Just Because.....

The prego lady wanted pickles!

2011-08-22T13:26:00.002-05:00

Yep. That's it. I wanted pickles. I'm pregnant and I wanted pickles.
Good enough reason for me!

From when I was little, I can remember the smell of the awesome homemade pickles that grandma and mom would make. A few years back, I decided to take my turn at making them! If you are a "Blue Book of Canning Nag" I suggest you stop reading now. We've been eating these pickles since the "bird sh*t on a fence post and the sun hatched ya out" (quoted from my beloved, late Grandpa Otto). This recipe is NOT in the Blue Book. It is also not a water bath canned or pressure cooked type of "pickle". This is a salt preserved pickle, and it is FABULOUS!!!!!

I called my friend Michelle over and offered to teach her, as fitting 12 jars of pickles is a lot for one overstuffed fridge! So, here goes our story of pickling...One Mick and one Irish woman, at it again!

First....I dug out the recipe. Yep, it's in my inbox...Check! Next, Mick and I ran out to my folks place for fresh cucumbers, dill and garlic.

File picture, Mimi Shanahan Aug 2011.

After leaving there, we ran to the store to pick up our jars and other supplies from the list we needed.

The next morning....err afternoon, we started our pickling project! Mick came up and we dug on in! Well, as much as we could do... See, Mick and I have an addiction to Cribbage. So between pickling steps, we'd play a game or two....Hehe!

Mick really CAN follow directions!

Michelle sliced the cucumbers. She's awesome at running a mandolin! We cleaned the garlic and the dill. While she did this, I.....

Yes, this is an electric stove....Not recommended for canning.
Luckily, we only used it to sterilize the jars!!

Sanitized Jars..... (See mom! There's proof!!)

I took pictures because you NEED to do this step!! Do not skip it. Sanitize Jars, lids and rings and never reuse lids. There, I'm done. My Canning and Preserving Class Presenter would be proud...of this part!

When that was all said and done, we filled the jars according to the instructions.

Some full, some par-filled jars of pickles.

UPDATE: The recipe has been released!

Mom's Kosher Dills

This recipe came from an old friend of Mom and Dad, Maxine. Her and her husband ran Miller Liquor Store in North Sioux City when I was a kid. The year was around 1967. (FYI - I kept this in because I feel it's important to know where this came from...in my opinion.... We may know where our recipes came from, but will our children? Not if we don't keep track of it!!)

Brine

1 cup kosher salt

4 qts cold water

To each jar add:

1 or 2 stems fresh dill with head

1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic

2 tsp whole pickling spice

1 qt pickling cucumbers

1. Wash and sterilize jars. (Because the pickles are not processed, I wouldn't skip this step!) Stir salt into cold water until dissolved. Add dill stem to clean jar. Pack freshly picked pickling cucumbers to the jar. (It is imperative that they be freshly picked!) Add pickling spice and garlic cloves. Pour brine into jar to within 1/4" of the top. Seal with warmed jar lids and rings. Seal very tight and store in cool, dark place. Pickles will ferment. In about two weeks, pickles are "half done" and can be eaten, though they are better if left until fermenting is finished, about a month. Use up within 1 year.

What you may have noticed....

1. We used cucumbers. Big, homegrown cucumbers. We didn't use pickling cucumbers. I like the big, thin slices best. Much better for snacking!

2. I used my electric stove. I used it ONLY for boiling water that didn't need to maintain a consistent temperature for a long period of time.

Thanks for reading!

Late Night Cooking...

2011-08-06T00:32:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Jerod and I got a wild hair after the kids went to bed. Before your mind wanders too far, we cooked! It was fun!

We've experimented in many dabbles of late night cooking, but tonight we made Fried Green Tomatoes & a zucchini! I've NEVER in my life tried a fried green tomato. It sounded good, so why not? Well, I'm not Southern. Not in the slightest! I was in the South once or twice, but that hardly gives me right to cook a southern delicacy.

With Jerod at the lead, I followed his direction. He did the research on them, so he gets to lead the way. I don't think this is something I would have jumped into blindly! Here's what we did....

First, Jerod sliced the beautiful heirloom green tomato and the delicious fresh zucchini while I prepared the breading station. I put in a cup or so of buttermilk into a bowl and used my beautiful Pampered Chef Bar Pan to put spread out the bread crumbs and Panko Crumbs (Italian Seasoned).

Jerod breading a zucchini!

After Jerod had them sliced he handed them to me. I coated them the way I was taught to bread chicken. Coat once in bread, dip in buttermilk and once in Panko. Well, traditional methods don't exactly work here. When Jerod took over, he started packing on the bread crumbs...and yea...That works great!!

I moved to the stovetop....I had to be useful SOMEWHERE! Haha! We fried them on a medium-high heat until brown in a little bit of canola oil. Once brown, we set them aside on some paper towel, cooled and ate them up!

Ta-Da!

Two things....

**I specifically mentioned the Pampered Chef Bar Pan for a reason. I used to hate the mess breading anything made, but the Bar Pan is fabulous. It contains the breading mess, it's large enough to set the bowl of liquid on and contain that mess too! If you need one, let me know...I'll hook ya up with Lisa!

**The Panko Bread Crumbs make it fabulous! The Panko adds a great crunch! I don't think the buttermilk was needed. I wouldn't make a special trip to specifically buy buttermilk for this snack. Whole milk, an egg, regular milk....I think they'd all suffice... anything you would use to normally bread something....even beer maybe?

Pancakes without milk?

2011-07-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

I have a milk allergy (not an intolerance to milk), so I have to be careful the amount of milk I have. Since it's summertime, I have been having a little bit more ice cream than usual. I've noticed I've been stuffed up quite a bit more.

Today, I made pancakes without milk. They weren't bad, but they weren't great either.

Here is the recipe I used, thanks to Buzzle.com.

Ingredients

Plain flour, 2 cups
Oil/butter/margarine, 2 tablespoon
Salt, ½ teaspoon or as per taste
Baking powder, 4 teaspoon
Sugar, 2 tablespoon
Water, 2 cups
Eggs, 2

Method

While learning how to make easy pancakes without milk, the first step is that in a large bowl, you have to mix all the main ingredients i.e. eggs, water and oil or butter properly.
Then in another mixing bowl you have to mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. You can also learn how to make pancakes without baking powder if you do not wish to use baking powder.
Now mix the two and keep stirring till it forms a thick batter and till all the ingredients have mixed properly.
Now leave the batter aside for at least 5 to 10 minutes for it to rise.
In the meantime, preheat the skillet that you will use to make the pancakes.
Now, using a ladle or a spoon, scoop some of the batter and on the hot skillet and heat it till bubbles start appearing.
Heat this side for about 2 minutes and then very carefully, using a flay sided spoon or ladle, flip the pancake so that you can heat the other side too.
Again cook this side for around 2 minutes or till it is well done and then put it on a plate.
Repeat the same thing with the rest of the batter and finally when the pancakes are ready, serve them hot, oh and don't forget to add the maple syrup on top while serving!

At the end of it all, I wouldn't do it again without adding blueberries, applesauce, strawberries....something. They were, for lack of a better word, tasteless. They were not bad, but they weren't great. The kids enjoyed them, and didn't notice any difference.

So, there ya go. I had no idea a little milk would make that much difference with pancakes!

It's HOT!

2011-07-18T11:54:00.000-05:00

It's hot. God Bless Iowa in the Summertime. The kids enjoy the pool and swinging on their new swing set, but for anyone over 15, this weather is pretty much miserable.

When you add pregnancy into the mix of 98 degrees and 99% humidity, things get worse! So, despite the fact that I'm running low on clothing that fit, my only comfortable sundress died last year. It's a MUST that I find some new things to wear that will last me the rest of the summer.

Saturday morning, I decided to make a dress. Meara and I packed up and headed out before Jerod and Teagan were even out of bed yet and headed to the craft store. I had gone with the thought that I was going to re-purpose a shirt I already had and I'd only need a little bit of material for the skirt part. However, fate thought differently.

When we got to Hobby Lobby, I discovered that their patterns were on sale for 99c each. (Price tag on them - $15+!!!) So, I bought 2 patterns.

Here's where the typical "Laura" steps in. Pattern A is an easy sew pattern. Honestly, not overly difficult. Pattern B looked easy. I decided to do pattern B. The dress turned out super cute, but it was horrible getting to that point!! Meara and I picked out some adorable fabric, that would give a fun, "summery" look to the dress and headed home! (Middle dress in the pattern below)

To begin with, I don't color inside the lines. What made me think I could tackle a pattern easily? I don't know, but obviously I was blinded by the pretty picture on the cover.

I cut the pattern out - yay! I can cut in a straight line! I remembered to cut the little triangles out where they're supposed to be....(Ok, I forgot one or two). But I did alright. I began reading the instructions....this was my demise.

After spending nearly 6 hours on this monstrosity on Saturday, I gave up and called in professional help. I loaded up the kids on Sunday and took the damn thing over to my mothers and she and I spent another 6 hours on it. It's really, really cute but I almost resent it because it took up 12 hours of my life.

Please excuse the frazzled look I have in the picture. Also, remember that it looks rather tent-like in the picture because I haven't washed it yet in this picture. (I starch the heck out of my fabric to make for easier sewing!) Also, it looks a little big on me because, well, it is. I made it a size larger so it can adjust easily throughout the summer. It has fabulous drawstrings so I can tie it tighter or leave it loose!

Big kudos to my mom for saving the day! She rocks!

Also thanks to Jerod and my dad for helping with the children as needed over the weekend!

Great Customer Service

2011-06-27T11:34:00.001-05:00

We all know that ordering online is sometimes a gamble. You might get the wrong item, it might come damaged, etc...

I had ordered an apron from Flirty Aprons. They had a great sale so I decided to treat myself!

I ordered this adorable "Very Cherry" Apron.

Instead I received this, "Cherry Blossom" apron.

While both are very cute, it wasn't exactly what I ordered so I emailed the company. I received a phone call from them first thing this morning wanting to correct the error. She was very polite and apologetic about the situation.

Instead of sending me the correct one, and having me send them the Cherry Blossom back, they are having me keep them both. Two for the price of one! I even offered to send the second one back, but she insisted on me keeping it because it was their error.

Thanks for going the extra mile, Flirty Aprons!

***Edit*** I received the correct apron a few days later.....It's beautiful! What a great company!

If you ask me, that's AWESOME Customer Service!

(Pictures credited to www.flirtyaprons.com)

Misconceptions of couponers....

2011-04-07T14:34:00.000-05:00

After the recent disaster known as Extreme Couponing, I feel I should clarify a few misconceptions.

Some of my FREE TP!

1. We're not all hoarders. Yes, I have enough toothpaste, dish soap, toilet paper, and deodorant to last our family for awhile. Awhile, yes...Forever - DEFINITELY NOT! I tell ya, I am extremely glad that we have it too! I don't know about you, but I am very thankful that my family can brush their teeth, wear deodorant and have clean a clean...bottom. The difference between a non-couponer and myself? I don't have emergencies where I need to run out and pay full price for TP. In fact, while I'm starting to get low, I'm not running out but I'm starting to watch closer for deals. Whats the difference between myself and the people on the show? While I have some things in stock, I in no way have 55 bottles of Malox. If it's free and it's something I will definitely use (TP) I will buy ALL I POSSIBLY CAN (as long as it won't expire!!)!

A box of donations.

2. We don't have the food deals! I never have to worry about expiring food. While I can occasionally find a really good deal that is cheap and even free (rarely!!), I buy what my family will use. I might buy a few for close friends and family, or even some to donate. I absolutely DO NOT go overboard. We have NO STORES THAT DOUBLE COUPONS. So yes, I still have to pay for my groceries. If I save $30 on any particular grocery trip, I am EXCITED! I am stocked up on pastas, sauces, cereal, and a few other things because we eat a lot of it. My cupboards are full of healthy foods that my family will eat....and a few things we don't eat. *GASP* "things you DON'T eat?!!?" YEP! I will specifically buy things like Hamburger Helper - which we NEVER eat. The food bank is always asking for those types of items whenever they're doing a drive. I enjoy having something on hand that I can donate at the drop of a hat.

3. You're eating SO UNHEALTHY! Obviously, you've never eaten supper at my house. No, we're not living like a dietitian, but we're not eating crap over and over again. Healthy coupons are out there!!

My collection of sample or trial sized items.
Some are also in the pic below.

4. We buy what the coupon says! One of the ladies on the show has gotten herself in a huge amount of trouble. She is intentionally defrauding the system and she's been called out by many, many couponer's around the nation. I will not get into how she's doing it because I don't condone it. If P&G is gracious enough to give us $1 off any TIDE product, use it to buy ANY TIDE PRODUCT! That includes trial sizes. Don't use it on something else. It's meant for Tide. If it says $1 off Any Tide excluding Trial Sized, then don't buy a trial sized item with it.

5. It's all about the "free". Yes, I will get something because it's free but it will go into donation. Some things I never ever thought I'd use, but when the day came that I needed it, I was VERY HAPPY I had it!! Case in point.... awhile back, Walgreens had a Stop Blister product. Yep, I bought it. Now that my new shoes are giving me blisters, I used it every day until my shoes were broken in better!! It's been a HUGE help!

6. A 35c coupon is worthless. Nope. Not for me. I can't save much at the store so every penny counts. Why is it people complain about gasoline jumping 10c a gallon but they're not willing to cut a coupon worth 10c for something they're buying anyway?

A few of the freebies in my stockpile from awhile back.
Sadly, its not this fully anymore.

7. Couponing takes SO MUCH TIME! NO! Let your fingers do the work. There are a ton of blogs out there that are doing the work for you. Follow, look and listen! Cut your coupons and go with it! It is possible to only cut the coupons you need. You don't need a binder (Bible, book, etc.) to coupon. Make a list, match it to sales, cut your coupons, and stick to it!

Lastly, I'd like to say this. For me, couponing has made me a MUCH better shopper. I've managed to stretch our budget from $300-$600 a MONTH in food down to $100-$200 max. That has helped our family afford so many other things that we couldn't before! My coupon savings easily make our truck payment each month and more! Yes, it is work but for me and many other couponers around the nation, it's also FUN! It has taught me to be very frugal! I can't imagine spending $400 at the grocery anymore!!! I would probably PASS OUT!

The show is fun but it's just that... a show...entertainment! PLEASE don't confuse them with the rest of us.

Upcycling....

2011-04-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

Being as April is Earth Month, I've decided to do a few more upcycling projects this month.

For starters, I've had questions, emails and calls about what exactly "upcycling" is. Heck, even the auto-dictionary is telling me that upcycling isn't a word. Well, auto-dictionary, you're WRONG!

Thank you, whomever's page I stole this from...

Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

I saw it explained a little more layman as "recycling is a chemical process, upcycling is not chemically changing the item, just using it for something better".

So I made this, a hanging chair. With a bit of time, talent and help I'm hoping to add that fun little chair to my front yard (where I can easily piss off anyone that wanders by). I'm sincerely looking forward to spending a great deal of time, hanging from my tree and reading away the lazy days while the girls play in the yard.

To keep things honest, I didn't use the pallet in the picture below. My dad had enough pallet pieces in his scrap pile, and he wanted to use this full pallet for something else. So, I snapped a picture of it but this isn't the actual wood I used.

The starting point.....

Yay for power tools!!!

I did about 1/2 of it myself. By hand....After I started having trouble with the power drill, a call to my dad and the use of his drill press, and life was grand!

Sanding

In between waiting for the PITA drill to charge, I started sanding....Boy I have a real appreciation for power tools now!!!

Meara helping sand!

.....So does Meara.

Teagan demonstrated the layout.

Laces

Hanging it up

Jerod holding the chair while I was hanging it

Courtney and Meara each had to take a turn in the chair!

When we were all said and done, each of the kids took a turn in the chair, then I booted them and had my turn!

For the record, it was a LOT of work but it's worth it! I'm not going to take the time to do a step-by-step because it's in the link above. I will however, show you the pictures from each step that I took (or was taken by someone around me as I was doing each step!!).

I would like to say thanks to a few people.... First off, my brother - for the pallet, my dad, for the use of power tools and the knowledge to use them, my husband for being tall enough to help me hang it and my girls for their help and motivation to finish it.... and Michelle for taking pictures... :)

Please visit my links to give credit to the man that created it!! http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Laced-Pallet-Hanging-Chair/step7/Hang-and-Enjoy/

To catch a Leprechaun....

2011-03-25T19:22:00.001-05:00

So, I promised a post about St. Patrick's day.

I apologize for the delay but things have been a bit hectic around here!

The Dresses....

For starters, we decided to make dresses for the girls to wear for the Annual Shanahan St. Patrick's Day gathering.

I used the same basic design that I used for making Teagan's Birthday Dress. I added a neat Celtic Button I found at Hobby Lobby.

For Meara's hair, I followed some of the hairstyle ideas I found here and evolved them into this!

The Trap....

Then on Wednesday night, we had to create a leprechaun trap for Meara to take to school. So, with a little help from the internet, and some glue and construction paper we came up with a trap so awesome, we were SURE to catch a little monster....

Meara, working hard!

See the little cup to the left? That's so when he fell thru the trap door, he didn't hurt his "little tooshie". I will admit to helping cut the box, the Mt Dew bottle, and the clover pieces but Meara did the majority of the work. (The clover buttons were left overs from the button bag from the dress).

Meara Dressed for school in her dress...

Meara's hair for school.

The Leprechaun visited us while we slept that night and turned our cinnamon rolls green! Good thing we hid the trap...Just in case.

The leprechaun attacked the classroom at school, but no trap could hold him. :(

The Dinner.....

I don't have pictures. I plum forgot. You can trust the fact that we had Corned Beef and Cabbage. I sauteed the cabbage and onion in a bit of the juices from the corned beef. We had boiled red potatoes, homemade bread and corned beef cooked all day in the crock pot.

So, there we go.... St. Pat's for a few of Irish Girls!

Mardi-Gras

2011-03-08T19:35:00.002-06:00

Tonight, we celebrated Mardi-Gras. Having never had Jambalaya, King Cake or anything of the sorts, this was a fun way to introduce something new to all of us!

So I'm sure you're asking, how does a mid-western family celebrate Mardi-Gras on a week night? Well, we kinda made it up as we went.

I made Sandra Lee's Chicken Jambalaya. It was good! I held back on the spices for the kids, and Jerod and I added extra at the table. It really was delish!

I had several masks from an event that I went to awhile back, and beads galore from every parade we've ever gone to.

Meara and Mr. Bear, the kindergarten's class project.

I made a King Cake. Honestly, I didn't like it. Jerod and the kids did, but I didn't overly care for it. Oh well, we tried. I didn't bake a baby into. The thought of it kinda creeped me out. Despite it's name, it's not a cake. It's a yeast sweet bread with a glaze.

Teagan didn't quite grasp how to wear the mask!

Laisser le bons temps rouler!

So you thought it was a scam?

2011-02-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

Here it is kids, my first ebates.com check!

I've been SO excited for this since I saw it was mailed...

$30.01 JUST for buying what I was already going to buy online!

I suggest you go

here

and sign up ASAP!

I'm off to the bank with $30 of free money....Are you?

Well, duh.

2011-02-27T23:43:00.000-06:00

I don't know why it never dawned on me to make homemade baby wipes until now. So, I did. I found a recipe in The Duggars: 20 and Counting that honestly hit me in the head. How easy!

What you need:

1 roll of paper towels (they recommended Bounty, and they were on sale tonight and I had a coupon....SCORE!)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons baby oil

1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol

1 tablespoon baby wash (optional)

1 ice cream bucket or other storage container large enough.

Here's the details..... SO EASY!

Mix together your liquids.

Cut the paper towel roll in half across the center. I used a bread knife, they suggested an electric knife but I don't have one.

Put half of the paper towels into the container, standing upright. Pour the liquid over the paper towels, seal for 30 minutes. Remove the cardboard center, and the center of the roll will come out as well! Ta-da! Baby wipes!!!

Cost of a package of 72ct baby wipes in the store: $2-$2.50 more/less depending on coupons and sale.

Cost of doing it myself: Maybe... 95c for 118. (59ct paper towel X2).

I can't wait to try them out tomorrow on Teagan!

Delish!

2011-02-25T12:52:00.000-06:00

If there's one thing to credit my restaurant experience for, it would be this....

Homemade Crouton's! Awesome, right? Never made 'em? You don't know what your missing!

What you need....

1. Bread. I use that loaf of bread that has only a day or two left on the shelf, that you might end up tossing or it will get moldy. Today, I used leftover marble rye from Reuben Sandwiches!

2. Olive oil

3. Seasoning (as little or as much as you'd like!) I use black pepper, salt, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes.... whatever you'd like!

Directions.... Preheat oven to 350. You can adjust it if you're cooking something else, just watch the time! Cut up the bread into cubes and lay out on a cookie sheet. Do not space them out yet! Drizzle olive oil and season then space out. This keeps the good stuff on the bread, not on the sheet! Bake. Watch them closely. You're just toasting the bread, not burning it! They can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on your oven, so I suggest you watch them closely!

Take them out, let them cool and you have the perfect salad topper! YUM!

I wish I could tell you how long they'd last on your shelf, but in my house...that's about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Monday is a busy day!

2011-02-14T15:28:00.000-06:00

For starters..... http://moneysavingmom.com/smart-source Go here, and print 55c off of 2 Dozen Eggs. AWESOME! Egg Coupons are RARE!!!

Second.... watch http://www.pennypinchinmom.com/category/grocery-stores/hy-vee/ late today and tomorrow for Coupon Match Ups for HyVee for the week.

Third....watch your mailbox!!! Today I got my free Taste of Home Magazine, $10 Plum District Papa Murphy's Pizza deal, Free Planters Peanuts, a Free 12 pack from Coke Rewards, and some other awesome coupons!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Teagan's Birthday Dress

2011-02-13T14:28:00.000-06:00

I don't have a lot of time to write it all out, but it's too cute NOT to share!!!

My goal was to make this....http://obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com/search/label/dollar%20store%20shirt

However, after stressing about Teagan's Birthday, I realized her party needed to be tonight or not again for nearly 2 weeks. That meant, I needed to get her birthday present made! I didn't have enough time today to try and sew that big project. It's not big to some, but it's big to me!!! So, I modified it and save the other stuff for another day.

Using the tutorial above (and a quick call to my mom....), I made this.....

From this.... (an old shirt of mine, that was going to the Goodwill).

I also made a no-sew tutu for her....

And a hair-tie with the leftovers...

Happy Birthday Baby Teagan!

Reconnecting....

2011-02-13T00:41:00.003-06:00

So, every now and again, the stars align just right and I hang up the sewing machine and mommy-clothes for a night out on the town. This week it actually happened 4 times. *GASP* I haven't had this much of a social life in 10 years.

For starters, I was lucky enough to have lunch with an old friend from High School on Tuesday. While the purpose of the lunch wasn't fully "social", the ending of course, ended that way. It was really inspiring to talk to such a wonderful lady. Thanks Jen!!

Wednesday brought a more somber trip. A dear friend from High Schools father passed away suddenly earlier in the week and his wake was Wed night. While I was glad to see her, I hate the circumstances in which we met again. Wednesday my bestie Beth and I went to the wake to show our condolences. Afterwards, we went to Minerva's for an appetizer and a drink. Nothing "special" but felt good to be out of the house, none the less.

Look at us in sporting' the wool sweaters! Cute!

Friday brought a very welcome surprise. I spent the afternoon at my new friend, Justina's. She is Meara's Girl Scout troop leader. She is fantastic with them! While I was there, I get this call...totally random and out of the blue.... Sally, a fairly close friend that I haven't seen since I was at least a sophomore, (give or take) called! She was headed to town for the weekend to pick up her car and asked if we could meet for a drink! It was wonderful to see her! Our short visit quickly turned into a... what.... 5 hour night out! We had a blast! Shared Cheese-balls, punched the punching bag game thing, laughed and really had a great night! It was great fun, and a welcome change to the usual PJ's and XFiles that were my normal Friday night routine. I wish I had a childhood photo of us to put up! I probably have one somewhere.....

Sally, cradling her hand after beating up the punching ball.....

(Right) I shrunk this....to make Debbie want to kill me less....

Saturday, brought more welcome changes and visits. Meara had a Girl Scout event and Jerod had some plans, so I had from 12-3 FREE! So, I cleaned. I've been so busy sewing lately that I've let my normal "Teagan's Naptime" routine lapse. So I played a little catch-up. Sally came over after everyone was home so she could meet the kids and Jerod. We played an exciting game of Go-Fish with Meara, Peek-a-boo with Teagan, and before long, Sally headed on her way. Meanwhile, several friend from high school were planning a little get-together downtown tonight for Pizza & Beers. Debbie (from Wed-night above) is leaving to head back to the Windy City tomorrow so we got together and headed out.

(Left) The whole table (except me). I don't know the pregnant lady, nor the guy and girl next to her. But this picture wasn't taken for me....It was taken for Debbie. I really hope tonight was a happy memory for you for this trip home.

(Debbie has a blog....it can be found.... http://lucysdiamondsky.blogspot.com/?spref=fb <----there.)

I can honestly say this is why I love Facebook so much. It's really wonderful for reconnecting old friends!

Again, again!

2011-02-10T14:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday project was too cute not to do it again!!!

This is part of my bathroom wall. It's yellow & white with rubber ducks....pretty much everywhere.

So I made this.....

I know you're wondering... "What's the long blue ribbon on the side?"

It's a hair bow-holder!

So cute!!!!

Let's talk about some pockets.....

2011-02-09T17:33:00.002-06:00

Today, I decided to make a wall hanging organizer for the girls' room. I found the PERFECT fabric for the little Princess Lovers!

What I did was cut the trim (the Princesses) off of the bottom of the fabric. Then, I made random little pockets. Cut a square, cut a rectangle... it doesn't really matter. I just played! I cut two princesses into rectangles and then found another pink bit of fabric to make two smaller pockets and the third longer pocket.

I ironed a seam onto each "pocket" then sewed it down. Then, I ironed down the reaming 3 seams on each one.

Next, I laid out their locations and pinned them down, then sewed down the 3 sides of the pockets to the front side of the full panel.

This pocket I made a pencil holder. I "quilted" straight so pencils, pens or markers would fit nicely inside each!

The envelope-like pocket was trial and error. I folded, ironed and played with it until it looked right. Sorry, I just can't give any more direction than that!!

After all the pockets were sewn on to the panel, I folded the panel in half and ironed a seam into the side. I turned it wrong side out (right sides together) and hemmed the bottom and side together. Then I turned it right side out, and ironed it flat.

Lastly, I folded over the top to create a hanger. I made the flap big enough to fit the ribbon thru and then sewed it to the backside of the panel. (I mitered the corners so they didn't show.) Fed thru the ribbon, tied a bow and BAM! It's done!

There's five pockets, but the bottom one is sewn down in the middle to make 2 pockets. I could have added another one, but opted not to.

I didn't have a pattern, I just decided to "play" until it worked for me. Sorry if that's a little vague!

Featured!

2011-02-07T10:54:00.000-06:00

I was featured as a guest blogger on a friends blog.

You can find it here!

http://www.between3sisters.com/2011/02/how-to-make-dryer-ball-guest-blogger.html

I'm hoping to write more posts in the future for things like this! Enjoy!

Just Because....

2011-02-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

So, it's been suggested that I start a blog. Apparently, I do interesting things... Here, I just thought I did things that normal stay at home moms do.

So, tonight I'm writing about us.

Jerod...My husband. He's a full-time working man that's going to school part time and spends time gaming and playing online. He supports me in my crazy rampages, rants and hobbies.

Meara is my 6 year old angel. She's a really good kid. She's beautiful brown-eyed kindergartener and really enjoys school. She's very smart, both book and street smart. She loves everyone and almost everything. She's a picky eater, but she makes up for it in charm. Her faith in God, People and the world is amazing.

Teagan....she's definitely Teagan. She's 2 going on 22. She's this blue eyed bombshell blonde. She does what 2 year olds do best, get into trouble! She has this smile that can light up a room! Her energy and love for everything just keeps me going.

Me. Well, I'm me. I'm an old-fashioned Midwestern Homemaker that cooks, sews, chauffeurs and coupons for my family. My personal time is best spent near the computer, hunting deals or playing games.

What you can expect from my blog.... So I'm thinking I will lean towards couponing and deals for starters. I'm sure I'll blog recipes, quick tips, homemade projects I do... I hope to stay up on it!!! Be patient, I'm learning....