Thursday, November 17, 2011

Top Twenty

 just so you know...before i type this post...i LOVE LOVE LOVE my kids and CAN NOT imagine my life without them...but some days i find myself saying the same.things.over.and.over. and it feels a little lot like groundhog's day. let's compare notes....

1. go brush your teeth.
2. where are your shoes?
3. did you make your lunch?
4. put some clothes on.
5. did you feed the dog?
6.wash your hands.
7. did you brush your teeth?
8. is your homework completed?
9. USE A NAPKIN!
10. let me see your teeth.
11. i already told you once to pick that up.
12. turn off the tv
13. put down my phone. it isn't yours
14. put your seatbelt BACK ON
15. no whining.
16. shoes?
17. don't slam doors.
18. is the dog out?
19. is your backpack packed and ready to go?
20. I LOVE YOU.

apparently we have a thing around here for lost shoes and a bad case of "i don't want to brush my teeth".  i can't figure out for the life of me why water, a toothbrush, and toothpaste can produce some of the CRAZIEST pouty faces i have EVER seen....but despite the fact that these 20 things come out of my mouth more that i want to admit....on the flip side...we do lots of laughter, dancing, encouraging, and "love yous"....and i wouldn't change it for the world!

HAPPY THURSDAY!

Monday, November 14, 2011

tonight's dinner....

 i  love to cook...especially when i'm preparing for company...because i enjoy entertaining. having my house full of people, food, and wine...makes me so very happy. ;)
 but when i'm not entertaining, sometimes trying to decide WHAT to cook is my greatest challenge. and this is going to sound C.R.A.Z.Y....but when i know that morning what is on the menu for that NIGHT...my whole day is better. (it's the little things...)
 tonight...dinner is DONE and ready to be grabbed right out of the fridge and eaten. i love it. and in case you are looking for a new recipe...this one is awesome. it does have to be made ahead of time(at least 2 hours) but it's perfect for days when you have an activity but don't want fast food, have company and want to visit instead of stand in the kitchen all night, are craving salad(ha!), or just can't think of anything else! :0

Dianne's Southwestern Cornbread Salad


INGREDIENTS:

1 package (6 oz size) Mexican corn bread mix
envelope (1 oz size) buttermilk Ranch salad dressing mix
1 small head Romaine lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 can (15 ounce size) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz size) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 package (8 oz size) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
green onions, chopped


PREPARATION:

Prepare corn bread according to package directions; cool and crumble. Set aside. 

Prepare salad dressing according to package directions. 

Layer a large bowl with half each of corn bread, lettuce and next six ingredients; spoon half of dressing evenly over top. 

Repeat layers with remaining ingredients and dressing. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.


so so so yummy!  but you know i  ALWAYS have a few changes when i make something...so here are mine...
  • i use the real pieces of bacon in a little bag...and i use about a bag and a half.
  • unfortunately for my thighs, i use more cheese than called for...but that's up to you!
  • the mexican cornbread can be hard to find...meaning sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't. if they don't, get a regular cornbread mix(NOT JIFFY...it's too sweet) and add green chilies and mexican cheese to it. totally awesome.
  • the 15.4 oz can of corn with peppers is a trick also...just buy two small cans.
  • i use more lettuce, green onions, and tomatoes than the recipe calls for....it makes it so yummy!
and you CAN use a bottle of ranch instead of making your own, but girlfriend...the dressing makes all the difference. and i even use mayo made with olive oil and skim milk and it is still 162 times better than dressing from a bottle. totally worth the extra time.
HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!! :)


Thursday, November 3, 2011

stencil project...

 last weekend, i decided i needed a project. even though my bedroom looked like WWII, i decided to forgo cleaning and start something new! ha! i have been eyeing the "stencil wallpaper" that has made its way to many blog homes...so i thought i would give it a try. except i'm too chicken to experiment on an entire wall..and let's be honest here...i fully admit that i DO NOT have the patience. so i scoped out every room in my house, looking for an idea. and then it came to me. my $5 chest...who was once wood, then black, now turquoise. she needed a face lift. and if the outcome was TOTALLY awful, i knew i had almost an entire can of turquoise paint leftover, so i could just repaint. 
first i found this template from one of my favorite blogs...

then i studied up on what to do by reading this post...
and this post.

and THEN being the super impatient person that i am, i dove right in...because who wants to wait until you have all the correct supplies...like a new and improved paintbrush. the "used to death, shedding bristles, shaped like a fan" brush from the kids' collection works fine right? ha!
i traced over the entire chest first(with pencil), and then painted...with my less than ideal brush. but after a couple of hours total, i ended up with this!


 not perfect...but neither is anything else in my house...and i LOVE it!
 of course, i couldn't end there. lainey said she liked it, so i coaxed her into letting me try on her desk! but THIS time, i ran to michaels for a nicer brush, and also had a better system of going completely from left to right(so my hand wouldn't smudge the paint like my previous attempt).
the desk turned out AWESOME! (so i guess practice really does make perfect better)




TOMORROW IS FRIDAY! YIPEE!!!!!!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

halloween ...2 days late.

this is going to be short because my brain is dead.
lainey was a pilgrim/kirsten the american girl doll.
hutt was dash from the incredibles.



and my hips are now 9 sizes bigger from all the chocolate.
be back tomorrow with a small project i completed last weekend!