Just Wait Til You Have Kids

Change is coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 05:32:00 +0000

HI!

If any of you are still around….checking in to see what's new with me….I just wanted to drop in and let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Nope, I'm still around and working on something new!

I am moving to Wordpress and going with embellish*ology as my new brand!

Now that my girls are getting older I want to go back to focusing on my creative side. I really hope you will join me over at embellishology.com in this new venture.

My mission with embellish*ology is to inspire you to harness your ability to be creative and create a unique and beautiful life you can enjoy.

You will see some of the same kind of posts you've seen here. Posts about home décor, party planning, food and a little bit of DIY & Crafts.

The site is not live yet but I hope to launch sometime next month. I would love it if you would head over there and sign up to be notified when the site goes live.

I haven't yet decided the fate of Just Wait til You have Kids but my focus will be on the embellishology brand.

I am so thankful for all of you, and I really hope that you will move with me to the new site!

Updates + New Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 00:49:00 +0000

It's the end of the year and in true Heather fashion, I have my hands in many things.

Shall we begin where I left off? Let see that was……Halloween! Oh boy, didn't realize it had been that long.

Halloween, Croup & Ear Infections

Both girls got sick right before Halloween but seemed to be getting better Halloween night so we took Batgirl² trick or treating. It lasted all of 20 minutes before they started hacking up their lungs.

The following Monday, we ended up at the doctor (a second time) and Tensley was diagnosed with croup and the beginnings of an ear infection. YAY! ::insert sarcasm:: ::insert eye rolling emoji::

That Friday we were yet again back at the doctor. This time Tillie was diagnosed with an ear infection. Double YAY! ::insert sarcasm:: ::insert eye rolling emoji:: We just can't seem to get away from medical issues this year. Note to self: Do everything possible to keep everyone healthy next year.

Christmas Plaid Launch

Of course, right in the middle of all the sickness I was in the process of launching my Christmas Plaid line of products for my Etsy shop. Somehow, I managed to pull it off. If you haven't yet, head on over to my shop and pick up some goodies! I have prints, Santa tags, gift tags, mason jar labels, holiday photo cards (more coming soon), and Christmas cards.

Photography

I've dabbled in photography taking pictures for friends and family for a few years now. In the past year I've had several people ask if I ever did mini sessions so last month I decided to finally try it out. I have three sessions scheduled for this weekend so I've been practicing the past couple of weeks.

Easy Canvas Prints LIMITED TIME OFFER: Get one 16"x20" Canvas Print for ONLY $12 + Shipping. Plus get 72% off all other sizes with no additional shipping cost! Now through 11/22.

New Ideas

The past few months have been a little rough for us and with that, I have been thinking about what I want to do with blogging and my Etsy shop. Do I keep moving forward, make some changes or quit altogether. Since I can't imagine giving it all up, I have been planning on making some changes. I'm really hoping that my plan come together in the new year.

So, if you begin to see less of me here, just know that I'm not gone, I'm just working hard on new ideas.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:57:00 +0000

In October, we not only attend a Fall Festival or two but, like many other's, we also visit at least one pumpkin patch. The girls (they are so fun at this age) had been asking for weeks when we were going to go to the pumpkin patch so last weekend we went to our favorite pumpkin patch.

This family farm has SO much to do! We were there for nearly 5 hours and still didn't do everything they had to offer! We started with a ride on the carousel and moved on the animal barn where there are goats, sheep and rabbits.

After the petting barn, the barrell train caught their attention so we headed that way and discovered they were giving rides for the little kids. TnT jumped on and loved every minute of it. This barrell train was genius! They built little cars out of barrels, linked them all together and attached them to a mowing tractor. I'm thinking JMac might need to come up with something like this for home.

The driver drove through this big field snaking back and forth. All the kids were giggling and had huge smiles on their faces. The ride was a good 3-4 minute ride.

Once the train ride was over, the girls darted off to the Super Slide. They were a little leery at first but after watching the other kids they decided to try it for themselves.

At one point, they came down one right after the other. Tillie came down first and didn't get up and move fast enough so Tensley plowed into the back of her legs as she was standing up and knocked her down into Tensley's lap. They were laughing so hard they had a hard time getting up and off the slide. They finally managed to get out of the way right before the next slider reached the bottom.

Several turns down the slide later and we headed off to explore some more. We came across this little area where they had the balls with handles that you sit on and bounce. The girls had a bit of a hard time figuring it out so I decided to show them. Big, fat, fail. I bounced once and then rolled right off the ball flat on my back. This time it was me laughing so hard I couldn't get up. Thankfully no one was around to document that little incident (well my mom was there but she wasn't fast enough with the camera). Also thankful that I didn't get hurt or sore from that little display.

The girls finally got the hang of it.

After the bouncing balls, the girls bounced on the giant jumping pillows (these girls love to jump!) for a while and then we took a little break for a snack and to get something to drink and then went right back to playing.

We ended our trip with a hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins and then the girls played for a bit on the playground while Momma and MiMi sat and rested for a bit.

Tensley, of course, had to pick the biggest pumpkin she could find. The free pumpkins aren't that big but still a pain to carry around. Anyway, I made her carry hers as long as she could and then, of course, Momma and MiMi got stuck carrying all the pumpkins.

We had a blast and the weather was perfect! The girls are already talking about going to the pumpkin patch next year.

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 43

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 19:29:00 +0000

Our temps are finally cooler! Hello soups & stews! I can't wait to start adding winter comfort food to our menu.

It just occurred to me today that I am off on my weeks. I'm not sure how that happened but I'm going to carry on instead of making the correction. I hope it doesn't mess anyone up.

Week 43 Meal Plan

Sunday
Spaghetti & Meatballs / Green Beans

Monday
Chicken & Biscuits / Mixed Veggies

Tuesday
Chicken Quesadillas / Salad

Wednesday
Hamburger Steak / Mashed Potatoes / Green Beans

Thursday
Chicken Enchilada Casserole / Salad

Friday
Pizza Casserole / Salad

Saturday
Chili / Frito Chili Pie

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 40

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 05:18:00 +0000

We had a great weekend, lots of pumpkin patch fun, cleaning and a lot of eating out. Oops. We are sticking to the meal plan this week though…eating out is expensive!

I'm looking forward to our meals this week. Who doesn't love Taco Tuesday and I haven't had a meatball sub in a long time! The oven baked chicken is a new family favorite. Even my Chick-fil-a loyal children will eat it!

Week 42 Meal Plan

Sunday
Leftovers

Monday
Orange Chicken / Fried Rice

Tuesday
Tacos

Wednesday
Meatball Subs / Salad / Chips

Thursday
Oven Fried Chicken / Mashed Potatoes / Green Beans

Friday
Homemade Pizza / Salad

Saturday
Chicken Alfredo / Steamed Veggies

Handmade Halloween Paper Goods

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 12:25:00 +0000

In my former life (before TnT) I had an Etsy shop where I sold handmade cards, gift tags, and scrapbook embellishments. After they were born I didn't have time to keep up with making items and keeping up the shop so now that I have a little extra time (ha! ha!) I have gone through everything and have quite a bit of leftover inventory that I NEED to clear it out to make room in my office/craft room for my new venture with embellishology.

I have these handmade Halloween Cards and tags for sale on my embellishology Instagram account. I also have other themed items I will be posting but I figured with Halloween so close I better try to clear them out now. I'm debating if I want to re-open my old shop to sell all of my handmade paper goods inventory or if I just want to list them in my current shop. Until I decide what to do, I'll post them to Instagram.

Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies for Preschoolers on Amazon Prime & Netflix

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:51:00 +0000

TnT have been excited about Halloween this year and have wanted to watch all the Halloween movies and shows. However, some of them are a little too scary for them so after much research, I've found a pretty good list of not-so-scary Halloween titles for toddlers and preschoolers. I'm sure this list will continue to grow but for now I'm going to share what I've found so far!

Let's start with Amazon Prime Instant Video. If you don't already have Amazon Prime, let me tell you, it's worth it. Not only do we get free and quick shipping but we can also stream movies, tv shows and music!

Now on to Netflix…

I'm really, really hoping I can talk them into watching A Nightmare Before Christmas (hello! big Tim Burton fan here) but I'll wait a year or two if I must. For now, I'll just watch it after they've gone to bed.

Is there any I've missed? Please put them in the comments below and then I can update the list!

Non-Fiction: Death by Umbrellas

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 01:16:00 +0000

This morning as we were getting out of the car at church for bible study, I saw one of those big black fuzzy jumping spiders sneak inside under the floor mat in the back seat just behind the driver's seat. I yelled at the girls to hurry and get out so I could go after it but it was too late. The spider had disappeared….no where to be found.

As we walked into church I prayed that we would find the spider when we came out because I certainly did not want to drive with a giant jumping spider roaming free in my car.

After bible study, I picked the girls up from the nursery and we went to the car. My palms were sweaty and I couldn't even think about driving until we found and killed that spider. When we got to the car, before letting the girls in, I opened the door and did a quick survey of the floor in both the front and back seat. No sign of that spider anywhere. There were, however, already signs of webbing under the driver's seat. I started to get sick at my stomach. That darn spider had to be in there somewhere but where?

I went to the back and armed each of us with an umbrella. Tillie, my brave little girl, voluntarily went in first. The girls jumped up and down all over the floor mats in hopes to squish that little devil. Then we all poked and prodded every nook and cranny of that car but was never able to lure him out. After several minutes, I gave up and was able to convince myself that it was gone….had snuck out through some little crevice in the car and if not, I would just park it outside in the hot sun (it's still in the upper 80's here) and hopefully fry the little sucker. We all got in, buckled up and off we went.

I really needed to go to Target but could I stay in the car that long believing that there might still be an evil fuzzy creature roaming free? Would he crawl up my leg and send me into a complete nervous breakdown? Would there be a viral video of another woman jumping out of her car because of a spider? Even though these were all possibilities, I decided to suck it up and go.

We get to Target, I get out of the car, unbuckle Tensley, go around to unbuckle Tillie and then I go to the passenger side front seat to grab my Target bags. When I leaned in the car, I spotted it. That sneaky black fuzzy eight legged creepy crawly spider. He/she was right there IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE! I HAD DRIVEN ALL THE WAY TO TARGET WITH THAT THING UNDER ME THE WHOLE TIME!!!!!

The girls, still armed with their umbrellas started pounding at it as I ran back around to the driver's side and opened the door to make sure one of the three of us got it. (In case you're wondering, the aim of a four year old is not that great.) When I got around to the driver's side, that sneaky little devil sped out of the car and in between the seal of the door and the car! I took my umbrella, which had a pointy tip and poked around at the seal because I wanted to make sure that sucker died! He finally fell to the ground and met his untimely death.

We each took turns pounding that spider with our umbrellas until we were absolutely sure it was dead.

Death by 3 females armed with umbrellas.

If that's not girl power, I don't know what is.

P.S. When we got back to our car, the squished spider was gone! I'm really, really, really hoping one of the birds that were swarming the parking lot got it because zombie spiders that come back from the dead? No thank you!

Our Super Busy Weekend Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 20:33:00 +0000

Happy Monday friends!

We had a great weekend full of checking things off our project list. Here's a little recap with pictures.

On Friday morning the girls had their Four year well child check. They were all excited until we got to the end of the exam and they realized they were getting shots. Here's what they thought of the shots….

Poor things. They insisted on going to school so we grabbed a quick cheeseburger lunch (their request) and then I dropped them off at school. When I picked up the girls from school Tillie requested "sweet chicken" so when JMac got home we headed off to Pei Wei and, of course, made a little visit to Target after (it's like right next to our Pei Wei). By the time we got home, Tillie was complaining about her sore leg from the shots. Tensley was a little sore too but it didn't stop her. She did run a very slight fever on Sunday that I suspect was from the shots.

While the girls were in school I ran to Aldi to do my grocery shopping. Grocery shopping without kids is definitely the way to go. Hello! I got my shopping done in about 30 minutes. Anyway, if you've been reading my blog for a while you might be aware of my new found love of Aldi. Everything in this picture totaled less than $100 and that's me doing the bulk of my grocery shopping at Aldi. I only need a handful of things from other stores.

Saturday I woke up with energy so I decided to tackle some of the bulk baking I have been planning to do. Since it's technically Fall (will someone please notify Mother Nature?) I am all about all things pumpkin right now so of course first on my list was pumpkin bread (it's already almost gone…I'll have to make more next time). I also made some Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal and some Apple Baked Oatmeal to have for quick and easy breakfasts (the verdict is still out on these).

All weekend I had been browsing Pinterest for some fall fashion inspiration. About 97% of my clothes are too big so I really need to do some shopping. I had this idea to try to wear my booties with some denim capris so on Friday I laid out this outfit to wear for the day but once I got it on I just couldn't do it. I think because the denim capris were just a little too baggy and I felt like I looked sloppy. It looks great laid out on my bed though, don't you think? LOL

I tried again on Sunday with some Rock Star Skinnies from Old Navy and I think I was able to pull it off. Skinnies definitely looked better…at least it did for me. Maybe I'll try again with some better fitting boyfriend jeans or capris.

Here are some of the inspiration pics I found on Pinterest. (If you like this style, head on over and follow my 'Things I'd Wear' Pinterest board.)

I think on that last outfit I'd wear either black or camel colored boots. I'm also still on #TeamUggs so realistically I'd probably wear a pair of those with it.

Sunday was a good day. We had some time to kill before church so we took a family selfie. I know people knock the selfie stick but seriously, how else would we mommas get in the pictures without it?

I have been wanting to fill my big pots on our front and back porches so after church we went and bought some mums. I decided to put them on our back patio because it gets more sun than the front porch (our front porch gets ZERO sun). I love, love, love the red mums so that's what I picked.

We also cleaned out my car (it was nasty….a byproduct of having kids). Every inch of the car got scrubbed…especially the car seats and the covers. Once that was done, we worked a little on cleaning out the garage. It needs to be organized badly.

This reminds me…I need to go out and water the mums today.

Also today, I'm working on this…..the aftermath from our busy weekend (Insert bug-eyed emoji).

What was your weekend like? I hope it was a great one!

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 41

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 11:17:00 +0000

"I feel the earth, move, under my feet…"

I've had this song in my head since yesterday when we had an earthquake that I actually felt! I was upstairs in my office working on well, work stuff and felt the floor move and heard a rumbling. Normally we don't feel them but I guess since I was upstairs it was easier to feel? Anyway, I ran into the theatre room (it's just outside my office/craft room) and asked JMac if he felt it. As we were standing there talking, another earthquake hit. Needless to say, we hauled butt downstairs for a bit in case another one decided to strike. Everything was fine. We had no damage other than our nerves being a little shot for a few minutes. Reports say it was a 4.5 magnitude earthquake.

Meal Planning

If you're not meal planning, you really should be. I can't even tell you how much stress it takes off of you. When I don't meal plan I am totally lost about what to do for dinner. Meal planning really isn't that hard. If you already have a list of go-to meals, it should only take you a few minutes…hour tops to plan your meals for the week. Since we get paid every two weeks, I meal plan two weeks at a time and it doesn't take me long at all.

Week 41 Meal Plan

Sunday
Ham & Cheese Pinwheels / Chips

Monday
One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese / Salad

Tuesday
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas / Rice & Black Beans

Wednesday
Beef Stroganoff / Peas

Thursday
Leftover Buffet

Friday
Chicken Pizza Pasta / Salad

Saturday
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches / Tomato Soup

Halloween Decor + Free Fall Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 22:48:00 +0000

We are finally starting to feel and see signs of Fall around here!

I finally got around to putting out my Fall décor when my girls demanded I decorate for Halloween instead. I don't normally decorate for Halloween but when I had four blue-eyed puppy dog eyes staring up at me I just couldn't resist.

I used to have a box of Halloween décor but it got blown away along with all of our other holiday decorations so we had to go do a little shopping. We are starting out small but I'm sure we will add to the Halloween décor a little every year.

Thanks to Hobby Lobby's 40% of sale, Dollar Tree crafts and a little bit of my own craftiness, we managed to make parts of the house look a little like Halloween.

Ok, now for the free printable….

If you missed the Halloween freebie you can get it on my freebie page.

I'm kind of loving the simplicity of this fall printable. The best part about it is that since it is such a simple design, you can cut it down to an 8x10 or a 5x7 to suit your needs! I hope you enjoy it too! Click on the button below to download your print.

Looking for other printables for parties, décor or organization? Visit my Etsy shop!

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 40

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 21:14:00 +0000

Can you believe it's October?! Where has this year gone?

Our weather has finally cooled down a bit….sort of. We have had highs in the 70's but this week I saw some 80's on the forecast. I'll take it though, it's better than 90's.

The cooler weather has me wanting to be in the kitchen more so this week I tried a couple new recipes. One of them was homemade spaghettios and I cannot get my mind off them! I made a batch early in the week and it was so good I ate some just about every day. Nothing takes me back to my childhood like a bowl of spaghettios with a piece of bread and butter. Anyone else with me on this? I'll share my recipe soon, I promise.

Week 40 Meal Plan

Sunday
Red Beans & Rice / Cornbread

Monday
Hamburger Steak / Mac&Cheese / Peas

Tuesday
Taco Tuesday!

Wednesday
Ham & Cheese Pinwheels / Chips

Thursday
White Chicken Chili

Friday
Pizza Night!

Saturday
Beef Carnitas Tacos

Linking up again this week with Orgjunkie for Menu Plan Monday!

Happy National Coffee Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 20:13:00 +0000

In honor of national coffee day…..

via GIPHY

Love and Coffee print

September Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 22:52:00 +0000

I'm sitting on my couch today battling a head cold turned evil sinus infection. There are only two things that can take me down…a messed up stomach and a sinus infection. It's crazy to me how having some congestion can make you feel so weak & tired.

This was the first month that I really tried to post regularly. I love this little space of mine and I love sharing things that I've learned, products I love, pieces of my home and of course all about parties. I plan to post just as much if not more next month. If there's anything you'd like to know, feel free to email me!

Here are some of the favorite posts from the past month.

This Pizza Pasta was a big hit with my family. It's also budget friendly and a great way to add some variety to pizza night. This recipe has been permanently added to our master meal list.

The Kids Craft & Activity Cabinet is still working out great! My girls are doing pretty good about keeping it neat and organized too!

These printable Halloween tags have been added to the Freebie Page. I can't wait to see how every one uses them!

Last but not least, I shared my Entryway makeover. It hasn't gotten much use since it's still a billion degrees outside but that's ok, I'm sure it will get a lot of use soon. It has also kicked off a DIY passion in me so plan on seeing more DIY posts here.

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 39

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 06:06:00 +0000

Our schedule seems to be getting the best of me. Monday through Wednesday is go, go, go and by Thursday I am completely worthless. I am getting behind on house work and last week I was soooo tired and now I have a nasty head cold. Ugh!

I need some things to be easy and effortless so to help me get back on track I've planned some easier, quicker meals for this week. Now, if I can just get the kitchen fairy to show up and clean the kitchen that would be AWESOME!

Week 39 Meal Plan

Sunday
Honey Chicken / Fried Rice

Monday
Hot Ham & Cheese / Chips

Tuesday
Beef Tacos / Chips & Queso

Wednesday
Chicken Nuggets / Mashed Potatoes / Corn

Thursday
Frito Chili Pie

Friday
Pizza Night

Saturday
Beef Carnitas Burrito Bowls

Linking up this week with Orgjunkie for Meal Plan Monday

Happy National Ice Cream Cone Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 13:22:00 +0000

In honor of National Ice cream day, I just added this adorable Here's the Scoop invitation to the shop.

An ice cream themed party would be so cute and easy to put together. All you really need is well, this invitation and ice cream! To make it even better, gather a bunch of toppings, ice cream bowls (ask me about the cute sticker design I have for the bowls) and some cute little wooden spoons and you've got yourself a party!

Home Tour + Entryway

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:42:00 +0000

I think it's about time for another room tour, don't you?

I've been waiting to have everything done before I continued doing room tours but I'm starting to realize that I'm never going to be done so at least once a month (that's my goal anyway) I plan to do a post on each room of our house. Besides, no room stays the same forever, right?

In case you missed them, I've already posted our Theatre room and TnT's room.

Now, on to our entryway!

The footprint of our entryway is pretty much the only space that didn't really change when we re-built our house. Sometimes I wish we had done something different but our options were pretty limited with the space so we just stuck with the original layout.

Our entryway is a typical entryway…there's a space for an entry table and a coat closet. The coat closet never gets used. I wanted to transform it by taking out the bar and adding hooks because it's easier to hang coats on hooks than hangers, right? I thought that might get people to use the coat closet but I got vetoed by my other half. Back to brainstorming.

Jumping back to a couple months ago…..I was out in our barn and came across 2 tornado salvaged plaques with hooks and thought surely I could find a place for them. I grabbed those plaques and put them in a storage tub of other things I had come across to repurpose and use in the house.

In the past month or so, I've been seeing entryways on Pinterest with board and batten and hooks and have fallen in love with the way they look. Well one day I passed that tub of home décor items I had set aside and spotted those plaques with hooks and immediately had a light bulb moment! I suddenly had a vision of what my entryway could look like!

I grabbed a can of white spray paint (Rustoleum is my favorite right now because it goes on thick and smooth so it doesn't require too many coats) and got to work.

I am so happy with the way they turned out!

Next it was time to add some décor above the hooks. A good friend of mine had the name cross picture made for us as a housewarming gift. It has been moved around our house until this project when it found it's permanent home. I also had been wanting the wooden hello since the first time I saw it at Hobby Lobby. When I noticed it was selling out fast, I decided to snatch one up quick. It goes perfectly in the entryway where everyone can see it when they hang their coats and/or purses on the hooks.

Maybe now people will feel welcome and know immediately where to hang up their purses and coats when they walk in to our home.

Don't you think it just makes the space feel complete and cozy. It also frees up space in our coat closet for other storage. Hmm…that just gave me another idea! Another post for another day though.

Although I think I could use a couple more things for the entryway table….like a lamp and some other décor.

I found this white bowl at a vintage flea market with another home in mind for it but I think it works better here.

The squirrel never got packed up from last Thanksgiving. He was just too cute to pack up so I left him there to help welcome our guests.

This post is linked up at:
Lamberts Lately

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 38

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 13:52:00 +0000

I am a Summer girl through and through but for some reason I am ready for Fall. Our high one day last week was 97 degrees! I kept looking at my calendar to make sure it wasn't July. Where is our cooler weather?

I'm starting to crave all the warm comfort foods of Fall & Winter. I need some chili and some chicken and dumplings. I may just have to crank up the AC and just make these kind of meals regardless of the weather. Notice I have Chicken & Dumplings on the menu for next week….our high that day is 86 degrees so I guess it's getting a little bit cooler.

Week #38 Meal Plan

Sunday
Sloppy Joes / Chips

Monday
Chicken & Dumplings / Peas

Tuesday
Cheese Enchiladas / Beans & Rice

Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Chicken Quesadillas / Chips & Queso

Friday
Pizza Night

Saturday
Family Date Day

Linking up with Orgjunkie for Menu Plan Monday.

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 12:29:00 +0000

I have been pinning a lot lately so I thought I'd share some of my favorites from this past week. Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for all kinds of recipe, décor and DIY ideas!

Coffee Print

When I saw this Big Beautiful Cup of Coffee print, I seriously pinned it without thinking. I mean, my body just went into autopilot mode and immediately pinned it. If you know me you know how perfect this print is for me.

Pumpkin Butter

I can't believe this but I still have yet to have my beloved pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks this year. I may have to remedy that this weekend. Anyway, I found this recipe from The Idea Room for Pumpkin Butter that I will definitely be trying out. Seriously, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I pinned it.

Fall Décor Inspiration

I haven't decorated for Fall yet (mainly because it's still in the 90's here) but come October 1st, hot or cooler weather, it's game on! Until then I'm enjoying seeing everyone else's fall décor. This Fall Vignette from House of Hoff caught my eye this week. I love that it's subtle and the aqua color, of course, is my jam.

Meatless Monday?

Because we are trying to pay off some debt we accrued this summer due to medical issues, I have been trying to figure out ways to cut our grocery budget. One of the ways I've read about how to do this is to have meatless meals. This is a new concept to me (I love my meat) but I'm willing to try anything. This Browned Butter Pasta with Peas caught my eye because I *think* even my girls would eat this so I'm going to give it a try!

Entryway Inspiration

When I saw this Entryway Makeover my wheels started spinning. I thought our entryway was complete but after seeing this I had a light bulb moment and started adding décor to our entry way. I'll be sharing the before & after next week!

Free Halloween Printable Tags

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:05:00 +0000

I can't believe it's time to start thinking about Halloween and Fall Festivals. Don't blink because Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it!

Our temps are still in the high 80's & low 90's around here so it just doesn't feel like Fall quite yet. Regardless of the weather though, it's time to start thinking about Halloween.

This is the first year I'm really having to think about school/class parties and handing out treats. I figured instead of being the last minute person that I usually am, I'd get a head start on Halloween goodies. First step, create some cute tags. Check!

I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do with them just yet but here are some ideas…..

You can use them as bag tags….

Or you could make them into stickers by printing them on sticker paper or running them through a sticker maker.

How about using them for cupcake toppers or a mini banner. Whatever you decide I'm sure it will be cute!

Now I'm going to share these adorable little tags with all of you! Just click on the button below to download and if you choose to share on social media, be sure to use the tag #embellishology so I can see what you created!

Easy One Pot (or Pan) Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 20:32:00 +0000

Now that school and all the extra curricular activities that come with it has started up, I thought I'd share some easy one pot meals for those nights that you feel semi-rushed to get dinner on the table.

Since my girls only go to school 2.5 hours every day, we aren't as rushed right now but I know there will come a day when we are going in several different directions and it will be quite the task to get dinner on the table. When that day comes, I will be glad that I have these recipes that I can start as soon as they get home from school and have them ready by the time JMac gets home from work.

These recipes only require one pot so you don't have to worry about a lot of extra dishes to clean up! Plates, cups and utensils can be thrown in the dishwasher and the pot can soak overnight for easy cleaning the next morning.

With the weather (hopefully) turning cooler soon, this One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese is sure to keep you warm. This recipe makes a ton so you're sure to have leftovers for another meal!

Another favorite of ours is this One Pan Chicken Alfredo. This meal was one of the first with noodles that my girls would eat and they will eat every last bit on their plates. One time I tried to make it meatless and much to my surprise, they were very disappointed there was no chicken. I won't make that mistake again!

We are not out of the can sloppy joe eaters in this house but I was determined to find a sloppy joe recipe that we liked. I was pleasantly surprised to find this Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe recipe that we loved on the first try. If you are a loyal to the canned version, you may not like this because it tastes nothing like it. This recipe is MUCH better. Now this one is a crock pot recipe but that's one pot so it counts, right? Especially if you brown your beef right in the crockpot!

One of my favorite dishes that I only get around the holidays is broccoli & rice casserole. I'm not sure why we only make it around the holidays but when I found this One Pan Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice recipe I made it almost immediately! A quick and easy comfort food meal for your family that can't be beat.

This last one pot recipe is quite the crowd pleaser. I had heard about Spicy Sausage Pasta for months before I decided to finally give it a try. Much to my surprise I loved it and my hubby did too!

To see other recipes I'm trying out, follow me on Pinterest!

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 37

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 11:54:00 +0000

Over budget. I went over my grocery budget this time. I was so hopeful but in the end, we needed more staples than I realized. I didn't go over our max budget…yet, but I did go over the amount that I had hoped to spend. However, I take comfort in that I didn't go over because I was being frivolous. We will use up everything that I bought.

Eventually, I hope to get a decent stockpile that will last until the next sales cycles. At that point, staying in budget should be a cake walk.

Baby steps.

I did buy a double pack of roast that will easily give us 4 meals so this will help on the next round of meal planning.

Week #37 Meal Plan

Sunday
Pot Roast / Potatoes / Carrots

Monday
Chicken Alfredo / Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday
Crock Pot Carnita Tacos

Wednesday
Spicy Sausage Pasta / Peas

Thursday
Roast Beef Sandwiches / Chips

Friday
Pizza Ring (using my favorite pizza sauce) / Salad

Saturday
Leftovers

Breakfast options: oatmeal (I really want to try baked oatmeal), breakfast sandwiches, Eggo wafflers (on the go for the girls) and scrambled eggs

Lunch options: leftovers, sandwiches, corn dogs (for the girls), popcorn chicken and salad

What are you eating this week?

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie

Friday Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:32:00 +0000

Is it just me or did this week just fly by? Holiday weekends always get me messed up. It totally does not feel like a Friday to me. And also, I feel like I still have so much more to do before next week! Eek!

One

Last Sunday we had a family fun day. We took the girls to a Children's music festival called Wiggle Out Loud and it was HOT….as in sweltering. Nevertheless, the girls really enjoyed it and didn't want to leave so we had to lure them away with the promise of ice cream. We ended up eating lunch at one of their favorite places, Smashburger and then went home to rest up before going to a fireworks show at a local Arts Festival. I will never tire of watching my girls get excited about things. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is the best thing and I think as adults we need to be more like our children and get excited about the little things.

Two

Alone time….The girls being in school has been life changing for me. It's only 2 hours (between drop off and pick up) but it's amazing how productive I can be in those 2 hours. I find myself longing for more time (to clean and organize) so I'm counting down until the girls go to school all day (in 2 more years) but I am taking full advantage of every minute I have now working on this blog and my Etsy shop….something I've dreamed of since pretty much right after they were born.

Three

Now that the weather is trying to turn cooler, I've realized that I don't have any jeans that fit. I have several pairs of capris but all my jeans are too big. In the next couple of weeks I plan to go to my favorite store for jeans and pick up a pair or two. I've also fallen in love with their t-shirts and need to replace some of my old worn out shirts so I might pick up a couple of those too!

Four

After our crazy summer that included lots of procedures and illnesses, we've acquired a little bit of debt. I hate it. I absolutely hate debt so we are now in the process of getting things paid off…again. So I'm wondering, what is your best/favorite method of getting your debt paid off?

Five

Since I've been focusing on my blog and shop now that the girls are in school, I've been updating some of my older and more popular posts like the No Bake Granola Bars and the DIY Fall Wreath posts. I'll be updating more posts and my Freebie page soon as well. Lots and lots to do in just 2 short hours a day, huh? Maybe I should figure out a way to get a clone…that will work for free. LOL

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

How to Organize a Craft + Activity Cabinet for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 19:59:00 +0000

When we were building our house and planning our cabinet layout, I really wanted an enclosure with a cabinet for our refrigerator. There wasn't a lot of room for a deep cabinet but I thought surely I could use it for something. I mean, there's no such thing as too much storage, right?

So let's fast forward to when they brought in the cabinets. My thinking was that it would be deep enough to keep my cookbooks but when I opened the doors I realized that there was no way cookbooks were going to fit. The depth of the shelves were at most, six inches. What in the world was I going to use this cabinet for? (Side note, I also asked for shelves on either end of my island for cookbooks and they ended up being the same depth as this cabinet.)

Because my girls sit at the breakfast table to color and craft, I had been keeping some of their supplies in this cabinet but I've never liked how it was organized. It was like we just shoved stuff in there and quickly shut the doors so that nothing would fall out. Well this past weekend I decided I was going to figure out a way to make it work.

I started by cleaning out a drawer and another cabinet in the kitchen that housed some of the girls things….their junk drawer/cabinet if we're being honest. Some of the things (board games) were relocated to other parts of the house while other things got purged (I found about 100 pages of "art" that I still need to sort through *insert bug eyed emoji*).

The leftover items from the purge and re-location all found a place in the Craft/Activity Cabinet.

The top shelf is their most used items. I found these cute little buckets in the dollar spot at Target a couple of months ago with the intention of using them for this purpose. I filled each one with like items and labeled them accordingly (excuse the awful handwriting…it's hard to write on a curved surface!)

The next shelf is their big box of crayons (emptying all the torn up crayon boxes totally went against my Type A tendencies but it had to be done) and some of their smaller activity books. On the third shelf I have their Play-Doh and a basket with their Play-Doh tools. Also on this shelf I have their library books from school…I needed to have them in a place where I could remember to send them back when they were due.

The very bottom shelf has paper towels for cleanup as needed, some of their flash cards and then I used a little tray to hold (and keep them from sliding off the shelf) the taller coloring & activity books and construction paper.

So far I am very happy with the way it's organized. The girls get in this cabinet A LOT…like several times a day and I think it's going to take a couple of weeks for them to figure out and remember where everything goes because I've already had to "fix" it a few times.

Do you have a space that you just couldn't figure out how to organize? What was your solution? Or are you still struggling to find a solution? Let's discuss in the comments!

Weekly Meal Plan + Week 36

noreply@blogger.com (Heather) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 13:40:00 +0000

Is everyone enjoying their Labor Day weekend? We don't have any special plans…just working on things around the house.

Planning lunches last week made things so much easier with the girls in school so I plan to include lunches in my meal plan going forward. Please note that I don't always eat what they eat for lunch. Sometimes I'll just eat a salad…no mom could eat like their kids and keep her girlish figure….actually, I probably could because my children don't eat much. Hmmmm…maybe I should eat what they eat.

Thanks to shopping at Aldi and meal planning from what I have, I am proud to say that as of right now, we have stayed under the $150 grocery budget that I set for this two week period. We had to buy milk this weekend but we are still under budget! The thing that helped the most was that I had a good stock of meat in the freezer. I will likely have to add to my stock this next go round.

I didn't realize it until I drafted this post that I planned all ground beef meals for this week. Oops. I may end up switching around some meals but for now, here's what I have planned.

Sunday
Dinner: Leftovers

Monday
Dinner: Grilled Burgers

Tuesday
Dinner: Nachos/Nacho Salad

Wednesday
Lunch: PB&Honey Sandwiches / Chips
Dinner: Spaghetti / Green Beans

Thursday
Lunch: Cheese / Crackers / Fruit
Dinner: Pancake / Eggs / Bacon

Friday
Lunch: Hot Dogs / Chips
Dinner: Pizza Night

Saturday
Salisbury Steak / Mashed Potatoes / Green Beans