Sweet Peas and Bumblebees

Closing Blog

2012-01-07T08:15:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! We just wanted to let you all know that we are closing our blog. With our busy families & work, we just can’t keep up with our blog anymore. Thank you so much for being AMAZING followers & readers, we will miss you!

Alisa & Briana

{{What I Made Wednesday}} #40

2011-12-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

I hope you’re all enjoying your holiday season and you’re finding time to enjoy time with your loved ones, eat great food, and relax!

Here are some of the favorites from last week’s {{What I Made Wednesday}}:

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

2011-12-24T09:47:00.001-08:00

This sugar cookie recipe is an absolute favorite at our house! It is simple to make and tastes delicious!

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C. butter
1 C. vegetable oil
1 C. white sugar
1 C. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt

Cream together butter, oil, sugar, and powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs (on at a time) and then stir in vanilla.
Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture until blended. Cover and chill dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Roll dough into balls and roll into sugar. Press ball with the open end of a plastic thread spool. Dip the spool into sugar each time to prevent sticking.
Bake for 8 – 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Do not over bake!

What I Made Wednesday

2011-12-21T04:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to all those who linked up last week!!

Now onto the favorites…

The Most Viewed Link-up

The Sewing Loft did a how-to on a cookie swap! They created some sweet treats & even shared a recipe for the cute green eggs & ham! She was the most clicked on link and wins FREE advertising on our blog….check it out on the upper right hand side! Congrats!

Our Favorites

Babblings and More showed off their fabulous Christmas craft for kiddos…and it was edible too! Love it!

I am loving these powdered sugar stenciled cookies! I NEED to make some of these!! Great job Burton Avenue!

Isn’t this rolled paper Christmas tree great??? And so easy too!! Adventures of a DIY Mom was inspired!

Now onto this week’s party…

Here are the details:

**NEW** You must be a follower of our blog.
Everything you link up must be made by you.
Link up to your specific post - not your main blog. (Please no Etsy shops or giveaways)
Please post our button or link back to our blog so more people can join in the fun.

Visit at least 2 of the other participants and leave them a comment to show your LOVE! We all love getting comments!!
**NEW** At the end of the week, the project that has received the most views will get their blog button on our sidebar for the next week! You will be our {{Wednesday Winner}}!! Yeah for free advertising! (:

Also, if you’ve been featured, don’t forget to grab our button!

Christmas Magic Sign

2011-12-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

With Christmas quickly approaching, I’m glad I can say that I am FINALLY finished with my Christmas Magic sign. This project was super simple to make and looks amazing in our living room! Although, next year I’m going to start crafting in November so that my new crafts can be enjoyed for a little bit longer! :) Anyone else feel like the holidays have snuck up on them this year?!

Want to make your own?

Materials Needed:

1/2” plywood cut into a 19” square
Beadboard cut into a 11” square
Black acrylic paint
Wood glue
Painbrush
Ribbon
Metal scroll
Wreath
White ornament
White vinyl
Mod Podge (optional)

After your wood has been cut to the correct dimensions, sand all of the edges so that they are smooth and slightly rounded.

Using a black acrylic paint, paint the front and edges of both the plywood and beadboard. {I like to use a foam paintbrush because it is easy to use and they can be used for both the paint and Mod Podge part of this project.}

After the paint has dried completely, sand the edges down to get a distressed look. Now, using wood glue, center the beadboard to the center of the plywood. Let it dry completely.

Using a vinyl cutter, cut out the saying for the top and bottom of the project using white vinyl. Weed the vinyl and adhere it to the wood.

To ensure that your vinyl does not come off, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge over all of the wooden surface. Let it dry completely.

Using a few dots of hot glue, attach your wreath to the center of the beadoard. And now for the fun part…

GLITTER SPRAY! =) Love this stuff! Spray an even coat over the entire project. {And this stuff needs to be sprayed in a well ventilated area….I learned that the hard way! :) }

Now for the last step…drill holes at the top of your project to attach your metal scroll {which I found at my sister’s local craft store}. Using red and black ribbon, attach the scroll to the top of the project. Wa-La! Cute sign, ready to go! :)

I LOVE decorating for the holidays! I have a few more quick projects to post in the next week so stay tuned! =)

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

2011-12-16T09:32:00.001-08:00

I have been having requests for this recipes lately….so I decided to share this yumminess with you! I made this combining several different recipes & turning it into a crockpot recipe & IT IS DIVINE!!! It tastes so much like lasagna without the work & hassle of the real thing! I am pretty sure you will see this soup on my menu frequently!

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground hamburger
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbs brown sugar, firmly packed
4 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pan, combine hamburger, onion & garlic. Cook until hamburger is browned & cooked through. Drain well.

Add to crockpot: Hamburger mixture, thyme, brown sugar, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Cook on High for 4-6 hours. 20 minutes before you are ready to eat, add broken lasagna noodles, cover & cook until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Serve & Enjoy!

Optional:

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soup until cheese is browned and bubbly. Server & Enjoy!!

Teacher Gift

2011-12-15T18:57:00.001-08:00

This is the first year that I’ve had to think about a teacher gift. And, because I procrastinate, I’m just now getting my little guy’s gift for his preschool teacher put together. So, I was on the lookout for a simple yet cute idea, when I stumbled upon this perfect idea from lisa storms…

Cute idea, right?!?! So, we went shopping for our own version and found a great sale on these cute insulated cups…

So, crisis adverted….we found a cute gift just in the nick of time! =) Thank good for Pinterest and other amazing bloggers!

Ipad for $43.00

2011-12-15T15:20:00.001-08:00

Awhile ago I stumbled up an AMAZING website for great deals! Year around they have fantastic prices on great products! However, during Christmas, their deals are even SWEETER!!!

They just had an….

Ipads that sold for $43.00
Bravia 52” HDTVs for $59.96

Just today….Nikon coolpix cameras for $6.00

I am completely Blown Away by how great their deals are!

Click on the link below & don’t forget to sign up so you don’t miss out on these HOT deals!!!!!

No More Rack

Visiting Teaching Gift {towel & coasters}

2011-12-15T05:55:00.001-08:00

I have been on the lookout for some great gifts to give the sisters I visit teach! When I came upon a tutorial for a stay-put kitchen towel, I knew it would be perfect. Tutorial here. I decided to use a Christmas towel that I found…which would be perfect for this time of year!

I wanted to add a little more to this gift…so I made some tile coasters. They turned out adorable!

I folded the towel, added the coasters on top, with a bottle of Bath & Body Works soap, a beautiful Visiting Teaching message I found here, and tied it up with some Christmas ribbon! I hope they enjoy their Christmas gift!

{{What I Made Wednesday}} #38

2011-12-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of the week again….time for us to share some of your amazing projects AND time for you to show us what you’ve been up to. You are all amazing! =)

Our weekly favorites…

These Chocolate Peppermint Grahams from Shugary Sweets look amazingly delicious! And what’s even better?! They are SUPER easy to make….I think we’ll be making these for my little guy’s Christmas program tomorrow! Also, be sure to check out all of the other amazing recipes from Shugary Sweets….her blog button is on our sidebar since she had the most viewed link of the week!

This quick and easy Christmas Charger from Burton Avenue is amazing! I love the contrast of the bright red and the green tree in the middle! I actually just bought this same charger from Wal-Mart for $1 last week…I think this is my next holiday project. Thanks so much for the inspiration…it turned out beautiful!!

These glass Christmas trees from Alderberry Hill turned out amazing! They are incredibly creative and yet such an easy project to complete with this simple tutorial!

I have been eyeing all of the yarn wreaths on Pinterest lately! They are such a creative twist on the traditional wreath. So, this wreath from Not 2 Shabby Crafts really caught my eye in this week’s link-ups. I love the untraditional color scheme….how fun!

Ready to link up your latest and greatest?

Here are the rules…

You must be a follower of our blog.
Everything you link up must be made by you.
Link up to your specific post - not your main blog. (Please no Etsy shops or giveaways)
Please post our button or link back to our blog so more people can join in the fun.

Visit at least 2 of the other participants and leave them a comment to show your LOVE! We all love getting comments!!
At the end of the week, the project that has received the most views will get their blog button on our sidebar for the next week! You will be our {{Wednesday Winner}}!! Yeah for free advertising! (:

Also, if you’ve been featured, don’t forget to grab our button!

Classroom Series: Mummy Door

2011-12-13T17:28:00.001-08:00

Any of you fellow elementary teachers out there know how time consuming our jobs can be. That being said, I haven’t had much time for crafting lately (although I do have a few fun projects that I’m getting ready to post)! In fact, my only computer time lately has been entering grades on the computer….and pinning a few pins on Pinterest! =) So, that is why I’ve been a little absent lately in the blogging world AND why I’m just now posting about my Halloween themed door! =) You don’t mind, right??!?! =)

So, since my 28 students have been occupying most of my free time, I thought I would start to show you some fun activities we’ve been working on in third grade. A lot of the activities would be very easy to do at home with your own kiddos!

Here is the start of my “Classroom Series” where I’ll feature some fun activities used in my classroom…

This door went along with our Red Ribbon Week in October, but would be super simple to use for the Halloween season. My students LOVED this door and it was super easy to make.

Orange paper covered the entire door. Then, strips of cream construction paper were used to create the mummy effect. The font is my all time favorite, Love Ya Like A Sister. I use that font for seriously everything! =)

Menu Monday

2011-12-12T10:44:00.001-08:00

Monday~ Mashed Potato Bowls

Tuesday~ Crockpot Lasagna Soup {{Recipe coming very soon}}

Wednesday~ Soft Shell Tacos

Thursday~ Omelets, Cinnamon Rolls

Friday~ Stuffed Pizza Rolls, Salad

Saturday~ Grilled Hot Dogs, Potato Salad

Sunday~ Roast, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Salad

What I Made Wednesday

2011-12-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

Thank you so much to all those who linked up last week!!

Now onto the favorites…

The Most Viewed Link-up

Whole New Mom posted a story on how her son almost died from a mercury filling. Sad! She was the most clicked on link and wins FREE advertising on our blog….check it out on the upper right hand side! Congrats!

Our Favorites

The Sewing Loft made these adorable mini tree ornaments….wouldn’t these be great on the top of your packages this year?

This crate laptop desk is one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time! It even has a pocket on the side. Life on Walnut Street created this masterpiece….love it!!!

Remember my love of advent calendars? Mushki Loves created this super cute advent calendar. It might just be on my list for next year!

Now onto this week’s party…

Here are the details:

**NEW** You must be a follower of our blog.
Everything you link up must be made by you.
Link up to your specific post - not your main blog. (Please no Etsy shops or giveaways)
Please post our button or link back to our blog so more people can join in the fun.

Visit at least 2 of the other participants and leave them a comment to show your LOVE! We all love getting comments!!
**NEW** At the end of the week, the project that has received the most views will get their blog button on our sidebar for the next week! You will be our {{Wednesday Winner}}!! Yeah for free advertising! (:

Also, if you’ve been featured, don’t forget to grab our button!

Menu Monday

2011-12-05T07:04:00.001-08:00

Monday~ Hawaiian Haystacks

Tuesday~ Cheese & Egg Casserole, Toast

Wednesday~ Spaghetti & Meatballs, Green Beans

Thursday~ Cheezy Tuna & Rice Muffinettes, Peas

Friday~ Pizza, Salad

Saturday~ Beef Stew, Rolls

Sunday~ Roast, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn

Christmas Book Advent

2011-12-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

My children are still little….and in our home, we LOVE reading books! This has been our Christmas tradition since we have had children old enough to un-wrap presents!

Each year, I wrap 25 Christmas books, number them and put them in a basket! Then, every night until Christmas, we pick a book, unwrap it and read a Christmas story! My children absolutely LOVE this tradition! I hope it is a tradition that they will carry with them and use when they have their own children.

Here are the books that we will be reading this year:

Merry Christmas, Curious George

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Mortimer’s Christmas Manger

Here Comes Santa Claus

Polar Express

Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Room For a Little One

Up on the Housetop

The Night Before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas

Tyrannocaus

The Christmas Humbugs

God Gave Us Christmas

That’s Not My Reindeer

Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Christmas

Christmas

That’s Not My Snowman

Merry Christmas, Splat

Merry Christmas Ollie

Bear Stays Up For Christmas

The Christmas Story

It’s Christmas, David!

A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas

Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas

Some of these books I own, and some of them I have borrowed from our local library!

What books are you reading for Christmas? Do you have any recommendations for next year?

Santa Advent Calendar

2011-12-02T08:44:00.001-08:00

I wanted to make a felt advent calendar this year…but of course ran out of time! This is the story of my life….too much to do & not enough time to do it all in! I knew that I wanted to make some sort of advent calendar & with not much time, I knew this was the one, when I stumbled upon it on Pinterest! I found the idea here! I remember doing advent calendars growing up….and I loved them! I want to pass this tradition on to my children!

Isn’t he so cute? Each night, we will glue a cotton ball onto Santa’s beard! This morning, my daughter is still talking about how Santa will be here when we make his beard. I love how excited they get about Christmas!

It is not too late to make this easy & adorable advent calendar for your family!

{{What I Made Wednesday}} #36

2011-11-30T03:30:00.000-08:00

As always, thank you for taking the time to link up your latest creations!

Last week’s favorites…

Menu Monday

2011-11-28T12:44:00.001-08:00

Monday~ Roast, Carrots & Potatoes, Rolls

Tuesday~ Turkey Tetrazzini, Salad

Wednesday~ Tuna Cakes, Couscous, Green Beans

Thursday~ BLT’s, Tater tots

Friday~ Stuffed Pizza Rolls, Salad

Saturday~ Soup, Rolls

Sunday~ French Dip Sandwiches, Parmesan Fries

What I Made Wednesday #36

2011-11-23T04:30:00.000-08:00

5Thank you so much to all those who linked up last week!!

Now onto the favorites…

The Most Viewed Link-up

Ever wonder how people make all the super cool subway art you see everywhere? Well, don’t look any further…Decorating Cents has a great tutorial on how to make your very own! I LOVE the one she created as well!!! She was the most clicked on link and wins FREE advertising on our blog….check it out on the upper left hand side! Congrats!

Our Favorites

Ginger Snap Crafts created this lovely laundry room sign! She even made it out of an old cupboard door….she is one crafty lady!!

Isn’t this absolutely ADORABLE??? It would look darling on a crib or a bed…..who would have thought that a tulle bed skirt would be so great? I LOVE IT!! Great job Babblings and More!

This no-sew Christmas tree skirt would be perfect under any tree! Randee’s Organized Chaos did such a great job & even shared her tutorial on how to make one for your Christmas tree this year!

Keep It Simple made the cutest little birthday shirt….with a great tutorial on how to make your own! I am loving the colors!

Now onto this week’s party…

Here are the details:

**NEW** You must be a follower of our blog.
Everything you link up must be made by you.
Link up to your specific post - not your main blog. (Please no Etsy shops or giveaways)
Please post our button or link back to our blog so more people can join in the fun.

Visit at least 2 of the other participants and leave them a comment to show your LOVE! We all love getting comments!!
**NEW** At the end of the week, the project that has received the most views will get their blog button on our sidebar for the next week! You will be our {{Wednesday Winner}}!! Yeah for free advertising! (:

Also, if you’ve been featured, don’t forget to grab our button!

Shabby Apple Winner

2011-11-22T19:20:00.001-08:00

It’s time to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway! This winner will win this amazing Bali Ha’I’ Dress!

Thank you so much Shabby Apple for this wonderful giveaway for our Sweet Peas and Bumblebees followers!

Now on to what you’ve been waiting for…

The winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is…

Congratulations! I’m emailing you now!

Menu Monday

2011-11-21T04:35:00.000-08:00

Monday~ Soup, Quesadillas

Tuesday~ White Chicken Chile Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

Wednesday~ Sandwiches, Chips

Thursday~ Thanksgiving Dinner {{Happy Thanksgiving}}

Friday~ Hamburgers, Tater Tots

Saturday~ Eat Out

Sunday~ Tuna Cakes, Parmesan Fries, Salad

Shabby Apple {{Giveaway}}

2011-11-16T17:54:00.001-08:00

**This giveaway is now closed!**
Today’s giveaway comes from the amazing Shabby Apple….how exciting! Shabby Apple is an online boutique of women’s dresses, but also offers a wide variety of apparel, jewelry, crafts, and more! They have so many gorgeous items that it was almost impossible for me to pick my favorite dress to give away to one of you…..but, I had to pick!

Here are some of my favorites (since I had to pick :) )

As you can see, Shabby Apple has so many great dresses! If you haven’t check out their site, you’ll definitely want to check out everything they have to offer!

Now for the giveaway:

One super lucky reader will win this gorgeous dress with a beautiful ruffled neck…I absolutely adore this dress!

LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! And, it could be yours! ;)

How to Enter:

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

*~* You must be a Sweet Peas and Bumblebees follower to enter *~*

“Like” Shabby Apple on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you are a fan. .

Optional Entries:

Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway {1 entry for each that you do.}

Giveaway will end November 22nd, 2011. One winner will be randomly selected and notified on November 23rd, 2011.

The fine print: Please make sure that you leave a way for us to contact you or we won't be able to get this amazing prize to you. Winners who we are unable to contact and who don't respond within 48 hours of being sent their winning email notification will forfeit their prize and we will draw another name. Also, there will be no exchanges for the winning piece of jewelry.

{{What I Made Wednesday}} #34

2011-11-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

We always talk about how time flies…well, I can’t believe we’ve been hosting this linky party for 34 weeks…that’s almost 8 months! We thoroughly enjoy spending our Wednesdays with you all and LOVE checking out your latest projects and recipes. Time flies when you’re having fun! =)

Now onto the favorites…

Menu Monday

2011-11-14T09:03:00.001-08:00

Monday~ Buttermilk Waffles, Fruit Salad

Tuesday~ Steak Salad

Wednesday~ Chicken Tortilla Soup, Quesadillas

Thursday~ Lasagna Rolls, Green Beans

Friday~ Stuffed Pizza Rolls, Salad

Saturday~ Dinner Party

Sunday~ Roast, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Carrots

How To Bake Real Cookies In Your Play Kitchen

2011-11-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

As a little girl, one of my most memorable moments was cooking with my mom & my sister. We had a play kitchen (a must for every little girl) and my sister and I would play for hours and hours in our little kitchen! However, the times that I remember the most are when my mom would help us whip up a batch of Chocolate No-Bake Cookies and bake them in our very own play oven. Of course, I didn’t know they were “No-Bake” cookies, I thought “MY” oven baked them until they were done!

I decided to carry on the tradition with my daughter and let her make her very own REAL cookies in her play kitchen! She helped me mix up the cookies in my kitchen and then we placed them on a play cookie sheet. She put them in the play oven and set the timer. When they were done {after bath time} she took them out with her hot pad & used her play spatula to put them on plates for everyone! She couldn’t stop smiling! I then let her serve the cookies to mom, dad, brother and herself! I am pretty sure she thought this was the most fun thing she had ever done! I am so glad that I took the time to help my little girl make her very own cookies!

Want to help your little one makes these in their play kitchen?

Of course I have included the recipe! (:

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
6 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together and boil for 1 minute.

Have ready in a bowl:

3 cups quick oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.