DIY Fabric Rose Hair Piece

Alright, so Thanksgiving is fast approaching which means I am already behind on getting my family portraits done for the Christmas cards. What else is new?! I did go yesterday and get some pictures of the kids done at a portrait studio... ugh! So not fun. Jed just came into this world with a serious demeanor, and, while he definitely smiles and laughs, he does not do this for just anybody... and especially not if you are trying really hard. Addy is 3; pretty sure that's enough said right there, but, in case it isn't, she can only handle so many directions before she completely wigs out and your directions might as well be spoken in Swahili because she's lost her ability to understand them. Needless to say, this time I did not have the problem of "so many good pictures it's hard to pick just one;" I had the problem of "Um, which one is tolerable enough to look at in a picture frame until I get around to doing this again?" At least I really like looking at my kids faces no matter the expression on them.

I want my kids and Mike and me to all coordinate for our family Christmas pictures, totally a "mom-thing" I suppose. So I picked up some fabric that will pick up on the varying shades of blue, green and gray in all our eyes and decided that I SHALL do something with said fabric! I made a little button down shirt for Jed that I accented with cow print from a pattern I had laying around, but stopped shy of the button holes. Not sure why, but button holes scare me. Also, I made a mistake. I am still contemplating whether or not I want to go back and seam rip and resew or figure out some way to make it work as is. Me and patterns do not play nicely together and I HATE seam-ripping and resewing. I was going to sew up a little dress for Addy in the same fabric, but I am not so good at making the underarm part and seem to need to rip out and resew everytime I made something with arm holes at least once...

Can you tell not everything is perfect in my crafting world?!

Finally, as the picture appointment got closer and the thought of family pictures is beginning to move to the forefront of my brain, the need for simplicity over took me.

I got the idea to make a hair piece for Addy and a tie for Jed. EASY! FAST! CUTE! SIMPLE! I took my professional pictures of the kids with these accessories and I like the subtle matchy-ness. I am planning on making bigger adult versions for Mike and I for our Christmas card family pictures. This makes me happy.


Fabric Rose Hair Piece:
Need 2 contrasting pieces of fabric (like 2 pieces of 2.5"x6" or so for leaves and contrasting piece of 2.5" by 18+" for rose)
Fabric Glue
Hot Glue
Scrap piece of felt (2" by 2")
Hair Clip
Piece of 3/8 ribbon (about 6")
Optional: Headband and scrap piece of ribbon (about 1" wide)

Cut 2.5" wide strip of fabric about 18" in length. I am using a cheap Walmart cotton print. COW PRINT! Cow print makes me happy. (Note: the measurements can be wider or thinner, longer or shorter depending on what you want your rose to look like) I used scissors to start my cut and then I ripped my "cut" by hand the rest of the way. Ripping is a great way to ensure you are on the grain, keep your cut straight, and, if you like the slightly frayed look of my rose, ripping will help you achieve this.

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise.
Make a knot at the end of your fabric.
You will make your rose by wrapping fabric around the knot, twisting it a 1/2 turn ever so often. This will make your rose petal affect. (Get some practice in before you start glueing and figure out how loose or tight you want your rose to look.)
Now start make your petals and glue as you go.
To finish your rose, take a little bit of left-over fabric and glue it to underside of rose. Be very generous with your glue.
Rose is complete. Now to add the leaves...
Cut out 2 pieces of fabrics, roughly 2.5"x6."
Fold in half lengthwise and pinch in the middle.
Keeping your fingers pinching the middle of the fabric, bring the two ends together flat against each other. It should look like this:
Twist in the middle to get your leaf like so:
Glue to back of rose and repeat for 2nd leaf.
Cut out a oval-ish shaped piece of felt and glue to back of rose.
Because I have trust issues with fabric glue: I made a couple of hidden stitches on the inside of the "petals" through to the back just to make sure this rose would NEVER fall apart. I think in retrospect I was being overly paranoid, so I will say this is "optional" (but definitely worth considering if you loathe unraveled fabric roses no matter how long it lasted prior to unraveling or how slim the possibility is of it actually falling apart. I obviously would loathe this.)

Warm up your hot glue gun. To cover your hair clip with ribbon (this is great for baby fine hair... it stays in place better and is less likely to take their precious hair with it when they pull it out) place ribbon on inside of clip as far as it can go and wrap around to the top side to find our where to put your hot glue. Put hot glue on ribbon and put in place.
Wrap the remaining piece of ribbon around top end of clip to see where to make your cut. Cut and then hot glue. Repeat for bottom of hair clip.
Hot glue hair clip to ribbon.
You could stop here and have a great hair clip.
Our you can use it on a head band.
To make it a head band: Get a head band. Take piece of ribbon and wrap it around part of head band where you would like your flower clip to go. Wrap ribbon loose enough for hair clip to fit through it. Glue ribbon in place on the back side of head band. Slide hair clip in... Et Voila!
Friendly Fabric Flowers and Funny Faces make for Fabulous Photos... Boom! Try saying that one 10x's fast!
Sorry Addy, I made it; it's mine now. HA! Just kidding. I need to make another for me. I am thinking larger and doing the opposite fabrics for mine. :) Love this project. If you know me, you can probably expect to see fabric flowers attached randomly to something on my person... well maybe occasionally. They don't take much time... but they do take some time... ha!

This project took me LESS than an hour. I have a major irritation with blogs that have these amazingly cool projects that claim to be "nap-time" projects and always turn into nap-time+the rest of my afternoon+bedtime projects. Maybe I am not very talented or fast, but don't sell me an idea promising it will take less than an hour, unless it will for the average not-super-crafty person. Because, seriously, the average person is NOT super crafty. Okay, wow, didn't mean to rant, but apparently I needed to get that one off my chest.

Because not everything is perfect in a crafting world... Notes from this project:
  • If this is your first time making fabric flowers, allot time for playing around with fabric.
  • The first time I made a rose, it came undone because either I didn't put enough glue on or I didn't let glue set. Either way, I have been cautious since, and haven't had another incident.
  • Only other notation: This project actually was as easy as it looks! Sa-weet!

Look forward to my next blog post: DIY Baby Tie. Depending on my ability to pack and clean for our weekend road-trip, it should be forth-coming tomorrow.

This One's for the Guys: Romance

I have a feeling, I could be wrong though, that this will be my least read post to date (well, next to my cloth diapers posts... what's up with hardly anyone being interested in those... oh, that's right, they are about diapers. If you aren't diapering, you are NOT interested in diapering. Ha!) I don't know, maybe the guys will surprise me. Either that or all the curious women shall read this post... of course there is stuff in here for you too ladies. We will shall see.

This last weekend, my husband and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. And I have got to say, my husband kicked butt. Not that we somehow have this perfect marriage or that he always gets it right. He doesn't. (Of course, I love him as he is anyways.)

But this time, he got it right. These moments need to be cherished, written down, and reread so I can remember, lest I forget, that I am married to an amazing man.

I got a beautiful necklace and earring set by my favorite jewelry designer, Holly Yashi. I would describe it as classic beauty meets earth-loving hippie. That pretty much describes what my style would be if I had an unlimited budget and an unlimited amount of time to style myself every day. It's not fine jewelry, but it's made from cool materials, it's great quality and it's by a local artist... so it's not cheap.

He made reservations for a local restaurant... the kind that you dress nice for, choose your wine based on your food, hope to God you are using the right fork, costs well over $100 for 2 people and comes complete with a chef with a French accent. The restaurant happened to be attached to the same place we spent our first night those many moons ago. Good choice husband!

But here's the thing. My favorite part of the anniversary gift was the cheesy, handwritten love letter on binder paper attached to the jewelry box. It actually made me cry (yes I am totally a girl, but I do not cry over everything.) My favorite part of dinner wasn't the crab cakes, the walu steak with the macadamian gastrique sauce, or the creme brulee; it was the walk we took after dinner through the garden. Mike pulled me into the empty wedding tent in the middle of the garden and we waltzed by moonlight while singing our song, "Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you..."

On our after dinner walk. :)

Guys, I gotta tell you, every woman who just read my last paragraph let out a big sigh "Awe." Every woman wants to be loved, cherished, ROMANCED. It's not about budget; it's about... wait for it... you aren't going to like it... wait for it...the THOUGHT. A woman wants to feel like she's the only woman in the room that you see, she wants to feel special, one-of-a-kind, and loved unconditionally. She needs you to create those thoughtful, special moments. I gotta let you in on a little secret that will set you up for Romance. Women don't make sense. Men furrow their eyebrows, scratch their heads and try to make sense of the ways of a woman... just stop. We don't make sense. We like gifts that don't make sense. Shoes that don't make sense. Shoot most of our conversations don't make sense. So, all you have to do, dear man, is do something that doesn't make much sense (at least to you... let's hope it makes a little sense to her) and you are golden!

I want to remind you of something we all know: All women want romance. All guys want sex. Man, you want the sex: give the girl her romance and she will blow your mind. And ladies, same deal: you want your man to be romantic, keep him better than satisfied.


I just started reading this book by Jentezen Franklin called The Fasting Edge. Albeit a fairly crazy comparison here (since when does the spiritual practice of fasting have anything to do with romance?!), but track with me here. Jentezen Franklin opens his book by talking about axes. A sharp axe cuts through far more trees than a dull axe. A dull axe is actually dangerous. Stopping to sharpen your axe actually benefits you in the long run. His point is that every now and again Christians need to break out of their routine and fast to get their axe sharp again. I think the same basic principle can be applied to marriage. Every now and again, you got to break out of the routine of your marriage and spend time caught up in Romance, and, yes, men, more sex too. Don't let your marriage get dull! Maybe you use the standard holidays (anniversary and Valentines's Day) to sharpen your marriage or maybe it's completely spur of the moment. Routine is so easy to fall into and so hard to break out of, and while routine is fine, eventually a marriage grows dull in that routine. Every now and again, you gotta sharpen that axe.


So here is my simple plea: Break out of your routine and romance the girl. Your woman needs it, and, perhaps, your marriage needs it. You will not regret this. Buy the flowers. If you have no money, pick some flowers. But don't stop there, leave the note attached to the flowers that says what your favorite curve of her body is or the moment you first fell in love with her. Help the mother of your child around the house. Do the dishes. But don't stop there, leave a post-it note on the dishwasher telling her how much you appreciate all she does around the house. Take your woman out on a date. But don't stop there, whisk her to her feet and dance with her in the restaurant, on the sidewalk, or in the parking lot. Oh and by the way, women don't care how terrible you dance. So spin her around like you know what you are doing, dip her (carefully), and kiss her.

The point: Don't just throw down money on flowers or dinner or jewelry and think that money just bought you a romance pass and you are now relieved from further romantic notions for at least 6 months time (and you certainly better not set your alarm in your iphone calendar to go off in six months to remind you to do that romance again... sorry men, women just do not work like that. There is no formula. Actually, now that I think about it, sure, remind yourself if that's what it takes; just don't tell your significant other it took an alarm to get you to be romantic. Ha!). Do that little bit extra: the love note, burning "your song" to a cd so it can play in the car on your way to dinner, the dancing, the sweet words, opening every single door including the car door, pulling out her chair...  And if you have no money, just do the little bit extra. Your special someone will not let you regret this.

(And ladies, allow your man to be romantic. Do not nit-pick his attempts like we can sometimes do. Don't laugh or scoff at his attempts. No one likes to be laughed at while they are making themselves vulnerable. Romance makes most men vulnerable because for most men it does not come natural. Recognize that men do not think like we think, and the things that seem super obvious to us make absolutely no sense to him. You see your man attempting romance, encourage him, appreciate it, and write it down or take a picture of it so when you start to forget it you can remember that you have a wonderful man. We want him to have the chance to practice Romance, and like anything practiced, he will get better at it over time. The point is to encourage him.)

Alright, there it is. Two words that sum up this entire post: ROMANCE. SEX. There you go.


Oh, and if you want more help/ideas in this area or have found yourself with a "dull" marriage, do check out Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage. It is the BEST series on marriage I have ever heard. I learned so many basic principles, got to better understand the mind of a man as well as my own mind, and I laughed the entire time while doing it. The guy, Mark Gungor, is hilarious! (And, hey, might not be a bad idea to check around local churches to see if any are doing or have done this series to try to get your hands on the DVDs)

DIY Cloth Wipes and Wipes Solution



While researching cloth diapers, I gave the only friend I knew of who CD'd a bombardment of questions and along with a ton of other information, she said that she also used cloth wipes. Her logic: if you already have to clean diapers, might as well do the wipes too.

Makes sense to me.

She even told me how she made her own wipes. Thank you friend!

More money saved!

To make my own wipes I took 2 pieces of 9"x9" baby flannel fabric and sewed them together using a tight zigzag stitch (practice on some scraps till you find what you like. I had my machine set to the widest zigzag setting and then had my stitch set to a little over a "1"). This project ended up being a great chance to use up some of my funky leftover thread that was cluttering my sewing drawers. The corners were a wee bit tricky, but other than that it was easy. A little time consuming, but easy. Confession: this project made me have dreams of owning a serger. So if you are blessed with a serger, serge away knowing there are girls out there suffering from a small case of serger-envy.

I bought 4 different baby boy fabrics in 1/4yd measurements. And 1 yd of a plain baby blue and white stripe for the backside of the wipe.

Tip: Tell the person behind the cutting counter that you want 1/4 yd. from grain to grain so you actually have 9 inches of usable fabric. My wipes ended up smaller than I wanted because the cuts were slanted.


These wipes are SO soft. Confession: after making these for my son I was tempted for one brief second to get rid of toilet paper in the house and use these luxurious guys. Then I realized how much nasty laundry that would make for me and the idea was gone just as quickly as it had came. But seriously, these wipes are so soft, so durable, and after four months of usage, I have only had one diaper change that required more than one wipe. My son has one happy little heiney!

This momma, who was definitely nesting at the time she made them, loved her fabric choices. Now that my son is 4 months and the thought is looming over me that one wipe per diaper change will not do the trick when I start him on solids and I will need to make more... I realize: They are wipes. Wipes. For poop. Do they really need to be cute? Ha! Okay, maybe a little... what is it about moms wanting all things to be cute for their babies... even wipes?! Now, my next project will be turning an old t-shirt and a couple of receiving blankets from my abundant stash into wipes. No baby pirate print, but they will do the trick.


For the Wipes Solution, just plain old water could do the trick, but for the sake of a smoother and softer baby bum I make my own solution.



Need:
  • Hairspray bottle (these bottles makes for the gentlest spray on a baby's bum. Way better than a spray bottle.)
  • 1 squirt of Aloe Vera (about a tsp)-this will keep your baby's bum nice and fresh
  • 1 squirt of Baby Oil (about a tsp)- this helps keep your baby's bum soft. Little bit of oil also helps the mess come off nice and easy. (Olive oil could also be used for you all-natural momma's... I use baby oil because, well, I guess I like to have something that positively affects my sense of smell when working with stuff that negatively affects my sense of smell.)
  • 1 small squirt of Calendula cream (about 1/2 tsp only because too much will clog your spray pump) (optional): this is a great all-natural diaper rash treatment. I usually add this too, but I am out. 
Put ingredients into a clean bottle and add water till bottle is full. Shake before each use.

This bottle lasts me a little over a month.

Please note: Though I did some research before making solution, and I am positive I am not the only one that uses a solution like this, I am not a medical professional and this has only been tested on my son's bum. Use at your own risk.

So Far...: My Thoughts on Cloth Diapering

My son is coming up on 5 months old, which means I have been cloth diapering for 4 months. I have saved somewhere between $240 and $320 on diapers, of course, I have probably spent $200 on buying some extra covers and the next size up in prefolds. But considering Jed won't outgrow this size of prefolds till after he's one year and does not need another diaper cover... We are going to start seeing about $60 a month staying in our pockets. (Does that mean I can go shopping?!)

I still like CDing. I can't say I LOVE it,--they are DIAPERS, people!--but I do like it better than disposables. I figured I better write my thoughts on it now because in one month we will be starting solid foods.  My opinion could change... we'll see. (To see my first thoughts, as well as my pro and con list to CDing click here.)

Last night, I had one of those desperate diaper moments. You know, when you realize you are completely out and no there is not an extra one hanging out in the car or hidden in the diaper bag. Between celebrating our anniversary to having to be at church early Sunday and then also needing to spend some time at my parents, we did not get our diapers cleaned in a timely fashion. So, here's the discovery I made: an old dish towel will do the trick. Prefolds definitely work better, but the dish towel saved our night. So there you go, one more benefit to CDing... when you find yourself diaperless... improvise with anything cloth that can absorb liquid.

I have finally settled on my favorite diapers. I like the Flip covers with a mix of prefolds and inserts. I love the Flips because the velcro is "sticky." I like that they give me the option of either using inserts or prefolds. One of my favorite things about them is that the piping around the legs is out of the same color fabric as the entire cover rather than being white. White piping holds stains and my diaper covers that have it look nasty at this point. It's a really a simple, rather shallow thing, but seriously poo stains look icky... so thank you Flip for taking this into consideration!

Here's a Happy Heiney's cover and a Flip cover so you can see this white piping of which I speak.



A good ol' angel folded prefold holds more liquid and prevent more blowouts than any other method I've tried... but it takes time. Time is precious. So I use prefolds at night and in the morning till Jed's morning BM (I know, seems like TMI right? But this whole post is dedicated to diapers so...) The rest of the day I use an insert (well until I run out, I haven't purchased many of these things yet). No snappi's, no folding, just stick it the cover and you are good to go. When I run our of inserts, I use a prefold folded in thirds and just stick it in the cover like I would an insert.

In case you are curious or clueless, here is a 1) an angel-folded prefold with a snappi, 2) a prefold folded in 3rds placed in a Flip cover, and 3) a Flip insert in a Flip cover.

 My favorite item for cloth diapers are LEG WARMERS!!!  But if you read my blog, you already know this. If you stumbled across this blog as a momma-to-be doing so research on cloth diapers, click on the leg-warmers link and make yourself some while you are nesting. You will NOT regret this :)

Oh and one more thing to mention, Jed has only managed to blow through ONE diaper cover onto his clothes, so his clothes are poo-stain-free and so are mine (ever have had that precious baby sitting on your lap poop through their clothes onto yours?! And, of course, you brought them a change of clothes, but you, well... you get to proudly sport that poo stain on your white shorts for the duration of that summer BBQ). 

That's pretty much it. I like cloth diapering. I do not regret my decision. So far I have saved the planet from roughly 1080 diapers (that's 10 diapers a day in the first 2 months and 8 diapers a day in the most recent 2 months) sitting in a land fill, I have made it into the black with my savings... over $40 now, and will continue to increase the savings by about $60 a month now, and even if I should decide to stop when we get to solid foods because I don't want to handle that much poop that closely (I am still traumatized from Addy's potty training "adventure." What can I say? I am sure I will recover, but definitely not any time soon... ha!) I will still come out on top. Reminds me of the saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." I ventured, and I have gained!

I will report back when get to solid food. Till then...

Looking Back: Wedding Day!

Sometimes you look at your wedding album and it feels like it happened just yesterday.

Sometimes you look at your wedding album and it feels like an entire lifetime ago. Today, it feels like my wedding didn't happen in my lifetime. Michael has changed jobs 11 times in less than 4 years (Only 2 of those times was it by choice... and he has never been fired. Perhaps, this economy has been a bit rough on us, but then it seems like it's been rough on a lot of people...). We have moved 4 times in less than 4 years. We had a miscarriage. We have brought 2 children into the world.  We've vacationed a few times. A whole lot of set-backs and triumphs... life seems full of them, and some seasons of life seem to hold more than others.

Since this weekend we celebrate 6 years of marriage, I want my wedding day to feel like it was just yesterday.

And so...

I pull out the pictures. I look back.

Michael and I had known each other for 5 years prior to dating. We were friends. Not close ones. Just friends. We went to church together and served in the youth group together. He was one of my brother's closest friends. I was the girl who broke his friend's heart. It's not that we didn't like each other, we just didn't think of each other.

Then...

He asked me out for a burger.

I didn't even get the burger with him. But that proposition changed everything. Michael was now at the forefront of my life. It's a story for another time (a good one too... I think it makes the story of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe pale by comparison... but then I might be a little biased. It is my love story after all).

So here's the very short version: We dated for a month. We were engaged for 3 months. We fell in love, hard and fast. Perhaps the short span of courtship time just convinced you of my craziness, but I haven't regretted it for a single moment. Sometimes you just know.

We knew.

Enter November 13, 2005. It was a Sunday. We chose Sunday because, well, when you are planning a wedding in 3 months on a tight budget, you take what you can get. The sun was shining, the air was brisk. Maybe it's cliche, but it really was a beautiful fall day.
I remember putting the dress on and the tears my mom cried. Good thing she bought the super-duper water-proof mascara. My mom cried a lot. I love you mom!

My husband bought his groomsmen air soft guns for gifts. Not very traditional, or sentimental for that matter. But I don't think most guys care about all that.

I remember the anticipation, stepping out onto the first day of the rest of my life, knowing my life would never be the same. (In fact, there was so much "anticipation"... I literally showed up to the rehearsal the night before puking... like really, got out of the car, and, as Mike came out to greet me, I retched into the bush in front of the church. I had a large group of women and girls praying fervently for my nervous tummy. What if I showed up to the wedding in the same fashion?! It was not funny at the time, but looking back, it's hilarious! I would be the girl who gets sick! Fortunately, on the day of the wedding the prayers worked, and, while I was not 100 percent, I did not puke on the preacher's shoes.)

We chose the song "She Walked In" by Detour 180 to walk down the aisle to. Alternative Rock song by a barely known Aussie band; totally suits Michael and I. "And here I am waiting I'm waiting for you With arms outstretched. And here I am longing I'm longing for you For you" Cue big dramatic rock pick up and then the fall, and as I begin to make my way down the aisle only the singer can be heard: "She walked in and made me smile Talked a bit then stayed for a while. Beautiful vessel, who is full in you? Come fill me." Kinda perfect if you ask me.

I remember the look of devotion and excitement in my husbands eyes. I didn't know what "the better or worse" would look like that I was committing to, but I knew this man would love and cherish me through it. I remember wiping a tear from his face and the entire room seemed to let out a sigh: "Awe!"

Our ceremony was simple. We aren't too into traditions; and, since we both have trouble sitting through anything remotely verging on boring, we just exchanged rings and vows; had someone play a beautiful song they wrote for us; and, since prayer and God are a huge part of our life, we had our spiritual mentors pray over us and our marriage. Then we kissed. It had been 3 months since we kissed. It was important to us to save ourselves for our wedding night and since we had such a strong, um, chemistry together, we realized we wouldn't make it to the wedding night if we didn't hold off on the kissing. So when I say we kissed... we KISSED. :)
I love this picture. You can see the eagerness of my husband to seize his bride, the hesitation of a bride who knows she's in a room full of relatives, friends and fellow church-goers who are all watching, and you can see our pastor who knew we had waited to kiss, laughing in the background.

Someone should have cued Etta James bellowing out "At Last My Love Has Come Along."

"And now I have the pleasure of  presenting to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Michael ______" 

When we got outside the church, this is the site that awaited us. Can you tell my brother was in charge of the decorating our getaway car and that the Christmas decorations had just been stocked at the DollarTree? We can!

And now the whirlwind of congratulations, family reunion, pictures, and trying to head to the reception. I love how my baby brother is tight-rope walking on the planter box ledge in the midst of all this. Young boys are so enthralled by their big sisters' wedding days... HA!

Us with both our immediate families.
Can you tell which family goes with me and with Mike? :)

Me with my girls.
I love these girls! They were all positive troopers from my burnt orange fabric choice (I still love that color) to the terrible seamstress we ended up with. By the way, I strongly recommend going with a seamstress and buying fabric from a local flea market (dresses were a mere $35 a piece this way!)... but I even more strongly recommend that you make sure your seamstress comes with recommendations first!

Mike and the guys.
Oh, boys! White socks?! My husband would have been sporting the white socks too, had our pastor not came to the rescue... not Mike's rescue, he didn't care... MY rescue. Ha!

We were and still are so in love.

The reception was beautiful. My pastor's wife saved our small budget decorations with her creativity. I love that woman! Our theme was: "Fall in Love." Cheesy, perhaps, but cheesy definitely suits us. (And yep, those are real leaves! Thank you bridesmaid who collected them for us.)


The cake cutting. I still love the classic elegance of that cake. I just wish I could remember what it tasted like... (Confession: I don't even remember what flavors I picked out) That day goes by way too fast!
 

First Dance: "Fools Rush In" by Elvis Presley. Classic and very appropriate for our love story.

Father-Daughter and Mother-Son Dance. We combined them, and it was hysterical. My dad and I did a nice fox trot. My daddy can dance! Mike and his mom did something that resembled swing... yep, to the same song. If you know both of our families, you know how appropriate this is.

Let the dancing commence!

What fun to look back! Okay, now it feels a little more like yesterday. And along with the birth of our children and the day I asked Christ into my heart... this day is among the BEST.

Now to remember the first night... Don't worry I will not remember the details here. All you get is: It was worth the wait! ;)

 Happy Anniversary Michael! If I could do it all over again knowing what 6 years into the future would hold, I wouldn't change a thing (well, maybe the seamstress... ha!) I would marry you again in a heartbeat.

A little fabric, a little spray paint, and a whole lot of hot glue... makes an old lamp brand new

Last week my daughter decided that she needed to pull on the slightly loose piece of fabric on the lamp shade. The results:

And besides an old lamp made uglier, it also resulted in the motivation I needed to finally redo this lamp. I have had it since I got married (6 years ago!) and Granma passed on some of her old furniture to help furnish our first place.

This project was pretty easy. I happened to have some leftover fabric from a curtain project a while back. Bonus! I can have a lamp that matches my curtain. Am I put together or what?! (And to those who know me well and know that I always have at least one item on my person that does not match, you are welcome to insert your chuckle here).


What I needed:
Old Lamp
Spray Paint
Scrap fabric (I had a like major yardage of an 18" strip... but a yard of 54"-60" would do the trick on a shade like mine.)
Bias Tape
Hot Glue Gun

I spray painted the base. I had thought about making it a nice black. But I quickly nixed that notion... I am a little crazy, so I made it blue. This made me very happy, and I do have little pops of blue throughout the room this lamp is residing in. So it worked and its surprising. I think it's a good idea to have little surprises in your home (and no I am not talking about about your toddler's sippy cup under the arm chair that has a strange smell coming from it or your pair of lacy panties that got lodged between the cushions when you were folding laundry). Not too many surprises, that's overwhelming for the eye; just a few, so the eye has some places to go that make it smile.

Smile Eye. The Lamp is now Blue!

 While I waited for the paint to dry I decided it was the perfect opportunity to clean and sanitize the race car activity station for Jed. Brilliant idea for whilst I finished this project, he was kept occupied (for a little while anyways).
Awe! Gushy Mommy Moment! That smile is warming my heart :)

I took apart the lampshade. I decided to save the lining on the inside in case I wanted to put it back on when I was done.
I put a piece of fabric up against a section of lamp and rubbed a pen along the frame to get my patten. I put seven pieces of fabric together (I only needed 6, but I wanted an extra one in case of mistakes) and cut them out. I made sure the fabric grain ran down the middle.
I worked one section at a time. I hot glued the fabric directly onto the frame of the lamp. It seemed to work best to start on one of the vertical sides (going up the lamp), then do the bottom, then the top, and then the other vertical side. Pulling it very tight was very necessary to keep from there being any weird pulls in the fabric. It took just a little muscle but this wasn't too hard.
I trimmed all the extra fabric.
 I opened a thin piece of doubled bias tape and placed it along the vertical framework of the lamp.
I put the lining back on. It didn't "need" it. I just think the shade looks a little more "legit" with it and it keeps my white on white flowers from standing out too much (I do have to share my home with my masculine husband, ha!) Then I took a wider piece of single bias tape and glued it to the top and bottom.
I thought I would love the lamp with some spring green ribbon trimming the top and bottom, so I added that too, but, alas, I decided it made the floral shade look like it belonged in a girl's bedroom on a hot pink base. But, nevertheless, I bet ribbon could look good on someone else's lamp shade project...
I pulled the green off. I love that about hot glue. It has a strong hold, but not so strong my ill-choiced ribbon had to stay put.

I like the way it turned out. (Btw in the picture on the right it looks like the lampshade is misshapen in one section...it's not. It's the way all the sections are because the fabric is pulled tight.)  For the picture on the left, I used no flash so you could see the subtle-ness of the floral print. I am thinking I like the white on white pattern for a lamp shade. It's a little girly, it picks up the fabric from the curtains, but it doesn't overwhelm the room with "Girl." (Husband appreciates this.)

This project cost me less than $10 because I had almost everything on hand. So next time you are feeling like you need a new lamp--thrift, garage sale, or search your own home for a lamp with a decent shaped base and a shade that has a metal frame. And let the Creating Commence!

I am thinking about distressing the base. I do love shabby chic. What do you think???

Here is the lamp sanded after the first coat of spray paint to give you an idea of what it would look like distressed. I just can't decide! Help! (I used the flash so you could see the contrast... it's not actually that blue)

Also thinking about adding a different colored ribbon to trim the top and bottom of the shade. My white walls make me want more color, but maybe the blue is enough? Maybe a nice beige ribbon? Ah...Decisions...

Thankfully it looks really good in the room as is, so I have plenty of time to process a decision. :)

Because not everything is perfect in a crafting world, my notes from the project:
  • I should have paid attention to what could be seen with the lamp shade on. I sprayed what I thought would be visible and ended up having some brass exposed at the top. It's kind of bugging me, not quite enough to fix it yet though.
  • I sanded the first coat a little to get the next coat to "stick" good, but forgot to wipe down the lamp, so now I have a slightly rough finish where the pieces of paint are underneath. Also, brass isn't the best thing to sand. Sometimes, Amanda... Oh well, it's kind of fun driving my former-professional-painter-of high-end-finishes husband a little crazy.
  • This used A LOT of hot glue. Like 8-10 sticks. Have lots of hot glue on hand before you embark on a hot-glued lampshade adventure.
  • The metal frame of the lampshade was cool to the touch, so it quickly cooled the hot glue. I had to pull off set glue a couple times because I wasn't fast enough.
  • I used a decorator's 100 percent cotton fabric. It's a little more durable than just plain quilter's or dress-maker's cotton. It pulled tight just fine, but I worry that a low quality cotton or different kinds of  finer fabrics may not look good taut or withstand the pulling well. (Also thinking the fabric needs to be one that can withstand the heat of the hot glue without melting???)
  • This took me 10 minutes spread out over 3 hours to spray paint (3 coats) and 3 hours spread out over 2 days to complete the lampshade. So if you have 2 small children and craft on your dining room table, plan on it taking a while. If you have a glorious project room, an empty nest, and dedicated and sacred crafting time, it'll probably take you significantly less time.

Rejoicing and Complaining

This morning I had an "Ah-Ha!" moment. I love those moments. I thought I would share this one.

I decided to read my Bible while feeding my son this morning. I am in Philippians 3. I would love to be all high and mighty and just say Philippians so you might think I read a couple chapters at a time. But I am committed to being real here. I read just one; sometimes half of one; sometimes none. I often read while I breastfeed because I have to sit (or at least it's a really good idea to sit, ha!). God gets my first feeding of the day. Sometimes, when I am up extra early He gets me reading His Words without a kid attached to me.

Anyways, sorry for that aside, I just felt the need to make sure you knew the person you are reading. I may be many things; but I am definitely going to be REAL. So here's the "Ah-Ha" moment:

"Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith." Philippians 3:1

As I read this, I am not going to lie, I suffered from what I am going to call "eye-glaze syndrome." My eyes glaze over sometimes when I read. My brain wanders; my eyes scan the words, but I forget to actually read them. So this morning I missed the first sentence, but then I got to "I do it to safeguard your faith" and I realize I have no idea what it is Paul, the author, does to safeguard the Philippians faith. So I went back and re-read it, and this time make it a point to actually read the words. "Rejoice in the Lord." Paul tells the church at Philippi that rejoicing in the Lord safeguards their faith.

(By the way, this revelation is brought to you because of my "eye-glaze syndrome." I may have missed the simple truth I am about to share had I not needed to go back and reread it. So whatever your short-comings are; know that God can use them =])

Rejoicing in the Lord safeguards our faith. I looked up the word safeguard in the original Greek and it means to keep our faith unable to fail. So, the opposite of this statement would also be true: complaining causes our faith to fail.

Ouch!

Paul knew that if the Philippians kept complaining and kept a negative attitude, they would lose their faith. He must have been really concerned for them because he tells them 4 times in one letter to rejoice in the Lord. I think he was almost a bit obnoxious about it too: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. Apparently the Philippians needed it pounded into their skulls.

I think I do too.

I think of the pair of my husband's chonies I pick off the bathroom floor EVERYDAY because he never remembers to put them in the laundry bin. I think of the pieces of food I pick off the floor because my daughter is not only a picky eater, but she also plays with the things she will not eat. Our house is almost fully carpeted save but the bathroom and kitchen and I gripe about that too as I clean up the food in the dining area, because I also have to scrub the mess out of the carpet. I think of long lines, stupid drivers, crowded parking lots, bad weather, bills, messes, and the crayon I left out that my daughter found and used to create her latest artwork on the wall. I think of the stairs I climb everyday with a baby in a car seat in one hand, trash from the car in the other hand, the diaper bag on my back, and the daughter in front of me that acts like she doesn't understand the simple instruction, "Go up the stairs" especially if she manages to find a lady bug or snail nearby. I begin to think of the serious complaints: the job losses, the miscarriage, and the stuff I am afraid to type because I desperately fear it happening to me and worry that you are perhaps going through it or have already gone through it and, though I may try, I just simply cannot relate.

Complaining: it's really easy to do and wealth of subject matter to do it over.

But, according to the Bible, it kills our Faith.

And, according to Limp Bizkit (whatever, they were totally cool...), you "gotta have faith."

Faith fills our deepest of hopes and the dreams we barely dare to mention with the substance to happen. Faith gives us the wings to fly over difficult circumstances. It's the navigation system in the crazy storms. It gives us a reason to live. Faith gives our lives purpose. It makes us want to be better and do more good. It is one thing that actually SHOULD define us. It keeps us from getting lost in the crowd; from getting lost behind the million things a mom needs to do, and from feeling like the K-mart blue-light special rather than a unique and special one-of-a-kind garment. Faith is precious. Faith is guaranteed to, alongside hope and love, last beyond death into eternity. Faith (I almost even hesitate to write this because I know someone may be reading this going through or having gone through something so difficult or painful) keeps us from blaming God or others for our struggles and difficulties.

You gotta have faith.

Rejoicing grows it. Complaining kills it.

I think I better remember to Rejoice.

I shall rejoice in the underwear I pick up off the floor for they are evidence that I have a man who works hard, loves me, and showers daily (can I get a "woot woot" for good hygiene here?!). I shall rejoice in the food my daughter puts on the floor for I have been blessed with two beautiful kids and food to feed them with. I will practice ignoring irritations or laughing through them. I may even choose the longest line and call a friend, pull out my phone to check my Facebook, or sing silly songs with my kids, and remember that I have money in my checking account whereby to buy the things I stand in that line for.  I will choose to think about the time I had something or someone rather than that I lost them. I will know that a miscarriage will never let me forget how precious and miraculous life really is. Instead of trying to explain the loss, I will rejoice that I got to hold for but a moment the unexplainable mystery and treasure of life. In difficulties, I will dig deep into my faith and trust that it will all work out someway, someday. I will think back on the difficult times and be thankful for the strength I acquired through them and the miracles I got to see because of them. I do not have all the answers and really no matter how much my human brain would like to make sense of things... sometimes they just don't make sense and that's okay. That's what faith is for.




Assignment: Because I would love to know you better and because I think it could be fun and maybe even funny, I would LOVE for you to write in the comments "a rejoice through a complaint" statement. Men are welcome to chime in too. And... even though this entire post is pretty much a rejoicing through complaints, I will start us off. =]

DIY Leg Warmers: My New Favorite Baby Item

It's really quite simple why I like leg warmers. Sure they can be cute, and as a child who was made in the early 80's, I love a good 80's throw back in fashion. Cute isn't what does it for me though. I love leg warmers because when I go to change Jed's diaper, I do not have to pull down a pair of pants, I do not have to unsnap a onesie, I just change that diaper. That's it. I like leg warmers because they make my life a little simpler. For me, diaper changing, well, sucks and anything that makes that process a little less painless; I am SO trying it. If you are with me on this, TRY leg warmers.




And, as an added bonus, Babies can't kick their socks off! Am I the only one who after having a baby for 4 months has a total of 6 socks without a match?! (And mind you, I had a summer baby. He rarely wore socks for his first 3 months).

Also great because, if you happen to CD, you have probably noticed how difficult it is to get pants over that diaper rump. I have to get pants and onesies a full size up to get them to fit... or I could just use leg warmers. Oh, Leg Warmers, how I love you!




I first gave Leg Warmers a whirl when it came time to order some more diaper covers.  I found these at www.diaperjunction.com, and they had them in colors that matched my new Flip covers. I bought a pair in blue.

I bought a pair in green. These ones are my favorite. (Don't you just love how his face seems to say, "Seriously, Mom?!" Yep, I am so serious right now, Jed. And I happen to think you look cute. And you really can't do much about it for the time being. So there! HA!)
However, Diaper Junction only had two different kinds for boys, and they cost $11.98 a piece. A fine splurge for a one time deal, but I definitely cannot afford to stock his wardrobe at this price. A friend suggested looking on pinterest for how to turn knee-high socks into leg-warmers... thank you Friend!

The site who's tutorial I followed is here. I don't even think I hardly read the instructions, not a matter of being rude; this project is just really, REALLY easy. Hooray, for easy projects! (And, no, I won't take offense if you too just look at the pictures and set off without reading my instructions. Go for it!)

Step 1: Buy Adult Knee High Socks. I found mine at Walmart. I got a 3-pack of boring, but easily matched browns for Jed for $5.27. I bought a pair for Addy (can't exclude big sister after all) for $2.50. I decided to cross my fingers and hope I had matching thread at home. I did!

Step 2: Cut off the "feet" of the socks.
Step 3: Turn inside out.
Step 4: Fold the end you just cut once and then twice. Pin into place.
Step 5: It's time to sew! I placed a zig-zag stitch 1/4" from the top. By the way, I put a picture of my sewing machine so you could see what I use. I love my machine. It was inexpensive. It's very basic; there are no extra "doo-hickies" as my mom would say. It is super easy to thread and set up the bobbin (and if you don't know what that means, but want to learn to sew, this is the kind of machine you want). My mom is in possession of my dear late Granny's Brother. I LOVE that thing. It's like the Cadillac of sewing machines (and it's expensive to buy just like a Cadillac). So smooth and there's even a button that pushes your thread through the hole of the sewing needle. Brilliant! So If I take on a large and complicated project, I borrow the Brother. If I am doing basic stitches, I stick with my tried and true White sewing machine.

This is a great project for sewing beginners. It's EASY! Only bit of complication comes from the small opening of the sock. You have to keep the sock opening separated so your sock doesn't get sewn together. Notice my ring finger is keeping the other side of the sock away from the stitch while the rest of my fingers are working to keep my stitch straight.

Here's the kiddos sporting the new leg warmers:




Warms their legs. Warms my heart to see them in something I made. Super cheap. Super Easy. Super Practical. Leg Warmers.

I think I shall be running through the sock section every time I am in the store from now on searching for some fun leg-warmer opportunities.


Because not everything is perfect in a crafting world... My notes from the project:
  • I am a SLOW sew-er (not sure if that's a word, but I surely don't want it confused with the word sewer. Those are nasty. Ha!). One pair took me 15 minutes. That time includes the time it took to make a bobbin and thread the bobbin and the thread. After that, it took 5 to 10 minutes a pair. EASY!
  • I wish Addy's fit just a tad bit looser so they looked more 80's-esque. In retrospect, I think I put them up a tad too high for my pictures.
  • I had to put Jed's back on 2x's in one full day of wearing them after he managed to kick one leg off. I suppose he has fairly skinny baby legs, and when they are on he can't kick his socks off; so only a minor irritation. After about 10 uses, I still haven't had one incident with the ready-made store bought leg-warmers.
  • My homemade ones should last Jed as pant-substitutes till he's one year by my estimations. After that, I am thinking his legs will be too long for the warmer to go the full length of his leg. I am pretty sure the store bought ones will last till he's around 2.
  • I really want a pair of cow print ones for my son! Let me know if you see some!

Keep Pressing!

After having brought 2 children into the world and coming to terms with the “fluffier” state my body was now in, I decided I had complained enough about my weight; now it was time for action. I decided to take up running. I have always loved running. There is just nothing quite like the feeling of going somewhere with your own two feet, nothing attached to you (except for a couple extra pounds, hence the running). It's just you and nature. It's your willpower up against your bodies limitations. I hadn't ran in at least 4 years, and after bringing 2 children into the world... out of shape is a severe understatement. Not only were me and “shape” not in the same town, we probably were not even in the same hemisphere! So, with the greatest of intentions and full of weightloss hope, I started running. First day... not so bad. I got farther than I thought I would be able to, according to my car, 0.7 miles of solid jogging (you better believe I went back and checked the distance!). Second day... all right. My body was stiff, and it was much harder than day one, but I did it. Third day... somebody shoot me because I am going to die! I think I got the length of block, I am guessing 0.1 miles maybe, and my entire body gave out on me. Sore muscles, stiff joints, and stomach ready to hurl. Alright, so I realized my dream of a tight figure and becoming “Fitness Woman,” was going to be much harder to achieve than I had realized.

The process of getting back into shape and the exercise of running got me thinking. Every long distance runner knows this secret: Endorphins. The word endorphin literally means “the morphine within.” Very simply, endorphins are a chemical the body makes when it is put under a great deal of physical stress or pain; it “raises the pain threshold.”1 When you run, your body reaches a certain point when it must begin to push through soreness, stiffness, fatigue, cramping, pain... (depending on how out of shape you are this may happen 3 miles in or it may be tragically instantaneous). A wise runner knows when to stop and rest, walk a bit, or drink some water and when to keep pressing onward. As the difficulty of the run is pressed through, something amazing happens... a new found source of energy and strength wells up... the runner has wings! Endorphins!

If you don't happen to be a runner, but have brought a child into this world naturally, then you too have most likely experienced endorphins. You see, when you should have passed out from the sheer exhaustion of shoving something the size of a watermelon (also lovingly referred to as a baby) out a hole the size of a grapefruit (fully dilated to a 10) and instead of exhaustion, you felt this overwhelming sense of euphoria, excitement and wonder over the miracle of life and the triumph of overcoming to bring something so precious into this world... yep, you experienced endorphins. Gotta love those things!

Okay, so I really don't want to actually talk about endorphins, and I am no marathon runner or trainer. But, I have been through some grueling times as life seems to be famous for. Motherhood, particularly beginning when Addy turned 2, has brought and will continue to bring challenges. I just survived 9 months of potty training—and that doesn't count the time when we just had the potty chair and talked about poo-poo and pee-pee and where it should go. No, I am talking about 9 months of panties and putting her on the potty daily. I have a feeling that's a long time, maybe not, but I really don't want to compare it with any other child's experience (so kindly keep your “poo-poo wonder child” stories to yourself! Ha!) My nine month potty-training marathon taught me to be consistent, taught me that sometimes you got to take a break especially when big sister is adjusting to baby brother and so is mommy, and taught me that sometimes you just got to keep pressing even when the OxyClean is almost out because it has been used on countless accidents and some “accidents” that you could swear weren't accidents at all but rather your strong-willed child exerting her will to go in her pants. (Can I just take a moment to say “Thank you OxyClean! You kept my house smell-free and stain-free through potty training!”?!)

It seems long distance running and child-rearing have a lot in common: they both take consistency to be successful and the art of pressing through difficulty, and, yes, sometimes the occasional rest is needed. I don't know about you but part of me wants to just claim to “need” to be in a state of rest all the time. Has anyone else noticed how in disciplining your child it is really you that seems to learn to be disciplined more than your child?!

But here's the thing, the reason I brought up endorphins: When I run, I always start off with some stretches and warm ups. I try to set myself up to be successful by making sure I am hydrated and ate the right food the meal prior. And when I start my run, eventually this out of practice girl has to dig deep. I run, and the cramps begin. I feel the shin splints. My knees ache. I try to keep at the same pace; sometimes I have to slow down. Sometimes my run looks more like a putter. But I press onward to my mark. I keep going. I don't give up. I know that eventually I will be in shape, and my mile will increase to 5 miles. I know that if I keep running eventually those God-given endorphins will flood my body and give me a new found energy to finish my race.

I think parenting can be a lot like running. We as parents need to warm our kids up to the changes we want/need to make in their behavior or routine. We as parents need to set ourselves up to be successful by making sure we get sleep, proper nutrition and time to ourselves. Addy refuses to nap most days, but I still mandate that she lay in her bed for one hour. She needs the quiet time; and so do I! We as parents need to expect parenting to be rough. Making sure my kids eat right is much more difficult than just running thru the drive-thru or turning to easy mac (not that I am saying never do this, just that perhaps everyday isn't the best idea). It is hard to get Addy to eat her vegetables, but nevertheless I enforce that one bite rule and keep enforcing it no matter how big the fit. Eventually we will arrive at the vegetables that she likes. I maintain that I am Mom; Dad is Dad; vegetables ARE good for you; and if you aren't willing to try your vegetables, you can take your time-out. I keep pressing.


I have heard this promise of the Bible quoted my whole life. In fact, I remember it verbatim, because I grew up singing it in a song.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will mount up on wings like an eagle. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:31

When I was contemplating endorphins, this verse just seemed to continuously run through my brain. Perhaps a crazy thought here: I think God is like endorphins. We press and press through the difficulties of life; and at the exact moment that we feel we can go no further, have given all we've got, we somehow manage to keep going. We are filled with a new-found energy. God gives us wings. The thing is, though, you gotta press through first. According to Isaiah, you gotta wait. By the way, I looked up the word wait in the original Hebrew. It means to “wait, look for, hope, expect.”2


So, girlfriend...

Keep pressing.
Keep pressing through temper tantrums, poo-poo accidents, sassy talking-back, vegetables spit onto the floor...

Don't give up. Don't just live with the things you know you need work on with your child.

Be consistent. Or at least start practicing at consistency.
Take a break if necessary. Pick one or two battles at a time.
Don't be lazy. Don't become complacent. Be the kind of parent you want to be.

Know that maybe every one else has it all together, but, at the very least, you and I do not. And that's okay. Love your kids, do your best and expect that God will fill you with the strength you need. Maybe not when you want it, but definitely at some point, in His perfect timing. You can expect that!



By the way, in case you are wondering. I am two months into my running routine. My running goal is now set at an attainable 2 times a week. I am now able to run 1 mile solid and I power walk another half mile. Sometimes I struggle to get out there. I just took a 2 week break unintentionally, because, well, life happened and I got lazy. But still I putter along. I shall do this! I can do this! I press forward!

Also, in case you are wondering, in the battle of food, I have successfully gotten Addy to decide she likes carrots and I have learned that if I puree squash and put it in homemade macraroni and cheese, she has no idea it's there. Shh... don't tell her. I have yet to convince her that anything green is worth eating. But still I putter along. I shall work at having healthy kids! I can be the woman of my house! I will rule my roost! I press forward!

One of my first attempts at getting Addy to eat her carrots. Silly face didn't work, but, after faithfully enforcing the one-bite rule on carrots for 3 months, she one day turns to me and says, "They're not too bad, Mom."




Thrive

This morning in the shower, I had an epiphany. (Is it just me, or do most "ah-ha!" moments seem to happen there?) While showering, I was able to put into one simple statement the purpose of this blog: "My Little Bit to go from JUST SURVIVING to THRIVING." This blog isn't about crafts or cooking or mommy tips, though this stuff is here; it's really about the little bit I do to Thrive. There's just nothing quite like knowing your purpose and being able to state it in one sentence. Thank you blogging for helping me find it!

A few hours after my epiphany, I was off to visit my parents. Accompanying me on the drive was Switchfoot's new album, Vice Verses. It is an AWESOME album. When the number 7 track came on, "Thrive," I felt like my mind had been read. I love it when a song can do that to you.


"I'm always close but I'm never enough
I'm always in line but I'm never in love
I get so down but I won't give up
I get slowed down but I won't give up

"Been fighting things that I can't see in
Like voices coming from the inside of me and
Like doing things I find hard to believe in
Am I myself or am I dreaming?

"I want to thrive not just survive."


I struggle with depression, laziness, and this overwhelming urge to throw the comforter over my head and go back to sleep because I worry I don't have what it takes to face the day. I worry that I'm not enough, that I don't have what it takes as a mom and wife to help my kids and husband flourish. I only have two hands and twenty four hours, and sometimes that just seems inadequate.

But I have determined in this heart of mine that I will not back down. I will not do the bare minimum. I will not just bathe my kids, brush their teeth, put whatever food into their stomach, and call it a day. I will not just tune out the things I don't care to deal with. I will not just have sex with my husband once every two weeks because I am tired and that's what psychologists say is the minimal amount needed to keep a marriage together. I will not throw myself into vices like alcohol,  television, or all the other ways a person can metaphorically throw the comforter over their head. I will not just survive.

I want to Thrive. Sure life is rough, and sometimes I haven't the slightest idea what the "right" thing to do is. Jobs fail, people suck, kids scream, bills are due every month, but I want to find the ways to Thrive. I want to make love. I want to enjoy my kids. I want to play my part in the molding and shaping of my children into the adults they were made to be. I want my cooking to taste good, and I want it to nourish my family. I want to create. I want to enjoy life. I want to triumph over difficulty. I want when God looks at me for Him to be able to say "Good job, Daughter!"

I am finding there's only a little bit of difference between surviving and thriving. It's the times of meditation, seizing the little teaching opportunities with my daughter, stopping long enough to dance with my daughter and "zerbil" on my son's tummy, waking up 2 hours before my kids do, making sure to run twice a week, planning a budget, and writing down my grocery list. It's an organized cupboard, a chat with a friend, my morning cup of coffee, a healthy treat, Saturday morning breakfast, and a project that saves me money and lets someone know they are loved.

I want to be a woman of purpose, full of love and grace. I want to thrive. I want my husband to thrive. I want my kids to thrive. And you know, I can say from experience that circumstances and checking accounts have nothing to do with thriving. I think thriving is a God-thing... my ability to thrive is directly related to my ability to depend on Him. I think thriving is a "carpe diem" kind of thing... seizing every moment and opportunity, good or bad, and searching, no matter how desperately, for the positive in it and the ways that I can teach my children (and myself) through it. I think thriving is a "making the most with what you've got" kind of thing... not looking at what you don't have, but looking at what you do have and working it into it's absolute best.

My favorite verse in the Bible is Hebrews 10:39. "We are not of those who shrink back... but of those who have faith and are saved." It's found in a letter written to arguably the most persecuted group of people, the Christian Jews. They were persecuted by the Romans and their fellow Jews. They experienced the loss of their possessions, insults from all sides, imprisonment, and sometimes torture and death. (Hmmm... and I have a hard time when my 3 year old goes number 2 in her pants...) And here they are told to not "shrink back," to not pull the comforter over their heads, to not just survive. 

So RISE UP Woman! Wake up. Pull off the comforter. Seize your day. Seize your opportunities. Do what you do to love others. Don't shrink back. Don't just survive. 

For you, woman, were made for so much more!

You were made to THRIVE!

Dinosaur Hoodie


 My daughter loves dinosaurs. I love that she loves dinosaurs. So, I decided to make her this hoodie. And since I made one for Addy, I had to make one for Jed too [Of course!]. Thank you pinterest and Handmade by Jill for the inspiration. By the way, if you enjoy sewing and have a moderate skill level at it check out the "Handmade by Jill" link to see how she did it. Hers is ADORABLE!

If you don't particularly enjoy sewing or aren't very skilled at it, here is a cheap, easy way to make a stegosaurus dino hoodie.

Materials:
Hoodie (Jed's is fleece and was $3.50; Addy's is Jersey-knit, standard sweatshirt material, and was $7.00; both from Walmart)
3 pieces of felt paper (1 white; 1 black; and one color of your choice for stegosaurus plates; only $.20 a sheet at Walmart)
2 wiggly eyes
Fabric Glue
Scissors
Pins

Pick out your color for the stegosaurus plates. I let Addy do the picking... purple hoodie and pink plates...can you tell she picked?? For Addy's 4T size, I folded the felt sheet in half and then cut it in half again so after I was done cutting I had 2 equally sized strips of felt (about 3" wide). (For Jed's smaller 12 mos sized hoodie I made strips 2" wide)
While I am sure you could make a more accurately shaped stegosaurus plate, I went with the super easy to cut triangle. Since sometimes I just want to get stuff done rather than be perfect, I free-hand cut my triangles. I cut my doubled-up strip of felt at a 45 degree angle.
I then took the piece I had just cut off to use as my guide for my next cut.
Now that I had my one triangle cut, I used it as a guide to cut the rest of the triangles.
After cutting all my triangles (I needed 2 sets of 7 for both Addy's and Jed's), I glued them together in sets of two. I did this to make them extra strong.
I placed an even, thick line of glue along the top seam of the hood and began placing my triangles one at a time.
As soon as I got one triangle placed, I pinned the triangle to the hoodie to make sure it would dry in place.
To conquer the problem of the tricky curve in the hood, I folded the hood flat along the top seam, placed the triangle behind it where it needed to be, and used the hood itself as guide for where to cut the triangle.

Place an even, thick line of glue down the center of the back and place your triangles.
I cut the teeth using a similar method to the stegosaurus plates. (Mine had a height of about 1 1/2" and a base of 2 1/4" on Addy's and a height of 1" and a base of 1 1/2" on Jed's). I made a thick, even line of glue on the underside of the hood opening (about 1/2" in) and placed the teeth.
I pinned them in place.
To do the eyes, I doubled up two pieces of white felt and free hand cut an imperfect circle. (Doesn't matter if its perfect...slightly oval looks good...just so long as you get 2 that look the same, hence the doubling.)
I doubled up 2 pieces of black felt and free hand cut the base for the eye, making sure Addy's had some eyelashes. I glued the wiggly eye and two pieces of felt together and then glued that onto either side of hood. (Note: I had my kids try the hoodies on first to ensure a "non-awkward" placement of eyes.) I pinned them in place.
Let glue dry for 2 hours and then they are good to go.

Because things are not always perfect in a crafting world, here are some of my notes:
  • My very-cautious self went back and did a loose hand-stitch over everything. This took some time (but it was a great "breast-feeding" project). The glue seems to have a sturdy hold especially on the fleece, but I can't stand spending time doing a craft only to have it fall apart and I have no experience with fabric glue. 
  • I kid you not, the fabric glue made me high (my husband got a kick out of watching me crack-up laughing over nothing). And while it may be funny, the headache that followed was not. I got one word for you: Ventilation!
  • I laid out the triangles and the teeth before placing them to see how much, if any, spacing was needed.
  • The fabric glue got a little messy, and you can see it in some places if you look closely.
  • I used fabric glue on the wiggly eye and so far it's it's holding strong. I thought I'd give it a whirl, mostly because I was too lazy to plug in the hot glue gun. 
My overall thoughts on the project: It was easy. It was cheap (less than $10 per hoodie). And best of all, it was absolutely worth it when Adelaide put her hoodie on, raised her dino claws in the air, and started rawring. Heart is Happy!





IPad 2 Giveaway by CharBella Designs

I got to meet the owner at a crafting event at the beginning of the summer. Her husband happens to work with my husband. Her booth was full of beautiful, well-made goodies for kiddos. I loved her stuff! If you are looking for a unique baby shower gift or a one-of-a-kind piece for your own cutie, give her page a look.

Also, she is giving away an ipad 2... so definitely give her page a look and find out how to enter. (And this girl would love to give her hubby an ipad for christmas so pretty pretty please refer your entries back to me *wink*) 

http://charbelladesign.com/en/index.php?route=common/home

And for your viewing pleasure, my favorite item from the Charbella Designs website:

The Chic Cocktail Coat.
Hmmm... Does my Addy "NEED" this???

Who says healthy has to taste bland?: Red Pepper Pesto Sauce

I made this last night for dinner. Sometimes, I like to produce a fantastic meal for my family that tastes amazing and is very involved. Most of the time though, I just like easy, simple and tasty meals that are nutritional for my family. I happen to be a mom that is against the over-usage of over-processed foods, at least in my house and strives for well-balanced nutrition. So when I stumble across something that easily takes my boring and healthy protein, starch, vegetable combination to the next level with great ease, heck-to-the-yes, I am trying it!



I found this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light (which, by the way, is one of my new favorite recipe magazines). The red-pepper pesto sauce isn't spicy but rather warm and bright tasting. It is packed with enough flavor to make your healthy, low sodium food sing. It adds "BAM" to your bland. And best of all it takes 6 simple ingredients and less than a minute in a food processor to make. It tastes great with salmon, but any non-oily, flaky fish will do. It could even top grilled chicken breasts. I pair that with a healthy brown rice blend and some green beans cooked with chopped red onions, peppers, and almonds.

Red Pepper Pesto Sauce:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Roasted red peppers in a jar, rinsed
1 Tsp Olive Oil
7 Almonds, blanched
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs Tomato paste
1 pinch of salt

Instructions:
  • Place ingredients in food processor and pulse until combined and almonds and peppers are in tiny pieces.

(Serves 4... enough to top 4 pieces of salmon, so if you are serving 4 and want to add on top of your starch too like I do, double the recipe)

If you are an experienced cook, take that sauce recipe and run with it. But if you want a couple more tips and how to put together the whole meal, timing and all... keep reading.

Red Pepper Pesto Sauce Salmon and Brown Rice with Red Pepper and Onion Green Beans:

Ingredients:
Red Pepper Pesto Sauce (See above)
4 Salmon Steaks
Pepper
Enough Brown rice to serve 4 (usually one cup unprepared)
Green Beans about 1-2 cups (I like extra thin, fancy frozen green beans)
White onion sliced 1/4 inch thick and roughly chopped, about 1/4 cup
Red onion sliced 1/4 inch thick and roughly chopped, about 1/4 cup
7 more blanched almonds sliced
Olive oil


Instructions:
  • Start by making your rice since this will take the longest to cook if you are using unprocessed food. Try using a blend of wild and brown whole grain rice. I am a huge fan of the Lundberg Wild Blend (this can be found in Raley's bulk bin or packaged at Walmart Superstores) and Trader Joes's brown rice blend. And on a side note, if you happened to be used to instant rice-a-roni, I challenge you to take your healthiness one step further. Lower your sodium intake and increase your whole grains. If you don't like the flavor of whole grain rice, I don't blame you, it is quite "grainy" in texture and a bad blend can taste a bit like, well, cardboard, but studies show it takes your taste buds one month to "adjust." So, try it for one month. If I can't get you away from the boxed rice quite yet, try the "Far East" brand. They have lots of healthy options and their ingredients list includes only what you want to be inside that box... just dehydrated. And hey, if just simply cooking for your family is your challenge, by all means, use the Rice-a-Roni boldly without shame! Cook what you can and choose the un-processed food battle another day!
  • Follow the rice's packaged directions. (For this meal, I just use water, a splash of olive oil, and a pinch of salt for my rice as the pesto sauce will add your flavor)
  • While your rice cooks, check your facebook, love on your babies, read a magazine article, organize a cupboard, put the dishes in the dishwasher... do whatever pleases you until the rice has 15 minutes cook time left.
  • Get out the rest of your ingredients, heat up your pans to medium heat for the salmon and your green beans, chop your peppers and onions, and blanch your almonds. (Blanching simply involves throwing the almonds in boiling water for a half a minute to soften them up so they can chop easily)
  • Put oil (1 Tbs) in your pan, lightly sprinkle pepper over your salmon, and throw it into the pan.
  • While the salmon is cooking (about 5 minutes on each side depending on thickness), make your red pepper pesto sauce. Place all of the ingredients for the sauce into the food processor and process until sauce is combined and almonds and peppers are chopped into tiny pieces.
  • Flip your salmon after 5 minutes. Put a little oil (1 Tbs) in your second pan. Put your green beans, onions, and red pepper in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Add your almonds and cook for one minute longer or until done (done=vegetables should be hot, crunchy, and have some browned marks on them).
  • Plate your food! Serve pesto sauce over salmon and rice. 10-15 minutes and you are done (plus the time it takes to cook rice)!

Here it is in pictures:






Treat Yourself: Ain't nothing sexier than believing you are sexy

Yep, I just went there. I said sexy on a mommy blog. But then maybe that's the problem... not thinking sexy and mom can go in the same sentence or be on the same blog.

Let me first take a moment to clarify my definition of sexy. I am not throwing this word out there in some bawdy, hyper-sexual sense of the word and merely meaning to have sex appeal. To me being a sexy woman infers confidence, desirability and all things beautiful and feminine. To further my point, The World English Dictionary defines it as "interesting, exciting, and trendy." I want to be that kind of woman (and, of course, I want to be, as in the simplest definition of the word, sexually appealing to my hubby... you feel me on that one?!)

Sure in the process of becoming a mom, your belly expands beyond recognition, your bladder stops working like it used to (no one tells you before you embark on the journey called motherhood that 36 weeks pregnant combined with one strong, unexpected sneeze can be incredibly mortifying), and dignity, well, that just heads right out the window when the need to get the baby out combined with sheer pain overtakes your body (plus, hello, in trying to breastfeed, your boobs become a doctor/nurse/helpful-aunt free-for-all). As a mom, you deal with more poop and pee than you care to realize, you lovingly spoon feed spinach only to have it raspberried back in your face by that darling baby who just learned a new sound that he can make, and your primary fragrance is not "Euphoria" by Calvin Klein but rather "Spit Up" by Jed.

Because don't you know, every woman looks and feels super sexy after labor and delivery... to that I say, HA!

Being a mom is tough work. I can't help but wonder why Mike Rowe hasn't done that episode on "Dirty Jobs."

But...

You are strong. You nurture. You love. You have have more curves than a winding mountain road, and they are appealing. You are the queen of your castle. You are deep and passionate. You are sexy.

Okay... so maybe after taking your recently potty trained daughter to the restaurant bathroom to try to go peepee only to discover she has in fact gone number 2 in her pants and it is now everywhere and you don't have a change of clothes or a single wet wipe and you have to somehow improvise with only toilet paper on a big mess and drag her out with only (and I mean only) her skirt on to avoid complete mortification (can you tell I have been here?!), you straight-up do not feel sexy.

But...
You are sexy!

Maybe you need to do a little something for yourself to help you believe it. Maybe the budget is tight and maybe you sacrifice your wardrobe needs to doll-up your kids (I will be the first to say I WAY prefer shopping for my kids than myself. It's easy to get them looking good, me... well, that takes some work), but you still need to treat yourself. Splurge every now and again on the trendy, good-for-one-season-only top that makes you feel pretty and current. Invite a friend out for coffee and leave the husband home with the kids for an hour. Spend a little time blogging (that is my treat to myself... I love to write!). Do a craft project for yourself. Fill the bathtub, light a few candles, and lock the door for 5 minutes. Stop complaining about the state motherhood has left your body or how tired you are. Eat better, exercise more, and make SLEEP a priority. Treat yourself. Do what you need to do to feel a little sexier.

I treated myself to some pink peek-a-boo highlights a year ago, and apparently my daughter was overcome by the same need to feel pretty since she covered her lips in my pink lipstick. Haha!

I am a history nerd. Confession: I watch history documentaries for fun, and everytime I watch a movie or television show based on history, I fact-check every detail. I love the stories of Anne Boleyn and Cleopatra--two women who were not beautiful by their cultures' standards, but still managed to change the course of history by turning men's hearts. They were SEXY. Why were they sexy? Because they were confident. They were not the insecure teen girls at the dance constantly visiting the bathroom to double check their make up. They didn't obsess over their flaws. They confidently believed they were worthy of the men they obtained.

Cleopatra
Anne Boleyn... pretty sure if these women can be considered sexy; there's hope for me!


Maybe you aren't inclined to rule Egypt or break Catholicism's grip on the English monarchy, but, I bet, (and this is me speaking for myself here) you want to manage your own house, raise up strong children to the best of your ability, keep your other half happy, and change some piece on your end of the world. You want to pour love into all you do. You want to accomplish your divine purpose on this planet, be the woman that you were made to be, and not allow yourself to be perpetually lost behind your children and husband. That is the heart of the matter, the reason I say this. You NEED to feel sexy.


And, at least according to my husband, there ain't nothing sexier than a woman who believes she's sexy.


So, Treat yourself and OWN IT girl! If you believe it, so will that spouse of yours. And if you happen to be hacking it as a single mom, all the more important because you don't have that significant other helping you believe it of yourself.

And as a brief aside, for all the married mommas, I firmly believe that sex is the glue that holds a marriage together. And let's face it, in the midst of adjusting to life with children, marriage can be difficult and sex can be become, well, rare. Sometimes sex isn't just for making babies and it isn't just for fun... it's the battleground upon which you fight for your marriage. Don't always use the excuse that you are tired, even though you truly may be... keep your man satisfied, keep yourselves on the same page, as Nike advertisements used to say: "Just do it." And so, for the sake of your marriage, as well as more frequent love-making, I say allow yourself to feel sexy. (And if that logic doesn't cause the husband to hand you $25 for a pedicure, I don't know what will! Haha!)

Buy the pretty top, take the bubble bath, get that pedicure, lose the couple pounds, eat the (1) piece of chocolate, enforce a one-hour nap time regardless of whether your kids nap so you can have a little peace and quiet, do what it takes to feel good about yourself. Please don't use this as justification to blow your budget, max your credit card, neglect your children or pick up unhealthy eating habits. That is not point. It can be simply working into your budget $20 a month of "Mom's Spend it on herself and only herself" money and not feeling bad about actually spending it on yourself.

As a reminder, this is merely my own pep talk to myself that I hope encourages some other moms. This may be full of the pronoun "you" but trust me my finger is pointed at myself as I say this. I need to feel sexy.

So, now I sign off with a "here's to US!"

Here's to us bold, courageous, strong, passionate, curvy, nurturing, beautiful, SEXY moms!

Recipe Organizer

Sometimes I have moments of brilliance.

Sometimes this brilliance is very simple. But brilliant nevertheless.

Confession: I am a messy cook and an even messier baker. Because of this my recipes look, well, gnarly after a couple uses (okay, I'll be honest... after just one use). You know, a little flour and powdered sugar, batter globs, oil splashes... or the unfortunate raw meat (very unfortunate because I now have to rewrite or reprint the recipe to avoid being seriously gross and unsanitary).

So, my simple solution: Binder and sheet covers. Simple. Brilliant.

I love pulling recipes off of blogs and recipes sites, ripping them out of magazines, or scribbling them down during a phone call to my mom or mom-in-law when I am in need of creativity and something tried and true. So, most of my recipes are not contained in a book (and, if they were, the book would be pretty messy); therefore, I need somewhere to put my finds or risk having a messy stack stuff inside the only recipe book I do have. I also love having a binder that contains ONLY what I have tried and liked. I love that I can catalog my recipes, pull them out and write my notes, and wipe the page clean with a rag when I'm done using the recipe. By the way, here's another freebie: Keep a pen handy in the kitchen. I am forever changing things about my recipes, or lack of ingredients leads to a brilliant improvisation, or after trying it once I think of something that could be better about the recipe. I write it down, because I never remember it when I go to make it again.

I put untried recipes in the pocket. Notice first page is my favorite French Toast recipe from pioneer woman: French Toast with Berry Butter. That woman is my hero!

I like to add what I cooked alongside things. Gotta serve a starch and greens with dinner too... but I sometimes lack creativity. Now I only have to be creative once!

I write down all my improvisations. By the way, SUPER YUMMY turkey meatballs. If you can read it; steal it! (Otherwise wait till I have the time to post it. You may be waiting a while ha!)

I take note of how I felt about making it (easy, hard, time consuming...) and how my husband felt about it. Gotta keep the mister happy!

Um yeah... this is why I love this. One of my "famous" most used recipes. It is in yucky condition. YUCKY! I really should rewrite this! But then that would take time...



Happy, Simple, Clean Recipe-ing Wishes to You!

Simple Kitchen/Dining Room Space Saver Ideas

I've only lived on my own for 6 years, but I feel like a small space expert. I suppose 2 years of only being able to call a bedroom and walk-in-closet your own as a family of 3 followed by 9 months in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment will do that to a person.

My small spaces forced some creativity.

My most used kitchen tools in easy reach in a pretty vase.

My husband bought me flowers that came in the same vase two years in a row for my birthday. Of course, I noticed; but I did not care, because, honey, if you want to get me flowers I do not care if they come in the same vase every time. I rejoice in the thought!

On a side note, the second time I got this vase, I was teaching 5th/6th grade. My husband ordered a gerber daisy flower arrangement because this girl loves the friendliness and colorfulness of the gerber daisy (I think of Meg Ryan saying in You've Got Mail "Daisies are the friendliest flower" while stuffing kleenex into her robe). So the flower delivery guy comes into my classroom and delivers my flowers. I thank him and read my note. I am one happy girl, my students are "oooh-ing" and "aw-ing" and then 2 minutes later the flower delivery guy comes back in with another arrangement, this time a single rose arrangement. My very smart husband ordered the arrangement I love, then ordered the cheapest arrangement and had them make 2 deliveries. I was surprised and felt so loved! So, if for some odd reason a man reads this blog, take note: it takes a phone call to a flower shop and $39.95 to make a woman happy and an extra $14.95 to make that happy woman uncontainably overjoyous and thinking to herself what a find she has in her husband... not to mention thinking how she can thank him back... just saying. By the way, I never cared cared that it was the cheapest arrangement; most women won't.


While my sister was helping figure out how to configure my tiny studio apartment, we stumbled across the vases while unpacking and decided to use them to put my kitchen utensils in. Pretty and Functional. Sums up this idea and sums up the way I like my living spaces.


My cute little kitchen in the studio apartment we lived in. Love how the pops of color on the vases in my relatively monochromatic space make the kitchen fun and bright.

Pretty and Functional. Yup that's pretty much it. And the vases proved to be so pretty and so functional, I decided to keep them when I got a kitchen that actually had the drawer space to contain my spatulas.



The "Dining Room" in our studio apartment.

A Couple More Space Saving Freebies:

1. Place Dishes on shelves: Saves you cupboard space and keeps a small kitchen feeling open.

2. Large Cutting boards can easily turn a sink into an extra work surface. Ikea has a large one for only $10 if I remember correctly. (Pretty much, if you are going to be living in a small space, a trip to Ikea is very justifiable). This is also great if you have surprise company and dirty dishes in the sink. Plop that cutting board down over your sink, light a candle on top, and just like that your mess disappeared.

3. Think soothing and clean monocromatic color scheme with pops of color. Loved my subtle spa blue color in my apartment. I blew up some of my own pictures in black and white prints and placed them in matted frames for some personalized wall art. (Frames came from Ikea for really cheap and pictures were turned into black and white prints for really cheap at Walmart). Also, adding a couple of items in black help ground a space. (Notice what those black chairs do in the dining room picture... a couple of black items point out the ethereal-ness of the room. They actually help the room seem bigger.).

4. Kitchen Island. We refinished an old microwave table hidden in my parents garage and turned it into our island. It was perfect: storage underneath, work surface on top. We sanded the top and left it in it's wood finish (We just oiled it. You can purchase butcher block oil or just use some olive oil.) and spray painted the rest white.

5. A tall dining table that can double as a work space/island. Pull the chairs away and its an island, clear it off and add the chairs and its your dining room table.

6. The 21" oven/stove. We found ours off on craigslist for $50. Sure big meals were a little complicated (even though it has 4 burners, 4 large skillets will not fit at the same time); but it was the happy middle ground between no stove or a stove that prevented us from opening our refrigerator door.

7. Stacking Appliances. Microwaves have a great flat surface on top of them and since we had little counter space and the microwave and coffee pot were 2 appliances that we could not hide away in cupboards, we stacked them.

8. Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude! I called our small space our New York City Studio Apartment Adventure. Grant it, I could not be farther from New York City, but that attitude kept me reminded of the fact that I am not the only one hacking it out in a small space and that this really could be an adventure. No matter how thankful I was when we could leave, I absolutely cherish the time spent in that space. It was an adventure!

Exploring Creation

I decided since I have been thinking about home-schooling as a serious option for my kids schooling and since I can't afford preschool anyways, why not try out home preschooling.

I keep it pretty simple. Two days a week and however long it takes between taking care of a baby and keeping my daughter's attention. Surprisingly it takes 1 hour if Jedidiah naps the whole time and Adelaide is captivated. We go over the calendar, pray and say something we want to ask Jesus for and something we are thankful for, go over a letter, go over a number, do some goofy songs/exercises, eat a snack, and do something extra (a shape, color, explore something...).

Yesterday we learned about the number 7. And since there are 7 days to the creation and it was a gorgeous day, I decided our "something extra" was learning about creation. I grabbed the kids, the camera, and the stroller and we headed to the local park. Addy's assignment was to find things that God made. I held the camera, she clicked the button. It was great fun.

I love those moments when you as a mom have what you think is a great idea, you try it out, and your kid loves it and gets what you were hoping they would out of it. In this case: God made everything, God made it good, and we can enjoy exploring what God made. Success!

God made Addy

God made "bebe brudder"

God made butterflies...

...and flowers...

...large rocks...

...and tiny ants (and since you can't see the ants, bark on trees)...

...squirrels...

...huge trees that are great for looking at...

...and trees that are great for playing on...

...tiny little fishes

...and laugh-at-your-momma-while-she-freaks spiders...

...bugs that walk on water...

...and berries that your momma won't let you eat because they look dirty...

...more squirrels (because that is the most fascinating thing to my 3 year old)...

...and families of ducks (notice how they are swimming AWAY from us).

It was a super great time and a great way to do preschool yesterday, so I thought I would share.

It's All in the Details: "2 Minutes to Fabulousness Raspberry Syrup"

I sometimes wonder, if I were to die today, what would my kids, husband, and friends remember about me? Morbid thought, perhaps, but my legacy is important to me. I don't want them to remember the times my patience COMPLETELY ran out, or how if you get me a drink I can forget to be appreciative and instead get all anal-retentive about my ice-to-liquid ratio that varies depending on the beverage (I am quirky, what can I say?), or how sometimes I can be completely lazy when it comes to laundry (Not the cleaning-it or the folding-it part, for me, it's the putting-it-away part. Confession: Stacks of my folded laundry sometimes will sit on my dresser for 2-3 weeks at a time. Who needs drawers when you can just dig through a pile of clothes, right?). I want to be remembered for how I loved. A legacy of love--awe, *deep sigh*, sounds romantic and worth striving for. And, as I am sure is very apparent from this blog, one of the chief ways this girl expresses love is in her cooking.

Nothing says love quite like a Yummy Breakfast!


But one can only be so fabulous.

Sometimes out of necessity, this is my motto. I could run myself into the ground "pouring love" into my cooking. But one can only be so fabulous.

Fortunately, I think one only needs to be so fabulous. Love is in the details. The little bit extra. It's the extra that has the most potential to be remembered (unless of course you managed to set your food on fire or seriously over-salted it; in which case, sorry, that's what's getting remembered! But on a positive note, those are precious, great-for-a-few-laughs moments that family members will cherish forever. Kids/Husband/Friends all want to know you are HUMAN and make mistakes every now and then!). For example, I think of the women's conference I went to: women left raving about the details--things like the pretty menu sticker on their boxed lunch that in scrolled writing said what was inside and the small amount of homemade dill-cream cheese spread for their relatively simple turkey sandwich.

Little details!

So this girl takes really simple things and does something a little extra. In this case, I make boring, simple and best of all EASY Bisquick pancakes for breakfast, but I make a raspberry syrup to serve over it. Instantly Special Bisquick Pancakes (almost an oxymoron) with only two minutes of extra work.

My raspberry syrup says "Family, I love you!"


So here's my 2 Minutes to Fabulousness Raspberry Syrup:

By the way, this is easy. REALLY EASY. So easy I am almost embarrassed to think its worth being posted on a blog. But, you know, I have learned and as this blog post points out, one should never underestimate the power of raspberry syrup or the power of just a little bit extra. So if you are some kind of sauce guru/kitchen ninja, it might embarrass me for you to read further. However, if you are still learning how to get fabulous in your kitchen, please keep reading...

Take about a cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen). Wash them and Toss them into a sauce pan.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. (This is really based on your tastebuds. I add very little because I like my raspberries tart and I like a little regular syrup on my pancakes too.)

Add about 1/4 tsp of lemon zest. (Once again, this is based on your tastebuds... I love lemon zest in my raspberries so I tend to be very generous in my zesting.)



Heat over medium heat until it is bubbling.  I let mine bubble for half a minute or so. The longer it bubbles the thicker it will get and the more broken down the raspberries will get. So, once again this can be done to your preferences. I happen to like some raspberry chunks in a thin sauce.




That's is! Boom! Your done! This can be served on your Pancakes, waffles, fresh toast, or whatever else might please you. It can be served immediately or it can cool down a bit if you happen to have timing issues like me and have yet to master the art of each part of your meal being ready to serve at the same time.

Bisquik pancakes, 2 minutes to Fabulousness Raspberry Syrup, a sprinkling of powdered sugar for prettiness's sake, scrambled eggs and sausage. Happy Husband. Happy Kids. So, of course, Happy Mom.

Happy Cooking! Happy Loving! Happy Fabulousness! All wishes for you :)

The recipe in printable format:

2 Minutes to Fabulousness Raspberry Syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2-3 tbs granulated sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest

1. Put raspberries, sugar and lemon zest into a sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Stir occasionally.
3. Heat untill bubbling. Turn off heat after 30 seconds.
4. Serve

Serves 4.

Ten Year High School Reunion: For Me, the Redefining of Beauty and Success

I guess I don't give my age much thought. In my mind, I'm young and have lots to learn. But, man, there's nothing quite like that 10 year high school reunion invitation to make you feel like you've aged. I'm not a teenager (even though I have been in this reality for 8 years now, for some reason this always shocks me), I'm not cute like I once was, I've gone to college, driven a few different cars, had a few jobs, got married, started a family... all in 10 years. Crazy what 10 years can do for a person!

Me at 16 or 17 with my Bahama Mama's. I am the bombshell in blue. :)

But then, at the same time, it's crazy what 10 years didn't do for this person. I discovered as the reunion approached that I still had these crazy ideas of what it means to be beautiful and successful... the same immature ones I had in high school. And it's not like I ever put these ideas into words. I rarely even took these ideas out to measure myself by them... but as I began to wonder what people would think of me tens years later, a wave of insecurity wanted to hurl itself over me.

Beauty is skinny; it's trendy; it's cute; it wears a size 4, weighs less than 120 lbs, and it's desirable by a great deal of young men; it has a tight physique and it is fresh and young without gray hair and wrinkles.  Um, yeah, if I can't change the definition of beauty, I definitely can not be beautiful!

Success has a college education, a job worthy of that education, and, in that job, promotions and a decent income; it drives a nice car; it owns it's own house and in that house it has bedrooms for each child and an extra room for guests and an office; and it has a husband and perfectly behaved children who potty-train at the age of 2. And while I have a husband and 2 kids I would not trade for the world, a college education, and cars that work; I can't help but want to say "I am a stay at home mom for now" or "I am just a stay at home mom" as though there was something wrong or second rate about it.

Every woman wants to be beautiful, desirable, and thought of by those closest to her as "enough." Everyone wants to feel accomplished and successful. But, and I could be crazy here, it seems our definitions are so "surface" and "immature." I don't want to go on a society and media rampage, but these definitions are so there and permeate through the radio, tv, internet and in just about every advertisement you see. And whether you were somehow able to fit yourself into these definitions, or if you had your hopes and dreams of success or beauty shattered early on by some terrible tragedy or just simply never could quite fit yourself into society's definition of these things; it's there. We all want it. We want to be beautiful. We want to be successful. We want to be that one of kind, strong, beautiful woman that is living on this planet with definite purpose.

Fortunately for me, before the reunion, I got to be a part of an amazing women's conference called "I Am Couture." Just the reminder I needed! I AM like that one of a kind, strong, valuable, beautiful, couture garment that has been designed with a definite purpose. I AM couture. But not because I am a size 4 or because I'm cute. And not because I have a long list of accomplishments or own a house. I am beautiful because, bottom line, God says I am, and my husband agreeing is just the icing on the cake. I am His masterpiece. I am created in His image. And quite frankly, I like what God says about me way better than Marie Claire and Vogue, so I think I will go with Him. I am successful because I live out the purpose God has for my life. I love and serve Him, my family, and others. I am Me, and, hot dang, I do ME better than anyone else.

Awesome Conference!

Strong! Amazing! Original!... ME!

And for my own benefit can I just place in cement that my wide hips are my badge of honor: I have brought children into this world. My fluffy belly is evidence of the life I once carried in it. My "gravity-stricken," over-sized boobs are the bounty of my children that I personally can nurture and strengthen. My newly forming wrinkles and size 10 woman figure are proof of a life being lived and wisdom being attained. My rented 1 1/2 bedroom apartment and lack of job that includes a paycheck is my glorious sacrifice to my children to stay home with them. But don't allow these things to define you, for perhaps, you were created with an entirely different purpose. This is ME. I hope you will be YOU!


So, I went to my reunion. I had a blast. I saw my "Bahama Mama's." Yep, I was totally a member of a silly group of girls complete with a name and plenty of inside jokes. That's right, we drove around in our "Ghetto V" looking for "Hot Sand and Happy Lotion" eating "2 am Doughnuts," "Christmas Treeing" unsuspecting houses, "Pulling Melvins," all the while bumping "Player's Holiday" on the radio. But to tell you what any of that means, I'd have to kill you first. HA! And you know what? It's fun to be a silly girl. We got out on that dance floor at the reunion and had our husbands in stitches with our ghetto-booty dancing and our ingenious moves like "Feeding the chickens," "Stacking it up," "Knocking on the door," and "Going Shopping."

Me (right) and one of my best girl friends dancing our cares away at the reunion.

The reunion proved the perfect opportunity to challenge myself to redefine beauty and success and just be happy in the skin I'm in. I am proud of myself! I made no apologies for the way I look or the way I choose to live my life. I didn't allow myself to compare myself with anyone else. And, you know what? I was pleasantly surprised to find a room full of nice people who had all changed themselves: who had changed their own definitions and who had been changed by 10 years of life (either that or they were too drunk to notice or care!)

Me and my handsome little gentleman before I had to part with him for the evening.



I have to give credit where credit is due. My pastor's wife (who along with a team put on the kick-butt conference "I AM COUTURE") constantly encourages me with talks of beauty redefined. The speakers at the conference, Lacey Brown and LaCinda Bloomfield, added to the thoughts that produced this blog. Captivating by Stacy and John Eldredge and Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy also instilled some of the ideas mentioned here (I STRONGLY recommend these reads!). And my friend Carey from whose facebook album I swooped the conference pictures. And while I am at giving credit, hello, God! and the Bible! and the awesome team of girls that put together a fun reunion weekend.

Chewy Granola Bars

Sweet and a little bit salty... Isn't that all we want in snack food?

I created these granola bars, perhaps, because when I am bored I cook. I got bored! I wanted to make a snack for preschool time and for my husband to stick in his lunch pail. I wanted something hearty and healthy. And better yet versatile.

I love versatility in recipes. One week, I can feel warm and chocolatey and the next I can be nutty and fruity (okay so I am definitely the later, but this girl definitely likes her chocolate).

 
Homemade Chocolate Chip Granola Bars:

3 Tbs Unsalted Butter
4 Tbs Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Honey
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
3/4 cup Rice Krispies
1/3 cup Wheat Germ (I used mine toasted)
1/4 cup Raw UnSalted Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling with a frothy white appearance on top, add sugar, honey and salt. Stir ingredients and then allow them to get bubbly for about 5 minutes stirring only if necessary (this will create your sticky caramel base that will hold your granola together). Do not burn.
  2. Turn off heat. Add oats, krispies, wheat germ and sunflower seeds and stir until evenly coated with caramel mixture.
  3. Pour onto wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Shape into a roughly 9"x7" rectangle. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and press into granola.
  4. Place in freezer for 3 minutes. Quickly cooling granola makes sticky caramel bond nicely. Cut into rectangles. (Make sure granola isn't too cold... it will shatter. If it is, wait for it to warm back up to room temperature before cutting.)

Variations:
  • Peanut Butter: substitute 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips Or try half of each for peanut butter chocolate chip.
  • Almond Cranberry: omit sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. Add 1/2 cup of rough chopped raw almonds and 1/2 cup craisins (add in with oats, krispies and wheat germ). To make this a decadent treat, add nutella. (Though I can't quite figure out how to add the nutella without making them messy. I spread over top and then place wax paper on top and cut into rectangles with wax paper in place so I could store them with wax paper on. I also tried spreading half the rolled oats mixture and then placing tiny dollops of nutella on top and then adding the rest of the mixture to the top. Either way worked and tasted delicious, just a wee bit messy... especially the former)
  • Pretty sure this is a great place to put some creativity. Love to hear some more variations! Also, pretty sure the honey caramel mixture would taste great with some popcorn tossed in it. Have yet to try it but YUM!
Melt butter and allow it to froth before adding sugars.
Let your caramel mixture look like this for about 5 minutes.
Some of the stars of this recipe.
Pour granola mixture onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet and shape into a 9"x7" rectangle.
I forgot to take picture of pressing chocolate chips into granola.... But here's a picture of me pressing my cranberry, almond, nutella bars into shape so you can get the idea.
Making the edges nice and tight before I stick it in the freezer for 3 minutes.
My Cut Granola bars... Notice one went missing before I even got the picture taken. I wonder who did that... oh yeah, ME!
One more time. The finished product. By the way, here's a freebie: stick snacks in a display like this cake stand. It immediately welcomes people into your home, and makes your home feel warm and cozy. I am determined to be the "cool mom" as my kids grow up. I can't afford the high def. tv and the game consoles or want to maintenance a swimming pool, but, shoot, I can put some snacks in a container for my kids and their friends. "Let's hang at Friddle's house. His mom makes good snacks!" And forget spending tons on dining room/kitchen decorations... the way to go is edible!
 

Bulk Bin Tip: To make this a super affordable treat, try shopping bulk bins! Rolled oats, raw almonds and sunflower seeds, toasted wheat germ, craisins, chocolate chips... all come in bulk bins. You make have to invest in air tight containers but you save more than half without having to clip a coupon! I shop Raley's here in Northern California. Not the cheapest bulk bin, but definitely have a great selection and are very clean. Winco has the best selection I've seen and great prices, but they are a little harder for me to get to.