Starting the new year with a bang!

>> Saturday, January 14, 2012


So, if you are one of the loyal readers actually looking at this post, you will notice that I have not been doing much blogging for a while. I have been thinking about getting back to blogging, though.

Starting...NOW! I am not planning on blogging on That's {FAM}tastic anymore though. Sad day, I know. But not really, because I have started a new blog! And this one will be even better, because my sister Caroline is going to be in on it too! I'm super excited about that!




The new blog is called Highwire Living. (highwireliving.blogspot.com) Caroline came up with the idea behind the highwire. It's in reference to all the balancing we do as moms, crafters, house keepers, wives, decorators, party planners, etc. About how it can sometimes feel like you are walking a tightrope, trying to balance your responsibilities and the fun things that keep you sane.

We plan on posting a variety of things, very similar to what I was doing on this blog--craft and decorating projects, recipes, tips, etc.

Currently we only have one follower--our mom! So I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you would go visit and follow the new blog! There's not much on there now, but more will be coming soon! Thanks, you are wonderful!

And as if that wasn't exciting enough... I'm also going to announce the opening of my new Etsy shop! Going along with the new blog, I named my shop The Highwire Shop. This also is in the beginning stages, but there are a few items up, and I'm always open to custom orders! I'm selling handmade jewelry, including those cute personalized hand stamped necklaces that everyone loves!

Here are some of my favorite things in the shop right now:


I've had the shop open for a little over a week and have already made a few sales and have one custom order in the works! It's pretty exciting! I am currently offering 10% off all orders with the coupon code GRANDOPEN10.  I hope you'll check it out!

I feel really blessed to have such supportive friends and family as I take on these new endeavors.  Thank you so much! And thank you to any readers I've had on That's {FAM}tastic who I haven't met. I hope you'll continue to follow along and see what I'm up to over at Highwire Living!

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My friend is having a giveaway!

>> Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I had the pleasure of rooming with a girl named Ashley my last semester in college before I got married. She is one of those beautiful, totally classy, kind, funny, go-getter type of people who is just so likeable. She's been blogging for awhile, and her blog also exudes all of those characteristics. She just switched over to a new blog address, and is hosting a giveaway in celebration.

And she is giving away Mindy Gledhill's new Christmas album. I LOVE MINDY! We are on a first name basis with her around my house, because we love her so much. Um, no, we've never met... But she is great. I would love to win! So go check out Ash's new blog Between West and Main and maybe you could win!

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{DEAL}tastic: Lands' End Backpacks

>> Thursday, September 29, 2011

Just a heads up that Lands' End has their backpacks on sale for around 50% or more in some cases. I bought this one for my 3-year-old for his birthday (minus the monogramming).


Sorry the picture is ridiculously tiny...I tried multiple times to save it bigger, but I guess I'm just not savvy enough for that!

Anyway, this is It's the ClassMate Small Haul. It's on sale for $12.99 and I found a coupon on Retailmenot.com (just search "Lands' End") for 25 or 30% off + free shipping. Booyah! I ended up paying about $10.50 I think.

I was looking for a preschool-sized backpack and this is what I picked. They do have another backpack that's even smaller that I considered. A lot of the reviews commented on it being too small, so I decided to go the next step up.

I figured this way we'll have room to actually fill it with stuff if, for example, we wanted to pack his clothes in it for a trip, or fill it full of toys and snacks for a long car trip. You know, in case want to actually use it.

It's a little big, but he's still able to carry it comfortably. Today we used it at the library, and I'll tell ya... it was pretty nice to have one less thing (the book bag) to hold onto while juggling the 3 year old, baby in the stroller and diaper bag!

Point being: Backpacks and lunchboxes are on sale at Lands' End. There are lots of really cute colors and patterns in several different sizes and styles. I would say if you have someone who will need a new backpack for next fall (or before then) it's worth taking a look and finding a deal!

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Yikes...

>> Thursday, April 14, 2011

I'm not sure what's up with Photobucket these days, but my blog sure is struggling because of whatever technical difficulties they are having. Sorry for the ugliness. Hopefully the problem will be fixed soon!

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Tip of the day

>> Monday, April 11, 2011


Always look for coupon codes before ordering stuff online! I just got free shipping and 10% off of orders I made for supplies for Mother's Day presents this morning.

I usually just type the name of where I'm ordering from followed by "coupon" or "coupon code" in the little search box at the top of my internet window. More often than not the codes I've used have come from retailmenot.com.

I know this isn't a new concept by any means, more of a reminder in case you have forgotten. I like saving money!

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101 Things in 1001 Days

>> Tuesday, February 22, 2011


Well, it's only been 3 months since I wrote this list... I kept meaning to post it on here, to hopefully keep myself accountable, as well as giving myself something to blog about. We've finished 11 goals so far, which isn't bad, right? Thanks, Autumn, for teaching me how to do strike-throughs! That'll give you an idea of some of the things I'll be blogging about next, if I can ever get into the groove.

So, without further adieu, here are 101 things I want to do in the next 1001 (well, less than that now) days. Ready, set, cheer me on!

Start date: January 1, 2011
End date: September 28, 2013

Home
1.Book storage in W's room
2. Magnet boards in W room
3. Curtains in W room
4. Kitchen curtains
5. Paint chairs
6. Recover kitchen seats
7. Dining pendant makeover
8. Install kitchen knobs
9. Refinish kitchen table
10. Living room curtains
11. LR pillow covers
12. Make desk
13.Paint den
14. Decorate den
15. Paint hallway
16. Paint kids BR
17. Paint/decorate master BR
18. Paint/decorate master bedroom
19. Headboard
20. Paint front door
21. Plant bushes in front yard
22. Build shoe shelf for closet
23. Decorate baby room
24. Master nightstands
25. End table LR
26. Paint/decorate laundry room
27. Fill holes in walls
28. Get more seating
29. Clean all blinds
30. Fix side door
31. Recover high chair
32. Touch up scratched furniture
33. Bed throw pillows
34. Fix sliding door
35. Clean carpets 2x/year
36. Pull all weeds in planters
37. Unpack all boxes/organize
38. New change jar
39. Mini mudroom area

40. Outdoor furniture
41. Hallway Gallery wall

Crafty Endeavors
42. Quilt for W bed
43. Family rules/motto art
44. Silhouette art
45. Crochet something
46. Improve photography skills
47. Finish husband’s mission scrapbook
48. Start/catch up on family scraphook
49. Learn to make bread
50. Make J’s stocking
51. Make quiet book
52. Make file folder/laminated activities
53. Perfect a cheesecake
54. Learn to can--can fruit
55. Make and can applesauce
56. Make and can jam
57. Finish quilt camp quilt and have quilted
58. Make a family cookbook
59. Finish star quilt
60. Make stamped jewelry with sterling silver
61. Give homemade gifts when possible
62. Start an Etsy shop

Personal
63. Build up food storage
64. Exercise 3x/week for 2 months
65. Make cleaning schedule--do 2 months
66. Make budget plan and keep
67. Potty train at least 1 boy
68. Read the Book of Mormon 2x
69. Write in journals regularly
70. Learn to play a song on the piano
71. Read 20 books including:
72. 2 classics
73. 2 church books
74. 2 nonfiction/informational
75. In bed by 11pm for 1 month
76. Make bed everyday for 1 month
77. Ride bikes
78. Volunteer somewhere
79. Memorize a poem
80. Rememorize Articles of Faith
81. Memorize 3 scriptures
82. Run a 5k
83. Update 72-hour kits (add kids’ ones)
84. Invite someone over for dinner x15
85. Go to the temple 1x/month for 6 months

Family

86.Go camping
87. Go on a hike
88. See the Grand Canyon
89. Get a nice picture of Christ for our home
90. Make home video DVDs
91. Go to a waterpark
92. Go to Tucson
93. Go shopping in Scottsdale
94. Go to a Diamondbacks game
95. See the Mesa Temple Christmas lights
96. Go to the zoo
97. Go to a museum
98. Go to Disneyland
99. Go to a concert or play
100. Make homemade baby food
101. Make another 101 in 1001 list

I even printed out a copy to hang up so that when I'm bored I can remember the things I want to get done. Hmm...maybe I should hang it up next to the computer, since that's where I waste the most time...

What are your goals? Are any of them the same as mine? I'd love to hear about them! I'll cheer you on, if you cheer me on!

(And now I'm going to go lie down since both of my boys are sleeping! Yes!)

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What's been going on...

>> Monday, February 21, 2011

I've been on an extended hiatus from this blog, so kudos to you, if you are actually reading this! For a while I just decided it wasn't worth my time to post on here anymore (which is probably still true...) but lately I just keep thinking, "Oh, I could put that on the blog," so I'm just going to go with it!

I wrote a 101 Things in 1001 Days list this year instead of my regular New Year's resolutions, and have been meaning to post it for the last month and a half. Maybe if I keep track of it on this blog, I'll feel a little accountability and actually remember to look at the list once in a while, and get something done! I'll try to post it soon, and you can see what I'm working on for the next 2.5 years. :)

But here's what I've been working on lately:


This sweet little boy is a month old today (though he was only 8 days in this picture). We are loving him!

My 2 year old is loving him a little too much... He keeps trying to pick him up when I'm not looking. Today I ran (literally) out of the room to put something away, and ran back just in time to see Big Brother pick up then accidentally drop Baby Brother! I'm pretty sure I screamed. The baby seems to be fine though. Good thing 2 year olds aren't very tall, so he didn't have far to fall.

I love this little boy! Even if he is constantly getting into mischief.

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Free CUTE patterns!

>> Tuesday, December 21, 2010

It's Caroline, I'm hijacking Elizabeth's blog again to spread the word about Home Spun Threads. Right now she is offering super cute patterns to download from her shop for (my favorite price) FREE! Check it out now, it won't last forever!

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Halloween Preview!

>> Friday, October 29, 2010

Okay, I apologize for the poor quality of the picture (sent it to my email from my phone!) and the rushed manner of this post, but I just wanted to take a minute (literally) and post about the homemade Woody costume I made for my 2-year-old boy this year!

It was touch and go there for a bit, but I think it came together so cute! I can't wait for him to put it on this afternoon for our first of 3 Halloween parties we'll be going to today and tomorrow! What do you think?

The sheriff badge, belt buckle, holster and boots are all made from craft foam (either hot glued or stapled together...let's hope it all lasts till tomorrow!). For the boots I just made two cylinders and cut the V shape int he front. He'll wear his brown tennis shoes, and just slip the "boots" over his pants. I made the vest out of white fabric I painted cow spots onto. The shirt I made by painting the plaid and buttons on with some of that fabric paint with the skinny tip.

My husband and I are going to be Slinky Dog! Still throwing that one together though! I'll try and post a picture of that tomorrow.

I'm linking this post up to Fun on A Dime's October Fun Challenge!

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What's your poison?

>> Monday, October 18, 2010

Lately I feel like I need to wear a gas mask when I clean the bathrooms. Because, ironically, the bathroom is about a million times smellier while I'm cleaning it than it is between cleanings. It's not the smell that's really bothering me, I guess, it's the fact that I'm sure something that something that smelly can't really be very good to be around...

So, I want to know, what do you use to clean your bathrooms?

I currently have a handy tote full of cleansers and sprays that I take from one bathroom to the next on bathroom cleaning day... Right now it's got some Fantasik bathroom spray, Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, Clorox wipes, store brand blue glass cleaner, and a bottle of The Works tub and shower spray (which I just used for the first time--not only was I worried my nose hairs were being singed by the chemical smell of it, but it didn't seem to make my shower look a bit cleaner).

I don't mind the wipes, bowl cleaner and glass cleaner so much, but I want to find a better solution for the tub and counter/sink that will get the job done without poisoning me in the process.

I've thought of trying the homemade route, but I always worry I'll go to all that work for something that either doesn't make my bathroom look clean, or doesn't actually get it clean (disinfecting all the dirt, grime, and bodily whatnots that happen in a bathroom...). Any thoughts on this?

I've thought about (but not yet seriously considered) something like the Shaklee cleaning system that professes to be both economical and safe to use. Has anyone tried this?

So, please leave a comment, tell me what you use, what you like, love (or dislike for that matter), and any other tidbit that might help me decide how to clean my bathroom without having to invest in one of these:

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Guest Blogging: Fun On A Dime

>> Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Today I'm blog swapping with Michelle from Fun On A Dime! She has a great blog with lots of fantastic ideas for inexpensive family fun! She was kind enough to share one of her fun projects on my blog today! Thanks, Michelle!

Hi my name is Michelle (aka the Fun On A Dime Lady) from Fun On A Dime. If you are looking for some inexpensive fun for the whole family, you should come over and check out the fun we are having. There are a lot of yummy recipes, crafts, games, and many more fun ideas to keep you and your entire family busy. Come join the fun!

Now onto the fun!

We made these while we were discussing hands and feet, but I think they would make a great present for any mom, dad, or grandparent or great as a keepsake! Super easy to make and the kids had fun decorating them after they dried.








What You Need:

  • 2 c. flour

  • 1/2 c. salt

  • 3/4 c. warm water

  • Large bowl

  • Mixing spoon

  • Baking Sheet

  • Rolling pin or solid cup (I prefer the cup to the rolling pin)

  • Food coloring (optional)


**makes enough for one foot and hand print together or two separate hand/footprints

Directions:
Step 1: Mix ingredients together in a bowl. If the dough is a little dry add water a little at a time. **optional** Mix in food coloring to color the dough.

Step 2: Make a ball of dough, then flatten it to about a one-inch thickness in the shape of a circle. I recommend sticking to the 1 inch thickness. I tried to do less than an inch thick and once the hand/foot prints were finished, it was very thin on the bottom.

Step 3: Place the dough on a baking sheet, if you have not already. Put the baking sheet on a hard surface like a tile floor or pavement. Press the hand and/or foot into the dough to make an imprint. I pressed on every toe and finger and made sure their palm/heel got a good push into the dough.








Step 4: If you want to add a name or a date, the easiest way is to use a toothpick and poke words/date in with many little dots. I tried a few different ways (knifes and dragging the toothpick) and it just kept tearing the dough. (see below picture)


Step 5: Bake at 325 degrees in the oven until hard or let it air dry a couple of days. Once baked, it comes off the pan easily. I recommend baking. I baked one of them right away and let the other two air dry. The one I left in the oven I finally took it out after 30 min and let air dry the rest of the way (it probably could have baked another 10-15 min). The other two started to color oddly and stick to the pan while air drying after a couple of days, so I threw them in the oven for 20 minutes to bake. They get brown underneath but not on top and they didn't stick to the pan once baked.






This is what it looked like after it was finished baking




Step 6: Paint and decorate as you like. I like to let them paint with cue tips, then I do not have to worry about them damaging the few brushes we have while they are painting on this hard surface.










Step 7: Get excited about what you were able to create! **Warning** Mold will break when tossed! After this picture was taken, my son was so excited that he tossed his mold onto the table without thinking about it and it cracked. = ( He now knows to be careful!








Enjoy!

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Frozen Fruit-sicles

>> Monday, September 6, 2010

A few months ago I bought a set of popsicle molds from the Target dollar spot thinking it would be a fun activity/treat for my little boy. Then of course I pretty much forgot about them, and never used them until I saw this challenge at Fun on a Dime.

So a couple of weeks ago we broke out the molds, our blender, and some fresh fruit and milk. I believe our concoction consisted of some milk, a banana and a half (you can see my little boy eating the other half, below!), a peach or two, and what little we managed to get out of a mango that we had a hard time cutting open. We are inexperienced in the mango department. Just look at the look on my husband's face... I'm pretty sure he was saying, "What am I supposed to do with this?"


We poured our smoothie mixture into the molds, and put them in the freezer to enjoy the next day.


We ran a little water on the outside of the molds to loosen the popsicles up enough to get them out, and enjoyed! I kind of like this next picture. Not so much the up-the-nose shot of me (I used to be notorious for that one), but the fact that my little boy seems to be lovingly looking at me and thinking, "My mom is so cool!".

I'll tell you what these popsicles are really useful for. The post-nap, pre-dinner snack. Works out great... He thinks he is getting a treat, while I know he's really having something healthy. And everyone's happy!

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Life vs. Blogging

>> Friday, September 3, 2010

Life always wins, when it comes to that one. That's my excuse for not blogging much. I had big plans of posting everyday and whatnot, but I just haven't felt like it.

I've been trying to adjust to living in a new place with a husband who is at school until after dinner time everyday and an almost-2 year old, who is totally acting his age. As I type this, I just realized that this is the first time in my my life I've lived somewhere without someone in my family or my husband's family living in the same city. No wonder it's an adjustment!

I've been getting things done slower than a snail's pace lately, at least that's what it feels like (every time I look at all the walls I haven't finished painting). I blame that one on at least partially on being pregnant... I've been so tired lately! Everyday by the time we put the little boy in bed (and often during his naptimes) I feel SO exhausted that all I can think about doing is lying down. And I thought the 2nd trimester is when you're supposed to have more energy! I'm afraid to think what I might feel like in the 3rd trimester.

Anyway, I did upload pictures from my camera today, so hopefully I'll be able to put together a few quick posts in the next little while!

And, because it's sort of lame to have a post without any pictures (and since I guess this is the first post on this blog where I mentioned my pregnancy--it's a boy, by the way!) I'll leave you with this lovely shot of me. This was last Sunday at 19 weeks, in my ugly master bathroom.

Have a good weekend!

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Color Conundrum

>> Tuesday, August 17, 2010



My cute husband and I began discussing paint colors and such for this new house before we moved in. We even picked up a bunch of paint chips at a home improvement store while we were scouting out fun things like new fridges and washers and dryers.

Right away, we noticed a difference of opinions when it came to paint colors. I was all over the "tan is neutral, and you can add color with accessories" argument, while my husband (who by the way, on multiple occasions has told me that brown is not a color, silly boy) said tan is boring, and why don't we paint the walls colors like blue, green and red?

I tried to tell him that the main reason was to avoid having our house look like the inside of a circus tent (or something to that effect--probably more like "we don't want it to look like crazy people live here") etc, etc.

Anyway, we ended up choosing to paint the living room and adjoining family room/dining area a couple of nice neutral tans. Just like I wanted, and still what I think is the best choice for these areas. So I moved on and started thinking about what to do with our bedroom. And all I could think of was TAN. Same for our master bathroom. And even I started to think that that would just be too much tan!

Anyway, it got me wondering, was I choosing tan because I really thought it was a great design choice (ya know, since I know so much about that and all...) or if it was just because I was afraid of choosing the wrong colors. Yes, friends, it turns out that the reason I was afraid painting colors other than tan is that, though I have seen lots of design shows and blogs, I don't really know what I'm doing (and chances are good that it would look like a circus in here).

And if you're still reading what has turned into a long boring post about nothing of consequence, I will tell you, I still feel that tan is a wise color choice, but maybe not in every room of the house. So we'll be painting mostly tan in the main living spaces with a little green, blue/aqua, and maybe yellow and grey (the last two being kids' rooms) thrown into the mix.

Whether or not it ends up looking a little too circus-y is yet to be seen. I hope not.

What's your opinion on using color on your walls? Would you play it safe with tan or add some punch with color?

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I'm Alive! (In case you were worried...)

Well, we survived the move. It was actually a little over a month ago, now, but I'm sure glad it's over. I'm not gonna lie, I had a little meltdown when I was stranded at the gas station with a dead car battery and neither my husband or father-in-law (who was driving our other car--thank you!) answered their phones. I think they were talking to each other... It all turned out fine, thanks to some friendly strangers, and of course my great FIL who came back and took care of it all while I entertained my little boy. Anyway, after that it was smooth sailing!

We got here, unpacked the essentials and went on vacation!


And now while my husband is at school, I am busy taking care of this crazy kid, and working on putting our house together. It's been going super slow so far. Remember this present from my husband?

Yeah, that's the only thing hanging on the walls of our house. Not a single other thing is up. I had a bit of a hard time figuring out what to do at first, as far as decorating goes (more on that later). But I think I've got it just about all figured out now, so it's on to the hard part...ya know, actually doing it. For now I am focusing on this room:


I hope I can get some of my readers back and interested in seeing the rest of the house, it's little makeover, some more recipes, and other little tidbits that I hope to post in the near future! I've even got a great guest blogger lined up next month that I'm super excited about, and you should be too!

Thanks for reading!

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Another Makeover and a Friday Fave

>> Friday, May 21, 2010

Ta Da!

Do you love my blog's new look?? I do. I love the bright colors so much! I wasn't going to make it over just yet, but I started playing around with the design, just for fun, and loved it so much I had to go ahead and do it!
There are still a few things I want to change, though. I want to figure out how to make that header a little less "large and in charge".... just shrink it down a bit so it doesn't fill your whole computer screen! And the sidebars need work, but I guess I'll get around to that later. When I figure out how.

But mostly, I love it! It is cheerful, which is exactly what I wanted.
I got the cute digital scrapbooking kit FREE from one of my new favorite blogs (this week's Friday Fave): Craftastical!

The kit I used is called A Hoot and a Half and I'm pretty sure I love everything about it. I just used a few of the elements, but here's a peak at the whole kit:
She's also got a ton more free digital scrapbooking kits here.

AND there's SO much more to her blog than freebie kits... She's a major crafter, and is currently updating a home they recently bought. I really look forward to the posts about her home makeover. I just love before and after pictures!

Craftastical is honestly one of my new favorite blogs, so I highly recommend it!

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Thrifty Finds: Neighborhood Garage Sale!

>> Monday, May 17, 2010

This post almost started like this:
THE DISASTER: I cannot find my camera cord....

And then, right after I typed that, I got up, walked right over to where the camera cord had most definitely been sitting the entire time I looked all over the house for it. "It's this brain of mine..it's got a mind of its own!" (If you can name that movie, I will think you are SO cool!)

Sorry, I realize this is a strange start to a post about garage saling, but it's my blog and I'll start the post how I want! :)
Anyway, you may or may not know that I am a thrifty girl. Yes, I did mention my Trying to Save a Buck Series (which *cough* has still yet to appear on this blog...), but my love for thrifty finds goes much beyond cheap groceries and meals.


I will admit I really enjoy shopping in thrift stores (GASP!). In fact, just this morning, when Bitty and I wanted to get out of the house, where did we go? Salvation Army. True story. It wasn't always this way... My mom and sister have been a thrifters for years, but in all honestly I use to think it was kind of gross. Maybe some of you can relate to that feeling.


Even when I was in college and single. I remember one particular incidence, where I was wearing a grey fleece Gap sweatshirt my mom had bought me at Goodwill. I was in front one of the groups of lab students I was TA-ing , and this cute girl said, "Oh, I have that same sweater in cream! It is SOOOOO OLD, but very comfortable!" (in her defense she was a very sweet girl, and didn't mean anything by the SOOOOO OLD part, except for the fact that she had gotten it several years previous).

And I just said, "Mmm-hmmmm...it is comfy" instead of "Yeah, it probably is old, but I wouldn't know, because my mom got mine at Goodwill." I loved that sweater by the way, and I still wear it in the winter.


Anyway, then I got married, graduated college, had a baby, started reading blogs, and started going to the thrift store for fun while my husband was at school or work, and the rest is history.

Oh my, this post is so long already! Can you tell I sort of struggle with finding the balance between making this blog personal enough to be interesting and succinct enough for people to read without falling asleep? I do. And this post is erring on the "personal" side. Oh well.

And finally: the purpose of this post: Garage Sale Finds!! I went out with my sister Caroline this weekend to her neighborhood garage sales and we had so much fun, and bought so much stuff! Here's the proof:

Here's our Nester-inspired view-from-the-trunk shot:


Caroline's loot:


She got so much stuff, all for under $30! The big highlight was that big brassy chandelier! She's been looking for new (cheap) lighting for her entryway for a year or two, and it was so worth the wait...that soon-to-be beauty was only $2!! I also love the giant candle sticks! If I wasn't already out of money by that time I may have fought her for them!

She also hit the jackpot with children's books (we found a sale of a former elementary teacher cleaning out her book stash!), some kids clothes and shoes, that big plastic storage thing, and other cute whatnots.

My Goodies:
I spent just over $20 on all of my finds combined. Most of the things I found were for my little boy. Here's the rundown (left to right):

tricycle: $3
green Gap tent (in the bag-like new): $5--a splurge, put away for his 2nd birthday this fall!
Scattergories: $1
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 AND Premiere Elements 2.0: $2--I know those aren't the newest versions, but for $2 I'm okay with that!
dark red necklace: $1necklace display: $0.75--ya know... in case I decide to start selling jewelry...
toddler bed rail: $3 (saw one at the Salvation army today for $8!)
3 square hanging picture frames: $0.25
tension rod: $1
brown baby sandals: $0.50
toy cars: $0.10/each
toy dinosaurs: 3/$1small basket: $0.50
shower curtain hooks: $0.50
small hammer: $1 (I think...)
elephant flashlight (that makes an elephant noise when you turn it on!): $0.10toddler camp chair: $2

Ta-da! It was so fun.

What thrifty finds have you found lately??



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"Beauty and Motherhood are one..."

>> Sunday, May 9, 2010



I love this video. If you haven't seen it already you should watch it. It's about the blogger NieNie, and the things she's gone through and her wise perspective on life, including motherhood, so I thought it was perfect for today. One of my favorite parts is around minute 5, when she says "Beauty and motherhood are one; they're the same thing."

Happy Mother's Day! Love you!

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I want this.

>> Monday, April 19, 2010


Mmmmm...Avocado, anyone? Michael Miller Laminated Cotton Dandy Damask in Avocado, that is. I painted my dining room table black a while back (sorry, never got around to posting about it), but I think after we move this summer I want to paint the chairs black too, and recover the seats {again}.

And I think this fabric would be perfect! It's laminated, so we could wipe them off easily, which I think would be a great improvement. Not gonna lie, the fabric on the seats now is covered in unidentifiable spots. Liquids of some sort, mostly, and a little bit of dry erase marker from a recent incident.

What do you think? Would laminated fabric look too cheesy? I love the green damask either way.

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The easiest homemade cinnamon rolls I've ever made!

>> Monday, April 12, 2010


I love cinnamon rolls, but I've never been that great at making them. Sure, they've always turned out pretty good, but the process... not good.

Let's just say there have been tears shed over the making of cinnamon rolls at my house, and they were mine. I don't have a fancy mixer or anything, so I've always mixed them by hand, and ended up with sticky dough that stuck to everything when I was trying to roll it up. Kinda drove me crazy.

But last week one day, I was making scrambled eggs with ham for dinner, and just had the idea "I should see if I can find a cinnamon roll recipe that will work in the breadmaker.", you know...to beef up my breakfast for dinner. Well, I found one! So we ended up having breakfast for dinner/dessert!

I love using my bread machine to make pizza dough (because let's just face it, I don't love handling dough). It's so easy to throw the ingredients on and turn it on the dough cycle. Granted, you do have to do that step an hour in advance of when you might have started making it by hand, but to me it is SO worth it to have the bread machine do all the work. I don't know why I didn't think of doing cinnamon rolls in there sooner!

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com.

The website calls them "Clone of a Cinnabon". I call them Delicious. And Easy. Or maybe... So Delicious and Easy That I've Already Made Them Twice in the Last Four Days. But whatever you choose to call them, I hope you try it and enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup margarine, melted
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
**I just used the leftover portion of the stick of butter from the first part of the recipe, which ends up being less than 1/3 cup, but it is more than enough. I also didn't measure the cinnamon and sugar, i just sprinkled it on till it looked good.
  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
**I didn't have any cream cheese, so I just made some standard powdered sugar icing, and they were still delicious! Normally I'm all for cream cheese frosting, but you could easily save yourself the calories and they will still be so delicious!

Directions

  1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
  2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

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