s

2012-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

How cute is this? You can find this here..

and this?

A living wreath- directions here

Both found at my favorite, time sucking site of Pinterest! ;)

2012-02-01T09:43:00.001-08:00

Love you girls!

Your performance was awesome!

2012-01-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

recipe & picture found here

I am making this for dinner tonight- I am really not supposed to have carbs after 3:00, but I don't know what else to eat. I will see if I get in "trouble" on Friday and have to do push-ups in front of my boot camp class. At this point- I do not care! May even have to have a glass of wine...;)

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 289.2 • Fat: 7.1 g • Carbs: 48 g • Fiber: 4.9 g • Protein: 11.7 g • Sugar:1.0
Sodium: 103.7 (without salt)

Ingredients:

12 oz uncooked pasta
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper

2012-01-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken
(her photo, not mine)

Made this last night, it was a hit with the family, although they said it wasn't spicy. I wouldn't know as I didn't touch the stuff. They told me to keep the recipe. :) So you know it was good.

I found it on Pinterest, of course- here

2012-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

I need this for me today....

2011-12-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

How delish do these look? I MUST try, possibly tonight ;)

Recipe can be found here

This coming year, is all about organizing for me. I must accomplish things on my huge TO DO list. Hopefully all the stuff I have been "pinning" at Pinterest will help! ;) I will be posting my accomplishments as I finish them!

2011-12-20T13:43:00.002-08:00

Can't figure out why my post below looks like that....

2011-12-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

EasyOven Roasted Potatoes

2 large potatoes, scrubbed

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning ( I didn't use this, I usedgarlic powder)

1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

big ziploc bag to coat the potatoes

Slice potatoes into very thin slices (1/4 inch). Tosspotatoes with olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt in a ziplock bag tocoat. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil.Bake at 450 for 15 -20 minutes, until lightly brown. Top with Parmesancheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

I made these last night and they were a hit (well, except forJake, he isn't a fan of potatoes). I sliced mine really thin so some ofthem were crispy...YUM!

Got this from Pinterest (of course) from this blog....

2011-12-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

How cute & easy is this? Picture, of course, was found on Pinterest from this blog...

2011-12-09T12:22:00.001-08:00

How cute is this? Christmas Cream cheese & pepper jelly. Got the picture from Pinterest, don't know who to give credit to. Very festive though....

2011-12-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

Picture found at HGTV

How cool is this outdoor room? I WANT ONE!!! :)

dips

2011-12-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

The following are two recipes that I got from Pinterest...as you know-love that place!

This is a bean dip that you bake in the oven. Recipe can be found here. I made this when we were in the desert...I ate the whole thing- seriously.

Caroline made this dip, I could.not.stop. eating this!!!! Recipe can be found here.

2011-11-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

I find the best stuff on Pinterest. If you haven't joined - go there TODAY! :)

Isn't that the cutest decoration? I think I would add red instead of gold, but how easy is that too make?

You can find this here...

And look at this delish looking "salad"- found here

2011-11-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Why did she have to grow up so fast and turn into a teenager at 11?

2011-10-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!! :)

This is Tanner & a few of the Freshman football players that are in Bass Choir together. They had a concert last week. They were actually very good! :)

2011-10-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Riley's cheer competition. The coaches rented this "party bus" to take all the girls to competition...so fun.

One of their cheers have the saying "you scared?" in it, that's the reason for that saying on the window. Kinda sounds full of yourself if you didn't know that part of it- I think.

They won 2nd place, which means they go on to compete in Regionals in a coupleof weeks... :) The kids are sad that it isn't in Arizona again...they always have fun when we travel!

2011-10-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

All images from Pinterest, my new home... ;)

Ok- I have football on the brain....

Our team banquet is coming up and we are having it at a location that allows you to bring in your own food. I am having the dinner catered by Jalapenos, but I want to make all these cute things for dessert. I asked if anyone wanted to be on the committee & help. Of course, out of 32 families, I got a response from 2. So, I am wondering if I can pull these desserts off by myself...? Caroline & Cami, I wish you lived closer, because I would make you guys come over & help!

Wish me luck.....

2011-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

That's my baby scoring!!! :) Just had to brag....

2011-10-11T08:02:00.001-07:00

Amen to that......

2011-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Artichoke Bread (picture & recipe) from Vanilla Sugar Blog

I made this last night and holy cow that bread was delicious. It was a meal for me.

I followed her recipe pretty much except I didn't have any sour cream so I used mascarpone. Maybe it made it a little richer, not sure? I should have read her changes at the bottom of the recipe because I would have left off the shredded cheddar cheese like she did. I think it made it a little too cheesy.

I also did not dip it in anything- just ate it with my pasta! Yum I want some right now.

2011-10-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Just finished this book, it was a good read-now I need a new one... any suggestions?

2011-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

Love this card....it's perfect!

I need to get this book...soon.

2011-09-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

Jake's first night of Cotillion was last night. He didn't really want to go and he didn't like me taking pictures. After it was done & we were in the car, he told me it wasn't so bad. It was so cute to see all the kids dressed up in the nice, fancy clothes. When he got home, he & Riley practiced dancing...too cute!

2011-09-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

they are growing up too fast... :(

Because, my mom is the only one that really wants to see pictures of the kids, these are my two favorite things I found on Pinterest today.

Love, love the quote.

And the other is what I want to do in the laundry room. The idea is from BHG and it states that the book cases are pre made at 34.99, but I would like to know from where? The total cost for that "built in" looking piece was $349...hmmm.

2011-09-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

She is only 11, but she is going on 20 (she thinks). Too many changes in the last two weeks. I think she may give her dad a heart attack....when did I become the patient one?

YUM

2011-09-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

Do these look good or what? I want to try both of these recipes. The first is Baked Zucchini with sweet onion dip found here. Doesn't that just look delish? I need to have that!

And then this...oh my. French onion grilled cheese sandwich- yes please. You can find this recipe here.

I actually found both of these recipes on my all time favorite site- Pinterest. You gotta join! So much to enjoy! :)

2011-09-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

Both of these are hitting home with me today....found both of them on Pinterest. I love that place...

2011-08-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

I really like this laundry room....I need to do something with ours but lately my time has been sucked up by football & cheerleading. I love being involved, but it is a time suck. The kids start school tomorrow and I have such mixed emotions about it. We weren't able to have 1 family summer vacation. It makes me really sad. I have been trying to save & pay off some bills...but
during this past month we have had the following issues:
Mark broke his leg
Air conditioner stopped working!
Refridgerator in our garage stopped working with all kinds of food in it!
Digital camera kaput
garage door stopped working!
I think our applicances took our vacation instead... :(

2011-08-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

OMGosh, I love this sign. I found it here.

Another sign that I need, maybe I should put all kinds of signs up around my house so people will "get me"lol...where would I put them all though?

2011-08-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

I truly need this sign...

2011-08-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

How cool are those? I want to make some it looks pretty easy. I found this on Pinterest (of course) and then went to the blog of the person that made them- she is very creative...so wish I had the patience & the time to do such things....

2011-08-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

I got this quote from my friend's board on Pinterest... I love it. :) Sometimes I wish I could say this to people and I really wish I didn't care what people think, but I do.

We have started the busy football & cheer season and I swear we eat, breathe & sleep football & cheer. Since Mark broke his leg he has been able to be at practice without stressing about work, but now I am stressing that he is on disability...oh well.

2011-08-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

My oldest is on his way here....and I miss him already... :(

outdoor rooms

2011-07-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

(pictures from BHG)

Love, love these spaces....please tell me how to create my own with a tight budget, ok, with no budget, because I have no money.....lol...

2011-07-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

(from BH&G)

(don't know where this came from)

(BHG)

Here are a few of my "pins" on pinterest. I love that place...

Wish I had a gate like this...and look at the cute masion jar with flowers- how easy & simple that would be???

2011-07-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is Tanner (#30) & one of his best friends, 7 years ago, when they were 7 years old. Their first year of football together - and they have played on the same team ever since. They are both starting their freshman year at different schools & different football teams. It is the end of an era...and it makes me really sad.

2011-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone’s journey is designed for them. I have my own. Stop wishing for a new route because this one was designed for me.

A quote from Ashley from Not Without Salt

I read her blog from time to time - she always has beautiful pictures, yummy food, etc. Today she wrote a few things she learned this week. This quote just spoke to me for some reason, I have been having a bad week (but only in the conversations in my head...)

2011-07-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Haven't felt much like blogging...no one reads it anyway, so really, what's the point? This girl got braces on Monday- so now I have three in braces...yippee! (ya, not so much). She finally got feathers in her hair - she has been wanting those for a few months. Need to take a picture of it.

We celebrated our 17 year anniversary- went to Ruth's Chris Steak House with a gift card we got last year. (this isn't the picture from there). It was pretty good food- my favorite was their green beans- oh.my.gosh. they were delicious. Their Raymond Cab wasn't so bad either ;). Mark's lobster wasn't cooked all the way though...yuck.

This kid just makes me laugh so I needed to put this picture in...too bad the picture is fuzzy and my face is too round!- I think Riley took it.

summer is going way too fast...

2011-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

so proud of this little soccer player... he scored 3 goals last night... :)

Hoover Linx

2011-07-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love this thing- it is cordless, battery operated and it cleans up our hardwood floors much better than a broom! Thanks Mom!

2011-06-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

So here's what I have been up to lately....Went to Wilson Creek Winery for lunch last weekend for my birthday...Thanks Mom!

I finished this R for Riley and couldn't figure out how I wanted to frame it. I finally decided on a shadow box that I found last weekend at Kohl's. With my 30% coupon it only cost me about $10.00. I had to put a 12x12 scrapbook page in as the background, but I think it turned out pretty cool. Now, to get Mark to hang it for me...(what I really want to do is repaint her room)...

I finished reading this book- only took me a couple of days...boy was it gut wrenching! I had to finish it so I could go on to something that was a little more uplifting.

And I bought some of this fabric to match the cushions on the have the lounge chairs outside- there is just one small problem...I don't have a sewing machine, so how I am I going to make the slip covers??? Not sure if I can sew it by hand since it is such a heavy fabric....

2011-06-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Not the best pictures I know, but here is my lastest "redo". I spray painted my old green lounge chair black so it would match the new black one that I received for Mother's Day. It looks so much better!

Soccer

2011-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Jake has been wanting to play soccer for the past year - he has never played organized soccer - he just played with his friends at school during lunch & recess. We finally signed him up for a summer league, that only plays games (no practices- whoo hoo!) Mondays & Wednesdays. On Saturday, he got to meet his coach and get his uniform for his first game. Over the next two days, he put his uniform on, no less than 5 times - he is that excited. On Monday morning he woke up at 6:00 am- he never gets up that early and told me he didn't think he could wait until 6:00 pm for his soccer game!

He & the coach's son didn't get to start - so this picture is Jake patiently (for him) waiting to play. He is really good- he had so much fun and he scored the final goal! He was beyond excited! Before he went to bed- he told me, he didn't think he could wait until Wednesday.... (his next game). Funny kid.

Adirondack chair

2011-06-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I have been wanting an adirondack chair, like forever and I finally found one at Ace Hardware that was affordable- but it came with a catch- I had to stain it and put it together.

I got all the pieces out and got to work....

I had to put on 3 coats of stain along with 3 coats of sealer...then put it together. It looks a little crooked in this picture- but it isn't - really.

I want it at the front door, but M says that it will get "baked" there just as our front door has.....re-staining the front door is one of our next projects. Oh, and pretend that the containers at the door have some pretty flowers in them...

So what do you think- does the chair look stupid there?

2011-06-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

This is what we did yesterday..... 2 different awards ceremonies- (Riley wouldn't look at me) Tanner graduated from 8th grade.

2011-06-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

Isn't this clever? They are tea light holders!

I found them at The Foundary. You have to register to become a "member"- but what that really means is that I get a daily email from them with the link to the "daily events". They have different "events" going on which usually last 2-3 days. Most of their items are unique and priced below what you would get them for retail.

Even though I haven't bought anything, I have found some really neat items and I have "pinned" those items to my other new obsession which is Pinterest. Wow, that place is a time suck for me. I have become a member at Pinterest (you have to email them and wait for an invite) and every time I find something I like, I "pin" it to one of my boards. Then I follow a few friends and see what they "pin"- some really neat stuff on there. It is a great place to keep all of the ideas, pictures, etc of things that I like for inspiration or future purchase... :)

I know it sounds kind of weird, but I love it. :)

2011-06-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

How cool is this planter? I really like this.

I am so excited to post my before & after pictures of the things I am working on-chairs, lamp etc. Once I have them completed- I will post. I have been so inspired by some of the DIY blogs I have been ~~stalking ,~~ I mean, visiting... :) If you want to see some great blogs, check out some of my previous posts with their links.

I am leaving work to go home and take care of my sick child that threw up all over his room last night at midnight...not going to be fun cleaning those carpets...yuck!

2011-06-01T09:23:00.001-07:00

How cute is this pillow??! Here is the link to how to make it - on BHG.

Backyard color...

2011-05-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

(All pictures from BHG)

Aren't these cute? I wish I had a tree in my backyard to hang these from...

And how cute is the letter on the wall- where can I get one of these? I love that!

How fun is this? I would love to do this on my fence, however, my backyard gets so much sun and I am the worst about remembering to water...

2011-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I scrapped again and made one page from my 45th birthday...2years ago! Time sure does fly...

I have been preoccupied with DIY blogs still- such great finds out there. Here are some good blogs to check out Thrifty Decor Chick and Remodelaholic...

Great Blogs....

2011-05-17T15:12:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been bitten by the DIY bug…and I have found so many blogs of women that are so great at it. They have me so inspired! I wish it was as easy as they make it seem.

Check out this blog- Fancy Frugal Life - I love the plate idea!!! I have to do this! It would be so cute for a dinner party.

And while you are at it- check out Red Hen Home- how cute is her clock table!

I found all of these blogs by checking out the great blog finds by my friend Pam has found and then checking out their links, and so on… J

2011-05-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Jake's school had "Moms & Muffins" in honor Mother's Day. The kids had to draw a picture of their mom and then write a few things about them. Jake was VERY embarrassed about his picture and didn't want me to look at it. The picture is pretty funny with the red hair he colored. While we were at his desk he leans over to his friend and says, "see my mom has red hair". Then Jake whispers in my ear, "can you dye your hair blonde?" I guess my hair color embarrasses him... some kids certainly don't like to be different than their peers, my kid definitely is one of them!

I ran out for a Starbucks on Mother's Day (Mark had to work in the morning), when I came home this is what the kids had prepared for me...:) nice, huh?

A quick run out to Temecula for a little wine tasting and dinner at Palumbo's Ristorante. Fun day!

2011-05-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

I am so sad.....I made Creamy Lemon & Chive Farfelle last night from Simply Scratch, it was SOOO good, had enough just leftover for me to take for lunch today. This morning I get the tupperware container out of the fridge and bring to work. I am starving all morning and cannot wait for lunch, I open the container.....it's the leftover farfelle that I didn't put any of the creamy lemon sauce on because Jake doesn't like it. I seriously almost cried. How sad am I? :)

2011-05-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

I found this picture online somewhere, I am sorry I can't remember which pool company, as I looked at MANY and then forgot to write down where I got this picture, but this is my dream pool...

The other day I stumbled on a blog, from another blog,(I wish I bookmarked her site!) and the gal stated that she made a list of ALL the things that needed to be done around her house, big & small. She said she even went so far as to call and get quotes for things that she couldn't do on her own- just so she would *know*. I thought that was an excellent idea- there are so many things that need to be done around our house. I think we could hire a handyman to come to our house everyday, he would have a job for at least 3 months!

Anyway, I (and the kids too) have always wanted to re-do our pool, so I thought, what the heck- I am going to call and get some quotes, what can it hurt? I am sure I will fall over when they tell me how much it will cost- but at least I will *know*!

My new favorite pasta dish....

2011-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last ½ hour climbing up our ladder & unplugging all of our smoke alarms. Seems our neighbor could hear the alarms going off inside our house & called Mark. He couldn’t leave work so I had to go. I was afraid of what I might find- water streaming through the doors or something horrendous like that. So happy it wasn’t that!

Last night I tried this recipe from Simply Recipes except I tweaked it for my tastes…I have to say this was sooo good. Even the kids liked the taste of the cauliflower! Granted they only tried the smallest piece they could find. But at least they tried it! I had the dish for lunch today- tasted even better! YUM!

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and (Prosciutto) Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1/2 medium cauliflower, cored and broken up into 3/4-inch florets (4+ cups) (I used a whole cauliflower)

1 pint cherry tomatoes (didn’t use those- just a regular tomato, it’s all I had & cooked them with the cauliflower)

Olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage (used only 1 tsp dried sage)

4 large cloves garlic

4 ounces of prosciutto (did not use)

8 ounces orecchiette pasta (I used campanelle)

5 ounces baby arugula or spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped (I used spinach)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Lay out cauliflower and tomatoes in a roasting pan, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just lightly browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil

3 While water is heating, pulse garlic, sage, and (prosciutto) together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Once cauliflower has browned lightly, remove from oven, toss cauliflower with garlic mixture, and return to oven to cook for 5-7 minutes more.

4 Boil pasta uncovered (rolling boil) until firm, but done (al dente). Reserve one cup of pasta liquid. Drain water from pot. Add cauliflower, tomatoes, arugula (or spinach), and Parmesan to the pasta. Stir in enough cooking water to moisten. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 4.

2011-05-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

how cute are these? You can find it here-I don't know this person- just liked this when I was browsing... :) I think I need these to put in my kitchen...

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

(shoes available at Nordstrom)

My daughter has always been enamored with fashion, but her real love is shoes…especially high heels. I have pictures of her at 2 ½ wearing her grandmother’s high heels, with about 5 other pairs lying around her. Lately, when we go shopping together, she picks out the highest shoes she sees and asks me if I like them and then BEGS me to buy them. Not for her, but for me! You see my shoe and clothing choices are not her favorite, I guess. The other day I went to work in black capri's, she was so excited! Really? She says, “finally, you are wearing something besides PANTS!” Geesh. Could it be because of outfits like this? lol...(BTW, I am the one with my shorts pulled up to my armpits...)

circa 1982

Yesterday, I picked up my new sunglasses from the optometrist- I went to Jake’s baseball practice. I was standing near 3rd base where he was playing. He looks over and smiles and points to his eyes. I say “what?” and he says- “I like your glasses!” and gives me the thumbs up. Were my other ones that bad? I hope he doesn’t get like Riley!

Happy Easter

2011-04-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to post on Easter- but for some reason it didn't oh well...

Some pretty flowers in honor of Easter.... I forget where I got the pictures, either BGH or HGTV website

2011-04-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

*(photo from BHG)

I need to do this down by the pool...we have an OLD bench that we put pool toys in- just need to refinish it and then get something to hang on the fence. Mom, what do you think?

2011-04-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

picture in our backyard a few weeks back...

It's Spring break for the kids and I feel guilty that I am not home with them making their break "fun"...does the mom guilt never end? Anyway, I took yesterday off and took them to Milestone (a track in Riverside). It was Riley's first time on a track- she was timid at first but by the end of the day- she was off riding by herself. They all did great- I took a whole roll of pictures (yes, I still use FILM- cannot quite afford the digital camera that I want!!) Tanner and Jake got some good "air"- hopefully I captured that on film!

Today I get to take Tanner to the ortho and have braces AGAIN! So all 3 of them have braces...there goes the new car payment that I was hoping for...oh well.

2011-04-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

(picture from BGH, I think?)

How cute are these? But where can you find these jars in that pretty color?

2011-04-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Some things that I found that are inspiring me....I think the sunny weather we had recently has made me want to work out in the yard again. I have an old adirondack chair that I want to re-stain or paint? Not sure how, but I want it to be dark wood like the chaise lounge in the corner picture. Anyone have any tips?

2011-04-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

I found the link to this blog Tiny Buddha on Ali Edward's blog. She has the best links! Anyway, the post on Tiny Buddha titled "25 Ways to be Good For Someone Else (Be the Positivity You Want to Feel)" just spoke to me for some reason. Check it out when you have a chance.

2011-04-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

Ok- I have a new ~~obsession,~~ treat for myself...Pimento Cheese spread & Pita bite crackers from Trader Joes. OM gosh- I literally cannot stop eating this. I would rather have this than brownies or cookies. I have been trying to watch what I eat and drop a few pounds that I have gained recently and I am not even going to come close to losing if I continue to eat this! Why can't I have legs that look like this anymore? Maybe because this was about 16+ years ago?? Or maybe because I cannot stop eating pimento cheese spread...geesh...(BTW thanks Mom, you are the one that got me started on the darn cheese spread!)

Santa Barbara- early 90's. Love that we all have white mid high tennis shoes...

2011-03-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book- started it Sunday afternoon and finished it last night. I thought it was a really good. I loved how she described some of the moms at the school...I guess these types of "characters" are everywhere. What I also liked, is that it made me think about some of these people(characters) that I know- their life is not always as you think it is and everyone has their own cross to bear...

2011-03-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

(picture from HGTV website)

I want this in my backyard.....Isn't it pretty?

2011-03-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

My youngest has a cell phone….I know, I know, what does he need one for? Well, I like to be able to get a hold of him at practices or after school…so he has one. The best part about it is, he likes to send me texts and I love them. Sometimes, though you can’t understand what he says and I have to ask him what he meant when I see him-

Examples:

“10 mr muss” - what?- 10 more minutes - ok makes sense

“Am i in toblom” hmmmm- Am I in trouble- love this one

Sometimes Riley will decipher for me… she would make a good code breaker!

Floors

2011-03-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

(Picture from DIY network)

Isn't this floor gorgeous? I wish mine looked like that. Below are some tips from DIY Network to make your hardwood floors look shiny & clean. I will let you know if using teabags in the water works.....

Clean Hardwood Floors

Use boiling water and two teabags to clean hardwood floors. The tannic acid in tea creates a beautiful shine for hardwood floors. Let two teabags steep in the boiling water for a few minutes. Pour the tea into a bucket. Take a soft cloth and wring it out in the tea. The cloth merely needs to be damp, not soaked. This will enable the floor to dry quickly. Wash the floor and be ready to be amazed by the sheen.

Fill in any Scratches

If there are scratches that stand out after cleaning the hardwood floor, simply take a crayon the color of the floor and rub it on the scratch to fill the gap. Turn a blow dryer on high, heat the area where the crayon was applied and buff it with a soft cloth.

2011-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

My best friend from 9th grade posted this picture on Facebook the other day and I saw it as I was sitting at my desk at work - what a dork- Nice outfit and hair! :) We would have "modeling" sessions- we would dress in clothes we thought were cool and then take pictures of ourselves! Sometimes I long for those days when, really, the only things we worried about were our homework and if so-so said "hi" to us that day.

One of the things I remember most about my friend is that we ALWAYS were laughing! We always had so much fun. When did I stop laughing? I cannot remember the last time I truly laughed until I cried. I have got to find a way to bring laughter back to my life....

2011-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this here - and I am going to try to make it. Looks easy enough to get my creative mojo back...I hope...heaven knows I have enough buttons, brads, etc to make 5 of these!

2011-03-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

Pasta with broccoli...

does anyone have a fabulous recipe they want to share with me? I have tried about 3 different recipes and I haven't liked one. I used to go to a little Italian restaurant and get this dish- it was garlicky with a butter/olive oil type of sauce and I have not been able to duplicate it. :( I asked the owner how she prepared it, but I could never get a straight answer out of her!

2011-02-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

Love this built in desk....I want that in our computer room, but on a slightly larger scale. How hard do you think that would be to build? And the legs of the desk...trying to figure out if that is wood painted gray or???

I redid T's bathroom and surprised him when he got home from his snowboarding trip. I didn't take any before or after pictures like I was planning.... We haven't re-tiled the floors or re glazed the tub, but working on that. I just bought new towels, mats, etc & brought some color into that boring space. I think he was pleased. J wants his own bathroom now, I told him that it was his too, but I think big brother monopolizes it!

2011-02-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

Ok Caroline, this is for you...I know, it is half of a scrapbook page, but I don't have software anymore that will stitch two scans together. (Does anyone have any recommendations for that?)

Anyway Car, I used Smile, tags, eyelet and ribbon from the stash of goodies you sent to me. It was fun putting together a layout with the stuff. I am trying to find some pictures to go with another one...:)

Thanks!

2011-02-18T12:27:00.000-08:00

If you want some good deals on wine you must go to Bevmo... they have some great wines in the 5cent sale.

some things that are making me smile

2011-02-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

and believe me, I need that today!

Jake - 2nd grade, Halloween parade- he took off his scary mask...

Riley & friends - Vegas...

Tanner waiting for his little brother at the track

Jake being fearless on the bigger, faster bike....

2011-02-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Riley & I took mom out to lunch. We went to Pinnacle Restaurant, which is part of Falkner Winery. The Santa Barbara salad was really good - but their mushroom soup was a bit salty for my taste. We then went to Old Town. We tasted Olive oil and vinegar at Temecula Hills Winery at Villa di Calabro. My favorite was the olive oil with basil. Yummy! Then we walked to Lorimer Winery tasting room...their wines were ok- I liked the Adagio best. They were pleasant enough, but not very attentive to their customers...

I love going to Temecula- I always feel like I am on vacation.

2011-02-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

some things we have been up to....

The kids have created a track in our back yard...they have alot of fun on their little track...Jessie loves to sit & watch (more like protect her "herd")

This one turned 14! All he wanted was money (so boring). So I went to the bank and got a bunch of ones, and various other dominations and taped them all together. I put them in a shirt box and cut a hole in the top and put a "pull tab" at the top. Once he unwrapped the box he saw the tab & started pulling. He thought I was a little weird, but it made him laugh. He thought he was getting a shirt and wasn't too happy about that....

These two went to their last "Daddy/Daughter Dinner Dance"... :( They don't have the Y Princesses next year in 6th grade....

2011-02-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Why is it that whenever I am down, the things I think about are the things I want to buy or do for the house? Which I cannot afford to do, so then that makes me even more depressed? I mean really – what the heck is wrong with me?

My new obsession, I mean project, is redoing T’s bathroom. I have bought a few things to fix it up, but now I really want to rip out the tile on the floor. He has black granite (with gray flecks) on his vanity. What do you think about these ideas for the floor:

this is what his vanity looks like- if I got that for the floor it would be too matchy-matchy, huh?

what about this or…..

this is for the wall- but do you think I could find this for the floor?

I found this… this is for the floor, but I like the above one better…help

Bagels

2011-02-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

For anyone that is near a Bruegger's Bagels...free bagels. I may have to get up extra early tomorrow so I can make my way over to the Bruegger's near us! Hope someone else can enjoy this!

2011-02-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have a long list of things that I want to accomplish around the house...one of them is to get a chaise lounge for our bedroom. I am afraid though, that it will become M's dumping ground for all of his clothes. I like this style, but not the color....I wish they were not so expensive.

I also need to re-do T's bathroom. Has anyone ever used someone to "reglaze" their tub? I need to do this for that bathroom. I made the mistake of telling T that if he didn't clean his bathroom he would get some germs from it...now he is afraid of his bathroom. I was hoping it would make him it clean it...no such luck.

2011-02-01T11:00:00.001-08:00

You girls are champions to me, regardless of the outcome! :)

2011-01-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

So excited....on Saturday we are headed here....

to stay in these NICE hotel rooms....

to see the Lion King......

and of course to watch these girls perform.... :)

Downton Abbey

2011-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

My new favorite....I love these types of movies, PBS Masterpiece theater always has such great movies. I know I am a geek. The third part to the mini series was on Sunday night. I tivo'd it because no one else likes to watch these types of movies with me- imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch it last night and I saw 5 minutes of it because it had been "clipped" by another show....The Simpsons, nice.....hmmm I wonder who did that?

2011-01-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Why does she tell me she doesn't like gymnastics, and doesn't want to do a roundoff back handspring for cheer competition and then I see a video of her doing this?

Designer Kitchen...

2011-01-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

(Candice Olson Kitchen Designs- HGTV)

I really like this open layout of kitchen & living area- I don't necessarily like the color/patterns...but, man if I could go back 6 years (really, was it 6 years?) I would do so many things different when we were remodeling our house. I really wish I could have afforded a decorator to come in and help me. Why don't I know any decorators??? ;) I need some serious decorating help in my house....

2011-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Isn't that cool? I couldn't get it smaller but you can make yours here:

2011-01-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

We watched a little bit of a new show the other night on TLC- Extreme Couponing. Did anyone catch the show?

WOW- is all I can say. We saw one woman with her husband shop for almost 4 hours, have 9 shopping carts full of candy bars, pasta, gatorade & some other stuff. Retail was over $1500, but she only paid $57...but really what in the heck is she going to do with all that stuff? And she had to pay $70 for some of the coupons. When you see their stockpile at home- it's like a store. And they have toilet paper to last them for 40 years....I think it is a little nutty if you ask me.

Don't get me wrong, I love to have coupons for the things I use, but I am not going to buy 125 candy bars because I am going to get them for only $5...

2011-01-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Ok- what's with Jake's braces....the first night of having them on (last Tuesday)- the side brace came off his tooth- we got that reglued the next day, came home and the other side came off. He has that off still as the ortho couldn't get us in until the 11th, but first said it could wait until March when he comes in for his next scheduled appt. Then I pick him up yesterday and the front braces are completely off his teeth. I call the ortho and they say- "can't it wait until the 11th"? I say- well he has no braces attached to his teeth anymore- should it wait? Needless to say, they are squeezing him in on Thursday.

So- he has had the braces on for 1 week and already every brace has come off his teeth....what's up with that? I have cut up his food, he hasn't eaten any chewy candy, popcorn or pizza...Too young? Tanner never had a brace come off like that!

2011-01-03T15:39:00.001-08:00

The other day I was reading this article about a zero-waste household. They have virtually no trash…they compost everything, they recycle, reuse, etc. I have to be honest, I was fascinated by the way they live. I mean, how can you have no trash?! There are some great ideas to take away from this article and I already do a couple, but, seriously, no trash? It is exhausting to think about how I would accomplish this. Ever since I read this though, I find myself thinking how wasteful I am when I use saran wrap instead of a container, or I throw away something, etc. Great just what I need- another thing to stress over!

guess who....

2010-12-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

got braces?...Jake. He was so excited to get them on yesterday. Not sure how excited he will be in a week when the novelty has worn off! We were not home for more than a 1/2 hour and Jake comes to tell me that one of the braces is off his tooth. Sure enough...so I guess we get to go back to the Ortho today. Such a fun and exciting life I lead, huh?

Hey, can someone give this kid a haircut? Geesh what's wrong with his mother?

Printer Giveaway....

2010-12-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

Pioneer Woman is giving away a printer...go here to enter!! :) Good luck....but I really want to win it, so don't have too much luck! ;)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T13:42:00.000-08:00

Still feeling like a bah humbug this year...not good. Hopefully tomorrow I will get in the spirit since I only have to work half day and then I am off until Monday! :)

2010-12-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

If you ever need to laugh (like I did today) please go here and here... sometimes, I can't stop laughing, especially if you read the captions & comments that go along with the pictures! :)

2010-12-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

(picture from HGTV)

If I were having a dinner party, I would want my table to look like this...but since I am not having one....could someone else have one and decorate your table like this? Thanks.... ;)

2010-12-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

We stayed at Paradise Point in San Diego for Tanner's last Pop Warner football game - ever. He has played for the last seven years! I cannot believe he will be a freshman next year, hopefully playing freshman football. It is going to be so hard not seeing all of the football families anymore, as so many of the boys are going on to different high schools...we have had so much fun with them! Tanner scored on a fumble...the first defensive play of the game! It was very exciting to watch. I, of course, forgot my camera and I have no pictures from his last game, nor did I take any pictures during the season? What's wrong with me?

Anyway, the resort was nice, the kids had fun swimming in the heated pool...Jake had so much fun that he feel asleep with his head on my lap at dinner Saturday night. I think he had too much fun swimming.

We got home and the kids wanted to get a Christmas tree...normally I go to Home Depot for a tree but they dry out so fast! We went to Peltzer Pines and cut one down- hopefully it will last a little longer. I left the house this morning with Christmas boxes everywhere...not done decorating! Now the kids will want presents to go under that tree!

2010-12-01T14:38:00.001-08:00

(pictures from LHJ)

Christmas is usually my favorite time of year, but this year I can’t seem to get excited about it. The thought of lugging all my same ole’ decorations out again seems overwhelming. I am tired of the things I have, can’t afford to buy any new, we are limited in the placement of the tree and you know what really bugs me? Is that I get tired of seeing the decorations up after about a week!…then the thought that I have to pack it all away again- NOT FUN. Do I sound bah humbug or what??!

I hope I snap out of it soon, because my kids keep asking when I am going to start decorating….

laundry rooms

2010-11-30T13:26:00.001-08:00

(pictures from BHG)

I need one of these ironing boards...anyone know where I can get one (at a reasonable price).
I have a laundry room, but it looks nothing like this, even when there are no clothes waiting to be washed/dried. I think one of our next projects needs to be redoing our laundry room- maybe if it looks like this, it will make laundry more fun?! Or maybe not!

2010-11-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

(picture from HGTV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

I really like the fall, but this year I didn't decorate for Halloween and I definitely won't be decorating for Thanksgiving.... but aren't these great fall decorations? I was browsing Better Homes & Garden again....and found the following....love the mantle....

And I haven't been able to set a Thanksgiving table like this in years since we have been going to the desert for Thanksgiving...not that I mind, because I don't have to do the dishes this way...

Riley, Tanner & I are off to Arizona on Friday for Riley's Regional Cheer competition...I would love to see them place, but then that would mean she would go to the National championships in Florida...and we really don't have the money for that...

2010-11-05T09:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was browsing around BHG and found some things that I want for my house. The pillows above- I want that color combination (and those pillows) in the room upstairs that is a complete disaster!

this wall- I love it. I want something like this by my scrap table- however, I am the worst when it comes to putting things on the wall- I still have 3 things that I need to hang by my desk that I won't hang because I am afraid to make that "commitment".

I need this chair in my room but not in that color....

And I liked this - the set up is just like my room. I need all that "stuff" in my room too.

What I really need is the following- time, money & an interior decorator. I don't think I will be getting any of those things in the near future, so I can only dream when I look at these pictures....sigh...

*s*