apple boy

Early start to Christmas gifts

I am starting my Christmas gifts early this year, I don't want to be in the middle of December(like I always am) frantically searching Wal-Mart for gifts that are cheap and have no meaning. So here it starts, Before October 1st and I have my first 2 done!!! YAY ME!! I have a whole laundry list of things that I plan on making, These are for my cute little niece, and another one I haven't started yet, but that one will be a surprise(I am making one for her and P#2). I got this free pattern here. Her directions made it seem so easy, but they were a bit harder that they looked.

My cute foot model(like the writing on his legs? Thanks sissy!!)

And a cute finished lap quilt

There will be many more postings of my adventures in Christmas gifts

Autumn in the air

This is why I love the Fall season. So much fun stuff to do.We went to the Hot Air Balloon Festival. We didn't know that they launch the balloons at 6 am, and they only stay in the air for a short time.We got there at 8:30 and missed the whole thing. They ended having a Fall Festival in the streets, which made it worth the drive. Then after there we went to the Apple Festival. This orchard was so pretty, although we were pretty tired we still walked around the farm and are planning on taking the hubs parents next weekend when they come for a visit.We will pick our own apples,let the kids ride the ponies and maybe press our own cider. So looking forward to that!

P#3 playing in the playhouse on the farm.

I LOVED the antique windows hanging from the arbor the was covered in Wisteria(?)

My 3 sweet P's enjoying every minute

The goats were cute too.

Down at the Fall Festival. I loved looking through all the booths of home crafted goods!

And I absolutely love little sleepy towns like this. Where the people are SO nice,and everything looks so vintage.

Chicken and Dumplings

I read an article not to long ago about how people don't use the food they have in their pantry before going out and buying more.I'm SO guilty of that one. And the kids are always saying stuff like.."we have no food, and I'm soooo hungry" And I say "there is food you just have to make it" but then when I want something or I'm looking for a quick meal, I do the same, so we go out and buy more groceries that are "easy meals"and leave the perfectly fine stuff sitting up in the pantry never getting eaten.So tonight is the night before our Friday grocery shopping, dinner usually consists of something unhealthy that comes from a box in the freezer. But I thought that I would "use the food we have". I had everything on hand to make this yummy dinner. Otherwise, the ingredients would have been over looked and sat waiting to be made.Plus it's something to think about when your trying to cut costs.
So P#3 and I starting preparing diner while the other Sweet P's were at school( you always got to start early when P#3 is helping!)And It turned out SO delicious. P#1 kept mmm-ing while eating. I think we will be making this again in the near future.Plus P#3 loves to help cook and bake, mostly just for the mess, and blowing into a cup filled with flour is always so much fun!

The recipe:

For the chicken:

2 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

4 chicken breast, cut into fourths

3 cloves garlic

3 cups fresh vegetables of your liking(i used carrots,broccoli,celery,cauliflower,onions)

2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper

1 cup milk

1/3 cup flour

recipe for dumplings(below)

In lg saucepan heat EVOO, add chicken,salt and pepper to taste, garlic.Cook until no longer pink.

Add veggies and chicken stock.Heat to boiling.Reduce heat and cover. Cook 10 min.

In Small bowl mix milk and flour.Add to chicken mixture, heat to boiling until mixture thickens.Reduce heat to low.

For the Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. Dried Basil

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp.Shortening

3/4 cup milk

In med bowl, add flour,basil,baking powder,salt. Mix. Cut in shortening. Mix well until soft crumbs form. mix in milk.

Drop by Spoonfuls into chicken mixture.Cover and cook an additional 30-35 mins.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Life in the desert...

So this week marks 2 years since we've been living here. Kinda crazy for me to think about. So much has happened since then. We have made big changes in ourselves for the better. It is so hard to move somewhere new and start over. We have made new friends, the kids love their school and their friends.

I just miss home.... I'm gonna start my whining about how much the desert sucks..blah,blah,blah. No, just kidding(kinda). Mostly I miss my family and friends. Wish I could see them everyday, and have the kids around their Grandparents and Aunties, and for all us friends to raise our kids together. But we can't always have what we want. And sometimes i really do like it here. I like being us as a family and having a simple life to ourselves. But that can only hold you for so long.

Well that's my thought for today, I've been thinking about this alot lately.Maybe it's just been too long since we went home for a visit.

And about our house, I am thinking this 980 sq. ft. thing isn't going to hold us and our belongings much longer without bursting at its seams. Time for me to start looking for bigger houses.The only thing holding me back is that I DO love this little place. The neighborhood is great, The school is great, and trying to find another house in this area to where you won't be transferred out to another school is almost impossible.(there are 4 Elementarys within 10 miles of my house)I love P#2's purple room, our garden.But I REALLY want P#3 out of MY room, and more space for all this stuff I keep bringing home! Oh what to do?

Oh they ARE funny...

Today has been quite amusing. I was doing laundry and noticed P#3 was being awefully quiet, so I went to look for him and there he was, completley undressed himself, in my bathroom sink, shaving cream EVERYWHERE, looking at himself ,pointing, " DAI-EE,DAI-EE" (thats what he calls his Daddy.) It's a darn good thing I always remove the razors from the shavers, or else he would have had little peices of toilet paper all over his face!! And don't ask how he got the shaving cream out, cause I still need to figure that one out!! BUSTED!!

And here is bits of mine and P#2's conversation on the way to the bus stop:

P: "Why is school like the most important thing?"

Me: "Cause it makes you smart so you can go to college and get a good job."

P: " But I don't need to be smart and have a good job cause I'm gonna be a mom"

Me: " You don't think mom's need to be smart?"

P : " Well.... just to pick out names. I'm gonna have 2 kids and name them Conrad and Sally"

Me: " Do you think Conrad and Sally need to be smart?"

P: " No, I already picked there names for them!"

She is sooo random and hilarious!!

About me..

Ramdom Questions, Copy and Paste in a new post, leave a comment so I can read yours!
It's pretty fun!
Making :A set of 3 picture frames of my sweet P's
Cooking : Baking?: Cookies
Drinking : Coffee
Reading: Twilight for the 5th time!! (just can't get enough)
Wanting: To finish a bunch of projects that are half done!

Looking: at my carpet that desperatley needs a shampoo.

Playing:  Ray Lamontagne on Pandora

Wasting: Sunlight, by being inside on a beautiful day.
Sewing: a quilt for neice for Christmas(starting early so everyone can get something this year!)
Wishing: my family lived closer, and there was more time during the day.

Enjoying: My family.

Waiting: For P#2's school to start.

Liking: That fall is almost here. Crisp air, Harvest, Apple Cider, Halloween, Football, Cute Clothes, Whats there not to like?

Wondering: What it's like to have 8 hrs of sleep.
Loving: That P#3 is sleeping in his own bed (for half the night anyways)

Hoping: That P#1 wins his football game tomorrow

Marvelling: at my beautiful kids
Needing: New tennis shoes after my dog tore my new sketchers apart.
Smelling: My coffee still brewing
Wearing: An awefull pair of P.J's
Following: So you think you can dance
Noticing: That I really need to get organized
Knowing: That they will not stay little forever
Thinking: Of what to do after getting P#2 off to school
Bookmarking: Wedding sites for my sisters wedding
Opening:A bottle of wine for dinner tonight
Giggling: At my youngest yelling NO,NO,NO! at the T.V.
Feeling: Lovely

New Bed for a Big Boy!!

P#3 is now sleeping in his own bed!! I converted his crib after seeing his younger cousin in her bed, (she had trouble sleepng by herself too!) He Loves it and has been on his own for 5 nights now!!

Half Apron Tutorial

O.K. so here goes. This is my first Tutorial, so it might be off? Hopefully not though. Just thought I'd share for anyone who wants wants to make one for themselves or maybe a super easy gift.

Supplies:
3- 1/2 Yards coordinating fabrics( front, back, and ties)
30 in matching Jumbo Ric-Rac
Matching Thread
Pins
Iron
Rotary cutter (or scissors)
Sewing Machine

Cut your pieces as follows:
Your 2 main Fabrics( Front&Back):28" x 16"
Lower Band( 3rd Fabric choice): 28" x 2 1/2 "
Upper Band( again, 3rd fabric) : 28" x 4 1/2
Ties (3rd fabric) :40" x 3"

After pieces are cut, fold Ties and both bands in half and press. Set aside.

Pin Ric-Rac to the bottom of the front piece.

Sew on trying to stay as close to center as possible.

Turn Ric-Rac under and Press.

Lay your 2nd fabric on top of first right sides together and fold bottom of 2nd fabric up 1/4" and press.

Sew along top, and sides leaving bottom open.

Trim off any excess fabric

Take your bottom band, raw edges towards top, and insert into the bottom opening of apron, pin in place.

Sew as close to the Bottom as possible.

Take top band and fold along top and bottom 1/4", Press. Fold in sides 1/4", press.

Attach top band to top of apron, with the folded edges of band just meeting the top of apron, fold over and sew, leaving ends open. Then Press.

Sew your Ties, right sides together, all the way down, making a sharp angle at bottom.Trim corner, and turn, then press.

Insert the ties into band opening, and sew down, being sure to back stitch.

Sew along the whole apron, starting at the top right corner and going all the way around.

You should finish at the top.

And there you have it, a super cute reversible half apron!

If I missed anything or my directions are unclear, just let me know and I will try to help!