Knee Deep into Fall!

I love seasons...I think that is why I love living in the mid-west, we see seasons, the changes in the outdoors, and it just makes me happy!  We are into fall here at our house....Granted the high is to be 73 today (and Friday it could be 78!)  Indian Summer is ok with me too! 

C and I made a plan to make oodles of pumpkin muffins today, no matter what! I made 2 dozen 8 days ago and the family ate them in 3 days.....Breakfast, with lunch, snacks etc.....They are a hit!  So we made another 2 dozen today along with a pound of bacon for breakfast this week!  (Time saver tip!  I usually make a pound of bacon on Sundays to give the boys all week long at breakfast to give them some protein in the morning, but we were busy this weekend!) 

Those of you that "know" me, know I do not bake....Nope, I am a cook, and measuring is NOT my thing....Baking to me (and my boys) is using a box mix and adding some other items (as per the directions!)  Our favorite pumpkin bread "mix" is from Trader Joes

Like the box says...Just add eggs, oil and water...Now that is baking to me! :) 

My kids love it, as do M and I!  We even add a few chocolate chips to the tops to make it "better" (as per J & C).  

We are off from school for a long weekend so we have some fall fun planned.  A trip to a pumpkin patch, perhaps apple picking too and we are working on crafting more pumpkins for our indoor and outdoor decor!  I have recently become addicted to Pinterest and have been inspired by some of the things I have found.  My hope is that we can make some fun new things to add to our decor without breaking the budget!  

Summer Lovin---Havin a Blast!

Summer break left me with little time to blog...Sorry....All 3 readers!  LOL

Besides the fact that we left our home in mid-July for almost a month to spend at our summer house, we got a lot of pool time and fun in before that! 

 

C & J painted gifts for M and my dad for father's day in the gorgeous sun!  It was easy too!  Some cheap canvas boards, paint and brushes!  They were very excited about it....So much they took their shirts off!!

For Father's Day we went to an antique car show close to home.  The boys loved all of the cars, but this one was great since the owner let them sit in it!!!!!  A 1963 Austin Cooper! 

Once again my parents hosted a 4th of July parade party! (Perks of living on the parade route!) and some of our closest and best est friends came to celebrate the 4th with us.  Later, some of them joined us for our annual BBQ and then we headed off to fireworks!  Such a great day!

And the boys (4 of them, 2 obviously are NOT mine) had a blast at a park honoring all of the American wars.  Although the kids enjoyed the history, the tanks that they could climb on was a way bigger hit. I think I sat on a bench for 2 hours letting them climb!

Those were our fun highlights., besides hitting the pool every day that it was sunny!  Sure there were some not so fun moments too...like losing power for 56 hours in June, then again for 36 hours in July.  NOT FUN, but grateful for a friend who loaned us her generator saving our groceries and letting me try to cook "generator style"!!!

I have lots to catch up from our summer vacation at the cottage too.....Stay tuned....

My new project

I have this screened in porch off my kitchen.  It is officially called "mommy's space" and through the years I have been adding to it.

Last fall my parents took this out of our summer house and gave it to me!

 

I sat and looked at it all winter trying to get inspired how to paint it.  

Then, over the weekend it hit me.....Use the colors from this birdhouse (that my dad used to make me another amazing table....coming later!)

This is one side of my beloved porch with the unpainted table..

 

There are four wicker chairs in the space....so I took inspiration from the green and pink.....Think Lily Pultizer....

C and I started the taping off and painting yesterday...

 

C was most helpful in painting the stripes!  We had to give it two good coats (since his accuracy was slightly off) but when we were done, the top of the table looked awesome~

 

So today we are adding some more stripes to the side, some yellow below the top stripes and I am not sure about the legs.  It is a work in progress, but has been so much fun!  

Here is the birdhouse table my dad made me a few years ago.  He has made many for friends and family as well.  He originally just made one for my mom for our summer house, but has made at least 6 more since...

 This is my happy space. I could sit out there for hours (and I do!) When the kids are in bed, I read out there, gaze into the yard, talk on the phone....It is so peaceful and lovely (until the annoying neighbors start to blare music....do not get me started on them ruining my peace and quiet!)

Stay tuned on the table. I am going BIG with color and am so excited!  

Easter-ish

With the warmer temps of the past week, and the sun shining today, I started really changing some decor around the house and outside.  I NEED it to be spring. I need the sun. I need to NOT wear my UGGS daily.  Granted we are departing for the west on Thursday, where today it was 85, but still, I need constant warmth, not the teasers we get here!

So I started last week with some paper mache where the boys and I made eggs.  It was kind of fun for them, annoying for me since they were not doing it perfectly. I got over it.  Some turned out, some did not.  Live and learn right?  Then I decided they would go outside in our large pot on the front step. I then cut some straight branches from our hedge and white washed them.  Headed to HOBBY LOBBY Artificial Grass to hide the eggs in.  It turned out a lot better than I imagined, and will snap photo's tomorrow. (C was not enjoying the final moments of this project so I had to give up and will fluff it up tomorrow).

I will pull out the rest of the Easter / spring decor this week.  Eggs to hang from chandeliers, eggs to fill up vases etc.  At least there is a bit of spring right outside my front door to make me smile for the 5 more days of erratic weather.....Then I will be basking in the sun of Southern CA for 9 days.  That makes me happy....really happy!

Funny how one thing changes a meal

This past Christmas I asked M to buy me some new pans for gifts. I was specific in what I wanted, clipped out photo's gave him stores to go to etc.  I was overly thorough for these things. I did not want to be stuck returning them after the holidays.

One of the pans was this:

 

credit : shopping.com

I really did not "have to have it" but really wanted it.  I loved seeing grill marks on the TV cooking shows I watch. I wanted THAT look!  And C loves the lines on his grilled cheese! (So my boy looking at the small details of food!)

I also asked for this

 

credit: shopping.com

And I find myself using it DAILY! It cleans up beautifully, is a great weight and for health reasons I rarely have to use oil in the pan for cooking on it.  I love love love it!

The last one I asked for was this

 

credit: shopping.com

I wanted it for when I make smaller batches of my award winning (yes, award winning---3 times thank you  very much.....from the neighborhood Chili Cook Off!) This just had a cute factor to it and was not as deep as the pot I had been using.  It is a great pot for smaller dishes as well.

M came through on all three!  He did exactly what I had asked (basically bought them online with the links I provided!  ha!).  I love them all.  

Now, I am dreaming of more cookware, but these have helped my addiction collection!  I am dying for one of these

 

credit: shopping.com

But the price tag is a little steep for me (even though we have a LeCreuset outlet close by) and really it is because I love the colors it comes in.  Chili cooking would be turned into an art form with that baby!

It is amazing how in 10 years of married life that I never really looked at my cookware (that my mom bought me when I moved into my first apartment!).  I still use all of the pieces, the function well, and were not cheap.  She (like me) invested in good cookware.  But now, as I delve more into cooking meals, cooking healthy and spend more time in my kitchen I want better cookware.  Not because it will make my meals better (except for the amazing grill marks on grilled cheese) but because I think that when you like what you are doing, with what you are working with, you will try harder.  I try each night to make dinner just a little better. I try to make it different, and pretty on the plate.  I try to make it healthier, but filling.  I try to let my family know that this is just another way of me saying I LOVE YOU.  

Do you have any tools in your kitchen you can live without (and that I need?)???

Jars!

I was amazed to find out we have a Goodwill store close to our house.  C and I jumped in the car to head over to see what we could find~ he was less than thrilled, but the bribe of a thin mint made it all better!

I was not sure what I would be looking for since it was my first trip but I knew I could find something!  And I did!

Look at these cute jars!

I have always loved jars!  I think they are interesting to look at and a clever and cute way to display things. I had to have these!  After a good soak and washing they will be used in my soon to be (hint hint M!) craft desk and storage area.  I can see thread stored in them, decorative clips....I want more so Goodwill will now be my new "stop" to see if they have more!  At .99 and 1.99 for these babies they are a great find!  I would love to have a shelf of these jars above my imaginary craft desk!  Then I see some for my pantry for flour, sugar, pasta etc! 

I am off to ana-white to get some inspirations for this craft desk that I want M to build me this spring. I think she will have plenty of ideas and then we can draw something to make it just perfect for my ribbons, papers etc. 

Counting my blessings

 

Odd that a toilet seat would be photo of the day....But, well, this is about C and his time with toilet.  

I can report after 6 days of sheer HELL, C has gotten the hang of going tinkle in the potty. Poop will come, but just seeing him "doing the dance" and gettin the job done has raised my spirits (they were pretty low!)

While the potty was terrifying to my little guy, after the first time he has become friends with the toilet, and not complaining while sitting there.  He does not mind the constant "Do you have to potty?" questions.  I can leave the room knowing he will scream when he has to go.  

It is not over, I know that, but for now, I can say we are doing better than we were 4 days ago.  It is a long road, and the transformation of my little man has been amazing.  

The transformation of me has been less than glamorous.  When I announced to M that I needed a shower on Saturday.  J replied "Dad, she really does! I think she has been in those clothes for 3 days.  I think she was afraid to leave C"  Smart kid...he was totally right.  Terrified I had more slipcovers to wash, I never left C for 4 days.  So I never showered. I never took my normal mommy "ten minutes of quiet", I never did anything without him.  That was the best shower of my life (and I say that every summer after returning from our summer house after weeks of "river life"!

The war is not over, but a small  battle has been won.....I am feeling my guilt a little less today and I am beaming with proud vibes to my C.  As stubborn as he is, he is me, through and through.  I can only imagine what the years will bring if this took that long!

One step backwards = 100 steps backwards

OK, I am admitting it....C is not potty trained.  There is it out there.  

Here's the story. 

We (OK, I) tried when he was 3.5....He fought me every step of the way.  He screamed, he hit, he bit, he cried, he hit some more.  With advice from my mom and my dearest trusted mom friend (K) they told me to stop.  It was killing my patience, my heart and my soul.  We stopped.  I snuck him into preschool with the mantra each day "OK C, what do we not do at school?" he would respond "POOP OR PEE OR LEAK"....Happily he has not had an accident since week 1.  We moved on, knowing I was hiding this from all the people around me. 

When C turned 4 (and the weeks leading up to it) he announced to us (M & I) that when he was 4 he would use the potty.  Sunday came and went, and with exhaustion I did not push it. Monday came and school's mantra went on. When he got home, I did not put a pull up on him. We started to potty train.  4 accidents later, no success on the potty and a good bath, he went to bed saying "I will do it tomorrow".  Tuesday came and went, with one accident (and numerous times on the potty) until 4pm.  Then his bladder exploded on my couch (thank goodness for slip covers!)  Wednesday was accident city, all day long.  Countless loads of laundry, frustration beginning to take over and my brain simply fried.  Thursday came and I changed my plan. Instead of small rewards for sitting on the potty I announced "If you have an accident, I take something away".  First accident was his beloved kitty, then his blanky, then his new Lego's from his birthday, then all of his stuffed animals, then stories and cuddles at bedtime.  Today (Friday) he was told the same and now he sits in my kitchen with no TV privileges, no toy privileges, no snacks and no playing with J when he comes home.  

My spirit is strong with all of the challenges in my life, but this is breaking me bit, by bit, moment by moment. I feel like a failure, I feel like what I say does not register.  He is four years old and cannot (and will not) do it. I have sheltered him from play dates outside our home because he does not use the potty. I cannot let him  let others know what he cannot do.  I am embarrassed. I am ashamed. 

So as I type, he is sitting in my kitchen, humming and talking like there is nothing wrong. I am crying.  We cannot even celebrate one step forward because there have been none.  We have 100 steps backward and no steps ahead.  And one mommy who is having a hard time seeing a light at the end of the long tunnel I think I have created......

MIA

Where do the days go?  Oh that's right, I volunteer for too much and get overwhelmed in the final weeks.  THAT IS WHERE MY DAYS GO! 

J's school Raffle is in a few weeks. I am once again chairing it (my last year, I swear!) So right after C's party my living room became Raffle Central with gift baskets, prizes, ribbon, tissue paper etc. It is a mess.  I avoid that room at all costs.  But it is time to start knocking out things so I am not sleep deprived the week of the event. 

C came down with something in the middle of the night last night so he and I stayed in....And did what any normal OCD mom would do, organized something. I tackled "my side" of the storage room.  (Where I keep gifts, my crafting stuff, wrapping paper, ribbon and anything else I need to hide or conceal from the residents.) I tossed about 2 boxes worth of "junk".  Meaning if I moved into this house 4.5 years ago and have not TOUCHED IT, it was gone....That felt nice. I cleared up 3 shelves, labeled anything that needed with my new fun labels I got from iheartorganizing and loved it! It is now a place that I will happily walk into and not feel like I might kill myself going back there.  Between the holidays and C's party, it became a dumping ground!

In a moment of C resting and me playing online I found this blog that I adore! She style is more my style and slowly I am creating ideas for the house that are totally DIY and budget friendly. I may do it my own way, but at least the ball is rolling in the right direction!

Since C is sick, we have laid low, had some cuddles, gotten some chores done and rested.  That has been nice.  But it also means I am behind on my list. I see a long night ahead of me to catch up so I do not feel overwhelmed on Thursday.  I have such a routine and although I know I am a SAHM my choice, if my routine gets bumped it sends me into a tizzy. Does that happen to anyone else?

Over, so let the clean up begin

What a weekend!  The party was a lot of fun!  The kids LOVED it, C had a blast, the parents came for pizza and drinks while the kids played even longer...And you know it is a good night when we all look at our bottles of wine that were consumed (7 in total) then our watches and say "HOW DID IT GET TO BE 9:30pm!???"

I started with the mini prep tour in the last post but here is the rest....

 

 I made the banner with left over scrapbook paper and the LEGO font I know cherish so much!  I did not put C's name on it so I can re-use it for J and even M's birthday!

 

And what kids party is complete without a bar?  LOL  This was before the kids arrived, there was beer and white wine chilling in the kitchen! 

So the kids promptly arrived and played LEGO's until everyone was settled.  They all enjoyed creating and showing off to M and I!

 

They played well and M and I started whispering to guests that there were 2 buckets in the house that needed guesses for a prize.  The kids quickly ran about (one was upstairs and one was downstairs) to get guesses in!  The little ones who could not write got help from the bigger kids or M and I.

Then we split the kids into two teams and gave each team a bin of LEGOS. Each bin had the same amount of LEGOS in it (same shapes etc) and the teams had 10 minutes to build the tallest tower.  This was hard for the littler ones since the big kids "took over" but they held their own.

 

Here is one of the towers!  Pretty great eh? 

The kids played, and created amazingly well until pizza time and when the adults arrived.  Some had to bolt but more came for pizza and cake. 

Here it is....My creation!

Now, it is not perfect, but I did it myself and I am pretty proud of myself!  And it was REALLY YUMMY! (and  I am still dining on it for breakfast!) C loved it!  

Late into the night the kids that remained helped C rip into gifts....

 

C was really nice about letting the kids help him open!  I was very proud!

And this is what the basement looked like at 10:30 that night....

Over all, C had a great day, it was fun to plan and execute and everyone just enjoyed being together on a winter evening!  That is how I love to entertain!  No fuss, friends and fun.....

Simply perfect!

It's Party Time

Well, it is party day!  C has been non stop about it for days and he was most excited to wake up this morning to get this party started! Sadly, no one is arriving until 4pm!  

 

This is what my buffet looked like yesterday morning, more supplies came upstairs after this, but as you can see, it was getting a little crowded!

Last night I tackled the "cake"....Ok so many people chimed in on getting ROYAL BLUE frosting, but after 2 trips to different Michaels I gave up and used simple ol' food coloring. It was not as ROYAL as I would have liked but after using my little tube of blue and my neighbors (all at 8:00pm) this is as blue as I could get it....After awhile it was simply NOT changing colors.

 

 

So I gave up and just started creating.  I have a new respect for those of you who love to decorate cakes. This was NOT easy and took patience (which I do not have a lot of!)  The finished product is chillin the fridge until party time! (You'll have to wait and see!)

This morning M took the boys to run errands and pick up another request of dear C...>Balloons.  I asked him weeks ago and he showed no interest. Last night he chimed in that he wanted FIVE balloons...Off they went to Party City and I started "doing the decorating".  Here is what I got done without assistance!

 

The sign that greets our guests....A last minute idea from the birthday boy.  Thanks to urban fonts and having a LEGO font that was perfect! I once again cut each letter out.....We will hang this in the playroom after the party!

Then the goody bags and one game table....

 

The bags are filled with a LEGO bookmark that we made, a collectible LEGO man and LEGO candy.  Nothing crazy, because the LEGO men were not the usual cheap stuff you get from parties. I know my boys will love getting the guys!

 

This is one of the guess the LEGO's in the bucket games.  We have two. Again I used the LEGO font to make out the sheets for the kids.  FOr those who cannot write, we will help them.  My boys are dying to know how many...I will never tell....(23 and 19! HA!)

Between the party for kids starting at 4pm and the adults arriving at 5:30 for pizza and cake we will have a fun night with some of our close neighborhood friends.....I am actually looking forward to sitting down with a glass of wine shortly after the younger guests eat! :)

DEEP FREEZE

I woke up this morning to my favorite morning DJ"s and the weather report...It was not good.  Not good at all.  They happily spoke of the sun that would be coming out and then gave the current temperature.  It was  good, funny or uplifting.....Hell it was awful....It was 0, ZERO, NIL, Nothin, Not 1, but ZERO.....I wanted to stay in my warm bed, snuggled with my down comforter and listen to the music playing.  My kids had other ideas..Like school! 

It has been a busy day around here with school and dressing to go outside.  It is 5 now, and I think I might have seen a 7 earlier in the car, but nothing like 73 that my mom was bragging about via Skype this morning (thank mom, your a peach!) I have gathered all the decorations, favors, games for the party.  All sit on top of my buffet in the living room, except for one game that J is insisting he do himself (the planning, NOT the execution!).  Lego's have been scattered in every room that people will see (yep, even a bowl of Lego's in the bathroom! I am taking this theme to heart!)  The cake, although I had grand plans to whip out when C was at school will be saved until after bedtime. I need more time to work out a plan in my head.  Plus, I do not need assistance from the younger people residing here.  I need complete concentration on this.  I have consulted 3 people on blue frosting as well. I have no back up, except for plain ol white frosting.  I will get it done, but it could be a long night.

I have been watching some new BLOG's too and love IHeart Organizing!  it is a great site and she has amazing ideas and some free (and not free downloads!)  I have printed out many of her free ones today!  I have a slew of labels to place after the party is over!  I love it!  And I am always up for a new idea on keeping me organized!  

Once the party is over, I will post a lot of photo's of what we did for the decorations etc. and some of the party itself!  I have a feeling the little surprises I have tossed in will make C beyond thrilled to be having a LEGO party! Nothing will be posted until the BEARS GAME Sunday....We are a little obsessed with Sunday already and how we are going to keep C quiet during the entire game.  Luckily he will have presents to play with and open when he starts to bug daddy and I!  

GO BEARS! And happy weekend!

Cake---Part 1

C and I are knee deep in cake making for the party this weekend.  I was told by my friend, the cake maker expert here in town to start early (in case you screw up and to let things cool!) so we started today.

 

C was the "pourer" guy, while I did most of the mixing.  Since we had to do this in 2 batches (3 layers of cake and one layer to make the cirlces for the top of the LEGO block) this is taking more time that he cares to stand around for.  

Here are the first 2 layers complete and now cooling

 

 The next batch just were removed from the oven and are cooling in the pan (according to the directions) for 10 minutes.  Once they are 100% cool, I am tossing them (OK, gently moving them) into the fridge (tightly sealed, I know, I know) until tomorrow when I will begin the battle to make BLUE FROSTING and put it all together.

Now I am a cheap baker.....I am not buying some piece of cardboard to put this cake on , so I am dismantling a cardboard box that a gift for C came in (thanks Aunt K!) and will wrap it in foil to make the "plate". 

I am realizing why I do commonly keep bakeries in business, this patience thing is not working for me when it comes to baking.  All this down time to bake the cake, let it cool, frosting tomorrow is for the birds. I have enough stuff to do than sit around watching cakes rise in the oven...Like visit more BLOGS....

This is my friend Lisa's BLOG.  She is a creative soul with amazing ideas.  She even assisted me when I needed to re-invent my basement for the Canadian Invasion this summer.  We took a lot of her ideas and then added a few of our own, and some we nixed because of the strict budget or we did not have the time. I will post some photo's once C, J and I clean up down there tonight in preparation for the party! I love the way someone else had a vision for my room, one that I simply could not see.....

Ok, my 10 minutes of cooling are done, and laundry needs to be put away.......

Catch up

So I had some time yesterday to photograph some of the little projects around here that I am working on.  You may remember the dresser / nightstand that started it all off!
That is a photo of the first coat of paint.  It is almost complete now, but I wanted to show you I was doing SOMETHING!  It is still drying so stay tuned for the final photo soon!

Then I wrote about M cleaning up / giving me a new desk area just for me.

It is a small little area, but has enough room for my computer and printer and when I need / want to I can craft some smallish things there too.  To the side there is a built in cubby space for supplies.

And my first little craft was to make my pencil bucket (full of my "good colored pencils, markers and pencils") a pretty home....To keep in the colors of the basement family room I did this:

I simply used some left over canvas from a project years ago and some navy velvet ribbon to bring in the navy from the rest of the room.  The bucket was a stainless steel bucket that had seem better days.  It is the perfect size for all of my pens, pencils and scissors!  I love it!  I was also able to make a dry erase board out of an old frame that I had painted navy years ago for my first apartment.  I backed it with canvas, put the glass back in and POOF! I have a pretty board for all of my volunteer projects I am working on!  I used some pictures to pretty up the space too.  (So when my brain does wander!)

Obviously C was inspired by crafts too because I walked into the basement a couple of days ago to find his "art work" a la dry erase marker....

Thankfully, it was dry erase marker!  A little elbow grease and the Mr. Clean Magic eraser got rid of the marker on the walls.  The fabric on the couch and chair required more TLC (I love that they are BOTH slipcovers)...Oxy clean, Spray and Wash and more elbow grease got most of it out....And then the dry cleaners!  Needless to say, the markers have been moved and he has learned his easel is where he should be inspired!