Bath Toys Ideas

How do you store all of your bath toys?

I love to hear new organizational and storage ideas, and bath toys management is one that I am always on the lookout for a better way! One idea we do use is to start by buying a mesh laundry bag. We hang it on the shower head or towel rod above the bathtub. When we are done playing with the bath tub toys, we round them up, and plop them in the mesh bag. As they drip and dry out, the water runs back into the bath tub and not onto my floor, inside my cabinets, or on the counter. There's nothing worse than mildew or mold growing on bath toys! This method keeps the toys contained and dry but it probably isn't the cutest organizational idea. What method do you have for storing the millions of bath toys? Share your ideas underneath this post!

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Pesto & Sausage Pasta

You may not think of pesto being a "kid favorite." But in our house, it is! My little guy loves pesto. And this is one of his favorite meals. It's also a firehouse favorite that my husband makes at work. So, I am giving him credit for this delicious dinner! You can make your own homemade pesto sauce and add the little extras or you can buy a yummy pesto sauce from Costco if you're short on time. Here's the easy recipe and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS FOR PESTO:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 package of pasta (fusili...looks like corkscrews)
1/2 poud of italian sausage
About 8 oz. jar of sun-dried tomatoes
1 can of black olives
Couple handfuls of walnuts
Shredded parmesan cheese to top!


DIRECTIONS FOR PESTO:
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.

DIRECTIONS FOR MEAL:
1. Boil the corkscrew pasta until tender and ready to eat.
2. Fry your sausage up in a pan (bite size pieces)
3. Slice the sun dried tomatoes and olives (bit size again)
4. Add the sausage (after draining the fat), olives, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pesto sauce and mix.
5. Drain your pasta and put back in the pot. Now add the pesto mixture to the pot and stir together. Scoop up a good helping for everyone in a big bowl.
6. Add some walnuts and paremesan cheese on top for a finishing touch in each individual bowl! Enjoy!

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Gifts from the Garden

I love to give gifts...and the thing I am realizing more and more is that the gifts for "no reason at all" are the most fun to give! Birthdays, showers, and anniversaries are fun. But what is even better is surprising a friend with something sweet, something you made, or something you grew!

We are trying our hand at gardening this summer and we are having such a fun time experimenting with all of the veggies and herbs. But we have way more than we can eat. So, I bought some cute baskets at the store. Just add a handmade label or a store-bought notecard and write a sweet note to let your neighbors, friends, or family know you were thinking of them. Drop off the home grown veggies, or the baked pie, or the vase of flowers and know that you made someone smile today! These gifts can be simple but they are sure to delight!Pin It

Two Words...Spray Paint!

I can get a little crazy with spray paint around the house. Once I get going, there's no stopping me. But what a difference a can of spray paint can make. I love to change the color of things to match a room, freshen things up, or refinish something that is second hand. Next time you go to a garage sale...envision the item in a color you love and with a newer and fresher look and you might be sold!
I inherited this compulsion for spray painting things from my mother. She got me started. In fact, here's a picture of a cute chandelier she found second hand and she spray painted to match her sun room. What was once a shiny brass color is now a cool sage green color!

When I look around our home and start to tally up the things I have repainted, it is crazy! This is a photo of our dining table (decorated for a Valentine's Day party I hosted for the kiddos). Here's a bit of the list... I have spray painted our patio set, our dining room table, our sofa table, kitchen chairs, a nighstand, end tables, baskets, shelves, and the list goes on! Each room in our home has at least one thing I have spray painted and some more! I love the rustoleum brand spray paint that you can get at Home Depot and Lowe's. I think it does a great job and lasts. So, look around your house and see what needs a change. Go and get a can or two of spray paint and have fun changing things up a bit. But beware because it can become addicting!!

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Rain Gutter Book Shelves

Hmm...I used to think that "nesting" only happened when you were pregnant. But I am realizing the word "nester" describes me all of the time. I am always on the lookout for new ways to organize and use space better in our home. I have a list with over a dozen little projects right now to work on and organize. Thank goodness my mom is flying to California in a few weeks to help me start working on some of my ideas and manage the kiddos at the same time!So my new dilemma has been what to do with the stacks & stacks and baskets & baskets of books around our home. It must be the teacher in me, but books seem to be a bit out of control. So, I am trying to figure out the best way to organize them where my little guy can get to them, find what he's looking for, and still looks clutter-free in our house. I had recently heard of "rain gutter" bookshelves and became intrigued. I love using something less-expensive in a new and innovative way to solve an organizational problem. This might be the answer to my dilemma! Buy rain gutters, brackets, and end caps at Home Depot or Lowe's and create your own bookshelves! Now I just have to decide how many I want and where I want them. They might look great in the playroom, our hallway, and in the bedroom. So many choices. Check out this link on "Raising Olives" blog to see a tutorial on how to make them. They are easy and cute!Pin It

Weekly Traditions for Mommy Talk

What weekly tradition do you keep with your family?

I have lots of traditions I look forward to making when the kiddos get a bit older. Right now we have a few though that we try to do weekly. I love to do "pizza night" on Fridays. It's fun to make homemade pizza as a family and then enjoy some relaxation time together as we eat, laugh, and hang out. It's an easy and fun dinner to make. We also try to do an evening walk at least once a week. What a great way to get outside, share some time to talk as we walk, and the kiddos love to look around as we stroll. I have a friend that told me that they take one day each week to be "Loving You" day. So, each week it's a different family member's turn to be "loved up" and you share sweet compliments, special things about them, and even find a way to serve that person because it's their special day. Finally, I would love to start making Saturday mornings our pancake breakfast day! I am going to start collecting some yummy pancake ideas! Please comment and share some weekly traditions you share with your family!

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Stuffed French Toast

Alright...I have a recipe that you are going to love!! It's so delicous and easy and one that I have decided to use on special occasions because it is so yummy! I am thinking of having this one be my Christmas Eve breakfast (I just love traditions that the family can look forward to). My wonderful friend and amazing cook, Melissa, passed this on to me. Thanks girl because it is one of my new favorites! So here is a wonderful recipe for stuffed french toast. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

8 eggs

1 1/2 cups lowfat milk

1 cup real maple syrup

1 loaf french toast bread

8 oz. Neufchatel cheese (cream cheese)

1/4 cup butter

2 T. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the bread slices, sides touching, in a single layer in a greased 9x13 dish. Slice or spread about 1/8" layer of cheese on top of the bread. Top with another 1" layer of fresh cut bread cubes.

In a bowl, mix eggs, milk and 1/2 cup of syrup. Pour over bread cubes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Let pan sit in refrigerator overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Heat the butter and 1/2 cup syrup in a pot and drizzle over the squares of stuffed french toast on plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!

*Delicious with chicken apple sausage!

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Devotions for Preschoolers: Friday Favorite

One of my favorite times of day is bedtime with my little guy. After putting on the jammies and reading some books, we spend some time reading a devotion each night and saying some bedtime prayers. I love this time!! It amazes me how sweet and simple his thoughts and prayers are each night. A good friend, Mandy, gave my son his first devotion book for his second birthday and we have used it every night ever since.

It is probably my favorite devotional book for kiddos of this age that I've seen. It's called One Year Devotions for Preschoolers. It is the perfect length (only one page), includes a picture to talk about, and has the same four characters repeated throughout the book, and shares a Bible verse and prayer on the bottom of the page. He loves it and won't let us skip a night! His understanding might be a bit limited right now with his age, but by next year I am so excited to see what he takes away from this special bedtime routine. Check out this book on Amazon! Let me know if you purchase the book and the sweet moments you share! And maybe you will enjoy hearing some cute bedtime prayers just like ours "Dear God, Thank for cantaloupe. Thank you for Daddy. Thank your dumptrucks. Thank you for burps. Amen!"Pin It

First Day of School Traditions

I love the first day of school! And now that my kiddos are getting older...I am starting to think about the first day of school from a "mommy" perspective and not just as a teacher. I already had my first day with my new first graders!! But some of you still have the first day of school coming up. And for those of you who are looking forward to that day as it quickly approaches, here are some cute ideas I have seen, heard of, read, and wanted to pass on to you!! Make the first day of school one that your children look forward to with lots of excitement...

*Celebrate a great first day of school with a dinner out! Let the kids decide where they would like to eat, to celebrate their big day!

*Make a huge and delicious breakfast on the first day. Maybe it is the same thing every year and the kids look forward to it...blueberry pancakes and sausage, stuffed french toast, or something cute and creative!

*Take a first day picture and have your child hold up the number of fingers for what grade they are going into. Make a "First Day" book and put these photos in it each year. How fun to look back on the cute first day outfits and backpacks!

*Plan a "Back to School" shopping trip with mom. Make it a date and shop with each child on a different day to spend some special time with them.

*I love this idea...start a tradition where the "Magic Schoolbus" visits your house the night before the first day. (Check out the Magic Schoolbus books, if you aren't familiar with this idea!) The Magic Schoolbus can drop off a bag on the front doorstep filled with some fun school supplies for homework, a new outfit, a toy to offer some comfort, or anything else you think your child might enjoy! Of course include a note filled with encouragement for the first day!

*Have a fun family outing the night before, like getting icecream or frozen yogurt. Find a spot to sit and relax and mom and dad can share some sweet goals or blessings for the new school year!

If you have any other first day traditions that you do...I'd love to hear them. Have a wonderful first day of school as you let your little one enjoy another year filled with adventures and growth! Happy First Day!Pin It

Creating Your Own Space

I think it is so important in every home to have a space that you call yours! The kiddos might have a playroom or area where they play with toys, watch movies, or hang out. Dads seem to love the garage, or workshop area, or maybe even a den. So, what about us moms? The kitchen does not count just because we spend 90% of our day making a meal or cleaning a meal as "our space" (unless you truly enjoy being in there)!! I do love to entertain and have people over. But I began thinking about our home and wondering if there was some little corner or area of a room that I could make my own. I love to make things, create things, organize, and decorate. So, instead of getting into a project on the floor of our living room and having to quickly clean everything up before naptime is done...I began to look around our home for a space for me. That is my new goal and I am in the process right now of gathering ideas for organizing and decorating the space.

This is one idea for a "hobby area" sent to me from my mom! What I love about her space is that she figured out what she wanted and needed and made it herself. With a tall bookshelf on each end, my dad connected the two with some shelving and moulding that he made. A desk was placed in the middle. And look at all that space to organize stamps, files, paper, ribbon, etc.

I found a great link with ideas from Country Living and wanted to share some of their creative touches for a room all your own! Next month I am planning to work on "my space" and will post pictures as soon as it is finished. But if you have any ideas of your own to send my way...please do! I challenge everyone to find a space for just you...whether it is a comfy chair to read in, a corner of the bedroom to relax in, a hobby area, or a place to unwind...we all need that in our homes and in our lives!!

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I'm Back!!

After a wonderful family vacation and the start-up of school...I am back! What a wonderful and busy end to the summer. I feel energized, happy, and excited for what this next school year will bring. But because I am now back to teaching, we will see how often I can share tips and ideas on here. It may not be as often as it was this summer...but I will try to be as consistent as possible!! I can't wait to share some classroom photos as well. For now, here is a cute photo or two from our family vacation. What fun we had!Pin It