Weigh In Wednesday

Well hello there! I have been missing from blogland for some time now. It is funny that I have been so busy and have so much to blog about but do not have any time to blog. 

I decided to start back and try to do at least one post every week. That shouldn't be too hard, right??? I meant to post this yesterday, but alas, I was too busy. I wanted to start a "Weigh In Wednesday" post for every...Wednesday(or in reality whenever I can get around to it). I started a new "lifestyle change" yesterday. I don't want to call it a diet...because this is just really about eating healthy and is long term...like my whole life long term. 

Let me take you back to about two weeks ago. I was on my computer surfing the web..when my heart went all pitter patter. Not because I saw something cute or lovely...but because I was dying. Ok...not really, but that is what I thought. I think anything that is off in my body means I am dying. A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was reading, "The Blood Sugar Solution", by Dr. Mark Hyman(thanks Val). After having my near death experience I decided I needed to make a change. After examining what was going on in my life at that moment...I came to the self-diagnosis that I was eating like a high school boy. Not caring at all that I was not eating my veggies...or getting a well-balanced meal. At the time of my heart palpitations I had just downed what I lovingly referred to as my "happy juice" AKA Dr. Pepper. I then proceeded to have another for lunch and felt miserable. "That's it...I am done you"...I exclaimed. I have said this many times before but now I really could feel it harming me. Not that it wasn't all those years..but now it was messing with my blood sugar and my mental well-being. In the back of my head I knew that it would have to come to this before I stopped. Just like with any other drug, and yes sugar is a drug, I was addicted. 

I went to the Dr. a week later and explained to him what was happening and that I couldn't stop thinking about it and that I was having horrible panic attacks. My blood pressure was fine..I had lost 9 pounds since my last visit and my EKG was completely normal. My Dr. looked at me and reassured that I was not on the verge of a heart attack...and possibly thinks I am crazy. Totally already diagnosed myself with the crazies long ago DOC...thank you very much! :) 

My Dr. told me about a guy who could help me with my weight loss, a woman who could help me with my mental well-being, sent me to have my Thyroid and Adrenal levels tested, and a prescription from some drug that would take away my panic attacks if it happened again. I hate taking drugs...I usually let him write the prescriptions and then try to find a healthy alternative. Having that peace that I checked out ok(still waiting on my blood tests) was really good enough for me. I have not had a panic attack in a week! 

Sooooo....all this to say that I have read this book by Dr. Hyman and feel so much more informed on the correct way to eat. Also, about how by eating whole foods and getting enough sleep and exercising I can cure my internal issues. I suffer from migraines, allergies and some other issues..not life threatening...but early signs that I have blood sugar issues. I have no doubt that if I don't change the way I eat that I will have diabetes. So, there it is...my Weigh In...a little heavy(pun intended:)). I chose Wednesday because that was my official start date. I will be on this journey for 6 weeks. After that I will continue but can add in a few more things...if I feel I need to. Right now I am having only whole foods...if it has more than 5 ingredients on the label or items I can not pronounce...it has been tossed. Lots of veggies, fruit and lean protein. I am not going to lie...I really want a big ol' piece of chocolate cake right now. But, as of this morning I have already lost two pounds! So, although that cake sounds soooo good...I will continue in my no white flour, no sugar, no gluten, no processed foods and no dairy eating:). 

I encourage everyone to read, "The Blood Sugar Solution",   it is so amazing how certain ailments are connected and how adding more vitamins and minerals to your diets can cure them. I think most of us know the basics. It is obvious that eating well and exercising makes you healthy...but this book goes deeper and it is such a great read. Hoping to stay strong...as my 30th bday is right around the corner...which means no cake for me...and no Dr.Pepper..but whatever...I will have so much more energy and feel well enough to party the night away. Tune in next Wednesday(hopefully) to see what I Weigh In on.

Mamahood

When you find out you are pregnant, the advice comes rolling in. I for one welcomed it. I had no idea what to expect...I am not a reader...so whatever anyone told me I soaked it up. There were two comments that were most commonly shared with me.....

1. "Sleep when they sleep!"

 This rarely happened. As a new mom finding a routine that works is hard. My son is three and I am just now getting a routine going. When my son was napping, I did want to pass out(pretty much at any given point throughout the day I wanted to pass out), but I always seemed to think that doing laundry, cleaning and doing other duties were more important. My house was a mess..but I learned that it was ok. That pile of laundry could wait....the dishes in the sink could wait....the grocery store could wait. What couldn't wait was my little one. He was growing up so quickly. I didn't want to miss a thing. Which brings me to my second bit of advice that I heard often...

2."They grow up so fast! You will blink and he will be graduating. Enjoy every minute."

 I could see the longing in each mother's eyes when she told me this. I could see her envisioning her own grown child little again. It was precious. I have to say...they were right. My son is now 3! He carries on conversations with me all day. He loves to tell stories. I love to see his wheels turning as he comes up with an adventurous story about dragons and monsters. Everyday, he stops and asks me, "sooooo...how was your day?" MELTS MY HEART. He has such a funny sense of humor. I see a lot of qualities I love about his father in him. It is so great to see. One of the greatest joys in my marriage was to share our love for our son together. To tell each other things he did or said each day. To see him growing into a great little dude:). I love this quote from onemoresoul.com"Children are the natural extension of the love of spouses-the visible sign of the fruitfulness of self-emptying love-and a means of ever deepening joy in marriage."

With Mother's Day approaching it is nice to reflect on all the blessings God has given to us. I am thankful for a healthy son, a loving and sweet boy, a son who tells me he loves me everyday...it is truly the best when they learn to talk...but when they understand the meaning and tell you they love you...ohhhhh myyyy...the BEST. It is also a great day to relax:). A little rejuvenating is just what a mama needs. Happy Mother's Day!

P.S. I also always pray for those who have a hard time getting pregnant or who are unable to have children...who have lost a child and also those who have lost their mamas:(. I pray for a comfort and peace that only our Father can provide.

P is for Party, Planning and Patience

I love the whole process of planning parties. I even did it for a living for a few years. So, when the time comes to plan a party I am all over it! Recently I was able to help my brother in law through a bday/graduation party for my sister. It was an Art themed party as she majored in Graphic Design and is an amazing artist. Although this was fun...I love planning parties that I can start on months in advanced. If that has you already stressed..don't worry I promise this is not crazy...ok..maybe a little.

Used paint buckets  from Michael's and put in some chocolate dipped pretzels to look like paint brushes

I am a planner in every area of my life. Sometimes to a fault. I am not too spontaneous...that just makes me nervous. So, it is no surprise that I had the theme planned out for months for my son's 3rd bday. Now, I have to say I may not have the joy of doing this anymore as his love for certain characters changes quickly. I decided on a Race Car Party and a few weeks before he informed me that he wanted a rocket ship party and then a Transformer...then Power Rangers oh and finally a Superhero. Too bad kid...mama is crazy and already has all the favors and most of the decor...so Race Car Party it is..woohooo:)

There are always a few things to consider before planning a party:

1. The Guests. Now this year I realized that all my friends keep having children(this is a good thing) and that I could not invite everyone that I wanted..but mainly those with kids that we are close to. Although the past two bdays have been more family oriented..this year would be all about the kids. Most of which turned out to be girls...poor Shane...he will learn to love that later in life. 
2. Location...for the most part this may be a given..but I think if we are still in the same house next year that will change. There was a chance of rain and the thought of having a ton of toddlers running through my house frightened me. I have learned to let go a bit. I love my furniture. My once off-white couch is now a lovely shade of old milk...dirty feet and pizza sauce..thanks to my lil guy:). 
3. RSVPs...I already mentioned the guests that you plan to invite...but how many actually can make it plays a huge role in what you need to buy. 
4. Food-for Shane's first party we provided lunch or maybe more like dinner. I wanted to do a little extra. Since then I now plan my parties at 2pm. This makes it clear that there will only be snacks and dessert. Don't feel like you have to make lunch or dinner for every party. It is just so expensive and no one really expects it at a children's home party. If you were to go to Chuck E. Cheese or something similar I think you should plan on providing pizza..but of course you wouldn't have to make it;).
5. Favors- goodie bags are fun! It is a great little treat to thank your friends for coming. I love to shop for these months in advanced. I knew that Shane would have a Race Car themed party in January. So, I knew after Valentine's Day I would hit up all the sales and pick up candy for cheap. I got 30 suckers for only 1.00. I always kept my eye out on race car themed favors to go on clearance and also looked at the ever changing 1.00 section at target and scored some great deals when that stuff went on clearance. Even after Easter I scored some cheap candy. It is great to have two of those holidays so close to Shane's bday. I think I spent maybe 8.00 on all of the stuff for the goodie bags..including the bags. Which I completely forgot to take a pic of. 
6. Invites-These can be pricey. I like to send out actual invites in the mail. If you want to use a service online though, like Evite, that can save you a lot. I actually scored this year. There was a deal for 25 free photo cards through some film company. All I had to pay was shipping...which was 1.49. I added some checkered ribbon and car stickers to finish it off. so for around 4.00 I had some pretty cute invites. A lot of companies offer deals like that for new customers so always be on the look out. It is also a great idea for thank you cards.
7. Decor-my favorite thing about a party. Chances are the theme you choose will be something your child has a ton of items of that theme. So, for decor I just looked through all the toy boxes and picked up some Cars toys...Hot Wheels and even went to the garage and found my husbands old tool box and used that as a holder for the plates and napkins! I did buy a few things like wall decals and trophies that happened to just come out at Target in the dollar section the day before his party...score!!! 

So..there you have it. A few tips. I will share some photos from Shane's party. Can't believe he is now 3!!! Time flies! Happy Birthday my sweet little(not so much) man!

Here is an example of using items you already have. Took a clear cylindrical vase and filed it with  Hot Wheels.

Love having a sister who majored in Graphic Design...she whipped these cupcake toppers up in like a days notice!

Stoplight Bars...Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

These were surprisingly super easy to make. Chocolate molded pretzels.

Dragons...Transformers and Dinosaur Poop

Dragons...Transformers and Dinosaur Poop...that is what my little boy is made of. Or at least that is what pops up in his cute little mind. Being a mommy is amazing...but being a mommy to a boy is awesome! My days are filled with slaying dragons...explaining where a dinosaur poops...finding Bumblebee from Transformers hiding in the pots and pans cabinet and washing away the remnants of the action packed day....only to start it all again in the morning. Love my little man:)

Peaks of my day...

This is just a simple little list..nothing special..except to me:). I had one of those days where I was aware of every little piece of dirt....the little man was testing my patience and everything anyone did made me want to punch a hole in the wall. I think they call that hormones!!!! Don't you love being a woman? I was even saying hurtful things to my house! Calling it ugly and old...sorry house...but you do need a face lift. Instead of playing the whole woe is me... I have to work...take care of a child...clean...cook...look fab...etc...I decided to just be happy for what I did have and look on the bright side of things. My day got much better...thanks to a lot of prayer. So here is a little list of things I was thankful for today...

1.Having Target 1 minute away so I could sneak away during my lunch break and have some "me time" ( of course I bought Shane a super cool Spiderman coloring book, new socks and diapers..buying things for others makes me happy...but I did find a bright colored shirt that felt very Springy for myself...YAY). 

2. My gardener....it is our one luxury....actually it is a necessity...our lawn would be even more dead if our gardener did not come to our rescue every other week. So thankful for the rain on Saturday..we don't have sprinklers in our backyard and so it is hard to keep up on the watering and there is a lot to do.Now I don't have to water for at least a week...right??? The wind blew an enormous amount of leafs onto our patio. With one quick blow of the leaf blower it was all clear(I love that thing). I loved opening up the door once he left and it was all manicured and clean. Ahhhh...thank you Rich...your the man!

3. A washer and dryer. I don't have one of those fancy ones....I have a good ol' Kenmore set. I was complaining as I loaded my fifth load of laundry in and then I began to be thankful that I had a washer and dryer and that it was still working! Today I needed to wash not only clothes but all the sheets and blankets in our room and Shane's bedding. It was definitely a blessing I didn't have to lug them to the laundromat(always spelled it laundry mat...I have never actually had to go to one so I am really blessed). 

4.My son is almost 3(crazy) and can do things on his own. Today was one of those days where I was so busy with work and cleaning that the poor little guy had to pick out his own clothes and I also had him bring me his juice box(he can open the fridge..which is good and bad...this instance..awesome)!!! I felt guilty telling him to wait all day and that I would do whatever it was he wanted "later"...so we got all his train tracks out and set up a cool track and watched Thomas go 'round and 'round:) 

5. My shows.....The Hubs had a meeting tonight so I got to watch American Idol and my new favorite...Interior Therapy with Jeff Lewis. Jeff Lewis makes me laugh...he is so blunt and mean...but I love it when he cracks himself up and his designs are AMAZE!!!! GORG!!!! ADORB!!! Ok..not adorb...but those are all the words I see circling around on Pinterest to describe things and in my attempts to stay hip I try to use them as well...not always a success. BTW...Billy Joel songs are boring...yawn...who did you like on AI? Apparently I am into shortening words:). 

6. Dairy Queen! I texted(sp???) The Hubs and told him it would be nice if he brought me a treat:). It was one of those days that I would have been mad if he didn't bring me a treat...even though he didn't know I wanted one...so I thought I should just send him a nice little warning before he got home. He delivered a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard..mmmm. Today was gorgeous..I mean GORG outside so it was a perfect conclusion to my day. Ice cream makes everything better. 

7. On a more serious note...I am thankful for work..for both The Hubs and I. Even though it has its ups and downs, God is always faithful and provides for us in our times of need...which seems to be often. My job is going great and I am starting an hour later next week so I can hopefully get in a workout in the morning. Love the flexibility and a great boss!

8. Last...but not least....CLEAN SHEETS! Is there anything better??? Even though I had to do all the laundry at least I can crawl into bed tonight and sleep better all because of my fresh and clean sheets! Oh and my mom made me some homemade laundry detergent that makes everything so fluffy and clean smelling....love it! Night all:).

What were some peaks of your day???

Prayer-Am I doing this right???

Every Sunday night a group of 20/30 somethings meet to develop our leadership skills and to get to know ourselves..others and most importantly God better. We wrapped up the first section about ourselves. I really enjoyed hearing others' testimonies and I even enjoyed talking about myself...selfish I know. The next step is getting to know God. I have to admit I thought this might get a bit boring. Again selfish. Then when we were handed the Westminster "shorter" Catechism, my fears were confirmed...until we started to dive in. I had no idea what this Westminster Catechism was. To me it sounded like something from long ago and had no relevancy for me today(there I go being selfish again).After going over a few of the first points in this Catechism..we somehow got into a debate on prayer. Really didn't know there was anything to debate...but let me tell you there were some very different views. Mind you I did not say one word during this debate...I know shocking! When I am not 100% certain about the subject being discussed I do not say anything. Which causes me not to say much at all...ever...because well I am not that smart. One girl in the class said that the "debate" was great and that we needed it...it causes us to look deeper into what we truly believe...something I have been working on. It is true...debate is great..not when it gets heated and ugly...but a civil debate on the truth is ok. But then I thought well what does God's Word say about prayer? There is only one side right? The right side? God's Word. I think maybe debate is the wrong term. It was just a difference in our own personal way we pray. Are you a specific prayer-er??? Are your prayers more general..less specific???

I came across this photo this week..that God wanted me to see..I am sure of:

The debate was about generalizing your prayer vs. being specific. I can see fault in both sides..but it was something I never really thought about. I took everything in..had no real stance on it...but it remained heavy on my heart. Was I praying wrong? For me..I pray both ways. Sometimes I just don't have the words..like the little girl above. Sometimes my prayer is simple.."Lord, do your thang!". God already knows what it is that we need or what we desire. That is what is so wonderful. I don't have to be specific if I do not know what it is I should pray. But if we remain in God's Word, as he tells us in John 15:7, "pray and it will be given to you". Does that mean that whatever we desire will be given to us? No, God knows our heart..he knows what is best and the outcome of the prayer may not be exactly what we pray for, but better. I think we can all attest to that as believers. So, now back to the other type of prayer...specific prayers. I immediately saw a danger in this for myself. If you are not praying in accordance to God's will, but out of your own selfish desires, I can see where we could get upset when the specific prayer is answered in a different way and we miss it or it is not answered at all. I think the underlying truth in this all is that if we are in God's word and not praying selfishly then it doesn't matter how general or specific our prayers are. AMEN!

I came across a series of podcasts from a pastor by the name of Jack Hibbs titled, "Suffering, Prayer and the Will of God". He touched on the subject of prayer. I really enjoyed what he had to say about those who pray for their own glory or to draw attention on themselves. He spoke of a woman who was sick. In James 5:13-18 it talks about those who are sick to call upon the elders and have them lay hands on them and they will be healed. This woman called upon the elders and she was not healed. One of the elders mentioned to her if it were possible if she was living in sin??? She was a little perturbed by that question and went home and continued to get sicker. She then realized that she had hate in her heart for another member of the church and had thought horrible thoughts about this woman for nearly 30 years. It had made her ill. She was living in sin. She confessed her sin to God and was healed. In the past I had a hard time with this...but I found the difference. There is sinning and then there is living in sin. We have a daily battle with sin...choosing to remain in that sin will cost us. I hesitate to even write about this because who am I to judge someone??? I believe that God gave this truth to me and it is in His word right there in James. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"-James 5:16. Sometimes we are ill because of our sin...there I said it...God's word says it. The issue I had was though does it affect others in our lives...like our children...grandchildren...unfortunately yes. Generational sin is so huge! If you have not confessed those sins and made known those sins of the generational sins before you than you need to. Even if you do not sin those sins...make them known...walk away from any temptation that might bring you to that place of sin that has plagued your family.

I love this from restoringyourlife.org:

"How it works. When a person has sinned, that sin stands in need of being confessed. If the person doesn’t confess it, then his children must confess it in order to break the generational pattern. Like an “outstanding” debt, the person’s sin “hangs out there,” impacting his descendants, until it is addressed through confession and cleared away. We are not required to take responsibility for our ancestors’ sins, but we are to acknowledge and confess their sin. (We agree with God that they were wrong and that God was right.) God asks us to accept responsibility for our own sin and to repent and be humbled. Understand that the passing down of iniquity (sin) is just that – the passing down of iniquity (sin). My parents’ sin does not become my sin, until I have made the choice to sin myself in the same way."

 God loves you. He loves you so much that he disciplines you. Now that I have a child I understand this. Spankings are good. They are a consequence for our bad actions. They keep us from harm. They are a reminder. Know what you are dealing with as far as generational sins and ask God to guide you away from those evils. 

Ok...back to prayer:) Jack Hibbs also talks about the person who commands God when they are praying. Or wills something for someone. You are not God...stop trying to take His job away. He is able and can do all things. Father knows best. Take yourself out of it. Also, Jack warns about the person who treats prayer as an announcement of hopelessness. Again that prayer turns inward and the focus is on the person...woe is me type of prayer...and does not serve any good. There is also the person who prays and really is just gossiping.  I am sure you have heard the person when you are going around the circle say, "Please pray for Susie...she is having some difficulties with her marriage that she came to me about and just really needs prayer". Meanwhile Susie went to this "friend" seeking help and did not want her issues to be shared at the women's bible study for all to hear.

To sum it all up. When we are in God's word and His word abides in us then our prayers will be pleasing to him. Yield to God...make your requests known to Him and if you do not know what to pray at that time..that is ok..He is God He knows...He just wants to hear from His children.

Anchors Aweigh

We have lived in our home for 2 years now..and for two years the wall above my couch in my family room has remained naked! I am trying to not buy things on an impulse just because it is inexpensive. I have learned from my mistakes and have slowly started to edit out all the impulse buys that just were not what I was looking for. Soooo...that is the reason why my walls remain bare. I saw a picture on The Lettered Cottage via Pinterest that sparked a feeling of happiness and my DIY meter went off. I knew I could do it..even with my limited talents in painting. Here is the inspiration picture....

See that black and white striped umbrella painting<3

I loved the umbrella idea but my Family Room is Nautical decor. So..then I thought..oooooo...I can do a beach umbrella. Then one day I thought why not do an anchor????? I LOVE anchors and I remembered that I saw a cute anchor graphic on The Graphics Fairy blog. I printed it out and was ready to get all the supplies I needed. I happened to tell my sister and she just happened to have a 30x40 canvas laying around(nice to have an artist in the fam...thanks sis). So she brought me the canvas and all the paint and supplies and I got to work. 

I used 2 inch painters tape to mark off my stripes. I wanted 2 inch stripes so it worked out perfectly. I was tempted to just leave the tape up and not paint at all...too bad I didn't have dark gray tape!

Painted 8 stripes in a dark gray (Acrylic Paint)

Took me about an hour to paint the stripes...I had a tiny brush and it took a few coats.

I decided to free hand the anchor. It isn't perfect...but close enough:)

Taadaaa...my free art work(sorry for the horrible pic...my camera needs to retire).

Anchors Aweigh(always thought it was away???)...this is a Navy term..."Aweigh" means that that action has been completed. Very fitting....my Anchor Art is Aweigh:).
****Entering this post into The CSI Project....

Pin Crazy-Savory Edition

I thought I would do Part 2 to my baking post about all the Pins I have tried from Pinterest. If you are like me you go through cooking ruts. I feel like I have about 10 recipes that get put in the rotation each month and I need some variety ever so often to get out of the cooking rut. Pinterest is a great source for new recipes. I have also found it is a great source for some BAD recipes. Here are a few Hits and a few misses.

HITS:

Garlic Cheese Wontons

Caprese Grilled Cheese(I added spinach and bacon) made for my mama's bday

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana made for my preggo bestie

Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Crock pot recipe-Super Easy and Delish

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken This is soooo good! I ran out of basil and used wilted spinach!

So..there you have it. These are all winners in my recipe book! Now...for the losers..I only have three so that is not bad...but these were all nasty in flavor or lit my oven on fire...both no bueno and will NOT be making these again. If you see these pics on Pinterest....DO NOT PIN.

Misses:

Claimed to be the best Beef Stroganoff Crock Pot recipe:(

yeah that was on fire...in my oven...I think I actually immediately deleted the pin because I can not find it. I believe it had soy sauce and garlic which apparently my oven did not like. I would like to say this may be due to my evil oven and so it may not be a bad recipe. 

I forgot to mention my bad baking pins..so I will add this one to finish it all off. This picture looked so good. I was excited because I was having the girls over for craft night and I had all the ingredients. It had a flour taste and just was not good at all. Total bummer....I don't know if I will ever learn to not try new recipes on guests...sorry friends!

You win some...You lose some. I think overall there have been more winners than losers and I am still loving Pinterest. Happy baking and cooking!

Pin Crazy!!!!

Most of the human population... or at least the female population...knows of Pinterest by now. Many have heeded the advice of other females to stay away..others have succumbed to the temptation of Pinterest and now spends late hours pinning away. I am one of those who has been pinning for awhile now and am pulling everyone in with me! I felt that I was pinning away but not actually putting any of them to use. So, I began to try a few recipes and some were great..some were huge failures.Side note..why are there so many bad recipes out there???? and why do i choose so many of them to make??? It is giving me a complex and I am a trained Chef...or at least I thought I was..now I am not to sure I ever went to Culinary School..based on the way some of these recipes are turning out for me. Ok..anyways...there are some good recipes and great craft ideas, home ideas, cleaning ideas..though I don't really care to try those tips out:).

I wanted to share with you a few ideas that worked for me!

Banana Pudding in Mason Jars...made for Mom's Bday!

Neapolitan Cupcake-Made for Dessert Auction

Cinnamon Crescent Rolls

Pecan Bars-Made for Christmas..mmmm

Smores Cookie!

Well...that was a lot of sweet pins! I will make another post about the more savory dishes I have tried. Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures on Pinterest. Sometimes the ones that look not so appetizing are the best recipes. Those people lack in photography skills(like this girl) but do not lack in their cooking/baking skills:). Enjoy and let me know if you try any of these...or share your favorite pin that you have tested out!

Chic for Cheap Tablescape-Mom's Bday

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and my sister and I had her over to my house to have lunch! I was gone all weekend for our Women's Retreat in beautiful Orange County. I knew that I would not have time to set the table up yesterday morning as my mom would be there at 11:30 and I had to work. So, I set up most of the table before I left for Retreat. I chose to do a garden theme..being that my mom loves to garden and she wanted some new herbs for her garden. I actually used her gift as the centerpiece! I placed a natural runner down the middle of my dining room table then added a bamboo place mat and cream and green plates to add to the greenery of the herbs that I placed in a large basket and in pots down the table. I also bought my mom a black finial to add to her garden and placed that in the table as well and then added in some clay pots and a few butterflies:)

 

For the placecards I used an idea I saw on Pinterest. The original version used a large can and added in a soda bottle..napkin..utensils..etc. Would be super cute for a picnic! I had just made Chicken Tortilla Soup and had a ton of smaller cans left over and thought it would be cute to do a smaller version. I removed the can label... cut out a piece of scrapbook paper to fit and used a glue stick to adhere. Then I took a label and wrote each guests name on them.Added their napkin and utensils and they were complete. Chic and Cheap!

What was on the menu..you ask???? Caprese Paninis...Pasta Salad and Banana Pudding.The recipe for the Caprese Paninis was again found on Pinterest (oh, wow I love thee Pinterest) as well as the Banana Pudding:) I had some small mason jars that I layered with the Vanilla Wafers(from Sprouts..go get them now...they are the best ever!!!!)..then bananas..vanilla custard and repeat and then topped it off with some homemade whipped cream..mmmmm. 

I added bacon and spinach to our sandwiches:) and my end product did not look pretty so I am only showing a pic of the ingredients!

                                                                Happy Birthday Mom!

Chic for Cheap

I looooove table settings. I grew up in a home where my mom always had the table set even if it was just a normal Tuesday night family dinner. In today's society..paper plates, plastic forks and red Solo cups are a staple. I am not hatin' on Solo...some days it is very much appreciated...but I love setting a table up with my finest china and silver. Although, my china is from Wal-Mart and Silverware is well..not silver...I pretend I am classy like that. One of my favorite events every year is our Christmas Brunch at church. The host of the table gets to decorate a table for the ladies that will join her. I have so much fun thinking about the table setting for the next year... the minute the brunch is over. Being that it is mid-February I of course already have everything for my table setting in December...that's normal right???
Since, I am not hosting fancy dinner parties every week(totally would if I had the money) I decided the best way to express this love of tablescapes is to blog about it. Being that it is Valentine's Day I thought I would gather some chic ideas on the cheap to decorate your own Valentine's Day table.
Last year I found the site www.efavormart.com. If you are planning a wedding this is an awesome site to find things on the cheap. I used them for my Sugar Plum Fairy Tablescape at this years' Christmas Brunch. I wanted to find a ballerina slipper pink satin table runner and napkins and they had just what I was looking for. The satin 20x20 napkins were only 3.25 for 5 and the 12x108 runner was 2.18. I think this pink satin would add a lot to a pretty in pink Valentine's day table setting!

Another site I love to use when I am buying for a larger table setting is Oriental Trading Company. I spied the cutest heart shaped mirrors when looking through their catalog for my son's birthday party supplies. I saw the 6 in size first and then discovered they had a 10 inch which would be perfect for a charger underneath your dessert plate..bowl..etc.  You could even write your guests' name on each one with a mirror marker seen below...or if it is just you and your Valentine write a love note....

So...now we have the runner..napkins...place card idea/charger for a dessert party. I am going to pretend that I am going to set a table for my sweetheart and I and that I am serving his favorite peach cobbler:). My favorite place to look for bowls...plates..cups..etc are antique stores or even my cupboards. Most people have serving dishes on hand. Think outside of the box. Use a goblet to serve your dessert in or even a cute teacup if you are serving ice cream or pudding. Also...if you have some nice silverware, use that as well..if not again go to an Antique store and get a few pieces..different styles even...different is good. Designers always say not to buy a matching set of furniture....mix it up...same goes with table settings. It adds a creative and unique flair:). I found these spoons and dishes on Etsy

Now we need a centerpiece which is in my opinion what makes the table. A few small frames of you and your Valentine would be sweet or your favorite song lyrics...poem...verse....etc printed out from your own printer(chic and cheap). Here are some centerpiece ideas that I thought would be easy to do on a low budget.........

found here This would be cute with the heart mirrors underneath.You can find similar letters at Joanns.

These are silk flowers in various sized vases and water

Last, but not least your guests or Valentine need a favor to leave with. Everyone loves a present and it makes a great reminder of the event.Today I watched The Nate Berkus show and my favorite party planner was on, Colin Cowie(who by the way has a new wedding site....eeeekkkkk). He found beautiful lacquered boxes and put in some Godiva Chocolates as a favor for his guests. To keep costs down you could make your own truffles! That may seem like too much work..but trust me it is not as hard as they look. Nate had a Chocolate master on his show today as well who made some truffles...here is the recipe.Placing these is cellophane and tying with some pink ribbon will do the trick.
****Update..just saw these while browsing...you can wrap the chocolates in crepe paper...so sweet:)

Via

So, there you have it a few Chic Valentine's Day table setting ideas for cheap.Hope your day is filled with lots of love and truffles!!!!!

****Side note...while searching for the recipe from Nate's show I saw that his show will not be returning for a third season:(...I am so devastated...yes devastated!!!! Although it took a little bit for Nate to get his groove his show is now so informative and the best show design wise on tv. I don't understand why shows like this last..while others like design on a dime...who are not good a design at all go on forever....sad day:(. Hopefully they put his show on DVD so I can watch it for years to come.

Master Bedroom Budget Makeover

In less than a month we will have been in our home for two years. In those two years I have tried to nail down my style. During this process I have realized that I have major issues. I can not make a decision to save my live. I think it is because I have made poor decisions(design wise) :) in the past and I am so afraid to make more. I have to say many times I go into a store with certain items in mind...but usually am willing to browse and see what is available. Then I see a clearance section or that famous red tag at Target and all plans go out the window. I think to myself..."oh yeah, this will totally work in my room"...when in reality it doesn't and I end up making myself like it simply because it is 75% off! Then I am left with a room and items that I really don't love. 

Design is a hobby. I am in no way calling myself an expert in design. I read blogs, magazines...watch HGTV and Nate Berkus everyday. If I could I would relinquish all control to Candice Olson and be one happy girl. Although...I would ask her if I could go shopping with her. I do enjoy the whole process but I lose focus too easily. Another factor to my deign dilemma(side note...totally have been misspelling that word for years) is that I want the space to reflect my families tastes...not just mine. So...with all that said my Master Bedroom was last in line to be "designed". I love the Hollywood Regency look...but it can get a bit too gawwdddyyy. And The Hubs would definitely not like it. So I took a more traditional palette of Gold, White, Cream, Grey and a shade of blue/green that I have no idea what to call. For the most part those are all neutral colors...the blue/green color just adds that pop of color my room needed. Just a few short days ago my accent color was Navy but then I saw this room on Pinterest:

Gorgeous!!!!!!! If someone knows that color..please let me know:)

It caught my eye..one because I love poufs! Two because my nightstands look very similar to those pictured. I also have a sunburst that I made that I thought would look great above our bed. So...out went my Navy lampshades and a few other small accessories and then the search was on to find accessories around my house in that color. I found one little box that had a gold starfish that my sister gave me for Christmas filled with wonderfully smelling soaps(thanks sis). The box has a little more blue than this color above, but that is ok..I think that pillow in the pic also has more blue in it than the wall color..so I can mix that in as well.I traded out the Navy shades for a similar color shade in the pic and also traded out my greyish silver curtains for some curtains(that I already had) that were the same color as my lamp shades(I have an issue with buying lamps and shades and never buying ones that match so I have a craft room full of them). This immediately lightened up the room...but they were a bit boring so I headed to Joann's were I had already looked at trim for my lampshades previously. Now that I have this new color I looked in the blue/green section of trim and to my surprise found an Ikat trim that had not only that color up there^^^^^ but also Navy and Gold. Can I just express to you my love for Ikat!!??!! If I was fabulous I would have Ikat wallpaper...everywhere. Ok...focus Summer...where was I????? Oh yes trim for the lamp shades. Unfortunately, there was only 2.5 yards left but I made it work..just adding it on the bottom edge...here is another really bad taken by me..oy...Erica...Val (my photog friends) if you are reading this...#1 thank you...#2 don't laugh...#3 HELP:).

Hard to see but that is Ikat<3

Those beautiful lamps are from my Mom and sister....an early birthday present...that they got me last month...and my birthday is in July...what???? that is how we do it:) They were too fab to pass up. Today I found a wood plaque with a chrysanthemum(I think) carved out in the new color and some knobs...at Joanns! They were 60% off. I ended up mounting the knobs on the plaque to use as my necklace hanger. 

Those sheets I found too today. I was on a mission to find sheets today, if nothing else. We only have one set and there was a big hole in them from washing them so much and getting thin. I ended up finding these grey striped ones at Target on clearance(uh-oh) for only 23.99...I bought two sets. They are a great color and they came with a flat, fitted and two shams..but as always I am second guessing my choice..for now they stay. I still after two years have no comforter and I really don't even want to talk about this...this post is already way tooooo long:). That is the next step. 

As I mentioned before I went around my house grabbing accessories in gold, that color^^^^ and the others. I really needed a tray for a top my dresser for all the items that come from The Hubs pockets each day and my perfume and such. I was so happy when I caught my gold tray out of the corner of my eye... that I had bought after Christmas. I picked up two because I loved them so much...and for only 7.50ea they were a steal. Ok...I really so have issues with stuff on clearance....this is getting ridiculous...but sometimes it is cute...seeeee:

Bad pic again but that is my lovely tray.

So all in all I am very happy with my design on a dime Master Bedroom so far. Once it is complete I want to do a break down of what everything cost:). I will post a final pic of the room...for now it is still in need of some key pieces like bedding and a bench. I want to add some fabric or trim to the curtains to add some color to them. I also need a few pieces of art work and that will be difficult for me to choose but I know I am not in a rush and I will try not to let those clearance stickers tempt me:).

Saving at CVS

 

I wanted to share some tips and tricks on couponing at CVS. CVS is my favorite drug store to use coupons at. It seems to be super easy to use coupons there. There are a lot of great promotions each week that you can stack with store coupons and Manufacturer coupons to get many items for free. I know the most about CVS and their policies but I am still not an expert. I will show you how I only spent a few dollars on the products in the picture above!

First off…you need to have a CVS card. This will keep track of all your purchases and will allow you to get all the Extra Care Bucks(will talk about that in a bit) and keeps track of other savings. The cashier will almost always ask you for your card..but make sure to remember..it is a big help in saving at CVS. The first thing I do when I shop at CVS is go straight to the Red Coupon Machine. It is an amazing machine that prints out a few coupons each week with just a swipe of your CVS card. A few coupons will print out like a receipt and are usually good for a few days and sometimes longer. Some sites know which coupons are printing each week and a simple Google search should allow you to find them if you want to know ahead of time. I like to print these first because sometimes there are some surprises and make my transactions even better than I anticipated.

Now to take a few steps back and discuss how to plan your trip. I rarely plan my own trips. If I have some time then I will start from scratch and match coupons with the deals going on but I usually check with all the coupon sites that I follow and see their matchups for CVS each week. KCL(The Krazy Coupon Lady) has a great matchup each week found here. They also have a CVS 101 found on the same link that you should read first to know the CVS coupon policy.

The key to shopping at CVS is to get items where you will get Extra Care Bucks(ECB). These are printed on the bottom of your receipt. You don’t get this savings right away..it is for your next transaction. If you prefer to roll your transactions you can do it all in one trip. So, you would be doing a few transaction all in one trip..instead of waiting to use those ECB on another trip at a later time. I am too chicken to do the rolling. I found that many times other couponers already cleared the shelves and I have to redo my game plan so that is hard to adjust. I just hold onto my ECB for another trip.

Let me show you an example with the items in the picture above.

I bought:

1 Colgate Advance Toothpaste- 4.69…on sale for 2.77 plus 1.00 ECB which would make it 1.77(I take into account the ECB even though I won’t use them until the next shopping trip) plus I had a –1.00 MFR(manufacturer)… coupon for Colgate Advance…so the grand total for the toothpaste was .77cents

1 Almay Mascara 8.79….on sale for 5.99 plus 3.00ECB minus 2.00 MFR coupon making it .99cents. Now this was a bummer because there was also supposed to be a 3.00 coupon that printed from the Coupon Machine but I did not get it and forgot about it until after..but .99 is still a great price. Now, if I would have had the 3.00 store coupon as well it would have been…5.99-2.00MFR making it 3.99 minus the 3.00 store coupon making it .99 oop(out of pocket) and I would have also received the 3 ECB making it a 2.01 MM(money maker)…bummer

1 Carmex Moisture Plus 3.29 on sale for 1.50. I used a coupon from the previous week that I got from the Coupon Machine for –1.50 off making it free!!!!!

3 American Greeting cards…this is my favorite promotion CVS does. I have a large stack of free cards! When you buy three you get 3ECB…and it works on their .99cent cards. So I bought 3 for .99ea making it 2.97…there ended up being a –2.00/3 cards MFR Coupon that came out and so I paid .97cents and got back 3ECB!!!!!! Score!

Finally I bought 1 package of Huggies diapers. They were 12.49(crazy) on sale for 9.50…I messed up and thought I was getting 1 ECB but you had to buy two..another mistake gotta be careful. Anyways, I also had a –2.00 MFR coupon making it 7.50. This is not a great deal but I had a 5.00ECB from the previous week that I applied to this transaction.

Let me break it down a little better

Colgate 1.77oop

Almay 3.99oop

3 Amer. Greeting Cards .97oop

Carmex-free dtmp(don’t touch my pockets)

Huggies 7.50oop

total……14.23 minus the 5ECB from previous trip equals 9.23 then I received 7ECB making my total trip 2.23 plus tax!!!! Now if I would have got that extra coupon for the Almay I would have made money but oh well 2.23 for a transaction that included diapers is alright by me.

This is not all the ins and out of CVS but I hope it helps. Any questions just ask!!!!