It's that time of year again

I admit it I love getting Christmas cards. Maybe it's the feeling of getting classic letters in the mail. Updates from friends and family, photos of kids growing up incredibly fast.  I have actually been known to keep cards for several years. (gosh I know I have a problem).

I used to design my own cards and the stress of it all about just sent me into a tailspin during the holidays that I decided to save my sanity and go with Pro Digital Photos. I've actually had them create my cards the past few years and lets just say I'm a happier person during the season.  The site is easy to use and the selection you guys in out of this world.  Prepare yourself and it's not to late to send me a card! (wink wink)

A bedroom update and easy DIY

It's been a while since I dusted off the old tool belt and got to work.  I miss it and I've been wanting to do this project for a while.  So while my husband was gone away on business it seemed like the perfect time to make a disaster of our room, and clean it up just in time for him to come home.  

When I told him about what I had in mind for our room makeover I promised him I wouldn't have anything pink in our room.  If you've seen our home, I LOVE PINK! Having a house full of girls, we love pink, the man deserved one room without it.  

  

Our home has an excellent view of the lake and mountains behind our home and I love the early morning daylight we get with our windows. So I wanted to add some elements to the room to emphasize this.  Adding some trim around our windows was much easier than I expected it to be.  I found several options of ideas on Pinterest and settled on this to match our moldings around our doors.  I added a thicker molding at the top to give some height to the room because our ceilings aren't that tall.   

I also decided we need some quick art to go above our bed.  This sign cost me $7 and I drew the XOXO with the tip of my paint brush. I was pretty proud of myself because I can't even draw stick figures. I personally love the unique and imperfect lines of this. 

The problem now is getting our girls to think this isn't their room and they they have comfy beds of there own.   

I started with the trim basically heading to my local Home Depot and purchasing the following materials for each window.  I would recommend doing more than one window at a time to save some potential cost on materials.

  

 - 1x2 (measurement for top two pieces)   

-  1x4 (measurement for two side lengths and bottom)

-  1x6 (measurement for lip of window sill and top trim piece)

-  Brad nails

-  Wood screws 

-  Hammer 

-  Trim caulk 

-  Paint 

-  Jigsaw or skill saw

I started on the window sill first. You will measure from the inside to inside and then add 5 inches to each side (or more/less if you would like) for the lip on the outer edges.  

Once you ha

ve your first 1x6 piece nailed into your window you will then measure the sides for the 1x4 pieces to go on both sides.  Measure from the bottom (which will be were your new wood has been added) to the top of your window.  Don't go past the top of the window as your top trim will be added here next.

Then you will take your small 1x2 piece and measure it the same length as your bottom piece of your window (I added 5 inches on each side) to give the dimension of the large trim at the top.  You will make 2 of those cuts, one for bottom and one for top.  You will add the last 1x6 piece of wood in between.  I had to nail my nails in at an angle to get them to stay for the 1x2 pieces.  

Family Date in Salt Lake with Nick Jr.

I was compensated for attending this event sponsored by Nick Jr. and Mom.me. The thoughts and opinions below are my own. 

Spending the day together as a family doesn't happen as often as I would like so when it does we try and make the most of it. The other day we were excited to attend a party hosted by Nick Jr and Mom.me. Nick Jr. was showcasing two shows, Blaze and The Monster Machine and Shimmer and Shine. Our girls obviously were in heaven with all of the toys to play with but also the interactive crafts, princess crowns, coloring and race cars. I asked Olivia what her favorite part of the day was and she said without hesitation "I LOVED making the sand jars and so happy to see the new dolls." We don't have a lot of cars in our toy box but they can't get enough of the race car from Blaze.

Our girls were all about the Shimmer and Shine dolls and still to this day we will find one either in the car, our play room or even in the crib for nap time. And Dad isn't complaining about having some trucks and cars in the house. Maybe one day we will have a little boy to for daddy to play with! (wink wink)

These toys give a great introduction to STEM concepts as they encouraging children to apply critical thinking skills and explore science. As a mom I love having our girls play with interacting toys rather than other options to keep their minds creative and engaging. We are excited to play and explore with these toys for days and weeks to come!!!

Chicken Lime Tacos

Hands down best chicken lime we've ever had!!! We mostly love this recipe because we can use it for a couple different recipes.  We have served it over rice but our absolute favorite is tacos!!!  Mostly as a busy mom I like simple and yummy dinners that my family thinks I've worked so hard all day over. Tricks on them!  So here is what you need:

5 Chicken breasts (I use frozen chicken)
1/2 bottle of Zesty Lime Dressing
Salsa Verde Green Sauce
1 can of Diced Jalapeños
1 can of Diced Chilis
2 limes

I add all of these items in the crockpot with the chicken and cook baby cook!!!  I cook on low for 6-8 hrs or high for 4 hrs. Then we top with tacos with rice, cilantro, and lime.  Honestly I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Outdoor Living with Walker Edison

We knew when we built our home the number one reason we picked this lot was for the view and the backyard! I grew up basically living outside, playing basketball and eating dirt.  But really though, my childhood was playing outside until it was dinner time.  Things aren't like they used to be (now I sound like my mom) but they aren't. I wish they were but I want to make it as much like my childhood for our girts that I can. 

We worked our tails off this summer, digging trenches, gluing sprinkler pipes and assembling our new patio furniture from Walker Edison!  It makes all the hard work worth it to sit down and enjoy our evenings here. 

 So needless to say we have basically been living outside for the past few months.  I can't wait to see all the memories that will be created in this backyard.  Be sure to check out Walker Edison for all your indoor and outdoor furniture needs. 

Bright Night - Pro Digital Photos

Well we did another Bright Night last month, and we spiced things up and did it in sunny Arizona!!  I will have more to share soon but first up we wanted to thank our friends at Pro Digital Photos for helping us set the stage for a beautiful day with their prints.

We have learned that it really is about the little details that make a big difference!  They helped us put together Name tags for our attendees, schedule, and speaker cards. They have an in house designer that was able to help match our theme perfectly.

Here is a peak at their products and make sure you visit them for your printing needs at Pro Digital Photos!

It's about the little things. Random Acts of service.

We truly believe that showing your kids by example is so incredibly important.  Yes they can learn on their own by making their own decisions but what a difference it can make if you offer suggestions, give hints, etc for things they could do and see how they run with it. 

 

We were asked to participate in a fun new show called RANDOM ACTS on KBYU TV.  I am absolutely in love with this concept.  I get a kick out of doing random spontaneous things and then you throw service in there and it's a win win for everyone!! Involve your kids and it's like we won the jackpot!  Showing Olivia a list of random acts she could choose from and then letting her do it was just as much fun as anything.  She choose to deliver flowers to a neighbor.  She chose the neighbor, and wrote the note. I tried not to hover as a mom and correct her. I give myself a B+ for effort on that.  I prepared the flowers that I actually had just bought from the cheapo section in Walmart.  And she ran them up to the door.  We talked about it the rest of the evening, wondering how something so simple and small for us, could have made their day!

 

 

You may not be aware of this but kids can become pretty self absorbed, I wonder where they get that from?  So to help turn some time and distraction from what she wanted or what she thought she was missing out on, it was the perfect moment for me to bring this opportunity up.  It turned her focus from herself to something better and simple yet impactful.  I loved watching it.    

To arrange these flowers and spruce them up a bit, I took a Trader Joes sack and cut it up.  Folded the corners in a little and wrapped the flowers around it.  It looked so fancy I tell you what!!

 

So check out Random Acts for a list of idea that they have and how you can do simple and fun things with your kids to make someone else's day, and I'm willing to be yours as well.