Titus 2 Work in Progress

Homemade Blueberry Baby Food

2012-03-01T20:21:00.003-08:00

It would appear that I am on a baby food making kick! In reality, my 10 month old is just a big eater. If I don't make my own baby food, I'm pretty sure she'll eat us out of house and home. Nobody wants that. So...here is another recipe for you :)

It is super easy and if you are opposed to microwaving baby food, by all means use a steamer. I always intend to but I'm often in a hurry to whip something up for the family to eat. I try to keep frozen veggies and fruits (unsweetened) in the freezer for making baby food.

Frozen, as opposed to canned, fruits and veggies retain more nutrients. Since frozen produce is typically flash frozen at their peak nutritional levels, they can sometimes be better than the fruits and veggies sitting in the produce aisle! Just food for thought...literally ;)

I just thawed a bag of frozen blueberries in the microwave (you could steam them instead or let them thaw in the refrigerator). Next, I transferred them to the blender. It won't take long to puree them! To serve, I mixed unsweetened, natural applesauce with a little of the blueberry puree (about 4:1 ratio). So I guess this could be called Blueberry Apple baby food, huh? I won't use it all this week so I poured half of it into an ice cube tray to freeze for later use.

Both my girls (10 months and 3 years) LOVE it!

Here are some of my other tips/recipes for baby food:

Homemade baby cereal

Baby food tips

And the winner of the embellished headband is Nell! I don't have a contact email for you, so please email me within 2 days to claim your prize!

nell
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A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

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Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Master Bath Reveal

2012-02-29T16:18:00.001-08:00

**Just a reminder, the embellished headband giveaway ends tomorrow. You can enter {here}.

Keeping with the room reveals, here is our master bath! I really enjoyed picking the paint colors for this room.

The walls are Olympic's Misty Surf. The ceiling is painted a lighter and grayer shade of blue called Dew of Silverberry (from Walmart). I love blue in the bathroom because it is soothing to me. I stay fairly neutral with colors but always feel comfortable using a bold(er) color in the master bath since no one else sees it....until I decide to share it with all of the blogosphere...ha.

The vanity mirror is actually an antique dresser mirror belonging to my family. I originally painted it green to go in the dining room of our previous home. I repainted it a glossy white to use in the bathroom.

Not sure why the smaller, counter mirror (above) is positioned all funny. Disregard that. The light fixture was one of my Craigslist finds. I repainted it and purchased new globes at Lowes. Did you notice the marble vanity? It also was from Craigslist for $20! You can read more about that {here}.

This little mirror is quite old. It needed a fresh coat of paint to match the larger mirror. The actual mirror is in awful shape. I'm considering converting into a chalkboard - what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Find me at Oopsey Daisy today!

2012-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have some really exciting news! I am guest posting over at Oopsey Daisy today. If you haven't been by Alison's blog, you should take a moment to check it out. Her Mommy School thematic units are awesome and include free printables. She is also super crafty and shares tons of tutorials.

Today, I have the privilege of sharing how to make clip-on earrings over at Oopsey Daisy. I sure hope you'll stop by and say hi :)

Embellished Stretchy Headband Tutorial & Giveaway

2012-02-24T10:51:00.001-08:00

Does anyone else have trouble finding headbands that don't give you a headache? I purchase special lightweight elastic headbands that I love. However, they can get kinda pricey. I started thinking that I should just make my own. You can order the elastic dyed in various, lovely colors on Etsy. I use 5/8 inch fold over elastic for my headbands and purchase them from Elastic By the Yard Etsy shop. I measure them out, knot the end, and use a lighter to keep the raw edges from fraying. This elastic also makes great hair bands for ponytails and the biggest plus is they don't leave indentations in your hair.

I match the colors with my outfit so I can wear them as bracelets and always have a hairband ready if I need it.

After making a rosette headband last week, I thought it would be fun to embellish my stretchy headbands too!

Here's how:

You'll need fabric for rosettes, hot glue, elastic headbands, felt or interface, pearls (optional) and pin backings.

First, I made my rosettes from the leftover chiffon from my last rosette headband project. You'll see I made a few different sizes - *some* of that was on purpose. Yes, my workspace is the lid of a pizza box :)

I sewed a pearl to the bud of each rosette, just to fancy it up a bit.

Then I hot glued a cluster of three rosettes to a piece of white interface. I think a piece of felt would work just as well (maybe better?) here. Once it dried, I just cut around the rosettes to get rid of the extra interface.

Next, I glued the rosette clusters to each of these round pinbacks. (Hobby Lobby - print a 40% coupon on their website and you'll get them for next to nothing!) I liked the idea of using a pinback so the embellishment can be removed for a more casual look. It really is very versatile! I wear mine for working out and just throw them in the wash with my running clothes.

So here it is in aqua:

And peach coral:

These headbands fit me too but wouldn't you rather see this little lady in the pics?!

**This giveaway is now closed.**

Annnnd I'm giving away an embellished headband and a ponytail holder to one reader! To enter, please comment below letting me know which you prefer - the aqua or peach coral headband.

This giveaway is meant for Titus 2 Work in Progress readers. Please follow this blog via Facebook, Email, Google Friend Connect, Google+ or RSS feed.

For an additional entry, please share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Leave an additional comment letting me know you did so. This giveaway will close Thursday March 1st @ 10:00 pm cst. I'll announce the winner that night, so be sure to check back!

Only open to readers in the continental U.S.

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

MIA

2012-02-23T13:23:00.004-08:00

Sorry I haven't been around this week. My computer has been in the shop. Apparently the hard drive had to be replaced but I'm hoping to be able to pick it up tomorrow. Hope you are having a blessed week!

Kitchen Reveal

2012-02-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of my kitchen - definitely my favorite room of the house. I love the different shades of green against the white beaded board cabinets.

The walls are painted Sherwin Williams' "Liveable Green" and my pantry door is a darker hue of this color called "Artichoke."

I knew I wanted all white appliances for the kitchen. I also put my request in with the hubby that we get a refrigerator with a smooth finish on the front instead of the traditional textured finish. It gives it a sleeker look and is much easier to clean.

Oh, you are wondering where all the crazy ABC magnets are? I prefer the front of my refrigerator to look like this. Which means the sides look like...

...this! Removing all the clutter from my kitchen is just not realistic for this photo shoot. Sorry :)

I keep little pretties in my windowsill to make me smile as I wash dishes.

I love my Ikea Liatorp dining table paired with the Ingolf chairs. It is easy to clean and the leaf is stored inside the table making it quickly accessible.

I painted this mirror to match the pantry door. The yellow little girl's apron belonged to mother when she was young and the cherry apron was a lucky find at a local antique shop.

We are certainly blessed! I am thankful that God has provided us with a home that provides for all our needs and so much more.

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

DIY Shabby Chic Layered Tablecloth

2012-02-17T09:49:00.001-08:00

I originally shared this over at Stardust Decor & Style. Just in case you didn't catch it, I'm sharing it again today :)

My daughter, Ellie, recently had a whimsical fairy party. Today I want to share with you how I put together my shabby chic layered tablecloth. It was exactly the "look" I wanted and sooo easy to put together. Check it out:

The base of the tablecloth is my old duvet cover. I starched it to help stiffen it up a little. I like the color and texture of this fabric.

The middle layer is actually a bedskirt. The crocheted flower details give the table an extra touch. Kinda grandma chic :)

The final, top layer is a sheer, white piece of fabric. To give it a little more texture, I twisted the fabric up like this and let it get all nice and wrinkly.

Ta da!

What's in your closet that you could use for a layered tablecloth?

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths
I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy
Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Small, medium, large!

2012-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

I've been working on various concepts with Ellie and recently we practiced small, medium and large. We used various pots and lids to talk about the sizes and I had her match them up.

Next, I got out three measuring cups and had her follow verbal instructions to make a "trail mix" snack. We used a large cup of dry cereal, a medium cup of raisins and a small cup of gummy bears. Weird trail mix, huh? We don't usually have snack foods at our house!

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Bathroom Reveal

2012-02-15T13:47:00.001-08:00

Since we moved into our new house, I haven't shared any pictures with you! Why not start with the bathroom! Exciting, right? Here are a few pics of the girls' bathroom.

The beaded board sink base, mirror/medicine cabinet, and wall shelf were purchased from Lowes.

I love this shower curtain. I found it at Target about five years ago and I have never seen another shower curtain I loved as much.

I found this sweet little silver tray at the DOLLAR TREE!

Since this is primarily the girls' bathroom, I write Ellie's memory verses in chalk so we can practice them daily.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NASB

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A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

Did the Valentine Bear visit your house this morning?

I made this garland using white doily hearts and these mini red lantern lights that my mother-in-law found in Cambodia. Isn't that cool?!

♥♥♥Wishing you a day of love, sweet notes, and lots of pink and red hearts ♥♥♥

May we always remember who loved us first:

"Beloved, let us love on another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:7-10

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Baby food tips {part 2}

2012-02-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I shared some easy, homemade baby food tips. I also want to share an alternative to baby cereal. I gave both my girls baby cereal when I first introduced them to solids. However, when they were capable of downing a whole box in under a week, I knew it was time to make a change!

A much more cost effective approach is to buy Cream of Wheat or Malt-O-Meal. You can price it out yourself but at my local grocery, a large box of Malt-O-Meal is cheapest. I used to cook it daily on the stovetop until I realized I could just make one large batch for the week! Both my girls (nine months old and three years old) eat this daily for breakfast.

Here's how I make mine. I don't follow the directions on the box but you could always try that out ;)

You'll need a can of fruit in 100% juice. I keep peaches and pears on stock and do a different fruit each week.

First, I pour the 100% juice from the canned fruit into a pot over high heat. When it comes to a boil, I add the cereal and whisk it all together.

I lower the heat and continue to whisk as I add more juice or cereal until I reach the right consistency and quantity. I make mine a little on the thick side so when I remove it from the heat, I can add a little milk to each girl's bowl to cool it down and thin it out. I add several chunks of fruit to their bowls and that is it! Very easy and inexpensive. It's also a lot healthier for my toddler to eat in place of sugary cereal or instant oatmeal. To reheat, I just microwave for 20 seconds or so and then stir in a little milk until the desired consistency is reached.

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

I heart rosettes.

2012-02-12T14:26:00.000-08:00

I love all the beautiful rosette jewelry and accessories that I have been eyeing online. If I acted on my impulses, I would own hundreds by now! Instead, I decided to make my own. You can find various rosette tutorials online. The technique is simple and some tutorials vary, but only slightly. I'd suggest this tutorial from Cherry Street Cottage or this tutorial by Little Birdie Secrets.

To start, I used some pretty cream colored chiffon for mine. In hindsight, it was probably not the best fabric choice for rosettes because it is very slippery to work with!

I also had an old faux pearl bracelet that a toddler, who will remain unnamed, stretched out. I decided to put the pearl beads to use by sewing them to the bud of each rosette.

I glued them to an old headband.

I glued one large rosette to a hair clip too.

I plan on wearing it too. I already did, actually! Just as a side note, it is super awkward to take your own picture. And then post it on your blog.

Maybe a better angle here...just don't look at how badly my highlights need touched up.

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Ready for Valentine's Day!

2012-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

I think we are finally decorated for Valentine's Day. Let me give you a look around.

Pink and red tissue paper pom-poms on a string of cotton candy pink bakers twine.

Clothespins hold the felt hearts in place.

Our mailboxes hold valentines for each family member but are not to be opened until February 14th!

I found this canvas on clearance at Hobby Lobby after Valentine's day three years ago. I used it to keepsake my now three year old's handprint. Precious :)

I guess this is as close as I'll get to a mantel display since I don't have a fireplace!

My jars wrapped in twine had to make an appearance.

Do you see that lovely silver vase? I bought it at Goodwill this week for $2! It was pretty tarnished but I polished it up with a little baking soda and water. It looks as good as new now.

This is my favorite of all the valentine printables floating around online. You can download it at The Bonjour Family.

I still can't believe that I snatched up these mercury glass candlesticks for a buck a piece at World Market!

A few more pretties on my shelf. Including a free printable from Oopsey Daisy.

A friend gave me this lovely piece. I had to hang it up and leave the unfinished edges exposed.
There's more but that's enough pictures for now. Are you ready for Valentine's Day?!

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Valentine Crafts

2012-02-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

Have I told you that Valentine's Day is my FAVORITE holiday?! My love started as a little girl. I would wake up Valentine's morning to a trail of footprints. Following the footprints throughout the house, I would find lovely surprises along the way - balloons, chocolates and confetti. At the end of the trail I would find Valentine cards, my mom's delicious heart cookies and even presents! I declared to my parents that the footprints were from the Valentine Bear and he has visited our house ever since!

It is fitting that my mother-in-law found this book for the girls :)

Here are some crafts that Ellie and I have been working on for Valentine's day:

I found these ideas at Meet the Dubiens and Crafty Nature.

I used a free printable from My Sister's Suitcase, to make the hubby's gift. Shh! Don't tell him ;)

You can find the instructions for these cute heart doily shirts at The Artful Parent.

What projects are you working on?

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

A Birthday Banner

2012-02-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

Now that the party is done, I have time to share some of the projects I've been working on. My favorite is this birthday banner I made for Ellie's party.

I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out two coordinating scrapbook patterns that I liked - a pink polka dot and a pale blue stripe. I also grabbed a pack of kraft cardstock. The cardstock keeps the banner from being too flimsy and will allow the banner to be used over and over again.

Next, I cut out three oval shapes for each letter (yeah, this step could be a lot easier if you have a fancy craft cutting machine like Cameo or Cricut!). I made this template which you can download and adjust the print size to your project. The font I used is called BB Petie Boy Medium and can be downloaded here for free! Doesn't it look like the letters are stamped on the cardstock? I used font size 150 for my banner. {Side note: Did you notice that the "H" is upside down? Neither did I until I glued them. I think I like it better this way. Or at least that is what I'm telling myself.}

After tracing all my ovals and carefully cutting them out, I used a glue stick to compose the different layers.

To hang the banner, I used mini clothespins and pink cotton candy twine.

Whatcha think? It may not be perfect to the eye, but it is perfect to me :) I love it and look forward to using it again.

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths
I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy
Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Guest Posting today!

2012-02-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

I'm SO excited to be guest posting over at Stardust Decor & Style! I'm sharing how to make a shabby chic layered tablecloth like the one I used for Ellie's party. Please stop by Stardust and let Olga know I sent you. She is such a sweetheart and I know you'll enjoy browsing her blog. {Click here to head on over to Stardust}

A Little Somethin' Vintage

2012-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

I found this vintage spool cotton box in the storage space of our old house and my sweet mother-in-law gave me these lovely spools of thread. Don't ya just love {free} vintage lovelies?!

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy * Positively Splendid
Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello *The Delectable Home
The Girl Creative *The Grant Life *The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Easy Homemade Baby Food Tips

2012-02-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

When Ellie was a baby, I was too busy juggling being a first time mommy and working full time to make homemade baby food. Basically, I was in survival mode! So many aspects of mothering have been easier the second time around. I'm more relaxed and I am blessed to be able to stay home with my girls. Here are some tips for making baby food that I have found helpful.

If possible, use what you have on hand. I get frozen veggies out of my freezer and steam them or microwave them until they are tender. Next, I blend them with a small amount of the cooking liquid until the desired consistency is reached. I've used peas, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, and vegetable blends.

Watch to see what is on sale at your supermarket. On sale, I can get sweet potatoes at about forty cents a pound. Sweet potatoes can be baked until tender in the oven. When HR was just starting on solids, I would blend the sweet potatoes with a little water to thin them out. Now that she is more accustomed to solids, I can just mash the sweet potato with a fork.

After you make your puree, spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, empty ice cube tray into a clear container so you can easily see what food is being stored in the freezer. I try to keep at least two different choices in the freezer. To reheat, I just pull out 1-2 cubes and microwave them in a ramekin for about 20 seconds.

Let me share with you how awesome applesauce is in the baby food making process. To make my baby food stretch farther, I stir in unsweetened natural applesauce. I can do one cube of frozen baby food with one large spoonful of applesauce and it equals about one jar of baby food! It also does a few other things - it can help thicken watered down baby food and it can help thin out baby food that is too thick. How does it do both? I don't know but it is my solution for both. Ha! It also provides a fruit component when the puree is a veggie.

Eventually, I started adding in table food. HR has had pureed chicken and dumplings, macaroni and ham chowder, spaghetti, and chicken pasta bake to date. A few times HR has shown dislike for a flavor or texture blend. Can you guess what I did? Add applesauce! It works, really :)

This is getting longer than I thought. I better close for now and I'll share more soon. I hope you are still awake. You are still awake, aren't you?

***Here's a link to {part 2} which includes a recipe for homemade baby cereal

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths
I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy
Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

The Birthday Blessing

2012-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

Last year, I shared how I used the principles of Gary Smalley's book The Blessing to honor my husband on our anniversary {click here for a recap}. Smalley also stresses the value and importance of blessing our children. This basic idea is that the child experiences elements of a blessing from the parents. It may happen any number of times a year. With my girls still being young, I haven't implemented this concept as much as I hope to in the future.

At Ellie's recent Whimsical Fairy Party, I invited individuals that have played an important role in her life. Most of these fall into the step-in grandparent role since our family is so far away. These are the people near and dear to our hearts who have made room in their own hearts for our sweet girl. Therefore, my favorite party of Ellie's birthday is the personal blessings we video record from each of our honored guests. Some of our guests recorded their third video birthday blessing for Ellie this year! We enjoy watching these after the party with Ellie and hope she will appreciate them for years to come.

Here is an example program including some of the ways I have shared with my daughter Ellie the love and value I have for her and others I plan to use:

Praying together for her future
Count down the days to the party - half the fun for a child is in the anticipation
Ask her what food she would like for her special day
Make her a homemade gift
Bless her with a spoken message using various elements

Putting together a slideshow including pictures for each year of her life
List several specific things that each parent appreciated about her over the past year
Explain how certain character traits will help her become a godly or loving person in the future. {Basically, give her the blessing of hope for the future. For example: "You are such a good helper with baby sister. Someday you are going to be a great mommy.")

Write out her birth story starting with the nine months before birth, trip to the hospital and the joy experienced when holding her for the first time.

I hope this gives you some ideas for blessing your children. Would you share your ideas too?

A Fairy in a Tutu

2012-02-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

I purchased the following for Ellie's party from Halo Heaven:
Peach ballet tutu: $2.50
Peach and cream fairy ribbon wand: $0.90
Peach pixie wings: $1.70

For more details on the Whimsical Fairy Party, go here.

Valentine Mailboxes

2012-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

I'm getting out our Valentine decor to enjoy for the next two weeks so I thought I'd snap a few pics of our heart mailboxes. You have probably already seen these little mailboxes for sale at Target in the dollar bins. They carry them every year around Valentine's day. I'm on the lookout for some new ideas and uses for them. I'd love for you to share your own ideas or links to inspiration :)

Faith, trust and pixie dust

2012-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

If you read my initial post of Ellie's Whimsical Fairy party, this is meant to act as a follow-up with more details. Now that I have had a chance to recover. Whew!

Here is the set up of the tables. I got the turquoise paper plates and pink polka dot napkins from Target. I snatched them up right away!

I used miniature glass vases filled with pixie dust (a.k.a. glitter!) and fairy wands I saw over at Icing Designs.

The party favors were these simple vintage pink roses. Can you believe they are soap? Yep, just pull off a petal and add water! Wouldn't they be perfect in a guest bathroom? Or even better, a bed and breakfast. And you can get this same romantic charm at, you guessed it, Dollar Tree!

I just happened to stumble upon these mercury glass candlesticks at World Market. They were in the Christmas clearance and I scored them for $1 each.

I ordered my straws from Jilly Bean Kids.

I spotted strawberry malt balls at Walmart a day or so before the party (probably seasonal?). My mom had just given me these vintage sundae dishes and I thought they were perfect for putting on the tables.

I printed placemats on cardstock. And if you would like to use or edit it, you can download it here. I was inspired by Martha Stewart's placemat/name card combo.

Since the whole fairy theme was based on Ellie's love for Tinkerbell, it was only fitting that she make an appearance. Ellie would have loved the beautiful jars that inspired me over at Heidi Swap's Sprinkle it with Fabulous.

I dipped some strawberry wafers in white chocolate after seeing them on Art Mom's blog. And I made a "Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust" printable for the table which you can also download here.

I really do have more to share BUT I have got to call it a night! Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me privately if you have any questions. More of my inspiration for this party can be found on my Fairy Party board on Pinterest. Nighty night :)

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths
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Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Twelve Months of the Gift of Romance: January

2012-01-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe today is the last day of January! I just barely squeezed in the first installment of Cindy Colley's Twelve Months of the Gift of Romance. I shared this idea last month on my Facebook page. Are any of you committing to this idea for your spouse? I can be such a slacker as a wife and I hope this will help me remember to do something extra special each month for my sweetie.

If you'd like the recipe for this delicious white chocolate mocha, you can find it here. Enjoy :)

If you plan to commit to this 12 month challenge, message me and let me know. I'd love to hear your stories and ideas. If you take any pictures, please let me know so we can share them with our little blog community.

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Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello *The Girl Creative *
The Grant Life *The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Ikea Ektorp Sofa Review Part 2 {follow-up}

2012-01-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is part 2 of my personal review of the Ikea Ektorp Sofa. To start with part 1, go here. I was recently asked by a reader to share a follow up from my initial review of the Ikea Ektorp sofa. Like I mentioned before, I love the look of the Pottery Barn Basic but I definitely don't love the price! The Ikea Ektorp sofa is a fraction of the price and after having sat on both, I really think the Ektorp is even more comfortable. We ended up purchasing the corner sofa 2+ 2 and it is very spacious for our family. The cushions continue to be cushiony but still supportive.

Now to a few of the cons. Assuming you are also interested in the Blekinge White slipcover and you find yourself {slightly} OCD about things as I do, you may struggle with the slipcover not looking perfect. It is bright white which means it shows everything - lint, hair, dirt, you name it! We have a no shoes policy on the couch but my three year old doesn't always remember that rule ;) I've learned to just spot clean with a damp cloth. For more stubborn spots, I've used a cloth dampened with my baby wipe spray. Thick baby wipes have worked in a pinch too! There have been times I thought the slipcovers needed washed but really they just needed rolled with one of those sticky lint removers (you'll need several of the sticky sheets for a couch this size).

Honestly, removing the slipcover is kind of a pain. It isn't difficult necessarily but it is kinda tedious to take off and put back on. Funny thing is one of my least favorite chores is putting pillows in pillowcases. The hubby normally does that for me because I seriously can't hardly stand it. Now I have the equivalent of fourteen "pillows." Not so funny, huh? After washing the slipcovers, I still struggle with finding a good way to dry all the various slipcovers quickly. I originally thought I would be able to dry them overnight but the thick material isn't usually dry by morning. Maybe that would work in a drier climate? Anyway, I really dislike that whole process. Plus, the slipcovers get very wrinkled after being washed. I know they don't have to look perfect, but I would be embarrassed to have them on my couches without ironing them a little. The main base piece is what needs ironed the most and, of course, is the most difficult to iron because of its size. To solve this dilemma, I bought a $25 steamer from Walmart. It doesn't get all the wrinkles out but it helped relax them a lot. I can handle these wrinkles...I think :)

As a side note, I haven't had the need to bleach it but I wouldn't be opposed to spot treating with bleach. I have used stain remover. If you remember from part 1, my three year old spilled orange juice all over the Ektorp Bromma footstool. I washed it right away with stain remover and it was fine.

I know that sounds like a whole lot of negative but I just want you to see the reality of a white, slipcovered sofa. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the look and the way it just brightens my entire room. If I had it to do all over again, I would buy the same thing in. a. heartbeat. I just wish I had read more reviews that would have given me more realistic expectations going into it.

I sure hope this helps. Please, please, please email me or comment with any questions. I love all of your sweet comments and try to respond back to each and every one. If you sign in with your email, I'll try to respond to you privately via email.

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French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths
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Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Whimsical Fairy Party

2012-01-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our whimsical fairy party...

I can't believe my little girl is three! I had a BLAST planning a dinner party for her birthday. (If you want to see how we decided on the fairy theme, read here.) We enjoyed a great evening with some of our closest friends. Since our family all lives too far away to visit on birthdays, I enjoy making the girls' birthday celebrations intimate with a few special families who have stepped in as family and made room in their hearts for our sweet girls. I just used the word "family" three times in one sentence which pretty much cements my whole point that I try to make birthday celebrations a family ordeal. I want to share a few more details with y'all in the coming week but for now, here are some pictures of the party.

If you would like to see more ideas and the inspiration I used, check out my fairy party board on Pinterest. Once we wrap up our weekend celebrating, I'll be sure to post some recipes, project how-to's and {free} printables from the party. So please come back or sign up to receive email or Facebook notifications.

For more details on where I purchased party supplies, etc. click {here}

For more info on the birthday girl's apparel, click {here}

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Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life
The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Pink Winter Wonderland Party Feature

2012-01-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

My good friend Katie is super creative. She doesn't have a blog...yet ;) With her permission, I'm featuring a few snapshots from her daughter's birthday party. Before the party, she told me that she was going to keep it simple and just order some pizzas (yeah, right!).

Since I wasn't expecting anything fancy at the local pizza joint, I didn't bring my camera. Here are the best pictures that I could muster up from my phone. It was quite dreamy - a pink winter wonderland.

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French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
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The Girl Creative * The Grant Life * The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Caprese Inspired Salad

2012-01-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Since Insalata Caprese literally means "salad in the style of Capri" (thank you, Wikipedia), I guess I need to ask this question: Can a salad inspire a salad? I think so! I looove a good Caprese salad.

So this recipe is just something I thought up while scrounging around the kitchen trying to figure out what to eat for lunch. I'm sure you've been there :)

Have you seen these squeezable containers of fresh herbs? They carry them at my local WalMart in the produce section. I always keep the basil blend on hand because it has a longer shelf life and it is way more cost effective than buying basil every couple weeks when I need it.

So here's what I did:

1. Place a small handful of spring mix (baby spinach, arugula, etc.) in a bowl.
2. Top with a handful of chopped Roma tomatoes and handful of fresh mozzarella cut into chunks.
3. In a separate ramekin add balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon of each) and 1 teaspoon of the basil blend. Whisk and pour over the salad.
4. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

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A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations
French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy * Ruby Jean * Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello
The Girl Creative * The Grant Life * The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

A quick birthday card idea

2012-01-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

My cousin has five adorable kids and I try to remember to send them each a birthday card. Unfortunately, remembering birthdays and special days is not my forte. I'm two weeks late on this sweet little girl's card ::shakes head in shame:: If it makes it any better, I am learning how to use iCalendar and putting all the birthday reminders in there since clearly my binder method hasn't been working ;)

Even though it will be over two weeks late, I still wanted to send a {belated} birthday card. The card is pretty simple but I think the birthday girl will like it. If you are looking for amazing talent, you came to the wrong place. There is much better talent out there in the blogosphere but I just wanted to share a quick, easy card idea.

Here is the outside of the card. Inspired by this pin.

And the inside of the card. I always send $5 for each birthday. Isn't this a lot cuter than stuffing money in a card?! I had to search a while to find a tutorial...and then I asked the hubby to fold it! Ha! Here is a tutorial that the hubby used....but I thought this video looked helpful if I ever try it ;)

Fairy Party Planning

2012-01-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

For Ellie's 3rd birthday, we debated between one of these party themes:
a) Princess
b) Fairies
c) Taylor Swift

It was a hard decision. We play princesses every. single. day. I'm kinda burnt out so...

a) ~~Princess~~

b) Fairies

c) Taylor Swift

All the inflatable guitars I looked at online were out of stock. (That is not a joke.)

a) ~~Princess~~

b) Fairies

c) ~~Taylor Swift~~

Fairy party it is then! Here is the only problem. We have been sick for the past six weeks; the kind of sick that means everything gets put on hold. Plus, we were out of town the last two weeks. I have four days to plan this party. My type A personality is freaking out a little BUT it is just a three year old birthday party and not likely to be remembered by its guest of honor.

Pinterest has been such a great tool for event planning. My fairy party board provided lots of inspiration, thought it will obviously be a lot more simple than the lavish parties I ~~drooled over~~ pinned.

Fortunately, I was able to order some of the supplies online and picked up a few other items so far:

A Visit to Fredericksburg

2012-01-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

We just got back from two weeks of traveling. Whew! Here are a few pictures from along the way.
Shopping in Fredericksburg. This town is lovely and the shops are so quaint.

Penguin Hat

2012-01-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

During our family Bible time, Ellie decided that we needed to make a penguin hat. What?! To appeal to her penguin interest, we talked about how God makes penguins and what penguins eat and so on. Recently, I posted about the different hats Ellie and I have made, including the most recent being an elephant hat. We have still been a little under the weather (I know, enough already!) but I asked Chase to bring me a glue stick, scissors and some construction paper. I was able to throw this together in just a couple minutes.

Fleas and 'Tiques

2012-01-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

During a recent visit to Arkansas, I stopped by one of my favorite Flea Market/Antique shops called Fleas and 'Tiques. Here are some of the lovelies that I found:

Aren't these pink juice glasses darling? They probably only hold 6 ounces or so. Growing up my mom always poured us a glass of juice in a tiny vintage glass like these. We had to drink our little cup of juice before going to school :)

Aren't these pink hobnail sherbet cups dreamy? I love all things hobnail and combined with this color...I really wanted to bring these home!

A whole wall of depression glass. And it's all pink! Imagine that.

These striped glasses reminded me of summertime. Can't you see them lined up on a tray with a pitcher of sweet tea? I resisted the urge to buy them. Which is good since I just bought some thrifty jars to use as glasses.

Vintage blue tinted mason jars with zinc lids. I wanted the whole shelf but settled on just one of these pretties to put in my windowsill above the sink.

What have you spotted on your latest shopping venture?

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French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * It's Overflowing
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Trifle and parfait

2012-01-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

I rarely find a trifle dessert that I actually love. This one is perfection.

Source: tasteofhome.com via Kristen on Pinterest

It looks amazing, right? You can get the recipe over at Taste of Home. Because of all the ingredients, it isn't a cheap dessert to make. I save this one for special events. I did find that there was more toppings and peanut butter mixture than what would fit in my trifle bowl. What a shame. The hubby thought it would be fun to use our sundae glasses to make some parfaits to use the remaining yummy goodness.

Again, what a shame ;)

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A trip to the thrift store

2012-01-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

I have been itching to go to a local thrift shop. Now that the holidays are over, I treated myself to a short trip! I enjoyed just browsing and looking for potential among the junk. I limited myself to these pretties:

I have no idea if these jars are old or new but I thought they had a lovely vintage look. Can't you picture them next to a pitcher of lemonade? I bought eight. I guess that means I really liked them :)

I also found this old tin. Rustic and simple.

For a grand total of $10. What have you thrifted lately?

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The return of the car track

2012-01-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

This week will wrap up the last of our Christmas celebrations. Now that the boy cousins have opened their gifts, I thought I would share how I packaged and wrapped the car track I made a couple months back.

I used a crystal light container, fabric, ribbon and mod podge. I measured the fabric and adhered it to the crystal light container with mod podge. Once it dried, I put the lid back on, topped it with a toy car and tied it up with a ribbon. I love the red and white ribbon against the blue and white fabric.

Enchilada Remix & Winner Announced

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I shared my homemade enchilada recipe with you.

Since I never use an actual recipe, everything is approximate and depending on how much filling is used, the quantity of enchiladas varies every time. Like I said before, I just make 'em until I run out of tortillas or the chicken mixture - whichever comes first. Normally, I try to buy at least 20+ tortillas so that I can make as much as the mixture will allow. But this time, I found myself all out of tortillas with chicken mixture remaining. I thought about freezing it for another time when I have more tortillas on hand. That would have worked great BUT I also remembered that I had some tortilla flour mix in the cabinet.

Here's what it looks like so you can pick some up at Walmart and make your own tortillas:

When I was a poor college student, I lived off this stuff! Seriously, ask my housemates. I would whip up a batch of tortillas and make some quesadillas. My cooking talent in college? Hmm... not so high so don't be intimidated - you can definitely make these! So today's recipe is sort of a combination between enchiladas and quesadillas.

Here's what I did:

1. Make the tortillas according to the package directions, let them rise and roll them out. (easy peasy)
2. Meanwhile, preheat a griddle to medium high.
3. I cooked the tortillas a couple minutes on each side.
4. Next, I returned them to the griddle adding a little leftover chicken mixture and shredded cheese.
5. Fold tortilla over and serve with chopped onion, tomato, lettuce, salsa and sour cream.

Enjoy! Oh wait, you didn't stop by to check out the recipe? Ahh yes, you want to know who won the giveaway. I used randomizer.org to come up with our lucky winner. Congrats Sharla! This is her comment that won. Isn't she sweet?! I'll be emailing you shortly for your address Sharla.

Sharlanicky
I also shared on Facebook. Do you think you might sell these? If I don't win I still would like a set. :)
- Like
- Reply
- 3 days ago

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My Now Not So Secret Chicken Enchiladas

2012-01-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

The hubby's favorite meal is chicken enchiladas. It is a regular staple around here. Sometimes I serve it with Mexican rice and refried beans. But not this week. I scoured Pinterest for some fresh ideas and decided to go with cilantro lime rice and a cheesy bean dip.

Let's start with the enchiladas. I try to stretch the chicken in the meal to make as many enchiladas as possible. I normally make a pan of ten and two smaller pans of five to freeze. This meal freezes well and can be heated up in the oven in less than an hour on those days that I don't feel like cooking. It also is a great frozen meal to take to someone sick or recovering from surgery and new moms returning home from the hospital.

Since I never use a recipe for these, all measurements are estimated. I've yet to mess up these enchiladas so I think it is safe to say you can play around with the recipe until you find your family's preference.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 - 10 oz can of Las Palmas Enchilada sauce (green mild or regular)

1 medium onion chopped

1-2 t minced garlic

1 t cumin

1 c chicken broth

1/2 c chopped cilantro (optional)

10-20 soft flour tortillas (depending on size and desired fullness)

vegetable oil

2-3 c Mexican blend shredded cheese

1. First you will need to cook and shred the chicken. I find it easiest to stick the chicken in a crock pot and cover half way with water. Sometimes I add in a chicken bouillon cube to enhance the flavor as it cooks. Let it cook on high for a couple of hours. When you return, the chicken will be so tender that it will basically shred itself = less work for me. I've used frozen chicken and this is the best way to cook it and keep it moist.

2.Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and add 1-2 T of vegetable oil. Saute the onions (reserving 1/3 c to sprinkle over the enchiladas before baking) until translucent. Be sure to season them with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the shredded chicken and cumin. At this point you will probably need to deglaze the pan as everything may be starting to stick. Add the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all of the tasty bits that were stuck to the pan. Stir in 1/3 c of the enchilada sauce and half of the cilantro. Turn off the heat.

3. Now you need to set up your assembly line. Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Roll it up and stick it in your greased baking dish. Continue until you run out of chicken mixture or tortillas - whatever happens first!

4. Top the baking dish(es) of enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce, sprinkle with remaining onions and cilantro. Now you can either bake or freeze your enchiladas. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If frozen, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an addition 10-15 minutes.

You can find the Chipotle copycat cilantro lime recipe I used here. I heart Chipotle. I've never found anything that compares with their burritos and, unfortunately, the closest is five hours away :-/ This rice is reminiscent of theirs. I did use brown rice instead and cooked it according to the package.

Source: skinnytaste.com

I got the cheesy bean recipe from my friend. She found it here. I did make some changes to it.

I mixed 1 can of refried beans, 1 can of Rotel, and 1 cup of mexican blend cheese. I greased two pie pans and spread half a block of cream cheese on the bottom of each pan. Then I added the bean mixture and topped it all with another cup of cheese. It was oh so cheesy which is good because we like more cheese than bean in our dip :) I froze one pan for another meal.

Source: thecountrycook.net

Enjoy!

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Wrapped in twine

2012-01-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

My favorite holiday is coming up! And what says Valentine's day better than cotton candy pink bakers twine? I'm definitely smitten. I emptied my snow globes and packed the trees up for next Christmas, replacing them with paper doily hearts wrapped in twine and tied with a bow. I love the simplicity of these jars.

Vintage inspired jewelry giveaway

2012-01-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

2012. Today, the hubby and I will set aside some quiet time together (probably nap time...when else is it quiet with kiddos?!) and set our goals for the coming year. One of mine for last year was to start a blog by 2012. I did it! I truly love it. It may sound silly but being able to share and network with so many different people is exciting! I love the whole process. I'm learning to write better, take better photographs and meeting so many interesting and talented people.

I'm not sure why you have stuck it out with me but I am so thankful! I appreciate all of the lovely comments you leave and knowing that my blogging has served a purpose beyond myself. Thank you for that. So...to start off the new year, I have a giveaway!

Have you seen all the lovely resin cabochon flower jewelry floating around Pinterest? I've seen them on Etsy and Very Jane as well. I was inspired to make my own. I love the look. I wear mine most days.

What do you think of these?

1. Vintage pink and mint rose hair pins with mint mum earrings.

2. Vintage blue ring with matching mum earrings and tangerine orange earrings.

3. Jolly green rose and mum hair pins with matching necklace charm

4. Bold pink rose necklace charm with hint of pink mum earrings

5. Mint flower ring with bold pink rose earrings and hair pin

6. Vintage pink rose ring and hairpin with turquoise mum earrings

7. Mint flower ring with matching mum earrings and vintage pink hair pin

8. Lilac rose earrings with coordinating lilac and jolly green hair pins

9. Burgundy chrysanthemum necklace charm with yellow earrings

**This giveaway has closed. Sorry!**

So here's the giveaway part. I will be giving away one set of your choice. Today is your lucky day.

Here's how to enter. No more than three entries per person, please. I would like all 30 fans to have a fair chance at this ;) The giveaway will close this Thursday January 5th at 10:00 pm cst.

1. Leave me a comment letting me know which set you would like if you won.
2. Follow me on Facebook or Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment letting me know.
3. Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and come back and let me know!

Here is a sample tweet you can use: Free vintage inspired jewelry from@kritiann. Comment to enter:http://titus2workinprogress.blogspot.com/2011/12/vintage-inspired-jewelry-giveaway.html Pls RT

(This giveaway will only be mailed to addresses within the U.S.)

Y'all are awesome. Thank you for participating!

Linking up with....

Advent Calendar {a little late}

2011-12-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

I realize it is now New Year's Eve. Christmas is over. But I really meant to post this. You know, before the whole fam came down with the flu (ugh) and ear infections (double ugh). So for the sake of my blogging self-esteem, just go with it. Please :)

As you search out those after Christmas deals (if there are any left...), be sure to think about projects to work on for next Christmas. I bought this advent calendar five years ago from Starbucks. Can you believe it? It was just after Christmas and only cost me a few bucks. It's durable enough to last our family a long time. We have used it every year. In the past I've filled it with candy, other times with notes and this year I did a combination of candy and trinkets for Ellie.

Did you notice that the boxes are reversible?

By Christmas, all the images are revealed to form a picture.

I've realized using an advent calendar is a great way to practice numbers with a toddler! Each morning Ellie asked to "pick a box." I would tell her the date and help her find it. She can only count to ten but I think she recognizes some larger numbers even though she hasn't been taught them directly. Whenever she had trouble finding a number I would help her by saying, "Find the nineteen (or whatever day we were on). It is a one and a nine."

I love how all my crafty bloggy friends made amazing advent calendars. There is some major talent out there. I also love that I didn't have to because Starbucks sold this for cheaper than I could have made one.

Hope everyone has a great New Year's eve!

Year in Review 2011

2011-12-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

This year has been a whirlwind! I'm so thankful for the many blessings we've received including our sweet addition Hannah Rose, our new home and, of course, all my new bloggy friends :) I've learned a ton about blogging in the past eight months - mainly all trial and error! I hope to improve in the coming year, but you know, we are all a work in progress. Most importantly I hope to become more like the description in Titus 2:3-5.

Here are some snippets of my top posts for my year in review:

Homemade laundry soap. I love this stuff! This is the supply I prepared before Hannah Rose was born.

Putting together a super hero fort kit was a lot of fun:

And here is the girl version - a princess fort kit :)

DIY glass pebble necklace using letters from a magazine:

Easy to make felt Christmas tree:

These little snow globes were my absolute favorite Christmas decoration, hands down. I just love the simplicity of it. Cost me a total of $1 for the two of them!

Ellie still wears her Rapunzel wig:

My Ikea Ektorp sofa review:

This is one of my personal favorites. Lamp makeover:

Can you tell I was really into this blue color this year?! Key art and vase:

This garland was oh-so-easy to make and looked lovely during the fall months.

Thank you all for your encouragement in this personal endeavor. I love all your sweet comments and I look forward to seeing what the year to come will bring.

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Discount Deals

2011-12-27T18:33:00.001-08:00

Okay y'all. I feel bad that I haven't shared this sooner. Are you aware of all the discount deals on the internet? There are two boutique dealers that I purchase from regularly and I really have been meaning to share them with my bloggy friends! I've not been solicited to share these deals but I have been very happy with my purchases over the last several months. I check these deals daily and I've purchased several items from both companies. They offer deals on unique handmade and/or specialty items often at half price and sometimes up to 70% off! You can sign up to receive email deals or you can "like" their Facebook pages and follow the deals there. I have followed other daily deals but these two boutiques are the only I have purchased from and they are much more reasonably priced.

Here are just a few deals that I have purchased:

Shabby Burlap Stockings from GroopDealz. $8 each
This is probably my favorite of all the deals. I have one of the ruffle stockings and one with "noel" stamped on muslin.

Source: groopdealz.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Here they are hung in my entryway.

Set of 6 chalkboard place settings from GroopDealz. $10 set
I've already used these for the holidays.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/groopdealz

Painted filigree locket necklace from Very Jane. $7.50

Source: veryjane.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Belle dress-up apron from Very Jane. $7.50
Ellie loves playing dress-up and these are just darling!

Source: veryjane.com via Kristen on Pinterest

When I find deals I want to purchase, I consider if I could make them myself and, if so, could I make them for less than these prices. If not, I place an order. There is no cost to becoming a member of these sites. You can access Very Jane here. And GroopDealz here. ***Just like any member of GroopDealz, if you use my referral link, I receive $5 off my next order. I would love for you to use my link but most importantly I just want to share these great deals with y'all! I actually felt bad that I haven't shared them sooner. Hope you enjoy and please share any other discount deals you would recommend!

My favorite things...

2011-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

We had such a lovely holiday with our sweet girls. Unfortunately, we were (and still are) sick on Christmas. Of course that didn't stop us from opening all of our presents :) Here are some of my favorite gifts this year.

The Hallmark snowman night light. I kid you not - I have wanted this little guy for five years and searched high and low. He has always been out of stock but this year I got him. Better yet, the hubby got him for 50% off!

Lady Grey tea. For whatever reason, this flavor is not sold around here in any of the stores. A friend of mine enjoys it too and has her daughters pick it up for her before they come visit. It is my absolute favorite tea. Thanks Mom!

Bakers twine is my new addiction. I especially love this spool of cotton candy pink that the hubby ordered for me.

What was your favorite gift?

Farewell Christmas Tree

2011-12-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

As we pack up all the Christmas decor, I thought I would snap some photos of these vintage bulbs. Some were my dad's when he was a child. Others I picked up at a thrift shop.

I'm glad I saved all my egg cartons this year. They are just the perfect size for storing all these vintage lovelies.

Linking up with...

The Christmas Express

2011-12-24T18:53:00.000-08:00

Okay I have to share our new favorite Christmas tradition. I was checking out the latest pins on Pinterest when I found this from Confessions of a Homeschooler:

Source: confessionsofahomeschooler.com via Kristen on Pinterest

She is brilliant. She created these awesome free printable tickets. The ones I printed say "Christmas Express" since we don't have a minivan ;) Go to her website and read about her family's tradition and the ideas she has to share.

On the eve of Christmas Eve (yes we celebrate that!) I let Ellie unwrap a present. It was The Polar Express which I actually rented from the library. (We'll be returning it next week, no worries.) We all got in our comfys a.k.a. pajamas and read the book together.

Next, I sent Chase and Ellie to her room.While they were reading books, I secretly popped some popcorn and made rich homemade hot cocoa. I used individual buckets for the popcorn and put the cocoa in our travel cups. Once I had everything in the car, I had everyone check their beds and lo and behold they found their tickets! Just like Erica from Confessions of a Homeschooler, I punched the tickets and loaded us up. I drove through the neighborhood lights playing Christmas music. It was such a fun and spontaneous activity....well not for me but for the rest of the family :) We are going to continue this tradition for many more years. The hubby even suggested keeping the same tickets and just punching them again each year. I hope you'll go check out Erica's website and get the free printable. She also has great ideas for teaching a range of ages and shares the curriculum she uses with her kids. You'll also find a wide range of educational printables. Have fun and start planning some traditions for next year.

The Meaning Of Christmas

2011-12-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas eve to all you lovely bloggy friends! I absolutely love the holidays and all the traditions that accompany them. Having special family time and building memories with our children is wonderful. This time of year it is common to see so many different attitudes about Christmas. This has really been on mind so I prayerfully decided to share my thoughts with you.

Christmas, like Thanksgiving, Father's Day and birthday celebrations, is a day that we devote to family time. We create special traditions in hopes of making memories and passing them along to our children. Christmas is no different in that aspect. However, it is also a holiday with great religious significance, especially in the United States. Many families celebrate the birth of Christ and may even celebrate the day as Jesus' birthday. I'm sure most everyone realizes Christmas is not the actual birthday of Jesus. No where in the Bible are we told the precise day that He was born, nor are we commanded to celebrate Christmas. In fact, it is believed that Christmas began as a pagan holiday full of indulgent sin. Regardless of its origin, isn't it wonderful to see so many focus on our Lord if only this one time a year?

Certainly we should teach our children about Jesus all year long and remember the greatest gift we have been given. I'm thankful for the teachable moments this time of year provides. I enjoy seeing the many nativity scenes on display this time of year and use them to recount the birth of Jesus with my two year old daughter. However, since there is no command to celebrate Christ's birth, no one should be condemned for choosing not to celebrate Christmas or associate it with the birth of Christ. I think the most important thing is to remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it." (New American Standard)

There are some who may be offended by the Christian holiday because of its pagan origin. Others may be offended if we do not take time to think of blessings we have in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). In all that we do, may be always be mindful of our ability to influence souls, teach them and encourage them to dwell on the blessings we have in Christ. The birth of Christ is just the beginning of a beautiful story that we can share. Let us continue to share the life of Jesus and the ultimate gift we can have through clothing ourselves in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). I promise it will be better than anything we unwrap under the Christmas tree ;-) Merry Christmas!

Hats for every occasion

2011-12-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to prepare some sort of craft or activity to go along with the books and movies Ellie has been watching lately. Do you remember the rapunzel wig we made? She still enjoys wearing her "rapunzel hair" when she watches Tangled.

After reading One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by Barbara Hennessy and learning about the Wampanoag Native Americans, we made this hat to wear on Thanksgiving.

A few weeks ago after watching Rudolph, I whipped up a reindeer hat for Ellie. I forgot to take a picture of it but it was similar to this one I pinned on Pinterest.

Source: google.nl via Kristen on Pinterest

Then last week we watched Aladdin. When we got to the part where Genie turns Abu (the monkey) into an elephant, Ellie looked at me and said "Mommy, make me an elephant hat please!" Before I had a chance to respond, she went to find my craft supplies. After looking around she pensively put a finger to her mouth and said "Hmm...let's see...." This was a proud mommy moment for me.
Two reasons:
1. Ellie didn't ask me to buy her an elephant hat but, rather, make one.
2. She is learning that if we can imagine it, we can make it. It makes my heart happy how confident she is that I can make whatever she dreams up.

So...here is the elephant hat. I was a little unsure how to go about this craft. I actually checked Pinterest but I couldn't find any elephant hat crafts. It is nothing fancy and I threw this together in less than 5 minutes. I used a gray foam paper sheet that I happened to have in my craft box. First I cut two strips and stapled them together to fit the width of her head. Then I drew a trunk and two ears, cut them out and stapled them to the hat. I can't draw. Like at all. But I have a daughter that believes in me and she loved her hat so that is all that matters :)

As I write this, Ellie asked me to make her some feather wings. Hmmm...

Christmas Card Keepsake

2011-12-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Don't you love getting Christmas cards in the mail? What do you do with your cards after the holidays? I sometimes re-use the cards for gift tags or projects for next year's Christmas. Up until last year, I was just throwing all the pictures in a photo box - one with all my pictures from pre-digital camera times. Remember when we developed film and had hard copies of all the pictures we took (like it or not!).

Thankfully, a dear friend of mine shared her Christmas card book with me. Each year she adds the photo Christmas cards to her book categorized by family. She has been keeping her book for many, many years and it was very neat to look back through the years of each family.

For my keepsake, I just put page protectors in a three ring binder. I put one family in each sleeve and just add to it each year. On the outside pocket, I slipped in this free printable from Tattered and Inked. Now it is cute enough to set out on the coffee table or slide under the tree.

Linking up with....

Whipperberry Friday Flair

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

2011-12-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'm joining the Christmas Tree Linky Party over at Five Days...5 Ways. So....here are a couple of my trees and some other odds and ends.

I'll start with one of my favorites. My feather tree. I made the tree and collected the Old World ornaments when I was child.

Do you have a pickle ornament on your tree?

My big tree is turquoise and gold. I'm thinking next year I'll do turquoise and white with bird and burlap ornaments.

Not a tree, I know, but I had to share my paper village I'm working on. I've got the barn, a house and the general store finished. There are probably ten more but we'll save those for next year.

I also have this Merry Christmas banner that came with the paper village. You know I only paid $4 for all of it?

Ribbon tied in a bow + berry sprig = Christmas wreath!

We have a family tree and the girls have a pink tree but I haven't gotten around to taking pictures of them. I look forward to seeing everyone else's trees linked up!

Glittery Santa

2011-12-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

I'm loving all of Martha Stewart's Christmas craftiness. Aren't these little santas so cute?

Source: marthastewart.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I made two of these (you can find the free printable here) and I think they go great with my felt Christmas tree. Whatcha think?

I will say it was a little difficult to get the Santa face to lay flat on the rounded surface. They aren't perfect but not very many things I make are. I haven't decided what to put in my santa's hands. A Christmas list? A present? Do YOU have any ideas? I'd love to hear from all you lovely readers. If you have a blog, be sure to leave your address so we can stop by :)

Linking up with....

Holiday Tablescape {Amateur edition}

2011-12-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

I have seen some lovely tablescapes around the blogsphere lately so I thought I would contribute a few snapshots. And yes, this is DEFINITELY the amateur edition both in the tablescape and the mad photo skills displayed below. Unfortunately, the stomach bug stole a lot of my holiday planning time so this festive brunch was thrown together on a last minute whim. We invited a sweet family over for brunch after church. This meant all the decorating and prep work was done the night beforehand. It also means I was a bit preoccupied to take pictures of the actual spread. Ah well.

To decorate the table I just used what I had on hand. I love my snowglobes mixed in with my snowflake votive holders. I also included these miniature chalkboards I ordered from Bluhm's Gardens.

I used my ornament place card holders as labels for our belgian waffle toppings bar....of which I didn't get a picture because...well... hot waffles with butter, whipped cream, powdered sugar, walnuts, raspberries, chocolate chips and syrup had to get in my mouth. No time for pictures. I will say I am loving my furniture from Ikea. The dining table and the gateleg table in the pictures are both from there and get used a lot. I'm also still loving my Ektorp sofa (you can read my review here).

I'm linking up with Aimee over at It's Overflowing for the Christmas-Scapes Linky Party!

Shabby Ornaments

2011-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Next year I would love to have a shabby Christmas tree decorated in white, burlap and some natural elements. I'll also include these ornaments I have been working on. It is really an upcycle project since all I did was paper mache some ornament rejects - you know the cheap ones that go in the back of the tree or at the bottom at toddler level.

Like most of my recent inspirations, I got this one from Pinterest:

Source: fleamarketstylemag.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Aren't they lovely? I know the shabby "homemade" look isn't for everyone but I love it :)

These are pretty simple. Tear up strips of newspaper, paint the ornament with glue and adhere them. Be sure to take the lid (?) cap (?) topper (?) off the ornament first. Once it dries, add another thin layer of glue and sprinkle clear crystal glitter all over the ornaments. Let dry again. Replace the top of the ornament. Print "noel" on the card stock color of your choice in your preferred font (you can download the font I used here for free). Cut to size and use a straight pin to poke a hole in the tag. Loop it into the metal ornament hanger. Take a black marker and run it across the four edges of the noel tag just to give it a distressed look. I tied mine on a strand of bakers twine just to up the shabbiness.

Linking up with...

Christmas Card Wreath

2011-12-11T20:32:00.001-08:00

If you spend any time on Pinterest, then you have probably seen Martha Stewart's Christmas card wreath using an embroidery hoop and miniature clothespins. I even saw it showcased on the Today show last week! I had to make one and I'm considering leaving it up all year. For now, I hung the ribbon on my antique match box mounted on the kitchen wall.

I do love all the Christmas cards coming in the mail. How are you displaying your Christmas cards this year? Since I can't send cards out to all you lovely readers, here is the picture we are sending to our loved ones.

Merry Christmas!

Linking up with...

O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-11T14:00:00.001-08:00

This little felt tree was a cinch to make. I found my inspiration here where you can also read the step-by-step instructions. I used a baby food jar lid to trace my circles and once they were all cut out, it only took a few minutes to pin the tree together.

Linking up with...

Pinterest & A Snow Globe

2011-11-29T20:19:00.001-08:00

I love Pinterest. Have I mentioned that before?! Ah yes I have. {Actually, I just posted a link on my Facebook page to a Pinterest tutorial my blogger and real life friend Audreya put together....so go check it out if you are still trying to figure out with this wonderful ~~obsession~~ pastime is.}

One of my recent pins is this:

Source: itsoverflowing.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Aimee from It's Overflowing made these and I just fell in love. They are an Anthropologie knock-off. Wait - Anthropologie style without the price tag? Double love!

I was actually going to wait and make these next year since my project to-do list is longer than I have time to discuss. However, Ellie and I went to Dollar Tree this morning and I found those little Christmas village trees. Two trees for a buck! Plus, these are already snowy and all so I just grabbed some mason jars and stuck them inside. I didn't do any gluing or even add "snow" to the base. Since I plan to use my mason jars post Christmas, I've decided that after the holiday I'll just pop the trees out and store them until next year.

Linking up with...

Holiday Placemats

2011-11-29T19:41:00.001-08:00

As I was unpacking Christmas boxes, I found one of my holiday placemats that I made several years ago. I had a couple more but after enduring a toddler, the others were retired. Anyway, it's an idea for a fun project to do as a family. I just went through holiday magazines (mainly Martha Stewart) and cut out all the images, text, and colors that I wanted to include on each placemat. I glued mine onto white craft paper and then had them laminated. In hindsight, a thicker laminate would have made mine last longer. For kids, it would be fun to give them their own magazine and let them tear out the images they want to use to make their own collage print. It would add a special touch to the dinner table, serve as a conversation piece and showcase your child's artwork. I really wish I had my other placemats to share with you all. I did a different "theme" on each mat...but this was all pre-blog :)

Linking up with...

Ikea Ektorp Sofa Review Part 1

2011-11-27T14:26:00.001-08:00

I am so excited to share my Ikea Ektorp sofa review with y'all! Ikea doesn't have a clue who I am but I know that I would have appreciated more reviews from fellow bloggers when I was making my new home purchases. Our old couch was bought used and was close to nine or ten years old. The cushions were sinking in and it just wasn't the style I wanted for the new living room. What I wanted was this:

Source: potterybarn.com via Kristen on Pinterest

The PB Basic.
Love!
Unfortunately, the price was out of the question - at least $1,440.00. So I started searching for a similar slipcovered sofa to no avail. Why is this style so difficult to find?! Anyway, after searching online I found reviews for this:

Source: ikea.com via Kristen on Pinterest

The Ikea Ektorp Collection. Looks a lot like the PB Basic but the price for this one is $399. Sold! Well actually, after convincing the hubby we decided to go with the corner sofa 2 + 2.

Source: ikea.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I love the traditional sofa "look" better than a sectional but we are in a season of our lives where comfort and couch space are a must. As soon as I sat down to test it out I could envision our two sweet girls snuggled up on the couch with us watching movies :) And let me say, it is perfect for that! I really believe it is the most comfortable couch that I have ever sat on. It is cushiony but still firm.

We also purchased the matching Ektorp Bromma footstool:

Source: ikea.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I know I must seem crazy for choosing a white sofa. {Did I momentarily forget that I have two children under three??} The color is called "Blekinge White." It is very white - meaning it does show every little bit of lint, dirt, food, etc. that gets on it. Which reminds me of the not so funny story of the day we got our sofa. Ellie came walking into the living room with a full glass of orange juice and spilled it all over the top of the footstool! Fortunately, it all came out in the wash. I used a little bit of stain remover on it just in case. Nothing stays "new" around here for very long, that is for sure.

However, it has been fairly easy to "spot clean." I use a spray bottle with one tablespoon of baby wash mixed with one cup of water. Anytime I find a dirty spot, I just spray and scrub it with a cloth diaper. Like I mentioned, the slipcover is removable and can be washed and air dried. The only problem is I don't have enough space to dry all the slipcovered pieces! Something one ought to think about prior to purchasing a slipcovered sofa, huh? Putting the slipcovers back on isn't very difficult, just a bit tedious. It is worth the effort knowing that my sofa is clean and that I'm not sitting on mystery stains from many years past. We have made some changes because of the new white sofa. Like no shoes on the furniture rule...probably a good rule anyway. And we throw afghans and quilts over the sofa for our daily use. When company is coming over, I just fold up the throw blankets and enjoy our white sofa!

Here are some pics of ours. I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality. I'm decorating for Christmas now and can't get a better picture. If you read my blog much, you are used to this type of picture quality.

All in all, here are the pros:

Machine washable
Can be spot cleaned
Cushiony but still firm
Great for cuddling up with the whole family
Size (not too big like our last overstuffed couch and love seat)

Here are the cons:

Shows dirt
Must hang dry....and find the space to do so!
Maintenance is time consuming (i.e. removing slipcovers, washing/drying, putting slipcovers back on)

When it comes down to it, I LOVE my new sofa and I would purchase it all over again. White is definitely my color of choice right now and it just really brightens the whole room. I love the Pottery Barn look and feel of it...without the PB Basic price tag! I titled this "part 1" because I plan to share with you an update after we have had several months to really enjoy the sofa and see how it holds up.

**For my follow-up review, read part 2 here