Don't believe it!

My husband has at least 6 different versions of how he received this black eye last week. Most of the stories involve me punching him in reference to a comment he made on how much I weigh or the number of Big Macs I eat, or all the comments he me makes about me "knocking on 30's door." Truly, it was just an elbow to the eye during church ball. But, if he keeps up with the remarks on my fleeting life span, I might just punch him in the other eye.

I got everything I wanted

We had a fun filled Christmas week. Jared was able to take off the whole week for Christmas, which was the first time in our entire marriage he's been able to do so. We've been able to catch up spending lots of time together. For FHE last Monday we took Adam to see the movie BOLT, then a nutritious kid-friendly dinner at McDonalds before we headed Interlochen to see the Christmas lights.

Later in the week we had numerous family events. On Christmas Eve we were able to spend the day with Jared's mom & step-dad. Jared's brother & family came up and everyone got to open up presents from Grandma Ann & Grandpa Tom. The adults may have been outnumbered by red-headed children.

We have a tradition of Christmas Eve dinner with my parents. My dad cooks out the best steaks we have eaten all year (you can still grill in Texas -- even in December). We were truly glutinous Christmas Eve with all the good food. We exchanged presents after playing some games. I was surprised by my dad organizing the games. He's usually not that into playing games unless it involves the lottery or the Dallas Cowboys. We had fun trying to make holiday words from letters written on ping pong balls, figuring out Cowboy trivia, and remembering Christmas carols based solely on the first letter of each word.

Christmas morning Santa had made his big appearance which thrilled Adam. He brought him the leapster he'd been pining after. Our family tradition is that you can ask for Santa for several things but, that he'll only bring your one most special present Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve Adam gets to lay out a towel somewhere in the living room where he wants Santa to place his present. Then in the morning the gift is open and ready for him to enjoy. Santa realized a few years back that it was too hard for him to get special wrapping paper that mom & dad didn't already own, so he just doesn't wrap at our house. Adam doesn't mind because he gets to play with his "it" item first thing in the morning. Santa knew exactly what to get Adam. Mom was lacking in the gift giving department. Adam saw a small garbage truck somewhere and had asked for it all of December. I hope it's not in reference to a future career choice -- if it is I hope I get the perk of no charge for an extra bag of trash left curbside. I found him a different bigger truck that dumps the contents of garbage can into the truck, it makes noises, and has a man that can "drive" the truck. As soon as he opened that he had his display of ingratitude "...but, I wanted the small one!" Once daddy put it together he decided it was better than a smaller one. Grandma Ann & Grandpa Tom came over and made us some great waffles for breakfast.

Found!

I found a blanket that works with the set. It wasn't the one that came with the set but, it was a perfect match. In fact, I think I like it better.

I started painting our office last night to turn it into a nursery. Jared doesn't like to paint. I can usually wrangle him, begrudgingly, for 5 minutes worth of painting if it is a job that I absolutely can not do myself, like reach a tall corner. Other than that, he doesn't do it. I understand, it's not my favorite thing to do but, I sure like living with the end result better than boring, plain walls. I don't mind too much, as he exceeds average husband skills on dishes & laundry. Not wanting to repeat of the difficulty I had painting Adam's nursery while 8 mos. pregnant, I decided to start now while I can still breathe, and fairly easily move up and down a ladder. This room is becoming a challenge. A couple years back when I painted the office, of course I knew we were only going to have one kid then, I chose brown walls. Well, technically Jared chose. I had a handful of paint samples and he said, "I like that one." It wasn't my favorite but, I wanted him to feel involved and was glad, at the time, he had an opinion. Today he swears he didn't pick that color but, he did. (He also said the same thing about our silverware. The very bonds of our 4 mos. engagement were stretched to the limits while registering at Target because we disagreed on the silverware. After we got his choice for a wedding gift, he decided he didn't care for the design. We just didn't know then that it really doesn't matter. Within a few years of marriage, moving, and kids nothing matches anymore anyway. Plus, it really just doesn't matter) Back to the room. Our previous bolder color choice now makes this job double long as I get to prime the entire room first before painting on the pale pink. I think it will be nice when it's done but, I am feeling like I am making little progress. Anyone want to come over for a painting party? :)

What a bummer...

Somehow I find a knack for finding the perfect baby bedding that comes without blankets. I found a set I liked that was really cute but, required making a blanket. I'm not into projects these days so I checked out a few baby stores today. Most of the stores I went to carried adorable bedding but, way out of my price range. I'm way into cute but, I realize once the baby is here there will be countless diaper leaks and mystery stains all over said bedding. That being said, I am not into shelling out tons for baby bedding. (I know, I know -- I am cheap) I was at Babies R' Us today and found the cutest bedding that was on sale. Even more bonus, when I checked out there was an additional discount. I was thrilled with my set until I returned home to learn that it doesn't include a blanket (even though there is one in the picture.) Now, I am back to square one. I've called every store in the area, and some out of the area, and I have fallen in love with the Wendy Bellissimo Black & White Medallion bedding that was discontinued a few months back. I'm told, "I'm lucky to have the parts of the set I do have." I've already checked EBAY but, currently people are into price gouging and I refuse to pay $65 for a velour blanket. So has anyone seen a blanket for this set, or anything that would coordinate? I guess for the time being I'll keep looking but, it looks like I might be taking this back to the store in a week or so.

It's a girl!

Our ultrasound tech says we are having a girl! We couldn't see anything to dispute her findings but, it's hard to believe because it's so obvious when it's a boy. Adam was right about having a little sister. We are planning on naming her Hadley Kate. I am so excited about getting to do girly stuff! I just hope we don't get surprised with a bundle of boy in May, or someone is going to get some adorable little girl outfits.

So that's how it went down...

Jared shared his Sunday experiences with me this evening during FHE. He recounted how he was pulled out the last portion of Sunday school and asked if would teach the Valiant 9 during the 3rd block. Jared will always say yes to church callings, even if they are just informal, temporary ones. During his stint as a primary teacher he learned a few things. If there is time to kill at the end of a lesson, just find a story and replace the actual names with kids names from the class. After recounting the details of the wise men visiting Jesus, there were still a few precious moments left. Substitutes are not armed with the Jesus in a manger color sheets, so he decided on one more story...this one not included in the manual. It began that there was a little girl that wanted to buy her mom some Christmas shoes. Somehow she could not remember her mom's size, so she traced her footprint on paper while she was sleeping. When she got to the store, the clerk (also named after a student in the class), was able to match the right size to the footprint drawing. However, when the girl went to checkout the shoes cost $105 (apparently her mom is into designer shoes) and the little girl only had $4.23. She wanted to make sure her mom had the shoes in case she met Jesus tonight (I think she suffered from the Bubonic plague.) Another boy in line noticed she was feeling the recession crunch and convinced his dad to fork over the difference. How long into to the lesson do you think it took the kids to realize my sweet husband was totally ganking a Christmas song, albeit with embellishments? That's why there is a manual, and why my husband may be relieved from last minute subbing.

I've got to go right now!

We've been discussing with Adam the things you should do privately such as adjusting your underwear and picking your nose. We've told him he needs to go to his room or the bathroom and clean house when he is by himself. During the most quiet, reverent portion of our sacrament service, Adam decides to announce, "I have to go to the bathroom --I need to pick my nose!" Ten minutes later he passed gas so loudly that all the members of the family next to us scooted, in unison, to the far side of the pew. (No pun intended) Now we have another thing to add to the list of "things to excuse yourself for."

December Pictures

I'm going to apologize in advance that there aren't good ones of Jared & Adam. I had the wrong focus on for Jared & Adam's photos and it was shooting some bad shadows in the pictures. The 28 year old was acting worse than the 4 year old about retakes. I think it's past his bedtime.

The stormtrooper saves Christmas

Gwen (19 weeks pregnant) & Adam (19 lbs. of additional sugar consumed tonight)

Fun Site

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

"What is a Cake Wreck?
A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places."

There are some gems on this site. I hope it inspires your holiday baking.

The Awards Show

I got a coupon for a free $10 off any purchase at the JCP. Not wanting to pass up a freebie, I somehow thought it would be an accepatable idea to go look around with nothing in mind two Saturdays before Christmas with a kid who could care less of retail thriftiness. I'm sure the other customers didn't realize they would get a show while they shopped. I'd like to present Adam Hooste with "that kid" award for outstanding performance in repeatedly touching everything breakable, hiding out in outerwear, and giving the necklaces a free ride on their jewelry carousels (sadly some of the beaded lovelies didn't buckle their safety belts and are laying lifeless on the floor -- even with doorbuster prices they could not be resuscitated.) He likewise would like to nominate me for "Mother of the Year" as I carried him screaming out of the store and threatened to cancel Christmas.

Converting to Walmart

My husband has a snoring problem. A severe snoring problem. It's been noticeable our entire marriage but, downright unbearable the last 3 weeks. Somehow it wakes me up numerous times a night but, he sleeps great. If I get woken after 3 am, I can not fall back asleep, which means I'm exhausted by 7 am. After being awake in bed for an hour, I decided to head to Walmart to investigate snore strips.

On my visit to the aisles between snore aids & sleeping pills is blasting music of a slightly off-key children's choir singing "I've got the love of Jesus down in my heart." I hadn't heard that song since my own childhood days of summer vacation bible school at the Baptist church I attended with my mom. (For those of you who have never been to VBS, it's practically mandatory if your are growing up Baptist. Your childhood would not be complete without learning the Gospel of Jesus Christ in reference to the rainforest or space city adventures. As an added bonus, your parents get at least 2 kid-free hours while you make a week's worth of glitter glue crafts adorned with crosses. It's a win-win.) That same summer I memorized 53 Bible verses in a week when I learned that the grand prize for scripture mastery would be a portable cd player. CD players were the "it" item in 1987, and I knew it would be mine. Each night, I carefully recited at least 10 verses to my Sunday school teacher. The key to winning was quantity, not quality so of course I threw in a few easy ones such as "Jesus wept." On the last day of camp was the awards presentation. Imagine my surprise when 2nd place winner Jeremy was presented with my coveted CD player, complete with headphones with foam ear cushions, for memorizing only 52 verses. I was presented with a brand new Bible to continue my efforts in religion study. I was completely disappointed because I already had a Bible, how else would I have learned so many scriptures? I did the right thing and offered to trade the white vinyl covered Bible with Jeremy. Who wouldn't want to trade a 2nd place prize for a 1st place prize? Can you believe he turned me down?

Perhaps I should have snagged a copy of "Slightly bad girls of the Bible" on my way to checkout. Who knew you could find so much religion at Walmart at 4 am.

Adam's first Santa Letter

Here is Adam's first letter to Santa. We saw Santa this week, and Adam is convinced there is no way he'll score a handheld leapster and lazer tag if we don't write a letter..."because Santa said so." I especially like the last line. It's important to let Santa know where you stand on the issues. Perhaps that was in reference to a problem we had back in August.


Dear Santa,

I liked seeing you at the party this week. Merry Christmas. Evan, Noah, Ben, Caden & Aliza were there.

Will you bring me a lazer tag gun and a leapster just like Austin's? I want a garbage truck & an ambulance & a firetruck. I want Diego & Pet Pals & Batman leapster games. They have a pink leapster for girls but, I want a green one. My baby brother or sister needs toys.

I've been a good boy. I help with laundry & dishes. I help clean up all the baby toys. I share my toys with friends. I don't hit people & don't throw my toys. I don't show my butt at people.

Love & Merry Christmas, Adam


If you don't get any Santa presents this year, I'll know it's because you showed your butt to people

Got any ideas?

I started thinking the other day that we should really come up with a boy name just in case. We have a girl name that people either love or hate, so I'll hold off on revealing that one until we know for sure. I feel like this is a girl but, I am sure there are many moms who just knew what their baby was to find out it was the opposite. Adam has definite opinions on the subject. "I want a baby sister, NOT a baby brother." We keep trying to prepare him that it may be a baby brother and that brothers are good too. Right now he's not hearing of it. Last time we were at the JCP he picked out a lovely dress for his baby sister to go dancing in. (For all those infant dances we will surely be going to.)

We have no idea what to call a boy. Jared continually gives me ridiculous names like "Shadrach, Michelangelo, & Thor." Shadrach Hooste, now that's a kid who is very popular. Anyone have any good boy names they aren't secretly holding in reserves for their future children? We need some help coming up with a good name.

Here's are list of our major naming restraints:
1. No Weird Spellings -- The kid already has the last name Hooste that no one knows how to pronounce or spell correctly the first time.
2. The first name preferably would not be in the top 10 SSN boy names list in the last 5 years.
3. Passes the General Authority/Doctor Name Test (just in case) --Elder Thor Hooste/Dr. Thor Hooste does not pass the test.

Church Christmas Party

We had our ward Christmas party this past Friday night. We had lots of fun and great food. I learned you can't let your husband be in charge of photos because he will randomly take blurry action shots of his pregnant wife carrying two plates of food. (One plate was for the kid) It also helps that when he takes the photos from a sitting position to truly capture your newly evolving double chin. Here's a good photo taken by Summer who realizes a 1-2-3 countdown will get everyone paying attention.

...and here's a picture of Jared singing "White Christmas" with a group of guys from church. I think he did fantastic.

Not on my Christmas list

On our most recent shopping trip to Target, I let the 4 year old monkey unleashed through the store. He did fairly well at staying with me, aside from plopping himself on the floor right in the middle of a very crowded dollar stop. Hurried moms did not appreciate waiting for a kid to move out of their way despite the fact he was totally engrossed in bargain literature of a book shaped like a tractor.



On this same trip, I desperately needed some new no-show athletic socks for all that training I am doing while 4 mos. pregnant. Every pair I wear falls under my heals and before I know it I am walking them off my feet. I am extremely grateful that Target has their selection of socks so near to the women's underwear section. (Hmm...bread & milk opposite side of the store, socks & underwear are the supermarket NAFTA.) The entire time I was comparing the different sock options, I had my son picking up some very fetching thongs on tiny hangers saying, "Mom, I wish you had underwear like this!" You and daddy both, son. (Of course anyone who has met me, knows I am the ideal body type for thongs.) "Can we go look at toys?" said the panty inspector. Me thinking, "If it will get your two handed grasp off the cups of that size DD black lace bra."

Merry Christmas, as long as you're like everyone else

We settled in to watch Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie on tv tonight. Wow, holy 1964 discrimination. Even Santa threw out some deer-related racism. Does anyone else think Hermey the elf looks a lot like Carson Kressley? Next year Hermey gives up dentistry and teaches the other elves how to look good naked while selling their toys on QVC.

Whoo-hoo

I was able to move my sonogram visit up one week, so we'll know what we are having before Christmas! We find out on Dec. 23 at 10 am. We can't wait. Well, I can't wait. Jared is patient enough to wait until the baby is here. I'm not.

Inexpensive Christmas Ideas

I've had some friends who've asked me about ideas for teacher gifts. Since I am a teacher on a motherhood sabbatical, here's my thoughts. First of all, no teacher is expecting a gift from any child, so don't feel obligated. Expensive gifts make most teachers feel extremely uncomfortable. After all teachers are there to teach your child and we don't work for tips. :) If you decide to do a gift, keep them simple and thoughtful. You can also go in on a group classroom gift instead of individual gifts. Don't let a pushy room mom try to guilt you into donating a ridiculous amount towards a teacher's gift. If you go that route, donate what you feel is appropriate and in your budget.

Free - $1
- Handrawn picture by the student
-A sincere handwritten thank you note from student or parent about something they've enjoyed this year in the teacher's class.
- offer to take the class for 30 minutes so the teacher can have an extra long lunch or extra planning time. (Ask principal for approval first)
- Teacher Coupons - good for help with a classroom project, help with grading, cutting laminating, help with copying, free drink from sonic, etc.)
-Baked goods
-simple Gloves
-Gift Tags – separate a set if needed, or make your own. Click here, and here for ideas.
- This book belongs to Mrs. Teacher. click here, and here for ideas. Make your own custom stickers using address labels.
-Jumbo Candy bars
- A 20 oz. bottle of teacher's favorite soda, already chilled and ready to drink. (my personal favorite!)

$3.50 & Under
-Soft Sleep Socks
-Bath & Body Works Antibacterial hand soap
-Bottle of Sparkling Apple Cider
-Word Puzzle Books (Suduko, word finds)
- Magazine
-Ornaments
-baked goods or soup/dessert mixes
- teacher supplies such as post-its, colorful sharpies, teacher stamps (good job, sign & return) magnet men, stickers, reward pencils
- Homemade trail mix
- Make gourmet caramel apples click here for instructions.

$5 & under
-Bath & Body Works Room Sprays
-Starbucks Gift Card
-Fast Food Restaurant Gift Card - they'll remember your child as they get a free breakfast before school!
-Decorate a clipboard click here and here for ideas. So cute, minus the apples! Consider leaving off 3D elements off the front side of board so clipboard can easily be used.
-Gel pens and pretty stationary
-Gardening gloves with a plant or flower seeds
-Nail polish kit
-For the pets, gourmet dog biscuits or cat treats
-Makeup brush set
-Biscuit mix/Home made bread with special jams
-Simple Scarf
- Car kits (shout/tide wipes, needle/thread/buttons or mini-sewing kit, mints/stick of gum/tic tacs, tylenol, bandaids, antibacterial wipes, chapstick, pony tail, bobby pins, a stamp, safety pin, kleenex, pen, mini notebook, one time use lint removers, dental floss, mini toothbrush, travel toothpaste) -- put these in a ziploc bag or small container for the glove box. Just one or two of the above items will be fine in an emergency, and you don't have to include everything. This will only be cost-effective if you need to make them in multiples so you can split packs)
- Handmade cards
- Teacher Name Wall Art click here, here, and here for ideas (Resist the urge to add apples!)
- Books or simple game for the classroom

Teachers are people too, who have style and interests, and generally appreciate anything practical as opposed to objects with "apple" or "teacher" printed prominently on the front. Take cues from their classroom to help determine their personal style, or send your kids to do some detective work to find out favorite foods & drinks.

All in a day's work

Yesterday, I was so excited to have a girl's night out with my good friend Brandy. No kids or husbands allowed. We got to have an uninterrupted dinner at Chili's and then off for Christmas shopping. My goal is to be done Christmas shopping by the day after Thanksgiving. I've been off to a good start, and it will be so worth it to leisurely wrap presents and decorate through December instead of fighting the crowds.

Brandy dropped me off at 9:30 pm -- which is a late night for this preggo girl. To my surprise I walked in to a strange man shampooing our carpets. Yes, my husband had let the Kirby people in at 8 pm for a 3o minute carpet cleaning demo...and they left at 10:15 pm. It's quite an experience to entertain the Kirby people. They have a fantastic system of picking up salespeople in a van, and dropping them off (leaving them stranded) in your neighborhood. I'm sure this poor man just wanted to stay warm since his supervisor, a young woman in her best black suit from the Sears Jr. department, was off in another neighborhood trying to close deals. I will say our rug, ottoman, and hallway look fantastic. I have no doubts that the Kirby carpet cleaner/vacuums are exceptional quality, and if I had an extra $2600 laying around, we might have a new one in our hall closet. Instead we sent the Kirby guy and his "supervisor" on their way with no sale.

Here's what I learned from our Kirby experience last night.
1. When a Kirby salesperson says "it will take just a minute" or "3o minutes" they are lying.
2. A Kirby vacuum is more expensive that Jared's first car.
3. The Kirby vacuum supervisor is looking for a car herself as cheap as a Kirby vacuum.
4. We were not interested in the vacuum even though it is made "from airplane parts."
5. The Kirby vacuum supervisor was not impressed that we thought she forego the car, and should just fly the vacuum around since she already had one.
6. Kirby supervisors think you can't do math. When you can't afford $2600, they offer to let you make payments of $75...wait no for you $65 a month for 5 years. Wow, then we would get to pay $3900 for the convenience of paying it out. What a steal.
7. Some Kirby supervisors can't do reverse math. Jared counter offered, "$10 a month for 5 years." ($600) We could tell by the puzzled look on her face, it wasn't going to fly -- not unlike a Kirby vacuum.
8. When you aren't sold by the carpet cleaning demo, there's a DVD you get to watch.
9. Some kirby vacuum salesmen think that New Orleans is the same thing as Mobile, Alabama -- Mississippi side. We sincerely hope you get there one day Kirby man.
10. According to the supervisor, the carpet cleaning man accepts tips for a free carpet cleaning...in the amount of $2600.

Sticker Shock

Would have appreciated someone telling me I still had the ginormous sticker of my new maternity jeans down the entire back side of my leg while I was purusing the Walmart this morning.

Doctor Day

Yesterday we all had doctors & dentist appointments.

We got to see our first sonogram of Baby Hooste #2, which Adam is convinced is a girl. I'd post the picture but, honestly it looks like every other sonogram picture at 12 weeks. We'll find out for sure on Dec. 30. I am hoping girl but, I have no feelings either way of the gender so we'll be surprised. Everything looks good and the kid was moving around a lot. It's kind of strange to see the baby moving all around and not be able to feel it. Adam & daddy stayed in the waiting room while I visited with the doctor. No need to scar either of them for life. Personally, I wish I could get out of it myself. Nothing like being violated while talking about pre-natal vitamins and when it's going to be sweater weather. After my appointment was done Adam exclaims to the rest of the waiting room, "Did they get the baby out of your tummy?!" 4 year olds don't understand time frames.

We had planned on Adam going to a sitter since we had dentist appointments after the OB/GYN visit but, thanks to a good ol' poke in the eye he had an appointment with a pediatric ophthamologist after lunch. Happily, his eye is healing up nicely. On the way home Adam asked, "That doctor was really nice, can I see him next time I poke my eye." I appreciate his steadfast effort in wanting to really do it up right but, hopefully we won't be returning.

I love you like a poke in the eye

I had big plans for Adam's birthday on Oct. 30. Luckily, I recovered from morning sickness just in time to get a nasty little cold. Finally by Thursday, I was ready to venture out into the world. I needed to vote, Adam wanted to get a haircut and go to Chick-fil-A. He loves the haircut place and was so excited to go because they have a train table. He hasn't had the privilege of going to Cool Cuts for kids the last few times since I paid $18 for half a haircut due to bad behavior. I should have made him stick it out but, I was getting the mother of the year looks from other patrons and when your child gets nicked & starts bleeding for the 3rd time you've just got to make a mom judgement call.

Our big plans were foiled when I decided to take an evening shower before going out. As I was getting dressed I was greeted by screams from the living room. I see a stick on the floor and a crying 4 year old holding his left eye. (Strangely reminescent of earlier in the week when I was greeted from screams of 4 year old holding the same eye and a can of lysol on the living room floor.) Not being a medical professional, nor an eye expert we hurried on to urgent care. I was expecting to wait hours on end to be seen but, little known fact if you have an eye injury you get bumped to the front of the line. Just remember if your kid ever breaks his arm, just poke him in the eye before you go in. It's for the greater good.

Happy 4th birthday son. Next year you get to be a pirate so we can get you an eye patch for that left eye.

Trunk or Treat

Here are some pictures from Trunk or Treat. This year our church trunk or treat was the Friday before Halloween. Apparently it's okay for my son to use his rescue ax on little girls but, not okay for other boys to swipe his ax while running away in fits of laughter.

Back to the Blog

I know I haven't posted anything in a few weeks but, there is a reason! We're pregnant! I'm about 8 weeks along and after hanging out with the greatest kids on the planet all day, I'm too exhausted to post. Plus, who wants to hear stories about yucky morning sickness anyway! I am grateful to my friends who bring me chicken nuggets (thanks Summer!) and luby's for lunch (thanks Kelly!) I can eat food, I just have a hard time preparing it, so you have no idea what this means to me!

Newest Family Photo

Here's just a snapshot of us from Sunday. Doesn't Adam's smirk say it all.

Tabletop Gallery

I actually started this project sometime ago as I was perusing the Joann's site. I have the bad habit of starting tons of projects at the same time but, have a slow finish rate. I've not let myself start any new projects until some of these old timers got off my pile of good intentions. Here's a cutesy project for my mom. I am going to let her finish each one with her favorite picture of each of her grandchildren. Her scrapbook room/office has lots of bright colors, so this should fit right in.

I'd like to apologize

I'd like to apologize to all those that may have seen my child's bum in yesterday's HS Jr. Primary. I was competely shocked & horrified as my sweet son ran back to the back of the room where I was sitting to yell out, "My pee-pee is falling out, my pee-pee is falling out!" all the while dropping his shorts and underwear down to his ankles to "fix" the situation. Oh my son, what are we ever going to do with you?

Where art thou dog?

click here: Where art thou dog?

Grace's Baby Quilt

This is a baby quilt for my good friend Shannon. Shannon & I go waaaaay back to our single girl days. We had some great times before we both got married. Shannon just had her first baby, a precious little girl named Grace. Shannon gravitates towards vintage fabrics so these were a must. This project took more time than it took her to grow a baby. I found the pattern at the Dallas Quilt show and knew this was it! It's hard to see but, I hand embroidered phrases like peek-a-boo and baby girl throughout the quilt. The name is appliqued near the center. I did everything but the actual quilting, because let's face it, I'm slow and the baby was born 3 weeks ago. At my rate I would have it done just in time for high school graduation. The ladies at Old Town Quilts in Keller did an awesome job! Amazingly, they were able to finish my project in just one day!

Potty Trained at last!

Adam has been going pee-pee in the potty since right after his 3rd birthday. However, the #2 has been quite a problem! He would go half the time in his underwear and half the time in the potty. He was never consistent. Then we had the months of him holding it and we thought he'd never figure it out. I had no idea it would be such a process just to get a kid to go to the potty! We went back to our old friend the potty chart and found out that what Adam really, really, really wanted was a big boy bike, not a tricycle. So he had to go 20 times to get his bike. He finally finished the chart off late last week and we went last night to get his big boy bike.

Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to take him longer to learn to ride a bike than it took him to learn to do his business in the potty. He's actually just sitting here, he's not really pedaling.

Chicken & Dumplings

I made some chicken and dumplings this week and they were so good!

4 Large Chicken Breasts (or whole chicken parts cut up)
2 cans reg. sized biscuits (1 can if you aren't a fan of the dumpling)
2-3 peeled sliced carrots
2 stalks sliced celery
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 finely chopped onion

-In a very large pot, cook chicken by boiling. Cover generously with water. Throw in all vegetables & parsley. Cook for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done.
- While chicken is cooking prepare dumplings. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces, roll into flour to make a ball shape. Set dumplings aside
- Reserve broth, remove chicken and cut into bite sized pieces (remove from bone if necessary.) Return chicken to broth mixture. Add dumplings into broth. If necessary add a little water. Cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until dumplings are no longer doughy on the inside. They will look a bit doughy on the outside.
- I cut the vegetables, aside from the onion, into big chunks so that the purists in our family could pick them out. Fresh parsley makes all the difference and it's so cheap. The vegetables gave everything a nice flavor and even the kid ate two helpings (once he picked out all the carrots of course.)

Happpy 'Pendence Day!

For 4th of July we went to Stephenville, TX. Stephenville is a small town, which is most commonly known for Tartelon University and who could forget, the UFO siting. My mom & Joe came down to visit from Georgia and brought my 7 yr. old nephew. My grandparents definitely live in the country, and it's really quiet and peaceful whenver we visit. (Well except when we play aggravation, the best game ever.) Some years back they moved my childhood home out to their land in Stephenville and started building around it. Most of the house is changed but, the bones are still there. Whenver we go I still get to stay in my old bedroom. It seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid!

My pappaw spent time rebuilding this 59 Studebacher. Adam and his cousin Logan got to ride in it during the annual Stephenville 4th of July Parade. Pappaw is part of one of the Stephenville Car Clubs and all the guys get together once a week to discuss cars & such. The Parade while fun, was a little slow. There were a few floats, some really great old cars, and lots of everyday people in everyday cars, so at times it was like watching patriotic traffic. It was so hot but, the boys had a great time!

The Mother Load

I have been off for a few weeks, and I finally got around to organize the piles of coupons that have been sitting in an evergrowing stack on my desk. It's a good thing to because today I got a ton of stuff really cheap!

Everything in this picture cost less than .83 each!
Cattleman's BBQ at .25 each, Glade AirSprays .50, Loreal Kids Shampoo .79, Betty Crocker Brownies .83, Dawn Dish soap .49, Colgate Toothpaste .51, Wipes .59 & .79, Pringles .69, and whole wheat & veggie Pasta .29-.39 each



...and here's my free stuff for the day:

2 Aquafresh Toothpaste, 4 Lawry's Marinades, 1 Weber marinade pack, and 2 O-cello sponges

It's so worth the time and effort to cut those coupons!

The Artful Parent Blog

I came across these two awesome blogs today. It's tons of fun, creative ideas to do with your kids.

http://artfulparent.wordpress.com/category/childrens-art/

http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/

If I only had a girl...

This week's craft was Korker Bows. These are really simple to make, just time consuming. You can make them in stages though. It's way cheaper to make your own them to buy them, plus you can customize them to specific outfits. I've got several girl baby showers coming up so I whipped these up to match the outfits. If only boy stuff was this cute!

Summer Recipes

Kool-Aid Finger Paint

2 cups flour
2 packs unsweetened kool-aid
½ cup salt
3 cups boiling water
3 T. oil

Mix wet ingredients into dry. Once cool, paint away!

Scented Play-doh

1/2 packet kool-aid
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar*
1 cups boiling water
1 tablespoons cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in pot, add the boiling water and oil. Stir over medium heat until it forms a ball.
Sub: 1 T. baking soda & 1 T. baking powder for cream of tartar.

Slimy Goop
1 part liquid starch
2 part Elmer’s glue
Food coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients well.

Rubbery Goop

2 cups baking soda
1 ½ cup water
Cup cornstarch

Mix all in a saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Stir constantly until it is thick. Let the mixture cool.

Silly Putty

2 parts Elmer’s Glue All (not washable school glue)
1 part Sta-Flo Liquid Starch

Mix ingredients well
Sand Play-doh

4 cups clean play sand
3 cups flour
1 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil

Knead with your hands until it forms a ball. Too dry, add water until it reaches a nice dough consistency. Add flour if it is too watery.

Sidewalk Paint

Sidewalk Chalk
Water
Stiff Brushes

Grate or smash sidewalk chalk into bits. Add ½ part water to 1 part chalk dust. Paint on sidewalk with stiff brush. Paint washes away with water.

Flubber:
Solution A:
1 ½ cup warm water
2 cups elmer’s glue
Food coloring
Solution B:
4 tsp. Borax
1/3 cup warm water

Mix solution A in one bowl, mix solution B in a separate bowl. Dissolve both well. Then just pour solution A into solution B. NO NOT MIX OR STIR! Just lift out the flubber. Store in Ziploc bags. Recipe can be halved.

Things to do with Kids

Activities to do with kids:

1. Blow Bubbles
2. Play with puppets
3. Make a fort or Obstacle course out of cushions and sheets
4. Color a large box
5. Dance to music/Draw to music
6. Play with Sand
7. Play with a bucket of water, sponges, and paintbrushes
8. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child’s clothes
9. Draw on a mirror with dry erase markers
10. Go on a smelling Hunt (explore how things smell like lotion, vinegar, spices)
11. Go on a listening Hunt (explore & discuss different sounds on a walk through your neighborhood
12. Pretend to go on Safari
13. Pretend to look for buried treasure (draw a treasure map, put small items or coins for kids to look for)
14. Decorate pancakes with fruit & yogurt
15. Act out a story from a book
16. Create a living painting (ask child to recreate a famous artwork by mimicking sounds and movements.)
17. What happened next (begin a made up story and ask the child to add to it)
18. Make Sidewalk Paint
19. Make CD Spinners
20. Use an old keyboard to play office
21. Make braided bracelets http://www.makingfriends.com/friendship.htm
22. Recycle Crayons (Melt broken crayons in an a high temp candy mold, or in an old muffin pan)
23. Secret writing– Option 1: Write secret messages using a toothpick or Q-tip dipped in lemon juice. Hold the paper over heat such as a light bulb or toaster to make the writing appear. Option 2: Write with white crayon, paint over with watercolor to reveal the message.
24. Letter/Color Shopping Trip: Buy things for a meal that all start with the same letter or color. Ex: “S” Shopping trip might lead to spaghetti, string cheese, and spinach salad. Have fun planning & eating non-traditional items together!
25. Draw on non-traditional materials (newspaper, vellum, vinyl, tissue paper)
26. Child’s color sheet—Use photo editor program to create a color sheet of your child.
27. The Alphabet Game/The food game/The color game: Name things that all start with the same letter, types of food, names of colors or other groups of items. Each person takes turns naming objects in the category until no more objects can be thought of.
28. Practice Spelling Words/Letters using rolled play-doh, sidewalk chalk, or pipe cleaners
29. Make a collage & stamp with objects around the house.
30. Make Play-doh

http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/

www.crayola.com

www.kinderart.com

www.saxarts.com/resources/lessonPlans.jsp

Say What?

Things Adam said this week:

"May I be excused over the table please?"

"It's really sweaty outside"

"Okie-dokie-hokie-smokie" (followed by hilarious laughter) "Oh man, I'm cracking up!"

Family Time

Adam & I went to Georgia to visit my mom & sister last week. We got to spend an entire week this time. Jared just started an internship last week so he didn't think it would be a good idea off when he just started working. (Currently Jared is working M, W, F for his internship and T, Th, Sat. for the Credit Union -- which makes for a long week!) Adam got to spend time with his GA cousins Alyssa (8), Logan (7), and Savannah (4.) They had a blast playing with each other in the evenings.

Here is my little sis' Vanessa. You can't tell it in the pictures but, she's about 5 inches taller than me. How is it fair that she got to be naturally this tan and tall? Wow, I look completely pastey next to her! Oh well, I taught all her kids to say "You know you like it" as payback for what she did to me when she was 12. (It involves wiping gross things on your older sister while screaching "You know you like it!")

Here are the three of us "representin"

Birthday Card

Here's the card I made for our upcoming card exchange. I thought shaker boxes would be lots of fun until I made 21 of them! I think they turned out cute. I hope no one else joins our exchange because I'm not making anymore of these!

I came home and was so proud of all the new cards I got tonight from the card exchange. My husband thought mine was the ugliest of the bunch (before he knew it was mine) because "no one wants a bulky card." Ah well, he didn't spend hours making shaker boxes so what does he know.

Directions to make the ugliest card on the planet: This is too hard to explain, much easier to just show. However, here is a site to get you started. Shaker Box Tutorial

Modifications: I did not use the mounting tape as I would have had to stack two layers to make the box thick enough to fit the beads in. Plus, it's kind of pricey around $4 a roll, and would have done probably 4 or 5 cards at the stacked rate. It's a good alternative if you are only making a few cards. I used 1/4" foam core board ($1.99 at the HL) and a very sharp x-acto knife (don't use a dull blade or it will cut jagged cuts into your foam.) I cut strips of foam core board about the thickness of the mounting tape pictured in the tutorial above. Then I used my favorite terrifically tacky tape to stick it together. When you finish step 2 of the above tutorial you'll fill in your beads. I only used 1 tspn.- 1 T. worth, it doesn't take much. Then I used my glue runner around the edges and stuck in my stamped image (that was already cut to size.)

Note: Acetate is the same thing as a transparency -- think back to what your teacher used during your elementary school days. If you can't find this at Hobby Lobby in a pack, it's available at office supply stores like Staples and teacher supply stores.

Hmmmm....

We have been discussing feelings with Adam lately. We have been trying to teach him when he does something to someone else that it can make them feel happy or sad. So tonight at dinner when I wouldn't give him a muffin he says, "You are a bad mommy" He then had a time out in his room, and later when we discussed it I told him, "When you said that it made me sad." To which he responds, "Your sad, do you want a muffin?!" You'll be happy to know I regained my "good mommy" status when we spent the evening playing soccer, riding the scooter to the park, and had story time.

5 years of wedded bliss

Today is our five year anniversary! Here's some pictures from then and now.

Recycle Crayons!

Here's a fun project we did today. We made our own race car crayons!

What you need:

Crayola Crayons (The art teacher says don't skimp on cheap crayons)

Candy Mold (We used LorAnn's Sweet Shoppe mold because it said tempered for high heat, available at HobbyLobby)

Plastic Knife

Washable Cutting surface

Cookie Sheet lined with foil

Step 1: Peel Paper off crayons. Use a plastic knife to score the crayon into 5 or 6 segments. Break crayon into small chunks. You used about 4 crayons for the car mold.

Step 2: Place crayons randomly in the mold. Let crayons create a little raised moutain so that when crayons melt it will fill up the space of the mold. Don't worry about the stick portion that is used in candy making. If the crayons melt into that space, you can easily pop it off your crayon when it's done.

Step 3: Put mold onto cookie sheet lined with foil (unless you are okay with picking off melted crayon.) Place cookie sheet & mold into 250 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Here's what it looks like halfway through the cooking process!

Here's when it's completely melted.

Avoid mixing in the colors, as it's nice to have the rainbow effect. Let mold sit for a few minutes to begin to harden up. Then move mold to the freezer for 15 minutes. Once chilled, the new crayons should easily pop out of the mold. The extra melted crayon should come off the mold easily as well.

Notes:

* Only use a mold tested for high heat or silicone mold. Other molds, especially of the clear variety will not work in the oven. They will melt. Check the label before you buy. LorAnn's molds are around $2.99, and Wilton Silicone molds are around $9.99 but, probably last longer. All molds are re-usable.

* Other brands of crayons may not work as well. You can stock up on Crayola crayons cheap in July & August at Walmart. I got a motherload of them for 8 cents a box last year! You can always check with your child's teacher at the end of the year, teachers might be throwing out all the broken ones soon!

* You can do all the molds at once. I was testing this so I only did one the first time. I also cut my mold in half, which you should not do, unless you like propping them up in the oven. Again, I was testing this and didn't want to loose all the car molds if my first attempt ended in a melted plastic puddle in my oven.

Beaded Pens

Materials:
Terrifically Tacky sheets (you can use the stuff on the rolls but, that's a lot more work. It comes in sheets now at Michaels!)
Translucent microbeads
Pentel R.S.V.P™ or pen of similar style
Scissors and/or paper trimmer
Bead tray or suitable container
Ruler
Bone folder or other burnishing tool
Embossing heat tool
Colorful scrapbook paper with small, repeating design

I modified instructions I found at splitcoast stampers. Click here.

I am not a stamper, so I used a small piece of scrapbook paper instead of the stamped label. I first created a template from scrap cardstock that measured 3 1/4" x 1 1/2." Cut your paper and your Terrifically tacky sheets and set aside. Fill a shallow container (that will fit the length of the pen) with your clear microbeads. Peel off the protective coating from one side of your cut terrifically tack sheet and place on the back side of your decorative scrapbook paper. Carefully wrap around the pen, and smooth out any bubbles. Edges should overlap. Remove the protective coating from your 2nd piece of terrifically tacky tape and carefully wrap around the front of your paper. Edges should overlap. Place the pen in the beads and roll around until beads stick to the entire pen. Heat set it for about 10 seconds with an embossing heat tool. Cut skinny ribbons and tie in a knot on the pen cap.

Cost: Expensive for one pen but, about a dollar a piece if you want to make at least 6. I can usually do about 20 pens out of one container of microbeads.

The Halloween House!

It's way early to be thinking about Halloween but, I found some pictures of my Halloween House and I am finally ready to post them! These are just as cute in Christmas paper! Ignore the paint lid on the door handle, I forgot to take that out before I took the picture!

Step 1:
Paint House & Roof with black paint. Paint only the edges about 1/2.” Paint knob. Paint sides of cardboard. Set aside for drying.

Step 2:
Cut black cardstock into three strips that are 3 ¾” x 12.” Cut one 3 ¾ x 12” strip into two 3 ¾”x 6” sections (sides of house). Cut the 2nd & 3rd strip to be 3 ¾” x 7 ½” (front & back of house) Cut one of the remaining rectangle scraps to be 3 x 4 ½” (door) Any left over paper is scrap.
Cut Spider Web Paper into four strips that are 3” x 12.” Cut one 3” x 12” strip into two 3” x 6” sections. Cut the 2nd & 3rd strip into 3” x 7 ½” sections. There will be one 3” x 12” strip leftover.
Cut 12 diamond shapes out.
Use stencils to cut roof (5” x 9”) on black & white word paper
Trace & Cut paper for bottom of house. Be sure to line the edge of the house with the edge of the paper. Cut edges out for this “grass” area around the house. Save scrap. Use stencils & remaining paper for sides & front of roof.


Step 3:
Glue stick all pieces in place.

Step 4:
Use orange chalk on edges.

Step 5:
Lightly mode podge entire house. Smooth out major air bubbles. Modge podge the roof separate from the house. Modge podge the door.


Step 6:
Cut 2 orange & 1 black section of fun fur to be about 1 – 1 ½ yard. Braid fun fur and tie a knot in both ends.

Step 7:
Use tacky tape (or hot glue) to attach fun fur to middle of house & top of chimney. Start & end your braided fun fur to the area where door will cover.

Step 8:
Pick out buttons & ribbon. Pull ribbon through middle of holes and tie with a knot. Cut ribbon to desired length. Attach buttons using hot glue. Hot glue on door covering fun fur. Hot glue on knob. Hot glue small buttons to door to add color & resemble hinges.

Step 9:
Use black glitter glue on edges of door and on black paper on the roof.

Step 10:
Cut 6 inches of two colors of ribbon for knob. When all the glues are dried, tie ribbon in a knot around black knob.

Supplies:
Large Paper Mache House
Apple Barrel Black Acrylic Paint
Modge Podge Matte Finish
12 “x12” Paper Cutter
Halloween Colored Buttons
Halloween Colored Ribbons
Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue sticks
Regular Glue Sticks
Orange & Black Fun Fur Yarn
Foam Brushes
Scissors
3 x 4 ½ inch cardboard for door
Scrapbook paper
Terrifically Tacky Tape ¼”
Orange Chalk (or green) (cat's eye style works great!)
Small Wooden jars (doorknob)

Most supplies can be found at Hobby Lobby. These specialty papers were bought at Recollections before they closed. Recollections is part of Michaels, so maybe you'll be able to find some similar papers!

Papers you need: (6 papers - 2 must be cardstock thickness, rest can be regular thickness)

2-3 cardstock papers for front, back, and sides of house (need cardstock because you cover up windows on the paper mache house)

1 paper for roof & door (I used b&w stripes)

1 paper for large parts of roof (I used black with words)

1 contrasting paper for triangle parts of roof on sides & 2 on front

1 small paper for chimney

Tip: Use foil to make templates for your house. Rub a piece of tin foil into a spot, like the triangular shape of the roof line. Use your finger to crease the edges. It will create a template for you. Carefully cut it out, and trace it on your scrapbook paper. Now you don't have to guess what size to cut your paper. If you plan on making more of these, spend a few minutes to trace the foil onto cardstock so you will have templates for later! Makes it easy work!

What happens in Canton, stays in Canton

What a total blast we had at Canton this weekend. Christie, Kari, Summer M., Nicole, Christen and I left around 7:30 am this morning. Luckily, Summer had her van so we were all able to ride together. We ate tons of fried food but, good friends know how to justify unhealthy food by balancing it with the amount of walking we did. We shopped until our husbands wondered where we were. Our steal of the day were the hairbows at .50-$1.00! I am still laughing from everyone's stories, and Summer M. carrying around the Coors Light box all the way back to the car. I'd let you know about them but, what happens in Canton stays in Canton.

Where we left our money (or wish we could):
Designs by Ginney
Spoil't Rott'n
Mei Mei's Designs
Iron Willow
Birdie's Antiques
Missouri Country Living

Hair cut Time!

Adam got a much needed haircut today. The stylist put a little gel to spike it up. Adam thinks he looks like "a cool dude" and is glad to not have "crazy man hair" anymore.

Mommy & Me Time

Adam & I had a mom & me date tonight. Jared is at school, so we went to Rosa's and ate some soft beef tacos -- his with no salad on it. That's what he refers to as all the vegetables on a taco. After we went around to the Home Depot so Adam could sit on the riding lawn mowers, one of his favorite things to do. He's a pretty good boy and it was fun to spend time with him.

Campin' Trip

We went to Port Aransas this past weekend with my folks who graciously let us bum off of them for a few days. (I'm guessing it made them relive college weekends when I would eat their food and leave dirty laundry everywhere.) We stayed with them in their camper trailer, which is not exactly roughing it with internet, showers, and air conditioning. We did have to settle for cable television since the satellite dish got knocked off at the Dairy Queen. Jared decided it wasn't so much camping as alternate living.

Port Aransas has a huge sandfest once a year, where artists build these elaborate sand sculptures. It's a great family trip, despite the 7 hour drive. Adam had a blast building his own sandcastles. He doesn't take as much pride in the finished project as other artists. He prefers the process. After building his sandcastles he immediately destroys them and starts again. On Saturday we took a boat to see the dolphins. The one-eyed, 9 1/2 finger, shoeless tour guide cast a net to catch all these sea life for the kids. (You've got to love a job that is shoes optional.) In the middle of the boat was a sea creature petting zoo which Adam loved. Here he is holding a hermit crab.

Make a Diaper Cake

I made a diaper cake a few months back for a baby shower. Now I am getting ready to make another one for another good friend. (Shannon you lucky girl!)

There are places where you can buy ones pre-made but, they are simple enough, and more cost effective to make your own. Plus, you can personalize it for the mom-to-be.

I used the directions from WikiHow to learn how.

Since I rolled each diaper individually, and then secured the entire layer with several rubber bands, I didn't need a support dowel rod, bottle, etc. I just stacked each layer on top of the next and it held together really well. I wrapped each layer of diapers in a receiving blanket. It was held in place by a large rubber band. Then to hide the rubber band I used some coordinating ribbon. When it was done, I put some pink crinkle paper in between the layers, and decorated with items off the registry.

Swap Sites

www.paperbackswap.com
www.swapacd.com
www.swapadvd.com

Here's some sites I came across today.

How it works: You become a member (for free) and post your original good quality books, cds, or dvds that you no longer need. Likewise you create a wish list/search for items you are looking for. The site connects you with people looking for your stuff, and you can clear out some unneeded items. What you send is theirs to keep, and what you get is yours to keep. The only "catch" to this free service is that you do have to pay shipping to send the items out. However, when you receive items, the sender pays the shipping for your items. Since you are in charge of the sending, you'll know you'll pay the exact cost of shipping, not some puffed up shipping & handling charge.

Craft of the Week

Tutorial - Quilted Fabric Crib Rail Guard Protector

Here's a great tutorial from a blog I visited this week. Check out http://newenglandquilter.blogspot.com/ to see the full tutorial.

My Newly Painted Bedroom

Well it took some doing but, we are finally, well almost, done with our bedroom. After painting, and repainting, my mom suggested the mini cans (auditions) from Lowe's. We bought 3 and found the perfect color. The color looks a bit brighter in the picture, it is more of a gray blue. We still have a few loose ends like some decorative pillows, and eventually we will get a chair for the corner. We have this great reading nook in our room, and one day we will actually use it for it's designed purpose.

Things kids say...

I taught elementary art for five years, and taught over 1000 kids in that time. As a teacher you hear some great takes on life from kids. I found a list of my favorite kid sayings from when I taught.

"Look at my picture Mrs H! ....and this is Jesus' horse because it can fly!" - kindergarten girl

"Mrs. H, I am going to Alabama over spring break. Yeah, I am going to be homesick...no, wait carsick." - 1st grade girl

"My grandma likes to sew, but she died so she doesn't get to do it anymore." - 1st grade girl

"Does Chuc Norris know anything about airplanes?" - 2nd grade boy

"...butt doctors make a ton" - 4th grade girl

"My grandma says I am a Christian, but my dad says I am a Republican. I guess I am just half and half." - 4th grade boy

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe makes dinner, plus two other dinners as you'll freeze two pies.

2 pkgs. - Pillsbury Deep Dish Frozen pie crusts (4 pie tins)
1 pkg. - Pillsbury Refrigerated rolled pie crust (2 rolls per box)
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream chicken soup
1 - 16 oz. pkg frozen peas & carrots (or mixed veggies if you like)
4 tbsp margarine or butter
4 tbsp Flour
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
3 medium sized potatoes peeled, cooked, and cubed
3 hardboiled eggs -chop the whites and the yolk

Prep:
- Tell husband you will cook tonight, if he will clean the kitchen.
- Remove pie crusts from fridge to thaw.

- Boil eggs. Remove shell & chop cooked Eggs.
- Cook & cube Chicken (optional: reserve broth from cooked chicken)
- Peel, cut, & cook potatoes in boiling water
- Boil frozen veggies for 3 minutes.

In large pot melt margarine, stir in flour. Whisk in chicken broth, cook until smooth & bubbly. Stir in cream of chicken soup, and then the milk. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Make a pie crust assembly line with 3 pies of the pie tins (the remaining one will be one of the tops.)

Add cut cooked chicken, eggs, veggies, potatoes to pot with soupy mixture. Gently stir in each ingredient before adding the next.

Use 3 pie tins for the bottom of crust. Add 3 cups of mixture to each pan.

Fill pie mixture to the crust. Carefully lay the remaining pie crust on top of one of your pies and pinch the crust. Cut slits to let steam escape. Unroll the 2 packages of refrigerated pie crust and place on top of the other two pie crusts. Cut off extra dough, pinch the edges, and cut slits to let steam escape.

Cook pies at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Freeze remaining pies by placing in large ziploc bag. Write cooking instructions on top of bag before freezing. Remove bag for cooking.

Look at the disaster zone which is now your kitchen. Be glad you didn't skip step 1 of the prep.

Note: A frozen pie takes forever to cook, like 2 hours. Ideally, put a frozen pie in the fridge in the morning, and then put it on the counter to defrost around lunchtime. It will still take about 45 min - 1 hour to cook then.

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

We had a Pampered Chef Party at our house yesterday. Here is the recipe we made. Hands down the best brownie I have ever had. Happy Baking!

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies
From: Pampered Chef Season’s Best 2007 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 – 12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate morsels, chopped
1 (18-21 oz) pkg brownie Mix**
¾ cup brown sugar packed
1 cup salted mix nuts, chopped***
5 rolls of rollos (or 1 big bag of rollos milk chocolate-covered chewy caramels)****
Vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly brush oil, or spray non-stick cooking spray into shallow baking dish (Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan.)

Chop 1 ½ cup of chocolate chips. Combine brownie mix, water, oil and eggs & ¼ cup brown sugar; mix well. Fold in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into bar pan, spread evenly.

Chop nuts. Combine ½ cup of nuts & ½ cup of brown sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle nut & sugar mixture evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cut 16 caramels into quarters. Place remaining ½ cup chocolate chips in microwave on high 1 minute until melted, stirring after each 20 second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into Ziploc bag; set aside.

Remove bar pan from oven. Place on cooling rack. Immediately press remaining 24 caramels even into brownie in four rows of six caramels each. Sprinkle quartered caramels and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate filled bag and drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Cut into squares, serve warm, with ice cream, if desired.


**I used Betty Crocker Hershey Original Supreme Brownie Mix with the Hershey’s syrup packet in it 22.5 oz
***I used a can of Plantar’s salted mixed nuts
****You need 40 individual rollos, unwrapped.

Peanut Butter & Jelly

This recipe comes from my good friend Jessica, who had her delicious chicken pot pie recipe featured in Comfort Foods from Gooseberrypatch

You make the PB&J sandwich like normal and then dip it in this mixture:

1/4 c. milk
1 egg beaten
1T vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon

Then you grill it on a lightly greased pan. Very yummy!

Craft of the week

So here are my new super cute Moda Blossom Fabrics that I just got. I bought two squares pack on sale for $6 and have this smaller quilt in progress. My next step is to trim off and move around the extra parts so this is more squared.

Need a new Quilting Project?

Check out Amy Butler's free patterns!

My favorites are the Brick Path Quilt and the Ginger Bliss quilt.

If you love Amy Butler fabrics you can buy them locally at Cabbage Rose Quilting in Fort Worth. Bring your wallets, leave your children and husbands at home.

I think my next quilting project will be the Brick Path quilt in Moda's Blossom fabrics. Love them!

Button Monogram

This idea came from my good friend Emily! Here's my monogram o' buttons.

Family Tree Project

Here's my family tree project we did for a church class last year. Email me for instructions and templates. This is the poor man's version of the beautiful one at Red Envelope. I think it looks almost as good and I didn't spend $98!

Email me for instructions & templates!