LaBella Jewels

If you've never been on etsy.com before just beware it can easily become an addiction! Ok you've been warned. Now go look at all the beautiful, simple, elegant, hand-crafted, quality pieces at LaBella Jewels. I just treated myself to a late birthday present and can't wait to receive it. And if you wander off into the endless array of other amazing hand-crafted items on etsy at least let me know what you find!

Homemade "Cage"

For some reason after looking at this box sitting in my kitchen floor for 3 days, something told me "That would make a great stuffed animal cage!" I started by simply flipping it over and showing D he could put his animals in there. Next, I let them decorate it with crayons and stickers while I made dinner one evening. Then, because I had nothing better to do (but even more so because it was too tempting staring at that giant piece of candy every day) I painted it black then had fun decorating it with our Crayola Gel Markers. It has gotten tons of play every day and D even discovered he can fit himself into it which he finds quite hilarious. And no I definitely did not a buy a whole case of Reese's, it just looked like a good box to put all my Sam's Club groceries in last week.

Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine

Online. Downloadable. Free. 68 color pages. Need I say more?

Check it out @ http://www.scrapbookandcards.com/

Craft Gossip

CRAFTGOSSIP.COM

My new very favorite blog I just discovered. It's everything CRAFTY as it happens. My favorite of course being the pages and pages and pages of Recycled Crafts with everything from trendy gifts, mementos, practical solutions, kids' toys... just tons of great ideas that will have you thinking twice before you throw something in the trash next time. Plenty of ideas to keep you and your kids occupied for the rest of summer too.

Banana Popsicles

Otherwise known as frozen chocolate-dipped bananas. I got a new cookbook from my brother for my birthday and as Cali flipped through it she saw a picture of "banana popsicles" as she called them. I thought it would be a great treat to try out, especially in this 105* heat!


You will need:
ripe bananas
chocolate for melting
sprinkles of your choice (chopped nuts, choc/rainbow sprinkles, etc.)
popsicle sticks or wooden chopsticks

Early in the day (or the night before) cut bananas in half and insert sticks. Place on a tray and freeze at least 3 hours or until bananas are very firm. Melt chocolate as desired (I use the microwave on low power, stirring often). Dip each banana in melted chocolate and quickly roll in sprinkles. Beware the chocolate hardens quickly on the cold banana. Eat right away... or make them eat their dinner first! You choose :)

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Yes last week was my birthday so here is a rare shot of me with no kids in sight! The swimming pics were taken right before my night out on the town. Wanted to make sure they were good and tired for the sitter.

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Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Disney Mini Pt 1

So many fun, fun, fun memories from Disneyland. Truly the happiest place on Earth. I witnessed the biggest smiles I've ever seen on my kids' faces and would go again in a heartbeat. Tonight I had the fun of starting a mini-album to commemorate the trip. It's a fun project as I look back at all those big smiles and remember the wonderful time we had all together as a family.

Bufo speciosus

When my friend Jessica from The Entertaining House pointed out that I likely had a "toad" in my yard and not a "froggy" I realized she had a very good point. Talking to toddlers all day has dulled my scientific sensibilities! So of course I set out to properly identify my little backyard friends. I have deduced they are most likely Bufo speciosus (aka Texas Toads). You can compare the photos and read a little more about them here . And for even more toad fun check out my video from last night when I discovered not one, but two toad friends out there



And yes I still referred to them as "frogs" in the video. My bad. Hope they weren't offended.

I *heart* Tevas...

And what I love even more is a great deal on them! Yes when you buy Tevas you are paying for quality shoes that will last... but really who wants to pay $50 for shoes they will outgrow in 3-6 months. That's where Sierratradingpost.com came in. I had never shopped there before but I found these shoes for nearly half off and while I was there I found great deals on a new skirt, shirt & swimsuit for myself. I loved all the helpful reviews people post to help with sizing, quality, comfort, etc. The website was great, shipping was reasonable, and when I ordered on Sunday I received my box on Tuesday! I was pretty shocked to see how tiny the box was and really happy they did such a great job reducing packaging waste. Some other companies should take a hint (ahem! ... Amazon). By the way, before you place your order at STP (or anywhere online for that matter), ALWAYS be sure to check Retailmenot.com to see if you qualify for any other discounts. I was able to add a $0.25 reel of fishing line to my order, bringing my total to $100 and saved an additional 15% off with a code I found there.

PS I have also found good deals on Tevas at REI.com/outlet, right now they will ship your whole order for free if you purchase any Teva item. Ends 6/25.

Lucky Day

Lucky me! I've won a fabulous scrapbooking kit from my friend Alexandra S.M. @ Art, Scrap & More. Click here to take a peek at the adorable goodies coming my way. Alexandra has a great style, a kind heart, and always has time to leave a thoughtful comment for me. Take some time to explore her always inspiring blog, and enjoy her creative photography of the every day moments in life at her other blog - Capturing the Ordinary.

Pencil Lines Sketch #140

http://www.pencillines.com/

Happy Father's Day

Now I can show you the project I made for Dave for Father's Day. A special little mini-book with pics of him and each kid. They both cried when I put them in the box to mail off, especially Diego who kept crying "MY book, MY book" Sorry buddy Mommy will have to make you another copy. He got them on Wednesday along with his homemade chocolate zuchinni bread and life size drawings of the kids. We love you Daddy, we miss you every day.

Happy Birthday To Me

Yes my birthday was this week and it turned out to be a really great one. Even though my hubby couldn't be here, my friends & family did a good job of spoiling me and making me feel special. I got gifts in the mail, ordered myself a skirt, shirt & new swimsuit, had a massage (and babysitter) in the middle of the day, had a birthday dinner & cupcakes made for me, then went out for dinner, drink (just one), and dessert with friends the next night. I enjoyed it so much I was starting to think I should just have a "birthday" once a month.

Caught on Film

It all starts with our dog, Huey, having an ear infection. We went to the vet on Monday for annual shots and to check out a missing chunk of fur on his neck. The doc took one look at the spot and said I need to check his ears. Huey was diagnosed with a severe ear infection, I am to administer two pills and two shots of goo in each ear twice a day for 14 days. Fun. So tonight it got dark before I went out to do his evening meds, and being the wimp that he is, he saw me coming and hunkered down by the fence at the side of the yard. As I walked over to get him (in the dark) I saw movement near my feet! I screamed! Then I got my composure and realized it was just the mysterious frog that has been consistently pooping in the yard, but had yet to be seen. After the fun of doing Huey's meds I went back for a camera and a flashlight. Here he is and if you are wondering how/why I know he poops in my yard read this post from last year.


PS Thank you froggy for eating all those disgusting June Bugs, even if you leave the remains in my yard.

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Went for an evening walk and found a good spot for a timer shot. I wanted a pic of the baby doll hanging from my camera bag strap.

The kids insisted on this picture 3 rows back.

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Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Maya & Ruhi Giveaway

I would sure love to pick a birthday present from this gorgeous set of jewelry. Visit the Sunshine Studios blog to meet Pearl, a stay-at-home-mom and self-taught jewelry maker. Then make sure you visit the Maya & Ruhi etsy shop to peruse all her beautiful artisan designs.

Great Giveaways

Tip Junkie is turning 2 and going 'dot com' and to celebrate they are giving away 50 awesome prizes made by mom-preneurs. Stop by to enter for your chance to win and also browse the showcase of amazing products created by women.

Av Mode

Had fun playing with my Canon Rebel at the park, have figured out that Av mode is a good way to go with fast action kids that run in and out of different lighting. At the park its either sun or shade and they move so quick its too hard to keep adjusting the shutter speed. In Av mode you set the aperture and the camera adjusts the shutter speed. For these photos I used f/5.6, ISO 100, and alternated between sun or shade white balance modes. If you're not sure what all this means and want to learn, check out the iheartfaces tutorials that I learned from.

Cucumbers

Among other things, we are getting loads of cucumbers from our garden this year. In the past we've grown some that were too bitter to eat but these are really tasty and really plentiful. If you have any good cucumber recipes send them my way!


And just because I'm always curious... especially when its a veggie the kids are happy to eat.. I looked up what it is that makes Cucumbers "good for you":

Cucumbers are a very good source of the vitamins C and the mineral molybdenum. They are also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and magnesium and contain the important mineral silica.

Taken from World's Healthiest Foods website where you can learn everything else you ever wanted to know about cucumbers. Check it out, there's a lot more to them than you might have thought!

Taco Cups

I threw these together for a quick dinner Saturday night...

Taco Cups
ground burger
salsa
sour cream
shredded cheese
scoop shaped chips

Brown the burger in a skillet, just when it turns brown add your favorite salsa to taste. Turn off the heat and let simmer a few minutes. For the kids I placed 6 Baked Tostitos Scoops on a plate then filled each with the meat, topped with a touch of sour cream then sprinkled with shredded cheese. For me I just made of bowl with meat, sour cream and cheese and used the chips to dip it. Yummy and quick!

Pineapple Chicken & Corn Slaw

Getting out of the food rut and trying some new things around here. Here was our tasty dinner from tonight.

Pineapple Marinade
1/3 cup canned pineapple juice
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps cumin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine in a small bowl, mixing well. For added flavor reserve some marinade to brush over the chicken just before its finished cooking. Pour marinade over chicken breasts and let sit at least 1 hour before cooking.

I served ours with brown rice topped with canned pineapple.

Corn Slaw
1 can of no-sodium-added corn, drained
1 medium cucumber peeled and chopped small
1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 tbsp ranch dressing
handful of fresh chives, snipped

Combine all ingredients, chill in fridge at least 15 min.

I thought I'd get creative with our veggie dish tonight and I've been wanting the kids to try garbanzo beans anyway, so this is an original. It turned out really tasty... I'm thinking about adding Feta cheese to the leftovers.

14 of 52

Nothing too exciting this week. We all took turns being sick for 3 days in a row. This was after weeding the yard and playing with ice in the front yard yesterday. As you will see all Diego wanted to do was look in my mouth and make me stick out my tongue.

*************************************************************************************

Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Icy Cold Fun

Cheap, easy, chilly entertainment. It's 95+F every day here now so this is how I've been entertaining the kids when we need a break from sidewalk chalk, bubbles and the kiddie pool. Today it gave me chance to weed the yard for a bit then a nice refresher when I was all done.
You will need recycled plastic containers of various sizes or plastic storage containers. Really anything you can freeze water in. I really like the square edamame trays we get from Sam's Club and applesauce cups or yogurt containers. Ice from the freezer is fine too, but smaller ice melts quickly and then the fun's over. When I give them the freezer ice cubes they call them "minnows" and have fun catching them out of the (emptied) sand table. Make a variety of shapes & sizes. The bigger chunks will have to freeze for several hours so its best to stock up your freezer the day/night before.

Once you have the ice ready give them the fun of figuring out how to get it out of the containers. Then you can...

• break big chunks into smaller ones
• draw on the sidewalk like you would with chalk
• get hands/feet wet and make prints on the sidewalk
  
• give yourself a chill by putting the ice on your toes, nose, belly, neck, etc.
• pretend its a bar of soap and give yourself an ice bath
• try stacking into a tower or attempt an ice castle (depending on the ice and your kids interest/determination level)
• mention the properties of water and point out that as the ice gets hot it melts and turns back into water, then as the water gets hot it turns to vapor and diappears from the sidewalk
• add food coloring (just a drop!) for added fun, beware of potential stains
• toss chunks of ice into the kiddie pool or bathtub, if you use two colors point out how the color changes as they mix

If you have any more icy ideas please leave a comment!

Nerodia

Out of curiosity I emailed my snake picture to a TX snake expert - Bayou Bob of the Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch - for his professional opinion.

- it is a Nerodia, harmless water snake often called a Fish snake or sometimes a Diamondback Water snake and other local cutsie names....but NOT to worry any. Emits strong musk when aggravated or threatended, strikes readily, blusters quite well....but in the end flees away as it knows it is harmless!! Soooo, keep the faith, continued good luck, it coulda' been worse, stay safe, and 2 U there...

Happy Trails,

Bayou Bob

Kite Fest - 10 photo Layout

I love it when I don't have a plan but it all works out anyway. I started this layout on Tue night at Emily's and had it mostly done when D started crying and crying and I had to keep going upstairs to comfort him so he wouldn't wake the girls. I liked it well enough but the whole bottom right corner was a blank spot that could use something. I thought I'd add some journaling but was drawing a blank on the details of the day. Then I had an "aha!" moment and remembered my family journal. Sure enough there was a full page entry for the day and a little picture which reminded me I had some other kite pictures I wanted to add. So here it is, 10 pictures in all.

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Another practice shot by Cali. I really like it!

I squeezed in a few pics while we were on dry land (for about a minute) at the water park.

From our hiking trip yesterday. Thanks for taking this one Emily.

*************************************************************************************

Are you the Mom who's always taking pictures and look back only to realize you aren't IN any of them? Do your kids look through photo albums and ask "Where were you Mommy?" Well, Carin over at Forever in Blue Jeans decided to change all that and challenges any one who's interested to do the same. So hand over the camera, or at least figure out the self-timer and get on the other side of the lens more often. Post your photos of you enjoying time with your family every Thursday and share the link with other Mom's by posting it on Carin's blog. You can start any time with week 1 of 52, don't worry about being "behind" just jump on in.

Mini Vacation

Headed south for a little overnight visit to my good friend Emily. She showed us a good time in the great outdoors of Austin. It stormed in the wee hours of the morning but turned out to be a beautiful, perfect day with only a handful of other people to be seen. Thanks Em!

Spotted by Cali...

Cali: Look Mommy, a snake!
Me: Really? A REAL snake?
Cali: Yes, look its an Anaconda
Hamilton PoolNext, off to picnic and swim in the Pedernales River.