Domestic Charm

Max's Batman Party

2015-02-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Max started talking about his "batman party" long before any party planning had begun. It seems like that is how it goes around here. My kids get so excited about their birthday parties and almost always have a clear vision of what kind of theme they want it to be. Then I get to make it all happen for them! Max knew he was having a batman party, however he did NOT know that Batman was coming to his party! The look on all the kids faces when Batman walked in was priceless. There was total chaos, with kids running and screaming through the house...then complete silence with their jaws open wide! The kids had a blast completing Batman Training and played other fun games with him out in the yard.

We also did an obstacle course for the kids to complete with these 6 stations:

1. Run through a city ( The kids knocked over large boxes painted black with yellow squares that were stacked up to look like a city)

2. Superhero "pops" (The kids jumped on large sheets of bubble wrap 5 times making popping sounds)

3. Climbing through lazers (They climbed through strands of rope without touching it)

4. Shooting the bad guys (They sprayed silly string at pictures of Mr. Freeze)

5. Super hero smash power (Using Hulk's hands and Thor's hammer the kids each got to smash 3 ice cream cones)

6. Super hero punch power (At the end of the obstacle course the kids each got a prize from the punch box. To create a punch box you take an empty box and cut circles into it, line the circles with tissue paper. Then using small paper bags you tape a bag behind each hole with a prize inside! The kids punch through the tissue paper to get their prize! They LOVED it! You can see some pictures below.

Max still talks about his "Batman Party", which brings a smile to my face.

Several of the printables that we used at the party are available below:

SOURCES:

Froot Loop Sand Art with Gospel Colors

2014-04-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

I wanted to put together a craft for the kids on Easter and came across Froot Loop Sand Art and thought it looked like something the kids would enjoy doing. I also came across the gospel colors with jelly beans...so I thought I would combine the two. We had to make some of the Froot Loop colors work... purple was the closest to black for sin and yellow closest to white for forgiveness.

I loved the conversation it brought about with my oldest son as we poured the different symbolic colors into our vase. We plan on doing it again on Easter morning with friends.

Here is a layout of what we had each color represent and a verse for each topic. We poured the "sand" in the vase in that order so we could talk about each one as we layered them.

First have your kiddos separate all the colors into piles.

Great color recognition for the younger ones!

Next place each color in a sandwich size ziploc bag. Make sure to release all the air and seal it shut. Let your little ones crush the Froot Loops into sand! My boys loved this part!

We used a funnel to pour our "sand" into a glass vase.

You could also just use plastic cups.

And that's it!

A fun craft that also opens up an opportunity for great conversation and learning for your little ones!

SUPPLIES:

Hudson's Science Party

2014-04-13T23:10:00.001-07:00

Can't believe my little guy is SIX years old! We had lot of fun celebrating at his Science Party! I found the adorable printables and lots of great ideas at RV Parties. I also made up some additional printables with the Science Experiment recipes on them. You can find them for free below.

As the kids showed up I had goggles for each of them and also a science badge.

I found the goggles at the dollar store!

We had one table set out with several different things for the kids to look at in between experiments.

1. Ivory Soap- microwave it for about 1 minute and it will expand because of all the air inside!

2. Sugar Crytals- made from sugar water and food coloring

3. Colored Celery- Place celery in a cup of water with 8-10 drops of food coloring. Leave overnight and see how plants drink their water the next day!

4. Dancing Raisins- Fill a glass with seltzer water and place a few raisins in. The air bubbles will attach to the raisins making them rise to the top of the glass. The bubbles pop when they reach the surface, causing the raisins to sink again.

Printables from RV Parties

Another activity we had for the kids to do while they waited for the experiments to start was a fossil dig. Hudson and I had made fossils earlier that week with a flour and salt base dough. We used his toy dinosaurs, leaves, and other things around the house with unique textures to create the fossils. We buried the fossils in a bin of sand and gave the kids shovels, rakes, and paint brushes to help uncover their fossils! It was a great thing to keep them busy while I set up in between experiments.

The Elepahant Toothpaste experiment was a hit!

And of course the Slime!

We also had the kids make their own Lava Lamps!

Baking soda and vinegar reaction in a volcano and the kids each got their own petri dishes and pipettes to try it out.

Hudson had so much fun! I am so blessed to be his Mom and love watching him learn and grow. Happy Birthday Hudson!

The kids were sent home with lots of goodies including: their lava lamps, slime, fossils, goggles, name badges, and this fun take home experiment! Drop the mentos into a 2-liter of diet coke and it will make a soda geyser! We did a demonstration of one at the party before the kids left.

You can find pictures below of the science experiment recipes

(The lines were drawn onto the bottles. You fill 3/4 of the bottle with oil, then the rest with water, leaving an inch or so at the top so it doesn't overflow.)

I printed these cards to place in the bag with the mentos candy.

Box of Sunshine

2014-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

I love this idea, and I am sure most of you have seen it all over Pinterest! But I was excited to get to put together a "Box of Sunshine" for my Dad recently, who was recovering from surgery.

It's such a cute idea and you can change up what you put inside. This would be a fun thing to put together as a random act of kindness to leave on someone's doorstep. I would love to do that with my boys. They had a lot of fun helping me put this one together. There are lots of free printables out there, and now I can't find where I originally found mine. But if you look on Pinterest you'll find several to choose from! I added yellow tissue paper and wrapped the box in yellow cray paper.

Whose day will you brighten with a Box of Sunshine?

Max's Rocket Party

2014-02-17T10:32:00.001-07:00

Loved celebrating Max's 3rd Birthday this weekend! He has been talking about his "Rocket Party" for weeks and it was so great to see him loving every minute of the party! Love this little guys excitement and sweet heart!

There are lots of tutorials out there for making these adorable jet packs. I knew Max would love one! I made this one using 2 2-liter soda bottles, 2 paper cups (spray painted silver), yellow cray paper, cotton balls, and duct tape.

The kids built rockets that I had prepared by filling water bottles with water, glitter, and star confetti. I glued the lids on and also glued the rocket tops on. The kids colored on papers that I had pre-cut to wrap around the rocket and to use as fins. I had markers, chalk, washi tape and stickers for them to use to decorate their rockets.

For treats we had push up pops and rice crispy treats shaped like rockets and stars.

We also had fruit kabob rockets made with watermelon, banana, and canned pineapple.

I used a template of a rocket that I cutout using my silhouette machine to create a rocket shaped cake that we placed candles and sparklers in. I used black sprinkles and the template to add the shapes on top.

The kids all went on a "moon rock hunt". I filled easter eggs with starbursts, glow in the dark stars, tattoos, and some rainbow loom bracelets. My boys had fun wrapping all the eggs in foil to make them into moon rocks. The kids had fun finding them and unwrapping them to find their surprises inside.

Sent the kids home with mini nerf rockets as a party favor.

DIY Lit Floral Centerpiece

2014-01-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a really pretty and simple to make floral centerpiece idea. I put these together for an evening baby shower, however they would be great for any occasion! The led lights inside of the mercury glass create a beautiful glow. Follow the detailed steps below to create your own!

First mix together your flower food with 1 quart of water. You will want to use a container with a pouring spout.

Pour water about halfway up each water tube. Place lid back onto the water tube and stick 2-3 different florals in each tube.

Place your battery powered led light strands in each of your vases.

I found mine at Target on clearance for under $5 each.

Begin placing your florals in the vase, arranging them to create a balanced centerpiece. You may need to go back and trim different stems shorter once your have all of the flowers in place. I also used fake succulents to help fill the vase. I found mine on Save-on-crafts.com.

Popeye Pancakes

2014-01-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Casey grew up eating popeye pancakes, so it has been fun to start making them for our family. The kids love watching them puff up in the oven and they love eating them even more! If you've never had them before, I would say they are a mixture of an egg dish and kind of like french toast a little bit too. They are really simple to make with just a few ingredients, and you can top them with whatever you'd like!

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup butter

-6 eggs

-1 cup milk

-1 cup flour

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-toppings (we used powdered sugar, berries, maple syrup, and cinnamon and sugar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place your butter in a glass 13x9 pan in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir together the flour and salt and slowly beat into the egg mixture. Pour into the baking dish on top of the melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. It will puff up and become golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and serve warm with your choice of toppings.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2014-01-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I love this time of year, however every year I battle against the business of the holidays and life in general. I have to limit myself with what I try to take on and accomplish. Which is also why I haven't posted anything in a while. This last year has felt crazy for us with three little ones running around, moving, and remodeling our home. We really tried to slow down a bit this holiday season to enjoy time with family and celebrate the birth of our Savior. The kids did all end up getting sick the week of Christmas, which caused lots of sleepless nights, but we are starting to get back into our daily routine.

One thing I did want to accomplish this year, was sending out a Christmas card! I think it has been a few years since I sent one out. I wanted to capture us in our new home doing something together. So I set us up with some cookie dough and let the boys decorate cookies. My sister helped snap some shots of all of us...and it did get a little crazy. That's usually how it goes around here anyways, but there was flour and cookie dough all over the floors when we were done taking pictures. Max was crying because Hudson threw flour in his face, Piper was walking around eating raw cookie dough off the floor, and I was trying to take deep breaths. We did get some great pictures though, and the kids had fun!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day...

DIY Felt Christmas Pillow

2013-12-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

This is a really easy pillow to make with very little sewing. It is made with felt, which will not fray. I love the way it turned out and cost me under $10 to make!
(I had some of the supplies laying around the house.)

Supplies:

- 1/2 yard cream felt fabric (at least 38" wide)

-16" pillow insert (that's just the size I already had on hand)

-White thread

-Green felt leaves (I found mine at target in their Christmas decor, but you could cut your own)

-White pom poms (you can find bags of them loose at the craft store, I just had some on a strand so that's what I used)

-Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

I made a simple envelope back pillow case and because I used felt I only had to sew along each side and didn't need to worry about hemming the other sides.

First you will need to calculate what size to cut your fabric based on the size of your pillow. For the length you will double the size and add 6. My pillow was 16" square. These are my calculations:

16 + 16 + 6 = 38"length

For the width you will take the pillow size and add .5"

16 + .5 = 16.5" wide

Cut your fabric to your size. Mine was 38" x 16.5".

Next lay your pillow on your fabric with the right side of the fabric facing up. Fold the fabric around the pillow, overlapping it to create an envelope back. Pin along the sides where the fabric overlaps and then slide your pillow out.

Now pin along both sides and sew. When you are done sewing each side, turn the pillow case right side out.

Arrange your felt leaves in the shape of a wreath and using a hot glue gun, glue it in place.

I wanted a neutral colored pillow, so I covered the red berries on the original garland with the white pom poms using the hot glue gun.

7 Books to Help Strengthen Your Marriage

2013-12-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

Marriage is hard and takes a lot of work. Lots of forgiveness, grace, selflessness, sacrifice, and love. These are some books that I have found extremely encouraging along the way! Add them to your reading list and ask your spouse to join you in reading some of them.

1. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas - What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?

2. Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas -How God uses wives to shape the souls of their Husbands

3. Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll - The truth about sex, friendship, and life together

4. From Anger to Intimacy by Dr. Gary Smalley and Mr. Ted Cunningham - How forgiveness can transform your marriage

5. The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller - Facing the complexities of commitment with the wisdom of God.

6. The Five Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman -How to express heartfelt commitment to your mate

7. Just How Married do You Want to Be? by Jim and Sarah Sumner - Practicing oneness in marriage

Dear Vines Giveaway

2013-12-10T10:40:00.002-07:00

A good friend of mine has started her own business making these beautiful bracelets, and she would like to offer one to one of you for FREE! Please visit Dear Vines HERE to shop and read below to find out how to enter to win one!

Visit Dear Vines on Facebook or Instagram

to find a promocode for 25% off through the end of the year!

Dear Vines also offers mini vines for little girls.

And a mens line will be coming soon!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Visit me on instagram HERE to ENTER!
To enter the giveaway you must follow @thedearvines on Instagram
and repost the giveaway with hashtag #dearvinesgiveaway

If you would like additional chances to win follow Dear Vines on Facebook HERE and SHARE the giveaway for another entry, make sure to comment below letting me know you did!

Giveaway ENDS December 14th at 12am.
Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Make Your Own SNOW

2013-11-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

Came across this fun winter activity at Growing a Jeweled Rose, along with lots of other great kids activities! You can make your own snow with items you most likely already have at home. My boys loved it, especially the part where you make them foam and grow by spraying them with vinegar!

You will need:
-Shaving cream
-Baking soda
-Vinegar, in a spray bottle
-Glitter (optional)
-Sensory tubs

Place the baking soda in the tub.

Add some shaving cream and mix it together. The "snow" should start sticking together.

Spray your snowballs with vinegar and watch them foam!

Christmas Jar

2013-11-23T19:45:00.002-07:00

We've officially begun decorating for Christmas at our house! We are not hosting Thanksgiving this year and I couldn't wait any longer...especially after finding some fun Christmas decor at Sweet Salvage this weekend! I found these amazing gold glittered vintage ornaments there. They are from the 50's. I just LOVE them! The jar I bought at Design Lab in downtown Mesa and have been rotating what I place inside of it with each season. I collected pine cones from our yard and you can find details below with how I covered them it white shimmery glitter.

I love these battery powered LED lights! Perfect for lighting up a jar! I simply used 3M tape to stick the battery pack to the lid of the jar. You can find them at Target and Michael's, however they are cheaper at Michael's especially if you use a coupon! I also used a strand to wrap around some antlers.

To make your own shimmery pine cones and Christmas Jar, here is what you'll need:
-1 large glass jar with a lid
-1 strand of battery powered LED lights
-3M tape
-Ornaments
-Pine cones
-Tacky spray
-White glitter (I used a martha stewart brand)

Directions:
Set your pine cones in a box and spray with the tacky spray. Sprinkle with glitter. Spray another coat of tacky spray overtop of the glitter. Let dry. Using 3M tape stick your battery pack to the lid of your jar. Once your pine cones have dried, fill your jar with ornaments and pine cones. Wrap the LED lights through your pine cones and ornaments.

How to Save Your i Phone From Water Damage

2013-11-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my i phone was thrown into the toilet... by my one year old. I saw the whole thing coming when she grabbed my phone and made a dash for my bathroom! In my head I just knew if the lid was up it was going in the toilet. Sure enough as I chased in after her there is was at the bottom of the toilet. I frantically started grabbing at it and it took me a minute or two to get it out because it was wedged in the hole of the toilet! You can read below exactly what I did when I got it out, because somehow it turned back on 24 hours later in full working condition!

-Power off your phone as quickly as possible.

-Remove the case and any protective screen covers.

-Wipe the phone dry and use a q-tip to absorb any water in the plugs.

-Fill a plastic ziploc bag with rice and place your phone inside.

-Seal the bag and make sure your phone is surrounded by rice.

-Wait...this is the hard part! Wait 24 to 36 hours before turning your phone back on. And before you turn it on make sure you see no sign of any moisture. If you do put it back in the rice and wait longer!

I do not have the best patience so my phone showed no signs of moisture after 24 hours...so I turned it back on. It worked! If I had the self control it might have been best to wait 36 hours...just to play it safe...but I didn't. I wasn't sure if the bag of rice trick would work, but it did! So thankful that we didn't have to replace my phone!

Another thing you can do is check your phone for water damage by checking for the “Liquid Contact Indicator” locations as shown in the image above from Apple. If your phone is showing red it is indicating water damage. This would also affect your warranty.

Amy's Fall Themed Baby Shower

2013-11-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend I worked with a few friends to throw our friend Amy a baby shower. She is expecting her second little girl, Autumn anytime now! Amy is due with Autumn on Thanksgiving, so we thought a Fall themed shower would be perfect! We had the shower outside and the weather was beautiful! We served soups and salad for lunch and pies for dessert. As favors everyone took home a homemade pear butter. You can read and see more details below!

We decorated the tables with pink, yellow, and orange florals in gold mason jars. My friend Alexis has box loads of tree stumps that she placed down the center of the table. We scattered fresh pomegranates, oranges, lemons, pumpkins and cranberries on the tables.

For dessert we set pies on cakes stands and tree stumps. We served cherry, apple, pumpkin, pecan, and peanut butter pies. Each was labeled with chalkboard label that you can find HERE.

It was a beautiful afternoon. Can't wait to meet sweet baby Autumn!

Piper's 1st Birthday

2013-11-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

Can't believe our sweet baby girl is already ONE! The year has flown by, and I think I say that every year when the kids have a birthday. We were planning to have a small dinner party for Piper's birthday with family and close friends. However, the plans changed when Hudson came down with the stomach flu that morning. It was a bummer we didn't get to celebrate with friends and family, and eat all of the food that had been bought and prepared. However, Piper didn't know the difference! I did still take some pictures that I wanted to share. It was fun to plan a party with pink this year!

I made mini carrot cake cupcakes and a pink ruffled cake. You can find a tutorial for the pink ruffled cake HERE. I used striped paper straws and yellow tissue paper to make little candles for each cupcake. Also perfect for the birthday girl's cake!

Made a yummy apple cider sangria, recipe HERE.

Perfect adult drink for a Fall party!

We went with the "mini" theme for her 1st birthday.

These mini crab apples were perfect! Found them at Fry's.

We also made mini meatball sandwiches for dinner.

Put together a large veggie bowl full of "mini" cucumbers, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes.

I filled the bottom of the bowl with grocery bags and paper towels to keep the veggies up higher in the bowl. I was inspired by the veggie bowl served at True Food!

For the centerpieces I decorated with gold mason jars, pink and peach florals, white and gold pumpkins, and succulents.

I bought the sweet handmade crown for Piper to wear on Etsy from Tilly Tilda.

Made this tissue paper tassel garland. You can find a tutorial HERE.

I bought some pretty tissue poms from Petite Party Studio in down town Gilbert. I plan on reusing these by hanging them in Piper's room.

For party favors I made homemade play dough (recipe HERE) in three colors. I placed three rolled balls of each color in small mason jars and sprinkled with gold glitter. I used a free printable from Tomkat Studio, HERE.

Happy 1st Birthday sweet Piper!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

2013-10-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for a nice fall dinner tonight and loved how it turned out. However, it was absolute chaos while making and eating it... I think at one point all three kids were crying at the same time. The worst is when you work really hard getting dinner made and then it doesn't even turn out. So, even though it was pretty crazy tonight, I was still pleasantly surprised that I didn't destroy it during the many interruptions.

I never did get to take a picture of the whole meal finished. I found this AMAZING recipe for a Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onion from Inspired Taste. I will be making it again, and this dinner would be great for a Fall dinner party. The pork tenderloin is rubbed with dijon mustard and fresh thyme, served over sautéed apples and onion. It is full of flavor, and the pork tenderloin is so tender and delicious! I served it over a colorful multigrain rice, I like to buy the frozen bags of rice at Trader Joe's. They take three minutes to cook in the microwave and I never have to clean an extra pot.

Along side the pork tenderloin I made this roasted butternut squash. It added beautiful color to the plate and the toasted pecans on top added a great flavor and texture. A bit of brown sugar created a sweet glaze that coated the squash. You can find the recipe for the squash below and follow the link above for the pork tenderloin recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

-1 butternut squash, cubed

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

-Salt and Pepper

-1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and slice it lengthwise down the center. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into 1/2" to 1" cubes. Place in a baking dish and toss with the olive oil and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the over for 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile, place your pecans in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and chop. When the butternut squash is done remove from the oven and add pecans. Toss well to cover the squash and pecans with the glaze that was created from the brown sugar. Serve warm.

Halloween Decor

2013-10-13T09:16:00.002-07:00

My boys get really excited for Halloween, so I have fun decorating the house with them. Hudson loves when we bring out the Halloween bin! Each year we add a few new items to it. I have found great Halloween decorations at the dollar store, Target, thrift stores, and some are homemade. You can find more details below.

I decorated the entry table with cobwebs, old books, white pumpkins, and some other Halloween decor we've collected over the the last year. The Happy Halloween banner I made with my sister using burlap, stencils, black paint, black ribbon, and a glue gun.

Stick on bats went on the front door. I found them at Target.

Pumpkins on the front porch with lanterns feels like classic Halloween decorations.

Trick or Treat Sign Tutorial HERE.

Kept it simple in the kitchen with white and silver. Fill a large glass jar with mini white pumpkins to decorate your countertop for Halloween and Fall.

Found black halloween netting to drape over our gold mirror at the dollar store. Also less messy and easier to clean up than the spider webs.

We also found these black mice cut outs at the dollar store. Placed them on the stairway kick boards going into the basement.

Banana Muffins

2013-10-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

My boys love to bake with me and this is a recipe that we make together quite a bit. They love to mash the bananas, crack the eggs, and line the muffin tins with muffin liners. Sometimes we will even put dark chocolate chips in them, which makes them more like dessert than a snack or breakfast! I top them with oats and walnuts or you can find a yummy mascarpone cream frosting recipe here. The recipe comes from one of my favorites, Giada De Laurentiis.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled and coarsely mashed
Oats and walnuts for topping (optional)
Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Mash the Banana. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir. Stir in chocolate chips if desired.

Place the batter in the muffin tins. Top with oats and walnuts if desired. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Peppers

2013-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is starting to cool off a bit, I am enjoying making some Fall and Winter meals again. This is a great dinner to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. It is also a dinner that I will often make for friends in need of a meal. Once it is prepped it is easy to transfer to bake. The recipe makes quite a bit, so if you won't be eating all of it in one night, I will often freeze the stuffing. When you are ready to use, let it thaw, stuff some peppers, and bake as directed below.

Ingredients:

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
20 medium to large fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 tablespoon of italian seasoning
8-10 sweet bell peppers

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large skillet brown the ground turkey over medium-high heat. Once cooked through, drain the grease. Stir in italian seasoning, remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to drain the orzo. Make sure to drain the warm chicken broth into your baking dish.

In a very large bowl combine all of the ingredients: partially cooked orzo, cooked ground turkey, zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. You can cut a thin slice from the base of the pepper to help it stand up if needed.

Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. If you have any leftover orzo mixture I like to place it into a baking dish and serve it along with the stuffed peppers if anyone wants more. Also my kids like to eat it without the pepper, so I serve them theirs in a bowl.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with mint leaves.

Organizing the Laundry Room on a Budget

2013-10-08T10:58:00.001-07:00

I have been working to get different spaces of the our new house more organized this last month. We have plans to eventually add custom cabinets and a sink in the laundry room to the left of the washer and dryer, but for now I just needed to get the space functional. I spend way too much time in there for it to be a mess. I used some affordable organizers to help, you can find the details below.

1. Wall Shelving: Creates a safe holding place for cleaning supplies, fabric softener, bleach, lint rollers, and more that is out of reach of little hands.

2. Mason Jar: Having a designated place for collecting items from pockets before going in the wash keeps those small items from piling up and cluttering the space. The jar can be emptied as it fills.

3. Iron Hanger: Keeping your ironing board in place and the iron and cord tucked away makes the space much tidier.

4. Broom Holder: Holds mops, brooms, broom pans, and dusters in place. Keeps them from falling all over and also makes them much easier to grab when needed.

5. Glass Jars: I love the look of detergents stored in large glass jars. You can also get creative with creating a cute label for the jar. I used a vinyl chalkboard label.

6. Small Basket or Tin: To hold fabric sheets.

7. Cabinet: Hidden storage is great for hiding away smaller items in the drawer and larger below. I store two laundry baskets stacked in the cabinet. Great for grabbing when I am unloading the dryer.

8. Hamper: It is nice to have a place to toss dirty clothes and rags, instead of on the floor.

9. Light: Letting in some natural light by opening blinds can really make the space feel cleaner and brighter.

10. Inspirational Verses or Quotes: There is something to having a bible verse or favorite quote written out and in front of you to read on a daily basis. Especially when it is in a space where you spend a lot of time. Decorate your walls with something that will encourage and inspire you throughout your day!

For those of you who are interested, I thought I would include a before and after picture of the laundry room when we bought the house to now.

Even though we haven't finished the space exactly how we want it to be...it has come a very long way! We completely demoed what was already in place, including some walls! Put up new drywall, flat textured walls, new paint, new windows, new lighting, and new flooring.

Kids Command Center

2013-10-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

Since moving into our new house, one of the things I knew I needed to create was a command center for the kids. My oldest thrives on a structured routine with lots of positive reinforcements. If I don't have a space to organize all of that it becomes much harder for me to create that kind of environment for him. We use this space for behavior charts, chores, a weekly calendar, other school calendars, the kids art work, and also a space for the boys to "cool off". The space it mostly used for Hudson, who is five, but as Max and Piper get older we can incorporate more for them as well. You can find more details about the space and how I created it below.

The main space is filled by this large whiteboard from Ikea. The white hanging buckets are also from ikea, I just cut chalkboard labels using my silhouette machine to place on each one.

We currently fill the whiteboard with one side for each of our boys. There is a section for chores, star charts, encouraging words, and also for consequences. The whiteboard works great for us because my kids do well when we change things up. If we use a certain chart or discipline for too long it will no longer be effective. On my son's star chart we write about 4-5 things that he can work towards earning stars for throughout the week. We will often give him something to look forward to on the weekend for earning so many stars. For example: a pizza and movie night, staying up late, date with mommy or daddy, ect. My other son is a little young for a whole chart so we offer him stars for different things throughout the week and he loves it.

I also created a space for consequences. I don't know about you, but sometimes on the really tough weeks I start to lose track of what consequences I have given to the boys. Also this helps to keep my Husband and I on the same page. We will often say "lets go look at the board" before making decisions, so we can see what's been put on the board.

I also offer my oldest son an allowance on friday for his chores throughout the week. This makes it easy to count his check marks and give him the money he has earned.

I created a weekly calendar by cutting labels using Chalkboard Vinyl and my silhouette machine. I also cut the days of the week letters on green vinyl. My son loves to see his week written out, it gives him an awareness of what is coming up during the week. Even if there is something your child is not looking forward to, allowing them to see it on a calendar might help prepare them for the event. Hudson also loves being able to see fun events that he is looking forward to on the calendar.

I also use the space next to the chalkboard calendar to hang other school calendars, lunch schedules, potty charts, ect. I used colorful and fun washi tape to hang these. It looks cute and peels off the wall easily.

This white file holder is also from Ikea and I labeled each one with the kids names using my silhouette machine again. These are great for holding the kids school work, art work, or any other papers that need an organized place instead of piling up on the kitchen counter!

Above the whiteboard I used an Ikea curtain hanger to clip the kids art work and some pictures. I also added these fun felt balls to make the space more colorful.

I also created what we call a "time in" or quiet time space. Instead of always sending the boys to a "time out", there are times when I feel they need what we call a "time in". It is a time where they are sent to the stool to choose an activity to do in the basket. This can be a time for them to "cool off" or to focus on a puzzle or book to help change their attitude and behavior. Often times I can see when Hudson would benefit from a "time in" before his behavior even becomes out of control or inappropriate. Like I said, he thrives in a structured environment, so this is a great way to give him a task or activity that will improve his behavior. It is also much easier for me in the moment to send him to a "time in" than to have to come up with something on the spot to keep him busy. It is a good idea to change up what activities you offer in the basket. We also have a "time in" folder that I fill with different work sheets and coloring pages.

Here are some ideas to fill your "time in" or quiet time basket with:

-Books to read or look at

-Favorite stuffed animal or blanket to cuddle

-Puzzles

-Bead Maze

-Settle down glitter jar

-Cookie sheet with alphabet magnets

-Popsicle stick letters

-Folder with worksheets or coloring pages

DIY Sign with Reclaimed Wood

2013-09-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have been making quite a few Halloween crafts this week, and this one could be customized for any holiday or just as a year round sign to display in your home. My in-laws brought me a whole bunch of reclaimed wood that they found, and I love the white washed boards that I used for this project. I was actually able to make this sign using all items I already had at home. Here is what you'll need:

-A piece of reclaimed wood, size will depend on what you plan to put on it

-Paint, I used a Folk Art black acrylic paint

-Stencil or cut your own using silhouette machine and cardstock

-Sponge brush

-Tape

-Sandpaper

1. Design your stencil using the silhouette software. I downloaded a free halloween font called Carnival Freakshow, you can find it here. Cut the phrase on cardstock and trim it to fit on your piece of wood. Or use any stencil you'd like.

2. Tape your stencil to the piece of wood.

3. Sponge on your paint over the stencil. Make sure not to use too much paint on your brush or it will bleed under the stencil.

4. Pull off your stencil and let the paint dry. If you'd like to make your paint look more distressed you can go over it gently with sandpaper.

It's a very simple and fast craft that can be customized anyway you'd like.

10 Fun Things to do with your Kids for Halloween!

2013-09-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are 10 fun activities and crafts that you can do with and for your kids to celebrate Halloween!

Make Glow in the Dark Slime

Create an Egg Carton Bat

Decorate the house with Spooky Halloween Branches & Bats

Decorate Cupcakes

Paint a Pumpkin

Make a fun Halloween Lunch for a playdate

Make Halloween Treats

Bake Pumpkin Pie Pops

Make Lollipop Cookies for Friends and Neighbors

Surprise your Child with a Mummy Juice Box in their lunch

Homemade Liquid Water Color Paint for Kids

2013-09-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you, but we tend to go through our markers really fast. Either they dry out from all the coloring or lids get left off. Usually they get thrown in the trash, but here is a way to recycle and reuse them for a fun new craft!

My boys have been really into painting lately, so this was perfect free craft to do with them. There are also a couple different ways you can use the paints.

Supplies:
-Old washable markers, sorted by color
-Water
-Pliers

Directions:
We made 5 different colors, using 2-3 markers for each color. Start by removing the plastic ends of the markers by using a pair of pliers. Place the insides of the markers in plastic cups, sorting each color in a different cup. Then add 2-3 TBS of water to each cup. Let the markers sit in the water for about 10 minutes and you'll have new water colors ready to use! You can use them as they are by simply placing a brush in each cup or read below for another creative way to use the liquid paint. The colors go onto the paper really nicely and are very vibrant in color. And another plus is that if you use washable markers, the new paint will be washable!

This is a fun and different way to paint with your little ones. We discovered this technique at the Museum for Youth is Mesa.

Supplies:
-Spray bottle
-Shapes or Stickers
-Liquid water color paint, homemade recipe above
-Water
-Fine glitter (optional)

Directions:
Pour the liquid water color into spray bottles. Add about 1/4 cup of water to each spray bottle and 1/2 teaspoon of glitter to each bottle.
Have your child decorate a paper with stickers or just set different shapes on their paper. If using stickers, make sure they peel off easily. You could also use masking tape or rubber cement. Once they have arranged their shapes or drawing they can spray the colors on. Once dry peel the stickers, tape, or glue up.