Perfect For Summer...

Next week at this time, school will be out for the summer.  In fact, there are only 2 full days and 1 half day left.  That's right, by Wednesday at noon - NO MORE SCHOOL.  I always have mixed emotions about the end of the school year.  On one hand it's nice to have a break...nice to not have homework to worry about, nice to be able to just stay home, nice to be able to stay in pj's all day if needed.  But on the other hand, it's hard to keep the kids entertained and happy.  I've been thinking of several projects I'd like to work on during the summer...
First, I saw these EASY and totally PERFECT little pouches for frozen "push-up" type Popsicles.  These will be top on my list since my kids go through boxes of Otter Pops during the summer! 

Frozen Go-gurt/Otter Pop holders from Brown Paper Packages

Second, I am in need of a very large church bag that can fit a very large binder, lesson manual, scriptures & a trunk full of baby stuff!  So, when I saw this bag from Vintage Ric Rac, I decided I needed to make it!  Plus it says it only takes an hour - well, it will probably take me A LOT longer, but still worth a try!

1Hour bag from vintage ric rac

Summer at our house means lots of snacks and meals!  I like to spend a day making BIG batches of baked goods or meal items & then freezing them so we can enjoy them for awhile.  These cookies & cream banana muffins are a perfect snack!  I bake them in mini-muffin tins and then place 3 in snack size Ziploc & freeze them.  YUMMY.  My kids love them...

Cookies and Cream Banana Bread (or muffins) from Picky Palate

My almost 8 year old is always looking for crafts to make - and I'm always looking for the perfect hair accessory for specific outfits.  Well, summer is the perfect time to make a few hair flowers, etc. for next school year.  These require no sewing and can be placed on clips, headbands, pins for clothes, etc.  I think we'll be making some of these soon...

No-Sew Fabric Flowers from Ruffles and Stuff

A BIG project I want to accomplish this summer is to organize my recipes.  I have quite a few recipes that we use over and over but they're in several different cookbooks.  I want to get all my favorite recipes in ONE place.  I love this little ring of recipes from Brown Paper Packages.  It can fit in your purse so it can go to the grocery store with you...  That way you won't be half way home from the store when you remember that you forgot an ingredient you need for dinner that night!  Love it!  

Family Menu Planner/Grocery List from Brown Paper Packages

I am in desperate need of a great CHORE CHART.  I would like to be somewhat organized during the summer.  I want the kids to work hard & play hard!  I am on the look-out for the perfect way to organize our household chores, to keep the kids reading, and to REWARD them for what they accomplish.  I'm thinking of some kind of "pocket" system where the kids can have 1 pocket where I place chore cards each day, and 1 pocket where they can place completed cards.  Kinda like a library card or something...  I'll let you know what I come up with!

Ohhh...and look at this!   A jar of boredom busters!  Perfect, right?  What mom doesn't hear, "Mom, I'm BORED!" all summer??  This jar is full of great little projects or ideas.  You can find it at Skip to My Lou.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Just Breathe...

Wow!  It's crazy how fast time flies!  I can't believe we're already so far into May.  I feel like I've been caught in a whirlwind with no time to relax...  The last couple of weeks have been full of projects and places to be!  Here's what I've been up to:

{1} Celebrating 6 MONTHS with this little guy & celebrating that he put on a little more weight!  Still not where he needs to be, but we're moving in the right direction.  (6 month weight = 12 lbs. 9 oz.)

{2} Turning a couple yards of Amy Butler's newest line into these Mother's Day gifts - with a little help from a tutorial from Delia Creates...

{3} Receiving gifts like this one from my favorite little people to celebrate a FABULOUS Mother's Day!

Apparently closing the blinds at night & reminding kids to brush their teeth makes you the BEST mom ever!

{4} Making all the hair pieces for her ballet company's Spring Performance...

and among many other things... {5} Getting back in the saddle for a very well organized all WOMAN'S ride.  It was a great ride minus the super strong headwinds that started around mile 35!!  It felt good to ride again...





Your NEXT Purchase -

You have to get this cookbook.  My mom gave it to me for Mother's Day & it is the BEST!  I visit Our Best Bites blog all the time & use their recipes constantly {they're some of our FAVORITE meals}.  But the recipe book is so much better than printing recipes off the Internet.  Plus, not all the recipes in the book can be found on their site.  The recipe book is pretty inexpensive and is totally worth the $.  I think you can buy it at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, Costco, etc.  Go out & get yourself one - you'll be glad you did!

Recipes I've tried & LOVED:
{pictures are from Our Best Bites}
Pico de Gallo
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
Baked Cream Chicken Taquitos

Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork

Orange-Kissed Cookies

On the menu for tomorrow night:

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Recipes I CAN'T WAIT to try:

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Mint Brownies

Key Lime Tarts
Pork Tacos with Chili Verde
Spicy Honey Chicken

Grilled Taco Chicken
Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers (my sister has tried these & says they're GREAT!)
Creamy Tomato Soup
Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

Man...I'm getting hungry just thinking about these recipes!  I've only had the cookbook since Sunday, but I know it will be one of my favs and that it will get used A LOT.   Happy cooking!

Someday...

Now that I have a sewing machine & have made my FIRST EVER attempt at sewing {Mother's Day aprons} I am putting together a small list of projects I'd like to try next!  They are, in no particular order,

{1} jersey skirts from Ruffles and Stuff:

{2} zig zag quilt (maybe a little over zealous to think I could possibly do this, but I love it!) from Little Birdie Secrets:

and {3} stuffed taggie animals from Homemade by Jill:

TIME TO START sewing....