Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom

Sometimes, we all need a few reminders! I know I sure do!

This comes from Confessions of a Homeschooler and was written by Erica's friend, Renee. I wanted to share this with everyone and it can be applied to both Moms and Dads. (For a printable, follow the above link!)

Thrifty Finds

I bought this fork and spoon from a friend's garage sale. I think I paid 50 cents or a dollar for the pair, but it's been so long I can't remember. I found some more leftover spray paint and it happened to be silver! Woo Hoo!

So, after a few coasts of paint, they look fantastic! I've seen this look on several designer websites and I'm so excited to add it to my home. I've even got a special place in the kitchen to hang them ~ my poor husband's Honey-Do list is getting longer day by day. He may make me quit blogging!

A Pinterest Production - DIY Fridge Frame Magnets

Ok, Pinterest, I'll admit it - I'm hooked! If you know what the terms pins and boards mean, and have a list of categories, you are more than likely hooked too. And for those very rare few whom have not heard of Pinterest, you really should check it out!

Like many muses before, Pinterest sparks my creativity. It pushes it into overdrive and screams, "You really can do this!" It makes me think of how I can create decorations, enticing recipes, and beauty within my life and my home.

My boards are now overflowing with pins, and its definitely time to put them to use. Each week or two, I'm going to offer up A Pinterest Production in hopes to deliver a quality creation. I'll share the original Pinterest link and then show you my own finished product. Feel free to follow in the creativity and share your own finished piece!

This week's Production: DIY Fridge Frame Magnets

This pin comes from Vintage Glamorous. They were created to add a touch of beauty to the mundane (chore lists & calendars), as well as a touch of whimsy (children's masterpieces). At Vintage Glamorous, they used several different sizes and styles of frames. I used what I had on hand, but I will be adding a larger one to "frame" my monthly calendar.

About my production:

I recycled two 5 x 7 inch frames I purchased from a garage sale. They are much prettier in the crisp white than they originally were. I had a leftover can of spray paint (Krylon Ivory) used for our church's Christmas Play; you will definitely need a few coats. I removed the glass and the backing from the frames; then, I added magnetic strips I borrowed from my husband's tool box (Shush! Don't tell him!). Viola, production finished!

Total production price: $0.50 (If you factor in the original purchase price of the spray paint, than $4.99. I can't add in the magnet strip because I honestly have no idea.)

I love this production because it allows for absolute creativity. The sizes, styles, and colors can all very. You can create monochromatic schemes or a complete rainbow. Enjoy this Pinterest Production because it is definitely easy and quite useful! And if you have any unique frames lying around, let me know, I might be interested!

Pin It

Experimental Recipes - French Dip Cresents

I will admit it: I'm not the best cook in the house. In fact, I make a great sous chef. My husband has all the talent when it comes to making gourmet dinners without much direction. I, on the other hand, follow a recipe to a "T" and it still may not turn out as well.

I just purchased How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, (to help in the cooking department) and it sits next to Julia Child's famous pairing, as well as Martha's magnificent dessert book and others. I've also got a Pinterest board filled with recipes I've been dying to try.

Today went by fast and we had an engagement this evening. We definitely needed an easy and quick meal. In a pinch, I turned to Pinterest for a great little recipe via Steph at the Plain Chicken. Not only was this easy, it was relatively inexpensive. We paired the French Dip Crescents with green beans and sweet potato fries, as well as a previously homemade au jus sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced
4 slices cheddar cheese ( the original called for provolone)
4 tsp horseradish sauce
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
Au Jus sauce (you can by a packet, but I used my own)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles.  Spread 1/2 teaspoon horseradish sauce on each crescent. Top each crescent with 1/2 slice cheddar cheese and roast beef.  Roll up crescents and place on baking stone. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

My boys absolutely loved these! We've already got requests for new variations: provolone/turkey, ham/havarti, brie/bacon...

I will recommend making a double batch if you are feeding more than 2-3 people. I only got one of these before they were all gone!

Pin It

Quoteables

Travel Texas ~ The Old Tunnel WMA

If you didn't already know - Texas is huge! From the Hill Country to the Piney Woods, Texas has something for everyone. The Texas State Travel Guide website is a fantastic guide to your Texas adventures. They offer a calendar of events, travel packages, driving tours, maps, and more. Be sure to request your free Texas Travel Guide.

Our most recent trip took my husband and I to the quaint Texas town of Fredericksburg. Known for its wineries and music, Fredericksburg offers regional shopping, great eateries, a plethora of Bed & Breakfasts, and museums. Some of our favorites include:

•  Hondo's - Great bar food at reasonable prices coupled with live music.
• Vinny's Italian Grill and Pizzeria - Hand's down one of the best pizza places I've ever eaten at - I put it on the scale with Gino's East in Chicago.
• Town Creek Bed & Breakfast - Nice and quiet, plus a delicious gourmet breakfast.
• The National Pacific War Museum - An amazing tribute to those whom served our country.
• The Japanese Garden of Peace - While adjacent to the museum, it is a little hidden, but worth discovering.
• Admiral Nimitz's homestead - This is located off of main and has been converted into a shop. My husband enjoyed visiting the Admiral's home since he served on the ship named for him.

However, the best thing to do while in Fredericksburg was actually off the beaten path and a little ways out of town.

The Old Tunnel WMA is the smallest wildlife management area in Texas. In fact, it is only 16 acres in size. On site is an abandoned railway tunnel, which is home to 3,000 Brazilian Free Tailed Bats. There were not any bats when we visited in early January, but we are hoping to see the first migrants when we return in April. I'm not sure I could handle 3 million bats at the height of the season in July and August!

It was an amazingly scenic area. Texas Parks and Wildlife keep the trails cleared. They have also labeled many of the plant species for those whom may need more guidance. There is a small fee associated with visiting the park, but if you have a Texas Park Pass your fee is waived.

The tunnel was neat to behold. One could even tell where the railroad tracks used to run. There is something oddly beautiful about an empty tunnel, but yet, I guess it is not always empty.

Pin It

I've been busy!

It seems life definitely kicked into throttle this week! I apologize for the few blog posts of late. It has been a hard week in many ways, but it ended up with rather exciting news (I'm going to be an Aunt).

Please look forward to many more posts about cleaning, organizing, DIY, and more. I've also caught My Joy Dare page up, if you've been following. I hope you enjoy my blog!

Warmly,
Michelle

Remembering Jan Berenstain

As a child, The Berenstain Bears were a constant staple in my reading selections. I always loved the simplicity of Bear Country and the family dynamic of Mama, Papa, Brother, and Sister. Their simple day-to-day lifestyle dotted with lessons learned made them interesting yet educational as well.

One of my favorite selections, The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail made me want to follow Papa through the swamp and Rocky Gorge. I wanted Leader Jane to hand me a Merit Badge for going right along with the Bear Scouts on Papa's escapade. Although, I might not have tried the Bird's Nest Stew!

And so, it is with great fondness and the love of these books that I remember a wonderful and creative lady. Thank you Jan Berenstain for your tireless ambition and artistic intellect which helped bring The Berenstain Bears to life.

Here is a wonderful piece on Jan from the Zondervan Blog.

Weekly Goals

Last week I posted a few of my weekly goals. I've crossed out and added to the goal list. Did you get your goals accomplished? Did you set new ones?

Goals for 2/20-2/26
Home
1. Outdoor chores on the nicest day possible! (gutters, flower beds, etc.)
2. Tackle the garage
3. Gather up items for the church garage sale

Kids
1. Finish Henry V reading and movie with eldest
2. Begin children's cooking project with my youngest
3. Work on Dad's birthday gift surprise : )

Volunteering
1. Fundraiser night for LongviewWOW
2. Help with Wednesday night church classes
3. Continue fundraising efforts

Personal
1. Continue reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Up Close ( amazing so
    far!)
2. Continue running and start new exercise routine
3. DIY project from Pinterest
4. Complete March calendar
5. Blog articles!!!

Goals for 2/27-3/4

Home
1. Tackle the garage (It proved to be a little larger than expected last week!)
2. Make a master Spring Cleaning plan
3. Finish "puppy-proofing" the living area and kitchen

Kids
1. Sit down and discuss chores and responsibilities
2. Create a menu for the next two weeks
3. Go see a movie : )
4. Help with memory verse ~ Proverbs 19:21

Volunteering
1. Board meeting
2. Help with Wednesday Night church classes/Potluck
3. Begin planning for a wedding shower with friends
4. Continue fundraising efforts
5. Help with World of Wind & Air program

Personal
1. Begin Pilates class
2. Finish my new DIY Pinterest Production
3. Begin reading first 3 chapters of The Only Grant Writing Book You'll Ever 
    Need 
4. Get a haircut!
5. Book puppy training classes at PetsMart or Petco

My Gardening Cabinet

We've had this wardrobe since before my eldest son was born; his grandfather purchased it for him. He used it until his clothes got to big to hang properly and then it passed down to my youngest. When he outgrew it, it became a school closet, for all of our books and supplies. Now that we have moved back to Texas, it sits on our patio in an outdoor toy storage/catch everything around capacity. At least it did, until today.

I haven't seen my project on Pinterest or in Martha Stewart Living, but I imagine, it has more than likely been inspired from either place.

First, I removed the hardware; which proved difficult considering this was an antique piece. Then I sanded the entire outter surfaces with 120 grit sand paper, using a combination of my husband's electrical sander and hand sanding. This didn't take as long as I expected.

A few months ago, I signed up for an offer from Glidden paint. They sent me a free can of paint specified to my color choice: True Torquoise (GLB07). I made sure to apply two coats of paint for even distribution. I used the brush method, but I would recommend using a rollor. I just didn't want to make one more trip to the hardware store!

I also made sure to repair the extra screw hole from the original hardware. It was hard to find hardware the same specifications as an antique piece, so I went with a single knob on each door. I used Elmer's Wood Filler. I hardly used an inch's worth, but I bet I can find uses for it in the future.

Before I rehung the doors, I sanded and then painted the right door with Valspar's Chalkboard paint. Two coats was plenty. If you would like to read a great tutorial on how to make your own chalkboard using a similar method, check out Nik's Nak and read all about it.

I also added a magnetic strip along the edge of the chalk board for small items, like floral wire. I hung a french-style bulletin board on the other door to hold my notes and contact cards. I added my Farmer's Almanac calendar, as well as the rest of my gardening goodies. I would like to add my gardening books, but with this being outdoors I'm afraid the humidity would utterly ruin them.

And Ta-da!

I would usually have the tourquise garden organizer wrapped around a 5 gallon bucket, but my handsome husband borrowed it when he drained his radiator. I will get it back someday! You can buy these types of garden organizers at Target, but I've also made one from Martha Stewart Living. I did, however, get this one on sale for 90% off after the season was over.

I also keep my bird seed as well as my hummingbird feeder and filler in my gardening cabinet. This way, when I notice an empty feeder, I don't have to go all the way to the garage.

The Farmer's Almanac calendar is very useful when planting. It lists the potential weather for your area, the best time to plant seeds as well as harvest, and the moon phases.

I love the different colors of chalk - purple for Junior Master Gardeners, Orange for To-do immediately, and Green for plants (you may use any color, I just have a thing for color-coding).

I would have an empty funnel hung with a twine skein inside as a twine dispenser, but it appears to have gone missing; wondering if it is with the 5 gallon bucket!