Summertime

Summer is well on its way here, with its warm breezes and hot sunshine, fresh squeezed lemonade and oh so good bbq, swimming pools and Popsicles. Dont forget naps in the hammock..... Its seems like it took a long time for the temps to warm up around here and for the sun to shine. It was cold and rained a lot, here and it seems all over the place, seems as if spring is really just starting.  Hard to believe summer is only a month away!

Some of my favorite childhood activities during the summer months involved being outside- roller skating, pitching a tent in the yard, swimming or running through the sprinklers....Now Ive got my own children laughing and enjoying the same things I did, with the glee and spunk and enjoyment only children seem to have. And as a parent I get to relive summer in a whole different way.

Days are long in the summer, extending the fun well past bedtime. The warm nights are an extension of the day. Eating roasted marshmallows beside a campfire during camping trips, watching the stars twinkle, going to the drive in in the middle of the week, having ice cream and pie on the porch....I could list a hundred different things to do in the summer, and maybe I will in another post, but for now I hope to leave you all anticipating summer like a kid again. I know I am!

I didnt get as many postings up yesterday as I had hoped. I had a bunch of running around to do that took up too much of my time!!! Ill do a quick post right now of a very simple thing: a vanity seat, chair, and storage box all rolled into one. My daughter has a chair-a big black leather chair that is so comfy you never want to get up-but she needed something to use at her desk/vanity, and also another seat for when she has friends over. And I wanted her to have something she could use to store her toys too (she is still a kid after all!!), but space is limited.

Well, I thought a chest would be a nice thing, but have you seen the prices for some?? Then I thought my husband could make her something. But his time is limited, and the cost was still more than I wanted to dole out. THEN I remembered we have these little cubes from our childhood. Somehow my husband and I both wound up with these little wooden storage cubes with lids when we were kids. Go figure. Weve had them in the basement, using them to store things we (meaning he) were too lazy to get rid of. And whaddya know, they are the perfect size!!! Well, one is anyway. Its an exact fit for under the desk and doesnt take up too much space in the room when its out. PERFECT!!!

So, I got an old square throw pillow, some batting, a staple gun and some material, and turned a cutesy cube with papered kitties into a multi-functional piece of furniture, for less than ten bucks.

Here it is!

The material is velvet, which is the same as the curtain panels will be. I had originally added some tulle around the seats edge in her rooms colors, but she likes it better plain, so I removed it. The whole seat lifts off for storing her stuff. And were on our way to finishing the room!!!
Keep an eye out for my next post, because I think everyone will like what I did alot!!!

A quick re-do

It was at a garage sale a few years ago that I came across this lucky find; a pretty memo board, just begging to be re-done. I could never bring myself to tear the fabric off, because it was so pretty and well preserved, but it never went with my home decor, so it went unused and unchanged. Until last week.

I decided to use it for my daughter's bedroom instead of searching for the perfect one for her room. A new piece of fabric, some ribbon, batting and chalk board paint changed this:

Into this: 

Im pleased with the results (even though its not perfect!), and so is my daughter. She has already used chalk on it, but Ive put it up to keep it from getting ruined before we can hang it. That sort of stuff happens around here a lot....

Oh man, has it really been two weeks since I last posted?? I feel bad....but I'm going to make up for it! I have a few things to share; the befores and semi-afters (I say semi because we haven't quite finished) of our oldest's bedroom renovation, a few projects I've completed for her room, and Ill share a few quick and easy recipes that my family loves. Keep an eye out all day today for posts.


To kick it off, heres a look at the befores and afters of our "office to bedroom"
We haven't finished yet, but I expect to be done this week. And please, pay no mind to the mess we made!! We're really good at mess making!

The first is of the shelves before, they are staying for all her books and what-nots. The next is the whole desk unit we tore out (and all the junk we had stored). We had to patch a a lot of the wall where the plaster pulled away. The third is of the closet and bathroom doors, and the linen closet, which we did not remove. Picture number four shows our handy work with a paint brush, the newly empty space, and a bunch of crap on the floor from painting! The last is of her window and the bathroom and closet door space.

Getting ready for company

On Wednesday Im having a few friends and family members over for a candle party, with Partylite. I really enjoy their candles and products, and having a small party is a great way to get free stuff, or at least almost free! The products are high quality, so I much prefer them over getting some generic candle. The scent stays for the ENTIRE burn of the candle, and there is never any residue when theyve melted down or awful smell when putting them out.

Anyhow, its not really a PARTY per say, more a small gathering, with appetizers and drinks. Even though its not a big deal, I still like to get my house in tip-top shape, because every little thing matters when youre having people over. I have a few things that need doing, little extras that Ive put off because they require a little extra time and effort. Things like the doors in the family room need to be painted, a strip of chair rail that got missed somehow needs to be painted.....just dumb things that Ive avoided doing.

Then there are the bigger things that I personally feel are important when having company over. Cleaning the couches is a big thing, I have white floral couches that need frequent cleaning. Cleaning the chandelier is another thing. I think its the big things people notice most, so Im concentrating on those today.

So, I thought I would share my cleaning list for the next few days. Maybe give some of you an extra idea or two when youre having your own company over.

Today, Monday I am:
cleaning the couches
painting the forgotten doors and chair rails
vacuuming under and inside the couches
spot treating the carpets

Tuesday:
dusting the chandelier and bulbs of all lamps
washing the walls, doors and baseboards
wiping the cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen down
washing the shower curtain
pick up cups and napkins
preparing the appetizers

Wedenesday:
regular cleaning of just the kitchen, family, living and dining rooms, as well as the bathroom
washing the windows and mirrors
sweep front walkway and porch
final little touches like filling vases with flowers, changing out the hand towels, creating the buffet, filling the candy dishes
baking the appetizers


I have these really great summery dishes to serve the appetizers in, since its a "Spring Into Summer" party. I plan on making mini quiches and strawberry lemonade bars for a sweet, with lemonade and water.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  

Today is the day our second baby, Emma, was born. She is such a joy to us, always ready to help out her sisters, her dad or me. She is very loving and feels everything straight to the heart, our Emma. She loves to ride her bike, and today she is getting a brand new one! I know she will be soo surprised and will want to ride it right away. Here is our beautiful little girl!

But the rain came back this week, and its wet and cold out, so she may not get the chance. Im hoping it wont be raining when she opens her presents. Were hoping it holds off until  everyone arrives safe and sound for and after dinner and cake. She has both sets of grandparents coming, and her aunt and uncles will be here too. She requested chicken enchiladas for her birthday dinner, so I thought I would share the recipe with all of you, in another post tonight or tomorrow.

Today is also Earth day. How are you celebrating it?

Here are a few ideas for taking care of our Mother Earth. 

*recycle anything and everything you can
*create a compost bin for paper scraps and combine with wood shavings, grass clippings, dead flowers and left over fruit and veggie peels and cores, and egg shells. A big wood crate or plastic trash can works fine, or you can even just make a pile; place in a sunny place, wet down and turn once in a while. Use it to fertilize your gardens.
*Speaking of gardens, plant one. Trees and flowers go a log way to helping the earth shed nasty air and replace it with clean, healthy air. Use an irrigation water system to cut down on water use and waste, and plant only what grows in your climate.
*Check for leaks in pipes and replace drippy hoses.
*Purchase a low flow shower head, and conserve 50-70 percent of water  use a bucket in the shower to catch extra water, and use to water your garden, bath the dog, even heat to wash the dishes
*use big trash cans to catch rain water, and use to water your garden.
*walk wherever you can.
*use reusable shopping bags. Keep a couple rolled up in the car or in your purse so you remember to bring them.
*use tap water instead of buying multiple plastic bottles, and fill reusable containers
*line dry your clothes, when you can, and when using the dryer do as many loads as possible, back to back. The dryer works more efficiently the more it is used in a row. Dry lightweight clothing, then do towels and jeans, coats and heavy sweaters. The dryer retains its heat and doesnt have to start from scratch heating.
*wash full loads of laundry and dishes in the dishwasher only.
*use green cleaning products or make your own, so less chemicals reach landfills, and ultimately our earth.
*buy things in the largest packages possible, to avoid waste
*buy fresh, locally grown produce, that is in season
*replace regular light bulbs with cfls. the initial cost is more, but you save more in the long run, not to mention you  use 70% less power, and less light bulbs wind up in the landfills.
*to save even more electricity, unplug appliances that arent in use, they still use energy. Use curtains and shades to block out the heat on hot sunny days, and the cold on cold dreary days. Keep your air at 85, and your heater at 60.

The biggest thing we can do, is to spread the word. Tell everyone you know about the benefits of recycling, using cfls, walking and low flow shower heads, anything you can think of. If we all just do our parts, there will be less waste, cleaner air and more natural resources to enjoy as the years come and go.

A couple books for Earth Day to enjoy with your kids:

Getting some exercise

Ive been struggling with my weight for a lot of years now, struggling to find clothes that fit right and still make me look attractive. My self esteem has steadily been dropping, despite my dear husband telling me I was sexy or beautiful. I just didnt feel it.  Im not exactly obese, but Im no longer thin either. I need to lose 50 lbs to be within normal range.

Almost 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and triglycerides. I wasnt totally shocked, because my dad has struggled with it for ages, but Im only 28, and I eat healthier than most people do. So when they (the doctors) told me my numbers were the highest they had ever seen, I was pretty shocked. I thought, "Ok. Ill just start some form of exercise, and eat less fattening foods." Well, I never started working out, I was too busy and had no energy (this was somewhat legitimate, as I had suffered from an emergency abdominal surgery to remove a ruptured ovary, followed by a pulmonary embolism in each of my lungs, and it took me almost a year to recuperate and feel normal again). I had any number of excuses, like not having a partner to feeling silly. Go figure. So a few months after my initial diagnosis, I developed pancreatitis, an incredibly painful inflammation of the pancreas. Ordinarily this is something that happens to people who drink alcohol in excess, but it happened to me because I have extraordinarily high triglycerides, fat in the blood.

In short, I was very sick for a couple of weeks and had to go without eating for a week to reduce the inflammation. A year went by, with no recurrences, but I wasnt doing anything about it either. In fact, I stopped taking my medications, and started to eat bad things that I normally didnt eat often. I was in a depression for a bit, and I did what made me feel good.

Well, fourteen months after my first episode, I had another. I spent 10 days in the hospital this time, not eating or drinking anything, being miserable away from my family. I vowed to change things, so this wouldnt happen again. That was 2 months ago.

Well I finally decided to do something about it! I adopted myself a workout buddy, an acquaintance from down the street who needs to lose weight too. Were going to start tonight, and Im pretty excited about it. Im excited because Im taking action, taking control from my body and doing something, just for me. I dont want to have a heart attack at 30 or 40 because I wasnt careful, and I dont want to continue to take so much medication. Not to mention, I dont want to have another bout of pancreatitis.

So tonight were going to walk/jog, and do some lunges and squats and I will add weight lifting and yoga to my routine. I cant wait to get started.... Wish me luck!!