(re)Purposeful: Sparrow Painting

Now that I am in my new digs, the familiar left behind, it's time to decorate MY way... put my own special brand of "Amy Attitude" all over these carpenter-grade, cream-colored walls!

I am not much of a painter, besides the occasional furniture re-do, but I had this vision of sparrows on a branch in my head and I wanted to see if I could make it happen. After digging through the jungle of boxes in my garage, I found an old ugly canvas of beige vases on a beige table in a beige room....beige, beige, beige, BLAH! The size was perfect for  behind my bed so I thought: Why not paint over it? Anything would be a major improvement!

So I spray-primed the entire surface of the canvas and let it dry overnight. The next morning I dug out some black semi-gloss interior paint and covered the beige twice for good measure. Already a HUGE improvement! :o) I still had a little cream semi-gloss interior paint left from a coffee table project so I used that to paint a giant branch across the expanse... I had to go over it a few times but I like how it left brush marks, almost like bark on a tree!

So I've already admitted to my lack of painting skills... I wanted to sparrows to be colorful and precise. I know better of myself than to think I'd be happy with what I would do with a brush. I drew sparrow silhouettes in different poses and cut them out, now I had templates. After tracing them onto beautiful scrap book paper, I cut them out, then made wings and beaks in complimentary colors of paper. I used Mod-Podge to fix them to the canvas and to apply the wings and beaks as well. It works best and you get less bubbles, if you first glue down the bird, wait, then apply a top coat of Mod-Podge, wait, then put the wings and beak on. I covered the birds with a few coats of the miracle Mod-Podge to make sure they were on good and tight, then the whole canvas got two coats.

I LOVE how it came out and I had ALL the supplies on hand! It cost me nothing to make and my new room has some much needed, sparkle!

"His eye is on the Sparrow...."

Surviving a "Life Stroke" and living to blog about it...

So I have fallen off the face of the Earth for awhile again... I'm choosing to call it recovery. This past year has been a series of life-changing... or more aptly called: "life-taking" events, that have blindsided me much like a serious stroke that you never see coming until you suddenly can't move the left side of your body.
The first was divorcing the man I have been married to for 11 years, closely followed by my 19yr old brother's heart attack and the news he needed a 2nd heart transplant. Soon after that it was apparent I would be losing my house and my status as "Stay-at-home-domestic-goddess-and-CEO" which was a title I absolutely loved. I restarted my buried Massage Therapy business, short-saled my house, found a beautiful/affordable town home and moved my brood.
How did I survive? Honestly I have no idea... I chose to believe that G-d in all his infinite wisdom decided that I needed to grow. So many little blessings keep landing in my lap and I know He is responsible for the gifts. My perspective is that now I have a set of life skills so strong I could literally survive the apocalypse and actually thrive afterwards!
So I am settled and itching to get back to the more creative side of my life now that surviving is turning back into living.... It's the journey right?

Texas Trip: Bottle Cap Necklaces

There is something so fun about being able to craft with a friend...  For me it takes some of the anxiety out of trying a new project and I love the process of sharing ideas! So when planning the trip to Texas, we decided to make bottle caps necklaces...at first for the kids, but they were so cute we ended up making some for us too! :o)

For the supplies: We saved bottle caps from the last 2 months while waiting in agony for the trip to happen. I wanted to try out Mod Podge Dimensional Magic but all the KC stores were out or had never heard of it. I ended up ordering a 3-D glaze on Ebay and it worked great! The project also called for metal washers and strong craft magnets which I purchased at Walmart. Lyndy had the great idea to check out Joann's trimmings for lengths of nylon in different colors for the necklace. We chose pink for the girls and black for us. The trip was a mad success because Joann's (in Texas anyway) has Mod Podge Dimensional Magic...just in case you were wondering! Before I forget, I also packed up a bunch of cute scrap book paper and stickers for the pendants.

Friday afternoon, once the kids were napping, we pulled out our treasures and made our caps! We put a dab of 3-D glaze in the cap, cut out quarter-sized pieces of paper and embellished with tiny stickers and fixed it to the inside of the cap. After that dried a little, we filled the whole cap with 3-D glaze and set aside to dry. Here's a few of our favorites: 

I think we made over 30 caps!!! It's a bit addicting... I also used super glue to fix the magnet to the washer, allowing some space to thread the nylon necklace through.

The downside of the project is that it took FOREVER for the 3-D glaze to dry. The next day they were still gummy and squishy. However the cute-ness factor completely outweighs this and the girls were thrilled to mix and match caps all day! Honestly, I can't wait to make more!

My Trip to Texas...Therapy, Wisdom, and Sisterhood.

I have a wonderful friend...the kind that some never have in a lifetime. She is really more of a sister to me than a friend and she lives all the way down in Texas.
When I was going through the painful process of growing up, we met and bonded...sometime around 4th grade I think. Anyway, her mom and mine were in a prayer group together. My home life was difficult due to the neediness of two "special needs" children and over-exhausted parents. Her family graciously stepped in and gave me an oasis to retreat to when life got too real. Then one day the decisions were made for her family to move to Texas and mine to Kansas....Oh how we mourned!
We have fought to maintain our sisterhood all these years and somehow beaten all odds! I feel closer to her now more than ever!
Recently my life (and hers, but in different ways) has gone through a major upheaval.  Life has almost been more than I can bear at times, and terrifying too. During the most excruciating period we had already planned for me to come visit her home. Could G-d's timing be more perfect? It was the best therapy I could have ever wished for!

While there, we experimented with a few recipes, crafted into the wee hours, and caught up on a years worth of life drama. I'd like to share some of the fun we had in hopes of holding on to that "sunbeam trip" just a little while longer!

Our daughters are "sister friends" too! :o)

The Guilt-Free Margarita!

Nothing says "summer" quite like sipping a margarita at a barbecue or on the patio at some delicious Mexican Cantina... My mouth is already watering! While I love to indulge once in awhile, on the tangy, chilled concoction, the consequences to my waistline are almost not worth it! While at a Weight Watcher's meeting a couple of years ago, I lamented over the points of this yummy summer drink and low and behold, someone brought forth this great recipe! Although it doesn't pack quite the punch of the normal Margarita it is a satisfying alternative! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you:

The Guilt Free Margarita
Ingredients:
1 can Diet 7-Up or Sprite
1 packet Crystal Light Lemonade Drink Mix
2 tbs lime juice
1.5oz Tequila
15 ice cubes
Directions:
Put all the ingredients into the blender and mix until the ice is crushed to a desired consistency and pour into glasses! According to the old WW points system the entire blender is only 2pts!!!!!
ENJOY!

SUMMER FUN: Our Pool!!!

We all know that baby pools are really no fun for anyone over 3ft tall so when the decision was made to get something the adults could wallow in too, I was beyond excited!!! I didn't want to go too big because water testing, filters, and chemicals kind of seemed like too much work for a couple of toddlers. So I settled on a nice inflatable, rectangle pool with a drain and plenty of room to lounge whilst the yard monkeys splashed around.

We were blissfully happy for the first few days until the water got stinky and the bottom turned a weird, greenish hue. I drained it and hauled it over to the hose to scrub it, rinse it and refill it....Ok that was awful!!!  Maybe the big pools and their filtration systems were on to something?
My salvation came when, on impulse, I ducked into a small pool and hot tub store. The advice I got was to float a small chlorinator device in the pool with a chlorine tablet that lasted for a few weeks. I also purchased a skimmer (not the pole, just the actual skimming-thingy). I float the "chlorinator" at night and take it out before we all get in to play. My solution for dealing with the swarms of suicidal bugs that clog the water every morning was to buy a small tarp that floats on top of the water. Purchasing one that would cover the whole pool and tuck under the sides so it won't blow away, was ridiculously expensive!
We are now enjoying our little oasis very much and the upkeep has been surprisingly minimal now that I've got the few proper tools!

Happy Summer!

When Life Gets in the Way...

Its been such a turbulent series of months that I've had no desire recently, to blog or really share my life with people other than close friends and family. I remembered though that my purpose for starting this blog was to chronicle the many shifts in my life from working mom to stay-at-home goddess...why did I think that only applies to the fun, crafty, sparkly things?
The truth is since I left my business up on the top shelf and plugged into being at home, I've really struggled with losing my identity, trying to find where my self-worth comes from, and loneliness. Lately the pain has been more palpable due to decisions made, that I was not a part of, but drastically affected my life.

There is good news though: I'm reconnecting with the parts of me that I forgot I owned... I actually found my spine a few weeks back (it's been lost for years), and a strength that I've often admired in others but had no idea I even possessed!

I guess I'm writing this all down to remind myself that tucked inside all the recipes, fun ideas, and crafts is still a woman who is carefully picking her way though life and growing up all at the same time. I'm hoping this will be healing and help me get back up on the "blog horse", so to speak.

(re)Purposeful: Mother's Day Edition!

It has been KILLING me not to share this re-vamp with the world but now that my mom is the proud owner of this "once-ugly-little-side-table" I can finally post this without ruining her Mother's Day surprise! WHEW!
So this darling (but slightly hideous) little side table has been in her family for years... in high school she allowed me to spray paint it to match my decor. I think now she realizes that was a mistake because it didn't turn out very good at all. I felt like I should redeem myself (and the ugly table) and use some of the skills I've learned to give her a truly lovely piece she can be proud to display.

I started by sanding it all down to a smooth surface. The spindles were the hardest but I used a flexible sanding sponge which made the work much easier! Then I used spray primer and gave it a thorough coating. I decided to paint the whole thing a semi-gloss black which looked very classy however, the top looked ever so plain... What a great excuse to drag out the Mod Podge!!! Here's the end result:

<----This is the table top

Isn't it sweet? I used a glass knob for the pull and I LOVE how it ties the whole piece together! I just used scrap-booking paper and layered many thin coats of Mod Podge over it to create a seal. (Let each layer dry before adding more!) We had a Mother's Day picnic at a local park tonight and I FINALLY gave it to her!

I love you Mom! Thank you for always supporting my artistic endeavors even when they aren't so stellar.... you're my favourite cheerleader! <3

~Mother's Day Special~

Mother's Day has always been a strange but wonderful holiday for me. I'm a grown-up adopted kid, that one day woke up in this amazing fairy tale where I find out I'm related to sisters I go to church camp with and I suddenly have 11 brothers and sisters of my own! A dream right?
Now that I have my own children the holiday's meaning has deepened incredibly for me. I'm constantly filled with awe for: the woman who didn't give birth to me but loved and raised me as her own...the other woman who tenderly carried me in her womb, knowing that soon she'd have to kiss me (maybe for the only and last time) and give me to a stranger.... the woman who never met me but welcomed me into her family and loved me because her husband/ my birth-dad wanted to be a part of my life when I found out about them 15 yrs ago. Now they all get to kiss, dote on, and spoil my kidlets, their grandchildren!
SO in honor of "My Three Moms" I want to share a couple of Mother's Day crafts that I thought were very sweet!

Hand Print Poem:
This cute idea was done by my friend Monica and posted on Facebook. I asked her permission to share it because it's so very sweet and the poem is just lovely! I think it would be so special to make one every year so you and your child could see how the hand prints grow!

It's a bit hard to read but the poem says:

Sometimes you get discouraged,

Because I am so small

And always leave my fingerprints

On furniture and walls

But everyday I'm growing

I'll be grown some day

And all those tiny fingerprints

Will surely fade away

So here's a little handprint

Just so you can recall

Exactly how my fingers looked

When I was very small

Hand Lilies For Mom:

This is the project myself and lovely assistant, Grace, made with our toddlers yesterday at Synagogue. The moms just LOVED them and it was very easy to make!

We traced their little hands on two different colors of paper and cut them out. I used a pencil to curl the "fingertips" backwards so they curled. Then we rolled the "hands" together and taped the bottoms, putting the lighter colored "hand" in the middle. We used pipe cleaners for the stems and the sprouts in the middle and threaded it through the lilies so they stayed together! It was really easy and they looked mah-velous!

I found this picture on the internet..we made our the same way only we double the flowers so the lilies looked fuller.
*UPDATE: My wonderful assistant Grace sent me the picture we took of our "hand lilies bouquet"! Here's how ours came out!

Happy Mother's Day to you all and especially to my three moms who I treasure and absolutely adore! <3
(Oh and stay tuned for the Mother's Day gift I made for my mom, I can't post it yet because it goes directly to her email and I don't want to spoil the surprise!!!)

FAST FOOD: Spaghetti a' la Spaghetti Squash

As of sundown tonite, Passover has officially started. Gone are the crackers, bread, cream soups, beer (sob), and cookies... But it also brings with it an amazing opportunity to try new recipes or modify old family favourites! I was skeptical that my kidlets would tolerate a squash instead of pasta but this meal was a HUGE hit and even my pickiest darling asked for seconds!

Spaghetti a' la Spaghetti Squash:
1 jar of favourite spaghetti sauce
1lb browned and drained ground beef or turkey
1 spaghetti squash
1/2 package of light cream cheese (optional)

The Spaghetti Squash Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 and prick all sides of squash with a knife. (I found this step highly therapeutic and may have overdone it a bit!) Lay squash in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour. After it's done baking set it out to cool, once you can handle it (without burning off your fingerprints), use a serrated knife and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and darker strands of squash-goo. Use a fork to scrape the sides and scoop out the spaghetti strings into a large bowl.

The Sauce:
Pour jar of spaghetti sauce into a pan and mix in ground meat, bring to a bubble over medium heat. Warm the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds until soft and add to the meat sauce mixture. Stir until well mixed and serve over the spaghetti squash.
ENJOY!

Passover Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

It's almost mean to give out this recipe at a Weight Watcher's meeting BUT I'm so glad they did because they are DELICIOUS! Now that Passover is upon us I'm very worried how my little window-lickers will survive without their usual munchies. These macaroons have been a huge hit! I tried to make them with my 4yr old but they were very messy and hard to control. That would really be my only complaint, as I like to find recipes she and I can make together. My suggestion would be to maybe drip the chocolate on top instead of trying to dip these flaky, crumbly cookies in. I think she could handle that although I doubt if any of the chocolate would make it on top of the cookies....

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons:
(from weightwatchers.com)
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups packaged unsweetened, shredded coconut
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chips or pieces chopped into bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I skipped this part and perhaps this is why 4 cookies immediately fell apart when I tried to scrape them off the sheet.)
In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with sugar. Add vanilla and coconut; stir to combine.

Scoop up a level tablespoon of batter and form into a ball with your hands; repeat with remaining batter. Place each ball about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until tops start to turn tan about 15-18 minutes. Remove cookies to a cooling rack for about 30 minutes (and arm yourself with a sturdy spatula to scare off would-be cookie thieves).

Place chocolate in a double burner or heavy pot; melt over low heat, stirring occasionally. (I cheated and melted bits in the microwave in 30 second spurts, stirring often so it didn't burn.) Keep chocolate warm and pliable as you dip tops of cookies into chocolate. Place dipped cookies on a metal tray evenly spread so they don't touch; freeze until chocolate sets, about 20-30 minutes.

I've also seen these dipped on the bottoms and I think that might be easier too. I plan on making another batch as my first attempt has all but disappeared from the kitchen....hmmmmmmm! LOL! Enjoy!

(re) Purposeful: Meaningful Seder Plate

I couldn't be more excited for Passover to start! Well, now that I have the hametz (food with yeast and leavening in it) cleared out and the menu planned for the next 8 days... HA! In my enthusiasm I decided to hold the Seder meal at my house but ran into a small problem when I realized I don't own a Seder plate! I've had a friend ask me where you can purchase one because she wasn't comfortable ordering one online and being stuck with something she didn't like. After researching it a little I thought to myself: "Why not just make one?"
I have a lovely silver-plated platter that was given to me by my Grandma before she passed away, collecting dust in my hutch. It reminded me of my cake/plant stand project! After a productive trip to the Dollar Tree, I came home with a small, glass candle-stick holder and six, little glass bowls (and a TON of Luau decorations for my littlest's 2nd birthday party, but that's neither here nor there!).
After cleaning the platter, I used E-6000 to glue the candle-stick holder to the bottom of the platter. It sat all night while the bowls had a hot bath in the dishwasher.

Once I was sure the glue was dry and the bowls clean, I arranged them on the platter. I love the way it turned out! The next step is to Mod Podge the Hebrew words for each Seder ingredient on the bowls but I need to practise my calligraphy a little more.... Anyway, here's what I have now!

FAST FOOD: DIY Pizza!

My four year old has become obsessed with our kitchen! How I long to just walk away and let her take over family meals however, the thought of her weilding a sharp knife gives me pause... (cringe) On the last trip to the grocery store I tried to think of some meals we could create together and stumbled upon already made pizza crusts! (Insert lightbulb moment here!) We made one tonite, had a fun time and man, was it tasty!!!

It takes a little planning ahead so take advantage of naptime or go ahead and let them duct-tape the cat to the ceiling fan while you brown some hamburger and chop veggies for the toppings! We used lean hamburger, turkey pepperoni, green peppers (that no one liked but me), black olives, mushrooms and lots of mozzarella cheese! I spread the sauce on and let her sprinkle cheese to her little heart's content. The ingredients were all organized in little bowls (am I the only one with kids who are adverse to food touching each other?) and we plotted 4 spaces on the pizza for each family member. She had a lot of fun taking orders for everyone's slice of the pie!

Once it was loaded and the oven hot, I carefully placed our lovely pizza in the oven. We used the leftover chopped veggies and made a salad for each person, and set the table. She never got bored and loved sampling all the ingredients! It came out 10 minutes later, piping hot and soooooo delicious! I think the whole meal took under 30 minutes to make and I got a little bonding time with my favourite Sous Chef! :o)

Bon Appetite!

(re)Purposeful: Mod Podge Toilet Tank Lid...wha?

I was absolutely inspired when I stumbled across the blog: Mod Podge Rocks! (http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/) I think it may have changed my life! The very next day I sprinted to the nearest Hobby Lobby and bought the biggest jar I could find, ideas swarming through my brain as loud as a hive of honey bees! Alas, when I got home, life happened...the kids needed me, the laundry was starting to overgrow the bins, my husband was sure he was starving to death...sigh!
Last night something magical happened...the kids STAYED in bed and my dear husband went out with his brother!!! Oh yes, I had the house to MYSELF! It was if I could hear the lonely Mod Podge jar calling to me from my workshop.
I knew the first project needed to be more like a lab experiment. That way if something didn't worked or (gasp) was ruined, it would be a learning experience and not a giant blow to my crafty ego! Well we have a toilet tank lid in our downstairs bathroom that was dropped and shattered into three big pieces. You can't buy replacement lids...or so I was told at the 3 hardware stores I tried.  Out of desperation, I glued it together and put a dish towel over it.
                                                            Perfect starter project!!!

SO first I watched the tutorials for Mod Podging  on the amazing blog mentioned earlier! Then I got busy! I'm no seamstress so there's not a lot of fabric laying around but I scrummaged up a twin sized sheet that had seen better days.  I cut out enough to cover the whole lid and wrap around the bottom and coated the fabric with Mod Podge (MP) leaving it in the workshop to dry. This keeps the fabric from fraying and also hardens it so it's easier to adhere things to. After an agonizing hour I couldn't wait anymore so I covered the lid with a medium coat of MP and smoothed the (almost dried) fabric over it. (Lay it down slowly and rub all the bubbles out!) I treated the corners like wrapping a present and MP'd the folds to hold them in place.

Next step:  I scoured the internet for images of birds until I found one I liked and printed it out. Using the image as a template, I then cut out birds facing different directions from some fun scrap-booking paper. I took it one step further and cut out a different color for their wings and beaks, made branches for them to rest on and cut out a bunch of leaves in coordinating colors and patterns. I used the MP to glue the wings and things on the birds and then used it again to adhere all the cut-outs to the fabric-covered tank lid. (Just a note: lay out your design first so you can tweek it before you glue anything down, soooo much easier than starting over because it doesn't look right) After waiting 20 minutes or so I added another coat of MP over the whole thing to seal it.

It still needed a little something... a little black ribbon around the edge with a coat of MP to hold it in place, finished it all off nicely! I LOVE how it turned out and will probably be looking for excuses to use the downstairs bathroom from now on!

(re)Purposeful: Picture Frames Revisited...

After blogging about all my ugly picture frames I raided my storage space and dragged out a boxful in assorted sizes. I'm still perplexed at what to do with the teeny tiny ones but I have struck GOLD with the larger ones!!!
I found a frame for an 8x10 picture and spray primed it weeks ago hoping some inspiration would hit me. It started as a teal and gold, 90's ornate eyesore, but it's amazing how much nicer things look with just a layer of primer! After immersing myself in DIY blogs for a few days I found the idea of turning frames (with the glass still intact) into little, personal dry erase boards. The mark from the dry erase pen, wipe off easily from the glass and they look so cute hanging on a wall!
Rejuvenated from all the blog-stalking, I resurrected the sad frame from the bottom of the pile and got to work. I painted it with black latex paint and while it dried, I cut a piece of light-colored scrapbook paper to fit inside the frame. Then, after waiting the agonizing amount of drying time, I put it all together.
It looked great but there wasn't a good spot to put the pen! I lose things in a blink so there really needs to be a place to keep the marker close.... After digging through my little shoppe, I found a piece of a dresser handle and hot glued it to the frame molding. I used jewelry wire with crimp tubes to connect the pen to the handle part and TA-DAH!!!!

I gave this one away as a gift but plan on making one for my kitchen to keep track of groceries and the menu for the week! I love that all the hanging apparatuses are already in place (because it is actually a picture frame) so there's no need to come up with a solution for hanging it!

My Little Shoppe of Wonders!

My dear husband has always dreamed of having a "man cave"... a dark, magical place where men gather to scratch themselves and worship the TV. Unfortunately we've never lived in a place where such a space could be carved out AND YET I have a glass studio and a craft shoppe....ummmmm....sorry? LOL! I admit it is extremely unfair and he did had a space in the garage where he hung a heavy bag and lifted weights...until we bought our pop-up camper. The poor guy doesn't have a prayer....especially now that we have two daughters... When they hit pre-teen he'll be banished to the teeny downstairs bathroom that's more like a water closet...maybe I shouldn't tell him and just let him be surprised?
Anyway, we had a Sunday free, the weather was gorgeous and we gutted out the disgusting garage! Once everything was out I saw this little space and made it my own. You don't need much to craft and create as you can plainly see!

Maybe my husband could have a "man cave" if he didn't insist on needing such a large TV? We just don't have that much house!

(re)Purposeful: Re-vamp Ugly Picture Frames for Gifts or Home Decor!

We all have ugly little secrets tucked away all over the house that we are ashamed of but can't throw away... I will finally admit that I have a nook under the stairs FULL of ugly, dusty picture frames... Some are just hideous. I'm not even sure why I still have them and have been trying to find projects to make or poor, unfortunate souls to unload them on!
Now that I have my nifty little workshop in the garage, I can finally see all the cans of paint, brushes, sanding tools and supplies that have been yearning to be used! After browsing through some fun blogs and gathering my "goodies" I decided to try and repaint a few frames and see how they turned out... Here's what I started with, I call it: '80's Ode to Boring Oak

Absolutely nothing about this frame makes me want to display pictures of loved ones in it... So I sanded it with a rough sanding sponge (these are the best!) and gave it a light coat of spray paint primer that's tinted gray. After a full night to dry, I painted it a deep charcoal in a flat finish. It is so important to use a primer first, and I really love the spray paint version because it gets all the little nooks and crannies that a brush can miss. Also the paint went on so smoothly, like buttering a hot piece of toast! After another agonizing night of waiting for the paint to dry, I grabbed that trusty sanding sponge and distressed the corners and sides where I thought normal wear and tear would occur over time and VOILA! I am now the proud owner of this cute little frame:

I used some pretty scrapbooking paper (which is another obsession of mine, that we'll save for another time) as a background and am thinking of putting a monogram or silhouette of a bird in it! I have about 50 more frames to dig out so stay tuned for more fun ideas to do with ugly picture frames!

(re)Purposeful: Buffet is FINISHED!!!

I am excited to announce that I finally got the buffet finished!!!!  The weather was truly against me, and then the plague struck.... however the planets must be aligned and G-d's in a good mood because it is GORGEOUS outside today and plenty warm for me to open up the garage and polyurethane! Okay so with out further ado, I give you THE BUFFET:

And just in case the "before" image has been forgotten, here's what I started with:

FAST FOOD: Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Everyone at my house is either sick or recovering... I feel like I should warn readers of this blog to wear respirators and/or bleach their computers when visiting this page! I'm finding myself exhausted at the thought of doing even the simplest of tasks (I can't remember when last I ate a hot meal) and dinner seems like a monumental task!  Whilst rummaging through the cupboards through swollen, gritty eyelids I discovered a can of mushrooms and another of cream of mushroom soup...inspiration hit (almost killed me but I went with it)!

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff
1lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
1/2 C dried minced onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use "98% fat free")
1 can mushrooms
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 C sour cream ( I use "light")
1/2 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese (I use "1/3 less fat")

Add hamburger, soup, onion, garlic salt, and mushrooms with their juice to crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. At the last hour of cooking add the cream cheese and sour cream.
Serve over rice or egg noodles and ENJOY!

Surely this creamy, hearty meal will banish the last of the viral beasties lurking about and warm little bellies before bedtime! <3

(re)Purposeful: Home-grown Baby Wipes!

I've decided that guilt is an unfortunate side-effect of motherhood. No matter what you do, someone always feels free to share their criticism, even about the littlest things! When I had my first child I felt AWFUL about putting her in disposable diapers, not being able to nurse her til she was 7yrs old, and don't get be started about vaccinating! My bestie from Texas was one of the wonderful moms in my life that was encouraging and supportive. She also has amazing ideas and one night, after a 90 minute phone-therapy session, we came up with this great idea: Home-made Baby Wipes!

Who has time to run to the store at 4am, when your baby has cleared their diaper and splattered the wall behind them? With just a few staples on hand, you can make your own wipes at a fraction of the cost and be eco-friendly all at the same time!

My darling Lyndy (Texas bestie) actually sews her own flannel wipes and sells them. You can throw them in the wash and re-use them til they disintegrate! http://lyndysrantsandraves.blogspot.com/    <----This is the link to her blog so you can contact her, if like me, you couldn't sew a button if your life depended on it! 

While waiting for her to sew me a batch, I used "Choose a Size" paper towels. I chose the smaller size, folded them in thirds and layered them in an empty wipe container. Once I filled the box, I made this delightful cleanser to keep the wipes wet: (Use this recipe on the re-usable wipes too)

Wipe Cleanser Recipe:
3 C Water
1/4 C Olive Oil
1 TBS Baby Shampoo or Baby Wash
*6-8 Drops Lavender Essential oil or Eucalyptus Essential Oil (sometimes I use both)

*The essential oil is important because it's a natural disinfectant so it will inhibit mold growth in the container, and Lavender oil is an anti-inflammatory so it's super soothing! You can find it at most Organic grocery stores.

**Now definitely don't start this on a newborn, as their skin is so delicate and their allergies may not be known yet. Also, if your baby does have a lot of allergies ask their pediatrician first!**

I just love the fresh smell of these wipes and one wipe cleans a lot more than the store-bought brands. They are so much softer too!  It's nice to have an easy fix to at least ONE of the many things I feel guilty about! :o)

FAST FOOD: Banana Buttons, anyone?

There are days where I feel like my house is divided in two different universes....One kid eats with gusto, the other hates everything, one cries when you look at her sternly, the other laughs when you shout a warning and proceeds with her back-flip off the couch...sigh...Snack time at our house is no different! To appease them both I would need separate gourmet kitchens complete with chef and staff, so when I had this little inspiration for a semi-healthy, super delicious snack and they BOTH liked it I knew it was something  should blog! LOL!

Banana Buttons:
Banana
Peanut Butter
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Cut the banana into little "button" slices, add a small dollop of peanut butter on each "button", then top with a semi-sweet chocolate chip (way less sugar than milk chocolate) then hype the snack way up as being "decadent" and "desserty" and serve!

I split a banana between the two and they devoured it! Both were full and satisfied and I was happy that they had some fresh fruit, a good source of protein and a little chocolate to keep them sweet! :o)

(re) Purposeful: Hospital Whiteboard

My dear husband is not prone to bringing home strays so when he called Saturday afternoon and asked if he could swing by his work to pick something up, my interest was definitely piqued! The hospital he works at is remodeling some of their rooms and they had a whole stash of homeless dry-erase boards headed for the dump, free for the picking!

Once he brought it home we got right to work cleaning the front and using adhesive remover to get the tape remnants off. I found WASHABLE dry erase markers....yes washable....and a cute little eraser at Walmart. We hung it at "kid level" in the kitchen on bulldog hooks for extra stability. Now, how to keep the markers convenient to use but out of the way? I found an old dishwasher basket that holds the markers, the eraser and hangs off the frame of the whiteboard. 

 

The kids LOVE it and haven't watched TV since we put it up!

SNOW SURVIVAL TIP #3: Snow Ice Cream

I am really disappointed that I even have to write this post at the end of February but alas, Kansas can never seem to make up it's mind when to change seasons.  We entertained a few days in the upper seventies only to wake up to a yard full of snow and ice... what a TEASE!
So if you're stuck inside all day you might as well eat right? Here's the recipe we use for snow ice cream! The kids love to watch the snow accumulate in the bowl (kind of takes your mind off of how much is stacking up in the driveway) and you get a nice sweet treat for your troubles!

Snow Ice Cream:
Needed:
A large clean bowl
Milk
Vanilla Extract
Sugar

Collect a large sized bowl full of CLEAN fresh snow,
 add around 1c. of milk to desired consistency,
stir in 1 c. sugar and 1/2-1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
ENJOY!

I actually look forward to snow (with in reason) now and the ice cream stays fresh in the freezer for the day although it's MUCH tastier right after it's prepared!

Beads and Things

Since it's such a gloomy, rainy, and overall NASTY day, I thought it would be fun to post a few of my favorite lampworked beads. I rarely have time to get on the torch anymore... hot, molten glass and toddlers just don't seem to mix well! 

I started as a "stringer", someone who strings beads and charms into jewelry, but the obsession quickly escalated and unique beads were harder and harder to find. My birth mom finally decided to get her own little Hot Head torch and began making her own beads. The first time she sat me down in her studio I was hooked! Truly love at first burn...HA!

I've since graduated to a Bobcat that runs on an oxygen concentrator and propane. It's hard to find glass rods in KC...Moon Marble has a pretty good selection of Vetrofond but for Moretti, I order from Frantz.

There really is no other feeling quite like running downstairs to peek at the treasures I've created in the kiln the next day...maybe Christmas morning? As the kids grow and can entertain themselves safely, (they can literally set themselves on fire in the time it takes to change the laundry over) I hope to reconnect with this amazing art form and medium!