Moms Crafty Life

Happy Easter

teal — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:36:05 +0000

The girls and I had fun this afternoon making these cute little Easter bunnies! We found the idea from Family Fun; there is always a great craft on that site that is suitable for the little ones to help with.

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Peeps

teal — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:27:24 +0000

Peeps are fun and I loved them when I was younger. Now that my taste buds are grown up, I don’t like them as much, but they’re still cute. So what all can you do with those little guys?

Thrift Shop Romantic actually varnished the little suckers and made garland! Clever idea!

Paper, Scissors, Ink has a great peep card. Check it out…they look good enough to eat!

Inkerprint Studios also made a peep card that turned out fantastic! Check out her version of peeps s’mores below.

Chronicle Books fills a vase with peeps.

And now for some edible peep inspiration…

Inkerprints Studio peeps in a jar look yummy!

Creative Holiday Gift Ideas made Easter Bunny S’mores. You’ve got to check it out!

You can make traditional s’mores with peeps, too! Baking Bites has the scoop…

Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife made Peeps Cupcakes with her kids. They turned out adorable…hurry over there so you can see for yourself!

If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can make your own peeps, Twig and Thistle show you how!

There’s even a book out full of what you can do with peeps!

Somebody even compiled 155 links to peeps! You know you’re curious…

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Easter Decorations

teal — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:16:55 +0000

I’ve had these tucked away all year and now that Easter is almost here, I’m finally pulling out some decorations. Originally, this craft started out as an activity for my daughter’s brownie troop, but once we saw how great they turned out, Christine, Jami and I made some of our own. Our inspiration came from a Michaels Project Idea, but we had to make a few changes to keep the supply cost down since we had ten girls doing this. When we made these, we did not have the blog, so it didn’t occur to me to take step by step pictures.

You can find the directions at Michaels Online. We used paper mache eggs instead of wooden eggs, as they were on sale. We found the cute little buckets in the dollar section at Michaels.

Using glue dots, we were able to have perfect little polka dots on our eggs and the glitter sparkle added a great finishing touch. This was a fun craft and adds a nice touch of Easter decor to my home!

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Free Beauty Products

teal — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:38:02 +0000

This appears to be easy enough. Buy a product from the list below at CVS & submit receipt to Glamour Magazine (the first 1000 - that’s the trick) and get some great beauty products….$75 worth….for free! details here

• 24.7 Skincare® Targeted Wrinkle Treatment
• Bioré® Dual Fusion™ moisturizer + SPF 30
• Essence of Beauty® Pure Amber Body Mist and Shower Gel
• Essence of Beauty® Flawless Pedicure—Complete Pedicure System
• Jergens® natural glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer
• John Frieda® Root Awakening® hair care
• John Frieda® Sheer Blonde® go blonder lightening shampoo or conditioner
• Vickery & Clarke™ Sleep Milk Bath.

I’ll admit….I’m skeptical, HOWEVER…..Wylie Mom said she did this last year and was very impressed, so I’ll give it a go! You should, too!

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Meal Plan Monday

teal — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:05:40 +0000

Monday: Christine’s best chicken ever - has become a FAVORITE in our house!
peas
salad

Tuesday: crockpot scalloped potatoes and ham - we don’t typically eat a lot of ham, but I really needed a new crockpot dish to try. I think this one will be a hit!
green beans
fruit salad

Wednesday: fish tacos
kids will have mac & cheese

Thursday: bbq ribs in the crockpot and crockpot creamy potatoes (glad I have two crockpots)
I’ll have a raw veggie/dip tray on the table, as well.

Friday: burgers - my husband grills an awesome burger and recently started giving them “cheese skirts” - got the idea from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives….and yes, I love Guy Fieri!

Saturday: breakfast for dinner

Sunday: grilled chicken ceasar salad

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Baked Apples

teal — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:44:51 +0000

This may be a well known fact, but for me it was an a-ha moment! We had a dinner party for our brownie troop to earn the make it, eat it try it. One of the recipes is baked apples. The girls are too young to core the apples and we didn’t have a corer, so I was the person for the job. It didn’t occur to me until about the ninth apple, to try cutting it on the bottom part of the stem instead of the top. I sure wish I had known this sooner! The tougher part of the apple was removed and the seeds seemed to be more toward the bottom. It made enough of an impression on me to share with those who read this! Have you ever noticed the difference?

Find more tips at Rocks In My Dryer.

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How To Make A Candy Bouquet

teal — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:56:37 +0000

I saw these for sale at the store and told Christine we ought to try making them instead. Our kids gave them to their teachers for Valentine’s Day. Here’s how we did it:

Christine had a bunch of flower picks from a previous candy bouquet her family received. Thankfully, she saved them and we were able to put them to good use. We hot glued mini candy bars to the sticks. We tried to be sure we had the candy bars facing the same direction.

Then we filled vases (found at the 99 Cent Store) half way with Hershey Hugs and Kisses. We placed foam in the center for the candy sticks to poke into. We didn’t glue it, just had the Hugs and Kisses around it to hold in place. You could also use mason jars or for a smaller bouquet, use Starbucks Frappuccino bottles and fill with M&Ms instead of kisses.

We poked the candy sticks in at varying angles, taller ones in the back, smaller towards the front. Then filled with the wrinkled paper strips so you couldn’t see the foam in the center.

And voila! Here’s the finished product!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

teal — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:40:44 +0000

Christine and I made the super cute candy bouquets for our kids teachers. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received just from getting them into the school and down to the classrooms! They were a hit.

We’ll add a quick tutorial, as these would also be cute for Easter or anytime you need a sweet gift.

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Self Check Out Tip

teal — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:46:36 +0000

I don’t know about you, but there are many times I will avoid the self check out lane at the grocery store, as there always seems to be an issue and the person monitoring the system has to come and give me a hand. While I was at Wal-mart the other day, I was in a rush and of course the lines were long - that’s how it always works out, so I opted for the self check out lane. I had a few bags worth of groceries and at one point, I could remove the bag and put it back in my cart and it didn’t alert the cashier. However, the second time I moved the bag, the system stopped and she had to offer me assistance. While doing so, she told me that while the “finish and pay” sign is flashing, you can remove the bag at that time and you won’t get dinged….even if you’re not done sliding your groceries through the scanner. Light bulb moment for me, as I never could figure out why it would sometimes work and other times it wouldn’t! I was at Kroger last night and tried the same method, but their pay option doesn’t flash…must be a different timing trick there!

Find more tips at Rocks In My Dryer!

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CVS Deal

christine — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:53:35 +0000

I love reading about other people saving money at the store. However some of these gals are way too disciplined and clever for me! I get totally overwhelmed if I have to do more than one transaction to get a good deal!

So here’s my (single transaction) good deal at CVS. I had $6 in Extra Bucks at CVS that were about to expire. I try to purchase something with the Extra Bucks that make me more Extra Bucks. However I only will purchase something that I’ll really use. (I could buy it for charity, but I’d never remember to give it to them!) Anyways, CVS advertised Head & Shoulders and Pantene shampoo on sale for $4.99 and you got back $3.00 in Extra Bucks. I used a $1.00 off coupon on the Head & Shoulders and a $2.00 off one on the Pantene. I then used my $6.00 in Extra Bucks; making my grand total- .98 cents plus I earned another $6.00 in Extra Bucks!!!! Now I can relax until my new Extra Bucks expire in March-

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Chicken Saute with Artichokes and Mushrooms

christine — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:41:43 +0000

This recipe is a favorite of my hubby’s. I got it out of a Southern Living magazine many years ago. It’s a little bit different than the Artichoke Chicken I posted in October.

1(6oz) jar marinated artichokes hearts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp pepper

5 Tbsp butter, divided

12 fresh mushrooms, halved

1/3 cup dry white wine (I use chicken broth)

2 Tbsp capers, drained (I omit)

Drain artichokes, reserving 2 tablespoons marinade; set aside. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine flour, salt and pepper in shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour mixture and set aside. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in large skillet; add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes. Push mushrooms to one side of pan, and melt 1 Tbsp butter in pan; add chicken. Cook chicken 5-6 minutes on each side until done. Remove chicken from pan. Add wine (broth) to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of pan. Add artichokes, and artichoke marinade to skillet, and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and add remaining 1Tbsp of butter and capers, stirring often until smooth. Serve sauce over chicken. Yummy!

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Menu Planning

christine — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:37:45 +0000

Well I’ve attempted to plan out my menu for the week. Hopefully all will go as planned…

Monday- fall pork roast in the crock pot (not very good-won’t make again)

Tuesday-picnic in the car- sandwiches, chips and fruit. We have approx. 50 minutes between Brownies and Boy Scouts- not enough time to go home and eat.

Wednesday-Lasagna, salad, celery with peanut butter, and garlic bread

Thursday- left overs- I’m going out with the girls!!

Friday- Zesty shrimp pasta (new recipe, hopefully it’ll be better than the roast!), fruit and raw veggies with dip

Saturday-grill steaks (make extra one), baked potatoes, and salad

Sunday-Steak salads and fruit

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Meal Plan Monday

teal — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:47:13 +0000

I’m low on menu planning inspiration this week! I know it only takes a few minutes to do a little browsing, especially at Org Junkie’s site, but then I’ll get sucked into looking at what everyone else is having for dinner this week!

Monday - Quick and Easy Chicken & Rice, steamed broccoli, salad

Tuesday - Weight Watchers Chili - but I’ll use chicken or beef instead of turkey and we’ll have some cornbread. I can’t find my favorite recipe online right now, but when I do, I’ll post it.

Wednesday - BBQ Pork Sandwiches, homemade french fries and fruit

Thursday - Best Chicken Ever, green beans, rolls, salad or fruit salad

Friday - taco night

Saturday - breakfast for dinner

Sunday - sandwiches, chips with dip and fruit

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Out From Hiding

teal — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:58:47 +0000

I haven’t exactly been hiding out over the past couple of weeks…I’d rather look at it as being consumed with my goals.

I have been waking up before the crack of dawn on most mornings to go to Lady of America’s version of boot camp. I call it torture. However, it’s worth the effort.

Also, after years of procrastination, I finally enrolled in a couple classes at the local college. If you’ve wanted to go back to school, I highly recommend it. It feels fantastic doing something for myself.

So now I’m aiming to get back on track and back to blogging on a regular basis. I’ve missed it!

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Valentine Suckers

christine — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:00:05 +0000

For Valentine’s Day last year I made lollipop covers for my daughter’s preschool class. A very inexpensive way to “dress up” a treat.

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Valentine Flower Pots

christine — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:57:13 +0000

Last year for teacher gifts on Valentine’s Day, I made these cute little flower pots. Each scalloped flower is made of a peppermint pattie stuck on a bamboo skewer. I punched out two scalloped circles and taped them to each side of the candy. I added a stamped image to the front of the flower. I used some florist foam in the bottom of the pots to keep the sticks in place. Added some ribbon and a little bit of crinkled paper and it’s done! Very easy and very cute!

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Meal Planning

christine — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:20:51 +0000

I’m re-reading the book, “More Hours In My Day”, of course I don’t know how I’m going to get more hours when I spend hours reading- but I digress. The authors, Emilie Barnes and Sheri Torelli, write that we average making 750 meals a year. So a meal plan is a must! I have tried many times to make a menu but it never works out.

I decided to get serious about making a menu for this week. Ha! what a joke! Here’s how it actually went-

Monday- Fajitas with all the fixin’s- my son has Taekwondo that afternoon so I was going to grill the meat and veggies during the day and just re-heat everything when we got home. I forgot to thaw the meat the day before, so it wasn’t ready to grill that afternoon. Instead, I run into the store during Taekwondo and pick up an already made roast, instant mashed potatoes, and rolls. I think the only thing that was edible were the rolls!

Tuesday- Try for Fajitas again. We have a brownie meeting and a cub scout meeting tonight, so I was going to have everything ready to eat between the two. My son gets off the bus and says he has a hole in the bottom of his tennis shoes and his socks got wet at recess! So off to the mall we go and 5 stores later we still have no tennis shoes. ( He has his father’s wide, hard to fit foot!) We go straight to the first meeting and afterwards rush home to eat chili dogs in 20 minutes before we’re off to cub scouts!

Wednesday-We were suppose to have the chili dogs tonight. But instead we have to go to another mall to look for shoes because now you can see his socks through the bottom of the shoes! We finally find one pair of shoes (less than $100!) that fit after going to 4 more stores. It’ll be after 7 when we get home, so we eat Taco Bell at the mall!

Thursday- Cashew Chicken. Tonight we’re finally able to eat the fajitas! Even though the grill ran out of gas and I had to broil the meat.

Friday- Hamburgers and french fries. No gas in the grill and no hamburger buns, so we’re having chef salads with a little bit of left over fajita meat on them.

I’ll try to make a menu work next week… ’cause I’m tired this week!

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Crock Pot Recipe

teal — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:00:32 +0000

A friend of mine gave me this recipe. It’s in the crock pot now, I hope it tastes good!

Get a couple packages of Stew Meat (cut up……..lean kind) or a roast and cut it up.

Put the meat in the crock pot. Dump a can (or two - depending on how much meat you have) of tomato sauce over it. Add a couple of tablespoons of Chili Powder, some Oregano and some Cumin. Oh - and some Onion Powder and Garlic Powder. Stir it up. Cook on low overnight (so put it on before you go to bed). In the morning, take two forks and shred the meat while inside the crock pot. Keep on Low and cook all day!

We use it just by itself or sometimes in tortillas.

You can also serve the meat unshredded for a Carne Asada type thing.

EASY and good!

Find more crock pot recipes here…

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New Year, New Lists

teal — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:40:21 +0000

I love making lists and tend to do so for everything. With it being the beginning of the year, I thought it would be a good time to update a basic list about our family, just a good thing to have available. I keep this taped in one of my kitchen cabinets (along with the garbage pick up schedule from the City - makes for less confusion on the holiday dates).

I absolutely love spending time at Executive Homemaker. This site is full of ideas and free files. We all love free, right?!?! You can get your home in order with this site.

Our family calendar is kept on the computer using Cozi. It’s also accessible online, so if I’m out and need it, it’s only a few clicks away. This is great for our family, as it is color coded per family member. Cozi also has customizable lists, as well as mobile phone access…you can send a quick note from your computer! One of my favorite features is the photo collage screen saver. It pulls different pictures from your photo files and puts them into a collage and changes every few seconds. You can even freeze a collage and send it to an email recipient.

Jott.com has voice to text lists, online to do lists and reminders. Evernote.com claims to be your external brain. Anything you want to remember later…pictures, documents, text notes, etc.; you may want to give Evernote a try. I look forward to trying both of these sites out.

Lists work for me….

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Back To School Ramblings

teal — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:33:14 +0000

Yesterday was the kids last day of their holiday break. It was freezing cold outside and raining….all day long. Just two days prior, it was feeling like spring, sunny and 85 degrees out there! That’s Texas weather for you.

Christine and I took our kids roller skating yesterday. It was such fun, not to mention great exercise. Christine could even skate backwards! Not me, I did good just to stay forward and upright.

Here’s Madison having fun skating and being silly.

A few years ago, I recall one of the roller skating rinks had skate times exclusively for moms. We would bring our little ones and skate around the rink while pushing the stroller. It did look a little odd, but was something different to do.

This morning, instead of enjoying a quiet home without kids and getting the never ending to-do list accomplished, I took a nap, which has thrown me off for the remainder of the day. If I was tired, I’m sure the kids will be exhausted by this evening.

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