An Unconventional June

Phone Charging Station

2015-02-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

After we tiled our backsplash, I decided to add a phone charging station. The main reason I wanted a charging station was to hide the electrical outlet. Yup, I'm the crazy lady who hates electrical outlet. While I couldn't convince my husband to cover up even ONE of the eight outlets we have in the kitchen (I do believe 50% of my entire house's outlets are in the kitchen - thanks home builder), I did convince him to create a phone charging station. He completed the task in less than 30 minutes.

Oh, and I swear it charges the phones and iPads super duper fast. Waaaaaay faster, it seems, than just the electrical outlet.

Step 1: Find a pre-built wooden office organizer.

Step 2: Drill holes into the bottom - large enough to fit your cords through.

Step 3: Buy a USB outlet from Home Depot or Lowe's.

Step 4: Replace the outlet.

Step 5: Insert all of your devices. Keep the cords in one place.

Okay, so the outlets aren't exactly covered, but your eye IS distracted by the charging station.

Have a Colorful Valentine's Day!

2015-02-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here are Sweetpea's Valentine day treats for her school friends! The inspiration came from this website…. super cute, right? Guess what??? Super easy and relatively cheap. The total cost of this project for her 20 sweet little friends = $20.00.

I Tried It…. Shrink Wrap a Christmas Tree {Success}

2014-12-28T17:54:00.002-07:00

Recently, I was inspired via Pinterest - specifically this blog - to shrink wrap my Christmas tree.

The steps are easy...

Shrink Wrap a Christmas Tree

Step One: Buy plastic wrap and wrap your tree. Saran Wrap works or you can buy the plastic wrap wand from Home Depot or Lowe's. After using the wand, I can't imagine I would prefer good old Saran Wrap for this task.

Step Two: Remove all decorations, except for the lights. I saved a whole $50 not getting the pre-lit fake tree. Big mistake. A pre-lit tree is worth the extra $50 and I have been reminded of it for the past 3 years. Please, if you have this option - BUY PRE-LIT.

Step Three: On to wrapping. Hold up the branches and wrap tree. We lifted every other branch and wrapped ourselves down the tree.

Until next year Mr. Mummified Christmas Tree!

Baby Shower Quilted Keepsake

2014-12-14T18:36:00.002-07:00

Four (very short) years ago, the shower for my baby girl was held. I remember trying to figure out exactly what craft to do at the shower. I absolutely wanted something crafty, but I also wanted a valued keepsake for my daughter to treasure. ZERO offense to all the crafty onesie baby showers that occur…. and ZERO offense to those that attend those showers and create the ugliest onesie known to man… creating onesies are fun, but I don’t think they make a valued keepsake.

My stepmom – the Martha Stewart of our family – came up with a fantastic idea! My baby shower guests would each design a quilt block with a quote and a flower. To help keep quality assurance, flower “parts” and quilt squares were prepared ahead of time. All the guests had to do was design their flower using the flower parts – iron the flower in place and then write their quote using fine-tipped fabric markers.

The results were creative and beautiful!!

Baby Shower Quilted Keepsake

Colorful Fabric for Flowers

Muslin

Heat n' Bond

Freezer Paper

Flower Templates (Google Pictures of Flowers)

Iron

Fine-Tipped Fabric Markers

Fantastic Quilter!

Step 1: Find the fabrics to create your flowers. Fat-quarters or the fabric sample packs in the quilting section work fabulously for this project.

Step 2: If you aren’t using the sample pack of fabrics, then cut your fabric into squares – around 6” x 6” would work well. Remember, you are going to cut designs out of this fabric – the square is just to get it to a manageable size.

Step 3: Iron on the Heat n' Bond.

Step 4: Using muslin, cut out lots of 12” x 12” squares.

Step 5: Iron on freezer paper to the back of the squares. This just makes them more manageable for the baby shower guests and for storage / mailing purposes.

Step 4: Using pictures of flowers as a template (Google: Flower Templates), cut out petals, flowers, leaves and stems. Make sure they will fit on a 12” x 12” quilt square!!

Now you are ready to have your baby shower guests create quilt squares!!!

Step 1: Have each guest create a flower on a square – have them leave about ¼ inch on all sides of the design. Once they are happy with their flower, iron it to the square.

Step 2: After flower is securely ironed on the square. Each guest should write their quote and sign their name.

Step 3: Magic happens! Okay, not really – it is more like “stepmom magic quilting” happens. If you are a quilter, then fantastic – sew together and quilt away. If not, find yourself a fantastic quilter to finish the project for you.

The finished project is a quilt filled with quotes for my daughter. It was designed and handcrafted by her grandmothers and mother as well as many other women in her life. A true keepsake that I hope she values for many years.

Preschool Introduction Book

2014-01-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Because life never stands still, Sweetpea is starting a new school soon. We are ALL very excited and had so much fun over the past few weeks picking out a new backpack, lunch box, etc. The only downside is she is starting her new school in the middle of the year and will be the "new girl". To help introduce her to the new class, I designed an "introductory" picture book for the teacher to read during her first day.

To create the book, I used Walgreen's online photo lab. The online design tool was VERY SIMPLE to use; no craft skills needed. You upload pictures, select the look and feel of your book, select a theme (e.g. tropical, baby girl, etc.) and then you design. Design is a strong word. You are really just clicking and dragging things around.

My design was, again, simple. I selected solid backgrounds. The left page layout contained only photos and no text. The right page layout contained only text. I kept it consistent throughout the book because I wanted it to read like a picture book and not a scrap book. The total price was $22, with an online coupon. The quality is pretty decent as well…. let's say it works in a pinch. If you had more time and money, I've had wonderful results with Shutterfly books. Note: If you use Walgreens, your book must contain at least 20 pages.

These are not all the pages in the book, I just wanted to share a sample. My goal was to engage the class while the teacher reads the book. When she reads, "Do you like to swim?", I am hopeful hands will raise and Sweetpea will soon understand that friends will be easily made at her new school.

Valentine's Ribbon Wreath

2014-01-22T20:50:00.003-07:00

It's not very often I have time to myself. I seriously relate to the mom quote "a vacation is peeing alone"because boy does it fit my life! And when I do get some time to myself, I usually end up doing really fun things such as fold laundry, clean house, meal plan, etc. This is my life and I love it, but time to craft and blog…. not usually something I get around to doing. But in the last three weeks, I've had enough alone time to create a new wreath. A wreath which only really takes an hour to create….

I chose this craft because it was simple and something I could easily pick up/put down when I am called off to do another task. The wreath turned out super cute and cost less than $20 to make. And I am a BIG fan of cheap, fast and easy.

Valentine's Ribbon Wreath

Supplies:

10" Wreath (be warned - do not remove the plastic wrapping!)

5 Spools of Ribbon (more if you want!!)

Straight Pins

Thimble

Scissors

Ruler

Step 1: Cut the ribbon into 4" strips. If you have a mat like mine, then lay out your ribbon and cut every 4" to save yourself time. I only mention this "common sense" tip because the light bulb went off a little too late in my cutting project. Sigh.

Step 2: Make a loop and pin into the wreath. Each loop takes two straight pins. Be sure to utilize your thimble so you thumbs don't hate you later! Many ribbon wreath tutorials will have you glue the loops together before pinning them to the wreath. Since I am always strapped for time, I skipped this step and didn't experience any problems.

Step 3: Continue making loops and pinning using all the different ribbon types. Pin the ribbon loops very close to one another to avoid gaps. Squish them together and pin them in all different directions. It is a craft project and the goal is to make the loops look randomly placed.

Step 4: Loop a large ribbon and pin to the back of your wreath to create the hook. I used six pins to hold the ribbon on!!

Teaching Toddlers Shapes, Letters and Numbers

2013-02-28T19:23:00.002-07:00

My favorite piece of parenting is watching my daughter learn. It gives me such joy to see her understand something for the first time! I’ve always heard that toddlers learn so fast, but I’ve never really witnessed it until Sweet Pea came along… and it is truly amazing!

Several months ago, Sweet Pea started learning her shapes. We started simple with a circle, square, triangle, star and heart. When she was in the mood, I’d grab her flash cards and we would go through a few of them. But I wanted to challenge her a bit more… and give her an opportunity to follow simple directions.

Using Microsoft Word, I created these simple worksheets for her. The concept is simple, create a table with 6 columns and 5 rows – increase your font to about 72 and type in whatever you are trying to learn or reinforce. For the basic shapes, you will use the Insert and Symbol function and search for the square, etc. I also created worksheets to reinforce her alphabet and number knowledge.

For starters, let me disclose that my daughter loves this kind-of thing. Guess she has her mama’s nerdy streak – LOL! Your child might hate it and that is okay. At the end of the day, whatever method works for you and your kid – go for it!

Now, this example is of us reinforcing her knowledge of numbers. I gave Sweet Pea the worksheet and asked her to color all the number 1's pink. She had to find her pink crayon and then she had to find all of her number 1's. After she colored the last number, she had to count how many she found. In all of 5 minutes, we practiced our numbers, colors, following direction and counting.

I then told her to COLOR CRAZY… and color crazy she did!

For shapes, we had to upgrade Sweet Pea’s from the basic to the advanced (diamonds, trapezoids, pentagons, hexagons…. To create these, you will need to use Word's Insert and Shape feature and then "draw" them in your squares. Only draw each shape once... much easier to just copy and paste it into other squares!!

Learning + Fun = WIN

Valentine Day S'mores

2013-02-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had a strange urge to make heart-shaped s'mores... so I hit the web, researching home-made graham crackers. My goal was to find a recipe that used the ingredients that I already had at home. I found this recipe from Annie's Eats.

My crackers were actually crack-a-lackin {yes, yes I did just say that}... they were more like a cracker-cookie. This is mainly because I rolled my dough out a little too thick. However, they tasted truly fantastic and I liked the softer cracker-cookie - it made the s'more just slightly less messy.

Cut my heart out.

Too thick.

After you have followed the recipe for home-made graham crackers, then you need to assemble and bake your s'more. While baking a s'more indoors isn't nearly as fun as a campfire, it does get the job done.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2: Lay a graham cracker face down and place your marshmallows on top. Indoor s'more making might be the only reason for those strange flat marshmallows!!

Step 3: Bake for 3-5 minutes - until your marshmallow gets a little puffy and brown.

Step 4: Place your chocolate on the marshmallow and top with another graham cracker.

Cute.

Step 5: Squish it together and let the warm marshmallow melt the chocolate - MY marshmallow wasn't quite done {because I got impatient}, so I popped it in the microwave for 5 seconds. That did the trick!

S'more Amore!!!!

These graham cracker-cookies are also great dipped in chocolate and decorated! The hubs LOVED these with a tall glass of milk.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Paint It Black

2012-09-27T11:47:00.001-06:00

"I wanna see it painted black, painted black

Black as night, black as coal"

Paint It Black, Rolling Stones

My decision to paint my interior doors was an easy one and it was based on 4 main factors:

I hate anything builder basic. Even when you spend money at the design center, you still end up with a house that looks like everyone else's....and NOTHING like those cool pictures on Houzz. I have the same issues with cookie-cutter landscaping, but that is a whole 'nother blog posting.

I have touches of black all around my house. A picture frame here, a knob there, etc., I felt like I needed a way to ties these items together.

I saw THIS POST and fell in love. Scroll down until you see the black door.

I am a huge sucker for all things tan and black. Love, love, love.

Once my decision was made, I got started right away. You see, if I don’t immediately work on a project, my mind will chew on it at the most fun times {oh…2:00 AM to 5:00 AM}. Trust me, I don’t need more reasons to not sleep. Does anyone else get insomnia from home décor, or is it just me?? I was kind-of hoping to find a support group on this subject….

Here are two techniques that one can use to paint their doors:

(1) Removal of Door. Honestly, painting it while it was lying down was not worth the effort of the removal and reinstall. Plus, you miss painting it in its room, under its specific lighting conditions. This method took LOTS of time and four coats of paint, plus extra touch-ups once it was back on the hinges.

(2) Door on Hinges. This method takes three coats, but doesn’t take too much total time – maybe 3 hours (INCLUDING dry time).

Guess which method I used for the majority of my doors?? I'll give you two tries....

Painting Your Interior Doors Black

Supplies

Black paint, satin finish. I used "Broadway" Behr paint with primer added.

Small roller

Paint Brush

Thin Cardboard

Painters Tape

Step 1: Clean your door. I used the Lysol wipes for this task.

Step 2: Tape off the handle, lock, hinges, etc. However, if you get some paint on the metal, it scrapes off super easily with your fingernail.

Before = Boring

Step 3: Paint everything you can with the small roller. I used a magazine (or thin cardboard) to place in the space between the door and the moulding.

1st Coat with Roller

Step 4: With your paint brush, paint any area that you missed with the roller. Important: Look for any drips and wipe them up... drips will ruin the finished look.

1st Coat Finished!

Step 5: Let this first coat dry for approximately 15-30 minutes. I live in a dry climate, so it only took 15 minutes.

Step 6: Repeat steps 3 and 4.

Step 7: Let this coat dry for about an hour or longer.

Step 8: At this time, you have to retire your roller. I'm sorry, but the last coat MUST be completed entirely with your paint brush. You can try it, but I guarantee you will regret it.

All Three Coats -- Dry Time!

Step 9: Let it dry.

Step 10: Remove the tape and touch-up where necessary.

A GREAT tip: Keeping your moist {hate that word} paint brush and roller wrapped in foil will allow you to avoid washing your brushes/roller out between doors.

{Gag-Me-Grape} Kool-aid Play Dough

2012-08-06T19:28:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago, Sweetpea and I decided to have some fun in the kitchen. She, to my knowledge, has never had the pleasure of playing with play dough. I know what you are thinking... but I am NOT a terrible mama. You see, my little darling LOVES to eat, chew, naw on everything she possible can. As such, I delayed buying any play dough simply because I really didn't want to have her eat it as her afternoon snack! But after finding a recipe for kool-aid play dough, I figured we would give it a try. Guess what, she DIDN'T eat it. And honestly, I don't blame her. REAL play dough has a more appetizing smell than the gag-me-grape play dough I made. If you make your own play dough, please use a pleasing scent {strawberry is always nice}.

Gag-Me-Grape Play Dough

1 cup flour

1 pkg Unsweetened, kool-aid

1/2 cup salt

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup boiling water

Step 1: Mix the flour, salt, oil and kool-aid together in large bowl.

Step 2: Add a cup of boiling water to the mix. Mix well.

It smells worse than it looks.

Step 3: After mixed and cooled a bit, plop it out of the bowl and knead it into a large ball. I would like to state, at this point in time, my kitchen, my counter, my hands -- all smell like gag me grape.

LOOKS just about right.

Step 4: This makes a LARGE batch. SUPER LARGE batch. So, put some in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for future fun. Then hand over a small hunk to the kiddos for fun!!

See those sweet little hand prints!

Yes, paci stayed in. I didn't want to take any chances.

Oh boy! Smashing, squishing, fun!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream featuring Dark Chocolate Chips

2012-07-25T10:42:00.001-06:00

Not so long ago, I was known as "plain vanilla". I LOVED just regular, old, plain vanilla ice cream. If I was feeling particularly daring, I might add chocolate syrup or sprinkles. However, that has now changed! A few weeks ago, my husband and I purchased an ice cream maker -- nothing special, I think it cost a whole whopping $24.00 at Target. The key (for me) was getting an ice cream maker that used ice and rock salt -- not the kind that you stick in the freezer for hours at a time. Let's face it, when I want something, I generally want it NOW -- not 24 hours from now. In our new ice cream maker, I tried out The Pioneer Woman's "Blackberry Chip Ice Cream" and it was delicious!!!! This coming from plain vanilla and blackberries are not my favorite berry! After that, my tastebuds revolted and demand we try different flavors of ice cream, so we tried Strawberry and Dark Chocolate Chip next.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream, with Dark Chocolate Chips

2 pints fresh strawberries

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

5 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

bag of dark chocolate or a big bar of dark chocolate

Step 1: Combine the strawberries and 1/4 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until the strawberries break down a little and get syrupy.

Step 2: Place strawberries into food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Step 3: Add half-and-half and sugar to saucepan over medium heat. While heating, place 5 egg yolks into separate container and wisk a bit. Splash in some of the warm half-and-half to eggs. The pour eggs over the half-and-half and cook until thick (5 mins). Stir constantly and do not overcook!

Step 4: In a new bowl, add the strawberries and heavy cream. Then pour over the half-and-half/egg mixture. Mix well.

Step 5: Add mixture to your ice cream maker and follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

Step 6: After ice cream has been made, pour in a bag of dark chocolate chips or a chopped bar of dark chocolate. Stir.

Step 7: Freeze until hardened.

Motor Skill Development

2012-05-12T10:09:00.000-06:00

For about six months now, Sweetpea has been effectively dropping clothespins into a jar. And she still gets a kick out of it. When she gets them all in, she claps and brings the jar over to me to dump out so she can start over again. This keeps her happily occupied for about 10-15 minutes! A toddler miracle!

I could do this all day long.

And gone. NEXT!

I've been noticing a lot of super fun crafts on Pinterest dedicated to toddler motor skill development, however, my daughter is still in the "let's see how it tastes" phase. Just last week she flipped out when I took a piece of chalk away from her. You see, she wanted to eat it. She pouted for 2-3 minutes and then attempted to climb the entertainment center to get back her tasty chalk. She was a determined little girl. I don't get it -- eating a carrot is far too disgusting, but chalk.... yummy, yummy? Anyway, many of the fantastic Pinterest ideas include items that could easily be eaten by Sweetpea -- therefore, they are a no-go at this time.

Then, I had an idea..... actually, going through our junk gave me an idea.

Andrew and I have been slowly purging our house of junk. My husband, bless his heart, despises going through things and deciding if they are to be kept or thrown away, so he keeps everything. The result of his unintentional hoarding, is about 40 expired credit cards, reward cards, gym membership cards, blockbuster cards, old hotel key cards, blank gift cards, etc.

The "grand" idea {yes, I'm sure it isn't original}....

Credit cards are hard to swallow and we have tons of them -- all in different colors. I have empty shoe boxes and craft paper for scrapbooking in which I will never actually use for scrapbooking purposes. Plus Mod Podge. I love ~~the smell of~~ Mod Podge. All those items equal a new motor skill toy for Sweetpea. And she loves it!

Not perfect, but who cares?!

Almost.....

Got it!

And GONE!

Sweet Monday

2012-04-30T21:20:00.000-06:00

What makes Mondays sweet? SUGAR, of course...

My morning started out with a nice, tall glass of iced coffee. I found the recipe on the Pioneer Woman's blog, tried it and LOVED it. The recipe calls for sweetened condensed cream - SINFUL, I know. The result was a sugary jolt of caffeine which hasn't really worn off {14 hours later!!}. But seriously, if you like iced coffee and want to save yourself a trip to Starbucks, Google the recipe!

BECAUSE, I have too much sugar running through my veins, I decided to make MORE sugary treats. This time in the form of a peanut butter chocolate covered pretzel sandwich thingy, which All Things Delicious titles "Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches". Click here to try out the recipe.

Yummy, yummy {as Sweetpea would say}.

...now I'm off to attempt sleep. Ambien, anyone???

Rainbow Cookie Sandwiches

2012-03-11T12:10:00.002-06:00

I've been seeing a lot of rainbow inspired treats on Pinterest lately and they inspired me to bake my own {super easy} rainbow creation – rainbow inspired cookies for St. Patrick’s Day!!

These are the easiest cookies ever, so adding the extra steps to dye them different colors really is not a headache. This is coming from one of the most impatient crafters in the world. I need instant gratification!

Rainbow Cookie Sandwiches

1 Box White Cake Mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

Food Coloring

Frosting

Step 1: Create the cookie dough. Mix the cake mix, ¼ cup of vegetable oil and 2 eggs together.

Step 2: Grab six bowls and separate the dough by six. This is roughly 3 tablespoons per bowl. Yes, I do know the rainbow has seven colors, but the dough just didn’t stretch that far.

Step 3: Color your dough. For the non-mixed colors, I used about 10 drops of food coloring and it worked well. I’m no mixologist – but my tip for orange and purple is to start with the “lighter” color and then slowly add the darker to the mix.

Step 4: Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for around 30 mins.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 6: Spray your cookie sheet with Pam and then flour them. Unless you have Parchment -- that is way easier and cleaner!

Step 7: Roll teaspoon portions into little balls and bake for 7 minutes. Let them rest for about one minute after you take them from the oven and then place them on a cooling rack. Repeat for all colors.

While I was rolling and baking, Nora helped clean out a kitchen drawer. Whatever would I do without a super helpful little girl?!?!

Step 8: Put a little frosting on a cookie and then place another one on top. You want the frosting to gush a little, but not too much. My tip is to start with a little frosting and add more as needed.

You will end up with the perfect amount of cookies for a family of four. Which is great… never a good idea to have TOO MANY cookies around the house!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

Sanity Savers for the Working Mama

2012-03-05T20:58:00.002-07:00

Being a mama is HARD WORK! When you add a “9-5” job to the mix, the juggling act {with flaming swords} begins! It can be super challenging and you can feel like you are constantly running around without a moment to sit down and rest, however, if you take some time to get organized, then things become a lot easier –almost {almost} seamless. These five “sanity savers” have helped me focus my time on my family.

Polyvore your closet!!!!

My mom use to make us kids layout our outfits the night before school to avoid the morning panic. It definitely helped. So when I started back to work I figured I needed to do the same thing – except on a weekly basis. My Sunday goal is to spend 30 minutes to find 5 clean outfits for the workweek. I pick out my outfit, coordinating accessories and shoes and put them all together in my closet. Actually, it’s a lot of fun and you’ll quickly discover new outfits within your closet, or you might even justify buying a new accessory or black blazer (e.g. a black blazer could accompany at least 10 different outfits in my closet).

Don't judge me -- I have ZERO style!

Monthly menu planning.

I know, I know, I know… I talk frequently about monthly menu planning. But I can’t help it, I’m a believer. It takes a lot of stress off me just knowing what I am going to make for dinner. If monthly planning is too daunting, go weekly – then shoot for two weeks at a time, etc.

Invest in products that make you glow.

Okay, I don’t glow. But the following three items prevent me from looking like a zombie with a meth problem. I can’t speak enough about Philosophy’s Booster C Powder – it really worked to brighten my dull, very tired skin. If you have dull skin, this product will work wonders! Also, for my red, tired eyes, Visine saves the day. My point is that you need to invest some time and money into finding something that makes you look good, therefore making you feel good!

It's like heaven on my face.

Hire a cleaning company.

If you think about it, there are very few things in life that you can actually outsource – cleaning is one of them. The average cleaning company will charge between $80-$120 per cleaning…and it is worth every penny. I now don’t have to spend my weekends deep cleaning the bathroom…instead; I put that time towards my family and that is the goal.

Frequently do laundry.

I use to get around to doing laundry on the weekends and it would take a good chunk of the day to wash, dry, fold and put away. Again, I don’t want to spend time away from my family doing chores! So, as much as I hate it, I do laundry frequently – folding the clothes as I take them from the dryer. I can handle 15 mins of laundry every other day; I cannot handle 15 loads of laundry every weekend.

What tips and tricks do you have for a busy mom? What has made your life easier? What products make you look like you've slept 8 hours {or even 4 hours}?

Toddler ‘Masterpiece’

2012-02-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Normally, I am not a big fan of abstract, but when my 14-month old creates abstract art I love, love, LOVE it! Just look at her beautiful masterpiece {remember, art is in the eye of the beholder}!! The best part of this project is that it is mess-free for your toddler…not so much for the mama.

Toddler ‘Masterpiece’

Freezer bag

8 x 10 flat canvas

Acrylic paint – be sure to get a “pop” color

8 x 10 frame

Step 1: Squirt on generous amounts of paint onto the canvas. At the end, I wished I had added more of the pink for my “pop” color and less dark colors – so don’t make my same mistake!

Step 2: Carefully place canvas into the freezer bag and seal the bag.

Step 3: Pass it over to your anxious toddler and let her mush and push the paint around. Nora added a couple of pats and shook it around a little bit before she was done with it.

Step 4: Take a look at the artwork and help your toddler out by pushing the paint around to cover any bare edges.

Step 5: Cut the freezer bag away from the canvas {this is the messy mama part}. Note: do not attempt to slide it out – this will result in the paint scraping off!

Step 6: Let it dry, until it’s dry.

Step 7: Add a coat of Mod Podge and let that dry.

Step 8: Frame and display!

Mini King Cakes

2012-02-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

It’s snowing like CRAZY in Colorado. We have about 2 feet of snow on the ground… and it's still coming down. Its funny to me since this is the day I decided to put up my Mardi Gras wreath! "Louisiana" holiday and snow? Not so much.

Mardi Gras used to be my favorite holiday. It was colorful and tasty – not to mention, it sometimes coincided with my birthday and a day off from school. A day off from school, ON my birthday….what’s not to love??!! Then I moved to Colorado and married a boy from Michigan. Needless to say, my friends and family just couldn't understand Mardi Gras, nor could they appreciate the yumminess of a King Cake. I tried to share Mardi Gras with some co-workers once…. It went something like this:

Clueless: “Isn’t this just like a large cinnamon roll with sprinkles?”

Person who had visited New Orleans once in their life and therefore an expert on all things Louisiana: “No, it has a baby inside and whoever gets the baby has to buy the next cake. That’s the whole point. Right Tara, tell us the story!”

Me: {Sigh}

While I no longer attempt to share Mardi Gras with anyone outside of my family {and yes, my Michigan husband has come to appreciate most things Louisiana}, I still put up my Mardi Gras wreath, order a crazy expensive {but worth it} King Cake from Haydel’s, wear beads and make Jambalaya. I guess you could say that Mardi Gras is a time for me to remember and celebrate the state in which I came from….and THAT is a tradition I aim to keep!

So, I know I just made fun of Clueless calling a King Cake an oversized cinnamon roll with sprinkles; but my recipe is exactly that… a cinnamon roll with sprinkles. However, it's perfect for the family that just wants a small touch of Mardi Gras on February 23^rd. These pictures are actually from last year when I was still on maternity leave… back when I had time to do things like brush my teeth. Sigh….

Mini King Cakes

1 can of cinnamon rolls w/ icing

Sprinkles (purple, yellow and green)

Step 1: Separate the rolls and form them into rings. The bigger the hole, the better they will come out.

The hole should be a little bigger than the one pictured.

Step 2: Bake as directed.

Step 3: Smoother with icing, ensuring you lick the excess off your fingers. This is an important step.

Yum-o!

Step 4: Cover with purple, yellow and green sprinkles. You can’t have too many sprinkles! If you can’t find these colors, make your own with sugar and food coloring.

Step 5: Put on some Mardi Gras beads and enjoy!

My Baby Loves Pasta

2012-01-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

When was the last time that you enjoyed food this much?

Paci-Pops

2011-12-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

A mini-post about a mini-popsicle...

My daughter LOVES popsicles. Obviously letting a one-year old hold her own popsicle would result in a huge, sticky mess, so we created paci-pops yesterday. Put equal amounts of juice and water in a small container (I used the lid of baby bottle, worked perfectly), just enough to complete cover the nipple of a pacifier. If you haven't guessed by the last statement, place pacifier, nipple down, into the juice/water. Freeze and serve.

Still a little messy, but what isn't messy with a one-year old?!

Best Snow Day Recipe Ever {Seriously!}

2011-12-04T10:40:00.003-07:00

Several years ago, while living in another neighborhood, we received three snowstorms, back-to-back. The result was no work, no school, limited cable and lots of boredom! Prior to the snowstorm, I stocked up on the ingredients needed for White Chicken Chili {and Bloody Mary's, but that is a whole 'nother story}. This delicious cheesy chili was all it took to win the hearts of my neighbors. In some cases, it created friends for life. So next time the weather channel predicts record amounts of snow (or just a tiny cold front), pick up these items and invite some neighbors over for a cup! TRUST ME, it will be a big hit {they will beg you for the recipe...but don't give it away - ha ha}.

White Chicken Chili

3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

2 cans great Northern beans, drained

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can of Rotel tomatoes (pick your spice level - I go Medium)

1 can chicken broth

2 cans shoepeg corn, drained

1 (16-oz) pkg Velveeta cheese, cubed (the Mexican version works well too)

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

Saute onion in butter until tender. Combine all ingredients and place in slow cooker for 4-6 hours. Serve with Mexican corn bread.

Yummy, yummy, yummy its so good in your tummy.....

Cherry Chip Cookie Sandwiches

2011-08-08T21:25:00.000-06:00

Do people actually like crunchy cookies? I mean, I'll eat one in a pinch. Maybe even two or three....just not to offend whoever was offering them to me. But, personally, for me, soft cookies are the ONLY cookies.

Last week I came across Cherry Chip cake mix and decided to bake SOFT Cherry Chip Cookie Sandwiches. They turned out pretty darn good -- and I don't even like cherry flavoring.

Cherry Chip Cookie Sandwiches

1 box of Cherry Chip Cake Mix

2 eggs

1 Tbl water

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Mix together and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes approximately 3 dozen.

For the cookie sandwich filling, I used Betty Crocker's Cookie Creme (I don't care what Martha says, there is NOTHING wrong with semi-homemade). The cookie creme tasted a lot like Oatmeal pie filling....

Easy. Yummy. Pretty.

DIY Paper Bowl

2011-07-09T21:42:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I always have a crap load of shredded paper each month. And it is ALL from freaking junk mail! Its a little insane if you ask me. Can I just stop receiving junk mail? Can I sign up for some kind of "do-not-call" junk mail registry? Please tell me!!!

Anyway, at least I can use some of it for crafting purposes...

DIY Paper Bowl

Tools

Glue

Water

Brush

Shredded Paper

Plastic Wrap

Glass Bowl

Step One

Gather your shredded paper. I simply used my existing shredded junk mail. But, you could use pretty paper and use the bowl as decoration or as a gift "basket", etc.

Step Two

Mix together school glue and water. Less glue than water. You are going for a milky texture.

Step Three

Wrap your mold (i.e. glass bowl) with plastic wrap.

Step Four

Glue on the shredded paper. Have fun. Get messy.

Step Five

Allow paper to dry overnight (or for 20 minutes in Colorado sun).

Step Six

Remove from bowl and plastic wrap. This picture is a bit deceiving. The bowl actually does have some depth to it.

Using this technique, you could create all kind-of fun things from your shredded paper! Maybe use a baby food container, a balloon, or a box for a fun mold!

2011 Summer “Bucket” List

2011-06-21T22:11:00.000-06:00

Every year I feel like summer is over before it even begins, but this year, I vow to take the time to enjoy all things summer. Here is my 2011 Summer “Bucket” List:

Eat outdoors as often as possible – enjoy the warm evenings!

Make oodles of s’mores {LOVE these ideas}

Make homemade Butter Pecan ice cream {YUM – found the recipe in one of those old church cookbooks, hoping it works out so I can share!}

Create a small garden & successful grow something OTHER than weeds

Take long evening walks with the family {Mr. Beaux suggested this one}

I know he looks rather lazy, but TRUST me, he'd rather be on a walk.

Can something…preferably something I grow myself

Make lots of trips to the mountains – for a day trip or a camping trip {I only live an hour away, what is my excuse?!}

Buy produce from the local farmer’s market

Go fishing!

Take lots and lots and LOTS of pictures of Sweet Pea enjoying her

first summer!

Sweet Pea's first time at the park!

Pop Art Candleholders

2011-06-13T22:21:00.001-06:00

I LOVE candles! To me, everything is improved by candlelight. In fact, I would love to light my house with just candlelight to hide the fact I have NO TIME to actually clean these days. Sigh. Although, I must have some free time since I am creating crafts and blogging…but of course, that is different, right??????

But, like I said, I love candles. Therefore, when my friend’s birthday planning rolled around and we established a Fiesta theme, I JUMPED on the opportunity to create a simple craft that was decorative, inexpensive, embraced the Fiesta theme and contained a candle element.

I call them “Pop Art Candleholders” and I created two main styles.

"Holes" and "Curly"

Curly Style

Step 1:

Obviously wash and spray paint your pop can. If you need a picture explaining this step-by-step, please stop reading by blog… I cannot help you.

Step 2:

Ok, first of all, I apologize for the statement in Step 1, my 6 month old is teething and keeping me up at all hours of the night. Now, moving on to step 2, cut off the top of your pop can. I used an Exacto knife, but any sharp tool will work.

Step 3:

Cut pieces down the side of the pop can. Make sure you cut them within an inch or two from the bottom of your can. This will give you more curl. Also, be sure to trim off your sharp edges after your cut the sections {much easier than trying to even everything out in step 2}.

Step 4:

Using a pencil, curl the sections. Don’t do all the curls in uniform, random or alternating looks better.

Holes Style

Step 1:

See step 1 above.

Step 2:

Poke holes in your pop can. I used this handy tool the Hubs had in the garage, but a nail or a good old hole punch would work. In fact, I would have LOVED to use a star hole punch for this project, but I don't own one. Funny enough, I don’t own a single solitary hole punch. Can you tell I am NOT a scrap-booker?? Although I hope to become one...someday...

Step 3:

Cut off the top of your pop can. See Step 2 in the above tutorial.

Step 4:

Cut sections down the side of the pop can. These sections should be short and fat and the same length all around. Clean up any super sharp edges.

Also, don't worry about your pop can getting a little bent... it just adds more character!

Step 5:
Make a small fold down each section. We want to make certain those sharp edges are folded away.

Step 6:
Make another fold.

Step 7:
Fan out the sections as desired.

Watermelon Mango Salsa

2011-06-10T09:29:00.001-06:00

When my step-mom told me about this recipe, I had two instant thoughts “ew, gross” and “I absolutely have to try that!”…I realize these two thoughts generally do not go together, but what can I say, I’m just weird that way!

I didn’t have the official recipe, so I searched online and found TONS and TONS of recipes very close to what I wanted to create. In the end, I just played around with the core ingredients and kept it basic {my favorite kind of recipe}. The result was TOTALLY YUM! I LOVE the flavor that the jalapeño and cilantro give the watermelon and mango. You seriously have to try this!!!!!

Watermelon Mango Salsa (4 servings)

1 cup watermelon, diced

2 mangos, diced

1 jalapeño, minced

1 fresh lime

1 tsp sea salt

2 Tbs fresh cilantro, minced

Combine the diced watermelon, mangos, jalapeño, sea salt and cilantro into a large bowl. Gently toss to mix ingredients. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the mixture and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve over grilled chicken (or fish), with a side of yellow rice and black beans.