Pumpkin Adventures

We had a chance to go to Pumpkin City

for a few pictures and some fun

with our friends,

Archer and Beau...Simon got to squeeze and snuggle his favorite

little baby boy, Beau...

we ran into the Carsons
as we do every year at Pumpkin City...
Simon and Lucy are VBS buddies
(and sure make a cute couple!!!)
Simon and Archer got to go on a train ride...
that almost ended up to be a
shoving match...
BOTH boys would not let go of the bell
during the ride-
there were tears and yelling...
it actually made me laugh so hard
because I couldn't believe they were going at it so much....

just to hold the bell!
"Work It Out" as we Mommies like to say;)

The night ended up with some cute pics and
three VERY tired boys!

Then, the next morning was Kids Club...

Super Heroes RULE!
Which Super Hero looks more authentic?

This bunch of kids is GROWING all the time!

Just got baby TWINS added to the bunch!

Happy Harvest Time Everyone!!

Have FUN!!

5 Minute, $5 Meal for Two

I HAD to share this SPEEDY recipe with you!!!

Get a can of Enchilada Sauce,

black beans,

roasted peppers from Trader Joes,

shredded jack cheese,

and tortillas.

Next, get an 8" x 8" pyrex dish,

put PAM in it and get all your supplies ready.

Put your tortillas down first.

Layer with black beans,

one or two roasted bell pepper,

wrap up and repeat.

You can get four or five enchiladas in this sized pan.

Then, pour over enchilada sauce,

sprinkle on some cheese,

and cook on 350 degrees for 35 minutes or

until golden and bubbling on top.

It is SUPER YUMMY...
less than $5 for TWO people to eat,
and takes literally 5 minutes to prep.
TRY IT!!!

Chow for now!

First Ever Field Trip with my Boy!

What a day today...

my first ever ever field trip with my big preschooler!

We headed to Tanaka Farms in Irvine

with all 12 of his classmates, plus the AM class....
which included his sweet cousin, Ryan.
we are lucky enough to have to the same teachers,
but different classes.
The great thing is...
we get to spend
Field Trip Days together!
Whoo-Hoo!!!

Only five months apart,
these boys adore each other and
his mommy and I are
soooooooo happy!
Family get togethers are like a BIG
playdate!!

Simon got to walk through Corn Mazes....

Pick his (least favorite) veggie, radishes....
but he quickly changed his mind after I cooked
the BEST dinner
with some Olive Oil and stir-fried in those home-picked veggies:)


and yummy carrots....

and of course, green beans....

finally, he got to pick his own 'lil pumpkin....

PERFECT for our Harvest decor at home!

We LOVE Preschool and ALL the adventures Mrs. Summers

brings us on!

I LOVE being a Mommy

and am honored to be able to stay at home with him

and spend these priceless memories with my sweet boy.

I am one grateful Mommy!

Simple Seasonal Tea Towel Tutorial

Okay Ladies...

here's another simple gift that you can make

for pennies,

and give away as a gift.

Here we go...

First, get some fabric

and some shapes of seasonal items

that you want to put on your tea towels.

I chose simple, triangular Christmas trees

and holly with berries.

I bought a 5-pack of flour sacks,

otherwise known as tea towels...

there in the dish towel section at Target.

Wash and iron the flour sacks FIRST.

Then, trace your holiday items onto Heat N Bond.

Next, iron the Heat N Bond to the fabric.

Then peel off the white paper backing

(like this picture shows).

Next, iron the fabric

(with the sticky side facing the flour sack).

I made a triangle tree and added a small brown trunk.

For the holly,
I traced it out of a Christmas book,
and followed the same instructions as above.

After your items are ironed on,
sew along edge with your sewing machine...


like so!
Then add some jumbo rick-rack
and pin underneath the holly.
Sew that up on both ends.
Don't forget to tuck both ends under on both sides
and secure with sewing machine
to avoid fraying.


I actually sewed the rick-rack by going up and down
in the curves.

Iron afterwards,

and you are DONE!

These are really nice gifts for...

Teachers,

Hostesses of Holiday Parties,

Parents,

Grandparents,

and Friends.

If you don't feel like sewing,

I have a few left!

$6 Each

or 2 for $5

Email me if you want them

and I'll send them your way!

Happy Sewing!

EASY Personalized Name Sign

This craft is super easy and under $2 to make!

First, take an old piece of wood from somewhere in your house...

this is an extra shelf that we didn't use

in our entertainment center.

Dave cut it in half and spray painted it white. Next, I cut out letters that spelled 'Lauren,'

which makes this sign nice and personal.
Then I Mod Podged the letters onto the sign.
Next, I painted a layer of Mod Podge over the top of the letters
to make a coating and adhere them to the sign.


Finally, Dave drilled holes in the top &
put wire so she could hang it.
Next, I added an accent ribbon at the top
and made a paper flower for the corner.
I hot glued the flower layers togther,
and used Gorilla Glue to stick it to the sign.


All done!
This is really a great idea for birthday gifts,
or any occassion that you need to bring a present.
If you have the supplies around the house,
get Mod Podge on sale at Michaels,
then you should be good to go!
Happy Crafting!

Nothin' Better!

Had a rough few weeks this past while...

just life, that's all!

Nothin' Better than seeing

your sweet boy

playing, laughing, running, & lovin'

on his buddies.

Oh...how I needed a night just to hang with the mommies...

and watch my boy have the time of his life!

When you have a blue day...

I highly reccommend

you taking your kids out with some friends....

and sit back....

and just watch....

listen...

and savor every minute!

Hearing the laughter of children is the sweetest sound to your soul.

Trust me!

It makes you realize how blessed you are...

how thankful you should be daily...

and what a gift that children are to all of us.

Enjoy your day, my fellow Mommies!

Making Muffins with My Little Man

Simon and I have a FAVORITE muffin mix that we make together!

Seriously...these are the BEST muffins ever!

Very healthy,

you can sneek in veggies and fruits,

and they are satisfying to eat & fill your tummy up!

The recipe is at the bottom.

You can exchange the carrots for zuchinni,

the apples for bananas,

or whatever you choose.

Hope you try it!

Bran Flax Muffins
1 1/2 Cups Rice Flour (or white flour)

3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal

3/4 cup Oat Bran or Almond Meal

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots

2 peeled & shredded apples

1/2 raisens (optional)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

3/4 cup Milk

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix together all dry ingredients.

STIR in carrots, apples, raisens, & nuts.

COMBINE milk, eggs, and vanilla.

POUR liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.

STIR until ingredients are moistened.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Check with a toothpick before taking out of oven.

Enjoy!

Twins...TWO for One Tutorial!

Hi Crafters!

Here is a cute gift idea for some

TWINS that you know!

First, pick some fabric that could work

for both a boy and a girl.

Start with a onesie.

Iron on Heat N Bond on three different fabric colors.

Cut out in circles, going from largest to smallest.

Sew on top of them to secure.

Cut out a large circle..

I used a cereal bowl.

Take a needle and thread and make a yo-yo.

Basically, weave the needle in and out along the folded edge.

Then pull the thread.

This will tighten the yo-yo into shape.

Secure the center of the yo-yo with the

needle and thread again to keep it together.

Then, handsew it to the top of the circles.

This creates dimension and flair for the flower.

Next, I took a one-inch ribbon,

and twisted it along the right side of the onesie.

This created a stem.

I sewed along the center to secure in place.

Then I made a little leaf with the extra ribbon.

For the skirt, I took a half yard (or less) of fabric.

I sewed it right side to right side.

Then I made a waist band by

ironing one inch down on one end.

I sewed it on the closest edge near the iron fold,

which left enough room for the elastic to go through.

Don't forget to leave an inch or so open for the elastic.

I took a safety pin and attached it to the elastic.

Next, I threaded it through the waistband,

sewed the elastic together,

then sewed up the fabric waistband.

I added some cuteness to the bottom of the skirt.

The bottom was folded under and ironed to make a nice seam.

I sewed on these red balls along the very edge.

The skirt is done...

simple.

sweet.

cute.

Here's the finished look!

Okay....now for the boy outfit.
I took a onesie,
and some matching fabric from the girl's skirt.
I ironed on Heat N Bond,
then traced and cut out a long neck tie.

I peeled off the backing and ironed it to the onesie,
smack-dab in the middle.
Then sewed along the edges.

Next, I hand traced TWO sides of a vest
that matched the measurements of the onesie.

I pinned over the long neck tie.
Then sewed along the edges.

I added some handsewn buttons to finish it off.

ALL DONE!

Phew!

This took me a few hours or so to make,

but it was well worth it.

HUGE congrats to the Heinrich Twins...

we love you already sweet ones!