Pajama pants for the boy!

So, I went through Preston's dresser drawers this week...

and discovered that he still had a bunch of 18 month clothes in there (oops)...

and that for some reason I have a bunch of 3T pajamas but only a few size 2T!!!!

Must have skipped getting 2T's on my shopping trips.

 

 

I went to my box of "I know these old shirts will be good for something" shirts and got to work!

 

 

I used the pajama pants pattern out of my "Sew Liberated" sewing book.

It's a quick and simple one that I've used quite a bit.

 

 

 

In about 20 minutes I had 2 new pairs of jammie pants for my boy!

 

 

 

I love the stripes!

 

There is a matching shirt pattern too in the book, but one men's shirt isn't enough to make both pants and a shirt.

So, we'll just use a t-shirt to go with them!

 

One thing I always do when I make pants for my kids is to add a little tag of ribbon in the back.

It helps them figure out which is the back and encourages independent dressing!



Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This one was GOOD.

We gobbled it up and there wasn't much leftover!

 

 

Peighton told me it tasted like apple crisp and I'd have to agree!

She often eats like a bird....but she ate two bowls of this!!!!

What a great breakfast to have before I sent her off to Kindergarten.

 

 

Since I made it on a school morning, I combined the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients the night before in seperate containers.

Then I just had to dump it all together in the morning and throw it in the oven.

And since it only bakes for about 20 minutes it was a pretty quick breakfast to throw together.

 

I like that there are lots of chopped apples in it as well as applesauce.

We didn't add any additional toppings but we did discuss what other fruits we'd use for next time!
Bananas, blueberries and pears were on our list!

 

 

 

APPLE CINNAMON BAKED OATMEAL

Recipe from: Here

 

2 cups old fashioned oats-not quick oats!

¼ cup light brown sugar

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups skim milk

½ cup applesauce

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

Optional Toppings:

brown sugar

raisins

dried cranberries

chopped almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, egg whites and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in diced apples. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and serve warm. Add additional toppings to baked oatmeal, if desired.



Quick and EASY baby toy!

I saw THIS tutorial on Pinterest and knew it would be a quick and easy project and even use up some cute scraps!

 

It was almost too easy-why haven't I done this before!?

 

 

I think I made about 12 of them during the twins short morning nap.

Preston helped me pick out the ribbons and stuff them.

He thought he was such a big boy-usually it's only Peighton that gets to help!

 

 

By the time they woke up they had a few new toys to play with.

They are super easy to hold and good to chew on.

 

 

They are chubby baby hands approved!

 

 

Preston decided to play catch with them, which was ok because it didn't hurt the babies when he threw it too close to them!
Love it when I make something they can all use!

 

 

I also made a pile of hawkeye ones.

A few for gifts and I think a few will make their way to The Itsy Bitsy!

 



Chalk this one up as "Best Day Ever" for Preston

Preston got "the call" this morning.

Grandpa, (Otherwise known as Ba-Pa) needed him to ride in the combine with him.

 

 

Preston has been waiting and waiting and waiting.

He's been practicing with his toy combine so he'd be ready when the time came.

 

He climbed right up and got in his seat.
I've always ridden with him before but it was obvious this time that there was no "woom" for mommy!

He had his drink and snack and his Grandpa by his side.

 

 

 

 

He looked so big sitting in his own seat!!!!

 

I think he was watching the wagon go by here.

 

 

 

I KNOW he was paying close attention every time they unloaded on the go!

He likes to watch the corn fill up the back window and then see it dump into the wagon.

 

 

 

I hung around for awhile and took a few pictures.

 

But I got a little bored....

 

I have a nifty little screen on my camera that flips out so I can take my own picture...

So I did.

I sat on the side of the gravel road for awhile and tried to keep the dust out of my eyes while I took pictures.

Then after an hour of taking pictures and playing on Facebook and Pinterest I decided to go back to the office.

It was clear Preston was not taking a short ride.

 

 

I finally went back to get him about lunch time.

One happy little boy got out of the combine and we went to have "wunch" with "ma-maw."

 

 

Best. Day. Ever. for my little guy!

 



Happy Scrappy MoNsTeRs!

 

 

 

 

 

I just love these little guys!

 

I had a request from the Itsy Bitsy to make a few more Scrappy Monsters.

 

I was more than happy to do it because it uses my most favorite supply:

 

 

SCRAPS!!!!!

 

 

They are so easy to cut out...I may have gotten a little carried away and made a few more than I intended to!
Oh well.

They are cute and I did make a dent in my scrap box!



My Adorable Front Porch

 

Preston and I picked up a "Punk-O" (pumpkin) this morning and he couldn't wait to put it on the porch!

 

I love how cute our porch turned out!

 

We made what my mom calls "Corn Shocks" last weekend with my parents and tied them to the pillars.

I had no idea there was a name for the corn stalks tied to my porch.

According to my mom, they are Corn Shocks.

 

Along with my wreath, mums, and "punk-o" I think it's adorable.

Can't wait to take some pictures of both the kids on the porch before it gets too cold!



My first attempt at Crockpot Freezer meals!

I have seen these meals all over Pinterest lately and it looks like such a great idea!

I decided to try it out and see how it worked for us.

 

I don't really need lots of "meals in one" because I'm home at least part of the day and have time to prepare a side of vegetables or a salad or something to go with them.

 

I also don't like mushy vegetables...so to have the veggies frozen and then get cooked all day is not very appealing to me!

 

So most of my recipes are "main dish" recipes.

 

I really thought this would take a ton of time....like all day.

I was so wrong!

 

Preston and I went to the "Hy-Bee" after Peighton got on the bus and came straight home and got to work.

Including the shopping and clean up (putting everything in the dishwasher)  it was maybe a 2 1/2  hour process.

And that was even WITH changing a poopy diaper, getting a snack for Preston and cleaning up a mess he made!!!!!!

 

I was surprised at how quick these came together.

As long as they are good when we eat them I think I'll be doing this again!

 

I am looking forward to using these on our busy nights of the week.

 

Most of my ingredients ready to go!

 

I also bought a big bag of dried beans for Preston to play with.

He LOVES to fill his wagons with beans and bulldoze them!



He was very excited to play with the beans....

 

 

We played a little "stack the cans" while I was prepping the ingredients too!





First, I labeled all my bags.
I was afraid with all the different recipes I would for sure get distracted and have the wrong ingredients in one of the bags!
And it's also easier to write on the bags when they are laying on the counter!

I wrote the name of the recipe, the date and if anything needed to be added when I dump it in the crock pot.

I mixed up all the sauces first and left all the meat in the fridge until this was done.
I really didn't know how long it would take and I didn't want meat sitting on my counter!

 

 

I ended up making 9 recipes.

I thought this was a plenty for my first time.

 

Here are the recipes I used:

 

 

CHICKEN WITH APPLESAUCE

 

4 chicken breasts

salt to taste

pepper to taste

4-5 T olive oil

2 cups applesauce

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 t poultry seasoning

2 t honey

1/2 t lemon juice

 

Combine all and pour over chicken.

Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours.

Serve over rice or noodles.

 

 

CRANBERRY CHICKEN

 

4 chicken  breasts

16 oz can whole cranberry sauce

8 oz bottle Russian dressing

 1 pkg dry onion soup mix

 

Combine all and pour over chicken.

Cook 4-6 hours on low until chicken is done.

Serve over rice or noodles.

 

 

EASY MEATBALLS

 

1 pkg frozen meatballs

16 oz jar BBQ sauce

16 oz jar apricot jam

Combine all and pour over meatballs.

Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Works well as an appetizer or as a main dish over rice.

 

 

 

ITALIAN MEATBALL SUBS

 

1 pkg frozen meatballs

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup beef broth

1/3 cup water

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 t oregano

1 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 t sugar

 

 

Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs.

Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Serve on rolls, top with mozarella cheese!

 

 

 

 

PIZZA BURGERS

 

1 lb ground beef, cooked

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

8 oz pizza sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup (Add when you put in slow cooker)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Combine all and pour over ground beef.

(I will add the soup when I am ready to cook this one.)

 

Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Serve on buns.

 

 

ONE POT EASY CHICKEN

6-8 potatoes, quartered (add when ready to cook)

1-2 large onions, chopped

1 bag carrots, chopped

4 chicken breasts

1 t pepper

1 T cloves

1 T garlic salt

1 T fresh oregano

1 t rosemary

1/2 cup lemon juice

 

Combine all except potatoes-add those when ready to cook.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is done.

 

 

GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1 T Worchestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t dry mustard

1/2 t pepper

 

Combine all and pour over chicken.

Cook on low 4-6 hours or until chicken is done.

 

Can shred this and put in tortillas.

 

 

CREAMY CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

 

1 can cream of mushroom soup (Add when ready to cook)

4 chicken breasts

1 bag chopped carrots

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Combine all and pour over chicken.

(Add the soup when ready to cook.)

 

Cook on low 5-6 hours or until chicken is done.

 

 

DIVINE CHICKEN
4 chicken breasts

1 bag carrots, chopped

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken (add when ready to cook)

1 cup milk (add when ready to cook)

 

Combine chicken and vegetables.

Add the soup and milk when ready to cook.

 

Cook on low 4-6 hours or until chicken is done.

 

 

 

I did NOT double any of these because quite honestly, if it's bad I don't want to eat it twice!!!!!
I think after we find some that we like I will be doubling them because it would be super easy to make 2 bags instead of just one!


I really didn't even use that many dishes so clean up was pretty quick!

 

I reused my glass bowl for each sauce recipe.

None of the raw meat went into the bowl so I just kept rinsing it out and reusing it!

 

 

I love that I have lots of meals to choose from on busy weeknights!

I think I am most looking forward to the cranberry chicken one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Peighton's new favorite dress

I don't know why I haven't made a dress like this before!

From start to finish I think it took me 10 minutes.

And now she doesn't want to take it off!

I took a T-shirt from Target and cut 4 inches off the bottom.

Then, I added a skirt to the bottom and a cute little fabric flower.

And she told me "That's awesome mommy!" :-)

Preston thought he should be in the picture too....although it looks like he is modeling his socks in this picture because that's all he would put on!

I am sure there will be lots more dresses like this one in the future!

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix!

We love Snickerdoodle cookies...and this chex mix tastes A LOT like em!

 

 

 

I got the inspiration for this from make it love it but then realized the recipe is on the box of Cinnamon chex too!

 

 

I used the whole box of Cinnamon chex and no popcorn because I was making it for the next day and figured the popcorn would get all chewy and gross.

 

Preston really liked helping.

He is quite good at the stirring part!

 

 

 

I think it would be super yummy on popcorn too though and will be trying that another time!

 

 

 

Here is the recipe:

 

 

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix

8 cups popped popcorn

4 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal (Or no popcorn and a whole box of chex!)

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

nuts of any kind (optional)

Melt the butter.

Pour it over the cereal and gently stir.

Sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon.

Gently stir again.

Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.

Then another 30 seconds and stir again.

 

Spread it onto wax paper and let cool.

 

 

 

It's really good.

I should have made 2 batches of it but I only bought one box of Chex!!!!!

Toddler "Squish Bags"

I love making stuff for my kids.

It's just fun to see thier faces light up!

 

I read on Pinterest about putting cheap hair gel and random objects into ziploc bags for toddlers to explore.

 

 

 

I knew Preston would LOVE this one.

 

 

I went to the Dollar General and grabbed some super cheap hair gel and found some critters in their halloween section too!

 

 

Oh my, did he ever enjoy this one!

 

We squished it and squished it and squished it!

 

And we talked about the colors and the "Swiiiiii-my" (slimy) bugs in there and we counted them and then he pretended that they were biting him and giggled hysterically!

 

We definately enjoyed this and I know I'm going to be

 looking for other fun things to put in our next bags!



Reusable Snack Bags

Once again my box of scraps is out of control.

 

I think it multiplies when I shut the light off.

 

A few months ago I  made Peighton and Preston a couple of reusable snack bags.

I thought they were cute but did not know just how much we would actually use them!!!!

 

I made Preston's out of some leftover John Deere fabric.

He likes his "Dactor Nacks" (Tractor snacks) packed whenever we go anywhere.

To the grocery store, grandma's house, church, target, the mall...doesn't matter where we're going he NEEDS his "dactor nacks!"

I made another one for his little cousin this summer when we went to the dells and I've heard that he likes it just as much as Preston!

 

 

 

So, when my scrap box started to overflow last week I decided to whip up a bunch of snack bags to take to the Itsy Bitsy!

I took a few in awhile back and they have sold out of them.

I think a lot of mommies might be sending these in lunches with thier kiddos!

 

 

Peighton loves the Hello Kitty one!

It matches some jammie pants I made her a few weeks ago!

 

These are just a few more!

I even found some hawkeye fabric and made a few hawkeye bags!

 

 

They are super simple to make and there are a million tutorials out there on how to make them.

It's a couple of squares with some velcro in it-google it if you want to make some!

None of mine are the same size because I just cut squares out of whatever I have.

 

I love a quick and easy project that is cute and useful too!

Homemade Goldfish are AWESOME!!!!

We made our own goldfish crackers.

And they ROCKED.

Technically, they were not in a fish shape....which Peighton disliked and told me I really needed to find a fish cutter.

But I was able to use some of my mini cookie cutters that I rarely use because they are just too small to frost when we make cookies out of them!

So, we had hearts, starts and butterfly crackers.

 

And they were SO GOOD.

The kids and I ate a bunch of them as soon as they cooled just a bit.

I found the recipe HERE.

Homemade Goldfish

8 ounces,Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes

1 cup Flour

¾ teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand.
Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. You can use a toothpick to make the eyes and smile if desired. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.
Makes approximately 7 dozen crackers.

I had to bake mine a bit longer but I think my shapes were bigger than in the original recipe.
We also found that rolling them SUPER thin made a really yummy, crispy cracker!

Seriously SO GOOD.

I do wonder how long they will last though since they don't have the preservatives of the store-bought ones...although I don't think they'll stick around that long!

I think these would be such a fun snack to make for a birthday party!
I'm thinking some crackers in the shape of "6's" may be in my future!!!!!!



Princess Peighton and Princess Nellie

Peighton had such a great summer.
One of her favorite parts was taking a little trip with grandma Deb.
 

Princess Peighton and Princess Nellie went to an adorable little shop in Pella that has American Girl stuff!

I am super jealous that I didn't get to go!

Nellie now has her own tiara...and glittery shoes....and wand.

And Preston got a cute little dog that his Great Grandma Carol made him!

He's nice and soft and makes a great wrestling partner.

Preston's favorite part is the tongue!!!!!



Super cute Carseats!

I made a couple of car seat covers over the weekend!

 

And they are cute.

 

 

Katy brought me some gently used carseats she had bought from a friend.
They are in great shape...but they are pink leopard print!

Which would be OK for Hayden but we cannot put Lane in pink leopard!!!!!!

 

 

I used my infant car seat pattern but just made it a little wider and longer and it worked great.

 

Katy and I had a fun day of shopping picking out some cute fabrics.

She wanted something dark because these will be in Mike's (dirty) truck.

 

 

 

 

The black minky fabric in the middle is super cute and dark but it was almost impossible to mark on for my holes!

I tried every fabric marking pen I had and even bought a few more I thought would work.

NOTHING writes on black minky.

I finally ended up using pieces of tape to mark where I needed all those holes for the straps.

 

They turned out really cute and I know the babies will use them for a long time!

 

And the best part is they are so easy to take off and wash!

 

 

I think the Scooby Doo one is my favorite!!!!!



Cyclone bag for me!

I really needed a small bag to take along

when we go tailgating before the football games.

 

 

I actually bought a bag at Kohl's but got it home and decided it just wasn't cute enough. ;-)

 

 

 

Later that week, Preston and I were getting groceries and I came across a Cyclone Hankerchief.

It was perfect timing!

Who knew the Hy-vee would have just what I need?!!!??

 

That hanky now had a purpose!

 

 

I got it home and cut it up (and really should have taken a few pictures because it was really easy).

 

And here is what I ended up with:

 

 

 

I love how it turned out!

 

I  made an adjustable strap so I can wear it across like a messenger bag or shorten it if I need to.

 

 

It is just the perfect size to fit a few things in.

And I think I could fit quite a few Limearitas in there too if I need to!

 

The total cost was probably only about $5.00!

The hanky was $2.99, I had the hardware leftover from another project and I used random scraps for the inside!

 

Good thing I returned the $50 bag I bought at Kohls!!!!!

 

 

It worked great yesterday while we cheered the Cyclones to victory!

 



Water Beads are SO COOL!!!!!

Of course I saw this on Pinterest.

It's all over it.

 

Preston and I HAD to try it out and see what all the hype was about.

 

We were not dissappointed.

Not. at. all.

 

I found the "water beads" at Hobby Lobby in their floral section.

Once we put them in water Preston could hardly wait for them to absorb the water and be ready to play!
He had to "touch" them about 500 times while we waited.

 

 

FINALLY, they looked ready and he we dove in!

 

 

They are quite fun to play with...even if you're not two.

 

A John Deere tool belt helps in whatever the task may be.

 

Preston talks a lot on a normal day.

The water beads brought out even more language as he told me what he was doing and how he was dumping them and the giggles went on all afternoon!

 

It was fabulous and we can't wait to play with them again!



Quick Fall Wreath

Our front door needs a bit of love.

 

It's kind of boring.

 

I'm thinking about doing a little fall scene out there with glittery pumpkins and some bales of straw.

 

 

I started with a wreath though!

 

 

I bought a $4.99 wreath from Hobby Lobby and hot glued some fabric rosettes on it!

 

Took maybe 15 minutes to make...would have taken less time if I didn't keep burning my fingers on the hot glue gun!!!!!!

 

It's simple.

I like it.

 

 

I can't wait to get some pumpkins and do a little more decorating!



Just me and my buddy

 Preston and I are having lots of fun with

our littlest buddies when they are here for the week.

 

 

I think it also makes me enjoy my weeks with just me and Preston a little bit more.

 

After we walk peighton to the bus we load up in the stroller and take a long walk to see the cows and horse down the road.

 

We take time to stop and say hi to the cows...and then they run off in the opposite direction which makes Preston mad.

 

We also  make time to do a few "projects" which he LOVES.

 

His favorite projects include LOTS of glue.

 

 

 

And he loves that he doesn't have to share it and he is allowed to do it however he wants!
(Peighton tends to be a bit bossy...)

 

 

He actually does pretty good with his glue application.

 

 

 

Love a good day with my buddy!



 



Zucchini muffins or Bread

Zucchini Zucchini Zucchini

 

It just keeps growing and growing and growing....

 

 

 

 

 

We've  been trying out a few new recipes to use some of it up.

This bread recipe is another from the "Iowa Master Farm homemakers" cookbook.

 

Zucchini Bread (Or muffins)

3 eggs

1/4 t.baking powder

2 cup sugar

1 cup oil (I used homemade appleasuce)

1 t salt

2 cups flour

3 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

3 t vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini

Mix the dry ingredients together.

then stir in all wet ingredients, adding the zucchini after everything is mixed well.

Pour into a greased bread pan.

bake at 350 for about 50 minutes.

We have also made muffins and mini muffins that the kids loved.
The muffins baked about 18 minutes.

This bread is AWESOME  and a great use for some of those zucchini's!

It hasn't lasted long at our house...good thing we have lots more zucchini!

When I freeze shredded zucchini, I freeze it in 2 cup portions...perfect to whip up this yummy bread on a cold winter morning.