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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Valentines Ball

So today I went shopping for my menu for the week and did really well!  $74 and saved over $25!  I'd like to work on getting it down to $50 a week when I go shopping but alas I did pretty well this week!

Today I'm going to tell you about how I made my valentines day ball!


I did a quick run to the dollar store to get some Styrofoam.  I knew that I had seen it there before and I had an idea for a valentines "ball" for an extra decoration.  I was able to find one.  It was slightly bigger than I wanted but it would work.

I did cut it down a little, making it more of a round shape.  I should have made it smaller but I am happy with the way it turned out!

Remember when I made my crepe paper wreath?  I bought some valentines picks thinking I would use them in the wreath, but then I didn't?  If not, you can read it here!  Anyways, here are the things I was left with after I made the wreath:

So first I started out by cutting the sticks on the hearts down, but don't throw away the extra parts, you will use them later!!

Then I made little loops with the ribbon!  Guess where the sticks go?  If you guessed on the loops you are right!!

Then I just stuck the loops and the hearts in the Styrofoam.  Put them as close as you want.  Mine could be closer but from where you sit and look at it you will not see the green between it.  You could also have just gotten white Styrofoam and it wouldn't have mattered but white wasn't available to me...

So here is my "ball" on its shelf.  Just right for the small area I had for it next to my valentines scentsy (last years style)!

After sitting back and looking at it I have moved some of the picks around and it looks fuller now! 

Tomorrow I am going to update you on the letters for the Art Wall and the letters for the Bath tiles that I started a long time ago!  LOL  (opps!)

Until Tomorrow!


Monday, January 30, 2012

Menu Monday

So, I'm back...  I still feel like crap...  I am still coughing and sound awful...  I'm still tired...  BUT I tried to get more things done this weekend.  Jake has been a big help!  Last week was awful on our menu planning!  What can you do when you are sick...

 Here is what I have planned this week:

Monday:  Pizza Casserole 
http://pinterest.com/pin/64246732153873935/


Tuesday:  Crispy Cheddar Chicken 
Wednesday:  Crock Pot Beef
 http://pinterest.com/pin/64246732153893888/

Thursday:  Spaghetti  (no link...  My recipe)  I'll make the sauce Monday when I make the pizza casserole then Jake will only have to make the noodles and heat up the sauce.  Thursdays are our busiest nights because Chrissy and I both have dance classes. If I'm lucky we will get home at 7:30!

Friday:  Movie Night and Dinner (every week we get together with my parents and my godparents and we watch a movie and usually get pizza!  Yummy!  I look forward to this every week!)

Saturday:  Hamburgers and Fries  (Not just regular hamburgers though!  I am going to make my Worcestershire sauce hamburgers.  Yummy!  I haven't made these in a while!  I might even make my own fries!  Watch out!  LOL!!!)

Sunday:  Chicken Quesadillas (My recipe)  My chicken quesadillas are Legend (wait for it) Dary!  LOL!!! 


So what are you eating this week?  I am always up for some new recipes and yummy new things to try!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I'm alive... kinda

So remember my Let it snow, Let it snow post?  Remember me saying Chrissy was sick which in turn will make its rounds? 

It did and with a vengeance!  So Chrissy started last week coughing...  Over the weekend I started coughing and then it turned into a fever and coughing...  Then I felt like I was dieing!

So Tuesday I went to the doctor...  Bronchitis and sinus infection...  Doctors orders to not return to work until Thursday...  Wonderful...  Free pass to no work!  If only I felt like I wasn't doing a bazillion sit ups every time I cough...  (need a new ab workout?  get bronchitis! UGH)  I can hardly move... 



So I'm sleeping Tuesday afternoon and my mother in law comes in with Chrissy and says she is saying her ear hurts.  Ok mommy mode in high gear!  Ok, Tylenol...  She didn't have a fever.  She still is kinda coughing but not like she was.  No more than 5 min later she is screaming her ear is hurting.  Thank God it was still office hours!  They were able to get her in asap.  (Like I was finishing the call and Grandma and Chrissy were walking out the door to get there on time!)  Called Daddy to meet them there! 

Diagnosis:  Slight ear infection and Slight Bronchitis!  Wonderful.  Jake really should have a mask when he's walking around this house! 


He's just waiting.  Chrissy's doctor told him its probably inevitable that he's going to get it.  I am hopeful that since he's gone a week now and hasn't gotten it he will be in the clear.  Fingers crossed for him!!

So there you have it!  I'm alive.  I haven't been able to do anything!  That's been killing me...  Jake has been amazing and is so good at taking care of us sickies!  I'm hoping we can get over all this asap!  I'm tired.  Physically and mentally... 

I can't say until tomorrow...  but I will say soon!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Art Wall

So I saw this on Pinterest and I was talking with a friend about doing this because she is also planning on do this.

Here is the original blog.  I'm not going to take credit for it.  LOL!

So like I've said before I really don't have wall space in my kitchen.  However, I do have 1 wall.  It had a picture on it already.  I really like this picture but I am going to give it up so I can display Chrissy's art.  Here is the wall before:
Yes, I have a coke themed kitchen.  I love my kitchen...  Well, I would like to paint it and get my coke bottles up but for now I love it!  So this picture went bye bye to the basement.  It is going to be behind the bar.  It looks like a bar picture don't you think?

Ok so I was trying to figure out how I wanted to make this wall.  I found in my basement 5 magnetic coke pictures.  My mind started to run!  I could use these to hold the art and if I don't have something up I will still have coke art in my kitchen! 

So I went to the dollar store to look for some magnetic clips.  I actually found some!  They had round spots on them and I immediately thought I could put something on them!  Well during my trip to walmart I found some cute brads that would work perfectly!  Here is what I got:

See the circles that will be perfect!  Here is the back of the brads:

Here is how I attached them and how they turned out!


Weren't those perfect!  So this is what they look like on the coke pictures!

So I hooked Jake into helping me hang them.  He was home so I figured he could help!  LOL!  I'm sure he was thrilled...

Here is everything up! 
I still need to get my ART letters to put above it.  However I have some of Chrissy's art up now because she is always bringing things home from school!  Here it is with her artwork on it!

I love it!  FYI the one on the top left with just a red poof is Rudolph in a snow storm!  HAHA!!!

Until Tomorrow!  (I got the letters and will be working on them!!)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Let is Snow, Let it Snow

Do I like snow?  No.  I live in Northern Indiana though, its a fact of life that it will come sooner or later.  This winter has been the craziest winter I can remember (and its not even half done yet!).  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s in winter is insane and yet this is what we have been dealing with.  Well, it will snow then it will be 40 and it will all melt and the next day it will be 20 and we will get 3 + inches of snow. 

One thing that is annoying me to no end though...  The weather melts the snow and come the weekend there isn't enough for them to open the tubing hills.   UGH!  Will it be open this weekend?  I have no idea.  We got snow yesterday, today and we are supposed to get some tomorrow.  Of course, though, if they open this weekend we will not be able to go.  Why you ask?  Chrissy's got a cough.  Its back.  UGH...  It was so nice to have about a month without it.  I know this will inevitably come make its rounds to me.  BLAH...  The joys of being a mother!  Anyways, enough of me complaining.  On to what I want to share with you today...

So since it is still winter I have purged my house of anything Christmas, but leaving snowmen up is ok.  It is winter after all.  I did take down most of them but here and there you will find a snowman...  So I want to share with you a few homemade snowmen in my house.  One was made by a dear friend and the other was made by my mom.  I can not take credit for making these!  I will share how they are made with you though!  Hope they don't mind!!

Here are the snowmen:


Aren't they so cute!!!  I love having them out.  They make me smile because they are so cheerful and I just love handmade gifts.  They make me feel so good...

So here is how they are made...

So go to your local home store and grab some patio pavers and some white latex paint.  Paint the entire area letting it dry really good.  Sometimes these pavers have a tendency to suck up the paint.  You will know when it has had enough coats! 


Next decorate it!  Simple.  You can see from the 2 above that I have that you can use buttons, paint, feathers, and just about anything you can find to decorate him or her!!!

Now, if you have never googled painted snowman pavers do yourself a favor and do it!  Oh my the ideas that are out there!  I am itching to make some of these!  I would have never thought I didn't have to just make snowmen.  DUH!  Why didn't I think of this before!!!  I might just have to make one for every season!

Here are a few that I found that are inspiring to me:  (sorry I don't have links to where they came from nor taking credit for them...  I was just searching google images) 







Enjoy the inspiration!  Go get some pavers and create something!!! I'm so going to make some of those pumpkins this year!

Until Tomorrow!!!



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wild Recipe Wednesday

So I admit I was a little lazy the last few days.  I didn't do much.  I worked and cooked and did a little laundry.  This would pose a problem with something inspiring to post.  I want to be inspiring...  That's my goal.

So, since I don't have much to talk about and last few days have consisted of cooking dinners I thought I would share a couple of things I made.  I found these 2 new recipes on Pinterest.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken and Smashed Potatoes.  (I did not make these 2 on the same day though)


First up:  Shredded Buffalo Chicken


You can find the original blog here.

This was super yummy.  Here are the ingredients:
  • Bottle of Franks Hot Sauce Buffalo Sauce
  • 1 Packet of Ranch Dip
  • Chicken
  • Cream Cheese (4-8 oz)
  • 3 tablespoons of margarine
The best part about this recipe is it all goes in the crock pot!!! 
Frozen Chicken in the crock pot.  Whole bottle of Franks Buffalo Sauce, 1 Packet of Ranch Dip.
After 7 hours remove the Chicken and Shred.
Put the chicken back in the crock pot and add the cream cheese and the margarine in.
Cook for another hour to let the juice soak in!
We enjoyed ours on a bun with sharp cheddar on top!  I also made myself some chicken nachos after I ate my sandwich!

Yummy, Yummy in the Tummy, Tummy!!!!

Next up:  Smashed Potatoes


You can find the original blog making these amazing potatoes here.

Here are the ingredients:
  • Potatoes
  • Kosher Salt
  • EVOO
  • Thyme (or other herb of your choice)


Boil the potatoes in water with salt in it for about 25 minutes.

I lined my pan with foil and GENEROUSLY smeared it with EVOO.

Set the potatoes on the pan and smash them with a potato smasher.

Brush the potatoes with EVOO.

Sprinkle each potato with Kosher Salt and thyme.  Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
These potatoes are just the right combination of crispy and soft!  WOW I can't say enough how good these were!  My mouth is watering just thinking about them. 

So there you have my Wild Wednesday Recipe Recap...

Hope I can get a few projects finished!  This crazy weather we are having has been very tiring!

Until Tomorrow!