better together

St. Patrick's Day Round-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:16:00 +0000

I’ve got an entire new house to decorate just for the everyday. I don’t think I’m going to have time to decorate for the Holidays this year. So instead of sharing a new project with you, I thought I would take us down memory lane to take a look at some of my St. Patrick's day décor from years past.

St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

*Our St. Patrick's Day scavenger hunt will be this months Facebook printable. Like us on Facebook to download your St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt. If you already like us on Facebook, just click on the Free Gift Tab at the the top of our page.

St. Patrick's Day Bunting

Ombre Garland

St. Patrick's Day Ombre and Rainbow printables

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

The Red Dresser

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:56:00 +0000

I knew that I wanted a red dresser for my daughters room. Luckily I was able to find a dreamy one on craigslist for only $30! Score! It was in great shape, and it only took two days of searching craigslist to find the exact dresser that I was hoping to find. I love when the stars align and I find exactly what I want at a great price.

Here is a peak at what it looked like before I covered it in red. I had never actually re-done a piece of furniture before. This was quite the experience. I researched a ton of tutorials online. This was probably the most informative one that I found. It seemed simple enough just clean, sand, prime, sand, paint first coat, sand, paint second coat. It is just a very time consuming process. Luckily my parents had an old paint sprayer that I borrowed to get this project done. I do love spray painting. That’s about the only painting that I like to do.

I debated going with red. Even as I was painting I questioned my color choice. Knowing me I will probably be painting this again in two years to a safer color like white or cream, but for now I love it!

Here is a sneak peak at some of the pink in the room. Next week I’ll share a few more details. I’m loving how everything is coming together!

The Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:04:00 +0000

Hello? Anyone still out there? Sorry we have been MIA for so long. The past 7 months(Wow! Has it really been that long?!) have been busy for all three of us. In the last 7 months we have all moved. Also, Whitney and I (Angela) had babies, and Lauren started a new job. We have had a lot going on.

Like I said, I moved. Not far, only about 20 minutes from where I was living previously. We ended up buying a house that was built in 1975 and hadn’t been updated since. It needed some work. For the last few months our house has been experiencing a face lift. The house was covered in yucky old 70’s wallpaper, wood paneling, popcorn ceilings, old carpet, funky accordion doors, and the list goes on. It was just a whole lot of old. So in the last few months we have de-wallpapered, de-popcorned, and repainted the entire house, got all new doors, all new baseboards, all new carpet, new light fixtures, updates for all of the houses bathrooms, we even did a complete remodel of the master bedroom and bathroom. And even after all of that we still have plenty more to do. My head is spinning just thinking about it. Somedays I have to remind myself about how far we have come so I don’t get caught up in how much we still have to do, because I am really so happy with how our house is turning out.

We closed on the house in July, but then we didn’t move into the house until September because of the work we were doing to it. So I have spent the past few months trying to get the house unpacked in between chasing my toddler and feeding my baby. I feel like it has taken forever. Finally I am to the point where I feel like we are unpacked enough that we actually live in the house. That leads me to why I have finally started blogging again… it is time to decorate the house. We may be out of boxes, but not everything is necessarily where it is supposed to be. I have a lot of projects that need to get done. Literally I have so many projects spinning around in my head that I cant seem to focus in on just one. So I have made a plan to take it room by room. I figure blogging about it all will keep me organized and on track.

I thought that I would start with the room that I am having the most trouble with… my daughters nursery. The problem that I am having is with the colors I am working with. When I was originally planning the nursery it was going to have to be a shared space. We were living in a two bedroom home at the time. My son was going to have to share his room. The majority of the colors in my sons bedroom were blue and red. I thought that I would stick with those colors, but just girly it up a bit since he would be sharing it with a girl. I found some red polka dot fabric for my daughters sheets and an adorable red chair. Then when I was 37 weeks pregnant we decided to move into a home that was a little bit bigger.

Now my kids each get a room of their own. I still have all of the red stuff that I bought for my son/daughters room. So now I am trying to figure out how to use all of the red stuff that I already have, but just for my daughters room. I have decided that I definitely need to incorporate some pink. Where I find myself running into trouble now is that her room is becoming too red and pink and screaming Valentines day. Not that I don’t love Valentines day, but I’m not sure that I want a room in my home dedicated to it. That is where I am currently at with my daughters nursery.

Let me show you some of the ideas that have inspired me:

Here is the overall inspiration for my daughters nursery. I love the idea of pinks walls and red floral curtains. Mostly I love that even though this room is full of red and pink it doesn’t necessarily scream valentines day. This is kind of the overall feel that I am going for.

Source

A red dresser… that is a must! I just think it is simply gorgeous!

I love this solid red/pink chair next to the floral fabric. I think I’ll have a red chair next to some floral curtains.

Source

I’ll definitely be incorporating this quote in these colors.

I’ll also be making some flowers for a vase. Here are a few DIY tutorials that I like.

DIY Flowers

DIY Yarn Poofballs

Here are some “maybe” ideas that I like, but I’ll have to wait and see how the room comes together before I incorporate any of these.

Here is some cute pink and red bedding. My favorite part about this is the scalloped crib skirt. We’ll see if I get ambitious enough to try that.

Source

Here are a few other ideas that I found cute. I don’t if they will work. We will just have to wait and see.

Source

Tomorrow I will share my first completed project for the nursery. Stay tuned!

Making Eating Healthy a Priority

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:50:00 +0000

And we are back.....! After a long hiatus from the blog due to babies, home moves and job changes were are ready to get back at it. We love that we can share our talents as sisters on this blog and hope to inspire others.

Today's post is in regard to the new year and making those crucial healthy eating changes. At my work I am able to talk to employees daily about the small changes they can make in their diet to see long lasting results. I would like to share with you the top 5 changes you can make in your diet to loose that weight for good.

1. Follow a 6 meals a day plan. Your hunger/satiety level should always be stable. You should never spike up really high because you have eaten too much and feel overly full. You should also never not eat enough that your hunger level spikes really low and you have low energy level. You should always feel never too hungry or too full. The helps keep your metabolism in line and burn more calories throughout the day.

2. Slow down when eating. Slow down and enjoy your food. Enjoy the company you are eating with. By slowing down you are giving time for your food to digest in your stomach and to tell your brain you are full.

3. Make fruits and vegetables a priority. Fruits and vegetables have so much water and fiber. These are two things that make you fill full and are good for your digestive system. If you are having a hard time incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet then make a small start. Have a rule that all your snacks will only be fruits and vegetables. That way if you don't have time to integrate them into your main meals, then you have least gotten them in through your daily snacks.

4. Cut out the soda. Have you seen this Coca cola commercial yet?

It baffles me. Coke, it is only 140 calories. Yeah only 140 calories of pure sugar and chemicals that you cant even pronounce. The access sugar in soda is not good for your waistline. Soda has empty calories, it does not fill you up and does not provide any essential nutrients. Avoid it if you want to keep the weight off.

5. Preparation is key. I believe the greatest way you can make eating healthier a priority is to prepare your food in advance. Think about your meals for the week on the weekend. Purchase those meal items on the weekend. Plan to add an additional 30 minutes onto your grocery shopping trip to cut up fruits and vegetables, cook chicken or fish and place in fridge in Tupperware containers. Make a large batch of brown rice on Sunday afternoon and use it throughout the week in different meals. By having things already cut up and cooked on the weekend it makes breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekdays a lot easier. You come home from a long day of work or being with the kids and you have all your salad fixings cut and ready to go and your chicken that just needs to be reheated on the stove.

Try these simple tools to help you on the track to making eating healthier a priority in your life.

Sunshine Striped Maxi Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:19:00 +0000

This was my submission for Sunshine week over on SYTYC. Today I wanted to share the tutorial on how to create it. It is super easy!

When I think of sunshine, I think of warmth. I think of the beach. I think of lazy days by the pool. Most of all I think of Summer. What could be more perfect for all of those things than a comfortable bright striped maxi dress.

This dress was constructed from multiple colors of jersey fabric. The solid colors of jersey were cut into various size stripes and then sewn together to create a unique striped and colorful pattern.

This is the perfect dress to celebrate sunshine and summer. It is the perfect swimsuit cover up to wear to the pool or to the beach. It is the perfect dress to wear on a summer evening walk, or just to sport around town. It is just perfect for any activity on a sunshiny day.

What you’ll need:

1/2 yard each of four different colors of knit fabric

1/4 inch elastic (How much? Enough to fit around your waist.)

The first thing you are going to do is create your pattern. You will want to measure from your shoulder to your feet then add 3 inches to get the exact amount of stripes you will need to cut. For example: It is 56 inches from my shoulder to my feet. I cut 59 inches worth of stripes, because once you sew the stripes together you are going to loose about 3 inches of material.

I cut each cream colored stripe at 3 inches. Then I tapered the colored layers. The bottom color was 13 inches. Then the next color was 2 inches shorter than that, and and the next 2 inches shorter than that, and so on. You can see the dimensions in the image below.

Once you have sewn your pattern together it is time to sew the dress. It can be completed in 6 easy steps.

*I have kept the instructions pretty general. I left out specific measurements. You can decide for yourself how big you want the arm holes, and where on your waist to place the elastic, or how deep and wide of a v-neck that you want for your body. If you do want more specific measurements just send me an email and I would be happy to share what I used for my dress.

As an optional step 7: You can hem all of your open edges around the arm holes, neck, and bottom of the dress. You can also leave it un hemmed since you are working with knit and it wont unravel.

Let me know if you have any questions.

No Excuses Week #3

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 04:16:00 +0000

Excuse #3: I find exercising boring

Exercising doesn't have to be boring. There are so many variations to make exercise more fun.

Here are some tips to help making exercising more fun:

1. Find a fitness facility that specializes in group exercise classes. There is a gym in my area that offers zumba, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, cardio sculpt, power tone. They are offered at all different times in the day and on different days throughout the week. This is a great way to vary the kind of workouts you are doing and make it fun at the same time. For me it is a good $25 well spent. The other great thing about this is that you get to do it with friends and meet new ones as you continue to go.

2. Take up sport you have never tried before. Try enrolling in tennis or golf lessons. These are two great sports that can be really fun and social. Join a tennis group or find a gold buddy. The more you branch out and try something new, the less you might get bored with doing your regular routine.

3. Add a friend to your exercise programming. Taking walks or joining a sport with your spouse or friend can be added benefit.

Not only is varying your exercise fun it also has great physical benefits as well. The more your body does an exercise routine the more your body adapts to it. It eventually stop seeing results or seeing results will take a longer time. By always changing your workout routine you have the potential to see results faster and enjoy it more at the same time.

Goal: Try one new sport or activity you have never tried before!

No Excuses Week #2

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Excuse #2 : I am too embarrassed and uncomfortable to go to a gym.

Exercising can feel intimidating at times. You might avoid going because you don't know how to use the equipment or what to do when you get there. If you fit that category, let's look at how to move past it.

I have listed some ways to make sure you still get a workout if you don't feel comfortable in a gym.

1. Pick up some light dumbbells from the store; there are endless things you can do with them. Click here for a great list of exercises you can do at home.

2. Go to your local library and pick up workout DVD's. The great thing about a lot of these DVD's is that the instructor in most videos makes sure there are modifications to each exercise so you don't have to be concerned about not being able to follow what he or she does. There is always a way to make sure you get the best benefit for your body.

3. Use a game console. Many game consoles such as the Wii, Xbox and Playstation now have exercising games. Zumba is one of those games. It is great to do at home because many people are afraid to do it with a class because they are afraid they won't keep up. By doing it at home you are able to still have a great time but don't have to feel self concious if you dont know all the moves.

4. Move around with your kids. If you don't like going to the gym then take advantage of playing with your kids throughout the day. Whether it is at the park or in the backyard, make get physical activity by playing with your kids.

If going to a gym is not your thing, don't make it an excuse not to get some exercise in your day. Working out at home can be just as successful as working out at a gym. No more excuses!

Time to Celebrate Fathers!

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:22:00 +0000

It is that time of year to celebrate Fathers everywhere! You don't have to remind me about this holiday. I'll take any excuse to celebrate my husband or my father. They are pretty awesome!

So in honor of the upcoming holiday we have made some printables to help make Fathers day even more special. They are both interviews about dads that you can do with your kids.

The first printable offers an interview that can be answered through words.

While the second printable offers an interview that can be answered through pictures.

I love the idea of having an interview with my kids about their father every year. My son is still a little young to understand how to answer these questions. I created the second printable that will answer the questions through pictures of my husband and son together.

I plan to keep all of these interviews in one big scrap book. I'll add to the book every year. There are so many fun ways to do this interview.

I love this idea of framing the interview. I think I'll have to do this on Father's Day.

I also love this idea of creating a digital book every year with the interview questions.

If you are interested in downloading our Father's Day printable just head on over to our Facebook page. Both printables are available to all of our Facebook friends. If you already like us on Facebook, just click on the Free Gift box at the top of our page.

*Update: These are now available on our blog under our printables tab

Doorway Puppet Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:24:00 +0000

For Kids Can Do week I made a doorway puppet theatre.

Then my son and a good friend of his made some paper bag puppets for a puppet show. I got the print outs for the puppets from DLTK's Growing Together website.

Here is a closer look at the puppet theatre. I used left over fabric from my Backyard Beach project. This would be super easy to create with a drop cloth or a sheet or a curtain, really anything that is already hemmed, just like this one from Kojo Designs. Since I was trying to use fabric that I already had, I added the red binding myself. I topped the theatre with a pleated awning. I also added a colorful bunting to the top of the window.

Here is a look at the backside of the theatre. I added a pocket to hold all of the puppets.

It is so fun to play with whether you are behind the curtain or just watching the show.

We love our new puppet theatre!

It also provides a fun new way to play with our Disney Pook-A-Looz Puppets.

Spring Veggie Hummus Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:57:00 +0000

I officially have a new obsession! It is this very delicious hummus wrap. I am not the only one in love. My husband begs me to make this for him on a regular basis. I originally was given the idea for this from a friend who was telling me about a yummy sandwich she had with radishes and carrots. I thought it sounded kind of odd at first. I don’t eat radishes very often and I wasn’t even sure that I liked them. When I saw some at the store the other day I picked a few up and decided to give them a try. I am so glad that I did.

Here is how I assembled my hummus wrap. I’ll be honest I am not exact in my measurements when I make this. I’ll do my best to guess. It will still be yummy even if there are a few extra carrots :)
Serving for one:

1/2 Carrot sliced
1 1/2 Radishes sliced
1/2 Avocado
Handful of Spinach
Handful of Baby Arugula
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Hummus
Tortilla

Spread a layer of hummus on to your tortilla. Next sprinkle the red pepper flakes on to your hummus. Then top with your spinach, baby arugula, carrots, radishes, and avocado.

Look at all of those yummy veggies!

The red pepper flakes give it just the right amount of heat. I love the crunch of all the veggies. Give this a try, you will not be disappointed.

No More Excuses

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:17:00 +0000

In light of the most recent Biggest Loser Season I thought I would do a spin off of the "No Excuses" campaign, which encourages contestants to forego their excuses for bad habits. With that in mind, each of the next four Tuesdays I'll debunk common excuses reasons for not exercising and living healthy.

Excuse #1: I don't have time...

This is pretty common. Like most of you, my days are jam-packed. I believe that for each one of you there is time. Whether it is 20 minutes or an hour, exercise and eating right can happen.

Here are some ideas:

1. Break it up: 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there — it adds up. You might not have a full 30-minute block of time in your day, but that doesn't mean you can't break up your exercise. Go on a 10-minute walk at your lunch break. Get up just 20 minutes early to get in a quick walk, run or bike ride.

2. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine: Without having to add extra time, mix exercise into things you already do, such as parking farther away from the office and walking in. Or walk to a park to eat your lunch, or maybe volunteer to be your child's sports team coach and exercise with them during practice.

3. Plan ahead: Planning ahead is extremely important when trying to exercise and eat healthy. Make it a goal to set aside 30 minutes on one day during the week to plan out your meals for the week and go buy those ingredients. It is easy to use the excuse of "I dont have time to cook or to exercise" when you have not already planned what you are going to do. By planning ahead you will have set more time aside for the things that important.

4. Add it to your scheduler: Make exercise an item that is on your daily list. By making it a priority and a part of your everyday routine, you are more likely to get it done. Make it another item on your list that must get done before your day can be over.

Upcycle- iPad Case

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Angela is competing on So You Think You Are Crafty. Voting for Week 6- Sunshine Week is up over on SYTYC- don’t forget to go vote for your favorite project. Thanks!

_________

Last week was upcycle week. I took two napkins (both purchased from World Market) and one thrifted belt…

I created my own iPad case.

Would you like to make one? It is super easy. Let me show you how.

What you will need:

2 napkins
1 belt
2 8 x 11 inch pieces of fleece
Velcro
Glue gun
Sewing machine

How to assemble your iPad case:

1. Cut the fabric for the back side and top flap of your case. You need to cut two pieces. Cut one piece 8 x 11 inches. The other cut 11 x 11 inches.

2. Cut the fabric the front side of your case. Cut one piece 8 x 11 inches.

3. Cut two pieces of felt 8 x 11 inches.

4. Cut two pieces from your belt each 6 1/2 inches long.

5. Cut off the pointy end of your belt. (I don’t know what it is called. Feel free to fill me in on what it is called. )

6. Cut the pointy end in half. You should now have two pointy ends. One from the front of your belt and one from the back of the belt. See picture below or let me know if you need a better explanation.

7. Sew two button holes on your 8 x 11 inch piece of fabric you cut for the top flap of your case. The buttonholes should be the same width of your belt. They should be located 2 inches from the side of the top flap, and two inches from the bottom of your top flap.

8. Open your button holes with your seam ripper.

9. Pull your belt through the buttonhole on your top flap and glue it to the backside of your fabric.

10. Sew together your top flap with the belt glued in to your 11 x 11 piece of fabric you cut for the
backside of your case. Make sure the front side of the fabric is facing each other. It should be a little lumpy with the belt, but just hold the fabric as tight and straight as you can as it goes through your sewing machine.

11. Once you turn the fabric right side out it should look like what you see in the image.

12. Glue on your Velcro to the 8 x 11 piece of fabric you cut for the front of your case. I cut my Velcro 1 3/4 inch long. I placed it 2 inches from the side and 1 1/2 inches from the bottom.

13. Sew on the Velcro.

14. Pin your fabric together in the following order: Felt piece #1, Backside/top flap fabric(with belt), front fabric(with velcro) , felt piece #2. Sew around the 3 outside edges.

15. Turn inside out. Then glue the other side of your velcro to your belt.

16. Remember those pointy ends of your belt? Glue those to the top of your belt. Then you are finished!

Front side

Backside

Inside without iPad.

Inside with iPad.

I love my iPad case!

Let me know if you have any questions on how to make your own.

Pacifier Clips

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Voting for Week 5- Up cycle Week is up over on SYTYC- don’t forget to go vote for your favorite project. Thanks!

_____________

For scrap week I chose to make pacifier clips. These will shortly become a necessity in our home as my baby girl will be here in about 6 weeks.

Pacifier clips are the perfect way to use up any left over scraps of fabric, felt, lace, or ribbon. And since I have an unhealthy obsession with felt, and keep every last scrap of it. Adding cute felt bows to the end of each pacifier clip was a perfect way to use up some of the felt that I seem to hoard.

I basically used MADE’s pacifier clip tutorial from Sew Mama Sew. I cut 2 inch x 14 inch pieces of fabric. I folded the fabric in half, and then I used a rolled hem to sew the edges. I also sewed Velcro to the ends of the fabric. My only alteration to the original tutorial was that instead of using suspender clips, I used badge clips- you know the ones that you use for a name tag at work. Badge clips are a much cheaper option. If you go to Joann's or your local craft store, a 2 pack of suspender clips costs $3. A pack of badge clips also costs $3, but you get 21 of them. Since I was planning to make a bunch of these I went with the cheaper option.

If you want to go with the badge clip option, it is pretty simple.

1. Use hot glue to glue on the badge clip. 2. Then to protect from the sharp end of the badge clip, glue on a felt bow.

The felt bow adds a cute touch to the pacifier clip. It also protects from the pointy edge of the badge clip.

Here are a few of my favorite ones. Although, really I love them all!

These are super simple to create. You can use your old scraps to create them. They also make the perfect gift. I’ve got lots of pregnant friends. I also have a sister and a sister-in-law that are due the same week as me. I have a feeling that I will be making a lot of these.

Avocado Corn Salad with Honey Cilantro Lime Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:48:00 +0000

With my mom in town last week I decided to try a new recipe for her.

This recipe would make a great salsa or even side dish to any summer meal.

Honey Lime Dressing:

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp honey

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of cayenne pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together and lightly toss over the fresh ingredients. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes.

Fresh Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

2 ears of fresh sweet corn

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

(I substituted with frozen corn because corn is not quite in season yet, use about 1/2 cup)

It was delicious to say the least!

Book Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Incase you were not aware, Angela is competing in Season 11 of So You Think You're Crafty. Voting for week 3 is up. This week is knock-off week. Head on over to vote for your favorite project.

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Last weeks theme for the competition was thrift store. I had been wanting to make this book lamp for quite some time. I was glad that I finally had an excuse to get it done.

I really enjoyed working on this project. I got to use a drill. I also learned how to re wire a lamp. It was fun doing something a little different than I normally do when it comes to crafting.

The lamp was not that hard to put together. I started with a few old books, a lamp, and a lamp shade all purchased from the thrift store.

I first measured to find the center of each book. I made sure to mark that spot.

Then I drilled holes through the center of the books.

Then I got to de wire the lamp. I used this diagram that I found on pinterest. It clearly explains how to do so. And after the lamp was stripped down to its skinniest, I slid the books down the lamp.

Next I took the shade off of the lamp. I just wanted to use the base.

I wanted the lamp shade to have the look of a wire basket. I took gardening wire, which is really easy to manipulate, and I wrapped strands around the bare lamp shade…

…just like so. Once I had added enough wire, I spray painted it a metallic bronze color. I was was working on this project outside, just as I started to spray paint the shade it started to rain. I had to hurry and get the lamp and all of the tools inside. I forgot to get a picture of me painting the shade. I think we all know what that looks like.

And then all I had to do was rewire the lamp, using that same diagram from above. Then ta da… I know have my very own book lamp.

Cookie Sheet To Do List Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:21:00 +0000

Today I want to share the tutorial on how to create the to do list from my organization board.

I started with the items pictured below:

cookie sheet size 9x13
2 rulers
a role of wrapping paper
a wooden rod or a hanger(just cut the bottom of the hanger off to create a rod)
a pad of construction paper

All items were purchased at the dollar store. The final total to complete this project was $5.

Lets look at how to create your own to do list:

1. Start with your rulers. Make sure you purchase rulers that have a hole at the end. Or you can purchase rulers without holes. You will just need to drill your own holes into the ruler. I say take the easy way and get rulers with the holes.

2. Cut one of your rulers. My cookie sheet measured 9 inches across. I cut my ruler down to 8 inches. Although, I wish that I had cut it at about 8 1/2 inches. You may want to try that length instead. As you make this cut, make sure that those 8 inches of ruler don’t include the hole. You will need the hole in the next step.

3. Next cut the holes off the end of both rulers. I cut each of mine at 1 1/2 inches long.

My cookie sheet is about 3/4 of an inch tall. Whatever the height of your cookies sheet make sure that the ruler hole sits above the top edge of the cookie sheet. You are going to stick your rod through the ruler hole. You want to make sure that the rod sits above the cookie sheet so that it can be easily removed so you can replace your roll of paper when it runs out.

4. Cut your roll of wrapping paper. You want to cut it 1/2 an inch shorter than you cut your ruler length in step 2. I cut up my roll of wrapping paper into 7 1/2 inch pieces. I was able to cut my roll of wrapping paper in to three pieces. Now I have a roll for my to do list, plus two back up rolls for when I run out.

5. Next cut your rod. If your rod or your hanger is longer than your cookie sheet than you will need to cut to the correct length. I cut my rod down to an 8 1/2 inch piece. Just shorter then the width of my 9 inch cookie sheet.

6. Next I painted my ruler pieces white.

7. Once the ruler was dry, I glued it to my cookie sheet. First I glued the ruler ends with the holes to the top sides of my cookie sheet.

Then I glued the 8 inch piece of ruler to the bottom middle of my cookie sheet.

7. Next I took my rod and put it through one of the ruler holes.

8. Then I slid on my roll of paper, and then I pushed the rod through the second ruler hole.

9. Then I took the roll of paper and slid it down though the ruler. The reason for this being that when I need to cut off my to do list, I can scroll the paper through the ruler and rip it off with the sharp edge of the ruler.

Now you can create your own to do list with just a few dollar store items.

Dollar Store Organization Board

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Incase you were not aware, Angela is competing in Season 11 of So You Think You're Crafty. Voting for week 2 is up. This week is thrift store week. Head on over to vote for your favorite project.

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Last weeks theme in the competition was Dollar Store Crafts. To be honest, before I received this theme I had never been into a dollar store to look for craft supplies. Mostly, this was the case because I did not think there were any dollar stores near my home. So I did a little Google search and found that there were 2 dollar stores within five minutes of my home. And one of those dollar stores was even within walking distance of my home. I was shocked as I kind of pride myself on knowing my city fairly well.

Now I must say that I have been turned on to a whole new place to go craft shopping. I think I may be addicted to dollar stores now. Ha! When I went into the dollar store for the first time I happened to be running errands with my mom and my son. We drove up to the dollar store just as my son feel asleep. I didn't want to wake him. My mom offered to stay in the car while I ran inside real quick. That was my plan. I said, "I'm going to run inside real quick, grab something, and then figure out what to do with it later." Well 20 minutes after entering the store, I get a phone call from my mother asking if everything was okay. Haha! I had so many ideas on what to do that I couldn't decide. So I picked the craft that would be the most practical. That is how the dollar store organization board came to be.

I started with a few frames in various sizes and colors. I also picked up a cookie sheet, a pack of rulers, a roll of wrapping paper, a pack of construction paper, a tin pail, and some hangers.

The “To Do List” is my favorite part of this whole board. Staying true to using dollar store supplies, I created this using a cookie sheet, 2 rulers, a roll of wrapping paper, a hanger, and some construction paper for decoration. I’ll share the tutorial on how to create this, tomorrow.

I created some printables to go inside each frame. I have a weekly menu planner. It sits in a 5x7 frame. I can write on the frame what we will be having for dinner each night. When the week is over I can just wipe it off and start over again. This frame was originally black. I used some white construction paper to cut out a scallop frame that I glued on top of it.

I also created a monthly calendar. It sits in a 8x10 frame. I can write in each box what will be going on each day. The frame was originally brown. I used yellow construction paper to create a border around the frame. I also made my own calendar for the month of April. Then one day while looking through Pinterest I found some calendars in the exact yellow and blue colors that I used. So to save some time creating a new calendar each month, I will just use the premade calendars that can be found HERE.

I also made a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning checklist. Each sit in a 4x6 frame. I left two of the frames silver. Then I covered the third frame in another white scallop border.

I was also able to find a pail in the perfect blue color to hold my pens.

There you have it. My dollar store organization board.

Are you interested in any of these printables? From now until the end of May we will be offering up the weekly menu planner and the daily, weekly, and monthly calendars on our Facebook page. The menu planner prints in size 5x7. The cleaning checklists print in size 4x6.

Are you not interested in the blue and yellow? We are also offering them in pink as well. You can download either version on our Facebook page. If you already like us on Facebook you download these by clicking on the Free gift box at the top of our page.

*Update these printables can now be downloaded from the printables tab at the top of our blog.

Making Veggies Fun with Country Crock

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:59:00 +0000

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Do you have a picky eater on your hands? Are vegetables the last things your child wants to touch let alone eat? I have a fun solution to your problem. Country Crock has launched the Crock Country Chronicles a place where moms are excited to serve veggies because they fly off plates! The Crock Country Chronicle is an excellent resource for quick and simple tips and recipes to help make serving veggies fun.

Right now on the Crock Country Chronicles you can download the free recipe book titled A Very Veggie World by Clare Crespo. It offers 25 of the funnest, yummiest, and easiest recipes that will make veggies fun for you and your kiddos.

The Clare Crespo cookbook offers everything from Mushroom Gnomes to Bear Paws. Even Veggie Stoplights and Beautiful Butterflies. Take a look at some of their fun veggie ideas.

Today I get to share with you one of the fabulous recipes from that very cookbook. I chose to make the Veggie Pets for my son.

The exact recipe is below...

Ingredients:

4 new potatoes
4 snap peas
4 kernels of frozen corn
24 fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp. Country Crock® Spread,
melted
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Bring 1-inch of water in medium saucepan to a boil
over medium high heat. Cut a slice off the long side of
the potatoes so they do not roll. Place potatoes, cut side
down, in steamer basket and place in pan.

Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes, until tender.
Carefully, with tongs, remove potatoes and add snap
peas to basket to steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove peas
and cut tips off to make hamster’s “ears.’’ Remove eight
peas from pea pods.

Using chopsticks or small knife, poke two holes into the
top of the potato. Insert snap pea pieces into top of the
potato for the pet’s ears.

Use chopsticks or a small knife to make three holes on
front of potato and insert peas for “eyes’’ and corn kernel
for “nose.’’ Use a toothpick to poke a few holes around
the nose and insert rosemary leaves for “whiskers.” Brush
pets with Country Crock® Spread and sprinkle with salt
and pepper.

I improvised with mine and used squash for the ears instead of snap peas. It was still just as yummy and just as fun. I wish that I had snapped a photo of the smile that was on my son's face as he ate his veggie pet. He thought this was pretty cool. Now I can't wait to try out more of the recipes!

To learn more about Country Crock please feel free to visit:

Country Crock’s Facebook page: Facebook

Country Crock’s Twitter page: Twitter

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Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun?

Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

Music While Exercising

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:05:00 +0000

Listening to music while exercising is a great way to help build the intensity. Music is also makes exercising a little more fun. It helps increase the adrenaline you feel while exercising and makes time pass just a little faster. Try to chose songs for your workout that have a beat of 125 to 140 bpm.

Here is my current playlist to help get me going during my workout:

Club Cant Handle Me (Flo Rida)
Jai Ho! (The Pussy Cat Dolls)
Good Feeling (Flo Rida)
Thousand Words (Christina Perri)
Unstoppable (Kat DeLuna)
Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO)
Sorry for Party Rocking (LMFAO) (this one is my favorite right now)
We Are Young (Fun.) (This is a good warm up or cool down song)
Some Nights (Fun.)

Add some of these songs to your playlist to increase the intensity of your workout!

Happy Wednesday!

Shrimp Stir-Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:08:00 +0000

Oh boy do I have a yummy recipe for you today! It comes straight from our mother’s kitchen. It is one of the best stir fry’s you will ever have. It is light and fresh and not greasy like a lot of stir fry’s that I have had. You have got to try this!

Ingredients:
· 4 teaspoons canola oil
· 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
· 3 garlic cloves, minced
· 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
· 1 ½ pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
· 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
· 4 scallions, chopped
· 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
· 8 ounces snow peas
· 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Stir together 2 teaspoons of oil, 1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce, and garlic in a large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat.

Lightly coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet still over high heat; add ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then add mushrooms, scallions, bell peppers, snow peas and red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables are still crisp, but tender about 4 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and the remaining soy sauce.

Then enjoy!

Go Easy on the Ham....

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:54:00 +0000

With Easter just around the corner I thought I would give a few easy tips/tricks to make sure you don't overdo with all the food surrounding the holiday.

1. Make sure to eat throughout the day leading up to your dinner, that way you don't over eat at dinner.

2. Choose to serve Easter dinner on a smaller plate size. Research has shown that eating on a smaller plate can help reduce how much food you end up eating in a meal.

3. Here is an interesting tip: Try eating with your non dominate hand. With all the hassle and the amount of time it might take you to eat your food your body might have time to tell you it is full.

4. Cut down on the sodium. If any of your yummy recipes used canned products make sure they are reduced sodium.

5. Throw away or give away the extra Easter candy your kids don't eat to a neighbor. This way you are not as tempted by those cadbury eggs.... my favorite :)

6. Listen to your body, if it is telling you to stop eating, then stop. Step away from the table and get a jump on the clean up.

Happy Easter Everyone!
I sure wished my Easter dinner table looked as cool as this one:

Pregnancy and Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:08:00 +0000

So, in honor of my sisters being pregnant (due a week apart, and both having girls) I thought I would dedicate my post to exercising while pregnant.

Here are three key reasons why exercising while pregnant can be beneficial:

1. It prevents severe weight gain
2. It can help with fatigue and exhaustion
3. It can help prevent gestational diabetes

Here are some some brief guidelines to think about before exercising while pregnant:

1. Avoid doing exercises on your back after the first trimester
2. Make sure you eat enough calories to replace fuel for you and your baby after exercise
3. Avoid contact sports

Here is a great workout to do while pregnant:

Start by warming up with 15 minutes of walking at 3.5 speed. This is moderate speed that will be challenging for your body without over doing it. It is recommended that your heart rate does not exceed 150 beats per minute while exercising when pregnant.

1. 20 sumo squats

How to do a sumo squat: {just like picture below} Point toes out to either side of the room and then squat. If you are pregnant, place hands either at your hips or your chest. For the rest of you guys, place hands behind the head for more core work.

2. 10-second sumo squat hold, 10 pulses and 5-10 sumo walks

On your 20th squat, stay down and hold for 10 seconds, then do 10 little pulses. Still staying in your squat {you haven't come up yet} do 10 sumo walks.

How to do a sumo walk: Staying in your sumo squat position, walk {using inner thighs} two times front and then walk {using outer thighs now} two times back.

3. booty blasters

10 leg lifts

10 small leg circles {both outward and inward}

20 bent knee heel lifts

10 small leg circles, both directions

10 leg lifts

Booty blaster position: Get into an all fours position (just like picture below)

How to do...

Leg lifts: {just like picture above} Lift leg straight up and then tap big toe to the ground.

Leg circles: Keep hips square and circle.

Bent knee heel lifts: Bend your knee so its at 90 degrees, and allow your heel to lead, lifting to the sky and then lowering.

Tip: When you are doing the booty blasters, really concentrate on letting your glutes and hamstrings do the work! And breathe!

4. 15 bicep curls on stability ball

Make sure you keep elbows in at your side, extending your arms all the way down and all the way up to your chest for full range of motion.

Just a note of caution: Make sure you always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program while pregnant.

Chimichurri Fish Tacos with Avocado Corn Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:03:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but my food preferences change with the seasons. Without me even realizing it in the Winter I gravitate towards soups, meats and potatoes, recipes that include heavy creams. I almost don’t even think about vegetables. Then Summer rolls around and all of the sudden I am practically a vegetarian. Besides all of the hamburgers and hot dogs that we throw on the grill everything I eat is fresh and colorful.

Well the weather has been heating up here in Denver and so has my need for eating fresher foods. The other night I took my first step towards my Spring/Summer eating habits. I made chimichurri rubbed fish tacos with an avocado corn salsa. They were delicious!

Ingredients:
Chimichurri Rubbed Fish:

1 lb Cod
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar (white wine vinegar would work fine too)
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Avocado Corn Salsa:

2 avocados, diced
8 oz. can corn
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
juice from 2 limes
salt to taste

Combine parsley flakes, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl stir together. Lay cod in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover the cod in olive oil. Next rub the cod with the chimichurri mix. Place in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Then combine your salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Refrigerate for a few minutes before serving.

When cod is cooked, cut into smaller pieces. Lay cod inside warm corn tortillas and then top with avocado corn salsa.

Enjoy!

The Penelope Nursery Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:19:00 +0000

We haven’t meant for this to be a secret, but we are expecting! Yep, both Whitney and I (Angela). We are due just days apart. I’m due at the end of June and Whitney is due at the beginning of July.

And if that wasn’t exciting enough, we are both having girls! Whitney has the cute Penelope nursery bedding from Pottery Barn for her little girl’s nursery. I thought that I would make her a mobile to match her bedding.

It has hand stitched birds and hearts, each stuffed with cotton balls to give a more 3D effect.

It hangs from a wooden hoop that I covered in lace.

I love this mobile!

*This was my audition project for SYTYC. You may have seen it over there. Competition starts in a few weeks. I’ll give you more details on that when it begins.

*Also, any interest in a pattern for this mobile? I’d be happy to share one.

Coloring Page Easter Egg Holders

noreply@blogger.com (Wray Sist3rs) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:55:00 +0000

My son is almost two. In fact, he’ll be two in just a few days. I really wanted to decorate Easter eggs with my son. I just couldn’t imagine getting out all of the dyes and paints, just to clean up a giant mess. I even thought about just letting him put some stickers on eggs. Even if I hard boiled some eggs, guaranteed all the eggs would end up cracked on the floor as my son would turn the eggs into mini footballs. So I think I’ll hold off on the real egg decorating until next year.

This year, I came up with an alternative so that we could still decorate Easter eggs. I created some fun animal Easter egg holders.

He got to color them…

Then he got to put them around plastic Easter eggs.

This was the perfect alternative to dying eggs. My son still had just as much fun!

If you want to download your own set of coloring page Easter egg holders, head over to our Facebook page. They are available for download over there, along with yesterday’s spring Easter egg holders. If you already like us on Facebook, you can find these located under the Free Gift tab on the left hand side of our Facebook page.

*All images used came from http://www.coloringbook4kids.com I just edited them to make them into Easter egg holders.