Hope you have a "Whaley" good summer!

 

These were AO's end of year treats for her little school friends. Personalized Sand Buckets! 

Buckets were from the DOLLAR TREE. The hardest part were the icky labels. 

Hope you have a "whaley" good summer, too! 

Homemade laundry detergent

My recipe is a bit different.Perfectly safe for HE machines. One tablespoon per load.

One Bar Fels-Naptha - Shredded
One Bar Pink Zote - Shredded
One big bag Baking Soda
One Bottle Purex Crystals for Smell Good
One Box Biz
One Container Oxyclean
Two Boxes Borax

Teacher Appreciation Week - And Free Printable

"Donut" Forget the Teacher! We did this little number for Teacher Appreciation Week.

It's important not to forget the teachers of the wee-ones, too!

If you can't tell, we start artistry early. AO is a 14 month old who SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER when you take up her crayons or markers. She hasn't figured out the paint yet, though. She also eats crayons, but that's another story.

Donuts are a perfect little thank you.

Perfect anytime a special someone in your life needs a treat. Could be a friend, co-workers, church buds...Whoever needs a  thank you. And they are great for sharing!

 

We taped it to our doughnut box and voila! Easy treat to make someone feel special.

Why don't you print it out and give someone a special little thank you? 

Making a Terrarium

One day at Lowes, I found a bug eating plant that needed a home on the clearance rack. So, a trip to the thrift store and we have a new project. ;-)

I found a glass house that was half off for $6.

Tonight I've cleaned it up and given it a little turquoise face lift. I popped the windows back in and sealed with JB weld. Hopefully by tomorrow night we can plant!

I thought AO would like to see some bug eating critters. I just hope they like Mosquitos!

I totally heart THRIFT STORES

To mix up my lunch routine, I went in one of my favorite hole in the wall places. The Salvation Army Thrift Store. And I MAJORLY scored!

If you know me, I am obsessed with all things Jenny Lind and spindle. We've painted a cradle and crib turquoise, and a high chair yellow. And I've been on the search for a jenny lind style spindle bed for our guest room. Who found it for $10??? This girl, that's who! I'm seriously so excited I could cry. Totally beats the Land of Nod one I wanted!

I scored a ton of other stuff, too. My total bill? $30. That's it!!!

Bed, CHANDELIER, little house terrarium, moss for another project, a topiary, cute napkin holder.....yep. Today was a very ON day! Woop Woop! Apparently the entire section was 50% off today. I'm one thrilled chica!! Time to buy more spray paint. ;-)

Best part? I was in and out, stopped by Chickfila and still had time to post this (thank you blogger ap!) on my lunch break. Yippieeeeeee!!!!!

Hobby Lobby Lunch Break

It's no secret I have two favorite stores in my life. My number one favorite spot? Hobby Lobby.   After the April 27 Tuscaloosa tornado took the original out, they moved EVEN CLOSER to my office. Meaning my lunch breaks are frequent HL trips.  The hubs wasn't nearly as excited about it opening up so close. I was seriously elated.

This trip I was on a mission. Scouting for curtain fabric for the guest bedroom redo. The walls are getting a grey paint makeover. (Thanks to my second favorite store, Lowe's. Straight off the clearance paint rack.)  I'm thinking of using the navy chevron against those (hopefully painted soon) grey walls. What do you think? Goal would be that this would be a more neutral guest room. But in the event (ONE DAY DOWN THE ROAD) we are blessed with another baby, we could just add hot pink for a girl or keep as is for a boy.  What I don't want next time is to be in the hospital with a crew at my house working their bums off to be ready for a baby. 

Every good Hobby Lobby enthusiast knows one thing. You NEVER buy Hobby Lobby unless it is on sale. So, this was just a scouting adventure. Maybe the sale will hit just about payday. :-) I scored a bedspread and lamp at Freds. Getting excited about the direction this one is headed. 

  Happy Wednesday. :-)

Arleigh's new Corner - Work in Progress

Do you remember those massive rose bushes? Well....we said bye-bye to those. Priss-pot has her very own corner. Not bad for a 14 month old. ;-)

Sticky old rose bushes gone. New kids corner in progress.

We used the dog-child Clarence's old summer wading pool for a sandbox. (Just don't forget to drill holes for the water to drain!) We did dig a bit of a hole to put the sand box (old pool) down into so it's easier for her short little baby legs to climb in and out.

Old pots got a few dollar tree flowers. An old wire planter is now a toy holder. And a mismatched board found for FREE in front of the Habitat Restore...Becomes an adorable little chalkboard.

Reuse, reuse, reuse. Upcycle, and then Upcycle some more. I want new floors, remember? :-)

Back Porch After

And here's after elbow grease and spray paint. Still a work in progress. But it's much improved! We reused almost everything. Including our old rug from indoors. The only things we purchased was spray paint, mulch and play sand for AO's corner, and a flat of sweet potato vine for FOUR DOLLARS at the Habitat Thrift Store.

Artsy Kid Friendly Corner of the Living Room

There is a valid reason why your Mama wouldn't let you play ball in the house. John and I both tend to like to to make messes. And we tend to be a little free spirited. When free spirits play ball in the house...You get holes in the wall. Which lead to this....  A Sunday wall patch job -

Turns into a Pinterest inspired art corner using the wasted space behind the front door. This door opens into our living room, and the threshold has tile. Which makes chalk clean up easy breezy. 

Main reasons? 

1. The holes HAD to be fixed. 
2. I already had the chalkboard paint
3. AO needed an Art Corner. (Mama wanted one.) 

  I'm wanting to trim out the top with a bit of molding. But I'm waiting on the Habitat for Humanity Restore to finish their remodel before I buy any. (Do you have one of those in your area?) It's MY FAVORITE place to shop. We make donations there, too. You are putting money back into a great cause, and their price are usually very reasonable. Plus the look of salvaged goods is so much cooler than buying new.

Thanks Pinterest for the Masterpieces idea. And yes, the front door is getting a face lift. And the hubs doesn't like the color AT ALL. Stay tuned. :-)

The EASY Working Mom way to make Fish Tacos

Seriously the easiest fish tacos you can make at home.....

Several years ago on a trip to California, I was introduced to the wonderful world of fish tacos. I loved them, but my hubs and family didn't share my taste buds for something new and different. Heck, we're southern! Why would I expect them to love my California treat? 

There are not many places to get yummy fish tacos in these parts, so I've learned to make my own EASY EASY EASY variety.  And with family approval! (We have a 13 Month old and work outside the home. If you get supper and it's not out of a to-go bag or a sandwich on a weeknight, you are getting a TREAT.)

The four ingredient must haves:

• Boxed fish - It can be the crispy baked fish, or the grilled. Either way, we get the boxed kind for quick week day meals. I buy it only when it's on sale at Publix. On the weekend when we've had more time, we've grilled catfish for our southern fish tacos. Way yummy. 

• Flour Tortilla shells (A pantry staple in this house)

• Packaged Coleslaw Cabbage from the Salad Aisle (No dressing, with the lettuce/bagged salads) 

• Southwest Ranch Dressing (We like the Marie's from the refrigerated section. Publix usually has it BOGO. We've also used the Hidden Valley Southwest Ranch, which was good.)

The quick  way - 

Bake the fish. Mix half a bag of coleslaw with a bit of southwest ranch dressing until it's lightly coated. Assemble. And EAT.   EASY. WAY TOO EASY.

To make it EVEN BETTER: 

If you are wanting a little more get-up and have these extras in your pantry, here are some suggestions. 

I add these straight in the slaw - so it's very easy assembly:

• Half a can of Mexicorn (Drained)
• Half a can of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
• Fresh Lime Juice from one lime (This adds SO much!)
• Chopped Bell Pepper, Onions (We buy the chopped trinity from the veggie section in the grocery store) 
• A scoop of a good salsa (I love the Newman's Own Peach Salsa in mine. The black bean and corn is yummy, too!)

Other add on fish taco bar options, depending on your mood:

• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Avocado (My kid love it!)
• Mexi-Rice
• More lime!

Just a note -  Making up half a bag of coleslaw usually makes enough for two nights. We bake one box of fish for the first night, and we'll do something different - (frozen section) grilled shrimp - the heat and eat kind the next night instead of fish.

And if you are feeding the ittybittys that are sensitive to the heat in the southwest dressing ---You can mix the slaw with just  a touch of the southwest dressing and use coleslaw dressing or regular ranch for the moisture. 


The most important part of cooking - Teaching and sharing with your family. 

 

Happy Taco Tuesday! What's your favorite way to eat tacos? 

Putting the Christ back in CHRISTmas

Our first Christmas with Arleigh was a wonderful mix of different. It was our first Christmas without the last patriarch in the family, my Pop, which meant this was the first Christmas with new traditions of our very own.          

Our first new tradition... Christmas brunch at our house. I've never been home for Christmas (always with the Junkin side), so this was all new to me. I did a trial run of what we were having at AOM's birthday party.  Hot ham and swiss sandwiches, Pluck it bread, Chicken Salad, Pasta Salad, Christmas Day breakfast casserole, fruit....It was very yummy in our tummies. :-)

On to the presents.  AOM is one lucky little lady. The grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousin supplied her with this load of LOOT. We need a bigger house because of it. NO JOKE. After the Mansell, Sansing, Junkin sides of the family, plus my friends who are family, Arleigh O was racking up the stuff. Our car was loaded to the ceiling 3 times with stuff. She got more at one stop than most kids get all Christmas. This is just a sampling....

 Then Santa came and supplied her with this load of loot at our house Christmas morning. Santa doesn't wrap in our family. Does Santa wrap for you?   Santa brought AO the little people first farm, which I got on my first Christmas. My Mama didn't tell me until after Santa came. How cool was that!  (Great Mama's think alike, apparently!) She also got the Little People doll house, which has a flushing toilet. Her first baby baseball, a xylophone, and her first cabbage patch doll. Which brings us to this...

Gifts of the Magi - Christmas gifts with a little more Biblical Meaning

Before we even get started, I am in no way saying the overload of presents is wrong for your family. I'm doing this for my family because: 

• Arleigh is more than blessed with plenty of stuff from the Grandparents, aunts, uncles, great aunts, cousins, friends...you get the idea.  I don't think she will miss out on any presents.
• We don't have room for much more "stuff" - We are busting at the seams of our little bitty starter home.
• Mama needs a budget and expectations on what is acceptable. I need to buy presents worthy of lasting and not just "stuff" to fill up space. The presents need to have a meaning or a substance. I need to think before I buy.
• There will always be three presents, which (you've got to admit) makes it much easier when shopping. Not to mention one day with sibling rivalry. 
• If we start this now while AO is young, it will be our own tradition as a family. One that they will hopefully want to pass on to their kids.
• I really think we're raising a generation of kids who expect the latest and greatest at all times. (This applies to me as well.....Have you seen her smocked dress collection?) Toning it down and honing it just a little will (I hope) have dramatic results one day. It can't hurt.
• And the biggest reason? There is not enough Christ in Christmas.

We've talked with Santa and decided it's time to get a little more perspective on Christmas. From now on, children in the P&J Mansell house will receive four presents. We had discussed doing this this year, but I let folks talk me into the "it's her first Christmas, you have to buy more" mentality, which was (excuse the word) stupid. This year, Arleigh got traditional Santa, PLUS her Gifts of the Magi. Not again. There is no point in going this overboard on presents. Mama and Daddy need boundaries. My kids need to realize the real meaning of Christmas - which has nothing to do with presents.

The biggest benefit for Christmas presents with biblical perspective - If three gifts were good enough for baby Jesus, why shouldn't they be good enough for our own kids? Why do we have the "keep up with the Jones" mentality, when we should be worried about keeping our kids on the right track with their heavenly Father?

From a budget perspective, we can reign in requests to fit whatever budget we set. There is no point in an overflow of stuff that is used or played with for two months and then forgotten. It requires us - as parents - to actually think about the gifts we are giving.  When Arleigh is older, it will require honest discussions about the biggest point of Christmas - the birthday of Jesus. Imagine that thought - Christmas is about CHRIST.

When I was first searching online and asked for ideas on Facebook about traditions within your own family for Christmas, I was surprised with the friends who already do some type of variation of the three present rule. They may not tie back in to the categories directly, but they set boundaries for themselves and their kids for a holiday that is becoming more and more excessive each year.





Present 1. Christmas Eve night PJs from Mama and Daddy. Just like baby Jesus got swaddling clothes. (for 33 years I have always had Christmas pjs, so this one just has to stay.)

Present 2, from Santa. Representing Gold. This is their big ticket item, or the item they would like to have the most. It can be a gift for the entire family, or it can be a gift of enduring value.  Like dance or swimming lessons, or a trip to make memories with the family. Or a keepsake piece of jewelry.  This year, Arleigh is the proud new owner of two Britax Car seats.  (Which, by the way, she absolutely loves.)

Present 3, from Santa. Frankincense.  Back when baby Jesus received Frankincense, it was a comforting, holy anointing oil. For Arleigh's purpose, the gift that represents Frankincense is a spiritual gift. Something that can further her relationship with God. One day, it could be a new bible, Christian CDs, the cost for a special retreat or church trip, or a new devotional book. This year, she got Noah's ark and a Veggie Tales movie. 

Present 4, from Santa. Myrrh. Myrrh was used when someone died, to clean their body. This one is always a little harder for me to make a literal present. One day, this could be lotions, new towels, bath robe, makeup or house shoes...you get the idea. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. This year, Arleigh is getting a bathroom redo, which (don't tell her) we were planning on anyway.

I should probably mention that within our little family four-some (Me, John, dog-child Clarence, and 10 Month Arleigh) we really don't do a ton of presents. I couldn't tell you the last time John bought me something for a birthday or holiday on his own. We're just not holiday gifters. Givers, yes. But within out little family, it just isn't a priority. We give to each other with what we want year round, or I just buy what I want. I have friends who would go insane at the thought of no present from the hubs at Christmas or your birthday. It's just not on the list of battles I choose to pick. It's really not that big of deal in the grand scheme of things. Yes, I've had my feelings hurt before. And maybe one day Arleigh O can take dear old dad shopping like we did with my Daddy years ago. 

Maybe presents are more important to your household, and this would never work. And that's fine, too. As long as your kids know the real reason for the season, the message is in their hearts.

Daddy, The Lab Child Clarence, 10 Month old Arleigh

The memories from Christmas are my favorite part of the holiday. Especially this one. I was conked out on the couch for THE FIRST Christmas afternoon nap, and woke up to this precious sight. My three loves playing in the new doll house. (Inspecting the above mentioned flushing toilet.) Such a sweet sight, and a very, very, precious memory.

We didn't get in our Birthday Party for Jesus this year. Hopefully next year. I already bought Happy Birthday Jesus plates and napkins, so we have a head start! 

Hope your Christmas was a fabulous as ours!  What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

Nursery Rough Draft and Niece Cuteness

We finally have furniture! It's no where near done, and there's rearranging to do, but we're one step closer to Arleigh having a room. It's a t-tiny room, so we're having to really plan the arrangement for function. 

I went a little crazy with color, but I LOVE COLOR, and I hope my child inherits the love of all things creative just like her Mommy. And I hope she appreciates the details...The vintage details.

Rough Draft Photos: 

Here's a list of what we're recycling or creating so far: 

Crib and Cradle from Danielle, used by Libby and Millie - Poppy (David) and Papa (Johnny) did a fabulous job with the turquoise paint!

Green Antique Link Lamp - (I've loved all my life) Josh rewired, it belonged to a great aunt

Rocking Chair - Santa gave it to my mama 32 years ago before my birth

Vintage Doll house - A bargain found on Etsy. Just like NanO got for Christmas in 1957 or so

Crib Mobile - Another Etsy bargain.... Just like mine from 32 years ago. We even researched old photos. :-)

Chandelier - I think I paid $6 from the Habitat thrift store. 1 can of red spray paint and crystals from online and it's now one of my favorite things in the room!  Much better than buying the $300 one...

Curtains and Cornice - Amy Butler Fabrics. Papa (Johnny) made the cornice board, NanO (Olivia) made the curtains, and I covered the cornice. I would consider this my "splurge" piece....Fabric is outrageous! I've been a fan of Amy Butler for ages! I LOVE LOVE LOVE fabrics.com.

Vintage Mother Goose prints - NanO had from a book she'd been saving forever. 

Hospital door wreath - was the one I made for Swayze. I'm sentimental, and I love the idea of keeping things in the family. :-)

And I could go on and on.... There's lots more to come!

Speaking of Cousin Swayze, isn't she serious cuteness! Aunt Pen thinks so. :-)

I'm very excited about this week. Wednesday is my 32 birthday. Thursday we get an ultrasound of our priss-pot. Saturday my neighbor Beth is hosting a shower. Saturday afternoon D, Lib, Mil and NanO are helping get it all together! Hopefully by next week we can have "final" nursery shots instead of the rough draft! :-)

Until then, enjoy your week!