Baby Giraffe rattles

Melanie got me started and now obsessed with Pinterest, thanks a lot MEL!! haha!  I do love it, just spend a bit too much time pinning.  But the other day I saw these darling little giraffe rattles, so I had to make some!  There are many, many women in my ward that are pregnant at this time, so I thought I would whip up some cute baby gifts.

 I think they turned out really cute!  I just put a little rattle in them, so as not to annoy the parents, but still entertain the babe.

Rachel

Christmas Wreaths

This is a wreath idea I got from a girl I work with.  It is made out of a simple wire hanger, about 60 shatterproof ornaments and a big, festive bow.  I made two of them, however, I did not get them made before Christmas was over and I did not get to hang them on either side of my garage!  Next year, it will look amazing!  

Here is a closer view. . . 

1.  To make these fun wreaths, find a nice wire hanger, like the kind you get at the dry cleaners. 

2.  You will untwist the hook part of the hanger with the rest of the hanger and bend and shape until you have a nice circular shape at the bottom.

3.  Go ahead and start putting on the bulbs in any order you'd like, adding from the non-hook end.  Don't worry about arranging them because they will arrange themselves and change whatever you did.  For mine with the two tones, I tried to do about 2 or 3 gold for every 2 blues.  I also used different sizes and I think it turned out really well!  Just a side note, this part can be a little frustrating towards the end because the bulbs will start to pop off of their hooks as you get close to having a full hanger.  Don't give up though, it will look amazing!

4.  Once you are satisfied with the amount of bulbs you put on there, go ahead and re-wind the hanger back together.  You will notice I went on and bent the top hook of the hanger all the way down so it would fit nicely onto either a doorhook or a nail.

5.  If you are good a making bows, make a nice, big bow to cover the hanger at the top.  If you are not as talented in that area, it is ok, there are many beautiful bows at any of the department stores throughout Christmas time for a reasonable price!

6.  Last but not least, show off your unique wreath for all to see!

Filters

So I've been meaning to post this for a while but just keep forgetting. I have found and heard of a couple good filters for your home computers. There is a lot of crap out there on the computer, and I think these are great for protecting your families. This first one, OpenDNS is a filter on your router so it will protect any device that is used on it, (computers or phones or whatev), you can click here for the first one. It's easy to install, just follow the instructions.



The second one is called K9 web protection, and it just goes on the one computer you install it on, and that one you can find here.


On both of these you can create your settings of everything you want blocked. You can also put in certain website you'd like blocked. However you'd like to customize it to your own families needs. And as the women of the house I think it's good for you to be the one to put it on, and to be in charge of the passwords and blocks and everything, just for preventative measures. But that's my own personal opinion. Anyways, take it or leave it, but just thought I'd share.

--Michelle--

Here is one just for the kids!  It is awesome and it is just $4.99 for THE YEAR!  www.kangaplace.com.  Try a free 30 day trial and if you don't love it, no worries, don't pay the $4.99.

Basically, you can either have this set as your home page or just have the icon on your desktop and teach your kids where to go.  You follow the steps and build a "pouch" for each child in your home with their favorite games, ones you already approve of and know are safe, and then when they want to play the computer, they log onto their pouch and can play any of the games in there.  It is brilliant!  If there is a website you know is fine and is not in their preapproved games, they have steps to add that too. 

These are my friends who created this website and I am so proud to recommend it.  It really is fantastic.  My kids LOVE it and so do I.  I feel completely confident they are safe while playing the computer now and they know what they can do.  We have added websites they play at school to so they can do school stuff as well.  I hope you enjoy this too!

--Stacy--

Scripture Reading

So all through seminary and religion classes I would for the most part read the sections (Book of Mormon Part 1 &2 Old Testament, New Testament etc. ) we were studying, so with that being said, sadly & embarrassing to say I've never read the Book of Mormon all the way through until I was 22.  And I really have to make goals to read everyday, because I slack off a lot. So I was on Pinterest at the beginning of the year and found this...

                                             

You can find it here. And I'm so excited! I've been doing awesome! You read about 7 pages a day. And that's the other funny part, is when I would read my scriptures I would usually just read like a chapter or a couple verses, whatever I had time for. And now doing this it's easy ready that much at a time. So that's my resolution this year...to read all of the scriptures! I just printed off the schedule and put it in the front of my scriptures and mark it off everyday. So i'll send out the invite for whoever wants to join me in my endeavor! :)

--Michelle

Christmas Jars

A couple of years ago a neighbor gave us a book called "Christmas Jars" by Jason F. Wright.  I immediately read the book and loved it!  I had Austin read it and he loved it and the idea behind the book.  So we started a Christmas Jar.  At the time we were poor residents hardly spending any money at all, but that first year we were able to give away about $60 in change that we had collected.  And WOW! I cannot tell you how wonderful of a feeling it is to help someone else like that.  Seriously.  It is such a good lesson for a family.  My kids are SO excited every single time they add money to the Christmas Jar.  Every year about a month before Christmas, during Family Home Evening, we challenge the kids to think of someone to give our Jar to, and this year they had a suggestion that night.  It had already been on their mind and they had been thinking of who could use it!  I was so proud of them.  We used their suggestion and they were again SO EXCITED when it came time to deliver the JAR.  What a wonderful lesson for children. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book to every family. 

Neighbor Gifts

This is what we did this year for neighbor gifts.

We gave the root beer to our neighbors that we didn't know very well

And gave the gum to our friends.

--Michelle

Tortilla Pizza

We had these tortilla pizza's at my mom's house this past visit.  They were delicious and so easy.  The boys loved it because they could make their pizza just how they like it and felt like they had a HUGE pizza all to themselves. 

Ingredients Needed:

Flour Tortillas (two per pizza)

Pizza sauce (homemade or your favorite canned)

Cheese

Any other toppings you like:

Pepperoni, Sausage, Olives, Mushrooms, Peppers, Pineapple, etc

You start with one tortilla on your cooking sheet.  Add a small layer of cheese, followed by your second tortilla.  Add your pizza sauce and build the rest of you toppings to your preference.  They take about 15-20 minutes to cook on 350°.

The Pizza Sauce we used, I got from www.allrecipe.com.   The direct link to it is: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/exquisite-pizza-sauce/detail.aspx.  It is called Exquisite Pizza Sauce.  I thought it was really tasty.  I did not have any marjaram or cayenne peper on hand so I did not put any in it and it was still delicious.  It calls for:

1 can (6oz) Tomato Paste

6 oz Warm Water

3 Tbsp Grated Parmasean Cheese

1 tsp Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Honey

3/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram

1/4 tsp Dried Basil

1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/8 tsp Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, anchovy paste, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
2. Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

Enjoy- Stacy

Raspberry Jello Dessert

This Jello recipe was given to me by one of my sisters, Heather!  It is so yummy and easy!    I just took a double batch to our church's Christmas Party and is was gone fast!  I thought is was kind of festive too!  Here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy too!

1 Small pkg Raspberry Jello

1 16 oz Container of Yogurt (raspberry flavored if you can find it, if not strawberry or vanilla)

1 container of cool whip

1 16 oz bag frozen raspberries

First mix the yogurt and the jello together.  Then fold in the cool whip.  Finally, just before serving, add the raspberries. 

I have not tried it with other flavors but I bet would be delicious with others like strawberry!

Stacy

Christmas Gingerbread Houses

So my family has a tradition each year that before Christmas, we decorate a Gingerbread house for a family night.  We let the boys do all of the decorating after we have pieced it together.  This year, I found this cute 5 house set at Walmart for about $10.00.  What a steal!  The boys each got to decorate their very own and we still had some left over that we decorated with friends later. 

~Stacy~

Mary's Baby Shower

Here are a few pictures from Mary's Shower. It turned out really nice.

Hope everyone had a fun time!

Add more photos if you have them!

Enjoy!

Rachel

Breakfast smoothie

Lately I have also been trying to eat a little more healthy.  I try to work out 4-5 times a week.  Before I start my workout I have been trying these Access bars from Meleluca.  They say they turn fat into fuel.  I am not sold on them yet.  Then I do my workout, which by the way... I LOVE the Jillian Micheals DVD's, no kidding, I work harder in those videos than any other workout, including 1 1/2 hrs of basketball! Anywho, After my workout I make myself a breakfast smoothie.  It is similar to Michelle's, but different. 

1/2 C. yogurt
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. frozen fruit  (I have a freezer full, but my favorite is peach with a few strawberries)

Blend and drink.

LOVE IT!!

I am not a great one at drinking milk, so this gets me my milk and some extra calcium in the yogurt.  I really do love this for breakfast.

Enjoy!

Rachel

Yummy, yummy soup

I LOVE shrimp.  So anytime I see a new recipe for shrimp I like to try it.  Kennedy and I would watch Rachael Ray together sometimes when Tori was at school.  One day she had this as her demonstration, and I literally tried it that night... I was not disappointed!  It is so good.  I can't wait until it starts to turn cold so I can make this soup.  Making it tomorrow!!!  Happy day!

Sausage and Shrimp in one pot

Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage or 1 pound of links, split from casings
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 pound large, peeled, deveined shrimp
A handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a handful, chopped
1 loaf ciabatta bread (Ijust made my own french bread)

Heat a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat with EVOO, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the sausage, crumble and brown 3-4 minutes then add peppers, onions and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more so the vegetables start to soften.

Add tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, stir and bring up to a boil. Add shrimp and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook 5 minutes, uncover and stir in basil and parsley. Turn off heat.

Crisp bread in the hot oven. Serve stoup in shallow bowls with crusty bread alongside for mopping.

I will post a picture when I make it again this week.

Enjoy!
Rachel

Baby Weight

So it's been three months since I had Brynlee..and a couple weeks ago I just had it with my body and decided I really need to get serious if I'm going to loose this dang baby weight. So I decided to eat REALLY healthy and see what that does for me. So I talked to Mary who is an expert at being skinny (and knowing how to get there) and she helped me decide what I needed to do. I had took all of my body measurements about a month ago, because I was hoping I'd be able to loose a lot in a month, so I was doing some little work outs, measured myself two weeks later...nothing. So thats when I talked to Mary! And came up with a little menu. In a week an half I have lost 11.5 inches and 7 pounds! And I have done workouts at least 3 days a week. Anyways for breakfast I have an amazing smoothie! Here's what I put in it....

3/4 cup of ice

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 whole banana

6 to 7 frozen strawberries (you can get a 6lb bag at Costco for like 8.50)

1 tbsp honey

about 3/4 cup either skim milk or apple juice (yummy fresh apple juice I got from making apple sauce) but you could use any juice, milk or just water.

Blend it all up and it's AMAZING! I love it! I know oatmeal is really good for you...but I HATE eating it the normal way, but this way it gets your dose in and tastes amazing!

 I also went to Costco it get a HUGE bag of spinach! I think it was like a 4 lb bag. And sometimes I do make green smoothies and put some spinach in that also. But what I really use it for is salad's. And they also taste AMAZING! I load on the veggies like tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, cucumbers, avocados or whatever else you'd like. Then I'll put boiled eggs and make up some chicken to put on top. It's SO yummy...and filling!  I use a raspberry vinaigrette. Sometimes I also put a lot of fruit on and that's yummy too.

And if I don't have that for lunch then I'll have it for dinner...or I'll just make up a nice little talapia or chicken dinner with a veggie and some fruit. It's working for me. After Halloween I just had it! I was eating like total crap so I decided I needed to just eat totally healthy...and I love it!

-Michelle

Free Gift

The blog howdoesshe is celebrating their "2 year anniversary" and is teaming up with a company called Paper Coterie and giving everyone a $30 credit on their site towards whatever you'd like, you just have to pay the shipping. So I just got on there and they have some cute things, I'm going to do myself  a cute little calendar. Check it out here! http://www.howdoesshe.com/happy-birthday-howdoesshe-free-gift-for-everyone

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are amazing. Whenever fall hits this is my go-to recipe! It's simple and it makes a lot of cookies.

1 cup canola oil
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla

Mix these together and then add:

2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
5 1/2 cups flour

Mix together and then add

large package of chocolate chips (the more the better)

Put spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake @ 400 for 13 minutes

(Note, brandname Pumpkin like Libby's makes for the best tasting cookies.)

Enjoy!
-Meagan