was true until my hubby stopped at the store for me late last night after an extra long day at work for hummus and crackers.  (He's totally awesome!)  I am going to have delicious hummus for probably just about every meal today.

4. This "Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf" is going to be my first real knitting project.  (For those of you saying, "Wait, you knit?  Here I thought you crocheted." check out this post.  For those of you who thought knitting and crocheting were the same thing, I'm sorry, but you're very much mistaken.)  

5. I might be one of the only ones, but I am loving this cool weather!

6. My latest Netflix addiction is Haven.  It is loosely based on Stephen King's The Colorado Kid.  I'm
really enjoying it so far.  I must admit, despite being a somewhat voracious reader, I haven't read any of King's work.  I get creeped out more easily reading than I do when watching t.v. -- it's much easier to hide under a blanket during a show than it is to hide words on a page.

Source: Wikipedia

7. Does anyone else's kid enjoy Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood?  It's a cute enough show based on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.  But boy, oh boy, does it have some songs that become ear worms!  Unfortunately, they have a potty song . . .

This week the Quick Takes are being hosted over at Clan Donaldson.

Easy Canvas Prints Review

I received a free canvas print for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.  I'd like to say it goes without saying, but just in case it doesn't, these are my honest opinions which you may or may not share.  

Thanks to the digital age I have loads of pictures of my darling daughter but sadly very few in frames on the wall, so when Easy Canvas Prints contacted me to see if I was interested in doing a review I jumped at the chance!

I had no difficulty in deciding who would be the subject of my 8 x 10 canvas, but it did take me a little while to decide on an individual photo.  I (finally) chose one from our Reversible Headband photo shoot in the spring.

After I chose my photo it was very easy to order my canvas.  The website walks you through the process effortlessly -- it was seriously easy!

Shipping was a few days faster than quoted, which I was quite happy about!  The canvas had been taped into place in the box, however, at some point during transit it had become undone, so it was bouncing around a bit in the large box.  Despite this it did arrive in perfect condition.

The whole family loves the canvas!  (My daughter was tickled pink to see that it was a picture of her!)

Hangers were provided, but for now we have the photo sitting on the bookshelf in our living room.  (And yes, the books are out of numerical order.  And yes, it does annoy me.)

I'm Learning How to Knit! WIPS

Amazon links are my affiliate links.  Thank you for your support! 

So, I finally took the plunge.  I picked up a pair of knitting needles for the first time.  Getting used to having a tool in both hands was a little strange.  I pretty much googled my way through casting on, the knit stitch, and the purl stitch.  Other than rather messy edges (what's going on there?!?!) I think it's coming along pretty well, what do you think?

I really love the look of the stockinette--knit one row purl the next.

I think I'd like to pick up the Idiots Guide: Knitting, from what I can tell it appears to be a pretty comprehensive introduction.  Have any of you Wonderful Readers used this book?  Or do you have a different recommendation?

Also, does anyone have any "first pattern" recommendations?  I was checking out Ravelry and there were almost too many things to choose from.  (I'm philwife there, if anyone is curious . . . although I don't really participate much in the online community.)

Oh, this is completely random, but I do have to say, knitting needles seem more dangerous than crochet hooks.  I mean, I wouldn't even think of using a crochet hook to ward off an attacker, but a knitting needle sure could do some damage!

I will be sharing this post at the following:

Frontier Dreams with Nicole

Work In Progress with Tami

Yarn Along with Ginny

7 Quick Takes

1. So, I'm old now.  Not really though.  (And please, please, please, I don't want to offend anyone here . . . this is just how I'm feeling right now!)  I am no longer a twenty-something.  I guess that means that I'm an adult now.  Sure, I've been married for over seven years, have a three year old, lost a baby due to miscarriage, am currently pregnant, have a B.A., worked in the big city for a while, have owned a house, done a spattering of traveling, etc., but turning thirty?!?!  That must mean that I'm an adult.

2. I really hate bugs.  I don't think that's ever going to change.

3. I'm a bit late to this most recent controversy in blogland, but did you hear what Martha Stewart said?  {Here's an article about it.}  She sure wasn't very nice to the bloggers!  I won't say much about it today, because many of my fellow bloggers did a good job of responding.

4. Speaking of Martha, I used to be a pretty big fan of her magazine.  A while ago (maybe a year and a half?) I started becoming rather disgruntled by it though.  There were more and more ads and less and less content.  Also, many of the recipes called for ingredients that I just simply didn't have -- what's more, some of the ingredients weren't found in "normal" grocery stores or if they were they were prohibitively expensive.  The crafts also were incredibly hit or miss.

5. Of course, if I can get the magazine for free I will still page through it.

6. I need a laundry fairy.  (Like every mom.)  My three year old was putting away her dirty laundry the other day and then came out and said, "Mom, the dirty laundry pile is big!  Somebody should work on that."  My response? "Thanks, Hon."

7. Well, that's all I have for today.  For more Quick Takes go visit Conversion Diary!

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway (Ends 11/5)

Welcome to the $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway from Everything Mommyhood and MommyPolls!

  

The Philosopher's Wife and Everything Mommyhood has teamed up with MommyPolls to offer our wonderful readers a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! We have some other great bloggers helping us out to promote this great event!Special thanks to our co-hosts A Spectacled Owl, Budget Earth, and Jenn Unplugged.

Christmas is coming!  I know, we haven't even had Halloween yet, but it is time to start preparing, right?  How would a $100 Amazon Gift Card help?

What Is MommyPolls? MommyPolls main focus it helping parents answer even the trickiest of questions and find out the opinions of other Moms and parents quickly and easily. They know that busy Moms have lots of questions to answer, parenting really is a language all of its own, but they also know that busy Moms don't have the time to sit researching each topic for hours, they want reliable help and answers, and they want them now. 

 

How Does MommyPolls Work? At MommyPolls.com you can vote on any poll you choose, follow any polls which are of particular interest to you, and comment on any of the polls. The choice is yours. Got a question? Sure you do. Well MommyPolls.com is the place to ask – it doesn't matter whether your question needs a quick "yes" or "no", or whether there's a whole variety of potential answers, just ask! All parenting related questions are welcome at MommyPolls.com. A visit to the open questions in our website might be all it takes to find the answer to your latest parenting conundrum. Questions are continually being added to our site but it's easy to keep abreast of the updates, just click to "follow" and whatever you are following will move to your personal page making it simple to see any updates without having to scroll down through the remainder of the website. Creating a personal page at MommyPolls.com gives you the chance to follow any polls or questions which are of particular interest to you, making it even quicker and easier to get rid of those nagging doubts and find the answers. Your personal page is a one stop shop to store any polls you choose to follow, the polls you yourself have added and any questions which you are created or need to learn the answers to.

When you get a chance or have a question, I recommend checking out MommyPolls for all of your parenting questions or concerns.

Now for the giveaway!  

MommyPolls is giving one lucky reader a $100 Amazon Gift Card to use however they wish!

US Residents 18 and up. One entrant per household. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be chosen randomly via the Giveaway Tools entry form and will be emailed. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is chosen. Giveaway begins 10/15/2013 at 12am EST and ends 11/5/2013 at 11:59pm EST.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: This blog was not compensated for promotion of this giveaway. All opinions are 100% our own and were not influenced in any way. The sponsor will be responsible for prize shipment. Everything Mommyhood is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

7 Quick Takes

1. I started knitting this week.

2. Knitting and crocheting are not the same things.  Don't ever say that they are.

3. I am not an old lady.  (Not that there is anything wrong with being an old lady, old ladies can be totally awesome, but that's not me . . . yet.)

4. Of course, I do have a big "milestone" birthday coming up next week.  Can you guess which?

5. Catherine (3) wanted me to teach her how to crochet this week.  I let her play with a hook and yarn.  She made some lovely knots.

6. This won't be me (or Catherine!):

7. Leading up to Christmas I will have a handful of fun giveaways on this blog (and there will be lots over at Giveaways Galore), here is one with a $100 Amazon Gift Card Prize.

For more Quick Takes visit Jen! 

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Wish List Item (Ends 10/30) US

Welcome to this great giveaway from Kwickeye! 

Hosted by: Everything Mommyhood 

Sponsored by: Kwickeye

Also a special thanks to our co-hosts, A Spectacled Owl and Budget Earth, as well as the other great bloggers helping us spread the word about Kwickeye and this wonderful giveaway opportunity.

While I try to limit the number of giveaways on this site (that's what Giveaways Galore is for!) with Christmas right around the corner I wanted to give all of my readers a chance to win a little something extra.  

What is Kwickeye? Have you ever been faced with the problem of not knowing what to gift kids on the endless rounds of birthday parties? Have you been gifted with yet another Lego set for your kid's birthday? Wouldn't it be nice to stay connected with other moms/friends so you know want they want for their kids or discover products for your kids that are adorable, eco-friendly or just a fabulous deal? Kwickeye is a social platform for moms to discover, collect and gift kids/baby products. Kwickeye lets you add 'any' item from 'any' store with a click of a button and instantly share your childs' wishlists with everyone in your close circle through activity feeds. Your family/friends can anonymously reserve those items any time! Sounds like fun? Read on! 

Why should you use Kwickeye? - It is easy to save and organize your favorite kids/baby products. Save now, shop later. - A simple, fun solution for friends/family to know what you really want for your child. No more useless gifts. No more second guessing on kiddie birthdays, holidays etc. - Discover and post reviews on cool and unique products, apps, activities and services that other moms in the community are adding to their wishlists - Great for new moms who love getting recommendations from their friends What do we want moms to feel when they use this product? - Share and feel a sense of contribution - Find eco-friendly, unique store, a deal or an educational product? Simply add to your list so the community can see it - Connect and help mom friends make shopping decisions. - Feel a sense of excitement when you get a gift notification - We want moms to feel thankful, happy and also a sense of reciprocity when they get something from their list -Feeling of curiosity and anticipation - who got this for me? - Think beyond the plastic stuff- there is more to explore, share, shop and gift!

Check out Everything Mommyhood's Kwickeye review for a more in depth look!

Sign up on www.kwickeye.com. Add at least 3 kid or baby items from any online store in the United States to your wishlist using the KWICKADD browser bookmarklet. Instructions for installing bookmarklet (http://kwickeye.com/kwicklists/help/kwickadd). 

*Please note this will only work on laptops/desktops and not on mobile.

Now for the giveaway! The winner can choose between 2 options:

 A) Amazon gift card worth $100. 

B) A surprise gift of Kwickeye's choice from YOUR wishlist + the remaining in Amazon gift card (both totaling $100).

US Residents 18 and up. One entrant per household. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will be chosen randomly via the Giveaway Tools entry form and will be emailed. Winner will have 48 hours to claim prize before a new winner is chosen. Giveaway begins 10/10/2013 at 12am EST and ends 10/30/2013 at 11:59pm EST.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: The Philosopher's Wife did not receive any compensation for the promotion of this giveaway. The sponsor will be responsible for prize shipment and fulfillment  This blog and Everything Mommyhood is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Wordless Wednesday: My Goofy Girl

(Photo credit goes to the Grandparents.)

Share your own family friendly Wordless Wednesday posts! 

$25 iTunes or Google Play Gift Card Giveaway (Ends 10/13)US

October is all about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and zombies! Big Fish Games wants to make sure you get your monster fix with great horror-theme games for your iPhone/iPad or PC with this great giveaway brought to you by Your Strong Tower and a host of other fantastic bloggers. Two winners will receive their choice of either a $25 iTunes or a $25 Google Play gift card!  Sounds like fun, right?  And with the Christmas season right around the corner this could be a great gift for someone!  Of course, if you win you might now want to share.  

Big Fish Games has scary games for the whole family! The super-popular Plants vs. Zombies game (pictured at the top) is an addicting choice for adults and kids alike. There’s also a host of different vampire games to choose from, like Dracula Origin and Vampires vs. Zombies. And then there are some silly monster games like Fashion Zombies, in which you need to feed zombie designers brains so they can sew zombies together for a fashion show. As you can see, zombies rule this Halloween season! And don’t forget that Big Fish releases a new game every day, many of which are absolutely FREE so be sure to check back on their website often. Which monster game sounds like fun to you?

 

 This giveaway runs from Wednesday, October 9^th through Sunday, October 13, 2013. Contest is open to US residents age 18 and up. The Philosopher's Wife is not responsible for prize shipment. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize, otherwise another winner will be chosen.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Helping Best Friends Become Brothers

Have you been wondering what happened to me lately?  Or did you read my Morning Sickness post and put two and two together?  (Because, of course you are always on the edge of your seat waiting for my next post, right?  Right?)  I am here.  Still sick.  But life goes on.  (And I do have a good life.)

*******

I'd like to invite all of my readers to the Helping Best Friends Become Brothers Auction.  This auction is to help bring Dominic, who currently lives in an orphanage in Thailand, home to his family.  Bidding begins on Monday, October 7th at 9am and will close on final bids on Wednesday, October 9th at 9pm CST.

There are lots of awesome items including: Pampered Chef gadgets, gift cards, handmade items, kids clothes (new with tags!), and more!  I mean, just look at this awesome necklace, don't you just want to go bid on it right now? 

It would be great if you could help this worthy cause.  Even if you can't help monetarily it would be awesome if you could share the page and the items up for grabs with your friends and keep Dominic in your prayers.