Memories for Mother's Day

"The best gifts are not ones you buy, but the memories that you make."

This year we wanted to do something special for Mother's Day.

Gifts for Grandma and Grammy made by Hadley. 

Finger- paintings and a photo capturing her joy in those moments of creativity.

 Hadley loved the paint. 

She loved squishing it between her fingers and then patting it on her legs.

She would spread it around, and then wipe some more on herself.

This was probably her favorite thing we've ever done. 

It was all giggles, squeals, and paint... everywhere.

Ready to see the winner???

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Our sweet girl and those big blue eyes.

One finger-painting and photo framed for Grammy complete.

And for Grandma, one canvas finger-painting and framed photo.

Momma may have helped with this one. 

Just with some peel & stick letters.

This is without a doubt our favorite gift given. 

I will cherish the wonderful memories of this day.

And to all my Mom friends...

Happy Mother's Day!

the Green Lamp Story

I have been needing a new lamp for our guest room. I have been wanting a good green one.

This past weekend was a Do-It-Yourself/Honey-Do Saturday.

We {ok, Nick} finally got around to painting Hadley's dresser.

We stripped the table-top of our black office desk to stain the top, so our desk will look like this.

And we also went Goodwill hunting, which is where we picked up this saucy number....

Only $8.99?!


Okay, truth be told... I probably over-paid for Goodwill. But this will work perfectly.

{Drum roll, please}.......

One 80's Lamp-                   8.99
One can green spray paint- 3.00
Lamp Shade -                      Free {already had}
White Ribbon-                       .97 
Grand total of                   $11.97

And it looks like a million bucks! 

Or maybe just $50.


What do you think?


**Tip: To paint brass first slightly rough-up with some sand paper. Then spray {lightly} one layer... allow a few minutes to dry somewhat... repeat....and repeat...and.. well, you get the picture. This will allow the paint to coat evenly without running.




Feeling crafty,
Kaylee

Menu Printables 2 and 3

Here are two more!

Happy Planning!

Kaylee

Menu Printable

I need my menu to be on display. 

If I don't see it, I forget it.
And I forget it, then I forget to thaw it.

And if it's frozen, well then we're getting take-out for dinner... and that defeats the entire purpose of menu planning. 

You can find our weekly menu on side of the fridge; usually handwritten on a nice tacky piece of notebook paper with torn edges. This has worked well.

But now we're gettin' fancy.

My honey-bunny left his laptop at home this morning, so I whipped this up this little number on Publisher. 

{Click to Download and Print for yourself!}

After printing the menu I simply slid it into a clear sheet protector and wrote out my menu with a dry-erase pen. Next week we'll erase and start over.

Now. About yesterday's menu planning. Want to know how it went?

Monday- BBQ Sloppy Joe Sliders & Spinach Salad

Tuesday- Cajun Cabbage & Oven Frieds

Wednesday- Slow-cooker Chicken Thigh w/ Chili Corn, Brown Rice, & Broccoli

Thursday- Asian Turkey Meatballs w/ Lime Dipping Sauce & Bacon Beans

Friday- Mom's Tortilla Soup w/ Juanita's Chips & Caesar Salad

Saturday- Leftovers w/ Something Green

Sunday- Soup Sunday* {youth fundraiser}

Happy Tuesday!

Love,

Kaylee

Monday Menu Planning & Meatloaf Cupcakes

Hadley is down for an extremely early nap. Sweet little baby... this weekend wore her out!


So now I am sitting down to menu plan for this week because I neglected to do so before we left town last week. And, well.. the cupboards are bare.


Here is a household favorite we enjoyed last week...

Skinny Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting
Barely adapted from: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes


Meatloaf Cupcakes:

• 1.25 lb of 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 3 tbsp onion, minced
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs {We sometimes use oats}
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 egg
• 1tsp kosher salt

Mashed Potato Frosting:

• 1 lb (about 2-3 medium) gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 2 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 tbsp fat free chicken broth
• 1 tbsp almond milk {or regular}
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• kosher salt to taste
• dash fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme

::Preheat the oven to 350 degress, and line a muffin tine with foil. 

:: Peel and cube potatoes, then place with garlic in a large pot with a pinch of salt and enough water to cover. Bring to boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

::In a large bow, mix the turkey, zucchini, onoin, breadcrumbs, ketchup, egg, and salt. Use an ice-cream scoop to place the meatloaf mixture into the muffin tins. Flatten down the top of each cupcake with a fork. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from tins and place onto serving tray.

:: Drain and then return the potatoes and garlic to pot. Add sour cream and the remaining ingredients, and then mash until smooth. Season with salt & pepper. 

:: Pipe the potato frosting onto the meatloaf cupcakes and serve. {We usually pair these with green beans and steamed broccoli}

Yum!

Servings- 6

Serving Size- 2 Cupcakes

WW Points+ - 6 pts per serving

Love,
Kaylee

I'm on a Purging Kick

I'm on a purging kick.

Keep it. Chuck it. Donate it. This is how I "Spring Clean".

This past weekend we took on the mother-load... the garage. My allergies took a beating as we rummaged through each box of holiday decor, old files, and childhood memoirs.  We also categorized the items in each box or tub using the Emily Barnes system.

Two of my favorite finds:

My father-in-law's high-school football jersey.
To this day if you visit his high-school there are still trophies encased with his name on display.

The calling card I used to called my husband while in Cancun for my older sister's wedding. As newlyweds on a tight budget, this was the only memento I could afford to bring home.  

Since today is a rainy spring day, we're inside tackling the linen closet, the coat closet, and my shoe collection. {I may be a closet shoe hoarder}

Before I start that, in memory of last weeks sunshine...
{Click images to enlarge}

Prancing around the park

Found her shadow

Found a puppy

Found a green box

Found a water fountain 

Found a swing!

Happy Thursday!

-Kaylee

Cleaning Revamp & Printable

The past few weeks have been crazy-busy, but I did manage the time to revamp my cleaning schedules! I wanted them to be pretty enough to hang on the fridge and bright enough to jump out at me. In reality, not everything is accomplished every single day... but at least I have a goal! 


So many of you commented on the last two I made that I decided this time to create blank copies for you to print and customize. Click on on each to expand to full page format. 

Happy Tuesday!