Organizing My Home

For a Godly wife is organized and works at building up her home.  That is what I want to be!  I am being convicted.  I love to sew and play with my kids, but really do not like to organize my home.  I clean it, it is not dirty, but it is not organized.  I love baskets because you can just dump everything into them and then the room has the appearance of being organized.  Right now I am reading every book I can find to help me get moving in the right direction.  I have started by first making our bed in the morning.  This is something I have never been good at.  I used to think if I made my bed a new quilt then I would make it, but that only lasted a week or two.  So I hope and pray with God's help this can become a habit in my life.  I am now trying to keep on track with keeping an orderly and clean home.

The next thing on my list is a tip I have been given, to keep the kitchen clean and don't leave the home or go to bed until it is.  Ooops!  I have lots of work to do.

My refrigerator!  The mess just keeps pilling up on the top of the fridge.

This is where I am starting today!  I am going to clean the top of the fridge!

I did it!  Only took 15 minutes.  It was really dusty up there.

I put a basket on top to keep the little things that need to be up there organized.   Also put a filing folder up there too for the papers that are important and couldn't be thrown out.  And the never ending candy basket for the kids!  It makes the whole kitchen feel clean!  Tomorrow I will work on the island and the kitchen hutch.

My bible verse for the day is Proverbs 31:27, "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."

***UPDATE***

I cleaned my island the next day and still had a pile of papers that I didn't know what to do with.  I couldn't throw them away and they couldn't be filed.  I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and found this great organizer.  It keeps my papers organized and out of the way PLUS it has 3 more compartments for pencils and stuff.

Now my kitchen island is clean and so is the sideboard cabinet.  Very happy.  

It is amazing how clean the whole house can feel when just the kitchen is organized.  Even my husband is super happy about it all.

Cowgirl Vest And Doggy Saddle

I found this cute tutorial on how to make a frontier vest with fringe.  I thought it would be cute in pink for a little girl.  My friend was interested in one so I made her one today.  Another quick project with great directions from Dana Made It!

 

 

**UPDATE**

My friend, whom I made this vest for, also wanted a saddle for her Great Dane to match the vest.  I just finished it today.  It was fun to make.  I gave it a heart saddle, two pockets with fringe and a circle for the horn.  I hope she sends me a picture of it on her dog!  I would love to see it!

Her dog is 41 inches around and 26 inches from shoulder to hip!  She almost is a horse.  

Monster Tooth Fairy Pillow

My son Brian's tooth is getting really loose.  He is 7 and still has not lost a tooth, so needless to say he is very excited about it.  I found this pattern for a monster tooth fairy pillow at The Long Thread.  I thought it was perfect for a boy's tooth fairy pillow!  So cute and quick to make! Brian picked out the fabric and button eyes so it is exactly how he wanted it to be.  Now he just has to loose that tooth!

About a month later it finally fell out!  He is so happy!

**UPDATE**

I made a couple more for a friend and then 2 pink ones for my girls.  They wont be loosing their teeth anytime soon, but they wanted to have their own monster like their big brother.

Taking Care of Haley

Haley had her tonsils and adenoids removed last Wednesday.  Surgery went well, but now we are dealing with recovery.  Here is my little patient making her sad sick face.  Poor thing.  She really does hurt and has been having a hard time eating. 

**UPDATE**

A few days later friends from church brought over a get well sign from her Awana class.  She was really sick for 2 weeks and took awhile to start eating again.  She didn't even want ice cream or popsicles!  Here she is starting to really feel better.  I can't wait to have my Haley back.  She is usually such a happy little girl.

Chicken Sausage Cassoulet Recipe

Chicken Sausage Cassoulet Recipe
By Jan Kempf

I found this recipe in my mom's church cook book. Had a bunch of ingredients that my family likes so I thought I would try it. It was actually really good. I recommend it as a pretty healthy and fairly simple meal to make.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 cup chopped onion
1 or more cups carrot slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (16oz) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1/4-1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 16oz can chicken broth
Grated Parmesan for garnish

Brown chicken cubes, set aside.  Brown broken up sausage, add to chicken in casserole dish.  Cook onion, carrots, and garlic in a little oil for 5-10 minutes.  Add to casserole with beans, parsley, seasonings, tomato sauce, and broth.  Stir together.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Uncover and then bake for another 20 minutes.  Serve over rice with Parmesan cheese as garnish. 

So yummy!  Enjoy!

Chicken Taco Soup Recipe

I made this soup last night and only got a picture of what was left in the crock pot.  Everyone ate their dishes so fast I forgot to take a picture!  This is one of my families favorite crock pot meal and it is so easy to make!

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans chili beans
1 can of black beans
14 oz can Mexican style tomatoes
2 10 oz can diced tomato with green chilies
1 can corn (drained)
1 pound frozen chicken
1 package taco seasons
Cilantro
Garlic
1 can green chilies

Garnish with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and scallions

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Once chicken is cooked through shred it and add corn.

Serve over rice or chips and top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and scallions.  Enjoy!

God's Task

I love being a stay at home mom.  I get the privilege of being apart of my kid's days, to play, teach, and help them grow.  It has also helped me find my passion in, sewing, crafting, and cooking.  I really do enjoy all the things a domestic house wife is in charge of.  There are days when I do struggle with the importance of my life though.  It is so easy to become jealous and caught up in what others have or are doing.  I have to remind myself that one day at the task God has personally assigned me is better than a thousand days at anyone else's.  I know this is where God wants me to be. 

I hope I can share my ideas with others in similar situations and hear their thoughts.  I love using my sewing and creativity for my family.  It is so much fun making things for my kids that they can use or wear.  It is personalized and lasts so much longer than something from the store.  I am always learning too.  Writing this blog is a new and interesting adventure.  It is also a break from the daily laundry and dishes!

Art Portfolio Continued

Today I made Kylie's art portfolio.  It went a lot smoother this time around.  I added another pocket too.  She loves it.  I also let her pick out her own fabric.  She is really good at matching her colors.  Here is her art bag.

My Art Portfolio

Recently a friend asked me if I knew how to make something for her child to carry her crayons and coloring books in.  She sent me a picture of one she found in an online store.  I thought it was such a great idea.  I looked up others who have made them and ended up making my own pattern for one.  This one is for my daughter Haley.  I let her pick through my scrap bin for the art portfolio.  I think it turned out great, but there are a few things I need to fix.  I am going to make one for my other daughter, Kylie, now that she picked out her fabric.  Here is my first one.  Once I get this down right I will show step by step how it is made.   Haley had a doctor appointment today and she took this along.  It kept her busy the whole time we were there!  A great gift for any little artist.

Haley's Fairy Garden

I am really enjoying my time with just Haley. I have never really had her all to myself before. Now that her two older siblings have gone to school we have lots of time together to do what she is interested in doing. She has been wanting to paint and she loves fairies. I have always wanted to make a little fairy garden so I gathered a few things and let her have fun. I bought a little dollar bird house from Joanns and a couple little wooden things that looked like they could be people. We also bought some deer moss because it was on clearance. We already had jewels, paint, and a pot for planting a couple baby plants. So this is what we did today.  I let her do everything by herself except pour the glue. 

Busy painting.  She put lots of layers on her little house.  She used pink, green and purple, but it somehow ended up all purple.

Her house is finished and so are her fairy people.

After waiting most of the day it is dry and she can put the moss on.

Glued on some flower jewels and a butterfly.

Put it in a little pot with a couple of baby plants our neighbor gave us.  The fairies have little butterfly wings glued on their backs too.

All finished and on her dresser in her room.  It was a fun project for us today.

New Lunch Bag For My Wraps

It all started with my friend asking me if I could make reusable sandwich bags.  Now I am addicted to them!  I love how great they work and not having to pull out Ziploc bags in the morning is awesome.  I haven't used one since school started.  Then my cousin asked if I could make a lunch bag to match her sandwich bags and wraps.  I found this great free pattern at The Long Thread.  It was so easy to follow and was actually similar to the box totes I make.  I used canvas as the main fabric and laminated cotton for the sides and insides.  The batting I used is insulated batting and it has a magnetic snap.  It turned out so cute.  I am going to embroider my cousin's name on it tomorrow.  I will post pictures then too.  I definitely need to make one for myself now. 

**UPDATE**

Another cute lunch bag I made for a friend's daughter!

My Baby Haley

My baby Haley is now 3 years old.  But I still call her my baby Haley.  She is getting ready to have surgery next week.  She is having her tonsils and adenoids removed.  Tomorrow we are going to the doctors for her pre-op.  She knows she is having surgery and that she will be in the hospital for a day and night.  To make her more comfortable I told her I would make her a mimi.  What is a mimi?  My older two kids were/are blanket babies.  Their special blankets are called mimis.  Haley never got attached to a blanket so she is always going around looking for one.  Today we went to Joanns and picked out some super soft flannel, minky and satin blanket binding.  I have never used satin blanket binding, but I love it.  It is kind of slippery to use and the corners gave me some problems.  But I know she will love it because it is the softest blanket I have ever felt!  I made another one exactly like Ucreate had in their tutorial.  I think it turned out better, but I have some practicing to do on the corners.  I think they are awesome though and will keep practicing!

This is Haley's mimi.  It is 35 inches long and 19 inches wide.

I made this one exactly like the tutorial in Ucreate.  It turned out better because of the rounded corners. 

I am giving this one to my neighbor.  She has the cutest baby girl, only 4 weeks old!

Love The Skirt

I ended up making two No Hem Skirts last night.  They took about 20 minutes each.  So easy and So cute!  The girls were so excited when they woke up in the morning and saw their new outfits laying out for them.  Here they are modeling their new outfits before the bus came.  I think I need to get some warm tights and boots for the fall and winter so they can keep wearing them.  

A few friends asked me what makes it a No Hem Skirt.  Here is a tutorial at Hickety Pickety that shows exactly how they are made and how easy it is. 

No Hem Skirt...My New Favorite!

I have been busy sewing this weekend.  I have been making bibs and sandwich wraps.  They are easy to make, but sewing the same thing over and over again can really get tiring.  So I found some fun scraps left over from the blanket I made Cheryl and found it was just enough to make a skirt!  So exciting!  I love finding ways to use my scraps.  I have bins of them because I cannot throw fabric away.  I think I learned this from my Grandma.  With those scraps I made my first No Hem Skirt.  I am in love!  It turned out super cute and took no time to make!  I can't wait for my daughter to wake up this morning and wear it to school.  Now I have to go make another one so my other daughter doesn't feel left out! :)