Kitchen Stuff

Finally we are moving on the kitchen redo. Chuck took off Thursday and today so we could get some stuff done. Wednesday night we picked up the new counter top and yesterday we got started.

The first thing I did was wash everything that was setting out on the counters.


Everything is now nice and clean. It will be ready to come back into the kitchen or into the garage sale box. Very soon you won't be seeing those outdated blue counter tops in my pictures. Yeah!

The stove was pulled out and the microwave was taken down. All I can say about the stove is yuck! It will certainly be pulled out and cleaned more then once or twice a year.

After the stove and microwave was moved it was time to pull down the laminate that was behind the stove. We found the original kitchen walls.


Certainly vintage late 1950 early 1960's decor! I wouldn't want to see it everyday, but I admit it is fun seeing the way things were in the past.

I hope that we are able to get much accomplished over our long weekend. I look forward to sharing our progress next week. Have a great weekend!

No Cook Playdough

8 Tbs white flour
4 Tbs salt
2 tsp oil
2 Tbs water

Mix all but the water. Add water a little at a time. As it forms a dough, use hand to mix completely.

Playdough makes an appearance at my house often. I love that it allows Megan to be so imaginative.

Although Kool-Aid Playdough is still my favorite this was fun. I love the fact that it didn't involve boiling water so Megan was able to be more involved.

Have a great day!

I heart My Family

What a week! Monday started out great. I had the whole day planned out and we had just finished breakfast. I was cleaning up the kitchen and started to not feel well. I jumped in the shower and by the time I got out I was feeling worse. I ended up with a wonderful stomach virus. Yuck!

My wonderful parents came over and picked up Megan Monday morning. Thanks goodness, because I was feeling worse and worse. They keep Megan all day Monday and even feed Chuck & Megan before sending them home. Chuck dropped Megan off on his way to work Tuesday morning. Again my family came home with a full belly. Thanks Mom!!

Monday is my usual laundry day around here. Chuck came home Monday evening and dived into the laundry. What a man! Not only was he the laundry man he was also the Sprite and toast provider. Thank you!

Thankfully I am feeling much better, just still tired. I have tons of things to catch up on around here. I will slowly work through my list and if it gets done great and if not, there is always tomorrow!

Have a great Wednesday!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
I haven't started a new book yet. I couldn't get into the book I started last week so it has been shelved until later.

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans & Rolls

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Dust & Vacuum Living Room
Sweep & Mop Kitchen

New recipe I tried last week:
No new ones last week

In the craft basket:
Craft books with wonderful Spring ideas! I am for Spring.

Looking forward to:
Painting my kitchen and installing my new counter top!!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
When eating an orange save some of your peel. Put it down the garbage disposal for a wonderful fragrance.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Blissful Moments Okay, I know this is link to a blog and not a specific post. I stumbled across this blog and I couldn't get enough. She has "tot school" with her daughter and has some wonderful ideas. I can't wait to use some of them with Megan.

Favorite photo of the week:


This week I received the pictures of Megan's Valentine's Day trip to the Children's Museum with Grandma & Grandpa. I love this picture!

Lesson learned the past few days:
Be flexible! What I have planned may not necessarily be what will happen.

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:1 ion)
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Bedtime

I feel like this is a reoccurring theme for us... bedtime struggles.


How can someone who looks this sweet and happy cause her Mama so much frustration? Frustration to the point that at times I have shed tears. Oh, I know the answer. She is two, she is testing her limits and she is a normal little girl.

It began with Megan coming into our bed at night. Just couldn't have that because it really messed with our sleep. She is smart and soon realized that sleeping with us was a no go. We then started to find her asleep on our floor when we woke up. Really I was okay with that. We started to lay a blanket on the floor for her lay on and one for her to cover up with. We were just worried she would get cold.

It then progressed to the point where she would not get into her bed at night. I would love to say that I am a parent that tells her child to get into bed and she does. I can't because that would be untrue. She was laying on her floor and slowly moving out of her room into the hall. Some nights it was well after 9:30 before she fell asleep. This has gone on for several weeks and finally we decided that it had to stop.

Here is the solution:

A bedtime reward chart. Megan gets a star if she go into her bed and sleeps there. For nap time this is working perfect. I put her down and don't hear a sound out of her until she wakes up. Oh the peace!

For nighttime she is pretty good about going into her bed. We had an issue with her not wanting to last night, but we were firm. She cried and called for us, but we knew that she was fine. (Her door was open and I could see her from where I was sitting.) She never got out of bed and only fussed for about 10 minutes.

She still isn't staying in her bed all night. I have been rewarding her with half a star and giving lots of praise for laying in her bed and going to sleep. I consider this progress.

The reward is that once she earns 30 stars she can go to the store and pick out a toy. Although this has been frustrating I still feel fortunate. This is the only behavior issue that we have with Megan. The rest of time if she starts to misbehave we warn her that a time out is coming and the behavior usually stops. Thank goodness because although I know it is necessary it is hard on a Mama's heart to disciple.

Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday

It's that time of week again to share what we're working on. I am still working on the corner cabinet. My wonderful hubby moved it out into the garage so the mess wouldn't be in the house. We found this wonderful wallpaper behind it when we moved it out.

Isn't it pretty? Luckily it is only a sheet and a half so it should be easy to take down.

I have the corner cabinet almost half done.

I am only removing the paint on the outside of the cabinet. The inside will get a light sand and then a coat of paint. I am thinking about painting it the color of the walls (a yellow)so it looks like it was built directly against the wall. Then the outside of the cabinet will be red.

This basket is my Goodwill find.

I will be painting it black and placing red pip berries in it. I haven't decided if it will go in the kitchen or in the living room. I need to try it out before I decide.

Well, that is what I have been working on this week. Be sure to visit Leslie @ My Country Home to see what others have been working on.

Happy Tuesday!

I am now feeling a little more on top of things. I finished my swap packages on Friday and Chuck mailed them for me on Saturday. Sorry no sneak peek!

I did a quick clean of the kitchen and then dusted and vacuumed the living room. It is amazing how such little things can make you feel so much better. I love a freshly dusted room. I think it smells so refreshing.

I worked on laundry and after five loads the only dirty clothes are the ones from yesterday. Yeah! I wish I could say laundry is done, but not quite. I need to wash a load of towels and sheets. I think I can handle that!


My helper thought it fun to put on a fashion show while folding clothes!

Since I am not feeling the best (just a cold) I plan to putter around the house. I hope that by doing a little bit here and there that by the end of week I will have accomplished lots.

I am off to start a load of towels and make breakfast. Have a great day!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
They Call Her Mrs. Doc by Janette Oke

On my TV:
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Chicken Casserole, Green Beans & Blueberry Muffins

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Dust & Vacuum Living Room

New recipe I tried last week:
No new ones last week

In the craft basket:
Taking a craft break this week.

Looking forward to:
Sanding and painting a corner cabinet in my kitchen. Yes, I am still working on this!

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Before storing tomato based items in plastic wear coat with non-stick cooking spray. This prevents the plastic wear from getting stained.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Linda's Valentine's Day Post @ Behind My Red Door."What means more to me are all the little things DH does day in and day out to show he loves me." That is exactly how I feel!

Favorite photo of the week:



Picture of my window box from summer's past. I am dreaming of warmer weather!

Lesson learned the past few days:
Life is too short to be worried about perfection. Sometimes it is better to just be happy, even if your home is a mess!

On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:1 ion)
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13:13

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Away

No, I am not going somewhere great. I will actually be at home. Honestly I am feeling overwhelmed. I have too many things going on ... swap packages to get out, half finished projects everywhere I look, a house in need of a good cleaning and I am just plain tired. I will be concentrating on the important things... family, home and some much needed sleep.

I might be stopping by during my down time, but won't be posting until Monday. Wishing you a great week and weekend!

Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday

It is that time again to share what I have been working on. I haven't gotten as much accomplished as I would like. I have to remind myself that I have a two year and you all know a two year old requires lots of love and attention.

I have been wanting to try my hand at stitchery for a while. I finally did it! Something very simple for Valentine's Day.

Not perfect, but I learned some things to do differently next time. There will certainly be a next time. This could be addictive!

We are still working on our kitchen. It is going much slower then we expected, but we want to do it right. Chuck is currently patching some of the walls in preparation for paint. We hope to at least have it primed this weekend.

I have also started working on the corner cabinet. This is what it currently looks like.


I started sanding the bottom doors. The plan was to give them a quick sand and paint. Well one thing leads to another. The paint was coming off so easy with the sander that I am just going to take all the paint off and go down to the bare wood.

That is what I have been working on this week. Stop by and visit Leslie at My Country Home to see what other have been up to.

Tuesday

I spent most of yesterday morning out and about. I went to Kohl's and hit the clearance rack and was able to get Megan a winter coat and snow pants for next year. I also found some summer shirts for Chuck. He is so hard to buy for. I brought the shirt home got the okay and then we went back last night to buy some more. The sign listed them as on sale for $10.40 but they were ringing up for $10.40 plus buy one get one free. Yes!

Megan and I spent the afternoon doing a little crafting.


We made valentine cards for the grandparents. She was a very happy girl because glue was involved in the project. I was so proud of Megan for writing her M! She is becoming such a big girl.

This is the sewing machine that I picked out on Friday.


It is the same as the one that my mom has. She gave it her stamp of approval and so far I am loving it. Sewing is new to me and I am itching to start my first project. I hope to begin it during nap time today.

I am off to finish the laundry and sand on cabinet doors. Have a great day!

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
Haven't started a new book for this week. Will be picking one out soon.

On my TV:
The Waltons
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Steak Sandwiches, Fries, Salad

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Mop kitchen floor
Errands
Pack up Megan's baby items for my sister-in-law

New recipe I tried last week:
No new ones last week

In the craft basket:
Valentine stitchery

Looking forward to:
Sanding and painting a corner cabinet in my kitchen.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
Using vinegar as rinse aid in the dishwasher is just as good as the store bought stuff... just much cheaper.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
31 Days of Prayer for my Husband series by Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM
Love this idea!


Favorite photo of the week:

This picture was taken on an afternoon drive. I love old farm houses, especially if they have a large front porch.

Lesson learned the past few days:
When your noodle loving child refuses to eat noodles really listen to why she won't eat them. She keep calling them spider noodles. We thought she just wasn't getting that they were called spiral noodles. Nope, she thought we really said we were feeding her spider noodles!


On my Prayer List:
My husband & daughter
Brian, my brother-in-law

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This is something that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Organizing: Spare Closet

I didn't mean to miss two days of posting. I have caught a cold and have been feeling a little under the weather. I am starting to feel better now, other then I still feel like I have a Rudolph nose!

This closet is in our third bedroom. This is where we have our treadmill and computer. It tends to be the room where things get dumped. Especially in the closet. Here are the before and after pictures.





I had a container of toys in the closet for my nieces. They were some older toys that Megan wasn't able to play with when she was younger. Now that she is older all of Megan's toys have been moved out. The only exception to that is the crayons and coloring books. They are housed in the nightstand that is in the closet. I have a fear of stepping into Megan's room and seeing crayon on all the walls. So for now they will stay in the spare room.

I still need to do Megan's room, but I am dreading it. All of the toys that have been taken out of the living room and spare room have been put in Megan's room. It is a disaster. I am hopeful that I can get to it next week. I really need to some motivation to get in there.

I am off to start my day. I am planning to go sewing machine shopping today. I am so excited! Then we have plans to go for dinner tonight. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Happy Homemaker Monday

On my bedside table:
A Promise for Spring by Kim Vogel Sawyer

On my TV:
Disney
Tonight will be Jon & Kate Plus 8

On the menu for tonight:
Dinner at the in-laws

On my To Do list:
Laundry
Reading
Tidy up house
Babysit

New recipe I tried last week:
No new ones last week

In the craft basket:
Valentine garland

Looking forward to:
A quiet week at home.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
If you don't have a grill brush you can rub a piece of aluminum foil over the grill to clean it.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
Being Heldby Katy @ Country Blossom.

Favorite photo of the week:
Why sleep in perfectly good bed when there is the floor!

Lesson learned the past few days:
It is better to complete one task well then to have ten task started and nothing completed.

On my Prayer List:
My husband

Devotional, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7


This is something new that Sandra @ Diary of a SAHM is hosting. Be sure stop by and wish her a great Monday!

Valentine Wreath

I have been wanting a Valentine wreath for my front door for a long time. When I saw a wreath similar to this on one of those tear off pad at the craft store I knew I could modify it.


For this project you will need:

10 inch heart wreath
10 pieces of scrapbook paper
spray adhesive
glue gun
ribbon

Using spray adhesive attach two pieces of scrapbook paper; back sides together. Cut into 1"x5" strips.


Make loops out of the strips, securing with hot glue.


Glue strips to wreath and then add ribbon.


Total cost for this project was about $8.00. The wreath was $2.99 and the paper was $5.00. I had the glue sticks and ribbon in my craft stash. Happy crafting!