little teas

learning to like cooking

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my Mother's Day gifts from Paul and little n is The Pioneer Woman Cookbook. Paul picked it out all on his own without me asking for anything in particular. He did a great job because I have been wanting this book.

As I have mentioned a few times before, I don't really like to cook, but I enjoy baking. Since Pinterest has come along, I have been saving recipes to my food + drink board. I have tried a few of them. Some successful, some not. Either way it has really gotten me to enjoy cooking and food preparation a bit more. It has also made me realize how much processed food we were eating and how much more expensive it is.

So I have really been interested in cooking a lot more lately and I can't wait to flip through the book and start trying some new recipes! Paul is pretty happy about it too. Poor guy, he married someone who hates to cook, but I am slowly changing ;)

mother's day 2013

2013-05-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful I have been given the title "mom" to this sweet little guy! He brightens my days and melts my heart. Being a mom can be rough and a lot of hard work at times, but it is worth it all! I am also so very thankful for my moms. I have not always gotten along with my mom, as most teenage girls and their moms don't, but today I am grateful for her friendship and her love for little n. I have been blessed with a mother in-law who is so much like me. I have learned a lot of cooking and crafting tips from her and she is Godly lady. I love both of these women equally and I am so proud to call them "mom."

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday!

xo,

Sherry

how to kill a succulent

2013-05-07T12:17:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am going to tell you how to kill your succulents...
so you can prevent it from happening to you!

The last time I had a succulent was in 2010. I killed it because it didn't get enough light in the living room. Our house is horrible for natural night, unfortunately! I love the idea of planting succulents in old tins so I thought I would give it another shot. I bought 1 jelly bean succulent, that's what the he/she (don't ask) called it.

Here is what I have learned along the way...

1. Succulents need lots of light (hot sun).
2. Apparently they like poor soil according to Gardener's Supply Company
3. The potting mix should be allowed to dry completely before needing watered again. Succulents need very little watering, but don't under-water. In the winter they can almost go every other month on watering.
4. Succulents are nearly indestructible (not true for me).

Back to this go around, Here is my jelly bean succulent after transferring it to my old coffee tin with fresh potting soil...

See how they are wilting? Also, the "jelly beans" are very fragile and falling off. Here is where we cue the whomp whomp sound effects and I laugh while saying "succulent fail"...again!

Does anyone have any advice or tips? Ever had this kind of succulent before and know exactly what my problem is? Do share!

still eating local

2013-04-25T21:40:00.003-05:00

Last year Paul and I made the goal to eat more at locally owned restaurants. We have been to a few, but there are still plenty on our list. Tonight, we decided to have New York style pizza instead of eat left overs at home. After going on our walk we stopped by for a slice each. Next time we go out we plan to mark a new restaurant off our list. This is fun!

life lately, according to my iphone...

2013-04-23T12:17:00.000-05:00

Eating. walking. thifting. shopping. playing outside. That just about sums up the last few weeks. This year has been great so far! I am loving all the little adventures that my family is going on. Even if it's just taking that 25 minute walk 2-3 times a week. Just something to get us out of the house for a while. We are working on better budgeting our money so we choose 1 day each week to eat out and 1 day to get ice cream or any other kind of sweet treat. When the weather is warm little n and I go outside and play for a while.

10 in 30

2013-04-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

Paul got a new job at the beginning of this year and it has been a major blessing! Along with his new job is of course, new insurance. The insurance is a bit more expensive than his last job, but they offer this "deal." The "deal" is...if you wear a pedometer (that they provide) and walk, they will cut your insurance cost by $120. At first, I was skeptical because it seemed to be a bit of a pain to have to do this everyday. There are two options: one, you wear the pedometer every single day with a goal of 8,000 steps or two, you wear the pedometer 10 times a month and go on a 25 minute walk.

We started out doing option 1 and let me just say that being home with a toddler all day didn't even get me close to 8,000 steps! Paul wasn't getting that much either, due to his desk job and only getting a short walk on his breaks. We decided to go with option 2 and it has worked so much easier! For one, who wants to wear a pedometer every single day...NOT ME! We have been going on walks twice a week, three times a week, twice a week, and then three times a week every month. That sort of breaks it up and we have been going to different locations for our walks. If it is cold outside, we go to the mall and walk up and down it 5 times. When it is warm we walk the park, the river trails, or outdoor shopping areas.

After 2 months of doing option two we are used to it now and it really takes no time at all. Sure, there are times when we really don't want to have to go out in the evening after Paul gets off work, but it has actually given us time to just chat. I have enjoyed discussing our future dreams, plans, and student ministry ideas over these walks.

If you follow me on instagram @littleteas, you can see my walking photos and I have created a hash tag to categorize them at #10in30

donut date

2013-04-15T12:55:00.002-05:00

Today Paul had the day off so we ventured out for breakfast at a local donut shop. Afterward we went to an antique mall. It was fun to just get out for a bit. It was time for little n's nap so we headed back home. I love being with my little family, even for just a lazy, donut day!

spring has arrived!

2013-04-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

As the weather always is around here, you never know if tomorrow will be spring just because today is. I'd like to say our weather is bipolar. Last night after Paul got home from work we took our family stroll to the park since the weather was perfect. 70 degrees with a slight breeze. This is the first time we have been to the park in a while. We let Little N swing and explore. He loves to be outside and it is so fun to watch him pick up sticks and carry them around as if he just found treasure. He is really trying to talk right now so he was telling us all about his "treasures" (in tongue tied form, of course)!

frozen yogurt date

2013-04-08T11:48:00.002-05:00

On Thursday we had dinner at home and then ventured out for a frozen yogurt family date. This was little n's first time to have frozen yogurt. We gave him a few bites of daddy's plain vanilla and then he got to finish mama's strawberry cheesecake. He approved of both, of course!

follow little teas on bloglovin'

2013-04-04T15:16:00.000-05:00

Did you hear? Google reader is leaving us this summer. It will be shutting down on July 1st. If you are using google reader to follow me, I recommend you jump on the bloglovin' bandwagon! I have been using bloglovin' for a while now and it is very easy to navigate. With just one click of your mouse, you can import all of your google feeds. Follow me here.

bumps & blogging

2013-03-07T08:46:00.001-06:00

I am a little behind on blogging and I apologize. Right now Little N is as busy as a 3 year old, if not more! We are going through teething, fussiness, getting into everything, clinginess, and nap rebellion. I am pretty sure this stage is as hard as the newborn stage. Over the last week we have had days of fussing over every thing and I just want to start over on those days, but that obviously can't happen so we just go about our day and pray for a better one the next day.

I am really hoping to get back into blogging regularly here soon. I have a few posts to share. In the mean time...check out these two features on Little N's first birthday party!

Spaceships and Laser Beams is a party blog dedicated to all boy parties. You can see the feature here.

Kara's Party Ideas featured the party back in December. You can see the feature here.

snow day

2013-02-21T09:00:00.002-06:00

Warm and sunny on Monday and Tuesday, snow yesterday, and a rainstorm today. That is how the weather plays here in Oklahoma. Little n enjoyed his first snow. He wasn't really sure what was going on. He just stood there for a little while and then he finally bent down to pick it up and mash it in his mittens. After he warmed up, he started to explore the front yard.

the great outdoors

2013-01-31T10:34:00.001-06:00

We love to be outside! It is such a nice change of scenery after being inside the house all day, everyday of the week. Since the weather was nice at the beginning of this week, we spent some time playing in the front yard while Riley ran wild. Little n loved picking up leaves and crawling in the dirt after realizing it is easier than walking over lumps in the grass. Spring cannot get here soon enough!

life lately, according to my iphone...

2013-01-29T16:21:00.001-06:00

Is it just me or is January taking its time to end? Not that January has been a bad month, it just feels as though it has been January for a very long time. Much more compared to months lately! We have already accomplished so much in this first month of 2013.

We have made it our goal to spend more time together as a family and take advantage of the opportunities we have here locally. We took the first Saturday and went to the museum because it was free family day.

I tried a new tea room here in town with my best friend the next weekend. They had a delicious chocolate mint tea, chicken salad, and deviled eggs. It was so nice to get a girls day out after not having one in so long!

This month I have been organizing and cleaning things up. I am hoping to make our life more simple this year by getting rid of a lot of things that we do not use or really need. While trying to make things more simple and cut back, I go and spend a few dollars on a couple of valentine's day toddler accessories from target. I could not pass up this adorable sippy cup and snack container!

I finally got all of my birthday and Christmas gifts unwrapped and out of their boxes. Now they are looking so lovely on my kitchen counter. My dad got me a target gift card so I went and got the chalkboard containers I had been eyeing for a while. Our youth group is making and selling treats for valentine's day so I spent one evening trying cake pops for the first time. They turned out pretty good I must say!

The weather here has been cold one day and then warm and windy the next. Early this week little n and I spent some time outside.

Our student ministry has started 2013 with a bang. Game night here, rally there...

Monday was happy mail day for me. I got the afghan I ordered from @hack_n_tweets instasale. This was my second instasale and I must say it is so addicting and fun! Everyone was going crazy over her afghans. I was a little upset at myself for not paying attention and refreshing the feed when she posted this gorgeous white knitted afghan, but then THE ONE showed up and boom my email was there in the comments! I did not waste a second on this gorgeous afghan in yellow with scalloped edges. I was so excited to see that I had gotten it. When it arrived in this adorable packaging, I fell in love even more.

Because we have been blessed with wonderful weather this week, we have played outside and taken family walks. I can't wait until spring gets here!

@littleteas on instagram

diy: jersey and lace infinity scarf

2013-01-25T13:26:00.000-06:00

Has it seriously been almost a year since I shared something crafty on my blog? Last year I felt so drained dry of creativity, thought, and motivation. Pinterest has a little to do with that. Sometimes I feel like everything has already been done before. But I have decided this year "no excuses!" I am going to share what I do whether it has been done before or not. I do try however, to make mine a little different than what I see. For example, this project has been done by tons of people, but I may or may not have done it in a different way. Also I tried to style mine different than those I have seen. So here is how to make my version...

You will need lace trim, jersey fabric, scissors, thread, and a sewing machine. Also about 30 minutes of your time. It is that easy!

I started out with 1 yard of jersey fabric (you should only need 1/2 yard) and approx. 4 yards of lace trim. First, you will cut your jersey fabric at 14" wide and 60" long. Basically the whole length of your fabric.

Next, lay your trim down on your fabric where you want it and pin it down. I did two rows of lace with about 7 stripes in between the two. If you look in the photo above right, I left excess to hang off so that I wouldn't end up too short after sewing. Keep in mind that the lace can stretch or move.

After pinning down the lace I started to sew the edge of the lace down on both sides. Remove the pins and continue until all the trim is sewn down. Cut the excess off the ends of all trim. Now you should have 1 long piece of fabric with trim sewn down the front...

This step is to finish off the scarf. Turn your fabric good side down (side with trim) and take the two ends of your fabric and lay one side on top of the other. Pin down the side. It should look like the top photo on the outside and like the bottom photo on the inside (good side).

After sewing down the ends of your fabric, you should end up with one giant "circle" of fabric. This is your scarf. To wear it, put it on and twist it on over again so that you end up with 2 "circles" around your neck. The scarf is meant to be short, that is the style of an infinity scarf. If it looks like the photo below, you are done! Easy as pie!

I think I will make several of these, they are just too easy and fun! And because I know I will get asked, the fabric is from Hobby Lobby. They actually have quite a bit of jersey fabric right now. Really cute neon ones and lace ones...

life lately, according to my iphone...

2013-01-04T14:45:00.002-06:00

@littleteas on instagram

first haircut

2013-01-03T10:08:00.003-06:00

Almost a week ago we took little n to get his first haircut. I wasn't sure if he would cry or not. He has always surprised us in other things he does so we kind of had a feeling he would do great! They had little cars and an airplane for kids to sit in so he had a good time sitting in the police car and "driving." The stylist was great, he was moving all over the place and she still managed to get his hair cut perfectly how we wanted it. He never cried once, he was as goofy as always. They took his picture and gave us a little keepsake of his beautiful blonde locks. This mama almost had tears because her baby is no longer a baby, but he sure does look like his daddy and they are the cutest guys in the world!

first birthday party | the details

2012-12-14T10:59:00.000-06:00

photography by jenny collier

12 months

2012-12-13T10:31:00.002-06:00

likes

-chicken

-bread

-sock monkey

dislikes

-being told "no"

-diaper being changed

-clothes

milestones

-first steps

I cannot believe my baby is a year old! Time really does fly when you are having fun! I still remember his birth as if it were yesterday. He is a such a joy to our little family. He is the goofiest little guy and makes his mama and daddy laugh 24/7. I have a feeling he is going to be outgoing and funny when he gets older. I can just sense it.

I thought since this is his last monthly chalkboard photo, I would post a roundup to show the comparison of each month. It is crazy how much he changed each month!

birthday wishlist

2012-12-07T11:03:00.001-06:00

My 25th birthday is in 2 days and I have been trying to put together a last minute wishlist. Do you know how hard it is to put together a list for your birthday and Christmas all at the same time?! Some of the items are on both lists, but these are just a few of my favorite things...

1. oxford bow shoes 2. pot holder/oven mitt 3. young house love book 4. camera strap 5. diaper bag 6. arm chair 7. washi tape

christmas time is here!

2012-11-27T10:42:00.003-06:00

This year I have decided to go in a different direction with my Christmas decorating. In the past I have switched between a white Christmas tree and a green Christmas tree every other year. My white tree is my fun tree, with red and green (modern) ornaments and my green tree is my elegant tree, with brown and gold (fancy) ornaments. I have been contemplating on whether or not I should just put a small tree on the mantel or buffet table in order to keep my (almost) one year old off of it. He has a terrible case of getting into everything. I know I can just keep telling him "no" and he will eventually learn not to touch it, so I decided to go ahead and do my 6 ft. green tree this year. Along with the green, I would like to incorporate some traditional Christmas colors and some current trends aka kraft paper, geometric, and handmade. Here are some of my Christmas ideas that I have saved on my holiday board over on pinterest.

1. DIY snow globes using old mason jars via Under the Sycamore

2. Coffee filter snowflake tutorial via The Pink Couch

3. Artisan overlapping floral tree skirt via Horchow

4. Holiday song lyrics banner via Katie's Pencil Box

5. DIY boxwood greenery wreath via Under the Sycamore

6. Free printable gift tags via Eat, Drink, Chic

7. Felt poinsettia pin tutorial via Tidy Mom

8. Fair Isle holiday tags via etsy, Paper City Design

9. Woodland wrapping via Odessa May Society

What are your ideas for Christmas this year? I'd love to hear!

our thanksgiving

2012-11-26T09:15:00.002-06:00

As you can tell, little n got most of the attention at our family Thanksgiving get togethers. He enjoyed turkey, corn, and mashed potatoes at his first meal. Afterwards he got to be goofy with granddad. Our child has such a personality and it is pretty hilarious because I think he is going to be far more outgoing than his mom and dad! Although, both of our parents say we were quite the character as a child so who knows!

ps. don't forget today is cyber monday! Everything in the shop is 30% off. Use code HOLIDAY12 at checkout to redeem!

life lately, according to my iphone...

2012-11-12T12:49:00.000-06:00

@littleteas on instagram

first wishlist

2012-11-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

With Noah's first birthday just around the corner, I thought I would share some of the things he told me he wanted...ok, things I want him to have (he can't talk yet). One of these days he will be telling me he wants a dinosaur room, a bike, cowboy boots, and who knows what else. So until then, I am controlling what he gets and it is kinda fun. These are just a few of the things I have been pinning to his wish list.

1. wooden toy camera 2. bandit the raccoon 3. hunter wellington boots 4. oxford derby shoes 5. pants/jeans 6. circus knit blanket 7. schoenhut my first piano

11 months old

2012-11-05T09:22:00.004-06:00

likes
-playing with remotes
-ripping paper
-chewing on things

dislikes
-pacifier
-car seat
-most table food (for now)

milestones
-waves bye-bye
-drinks from a sippy cup