Monday, January 31, 2011

Do-it-Yourself Foaming Soap

I used to buy the large refill bottle for my foaming soap but it only came in one scent. So I read about making your own and want to share it with you!

Need:
1 large empty bottle
1 bottle hand soap (NOTE: creamy soaps don't work very well)
Water











1. Empty hand soap into empty bottle. I used a makeshift funnel to avoid mess.

2. Fill the empty hand soap bottle up with water and dump into large bottle. Repeat once.


3. You'll notice that the soap and water don't mix at first. Place the cap on the large bottle and shake!


4. Pour into your soap dispenser and use. Simple as that!

Friday, January 28, 2011

New House Project!

I am SO excited to have this project in the works! I have been waiting 5.5 LONG years to do it but with the cost it just didn't work. FINALLY we are going to remodel our bathroom. After our basement bathroom project last year that was just finished a month or so ago (the trim wasn't up but it was functional) we have decided to hire it done. We are having one of Mike's friends, Trevor Rome with Trevor Rome Construction Services, do it.

We will be going from this 'beautiful' three-tone teal bathroom:





My least favorite aspects of this bathroom are:
- The white tiles patched into spots where they removed things
- The disgusting grout on the floor
- The hidious porcelain knobs
- The tiled vanity top

When we moved in it was painted a light shade of yellow which believe me did nothing to help it! The brown made it livable and I had a shower curtain that was shades of teal and brown, but the rod broke so until it is remodeled we won't be using the shower.

This is the accent tile we picked out:
Cabernet. The main tile will look like this:

We have almost everything picked out/purchased. Still need to find a medicine cabinet, vanity top and sink faucet. It should be just a couple weeks until it begins. I can't wait!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Christmas Recap

I realized that I haven't posted any pictures from Christmas yet so I thought I'd do it now.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Latest Knitting Project

I found this fun cowl pattern from Purl Bee. It was EASY and I got a chance to use my new needles I got as a Christmas gift. I like it so far but I might need to put a button on it to keep it together.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Happy Birthday Grandma!


Today is my Grandma Leah's birthday. Let me tell you a little bit about her.

As a kid we spent lots of time at her house as she lived on a farm and we loved all the animals and space to run. She is a loving but firm grandma who didn't put up with anyone's grief...especially my bothers! I think there were a couple wooden paddle sticks and spoons broken over my oldest brother Nakia's behind. And she never tires of telling the story about my youngest brother, Sonny, telling her that he wasn't eating because he got the wrong cup but yet she turned around and he'd cleaned his plate!

She has an opinion and she's not afraid to use it! She is one opinionated person and although she sometimes drives me crazy because everything comes out I think it has helped me as an adult to realize that it is okay to express your opinion.

As I said she was a tough lady but couldn't love her family more. She has 9 children of her own, 7 boys and 2 girls. They lived in a 3 bedroom house and for most of her kids' life she didn't even have a bathroom but just an outhouse. I don't know about you but I can't imagine living without indoor plumbing! Her and my grandpa have been married for 70 years. They have 27 grandchildren, 42 great grandchildren (by my count but she said 40 this morning), and 6 great-great grandchildren. She is so proud of the family that she has raised and continues to watch grow. Although we have a large family that is spread around the country it feels as though we are all close (although not without our drama). I'd say she has a great big reason to be proud!

My grandma has taught me how to make the best of a situation even if not ideal. She's taught me to love my family and hold them close, to read to my babies to get them to sleep, that a swat on the butt isn't going to hurt them, to have an opinion and to let it be heard. Best of all she taught me how to make the best fried chicken and gravy I've ever had. I love her and with every year that passes I know that I am going to miss her that much more when her time comes. So I continue make the most of the time I have with her and to make the effort to see her as much as I can.

Love you Grandma and Happy Birthday!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Caramel Rolls

I had to share this recipe for these amazing (and amazingly easy) caramel rolls. I made them for my daycare kids this morning and they are always a hit...I could eat the whole pan!

Here is the recipe (TIP: I always spray the foil with nonstick spray):

This is what they look like when you put them in the pan the night before:

In the morning when they have risen:

Baked and yummy...can you smell them?

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Striking Out!

I like to try new recipes on a regular basis and have gotten pretty good at figuring out if a recipe is something my family will eat or not.
Over Christmas when I reorganized the house (I haven't posted abou that yet have I...soon) I found my binder with TONS of recipes to try and wanted to start widdling it down. I have tried several new recipes since the new year and I don't think a single one has been a keeper. Now I'm not one to give up but I have seriously not been having good luck! I make things and my family turns up their nose or it just isn't that good. I even tried a brownie recipe and it wasn't that great...brownies!

I am determined to find something new that everyone loves. So wish me luck and I'll be back with a report!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Next Projects

As if I didn't have enough projects on my plate I am adding a couple more. My boys are in DIRE need of some shelves in their rooms and I need something in our basement bathroom so I found a couple plans for some simple shelving. This one is for the bathroom...High Rise Shelf and this one is for the boys' rooms...5 Shelf. The second one is functional and can be changed so they don't look exactly the same.

Now hopefully I can run a jig saw!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

New Years

I always make New Years resolutions. Most of the time I do pretty well with them but I also make sure I only make them if they are something that is feasible. It is always a challenge but never so outlandish that there is no way for me to accomplish it! So I thought I'd share my resultions with you so that it will help hold me accountable.

-Learn to shoot my camera in manual. I have had my Nikon DSLR camera for a year and a half and I have yet to figure it out. But if I am going to work on becoming a photographer then I need to know how to shoot manual.
- Paint my nails more. I never seem to take time for myself so this is an attempt.
- Fix my hair more. I think this will make me feel better about myself.
- Balance the checkbook no less than 1 time per week. I get so far behind and then it takes forever! So I think if I'd just do it more often it would be better.
- Take better care of myself. I always go to the doctor regularly but I don't seem to take care of myself the way I should. So I am going to eat better, eat less, wash my face daily (in the past I never washed it regularly) and get enough sleep.

I hope that I can stick to these fairly simple resolutions. What are your resolutions?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Christmas 2010

Monogram Snowman Christmas
View the entire collection of cards.

HUGE 2011 Project

So I've been thinking of this for quite some time and have to start working on it and I need a little help. This year will be my 10th anniversary with my wonderful husband. I want to do something extra special for him so I am going to re-do our wedding slide show video. There are a couple reasons for this:

1) When we originally did the video he picked songs but they were not long enough so his mother and I picked a song about baseball that we thought was cute but it was country. Well, if you know Mike he despises country with a passion so he was less than pleased that we did that without asking him.

2) We never took our wedding pictures to the gentleman who did the video to have him add them. And now we have a whole lot more of a story to tell so I'd like to add the rest of our love story.

So I have all the pictures still...just need to find them and organize them. Then I will need to get them all scanned and need to set them to music. That is where I need help! I need to come up with a list of songs to add to the slide show. When we originally did it I don't recall what my songs but Mike's were 'I Fought the Law' and 'Put me in Coach'(which I'll keep) and then a Kenny Rogers song about baseball called 'The Greatest' (which is the one he didn't like).

Do any of you have a good list of songs for a 'wedding' slide show? I'm going to need some love songs too for us as a couple an then some good ones for pictures of our kids.

Put your thinking caps on I need your help! Now please don't let him in on this because it's a surprise...and he doesn't read this blog, probably doesn't know what it's called;)