Architecture of a Mom

Fun Duck Birthday Theme Decorations

2013-05-22T22:01:00.000-04:00

If you’re going for a duck birthday party theme, then you can’t just stop at duck cupcakes. You have to find some duck decorations to go with them. Or at least select some yellow decorations. Or maybe garb your darling birthday girls in duck clothing. Or maybe you should do all of that. Like I did.

Here’s how I created a duck birthday feel to go with my cute duck cupcakes:

Vinyl Duck Silhouette Buckets

This has to be the simplest décor of all. I took some yellow buckets, found on clearance at Target, and some black adhesive vinyl. I found a silhouette of a duck online, and I used the trace function in the Silhouette Design Studio to trace the silhouette. I cut some out, and voila! Duck utensil holders for the party.

Yellow pinwheels

I used a Silhouette pinwheel design by Stacy Molter and some scrapbooking paper to make the pinwheels. The post of the pinwheel is a heavy weight paper straw from the etsy shop Le Box. It’s all held together by a paper clip!

Lucky Duck Tee Shirts

I created these with the same duck silhouette I used on the vinyl decals for the buckets and adding the word lucky. I printed them out on a laser printer and then trimmed around them. I used Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium to transfer the image onto the shirts.

Themed Foods

Who says just the cupcakes should be themed? Just like I did for Easter, I used a cookie cutter to make duck shaped foccaccia, which went great with the baked penne that I had for the meal.

The final touch…lots of rubber ducks. We adore our bath toys in my house.

And we had loads of fun...really!

Sometimes I link up at the following places: 504 Main, A Diamond in the Stuff, AKA Design, Alderberry Hill, At the Picket Fence, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blessed with Grace, Cherished Bliss, Classy Clutter, C.R.A.F.T., Craft-o-maniac, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Eat at Home, Finding Fabulous, Gingersnap Crafts, Glued to My Crafts, Home Stories A to Z, House of Hepworths, I Heart Naptime, It's So Very Cheri, Lil Luna, Lines Across, Live Laugh Rowe, Made in a Day, Madigan Made, My Favorite Finds, Not Just a Housewife, One Creative Mommy, Organizing Junkie, Positively Splendid, Semi Homemade Mom, Serenity Now, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Six Sisters Stuff, So I Married a Craft Blogger, So You Think You're Crafty, Someday Crafts, Sugarbee Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, The Finer Things in Life, The Frugal Girls, The Grant Life, The Shabby Nest, Tidy Mom, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Under the Table and Dreaming.

Easy Duck Cupcakes

2013-05-20T21:00:00.002-04:00

My twins recently turned two. I really can’t believe that we’ve enjoyed 2 years with these spunky little girls! Over the past year, they’ve been fascinated with ducks, so I absolutely had to have a duck themed birthday for them! So this week, I am going with a duck theme, sharing how I made their birthday absolutely ducky! Today, I’m going to share the yummy birthday sweets that we had, and Wednesday evening, stop back by for an awesome overview of the decorations and spread that we had!

Instead of a cake, I decided that cupcakes were the way to go. We had 8 children under the 10 at the party (this was just my side of the family), and having portion control seemed like a great idea. I found this idea on pinterest to make duck cupcakes, but I couldn’t find the original source. Bummer. There weren’t any instructions that I could find associated with the link. However, I tweaked the idea just a smidge and I thought I’d share with you exactly how I did it.

Here’s what you need:

Un-iced cupcakes, cooled. You can make these from scratch; I just used a box cake mix.

Icing. You can use canned vanilla or other white, cream or yellow icing. I made mine with this icing recipe, and it turned out a light yellow.

Colored sugar. You can find this in your grocery store by the sprinkles. It looks like the same stuff that coats Peeps.

Mini M&Ms

Peach Slice Candy—you can find this in convenience stores everywhere…and I found mine at the dollar store.

Use the icing to frost all the cupcakes in your desired method. Piping and spreading are both fine.

Take each cupcake and pour the colored sugar over each cupcake. You will want something underneath it to catch the extra sugar so that it can be reused. I made about 2 dozen cupcakes and only needed one container of sugar.

Match up colors of M&Ms for the eyes. Cut the peach slice candy in half.

Place the two halfs of peach slice candy on the cupcake, arranged so that it looks like a beak. Then arrange your M&Ms so they look like eyes. You want to press the candy into the icing slightly so that they stay.

And that’s it. Really, no special cake decorating needed…and no extra step to color the frosting needed! Perfect when you are hosting a birthday party in your house…and you need to finish the meal and clean the house!

Enjoy!

Menu Planning Monday 2013-05-20

2013-05-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'm still recovering from my very first blog conference! I went to Bloggy Boot Camp, and it was awesome. I'm still trying to process all the information that was crammed into my head. In the meantime, I'm hoping for a little calmer week this week...we'll see!

If you have a chance, I'm a contestant on One Crafty Contest at One Artsy Mama! I'd love for you to go and vote for your favorite project (I hope it's mine!).

And now, without further ado, here's the menu plan for the week:
Monday: Tacos with hidden veggies

Tuesday: Crockpot Chili

Wednesday: Asian Sausage

Thursday: Twice Baked Potatoes and Chicken Friday: Going out to eat, I think Saturday: Dinner with Friends. I'm thinking of bringing Baked Beans

Sunday: Leftovers

Friday Fun: Vacation + Conference + Contest = Crazy Time!

2013-05-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

This is where I've been…where I'm at…and where I’m going this week!

Last week, we went to Disney World. We had a lot of fun. My girls loved riding the rides and making friends with fairies, princesses, and random creatures. And when I say random creatures, I’m not just talking about Mickey Mouse and Winnie-the-Pooh. My eldest managed to pet a wild squirrel that was hanging out on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. Yes, really! Unfortunately, a vacation to Disney World isn’t exactly the most restful…even if it is magical! We wanted to hit as much as possible without wearing everyone out completely. If you have the opportunity to go to a Disney Park, you can check out the things we discovered as we were travelling with our crew.

I came back knowing that I was going to have a crazy week at work (which I have). And then I have been ramping up to my very first blog conference this weekend: Bloggy Boot Camp.

(image credit: Bloggy Boot Camp)

I am super excited and super nervous at the same time. I am introverted, folks. Why on earth did I sign up for a conference? Hmm, I guess because my desire to learn trumped my fear of meeting new people. So if you’re going to the Bloggy Boot Camp in Charlotte this weekend, I’d love to hear about it! I’ll feel like I’ve met you, before I’ve actually physically “met” you and then I won’t be nervous—much. And if you have any (very last minute) pointers for a conference newbie, please share! I have business cards and a media kit. Any other items that I should bring? Anything to do while at the conference?

Finally, out of the blue, I found out that I am a finalist in Amy’s One Artsy Contest!

Which means that over the next few weeks, I need to produce a material themed project in just a few days. Yikes! I obviously didn’t take it seriously that I might be selected as a finalist when I submitted a project. But seriously, go by her blog Monday morning and vote for your fave projects…and hopefully my project is one of them!

So, although this isn't your typical "Friday Fun," I hope that if you see me over the next couple of days, you will understand why I look a teensy bit frantic!

Ombre Paint Chip Circle Art

2013-05-15T19:30:00.000-04:00

I know I'm not the first person to use paint chips in art, but I wanted something simple to decorate my kitchen, and used one of my favorite tools, my circle punch, to develop an easy way to create some ombre abstract art. I first shared this over as a contributor at My Favorite Finds, but I thought you'd like to see it here, too!

Simple is sometimes the best when it comes to art projects. I have a project for you today that every single person reading this can accomplish. Promise. And since graphic, geometric art is trending right now, you can have a piece of art you love with very little artistic angst involved!

All you need is one color of paint, a brush, an artist’s canvas, a circle punch (mine is 1 1/2” in diameter), matte Mod Podge, and some paint swatches. For an 8x10 canvas, I only used 6 paint swatches that were gradated through 6 shades of each color (2 swatches that were next to each other in my fan deck per each row). I focused on various shades of orange, which is the complementary color to the paint I used (blue).

If you decide to do this project, use some paint swatches that you have on hand from a painting project. I actually used an old paint deck that I am cannibalizing from my office.

If you regularly use paint swatches in your projects, just remember that they aren’t really free. We’re paying for them in other ways, like through the price of paint.

So, are you ready for this simple tutorial? Here it goes:

Paint the canvas one color. Allow to dry. Punch out the circles. I centered the line between the colors on each circle.

Arrange the circles in a way that pleases you. I made an ombre pattern that alternated between the center line being vertical and horizontal. I think it looks like the circles are in motion.

Apply Mod Podge to the back of each circle and apply them to the canvas. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes. Then apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the entire canvas. This will keep your circle edges from popping up again. And then you're done...a simple, graphic piece of art. I can totally see this art in a little boy's room. Not that we have any of those around here...so I put mine in my kitchen. It's bright and fun and sunshiny...love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Tips on Experiencing Disney World with Kids

2013-05-13T20:16:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we have returned from Disney World! We had a blast, and now I have some tips and ideas for you if you are taking the kiddos. This is what worked for us, so keep in mind we had two families, with 4 adults and 6 kids ranging in age between 2 and 9.

General:

Try to make it to rope drop, especially at Magic Kingdom. It is worth it.
The wild animals at the parks are not wild. Many animals came right up to us. There were many instances where ducks walked between our legs or even pecked our feet in an effort to enjoy our snacks. And Lil Bit actually pet a squirrel. It was sitting right on the pathway and she reached down before I could tell her NO! Please be aware of this and keep a better eye on your kids than I did.
Chances are that you will misplace something. Maybe even a child. (We briefly lost 2 of the 6 with us.) Do no panic. Teach your children what to do when they are lost. Show them what the cast member's name tags look like. Write your phone number on their backs or use temporary tattoos. Put your address on items that might be lost.
Be ready for all bags to be searched, because you must go through security.
If something isn't working right, tell a cast member or go to Guest Services. The first day, my ticket wouldn't issue Fast Passes. I had it reissued. It still wouldn't do fast passes (and it wasn't demagnetized). So in order to fix the issue, they just issued me one of the new (RFID) tickets. Problem solved. They really want you to have a good time, and will work hard to help you out.
If you choose not to bring snacks, that is fine (but really expensive). But please bring water bottles for your little ones. They don't have the reserves you do.
If at all possible, travel with another family. Rider switch passes are great, but it's more fun when you can ride with other people.
Plan your day. Know where you want to go, and try not to go back and forth throughout the park. And know where the bathrooms are.

Magic Kingdom:

Go to Belle's Story Time first, if you have any desire to do it at all. Send runners for another ride you want to do to get fast passes; but as of right now, Story Time with Belle does not do fast passes.
Look on the map to figure out where fast passes are given out. There are several rides that have the fast passes separated from the ride itself (Little Mermaid ride, Winnie the Pooh ride, Meeting the Princesses and Meeting Mickey are a few I noticed).
Plan on 2 days for this park. Seriously. Plan on 2-3 "lands" per day.
I don't care if your child is big enough to ride something. Think hard about whether they can handle it emotionally. One of the twins was definitely not ready to ride the Haunted Mansion; but the other twin laughed and clapped to the music the whole time.

Epcot:

This park is a lot of walking. If you don't do a stroller for every park, plan on this one if you have little legs.
Most preschoolers and early elementary schoolers are going to be more interested in Future World than in World Showcase. In our experience, late afternoon is less busy for Future World.
Feeling thirsty? Go to the Coke sponsored area for free tastes of different drinks around the world. It is Innoventions West.
The Radiator Springs play area is perfect for little ones to blow off some steam.

Hollywood Studios:

If you have children between 4 and 12 years old, and they are remotely interested in Star Wars, go immediately to the line for Jedi Training. It's a lot of fun, but fills up very quickly. We were there for rope drop and went straight to where you sign up, and the earliest slot was 4:10. This was on a slow day.The kids have to be present, though.
While you are waiting in line for the Jedi Training, get fast passes for Toy Story Mania. This is a very busy ride but lots of fun for everyone.
The Great Movie Ride can be frightening to the kids...be sure to remind them that it's all pretend.
If you have a preschooler, do not miss the Disney Junior show. The children with us were not familiar with the shows, but loved it anyway!

Animal Kingdom:

Kali River Rapids is fun for everyone who is big enough for it. You will get wet, and you have to wear shoes. I wish I had brought flip flops for that ride!
The twins didn't enjoy this park as much as the others. There didn't seem to be as much for them to do as in the other parks.However, the Boneyard in Dinoland was a lot of fun. Be sure to go to the back where you can excavate "fossils"...every child that came with us had fun with this one, from ages 2 to 9.
The character meet lines were the shortest I saw in this park. Perhaps it was because they are less "in-demand" characters.

And one more tip: have a good sense of humor, and make sure everyone has plenty of rest. It is vacation, after all. I hope this list helps you if you're planning a trip. I know it's kind of a random list, but it's items that helped us (or we wished we knew)!

Menu Planning Monday 2013-05-13

2013-05-12T21:45:00.001-04:00

I just returned from Disney World last night, and wow, we had a great time! Thanks so much to Kelley and Stacey for holding down the fort for me while I was gone...I hope you enjoyed their posts! And for all you moms out there, I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing Mother's Day.

And now, it's time for reality to sink in and plan for this week's menu.

Monday: Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
Tuesday: Crockpot Chili

Wednesday: Waffles and Fruit
Thursday: Asian Sausage

Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: I'm going to Bloggy Boot Camp...so Daddy is in charge of meals!
Sunday: Something on the grill

What are you eating this week?

Saving Money on your Disney Trip Before You Go

2013-05-10T05:00:00.001-04:00

Here are a few ideas I have to save money by prepping before you go on a Disney trip. You're already spending lots of money, so any little bit helps!

Make your packing and souvenir lists early.

If you plan ahead, then you will have time to wait on shipping, hit seasonal sales, and use coupons. There are many sites out there with “ultimate” packing lists for all age groups. Take advantage of these lists and make a shopping list as early as possible. You can also decide what you can live without, what you can buy, and what you can make (see below).

Explore Thrift and Consignment Shopping.

Consignment sales are full of Disney clothes for kids for a few dollars per shirt. I think the most I spent on any one article of clothing for them was $3. It really is worth the effort to get up early and dig through the piles of stuff.

Look at Disney Movie Rewards.

If you buy any movie made by Disney on Bluray or DVD, then you can earn Disney Movie Rewards by entering codes on their website. They also occasionally release bonus points that you don't need to make a purchase to use. We had accrued quite a few points, and just for kicks I went looking to see if there was any Disney stuff that I could get for free from using my Rewards. The inventory changes constantly, but we were able to find some fun stuff for me and Lil Bit. I got a Mickey hat and some Minnie Sleeves (like leg warmers, but for arms). Lil Bit got a baseball hat. These were all super fun items that we got just because we had purchased movies (or received them as gifts) that we would have owned anyway.

Make your own gear.

If you have a craft cutting machine like a Silhouette Potrait or Cameo, then making a mickey head shape is very easy, but even if you don’t own a craft digital cutting tool, it is a simple shape that you can cut out with an xacto blade. If you cut it out of vinyl, you can apply it to various surfaces. You can also cut shapes out of contact paper (or vinyl but contact paper is cheaper) to use as a stencil to paint shirts and other items.

Buy snacks ahead of time.

It is a lot cheaper to have some emergency snacks in a bag from the grocery store than to have to shell out a lot of money inside the park. Even better if you buy those snacks on sale!

Bring a water bottle.

99% of the time, Florida is hotter than the rest of the U.S. California is pretty mild, too. You will be outside and moving around more than usual, most likely. It is important to stay hydrated, and like everything else, water bottles and drinks can get pricey. And you can personalize your water bottles.

I made some for the kids with Mickey, or you can go with a more sophisticated one with names like Allison at House of Hepworths did here.

Do research.

Is staying on site the way to go? Or is renting a house? Or would you prefer an off-site hotel? You need to figure out what makes the most sense for your group. Since our group consisted of 2 families with a lot of little kids, we decided that a house worked best for us. That meant we couldn’t use the meal plan, since we stayed off site. We decided that the extra room was worth the lack of meal plan and the commute to the parks. If you look, you can easily spend around $150 a night total, even for a house, depending on the season. It may work better to be on site, but that’s the point…do your research!

Crockpot Tacos {Guest Post}

2013-05-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm excited to share an awesome recipe from my dear bloggy friend, Kelly. She combines the crockpot method with Mexican...in my mind a perfect combination!! So, without further ado, please welcome Kelley from the Grant life.

Hey yall! My name is Kelley and I blog over at the Grant life. I've been blogging for a few years now and I really love that I have made such good friends, like Rachel! Thanks for letting me share an easy recipe with your readers today!

Im all about quick and delicious meals, so these easy crockpot tacos are my go to meal. I call them my 'set them and forget them' tacos because I toss all my ingredients in and let them simmer all day.

All you need to make your own crockpot tacos are:

2 Frozen chicken breast

2 Cans of beans

1 Can of corn

Taco Seasoning

Put your frozen chicken on bottom. Next, dump all three cans directly into the crockpot. Add your taco seasoning and cover. You can set on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours.

After your chicken is cooked, take a fork and break up your chicken breasts. The meat will be so tender it will just shred right apart. Drain all the water in the crockpot and serve.

With the beans and corn already in the crockpot all we add is cheese and salsa. They are so delicious and great the next day!

I hope yall enjoyed my easy crockpot chicken taco recipe! If you get a chance stop by the Grant life to see what we are up to!

Oh! And if you love breakfast - be sure to check out my all breakfast recipe blog, the Breakfast hub!

Kid Friendly Flowers for Mother's Day Gifts {Guest Post}

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

Have you met Stacey from Glued to My Crafts? She's my awesome bloggy friend, and she is awesome! I love how she incorporates her little son into almost all of her crafts. You are all in luck today...she has an awesome Mother's Day craft, and she's sharing it with us!

Hi, everybody! {waving}

Let me introduce myself!

I'm Stacey and I blog over at Glued To My Crafts. I'm an Air Force wife & mother to a two year boy. We currently live in Wyoming. My blog tells a story of military life, crafty things, yummy foods and reviews. I hope you come check it out! But not until you read my post today. Ready to be inspired?

Mother's Day is just right around the corner. Have you planned your gifts yet?

As a mother of a two year old, I know it can stressful to come up with "crafty" gifts sometimes.

The last two years I have given all the "Mothers" in our lives, handprints of lil man in some form. Usually a card. We are pretty far from family, so I wanted them to see him grow through the years. And what better way, than with a handprint.

So this year, we are continuing on with the tradition but a slight twist that is still easy.

Flowers are expensive but a nice gesture for Mother's Day. So I wanted to include flowers somehow.

But I needed supplies that were kid friendly so I could include lil man.

I came across these natural fiber pots at Target the other day and figured they would be a great for some faux flower arrangements. At $1.69 for 10 pots/gifts, this was in our price range. Another major benefit? I could easily ship them, without fear of them breaking.

So my supplies for the arrangement themselves were simple.

Faux flowers, fiber pots, wire cutters and Styrofoam balls (ours are 3 inches & fit perfectly)

First cut/trim your flowers to the desired size.

Stuff your pots with a Styrofoam ball.

With lil man's help, we arranged our flowers inside the pots.

Now for a special touch to our flower arrangements. We grabbed supplies that we always have on hand in our home-cardstock, paint/paint brush, scissors, hole punch, heart stickers and ribbon.

Using the paint, help your child make their handprints.

Once your handprints are dry, cut them out. Add a heart sticker to your cutout for a special touch. Then hole punch a hole for your ribbon to go through.

Tie the handprint around your stems or pot. Woolah, you are done!

Totally price depends really on where you get your flowers, but if you shop at Dollar Tree, you could make these for under $10. Not too shabby right?

(P.S. if your flowers are really heavy & your pot won't stand up, put some marbles on the bottom of the pot)

A big thank you to Rachel for letting me stop by today. I hope you all were inspired!

For other crafty ideas come check out my blog Glued To My Crafts. You can also catch me on Twitter, find me on Facebook or see me pinning away on Pinterest.

*waving* Bye friends!

Thanks Stacey for coming by!

Why I Menu Plan

2013-05-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when I sit down to menu plan on Sunday, I just don’t want to. But I do anyway. Do you want to know why? Because the little time I take on Sunday afternoon saves time all week long. It saves time (and money) in the grocery store, because I know what the plan is. I can plan to reuse leftovers in another recipe later that same week. I can make sure we have variety. (Anybody else fall into the “chicken, again” rut?) I make sure we are using up the fresh produce that we purchase, limiting waste. I know exactly what to do when we get home, whether it’s preheat the oven, start a pot of water to boil, or chop veggies.

But I also menu plan to give me a chance to break the plan. I know that may not make sense, but bear with me. Menu planning allows me to know exactly what the dinner hour holds in store. It is a perfect way to keep crazy days less crazy. When I know there is a particular crazy day ahead, I plan either a simple meal, or a crockpot meal prepped the night before.

However, if we don’t feel like eating a particular dish one evening, then I simply swap meals with another day, knowing I have all the ingredients. And if I somehow end up with more time on my hands than anticipated, if I feel the urge, I may create something new. After all, one of my most popular dishes ever on this blog is my Parmesan Pasta with Chicken…which used up a bunch of leftovers that I didn’t want to use in the originally planned dish.

So remember, the point of a menu plan is not to have a strict schedule, but rather to have a plan when things get crazy. But like any great battle plan, it always changes.

Why do you menu plan?

Goya Black Bean Quesadillas with Avocados and #Giveaway #Ad

2013-05-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

Note: This is a sponsored post on me on behalf of Goya. I received some of their products for free for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this blog are my own, and I only write about products that I enjoy!

I love beans. You can make funny comments all you like about what beans are good for…but they really are good for you. And as a source of protein, they are very healthy…and extremely inexpensive. And my whole family loves them. So when Goya asked me to check out their new cookbook and especially their new recipe for Black Bean Quesadillas, of course I said YES! And guess what…they want to give you a copy of their MyPlate Cookbook, as well as some black beans and olive oil so you can try this recipe out!

The Goya MyPlate Cookbook is a bilingual cookbook that includes 30 quick and easy recipes. Every mom knows that fast recipes are the way to go when you have a clingy toddler (or two, like I do) ready to eat NOW. But more important than the speed the meal can be cooked is the fact that these recipes are healthy. Goya teamed up with the USDA and the First Lady’s Let's Move program to develop healthy recipes and to educate what a balanced meal looks like…with a visual image. I love this cookbook—it has images for each recipe and incorporates low sodium and organic ingredients! These black bean quesadillas incorporate vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein—talk about a balanced meal! We wrapped up our meal with some fruit and were very full. This is a perfect quick meal for Cinco de Mayo--which is tomorrow--but we eat quesadillas throughout the year as a quick an easy meal.

Now, if you know me, I can’t leave a good recipe alone. So I tweaked this recipe slightly to make it a fave for my family and the produce we had on hand. We are not the biggest fans of cilantro, so we left it out. I added a little bit of cumin, and since we had some avocados on hand, I added them into the mix! The great thing about quesadillas is that you can add all kinds of veggies into the mix, so if you have others, feel free to add them…I think I want to try bell peppers next!

Black Bean Quesadillas (adapted from the Goya MyPlate Cookbook)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Goya Pico de Gallo, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) Goya Low Sodium Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (this is optional, and we didn't use it this time)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 tsp cumin
8 small (6 inch diameter) flour tortillas
1/2 tsp Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Mix together pico de gallo, beans,cheese,cilantro, avocado, and cumin . Spread mixture on half the tortillas (about 1/2 cup each). Top with remaining tortillas. Heat griddle with oil over medium-high heat. Place filled tortillas on griddle.

Cook, flipping once (careful, don't dump the filling), until golden brown and cheese melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges (I find that kitchen shears works the best). Makes 4 servings.

We loved these quesadillas...even my oldest, who typically doesn't want her tortillas cooked. And if you have a family member who doesn’t like the texture of the beans, puree them (with a little reserved juice from the can). It makes it smoother—and texture is usually the issue with beans.

Now, who wants to win this cookbook, Goya Organic Low Sodium Black Beans and Goya Olive Oil? Check out this Rafflecopter giveaway to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you want to find out more about Goya, check them out on their website. There are a lot more recipes there! And for more information and ideas on how to use their products, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Good luck!

My "Ms Congeniality" Awards

2013-05-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

Do you wonder if bloggers really know each other? Or do we operate in a vacuum? Although it feels like I’m in my own little world when I’m working on a project sometimes, the blogging community is very real. Then the next question. Do we like each other? I know that unfortunately, there are many stories of bloggers cat-fighting and sharing the stories of those fights online through social media.

But there are so many more stories that are absolutely amazing…about people encouraging other people in new (and old) endeavors. I have been amazed at the wonderful people I have “met” online. Because I have not yet made it to a blog conference (soon, so very soon!), I haven't met any of these ladies. But not only do I read each and every one of these blogs (and more—but I wanted to write a post, not a book), but I have conversed on one level or another with each of these folks. Some are idols, where some I truly count as friends. These folks are all creative, but in different ways.

And like friends from “real” life, these people may hold to different beliefs, political views, and ways of life from me. They live all over the country, but they have one thing in common. They have helped me, reached out to me, or taught me something specific when it comes to blogging—not just by posting something amazing, but by answering questions and joining in a conversation with me. I encourage you to go and check them out! Think of this as Architecture of a Mom’s Congeniality Award!

(By the way, this list is in alphabetical order because I don’t rank awesomeness!)

C.R.A.F.T. (a.k.a. Creating Really Awesome Free Things) (Jamie)

Ginger Snap Crafts (Ginger)

Glued to my Crafts (Stacey)

The Grant Life and the Breakfast Hub (Kelley)

Live Laugh Rowe (Kelly)

Living Laughing and Loving (Renee)

My Favorite Finds (Carrie)

No Holding Back (Alexa)

Now these are not all my favorite bloggers—not by a long shot!! And none of them knew I was going to give them a shout out today. I just wanted to highlight some of the amazing folks that have not only inspired me but took the time to come alongside me in one way or another. And if you can’t make it over to their blogs right now, guess what? A couple of these lovely folks are going to visit you very soon right here as guest bloggers! You are so in for a treat!

Have a great weekend and enjoy some new bloggy friends!

Tissue Paper Cherry Blossom Arrangement

2013-05-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

This post was originally shared on My Favorite Finds...but in case you missed it, I wanted to share these beautiful blossoms!

When you think of spring, what do you think of? I think of flowers! I love cherry blossoms, in particular. But I don’t have easy access to any. And cherry blossoms aren't typically found in a florist, not that I would spend the money on that, since my cats immediately attack any flower I bring into my house, anyway.

So I decided to create my own faux cherry blossoms!

Here is what you need:

Branches (free from my parent’s yard)

Vase (from a florist arrangement a long time ago)

Dollar Store tissue paper (I used one sheet of pink and one sheet of white).

1 ½” diameter circle punch

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Here’s how you do make the blossoms:

Arrange the branches in the vase so you can see all of them. You do this to see what part of the branches will be out of the vase, and so you can assess the density of the blossoms in the entire arrangement as you go.

Punch out all the circles you can fit into the sheet. Here’s a tip on punching out circles in tissue paper: fold the sheet of tissue paper until you are punching through several layers of tissue paper at a time. I found that I was much less likely to tear the circles.

Take a circle and fold into quarters. Put a dab of hot glue at the corner at the center of the circle.

Place on a branch at knot/bud locations—it will look more natural than if you just put them on haphazardly. Place at least two circles on top of each other so that each blossom has multiple “petal” layers.

Repeat until you like the density of the blossoms.

And that’s it! You get a beautiful arrangement of cherry blossoms that will never wilt…you can have springtime in your house all year ‘round! And I spent $2 on supplies, the majority of which will not go to cherry blossoms, but to gift wrap (everything else was on hand).

Enjoy!

Month in Review -- April 2013

2013-04-30T12:59:00.001-04:00

April has been an eventful month for Architecture of a Mom. I kind of feel like I’ve become a real blogger.

Oh, the changes aren’t significant. You probably haven’t even noticed. But I’m excited, okay? Humor me a little while I share the changes!

First, I went from having a blogspot URL to a “vanity” url. In fact, if you have been using your old shortcuts, you may have still been using the blogspot address…but it magically changes to www.architectureofamom.com –which is pretty cool in my mind.

And then, I went and got real business cards. Yup, I feel really official now. Good thing, too, since I’m going to my very first blog conference next month. I’m looking forward to learning a lot, but I needed some cards so people can remember me!

I also shared my very first series about Disney projects.

I have shared 4 neat DIY projects like these hair clips and these water bottles that will make our trip to Disney World a little cuter, I think...and I have more to come! If you are heading to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, I think you want to check them out!

Thanks so much to all of you who come by and check Architecture of a Mom out. You rock!

Crockpot Beef Stew

2013-04-29T21:14:00.006-04:00

Sometimes, all you want for dinner is some comfort food. My husband has been asking for some beef stew or roast…like his mom makes. So I made up this beef stew recipe based on some of the ingredients that my mother-in-law uses…but also using items I had on hand in my house.

The best part of this recipe is that it is a slow cooker recipe. Comfort food is great for winter time, but I find that slow cooker meals are perfect for summer time, too—it doesn’t heat up the house like other cooking methods. I think we’re going to use this recipe again all year ‘round!

Ingredients:

2 lb stew beef

1 pouch French onion soup mix

28 oz canned tomatoes
14 oz beef broth

About 4 oz baby carrots, cut in half on the bias.

1 potato, diced into 1 inch chunks (mine was previously baked, but I think that’s optional)

1 medium onion, diced (or a half of a huge one)

1/2 medium bell pepper, diced

Dump all the ingredients into your slow cooker. Stir to mix well. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with bread and maybe a sprinkling of cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Menu Planning Monday 2013-04-29

2013-04-28T16:32:00.001-04:00

It's time for another menu plan. It's pouring rain here and we've all had colds...not enough to incapacitate us, just enough to be annoying. So we're going to keep things really simple this week.

Monday: Fish Sticks, Green Beans, and Rolls
Tuesday: Asian Sausage, Fruit

Wednesday: Mini Philly Cheese Steaks, Fruit
Thursday: Quesadillas
Friday: Quick Parmesan Pasta with Chicken (we didn't have it this past week)

Saturday: Out to eat
Sunday: Meal with my sister's family

What are you eating this week?

April Sponsors--Check These Ladies Out!!

2013-04-25T19:48:00.003-04:00

Did you know that I have sponsors? Don't think that I am getting rich off this blog, but having sponsors helps me do two things: offset the costs of blogging (I craft frugally, but it ain't free) and grow my blog. What I didn't count on was the opportunity to create some awesome relationships, too!

These lovely ladies have chosen to sponsor Architecture of a Mom this month. Help me thank them by visiting their blogs and etsy shops!

Jill is up first!

She is a very, very busy lady! Here's all the places you can find her:

Her blogs:
http://pinwheelpretties.blogspot.com/

http://www.weddingandbridaldesigns.com/wedding-blog.html

And her shops:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PartyFetti

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PinwheelPretties

https://www.etsy.com/shop/weddingbridaldesigns

She plans parties and makes some super sweet party decorations that she sells at her etsy shops. If you are hosting a party or wedding any time soon, check out her site! I mean, look at this cuteness:

You seriously need to check her out!!

Next comes Stacey:

She blogs over at Glued to My Crafts, an awesome blog that focuses on crafting with her kiddo!

Although we met through the blog world, she and I are tied together by another tie: my husband served at the same base where her husband is based out of! We just realized this. Small world, huh? You can find Stacey here:

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest

She also hosts some awesome link parties, and one just went live last night: Crafty Thursday Obsessions. I think you'll be inspired by the folks who link up...and by Stacey's craftiness. I am always amazed by the crafts she and her little guy do together! And I love her latest upcycling project...I have some vases that need some beautifying like this!

Last up is Kelley.

She has been amazing me for a while over at The Grant Life. She is so encouraging! But recently she has launched The Breakfast Hub...a blog about all things breakfast!

Do you have an awesome breakfast recipe? You should definitely submit it to her so that she can feature you!!

Want to find her on social media?

You can find her here and here on twitter.

You can find her here and here on facebook.

And you can find her here on pinterest.

Please go and check these wonderful blogs and etsy shops out! Thanks so much to all you lovely ladies for sponsoring Architecture of a Mom!

Minnie Mouse Button Hair Clips

2013-04-24T20:31:00.000-04:00

Minnie Mouse is pretty popular in my house.The twins especially love Minnie. I cannot wait until they get to meet her. Oh, I have no illusions...I know that Princess Pea was desperately afraid of the Easter Bunny (who didn't get within 20 feet of her. So the chances of tearless encounters with characters is minimal. But they still love Minnie, so I thought I'd create some Minnie accessories for all three of my girls.

I started with some black buttons (four different sizes), ribbon, and hair clips.

I wanted to make two sizes of hairbows, since I have two sizes of little girls, and one little hairbow is gracious plenty for each of the twins, while my five year old needs two bigger ones. As I worked through the process, I also realized that the little Minnie Mouses would need red embroidery floss because the ribbon was too wide for the little hairbows. You'll also need some hot glue.

Basically, making these hairbows are pretty easy, as long as you know how to use a hot glue gun. You take one larger button and two smaller ones that look like a head and mouse ears in proportion. Glue the larger button on top of the two smaller ones.

Make a bow and hot glue it onto the buttons like Minnie's bow on top of her head.

Then hot glue the whole shebang onto a hair clip. I had plenty of room to glue the "head" onto the clip for the large Minnies.

The smaller ones we more difficult simple because they are smaller. Have you ever tied a tiny bow with embroidery floss? For the smaller clips, both the ears and the head were glued to the clip. Be generous with the amount of glue; you don't want to see it on the front, but you don't want the hairbow to fall apart.

And that's it! Easy and cute.

And I have 3 little girls who are very excited about these clips!

Sometimes I link up at the following places: 504 Main, A Diamond in the Stuff, AKA Design, Alderberry Hill, At the Picket Fence, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blessed with Grace, Cherished Bliss, Classy Clutter, C.R.A.F.T., Craft-o-maniac, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Eat at Home, Finding Fabulous, Gingersnap Crafts, Glued to My Crafts, Home Stories A to Z, House of Hepworths, House of Rose, I Heart Naptime, It's So Very Cheri, Lil Luna, Lines Across, Live Laugh Rowe, Made in a Day, Madigan Made, My Favorite Finds, Not Just a Housewife, One Creative Mommy, Organizing Junkie, Positively Splendid, Semi Homemade Mom, Serenity Now, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Six Sisters Stuff, So I Married a Craft Blogger, So You Think You're Crafty, Someday Crafts, Sugarbee Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, The Finer Things in Life, The Frugal Girls, The Grant Life, The Shabby Nest, Tidy Mom, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Under the Table and Dreaming.

Where I'm hanging out today....

2013-04-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday! I'm hanging out with Carrie, my friend over at My Favorite Finds!!

Come see what I'm up to! (Hint: it's more fun and frugal art, and I promise YOU can do it!

Happy Tuesday!

Easy Baked Penne

2013-04-22T20:53:00.000-04:00

Do you host family gatherings? Our kids' birthday parties are always extended family gatherings, since my parents and siblings all live within 15 minutes of us. So with us, my parents, my sister's family and my brother's family, there are 16 people, 8 adults, and 8 children. And now that every one of those kiddos is eating grown up food, sometimes making enough food can be overwhelming.However, having hosted several large gatherings in the past, I know that the more I can do ahead, the better.

This baked penne dish is perfect to make ahead for family get-togethers.

I made up the casserole the night before, and simply threw it in the oven around an hour before the party. Now, I made 1 1/2 casseroles for my party, and we had some leftovers. I think that a 9x13 dish will serve around 12, with a little leftover.

Here's what you need:

1 pound of my "faux" sausage
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 24 oz jar of pasta sauce
1 16 oz box of penne
8 oz. block mozzarella cheese

Cook meat as directed and crumble.

Boil noodles as directed on box, but take off heat and drain 1 minute before the shortest time on the box (so if it says cook for 8-10 minutes, cook for only 7). Shred half of the cheese. Mix all of the ingredients except the unshredded half of the cheese.

Spread the pasta mixture into a 9x13 dish. You can refrigerate overnight at this point.

When you're ready to bake, remove from the fridge and let sit while you preheat oven to 350. Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. While baking, shred the remainder of the cheese.

Uncover and spread cheese over top of noodle mixture and bake for 20 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Sometimes I link up at the following places: 504 Main, A Diamond in the Stuff, AKA Design, Alderberry Hill, At the Picket Fence, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blessed with Grace, Cherished Bliss, Classy Clutter, C.R.A.F.T., Craft-o-maniac, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Eat at Home, Finding Fabulous, Gingersnap Crafts, Glued to My Crafts, Home Stories A to Z, House of Hepworths, House of Rose, I Heart Naptime, It's So Very Cheri, Lil Luna, Lines Across, Live Laugh Rowe, Made in a Day, Madigan Made, My Favorite Finds, Not Just a Housewife, One Creative Mommy, Organizing Junkie, Positively Splendid, Semi Homemade Mom, Serenity Now, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Six Sisters Stuff, So I Married a Craft Blogger, So You Think You're Crafty, Someday Crafts, Sugarbee Crafts, Tatertots & Jello, The 36th Avenue, The Finer Things in Life, The Frugal Girls, The Grant Life, The Shabby Nest, Tidy Mom, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Under the Table and Dreaming.

Menu Planning Monday 2013-04-22

2013-04-21T20:40:00.001-04:00

It's time again for another yummy menu. I'm looking forward to eating these meals!

Monday: Waffles, Sausage and Fruit
Tuesday: Savory Beef Stew
Wednesday: Baked Chicken, Fiesta Twice Baked Potatoes

Thursday: Pizza
Friday: Quick Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

Saturday: Something on the grill, rice and veggies
Sunday: Fried Rice

What are you eating this week?

Presence and Prayer

2013-04-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot about my sweet twins this week, thinking back. They turned 2 a few days ago. But two years ago, I spent many hours in a dim NICU unit looking at babies that I wasn’t allowed to hold.

They had tubes and monitors everywhere, and they were inside incubators, with bilirubin lights on them.I heard of many babies who had major issues that would stick with them for the rest of their lives, and babies who would have very short lives indeed. I prayed that taking these little girls out of me so early wouldn’t cause any of those issues.

I couldn’t figure out if I should rejoice that we made it to this point…that I had carried 2 babies with such danger that they were monitored daily from 26 weeks gestation until they were born at 32 weeks. Or maybe I should quaver in fear for what could be ahead for my little ones.

I decided that I could do two things: I could be present and I could pray.

My girls (all three of them, including my oldest!) needed their mommy. The twins needed to hear my voice, smell me, feel me (when I was allowed). And Lil Bit needed me to pay attention to her when I was with her. So I did just that.

Beyond that, I could only pray that my girls would grow up strong, that the doctors and nurses would have wisdom in treating them, that I would be able to provide food for them (I knew that preemies needed breastmilk even more than a full-term baby).

And what do you know…things got better. They were released from the hospital. And somehow, I breastfed them until they were 14 months old. And now you wouldn’t have known that they weren’t full term unless I told you! We view them as miracles.

Now, in my crazy mind, this is linked to the awful events in Boston and Texas this week. I don’t pretend to know what it feels like to experience something so horrific. But those two things…being present and praying…maybe they will help. If you don’t have direct connections to the events of this week, please consider this question: “What can my presence and my prayers help right now?”

You never know, you may get to be a part of a miracle.

Cinderella Countdown Chain

2013-04-17T20:11:00.003-04:00

When you’re getting ready for any big trip, any parent knows to expect countless questions, starting with “Are we going to leave today? How about tomorrow?” The anticipation is a lot of fun, but can lead to interesting situations, especially for children who are still getting the concept of time beyond yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Case in point: my five year old started packing her favorite toys to take to Disney over 2 months before time to go.

Whoever came up with the idea of making a countdown chain is a brilliant person. Making a paper chain and then tearing off a link each day is great. Even children whose counting skills are still developing can see that there are still several days to go when looking at the chain. Here's the one I came up with:

I wanted to do a chain with my kids. I debated about making a Mickey Mouse one. But since we have all girls in the house (minus my husband, that is!), I thought maybe a princess themed countdown would be more appropriate. And I decided to incorporate my chalkboard frame from my fall mantel, since it was just sitting unused in a closet.

If you recall, I painted the edge of this frame a beautiful blue. That blue made me think of Cinderella. Perfection!

So I found a Cinderella silhouette online and some blue scrapbook paper.

I took the blue paper and cut it out with my Silhouette Portrait. That pretty little princess took the place of the pumpkin in the frame…although come to think of it, I could have left the pumpkin, with pumpkins being so important to the Cinderella story. We took the rest of the blue paper and a coordinating sheet of scrapbook paper and made our chain.

I did my best to emulate the Disney type font on the chalkboard, and then we draped the chain over it. At first, I wanted to hang the chain from the frame, but then I thought about the cats…and the two year olds…and I decided that way up high was where it needed to be, else the countdown would go a lot quicker than anticipated.

What do you do to count down to a special trip?

How to Make Ground Meat Taste Like Italian Sausage

2013-04-15T20:39:00.004-04:00

I like the flavor of crumbled Italian sausage in pasta dishes. It lends a depth of flavor that is just amazing. And let's face it, ground beef can be fatty, and in my opinion, ground turkey and ground chicken are lacking in the flavor department. However, there is some issues that I have with using sausage:

It's difficult to find kosher sausage. Even when you have chicken sausage, for example, the casings...well, they don't come from a chicken. If you are trying to respect someone's eating preferences, well, sausage is pretty much out.
Sausage is just so darn expensive. All meat prices in my neck of the woods has gone up, but I'm still trying to keep a budget. Honestly, this is the main reason I started experimenting with this.

I was actually surprised at how easy this process is. If you have a spice cabinet, chances are you have all of these ingredients on hand. The one item that's a little esoteric to me is the fennel seed, but I actually happened to have it on hand. The other spices were all jars that I regularly use on a monthly--if not weekly--basis. So here's how you make ground turkey taste like Italian sausage:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon dried fennel seeds

Mix gently. Or just dump it into a hot non-stick pan and mix it there and save washing a dish. Crumble as you cook. And that's it! A yummy (and cheaper!) alternative to Italian sausage.

Enjoy!