Hautala Couture

Chocolate Lasagna

2015-06-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

Prep: 20mn

Total: 1hr 20mn

Cook: N/A

INGREDIENTS

1 package regular Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies
6 Tablespoon butter, melted
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
3 1/4 cups cold milk
1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the crust.
In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

I was unable to find the original source to credit, if you know, please let me know in comments.

100 Summer Boredom Ideas!

2015-06-23T09:48:00.003-07:00

This is a fabulous list from The Girl Creative!

1. Go geocaching! It’s fun and free. Find geocaches in your area online. My fave site is here.

2. Play hide-n-seek. It’s always a favorite! And if mom hides well, she may or may not enjoy 5 minutes of sitting down. lol

3. Go swimming.

4. Play in the sprinklers.

5. Picnic in your backyard or at the park.

6. Park Week ~ visit a new park each day for a week.

7. Play at your local school’s playground. We usually have the place to ourselves and it’s so much easier to keep an eye on my shorties when there aren’t 100 other shorties running around!

8. Play ball! Dodge ball, tether ball, baseball, football, basketball, catch, tennis, racquetball, and more!

9. Go for a bike ride.

10. Take a hike or go for a walk.

11. Create a masterpiece using sidewalk chalk.

12. Make lawn art! Using a stencil and flour, you can decorate your lawn like this.

13. Plant something. A plant, a tree, seeds, or a time capsule.

14. Have a bike wash! A bucket of water with some soap, a sponge or wash cloth, a hose, and a bike makes for a fun time!

15. Play Frisbee.

16. Set up an obstacle course. My shorties love this! We take a tote of items found in our garage (balls, Frisbees, jump ropes, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, pool noodles, water balloons, bikes, and more) and create a fun obstacle course. They love running around, jumping over and tossing things, blowing bubbles, throwing water balloons, and the course can be changed up to keep it fresh and fun! And if it burns off some of their energy and helps them nap or sleep well at night, well, I’m all about that!

17. Go to the splash pad or spray ground. Our city has several available and they’re all fun and free! I found a list of ours on our City’s parks and recreation website.

18. Feed ducks and geese.

19. Do a bonfire. We have a fire pit and love to build a small fire in it when weather permits. It’s fun to do s’mores!

20. Build a fort. My shorties LOVE this! A few lawn chairs, rope, sheets, blankets, tablecloths, and clothespins is all it takes. This one keeps my little ones occupied for quite a while! It’s fun to watch their creativity at work!

21. Host a lemonade stand. And by lemonade, I mean lemonade, soda, cupcake, vegetable, fruit, or whatever kinda stand your shorties wanna host. Have a few too many cucumbers growing in your garden? Cucumber stand! This is especially effective if the stand is held during your neighborhood’s garage sale weekend.

22. Catch fireflies. Or butterflies.

23. Watch fireworks. Our local baseball team regularly has fireworks after games. We love parking near the stadium on those nights and enjoying the display!

24. Have fun with water balloons.

25. Enjoy story time in the hammock. Or on a blanket in the shade. Or on the deck. Or a park bench. It’s extra fun because it’s out of the ordinary.

26. Paint! Whether it’s with craft paint, finger paints, watercolor, frosting, or shaving cream, use what you have and have fun with it!

27. Play photographer. My shorties LOVE taking photos and making videos. It’s fun to see things from their point of view.

28. Play board games. It’s fun to set one up on a blanket in a shady spot.

29. Make homemade pizzas. This is always a favorite and it’s more fun and much cheaper than going out for pizza.

30. Camp in the living room. Oh my shorties LOVE this! I love to move their mattresses into our living room and bust out a few flashlights.

31. Go to the library. We love checking out books and libraries offer lots of fun activities for shorties. Check your local libraries for events calendars.

32. Roller skate, roller blade, and/or skateboard.

33. Write notes to friends and family. It’s fun to draw, color, and write notes to loved ones. A few note cards or sheets of paper, crayons, colored pencils, and markers makes for a fun afternoon.

34. Make ice cream in a bag. Just a few ingredients and a few minutes to make a delicious frozen treat. Here’s our fave recipe.

35. Bake cookies. Or brownies. Or cupcakes. Sharing with a friend or neighbor is always fun too.

36. Host a play date. My shorties love having their friends over to play.

37. Veterinarian Day ~ my shorties loved this one! I placed all of their stuffed animals on chairs and the sofa in our living room. I added a few sheets of paper on a clipboard, created x-rays with white crayon on black construction paper, and placed a few of their toys (doctor set, bowls from their play kitchen, a stethoscope, a few strips of fabric for bandages) on the coffee table. Their imaginations handled the rest!

38. Play ahh at the spa! Set up a chair in the bathroom and have fun with a mini pedicure, hairstyle, and manicure.

39. Have a build-off. Whether your little one is into Legos, blocks, K’Nex, Trio, Lincoln Logs, etc, have a build-off. Challenge each other to use the most pieces, make the biggest or longest creation, make an animal, create a specific shape, use all one color or one of every color, etc.

40. Leaf rubbings are fun. Have shorties collect a few leaves, lay a sheet of paper on top, and use the side of a crayon to rub the leaf. We like to cut them out and tape them around our mantel.

41. Visit a museum. Many museums have discounted days and sometimes admission is free for residents.

42. Stargaze.

43. Play I-Spy while on a walk.

44. Play Frisbee golf. A park near us has a free Frisbee golf course.

45. Play school. Lots of fun worksheets can be found online and is a great way to continue learning during the summer.

46. Make s’mores.

47. Attend a kids workshop at Lowe’s and/or Home Depot. Visit their websites for details on fun (and free) workshops for kids.

48. Make popsicles.

49. Go to a local pet store or humane society and give some animals your love and attention.

50. Fly a kite.

51. Go fishing.

52. Make bird feeders. Lots of fun and easy ideas. One of our faves is coating an empty toilet paper roll with peanut butter and bird seed. Tie to a tree and voila!

53. Play hopscotch.

54. Have fun with bubbles. See who can blow the biggest, the most, or the smallest.

55. Attend a free concert at your park.

56. Go to your local airport and watch the planes take off and land.

57. Go to a parade.

58. Make pet rocks. Collect a few rocks, decorate with craft pain, add googly or painted eyes, and name your new pet. Easy to care for too!

59. Invite a couple friends over for a sundae bar. Some ice cream, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and candy toppings makes for a super fun sundae bar. Score major parent points with this one!

60. Have a puppet show. Or magic show. Or talent show. Often just make a suggestion to your little ones is all it takes for their imaginations to soar!

61. Have a family movie night. In the living room. In the bedroom. In the backyard. On the deck.

62. Go to the movies. Some movie theaters offer FREE or very discounted movies during the summer. Check your local theaters.

63. Go bowling. Some bowling alleys offer FREE bowling during the summer. Check your local bowling alley.

64. Waterpalooza ~ set up water balloons, water sprayers, cups, water bottles, the hose, a sprinkler, a pool, and water toys for a fun time!

65. Tub time ~ waterpalooza can be adapted to work in the bathtub too!

66. Visit a farmer’s market.

67. Make a wind chime. Think recycled/up-cycled items such as old silverware, toys, seashells, driftwood, and more.

68. Craftapalooza ~ set up a variety of craft items such as stickers, paper, pipe cleaners, ribbon, pasta, fabric scraps, and more, and let your shorties craft to their heart’s content!

68. Make a collage. Use pictures clipped from magazines. Challenge your shorties by suggesting a collage theme ~ yellow, a rainbow of colors, foods, big/little things, words, items that begin with a certain letter, etc.

69. Attend a kids craft workshop at your local craft store. Check websites for stores such as Michael’s, JoAnn, and Hobby Lobby.

70. Make a time capsule and “plant” it in your yard.

71. Wash the car. Shorties LOVE helping and playing in water.

72. Read books together. Especially fun when it’s on the patio, on the deck, on the boat, at the park, in the hammock, or in a fort.

73. Make lemonade. Or ice tea.

74. Play dress up. Or superhero.

75. Join a summer reading program. Check your local library and/or bookstore.

76. Invite the neighbor kids to play Red Rover. Or freeze tag. Or hide-n-seek. Or Simon Says.

77. Go to a festival. Check your local listings for details. Many cities have festivals which offer fun for the entire family.

78. Cook a meal together as a family.

79. Play at your local fast food restaurant’s play area ~ perfect when it’s rainy or too hot/cold outside!

80. Plant a garden. Whether it’s in the backyard or a little container in your windowsill, planting something and watching it grow is a fun experience for shorties.

81. Visit a national park. Many offer free days each year.

82. Visit a local nature center. Many offer free or low-cost activities for shorties and families.

83. Be the good. Do a good deed and make the world a better place. Whether it’s picking some flowers from your yard and delivering them to a local nursing home, offering to walk a friend’s dog while they are out of town, picking weeds in an elderly neighbor’s yard, paying for the person’s order behind you, or volunteering, this is a good experience for all involved.

84. Visit your local fire station. Taking a treat for the firefighters is a sweet idea too.

85. Make mud pies. Real ones. With dirt. And grass. And rocks. And sticks.

86. Make leaf prints. Place a leaf under a piece of muslin and use a rubber mallet to pound the leaf gently until the color begins to show on the muslin.

87. Have a dance party.

88. Pick wild flowers.

89. Play in the sand. Whether it’s at the beach, at the park, or in your backyard or kitchen, it’s fun!

90. Make pasta art. Craft paper, colored pasta, and glue is all it takes for creative fun.

91. Go to the zoo.

92. Feed the birds.

93. Check local listings for fun and free events in your area. Events may include festivals, concerts, fairs, markets, and more.

94. Visit a local farm.

95. Spend time at a lake, river, stream, nature preserve, ocean, mountains, or desert. Watch wildlife, bird watch, study nature, and take in the beauty of it all.

96. Study clouds. We found a cool printable cloud chart HERE.

97. Check free workshops at your local Apple store HERE.

98. Create a small quilt together for a child in need. Trust me, you do not need to be a quilter or even a master with the sewing machine. I’m a beginner when it comes to sewing, yet my shorties and I made a quilt. You can check it out HERE.

99. Let’s pretend! An all-time fave of shorties because they have amazing imaginations and LOVE to pretend! This can be played any time, any place. Let’s pretend we’re adventurers. Let’s pretend you’re the parent and I’m the shorty. Let’s pretend we’re dogs. Or cats. Or astronauts. Or pirates. Or princesses.

100. What if? My shorties absolutely LOVE this one! We play it all. the. time. What if our car was a submarine? What if everything was upside down? What if we didn’t have trees? What if we were monkeys? What if we could fly? What if we walked on our hands and clapped with out feet? What if we didn’t have bathrooms? What if bikes had square wheels? What if we left a crayon in the sun? What if we had our own language? What if we used a water balloon on the tee instead of a baseball? This one is so fun for so many reasons! It gets the shorties thinking, using their imaginations, and sometimes it leads us to an experiment. What if?

A Night Owl Sponsor Giveaway - $100 Target Gift Card Giveaway

2013-02-26T19:55:00.002-08:00

Have you entered this months sponsor giveaway over at A Night Owl Blog?

Here's your chance to win $100 gift card to Target! And who doesn't just LOVE Target?!?!

Valentine's Day Giveaway

2013-02-07T21:05:00.002-08:00

Have you entered the Valentines Day Giveaway yet?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elf on the Shelf Ideas

2011-12-01T09:39:00.001-08:00

Out Elf showed up last night, right on schedule keeping up with past Christmas' on December 1st. The kids were so excited to find him this morning, getting them out of bed (on the coldest day yet) was not hard at all!

The elf that we have is not your traditional Elf on a Shelf, I heard about it a few years back before he was a hit, and I found him at T.J. Maxx, the great thing is, I also picked up a few for the families that I babysit for so all the kids have the same type of elf, just different clothing. So when the other kids get there, they all talk about where their elves were in the morning, SO CUTE!!! I love hearing all the funny places!

He wasn't up to anything funny, he was simply waiting for them at the breakfast counter. But I have a feeling that he will soon be up to some suspicious activity when I found this list of funny stuff for our Elf:

1. Marshmallow fight – marshmallows everywhere
2. Pillow fight – feathers everywhere
3. Nerf gun fight – darts everywhere
4. Laundry fight – clothes everywhere
5. Lipstick on mirror message
6. Crepe paper barricade on their bedroom door that they have to bust through
7. Rearrange story books in ABC order or in a pile of disarray
8. Clean closet or make mess of closet
9. Fill tub with bubbles till the point of explosion

10. Hang from shower nozzle with a towel on
11. Unroll toilet paper roll on the floor, around Christmas tree, etc.
12. Zip down a zip line through the house
13. Caught sneaking candy
14. Eat milk and cookies
15. Organize school clothes – mismatched haha
16. Write a message on the on the snow covered car window
17. Create a paper chain with a bit of a mess to show for it
18. Hang child’s unmentionables on the Christmas tree
19. Hang from chandelier or ceiling fan
20. Make faces on school pictures with a marker
21. Take a spin in toy car/remote control car
22. Play board game with stuffed animal friends or action figures
23. Tea party with stuffed animal friends
24. Read book, newspaper, e-reader, ipad, computer, etc
25. Listen to child’s ipod
26. Play child’s DS/itouch
27. Play video games
28. Draw picture
29. Color in coloring book
30. Dump toybox
31. Create a block tower
32. Switch as out closet clothes (i.e. take chunk of child’s clothes and switch with chunk of sibling or parents clothes) or switch out dresser drawer clothes
33. Hide rocks in shoes
34. Hide one shoe
35. Sit in shoe, holding shoe laces as if going on a sleigh ride
36. Turn everyone shoes into superhero shoes
37. Plant magic seeds with directions to water once a day. On 3rd day something will grow. Secretly plant lollipops on 3rd day.
38. Make cookies – flour everywhere
39. Make Reindeer food
40. Turn toilet water blue
41. Turn milk blue
42. Take picture of child sleeping
43. Hang out on child’s bedpost
44. Knit a scarf or hat
45. Make paper airplanes and fly them around the house
46. Park the car backwards, down the street, crooked, etc.
47. Put toothbrushes in toilet or clean toilet with toothbrushes– yuck (make sure new standbys are waiting in the wings)
48. Type /write an amazing letter of all the wonderful qualities your Elf has witnessed of your child!!!!!!!!
49. Have a package arrive via UPS/US Postal Service – new clothes for your Elf ordered by yours truly.
50. Hide parents phone, keys, or mom’s blow dryer
51. Recreate your family tree that now includes your Elf
52. Nothing. If your elf didn’t move overnight then perhaps their behavior contributed to their elf not moving.
53. Fold clothes, empty dishwasher, vacuum
54. Dust, sweep kitchen
55. Rake leaves/shovel or play in the snow
56. Dance party – music playing & stuffed friends dancing
57. Game day – playing soccer, baseball, basketball, dance, gymnastics, karate, etc in the house
58. Complete child’s homework or add pictures on homework
59. Make phone call
60. Drink Pepsi & milk
61. Run on treadmill/ ride exercise bike
62. Sew on sewing machine
63. Play cards
64. Learn multiplication facts
65. Play dress up – wearing mini homemade reindeer ears, etc.
66. Cover a room with Post-it notes on EVERY wall
67. Watch movie with popcorn & remote control
68. Build something great with Legos
69. Change all clock times
70. Take all the kitchen cabinet knobs off
71. Unscrew all the light blubs
72. Lock car keys in the car (parents have to have good acting skills & time on their side)
73. Tear up child’s old homework
74. Have a friend or relative call child thanking them for your Elf’s white elephant gift (child’s missing toy, clothes, artwork, etc)
75. Skype a friend/family member as your child is waking up (get someone to play along)
76. Cut coupons
77. Wrap gifts or cut up wrapping paper
78. Cut out toy pictures from toy catalog
79. Try on mom’s jewelry
80. Elf packs school lunches but mixes up everyone lunches (each child receives siblings lunch – great conversation piece at dinner)
81. Short sheet child’s sheets – ha ha
82. Cool off a cup of HOT chocolate with a stationary fan
83. Elf writes his own X-mas list – Elf clothes, Mrs. Elf, candy, etc.
84. Create a scavenger hunt for the kids with clues leading to mischief
85. Leave paper trail (or dog food trail) through house
86. Hang wet clothes on clothesline outside– especially funny in colder climates because their clothes will be stiff
87. Build a family fort with a name on the front
88. Wrap a new gift for the kids to open – exciting and thoughtful
89. Turn all the kitchen chairs backwards
90. Turn all the breakfast plates upside down
91. Swing on outdoor swing set – chilly
92. Sit by warm fire – cozy
93. Sit on toilet OUTSIDE on front lawn –if you happen to have an extra toilet being stored
94. Cover lawn with Easter decorations such as plastic eggs
95. Fill room with lots of balloons or hang them from ceiling
96. Build snowman
97. Write a secret message to child with invisible ink
98. Create a mask & cape out of paper/cloth – Super Elf! Perhaps he can be hanging from the ceiling by fishing line.
99. Inspire reading, writing or imagination – leave a new book to be read or ask child to write a list things they are thankful for or ask child to finish Elf’s half written story making it as silly and creative as possible
100.Write a message in the snow (better for little ones who won’t notice the obvious footprints)
101.Pin fluffy tail on the back of child’s pjs while sleeping –great for hard sleepers

Which ones will your Elf do this season?

Winner!!!

2011-07-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Whoops!

I was supposed to announce the winner of the giveaway yesterday, but my husbad got home early and threw me off my regular schedule for the rest of the afternoon (am I the only one that happens to?)

So without further ado...

The winner is SADIE!

Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize!!

Thank you all for sharing with your friends :)

Hello Friend

2011-07-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I am linking up at Sassy Sites to welcome all the new bloggers out there. I know my blog is older than 6 months, I am just now starting to blog a lot more, so I decided to let everyone know a little about me!

Why did I decide to start blogging?

I decided to start blogging a few years ago, it just took me a while to set it all up. I am constantly making and remaking things, upcycling, and creating things. I love to network with people that "get" me and get excited over the silly things that I get excited about!

When I am not blogging what am I doing?

I have 3 kids of my own, and I also do daycare from home. I am usually playing with the kids, creating a project, or cleaning up after them. In my downtime (laying in bed) I am usually thinking about my next project. Wether it be a simple child project, or a total redecorate of a room.

What is my blog about?

It is about my projects, some that pass and some that are complete failures. Well, I dont like to call it a failure, I like to refer to is as, steps to avoid the next time :)

When do I find the time to blog?

I dont! Ha, I am usually typing out a blog as my husband is loading the kids in the car, or trying to keep my thoughts as I hear "MOM!" over and over again...

Why do I love blogging?

I get to look back and see all of the ideas that I have thought of or that I have seen on so many other awesome blogs!

Thank you for reading, and please take a moment to introduce yourself back to me!!

Baby Formula can redo

2011-07-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

I did these about 3 years ago, by cutting each letter out with my cricut (the very first model) and mod podged each letter on. Oh, if I had only had a vinyl connection back then.... I would have saved a lot of mess and sticky fingers!

Every time we had an empty formula can, I would save it, and think, "I can do something with this someday". Yes, yes, I know, that is how hoarders start out, but, at least I did do something with each one. I finally had enough to fill one shelf, then I bought another and was scared that I wouldn't have enough to fill the next. Luckily, we kept my daughter on formula an extra month, for the transition and so that I could have the last container for my shelves.

I started out by spray paiting each container, then I cut each letter out and one by one, mod podged what the contents were. I never finished, because back then they weren't all filled and now some of the fillings aren't even what is inside. I hope to someday sand off each letter and redo the containers, but we will see if that ever happens!

Giveaway!!

2011-07-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that my "Family is..." wall collage is being featured on Groopdealz, they have extended the promotion.

I am now opening up a giveaway, for everyone that reposts the link (facebook, blog, twitter), you are entered to win this or $20 credit to my shop!!

Leave me a comment for each time you repost.

Winner will be drawn on Wednesday!!

Family is... wall collage on Groopdealz!!

2011-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Ever since I listed this on Etsy back in March, this has been one of my biggest sellers!! Almost all of my friends have purchased it as well, and I have even offered it with different words and changed the title too! I have donated this for many fundraisers and blog giveaways, like the one on LilLuna last month.

Until Monday night, you can purchase this at HALF OFF through Groopdealz!!!

AZ Girls Night Out

2011-06-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to this night for a long time, I had so much fun at the last one and even better this time, my friend Marni from Sassy Sites was coming!!

As always I was running a bit late (as Marni was too) and we actually met in the parking lot and was able to walk in together. I was a bit worried that we would not be able to sit together, but we were so lucky to find 2 seats open and even luckier they were next to Kristy The Diary of Daves Wife and A Purple Princess Crafts! And can I tell you that they are super duper SWEET!!!

I had so much fun meeting so many new people and finding out so many live so close to me, like all these lovely ladies!!

I hope that I can start to see more of them more often!!

Keep Summer Boredom to a Minimum

2011-06-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

Stop the "Mom, I'm bored!" before they start this summer with fun lists they can look forward to and get excited about!

Here is a cute idea from Marni at Sassy Sites:

Here is another great idea from Jen at Tatertots and Jello:

Introducing Dry Erase and Chalk Board Vinyl!

2011-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Starting today I will be offering Dry Erase and Chalkboard vinyl in my shop!!

Look at some of the awesome things you can do with them:

Apply a memo board directly to your fridge

Make letters for your kids to practice their handwriting

Put up a calendar so you can keep track of your families schedules

Label where things should go

Leave a message for someone you were expecting

Keep a smaller personal calendar

Write out your thoughts

Fancy up a cute board to add to any room

Label some kids stuff

Mark whats inside your storage containers

What will you do with Chalkboard or Dry Erase Vinyl?

Teacher Gift Idea

2011-05-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

With the end of the year coming up, we don't want to forget about the teachers that have taught and cared for our kids all year long!!

A friend wanted something orginal to give her sons kindergarten teacher, but didn't know what. After I thought a bit, I came up with this!

At first I had best "kindergarten" teacher, but my husband made a point, that teachers often switch grades and then they would not be able to display it correctly, so I changed it (thanks Babe, see you are creative!).

Peep shirt

2011-04-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

My younger son Ryan was given a stuffed yellow Peep on his first Easter, and he was in LOVE!! He soon stole his brothers blue Peep and claimed it for his own too. The next Easter a friend of mine told me that LNT had them for sale, so I quickly went and bought 2 more, one of each color for backups. Only he found out about the backups and carried 4, yes all 4 peeps everywhere, often making 2 or 3 trips up and down the stairs to get them all. After Easter, I went back to LNT and bought 4 more (of course they were 75% then) so now we had 8 total. I figured 4 at a time was more than enough.... But he had other plans. Once he knew there was 8, sure enough, he was carrying around all 8 peeps with him.

Here is a picture I snapped of him once, when he fell asleep, each Peep was strategically placed under him, too funny!! And his favorite yellow one on top...

Of course, naturally I had to make him a "where's my peeps?" shirt... it has more of a personal meaning than a funny one!

And on the back a silhouette of each of his Peeps!

I Spy

2011-04-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I spy my yoga mat hiding under all these tutus that I just listed on etsy. I better clean up, I need to use that tongiht!

I spy my dining room table under all the legos, where we are supposed to host Easter dinner on Sunday.

I spy my son laying in the background, behind his fort and all the belongings. Ahh, I loved building forts when I was little!

I spy my daugher deciding which costume to put on next, oh the "diffucult" decisions of a 3 year old :)

I will be linking up to "I Spy" over at Little Miss Momma.

Rain Gutter Bookshelves

2011-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

You know how blog surfing works, you end up in places and you have no idea how you got there. Usually I see a lot of stuff I like, but this one, I HAD to make! I had been looking for great shelves for a while. I actually bought some from Pottery Barn, but only 2, I didn't want to fork over $300 for 6! So when I saw this, it was just perfect!!

I measured the wall I was going to put them on and went to Lowe's and bought the pieces and end caps. And boy did I get a funny look when I told the guy who asked if I needed a cart that I only needed a few pieces they were for bookshelves, ha! Doesn't he know that I frequent hardware stores, but all for craft reasons?!

I measured, sawed, and screwed for the next hour and then I had a wall of books that I just LOVE!

Here is a view from the side, it was hard to decorate the wall, because the door opens directly to the wall, so a big bookshelf was just too bulky there.

Add some vinyl to complete the area!

AZ GNO - Blogger Style

2011-04-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

When I came across the posting for the AZ Girls Night Out, I knew I wanted to go! I called my friend Marni who writes for SassySites and asked her, unfortunately it didn't work out, so then I needed to decide if I was going to go knowing I was going alone.

Now, I have been following a lot of these blogs for about 5 years, so I felt like I knew a lot of the authors, but I really didn't "know" them. I knew that if I passed it up I would be kicking myself for not going. So I bough my ticket and I was on my way.

It was at the Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, AZ, and let me tell you, It was set up SO. DARN. CUTE.!

I arrived and Kristyn from Lil' Luna greeted me right away and made me feel so welcome and comfortable, Thanks sweetie! I introduced myself to a few girls and found a seat at a table and sat down.

After a bit of chatting, Jen form Tatertots and Jello came and sat next to me, and I do have to admit, I was a bit starstuck (wink) at first, I have been following her forever! I also met Cassie from Confessions of a Clearance Shopaholic and Melanie from Crafty Cupboard. It was so nice to be able to meet, chat and network a bit with all the awesome ladies there! I cannot wait for the next one!

Heres a few pics of all the goodies that we got, and I even won a bag of scrapbook paper and chipboard!!

Here is a pic of Angie, myself and Jen

Jen, (I forgot her name) and Melanie

Angie, Jennifer and Cassie

How adorable is this setup?!?!

So who's going with me next time????

Camera Strap Cover

2011-04-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have been in LOVE with camera strap covers ever since the first time I saw one and even more so since I got my DSLR!

I have been eyeballing some over at SheyB, but I already had all the materials so I knew I had to give it a try. Anyone that knows me, knows that the pink damask has my name all over it! (wink) and the fuzzy fabric is acutally from my daughters crib bumper that I made for her. Now that she's in a big girl bed, I saved the fabric knowing I'd use it for something.

And of course I didn't take any pictures while I was making it (I NEVER do, and regret it later when blogging) but here is the completed picture:

I really didn't plan on adding any embellishments, but it was too "naked" just as a cover. So I rummaged through more of my stuff and came up with more fabirc, satin (for flowers) and beads. I kinda added as I went along, because it was lopsided, and I am actually really happy with the way it tunrned out.

I have seen cute pockets for the lens cap, but because I didnt sew it into the seams, I didn't know how to add it on. I wanted to embroider my initials or name or something, but just didn't like it at all. So I sewed on elastic straps so that I could store the lens cover when I'm not using it, because I tend to lay it down somewhere and forget where that somewhere is...

I added a tag to "pretty up" the elastic and another fabric flower with a few beads.

I am so happy with it, probably because it damask and pink and black - LOVE!!!

I am so happy I finally have this, HOWEVER, I hated doing this project, and will probably never do it again! I am happy that I didn't invest any money in it and had all the stuff already!!

Easter Cupcakes

2011-04-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Now first off, I have to say that I didn't make these adorable cupcakes, but I just had to post about them!

One of the girls I babysit, mom made them, and I keep telling her that she need to pursue baking more, she really has a talent!

She made them with edible grass, and the kids just LOVED them!!

Sneak Peek of Master Re-Do

2011-04-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Things are FOREVER changing around here, and finally my husband is getting used to it!

Usually I am happy with a project until I see something I want to add ot tweak a little, but in this case, I have HATED this wall color since the second we put it on (6 years ago!). But I was 7 months pregnant, and decided to settle and unfortunately I never re-did it, because I was focusing on the kids rooms.

Until this weekend!! (WooHoo!), all sports were cancelled and therefore we had a full day of no plans, so I took over and decided we finally paint the wall that I have always hated so much!

Now I know you can hardly tell a difference, but believe me there is. The old paint had a very red base, and the brown was a very orange-ish color in the sunlight. The new paint has more of a green base and doesn't clash so much with the red in the furniture.

(Before: reddish brown, patched up holes, just blah)

(After: greenish brown, no more patches, and gold shimmer decals)

I was finally able to put on the damask decor! I didn't want to over do it because the comforter has a lot of gold, but I am actually very happy with the turnout.

I will post pics of the rest of the room as I finish it, I have a couple of to add. But I am so happy to say I finally am very happy going to bed now, I just LOVE it!

Easter Egg Garland

2011-03-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last year Marni posted this link, and I made my right away, but forgot to take pictures before I took it down. Well I finally got it back up last night, and couldn't wait to share with you all!

This is a super easy and super cheap project, you can do yourself, or with your kids!

Here is a close up, all the eggs come with holes already, so all you have to do is string them together!

Here is a view from the front door, um, can you tell that I like to decorate for holidays?

Personalized Bunny Shirts

2011-03-31T09:47:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for Easter at Hautala Couture and have sold a ton of these Easter bunny shirts already!

This idea was taken from Chasing Fireflies and thier Easter collection. However, my price tag is less than half!

Here are a few of the orders that I have had:

I have them listed here is you are interested!!

Here is one with a matching tutu:

Personalized Hand Sanitizer

2011-03-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a friend of mine posted this at the beginning of the school year, with ideas for teacher gifts. As I had every intention of making one, I had alwys forgot to get a sheet of transparency every time I was at the store.

Finally I remembered (amost 9 months later!) and we have our own personalized hand sanitizer, and for those of you that know me, you know I have a lot of little hands all day and a lot of germs that I need to stop from spreading!

It was super easy and would make a great gift for a teacher, or anyone else, that may be prone to germs. I am going to make one for my brother who just had his first baby!

Facebook signs

2011-03-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how to make those little signs on facbook, I know I have...

I have found a little cheat sheet for all of you out there:

Hold ‘alt’ then type 1 – ☺

Hold ‘alt’ then type 2 – ☻

Hold ‘alt’ then type 3 – ♥

Hold ‘alt’ then type 4 – ♦

Hold ‘alt’ then type 5 – ♣

Hold ‘alt’ then type 6 – ♠

Hold ‘alt’ then type 7 – •

Hold ‘alt’ then type 8 – ◘

Hold ‘alt’ then type 9 – ○

Hold ‘alt’ then type 10 – ◙

Hold ‘alt’ then type 11 – ♂

Hold ‘alt’ then type 12 – ♀

Hold ‘alt’ then type 13 – ♪

Hold ‘alt’ then type 14 – ♫

Hold ‘alt’ then type 15 – ☼

Hold ‘alt’ then type 16 – ►

Hold ‘alt’ then type 17 – ◄

Hold ‘alt’ then type 18 – ↕

Try it out and have fun!