Kitchen+ Update

It's been a while since I've posted anything about our kitchen. . .so here goes!

This was probably taken in April. . .the cabinets are roughly in and the counter tops were just installed.

A very simple white Shaker style with Giallo Ornamental granite counter tops. What a process! Hubby and I went together to a bunch of stores, then I went during the week with my trusty camera and took pictures of EVERYTHING I liked. I talked to a few people at different stores, many of them were very helpful. We called people who had done renos themselves to check out for details we were missing. . . and searched the Internet like crazy!

(notice all the tools still in the corner?)

We still need some of the upper trim, below the cabinet trim and some edge finishing.

Then it was picking out tile. . . again. . .here was me, buying samples of everything and then returning them the next day only to purchase more samples! We finally decided on one we liked and that matched our counters, cupboards and floors pretty good.

(oops, sideways picture!)

Finally it is all installed. . .probably a month and a half after we finally picked it out. You can also see in this picture (maybe) the wall colour. Hubby went on some painting binges and had some help from a friend as well. Very appreciative of that!

Here is our office nook (the bump-out). . .I finally found some bulletin boards and white boards for our message center that I was happy with. After all the searching I did, it turned out to Wal-mart I settled on!

 So. . .a run down. . .
The island. . .

 The kitchen corner (see my sink~the domsjo!!!!). . .

 Kitchen corner, part 2. . .

 Here is our dining corner. . .just to show the trim style hubby changed it to.
(still thinking about painting the one wall--office nook one-- a darker brown. . .)

 Front window with no valences. . .

And of course, there is still lots of work to be done. We just hung some more pictures, etc this evening, but every day is one step closer to having it closer to being done. We still have furniture strategically placed to keep our little mover our of danger! Gotta love renovations at this age! (Although we always seem to do it. . .)

 This was just a fun memory for us. When putting some of the IKEA cabinets together, E wanted to help. Of course, there are no directions, just very poor photos (although I would think about becoming an installer if my teaching career ever crumbles!). So E started "reading" the directions. This one apparently tell us that "the bird is sad when it is getting broken." Note to IKEA: Your people look like birds, according to this K kid!

There you have it. . .our work in progress continues. . .

A Bug Party

I am so-o-o behind for posts. . .a big while back, my son had a birthday. And for the first time ever, we had a "friends" birthday party for him. I've resisted it for this long, but now that he is in school and is surrounded by all of his friends, it was about time!

E didn't want to have any cake. His excuse was "no one wants to eat cake or cupcakes at parties anyway. They just want the party food." I guess that is a birthday in the eyes of this particular kid. My daughter would live off of cake and cupcakes!!! So we compromised and had party food AND decorated cookies in place of the cake. The kiddos loved it! (And it took up a good bunch of time--and not so much prep for me!)

The "craft" I had planned was taken from these sites (Site 1 & Site 2). I used them as ideas and made my own patterns and ideas for these pencil toppers.

I think they are pretty cute. No one made the caterpillar or butterfly. (The one with wings is a dragonfly)

We took a walk in a nearby creek to look for bugs (and run around and skip rocks and look for hiding spots and have races and on and on and on!), played hiding games with plastic critters, and just played. (That is really all the boys want to do anyway!) Another great idea I found was a beehive pinata. (My hint or change for this idea would be to use a white paper bag or lunch sac as the pouch holding the candy and treats. . .and to make a few of them! Good decorations and good fun!)

Other ideas I thought of was making thumbprint pictures of bugs or origami bugs that hopped on their own. I was vetoed. My hubby said boys just want to play. That is all they want to do. So, the party came. The party went. Guess what? My hubby was right. Even the eating wasn't the biggest hit. All they wanted to do was play! (I guess that is when I have to kick the teacher-side of me out, and just let them play! Hee-hee!)

Here are the treats we made for the family party.(I don't claim to be a cake or cookie decorator by any means, as you can well see!) Our little barbecue party got rained out, so we went to a local restaurant instead. Again. . .this turned out to be his "cake." None of the kids were disappointed!

And here is my birthday boy--relaxing after making some cookies with me--before his birthday. (Can you believe that all the photos of him on his b-day didn't turn out! Oh well. . .there is always next year!)

MPM

Monday. . .and a menu plan!

Monday- Salmon Strudels for the adults; basic grilled cheese and ham for the kids. It's game day--need food to eat in front of the TV, right?
Tuesday (CP)-BBQ Chicken, buns, cut veggies
Wednesday- Another game day? Probably teriyaki chicken wings (or just use the Epicure teriyaki mix/spice, throw it all in the CP for a few hours and call it good!), french fries, and something super healthy to balance it all out! :)
Thursday- Sandwiches and salad
Friday- Left-overs or pizza (BBQ chicken sounds good to me right now. . .)
Saturday's Snack- baked onion rings (see note below)
Sunday- Pancakes and Bacon (will try to add blueberries or blackberries. . .see if "change" is okay! Or else I'll jsust save the fruit for the topping.)

Snack. . .the baked onion rings. . .here is my little hint. . .I added one more step to the recipe given. After cutting up my onions, I soak them in water or milk, tn do the flour, then the egg wash, then the crumb mixture. I find the batter sticks a little better. One of the notes suggested putting the finished product in the fridge before baking to help it stick. Who knows. I'm an instant gratification person when it comes to these since they take too long to make! While it doesn't quite compare to the tower of rings from Red Robin or the greasy little bag at A&W's, it's a good after noon snack paired with a little barbecue-mayo mixture.
(photo from here)

For more MP, visit www.orgjunkie.com

2nd Best

Back in my first year of college, I did some babysitting to make a few extra bucks. (Being a college kid, you get a little desperate for weekend spending $ every now and then! And I loved kids, so it was easy money! Not a lot  it, just easy!)

There was this one place I was at once--I didn't even know the people--but the dad was a pastor at one of the many local churches and the mom was a nurse (I think!). They had great kids, older ones who pretty much took care of themselves and just had me around for the entertainment value. I remember walking into the kitchen and seeing this huge bouquet of flowers. I went over, and being very nosy, read the card. It said, "After Jesus Christ and His gift of salvation, you are the best thing that happened to me. I love you. From, ~"

Don't get me wrong--I FULLY agree with what the husband said to his wife. But it was the first time I had ever seen it or heard it phrased that way. My college-romance notion of real love had just plummeted into. . .reality? Wasn't I supposed to be the centre of my boyfriend's world? Wasn't it me who he thought of non-stop? Isn't that what the world around me had taught me about "true love?" Isn't that what the shows and the books and the magazines and the media had brainwashed me into thinking?

It was a great reality check for me at the time, and stuck--as I am now retelling the story as a humble tidbit of truth that I learned. And then out of the blue. . .it happened again!

My daughter and I were having a conversation after an "ouchie" had left her helplessly in my loving arms. And she was just about completely better, so I uttered the words, "I love you so much, honey." And out came her reply: "I love you too, but I love God way better. I love God the best and you are just second." My first reaction was, Okay, you could have stopped at the end of the first sentence. I got it then. You don't have to rub it in! Maybe we have to work on tact! And then that picture of the card in the midst of all those flower came to mind. The words were as clear as if they had just been written, as if I had just walked in that stranger's kitchen and read them. 

And then the warm fuzzies came. I sent up a quick prayer--thanking God that He was living so vividly in her. And also thanking God that we, as parents, and anyone else who has had influence into that short life of hers, had done something right in order for her to say that so quickly and easily.

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus." -1 Cor. 1:4 (NIV)

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times. . ." -Rom 1:8-10a (NIV)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13"34-35 (NIV)

Washer Necklaces

Here is a small craft I got to do with my GEMS group a few months back. I tried it again with my sisters a while back (and yes, girls, thanks for making fun of me because I wanted to have "craft-time"!)

If you search google, you'll find lots of etsy  shops that sell this type of necklace/jewelry. You'll also find many tutorials that show how to make these using liquid glass.

Some I looked at are here and here.

This is the {easy} way. . .the way you could make them with a group like. . .grade 3-7 girls! (Or adults, if you want "craft-time").

What you need: large washers, scrapbooking paper with small-ish or colourful prints, pencil and scissors (or the appropriate size of craft punches to fit your washer), glue (we used glue stick, but I had to re-attach and then I used white glue), versa-mark stamp pad, embossing powder, and embossing heating tool, cording or ribbon

First we started by choosing a paper. This isn't as easy as it looks, because you only get the print that appears on the washer. . .
Then we traced the washer shape onto the backside of the paper.

Then cut it out carefully and smoothly.
(And never mind the details in the back of the photo! LOL! Next time I should pay attention to what gets into my photos!)

We glued our newly cut out shape onto the smooth, rounded side of the washer. The straight edge, or rough side of the washer is the back. You could cut out a circle for each side if you like. . .I know this works if you are doing the liquid glass way. It will take you a little longer and forces you to be more careful about it. . . I went the easy way and just did one side.

Once the circle is well glued on, trim excess around the inside or outside, or press it in with your pinkie to glue it towards the back side a bit more.

Then have the embossing powder in a place where it can be dipped. We just used the lid of a yogurt container and sprinkled an area big enough for the washer with it. Next you will rub the good side of your washer/paper on the versa-mark stamping pad. Place this same area in the embossing powder, making sure it is thoroughly covered.

The next step is using the heating gun to "melt" the embossing powder. This will act to seal it. If you are doing this with kids, an adult should probably take care of doing this as it gets kinda hot. You want to be careful because if there is any embossing powder on the sides or the back, it can stick to your skin or drying area. Not good to do. So, be careful!

So, the problem with the ones I made with my sisters was that my embossing powder was ultra glittery, rather than strictly iridescent. I guess it wasn't the same kind I had used making it with my GEMS! Oops! The ones below are pretty "sparkly." Not quite what I had in mind.

The last step is to add the cording or ribbon. Loop it around the washer and tie a knot on the other end. (My sister tied the "knot" so that it was adjustable (trying a loop on each end so the cording can be slipped through the knots)--she could then wear it long or short, depending on her clothing neckline. Smart idea.)

At the Leader's Year-End meeting, the Craft Coordinator for our particular GEMS group gave each leader a necklace. Here's mine. See how it is just shiny--not glitter-mania?

I love this one! Love it!

As a teacher, I have a typical or traditional Mother's Day craft that I do. But if I ever need a new idea, this  might be a good one to keep on hand!

Happy crafting!

MPM

Here is a menu plan for this week. . .

Monday- Chili and Buns and Carrots and Dip

Tuesday- Italian marinated chicken on the BBQ, salad, harvest potatoes (I love this dish! My kids hate it. It is all gone! Guess who ate most of it?)

Wednesday- Grilled Sandwiches, soup (of some kind. . .I'm in the mood for broccoli cheddar, but I KNOW the kids are not!)

Thursday- Baked Spaghetti, salad

Friday- Left-overs or pizza

Saturday's Snack- gotta make some cookies!!!

Sunday-Pancakes and Bacon.

On the breakfast note, I tried to get the kids to enjoy a breakfast at Subway with me this morning. . .not the best move. Maybe it was breaking routine or maybe they can't stand egg made in a square, but I KNOW not to make breakfast sandwiches for a while. . .except for my hulk of a baby. He loved it. He loves anything that is good though.

Was playing around with my camera a bit the other day and I finally figured out how to use the "food" setting. Here was my first humble attempt. Stir-fry from last week. I wanted to see how it would look on the blog. I know this picture shows too many onions. Nice for the colour, but I don't typically eat that many in one sitting! :)

For more MP, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/

Dandelions

Do you ever pick dandelions, just to blow the seeds into the wind?

To be a child again!

A whole field of pure joy in the eyes of a child.

A whole field of weed control in the eyes of the keeper of a manicured lawn!

To my kiddos, this is Dandelion Canyon.

Not sure where the name came from, but this little photo is a reminder to me to stay youthful in mind,

and take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures in this world.

MPM

Menu Plan. . . Yah, its been a while. All of our life and our eating didn't seem exciting enough to merit a post. And nothing has changed. Except that I decided to post about our {exciting} eats this week.

Monday- Corn and Sausage Chowder, garlic bread
Tuesday- Teriyaki Stir-fry, noodles, jello (strictly for the kids, of course!)

Wednesday-Taco Salad

Thursday (Crock pot)-BBQ Chicken sandwiches, cut veggies

Friday-left-overs or pizza
Saturday's Snack- Layered Fruit Salad for kids
(Haven't tried this one specifically, but will probably give it a try. I've kinda gotten bored of smoothies, so gotta try it a bit differently!)
Sunday-French Toast Casserole--because it's easy! And bacon. . .

On the food topic. . .the garden is planted. About a week and a half a ago it was done. Potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, peas, carrots, lettuces (spinach, lettuce mixtures and swiss chard), herbs and onions. I think that is it. I have a few potatoes showing some green, a few carrots sprouting and some lettuce, I think. My herbs are good, although a few of those perennial types didn't come back, so I'm gonna have to go buy one or two new ones (not sure if seeds will grow in time anymore). Some strawberries are making pretty white flowers already. . . looking forward to some sunshine to help it all grow. (Actually, I'm just looking forward to some sunshine. . .)

Well, have a good week. .

Check out more MPM at http://www.orgjunkie.com/

4x4

 This weekend we went on a little adventure. . .

 Off to the area of Chipmunk Creek by Chilliwack Lake for some 4x4ing. For me. . .it was my first time with the family. On the drive out there, the kids had to "catch me up" on the "regular stuff" that goes on with these excursions.

 And then it was just time to play around. There were four trucks (four families/people--one red Jeep isn't pictured here. . .not sure where he was off to. . .except that there were a few bumpy trails in the area to explore).

We passed a couple going down the road we were going up. They said that it was best we turned around because the road was washed out a bit farther up. So. . .the boys were ready to roll!

 Stopping for lunch. . .
And yes, we found ourselves some snow!

Soon after the group split up, my "fearless" hubby found an area where people must have been camping near. He drove in, covered the truck with mud and was about to go on. He stopped at a "cliff" (or at least that is what I saw!!!) I told him I loved him, and didn't really think he needed to show off any more for me as we had some children that I would love to wake up tomorrow with.

He smiled at me--a smirk, really--and pressed the gas!!!

We are still alive and in one piece.

Another great moment for me: The hubby asked the kids if Mommy should come next time. E goes, "well, not really, but just to be polite, I'll say yes." Hubby asks him why I shouldn't come. E says, "Gotta keep those top secret things a secret." And Princess A just wanted her "very best friend" (who is training her in the princess way of life) and Liam around. (Awww!)

Fun times!

life of a mom. . .

Another Happy Mother's Day to all. . .a little bit late, I know.

(But I'm sure many moms out there totally understand!)

I am so very blessed by my mom, mom-in-law, and all the mom-friends in my life.

And I thank God for all of you and the impact you have had on me!

And of course I am so very blessed by my own family--the ones who make me a mother!

(My husband's fine art--our family in our new paint colour. . .we had to test it out to see if it was  acceptable before painting ALL the walls!)

 My little munchkin who decided to give me the treat of walking through rain puddles left on our deck. . . and it was just so darn cute I had to take a few pictures.

 And my other little miracles making me breakfast (because I *totally* eat breakfast every morning!)

 And their little cards and gifties (now that I have a kiddo in school, I get to celebrate and show off the heartfelt gifts made in the classroom. I LOVE IT!)

On Saturday a.m. we joined the local Community School in celebrating Mother's Day. How can kids complain when they get breakfast and to play in an open gym and in a bouncy castle all morning?!?!? (And I got a massage. . .not too shabby, I say!). Here was my little flower to take home. The biggest treat, however, was the compliments I got from the hosts in how well-behaved, polite and cute my kids were. That just did it for me. I guess then all the energy in the every day stuff is worth it!

Below was the annual fish release in a nearby creek. The kids do this every year, and they LOVE it! This year, the youngest needed lunch and a nap, so the two of us stayed home while all the big kids went out to play with the "little fries!"

 Opa took the kids to Buckerfield's to make a hanging basket for me. They had a lot of fun and got to share with me about their adventures. . .which led to us going back on Monday to check out all the things I had missed--especially the animals (in their opinion!)

 And then I got to start some gardening as well, since this was the weekend to get plants!

Still a bunch more work that needs to be done and a few more trays of plants, but. . . it's not like the sun is shining or anything like that! Won't that be a treat when spring weather decides to stick around!