Sweet Coconut Lime

Busy Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:06:00 +0000

Hello my long lost friends...
I just realized I have not blogged since September!!!! Eeeekkkk!! So Sorry! I have been so busy with being a mom of 5 that I have had to push this blog to the side for a little while. I am sorry for the unanswered emails. Many of you have asked for the Valentine printables. At this time they are not available- sorry, but I will have some other fun things available soon.

Happy Love Week! I am off to celebrate Hallie's birthday!

I am what I am... A Mormon

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:42:00 +0000

I have been thinking about this post for a while now, well since Brynlie was born actually. You see, right after she was born, I was somewhat nervous as to how on earth I was going to be able to take care of these 5 kids, especially with school just getting out and all the kids home for the summer.

I belong to one of the best groups of women in the entire world- The Relief Society! When I came home from the hospital, dinner was brought to our family every night for the first week. Then, more friends from our church congregation or ward as we call it, called to ask when they could bring dinner over or help watch the kids.

I was overwhelmed with their kindness, charity and Christ- like love towards my family. In those first weeks of being home with Brynlie there was an outpouring amount of love from Jesus Christ that we felt through these women who were instruments in His hands. There were many who brought over homemade blankets, adorable little outfits, meals and served my little family in so many ways. Not one of them were paid or bribed to come and help me, they just followed the example of "What Would Jesus Do?" One of my sweet friends even brought over her daughters to clean my entire house including scrubbing the bathrooms and mopping the floors so I could rest! She was a pure example of teaching our children how to serve others and be more like Christ.

I was so touched by the goodness of these women, and as I thought about it, I realized that the title of this organization I belong to, The Relief Society, truly does bring relief to those in need. Each Sunday I am able to go to church and listen to their stories and their testimonies of Jesus Christ and in turn be "relieved" and strengthened of my own trials. These are women that I can talk with, laugh with, cry with, and learn from. They are all over the world and are my sisters.

To me the Relief Society Organization is more than service. In this time, with a new baby at home, I felt completely uplifted by those who may not be my direct sisters with the same parents, but are my sisters through Christ.

The Relief Society organization is a free program for the women of the world, even if you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. With the new presidential candidate, who is Mormon, there has been a lot of coverage as to what Mormon's really are. Some of it has been positive and some negative. The other day I was reading another blog and was so touched that there are Mormon women bloggers out there, sisters of mine, that are making a stand as to who we really are- Daughter's of God- doing our best to bring good to the world and the lives of those around us.

One of my favorite stories in The Book of Mormon is about a group of 2000 young men who were stripling warriors. They were not afraid to fight and defend their families. They were not afraid to die because they had been taught about God by their mothers and they knew they need not fear death. Today, I am grateful to stand with mothers like those in the scriptures who teach their children about the Savior Jesus Christ and together we stand as sisters in His gospel.

This weekend, on Saturday night, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds their annual meeting for the Relief Society Organization. I love being Mormon because of the strength I feel from so many other women, especially at these annual meetings and church on Sunday.

If you are interested you can find the broadcast on www.lds.org on Saturday night.
Have a wonderful day!

Get Ready To Organize!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:40:00 +0000

Last week I went to Wal-Mart and saw the rows and rows of back to school supplies.

Yes, my heart skipped a beat.

I LOVE back to school supplies! I could spend hours

and money wandering the school isles at any store.

I love the fresh boxes of sharpened pencils, the bright colors of the Crayola markers,

and of course the yellow and green box of beautiful sharp crayons.

Then, I realized something. I need to be more organized this year.

I always feel I can be more organized with my kids when my house

is in order, so I created these "Get Organized" sheets.

You can find them as a pdf. printable in my shop here.

This one is for the kids.

I wanted to create something for them, and other kids that would help them

establish routine. This list for kids can be printed as a 5 x 7 and then laminated

for every day use, or sent somewhere like Vista Print and printed as a pad of daily lists.

Then I made these 8.5 x 11 so I can be more organized at home, especially with meals!

and this one

You can find them HERE and print them as many

times as you would like for personal use.

Ah, I feel much better. Now, if I could just figure out a way

to keep my closet organized.

Feature Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:04:00 +0000

Today, I am so excited to introduce you to Bonnie from Simply This and That. I first found her blog on Pinterest and it is now one of my favorites. She is so sweet and has a blog full of great ideas. Here's a little

more about her and check out her blog here.

Hi, I'm Bonnie from Simply this and that. My blog name pretty much says it all. It's a little of everything I enjoy doing. I'm a mother to 5 wonderful kids who keep me pretty busy but in my spare time I enjoy blogging as a way to share with others simple fun crafts, yummy recipes and various projects around the home. I hope you'll come on over and and say hi.

I LOVE these cute onesies here. So fun & easy too!

And don't these look so yummy!

Thanks for sharing your talents Bonnie!

Important Family Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:25:00 +0000

I have seen a lot of different ways to display family dates

and finally got a minute to create my own. I LOVE how it turned out.

I created it in Photoshop Elements, but you could create it in

any digital scrapbook program as well.

First start with a blank 8 x 10 canvas or page.

For the blue stripes, I used some digital scrapbook paper I had

and erased the parts I didn't want and then copied it and moved it to the bottom.

I then drew a yellow line, but you could also use digital ribbon or any

other elements you like.

For the fonts I used Pea Hannah Vanilla (size 40) from Kevin and Amanda

for the Yellow and for the Grey, I used Champagne & Limousine (size 44.62)

(my new favorite font)

Then, I merged it all together and saved it as a jpeg so I can print it at

Costco. I am so excited about it! I can't wait to display it in my kitchen.

Have fun creating your own Important Family Dates

& follow along on the side. Thanks!

Sharing at these parties:

Lil' Luna, House of Hepworths, Delightful Order, Somewhat Simple,

It's A Hodge Podge Life, Tidy Mom, 504 Main, & TaterTots & Jello

Mama's Wisdom for Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 22:41:00 +0000

I decided I want to get to know my readers better, plus, I am sure I have

a lot to learn from each of you, so here is something new for Monday's.

For the moment my friend and reader, please act as though your name is ~~Reader~~ "Reada"

and it is your wonderful job to write answers for this advice column every Monday.

(In other words, ~~I need~~ we all need a little help) :)

Dear Reada,

I have a 7 year old boy, whom I absolutely adore! He is full of fun and laughter and always makes me smile. However, recently we signed him up for tennis lessons. He enjoyed them so much that we decided to take him and his sister to play one night as a family. As we began playing he was excited to show us everything he had been learning. I began playing with him, and that sweet little boy turned into a cocky and arrogant little tennis player. He began saying things like, "Come on Mom! Give me your best shot!" Then, when my husband played a game with him he said, "Dad, that wasn't a very good shot! You need to hit it like this!" How can we help him to play well in any sport, and, have good sportsmanship so others will want to be around him?

Sincerely,

Tennis Mom

Swimming Suits

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 18:41:00 +0000

The other night my sweet sister in law, Janelle, brought over the

best enchiladas for dinner & to meet her new niece.

(It just happened to be the same day my van wasn't working, so

dinner was even more appreciated!)

While dinner was cooking, she gave me a white bag with blue ribbon handles and

a blue owl on the side. The words on the bag read "Baby Gap."

I remember when Meg Ryan says in "You've Got Mail" something like "walking by a Baby

Gap is depressing". Of course I can see why, when Brian and I were trying to get pregnant

it was very depressing to see pregnant women and anything that had to do with

babies- especially cute little baby clothes.

However, now, a gift from the Baby Gap is exciting.

I usually don't shop at Gap unless I find something on sale. Yes my friends, I am a bargain shopper.

I was so excited to pull out the orange and pink checkered tissue paper and see the

adorable gift Janelle had found. She always has great taste in clothes & fashion which made the

gift for Brynlie even more exciting.

This is what I found for Brynlie.

Is that not the cutest swimming suit ever! I LOVE it!

Janelle even got the toddler size so Brynlie can wear it next summer.

I guess I should start planning a beach vacation now- we have to have the ocean

in the background for her one year old pictures right? :)

I just wish I had a matching one! Of course I think the baby will look

much better in it!

Answers

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 20:02:00 +0000

Imagine...

You are exhausted because of your new love affair with "Downton Abbey". You stayed up late the night before with your wide-a-wake baby to watch the series that everyone has been talking about, while your handsome man next to you is in dream land. He's been asleep since 8:30, it's 9:30 and you have a choice-

'Stay up and watch another episode' or ' Lay the baby in bed & hope that she too will drift off to sleep'

My Your choice-

Well, of course it is to "Stay up and watch another episode"

The movie ends, the baby is finally asleep, and you are ready to sleep too, when all of a sudden

you see the door slowly open as though a ghost is walking in. You wait to see someone and there is no one there, but, you hear soft movement on the ground as though a snipe hunter is coming to attack.

Within seconds you see the blonde head of your now 7 year old boy peeking over the foot-board at the bottom of the bed. You ask what he's doing and why on earth he is still awake and of course his response is that his sister is bothering him. He admits he was in her room because there are spiders in his room.

Spiders- Hah! When you were little, there were cockroaches! You begin to tell him how terrible the

cockroaches were when you were a girl and that a spider is really nothing to be scared of.

Soon, you realize that you are being watched from the doorway and that his sister has come to join in

on the stories of the big and scary cockroach.

They both sit on the bed with full interest and all of a sudden their dear sweet Daddy says in a sleepy voice,

"Welcome, Welcome"

You all glance over, you start laughing and your little kids look really confused which makes you laugh

even harder. They have never seen their Dad sleep talk before. However, you are used to it.

You try to get Daddy to talk more, but all he will say is "Yes" when you ask him if he loves each of the kids.

At 4:15 the alarm goes off, and now you are the one in dream land. Your husband drags himself out of bed to go and work at a job he doesn't love, but does because he knows he needs to provide for his family.

He kneels by the side of the bed to pray with you for your day to go well, and that you will both

continue to have the patience you need. For three years now, he has been looking for a new job.

Six weeks ago he applied for one, interviewed, had a second interview, was offered the job,

and is waiting for the board to make the final decisions.

And so, week by week, you wait. And wait. And wait. And wait.

After all that you and your husband could do, the future of your path is in the

hands of God of course, but also in the decisions of a board of people neither of you

have ever met. And so, you pray- a lot. For that final answer is where your destiny will lead.

The new morning moves on with it's normal routine. You shower while the oldest gets breakfast for her

siblings. You feed, change the baby, and put her in her car seat and then realize the two year old is still in

his pajamas. You grab clothes to change him into and will change him before you actually go into the store.

You are running late for the reading class you signed your two oldest kids up for. You are finally all in the van with your half banana and granola bar waiting for you to eat on the road.

You put your key in the ignition, turn it, and brrrrrrrrrvrrrrrrrrr

It won't start.

You try again

Brrrrrrrrrvrrrrrrrr

Nope... nada

You think to yourself- ah now the car.

And then, your oldest says,

"I'll say a prayer."

She quietly prays to herself, and you ask her

to pray out loud for you all to hear.

You know that at this time, the faith of your children

may be stronger than your own and you rely on their strength.

She ends her sweet prayer, and that cute 7 year old boy who was

sneaking in your room the night before, with faith says,

"Mom, try starting the car"

Again you put the key in the ignition,

and once again the van does not start.

You make other plans. The kids are excited to ride their

bikes to the school and stick together like a team. You have your sister

drive over & watch the kids, borrow your Dad's truck, and run your errands

for the birthday present for the friend's party today and to buy bread.

As you drive home you hear George Michael's song "Faith" on the radio
and you think how ironic it is when you hear the chorus,
"Cause ya gotta have Faith, Faith, Faith, you gotta have Faith!"

You come home and explain to your oldest that

sometimes our prayers are answered right away.

Other times we have to wait for the answers

(as you know this yourself)

But God, you tell her, will always answer when you have faith.

Content With My Family

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 21:50:00 +0000

At the end of the hall, a basket of clean clothes is waiting to be folded.

The kitchen floor needs to be swept for the 4th time this week.

The Angry Bird game that was just given as a birthday gift is all over the living room floor

waiting for the unexpected visitor to drop by.

The bikes are being washed by four enthusiastic kids, while their Daddy takes a much

needed nap with our newest little baby, Brynlie Hope.

Yes, I could go and clean, but instead I am enjoying the cool breeze from the

screen door of the recent rainfall. I hear the soft humming of Morgan as she washes her bike,

& then her laughter as she spins the bike tire and water sprays her unexpectedly.

For the moment, they are all getting along and working together to clean their bikes.

For me, it means a couple of minutes of quiet.

On June 7, we welcomed our 5th little baby into the world. She is beautiful, healthy,

& everything I could hope for with our last little baby. I hope she likes us. :)

I thought for sure that 5 would be hard, and trust me it is. I am behind in a lot of areas, and still haven't quite figured out how to make dinner for 4 little mouths and 2 adult mouths while nursing a baby, but I am

optimistic that one day I will get it down. For now, I am trying to enjoy the moments.

The moments of happiness, laughter, extra hugs & kisses, and being together

with the family I always dreamed of having when I was a little girl.

They are here, and they are mine,

and oh what a blessing!

(These big grins make me smile every day.)

I saw this quote the other day and knew I had to make a printable of it.

After all, family is the most important.

I hope you enjoy!

(download any or all of the 3, save to your computer and send

somewhere to print as an 8 x 10, please email me if you would like a pdf)

The fonts used are
Scribble Box, Champagne & Limousines,
& Dawning of a New Day

Linked to Lil Luna, Tatertots & Jello, Positively Splendid, and I Heart Naptime weekly parties.

Free Easter Printables

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:05:00 +0000

I am sure that many of you have Easter parties or events planned for this week,

so here are some fun Easter baskets or cupcake wrappers along with toppers to use.

Enjoy & Happy Easter!

The new coordinating Easter Digital Scrapbook kit will be HERE

sometime this week. In the meantime enjoy these.

(all jpeg - you can print right from your computer)

Adorable Cupcake Toppers

As always, please follow follow me for more freebies. :)

Arise & Shine Forth

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:38:00 +0000

I LOVE this movie! I love the strength and power that is felt of the importance of each mother & daughter, for we truly are Daughters of God.

Cupcake Freebies

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:51:00 +0000

When I was a wee little one, my Mom always made green mashed potatoes,

a 4-Leaf clover out of meatloaf, corn for the gold, & green milk to drink for dinner.

We all wore green- except for my Dad. He told us he was wearing green

& not to pinch him, but I never saw any green on him. I always wondered

if maybe he had green underwear on for the day, but I didn't want to chance it

& get pinched back. My parents always made the holidays fun, but,

we never tried to catch the Leprechaun. Until now that is-

For the first time last year, Brian helped the kids set up a trap to

catch the Leprechaun in hopes that he would lead us to the end of the

rainbow to find gold. The kids were so excited and carefully helped

create the perfect little cottage to trap the Leprechaun.

That night before they went to bed, they were so excited

they could barely sleep. They set out flour so we could

see the leprechaun's footsteps to know he was inside.

I love the before and after pictures :)

Before...

After...

That sneaky little leprechaun got away and made a huge mess.

The kids were not happy!

And yet, they have still been making plans that this year will

be the year we capture him. I am excited to see what they come up with.

In the mean time, I designed these cute little cupcake toppers

& cupcake wrappers to use on Saint Patrick's day to make

them a little happier just in case the leprechaun gets away.

Although, I hope we can catch him- I would love some gold right now.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Each of these are the jpeg files-

click on each one, save it to your computer and print it

as an 8.5 x 11

*Please become a follower before you download! Thanks!

if you would like the pdf files, click

HERE

and print the same.

Enjoy! :)

Linking up to these parties

Whipper Berry and TaterTots & Jello

Free Valentine Day Tags & Kiss Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:31:00 +0000

I am taking life day by day, moment by moment.

Jackson had to have surgery to place 2 pins in his arm on Wednesday.

Needless to say, my week has been somewhat busy & exhausting.

I think I need a vacation, a nap, a nice relaxing bath, or maybe all three.

Somehow, I feel strength. I know it is from God as I pray for it daily.

I had wanted to get these out earlier, but my first love & responsibility

is being a Mom, especially when my kids desperately need me.

Anyway,

I LOVE Valentines Day! I love showing my family & friends how much I love them,

especially my little kids.

We made these last Saturday & had so much fun with them! Morgan

said, "Can we do this every year?!" My favorite part was when Hallie

started dancing & shaking her hips to Selena Gomez' song "Who Say's"

while sliding the candy hearts in their bags. She always makes us laugh.

Here are the jpeg files (click, save to your computer & print)

*If you would like PDF, please email me & I'll send

you the files. Thanks & Happy Valentines Day!

A Broken Leg, A Broken Arm, & A Full Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Life for me, never seems predictable.

Although sometimes I try to make it that way.

For example, I was so excited to start the new year with

blog posts, being organized, creating, designing, & on, & on, & on.

And then, this little guy broke his leg 2 days after Christmas.

Not a huge problem, just some minor tweaking to our everyday schedule.

And then, Landon became a little clingy- always wanting me to hold him.

I guess, wouldn't you want to be held instead of trying to push your way

around your house on your back with your good leg?

Well, we were getting the hang of things & I was starting to get

back into the routine and then last week, my cute little man Jackson

decided to do an acrobatic move while turning on the light, and

broke his arm in two places, thus needing a simple surgery to try to

align his bones back together.

"Two broken bones!" you may say. Yes, it's true and yes my hands are

very full. Three of our 4 kids, along with my husband have a brittle bone disease called

"Osteo-Genesis Imperfecta"

In other words, their bones lack collagen and are therefore easier to break. Although

extra calcium helps, it doesn't cure. Thankfully Shriner's Hospital offers treatments. They are wonderful

to work with our family, and we have a wonderful orthopedic doctor too. Our family has

the mildest form of OI. In some more serious cases, babies break bones inside the womb.

At this point, just between the 4 kids, we have had 9 broken bones. Brian is another story

for another day. :) This may seem like a hard challenge, and sometimes it is, but there

are so many other challenges that parents are concerned about with their children,

the a broken bone actually seems like just part of our lives that only lasts for 6 weeks instead of daily.

Our kids can still do almost everything that other kids can do except for high-impact sports &

jumping on a trampoline, the big air jump things, etc. Other than that they are just your average kids.

Hallie does not have it and is so excited to help with Jackson & Landon- they don't

look to excited to have her help them. :)

I saw this quote on Pinterest yesterday & it is exactly how I feel.

I am learning to just go with the flow and take life

day by day instead of trying to predict what may happen.

Finally Back :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I have missed blogging so much, especially

keeping up with this blog. This is the place where I

feel I can express my opinions & share fun ideas, and I have

really missed it.

I guess that comes along with being pregnant & being a Mom.

We sacrifice some areas so we can focus better on others.

Today, like always, I am thinking about food. :)

Our 10 year anniversary was last week and we went to

Olive Garden to celebrate. My Favorite!

We decided that we want to learn the recipes to recreate

these amazing dishes for our Valentines date night.

This is what Brian ordered

Grilled Shrimp Caprese

It. Was. Delicious.

Here is the Recipe

I ordered Ravioli and for the first time I didn't enjoy it as much.

But don't worry Olive Garden, I saw this today in the ads and I'll be back.

Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Pasta

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

This is the reason why I haven't been blogging much lately. :)

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Projects Galore

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Do you ever have those days where you have

a lot of "work" that needs to get done, but at the same

time, you are just itching to start on fun things?

Today is one of those days.

I get so excited for the Christmas holiday,

that I tend to think of as many projects to fill

my time as possible. I love making things

for gifts and have so many fun ideas to start on.

The only trouble is finding the time.

Of course looking on Pinterest doesn't really

help because then I see more projects to try,

and spend more time "looking" than creating.

But for today, here are some fun finds.

Cute Little Christmas Gifts

from A Personal Touch

Mmm, I s~~houldn't~~ should make this

Poppy Seed Cake

the only catch- it won't be ready for 24 hours.

I guess that won't work for my family

treat for tonight.

Morgan would love coming home

to something like this Thinking of You package

I love these patterns. Maybe a project for

another day when I have time.

Sewing In Nomansland

and this is such a cute & fun idea

from Luxe Finds

I could go on and on, but alas,

I must get back to work.

Happy Monday :)

Family Dinner... Is it Really Worth the Effort?

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:39:00 +0000

I have been spending my "free" time today

(the time in which Hallie & Landon are napping)

getting dinner ready for tonight.

As I chose to cut chicken instead of work

on my list of projects, I thought,

"Is family dinner really worth the effort?"

To me, it is.

Dinner is the one time during the day when

we are all together. There are no distractions

of TV, friends, etc. Instead it is a time

when we can talk & be together.

Tonights Menu-

a new recipe Chinese style.

Let's just hope it turns out as good as it looks.

from Six Sisters' Stuff

and I decided if we were having Chinese food

we better make it really good and eat some

Lettuce Wraps too.

I can't wait to try both! Mmmm!

Family dinner at our house is somewhat crazy

most days, that is if the kids don't have their

mouths full of food. Our dinner time is not

the time when Brian and I can have a nice

conversation with each other & eat a romantic

dinner over candlelight.

Instead, our dinner is with 4 little people

who we love to watch & be around.

There are messes, spilled milk, food

on the floor, but

also love in our home as we spend

at least 20 minutes as a family,

and for that- family dinner is worth it.

Pictures & Quotes Make Me Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:48:00 +0000

One of my friends always pins some really funny quotes

that ALWAYS make me smile. Here are some of my favorites.

Yep, this just happened yesterday. I don't think Brian

thought my text was too funny, but I sure did. :)

Ha ha ha ha, like this ever happens! ;)

from Femail Creations

I need to read this story to my kids!

I love this one from Crush Culdesac

And now for the pictures that made me smile.

Forever Young

from Pinterest

Mermaid Baby

from We Heart It

and my favorite

the cutest little snow girl from Laurie's Tutu Boutique

A Week of Sickness

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:26:00 +0000

This week our house has been full of sick little

people. I could tell that Hallie wasn't quite herself on

Monday, when she came home from Trick or Treating,

quickly put her pajamas on and told Brian she wanted

to take a nap. Very unlike her, especially with a

bucket of candy in front of her!

So, she was sweet and passed in onto

her big brother. Jackson was so bummed

that he had to miss school, but was excited that

he could lay in bed and watch TV all day.

And then,

the power went out.

Thankfully it went on after 2 hours.

I felt like I was living in towel and bucket

land for a couple of days! I have been

really behind with a lot, but my main motto is

"Being a mom & wife comes first"

Thankfully, we are all done with sickness- for now anyway. :)

I am excited to start blogging again on

Monday! After a lot of thought, I have

decided that with the holiday season

here now, I'll only blog a couple of times

a week- to save time for you and me.

Let the holiday projects begin!

Books, Books, Books

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:17:00 +0000

I LOVE good books! Especially children's books.

We have so many books in our house tucked in closets

on shelves, loaded in baskets & drawers- they are everywhere.

I am trying to convince Brian that we need a bookshelf.

Here are some that I had in mind.

This wall bookshelf from Elegant Abode

Great site too!

I LOVE this one- and I have the perfect spot

for it- I just need to do a little convincing! :)

from VINTAGE

This would be good for the kids rooms.

Fabric Book Shelves

This is a great idea- Gutter Shelves

& I love the banner too for more color.

This would be my dream, but with

really relaxing chairs & a fireplace.

from Martha Stewart

Hopefully I can find some time to read during the

busy upcoming holiday season. For now,

I like to just get inspired.

The Path

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:54:00 +0000

I have always been taught to stick to the straight & narrow path.

I like to think of the side squares here as little distractions, temptations,

or influences that take me off the path for even just a minute.

There are so many times when I pause before taking the next step

& I wonder... "Is this all really worth it? I can't even see where

this pathway is going. Is there hope & light at the end?"

This is how I feel like the path in my life looks-

Beautiful & the pathway is straight, but I never

exactly know what is around each corner, or for that

matter, what is coming up next.

This is where my faith comes in.

Although I can't see what lies in front of me,

or around the next bend, I take joy in the beauty around me.

The path would be easy if it looked simple

& I could see the reward in plain sight,

But instead, I look forward with hope,

for one day I will find the end of the rainbow

and join all those who have followed the path as well.

And what joy awaits, to be gathered together

with Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ & all

those we love of never-ending peace & happiness.

Homemade Chocolates

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:07:00 +0000

I know that Halloween is right around the corner,

but I thought these might be fun to make sometime during

the upcoming holiday season.

CHOCOLATES

I am sure Brian will love me even more if

he came home to some of these one day.

Mmmm

Homemade Twix Bars

Reeses Eggs

(or any shape you want to make)

Caramel Chocolates & Truffles from

That Skinny Chick Can Bake

and of course

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

from My Chocolate Therapy

Now, I hope your mouth is not drooling yet. :)

I am not a chocolate girl but love chewy fruity treats.

So, these would be perfect to make for Brian

or as a gift for someone during the holidays.

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate bunny now and then doesn't hurt!"

Family Games

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:56:00 +0000

Today I found some great games to play as a family

or for any large group. Are you ever put in charge of

the games or activities at family parties and have no idea

what games the whole family can play?

Here are some fun games you can change

a little bit and use any time during the year.

Halloween Games

from EHOW HOME

And of course Family Fun always has

great ideas for the holidays. Here are

their fun Halloween ideas this year.

Here are some great ideas on Parenting to

play with little kids. My kids would LOVE these

ideas & it would help break up the same games we

play over & over on Monday night.

I liked the idea of this crab game because it's a

creative way for kids to clean up while having fun.

On Cloud 8 has some GREAT family

games for Christmas, but you could use anytime.

So, Let the Games Begin!

I Want Candy!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Coconut Lime) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:00:00 +0000

My favorite part of Halloween is the candy.

Of course I think my kids look adorable all dressed

up, and I love seeing all my little neighbor friends

in their costumes. But, I love the candy!

Cute idea right-

Last night, I was looking at a grocery bag from

my favorite local store and there was a list of

rules for going Trick or Treating.

My favorite was #5.

Who ever came up with these ideas was a genius!

#1. Go with an adult

(Yes of course I will go with you to get candy! I only

charge 1 piece of candy for 10 minutes of fun.)

#2. Carry a flashlight at all times

(Okay, if you really want me to, I will put on

Daddy's head-lamp he uses for camping!)

#3. Wear bright costumes that don't block your vision.

(Because we will all be looking at our own costumes as we run

down the street- hopefully we won't fall!)

#4. Only go to houses that are well lit.

(and may I add- that don't have scary people lurking about either!)

and my favorite

#5. ALWAYS have your PARENTS check your

candy before you eat it.

(I TOTALLY agree with this!)

My Dad was always SO good about checking all 7 bags of

candy on Halloween night. I always thought he was checking

for razor blades or chewed up gum. Now I know,

He was checking our bags of candy to see the loot we had

& to see if he could barter his Laffy Taffy's for one of our

King Size Reese Peanut Butter Cups.

I get it now, and I love being the parent that gets to

"check" 4 bags of candy this year.

I have to admit, it is the one time during that year that
I BEG my kids to share with me & maybe even barter a little too!

Morgan was not amused when I told her I will be

checking her candy to find some I wanted to eat. :)