Wednesday, June 29, 2011

1st Work-out Wednesday

Last night was the first time I really work out since having my baby.....bad huh! I'm 9 weeks postpartum and haven't lost any weight since my 6 week check-up. I've gained 2-3 lbs. since then! I blame it on having gestational diabetes! Now that I don't have that anymore, I've probably been pigging out on too many carbs! What an eye opener since having GD, I eat tons of carbs and so do a lot of people.
I also blame my family all getting sick. Now that we're all better, we're catching up with rest of life. Plus how do people have the time to work out with 2+ kids. I'm lazy; I don't like working out unless it's fun like playing basketball or volleyball with friends or I doing Wii Fit. That's how I lost the weight after I had my son (plus being a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding 4 months after having a baby and needing to fit in a dress was good motivation - by the way, I didn't end up fitting in the dress....).

I am going to try and do the Wii Fit at least twice a week for now and decided I should report my progress here so I can be more accountable! I'll have Work-out Wednesday every other week. Feel free to link up your fitness/health posts/blogs too so we can motivate each other!

I'm breastfeeding so I'm probably not going to change my diet too much, just eat less sweets now that I've had my fun of them from being without a lot of them when I was pregnant. But those who are breastfeeding and would like to diet as well as exercise, I recommend Baby Fit. It incorporates the amount of calories you need while breastfeeding, lets you keep track of what you eat, gives you a meal plan even! It's pretty sweet.

I guess I've been getting motivated the last couple weeks because we have no money to buy me new clothes. I hate the transition phase. Other motivation the Wii Fit says I'm borderline overweight so my Wii Character turned into a chubby one instead of a normal one.
At least my husband has gained 10 lbs. - he used to weigh 155 and is 6'4, but now weighs 165. His brothers all have gained some weight too so I'm not fatter than all of them, just one.

Here are my stats:
Pre-pregnancy: 131 lbs.
Gained 36 lbs. when pregnant - 167 lbs.
Current weight: 147 lbs.
Goal: flatter tummy (so I don't look pregnant still when I wear my pre-pregnancy shirts), 140 by September 1st. OR to fit into my 7-9 jeans comfortably.
Ideally would love to be 120-125 again.

May 29, 2011 -postpartum

 April 2010 - before baby #2



Link up your fitness/health posts/blogs too so we can motivate each other!



Monday, June 27, 2011

46th Mommy Mondays

My 2 1/2 year old son has developed quite the imagination in the last month. My husband introduced him to Ghostbusters several months ago and just recently our son created his own "Proton" Pack with a sound stick, string, and his truck. He then goes around the house spotting ghosts and getting them. It's hilarious! What a smart kid to create that.



He's also started playing with action figures (what he calls his ninjas). He played with them before, but now he has little mini conversations with them and has them do things like jump and climb off buildings, etc. Oh to be a kid again and to use your imagination in that way. So fun!

Link up your Mommy Mondays - anything Mommy related. I'd love to hear about things you think all moms should know or sweet moments and milestones in your child's life.

Friday, June 24, 2011

53rd Fashionable Fridays

Anyone on Pinterest!? I'm on it and it's addicting! It's a great way to save your favorite links. If you ever need to reboot your computer, you'll still have all your favorite links. If you use multiple computers, you can still access your favorites through Pinterest. Come check me out over there. Leave your pinterest link too so I can look at your pins!

Anyway through Pinterest, I found this link to curling your hair without heat. Here's the original pin and here's the video tutorial from thelipstickdiaries.

I attempted it since it looked so fast and easy. I moussed my dry hair first and then tucked my hair into the headband as directed. I added some bobby pins to mine because it was during the day and with 2 kids, it was bound to get loose and fall out.


After a while though, I was getting a headache, so I took it out to see if that would help my headache. Before taking it out though, I hair sprayed it since my hair doesn't hold curl well all the time. Since I only had it in for a couple hours, the back didn't work so well, but the front looked fabulous. I brushed down some frizz and I was good to go. Very pretty- a nice confidence booster to someone who just had a baby. I will try it again before I go to bed sometime in the future to see what it looks like with the back all curled too.

Here's some pictures of the after. As you can see I'm one tired mommy, so I did my make-up some really quick so I wouldn't look so horrible.









Any hair tips/tutorials you'd like to share?
Link up your fashion, hair, make-up, etc.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Photo Canvas Land Giveaway

I'm so excited to introduce you to Photo Canvas Land! They sell beautiful quality, affordable canvas pieces.


For my review, I was given a 10x12 Canvas.

It came packaged very securely with bubble wrap and tissue paper. I was quite impressed and made me not worry about it having bent corners or something.


Your canvas will come with a sawtooth hanger or hanging wire as ready-to-hang art.
It made it super easy to hang and display in my home right away!

Here's my canvas! I LOVE IT! Such a crisp and smooth finish.



Here it is with my other decor....


Doesn't it look fabulous!?

What surprised me the most when I was ordering was the affordability of their canvases and their cheap shipping! I've purchased canvas before, and it cost way more with not as smooth quality finish. I cannot wait to order some more canvas pieces for my kids' rooms especially!

Here's more info about their canvases. They have so many size options available too! I can't wait to order a much bigger piece for my bedroom.
  • Museum quality photo canvas: We use EPSON genuine inks to satisfy even the most demanding professional by providing the finest image quality. Our canvas print last for 75 years without fading.
  • Acid-free museum grade fine art canvas: We use the highest quality acid-free and OBA-free canvas for our photo canvas prints. This unique 21 mil heavyweight, quality canvas is the most archival canvas available. 
  • Artists' fine art coating: We apply the fine art coating on the photo canvas to provide additional museum level archival protection against color fading, moisture and abrasion.
  • Quality frame with depth choices: The canvas is wrapped on quality stretcher bars with depth choices of 0.75" and 1.5".
AFFORDABLE!
  • Rolled Canvas: from $7.95
    • Rolled Canvas - Rolled canvas is your photo printed on the canvas media. Each rolled canvas has the standard 1" white margin on each side. For example, if you order 8"x10" rolled canvas, the finished rolled canvas has size 10"x12, with the photo printed area of 8"x10" and 1" white margin on each side. Rolled canvas is the option for the customers who frame or stretch canvas themselves. You have the option to select 2" white margin with extra cost.
  •  Wrap Canvas: from $14.95
    • Standard Wrap (0.75" thick) - Canvas is wrapped around a 0.75" thick wood frame. Standard wrap canvas is a great way to show off your photos. We apply artists' fine art coating to the standard wrap canvas to provide additional museum level archival protection.
    • Gallery Wrap (1.5 thick)- Canvas is wrapped around a 1.5" thick wood frame. Gallery wrap canvas is a great way to show off your photos. We apply artists' fine art coating to the gallery wrap canvas to provide additional museum level archival protection.
  • Flat fee shipping $8.95 for any orders
Become an affiliate!
You can make up to 15% commision for sales from your readers. We are on ShareASale affiliate network, so you will receive commission for every sales that you reference to us. Join our affiliate program is easy and free. For more information please visit: http://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=31488

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Photo Canvas Land is giving away a free 8x10 canvas to 2 winners! (read below about shipping!)

To encourage users to register at photocanvasland.com in advance, we provide extra free shipping to winners IF:

(1) If you register at Photo Canvas Land before the winner is announced, we will ship the free canvas FREE to U.S. winner (Canada winners will have to pay for shipping).

(2) If you register at PhotoCanvasLand after the winner is annouced, the winner needs to pay shipping (flat fee $8.95) for the free canvas. Our shipping fee is the lowest in the industry,.




MANDATORY ENTRY: Comment with your answer to this question: What is the one thing you like best about what Photo Canvas Land offers? PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
GIVEAWAY ENDS TUESDAY, JULY 5TH AT 11:59MST.

Monday, June 20, 2011

45th Mommy Mondays - What every Mom of baby boys should know

This is a pretty private subject to some, but felt I had to share so other parents didn't make the same mistake.
One day my friend mentioned to me having to get her son's circumcision fixed so I started to worry if my son's was okay since his pee pee was always hiding. Well I don't know much about boy parts so I of course turned to my husband. He looked up things online and said our son's wasn't right either. I was like great. We didn't want to do anything though until we switched doctors since we've heard too many complaints from friends and we weren't satisified with them either. So at my son's 2 1/2 year appointment, I asked our new doctor about it. He checked it out and said that he'd have to pop it back out because the foreskin had grown around it again. So after the numbing cream was on for a while, he had a nurse come in to hold his legs while I held my son's arms and he popped it out. Well he couldn't pop it completely out because it had reconnected so he had to cut. My son wasn't happy and became very strong that we had to get the guy physician assistant to help out too. So the nurse and the doctor held him down, while the PA cut. It bled some. We waited there for a while so they could look at it again really quick to make sure the bleeding had stopped. I stayed calm through the whole process, but I hated it especially since my son talks well and kept saying for them to let him go, etc. My son's face had red blood vessels that popped from being so stressed out while they did the procedure. I don't know how I didn't cry during the process. I feel more traumatized about it than my son. We went back for a follow-up appointment and my son wasn't scared about going in at all. Our last doctor, he hated too. He must like the toys they have and the treats he gets after.
My son has now healed from it. We still push his pee pee out every diaper change for now just to make sure it continues to heal. Our son really hated diaper changes and taking baths for a while because we'd have to push it out to check it and make sure it healed properly, but now our son will push it himself for us.
MORAL - Parents with baby boys make sure you push their pee pees out frequently (if you've had them circumcised) until you see the head completley so the foreskin doesn't regrow around it. If our previous doctors had told us to do this and/or checked our son's penis at every appointment instead of being nervous about making our son upset to look at it. Most boys will have erections enough that it won't be a problem, but with our son - his was always hiding. Our previous doctors said we could push it out sometimes to make clean it, but he didn't stress how important it was to do so frequently to prevent the foreskin from regrowing around it.
Hopefully I've been able to help other parents by sharing this!
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In happier news, my baby girl was blessed 2 weeks ago. I was an emotional wreck! I couldn't stop crying once sacrament meeting started probably because I couldn't believe we made it to this point. She's not sick anymore and we're not worrying about taking her to the hospital. All the emotions from the last  month or so just came out. I am so grateful for this beautiful and happy baby girl. The night before she was to be blessed, I kept thinking about my testimony of the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. On her blessing day, I was able to share my testimony although I forgot some things I wanted to say - plus I'm not very eloquent in my speaking if I don't have it written down word for word. So I wanted to share my testimony on here as well.
I know the power of the priesthood is strong and real, that our Heavenly Father can speak through men who are worthy to hold the priesthood to bless and heal. I am so grateful that my husband has this priesthood so that he was able to bless our little girl one night when I was at my wit's end debating about whether to take her to the hospital because she sounded so bad and neither of us were able to sleep. After his blessing, both of us were able to sleep. I am grateful he was able to give our daughter a name and a blessing today.
I am grateful for my husband's support and calm through this last month. He has been the best help for me since we couldn't have any family come out to be with us. He has been a great strength to me and a reminder of how much I love him. He is a great father just like I knew he would be from the time I was 15, watching him at 18 play with a flour baby that our friend had for a school project.
I am grateful for the example of my husband's brothers especially to my son that they too honor their priesthood, have all served missions (the last about to go serve in Peru in October), and even their perfect attendance with early morning seminary (article on MormonTimes here).
I know that trials are for our learning and growth. Instead of doubting God when my son had croup and our baby girl got RSV, I tried to think why we were getting these trials. I've had enough experiences with trials in my life that I know that what we had to go through was for someone's growth and learning. I know that my Heavenly Father won't give us trials that we can't handle (1 Corinithians 10:13) as long as we continue to pray to endure them (Mosiah 3:18).
I know that my Heavenly Father knows and loves me. I know that my Savior suffered for my sins and sorrows. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ is the true church here on earth. I am grateful for the teachings of the gospel; they make going through this life so much easier - knowing why we are here on earth.

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My baby girl is now 2 months old! She is such a chunk already just like her brother was at this age, outgrowing the 0-3 mo. clothes already and topping charts for height and weight.

Link up your Mommy Mondays - anything Mommy related. I'd love to hear about things you think all moms should know or sweet moments and milestones in your child's life.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day

I just wanted to share with you how amazing my husband has been especially these last couple months with my son having Croup and then our new baby getting RSV. When we found out we wouldn't be having any family coming out to help us when our second baby was born, I was trying not to panic and worry while my husband comforted me saying he'd help. Ha, was all I could think because I was pregnant, tired, trying to have energy for my 2 year old and lagging behind in household chores....where was his help right then.

Then we had our baby girl in mid April and he really did help out where I wasn't too stressed out about not having family around. It still would have been easier with them since we both weren't getting much sleep, but we survived. Then our son got croup and the following week our baby got RSV, both serious respiratory sicknesses and I was stressing and crying all the time. My husband took a week off to help me out (he had enough paid time off to do so). He cooked dinner, did the dishes, and cleaned up around the house. He put our 2 year old son to bed every night, comforting our son and sleeping with him the week our son had croup, changed his diapers (my husband had only changed about 10-20 out of all the diapers our son has had) and he would take our baby girl from me in the middle of the night for a couple hours so I could get some sleep. On one particular bad night, when our baby girl sounded so bad with her breathing and I was at my wit's end trying to decide if we should take her to the hospital or not, my husband was able to give her a blessing which calmed me enough and her enough to both get some sleep. He was a major comfort and support who remained calm through it all while I was crying every day in my spare moments. He just hugged me daily and told me to cry. He had never done that before.

I am grateful for my husband for the power of the priesthood he has to be able to bless our family. He isn't always the best at helping around the house on a daily basis, but he works hard for our family so that I can stay home to care for our children. He is awesome at vacuuming - he does almost 99% of the vacuuming in our home. He is a very talented artist - I wish he thought of himself as a one. My husband is good at not worrying and helping me not to worry. Through our trials of sicknesses the last couple months, I was reminded of my tremendous love for him and how great of a father he is. I always knew since I was 15 that he would make a great father when I saw him playing with a friend's flour baby for school. He is my best friend, the rock in my life. When I really need him, he'll be there. He just gets more amazing to me every single day, making even  hotter every day =D.




Since having our 2nd, he has really started doing a lot more. He has taken care of our son while I a take care of the baby. I had worried about this thinking I would be up on some nights with both of them, but now my husband has developed an ear for hearing our son in the middle of the night to comfort him so that I can sleep a little bit more before feeding our baby. He is amazing and I love him! He is definitely the one for me.

My son loves when his daddy comes home from work to play with him. He always greets him with a hug and a kiss.

My husband has been a great teacher to our children. He has taught my son so many things and he has a way of talking to him, explaining things so that our son can understand.


My baby girl loves talking to her daddy; she just lights up with big smiles and just jibber jabbers away when he talks to her. I'm slightly jealous....

I can't wait to spend forever with him and see him with our children especially now that we have a girl....he's the oldest of 6 boys, so having a daughter is definitely a whole different field for him =D


This year, we made this cute little picture with the kids' handprints and footprints....inspired by this link I found through Pinterest. I know the handpints don't really look like hearts, but it was especially hard doing my 2 mo. old girl's hands. She likes to keep her hands as fists.

Then I bought pizza for my husband and a lava cake from Dominos Saturday night since we haven't had pizza in forever! Plus when I was pregnant I couldn't stand Dominos for some reason....I like it again now that I'm not pregnant. Then for today, we're having pot roast. Plus I've kept up with the dishes and having dinner on the table almost every night for the past week! I don't think I've done that in a long long time.
I wish I could give him so much more to show my love for him and my gratitude to him the last couple months. I don't know how I would have done it without him.
Happy Father's Day to all the dads and the men who have been like a dad to someone, my dad, my father-in-law, my brother and especially to my husband!

Share about your husbands and fathers or about things you did/made for them by linking up below.


Friday, June 17, 2011

52nd Fashionable Fridays

So I tried out Polyvore's Create application for the first time and here's what I came up with. Be honest and let me know what you think. I think Paris date night. In the future, I'll try to create using pieces that are less than $50 each just to give me hope that I could attain the same look =D

Romantic Classic


Satin top
$23 - amazon.com

Dorothy Perkins bow skirt
30 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

Forever21 pointed shoes
$23 - forever21.com

Red Herring gold jewelry
8 GBP - debenhams.com

Larkspur Hawk face jewelry
$850 - barneys.com

Kate Spade couture jewelry
$55 - couture.zappos.com

Floral jewelry
$4.99 - tillys.com

velvet shadow - buns
$18 - benefitcosmetics.com



Share your fashion, family's fashion, make-up, hair, etc.
Only Rule - comment on the link before you!

Monday, June 13, 2011

44th Mommy Mondays: Guest Post - Gliders vs Rockers

How to Choose a Nursery Room Rocking Chair
When you discover you're expecting a new addition to the family, you'll need to design a nursery that's both functional and beautiful. An often overlooked mainstay in nursery shopping is the rocking chair or glider. Whether you're nursing or bottle-feeding, the addition of a glider rocker in the nursery can make those middle of the night feedings a comfortable experience for tired parents and babies alike.

Choosing Between a Glider and a Rocker
If you're deciding between a glider and a traditional rocking chair, the great thing about gliders is that they offer the back-and-forth rhythm of a rocker without the downward tilt at the end of each motion. This reduces the chance of it upsetting a delicate tummy and jostling the milk in a bottle. Swivel gliders are another option in how your chair moves. They come with a mechanism that allows you to choose from rocking, swiveling, or gliding, depending on what works best for you and your infant. Many parents feel that more options to try to appease a fussy baby are always welcome.

Matching Colors and Materials
Once you've chosen your nursery color pattern, you may wish to coordinate your glider cushions and materials. However, comfort is of the utmost importance, so go furniture shopping and sit in the gliders in the store. Use the ottomans and test the motion; if you find a combination that feels good, ask about color options and customizable cushions. Most parents agree that ottomans complete the contemporary nursery glider experience, allowing you to rest tired legs while staying in motion.

Materials that are stain-resistant and machine washable are a major plus for nursery cushions. Also cushions with pouches to hold a diaper, pacifier, or magazine are an added bonus. Make sure that arm rest pads are stationary too, to prevent annoying slip-offs.

Safety Features
Gliders often have a locking mechanism that prevents tiny fingers from being pinched. Traditional nursery room rockers don't have this option and can be a climbing hazard for toddlers down the road. Make sure you purchase a glider made of non-toxic materials. Check that the edges are smooth and the construction is sturdy. Gliders can be used for many years to come, so you'll want to ensure that it stands up to normal wear.
If you choose a glider that requires assembly, you may want to ask a professional for help or pay a little extra for the store to put it together. A normally-sturdy glider can be dangerous if it isn't assembled correctly.
A functional addition to any home, remember that once the glider or rocker is no longer necessary in the nursery, you can have the cushions recovered in a new fabric or the wood refinished to match the décor of another room.


Guest article by Robin Thering, who writes about the best baby nurseries and nursery decor at BabyNurseryRooms.com.

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What great things to know. I have a glider because I thrifted one. I love the information you shared about it!

Me and my baby girl in our glider



Link up your Mommy Mondays - anything Mommy related. I'd love to see your nurseries and rockers/gldiers especially this week!

Friday, June 10, 2011

51st Fashionable Fridays

Check out these awesome purse hooks and other fashionable products from Fumi. The purse hooks give you the ability to hang your purse conveniently on the table while dining out; so perfect especially for Moms on the go. It seems my diaper bag/purse gets pushed around way too much when we're eating out as a family with 2 young kids. More information about them at Define your Photography.







Our sweet baby girl was blessed on Sunday. Here's what we wore. My shirt is thrifted (my first thrifting experience all by myself that I was excited about. My mom is amazing at thrifting and garage saleing. I hope to be better soon now that I have 2 kids and the economy is so bad!)

Here's a close-up of her precious bracelet, made by Adorable Creations (pretty affordable). I think I might have found a new hobby though - I want to make a bunch of baby bracelets.

Then here's some fabulous pictures we took when my baby was 2 1/2 weeks old. The amazing photographer was The Turquoise Frame. To see more, check the post here. These pictures just made me cry; they were all so beautiful!


My Fashionable Baby Diva


I'm really trying to get back into the swing of things, fashion wise. I've been checking out these fashion blogs: The Daybook, Population 250, Modest Fashion Sense, Cotton and Curls, and Cats and Cardigans - go check them out! I have a lot to learn, but it's fun. I'm starting to dream up some outfits for me to wear. What I really need to find and buy are a good pair of affordable skinny jeans....might have to wait until I'm down to my pre-pregnancy size though!
Anyone on Pinterest, you can check out and follow me and my fashion wish list there: http://pinterest.com/scrappygifts/my-fashion/
Have you ever heard of Polyvore. I found it through Pinterest. Looks like a fun site to put clothing combos together....could get addicting and to wishing I was rich!

Share your fashion, family's fashion, make-up, hair, etc.

Only Rule - comment on the link before you!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Costumes?

Are you crazy like me and have already thought about Halloween costumes for your kids? I think we're going to try a Peter Pan theme this year. My son will be Peter Pan, baby girl Tinkerbell, husband Captain Hook, and me Wendy? Now to find the costumes.....I might try and make my son's, but I'm not that great of a sewer.

I might be checking the Costume Supercenter for mine. They also have great ideas for dressing up for the summer like 4th of July or Luaus. How fun! Read more about them at Mom and More!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Guest Post - Inside The Mind Of Nicole

Meet Nicole, a beautiful mommy that has brought us an awesome craft idea to do with your kids!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi everyone! I am Nicole
from
 Inside The
Mind Of Nicole
 and I’m SO excited to be a
guest post here at Crafty Mommy Diva. Maryanne has such a cute blog here and I
think a lot of Crafty Mommy Divas (like me) can relate to this blog. I’m
honored to guest blog here. So, thank you Maryanne!

A little bit about ME and
my blog:
In a nutshell I would
describe myself as a hopelessly romantic, talented, perfectionist
that loves almost everything and can't make up her mind. But seriously…I’m a 27
year old Mommy of two young boys (8 and 3years old), a girlfriend to the man of
my dreams, a customer service representative, and a photographer. When I’m not
doing that I’m a homemaker, a chef, a nurse (with band-aids and kisses), a veterinarian,
an organizer, a household janitor, and everything else that Mommies and Barbie
does.

For my blog I like to write
about anything and everything that is going on in my life or that I dream
about. Kids, photography, favorite products, crafts, vintage designs, etc. I
will blog about almost anything.

Click here and come on by and take a look!
I hope you all enjoy spending time reading my blog as much as I
enjoy writing it. I have honestly gained a lot more from writing my blog than I
ever imagined possible. It helps me to express my thoughts and feelings not
only about random topics, but about things going on in my life with myself and
my loved ones as well. It also helps me to find 'me' again and things I love to
think and talk about and hobbies I've always enjoyed doing.The short amount of
time that I spend on here is the short amount of time each day that I can just
sit here and be for a minute . . . and I love it!

But enough about me and my blog, my boys and I made a little craft
JUST for you!
Take a look at these Magazine Mosaics we made!
(This is one of our items from our Summer Fun List)

First, I bought 3 frames from Wal-Mart for like $2.50 each. I
bought three because I wanted to make one too! (Why do the kids get to have all
the fun?!)

You also need some Elmer’s School Glue (not pictured) and a big pile of magazines

While the boys started cutting out scraps of paper from the magazines…

…I drew the base for their mosaics

Once we had enough magazine scraps, we started gluing them on
(FYI…kids LOVE to use a lot of glue. Like…a lot)

Then we let them set out to dry


After they were dry, I put them into the frames so the boys wouldn’t cut themselves

And here is our finished product
(plus the one that I made)

We absolutely love them!!!
I want to make more!

It was very inexpensive,
easy, and fun! Perfect for boys or girls.
You can’t go wrong with
this craft.

Thanks again for having me
guest post and it was nice to meet all of you!

Love,
Nicole
xoxo

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What a fun craft idea. They turned out amazingly cute! I'll definitely have to try this with my son. He loves glue too. Thanks for being a guest, Nicole!