We're Back.....

Posted By: Kristi

I know, we have been MIA. Sorry about that! Good news is that we have been enjoying some time with our family and friends. 

Christmas was WONDERFUL! We are blessed in many ways!

I still have a ton of projects I need to start but lately projects have been on the back burner. Shopping, wrapping, cooking and eating (a ton) have been the priority. I did however, make tutus for our nieces. One for each niece and one to match for each of their American Dolls. Click here for Stephanie's tutorial.

I came across an easier way to cut the tool. Go here for an awesome tutorial. HUGE time saver!

 

I have some great news! Carson gave me a new (super awesome) camera for Christmas! That means no more cell phone pics. YAY!

I have some fun projects coming up and can't wait to share them! Thanks for sticking with us!

The Feeling of Christmas

Posted By: Kristi

Finally, it feels like Christmas! To get in the Christmas spirit I have baked cookies, bought presents and donated them, bought presents for the family and wrapped them and went to a couple parties. All of that and it still didn't feel like Christmas was approaching. It wasn't until we went to cut down our Christmas tree this weekend and decorated our home that the feeling of Christmas finally set in.

The last couple of years we have cut down our own tree at the tree farm. We have a lot of fun doing it and will continue the tradition when we have kids. This year, we bought two trees. One for upstairs and a little one for downstairs.

 HA! This picture makes the tree look super crooked, it's not...really. = )

 Carson sprayed our little tree with flock. I LOVE this tree!

Our stockings are hung.

Now we just wait for Santa. = )

What gets you in the Christmas spirit?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Craft Room Table/Desk

Posted By: Kristi

Brrrrrr, it's cold here! I am snuggled up in blankets as I type this with hopes of snow. I have many projects to work on but most of them require me to be outside and that is not something I am interested in, like I said...brrrrrrr! Plus, many of the projects I am doing use paint and they wouldn't dry right in these temperatures. So, this leaves me with inside projects. That is fine too, I have plenty to do inside the house.

This last summer I decided to make a craft room for myself in our garage. In the summer it was the perfect place for it. Carson is always outside in the summer so I don't feel alone. In the winter I hate going out there, I love spending time around Carson (even when I do my projects) and he is inside while I am out there in the winter. It wasn't working out. We have an extra bedroom downstairs that I could use until we have a second child. We don't even have a first child yet so since that will be a while, I decided to move my craft room back into the house. This is also the room that guests will stay in when they visit. It will serve a couple purposes. I am getting closer to having everything setup, once it is complete I will post pictures. I am loving it and can't wait to get creative in my new space. The only thing I need now is a desk. I had one in the garage but it is way too large for my little room. I have all dark furniture in my craft room so I knew I wanted a white desk to brighten the room so it felt larger. I began my search.

The first desk that caught my eye was the Micke Desk from Ikea, priced at $69.00.

I love the clean lines and the price is perfect. But I wasn't sure about the size. I used painters tape and taped off the area (the size of the desk) where the desk would sit. It wasn't bad but I realized that I would like something a little longer and more narrow. I continued my search.

Next, I found the Besta Burs desk from Ikea, priced at $269.

Again, I loved the clean lines on this one. The size is perfect and the high gloss is a favorite of mine. However, $269 seems a little steep. I was having a hard time at this point because I was really LOVING this desk and felt like caving and buying it but then I found the Malm Occasional Table, also from Ikea. The Malm has a price tag of $79.99, much better!

It isn't high gloss and doesn't have drawers but drawers are not a must so I am ok with that. It is however, longer than the Besta Burs and one inch more narrow. With a $79.99 price tag, it is perfect! I am pretty sure this is the one I will be buying and I am pretty dang excited about it.

I know this is something I could easily DIY but I have too many other projects to get done so I decided not to go this route. Do you have a desk you love? Something I should buy?

Freak Out

Posted By:  Stephanie

I normally think of myself as a clear thinking person.

Calm.

I’m not one to dwell on the little things.

But sometimes…

I freak out.

I have a camera that I got for my birthday and it stopped working.

I was finally able to get a new one after A LOT of trouble because my dad didn’t have the receipt.

Here we are a month later and it’s not working.

Again.

I knew where I put the receipt in my wallet.

I felt one of my freak out episodes coming on.

I go to make sure with my eyes and hands that the receipt is still there so I could stop the feeling.

It’s not.

That’s when it happened.

The freak out.

This is when my blood pressure rises, I’m not mad, just freaking out.

Anxiety hits, something I don’t normally suffer from.

Except in situations when the freak out part of me comes out.

Nothing else matters in my freak out moment, I can only focus on the issue.

I start searching the house high and low, running like I’m in a marathon.

It’s late, Will is sleeping.

I want to run into the bedroom in the most dramatic way possible and flip on the light.

I want to say in a startling voice so he knows it is an emergency that I need help finding the receipt.

Somehow I’m able to fight the urge.

I know it isn’t realistic.

I know that Will losing sleep is in no way going to fix anything.

I know that I need to not follow through with my dramatic entrance.

Fighting the urge is hard, very hard because remember, nothing else matters right now but finding the receipt.

I continue searching.

I found the receipt and the feeling goes away immediately.

I look back and wonder why this feeling ever comes on.

Why do I freak out about small things at times but the large things in life I can be so calm about?

I don’t know the answer to these questions, nor do I think I will figure it out anytime soon.

One thing I do know is, I need a new camera.

Again.

This time I have a receipt.

Do you ever have experiences like this one?

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Toddler Tuesday - Keep the Balloon off the Ground and Mommy Moment

Posted By:  Stephanie

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I'm sure many of you have played this game some time in your life but this is also a great game to play with your toddler!  You can use one balloon or tie a few balloons together and play the same way.  Basically the only real rule is to keep the balloon from touching the ground.  This is a great game to play inside on cold days because the balloon wont hurt a thing and it will keep them busy while getting energy out at the same time.  I personally think this mindless game is super fun!

*PLEASE NOTE - Deflated balloons are a serious choking hazard that can cause permanent damage to any living thing that can swallow.*

Have you played this game with your toddler?

___________________________________________

Mommy Moment:

Yesterday while Lou was taking a bath she got up onto her knees and started pushing.  Once she sat down a log floated to the top of the water.  I grabbed it out with my bare hand and asked her "Did you do this?"  She responded "Neow" (her word for no) Me "Hmm, I think you did."  I put the poo in the toilet, washed my hands and got her out of the bath.

Thoughts on this:

I NEVER thought that I would willingly pick up poo and not even get grossed out about it.  I mean, there is NO way I would have done that in the past and I can't say I would do that for another child either.  I guess you know you are a mom when you do what you gotta do, even when that means picking up poo with your bare hand without thinking twice.

Have you had a similar poo experience?

Paleolithic Diet

Posted By: Kristi


Hello! We will have some more fun projects to share next week. Remember how I told you that our house is a bit of a mess right now? Well it has left us very little room for creating. $2,600 later (I wish insurance covered this!) and our house is almost back to how it was before the rain disaster. We feel very fortunate that more damage wasn't done but I do wish I had that extra money to spend on that rug I wanted. = )

Even though we are unable to create some fun new things we do have a lot going on around here. Only 4 more months until our wedding and we have some extra weight to lose. We have ordered books on the Paleo diet and think we are going to give it a try. Not only to lose weight but to change our lifestyle.

We ordered this book and this one. They just arrived in the mail today, I will let you know what we think. Have you heard of or tried the Paleo diet? What are your thoughts on it?

In case you don't know, the Paleo diet is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet. Centered on commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

If you have any recipes to share I would love for you to send them my way. Anything helps, I am very new to this way of living.


THANKS!! We hope you are all doing well and are staying warm!

Simple but Brilliant Cleaning Tips

Posted By: Kristi

Real Simple magazine has shared some really awesome cleaning tips that I had never heard of before; so amazing that I had to quickly sign onto our blog to share with you! I have been getting Real Simple mailed to me for about a year now and it is one of my favorites. Some issues aren't as informative as others but I got such a great deal on my subscription so it is no big deal! Plus, some issues are super fab!

 

Cooking Spray as Candlestick Cleaner

Celebrating by candlelight? Spray the inside of a votive holder with a thin coating before dropping in a tea light. After the candle has burned down, the remaining wax will slip out.

Dryer Sheet as Iron Cleaner

Remove gunk from the soleplate of an iron. With the setting on low, rub the iron over the dryer sheet until the residue disappears, and you're left with a pristine press.

Emery Board as Stain Remover

Remove small stains from suede by gently rubbing the file (either side) across the problem area a few times to get rid of the splotch and refresh the nap.

Cornmeal as Grease Absorber

Add this to the grocery shopping list for new reasons. Cornmeal absorbs grease on light colored fabric or upholstery. Pour enough on to cover the soiled area and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Vacuum to remove the grains.

Hair Dryer as Sticker Remover

A little hot air quickly loosens price labels—with zero fingernail-chipping frustration.

Vinegar as Garbage Disposal Deodorizer

Deodorize a garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain.

Zippered Plastic Bag as Wax Remover

To freeze wax so you can remove it from a tablecloth, fill a plastic bag with ice cubes and cover the wax with it for about 20 minutes.

Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner

To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. The best part? You'll have a house that smells like a lemon grove rather than chemicals.

Lemonade Kool-Aid as Dishwasher Cleaner

Clean lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher by pouring a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and running the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don't have to.

Nail Polish as Rust Preventer

Coat the bottom of a shaving-cream can to fend off rust rings on the ledge of the tub.

Salt as Egg Cleanup

Sop up a spilled egg by sprinkling salt over the mess. Wait two minutes and wipe it up.

 WD-40 as Crayon Cleanup

To remove crayon marks apply just a small amount to almost any surface (plastic, metal, TV screens, freshly painted walls) and rub away with a clean cloth.

 White Bread as Painting Cleaner

To clean an oil painting, softly rub a piece of white bread over it to remove dust or dirt.

 Great tips, right? We will continue to share more as we come across them!

Pine Cone Door Hang Decoration

Posted By:  Stephanie

Two Thursdays ago Lou and I went over to visit and have a craft day with my friend Breanna from Dollar Store Mom.  Our day was cut a little short when Little Lou was very tired and made it clear that I needed to focus on her need for a nap, not my crafts.  Before we left I did manage to get small a craft underway.

I had seen a similar idea in a magazine with pine cones hanging from the back of chairs in a dining room.  I really liked the idea but I knew that anything hanging from the back of chairs in our house wouldn't last but two minutes - if I was lucky.

I gathered 5 pine cones that I had from previous years.  They are the ones that you can get in the stores that have the yummy smell on them.  These don't smell anymore but I still had them, knowing I would find a project for them some day.

Using my glue gun I put some glue on white ribbon I found for $1 in the craft section at Wal-Mart.  I'm lucky to have one of the only clean nice Wal-Marts that exist.

Then I pressed the ribbon onto the pine cone and set it out to completely dry doing this will all 5 pine cones.  This is were I left off and had to go home for nap time.

Once I was able to pick back up on the little project I held up the pine cones on the ribbons and adjusted them how I wanted them to hang.  I glued each layer of ribbon to keep them in place.

With the same ribbon I made a bow and glued it on top where it would cover the glue that was soaking through from where I glued all the pieces together.  I trimmed the longer pieces on top so that you can't see above the bow.

Last step was to make a loop to hang the pine cone door hang from.  I made a loop and glued it on the back. As you can see the back isn't all that attractive, that's why it's the back, right?

I love how it turned out.  I really like the white and that it is a subtle decoration, we have a lot of the traditional red and green inside, the white is kind of nice.

What do you hang on your door?

CD's Made Candle Holder

Posted By: Kristi

Hello! I hope you all had a very nice weekend and a fabulous Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving with our family was very nice, as always. We stayed up with all the other crazy people out there and shopped on Black Friday. It is a tradition that Steph and I have been doing since I can remember. I have to admit, I didn't like that some of the stores opened at midnight. I prefer the excitement of waking up early and beating the crowds! It was still fun, just not the same.

Last week we had some not so good stuff happen to our home. It was raining so hard that some of the rain found its way through our basement window seals and drenched the carpets. They were SOAKED! We called Stanley Steamer and they quickly came to our rescue. They had to remove the rug pad and extract all of the water. They put holes in the bottom of the wall to make sure that all of the water was gone. It has been a mess around here to say the least. Insurance doesn't cover this kind of damage so as of now we have spent $1,800! BOO! We still have to buy a new carpet pad and get the carpet put back down. The biggest bummer is that the carpet is only a year old. Oh-well, it will all be ok. = )

Here is a fun and easy project for you to try, it only takes 10 minutes!

You will need a mug and two CD's

Preheat your oven to 375. Place the CD's on top of each other (shiny sides out) and place them on top of an oven safe mug.

Carefully place the mug with the CD's on top in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once 10 minutes has passed, remove the mug from the oven and let it cool.

Once cooled add a candle.

I LOVE that it has a mercury glass feel to it!

Note: I think it could be especially cool if you used a mug with a smaller circumference and then left it in the oven just a little longer. If you try this, please send us a picture. = )

Have a great week everyone!