I'm a Survivor!

Yes, I have survived the first hectic week back to school and work. I think that my planning ahead at work (and at home) helped that along. I started preparing for the new school year, at work, during the final month of last school year. That helped me out immensely this week. It was still chaotic with some longer work days than I had planned on, but it has gone well so far! I really love my job and I am continually glad I made the choice to commit to one job and be in one place each day. The Lord has truly blessed me with wonderful bosses and co-workers and I couldn't ask for more from a job. I love how His timing and planning totally rocks when you least expect it!

On the home front, life is good! Both kids love school and love their teachers. I love that they love school so much. The newness of this school year has not worn off yet, so they are still in the happy, "honeymoon" phase. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my son is in second grade. That just doesn't seem possible. And my sweet girl is going to be turning five in a couple months. Please stop growing up!!!

We had a sad adjustment to make in our family this week. One of our beloved kitties starting being super naughty (escaping to the outside, marking her territory inside, etc) and we just couldn't keep her anymore. We were so happy that the family we got her from was able to take her back. She is now free to be the outdoor kitty she is born to be. We miss her but we are happy to know that we can see her anytime we want to go visit and that she is happy playing with her brothers and sisters.

Also kind of exciting...I reopened my Etsy shop! Now that I am down to just one job and have less extra curricular commitments, I have time to sew again. I've missed having the shop open. There is such satisfaction in creating something you love and seeing other people love it too. Same feeling as giving the perfect gift. If you are interested in checking out my shop, you can find it here, on Etsy or click the link on the sidebar of my blog.

School!

We started a new school year today!  Zane is in second grade and Claire is in Pre K this year and they are both so excited!  They both have super great teachers again this year,  which makes school even more fun. Although,  Claire would say that painting makes school the most fun.  Zane just says he feels older,  like a teenager and not like a kid now. I guess that's what happens when you turn 7 and start second grade.  :)

I also started back to work today and am happily employed by just one school now.  Last week I resigned as a school district employee and am committed full time to the Christian school. I am the secretary there and I love my job!  So today,  I enjoyed my first day back also. 

Besides starting the new school year,  both kids have decided to play soccer this fall and have started practices this week.  They play in two different age groups and two different teams,  so we are very busy! So far,  they both really like it and I am glad!  Neither one of them have ever shown interest in sports until now.  We are eagerly anticipating their first games next weekend. Nana and Papa are coming to visit and staying the night before so we can all attend the games as a family. The day of the games also happens to be Papa's birthday,  so we will be celebrating that as well!

Last,  but not least, some pictures from the last couple of days. 

Barbie Clothes

Barbie and Ken are quite the popular couple with my kids lately, so I have been scouring the internet (ok, Pinterest) for all sorts of DIY Barbie and Ken clothes, furniture, housing, etc. I am happy to say that I have found plans for a house and my dad has the materials needed to build said house. Once its constructed, I will decorate and furnish it. The best part? My kids have no idea and I cannot wait to surprise them with a handmade house. yay!

I have also found (and used) a few really great tutorials on making Barbie some cute dresses, skirts and tops. I tried to make some pants for ken but I am not good at sewing pants...of any size. It's just not in the cards. I am going to work on drafting a simple shirt pattern tomorrow. In the meantime, all of Claire's Barbies are getting a whole new, more real to life, cute, handmade wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, I love the ball gowns and the sequined strappy dresses but who wears those around everyday? Now these Barbies have something to wear that is just like what Claire is wearing. I found all the tutorials for what I have made in the last couple of days over at Craftiness is Not Optional. These tutorials are amazing and are packed full of great pictures and easy to follow instructions. I love that all these little articles of clothing hardly take any time at all to whip up.

And now, without further ado, pictures of my creations.

This is the Basic Easy Dress. So easy and so fun to make!

This is the Easy Skirt (elastic waist) and Cap Sleeve Top. I am in love with this top.



The Froufy Skirt...I think this is my favorite to make.

And another Cap Sleeve Top...I got uneven and too close darts on this top but oh well. My almost 5 year old daughter doesn't care. :)

Last night I cut out fabric for several skirts, a few dresses and more tops. I am just loving this stuff! I am so glad I stumbled on these tutorials on Pinterest. Its been a good way to get my sewing on and create stuff, but without the hassle of needing a huge work space or a big chunk of time. I do feel bad about Ken not getting much, but I did find this gem of a shop on Etsy and plan on buying some stuff from her. Check out BarbieBoutiqueBasics for some super cute stuff for Barbie, Ken and other larger dolls.

I just realized I have yet another excuse to buy fabric...

Garden

I have always hated to garden or do yard work. Always. I don't know what changed this year but now I enjoy growing things. I don't want a full fledged garden because that requires weeding, and really, ain't nobody got time for that. I like having the container garden and I would seriously consider a raised bed box sort of deal. I planted carrots, radishes, strawberries, bush beans and zucchini this year. My carrots are questionable. I don't know that I will get more than two carrots, if any at all. I've had an ok run with radishes but I see where I can improve next year. The bush beans are coming along nicely and I cannot wait to try them out. The strawberry plant is definitely growing but producing very minimally right now. I have high hopes for later in the season. Here are some pictures of what I have grown so far. I am really proud of what I have done as a first time gardener! 



Our very first strawberry. It was so juicy and sweet!

Our radishes!

My bush beans, a week ago. So cute and tiny.



The same bush beans, tonight. What a difference a week makes!



A Couple of Favorite Recipes

I don't know about you all, but I love me some food. I really love baking and I am really getting into cooking. I am also getting more adventurous in the kitchen. And by adventurous I mean, cooking from scratch. HA! But really, I have been doing really well with experimenting with new recipes. I have also started to change my shopping habits and what I keep stocked in the house to eat. It's been fun to say that I made this or that from scratch. My kids are loving the things I have made and that is super encouraging. So, here we go!

The first recipe I am sharing today is one I tried sometime in 2011 and loved it. I found it on Pinterest. I really love Thai food but had never made it. This recipe is super easy and super yummy. If you can boil water, you can make this.

Spicy Thai Noodles is a recipe you will love making and one that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. When I make it, I usually have chopped peanuts on hand, shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw works awesome for this!), green onion, and I usually cook chicken in some teriyaki sauce to add to it. The sweetness of the teriyaki sauce works really well with the spiciness of the red pepper and the warmness of the sesame oil. I am actually making this tonight for dinner. It will be the first time that my kids are eating it so I am making it way less spicy than the recipe suggests. When you make this, be sure you have a lot of hungry people with you because there is a ton of it! I will probably half it for me and the kids. It's a good one to keep on hand for nights when you want a quick, yummy and super easy dinner. 

The second recipe is something sweet and oh so good. I am not even kidding when I say that these cookies are super addicting. It's a good thing that the recipe makes 4 dozen in one batch. I also found this recipe on Pinterest...I don't think I find recipes anywhere else, now that I think of it.

Anyway...cookies! I came across this recipe for Butterscotch and White Chocolate Oat Drops the same afternoon that I went grocery shopping and had already bought butterscotch and white chocolate chips. I just did a search on Pinterest for butterscotch chips and this popped up. So I got in the kitchen and made some up the next day. Holy moly, these are the easiest cookies to make and make your house smell so good. My kids and I ate up more than I would like to admit then we shared a bunch with some friends and my parents. I am planning on making these up before school starts (one month to go!) and freezing them so I can have them on hand for lunches. I highly recommend this recipe!

This is a picture I took of my cookies as they were cooling. They were gone shortly after this...

 

 

Something funny

I have to share what I did this past week.  It is pretty funny and pretty smart all at once. 

Both my kids like to play with Barbie and Ken dolls.  I think it's great. Their constant nudity is not so great. I came across an idea on pinterest to solve that issue. 

I used two different colored sharpie markers and drew underwear and strapless bras on the girls and a speedo on the boy.  Now the dolls all have instant swim suits and modesty.  It was odd  to be coloring in doll breasts though.Haha

I love that we aren't staring at naked bodies anymore and that both my kids will see that it's not Ok to just walk around flashing people.  :)  Modesty is fantastic.

Here are the before and after pictures. 

Busy!

Boy, the last two weeks in July flew by. The kids and I stayed super busy with friends, birthday parties, library trips, church and visits with Nana and Papa (my parents). We have had such a fun summer but I do feel a little bad that we haven't done any of the things I set out to do this summer...camping, hiking, a zoo trip, trips to the beach. All those have been neglected. Well, all but one. My parents and I have planned a surprise trip to the zoo in about a week and a half. The kids are going to be so excited! They have both only been to a zoo once and it was when they were 1 and 3. Neither of them remember the trip so this is their first real zoo trip. I have to say, I am really looking forward to it myself. I love going to the zoo!

I think the most exciting thing that has happened in the past two weeks is that my Zaney boy turned 7! He had a really wonderful birthday this year. He got to have a pool party with all his closest friends and he got many of his favorite foods, and he got a lot of really amazing birthday gifts. He is such a fun kid. I am so proud of him for all he does and who he is. And I just cannot believe that he is 7 years old now. I'll leave you with some of my favorite pictures from his birthday and one of his last birthday gift from me-he got his left ear pierced yesterday. He has asked me about it for a year so I let him do it. So far he really loves it. He said he is the new Zane. hehe