We've been doing a lot of these lately....

 

 

Roderick had his wisdom teeth out yesterday, so we've been doing a whole lot of milkshakes. He seems to be doing well, despite the fact that they removed all four wisdom teeth and a couple were a little "hard to get." He was completely aware...no "happy gas" or relaxing pills for him. Not sure I'd be able to do that as I don't even like to get a cavity filled. (Thankfully that has only happened 3 times in my life!) The pain meds seem to be working well. He's a little swollen today, especially on that "troublesome" left side. In the meantime we are both enjoying lots of milkshakes! ( The temptation is too high, I can't make one  and not enjoy a little myself!)

P.S. You know you've been looking at too many food blogs when you find yourself taking pictures of the ingredients for making milkshakes....AND you really know you've been looking at too many of them when you proceed to take "pouring pictures." Although I think I could use some food photography lessons! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just love Valentine's Day...not because of the roses and chocolates and other commercialized aspects, but because it's a special day to express love to my loved ones. My parents always made a big deal of the holiday growing up and over the years its become my favorite holiday.

This year I decided to make some nifty little suckers I found in the back of the Family Fun magazine. As soon as I saw it I knew I need to make them for our 5 year old Sunday school class. Only problem is they need mini candy canes and I saw it several weeks after Christmas. BUT I found some for .37 on clearance! Perfect for frugal natured me!! I just love how they turned out.

I will say that the recipe said to form the candy canes into hearts and put in 235 degree oven on parchment for 10 minutes. Well, this is what happened when I did that.

Not exactly what I was looking for. Very, Very thin and brittle. I found that putting them in a 225 degree oven for 3-5 minutes gave me the results I was looking for. I also used dark chocolate candy melts instead of oil and chocolate chips, simply because I didn't have chocolate chips and I was in a store where I could get the candy melts with a coupon really inexpensively!

This year as we were discussing what to do on Valentine's Day Roderick said he wanted to have a slumber party under the stars.  So that's just what we did.  I'm sure you are thinking HUH?? It's February, wasn't that a little cold?? Well no because we put a few glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, blew up our queen size mattress and watched movies together in our living room. Oh, and ate popcorn made on the stove with a whirley-pop. (My Valentine's day gift to my love. He had popcorn made with one at a friends house and couldn't get over how great the popcorn was.) Now we are spending some time at the library with my husband studying and me on the computer. Hey, at least we are together!

  

I also had to share these adorable slippers my friend gave me for Valentine's Day! They are beyond soft and so comfy! 

 I'm linking up to

 

 Today's color was red!

Laundry Redo {January's Project}

Our laundry is more of a hallway than a room. I've always covered it with a shower curtain to hide the "mess." Yes it was organized with clear baskets and it even had things hung up on the wall, but it definitely didn't make me happy. Now it makes me very happy and I have yet to close the curtain, because I want to see it!

Here's the only before picture I could find....

 blurry and only a partial picture from almost 4 years ago when we first moved in. I guess I was too embarrassed to take the full view picture.

Here it is now!

 Most of the fabric was purchased several months ago for another project, but I just had to use it in here. I think there is still enough to complete the project it was meant for as well. We'll see when I actually get around to doing it. I was also able to use several fabrics in my "prize stash" from Jonquils and Ladybugs! Love it when things work out like that!

The Embroidery hoops were definitely inspired by Sara at one of my favorite blogs Sara's Art House.

This hoop was inspired by something I found on etsy, which I can no longer find so it must have sold. Loved and remembered it even though it'd been months and tried to duplicate it! They had sewn on the pennants, but I was too lazy to get out the sewing machine, so I glued them on instead.

The fabric wreath is inspired by Sara's Art House again. Such an inspirational blog!

First painting of the year. Complete with a fabric flower that was inspired by...yep Sara again!

I also created a fabric bunting using fabric, rope and this wonderful "paint on" tacky glue I found. Perfect solution for this project and several others in this room!

 

One of my final projects was to cover this box with fabric again using that wonderful tacky glue in a jar. I loved the box, but it just didn't go with the colors any more. Add fabric and tada, perfect match to my theme and a great hiding place for the butter knives we use to open the lent trap. {We love the washer and dryer we were given even if they do have dents, are missing knobs and have a broken lent trap. They still do the job well and the price was ideal. FREE! We keep wondering when they will give out, but they worked well for almost 4 years now.}

Only problem is the shower curtain "cover" definitely no longer fits the theme. I've thought of taking it down since I love looking at the new decor, but there might be a time when I still want to use it so its staying for now. At least when it pulled closed it matches the rest of the kitchen.

The whole project cost less than $20! I used coupons on several of the items including the rope, that wonderful tacky glue, the styrofoam for the fabric wreath and the embroidery hoops. Plus a lot of it was stuff we already had. Most of the money was spent on the basket. Could have been cheaper though... right after I purchased the baskets I found this very inspirational blog Make it and Love it with these lovely boxes made out of cardboard.

I totally would have made these had I not already bought the others. I am loving this blog and I have a feeling you will see some of her projects in the coming months. LOVE, LOVE her style... spent a good couple of hours browsing her blog the other day and didn't even hit all the fun projects! Love all the sewing projects. I really need to stop being lazy and get it out!! Better add that to my 2011 goals! Even though I didn't actually do any of her projects, I'd have to say that the Make it and Love it blog was definitely inspirational in this redo!

Now I'm off to take care of my poor husband who has come down with a nasty flu. At least I'll be able to wash away all the germs in my happy "room."

2011 Goals - FINALLY!

Well, my week long break turned in to a month long break. Not from Internet, but from this blog. I have several blogs in my head, but I decided to start with my 2011 goals. They are nothing special, but I decided to still put them up for the accountability. So here it goes:

Cooking/Meals:
* Menu plan for every week.
* Try out a least one new recipe every week
* Continue to work on coupons and getting the best deals at the lowest prices.
January- I've started the year off well. One of my gifts from my husband was $5 dinners by Erin Chase of $5dollardinners.com. We've already add a few favorites to our list. Menu planning certainly does make cooking easier. I don't know why I stop doing it!

House:
* Go through whole house at least once (preferably twice) and organize and get rid of junk.
*Make every effort to  keep house straight. (Pretty generic, but still on the list.)
January - Started out well so far doing one room a week. Christmas didn't come down until the week before last...far later than it has ever happened before! Last week I organized the laundry area. This week I've started on the kitchen. Hopefully I'll finish it tomorrow!

Hobbies:
* Try to accomplish at least one craft project a month.

January - The next post will be a display of this months "craft" It has something to do with the picture at the end of this post I posted several months ago. I ended up winning the giveaway associated with Jonquils and ladybug's Technology fast. My prize... a box full of fabric scraps, an awesome pincushion , and a book of inspirational crafts! Didn't get a picture because I was too busy digging into all the goodies. Definitely going to be seeing some of it in my post tomorrow!

Finance:
* Go to New York City for 30th bday! My ultimate goal is to finance this with extras, such as craigslist sales, rebates, etc.We'd love any ideas of things to do or see from those of you that have been there.  I am SO excited!!!
January - I signed up for groupon in New York City and living social. Plus I've been able to get a nice start on my savings. We are currently at about 20% but I'm working on it!

Reading:
* Read at least 6 books.
Here's some that are on my list:
 * A Life that Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others ~ Karen Ehman
 * Don't Waste Your Life ~ John Piper
 * Because He Loves Me ~ Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
 * Dave Ramsey book
 * ??
 * ??

January - Not too great, but I have at least started Because He Love Me

So there you go... my goals for 2011. So excited to see what the Lord has in store for this year!

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours

Hope you have a marvelous time celebrating the birth of our Savior with your family and friend! Merry Christmas!

Rod and Laura

P.S.

I'm taking Jonquils & Ladybugs up on her challenge to fast from technology from December 26th through January 1st. I think I've become a little addicted to facebook, blogs, etc so I'm sure this will be good! I'm actually going to start early, as in tomorrow. I've decided not to post to the blog, not to check facebook, not to check my google reader, and to limit my checking of gmail. We will see how this goes. When I come back I hope to have a list of goals for the coming year. I've done it for the past couple of years, but have never posted them. Therefore, they are rarely accomplished. Hopefully posting them will be the encouragement I need!

 

Simple and Delicious Christmas Goodie

My Mom made this recipe up several years ago. Every time I make it I always get requests for the recipes so I decided to share it with you all. It truly is simple and relatively frugal (especially if you use coupons for the peanuts). Makes about 3 dozen clusters or more if you make them smaller.

It requires 5 ingredients - 6 counting a little touch of powdered sugar.

Would make a great gift as well, as it's doesn't spoil quickly and looks pretty!

Peanut Clusters

1 regular bag caramels

1 Tablespoon milk

1 lb jar of salted peanuts (approx. 3 ½ cups)

Approx. ½ -1 lb chocolate coating

White chocolate coating for decorating- optional

Powdered sugar

Lay two pieces of waxed paper on counter. Lightly powder one with powdered sugar. Place unwrapped caramels in microwave safe bowl. Add milk. Microwave on high until melted for 1-2 minutes (checking every 30 seconds). Stir. Add peanuts and stir again.

Drop by spoonfuls onto powdered waxed paper. (Might need another spoon to help push out the caramel/peanut mixture). Let set while you melt chocolate coating.

Melt chocolate coating in microwave for 1-2 minutes checking every 30 seconds. Stir after every 30 second interval as the chocolate may be more melt than it appears.

Remove caramel clusters from waxed paper by sliding a fork under them. Dip in melted chocolate. Lift and let excess chocolate fall back in bowl. Place on un-powdered waxed paper. Let rest until set until solid.

When set, put small amount of white chocolate in zip lock bag. Melt in microwave. (approx. 30 seconds) Make small cut in one of the corners of the bag. Pipe lines of white chocolate on clusters. Let rest again until set. Remove from waxed paper and break off any excess chocolate before placing on serving plate.

Note: Watch microwave processes carefully. Both caramels and chocolate coating can burn if over melted.

2010 Christmas Tour

I love joining Nester's annual Christmas Tour every year. This year I don't have as much  decor done as I usually do. Here's my previous year's post 2008 & 2009 if you want to see decor in every room.

Well, without further ado here's our Christmas decor so far... I may do more, but I may not. Simplicity is nice sometimes!

 

I love the polka dots, red, and lime. It makes me happy and I often find myself staring at it! I also find I have loads of pictures of it!!

 

 

 

 

 

The reason for the season! What a wonderful gift God gave us... His perfect Son who came to pay our great debt and give us Salvation! 

The stocking are hung on the bookshelf with care....

Made this wreath with supplies from the dollar store, ribbon that was on my present from my mother-in-law last year and a lovely ornament from my mom! (cost all of $2 to make!) Here's where I got the idea from Nester.  Looks much better in person, I promise!

 

Another wreath from the dollar store. This one cost a little more as it took about 4 bags of peppermints. I loved this one much better...not sure I like the shape or the green showing through, but it will stick around at least for this year.   

 

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our home at Christmas time. If you are not coming from there go check out Nester's links...there's a lot of beautiful homes this year!