Addy Lou Creates

Happy Homemaker Monday! {2/3/2014}

2014-02-04T12:19:00.002-06:00

Ooh...where did January go!?? Well - Hello February! Welcome to yet another busy month. Birthdays, babies, school and more. Just thinking about it make my head spin. Excited to welcome my new niece or nephew any day now. Getting really excited for spring to come. But that cute little groundhog had other plans when he saw his shadow this weekend.

The weather: Snow and cold. What else is new this winter?

On my reading pile: Blog notes and how-to's, menu planning, budgeting blogs

On my TV: Jimmy Kimmel....(it's a late Monday night)

On the menu for this week: We've been trying to get a better healthy dinner routine down. I've been following the Skinny Moms 'Supper Club.' We pick and choose due to our schedule, picky kids and what I have on hand. So far we've liked what things I have made. Here is what we are eating this week.
Monday – Leftover from Super Bowl + some pig-n-blankets

Tuesday – Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole

Wednesday – Skinny Sweet Tuna Cakes

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Skinny Avocado & Black Bean Enchiladas

Saturday – Leftovers

Sunday – Skinny Low-country Gumbo

On my to do list: LAUNDRY (it's never ending!),
Thank you notes and Pictures for Christmas (I'm behind I know),
Work on scrapbook pages for last year, Valentines treats

AddyLou projects for the week: Finish a diaper bag to list as a new mommy set, get some new blankets ready for the shop

What I am cooking: Nothing at the moment

{Source}

{Mr. D Sledding with Mommy}

{cheesing it up!}

{Face painting at the Fun Fair}

{My little cuddle buddy}

{L lost his other front tooth - FINALLY!}

Looking around the house: It dark and quiet....and I am enjoying it!!!

Highlight of the past weekend: Going sledding with the kids, and having friends over for Superbowl

Looking forward to this week: Getting things done.

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

From the camera:

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {1/27/2014}

2014-01-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! What a week!!!!! We've had snow. Blowing, drifting, accident causing snow. I swear I have never been so nervous waiting for my husband get home until this crazy winter. We've been to the doctors office twice - once with L and then the second time was with all 5 (and my mom)! Not looking forward to doing that again anytime in the near future. Currently I have all five kids on antibiotics for a mixture of bronchitis and ear infections. I myself am headed in to the doctor today for this lovely head cold/sinus thing I've got going on. I pulled the big guns though this time and am going to an actual Ear-Nose-Throat doctor to see what we can do about this 'chronic' sinus infection. Last time I went to ENT I wanted to punch the man in the face (I am not a violent person by any mean)...let just say I didn't know I had a problem until he got finished fixing it. Hoping that this trip is more relaxed and productive.

The weather: F.R.I.G.I.D.!!!!!!!! It's going to be in the negatives for the next few days. And more snow is predicted. I am pretty sure Monday and Tuesday its going to be warmer in Alaska than it will be here in Northwest Indiana.

On my reading pile: Blog notes and how-to's

On my TV: A Bug's Life - Snow day movies

Monday – Skinny Blackened Salmon & Skinny French Country Salad (it was divine!!!)

Tuesday – Skinny BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Wednesday – Hearty Minestrone Soup and Home-made Bread

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Fun Fair at L's School

Saturday – Savory Sauerkraut and Sausage...my hubby's favorite!

Sunday – Super Bowl food....keeping it simple and low fat!

On my to do list: LAUNDRY (it's never ending!), Make a cake and cookies for the cake walk for the Fun Fair, Thank you notes and Pictures for Christmas (I'm behind I know), Work on scrapbook pages for last year.

AddyLou projects for the week: Wall hanging (with tutorial) & bibs for valentines day, Finish a diaper bag to list as a new mommy set (I am excited about this one), Work on a custom order of 'un-paper' towels, work on making my blog prettier...Still working on things from last week. It was hard to get sewing with sick kiddies.

What I am cooking: Nothing this morning. Lots of things going on!

Looking around the house: There is a chair blanket fort in my living room and legos EVERY WHERE!

Highlight of the past weekend: Going to lunch with my hubby and kids. For taking all five out to eat...They all did very well.

Looking forward to this week: Super bowl with friends

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

{source}

From the camera: Didn't take may pictures last week because the kids were sick.

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {01/20/2014}

2014-01-20T09:13:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday!!! It's going to be another busy week in our house! Right now we are working on getting rid of colds, eating better and getting a daily routine (a more defined one) put into action. I have been working really hard to get caught up (still) from the holidays. Here's what's going on today.

The weather: I enjoy the seasons....but I do have to say I am over snow. It's pretty coming down, but I hate driving in it, especially with five kids in the car. We are under another winter weather advisory for this week. A foot of snow is predicted over the

next two days. So fun!

On my reading pile: School papers! Catching up on what all is going on at L's school this month.

On my TV: Curious George. Probably one of my favorite of the kid's shows.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Skinny Buffalo Blue Cheese Burgers & coleslaw

Tuesday – Skinny Blackened Salmon & Salad

Wednesday – Leftovers or pizza

Thursday – Skinny Honey Mustard Chicken

Friday – Soup (maybe potato, haven't decided yet)

Saturday – Leftovers....maybe date night for mom & dad?!!?

Sunday – Something fun

On my to do list: LAUNDRY (it's never ending!), Clean bedrooms & Bathrooms, Get my sewing machine fixed, call ENT (ear-nose-throat) doctor about this on going-never ending sinus thing I have going on.

My "projects" for the week: Bibs for valentines day, Finish a diaper bag to list as a new mommy set (I am excited about this one), Work on a custom order of 'un-paper' towels, work on making my blog prettier.

What I am cooking: Making my mom's granola cereal. Replaced the oil with coconut oil and added some Chia seeds....smells good so far. Hoping it tastes as good.

Looking around the house: Baskets of clothes waiting to be folded and put away. Counters in the kitchen need to be tidied.

Highlight of the past weekend: We celebrated my mom's 55th birthday on Saturday. Grown up pizza parties are the best! And then Brian took the older kids sledding. And because of all the activity this weekend, all kids were in bed and sleeping by 7pm on Sunday!

Looking forward to this week: A possible date night with my hubby!!! It's been awhile since we've done something sans kiddos.

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

{source}

From the camera:

Playing in the snow!

Watching the big kids play outside, it was just a little too cold for the babes.

Happy Birthday to my Mama! My Parents with 8 of soon-to-be 10 Grandbabies!

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading!

A BIG Thank You!!!

2014-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I would like to THANK YOU all so much for an absolutely amazing year! My etsy shop grew immensely this past year! The whole reason I started this blog and the etsy shop was to try to make a little money to fund my crafting addiction. But it has far exceeded what I ever thought it would! And it's has been all because of you. It makes me happy to see my projects in use and people enjoying them. It has been fun 'harboring' secrets for baby announcements, Christmas gifts and creating unique, custom items. There has not been a dull moment in the area of the shop. All that is partly to blame for the lack of posting here. Sorry for that. It was taking all I had to keep up on orders that last few months. I'd like to share and review the projects I did this year. As I went back on things the other day, I couldn't believe how many I actually did.

Blankets were made in abundance. And I am working hard to get some more pretty ones in the shop soon.

I have been making bibs on the side for family and friends who have had babies. But those became very popular this fall and winter and I had a hard time keeping up with them. I am hoping to have some to introduce to the shop for Valentine's day.

Making Christmas stockings was kind of a random thought of mine this summer. And it took off!!!! I was so happy I was able to add Christmas cheer to family and friend's homes.

Custom orders are probably my favorite. I did A LOT this year on those. Here are some of my favorites. It is so much fun to take an idea or theme from someone and make it tangible.

These were sets I was able to give to some very important events and fundraisers for some very special people. I am happy I am able to help people, even in a small way, with my God given talents.

Like I said earlier, 2013 was very busy. I am looking forward to what amazing things I will be challenged to create this year! And again many thanks and love to those who have been there for me and those who have supported handmade!

Have a wonderful day!

2013: A Review of my Goals for my 30th year

2014-01-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I am a little behind on the new year posts. I have been playing catch up since Christmas on EVERYTHING! Here are 2013 goals....and how I did.

~~Eat Healthier~~ Working constantly on this, but over all did a fairly good job this year.
Be More Active for myself and kids
Read more
Find a house with a big yard that will fit our growing family
Sell our house!!!! (this is a big one!)
Buy and Move into our hopefully forever home (again another big one)
~~Grow my ETSY shop.~~ Check. Check. Check!!! I was so excited to see my little shop grow immensely this year! Thank you to all of you!
~~Work on my photography skills....I'd really like to improve my amateur photo taking~~ Worked on this and it did get better. Still I have lots of room for improvement, but I am learning and having fun!
Get my kid's photo/baby albums up to date
Work on the Our family photo albums....H-U-G-E project right there
~~Go Camping~~ Made it camping with my family! It was a great time. I love that my kids enjoyed it just as much as we did.
~~Work on getting a set budget and sticking to it...we have a very rough one that needs to be fine tuned~~ Have a slight one. Still as always a work in progress though.
Be more organized at home
~~Make my bed and teach the kids the same....something minor, but really does make me feel better~~ Did a pretty good job on this. The kids are still learning, but they are getting better.
Take more trips/family outings
Grow a nice garden
~~Do more canning and freezing of home grown food~~ Did more than I thought this year...including 47 quarts of Applesauce. That was a lot of apples!!!!!
~~Turn the TV off more~~ Proud of myself for this, the kids and myself are better for it.
~~Get my wedding rings fixed so I can actually wear them~~ DONE! Such a nice feeling being able to wear them.
Go on more walks
~~Make time for a Once-a-month date night for Brian & I~~ We did a good job, as hard as it was sometimes. Still working on keeping it going.
Lose 25 pounds and not find it!!!
~~De-clutter and re-organize~~ Did ok on this. Another task that is constantly a work in progress.
Have more regular blog posts and tutorials
~~Make more products to have in my AddyLou ETSY shop~~ Did and kept selling. I did a ton of custom items this year and had so much fun doing them.
Teach someone how to sew
Make a big boy quilt for Dylan
~~Use my fabric scraps to make fun things~~ Bibs and rag quilts are being made with my scraps. So excited to see what else I can come up with.
~~Make enough sales from AddyLou to be able to purchase an NEW sewing machine on my own~~ DONE! So excited that I was able to get my embroidery machine. Loving it and making amazing things!
~~Do more fun projects with/for my kids~~ We did some crafts and lost of baking projects.

Only 13 not quite finished. Not bad, I'd say. Overall, 2013 was a great year. It was super busy. But it was filled with many wonderful memories and sprinkled with a few sad ones too. We all are looking for ward to an exciting 2014!

Twins {Life One Year Later}

2013-11-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

So the twin ladies turn ONE mid-September!!! Where did that year go!?!?! They are standing up on everything, one is walking, while the other has decided to climb everything in site. This year has gone incredibly fast! Seriously, I don't know where it went. :) There has definitely been days where I have wanted to crawl back into bed and cry myself to sleep, but with five munchkins, that's not even a possibility. In the word of Luke Bryan, "I just keep chugging along." And my manta has become, "One day at a time!" As interesting of a year it has been, I can honestly say, it has not been nearly as bad raising three older kids and taking care of twin baby girls as I had imagined in my head. I kind of did luck out though, the twins have been great babies!!!! And the other three have been fantastic in being big brothers and big sister. It took a few weeks/months to figure it all out, but once we got a semi-routine it's been pretty smooth sailing since.

{1 week old 9/21/2012 & 1 year old 9/13/2013}

I know you are dying to know what the routine was the first few months...:). Here's roughly what I did. Mind you there was not a whole lot of sleep going on. Probably why I don't remember this year flying by.

Our typical day - months 1-6
A.M.
5-5:30 : Daddy up getting ready for work, Mommy did morning feedings. Then put babes back to bed for a little while
6:30 : Three older kids up. Get Lucas ready for Pre-K. Get Breakfast on the table. Remind myself to eat.
7:40 : Get all five kids packed in the car and take the 10 minute drive to school
8:15-8:30 : unpack the remaining kids. Get bottles ready to feed babies again.
9:15-9:30 : Babies down for nap
9:30-11 : Race like mad to get caught up on anything and everything!
11:15: Feed babies again
11:40 : Pack everyone up again to get Lucas from Pre-K.
P.M.
12:30 : Home, feed everyone lunch, Pray that babies sleep a little while.
1-1:30 : Try and get the three older kids to take a nap.
1:30- 2:00 : Feed babies again
3:00-5:00 : try to get kids outside while it was nice or play down stairs, snack time, Hopefully have dinner going.
5-5:30 : feed babies
6-6:30 : Dinner for other kids
7:00 : Bath Time, reading, hangout with daddy
7:30 BEDTIME for the three older kids
7:30-8: Feed babies, cuddle for a while, Mommy & Daddy time...aka time to eat dinner and try and stay awake to watch something on TV
9-10: last feeding before bed, pray they sleep 3-4 hours and none of the other kids get up.
A.M.
1-3: early morning feeding, hope I didn't fall asleep while feeding one of them, put back to bed
5-5:30 : Up and at 'em, starting a new day.

By about 3 months the girls were for the most part sleeping through the night. And this is pretty much the same schedule we keep now, although the bottle feedings are not nearly what they were and the girls are eating table food and drinking milk now. Still I am not sure how I made it through all that. Not to mention all the doctor appointments that I had. We are on a first name basis with the doctor and nursing staff.

{I got really good at feeding two babies at a time.}

***********

Taking care of a baby is hard. Adding twins takes a little more effort. Here are some things I have learned or have helped me out over the last year.

SLEEP when you can. I know easier said than actually done, especially when eight baskets of dirty, smelly clothes are staring you in the face. For me, catching a cat nap while the babies were sleeping and the three older ones were cuddle up with me on couch watching a movie worked best. Even though most of that was done with 'one eye open.' Ten, fifteen minutes can do wonders when you are so tired you don't know your name.

Color code/Mark everything. Blankets, beds, coats, towels, car seats, pacifiers etc. It makes it easier on yourself, and if someone helps out, easier for them to remember. Hair ties work great for keeping track of who's bottle is who's. The small sized ones worked great on the neck of the skinny Dr. Brown bottles, Silly I know, but when Anna would fall asleep on an unfinished bottle, and Audrey would be screaming for hers, but then turn around and fall asleep; I would have two bottles that were similar in amount and not know which was each baby's. Because by the time the other fell asleep, the first would be up wanting the rest of the bottle. It was especially useful to use the hair tie trick as colds got introduced, in attempts to keep germs away.

Utilize your help. It is not one of my most strong points to ask for help. I 'feel' the need to do almost everything on my own. But when you haven't slept in days, or showered either, take up that offer to have someone watch kids, pick them up from school, etc. It is a God sent blessing for your sanity!!!!!!

{My wonderful little helpers!!! Love them all!}

Make time for date night! Seriously one of the best things that we have done as a family. As much as I love my kidlets, I need a little time away to realize I am adult, to validate that there is more going on in the world besides bottle feedings, dirty diapers, and endless kids shows and movies.

Make meals easy! This one is for those with other kids. Again seems silly, but in all seriousness I speak the truth. If I didn't keep on top of making dinners - crockpot, casserole, etc. We wouldn't have eaten very well. Now saying that. I a pretty sure that my kids might have lived on cereal, pancakes and chicken nuggets and mac & cheese more times than I would like to admit over this last year. Some days were just better than others, and the quicker the better especially when all five were melting down at the same time.

Let it slide. Some people are idiots!!!! There I said it! People are going to make really dumb comments about having twins...and they make equally stupid comments when you have other kids than just those twins. Not to say I haven't been one of those people as one point or another, but I usually try to keep my mouth shut. And people will judge you on everything. Again let it slide. You are doing your best to take care of those little ones. You are a good parent. You love those babies and that will get you through!

Don't worry about the house. I am the first to say I can't stand clutter and disorganization, but when energy is lacking to do anything else besides taking care of babies, just let it go. It will be there another day. Keeping up on laundry has been one of my biggest problems. I could do two loads a day and still not be caught up. As long as you have clean bottles to feed babies, you're good to go ;) I have really tried to keep the house to the point it takes only 10-15 minutes to clean if people are coming. People will understand too.

"Remember the Older Kids." For those with other children. Don't forget to take time to play, read, and do fun things with the other kiddos. They need you just as much as the babies do. They are your special helpers and want to be a part of helping with the new baby or babies too.

Practice Patience. More days than not are going to be trying. Tiredness combined with attempting to keep up on things does take a toll. But learning to not let it get to you takes work too. My rosary and I became best friends. It helps me collect my thoughts, calm my nerves and relax my mind.

Laugh!!! Always laugh and remember these long, tiring days of baby tending are fleeting. It doesn't last long at all. Those tiny fingers and toes, and coos and laughs grow all too fast into walking, talking toddlers and big kids. Find that joy in everyday. Laugh at your disheveled messes. It won't always be like this. And one day you will look back and laugh about the poop and spit up that was everywhere all the time.

So that is it. Really take it one day at a time. That's how I've managed to make it through the last year. And it's really been a fun ride. I love my kids! I love my disorganized, mess we call a home. Each day brings some new adventure. I absolutely live for the chaos I call my family! Happy 1st Birthday to my Little Girls, Anna & Audrey! I can't wait to see what the next year brings for your personalities and what you will learn.

Thanks for reading! Have a beautiful day!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {11/4/13}

2013-11-04T11:05:00.002-06:00

So I am absolutely terrible at keeping up on this blog. Not that I don't want to, but life really does have a funny way of taking over. Between kids, harvest & my husband's busy work schedule and sewing like a mad woman; I have been pretty drained when it comes to writing on this lovely little blog. So to update you on what has happened in the last month:

Potty training the little man...not going as well as I would like

School is going great for L and he loves it.

Miss E has been helping out lots with the babies and trying to act like mommy ALL THE TIME.

The little ladies turned one. One is walking and the other is still just climbing everything. Bottles disappeared for awhile - which was fantastic. Then they got sick, and I couldn't get them to drink anything without it. Oh well. I only am using them at night.

The hubby and I were lucky to help celebrate the marriages of two sets of wonderful friends and a cousin. Both had beautiful days for it and we both had a great time!

I canned a ridiculous amount of applesauce and got a second degree burn in the process.

Halloween was wonderful. We had a small gathering of family and friends. And had roughly 360 trick-or-treaters. The kids had a blast.

The weather: It's Fall in Northwest Indiana!!! Chilly, rainy and windy! Perfect sweatshirt weather!

On my reading pile: Food Network magazine, Taste of Home

On my TV: Just turned off Dinosaur Train to head downstairs to sew.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Cheeseburger Soup

Tuesday – casserole

Wednesday – Beef Stew? Little Man's 3rd Birthday!

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Culture Fair at L's school

Saturday – Leftovers....maybe date night for mom & dad?!!?

Sunday – Nephew's Baptism/leftovers/something easy

On my to do list: Get my pictures to be printed edited, LAUNDRY (it's never ending!), Get a proof done of our Christmas card (yes, I'm weird and have had it done for two weeks now.) Get Christmas lists compiled for the kids and sticking to my four gift rule.

My "projects" for the week: Work on my sister's quilt, Stocking orders, and Other Customs orders. If you would like to have stockings for yourself, go here for instruction on how to order them!

What I am cooking: Nothing at the moment.

Looking around the house: Baskets of clothes sorted and awaiting washing. Otherwise everything is fairly organized all things considered the busy weekend we had.

Highlight of the past weekend: Took a walk with Brian & the kids at the park yesterday. It was a bit chilly, but it was absolutely beautiful out with all the leaves in full color!

Looking forward to this week: Keeping up on the things I need to get done.

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

I try to everyday...sometimes failing sometimes succeeding. But loving every minute of it!

{source}

From the camera:

{Tricks & Treats with Nana}

{Halloween Night - Skeletons & Owls}

{Tricks & Treats with Grandma & Grandpa}

{Our Pumpkins!}

{From our walk at Red Mill County Park}

{Such a Beautiful Fall day!}

Happy Homemaker Monday! {9/9/13}

2013-09-09T12:56:00.002-05:00

Another week done, and a another hectic week is starting! The month of September is turning out to be one of the most event-filled months we've had in awhile. This week we are getting ready for the twins 1st birthday (where this past year went I don't know!!), a wedding of a dear family friend, and trivia. We are currently potty training Dylan....have I ever mentioned how much I hate this part?!?! We've actually not been doing too bad. Although I would like to know what causes him to have no accidents yesterday, and then this morning he's had 5 in a matter of two hours. I guess that's the name of the game. Here's to another week of hopefully getting some things accomplished!

The weather: I think the weather is slightly confused to what it's supposed to be doing. It's going to be warm early in the week and get chilly towards the end. Oh well, I'm ready for jeans, long sleeves and sweater weather.

On my reading pile: Food Network magazine and Rachel Ray Mag....I need some food inspiration!

On my TV: Pandora....enjoying the 'Luke Bryan' station.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Hamburgers

Tuesday – casserole

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – Tomato Soup

Friday – Twins Birthday!!!

Saturday – Wedding/Kid Friendly dinner

Sunday – Leftovers

On my to do list: Pictures, LAUNDRY (it's never ending!), Cleaning.

My "projects" for the week: Work on my sister's quilt, Stocking orders!!! If you would like to have stockings for yourself, go here for instruction on how to order them!

What I am cooking: Nothing at the moment...would like to make some freezer meals though.

Looking around the house: Six baskets of clothes were put away this morning. There are two more load in the laundry room currently and about 6 more loads waiting to be started!! (like I said NEVER ENDING)

Highlight of the past weekend: I actually got out the house sans husband and kids for a bachelorette party down in Indianapolis. It was a great time, loved seeing my old roommates from college and my cousins!

Looking forward to this week: Getting something done!

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

{source}

From the camera:

{someone learned to climb the stairs this weekend}

{...and jump on the couch}

Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Homemaker Monday (on Tuesday)! {9/3/13}

2013-09-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

Last week was an emotionally draining week. But we have all made it through. We said our goodbyes to a dear cousin on Friday who had battled Ewings sarcoma for five long years (you can read more here). As hard as it's been for the family and us, it is comforting to know that he is no longer hurting. Stevie we are going to miss your smile and antics!!! :)

We celebrated the twins 1st birthday a little early on Saturday. It was nice to have everyone over and have an enjoyable evening. Although both girls were and still aren't feeling quite right. I am hoping it's just allergies and not ear infections again. All the other kids had a great time.

We had a low key Labor day. Brian & I took the kids to the Washington Park Zoo. It's a small but a very nice zoo. Then we had a quick picnic lunch courtesy of the Washington Park Fest that was going on by the beach. A good time was had by all. I love spending time with my little, big family!!!

The weather: It's going to be a pretty week!!!

On my reading pile: Didn't do any reading last week...well, I take that back. I did read a bunch of kiddy books to my munchkins.

On my TV: Nothing!!!

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Happy Labor day!

Tuesday – Leftovers

Wednesday – Sloppy Joes..didn't make them last week (again!)

Thursday – Grilled shrimp

Friday – Bachelorette Party outing!!!! :)

Saturday – Leftovers

Sunday – Hamburgers

On my to do list: Take kids picture their yearly pics and the twins 11 month photos. Work on the scrapbooks. Laundry, bills, take things back to stores....didn't get any of this done last week.

My "projects" for the week: Work on my sister's quilt, Stocking orders!!! If you would like to have stockings for yourself, go here for instruction on how to order them!

What I am cooking: Nothing at the moment...would like to make some freezer meals though.

Looking around the house: Laundry and general tidying need to be done.

Highlight of the past weekend: Celebrating Anna & Audrey's upcoming 1st birthday with family, and spending the day visiting the zoo and beach!

Looking forward to this week: Getting something done!

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

{source}

From the camera: Pictures from our Zoo trip. :)

{The Munchkins ready to see the animals}

{Pretty Birds!}

{Me & My other Half}

{It was a beautiful day at Lake Michigan}

Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {8/26/13}

2013-08-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

What a week!!! School started! My little, young man started Kindergarten this week. And turned 6 on Saturday. How did that happen?!?!?! We are starting to get some sort of routine down, loading and unloading five kids is a great mini workout. :)

Lucas is loving school. He gets so excited to get himself dressed in his uniform, make sure his lunch is all together and get his backpack packed. He is quite funny about it actually, and I love it! The other kids are very excited to have him home in the afternoon. They sit and talk about the day when he gets home. It's just too cute!

This week is going to be another busy week. I am working on getting some diaper bags ready for production, and getting Christmas stockings started. Along with trying to get my workout routine going again.
There's one thing I'd like to ask for this week from you all. Can you please keep our cousin Stevie in your prayers. He and his family really need it. He's been fighting a hard battle against Ewings sarcoma for the last five years. Things have not been going well. He is currently at home with his sister and brother-in-law. Please just keep them in your prayers. (If you'd like to read more on him, go here. The 'Update' Section has more about how things have been going.)

{Love you Stevie!!! (he's the handsome man sitting in the middle)}

UPDATE: Steven went to be with the good Lord early this morning. May his family find peace and comfort during this difficult time. (this post was written before knowing any events of the morning)

The weather: It's going to be HOT & muggy this week!!!

On my reading pile: Read one chapter of "Rise: An Eve Novel" last night. We will see how long this takes me. ;)

On my TV: Epic....haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to it, but what I have seen is really cute.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Leftovers

Tuesday – Grilled Pizza

Wednesday – Sloppy Joes..didn't make them last week

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Grilled something

Saturday – Date night Maybe?

Sunday – Celebrating the Twin's 1st Birthday with Family!

On my to do list: Take kids pictures for their yearly pics and the twins 11 month photos. Work on the scrapbooks. Laundry, bills, take things back to stores....didn't get any of this done last week.

My "projects" for the week: Work on my sister's quilt.

What I am cooking: Nothing at the moment...would like to make some freezer meals though.

Looking around the house: Laundry in HUGE piles. Need to get moving on that.

Highlight of the past weekend: Celebrating Lucas's 6th birthday! Where has the time gone?

Looking forward to this week: Getting something done!

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration: I know this is from last week...but I really needed this today!!!!

From the camera: Happy 6th Birthday Lucas!

{8/24/2007 - moments old}

{8/24/2013 - 6 years old!!!}

Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for reading!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {8/19/2013)

2013-08-19T07:39:00.001-05:00

What a summer!!!! Things have be extremely busy and full of excitement around here. We got back from camping at Turkey Run State Park last Tuesday. We had a great time. Although attempting to camp with five kids, two of which are still babies, makes for a long few days. But it was so much fun!!! School is starting on Tuesday August 20. Lucas will be attending Queen of All Saints Catholic School. He is really excited. We got to meet his teacher last week, and she is really nice. I think he is going to have a great time. Lots of good things have been going on with the shop. Lots of sales, lots of custom items made (making these is my favorite part) and I am VERY thankful for to all who have brought from my shop, and all the support I have received. I love you all!! Now on to my what I hope to continue as my weekly update. :)

The weather: It's going to be HOT this week!!! But right now it is a pretty, slightly foggy, sunshiny morning.

On my reading pile: Nothing. Summer reading doesn't have a chance against our busy schedule.

On my TV: Arthur...the kids are up early

On the menu for this week:
Monday – Taco Salad
Tuesday – Cajun Chicken Fettuccine
Wednesday – Sloppy Joes
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Pizza
Saturday – Lucas's 6th Birthday!
Sunday – Leftovers or something grilled

On my to do list: Take kids pictures for their yearly pics and the twins 11 month photos. Work on the scrapbooks. Laundry, bills, take things back to stores.

My "projects" for the week: Get some orders finished & mailed. Work on my sister's quilt.

What I am cooking: It's pancakes for breakfast today!

Looking around the house: Partially picked up, but needs a nice once-over.

Highlight of the past weekend: House hunting. Even though most were not what we were looking for it was nice to get out and keep looking.

Looking forward to this week: School starting, Lucas is excited. And Lucas's 6th birthday!

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

From the camera: Audrey & Anna are growing!! Eleven months and they are eating big kid food and drinking out of sippy cups.

Have a wonderful week! Happy back to school and end of summer!!

Thank for reading!

World Breastfeeding Week - I Support You! {My Interview}

2013-08-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

This week is World Breastfeeding Week and August is National Breastfeeding Month. I was unaware that this was a thing. But I find it to be very awesome! Such a great way to give support to mothers. My friend Julie over at Diary Of A Homemaker posted this on her facebook page last week.

And it is all very true...(and it made me even tear up). I can honestly say as much as I hated breastfeeding, I loved it just as much or more. Julie interviewed me on my 'breastfeeding story' for Breastfeeding week. And with five kids, I have five completely different experiences.

I am all for breastfeeding, I wish I was able to do it better myself. I think it is (was) a wonderful experience. But for some it is not the right choice or the situation at hand does not allow for it. So for whatever your situation - breast, bottle or extended feeding....I SUPPORT YOU! And you are doing an amazing job!!! You can read my story here. And you can read more on this topic here on the Mama By the Bay blog.

Hope you enjoy my story.

Mid-year update: 30 in my 30th year!

2013-07-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

So I turn the big 3-0 on Sunday, July 21st. Still not quite sure how I feel about this. I don't feel/think I am that old enough to be this age. It doesn't bother me, it just doesn't seem that I am 30, married for 7 years, have 5 kids, lived in 2 states and 3 homes. Seriously I feel like I just graduated from Purdue (2006) and just got married. The saying that time flies when you are having fun, must be true!

Well here is my updated goal list for my "30 goals in my 30th year." You can read the original post here. I have to say I have done better than I thought I was doing. Many are still a work in progress (as many goals always are). But I think I have done pretty good for a half a year's worth of goals.

Eat Healthier
Be More Active for myself and kids... always in progress!!!
Read more
Find a house with a big yard that will fit our growing family...working hard on this one
Sell our house!!!! (this is a big one!)
Buy and Move into our hopefully forever home (again another big one)
~~Grow my ETSY shop:~~ Huge steps have happened. I have way surpassed what I thought could happen with my shop. I had 13 sales/custom orders between the the last 2 weeks of June and beginning of July! Thank you to all who have ordered!!!! :)
~~Work on my photography skills....I'd really like to improve my amateur photo taking~~: I have been working really hard and using Kristen Duke's Photography tips and ebooks (you can find them here). I am pretty proud of how my pictures are getting better and I am not using just the auto setting anymore!
Get my kid's photo/baby albums up to date
Work on the Our family photo albums....H-U-G-E project right there
~~Go Camping~~: Camping date set with my family! SOOOO excited and so are the kids!
~~Work on getting a set budget and sticking to it...we have a very rough one that needs to be fine tuned~~: Still working on this one, but I have gotten better. Especially since we have been purchasing SCRIP through Lucas's school. It helps you keep close to what you have allotted for the month.
~~Be more organized at home:~~ A work in progress for us, as I am sure it is for a lot of families. But I have been doing better.
~~Make my bed and teach the kids the same....something minor, but really does make me feel better~~: Been doing a good job of this for the most part, minus the days that start super early with screaming kids. And the kids are doing better at making their own beds as well. Its cute to see how proud they are when they get it done.
Take more trips/family outings
~~Grow a nice garden~~ Our garden this year is looking better than it did last. Although with the idea of moving we did end up downsizing what we put in. But currently I have a plethora of zucchini sitting on my counter. :)
Do more canning and freezing of home grown food..waiting to see what the garden produces this year!
~~Turn the TV off more:~~ Excited to say that it goes off after breakfast and doesn't usually go back on until around dinner time so that I can get dinner made. This does exclude the rainy days, which we have deemed movie days :)
~~Get my wedding rings fixed so I can actually wear them~~ : DONE! And I am so happy to be able to wear them again!!!
Go on more walks...trying but not the easiest all the time with 5 little ones
~~Make time for a Once-a-month date night for Brian & I:~~ We have done pretty good on this one. Some months have been easier to get out than others. But we have made a point to get out by ourselves, even if its just a lunch date to go grocery shopping.
Lose 25 pounds and not find it!!! - not working so well...I'll get there though
De-clutter and re-organize: a work in progress, but have gone through about half the house and 'good willed' a large amount of items!
Have more regular blog posts and tutorials - I've been a little busy this summer. A post on that coming!
~~Make more products to have in my AddyLou ETSY shop~~ - DONE!!! And working on more all the time!
Teach someone how to sew
Make a big boy quilt for Dylan
Use my fabric scraps to make fun things: I have some big ideas for this one. Getting ready to start some of these once school starts and I have a little more time.
~~Make enough sales from AddyLou to be able to purchase an NEW sewing machine on my own~~: DONE! I bought a new embroidery machine. I have been having lots of fun with it lately, doing mostly custom things. Getting ready to make some things for the shop.
Do more fun projects with/for my kids

Hope you have enjoyed my update. And I hope to be able to post more once our busy summer slows a little. :)

AddyLou Moving Sale!

2013-05-30T10:03:00.002-05:00

Our family is in the process of getting things ready to move. Which means the shop needs to get ready to move too. So I am having a moving sale for all current items in the shop! Please take a look around. I hope you find something you'll like!

Happy Homemaker Monday! {4/29/2013)

2013-04-29T16:18:00.001-05:00

Excuse my absence once again. Life just continues to get crazier around here. And Spring, is bringing more craziness to this household. The baptisms went beautifully and I did get the gowns done. More on that in a later post. We’ve been busy house hunting, but haven’t found anything that will really accommodate our family of seven as well as we’d like. I keep praying that something will come up soon here. I’ve been busy working on getting things done for my little sister’s bridal shower for this coming weekend. Lots of fun things we’ve made and have planned. I hope you all have a wonderful week! I’ve got to get back to getting things done and chasing kids!

The weather: It’s an absolutely gorgeous day!

On my reading pile: Beautiful Creatures…almost half way done, I couldn’t put it down last night.

On my TV: Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Grilled fajitas

Tuesday – Leftovers

Wednesday – Coconut curry and rice

Thursday – Steak and veggies

Friday – Pizza

Saturday – take out night

Sunday – we will see how the day goes.

On my to do list: Find a house, cleaning, organize and declutter, sort through kids clothes and transfer out winter for spring & summer clothes (I hate this part)

My "projects" for the week: Finishing up projects for my sister’s bridal shower. Make mini cheesecakes. Do some sewing.

What I am cooking: Nothing currently, but getting ready to start on dinner.

Looking around the house: Oi! I really need to do a through cleaning. I guess there is always tomorrow right?!.

Highlight of the past weekend: Playing outside all day with my kids.

Looking forward to this week: Hopefully meeting my new niece or nephew when they decide its time to arrive. Hosting my sisters shower and visiting with all the aunts and cousins.

Bible verse, Devotional, Inspiration:

From the camera: Me with my three ‘older’ crazy kids!!

Happy Homemaker Monday {4/1/13}

2013-04-02T06:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter! And Happy Dyngus day! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We sure did. It was lots of fun visiting family. The kids had fun with Easter and were absolutely amazing in church especially going to the 7:30 pm Easter Vigil mass on Saturday after a full day of activity. Now we are off an running on another busy week. We had a small gathering to celebrate the polish holiday – Dyngus day. So my house has smelled like sauerkraut and sausage all day. I am hoping it has ‘aired’ out by tomorrow. haha. Well have a great well. Sorry I’m a day late.

The weather: Chilly but it is going to be warming up soon. YAY!!!

On my reading pile: 1-2-3 Magic and Beautiful Creatures…I am slowly making my way through them.

On my TV: 30 Rock.

On the menu for this week:
Monday – Sauerkraut & Sausage
Tuesday – Leftovers
Wednesday – Hamburgers
Thursday – unsure
Friday – Fajitas
Saturday – leftover
Sunday – we will see how the day goes.

On my to do list: Laundry, Cleaning, order my bridesmaid dress.

My "projects" for the week: Sew two baptismal gowns..nothing like waiting until two weeks prior to actually start making them.
.
What I am cooking: Polish food. I had two crock pots going with sauerkraut and sausage to celebrate Dyngus Day.

Looking around the house: Fairly clean for having a party and kids running around.
Highlight of the past weekend: Easter celebrations with our family.

Looking forward to this week: Continuing my 28 Days to Great barre3 workout.

Bible verse, Devotional: This one is not a bible verse but it’s a quote that spoke to me today.

From the camera: I love my Family!! Just a few family Easter pictures.

Happy Homemaker Monday! {3/25/2013}

2013-03-25T07:32:00.001-05:00

Oh Spring…where are you!?!?!?! We've been waiting for you. Last week was another crazy, busy one. We did a school visit for one of the schools on our kindergarten list with Lucas. Now to make a decision. Finished a baby shower gift for my cousin and his wife. Went shopping with my mom. And had an overall good weekend. I hope you all did too. We are gearing up for Holy Week and Spring Break this week. With lots to do and lots to teach the kids about.

The weather: Cold and Snowing. I am so ready for Spring!!!!!

On my reading pile: 1-2-3 Magic and Beautiful Creatures…I am slowly making my way through them.

On my TV: The movie, Mirror, Mirror. Miss E put it in before I was up this morning.

On the menu for this week:
Monday – Leftovers
Tuesday – Breakfast for Dinner
Wednesday – Hamburgers
Thursday – Holy Thursday Meal
Friday – Fish, Good Friday
Saturday – Easter meal #1
Sunday – Easter meal #2

On my to do list: Laundry, Cleaning, Making Easter Lamb Cakes, order my bridesmaid dress.

My "projects" for the week: Finish my custom order and sew two baptismal gowns.
What I am cooking: Getting ready to make corn pancakes & scrambled eggs for breakfast

Looking around the house: A thorough cleaning needs to be done. It’s not terrible, its just reached the point where its driving me nuts.

Highlight of the past weekend: Spending some much needed mommy time with my mom. Shopping for a dress for my sisters wedding.

Looking forward to this week: Continuing my 28 Days to Great barre3 workout. Easter and Lamb Cake..

Bible verse, Devotional: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

From the camera: Miss Emma helped me wash floors last week. I am pretty sure there was more of a mess for me to clean up, but she had fun.

Happy Homemaker Monday! {3/18/2013}

2013-03-18T12:52:00.001-05:00

Life has been crazy busy! But a good kind of crazy. Working hard to get caught up on something things while, trying to rid this house of colds. It has made its way back to me…again. Seriously moms should not be allowed to get sick.

The weather: Cold and raining/sleeting.

On my reading pile: 1-2-3 Magic and Beautiful Creatures…haven’t had a whole lot of time to read lately.

On my TV: WGN Midday News…the kids are napping and Mom is enjoying watching the weather forecast without kids yelling to watch a kid show.

On the menu for this week:
Monday – Homemade Pizza – didn’t get made last week
Tuesday – Breakfast for Dinner
Wednesday – Tomato soup and Artisan Bread
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Something Meatless
Saturday – Crockpot meal
Sunday –Crock pot meal

On my to do list: Laundry, Baking, Cleaning

My "projects" for the week: Finish cleaning the house and taking pictures. Get baby shower & custom baby gifts done. Work on the twins baptism outfits.
What I am cooking: Nothing right now. Pizza tonight though!

Looking around the house: I need to do a quick clean up, but I am currently enjoying the peace and quiet.

Highlight of the past weekend: Spending some quality time with my little family and going grocery shopping by myself!

Looking forward to this week: Starting my 28 Days to Great barre workout. I need something that won’t screw up my back any more than it already is, I am hoping that this is the solution.

Bible verse, Devotional: “Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” – Galatians 6:4

From the camera: Enjoying my tea and shamrock cookies the kids and I made this weekend.

Happy Homemaker Monday! {3/11/13}

2013-03-11T21:59:00.001-05:00

Boy it was a busy week last week. We were blessed with two snow days. It was nice not having to go anywhere and spending some time with the kids. Did a lot of serious cleaning and we try and figure out our home selling/moving plan of attack. Lucas had Dr. Seuss week and did lots of fun things at school with that. I wish we had that when I was in school. I love Dr. Seuss!

The weather: It was warm this morning, but it dropped off quite a bit this afternoon. Over all it was a dreary kind of day and it looks like most of the week is going to be like that as well.

On my reading pile: 1-2-3 Magic and Beautiful Creatures…haven’t had a whole lot of time to read lately.

On my TV: Currently the History Channel’s The Men who built America. (The hubs pick not mine….I was hoping to watch the rest of my recorded Hart of Dixie…I got laughed at. )

On the menu for this week:
Monday – Pasta e’ Fagoli and Amish Bread
Tuesday – Left Overs
Wednesday – Homemade Pizza

Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Hopefully the Sushi I’ve been promised…didn’t end up getting it last Friday
Saturday – Crockpot meal
Sunday –we are going to see where the week goes…probably leftovers

On my to do list: Laundry, Baking, Cleaning, Working on custom orders from the shop, and planning some new items.

My "projects" for the week: Finish cleaning the house and taking pictures. Custom orders, and getting gifts ready for the many family members having babies this spring.

What I am cooking: Made pasta e fagoli for dinner. I really need to modify the recipe so there is more liquid in it. Otherwise it was pretty good.

Looking around the house: Things are surprisingly pretty clean besides the kitchen, that at this point is going to wait until morning.

Highlight of the past weekend: Coming in 3rd at the trivia competition, celebrating the up-coming arrival of my new niece or nephew, and spending some wonderful time with my family!

Looking forward to this week: Getting things accomplished. And hearing about Lucas’s week as he is now going full day.

Bible verse, Devotional: “Give me neither poverty nor riches- feed me with the food allotted to me.” – Proverbs 30:8

From the camera: Enjoying the snow and building some snowmen.

Shop sale #1

2013-03-05T12:53:00.001-06:00

I am having my first sale today in honor of this March Snow Day! Go over to my etsy shop and check it out!

Happy Homemaker Monday!

2013-03-04T09:20:00.001-06:00

I am ‘stealing’ this Monday segment from my friend Julie over at Diary of a Homemaker. You should check her blog out. She has a lot of wonderful recipes and ways to save a little money.

The weather: Apparently we are in for a snow storm tomorrow. I obviously have not watched the weather this weekend…so I have no idea what’s going on. Currently the sun is shining and and it’s 25 degrees – A chilly and pretty morning.

On my reading pile: 1-2-3 Magic and Beautiful Creatures.

On my TV: Nothing….its Lent and we’ve been trying to keep the TV off during the day. (except for watching the news at Noon)

On the menu for this week:::
Monday – Leftovers
Tuesday – Potato Soup
Wednesday – Avocado Chicken and Rice
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Hopefully the Sushi I’ve been promised…
Saturday – Crockpot meal
Sunday –Dinner at Nana & Papa’s

On my to do list: Laundry, Baking, Cleaning, Phone calls, Sewing

My "projects" for the week: Finish cleaning the house and taking pictures. Finishing up my Brother & Sister-in-Laws baby gifts. Listing more things on the ETSY shop.

What I am cooking: I am making Amish Bread and Blueberry Muffins today.

Looking around the house: Things are surprisingly pretty clean from a busy but lazy weekend.

Highlight of the past weekend: Watching the kids have fun playing on the Wii with Daddy (and beating daddy in bowling). And getting to go on a lunch date with my Hubby!

Looking forward to this week: Making some decisions on schools for Lucas and getting an idea of our moving plan of attack.

Bible verse, Devotional: “Speak evil of no one,…be peaceable, gentle, showing humility to all men.” – Titus 3:2

From the camera: My loves! They make me so happy!

DIY St. Patrick’s Day Banner

2013-03-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

With St. Patty’s Day right around the corner, I thought I would share a quick project to help you all get in the Irish mood. How about a nice little Shamrock Banner?! It’s quick & easy and no sewing to boot (well maybe a little). We all need a little project like this every once in a while.

Materials

Heavy Duty/No Sew Heat N’ Bond
Buttons
Dark green fabric
Light Green Fabric Scraps
Cream Colored Fabric
Ribbon
Iron
Scissors
Needle and Tread
Flag and Shamrock Pattern

Gather your materials

Cut out your flag template and trace the number of flags needed, I did seven, on to the heat n’ bond.

Iron heat n’ bond flags to wrong side of the cream fabric following the directions on the package.

Cut out top portion of flags, peel off paper backing and iron on to second piece of fabric. Cut out very close to the to the pieces that were just ironed on. You now have seven flags.

Trace seven of the outer shamrock and seven of the inner shamrock on to the heat n’ bond. I found it easier to cut out the group of inner and outer and iron on the corresponding fabric before cutting out the shamrocks.

Position on the shamrock in the middle of the flag. Make sure you like the placement before ironing down. Continue for the remaining flags.

Using a small hole punch, gently punch a hole on either top side of the flag.

Add your button embellishments. I used a thicker piece of crochet thread and tied a knot on the back to keep the button on. You could also just hot glue them if you would like.

Using a 2-4” pieces of ribbon, tie flag pieces together. On then flags cut a longer piece and make a loop for hanging.

Hang up, display and enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading! And Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Sunday Dinner:: Pretzel Rolls & Italian Beef

2013-02-25T11:14:00.001-06:00

So I have been craving Italian Beef for a few months now. It's quite possibly one of my favorite meals. We just received our meat shipment for the year and I now have roasts to work with. (Those are usually the first thing I run out of.) Making the pretzel rolls was a fun little baking project that came from me forgetting to get hoagie rolls at the store this weekend and we were too lazy to run back to just get bread. So here we go with the recipes for all of you who asked.

Italian Beef

(This is my mother’s recipe that I have tweaked slightly..she does it in the oven, I do mine in the crock pot.)

1 packet of Italian Seasoning Dressing Mix (I like the zesty kind)

1 jar of your favorite brand of Pepperoncinis

1- 5-8 lb chuck roast

water

Crock pot recipe: Place roast (mine is usually frozen) in a 5-7 quart crock pot. Sprinkle both packets of Italian seasoning dressing mix on top of the roast. Dump both jars of pepperocinis and juice on top. Fill both jars with water (about 2 cups) and add to crock. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours or all day (~10-12 hours) on LOW. ((If your roast is thawed you might have to adjust your times)) Allow to cool, before letting sit in the fridge over night. This allows for the meat to soak in more of the favors and the fat to rise to the top for you to skim off. Take the meat and cut or shred it as desired, taking out any bones and fatty pieces. Warm up and enjoy!

Oven recipe: Place roast, seasonings and peppers in roast pan. Add water until roast is half way covered. Cook at 350-400 F until medium rare (~140F). Take out and cool. Slice for sandwiches, adding meat back to the juices. Times will vary depending on if using a frozen or thawed roast.

I usually try and do this all the day before. But by all means you can eat it that day as well. Also, this is the original recipe from my mother….I actually usually use 2 packets of Italian seasoning and 2 jars of peppers. But I like it to have a little more zest/spice than most and I love the peppers. To keep the peace so my husband and I don’t fight over who gets them, I just add more.

Pretzel Rolls

(adapted from a Food Network recipe) make 8 larger rolls

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 packet active dry yeast
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small cloves garlic, grated
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting or if it won’t come off the wall of the mixer
1/2 cup baking soda
Pretzel salt or coarse ground sea salt, for sprinkling (I used kosher salt)

Directions
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar and honey to 105 to 110 degrees F (about 1 min 15 sec). Add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the water mixture and wait for at least 10 to 15 minutes until the yeast blooms.

In saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and garlic and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the flour to the bowl with the blooming yeast, and then add in the melted butter and garlic mixture. Mix on medium speed until the dough has come together and is smooth and elastic in texture and pulling away from the sides of the bowl, 5 to 7 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and form into a ball. Cut into 4 equal pieces, and then cut those in half to form 8 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a dish cloth and let them rest in a warm place for 12 to 15 minutes. (again not on the stove)

Once rested, lightly dust your work surface again and roll the balls into a long bun about the size of your palm. Place onto the other prepared baking sheet, cover, place back in the warm spot and let rest for an additional 30 minutes. (Do not put them on the oven while getting the water ready and pre-heating the oven, they will deflate when you move them…I found out the hard way.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place one oven rack high and one low. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil, and then add the baking soda. In batches, place the dough in the water and cook for 30 seconds on each side.
Using a slotted spatula, remove the rolls and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the rolls with pretzel salt as they come out of the water, to ensure the salt sticks. Then cut 3 diagonal slits on top of the bread, not too deep.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, rotating between the top and bottom racks of the oven halfway through the cooking.

This makes 8 larger rolls. You probably could get 16 nice sized buns if you really wanted them a little smaller.

Enjoy!

Our Nursery Reveal...finally!

2013-01-17T20:58:00.002-06:00

So do you remember when I talked about what I had planned for the twin's nursery? If not, you can read about that here. Well four months later I have finally finished both sets of bedding. Last weekend was spent getting the other crib put together and getting the girls accustomed to their new room in separate beds. You have to bare with me though, the room is not fully decorated yet. It's kinda hard to get motivated when there is a possibility of moving in the near future. I will have it all pretty at some point though. But for now here is the big reveal on the bedding I worked on all summer.

Audrey' Bed with the white and gray polka dot sheets.

Anna's Bed with the red polka dot sheets.

The swaddle blankets...obviously the pink and red ones are the only ones being used currently.

I love polka dots!!!!

My Diaper Bag!! A slightly modified version of the Amy Butler Cosmo Bag.

Seriously the best diaper bag...ever. Fits everything I need plus some.

The burp cloths that match the blankets. Pretty and practical.

Possibly my most favorite burp cloths I've made. I re-purposed some flannel receiving blankets and backed them with some white flannel and serged them together. Just the perfect size and works great for cleaning those little messes.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing what I made for our girls. I had fun making everything and I love how it all turned out.

New 2013 Additions!

2013-01-15T15:17:00.001-06:00

I've been working hard to get more things ready to list in my ETSY Shop. I have made lots of blankets here in the last few days. And I am working on getting some Bibs and Diaper Bags/Purses made to list soon as well. These are the newest listings from today. :)

Go on over to the AddyLou Shop and see what else I have added! Is there something that you would like to see me add to my shop? Leave me a note and I'll see what I can do. :)