Homemaker's Heaven

2011-12-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Want to see the craftiness that has been bestowed in my house lately?

2011-11-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Felt Volcano for MacKenzie to use while playing with her miniature toy animals and dinosaurs.

All you need is a birthday cone hat, Gray Felt, Red Felt, Scissors, & Tacky Glue

Picture of a raccoon I made for MacKenzie, I seen this online this was my attempt to draw it and Kenzie colored it. I think his face was quite a bit thinner in the original ha ha

Birthday Hats for MacKenzie's Party Guest at her Mickey/Minnie Mouse Party!

This project is very cheap just purchase some cheap birthday hats and use them as a pattern and use the elastic from them, then purchase some card stock paper in black for the ears and assorted colors for cone part. I think this ran me around $3 for hats, $5 pack o paper so maybe $13 for all of it but have tons of left over paper and you can always reuse your pattern later! If you already have a birthday hat to us as a pattern from a previous party but not enough to use the elastic you may use matching ribbon but this would be more expensive.

Elmo Camera Lenses Bling - The most expensive part of this project minus camera pictured ha ha was the hair band that was premade (this cost alot because you can only get packages of 6-8) if you plan on making more than one then you will come out well if not plan on purchasing some elastic and some red fabric scraps to make the hair band first then purchase the eyes and felt to add to it. The eyes also come in large packets but I choose to get them anyways to because I can use with them my daughters art later on. Total cost of project ran up to $8 for this one but I have extra supplies to make more. I think next I will make a owl since Kenzie loves owls! This little invention will help get kids to look at your camera and smile but be warned it also makes them want to come up and grab the camera too! ha ha!

Halloween/Fall Crafts

2011-10-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

The holidays are coming and the first one to come is Halloween! I can't wait for it! It's so much fun with a kiddo in the house! I just made my daughter a felt pumpkin and she loves it! I also made her a costume (Mermaid). I just finished a fall wreath and that is just the beginning of the fun fall crafts I got up my sleeve! I also have a owl bandanna dress I am making her which I thought would be a great fall dress..

Thrifty Thursdays

2011-08-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thrifty Thursday is here! Got a few tips to share!

1.) When cleaning stainless steal sinks and other stainless items you can use a used dryer sheet that is dampened with a little water and rub out the water spots! It's easy! Try it!
2.) Re-Use grocery bags for multiple uses! One I like to use them for as a mom is to bag up those dirty diapers and throw them in the trash so they don't spread odor in the trash can before it's taken outside for the evening.
3.) Instead of going to buy new books for your children host a book trade with your friends who have children in similar age groups or similar interest and the books will be new to you and your child all over again!

How to make the classic grilled cheese just a little better!

2011-06-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Tips:
Cover your skillet while cooking the first side, so maximum melting of cheese can take place.
Use cheddar cheese not american cheese
Use good quality white bread, I find Sara Lee Brand to be wonderful
Use plenty of butter on both sides of the bread before throwing in the skillet
Use a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet

Grilled cheese + Tomato soup...need I say more! YUMMY!

The Little Things that make Life a Little Cuter...

2011-06-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I do alot of little cute things for my one year, MacKenzie like make laminate pictures of her friends so she can thumb thru them at any time and see her little friends and yes even some of her wonderful family too! Also, I put pictures in magnetic frames on the fridge down low on the fridge for her to move around and look at too. I'm about to make her a little photo box to hold her photos so she can place them in there when she's done looking at them and she knows just where to find them when she wants to see a friend.

Another "cute" project I've been working on for her is making miniature boxes and bottles etc. into toys for her kitchen center or for her shopping activities. Basically I just recycle boxes like the miniature cereal boxes and mini soda bottles but I also went out of my way to ask for a small pizza box at the local Papa Johns Pizza and to my surprise they gladly handed it over free of charge! (Now I just got to make a felt pizza to put in that box!)

The can of green beans is just so you can see the size, the can of green beans is a regular size so you can see how tiny the other items are.

MacKenzie now has a well stocked pantry!

Rudeness

2011-06-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend about how rude people were to me all in one day while my baby was sick. I know I was going thru alot with her being sick with a virus and I may had been more sensitive than usual but these people were really rude. I have experienced alot of rudeness lately, whether it be because an adult didn't get their way (childish) or maybe the rude person themselves was having a bad day it just isn't proper to be rude to people for no "good" reason! I have had people even being passive aggressive lately (which in my book, that is the worst kind of rudeness!). I'm a pretty tolerant person and I like it when people just say what they mean and mean what they say. People who say things in a passive aggressive way want to hurt another person but don't want to take the responsibility for it, now that is just plain rude! I feel like I give alot to other people and I try to please every person that comes along so when people act this way toward me I guess I just am utterly confused. I have to consider these people that act this way may be selfish and think everything is just about them.

A book I've been thinking about reading since I happened to randomly see it online a while back actually is on the subject of rudeness, want to check it out go to this website for a review: click here

Now for a lighter subject:

Photography

I've not been taking many portraits of my daughter like I was when she was an infant but I'm trying to get back into it...I miss seeing new portraits of her around the house. I kinda gave up when she got to be a toddler because it is so much harder. I think I will just have to challenge myself. I also have a friend that is into photography and I think I will have to enlist her help and hopefully I can be of help to her taking pictures of her daughter (also a toddler) as well.

To all of you moms out there...

2011-05-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow Moms,
If you haven't heard it lately then I will tell you, thank you and good job! You are the one who holds your child late at night when they are sick, you are the one who does laundry until 2 am because if it gets any more behind you won't be able to see your laundry room, you are the one who does the chores no one else wants to do, you are the one who researches whats best for your child whether it be what they eat or what medications to take, you are the one that must suffer thru awkward moments at playgroups where your ideas of parenting well just isn't the same as another moms ideas, you are the one that carried your child for those long 9 months or in my case 9.5 months, you are the one who gave birth and in my case was in active labor for 36 hours, you are the one who stays with your child day in and day out and whethers toddlers tantrums on maybe just 4-5 hours sleep...well and there is alot more I could list because mothers are the jack of all trades...they do everything no one else wants to do...whether it be cleaning up a messy spill from dinner or administering medicine to a toddler who lets just say doesn't exactly react well to icky medicines...

Why this letter? Well I guess I realized that myself and many other mothers can just be tired, very tired and very overwhelmed at times and maybe even feel unappreciated. Well look at it this way when your tired, run down, and feel like you can't possibly fold another piece of laundry,...just don't, take a break! Who cares if everything is not done right away...it can wait, get your rest and do it when you get time...if someone doesn't understand then let them be in your shoes for awhile then they may just very well get it...until I was a mother I would had never understood just how much work it can really be. Although I really LOVE it, I also am the most exhausted I have ever been and that is saying alot because I worked 3 jobs at once before and kept a perfectly clean home as well...now my home isn't perfect but it's tidy enough and clean...and well I have no job that brings in a paycheck but I have a job that gives me a smile most every day!

Being a stay at home mom...

2011-04-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

Being a stay at home mom makes some people think you have EXTRA time on your hands when in fact it's the exact opposite. I get comments like I know you have time to call me and talk on the phone because your home all day. Well lets see...even if I was infact home all day this is how my day goes:
7:45am -MacKenzie wakes up...(sometimes screaming because shes hungry)
7:45-8am - MacKenzie eats (guess who makes her breakfast? yes that is right this stay at home mom who has so much time to make phone calls all day long)

8:30- We clean up from breakfast (do dishes, clean MacKenzie's face & hands, clean high chair and floor- this takes maybe 30 minutes sometimes) - during those 30 minutes MacKenzie does free play but mostly lately she's clingy and pulls on my leg while I clean...(do I want to talk on the phone during all of this "NO!"
9:00-Circle Time - Do we have to do this? No but sometime of the day we need to have quality time together and circle time is one way we do that (I focus on MacKenzie and we talk about things and explore activities from her lesson plans) - Would I talk on the phone during this time -OBVIOUSLY NOT!
9:20 - Outside Play - Well now I could talk on the phone during this time but I don't want to be one of those moms who talks on the phone the entire time their kids play outside, yes that's right I actually enjoy watching her play and playing with her and I don't want her to get hurt because I'm not paying attention either.
10:00am - This is snack time - I prepare MacKenzie a snack now if we are home I normally cut her up a fresh piece of fruit and then she takes about 15-20 minutes to eat it then we do the clean up process.
10:30am- During this time we do Table Activities or Art (I have to guide her during these activities so not a great time for a phone convo.)
11:30- Stories and songs with MacKenzie
11:45am-Time to make MacKenzie's lunch and mine too...
12:00-12:15 - Time for Lunch
12:15-12:30- Clean up from Lunch, then after she goes down for nap the rest of clean up takes place...
12:30- Nap time for MacKenzie (if she goes down on time, and then I clean up a little and if I have time left I may actually get some rest for myself or time to work on a project I need to work on- Could I make a phone call during this time? Yes, of course! Do I always want to? NO! I have less than 2 hours a day to myself whether it be to rest, watch tv, read a book, do laundry it's MY TIME! I'm lucky to even get it some days!
2:30 - Snack Time
3:00 - Outside Play
4:00- Music & Movement Time for MacKenzie

Okay now when it's 4pm here it's already 10pm on the East Coast so I do not need to explain the rest of my day...once it comes to a close there isn't time to make phone calls to family and friends since their days are over.

This post isn't about me not wanting to talk to family or friends but it's about the comments I've received from people. I will call when I have time I WANT TO SPARE but often I don't. I enjoy getting phone calls periodically from friends and family to catch up and shoot the breeze but I don't enjoy getting tons of RUDE messages about me not answering the phone again... I wonder how many stay at home moms experience stuff like this.

So from all that I posted here Do you think I have time to talk for over an hour every other day to anyone? Nope, sure don't...now skype is a different story, that is much easier to use with a toddler running around...I can actually have her involved in the conversation and she loves it too! She gets to talk to her grandparents that way all the time and we love it!

Briefly this is the rest of Kenzie's day:

4:30 Storytime/floor activities/table toys-art

5:30 Free Play

6:00 Dinner

6:30 Bath

6:45 Free Play

7:30 Story Time/ Cuddle time with Mommy and Daddy

8:00 Bedtime

From 8pm-10pm I catch up on chores, relax if I can, and I blog sometimes...oh and I go to bed early if MacKenzie has been sick and may be waking up during the night etc. (this isn't a rare thing...)

I know for some of you reading this you must be thinking wow she's upset at someone but after months and months of staying home with your child and hearing stuff like this it just starts to make you a little more than irritated!

Strange Invitations...

2011-04-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

So I thought today this would be a great facebook status for me:
(Name Here)...thinks it's weird to have a party for your birthday and have someone selling stuff at the party where your guest feel like they have to buy something in order to attend your birthday party...strange...either it's a birthday party (where you already get gifts) or your trying to make money which is it????

Why would this be my status you ask?
Well because in the last month I've been invited to an acquaintances birthday party (where she was using someones home business to make money during her party) then not more than a month later she invited me to her husbands party that was the same theme (another person would be there selling stuff)!
Why am I so put off by this?

#1 - Don't invite everyone on your facebook to your birthday party (that is strange to begin with)

Isn't your birthday party just for close friends and family? I wouldn't want all my acquaintances to feel pressured into coming to my birthday party especially if I met them under business pretenses (which was me in this case)

#2 - Having more than one of the same type of home party to make money for yourself it tacky! I've heard of people having like 5-10 different parties a month and paying their mortgage by just selling so much product to their friends and family members who just wanted to support them or felt pressured to buy.

#3 - If your having a birthday party graciously except gifts your friends and family give you and let that be enough, I mean really do you need to hit their wallet for even more than they already paid for your gift you know they will be bringing since it's a "Birthday Party".

Okay, so normally my blog is about crafting/homemaking and not my opinion like this blog but I needed a place to vent and I wanted to see if anyone else felt this way about this? Isn't this what a blogs for anyways?

New Crafty Projects for MacKenzie II -first project

2011-04-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Felt Food First Attempts:

Overall, I think these pieces of felt food were pretty easy and a great way to start this craft. I just need to make the bread and I'll have a whole felt sandwich for my daughter to play with!

Childrens Museums

2011-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

We've always loved going to museums and now that we have our daughter we love to go even more! Not only do we go to our regular places like science museums but now we go to children's museums too! I can't wait to go to some in North Carolina, they have a ton of them! When I was a child I went to some of them too!

Hawaii:
Hawaii Children's Discovery Center (Honolulu)
Teddy Bear World

North Carolina:

Children @ Play (Kitty Hawk)

The Children's Museum of Wilmington

Children's Museum of Winston-Salem
Children's Museum of Winston-Salem will not grant Reciprocal benefits to greater Triad residents with Reciprocal memberships to museums outside greater Triad area.

The Children's Playhouse (Boone)

Discovery Place KIDS! (Huntersville)

Exploration Station, Hands-On Learning Center (Lumberton)

Fascinate-U Children's Museum (Fayetteville)

Greensboro Children's Museum

Hands On! A Child's Gallery (Hendersonville)

ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center (Charlotte)

Iredell Museums - Children's Museum (Statesville)

Kidzu Children's Museum (Chapel Hill)

Marbles Kids Museum (Raleigh)

Museum of Life and Science (Durham)

Rocky Mount Children's Museum & Science Center

Where to find the information for your state: click here

New Crafty Projects for MacKenzie II

2011-04-14T11:25:00.003-07:00

See Felt Food Pattern,Tea Time and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Here's a link for how to make a felt sandwich!

Hawaii Five-O

2011-03-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

I've started watching Hawaii Five-O (the new one) I was never into the old one, I think it was before my time. It is really neat to watch it and scenes are from places where I live and places we've been to on a regular basis. It's also just a really good show. The last episode I watched Larisa Oleynik guest starred as Jenna Kaye. Does Larisa Oleynik not sound familier? What about Alex Mack? as in Secret World of Alex Mack? Well if it's still not ringing any bells...Alex Mack was a character from Secret World of Alex Mack. My husband and I watched this tv show when we were children and really enjoyed it. It was really weird to see her all grown up in this show!

This is her as Alex Mack back then...

This is her now...

She has also played in many other tv shows like Without a Trace, Psych, Mad Men, Boy Meets World, and 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Project Get Organized, Project #2

2011-03-25T00:19:00.000-07:00

Project Get Organized

Problem: Chaos in Craft Area (this happens very easily when you have many different types of crafts you are interested in and you have multiple ongoing projects.

The peg board before I re-organized it...

I am obsessed with scrabble can you tell?

Great way to store all of my craft paints...I can see each color with ease...

Ribbon, Craft Punches & Buttons...

I somehow lost my cutting board so got this board at a thrift shop for $1 with of course scrabble games pieces that I love...and I use it for a cutting mat and it has lines on it which are great!

My favorite item on my desk, my daily planner with my daughters photo in it...love this daily planner it keeps me so organized!

Paper, stamps, ink pads, finished scrapbook pages before they go in albums etc...

Interesting Organization Tips

2011-03-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

As I've been doing Project Get Organized I've been reading some articles on the matter and I found this one to be a great help for me to know what is OK to get rid of: Click Here for Article or look below for some tips I found helpful from the article.

Here is a list of seven things that generally cost more to keep then the value they give you in return.

1. Things that you have printed off the internet that you've been meaning to read. They take up physical space and often weigh heavily on your mind because you haven't read them. The really good news is that should you need any of this information in the future you can reprint it.

2. Old, travel size, half used bottles of shampoos, lotions, soaps, cosmetics, etc., that you simply don't use. These items take up valuable cabinet and counter space. It is true that some of the products may still be good and someone else could use them but unless you are using the products you are not getting any value from them and neither is anyone else. Give them away or throw them away and benefit from all of the found space.

3. Clothing that you will wear again when you lose 10 pounds or are stained, don't like or don't wear. These clothes are preventing you from finding the things that fit you and look good on you. Another benefit of getting rid of these clothes is that when you lose 10 pounds you'll get to buy something that you will really enjoy.

4. A gift you received that you don't like or will never use. Even if the person who gave it to you is special or the gift was expensive. What value is that gift giving you? Do you think that the person who gave it to you would want you to feel burdened by it?

5. Something that you bought for yourself, even if it was expensive, that you simply no longer like, never use or won't use again. What benefit are you getting from keeping it? How much space does it take up? How do you feel when you look at it?

6. Tools or gadgets that work great for someone else but don't work for you even if others swear by it. Just because it works for someone else does not mean it's right for you.

7. Knick knacks, souvenirs and other little things that you've collected over the years that remind you of a trip or experience. Do you smile when you look at it or does it get lost in a collection of stuff? Just because you don't have the souvenir doesn't mean you don't have the memory.

As you go through your things use these questions as a guide: • What value or benefit does this give me?

Is it costing me more then I am getting from it?
Does someone else what me to have or use it?
Is it something I keep meaning to use but never seem to?
Is it costing me more then it is worth to me?

Far as Number 1 goes, I have something to add to that: Any old magazines you've been meaning to read (THROW THEM OUT AND KEEP THAT 1 ARTICLE YOU WANT TO READ) I have a box I keep that is small but large enough for magazine pages to fit and I rip out interesting articles, recipes, tips etc. and keep them for a rainy day!

Project Get Organized, Project #1

2011-03-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Project Get Organized

Problem: Toys EVERYWHERE!

Plan: Limit the amount of toys out at once and have a good place to store the ones out of rotation.

I turned our linen closet into a toy closet! It worked great! Here are a couple pictures of the start of it all but I will soon post a picture of all the toys in their containers and it will be even more organized!

I also placed all the art/craft items in the closet, it works great to keep it all together and it's easy to see what we are out of!

Before this we had a bunch of our toddlers toys in our office and it was just taking over our office, we couldn't see the floor! I've had alot of her small toys in containers already to rotate out and even a few large containers for large toys but many of the toys were getting moved all over the play and not truly out of rotation because she still had access to them all with exception to art/craft stuff and a few other small boxed items I had put up for directed play.

Project Get Organized...

2011-03-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Project Get Organized

Since my daughter came along in November 2009 I have felt I've not been my usual totally organized self. My challenge to myself was to get organized no matter how long it takes...if I only get one little drawer done in a week it's okay as long as I am trying to get everything back in order it will eventually happen. Well we are almost there! These post will be in a series starting with my first project until I do my last! Pictures and helpful solutions soon to come!

Trying new recipes....

2011-03-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

We were in a food rut for a while so we've been trying some new things, this is what we tried tonight:

RITZ Parmesan Chicken

Prep Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

1/4 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

25 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

MIX mayo and lemon juice in bowl; set aside. Combine cracker crumbs and cheese in separate bowl.

DIP chicken in mayo mixture, then roll in cracker crumb mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Place on baking sheet.

BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is done (165°F).

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Serving Suggestion
Serve with a hot steamed vegetable and mixed green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Dressing.

Substitute
Substitute 1/4 cup KRAFT Classic Caesar Dressing or KRAFT Ranch Dressing for the mayo and lemon juice.

Nutrition Information

Calories	360
Total fat	20g
Saturated fat	5g
Cholesterol	80mg
Sodium	440mg
Carbohydrate	13g
Dietary fiber	0g
Sugars	2g
Protein	29g
Vitamin A	0%DV
Vitamin C	0%DV
Calcium	15%DV
Iron	8%DV

It was pretty good although we are thinking of adding some cheese next time also this time we used Ritz Veggie Crackers instead of the original ones.

Uplifting Song

2011-03-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

Here's a uplifting song I thought I would share...Every time I listen to this song it brings up lots of joy and emotion. I've listened to this since I was a child.

Here's one more from Dolly that is great but more recent:

Craigslist Deals, Bust & Funnies...

2011-03-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

These post will be about bad deals on Craigslist and funny ads I find...I often check Craigslist for items for my daughter (outdoor toys, strollers, etc.).

Bad Deals...
As a rule of thumb, you should never pay more than a third of the full price for used items that aren't of collectible value such as baby gear.
Bad Deal #1-

Little Tikes Slide - Has some sun fading but is in excellent condition. $10 (You can find this same slide for $20 new with No Sun Fading)

Bad Deal #2-
I am selling a Bright stars bouncy chair, vibrating, babies loves it, neutral colors, good condition, from clean and smoke free home. email if interested, thank you for looking$15
(You can buy this new for $29)

GOOD DEALS (Assuming the ads aren't misleading and items are in good shape)
Good Deal #1-
Baby Einstein baby gym in good condition, $10, cash and pick up only. thank you!
(You can buy this new for $54)
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bab/2235013472.html

Good Deal #2-

Fisher Price papasan bouncer in great condition. $15, cash and pick up only. Thank you.
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bab/2235017550.html

You can buy these new for $60-$70 online.

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

You ever get attached to things and can't let go even though you know you don't need it? I do. I use to not have this problem at all, I cleaned out stuff and threw it out with no problem but since I had my baby I can't seem to let go of some of her things. She is 15 Months old and I still have most of her baby cloths and shoes...even some baby toys she doesn't enjoy anymore, but getting rid of them is like admitting there is no baby here anymore...it's a little sad but I know it's time to let go of some things and keep only what I really want for keep sakes or in case we have another girl soon. It's just not feasible to keep everything in case another one though because I know I'll want new things and it's crowding up our home. So today I walked around with a bag to donate some stuff out and I filled it up! Now I just got to go threw our storage containers and see what else I can let go of. The house feels neater already! I have donated plenty of her stuff since she's been born but there is still plenty more than can go. I am making separate bags for how I want to get rid of things...some for friends who have little babies, some for donation, some to sale on e-bay and of course some to keep!


I like how this mom did her childs closet but MacKenzie has so many outfits in her closet this would never work...but I have bought little containers like in this picture to organize little toys that I want to rotate out or things that aren't to be played with during free play but in parent guided play (playdough for example)...I just don't know where I want to put them maybe in our linen closet...I just got to clean it out too! One project leads into another one! This picture is from: click here.

Ronnie Dunn

2011-03-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

(A song about forgiveness)
This song is so sweet. I've always been a overly forgiving person but really it's a good thing, it's what I was brought up to do. My mom forgives and taught me to forgive, we had a conversation about this recently about how we should forgive others who have wronged us. One thing I've learned is that forgiving someone doesn't mean you have to give them a chance to do you wrong again it's more about letting your heart forgive and forget not always giving the person another chance to hurt you...I'm not one to blog much about emotions but this song I wanted to share and I figured it needed a little explanation. Hope you all like it!

Safety Saturdays...

2011-02-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Starting this week I'm doing a new blog called "Safety Saturdays". The point of this blog would be to raise awareness of all things dangerous to you and your family (mostly children). There are many things that are unsafe in our homes that we are unaware of such as a toy ridden with lead paint. My hopes are that starting this blog will help others to make their homes safer for their families. I've been called the "Safety Queen" before and I guess maybe that is a appropriate name but jokes aside it is important to keep our families safe especially if doing so is as easy as keeping tabs on the website for Consumer Product Safety and checking your home regularly for items that become unsafe over time.
Fellow bloggers are welcome to join in on this blog by doing a "Safety Saturday" blog each week and linking your blog to this one in each "Safety Saturday" blog.

I'll start the first Safety Saturday today, so here it is....
Lead Paint - One of the scariest dangers in the home...especially for our children...
Facts:
Any home built before 1980 may have lead-based paint on the walls....

Lead can filter into your water through pipes

Dirt and soil clings to fingers and hands, on toys, and in things that children put in their mouths. Over time, soil absorbed in this manner can cause poisoning if it holds a high amount of lead. Soil in urban areas usually contains about 200 to 500 parts per million, while country soil contains significantly less. Soil with over 1000 parts per million is considered hazardous. You can test the soil around your home by calling your local health inspector or by using home soil-testing kits such as Lead Check. If you are concerned about high amounts of lead in your soil, you can counter it by planting grass, by paving over the soil or by laying down several inches of pebbles or wood chips.

Doctors can perform a simple blood test to determine the amount of lead in a child's system. You can do this when the child is between six months and one year old and then again when the child is two years old.

A Couple Toy Recalls for 2011 (there are MANY MORE, these are just a couple...)

Type = Rattle

Brand = Sassy

Read more: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11114.html

Type = Play phone
Brand = Discovery Toys
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11094.html

Thrifty Thursdays

2011-02-09T23:47:00.000-08:00

A few thrifty things to do if you have children:

Collect those mini bottles you get for Johnson's Shampoo and soap and rinse them out when you are done and glue the tops back on so they cannot be removed (of course, check them every so often to make sure they are still tight) then they can be used for your children to pretend to give baby dolls baths, much more realistic looking and cheaper than going out and buying those from the store that are totally cheap quality anyways.

Another good tip for saving money on toys:

Buy some Preemie and Newborn size clothing from resale shops or garage sales for your childs baby dolls or use their own baby clothes if they any small enough to fit their baby dolls. I find that most of my daughters dolls only fit Preemie clothing. We had maybe two things that were that size so I ventured out and looked for outfits that were exactly like hers she wears now and found some! So she can match her dolls! She loves it and so do I, makes for cute pics!

Unlikely Angel

2011-02-05T22:59:00.000-08:00

I finished reading the book Unlikely Angel By: Ashley Smith and I gotta say, I loved this book! I would totally recommend it to anyone!

To visit Ashley's Website: Click Here
Picture above is from Ashley Smith's Website.

Thrifty Thursdays

2011-02-02T23:29:00.000-08:00

Instead of sharing what I've done to be thrifty this week I'm going to share some ways that you can be thrifty instead:
1) Be aware of discounts you can get because of you or your spouses job (military families get many discounts when they show Military ID places such as Sprint, Sea World, Burger King/Arby's {not all locations})
2) Be a card carrier....yes those grocery store cards and drug store cards are REALLY WORTH IT! Even book stores now offer club cards. Sears has a card now and even a club for people who buy items in the baby section only (you get money back to spend in the store!)
3) Say NO to the credit cards stores offer, signing up for too many of these can effect your credit scores and it's not worth the discounts if you don't shop there religiously, stick with a credit card from your bank that offers great rates and No annual fees if possible.
4) Never pay more than a 3rd of the value of something new when your buying used unless it holds value such as collectibles...another wards if you are at a garage sale and looking at a shirt that is $15 new don't pay more than $5 for it used. As a rule of thumb with clothing though I tend to NEVER spend more than $1 on a item of clothing. People will make comments like, I paid $45 for it new....well guess what it's not new now and I'm using it to make a patch work quilt....so I don't want to pay $10 for a piece of fabric I'm cutting up....Often if you make a offer and it's the end of the day people with take it.
5) Know when to call something JUNK. I've seen things sold at garage sales and thrift stores that just drives me crazy, not sure why these items are not just thrown away. Items that I consider JUNK and should be trashed but often are attempted to be resold:
1) Potty Seats for toddlers
2) Litter Boxes for kitties
3) Used sponges, brooms, mops (lets just say if it were used to clean up someone else's germs why spread their germs into your own home?)
4) Pots and Pans (okay you got to know what you are looking for here, NEVER buy used Teflon pans because normally they are already scratched and no good)
5) Painted bowls, painted pottery pieces (Be careful here, if things were made in the early 70's or before they likely contain lead paint)
6) Puzzles in boxes with more than 30 pieces (Unless you plan on counting all the pieces I wouldn't bother if the box isn't sealed your likely missing a pieces, don't want to get home and put it together to find you can't put the last piece of the puzzle together)
7) Used pacifers, bottles, sippy cups (this is just plain gross to me and if you read the labels on most of these products it says to replace often so they don't wear out and pose choking risk, if you buy it used who knows how many days are left in them- these things are cheap anyways buy them NEW)
8) Bathroom Rugs- (Do I need to say why?)
9) Car Seats - Car seats are not meant to be re-used because the safety standards change quickly and if the car seat were to of been in a wreak with the previous owner the frame can be bent and unsafe without you knowing it.
10) Mattresses - These aren't even aloud by law to be re-sold. Crib Mattresses are especially NOT SAFE to re-use this can raise your child's risk for SIDS! A crib Mattress can cost $60 or more but really if you can't afford a $60 mattress what are you going to do when the baby gets here? You have more than that per month to spend on that child. A NEW CRIB Mattress is a MUST HAVE! Target has great firm mattresses for around $80 on the mainland and $100 here in Hawaii. The mattress needs to be firm and fit the crib properly to be safe.

Good things to buy gently used:
1) Clothing (whether it be for babies, children or adults this saves alot of money) - Always inspect clothing well for holes, stains, and too much wear
2) Toys (Always be sure you can clean if before use and check for recalls before giving to your child)
3) Books (Always skim thru the inside of the book to make sure all the pages are there and no markings will keep you from reading it)
4) Baby Gear Items (high chairs, strollers, and play pens) Make sure to look for recalls before using these items used, smell the play pen if you can since you can't wash it make sure it's doesn't smell of smoke since this could put your child at risk for SIDS and ALWAYS put a fitted sheet in the playpen when buying one used.

My Love for Reading...

2011-02-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. I think my mom inspired me by buying me a new book every week, the bookshelf I had was floor to ceiling full of books! Of course I am doing the same thing for my daughter and she loves reading as well!

My current reading list:
Unlikely Angel
By Ashley Smith
- I am almost done with this book and so far I am loving it! It's a true story about a mom from the South who was held hostage and she herself wasn't exactly an angel but she was trying to better herself, as you read you feel connected with her and even more if you are a mom. This book has led me to want to read another book that I've been looking at reading for sometime (The Purpose Driven Life)
The Purpose Driven Life
By Rick Warren
-Just went out and got myself and mother a copy and can't wait to start reading it! You are suppose to read this book with a partner and my mom is choice for a partner for this, it's a great way to connect far away and a great way for us to keep each other reading our devotions each day.
A Child Called It
-I read this book before and I have all the books in the series and I didn't have my copy for a couple years because I loaned it out and didn't get it returned. (this is why I don't loan out books anymore) I went and got another copy and I will read it as soon as I get done with the other too...I need to remind myself of what happened in this first book before reading the others after this. This book is great for people going into social services careers where you may be working with child abuse cases. This child in this story has one of the worse abuse cases ever reported in the state of California. From what I remember in this book it completely disgusted me but it opened my eyes to what some go thru or what some have went thru in their lives and it gave me much empathy for others.*

*You never know what someones situation is and why they may act like they do. I feel it is good to always try to understand others and their ways and not judge them, we are all here on this same earth with something in common we are all humans and we all have our own differences but those differences shouldn't make us hate one another but to add interest to each other lives...I often don't get mad at people when they do things I dislike, I just start to wonder why? why? why? this takes me from the awful place of hating someone and to the place of just figuring them out (likely why I choose my field of study -psychology) some people say they would be scared to work with people who are so called "crazy" well guess what we run into these so called "crazy" people in our everyday life and well they are able to reek much more havoc on our lives than a patient in a mental facility.

Thrifty Thursdays

2011-01-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

My thrifty find for the week was this Laugh and Learn Smart Bounce and Spin, I got it second hand for $3!


Image is from: Click Here

This toy is awesome! MacKenzie loves it! She plays with it off and on all day long! I don't use the video mode with it yet really but she loves just being able to bounce and spin on it! I think she's more active on it when the video is not on for now, she gets pre-occupied with the video since she doesn't watch television very often. There are two versions of this as far as I know, the other one is a zebra.
The price for one of these new is around $70 and on the island it would cost maybe 20% more. At the very least I got a savings of $67! It was well worth those $3 I spent, it looks brand new too!

BEE MINE

2011-01-25T23:32:00.000-08:00

Image from: Click here

I LOVE Valentines Day so much and I love to go all out to make it very special for my family. I have went and got MacKenzie a lovely little dress to wear for the BIG day...and I got her a cute little Valentines Doll. I even got her a little Bumble Bee Car (going with the Bee Mine theme, lol) and of course I've gotten Casey some things but those cannot be blogged about seeing as how he may find out...I'm also hosting a Valentines Day Party for MacKenzie and her friends and a craft event too! I am very excited for this years Valentines Day, I'm so very lucky to be able to spend it with my husband and daughter. I wish my mother could be here too though, this year will be a hard one in one way since my father has passed away. My father made Valentines a big thing too, each year he got me and my mom matching gifts and we went out to eat together...I miss all those special things he did for us.

Other Options for Valentines Mail

2011-01-18T22:51:00.000-08:00

Since Pottery Barn isn't selling the chair backer I would like and the only place I can find one is on Ebay for $50 when they were only about $12 last year I set out to find another option, here are the options I've been looking at:

Handmade Chair Backers from Etsy or Ebay for around $12-$20
OR
A mini mailbox decorated for Valentines Day... (this is my favorite solution as of now, just got to decide if I want to order one online or venture out to the craft stores and see if they are selling them)

A Few Reasons Why I love Pottery Barn...

2011-01-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

I don't have these yet but I have been looking at them, they are super cute! I love stuff like this with birds on it!


I have this bag but the last style they made before this one it's the same material and color and I love it! I use it to take along all the little stuff I need to have on the playground with my little one...(sunscreen, wipes, sunglasses, and a hat) Everything fits perfectly in this bag!


These are just so adorable and I would love to find one for MacKenzie but they aren't making them this year sadly! This image came from: click here

Christmas Gifts...

2010-12-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

Well we got all kinds of Christmas gifts this year from toys for MacKenzie to a new purse for mommy and coffee mugs for daddy! These coffee mugs were quite interesting! Soon as they arrived in the mail (sent from my father in law) I just knew they were vintage! I looked at the bottom of the cup and it looked as though I was right so off I went to the information super highway to do some research! Within 5 minutes I had located the information I needed to confirm that yes they were vintage! I found some interesting things out about these little coffee mugs too! The brand of the coffee mugs were Anchor Hocking Fire-King and some of this line was even used on Martha Stewart's cooking show! Here are a few things I found while doing some research:

Source

Fire-King was originally produced in the 1940s for everyday use, rather than display. It was often sold in bags of flour as a promotional item or was given away at gas stations. Fire-King could also be purchased at local grocery and hardware stores.
Today, Fire-King is an affordable collectible found in antique stores, garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores, as well as on the Internet. Source

What a neat story that came along with these little coffee mugs! I love the ones we got they are green to match our new kitchen theme! My father in law also got my husband a coffee pot that matches as well! Why do you ask is this a gift for the hubby and not me? Well I'm not a coffee or tea drinker but my husband has been into drinking hot tea lately so it was the perfect gift for him! I too love to see those pretty coffee mugs and the cute tea pot sitting out on my stove though! My daughter even loves the tea pot we had to convince her that her's was more fun! A real tea pot is a bit heavy for a one year old to carry around but she did it until we put it up and reminded her of her own toy tea pot!

New Crafty Projects Photos

2010-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

New Crafty Projects!

2010-11-17T23:44:00.000-08:00

I have alot of new projects going on hence the absence of blogging....so this is whats going to happen...I will take this break from Blogging then once my projects are done I will blog about them and show pictures! Here are a few of my new projects:
1) Dress for MacKenzie
2) Redecorate MacKenzie's Room to a toddler room
3) Making stuff for MacKenzie's First Birthday Party
4) A few holiday crafts (I know already but better now than putting it off and never doing them!)
5) Lots of new hair bows and hair accessories!
6) Pillowcase dress for a friends daughter (we may work on this together, it's going to be adorable!)
7) Adding new decor to my kitchen, living room, hallway, and dining room (we moved in and I was pregnant and didn't feel like doing much now I'm ready to decorate this house!)

Thrifty Thursday's

2010-10-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Picture from: Click Here

I got MacKenzie this Kids Digital Camera used for $1 and when I was looking for one new they ranged $40-$95! We got a really good deal! Soon I will be posting some of the pictures she takes with it!

Magazine Mondays is Back!

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Womens Day December 1.2009

Simple Inspirations

I love the insert in the back of all the Womens Day magazines called Simple Inspirations! It's wonderful! It's just a bunch of qoutes by famous people such as Dolly Parton, Joan Rivers, Winston Churchill, Nicole Kidman and many more!

Here's one from th Dec. 2009 issue that I love:

"We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill
I believe that many people that have went to school for social work would agree that when going into such a field you must believe in this statement! Social work is all about giving back and helping others, I miss all the things I got to do in school to help others. I normally find ways outside of school to help others but since I've moved to the Island and had a baby well it's just tough to have time. I am starting to give back as I get use to my new role of being a parent! I just donated a ton of stuff this week and I did the walk for breast cancer...now I need to plan some stuff for next month...baby steps...as they say...little by little I will get back in to my social worker attitude!

If you would like to join in on the fun of Magazine Mondays just pick an article from a magazine you love and want to share and write about it on your blog and link back to this blog! Leave a link on my blog for your Magazine Mondays so I can comment on your blog as well as other readers!

2010 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2010-10-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

2010 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Honolulu, HI

Saturday, October 2, 2010

I had such a great time today at the walk it was a 5-mile walk route from Richardson Field to Ford Island. It was way easier than I thought it would be especially since I pushed a stroller the entire way and for about a 1/2 mile carried MacKenzie in my forward carrier while pushing her stroller as well! Whew! That was some work! I signed up about three days before the walk so there wasn't alot of planning involved but I am so glad I jumped in and went for it! What fun! I want to do another walk again sometime! I did this one in honor of my Aunt and my Grandmother who had breast cancer but were both survivors! I only raised $5 since it was only three days but next time I do one I will try and plan in advance and raise more money! Pictures to come at a later date!

Where have I been?

2010-09-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Magazines Mondays, Thrifty Thursdays, Aloha Fridays, and even catch up Saturdays have been on hold since I went on vacation! We went to the Big Island of Hawaii! It was so much fun and it was the first vacation I have went on since I had my daughter, it was really different and exciting to have her along for vacation! Here are some photos from our trip:

Baby Clothing Addictions

2010-09-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

I love to buy baby clothing so much that I wondered do I have an addiction to buying them? Well actually I don't one thing about addition is that you can't stop yourself and well I can. Also I've read some other moms blogs about being addicted to buying them and well it's normal anyways! I think it's fun to dress my baby in all kinds of cute stuff and it's fun to buy them too! I find myself shopping for her way more than myself these days! She's more in style that me! Don't get me wrong I still try to keep up my appearence but her closet it packed way more than mine!

Do you have a baby clothing addition? What are your favorite brands?

I LOVE Carters! I also have alot more faves but just too many to list!

These are carters outfits we have all of these but pink one on the right which I believe my daughters friend Isla does have, her mom and I love this brand! I am assuming one day we will accidently dress them in the same outfit at the same time but it would be cute for them to be dressed the same!

This one my mom bought for MacKenzie, it is also Carters brand! Very cute!

Trying something new!

2010-09-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

I've been taking my daughters portraits since she was born and I was getting tired of doing the same type of photo shoots so I signed up for a online photography school (not for a future degree, just for fun and it's free!). The first day I reviewed some material on the website I got inspired! The website showed a new type of baby photography that I wished I knew about since MacKenzie was a newborn. They set up a link to a blog of a lady who made this popular. Click here to see her blog.

This is my version of this type of photography (notice my baby is awake as she is much too old to be sleeping thru such a thing).

Photo Removed For PRIVACY reasons, sorry...

KCWC

2010-09-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Want to join in on the fun click here.

The challenge is to:

For one hour each day the week of September 20-26 work on making clothes for kids.

Look for what I make next week!

Gardening and Beyond!

2010-09-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

My family has been into to gardening alot lately! We love it so much! It's wonderful family time outdoors too! I ran across this cute idea while reading a blog and wanted to share:

Click here to view the blog that this idea came from.

I love to read blogs about DIY projects, I would say that was what first got me into reading blogs. I have found so many neat ideas others have posted on their blogs and I was able to do something similiar for my own home! Even if you can't replicate their project exactly it's okay it's not the point it's just a way to get your creative juices going and make something of your own that works in a similiar way for you! I love this idea above and may do something similiar soon!

Hair Clip Storage Solutions!

2010-09-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

If you have many different types of hair clips this one would work well! Also great for traveling!

This idea came from: click here.

Cute idea for clips...

This idea came from a blog I read click here to view.

I love this idea so much! I may do something similiar for Miss.MacKenzie's little clips!

Click here for the instructions on how to make it!

Above image from: click here.

This is a similar idea with bigger clips but I think I like the one above this one better! I think the big clips need bigger dresses to go with them!

Saturday Blog Catchup #2

2010-09-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday Blog Catchup

Thrifty Thursday's

Here are some things I did recently that I consider to be thrifty!

1) Ordered Business Cards online a couple weeks ago and forgot to mention the great deal I got! I saved money just from ordering online instead of getting them in a office store then I got them on sale at 50% off the normal price! What a deal!

2) Old Navy shopping trip! We went to Old Navy on Military Savings day! We got a percentage off on all our purchases! Plus they were having a sale that was 30-40% off the already low clearence marked items! I got MacKenzie a adorable pair of shoes that were not on sale but still very cheap for soft sole mary janes for babies, I paid $7.50 before the military discount was taken off!

3) Got a T.J. Beary Tales story for MacKenzie's Bear on clearence for only $1! This was at our military store on base we call the Annex.

What have you done to be thrifty lately?

Vacation coming!

2010-09-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

My little family is about to take a vacation to the BIG Island at the end of September! We are really excited! Some of the things I've been thinking about doing while there are:
1) Visit Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens
2) Visit Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp.
3) Visit Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
4) Visit Punalu'u Black Sand Beach
5) Shopping on the Big Island of course! One place I want to go shopping at is: Ali'i Gardens Market Place

Image from: click here
Black Sand Beach

2010-09-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

To join in on the fun: click here
Here's this week’s edition of Aloha Friday!
Just simply ask a question for your readers to answear or ponder!

My question/statement is . .
For all you moms out there: What was the most creative/fun play date you went to for your baby/toddler? If you don't recall one then what would you of liked to do for a play date for your small child but never got around to it?

So far I've not attended any too creative ones (just your normal play dates) but I am hoping to create some fun ones for my friends and my daughter/her little friends! I really love to be creative so it's right up my alley! Also I love to do fun things with my little baby girl and it's nice to have things to look foward to like fun play dates! One of my upcoming events is a baby race! All the babies will be using a toy car and they will all be the same ones too! It's going to be adorable and fun for both mommy's and babies, (at least I hope so!).

Magazine Mondays!

2010-09-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

All these pictures above are of the different magazine articles I wanted to share.

The top left side is a article from Womans Day (October 7th, 2008). This article is about Halloween and how to do some cute crafts for the holiday! I love fall and I love to decorate for it and all the holiday during fall! I also put candy corn in a jar around Halloween and I loved the way this article shows it displayed! I also love that it gives tips from websites that are helpful! Here are some of the links: JACK-O-LANTERN.COM CRAYOLA.COM/HALLOWEEN WILTON.COM FRIGHTCATALOG.COM

Hope those links are helpful to you this fall!

The top right hand side is a article I found when I was pregnant with MacKenzie. I thought these babies looked so cute in their customes! I kept it just incase I liked one of the ideas for her when it was time for her first Halloween! The only problem is I like the one in the top left (Baby Bug-Gymboree's Glow Worm $30) and it's much too warm for here in Hawaii! I need to find a custome that doesn't keep her warm! This is a hard thing I just found out, over the weekend I went shopping for a custome and well I ended up with nothing so far! I may just have to make her one! This article was from AmericanBaby Magazine (October 2009).

The next two in the middle are Halloween Crafts! I kept these to do later and I'm glad I kept them because they are so adorable! The article came from Womens Day Magazine (October 2.2007) For more Halloween crafts from Womens Day go to womanday.com/halloween

The next article is from Real Simple Magazine (April 2008). This article was about Fabric Fundamentals! I love articles like these! They really help out a home maker!

This article has tips on fabrics such as: Linen, Cotton, Synethetics, Wool, Silk, and Rayon.

Tips:

Wool - Use Cedar hangers to repel moths.

Silk - Test for colorfastness

Rayon - Iron when slightly damp

Cotton- Sun yellows it: line dry in shade.

Synthetics - Use fabric softner to curb static

Linen - Dry-Clean or hand wash in cold with mild detergent. Air-Dry. Or machine wash on gentle.

My own tips for baby clothing:

1) Wash in mild detergents for babies sensitive skin

2) Use a dryer ball not fabric softner

3) Wash seperate from all other household laundry

4) Wash soiled clothing seperate and make sure to pre-rinse

5) Hang out clothing that has stains in the sun it normally will remove stains (this can lead to a lighter or more yellow color to the overall outfit but better than a huge spot!)

Saturday Blog Catchup

2010-09-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

This blog is for all those blogs I don't get to during the week like my Thrifty Thursdays or Aloha Fridays....Some weeks I get so busy I don't get to them in time.

Thrifty Thursday:

This week I was still Miss. Thrifty but didn't have the time to include my thriftyness in my blog.

Here is how I was thrifty for the week:
1) Got a used stroller at a yard sale to take on vacation so our expensive one will not be put thru the abuse in the airport etc. for $7! Full size stroller too!
2) Got a Little Tykes swing for my daughters little friend for $1 from a thrift store, my daughter has the same one but in Fisher Price brand and we love it!
3) Took a free Yoga class sponsered by a new mom support group for Navy moms
4) Went to a bag sale at local thrift store where you can fill a bag for $5, and I got a ton of baby clothes!
5) Found some leggings for my baby for yoga class on cleareance at the department store on base for $2 and a bathingsuit for her for the next size up for $5!
6) Still enjoying using the points programs for my daughters diapers/wipes where I go online and put in codes from the diapers and wipes and they add up to get discounts and free stuff!
7) Registered with a company to fill out surveys and receive a few phone calls to get free baby stuff like sippy cups and I got a discount on my business cards for doing it too!

What did you do this week to be thrifty?

Aloha Friday!

2010-09-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone read any good books about being a parent/mom lately?

Magazine Monday's!

2010-08-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a love for reading magazine's since I was a teenager! Then I read magazine's like Seventeen Magazine and Glamour now I read Women's Day, Real Simple, Martha Stewert Living, and an assortment of Scrapbooking/paper crafting magazines. Those are just to name a few! I've starting reading parenting magazines as well! This blog on Monday's will be a time to share things I read in those magazines as well as projects and ideas I've found useful. For a little over 5 years now I've been saving a collection of pages from my magazines instead of the entire magazine...the saved pages include recipes, craft projects and tips on cleaning for example. Some of these pages I've put into a scrapbook others just a small box...this blog will be a way for me to put together all those favorites I've saved and share them as well.
To participate it's easy, just post something that interested you from a magazine on Mondays and mention the magazine you got it from of course. Also comment on Homemaker's Heaven Magazine Mondays entry each week that you blog and that way I can comment on your blog as well as other participants. Please share links to the magazines if you would like or pictures as well! Feel free to use the image above for purposes of Magazine Mondays in conjuction with this blog. Also please make sure to make a link back to this blog on your Magazine Monday blog! Thanks! Have a Happy MONDAY!

For this weeks Magazine's Monday:

Magazine = Family Circle
Article Subject: Food
Title: The best BAKING PANS

This article is nice because it informs you of what basic stuff you need for baking. This is good for newbies and also people who are down sizing the house from having too much clutter (what do I really need to keep?).

The Basics:

two 9-inch round cake pans

one 10-inch tube pan

one 8- or 9-inch square cake pan, preferably 2 inches deep

one 9-inch pie dish

one bundy pan

two jelly roll pans (1-inch lip all around) or cookie sheets (small lip at one end)

one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan

two 12-cup muffin tins

if you have room:

one mini-muffin tin (24 cups)

one 9-inch spring form pan

one 1.5-quart souffle dish

one quiche pan

assorted tart pans, gratin dishes and ramekins

one madeline pan

pastry, biscuit and assorted cookie cutters; flour sifter

Must-Have Accesories:

rolling pin

two cooling racks

liquid and dry measuring cups

two sets of measuring spoons

three mixing bowls that nest

a silicone baking mat

mixing utensils: wooden spoon, rubber and slotted spatuals, icing spreaders (offset and straight)

This article was written by: Tery Trucco

Turns out I have most of the these items but on the "if you have room" list I am missing a few items but I have things not listed as well. I wish I had this list when I was stocking up my kitchen with bake ware, it would of made the venture a bit easier!

What are your most used baking items in your kitchen? Mine would be a cookie sheet...

Aloha Friday!

2010-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

Aloha Friday!

We are about to take my 8 Month daughter on a vacation this fall and it will be her first time flying. I am trying to think ahead for all that I need to plan to get her ready for this. We need to pack different types of outfits for her (since we'll be in a colder location that we are use to) and we will need to bring her pack n play, toys, car seat, stroller and much more! WOW! This is going to be one vacation to remember!

Do you remember a vacation that was especially difficult for you? (Like you got sick during it, you took your baby for the first time on vacation, your first time flying etc.)
What was your situation?

Birthday Decisions....

2010-08-24T00:57:00.000-07:00

Well my little one will be turning 1 in November so I'm planning her party and the theme is giving me the most trouble! I can't decide! I have a list a mile long of the themes I like! Here are a few: Rainbow Party (seen this on another moms blog and it was adorable!), Hawaiian Party ( live in Hawaii -decorations will be easy to find! perfect), Hello Kitty (alot of this stuff on the island too), Ballerina ( I took ballet for many many years so I love this), Princess (she's my princess!), Minnie Mouse, and Lady Bug (a little over done but cute!). Any suggestions or vote for one of these???

Magazine Monday's!

2010-08-24T00:42:00.000-07:00

Homemaker's Heaven

I've had a love for reading magazine's since I was a teenager! Then I read magazine's like Seventeen Magazine and Glamour now I read Women's Day, Real Simple, Martha Stewert Living, and an assortment of Scrapbooking/paper crafting magazines. Those are just to name a few! I've starting reading parenting magazines as well! This blog on Monday's will be a time to share things I read in those magazines as well as projects and ideas I've found useful. For a little over 5 years now I've been saving a collection of pages from my magazines instead of the entire magazine...the saved pages include recipes, craft projects and tips on cleaning for example. Some of these pages I've put into a scrapbook others just a small box...this blog will be a way for me to put together all those favorites I've saved and share them as well.
To participate it's easy, just post something that interested you from a magazine on Mondays and mention the magazine you got it from of course. Also comment on Homemaker's Heaven Magazine Mondays entry each week that you blog and that way I can comment on your blog as well as other participants. Please share links to the magazines if you would like or pictures as well! Feel free to use the image above for purposes of Magazine Mondays in conjuction with this blog. Also please make sure to make a link back to this blog on your Magazine Monday blog! Thanks! Have a Happy MONDAY!

Thrifty Thursday's!

2010-08-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

Thrifty Thursday is something I wanted to start on this blog from the beginning but it took me a while to get everything ready! So here are the rules:

1.) Got to love being thrifty!

2.) Share something you did that was thrifty for that week or during the month.

3.) To let others see your post comment on my thrifty thursday blog and invite others to look at your post for the week.

4.) You also must comment on at least one other blogger's Thrifty Thursday post whether it be mine or someone elses. As Thrifty Thursday grows we will ask you to comment on a few more per week so everyone can join in on sharing!

Okay that's it! That was easy! Now I will share my Thrifty Thursday a day late to get things started!

Thrifty Thursday

I decided to go to my usual thrift store this week but not to look for my usual buys...I wanted to explore other things that I could find to be thrifty! I love to do crafts so I looked around and sure enough I found some things to help me with my crafting! Crafting can get expensive so this really helps! Here is a list of my finds:

1.) Photo Prop for Baby Photo's- Red Silk Mini Purse

2.) Something to add to my Fall wreath this year...

3.) A picture frame, not sure what I'm going to use it for yet but I found it particular special since my family has a love for board games and it was so unique! (cost was $1)

4.) A Toddler Dress in Size 4 (to be used to make a apron for my daughter) This seemed to be perfect sense it had cherries on it and something about the red and white just appealed to me. (cost was $1)

The Before...

The After...

5.) A picnic Basket (it looks brand new, it has a removable liner you can wash too) I loved this because I've always wanted a picnic basket but never find one that I really like. I love this one with the exception of the flowers on it. I am thinking of changing the flowers but we'll see. I'm planning on using it the first time this weekend on a family picnic...me the hubby and baby MacKenzie! We love going on picnics!

6.) I know, I know...the list is still going! I really did great this week! The next wonderful find was a suprise for sure! I found a Teddy Ruxpin ( I had one when I was a child and loved it!) this Teddy looked untouched! I can't beleive the good condition it is in! My daughter already loves it and I've not even got batteries in it yet! I of course only let her play with it while I'm sitting with her since it's for ages 3 and up but it's really a great toy for story time anyways!

7.) Okay so my daughter loves Teddy Bears, I figured this out because I had one in my room since she was born she's always adored looking at it then she began to love to play with it so just about any time we are out and she sees a teddy she seems to love it! So where am I going with this, you ask? well I found another amazing Teddy Bear! This one is much like Teddy Ruxpin but it is much much much more expensive and for good reason! It's face, ears, and arms all move! It talks to you, sings and tells stories! You can even buy items for it to place in his hands that he will wave around and these items come with special stories too! So what is this wonderful bears name? T.J. Beary Tales! We only have the story and songs that come with him but MacKenzie loves him! I do however want to order some from ebay to add to the one she has! Okay the best part I saved for last! This bear retails for around...okay gasp here....$190.00! I paid $1 that right $1! Now thats a deal!

8.) Last but not least...a Fisher Price Drum for my daughter...okay okay I know...I said I was getting crafty stuff only but I found these things and well couldn't pass them up they were awesome and to think for the toys I paid a grand total of $3! My daughter has a collection adding up of musical toys because we do music time everyday! She really enjoys it, we sit together and I get out instruments for her, I sing to her, I play music for her, and I encourage her to move to the beat of the music! So much fun! These drums were in my preschool classroom when I taught toddlers and I remembered the children loving them! I had to get them for MacKenzie, I just know she is going to enjoy them!

Okay that was it! I know it was alot but not every week is this good! Who am I kidding, I'm pretty good at this! I have a eye for these deals...or so I've been told!

Beach in a glass!

2010-08-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Okay I have a beach theme in my guest bathroom and I found this wondeful idea on someone else's crafty blog and I LOVE IT! I want to do something similiar for my guest bathroom shelf! When I get around to making it I will post my version of this marvelous idea!

Photo and Idea from: click here

Aloha Friday

2010-08-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

To participate in ALOHA FRIDAY click here.

For Aloha Friday you simply ask a question to your readers.

My question is: What items from your childhood did you keep and why?

My Answear: small purse (because it was my first one), ballet shoes (because it was special to me, I took ballet for 19 years), a toy hair brush that came with a purse (not sure why), cabbage patch doll (it's cute!), and a few other random things...

Pretty things...

2010-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Random pretty things I've found online recently, just wanted to share!

Click here to find out were to buy item above

http://craftgossip.com/blog/category/product-reviews/page/2/
http://www.butterflycraze.com/grass_mat2.php

Craft Area Chaos Solved!

2010-08-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

So I love do crafts and I have a ton of supplies that are tee tiny! I made these lovely boxes to store them all in and it works wondefully! Most of these supplies are my scrapbooking supplies (my favorite craft). I got the boxes from Jo-Ann Fabrics Store I believe and I used 1/4 inch black ribbon around the sides. The ribbon was put on by using scrapbooking doublesided ribbon tape (found at wal-mart). I found the tags used in the office supply area of Wal-Mart and just wrote on them to label them! Simple Project!

So whats in some of these boxes you ask??

Pig N a Blanket

2010-08-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

A McMurry Family favorite! We've recently changed them up a bit! We switched the dough for them to Pillsbury Buttery Cresent Rolls and the meat we use is now hot dogs with no nitrates and they are made of black angus beef! So tastier and a bit healthier! Want to try these hot dogs click here for coupon! For a Pillsbury Coupon click here!

Girl Scout Cookies made healthier!

2010-08-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Click here for Recipes

There are many different recipes out there that are similiar to girl scout cookies but these are healthier and sound really tasty! I'm going to start out trying the Samoas first they sound really good with the added coconut! I'll update you on how mine turned out but wanted to share this website now incase someone else wanted to try them now too! YUMMY!

Image from: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/kitchen/2009_04_02-Samoa.jpg

Craft room has been occupied alot lately...

2010-08-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

I have many new crafts I've been working on and soon when I finish some I will be posting pics of them! I am currently working on new bows and flower clips for MacKenzie and I'm working on a cute little apron for her! Can't wait to finish them and post pics!

Being green can cause you to spend the green...

2010-08-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ever noticed that being "Green" can cause you to spend more money? Well here are some ways to be "Green" without spending lots of money!

Shopping at thrift stores (you are reusing materials that may otherwise get thrown in the garbage)
You can buy books, clothes, shoes, purses, and much more from thrift stores!

Bring your Own Bag (the new military slogan at the exchanges)... use green bags... this is fairly cheap to do...if you don't go crazy buying expensive bags! Don't cheap out too much and buy the $1 bags though they don't last long (if you wash them). Canvas bags work out great!

Once your done with clothing, books etc. donate them or to make some money yard sale them!

Recycle! In Hawaii you can turn in your cans and bottles and actually get your deposit back!

Here's a easy one...turn out the lights when you leave a room! Saves energy!

Go to the library! It's wonderful to read library books and return them once your done (no need to donate and there was no need to spend the money on the book in the first place!) It's nice to know that many people get use out of one book!

Okay get out there and B green! (the cheap way!)

Pineapple Upside Down Mini Cakes

2010-08-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

One of the types of fruit that I have come to love since living on this beautiful Island of Oahu is Pineapple! Today I decided I was going to make some Pineapple Upside Down Mini Cakes! Yummy! Recipe and photos soon to follow! It's a EASY and QUICK treat and great for summer desserts for those of you on the main land!

As Promised:

Recipe=

You will need:

2/3 cup of packed brown sugar

1/3 cup of butter, melted ( I used 1 and a half sticks of butter once it melts it's not very much)

2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple (I used 1 can of crushed pineapple)

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix (follow directions on package to make cake batter with the exception of using your drained pineapple juice from the can of pineapples in place of most of the water it is likely you will need 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 3 eggs to make the cake mix)

Maraschino cherries halved (12 cherries) if you would like to top the cakes with them ( I didn't but only because I didn't have them available this time)

Now this is the fun and EASY way to make it:

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Grab a muffin pan or two that will fit 12 muffins in it...I used one muffin pan and three mini loaf pans but you can use two large muffin pans as well, whatever you have available. Once you have your bakeware you need to line it with pam or whatever you use to grease your pans. Next you put one level teaspoon or so of brown sugar in each muffin slot. Next pour butter to cover the brown sugar in each cup. Then you will Put 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of crushed pineapple into each slot. Mix cake mix according to box instructions except use your pineapple juice for as much of the water it calls for you can what ever amount of juice you lack use water to fill the difference. Put one tablespoon cake batter into each muffin slot (some may need a bit more use your own judgement on how much based on how they look...you want it to be about the same in each if you can so they all are about the same size (especially if you are making them for a event etc.) Now you will bake them for 19-23 at 350 degrees until brown and toothpick comes out clean or cake tester stick. Transfer bakes cakes as soon as cooked. Place a tinfoiled covered cookie sheet over muffin pan and flip cakes onto sheet. Your done! See it was EASY! Now once you are doing enjoying your dessert put those leftovers in the frigde loosly covered! This is to insure the cake doesn't get hard and otherwise distasteful too soon! Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Also I wanted to add that if you are going to be visiting Oahu or live on Oahu The Dole Pineapple Farm is a great place to visit! They have a maze, gardens, gift shop, train ride tour (AKA Pineapple Express) and a wonderful thing called a Dole whip which you must try! Yummy!

THE GREEN MOM

2010-08-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

So I found yet another way to be green and save money! Reuseable snack bags! Love the ones from Lunchskins (cute and recommended by another mom) but Etsy sales alot of them too!

Going back to school!

2010-08-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well I'm about to make a brave step and go to grad school...it's brave to me because since I have been a mom I feel that I left my brain with the previous person known as Mrs.McMurry not the now known "MOMA" that I am today! Forgetfullness is just part of it I guess but lets hope once school starts I will no longer have this problem! Looking foward to getting back into the intellectual community and not totally immeresed in the mommy community for a while. Don't get me wrong I love being mom and I LOVE being part of the mommy community but I love love love school!

Wonderful Idea

2010-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant I seen an add for what they called "mom cards" I thought how silly. Well now I want some because I am so often trying to give out my contact info. out to other moms for play dates etc. and it's annoying trying to find a pen and paper while holding your baby. So I think I may invest in some of these cards.

Mind your Ps and Qs

2010-07-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Something I thought I was always good at was etiquette well until I became a mom then I began to question my manors because I was in so many new situations I wasn't sure how to react to certain things. Some things I have caught myself wondering whats the right thing to do here??? Well I want a book on it but have yet to find a good one. So far just using good ole' common sense but that only gets you so far!

Bucket List

2010-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well I'm sure many of you have heard of a bucket list but for those of you who don't know already it's a list of things you want to do before you die. Well I've been thinking more and more about it since my daughters recent birth and my father and grandmothers recent death it gets you thinking about life and what you want to do with your own life. I have made some changes to mine thats for sure mostly added alot of things and I feel like I may actually follow thru with them too. I'm not going to share my entire list but here are a few things on my list:
1) Become friends with my daughter when she's old enough to handle mom as a friend and a mom (me and my mother have this relationship and I love it).
2) Attend grad school and finish it!
3) Write a book (psychology)
4) Scrapbook my daughters life and give her the book on her 18th birthday!
5) Go zip lining at least once
6) Go to lego land and disney land with my daughter
7) Take a vacation with the husband and daughter every year
8) Have mine and my husbands dream house built (we've been making a list of things we'd like pretty much since we've been together- a mental list)
9) Finish my family tree I've worked on for over a year now, it's coming along but I want to finish it and get a book printed up of it.
10) Go swimming at a waterfall with my husband
11) Learn a second language
12) Write a children's book and dedicate it to my daughter

Do you have a bucket list? What's on your list?

5 RANDOM things I like about being a MOM...

2010-07-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

1) The smile on my daughters face when I make her happy

2) Making my husband proud by being a good mom for his daughter

3) Being a member of the mom club (didn't know it existed until I was a mom but it does)

4) Understanding what my mom has done for me, it brings me closer to her

5) Seeing what my love for my husband has created and it is beautiful

Now what are 5 random things you like about being a mom?

Just a little blog about homemaking...

2010-07-12T00:39:00.000-07:00

Well I have more than one blog but this one I wanted to be just about homemaking! It's a wondeful job to have! I get to spend all day and night making my family happy! What more could a mom ask for? Although it is great and I love it, there is alot that comes along with it! Like sleepless night waking up with a baby and working 24/7 when do you get a break? you don't! ha ha! For some reason despite the lack of sleep and breaks I get thru and I love being a wife and mom that is there for every little thing my family needs me for! I love to do crafts and some of the blogging I will do will be on crafts I do for the home or for my little one! Hope you enjoy!