St. Patrick's Day Round-Up

I’ve got an entire new house to decorate just for the everyday. I don’t think I’m going to have time to decorate for the Holidays this year. So instead of sharing a new project with you, I thought I would take us down memory lane to take a look at some of my St. Patrick's day décor from years past.

St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

 

*Our St. Patrick's Day scavenger hunt will be this months Facebook printable. Like us on Facebook to download your St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt. If you already like us on Facebook, just click on the Free Gift Tab at the the top of our page.

 

 

St. Patrick's Day Bunting

 

 

Ombre Garland

 

 

St. Patrick's Day Ombre and Rainbow printables

 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

The Red Dresser

I knew that I wanted a red dresser for my daughters room. Luckily I was able to find a dreamy one on craigslist for only $30! Score! It was in great shape, and it only took two days of searching craigslist to find the exact dresser that I was hoping to find. I love when the stars align and I find exactly what I want at a great price.

 

Here is a peak at what it looked like before I covered it in red. I had never actually re-done a piece of furniture before. This was quite the experience. I researched a ton of tutorials online. This was probably the most informative one that I found. It seemed simple enough just clean, sand, prime, sand, paint first coat, sand, paint second coat. It is just a very time consuming process. Luckily my parents had an old paint sprayer that I borrowed to get this project done. I do love spray painting. That’s about the only painting that I like to do.

 

I debated going with red. Even as I was painting I questioned my color choice. Knowing me I will probably be painting this again in two years to a safer color like white or cream, but for now I love it!

 

Here is a sneak peak at some of the pink in the room. Next week I’ll share a few more details. I’m loving how everything is coming together!
 

The Nursery

 

Hello? Anyone still out there? Sorry we have been MIA for so long. The past 7 months(Wow! Has it really been that long?!) have been busy for all three of us. In the last 7 months we have all moved. Also, Whitney and I (Angela) had babies, and Lauren started a new job. We have had a lot going on.

Like I said, I moved. Not far, only about 20 minutes from where I was living previously. We ended up buying a house that was built in 1975 and hadn’t been updated since. It needed some work. For the last few months our house has been experiencing a face lift. The house was covered in yucky old 70’s wallpaper, wood paneling, popcorn ceilings, old carpet, funky accordion doors, and the list goes on. It was just a whole lot of old. So in the last few months we have de-wallpapered, de-popcorned, and repainted the entire house, got all new doors, all new baseboards, all new carpet, new light fixtures, updates for all of the houses bathrooms, we even did a complete remodel of the master bedroom and bathroom. And even after all of that we still have plenty more to do. My head is spinning just thinking about it. Somedays I have to remind myself about how far we have come so I don’t get caught up in how much we still have to do, because I am really so happy with how our house is turning out.

 

We closed on the house in July, but then we didn’t move into the house until September because of the work we were doing to it. So I have spent the past few months trying to get the house unpacked in between chasing my toddler and feeding my baby. I feel like it has taken forever. Finally I am to the point where I feel like we are unpacked enough that we actually live in the house. That leads me to why I have finally started blogging again… it is time to decorate the house. We may be out of boxes, but not everything is necessarily where it is supposed to be. I have a lot of projects that need to get done. Literally I have so many projects spinning around in my head that I cant seem to focus in on just one. So I have made a plan to take it room by room. I figure blogging about it all will keep me organized and on track.

I thought that I would start with the room that I am having the most trouble with… my daughters nursery. The problem that I am having is with the colors I am working with. When I was originally planning the nursery it was going to have to be a shared space. We were living in a two bedroom home at the time. My son was going to have to share his room. The majority of the colors in my sons bedroom were blue and red. I thought that I would stick with those colors, but just girly it up a bit since he would be sharing it with a girl. I found some red polka dot fabric for my daughters sheets and an adorable red chair. Then when I was 37 weeks pregnant we decided to move into a home that was a little bit bigger.

Now my kids each get a room of their own. I still have all of the red stuff that I bought for my son/daughters room. So now I am trying to figure out how to use all of the red stuff that I already have, but just for my daughters room. I have decided that I definitely need to incorporate some pink. Where I find myself running into trouble now is that her room is becoming too red and pink and screaming Valentines day. Not that I don’t love Valentines day, but I’m not sure that I want a room in my home dedicated to it. That is where I am currently at with my daughters nursery.

Let me show you some of the ideas that have inspired me:

 

Here is the overall inspiration for my daughters nursery. I love the idea of pinks walls and red floral curtains. Mostly I love that even though this room is full of red and pink it doesn’t necessarily scream valentines day. This is kind of the overall feel that I am going for.

 

Source

 

A red dresser… that is a must! I just think it is simply gorgeous!

 

 

I love this solid red/pink chair next to the floral fabric. I think I’ll have a red chair next to some floral curtains.

 

Source

 

I’ll definitely be incorporating this quote in these colors.

 

 

I’ll also be making some flowers for a vase. Here are a few DIY tutorials that I like.

 

DIY Flowers

DIY Yarn Poofballs

 

Here are some “maybe” ideas that I like, but I’ll have to wait and see how the room comes together before I incorporate any of these.

 

Here is some cute pink and red bedding. My favorite part about this is the scalloped crib skirt. We’ll see if I get ambitious enough to try that.

 

Source

 

Here are a few other ideas that I found cute. I don’t if they will work. We will just have to wait and see. 

 

Source

 

 

Tomorrow I will share my first completed project for the nursery. Stay tuned!

Making Eating Healthy a Priority

And we are back.....! After a long hiatus from the blog due to babies, home moves and job changes were are ready to get back at it. We love that we can share our talents as sisters on this blog and hope to inspire others.


Today's post is in regard to the new year and making those crucial healthy eating changes. At my work I am able to talk to employees daily about the small changes they can make in their diet to see long lasting results. I would like to share with you the top 5 changes you can make in your diet to loose that weight for good.

1. Follow a 6 meals a day plan. Your hunger/satiety level should always be stable. You should never spike up really high because you have eaten too much and feel overly full. You should also never not eat enough that your hunger level spikes really low and you have low energy level. You should always feel never too hungry or too full. The helps keep your metabolism in line and burn more calories throughout the day.

2. Slow down when eating. Slow down and enjoy your food. Enjoy the company you are eating with. By slowing down you are giving time for your food to digest in your stomach and to tell your brain you are full.

3. Make fruits and vegetables a priority. Fruits and vegetables have so much water and fiber. These are two things that make you fill full and are good for your digestive system. If you are having a hard time incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet then make a small start. Have a rule that all your snacks will only be fruits and vegetables. That way if you don't have time to integrate them into your main meals, then you have least gotten them in through your daily snacks.

4. Cut out the soda. Have you seen this Coca cola commercial yet?

It baffles me. Coke, it is only 140 calories. Yeah only 140 calories of pure sugar and chemicals that you cant even pronounce. The access sugar  in soda is not good for your waistline. Soda has empty calories, it does not fill you up and does not provide any essential nutrients. Avoid it if you want to keep the weight off.

5. Preparation is key. I believe the greatest way you can make eating healthier a priority is to prepare your food in advance. Think about your meals for the week on the weekend. Purchase those meal items on the weekend. Plan to add an additional 30 minutes onto your grocery shopping trip to cut up fruits and vegetables, cook chicken or fish and place in fridge in Tupperware containers. Make a large batch of brown rice on Sunday afternoon and use it throughout the week in different meals. By having things already cut up and cooked on the weekend it makes breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekdays a lot easier. You come home from a long day of work or being with the kids and you have all your salad fixings cut and ready to go and your chicken that just needs to be reheated on the stove.


Try these simple tools to help you on the track to making eating healthier a priority in your life.

Sunshine Striped Maxi Dress

This was my submission for Sunshine week over on SYTYC. Today I wanted to share the tutorial on how to create it. It is super easy!

When I think of sunshine, I think of warmth. I think of the beach. I think of lazy days by the pool. Most of all I think of Summer. What could be more perfect for all of those things than a comfortable bright striped maxi dress.

This dress was constructed from multiple colors of jersey fabric. The solid colors of jersey were cut into various size stripes and then sewn together to create a unique striped and colorful pattern.

This is the perfect dress to celebrate sunshine and summer. It is the perfect swimsuit cover up to wear to the pool or to the beach. It is the perfect dress to wear on a summer evening walk, or just to sport around town. It is just perfect for any activity on a sunshiny day.

What you’ll need:

1/2 yard each of four different colors of knit fabric

1/4 inch elastic (How much? Enough to fit around your waist.)

The first thing you are going to do is create your pattern. You will want to measure from your shoulder to your feet then add 3 inches to get the exact amount of stripes you will need to cut. For example: It is 56 inches from my shoulder to my feet. I cut 59 inches worth of stripes, because once you sew the stripes together you are going to loose about 3 inches of material.

I cut each cream colored stripe at 3 inches. Then I tapered the colored layers. The bottom color was 13 inches. Then the next color was 2 inches shorter than that, and and the next 2 inches shorter than that, and so on. You can see the dimensions in the image below. 

Once you have sewn your pattern together it is time to sew the dress. It can be completed in 6 easy steps.

*I have kept the instructions pretty general. I left out specific measurements. You can decide for yourself how big you want the arm holes, and where on your waist to place the elastic, or how deep and wide of a v-neck that you want for your body. If you do want more specific measurements just send me an email and I would be happy to share what I used for my dress.

As an optional step 7: You can hem all of your open edges around the arm holes, neck, and bottom of the dress. You can also leave it un hemmed since you are working with knit and it wont unravel.

Let me know if you have any questions.

No Excuses Week #3

Excuse #3: I find exercising boring

Exercising doesn't have to be boring. There are so many variations to make exercise more fun.

Here are some tips to help making exercising more fun:

1. Find a fitness facility that specializes in group exercise classes. There is a gym in my area that offers zumba, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, cardio sculpt, power tone. They are offered at all different times in the day and on different days throughout the week. This is a great way to vary the kind of workouts you are doing and make it fun at the same time. For me it is a good $25 well spent. The other great thing about this is that you get to do it with friends and meet new ones as you continue to go.

2. Take up sport you have never tried before. Try enrolling in tennis or golf lessons.  These are two great sports that can be really fun and social. Join a tennis group or find a gold buddy. The more you branch out and try something new, the less you might get bored with doing your regular routine.

3. Add a friend to your exercise programming. Taking walks or joining a sport with your spouse or friend can be added benefit. 


Not only is varying your exercise fun it also has great physical benefits as well. The more your body does an exercise routine the more your body adapts to it. It eventually stop seeing results or seeing results will take a longer time. By always changing your workout routine you have the potential to see results faster and enjoy it more at the same time.

Goal: Try one new sport or activity you have never tried before!

No Excuses Week #2

Excuse #2 : I am too embarrassed and uncomfortable to go to a gym.

Exercising can feel intimidating at times. You might avoid going because you don't know how to use the equipment or what to do when you get there. If you fit that category, let's look at how to move past it.

I have listed some ways to make sure you still get a workout if you don't feel comfortable in a gym. 

1. Pick up some light dumbbells from the store; there are endless things you can do with them. Click here for a great list of exercises you can do at home. 

2. Go to your local library and pick up workout DVD's. The great thing about a lot of these DVD's is that the instructor in most videos makes sure there are modifications to each exercise so you don't have to be concerned about not being able to follow what he or she does. There is always a way to make sure you get the best benefit for your body.

3. Use a game console. Many game consoles such as the Wii, Xbox and Playstation now have exercising games. Zumba is one of those games. It is great to do at home because many people are afraid to do it with a class because they are afraid they won't keep up. By doing it at home you are able to still have a great time but don't have to feel self concious if you dont know all the moves. 

4. Move around with your kids. If you don't like going to the gym then take advantage of playing with your kids throughout the day. Whether it is at the park or in the backyard, make get physical activity by playing with your kids.

If going to a gym is not your thing, don't make it an excuse not to get some exercise in your day. Working out at home can be just as successful as working out at a gym. No more excuses!

Time to Celebrate Fathers!

It is that time of year to celebrate Fathers everywhere! You don't have to remind me about this holiday. I'll take any excuse to celebrate my husband or my father. They are pretty awesome!

 

So in honor of the upcoming holiday we have made some printables to help make Fathers day even more special. They are both interviews about dads that you can do with your kids.

 

The first printable offers an interview that can be answered through words.

 

While the second printable offers an interview that can be answered through pictures.

I love the idea of having an interview with my kids about their father every year. My son is still a little young to understand how to answer these questions. I created the second printable that will answer the questions through pictures of my husband and son together.

I plan to keep all of these interviews in one big scrap book. I'll add to the book every year.  There are so many fun ways to do this interview.

 

I love this idea of framing the interview. I think I'll have to do this on Father's Day.

I also love this idea of creating a digital book every year with the interview questions.

If you are interested in downloading our Father's Day printable just head on over to our Facebook page. Both printables are available to all of our Facebook friends. If you already like us on Facebook, just click on the Free Gift box at the top of our page.

*Update: These are now available on our blog under our printables tab

Doorway Puppet Theatre

For Kids Can Do week I made a doorway puppet theatre.
 

Then my son and a good friend of his made some paper bag puppets for a puppet show. I got the print outs for the puppets from DLTK's Growing Together website. 

Here is a closer look at the puppet theatre. I used left over fabric from my Backyard Beach project. This would be super easy to create with a drop cloth or a sheet or a curtain, really anything that is already hemmed, just like this one from Kojo Designs. Since I was trying to use fabric that I already had, I added the red binding myself. I topped the theatre with a pleated awning. I also added a colorful bunting to the top of the window.


 

Here is a look at the backside of the theatre. I added a pocket to hold all of the puppets.
 

 

It is so fun to play with whether you are behind the curtain or just watching the show.
 

 

We love our new puppet theatre!
 

It also provides a fun new way to play with our Disney Pook-A-Looz Puppets.

Spring Veggie Hummus Wrap

I officially have a new obsession! It is this very delicious hummus wrap. I am not the only one in love. My husband begs me to make this for him on a regular basis. I originally was given the idea for this from a friend who was telling me about a yummy sandwich she had with radishes and carrots. I thought it sounded kind of odd at first. I don’t eat radishes very often and I wasn’t even sure that I liked them. When I saw some at the store the other day I picked a few up and decided to give them a try. I am so glad that I did.

Here is how I assembled my hummus wrap. I’ll be honest I am not exact in my measurements when I make this. I’ll do my best to guess. It will still be yummy even if there are a few extra carrots :)
Serving for one:

• 1/2 Carrot sliced
• 1 1/2 Radishes sliced
• 1/2 Avocado
• Handful of Spinach
• Handful of Baby Arugula
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• Hummus
• Tortilla

Spread a layer of hummus on to your tortilla. Next sprinkle the red pepper flakes on to your hummus. Then top with your spinach, baby arugula, carrots, radishes, and avocado.

Look at all of those yummy veggies!



The red pepper flakes give it just the right amount of heat. I love the crunch of all the veggies. Give this a try, you will not be disappointed.

No More Excuses

In light of the most recent Biggest Loser Season I thought I would do a spin off of the "No Excuses" campaign, which encourages contestants to forego their excuses for bad habits. With that in mind, each of the next four Tuesdays I'll debunk common excuses reasons for not exercising and living healthy.

Excuse #1: I don't have time...

This is pretty common. Like most of you, my days are jam-packed. I believe that for each one of you there is time. Whether it is 20 minutes or an hour, exercise and eating right can happen.

Here are some ideas: 

1. Break it up: 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there — it adds up. You might not have a full 30-minute block of time in your day, but that doesn't mean you can't break up your exercise. Go on a 10-minute walk at your lunch break. Get up just 20 minutes early to get in a quick walk, run or bike ride.

2.  Incorporate exercise into your daily routine: Without having to add extra time, mix exercise into things you already do, such as parking farther away from the office and walking in. Or walk to a park to eat your lunch, or maybe volunteer to be your child's sports team coach and exercise with them during practice.

3. Plan ahead: Planning ahead is extremely important when trying to exercise and eat healthy. Make it a goal to set aside 30 minutes on one day during the week to plan out your meals for the week and go buy those ingredients. It is easy to use the excuse of "I dont have time to cook or to exercise" when you have not already planned what you are going to do. By planning ahead you will have set more time aside for the things that important.

4. Add it to your scheduler: Make exercise an item that is on your daily list. By making it a priority and a part of your everyday routine, you are more likely to get it done. Make it another item on your list that must get done before your day can be over.

Upcycle- iPad Case

Angela is competing on So You Think You Are Crafty. Voting for Week 6- Sunshine Week is up over on SYTYC- don’t forget to go vote for your favorite project. Thanks!

_________

Last week was upcycle week. I took two napkins (both purchased from World Market) and one thrifted belt…

I created my own iPad case.

Would you like to make one? It is super easy. Let me show you how.

What you will need:

• 2 napkins
• 1 belt
• 2 8 x 11 inch pieces of fleece
• Velcro
• Glue gun
• Sewing machine

How to assemble your iPad case:

1. Cut the fabric for the back side and top flap of your case. You need to cut two pieces. Cut one piece 8 x 11 inches. The other cut 11 x 11 inches.

2. Cut the fabric the front side of your case. Cut one piece 8 x 11 inches.

3. Cut two pieces of felt 8 x 11 inches.

4. Cut two pieces from your belt each 6 1/2 inches long.

5. Cut off the pointy end of your belt. (I don’t know what it is called. Feel free to fill me in on what it is called. )

6. Cut the pointy end in half. You should now have two pointy ends. One from the front of your belt and one from the back of the belt. See picture below or let me know if you need a better explanation.

7. Sew two button holes on your 8 x 11 inch piece of fabric you cut for the top flap of your case. The buttonholes should be the same width of your belt. They should be located 2 inches from the side of the top flap, and two inches from the bottom of your top flap.

8. Open your button holes with your seam ripper.

9. Pull your belt through the buttonhole on your top flap and glue it to the backside of your fabric.

10. Sew together your top flap with the belt glued in to your 11 x 11 piece of fabric you cut for the
 backside of your case. Make sure the front side of the fabric is facing each other. It should be a little lumpy with the belt, but just hold the fabric as tight and straight as you can as it goes through your sewing machine.

11. Once you turn the fabric right side out it should look like what you see in the image.

12. Glue on your Velcro to the 8 x 11 piece of fabric you cut for the front of your case. I cut my Velcro 1 3/4 inch long. I placed it 2 inches from the side and 1 1/2 inches from the bottom.

13. Sew on the Velcro.

14. Pin your fabric together in the following order: Felt piece #1, Backside/top flap fabric(with belt), front fabric(with velcro)  , felt piece #2. Sew around the 3 outside edges.

15. Turn inside out. Then glue the other side of your velcro to your belt.

16. Remember those pointy ends of your belt? Glue those to the top of your belt. Then you are finished!

Front side

Backside

Inside without iPad.

Inside with iPad.

I love my iPad case!

Let me know if you have any questions on how to make your own.