I should start by saying that I’m really far from being an expert in any area that involves sewing. In fact, the last time I actually attempted a sewing project was in eighth grade Home Ec and I almost failed the class—the only class in my entire life that I’ve been even remotely close to not getting at least a B in.

That said, when my baby’s first tooth started wiggling I became obsessed with the idea of making her a tooth fairy pillow. Don’t ask why. I mean, they’re adorable. And she’s adorable. And the combination of all of that adorable made my brain feel like it might explode. It had to be done.

So I did it.

Sometimes I go through these phases where I feel like my creativity well has completely dried up. Every idea that I have seems to originate from Pinterest (which I usually love but all of a sudden detest) and it sends me into a downward spiral that ends up in me asking my husband what I’m doing with my life.

I was in this particularly attractive frame of mind the other day when I roped my sister into making a Michaels run with me. I had decided that the lack of Halloween decorations in a house with two small children was straight up insane in the membrane (yeah, I really just said that). Also, I thought maybe I could kickstart some sort of creativity button and get the heck out of my funk.

I walked around for about ten minutes whining to my sister that I had no original ideas until I found a cheap (and equally cheap-looking) black wreath. You know the kind. The artificial fir that is everywhere during the holidays, only this one is black. That cheap (kind of ugly) wreath saved my husband from weeks of pretending to listen to my existential dilemma.

I’ve never been a huge Halloween person. It’s kind of my sister’s thing. They deck out their house in creepy cool decorations as soon as the school buses roll out in September. She’s got a village in her window and skeletons and ghouls that seem to jump out at you when you’re trying to get to the bathroom (not very safe after having two children, thank you very much).

My problem is that most Halloween stuff just isn’t me. My sister has a gothic side to her that makes Halloween perfect for her already gothic-styled house. I like things a little brighter (OK, a lot brighter) and kind of quirky. Also I kind of hate orange and black Halloween decorations.

Anyway, as per usual, I digress.

I ran around a little bit and ended up with these supplies:

The ugly black wreath, some fuzzy green yarn (purple would have worked for me too), black and white striped ribbon (do stripes scream Halloween to anyone else?) and some googly eyes. All I would need was my trusty hot glue gun and I knew I could throw together a quick, inexpensive and seriously cute wreath for our front door. It honestly took about ten minutes to put together.

DIY Halloween Wreath

First I wrapped the green yarn (which was a little thinner than I had anticipated) all around the wreath. I did it messily, which gave it what Sam calls a glow-in-the-dark spiderweb kind of effect.

Next, I tied a little bow with the ribbon (nothing fancy, I just tied it like I was tying a shoe) and hot glued it into the middle. I’m not going to lie, this bow is one of my favorite parts. It ups the quirky factor by adding an unexpected jolt of sophistication. Because everyone knows stripes ooze sophistication (unless you’re a cat burglar).

Once the bow was set, I went googly eyes crazy. The hot glue melts them a little bit, but that’s OK. It’s not entering a beauty contest. The eyes were definitely Sam’s favorite part.

Once the eyes are on all you have to do is figure out how you want to hang it. My wreath already had a little loop attached to it, so I used that to hang it from a wreath hook we already had. You could also hot glue or tie ribbon to it and hang it that way.

I’m not going to lie, I’m loving on this little guy pretty hard. And my husband? Well, he’s loving not having to talk me out of a tree at night while I try to understand why the universe has sucked me dry of every last ounce of creativity. Consider it a win-win.

Looking for more Halloween fun? Check out these posts:

• 8 Quick & Easy Halloween DIYs That Your Kids Will Absolutely Love
• Last Minute Halloween Costume | Fortune Teller
• Best Kids Halloween Books
• 12 Not-So Scary Movies to Watch This Halloween
• Five Halloween Costumes I Will Not Be Wearing

Toddlers are amazing little boogers. From how quickly they learn new skills like language to how closely they watch and learn from the adults in their lives, these bite-sized, temperamental humans are absolute sponges.

The other day we watched Ellie pick up my brother’s girlfriend’s phone, click on the camera app and start swiping through her pictures. The girl is two and a half. I know plenty of adults who can’t figure it out that quickly (I will spare them the public humiliation of being named, but you know who you are).

She seems to be more interested in phones because she’s not allowed to touch them very often—which is why toddler apps are pretty much the best distraction ever when you’re praying to the gods that your little angels will behave themselves for fifteen freakin minutes.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve totally turned to iPhone apps as a babysitter and/or bribe. Don’t judge. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do—especially if you’re trying to have a phone conversation with a client and are hoping to be able to pay attention without screaming in the background and/or silence that’s indicative of some sort of major catastrophe.

So yeah. Color me guilty. And if you’re sitting there wanting to be guilty with me, you’re in luck. I put together a list of five of the best toddler apps for the iPhone. We got most of these for free either because they’re always free or because we (and by we I mean my husband) watched the App of the Week list and picked them up that way—because momma ain’t shelling out a lot of money on apps for a fickle little toddler. I’m way too cheap for that business.

Can I whine for a second?

We’re in the (painfully slow) process of moving and before we get in, I wanted to slap a fresh coat of paint on the bedroom walls. I spent roughly sixteen hours painting (or prepping to paint) this weekend. And I’m not done.

Seriously. My body is sore. I have paint in places that I never dreamed of. And I’m not done.

It’s kind of my fault. Sam decided she wanted one pink and white striped wall in their room and one purple wall. I can’t give these girls everything their little hearts desire—like a trip to Disney World (at least not yet) or an unlimited budget in the American Girl doll store—but I can give them a striped wall, damn it!

I may be thirty years old, but I still love me a good princess movie. I don’t know what it is, but I have a serious soft spot. I’m not generally a big fan of the whole damsel in distress thing (girl power, for the win), but once in a while it’s ok to fantasize about a handsome knight in shining armor or about daydreaming in a gilded castle. I don’t care how old you are.

There are plenty of animated princess classics, but here are five of my favorite live action versions…