A Little Taste of NOLA

Posted on by February 14, 2012

With Fat Tuesday less than a week away, I thought I should share one of my favorite recipes straight out of the home of Mardi Gras.  My BFF’s roots run deep in New Orleans, so when I have any questions regarding anything NOLA, I refer them over to her.  I was planning a little dinner party, and Darling Husband requested Crawfish Etouffee…I have been making this recipe for years…it is one of my specialties (someday, I’m sure you will see my method featured here).  I was thinking great french bread, a beautiful salad, DIXIE beer…but had no ideas for a signature New Orleans dessert.  Help was a phone call & text message away!  I still have this saved in my phone’s notes :).  I usually have all of these ingredients on hand…even better!

In Brandy’s words:

K…lemon squares are one of my nanas specialties! Straight from her recipe! …1/4 c. Powder sugar…1/2 c. Butter softened…1 c. Flour….pinch of salt… press into 9″ square pan and bake 15 minutes at 350. 

  *this will not come together like dough, it really comes together when you press it into the pan…just make sure ingredients are well incorporated*

Next… 2 eggs beaten …1 c. Sugar..rind of 1 lemon + 2 tbspoon of juice…

*zest the lemon first*

*remove all seeds!*

*you don’t even need a mixer!*

2 tbspoon flour…

Mix

and pour over top mixture

and bake at 350 for 20 minutes…

Back to my words ;)…Let them cool in the pan, until the pan is at least cool enough to touch.

This is one of those brownie pans that has a removable insert…I took the insert out & put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling so I could cut them.  I divided them into 12 pieces :).

Don’t those just make you happy looking at them???  So YUMMY!  The crust is crisp and light…the lemon is sweetly tart…oh my deliciousness!

*my words* 🙂

Today’s secret revealed…I am trying to get myself on a program to lose a few pounds and get in better shape…my goal is to be able to run a 5K (this may take a while to reach).  I have a calorie counter app on my phone, so for giggles I plugged this recipe into it…it calculated that when divided into 12 servings…each lemon square is *drum roll, please* 142 calories!!!  That is totally a treat you could enjoy as a reward at the end of a well behaved day! 

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For the Little Loves of My Life

Posted on by February 13, 2012

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…though darling husband and I don’t really celebrate, other than a special dinner at home, I do like making something special for the kids.  Sometimes (well, most of the time) I procrastinate…so, this morning, I have been scouring Pinterest for easy ideas I can accomplish by tomorrow afternoon.

I try, most years…to make the kids pancakes on their birthdays that spell out their names and their age, so I know I can make these pancakes…I will just have to drag myself out of bed the first time the alarm goes off in the morning (no snooze button…I’m a snoozer).

From Martha (of course)

For a fun after school surprise…

Again, Martha…how cute are these?!?

For dinner…I think I will make my own dough…

This blog also had made heart shaped pepperonis, but I couldn’t get the picture to save…you’ll have to go see it for yourself.

And for dessert…they just love brownies…and M&Ms.  I have a variety of heart shaped cookie cutters for just such an occasion.  Should I do it all myself, or let them help???  decisions, decisions.

You can see this here.

All of these ideas are examples of how to transform usual stuff into something special (well, except the fortune cookies…which are coincendentally the most likely not to get done…but too cute not to show!).

I hope everyone has a Valentine’s Day filled with love…make some happy memories!

Today’s secret revealed…I have officially given up on store-bought greeting cards…they are waaaaaaay overpriced, and though you can find them that say close to what you are thinking…why not just use your own words?  Have your kids draw pictures…what daddy, mommy, or grandparent would prefer one ‘off the shelf’?  The exception to this is the V day cards the kids made for classmates…for $3 we got the cards, stickers, lollipops and a carrying box.

 

Personalized Space

Posted on by February 20, 2012

I have drawn a lot of attention to my goals for Em’s room, but haven’t really mentioned the boys’ rooms.  Currently, between the two rooms, the only wall decor is examples of E’s coloring plastered all over the walls.  He is very proud of his work, and I love that…but I would like a more aesthetically pleasing display (randomly taped to the walls isn’t working for me).  I am not quite ready to tackle a changeable artwork display for him, that will come in time, but I do want to add some things here and there that make the room come together more. 

In general, kids love to see their names, initials, monograms, etc.  I wanted to make something with just the first letter of their names, without spending much.  I found half price canvases at Michael’s, and stocked up for at least 2 projects for each child (I wanted to do initials and silhouettes).  I also picked up some clearance scrapbooking paper that would jive with both rooms, puffy paint, and craft paint.  I got the idea from this Pin.  I tweaked it just a bit, using the wax paper idea to create the initials.  I made the letter template in photoshop and printed it out.

I layed the waxpaper on top of my template and carefully outlined the letter with puffy paint.  Then I filled it in with a liberal amount of the puffy paint.  I tried to be sure there were no holes in the paint.

Then I put it aside to dry…this took a while because I made it pretty thick.

While this was drying I prepped the canvas.

I brushed on a layer of mod podge, then carefully placed the scrapbooking paper on top.

I did flip it over to smooth it out…the canvas gives when you push on it, so flipping it over gave me a nice surface to press against.  Then I trimmed the extra using a utility knife.  After I got it all trimmed up, I added another coat of Mod Podge.

After the letter was completely dry (overnight), I started to carefully peel it away from the wax paper.  I didn’t pull too hard, because the puffy paint is flexible and stretches out pretty easily. 

Once the E was free from the wax paper, I carefully laid it on the (dry) canvas.  I eyeballed the placement.

I pressed it to the canvas surface as best I could, it doesn’t really stick…so I tried to be careful around the edges when I painted it…I worked from the puffy paint out to minimize the bleeding under the letter.

I let the paint dry before I started lifting the edges of the E.  A toothpick was particularly handy with this process.

 Once I removed the whole letter, I put a final coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface.

 The edges aren’t perfectly crisp & straight, but it makes it feel ‘rustic’ ;).  E LOVES it!  He can’t wait to hang it…I am going to make these for O (in green), L (in orange) with the same paper, and Em will get one using the floral fabric for her room with pink (of course).  Since I completed this project, I have acquired a silhouette craft cutter.  I have adhesive vinyl to use with it, so I would expect the rest of these to have crisper lines…I’m sure I will update you.  This project was under $10…not bad for a ‘custom’ piece.

Linking up with The Nester’s It Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful 🙂

 

Today’s secret revealed…my kids have ‘assigned’ colors.  They are so funny abouth their colors…O&L especially.  It took a while to get them to color with anything other than ‘their’ color.  This really has made my life easier in so many ways…clothes, shoes, cups…you name it, we have it in the assigned color.

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Gentle Reality

Posted on by February 7, 2012

That’s what we call it.  It is our approach to introducing our children to the real world.  I have my opinions on the ‘everyone is always a winner’ approach…I’m not a fan.  Do not confuse that statement and think that I don’t appreciate the ‘just for fun’ sports, I totally appreciate them.  At the ages my kids are, I just want them to have fun and experience a variety of activities so that they can find what they love…be it sports, music, or art.  That being said, I also want to instill a bit of fire in them…I want them to want to be good at what they love…to work hard at it, but enjoy the work. 

On with my point…many of you know that I have a SUPER picky eater…he is also on the thin side…the very thin side.  The grandmothers worry themselves to death over it.  I even went through a phase where I was pumping milkshakes in him to beef him up (for the record it didn’t work) and was weighing him frequently.  I gave myself a mental slap across the face, and stopped.  I was getting so worked up about his weight that I was going to end up giving him a complex.  Also, know that I discussed his eating habits, weight, and growth regularly with his pediatrician…she reassured me that he was growing fine.  Looking back at pictures of myself, I was a freakishly skinny child (I know, what happened?!?)…and I ate just about anything you put in front of me.  I am laying a foundation here…bear with me. 

The other night, after dinner, the boys decided to arm wrestle.  These are normal activities in a house dominated by testosterone.  So, the boys were taking turns with each other.  When it came time for E & L to ‘get down’…E got a dose of not-so gentle reality.  L is freakishly strong for his size…always has been.  He pulled himself up to stand in the bassinet when he was three months old (yes, really…no, I was not hallucinating…yes, I had a witness).  So, when E squared up with L, who is 2 years younger…it was pretty quick…and E did not come out on top.  I used this as an opportunity to highlight the fact that L eats a variety of foods…that help him build strong muscles.  Gentle reality.  L is quite the little consumer of protein.  He loves veggies.  E, not so much.  I did not take the “well, you lost because…” I try to keep it positive.  I don’t want to tear them down…I want to build them up.

So, did my gentle reality work?  Maybe.  I do know that the not-so gentle reality made an impact.  As I was sweeping the floor, I caught a glimpse of E in the living room doing push-ups.  He didn’t notice that I spied what he was doing.  He did not like being defeated by his little brother.  I don’t want to damage their little personas, but they do need to know that they can’t always win.  They don’t always need such harsh reality examples, but gentle ones…over time…I think those may work.  

Today’s secret revealed…I was absolutely stunned that E was doing push-ups to build up strength.  I mean, of course it makes sense…but couldn’t believe he was on it as quickly as he was.  I feel a rematch coming on.

 

Not Too Sweet…Just Right

Posted on by February 6, 2012

I like to have a couple of go-to recipes that can be whipped up in a pinch.  Last Wednesday, I discovered that it was my friend Kim’s birthday…she likes to keep it a secret, but she should’ve known better ;).  So, for our weekly gathering I wanted to make her something special…I gave her the option of chocolate or lemon…she chose wisely…yes, chocolate.  I reached into my holster (aka my recipe box) and pulled out the Cocoa Sour Cream Cake recipe a dear friend had shared with me many years ago (Debbie, does it seem that long ago???).  I have a beautiful bundt pan, that adds to the visual impact of the cake. 

My first tip for this type of cake…many recipes will tell you to grease and flour the pan.  I have had some difficulty with this, actually with this very recipe…in this very pan.  I found that when I liberally floured the pan (to prevent sticking), the finished cake had clumps of flour in the details…not so pretty or appetizing.  I decided I would try sugaring the pan, it works beautifully :).  I first spray with a nonstick cooking spray (this pan is too detailed for my usual butter treatment).

See how intricate the pan is…it was intimidating at first, but I think I have the hang of it now…go ahead and add sugar, turning the pan and patting it to move the sugar around to cover all of the nooks and crannies.

Keep it up until it is all covered.

Tap it over the sink, upside down, to get the excess out.  Now, set it aside and whip up the batter.  I am going to warn you in advance…this batter is delish!  It smells like chocolate mousse & I couldn’t resist a taste (despite the raw eggs).  Put the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the mixer…

Beat until creamy…

Time to add the sour cream…

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients…

You will alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk…

I leave my mixer on low while adding…if I stop and start the dry stuff goes everywhere, creating a fine dust layer over the kitchen.

I did the alternations in fourths.

What you end up with will make you want to get a spoon and start eating…resist this urge…you can get your fix with the beater, the bowl, and the spatula ;).  Pour it in the bundt pan and into a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.

 

I let the cake rest in the pan for 10 or so minutes before I flipped it onto the serving platter.  I definitely did not let it cool completely…it is way too good warm. 

 

 For a little extra oomph, I sprinkled it with powdered sugar and a light dusting of cocoa.  This is also fabulous with a glaze of chocolate ganache or a dollop of freshly made whipped cream…perfect for Valentine’s day, too.  What will you top it with???

CLICK FOR RECIPE CARD

Today’s secret revealed…did you know that if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, in a pinch you can ‘sour’ the milk with white vinegar or lemon juice?  You put one tablespoon of either into a measuring cup and fill to the 1 cup line with regular milk :).    I routinely am out of buttermilk, so I have used this in a variety of recipes…works like a charm!

 

 

To Treat…or Mistreat

Posted on by January 25, 2012

I chose mistreat…I’m not talking about my family or friends…I’m talking about the window in Em’s room.  Her room needs some attention.  I have been procrastinating for a year and a half…my excuse was that her crib, and therefore crib bedding & decor, were still in there and I needed to wait until the crib was done (sniff, sniff…it is in the attic…they grow up so fast!).  So no more excuses!  Her room is one of my major 2012 Home Goals.  I found this tutorial over at The Little Green Notebook for making a faux Roman shade, just what I wanted for this window.  I tweaked it just a tad…because I’m a little bit lazy.  This is a super easy, super cheap, no sew, window MIStreatment (got that phrase from Nester).

I started with the super cheap mini blinds…yes, the less than $5 kind.  My window is 34×60, so the closest size was 34×64.  I laid them out, fully extended, and measured so I knew how many slats I needed to nix.

And decided the size of the folds…with a 60 inch height, I went with an even spacing of 10 inches…so I would have 6 folds.  That measurement is completely customizable, the mini blinds have 1 inch slats, so the math is simple (this is very helpful if you live amongst the chaos that I do).  The tutorial I read instructed to remove all slats, then put the ones you needed back in…this is where I got lazy.  I thought “what would I do with a bunch of cheap mini blind slats?”…the only thing I came up with was play swords for the kids…definitely don’t need anymore things swinging around that I need to close my eyes & cover my ears, praying something I care about doesn’t shatter in the floor.  I opted for cutting the unnecessary slats out.

Don’t cut the center pull cord!  This will send you back to buy a new set.    After I cut the 3 I didn’t need for length out, I went ahead and adjusted the length of the blinds…had to fish the pull cord out of the bottom piece…these tweezers were handy for that.

I retied the pull cord (but didn’t trim just in case…I have commitment issues, it’s a Duckwall thing), shoved it back in, and replaced the little caps.  Then, I got back to cutting out the slats.  I started at the top, removed 9, left the 10th, and repeated the process ’til I got to the bottom.

Now, I grabbed a handful of the trimmed ones…

…and pulled them out.  Pretty easy, I thought.

I repeated this until they were all out.  This is what was left…

I laid my fabric of choice (that I got for $3.50/yard!) wrong side down, and measured 3 inches on either side (round numbers work better for my brain).  This is basically your ‘seam allowance’…really the ‘glue allowance’.

I used the selvedge for one edge, thinking it would be much closer to a straight line than what I could cut crawling across the floor.  Once this was cut, I did iron all of the wrinkles out (I know!  Very un-lazy of me).  Be sure to leave plenty along the top and bottom edges for the final covering.

AND I had to press the ‘glue allowance’ down.  See, I used my sewing board to measure my 34 inch width, this is a really cheap ($15ish), very handy little thing to have around.  I folded right along the lines, and pressed with my iron as I went along.  I didn’t have any trouble using my iron directly on the board, but I did turn off my steam.  Then I laid the blinds FRONT SIDE DOWN on the WRONG SIDE of the fabric.

Open the fold, and apply the fabric glue (I probably used more than necessary, and it did bleed through the fabric just a little).  Press it down, I wanted to make sure the slats were glued to the fabric as well, so I paid extra attention to pressing them down.

I did this the full length of both sides.  Then you have to tend to the top and bottom.  I did the top first.

I eye-balled the amount I needed, folded and pressed it…then trimmed the corners so they didn’t stick out when it was finished.  Time for more fabric glue…

First I tried to attach the fabric to the cheesy mini blind with the fabric glue (it was open and handy), but I couldn’t get it to work…so I had to employ Mabel (otherwise known as my handy dandy hot glue gun).  I tapped my toes waiting on her to get ready.

First, I tried to run a bead of glue the full width of the header (I had to wait on her to heat up, I wanted to finish!)…but my impatience cost me, the glue cooled to quickly and I had to pull it off and work in sections.  I did about six inches at a time.  DON’T PUT GLUE ON THE THE PULLEY THAT LOWERS THE SHADE!

Once the header was covered…I moved on to the bottom (footer?  This isn’t a term paper).  I glued each side, wrapping the fabric around tightly as I started a new side.

Again, don’t glue the pull cords!  You pretty much need to avoid messing with the pull cords in any form or fashion (other than trimming the length).

This won’t show at all when the shade is in place.  That’s it!  Now you just mount the hardware in your window and voila!  I did recruit darling husband for this part…it makes him feel manlier when I beg ask him to wield his power tools.  After the hardware was mounted and he went to place the shade, we realized that some of the header covering would have to be pulled back to put in the little tabs that will keep the shade from flying out of the window every time you want to raise or lower it.  This is easily fixed with a dab more of hot glue.

Now stand back and admire what you’ve done…I was quite proud of the result!  The tough part was deciding, midway…raised…or lowered.

I still can’t believe I did this for less than $15!

Today’s secret revealed…I am totally in love with Instagram, how do y’all feel about these type of pics???

2 Things That are Never DONE…

Posted on by January 18, 2012

Dishes & Laundry…I am pretty good at staying on top of it…well, most of the time.  I have started to do at least one load of laundry a day (one of my 2012 Home Goals), it seems much more manageable…and yes, there is ALWAYS enough for a load a day in this house.  Here is Mt. Duckwall…this is what happens when I slack for less than a week…

…this is the ‘after’ all clean & folded.  You should have seen the mountain before it was conquered…this does not include the hanging clothes… just the kids’ stuff really.  For the record, we have a king sized bed.

As everyone knows, I LOVE PINTEREST!  I saw a pin that was for ‘make your own laundry detergent’  it used a bar of soap as the base…that got my wheels spinning.  I LOVE Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena fragrance.  I even splurged (before the budget belt got tightened down to the extreme) and bought a 64 oz bottle of her Lemon Verbena laundry detergent…it was $15 if memory serves (I know, but have you smelled it???).  Well, Mrs. Meyers makes a bar soap…see where this is going?  The bar is $5.  I can make Lemon Verbena laundry detergent???  Yes I can.  And I did.

I started with basic ingredients that every other ‘how to make your own laudry detergent’ tells you to use…borax, washing soda, & a bar of soap.

I found the borax pretty much everywhere, but only found the washing soda at Wally World. 

Now, all of the instructions say “grate the soap with a box grater”, but I don’t have the time, patience, or arm strength for that…so I used my food processor’s shredding blade, it was done in under a minute…the whole bar!  I wish I had a picture of that.

I dumped the soap into my most ginormous pot…I believe it is a 21 quart (I use it for Low Country Boils) along with 1 gallon of water.  I turned on the heat and stirred it until the soap dissolved.  Now, I am going to venture from what I actually did…to what I will do next time (probably some time in the summer…I made a 6 month-ish supply).  I would add 2 cups each of borax and washing soda, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat and start adding 3 more gallons of water (this is about all my pot could accomodate) and allow it to cool enough to handle the pot safely (I waited a couple of hours…while I did laundry & dishes LOL). 

See, it is really thin…until it cools…I tested how thick it would get by spooning some into a glass cup and letting it cool (I put it in the fridge)…that’s how I decided how much water I needed.  I let it cool & experimented by adding various amounts of water…that’s how I came up with the ratio of the above mixture to water that I added to the jugs.  Then I started pouring it into my clean, empty gallon jugs with a funnel and a big measuring cup.  I decided on 2 parts detergent 1 part water.  I put 10 cups of my mixture & 5 cups of water into each jug…this gives me about a cup worth of additional water I can add if needed.

Thank goodness I had been saving all of those jugs!  See how they are not quite full?  Just in case I think it is too thick.  It barely made suds when I shook the jugs to mix the water, so they should be fine in my HE washer.  I plan on using about a quarter of a cup…so this should get me through about 6 months of laundry if I keep doing 1 load a day.  Not bad for less than $10!

It got pretty thick and I experimented with adding more water, but it separates…so I think what I got is great.  It does need a good shake prior to using, but that isn’t a problem.  It is a bit lumpy-ish, so I adjust my detergent dispenser to halfway between the liquid and the powder.  My true test was darling husband’s work-out wear…I wash it separately to avoid polluting the rest of our stuff…and it came out perfectly fresh (I think better than the stuff I had been using). 

Today’s secret revealed…my homemade stuff doesn’t smell nearly as good as Mrs. Meyers does, but for more than 10 times the amount for less than half the price…I’ll take it!

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The Year of…Improvement

Posted on by January 12, 2012

Believe me, there is plenty of improvement needed.  I have two overall goals…be better organized (this applies to all aspects of my life) and no more getting behind on the daily things I should be doing, especially the laundry…a load a day keeps the mountain away.

On to the more fun goals…still work to be done, but much more fun than the laundry.  I have four major projects I would like to accomplish this year.  I have not decided the order for these yet…perhaps they will get done quarterly (see, I’m already sounding more organized)…of course, that would also require me to complete one project before moving on to the next…I really don’t see that happening.  In no particular order here they are…

Window (mis)treatments for the kitchen and family rooms.  I have a 16 foot wall that has 1 door, one big window, and another window about the width of the door (fairly symmetrical).  I really want one super long curtain rod that spans all of the windows…I’m thinking copper pipe.  There is one more window perpendicular in the kitchen area.  The family room has a set of french doors that are the same height as the kitchen windows, you can see all of them except the perpendicular window here:

I have the living room fabric already, I got it for $3/yard and I really like it.  The rod in the living room will be lower than in the kitchen, in the kitchen I am going to mount it just beneath the crown molding…in the living room more like 6-8 inches above the door frame because the celing in the living room is probably 16 feet high, but more like 9 feet in the kitchen.  The plates above the big window in the kitchen will be moved down and the curtain rod will be above them, I really love the plates there and I don’t anticipate the curtains being drawn very often.  The floral will be in the living room.

The sofa.  When we moved in 18 months ago we needed a new sofa.  Our sofa and chair did not jive with our new living room and was not enough for the space…not to mention it was 11 years old and had been through 4 kids.  Those pieces found a new home in our basement.  It has held up remarkably well considering what we paid for it and what it has been through.  The new sofa in the living room, not so much.  It was pretty cheap as far as furniture goes (I know you get what you pay for, but we had to buy appliances, a TV, and flooring for our basement…couldn’t drop big dollars on the sofa).  We got it at the RTG outlet, which meant no warranty (that wasn’t an advertised point, we learned the hard way).

Pardon the creative mess.  This sofa is the perfect size for the space and we love the shape.  It is falling apart…completely.  The ‘leather’ is flaking, splitting, and ripping…everywhere :(.  There is no repairing this.

I wish this were the only gaping hole.  We have 3 options at this point.  Replace, Reupholster, or slipcover.  Reupholstering is more than the sofa originally cost, but it is the perfect size and the shape we love.  Replacing means we will have to settle for something we probably don’t love and will still spend quite a bit.  Our current budget really doesn’t allow for either of these options right now (not to mention my vacuum cleaner just died).  The final, very budget friendly, solution is slipcovering, like I did the wing chair…it is in the picture that I used to show the windows above.  I really like the way that chair turned out AND it is totally machine washable (yes, I have washed it & it did great!).  My major concern is that the bottom sofa cushions are fixed…not removable.  For the slipcover to look good, I will have to cut those off.  I don’t know if that will impact the reupholster-ability of the sofa…do any of you know???

Next on the list is a drop zone.  Currently my kids drop everything right where they walk in.  It is the entrance from the garage, the one we use the most, and right where my pantry is.  It does not make me happy to trip over shoes, backpacks and coats to get to the pantry.  I am so desperate for a drop zone that I was willing to sacrifice upper and lower cabinets AND counterspace in my laundry room to have one.  Then it dawned on me…convert the coat closet right outside the laundry room (and just around the corner from the garage entry) into a drop zone.  This is where I try to get the kids to keep their shoes…and we have a few coats & jackets hanging here.

Shameful!  This is why my overall goal is organization.  We have a lot of shoes.  Even with all of these in the closet, I am constantly tripping over others.  I haven’t decided if the doors will stay, it would be nice to be able to close this…but if they were gone, it might open up the area nicely and encourage the kids to use the space properly (am I dreaming here?).  This project will require darling husband’s assistance and weilding of power tools.  He likes these kind of projects.

My final project, and probably the biggest, is Emma’s room.  I broke down the crib and banished it to the attic.  Now I have no more excuses.  I have fabric, the ideas, and Christmas is all put away…gotta get started.

Her bed is probably my favorite piece of furniture in this house.  I have called it ‘the princess bed’ since I purchased it 13 years ago.  I need sheets (pink to replace the blue that we used for Ethan forever ago) and I plan on covering the box spring in the same fabric I am using for the window and accent pillows.

This is the makeshift window mistreatment.  It is just a piece of the fabric wrapped around a tension curtain rod.  It serves the purpose, but it ain’t pretty.  I am going to make a faux roman shade…maybe tomorrow.  I also want an airy pink, possibly ruffle-y full length curtain, perhaps single sided and pulled back?  I have lofty expectations for this room.  I REALLY want to paint it a super soft, non pepto bismal-y shade of pink.  I want her to have the room of my, I mean her, dreams.

Linking up with the Nester’s Home Goals Party!

Today’s secret revealed…I wish I were more self disciplined.  I did so awesome for about 2 weeks, doing a load of laundry a day…folding it AND putting it away right out of the dryer (this is an amazing change for me, just so you know).  I skipped 1 measly day and it was so hard to get back into the groove…but all back on track now :).

Menu Woes

Posted on by January 9, 2012

I know, it may seem odd…so many of my posts involve cooking and recipes.  I have quite possibly the pickiest eater on earth…thank the Lord above only 1 out of my 4 are picky.  I have 2 basic choices when menu planning:  #1-make something everyone likes or #2-be a short order chef.  I would prefer #1.  I came across something on Pinterest that has me pretty motivated…

I was actually hoping for 30 recipes, but I got something better!  The concept is to have 30 ‘go-to’ recipes that your family will eat (I think the idea is recipes everyone loves, but I’m taking baby steps here).  The ladies at Nannygoat suggest a binder and other great tips for keeping meals organized.  I was excited!  Until I sat down to make a list of recipes I know everyone likes…I got to 4 and that was it.  So now I’m on a quest to find recipes to try.  I have some idea of what E will and will not eat…he is on board with trying, which is a step in the right direction.  I love the idea of trying a new recipe with the family and everyone rating it together.

So here is my call for help…what is a recipe that EVERYONE in your house LOVES???  Please share them with me!

Today’s secret revealed…90% of the recipes I have featured on here are not “E approved”…but they are M & T approved ;).

The Year’s Resolutions…In Review

Posted on by December 31, 2011

I just went back and read my Transformation 2011 post…I probably should have read that post quarterly, to keep me motivated.  The way I see it, I only reached 3 of my 5 goals.

The number ONE goal of “cut the clutter”…well, I still have MAJOR issues with this.  Where does it all come from???  When I finally go on a clutter tirade, most goes into the trash…so why do I let it accumulate???  I have got to address this character flaw, and hopefully help my kids develop the ability to eliminate their own clutter (or trash, as it usually is).  I was going to post some pics, using iCloud, but I’m having technical difficulties and the pics really haven’t changed since last year, shamefully.

I am fairly satisfied with the direction my decor has taken…I have lots of plans for more decorating projects.  The main floor is window treatments away from finished!

The kids’ rooms have improved.  I have cleaned out clothing and toys…really decompressed the amount of stuff we keep for them.  Now, the TV is still in E’s room…but he wants it there and abides by the rules for the TV (no TV at night…unless it is the weekend & his sibs are allowed in anytime the TV is in use).  Em’s room is coming along nicely…I finally broke down her crib & banished it to the attic.  The play kitchen got relocated to her room…the boys are really past this now, sadly.

The upstairs of my closet is still a wreck…no outlets…so the dining room is my workspace (I did shut it down for the holidays).  I hope, but not holding my breath, that we can make some progress here this year. 

I am happy to report that the living plants are thriving…I have added more…and I had a wonderfully abundant summer garden in 2011.  I can’t wait to get started on my 2012 garden! 

So, the only items I can check off my list are the kids’ rooms, plants & decorating…progress is progress.  I have a list of projects a mile long that will hopefully keep us moving in the right direction.

Another big change coming for 2012…I am rejoining the work force.  I would appreciate prayers and positivity for my quest to find the perfect job for my family :).

Today’s secret revealed…my personal motto for this year is “be the change”…this applies to so many things.  If there is something that I want to complain about…rather than expend negativity, I am going to chose to make my own efforts to make it better.

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