Too Cute Not To Toot

So, folks, I'm digging for new ideas!!!  Lets see how we do!

One of those "out there" projects I've wanted to put together are quiet bags for the boys - bags full of fun stuff to do to keep them quiet or to entertain them in the car, at the doctor, or even if we are at some one's home.  I love this idea that was shared over at Craftomaniac for using up Easter eggs (did I share this idea already???).  Well, even if I did - the tutorial here is fantastic so I'm sharing it anyway!

A friend of mine posted this next idea in facebook and it is from Chez Beeper Bebe.  Even though it is for something she has created and sells in her Etsy store, I love the idea.  You could easily modify this to make it something you could make at home.

Wow, this is really a dry spell.  I'm just not finding the ideas that inspire me lately.  I've run into this a few times in the past and it usually happens when there is a BIG space between holidays.  Oh well!!  At least I have less projects to want to make :-)

Painted Mason Jars with Photo Flowers

I recently posted about my niece's Bridal Shower, sharing lots of photos of all of the decor and some of the games.  Being unusually crafty, I made most of the items for the shower so, over the next few weeks, I'm going to share everything :-)

Several weeks ago, I shared two ideas in a Too Cute Not to Toot post which inspired this idea.  Those two ideas looked like this:

Obviously, the Mason Jar is pretty self explanatory as far as an idea.  The flowers are great, aren't they?  Notice that mind look nothing like that?  There is a reason for that.  Homespun with Love gave a really good tutorial that I followed to the letter but . . .for the life of me, I could not get the flowers to work.  I was pretty much at my wits end and was ready to go buy flowers to stick in my freshly painted vases when I came up with an idea. 

I then had a brainstorm and went on search for pinwheel flowers and found the perfect craft over at Alphamom.

Now THIS I could do but I wanted it to be more grown-up which is when I got the idea to print off black and white photos onto colored card stock.  (Thankfully my niece had posted her engagement photos on facebook!) 

I really thought I took photos of the process but . . .apparently I just  thought I did but I will try to explain it anyway.

1) I spray painted the mason jars avocado green - it ended up being much more lime green then I thought it would which was a GOOD thing!! 
2) Print out photos on card stock colors of your choice. Tip:  Use double sided paper since both sides of the paper will be seen.  I only copied the photo on one side thought.
3) Using the template provided from Alphamom (link above), cut out the pinwheels. Tip: When I folded the edges, I went every other direction so they folded both to the front and back since, again, both sides would be seen.
4) Hot Glue a stick to one side of the pinwheel.  (I used lollipop sticks). 
5) Create a "center" to the flower on both sides.  I used mini-cupcake liners, buttons, flower cut outs, and some sparkly dots.  Hot glue them on (this also covers the stick) 
6) Once the glue is dry, stuff the jars with shredded paper and stick the "flowers" into the jars.  (the paper will keep the flowers in place)

This project is pretty simple and is very inexpensive especially if you have mason jars and scrapbooking paper at home :-)

A Bridal Shower

I decided I better get this post up about the Bridal shower I recently co-hosted before the wedding gets here in just two short weeks! 

My niece, Alicia, is getting Married in May and we are all beyond excited about the big day.  My mom, Sister-in-law, and I worked together to throw the shower at my parents church on Saturday, April 7th.   This shower is unique because my Brother and his family live in Brazil and my parents church is their sending church.  They happen to be home this year on furlough; my niece graduated from Cedarville University almost a year ago and comes "home" periodically to my parents church.  Because of living in Brazil for so many years before college, that church is really her "home" church.  We had a great turnout and had a lot of fun. 

I'll begin with the decor and food and then share the fun photos!!

 The centerpieces on the table - all homemade :-)  Her colors for the wedding are Lime Green with some accents (like black)

 I did a dessert bar - not a "cake" so instead I made this "cake" for the table and it was also part of my gift to her.

I managed to find wrapping paper that matched the decor so I wrapped a couple of random boxes to use for height on the table.  I made Mountain Dew Cupcakes as one of the desserts.  The cupcake toppers and wrappers were from PrintCreateCelebrate and they were fantastic!! She was wonderful to work with, was able to customize what I wanted and her turn around time was quick!

 The dessert Table :-) We had cupcakes, cookies, a Chocolate Trifle, Brown Sugar Coffee Cake, and Texas Sheet Cake.  Plus we had set out some candy too. 

 The Gift table

The kisses on the table with little messages on the bottom of each one.

 Props for some of the activities

 The food!!  We had Chicken Pasta Salad, Caramel Apple Salad, Bread sticks from a local Italian place, Veggies and Dips, Pickles and Olives and then the dessert table.  The punch was my favorite - my Sister-in-Law's Green Kool-aid Punch!

Part of the decor on the table - The Bride and Groom's  (to be) Monogram.

Now for a few photos from the actual shower itself.  This is my sister-in-law (the bride-to-be's mom) Debby.   

And . . the Bride-to-be - my niece Alicia  

 The ladies were so generous!!  Alicia received so many nice, practical and fun gifts!! (That is my mom helping her . . .making a great face HA!)

 I had to share this photo - my mom quilts.  She makes beautiful quilts and, considering the fact that she "Said" she couldn't sew buttons on when we were growing up, well, she makes profession level quilts.  This was her gift to Alicia - the photo doesn't do it justice!

Finally - three of my nieces - Marisa, Kate, and Alicia.  Such fun girls!

The shower was fun - my favorite line of the day came from Marisa (who is 19) . . "Aunt Jackie, if you are still alive when I get married, you need to plan my wedding".  Seriously, Marisa, do you not plan to get married until you are 60?  I mean, I do plan do be around for a LONG time.  And wait, it gets better.  Then she said, "I don't care if my parents are still alive as long as you are so you can make everything" HAHAHAHAH  Oh, Marisa - that is why I love you!

So now, the wedding!  We are working on trying to get the boys to understand the importance of being ring bearer's as the final touches are being put together with the wedding.  It will be a great day!

Our Weekly Menu - as thrilling as it is!!

This week, when I sat down to work on our menu plan, this is what was on the table with me - two grilling books, a recipe book from a restaurant we visited in Tennessee several years ago and the Live, Laugh, Love cookbook.  Then, I made one small mistake.  I went out to Pinterest and looked at my recipe board where I spent the next hour of my day printing off recipes.  Seriously. Why the grilling books?  I told my husband that this summer I don't plan on using the oven.  I will use the crock pot, the grill, and the stove top.  That's it.  The oven heats up the house way too much.  With that in mind, I pulled out those recipe books and went in search of some crock pot recipes to add to my recipe binder.  The other recipe books just have some recipes I'd like to make but, honestly, none make the list this week!  Pinterest seemed to win out on all fronts!!

By the way, remember last week - I "submitted" to my husband and made the grocery list based on the ad . . .guess what?  I stayed under budget.  Stink - he was right HA!  It also helped that it was the store's monthly "buy 10 for $1.00 and get the 11th" free sale so there were a lot of good things for $1.00.  We'll see how this week goes!

Saturday: Even though it is Friday night while I'm writing this  - this dinner is up in the air.  I don't know if I feel like taking the boys out to the store tomorrow so if I don't, we'll have pizza, if I do, we'll have Hamburgers and French Fries :-)

Sunday: Ummm . ..well . . .my husband has to work and then has a concert so I will either throw something fun on for the boys and I or . . .we'll get Taco Bell :-)

Monday:  Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Blue, Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli (also known as Trees).  This is a new recipe found on Pinterest - hoping it is good so I can use it this summer!!

Tuesday:  The Best Pork Chops Ever, Mac and Cheese, Veggies and Bread.  This is another Pinterest recipe and yes, that is the name of it.  We really like pork so I've been looking for some new chops recipes - we'll see how this one goes.

Wednesday: Chicken and Waffles.  Yes, you read that right :-)

Thursday: Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot, Rice and Asparagus.  Yep, another Pinterest recipe but this one is also a freezer meal.  The recipe makes two batches so I am going to cook one and freeze one.  Hopefully it is good!!!

Friday:  Lasagna, Garlic Bread, and Salad.  (Or . . .. Jet's Pizza - we'll see!)

Food Friday - Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Usually, I have a about 10 recipes written up and ready to post so, by the time you read about it, it has been months since we've eaten that item.  Well, this week is different.  We actually had this for dinner last night.  See, I had planned pork for dinner tonight but had gotten no further than that.  Originally I thought I would just have my husband grill but I couldn't think of any seasoning to put on it.  Then, I ran across this recipe while going through Pinterest and, low and behold, I had everything I needed (that seldom happens).

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
adapted from C+C Marriage Factory

I love this recipe first and foremost because it is a crock pot recipe.  Secondly because the flavor of the glaze - it reminds me of something you would get in a fancy-pancy restaurant.  My husband commented and I agree that this glaze would also be great on chicken and would be FANTASTIC on pork or chicken on the grill because it would crystallize and get all crusty.  The recipe provides specific seasonings for the pork loin . .. next time I personally would not use sage but rather I would just rub in some Nature's Seasoning (my seasoning of choice) into the meat and then follow the directions for the glazing at the end.

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side

What I'm Reading . . .well, not really :-)

I don't really have any specific books to tell you about today.  I've read a few books, stopped reading a few because they were awful . . .but instead of that I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things today and get back to the books next week :-)

Guess what? Tassimo has finally gotten my favorite drink back on the shelf!!  We stopped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond on Tuesday because I heard a rumor they were heading back into stores and I was so thrilled to see that wonderful package!!  It was the best thing ever to make a cup of coffee on Wednesday morning :-)

I forgot how much I love Tomato Soup :-)  This has become my lunch of choice lately and I just love it.  I had it for lunch for all 6 weeks I was in the hospital while pregnent with Josh (and sometimes I had it with dinner too)

I have discovered Sprite Zero and love it.  Here's the truth - I'm not a water drinker; I love the fizzy goodness of a soft drink and that is when it hit me.  It isn't so much that I love Pepsi (which I do) but rather I love carbination!!  Sprite Zero is perfect .. it is light and lemony and . . .fizzy :-) 

I had forgotten about Skinny Cow frozen treats but they were on sale last week so I picked up some ice cream sandwiches and they are so good.  Plus it is a great way to have portion control!


Kinda funny that most all of the things I'm loving are related to food :-)   I was really getting bored with some things I was eating/drinking so I went back to the basics and found things I really love :-)

What about you??  What are some of your favorites???

Time Management

To be honest, this is the post I was going to write for Monday but, Sunday night, I was tired :-)  Better late than never, right  It is kind of fitting considering the topic is Time Management . .:-/ 

Courney at Women Living Well is hosting a 5 week series around Disciplines.  She is picking one descipline a week to work on over the course of the 5 weeks. This week she is working on Time Management.  If you have read this blog for long, you probably know that I'm a list maker; a scheduler; and am always trying to find new ways to make things more effecient.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm really not that effecient but I like to THINK of ways I MIGHT be HA! 

Time management is something that I struggle with now that I have kids.  Before kids, I could write my To Do list with all of the items I needed to get done, attach a time to each item and get everything done.  Now, I can write that same list, and get nothing done!  I'm also good at making excuses like "I can do it tomorrow" or "I just don't have time" even though I'm sitting in front of the computer reading facebook status' when I say that excuse!  The other thing I've found that I do is I write up a great schedule (I did this recently) that fits everything in perfectly but it is so unrealistic. (This most recent schedule had me getting up at 5:00 AM . . .that is not happening - no way, no how!)   With this in mind, I've been working to create something that will fit my life and embrace the fact that I have the privilage to be a stay at home mom which means I actually have freedom with my schedule - there is no "work" schedule to have to work around. 

I had a couple of "light-bulb" moments.  One, I am not a morning person.  Now, this is not a new thought at all.  I've known I'm not a morning person since I was born, I think.  (For the record, I come from a long line of non-morning people, my husband is not one and it appears that neither of my kids are either!!)  I really do not function well until about 10:00 AM.  That doesn't mean I'm not up accomlishing what HAS to be done, but it does mean that really trying to have a strict schedule prior to that just makes my grumpy!!!  Two, kids will make everything take longer because they are needy  . . . .and I love it :-)  Most days HA!  My boys are getting old enough to understand that there are things that I have to get done as long as the trade off is that I'll read to them later or play outside or whatever.  Plus they are becoming more and more independent which is nice too!  Finally, for me, Time Management, means that I need to not waste time doing things that aren't really important.  There is a fine line between doing things I enjoy and wasting time doing those things.  For example, I really enjoy Facebook - I enjoy the interraction with friends and family and seeing what people are up to.  I find some days, though, that after "catching up" (a 5 minute task), I sit in front of the computer and just keep clicking to see if anything new comes up . . .or writing "just one more comment" and pretty soon, 30 minutes has passed.  I also love to read and reading is a great way to take a break and relax but some days, I put off doing other tasks in order to read one more chapter - it's a great excuse . . "I'll do (whatever needs to be done) as soon as I finish the chapter" . .until the morning is gone! 

With all of that said, I am, and have been working, on coming up with a schedule that works for me and this is the current state of that affair!

7:00-10:00 AM - Get up and wait for the Munchkin to Arrive.
-- Both of my kids get up during this time from and eat breakfast
-- I eat breakfast, check facebook, read blogs, take my shower and get ready
-- I get the boys dressed and also get the Munchkin up from his morning sleep
** This time allows me lots of freedom - if the boys sleep late, after I put the Munchkin down for his nap, I'll kick back in the recliner and watch the morning news until they do get up; I'm able to catch up on computer stuff without feeling bad; and it allows me time to wake up and my kids to wake up before we really have to function.  One item that I feel like I don't have time for is my quiet time but I usually sit at the table and eat breakfast while just reading my Kindle - I had the realization as I wrote this that I could actually have my quiet time while eating breakfast.  I like my kids to see me reading my Bible as an example so this would be perfect.  That is something I need to start incorporating!!

10:00-11:00 - Daily Routine Items
-- Do the Daily cleaning
-- Do Daily Routine Items (I.e. Monday is Pick up and Put away day; Wednesday is the day I write the menu and so on)
-- Make sure my morning routine is done
-- If time, tackle any odd items on my to do list
** I have assigned a room a day to clean (I.e. Monday is the bathroom, Tuesday is the kitchen and so on) and I have a detailed cleaning list to do each week that takes about 30 minutes to get through each day.  This is also when I start laundry on laundry days - which now that my washer is working like a dream again, I only do about every 3 days.  During this time I do dinner prep, if need, such as getting dinner in the crock pot or gathering stuff for the meal so I know I have everything.  Finally, I always have a to do list so if there is time left in this hour, I will start to work on some of those items.

11:00-12:00 - Kid time, prep for lunch
-- Focus on the kids by reading, playing, coloring - whatever they are doing. 
-- Starting the Afternoon routine which begins with getting lunch on the table by about noon.
** There isn't a lot of explanation here.  Some days the kids are very into playing something together so then I use this time to catch up on computer stuff, fold laundry, or doing something on my to do list. 

12:00-1:00 - Lunch Time
-- We eat lunch, clean up, and this is free time for me - if I have time I read or whatever until 1:00

1:00-2:00 - Project Time
-- Work on projects on my list
** The kids are usually pretty content during this time so I like to use it for projects - everything from painting in a room (like the kitchen!!) to doing craft projects or working on some scrapbooking - it all depends on what has hit my to do list for the week. 

2:00-3:00 - Down time
** I have learned to give myself some down time in the afternoon.  This time frame is when I have no motivation - consistently.  (And, as I thought back to even when I really "worked" ;-) this was the worst time of day for me - as a matter of fact, eventually, I moved my lunch time to this hour so I could come home and chill !!)  I put the munchkin down for his nap and then will often use this time to read - either inside or out depending on where the boys are.  I've even been trying to not use this time for the computer but sometimes - it is also a great time to write future blog posts.  If I happen to have lots of energy for some reason - I will work on a project, fold laundry, or clean. 

3:00-7:30 - The Crazy Hours
-- Snack time, get the munchkin up (3:30), and get everyone content again - this time seems to be when kids get cranky as they need something to eat!
-- Prep for dinner, cook dinner, eat dinner (usually at 5:00 or 5:30) and clean up
-- Family time, bath time (6:30) and bedtime for the kids (7:30) 
** I call these the crazy hours because, well, they are.  From about 3:00 or 3:30 I go pretty non-stop until the kids go to bed.  Between the Munchkin leaving, my husband coming home, getting dinner on and then cleaned up, putting away the last load of laundry on laundry day, clean up, bathtime and bedtime - I feel like I've run a marathon on some days!  This is also the time that I tend to run the vacuum - while the kids are starting their bath and the floor is cleaned up of toys. 

7:30-9:30 - Adult, Relaxing time
-- Relax :-)
**  This is when we kick back in the quiet, watch our favorite shows, play on our computers and chat.  I've been trying to go to bed closer to 9:30 but it doesn't always happen. 

The one thing that I have not fit in yet is exercise - I've got some creative ideas I'll share when I actually do them but it is a work in progress.

We do have things that change our schedule - errands and such.  Those items just replace something in a time frame . For example, last Thursday, we ran errands from 11:00-12:00 so that was our fun time (and yes, the kids had fun).  Plus 2-3 nights a week my husband or I have commitments - he has practice for the group he is in, I have choir practice and right now, I have photography class.  We just fit that stuff in and it works.  I've learned it is ok if something gets missed on a week :-) 

Yes, my plan is evolving but it is actually working.  I started this plan about a month ago and it has really helped me stay focused better.  I no longer feel like there isn't time to get certain things done but rather am accomplishing more because there is time for it!!  I already know that our schedule will need to change slightly this fall as I'll be starting some preschool things with Josh that will need a specific time frame but it won't start before 10:00 :-)