Friday, February 28, 2014

Bows, Bands, and Clips, OH MY!

I LOVE all the fun bows, flowers, clips, and headbands that come along with having little girls!  How quickly they can pile up though!  Here is a look at how I keep it all organized!

I recently cleaned out the baby headbands and some bows and flowers that had started falling apart gotten a lot of love and were ready to be retired.  My youngest girl is 2 years old and has very fine hair, so at this point we are only using the tiny rubber bands and clipping a bow/flower or adding a colored band on top.  Nothing real exciting, but I am looking forward to the time where she will sit (and not scream EVERY SINGLE TIME) so I can do some more fun things with her hair!  I'm sure I will have to redo this drawer at that point, but for now, this is how it is all stored:


This is the top drawer of her dresser.  The far left has socks and swim stuff, but the rest is all for hair.  



I got the purple bins at Dollar Tree a while back and they are great!  They come in a couple different sizes and have worked so well for keeping all of her hair supplies.  I did add a non-slip pad on the bottom of the drawer because they did slide around otherwise-even with the way I have them packed in there!  



So, like I said, I am sure this system will have to change as she gets older, but it is what we have used since she was born and for now I am sticking with it.  Although, she recently decided that it can be fun to reach her little hands in the drawer and throw things on the floor when she wakes up and no one is around, so it may be changing sooner than later...stay tuned ;)


Linking up at:
www.organized31.com
www.lambertslately.com
www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com
www.allthingsheartandhome.com
www.goldenreflectionsblog.com
www.astrollthrilife.net
www.saving4six.com
www.boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com
www.thecharmofhome.blogspot.com
www.houseofroseblog.com
www.craftdictator.com
www.nancherrow.com
www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.com/
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Shared Kids' Closet


We have struggled with our boys' closet since we moved into this house almost 2 years ago.  Our boys, now 8 & 6 share not a tiny, but certainly not a large room.  The former owners had built in this sort of open locker system into the closet.  It didn't seem like it would work well for us at the time, so we stuck with the dressers the boys had and this space was basically being wasted.  The shelf had books and other random little things they would put on it, but basically, totally wasted space.

A few months ago our boys decided that they no longer wanted their bunk beds to be bunked.  So we took them down and gave them each their own nightstand and they were happy.  I on the other hand, was not so happy.  With the beds no longer bunked, there was not much space left in the room.  Their dressers were also not functioning well for them as they were growing older.  I decided that we could no longer afford to not be utilizing the closet space.  Ideally I wanted to rip out the whole 'locker' system and do a custom organizer that would work well for 2 kids.  Unfortunately this wasn't an option since the carpet does not go under the bottom of the current unit.  I had to figure out a way to just make it work.  After some frustration thinking we finally came up with something that works great!

I had my husband install hanging rods onto each side of the lockers.  Nothing fancy, just cheap, adjustable rods that are mounted into the side walls.  All shirts are hung up there.



 After carefully measuring the shelves on the bottom, we set out for Michael's in search of some baskets. Not such an easy task when you are needing a large number of matching baskets with a specific amount of space to fit into!!  After a long, and loud (we had all 4 kids with us...) trip, we finally ended up with the perfect set!  Some bigger for pants, some smaller for things like swim suits, etc.



We already had one of these baskets with a lid, so I checked when we were at Michael's and found a matching one and keep each kid's pajamas in them.  Works great to hold those heavier winter pajamas!  


Here's how it all turned out.  Each boy has their own side of the closet.  It is working great and the boys love it!  Best of all, we were able to get the two dressers out of their room and free up some space in there!  I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out!


Linking up at:
www.lambertslately.com
www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com
www.allthingsheartandhome.com
www.ivyandelephants.blogspot.com
www.goldenreflectionsblog.com
www.astrollthrulife.net
www.savvysouthernstyle.net
www.cleanandsentsible.com
www.saving4six.com
www.thecharmofhome.blogspot.com
www.boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com
www.nancherrow.com
www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com
www.craftdictator.com
www.organized31.com
www.houseofrose.com
www.bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/
http://cityofcreativedreams.blogspot.com/
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/



Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Now on Twitter!


Alright, I finally caved and joined Twitter as well!  Follow me at https://twitter.com/SLOAFW.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays

Hello, welcome to another week of our party!  Wow, you guys sure are bringing it lately!  Last week was another huge party for us-THANK YOU!!!  Don't forget that you are sharing on 5 different blogs when you link up here!
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram



FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest

Last week the post with the most views was:
Butterfinger Pie easy dessert recipes It's a Keeper

Some of my favorites were:
lucky-leprechaun-treat-bucket

fabric covered cork bulletin bar


Be sure to grab a Featured button from my buttons page at the top of the blog!  Don't forget to stop by the other hosts' sites to check out their favorites too!

Now on to this week!  Thanks so much for being with us!






Thursday, February 20, 2014

Chicken Manicotti


1 can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 Cups water
4oz Velveeta (cut up into 1 inch chunks)
Manicotti noddles, uncooked
1lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small strips
Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix soup, water, and Velveeta in a microwavable bowl.  Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stopping to stir half way through.


Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with some of the mixture.



Stuff pasta with chicken strips and line up in the dish.

Cover pasta with remaining sauce mixture.



Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top.



Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.




I like to keep the sides simple so I usually do some frozen vegetables and garlic bread to go with it.

Enjoy!


Linking up at:
www.lambertslately.com
www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com
www.allthingsheartandhome.com
www.ivyandelephants.com
www.thesassyslowcooker.com
www.astrollthrulife.net
www.savvysouthernstyle.net
www.cleanandscentsible.com
www.saving4six.com
www.craftdictator.com
www.thecharmofhome.blogspot.com
www.boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com
www.nancherrow.com
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com/

Monday, February 17, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays

Welcome!  So glad you are joining us for this week's party!  Be sure to stop by each of the hosts' sites to check out what their favorites were from last week's party!  

Erin at Table For Seven
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram



FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest

The post with the most views last week was

Some of my favorites were:
Valentine's Day Buffet Decor

Chocolate-Dipped Valentine's Cake Pops | www.pinkrecipebox.com

HersheykissesjarsforValentinesDays

Don't forget to grab a Featured button from the buttons page at the top of the blog!  Can't wait to see what you all have been up to this week!




Friday, February 14, 2014

Valentine's Day

Around here Valentine's Day is a family affair.  While I do think it is important to share some special celebrations with out the kiddos (like anniversaries) I enjoy making Valentine's a fun family day.  We started the day off with special Valentine boxes for the kids, I have a cute little Love Bug craft for them to do, and have ordered heart shaped pizzas for dinner tonight. I guess it is just our season of life right now.  We will have plenty of Valentine's Days when the kids are out of the house and it will just be the 2 of us, so for now, it's a whole family day.

What are your Valentine traditions?  Is it a special date night with your spouse, or are you like us and do the whole family thing? However you celebrate, I hope you have a fun filled day of love!

-Emily

Monday, February 10, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays


Welcome to our party!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  Don't forget to stop by the other hosts' sites to check out their favorites from last week's party!

FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram



FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest

The post with the most views was 
Cinnamon Roll Cake | Bakewell Junction

A few of my favorites were:

Apple Snack Cake

Valentine candy tackle box - great gift for guys!
Be sure to grab a featured button from my buttons page at the top of the blog!  Now, on to this week's party!  



Monday, February 3, 2014

Share Your Stuff Tuesdays


Welcome to another week of Share Your Stuff Tuesdays!  Thank you so much for linking up last week and making it our biggest party yet!!  All of us hosts are so excited and grateful that we are continuing to grow each week, so thank you for spreading the word!  Don't forget to stop by each of the hosts' sites to see what their favorites were from last week's party.  
FaceBook    Twitter    Pinterest    Google+    Instagram



FaceBook     Twitter     Google+     Pinterest

The post with the most views was
Crispy Baked Green Bean Fries - Crunchy, addictive, AND healthy? It's true, you need to try these!

Some of my favorites were:

linen closet organization before and after


Don't forget to grab a featured button from my buttons page at the top of the blog!

Looking forward to seeing your posts this week!  



Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

I apologize for my horrible picture, I forgot to snap a picture before we left home, so I took one with my phone while driving down the highway on the way to our Super Bowl party! (Clarification-my husband was driving, I was riding :) )


I found this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip in the Rachael Ray magazine that you can see here, but I made a few changes to mine when I made it this past weekend.  Here's what I did:

-1 package softened cream cheese (8oz)
-1/2 Cup Blue Cheese salad dressing
-3/4 Cup Franks Original Hot Sauce
-3oz Blue Cheese crumbles
-1lb chicken breasts
-Chicken Broth

I started by baking my chicken breasts in a little bit of chicken broth for about 30 minutes at 350°F.  Then while the chicken was still hot/warm, I shredded it in my stand mixer.

To make the dip, soften the cream cheese then whisk it until smooth.  Add in the salad dressing, hot sauce, and crumbles.  Then stir in the shredded chicken.

I put mine in my mini crock pot and set on low for 3-4 hours, and just left it on low for the duration of our party.  You could always crank it up to high for a couple hours to get it heated through then back it down to low once you start eating on it.

Serve with cut up peppers, celery, pretzel chips, and tortilla chips.  Enjoy!  


Linking up at:
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
http://goldenreflectionsblog.com/
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/
http://www.lambertslately.com/
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/
http://saving4six.com/
http://craftdictator.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://houseofroseblog.com/
http://www.nancherrow.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/