Diy Graduation Cupcakes

A couple months ago my mom had called me to see if I could give her some ideas on cupcakes or cake that she could make for my step brothers high school graduation party....Well me being crafty and also someone who loves to cook and bake offered to make these! They are really easy! Bake your cupcakes...then you put frosting on...We found this sugar type sprinkles and found the blue color that we were wanting to stick with, and after I frosted them I rolled them in the sprinkles...just to cover the edges! We purchased mini m&m's, peanut butter cups, mini chocolate bars and sour twist things....I used melted chocolate to stick the mini chocolate bar on top of the peanut butter cup. Then I had to dip each mini m&m into melted chocolate and do the same with the sour twists and let it hang over the edge! They came out super cute and everyone loved them! We made these the day before the party and stuck them in our deep freezer. Pulled them out a few hours before people showed up and they were perfect!

Sewing Box turned Car First Aid Kit

 A while back I sold my sewing machine because I really do not have the time to start and finish a project! I still have quite a bit of fabric that I will probably give to my mom, and a few other things...but I just could not part with this   storage   box--------->         
                                                     I got it as a gift on birthday a few years back and just love the colorful fabric! I got to thinking and figured I could use it as a Car First Aid Kit!!! I did not have one in my Tahoe yet so it worked perfect. I filled it up with some basic first aid supplies, and plan to add more "Car Safety" stuff as I can find it!

 I also added an extra pair of clothes for my little girl. She is two and completely potty trained, but every once in a while she has an accident because we didn't get her to the potty in time...I had that happen a few weeks back in the car...and guess what..I had just taken her extra clothes out of my purse the day before! :( My poor baby had to ride home in wet clothes (10- 15 minutes) so we could change her. Now I am all set and ready for the next time (hopefully there wont be one) and if someone needs a band aid...I HAVE IT!

Mexican Chicken Salad With Lime Cilantro Ranch

A few days ago I was looking for some yummy, easy and cheap recipes for us to make! I found this Mexican Chicken Salad with Lime Cilantro Ranch on the Cheap Crafty Mama blog! I forgot to add the corn, but it still came out super yummy! I really liked the Lime Cilantro Ranch that you mix up with it! The Fritos gave it a nice crunch like a crouton on a regular salad might! Now my son and I really enjoyed this mean! Hubby on the other hand...he was a thumbs down...and said he would have rather had regular every day salad! If I make this again it will be as a side instead of a meal...that way I can eat as much or as little and hubby can have the main course! It was a very refreshing salad and I would totally make it again! However when I do make it again I am going to use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the Lime Cilantro Ranch! 

**For the recipe click HERE

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddy's out there! This year I was not sure what I was going to get my dad...in the past I have made him photo albums or fun pictures with my kids hand prints....I wanted to do something that would really make him happy! So I started thinking and I knew he had the paw print from his Great Dane that had passed a few months back. It was sitting on a bakers wrack in his kitchen, where no one could see it. I got sneaky and told his wife (my step mom) what I wanted to do...and she knew I could only pull this off with her help...because the ashes and collar were in the top of a closet, and my dad would totally notice that the paw was missing if I took it too soon! I purchased the shadow box a few weeks ago, and took it over when my dad was not at home, we made sure it would fit and also filled the little bottle up with some of the ashes! I had the photo printed at Walgreen's and cut around the dog "Maya" so it was only of her! I talked with the people at Hobby Lobby about what I was doing and they recommended I purchase a heavy duty craft glue for the paw print...I used E6000 glue! I originally was going to do her collar on the top or side, but my dad's wife asked me to try it around the paw print and see how it looked! I am so glad she had that idea, because it looked the best in this setting! I glued everything yesterday, and while my dad was still at work I went over and hung it in the spot his wife and I thought would be best! What a surprise, and something he will always look at and remember his amazing dog!

June Book Club Pick

Have you and your kids (if you have any) been reading this summer? I think it has helped a lot for my son to see his mom and dad reading! Hubby often makes fun of me being in the A Bowl Full Of Lemons Book Club and usually thinks that the books I am reading are a "waist" of time! That's because the books he reads are books that he believes will help him and his future! He likes Dave Ramsey, and Self Help type books, and anything that will help you succeed in life! I too like those types of books, but I also love to wrap myself up in someone else's story and jump into the pages of a good novel! I have not always been this way, in fact the book club has really helped me get back into reading! For June the winner was "The Storyteller" I am about 90 pages in and I am really liking this book for some reason! It has a little mystery to it...I do not want to give too much away in case you are reading it or plan to! I can't wait to pick it back up so I can get more details from the characters, and hopefully hear their story on things that have happened to them! What book are you reading this month?

Organized Lego Storage

Yes I am CRAZY! I organized legos...by COLOR! My son had three large boxes of legos, and he was always having a hard time finding the color and size that he needed to build things. Well when he got this big lego book I knew I needed to do something to make it easier to follow the directions as close to perfect as he could! I found one of those 10 drawer craft organizers on Craigslist...and bought it for $20!!! Super deal because a brand new one at Sam's Club is around $50! I went threw all his legos and organized them by color! 

 

Once they were all sorted out into the bins, I took my label maker and made labels so he could easily see what was in each bin without opening it. Now he has a great place for his legos and he has no problems trying to find what he needs! How do you organize you child's lego collection?

It sold for HOW MUCH?

 If you read yesterdays post then you know that I have been doing some cleaning! I found lots of things this weekend that made me remember my past, before kids! I used to play softball, and I loved it! It was literally my life, and then I got pregnant with my son at a very young age and had to give it up! At first that was hard, and I was sad and very mad that I was giving up something I loved and knew would take me far one day (college)! At the time I might not have known this, but now as I am looking back, giving up softball allowed so many more things and places I thought were not going to be very fun! I mean who thinks changing diapers and waking up in the middle of the night several times is fun?? But  now that my son is a baby...I wish I could go back and give it all up again just so I could hold that sweet baby boy! Now he is 7...and doesn't let me do much holding! When I found my bat bag this weekend I took everything out and asked myself if I ever see myself playing again?? Well I don't ...at least not anytime soon! Which is fine, and I am okay with not playing again...but I have been holding onto this bat bag for 9 Years!!! I have used the stuff ONE time when hubby and I first met, we got together with friends and did some batting practice! One time in 9 years this stuff has been used...I need to let it go...so I took everything out and kept one thing...My glove...any true softball/baseball player will tell you how hard it is to play with a stiff glove...so if one day I ever do play again...I want to have a already broke in glove to use...Now the other stuff...is easy to replace...I sold my cleats on eBay a couple months back for $50...and my bats I just sold for $30! The helmet I just sold for $4.00. When I listed them on a Facebook auction page I didn't think I would get a $1.00 (the price they started at) for the used equipment...boy was I wrong...Softball is a pricy sport (I'm sure all sports are) so when people see a good deal on equipment they go crazy! I am glad it is out of the house...and that some other kids are getting to enjoy them!

 I listed this Harley Davidson clock last Friday on eBay and sold it on Tuesday for $25.00...It was covered in dust and taking up space in our basement! I saw one other listed for $40 and it had been listed twice and not sold...I priced mine a little lower...and it sold right away!

I also found these men house shoes in my office and listed them of Facebook...They sold for $3.00. They were brand new and I could have got more money out of them...but guess what...I don't care, because that is not the goal here...The goal is to get this house cleaned out and have less stuff to deal with...and if I make a $1 or $30 then great! As long as it gets out of the house!

Why did I keep this?

Hey everyone! Wonder where I have been all week?? Well this is the first week my son is home from school for SUMMER VACATION! I will need a vacation from this vacation by the end of Summer! We have been busy trying to clean inside and outside along with going to the pool! Talk about being exhausted! This weekend hubby worked on finishing our down stairs bathroom, we are so close to being finished! Pictures soon! So while he was doing that I got to work in my office area, because it was a mess! I did not take pictures...and guess what...it is still a mess! If you are a stay at home mom, with more then 1 kid, and your house is always looking like it is never been lived it...can you message me your secret?!? While I was cleaning I found some things that made me ask...Why am I keeping this??? I found a bunch of baby boy clothes...and guess what my "baby boy" he is 7!!! SEVEN and after him 5 years later I had a girl!!! So why did I keep these...they all look new, and none of them are special outfits...just regular stuff you wear every day!! I could probably make a few bucks on these clothes selling them on Facebook, but instead I am washing them and giving them to a sweet friend of mine who is expecting a baby boy soon! I hope she gets rid of them once he grows out of them, and does not keep them for 7 years like I did! I also found a center piece and table cover from my daughter's baby shower! And since it would be wrong to use the pink at a boy baby shower I figured I would go ahead and list them on Facebook...Someone bought them for $1.50! You might be saying why didn't you just throw them away?? Well a few reasons...party decor is pretty expensive! They were used one time for a few hours...so they are in great condition ...and I could always use a few extra quarters! I mean have you seen the price of snacks at the pool?? If I want to get a special treat for the kids I need to have some extra $$ It was a win win for everyone! Its out of my house and instead I have some extra money in my pocket...while the person that bought them got a sweet deal! Is there anything in your house that you are keeping and don't know why??

DIY Baby Wipes

 Have you ever added up the cost of things you use after you have a baby? Its expensive! When my daughter turned a year we purchased a little potty for her...I immediately started to show her how mommy went potty, and encouraged her to also try and go in her new potty. I did not want to have to pay for diapers for another day if I could help it! Now that I look back I wished we had used cloth, but we did not...however we did use coupons ;) Saved us a few dollars! At about 16 months she became really interested and ready to use the potty, so guess what I did?? I became a mean mom as many might say...When she used her last diaper...THAT WAS IT...we did not run out and buy more...instead we purchased several packs of panties for her. For a week I did not go anywhere except to drop my son at school and pick him up....and we worked like crazy on using that potty! By the end of the week my little lady had mastered the potty, she was having very few accidents and would sleep through the night without wetting herself! I was so excited! We stopped buying wipes and realized she still needed those...so we continued to buy them again! Now I have decided it is time to "make" our own wipes! Which is so much cheaper AND we know what is in them! 

Things needed

1 Roll of Bounty (I used select a size)

Your favorite baby wash

2 Cups of warm Water

Lavender Oil from doTERRA

Fractionated Coconut Oil from doTERRA

Your 1st Step is to cut the roll of paper towels in half!

Your second Step is to mix the water (2 cups) with 

2 TBSP of the baby wash

2 TBSP of coconut oil

4-8 drops Lavender Oil

Once everything is mixed you set your half roll of paper towels in the mixture and let it get soaked up...I flipped mine over a few seconds later so both sides would get wet. Then pull the cardboard from the middle out....if the mixture seems to dry for you and a half cup more water...Then place the wipes in the container you plan on using. 


I used an old wipe box that we had laying around. Other people have used Tupperware. After I made the first batch I made a second one and ended up unrolling the paper towels before I soaked them, and made sure they were ready to be pulled like wipes and put them in a zip lock bag with the solution for when we are ready to use them!

*** We do not flush these down the toilet, we throw them in the trash

Silverware Drawer

One small space at a time, I plan to get my house organized and free of unnecessary clutter! I think I often forget to clean and organize the areas that are hidden, such as the silverware drawer! When I was putting clean dishes away I realized we have WAY to many of those little medicine measuring cups! When I checked our medicine I saw we only had 3 that needed the measuring cups! I had over TEN! I started with that, and threw out all but four, then I lifted the entire silverware container from the drawer. You see that ugly contact paper in the "Before" photo?? I have no idea how long it had been in the drawer...but it was ugly and looked gross! Out it came! I cleaned it down and started putting things back! I put the things we do not use often at the top of the organizer in the "empty" space and sorted the measuring items and things we use often into the free space in the organizer! It might not look like much of a change, but to me it feels like it is one step in the right direction! What drawer will you organize today?

Fruit and Veggie Bath

Do you give your fruits and veggies a bath?? I did not always used to do this...in fact this is the first time I really have! I know bad me! I usually just run everything under the water and call it good...Well now that we are trying to cut back on all the boxed food and add more fruits and veggies in I figured I better get on track with getting them as clean as I can! A few weeks back I saw THIS post over at the Casa de Familia Garcia blog and knew I had everything on hand to wash my fruits and veggies! 

So I filled up my sink with some warm water and added

1 Cup White Vinegar 

       4 drops of ***  Lemon DoTerra essential oils

That's it!

Let it sit for 10 minutes, and then you are finished! When I finished with my fruit and veggie bath I was kind of shocked at how dirty the water was! Never again will I just rinse them off and call it good! Hopefully you wont either!