Sock Bouquet

My father is super difficult to buy stuff for.  To make matters worse, his birthday is the same week as Father's Day, so I have to come up with 2 gifts.

He does have a thing for argyle socks-but that's a pretty lame gift for the man that's responsible for my very presence on the planet. 
 I saw cute sock bouquets on How Does She, and thought it might make my super lame gift a little better. 
If I had planned ahead, I could have even added leaves and had my kids write things they loved about him on each one, but I didn't.

What did you give your father this year?


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Will Link for fun #46

I think it was 105 here today-that's too hot to even go to the pool. Much too hot to do much else but work on projects.  Here's some fabulous ideas that were linked up last week:

Most Viewed link:
Upcycled Shirt Dresses

Mushroom Stool (too cute)

Patriotic Skirt

Stromboli



Now it's your turn.

Anthro Crop Shirt-AGAIN

 I think this is the 5th crop shirt I've sewn for my daughter, but I just can't help myself.  I can make her a cute original shirt for less than a yard of fabric and be done in under an hour.

The back is my favorite part.

Pleated Back Crop Shirt 

Crop shirt w/ exposed zipper

30 minute Crop shirt


Sheer Crop Shirt

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here. 

Pinterest taste test: Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you put 2 awesome things together, you expect that their original awesomeness will exponential explode into ultimate awesomeness.  Sometimes it does-like peanut butter cups.  Other times the awesomeness somehow cancels each other out -like when too beautiful celebrities have really homely children.

My very favorite treat in the world is a chocolate chip cookie.  My favorite store bought cookie is an Oreo. People all over Pinterest are baking Oreo's inside of chocolate-chip cookies and my daughter was dying to give it a try. 

They weren't disgusting, but I don't think I will make them again either.  They are just something that sounds better than they taste.  I think they might be better without the frosting.  It adds a weird over-processed food taste.  

Final Verdict: Good, but Oreo's and Chocolate Chip cookies are better separate (although i did eat 4).

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

White-bean and Sweet Potato Burger

I decided pick June for my 30-day Vegetarian Challenge b/c I knew my hubby would be gone for most of it.  Since I don't cook a lot while my hubby is gone, my plan kinda back-fired and there have been way too many cold cereal and frozen pizza dinners.  He's back, and so I am cooking again.

I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Veggie burgers and thought I'd give them a test run.


I used salt, pepper, 1tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder for the spices.  


My burger mixture had the consistency of mashed potatoes and so I ended up using quite a bit more oil than I wanted. Next time, I think I will make them more as "nuggets" than patties.  


All 5 of us ate them (my kids will eat anything fried), so I declare it a success.  Most of us just ate them plain and not on a bun.  The kids dipped them in ranch, or BBQ sauce.  I just topped mine with plain avocado.  I think  they would be awesome with my mango-avocado salsa.



To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

Will Craft for Fun #46

So while, I've been super busy driving my kids around to all their summer activities, you've been busy making wonderful crafty things.  Here are some of last week's favorites.


Raegun Ramblings-Taggie Blanket (she used ribbons from the parent's wedding-genius)



Snickety Things-This has been on my to-do list forever.  I'm afraid that if I start taking decent photographs, you will all think you have the wrong blog and you'll leave.

And last week's most viewed link:
Dip Dyed Hair
(am I too old to pull this off, b/c I think it is super fun)


Now it's your turn.

Downton Abbey Blessing Dress

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?  I would watch it for the clothes alone. As I watch, I am torn between the thoughts:

"Why don't we dress like that?"

and

"Gee these sweatpants are super comfy".

I really wanted to sew something inspired by the show, but since we don't exactly "dress" for dinner around here, I don't have a lot of opportunity to wear a lot of silk and lace.

One of my goals this summer is work on my neglected Etsy store.  What do you think of my Downton Blessing Dress and bonnet set?

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

Will Craft for Fun #45

Happy Tuesday night everyone!  

I thoroughly enjoy looking through all your posts this week. Here are some of my favorites from last week:

Beach Cupcakes


Coach gifts

Frozen PB Pie

Now it's your turn to link-up-see you on your blogs:)

Allowance Jars

In my never-ending and not so successful quest to be more organized, I am trying to set up a mommy-command station.  I'm not ready for the big reveal, but here is my kid's Allowance Jars.  I was inspired by  Nefotlak's hair station. (her pic is way cuter than mine)

I painted a piece of scrap wood green, covered it w/ glaze like my Kitchen Island.  I  sprayed some old knobs white, and screwed them into the wood. The I used some wire to attach  old jars to the board.  Finally I cut out "1, 2, 3" out of vinyl.

I also saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it was genuis:  The idea is that you print out  a pic off what you're saving for.  I plan on doing this w/ the kids.

Source?

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

Zucchini Boats

Do you have a ton of zucchini from your garden yet?  I  adapted this  recipe to make zucchini boats.

Slice the zucchini in half (they were from my garden and so I sliced a few in 1/4ths  because they were so big). The original recipe scooped out all the seeds, but it was a lot of work to grow those babies and I didn't want to waste any. Baste with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place on boats.  Sprinkle the entire thing w/ Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake @350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and chopped fresh basil and oregano. Place under the broiler for 2-5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

I thought they were really yummy.

I am a week into my 30-day vegetarian challenge.  It isn't hard for me to not eat meat, but it has just been a crazy busy week and I haven't made the most healthy dinning choices.  Monday I had a milk shake and Tuesday I had chocolate chip cookies.

To see where I link up or to add your party, please click here.

Mom I'm hungry. What Can I Eat?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If your kids are like mine, they are always hungry and it is a constant battle to help them make healthy snack choices.  Next time I hear, "Mom, I'm hungry", I'm going to hand them a  Quaker Soft Baked Bar.
Don't tell my kids, but each Quaker Soft Baked Bar is not just tasty, but is wholesome food.
Each bar contains:
*140 calories
*5 g of fiber
*6 g of protein
*excellent source of 5 B-vitamins.
That's a lot of nutrition packed into one little bar.

You have the choice of two great flavors-Banana Nut Bread
or Cinnamon Pecan Bread

These bars are great when you are on the go.  However if you want a special breakfast snack,pop one of them in the microwave for a few seconds and you'll feel like you're eating something straight from the bakery.  I think my family would chose the Babana Nut bread, because we love the taste of freshly baked banana bread.
I think these bars would be great for my kids to eat when they get home from practice and are starving.  It's so much better for them then a cookie or a bowl of ice cream and super easy for me.
So who in your family is always in need of a snack?  Have you tried a  Quaker Soft Baked Bar yet?

Will Craft for Fun #44

This week I picked my features based on things I need.  

I need more cute magnets. Crafty In Crosby

I need to live on a tropical island and have a bed on the roof.

The Space Between

I really need this by my driveway. Adorable. 

 2Crafty4myskirt

Most viewed link were these teacher appreciation ideas (she made her kid's teachers entire scrapbooks).

Teacher Appreciation Gifts by Preparedness with Megs



<center><a href="http://trophyw.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src=" http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h480/trophyw/NEWFEATURED.jpg "/></a></center>


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Can you Divorce Proof Your Marriage?

  

Until lately most of our friends have been happily married, but now there are divorces all over the place. In most cases, the marriages are not ending for any drastic reason (infidelity, abuse, addictions), but mostly b/c they just got sick of being married.  After sharing a decade or two together, they simply couldn't stand the idea of being together any longer.

I got married 16 years ago today.We still really like each other and divorce seems like such a hassle, so I've been  trying to think of ways to divorce-proof our marriage.  Our marriage has faced different threats at different points.  Currently, we are the super-busy parents of teens and tweens and the following list reflects our present challenges.  I'm no expert, but with the help of Pinterest, here's some ideas:

1.PUCKER UP -Kiss passionately for at least 15 seconds EVERY day.  I am deeply and passionately in love w/ my husband but there are busy days when we merely pass each other in the drive-way as we are chauffeuring kids around. More often than I'd like, we will have several busy days in a row. We are not just friends, roommates, or co-parents and I think we need to act like it.  Declare "15 seconds" and lay one on him (I bet there will be no complaints if you go over your daily quota either). Kissing also has the wonderful side effect of  making all the kids disappear. 


2. PRAY - Pray together and for each other.   I feel closer to him when I pray for him and we pray together regularly. We stink at consistently doing  this, but are making a greater effort. We are pretty good w/ family prayers and it seems I always am praying over some struggle the kids have, but that's not enough.

Source

3. BE A WIFE FIRST AND MOM SECOND-  This is controversial and I think it goes against our maternal instincts not to meet our children's every want and need.  I'm not suggesting that you neglect your kids, but your marriage should be your first priority. After all, if you're doing your job right the kids will eventually leave and you will be stuck with each other.

4. UNITED FRONT- If we completely screw our kids up, at least they can blame us both equally.  I am naturally more lenient and my husband is more strict, but we try and make at least the big decisions together (and out of earshot of the kids).

 It's not fair if one parent always has to be the bad guy or for you to do anything that undermines your spouse's authority or relationship with the kids.  I'm a problem solver and I always want immediate solutions.  There are certain situations where I think it's better to say, "Your father and I will discuss this and get back to you".  (my kids don't readily accept this answer and yours probably won't either) It's great, b/c I don't just say the first thing that pops in my head. I need his wisdom and perspective. Also, we can work out any difference of opinions before and present a united front to the kiddos.

4. DATE- Make sure you have alone time!  I love being a mother and hanging out w/ my kids, but it doesn't make me feel sexy. 

source

When our kids were younger, they'd be asleep by 8:00 and so we'd have lots of time together every night.  Now we have teenagers and they stay up later than us.
On the upside,  now that the kids are old enough to be left alone, we get to go on actual dates without having to hire a babysitter. But raising teenagers is exhausting and we don't always have the energy to  actually go somewhere.  On those nights, we say family prayers, kiss everyone good night and inform them that it's Mommy-Daddy time and unless it's an emergency, they better leave us alone so we can stay happily married.  My son questioned this practice the other night, and said "So you mean if you two don't watch "House" together, you'll get divorced?"  I told him we didn't want to risk it and to go to his room and read a book.
If you looking for something other than clearing out your DVR, Dating Divas is a fun site with great ideas.

true story-amazing I ever got married

6.  FLIRT- I am not naturally flirty, but I sure love it when he flirts w/ me, so I try and make an effort.  

                                            source

7. HE'S # 1-Girlfriends, sisters, and mothers are awesome, but he should be the first person you share your trials and triumphs with.  The scriptures tell us to "cleave" and you should save the best parts of yourself for him. 

source: Kristina Buskirk

8.ADORE-Look for little ways to show him that he's #1. My friend Kirstin is doing a special thing for her husband each day for the 40 days leading up to his 40th b-day. She was telling me how fun it has been and how much it has improved how she feels about him. Isn't that a great idea?

9. SPEAK-UP-May be we aren't "truly married" because after 16 years of marriage, my husband can not read my mind, even on those occasions when I think it should be super obvious.  I've spent hours being mad and frustrated when he refuses to guess what I want him to do. I suspect that until we are able to communicate telepathically, it is just easier to open my mouth and tell him what I want him to do.

Don't just tell him the bad stuff.  Tell him that you think he's a good Dad and husband.  Tell him how much you appreciate all the things he does (especially the big stuff).  Tell him you find him incredibly sexy.  Don't just assume he knows how you feel about him. 

10.  READ: Marriage is for losers. I love this article, the author talks about how marriage is not about winning or being right, but about loving, serving and forgiving.



  I looking forward to the next 16 years of marital bliss.What other marriage tips have you got?

UPDATE:  The post has spurred a lot of conversations with people, and it made me think of  something else to add the the list.

DREAM:  I think many people feel that when you meet the "Man of your Dreams", you must abandon all other dreams. This will lead to you feeling trapped and unfulfilled.
Dreams may need some editing or may need a longer time-frame to achieve,  but as long as you can afford it, it's legal, and won't endanger your most important dream of being a happy family- go for it.  You should try your best to discover what your spouse's dreams are and then do everything in your power to encourage and support those dreams. Wouldn't you rather be the one that helps all his dreams come true, instead of the obstacle that is standing in the way of his dreams?




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