Celebrating Today

Blurb Blog Books/Scrapbook Coupon Code

2012-01-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

Update: This code is actually if you order two or more books.

For those of you who make blog books, you have until Tuesday (Jan 31) to create a book on Blub and get 20% off using code NY2012. For those of you not familiar with blurb, check out this earlier post. I actually have started doing a blog/scrapbook. I post all the info from my family blog into a book but do my own design instead of using one of Blurb's templates. I've done at least five books with Blurb and the quality is fantastic and the program is easy to use.

New Year's Tree

2011-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

I saw a fun post on Our Best Bites on how to make a New Year's Tree, so I thought I'd try it out. I took all of the Christmas ornaments off the tree and replaced the tree with balloons filled with chocolate gold coins and sixlets candy inside. You can also put real money and little notes with fortunes, quotes, or jokes inside. I also found hats, glasses, clappers, and noise makers to decorate with. My kids love it and have been playing with all the decorations already.

Make a photo collage of school art projects

2011-11-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

My son makes at least one art project at school everyday and so we decided to come up with a way to display them. I ended up just stringing some twine on an empty wall in his room.

He has made a lot of projects since September and his display area was full, so we took all the projects down and took pictures of them and then I created a collage in Picasa. See how to do that here. In January, when I make our 2011 scrapbook, I'll insert the collage picture, so we can always remember his fun art projects on one page instead of 36 pages.

Master Bath Remodel

2011-10-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

What we did: Purchased new, taller vanity and painted white, new counter top, added new light fixtures and mirrors, added brushed nickel faucets, knobs, and handles.

What we did: Replaced carpet with tile, angled the new bath tub, replaced large window with a smaller one. Still need to get new rugs and add some color with artwork and towels.

What we did: Repainted and added knobs.

What we did: New flooring and toilet.

While we were in escrow, a pest inspector found dry rot in both bathrooms. So, on top of our already long list of things to fix-up with the home we got to add renovating two bathrooms. Yipee! We are first time home buyers and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves when we decided to redo the two bathrooms. The main bath was straightforward, but the master was quite the project due to the fact that not only was the rot in the shower but also in the wood work around the bathtub. The tile on the counter top was also falling off and very dated, so we decided to get a taller vanity (since we were replacing the top anyway) and countertop. It turned into one massive project.

After looking at all kinds of bathroom design ideas, we ended up sticking with a very neutral color. We purchased 18" porcelain tile for the floor and the same 12" porcelain tile for the tub and shower. For an accent, we went with a glass tile and we did 2" travertine for the shower floor. Our shower before was super small and just barely could fit a person, so we wanted a larger one. However, that wasn't possible since there was a massive window in the bathroom. So we decided to purchase a smaller window to create a larger shower. We also turned the tub on an angle to create more space and built a step up to the tub to make it easier to get in and out. Overall, I am happy with the tile. I did learn that the small glass tiles don't come perfectly straight on their sheets and that bothered me, but I have gotten used to it and don't notice as much anymore.

We purchased an unfinished vanity that we had painted white along with the rest of the cabinets in the home. We also used the same knobs and handles in brushed nickle that we used throughout the home.

One of the biggest challenges for me was picking out a countertop. My dilema was that I really don't like the look of granite (unless it is a solid color, like the black did in my kitchen, but I didn't want black in my bathroom). I like solid colors. I really love quartz products, but they weren't in the budget. I found some travertine and marble I liked, but I found in the research that I did that they are higher maintenance and I think harder to keep sanitary since you can't use many types of cleaners on them. So....I looked into solid surfaces. I wasn't sure how I felt about acrylic. I thought it may look cheap or cheesy. However, I found someone who was willing to come to my house and bring samples. I liked the product and he had a competitive price, so I decided to go for it. I asked for an extra thick, solid white countertop with seamless sinks. We used a product made by Samsung called Staron. The end result? I am in love! It does not look cheap or cheesy, but very sleek and sophisticated. I am so happy we went with acyrilic. It is easy to clean and maintain and looks great.

As for fixtures, I found them at Lowes. I went with Price Pfister line on everything but the roman tub faucet (they did not have one in that model) so I found a very similar one made by Glacier Bay. I also found my two white mirrors at Lowe's. I found the two light fixtures on Amazon.

There still are a couple of things left to do. I still haven't purchased a shower door. I'll post pictures of the shower when the door is installed. I also am eventually going to buy new rugs and wall decor. But it is functioning and we are really enjoying our bathroom. I am just thankful we no longer have carpet in the bathroom!

Decorating My Entryway

2011-10-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

As those of you regular followers know, we recently moved out of our small condo into a home. We really don't have any furniture, so are house is pretty open right now. Our living/dining room is the first room that you walk into and it doesn't have any furniture. However, I wanted it to feel somewhat welcoming and decorate at least the entryway for now. My first order of business was to get a rug. Since our doorway entry is at an angle, I thought a circle rug would works well rather than creating another angle with a rectangular rug. I had a hard time finding any circular rugs that I liked. I wanted something plain since I don't know how I am going to decorate the rest of the room yet. I found this rug online at Home Decorators. It works fine for the purpose. It isn't my favorite rug in the world, but I wanted something simple.

I also knew I wanted a bench in the entryway. I decided on white, since I have used painted white wood throughout the house so I felt it tied in with the style in the home. I found the bench on Overstock. I found the basket to hold the shoes at Home Goods and I just added a piece of felt to the bottom so it didn't scratch my wood floor.

I made the pillow covers using the steps from this earlier post. I found the lime fabric at JoAnn and the floral pattern online called Paradise Ivory Double Blooms. I found free subway art at this site. I am going to swap the art with each holiday and between I will have the quote that is now in the frame. I had it printed as a 16"x20" photo at Costco for around $6. I found the white frame at Aaron Brothers.

I made the hanging mason jar vases by purchasing a small piece of pine at Lowe's and sawing it in half so I had two boards. I painted the boards with two coats of white paint. I bought two hose clamps and my hubby drilled a hole though the clamp at secured onto the board. I then added a picture hanger on the back of each board and secured the jars into the clamps and hung on the wall. Super easy. I now just have to make sure I have at least some kind of flower blooming all year to keep the jars full.

Laundry Room Reveal

2011-08-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

Our laundry room was in need of some freshening up when we purchased the house. The flooring was pretty trashed and the cabinets were dated. We just did a few things in that room that really made it look more modern and fresh.

-Painted the cabinets in Kelly Moore's Swiss Coffee using Behr paint
-Added brushed nickle knobs to the cabinets
-Painted the walls using the color Haze by Behr
-New tile flooring from Lowe's
-Added shelving below the cabinets. Shelving and bins from IKEA.
-Added a picture to the room with a quote that I love about laundry...."As I do more laundry, nudists seem less crazy." Ha ha. Laundry does seem to be never ending.

Atlas Shrugged Review

2011-08-18T18:07:00.001-07:00

I can tell when I really enjoy a book because I am still thinking about it long after I have finished. I recently read the book Atlas Shrugged on a friend's recommendation. I must warn you that the book is intimidating due to the fact that it is so huge. We are talking 1100 pages! It took about 300 pages for me to really get into the book, but once I did I was hooked and I neglected my family for a couple of days while I read every minute I could.

The book was written 50 years ago, but there are many parallels between the book and what is happening to our government and society today. Apparently, many liberals in Hollywood fought hard against a movie coming out about it. Some favorite quotes:

"Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion—when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing—when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors—when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you—when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice—you may know that your society is doomed. Money is so noble a medium that is does not compete with guns and it does not make terms with brutality. It will not permit a country to survive as half-property, half-loot."

"Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong."

"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

"Love is our response to our highest values. Love is self-enjoyment. The noblest love is born out of admiration of another's values"

I highly recommend the book. For a summary of the book, click here. I also just saw that they recently made a movie of the book. It is a three part movie. Part 1 was out this past spring in theaters and will be on dvd this fall and Part 2 will be out in theaters soon after that. Yay! I've attached a trailer (with commentary) of the movie. I love who they cast as Dagny, the protagonist. She is just like I envisioned her in the book.

Busy Bags

2011-08-17T23:26:00.001-07:00

My friend had the wonderful idea recently of having a busy bag swap. A busy bag is an activity for young children that teaches them a skill as well as keeps them busy whenever you may need them to be. Whether it is at church, on a car ride, or just at home. Rather than have them watch yet another tv show, you can give them a great learning activity instead.

We had a group of 14 women. We each made 14 of the same busy bag activity and then we got together and swapped them. So we each came home with 14 different activities for our children. My son has tried several of them already and loves them. I am hoping we will do another one soon since they were such a hit.

Here are some links with ideas for busy bags.
Button Snake (this is what I did for my bag)
List of ideas here, here, or here.

Race Car Birthday Party

2011-08-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

My son wanted a race car birthday party this year. I had to put it together quickly, since my husband was going to be out of town when I was planning the party so I just had a couple of days to plan since there was no way my son was going to have the party AFTER his birthday without driving me insane asking about the party every five minutes.

I found tons of great ideas on this site here. We ended up keeping it simple. I had a breakfast party and I made the cake out of a stack of donuts that looked like race car tires served with fruit, bacon, and juice. The kids painted their own wood race cars and played pin the car on the race track. I planned on setting the table up like a race track and using these adorable road cones for cups, but since the party was earlier than planned they weren't delivered in time.

For his birthday cake that night, he had a race car cake. He loved it! It was super simple, too.

Race Car Track Cake:

Supplies Needed:
-One package OREO cookies
-One cake mix
-Frosting (see below)
-Coconut
-Green food coloring
-Car for top of cake
-Toothpicks
-Construction paper

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

I made one cake mix and then baked in two round cake pans. I cut the top of the cake off to make flat and flipped cakes over onto a piece of cardboard I covered with aluminum foil. I frosted the cake. I untwisted all of the Oreo cookies and the side without the cream I put in the food processor and crushed into a fine powder. I then poured it around the perimeter of the cake to look like the road. I then placed the Oreos with cream around the side of the cake to look like tires. I then dyed the coconut green and placed in the center of the cake to look like grass. I then took a spoonful of frosting and put it in a bag and piped it in lines to look like the dashed lines of the road.

Next, I cut out three triangles out of construction paper and taped to a toothpick and placed them by the road. I then found a checkered image online and put my son's name over it and printed it out to look like a race banner. I put a toothpick on each side of the banner to hold it up.

Baby bow giveaway!

2011-07-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

My friend has a business called Redwood Ranches and she and two of her friends make the most adorable hair bows, clips, and flowers. She would love to spread word about her business and has offered a giveaway to you! All you have to do is become a FB fan and leave a comment there saying you have done so. Thanks, Rachel! Entries end on July 31.

Moments That Matter Most

2011-06-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

This video brightened my day...I hope it brightens yours.

Necklace and Braclet Jewelry Organizer Board

2011-06-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

After we were first married I bought a really nice jewelry box like my mom had. Growing up I loved her jewelry box and I was excited to have my own. It is a beautiful box, but it just hasn't worked organized my necklaces well. I never can seem to find the one I am looking for and they often get tangled and I have a hard time shutting the doors because the box is overflowing. It basically was a big mess. I have really been into organizing since moving into our new place, so one of my projects this past week was to find a new jewelry solution. I purchased a $6 cork board at Wal-Mart and hung it on my closet wall and put push pins on the board and put my necklaces and bracelets on them. Done. Nothing fancy, but it works great. I can see all of my necklaces easily and they don't get tangled. They are hanging in my closet right by my clothing so I can put on my jewelry immediately after getting dressed. I love it. If you wanted to dress it up a bit you could cover the cork board with some cute fabric, using the method I used for my flannel board here.

Ladybug Birthday Party

2011-06-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

We had a ladybug birthday party for my daughter this past weekend. I was terrible at taking pictures, so I don't have as many as I would have liked to but I thought I'd pass along some of the ideas.

The Invite:
Below is the invitation to her party. I just found a fun lady bug image I liked online and a fun black and white poka dot image online as well. I created the invite in Photoshop Elements and had the invites printed at Wal-Mart as 4"x6" photos.

Display:
We were going to have the party outside on our patio but we had been finishing up planting a flower bed in time for the party and didn't even think about the smell that comes with fresh dirt. Our back yard basically smelled like a barnyard so we moved the party inside. I had a picture of the bday girl in a black frame and a vase of red flowers to go along with the red and black lady bug theme. I had red plates and cups and black utensils and napkins. I had a red and black balloon. I made a banner using black yarn and small clothes pins with pictures of her each month of her first year. The birthday girl was also wearing a cute little lady bug shirt. I had a lady bug costume, but she wasn't feeling well that day so I didn't want to put her in anything uncomfortable.

The Food:
I served these adorable ladybug cracker appetizers. I made this delicious Southwest pasta salad and had some bread to go along with it. I had a tray of strawberries with a dip which is made out of a 8 ounce container of strawberry cream cheese and 8 oz of marshmallow cream. For dessert we had cupcakes. I used a yellow cake mix and added zest from one lemon to it and then I frosted it with this lemon frosting. I made lady bug toppers to put on top using the same lady bug image I used on my invites. I printed twelve of the images to a page and printed them and cut them out in a circle shape. I then cut red card stock in a slightly larger circle and glued the ladybug cutout to the red piece. I then taped a toothpick to the back and stuck in the cupcake. They turned out really cute and were delicious. We served with some delicious Breyer's vanilla ice cream.

Photo credit: Taste of Home

Kitchen remodel

2011-05-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

We've been busy updating the home we recently bought the past couple months. We still have a lot to do, but it is coming along nicely. Below are some before and after pictures of our kitchen and breakfast nook. I absolutely love my black and white kitchen. I went back and forth on whether to do white counters or black. I really love white marble counters, but they are so porous and chip so easily that they weren't practical and Caesarstone was out of the budget so we went with beautiful black pearl granite and I am really happy with it. It is a happy room and I love cooking in it.

For those interested (I really appreciated blogs that told me where they bought everything) here is what we did:

-White cabinet paint is called Kelly Moore Swiss Coffee (using color match w/Behr paint)
-Brushed nickle knobs and pulls from Lowe's (sold in bulk pack)
-Franke black granite composite sink from Lowe's
-Kohler Simplice Stainless steel faucet from HD
-Hickory Flooring (yes, i went with the Hickory over the bamboo because it has a matte finish and is already distressed, so any dings the kiddies give it will blend in better) from Simple Floors
-Whirlpool clean steel fridge and GE cleansteel dishwasher (no fingerprints!) from Lowe's
-Whirlpool stainless steel stove with five burners (love it!) from Lowe's
-Wall paint: Haze by Behr (sold at HD)
-New pantry cabinet (we bought unfinished at Lowe's)
-Granite is called Black Pearl (We extended the counter tops so we can have bar stools)
-New window (middle one in bay)

I love my kitchen and am so happy how it turned out. I still have a list of decor projects, but the bulk of the work is done in there. More rooms to come as I finish more projects.

Freezer Jam Pectin

2011-05-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

I noticed at the store today that the no-cook freezer jam pectin I have recommended in the past has been redesigned and has a new look. So when you are at the store looking for it, this is what you are looking for.

I have bought mine at WinCo and Wal-Mart, but you can also order online here. It's the perfect time of year to make your strawberry freezer jam. I am hoping to make some later this week.

Bathroom Remodel

2011-05-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still alive! These past two months have been extremely busy and stressful as we remodeled the home we just purchased. We have moved in and everything is basically done except for our master bath. I am still deciding which direction to go in that room, but I am really loving the vintage turn-of-the century look with white subway tiles and a hex tile floor. Isn't it beautiful? It seems to be all the rage right now...it seems like all blogs with bathroom remodel tutorials have gone with the vintage look with their own twist. I think it is beautiful and would love a bathroom like this first photo.

I also think this tile that looks like a wood floor is so cool. I never knew this existed!
Once life gets back to normal, I'll have lots of fun design posts to share.

Coral room ideas

2011-03-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I really love the cheeriness of coral. I think these coral rooms are beautiful.

Source

Source

Source

House Ideas

2011-03-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

If all goes well, we should be closing on our first home tomorrow! I have been trying to decide on how to decorate the home. Here are some of the ideas I've found.

I love this dining set by Mackenzie. I also love the wall color. I am thinking about painting our living room/dining room in that color.

I love these curtains by West Elm for the living/dining room or possibly the master bedroom.

I love these rugs...I just am hoping to find a less expensive version of them.

I did end up going with the hickory flooring. I loved the bamboo, too, but the finish on the hickory was more of a matte and it was distressed so nicks and dirt won't be as obvious on it. Thanks to all of you for your opinions.

We are going to paint our kitchen cabinets white. I haven't decided on the counter tops yet. I am having a hard time finding something in our budget. Here are some kitchens I really am liking.

Source: Country Living
I like the contrast of the counters here. I believe this is soapstone, which I think is really cool.

Below: Source
I also like the lighter counter tops with the pop of color. I love the farmhouse/apron sinks in both of these kitchens.

We are excited to have a room for an office. I love all the color in this desk/crafting area.
I like the contrasting shelf.

I can't decide on a color for the master, but I am thinking of something like this.
Aren't these sheets by Garnett Hill adorable? I think they would be so cute on my daughter's bed when she gets older.
And I love this great quote board from Etsy.

Vote for favorite flooring

2011-03-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, my FB and blogging friends...I am indecisive and need some help with my final decision for the flooring in our home. I have it narrowed down to hickory or stranded bamboo. Take a look at the pictures from the company we are ordering through and let me know your favorite. Thanks! :)

Hickory here or here or here
Bamboo here or here or here

Kids' Room Decor Ideas

2011-03-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

I have been having fun looking at ideas for my kids' rooms. I am really liking this room by Pottery Barn for my daughter. It is painted in Milano Red by Benjamin Moore (which is really a dark pinkish color). I also love the white furniture and white accents. So beautiful! The large prints of the baby are also really a nice touch.

For my son, I really like the idea of an an aviation/reading room. I found these ideas from a friend on pinterest. Wouldn't this idea be cool but instead of saying "READ" in large letters I could display "FLY" and aviation related books or pictures. I also love the idea of having one wall of shelving to display books.

How to make a no-sew tutu

2011-03-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

Every little girl needs a tutu, right? I've seen so many adorable pictures of baby girls in tutus that I just had to make one so I could snap my own photos of my little one. She has big blue eyes, so I decided to go with a periwinkle tulle. This was super easy and inexpensive to make. These would be great baby shower or birthday gifts, too.

Here's what you'll need to make your own tutu.

-Tulle (I ordered mine here at fabric.com), amount will vary depending on how the size of your child. I ordered two spools (6"x25 yard spool) and I used one and a half spools for my baby.

-1/2" elastic band (I bought a package a Wal-Mart)
-Staple or safety pin
-Scissors

Instructions:
-Measure your child's waist and then deduct about and inch and this will be how big you want the waist
-Staple or safety pin the elastic ends together. I left a little extra elastic overlap so my daughter can continue to grow with this tutu.
-Decided how long you want the tutu and then cut your tulle to twice desired length (since you will be folding in half and tying to the elastic). My tulle on the spool already came with a 6" width but if you don't buy yours by the spool cut into 6" strips first.
-Double knot you tulle pieces to the elastic. This is the most time consuming part. It takes about an hour, but isn't hard. It is a great activity to do while watching tv.

That's it. Once your tutu is as fluffy as you'd like, put it on your little one and snap some pictures!

Great site to post pictures of your favorite things and ideas

2011-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

My friend recently posted about a new site called Pinterest. Basically, it is a site to put a picture and link of all of your favorite ideas and products you find online. You also are able to see all of your friends favorites they've posted, too. Below is an example of what page looks like.

I have been doing a lot of research lately on home renovation and decorating, so I created a category for several rooms in my home. I have all my kitchen ideas and dream dining sets in one spot, so when the time comes to actually work on those rooms I have all the info visually displayed in one spot. You can create categories for all of your favorite things. It is a great site!

Classic Kids Books (3-8 years)

2011-02-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

The last couple of times we have gone to the library we haven't really found any fabulous books in the children's section. I usually request books but haven't been very good at doing that lately. I decided to look online for suggestions on classic children's books to request and I found this site that has great selections. You may want to check out some of these classics you may not have read before.

Scrapbook Printing Sale

2011-01-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

Winkflash is doing its annual sale where you get a 100-page scrapbook for the price of a 20-page. They have raised prices since last year, so it is $12 more, but it is still a great deal. You get a 12x12 book for $38.95 plus shipping (which was $10 last year). That still works out to a little less than 50 cents per page. The sale goes until Feb. 3. They did extend and extra week last year due to the popularity, but to make sure you get the deal I would have your scrapbook ready by Feb. 3.

I need to get busy, since I am only caught up to August. I have four more months to scrap before next week!

Preschool: The Letter F

2011-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good about having preschool time this month with my son. We have been working on the letter F all month. I didn't take pictures, so this is kind of a boring post but we really enjoyed the books on this list.

Books:
-Firetrucks by Peter Brady
-This is the Firefighter by Laura Godwin
-If I could Drive a Firetruck! by Michael Teitelbaum
-Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
-From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
-Apples by Gail Gibbons
-Apple, Apples Everywhere! by Robing Koontz
-Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
-Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
-Fish Wish by Bob Barner
-The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
-Gone Fishing by Earlene Long
-A Fish in His Pocket by Denys Cazet
-How a Tadpole Grows into a Frog
-The Frog in the Pond by Wil Mara
-Watch me grow Frog by Lisa Magloff
-One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau

Firetruck day: Read This is the Firefighter by Laura Godwin, Firetrucks by Peter Brady and If I could Drive a Firetruck! by Michael Teitelbaum. I also checked out a couple of movies about firetrucks at the library. Take a field trip to visit the local fire station.

Fish day: Read Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni, A Fish in His Pockent by Denys Cazet, The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, Fish Wish by Bob Barner, and Gone Fishing by Earlene Long. We made a fish out of construction paper with a googly eye.

Flower day: Read Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, Sunflower House by Eve Bunting. Take you preschooler to the store to buy their own bouquet of flowers.

Fruit day: Read Apples by Gail Gibbons, From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons, Apple, Apples Everywhere! by Robing Koontz, and Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert. Have a variety of fruit for your child to sample.

Frog day: Read How a Tadpole Grows into a Frog, The Frog in the Pond by Wil Mara, Watch me grow Frog by Lisa Magloff, and One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau. Frog Activities here.

Mushroom & Onion Turkey Melt

2011-01-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I get tired of eating the same old thing for lunch. I usually am too lazy to make anything that takes more than five minutes for lunch. We had deli turkey in the fridge today but I didn't feel like my usual cold turkey sandwich, so I thought of what else I could make with it. I then remembered back to my days living at home and the turkey melts my dad would make for dinner quite often. They are tasty and healthy!

Ingredients:
1/2 onion
10 mushrooms
Six slices of turkey
2 sandwich thins
Sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese
Dijon mustard
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Directions: Slice onions and mushrooms and saute in pan with olive oil.

In seperate frying pan, warm turkey. Place sliced cheese on top of turkey to melt.

Toast sandwich thins. Place turkey with melted cheese, onions and mushrooms, and dijon mustard on the buns and enjoy!

Interesting article on mothering styles

2011-01-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article that was in the Wall Street Journal comparing Chinese mothers to Western mothers and why the author thinks the Chinese mothering style is superior. Both my husband and I found ourselves taking both sides while reading, but I found it insightful and it gave me something to ponder. Whether you agree or not, it is an interesting read.

A excerpt:

"A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:

• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin."

Read the rest of the article here.

New Year's: Look Not behind Thee

2011-01-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

I love the message of this video. One of the things I love about a new year is the fresh start. We can't have a new start if we continually look to the past and worry about what we did or didn't do. We can look to all the possibilities we currently have and move forward. Here's to a great 2011!

Fit in Six Health Challenge

2011-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

A friend invited me to participate in a Fit in Six Challenge Group she is running. It started on Monday and it has been a great way to help me discipline myself. I thought I'd give you a basic overview, if any of you are looking for some kind of plan to help you loose some weight.

Basic overview:

Eat good food each day (see good food list below) and stay away from bad foods (also see list below)
Drink 8 cups (64 oz) of water each day
Take a vitamin each day
Exercise (both cardio and resistance) - with the challenge you get points for exercising M-Sat but Sunday you rest
Don't eat after 8 p.m.
Choose an addiction to overcome that keeps you from living a healthy lifestyle (for me it is my daily chocolate feedings)
Read something inspirational for 10 minutes each day
Personal prayer daily

I like that the program is simple and I also get "points" for doing things I also have as goals to make sure I read the scriptures daily and pray. Taking time to meditate on higher things definitely is good for our health.

Below are the lists of good, bad, and safe foods.

Good Foods
3 Fiber (goal is 25 grams a day)
*Oatmeal (i.e. old fashioned or Quaker Weight Control)
*Whole grain hot cereals (unsweetened)
*Low sugar, High Fiber cereals (i.e. All Bran, Fiber One, ~10g/
serving)
*Whole grain bread, pita bread & tortillas
*Brown Rice
*Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)
*Etc.

2 Protein
*Fish (tuna, salmon, halibut, etc)
*Shrimp
*Chicken (w/o skin)
*Turkey
*Eggs, Egg Whites, Egg Beaters
*Protein Shake (less than 250 cal per shake)
*Cottage cheese (nonfat or 1%)
*Legumes (black beans, kidney beans, etc)

2 Dairy
*Skim or 1% milk
*Lowfat cheeses (string cheese, mozzarella, laughing cow, etc)
*Lowfat or nonfat yogurt (Dannon Light ‘n Fit, 1 cup ~ 80 to 100 cal)
--If you are lactose intolerant or you have issues with dairy, you can
achieve similar results with soy products, a calcium supplement, etc--

All Fruit

All Vegetables

Supplements
*Multivitamin (Centrum gets good reviews)
*Calcium and Vitamin D (Oscal Ultra or Caltrate 600 Plus - good
reviews)
*Fish oil capsules on days when you did not eat fish (1 gram)

Bad Foods
-Sugary cereal, full fat granola, etc
-White flour pancakes, waffles, biscuits (Only one serving of white pasta, potato, etc a day)
-Fried foods, saucy foods, cheesy foods, full-fat cream sauce
-Bakery items such as muffins, cake, bagels, doughnuts, brownies, cookies, pie, sweet roll, danish, etc
-Soda or other drinks with sugar
-Mayo, sour cream, butter, margarine, creamy sauces, full calorie/full fat salad dressings, dips
-Ice cream, whole or 2% milk, cream, full fat cheeses, cream cheese
-Potato chips, Cheetos, Fritos, Doritos, Cheezits, crackers, etc.
-Fast food, Restaurant food, pizza (There are some good choices – your discretion)
-Chocolate, candy, candy bars, pop tarts
-Full sugar syrups, jams, jellies
-High sugar or high calorie protein bars over 150 calories.
-Regular beer or wine

Safe foods (these snacks have been great in helping me get a little "sweet" for the day
-Unsweetened cereals/Low in Fiber: Cheerios, Wheeties, Crispix, etc
-Nuts
-Low Sugar Jam
-Diet Soda or Crystal Light (both not necessarily good for you)
-Protein bar less than 150 cal
-100 cal popcorn snack or air popped popcorn
-Sugar free jello, Fat free sugar free jello pudding
-Fat free or Sugar free cool whip
-Skinny Cow ice cream ~120 cal a serving (similar ice sandwich or Low cal frozen desserts cream treats)
-Mustard, Salsa, Relish, Pickles
-Spray butter, Pam
-Olive oil, Canola oil
-Low-Cal, low-fat healthy alternatives

This challenge has helped me this week. I've worked out each day, eaten healthy, and I haven't had chocolate or dessert all week (except for my approved snacks on the safe food list). I feel great and I have lost a couple pounds. I hope to be fit at the end of the six week challenge and keep up these healthy habits! Do you have any healthy ideas to share?

Favorite Posts of 2010

2011-01-01T13:14:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. It is hard to believe 2011 is here. Before I kick off the new year with new posts, I thought I would do a highlight of some of the best posts of 2010. Here they are.

1. Make your own flannel board and flannel figures

2. Make your own hanging kitchen towel

3. Make your own hair bow and clip organizer

4. Organize your pantry and cupboards

5. How to make a rag quilt

6. Easter centerpiece (could adapt for any holiday)

7. Carrot Cake

8. Sesame Street Party

9. Strawberry Jam using Agave

10. Preschool Activities: The Letter C

Looking forward to posting more ideas and projects in 2011!

Braided Sweet Bread

2010-12-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

Last year, I posted the recipe for braided sweet bread but the bread was eaten so quickly I never took a picture of it after it was baked and frosted. This would be a great sweet bread to serve Christmas morning. My mom made it throughout the year, but at Christmastime she shaped the bread into a candy cane shape.

Click here for the recipe.

Three Great Christmas reads

2010-12-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

Here are three wonderful reads to get you in the Christmas spirit.

1. The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke - a short 18-page story available for free here.

2. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - a classic we are all familiar with that is perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. Also available for free online.

3. Luke II - What better way to remember the birth of the Savior than to read the account of His birth?

*These are the three texts Pres. Thomas S. Monson reads each Christmas season, as he explained in this Christmas devotional.

Polish Tea Cake Cookies (aka Thumbprint cookies)

2010-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite holiday treat. My grandma always made these every Christmas and my mom always did, too. They are especially tasty if you fill them with homemade jam.

Ingredients:
-1 cup butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-2 egg yolks
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 cups flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 egg whites
-2 cups chopped pecans
-About 1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam or preserves

Cream butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Then add the flour and salt to the mixture. Roll dough into cookie balls and roll in egg whites and then in chopped pecans.

Place on cookie sheet and press middle of cookie with a thimble or wooden end of spoon. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes and then press middle of cookie down again and bake 5-7 more minutes.

Don't overcook. When cookies are cool place jam in the middle of cookie. Makes 3 dozen.

This is me six years ago showing off my first attempt at making Christmas goodies, including making Polish Teacakes for the first time by myself.

Handmade Crocheted Items - great Christmas gift

2010-12-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

My friend Heidi just started a business selling crocheted hats, flowers, scarfs, and booties. Below is a picture of some of her work. She is taking orders until the 18th of this month. These make wonderful gifts for babies and toddlers on your gift giving list. Check out her blog for more info.

Favorite Christmas Decorations

2010-12-04T21:59:00.001-08:00

It was so fun decorating for Christmas this year. It is the first year my son really understands everything going on and he is sooo excited about everything and anything that has to do with Christmas. He loved decorating the tree and his tells us often that his favorite ornaments are the airplanes, which makes his daddy (who is a pilot) very happy.

I always enjoy hanging my Disney ornaments on the tree.

I absolutely love our nativity. My son loves looking at it too and arranging the scene.

We all have stockings that look like these. My mom made them for us several years ago and she has helped me make some for my husband and children.

How about you? Do you have favorite Christmas decorations?

Personalized video message from Santa to your child

2010-12-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Nicole let me know about this awesome site that customizes a video message to your child from Santa. You just need to upload a picture or two of your child and answer a few questions and within five minutes you will have a video for your child from Santa. My son loved it!

Christmas cards

2010-11-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

My son had a run-in with an entertainment center a couple of weeks ago and thankfully he didn't need stitches, but the doctor applied skin glue instead. He now has a big purple patch on his forehead. As soon as the glue comes off we will be taking family photos so we can get our Christmas cards together.

I have used Shutterfly several times for various photo projects and plan to use them this year for our Christmas cards. They always do a quality job and I have always received my shipment quickly. Click here to see all of the great Christmas templates they have. You can even order invitations to your Christmas or New Year's party. I also make photo calendars each year for my parents and my inlaws and Shutterfly also has great templates for those. Here are some of my favorite templates I am thinking of using for my Christmas cards:

Are you doing Christmas cards this year? Where do you buy your Christmas cards? If you are interested in using Shutterfly, check out this link for a promotion they are doing.

Preschool Activities: Thanksgiving Week

2010-11-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

It was fun teaching my son about Thanksgiving. He is so excited about all the holidays this year and it makes them more special seeing them through a child's eyes. Below are preschool activities for Thanksgiving Week you can enjoy the next couple days.

Supplies Needed for Thanksgiving Week:
-Construction Paper
-Turkey Pattern

-Googly eyes
-Paper Sack
-Feathers
-Crayons and or paint

Suggested Books to Read:
-I just grabbed what my library had. The only one I was impressed enough to recommend is Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. Update: I also found a book called Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes that is a good read.

Pilgrim and Native American Day:
-Make an Native American Costume. Ideas here and here

Thankful Day:
-Make a Thankful Turkey -Watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Turkey Day:
-We colored a turkey coloring page from our local newspaper. You can find your own sheet here or here.

-You have your preschooler help make the place card holders for Thanksgiving day. Here are some ideas I gave last year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Free Holiday Cards

2010-11-22T20:59:00.001-08:00

50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Check out this link for more info.

Catch-up

2010-11-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

I have been slacking on posting my weekly preschool activities. This time of year just gets so crazy. I just posted the last three weeks and hopefully now will have one post each week. We are starting Thanksgiving Week this weekend and I will have some ideas early next week. Then I will have some Christmas ideas during the month of December. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Preschool Activities: The Letter C

2010-11-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

Here are some ideas for learning about the letter C with your preschooler.

Supplies Needed:
-Samples of white, dark, milk chocolate
-Carrots
-Crayons
-Colored marshmallows
-Pipe cleaner
-Marker

Books Needed:
-The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
-Carrot Soup by John Segal*
-Do You Have Any Carrots? by Leonard Kessler*
-Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy*
-Max's Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells*
-The Story Behind Chocolate by Sean Stewart Price*
-Percy's Chocolate Crunch*
-Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory by Margret and H.A. Rey's*
-A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch
-Crayons from Start to Finish by Samuel G. Woods*
-What Happens at a Crayon Factory? by Lisa M. Guidone*
-My Crayons Talk by Patricia Hubbard
-The Green Caterpillar by Lo Coccinella
-It's a Caterpillar! by Elisa Peters*
-Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar by Janet Pedersen
-Arabella Miller's Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
-The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (we also wathed the DVD The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories)*
-The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle (also watch the DVD)*
-Do you still love me? by Charlotte Middleton
*These were are favorites and the ones I recommend. You may find some other great books on these topics when you look at your local library.

Carrot Day:
-Read The Carrot Seed, Carrot Soup, Do You Have Any Carrots?, and Just Enough Carrots.

-We snacked on carrots that day. Mom son loved all of the books. Carrot day was a huge hit.

Chocolate Day:
-Read Max's Chocolate Chicken, The Story Behind Chocolate, Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory, and Percy's Chocolate Crunch.

-That is all we did that day. It would have been nice to have samples of different types of chocolate.

Crayon Day:
-Read A Day with No Crayons, Crayons from Start to Finish, What Happens at a Crayon Factory?, My Crayons Talk

-Made a crayon train (my son's idea)

-Of course, you can color a picture using crayons

Caterpillar Day:
-Read The Green Caterpillar, It's a Caterpillar!, Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
-Watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories dvd, which also had to other books that began with the letter C on it.

-Made caterpillars out of colored marshmallows and pipe cleaner and used marker to dot the eyes. My son loved this. We made a family of caterpillars representing each person in our family.

Chameleon Day:
-Read The Mixed-Up Chameleon, Do you still love me?
-Watched Watched The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other stories dvd

Preschool Activities: The Letter M

2010-11-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some ideas for learning about the letter M. So far, this has been my son's favorite week. He absolutely loved playing with marshmallows and making muffins.

Supplies needed for Letter M Week:
-Bag of big marshmallows and bag of colored small marshmallows
-Paint (watercolors or finger)
-White paper
-Elmer's glue
-Googly eyes
-Black yarn
-Print mask here
-Ingredients to make muffins

Suggested books for Letter M Week:
- The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett
-Marshmallow Kisses by Linda Crotta Brennan (not really about marshmallows, except for one page)
-Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
-One Monkey too Many by Jackie French Koller
-Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh*
-If you give a Mouse a Cookie*
-If you give a Moose a Muffin*
*Our favorite books of the week.

Marshmallow Day:
-Read The Marshmallow Incident by Judi Barrett and Marshmallow Kisses by Linda Crotta
Brennan
-Sort marshmallows by size and color
-Marshmallow races and games, such as running with marshmallow on spoon
-Glue marshmallows on the letter M that you draw on a piece of white paper (my son loved this so much we did it a couple of days during "M" week)

My son needed to get his front loader to help move the marshmallows.

Mouse Day:
-Read If you give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
-Paint - you can explain how the primary colors make other colors like the mice discovered in the book Mouse Paint
-Make a Letter M mouse

Monkey Day:
-Read One Monkey too Many by Jackie French Koller and Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
-Make monkey mask

Moose Day:
-Read If you give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Moosetache by Margie Palatini
-Make muffins

The Letter H

2010-11-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Supplies Needed for Letter H Week:
-This week was busy and we only read the books, but I put links to various activities you can do with each day.

Suggested Books for Letter H Week:
-The Magic Hat by Tricia Tusa
-I've Lost My Hat by Charnan Simon
-Hat by Paul Hoppe
-Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina*
-Go Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman
-Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
-The Wild Little Horse by Rita Gray
-A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman*
-The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton*
-The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood*
-Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton*
-The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton*
*Our favorite books of the week.

Hat Day:
-Read The Magic Hat by Tricia Tusa, Hat by Paul Hoppe, I've Lost My Hat by Charnan Simon and Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.
-Choose a hat activity here.

Horse Day:
-Read Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash and The Wild Little Horse by Rita Gray.
-For the activity you can put on cowboy hats and ride your stick horses (broom, stick, etc). You can even make your own stick horse.

House Day:
-Read A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman, The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood.
-For activities you can build a house with lincoln logs or we have a Little People House we played with.

Hippo Day:
-Read Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton, The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton.
-Hippo activities here.

Preschool Activities: The Letter L

2010-11-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have been having learning activities based around one letter each week with my three year old. He loves doing his school work. I am still working out an exact routine, but I thought I'd begin sharing what I am doing so far. This may give you some ideas to use with with your preschoolers.

Supplies Needed for Letter L Week:
-Broken yellow, red, and orange crayons
-Wax paper
-Iron
-Googly eyes
-Black yarn
-Yellow paper

Books Needed for Letter L Week:
-Llama Mama books by Anna Dewdney*
-Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino (also on DVD)*
-Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
-Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson*
-Leaves by David Ezra Stein
-Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
-Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen*
-The Happy Lion by Lousie Fatio*
-If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks
-The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
-Ladybug Girl by David Soman
-Are you a Ladybug by Judy Allaen and Tudor Humphries
*The books my son and I enjoyed the most and I'd enjoy in our library collection.

Llama Day:
-Read Llama Mama books by Anna Dewdney
-Watch (or read) Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino

Leaves Day:
-Read Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert, Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson, Leaves by David Ezra Stein, and Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
-Make wax leaves
-Go on a walk and collect leaves and come home and glue them as a collage on a piece of paper

Lion Day:
-Read Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, The Happy Lion by Lousie Fatio, and If I Were a Lion by Sarah Weeks
-Make Lion craft

Ladybug Day:
-Read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, Ladybug Girl by David Soman, and Are you a Ladybug by Judy Allaen and Tudor Humphries
-Ladybug activities

Before Five in A Row

2010-11-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have started a dedicated learning time each day with my three-year old and one of the resources I have been using is a book called Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert. It is a book full learning activities for your children ages 2-4. The first part focuses on books to read with your child and activities you can do when discussing each book.

Here are the books on the BFIAR book list:

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by N.W. Carlstrom
Yellow Ball by Molly Bang
My Blue Coast by Chris L. Demarest
The Little Rabbit by Judy Dunn
Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gag
If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Quiet Way Home by Bonny Becker
Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets
Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field
I Am An Artist by Pat L. Collins
Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack
Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne
We're Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
The Red Carpet by Rex Parkin
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Jenny's Surprise Summer by Eugenie

I have been checking out one of these books from the library each week to read and discuss. I also have been focusing on a letter of the week, which I'll be doing posts of each letter we do and suggested books and activities.

The second half of the BFIAR is full of creative ideas to do with your preschooler. Ideas range from activities to develop large motor skills (balancing, crab walk, skipping) to small motor skills (puzzles, cutting and pasting).

It is a resource I have enjoyed and recommend you checking out at your local library.

How to Make Felt (Flannel) Figures for Your Felt Board

2010-10-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

After making my felt board, my next project was to make felt figure kits to use on the felt board. My son is really into the alphabet right now, so I decided to make some uppercase and lowercase letters for us to do during his daily learning time. I just typed the alphabet in Arial font size 175 and printed on T-Shirt Iron-on Transfer paper.

Here's what you'll need:

-T-Shirt Iron-on Transfer Paper - This can be expensive if you don't buy in bulk. You can purchase a pack of six 8"x11.5" sheets at Wal-Mart for about $7.50 ($1.25 each). I bought 100 sheets for $63 (including tax and shipping) from Dharma Trading which works out to 63 cents each. It still is an investment but much cheaper than purchasing your own felt kits which are usually about $10 per kit (which is usually only a sheet or two of figures).
-Felt or flannel (I prefer white)
-Printer (Recommendation: Kodak printers have the best price on cartridges. I know when I had a Cannon it was about $50 to refill my cartridges! Now it is $25 with my Kodak.)
-Iron
-Scissors
-Folders to organize kits

Follow steps on photos below:

You can find the mirror image option (see below) in by selecting File, Print, Properties, Layout tab.

If you are interested in scripture stories for your flannel board, I found a great site called Chocolate on My Cranium that has about 50 free kits (see example below) you can download that come with the images and a text document. I put the figures on felt from an idea from a little of this, a little of that blog. These kits are perfect for Family Home Evening (family time we try do every Monday night).

All-Natural Fruit Snack

2010-10-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

My son isn't a huge fan of fruit, which doesn't make sense to me because he loves vegetables. I discovered Stretch Island Real-Fruit Strips at my local grocery store last year and my son loves them (and so do I). Each strip counts as a 1/2 serving of fruit. The only problem was they are a bit pricey (33 cents each or more) at the grocery store and my son would eat five each day if I'd let him. So you can imagine how happy I was to discover that Costco now sells them and they are only 12 cents each. I wrote them a letter requesting them a couple months ago and I am not sure if that is why they now have them or not, but I am so happy they have them. So next time you visit Costco (or your grocery store) try them out. They are delicious and good for you!

How to make a flannel board (aka felt board)

2010-10-13T15:27:00.001-07:00

I am working on preparing a library of supplies and materials to teach my children. I am currently working on making kits for my flannel board. I will post more on that soon. Today, I want to show you how I ended up creating my felt board.

Supplies needed:
-Framed white board (mine is also magnetic) - I bought mine at Wal-Mart for $6
-Felt or Flannel one inch larger than the board - I had this on hand but should only be a couple dollars
-Butter knife

Then follow the pictures and instructions below.

When you are finished, you'll have a felt board on one side and a white board and magnet board on the other.

Fall Recipe Roundup

2010-10-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and so are all the yummy pumpkin and apple goodies. Below are some of my past fall recipes and a goodie bag to deliver them in to your friends.

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Cake Roll

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (my favorite)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mini Chocolate and Caramel Apples

Apple and Pumpkin Gift Bags

Importance of Patience

2010-09-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Patience is something that I definitely have to work on every day! Having a three year old gives me extra practice with that. I love this video clip on patience which came from this talk. One of the quotes I love says, "As parents, we know how unwise it would be to indulge our children’s every desire. But children are not the only ones who spoil when showered with immediate gratification. Our Heavenly Father knows what good parents come to understand over time: if children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait...Patience is a process of perfection."

How to make a hanging kitchen towel using a pot holder

2010-09-25T23:01:00.001-07:00

I like having a hanging kitchen towel that attaches to the oven handle to wipe my hands on after I wash them. Regular towels always slide or fall, so I like these hanging towels. Mine were six years old and in sad, sad shape so I finally got around to making some. I bought the pack of towels at Target of $2 each and the hot pads at the dollar store, so if you have buttons and thread on hand these are only $2.50 each to make. These make great wedding gifts or even a gift for a friend. The instructions are pictured below.

I found it easier to baste by hand and gather rather than use the machine.

How to Make a Headband Organizer

2010-09-15T15:41:00.001-07:00

I needed something to organize all of my daughter's headbands so I don't leave them all over the place. This is an inexpensive, simple way to organize your girls or your own headbands.

First, you will need the following supplies:

Oatmeal canister (42 oz)
Fabric (10"x18" - the 18" gives you a couple inches of overlap)
Spray adhesive
Two 16" pieces of ribbon
Hot glue

Wipe out the canister, so it is nice and clean inside for storing other hair ribbon, headbands, etc. Then following the directions on the pictures below.

That's it. Then you have your finished product! You could even spray paint the lid, if the white doesn't match your fabric. You can also store things inside the canister if you run out of room on the outside.

Hair bow and hair clips organizer frame

2010-09-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Since having a baby girl I have found I keep finding new bows and ribbons to put in her hair and I have been in need of a place to put them and keep them organized. I decided to make an organizer for her bows, clips, and headbands (I will be doing a headband organizer post soon) and one for a friend. This is a simple, inexpensive, and decorative way to organize your hair clips and bow.

Supplies Needed:
Frame
Fabric or scrapbook paper
Ribbons
Spray Paint (if you are painting over old frame)
Spray Adhesive
Hot glue

I used fabric I had left from the rag quilt. The colors will go with her room when she gets one someday. That way I can hang it in her room, but you could also pick something to go with your bathroom decor if that is where you will be hanging the frame.

Instructions:
Follow the pictures below. They should be pretty self-explanatory.

It took about six coats to get these the desired color. It took about three hours for them to be ready to handle.

The finished results...

2 Mini-photo books for $5 (including shipping)

2010-09-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

See Here is having a buy one get one sale on their mini-photo books (2 ¾” x 3 7/8”), so you get two books for $5 including shipping. These are perfect for putting in your purse or stuffing in a stocking. Use promo code minibook-3 at check-out.

Thanks My Frugal Adventures.

Best Baby Products - Birth to three months

2010-09-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

When I had my first child I wasn't sure what baby products I would really use. It would have been really useful to have a list of "must haves" and "nice, but not necessary" to know which products were worth purchasing. I feel like I have a better grasp on what items I would put on this list (at least for the first three months) as I am now using my favorites again w/my daughter. So, here is my list. Feel free to leave comments with your favorites.

Baby "Must Haves" for 0-3 months:

Large blanket to swaddle (the small receiving blankets just don't cut it, get a really large, thin blanket).
Sound soother (A fan works great. I also bought a white noise cd on itunes that really calms my baby. We got tired of turning on the blow dryer and our cd has blow dryer white noise plus three other calming noises.)
Zipper pjs (Gerber sells these - can purchase at Babies-r-us or Amazon.) In the middle of the night you don't want to be messing with snap pjs.
Bouncer, like this one - this is the perfect place for the baby to sit and look around while you make dinner and get some things done. This is probably my number one favorite product. My son used his until he was 9 months and no longer could sit with out his whole body hitting the ground. My daughter absolutely loves it too and spends a lot of her awake time in this looking around.
Travel system (I have the Graco snugride and their single and double strollers and love them both because they have plenty of storage space and they have held up well with all of the daily abuse they get. I bought my double on craigslist and it was almost brand new and saved $150.)
Pack-n-play (Both of my kids slept in this everyday for the first 3 months and I like that it has a diaper changer and baby mobile.)

"Nice, but not necessary" Baby items for 0-3 months:

Boppy - I used the boppy the first two weeks and that was about it. It does help when getting used to breast feeding, but a flat,thin pillow will work just as well of if not better. The lactation specialists I talked with at the hospital preferred flat pillows over the boppy. The boppy is nice to prop baby up, too, but I prefer the bouncer and my kids have, too. I think the boppy is overpriced for what it does.
Miracle Blanket - I bought this with my daughter because she is a little houdini when it comes to getting out of her swaddle and it worked great until about 7 weeks when she outgrew it. I would like the blanket a lot more if it would have lasted longer. It was overpriced and short lived. However, it does make one fantastic swaddle!
Baby Bjorn (I think this becomes nicer when the baby is older than three months. If you buy, I would consider buying on ebay for a better price.)
Play mat (my three month old is just getting into this and it is nice, but not necessary for the first 3 months)
Breast pump (This is nice, but not absolutely necessary, if you are breast feeding. I used a hand pump with my son and purchased an electric with my daughter. If you plan on pumping daily, get a Medela electric.)
Swing (For my babies it wasn't necessary, but for fussy babies it may be a "must have." My son hated the swing but my daughter likes to nap in it. Look on craigslist or yard sales to get a better price.)

Great Resources preparing for baby:

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam (this book has helped me get both of my children to sleep well and get on a schedule)
Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (Check your local library--they probably have this. It gives great advice on how to calm a newborn baby.)

Potty Training Resources

2010-08-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month we began potty training my son. He has the concepts down, but we are still working on perfecting it. I've found a lot of good resources along the way that I thought I would share with you.

Books for Parents:
Potty train your child in just one day by Teri Crane
Potty Training 1-2-3: What Works, How it Works, Why it Works by Gary Ezzo and Anne Marie Ezzo

Books for Kids:
I checked out about all the children's potty books out there and these were mine and my son's favorites.

The Princess and the Potty
Everyone Poops
The Potty Book for Boys (or Girls)
The New Potty (Little Critter)
Max's Potty

Movies:
Potty Power - For Boys and Girls
Potty Time with Elmo

Potty Charts:
You can print out a great chart for boys here and girls here. Then grab some great stickers to post on the chart each time your child uses the potty.

Potty Supplies:
Gerber Training Pants - I like these because they are underwear (and not Pullups) but they are padded so if your child does have an accident they absorb a lot of it but still don't feel like a diaper like a Pullup does.

Safety 1st Comfy Cushy 3-in-1 Potty
I prefer the potty seats that connect to the toilet for easy cleanup, but I also like having a potty seat for times when I am busy and can't sit in the bathroom with my son. He can sit on his potty seat and watch a movie in the living room while he sits and waits. It isn't fun to cleanup but it isn't as bad as cleaning up messy underwear. It also doubles as a stool which is handy for washing hands after using the potty.

Mommy's Helper Contoured Cushie Tushie Potty Seat
This is a great little seat. It is soft and it also has a fairly big opening (unlike the potty seat, which is pretty small).

Treats and prizes - I give my son a sticker on the potty chart after using the potty and a small treat for going number one and I have big prizes for going number 2 (like a hotwheels truck).

How to save You Tube videos to your computer

2010-08-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show a You Tube video on my computer recently in a place that didn't have internet access and I wasn't sure how to save the video to my computer. I found this great, free site called Keep Vid. I was able to save the file to my computer within minutes. You simply paste the You Tube url into the box that says "URL" at the top of the page and then click "download." It then gives you options of what type of file you want to save as. I chose the "mp4" option. That is it. Pretty easy.

Organizing your pantry and your cupboards

2010-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

My spice cabinet and pantry have been driving me nuts! They were somewhat organized at one point but as more items were added to the cupboard and pantry they both became a big mess. Yesterday, I stopped by Wal-Mart and picked up these great organizers. I bought this spice organizer for around $3.50.

My spices are tiered so I can easily see everything I have in the cabinet. Here is the before shot.

And After. No guessing what is in the cupboard now...I can see it!Most of my spices I keep on a spice rack where I labeled everything.

I bought these expandable shelves for around $7.50 each.

Here is the before shot. Pretty scary!

And After.

Being organized makes me so happy. I keep opening my pantry just to admire how clean it looks! It only took an hour of work and was under $30.

30 meals in one day

2010-08-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

I enjoy cooking (mostly because I love to eat) but I get tired of making dinner every night. I've been wanting to do a big freezer meal day once a month and make a bunch of dinners. I am hoping to get a deep freeze this week so I'll have the space to do this. I just saw a post on the "Things I Love!" blog about a book/cd called 30 Meals in One Day. It has the directions and recipes for great recipes you can do in one day. Go check it out.

Zucchini Brownies

2010-08-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

A friend recently gave me some zucchini, so I decided to make zucchini brownies. My mom would makes these every summer when we had more zucchini in our garden than we knew what to do with. You do have to have a bit a of paradigm shift before you eat these brownies. They aren't super sweet and rich like my other brownie recipe. These are extremely moist but just a little sweet. They only have a 1/2 cup sugar compared to my other recipe that has six cups between the brownie and frosting. So if you are watching what you are eating like I am, this is a good way to get a little bit of sweetness without all the sugar.

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix first five ingredients together and then add the flour, salt, and soda. Finally, add the zucchini and nuts and chocolate chips (if using). Pour into a greased 8"x8" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Fire Truck Cake

2010-08-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated my son's birthday and he wanted a truck cake, so I decided to go with a fire truck because I found this really easy video tutorial on how to make one. It was easy, the only thing I would do different is use my homemade butter cream frosting. I have never used the store bought frosting in the can and it was really runny. The fire truck ended up looking like it had melted in a fire, so I am embarrassed to post a picture of mine. However, my son loved it and that's what counts. Right?

Fire Truck Cake Instructions
For video demo click here.

Supplies:
Cake mix
Cake board
Frosting (see recipe below)
Frosting bag (or a ziplock bag cut in one corner will work)
4-6 Oreo cookies (depending on how many wheels you want your truck to have, I did 6 since I couldn't find a licorice wheel for the hose)
8 red gumdrops
4 yellow gumdrops
Red and gray food coloring gel

Make a cake mix and bake in three 8"x4" bread loaf pans. Divide batter equally. Bake for time according to package instructions. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes and then remove cake from pan. When cool, trim top of cakes to make flat. Place one cake on a cake board or cardboard covered in wrapping paper/foil. Cut off 1/8th of the second cake and place on top of the first cake on the cake board. Cut the third cake in half and stand both halves vertically in front of the other two cakes to create the cab of the fire truck. Make frosting, use the recipe below (don't use the Betty Crocker store bought kind, it is too runny to work with and you'll end up with a mess).

Butter cream frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Color two cups of frosting red using red food gel coloring (you'll need two tubes to get it really red). Leave some of the frosting white for the windows and color the rest gray using gel food coloring for the piping around the bottom of the fire truck. Frost the fire truck red. Then add oreo cookie wheels. Then pipe with gray piping around the bottom. Make window and ladder on truck using white icing. Add gumdrop lights.

An easy and fun cake, your fire engine loving child will love!

Photo credit

Memory Mixer tips

2010-07-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

For those of you who use the program Memory Mixer to scrapbook, there is a great blog my friend Heidi recently told me about that has tips and tutorials on how to use various tools in that program. You can check it out here. Happy scrapping!

Blurb coupon through Saturday

2010-07-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who want to make a book of your blog posts, now is a great time. You can get 20% off your book until Saturday, July 31 at blurb.com. You need to enter the code LIBERATION at checkout.

Pencil in the Hand of God

2010-07-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I am reading a book by Jane Clayson Johnson called, I Am a Mother. In one of the chapters I read today it had a quote I love by Mother Teresa. She said:

"I am like a little pencil in [God's] hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used."

Jane Clayson comments on this by saying, "Will the Lord look upon me one day and see an obedient servant? Will he see a woman who was willing to be a pencil in the hand of God, to do his work humbly and happily, even when it was painful and difficult?...although the story he has written for me is completely different from the version I had in my own mind, I know now that his plan is better from me than the one I had mapped out for myself. Oh, but at times, it has been painful."

Fads of our childhood

2010-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

I came across this article today and it was fun reminiscing about the strange fads of our childhood. Below are some of my favorites from the article (and I had one of everyone of these things).

Remember mood rings?

What could be more stylish than stick on earrings?

Maybe Banana Clips

Or Scrunchies

Oh, it has to be the charm necklaces. I had one with a baby bottle on it.

And what was more comfortable than hard, sweaty jelly shoes?

No outfit was complete without a small backpack.

Summer Recipe Roundup

2010-07-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Below are some of my recipes from the past that are perfect to make in the summertime. Enjoy!

Bowtie Chicken Pasta Salad

Greek Salad and Souvlaki

Feta Pita Chips

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

Tarragon Chicken Pitas

Pineapple and Chicken Kabobs

Chicken tacos with mango salsa

Fresh Salsa

Tasty Desserts

Banana Cream (or chocolate) Pie

Homemade Granola

Brownies (super easy and great for BBQs and picnics)

Wash Reusable Bags

2010-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

My friend recently told me reusable bags are a breeding ground for bacteria and even E. coli. I did a quick search and found this article that talks about how 50% of bags in a study contained traces of E. coli and salmonella, bacteria that can cause food poisoning in humans. I usually wash mine once a month but in cold water. I just finished washing mine in hot water and will do that weekly from now on. I also am no longer going to put meat in a reusable bag. I'll use a store paper bag for that.

Baby Break

2010-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't abandoned this blog--I just have been busy the past couple weeks adjusting to having a baby in the house. Our sweet little girl is doing well. I will be back with more posts once I get my life back into a routine. Until then, enjoy your summer!

Funny Article on Diaper Duty

2010-05-27T15:50:00.001-07:00

I came across this article in Parents magazine by comedian John Mohr and I found it hilarious. I laughed out loud several times. It may not be as funny to those of you who haven't dealt with diaper duty recently, but you still may enjoy it.

When my son, Jackie, first came home from the hospital, I was promptly sent out to buy diapers. So off I went. I quickly realized that I didn't have a clue where to find them or how they were sold. Did they come bound up like firewood? Should I check the frozen area? I was astonished to find that our local supermarket has an entire diaper aisle. Not a row or a shelf. Aisle 3 is all diapers! There were way too many choices for me: Huggies Snug & Dry, Huggies Little Snugglers, Huggies Little Movers, Huggies Overnights.

A few times I came home with the wrong ones because I thought the baby on the package had to match the baby I had at home, like Garanimals. I would walk back and forth and mutter, "Hey, all these kids are Asian or black. Aren't there any white-baby diapers?"

I now know that babies come in different sizes and shapes and that companies put out every conceivable type of diaper to accommodate them all. I once saw a bag of diapers that read, "Holds up to 50 pounds." Holy Moley! If your son goes to the bathroom and unloads 50 pounds, he doesn't need a diaper; he needs a job. Maybe some manual labor down at the docks is more suitable for your monster baby.

Jackie wore diapers until he was 3, and potty-training him was a huge trial. I was concerned because he wore Huggies number 6 at the time, and I couldn't find a higher number on the store shelves. What was my next choice if I didn't get him to use the toilet in time? Hefty bags?

Adult diapers are mixed in with the baby diapers at most stores. Many times I've stopped and stared at them and thought to myself, "It's not a bad idea." We've all been stuck in traffic on the way to work after eating a bran muffin and having that extra cup of coffee. Halfway through your commute your belly starts rumbling, and you just gotta go. Forget car-pool lanes. There should be an "I'm about to poop my pants!" lane. No one would have road rage anymore. If you got cut off by some woman wedging her way into the "I'm about to poop my pants!" lane, you'd think to yourself, "Aww, poor gal, I'll let her in. She has cloth seats."

I've driven from Los Angeles to Las Vegas at least 100 times. About 15 percent of the time I get stuck in bum-per-to-bumper traffic in the desert and think, in all sincerity, that I should have worn a diaper. With adult diapers, we'd all drive to work carefree. Like little kids, we'd just let loose when it was time. Hopefully our parents would be at work waiting to change and powder us. Either them or a very understanding colleague.

One night when Jackie was visiting his grandparents, my wife, Nik, and I started musing about why kids are so averse to using the potty. From a very young age, they want to be exactly like us. They try to dress and speak like us. They copy our mannerisms while we talk on the phone. But they can't seem to give up peeing and pooping in their pants. We wanted to know why.

"Is it because it feels good?" Nik wondered. "It can't feel good to stand there in your own pee. Don't get me wrong: It would be awfully convenient not to have to pull the car over or leave a work meeting to pee."

We started making a list of things that would run more smoothly if grown-ups wore diapers. Factories would double their output because employees could stay seated at their station all day. College students would never have to leave lecture halls. And sleep! Imagine how much more uninterrupted rest we'd all get if we wore diapers under our pajamas.

Eventually our diaper discussion led to this: My bride asked if I'd ever worn an adult diaper. I told her I hadn't. She said she hadn't, either. At that exact moment we knew what would happen next: We had to make a run to the grocery store, buy some diapers, race home, and try them out.

We got dressed, wearing our secret underneath. Now it was a waiting game. In hindsight, we should have drunk more water beforehand. Neither one of us had to pee right away, so we just walked around the house giggling. Eventually I said to Nik, "The funniest part is that we're laughing hysterically and it's only a joke for two people."

She walked toward me slowly and replied, "No, the funniest part is that you ... don't ... know ... that ... I ... am ... peeing ... right ... now!"

She was right.

The laughing reached dangerous levels -- the kind where you have to walk out of the room because you feel like if you don't stop, you will die.

Suddenly I was jealous. Nik had peed in a diaper and I hadn't. I leaned against the wall, trying to will out a stream. When I was finally successful, it was euphoric. No wonder Jackie had given us such a hard time about being potty trained. Peeing in a diaper is a freaking awesome experience! To my surprise, it wasn't wet and disgusting. The diapers were amazingly absorbent, and whatever pee came out of me magically vanished into the lining.

I'll be honest (heck, I've gone this far): I could easily wear an adult diaper every day. I want to wear one on plane rides and every time I drive to Vegas.

Nik and I learned a lot that night. We found out what it was like to be 3 years old. We learned that Jackie was hesitant to ditch his diapers because they were so convenient. Thanks to our stupid, laughter-filled experiment, we understood our child better.

I'm not suggesting you wear an adult diaper to help you relate to your kid. However, I do recommend putting one on so you'll know how great it feels to pee in your car. If you decide to try it, don't tell anybody. After all, I just told you, and now you think I'm a freak.

Giveaway Winner

2010-05-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

The winner of the children's book giveaway (using random.org) of The Sock Fairy is comment #3, which was:

Spencer and Kimberly said... That looks like a very cute book. Count me in!

I'll get the book mailed to you this week.

Children's Book Giveaway!

2010-05-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to the Best Fairy Books. These are books written by Bobbie Hinman and illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman. The books include The Sock Fairy, The Belly Button Fairy, The Knot Fairy, and The Fart Fairy. Each book also includes an audio cd where the author reads the story for you to follow along. A song relating to the book is also on the cd. Very fun! The books are targeted for ages 3-7.

The author sent a copy of The Sock Fairy to me and my nearly three year old has loved it. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and they capture his attention. Today after reading the book he went and got a pair of socks to put on since he wasn't wearing any...let's just hope the sock fairy doesn't steal them!

These are definitely books worth checking out. Look at the website for more info and you can purchase online at Amazon. Best of all, one of you will get your own autographed copy of The Sock Fairy. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. If you don't check this blog regularly, make sure to leave your email so I can contact you when the winner is announced. You have until end of day Saturday, May 22, to leave your comment.

Strawberry Freezer Jam using Aguave

2010-05-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last year I posted a simple freezer jam recipe using Ball's Simple Creation No-cook Freezer Jam Pectin. Since strawberries are now in season and we recently ran out of jam, I decided it was time to make more. I have heard of people using agave so I recently bought some and decided to try it with my jam. Agave is sweeter than granulated sugar, so you use less of it when making the jam.

Here is the recipe:

4 cups crushed strawberries
1 package Ball's Simple Creation No-cook Freezer Jam Pectin (update: pectin repackaging now looks like this.)
3/4 cups agave

Mix the agave and pectin in a large bowl. Wash your strawberries (I like to spray with this fruit/veggie cleaner first), remove stems, and cut in half and place in food processor or blender.

Place the four cups of crushed berries into the large bowl with pectin and agave. Mix for 3 minutes and then pour into jam containers. Let jam thicken for 30 minutes before placing in the freezer.

That's it. No cooking required. You just simply mix. I love this pectin!

This is a very healthful jam and I really can't taste a difference between using agave and sugar.

Here is a break down of the cost of this jam. I got 5 jars of jam.

Strawberries - $2
Agave - 2.25 (estimated by how much I used of the bottle)
Pectin - 1.42

Total - $5.67
Total per jar - $1.14

You definitely can't buy a jar of jam for that much at the store, especially one that contains agave! This only took me a 1/2 hour start to finish and is something anyone can do. Enjoy!

Agave as sugar substitute

2010-05-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

I've been curious to try agave as a sugar substitute, so at my recent outing to Costco I bought a couple bottles of the Organic Blue Agave syrup. It seems that many health conscious people are using it these days and I thought I'd do a little research on it. You, like me, may also be curious so here is some info I found on agave from this site.

Agave is a plant that grows in Mexico and is actually best known as the source of tequila. The agave nectar (syrup) come from the core of the plant. The core of the blue agave is harvested after growing 7-10 years and looks similar to a pineapple and can weigh 50-150 pounds! The sap is extracted from the core of the plant, filtered, and heated to make the agave syrup. See picture below.

Tastes similar to honey.
It is a good substitute for sugar because it has a lower glycemic index (produces only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels, which enables long-term health by reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss).
Provides sweetness without the unpleasant "sugar rush" and unhealthful blood sugar spike caused by many other sugars. Acceptable with many diet plans.
Agave is sweeter than sugar so you can use less of it (4 parts sugar = 3 parts agave).
Agave also has a lower glycemic index than honey and doesn't crystalize like sugar and is safe for babies.
A great substitute for corn syrup with half the glycemic index.
Gluten free and may work with some diabetics diets.

You can purchase agave at health stores, Costco, or online. I believe I paid $9 for two bottles at Costco and each bottle was 23.5 oz.

Motherhood

2010-05-08T16:45:00.001-07:00

When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed,
will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?
The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods?
Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?
When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand,
the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution,
formed outside telestial time.
The women of God know this.
-Neal A. Maxwell

*Portrait by Greg Olsen

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

2010-05-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some Mother's Day ideas I have found throughout the blogosphere.

Pinwheel Broch from Home Made Simple

Bookmark from Make and Takes

Cloth Napkins from Skip to My Lou

Peppermint Foot Scrub from The Idea Room

Photo Cube from Alpha Mom

Asparagus Flower Vase from Bloggin' It From the 'Burbs

Pinwheel bouquet from Heather Bailey
Bag Clips from She's Crafty

Inspiring video

2010-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have already heard of Stephanie Nielson and follow her blog. She and her husband survived a near fatal plane crash which put her in a coma for a few months and left her severely burned. You can watch this inspiring 8-minute video about her new life below.

Llama Llama Children's Books

2010-05-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was recently introduced to the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney. I've been reading Llama Llama Red Pajama to my toddler this week and he loves it. The book has a wonderful rhythm, great pictures, and a fun story. Check out the author's webpage for more information. I highly recommend these books. You can even find online activities to go along with these books.

Decorate Your Flip Flops

2010-04-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

I have seen people who have decorated their flips flops with flowers, ribbon, and fabric so I suggested the idea to the youth I work with and they loved the idea. Here is what you need to decorate your own pair.

Supplies:

Pair of plain colored flip flops (mine were $2.50 at Wal-Mart)
Ribbon
Flowers
Pieces of fabric cut in 1" x 6" strips (or longer or shorter depending on your preference)

If tying pieces of fabric you just simply need to tie the strip in a know on the flip flop. It is as easy as that!

The fake flowers need to removed from the stem and hot glued. You can even glue the leaves on if you want. I think it looks nice to first wrap ribbon around the straps and then glue the flower on.

Have fun spicing up your flip flops!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. In honor of the day I thought I'd link some of my past "earth friendly" posts.

Make your own reusable snack bags. When I make more of these snack bags I am going to make them from a wipeable material so I can clean them out by wiping them rather than throwing in the washer.
Simple ways to protect the earth. Use reusable shopping bags, water bottles, recycle, and think before you buy.
Where to recycle those unusual items. This post lets you know where to take ink cartridges, batteries, tvs, pesticides and all those items you aren't sure what to do with.

Best organic produce to purchase.

Make your own cleaner.

I took a quiz at Earthbound Farm Organic to receive a free shopping bag. One of the quiz questions that surprised me was the following:

On average, which “green lifestyle” choice can have the greatest impact?

Turning off the lights when you leave a room
Bringing your own bag when you shop
Eating less meat
Recycling your printer paper

Answer: Eating less meat

Quotes about mothers

2010-04-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Women are the real architects of society.
-Harriet Beecher Stowe

Mothers hold their children's hands for a little while and their hearts forever.
-Irish saying

The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood.
-Mary Mcleod Bethune

Mother is the one we count on for all the things that matter most of all.
-Katharine Butler Hathaway

Mother was the bank where we deposited all our hurts and worries.
-T. DeWitt Talmage

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.
-Jewish proverb

Don't get so involved in the duties of your life and your children that you forget the pleasure. Remember why you had children.
-Lois Wyse

Making a pillow sham

2010-04-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make pillow shams to match my new quilt for our bed. I found a tutorial online here that I liked and followed its basic guidelines.

Supplies:
Pillow or pillow insert
Fabric
Thread
Silk flower or button (optional) to decorate solid color pillows

Directions:

1. Measure your pillow's width and height.
2. Cut the fabric. The size will be the height plus 1" and the width plus 6" if making a sham for a rectangle pillow. If making a sham for a square pillow it will be the height plus 1" by the width plus 3". The fabric is simple to cut if just using one piece of fabric. In my case, I patched together several different pieces of fabric so I had to do some calculating to make sure my end result equaled those calculations.
3. On the short ends of the fabric, fold the fabric over 1/4" and press and then fold over another 1/4" and press.
4. Sew a hem along the folded short ends.
5. Lay fabric right side up on work surface. Fold short ends in toward middle until cover is width of pillow. The fabric will overlap about 2.5 inches in the middle.
6. Sew two long edges with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
7. Flip pillow cover right side out. Stuff with pillow through envelope enclosure.
Optional step 8. Sew silk flower or buttons on pillow (I am going to do that to my plain brown square pillow)

Quotes about mothers

2010-04-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd have a post each week until Mother's Day with some of my favorite quotes about mothers. Here are a few from famous political leaders.

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw.
All I am I owe to my mother.
I attribute all my success in life to the
mortal, intellectual and physical education I received from her.
-George Washington

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.
-Abraham Lincoln

Let France have good mothers,
and she will have good sons.
-Napoleon Bonaparte

Macys Fashion Director

2010-04-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Vote for my outfit by clicking on the following link. You can also make your own. Today is the last day of the contest.

Macys Fashion Director: "

I love this outfit - check it out!"

Celebrating Easter

2010-04-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Easter is such a wonderful time of year to reflect on the Savior. How blessed we are that we will all one day be resurrected because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for each of us! I love the following quote by Joseph B. Wirthlin.

"I testify to you that the Resurrection is not a fable. We have the personal testimonies of those who saw Him. Thousands in the Old and New Worlds witnessed the risen Savior. They felt the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. They shed tears of unrestrained joy as they embraced Him.

After the Resurrection, the disciples became renewed. They traveled throughout the world proclaiming the glorious news of the gospel.

Had they chosen, they could have disappeared and returned to their former lives and occupations. In time, their association with Him would have been forgotten.

They could have denied the divinity of Christ. Yet they did not. In the face of danger, ridicule, and threat of death, they entered palaces, temples, and synagogues boldly proclaiming Jesus the Christ, the resurrected Son of the living God.

Many of them offered as a final testimony their own precious lives. They died as martyrs, the testimony of the risen Christ on their lips as they perished.

The Resurrection transformed the lives of those who witnessed it. Should it not transform ours?

We will all rise from the grave. And on that day my father will embrace my mother. On that day I will once again hold in my arms my beloved Elisa.

Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world, we will be reunited with those we have cherished.

On that day we will know the love of our Heavenly Father. On that day we will rejoice that the Messiah overcame all that we could live forever."

-Joseph B. Wirthlin

Making a quilt

2010-04-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

This past summer I went to the Sister's Quilt Show and found some beautiful fabric to make my first piece quilt.

I learned a lot while making this quilt and thought I'd share some of the tips I learned for all of you who make be thinking of making your first quilt.

First, I needed a pattern. I purchased my fabric as a kit. It wasn't pre-cut so I had freedom to change the pattern. I didn't love the pattern it came with so I decided to try something else. I ended up using a combination of Amy Butler's AugustFields duvet cover and Nora's Quilt patterns, which are free on her website right now.

I decided to make a reversible quilt, like the reversible duvet cover pattern. I went and bought my backing fabric and got busy cutting everything out. Once the front and back of my quilt were pieced together, I was ready to quilt it. I debated between doing it myself and paying someone to quilt it together. The best price I found was $97 to quilt a queen size, which is a great price considering all the work it takes. However, I decided I wanted to do everything on my first quilt by myself, even if it meant not looking as perfect.

I really didn't want my quilting to show, so I chose to do the stitch-in-the-ditch method. I found watching a few videos on youtube was helpful. This one explains the tools and preparation you need to make to get ready to quilt. I purchased the Machinger gloves, walking foot, corsage pins, safety pins, and clear thread like suggested in the movie. I used the advise she gave and pinned my quilt back to my living room floor using corsage pins. See picture below.

Once the batting and quilt top were on the ground and tightly pinned down, I safety pinned the entire quilt. Tip: Move your rug before pinning your quilt so you don't pin your rug to the quilt. Not that I am speaking from experience or anything. :) Buy more safety pins than you think you need. I can't remember how many I used but it was at least 250.

I also like this movie on how to stitch-in-the-ditch. I bought a walking foot for my machine on ebay for about $14 and it really helped guide the fabrics. I found managing all the bulk of the fabric was the hardest part. I got out a really long table to put the quilt on as I stitch my quilt together and that helped. I used clear thread like the movie suggests. I felt like I was sewing with fishing line but it looks nice if you don't want your stitch really to show. It is hard to see so it sometimes made sewing difficult.

I debated between machine binding and hand binding. I decided to do hand binding. Here is a good tutorial on how to hand bind your quilt.

My quilt is by no means perfect, but I am proud of myself for doing it without really knowing anything about it. I think all the imperfections add character to it. If I can make a quilt with my limited sewing knowledge and experience, you can too! Below are some pictures of the finished product. I washed it before taking the photos and I think I need to iron it, but I didn't have the energy. I've been sewing so much lately I am pretty burned out with measuring, ironing, and anything fabric related! I loved doing it but am ready to focus on some new projects.

The finished product!

I'll be doing a post soon on making pillow shams. They were much simpler than I expected. Stay tuned. Happy quilting!

How to Make a Rag Quilt

2010-04-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Rag quilts are extremely easy to make (all straight lines) and look beautiful. I just finished making one for our baby girl on the way and had so much fun picking out fabric for the quilt. Below are simple instructions for making your own rag quilt.

Supplies needed:

About 5 yards of fabric (the amount needed depends on the size of your quilt) - I bought a 1/2 yard in ten different fabrics. Make sure to pre-wash fabric. Clip each corner of fabric about a 1/4" to prevent fraying.
About 2 yards or batting (won't need if you use flannel). I like bamboo batting.
Thread (I used about 1 1/2 spools that were 110 yrds on my baby quilt)
Scissors - invest in the Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Scissors - regular scissors are very difficult to use when cutting to make the rag-effect at the end

Step 1: Cut out your fabric into squares. I made mine larger 10" squares, but you can choose any size. I typically do 5".
Step 2: Cut out batting into squares one inch smaller than fabric.
Step 3: Lay out squares into desired pattern.

Step 4: Sew and "X" through fabric and batting
Step 5: Sew squares together to form rows. Then sew rows together.

Step 6: Sew around all four edges of quilt.
Step 7: Cut all the edges of each square every 1/2". Trim thread ends that may be left from sewing.
Step 8: Wash and dry quilt. When it comes out of the dryer it will have the "rag" look.

Now enjoy your quilt! Rag quilts are so much fun to cuddle with. My son loves to rub the edges on his and it is his favorite blanket. He has two and he is always carrying around at least one of them.

Here are some flannel rag quilts I've done to give you some more ideas for your quilts. The first two were throw quilts for adults and the last one I made for my son.

Easter breakfast idea: Monkey Bread

2010-03-30T21:04:00.001-07:00

I enjoy having a big breakfast on Easter. This year I am going to make Monkey Bread. It is something you can make before going to bread and let rise and then bake first thing in the morning. My mom would usually make this every summer when we were at my grandparent's cabin. I remember always looking forward to it. The Rhodes Rolls website has a two minute movie tutorial you can watch. They call the recipe Butterscoth Bubbleloaf.

Monkey Bread (aka Butterscoth Bubbleloaf, from Rhodes website)

24 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/2 box butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix, non-instant
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Cut dinner rolls in half and dip in dry pudding mix. Arrange rolls in sprayed bundt pan, alternately with pecans. Sprinkle any remaining pudding mix over the top. Combine brown sugar and butter. Heat together until butter is melted and a syrup is formed (microwave about 1 1/2 minutes). Pour syrup over rolls. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size or even with top of bundt pan. Carefully remove wrap. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Immediately after baking, loosen from sides of the pan with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.

You can just eat this or you can serve with eggs and bacon or your other favorite breakfast dishes. It is delicious!

No Bake Cookies

2010-03-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

As usual, I was craving something sweet but I didn't have any eggs in the house. I decided to make no-bake cookies. This is just a recipe combination I have made up to fit my tastes preferences. It is one of those recipes you can adapt to what you have on hand.

No Bake Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (can substitute cocoa)
1/2 cup peanut butter (I like using all natural since it doesn't have any added sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats (quick or regular)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional, can add more than 1/2 cup if desired)

Combine butter, milk, and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and quickly whisk in chocolate chips and peanut butter. Add vanilla. Then mix in oats, coconut, and nuts. Place drops of mixture on piece of wax paper to set. Makes 20 cookies.

Another FREE photobook - only $2.99 shipping

2010-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Pixable is offering a free 8 x 5.5 inch 22-page photobook to new customers. You just pay for shipping, which is $2.99 using code: FREEPIX. What is unique about the site is you can get pictures right from your Facebook, flickr, photobucket, Picasa, or My PC.

Kids' Easter Basket Gift Ideas

2010-03-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Easter is coming up, so it is time to start planning what to put inside your little one's Easter basket. Below are some ideas. Please leave a comment with any other ideas you have.

Easter Books:

Religious Books:

Since Easter is a religious holiday, I think it is good to put something religious in the Easter baskets. My favorite children's religious books are by Greg Olsen. I love his artwork and that the pictures look more real. So many of the religious books I have looked at for kids have cartoon characters, but I think kids prefer looking at more lifelike pages. I actually used the free Picaboo coupon and made my own "Church Book" for my son to put in his basket this year. I included stories from the bible and about Jesus and Gospel concepts.

Grow in Water Animals:

Kids love seeing little animals grow. I think these are really cool, too. Buy a 5-pack here for $3.88.

Coloring Books/Crayons/Paint/stickers:

Hit your local dollar store or Wal-Mart and find some fun art activities for your child.

Other ideas:

Bubbles, matchbox cars, stuffed animals, clothing, sand toys

Free Font Site

2010-03-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

My friend Kelley wrote about about a great site where she gets a lot of her free fonts. Check out Kevin & Amanda's site to download some great fonts. I also like Scrapvillage's site for fonts.

Site with activities for young children

2010-03-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

My friend introduced me to this site, Stay and Play, which has printable learning activities for your young children. Activities on the site include lowercase letter puzzles, handwriting letter cards, Freight Train Story pack, St. Patrick's Day and activities.

Easter Cupcake Bouquet

2010-03-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is another fun idea from No Fuss Fabulous that I switched up a bit. Cupcakes are such fun foods and putting them together in a bouquet is a fun way to serve them.

You will need:
1 cake mix (I used strawberry)
Frosting (see recipe below)
Skewers
Foam ball
Bucket/pail (just big enough to fit foam ball - not too big)
Easter candy toppers/premade candy melts
Easter grass (optional)

Butter cream frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Prepare your cake mix and then bake your mini-cupcakes. One cake mix will make about 60 mini-cupcakes. You only will need about 20 for the bouquet. Make your frosting (see recipe above).

I cut my skewers into thirds and placed in the foam ball. I placed ball inside my Easter pail. My pail was a bit big for the ball so I bought Easter grass to fill in the gap on the side.

Place a dab of frosting on the cupcake and then place Easter candy on top.

Place cupcake on the skewer on the foam ball. Follow this process until your bouquet is finished.

You could also do smaller bouquets and place them in a tin can. I covered mine with a sandwich baggie and tied with a ribbon so people could take and eat then or later. My cupcakes were so soft that some of my cupcakes didn't say onto the skewer well, but overall it turned out okay.

Humorous Church Bloopers

2010-03-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

--------------------------
The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.
--------------------------
The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
--------------------------
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
--------------------------
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
--------------------------
Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
--------------------------
Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
--------------------------
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
--------------------------
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
--------------------------
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
--------------------------
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
--------------------------
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice .
--------------------------
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
--------------------------
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
--------------------------
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
--------------------------
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
--------------------------
Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
--------------------------
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
--------------------------
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
--------------------------
Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done.
--------------------------
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
--------------------------
Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
- -------------------------
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
--------------------------
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
--------------------------
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.

Easter Flower Centerpiece

2010-03-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

My mom introduced me to a great blog with lots of fun crafty ideas called No Fuss Fabulous and I tried out what is called the "Easter-scape Candy Vase." It is a fun, relatively inexpensive centerpiece for the Easter holiday.

Here are the supplies you'll need to make your centerpiece:

Large vase - I found mine at Wal-Mart for $5
Smaller vase or large Kerr jar (if using a fresh bouquet, won't need if using potted plant) - $1 at Dollar Tree
Small Easter candy - I used jelly beans, you'll need two or three bags - $3 at Wal-Mart
Six chocolate Easter bunnies or chicks - $2 at Dollar Tree
Fresh flowers or potted daffodil plant - $4 at Safeway
Total - $14

I chose to do a small planted daffodil plant, so it will last the entire month. That way I don't have to keep buying a fresh bouquet of flowers. I put a small newspaper ball in the center of the large vase to prop us the potted plant and to catch any water that may drip when I water it.

I then placed the daffodil pot on top. I then poured my three bags of jelly beans around the plant. I put my Easter chicks around the side of the vase on top of the jelly beans. That's it! An easy Easter center piece.

Here is what a vase using fresh flowers looks like.

Carrot Cake

2010-03-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

My husband loves carrot cake, so that is what I made him for his birthday cake this year. It works out that Easter is also coming up, since this is also a great Easter dessert.

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

3 eggs

1/3 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups carrots, peels and grated

1 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (can put some inside the cake but I put on the outside)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Mix sugar and oil. Then add eggs, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix together. Then add carrots, nuts, raisins. Mix. Pour mixture into two greased 9-inch pans or a 9x13 pan. I sprayed my pan and then put wax paper in the bottom. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Allow to cool 1o minutes before removing from pans. Cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages), softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Orange and green gel food coloring

Beat cream cheese until softened. Then add butter. Add half the powdered sugar and mix. Add the other half along with vanilla and mix until smooth. Don't overmix. Set aside 3/4 cup of the frosting if you would like to color frosting for carrot decorations on top of cake. Frost cake. Place chopped nuts along the outside of the cake. Mix 1/2 cup and orange gel food coloring in a small bowl. Mix other 1/4 cup frosting in another bowl with green food coloring. Put coloring in bag and frost little carrots on top of the cake.

Cleaning up your computer

2010-03-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law introduced me to a free program that cleans up cookies, internet histories, temporary files, and unused computer files. It is called CCleaner. I just installed it and ran it. In the bottom photo you can see all the files it found it recommended to remove.

To run the program, first visit the CCleaner site. Once their click on "Download CCleaner now..." or you can first get a quick tour.
Next, you will be taken to a screen that will redirect you in 10 seconds or just click the link to get to the following screen faster. Once on the "Piriform" page, select one of the two programs circled in red. I chose the second, "Alternative Download."

Then you will follow standard install procedures. Once it is installed, you can run the program. I chose the "Analyze" button first so you can see what is found in the scan before permanently deleting and then choose "Run."
I will definitely be using this program more regularly. I am actually wiping my computer this weekend and installing Win7. I have archived all my old photos and won't be storing all of them on my computer either. I also am excited to install Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements (video program). More on fun projects using these programs to come as I have time to play around with them.

Blurb.com - Free shipping

2010-03-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for some kind of deal to print my 2009 family blog book using blurb.com. They haven't had a coupon out since the holidays. Until now. Today until March 22, you can get free shipping ($6.99 value) using the code NEXTSHIP.

Kipper

2010-03-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

My friend recently was telling me about the children's tv show, Kipper. I thought I would check it out, so I borrowed one of the many dvds from my local library last week. Watching Kipper has now become a daily occurrence in our home. My 2.5 year old loves Kipper! I love it too because it is a very mellow show. It isn't one of those annoying kids shows that you can only handle occasionally. I actually enjoy watching it, too!

A summary of the show, from the Nick Jr. UK site: "Kipper is a mischievous little puppy dog who spends his time finding adventures. The series is based on the best selling books by Mike Inkpen. Martin Clunes narrates and provides the voice of Kipper. The stories feature fun and easy-to-follow storylines that encourage creative thinking and reinforce messages such as co-operation, courtesy and kindness to others - Kipper reflects a child's questioning mind."

To watch a clip of Kipper, visit Sprout online.

Free Photobook

2010-03-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

Get a free 8.5x11 Hardcover Photo Book (up to $39.99 value) with 20 pages from Picaboo using the code AFFLGB if you are a brand new customer. You do need to pay $8.99 shipping. I've never used Picaboo so I am not sure how user friendly the site is, but $8.99 is a good deal. This offer expires on March 31, 2010.