Spring Cleaning { Family Room} and Some Sweet Little Treats

I finished the kitchen already (we had a snow day and a mellow week) I am hoping to get started on the Family Room (and play area). I will be hunting for some supplies this weekend! The play area is just not working, the older the littlest gets the more stuff there is! 

This is how we started, it was alright but the shoes are too much and all over! And the kids need somewhere for papers that little brother can't get to as easily (he likes to throw them away)!

 I've got a couple projects I am working on for that little area!

Looking for some art options and shoe storage!!

There are lots of other things I need to do too for Spring Cleaning!

My Family Room list is just a little shorter than the kitchen!

~Wash Curtains, throws and swap pillows

~Clean off the ceiling fan

~Clean Glass on Frames

~Swap Pictures in Frames

~Clean Windows and tracks

~Turn off pilot on fireplace (might wait on this since it snowed this morning!)

~Clean Fireplace

~Dust the Electronics (especially the back)

~Clean out the couch cushions (can hardly wait to see what's in there!)

~Clean the couch cushion covers

~Clean Walls

~Vacuum Floor Vents

~Clean Baseboards

~Touch Up Wall Paint

~Clean Rug

Play Area

~Go through toys

~Go through books

~Sort toys

I love this, but I have a Target budget :)

 So that is what I have going on next week!

And I want to make these from Feels Like Home!!

I think I might change the recipe a little though and skip the coconut and use a different nut!

How cute are those?!

Anyone else starting their Spring Cleaning?!

Mini Rainbow Penant Banner

While I SHOULD have been cleaning (or organizing) I wasn't! I just couldn't find anything for the fireplace and I wanted some rainbow stuff for St. Patrick's Day!

I guess I did get a little organizing done though while I did this, I went through some of my paper and recycled a bunch of scraps, that makes me feel a little better!

All I did was scrounge through my paper and found the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple I needed, for some I used cards (that made it SO easy!)

Then I made 1 triangle about the size I wanted then traced it, and flipped it over lining the short sides up together to make a diamondish shape, then I cut that out (in a color I wasn't using, didn't want to mix it up).

I just used that to trace out 4 of each color (I only used 3 but I have an extra of every color just in case a kiddo gets to it)

Now I would have loved to use the cute colored twine but I don't have any, so I just went through my ribbon stash and picked the one that looked the most like a sky color to me.

Oh and I used the little chalk pads on the edges because I didn't want it to look too  perfect!

Then I just used some glue stick and went in order and stuck the ribbon down, then folded them over. If I had some of those big puffy pompoms in white I think I would have added those either in between or for sure on the ends, like little clouds!

Spring Cleaning Week 1 {Kitchen}

I can't believe it is time to start already!

 But this week is a good week for me to start and not feel bad about missing anything, it is supposed to be cold and wet here anyway, and no school 1 day (I am sure our oldest would rather skip nap and help).

This is my list for the week (mostly during naptimes)

• Start Oven Cleaning

• Start Stove Top Cleaning

• Wash Curtains

• Dust/Vacuum Top of Cabinets

• Re-organize/Purge Cabinets and Clean shelves

• Polish Cabinets

• Clean Bottom of Microwave and Wash Filters

• Clean Out Fridge and Freezer

• Pull Oven Out and Clean Sides

• Clean Out Under the Sink

• Clean Inside of Dishwasher

• Make Vinegar Cubes

• Clean Toaster (finally gave in and got one) and Mixer

• Replace Furniture Felt

• Tidy Pantry

• Clean Pantry Door

• Vacuum and Steam Floors

WHEW! Lots to do this week but I have some fun stuff planned for the weekend if I get it all done!
And I am pretty sure there will be a few craft breaks too!

1 Month Until Spring!

Coastal Living

That is just 1 tiny month, 28 days, 4 little weeks to get Spring cleaning done, for me anyway! I like to have it all done by Spring or shortly after so we can spend time outside when it is nice, and get a early start on projects! I've talked about my Spring Cleaning plan the last couple years but it changes EVERY year!

Ive been trying to do small projects every Friday, usually just organizing, I actually like organizing but the actual cleaning part I am not a fan of so I like to just get it over and done with so we can move onto the fun stuff!

I like to start with the kitchen, it seems to be the most work so once it's done everything else seems easy! This has been my plan/list the last 2 years. I will probably spend part of nap time tomorrow going over it and seeing if there are other things I need to add to the list! And I think I might order some Shaklee products so parts of the kitchen might have to wait (like the oven!)

I hope to get started Tuesday and be done with the kitchen before the weekend!

Cute Little St. Patrick's Day Craft

I got the idea from a girlfriend, but she used buttons and some scrap booking paper. I used burlap and some scrap booking embellishments, I needed the burlap because the flowers were pretty darn girly and I try to keep it as non overboard fluffy as I can around here! 

Cute right?!  All I did was use a cookie cutter in the shape of a clover and set it on the burlap (I also put a piece of cardboard under in case the hot glue went through) Then I just stuck a little hot glue on the bottom of each little rose and pushed it down, smooshing it into the cutter as much as I could to try and get the shape! Once I was done I just took the cookie cutter off and this is what was left, then I just the burlap out with the clover centered big enough to cover the frame backing. I didn't use the glass since the little roses stick out pretty far!

It didn't take too long and wasn't too much since everything was on sale!

St.Parick's Day Decorations

I don't think they are too different from last year, so I'll just share what is different this time. Hoping to get a few more things done (since I do have a whole month!)

Got a cute idea from a girlfriend I hope to try over the long weekend, and I think I want to try to make our big red wreath a little rainbowish!

I know this seams a little crazy, but this is one of my favorite containers and I couldn't think of anything else that was big enough to fill it. It might be a little crazy~

Yep, spent $1.50 on potatoes and tied a ribbon on the vase!

It was actually sunny here today! Made the little vase look better!

Now if I could only keep real flowers looking that good!

There are kinds of free printable subway art for St. Patrick's day around too, think I need one of those!

Cute little Marshmallows {Perfect for St. Patrick's Day}

I WISH I would have snagged a picture of the bag, but I had to get them out and see what they were like.. and didn't think to take one! But I found these at Cost Plus, World Market they were by the candy and there are chocolate and vanilla in each package, I just picked the vanilla out because I am using them for this

 

Taste of Home

 

I made a fruit rainbow last year, not sure if that was mid Strep Throat or when I had my wisdom teeth removed, either way I was barely awake enough to take pictures.   But I know the kids liked it! Can't wait to do it again and surprise them with the cloud marshmallows!

 

I didn't get to do a lot of what I wanted last year because of being sick or teeth, going to try them this year and probably some more!

 

 

Busy Busy Busy!

It has been busy here but I feel like I have nothing to show for it!

Working on St. Patrick's Day stuff and I can barely wait to start

SPRING CLEANING!!

I have been LOVING this group lately!

The Civil Wars

Love LOVE Love their version of MJ's Billie Jean (it's on youtube)

And could he get any cuter, looks like Johnny Depp only better!

And she is just adorable and I love her style!

Cowboy & Cowgirl Birthday Party!

All that planning and stressing and it's over like that! So much fun today though!

So here are the details!

Red & Aqua were the colors picked by the birthday kids! Tried to keep stuff not too boyish or girly, SO hard! I think this may have been our last shared birthday party!

Stick Pony Favors

 Straw! Yep.. we filled one corner with straw! Fun!

 Rice Crispy Treat "Hay Stacks"

 mini cupcakes

 Cactus Pretzels.. pretzel rods, dipped in Green tinted white Chocolate, then sprinkled with toasted coconut

 Color coordinating drinks! No idea how I got so lucky to find these!

 MnM's and supplies

TINY little cowgirl headbands for the girls

Stick on Mustaches for the boys

Water Bottles.. with wrappers

 We hid little circles (in party colors) and the kids had to dig in the hay to find them, we traded them the circles for a headband or mustache!

 Photo prop!

 Favor Bags

 Cupcakes and Cupcake Picks

The Favor's before the bag. White Chocolate Covered Oreo's!

This is our Birthday Girl... you can kind of see the little hat

 And this is our little one, it's not his birthday but he was still happy to party!

 This is our Birthday Boy! Took a cupcake bribe to get him to slow down for a picture!

 A little better picture of the hats!

 Finnley found one, he isn't picky! He will wear anything!

We also made a CD for each family with the birthday kids favorite country songs.. forgot to snag a picture though!

And is it TOO crazy that I already have ideas for next year?! And September for Finnley.. September is only 7 months away! 7 months is barely enough time to plan!

Valentine's Day Menu

Only about a week and a half until Valentine's Day! Still being in Birthday mode I haven't thought a whole lot about what we be doing that day but I am thinking we for sure need to have some heart shaped stuff! This is what I have planned so far~

Heart Shaped Pizza



source

And I think we will probably have heart shaped sandwiches for lunch, just using our Wilton cookie cutter, this one is pretty big so you don't lose as much bread!

We don't usually let our kids have flavored milk ( tooo much sugar!!) but we do let them have special stuff on special days sometimes, and really who wouldn't love pink milk?!  So here is what I do to make their little treat extra special.. I used my favorite old jelly jars, dipped the edge in some melted white chocolate (it's easiest if you put the chocolate on a saucer or small plate,and I don't put on too much because I don't want any drips, then cover the chocolate in some sprinkles!

I am sure heart shaped pancakes will be around at breakfast time with whip cream and sprinkles, pretty much cause the mini heart sprinkles are just TOO cute!

I have a heart shaped mini pancake pan that makes these perfectly every time, although I think it is easier if you make your pancake batter a little more runny than usual, you kind of have to spread the batter around a little and if it is too thick it doesn't work as well.

Think it is this one, and I haven't seen it anywhere but ebay lately.. there are some other really cute ones though!

And this year for a dessert I think I am going to use a heart shaped ice cube mold like this one

And fill it with the Yoplait Whips Raspberry or Strawberry yogurt and freeze them, they are SO good frozen, better than ice cream! And I won't feel too guilty about the strawberry milk then!
I am using a bigger mold because I think it will be easier to get the yogurt in.. here is what I hope to do, scoop some yogurt in and tap it on the counter to get the air out, you can't really stir the yogurt or it loses its mousse consistency.  I might have to do a test run before next week! If I have sprinkles left over I might put some of those in the bottom too!  Then they can each have a few little frozen hearts for a treat! I think they will love em!

Previous Years
HERE, HERE, and HERE