tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86109585508454242852024-03-13T16:23:00.389-07:00Paisley PatchworkHeidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-30581687139095802112011-06-27T12:57:00.001-07:002011-06-27T12:57:19.135-07:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1343295.The_Parenting_Breakthrough" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1201546344m/1343295.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1343295.The_Parenting_Breakthrough">The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1001551.Merrilee_Boyack">Merrilee Boyack</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/180087234">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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A friend of mine told me about this book and said I had to read it. She loaned it to me and I am so glad I read it. It is full of so many helpful suggestions, particularly about teaching your kids to work. Like any parenting book, there were a few things I disagreed with or thought were a little over the top, but most of her ideas were extremely helpful. I thought the section were she listed by age what jobs kids should be able to do was particularly good. This book was definitely worth reading.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-69538512113942090802011-03-22T21:03:00.001-07:002011-03-22T21:03:56.285-07:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4609795-the-mother-in-me" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Mother in Me: Real-World Reflections on Growing Into Motherhood" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TE5LcYGHL._SX106_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4609795-the-mother-in-me">The Mother in Me: Real-World Reflections on Growing Into Motherhood</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/208973.Kathryn_Lynard_Soper">Kathryn Lynard Soper</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/156102759">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book has been sitting on my dresser for several weeks. I was looking at the "clearance" books at Deseret Book and found it for $2.99. I vaguely remembered reading about it on some websites and thought it was worth picking up. I'm so glad I did. The other day I stuck it in the car figuring that since it was essays, it would be perfect to read when I am waiting to pick up at pre-school or piano lessons. I started reading it today while I was waiting at pre-school, read through baseball practice and finished the last couple essays after the kids were in bed. I loved it. It was the perfect encouragement for the stay at home mom. The essays were honest and real, but encouraging at the same time. There is something so comforting about reading that other mothers struggle with the same things you do. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it really only applies to moms, particularly moms of young children. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-48059511838436593452011-03-13T19:13:00.001-07:002011-03-13T19:14:29.708-07:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6905569-the-forbidden-sea" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Forbidden Sea" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1274457095m/6905569.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6905569-the-forbidden-sea">The Forbidden Sea</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3090324.Sheila_A_Nielson">Sheila A. Nielson</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/154202600">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book was amazing! I can't wait for my girls to be old enough to listen to chapter books so I can read this to them. The story in this book follows a fairly typical fairy tale type pattern, until you get to the end. The choices the main character makes for her future are a little different than what you would find at the end of most fairy tales. I love the strength of the female main character in this book and I love what she learned about beauty and worth and how it important it is to recognize your own worth, whether those around you see it or not. There are so many great discussions you could have with daughters regarding this book. I checked it out from the library, but it is one I will be adding to my to buy list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-51201321491082552702011-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:002011-03-01T13:00:57.526-08:00Cleaning out the Closet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qTameB5trP4/TW1cYd1LCrI/AAAAAAAAASs/z5Vv-njbCu8/s1600/DSC_0375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qTameB5trP4/TW1cYd1LCrI/AAAAAAAAASs/z5Vv-njbCu8/s320/DSC_0375.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>I have had sick kids since Friday, and I am about ready to scream. I have been trying to make the best of it and finally tackled cleaning out my closet on Saturday. I ended up with 5 garbage bags to take to D.I. I am semi-horrified that I managed to get rid of this much stuff and still my closet is not empty. I have such a hard time getting rid of clothes. It is crazy because it's not like I feel any emotional attachement to them. I just always keep thinking I might wear it. This time I really tried to get rid of anything I don't regularly wear. I found a couple of things I had completely forgotten about, a sweater that I wore to church on Sunday that is especially cute and I had only worn 2 or 3 times. The entire time I was going through stuff I had to keep telling myself that getting rid of the stuff I don't or can't wear makes it so I can actually buy new stuff. It feels great to have gotten rid of that much stuff, now the trick will be if I can stay on top of it.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-79605574856853080622011-02-25T19:29:00.000-08:002011-02-25T19:29:45.010-08:00Favorites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RK9ti-zy-vU/TWhu3WPQ0sI/AAAAAAAAASg/zP6TWv-kIt0/s1600/DSC_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RK9ti-zy-vU/TWhu3WPQ0sI/AAAAAAAAASg/zP6TWv-kIt0/s320/DSC_0301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oGNsnm4heno/TWhuvkSdA6I/AAAAAAAAASc/hXCC0UHX1Qs/s1600/DSC_0300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oGNsnm4heno/TWhuvkSdA6I/AAAAAAAAASc/hXCC0UHX1Qs/s320/DSC_0300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A friend gave the Paper Doll Game by eeBoo to my 4 year old daughter as a belated birthday gift. This has got to be the best game out there for pre-school age girls. It is so simple. You are essentially taking turns dressing up your paper doll. Games can be so hard for young children to grasp and this one is perfect. The focus is really on taking turns. There are no difficult rules to explain and it doesn't hurt that it is darling! I have no idea where my friend got it, but if you are looking for it, you can go <a href="http://www.amazon.com/http-ecx-images-amazon-com-images-41Kfv9p2SfL-PDGM/dp/B000OZZHD6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298689975&sr=8-2">here</a>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ugbnWQHOB-k/TWhxM7SABOI/AAAAAAAAASk/TfLJteIWblY/s1600/DSC_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ugbnWQHOB-k/TWhxM7SABOI/AAAAAAAAASk/TfLJteIWblY/s320/DSC_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I ordered Hillary Lang's Kitchen Gnome Embroidery's for dish towel's <a href="http://www.weewonderfuls.com/store/kitchen-gnomes.html">here</a>. I finished my first towel and I love it. My husband thinks I am strange, but I think the little gnome's are about the cutest things ever and I love the way the red trim I got to sew to the bottom of the towel's turned out. The only thing I hate about these flour sack towels is that they require ironing. I never iron, so the towel has not spent a lot of time hanging in my kitchen. I kept trying to tell my kids and husband not to use it, it was just for decoration, but you can guess how well that lasted.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PmKKgmuKkA8/TWhyhWqHQsI/AAAAAAAAASo/UvxQ9_jft0U/s1600/DSC_0367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PmKKgmuKkA8/TWhyhWqHQsI/AAAAAAAAASo/UvxQ9_jft0U/s320/DSC_0367.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I spent yesterday making cupcakes for the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet and I tried piping the frosting on for the first time. I will definitely be doing this from now on. I bought disposable piping bags from Michael's (used the 40% off coupon) and got a giant tip. It cost a few dollars and saved me all kinds of time. Frosting 3 dozen cupcakes would normally take forever and there would be problems with the knife sticking to the cake and the crumbs getting all over in the frosting. None of that, slick and easy. If you haven't tried it, you must, they turn out looking fancy and take you half the time and there is no messy piping bag to clean, just a plastic bag to throw away.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-85940977384151098162011-02-18T16:18:00.000-08:002011-02-18T16:19:15.824-08:00Valentine's Day Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For Valentine's Day we decided to host a family dinner. The rule was the food had to be heart shaped or pink or red. We had a great time. Here are some pictures of some of the food we ate:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh8faSU3m30/TV8KzGN3ssI/AAAAAAAAASQ/nl73CW6t7eg/s1600/DSC_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh8faSU3m30/TV8KzGN3ssI/AAAAAAAAASQ/nl73CW6t7eg/s320/DSC_0340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I made chicken patties and we cut a heart out of them with a cookie cutter. One of my sister-in-laws made the most awesome flourescent pink mashed potatoes. They will definitely be a stand-out in everyone's memory. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-he_fUbY1gcE/TV8K5pSxlaI/AAAAAAAAASU/O4fngmf1uoM/s1600/DSC_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-he_fUbY1gcE/TV8K5pSxlaI/AAAAAAAAASU/O4fngmf1uoM/s320/DSC_0342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Another sister-in-law made these darling heart shaped jello's. She also made rolls in a heart shape, unfortunately I didn't get a picture before the kids dug in and ruined the heart shape. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-ClFWEe0IM/TV8LFTn5aTI/AAAAAAAAASY/O2_VKTlrus8/s1600/DSC_0346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R-ClFWEe0IM/TV8LFTn5aTI/AAAAAAAAASY/O2_VKTlrus8/s320/DSC_0346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>For desert we had heart shaped chocolate waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and valentine sprinkles.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-32829510201499399992011-02-17T13:46:00.000-08:002011-02-17T13:46:11.958-08:00Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5983694-where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267915834m/5983694.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5983694-where-the-mountain-meets-the-moon">Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/59390.Grace_Lin">Grace Lin</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/143828766">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I saw a review for this book on a blog I follow. I then happened to see it sitting out on a display in the children's section at the library, so I grabbed it. I absolutely loved this book. I definitely plan on reading it to my kids. It is a simple story, the author describes as being inspired by Chinese fairy tales she read as a child. The author of the blog I saw the book on said that she loved the book because it illustrated values she wanted to teach her children. I agree! This book focuses on finding happiness and contentment with your life. It also illustrates the joy found in family. It was a quick and easy read and would make a great family read aloud. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-12075282976607484422011-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:002011-02-13T20:11:09.471-08:00Football Valentine's Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdLReyxs28I/TVioo_35AoI/AAAAAAAAASI/epk6x9LOnFw/s1600/DSC_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LdLReyxs28I/TVioo_35AoI/AAAAAAAAASI/epk6x9LOnFw/s400/DSC_0328.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Coming up with a Valentine's box that is "cool" enough for a boy is not the easiest thing ever. This one worked out to be perfect. It was simple enough that my 3rd grader could really be involved in the design and because it was sports related, he was thrilled with it. <br />
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Supplies:<br />
shoe box<br />
white electrical tape (could use masking tape also)<br />
green construction paper<br />
popsicle sticks<br />
sharpie marker<br />
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First cut a hole in the top of the box for the Valentines to be dropped in. Then cover the entire box with green construction paper. Don't worry about making it perfect, when you are done covering the box in green paper you will take the electrical tape and cover the edges of all the paper. This gives the box a more clean look and adds to feel of a real football field. Use the popsicle sticks to creat goal posts. You can glue them together if you want. For speed and ease, we just wrapped electrical tape around the corners of our popsicle sticks and then used the electrical tape to tape them to the ends of the box. Finally, I gave my son a sharpie and he went to town creating the field. He loved drawing all the lines and trying to make it look exactly like his favorite team's stadium. He even drew stick figure players and his own scoreboard. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MTVHBcCCots/TViqsD21slI/AAAAAAAAASM/MauVY71BhCM/s1600/DSC_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MTVHBcCCots/TViqsD21slI/AAAAAAAAASM/MauVY71BhCM/s320/DSC_0329.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My visiting teacher dropped this off this weekend. I have no idea where she got them, but I thought they were the cutest Valentine treat ever! The best part was they are just regular glazed donuts, none of that nasty cream filling they put in some donuts shaped like this.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Valentine's Day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-57265651132233223602011-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:002011-02-08T13:37:25.322-08:00A New Cookie and a Favorite Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TVGzWM1apcI/AAAAAAAAASE/CSFJXnhBxX0/s1600/DSC_0313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TVGzWM1apcI/AAAAAAAAASE/CSFJXnhBxX0/s400/DSC_0313.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have to bring some cookies and recipe to share tonight for a church function. It was the perfect excuse to try these fabulous babies from <a href="http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2011/01/choco-kissed-cookies.html?pfstyle=wp#">Sisters Cafe</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Sisters Cafe: Choco-kissed Cookies</div><br />
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submitted by Brittany - Sisters Cafe<br />
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adapted from: Family Circle magazine<br />
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1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened<br />
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1/2 cup creamy peanut butter<br />
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3/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />
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3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
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2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
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2 large eggs<br />
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2 cups flour<br />
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1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
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1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
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48 Hershey kisses, unwrapped<br />
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Beat butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla in bowl until smooth and creamy, 3<br />
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minutes. Beat in eggs. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, and salt. On low speed,<br />
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beat into butter mixture. Refrigerate 15 minutes.<br />
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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into balls, 1 tablespoon each (size of a quarter).<br />
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Dip each ball into sprinkles, so one half is covered. Place sprinkle side up on ungreased<br />
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baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake until set, 9-10 minutes. Press an unwrapped Hershey<br />
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kiss into each cookie. Return too oven; bake 1 minute to set. Let cool slightly on sheet<br />
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on rack. Remove cookies to rack; let cool completely.<br />
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*If making M&M bites: roll dough into balls the size of nickels. Roll each ball in granulated<br />
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sugar then place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 8-9 minutes then press<br />
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a single M&M into the center of each cookie. Return to oven for 1 minute. <br />
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My Notes: Have more sprinkles than you think you will need. I ran out and had to use pink sanding sugar for the final tray, it worked, but was not as cute. These would be the perfect cookies to make with kids because they could unwrap all the candy and roll the cookies in the sprinkles. Also, one small package of the Hershey's Hugs was more than enough. I had 10 or 12 left over. I think this would be really yummy with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top too. <br />
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I realized last night that I made a dinner my entire family actually loves. This is a very rare thing at our house, so I thought I would post it here, because maybe there are some others out there who have picky eaters and get tired of hearing the complaints. It is pretty much a given that someone won't like what I make, so I generally just try to ignore the comments, but when everyone is happy with dinner I figure it is cause to celebrate. This is another recipe from Sisters Cafe. If you can't tell, it is a favorite around here. <br />
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<a href="http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2009/12/chicken-and-dumplings.html">Chicken and Dumplings</a> <br />
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submitted by Erin (The Sisters Cafe)<br />
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3 c. cooked chicken, cut into large pieces<br />
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½ c. butter<br />
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1/3 c. flour<br />
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½ tsp salt<br />
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1/8 tsp pepper<br />
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3 c. chicken broth<br />
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1 can cream of chicken soup (98% fat free variety works great)<br />
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Dumplings:<br />
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2 c. flour<br />
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3 tsp baking powder<br />
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½ tsp salt<br />
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1 tsp poultry seasoning<br />
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1 tsp celery seed<br />
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¼ c. oil<br />
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1 c. milk<br />
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Blend butter, flour, salt and pepper in saucepan. Add chicken broth and cook until thick. Stir in cream of chicken soup and add cooked chicken. Put in a 9x13 pan. To prepare dumplings, mix all ingredients together and stir until moistened. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto chicken and gravy. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. <br />
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We had this last night for dinner and it was the perfect thing for a cold snowy night. I should have taken a picture, but I forgot and my husband to the little bit of leftovers for lunch, much to my son's dismay. Of course tonight I am fixing a homemade tomato soup that I think all the kids will refuse to eat. Oh well.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-76192416751456611102011-02-06T14:56:00.000-08:002011-02-06T14:56:06.115-08:00My New Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TU8mId6vHdI/AAAAAAAAAR8/UEYVJgT6WyE/s1600/DSC_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TU8mId6vHdI/AAAAAAAAAR8/UEYVJgT6WyE/s320/DSC_0305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My friend came to the door to pick up her girls from a playdate the other day and handed me this. She said, "I have a little treat for you, I hope you like dark chocolate". Let's be honest, I'm not too picky when it comes to chocolate, I generally enjoy it in all it's forms. Until this moment, I would have said that I prefer milk chocolate, however, this little treat has changed me. It is wonderful! I have to admit, I have only recently discovered the joys of European chocolate and it definitely beats out my beloved Hershey's bars. If you need to give a friend a special valentine, this is the stuff!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-80014292087064514832011-02-02T09:25:00.000-08:002011-02-02T09:25:09.143-08:0070's Fireplace Remodel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TUmS2obeXrI/AAAAAAAAAR4/h1el-oo2uhs/s1600/DSC_0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TUmS2obeXrI/AAAAAAAAAR4/h1el-oo2uhs/s320/DSC_0302.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>Here is the final product for my '70's fireplace remodel. I am thrilled with it! I despised the white lava rock! The woodworking turned out exactly how I wanted and I am so proud of myself for doing the tile work all myself. I have never tiled before and am excited that I did this with no help. The glass tiles are exactly the look I wanted. Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-36894525353733918072011-01-26T10:14:00.000-08:002011-01-26T10:14:57.954-08:00A Crazy LifeMy house is a complete disaster. We are finally done with our fireplace remodel, but we have a few loose ends left to tie up before everything is back to normal. My husband needs to wall mount the t.v. I need to seal the tile and build some shelves so that the cable box doesn't have to hang out on the floor and I need to figure out where I want to hang all the pictures and stuff back up. In the meantime, both my girls got a really nasty virus and passed it to me. Then everyone got secondary infections, Brynne ended up with an ear infection, Paige got croup and I think both Paige and I ended up with sinus infections. My girls have been completely miserable and as a result very needy and whiny and Paige had the steriod shot for croup which has made her completely grumpy on top of the sickness. It is been nonstop crying around here. I have to admit my patience level has been zero because I haven't felt good either. We did happen to have a couple books from the library that we have loved, so although I would really like to post a beautiful finished product fireplace remodel picture, it may not come for a little while. In the meantime, check out these fun princess books.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/141025.Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172120090m/141025.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/141025.Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs">Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81326.Laura_Ljungkvist">Laura Ljungkvist</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/142782227">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I saw a review for this version on a blog and I absolutely love the illustrations. I love the simplicity of the retelling. It is not nearly as scary as the Disney version. The ending was a little different, but I think I like it that way. We checked this out from the library, but I definitely plan on adding to our own library.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944604.Walt_Disney_s_Cinderella" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Walt Disney's Cinderella" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179678038m/944604.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/944604.Walt_Disney_s_Cinderella">Walt Disney's Cinderella</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5411.Cynthia_Rylant">Cynthia Rylant</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/142783402">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I picked this up on our last trip to the library because I loved the picture and because I am a fan of Cynthia Rylant. I'm so glad I picked it up. I love that the illustrations are reminiscent of the Disney movie version, but re-imagined. I liked Rylant's retelling. Again it was fairly close to the Disney version, but enough updates to keep you reading.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-72275456514977169672011-01-13T20:41:00.000-08:002011-01-13T20:41:26.572-08:00A Winter Craft and a Snack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TS_SQC28AFI/AAAAAAAAARw/3gzXJmKAgNs/s1600/DSC_0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TS_SQC28AFI/AAAAAAAAARw/3gzXJmKAgNs/s320/DSC_0275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Paige and I have been talking about what to do for an upcoming playgroup we are hosting and this snowman snack was one of the activities we have been planning on doing. When I was at the grocery store this morning and the little boxes of mini powdered donuts were on sale, I decided maybe we could have a spur of the moment test run for our crafty snack. Paige was thrilled when I picked her up from pre-school and told her the good news of the donut sale. The second we walked in the house the project had to begin. She and Brynne and I all got to work and created our masterpieces. It only took minutes, but the smiles and powdered sugar little faces were priceless! So here are the supplies you need:<br />
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powdered donuts (regular, mini's, or even donut holes would work)<br />
pretzel sticks<br />
chocolate chips (we used the mini ones)<br />
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For the play group, we think we will suggest the girls lay they donuts flat because they don't stay together real well, but it doesn't matter if you are eating them immediately, or if you are doing this with older kids, you could use toothpicks to make them stick together better.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-40272931500537790662011-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:002011-01-05T19:33:36.502-08:00My favorite Time Savers for the New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz4-WoNkI/AAAAAAAAARk/DgIsJZzL0TA/s1600/DSC_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz4-WoNkI/AAAAAAAAARk/DgIsJZzL0TA/s320/DSC_0267.JPG" width="212" /></a></div> I discovered this when I saw a video <a href="http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2010/12/video-8th-day-of-christmas/">here</a>. I have been using baby powder so that I don't have to wash my hair everyday, but this stuff is amazing. It has given me an extra day without washing my hair and I love it! It is Rockaholic by TIGI and is called Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo. The best part, I just so happened to find it in the salon at Wal-mart and it was buy one get one half off. It was right before Christmas and I didn't have time to go searching at a beauty supply place or regular salon. Wahoo!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz8i3G6VI/AAAAAAAAARo/0pYknMkN3aM/s1600/DSC_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz8i3G6VI/AAAAAAAAARo/0pYknMkN3aM/s320/DSC_0265.JPG" width="212" /></a></div> I know, these are nothing new, your basic Clorox wipes, but I have suddenly discovered that my kids are far more likely to do chores when I give them Clorox wipes to do them. Don't ask me why that is so different, but I'm telling you, it works like a charm and they do a much better job. Even my 18 month old will "help" with a wipe.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz_jy_GvI/AAAAAAAAARs/iZdQCZOB1Ls/s1600/DSC_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz_jy_GvI/AAAAAAAAARs/iZdQCZOB1Ls/s320/DSC_0264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Okay, so I am a huge fan of <a href="http://www.beckyhiggins.com/products/">Becky Higgins' Project Life</a>. I bought the kit last year and I have found that in 2010 I actually scrapbooked. I didn't take a picture and journal about it every day, but I did it a lot of days. I got a little behind at the end of the year and have been playing catch-up the last week or so, but I am amazed, I have a whole album full of stuff we did last year. It is the perfect way to make recording your family's day-to-day life simple. This is the first page in my new 2011 book. I have been taking pictures and will have them all printed every few weeks. It's no big deal if I get a day or two behind, I can just start where I left off. You don't need to get out boxes and boxes of stuff to use it. It comes with everything you need and if you want to make it fancier, you can add a few things here or there or you can just leave it alone. It is amazing!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz0NiKtqI/AAAAAAAAARg/iJiFG2bfslM/s1600/DSC_0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSUz0NiKtqI/AAAAAAAAARg/iJiFG2bfslM/s320/DSC_0268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My biggest time saver of the new year is that I got to take off my air cast! Happy dance!!!! (okay, so it is a very slow and careful happy scoot, but it is joyful). My doctor told me yesterday that I don't have to wear the boot anymore. I am getting around pretty good. I am a little slow and rather limpy, but I can do it! Happy new year to me! The next step will be getting to wear real shoes!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-40652175682318485022011-01-03T14:22:00.000-08:002011-01-03T14:22:19.674-08:002011: Better Organization, Really, this time I mean it!I am a goal oriented person. Nothing makes me feel better than to set and achieve goals. My brother and sisters would consider me an over-achiever. I am a planner, I like to plan out vacations, plan projects, plan meals, the works, but somehow staying on top of organization in my house seems to be just out of my reach. There is nothing I hate more than going through closets and trying to decide what to get rid of. It doesn't matter if it is my closet or my kids' closets, so they are constantly overflowing. It doesn't help that I live in an old house with small closets but I should be able to get a handle on the situation. For crying out loud, I am well educated and bright enough, I am even a hard worker. The problem is with a husband, three kids and a dog, no matter how many times I try to organize things, it never stays that way. I feel like since about the week before Christmas I have done nothing but throw things away. You would not believe the amounts of garbage we have accumulated. I am completely embarassed because my husband has become that person who sneaks around the neighborhood at 10 or 11 p.m. on garbage night looking for cans to fill. I remember when we first got married we would watch out our window as one of our neighbors snuck around in his pajamas filling cans and we would laugh and laugh about how awful that was and now look at us! Seriously and do you know what we have been filling the neighbors cans with all month? Rocks! I am not even joking. You know all the awful lava rocks that were covering our fireplace? They had to go somewhere and it was into all our neighbor's half full cans. Lovely, I know, but I digress. The problem with my organization is not entirely that I don't throw away, the real problem is junk is continuously coming in. How do you fix it? Any amazing ideas out there? I am bound and determined to work my way through this house and junk more than I have ever done before, but how do I keep it that way? Here's what I started with today:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSJKRzh_LjI/AAAAAAAAARc/waJtqy7Bsbg/s1600/DSC_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSJKRzh_LjI/AAAAAAAAARc/waJtqy7Bsbg/s320/DSC_0258.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSJKOxJG3PI/AAAAAAAAARY/LlgrzDo4BHQ/s1600/DSC_0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TSJKOxJG3PI/AAAAAAAAARY/LlgrzDo4BHQ/s320/DSC_0259.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>For the entire month of November I had to have help everyday with my kids. I have never been so embarassed. Friends and family came in and helped me get my kids dressed, but they couldn't even get the drawers open. Rather than have anyone see the drawers, I would try to make sure my husband picked out clothes for the baby who can't dress herself yet and put them on the bed. Seriously, pathetic! So a few days ago I cleaned out all of the clothes for my two daughters and got rid of a ton, boxed a bunch of outgrows up to put in the storage room and I thought I was set. Now this morning, my 4 year old is complaining that the drawers won't shut, there's too much stuff. AGAIN! It hasn't even been a week and I haven't bought any clothes! Is it just the folding? Do I have the worst furniture ever (okay, so that could be part of the problem). Someone tell me how you stay on top of it!<br />
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I am absolutely determined that 2011 will be the year that I SIMPLIFY. Send me all of your tips, PLEASE!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-75836002138764841872010-12-31T10:39:00.001-08:002010-12-31T10:40:06.281-08:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6855558-mr-darcy-broke-my-heart" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart: A Novel" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276872814m/6855558.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6855558-mr-darcy-broke-my-heart">Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart: A Novel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/256100.Beth_Pattillo">Beth Pattillo</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/95312219">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I really liked this book. It was a quick and easy read and I liked the twists at the end of the book. It was an all around good, fun read.<br />
Perfect relaxed read for Christmas vacation.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-85005503655561471892010-12-22T20:15:00.000-08:002010-12-22T20:15:50.322-08:00Gingerbread Houses and a Visit to the Doctor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TRLMXAFFFBI/AAAAAAAAARQ/AnYS6eZXfPU/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TRLMXAFFFBI/AAAAAAAAARQ/AnYS6eZXfPU/s320/DSC_0177.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>Today the big kids got to go to Grandma's for a long anticipated chance to make gingerbread houses. My 18 month old got to stay home and sleep off the effects of a shot to get rid of croup. Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without someone needing a last minute trip to the pediatrician. I'm just glad our trip was several days BEFORE Christmas!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-20601335506784435182010-12-21T20:56:00.000-08:002010-12-21T20:56:04.409-08:00Tips for Decorating Christmas Cookies with Young Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TRF9t5Dyz0I/AAAAAAAAARM/QftFMkinO9s/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TRF9t5Dyz0I/AAAAAAAAARM/QftFMkinO9s/s320/DSC_0164.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>Nothing says holidays like decorating cookies, Christmas especially. We decorate cookies for most holidays, usually with extended family, but this year it was just me and my older 2 kids and a friend and we had just as much fun. That is one of the joys of cookie decorating, it is great for any size group. Here are some tips I have learned over the years of decorating cookies with my students while I was teaching first grade and decorating cookies with my own family. <br />
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1. Know your limits! Baking sugar cookies can be fairly difficult. Don't try to start from scratch all in one day. Make your cookies the day before you plan on decorating them. If you are going to bake your own it is absolutely necessary that you chill the dough, it is best if it can chill overnight. I am convinced this is the secret to getting the cookies to work and keeping yourself from tearing out your hair in frustration. Realize, you can order unfrosted sugar cookies in almost any shape from nearly every grocery store bakery, all it takes is a simple phone call. If you live in Utah, Macy's has them for super cheap. That is all I have done for years. This summer was the first time I was able to actually get a sugar cookie recipe to work. My kids don't know the difference all they care about are the sprinkles.<br />
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2. Make your life easy, buy the canned frosting. I know the homemade usually tastes better, but honestly, by the time your toddler is done dumping sprinkles all over the thing and has licked his or her knife several times, taste is not really going to be a factor. Simplify! Buy several tubs of the Betty Crocker stuff and call it good.<br />
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3. When you buy your frosting, always buy the "whipped" frosting for decorating with kids. It is soooo... much easier to spread. My personal favorite is the whipped cream cheese frosting. Then when you get it home, divide it up into multiple bowls and use food coloring to dye it different colors. <br />
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4. When setting up an area to decorate, realize it will be messy, if you are worried put a dropcloth or old tablecloth under your table. Sprinkles go everywhere and at least one kid will dump an entire bottle on their cookie. <br />
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5. Don't buy the peppermint sprinkles, they look cute but are nasty, same with the really cute mini candy pieces they make in holidays shapes. Stick to tastier things, regular sprinkles and colored sugar, mini chocolate chips (my personal favorite), and m&m's.<br />
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6. When you start, give each child a paper plate with a cookie on it. Give them their own plastic knife, or if they are really little, use a popsicle stick and then put spoonfuls of frosting on their plate. This helps prevent licked knives from going into the main bowl of frosting multiple times.<br />
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7. Lower your expectations. Most little kids will love decorating one, maybe two cookies, then they will either want to eat it or eat the m&m's and be done. Be okay with that. Get your camera out right when your child starts decorating and get a couple of good pictures and take a picture of the finished product. Your child has had a great time and you have the pictures to prove it. This is the reason I suggest taking the easy way when it comes to the cookies and frosting. If you haven't spent hours and hours slaving over making the cookies and making the perfect frosting, then you are not going to be mad that only a few cookies got decorated. If you like baking from scratch and have a recipe you like, then go for it, but realize kids are not really going to appreciate that part and be okay with that, recognize the from scratch part is for you, not for the kids.Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-69939173840242696612010-12-16T20:02:00.000-08:002010-12-16T20:02:19.700-08:00Kids Christmas Craft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TQrewyJvFTI/AAAAAAAAARE/LB7HZUsV1NE/s1600/DSC_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TQrewyJvFTI/AAAAAAAAARE/LB7HZUsV1NE/s320/DSC_0146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My four year old is obsessed with crafts. All day long she begs for crafts to make and if I don't help her come up with things she takes matters into her own hands. I am all for creativity and I love crafting myself, but when I am not looking the supplies are left everywhere and lets just say crayons, markers, and scissors don't go terrifically with an 18 month old. Lately I have been going to Hobby Lobby and Michaels and looking for their cheap-o kids craft kits because they require little supervision and any leftover supplies can be tossed in the trash with no guilt. These beaded candy cane ornaments have been one of the better kits I have found. I got them at Hobby Lobby, but you don't need the kit at all. <br />
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Supplies:<br />
pipe cleaners<br />
red and white plastic beads (ones that have a similar size hole as the width of the pipe cleaners)<br />
wire cutters (scissors will work, but it dulls them and is harder work)<br />
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Instructions: Fold the bottom of your pipe cleaner so that the beads can't fall off. String beads onto pipe cleaner in a pattern alternating between red and white. Fill to almost the top and then bend last little piece of pipe cleaner to hold the beads on and twist into a candy cane shape. Add to the Christmas tree!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-41308535204207824332010-12-14T20:30:00.000-08:002010-12-14T20:30:53.059-08:00December Daily Album<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TQhBRVdIjiI/AAAAAAAAARA/hjgarlzBkxE/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TQhBRVdIjiI/AAAAAAAAARA/hjgarlzBkxE/s320/DSC_0160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I saw <a href="http://aliedwards.com/projects/">Ali Edwards "December Daily"</a> scrapbook project last year and thought it was a great idea, but decided I was way too busy to attempt it. I saw her posts again this year during the weeks before December began and it got me thinking. I was worrying a lot about how my broken leg was affecting our holidays and was frustrated with the way it was holding us back from a lot of the activities we normal enjoy. I was worried that my kids would feel cheated and that I would feel cheated. Then I started thinking that maybe the craziness of my leg being broken was going to make this one of those Christmas' my kids would never forget, so I decided if that was the case I was going to make it full of as many happy memories as I could and since we were going to be required to take everything more slowly than usual because of my leg, then I was going to make the most of it. I hurried and put together this simple album. I bought Ali Edwards' downloadable overlays with each day on them and using paper and supplies that I already had in my stash did a little bit of decorating. It is not at all fancy, my goal was to make this easy enough that I would actually follow through with it. I bought a cute 1 inch binder at Target and have tried to make sure I take a picture of something we do for Christmas each day. If I forget to take a picture, then I make sure I write enough to fill the whole page. We haven't done big things, but as we are reaching the halfway point of the month of December I am realizing that we have more family traditions than I realized. I love the fact that when this Christmas is over, my kids will be able to look at this album and actually remember what we did. Next year we will be able to sit down at a family home evening before the month of December hits and look through our album from 2010 and talk about what things we want to make sure we do again in 2011 and then add any new things we think of. I am so glad I took the time to do this, I think it will quickly become a family treasure!Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-54686101884491247762010-12-05T20:40:00.001-08:002010-12-05T21:01:54.315-08:00A Little Embroidery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPxtsWfvinI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/cMZgJ-eFacY/s1600/embroidery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPxtsWfvinI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/cMZgJ-eFacY/s320/embroidery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here's a sneak peak at some embroidery I've been working on lately. I'm pretty excited about how it is turning out. Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-61160233214895913672010-12-05T20:33:00.000-08:002010-12-05T20:40:24.445-08:00Simplifying Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPxfrsUya3I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/4TTIfmsfTug/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPxfrsUya3I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/4TTIfmsfTug/s320/DSC_0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This year out of necessity I have had to take a good hard look at how to simplify our Christmas. I still can't drive, which means our activities are limited. My doctor surpised me this last week and said my bones were healing well enough that this month I could start putting weight on my leg and gradually get rid of the crutches. He left it up to me how quickly I wanted to try going without crutches. Amazingly, I am able to go without the crutches already, which has made all the difference to our family. I am able to use my hands which is a wonderful blessing. Unfortunately, I am still slow because of the boot and moving around ups the pain some, so I still can't drive. Anyway, as a result of my limitations, early in November we sat down with the kids and talked about what things were most important to them that we do this holiday season, so we could make sure we did those things. We explained that some of our normal holiday activities might have to change a little. For example, we have had a tradition of going to the zoo first thing in the morning on Thanksgiving. This year the weather was horrible and there was tons of snow I just couldn't get around well enough to attempt it so we decided to put it off until next year, but we made sure that we stuck with our tradition the night before Thanksgiving to get new Christmas jammies and watch <em>Elf </em>together. <br />
We had cut back in a big way on our decorating. As much as I love Christmas decorations, they are completely overwhelming to me this year. Everything requires so much more effort, so we put out the most important things and I have had to learn to take a step back. We had to break down and buy a new tree this year and when I sent my husband to buy it, the one he came home with had colored lights. I have always hated colored lights. I am an all white light person, but my husband didn't even look at the box to see what kind of lights were on the tree. I wasn't about to send him hauling it back, plus it was a Black Friday sale. Well, I have discovered my kids love the colored lights. They are thrilled and as I think about it, that is so much more important. The same sort of thing with the ornaments. Normally, I spend the whole time we are decorating the tree trying to move the ornaments around so everything is even and looks best. This time, I sat at the table and handed ornaments to kids (making sure my 18 month old got the right ones) and let the kids do all the work. Once again, they were thrilled. I hope in the future I can remember this Christmas and try and worry less about the unimportant things.<br />
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The picture on this post is of some of those cheap-o chocolate advent calendars. In an effort to try and make each day special in way that would work for me this year, I asked my mother-in-law to pick one of these up for each of my children. They cost next to nothing, but they have been perfect for my little children. Even my 18 month old can participate in this tradition. I don't know why I haven't done these before. I guess I have been too busy trying to come up with all kinds of grandiose Christmas activities to have time to think of something so simple. These will definitely be a new family tradition.<br />
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At the moments when I find myself starting to freak out about all the things I can't do this year, I am consciously trying to focus on the things I can do. I am trying to enjoy the slower pace, the quiet time I am spending sitting around in the living room with my babies. The opportunity we have to really focus on our favorite tradition of reading different Christmas stories throughout the month of December. I am grateful for the many visits from friends and family and joy that brings both me and my kids. My 4 year old leaned over to me in church today and asked me who was coming to visit us today. I said that no one was and she said, maybe someone will decide they really miss us and come to see us. She said it so matter of factly that it was obvious that she feels like all the people dropping by are doing it because they care so much about her. Isn't it amazing how even a 4 year old picks up on love! I am so grateful for answered prayers and a knowledge of a Heavenly Father who loves me and my little family and the knowledge that his hand is in my daily life.<br />
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><a href="http://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="simple as that"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v732/rebeccaanncooper/simplethingssmallweb-2.jpg" /></a><br />
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<center></center>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-27454777907640928592010-11-27T15:50:00.000-08:002010-11-27T15:51:38.782-08:00A New Fireplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPGTkF6CzlI/AAAAAAAAAQw/bpvdj291pWM/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iOaz71rSdUQ/TPGTkF6CzlI/AAAAAAAAAQw/bpvdj291pWM/s320/DSC_0133.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm kicking myself for not taking a before picture of this, but previously, my fireplace was that seventies white lava rock, you know the stuff that people used to put in their parking strip as zeroscaping, just bigger rocks. I have hated it from the moment I set foot in this house for the first time. It was one of those things that I really had to convince myself to overlook when we bought the house. I'm sure it was fine when the house was built, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why it was ever the style. It was so uneven that there was no possibility for a mantle, which is the only thing I really want for a fireplace and everytime we tried to use the fire itself, it would shoot black soot all over the rock. Unfortunately, the fact that we bought an old house has meant that there are a million projects that need to get done, so this one has been on the back burner for awhile.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have to say, at the moment I am completely convinced that my husband is "Superman". I am still hobbling around on crutches and essentially useless when it comes to pretty much anything! I can't carry anything, I can't chase after the 18 month old (she outruns me in a second...stinkin' crutches), I can't even get her out of bed if she wakes up during the night. I can empty the dishwasher or do the dishes, but it takes so long it makes everyone crazy to watch. Laundry is another task that I can do, but it requires large amounts of help with carrying and moving. Even getting the kids bathed and showered is a problem because the steam from the bathroom makes the tile floor so slippery that my crutches are completely treacherous. Needless to say, my husband is picking up massive amounts of slack for me. He has always amazed me with the fact that he is not a complainer, but with this situation it has completely blown me away. Never once has he complained that he comes home from work and has to do all the stuff that I normally do. He walks in the door and is kind of like a machine. He knows once we have eaten dinner he has to get dinner cleaned up and kids bathed and then we divide up reading out loud to the kids and he gets everyone tucked in. He usually manages to get some laundry started and fetch and carry all the stuff I need, like ice or phones or my ipad. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Why am I telling you this, well you have to know how surprised I was this weekend when he said he was still planning on tearing out the rock on the fireplace. We had planned this project before I had my accident and had found a carpenter to help us with the finish work, but honestly, I figured it would all have to be put on hold until I could help or at least until I was more help with keeping the kids out of the way. Not so, my husband and his dad knocked out all the rocks today and cleaned up all the mess. I am completely amazed! All there is now is a cinderblock wall and I am so excited I can't see straight. It is going to make such a difference to the look of my front room! </div>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-48925837932663880472010-11-21T10:04:00.001-08:002010-11-21T10:06:17.824-08:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65091.The_Frog_Princess" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Frog Princess (Tales of the Frog Princess, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170626809m/65091.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65091.The_Frog_Princess">The Frog Princess</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/272814.E_D_Baker">E.D. Baker</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/131771695">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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My friend recommended this book. She has 3 daughters and told me it was a must have for my two girls as they get older. The story was darling. A perfect little fairy tale. It is supposedly the story Disney based the movie "The Princess and the Frog" around. Unfortunately, Disney chose not to follow very closely. I wish they had followed the book exactly. It would have made for a much better movie. I'm anxious to pick up the sequels.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8610958550845424285.post-59465494529203954422010-11-19T11:53:00.001-08:002010-11-19T11:53:17.957-08:00<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/747933.A_Turkey_for_Thanksgiving" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Turkey for Thanksgiving" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177985154m/747933.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/747933.A_Turkey_for_Thanksgiving">A Turkey for Thanksgiving</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19126.Eve_Bunting">Eve Bunting</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/131516350">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />
Thanksgiving books are so hard to find. I would really love to have a whole collection of them that we could read all through the month of November, but there are just not a ton of great ones out there. One that I do have, that is an absolute favorite is called "A Turkey for Thanksgiving", by Eve Bunting. The story is sweet without being sappy. There are some humorous twists and best of all, the illustrations are amazing! Mr. and Mrs. Moose want a turkey for Thanksgiving, so Mr. Moose sets out to find one. It doesn't take long before all his forest neighbors are helping him. The story ends with what happens when the animals find a turkey.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1470416-heidi">View all my reviews</a>Heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03528758331606484415noreply@blogger.com0