Just in Case

Just in case Bug gets called into bat, he's READY!!!!

On vacation next week!!!!! See ya Thursday

Wecipe Wednesday

Camping Recipes

My favorite thing to do while we are camping is gorging on food. Everything taste better when it is under the hot sun ate in lawn chairs. :)

Smore's are an all time favorite & I have seriously found people that have never had a smore before. PEOPLE have you been hidden in a closet???

2 graham crackers
a HUNK of chocolate
a couple of toasted marshmallows

Just smash it all together & enjoy. Try not to eat to many.

My next favorite camping snack is a little different. We are a somewhat healthy family but we love sweets too. We always take fruit when we camp & it always get's ate.

Make a foil packet & cut up a banana in it. Sprinkle marshmallows & chocolate chips over & close it & throw it on the fire. Let it cook long enough for everything to melt & it is oh so yummy!!!!!

Enjoy!!-Next week: Fun kids recipes (and I actually have pics for both of those).

Trash to Treasure BABY!!!!!

I love going to garage sales. I have been doing it with my mom since I was little. It was always just a day the we got to spend without the boys. We would always do the garage sales with Golden Glazed Donut's & then go to lunch once we were beat. Now we have passed the tradition onto Tinkerbell. Granted she hates the car & screams bloody murder EVERY SINGLE TIME we put her back in, but we're learning. (Can everyone say, SLUSHY!!!!)

My mom goes more towards the clothes & I go more towards the, "what can I do with this piece of crap" type things. :)

I got these 2 bad boys for a .10 a piece & just mod Podged some scrapbooking paper on them. I am still going to Mod Podge some paper on the R but ran out of time & just wanted it on the wall.

Next I got these 2 candle holder's because I LOVED all the scrawly details. I took the candle holder part off (with just 1 screw btw) & painted it the same as I did all of my SCREAMING WHITE picture frames & hung them above the doorway going to my kitchen. Once again I have some empty frames & I need to line them up a little better on the sides but I had 2 grumpy babies this weekend. I'm lucky I got ANYTHING done. :)

Enjoy other Trash to Treasure's over with Kimm at Reinvented. I want me that End Table!!!!! Great Job Lindsay!!

My weekend involved a little black dress(well a size 16, but Marilyn was a 14 so WHATEVA), hot pink heels & my tiered cake wrapped present. Check it out!!!!

Instead of just a plain old boring card I found an idea last week here. You put a cookie in a treat bag & circle up some scrapbooking paper. I wrapped them indiviually. One said Congratulations Mr. so & so & the other said Congratulations Mrs. so and so. Then instead of just wrapping our towels & washrags & picture frame I put them in their own boxes & layered them like a cake. Check er out baby!!!!

Oh yeah & a little bit of this, LMAO!!! I scared my mom so bad with this bad boy. I'm thinking I'm going to put it on & stand above Mr. KU & poke him with a stick with it until he wakes up. ha ha!!!!

Before & After-My bathroom

Jeez it seems like I have been working for MONTHS on my bathroom, oh wait I have, lol. When we moved into our house the bathroom was the only room that we did not have to do anything with. We had to GUT both downstairs bedrooms & install new floors & carpeting in the living room & dining room. We also knocked out a 1/2 wall & closed off another wall to make a laundry room. (Pictures on those later)

I love our house, but I am tired of it being just a house. I have been working so hard to finally make it OUR house. I have finally (yes after 5 years) hung picture's how I wanted them and not just on the walls to get them up.

Here are some before and after's of my bathroom. They are the slick white walls that I want to paint so bad but I have a feeling that I would be asking for trouble so I am going to tolerate them a little longer. This is what it looked like after I put the ducks up trying to give it some color!!!!

But this is what it usually looks like. Crap everywhere, lizards in the sink...

And then I took the shelf off of the wall & painted my bottom vanity & took the medicine cabinet mirror off of the wall & replaced it with just a hanging mirror. Where in the world is all our crap?? Me & my hubby each have our own basket under the sink. I FINALLY threw away all the junk that I didn't need & made us our own cute little baskets.

I decoupaged some cute pics of the kids taking baths & hung them with blue sheer ribbon. It doubled our bathrooms space!!! What do you think????

We'll see how long it stays clean, lol.

Wecipe Wednesday

Healthy food (somewhat, lol)

2 really great recipes that I like when I want to watch what I'm eating are a easy Chicken Salad that I eat with Wheat Thins & an apple dessert.

Chicken Salad:

1 can of Tyson chunk chicken breast
1/4 cup of shredded cheese: I like pepper jack to give it some zip
2-4 T of Light Ranch dressing

Just mix all of this together & eat it with wheat thins & you have a yummy lunch!!!!

Apple Dessert:

Cut up one whole apple into bite size chunks & mix with 1 cup of lowfat yogurt. I like Red Delicious apple's & I mix up what kind of yogurt I use. I just get the walmart brand when it is on sale.

Both are easy & yummy. I do notice that I like the apple dessert better after it has set in the fridge for awhile. I think it's just because it makes it oh so cold on a hot summer day!!!!

Enjoy!!!!! Camping wecipe's next week!!!

Trash to Treasure Tuesday-Mantle Clock

Every Tuesday Kimm over at Reinvented host one of my favorite parties-Trash to Treasure!!!! I love finding something at a garage sale & fixing it to fit my household & my needs.

Last week I was having a freak me out moment thinking I was pregnant even though I have an IUD in. So I started researching statistics & found out that if I was pregnant (which I'm not) then the iud would have to be taken out immediatly. Well I had posted the story plus this week's trash to treasure on my facebook & one of my friends thought that I had turned my IUD from trash into treasure, lol. That is absolutely DISGUSTING but I think it is hilarious that she wouldn't put it past me.

Ok I bought this clock at an estate sale for $1.00. My husband thought it was ugly but I liked it so it stayed. It is all plastic but is circa the 1970's. It said so on the back. I took it all apart & cleaned it & removed the wiring because it didn't work anyway & spray painted it with Heirloom White. Then I decoupaged some pretty scrapbooking paper on the face & scratched up the hands a little to make it still look old. I like it!!! The bottom that has stars on it is our last name. I thought it added that personal touch to it!!!

Before:

And After:I am going to repaint the 9. You can't see it & I thought you would be able too. :(

Check out other Trash to Treasures!!!!!

Debating on cutting my hair all OFF!!!

So I'm debating on cutting my hair. I have been growing it out for 2 1/2 years since that hacksaw of a butcher gave me a bald spot in the back. The girl seriously gave me just a hacksaw job. There was no style to it. When I went back a couple of days after it was cut because I could not get it to style, the boss was in shock at what the back of my hair looked like. So she cut some more off to try to give me a style. IT SUCKED.

I was so mad, but seriously what could I do. So I started growing it out. I even broke down & bought good Shampoo & Conditioner. I mean $17.00 a bottle for each good. But my hair has flourished!!!! It also helped that I took prenatal pills because I was pregnant with Tinkerbell. So yes, it took me 2 1/2 years to grow my hair out & I love it!!! I don't ponytail it much anymore & I don't HAVE to blowdry it in the mornings. It is usually dry by the time I get to work, but seriously I need a change. I used to cut my hair & dye it all different colors. Once a month I was doing something different.

I'm not wanting the ugly cut like this was. I am wanting to stack it in the back & leave it long in the front. But then I would have to fix it everyday. Oh decisions, decisions, lol.

Here is when I was 8 weeks prego with Tinkerbell. Look at how short it was.

Here is just 4 months later. My hair grows super fast!!!!!



And here's 2 months after that.

And here are more recent pictures. Tinkerbell was 2 months old here.

Here is me at my job. I added bangs & I like it a lot better. As much as I don't want bangs, I think I am one of those people that need bangs.


And here is the most recent picture just a couple of weeks ago.

I will probably read this post a hundred times before I make a decsion, lol. But if I do cut my hair then I will donate it to:

Which was the whole point of this post anyway. Check it out & don't cut your hair for nothing. Make it count for something (or someone).

Still Lovin my Mother's Day Present!!!

This is what my wonderful hubby got me for Mother's Day this year. Some little birdie (ahem, me through email) passed him this link with specific instructions, lol. Mr.KU is a horrible gift giver. He thinks too much about things. But THIS, this is perfect. I had tags-n-stones put both kids' names plus Mr. KU's name on it with mine on it's own flower in the center. It also came with a diamond that is supposed to hang next to it but I'll tell ya this necklace was harder than heck to put on so I have just left the diamond off for now. I'm planning on taking it off next week because we are going to a wedding & I got me some beads to wear with my black dress & hot pink heels & this necklace has to go bye bye for the night. :(

Are you still loving your Mother's Day Present? Go check out Tags-n-Stones!!!!

Wecipe Wednesday-Ritz Crackers

I LOVE Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies, but hate to spend $3.50 for 12 cookies. I will support our troops & buy a couple of boxes but most of the time it is NOT Thin Mints just because you don't get hardly any cookies. I was blog stalking one day (hmm go figure, lol) & came across a recipe that was listed as Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. What???? Backtrack. Print that sucker out!!!


Ritz Crackers & Andes Mints. That's it!?!? Yup, that's it. Go to the baking section & get a pkg of Andes Thin Mints baking pieces, melt them in a pan dip your Ritz Crackers in it & let them dry on Wax paper & wallah. As many Thin Mint cookies as you would like, when you would like them. Yummy!!!!!


Next up are peanut butter crackers. Just spread a generous portion of peanut butter between 2 Ritz Crackers & dip in white chocolate almond bark or white chocolate candy melts & let them dry on Wax paper & oh so yummy!!!!!


And guess what??? We ate them all before I thought to take a picture, dang it!!! I'll just have to make them again & add them later, lol.

Trash to Treasure Tuesday-Kids Rocking Chair

I bought this for $10.00 at a Garage Sale. Not bad, just very outdated.

I removed the pillow & fluffy arm rest & had my lovely hubby cut me two boards to size, bought some foam & some material & recovered it in about 10 minutes.

I'm definetly more of a hot pink kind of girl but this is going to sit in our living room so I wanted it to somewhat match. I think the material it looks old fashioned but I know it's brand new, lol. It still needs a pillow or something but is usually full of 1 of my 2 kiddo's so it's not that big of deal. The pillow would probably end up on the floor anyway, lol.

I still plan on sanding it down & painting it with the free Chocolate colored paint that I got from Glidden. Yeaaa I'm so excited, but this will work for now.

Check out Kimm at Reinvented for more Trash to Treasure's. Gotta go back to work now!!!

****Edited to Add*****

I never did receive my Glidden paint. :( Not sure what happened to it so the chair has not been sanded down but I did make a pillow out of a placemat. I then stitched some ribbon onto the back & hooked it to the chair. It has been this way for 3 months & is still working out for us. :)

Family Photo Disaster!!!

I am a picture taker. The first step when you have a problem is admitting it so I stand on my desk & shout to the world, "I AM ADDICTED TO TAKING & LOOKING AT PICTURES!!!".

I had my kids' picture's taken everymonth for their first year because I love to see how much they have changed. I love looking at pictures of my kids that I just took last week. I am so addicted. So when it came to Bug's 3 year pics & our new family pic I was so super excited & then after wierd & crazy stuff kept happening we finally got them taken on Sunday.

I'm just going to give you a little description of our day: (And remember-these are kids that are used to getting their picture's taken)

Wake up Sunday to both of them crying. Why I have no idea. Maybe the picture demon invaded their dreams I have no idea but both were crying. We did not wake up until 8:00am so that means we are running late for our 10am session. I jump in the shower with Tinkerbell standing at the back of the shower crying for me to pick her up & Bug crying that he can't walk because he fell & scraped his leg the day before.

So I jump out of the shower (not literally since I couldn't even walk due to my clumsiness the night before) & proceed to put makeup on. I think Bells loves makeup & try to butter up to her with it. She says, "NO" & only wants to brush her teeth. Whateva child, whateva!!!

We're walking around getting dressed & Bug is still bawling, not just crying, BAWLING HIS EYES OUT. He keeps saying he can't walk so I told Mr. KU to make sure he could bend his leg & blah blah blah just to make sure he really didn't hurt it. Nope, nothing wrong with it. So I told Bug that if he didn't stop crying then I was going to take him to the hospital & they were going to cut it off so it didn't hurt anymore. He just stared at me. Hey at least he wasn't crying. We finally settled on a bandaid. Actually 2 bright green spongebob bandaid's.

By this time my fruststration level is at about 98.9%. My patience is so almost gone!!! I made breakfast & had to deal with Bug not wanting to eat what I made. (That's a new one-I hate it!!!). He is into this not wanting to eat anything lately & it scares me. He is just not hungry & I don't know what to do about it.

After breakfast, Mr. KU is ready & I put both kids clothes on & we leave. Patience level, 99.5% by the time we put 2 screaming kids in the car. I'm pretty sure that they sensed my frustration even though I was trying to mask it. Maybe I didn't hide my eye-rolling & sighing good enough, lol.

We get to the park & deal with both kids not wanting to smile. Tinkerbell kept fighting to get down & Bug only wanted to sit on Papa's lap. He would not quit crying until he was on Papa's lap. It was ridiculous. Frustration/Patience level 100%. A SCREAMING 100%. Since Bug was not in the mood to smile & these are supposed to be HIS 3 year pictures with the rest just thrown it we decided to walk around.

Holy crap-5 million threats & 5 bribes later Jenn-the amazing Jenn took him off & they got his pictures. It took making Grandma Nat, Papa, the very over past frustrated mom & the piss ass sister leaving for him to start smiling.

Our pictures turned out amazing for how we thought they were going to turn out. The kids aren't smiling in the family pictures but hey at least they are in the pictures & not in the pond like we all wanted them to be, lol. (Just joking)

THANKS JENN!!!!!

Wecipe Wednesday (you like that title, lol) It's a keeper!!!!

All kinds of BALLS

I am a sweets person!!! I love anything chocolate, iced or baked. I stumbled across the most amazing blog. It's a woman that loves sweets as much as I do & has FANSTATIC ideas. Introduce (drum roll please) BAKERELLA!!!!

Are you drooling yet??

She is amazing!!! She can do so many things with these. Yup that is a direct link to the first post about Cake Pops!!! How fun & cute & adorable & oh so yummy!!!!!!

Directions:

1 baked 9 x 13 cake (I did Red Velvet for these)

1 can of icing ( I paired cream cheese icing with the Red Velvet Cake)

Crumble the cooked cake up into a bowl big enough to mix stuff around in it. Then add almost the entire can of icing. Use the back of a spoon to mix it up. At first it seems like it will never get mixed & then all of a sudden it's all mixed. If it seems a little dry add a little more icing to it & keep mixing well. Then put it in the refridgerator for 10-15 minutes.

Then you want to scoop balls out of it with a cookie scooper & roll them up. I piled them all onto a cookie sheet. After I was done with all of them I put them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to re-harden. I notice that it is easier to dip them if they are harder.

While those are re-forming melt your candy melts. Some things I learned with candy melts. Make sure there is not a drop of water in your pan & only have the heat on long enough to melt about half of them & then shut it off but keep stirring. They will melt because the pan is hot. If you keep the fire on too long then you end up cooking it which you don't want to do.

Take you balls out of the freezer & start dipping. If you want to do pops then dip your stick in the candy melt & stick it into each ball. Refreeze for 5-10 minutes & then dip them. It's easier if you put them on wax paper if you keep them balls or stick them in styrofoam if you make them pops.

I made red, white & blue ones that took me almost 2 hours to get them done & then they melted before anyone could eat them (grrrrrrr). So for fourth of July I am just going to dip them in Red.

Another good ball is Oreo Balls:

1 pkg of regular Oreo's food processed

1 pkg of room temp cream cheese

Mix well & dip in candy melts.

Or you can pile them into a cake like this: (Wasn't a good idea)