Saturday, February 28, 2009

Show and Tell - A Book of Inspiration


This week's Show and Tell Saturday over at Homesteader's Heart is all about sharing a book that has inspired you as a person.
This was a no-brainer for me, it's Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical which made me change my way of thinking about many things. It was funny and easy to read, was informational - I had to break out my highlighter, and it has changed me.

His message of simplicity is a great one in this age of materialism. Although doing everything his way would not work for us and I don't agree with all that he says, many of his ideas have hit home. It certainly does challenge you. If a book can do that, I believe it was a good choice!

Small Talk Six - Make Me Smile

Want to join in? Go here to learn how and to view the weekly list Small Talk Six topics for 2009.

6 things that never fail to make me smile:
1. Tomatoes fresh from my garden.
2. The morning beach, knowing that the entire beach day is ahead of me. Seeing dolphins from shore make me smile too.
3. A toddler cussing (I try SO hard not to...but the innocence of testing out a word to see if it will go over OK is so funny....don't worry, it's not a thing I get to smile at often)
4. My morning coffee.
5. Tender moments between siblings.
6. My husband coming home from work.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Aloha Friday! Scrapbooking?

It's Friday, which means that over at An Island Life it is time for Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So on Fridays we take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, she asks a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. Then everyone else asks a simple question of their own blog for others to answer.

My question:

Do you scrapbook? If so, what is your hint for keeping up with it?

I love to scrap because it gives me a creative outlet and the end result is so perfect! We love to look back at them. I would always finish the year by the child's birthday (it gave me a goal) but then I had baby #3 who just cannot be put down and now I'm pretty behind! Suggestions? You are not allowed to say "put the baby down" :) She is our last and I want to snuggle her forever!

Join me for my new blog carnival Kid Friendly Friday, right here today!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Kid Friendly Friday - Salt Art

I'm going to start with a kid friendly craft project. Colored salt! I'm sure you have seen colored sand but colored salt is cheaper and it's also fun to make. I got the directions some time ago from a magazine and made a bunch for kid birthday presents that year.

Step 1: Tint the Salt
For each color, put approximately 1 cup of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid watercolor or 20 to 25 drops of food coloring in a ziplock bag. Seal each bag, removing as much air as you can. Outside, let your child shake, smash, and knead the contents until all of the salt is dyed. The colors come out really vibrant. Next, pour the salt onto newspaper-lined trays to dry for about 2 hours (or just open the bags and let the grains dry overnight). When it's no longer wet to the touch, pour the salt into clean, dry spice shakers, one color per shaker.


Step 2: Make a Pattern
Have your child go wild with the glue on stiff paper or a paper plate.
Step 3: Add Salt

Use the shakers to sprinkle on the paper. Once the glue has dried, simply shake off the excess salt. I collect each color in a pie tin a pour it back into the shaker.


The salt can also be layered in little jars like the sand art projects. Mimi noticed the mixing of colors so it was a good time to reiterate "Yellow and Blue make Green!"

Easy. Cheap. Kids love it.

Just FYI...you can make your own colored sugar for decorating cookies the same way.

Join in Kid Friendly Friday and add your post to Mr. Linky below. Include kid friendly recipes, reviews, giveaways, crafts, games, books.....anything! If you have a kid related question that you would like folks to help you with you can add that as well. Hope you find something useful! Thank you for participating!

Early next week I'm posting a review and giveaway for a JumpStart.com membership. Be sure to come back to enter!

A Thousand Words - PEEPS

Cheaper Than Therapy holds A Thousand Word Thursday each week. Go visit to check out other pictures!




Join me for my new blog carnival Kid Friendly Friday, right here this Friday!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Works For Me! Lists of Memes and Carnivals


I need lists. After asking about memes and carnivals for my last Aloha Friday post I compiled a list that I can easily go to when I am feeling less than inspired...Go HERE to see them! There are a bunch!
Let me know if there are others you know of and I will add them. Having them all together works for me! For other Works For Me! Wednesday ideas go to We Are That Family, the new host site.
Join me for my new blog carnival Kid Friendly Friday, right here this Friday!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - Little Bit in the Little Tub


Think it was time to get her out of the baby tub? Poor thing is crammed in there like she's still in the womb!
Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts HERE or HERE.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Issue with Followers on Blogger

If you use Blogger as your platform, I'm sure you've noticed that your follower count is down. Frustrating!!! Apparently Blogger has changed everybody's followers to "anonymous" and anonymous followers don't show.
If everyone can do these simple steps, we can all get our followers back:

Go to dashboard, you'll see "Blogs I'm Following"

Scroll down to the bottom of that list and click on manage.

Then you'll see that all the drop down menus have been changed to anonymous.

You just need to change them back to public.

Go ahead and spread the word so we can all get this issue taken care of. Let's hope this doesn't happen again!

Tempt My Tummy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches


If you ever had Kopp's Frozen Custard you are a lucky soul. Going to their website so I could post their link just made me salivate. When we visit my brother in the Milwaukee area we always go to Kopp's - several times if we are lucky. They have daily custard flavors that are just to die for. There's just something about the frozen custard that I have never experienced elsewhere. I can't wait for our visit this summer!

Which brings me to my Tempt My Tummy recipe. They also have a Buffalo Chicken sandwich that is like no other. We make our rendition quite a bit.....


Grilled and Smothered Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

You will need (in whatever quantity that suits your brood):

Chicken Breasts
Wing Sauce
Celery (cut into small, thin slices)
Blue Cheese
Bun (we have used grilled pita flat bread....the kind that is puffy and doesn't have a pocket)

The chicken is grilled basted with the wing sauce - don't be stingy. The little bits of celery are mixed with the wing sauce (in a small saucepan cover the celery with the sauce) and cooked until hot. The celery should remain crunchy - you just want it all to be hot, no soggy celery.

Assembly: bun, grilled chicken, gobs of the celery/wing sauce sauce, smothered in blue cheese, bun.

Warning: They are VERY messy.
Warning #2: They are VERY good!

Join me for my new blog carnival Kid Friendly Friday, right here this Friday!

New Carnival - Kid Friendly Friday


Hello All!

I am starting a carnival called Kid Friendly Friday and would love you all to join in.

What kinds of posts??

~kid friendly recipes
~movie reviews
~kid crafts
~favorite books
~kid oriented product reviews and giveaways
~anything kid friendly that other parents could use.
If you have a kid question (How can I get Johnny to take his medicine?) and would like the input of others, you can post about that as well.
Who??

Anyone! You do not have to ask me first - just join in!

When??


I'll put my post and Mr. Linky up each Friday morning.

How??

Write your Kid Friendly post and link it back to mine, then come and put your information into Mr. Linky. You will use enter your name and a short description of your post. If you have a question for other parents, you can add a (??).

Please link to your Kid Friendly post, not to your front page. You can include my Kid Friendly Friday button in your post if you wish.

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing your ideas on Friday!

Thanks!
Sarah

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Musical Monday - Mom and Daughter Songs



I’m posting today as a participant of Jori and Diane’s Musical Monday. Thank you ladies!! Stop by their blogs and post your Musical Monday choice!
I'm sure most of you have seen The Mom Song but it's so true! And the performance shown here was done at my church - go Patty (she has triplets)!


But have you seen the teen girl's response to the Mom Song? I have three girls...they will all be teens someday (if they are lucky)......I am preparing now for these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJlZnPIzyLg

I know you can embed these in your post but I couldn't do it...the entire text (in the embed box) that I was supposed to copy and paste would not be copied. I tried a gazillion times. Any tips ladies??


Friday, February 20, 2009

Aloha Friday - Memes

Aloha everyone!
It's Friday, which means that over at An Island Life it is time for Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So on Fridays we take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, she asks a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. Then everyone else asks a simple question of their own blog for others to answer.

What memes/blog carnivals do you participate in on a regular basis?

I want to expand my list. I have participated in Meal Plan Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Two Cent Tuesday, Works For Me Wed, Wordless Wed, A Thousand Word Thursday, Show Me The Funny, Friday Fragments, and, of course, Aloha Friday. I will compile every one's on a list and add it to my sidebar for future reference.

Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Thousand Word Thursday - My Princesses

Cheaper Than Therapy holds A Thousand Word Thursday each week. Go visit to check out other pictures!




Show Me The Funny

Thoughts from the Toilet Bowl is doing a new feature called "Show Me the Funny." It doesn't have to be something you have written but may have seen on someone elses blog. Almost every post that I read over at Tutu's Bliss has me laughing out loud so I am going to steer you to these two very funny posts....

Hugh Jackman vs Portia
Truth About Marriage

Enjoy!

Thoughts from the Toilet Bowl

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - Supergirl Birthday Cake!




Check out more Wordless Wednesday posts HERE or HERE.




Works for Me - Party Favors - Treat Bags


Who else cringes with the site of a party favor bag fun of little toys that you have to secretly dispose of over the next few week? They, like Happy Meal toys, must procreate while you sleep. I've been trying to get creative the past few years and think of inexpensive things my kids could actually use. I did a mixed CD of kid music, which was a HUGE hit but then a friend told me it was an illegal gift, so I felt bad. Then I did colored kettle corn which the parents tried to wrestle away from their children (which I'll eventually post on). This time around I dipped oreos. They are easy, cheap, and look amazing!

2 bags of oreos $6.00 (although I can get them BOGO if I plan ahead)
2 bags melting chocolate $4.00
treat bags $1.00
sprinkles .10 - a small fraction of a bottle - color to match your theme
computer printed labels and staples .10 (Thank you for celebrating with me! Love, __)

So for about $11.20 I made 23 goodie bags each with 3 dipped oreos.

It took an hour to do them all. Not bad. And if you allow it, they won't even make it back from the party! Yum!!







Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Two Cent Tuesday - Sane Parenting?


Tutu Bliss has a Two Cent Tuesday topic each week. The Two Cents topic is maintaining sanity while parenting, parenting while crazy or anything else you have some two cents on. As always topics are optional. Two cents is free and I never complain about FREE stuff!

So I am thinking that the term Sane Parenting is a oxymoron. Can anyone confirm this? I have found the longer I parent the more it takes to to think anything is completely unbelievable or crazy. What would have drove me over the edge with the first child is now incredibly funny with the third. I know that I can mess up often and the child will still turn out OK. So my advice for the parent ready to loose it.....have a few more kids. It will put everything back into perspective. Short and sweet and MY two cents :)

Oh, and if you ever need a few minutes just to clear your head, lock yourself in the bathroom. The door must be locked, you have to keep pretty quiet and must not expect to have more than 4 and a half minutes. But sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered. Now that I'm thinking about it, I may just need to stash some chocolate in there!

Now go to Tutu Bliss and check out what others think!

Tempt My Tummy Cake Balls



I made these this weekend and they were a big hit. The name, however, was a topic of conversation. One guest said they reminded him of King Dons, which most of us though were named King Dongs. So after some iPhone searching, we found out that there were King Dons and Ding Dongs but never King Dongs. So our new name for the cake balls was briefly King Dong Balls....until we all had a giggle fit like a room full of middle schoolers. So fun to hang out with friends on your same maturity level!! Sorry, I digress..

So these cakes balls were great. You can use any cake/frosting/coating combo. I used Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in white and pink chocolate. My favorite were the Devil's Food cake with dark chocolate frosting dipped in dark chocolate.
Cake Balls
1. Bake a cake and let it cool. Cake mix is perfectly fine.
2. Crumble cake until very fine.
3. Mix in a tub of frosting.
4. Roll into little balls (less than 1 inch balls).
5. Refrigerate for a few hours.
6. Dip balls in chocolate.

You can add a lollipop stick before dipping (made dipping easier). They can be kept at room temperature.

Bakerella has CUTE seasonal items she makes out of cake balls HERE. You have got to go see her creations!!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Valentine's Day Card

Update 2010: This is the card from 2009. I saved the signs and made another. We are each holding the same words as last year so it will be cute to see them side by side. We are going to do this each year for Daddy and grandparents.

Sorry I couldn't post this before Valentines Day, as my husband reads my blog. I will try to remember well in advance next year but this would also make a cute birthday card - especially for those loved ones far away....maybe you could even make a bunch at one time and send them for ALL of your birthdays that year. I didn't think of that until now....and now I'll probably make more copies of the pictures and do this myself! Make signs, take pictures, put them together in a card, and have each person sign below their picture (I even had the baby put her fingerprints with a stamp pad). Enjoy!


See more projects over at Ramblings of a Crazy Woman!



Not Me! Monday

I had a great week of party preparation. Busy, busy but I love doing it. And when it is over I can NOT wait to clean. When my husband demanded that I just sit down for 5 minutes before cleaning I did NOT jump up less than 3 minutes into it because I had to get to cleaning. Some of my finer moments are when I think I need to be doing more than I am already doing. I do NOT multitask when going potty. I do NOT turn dirty clothes right side out or blow up baby bath tubs during this time.

My three year old always asks what a specific kind of food gives you (i.e. milk gives you strong bones..). When she asks about junk food I always tell her it gives you a big butt. Last week we were making cake balls for the party. She had a few tastes then does NOT tell me "I am going to have one HUGE butt today mom!" I am NOT waiting for her to impart this knowledge some day on a stranger.

This three year old also did NOT tell me that a dead frog that we saw on the sidewalk probably died because it's big sister gave it something small that it choked on. I do NOT scare my children into keep their little toys away from their baby sister by saying it might kill her. I certainly could come up with a better tactic. They do NOT often tell me things that could kill their baby sister.

I am NOT writing just one more thing about this quirky little three year old (I really could fill up the page). When over at our friends house yesterday she did NOT come running to me leaving a 10 foot long pee trail (sorry Chris) and I did NOT catch the rest using the cute little play apron (sorry Anne) so we could make it to the bathroom.

Go over to My Charming Kids and Not Me Monday to see what others have definitely NOT done this week! Enjoy your day off (hopefully)!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Aloha Friday workout!



Aloha everyone!
It's Friday, which means that over at An Island Life it is time for Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So on Fridays we take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, she asks a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. Then everyone else asks a simple question of their own blog for others to answer.

In my early teens my mom got The Jane Fonda workout Challenge. It had it all folks - leg warmers, headbands, mood lighting, snappy little tunes, and french cut leotards. I was a little suspect BUT it was really good workout as long as NOBODY witnessed me doing it. I still have the VHS tape and when I need a little pick-me-up (a good laugh), I pop it in. My kids wonder what is wrong with the "dancing people" but try to dance along. I see they have clips of it on YouTube. Good, clean fun!

I recently got rid of dozens of exercise videos. They were terrible. I was always in search of a keeper. You know, one that gives you a complete work out in, oh, about 10 minutes. The only ones I have kept, besides my original Jane, are the Cindy Crawford , the next challenge. A nice workout for legs, arms, lower back, abs.....without all the dancing around. It's pretty low impact. The old Tae-Bo Advanced workout which gives a good aerobic activity. I've tried a bunch of his newer stuff and I still liked this the best. And the Kathy Smith Step video - which is basic and boring but I could do it while I was pregnant and can do the first two levels with a bjorned baby on my front (have I mentioned she has issues with down time).

So here is my question:

Can you recommend any exercise video that is worth purchasing? There are days that I just would rather not go to the gym!

Don't forget to visit An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun!

I'll leave you with this....

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thousand Word Thursday...longing....







I'm wishing it was summer...








Cheaper Than Therapy holds A Thousand Word Thursday each week. Go visit to check out other pictures!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Works for Me! Traditional birthday pictures!

I love traditions. When Bigs was three I heard the idea to take a traditional birthday photo...of her in my wedding dress. Considering I have only worn it once, this is the best way to get it's moneys worth :) Each girl gets this picture taken each birthday and each girl has a little album just for these. It's amazing how quick they change! For boys you could use a suit coat or your husband's old Letterman jacket (do they get these any longer?). The girls also asked if they could get a picture of ME in the dress on my birthday.....ummmm, we'll have to get back to you on that! So to celebrate Bigs turning 6, enjoy the last few years of her traditional pictures :)

Age 6:
Age 5: Age 4:
Age 3:

Check out Rocks In My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Tempt My Tummy Lollipop Cookies


My big girl turned 6 on Saturday and wanted me to make cookies for her to take to school on Friday. I have tons of great cupcake ideas..but the girl doesn't like cake (which will not stop me from making a cake for her party this Saturday). She loves frosting so I figured these would work! She liked them. They were very tasty and they held their shape well. I usually try to avoid any cookie like this but it went surprisingly quick. It was a good idea to bake them one day and frost them the next.
It made a TON of dough so I cut out hearts that I am going to give for teacher Valentine gifts. I made them last Wednesday, decorated the lollipop ones on Thursday...I'm not decorating the heart ones until tomorrow but I've been diligently "testing" them to make sure they don't get unflavorful or stale. So far, so good.


Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I used a little extra vanilla)
1 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below that works REALLY WELL) Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3 inch cookies. If you want to make it a lollipop cookie, place a stick under each cookie. The cookie will bake right on to it.

HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess -- Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies. This is such an easy process and saves a ton of time.
The icing I used comes from Confetti Cakes for Kids cookbook.
Royal Icing
1/2 cup egg whites
4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
food coloring
Beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape the bowl when needed. Add lemon juice and beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form and the icing is no longer shiny, 6 to 8 minutes. Use immediately or place in an airtight container.
When decorating cookies like those above....
1. Pipe a small boarder of icing around the edge of each cookie - do all of the cookies.
2. Make thinner frosting of the same color as your boarder and flood the cookie - one cookie at a time.
3. Right after you flood the cookie, add your designs with other colors. This way it will all dry smooth.



Visit Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy recipes!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Not me! Monday

Friends of ours lost their car key when they were over and they did NOT have to look underneath the couch cushions for it. And there were NOT toys, socks, goldfish, raisins, etc. under each cushion. I was certainly NOT embarrassed. I clean under cushions each and every week (OK, at LEAST once a year :) ....and that was for the Superbowl.....and I still have yet to clean there.

My 3 year old did NOT have to visit the Principal's office for yelling at the music teacher. I wonder how that went. What could you say to this little face? Can you imagine this little face yelling at the teacher? I can NOT. She was so sad that I did NOT get out the camera to capture the moment. That might me a little insensitive.

I do not know what is more embarrassing, when you have breast milk all over the front of your shirt (which I did NOT) or when someone that you don't know mentions that you may NOT be leaking everywhere. This does NOT happen to me at least once with every child. And I did NOT just adjust the baby so it looked like she peed all over me .

Go over to My Charming Kids and Not Me Monday to see what others have definitely NOT done this week! Enjoy!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Aloha Friday! A little OCD?

I was walking around our neighborhood trailing the garbage truck. As they were throwing the empty cans everywhere, I was resisting the urge to pick each up and line them nicely by the curb. I also wished at one point that I had an edger because my walk would be so much nicer if every one's lawn had neat edges. My spice cabinet looks like this.....





I am not surprised when I find things that my daughter plays with like this....




But just so you know that I am not always like this because here is my craft closet....a super huge mess not contained to the closet.







I find myself with little OCD moments. So for my Aloha Friday question of the day....


Do you find yourself, at times, obsessive-compulsive? Care to share with what?

It's Friday, which means that over at An Island Life it is time for Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So on Fridays we take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, she asks a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. Then everyone else asks a simple question of their own blog for others to answer.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

A Thousand Word Thursday

Cheaper Than Therapy holds A Thousand Word Thursday each week. Go visit to check out other pictures!

Here's mine as a reminder that summer will be here soon. We don't often get freezing weather but today is one of those days....