Falling Down House

I found them Bengal BBQ Recipes!

2012-02-27T06:19:00.003-08:00

I love Disneyland. I got engaged in front of Snow White's Wishing Well. C and I had our Honeymoon there and we have a family tradition of introducing our babies to the Happiest Place on earth when they are 4 months old. I love the Bengal BBQ. It is a little snack shop accross from Tarzan's Tree House. I haven't been in awhile but it's good to know that now I can have a taste of Disneyland anytime I want....

Korean Sauce (Beef Dip)

Bengal Barbecue

Ingredients

1 c. Soy Sauce
1½ c. Water
1 T. Ground Black Pepper
3 T. Sesame Seed Oil
1 t. Ground Red Pepper
½ t. Cayenne Pepper
1 T. Fresh Garlic
1 T. Corn Starch

Preparation

Mix all ingredients except corn starch.
Bring to a slow boil over medium heat.
Add corn starch to thicken.

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Safari Skewers

Bengal Barbecue

Ingredients

1 pound fresh asparagus (thick stalks)
1 pound bacon (regular cut)
1 lemon
Skewers

Preparation

Cut asparagus and bacon into thirds. Wrap bacon around asparagus pieces, and skewer (place the pieces on horizontally and not lengthwise - be sure to pierce the end of the bacon to prevent it from unraveling).

Place on outdoor grill, turning frequently. Squeeze some lemon juice over the skewers while grilling.

Skewers are done when bacon is thoroughly cooked, and slightly charred around the edges.

Squeeze some extra lemon upon removing from the grill.

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Spicy Beef Skewers

Bengal Barbecue

Ingredients

1 c. Soy Sauce
1 1/2 c. Water
1 T. Ground Black Pepper
3 T. Sesame Seed Oil
1 t. Ground Red Pepper
1/2 t. Cayenne Pepper
1 T. Granulated Garlic
3 T. Cornstarch
18 1-oz. pieces Sirloin Beef Chunks
6 Bamboo Skewers

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients above and bring to a boil, adding cornstarch to thicken. Soak the bamboo skewers in water to avoid burning. Place 3 pieces of beef on each skewer and cook on the grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Brush with sauce and serve.

Yield: 2 3/4 cups sauce
Servings: 6

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Tahitian Sauce (Chicken Dip)

Bengal Barbecue

Ingredients

4 Whole Cloves
1 T. Red Wine Vinegar
1 c. Ketchup
½ c. Crushed Pineapple
½ c. Pineapple Juice
½ c. Brown Sugar
½ c. Soy Sauce
¼ c. Orange Juice Concentrate
3 T. Water

Preparation

Simmer cloves in vinegar for 5-10 minutes. Strain cloves and add other ingredients.
Bring mixture to slow boil over medium heat.

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Tonkatsu Sauce (Chicken Marinade)

Bengal Barbecue

Ingredients

1 c. Teriyaki Sauce
1 c. Soy Sauce
1 T. Red Wine Vinegar
1 c. Brown Sugar
½ c. Sherry Cooking Wine
2 Whole Bay Leaves
1 T. Ground Black Pepper
3 T. Grated Fresh Ginger Root
2 T. Fresh Garlic, finely minced

Preparation

Mix ingredients and marinate chicken overnight in your refrigerator.

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Dishwasher Vinyl

2012-02-24T08:10:00.001-08:00

Maybe this is only a problem in my house, but I never know if the the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty. Quite a few times I've grabbed something out of it thinking it was clean only to find some sort of gunk stuck to it. Yuck! On the other side I've ran the dishwasher only to find out that my hubby ran it already. What a waste of water and soap! So I devised a little solution.

Now all we have to do is move the magnet to clean when we run it and dirty when we unload it. Pretty simple. :)

Here's how I did it.

First, cut out the design, then weed out all the vinyl that is not part of the design.

Next, put mashing tape over the design. I use masking tape instead of transfer paper because it is a lot cheaper, but you get the same result.

Peel off the paper backing

Place it where you want it.

Use a putty knife or other flat surface to firmly press on the vinyl. This ensures that it will stick.

Remove the tape.

Stand back and admire your work!

See you next week,

Brenda

Meat on a Stick

2012-02-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Or if you are Jose Jalepeno on a steek! I have learned a secret to get my kids to eat something other than hot dogs or chicken nuggets. You must put it on a stick and then grill it.... They will eat the meat like it was a directive straight from Heaven. (i thought that was a good analogy for Lent). Wait is it Lent yet?
So here is my tutorial about meat on a stick. These things asle for a $1.00 a stick in the meat counter of my local supermarket but I made these for about 50 cents a piece plus I can marinate them the way I want and not the way the Butcher thinks it should be.

Use Chicken Tenders

Be sure to soak your sticks for a half hour before placing on grill

All ready for the grill

Add any sauce or marinade you want

throw them on the BBQ grill

All Done

Now sit back and watch the kids devore the meat on a stick! PS... young children should not be given sharp sticks!

Now my new quest is to find the recipe for the Bengal BBQ in Disneyland and make those!

New Chandiler in the Hall

2012-02-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

I picked up this little gem from IKEA for $39.99.

Close up Mr. DeMille

Item Found!

2012-02-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

We have no dining room table. Right now we don't even have a place to put one but that's all about to change. My neighbor gave us this little beauty and with some major modifications I'll transform it to be a table for us. It is Faux Marble and has a huge burn mark but I can fix that!

2012-02-20T06:28:00.000-08:00

Lovely Crafty Home

I ran accross this the other day and thought OH my Heck I have all the stuff to do this right now in my craft/decor supplies and I even have a place I'd like to try it out. THE STAIRS in the Villa Tranquilla...

Maybe mom wouldn't notice?

My brown paper floors are by far my most viewed content, at the top of the list for FAQs, and seen more on Pinterest than anything else I’ve done. I think that’s kinda cool for such an easy and cheap floor solution! But I cannot take credit for this method alone, I originally saw this idea in a magazine that featured Jami from An Oregon Cottage. I changed a few things about the process to suit my tastes, but her site is also a great resource.
I wanted to put all the details in one place (instead of scattered over several posts) to make it easier for you to start your project. Keep in mind this is the method I have done in my house over plywood subfloors. There are other methods out there, but I can only tell you what has worked for me. If you have cement/concrete subfloor, these instructions as written will not work. Please click here for advice from others.
Ok let’s get started! Want to rid your house of bad carpet/linoleum/vinyl/etc?! Here’s what you’ll need for a large room:

Brown craft paper on a roll-$11
Elmer’s Glue (by the gallon, check A.C. Moore/Michaels/other craft stores)- use a 40% off coupon, it will run about $12
Small bucket
Paint brush
Roller tray
Stain (optional, I used Minwax Dark Walnut)- $8
Floor Grade Polyurethane (I used this in semi-gloss)- $40
Sponge pad on wood block mop head to apply poly- $5
Lambskin stain pad refill (if you’re using stain- this fits on the same wood block as above)- $6
Extension pole (universal screw in connection for the mop blocks or paint rollers)-$9
3″ chip brush- $1.50
Gloves

The start up materials cost about $100, but will likely last for a few rooms (or into other projects, it’s always handy to have an extension pole). I did about 650 sq ft in my home for around $200.
First things first, prepare your floor. In my case, that involved removing the carpet, pad, and staples. I also sanded down any high spots (our subfloor had areas with plaster/glue or something on them), filled any deep nail holes, hammered in any loose nails, and filled any gaps between boards. Keep in mind when using filler that you usually want to overfill a bit because even though the package says it won’t shrink-it does. When it’s set, sand the filler down flush with the floor.

I’ll be the first to tell you that I absolutely hate prep work-especially sanding. But trust me, don’t skip this. Go ahead and tape off your baseboards if you really don’t want to do any touch up work. Once your floor is filled, sanded, and vacuumed (or swept), you’re ready for the paper.
It is probably faster to tear a bunch of paper, wad it up into garbage bags, then start. But I pretty much tear as I go, somehow seeing the progress helps and also allows me to take a break from sitting on the floor with glue hands. Get out your roll of paper and start tearing-keeping the pieces with straight edges separate from the ones torn from the middle of the roll. I like my pieces to be anywhere from 6″-12″ in diameter, but it really depends on the look you want. The smaller the pieces, the more wrinkly/leathery/vein-y the final result will be. As you tear, crumple the pieces into balls and toss into a bag or pile.
Next, mix up your glue. I don’t like to mix a lot at a time because you may need to stop or take a break, and you won’t want the glue to dry up and go to waste. I typically mix up 2-3 “batches” using a 3:1 ratio of water:glue- so 6-9 cups of water to 2-3 cups of glue at a time. This will fit it a 2 gallon bucket easily. Stir it up with a paint stick or a gloved hand.
Now you’re ready to start! Using a paint brush, brush the area you’re working in with the glue mixture then dunk 5-6 balls of paper in your glue mix. I have found this is the perfect amount of paper and working time for one person. As soon as you dunk the paper, you want to start submerging it and squeezing it out. I pull each ball out and set it on the floor until it’s time to use it. This is important: do NOT leave the paper in the glue too long. You will only have to leave it in too long once to realize how long that is. It will tear and break down and generally be a pain to use. So just dunk, squeeze, and set aside. Repeat if necessary.

The straight edge pieces are perfect for the back of a stair tread (shown above) and underneath baseboard. I like to overlap the pieces by a few inches, obviously it will help with durability but it also looks more natural in my opinion. Don’t be afraid to brush glue mix on top of the pieces to help them lay flat and remove wrinkles.

You’ll want to paper yourself out of the room, or in the case of the hallway, leave hopping spots to be filled in later. For a staircase, work every other stair. Heat helps the glue dry, so if you feel like getting out a space heater you can (pictured in the bathroom above). I have found that no matter how large the room-with or without heat- it usually takes no longer than 12 hours (or, overnight) to dry.
Once the paper is dry, it’s time to stain (if you want). I prefer the look of the stain, but if you like the natural color feel free to skip down below to the polyurethane section. My whole upstairs is done with Minwax Dark Walnut. This is an oil based stain, so beware. I have never used a water based stain, but I have had someone comment that they tried it and didn’t get good results. If you want to use water based stain, test it on some scrap paper first before proceeding.
For a small area, you could get away with a lint free rag and chip brush. However, if you’re doing a room I highly recommend the extension pole/stain pad route. Here’s a neat tip to keep your roller trays in good shape: slide them into a small garbage bag and tape to secure. This is great for any oil based product, but helpful for latex paint too!

Using the chip brush, cut in around baseboards and trim. The stain pad makes staining a pretty quick process, so you can really cut in a fairly large area (like a whole wall or closet). When using the brush, dip it in the stain and then dab it in the top of the roller tray to remove excess. You really do not want to apply stain with a heavy hand. It is much better to need to dip your brush more often than to have a puddle of stain you need to disperse. It is for this reason that I absolutely DO NOT suggest the use of a foam brush. I have tried them and trust me-the chip brush is much easier to control and about the same price. When cutting in, be sure to “pull” the stain out a good bit from the wall, about 6″ or so. This will make it easier to blend the edges with the bulky mop pad.
Once you’ve cut in a large enough area, grab your extension pole and attach the lambswool pad to the wood block (if you’ve bought them separately, or bought one that came with the foam pad attached) by removing the wing nuts . The lambswool pad is meant for oil based products, so if you’re using water based stain this will not work (you’ll likely need two of the foam pads). Vacuum the lambswool pad for a minute to remove any loose fur or use a lint brush if your vacuum doesn’t have a hose. I cannot stress the importance of this step enough.
The extension pole screws into a threaded hole on the wood block. It may take a few tries to get it to go, as the block and pad end up being more angled then you might think. It’s not a 90 degree joint, so just look closely at the threads and try to line up the pole. Maybe that’s too much information, but I seriously almost threw the whole thing out the window the first time I tried this. I was convinced that “universal” was false advertising.
Once you’ve got your stain pad-on-a-stick assembled, pour some stain into your roller tray. Again, don’t over do it- you don’t want to splash it everywhere. Make sure you open any windows in the room before you start because you won’t be able to access them later. Dip the stain pad into the stain then blot it on the upper half of the tray by pushing gently downward to remove excess. Using long mop like movements, brush the stain on the floor in large sections. Blend it into the areas where you’ve cut in. If you’re new to this, it’s best to start in a closet. I have found that staining the paper is a lot different than staining wood. Since there is no grain, it really helps to use circular motions. Once you’ve laid down most of the stain from the pad (a few long straight mop strokes), you’ll have enough stain on the pad left to swirl around the edges and blend. While the stain is wet, you can move it pretty easily. Just don’t try to go back over it a few minutes later. Remember to mop yourself out. This is sometimes easier said than done, so just plan carefully.

This next part is probably the hardest. After doing several rooms/areas in all weather conditions, I have never found that the stain dries completely. What I mean by that is even after 24 hours, it will likely still be tacky. It took me a few tries to come up with the best method of applying the polyurethane given this annoying situation. You’ll be mopping first, then cutting in.
I used a water based poly because it is a quick dry and less smelly. Considering the amount of time spent applying it, I highly recommend going this route. It is more expensive, but please do not make your decision based on price (this is already such a cheap flooring solution). If you choose oil based poly, test it in an inconspicuous area first!
Using the extension pole again, attach the foam mop head to the wood block. Cover your roller tray with a garbage bag and pour in your poly of choice. Dip the mop head in the poly, blot out the excess, then apply it in long strokes on the floor. Stay away from the walls, you can cut this area in with a brush later. Be quick and wear socks. Just get that first coat down with minimal walking. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Once it dries, the tack will be gone and you can take your time cutting in around the baseboards and applying subsequent coats. Follow the directions for re-coating that your brand of poly suggests. I recommend no less than 12 coats.
I get asked a lot about sanding in between coats. The truth of the matter is that it does make a difference in how the floor feels under foot. It likely extends the life of the floor as well. However, who wants to sand an entire room? I didn’t. I sanded my stair treads and landing, and these areas are really smooth and lovely. But of course- these areas are also not covered with rugs and furniture. So to me it’s a trade off. If you want perfectly polished looking smooth floors, definitely sand with 220 grit-maybe not between each coat but definitely after the first and before the last.
To really finish the look, install quarter round or shoe molding. I’m in the process of starting this in my master bedroom, and it looks amazing.
FAQs
1. How does the floor wear? Is it durable?
Well, it’s paper. So, considering that…it is remarkably durable. Once the poly is fully cured (sometimes up to a week), I find it is pretty resistant to scratches from normal traffic. I have a large dog and she can scratch the floor if she gets really crazy. It is similar to hardwoods in that way. I can’t guarantee it will last for 10 years, but I have heard that it can. It’s all in the application and general care of the floors. We have area rugs and felt feet on our furniture. I have never installed this in a bathroom or kitchen.
2. How long does it take?
I would say no matter how small the area, you’ll need at least 3 days without stain and 3 with stain.
3. What if my subfloor is not plywood?
I have no experience installing this on concrete/cement, tile, vinyl or linoleum. Some of my readers have suggested other methods which may work for your application. Please test in a small area to be sure.
And now here are some final shots from my house to get you motivated! Keep in mind all of these photos were taken on different days in different light, and you can see variation in how the floor photographs. But in person, it is very seamless and uniform.

{Basement Stairs-Natural, No Stain}

{Main Stairwell, March 2011}

{Main Stairwell, September 2011}

{Hallway And Ryan's Room}

{Ryan's Room}

{Hallway and Guest Room}

{Sneak Peak- Master Bedroom with Quarter Round Molding}

Concrete/Cement Tips
For concrete/cement subfloors, here are a list of things I have read or been told by others that do or do not work. Again, I have never done this so please test in a small area.

The 3:1 glue mix does not work for most.
A 50/50 glue mix has worked for some.
Using polyurethane only, brush it on the floor then lay the paper and brush more on top- do not saturate/dunk the paper.
If you have to use the poly only method, you cannot apply stain over the poly-it must be mixed in for the initial paper application. Look for “stain + polyurethane” products. I do not know anyone who has done this, so I have no idea how the stain+poly will affect the color of the paper.
I am curious to see if wallpaper glue would work

Tatouage

2012-02-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

In my last house I was a big fan of a place called Tatouage Designs. tatouage designs Link here. I spent A LOT of money on their designs and even though The Chateau is gone I still love the way it looked when I was done with it. Well, before things started collapsing on top of us. I thought just for a bit of nostalgia I'd post some of the pics here.

Master Bedroom

Added the Window and forgot to hang back the curtain

Railing for the Stairs

Guest Bedroom/ Game Room before kids

Dining Room

Tatouage goes on like a Rub on Transfer. It's easy to do and looks like you hired someone to paint Murals.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Table Display for $5.00 ( Dentist visit not included)

inthiscrazylife-bethany.blogspot.com

2012-02-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Source: inthiscrazylife-bethany.blogspot.com via Lacey on Pinterest

rub with waxed paper, water doesn't leave a mark anymore. I need to try this in the bathroom

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A few yummy recipes from Pinterest

2012-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Since we are in the process of moving, this is a little post about some great tried and true recipes I found on Pinterest. I'm always on the lookout for good recipes that my picky husband will eat and he likes all of these.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

It doesn't look like much but it is delicious and really satisfying. The best part is that it's pretty easy and not very time consuming.

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

This is my husband's new favorite meal. Another easy, delicious, and satisfying dish.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

This is pretty good for you, if you don't have unreasonably high standards. :) It has rice, beans, and salsa, along with chicken and cheese. Really yummy and really easy.

Baked Club Pinwheels

So good! There were a few problems. It's all meat and cheese so it's not the best, but my hubby isn't much of a veggie eater. The other problem was that the dough didn't cook all the way through, but I found that if you cut it about 10 minutes into cooking it works great. It also may have been my oven. We'll try it at the new house and see.

Hope you enjoyed this post! I'll be back next week with a few little projects from the new house.

~Brenda~

Sunday Baker

2012-02-09T10:44:00.001-08:00

Pudding Cookies

I always use this recipe when making chocolate chip cookies because they turn out every single time for me. The cookies stay chewy and thick and the best part is that you can basically add anything you want to them.This makes about 8 dozen:

Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1-1/2 c butter (3 sticks) softened

1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. white sugar

2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs, room temp

2 t. vanilla extract

4 c. of add-ins

( like chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter/white chocolate chips, candy bars, m&m's, nuts, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour and baking soda in seperate bowl and set aside; in a large bowl, cream butter, brown and white sugar. Beat in pudding mix until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture. This can take a little while, but make sure it's well incorporated into mix.
Finally, add the "fillers". This time I split the dough in half and used chopped up snickers bars in one:

And a combination of butterscotch and chocolate chips in the other:

I use my small melon ball scoop to make 1 " balls so the cookies are all uniform in size and bake evenly. When using the snickers, make sure you smooth the balls or the snickers part will ooze all over your pan.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden. I like mine slightly underdone, just a tiny bit golden.

These are just the perfect size and keep so nice all week long, if they last that long! I store them in ice cream gallon containers. So good!

Sunday Baker

Homemade Chicken Alfredo

2012-02-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

Since I had so much success with my last 2 posts on foods I thought I'd add this little gem. This is another one of my Dad's recipes.

Gather ingredients, you will need:

Heavy Whipping Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Cream Cheese
Oregano
Salt & Pepper
1 cube of Butter or Margarine

2 cups of Whipping Cream into Pot

2 TB Cream Cheese

1 cube Margarine or Butter

Grate 2 cups of Parm Cheese

1/4 teaspoon of Oregano

Add Parm and Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups Moz)

Salt and Pepper to Taste Simmer 15 - 20 minutes

Don't forget a little Oil and Salt to Flavor the Noodle Water

Cut up 2 chicken breasts Season as you like

Cook until no longer pink in the middle

Add chicken to cooked pasta

Add Sauce after it has thickened

Top with a bit of cheese and serve

Not for those counting calories!

Make your Own Marinade

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

My Dad until he retired was a Chef on the World Famous Las Vegas Strip. I can't cook but there are a few things I can do. I can make a mean marinade! Dad taught me how.

There are only 3 ingredients for a perfect marinade:

Oil - I use Olive because it makes me feel Healthy.

2. An Acid - I use Vinegar mostly because it offers a lot of variety in flavors but you can use Lemons, Oranges, or Limes.

3. Aromatics - this means spices that smell good and go well together. Today I used Garlic and Rosemary.

Add these bad boys to your meat or even your veggies. I use a plastic zipper bag and then I shake it all about making sure everything gets coated. Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge! Cook anyway you like. Mine will be baked...

Tonight's Dinner - Thick Cut Pork Chops baked at 350 degrees until the meat is 145 degrees internal.

Enjoy making your own Marinades and be sure to let me know how it goes...

What to Do with this Space

2012-02-02T04:54:00.000-08:00

I have this coat closet on the landing of the stairs. Did I ever mention that I have a sunken living room? You walk down three stairs to get into the Living Room/Dining Room and up 14 stairs to get into the bedrooms. However you walk into a landing with this closet on your left. The stairs go start out narrow and the open up creating this space here. I want to put a vinyl saying here but I want it to be cool. I don't want the normal sayings or a cliche.

Does anyone have a suggestion?

Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad

2012-02-01T04:58:00.000-08:00

I just had to take today and say Happy Anniversary to my parents. They have been married 50 years today. They were married on a dare on their 1st Date and 9 kids and 50 years later here they are!

I love you guys so very much!

Backyard Before

2012-01-31T04:47:00.000-08:00

We have started work on the backyard. I am so happy that we have one. I hated that there wasn't a place for the babies to play in the Chateau. The Villa has a huge backyard by Vegas standards. Right now it looks like a White Trash Playground but again a work in progress.

Here are the Before Pictures:

C removing the Gazebo that used to hide the pool

Our Redneck Trash Backyard (yes those are mattresses)

The rest of the Gazebo

The Patio with an Extra Dishwasher

Master Bedroom Before

2012-01-30T16:47:00.000-08:00

Today I began working on the Master Bedroom Transformation. I am very excited about it. I wanted to give my readers a sneak peek on what it looks like now.

I can't wait to finish so I can post the AFTER pictures.

Menu Planning for Beginners

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to be here posting again. I'm even happier because Sher and her family are visiting!!!

This week I'm going to blog a little about Menu Planning and show you my Menu Board (I'm really quite proud of it.)

You may be asking yourself, Why plan a menu?
Here are some of the reasons it helps me.

I save money
Grocery shopping is easier
We eat healthier
Preparation is simpler
The food fits my schedule
I can cook what my family likes
When 5 o'clock rolls around, I know what’s for dinner

I am in no way a fabulous cook. I'll admit that when my husband and I were first married, I only knew how to "cook" (and I use the term lightly) about 10 things. Most of them started out frozen. It wasn't pretty. We ate out A LOT. As you have probably figured out eating out is much more expensive than cooking at home.

Once we had the girls, Sugar and Spice, we couldn't afford to eat out every night so I had to learn to cook. I started out slowly, learning 1 recipe a week, and soon I had learned quite a few recipes that were not too difficult and that tasted good.

Here is a quick overview on

How to Plan a Menu

1. Choose a consistent time each week to plan your meals

2. Make a list of meals/recipes that you’ll be using

3. Plan your meals by assigning a recipe to each day

4. Make a shopping list using your meal plan

5. Go shopping

6. Enjoy the stress free cooking experience a meal plan provides

And now for my Menu board. I thought this little baby up after trying several other menu planners that just didn't work for my family. It was important for me to be able to have my recipes close at hand so I knew I needed something using recipe cards.

I bought the black board in the AS-IS section of Ikea for $1.25, had the hubby screw on some office clips, put up some vinyl lettering, and WALLA! There you have it.

I have each day of the week labeled.. I plan my meals Monday to Sunday, so this format worked best for us. It allows me to plan 2 full weeks.

I've since revised my recipe cards so that the ingredients and the recipe are on the front, I'll post pictures once we get settled.

There you have it! I love it! I consider it a functional piece of art. What do you think?

2012-01-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Source: bhg.com via Sherilyn on Pinterest

Source: curbly.com via Sherilyn on Pinterest

With These Two Pintrest Posts as inspiration guess what I can do with this little beauty I found on the Curb?

The After picture coming soon keep checking Falling Down House for the grand reveal.

Line Fridge Shelves with Press and Seal Saran Wrap!

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Source: amandathevirtuouswife.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

The Hall Project

2012-01-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have a well Kind of a hall at the top of the stairs. It lacked some pizazz and I had some left over paint from The Chateau. I also had 2 vinyl Chandeliers I had gotten from Dali's Decals that needed a home. The Original owner of the house was a Gospel Singer (she never actually lived in the house just badly decorated it). She had 1970's mirrors placed all over the house. In the upstairs hall there was a diamond shape one. MOM HATED THE MIRRORS! She removed them from her closet in the Master Bedroom but was worried about damaging the walls in the removal of them in the hall. Well, I'm adventurous SO I removed them. Before I took them off though I started painting but wasn't smart enough to take a picture before I put brush to wall.

Here is what it looked like:

You can see the top of the diamond painted White to disguise it.

Yeah it was ugly

After I finished painting and pulled off the mirrors I was left with a big white diamond.

I had to putty the holes left by the construction adhesive

But I still had plenty of my old friend from the Chateau:

You can pick this up at Home Depot for under $10

Can you see the diamond now?

Finished

Well Finished as soon as I replace that light!

Butterscotch Breakfast Bundt Cake

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

I try not to let the kiddos have sweets on a regular basis. However, for special occasions Like Daddy's Birthday I make this breakfast treat. It's pretty good and I thought I'd share it with you.

Gather all your ingrediants

You will need the following:
Bundt pan
Cook and Serve Butterscotch Pudding
Brown Sugar
1 cube butter or margerine
18 frozen dinner rools
Cooking Spray

Spray your pan with cooking spray

Add 18 frozen dinner rolls

1/2 cup brown sugar

Coat Dinner rolls with Brown Sugar

Make sure you get Cook and Serve NOT INSTANT

Add Pudding mix

1 Cube of Butter Microwave to melt (Make sure in BPA free Cup)

Equals 1/2 cup melted butter

Add butter to mixture

Cover and Raise Overnight

Rolls after raising Bake 350 degrees for 25 - 30 mintues (Ovens will vary)

Done Baking

Place serving Dish on top and Flip

Pull Apart Eat ENJOY!

TIME OUT! (My first post!)

2012-01-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

As you read in the "About Me" post I have a 3 year old. Overall she really is a great kid. She is genuinely sweet and helpful. However, even good kids have bad days.

When my oldest, we'll call her "Spice", was a toddler we quickly learned that she had a mind of her own. She loved emptying drawers, dumping out laundry baskets, and causing all sorts of havoc. At about 18 months we realized that it was getting a little out of hand and she was no longer listening.

That's when we started TIME OUT.

What a lifesaver! Since then it has worked miracles! It may not work for every child, but it works great for Spice.

Once we found out how great time out was working, I wanted to make a special time out chair, so we had some consistency.

That's when I created this little beauty...

And it was super easy!

Supplies:
- a step stool or small chair (I got mine at Michaels for about $4)

-paint choice of your color (I chose red because I wanted it to be kind of like a STOP sign. To me time out is less about punishment, and more about removing the child from the situation so they can regroup and calm down)

-vinyl lettering or a contrasting paint for the words

-Clear coat spray (I learned this the hard way when I discovered little red scuffs on my walls and floor)

Directions:
1. Paint your stool/chair. Allow to dry completely.

2. Apply or paint "TIME OUT"

3. Spray one or two clear coats on to protect your work. Allow to dry completely.

4. Stand back and admire your work!

Well I look forward to posting more in the future! Check back it next week for my take on a Menu board.

Meet Brenda

2012-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

Our New weekly blogger:

Hi! My name is Brenda. I'm lucky enough to be Sher's sister-in-law. A few days ago we were emailing back and forth and I was telling her that I would love a creative outlet to share some of my ideas, but I just didn't feel like I had enough ideas to do an entire blog. She was nice enough to offer me a guest blogger spot and I jumped on it! I'm so excited to share my ideas with all of her readers!

Let me tell you a little about me. I'm a 27 year old mother of 2 little girls, a 3 year old and an almost 6 month old. I've been married to my high school sweetie for over 7 years (the time really flies!). Before I had my oldest daughter, I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with my Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies and my teaching credential, and I substitute taught in elementary school.

After I had my daughter and became a stay-at-home mom I found that I needed something to keep my brain from going to mush. Since then I've been working on learning everything I can to make my house a home including cooking, decorating, cleaning, sewing, being a better mommy and wife, and everything else that falls into the job description of a mom.

We are moving to a new home in about 2 weeks, which should provide me with a lot of opporunities and inspiration for my guest posting gig. :)

Beautiful Headboards You'll Never Find In Any Furniture Store

2012-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.houzz.com

If ever there was a room in your home that should be a true reflection of your personal style, it has to be the bedroom. Your bedroom is your haven, your escape from whatever craziness this ole world has chosen to throw your way that day.

When designing or decorating your bedroom, your bed...being the largest piece in the room, is going to have a huge impact on the overall look. Often the bed is the focal point in a room due to its sheer size.

So, since beds are often focal points whether we like it or not...play it up and make it beautiful and dramatic with a fabulous headboard. Forget those old boring furniture stores...shop salvage yards and antique shops for unique one of a kind pieces that are headboards in disguise. Here are some beautiful beds to get your creative thoughts flowing...

by Blount Architectual and Interior Design

by S Interior Design

by Susan M. Davis

by Laurel Murals

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by SFGIRLBYBAY