The Policastros

Hairbow Brain Power

2012-01-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

I did it.

For the first time since joining Pinterest, I used my own brain power and came up with an idea.

I even searched Pinterest to see if there is anything like this on there and I found nothing. Woo to the hoo!

You know those plastic diaper wipe containers that belong in your diaper bag but you usually feel too lazy to refill them so you throw them away?

Well stop throwing them away! OK, at least keep one.
These things make excellent hairbow storage for roadtrips.

They stay in one spot and they don't get crushed!

You won't find a Pinterest tag on this post!

Pinterest - 273
Jamie - 1 (booyah!)

McKenna Rayne

2012-01-15T12:54:00.004-06:00

Meet Miss McKenna. This is Karen and Steven's sweet little girl.

3 lbs, 6 oz, 16 1/4 inches long

Because of this tiny angel, I am an aunt for the very first time.

I love her already.

She came 7 weeks early so please pray for McKenna, Karen, and Steven.

So fresh and so clean clean

2012-01-07T19:01:00.003-06:00

Now that the holidays are over and we're oh-fficially done travelling, we're trying to regain control of our house. A holiday hurricane swept through and left behind dead fraser fir needles, scraps of wrapping paper, empty suitcases, mountains of laundry, and crusty food on dishes piled in the sink. Slowly but surely we're crossing things off our list. And as much as I miss our tree and my ruffled tree skirt, I love how big our living room seems.

As we were cleaning the kitchen, we decided to show a little tlc to our microwave.

Gross.

We took a microwave safe bowl, filled it half-way with water, added 5 cap-fulls of lemon juice, and put it in the microwave on high power for 5 minutes.

Things got nice and steamy in there and loosened up all the gunk. When the 5 minutes were up, I sprayed a cloth with 409 and wiped everything away. I had to put a little bit of scrubbing into it but it was a quick clean.

Now, in an effort to keeping things real, I'll show you what we did with that nice steamy bowl of lemon water.

That, my friend, is what we like to call calcium build-up. Disgusting right? To all those who eat at my house and just saw that...I am SO sorry.

We took that bowl of hot lemon water, added 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and make a nice little bath for our faucet. We removed the faucet and let it sit in the lemon-vinegar water for a long time. I forgot to time it. Maybe an hour?

When that hour(ish) was up, we used a scrub brush to remove all the calcium build-up and were left with this:

I was surprised to see what I thought was an orange squiggly line is actually gray! Yikes.

JP and Jamie - 1

Calcium build-up - 0

DIY: Burlap Box

2012-01-07T16:14:00.001-06:00

Alright all you moms out there. I know you'll love this project because I certainly do!

I saw this pin on Pinterest and finally got around to doing it.

All you need is:
~ a really messy spot
~ a diaper box
~ some light colored paint
~ hot glue
~ around 1 yard of burlap
~ ribbon
~ embellishments (optional - it looks cute with just the ribbon)
~ a smart and sassy Brit (this is not necessary but I had one spending the night at my house the day I did this project and I really liked it. She also gave me a manicure that's lasting longer than when I paint my own nails. She deserves her very own blog post...I'll start working on that.)

Choose your messy area. Mine was our hall closet. We had gloves, hats, scarves, leashes, and board games thrown into a heaping pile on a not-so-level shelf. It got to the point when something would fall, I would cram the fallen item on the floor behind our vacuum. Outta sight, outta mind.

Start by painting your box so that any bright, multi-colored patterns don't show through the burlap. I used white acrylic paint and it actually dried super quick.

Unfortunately my camera died in the middle of the wrapping process but it's easy peazy. There's not really a wrong or right way to do this. Just treat it like a present and wrap it up, using hot glue wherever and whenever you want.

I glued the first edge in the middle of one of the long sides, planning for that to be the back. Then when I folded the other side over, I folded the edge down so it left a nice crease and no raw edges were exposed.

This is where my camera died. You really just do whatever works. And of course extra burlap on the top is good. Glue it down inside the box so that you don't see the cardboard when it's holding your clutter.

I did cut the flaps off the bottom of the box so it sits a little flatter.

After you're finished with your burlap, take your ribbon and glue it down. I started at the back of the box, at the seam. I put a line of glue, pressed down one edge of the ribbon, wrapped the ribbon tightly around the whole box, and glued it down once it met up with the seam again. To finish up, I added 3 felt flowers with pearl brads.

That's it!

I was able to finished this project during one naptime. You ask any mom and she'll tell you that's a feat.

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

2012-01-02T15:21:00.000-06:00

* Courtesy of allrecipes.com

I haven't met a person yet who doesn't like this salmon. Even our toddler eats it!

The original recipe calls for tilapia but we much prefer the salmon. We also don't use the onion powder or celery salt so I wrote in the substitutions that we use.

Ingredients:
~ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I like to buy a block of it and grate it myself)
~ 1/4 cup butter, softened
~ 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
~ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
~ 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
~ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
~ 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
~ 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
~ 2 lbs. salmon

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, garlic powder and sea salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

We like to serve it with sweet potato cubes. For those we just peel sweet potatoes (usually one per person) cube them, toss them in olive oil, season with house seasoning (equal parts salt, pepper, and garlic powder). Then lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in a 400 degree oven until tender, usually about 30 minutes. We make these before the fish. While the fish is broiling, we move the sweet potato rack to the bottom so they stay hot without getting scorched by the broiler.

2011's Fab Five

2011-12-31T22:19:00.000-06:00

Whew! Long time no see! I guess that's what Christmas vacay will do.

But much more on that later.

Right now it's time to look back at our top 5 posts from the past year.

#5 - Ring Around the Chicken Salad

Definitely still one of our go-to meals. I actually just put it on our menu tonight!

#4 - Confessions of a Couch Potato

This one made me smile. I always tell JP a sure-fire way to get people interested is to talk in intimate detail about how unhealthy you are. And sure enough, thanks to all you nosy peeps out there, here it is at #4. I will say, I don't love running yet. Before I loathed it and now I actually kinda like it...even though it's been a little too long since I've last done it.

#3 - No-Sew Ruffle Tree Skirt

My oh my, how I love this project. I think I'll weep tears of sorrow when I have to pack away our tree skirt. I may just leave it out and find new ways to use it year round. Maybe a new skirt for myself? Or perhaps one of those rugs you put on the floor around your toilet? And then I could make a matching toilet lid cover! Ruffles all around folks!

#2 - Another Pinterest-ing Project

I had alot of fun with this project. This was the last BIG project that we did the whole thing together. JP and I always say DIY projects are good for a marriage. It's true.

And finally....

Pulling in as our Champion of 2011....

#1 - JP the Pergolar

I have to admit this one really surprised me. JP is always wanting to write posts about things...like car detailing or about his day at the gun range so he could show everyone this picture:

{to all you moms and dads out there...you're welcome.}

So I told him he could but it could only be 5 sentences long. I don't know why he never did.

Anyway, he is the sole reason this post is ranked #1, and rightfully so. He did a wonderful job on it and we still love it!

From Our Family to Yours...

2011-12-26T17:35:00.003-06:00

The Frosting on the Cake

2011-12-14T10:14:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I shared my recipe for Nutella frosting and forgot to include how I frosted them. I like to be fancy like that but I am not a cake designer. Probably never will be. So when I saw one of these thingies in the baking aisle at Wal-Mart...

...it looked easy enough.

It's called something like EZ Squeeze. (It was literally hanging right beside the candles, frosting-in-a-tube, and cupcake liners at Wal-Mart...) It comes with 3 different nozzles. You just fill 'er up, and squeeze it out. I started in the center and worked my way out.

And she's washable.

And it cost $1.00. Have I mentioned we're ~~cheap~~ frugal?

Nutella Frosting

2011-12-13T16:00:00.000-06:00

This frosting contains 1 cup of Nutella.

Need I say more?

You should already be running to your kitchen to make this...because every sane woman has a stash of Nutella. Right? Well, I don't always have it...but I should.

Ingredients:
~ 1 cup confectioners' sugar
~ 1 cup Nutella
~ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
~ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ 1/4 teaspoon salt
~ 1/3 cup heavy cream

Mix confectioners' sugar, Nutella, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the cream and mix until the mixture is light and smooth.

I used this frosting on top of mini yellow cupcakes (I bought Betty Crocker brand) and they were the yummiest cupcakes ever.

I know I shouldn't toot my own horn but...

TOOT TOOT BABY!

No-Sew Ruffle Tree Skirt

2011-12-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

I am in love with this tree skirt! I've been seeing them around Pinterest and finally sat down to make one. From what I've read on other blogs, if you just sit down and work until it's finished, it takes somewhere around 4-5 hours. I did not time myself because I knew I'd be working on it while our daughter was awake. I started on it Friday evening around 5:00 and it was finished at lunchtime on Saturday. {Karlie and I took lots of book reading/ball throwing/chocolate milk making/booty dancing breaks...all of which I highly recommend during this project}

WARNING: While this was an incredibly easy project, it was tedious. EX.TREME.LY. tedious. Some may experience thoughts like:
"This is taking FORever."
"I'm running out of material..."
"I don't think I have enough glue sticks."
"My back is KILLING me!"
"No, literally. I think I'm dying from back pain..."
"If those dogs shed one more hair on my ruffles..."
"Ugh....."
"Do you think two rows of ruffles is enough?"
All of these thoughts are normal. Don't give up! ~~Some~~ All of those thoughts may have come out of my mouth at some point. Just take lots of breaks and try to have fun! It will be beautiful!

Here's what I used:
~ 1 canvas dropcloth from Lowe's or Home Depot (you could also use a tree skirt you already have)
~ 3 yards white material (I'm pretty sure it was muslin)
~ 3 yards tan material (I'm not sure what it is exactly but it was sitting on the same shelf as the burlap at Joann's)
~ rotary cutter (MUCH easier/faster than using scissors)
~ glue gun and lots of glue sticks
~ something very entertaining

1. Fold your drop cloth in half, and then in half again so it is quartered.
2. Fold your square in half to form a triangle.
3. My husband likes to be exact so we used a tape measure and Sharpie as a compass to draw the arc where we would cut.
4. Cut that line and another smaller arc down at the point.

You should end up with a circle...**

**I was really hoping to be able to tell you which side of the triangle to cut but somehow we failed miserably and ended up with this....

So I had to whip out my sewing machine to sew the two half-circles together. (I could have also used hot glue)

Begin cutting your strips of material. The length doesn't really matter but the longer the better (then you won't have to keep reaching for strips) but they need to be 3 inches wide.

Now set up for the long haul. This is what my work area looked like:

Using a little bit of glue at a time (it dries pretty quickly) use your strips to make ruffles. My advice would be to make little ruffles. I started out making the ruffles very tall but it uses more material and takes a little bit longer.

So if you make the ruffles shorter, it goes a little quicker and doesn't use as much material. Anna phrased it: "Less ruffle, less fabric being used." Something like that. She's very wise.

Keep going and going and going, alternating fabric between rows. Saturday morning I moved to the kitchen table because hunching over on the floor was taking a toll on my back.

A couple hours later, this is what I had....

I L-O-V-E it! So much. Or as Karlie says "doe mush."

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-02T15:30:00.001-06:00

* Courtesy of veryculinary.com

Ingredients:
~ 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
~ 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
~ 1 cup sugar
~ 2 large eggs
~ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
~ 3 1/2 cups flour
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 1 teaspoon baking soda
~ 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
~ 1 package of Oreos (I used Publix brand but didn't love them...no offense Publix, or Kalie)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Slowly add this to the wet ingredients. Then add the chocolate chips.

Take one ball of cookie dough...

Put an oreo on top and smoosh it down...

Put another ball of cookie dough on top...

Then seal the edges.

Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 13 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

I got the recipe and plate idea from Pinterest...who's surprised?

Enjoy!

Bucket List Update

2011-11-19T20:12:00.001-06:00

37. Go watch UGA at the SEC Championship!!!

I would also like to own a pair of these this winter....

Bucket List

2011-11-16T11:14:00.001-06:00

Everyone should have a bucket list right? The beauty of a bucket list is you can change it anytime you like. I hope to cross alot off and even add some more. Well, here's mine.

1. Sky Dive

2. Save someone’s life

3. Earn a teachingdegree (preferably from University of Georgia)

4. Learn to harmonize

5. Help someonedeliver a baby

6. Walk on a collegefootball field, at night, with the stadium lights on (again, preferably at UGA)

7. Play in an orchestraagain

8. Learn to play theguitar

9. Punch someone

10. Go on acruise

11. Hike inMontana

12. Niagara Falls

13. Grand Canyon

14. Mt. Rushmore

15. Ride amotorcycle by myself

16. Spend aweek in Washington D.C.

17. Visit Europe (ideally for a couple of months)

18. Work atJoann’s

19. StealLa Reunion’s potato salad recipe

20. Wintrivia night

21. Run an8K

22. Run ahalf-marathon

23. Run afull marathon

24. Performa certain pop song in front of a stadium of thousands (I’ve h ad the same dream aboutthis three times…I brought people to their feet {in applause, not to leave})

25. Be a guest star on SNL and scream “Live from New York, iiiiiiit’sSaturday Niiiiight!!!”

26. Go parasailing

27. Get better at water skiing

28. Fly first class

29. New Year's Eve in Times Square

30. Spend the night in Cinderella's Castle

31. Work at Disney World as Belle

32. Ride in a hot air balloon

33. Give Christmas to a less-fortunate kid

34. Do 100 "man push-ups"

35. Be able to run in the sand at the beach

36. Stay at the ME Resort in Cabo or Cancun
37. Go watch UGA at the SEC Championship

~~Drive a jet-ski~~

~~Run a5K~~

~~See theHollywood Sign~~

~~Buy ahouse~~

~~Have ababy~~

~~Go over100 mph~~

OK, so #24, #25, and #31 will probably remain dreams, but every bucket list should have some crazy things on them. Everything else seems pretty achievable. So, if you have any connections that would help me cross some things off, be sure to keep me on the D.L.

Bolognese Sauce

2011-11-15T09:21:00.001-06:00

*Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman via Pinterest.

Ingredients:
~ 1/2 cup olive oil
~ 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
~ 1 large red onion, diced
~ 2 pounds ground beef
~ 2 tablespoons dried oregano
~ 2 tablespoons dried basil
~ 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
~ 5 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1 cup red cooking wine
~ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
~ 2 cans (28 oz.) whole tomatoes (I use 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes)
~ 1 cup milk
~ salt and pepper, to taste
~ fresh parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes.

Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture. Throw in oregano and basil. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat.

Add garlic and stir to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.

Add Worcestershire and stir. Add canned tomatoes. Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

No Bake Energy Bites

2011-11-08T11:36:00.001-06:00

*Courtesy of Mrs. Sharon, who found it on Pinterest.

This is the recipe that I used from Mrs. Sharon. The link to the actual recipe gives other ideas for mix-ins.

Ingredients:
~ 1 cup oatmeal
~ 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
~ 1/2 cup almond butter
~ 1/3 cup honey
~ 1 teaspoon vanilla
~ 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
~ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Mix oats and flaxseed together.
2. Mix almond butter, honey, and vanilla together and pour on top of oats mixture.
3. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
4. Roll into balls and store them in your refrigerator to keep them firm.

These are so good and good for you! Even Karlie can't get enough!

Blitz Cleaning

2011-11-03T23:25:00.001-05:00

It's what we do.

Every night.

{...well, almost every night. We've slacked off lately because of a clumsy injury on my part. We'll be back to blitzing in no time.}

Blitz cleaning happens after we lay Karlie down for the night. We say prayers, give tons of hugs and kisses, and the blitzing begins. All we do is set our kitchen timer (which I love by the way. It's orange and it's from Anthropologie and I smile every time I turn its little dial) for 10-15 minutes and then we clean like crazy.

We usually do a 10 minute blitz but the pictures below are from a 15 minute blitz. We set the timer for 10 minutes but the time flew by and we weren't ready to quit! So we added 5 more minutes...see what blitzing will do to you?!

Behold! The power of 15 minutes....

As we clean, anything we find that belongs in Karlie's room is piled neatly by the door and put away the next morning.

And that is what we call blitz cleaning.

I'm always looking for quick and easy cleaning tips so if you have one you love to do, puh-leez, do tell me about it!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

2011-11-03T09:47:00.000-05:00

*Courtesy of allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
~ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~ 3/4 cup white sugar
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 2 teaspoons baking powder
~ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
~ 1 egg
~ 1/3 cup milk
~ 1 cup fresh blueberries

For the crumb topping:
~ 1/2 cup white sugar
~ 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
~ 1/4 cup butter, cubed (mine is usually room temperature)
~ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or use muffin liners.
2. Muffins: Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Pour vegetable oil into a 1-cup measuring cup and then add the egg and enough milk to fill to the 1-cup mark. Mix this into the flour mixture. Fold in the blueberries.
3. Pour muffin mix into the muffin cups and set aside.
4. Crumb Topping: Using a fork, mix sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the muffin batter before baking.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until done.

Another Pinterest-ing Project

2011-11-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Would you like to guess where I got the idea for this next project? If you guessed Pinterest, you guessed right! This pin to be exact.

We did this project awhile ago and I just have not gotten around to sharing it. So when I heard that Katie over at Bower Power and Sherry over at Young House Love were doing another round of their Pinterest Challenge, I knew I wanted to participate this time.

All you need for this project is:
~ a canvas (Fortunately we had recently grown to dislike the enormous 4'x4' canvas that was hanging in our living room so we decided to give it a little facelift.)
~ letters (We used two different kinds: the smaller letters are chipboard letters. We found ours in the scrapbook section at Joann's. The larger letters were from Hobby Lobby, 50% off!)
~ white spray paint
~ acrylic paint, any color. The bolder the better. (This was how we put our own little spin on the project.)

If you're using a canvas you already have, make sure you wipe it clean of dust.

Pick your phrase! For ours, we chose a phrase from our wedding verse, Song of Solomon 8:7.

Then using your letters, decide where you want it and then spell it out. The chipboard letters have sticky squares on the back of them so they were easy to stick down. For the larger letters we used a hot glue gun.

(I've included a picture of the chipboard letters. I had the hardest

time finding them because I didn't know what they looked like!)

Then start spraying your white spray paint.

Because our canvas was so large it took several coats (it could actually probably use another coat.)

Just keep spraying until you're satisfied that it's evenly coated.

Now here's where that acrylic paint comes into play.

Using the paint and a brush, paint the side edges of the canvas.

This part was the most tedious and took the longest, and we had 3 people working on it.

Boy, oh boy, do I love that pop of color!

Now I have to admit, when we got home and hung it back up, I didn't love it. It was hard to go from seeing something dark on the wall to seeing something so stark white. But it has grown on me. We're slowly repainting our house (changing the color scheme) so I think the new color will look great behind it!

P.S. - If you want to see a couple other things I have done (inspired by Pinterest) peek over at the right side of the page and click on "Pinterest" under the words screaming "LOOKING FOR SOMETHING???"

I highly recommend the homemade Febreze!

DIY: Play Make-Up

2011-11-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

I found this idea on the lovely and addicting world of Pinterest.

This project is super easy and will definitely make your little girl feel pretty special.

All you need is:
~ nail polish (I bought the cheap stuff from Wal-Mart)
~ empty make-up containers

Clean out your make-up containers with warm water and soap and dry them completely.

Slowly fill the containers with nail polish.

As the nail polish dries, it shrinks down quite a bit so I filled it all the way to the top of the silver lining.

To ensure the polish dries level, make sure the containers are lying completely flat on a hard surface

And that's it! You're done! I let Karlie's make-up dry for 3 days before I showed it to her. This will give it time for the fumes to go away and will ensure the polish is completely dried.

Aqua-tober

2011-10-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

I got the idea for this challenge from John over at Young House Love, only mine has a little bit of a tweak. He drank only water for a month. My challenge will be to drink 1 gallon of water every day during the month of October (which means I'll still have my morning cup o' joe that sits until naptime when I heat it up and enjoy it, sans toddler.)

October 1-2, I only made it half-way. Yesterday was my first day to drink the whole gallon. (I got up 6 times during the night to go to the bathroom.) Today, I'm already half-way there!

So who's with me? My sister Kalie and my friend Anna are also joining in. You don't have to commit to a gallon a day. Your goal could be to just drink the recommended 8-10 glasses a day. Whatever it is, just stick with it...even if you miss a day, or only get half-way like I did the first two days. Just don't quit!

Homemade Febreze

2011-09-22T14:45:00.003-05:00

I found the "recipe" for this over on Pinterest and could not wait to try it.

All you need is this:

~ 1/8 cup of your favorite fabric softener

~ 2 tablespoons of baking soda

~ hot tap water

Simply pour the fabric softener and baking soda into an empty spray bottle (I used an old Shout bottle), add hot water to fill the bottle up, shake it up, and start spraying! I made this on Tuesday and I love it!

PS - If you click my link up there to Pinterest, and then click the link you find there, it will eventually take you here, where the author gives a price comparison of making your own, and actually buying a bottle of Febreze. Also, if you haven't checked out Pinterest, click my "Follow Me on Pinterest" button on the right side of the blog and check it out. You will be addicted!

Turtle Cheesecake

2011-09-21T11:04:00.000-05:00

**Courtesy of Mrs. Tiffany Fleig

Ingredients:

~ 1 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers

~ 1/4 cup melted butter

~ 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese

~ 1/2 cup sugar

~ 2 teaspoons vanilla

~ 2 eggs

~ 1/4 cup hot fudge topping

~ caramel topping

~ chopped pecans

1. Preheat your over to 350 degrees

2. Mix butter and crushed wafer/graham crackers (I prefer graham crackers) and press into 9 inch pie plate.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Pour half of this mixture into the pie plate. (This is the most frustrating part for me. As you spread it, the crumbs will lift off the bottom, but that's ok! I've found that using your finger is the best way to spread the mixture.)

4. Add the hot fudge topping to the remaining cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Spoon over the vanilla mixture (Again, use your finger to spread. It's easier...plus you get to lick your finger. Win-win!)

5. Bake 30-40 minutes or until center is set. Do not test with a knife or it will crack the cheesecake. (I wiggle the pan and if the center isn't too jiggly and the edges of the crust are browned, it's done!)

6. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (I let it refrigerate overnight and it had a great texture!) Serve with caramel topping and pecans. Enjoy!

Master Bedroom: Update

2011-09-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

I first shared pictures of our master bedroom (in this post) back in September 2009.

Here are a few pictures from that post, taken not long after we moved in.

The next few pictures were taken back in January (Karlie's birthday to be exact). Our new bed had just arrived and was waiting to be assembled but I wanted a few more pictures as "before" shots.

Here are some pictures of what our room looks like today.

So far we have:

Removed the dresser
Switched to a white platform storage bed from World Market
Removed the sconces
Replaced the ceiling fan with a chandelier we found on Craigslist for $20
Sanded and painted our nightstands and antique mirror
Replaced the lamps with some from TJMaxx
New bedding from HomeGoods
New chair from Ikea.
New curtains from Ikea
Painted a table we found at a yard sale for $1
Brought in a floor mirror from Ikea
Built a headboard {that I H-A-T-E...please ignore it and stay tuned. We have all the materials to make it something we both love and hopefully it will be done in the next week}

It still needs a few more things:

FIX THE HEADBOARD
Something hanging over the gray chair
We're going to make something new to hold my jewelry and get rid of the brown jewelry stand under the antique mirror
Curtains need to be hemmed
We need to buy knobs for the nightstands (the ones in the picture actually belong in the kitchen...)
Spray paint the chair legs ORB (oil rubbed bronze)
New laundry hamper
New paint (the previous owners painted all the walls with flat paint, which looks incredible, but is impossible to clean.)

I think that's about it. We're still not finished but we love how far it's come. Slow and steady!

Misto-fied

2011-09-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

I first heard about the Misto Gourmet Sprayer about 2 weeks ago. It's a stainless steel bottle that you can pour your own olive oil into to use as cooking/baking spray. You remove the top, pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, replace the top, pump the lid until you feel resistance, and start spraying. According to Pfaltzgraff, you can also use any oils, vinegars, and lime or lemon juice. I found it online at several websites, ranging from $9.99-$20. I was willing to pay $9.99 but knew I'd have to wait until our next paycheck.

Until last night.

We went into HomeGoods in search of a glass pitcher. Lo and behold, my eyes fell on this.

I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't have to pay for shipping!

Then I flipped the box over and saw the beautiful price of $7.99!

And I'm obviously not the only one excited about this...

I've already used it twice and I love it.

And we did find a glass pitcher at HomeGoods' sister store, TJMaxx. We paid $6.99 and have already transferred our iced coffee over to it!

My One-derful Table

2011-09-09T11:17:00.001-05:00

The reason I think this table is so wonderful is because it cost me $1.00!

Sorry the pictures are so grainy...I don't know what to say.

Like most things that cost $1.00, it just needed a little bit of love. We decided to paint the metal part with some left over spray paint from a slightly-failed attempt at a headboard (that's another story for another day...) Then I took the glass table-top out and scrubbed it the best I could but it refused to look clean.

On to Plan B.

We bought a piece of wood ($4) that is 1/4" thick from Lowe's, traced the circle onto it, and cut it out with a jig saw. Then we took some zebra print fabric ($4) from Joann's and wrapped it around the wood, using spray adhesive and staples to attach it.

That was all it took! It fits perfectly beside the chair in our bedroom!

Again, I'm sorry that the pictures are so grainy. If only I had a Nikon D5000....

Pull Up a Chair

2011-09-07T12:50:00.002-05:00

Back in April, when I shared my crafty corner, it was missing a chair. Since then, while searching for the perfect chair, I've been using a folding metal chair.

Finally, the day came. While we were walking around Faith Rescue Mission, my friend and fellow DIY-er Anna, found this for me...

{you can also see the chair I've been using on the right side of the picture...}

What made this chair even more appealing was the price...

$10.00! Not too shabby.

Now anyone who has spent any length of time with us knows we do not like to pay full price and will avoid doing so at all costs, whether it's through coupons or asking for a discount (JP is much better at it than I am but I'm learning...it never hurts to ask. The worst that will happen is they say no). This holds true even at thrift stores. However, before I could put my crazy bargaining skillz to use , they gave us 50% off because Kalie flashed her student ID. So I bought this chair for $5.00!

The first thing we did was remove the seat.

It always helps to have a toddler around...she has to earn her keep after all.

Buddy Fruits don't grow on trees, baby doll!

The chair was slightly coming apart on one side so JP drilled some screws in to hold it together.

Then using a white wood filler, he filled in the spaces over the screws. After it dried, we sanded it down until it was smooth.

We applied one coat of primer...

And then one coat of glossy white...

We found the material at Hobby Lobby. Using a 40% off coupon, we paid $4.98. We laid it face down on the floor, put the cushion on top, and then probably went a little over board with the staple gun. If we saw a loose spot, we stapled it.

When we were finished, we trimmed all the excess material.

After attaching the seat, we were done! And it only cost us $9.98.

{clicking the picture should make it larger}

What's not to love?

Homemade Waffles

2011-08-19T10:19:00.002-05:00

*Courtesy of allrecipes

** I made these for the first time this morning. I've always bought the Shake and Pour pancake batter and just used that to make waffles but decided to try waffles from scratch. They were very easy to make and I froze the leftovers to reheat for Karlie.

Ingredients:

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 cups all-purpose flour

~ 1 3/4 cups milk

~ 1/2 cup vegetable oil

~ 1 tablespoon white sugar

~ 4 teaspoons baking powder

~ 1/4 teaspoon salt

~ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in a large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. (I used my stand mixer)
2. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla until smooth. (I also added cinnamon sugar...just sprinkle however much you like)
3. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

My Brother's a Model

2011-08-17T22:26:00.000-05:00

Seriously. He's going to California next week to begin the long journey to stardom at the Julie Nation Academy . Don't ask him about it though because he doesn't like to talk about it.**

So to get him started on the right track, I shouted pose commands over Skype. The results were not too shabby. Take a look....

To start him off easy, we started with just a basic smile...

He was a little nervous.
Next...

Sultry

Ecstatic!

"Sorority Girl"

Disappointed

Devastatingly Sad

Skeptical

Shocked

Sleepy

Attitude

Magnificent

Killa'

And finally.....

This one will be his headshot

** Those of you who don't know me (or Samuel), he's actually heading to West Coast Baptist College. {Although I'm sure he can use some of these looks to catch some ladies...}

We are very proud of him and cannot wait to see what the Lord does with his life!

Mirrors Mirrors on Our Walls

2011-08-17T15:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting! It doesn't mean we haven't been busy though!

The two mirrors we have in our house (besides bathroom mirrors) received a little love and attention recently.

Mirror #1 {the one in our master bedroom}
We actually fixed this one up back in March but it wasn't until yesterday I realized I never posted about it. This beauty was bought at an antique store when I was in tenth grade, sometime in 2001 or 2002. It was just about the only thing I contributed to our new life when we got married in 2006. Since then, it has always hung faithfully over my jewelry stand, mostly collecting dust.

Side Note

I was originally going to use this picture:

Notice anything?? Look really hard and you can see a very creepy version of my husband in the reflection.
I didn't know he was standing there until I uploaded the picture and then had to retake it. Nice babe.

Anyway, after a little bit of sanding and slopping on about 3 or 4 coats of white paint,
here she is in all her glory:

My inspiration to paint this mirror came when I found a mirror (very similar in style) at Z Gallerie. The only difference??

My mirror - $0 (I already had the mirror and the paint)

Z Gallerie's - $399.00

Cha ching!

Mirror #2 {the one in our living room}
This project we started and finished yesterday. We bought this mirror in December 2006 and we thought it was the best thing we'd ever buy. It was our first (and last) purchase from Kirklands. Since then, it has hung over our couch in Kentucky, on our dining room wall in Texas, and now is back over our couch in Alabama.

Now with mirror #1, we use a bucket of paint and some paint brushes. However with this one, we happened to already be on a spray painting spree so we spray painted this one. We used one coat of white spray primer and 2 coats of high-gloss white spray paint and ended up with this:

Don't you just love white paint? For a while, my younger sister {I don't like to name names} teased me because my response to any home-decor-remodeling question was, "Paint it white!"

So I submit to you that you could paint anything white, and it will in fact look fabulous!

"Motherhood is a Calling..."

2011-07-14T13:56:00.001-05:00

I read this article after my friend Kelly posted it to Facebook and couldn't wait to share it. But first a little bit of background of why it came with such perfect timing.

A couple days ago, I started a recorded episode of 19 Kids and Counting to watch while trying to fold laundry and while Karlie was playing. And I specifically thought to myself, "Is this a bad idea when I'll probably get distracted and miss part of the episode?"

Three minutes into the episode, Jim Bob and Michelle were working together on writing their new book while some of their kids were playing around them. Michelle said, "Schedules, and deadlines, that just is very difficult for a mother with children to think about. That's not my realm of life that I'm normally in. So the stress of all that makes me stay up late nights because my children are my priority." Then they begin to talk about how it's interesting that they're writing a book about raising children, while raising children, and dealing with interruptions every 5 minutes.

Then Michelle says, "I wouldn't call it distractions. They are what our job is. The distraction is sitting down and trying to write a book. That's the distraction."

Sigh.

I just called my precious daughter a distraction, when really, the television is the distraction. If you take away the hours Karlie spends sleeping, I only get 8 hours a day with her. Eight. That's only 1/3 of every day.

I still cringe thinking back on it. So with 26 minutes left in the episode, I rearranged my priorities, snapped out of my spoiled thinking, and turned the TV off.

Then I read this article that shined another light on the blessing of being a mommy:
(article taken from this site)

Motherhood Is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)

A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, “Wow! You have your hands full!”

She could have just as well said, “Don’t you know what causes that?” or “Are they all yours?!”

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.

Zucchini Pasta

2011-06-28T15:36:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
~ zucchini (I used half of one zucchini)
~ grape tomatoes (I used 5, sliced into thirds)
~ minced garlic (I used 1 clove)
~ chopped walnuts
~ basil (I used 3 leaves off of my basil plant and chopped them)
~ sea salt
~ extra-virgin olive oil

Making this recipe is very simple.

Just slice your zucchini super thin. The tinier your slices, the more floppy it is, and then it really is more like a pasta. Add your sliced tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, and basil. Drizzle enough olive oil to lightly coat all of your ingredients. Season with salt and any other spice you think would be good. I used Mrs. Dash - Tomato, Basil, and Garlic.

That's it! Enjoy!

Raw Food Cleanse Challenge

2011-06-27T16:02:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 1 of my raw food cleanse. The general response I get when I tell people I'm doing it is, "Gross. So what do you eat?"

The answer is NOT raw meat. Basically it's fruits and veggies! Easy peasy.

This is not what I like to call the "Kelly Cleanse"
(This is for you Anna...)

I've been interested in doing a cleanse for a while now. However I did not want to risk gaining the weight I lost during the cleanse once I started eating again after the cleanse. About a week ago, JP found someone doing a raw food challenge over at Whole Living. You can read her blog posts about it here. It seemed easy enough, and I didn't have to buy any weird ingredients that I'd never use again after the cleanse.

The writer of the Whole Living blog is doing it for 2 weeks. My cleanse will only last 5 days (Monday-Friday) so I'm certainly not diving in head first. I really hope to see some kind of difference on Friday. It's already been kinda tough and it's only the first day. I woke up this morning and picked up Kalie's bag of chewy sweet-tarts and immediately remembered they were a big "no-no." I'd also be lying if I said I'm not missing my coffee. But it's only 5 days and my body will thank me for it. At least it better.

After a trip to Publix last night, I came home with:
green apples
strawberries
bananas
broccoli
carrots
cucumbers
tomatos
almonds
walnuts
mushrooms
grapes
peaches
pluots
oranges
zucchini
garlic
carrots

Day 1: (so far)
Breakfast - strawberries and banana
Snack - almonds
Lunch - zucchini pasta (recipe will be posted very soon)

Life With a Toddler

2011-05-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Today I was going to post a little sneak peek at our headboard that we started building this afternoon but I've decided to wait until it's completely finished.

Instead I want to share this little article that a friend shared on Facebook that made me laugh.

Now let me say this:
JP and I do not know what a frat party is like
However.
We certainly know what it's like living with a toddler. Especially recently. Karlie has certainly grown quite the little personality and makes us laugh several times a day.

Why having a toddler is
like being at a frat party

1. THERE ARE HALF-FULL, BRIGHTLY-COLORED PLASTIC CUPS ON THE FLOOR IN EVERY ROOM. THREE ARE IN THE BATHTUB.

2. THERE'S ALWAYS THAT ONE GIRL,
BAWLING HER EYES OUT IN A CORNER.

3. IT'S BEST NOT TO ASSUME THAT THE PERSON CLOSEST TO YOU HAS ANY CONTROL OVER THEIR DIGESTIVE FUNCTION.

4. YOU SNEAK OFF TO THE BATHROOM KNOWING THAT AS SOON AS YOU SIT DOWN, SOMEONE'S GOING TO START BANGING ON THE DOOR.

5. PROBABLY 80% OF THE STAINS ON THE
FURNITURE CONTAIN DNA.

6. YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE IN YOUR FACE AT
3 A.M. LOOKING FOR A DRINK.

7. THERE'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A FIGHT.

8. YOU'RE NOT SURE WHETHER ANYTHING YOU'RE DOING IS RIGHT, YOU JUST HOPE IT WON'T GET YOU ARRESTED.

9. THERE ARE CRUMPLED-UP UNDERPANTS EVERYWHERE.

10. YOU WAKE UP WONDERING EXACTLY HOW AND WHEN THE PERSON IN BED WITH YOU GOT THERE.

11. YOU HAVE A TV THEME SONG STUCK IN YOUR HEAD, AND WHEN YOU START SINGING IT EVERYONE JOINS IN.

12. SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SOMEONE SLURS, "I WANT MY MOMMY."

13. YOU ARE SUBJECTED TO THE SAME STORY 20 TIMES.

14. YOU REALIZE YOU ARE THE ONE TELLING
THE SAME STORY 20 TIMES.

15. YOU LIE TO YOUR PARENTS ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING ON AT YOUR PLACE.

16. AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS LYING ON THE FLOOR, EITHER FACE UP OR FACE DOWN, SINGING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS

17. OFTEN, FOR NO REASON, SOMEONE LAUGHS UNCONTROLLABLY FOR MINUTES ON END.

18. PEOPLE CAN'T CLIMB THE STAIRS
WITHOUT USING THEIR HANDS.

19. NO ONE WALKS IN A STRAIGHT LINE
AND THEY RANDOMLY FALL DOWN.

20. THERE ARE ALWAYS FIGHTS THAT NEED TO BE BROKEN UP. AND ARE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY "I LOVE YOU, BRO."

21. TRY AS YOU MIGHT, YOU CANNOT GET PEOPLE TO STOP DANCING ON THE FURNITURE.
(The picture's blurry, but she's dancing on her chair)

22. SPINNING AROUND AND FLAPPING YOUR
ARMS COUNTS AS DANCING.

23. AT LEAST ONE PERSON WILL BE DANCING
AROUND TO IMAGINARY MUSIC.

24. AT ANY TIME THERE IS A CHANCE OF SOMEONE RUNNING NUDE THROUGH THE HOUSE.

25. WHEN THE INSIDE GETS TOO BAD, JUST HEAD OUTSIDE!

Bekvams for Books

2011-05-10T11:25:00.001-05:00

In this post I mentioned some spice racks that would soon be book shelves for Karlie. I had seen this idea floating around on different blogs and Pinterest and loved it. Karlie is a little bookworm so more book storage was a must for her. I bought three of the spice racks during our last trip to Ikea.

A few coats of white paint and some little swirlies on the side are all these little spice racks needed to become cute little book shelves. I used the same pink and green paint we used on her mural.

And Karlie's already got it figured out!

Baby Got Back(splash)

2011-05-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

I like mosaic tiles and I cannot lie...

This is probably my #1 favorite project we've done yet. (We're also currently working on our bedroom, which may take the #1 spot. Who knows. But so far it includes a nightstand facelift, a new platform storage bed, new bedding, a furniture elimination, new lighting {a modern chandelier!} and a new chair. We're also working on building a headboard, finding a new paint color, adding a 6-foot mirror and hanging new wall decor. But I digress...)

**If you're only interested in seeing the befores and afters,

just scroll to the bottom to see pictures.**

Thinking about tiling scared me. I mean, you throw in words like thin-set, back-buttering, and grout, and that's a whole other playing field. However...it was surprisingly easy! Tedious....but easy.

JP and I had never tiled before this project. We researched for WEEKS, trying to find the best information out there. (Pause for a quote from The Office: "Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject. So you know you are getting the best possible information." Resume.) That being said, we did not use wikipedia. We searched for other DIY blogs, spent alot of time on DIY Network, and talked to several employees at Lowe's and Home Depot who knew a thing or two about backsplashing.

Unfortunately our camera died very early in this project and we didn't have any spare batteries. I was able to get a few pictures of the beginning steps, but otherwise we watched Amy Matthews' videos and took scrupulous notes. Since I can't give you pictures on how we did it, I'll give you links to the videos and whatever notes we wrote down.

Step 1:

Our notes:

* Do check to see if counter is level. We thought ours would be fine but surprisingly it was slightly sloped!
* Use spacers. We talked to an employee at Lowe's who was able to show us exactly what size spacer we should use.
* Do lay out all your tiles on the counter for measuring purposes.
* Butter = thin-set
* Definition of "back-butter" (Amy Matthews mentions it at 2:53 in the video): spread thin-set on the back of the tile, like you're buttering a slice of toast, and press it to the wall. (check down at video #4, at 2:43, for demonstration)
* Consider buying recycled glass tiles (we used recycled glass from Lowe's). It's half the price of normal glass tile...plus you can classify yourself as a greenie-weenie. Win, win.
* Do sand any drywall.
* Behind your stove/oven, screw a ledger board to the wall. This way you can still use your spacers to keep your tiles nice and straight when you don't have a counter top for the tiles to rest on. This is what ours looked like:

Step 2:

Our notes:

* We only had a few cuts to make. For those cuts, we borrowed a wet-saw from our neighbor.

Step 3:

Our notes:

* When you go to buy your thin-set, find an employee who knows what they're doing and they can help you.

* It is my opinion that you should not use a tile setting mat. When using thin-set, once you press the tile into it, you can shift it around to make sure the tiles are straight. If you use this mat, once you press the tiles onto it, they're stuck there forever. Usually Lowes or Home Depot has a display set up for this product. If you look at it, there are many imperfections. I've seen 3 different displays for this mat, and all of them have wavy tile lines. Not cool.

* Thin-set can be mixed by hand. It takes some serious muscle, but it can be done.

* Only apply thin-set the width and height of your tile. Our tile was 1ft x 1ft so we applied our thin-set in 1ft x 1ft sections and then pressed our tiles into it.

Step 4:

Our notes:

* Since we did not use subway tiles, we did not do a border tile. We just caulked the edge where the tiles ended.

* Do use a grout float to press the tiles into place.

* We did not buy a tile nipper but we wish we did. It would have been very handy to have around the outlets. (Amy Matthews mentions this tool at 1:36 in the video)

Step 5:

Our notes:

* We might not be pros, but we used premixed, sanded grout and it was the perfect consistency.

* We did not use a sealer before we grouted but we probably should have. We had to scrub the tiles pretty hard to remove grout haze that stuck to the tiles.

* After you grout, wiping the excess with a sponge is much more tedious than it looks.

* We used a spray sealer that worked like spray paint. It comes out fast and tends to drip down onto your countertop, so just be ready to wipe away drips.

* Definitely get longer screws for your outlet covers.

Karlie - 15 Months

2011-04-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

Last time I posted an update on Karlie, she had just turned 1 year old. On Monday she had her 15 month check-up and she is certainly growing! She has consistently stayed in the 50th percentile for weight and has always been off the charts for height (>95%). Here are her measurements since birth:

~ Her bedtime is at 8:30 and she usually wakes up at 8.

~ She takes two 2-hour naps every day, once at 10:00am and again somewhere between 2:30-3pm

~ She sleeps with a blanket, a stuffed animal (usually "Dog"...who is really Lady, from Lady and the Tramp) and her pacifier (which I really hope to start breaking her of really soon)

~ Walking is now her only mode of transportation. Sometimes it looks like she's practically running, but I'm in denial and won't admit that to myself.

~ She loves to go outside. And when I say loves, I mean L-O-V-E-S going outside. It's all she wants to do. She knows what the word means so it became one of our "spell it so she won't know what we're saying" words. I've seen many tantrums thrown during thunderstorms because I won't take her outside.

~ She also loves to put things away. She dumps her shapes out of her shape-sorter just so she can put them all back in.

~ She is really learning how to understand and obey us. A couple weeks ago, I caught her going through our bathroom drawers, playing with a bottle of pills (child-proof...don't worry) so I told her "Karlie, put that away." She immediately put the bottle back in the drawer and pushed the drawer closed. A little while later, I found her in our bedroom playing with the same pill bottle. I looked at her again and said "Karlie, go put that away." She walked into the bathroom, opened the drawer, put the pills inside, closed the drawer, and walked away. It made me so proud.

~ She's the best dancer I know.

~ She loves to eat. She prefers fruits and vegetables over french fries and corn dogs, but never turns down a bite of frozen yogurt.

~ She wears a size 4 shoe, size 4 diapers and size 12-18 months clothes.

~ She has 12 teeth! 4 top front, 4 bottom front (1 of which is still cutting through), and 4 molars (also still coming in)

~ She loves to give kisses but only gives hugs every now and then.

~ She is a go-to-bed champion. When it's time for bed or for a nap, I just say, "Karlie, let's go night-night." and she walks down the hall, into her room, and stands in front of her crib.

~ She loves to see her daddy. She can very easily pick him out of a crowd and goes nuts when she sees him. As soon as he gets home and opens the door, she says "Da!!!" and takes off for the door.

A Corner of Craftiness

2011-04-21T15:10:00.001-05:00

Besides missing a little bit of pizazz, my craft corner is complete! Any of you who know us, and I mean really know us, you know how we are about projects. We are masters at starting projects and champions at leaving them half-finished, for ~~weeks~~ months. So for us to finish the desk make-over, new furniture assembly, and organizing all my stuff into their new spots in just 5 days is quite the accomplishment!

Let me give you a reminder of what it looked like Friday morning.

And here's what it looked like Tuesday night:

The hanging bowls I found at Ikea. They're called Asker Containers. They're perfect for pens, pencils, and scissors. I think I'll put some pretty flowers in the empty middle one.

The standing bookshelf is also from Ikea. The boxes (again, from Ikea) are holding my fabrics and hairbow-making materials.

I put my sewing machine on the lower empty shelf and my stack of Food Network magazines on the upper empty shelf. I know it's silly but I love how they look all stacked up nicely. I'm thinking a white porcelain animal will look right at home on top of them.

And I love my desk! I was worried the stain was too light and that we should have done 1 more coat of stain, but when JP put the clear coat on, it was perfect!

And those knobs? They look Anthropologie right?? I found them at Hobby Lobby for 50% off!

This was the previous hardware:

And these are the new ones:

So besides needing some accessories and a chair, it's all finished!

Stick Like Glue

2011-04-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

When I decided a long time ago that I wanted to re-do my little corner, I started doing some online investigating to see what I could find. When I saw Jen's amazingly beautiful office over at IHeart Organizing, I felt inspired...especially with her magnetic board, hanging pen holders, and floating shelf.

(Click on it for a close up)

First things first: A trip to Ikea in Atlanta. Check!
Second: Give them lots of money and take home:
~ a bookshelf
~ a floating shelf
~ cute little hanging bowls to put things in
~ spice racks that will soon be book shelves for Karlie
~ a magnetic board
~ little canisters for the magnetic board
~ boxes to go inside the bookshelf

When we got home, JP hung the floating shelf and assembled a bookshelf for extra storage. (pictures to come)

Next we got started on the magnetic board. JP and I went to Hobby Lobby last night to pick up some material, spray adhesive, and scrapbook paper.

If you don't like long and wordy explanations, feel free to

skip to the bottom to see the finished product!

First we spread the material over the magnetic board.

We folded down half of the material, sprayed the material and the board with adhesive, laid the material back down, and smoothed out the wrinkles. Then we repeated this with the other half.

While that dried, we started on the magnetic canisters.

We took the paper inserts out of the canisters, traced them onto the scrapbook paper, cut them out, and put them in the canisters. Quick and easy!

After we finished the canisters, I wasn't convinced the adhesive had completely dried so we decided to leave it overnight. This morning, I flipped the board over and trimmed all the excess material off, leaving 1-2 inches all the way around.

Then using my hot glue gun, I laid down a squiggly line of glue and wrapped the material tightly around the edges. As you can see in the picture, I only did a little bit at a time because the glue dried quickly since the metal was cold.

Do this all the way around and then you are done!

Desk to Craft Table

2011-04-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

When I was in high school, my youth pastor's wife gave me a desk. Sadly, after we got married, it had to stay at my parent's house for a while. When we moved to Birmingham, we brought it home and decided to show it a little bit of love.

Last July we sanded it down, painted it but didn't love it. It wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but there it sat for 9 months...enough time to grow a baby.

(Sorry for the bad {and grainy} picture. We didn't take an "after" picture when we

finished painting it the first time so this is actually the new "before" picture...)

After I saw this Reader Redesign over at Young House Love, I knew immediately that I had a new plan for my desk. Last Friday we got started and so far, I am in L-O-V-E!!!! We sanded the top all the way down to bare wood. That took 3 hours. So far, we've put 3 coats of stain and 1 coat of clear-coat on the top, and we've painted everything else white.

It's not completely finished...I still need to find the world's-most-perfect-while-still-being-inexpensive knobs. Hopefully by the end of the week, the desk will be finished...along with my little craft area that I am SUPER excited about. Lots of pictures to come!!!

Seasoned Veggies

2011-04-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

**Courtesy of Anna Johnson

These vegetables are probably my favorite side dish...definitely in my top 5. They're super easy to throw together and probably very common...alot of you probably already do this as a side.

Ingredients: (the amount of each vegetable will depend on how many you're feeding. The italicized number indicates how many we use, and will usually feed 4)
~ zucchini (2)
~ yellow squash (2)
~ red potato (2 medium sized)
~ baby portabella muchrooms (1 sm. carton - we love mushrooms!)
~ whole green beans (maybe around 15, chopped into thirds)
~ baby carrots (maybe around 15, sliced in half)
~ broccoli (1 stalk)
~ Tony Chachere seasoning

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Chop all of the vegetables.
3. Mix all vegetables together, except for the mushrooms, in a baking dish (we use a 9x13). Set your chopped mushrooms aside, they'll be added in later.
4. Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the vegetables and mix.
5. Sprinkle desired amount of Tony Chachere seasoning on top and mix again. I've found the more I use, the spicier it gets.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on how tender you want them to be. When there are about 5 minutes left, mix in the mushrooms. Continue baking until all the vegetables are tender.

2/20/30 Update

2011-04-07T13:17:00.001-05:00

Today is Day 12 of my 2/20/30 Plan and it's actually going ok.

1. 30 Day Shred
I would actually give myself an A on this plan (and JP agrees...and he's one tough cookie to please). I've only missed 2 days out of 12. Even though I missed Day 7 and Day 9, we still moved up to Level 2 on Day 11 (sticking with my 10 days for each level).

Now this next part might sound a little brag-a-docious, and for that I'm sorry, but since beginning a healthy diet and exercising on Feb. 15, I've lost 13 pounds and gone down 2 sizes!!! It felt really good to pull those smaller jeans out from the floor of my closet, put them on, and actually zip and button them. I hadn't worn them in over 2 years.

Now before my head gets too big and I float away, I'll snap back into reality and admit that I've still got a long way to go before I meet my final goal. However, seeing changes this early on is very encouraging and makes it easier to keep going. It also helps to have a supportive husband. Not only in words, but in action too. Every night, he puts on his tennis shoes and works out with me and Jillian (yes, we're now on a first-name basis)

2. 30 Day Cleaning Schedule
I'd probably give myself a B, maybe even a B-. I've done a good job making bed (I think a made-bed makes a big difference) and almost keeping up with the schedule. I'm usually a day or two behind. I just need to stop making excuses and kick it in high gear. It's really not a hard schedule. I just tend to be lazy.
So in the words of Forrest, Forrest Gump - "That's all I have to say about that."

That's it for now! Is anyone else trying a cleaning plan or workout plan that you love and find easy to stick with?? If so, do share!

Flower Power

2011-04-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

I got instructions for this little cutie from Stephanie over at Just Thought I'd Share (she's also the amazing owner of Simply Unique Boutique) So when she posted how to do this little flower, I knew I had to do it. All you need is material and a hot glue gun!

1. Trace and cut out circles from your material. I used the bottom of a juice glass to trace my circles. The number of circles you'll use depends on how full you want your flower to be. I cut out somewhere around 25 because I knew I'd be making more than one. I only used 9 or 10 on my flower. 2 of my fabrics were left over from a dress I made for Karlie (more on that later). I knew I wanted a third color so I raided my closet and found an old white skirt I never wear anymore. For the base of my flower, I cut a smaller circle out of some left over felt I had.

2. Grab one of your circles in the middle so that it scrunches up.

3. Grab the open end with your other hand and put a small dot of glue on the tip. Press it against the center of your base until it sticks.

4. Continue doing this with your fabric circles until you get the look you want. I alternated which fabric I used and glued them on opposite sides.

When you like what you see, stop there and admire your work!

You can then glue your blossom to whatever you like.
~ A clippie for you or your daughter's hair
~ A pin to wear on a sweater, purse or bag
~ Or glue straight to a throw pillow
So many possibilities!

Shake that Rump...

2011-03-30T16:55:00.001-05:00

...what? It's for colon cancer awareness!

Yep, that's right. Jamie and I recently ran our first official race, the Rumpshaker 5K. We previously ran the Ketchup Run 5K at Earthfare in Montgomery, Al. However, the Ketchup Run didn't require registration or announce official results; so, the Rumpshaker was our first REAL one.

It was ALOT of fun. My sister, Janelle, was awesome enough to come down and spend Friday night so she could babysit K for us on Saturday. After the hectic "Where-in-the-world-is-the-ipod?" debacle which ended unsuccessfully Friday night, Saturday morning got a slower start than we had hoped as we ran back and forth from the car for forgotten items (like headphones). Nevertheless, we were out the door before 7am for our 8am start time. We ran by McDonald's and started the day right (did I just say that???) with fruit and yogurt parfait/fruit and oatmeal. We then met up with our good friends, the Johnsons, and carpooled it on up to Sloss Furnace in downtown Birmingham.

After parking the car, debating whether to bring jackets, and witnessing an older gentleman with his shorts on backwards, we shuffled on over to the start line. We then preceded to wait in the abnormally long port-a-john line with just minutes to spare till start time. I was absolutely amazed at the amount of people present for this race. We found out later that there was around 2600 people!
I was also amazed at the annoying, live hard rock playing a 7:45 in the morning.

So, after patronizing the port-a-lets, we got in line somewhere in the middle of 2600 people and wondered how this was going to work. It turns out that it worked out just fine thanks to these handy-dandy little shoe sensors. I'm pretty sure that they are RFID tags. Anyway, they are linked to your individual race-bib number and record each runner's start time when they cross the start line. So, even though we didn't cross the start line until 5 minutes after the green light, we were able to get our official time.

Wickedly enough, the first thing on the route was a steep hill over an over-pass. This was made even worse by the fact that everyone was still really bunched up at this point. But, once you got over it (literally or figuratively) it was smooth sailing. I actually really enjoyed running through downtown.

Jamie and I did not stay together for this one, but I am super proud of her for RUNNING the entire thing! Although she sells herself short, you would never guess from watching her run that she has only been doing it for a month or so!

My advice to people running big 5K's like this one would be to start near the back because it is much more encouraging to pass all the slower people than to start at the front and be passed by all the faster people!

After the race was over, they had the assembly area set up with all sorts of awesome stuff. Not the least of which was a 20 foot inflatable colon complete with polyps!

Anthony and I fighting colon cancer.

They also had all sorts of food booths set up, including one from MELTING POT! So, after foraging for about an hour and maxing out our SWAG quota,

we hit the road and headed on over to Dunkin' Donuts where Jamie and I were introduced to blueberry flavored coffee (??)!! Don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty awesome day complete with people running with fake butts on the outside of their shorts, copious amounts of bowel & backside jokes, and tons of good laughs! And no one made fun of me for being the dork who ran in the official race t-shirt. I guess its kind of like wearing a band's t-shirt to that band's concert. Faux Pas galore.

On a more serious note, this cause was very close to our hearts because my father, Rev. John C. Policastro, is a colon cancer survivor. He has been cancer free for 4 years now and we are SO proud of him. We ran this race in his honor.

On April 2nd, I am running the Amphibious Warrior Mud Run put on by Auburn University's Naval ROTC. The proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project which is a FANTASTIC organization that was a huge blessing to me when I had my hernia repair during OIF 07-09. If you are any where near Auburn, COME OUT AND RUN!

2/20/30

2011-03-29T15:03:00.003-05:00

I am really excited about this post! I think it's going to keep me motivated.

Now, to explain the title of this post, I have 2 plans, that take 20 minutes a day, for 30 days. I officially started my plans on Sunday, March 27, so today is actually Day 3.

Those 2 plans are -
1. 30 Day Shred

For those who have not heard of it, this video contains three workouts: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. You of course start with Level 1 and move on to the next level when you feel that you're ready. My plan is to spend 10 days on each level.

Each workout is 20 minutes long. After a 1 minute warm-up, each workout has three “circuits.” Each circuit has three minutes of strength training, two minutes of cardio, then one minute of classic abwork. Then - no rest - you’ll immediately start a new circuit.

So far, we've done the work out on Sunday and Monday (I'm waiting for JP to get home to do today's workout) and I'm feeling really good. Sunday I was tired and on Monday my muscles were pretty tight, but I can definitely tell it's working some muscles that haven't been worked in a while.

In addition to this work-out, I'll also continue with running. Thanks to Dusty over at All Things G&D, I now have a pretty nifty mileage tracker (located over to the right, beside "Blogs I Love").

Side note of accomplishments -
~ We recently participated in our second (but first official) 5K. I ran the whole thing and shortened my time by 5 minutes.
~ I've lost 10 pounds!

2. 30 Day Cleaning Schedule

Kelly over at View Along the Way led me to this next plan with this post which linked me over to where she found it at Apartment Therapy. (Did you follow all of that?) So far, it's reasonably easy stuff, with just a little bit to do each day. Since we're on Day 3 today, I'll go ahead and give you Day 1 and Day 2 so we'll be caught up.

Day 1 - Surface clean living room and kitchen (pick up stray items, dust, sweep, vacuum)
Day 2 - Clean bathrooms (toilets, showers, floors, walls, mirrors)
Day 3 - Surface clean bedrooms (put away toys, clothes, dust)

In addition to each day's task I also:

~ want to maintain what I've done so far and

~ make our bed every day

And that's it! I'll get a gadget posted somewhere on the blog soon with each day's assignment posted in case anyone else wants to follow the cleaning plan. I'll also list them all in order under the "Our Projects" tab for anyone who starts following it a little late.

Ring Around the Chicken Salad

2011-03-21T13:12:00.001-05:00

**Courtesy of Mrs. Anna Johnson

Ingredients:
~1 rotisserie chicken (we've gotten the original kind from Walmart and the BBQ kind from Publix)
~2-3 tbsp of mayo (we also like to use 4 tbsp. of plain Greek yogurt* - more details at bottom)
~a squirt of spicy brown mustard
~1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
~1/4 c. Craisins
~1/4 c. crushed pecans or walnuts
~salt and pepper to taste
~1/2 tsp. garlic powder
~2 cans of crescent rolls (we get the Great Value original kind, not the buttered kind)

1. Preheat your oven to whatever the crescent roll can says.
2. While that's preheating, peel the top skin off of the chicken and shred ALL the white meat up.
3. Stir in the mayo/Greek yogurt.
4. Then I just squirt a little squiggly line of mustard over it and mix it up again.
5. Then add the cheese, craisins, and nuts.
6. Then mix in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

After you've mixed all the ingredients, spray a cookie sheet with Pam. If you use a cooking stone you don't have to spray it. Take one can of crescent rolls and lay them out in a circle with the wide ends on the inside and the pointy end pointing out. It will look like a sunshine.

Then take the other can, and lay those pointing inside, with the wide ends touching the meeting points of the other wide ends. (Have I confused you yet? Clicking the picture should show you a larger picture.) I just go in order and keep laying them on top of each other.

Then spread your chicken salad around the ring where the wide ends are touching.

Then you're just going to criss cross the crescent rolls over the chicken salad, alternating inside/outside/inside/outside, etc.

You may have to tuck the dough to the side so it doesn't stick out, like this:

After you've gone all the way around, your ring should look something like this.

Then just bake it however long the crescent roll pack says, usually around 11 minutes. Enjoy!

*JP and I have started using plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo and sour cream.
In this recipe, 2-3 tbsp. of lite mayo would contain around 135 calories. However the 4 tbsp. of Greek yogurt only contain 32 calories. Food for thought :)

Working on a New Weigh of Life!

2011-03-03T15:10:00.001-06:00

I haven't met many people who love to diet. But I know finding things that make dieting a little more enjoyable really helps. These are the things that have helped me...

1. Tasty breakfast food -

I used to never eat breakfast. You always hear, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" But why??? So I read up on some interesting facts about just how important it is.

Shape magazine says:

~ "More than 80 percent of people who lose weight and keep it off eat breakfast every or nearly every day."

Mayoclinic.com said

~ "Eating breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating...In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity. Eating breakfast gets you on track to make healthy choices all day. People who eat breakfast regularly tend to eat a healthier diet.... When you skip breakfast, you're more likely to skip fruits and vegetables the rest of the day too. Eating breakfast gives you energy, increasing your physical activity during the day. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased physical activity."

So these are my two go-to breakfasts:

2. Scunci No-Slip Grip headbands

Not many people (men specifically...no offense guys) know this but about 3 months after a woman has a baby, alot of her hair falls out. And I mean alot. Over the next few months, all those empty hair follicles begin growing new hair at the same time. Then all of the sudden, we have thousands of tiny little hairs that are about 1 or 2 inches long, and they just love to tickle our face and neck. Personally, this drives me crazy, especially when I'm running or working out. So when I saw these babies, I knew I just had to try them. As my second "treat" (that I talked about here) we bought a package and I love them!! Not only do they work, there are 8 different colors, one to match every tank top and t-shirt I own! Sometimes when I'm feeling sassy, I even mix-n-match and wear two!

3. Easy snacks
Snacking between meals is also important (keeps metabolism pumping and prevents overeating at meal times), but it's easy to forget, since it's not an actual meal. These two bars are quick, easy, and oh so delicious.

4, Our Biggest Loser Scale

That's right. We're suckers for a name brand. So when our old scale was consistently off by 7-10 pounds, we decided to ditch it and upgrade. This scale displays your body fat percentage, body water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass. Oh, and your weight.

Alright, just like last time, any suggestions/recommendations are more than welcome! I'm always looking for new healthy, tasty meals or snacks. Oh and running songs...I need new running songs so send them my way!

Side note of accomplishments -

~ We participated in our first 5K! I ran the first mile without stopping and then walked/ran intervals to finish.

~ I've lost 8 pounds! Woohoo!

Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-03-01T11:07:00.000-06:00

**Courtesy of CopyKat

~8 – 12 Fresh Mushrooms (we used 2 large portobello mushrooms)
~1 (6 oz.) Can Clams (drained and finely minced) (save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
~1 Green Onions (chopped finely, about 1 Tbsp.)
~1 Egg (beaten)
~1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
~1/8 tsp. Garlic Salt
~1/2 C. Italian Style Bread Crumbs
~1tsp. Oregano Leaves
~1 Tbsp. Melted Butter (cool)
~2 Tbsp. Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
~1 Tbsp. Finely Grated Romano Cheese
~2 Tbsp. Finely Grated Mozzarella Cheese ( for stuffing )
~1/4 C. Finely Grated Mozzarella Cheese (for garnish)
~1/4 C. Melted Butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and remove stems from mushrooms, pat dry. Save stems for another recipe.
3. In mixing bowl place clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, soft butter and oregano. Mix through and blend well. Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, clam juice and blend. Stir cheeses in clam stuffing and mix well.
4. Place clam mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound clam mixture. You should be able to stuff between 8 – 12 mushrooms depending on the size of mushrooms.
5. Place mushrooms in slightly oiled baking dish. Pour melted butter over mushrooms. Cover and place in a preheated oven for about 35 – 40 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly, garnish with freshly diced parsley.

Turkey Burgers

2011-02-21T09:52:00.000-06:00

This recipe is VERY popular in our family. In attempt to be healthy, we switched to ground turkey instead of beef almost a year ago. These burgers are very juicy. If you prefer them a little dryer, reduce the amount of Dale's sauce. We love turkey burger night!

~ 1 pound ground turkey (we use super lean)

~ 2 tbsp low-sodium Dale's Steak Seasoning sauce (usually by the marinade's, BBQ sauces, etc)

~ 1 tbsp Weber Gourmet Burger Seasoning

~ 2 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs (we use this to stiffen up the meat mixture. You can also use parmesan cheese)

~ 1 egg

1. Spray grate with cooking spray and heat your grill to around 400 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

3. Divide meat into 4 equal blobs and then form into patties.

*We highly recommend investing in one of these thingies.

We found ours at Wal-Mart but I've seen them in Bed, Bath, and Beyond or hanging from one those random things in the middle of the aisle at Publix. They really do make the perfect burger. Just spray them with cooking spray really well between each pattie forming.

4. Reduce heat to low and place burgers on grill. After about 5 minutes, flip. Check again 3-4 minutes later and remove from heat when cooked to desired done-ness.

The patties that this recipe makes contain around 185 calories, not including the bun or condiments. If you're looking to keep your calorie count low, you could use Arnold brand Sandwich Thins.

I think your topiary is tops...

2011-02-19T09:11:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! This is JP. Since we want to start posting more of our DIY projects, Jamie added me as a contributor on the blog and I'm going to start putting in my 2 cents.

Soooo....spiral topiaries are cool. no question. However, they are also RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I really wanted to get one because I thought it would be the perfect landscaping addition to our pergola outdoor room. I found one that I thought was awesome at a local farmer's market called "Andy's." But it was $120. yes...one hundred and twenty American dollars. ridiculous. I actually asked the guy that worked there if it was the real price....it was.

THEN we checked Lowe's and they had a pretty cool one for $60.

Not bad. Not GREAT...but better than $120. I got a couple of Lowe's gift cards for Christmas and actually went back to get that topiary. However, I noticed that they had the exact same type of tree NOT as a topiary for $30. So...I bought the $30 one and thought to myself "if someone else can do it, I can do it." Which is usually our DIY philosophy and has generally worked out pretty well.

I found a couple of tutorials online (all though the majority of them were for cutting FAKE topiaries) and was successfully able to create my own topiary. Here's what I did:

I took the uncut tree (I forgot to snap a "true" before) and wrapped masking tape in a spiral (like Christmas lights) around the tree starting at the top and working toward the bottom. Then I took those scissors you see laying on the ground and began to snip away everything except for what the tape was touching (and a few inches on either side). The correct tool to use is a pair of shears, but I was impatient and didn't have any shears. The scissors worked OK, but I threw them away at the end.

Here is how it turned out:

All in all, I am VERY happy with how it turned out. Especially considering it cost me 25% of the one I originally wanted. However, there are a few things I would do differently in hind sight. I would look more carefully for a tree that had one singular trunk running up the middle. The one I grabbed was split between several small trunks. This makes it look not as finished. Additionally, I would maybe wait and get a good pair of shears.

If you compare mine to the one from Lowe's, it looks like mine has more uneven edges. I think this is just because they are fresh cuts and the leaves on the tree haven't "filled in" the gaps that my cuts left. I think as the tree begins to grow and I groom the cuts it will look much more finished. Hope you enjoyed the how-to!

Confessions of a Couch Potato

2011-02-17T09:23:00.001-06:00

January 24, 2010 we welcomed little Karlie into our lives. Now it's one year later and I feel that I can't honestly call those stubborn extra pounds "baby weight" anymore. I'm all out of excuses. It's time for me to be a woman, get a grip, grab the bull by the horns, climb that mountain, (insert cheesy cliche about conquering a goal here), etc. I've passed alot of my skinny clothes on to Kalie, and honestly I get flat out jealous that I can't wear them. I've still got a secret stash of a few articles of clothing that I dream to fit into again someday. Also, I'd like to lose my ~~baby weight~~ er, extra poundage before Baby #2 comes along.

It's time to get serious.
Here's the plan:

I want to be a runner. I hate running. So I figure I need to love running in order to be a runner. Right? Well I got some advice from a couple of people who actually find joy in running and here's what I'm taking from it.

   ~ "Stretching- I cannot stress this enough. For the longest time I didn't think stretching/sit-ups/leg-ups were that important, but once I started doing them it made a world of difference in making me feel better when I was running. A strong core helps you not get cramps, and if there is anything that is de-motivational it is cramps.haha"
   ~ "Music- find something super upbeat to listen to. I get new music pretty frequently just to change things up and then I try to just listen to the music instead of thinking about how my legs are feeling.lol Also, it's easier to say "ok, I am going to run for the length of two songs" than it is to say "ok, I am going to run a mile"."
   ~ "Drink Lots of Water- Drinking a lot of water the night before you run is very good and helps you feel better while running."
**Thank you Abby!

   ~ "Start small--set some goals. Then find some rewards. I was doing Dave Ramsey at the time, so they had to be affordable for me (a treat of iced coffee at Starbucks, a new pair of running shorts at Target, some new nail polish, etc.). If I ran three days a week for an entire month, I got a reward. If I could run for 30 min straight, I got a treat, etc. You have to make it fun for yourself!! And you don't want to set some insane goals that will be impossible to achieve right away--it ends up being demoralizing and much easier to sit on the couch :)"
**Thank you Danielle! And who doesn't love advice from a fellow Dave Ramsey disciple?!

So that's what I'm doing plus some strength training. I make sure to stretch for 10 minutes at the beginning and end of each run/workout, I updated the ol' Ipod with a new workout playlist (upbeat songs only), pulled my water bottle back out of the cabinet, and wrote up a reward calendar. I'm trying Danielle's way. If I run/workout for at least 30 minutes, 3 days a week, I get a small reward at the end of the week. If I do that for a month, I get a big reward! I'm 3 weeks into it and so far, so good! My distance and endurance has already increased! Plus at my next doctor's appointment, next to "How often do you exercise?", I can check "frequently" instead of "psh, yeah right."

Also, WebMD has a Food and Fitness tracker available. Every day, after I eat anything, I go online, plug in what I ate, and it counts calories for me. It also counts calories burned. And it counts e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. (For example - sitting on the toilet for 2 minutes = 3 calories burned, hairstyling for 30 minutes = 102 calories, and for all you mommies out there...childcare (sitting/kneeling) for 8 hours = 1,636 calories burned!)

Well, if you have any tips, any tips at all, whether related to running, eating healthy, strength training, healthy recipes, etc., do NOT hesitate to send them my way. I need whatever help I can get!

"All children, except one, grow up..."

2011-02-16T12:36:00.000-06:00

Shoulda listened to Peter Pan...

Our growin' girl's stats:

Birth - 6 lbs, 4 oz.

21 inches

1 week - 6 lbs, 1 oz

2 weeks - 6 lbs, 9 oz

1 month - 8 lbs, 4 oz

22 1/4 inches

2 months - 10 lbs, 15 oz

24 1/2 inches

4 months - 14 lbs

26 inches

6 months - 16 lbs, 4 oz

28 1/4 inches

9 months - 17 lbs, 14 oz

28 1/2 inches

1 year - 21 lbs, 12 oz (50th percentile)

31 1/2 inches (100th percentile)

JP the Pergolar

2011-02-10T13:58:00.001-06:00

What is a pergola you ask?

This is a pergola...

And this is the man who built us one...

JP's had this plan in the makings for a while, so he's super excited to finally have it finished.

Here are instructions straight from the carpenter himself:

(If you click on the pictures, they will expand)

1) Dig holes - Our generous neighbor (who has a plethora of handy tools) let us borrow his post-hole digger, so this step went quick. We dug 4 holes, one at each corner of the patio to the right of our yard.

2)Pour concrete footings -

A) Pour in dry concrete and mix in water according to the bag's instructions. (Although we needed WAY less water than the bag said, and watery concrete can dry weak...so be careful).

B) Insert J shaped anchor bolts (threaded side up) and put down metal brackets once the concrete starts to firm up. The brackets we bought are meant for 4x4 posts, but since they are open on two sides we can use them with our 4x6 posts. Using the 4x6's also gives us the chunky modern look that we were going for without breaking the bank on hardware or lumber (Jamie's awesome idea!). (Note: All hardware that will be touching the lumber should be galvanized or specifically coated to be used with treated lumber or the chemicals used to treat the wood could eat through the hardware.)

3) Raise posts into the brackets (use a post level to ensure they are plumb <----- JP's fancy word for straight up and down). Once each post is in place, have a buddy hold it in place and watch the post level while you drill three landscaping screws into each side of the bracket.

4) The next step is to cut the ends of the 2x12's and 2x6's into the design you have chosen. We wanted a more modern, clean line look so we used sharp angles and straight cuts. A more traditional pergola has scrolling edges.

5) Next, raise the 2x12's into place. Measure how far from the top of the post you want the 2x12's to sit (keep in mind that it should NOT be more than 5.5 inches from the top because you don't want the post to stick above the 2x6 stringers). We measured down from the top of each post and clamped the 2x12 in place. However, since the ground is not perfectly level, use a level and make fine adjustments by moving the clamps.

6) Once the 2x12's are in place drill pilot holes using a spade bit that is just slightly smaller than the size of the galvanized lag bolt that you are going to use to secure the 2x12 to the post. Also, only drill the pilot holes 3/4 of the length of the lag bolt. Make sure to stagger the pilot holes so that you don't split the wood. Once the pilots are drilled, slip the washer onto the lag bolt and secure the 2x12 to the post using a socket attachment on your drill (or by hand). You can then remove the C-clamps. Repeat step 6 on the other post.

7) Next, secure one 2x6 to each side of each post by drilling directly into the post at a 90 degree angle using the landscaping screws. This will help to give some stability to the over all structure, since the other stringers will just be "toe-nailed" in.

8) Before you attach the rest of the stringers, measure out and mark where they will rest on the 2x12's. They should be evenly spaced. Once the lines are marked, raise them into place and have a buddy hold them while you use a landscaping screw to toenail the 2x6 into place from each side (4 screws total per board). If you want a little more stability, you can use decking brackets to secure the stringers in place, but I wanted to save money on hardware.

The bones of the pergola are now in place.

A few extra tips:

~To obtain a finished look, stain the pergola with a deck stain and water sealer (we're waiting for warmer and drier weather to do this step).

~Since we installed ours on top of paving stones, I used a circular saw with a masonry blade to notch out the paving stones so that they would cover the post brackets and look seamless.

~We also decorated beneath our pergola to create an outdoor room...an extension of our home.

*Entertaining - We used 10x10 galvanized L-brackets to attach a bar top between two of the posts. We also found some great Pier1 bar-height director's chairs on craigslist for 75% off the Pier1 price!

*Seating - We also used the frame of a futon for seating. We used a outdoor rated material to create seat cushions and throw pillows. We didn't have to buy outdoor cushion padding (which can be SUPER expensive) because we found another GREAT deal on craigslist and bought 12 outdoor cushions for $20 which we just recovered with the fabric we bought.

*Lighting - The chandelier was one of Jamie's Christmas presents to me (isn't she thoughtful)! She bought a bunch of lanterns from World Market and hung them at different lengths from the center of the pergola to look like a chandelier. She also got me the awesome string lights for Christmas. The lights give off a really great ambiance for relaxing out there in the evening.

*The Lord also gave us a GREAT deal on an outdoor rug which really ties everything together beneath the fire-pit.

All in all, we really love our outdoor room, and we can't wait for it to warm up and quit raining so we can spend more time out there! I hope you enjoyed the how-to!

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

2011-02-08T10:46:00.002-06:00

I found this recipe shortly after I tried this soup at Olive Garden. In my opinion, it's MUCH tastier because this recipe makes a creamier soup. If you like the soup at Olive Garden, you will LOVE this recipe.

** Courtesy of CopyKat.

Yield: 8 servings.
~1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (You can use a rotisserie chicken. I've used the barbecue flavored chicken from the Publix deli)
~4 tablespoons butter
~4 tablespoons flour
~1 quart half and half
~1 14 ounce can chicken broth
~1/2 cup celery, finely diced
~2 garlic cloves, minced
~1 cup carrots, finely shredded
~1 cup onion, finely diced
~1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
~1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
~1/2 teaspoon thyme
~1/2 teaspoon parsley
~Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
~1 pound potato gnocchi - You can usually find this is in the pasta aisle at your grocery store.

1. Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
2. Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
3. Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.

**Another 5 star recipe!

Karlie - 12 Months

2011-02-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

Apparently I blinked because all of the sudden my tiny 6 pound baby is now 1 year old! Everyone tried to warn me, "Watch out. You'll blink and she'll be ~~sitting up~~, ~~eating by herself~~, ~~crawling~~, ~~talking~~, graduating highschool." What has two thumbs and now refuses to blink? THIS girl!

Well, I say it but I don't mean it. There's a book called If I Could Keep You Little and when I first started reading it, I wanted to cry, throw it on the floor, and step on it (did I mention I was in Target?). But by the end of the book I was thinking "Fine. Fine! You're right. You're completely right." One line from the book is "If I could keep you little, I'd keep you close to me. But then I'd miss you growing into who you're meant to be!" And that is what JP and I look forward to most. Seeing what God has in store for our daughter.

Karlie is growing and developing every day. Last night on the way home from church, we were going over words with her. With some of her words, she has quite the little southern drawl. Her list so far is:
~ ball (baaaawl)
~ dog (gog)
~ dada
~ mama
~ cat
~ book (buh)
~ bye (biii)
~ Papa (JP's dad)
~ Pa (Paaaw - my dad)
~ car (I actually think this one should be Kar because I think she's trying to say her own name.)
~ blue

We love hearing her little voice. She's also started to sing. We'll say, "Karlie, can you sing a song?" Then she'll quiet her voice and raise the pitch a little and go "La la la, la la la, la la la."

She loves to dance. If she's sitting, she just holds her arms out and twists her upper body. If she's standing, she wiggles her booty and bends her knees over and over again and just bounces. To any type of music...someone singing, a ringing cell phone, Anthony beatboxing, a commercial. We don't usually allow her to play with our cell phones, but occasionally we'll hand her JP's phone and I'll call it just to see her dance.

Karlie also loves to give hugs. Mostly to our dogs or her toys (her stuffed animals and balls mostly) but every now and then Mommy and Daddy luck out and get a Karlie-hug.

As for walking, she hasn't conquered this yet. She's just started showing SOME interest. A couple weeks ago if we tried to stand her up, her legs would just turn to jello. Now she'll walk holding onto our fingers or she'll take lots of steps with her walker. Any day though...I'm sure all I have to do is blink.

I've let blog updating slip alot but it's just because we've been busy doing things I want to post on here. We've backsplashed our kitchen, built an outdoor room, and we're currently working on updating our bedroom (which so far includes painting our nightstands, getting rid of our bed and my dresser, and assembling a new bed from World Market). I also have birthday party pictures to post.

Way to go Wyatt!

2010-12-24T19:28:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to give a quick update on our friends Tyler and Jenna and their new baby boy Wyatt.

When I posted on Monday, I asked that everyone pray that Wyatt would have his surgery. Praise the Lord, he did a few hours later! The procedure went well and Wyatt went through recovery like a champ. After a very long 48 hours, Jenna got to see her little boy again. She and Tyler have a great schedule set up allowing them time to rest and Jenna to recover, but also letting them finally spend time with Wyatt.

Wyatt's eating very well. This is great news! Babies with Wyatt's condition sometimes develop a food aversion. However Wyatt's food intake is being increased and he's taking it well!

For the rest of the update, I'll just post Jenna and Tyler's update from Thursday night (written by Tyler). I'm not really sure how to re-word it so it's just easier that way :)

"Second and equally important, later this evening Wyatt will be downgrading his residence, this is a really good thing, let me explain. The Wolfson's NICU is separated into two sides. Side A, has all new transfers and holds the babies that need intensive care around the clock. Side B, is called the "feeders and growers" side where newborns are just being monitored while they tie up all the loose ends in preparation for going home. So, Wyatt is downgrading from Side A to Side B TONIGHT!!!!
(Just to fend off the question that you're thinking, no we don't have a discharge date, but we are moving in the right direction.)

Other random updates are...
This morning he had his last dose of antibiotics.
He put on his first T-shirt and is now allowed to wear clothes for warmth instead of a warming lamp.
He is also getting a new bed, out of the high tech warming bed to a generic crib on wheels (i'll be putting a lift kit and off road tires on it for a Christmas present, lol).
Jenna's milk is in!"

There is no doubt that we serve an awesome and gracious God. Praise the Lord, for His mercies are new every morning!!

Baby Wyatt

2010-12-20T13:38:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the world Wyatt Stephen!

Wyatt was born on December 19 at 2:25 PM. He weighed 8lbs and was 21 inches long. As Mary Poppins would say, "Practically perfect in every way!"

Unfortunately, a tiny bit of his intestines herniated through his belly button. The doctors have ensured that this is a very minor problem but Wyatt was transferred to the Children's Hospital where he is awaiting his surgery. He was whisked away shortly after he was born so Mommy and Daddy (Jenna and Tyler) are really missing their baby boy.

Please pray...
1) That even though Wyatt's condition is not considered crucial, that he will be able to have his surgery today. The sooner he does, the sooner he can re-unite with Jenna and Tyler and the sooner this new family of three can go home.

2) For Jenna and Tyler. Jenna is currently recovering from bringing Wyatt into the world, and Tyler is running back and forth between hospitals. They are doing well, just praying for their son and getting rested up. They'll need all the energy they can get to make up for lost time with all the kisses, snuggles, and hugs they'll be making up for.

3) For the doctors and nurses working with Tyler, Jenna, and Wyatt. Pray they'll have steady hands in surgery, tender hearts for this beautiful new family, and patient minds as they answer questions from a new mommy and daddy.

So Fly, Shutterfly!

2010-12-13T23:35:00.000-06:00

Many of you may know about Shutterfly. I’ve used it a couple of times myself. We received 200 prints of our wedding photos from this site at a GREAT price and I’ve currently got a “Karlie’s First Year” photo book in the works. They are constantly offering amazing deals on prints, photo books, greeting cards and other nifty photo projects. Or if you're just not ready to commit full time and just need a trusty site to order holiday goodies from, you could check out their Christmas photo cards, Christmas gifts, or their Christmas cards. You'll even get 50 free photos just for signing up.

In the past we have waited until the last minute to get our Christmas cards mailed out. Then they turn into “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” so receivers won’t wonder why they are getting a Christmas card the first week of January. This is the year it will be different because Shutterfly is swooping in with a special deal for bloggers….50 FREE Christmas cards. That’s right…FREE. You've got my attention, Shutterfly. Talk about cheerful giving! And with their plethora of styles and designs, the only problem I’ll have is choosing which card I want!

Give thanks with a grateful heart...

2010-12-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

Karlie's first Thanksgiving was wonderful. Usually I'm kind of a "food nazi" and I feed her everything that could be messy with a fork. It's never too early to start encouraging use of a utensil right?? Well I loosened up a little for Thanksgiving. At first, I was feeding her with a fork but putting pieces of turkey on her tray,

then I put it all on a plate on her tray,

and then I just dumped the plate onto the tray.

She did great and surprisingly didn't get that messy. I just have to keep telling myself that she's gonna get messy at some point and everything is washable or replaceable.

We're so thankful for our little girl and all of the family we got to see.

Karlie - 10 Months

2010-12-01T14:19:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas but I still have so much to be thankful for. This year was our first Thanksgiving as a family of 3. Karlie turned 10 months old the day before Thanksgiving.

Here she was at 2 months:

Again 5 months:

And now at 10 months:

I feel like Karlie is learning something new or doing something new every day. She's trying to say words now. Although she sometimes doesn't say the first or last letter, she's definitely learning what certain things are and can now identify some things.

Her word list right now is:

~ book - She pronounces it "buh" but she always consistently says it whenever we hand her one of her board books or as she is crawling to get them.
~ dog - She pronounces this as "gog" but whenever one of our dogs come to her, she says it over and over again and pats their head or pulls on their ears (this mainly happens with Tex, our hound dog)
~ bye-bye - This one is a family favorite. I can think of fewer things better than seeing her wave and shriek bye-bye. Every now and then her timing is off. Several times we've walked JP out to the car when he leaves for school and she won't start waving and saying "bye-bye" until the car has turned the corner. Other times she just randomly waves and says bye-bye, usually in the buggy at the grocery store.
~ more - She's been a little more random with this one but she's said it several times while I'm making her lunch or dinner. Always when food is close by! We've been signing "more" with her for a while now so we think she's really catching on.

She's also doing this hilarious laugh/chuckle, especially when she's excited about something (usually food) that is guaranteed to make everyone in the room laugh. I wish I could type something that would resemble the sound but I have no clue how. So I guess I'll just have to try to get it on video.

Karlie - 9 Months

2010-11-19T00:26:00.001-06:00

As of October 4, Karlie has been outside of me longer than she was inside of me. It's weird to think that this time last year, I had only been feeling her little kicks for a couple of weeks. Now I'm feeling her, but in different ways. She loves to tug my hair, grab onto my arms with her tight little grip (which feels more like she's pinching me), and every now and then she uses me as a teether. But the hugs, kisses, and little pats I get from her even everything out.

Here's the run-down since she's turned 9 months.

October 24 - 9 month birthday!

October 26 - She pulled up to standing by herself

November 1 - We began the weaning process. Rough first few days but we made it through.

November 2 - Karlie began walking along furniture. ("cruising")

November 7 - She said "mama"

November 11 - We discovered her third tooth (which explained a short spell of food refusal and middle of the night wakings that we were confused about). She also learned how to wave and say "bye-bye" (hopefully a video will follow soon)

Karlie is a wonderful little girl. She naps twice a day for 2-3 hours and sleeps 10 hours at night. I still nurse her first thing in the morning and right before bedtime. We dropped her 2 middle-of-the-day nursings and substituted 1 bottle of formula right before her afternoon nap. We went through 3 different types of formula before we found one that didn't make Karlie miserable. The first two gave Karlie horrible tummy aches resulting in horrific diapers (with diaper rash) and severe vomiting. After a very disappointing call to the lactation center, I finally spoke with a nurse at our pediatrician's office who gave me her personal advice (I think having 4 children definitely counts you as qualified) and the formula she recommended worked like a charm.

Now that she know how to wave and say bye-bye, she knows no strangers. While we're grocery shopping, people will slow down to smile at her and she will just grin and wave. She's such a charmer.

She gets that from her daddy...along with those blue eyes.