It's Our Pinteresting Life

Finding Some Energy

2012-02-23T09:46:00.001-05:00

My life has been a little hectic lately. Both of my girls have terrible colds which means that they are up constantly in the night. My husband has been busy with school, although that is almost done (Yay!), and it is tax time. This is a good picture of what my life looks like right now:

All this picture needs is an empty coffee mug, some dirty tissues and two little girls with stuffed noses.

This is what I wish my life looked like:

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Melody on Pinterest

But unfortunately, it doesn't look like that is going to happen any time soon. I was browsing Pinterest the other morning and I came across this recipe for balls of energy. Balls of HEALTHY energy. That is exactly what I need. So on my last trip to the bulk food store, I got my ingredients and last night when I didn't want to do any more numbers or taxes, I set to work.

Source: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

I changed the recipe from what she was suggesting just a tiny bit. Okay, maybe a little more than a tiny bit, but the premise is still the same. Instead of peanut butter, I used almond butter, which is actually much healthier for you. I also added just a little more of the almond butter since I was using more dry ingredients than she was. More like 3/4 cup - 1 cup. Because I find almond butter more sweet, I added less honey, more like 1/4 cup. For the extra ingredients, I added shredded coconut, dried cranberries, walnut pieces and flax seeds as well as ground flax seeds.

They are so easy to make and absolutely fantastic. Just sitting here and writing this, I have already eaten three. Apparently I need a lot more energy than I thought. If you're looking for something quick, easy and healthy (and really, who isn't?) try this recipe.

How about you, do you have any fantastic healthy recipes that are tasty? Share with us!

Using what you have

2012-02-22T11:42:00.002-05:00

When you don't have a lot of extra money to buy anything new for your home, it's crazy how resourceful you can be with what you have.

Take my bedroom for example. You know that I've been redecorating slowly. I have painted the room, moved a few bookshelves into the room, switched up some furniture, and given two white frames some free art. Cost of everything so far? Nothing. Nada. All F.R.E.E.

I'll give you pictures of the room when everything is completely finished, (still need to finish the lamps, make a headboard, throw down some rugs) but right now I want to talk about the free art.

Have you have flipped through a pad of scrapbooking paper or walked down the aisles of Michael's or your favourite local scrapbooking store and drooled over all the gorgeous designs?

Well consider framing those papers as art in your home. Easy, simple, and costs pennies.

These pieces are from the package I bought from Home Sense a couple weeks back. The bird piece was so beautiful that I just had to frame it.

Find paper that you love, cut it to fit the frame, and there you have it! Beautiful, unique artwork that is easy to switch up if you ever want to change it.

Linked Up with Lil Luna

Easy Way to Clean the Shower Head

2012-02-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

Every now and then when I browse Pinterest, I see something that makes me go "duh!". Most of the time it is something so simple that I feel almost embarrassed that I didn't figure it out by myself. Like this...

Using a plastic baggy, 1 part vinegar and 1 part water, a elastic band, and letting the shower head soak in the bag over night works like a dream. The vinegar will remove limescale buildup and water residue to make your shower head work like new again!

What about you? Have you found any new cleaning solutions that you wish you new a long time ago to make your cleaning routine go faster and smoother? I know I have found a bunch of smart ways to speed up cleaning the house that work great!

The Big Celebration

2012-02-20T10:58:00.000-05:00

Planning parties can be a lot of fun. Especially if it's for people you know really well who don't care if there are streak marks on your bathroom mirror or if you didn't have time to dry all your dishes so they're sitting on your counter "air drying".

I had been pinning a few ideas for Bella's party for months now. I always drool over the perfectly executed parties that can be found online. The ones where the lighting is just right and everyone is happy, and the weather is perfect. I knew that this party wasn't going to be like that, especially since garden parties in February in Canada don't work so well, but it would be perfect for my little girl.

I don't have any stunning tutorials for you, but I do have some pictures of how it turned out from both the tea party and our main family party which was animal themed (somewhat).

So without further ado, our animal themed party.

Yes, it's a lion. Please don't make fun :)

All in all, I would say the party was a success. All the food got eaten, including our lion cake which I found the directions to from here.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Here in Canada, we have a nice little holiday called "Family Day" so our weekend is actually extended for one more day. Yay!

{DIY} Family Memory Game

2012-02-18T15:55:00.003-05:00

It was my niece's second birthday this week. Two years old already! I can't believe it. (You can read a little about the cute tea party that Melody put together here and make sure you check back on Monday for more details!)

This little girl has brought so much joy to us in these past two years! I love watching her develop her personality and her likes and dislikes.

(Yes. She's picking his nose. What a helpful cousin.)

One of her loves is her cousins. She use to get so excited when she saw her aunts, but now she looks right past us to the little bundles in the car seats that we carry. She loves to play "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake" with them and ~~share~~ her toys, okay it's more like "MINE!"...we're still working on the sharing part. But she really does love her cousins.

We're going to have a family birthday party for her tomorrow and I decided to incorporate her love for her cousins into her present. I found this idea on Pinterest for a cousin memory game and thought it was perfect. I took it one step further though and included the whole family.

Once I found all the pictures and resized them smaller, I printed them and cut them out. I glued the pictures onto some Amy Butler scrapbooking paper and then cut out the pictures. I traced the edges with black marker to make them stand out a little bit.

(Just realized that there is dog hair on that picture. Guess I need to vacuum...)

I bought some clear contact paper from Dollarama and covered the front and the back of the cards to protect them to help make them a little bit durable.

I'm really happy with the results. I hope that Bella enjoys it as much as I did making it. :)

Happy weekend!

Linking up to:

Show It Off Sunday @ Binkertation

A Bowl Full Of Lemons

DIY Headband

2012-02-17T19:31:00.003-05:00

Today I decided to make a headband for my daughter. I used this tutorial and found it was very easy to follow. I love baby girls in headbands, and this one turned out to be very cute. I added a flower to the headband to give it some more visual interest instead of just leaving it plain.

I don't own a sewing machine, so I stitched the entire headband by hand. It was a fairly easy project to complete and only took me about half an hour to finish! Unfortunately my model was taking a snooze at the time of the photo shoot, so I was not able to get a picture of her wearing the finished product.

These are really sweet for little girls, and I am excited to make more of these for my nieces, and some for future baby shower gifts!

Butterfly Cupcakes

2012-02-16T12:33:00.002-05:00

"If you wish, you may eat with both hands and both feet. So get in there and munch. Have a big much-er-oo! Today is your birthday! Today you are you!"

- Dr. Seuss from "Happy Birthday To You!"

Today is a wonderful day in my house. My little girl is two years old!!! I can't believe how the time has flown by... Ok, I need to stop before I start sobbing and thinking that she's going to leave me and go to college. Sniff.

Her birthday party is not for a few days yet since my husband will be away, but I still wanted to do something special for her (Look for pictures from the party on Monday!).

I still thought it was important to make a big deal of today though. I put of decorations and blew up what felt like a bajillion balloons even though it's probably closer to 20. I also made some special cupcakes for our tea party.

Faith is the specialty cupcake maker in our family, but I thought I'd show a quick and easy way to make it seem like you spent hours slaving over them, when in fact, it only took about 15 minutes.

To start, decide which type of cupcake you want. I decided on a healthier type today since we'll be having lots of cake and candies in the next few days. I found the recipe for Carrot Muffins here and they turned out beautifully. I liked the fact that they were whole wheat (I used spelt flour) and contained honey instead of sugar.

To make the butterflies for the top you'll need chocolate chips, wax paper and about 8 hours for setting time. The cheaper the chocolate chips are, the better your designs will turn out. Melt the chocolate in a pot on medium heat, stirring so that the chocolate does not burn. Put the melted chocolate in a small bag and cut off the tip. I found it was easier to put the chocolate in the bag using the tip from here:

Source: bakingdom.com via Melody on Pinterest

Cut your wax paper so that it sits evenly over a pan (if you need to, tape the paper down). Create designs with the chocolate. Make sure that it's not too thin, otherwise it will snap and break too easily. I chose to make butterflies, but you could easily make hearts, flowers, initials, or whatever you want. Put your chocolate into the freezer for 8 hours to set. Once you're ready for them, they'll be easy to lift off the wax paper.

For the icing, I decided to use whip cream in a can (I know, I know). I sprayed in small bursts, lifting and twisting to create the look of small flowers. I placed the cupcakes into some liners that I made on my Cricut and placed my wonderful butterflies on top. Done!

Put your wonderful cupcakes onto a nice cake platter and when everyone asks how long everything took, tell them hours. :)

Hopefully, that's not too confusing for you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. I'll be blogging on Monday about her animal themed party. I'm hoping it all turns out nicely! Have a wonderful day!

Organizing Baby Pajamas

2012-02-15T12:03:00.003-05:00

When our son was born, people around us were so generous. We bought a playpen and a swing. That's it. We were given everything else. What a blessing it was!

At our church shower, we were completely blown away by the generosity of the people in our church! I couldn't believe how people showered us with clothes, books, toys, and more for Gavin. I'm still finding clothes in Gavin's closet that he has never worn. It's like going shopping almost every single day! It was truly a blessing to see all that love from our family and friends.

Though finding room for it all was somewhat difficult (a good difficult!). Gavin's room is pretty tiny, with not a lot of storage. I organized all his clothes by month (0-3, 6-9, 9-12, and 2T) and put them into canvas bins that I bought at Dollarama for $2 each.

Whatever category of clothing he is wearing at that moment, I pull out and put in his closet. I had put everything, onesies, pants, sleepers, socks, sweatshirts, into one bin. Now that they were in the closet, I need to organize them into separate containers so that we could see everything. (Seems confusing, but it works)

Pants I put into a smaller canvas tote, T-shirts and onesies I keep in the same large canvas tote. Pajamas were the problem. I don't know what the deal is, but Gavin goes through pajamas like they are candy. We need to keep a lot of pajamas on hand. I didn't know where to put them though, so they were jumbled into his T-shirt and onesie bin. It's a problem when you are searching for clean pajamas in the middle of the night.

I had seen this idea a long time ago on Pinterest and decided to use it for Gav's room.

If you have children and unless you are using cloth diapers, you usually have about five million (give or take) diaper boxes lying around. I used one of the million for Gavin's pajama storage.

First I cut off the flaps:

(as you can see, not in a very straight line, but that's okay)

Then I took an extra curtain, cut the fabric so that it would fit in the box, and used hot glue to stick it securely in the box.

This was the most tricky part - to line up the fabric nicely inside the box. (And I didn't iron the fabric before. As you can tell.)

Then I chose some pretty scrapbooking paper from Amy Butler and cut it so that it fit around the whole box (I think I used about 2 1/2 pieces of paper). I added some black ribbon around the top and black scrapbooking paper at the bottom to clean up the edges. I cut a design of the cow jumping over the moon on my Cricut, applied everything with a thin coat of Mod Podge, and let it dry.

Added pajamas and called it a day.

Now the pajamas have their own home and it was free! What could be more sweeter than that?

Want to see how I keep Gavin's dirty clothes off the floor? Check out this post.

Organizing the Junk Drawer

2012-02-14T18:14:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentines Day! I hope all our readers enjoy this special day, and hopefully are being reminded that they are loved!

Now, down to business. I know you have a junk drawer, everyone does. Even if you don't consider what you put in the drawer to be "junk", it ends up falling into that category automatically when you place it in there.

I will admit to having a junk drawer too. I usually keep this drawer the most organized out of all the drawers in my kitchen. I don't know if its because I don't let a lot of people open it and dump stuff in, or if the person I know who will shove the stuff in it is my husband so he is almost forbidden to open the drawer. We are like everyone else who's junk drawer contains popped off buttons, coins, erasers, mints, batteries, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I could mention but we would be here all day. So I will just show you what my drawer looks like!

The drawer is not super impressive looking, with fancy containers or mini wicker baskets, and I didn't want it to be. This is not a showpiece. This is a junk drawer for my family. This is where I store the items that might not fit somewhere else in our home.

The junk drawer is very simple to organize. First I like to group similar items together, and place them in one separate container by themselves. Then I move from piece to piece and locate an area where they are best suited. Obviously this does not look perfect, but this is how I stay organized. If you like to use labels to help you or the rest of the family remember where the pencils go, then print some out. Or if you prefer, you could use plastic snap lid containers to hold the different items. However you organize your junk drawer, and whatever your drawer holds, make sure that it works for you and your household to maneuver around.

Hope this inspires some of you to organize even the disorganized places in your home and turn them into beautiful spaces!

Easy Valentine's Decorating

2012-02-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

I love Valentine's Day, but I'm in the same boat as Heidi in this post. My husband and I have been together for 7 years and we've never actually had a proper Valentine's Day together. This year is no different. He'll be away again for work.

Despite all this, I still have one little person in my life who I know will enjoy some form of Valentine's Day - even if it's only the chocolates and the flowers (she is a true girl!) I decided to do a small amount of decorating so that she could enjoy some of the holiday. In under five minutes, with pulling things out from around my house, this is what I came up with:

The picture is one from our wedding (taken by my wonderful sister Sara!). The votive holder is from the dollar store and is filled with red beads. The bird (which I absolutely love) is from Michael's. The tulips are from my husband. Tulips are my favourite flower. The pink doily was made on my Cricut. The cost of everything was free since I had everything on hand already!

If I have a little more time today, I'd like to do a bit more decorating and here are some of my favourite "easy" decorations:

1. Knit Valentine's Crown 2. Love Story Printable 3.Valentine Chex Mix

4. Chocolate Covered Pretzels 5.Easy Cards for Kids to Make 6. Book Page Candle Holders

7. Printable Paper Cup Holders 8. Valentine Card Cookies 9. Easy Paper Flowers

I hope that inspires you to do a little bit of decorating for the sweethearts in your life. Do you have any special plans for Valentine's Day or does it end up being just another day? What are some of your favourite decorations?

Planning Out Meals

2012-02-11T10:06:00.002-05:00

Last year I discovered that if I planned my meals for the week, then I would save more money in the grocery store, save myself a headache each night wondering, "what shall we have for supper", and be able to try new recipes. I know. What a concept.

I have two baskets of recipe books that I have bought over the years and that I was given for wedding presents. Some of them have sentimental value (such as family recipes) and others I just purchased in the bargain section.

Lately though, I'm finding myself drawn more and more to Pinterest for new recipes. I can see what other people have tried, read reviews and try to put my own twist on different recipes. So in order to balance out all my pinning, I decided to plan my menu for the week around some of those pins.

Here's what I came up with (this is a two week menu):

(Note that I don't necessarily plan meals for specific days. I just pick five recipes and whatever I feel like making for that night, I cook. It gives me a little freedom in case we don't feel like having chicken a la king that night. That was an example. I don't think I've ever made chicken a la king before.)

The SuperBowl was last Sunday so I found these, which were YUMMY!

{Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups}

{Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach}

{Southwestern Spaghetti}

{Grilled Cheese - Adult Style (Avocado)}

{Beef & Sweet Potato Stir Fry}

Of course, I threw in a few standbys: chicken and rice, pancakes, tuna casserole, salad nicoise, and frozen pizza (when I really don't want to cook).

Faith was the one that pinned the Beef & Sweet Potato Stir Fry first (as you can read here). It looked so good that I had to try it. It will be a new favourite.

So next time that you're wondering what to have for supper or you are trying to plan out your weekly menu, try a few of those recipes that you have been pinning!

I want to hear what your favourite recipe is that you have found on Pinterest! It could be a cookie (Try these for something amazing. Melody blogged about them too.), a smoothie, or something you made for lunch.

A Valentines Craft

2012-02-10T16:47:00.004-05:00

Since Valentines Day is only a few days away, I thought I would make some sort of "romantic art" for my husband and I to enjoy. It was pretty basic craft to do and didn't cost me a thing to make. I originally saw a similar idea here on Pinterest, but tweaked it a little and came up with this.

There was some much needed concentration not to snip my fingers off while cutting out the hearts, and making sure they actually looked like hearts when I was finished, but I think it is really sweet . I love that it is a daily reminder to my husband and I for where we came from, met, got engaged, married, and where we live now.

It was very simple to do:

1. Get a frame. (I had this one already on hand)

2. Use an old map book of your husbands that he won't miss after you cut it all up.

3. Find the places you met, started dating, engaged, married, etc.

4. Trace a heart shape over the place and cut it out

5. Glue them to a piece of blank paper and frame it.

6. Enjoy!

Organizing the Entryway

2012-02-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

The longer I live in my house, the more that I'm finding that keeping my house organized requires constant changes. I think that I've found the perfect way to organize something and then a few months later, I tweak it a little bit more, and then a little bit more and then finally I take it all apart and completely change how everything works. This is one of those projects.

In our front entryway, we actually have a wonderful big closet to store everything from shoes to bags to every coat we own. Unfortunately, because we usually have our arms full when we come home, everything just gets dumped. Please don't judge me, but this is what our closet usually looks like:

I've circled the problem areas... which are all of them except for the baskets which actually work quite well for keeping mittens and hats together.

One of the main problems I was having was with our shoes. I end up wearing the same shoes over and over again because I can't find any other pairs. I know they're in the somewhere, its just too messy to take the time to find any.

I found these little storage ottomans at Canadian Tire the other day and they were on sale for $14.99. I couldn't resist and I bought 4 of them. I mean, they're leather storage ottomans! You can't make them for that price. Two of them are in my living room for my daughter to store her toys in, and the other two I put in our front entryway so that we would have a place to sit and put our shoes on. I was trying to figure what to store in them (am I the only one who gets excited about these things?) and then it dawned on me that I can store my shoes in them. I cut some cardboard to size to make separators and then organized my shoes.

I thankfully had the foresight to get two. I have realized that I have a lot of pairs of shoes. Don't tell my husband. Getting the shoes out of the bottom of the closet will hopefully keep that area a little cleaner and our lives a little less chaotic when we're getting ready to go somewhere.

As our family grows and changes, I'm sure I'll be changing it again but for right now, it's perfect.

What are your great organizing tips? Do you find your entryway is the messiest area in the house, or is that just me?

Just Hanging Around

2012-02-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

Say you like to scrapbook (like me), and you are currently scrapbooking your son's baby book (like I am).

You have a couple pages done (like I do), but you haven't bought an album yet (like I haven't). What do ~~you~~, I do with those pages that are waiting to go in an album?

I have a solution that's easy and cheap (my favourite).

I grabbed a frame in which the glass was broken and spray painted (what else?) it white.

While it dried, I hammered a nail into the wall, took a large paper clip thing (so technical) and hung it on the nail.

Once the frame was dry, I simply hung it up over the nail and voila! A simple way to display and keep those pages that don't have a home quite yet.

It adds some colour to the walls and is an easy way to change up the art quickly!

The Most Wonderful Cookie

2012-02-06T18:31:00.000-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing wrong with having a day where at the end of it, you simply sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee and a cookie without feeling guilty about any of it. Today is one of those days. I have never thrived on lack of sleep and lately it seems that's all I've been getting lately. A grumpy 2 year old and a teething 4 month old will do that for you. So, if you are in the same boat as me, this cookie recipe is for you. I have not changed it or altered it in any way because it is perfection just as it is!

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Melody on Pinterest

Heidi actually pinned this one first and it just looked too delicious to pass up. Here is my confession. I am not a good cookie maker at all. I'm not quite sure what it is, either my oven or my lack of attention to details that are probably important in cookie making, but I either burn them or they are undercooked or on occasion, have no sugar or flour or other important component. These cookies actually turned out beautifully.

Now my only dilemma is what type of coffee to have them with! Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams

2012-02-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

My little one hasn't been sleeping very well lately.

When he was a newborn, he was sleeping through the night almost right away. I think I got more sleep the first few months of his life than I had before. Sounds crazy. But it's true.

Then he turned six months old. And everything changed.

Waking up in the middle of the night became a regular occurrence.

Growth spurt/teething= no sleep.

Right now he's going through some pretty tough teething. He has two on the top, two on the bottom and now he's getting his top two eye-teeth. Poor little guy.

So. Have I said that we haven't been getting any sleep?

I'm left dreaming (day-dreaming that is) about calming sleeping spaces.

{source}

Ahhh....

I'm actually redoing our bedroom little by little right now. So far, I repainted our hand-me-down dresser and re-re-repainted (Yes, that was three times. I have a problem) our bedside lamps and full length mirror.

Now I'm onto painting the whole room. I've patched up the many holes (before we moved into our house, our room was a little boy's room) and now just trying to decide whether or not to use the gray paint that I used in our hallway or buy a new colour.

Once everything is finished, I'll give you a tour. Nothing is photo ready right now.

I'll leave you though with some drool-worthy bedroom pictures. These bedrooms are g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s.

{source}

Sweet dreaming!

DIY Granite Cleaner

2012-02-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

I came across this homemade granite cleaner pin awhile ago and thought it was a fantastic idea. Since we have recently installed our own quartz countertops (here), I knew this recipe would come in handy when it came time to shine up the tops.

The recipe calls for rubbing alcohol, Dawn dish soap, a spray bottle, and scented oil.

Fill the bottle about 1/8th full with rubbing alcohol, add a drop of Dawn dishwashing soap, a few drops of scented oil (optional), fill the rest of the way with water, shake together, and its ready to use.

I know I'll be using this cleaner lots on my kitchen countertops to keep them looking sparkly and clean. What are some of your favourite secrets to keep your kitchen (or bathroom) countertops looking shiny and new? Do they involve homemade recipes? Or do you prefer buying a tried and true cleaner from a store?

Princesses and Tutus

2012-02-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I have two adorable little girls. One is four months old and the other is almost two. With all this estrogen in the house, you'd think that we'd have tea parties and play princesses all day long, but my older girl is more interested in cars, animals and especially hockey than being girlie. I'm fine with this because she is definitely a daddy's girl, but sometimes its nice to play tea party. That being said, I was looking through my new Oliver + S book (I love it. If you can, get it!)

Oliver + S Little Things to Sew

I saw the tutu on the front and thought it would be perfect for my little girl. We don't have very good fabric stores in my city, so I ordered my fabric online from fabric.com (the same place I ordered my ruffle fabric for my holiday dresses). I used three different colours for the skirt: lemon yellow, peach and tangerine. I love how it make the skirt look more layered. I started the project at 8:30pm and finished it at 9:30pm. I would've been faster but I remembered I needed to bring our garbage bags down to the road. It would definitely be a great first-time sewing project. Not intimidating at all!

She got to try it on this morning and she loved being a "pinsa" in her tutu. We'll see how long that lasts for! I didn't get very many pictures of her in it but here's one that actually turned out ok (as you can see it doesn't have her face in it!).

I love how it ties up with ribbon and the different colours can show through. It's also reversible!

If you'd like to buy one for your little girl, please check out my Facebook page and select your colours.

MGL Handmade on Facebook

The Fires of Love

2012-02-01T15:31:00.001-05:00

I have never been one to decorate for Valentine's Day. Jesse and I usually don't even do anything especially special for Valentine's Day. Right now I'm trying to think what we did last year...

...Nope.

I seriously can't remember.

That's not to say we haven't done anything for Valentine's Day. We aren't crazy extravagant people though. We like the simple meal at home. Renting a romantic movie. Flowers.

All that to say, this year I feel like making Valentine's Day a little more prominent in our home. Simple ways. Such as quotes about love on a chalkboard, little notes, splashes of pink here and there.

I found the "love one another" printable from Becky Higgins at Project Life.

This banner was so easy to make. I found the idea here and decided it was perfect since I hate seeing old books just being dumped in the garbage or recycling bin.

So break out your pink paper and do something to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Know someone who could use a little pick me up? Why don't you whip up a small valentine for them? Jot down a scripture that has to do with love and stick it on your fridge. Find a Valentine printable off of Pinterest (there are tons and free) and hang it up somewhere where you and your family can see it every day.

Let's celebrate this thing called love!

{Jesus} “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

{John 13:34-35}

The photos of me and Jesse were taken by our good friend, Josh Wang. Thanks Josh! 

Beef, Barley & Vegetable Soup

2012-01-31T19:28:00.002-05:00

Sometimes during the winter months I start to feel like a hermit. I leave my house less, watch more online TV shows, drink an abnormal amount of hot beverages and basically live in track pants. I also tend to make more "comfort food" meals to enjoy on cold days. Now, this is not to say I am lazy... I am just not a fan of winter. Sure, looking outside at the snow and bare trees is awesome during December, but now at the end of January it is just getting old. Needless to say, spring is on its way, and with February just a day away I know that we still have about 8 weeks left of winter. That is a lot of cold days.

So without further ado... I have a solution. One quick and easy recipe that will make it almost worth it to live in Canada, enduring the cold winter months, and owning more snow shovels than humanely possible. Enter the 'Beef and Barley Vegetable Soup' (originally found here) recipe. It's delicious. Healthy. And makes for great leftovers.

I first made this soup a couple of weeks ago when I was in a "don't know what to have for dinner" mood. It turned out great, and since it didn't require a whole lot of prep work, I loved it!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef

1 small onion, processed or chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 baby carrots, processed or chopped

3 ribs celery, processed or chopped

1-14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes

1-14.5oz can cut green beans, drained

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

58oz beef broth, divided (4-14.5oz cans)*

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 bay leaf

3/4 cup barley

salt & pepper

Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onion and garlic, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add carrots and celery and continue to cook under carrots are tender, about 3-4 more minutes.

2. Add in tomatoes, green beans, corn, 3 cans beef broth, basil, bay leaf and barley. Season with more salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil then place a lid on top, lower the heat, and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the barley is tender.

3. Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and season with more salt & pepper to taste before serving.

*If making ahead of time, you may need to add the extra can of beef broth before heating back up, as the barley will have soaked up the remaining broth.

Laundry Day

2012-01-30T11:09:00.003-05:00

One of the best things that I've found around Pinterest are all the pins about household hints and how to make your life easier. I have a whole board devoted to it! But out of all my pins, the one that I refer back to the most is this one:

Source: thriftyandfabuless.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

My children tend to stain their clothes a lot. Bella is a very messy child and when she was younger, she drooled so much, I would have to have a bib on her or she would go through 4 or 5 shirts. Sienna is not really a drooler but instead, her problems come from - I can't really put this any other way - pooping so much that it comes out of her diapers. Unfortunately, both drool and poop do not generally come out of clothes unless you put a stain remover on them or just bleach them. I don't actually own any bleach and most stain removers can get expensive or they are full of chemicals so I don't like to use them unless the stains are horrendous. Enter this pin. I've changed it up a bit to be what I believe is a bit more effective but the basic recipe is the same:

1 cup of water
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide (I get mine from the dollar store!)
1/2 cup baking soda

I also add 1/2 cup white vinegar to help whiten and soften the load. These ingredients I store in a container next to my laundry detergent. Whenever there is a really bad stain, I use these directions and for the most part, I've been able to get out most stains!

Fill a container with almost-boiling water. Add in a generous amount of the home-made oxy-clean and a good squirt of liquid dishwashing soap. Make sure the clothes are fully submerged. Let it sit for a minimum of four hours or more if it is a bad stain. I usually let mine sit over-night. Pour the clothes and extra liquid into your washing machine and wash as usual.

This shirt sat for four hours in the stain-remover before I washed it:

Now she can wear it again and I don't have to have my children wearing stained clothes everywhere!

What are your best laundry tips? Do you have any amazing stain removals?

Show It Off Sunday

A Bowl Full Of Lemons

First Things First

2012-01-28T14:13:00.000-05:00

The other day I talked about preserving memories and Project Life. Although the actual Project Life concept is great, I was thinking it would be perfect for getting Gavin's baby pictures and my maternity pictures in an album.

So yesterday I went shopping!

My first stop was at Sweet Sentiments, which is our local scrapbooking store. I asked about Project Life and although they didn't have any actual Project Life material, they had something similar from We R Memories.

This packet that I chose had nine different page ideas. What I liked about this was that I could still use the 12x12 pages if I wanted. Which was good because I have three 12x12 pages already done. The cost of this packet was $9.99.

Next stop was Home Sense (well, it was actually Starbucks, but that was just fuel for shopping at Home Sense). Home Sense just opened up this summer in our town and let me tell you I was super pumped when I saw that sign go up. We use to have to travel 45 minutes to shop at a Home Sense and now I just have to drive 10-15 minutes. Waaaay better!!

So anyways, I was at Home Sense and I found tons of scrapbooking paper. If you want cheap, but quality scrapbooking paper, check out Winners or Home Sense. I find that it's a hit and miss there, but it's worth the hunt for the price.

I got all this paper plus a few embellishments (stickers, frames, etc.) for $22!

After I brought it home, my new scrapbooking purchases inspired me to finish cleaning/organizing my craft room (I always do that when I buy something new. I feel like I have to have my house clean for that new item...it's weird).

Here is a bit of my craft area:

And after my supplies were put away in their new home, I sat down and actually scrapbooked. That deserved to be in bold font.

It still took me forever, but this is what I came up with:

I feel like I'm in the groove again. I just need to muster up the discipline to sit down and get out my supplies instead of just finding new layouts and designs. Also known as procrastination.

Ikea Rast Hack

2012-01-27T11:37:00.001-05:00

Some of you may be familiar with the blog Ikea Hackers. Around Pinterest I have noticed more upscale versions of "Ikea hacking", and one particular idea I saw was the Rast Hack.

source

Once I saw this bedside table I knew it was perfect for our room! And for only $39 I thought it was a great deal. So we now have now have two of these bad boys waiting to be transformed into our new bedside tables.

source

I am really excited to get this project on the go since we are currently using end tables that we were given that are meant for the living room. Over this next week Jason and I (he has the tools) will be transforming these plain dressers into our own masterpieces. And since this is our first Ikea hack, I am really looking forward to the transformation.

Have any of you tackled an Ikea hack before? Can any of you easily spend an afternoon (or two) scrolling through all of the awesome ideas on the hack blog, or is it just me?

The Grocery Store

2012-01-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

Grocery shopping is not something that I can say that I enjoy. The idea of bundling up my two kids and heading to the grocery store is not my idea of fun. I know that one of them will cry because she hates her car seat and the other one will try to eat all the food in cart and then get upset when I won't let her. I try to either go by myself, thanks to my wonderful babysitter (thanks mom!), or make it the fastest trip possible. I'm sure there are many other people in the same boat as me.

The other hard part of grocery shopping is the food choices. It can be so hard to pick out the right things to eat and we get confused easily about what is healthy and what isn't. Butter or margarine? Sugar-free yogurt or flavoured? Whole wheat bread or brown bread? White pasta, multi-grain pasta or rice pasta? These are some of the questions that I get asked often from my clients (I'm a nutritionist/herbalist).

I thought today's post could be about clarifying some of the healthier things at the grocery store and how to know if you're feeding your family the best possible food.

Let's start with the fruit and vegetables. There is no fruit or vegetable that is better than the other. Each one has a unique health benefit and it's better to get a wide variety than to have broccoli every single night or only eat apples as your fruit. When you're shopping, try to get fruit and vegetables in as many shades of colour as possible. Or, try introducing a new fruit or vegetable to your family every week. (Make sure you find a recipe to use it in first or it will end up rotting in your fridge. Trust me, I've been there!)

The next section is the bakery section. Here's where people have the most problems. There is not usually any nutritional value in the breads in this section. Most have been highly process and are packed with preservatives so that they won't go mouldy. If you make your own bread at home or get bread from a real bakery, they will mould within a few days. This is supposed to happen. The healthiest breads to buy are either rye, sourdough, or spelt breads. If you can't find them at the grocery store, try a specialty bakery. They may be more expensive on the shelf but they fill you up faster, have more fibre and you end up using less. Try it!

Homemade Pop Tarts Source: thegraciouspantry.com via Melody on Pinterest

The meat section can also be a little tricky to maneuver around and it's not just because that's where everyone parks their carts and wanders away. What is healthy and what isn't? I try as much as possible to get my meat from local sources so that it is free-range but I'll be honest. It is often expensive and in the winter we don't have as much money. So here are some tips:

try getting the meat as fresh as possible (check when it was packaged)
don't get anything that has been pre-seasoned (it has loads of unhealthy salt and preservatives and has probably been sitting there for a long time.
if you're buying fish, buy wild fish wherever possible and don't buy it in a box

Moving on to the dairy section (I hope you're not asleep!). Butter is much better for you than margarine. Please don't buy margarine. It is one chemical molecule away from being a plastic. It also doesn't taste so great. If you're worried about the fat content in butter, don't use as much. The fat in butter is a good fat that helps your brain work better.

Another myth is that eggs are not good for you. Eggs are actually one of the healthier forms of protein that we can get. My family goes through two dozen eggs a week and there are only three of us that eat them. I buy the Omega 3 or free-range eggs whenever I can. In the summer, I get my eggs from a farm just down the road from us.

Yogurt is one of those things that can be so good for you, but can be confusing because of all the different types and choices. The number one thing to remember is not to buy it with any artificial sweeteners. They are terrible for your brain. If you prefer your yogurt with fruit already in it, vanilla has less sugar in it than the other choices. Or you can just make your own at home.

Easy Homemade Yogurt Source: baconinmypocket.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

The worst place in the grocery store can be the inside aisles. You can find pre-made dinners there, sugar, cookies, candies, chips, pop, juice and other things that are not only expensive, but really not that good for you. You have to sift through to find the things that are actually good for you and your family.
Oatmeal and granola are actually good breakfast choices as opposed to sugar-laden cereals.

Healthy granola bars. Source: mealmakeovermoms.com via Melody on Pinterest

Multi-grain pasta or wild or brown rice pasta are healthier than regular white pasta and there are some great choices out there.
Canned food choices like tomatoes and kidney beans are great for meals like chilli. Just check to see how much salt they have and rinse them off well before you use them.

I hope that helps clarify a few things and that you can feel a little more confident knowing you're feeding your family healthy foods! If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer them.

How confident are you in the grocery store? Do you have any good tips that you want to pass along? Let us know!

Keep Those Memories Alive

2012-01-25T14:37:00.002-05:00

This past Christmas, we flew to Alberta to spend some time with Jesse's family.

While we were there, we made sure that we visited Jesse's Granny and Grandad. Granny's memory has been deteriorating throughout these past few years and although we knew that she wouldn't know who we were, we wanted to see her, see Grandad and have Gavin meet the both of them.

Granny has a few scrapbooks in her room that go throughout her life, highlighting special moments and people. I was able to take pictures of some of those pages so that I could have those little snapshots to teach Gavin someday about his Great-Granny.

After spending time with Granny and Grandad, as well as Jesse's family, it got me thinking about preserving memories. I wouldn't call myself an avid scrapbooker, but I do have a few albums that are actually completed and a few more that have a couple pages started.

Scrapbooking takes a lot of time and effort. What I love about scrapbooking though, is having those memories preserved for Gavin to look at down the road. Someday he will flip through my college yearbook and will laugh at the silly things that we wore (actually...I do that now). He will look through our wedding scrapbook and see all the people that were part of our special day.

My problem right now is finding the time to scrapbook.

I have pictures printed off and ready to go. I have really cool supplies to make my pages look awesome. However, with an almost 8 month old (where does the time go!???), I don't have the time to actually get anything done. Scrapbooking use to be such a pleasure and a joy, and although I love looking at layout ideas and different techniques, I feel like it's one more thing on my list to do.

One day I was looking around Pinterest and I saw a few people pinning something called "Project Life". I didn't really look too much into it. Then the other day I was reading a blog (I don't remember which one) and you know how sometimes you click from one blog to the next to the next? Well, one blog after another led me to this website:

Hmmm...Project Life. It rang a bell in my memory (ding, ding, ding) and I remembered how people were pinning pictures titled "Project Life."

I don't know if you have heard about it or not, but it looks really cool! In a nut shell, Becky Higgins has designed these 12" binders that you fill with plastic sheets, which then you slip your pictures inside and your memories.

Like exhibit A:

{source: Marcy Penner}

It looks like such a good idea. It has the essence of scrapbooking, without the process of spending time sitting at the table, staring at my 12x12 page, pulling out my hair wondering what to do, looking up layout ideas in magazines, rearranging pictures, thinking up clever titles and the pressure of getting it to look perfect. I really do like scrapbooking. I promise.

I think I'm going to give it a try. I know technically Project Life is to meant for you to scrapbook your pictures week to week, but I don't know if I'm into that yet. I need to get a better camera first.

Right now though, it looks like a great idea just to get my pictures into albums and off my computer.

Not only that, but all these memories that are building up in my brain need to get out on paper. I don't know how much time I have on this earth and I want to make sure that even if I'm around for 90+ years, those memories are passed down to my children.

So. Project Life. Have you guys heard of it before?

Sweet Potato and Beef Stir Fry

2012-01-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

Last week on Wednesday afternoon, I looked in our fridge in hopes to find something magically ready to eat for dinner. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and I was left once again to think up a meal to make with the ingredients we had on hand. I had just gone grocery shopping the night before, and although I usually try to plan our weekly meals out, I was lazy and didn't bother so I was unprepared for that nights dinner.

After perusing my fridge and pantry I entered some key ingredients on the Pinterest search menu, and found an awesome (and easy) recipe for a stir fry.

source

The Sweet Potato and Beef Stir Fry recipe was easy to follow, and had delicious results (not to mention how healthy it was to the alternative fries and chicken strips I was going to resort to making). I made some rice, and served the stir fry over top of it. Both my husband and I really liked this meal, and I know I will be making it again soon!

I am still finding cool recipes to try on Pinterest. Ones for the summer that I am looking forward to using, and some that I want to experiment with on Jason and I like this!

Make Your Bed

2012-01-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

My bedroom is usually a disaster area. When company comes over, I shut the door so that no one can see how embarrassing it is. In our house, we don't have a designated laundry room. Our washer and dryer are located in the main floor bathroom which is a horrible area because what ultimately happens is the clean/dirty laundry goes on either the bathroom floor or my bedroom floor. In my bedroom is also a mix of electronics that had to be stored there while our basement was being renovated. We also have a bassinet on the floor for my 4 month old daughter who is not quite sleeping through the night yet. Because she sleeps in our room, I can't spend a lot of time in there or else I would wake her, and I'm just not willing to do that. So that being said, my room is always messy.

Pinterest is starting to be filled with Valentine's day pins and that got me thinking about what I want to do for my husband. He is away a lot and the nicest thing that I could think of doing for him would be to take back our room and make something relaxing for him to come home to.

I started with our bed for right now. There are still a few projects I wish to accomplish but I got a good start on it.

The first project that I did was to tie our duvet cover to our duvet. I usually don't put the cover on our duvet because in the middle of the night the duvet tends to slip out and then all I'm left with is the cover. I saw this pin quite a while ago and kept it in the back of my mind. It only took about 15 minutes of my time to do.

Source: marthastewart.com via Melody on Pinter est

I used bias tape since I didn't have any extra ribbon on hand and sewed it to the corners of the duvet and the cover. I also sewed some into the middle seams at the top so that it would stay as well. When I wish to wash either the the duvet or the cover, I just have to untie it.

The next thing that I did was sew some new decorative pillows for my bed. I found some fabric that I loved at Ikea for only $7 a metre. It made two large pillow case covers. I made the pillows envelope style so that I can easily remove the covers to wash them. For the hems, I used Stitch Witchery. If you don't sew or just want your seams to be invisible, try it! It's awesome stuff and doesn't take very long to do. It's probably faster than sewing it!

I tried to use this article for dressing your bed but of course, their bed looks like it came out of a magazine. Perhaps some day I will have a room like this....

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Melody on Pinterest

Here is a breakdown of the projects I have completed in my room and what I'd still like to accomplish:

- ~~make pillows for the bed~~
- organize the dresser and the closet
- find new bedside tables
- ~~fix the duvet cover~~
- finish hanging pictures on the wall

Hopefully my room will be finished in the next little while. I'll make sure to keep taking pictures of the projects as I complete them.

Let me know what you think!

Seating Anyone?

2012-01-21T11:32:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I love thrift store shopping. I love the hunt and the thrill of the find. I love looking at something on a shelf and picturing it transformed into something (hopefully) amazing.

When I was expecting Gavin, I frequented the thrift store a lot to see if there was anything that we could use in his room.

This little yellow cabinet, which got a nice coat of a blueish/gray colour, is perfect for books, baskets, and also holds a CD player for his "sleepy" music (not shown). Cost? $14.

One shopping trip, before Gavin was born, I found this little stool, which I thought would be great for the baby's room. I could picture a little child sitting on it and reading books. So I bought it for $4.

It didn't look like this when I bought it. It was a deep forest green, so I decided to paint it and put the little owl on the seat (which is the theme of Gavin's room).

Fast forward a couple months later and I'm not in love with it anymore. To be honest, I never really liked it, but I had more important things to worry about at that time, like taking care of a newborn baby.

So I decided to give it a little makeover.

I gave it a coat of a blue that I mixed from black, blue and silver paint. After the paint dried, I cut out a piece of scrapbooking paper and glued it to the top.

I then used my Cricut and cut out Gavin's name and glued them onto the top of the stool. I cut out a little beaver from another scrapbooking page and glued that on top as well.

I gave the whole stool a light coat of Mod Podge to seal everything and let it dry overnight.

I love it. Not bad for $4. A perfect little seat for Gavin...When he's old enough to actually sit on it. Right now he kind of topples over. But someday he will love it! :)

Have you ever bought something from a thrift store, transformed it...and then transformed it again?

Revamped Armoire

2012-01-20T08:32:00.002-05:00

You may remember me saying how I wanted to ~~makeover~~ decorate our master bedroom here, and you may remember me saying how I wanted to start by painting the pine armoire that sits in our room here.

So this past week I finished painting the armoire, and I am so happy with the results, and I think it looks great!

I used a CIL brand melamine paint from Home Depot tinted to CIL's Quiet Hideaway. It was easy to apply, and only takes six hours to fully cure for a great long lasting finish.

The process was pretty straight forward; sand, prime and paint. I applied two coats of the paint after I primed to ensure full coverage.

I also replaced the hardware to match the existing hinges instead of painting the wooden knobs that were originally on the piece. This project took me about 6 hours to complete, but the results are worth it. Now I feel even more motivated to work on the rest of the room! I am always amazed at what some paint and elbow grease can do to fix up something that was not-so-awesome to start with, and transform it into a beautiful piece of work.

We linked up to the WhipperBerry Party

We linked up to the Shabby Creek Cottage Party

Mid-winter Slumps

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

It is the middle of winter. Awesome. (can you hear the sarcasm?)
I do love winter, don't get me wrong, but I love the kind of winter where the snow flakes are coming down softly, the hot chocolate is in my biggest mug, our wood stove is on and my husband and I are cuddled up on the couch watching movies while our girls sleep peacefully in their beds. (I think that has happened maybe once?). The kind of winter that we are having around here is cold, grey, not a lot of snow and a lot of wind. My husband is away for work and my girls are grumpy and not sleeping. My 2 year old had four temper tantrums this morning before 9am.
One of my favourite things to do when the weather is like this is grab a cup of coffee and plan what I would like to start doing in the spring to freshen up my home. Spring is new beginnings (and when my husband will be home to help me!)
These are some of my favourite pins to help inspire me to clean and decorate my house and know that the winter will not last forever, and that maybe I should take some Vitamin D.

Source: re-nest.com via Melody on Pinterest

My husband and I are planning on removing our deck and pool this spring so we needed some good ideas for landscaping.

Source: asimplenest.typepad.com via Melody on Pinterest

I'd like to focus more on gardening and landscaping this year. I love herbs!

Source: bhg.com via Melody on Pinterest

I love this idea instead of a console table in our front entry way. We currently have a wooden bench there but I find I never sit on it and it just becomes a dumping ground for coats and bags. Perhaps if I had a designated area this place would stay cleaner?

Source: creativemamma.com via Melody on Pinterest

This last one is to remind me that winter does not last forever and not to wish my time away, but instead enjoy it and be thankful for my nice warm house and for the moments I have with my two little sweeties!

Disaster Zone

2012-01-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

Upstairs in our home, we have a small linen closet. It's a cute little closet with built in shelves, curved ceilings and lots of floor space. Problem is, it has the tendency to become a dumping ground for things I don't know where else to put.

I'm going to show you what it looked like before I performed a much needed cleaning/organizing. No judging k?

I know. Nice.

I had already painted the walls the same colour as our living room because the closet had a funky old smell to it. You know the old house smell? It was getting onto our bedding and towels, so a couple of months ago, I gave the closet a good cleaning and gave the walls a coat of paint. I had also covered the shelves with some leftover contact paper that I had from another project.

After I pulled everything out of the closet, I sorted through the mess. I combined all the little sample soaps, lotions, shampoo, extra toothpaste and toothbrushes into a basket so that when guests come over (or I forget to pick up shampoo at the grocery store), we have it all in one place.

I hung up a shoe organizer on the closet door and stuck all my cleaning supplies in the pockets for easy access and organization.

The whole project didn't take that long and now I have a nice and clean linen closet! Since everyone likes before and after photos, here are some for you:

My pillowcases are now combined in a basket instead of being left on the shelf.

I also divided the hand towels and the bath towels with a shelf bracket as originally seen here. (Thank you Martha. It really is a good thing.) (Side note: we do have more towels. They are in the hamper waiting to be washed. Although I think I should have another bridal shower. I need new towels.)

Oh. And I know there are tutorials on the internet on how to properly fold your bedsheets...and I tried. I really did. I just don't know how people get them so perfect! If you know any tricks for me, let me know. Otherwise, mine will continue to be folded this way.

Look! I can see the floor! It's amazing!

Our extra paper towel rolls and toilet paper are now in a wire basket on the top shelf.

The basket with the extra little bottles of lotions, shampoos and toothpaste is on the second shelf. I gathered all my nail polish paraphernalia in a small basket so it's easy access when I want to beautify my nails.

I love clean and organized spaces. It just makes life a little bit easier when things are put in their proper spaces.

Want some more organizing ideas? You can click on my "Organizing" board on Pinterest here.

Also, if you have some spare time, check out our friend Kelly's blog. In October she organized her house from top to bottom and shared for 31 days how she did it. She has some great ideas!

So, does anybody else have hidden disaster zones? Also, please share your tips for folding bedsheets!!

Linking up today with:

Nothing in the Fridge

2012-01-16T09:37:00.002-05:00

This morning, I went to the fridge and looked in it and had the thought that I'm sure everyone has at least once a month (yes?) - I have no food in my fridge. Absolutely none. Not even milk. Well, I have goat's milk but that's for my little girls and it doesn't taste so great to me. When this happens, I usually have to start getting a little creative for meals. I started compiling all of the ingredients that I have in my fridge and I typed some things into google and it led me to this great recipe:

Peach Muffins (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peach-muffins/)

After looking over the recipe, I decided to change a few things around. My husband always gets frustrated with me because I never follow a recipe completely, but I find it just makes things a little more interesting!

I used the same amount of flour (3 cups) but instead of using all-purpose flour, I used spelt flour which is much better for you and easier to digest. I also switched the vegetable oil out for butter. I don't keep vegetable oil since it's not that fantastic for you, but I always have butter on hand. As for the sugar, yikes! Two cups is enough to make anyone become a diabetic with just one muffin (actually probably not, but hey, it is a lot of sugar!) I cut the amount down to 1 cup which I still think is a lot but oh well. I would usually use honey, but that was one of the things that I have run out of. I used the same amounts of everything else. Here is what my recipe ended up looking like:

3 cups Spelt flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 cup melted butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup organic cane sugar
2 cups chopped peaches (I used canned and they turned out fine!)

I did not stage this picture. This is what happens when the muffins taste that good!
Don't you love chubby toddler hands?

Bella loved the muffins and now I have the wonderful smell of fresh baking in the house. The total time I spent in the kitchen was 20 minutes with 15 minutes baking time. A few of them burnt, but that was because my 3 month old and my almost 2 year old decided to both need my attention at the same time.

The best part of the recipe is that they suggest to pair the muffins with coffee. Done and done!

On a completely different note, check out my new Facebook shop MGL Handmade. I'll be posting items that I have made including cowls from this post and this post. I'll also be adding some more baby hats (so cute!) & some purses and other items when I get a minute (ha!) If you don't sew, knit or crochet but like the things that you see here, it will be a great place to get those items. Check it out!

Fashionista?

2012-01-14T15:16:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to lie. I'm not the best with putting outfits together. Cardigans, jeans, and a pair of flats are my staple outfit.

Usually how I get my inspiration for outfits are from my sisters. I see something they are wearing, I realize that it actually looks good, and then I try to put a similar outfit together. We all know it's true. I don't really have much fashion sense.

So, thank goodness for Pinterest for helping me discover my inner fashion designer. Or something like that.

Here are some cute outfits that I've been loving:

{source}

{source unknown}

I know. Most of them are similar. I'm trying here people! There is a trend that you may have noticed throughout some of the pictures.

You got it. Riding boots. My new fav.

On Boxing Day, Jesse and I (and Gavin) headed to the mall and I wanted to see if there were any boots that caught my eye. And more importantly, were on sale. It was Boxing Day after all.

I guess it was meant to be, because at the second stop, I found them. Brown. Leather. Perfection.

{source}

Regular $69.99. Marked down 50% off. Awesome! And in my size. Even better.

But wait.

There's more. Gift cards! So the price out of my pocket: $0. Now that is a good deal. (P.s. they are AE Equestrian Boots from Payless and are now sold out.)

So now I'm on the right track towards some new styles of outfits. Of course, the staple: boots with skinny jeans. But then the possibilities are endless. Boots with skirts? Boots with leggings? Do I dare?

The Kitchen Counter

2012-01-13T16:28:00.002-05:00

Anytime you take on the challenge of renovating a part of your home, whether it be updating the bathroom, changing the flooring, finishing the basement or just painting a room, it can be quite the experience. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Even before my husband and I had purchased the house we are in now, we knew that it was in need of a renovation. Thankfully Jason is handy, and I am a dreamer... and I can also use a paint brush. We signed the dotted line, and it was done; we were home owners.

Over the course of a year and a half, we had got engaged, bought a home, got married, started to tear apart our house, found out we were expecting, and then last June we had our first baby. So needless to say our house got "put on hold". Which is a sad way of saying, we were too busy to install a kitchen, or lay hardwood floors, or even paint. But slowly we were checking things off our list... the very long list.

Before we moved in, this is what our kitchen looked like:

Now, there wasn't really anything wrong with this kitchen, except that it was ugly, old, and dirty. And before I became a stay at home mom I was a Kitchen Designer, so I came up with a brilliant plan to redesign the layout, tear down the interior walls, and install the kitchen of my dreams.

Since Jason is a cabinet installer and a licensed carpenter, he jumped on board and we got to work. Within the first week and a half of owning our little bungalow, it looked like this:

Walls were removed, flooring ripped up, tile installed, kitchen demolished, bulkheads gone... and we were left with no kitchen. Now some people might have called us crazy... I sure thought we were! But it was an adventure. I was left with one cabinet to hold my sink and a 18" piece of countertop beside to work with. I cooked all the meals from July till January that way. It was a challenge, but I knew someday the kitchen would be installed, and my house would no longer be a construction zone.

And the day came to install the cabinets. It might have been one of the happiest days of my life. I could finally unpack my dishes, organize my pots and pans, and place my cups in a real cupboard. Now, it didn't happen in a day, or even a week. This was also a slow process. Once all the cabinets and trim was installed, we were left with just the countertop to install. Because we wanted quartz, we knew we had to wait because of financial reasons. So we did, we waited a whole year.

But today was the day! Jason removed our melamine temp countertops (with the help of my brothers), and the new quartz counters got installed, along with a new sink, faucet and dishwasher.

It is hard to see in the pictures because its so dark, but this is what the countertop colour is:

CeasarStone White Ash

It has been a great day in our house. I am so excited to put everything back in its place. I have been staring at the quartz since it arrived in our house.

Obviously we still have a bit more to do before I can say that the kitchen is 100% finished, but it is getting there, and today we checked off a bunch of stuff that was on the list.

~~Cabinetry~~
~~Sink~~
Appliances (we have only purchased the dishwasher so far)
~~Faucet~~
Trim work around the windows and doors
~~Flooring~~
~~Electrical~~
~~Counters~~

Have you done any major or minor renovations in your house lately? Maybe you are just working yourself up to the day you call the contractor to get started. It takes a lot of hard work, and patience to live through a renovation, but I know that it is worth it in the end!

Update on a Dime

2012-01-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

I love getting new things. I love going to Ikea and HomeSense and Winners and just picking out lovely new things for my home. Unfortunately, that is expensive and in the winter, when my husband tends not to work as much, we don't have as much cash flow as I would like. So when I need a little update, I check out a few of my favourite websites and start thinking how I can change things up in my home without spending any money. This project is one of those:

Source: potterybarn.com via Melody on Pinterest

I love that pillow. It is gorgeous... and expensive. So I decided to make on of my own. I mean, how hard can it be, right?

Here is my finished project:

I raided my craft room closet and found all the supplies that I need to make one of my own. At first, I was trying to figure out how to get the image on my pillow case. I thought about printing right on the fabric (yes, it is possible!) but then decided on doing an iron on transfer instead.

I found my monogram from this pin:

Source: weddingchicks.com via Melody on Pinterest

Next, I printed it out backwards. That is very important, or else you'll end up with a backwards monogram on your pillow. To make sure, print it out on a regular piece of paper first so that you're sure of how it will look and the size you want. I used this product and was pretty happy with it.

(She really looks excited about her new t-shirt!)

Iron the monogram onto your fabric making sure that you take your time. The more time you spend, the better it will look. I skipped over some areas and now its starting to peel a little bit. Take your time!

Once the transfer has cooled completely, peel off the back and voila! Your new monogrammed pillow. I made my own pillow case but you could do this to any pillow case. Just make sure that your fabric is ok to iron on.

The total cost of the project was ... FREE! I had all the supplies on hand, including the transfer paper which I had originally bought for another project.

Making your own pillows is a great way to get exactly what you want and it doesn't take much time at all. I made this pillow in one nap time. There are lots of great tutorials out there to get you started.

Source: hgtv.com via Melody on Pinterest

What have you been making or decorating this week?

Creative Organization

2012-01-11T17:18:00.000-05:00

I like to think of myself as a creative person. I love to scrapbook (although it has been a couple of months since I worked on a page).

I love to make pillows (the no sew version. I am not a seamstress, although it is on my to-do list to learn).

I love to decorate canvases into a unique piece of art (as seen here).

In fact, I have so many different ideas of things to do, that it gets overwhelming and it's just easier if I don't do anything (although since starting this blog, I have accomplished way more projects than I ever have). Not good. Gavin's baby book has been started, but nothing has been done in it since July. And he was born in May.

So, because it's January and because I'm me, I thought I'd get organized, make lists, and get projects thought out for the year.

When I saw this picture,

{source}

I knew that it would be perfect for my creative lists and keeping my projects that I want to do under control.

I grabbed a can of white spray paint (a staple for any household) and a picture frame that I had. While it was drying, I laid a piece of fabric over one piece of glass instead of using scrapbooking paper, which was used in the above picture.

I cut out strips of paper and glued them onto the fabric. Once the frame was dry, I laid the glass in the frame, popped the back onto it, and there I had a wipe off board, perfect for my lists!

This is my work-in-progress craft area. Someday I'll show you pictures of the rest of the room.

But for now, I'll keep to my list and continue to be inspired.

Linking up on Show It Off Sunday: From Pins to Projects @ Binkertation

Decoupage Tray

2012-01-10T15:46:00.000-05:00

Awhile ago I bought a plain looking tray from Ikea. Almost too plain. So plain that I have not even used it, and have hidden it away in one of my kitchen cabinets.

As you can see it does not have much detail to it, and is borderline ugly. So, that being said, I have taken it upon myself to spruce up the tray in hopes that I will not be embarrassed to use or own it.

via

I saw this pin and thought it was a wonderful idea. Instead of using sheet music, I used some scrapbook paper that I had, and cut two pieces so they would fit in the tray.

Next I used mod podge to adhere the paper to the bottom of the tray and then I let them dry.

I love the updated look of the tray. It was a pretty (and easy!) way to add a personalized touch to this tray.

What standard household items have you purchased and spruced up recently? Maybe it was a knife block that you spray painted and added a monogramed letter to like here. Or maybe you decided to update a pair of white mugs with some porcelaine markers like here. Whatever the case, I hope this inspires you to find something in your home that you are reluctant to use because its not as fancy as it could be, and you transform it into a beautiful piece of practical art!

DIY Cleaners - Easy or hard?

2012-01-09T11:51:00.001-05:00

I love a clean house. I'm sure we all do, but for most of us - or maybe it's just me - my house is rarely perfectly clean all the time. I'm sure we've all heard the lectures on green cleaners and have bought some at the store in an attempt to better our planet and keep our houses safer. Usually when I get home, I look at what I've bought and realize that what I've bought could either have been made at home for much cheaper or is not really "green". I found this pin a little while ago and I like the idea of it because it used a lot of the things that I have already on hand plus, it looked good too.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Melody on Pinterest

Here's the supplies that you'll need:

All of my supplies I found at either the grocery store, the dollar store or my favourite health food store. The total of the supplies came to about $15 and I could make quite a few batches with them. So my cleaning supplies cost me approximately $2 per bottle. Simply follow the directions on the website and you can even print off her cute little labels that she made.

As for how well it works, here is a before of my coffee table filled with snacks, fingerprints, and toys:

And here is the after (and what I wished it looked like all the time!):

(Yes, that is a fantastic book, don't judge me!)

The cleaner doesn't leave smudges and cleans as well as any "chemical" cleaner and it smells great!

Now, on to the winner of the cowl! Thanks for everyone's entries. We appreciate seeing how many people have started following us and all the encouragement that we are getting from everyone. We love your comments on our blog!

The winner is:

BroHea who said: I follow you on pinterest, facebook and enjoyed the 'christmas snapshot/tour', 'Homemade babywipes', 'mirror mirror on the wall', 'table fit for a farmhouse'......I can go on. If I could knit...I would knit this! But I can't, so I will try to win it :)

If you could please contact us with your full name and address, we'll send the cowl your way! Thanks again to everyone who entered and don't worry, we'll have another giveaway soon.

What else would you be interested in winning?

Organizing Bills

2012-01-07T13:27:00.000-05:00

There's nothing better when I open my mailbox and see it empty. Meaning, no bills. But alas, it can't stay empty forever. Bills are a part of life.

The worst is when I have a pile of envelopes here, there and everywhere. I try to keep things organized, but sometimes it's difficult when there isn't a specific place for bills.

So to Pinterest I went.

via

After looking at these pictures, I decided to whip up something of my own design.

I was cleaning up my kitchen and was going to toss some cereal boxes in the recycling bin, but decided to use them for this project.

After cutting the tops off, I glued and then duct taped them together.

I picked some scrapbook paper from my craft room and covered the boxes with Mod Podge.

I made tags from old paint chips and put stickers on the tags to mark "Paid" and "To Be Paid".

It leans perfectly on the small bookshelf in my craft room.

Now I know what bills need to be paid and what ones need to be filed. Once I open the envelope, I check the date of when the bill is due and I enter it into my iPhone calendar so I get a reminder a couple days before it's due.

Organization bliss. The best part? Free. $0.00

The only thing better would be to figure out how to keep the bills from coming...

If you haven't entered the giveaway,
make sure that you do before the end of today.
It's easy. Just click here and follow Melody's directions.

Good luck!

Transforming an Armoire

2012-01-06T14:35:00.002-05:00

My husband and I have limited amounts of furniture in our house. We are choosing the pieces we buy or make carefully, so we don't end up with any unwanted misfit pieces. We do however own a beautiful armoire that sits in our bedroom. And although this armoire is quite large and has great storage, it is not that awesome to look at.

As you can see it is a natural pine, with a clear coat finish on it... which makes my job a whole lot easier. That's right, I am going to refinish this piece of furniture. It is has been my dream, since I first laid eyes on it, to give it a nice coat of paint. Something along these lines...

via referans.wordpress.com

I am excited to get started on this project, and I am hoping it won't take me too long to complete. Obviously I will be sharing pictures of the in between stages, as well as the finished product on here, so stay tuned and wish me luck!

Have you ever painted furniture? If so, what was your favourite method, paint, tool, etc? This is my first time refinishing a piece that is so large, but I am excited to see the transformation.

Also, don't forget to enter our giveaway! Click here for all the details on what you could win and how to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway - A little something for you!

2012-01-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

I was trying out a new pattern yesterday and I thought to myself that I have waaaay too many cowls, so I should do another giveaway! We all like free stuff, right?

Here is what you could win:

There are a few ways you can enter:

1) Start following our blog OR let us know which one of posts you liked the best.
2) Follow us on Facebook OR post about us on Facebook.
3) Follow us on Pinterest

Leave a comment for us letting us know which one (or all) you've done. You get an entry for every one :)

The contest will end Sunday, January 8th at 12am EST.

If you'd like to make your own cowl, here is the pattern that I followed:

Source: goodknits.com via Melody on Pinterest

Chain 80 to get the length that you need. Continue in the pattern until the cowl measures 12-15 inches. Sew on two buttons and you're done!

Good luck everyone!

The List.

2012-01-04T11:42:00.001-05:00

Every year, when January comes around, I love getting my home back into normality after the hustle and bustle of Christmas. When we take down all the Christmas decorations and set the dried out Christmas tree outside by the curb, I always feel like our little home is so spacious!

via

Once the clock turns midnight on New Years, my mind starts turning onto changes that I can make to our home in the new year.

When we moved into our home a year and a half ago, we had fun dreaming about all the different things that we wanted to change or do in our home.

This is what our list looks like:

As you can see, we haven't really accomplished much from our list. My husband has ripped everything out of the basement so it's now a blank slate ready to be finished. In the summer we did a little bit of landscaping, but it was somewhat difficult to do with a newborn.

I've been pinning a lot of pictures that have given us ideas for our current home and our dream home. We would love to create a home that is welcoming and comfortable for our family and friends that visit.

Here are a few pictures that are our inspiration for our home and list:

source, source, source, source

There is no timeline on these ideas. Who knows what we'll get done this year, but I'll keep you updated along the way!

Do you dream about refreshing your home as soon as it strikes midnight on New Year's Eve? Who else has a long "To Do" list for their home?

* I'll be linking up to the Nester's 2012 Home Goals Party. If you want some inspiration, stop by and see what others are dreaming about for their home *

Chaaaarge!!!

2012-01-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I find things on Pinterest that almost seem too easy to do. Well... this is one of those things. If you are like me, you have about 10-15 electronic items around your house that require some sort of a charger cable. And if you are really like me, you only know where about 3 of those chargers are on a daily basis. If it's the charger for your laptop, digital camera, or cell phone, knowing where they are in your house can sometimes be a bit of a chore, and remembering which room you left them in last can be frustrating. Thankfully there are labels and wicker baskets for such an occasion.

via justsomethingimade.com

If you looked at this pin before, and thought the same thing I did, then yes, it is that easy to do. Maybe I want to organize my house because it is the new year, or I am just in the organizing mood, but it didn't take me too long to round up our cords and wires and slap a label on them.

First: Locate all chargers in your house.

Second: Label them.

Third: Put them in a basket, container, or drawer where you know they will be easy to find and to and use.

Such a simple way to keep track of which charger is for what camera, and of where to find them. What other organizing ideas have you found on Pinterest that have changed the way you run your home? I know there are a ton more ideas that I have found and want to try out in this year ahead.

Introducing... Our New Basement!

2012-01-02T12:17:00.001-05:00

I would not wish a basement flood on anyone. It is a terrible thing and very stressful, especially if it happens around the holidays when you just want to be sitting and relaxing. But since we were planning on renovating our basement this winter anyways, it seems that it was a blessing in disguise since it forced us to get going. Thankfully my husband is a very handy man and I have lots of wonderful family who pitched in and helped us finish it in time for our New Year's Eve party. It was touch and go for a little bit but it is now mostly done! I took some pictures this morning so that you can see how it looks. I didn't find any before pictures but trust me that it is a huge improvement!

Our new wall colour, wainscoting & tile

Our main area where we watch TV. I'm going to be getting some charcoal grey slipcovers for the sofas. Since this is our family room, I don't want to invest in couches that will be ruined by my girls or our dog who tends to sleep there.

The bar table that Seth made for us for last Christmas.

The new area rug that I love. It's like a hug on your feet.

The bookshelf that Seth made me for Christmas last year

The tile and the carpet. I spent 2 hours learning how to do grout with my Dad. Now I have that skill as well as bruised knees, but it looks good!

Our DVD rack that matches our bookshelf.

As we keep finishing things down there, I'll post more pictures. I still have a bathroom and an office that needs to be completed... as well as stair treads, a few places that still need more tile, & pictures on the wall. Let me know what you think! My husband especially wants to know what everyone thinks of his "man cave" furniture. Did everyone have a good New Years?

Modge Podge Baby Food Jar Lids

2011-12-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

My baby girl has recently started eating solids, which results in me experimenting with the different types of foods she likes and dislikes. And since that ~~yummy~~ mushed up food comes in a jar, I am starting to accumulate quite the collection of baby food jars. Now, instead of recycling the jars, I decided to re-use them for various items in my not-so-junky-junk-drawer.

via kristanlynn.com

I love the look of the pretty lids, and the added bonus of organizing your tiny items. This craft was fairly simple and didn't require a ton of thinking... my kind of craft.

I started out with a card that I had received for my birthday that had a cute owl on it, the lid, and a pencil.

First step is to trace the lid onto the cardstock, followed by a larger circle traced over top, then using scissors, cut the larger circle out...

Next, you will need to cut slits from the outer circle into the smaller circle.

Once the entire circle has "flaps" all around, you are ready to modge podge the paper to the top of the lid.

I let the cardstock and lid dry for a couple of minutes to make sure it was completely adhered, and the paper wouldn't slip once I started to glue the flaps down to the side of the lid.

This step takes the longest to complete because you want to be careful that each flap is glued down properly to avoid any future lifting.

Once all the flaps are glued down, apply a thin layer of modge podge to the entire top of the lid to seal the paper for a smooth finish. Once the lid is dry, you can fill up the jar with whatever you want; buttons, coins, thread, or glitter. I put pieces of chalk in my jar for easy access.

Such a fun use for baby food jars. I know I will be dressing up plenty more of these jars in the years ahead for other little things around the house.

What are some of your favourite uses for those baby food, salsa, or jam jars you have hanging around your house?

New Year, New Me

2011-12-29T15:28:00.000-05:00

I usually never make New Years resolutions. I know that I'll never keep them, therefore I don't bother. This year though, I'm planning on trying to get things done around my house and I figure that if I have some great people to keep me accountable, maybe I'll do it!

So here is my list:

1. Start decorating Sienna's room (in my defence, I was going to do this until we had our whole basement fiasco!)
2. Clean at least one room really well per day.
3. Do my dishes every day (I am really bad at this. I hate dishes.)
4. Organize my office/craft room

Here are the pins that have been inspiring me lately:

Faking An Immaculate House - 15 Minutes Per Day

Source: organizingmadefun.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

My Dream Home Office

Source: houzz.com via Melody on Pinterest

A Beautifully Organized Craft Room

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Melody on Pinterest

Next week, I'll hopefully be posting some pictures of our finished basement. I have a few more trips to Home Depot and Lowes to make before we have a party here on Saturday (I know, crazy right?!) but we can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. My knees are still sore from doing grout yesterday, but the floor looks fantastic!

I hope everyone has a great New Years!

A Christmas Snapshot

2011-12-28T17:53:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We enjoyed these past few days eating (LOTS), watching Christmas movies, spending time with family, going to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services, going Boxing Day shopping, and doing some traveling. Even though it sounds like a lot, it's been pretty relaxing.

I haven't been doing too many projects lately, so here are a few highlights from our Christmas, via iPhone pictures:

Picking our small Christmas tree and decorating it.

Making Gavin's first Christmas hand print ornament (you can read about that here).

Watching Holiday Inn (yearly tradition) and eating Christmas dinner at my parent's house.

Watching Gavin open his Christmas presents: A hockey book and a Fisher Price "Apptivity case" for my iPhone so Gavin can watch movies of himself (his favourite pass time) without it getting all covered in drool.

Snuggling with Oma while wearing Christmas pj's and being silly with temporary mustache tattoos.

Experiencing Gavin's first airplane ride to visit my husband's family (He was perfect by the way! Not a peep out of him).

Hope you have been enjoying your Christmas vacation! Anybody else doing some traveling? Who else has eaten so much they feel like they can't eat one more thing...until the next piece of chocolate or cookie comes around... Ya. Me either.

The Master Bedroom

2011-12-27T13:23:00.001-05:00

Over the last year and a half, our Master bedroom has remained the same. Unchanged and boring. So, I have been looking around Pinterest for ideas, for something that will catch my eye and motivate me to decorate in there.

via 4men1lady.com

I came across this pin, and loved the simple idea of using a stripe to add some visual interest to the room. All I used was painter tape, a 3'x4' blank canvas and a few different shades of grey paint, as well as a cream and a yellow for accents, similar to this picture:

via babybedding.com

I love the different widths of stripes and the soft colours. The finished canvas now hangs over our bed, and is one of many different projects that I am working to complete. Here are a few other ideas I have seen, and want to get started.

via here, here, here and here

I am hoping to check these projects off my list one by one once the new year starts. What are some of the things you have been mentally putting on your list of things to do? And what is it about the Master Bedroom that seems to get decorated last?

Oh Boxing Day...

2011-12-26T18:14:00.003-05:00

So here it is... the day after Christmas. I hope everyone had a wonderful day with family and friends, I know I did. Unfortunately, now I'm looking at the piles of presents we got and wondering where I'm going to put everything. That means that I get to organize all this week! Should be an interesting task since we are still full-blown in renovations.

This year, I tried to do a little more handmade in my gift giving. I made photo calendars and scrapbooks, and things like that, but my favourite present that we made was for my almost-2-year-old daughter. Her favourite thing to do in our house right now is to go through my pots and pans and utensils so that she can make us "pie" or "oatmeal". I had been pinning these adorable little kitchens for a while now and decided that I would attempt one.

Source: roundedoff.com via Melody on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Melody on Pinterest

I had a side table in my storage that I had been keeping for this project. I decided which elements I would want to use for it and then I put it all together with the help of my wonderful hubby. Yesterday morning, when Bella saw it, she was so excited! It is her favourite toy this Christmas and the total cost of it was... drum roll please.... $7!

Here's a breakdown for you:

- side table = free
- bowl for the sink = $2
- kitchen tap = free (carved by my hubby and father-in-law)
- fabric = free ( I already had it on hand)
- stove elements = free ( painted on with black paint)
- spray paint = $5 from Lowes

I'm so proud of it and Bella absolutely loves it. There's still a few things on it that I would like to finish - like painting the tap a metallic colour, but all in all, it's pretty good!

How was everyone's Christmas?

Double Stuffed Oreo Cookie Pops

2011-12-24T10:52:00.001-05:00

This Christmas, I was searching Pinterest for an idea for volunteer gifts. I am a children's director in our church and every Christmas I like to give our leaders a small gift. I saw a picture for Oreo cookie pops found here and thought I'd give them a whirl.

I battled the crowds at the Bulk Barn for the chocolate and lollipop sticks; No Frills for the baggies and Double Stuffed Oreos.

Here is how I, actually it was mostly my husband (you'll see that he is the brains of this operation) put them together.

Step One: Separate the cookies.

Okay. Easier said than done. The cookies never break apart gracefully as they seem to do on the commercials.

My husband suggested warming them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds, which then melted the icing just enough to twist the tops off perfectly. Brilliant.

Step Two: Place the stick in the icing and put the cookie back together.

(Sorry. I don't have anymore pictures for these next few steps)

The original instructions suggested dipping the tip of the stick into the melted chocolate and then letting it harden between the two cookies. I found the cookies didn't stay nicely together because the stick was too fat.

Husband to the rescue again: He suggested putting the cookies with the icing side back into the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to melt the icing just a bit. Brilliant again. Sticks sunk nicely into the icing for the two cookies to come together without a huge gap.

Step Three: Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Easy. Done.

Step Four: Dip the cookies into the chocolate and lay on wax paper.

Uh oh. The cookies slid right off of the stick into the chocolate.

Husband to the rescue once again: He suggested that once the sticks were in the icing and the cookies were put back together, then place them on a tray in the fridge for about 10 minutes to let the icing harden again. Brilliant.

I fed our son some rice cereal and when we were finished, so were the cookies.

The cookies were dipped into the chocolate and laid out on trays that had wax paper covering them.

My wonderful husband had earlier smashed up candy canes into fine pieces and sprinkled them onto the tops of the freshly dipped Oreos after I laid them on the wax paper.

After letting them harden overnight, I then grabbed the sandwich baggies that I had bought and put a cookie in the baggie. The bag was too big, so I snipped off part of the bottom and then it was a perfect fit.

I cut some red ribbon, tied the baggie together, curled the ribbon with my scissors, and voila:

Once we figured out some tips and tricks, these were fun to put together and look cute all finished!

Before I go, I just want to say thank you for taking time to read our little blog these past two months! Melody, Faith and I have such a fun time writing about our different projects that we do around our homes. We appreciate each and every comment on our blog and Facebook! If it wasn't for you, we would be just be writing to...ourselves...which might become boring after awhile. :)
So thank you!

We pray that you and your families will have a blessed Christmas Day!

A Gift For a Neighbor

2011-12-23T11:03:00.001-05:00

Every year I like to give my next door neighbors a little something for Christmas. Last year we gave chocolate turtles (yum), but this year I decided to make something from scratch. Cue Pinterest.

I found a great list of gift ideas from here. From cookies and homemade bread, to giving coffee creamer to go along with a hot cup of coffee. There were lots of options to choose from, but one idea stood out. It was a recipe for homemade caramel apple dip.

I got out the supplies, and started to cook.

It was a very simple recipe to follow, and didn't take long for the ingredients to start to combine and make a delicious concoction.

From the beginning to the end this took me about 10 minutes to make. I am so excited to put the dip in a pretty jar and present it to my neighbors with a bunch of granny smith apples.

Aunt Kay's Buttery Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup whipping cream

*Makes 2 1/2 cups

In a medium saucepan combine sugars, syrup and butter.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 – 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Stir in whipping cream.

Pour into a jar and store in refrigerator. It will thicken when cold.

Giving gifts at Christmas doesn't have to be complicated, or expensive. All it takes is a little bit of time and thought. I know my neighbors will appreciate the gesture, and I am excited to give it to them. I might even make some more for my family!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! I hope you enjoy the time you have with family and friends over this holiday.

Snuggles and Warmth

2011-12-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

If you remember, a while back I said that I was going to decorate my little girl's room by the end of December. I had made a whole inspiration board and everything (you can see it here). Unfortunately, when our basement flooded, plans changed and re-doing those rooms became the priority. Before the whole renovation started, I did get a chance to finish a blanket that I was making for her crib. I found the pattern on Pinterest and chose the colours of yarn based on the colours of her room that I picked.

Here's the pattern:

Source: rakuten.co.jp via Melody on Pinterest

I loved how it looked fresh and modern but still nice and cozy. Perfect for cuddling with your adorable little baby. When I clicked on the pattern, I had a little bit of trouble since the whole pattern was written in Japanese, which I do not speak. I had also never followed a crochet diagram before, I always used written directions. But using some tutorials online, I was able to figure it out (it's easier if you have the different stitches memorized!) Here is a helpful resource I found .

And here is my finished project:

I love how it turned out. I made it crib sized instead of twin bed size like they suggested. It is very snuggly and warm and I'm sure once I get going on her room, it will match perfectly! I guess the moral of this story is that you shouldn't be afraid to try new things in decorating or crafting. It doesn't matter what it is, try it! It could be a new tool, or pattern, or decorating scheme, just go for it!

Since this is the last time that I'll be posting, (don't worry, you still have one more from Faith and Heidi!) I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. I'll be posting on Monday and showing you some pictures of our family Christmas, including a few more crafts that I finished.

Merry Christmas!

For the Procrastinator

2011-12-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

Psst...Christmas is in T-minus 3 days.

If you are a procrastinator, this means that you should probably head to the mall tonight and start your Christmas shopping. I'm not judging. I speak from experience. We went to the mall last night to start our Christmas shopping. Yes. Start.

I wasn't going with a panicked feeling in my chest. I have known for a long time what to get, but I just haven't had the chance. In my family, we aren't big on buying presents for Christmas. I come from a larger family - seven siblings - and for many years now we have been drawing names so that we don't become bankrupt just from buying each other gifts. And now with all the in-laws and babies, it is necessary that we draw names, or else it can be very overwhelming buying one trillion presents (or what it could feel like).

Now that you have the low down on our gift giving, I'm going to help you out a little bit.

Buying presents can become very expensive, especially when money is tight. Here is a simple idea that you can make yourself at home! (And it's not made out of popsicle sticks)

I actually got this idea on Pinterest from here and then made it my own!

Canvas art!

These are very inexpensive to make. All you need to do is grab your 50% off coupon from Michael's and buy a few canvases - large or small.

Here's a how to:

After cutting out book pages out of an old book, use Modge Podge (favourite!) to stick the pages onto the canvas. Overlap the pages so they aren't perfect.

While the canvas is drying, you can cut out whatever silhouette that you would like. I used my Cricut to cut out the birds and old fashioned keys.

Use Modge Podge to glue the silhouette onto the canvas.

Give the whole thing a light coat of Modge Podge to seal it and give it a glossy sheen.

This can be a personalized gift for anyone on your list! The possibilities are endless on what you could use for the front of your canvas.

   Now get to it. Christmas is coming; it's practically here! (Guess who watched The Grinch this weekend?)

The Scents of Christmas

2011-12-20T14:47:00.003-05:00

If you're like me, when you entertain you like to have your house smell lovely, almost as if you have been baking all day, but that requires you to... well... bake all day. So, if you're entertaining over the holidays and you don't have time to make your home smell like a sugar plum exploded, or cinnamon sticks have been dancing in it all day here is a recipe for you.

via bystephanielynn.com

This stove top potpourri is a easy way to add a pretty holiday scent in your home. Instead of lighting a bunch of candles to make your house smell good, you just allow the ingredients to simmer on your stove.

Ingredients:
1 Fresh Orange {sliced}
1 Fresh Lemon {sliced}
4 Cinnamon Sticks {broken up}
3 Tablespoons of Whole Cloves
2 Tablespoon of Whole All Spice
1 Tablespoon of Ground Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon
4 Cups of Water

I love the look of the lemon slices with the cinnamon sticks (and the smell!). I know that I will be using this to help add an inviting scent to my home this Christmas season. What are some of your favourite ways to make your home smell great? Do you have a favourite air freshener, or candle? Maybe you prefer the smell of your Christmas tree and a sweet holiday snack.

Crescent Roll Yumminess

2011-12-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

Around the holidays, I always find it hard to find time to bake. I normally love to bake but life has been a little crazy around my house so I haven't gotten much done. Last night, Seth wanted something sweet so we decided to make a quick and easy dessert. I always keep a roll of crescent rolls in the fridge for just that occasion. So here is a recipe that I made up but always turns out pretty good:

You'll need:
4-5 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 container of Pillsbury crescents

First you need to peel and slice the apples. Make it so that it fills an 8x8 pan or I usually just use a pie plate. Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the maple syrup and brown sugar and stir it all together and place it in the pan. Open the container of rolls and instead of making them into crescents, cut them into 8 pieces. Place the rolls on top of the apple mixture. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the rolls are brown. Don't take them out too soon or the bottoms will be soggy. Enjoy!

They are much tastier than they look in the pictures!

Baby's first Christmas

2011-12-17T15:50:00.002-05:00

Like I have mentioned before, this is our little guy's first Christmas.

Everything is a little bit more exciting this Christmas, even though realistically, Gavin really doesn't understand what's going on around him.

We've already cut down and decorated our Christmas tree.

Every year we buy an ornament to add to our little collection. This year I wanted to make an ornament for Gavin's first Christmas.

I saw an ornament that had a little hand print on it that I thought would be perfect (found here). I jumped into the car and went to my closest Dollarama for the ornament.

I found a box of three for $1.25. I figured three would be good just in case it didn't work the first time. Good thing I did.

The original blogger had made the hand print with clear embossing ink, but I didn't have any of that, so I used blue acrylic paint that I had in my craft room.

These pictures were from our first try putting his hand print onto the ornament...

Gavin kept curling his fingers so it just looked like a blob of paint.

So about three or four tries later (thankfully the paint washed nicely off the ornament so we could keep trying), we were satisfied with this:

In the years to come, it will be nice to look at this ornament and say, "I can't believe he was this small!"

Even now, I look at pictures of him from the first few months and can't believe how small he was...

...Oh how quickly they grow.

*Sniff. Yes, this ornament will be very precious to me. :)

Let's Play Dress-Up

2011-12-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

I love making dresses for my little girls. I've made quite a few for Bella and it's so addicting to be able to put exactly what you want into the dress! This year for Christmas, I decided to make my girls and my niece's dresses for Christmas. I've gotten two of them done so far and I just need to finish one for Sienna and my niece Claire (Faith's little girl). I snapped some pictures this morning and it was a little bit of an interesting experience since I usually ~~bribe~~ offer her chocolate chips for pictures. I did not want chocolate on this dress. I also usually offer her my iPhone but I needed it for pictures, so the pictures that I took came out a little wonky. She normally loves to take pictures, but they are mostly of her forehead or her hands.

Here is my inspiration for the holiday dresses:

Source: amanda-darlingdesigns.blogspot.com via Melody on Pinterest

Source: zulily.com via Melody on Pinterest

And here is my dress:

As you can see, it looks nothing like those dresses but it's always nice to have inspiration, right? I love how the dress came out. For the skirt, I used pre-ruffled fabric. BEST INVENTION EVER. Instead of spending hours and hours perfecting my ruffles, I just cut it out and sewed it together. It's awesome.

For the top, I used satin with a cotton lining. For the back, I installed an invisible zipper which sounds very hard, but is actually easy peasy. There are tons of tutorials out there so I won't bore you with my very unprofessional way of doing it. I have different satin ribbon to tie around the waist but I didn't want to limit myself to only using Christmas colours, so I have a cream, red and yellow to add later.

Without further ado, here is my little monkey modelling her dress:

(Wearing her cute little headband I made for her)

(This is where she decided she was done)

I'm considering doing a tutorial on the dress but I would like to see if anyone is interested before I put the time into it. If you would, just comment below!

Have you done any shopping for the little ones in your life? Have you ever tried to sew dresses before?

9 Days till Christmas!!

Good Tree Hunting

2011-12-15T11:57:00.000-05:00

Half the fun of having a Christmas tree, is getting the Christmas tree. For years, my family has gone tree "hunting" at a local tree farm, and this year I was able to go with my husband and daughter to cut down our tree.

We are a cute family... and yes that is a saws-all in Jason's hand...

Not long after we set out on the brisk December day, we found the tree we wanted. So naturally Jason cut it down with a power tool... cool.

In our house, it is my job to decorate the tree, which means I get free reign to do whatever I want with it. White lights? Yes please. Silver ornaments? Yes please. Glittery white stars? Yes, thank you.

Although the photo does not do it justice, it is quite a lovely tree. I was able to hang a few of my favourite ornaments, and a beautiful star for the top. It makes me happy every time I look at it, which is quite often because it is right in our living room.

I love the soft glow the lights make on the tree, which helps make our home feel cozy at night. What are your favourite ways to decorate a tree? Or your home? Do you have a theme, or do you like to have a few different styles pulled together?

Today we are linking up for the final day of "Bringing Christmas Cheer to the Blogosphere" party that has been going on for a couple of weeks now. Check it out to find more great ideas for holiday decor!

It's a Ruffled Tree Skirt Kind of Christmas

2011-12-14T08:28:00.003-05:00

It really is a ruffled tree skirt kind of Christmas. It seems like everywhere I look on Pinterest or on other blogs, people are crafting up a ruffled tree skirt. It's no wonder, because they are simple and beautiful!

This is the one that first caught my eye:

via

What really won me over was the title: "ruffle no sew tree skirt." No sew?? Count me in!

We were planning on getting our Christmas tree on Sunday, so Saturday I pulled my supplies together and started at it.

I had an old felt tree skirt from Dollarama that I purchased years ago and it needed some TLC. (Tender Loving Care, not to be confused with The Learning Channel. You're welcome.)

A while back, my friend's mom gave my sisters and I a whole bag of single panel curtains that she had around her house. (Thank you Karen!) I knew that this would be the perfect project for one of those curtains.

I ripped the curtain fabric and burlap that I had into long strips. Most important tool for this project? A glue gun! Don't have one? Get one! (Name that movie!)

I simply started gluing the burlap down in a ruffle pattern. Once burlap was glued all around the skirt, I started on the cream material. I didn't worry about the creases because I knew it was going to be hidden by the next layer of burlap. (The picture quality is from the TV glare because my husband was watching Hockey Night in Canada while I was working. It was Saturday night after all!)

I decided to use a cream coloured material, because with our coloured Christmas tree lights, I wanted the tree skirt to be simple.

And here it is snuggled around our Christmas tree!

It's not perfect, but that's how it's suppose to look. The edges that are frayed on the cream material adds to the rustic look that I was going for.

With our coloured Christmas lights and family ornaments, this tree isn't magazine worthy, but I love it.

Once the tree went up, even though it was plus 2 degrees outside, it felt more like Christmas.

Didn't catch my Christmas home tour on Monday night? Click here to have a little visit!

P.s. If you need help guessing that movie reference, it's from Toy Story 1 when Woody gathers all the toys together for a meeting.

Woody: "Does everybody have a moving buddy? Moving buddy. Don't have one? Get one!"

Only one of the best kid's movies ever! And yes, I have it memorized...