Nursery Wall Art {Get it Done Already}

 

I'm hoping that Nan has inspired you all to Get it Done Already with those cute throw pillows. I was actually at a Walmart over the weekend and spied some similar fabric that she used for those pillows and then had to remind myself that I already have a looooong list of things I need to get done!

Top of my list: Nursery Wall Art

 

I've had a sign similar to this one pinned on my "Must Craft Soon" board for a long time now. This last summer I made strides by getting my hands on a uber cheap cabinet door and thought, "this is what I will use for my sign." Then the door sat. And sat. I got a cute shade of teal paint. And it sat. And sat.

 

Then the gal I borrowed the paint from needed it back {I'd had it since December} So I painted it really quick and as it sat drying I realized I needed some more supplies to finish the project and so it sat....and sat.

 

A few months {yep months} later I got the supplies that wanted and moved foreword with the lettering. I used the trusty Silhouette to cut out my letters. Goodness I love that thing! I'm one of those crafters that needs to get it done right the first time or I don't do it at all. Be sure to measure your board to figure out height & spacing of the letters. I also like to use scrap pieces of paper to get a little closer to those measurements and lay it out before I move forward with cutting.

 

After cutting out my letters {keep the stencil part of the paper!!!!} I created the layout like I wanted it.

 

Then I stenciled {see you are going to use that paper} the letters on with a pencil....can you see it or is it too faint?

 

 

Then ....and this the BIG secret to perfect hand lettering. Get a paint pen and retrace the stencil. The paint pen creates a great outline. Be sure to test it out on a piece of paper before writing on the actual sign. After it's dry take your paint & a small brush and fill in the letters.

After I did this the sign was well...technically finished, but I was contemplating ageing it to make it look vintage and then I thought maybe I should create some kind of a knot to place through those two holes on the bottom {where the handle used to be} the sign then....yep you guessed it....sat for a few more months while I tried to decide what to do.

I guess this post could be re-labeled as "Get it Hung Up Already" because after weighing my options to age or not to age {which if you are going to age a sign you need to have that in mind before you even paint - if you want it done right} and realizing that I could be making a perfectly cute sign ugly {you can't go back after you age a piece.} I decided to leave it be and hang it up.

 

So there you go. After months and months it's done and up and I love it!

Do you have a craft that needs to get done? Get it Done Already and join us at the end of the series for a linky party where you can show it off!!

Back to School: Breakfast on Hand

For me going back to school meant the end of two things:
1. Sleeping in
2. a "fancy" breakfast
Gone are the days of casually making Paula Deens Praline French toast in your jammies while the kids watch cartoons. It's a whirlwind of backpacks, homework papers, signed forms, lunch boxes & car horns and somewhere in that chaos breakfast needs to be had. I am going to share a fabulous list with you of breakfasts that can be made ahead {or quickly} and on hand for on-the-go portability. I've tried all of these and they all have my Go-To Breakfast stamp of approval!{click on the title and it will take you to the recipe}

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal by Nutmeg Nanny

So this one is to be made when you have a little more time in the morning, but the leftovers are good!! {if there are any} This makes your whole house smell like yummy vanilla and not only is it good and good for you - it will keep you full. Baby S. ate 4 helpings of this in one sitting....yeah it's that good!!

 

 

 Blueberry Waffles by Add A Pinch

Hands down the BEST blueberry waffle I have had to date. And the best part? This makes a great big batch that is perfect for freezing! Leggo of those cardboard eggos and get your hands on these. I freeze them in layers with freezer paper between and on those mornings where I need something fast {or don't want to make anything} I just drop these into the toaster and Ta-Da! A yummy blueberry waffle.

 

 

 No Bake Energy Bites by Smashed Peas & Carrots

These are GREAT!! They are great for a quick breakfast, mid-day snack, after school snack, pre-game fuel - heck! I'd eat these for dessert! When you eat these you will have no idea how great ground flax seed tastes. Using easy, healthy, on-hand ingredients you can make these beautiful balls of deliciousness. Make them. You'll love them. I made them once for a late night cast rehearsal and one of my cast mates hates coconut, but loved it in these!

 

 Personal Sized Baked Oatmeal by Sugar Free Mom

Good with a capital G. I know. You are thinking "really Michelle....oatmeal....really?" Well stop thinking that and make them so you can taste how great these are! Again this is a recipe where you make them in a big batch and freeze in their cute individual cups! Instead of reaching for the variety pack of granola bars that are filled with calories & scientific ingredients you can reach in your freezer for some honest to goodness good for you breakfast in any flavor variety you choose!

 

 Kate's Power Smoothie by Our Best Bites

This smoothie tastes so good and it has spinach in it!! Yeah spinach!! When I was making it Mr. S told me "just don't put in the spinach" well....I did anyways and he couldn't taste it at all. Not only is there spinach, but Kate has you put in some yogurt & groats {like oats but..well I'll let her explain it}. It's fruity, filling and great for on the go! Try it! You AND your hubby, kids, etc will love it!

 

Thank you to all the great blog authors that allowed me to share their great breakfast recipes with you!

and good luck to all you back-to-schoolers out there!!

Pin-Spired and Personalized Baby Gifts

One of my good friends recently gave birth to adorable twins, a boy and a girl.  I debated about what to give as a baby gift and did some searching on Pinterest for ideas, and this hooded bath towel tutorial from Prudent Baby made up my mind for me.  The tutorial was easy to follow and the towels were quick to make.  They turned out even cuter than I'd anticipated:

I decided to personalize the towels and added each baby's first initial to the back of the towel.  I won't take the time to give you a tutorial for the towels themselves, since the Prudent Baby tutorial is excellent, but I'll quickly explain how I made the initial.

Start out by ironing some fusible interfacing to the back of your fabric; I used the same fabric that I used for the decorative band on the hood.  I used a medium-weight interfacing.  You want something heavy enough to give the fabric some stability, but not something so heavy that it makes the letter super stiff.  Next, find a font that you like and enlarge the letter to the size you want.  I did this in Word and made the letter as large as it could get while still fitting on one page.  To save ink, I printed it as an outline, rather than a solid letter.  Pin your letter to your stabilized fabric and cut it out, then pin it to your towel and sew around the entire perimeter of the letter.  You can use a zig-zag stitch if you want, but I just straight-stitched  as close to the edge as I dared, then washed the towels and trimmed any ragged strings.

I had a lot of fun making these towels (other than when I broke a sewing machine needle and then put the replacement needle in backwards...), and I hope babies L and V love using them!

5 Tips for Cooking with Kiddos

Baby S. & I decided to do some cooking earlier this week - making a special surprise treat for Daddy! And I wanted to share with you my 5 Tips for Cooking with Kiddos:

1. Have all ingredients measured out before hand. Just like in a cooking show, have all the bowls out with their pre-measured ingredients. Little kids have little attention spans and don't like to wait for the 4 cups of Rice Krispies to be measured out (unless they are old enough to do it). It adds some fun - and ease - to be able to go through the instructions and tell the kid to "dump it in!".
2. Have some extra on hand. Who doesn't like to taste as they go? Be sure to have some extra ingredients for kids to nibble on while they are cooking.


3. Expect a mess. Little fingers & big bowls equals some spills. Be sure to have paper towels & dish rags at the ready. Cleaning is part of the cooking process and can also be fun.

4. Let them do it. Let them put in the ingredients, stir, pat, etc. Kids LOVE hands on experiences it's how they learn and the more time they have cooking with you the better and better they get. Let their duties be age appropriate. For this recipe I stirred on the hot stove top and then let Baby S. stir in the extra ingredients away from the hot burner.

5. Keep it simple. Detailed, complicated, multiple step recipes are not the best choice for kid cooking. Recipes that are quick & easy with a few ingredients are the best.

Baby S & I made a hybrid of Rice Krispie Treats. We did half Rice Krispies & half Trix and mixed in some shredded coconut, it turned out GREAT!

What recipes do you make with your kids or remember making as a kid?