valentines day!

so my valentines day was CRAZY! filled with lots of running around, carpooling, class parties, last minute valentine buying, last minute valentines dinner planning... you get the picture;)

noah ended up wanting to hand out conversation hearts, so i did some googling and found this cute game  to go along with them from simply the sweet life magazine! i just printed this cute pic and the directions and stapled it to a ziploc with the candy conversation hearts. i did a ziploc full vs. a box because the boxes didn't seem to have very many candies.

and of course a little chocolate for the teachers... i LOVE chocolate, so i just assume everyone does...

here is noah's 1st grade class party. i am one of three room parents and was in charge of games for this party. here are the KIDS VALENTINE PARTY GAMES i came up with!

a RELAY RACE, which consisted of...

1. The Heart Dart- holding a heart-shaped pillow between their knees while getting themselves to the end and back.

2. Blow Me A Kiss- using a straw the kids blow a balloon (i used hearts, polka dots and kissy lips) to the end and run back (this one was a little harder)

3. Lily-Heart Hop- the kids take two large heart shaped outs (i used red paper from those rolls of paper @ the school), and pretending the floor is untouchable, use them to cross the end mark and run back. they basically place one of the floor, hop onto it, and then move the one the had been standing onto the floor in front of them and continue like so- like leap frog- until they reach the end.

and valentine bingo found here @ confetti sunshine. here are the printables.

and if anyone was wondering what RAOK in honor of my friend's birthday, here it is...

loaded up with hot cocoa from seven eleven (it's good stuff, don't believe me? go try it!) and by my house there is a lot of road work going on...it was snowing...and we handed out the cocoa to the workers! it was awesome!! the kids loved handing it out, and the workers were completely excited!!!!! i want to do this everyday!!!!!!! 

love my hubby. 

love my kids. 

love being kind.

love life.

hope you had a happy valentines day!!

valentines day surprise...

so have you ever sold something on craigslist or the equivalent?! (in utah we use ksl.com classifieds) i absolutely love it! it's a great way to get a good deal, or make a little money instead of just taking stuff to di or goodwill (which is great too:). anywho...sold something this morning... and the guy gave me a flower too! for valentines day! how sweet is that!?!?

this RAOK, aka random act of kindness, reminded me of what we are doing for my gal friend's bday tomorrow! for her gift she asked us to each do some random act of kindness, inspired by this women. it's pretty cool. and there couldn't be a better day to do it then valentines day. 

so go out there and spread the love whoever reads this!! choose to make today a...

happy valentines day!!!

cheater valentines:)

i didn't have very much time to spend on cute, creative valentines this year so i'm glad target helped me out!
Milly's class party is today so this is what she took for her classmates...a little cute play-doh! ( i love candy alternatives, trying to cut back on the sugar consumption if you remember;)

and a little somethin' for those oh-so patient, awesome teachers!

 and i'll post a little later what noah takes for his class!

no heat curls - shauna reed style

ok... so saw this technique and thought i would give it a try. ya know, try something new! and it was so easy to do, and went right along with my schedule! i used a black, stretchy headband (like one you use to hold back bangs for exercising or sports). you can get a pack of them at walmart for cheap! but any stretchy-type headband will work! just use her method from the video below...

and wha-lah! beautiful, soft waavess!!

what do ya think? try it out and let me know how it works for you!! here is the link and her video to teach you how... no heat curls - shauna reed style

new years resolutions...

one of my new years resolutions is to eat greener...
i have switched to fresh milk from Winder Farms...possibly going organic raw?!

i will eat meat 'sparingly'. make more meat-less meals, and when i do prepare meat, it will be from natural, humanely-treated, pasture raised, local christiansen's family farm.

MORE fruits and especially VEGETABLES!! i get a weekly basket of fresh, semi-local fruits and veggies from bountiful baskets. you should check out if there are any locations near you!

i've gotten great green ideas from my green diet.

and plan to make a lot of green smoothies with my new blendtec blender from costco!!

(my kids loved the spinach ice cream! yes, i said spinach ice cream!) but that's not all this baby can do, check it:

almond, coconut and soy milk

peanut butter

soup

batter

grind wheat and other grains and legumes

knead bread dough

smoothies

whole juices- like carrot and vegetable

ice cream 

and more!!

i am going to cut back on refined sugar and flour, and use more natural sweeteners - honey, agave, molasses, and pure maple syrup. and more whole grain!

gonna start puttin' my nutrimill  to work grinding fresh whole grain flour!

and i am going to try and make more from scratch. less buying convenience foods and fast food. i already do make some, but i am going to step it up and make MORE!!  so my bosch universal mixer is gonna get more use!

and i'm gonna take my vitamins!:) if i can remember! my kids are good reminders, they are always ready for those tasty little gummies! health, here i come!

random photography and fun with hipstagram

here is a look into my day... while i play with hipstagram on my phone:) if you don't have this app, download it! but be careful, it's addicting. instagram is another favorite that I highly recommend!!

knitting for kids

knitting is so fun and soothing during the winter when you are cooped up inside, and recently my 5 and 6 year olds have asked me to teach them to knit. and while i think it may be too frustrating to teach them knitting with actual knitting needles, i found this alternative...finger knitting! and this super great tutorial on youtube. my kids are working on bracelets and scarves right now:) i'll post some pics when they have finished their creations! hope you are having a happy winter day!

lasagna soup...

tonight i am making this for some friends who recently were in the hospital. it is soooooo yummy. one of my favorite recipes...i found this lasagna soup recipe @ a farmgirls dabbles + my modifications. here it is:

Lasagna Soup
(print recipe)

for the soup:

2 tsp. olive oil

1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage

3 c. chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes----(i omitted this)
2 T. tomato paste----(you can use tomato sauce as well, just use a little more)
1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes----(i used regular diced tomatoes)

2 bay leaves

6 c. chicken stock ----(i used 8 cups)
8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta----(can use broken up lasagna noodles)

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

And...if you have the desire to make some yummy artisan bread to go with it, I HIGHLY recommend this book...

artisan bread in five minutes a day. i made the herb variation of the boule recipe to go with this soup and it was fantastic! so so good!!

best coffee cake. ever.

found this recipe on the pioneer woman. it is absolutely heavenly!  what was intended for breakfasts, my family gobbled up in one day for breakfast, lunch and dinner! ps this makes A LOT!

The Best Coffee Cake. Ever.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Scant Sugar
• 3 cups Flour, Sifted
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-¼ cup Whole Milk
• 3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Flour
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• 1-½ cup Pecans, Chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm—delicious!

new red coat...

so for christmas i asked for a red coat. and coats are hard to find for me. i am petite and have narrow shoulders and freakishly short arms... so to find a coat that fits me well and doesn't look bulky is a challenge. but then, one night while i was watching one of my favorite shows, 'parks and recreation' on nbc, leslie knope was wearing one of the most fabulous red coats i have ever seen!

you can watch the full episode here
Smallest Park

anywho...so i immediately googled 'leslie knope red coat' and discovered this red coat was within my reach... and it came in petite... and was on sale!! thank you j.crew. you are my friend:)

it's called the double-cloth metro coat in vibrant flame. i noticed leslie also rocks the hthr majestic purple in the episode 

 The Comeback Kid

 love it!!

the sweet life...

my sweet little baby hayley is six weeks old today... i can't hardly believe it

my kids are truly what make it the sweet life... even if they can be little crazies sometimes;)\

that is what chocolate is for right?!

here is hannah's little puppy. she got him all set up for din din. 

just thought i'd share that, it is just so sweet! btw, these pics were all taken with my iphone using instagram! it is the funnest little app! you should try it:)

after holiday cleanup

the tree is down, the decorations put away...now what?! clean up... argg.

can't say I love the idea, but also can't say I hate it. it is necessary, and will try and get through as much as possible during nap time. even my baby is snoozing. it's like my house is saying,
"there's no excuse now... no, no playing scrabble on your iPhone...CLEAN ME!"

heavy, resigned sigh, "ok" i say.

here goes folks, i'm diving in!!

happy tree

christmas was wonderful! here was my december...

listening to christmas music on the radio
decorating the tree and house
yummy aromas from baking cookies and handing out goodies to friends
christmas shopping with my hubby
no school:)
the christmas devotional
gingerbread houses
parties and silly white elephant gifts
taking a trolley to see the holiday lights
wrapping presents for under the tree
leaving the chores undone
eating fudge...lots of fudge:)
watching netflix
playing wii with my 6yr old
reading the story of our savior's birth from the bible
martinellis
celebrating the new year with loved ones
snuggling my sweet little baby
not worrying about a thing
absolutely no traveling:)

hope your holiday season was wonderful too!

peppermint cocoa...

it is offically freezing here... highs in the mid-30's?! brrr

i've already downed two cups of YUMMY peppermint cocoa...

with REAL whipped cream...

here is my recipe...

homemade whipped cream

1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup white sugar

whip all ingredients in a chilled bowl for about 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form. don't over mix or it starts to curtle like butter. you can adjust the sweetness with more or less sugar. yummers.