Life with Lucie & Ella

How to Move Again without Losing My Mind

2013-05-01T18:43:00.000-04:00

I hate moving. Truly, I do. Some folks might like purging their homes of excess stuff and setting up house somewhere else. Yeah, I'm not one of those people.

But unfortunately, I have to move. We're renting a home while my husband is in law school and our contract is up. We had hoped to renew for at least another year, but sadly the home may be going into foreclosure. So, it's time to find a new place to call home.

We're headed to California for most of the summer, so we're taking a risk and putting our house-hunting on hold for a bit. I'm praying that we find another rental in the same school zone. I adore the elementary school that Ella has been going to for the past two years and don't want to change. So, we'll be storing our belongings until we find a new place later in the summer after our return from California. We're so thankful for friends who are willing to put a roof over our heads for the few weeks between when we need to move out and when the girls are done with school.

So, in an effort to procrastinate from the actual packing, I researched some ways to make the move easier. It's what I call productive procrastination. Hopefully, I don't procrastinate so much that these tips become useless! :) Here are some great articles that I found:

Moving On: Tips for an Organized Move from Organized Home - Years ago when we moved into our first home, I read up on moving. I stumbled upon this article and LOVED the idea of using printer labels to mark the boxes. Organized Home recommends putting one label in the upper left-hand corner of each side of the box. That way you don't have to turn the box a specific way to see what's inside. Next stop? The store to get some labels!
How to Move & Keep Track of Your Stuff from Find Joy in the Journey - I gotta say, Shannon is brilliant! Her tips will come in soooo handy since we'll be living across town for a few weeks and storing some, but not all, of our belongings. I'm sure there will be some things that we need for those few weeks before we start living out of our suitcases in California. She uses labels for the boxes too, but I'd use four labels per box instead of one.
An Essential Checklist for Moving into a New Home from Simple Mom - Tsh has some great tips for actual move-IN day. Our move-out and move-in days are going to be separated by a few months. If I'm smart, I'll make sure that we have the essentials packed and easily identifiable before we head west. Then, after the road trip home, we'll be all set to move-in to our new place.

Do you have any great moving tips? I'm all ears!

5-Minute DIY Terra Cotta Birdbath

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

When my husband and I bought our first home, we were overjoyed to have a backyard. I remember waking up after spending our first night there and hearing the beautiful chirping of birds in the yard. What a lovely sound! So much better than what we heard in our previous apartment -- seagulls or homeless folks digging through the dumpster behind our bedroom.

This 5-Minute DIY Terra Cotta Birdbath was one of our very first projects for our garden. We wanted a birdbath but couldn't find one in our price range...so we made our own. We were pretty darn proud of our creation. Stop by DIY Your Way to learn how to make one for yourself!

Spring and Buttercups

2013-04-24T14:36:00.001-04:00

Last Spring was our first here in Virginia. Where I grew up, dandelions popped up in the spring. Although there are dandelions here, buttercups are much more plentiful. I fell in love with these sweet little yellow blooms.

Right now, the yard adjacent to school bus stop is covered in buttercups. Lucie, in particular, likes to pick the flowers. Last week, together we made a little "vase" to hold the flowers that she gathers. Stop by Life as MOM to learn how to make your own vase for your child's bouquet.

I'm Finally Getting New Eyeglasses!

2013-04-05T20:48:00.000-04:00

I am the Queen of Procrastination when it comes to making doctor's appointments. Not sure why that is. It took me a year to find a new pediatrician when we moved here to Virginia. Thankfully, my kids are normally quite healthy so that was never an issue. I only got around to finding us a dentist when Ella needed some work done quickly. Yes, I need serious motivation to get in and make appointments with the doctor.

So, when my last pair of contacts freaked out on my wedding anniversary, I realized that I needed to make an eye appointment ASAP. My glasses have had damaged coating and horrible scratches, for, oh, what seems like forever. I've survived with contacts, but those were starting to get uncomfortable and were about ready to be thrown into the trash. When we were at Walmart, I popped into Family Eyecare (the attached optometrist office) and made the earliest appointment that I could get. Today I finally went in to get an exam and new prescriptions. I'm so glad that I did!

If you live in the Williamsburg area, I highly recommend Family Eyecare. I think it was probably one of the best eye exams I've had. Dr. Barley was wonderful and really took the time to answer my questions. Best of all, the price for the eye exam was cheaper by at least $25 than any other optometrist that I called. And now I have a new prescription so I can actually order glasses. Yahoo!

Our eyeglass budget is very limited...but sadly, new eyeglasses are a necessity for me. So, I decided to give Warby Parker a try. They sell prescription eyeglasses online for $95-$145 with polycarbonate and anti-scratch coated lenses included. Plus, for every pair purchased, they provide a pair for someone in need. How cool is that? They've also got a cool (and FREE) Home Try-On Program.

Last July, I ordered a home try-on package of glasses from WP that included:

Reece (Whisky Tortoise) - The style of this pair was cool but they just weren't comfortable. They were too tight on my face and left indentions on my nose.
Langston (Whisky Tortoise) - This pair felt too loose and appeared a little too large for my face.
Carlen (Amber) - I liked the color and they were comfortable, but the temples were too wide and interfered with my peripheral vision
Leigh (Revolver Black Crystal) - This pair fit well but looked a bit too similar to my most recent pair.
Nedwin (Cedar Tortoise) - By process of elimination, this pair was the "winner" of the bunch as the shape and size were both great. Reviews were mixed on the color as some people thought they were to "orangey."

Well, then of course, I procrastinated in getting an eye exam appointment. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do another Home Try-On since they have released some new frames. In this try-on, I got:

Nedwin (Cedar Tortoise) - Since this was the winner from the last round, I ordered it again so I could test it against the others to see which I liked best. Of course, I still got the "orangey" comments from people.
Ellsworth (titanium frames in Bark) - Right after I ordered my first HTO, Warby Parker released its titanium line that costs $145 (compared to the plastic frames at $95). I thought it would be good to try a metal pair for comparison. The shape was okay, but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of nose pads. Not sure when that happened, but it has -- at least with these frames. My husband did like them and thought they looked a little more "professional," but honestly, I'm a stay-at-home / work-at-home mom so that didn't really sell me on them.
Thompson (Whisky Tortoise) - The temples on these looked cool but were a little too large and interfered with my peripheral vision.
Leigh (Sandalwood Matte) - My brother-in-law liked these the best, but my husband thought the color made my hair look gray. So yeah, hubby's opinion won out. I certainly don't want to be his gray-haired bride...at least not yet. I'd prefer to wait several more years for that to happen.
Nedwin (Amber) - This pair is the winner! By far, it fits my face the best and the Amber color worked better for me than the Cedar Tortoise.

So tonight since I have a prescription, I finally ordered glasses! Because I have a rather strong prescription, I upgraded to high index lenses for an additional $30 (a totally reasonable price). And, I used Shop at Home to save an additional 6% in cash back. So, when all is said and done, my glasses will have cost me $117.50 for plastic frames with high-index lenses and anti-scratch/anti-reflective coating. Not a bad deal. I'll report back when I get my new glasses. I can't wait!

A Day at the Zoo

2013-04-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

On Monday, I got brave and took the girls down to the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. I'm not a big fan of going through the tunnel under the Chesapeake Bay, but I did it. The forecast was for beautiful weather (70 degrees!) so it was just too good of a chance to pass up.

We haven't visited a zoo in what seems like forever. It wasn't until we arrived that I discovered that Lucie doesn't actually remember ever going to a zoo. So, the whole trip felt rather special after that revelation.

The girls had fun pretending to be Prairie Dogs.

And it turns out that they are very DANGEROUS ANIMALS too! They climbed all over their cage before I got around to reading the sign that said, "Do not climb the bars." Whoops! I guess the other parents didn't notice that either. Oh well, it made for a cute picture.

The funniest sign that we saw during the day was for the Tapirs. I've only got an Instagram shot of it, so you can't see the sign that well in the pic. But, it reads: "CAUTION: Tapirs can spray backwards 7 - 10 feet. Please stay alert! URINE DANGER." Judging the smell that surrounded that particular enclosure, I can believe it.

We decided to purchase a membership while we were there. Hopefully, we can take Brett with us next time. We're also looking forward to benefiting from Zoo Reciprocity this summer while we travel around the country!

Preschool Activities eBook Bundle of the Week

2013-04-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this week's ebook bundle being offered by Bundle of the Week is near and dear to me. Fifty Books to Enjoy with Kids, one of the book included in this bundle is a joint project between my mom, my sister, and me. It's a great resource of ways to combine children's literature with activities to do together. Normally, it sells for $9 in the Life as MOM estore. But, this week, you can purchase it through Bundle of the Week as part of a special bundle for just $7.40 total. The bundle includes:

I Can Teach My Child to Read! by Jenae Jacobson
Fifty Books to Enjoy with Kids by Veronica Getskow

Circle Time by Kendra Fletcher

Flourishing Spring by Michele Augur

Finding Educational Activities in the Most Unexpected Places by Angie Kauffman

Get yours today! This bundle offer expires at 8am EST next Monday, April 8th.

DIY Memo Board Center

2013-04-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

It's Spring Break! This week my goals are to do some fun stuff with the girls AND a little spring cleaning. My desk has always been a challenge for me. So, last week I tackled a new project to help me get my work space a bit more organized -- a DIY Memo Board Center.

It was super cheap. I just gave some thrift store frames a makeover and added a few leftover craft supplies. Now, I've got something to help me keep on track with my to-do list and organize my space a bit better.

Want to see how I did it? Stop by the Life Your Way for my tutorial.

If you're interested in doing some Spring Cleaning, check out the Spring Cleaning Made Easy series this month at Life Your Way.

Resources for a Gluten-Free Life

2013-03-18T16:40:00.002-04:00

I had been married just a couple of years when my husband's aunt was diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease? Gluten? I'd never heard of either one. I remember trying to get a basic understanding of her dietary restrictions so that she could enjoy Thanksgiving with us that year. I even tried making a flourless chocolate cake so that she'd be able to enjoy something for dessert. Back then, there really weren't that many resources for a gluten-free diet. But, times have changed!

In the years since Aunt Bev's diagnosis, I've learned a lot more about celiac disease and gluten. Although my family and I don't have any food allergies that require a special diet, I've met so many people who DO have dietary restrictions. I'm so thankful that I've actually learned of several gluten-free resources in the last year or two. I love being able to pass the info onto those who have to make those lifestyle changes.

Today I thought I'd share some great gluten and allergen-free resources. Even if you don't need them, chances are you WILL meet someone who does.

Five Easy Ways to Serve Guests on a Special Diet: Amy shares some simple ways that you can make your guests feel welcome by serving something they can actually eat.
Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free: This is a great website with lots of refined sugar and gluten-free recipes. Amy also has a cookbook by the same name that you might want to check out too.
The Balanced Platter: This blog is written by several contributors. At least two new recipes are posted each week. PLUS, each of the contributors has her own blog so you can find more recipes that way too.
Diet, Dessert, and Dogs: This a primarily vegan and gluten-free blog. Ricki has lots of great information and recipes.
Gluten & Allergen Free Expo: The Expo travels around the United States and offers classes as well as a Vendor Fair where you can try the latest products from the gluten and allergen free world. Even if an Expo won't be held near you, the website itself is a great resource of gluten-free companies. If you click on the Vendor Fair of an upcoming expo, you can see and click through to the websites of the sponsors and vendors. It is pretty amazing how many products are out there.
Gluten- and Grain-Free Bundle of the Week: From today through next Monday, March 25th at 8am EST, you can purchase a bundle of 5 grain- and gluten-free ebooks for just $7.40. It's a great deal. Go here for more info on this bundle or sign up for the Bundle of the Week newsletter.

Do you have a favorite gluten-free resource or product?

Family Fun in March

2013-03-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Although March is nearly half over, I realized that I've got another Family Fun printable to share! Download this March Family Fun printable and plan some family fun!

There are just too many things to celebrate this month not to plan in a little special family fun! This month, we've got three holidays to celebrate at our house -- St. Patrick's Day, Easter, AND my wedding anniversary. So, some of the things we're doing around here this month are:

For Saint Patrick's Day

Build a Leprechaun Trap: Ella had to make one of these for an assignment when she was in Kindergarten. What can I say? The girl loves to create things! She's started making one all on her own. Our dining room has been a disaster as pieces of the trap are in various states of completion. Spoonful.com (formerly Family Fun) has some Leprechaun Trap crafts if you're looking for ideas.
Make a rainbow treat: I'm hoping to make a special dessert for Saint Patrick's Day. I've got some cool small round pans. I thought it might be fun to do different colored layers and pile them up into a tall cake that I disguise as a leprechaun hat. We'll just have to see how the weekend plans go! We might just settle for cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles.
Make a St. Patrick's Day dinner: I love this Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread. I think I have my dinner plan for Sunday. I might even splurge on some good ol' Irish butter or Dubliner cheese at Trader Joe's.

For Easter

Make Easter Cookies: Baking Easter cookies and "painting" them is one of my favorite childhood memories. It's on our to-do list for sure.
Dye Easter Eggs: The girls and I haven't really done this before. Their Auntie Jamie helped them do it one year, but shockingly I never have. I just might attempt it this year.
Make an Easter Craft: Right now we're working on a kid-friendly craft for Life as MOM. I think it is going to look pretty cool. Stay tuned!
Make Homemade Whole Wheat Soft Pretzels: This recipe from Good Cheap Eats is soooooo good. The girls love these. It's been a few months since we've done it, but I've been craving them lately.

How are you going to have some family fun this month?

My Spring To-Do List

2013-03-11T11:15:00.000-04:00

This weekend here in Virginia was GORGEOUS! It was sunny and warm, and the girls spent nearly the whole weekend playing together happily in the yard. It does my heart good to see them enjoy the outdoors and each other so much.

I hope this weekend is an indication that spring is on its way. Although I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get much snow to play in this year, I'm ready for warmer weather. Spring here is gorgeous -- it just doesn't last quite long enough for me. It seems that as soon as it warms up, we only have a couple of weeks before the bugs come out. I am sooooo not looking forward to that.

So, as I wait for spring to arrive officially, I'm going to start working on some projects that I've got on my to-do list.

Get my desk/work area organized
I've said it before, keeping my desk and work space clean has always been a challenge for me. I know my piles drive Brett nuts. Honestly, they drive me nuts too, but getting the work done takes precedence over dealing with the piles usually. One of my top priorities right now is to get my desk under control and reorganize my space a bit to make it easier to manage. I've got a couple of projects in mind that I'll be working on in the next couple of weeks that I hope to share over on DIY Your Way. Stay tuned!

Do a Little Spring Cleaning
I don't typically do "Spring Cleaning." However, I think it will probably be a good idea to do at least a little bit. We're not sure what our living situation will be like come June, so giving the house a thorough cleaning and sorting through some of our stuff sounds like a good idea. Since packing may be in our near future, it would be a good idea to spread the work out a bit so it isn't quite so overwhelming. If we don't end up moving, well then, the clean house will just be a bonus.

If you're interested in Spring Cleaning Resources, check out the Spring Cleaning Bundle of the Week today. For just $7.40, you can get the following ebooks:

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae
Simple Living by Lorilee Lippincott
A Simply Homemade Clean by Lisa Barthuly
Project Organize Your Entire Life by Stephanie Morgan
Pulling Yourself Together by Becky of Clean Mama

This ebook bundle is only available until 8:00am EST on Monday, March 18th. Go here for more info or to purchase your bundle.

Spruce Up Our Outdoor Spaces
We'll want to enjoy our outdoor space before the bugs and humidity descend. So, it might be nice to spruce things up a bit. It's time to clean off that outdoor furniture and give the cushions a good scrub.

What's on your to-do list for Spring?

DIY Woven Felt Coasters

2013-03-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

It's March! Time to take down the Valentine's hearts and add some splashes of green around! Coasters are an inexpensive -- yet useful -- way to change up your decor.

Last month I made some fun little coasters out of ceramic tiles. With the "I love you" written on one, they had a bit of Valentine's Day flair. This last week, I created some new GREEN coasters that would be great for St. Patrick's Day.

Do you remember paper weaving? We used to do it every year in elementary school to make Thanksgiving placemats. I always loved doing it. Last week, I called on those long-unused paper-weaving skills and tried it with felt for my coasters. It was rather enjoyable to do. Stop by DIY Your Way today to learn how to make your own DIY Woven Felt Coasters.

If you like paper weaving, this woven paper storage box is a fun project too. I just love to re-purpose something and make it pretty. These boxes turned out even better than I thought they would. I would love to make more...I just gotta find the time to do it.

Easy Chocolate Fondue

2013-02-13T22:18:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I went to a fondue party with ladies from my Mothers of Preschoolers group. Since I have a fondue pot, I was tasked with bringing some chocolate fondue. Well, I had never made chocolate fondue before so I had to figure out how to do it. Turns out, it really isn't that difficult. On the stovetop, a large batch takes less than 5 minutes.

I had quite a bit of leftover chocolate even though we had a pretty large turnout at the party. It got me to thinking about making fondue in smaller portions. If you have a smaller portion and eat it as a simple dessert (rather than a long, drawn out fondue event), you don't need the fondue pot.

So, I did a little experimenting with chocolate chips and cream in the microwave. It's a bit more hands-on since you have to stir every 30 seconds or so and keep checking it to make sure it doesn't boil over or burn. But, you don't have to clean out a pan and a fondue pot.

You can also add different flavorings -- extract, citrus zest, spices, or even wine. You could also make a large batch on the stovetop, divide into ramekins for serving, and then flavor each ramekin differently.

I love fondue with fresh berries -- especially blackberries -- but you can also dip pound cake, other fruits, pretzels, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Easy Chocolate Fondue on the Stovetop

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cacao)
1 cup heavy cream
Optional flavorings: vanilla extract, lemon zest, ground ginger, chili powder, or cabernet sauvignon

In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they are melted and the mixture is well blended together. Add optional flavorings to taste -- start small and then add more as needed. (I used one teaspoon of vanilla extract.) Transfer to a fondue pot and set to warm.

Easy Chocolate Fondue in the Microwave

5 - 7 Tablespoons chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional flavorings: vanilla extract, lemon zest, ground ginger, chili powder, cabernet sauvignon, etc.

Put the chocolate chips and the cream in a ramekin. Put in the micowave for 30 seconds at 50% power. Remove and stir. Return to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each heating, until the chips are fully melted and the mixture is combined. Add optional flavoring to taste -- start with very small amounts and add more as needed.

Note: I made both white chocolate and bittersweet fondue this way. I discovered that it took more white chocolate chips to get a thick enough fondue to dip. Just add more chocolate chips until you get the thickness you prefer. The white chocolate was really good with blackberries. Yum!

-----------------
For other fancy food ideas, be sure to stop by Life as MOM on Thursday for Ultimate Recipe Swap.

DIY Beary Sweet Valentine's Cards

2013-02-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like waiting until the last minute to make Valentine's Day cards! It's a tradition in our house to make our own and then attach a little treat. Somehow the weekend got away from us and we didn't have time to make them. So, here we are at the last minute getting them done.

This year, we decided to use packages of gummi bears for the special treat. One of Lucie's friends has severe allergies so there really aren't that many candies that she can eat. Haribo Gummi Bears just happen to be something that she can have. The bear theme made it easy enough to write a little Valentine's Day message:

You are BEARY cool.
You are BEARY nice.
You are BEARY kind.
You are BEARY sweet.
You are a BEARY good friend.

If you want to make your own last-minute Valentine's Day cards, you can use this Beary Sweet Valentine's Day card template. There are two different versions -- one for older kids (with "To" and "From" and one for preschoolers with just "From").

How to Make Beary Sweet Valentine's Cards:

Supplies:

Beary Sweet Valentine's Day Card Template
white paper or cardstock
scrapbook paper (we used the $1 pack from Target's Dollar Spot) or colored cardstock
scissors and paper cutter
stapler
gluestick
small packages of gummi bears

Directions:

Print page 1 onto white cardstock as many times as you need. Each page holds 5 different messages. Cut out the hearts just inside the black line.
Print page 2 (with To: and From:) or page 3 (with just From:) onto the backside of the colored cardstock or scrapbook paper. My paper was colored on one side and white on the other. I printed onto the white side. If your paper is not 8 1/2" x 11" (mine was 12" x 12"), you'll have to trim it to fit it in your printer.
Cut the colored paper into four rectangles -- at 4.25" (on the 8.5" side) and at 5.5" (on the 11" side). Have your child address the invitations.
Staple the gummi bear packet onto the paper rectangles right below the names.
Glue the bear hearts onto the front side of the paper rectangles so that it covers up the staple. Ta da!

Natural Living & Brown Sugar Hand Scrub Recipe

2013-02-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

The last few years, I've become interested in using more natural products. I suppose, it probably started with a trip to the Lush store in Santa Barbara. Lush is a handmade cosmetic company that uses natural ingredients. It's not cheap, but it is a splurge that I enjoy once in awhile. A product from Lush can always bring a smile to my face. Because Lush is not really in the budget, I've been interested in trying to make some of my own natural bath and beauty products.

I'm slowly building a collection of supplies with which to create yummy natural stuff. I really want to get more essential oils and learn how to use them. The different scents always give me a lift. However, it seems as if VA is not as big into "natural living" as CA. Although Williamsburg is a much larger town than Solvang, it doesn't have a natural foods store where you can buy things like essential oils. Or, at least I haven't found one.

So, I do a lot of my research online. I've seen so many ideas that I want to try that I started a Natural Living Pinterest Board to keep them all easily accessible. Maybe this will help keep my thoughts organized and I'll experiment some more.

One product I have made successfully is a Brown Sugar Hand Scrub. We made it at MOPS a couple of years ago. Of course, since it is made of oil, you've got to be careful if you're going to use it in the shower. I keep this above my sink to use after I do the dishes. (Yes, I do the dishes by hand.) After I was it off, I blot my hands with a paper towel to get rid of the slightly greasy feeling.

If you're interested in "natural living" too, I thought I'd mention a few things that are going on this week:

"Natural Living" Bundle of the Week: This week's ebook bundle from Bundle of the Week is all about natural living. There are FIVE books packed with recipes and more for just $7.40 (a savings of over 80%). I haven't read any of these, but they do look good.
Plant Therapy Essential Oil Kit Giveaway: Life Your Way has a giveaway for an Essential Oil Starter Kit from Plant Therapy ($43 value). If you don't win the giveaway, you WILL get a coupon code emailed to you as a thanks for entering. If at least 250 people enter the giveaway, the coupon code will be even better!

Oh, and of course, I'm sharing my recipe for hand scrub!

Brown Sugar Hand Scrub

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup brown sugar

Pour olive oil, vanilla extract and Vitamin E into 8 ounce jar. Mix very well. Then, add sugar and carefully stir until well blended (it will not dissolve). To enjoy, scoop some of the scrub into your hand and massage gently into your skin. For best results, leave on skin for 3 to 4 minutes before rinsing.

Other Scrub Ideas:

White Sugar Scrub: We made a different version at MOPS last year. I can't remember the exact recipe, but it used white sugar, massage oil, and essential oil of your choice. You can try and experiment to find your own favorite creation!
Lavender Hand Scrub: Life as MOM posted a recipe for this back in December. Yummy!

DIY Rolled Felt Flower Wreath for Valentine's Day

2013-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

I really enjoy making crafts, and I enjoy it even more when I can use the supplies that I already have. I mentioned before that I have a TON of felt, even after the many, many felt crafts I've made.

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I decided to make a dent in my felt stash by making some rolled felt flowers. They're similar to the paper flower arrangement than I made at Christmas -- but even easier. Although you can find heart-shaped wreath frames, I decided to make a frame out of some craft vine wire leftover from my braided vine napkin rings. A little hot glue and ta-da! A cool Valentine's Day wreath.

Want to make your own? Stop by DIY Your Way to see my step-by-step tutorial on how to make this fun Valentine's Day wreath!

DIY Ceramic Tile Coasters

2013-02-06T14:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I made a super simple craft at my Mothers of Preschoolers group -- DIY Coasters. Although I didn't design this particular craft, it is pretty similar in theory to the Hand-Painted Trivets that I shared at Life as MOM over the holidays. Like the trivets, these coasters are a kid-friendly craft too.

These DIY Coasters really are fast to make and can really be customized for the recipient. They'd be great as a housewarming, hostess, teacher, or even wedding gift.

At MOPS, we used scrapbook paper as the decoration, but you could get creative with another type of paper. You could try using:

artwork from your kids
family photographs
maps of places you've lived or places you've visited
printout of your favorite sports team's mascot or logo

A couple thoughts about paper and ink:

A thicker paper will work better than a thin one. When you use Modge Podge, thin papers can tend to get a bit wrinkly when they're glued down and coated. A more cardstock type paper will hold up much better.
If you print something from the computer, a laser print is a better choice than ink jet. Since ink jet uses a liquid ink, it may smear a bit when you coat it with Modge Podge. If you don't have a laser printer, print it or color-copy it at the photocopy store.
If you're using original artwork made with markers, you might want to make a laser or color-copy for the above reason.

How to Make Custom Ceramic Tile Coasters

Supplies:

4.25" square ceramic tiles from the home improvement store
small circular felt pads
scrapbook paper
pen or pencil
scissors
Modge Podge
foam brush

Directions:
Flip the tile over and place a felt pad near each corner on the bottom side of the tile. These pads will help protect your table surface from the scratchy underside of the tile.

Use scissors to cut the decoration out of your scrapbook paper. You can use a smaller square (as I did -- mine measured 3.75" square) to leave a bit of a tile border around the edge. At MOPS, the craft team made square templates for us to trace onto our paper. That made it very easy to trace a particular portion of the scrapbook paper for my coaster. But, you don't have to use a square -- trace shapes out of your scrapbook paper if you want to. Get creative!

Use the foam brush to brush some Modge Podge on the back of your scrapbook paper square or decoration. Affix it to the top of the tile. Press firmly to ensure that you don't have any air bubbles underneath. Double-check that the edges of the paper are firmly adhered to the tile.

Coat the entire top of the tile with Modge Podge. Allow to dry completely. (If needed, you can speed up the process with a hair dryer.)

Give the tile another coat of Modge Podge. If you wish, you can brush in the opposite direction to give a sort of "canvas" like brushstroke pattern. Allow to dry.

Marriage eBook Bundle of the Week

2013-02-04T10:27:00.001-05:00

It's funny, the Super Bowl always makes me think of how quickly time passes. We're not into football at our house, and I don't watch the Super Bowl -- not even for the commercials. But, it's nearly impossible NOT to hear about the Super Bowl on TV. Once upon a time, I was a high school student dancing in the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXVII. So, each year as I see those roman numerals change, it gives me a bit of a shock to see how much time has passed. This year was no exception. (I'll just let you do the math.)

Of course, as I reflect on time, I can't help but think about my marriage. Next month, Brett and I will have been married for twelve years. TWELVE YEARS. Yeah, that number is a bit shocking to me too.

When I heard about the latest BundleoftheWeek.com marriage-themed bundle, of course I was intrigued. I think it's healthy to read about marriage and make a concerted effort to do what I can to strengthen my own. But honestly, it's been awhile since I've read anything of the sort.

It's not always easy. I know for me, it's all too simple to just go along with the daily to-do, especially since our family is in this law school / child-rearing stage of life. That's why I picked up this bundle of 5 ebooks for only $7.40 (a savings of over 80%). This bundle includes:

15-Minute Marriage Makeover by Dustin Riechmann
A Simple Marriage by Corey Allan, PhD
Stripped Down by Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo
Entangled by Amy Bennett
The Husband's Guide to Getting Lucky by Marla Taviano

Get yours today...I just did. This bundle is valid from now until 8:00am EST on Monday, February 11th. Also, if you're interested in hearing about upcoming ebook bundles, sign up for the weekly newsletter at Bundle of the Week.

Is there a marriage resource that you've found helpful? I'd love to know what has worked for you. Share in the comments.

Family Fun in February!

2013-02-01T15:42:00.000-05:00

January always flies by for me. I guess it probably has something to do with planning two birthday celebrations in the course of a month. I didn't help things that the girlies got sick in January either. I felt like I was in a cave for a couple of weeks. But, I'm finally getting to the point where I feel like I can relax a bit and get into a more regular schedule. And I'm looking forward to February!

Last month, I decided to try to be a bit more deliberate in planning fun stuff to do with the girls. I even made a fun little checklist sheet to help them get involved in the planning. While we didn't exactly stick to our list, we DID have a lot of fun in January. Personally, I enjoyed the indoor snowball fights, doing crafts together, and of course the birthday parties.

So, we're going to try to keep the fun going in February. I really hope to do a bunch of Valentine's Day stuff with the girls. We really enjoy making our own Valentine's Day cards so I hope that we'll do that again.

If you want to be more intentional in your Family Fun, download the February Family Fun Printable and brainstorm with your family. Here are a few ideas that might make February a little more fun.

Family Fun Ideas for February:

Decorate for Valentines Day

Make words for your mantel. I just love my "Love does." decor that's on my mantel. Kids can help decide on the words, trace out the letters, and even assemble them depending on their skill level.
Make a sparkly heart garland. I haven't done this but I think my girls would enjoy it.
Make heart-shaped salt dough candle holders. This is an easy craft to do with the kids. I think I might turn mine into a centerpiece for our dining table. They'd look pretty for an at-home Valentine's dinner.
Make heart-shaped borax ornaments. They'd look pretty hanging in the window.

Make Your Own Valentine's Day Cards

Enjoy Sweet Treats

Creme Brulee. This is one of our family's favorite desserts. Plus, it's always fun to bring out the torch.
Cupcakes with Homemade Buttercream Frosting. The girls LOVE making cupcakes and LOVE adding sprinkles. I pipe on the frosting so it looks fancy.

Want more Valentine's day ideas? Check out DIY on a Dime: Valentine's Day at Life as MOM this month!

DIY Mantel Words Tutorial

2013-01-24T16:30:00.001-05:00

It's been quite the week here. We had a string of cold, gloomy days that coincided with one of the girls having a 3-day fever. I don't think I realized how much being cooped up with a sick kid had affected me until Brett took them both out of the house on Friday.

The sunlight was (finally) streaming through our front windows, and I had the house to myself. Oh man, it was lovely and just the break that I needed. It also gave me a chance to do a little crafting.

Inspired by the approaching Valentine's holiday and the book Love Does by Bob Goff, I created these these DIY Mantel Words with free and inexpensive materials. They were simple and cheap to make. It makes me happy to see them sitting up on my mantel.

Stop over at DIY Your Way to check out my tutorial on how to make your very own DIY Mantel Words.

Making Meal Planning Easier

2013-01-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

I have a sort of love / hate relationship with meal planning. When I actually do it, I love how much easier it makes my life. But really, I don't love the process of doing it. Instead, I usually do a vague meal plan in my head as I walk through the grocery store. Of course, inevitably I forget something and then stand in my kitchen later that week wondering what I'm going to make for dinner.

Sometimes part of my problem with planning is having inspiration for cooking. Sometimes it's not having time to plan and then needing to run to the store immediately because there is nothing to eat. I always hope to improve in this area. Just recently, I've come across a few resources for both recipe inspiration AND planning that I thought I'd mention in case you haven't seen them yet.

Printable Meal Plans from Life as MOM

Freezer Cooking Plans - Once each month, Jessica at Life as MOM releases a freezer meal cooking plan. Based off of some recipes from her cookbook Not Your Mothers Make-Ahead and Freeze and some from her blogs (Life as MOM and Good Cheap Eats), these cooking plans include a list of recipes, a shopping list, and a step-by-step plan to create a number of meals for your freezer. She's offered THREE different ones thus far - Meals for Busy Holiday Nights, Cozy Winter Breakfasts, and Holiday Baking.

Weekly Meal Plan - Last week, Jessica released a printable weekly meal plan that includes links to recipes (5 meals, 1 side, and 1 dessert) and a shopping list. Yeah, I'm totally going to use this plan at least one week this month. She'll be releasing more meal plans in the months to come. Yea!

Easy Meals Ebook Bundle from Bundle of the Week

Another great resource for meal inspiration is available this week! Bundle of the Week is offering an "Easy Meals" bundle of five ebooks to help make dinner time easier for busy families. These books are packed full of more than 125 easy recipes that are delicious and satisfying but don’t require a lot of prep time. Get everything from delicious slow cooker meals and main dish salads to crowd-pleasing comfort foods for only $7.40 (a savings of over 70%) for one week only. With your purchase, you'll get all five of the following ebooks:

Crock On! by Stacy Myers
20-Minute Meals by Leigh Ann Dutton
Feast in 15 by Tiffany King
Got Dinner? by Susan Heid
Eat This by Renee Tougas

If this bundle sounds interesting to you, don't wait. This deal is valid only until Monday, January 28th at 8:00am. You can purchase your Easy Meals Bundle here!

With all these great resources and talk of meal planning, I just might try to get back on the meal planning bandwagon. I think I need to be even more detailed in my meal planning and go beyond planning just dinner. My kids are easy to please for breakfast and lunch, so that isn't an issue for me. But, personally, I have a difficult time making lunch for myself if leftovers aren't involved. And unlike the rest of my family, I'm not a huge fan of cereal for breakfast. So, in an effort to be kinder to my body, I just might start planning other meals for myself.

If you're looking for meal planning pages, check out Meal Planning Made Simple from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Amy's got some cool resources on her site too.

Do you meal plan? How do you make it easier?

Finding Inexpensive or FREE Books

2013-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I shared a list of books that I hope to read this year. As I wrote my list, I got to thinking about how expensive a reading habit can be, especially if you like reading the latest titles to hit the shelves.

Honestly, I can't really afford to buy new books at this stage of life. We spend an insane amount of money every semester to buy my husband's required law school books. If I'm going to read for fun, I have to keep it FREE or at the very least, really cheap.

If I'm in a mood to read a book that someone has recommended or am just browsing for something new, here's what I do.

Try the local library first.
Yes, I know this isn't a great revelation but it's still one worth sharing. Most libraries have websites that allow you to search their catalog, find out a title's availability, and put in a hold request. I do this regularly from the comfort of my own home. I've usually got a little one with me, so it is WONDERFUL to have the books I want waiting for me a the circulations desk when I get there.

If your library doesn't already own a particular title that you're interested in, you're not totally out of luck. Many libraries will see if they can get it for you through an inter-library loan OR possibly purchase it for their collection if you make a request. Sure, they might not be able to do it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Also, it is a title you think you might want to own, see if the library has it for sale. Most libraries have a section where they sell donated books for dirt cheap. I know that my local library sells books for $0.25-$1.00. You might have to dig, but you just might find a jewel that you can add to your bookshelf at home.

Try getting a FREE or CHEAPER copy on a digital device.
I have an old-school Kindle with a keyboard. Brett bought it for me back in the days before law school when we had a dependable income. And boy, have I given that thing a workout! Although I love reading a REAL book, being able to download a Kindle book in just moments from home is a nice thing. Kindles have dropped significantly in price -- the cheapest Kindle you can get is only $69 -- a far cry from the $139 we paid a couple of years ago.

But, even if you don't have a Kindle (or if it is not in the budget), you can download a Kindle Reading App to use with your Android phone or table, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows 8 PC or tablet, Blackberry or Windows phone! I discovered this last year when I was bored at my daughter's swim lesson and had left my kindle at home. I downloaded the app and was able to access all of my Kindle books right on my phone. Awesome!

So, how do you get FREE kindle books, you ask? Well, if it's an out-of-copyright, pre-1923 book, it might be as simple as searching the title in the Kindle Store. Amazon also has some great information on Free Book Collections that you might want to check out. If you don't have a specific book in mind, you might want to:

Check out the Top 100 FREE Kindle books. On your Kindle, go to the Kindle Store, select "Kindle Bestsellers" and navigate to "Top 100 FREE." Of course, you need to pay attention because sometimes a book will be listed there and the price has changed from $0.00 to an actual price OR sometimes the books are only free with Amazon Prime membership.
Check out Jungle Deals & Steals. This website lists free Kindle books everyday at 10am.

I also want to mention that oftentimes the Kindle version of a book is cheaper than a paperback or hardback version of a book. Even then, sometimes the Kindle version goes on SALE too! Case in point, I wanted to read Love Does by Bob Goff because a few different friends of mine recommended it. Well, my library didn't carry it, and I checked Amazon to see the price. I must have checked it out at just the right time because I got the Kindle version for just $1.99. It must have been on sale because normally the Kindle version is over $8 and the paperback is over $10.

Try borrowing from a friend. Facebook can help!
When all the above fails, try borrowing it from a friend. If I need something, I've found that Facebook can be an easy way to get the word out quickly. Once when we couldn't get a babysitter, Brett posted it on Facebook and a friend volunteered within 15 minutes. Of course, you've got to find a local friend who has the book you want, but it is definitely worth a shot.

How do you find books for cheap or free?

Have an Indoor Snowball Fight!

2013-01-16T13:42:00.003-05:00

Earlier this month, I mentioned that we were going to make a Family Fun To-Do list each month. One of the things on our list this month is to have an indoor snowball fight!

A couple of years ago, my sister Jamie showed me how to make these "snowballs." At the time, we were living on California central coast where it almost never snows. So, a fight with these little fiberfilled balls was just about the only kind we got to have. L and E just love it when we break these out!

If you want to make your own set, stop over at Life as MOM today! I'm sharing an easy tutorial on how to make these indoor snowballs. It's a perfect way to have a little indoor fun with your kiddies.

Booking It in 2013

2013-01-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

Another year, another list of books I hope to read. Of course, I don't always get through my list. I certainly read a lot last year -- I just didn't get to everything that was on my Booking It list. Somehow, I got distracted by other books. I guess that can happen when you've got a Kindle and can get free books with the click of a button.

What follows isn't an official to-read list for the next year. Instead, it's more of a list of categories of books plus a few specific titles that I'm interested in reading. I'm hoping that this type of plan will help me add a bit more variety to my reading time.

If I find a really good book, I'll try to post about it on the last Monday of the month and then link up to Booking It 2013 at Life as MOM. If you're looking for reading inspiration, Jessica has a HUGE list of books that might be interesting to read here. Bundle of the Week is also a good resource for potential reading material. I'm on their email list, so I just might splurge on another bundle if the topic is something that really catches my eye.

As it stands now, here's what I'm considering for 2013.

French-Related Stuff: Okay, I'm a total sucker for anything related to France!

Bringing up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billion
French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, and Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano

American Classics: I think this might be a good year to explore some American Classics. Sadly, there are some "big" books that I've never read. I'm getting a little tired of thinking to myself, "I've never read that." when a classic is referred to on TV or in another book. So, I just might try to check some off the list.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - I can't remember if I actually read this or not. Huck and Tom Sawyer kind of blend together in my mind. But, I found a free kindle version here so it won't cost me a thing to check it out.

Fan Literature: I haven't really explored the world of fan literature, but I thought it might be interesting to try it out this year.

Sydney's Story: A Prequel to Tale of Two Cities by Eileen Granfors - My high school teacher wrote this book! I remember enjoying A Tale of Two Cities in high school although I do seem to remember that it made me cry. I thought it might be interesting to read Mrs. Granfors' prequel to it. While I'm at it, I'll probably reread A Tale of Two Cities since it's been a good, oh, twenty years since I read it. (Man, does that sentence make me feel old!)
Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued by Anna Elliott - I love Jane Austen and have read many of her books. I usually read P & P once a year or so. I picked this Kindle version up for free, so I'll definitely give it a try. I believe the author has created a sequel so I might consider picking that up if I enjoy it enough (and if its cheap enough).

Motherhood & Parenting: I picked up all of these ebooks through Bundle of the Week this week. So of course, they are on the list!

Nurturing Creativity by Renee Tougas
Mindset for Moms by Jamie Martin
Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda Morgan
4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions
Steady Days by Jamie Martin

Work: These were on my list last year, but I never got to finish them. I'll give it another go this year.

48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility by Mireille Guliano

Kale with Grape Tomatoes

2013-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, there was a field that we drove by on a regular basis. At certain times of the year, it would smell BAD. I seem to remember someone saying that they grew kale there. Kale? I didn't know what that was, but if it smelled like that, I knew I didn't want to eat it.

Well, I'm here to tell you that I've gotten over my childhood aversion to the mysterious vegetable that is kale. To be honest, I don't know if it truly was kale that they grew in the field because I haven't noticed that kale has much of a smell -- certainly not what I smelled in that field as a kid!

My current favorite way to eat kale is cooked in a little broth with some quartered grape tomatoes. I almost never buy prepared broth -- I always use water with Better than Bouillon. I love the stuff. It has wonderful flavor and comes in so many different varieties -- vegetable, chicken, turkey, beef, mushroom, PLUS certified vegan No Chicken and No Beef. I usually use chicken for this recipe, but you could certainly substitute vegetable or one of the certified vegan varieties if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Best of all, this recipe is super fast to make. It actually takes less time than cooking up some frozen vegetables, and I enjoy it so much more!

Kale with Grape Tomatoes

about 5 ounces kale, washed and cut (about 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's Kale)
olive oil
1/2 cup water plus 1/2 teaspoon Better than Bouillon soup base of your choice (vegetable, vegan, or chicken)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
kosher salt, to taste if needed

Heat about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the kale and stir. In a measuring cup, combine the water with soup base and stir to dissolve. Add the broth to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook over low heat for 4 minutes. Remove lid and add tomatoes. Cover and cook for an additional minute. Taste and add a small amount of Kosher salt if needed. Enjoy!

DIY Rustic Paint Finish

2013-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

When we moved into this house about 1 1/2 years ago, I got a chance to redecorate on a severely limited budget. My husband had most of the rooms set up before the girls and I arrived. The one room that wasn't really touched was our hall bathroom, so that's where I started with my decor efforts. It has sort of a pink/mauve tile on the walls -- I'm pretty sure it was original to the house when it was built back in the 60's. Quite honestly, I kinda like it. It's got a certain personality.

I kept the decor simple -- added a white shower curtain, four DIY letter towel hooks, and three pieces of artwork. We've got a cool map of Paris with some pink tones in it, so I decided it should go in the bathroom. It helped me decide on a "theme" for the bathroom - Paris. In addition to the map, I framed a landscape of Paris that Brett bought years ago when he was there and a copy of the "Footprints" poem in French. Those were both in matching pine wooden frames from Ikea. I had great plans to paint the frames black, but well, we were having guests over so I just had Brett hang them on the walls. The guests came and went, and the frames just stayed there on the wall untouched.

Last week with the coming of the new year, I was inspired to give them that coat of black paint FINALLY. I could have just brushed on some black paint or used a can of spraypaint. But, instead I chose to give them a more rustic paint finish. I love doing this, and it really is quite easy to do. It's a great way to remake a piece of furniture or decor that has seen better days.

Want to learn this paint technique? Come stop by DIY Your Way to learn how to make a rustic paint finish!