var newItemText = UITextField()

        let alert = UIAlertController(title: "Add a new Todoey Item", message: "", preferredStyle: .alert)
        let action = UIAlertAction(title: "Add Item", style: .default) { (action) in
            // what's going to happen when the add button is pressed

            let newTodoItem = TodoListItem(context: self.context)
            newTodoItem.title = newItemText.text!
            newTodoItem.isChecked = false

            self.itemArray.append(newTodoItem)

            self.saveItems()

        }
        alert.addTextField { (alertTextField) in
            alertTextField.placeholder  = "Create new item"
            newItemText = alertTextField
        }
        alert.addAction(action)
        present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)