My Daily December Album

First of all, my goal for this project was to not spend any money. Although I like my homemade album, next year I will probably go out and spend a few bucks on an actual album of some sort depending on how this year goes.

(For a more detailed description of project and samples go here.)

My favorite part of my homemade album is that I reused cereal boxes. It makes me feel a little green. :)

My least favorite part of my homemade album was the time it took. Yes, it did take a little time. But hey, it was free!

So my original idea was to have a 6x6 album so I only had to use 1/4 of a piece of paper. But then I thought and realized that however I bound the album would take up a little room. So I made the pages 6x7.

I used a sturdy cardboard box to make a cover...had to actually measure!

Then I used cereal boxes (had to raid my recycling bin) to cut the pages. Again, had to measure pretty good.


Then I took 16 sheets of coordinating paper (from one of those big blocks of paper) and cut two 6x7 pieces from each sheet. I then glue sticked them to the cardboard, cut down as needed, and inked the edges. The good thing about the 6x7 is that I have leftover coordinating paper to make backgrounds, pockets, etc.
I covered the cardboard with burlap, using hot glue to stick it on good. Then I cut out circles and used some brown alphas to create the dates.
Some sample pages...Then I embellished the front a little from my Christmas scrapbooking stash. And I'm pretty much done!

Oh wait, the binding. Ha ha.

So my intentions are to drill 2 holes in the edges and just use the loose leaf rings to hold it together. Haven't gotten that far yet.

I do have a stash of "stuff" to use when I'm ready to actually do every day. The original idea was to put your embellishments on each page BEFORE hand to lessen your work during December. But I think that would bug me. I can't just "adapt" my idea to the page format. I think it would less stressful for me! So I'm leaving "as is" until December.

I'm linking up to:
Tatertots and Jello
It's Fun to Craft


REAL MOM'S DINNER: Plan on having beef enchiladas. Not everyone will like those so we'll whip up some cheese quesadillas. :)

December Daily Album

I've mentioned before that my most favorite magazine out there is Scrapbooks, etc. There was an idea in the December issue to make these December Daily Albums. It was truly inspiring for me! Now for most people this would look like a total pain to add one more thing to an already crazy month. And I hope I'm not crazy taking this on myself, but I have reason to my madness.

Before I get too into explaining things, if you want a better idea of what I'm talking about then you need to check out these two blogs because I'm sure they explain it a whole lot better than me!
Ali's December Daily 2010Michelle's December Daily Album
The idea is to create an album to document your daily December life. To simplify things you create the album NOW before you get busy with Christmas. Then each day in December you spend a few minutes documenting that day. You could use pictures, children's quotes, recipes, memories, activities, etc. The idea behind this is that you have a tangible record (journal, if you may) of one of the funnest, craziest months for most of us! I love journals. I love scrapbooks. I LOVE this idea!

One of the reasons of course, I'm so excited about this idea is that we are expecting a new baby in December. Before you think I'm crazy I want you to think...wouldn't it be AWESOME to have a small daily record of the first few weeks of your new baby's life?!

I will show my homemade album here shortly. It's not quite done, but close.

I seriously challenge you to try this! The purpose of this album to JOURNAL, not to drive you crazy! So simplify it as much as you want. It doesn't have to be all cutesy like the ones shown. A simple 8x11 binder with page protectors would work! A 5x7 photo album would work. It would be so cool to have a record to pull out every year to see what kinds of things you did the previous year. Maybe keep a list on one of the days of what Christmas activities you didn't get around to doing that you'd like to do next year. Or keep adding to your holiday recipe collection!

Oh, the memories it could hold! The funny little things your kids say. Some pictures of their school art. The parties, traditions, and food that surround the holidays!

REAL MOM'S DINNER: Planning on having chicken drumsticks with Rice-a-Roni

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I really have been alive...and crafting! I just haven't posted in a while. I did manage to create a couple new spooky crafts for Halloween. There were so many inspirational craft blogs I saw for Halloween projects, I wanted to do a lot more than what I did, but I'm happy that at 30 weeks prego I was able to get something done!

My front entrance alcove is now spookily decorated. This was actually a lot of fun to create!

I used a DI flower vase (which went from gray to spray painted black,) a branch (which was also spray painted black) and homemade paper bats to make a Halloween tree.

I used the old mod podge book idea to create a "SPELL BOOK." Just glued purple paper to an old book, rubbed tons of ink on it and added a few embellishments. (The back side of the book isn't even completely covered because I knew it wouldn't show.)

The wordage looks pretty cool, right? Well, I have to say this is my first craft I used my new Cricut on! My awesome hubby found on at his work's clearance sale for $25!

Anyway, the chain is part of a broken necklace that I stuck on and a then there is a random bat sticker. I wanted the book to have a little more height and thought about creating a little box to hold it up higher, but then decided to grab my little jewelry box to see how it would look. Turns out I really like it!

Then I threw up some spider webs and spiders and it looks pretty cool. (My daughter insisted the witch and pumpkin bear sit there. Ha Ha!) Best part...it was all stuff I had on hand and so it was pretty much free!

This next project was another freebie with things I had lying around. I have been seeing these Subway style word boards all over the craft blogs and wanted to try my hand at it. I didn't have a Cricut when I created it, but I what I do have is TONS of alphas! So I dug through my stash and came up with this. I already had the board, you guessed it, from an earlier DI buy, sitting in my "pile" of junk. I think it turned out pretty cool except for one part that I keep looking at and thinking I need to fix. Maybe I'll get around to fixing and maybe I won't. The biggest problem I have with this kind of project is I don't have many spaces to hang things like this from my walls. So it is sitting on a bookshelf right now.
Real Mom's Dinner: Italian Breaded Pork Chops (click here for the recipe)...it was a lot of work and was glad hubby did dishes after because I was feeling the Braxton Hicks come on strong after this meal!

Finally!!!

I've been working on this dresser for Little Miss...I had the perfect vision of what I wanted it to look like/function as. And it 75% turned out. But the last 25% that DIDN'T turn out is driving me CRAZY!!!
I can't seem to paint smoothly, choose the right colors, or mod podge to save my life!!! What is wrong with me?! Seriously, is there a trick to mod podging or am I just a retard?

Anyway...since I'm NOT ready (or wonder if I'll ever be ready) to publicly display Little Miss' new/refurbished dresser I really needed a CUTE craft that I could actually feel good about.
Anyway.,..

So I was at Robert's Craft a few months ago and saw those cool framed glass calendars. I couldn't believe they ran about $50!!! I realized how brilliant it was to use glass as an erasable surface and figured I could make something similar for a fraction of the price. But I never got around to it.

Then I started seeing the similar concept popping up on craft blogs. Well, I may be on the late side, but I finally made something that is so cute, cheap, and totally works for my needs!
It's pretty obvious what I did. I bought a cheap frame ($5) from Wal-Mart. Did a little math to see how wide 7 equal strips would need to be. Found scrapbook paper that I liked. Cut and gluesticked the paper to the cardboard back. Added a bottom strip of paper for the menu section, separated by a little rickrack. Added some alpha initials to the top and stuck it all back together. I thought about adding some buttons or rub-ons or something, but I've been learning that simple it good...sometimes simple is better than fluffy. So I kept it simple.

This way, at a glance I can see what my week looks like and what meals I have planned for the week. I have my planner for monthly things, but it is so nice to have a weekly visual reminder for me. I use a white board marker and can erase and rewrite my week the next week!

I am simply in love with it!!! And yes, it DID make me feel better about turning out such an awful dresser...temporarily. Until I finally conceded to another home decor problem I've been having...which I will talk about in my next post. Now I'm a little distraught and feel the need to once again revamp.

REAL MOM'S DINNER: Turkey steak, french fries, mixed veggies, and watermelon.

Fireplace T.V.

While I'm on the subject of mantels...I thought I would show off one of Hubby's pride and joys.

Our t.v.

Ever since we moved into our house he had wanted to put the t.v. above the fireplace. I kept saying no as I didn't know how he would do it without cords showing.
Finally last Christmas, I caved and told him if he could promise he would a) not let any cords show and b) finish it in a relatively quick amount of time and c) have it not cost more than $150 he could do it.He met all my conditions and we couldn't be happier with having our t.v. up on the wall. There is no t.v. stand for little boys to get their hands into, no ugly cords hanging down, and actually a great viewing area!
We found a great deal on this swivel wall mount. Hubby (along with his brother's help) figured out how to pull up electricity and cable to the wall. He made a box to fit the dvd player (and it will fit a WII also...whenever we get one.)
He said the scariest part was cutting into the wall to insert the box. Ha Ha! But it worked out beautifully!

Anyway, enough about a silly t.v.

REAL MOM's Dinner: Broccoli and Beef (click here for the recipe.)

Fall Pick-Me Up

I was looking at my favorite magazine, Scrapbooks, etc. and saw the CUTEST "BOO" banner. Something similar to this (courtesy of the Scrabooks Etc. com)...I decided it was too early for a Boo banner and thought a HARVEST banner would be fun and cute! Besides, I was really needing something crafty to do since I've been a little lackadaisical lately!
I wanted to try circles instead of pendant shapes for my banner. I simply traced a bowl and cut out circles from a couple of cereal boxes. Then I glued some harvest-y looking paper down. Next, I used my poor man's Cricut technique and printed out the letters HARVEST on my computer, cut out, glued more cute paper on top of those trimmed up, and glued on the circles. I used scraps and stickers to add a little texture and depth (I used hot glue to adhere those.) I then hot glued the circles onto some twine and added little flowers in the middle. And hung it up on my banister.

The HARVEST doesn't stand out as much as I wanted, but I love the splash of fall it gives the mantel! Hubby saw me hang it up and laughed and said, "Good luck keeping the boys from ripping that apart!" But to my delight they actually HAVE left it alone for the last 2 weeks!

REAL Mom's Dinner: Grilled Hot Dogs, chips, corn on the cob, fruit salad and rice crispy treats. Can you tell it's the end of summer?!!!

Progress to a Clean and Functioning Home

I posted a few weeks ago that I have made a goal to get my house clean and organized. Well...I'm slowly making progress.

I know most of you don't care and are probably already doing these things all the time anyway, but I needed some motivation/accountability to actually do what I said I was going to do.

I cleaned my pantry. Ya, this is a job that needs to be done every 4 months, not every 9 months. Note to self...not a hard job!!!
This is my scrapbook desk. It is in my bedroom. And it was a total mess!!! Now it is moved to a different corner and all organized...okay, mostly organized.

Before picture:All my photos for the past 3 years are now neatly organized by date (or event) in this cool photo organizer my father in law gave me. He actually gave me 3 of them (a long time ago!) and one is full of pictures from college years to Little Miss' second birthday. I just started filling the second container.

I also got brave and did a job I've only done once before right before we sold our first house. Cleaning under the oven! If you have ever attempted this job it is soooooo gross! It isn't terribly hard, but a must do...probably every year, but if you're like me every 3 years. Ha ha! It is awful what you can find when pull out that oven drawer and clean under it! My mom actually pulled her entire oven out last year after 14 years of never cleaning the sides and she said it was disgusting! I bet! I've never done that one!

I've also gone through the boys' current clothes, but still have sooooo much to do in their room/closet to get things settled in there! That is my job the next couple of days before we head out on vacation.

Twin's Art

When we had the twins we had decided that we would dictate a color for each boy to be able to tell who's was who's...binkies, sippy cups, blankets, etc. For the most part it has worked out really well, except for now, being 2 they definitely know which color is "theirs."

Mr. L is green and Mr. S is blue. If there is a choice of popsicle colors Mr. L will always choose green. If there is a blue sippy cup and a green sippy cup they will always (almost) pick up their respective colors. Mr. L's crib has a green bumper pad and Mr. S' crib has a blue bumper pad.

So we are looking at putting the boys in twin beds by Christmas. I've started looking for blue/green sheets and blankets that would work for their room. I've found a few, but still trying to decide for sure what we want.

Anyway, I've seen this monochromatic collage idea used before and thought it might be fun to try for the boys' room. It is so blah right now!

I love how it turned out!

I found two 16x20 picture frames (with glass) at the D.I. for $3 a piece (pictured here.) They needed some TLC to get the backs off (since they were both professionally framed) and to remove the inner pictures. There just happened to be usable cardboard inside for me to use as the background for my collage. And the frames needed a couple coats of antique white paint.

I took just about every pattern/color of blue and green scrapbook paper I had (which happened to be about 24 different papers each) and cut 2x2 squares from each piece. I pre-measured and figured I would need about 80 squares per picture. It sounds like a ton, but it actually didn't take that long.
Then I arranged the squares on the cardboard (so I could move around if needed) and then glued the squares down. It did take an 1 1/2 hours or so to do this for both.

Next, came the hard part. I wanted something more than just the collage itself. I thought about putting in a paper pieced airplane and helicopter or animal or something. But finally opted just to put their initials in the center. I initially thought I could find some large chipboard letters, but couldn't. So I came up with Plan B which was to print large letters off my computer and copy them on some cardboard. It worked...mostly.
I painted the letters white (the same as the frames) and stuck them in the center. But it so didn't look good! I couldn't figure out what to do. I decided to cut some colored paper just slightly larger than the letters and mat the letters to a solid color. But it still didn't look good. Then I set the colored letter on top of the white letter and it actually worked! I added a few buttons and put the frame back together.
Obviously, they aren't hung up yet. The boys are napping right now so I will do that later. But I'm really excited to put each one over the boys' cribs for now and eventually above their twin beds in a few months!

This project did take slightly longer than I initially thought it would. But it was fun and I think worth it!

I'm linking up to Beyond the Picket Fence
Funky Junk Interiors

What To Do...What To Do

Ok, so I'm going crazy! I have a hundred things in my head that I want/need to do. I have a little bit of energy to actually accomplish some of them, but it seems like I can't prioritize!!!

I made a goal last week that I wanted to completely spring clean my house, cupboards, drawers, closets, blinds, windows, etc. before Thanksgiving. Because heavens knows I will not get much of anything done the further this pregnancy goes and once this new baby comes.

I also have all my everyday stuff to do.

My husband told me not to paint Little Miss' dresser. That he would do it...but he's so busy right now! And I want to!

I have a little boy that I think might have an ear infection. Really? In July?!

I need to go the store to get one thing to finish the twins' art for their room. But alas, that isn't happening today.

All I can think about is procrastinating the things I really should be doing...like cleaning my pantry...and thinking about how to redo the kids' rooms. *Since we need to move the twins to twin beds and Ellie is outgrowing her Princess Room.* That is going to be their Christmas present...mostly.
Okay, here is a sneak peek at the bed set I bought Ellie today on Wal-Mart.com. I know, I know...my husband works for a large online retailer and I buy from Wal-Mart. Whatever! It was cute and cheap!
It is like I have two little devils on my shoulders.

Devil #1: Christmas is so far away. You will have plenty of time to get stuff ready later. Just sit back and relax this summer. Besides you should be saving for vacation and school clothes, not buying stuff!

Devil #2: Christmas will come so quickly. You have energy now. Who knows if you'll have any energy (or money for that matter) later!

Okay, Okay...now that I've vented for a few minutes I better choose something to do and do it while the boys are napping (or else today is a lost cause!)

Got Stinky Towels? This may help!

I am probably among the world's worst launderers. I throw damp towels in a basket to be washed later, I hastily sort clothes to throw into the washer, and I pay little heed to instructions like "no fabric softener." Next to my Dear Hubby, who overfills the washer so full that several items "mysteriously" rip, I'm pretty lame at laundry.
However, so far in my laundry career I've managed to ruin very few things. The clothing items that have been ruined have been from things like business cards being left in pants pockets, etc. So I've been pretty irritated lately when it seems like no matter what I do, my towels completely stink to high heaven even after several washings!

I decided to do some research. I actually learned a lot and decided I should share what I learned.First of all... what is causing my stinky towels?

Well, the obvious answer is the that the towels are not thoroughly drying out. I learned that yes, that was part of it. But it wasn't the only thing and it isn't my only problem. Part of my problem is that both of my bathrooms have poor circulation. While my master bathroom is large, it doesn't seem to air out well, contributing to why our bath towels probably don't dry out well enough. Our kids' bathroom has a small linen closet where we keep the majority of towels. It is small, no ventilation, a small window that we had to keep closed all winter, and the door has been kept closed most of the time to keep four little hands out of the toilet!

Also, I learned that my front loading washer may be hurting the situation as well. I learned I need to leave the door open so the machine itself can dry out. Front loaders can easily trap water and with the door closed the excess moisture can cause mildew/mold build-up. Also with my front loading washer, I need to be occasionally wiping it out (which I have been doing!)

Also, with a front loading washing machine you need to be careful to not overuse your detergent. Even if you use HE detergent, you really only need about 2 tablespoons vs. the 1/4 - 1/2 cup recommended. Wash your clothes without any detergent and look to see if you have suds. If you do you're using too much detergent.

So next is what can be done about the stink? Is it a lost cause? Do I just need to replace every towel? My thrifty side was excited to learn that no, I don't have to throw them out, but they do need a little TLC.I read several ideas and decided to put them to the test. However, I do have a front loading machine and so adjustments may have to be made for a top loading machine. Here is what I did. And I was very aggressive because I had REALLY stinky towels!

First, I washed the towels (smaller batches are better) with both hydrogen peroxide, Borax, and vinegar in HOT water. I put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the main wash detergent tray, the Borax in the pre wash detergent tray, and the vinegar in the fabric softener tray. The theory behind this is that the Borax will deodorize as well as clean, the hydrogen peroxide will kill the bacteria causing any stinky issues, and the vinegar in the final wash (fabric softener rinse) will again deodorize.

Next, I rewashed them, mostly because they didn't feel very soft or had much of any fragrance to them. So I added just a tiny amount of HE Tide, and some Downy to soften them up. Next, quickly move the towels to the dryer...don't let them sit in the washer for hours on end. I think that might defeat everything you just did. I dried them on the highest setting I had.

They aren't perfect...like new towels, but definitely MUCH better! They still didn't seem very soft, but oh well. And the stink comes back after a few uses. After washing most of my towels like that for several weeks in a row I backed off and now just use my regular HE Tide and Downy, with a little Borax in the pre wash. If I start noticing a little stink I go back and throw in some vinegar and/or hydrogen peroxide.

This trick has definitely saved me some moo-lah in replacing towels all at once!

I'm Back!!!

So I took a little break from life for a while. But I'm back now and happy about it. After months of little energy, trying to continually play catch-up, and life being on the overwhelming side, I've finally got my creative juices back. I actually have a little more energy now to get things done and am very relieved! Oh, and I just found out we're having another boy!

So what have I been up to? Good question......
The other day I saw this recipe for 90 minute cinnamon rolls and they looked divine! My parents and sister were coming for the night so I thought it would be a perfect excuse to make an indulgent treat for breakfast!
They were good. I need to make some small adjustments next time, but will most likely make them again because it were easy and yummy!

Also, I actually had enough energy to make this favorite dinner (Italian Breaded Pork Chops) of ours again tonight. Warning!: It is time consuming, but very worth it!

I also made a trip to D.I. last week and found these beauties that I'm turning into some artwork for the twins' room. Hopefully, I'll finish this week and get it posted.
I also found another great buy (hopefully) that Little Miss is very excited about! Let's just say the twins' clothing is overflowing (literally!) from their tiny changing table dresser (which will be needed for the new baby come December anyway) and the need for Ellie's big dresser is great. So I found a dresser type thing that needs some work, but will work out great for Little Miss! It needs some work from Hubby and he is super busy with work right now so it will probably take longer than I would like, but hopefully not too long. :)

I do have a goal to post a little more often now that I'm a little more on track. So check back!

Excuses...

Ya, I know it's been a really long time since I posted. I have been keeping busy. But really...my main excuse for not posting lately is that I'm actually 12 weeks prego. Ya, so I've been um...mighty tired. I am finally starting to get some energy back although the morning sickness is still totally present and will be for a long time. **big sigh**

So I really haven't crafted much or done much of anything actually. Somehow the basics get done. I've only been cooking dinner maybe 3 times a week. The rest of the time it's cold cereal or cheese tortillas or eating out. I've been REALLY lame!

Today we worked diligently in our yard trying to get the weeds out (since it's been poorly neglected.) Hubby is working to get some fabric down and bark on top. I'll post pictures when we finish up.

Today I also got the gumption to cut the twins' hair. I have been watching and learning from my father-in-law and finally got brave enough to try it on my own today. Mr. L has super thick curly hair. It is so cute! But he was starting to get a little mullet. So out came the clippers. I know I still needs lots of practice, but I thought it turned out okay for my first cut!
I can't believe how much hair came off! Mr. S has curly hair also, but it's a lot thinner. He hasn't been feeling well so I didn't push it with him...I was at least able to get the top shortened up a bit.

I will try to post more often this summer although I am looking forward to spending some quality time just enjoying summer!!!

Busy

I haven't done much "crafting" lately, but I've been staying busy. I have been planning a birthday party, going to more doctor's appointments, planning a 72 hour preparedness presentation for Relief Society, and trying to maintain my sanity. My 2 year old twin boys have destroyed my family home evening board I made. They destroyed the decorations I had on my two end tables. They somehow managed to knock my wedding picture off the wall and break the frame. They've scribbled on the walls. I really do love them on this...their second birthday...but I'm really sick of them ruining things. I sure do hope this stage passes quickly. Oh wait, I think Little Miss has barely grown out of this stage...mostly.

I just really wanted to get rid of my last blog post title. Oh yes, I've been keeping up on AI. I was so wrong with the final three. Casey? Really? Over Big Mike? REALLY? Okay...I've said my peace. I'm done.

End Table Makeover

I did it!

I finally got around to making over my end tables! We bought 2 end tables (and a coffee table that is being used as a t.v. stand in the basement) at the RC Willey Clearance Center about 7 years ago when we where furnishing our first house. They were in pretty good condition and met our style. But over the years, several moves, and several kids later, they were looking sad.

Dull.
Lifeless.
Covered in water stains and permanent marker.

I've wanted to do this makeover for a while now and finally got around to it this past week.

Before (Okay, so you can't see the legs here):

Here is a comparison -new on the left and old on the right (please ignore the sippy cup and dutch ovens in the background):

As I've posted before, I'm lazy. So my process was actually very simple.
I sanded the heck out of the table top.
Then I wrapped the edges of the table with some blue painter's tape.
Then I spray painted the legs. Let Dry.
I flipped the table over and sprayed the legs again...just to make sure I got everything.
I then stained the table top with a nice cherry stain. I got lucky it wiped right off the metal.
I let it dry about 6 hours and did a second coat of stain. I wanted it just a little darker.
Then I waited another day and put a coat of polycrylic sealer* on it.
And it turned out great! Okay, Okay, not perfect, but I'm really happy with the results!

I have one of the end tables behind my couch in the family room.

I have the other end table in my living room.

*The only reason I used the polycrylic sealer stuff is because I found a gallon of it on clearance at Lowe's for $2!!! It is normally like $40 for the stuff. I asked the paint guy why it was so cheap. He said they were getting rid of the gallon size and only carrying the smaller size. So I counted that as a major score! Of course it would have been a bigger score if Little Miss hadn't been trying to "help" clean the garage and spilled most the gallon on the garage floor! Luckily, it is one of those easy water clean-up kinds.

Now I have more confidence to do the same thing to my kitchen table! I can't wait!

*I'm linking to Creative Cats HERE
*And to Funky Junk Interiors HERE
*And to It's FUN to craft HERE

Intentions Become Realities

What a great, but very exhausting weekend! We actually accomplished much of what was on our to do list plus some! I love when that happens, which doesn't happen very often!

Anyway, Hubby wouldn't let me take any pictures, but he built a cheap half wall in our unfinished basement to keep kids and toys on one side and storage, exercise equipment, and my sister's room on the other side. It should be a great help to have an actual toy room where the kiddos can play without fear they are going to climb into a pile of insulation or touch the furnace, etc.

Hubby also built me some garden boxes. FYI: wood has gone up in price so it was more than we had planned on, but hopefully it will be a good investment! We just need to do a little more prepping the area and fill with some good soil and plant. Just...

I got my grocery shopping done, a few hours of yard work (including planting a few allysum plants) and even had a time (although I didn't have much energy) to play a little soccer with Little Miss. She loved that!

Today, I frantically prepared my church lesson which makes everything and everyone crazy when I leave that for the last minute, but at least we made it to church! Then Hubby let me have an afternoon nap, which I rarely take and didn't intend to today, but it was very nice.

REAL MOM'S DINNER: pot roast w/ potatoes and carrots, french bread, and fruit for dinner. It was quite good!

Good weekend, good weekend.

Intentions...

I wanted the word, "intentions" in my blog title for a very good reason. I always intend to do things. But the reality is many things don't happen.

I intended to laundry today. But I weeded my front flower beds instead.

As I am weeding...(by the way, about half of my front yard is flower beds...previous owners were retired gardeners) I am making a mental list of all the things I need to make the flower beds look more finished. (Once I have unlimited funds...ha ha...I'm ripping out the curbing and shrinking ALL the flowers bed to minimal maintenance and adding more grass!)

A day lily
A carpet rose
Some allysum and sundials, and
LOTS of mulch/ground covering something or other

But I'm realizing that this could get really expensive if I try to do this all at once. Money is a little tight right now as we once again have a pile of medical bills to pay off. But I figured I could probably get away with buying a little bit here and there. So this Saturday I intend to head to the nursery.

Other INTENDED projects for this Saturday.

*making garden boxes
*prepping the garden area
*building a cheap half wall in the basement

All this on top of dentist appointments and grocery shopping. And don't forget we still have to go to Home Depot to actually purchase stuff for these projects. Sigh...Saturdays are NEVER long enough! And there is ALWAYS something more to spend our money on. I guess this means the nice camera I saved for will have to be an okay, get me by camera. But that is okay, since it will be probably just be ruined again by another chitlin!

I will post again on Sunday and let you know what we actually DID!

REAL MOM'S DINNER: chicken nuggets, 4 cheese Pasta-Roni, peas & carrots...so gourmet!

Picture Frame

I'm mostly posting this for my mom's benefit. She gave me this darling picture frame for Christmas and I just haven't done anything with it. But I finally did. I printed up 12 pictures from our family pictures from both sides -Hubby's and I's families. (Hubby's family was taken last April and my family was taken last December) in sepia. I was a little nervous how it would turn out, but I really like it! Although I think it needs something above the picture...I'll keep my eyes open for a cheap swaggy thing or something.
I put it where the shelf was. I had wanted to move the shelf anyway, because it would sometimes fall down if Little Miss' door slammed too hard...which happens with a four year old! Here is where I put my shelf. I need to figure out what to do with it.
Anyway, thanks Mom, for a fun gift!

Fajita Seasoning Mix

Our family really likes fajitas. I usually use a fajita seasoning mix bought at the store...around 50 cent to a dollar for a mix. A couple of months ago I had planned to have fajitas and opened my cupboard to find NO fajita seasoning mix! I was so mad! Then I stopped and thought about it. I figured I could look online to see if I had enough ingredients to make my own mix. And luckily I found this recipe and just happen to LOVE it! I copied it onto a piece of paper and no I can't find the original source to give credit, but I'm pretty sure it was from allrecipes.com. (this is just about the only place I look for recipe anymore because just about everything I have tried from there is so good!)

I like this recipe because it is so close to the store bought mix, which is what I'm use to. I actually tried a couple different mix recipes, but the other ones seemed too hot for me. So yes, this is on the mild side for Mexican, but it is what I like. Hubby spices his up with hot salsa. :)

Fajita Mix
1 tbs. cornstarch
2 teas. chili powder
1 teas. salt
1 teas. paprika
1 teas. sugar
3/4 teas. chicken bullion crushed
1/2 teas. onion powder
1/4 teas. garlic powder
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1/4 teas. cumin

This is enough to equal 3 packages of store bought mix. Use just about 1 tbs. of mix per batch of chicken (I do 2-3 chicken breasts sliced.) And use just like you would store bought mix. I mix in maybe a tbs. or 2 of water with the mix and toss my chicken in it and let it marinade for 15 min. or longer. Then put some oil in a pan and toss the chicken in to cook. It is pretty simple and yummy! I'm definitely becoming a fan of making your own seasoning mixes!

Family Home Evening Board

I finally made a family home evening board! I have wanted to do this project for a while now and finally got around to it. I actually started on Monday, but ended up redoing the board 3 times because I could get the bubbles out of the Mod Podge! I'm NOT a perfectionist and rarely do I spend the time to redo something, but for some reason this drove me crazy! I haven't used Mod Podge very many times so I don't know what I was doing wrong!
Anyway, I used a "Merry Christmas" board I found at the DI for like $2.00. I love using used boards for what I want because they are cheap and they already have the hooks on them.
So I painted the board white because I wasn't too keen on black for this particular project. Then I dug through my scrap stuff to find paper and accessories. Since I was so frustrated with the Mod Podge, I just used a plain old glue stick to stick the scrapbook paper on the board. I then used alphas to spell out the words I wanted and I was lucky enough to find some great metal letters. I took 6 letters (to represent each family members first initial) and 6 tiny wire nails and sprayed them white...didn't work great, but good enough. Then I just used the nails to hang the letters and I can take the letters off to rearrange them. A little rick rack, buttons, and squigglies and I called it good...finally!

I know it not perfect by any means, but it makes me happy to have this finally done!

And yes, I know I need a new camera...working on it!

REAL MOM'S DINNER: Spaghetti, bread sticks, salad