smith, party of 4

love one another

2012-02-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

"beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love." i john 4:7-8

we are working on LOVE during the month of february. so each time the girls show some sort of love to each other or to someone else, they get a heart on the chart. at the end of the day they get candy hearts for them. workin' like a charm!

THIS =

THIS

valentine's day math for kids

2012-02-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

i stumbled upon this fabulous game for toddlers and pre-k kids to play on pinterest (my guilty pleasure). i believe THIS is a link to the activity if you want to look it up (hers is of course much better...laminated and all). they get to practice their math...i suppose you could do it with capital and lower case letters too. that will be next week, perhaps. not sure the kids even know they are doing "school work." :)

ON.A.MISSION

2012-02-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

~~so i just finished 2 girls scout thin mints and a bowl full of chips and salsa (that was my lunch)!~~
that's a horrible way to start this post....what i really want to say is that i want to be back on track...back on the wagon, whatever it is called...i am committing to being more healthy with eating and exercising (no, i did not make a new year's resolution, otherwise i would have already failed miserably).

it really all started about a year and a half ago...i joined a "biggest loser" contest at work. key word: "contest." if there is a chance to win something, i'm in! i am a very competitive person. well, and also, there was a monetary reward involved. money and the ability to win...err lose, i mean-count me in! i committed and actually found sweet success (no pun intended). i lost about 14 pounds (which was a bit more than my goal and a true surprise that i had it in me to do so)...i also built up some serious muscle i didn't know i had (thanks to strength training mixed with cardio). i felt great, could wear my pre-baby clothes i hadn't worn for about 6 or 7 years. what more could i want? well, sometimes good things come to an end. the weight slowly started back...but just by about 5 pounds, i was still feeling pretty good. however, i got sick for over a month and then december hit...two terrible things to have back to back. i think i actually ate my weight in fudge over the month of december (probably ate more than i made). i kept saying i'll worry about it in january and just enjoy all that the holidays have to offer...well, i enjoyed it about 5 pounds worth, too...argh!!!

so, here it is february 4th and i am ready to get back to it; tired of pants not fitting as they did. i thought i'd try to log in with progress at least once a week, in hopes maybe it might give me some accountability. i know there are probably like only 2 people that read this blog (on a good day), but just the possibility that someone might look at this particular post and wonder how my progress is going will hopefully keep me going. on those days when i don't want to wake up at 4:50 to work out before i go to work, i'll think of that random blog reader from norway that stumbled upon my blog and wonders if i am really keeping my word...:)

weight as of this morning...132...goal weight...122-125...7 to 10 pounds! i am realistic about it though. if i don't make my goal weight but fit into a few certain pairs of pants comfortably (and don't carry that spare tire around my waist, hanging over those pants-was that TMI????), i'll be satisfied! the main thing is to feel comfortable in what i wear and know that i am trying to set an example of healthy living for my girls and to look good for my hubby! it doesn't hurt that he recently stepped on the scale and was unhappy and decided to try and lose a few pounds. i am sure he'll be at his goal weight (if he even has one) in like 2 weeks...man, i hate the way men can lose weight! not to mention the fact that he really doesn't need to "lose" weight! the way i figure it, accountability in the house isn't such a bad thing-unless i really want that girl scout cookie and he "reminds" me of my mission...whatever...not like that has happened or anything...so, raise that cookie (which of course you will be throwing away after this post) to winning...err, losing!
p.s. did you think you would be seeing a before pic in this post...dream on! never! forget about it...

just singin' in the rain

2012-01-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

there is nothing like a rainy day here in southern california-we don't get many of them, so we try to enjoy them. as a kid, my brother and i used to play in the rain all the time-racing homemade sail boats in the gutter down the street (this is before the storm drain was installed at the end of our street and it used to flood anytime we had rain-ah, good times!). so, trying to follow suit (and rid my girls of some of their incredible energy) i took them for a walk. unfortunately, it had just stopped raining, but the gutters were full of rain water, so, i let the girls splash around until their little hearts were content. of course, afterward, i doused them in antibacterial lotion...just kidding, but i did give them a nice warm bath, while i washed their dirty clothes...oh the fun! rain, rain, don't go away...we still want to walk with our barellas (that's umbrellas in smith kid language).

slow cooker soup

2012-01-23T17:22:00.000-08:00

one of the reasons i LOVE costco, trader joe's, and fresh-n-easy is the free samples. tell me i am not alone in that...anyway, while cruising TJ, the girls were begging me to go see if they had treats. low and behold, they did, (because they rock and know how how to make a mom's day)! unfortunately, i don't think the girls were too terribly excited. it was a soup. i totally fell for it, hook, line, and sinker...and bought the stuff to make for dinner. it is delicious and i can't wait...it is slow cookin' as i type!
ingredients:
tomato soup (i had the tomato and roasted red pepper kind)
a bad of chimichanga (i think that was the name of it) rice with vegetables
kilbasa (have no idea how to spell that) sausage (i didn't want to splurge for it, so i threw in some meatballs i found in the freezer this morning)
**to garnish the soup at TJ they cut up some flat bread and topped with the pieces. i have some home made bread from a friend at work, so i'll try that!

throw all of it in the slow cooker on low until it is hot (all items are precooked)...and enjoy!

whale watching

2012-01-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

our neighbors gave us some free tickets to go whale watching from redondo beach. it was a beautiful, brisk day in january and we were all set to see some whales-this migration season has been phenomenal so far and we had high hopes. we started off by seeing some sea lions basking in the sun. we all thought that was cool. i know these creatures live in the vast ocean, but it is still trippy to actually see them. we moved around to various parts of the ocean and still saw nothing. about an hour and a half into the journey we spotted our first whale. it was amazing to see up close. then, on the other side of the boat we saw another one. it was perfect, as if they were taking turns for us. we watched for about an1/2 hour and then had to return. on the return ride the captain spotted a bunch of dolphins...they were splashing around...as we got closer we noticed there were about 1,000 of them, at least. i am NOT kidding!! we coasted right in the middle of them-i had little boo and mark had miss BIG. we were ALL amazed. i was so happy the girls were able to see some of God's creation (and happy i was too)!

the sea lions basking...

some of richard simmon's friends eating granola bars...just love the hats on the girls!

all the splashing are dolphins playing in the water (you can even see some underneath the water). this was only a fraction of what we saw. i was in much amazement and forgot to take the camera out in time.

carlsbad vacay

2012-01-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

mark's parents invited us to join them in carlsbad for a week. i had to work a few of the days, so we stayed a few days, then i worked for a few and rejoined them for the weekend...what a fun trip. the girls got to go on their first train ride to old town san diego, we went to lawrence welk resort for a day (gorgeous weather that day). mark and i got some good R-and-R time, too. LOVED the gym, the food, all of it! the place was right across the street from the beach-the most beautiful view from the balcany. you could even hear the waves crashing from the living room. one day, while taking a walk at the beach, we even spotted several migrating whales. way cool! thanks, g'pa and g'ma smith!

bad pic, but this is the view from our balcany..that is the sun setting over the ocean in the background-beeeeautiful


naptime...the girls shared a twin bed, er matress, on the ground...they were so cute!

the water slide at lawrence welk! mark and jill went, but i did not like the very frigid water. mark tried to get miss BIG to go on it about a million times...she'd walk up to the top, stare at it, and then decide not to go and walk back down the stares. it was so cute-mark tried to bribe her with ice cream, but still didn't work. little boo, on the other hand, was so hoping to be tall enough-she wasn't. she is currently eating vegetables with the sole purpose of growing bigger before we go back next summer.

this is the girls on the train...they were so excited...or so i hear...

i was bringin' home the bacon and missed it!

raising girls

2012-01-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

this is one of the reasons mark LOVES having girls

notice miss B-I-G is scratching his leg and little boo is scratching his back...i think he was even watching the lakers. life is good with girls! i'm sure i was in the kitchen making a fabulous meal...:)

christmas 2011

2012-01-23T16:33:00.000-08:00

what a great day to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior. started with opening presents, playing in the front yard with ~~mark's~~ the girls' new remote control car (ha ha), breakfast, and then off to church! so much fun to watch the girls open their presents.

just LOVE the fake long hair...

this is little boo wearing her new jacket from g'ma and g'pa smith, her fake hair (dad picked that one out), and new camera...i just love looking at this picture...it makes me laugh so hard!

playing with the new remote control car...who do you think is having more fun with it?

the new "princess" dress

umm...apparently we do not have any good pics of miss B-I-G...they were all blurry! sorry, babe!

christmas decorations

2011-12-11T20:24:00.001-08:00

christmas is my second favorite time to decorate the house (behind fall).

the pictures are bad (took them at night-oops), but here is a glimpse into our decorations.

the nativity scene

(i heart the wise men sign-found a great one online, but they wanted

$5 for the pdf file...decided to just make one myself). i put one of those push lights in the nativity scene, it fell, so it doesn't light up very well..boo hoo)

the wall that i can change out for the seasons. those are turquoise blue ball ornaments in a glass container on the table. surrounding it are scrap pieces cut from the bottom of the christmas tree.

addison's snowman art

these are just snowflake tree ornaments hung from a frame with no glass in it.

the christmas tree...this is the top of it.

i went for the silver and light blue look, with mostly ball ornaments and a light blue ribbon woven around. i also added some starfish in it to give it a beachy feel...

nice little saving tip: we bought the 5-6 foot tree for $20 and placed it on a stepping stool to raise it about a foot...i put some green burlap and a tree skirt at the bottom and the girls decorated with some of their dolls and stuffed animals. anyway, it saved us $10 on the tree and it looks great.

the mantle

i wanted to go for the natural look, so i used twig balls, white lights, white candles with twine, and some white/gold/silver sprigs of eucalyptus (plastic ones from michaels).

and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

to hang the stockings i used the removable hooks from 3M and bought these little frames at michaels last year-put each family member's picture in one.

sad this year not putting kona's stocking up-RIP :(

the advent calendar

these are made from envelopes cut in half. each has a number on it that corresponds to the dates in december. the envelopes are filled with a couple of verses telling the story of jesus' birth (taken from luke 2), along with an activity for the family (read a story, color a picutre, watch a christmas movie, etc). i blogged about it last year, but i can't find it right now

merry christmas!

christmas treats

2011-12-11T19:40:00.001-08:00

the girls and i were home sick on sunday, so i decided to get some baking in

(promise i didn't cough onto any of these goodies).

PEPPERMINT BARK

(unfortunately, i didn't get an after picture before i bagged it up to give away.

it was delicious...though, take my word for it!)

step 1: melt 2 cups of milk chocolate chips and spread on parchment paper on a flat service (cookie tray works well). place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

step 2: let ladybug daughter lick the spoon before cleaning it

step 3: use about 10-12 big size or 24 small size candy canes-place in ziplock bag and hammer to break apart (easy enough for a ladybug to do).

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

step 1: grease an 8x8 pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray

step 2: melt 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk. stir constantly until melted and smooth. then add 1 tsp of vanilla and continue to stir until mixed. spread in the pan and place in the fridge for about an hour (or until it is solid). potentially makes about 64 small pieces. yummy!

PUMPKIN CRANBERRY BREAD

this is a delicious and easy treat. perfect for the holidays with a cup o' joe!

preset oven to 350 degrees

in a small bowl combine the following by mixing well:

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of pumpkin

1/2 cup of oil

2 slightly beaten eggs

in another bowl combine:

2 1/4 cups of flour

1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pumpkin spice

1 tsp of baking soda

create a well in the dry bowl and pour the wet mix into the dry mix and combine.

add 1 cup of cranberries (cut in half).

pour into 2 loaf pans or 4 mini loaf pans

bake for 1 hour.

**i like to sprinkle a little sugar on top before i put it in the oven

christmas crafts with kids

2011-12-11T19:29:00.001-08:00

these are not mind blowing activities do with the kids, but they are cute and fun. i cut out all the pieces for the snowman picture and then let the girls glue everything on. this is addison's picture. i have a hole punch in the shape of stars, so i punched some star shaped snow. i LOVE this frame...got it for $1 at a garage sale and i just rotate pictures the kids make throughout different seasons.

the girls decorated their trees with ornament and light stickers. i love how addison's are all neatly aligned, while august's are just everywhere...that matches their personalities. these are currently adorning the fridge.

make what you have

2011-10-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

in my quest to ~~be cheap~~ save money (and rid the pantry of food about to be outdated), i have decided to make dinners this week from items we already have. this means that i did not plan the meals for the week and then shop accordingly (which is my usual "type A-organized-list-making" way of doing things). i didn't even shop, except for some staples: veggies, fruit, and milk. should be interesting!
monday night:
the family was not very hungry, so we just had...
steamed brown rice
green beans
apple sauce
mandarin oranges (yes, from a can...shhh)

tuesday night:
curry beef with rice (crock pot style-ground beef/turkey, cumin, curry, brown sugar, sour cream, milk, onion, and garlic)
steamed artichokes

wednesday night:
one of my favorites as a kid-mom's recipe
chicken with rice (chicken, rice, cream of mushroom soup, onion soup dry mix, chicken broth)
veggies (a must every night!)
apple sauce

thursday night:
either we will have left overs from wednesday night or i will defrost the spaghetti sauce and noodles i made last week and i'll make a spaghetti casserole

friday night:
ooh-la-la....we always treat ourselves and go out to a restaurant or fast food type dinner

saturday night:
barbecue chicken sandwiches (crock pot style)
veggies
baked beans or pinto beans
salad
chocolate pudding for dessert

sunday night:
chili with rice
veggies
corn bread or biscuits

TIPS to SURVIVING BEING a

WORKING MOM while in the KITCHEN:

through much frustration over the last few years of spending too much time in the kitchen and not enough time with my family, i came to the conclusion i need to find ways to save money and be more productive (and use some creativity) when planning meals for my family. i have been more determined to use my days "off" (mondays and tuesdays) more productively. these are a few ideas i came up with. they aren't big life-changing "wow, i've never heard that one before" ideas, but they have saved me from completely freaking out many nights. i hope some of these help!

TIP #1: make double or triple batches of food!
i made a huge pot of spaghetti and sauce a week ago and divided the left overs into two containers and froze. defrost and put in the oven to warm up with some sprinkled cheese on top and viola! a meal already complete.
TIP #2: meal swap with a friend or neighbor!
my dear friend becky and i swap meals once a week. i cook two batches on monday and take one to her family to enjoy and she reciprocates on wednesdays (it is so nice to come home from work and know that she is bringing us dinner that night)
TIP #3: don't be afraid to use frozen meals once in awhile (there are some healthy frozen meals, such as chicken sandwiches from costco-add fresh lettuce, tomato, and mayo and a salad or side dish and you have a good meal)
TIP #4: buy in bulk or when on sale...
this way you will have food on hand (staples) to make meals a bit easier...such as chili and rice or chili stackers (crunched up chips, chili, cheese-not the healthiest, but it is fast, cheap, and good)
TIP #5: rotate your meals
unless your family is really picky...don't be afraid to do the same meals each week, or with a little variation (taco tuesday, spaghetti wednesdays, thai chicken thursdays, etc...you get the idea). this way, you don't have to create some new meal every single night, every single week. it can be hard to plan out healthy meals for your family. why not just stick with what works for a few weeks and then shake it up the last two weeks of the month. "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
TIP #6: find the nearest little ceasar's pizza (haha, you laugh, but i am totally serious)
little ceasar's pizza has cheese or pepperoni "hot and ready" pizzas for $5-- a life saver for tiring days-i HEART this one big time!
TIP #7: do some research on restaurants
find the local restaurants that may have deals for kids eating free or half off with an adult's meal. this way, if you want to go out, you can still save some money and not worry about kitchen clean up afterward (most of the time my kids don't eat all there meal anyway)

i am sure there are more...let me know what you do to save time and money...

halloween crafts

2011-10-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

CRAFT #1:

MODGE PODGE PUMPKIN CANDLES

as is usually the case come mid-september, when the realization that summer is over, i can't wait to start doing fall crafts with the girls. i found this one on the cover of some magazine in my teacher's lounge at school (i think it was women's day). it was so easy, even with a 3 and 4 year old.

materials:

modge podge
glass container (i used recycled jars)
paint brush
orange tissue paper
black construction paper

directions:

cut small strips of orange tissue paper
pour small amount of modge podge in container (i added some water to dilute)
brush some modge podge on the jar and start placing the tissue paper
at the end you can cut out a face with the black construction paper

this was quite fun and looks really cute at night when there is a candle inside. enjoy!

CRAFT #2:

DECORATING YOUR TRICK OR TREAT CONTAINER

aside from using a pillow case (which we will reserve until the girls are older and i really need LOTS of candy), this is quite possibly the cheapest (and most fun) way to prepare for trick or treating. i was at the dollar tree (our favorite store) and found these orange pumpkin containers. i thought it would be cute to buy them for the girls for halloween to trick or treat. then...low and behold...right next to them were these glow in the dark halloween stickers... stickers are the next best thing to sliced bread in my house. i thought this could entertain the troops while i made dinner one night. they had a blast and for a change, i didn't care where they put the stickers. i even wrote their names with a sharpie, to eliminate future fighting...oh, yes!

apple picking @ rilee farms

2011-10-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

as is the tradition in our house, the fam ventured out to oak glen for some apple.....er...pear picking a few weeks ago. the weather had been so bad over the past few months that there were no more good apples and you could only pick pears. we didn't mind...we had the whole place to ourselves...no joke! not a soul there until we started to leave. we picked pears and pumpkins and then ate at the restaurant also owned by rilee farms. it was a great price and the food was delicious! i highly recommend going on a tuesday if you can...early october!!

first day nightmare

2011-09-11T23:31:00.000-07:00

so my girlies started preschool and pre-k this past week. we have all been so excited for it for weeks, probably months. on wednesday night, the night before, i packed up their bags of extra clothes, crib sheets for nap time, etc. we laid out their clothes, had them wake up early on thursday so i could do their hair, take pics, eat breakfast with them, etc before i went to work. mark has the blessing of taking them each day. well i took the new car, liberty, as we have affectionally named her, because it gets better gas mileage than the toyota. as i am just getting ready to transition to the 57 freeway, i receive a phone call from mark. he goes on to tell me that i have taken the only set of keys to the toyota, the car he was taking the girls to school in......silence.....crickets......then tears. i couldn't believe it. i did not have time turn around and almost panicked. fortunately, grandma valla lives close by and mark was eventually able to take the girls to school...one at a time because we had only one car seat. the girls had to flip a coin for the first ride. august won! all-in-all the girls had a fabulous day and i was able to pick them up and take them for some ice cream afterward. at least the first day is overwith...phew...we survived.

this is the funniest video and so incredibly typical of our girlies!

pallet love, part 1

2011-09-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

i have started a love with pallet wood. i find random pieces on the road or behind buildings, load them in the car, and then disassemble and repurpose the wood into great crafts. this is how i spent the summer crafting.

the first craft was a book shelf. i have this in the playroom and we used it to house our library books over the summer so we'd always know where they were when it was time to return them. this was big boo's brilliant idea.

the second project was an outdoor coffee table. i took a few pictures while i was doing it to show how it was completed, but got side tracked as i got to work. i was so proud that i had used mark's tools WITHOUT him. power tools are liberating and empowering. LOTS of hard work as i pulled pieces off.

the next projects was a wall hanging made from part of a fence. my dear friend becky gave me some pieces of wood and fence she had salvaged. it sat in my backyard for a month or so without any inspiration...until i found this great idea on tater tots and jello. i attached some wire and hung it in the girls' room. it reads "you are loved...always...john 3:16." i want them to always know that they are loved by not only me and mark, but by jesus too, who died on a cross for their sins.

the last project, which unfortunately remains unfinished, is a hanging porch swing. mark was very gung-ho about it at first, but then we ran out of wood and haven't picked up any more to finish (boo hoo). i don't heart leaving projects unfinished...must.finish.soon!!! here is the start of the project...hopefully more to come SOOOOON!!!

randomness from summer

2011-09-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

our summer was quickly coming to an end. what a great few months of being home with my two lil boo girls...lulu and lola!

august 5th was mark's birthday...we celebrated it by going to the beach in the day and spaghetti factory at night.

i set up a table in the garage for the girs to color and water paint.

on the last week of summer my mom and i took the girls to the santa ana zoo. oh what a great place. totally cheap to get in, easy (and free) to park, and loads of fun. tons of monkeys and other cool animals the girls had never seen. they were even able to feed some goats.

palm desert

2011-09-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

our first family summer vacay was to palm desert. soooo hot, but oh sooooo fun! the days consisted of swimming, popsicles, golf, then repeat. big boo had a chance to golf with mark for about 9 holes-actually she just rode in the cart. i was able to enjoy reading for HOURS while mark golfed and the girls napped. both girls used their arm floaties for the first time and were able to swim around in the pool without us holding them. they loved the freedom. it was a terrific way to kick off our summer.

our daily walk to the pool...about 4 houses down, where we'd enjoy the heated pool ALL TO OURSELVES!

i LOVED this sign hanging on the backstop of a baseball field and just had to take a pic of it. what a fabulous reminder for all parents!

summer vacay

2011-09-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

this summer we took about a week and a half and went to several places all over california. a good ol' fashion road trip. our first stop was just a potty break and photo session at el capitan state beach. it was near sundown so we got some really good pictures.

our second stop was to see uncle paul and aunt allie in buellton. allie took us to barn sale at a friend's house. they had lots of cool furniture, hay bails, tractors, and even a life size fake cow. we had fun with our photo shoot there too.

we then ventured onto the time share in arnold california, where we spent a very snow packed spring break. this time it was much different, filled with lots of sunshine. it was on this trip that the girls learned to pump their legs while on the swing...a very momentous occasion. we enjoyed swimming, hiking, sight seeing in the calavaras big trees, bike riding, and good fun.

and onto the next stop..san francisco area-we actually went on the "this is your life, mark smith" trip. we stopped at marks' old houses, schools, and churches. it was pretty fun for him to see everything. he was feeling quite nostalgic. we even took a bike ride on the bike path that he used to take to school.

lastly, after some failed attempts at camping, decided to drive down (10 hours worth) to ventura to stay with our good friends, the stenzels. we spent about 3 fun-filled days with them before finally heading home, to end our family fun road trip.

VBS 2011

2011-09-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

another year of vacation bible school has come and gone. our church did a gold rush theme from answers in genesis (an amazing group of christians defending the faith amidst harsh criticism from athiests). the girls were able to participate in this again this year with the preschool department. they had so much fun.

4th of july 2011

2011-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

i am usually one to be ON TIME and READY for anything, but this 4th of july just snuck up on me and i did not have shirts for the girls. i found this fabulous ideas on someone's blog (oh dear i have forgotten where in blogland i found it...sorry). anyway, they cut up and sewed material onto a shirt. i had several t-shirts that were too big for the girls or they only wore to bed, so i grabbed the patriotic material scraps and went to town. it was actually easier than i thought and turned out so cute. i even cut the sides of august's and tied them so it would fit better. this was about the best pic i could get from the girls together.

we rode or bikes to the annual HB parade. some friends of ours had staked out a site the day before and allowed us to sit with their family (thank you patrick fam). the weather was absolutely beautiful and the girls enjoyed their first parade of probably many.

one of our favorite families-the rushings!

awe...hud....rex hudler...the beloved former angel player and TV commentator. he was one the sports grand marshall. he was the best commentator the angels had, in my opinion. he was always so full of energy and made us laugh.

later we went over to some friends for a barbecue. this was the water balloon toss. addison and i did not win, but had lots of fun.

thrift store goodies

2011-06-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

even on vacation my little crafty brain is working. while in desert springs, i spotted a thrift store, which i knew i had to stop in and take a peek. it was owned by a local church and filled with all kinds of goodies. since i had the girls with me i wasn't able to look around as i would have liked, but i did find a few goodies. i only currently have pics of the one find. i'll post the others later.

this was a random box with fake grass and moss balls stuffed inside. i was immediately drawn to the old aged white wood (don't you just love it)...it was only $3 and i think i even got 40% off that day too. i saw such potential in this poor little neglected box someone found no more use for. little box, i will give you new life in my house...

this is what it looked like before i had at it with a screw driver, razor blade, and hammer...oh yes...not as easy as i had thought...but definitely worth the hard work.

and this is the after...it is such a cute vintage looking box...aged to perfection in the paint job. it currently lives on my coffee table, housing a few candles and a succulent. she may move to another room, but for now, i like her here. any suggestions on what to fill her with???

4th of july projects, part 1

2011-06-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

if you know me...i LOVE decorating for holidays...it is definitely the teacher in me! i have been scouring blogs for the cutest projects and have come up with a few of my own too. here is a sampling of a few of the first batch.

turn a boring entry...

into a patriotic cute one with a few pillows and flags..

what to do with all of those flags....

make a garland

i found some cute patriotic subway art here. printed it, framed it, viola! adorable-ness.

i also painted a few blocks red and blue and added stars and stripes and then spray painted a

starfish red-what a concept...looks so cute.

p.s. don't you love the old sewing table...scored a free roadside find in my neighborhood. sweetest old german woman left it on the yard and let me take it...

welcome to the madness

2011-06-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

i just thought i'd try to make people feel more welcomed to the ~~madhouse~~...smith house. i tried different things to make it look better and vinyl letters, although best, just take too long to wait for, so i free handed it...not too bad!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

...and a closer look...

it's a dress...no, a skirt...

2011-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

i bought these dresses for the girls a few years ago and they have finally-against their will-grown out of them. august tried so hard to put it on...which ended in tears...argh! so i cut off the top part and turned it into a skirt...yee haw...that gives us at least 2 more years of wear...so thrifty!

BEFORE:

don't mind the upside down pic...oops!

drum roll please.....

AFTER:

with an adorable girl modeling it...thank you, little boo!

fake desk drawer deco

2011-06-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

i recently saw another cool idea in one of the many blogs i ~~stalk~~ frequent (sorry, i can't remember the blog-i know, i need to better about this). they were using old drawers for decorations. since i don't have any spare drawers around my house, i thought i'd make one. it was quite simple, since my husband leaves spare pieces of wood sitting around our garage. beware hubs: nothing is safe in our garage when i am on a creative streak.

and then finally....after all the assembling and waiting time

(usually i am so impatient, i am surprised i waited long enough)....

you have the finished "drawer-not-a-drawer"...thing!

oh, i also glued an extra crystal knob that broke to resemble a handle...

FYI...hot glue does not really hold very well...i have re-glued it about 5 times...argh!!

how to live in the last days, part 1

2011-06-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

this past sunday our pastor preached from 1 peter 4:7. the title of the sermon was

"how to live in the last days, part 1: prayer."

it was such a challenging sermon.

"the end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded

for the sake of your prayers." 1 peter 4:7

it was such a needed reminder that my prayer life needs so much work.

here were the three points:

1. don't trade your prayer time for distractions

how many times have i been in the first two minutes of prayer and my mind wonders onto what i have to do later in the day or what i want to buy when i go to the grocery store or that i need to clean up that small milk spill on my kitchen table. whatever the distractions may be, satan will try to use anything he can to keep me from spending time in prayer. the only thing the disciples asked jesus to teach them was to pray. that says a little something doesn't it??!! it may seem like something so simple, but it can be so difficult a task.

2. stick with it so you can get better at it.

our pastor gave this great example: have you ever heard a teacher tell a child he just might as well put the book down because he'll never learn to read...all because he pronounced a word incorrectly?? you would never hear someone say this. in fact, you would hear the teacher give more encouragement to keep at it. the same can be said of prayer. if at first you don't succeed...try, try again. really though...just because i was distracted in prayer one day doesn't mean i am going to give up on it forever.

3. don't go through your day backwards!

read your bible and pray EARLY or when you're UNDISTRACTED. jesus set up a model of not only how, but also when we should pray. he would first spend time alone with god, then go to his disciples and then "tackle" the crowds. how many times have we done this model backwards? we "tackle" the world first (and get beat down), then go to our "disciples" (and still find discouragement as we complain to our friends, family, spouse, etc), and then finally, we go to god to find relief.

the challenge i took from this was to keep working on my prayer life and

to seek god early in the morning.

some suggestions for staying focused:

*keep a pad of paper by your bible, so as you become distracted with ideas you can quickly write them down

*try using a prayer journal...this is what i do. i write down my prayers. i love doing this because i can go back and read my thoughts and see how god has answered prayer over time.

*wake up early (while the kids and hubs are still asleep if possible)

*find a good place with few distractions to park yourself.

lastly, here is a good model i like to use for praying (the ACTS model):

Adoration is to adore God, to worship him and to fulfill the commandment to love him with all of our heart, mind and soul. As we spend time in adoration, we praise God for who He is - our Creator, our Sustainer and our Redeemer.

Confession allows us to clear away the things in the relationship between you and God which are displeasing to Him. All of us have sinned. St John writes in his epistle "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I Jn 1:8,9)

Thanksgiving. From childhood we are brought up to say "Thank You" when someone does something for us, or gives us a gift. Each moment God is blessing us, every minute we can recall the wonderful things that God has done for us, and the gifts that we have been given. And so, we need to be constantly thanking God for his blessings. In writing to Timothy, Paul makes it clear that we also need to be giving thanks for everyday, worldly things " I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Tim 2:1.

Supplication or Intercession. Finally we come to ask God for our needs and the needs of others. There are many demands on our prayer time - many topics and issues that we could pray for, so we need to choose, and to be specific.

Pray for others. In the epistles of St Paul, we read of him praying for those he has led to faith, and asking them also to pray for him. So, you too can pray for other Christians, and encourage them to pray for you. Pray for your familiy members, and for neighbours and friends. It's also good to pray for those who don't know Jesus to come to faith - many Christians have come to believe in Christ through the prayers of others.

Pray for world issues : for peace in difficult situations, for leaders and those in influential positions, for global issues such as care of God's environment, justice for the poor, relief of suffering in less developed countries, and other issues that come to you.

Pray for your own needs too. It's easy to neglect this, but Jesus encourages us to do so in the Lord's Prayer - the model for prayer that He gave us.

chicken roll-ups

2011-06-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

oh monday meals, where art thou?
here i am! a delicious meal and kid friendly-except for august, who said, "i can't even chew." she is such a drama queen with foods.

ingredients:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 eggs
4 ounces mozzarella, cut into about 6 pieces (about 2 in long)
6 boneless, skinless, thin-sliced chicken breasts (pound them out to about 1/4-ish in thick)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dreid parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine (used the cooking kind)
3/4 pound dreid angel hair pasta
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

here is the super easy recipe:
1. heat oven to 350. coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
2. place flour and bread crumbs in separate shallow plates. beat eggs in a medium-size bowl
3. place a piece of mozzarella on one short end of each chicken breast and roll up tightly. tuck loose ends in (ok, so i never figured out how to do this...i didn't have any loose ends)
4. coat each chicken roll with flour, dip in the egg and roll in the bread crumbs. place seam-side down in prepared dish.
5. melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in parsley, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. pour mixtrue over the chicken rolls. bake at 350 for 15 minutes. pour wine over the chicken and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
this part is optional and i didn't do it, but maybe next time:
6. meanwhile, prepare angel hair pasta following package directions. drain and place in large serving bowl.
7. remove chicken from baking dish and place on serving platter. season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. pour butter-and-wine mixture from baking dish over pasta and toss with paremsan cheese. serve immediately.
wow...enjoy!!

"what can i do?" can

2011-06-10T00:55:00.000-07:00

i got this idea from the amazing happy home fairy. for a more detailed list of directions and the printables, check her out here. i made a few of these for the parents that help out in my classroom. i can't wait to try some of them with my own kids when they are a little older.

there is a "do this" activity and then a "snap this" idea for taking a picture of you all doing the activity. by the time you finish the list of activities, and take your pictures, you will have a photo album worth of summer fun. an example is go to a public pool and enjoy a swim. take a picture of yourself with the lifeguard. another one includes making cookies or some treat for a friend or neighbor and then take them to their house-then take a picture of yourself with the neighbor. such good ideas. this woman is so talented you'll be hooked on her website

(just like i am).

i used some old formula cans...took off the label and cleaned them out (duh!)

next, i decorated them with paper and hot glued a cute silk flower on the top to cover the ugly lid.

put the printable cards inside and give as a gift or enjoy for your family!

this week at the beach

2011-06-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

this is another variation of the summer bucket list. however, with a smaller frame, there is only room for 4 cards. since the frame only holds 4, i was trying to think of a more appropriate title, hence "this week at the beach." the idea is the same though, a list of activities you'd like to accomplish during the week (or month, if you are less adventurous). i am thinking this would make a perfect "to do" list for christmas too...hmm...already thinking of the boutique i'll be selling things at next november...the mind is always turning the wheels.

summer bucket list

2011-06-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

this is a project i found somewhere on another blog...cannot remember where. i have adapted my own ideas. the idea is to list various activities i'd like to accomplish with the fam this summer. after each activity has been completed i'll turn the card over until they are all complete.

materials:

frame

cork

cards

push pins

take out the glass (you won't need it), replace with the cork
line up the cards where you want them and stick a pin in the hole to hold the cards up
decorate and label each of the cards with ideas

viola!

august's first angel game

2011-06-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

on june 7th, the angels (my FAVORITE team) had a terrific give away-newsboy hats. mark and i both love wearing them and thought they'd be a cute addition to our hat collection. so, we found dirt cheap tickets, loaded the girls, and headed off to anaheim stadium. we arrived at the game on time, got our hats, got seated, and were ready to enjoy the game. unfortunately, i got super sick and spent at least three innings...well, let's just say, i was not watching the game. anyway, we ended up leaving around the 4th or 5th inning (you know i MUST be sick to be leaving my boys in red before the game is over). the girls had their first taste of a memorable game and mark and i scored some seriously cute hats. a few days later i was feeling better...thankfully!

material remnants pennant

2011-06-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

i saw a material pennant on another blog and thought it would be so cute to replicate. i have plenty of cute material remnants, so i cut some up and popped them on some twine. i think it is adorable. my lovely hubs on the other hand (and my cousin too) think they look like hanging underwear or bathing suit bottoms. boo hiss! i disagree! i think they are cute for my spring/summer mantle.

maybe they are a little too wide...hmm. but i'll never tell them that!

here is the mantle from a front view. the "spring" blocks in the middle can be flipped to spell "summer."

p.s. do you love the NBA play off game in the background (compliments of the hubs)

repurpsed bowls

2011-06-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

i bought these bowls at our church tag sale. they were really cute, but i thought i could make them cuter. i spray painted the bowls, sanded them a bit on the edges, and then glued the smaller one the bottom of the top bowl to give it a pedestal look. i put it on my kitchen table to hold candles and some shells.

BEFORE

AFTER

repurposed old wood

2011-06-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

i LOVE finding old wood pieces and turning them into cool things. my friend becky gave me a few pieces of wood from an old picket fence. i had this idea to use it as a shelf type piece to hang towels in the bathroom. the wood was free and the two hooks i bought at lowes for about $6 each. i LOVE the rustic feel of it. i'm thinking i need to make more to put around the house...sorry about the bad yellow like coloring...the walls are actually white.

the garden in full bloom

2011-06-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

we waited kind of late to start our spring garden this year. with all of the rain, it has been quite an unusual season. although not all are pictured, we have tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, onions, 3 varieties of peppers, raspberries, broccoli, oranges, and sweat peas. crossing our fingers that all produce yummy foods.

this is a picture of addison's hands holding a BUNCH of catapillars. we have some shrubs that had TONS of these catapillars on them, so we decided to keep some and hope to "harvest" them into butterflies. we kept feeding them the bush branches/leaves. it has been so fun to watch the metamorphosis of the butterflies. well, i am sure it would have been cool to see them turn into butterflies, but unfortunately we figured out that we had been harvesting MOTHS...argh!!! that can't be good. oh well, live and learn. it was still fun!

birthday celebrations

2011-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

addison's 4th birthday was may 8th (also mother's day). we had fun sharing the day. after church we went to lunch and then drove out to sugar me bakery and bought some delicious cupcakes. we went home to enjoy them...and enjoy them we did! soooo good.

addison elizabeth
i'll never forget the day i found out i was pregnant with you. after two.long.years of waiting, i could barely believe it. when i felt the first contraction i knew after that day my life would never be the same. you have made me want to be a better daughter, better mother, better wife, better leader, and better christian. you bring me and your daddy such amazing joy. i am so blessed to be your mommy and thank god for the privilege to raise you. i love you!

this is august helping me make birthday pancakes for addison

a week later we had a small family birthday party for both the girls.

next was august grace's 3rd birthday, may 23rd. we went to the park, met daddy for lunch, and then off to dinner and cupcakes at bella terra. august was so excited to have

her special day.

august grace:
it was such a fantastic surprise for me and your daddy when we found out i was pregnant with you. since the day you were born you have put a smile on my face (ok, maybe not when you cry). you are a delight and a joy, with such a sensitive, sweet heart. we always know how you are feeling. i could stare at your big, round blue eyes all day long and listen to your sweet voice. you bring me and your daddy such joy and happiness. it is a privilige to be your mommy. i thank god for you everyday. i love you!

adorable-ness

2011-06-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

here are some recent pics of my little angels

i love this picture because it was before baby jack was born and august was trying to

mimic auntie sarah-she told me she had a baby in her tummy.

mark took this picture and texted it to me with the words

"this girl has such a chip on her shoulder." ha ha ha

these are the girls' easter outfits. unfortunately they were not feeling well on easter and didn't get to wear them until a few weeks later. they look so cute in them though.

angela's baby shower

2011-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

one of my friends just recently had a baby boy, isaiah james. i, along with a few other friends, had the privilege of throwing her a baby shower. it was such a fun shower to throw because there were only 9 people. i have always thrown such large showers and have never really been able to do all the cutesy little things i love to do because on a large scale they would cost so much. anyway, it was a quaint luncheon in my backyard.

(thanks for the pics, beck @ beckyfisherphotography)

spring break in arnold

2011-05-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

spring break in arnold

spring cleaning...and the beat goes on

2011-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

well, i must confess that i did not finish my week 2 list...i got through about 4 or 5 hours of cleaning out my closet and drawers and a bit of the girls closet and just pooped out. i did buy mark a new mini shelf to put his shoes on-since i stole his-...but decided HE COULD do his own closet...which is located in the office/playroom b/c our closet is too small. my closet does look great and i feel like it is so organized. i was able to rid it of clothes i haven't worn in many, many years, but have held on to for one reason or another. anyway, i suppose at some point i must finish week 2 before i can jump to week 3 (maybe????)...but i'll post my week 3 in an effort to get motivated. mark and i did manage to complete several mini jobs this weekend...well, more like finally finish projects, left undone for some time (some of the kitchen cabinets have been without the doors for about a year or more. i think people just started to think it was supposed to be like that...uh, no!).
here goes nothin'-and this is probably my favorite picture, too:

WEEK THREE:

MISCELLANEOUS and GARDEN (weather permitting)

• Clean the Baseboards

• Check on Supplies Stock

• Wash Windows

• Clean Doors and Casings

• Organize Hall Closet

• Clean Walls

• Wash Curtains/bathroom and kitchen mats

• Repost Craig’s List Items or Donate

• take pics of the finished products :)

what's for dinner?

2011-03-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

oh mercy, it has been too long since i have posted a "monday meal." not because i haven't been cooking, but because i haven't really tried many new recipes. well, i found some new ones...can't remember where i found them (awe just started typing the recipe and remembered it was through a mrs. dash website). this meal is really good, quite inexpensive, barely takes any time, and is surely a crowd pleaser with the fam! i doubled it and ended up putting a bit more chicken in it so it would be filled with lots and be a "main dish." i served it with steamed zucchini (which i also seasoned with the original flavored spice from Mrs. Dash. yummy. enjoy!

chicken and rice florentine
ingredients:
*1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
*2 cups minute brown rice, uncooked (i used fresh n easy generic instant brown rice)
*1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash salt-free lemon pepper seasoning blend (i found a generic at fresh n easy)
*1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash salt-free onion & herb seasoning (found mrs. dash original flavored one instead)
*2 cups cooked chicken, diced
*4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
*1/4 parmesan cheese, shredded

preparation:
1. bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan
2. add rice, seasoning blends and chicken; stir. cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes
3. add spinach and stir until wilted. serve topped with parmesan cheese

Spring Cleaning-week 2

2011-03-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

I survived week 1! Thankfully I had already done a major purge in the kitchen, so it only took me about 4 or 5 hours-so much more to do than you realize once you get going.

So, here ya have it...week 2 (not looking forward to those closets-whoever designed our house-and closets-must have only owned about four items of clothing...I'm going to have to get creative with the clothes, shoes, etc). Good luck!!

WEEK TWO:

BEDROOMS

• PURGE Closets/Dressers (donate to Sal’s-aka Salvation Army)

• Organize Shoes and Clothes

• Clean under beds

• Clean Closet Doors

• Clean Tops of Ceiling Fans

• Organize Office/playroom (purge books, toys, etc)

SPRING CLEANING HAS BEGUN

2011-03-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

in catching up on some of my blogs this weekend, i came across one post in particular that caught my attention: the spring cleaning month post. this great blogger (sorry, can't remember who it was, but if i come across you again i will give you the credit) made a weekly list of her tasks. i have taken her list, added and deleted some items to customize to my own household needs, and plan to start tomorrow. i only have saturday through tuesday to complete most of these tasks, so this first week will be an experiment (as it is already sunday and i still have about three loads of laundry to complete). now, as a partial sufferer of OCD, i am wondering if i can really stick to the three or four week plan. i may just stay up all night and try to complete all of the tasks. once i make a list, i have a hard time not completing it immediately. anyway, i'll keep you posted on the outcome! feel free to join me in a good ol' fashion spring cleaning.

WEEK ONE: BATHROOMS and KITCHEN

• Scrub Shower Door

• Scrub Toilets

• Bleach Shower and Sinks (1/2 cup)

• Clean Tile Floors

• Scrub Bathtub

• Clean Under Sinks

• Clean Bottom of Microwave

• Clean the Grout on Tile Counter

• Clean Counters and Bleach Grout

• Mop Tile and Clean Grout

• Purge any Extra Items

• Clean the Oven Top

• Purge and Clean Fridge

• Check on Supplies Stock

• Clean Cabinet Doors

• Clean Baseboards

morning devotions

2011-03-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

last saturday was such a magnificently warm day that we went outside in the morning. i grabbed my bible and coffee and then...i looked over and so did my little shadow. it absolutely warmed my heart. she told me she was "reading her bible." august on the other hand just blew bubbles. :)

baby jack is HERE...

2011-03-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

baby jack was born on thursday, march 3 at 3:06 in the afternoon. we are so excited to have a cousin/nephew. he is adorable and mommy and daddy are doing great!

8.2 oz and 19.5 inches. welcome, baby jack!

sick day sunday school

2011-03-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

unfortunately the girls have been sick a lot lately. and of course, it is always on the weekends, when A). we can't go to church and B). the doctors with a normal copay are not open...awe!!! anyway, one recent sunday i decided to give a short bible study lesson with, of course, an art project. it was on joseph and the coat of many colors. so, crazy thinking me, i let the girls sponge paint on some "jackets." it was so fun that we just sponge painted everywhere. at least it cleaned up easily. they had a blast-and so did i.

smuckers stars on ice

2011-03-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

mark scored us some free tickets to the stars on ice program at the honda center. we weren't sure how long the girls would last BUT they were soooo incredibly intrigued. they loved it and it was really fun to watch them get excited!

spring is right around the corner...

2011-03-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

enjoying some of those california rays. i am convinced spring is soooo close! see, the flowers are beginning to bloom....:)

playdate

2011-03-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

another great play date with gavin and caden. the day ended up being beautiful, so the kids were able to play outside and eat some yummy popsicles.

aren't they just so cute??!!

and the birthday finally comes to an end...

2011-03-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

here is the picture of the DELICIOUS cupcake melissa got for my belated birthday celebration...oh daddy! it was so good.

remnants of valentines...

2011-03-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

valentine's day pancakes in the shape of hearts, garnished with strawberries...not as easy as it may appear.  but...OH.SO.DELICIOUS

i LOVE painting my nails...in fact, along with a few friends at work, i am always looking for new ways to decorate...this was one of the valentine's day creations

valentine craft #4-repurposed frame

2011-02-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

i saw something like this on another blog and wondered if i had the things around the house to create something similar. this is what i came up with.

i forgot to take a before pic of the metal frame before i painted it red, so i just took a shot of the backside. i found this frame at my mom's house in some boxes of my old stuff from college. it is such a cool baroque looking frame, i knew i'd want to do something with it.

i spray painted the frame red

added some polka dot material and a white heart doile i found stashed away

and viola! a cute decoration for valentine's day

i put it in the kitchen next to a red candle (from christmas) and an apothecary jar full of heart candies (which will not last long in my house, i am sure)

valentine craft #3-the garland

2011-02-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

i cut out some hearts from card stock and had the girls help me paint them. i added some foam heart stickers i had left over from the valentine's day cards last year. i just taped them to some twine and hung them from the mantle. such fun, especially because the girls helped make them. to add some touch of whimsy, i added pink tulle to the ends of each.

this one is my favorite because august painted it-mixed the pink and the purple together...oops!

valentine craft #2-sweet blocks

2011-02-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

these are the latest holiday blocks...this year i decided to order vinyl letters. MUCH easier...and i think they turned out oh-so-cute! i got the letters from this great, easy-to-work with company called Writing on the Wall. and the best part...they weren't expensive either.

valentine craft #1-the cupcake liner wreath

2011-02-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

let me first say that i just love all the random holidays-like halloween and valentine's day. i think it is related to candy and colors-orange and black and pink, red, black, purple, chocolate, candy hearts, etc. even when i was single, i still loved all the colors and the candy hearts-not the reminders that i was single. i heard someone at work call valentine's day "singles awareness" day. i thought that was hilarious. so, sorry if this offends anyone :)

i wanted to make a few crafts to decorate for the holiday. i found this wreath at tatortots and jello (you really must check it out, but if you do, you'll see that hers is MUCH better than mine).

the finished product, hanging on the door!

materials: foam wreath, red ribbon, cupcake liners, hot glue gun

step #1: wrap the ribbon around the foam circle-it is actually pretty easy and i didn't have to glue it on-just at the end. i ended up running out of ribbon, so i decided to, instead of taking another trip to michaels, just put ribbon on part and the "exposed" green part would be where i would put the cupcake liners. the example one has the liners all the way around and it really looks good.

step #2: take the cupcake liners and bend or fold them two times. i folded about 5 to 10 of them before gluing

step #3: glue on the liners-which sounds easy and it is...just arrange them and fluff as you go

it really goes pretty quickly if you fold enough at a time

here is little boo, modeling in front of the finished product-i have a feeling i will end up adding the liners all the way around for my next one-hmm..what's next??? st. patrick's day! green it is!

the pantry redo

2011-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

the pantry was in desperate need of an overhaul..so, my little OCD finally kicked in and i stayed up until 12:30 one night organizing it. it is so nice and easy to find things now. i pride myself on organization but you'd never guess it if you looked at the pantry. well, i just couldn't have that! i grabbed my BFF-the label maker-and went to town. the pics don't do it as much justice, but i think you get the idea

BEFORE

AFTER

i love that i even labeled the "crackers"-as if you wouldn't be able to tell what they are. mark had fun giving me a hard time on that one-it is for when they are empty and we need to refill, we will know what goes in there...right??!!!

BEFORE

AFTER-addin' a little spice to my jars

a perfect so cal day

2011-02-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

this past martin luther king, jr day the fam decided we'd take a daytrip to somewhere fun. we decided to go to irvine regional park. it is such an amazing place to take the family. you pay $3 to get into the park, but it is worth it. they have a small zoo ($2/person-coupons online), a train ride ($4/person-1/2 off coupons on line), pony rides ($4/person), tons of FREE places to play and trails to ride bikes or walk. it was such a fabulous day. it felt like spring or summer-80 degree weather, shorts, t-shirts, sunscreen...oh, the joys! the girls are asking when we can go back.

this is august "calling" reesie to see if she is coming

this is addison "calling" her friends to see if they are coming

the grizzly bear just chillin'-seriously, hanging on the fence, as if to say, "hello, hows it hanging today?"

this is just before the train ride...gettin' an ice cream. august actually asked me to take this pic of her. it was so cute

august cried on the pony at first and then loved it-go figure

add loved it from the start

sarah's baby shower

2011-01-16T23:35:00.000-08:00

my dear sister in law is 8 1/2 months prego and just glowing and as beautiful as can be. she doesn't look prego until she turns around...yeah, you know the type...:) my mom and i had the priveledge of throwing her baby shower for her. it was an evening of desserts and appetizers. there were nearly 35 people there (phew), but it was so fun! i will have to add the pics of sarah when i get them on my computer, but for now, here are the decorations

(sorry about the weird brownish tent to some of the pics-i think it was the

lighting in the kitchen).

the "parting gifts." i found so many cute ideas for these online, but when you factor in buying 40 of them, um...not so much. this was a cute, cheaper alternative. valentine heart chocolates (because who doesn't really like chocolate???) along with a message that read, "please keep stephen and sarah in your HEARTS as they await the arrival of their BABY BOY." so, HEART translates to pray for them-or at least this was our hope. i totally messed up and put "hearts" plural...darn! as if we have more than one heart-oh well.

this was my sweet little $1 garage sale frame. i had just bought it that day and spray painted it a turquious color and staple gunned some twine to the back. i hung some pics of the two parents-to-be when they were younger and viole-a cute decoration. i am kinda kicking myself for not buying the other frame. it is now in our kitchen and looks oh-so-cute against the dark wood cabinet. i'll post more of what i scored that day in another post.

this was the cake-i'll spare you the long story and say that sarah's aunt, a professional cake decorator, made it. i was terrified it would have little teddy bears and baby bottles and be in a light blue shade...argh! i had wanted to go the route of more modern cupcakes. i was ultimately happy to hand the cake baton over to her though..and i have to say, it turned out cute. it was delicious, to boot (did i really just say that?)

one angle of the food spread (pinwheels, veggie bars, quiche, cheese and crackers, and a veggie platter with homemade ranch dressing, along with cake and cream puffs-my mouth is watering as i am typing this)

the new fun ap on my phone

2011-01-16T23:17:00.000-08:00


i think it is called "shake it." you can turn your photos into the look of a polaroid camera picture. this is my big girl, playing "what time is it, mr. fox?" with grandma in the backyard. she said the sun was too bright, so i loaned her my ginormous jackie-o sunglasses...

my lil sicky

2011-01-16T23:15:00.000-08:00

about a week ago mark woke up about 4:30 and said that addison felt really warm. her temperature was about 102.7. i have a history of spiking fevers and addison seems to have gotten that from me. so we didn't mess around and got her meds immediatelly. the fever didn't really go away and actually got up to 104.2, so i took her in. it turns out it was the flu-who knew! she didn't have any other symptoms. the fever lasted for close to 72 hours, but she was fine (thank you, Lord). while i was at the dr. i opened up a parenting magazine and found a list of the "Top OC Public Schools: 2010 API Ranking." for those that don't know, this is the score attached to your school after taking the state standardized tests. the higher the score, the better. anyway, our school was ranked at 135, so i had to take a picture.

there we are...#135- brea country hills elementary-score: 895

my poor little baby, just after the nasal swab to check for the flu-not such a happy camper, but she was so BRAVE!!!

when life gives you lemons...

2011-01-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. i decided when your bananas turn brown, you make banana bread. this is all part of our new goal to save money and use the food we buy before it goes bad and we have to throw it away. i couldn't bare to throw away the 6 bananas that had turned brown, so i made banana bread.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

the funny story is that the first time i made these (about a week ago) i accidentally used the 1/2 tablespoon measurement instead of TEASPOON...so, LOTS of salt and baking soda...mark said they tasted good, but i couldn't stand the salty taste...GROSS! i guess it was late or something and i wasn't paying attention. so, i wanted to used the last three bananas i had to make one more batch of muffins and actually get it right this time. i got everything out and started making them, but not before i placed the butter in the window box of the kitchen to soften the butter. i made the recipe, rereading to make sure i had properly made them, put them in the muffin tins and plopped them in the oven. it wasn't until a few minutes later when i was washing my hands that i realized i forgot the butter. oh gee wiz! so i took the muffins out of the oven, emptied them back into the bowl and added the butter. then i put it back into the tins and the oven. the chocolate chips were kind of melted, so the muffins turned out brown from the melted chocolate (hmm i could be onto something here). haven't tasted them yet, but mark says they are delicious.

you would think i have never made banana bread before. thanks, amy, for the recipe!

new year's goals

2011-01-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

i am not one to make new year's resolutions...partly because i think they are lame and partly because i know i will never keep them. so, this year i decided to make goals for a new year. goals that i hope to work on the entire year. as i was thinking about some new goals the Lord reminded me of a passage:

"through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. the Lord is my portion says my soul, therefore i hope in Him! the Lord is good to those who wait upon Him, to the soul who seeks Him."

Lamentations 3:22-25

His mercies are new every morning-that means each day is a new start with God! no matter how badly i have failed Him (or myself) the day before-i always wake up and have the opportunity of a fresh start. what a wonderful promise from our Lord. His compassions NEVER fail! they are new every morning.

so, here they are, in no real particular order:

1. read my Bible and pray more

2. spend more time with girls and not worry about all that needs to be done

3. show mark how much i love him

4. give more...time, $, etc????

5. get involved with missions

6. get back on work out schedule

7. eat more salad and veggies

8. spend less money

9. reach out to friends

10. play guitar more

11. pray for girls more specifically

12. share gospel with others more boldly

13. memorize scripture

i am sure the list will grow over time and i'd like to revisit it often, but now, i'll stick with my initial list. so, what are your goals???

happy new year!

blogging-where for art thou???

2011-01-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

oh blogging world...where have you been? oh wait, you have always been here, it is i that has been astray. even though i have been posting a few pics here and there, i feel like i have been away for such a long time-from writing on mine, to checking out others. i love browsing others' blogs for ideas for crafts, decorating, baking, etc and i feel like i haven't had the time-or made the time-to do that. so, i am spending some time today browsing and writing..yippee.

i love naptime! happy blogging!

here are some of my favorite sites to check out:

ashley's thrifty living

wonderfully made

dandelion and grey

new years eve

2011-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

we spent new years with our dear friends, the stenzels (asleep by about 12:20AM on new years day...oh how times have changed). they have two kids just about the same age as ours. katelyn is a year older and tyler is one month younger than august. they all get along so well, makes hanging out so fun and easy. it was freezing, but sunny so we went

for a ride to the park.

talking to santa

2011-01-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

ok...this is hilarious! no matter how much prepping, she still freaked out

umm....i want a kitchen for christmas, santa

this picture is priceless for me...sad too, that she is growing up

christmas breakfast

2010-12-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

the day before christmas addison saw a commercial with cinnamon rolls and asked if i would make them for christmas. how could i resist? so, i found a recipe online. oh, the story with this one is a doozy. i usually read all of the reviews that go along with the recipe BEFORE i make it, but with this one i didn't. i made the rolls and popped them in the oven...then read the reviews. out of 5 of them, 4 were negative! they all complained about how bad they were and how the kids wouldn't even touch them and they had to throw them away. i was pretty bummed they might not turn out. but, i waited, and 20 minutes later they came out...boy, they were DELICIOUS!!!! i don't know what those supposed "professional cooks" were thinking. they were so good, i made them two days later. i forgot the after shot, but at least got them before putting into the oven.

CHRISTMAS

2010-12-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

words are not even really needed here (but if you know me, well, i always have words)

...what a fun day!

found this my little pony at a garage sale for $.25-what a steal and she loved it!

the only time i could get them to stand still

the aftermath

"the kitchen"-awe...they are in heaven-we left it on the porch and had them find it after they opened up everything else for the morning. they were so excited, because they had both asked for it when they saw santa

the awesome wagon from grandma and grandpa go-kart (mark's parents)

christmas eve bike ride

2010-12-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

this is pretty much why we live in southern california...bike rides to the beach on christmas eve (so blessed!)...it was such a nice day, after 6 days of straight rain (nearly unheard of here). so we took advantage and went for a great ride.

christmas cookies with grandma

2010-12-28T16:07:00.000-08:00

we finally (re)started the new annual cookie tradition this year with the girls. i have always made them and the girls attempted to "help" (clearing of the throat)...this year they were actually really able to help, so we invited grandma. they were delicious: snowball cookies (pure delicious and melted in your mouth), sugar cookies with royal icing

and fondant icing, and fudge.

Christmas fudge

2010-12-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

**this recipe is so good and so easy. enjoy!

Microwave Fudge Recipe

2 c Miniature marshmallows
14 oz Can condensed milk
1 ds Salt
12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c Milk chocolate chips
1/2 c Nuts
1 1/2 ts Vanilla
In 2 qt. glass measure, combine marshmallows, milk, and salt. Microcook on HIGH 3-4 minutes. Stir until marshmallows melt and mixture is smooth. Add chips and stir until melted. Stir in nuts (may use up to 1 cup) and vanilla.
Line 8 or 9 inch square pan with wax paper. Spread fudge evenly in pan. Chill 2 hours, until firm. Turn on to cutting board, peel off paper and cut into squares.
Serves 32

kona marie...RIP

2010-12-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

well, our little doggie of nearly 8 years was put to sleep yesterday. poor little thing was really bad. she had kidney failure and possibly cancer. it was the saddest thing we have had to do in a long time. she went down hill very quickly too. she was such a good dog and mark and i bought her about 8 months after we were married. she was our baby before the girls were born. strange to close this chapter of our lives.

the advent pictures

2010-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

as promised (because i am sure you were on pins and needles...all 4 of you)-pictures of the advent set up i made. i wish i could really take credit, but i did get the idea from someone else. see an earlier post for the link and description.

the bedroom redo

2010-12-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

i forgot to take a before picture of the room and really didn't take too many pictures after-except these two. mark painted it this beautiful turqouis blue color and we added black and white accessories to match the black bedroom set we already had. it is FINALLY our haven.

christmas 2010

2010-12-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ye ol' Christmas tree hunt. doesn't really take us long anymore. we pretty much grabbed the 2nd or 3rd one we saw and went with it. it turned out so pretty, but a bit short. oh well, it still is a real, yummy smelling christmas tree.

soups on

2010-11-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

soup week continues...

the recipes for the tortilla soup and the potato cheese

tortilla soup

*1 can of each (don't drain-pour all into crockpot):

kidney beans

pinto beans

black beans

crushed tomatoes (large can)

*couple breasts of chicken (cubed-i used the already cooked chicken strips)

*1 packet of taco seasoning

*crunched up chips

combine all ingredients in a crockpot and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4

garnish with sour cream, more tortilla chips, cheese, and avocado and enjoy!

p.s. i doubled the recipe so i could have more later-doubled it should make enough for about 10 servings, i think)

potato cheese soup

i was so surprised how easy this actually was...and how good!
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup biscuit baking mix
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6-8 potatoes, boiled and diced (i left the skin on and it tasted great-too much work to peel)

1. cook carrots, celery and onion in butter in a 4 qt dutch oven until celery and onion are transparent (mine never really got too transparent, but i left it cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes)
2. stir in biscuit baking mix, chili powder, pepper and salt; remove from heat
3. gradually stir in chicken broth. heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly
4. boil and stir one minute
5. reduce heat, stir in half and half, cheese, and potatoes. heat until cheese is melted.
makes 6 to 8 servings.

a couple of helpful hints i learned today while making this:
*prepare the potatoes before hand (i boiled them about an hour before cooking the soup)
*cut all the carrots, celery, and onion and put on the stove while you do the next step
*measure out the other ingredients so it is easier to just pour in once the carrots, celery, and onion are finished

Christmas Advent cards

2010-11-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

it is so exciting to watch my girls get giddy when we talk about Christmas, afterall it is my favorite holiday too. we are working on covering all of the Christmas basics: we have established that we love Jesus more than Santa (Addison said it would hurt Jesus' feelings if we say we love Santa more-too cute). we have also established that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday. Well, that pretty much does it, huh?!!

i found this great idea for an advent calendar. i am so excited to start doing these fun things as the girls get older. i will post pictures later of how i did it, but for now, i'll post the link where i got the idea and the print out of the adorable numbers (click here for the link).

you can get an idea of what i did until i get the pics up.

each day includes:

-a small treat

-bible verse(s) telling the story of Christ's birth

-a family activity

i am hoping to start a new family tradition, so hopefully the envelopes don't get too messed up. let me know if you want a copy of the verses and activities.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

hair clips

2010-11-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

these are my newest hair clips.

what could be much better than feathers and bling for a little girl? :)

the craft fair

2010-11-28T23:14:00.000-08:00

i recently participated in a craft fair at my church. i was really nervous and had a hard time figuring out just why. i think it was because i was selling items that i had made and had really put so much of my time and heart into. i was worried that people wouldn't like the items. it ended up being so much fun and god really blessed me (all money i made is going toward christmas gifts for the fam). here is a glimpse of my table. i know it looks a bit like a hot mess of items, but i assure you, it was organized and cute (oh, that sounded so humble, didn't it).

spreading a little joy

2010-11-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

i LOVE these blocks-they are so festive and cute. i made BOO blocks at halloween and then a friend gave me the idea to make the JOY blocks...thank you, sandra!

they are so easy and so cute. they also make excellent gifts.

(hint, hint-visit my other blog where you can purchase them)

let them eat soup

2010-11-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

well, the cold weather is here and thus, we eat soup! well, the cold weather and my oven decided it didn't want to work any more {good thing i wasn't hosting thanksgiving!} this week i will share all the yummy soup recipes i am going to make. i am guessing most will be enough for two nights, so i may only share 3 or 4-depending upon how motivated i get.

this week's soup menu:

sunday: white bean chili
monday: tortilla soup
tuesday: potato cheese
wednesday: left over tortilla soup
thursday: left over potato cheese
friday: order pizza!!! :)

white bean chili
ingredients:
1 lb chicken cut and cubed (i use the already cut and cooked kind-i just cube it)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium cut onion chopped (i really only used about 1/2 of the onion-eyes were watering too much)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cans (14.5 oz) great northern beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans (4 oz) green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon crushed oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

1. sautee chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink (or if already cooked, about 4 to 5 minutes)
2. add beans, chilies, and seasoning
3. bring to boil, turn down to simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes
4. add sour cream and whipping cream and serve immediately
makes about 4-6 servings

old school leg warmers

2010-11-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

i wish i could say that i am creative enough to have come up with this craft on my own, but sadly, that wouldn't be the truth. i came across it at a blog called calico and realized i could make these for my girls. i looked through my sock drawer and found two pairs of socks that i don't wear very often and thought i'd test it out (thank you stephen and sarah for the pink moose pair-addy girl loves them). they turned out so cute. if you click on the link HERE you will find the tutorial.

BEFORE:

CUT:

SEW:

AFTER:

prayer board

2010-11-14T19:54:00.000-08:00

i was trying to think of a way to remember people i wanted to pray for. being a visual person, i thought seeing pictures might be a good way. so, i had some cork board laying around the house from another project i haven't quite gotten to. this is hanging on the cabinet as you walk out into the garage. everytime i walk by i'll see it and remember to pray for these people.

weekly dinner menu board

2010-11-14T19:50:00.000-08:00

this was made with an old, unused frame. i made sure there was a white background and wrote the MENU and the days of the week with a sharpie. i did check to make sure the sharpie would erase and it does, but just in case, i'll probably use a dry erase marker. a simple, fun, and cute project to add something new to your kitchen. a total cost of $nothing$

BEFORE:

AFTER:

repurposed table

2010-11-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

i bought this table at an antique store when i graduated from college. i instantly fell in love with it and used it for my computer and printer. when i got married it came along with me and was once again used for the computer. mark and i eventually got a bigger desk and mark wanted to give it away. oh, ye of little faith. i knew ONE DAY i would find a new place for it. well, my friends, that day has finally arrived. i moved the previous coffee table bench to the entry and needed a new coffee table to rest my feet, and well, my coffee. mark cut down the legs and viola-our repurposed desk is now a new coffee table. i think i might even like it more as a coffee table. thanks, mark!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

halloween

2010-11-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

so i am a little late in posting these halloween pictures! but...here they are...oh wait, the story first. it is quite comical and totally on par with the smith, party of 4 gang.

we were invited to a chili dinner, fall festival carnival, and trick or treating night with some friends from church. here are all of the "well" kids-mine didn't want to be in the picture.

we were pretty excited about it all. the day started out rather ~~chaotic~~ typical: church, lunch, naps, dressing in the costumes. i noticed addison was feeling a bit warm, but she acted normal (well, toddler normal). i painted these cute little butterflies on her face and on august's too (i am just in love with the looks on their faces-so hilarious-where oh where do they get this silliness?).

as we arrived at the party she was really clingy and did not want to eat, play with her friends, or do anything. here we are in our get-up...cowboy up!

at one point she actually said she needed to go to the bushes to throw up. so...as you can guess, she ended up throwing up. needless to say, we left the party and went home, only to have addison feel 100% better by the time we reached home. since she was feeling better i quickly dressed her and august and took some pictures. so typical for us...plans gone amuck! ended up being a fruitful evening though, mark painted the bedroom...:)

chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

2010-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

these are just about the BEST cookies i have ever made!...and quite easy, to boot. i found the recipe on one of the many blogs i follow but can't remember which one (so, sorry if you ever read this and i didn't give you any credit for it).

these are perfect for a crisp fall evening (after the chili and cornbread)

enjoy with a cup o' joe!

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (i used 2 cups for extra chocolate)

*preheat oven to 350. grease cookie sheets

*in medium bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. stir in the pumpkin and vanilla

*in separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.

*add chocolate chips and stir by hand (i did the rest with the kitchenaid)

*bake for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the oven (mine actually took about 16 or 17 minutes)-mine did not flatten, but looked more like fluffy small biscuits
(oops, forgot to take a pic of that step-the picture below is just before they went into the oven).

CREAM CHEESE ICING

(NOTE: this recipe makes enough for 2 batches of cookies. half it, if only making one batch...or save for other pumpkin recipes)

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 lb powder sugar (oh yes, one pound...geez)

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt (which i forgot to add and they still tasted delicious)

*add all ingredients and put a dollop on cooled cookies

fab fall fest

2010-11-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

my parent's church had a neighborhood outreach carnival the day before halloween, so we decided to take the kiddos over there for some fun. it sure is a good thing, too, because addison threw up on halloween and had a fever, so we didn't even get to go trick or treating...thankfully she felt better afterward and i was at least able to dress the girls and take some pics. they were both butterflies and mark and i were fitted in our western wear, ya'll. the chili dinner was fun while it lasted though (quite short-lived).

getting ready for halloween

2010-10-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

august's little puffy feet and toenails

addison's little feet and toenails

my lil cuties

2010-10-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

modeling my latest headbands. thanks, girls!

2010-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

garage sale find. two for $5. i love these over-sized pillows and they are quite comfortable too. bring on the garage sales!

before and after shutter

2010-10-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

i bought this shutter at an antique store in orange circle and mark laughed at me. anyway, i LOVED it and thought it would be so cute in our house. the color (as you can see) is this pretty green, but doesn't quite match the blue walls, so mark offered to paint it for me. he even found a place to hang it and surprised me with it...way to go, hubs!