Far from Super Mom

Last Day of School printables and Father's Day ideas

2011-05-25T16:42:00.001-05:00

I just saw these graduation printables and thought they were so cute. They were found at Crayon wishes and popsicle dreams, i believe there is printable's for pre school thru 6th grade.

Cute father's day ideas...

First one comes from Nothing but country....they even have a free printable for the tag, super cute.

This next idea came from Life is just a bowl of cherrys:

So cute, you could also use the glass etching cream that is so popular right now to do the mustaches.

Next idea is from Yesterday On Tuesday

I think i will be doing this one, it will be hilarious to hear what the boys come up with to say about their dad, we tend to be jokesters at our house.There is even a free printable, yay, i love free printables!!

I also found this super cute printable print at A Proffittable Life
I know i have heard my husband say more than one of the sayings on this printable. The one he is saying most these days is keep your eyes on the ball!

Apothecary Jars

2011-04-20T19:29:00.001-05:00

Well there is probably no one following this blog anymore, I have decided to only post when i make something and manage to get a picture of it. It's just too much for me to keep up with doing a post everyday but i refuse to delete this blog because i want a place to store all my past ideas and i have all my links to blogs i love on my side bar....so anyway i am tired of looking at my Valentines post below and just made some cute Apothecary jars and wanted to share. Now saying that i also have to add that i hate the fact that i don't have a tutorial to go with the finished picture, no excuses i just got lazy and wanted to get these suckers done. I do however have a couple of tips.....

1. Make sure to PRIME your wood or whatever your using!! I for some unknown reason didn't and i used about a can and a half of spray paint....yeah i had a major brain fart on that one.

2. Read and FOLLOW the instructions on the glue package. I used Gorilla Glue for the first time and learned that a THIN coat is all you need...learned this the hard way.
Oh and no your eyes are not blurring up on you....it's a crappy cell phone picture that i strangely took the time to photo shop.....go figure!

I got all my wood pieces from Hobby Lobby and i used the smaller mason jars that were not smooth, i liked the logo look. I used Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze, can't go wrong with that. And i used a glaze that was tinted black to glaze after i glued everything together.

I'm very happy with the way they turned out and i know i will be making more in the near future. If you get one or a set of these from me as a gift act excited as if you have never seen them before ;)

- Jaime

Love Envelopes and finished felt heart wreath

2011-01-18T18:12:00.000-06:00

I've been a busy bee around here the last week or so. I have been ~~neglecting my family~~ holding down all my duties as a mom and wife while finding time to do some fun Valentines crafts. Today i made these cute "Love Envelopes" or at least that's what i have named them. I plan on putting them on the boys chairs starting Feb 1st. and the hubster and I will leave the boys fun little notes in the weeks leading up to Valentines day. I'm sure there will be many other things placed in these envelopes, army men, Lego's, food, who knows but hopefully they will enjoy seeing new messages left for them. I think they turned out cute. Boy #1 had serious ideas on how he wanted his to look so it's a bit flashier than his brothers but the boys both seem to like their special Love Envelopes.I saw the idea for these over at The Crafting Chicks. For the how to on making these cuties click HERE.

I also managed to get this beauty finished. It took a bit more time than i thought it would and a lot more cutting but i really love how it turned out. The boys were really a part of this project, they noticed when i got a little further and cheered me on every step of the way. When i was all finished i was so excited and the boys were watching as i searched for the perfect spot for my time educing project. I carefully placed it on a nail on the wall where i was sure it would get noticed as soon as anyone walked through the door. I stood back to admire it and.........IT FELL and broke into 4, yes 4 pieces!! I really and truly almost started crying. I tried to watch my language, the boys were both in the room, and i just stood there in disbelief. Boy #1 looked at me and said in a very concerned voice "Mom, are you OK? That is the saddest thing i have even seen happen!" I agreed with him and decided to pick up the pieces and see what i could do to fix it. About 15 minutes and a lot of hot glue and pins later i had it put back together. It's holding up nicely and high on a shelf where it is sure to not fall again. I am just hoping it makes it through storage when it's time to take it down. So the moral to my story is: If you make one of these.....DON'T DROP IT!

For the How to on this wreath, click HERE

Felt Heart Wreath

2011-01-07T07:00:00.003-06:00

I am so in LOVE with this fabulous Valentine's wreath at The Idea Room. It is so cute! I will be making one of these in the next couple of weeks. I love the month of February, i love Valentines day and i love that my birthday follows close behind it. I really can't wait to get my Valentines decorations out even though i feel like i just took my Christmas stuff down. Head on over to The Idea Room to see how to make your own felt heart wreath.

Make your own "snow"

2011-01-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

I just saw this fun craft over at Craftberry Bush. We have really had no snow here in our area this winter. We keep hearing from our families back in Utah that they are being bombarded by snow. It makes us a little sad so when i saw this post on how to make your own snow, well sort of, i thought it looked like fun. Head on over to Craftberry Bush if you want to learn how to make your own "snow."

Root Deer

2010-12-23T16:33:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty happy with how the neighbor gifts came out this year. My neighbors know how corny I am so most of them laughed when i pointed out that it was "Root Deer." They were fun to make and i am guessing even more fun to drink!

Christmas glitter trees

2010-11-21T10:21:00.001-06:00

So have you ever been so excited about a craft that you can't sleep. Well that ALMOST happened to me last night. I came across the cutiest craft project over at I heart naptime and it was calling my name. I am away on vacation in Utah for Thanksgiving and as soon as i get home i am making some of these....

They have a free printable for the Christmas subway art too, they are making my Christmas decorating so easy for me this year. Anyway i thought if i was this excited about making these i better let you all in on it.Click HERE to head on over to I heart naptime for the how to.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am not ready for this Utah snow that i know i am going to be seeing. I miss my Kansas weather already!

-Jaime

Spider fruit kabobs

2010-10-29T21:52:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share with you the cute fruit kabobs that i made for boy #1's class party. Anything tastes better on a stick right?! That's what the 2yr old thought anyway. He saw me making them and from then on he wanted all his snacks on a stick:)

Sorry about this first bad photo, i was in a hurry and didn't want to mess with lighting issues.

Banana pop anyone??

Halloween Banner

2010-09-26T17:13:00.014-05:00

I have been busy decorating my house this week. I love this time of year and look forward to decorating every year. I came across THIS post from Crafting Chicks and knew i had to make this banner. It was super easy, i made it during nap time with paper i had on hand. I have since added some orange rick rack to the banner, super cute.

I also loved their idea about putting old Halloween pics of the kids up as decorations. I went straight to the dollar store and bought a bunch of frames and started filling them with pictures of past Halloweens. The 2yr old LOVES looking at the pictures and will not leave them in their designated spots, but that's OK, I'm glad he likes looking at them. It's such a cheap and easy way to decorate for the season.

I have also made 3 sets of these Countdown to Candy blocks. They have been so fun to make and the boys love changing them everyday. We started our countdown a little early:) I got the idea to make these from the ladies at How Does She.

If you want to make your own Halloween Banner, head on over to The Crafting Chicks to get the "how to." They even have a free printable for the letters, score!!

Hope you all are having fun decorating your "Haunted Houses."

Halloween crafts

2010-09-09T16:22:00.000-05:00

I got the creative bug yesterday and made a couple of cute things. One of them was for a friend for her birthday, no not "The Witch is in" sign, that would just be mean.....it's for me! The Hub was a bit scared when he walked in and saw that sign, hey he knew what he was marring in to!

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday, not sure why, i just love Halloween and fall decorations. I have many more ideas in my head and i am hoping to get them out of my head and into my house soon.

Easy Canopy

2010-07-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Hey out there! Is anyone still checking my blog? I really don't blame you if your not. This has been one busy/fun summer, we are at the gym and pool almost all the time. I haven't given up on this blog but i have been "taking a break." I just saw the best idea over at dwellingsbydevore blog and had to share it with you. I have been dreaming of redoing our bedroom for a while now and this idea makes me itch even more. I just have to try and convince the hub that our log furniture needs to go to a new home. I have loved it for years but i need a change! Click HERE to see more pictures.

Red, White and Blue Cookie Bark

2010-06-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

I found this yummy looking treat over at Love Stitched. It's made with crushed Oreo's, pretzels, white chocolate, M&M's and sprinkles.....it had me at Oreo's!!

Click HERE for the full directions and more pictures.

Smore's on a stick

2010-06-23T09:19:00.001-05:00

It's no shocker that my family loves Smore's. We make them in the winter in our microwave. We have a Smore microwave maker that looks something like this....

It actually works quite well.

Here are the pictures to prove how yummy they were....

In the spring, summer and early fall we love to roast them outside around the fire pit. This picture is my all time favorite......

Today on Skip to My Lou she featured Smore's on a stick......and i fell in love with the idea! This project looks so fun and it is in the plans for our family this weekend. All you need is some sucker sticks, marshmallows, graham crackers and some melting chocolate and your good to go. Click HERE for complete instructions and a few more pictures.

Terra Cotta Fun.....

2010-06-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

While browsing my favorite blogs tonight i happened upon a fun blog. Over at sweetcharli she has come up with the funniest ways to take Terra Cotta from drab to fab. I love these ideas and i really want to make some of these coasters.....

Click HERE to get to sweetcharli and see these fun Terra Cotta projects.

M.I.A.

2010-06-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry i haven't been around lately. I really have no excuse. I just haven't been feeling very crafty lately. I did make something cute a couple weeks ago and i will post pictures soon. I may be a bit of a slacker this summer but i still love you all. Our summer has been off to a great start and we are quite enjoying the freedom of no schedule.

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'LL BE BACK"

So happy he's mine!

2010-06-01T22:02:00.001-05:00

Can i just say how much i love this little guy....

He is a character....

And he usually gets his way..

But how could you not love this face....he's one in a million and i am so glad he's mine!

-Jaime

Just enjoying the weather...

2010-05-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

Thought i would let you in on what my family will be up to this long weekend.....

A little splash in the new pool...

And of course some Superhero Popsicle's....

Yummy beef kabobs for mom and dad.....

And my absolute favorite part about summer.......WATERMELON!!! I LOVE IT! Yes that much!!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Holiday weekend!!

-Jaime

2010-05-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

I found the funnest idea over at Tidy Mom. These grilled pizza's sound like a great summer idea, i have never thought about making pizza on the grill before. We love to grill as much as we can during the summer so i was excited to find this idea, one more way to keep me out of the kitchen, i love that. We haven't tried them yet but they are on the menu for next week. Head on over to Tidy Mom to see all the directions to make your own grilled pizza's.

Grilled Pizza's

-Jaime

Cookie Cutter Art

2010-05-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

I am in love with this idea that i found over at A girl and a glue gun. It definitely looks like my kind of project. She used a canvas, paint and cookie cutters, how creative. I love the Choo Choo one and may have to make one when i redo boy #2's room.

Go HERE to see the tutorial on the cookie cutter art.

Kids Growth Chart

2010-05-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

I finally got around to making a growth chart for the boys. I have been wanting to make one for, oh about 5 yrs now. I really wish i would have got this done last month because boy #1 had a major growth spurt this month, all his pants are suddenly floods.

Anyway here is the growth chart i made with my cricut......

The boys love it. They have been asking me to measure them every 5 minutes.

Linking to:

I joined the Gym....eekkk!

2010-05-19T17:28:00.000-05:00

I realize that i have been MIA lately. I don't have too many excuses except that i have been pretty busy. I have been spending more time than i ever thought i would at the YMCA. Yep i did it, i joined the Gym, deep breath......Actually it's going quite well and i feel a little better about myself already. I have only been going for a week and a half but i have high hopes that this is the time i drop some weight!

I joined with one of my favorite gals and it's so much more fun to workout with a friend....and it's so nice to talk without little voices interrupting us every 2 seconds....i think we are both quite enjoying it.

I will be back tomorrow with a project that i have been working on and it's almost finished!

I can't play sign

2010-05-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

I finished the other sign today....now to implement it!Please pay no attention to the fingerprint smeared storm door. I think the sign turned out cute. Boy #1 thought it was a great idea but quickly pointed out to me that he didn't think his friends could read yet, good point oh wise little one. Hopefully they will associate the "Red" sign to the fact that he can't play right now. Maybe the dogs will be able to take a afternoon nap uninterrupted now, yes they lead a rough life.

Linking to:

Please Knock sign

2010-05-12T16:10:00.003-05:00

I saw these signs made over at How Does She and it was the perfect idea to go with a baby gift i was getting together for my friends new little baby. Here is a pic of the one i made for my friend, hopefully she doesn't see this until she receives it in the mail, if you do, pretend to be shocked and amazed at it's wonderfulness! These signs are so simple and cute and straight to the point....

I had my hubby cut out a 6x6 square and drill a couple of small holes in the top. Then i Modge Podged some cute paper on, added some vinyl lettering, stained, sanded, inked the edges a bit, and added the wire and I was done.

I have plans of making one for our door. I want it to be more of a "We can't play" sign. We have a awesome neighborhood filled with all my son's best buds which is great and i am really grateful for the great playmates he has. The one problem though is the little window that we have by our front door. All day long i see little heads peeking through that little window. This would be fine if it wasn't for my two attack dogs, who are all bark and no bite. If they see or even hear anything at the front door they bark, and bark, and bark......it's not my favorite trait of theirs. My youngest still naps, thank heavens, and when the dogs bark, he usually wakes up which makes Mama not so happy.

So that brings us back to me making a sign that lets the little neighbor boys know to turn around and come back later when the sign is no longer there.

I'm not sure what the sign should say...."We can't play, please come back soon." Or maybe "Hey kids scram." Ha ha OK maybe that's a bit harsh.

Do any of you have a good idea of what i should put on it??

If you have a baby or any age napper in the house this sign is a great idea.

-Jaime

Tasty Tuesday - Grands Taco Melts

2010-05-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

Today's Tasty Tuesday recipe comes from the Pillsbury website. I found this recipe a few years ago and have made it quite a bit ever since. It's a great kid friendly recipe and a easy one to throw together on a hectic night.

Grands Taco Melts

Ingredients:

1 can Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits (any variety)
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 1/2 C. thick and chunky salsa
2/3 C. water
1 C.shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese
1C. sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In medium skillet cook your ground beef and drain then add taco seasoning mix, water and 1/2 C. of the salsa. Cook until thickened.
Take the biscuits and press each one into a 6-in round. OK this is where i do it a little different from the recipe. I find it hard to press the biscuits into a large enough circle without tearing them apart of making holes in the dough. I usually press 2 biscuits together for me and the hubby's and then 1 for each child.
Next fill each flattened biscuit with some of the taco mixture then add one tablespoon of cheese on top of the mixture.
Fold dough over filling and press to seal. Take a fork and press the edges shut, you all know what i mean right?
Place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 9-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with remaining salsa, cheese and sour cream if desired.
ENJOY!!

-Jaime

Mothers Day gift ideas

2010-05-06T10:44:00.001-05:00

Hopefully all of you know that Mothers Day is this Sunday. If you are still scrambling this weekend for a great idea for the mom's in your life here are some fun, cute and easy to put together crafts for you to get working on....

This first one is from Get Your Craft On. It's a dry erase memo board backed with fabulous fabric, great idea....

Click HERE for the Tutorial

This next one is from U create. It's a great idea for any mom. It's also a great idea for a bridal shower or wedding gift.

Click HERE for the Tutorial

This idea is from a blog that i have become obsessed with lately, it's eighteen25. This brag book would be perfect for Grandma's, you know they love to show off how cute their grand kids are...there is even a free download of the different sayings, perfect!!

Click HERE for the Tutorial

You could make a monogram letter, it's easy and a great look. I found this letter at Blue Cricket Design. This one just happens to be the first letter in my last name and my maiden name, so it kinda jumped out at me and yes i do think i need to make one soon!

Click HERE for the Tutorial

Hopefully you got a good idea or two. Make sure to let that mom in your life know how much she is loved. I hope my mom knows how much i love and miss her. I never realized how much work being a mom is until i had my boys. It's a job where time off doesn't come often but it's also the best job in the world and i wouldn't trade it for anything!! Enjoy your weekend Mom's, we all deserve it!

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

2010-05-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

This week is Teacher appreciation week. I saw a few of the cutest ideas at eighteen25. She even has a free download with all of the sayings on it, boooyaaa! I can't tell you how much i LOVE free downloads!

Check out the cuteness.....

Who can resist Chocolate...

So cute and fat free:)

This saying would go great tied on top of a wonderful smelling Scentsy Bar...hint...hint!! Scentsy Rocks!!

Cute, Cute!!

Click HERE to get the free download and instructions.

Tasty Tuesday - Navajo Taco's

2010-05-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

This weeks Tasty Tuesday recipe comes from one of the first blogs that i became thoroughly addicted to....Or So She Says. These ladies are expert bloggers and have developed such a great blog, they discuss just about every topic under the sun including great recipes.

My hubbys loves a great Navajo Taco, it's a very manly food, i guess? And it reminds us of good ole Scone Cutter in Logan, UT. so when i saw this recipe on Or So She Says.. i knew i had to give it a go. It is wonderful and the hub thought i was awesome when i made this for him. The boys love it too. I usually just end up making there's into a "cheese pizza" which they love.

Navajo Taco's

Here's what you will need:

Roads Rolls
Canola Oil
Shredded Lettus
Chili
Cheese
Tomato(optional)
Avocado(optional)
Olives(optional)
Sour Cream(optional)

Thaw out some Rhodes rolls, smush together 2 for the kid size and mom portions and 3-4 for Man size portions. Then flatten them with your hands and work them into a flat circular shape.

Heat about one to two inches of oil in your skillet over Med-High heat. If you have a little deep fryer(yes i do and yes i am a bit embarrassed about it) it makes this job not quite as messy. To make sure it is heated enough dip the corner of your flattened dough in the oil, if it starts sizzling it is ready if it doesn't then wait a while longer.

When ready gently place one or two flattened dough patties into the oil. They cook fast so watch them. I turn them after a minute or less and let the other side cook too. Remove when browned and place on paper towel and then dab with more paper towels to get some of the oil out, be careful though it will be hot. If making kids cheese pizza's immediately put cheese on so it can start to melt.

Now just top with whatever topping you like. It's so yummy and we usually make extra and have scones with honey butter for dessert. I know it's a pretty big carb load but go on a walk after dinner and you'll feel better about yourself:)

Go HERE for more pictures and the Or So She Says instructions.

Enjoy!!

-Jaime

Paper Towel Wreath

2010-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this cute project made over at Made by Nicole. It was so cute that i just knew that i had to make it. It is a really easy project and perfect for the kiddo's to help out on.

First i got all the supplies:

Paper Towels (I used a combo of 2ply Bounty and Viva paper towels)
Food Coloring
Little spray bottles (in the travel size items at Wally's)
Foam wreath (If you sign up to get Michael's e-mails they will e-mail you a 40 or 50% off coupon right away)
Burlap to wrap your wreath and use with flowers(i got mine at Wally's)
Newspaper to protect your table or counter while you are happily spraying.

I put at least 6 drops, sometimes more, food coloring in each squirt bottle mixed with a little water to make it dark enough to see when you squirt it out.

Lay your newspapers out and start being creative.....

See how much fun i was having...

And the boy thought it was so cool that he was able to help...

When you are all done and your paper towels are dry fold them in 4's and then trace circles using the top of a mug or glass. Then cut the circles out, you should get 4 circles out of 1 paper towel.

From here on out you can get as creative as you want. You can mix and match different colored circles or keep all the same colors together. I would staple at least 4 together, you could do more or less depending on if you are adding fabric or burlap circles to the mix.

After you have them stapled together decide what side you want to be the front of the flower and put a dab of hot glue in the center and then give the back a little pinch like this....

I experimented a little and made a couple different flower shapes, i just pinched and folded them into shapes i thought looked like flowers and then stapled and hot glued my heart away, it was actually quite fun:)

Then EMBELLISH and glue to your burlap wrapped wreath...

And the finished product. Do they look like a bunch of Paper Towels to you???Now go make one, you know you want to....

-Jaime

Tin Can Creations

2010-04-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing the cutest crafts out there in blogland made with Tin Cans. Here is a idea from Homemade Mamas, tea light holders, so fun. These would be adorable painted like a pumpkin and set out on your porch for Halloween. Go HERE for the instructions.....

And how about this cute craft organizer at Me Making Do. So fun and basically made with stuff you have laying around the house. Go HERE to see how this was made.

Below are some from Brown Paper Packages. These are made from formula cans. They would be great for a teachers gift or a scrapbook room. I love it wrapped in twine! Click HERE for more pics.

Too bad soup season is about over....I'm going to have to start feeding the kids more spaghetti-O's so i can stock up on tin cans!! Hope you all got some good idea's here, i know i did!!

-Jaime

Tasty Tuesday - Honey Dipped Chicken

2010-04-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

This recipe i got from Good Things Utah, i can't remember the chef though. This is a great chicken recipe and the honey makes it so sweet and tasty.

Honey Dipped Chicken

1 egg

¼ cup honey

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup almond meal (crushed almonds)

3 or 4 chicken breasts

Melted butter ( about ½ a stick)

Beat egg and honey in a small bowl.

Combine almond meal and bread crumbs in bag or pie plate.

Dip chicken in honey mixture then coat well with crumb mixture .

Arrange in baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees until tender.

Marble Magnets

2010-04-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

If it's one thing that i hate it's a cluttered fridge. OK i don't hate it that much but some people do try to fit a bit too much on the front of their fridge doors and sorry people but it's not pretty. I try not to clutter my fridge up too much but there are always cute pictures of my friends and family and the all important pre-school art work that manage to make their way on my fridge.

This is how my fridge looked a couple of days ago.....a bit much right?!

But then i remembered about the cute marble magnets that i learned to make years ago. And now my fridge looks like this.....better right?

Now i know that most of you out there have probably made these before and if so then maybe you need to make some more, mother's day is coming up you know. These are a great, quick and thoughtful homemade gift.

Get your supplies - Mod Podge, brush, clear glass marbles(i got mine at Michael's), 1 inch round hole punch, small magnets and some uber cute paper.

Now start making circles. I always get a bit carried away and punch out a million circles and then look at the 8 magnets i bought and then have to pick and choose my favorite. I guess now i have extras for when i pick up some more magnets.

Next just brush a THIN coat of Mod Podge on the back of your circles and stick it right to the marble. Hold it down to get any of the air bubbles out, it dries pretty quickly. Now i have tried to do this with photo's i have punched out and i have a harder time with those. Mine never dry fast and always have air bubbles. If anyone knows the trick to Mod Podge photos feel free to tell me.

And there you have it, some beautiful little works of art! It will make your fridge look so much better i promise!

Oh yeah and i know you were all wondering what that little poster was on my fridge. Yeah that's me rockin' a purple bikini. OK not really but it's my "inspiration" poster. Is it working you ask, well not exactly but i refuse to take it down because someday soon it's going to kick my butt into action, soon i tell you soon.

-Jaime

"Happy" Passed On...

2010-04-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

I feel so honored, M.O.T.B gave me this wonderful award!! Happy 101, boy i have had my dose of happiness these last few years and this is a great time to tell you all why and then pass it on.....

So here it goes:

10 things that make ME happy.....

1. My boys...

This has to be #1 because they are my heart and soul. All my boys, the hubster included, are so special to me and i would be nowhere with out them. Although some days i want to grab the first little girl i see and take them on a shopping spree, i am thankful for the boys in my life and i just look forward to taking their future wives and hopefully daughters shopping in the future!

2. Quality time with my husband...

Although it doesn't happen all that often i try to soak up every second of our date nights. I love getting to talk without being interrupted and not having to change diapers for the night:)

3. The Movies...

This kindof goes along with #2 because on our date nights we almost always head for the movie theater. I love a good movie and the ability it has to take you into another world if even just for a couple of hours, it's exhilarating.

4. Nature...

It can be very inspiring. I loved my summers spent working in West Yellowstone more than any summers i can remember. Being charged by a mother moose was one of the most frightening yet awesome experiences of my life. Then about 8 or years later while 4-wheeling we happened upon another mother moose and her two babies, i sat there for about 30 minutes just watching them, it was beautiful.

5. A good hair day...

Really what can make you feel better than when your hair is having a kick A** day. Side note: I have done hair for about 15 years now so i try to make every day a good hair day and when it isn't i take it pretty personal;)

6.Crafting...

I love creating things for my home and to give to others. This is the main reason why i love the blogging world so much, i get so many great ideas from all the talented ladies in blogland.

7. Traveling...

I absolutely love to travel. I love the airport, i love hotels, i love it all. I was the youngest of 4 kids and my parents took me on a lot of fun trips, i would say they spoiled me and gave me the traveling bug. It's just too bad i can't give that bug to the hubster, hopefully someday;)

8. The weekends...

I live for the weekends! Me and the boys can't wait for time with their dad. He is a very hard worker and we love to have time to spend with him whenever we can. I usually have a bunch of errands to run but he carts me and the boys around with little complaints. We also eat out and i love no cooking and dishes. I also love attending our church on Sunday mornings and the fact that my husband loves it as much as i do.

9. My friends...

I always look forward to a girls night out. I have made some great friends here in Kansas and i am very grateful for that. I do however miss my Utah friends like crazy. I hope they know how much i miss them and that they made me who i am today and i am grateful to them for that.

10. Planning, almost anything...it's all in the details...

I am a planner by nature. I love to plan parties. It's a thrill for me to make the perfect party favor or to make the perfect invitation. I go into planning mode and get very OCD about finding the perfect accessories for whatever the occasion.
I really have so much in my life to be HAPPY about and i am glad that i got this opportunity to share it with you. Now go think about what makes YOU HAPPY!

I would like to pass this award on to a couple of my favorite ladies in the blogging world....
-Fingerprints On The Fridge -
I love this blog and all the great decorating idea she comes up with. She always comes up with the most simple yet fabulous ideas. Her style is clean and crisp and i love it.
-Sarah-
One of my best friends since High School and one of the best mom's ever. She juggles it all and does a great job at it. Her kiddo's are adorable and she always has a funny story to share.
-Love, Actually-
I love this blog and all the wonderful idea's for keeping your relationship fresh and new. She always has great downloads and fun, fun, fun ways to spice up that love life.

Thanks again to Mom of Two Boys for making me feel super loved today. I am new here in the blogger world but there are so many great ladies that inspire and encourage me.

-Jaime

My baby is two!

2010-04-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

My little guy is 2 years old today. I love this little man. He is wild, he is crazy, and i just can't get enough of his sweet kisses. He is always smiling and loves to be silly. He is Elmo's biggest fan and if he see's a train or an airplane he will let you know. He doesn't say much yet but his voice does not go unheard.

We love him so much and are so glad he came into our lives. Happy Birthday Jakey.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

2010-04-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

Today for my Tasty Tuesday recipe i am sharing with you the recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Cake. I got this recipe from Good Things Utah. I miss that show so much and a few of my favorite recipe's came from watching that show. This recipe came from Aimee Winder of Winder Dairy in Utah.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 C. butter, softened

1 1/2 C. white sugar

1 C. sour cream

2 large eggs

2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 C. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp.vanilla

1 1/2 C. chocolate chips

1/2 C. chopped nuts, optional

Mix until smooth the butter, sugar, sour cream and eggs.

Add the mashed bananas and blend.

Mix in the flour, salt, soda,and vanilla.

Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips and all the walnuts if you are adding walnuts.

Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 glass pan.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 C. of chocolate chips on top and lightly press down with back of spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve with or without frosting.

ENJOY!!

So You Think You Can Decorate

2010-04-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have had a great time following the competition So You Think You Can Decorate. All the contestants are so talented. My favorite competitors are All Things Thrifty, those ladies come up with some of the coolest things ever!

They are on week 8 right now, i think it's the finals. Check out All Things Thrifty's entry for this week....

If you want to see some spectacular decorating go and browse all the previous weeks of the contest. It really inspires you, although i know they make it look so much easier than it really is.

Click on the icon to head on over....oh and while you're there, don't forget to vote for your favorite.

T.G.I.F.

2010-04-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

Sorry guys, this week has been nuts at this house and i have not been managing my time very well. Between cake decorating classes, T-Ball practices, chasing the crazier than ever almost 2yr old, the 5 year old that thinks he can do whatever he wants and then all the house hold duties i have just been a bit on edge this week. I really need to focus on chilling out a little more. I am a major worry wart and a bit of a control freak so a very busy week tends to frazzle me a little. I need to remind myself to just stop, breathe, and let what happens happen.
Do any of you have weeks like that? Are any of you a control freak like me? I may not be posting everyday anymore, i will try but if i don't please know that i still love you all and am hopefully working on a fun project to show you soon. Sorry for my ramblings but it's just been one of those weeks. OK i am now going to take a chill pill and hopefully have a wonderful relaxing weekend, hope you all do the same:)

DIY Freeze Pops

2010-04-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

I saw this "cool" idea over at :Under the table and dreaming. I have never even thought about making our own freeze pops. I may have to try it this summer because we have a new trampoline and in case no one knows trampolines tend to attract children. I could probably go broke keeping the kids in Popsicles this summer so maybe I'll try making some lemonade or kool-aid ones. Great idea. For all the How To click HERE.

She also has a great tutorial on how to make holders for the freeze pops so your kids little hands don't get so cold holding them, i know I've heard that complaint more than once at my house.

Adorable huh! For the tutorial click HERE

Movie,Popcorn,Smoothie Nights

2010-04-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

One of our favorite family activities is Movie,Popcorn,Smoothie night. Long name but that's really what we call it. We try to do it at least 2 to 3 times a month. We get the smoothie maker out and get the party started.....

This is a picture of the Back To Basics smoothie maker that we have, ours is white but you get the idea. It is really cool because it has a stir stick that helps keep things flowing correctly in the blender, no clogs. It also has a pouring spout, which is great. It is a little tougher to clean, there are a couple of parts that need to be removed to get thoroughly clean.

We use to cut up fruit and put it with a little milk and make our own smoothies but then we came across Yoplait's frozen smoothie mix and we fell in LOVE!! These mixes are great and definitely worth a try.

The Strawberry Banana one is my favorite and the Triple Berry one is the hubsters fav.

Sometimes we make air popped popcorn, sometimes it's microwave it just depends on my mood. The boys love to watch the air popped corn come out of the popper but our popper is a little crazy and unpredictable so it's not unusual to get hit square in the face with a hot piece of popcorn or twenty.

On our next "Move,Popcorn,Smoothie" night we will be watching Astro Boy

Now go pick up some smoothie mix, pick out a great family film and plop you and your fam down on the couches for a fun night together!!

Strawberry French Toast

2010-04-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

Today i am going to share our favorite breakfast recipe. The credit for this one goes to the hubster. He is the breakfast maker in this house. I am NOT a morning person and he knows this very well so he wholeheartedly took on the role of breakfast maker long ago, bless his little heart!We like french toast and we like strawberry waffles so one morning we decided to mix them together a bit and waalaaa, delish!

French Toast

Ingredients

4 eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
6 slices Texas toast thick bread
3 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar
butter
syrup

Directions

Mix together the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt& cinnamon.
Heat a large skillet, or griddle.
When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter.
If the butter smokes, your pan is too hot; turn down the heat.
Dip each slice of bread into the batter for 30 seconds on each side.
Let some of the batter drip off, then put in skillet.
Cook each slice 1 1/2-2 minutes per side until each side is golden brown.
Add more butter, if necessary, to cook all of the slices.
To serve, put on plate, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with butter & hot syrup

Strawberry Syrup

Need:
1 Pint of Strawberries
2C. Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Lemon (optional)

Take tops off strawberries and cut into quarters.
In food processor or blender, process strawberries
Stir in sugar and lemon, cook over low hear until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Strain out seeds
put in the fridge to cool a little while you make the french toast or waffles.
When you take it out of the fridge you will want to skim the film that has developed off the top.

Hope you enjoy! It's great for a fun week night dinner too!

-Jaime

Making Frosting

2010-04-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon i did part of my homework for my cake decorating class. I made my 3 batches of frosting that are all varying consistency's. One stiff for roses and such, one medium for boarders and one thin for frosting the cake and for writing on the cake.

I only made a slight mess in the process.....

giving my mixer a work-out

Ooops!

Homework done!

Now for a extra special treat for you all........A super special secrete(OK not really secret) recipe....

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1c. solid white vegetable shortening (packed)
1/2 tsp. vanilla Wilton flavoring
1/4 tsp. butter Wilton flavoring
1/4 tsp. almond Wilton flavoring
2 Tbs. Water
1 lb. powered sugar (app. 4 cups)
1 Tbs. Wilton meringue powder
A pinch of salt
Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.
Add water by the Tbs. to achieve desired consistency.

I got most of this information from the Wilton Course 1 student manual. I hope it's not illegal to post it on the Internet but it's a yummy recipe so i wanted to share....

-Jaime

Slide Sled

2010-04-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

How genius is this idea from: pony tails & fish scales......

Soon enough the weather will get HOT, HOT, HOT and i know i have heard more than once from the boys that they don't want to go down their slide because it's ..."TOO HOT MAMA." I don't blame them, when you have shorts on those slides can be really hot on little legs.

I'm sure we'll be trying this as soon as the weather heats up.

To learn how to make this Slide Sled click HERE.

-Jaime

Wilton Course 1

2010-04-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

I started my Wilton cake decorating course 1 class on Tuesday night. I am super excited about this class. I have already learned some great tips, got a great butter cream frosting recipe and been given my first homework assignment. Next week i have to bring a frosted cake to class to decorate. Hopefully i will learn tons of stuff and be able to pass on a few tips to you all. I will keep updating you on my progress, and you will all pretend to care.

Here is all the fun stuff i bought after my first class, like i need one more thing to shop obsessively for:) I did use some 50% off coupons of course.

-Jaime

Make your own sidewalk chalk

2010-04-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

I saw this fun post on how to make sidewalk chalk over at Skip To My Lou. It's finally that time of year and my boys have really enjoyed getting outside again. I know boy #2 would love writing all over the patio with this chalk. Click HERE for all the instructions.

Tasty tuesday - Skillet Enchiladas

2010-04-06T07:00:00.004-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

I have a lot of great recipes that i have collected over the years and i thought i would start sharing one a week with you. Most of them are extremely simple, i am no chef. I like quick and easy and delicious is a requirement as well.
Tasty Tuesday may be a little dessert heavy. My cook book is about 25% dinners and 75% desserts. Oops, yes i enjoy baking a bit more than cooking but i am working on evening out the cook book, one recipe at a time.
Some of these recipes i have gathered from my childhood, some are from family members and others are Internet finds. Hopefully you try a few and fall in love with at least one!

The first Tasty Tuesday recipe comes from my Mother in law, who is a great cook by the way......

Skillet Enchiladas

What you need:
1lb. Hamburger
1/4 C. Chopped Onions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 10oz can of enchilada sauce
2Tbs. chopped green chili (fresh or canned)
1/2 C. milk
Shredded cheddar cheese
Flour Tortillas.

1. Brown your meat and your onions together in large skillet. Drain once browned and return to the skillet.
2. Add to your meat the following....1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 10oz can enchilada sauce, 2 Tbs. chopped green chili and 1/2 c. milk.
3. Let simmer for 20 min.
4. Fill 6-8 flour tortillas with shredded cheese, roll up and place seam side down in the skillet on top of your meat mixture.

5. I usually scoop some of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas just to aid in the cheese melting process.

6. Cover and turn heat up just a smidgen so that the cheese will melt faster, usually only takes 5-10 min.

7. Dish it up and enjoy. These pictures were taken with my old camera so they are not the best. Trust me these taste much better than they look.

Thanks Charlotte for the yummy recipe!

-Jaime

Camera Love

2010-04-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I am just coming down off of a great holiday weekend. We had lots of fun as a family coloring and hunting eggs. We enjoyed a wonderful Sunday celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a beautiful weekend here in Kansas and we finally got the "new" trampoline set up. The boys have never been happier and it was hard to find a time when their dad wasn't on the tramp with them too.

I am not sure if i mentioned it but last weekend i got a new love. Her name is Canon Rebel and she is perfection!

I have yet to learn all her bells and whistles but i have learned that she takes wonderful pictures. I am so happy i took that step out of my comfort point and shoot zone and got her. I know i will love her for years to come.

Here are some of my best shots from the last couple of weekends....

The boys at my hubby's work. They LOVE looking at all the big Trucks!

This face is innocent enough right......oh if you only knew, it's a good thing he's cute.

The boy's new go-to spot, the tramp. We all love it truth be told!

I'll be back tomorrow with a new weekly feature: Tasty Tuesday's

-Jaime

Peep cupcakes

2010-04-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

How cute are these cupcakes from Home Made Mama's? We have a major weakness in this house for cupcakes so i may just be making these for our dessert on Easter Sunday.

Click HERE for all the details on how to make these adorable cupcakes. They even have a little marshmallow tails, ahhh.

April Fool's Day Fun

2010-04-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

Happy April Fool's Day!

I have one vivid memory from my childhood when it comes to April fools day. I remember my mom picking me up from school and telling me that we were going home to get our suitcases and go to Disneyland. Needless to say it was in fact April fools day and we did not end up at Disneyland at the end of the day. If you ask my mom she will deny that this conversation took place but who are you going to believe, my mom or my memory from when i was oh about 7??? I'll let you decide.

Last year on April fool's day I sent boy #1 to school with his shirt on backwards only to come to find out that it was class picture day, yeah the joke ended up being on me, not so funny but the picture turned out cute anyway.

This year i am sure boy #1 will want to wear his shirt backwards again. And i am sure that all day he will be saying things like "Mom, look at that huge bear in the backyard!" Yeah he likes any excuse to be silly so this is a fun holiday for him.

Here is a prank that i plan on playing on him and his little brother at dinner:

Trick Jello drink

I found this idea over at Living Locurto and i will be trying it out tonight at dinner, i am excited to see the boys faces when they try to take their first "sip" of the jello drinks. They are both huge jello fans so I'm sure they will be pleasently surprised.

Hope you all have at least one trick up your sleeves for today!!

"TIE" dyed eggs

2010-03-31T07:00:00.002-05:00

Are you all sick of all my Easter idea's yet? I hope not because i am having fun finding them. My mom found this next idea on the Our Best Bites website. She knew i would want to try it.

First you need to go to your hubby's closet and swipe all his ugly old ties. Or if your husband has a total of 3 ties like mine does then maybe you should go to your local Goodwill or D.I. and pick up some for cheap.

Make sure that they are 100% silk. It should say on the back of the tie on a tag. It has to be 100% silk for it to work.

Then come home and cut that tie up....

Then wrap it up with the right side of the tie towards the egg. So what would be the front side of the tie directly into contact with the egg. I used twist ties to tie them off. Make sure to wrap it as tight as you can. I could wrap 2 or 3 eggs per tie.

Then you need to wrap it again in a thin white material. I got a pillowcase at Wally's for $3

Then put them in a pan and cover with water. Add 1/4 C. vinegar and boil for 20 min.

Take them out of the water and put on a paper towel to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, unwrap and.....

Behold their beauty....pretty...ohh...ahhhh.

I just did 4 today, i will do some more when we dye eggs as a family this weekend. I was pretty happy with how they turn out. I think next year i will look for funkier ties. I have read that the darker colored ties work better. And that ugly ties make beautiful eggs:)

Egg dying made easy

2010-03-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just received my copy of Family Fun magazine in the mail today and i saw the best idea in it.

For easier egg dying with the kids, put the eggs inside of a whisk to keep the eggs stable and easier for the kids to work with. No more cracked eggs, yay!!
I'm so excited about this idea and may head to the dollar store to get a couple more whisks.
I know that the boys will feel so important when they don't need us to help them so much with the egg dying this weekend.

Happy Egg Coloring!!

Setting your table for Easter dinner

2010-03-29T07:00:00.002-05:00

Look at these fun little birds nest with a special treat inside over at Skip To My Lou

And these cute bunny egg holders and napkin rings. You can download free printable templates at Skip To My Lou.

I can see a adorable Easter table setting in my future.

-Jaime

Tooshie Totes

2010-03-26T07:00:00.004-05:00

A while ago i won a awesome giveaway over at Or So She Says... I was so excited that i won and was even more excited when i found out what i won. I won a $100 credit at Tooshie Totes Etsy shop. If any of you know me very well or have been reading my blog for a while you know that i love, love, love a cute bag! Wendy at Tooshie Totes makes one of a kind bags that are just to die for. My bag was delivered this week and i was so impressed with the quality and just darn cuteness of my bag. I will be using mine mostly as a laptop bag but it's so cute that i just may take it for a test drive as a diaper bag this week. I am dying to take a trip now that i have something super cute to tote my laptop around in, and much more than that will fit in it i am sure.

And here she is.....Purdy huh!

-Jaime

Spring/Summer letter blocks

2010-03-25T07:00:00.004-05:00

I wanted to show you all the variation on the Spring Blocks i posted last week. I wanted to make some for my mom for her birthday but i wanted them to be the gift that keeps on giving, well at least for one more season that is.

I, Ok hubby, cut the blocks a few different sizes this time, i thought it would be fun to mix it up a little and i love how they turned out. Here is the Spring side.....

And then i flipped them and did Summer on the other side of the blocks. I used my Cricut for the letters on these blocks and i liked how they turned out. I also inked the sides of the blocks to give it a sanded look without the added work.

Now i just hope my mom read my text that said not to look at my blog until after she got and opened her present from me. Happy Birthday MOM!!

-Jaime

Stuffed Animal Easter Basket

2010-03-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

I just saw the cutest idea over at CraziBeautiful. Turn a old stuffed animal into a Easter basket, how genius! If i thought i had the skills i would do this. I am not very gifted in the sewing area but might try it someday.

This idea was just too cute not to share. Go HERE for the pattern and instructions.

-Jaime

Egg Tree

2010-03-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

OK so we have this tree in our backyard, if you can even call it a tree. It's more of a sticky bush that aspires to be a tree someday. It's gangly and in my opinion a eye sore but.....my husband has formed some sort of strange bond with it and refuses to cut it down. I have asked several times and it remains untouched.

So when i had this cute Easter craft i wanted to do that called for bringing some of the outdoors in i knew just the "tree" i wanted to take the kitchen scissors to:). Finally a good use for that darn thing.

Now that you have a little background behind my Easter Tree craft let's begin:
I started out with my cute candlestick jar i made a while ago and then filled it with Easter grass, then stuck my "ugly tree" branches in....

Next is where the blond moment comes.... i hollowed out some eggs and then did my best to dye the now hollow eggs. Yes it would have been easier to die the eggs before i hollowed them but like I've said before i don't do things the easy way. I like a challenge. OK no i really just don't think things through sometimes. I also chose the "old fashioned" way to hollow the eggs, i (and i have to give credit to the hub for a couple of them) poked a hole in both end of the eggs carefully and then blew them out. There is a tool for doing this but i was too impatient and cheep to go look for it and i had remembered doing this when i was younger. So after nearly passing out 6 eggs later i was done and on to dying them. As i mentioned i had a fun time dying floating eggs but after several times turning them they looked just peachy!

I attached them to the branches with some spring colored raffia. I ended up switching out the Easter grass and putting in Jelly Beans instead, it added more color and just looked better. Boy #2 is very sad that i put the jellybeans out of his reach, he asks for them daily, i know it's horrible to taunt him like that isn't it? i guess i better get him some of his own.

And the finished product. I think it may need a couple more eggs. It's much cuter in person, i just couldn't get a very good picture of it but you get the idea.

-Jaime

Kids Rewards system

2010-03-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to create a chore/rewards chart the would work in our house. When i saw this post over at J & A and Co. i knew it would work in our house.

Boy #1 is way excited that we have finally gotten this plan in action. Hopefully it will help create more brotherly love in this house and stop some of the whining that goes on from time to time.

I think it will be a great way for boy #1 to understand about saving tokens for things he wants and the value of spending his hard earned tokens......

Here's how we started:

We got 3 Tupperware containers and i labeled them for each of the boys and one for the bank....

Then we got some "tokens" poker chips at Wal-mart, they were $9.99 for 200. You could use just about anything for tokens, like buttons, beads or monopoly money. Boy #1 wanted real tokens so that's what we got.

Then i made up this list of ways the boys could earn, get taken away and spend their tokens......

How to earn tokens:
1 shoes put away
1 coats hung up
1 dishes cleared after meals without asking
1 using your manners
1 (Jake) telling us that you need a diaper change
1 cleaning up your crumbs after snacks
1 getting yourself dressed for the day
1 making your bed in the morning
1 listening the first time
1 getting into your pj’s by yourself at night
1 following instructions
1 being kind to your brother
1 washing your hands before you eat
1 bringing in belongings from the car
1 if mom or dad don’t clean up after ourselves and you catch it and have to do it for us
1 Putting the Wii remotes away after every time you use them
1 Feed the dogs when parents ask you to
2 Keep the toys off the floor
2 Good attitude when told No
2 eating all of your food without complaining or being reminded
2 being reverent during church
3 Trying a good helping of a new food
3 extra jobs without complaining
3 good behavior at a store

How to Lose Tokens:
1 leave your shoes out
1 coat laying on the floor
1 clothes laying on the floor
1 making messes at the dinner table
1 arguing
1 bothering parents while on the phone
1 not listening
1 not clearing your plate
1 leaving belongings in the car
1 fighting with your brother
1 anything left laying around that I have to pick up
2 Taking cushions and pillows off the couch
2 Getting on the counter without asking
2 Playing the Ipod without asking
2 Playing Happy Aquarium without asking
2 Being sent to time out
2 getting in to things that you are not supposed to
3 complaining or gagging at the dinner table
3 poor behavior at church
3 poor behavior at a store
10 if I have to clean up your room at the end of the day
How to spend tokens:
1 package of fruit snacks
2 ½ educational computer time (approved by parent)
3 half hour of Wii during the week (normally he can only play on the weekends)
3 popcorn
3 extra story at bedtime(must be paid by all listeners)
5 15 min on Happy Aquarium whenever you want
5 extra 15 minutes at bedtime
10 small treat or small toy at the store
100 $10 to spend on something you would like
Disclaimers:
Mom and dad have the right to add to this list at anytime
Tokens can be handed out randomly for special things and good behavior
You must ask mom and dad before putting tokens in your jar.

Note: I did copy a lot of these from J & A and Co., and am grateful for all the great ideas.

It has already started to help boy #1's attitude. He helped clean all day Saturday with virtually no complaining, it was quite nice. Boy #2 however is oblivious but that's OK in a few months he may start to get the idea.

-Jaime

Family Tree

2010-03-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

Living 1,000 miles away from our families it can sometimes be hard for the boys to grasp the concept that Grandma and Papa can't just swing by our house whenever they want. Trust me if they could they would! It really was a big adjustment to boy #1 when we first moved to Kansas. It's also hard for boy #2 who doesn't really know his Grandparents very well because we only see them a couple times a year at best. For him i really want to make sure that he starts recognizing them from pictures.

I have been wanting to make a family tree for a while now and i just happened upon a very cute one over at

A Little Tipsy.

Working on our Tree.....

I think it will be a great way for the boys to see the pictures and be consistently reminded of their Grandparents and that they are a important part of our family and their lives.

I would love to make one with Aunts, Uncles and Cousins too but I'm not feeling that ambitious today. I think this one will be a great start for us and they boys love looking at all the pictures.

To download your own family tree head on over to A Little Tipsy and click on the tree template that you want.

-Jaime

Rainbow Treats

2010-03-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

OK OK i know St. Patty's day is over but i had to share the fruits of my labor from yesterday. I spent way too much time on these rainbow treats but it was worth it in the end.

These cupcakes are so cute on the inside and darn it they better be because they were somewhat time consuming. Just don't think your going to whip these up quickly after dinner, they take some time to add the colors layer by layer. My kids loved them and i am thinking about going to have another one right about now..... Find the directions at familyfun.com

And i did end up making the rainbow jello also. It was easy and they kids LOVED it!!

Find the recipe HERE

You can make these fun treats for lots of occasions. I'm sure i will be making them both again soon!

-Jaime

Feelin' Green

2010-03-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm feelin' green today so here are some great green finds on Etsy.......

Green Bamboo clock from Pilot Design

Cute bracelet from The Moontree Boutique

Pillow from Green Gables

Margarita Lime Soap Bar @ KBShimmer

Grow your own food Tee @ Happy Family

And how cute are these handmade ice cream cones from Fair Trade Family

Enjoy your day, hope it's a LUCKY one:)

-Jaime

Spring Letter Blocks

2010-03-16T10:50:00.003-05:00

Since the sun refuses to shine here in Kansas(ok it did a little but not enough for me) i have been inside with the boys all day. This is not exactly how i hoped to spend Spring Break but hopefully the weather will get warmer later in the week and we can get OUTSIDE!! We watched movies today and boy #2 had a extra long nap(yay for daylight savings).

I managed to sneak in this project that i have been wanted to do.

First i painted my wood block that the hubs cut for me a while ago....

Then i Mod Podged some uber cute scrapbook paper onto them...

And last i added some fun chip board letters to spell out SPRING. I cut out the word Happy on my cricut and just Mod Podged them right on there. I attached the chip board letters with some sticky Zots. They are the perfect addition to my little black table(which i am looking to replace with something a bit more fabulous)

I kinda wish that the R wasn't red, a bit too many reds in a row for me, but it's still cute. I worked with what i had and i think it's nice and Springy, i am trying to force Spring to get here quicker!!

-Jaime

Linking to:

And.....

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Helping your car sick child

2010-03-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about our summer Utah trip lately and how i have got to make it a more enjoyable experience for all involved. I am talking about the 14 hour drive to get there and to get home. My oldest gets car sick. He has never thrown up in the car but he is usually in the back seat crying that he feels sick and has to get out of the car, that is usually about 1 hour into the trip.

I decided to do a little research and try to be prepared this time. I thought i would share my findings with all of you in case you have the same problems with your little ones.

I found this helpful information on momsminivan.com:

Tips for Prevention or Treatment of Car Sickness

Peppermints...lots of LifeSaver Peppermints, or peppermint candies. Keep a supply in the car
Ginger snap cookies. Eat a couple before you start the trip and then periodically during the trip. This tip was recommended by several readers!
Avoid reading in the car, particularly on winding bumpy roads. Be sure to keep eye focus mainly to front. This helps the brain process sensory data and avert the vertigo.
Use Seabands, which are wrist bands with a small round metal button that presses into the inside of each wrist. They are tight & work by acupressure. Some people swear by them! Also called, "No Queeze Wrist Bands"
Place the child in the middle of the backseat so they can see out the front, rather than the sides, which can appear as a blur.
Pick a spot as far away as you can see and just focus on that for a few minutes not the road whizzing by
Breath deep through your mouth, not your nose.
Stick your hand out the window, just a little bit; whether it is 100 degrees or 10 degrees.
Fresh water and saltine crackers
Keep empty 3-pound butter tubs in the van with their covers, so that in case of an accident, you can re-cover the tub until you reach a place you can empty and rinse it out.
Keep plenty of lollipops on hand. You can even get special motion sickness ones called Queasy Pops.
A cool face cloth. The minute someone feels that urge come on, hand them a peppermint and have them place the cool face cloth on their forehead.
Ginger root capsules, ginger ale and plain cake donuts!!
An ice pack applied to the back of the neck -- ten minutes on, ten minutes off -- works wonders.
Wear wrap around sun glasses
Take Benadryl or Drammamine 1-1/2 hour prior to drive. Don't wait until you are already on the road or it will be too late. Consult a doctor if necessary before using!(You May not be able to use Drammamine with young children, read the age warnings, also Benadryl makes some children hyper as apposed to sleepy, just a heads up on that)
Keep a bottle of Fabreeze to get rid of accident odors
Never travel without a big tub of wet wipes!
Keep an extra change of clothing easily available for all travelers

I think there are a lot of great tips in that article and i plan on using several of them the next time we make that LONG trip to Utah.

On a somewhat related note...Do any of you own one of these? Found on Amazon

Have any of you sworn that you NEVER would own one of these? I did, until i had boy #2. I will be purchasing one of these as soon as he refuses to be strapped into a stroller, which is coming soon. I use to make fun of them and say that i would never put my child on a leash but.....boy #2 usually acts like a out of control puppy so i guess i should leash him like one. Really he is all over the place and i actually think he would like this cuddly restraint system. It would be great for the airport or zoo i think.

Do any of you have kids that get car sick? If so do you have any tips to add? I am hoping to find one of the above remedies that works on our next road trip.

- Jaime

Rainbow jigglers

2010-03-12T07:00:00.001-06:00

How fun are these...

Head on over to nobiggie.net to learn how to make your own rainbow jello for your St. Patrick's Day treat.

Etsy - I Spy Bags

2010-03-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

I found these cute i spy bags while browsing on Etsy today. I think this pirate one will be a great addition to boy #1's Easter basket this year. He loves i spy books so i know this will be a hit.

Giggle Junction’s spy bags are made with soft high quality flannel, sewn inside then turned and top stitched with a heavy duty utility stitch for added durability. There are 30 miniature objects hidden among the non-toxic plastic pellets in the 7 x 7 square. Spy bags are great for keeping children entertained during travel, waiting during appointments, quiet time at home or anywhere you'd like to keep them occupied.

Children hold the bag and use their hands to shift around the pellets inside which makes hidden objects appear randomly in the spy window. It's perfect for children who prefer tactile games and encourages development of fine motor skills.

Here is a cute Easter one

To get your own I Spy bag visit Giggle Junction, click HERE

St.Patrick's Day Wood Shamrock

2010-03-10T08:00:00.008-06:00

I had been looking for the perfect shamrock to hang outside my front door. Well i got tired of looking and decided to make one last weekend.

First i found a picture of a shamrock on the Internet, one that looked the closest to what the one in my head looked like, that can be tough sometimes.

Second i blew it up on my laptop and traced it, moved it around a bit on the screen, lined it up, traced some more. I'm certain this wasn't the easiest way to do it but i usually don't do things the easy way. Then i cut the pattern out.

I ended up with a pattern for half a shamrock and that was fine because i wanted it to be 2 halves.

I had my awesome, amazing, wonderful hubster cut the one side out for me and then flip the pattern over and cut the other side as well. He also cut me some little wood blocks for a spring project i will be doing soon. Isn't he the greatest. If i had to cut my own wood for my projects i would be out of business soon because i am sure that i would cut one of my fingers off.

Anywho, then i sanded the wood, painted, stained and sanded a little more, wired it together, added some ribbon and WWWWAAA LAAAAA....not bad for a rookie like me...

Moral of the story...if you can't find it in the store, don't give up!!

-Jaime

Linking to:

Whatever goes Wed at Someday Crafts

and

Full Moon = Out of Control Kids?

2010-03-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

Ever notice a certain few days out of the month when your kids are just down right out of control? It doesn't happen every month at our house but i have noticed that every 2-4 months around the time it's a full moon, my 5yr old especially is just a bear to be around. He has his days every so often but there are certain months that there really is almost a force that comes over him and I'm all but out of control.

I have been really intrigued by the myth that change in the weather or particularly a full moon, will in fact change the behavior in some people.

I have discussed this with my son's past preschool teacher. She told me that her and all the other teachers at the center definitely notice a change in behavior when it's a full moon or there is a drastic change in weather, stormy days, windy days, ect.
I have also heard that hospitals, police stations, ect. tend to get crazy during a full moon

I researched it a bit and some astrologer's believe that individuals who are born at certain times of the month will be more likely to be affected by environmental changes.

On the website WikiAnswers.com i got this information....

Moon Phases and People:

It affects behavior in all things even plants.
Think of the Wolf howling at the moon?
Certain plant species ding abnormal things while its full or new.
It also affects the weather which of course affects living things.
Think of the saying, "Where did all these crazy people come from?It must be a full moon!"
Its somewhat true, it changes things globally only subtly but enough to affect behaviors.
There has never been adequate studies done on this, it would be very difficult to get accurate results and very expensive and time consuming.

While there is no clear cut proof that a full moon is the reason why your 5 year old is acting like a complete lunatic i think there is definitely some truth to it. I am looking forward to hopefully getting my sweet little boy back in the next couple of days, and to not hearing the coyote's howling me to sleep at night. They sure are pretty to look at but I'm not such a huge fan of the full moon anymore.

Have any of you noticed your kiddo's acting different under a full moon??

-Jaime

Candlestick Holder Jar

2010-03-08T08:00:00.004-06:00

I have seen this done quite a bit out there in blogland so i thought i would give it a whirl.

I have been wanting some cute glass vases to put around the house and fill with seasonal candies or other decorations. In my obsessive blog hopping i found several posts on how to make a cute vase even cuter.

First get a fun glass vase, from the dollar store or i have seen nice ones at Wal-mart, and a glass candlestick holder, also from the dollar store. My vase was $3 and my candle stick holder was $1.

Second, glue those suckers together. I used E-6000. Make sure to open a window if using this stuff, and please do not use if you are pregnant. The fumes are pretty toxic. OK now that i have threatened my life by possibly inhaling toxic fumes i glued mine together and WAAALAAA......

They are a match made in heaven, don't ya think! And i just happened to have some rolo's laying around so i thought they would look cute in it. So here is your variation on my other pot of gold post below. I will be making a couple more of these in varying sizes, they are just too fun and cheap not to.

-Jaime

Pot Of Gold

2010-03-05T08:00:00.011-06:00

I have really been searching for some fun St. Patrick's Day ideas. Boy #1 has recently declared that" it's not a very fun holiday, all you do is wear green." Well it's time to make St. Patty's day a fun and exciting day. Love Actually Blog had the cute idea of Terra Cotta pots filled with Rolos to look like little pots of gold. I took it a step further and painted my pots, which were really cheap at Michael's craft store, with chalkboard spray paint. I like how they turned out and that i could write little messages on the pots. I have yet to master the art of spray painting and as i have mentioned before, have the patients of a small child so there are a ~~few~~ gazillion drips because i didn't do light coats like i should have but hey that's my life! I got one pot for each of the boys in my house. I'm 100% certain that their eye's will light up when they see the pot's of gold and realize it's chocolate. Chocolate is definitely the way to my boys and hubby's hearts.

-Jaime

Linking to somedaycrafts

Keeping the kids entertained - A few of our favorite things to do & play with...

2010-03-04T08:00:00.010-06:00

I will be the first to admit that i go a little nuts staying indoors all winter trying to keep the kids entertained. I thought i would share with you a few of the things that we do to try to keep busy until dad comes home from work......

We seem to have a plethora of plastic restaurant cups. They always seem to make there way home with us at the end of the meal. We have been having fun bowling with them this week. The boys have had fun stacking them and then bowling them over. If you don't have cups you could use plastic water bottles.

Boy #2's favorite toys always seem to be things that are not toys at all.....

He loves playing with measuring cups, bowls and empty paper towel rolls(I'm sure he would prefer it if it was a full roll of paper towels but I'm not that nice)

Sometimes we choose a board game from our collection. Sometimes it's hard to play board games with the little one, he likes to mess up the game pieces and that tends to throw his brother into a tizzy but once in a while we try anyway.

Boy #1 loves to do puzzles and mazes. He is actually very good at them. We got him a big book full of mazes and he has several puzzles to choose from too.

It's no shocker that i love the Internet and probably spend more time on my computer than i should but there are a few fun and educational sites for the boys as well. One of their favorites is Starfall.com Boy #1 gets onto this site at his school and he is the one that told me about it. It is fun and even the little one loves playing on this site with us.

And a lot of days after i pick boy #1 up from school and i can tell he is tired we just pick a favorite movie, pop some popcorn and relax on the couch. I love watching movies,even cartoons, so this is one of my favorite activities.

We are members of Netflix and recently got a blu-ray player that has direct access to all the Netflix watch instantly movies. They have a great selection of kids movies to watch instantly.

And lastly i run a sweat shop over here once in a while, he, he. Some days i just have a burst of energy and a very messy house and i enlist the help of two usually unwilling boys. But i have learned if there is a reward or allowance at the end of the cleaning spree it goes over much better. The prof is in the pic......

Have fun keeping your kiddo's entertained and look on the bright side.....it's almost SPRING!!! YEEE HAA!

-Jaime

-Linking to

Fingerprints on the fridge

The Diaper Debate

2010-03-03T08:00:00.004-06:00

OK so i am going to give you all my opinion, if by chance you want it, on Diapers.

I have been a loyal Huggies buyer for about 5 years...until about two months ago. When i had my first son i, for one reason or another, started using Huggies right away. I am going to chalk it up to the fact that it was what the hospital was using so i just stuck with it. They always worked fine for the most part and i really felt no need to try pampers or any other brand of diaper.

Then boy #2 came along and i stuck to my brand of choice, Huggies. Well i swear this little guy of mine has a hollow leg because he drinks and drinks and drinks. Milk, juice, lemonade, whatever he can get his sticky little hands on.

Good old Huggies just have not been able to keep up with his liquid out put. I decided to try Pampers for the first time in 5 years, ekkk. i have no idea why i felt like i was betraying Huggies so much but i did. I finally decided on Pampers Baby Dry and haven't looked back since. They are a dream come true for my little pee body. I put him in the Pampers Extra Protection at night and he wakes up dry every morning, which is a miracle for him.

So in closing, if your having a new baby try out many brands before you settle on one and if your current kids diaper isn't cutting it try a new brand, you just might be surprised with the results, i know i was.

-Jaime

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

2010-03-02T09:54:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine(thanks Stacee) told me that March 2nd is Dr.Seuss's Birthday, i looked it up and by golly he is 106 today. My best friend Nicole's birthday is also today, did you know that you share Dr. Seuss's b-day Nicole?

Any who i thought today i need to pay tribute to the man and the books we all love so much. Over at Skip To My Lou, she made the cutest pencil toppers themed after Thing 1 and Thing 2 in Cat and the Hat?

How fun are these? We are going to try to make some after school today, heavens knows we have enough pencil's laying around. Is it just me or do your kids get a million pencil's at every holiday from various people?

See how to make them over at Skip To My Lou

My all time favorite Dr. Seuss book is Oh, The Places You'll Go! I get choked up every time i read it to the boy. It just has so many great life lessons in it. We will be reading it today for sure.

Celebrate today by reading. It's really one of the most important things you can do with your kids. And if you don't own a Dr. Seuss book make today the day that you start that library.

-Jaime

Team Tenley

2010-03-01T08:00:00.003-06:00

UPDATE - Well I can't say that i am not disappointed. Poor Tenley!! I hope he is happy but i think he made the wrong choice.

Ok i am sorry to all of you who do not watch The Bachelor but i have to talk about it today. There are so many rumors out there that Vienna is the one he chooses but i am still holding out hope that he chooses the right gal. I think Vienna is nothing but drama. Hopefully if he does pick her he will bring some much needed stability to her life. I just think Tenley is so cute and seems to have a personality that would really fit with Jake's.

So what do you all think. Are you Team Tenley or Team Vienna? HA HA Teams can certainly relate to more than just Twilight right? BTW i am Team Edward all the way just in case you were wondering......

Let me know who you think Jake will pick on tonight's finale. I think it will be Tenley just because everyone thinks it will be Vienna. And i could say that if he picks Vienna i will never watch it again but i would be lying so i won't say that.

What's cookin' good lookin'?

2010-02-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else cringe at those three little words,"What's for Dinner?" I am not a great cook but i do try. I enjoy baking more which is probably why my cookbook,and my butt, is very dessert heavy. I don't mind cooking dinner but it's often a challenge when you have two kids hanging on each leg, no one out there knows what i mean right?:)

Well i think as long as we have to get dinner in the oven every night or hey even dish up Chinese take out, we might as well look cute doing it.

I happened upon this fun Etsy shop that specializes in doing just that. Wonderland Avenue's aprons make me want to spend more time behind the stove. Take a look at just a few of the cute aprons in her shop......

This one matches my kitchen colors, yep it's going on my list of must haves.

And how about a recipe to go along with the cute aprons......

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

1c. sour cream

2 large eggs

2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

2c. flour

1tsp. salt

1tsp. baking soda

1tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

1/2-1c. chopped nuts(optional)

Mix until smooth the butter, sugar, sour cream and eggs.

Add the mashed bananas and blend.

Mix in the flour, salt, soda and vanilla.

Add 1c. of the chocolate chips and all the walnuts.

Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 glass pan.

Sprinkle the 1/2 c. of chocolate chips on top and lightly press down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Enjoy.

-Jaime

Gurglepot (not to be confused with the Neti Pot!)

2010-02-25T08:00:00.004-06:00

So i have to tell you all about the coolest water pitcher that i happened upon. I can't even remember where i heard about this but it was a while ago that i first visited this site. It's called the Gurglepot and one listen to the magical gurgling sound it makes and you'll be sold.

I'm not sure what it is about this fun little fish but i can totally see it being a huge hit in this house. Make sure to click HERE to read the story behind the gurgling fish pitcher, it's a fun story. I have yet to purchase one but it is on my list of must haves.

-Jaime

Ya gotta have shades

2010-02-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

What is it about the right pair of Sunglasses that makes you feel so good? They are very important for protecting your eyes and the delicate skin around your eyes from the harmful rays shining down on you, but to a lot of us out there, they are much more than just protection from the sun. They are a fashion statement and finding the right pair is so important.

Yesterday while driving to Target i realized that i needed some sunglasses on and i needed them quick. My eyes are so sensitive to light and especially in the winter months when the white snow is glaring back at me. Mine had broke and i had been getting by until yesterday. Here in KC we have had some freezing rain. The temps have remained pretty cold so all the rain we received froze solid to everything from the trees to the snow.....and then the sun peaked out. You know what that's like when sun is reflecting off ice?? Yeah a bit like shining a flashlight straight in your eyes. Well this was the case on the road yesterday. My current pair of shades had broke over the weekend so i grabbed the only pair i could find in the car. Yes i was rocking these bad boys.............

Pretty cool right? NOT. Boy #1 kept laughing and telling me to look at him so he could laugh some more. These are his awesome power rangers shades which look much better on his cute little face. I did snap a picture of myself on my phone but i was too hideous looking and will not be publishing that snapshot. Every time a car pulled up next to me at a stop light i had to put my hand up to the side of my face because i really looked ridiculous, but they had to be worn. Believe me i tried taking them off several times and the tears started streaming from my oh so sensitive corneas. I thought it was better to be safe than to look cool, and I'm sure i was right.

So once at Target #1 on the agenda was new shades. These below look similar to the ones that i got but mine are brown. The following pictures I found on line at Target.com

I tried these one's on and they were cute too but just a tad bit buggy for my taste.

These next glasses i found on line at Zappos.com they have a great selection. A bit pricey for me as i tend to break and need to replace my glasses a little too often but if i wanted to splurge i would buy from Zappos.

These one's are so cute. The Zappo's sunglasses section is cool because you can pick your face shape and they will show you styles that would look good on you.

And now a tribute to our favorite man in shades, the MAV! He made Aviators what they are today! How many years has it been and they are still cool.

Hope you all have a great pair of shades to rock! Spring is almost here, can ya tell I'm excited for warmer weather?

-Jaime

Creative Cakes

2010-02-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

It is no secret that i love planning parties. I honestly start planning my kids birthday parties months and months in advance. I have already started thinking about boy #1's next party theme and he just had his party in November. I am a bit OCD when it comes to party planning.
Boy #2's birthday is in April, so really not too far away. I have decided on a Elmo theme, he is OCD when it comes to Elmo. I have been deep into looking at pictures of Elmo cakes. I think i will just try the basic Elmo head shape. I'm sure it won't turn out as cute as the picture below but I'll try.....

These cake pops from Bakerella are so cute, if we were having a huge party i might consider putting forth the effort to make these but it will probably just be our little family.

These next cakes are off of the Family Fun website. They have so many cute cake ideas. This first one is so cute, it would be really cute to make for a baby shower with a old McDonald theme.

This would be so cute for a pre-teen or teenager's birthday.

I definitely see this cake being made in my future. Boy #1 is all boy and would love this motorcycle cake and the skateboard cake below.

This one would be cute if you were having a bowling party. I love those bowling pin candles.

This one is cute for a camp out party in the summer. It would also be a fun cake to make for Fathers day if you married a outdoors man like i did. It would be great after a tin foil dinner and a visit around the backyard fire pit.

This is the cup cake cake that i made for boy #1's birthday in November. He had a G.I. Joe theme. I think the cake turned out pretty good. I got a lot of compliments on it which made my day of course. But what really mattered was that the new 5 year old loved it!

And now were back to thinking about boy#1's birthday next November. Not sure if Batman will still be his favorite 9 months from now but if he is then here are a couple of my inspiration cakes. The first one is simple yet really cute, i know i could pull it off.

This one would rock his world but i know i am not advanced enough to even try it. It's fun to dream though.

Hopefully i inspired you to think long and hard the next time you order a cake from your local grocery store. Michael's craft stores offer cake decorating classes. I am planning on enrolling next month. Hopefully my cakes benefit from the added skills i will learn. It will be nice when the end result looks as good in real life as it does in my head. I only got into cake decorating about a year ago but i have learned that even if it isn't picture perfect it feels so good to know you made it yourself, and your family knows it was baked with love, and maybe a little blood, sweat and tears.

-Jaime

Undercover Boss

2010-02-22T08:00:00.003-06:00

Undercover Boss is one of me and hubsters favorite new shows. It's on Sunday nights on CBS. I wasn't sure if i would like this show but it has really surprised me. The premise of the show is that CEO's of big companies go undercover in their own companies. They visit several different areas in the company and see first hand how things in their stores or company are running. I think it's great that the CEO's of these companies are willing to do this to help their companies grow and run better. It always ends with the big man reveling his true identity to those he worked with and lets them know how much he appreciates what they do. No matter how hard i try i can't keep my eyes from tearing up. I think it's great when a boss can tell their employees that their work is appreciated. I think many businesses would run better if their employee's were shown the appreciation they deserve. Check it out if your in the market for a great new feel good show, it's worth the time.

-Jaime

2010-02-19T08:00:00.002-06:00

Today is my birthday, yay for me. I am 33 years young and i am pretty sure that this is going to be a great year in my life. Since it is my birthday i thought today i would fill this post will pictures of things i love......
These are in no particular order but are all things that make me smile.

I love getting pedicures, especially with a great friend!

I love Hawaii more than almost any place on earth. It is so beautiful and just gives me such a feeling of relaxation when i am there. My best vacations in my life have been on the islands of Hawaii.

While i haven't had many in my life i have a new found love of great massages. There is nothing better than relaxing and letting the stress melt away.

Anyone who knows me knows that i have a purse/bag addiction. I love a great bag and have a whole closet full. I wish i had that yellow one in the back in this picture, so fun and would look great on my arm while shopping in Hawaii:)

O R E O! Yes this is a dirty little pleasure of mine. I don't know why they have to make such delicious little cookies, that are so fattening and that call to me at all hours of the day. I don't eat them often but when i do i enjoy every minute of it. Double stuff all the way!

And last but definitely not least are my boys. They make me smile on a daily basis. I am so grateful to have these three handsome guys in my life. They are everything to me and i know they love me for exactly who i am.

Now off to have a great day..............

-Jaime

Neti Pot Review

2010-02-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

So i have felt pretty crappy for the last couple of weeks. I am finally starting to get rid of this junk but i wanted to share with you the story behind my discovery of this thing called the Neti Pot.
I started feeling that tickle in the back of my throat on Sunday night a couple of weeks ago
and i just hoped and prayed but, it came anyway.

I hardly slept a wink all night, i tried and tried but i am not a mouth breather, you know what i mean, i can't sleep with my mouth open, i try but it's always a no go. I took sudafed but still the sinus infection plagued my every hour. I got through the night and had a little bit better night the next night. I at least had one working nostril, i was very happy with that. I know too much information but stay with me here.

The next day while talking to my neighbor she told me about the Neti Pot. "What i said, you want me to smoke pot?" No she didn't tell me to smoke pot. She told me about this nifty yet so disgusting invention called the Neti Pot. It is supposed clear out your sinus, which i was all about.

So i tried it and it was definitely very strange and pretty gross if i am being totally honest but it did work pretty well. While it didn't totally cure my sinus infection it definitely helped. Google it to see how it works, i don't want to get too into the snotty details. Oh what i wouldn't have done to have one of these years ago. I had REALLY bad sinus infections at the beginning of both of my pregnancy's. One was so bad that it was putting so much pressure on my nasal passage that it was giving me a tooth ache, weird i know. I was calling 24hr dentists in the middle of the night because i was sure my tooth was about to explode. It didn't and i was sent home with a sinus infection to thank for a unnecessary dental bill.

Anyway my point is that no matter how gross and disgusted you are by this post and no matter how weird you think i am right now, some day you are going to have a horrible sinus infection and you are going to think of this post and start searching for a neti pot.

This second picture is really uncalled for but i laughed so hard when i saw it i nearly peed my pants so of course i had to include it. And yep that's exactly how it works.

Picking the right dog for your family and welcoming it into your home.

2010-02-17T08:00:00.004-06:00

I have been thinking about doing a post on this for quite a while. I am by no means a expert on picking the right dog or even being a pet owner but i do think i have a few tips to lend to those who are thinking about becoming a first time dog owner:

1. Spend time learning about different breeds of dogs. Picking one merly from the fact that they are cute or that they won the last dog show that you watched on Animal Planet may not be the best way to pick a breed that is right for your family.
In the March issue of Parents magazine they have a great article on picking the right dog for your family, check it out. Many dogs are great for families but awful for getting along with other pets you may already own. For instance i can never have a cat in this house as long as my oldest German Shorthair is alive. I would never trust her alone with a cat, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't end well for the cat. However many dogs will find a best friend in your cat.

2. Once you have decided on which breed is right for you it's time to decide weather you want to get a puppy(hell of a lot of work but worth it) or adopt from a shelter. If you have decided on the shelter adoption look in your area for shelters or possible rescues that have the kind of dogs you are looking for.

3. Make sure that you have the money to take care of your new dog now and for many years to come. While a dog is not too big of a expense it does cut into your budget monthly. Depending on which dog you choose will depend on how much they eat daily. For instance a huge bull mastiff will most likely eat more than a chiwawa. You also need to remember that your dog will need to make a yearly visit to the vet for shots and a check up, it's important and needs to be done.

4. Your dogs first night at home is a important one. If you let your dog sleep on your bed that first night chances are that's where it will be sleeping years later so be careful. State the boundaries right from the first second you bring your dog home, think about it and talk about it with the family before you go to pick up your new dog.

5. Which ever dog you end up choosing make sure that you have the time to devote to getting it use to your house, it's new surroundings and those it will interact with. We have always scheduled to pick up our puppies on a Thur or Friday so that the whole family has the weekend to devote to puppy care.If it is a puppy spend a lot of time playing with it and getting it use to it's new name. Sit in a circle with your family and put your puppy in the middle, take turns calling out it's name, praise it when it comes to each family member. With our last puppy my husband also took a couple days off work and spent a good long weekend on housebreaking. It worked wonders and after that long weekend our new puppy was well on her way to being completely house broken. It was amazing and she isn't the smartest one of the bunch.We also spend time working on the basic commands but we mostly focus on house breaking and leave the rest for when the puppy is a little older and able to focus better.

House Breaking your new puppy:

Every dog is going to learn at a different pace but a good rule of thumb is to take the puppy out to the grass or wherever you want it to do it's business about 20 min after it eats or drinks and many times in between. We always have a pocket full of treats and we go out (when i say we i mean my husband) with the puppy. When the puppy goes we praise the puppy and give her a treat and let her know we are very happy. When your new puppy goes potty in the house, and it will, don't rub it's nose in it. Take it over to where it went and firmly say "NO" and then immediately take it outside.Don't beat your puppy, they most likely will not know why you are doing this and you may end up confusing the dog and prolonging the house breaking process.

When we take our dogs out and want them to go potty we say "Go Toe Toe." That may sound funny but that's what my in-laws said to their dogs and that's where my husband got it so that's just what we say. But my point is to have a phrase or word to say to them so that they know what you expect out of them. Give them a few minutes and let them sniff around a bit if they need to.

Housebreaking is in most cases a hard road. But if you are persistent and really stick to it i think it drastically shorten this normally hard road for both dog and owners. My husband believes that positive reinforcement is the key to successful training in any area.

There are so many things to take into consideration when planning for your new family member. It's a important decision that the whole family should make together.
While a lot of days my two dogs drive me up the wall and i feel like i have 4 small children instead of 2, i never regret bringing them home with us. They really are two very important members of our family and we wouldn't be complete with out them. They boys love them and i know they love the boys. I had never been a dog person until i met my husband and he had us picking up our first dog the day we moved into our first house. My relationship with our first dog is very similar to the movie Marley and Me, one reason why me and my husband will NEVER watch that movie again, while it was a great movie, it really was so hard to watch, way too true to life and stirs up way too many tears for me.

The above picture as seen in the movie Marley and Me could have been taken in our basement with our oldest dog in place of Marley. She has eaten a total of two couches, one wedding veil, many socks, countless desserts stolen from the counter, too many stuffed animals to count and so many other things, i could really go on and on. But bottom line is that i love her and have really learned a lot from being her owner.

Our younger dog is a box of rocks but sweet as can be so we love her anyway. She has learned many habits, bad and good, from the older dog and they make quite a pair.

If you are getting ready to make a hairy addition to your family soon i hope you got something out of this post. Just know that your life is about to drastically change, give it time and you will soon realize that you couldn't imagine your life without that little,or big ball of fur.

Here they are...4 peas in a pod.They really do love each other.

-Jaime

Love at first cut

2010-02-16T08:00:00.005-06:00

I am in LOVE.....
I have really fallen hard for my new cricut machine. I have wanted one of these for a long time but could never manage to fork out the cash to take one home with me.....until last weekend!
Actually i got it on sale at Big Lots, it was a great deal. My closest store was out of them and i ended up having to drive to Missouri(it's actually not that far away) to find a store that still had a couple.
I am so glad that hubby agreed to take that little drive across the state line.
I have been playing with it for the last couple of days and i am now convinced that we can concur the world, just me and my Cricut.
All kidding aside this really is one cool little machine and i see a lot of kick A** scrapbook pages, greeting cards and school projects in my future.
Anyway i just had to let you all know and forewarn you that you may be seeing some Cricut related projects soon.

P.S. A big thank you to my In-Laws who made this purchase possible. Yes i may or may not have opened my birthday card w/$ a little early, but can ya blame me?

-Jaime

Chalkboard frame

2010-02-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Ok so as i have said in previous posts i have recently become friends with my local Goodwill. Only problem is that it's mostly a one sided friendship. I love to go and hope to find a gem that i can refurbish while on the other hand my local Goodwill has not given me much in return. I need to spread my wings and find more thrift stores and visit other Goodwills in neighboring cities. Mine is just not delivering. I am so wanting to find a great chunky sofa table to make my own.
Any who enough wining and on to the project that i did find to do. On one of my trips to Goodwill i found this picture frame, it's gorgeous right?......

OK so it was actually pretty hideous. But i saw small potential and really i was just itching to use some chalkboard spray paint that i had bought.
It was pretty gross and actually had sticks growing out of it...

But after a fresh coat of spray paint on the frame and some chalk board paint right over the glass, this is what i ended up with. Kinda cute i thought. And very useful for those important messages you want to get across to your special someone......

-Jaime

Happy Love Day

2010-02-14T15:06:00.004-06:00

Hope you are all having a wonderful Valentines Day. I am very blessed with a wonderful man in my life. He is the love of my life and most importantly my best friend. I also have two sweet boys who have shown me what true love really is. I would do anything for those pinchable cheeks of theirs. I hope you all have loads of love in your life because it really does make it all the better.
Here are some pictures of Lovey animals. I am a sucker for cute animals, especially mommy and baby ones.

-Jaime

From drab to fab - furniture refinishing

2010-02-11T08:00:00.006-06:00

Check out this before and after makeover at All Things Thrifty. I'm not sure that i would ever have the vision to know what a beauty this hunk of furniture would be. What's even cooler is the fact that they do so much of their painting with regular 'ole spray paint, they love spray paint! The ladies over there are amazing with a capital A. I keep searching my local Goodwill but it's just not cutting it. I never thought i would say this but i miss the D.I. in Utah. I will not stop until i find my amazing makeover piece. These ladies give me so much inspiration......

Before

And After, wow isn't it amazing!

Protect yourself from bag snatchers...

2010-02-10T09:30:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite pass times while i am hanging out on my lap top is to check out all the fun shops on Etsy. One shop that i came across the other night is Cherry Hill Designs. It has some really fun tags and labels. I love personalized labels on luggage. I have a couple of luggage tags and it really is easier to spot your suitcase and just grab it off the belt with full confidence that it is indeed your suitcase. On our last trip home from Utah at Christmas my hubby watched a guy in front of him grab our suitcase and put it beside him. It had tag on it so the hubster knew it was ours and was quick to point it out to the clueless bag snatcher. I always find it odd when people don't check the tag if it is a generic looking bag. This is another reason why i want a lovely set of purple luggage. Only problem with that is that the hub may resist toting it around for me. OK now that you all know my feeling on personalized luggage tags and if you are in the market for some cute ones or for other labeling needs check out this shop, it has lots of very useful stuff....

How cute are these notes....

New Look, love it, or hate it??

2010-02-09T15:31:00.003-06:00

So what are you all thinking about the new look. I was getting bored with the one i did so i tried to make it a bit more professional looking. I can not take the credit for that. I got the template from April Showers. Let me know what you think, please someone comment, even if you hate it. ~~I will just die~~ I will be sad if no one comments. And yes i realize that i only have 4 or 5 readers, including me and my mom, so this is probably putting a lot of pressure on you all. And yes i do know that i am a nerd.

SUDS

2010-02-09T07:00:00.005-06:00

So I've been going kind of crazy with the Valentine's Day crafts the last couple of weeks but i do love this holiday, not sure why, maybe it's the fact that my birthday shortly follows Love day, so all in all it's a great month to be me. I have been really wanting to try my hand at soap making. I got a soap making kit for Christmas and it's fun to make something that is also practical to use in everyday life. I told my hubby that i have a dream of opening a soap shop, ya know because i am now a expert at it since i have made a few bars, i would name it.....are you ready for this....."SUDS" A Soap Shop, and so much more. Not sure what the so much more part would be but it sounds like fun doesn't it?
Anyway here is my soap making tutorial....I googled soap making, since i google just about everything and i got some ideas here and there and came up with this idea.

Here is what you will need:

Glycerin soap ( i noticed when i got home that i had got Olive Oil but it worked just fine)
Soap Molds
Soap coloring
Measuring cup
Craft foam
Scissors
Spray bottle w/rubbing alcohol

I got just about all of these things at Michael's Craft store. If you have a coupon you can get the soap for 40 or 50% off. I of course could not wait until i got the Sunday coupons but hey that's my too bad. I will be going back with a coupon for more soap soon though.

This is about how much i use to make one bar of soap. One brick of soap should make 8 bars of soap.

1. Put your soap in the measuring cup and melt it in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds or until all liquid.

2. Add in the coloring and stir. I used one drop of red for this light pink color.

3. Fill mold about half way full, set reserved soap to the side.

4. If you see any air bubbles give the top of the liquid a spritz of the alcohol, it will get rid of those pesky bubbles.

5. Wait, this is the hardest part for me, i have the patients of a 3 yr old, no really! Wait about 10 minutes until the first layer is good and solid. While you are waiting cut your heart out of foam, or whatever shape you want. I used a cookie cutter as a guide to cut mine.

6. When the 10 min is up you will need to remelt your reserve soap, about 15 sec in the microwave is all it takes. When you take it out of the microwave there will be a film on the top that you will have to take out with your spoon and throw down the drain.

7. Spritz the hardened layer of soap with the alcohol again so that the second layer stays attached to the first layer.

8. Pour a little bit of soap onto hardened layer and then attach your heart you so lovingly cut out earlier. Now smooch it down, the drop of hot soap acts as a glue so the foam shape sticks.

9. Pour the rest of your liquid soap on top of the foam shape.

10. Again if you see any air bubbles give it a quick spritz of the alcohol.

11. Wait again. I would wait a good 24hrs to take it out of the mold.

And the finished product... i was so happy with how they turned out.

Boy #1 thought it was so cool. He is very into Batman right now so i found a Batman template on the web and he helped me make his very own bar the next day. He loves it and washed his hands for like 10 minutes, awesome huh, especially during cold and flu season.

There is so many options with this craft. You could cut almost any shape out of the craft foam.
I know there will be many more bars of soap made at my house in the future.

Melted Crayon Craft

2010-02-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Let me start off by telling you that my oldest son is addicted to infomercials, if you saw my Infomercials post you already know this, he gets it from his dad but I am usually the one dealing with it on a day to day basis. I often hear myself saying, "No, we really don't need that sweetie." At Christmas time the boy was really impressed with a commercial for this bad boy......

While I had to admit that it did look like one of the coolest things on the planet, not really but that's the kind of sentences that are used to describe things at my house, I knew that I had seen somewhere that you could make your own custom crayons at home in the oven. I then proceeded (2 months later) to turn to my best friend Google and this is what I got out of reading various instructions.

Here is what you will need:

Decorative pan or mold (you can also use a muffin tin with or without paper liners)

Crayons (don't get washable ones, they don't work as well)

Non stick spray

I got the heart pan and crayons at Wal-mart.

Next start unwrapping the little suckers. If you happen to have old broken crayon pieces already then you are a step ahead of me. My boys don't color too much and the little one is a chronic crayon eater, I know gross right? When we go out to eat at a restaurant where they have crayons and a kid's menu he always has a crayon or two for his appetizer. Yes I do try to stop him but he's one fast, sneaky little guy. At least none have got stuck up his nose yet.
I found the crayons easier to peel if you take a knife and cut a deep slit down the length of it, this is a parents job for sure. Then let the kiddos do the unwrapping.
I think the batman ring is required while doing this so hopefully you all have one...

Spray your pan or mold with a little bit of cooking spray so they will pop out of the molds easier. Break each crayon into about 5 pieces. It's best to group the crayons into similar colors, like reds, pinks, oranges and yellows and then blues, greens, purples, to avoid ending up with all the colors running together and making a big brown crayon.

Next pop them into the 350 degree oven for about 7-8 minutes or until they are all melted.

After they are fully melted take them out of the oven and let them set for a few minutes and then put them in the freezer to cool a bit faster. When they are set up they should pop out of the molds pretty easy. I am, by nature, a very impatient person and wanted to get them out asap to see their cuteness but take my advice and wait at least 10-15 minutes and they will be super easy to get out of the pan.

And the end result....pretty darn cute I think. I am sure we will be making these again with all different molds. Little gingerbread men at Christmas time would be adorable I think! If you do make these for Valentines favors you could include a note that says :

-Valentine, you color my world-

The little one approved of them and to my shock and disbelief didn't even try to eat one. Which brings me to another point, if you do give them to kids as a gift be sure to include a note that says they are crayons so the kids don't think they are a big cookie, although I'm pretty sure it would only take one bite to figure that out for themselves.

Happy crayon making!!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!

2010-02-07T14:06:00.002-06:00

I'm a guest over at Or So She Says... today, go check it out. I will be posting the post from over there on here tomorrow.

Super Bowl Snacks

2010-02-05T08:00:00.002-06:00

Is everyone ready for the big game on Sunday?? Well i honestly can't tell you who is playing but i can tell you what we will be snacking on! I actually do look forward to Super Bowl Sunday because i love the commercials. I do not however watch even one second of the game, i despise football with a passion. I hope and pray that my boys are involved in any and all sports aside from football. I find it a total snooze fest but hey I'm a girl and a girly girl at that. I commend you women that can sit back and watch the big game with the hub and actually know why he is yelling at the t.v but i am not that gal, nope, not at all.
So today i am going to share with you a couple of my favorite appetizer and sweet treats recipes:

Chex Mix (the gooey kind)
1 1/2 c. Karo syrup
1 c. Sugar
1 1/2 cubes of butter
Bring above ingredients to a boil, boil for 2 min.
Then turn off heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla.
Pour over :
1 box Rice Chex
1 box Golden Grahams
Optional add in's
- Almonds
-pretzels
-coconut
Stir and enjoy!

Avocado Dip

Peel 3 small or 1 lg and 1 small Avocado's
Mash up with fork or use food processor.
Add in
1/2 c. taco sauce
3 shakes of garlic salt
1Tb. lemon juice
Stir and enjoy.

We usually have Sub sandwiches or pizza for our meal and then just snack on chips, dips and something sweet as we watch the game, or the commercials in my case.

Happy Football/Commercial Watching!!

Food Battles

2010-02-04T09:20:00.005-06:00

So at my house i have two very different eaters. Boy #1 has 6, maybe 7 meals that are the only meals that he will EVER eat. Most of those meals have the word Cheese in the title. Then i have boy #2 who will eat almost anything that is placed in front of him, veggies included.
Now i do understand that kids go through different cycles of what they like to eat and how much they eat at any given time. Boy #2 is getting older he is realizing that i make a separate dinner for his brother. He starting to give us dirty looks when he realizes that big bro gets to eat chicken nuggets for dinner and he is stuck with whatever is on mom and dad's plate. So this brings us to what has been going on at our house up until Sunday night. Sunday the hubster decided that enough was enough and while we are still going to continue to make a separate dinner for boy #1, he was going to have at least one bite of whatever the rest of us were eating that night. I knew this was going to be a uphill battle and wow that first night it was, this is what i sat across the table from......

There were many, many tears shed that night and not tears over having to try something as out of the ordinary as broccoli.......

but these were tears shed over one tiny,tiny bite of a hot dog. I told you he was picky.....We told him that he had to eat a bite of hot dog before he could leave the table. It took him about 45 min to finally do it and then was so worked up when he went to swallow it that he made himself throw up. We ended up taking baths early and then it was off to bed. FAILURE!

Because of his picky, absolutely no vegetable diet i recently put him on the kids Juice Plus gummies. They are a full daily dose of fruits and vegetables. Since i have put him on these his(pardon my too much info here) poo poo problems have all but disappeared, it's wonderful and honestly a real answer to our prayers. My kids race each other when i tell them it's time for their Juice Plus.

On Monday night we had Lasagna and i could just feel a fight coming on. Me and the hub were ready, one of us more than the other but never the less we were ready to take the little man on. He wined and sat for quite a while saying that he was not eating it. We then gave him a choice between a noodle of Lasagna, a green bean, and a bite of corn. It was totally up to him. He seemed a bit calmer when he was given the choice to decide what his fate was to be.....

It took a while, not nearly as long as the previous night, but he ate the noodle and smiled and said that it tasted good. He then proceeded to jump and dance with joy because he had "DONE IT". It was a small victory for us all but it's the small ones that matter. The rest of the week i was met with a more willing 5 year old as long as he was given a couple choices, like last night he chose to eat a couple of pieces of lettuce very willingly, this was big people. Hopefully we are well on our way to trying new things with less and less whining along the way. If any of you have any tricks you use at home i would love to hear them.....
I am adding a link to Or So She Says HERE, there was a great guest post today about kids nutrition.

Mmmmm....doughnuts

2010-02-03T09:32:00.005-06:00

I made these yummy little morsels last night for dessert, they are dangerous but delicious. For the recipe head on over to Get Off Your Butt And Bake.

Valentine's Day Decor

2010-02-02T09:30:00.004-06:00

I have been trying to beef up my Valentines day decorations lately and i found the cutest Etsy shop to help me in that area. It's Ally's Attic and she makes darling stuff. I love to make crafts but let's face it, sometimes it's just easier to buy. Check out some of the Valentines decorations she has at her shop....

I love these little hearts and am currently kicking myself in the butt for not getting them.

These are the cute topiary's that came to me in the mail yesterday, i was so excited to get them on my shelf. Boy #1 was even a little jealous and asked why one of them couldn't go in his room. Sorry buster these are all mine:)

OK so i just realized while looking at this picture that my shelf is incredibly dusty, gross i agree. I am getting up to go clean it right now. Man this blog is really pointing out my flaws, not sure i am liking that. I also am realizing after looking at my pictures that i need a new camera and i am currently looking for the perfect one. So hang in there with me.

Chocolate Roses

2010-02-01T09:00:00.001-06:00

How about a fun Valentines craft to get you going on your Monday. I have made these a couple of times and every time i do i get great feedback on them. My father-in-law was so impressed when he saw them he told me that i should open up a stand on the side of the road and sell them. While i appreciated the comment you will not be seeing me out your car window any time soon.
So here is your Monday craft, isn't it so pretty.....

Here is what you will need: Red cellophane, Hershey's kisses, some fake flowers w/stems(i got this bunch at Wal-mart for $1.50), green florist tape and some scissors.

Fist take all the tops(fake flowers) off your stems and take all the leaves off too, they usually just pop off. Then cut out a square of red cellophane.

Next put two Hershy's kisses bottoms together and wrap the cellophane over them and gather it together at the bottom. Sorry about my ugly fingers in the picture, yes i am rather embarrassed by what years of doing hair has done to my hands.

Then you take one of the stems and stick it where the sun don't shine, just kidding, stick it up in the cellophane just behind the kisses a little. Then take the florist tape and start wrapping the tape around the bottom of the beautiful rose bud you just created. Keep on wrapping, pulling it taunt but not too tight or the tape will break. Keep wrapping until you've covered all your cellophane up and don't forget to grab one of the leaves you popped off and tape it back in by the rose bud.

And there you have it. This is the bouquet i made today. I am giving these out to Cody's Preschool teacher and the teachers aids in his class.

Take some "me" time!

2010-01-29T10:00:00.001-06:00

One thing that i really need to do more is take some "me" time. I'm sure that most of you out there would agree that time alone is something that is very rare for a mom. Once in a great while if it's been a impossible day i ask the hubster if i can disappear for a while. I usually sneak upstairs for a nice hot bubble bath in my wonderful jetted tub. I light a few candles and immerse myself in the watery goodness. I love the jets because it usually drowns out the wrestling matches that are going on one floor down.

I dream of one day mounting one of these puppies above my tub. I know a bit excessive you may think but i think it would be so cool to lay back in the tub, turn the jets on high and watch HGTV in peace.

Anyway what i am trying to get at is that us mom's should really take the time to get away once in a while, even if it is only behind your closed and locked bathroom door. I bet your husband or significant other would be more willing than you think to wrangle the kids alone for 30 min or so. It's really a wonder what a nice soak can do for your spirits. I have a sign hanging in my bathroom that i love, it says - A Good Hot Soak - What is good for the body is good for the soul. I couldn't agree more.

A great reason to travel...

2010-01-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to happen upon this great Etsy shop a while ago. Edie Castle Creations has some great quality products not to mention so stinkin cute. I have one of her travel jewelry cases and i can't tell you how much i love it. It has lots of compartments on the inside to hold rings or pendents and a large main area to put necklace's and bracelets.
I was pleasantly surprised by the craftsmanship in the piece that i own. My husband likes to poke fun at the fact that i love this travel jewelry case so much and i hardly ever travel. A girl can dream of traveling the world can't she? I actually keep most of my jewelry in it even when it's parked here at home, yes i like it that much.
Anyway if your in the market check out her shop, it's fab.

I absolutely love this fabric...

HGTV's Dream Home 2010

2010-01-27T13:39:00.000-06:00

OK so i am pretty certain that i am going to win this year's HGTV Dream Home. I have tried to remember to enter every day since the drawing opened. So here is my question to all you out there......What would you do with the house if you won? Would you pack up your life and move into this beautifully decorated, highly sought after dream home or would you immediately try to sell it? I wonder if they have some rule about that or a special realtor that you need to go through?
So what would i do you ask.......Hummm, well first i would probably have a panic attack and call everyone that i know and then i think i would keep it for a while and use it as a vacation home, but come to think of it i am not sure i would want my two extremely messy children hanging out there prior to putting it up for sale. OK yes i do have other things to do than sit around and wonder what i would do with this dream home if i won it but i choose to continue to wonder......

Trying to channel my inner Martha

2010-01-24T22:28:00.000-06:00

I have really been wanting to channel my inner Martha Stewart lately. I thought i would start small. We are redoing boy #1's bedroom into a outdoors theme and i have been having a hard time finding cute decor for a good price. I found a few things while on a recent trip to Hobby Lobby and thought i would give it a whirl.

I started with a simple wood frame, some camo scrapbook paper, a wood bear cutout and some modge podge. I cut the paper to size and modge podged away.... while the frame was drying i painted the little bear. When it was dry i sanded the edges a little.

Here is the finished product. Not to shabby for $2.50. Like i said this was like a 10 min project but once again i am starting simple and have bigger projects floating around in my head, for example, scroll down......

One of my favorite blogs that i have been engrossed with lately is All Things Thrifty. They have some amazing ideas and some awesome projects that they have done, it's really got my creative juices flowing. I have big plans to go rummage through my local Good Will and see what i find. This project below is so fun.... this is the before

And after, oh how pretty!

This one is my fav. She was lucky enough to have this beautiful piece given to her and with just a good idea, some glaze and paint it went from this.....

To this.....ahhhhhh i love it! I have dreams of creating a beautiful piece like this and i will be sure to give you all the play by play when that day comes.

Getting it done

2010-01-24T16:50:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday everyone(yeah right, huh)I had a great weekend full of family fun and organization. Yes i conquered the cabinets and i am proud to report that i am now a better person for having done it. I feel refreshed and ready to tackle another project as you'll see below. OK here are the horrible pictures once again to remind you of the utter chaos that was lurking behind closed doors.

Left side cabinet before

Right side before

Left side after, ahh now there's room to grow, that's actually exactly what i am afraid of :[

Right side after. I can finally get to my Kitchen aid without causing any harm to myself from falling objects.

Now to tackle the dreaded drawers....any of you have A junk drawer? I have 4. Here are drawers 1 and 2...

Drawers 3 and 4. Stay tuned for the drawers big reveal. I actually clean these drawers out quite a bit, but somehow they get back to this point eventually. I am going to blame it on the four little hands that frequent them often and for no good reason. I am tempted to get some child locks for these puppies. We'll see...

Must Organize!!

2010-01-22T09:46:00.000-06:00

On a good day the pictures below represent what my house looks like. I like to keep things neat and tidy. When the house is a mess i feel out of sorts and a bit frantic. Keeping it looking this way however is next to impossible with the two small tornadoes that i live with. I'm kind of funny in the way that i clean though, if i can't see it it's not there, that tends to be my train of thought. That is one reason why my main level is usually cleaner than my upstairs, i spend most of my time on the main level so that's what i see the most. Because of this train of thought i often loose things, important papers or the latest is my diamond necklace, yes i am sick about that one. I tend to open a drawer or cabinet and gently stuff or push until i can close said drawer or cabinet and poof it's all but gone. This technique has worked for me for the most part for the last couple of years. Maybe not so well for my husband who continually asks where that magazine he was just reading went or where in the world the super glue is. Lately however my dirty little secrete has been nagging on me more and more. I have started to think about it after the cabinet gets closed and i have become increasingly embarrassed when opening it while a friend or neighbor is over, yes a few select neighbors have watched in horror as i try to find a phone book to use as a booster when they bring there kids over for haircuts. I am hoping this post gives me the incentive that i need to get this section of my life organized for good.
Here is a look into what i like the house to look like at any given time......

Don't mind the eye sore of a space heater, hopefully that will get put away very soon.

This kitchen is what sold me on the house, it has so many cabinets, too many....
Early last fall we took off a breakfast bar, had granite counter tops installed and got a new tile back splash making a already fab kitchen a bit more fab, i really do love it.

And here is the row of cabinets that really i could do without, my junk says otherwise but really it has just become a dumping place for everything i don't know what to do with. It looks innocent enough from the outside right......

Here is the left side ....

And here is the right side....I know horrible huh! Well not for much longer. Where there is a will there is a way. I am now off to get started and hun if you are reading this i have one question for you......Wanna help?:)

Give me the weekend and you will, oh yes you will get your after pictures.........I know the suspense is going to kill you right?!

-Jaime

My infomercial review

2010-01-21T09:56:00.000-06:00

Today i am here to talk to you all about a very serious subject.....dramatic pause....Infomercials, yes it is a serious topic around this house. My husband is strangely intrigued by all, yes all things infomercial. Throughout the years we have purchased a few select items of the infomercial variety. My husband once told me that if he won the lottery or had massive amounts of extra money he would purchase every infomercial item he could get his hands on. This scared me a little but gave me better in site into how much he really likes this silly stuff. He has also brought my five year old son into this infomercial world of his and the baby is soon to follow i am sure.
Well i am here today to share my knowledge or in some cases, my lack of knowledge on certain popular infomercials out on the market right now.....
First up we have in my opinion the best product on the market right now, yeah you heard it right, i have totally bought into all the perfectness that this one has to offer. There are others out there that have the word "Perfect" in it's description and that is far from the truth but not this one, it truly is "The Perfect Brownie Pan." I'm not joking my friends, i will never bake brownies again with out this little gem. You know how you usually have to wait until the brownies cool off a bit to even think about cutting them. Then if you don't wait long enough, who can, the knife sticks to the brownies and you end up with a crumbly mess. Well no more. Right out of the oven these puppies are pre-cut and ready to burn your mouth right away. I will be using this for years to come, maybe not as much as i would like because as i stated in my last post i am on my quest to become a bit healthier. Anyway this one gets a A in my book...

Next we have the Topsy Turvy.I got one of these for Easter last year, what a thoughtful Easter bunny huh? I was very hopeful that this would be the fool proof way to grow some delicious tomatos all season long and wasn't too disappointed. I did make the mistake of planing a bigger tomato plant right underneath where i hung the topsy turvy and they kind of grew into each other and i believe interfered with the sucessfulness of it's growing powers. I did get quite a few yummy tomatoes off of it before the plant underneath it overtook it. So tip one if you get this is to make sure it has all the room to grow that it needs. Tip two is one that i was given from a previous topsy turvy owner, cherry tomatoes usually work better in this than say a beefsteak tomato would.
The Topsy Turvy gets a C+ from me

Next up we have the Big Top Cupcake. This one i purchased for my hubby for his birthday in November. His actual words to me were "I don't want a birthday cake unless it is a big top cupcake." So really what choice did i have? I have to say that i enjoyed making and decorating this fun little, i mean big, product. It really is 25X bigger than your average cupcake as you can tell by our in-home picture. Yes we made sure to make normal size cupcake just to compare the sizes in the two, i know we are dorks, you know you're thinking it. The main flaw lies in the bigness of the top of this baby. After you take a couple of pieces out of it the cake really becomes top heavy and falls over. It's sad to see the cute thing you just took the time decorating fall over but i guess it eats just the same.
The Big Top Cupcake gets a B- from me.

Next we have the first infomercial product that me and the hubster ever purchased and the reason that i never wanted to purchase another infomercial product ever again after that. I am not even sure if this is still on the market but i did find it on Amazon so i guess it is still out there. It was horrible. It worked nothing like it promised. It was the reason why we were a bit Leary of the Perfect Brownie Pan, that promise of perfectness worried us for good reason. After we tried this pancake product we were left with a batter mess and a broken dream.
The Perfect Pancake maker gets a F from me.

Now we come to some that i have not purchased and do not plan on purchasing. This next one is on the five year old's list of infomercial wants, not sure why but he is just positive that the Touch N Brush would be a little piece of heaven on earth.

And lastly we have a product that nearly gave me hives when i first saw the commercial. Bumpits, oh Bumpits. OK people it's called backcombing, learn how to do it!! Myself being of the big hair variety would know little about wanting and needing volume so much that you will put a plastic device in your hair that i swear would have to slide all around. Oh my gosh i just realized something, Bumpits is the breast implant of the hair. Well i don't need breast implants either so back to why i think bumpits is ridiculous.....if you need a lesson in backcombing just call me e-mail me whatever and i will help in whatever way i can. Ask your stylist to recommend a good volumizer and then backcomb away, no bumpits required.

Hopefully this infomercial review will help any of you out there who have ever wondered if any of these products are worth the money. I know i have wondered and will continue to wonder about many more products than i talked about today.
Happy Infomercialing!!(Yes i am aware that's not a real word)

-Jaime