HomePayge Blog

SKINNY WRAPS BLOWOUT SALE!

2013-03-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

Hey friends! Just a quick post...

I am no longer going to be selling the It Works Skinny Wraps and wellness products! I have become super busy with the kids and creating custom logos lately, and It Works just doesn't have my full attention!

I do however have a ton of product that I am needing to get rid of:)

Typically a box of Skinny Wraps sells for $99 retail or $59 as a loyal (which is a membership and an autoship).

I am selling boxes for $59 without the autoship and member ship with $5.00 flat rate (2-day shipping)

So... You can score an awesome box of amazing skinny wraps for $59 with no membership or any shipping charges. That's FOUR wraps for $59, $40 less than retail! Nearly 50%!

You can also purchase single wraps for $20/each, if you so desire!

If you want some product, just shoot me an email at:

houstonhousewife(at)gmail(dot)com

XO-

Roni

Things I've Come To Realize...

2013-02-28T11:25:00.001-06:00

Lately I've been seeing things differently. Or maybe it's just that I'm paying closer attention. I honestly don't know, but I've made a few discoveries lately:

1) I prefer pink Himalayan sea salt. Why? I don't know. It doesn't taste any different. But it's pretty.

2) I'm pretty sure Teagan was a homeless bag lady in her past life. She wants to go barefoot, wear the most random articles of clothing, and is always asking us for change which she keeps in a sock. And don't think that she didn't go to the store dressed like this... because she did. I lost that argument.

3) Parker really likes to wear Teagans clothes. Like... a lot! I never noticed how much he is in her clothing but the other day he came downstairs like this.... and I thought... "Geez! He really is ALWAYS wearing her stuff!"

4) Claire, my Weimaraner is "special". Like, I'm pretty sure she was dropped on her head at birth. She can't swim. Like, at all. Sinks right to the bottom. And while working in the yard the other day this damn dog tries to jump clear across the pool like a magical unicorn and lands smack dab in the middle, immediately drowning. So of course, I have to jump into a 50 degree pool, fully clothed, iphone in pocket, and rescue a 100 lb dog.

5) I always have my sunglasses on. James is always pointing it out but I've never really paid much attention until I woke up this morning with my sunglasses still on my head? Yeah... totally clueless.

So as of late... things like this made me realize that not only am I weird, but so are my kids... and dogs. This is a family of complete weirdness!

No worries... I'm alive.

2013-02-23T13:53:00.002-06:00

It's official. I have fallen off the blogging train. I really don't have any excuses other than I am tired. Really-Really-Really tired. Having a husband on business for a month was brutal. My house was turned upside down, schedules were off, we ate junk food and take out the entire time, and I'm just now getting back into our typical routine. It's been a mad house around these parts. Seriously.

I do however, have something exciting to tell y'all! I have had a really busy couple weeks in the design world. I've had several custom logo orders which is amazing. So excited about that! AND I officially opened up an Etsy Shop! YAY! You can find me over at...

PARKERPAYGE DESIGNS

I am still trying to stock the shop with pre-made logos at the moment... but I'm getting there. I can only do so many a day without my eyeballs bleeding from staring at a screen for hours on end. But opening a business takes time, I know that... therefore I'm not rushing things! Just taking it easy and letting it all fall into place on it's own.

But I would love for you to check out the shop and follow along if you would! I'm super proud of it, and I hope to make 100's of beautiful logos and designs in the near future.

Not only will I be doing logos, but Blogger designs as well. It's just going to take a bit for me to get it all stocked up and full of amazing designs! So if any of you are looking for a logo for your business, blog, or shop... let me know! I'm offering my readers 30% off of a Custom Logo Design or Premade Custom Logo using Promocode: HOMEPAYGELOVE.

Hope to see you following my new shop over at Etsy. com!

Apologies and Candy Coma....

2013-02-13T23:06:00.000-06:00

First off, I'd like to say I'm sorry for being completely MIA lately. With James traveling non-stop I literally don't have time to bathe, eat, or relax much less blog. Hopefully he will be returning home sooner rather than lately because I can say two things:

1) I'm tired and need a break.

2) These kids are driving me absolutely bat-shit-cray-cray!

Being gone on business for a few days, cool. I can handle that. Being gone for 3 weeks? Ummm, yeah. Not so much. I'm pretty much ready to pull my hair out. So this is me apologizing for not being around. Surely some of you missed me, right? Ha!

Anyways... onto the post...

Today was not only my fourth wedding anniversary (which of course James missed) but it was also the kids Valentines Parties at school. Because I'm mom of the year and totally forgot about it, I was that crazy lady in CVS at 7:30 am buying Valentines and labeling them all in the car while my kids ate Cheerios in the back seat. Yeah, go me. Needless to say they had a blast at their little parties and brought home a mother load of goodies. After dinner they were allowed ONE piece of candy and off to bed they went.

So around 9:30 I realized I was starving. Literally. Like, my stomach was screaming at me, LOUDLY. Then I remembered that not only have I still not showered, but I haven't eaten anything ALL day. Ugh. But at 9:30 and after a day of running around, cleaning house, and chasing children I so did not want to cook. Dragging my ass off the couch and slowly making it to the kitchen I saw it... there it was.... the candy!

I mean, it was right there. It doesn't take any cooking or heating or putting together. All it requires is unwrapping and eating. THAT I can manage. So yes... I ate candy for dinner. And it was AWESOME! It really blows my mind how things have changed from when I was little and had V-day parties at school. Back in the day we had little shoe-boxes turned into Valentines mailboxes that would get stuffed with small paper cards and the occasional Sweet Hearts candy. But now a days? These kids get AWESOME candy!

Pop Rocks? SCORE! I had a little TOO much fun sitting here eating packages of Pop Rocks. I mean, who doesn't love Pop Rocks? Seriously.

Cake Pops? Really? Don't mind if I do! And yes, it was awesome.

Of course I am more than positive that my kids are going to shit a brick tomorrow when they discover that half their stash is missing but it was worth it. Lifetime movies and a giant pile of awesome candy was worth the wrath of a five and two year old. And if need be, I can blame it on the dogs. That always works.

But aside from the candy coma I'm currently in, and besides the fact that my husband is not only missing our anniversary today but Valentines tomorrow I still received the sweetest gift from the most handsome Valentine in the entire world today. He even asked me to be his Valentine and yes, I cried like a baby. I'm going to cherish these little handmade gifts forever. These sweet, obnoxious, annoying, and incredibly perfect children of mine are the best, most important Valentines a girl could ever want. Not to mention they bring home cool candy so they get brownie points for that too!

Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all!

2013

Lately....

2013-02-04T15:52:00.000-06:00

Life has been a little off balance lately. The hubby is traveling for weeks at a time leaving me in charge of everything, all the time, everyday, for weeks at a time with no break. Needless to say I'm tired, running behind, and slightly bitchy. But the kids are keeping me company, and we've had a fun time playing and enjoying each other.

Parker actually turned three on Saturday! What?! It's so hard to believe that three years ago I had a little baby boy in the NICU getting pumped full of antibiotics and plasma transfusions from being born early with a lung infection, and now he's an independent, smart, and fun BIG boy! Because Daddy is out of town, the party has been postponed but we still celebrated without him. Some friends dropped by to give him hugs and presents, Teagan and I made a Batman cake that he adored and that I laughed at. Let's just that my future doesn't include cake decorating. Not only did the Bat symbol look ridiculous, but the entire cake ripped into pieces so I literally glued it back together with icing. Yeah, it was bad. But it tasted good and he thought it was perfect! So really, that's all that mattered.

Teagan and Parker have been getting along a lot better lately. I'm not sure if are tired of getting into trouble or they are actually starting to like each other, but either way I'm enjoying the civility.

And as for Teagan? Well....Teagan is literally changing before my eyes. Everyday she looks a little more mature. Her face a little longer, a little less baby shining through. I swear she's going to be driving tomorrow and getting married on Sunday. She's just growing so fast. I love seeing her learn, grow, mature, and change... but I would be lying if I said I didn't want her to stay little for just awhile longer. Her personality is bigger than life, and her attitude is well... only that much bigger. DIVA doesn't adequately describe this child, she's a complete handful. But I absolutely adore everything about her. And we've had so much fun having slumber parties in Mommy's room while Daddy is gone. Painting nails, doing facials, watching movies.... it's been a blast.

So lately.... we've been a family of three rather than four. I'm ready for my husband to come home. I'm anxious to have a great party for Parker. Cannot wait to get our routine going again. However.... this one on one with the kids has been the best part of "lately".

Disney Gone Wild....

2013-02-01T16:26:00.000-06:00

You think of the Disney Channel and you think, "wholesome, kind, genuine, good girls with morals." Or at least I do. Or, I "used" too. Now a days I just see these sweet new faces on the shows and think to myself, "Well.... this won't last long. She will be sleazing it up in about five years." It's a shame, really. Why can't these sweet girls stay sweet?

It all started with Britney Spears. She was a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse kid. Then hit Hollywood with a bang, back in 99'. She still had a sweet, good girl demeanor for awhile and then it happened. She went slutty on all of us! First the clothing, then the partying, then K-Fed, then the drugs, and "no panties in public", then psycho, etc... I literally watched her life over the past 13 years spiral out of control and now instead of seeing the sweet kid from the Disney Channel, I see a tired, old, run down girl.

I don't know how these girls go from being the sweet kids of the Disney Channel to the whores of Hollywood. It seriously blows my mind! And today while in the store, I had to do a double take at the magazine rack because my mind, was yet again, blown!

WHAT IS THIS?

"It's Miley, Bitches"????? Really? I swear my mouth actually dropped open in shock. Wasn't she just starting as "Hannah Montana"? Wasn't she just the snaggle-toothed, braces wearing, awkward kid on the Disney Channel? I mean, wasn't that just like.... a couple years ago? How did she go from that to this? It's absolutely horrifying to me.

James and I used to always talk about how we wanted to get Teagan into acting and see her on the Disney Channel, but if this is what all the Disney girls end up like.... Then absolutely not. I refuse to have that happen. I mean, isn't she worried her DAD will be seeing this? I mean, she's not naked but it sure is provocative and inappropriate. I think I would die if I saw my sweet daughter plastered on a magazine cover exposed. Like, I might really-actually-not-even-kidding-die if this were Teagan.

I'm by no means saying that I judge the girls who do these types of spreads, (and I would have done it in a heartbeat at her age) but I don't want that for my child. I would never agree or condone this. Never.

So my question is:

"Because so many of the sweet girls on the Disney Channel end up being little hookers, should we not allow our children to watch them now knowing that they will follow them into teenagers/adults and want to be like them? Should we eliminate the urge to be cool like Miley or Britney or Christina now by not allowing our kids to grow up watching them?"

I mean, if they don't follow them and grow up with them on TV then aren't we eliminating some sort of urge to behave like them down the road?

Food for thought.

The Loft/Reading Nook Reveal!

2013-01-25T20:55:00.002-06:00

Ahhhhhh! I am so excited. I have finished the upstairs loft for the kids, and it is time to reveal how I used bold colors in a small space! Originally I wanted it to be a playroom, then I wanted it to be a reading nook for me, but after going back and forth for nearly two years, I decided to make it a little loft/lounge for the kids. I'm sure I'll still use it to sit and read while they play upstairs, but since it's theirs I wanted to make it loud, fun, bright, funky, and totally kid worthy. And yes, my pictures still suck. It's incredibly hard to take good pictures of a small-odd-shaped-room without any natural light. So that's my excuse.

I finally had the chance to use my all time favorite color by Behr, Electrify. It's part of the new 2013 trends pallet and it's amazing. Really-really-amazing! It's LOUD. BOLD. A little EXTREME... But I absolutely adore it! The hubby and I call it "blurple". It's a perfect blend of blue and purple, almost an indigo. All in all I really love how it turned out. The kids think it's fabulous, it looks like a modern yet fun little area that I think we will all enjoy. Granted it's loud.... but it's amazing and I couldn't be more proud of that little nook. And the entire project cost me.... $370.00. Not bad!

(Excuse the empty picture frames, I haven't gotten that far yet! Ha-Ha! Excuses-Excuses.... I'll get on that!)

Hope you like it as much as we do! And if you would... PIN IT! I'd appreciate it!

Paint - Behr Electrify

Loveseat - (Craigslist) IKEA Klippan Series

Table - tutorial, here.

Canvas - tutorial, here.

Rug - Overstock

Shelves - Target

Table Decor - Target

Fresh Herb Watermelon Salad

2013-01-23T19:17:00.002-06:00

Last night was our first meal eating Paleo. I have to admit it was amazing, and I don't see how "eating clean" will be an issue. Granted, it's more expensive but it's totally worth it in my opinion. This new way of eating is scary for me because I am 100% American in my eating habits, meaning... I eat like shit. But as of 6:00pm tonight... that changed. No more processed, fatty, hormone packed, additive injected crap for this family. Nope. That is over.

We had an amazing meal of steamed Snow Crab (wild caught) and an amazing salad. Since there is no "real" recipe to share for steaming crab it's not worth going in to. BUT... the salad? That was something I had to share. Delicious was an understatement. It was absolutely to die for, and I'm thrilled to be sharing such a healthy, organic, Paleo recipe with you! So, here you go!

Ingredients:

1/2 medium Watermelon (chopped)
1/4 cup Fresh Mint
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro

Cut watermelon into chunks and chop the herbs.

Toss everything together in a large salad bowl and refrigerate for an 1 hr to allow watermelon to soak up the herbs aromas.

Serve chilled.

Such a sweet, yummy, low-cal, healthy, organic, summery salad. I hope you try this. It will seriously change your life. And it pairs perfectly with any fish! (All fruits pair well with fish!)

Those Pesky Keywords

2013-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

I don't even think I can come up with a blog post for this. But to say I was thrown off by this keyword is an understatement. Please tell me other blogs get bizarre keyword searches right? I have some odd keywords or phrases used but "50 shades of grey stencil vagina?" I'm confused.

I mean, I wrote a post about the books (which I enjoyed) and I might have said the word "vagina" in the post somewhere... but who googles "50 shades of grey stencil vagina"? And who stencils their cookie? I mean really. This is just too weird for me, and I'm a pretty weird individual so that says a lot.

52 Pins Project #3

2013-01-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

I couldn't wait to get this canvas finished. The loft needed a giant canvas above the love seat and I knew exactly what I wanted. I found an idea on Etsy and pinned it because I knew I could mimic it in some way or another (Pin can be found, here.) The one I pinned is made from up-cycled wood but seeing that I didn't want anything heavy and I didn't want to mess with cutting wood, I knew I could make something similar with paint and a canvas. So that's what I did. And because of the bold colors in the loft (which is where this will be) I didn't want to make it all "matchy-matchy." The loft is anything BUT "matchy-matchy" so I went with 6 different colors, for all different sized stripes. I love how it turned out. It's exactly what the little space needed and I'm thrilled that it pulled all the colors in the room together.

(It's not hung in the loft yet, but I cannot wait until it is! It's by far the perfect addition to the kids perfect little space!)

Items Needed:

Canvas
Acrylic Paint
Brushes
Masking Tape (or Painters Tape)

What I did:

I painted the entire canvas bright yellow. Two coats, and allowed it to dry and set for 24 hours.

Then I taped it off. I didn't even use a measuring tape. I eyeballed it and went with it. No one has time for measuring afterall : ) I just made all different sized stripes with the tape and made sure the tape went around to the back so I could make the stripes continue onto the bottoms of the canvas instead of ending at the edge.

Then took a credit card and made sure the tape stuck down so no paint would seep under it to create a messy stripe.

Next I just started painting different colors. I didn't make it a pattern, and didn't care if there were more of one color than another. I just painted.

Acrylic dries pretty quickly so I removed the tape after about 30 minutes.

It came out perfectly, or at least I think it did. I love it. It was easy and cheap and it pulled the entire loft together. What do y'all think? Was it a success?

Organic & Low-Cal Spinach Artichoke Dip {to die for!}

2013-01-21T20:06:00.000-06:00

While we begin our new ways of eating, which you can read about here; I have been thinking about the few things that I cannot live without. You see.. I have a weakness for a handful of things:

Burgers
French Fries
Cheesecake
Fried Zucchini
Spinach Artichoke Dip

I can live without soda, and chips, and candy... but those five things? I highly doubt it. Luckily, all of them besides cheesecake can be made using healthy choices and substitutes. Of course I'll have to do some research and experimenting to master healthy versions of french fries but I'm positive that it's doable. As for the spinach artichoke dip, I already have a great recipe for an organic, low-cal version of your basic dip. And you would never guess that it's a skinny version, so once you take a bite of this absolute delciousness, you will be saying "thank you". So with that being said, You're welcome!

Ingredients:

13.75 oz organic artichoke hearts, packed in water
10 oz frozen-organic spinach, thawed and squeezed
1/4 cup chopped organic shallots
2 cloves organic garlic
1/2 cup fat free, organic, plain yogurt (I use Horizon)
1/2 cup organic mayo (I use spectrum from WalMart)
1 + 1/4 cup cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil
Gluten-Free Pita Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 and coat glass baking dish with olive oil.

Squeeze all liquid out of frozen spinach by wrapping it in paper towels and squeezing.

Chop artichoke hearts, garlic, and shallots.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and (minus the 1/4 cup of Parmigiano and 1/4 mozzarella). Empty into baking dish and cook for 20-25 minutes. Once heated all the way through top with the leftover 1/4 cup of Parmigiano and Mozzarella and heat another 3-5 minutes until melted.

Serve immediately with Gluten-free Pita chips.

And there you have it folks! An amazing, organic, low-cal, gluten-free spinach artichoke dip.

That Awkward Moment When....

2013-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

You know when you have those really awkward moments? Well... I seem to be the queen of awkward moments. Seriously. It's inevitable. I'm the one that all the awkwardness is attracted to. Not kidding. If there is something that makes you uncomfortable or feeling awkward, I can almost guarantee it's happened to me. Like..

That awkward moment when:

Your daughter calls her Dad to say good morning and he answers with, "Good morning sugar tits" thinking it's me. #oops

When you're reading Dr. Seuss and as your getting tongue tied for the 273,332 time, your five year old grabs the book and reads the entire thing with grace. #isuckatlife

When you're texting your 72 year old father and he's being silly, only to have your response of "Dad, you're so corny" autocorrect to "Dad, you're so horny." #horrified

When you put your kids to bed at 9:00 so when midnight rolls around you think it's safe to "play" with Daddy only to have your oldest walk in and bust out laughing. Awesome. (And why was she laughing? We thought it was sexy. Obviously not.) #parentfail

So... as you can see.. I am full of awkward moments. And these five things happened in the last seven days, so needless to say... It's an everyday occurrence for me.

Welcome to my life of awkwardness.

Starting FRESH! {Health Kick 2013}

2013-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

I hate to admit it, but I am almost 30. So scary to say out loud. In five months, this girl will officially be "old"! Ahhhhhh! I've heard mixed things about hitting 30. I have heard that it's amazing and that some women love 30 because it's actually a woman's "prime". Then I've heard that once you hit 30 there is no going back and everything starts to go downhill physically. Wrinkles start to appear, boobs start sagging, elasticity of the body starts fading, etc... At least I don't have to worry about the boobs part. Breast feeding sucked the life out of those puppies after Parker was born so I can't worry about something that has already occurred. We have decided as a family to start fresh and begin a healthy lifestyle and the paleo diet!

(FYI breast pumps will destroy your boobs. Sucking a body part down a hose for 8 hours a day is NOT good for the ole' sweater puppets. But hey... there is surgery for that.)

What I am worried about is never being able to get back to a healthy point in my life if I don't start now. You see... I smoke. I don't work out. I eat like crap. And all of those things are seriously affecting my body. Not to mention my health. Because it is a real life fact that in order to live longer and be an active individual with the ability to enjoy life and eliminate ailments, one must take care of them self. That's my new goal. Take better care of myself and my family!

We are currently preparing to begin five things to help us achieve a healthy lifestyle:

1) Paleo Diet aka "Caveman Diet" (Fresh, Organic, Meats/Veggies/Fruits: NO Dairy/Sugar/Processed/Grains)

2) Exercise (Gym 5 x's a week)

3) Eliminating Gluten Completely (this is something that everyone should do!)

4) Stop Smoking (Because my lungs are already black I'm sure)

5) Get back into church (Because GOD is good for your body. Mind. Soul. He can mend your life in ways that organics and elliptical's can not.)

So here's the plan...

Because we refuse to waste food we are consuming the rest of what we have in the fridge/pantry/freezer by eating the most random meals ever. By random I mean, Chili Dogs and corn on the cob and/or Spaghetti and beans. (Don't judge me, it has to be done.) Once the food is gone, whatever randoms are left will be donated to the Food Bank and we are starting FRESH! Organic, Gluten Free, Paleo, and Exercise HERE WE COME!

My husband James is older than me, and will be 36 in June so we both need to start taking better care of ourselves. Luckily we are both naturally "thin" and don't care much about "weight loss" but toning, conditioning, firming... those are things that we care about. Not to mention being healthy on the inside! I thought I would be completely angry and pissed off having to change my lifestyle, giving up my soda and candy, burgers and fries; but I am actually incredibly excited. I can't wait to become a better me. We want to live longer, we want to be able to enjoy each other and our children for as long as God allows us to. We don't want to become "old" before we are supposed to. And if we continue on the path we are currently on... it will definitely catch up to us faster than we anticipate. So... these are the plans for 2013. I am anxious and nervous to begin but so ready for the change! Not to mention start sharing healthy recipes and fun activities that include exercise so that the kids and James and I can be active together. Wish me luck because I am positive I need it!

Anyone have any gluten free or paleo recipes? Has anyone done Paleo? Has anyone made a serious lifestyle change?

Damn you, time!

2013-01-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

Why can't we just stop time? Freeze it in it's exact moment so we can savor the moments that are ticking by so quickly? It's a shame, really. What I would give to keep the little ones little for a bit longer. There are certain occurrences in life that make me realize that time passes too quickly. And it always has to do with the babies. I'm starting to realize whether I like it or not... they are getting older. Less dependent on Mommy. I notice it most when I realize things like...

Parker will be three in a matter of weeks.

Teagan will be in kindergarten next year.

They like to pick out their own clothes.

The no longer want kisses when dropping them off.

Teagan getting embarrassed when I try to talk to her and her friends.

Parker being three and wearing a 5T.

Teagan wanting a bra.

Etc... Etc... Etc...

But the biggest realization occurred tonight. Teagan is having her first slumber party. OMG. Where did my baby go? Of course I secretly want her to call and say, "Mommy! Come get me. I miss you!" But I know that won't happen. She's not like that, and she never really has been. But to have her leave, little backpack/baby/pillow in tow, turning around and telling me, "I love you, Mom! See you tomorrow." Nearly ripped my heart out. I think it's obvious too. Apparently I am in a terrible mood, according to James. I don't think I'm in a terrible mood, I think I am really-really-really sad. I don't want her to grow up. At all. I want her to stay little and need me forever.

She and I had the sweetest conversation today about me being sad about her leaving me tonight. I told her I thought I might be really sad not having her here. And you know what she said?

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be home tomorrow. You can call me whenever you want. I'll draw you a picture and you keep it by the bed so if you wake up scared you can look at it, and it will make you happy. But don't cry too much because you start getting boogers on your face when you cry." Thinking about it now makes the waterworks turn on and the laughter come out. That child holds the key to this heart of mine.

So yes, I would do anything to pause time just for a little while. Just keep them this size for a wee-bit longer. Keep them small and innocent and needing their Mommy for a few years more. Sheesh! This Mommy is going to cry. Again. If only they could stay little for longer than they do. These milestones make me understand that it's inevitable. They are going to grow up. Whether I like it or not.

Breakfast: Ways to save!

2013-01-18T00:42:00.001-06:00

Breakfast is a meal that kids just don't miss. Or complain about eating. But breakfast can actually be a pretty expensive meal when you cut corners and buy frozen. And I know we have all bought frozen breakfast items. For 1) it's easy, and 2) there are all types of frozen breakfast items. Toaster Strudels, Breakfast Bowls, Pancakes, Waffles, Sausage... I mean the list can go on forever. If your babies are anything like mine, pancakes are a top menu item for breakfast. My kids eat pancakes all the time. Whether it's pancakes with eggs and bacon, or pancakes and fruit, or pancakes and a smoothie... pancakes are somehow always in mix. It's inevitable. The kids love them so I make them! Plus, they are always good and you can make a billion different types (because you know we all love variety), and for the most part they are easy. However, being a busy Mom and not having time to make pancakes on school days I resorted to buying the frozen Ego Pancakes which is not cheap when you buy as many as I do. I think there are 10 pancakes in a box of Ego Pancakes and eight waffles in a box, each box costing around $3-$4 dollars. When each of my kids will eat three (so six waffles/pancakes) in one morning... I go through a lot of money and pancakes each week. Well, here is a breakfast tip that will save you money!

I decided that buying a box of pancake mix (the Gluten-Free, just add water kind) instead and making the entire box and freezing them would suffice and essentially it would save me so much money! So that's what we've been doing lately and it's so much cheaper. Like... SO MUCH CHEAPER!! I get about 36 pancakes out of a box costing only $6.50 (or the regular pancake mix for $2-$3 a box) instead of 36 Ego's where I would pay about $12-$14? Do you see what I am saying? STOP buying frozen Egos and do it yourself. I like saving money, surely you do to.

I mean, $14 dollars doesn't seem like much but think if you spent $14 a week on frozen Egos for a year? That would be $728 freaking dollars, people! And doing it yourself is cutting that down to $130 a year. Not to mention I can make and freeze banana pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, cinnamon pancakes, blueberry pancakes, etc... instead of buying plain Egos for a trillion dollars per pancake.

So what I am trying to say is... stop buying all the pre-made/frozen name brand "shit" (because that's what it truly is) and do it yourself and freeze it at home. You're going to save money. Period.

I make an assortment of different pancakes; usually banana, chocolate chip, and blueberry and freeze them. The kids have a choice as to which type they want and they reheat just the same as the frozen types. I've never cared much about "saving money" until recently and I have found that there are a billion ways to do it. Just think what you could do with $500 extra dollars a year that you would potentially be spending on frozen breakfast stuff! It's a no brainer people. A no brainer!

Another favorite of ours are the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls. These bad boys are around $3/each. But you can make these at home also! Just scramble the eggs, cook the bacon or sausage, make some hashbrowns or cook a few potatoes (crumble the hasbrowns or dice potatoes), let it all cool and toss it into individual ziplock bags with some shredded cheese, salt/pepper, label and freeze. Ta'da! You could probably get 10 DIY Breakfast Bowls for $12 when you would be paying $30 for the pre-made ones!

You do realize that frozen items are the most expensive products in the store, right? It's actually quite ridiculous seeing that those are the worst, most processed, sugar and gluten packed crap in the entire store. Buy fresh food, cook it yourself and freeze it! Common sense, y'all. Save some money and DIY!

52 Pins Project Schedule!

2013-01-17T10:11:00.001-06:00

Next Tuesday I will be resuming 'The 52 Pins Project'. Christmas and the new year kind of got in the way of my plans but I will be starting the series back up on Tuesday, the 22nd. Just to give you an idea of what to expect I have made a schedule for the next four weeks of what projects you will be seeing here at Simply Suburban! Get excited, because I am! These are four awesome Pins that are easy, inexpensive, and fun!

Hope that you will join me on the 22nd for a new project here at Simply Suburban!

Bright Eyes & Dear Teagan.....

2013-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

In the rare occurrences that Teagan allows her picture to be taken, there is something unreal about her eyes. For some reason in her photos they come out this vibrant caramel color (although I did use an eye brightener in Photoshop in this photo). There is something about those eyes. Those amazing bright eyes. Something amazing, kind, interesting, deep. Something about them makes me feel like I can look strait through to her soul.

The beauty of this child is unreal. It's hard to fathom that this little girl came from ME! I've never considered myself "beautiful". I've always been cute, in that tom-boy-kind-of-way. But beautiful? Stunning? No. Not me. But Teagan? It's hard for me to wrap my head around her beauty. True, I am biased and her mother but in all seriousness. This child is beautiful.

Behind that sweet, pale face is an ornery-slightly obnoxious-difficult-stubborn child, but there is always that brief moment when I capture an image of Teagan that I can see the sweet-loving-beautiful little girl she really is and all the difficult sides of her disappear. It's amazing what we can capture through a lens. I hope to learn a little bit more about photography so I can document these priceless slices of time on film more often. I NEED to learn. I want to be able to fill albums and frames with image after image of my children's beautiful faces and their sweet souls that shine through every photo.

Dearest Teagan,

Although you and I have our moments, just know that Mommy adores you more than I love my own life. To have the privilege of being your mother is by far the most amazing gift I've ever received. You're personality, although strong willed and defiant makes you who you are and I admire that. Your creativity, your determination to complete the task at hand, your ability to build beautiful sky scrapers out of Lego's, your caring heart, and sweet soul are just a few of the amazing things God blessed you with. You are my best friend, even if you don't know it yet. And just know that even though Mommy is tough on you it's all for a reason. I want to help mold you into a beautiful, kind, and strong woman. I want your strong will and stubborn ways to only come out to play when necessary. One day you will understand why I am strict. Why I don't tolerate your occasional attitude, and one day you will be the same with your daughter. Mommy's just want what's best for their little girls.

I am just so happy that you are mine. I look forward to watching you grow, watching you mature and change. I cannot for the life of me wait to see you become a little lady. I love you too much. Know that.

Mommy

Date with Pinterest

2013-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'll be the first to admit that as far as "decorating" a room I am not the best in that department. We've been in our home going on two years now and we have not added a single piece of "decor" to the entry way or living room. We've painted, laid our new dark hard woods, and bought new furniture, but I have yet to add the decor to make it all come together. And when I say I haven't added a "single piece of decor" I mean I haven't added ANYTHING! Not a picture, vase, knick-knack. Nada-Zip-Zilch. It's a damn shame, really. We have a very art decor shape to our living area and entry. It's an older home with a two story fire place, open ceiling that looks up onto the second floor, columns, two story windows, and the shape of the main area of the house is amazing. Why I haven't decorated simply boils down to... I don't know how. Or what to add. Or where to add it. Or what colors I want to bring in. I need some Pinterest help.

You see, I love gray. Hence the gray and white walls and slate gray furniture. Not only do I love the color but it was an easy choice to accent. Anything goes with gray, leaving me the option to bring in any color my little heart desired. The problem is... I don't know what to bring in. I need help! I need to start the process of pulling the main living area together, adding some flare, creating a beautiful space with pops of color among the dark, bold walls and deep espresso floors.

So that's my goal for the next month or so. Finding pieces that will bring the room together and create the room I see in my mind but haven't figured out how to accomplish it. I mean really, y'all. My mantel is bare. How sad is that? Not a single thing sits upon it leaving the house looking cold and empty. I suppose that it's time to really sit down and have a serious date with Pinterest, look for ideas and inspiration to bring my living space together.

Please tell me I am not the only one that has a problem adding "decor". I hate sitting here and looking at all the other Mom's "Home Tours" only to see that each of them has this annoying gift to decorate perfectly and precisely. Not only does it make me feel inferior, but it makes me feel like I don't have the ability to create a pretty room. Why must I be the ONLY Mommy blogger that doesn't have a perfectly decorated/designed living area? I mean really. It's very frustrating!

Here's the Room Now.... And I am planning on having a totally decorated living space to show you soon! Wish me luck!

Sponsor Spotlight : Say Hello!

2013-01-15T16:49:00.000-06:00

BLOG

BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST

BLOG | TWITTER | PINTEREST

BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST

Please go say hello to these lovely ladies! They are always happy to see new faces in their little corners of the WWW and would love to have you stop by!

Want to Sponsor Swap? Check out more information, here.

Welcome To.....

2013-01-14T21:27:00.000-06:00

As you might see… HomePayge is no longer HomePayge! Yes, it’s still me. Yes, it’s still the blog you followed and read before…. Just a different name and later on today the url will change to simplysuburbanblog.com. But last night when transferring everything over to SS I was on hold with Go Daddy for an hour, so the transfer/redirect will happen on the 15th! But no worries, if I'm saved somewhere on your computer as thehomepayge.com, that won't be a broken link, Go Daddy is simply going to redirect you all to Simply Suburban.

So, with that being said… welcome to…

Logic behind the change:

Well…you see… when I originally started HomePayge it was meant to be a blog about the process of remaking our first house into our “home”. SO… it was a “Payge” (Teagan’s middle name) about our “Home”. But since that didn’t turn out to be what I intended it to be, I wanted to rename. Revamp! Redo! Therefore, we now have “Simply Suburban”. Which is oh-so- fitting!

Because of my suburban lifestyle it only made sense. I am simply suburban. That’s all there is to it! With the new name I wanted to focus a little more on a what I love to do. I want to brand my blog in a way that people know who I am, what I do, and what to expect to find here. Because of my love of crafting, our home, and being a mother those are the things that are going to be the focus of my blog. I am going to pick back up on ‘The 52 Pins Project’ next week and continue with the task of creating one pin a week for the next year. I will also continue to update you all on the progress of room makeovers! And tomorrow the loft upstairs will be revealed which I am pretty damn excited about! I’m sure there will be a recipe here and a review there… but for the most part… Simply Suburban will be about my life of crafting and parenting here in the suburbs.

Hope you like the new blog, and I look forward to a new year full of fun here at Simply Suburban!

PS: And I promise to start learning how to use my camera. I know the pictures are an eye sore. I suck. I can admit that. But that's a goal for this year! LEARN TO USE MY CAMERA! I sure hope you all like the new look and direction that this little blog is going to take! I am beyond thrilled and I hope that each and every one of you who read my little corner of the Internet on a regular basis will continue to do so! I am so grateful for the sweet friends I have made through this blog and for the people I will continue to meet! Love and Hugs to each of you!

Who they are & who they will be...

2013-01-13T19:47:00.004-06:00

Poor Parker. He's always being subjected to the scrutiny of playing dress up. Although, secretly I think he loves dressing up with his sister on most days he's still FORCED to do it on days when he probably would rather not. Watching these two ~~play~~ fight together is awesome. More times than not it is a hitting, biting, pulling mumble-jumble of sibling ~~love~~ rivalry, but then there are those rare times when they actually do play nicely (which is what I love to watch.)

Although I spent most of the day separating the two monsters that I call my children, there was a 20 minute period where they dressed up and laughed uncontrollably. Sure... Parker didn't mind wearing a bow and having his hair done by Teagan but I'm pretty positive he would have rather had her dressed up as The Joker and he as Batman.

The older Parker gets the more you can see it in his face, that tiara's and tutus are not necessarily his "thing". But being the child that Parker is, he endures it and "fake smiles" through every tea party, every Barbie play, every makeup session. You see... Parker is just an easy going kid. He's like his father. I admire that about him. It's so amazing to know your children carry some of your qualities with them. Parker is like his father, yet looks like me. Teagan, who looks like her father acts just like her Mother. Weird how that works, isn't it? But they are definitely our mini-me's.

I hope those qualities that I love in my children now, carry on into who they are as an adult. If they do... I will have two amazing adults as my children. In ten years, I see Parker being the kind, athletic, smart kid who always offers a helping hand. I want with all my heart for him to be the kid that helps others, protects the weak, offers kind words. I just know that will be him. Teagan will be the smart, vivacious, strong willed, stubborn and goal oriented child. I love that too. She has a determination in her that's hotter than fire and that is going to take her places. She may not be the "nice kid" like Parker will be, but she will be strong, and focused and those are exceptional qualities as well.

And all from sitting here watching Teagan dress Parker up, I began thinking about the future. Who they are going to be. How they will act. What their life will look like. To sit and watch their little personalities and qualities begin to shape who they are going to be as adults is so much fun. And although I want them to be small and sit in my lap forever, I know that when they do grow up and leave me, only to accomplish their goals in life I will be so unbelievable proud.

But for now, we are going to sit here and watch Teagan force Parker to play "Pretty-Pretty-Princess" and have tea parties, while he happily obliges and she demands that he curtsies. These two. Never a dull moment. And I better close this before she tries to paint his nails or curl his hair! Both of which would be a disaster! Gotta go!

Speechless

2013-01-08T14:24:00.003-06:00

There are those days where no matter what you are doing, you just simply enjoy yourself. I had a day like that on Sunday. We all ate burgers for lunch, put Parker down for his daily four hour nap (yes, he sleeps four hours a day; all in one stretch and it's AMAZING!) and went outside to work in the yard. It was a chilly but sunny day and beautiful out.

James and I were ripping up flower beds, trimming the bamboo wall that encases one side of our yard, sprinkling ant beds with poison, and seriously having so much fun. We worked in the garage and got stuff ready for a garage sale, and came to the conclusion that I have a paint problem. You see, I paint a lot. Like, a lot-a lot. I'm always painting a room. It's never ending. So we discovered that we have not one or two full gallons of paint... but 16. And some texture. Yep. Definitely a problem. Ha!

Teagan sat anxiously next to the pool while we worked, wishing that it would suddenly become warm so she could jump in.But rather than diving into a cold pool she sat sweetly on the edge and "fished". I could see it in her face though, she was definitely weighing her options. The wheels in that little mind of hers turning: "I wonder how cold it REALLY is?" and "What would Mom do IF I jumped in?" Yes, you can literally read her mind. It's not hard when she is so blatantly obvious.

I'm not much of a Summer fan, really. I prefer the colder months. Fires, leaves falling, bare trees, crisp air. But sitting there watching Teagan daydream about Popsicle's and swimming it made me miss our Summers in the pool, BBQ's, warm/sticky air.

But back to the point, every aspect of Sunday was perfect. Yes, we were sticky, sweaty, and covered in dirt but it was still so enjoyable. The feeling of being so blessed washed over me as I sat and watched Teagan wish for Summer while fishing in a cold pool, watching my husband's muscles flex with each rip and tear of branches, and knowing that I have a beautiful little boy curled up sleeping upstairs. It all left me speechless.

My life is not what I expected it to be. 10 years ago I worried about my future. Worried how I ended up where I was at that time. And now? Now I have this beautiful man to call my husband, two beautiful children who I wake up for, a beautiful home, a loving family, and an amazing future. I cannot believe this life is MINE!

Sponsor Swap Jan-Feb 2013

2013-01-07T14:50:00.002-06:00

It's time to start swapping again! If you would like to sponsor swap with HomePayge, just shoot me an email or comment here and I'll get you in Que to post on the 15th! I've enjoyed having some lovely ladies on my side bar and I want to continue on with it! What I will need for this sponsor swap:

265x125 button (Yes, it's a weird size. If you don't or can't make one, I'll be happy to do it.

Picture

Short blurb about you/your blog

Favorite Blog : Favorite Place to Shop : Favorite Book/Hobby

With this sponsorship you will receive a sponsor spotlight post, option to guest post, 1 month on my sidebar, and social media shout outs! I'll do my best to send new traffic to your blog or shop!

I have room for 4 more people! Hope to see you on my sidebar this month!

It's The Blogger....

2013-01-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

Every since I fell into the blogging realm there are a few blogs that I go to every single day. It's like part of my routine now. Wake up, get the kids ready and fed, take them to school, come home, make an ENTIRE pot of coffee for one individual, open my computer and head to the blogs. Although I don't know these girls (women) I feel like I do. I love reading what's going on in their lives, what new adventures they have, what their kids are up to, what rooms are being re-done, or DIY projects have been made. It's like I can't go a day without reading into their personal lives. They are like far away friends that I HAVE to keep up with! Some times I feel like such a stalker! But knowing I'm not the only one who reads blogs daily reassures me that I am definitely not a stalker, just a girl who's genuinely interested in other peoples lives! Haha!

So a stalker? No. Nosey? Yes!

It's people like Mandy from House of Rose, Julie from Naptime Review, Leigh Anne from Hart 2 Heart, and Becky from From Mrs to Momma that I can't go a day without. I'm coming to realize that it's not so much the blog I adore, but the authors behind them. They don't know me from Joe Blow and I don't know them, but I adore them! I can't help it. It's weird, right?

I have become very attached to some of them and my husband thinks I'm weird. We will be sitting at dinner and I'll say, "You will never guess what happened to Mandy today!" And he responds with, "Who the hell is Mandy?" Oh. That's right. We don't actually know Mandy. Oops! But yeah, you get the idea. These girls are a part of my little life in some way or another. So the point is...

It's the Blogger I love. Not the Blog. They could post "xyz123" and I would read it. Why? Because I like THEM. Maybe some day when and if little ole' HomePayge grows... someone will say the same about me.

It's A Boy Thing

2013-01-04T19:22:00.004-06:00

I've always wondered when Parker would hit his "I'm a boy" phase. He's always been very quiet and reserved, happy to play with Teagan's Barbies or play dress up in tutu's and tiara's. He was never into anything "particularly boyish" until recently. He is now becoming a true little boy.

Thomas the Train is something that rules his world in his book. Well, Thomas AND Batman. Apparently both are the coolest thing ever. I, being a girl was unaware of this until now. I was completely content with him enjoying Barbie (something I can relate to). Lately, everything is..."Batman! Save the Day!" and "I'm Batman! I'm going to get the bad guys!" and "I'm doing karate like Batman!", because in Parker's world... Batman does karate. Hmmm... Okay. We'll just agree with him on that one and save him from an utter breakdown of bursting his bubble that Batman does not participate in karate.

If something has Batman or Thomas on it... you better believe it has to be bought or there will be a HUGE temper tantrum/melt down which I do my best to avoid. At least in public, where people are watching. Meltdowns at home = okay.... Meltdowns in public = not okay.

I really don't like character items, you know... cartoons on clothing. I hate seeing Dora the Explorer plastered on a cute little girls shirt, and little boys wearing Elmo or Spongebob. I just can't do it. Is that bad? Even if it is... I don't care. I refuse to allow my kids to wear characters on their clothes, unless it's jammies and then it's fine. Well, that's always worked.... Until now. If Parker sees a Batman or Thomas shirt... he has to have it. We have to have Batman hoodies, and Batman jackets, Batman jammies, and a Batman Lunchbox, Thomas undies, thomas sweat suit, etc... Everything... and I mean EVERYTHING is somehow related to Batman and/or Thomas. I draw the line at shoes though. I refuse to allow my kids to wear character shoes. Ew.

So lately we have worn our Batman jacket everywhere. We sleep in our Batman jacket. We eat in our Batman jacket. We try to BATHE in our Batman Jacket. I swear it's adhered to his skin. But it's his most favorite thing in the entire world and I think it's kinda' cute so I deal with it. Plus...it's becoming fun to watch Parker turn into a super hero, and do karate, imitate super hero's, and try to fly. Well, the flying part scares me but we haven't broken anything yet (knock on wood) so that's a good sign right?

"HIYA!"