pinterest

I have just discovered pinterest and I am in love!!! So many neat crafty ideas, recipes, funny quotes, you name it it's on there. Follow me if you dare.

I have been cooking and crafting a lot of different things lately and I thought I'd share some of them.

Mini Pizzas



The photo is terrible but they taste so good. Roll out grands biscuts, sauce and cheese them, and bake them according to the time and temp on the biscuts. I found an awesome recipe for pizza sauce here. We just like cheese, but you can put what ever you want on top. Easy and delish!


Rolo Cookies

Super yummy & super easy to make. Just make sure you follow the recipe for the cookies, not the directions on the back of the cake mix. Best if served warm but good either way. You can pop them in the microwave for a sec and they will taste like just from the oven.

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring

I've made this twice and it is sooooooooooooo good! The only change I make is I use the 2 tubes of buttermilk biscuts (per the directions) but I coat both sides of the biscuts in the brown sugar/cinnimon mixture before putting them in the pan. Super easy and delish. I see a trend of not-so-healthy foods here, but sometimes you just have to live!


Weekly Family Planner

I started with this $10 frame from WalMart, scrapbook paper, and stamps for the days. Openings are 4x6 and I thought that would be too small, but it works out well for us.

I stamped the days of the week onto the paper. If I want to change out the paper, I can just stamp on the new ones. That and I couldn't find days of the week stickers and don't have any scrapbook supplies (letters, stickers) so this route was cheaper.

Here is the final product sans Wednesday. Someone accidentally broke the glass trying to get the back off so we had to go back to WalMart to get a 4x6 frame for the glass. Good times. You write on the glass with a dry erase marker and it wipes right off. Turned out good and works well so far.



Seasons Frames

Dollar store frames, scrapbook paper, and however you can do the letters. I got 6 different (ugly) frames at the dollar store and spray painted them black. Cut scrapbook paper to fit. Sidenote: did you know all the seasons have six letters? So you will always have enough frames when it comes time for a new season. Just swap out the paper (and letters, of course).

If you own a Cricut, the cutting out of the letters would be super easy. I do not own a Cricut (oh, how nice one would be =) ) so I printed out the letters from the computer and used a projecta scope I had from college to project the immage on the wall. I traced the letters and cut them out with a scissors. Did I mention how nice a Cricut would be? Adhere the letters to the paper, put the backs on, and voila! All or $7 or $8 (including spray paint).

You could also do this with the letters in your last name.

alex is 5!

Big Al is now 5 years old. I can't believe it, although he's looked like a 5 year old for probably 2 years =)  A few things about Alex right now:

• He is in Learn to Play Hockey (after 6 weeks of Learn to Skate) and LOVES IT! We got him a hockey stick and are supposed to cut it off right to the players nose without skates on but we left his in tact so he can use it for more than one year. He is so tall!
• Alex is off the charts in height and weight and what I assume, head circumference. 48" tall and 63 lbs.
• He is really liking school. He goes 2 full days a week which is different from what Jack did.  He is sure pooped after his school days. He rides the big bus to school with his brother and it's so weird to see the two of them at the end of the driveway!  From the house, they look like twins.
• He is in love with video games. Loves his DS and Wii. We are trying to limit his usage but he'd play them all day if you'd let him.
• He always says I love you. He's the only one of my kids who does that. I guess Ben says is it every once and a while too.
• He gives great hugs and loves to cuddle.
• He's a talker like his mother. Comes by it honest.
• He is my fearless boy, willing to make new friends wherever he goes. Willing to try anything and quite the ladies man. Still lovin' the ladies.

 Since Mom and Dave couldn't make his party, they came up the weekend after and we all went bowling.



Now, I feel like I need to explain some things. First, this was my first attempt and Windows Movie Maker and as you can see I'm still figuring things out. I really should delete this video and try to edit it again but I'm too lazy.

Second, the lanes really were that non-slippery. They weren't sticky per se but you couldn't slide at all. Even watch the people who bowled next to us hopping because they couldn't slide. Just had to put that out there.

Now that I can upload and (somewhat) edit videos, I hope to keep putting more up.

Here are some pictures from his party the weekend before...

 My Grandma played the accordion. All the kids just sat quietly and watched. Even my brother in law said it is a lost art =)

DQ cake, of course.

I know, flash photos are horrible but there is no natural light in this house! I wouldn't have gotten a single usable shot if I didn't have my flash.

baby fight club

alex on ice

Here's just a snipit from Alex's Learn to Skate from a few weeks ago.  When he first started, he couldn't stand up on the ice alone.  Now he can go the full length of the ice.  He even won the race all the kids had on the last day!  I think this is his thing (of course it has to be the most expensive sport there is here).  =)



The very loud gentleman is none other than my dad, of course.

today

Today I didn't take a shower.
Today I strung colored lights on the tree when I wanted white (per Alex's request).
Today I organized the Christmas decorations and found the boys Baby's First Christmas ornaments. I filled in the info on the back (name, weight, length) and had to double check the stats in their baby books. I noticed that I stopped filling in Ben's at three months and almost cried. I feel so so so horrible that I didn't keep up with it. I'm hoping I can find things on here to fill in the pieces. That's the thing about blogs that even if no one reads one word, it's there for you to look back on.

Today I was elbow deep in the toilet fishing out a small cup that Ben flushed down the toilet, but only after he peed in there.
Today I finally got the house decorated for Christmas and it looks fabulous!
Today Ben went to sleep at 8 o'clock without a fight. WIN!

I did take a photo of our pretty much decorated tree. Alex wants to put some of Gram's snowflakes on so we might do that later. I know the photo is a little blurry, but a flash just washes it all out.

We will see what tomorrow brings.

lucky

I just came across this AMAZING singer/songwriter on YouTube and am downloading her album on iTunes immediately. Her name is Danna Richards and she is uber talented. She was/is writing one original song every day for a year (had to take a break so she could work extra shifts to afford to move to LA).  If you haven't already, check her out here and here.

This song isn't available on iTunes yet, but I enjoy it on the YouTube for now.





This song, Where You Are, is avalible here on iTunes.  Perfection.

homemade laundry soap

For quite a while now, we've been using homemade laundry soap.  It has been a HUGE money saver since I was kind of a Tide snob. I would only buy it on sale with a coupon but still, it gets pricey.  When you are doing laundry for a family of five, plus all the farm clothes and Chad's work clothes, it adds up.

Anywho, I came across the Duggar family recipe for laundry soap.  I had actually found it years ago but it wasn't until I saw a how-to video on YouTube that I tried it.  Her recipe halves the duggars, so instead of 5 gallons of concentrated soap, it only makes 2 1/2 gallons.  I never had a place to store five gallons of soap, but half was doable.

I don't know if the people that read this blog are really going to want to try this, but I figure I'll post the recipe just in case!  Now keep in mind, this makes 2 1/2 gallons of concentrated soap so it will yield 5 gallons of actual laundry soap.

(She's kind of rambly in the beginning--skip to 2:37 to see the process)

2 cups water

1/2 bar Fells Naptha soap-grated

1/2 cup Super Washing Soda

1/4 cup Borax
2 gallons and 1/2 gallon hot water

Boil 2 cups water. Add grated Fells Naptha soap slowly. Stir until melted.  Fill bucket with 2 gallons hot water and add the melted soap.  Add the Washing Soda and Borax and mix until dissolved.  Add 1/2 gallon hot water.  Add essential oil (optional).  Cover and let sit for 24 hours.  Fill your laundry soap container half full of the soap and the rest of the way with water.  Shake before each use.

*A couple of tips: Fells Naptha can be found in your grocery store or in WalMart by the fabric softeners. Grate the soap as fine as you can.  Add in slowly to boiling water or it will clump up and take longer to melt.  I have never used any essential oils.  If you use as-is, your laundry won't have a smell which is fine.  Chad just so happened to have a 2 1/2 gallon jug with a lid, so that's where I store my concentrated soap.  I use a 2 Quart Rubbermaid container as my soap jug which works great for measuring half soap, half water to fill.  You could also use an empty Tide container or whatever you use.

I have found washing my clothes in warm water works best with this soap.  I tried using cold, but I don't think the soap works as good.  My clothes were coming out dingy.  I also use OxyClean in every load.

I love it and it has saved us a ton of money on laundry soap.  With me not earning a paycheck, I have to make our money stretch.



re-post

I'm posting the snowball fight video again in hopes that this time, everyone can see it!

lime

snowball fight!

Jack is in the blue, Alex is in red. Benny is the tiny guy in red =)

randomness and snow

Here are some pictures from practice last Saturday. Keep in mind, I'm on the other side of the glass, hence the cruddy quality.

He's getting better every time! 

The other day Ben was super tired (don't thing he got a nap) and not even a chip could keep him awake. He was falling asleep mid-bite =)

Today it snowed. I guess I should be happy it waited until November for our first measurable snowfall, but I'm not. It was pretty to see the snow, but I'm just not ready.

Chad had to take a couple of steers to be butchered and of course it had to be today. He made it there okay and almost made it home but as he was slowing to turn into our barn driveway the truck wanted to veer towards a post. He kept going straight and drove over to the grain bin to check on it (we combined our corn last Sun./Mon. and now we have the burner on to dry it). When he came back, cattle trailer still in tow, he slowed to make the turn again but this time slid in the ditch. So with a little help from our tractor, tow chain, and a helpful neighbor we (they) got the truck out of the ditch. All this hassle with the snow which will be gone tomorrow. That's Wisconsin for ya.

The two biggest trees we have (30+ years old) still have almost all their leaves so when we got this heavy, wet snow the limbs were touching the ground. Luckily we only lost one small branch from the tree in the back.  The weather looks good for the rest of the week which is good because we still have potatoes to dig!

alex on ice

Papa Dave took Alex to open skate on Saturday. They have these plastic pushers or scooters there to help people who don't know how to skate and Alex grabs one every time.  This time, he did the whole open skate all on his own. I am so proud of him! I know he can do it but I think he likes that with a pusher, he can go faster. Papa Dave skated too and only fell once! (shh, don't tell)  =)

I finally have some photos of him at his hockey practice, but wanted to get this up first. Post with the pics coming soon!

trick-or-treat

The weather was so-so, around 50 degrees. We've had better, but we've also had way worse. The boys and I went around with Chad's sister and husband and their three kids just like we have for 6+ years. It went well and the kids behaved fairly well this year. It was a long night but they had fun and got a ton of candy. They got so much in fact that Jack's pumpkin handle broke when we walked into the house because there was so much candy in it. Here's the only shot of Chucky, Batman, and the black Spiderman (I know he's called something but I have no idea what it is).

Absolutely no one knew who (or what) Ben was. Am I really that old that nobody remembers Childs Play? It wasn't the most accurate costume but I thought it was close enough. We texted my mom a picture of Ben the night before Halloween with his "stitches" because he wanted to scare Nana. Well it worked because she thought it was real. Woops! Should have known better because we all know Halloween is mothers most favorite holiday =) Maybe he will be a puppy next year!

And of course, we had to stop at the DQ for the customary Halloween Dilly Bar. Jack is wearing some here!

typing

Jack wanted a typewriter. Don't ask me why. Luckily, his grandma just happened to have one and lent it to us for a while. Here's our little Stephen King in action...

                                               (love his silhouette in that one!)

                                        
                                          His masterpiece...

               And there's this one just because he still smiles when I have the camera out =)

carving pumpkins

Obviously 'gutting' the pumpkin was everyones favorite thing to do =) Oh, and please ignore all the mess going on in the background--we live here!

hockey

Alex had his first learn to skate practice on Sat. and it was hilarious! I wish I would have brought my video camera. There were 15+ kids floundering out on the ice. So funny! Alex did really good for the first half and then had to go potty and then didn't want to go back out. We finally got him out on the ice again and he took off. He didn't want to leave and couldn't wait to come back. Next time I'll bring my camera (and cappuccino and blanket) and get some good shots.

Jack even said it looked like fun and he would like to skate, so Chad and I took the oldest 2 to the arena for open skate.  They both did great--Alex has improved for this being his fourth time ever on the ice and Jack did awesome for his first time.  He has to do everything perfect on the first try so he's out there trying to race people (including his brother, big surprise) instead of actually learning how to skate. Even when Jack fell down, he would have a smile on his face. I was so proud of him for getting out there and trying something out of his comfort zone.  They both want to go back so I am calling it a success!!

little something

Don't have much to blog about but I have a few photos to share.

Alex has been working on his letter and writing.

Don't ask me what TRON is. He just wanted to practice those certain letters.

I realized I didn't have a picture of all my kids and my grandparents in the same photo, so I snapped a quick pic on our last visit on the farm before the snowbirds flew south.

And for their reward for standing still, they got to do a silly one!

Alex has is first hockey/learn to skate practice this Saturday. I'm excited to see him out there but have absolutely no idea how to get all his gear on! The other families are really helpful so I'm hoping someone will lend a hand.

Jack has been reading a lot lately. They go to the library everyday at school and he chooses "real" books (non-fiction) usually about animals or trucks and tractors and he reads them to me. He is doing so well. I am so proud of him!

Benny is what I call completely potty trained. Well, he has been having accidents off and on at night so we've been dealing with that. He doesn't like pull-ups so I sometimes put him in a cloth trainer overnight, but they aren't waterproof and aren't meant for overnight so we wash sheets a lot. He's wearing undies that the other boys never fit into because they were so big when they trained. Tiny undies are super cute!!

re-post

I hate blogger!! Stupid pictures wouldn't post. By the way, I did notice this yesterday but afer spending so much time posting it and then seeing it not work I just went to bed.