A few days ago I was cruising the digi world and ran into a layout I immediately loved, then as I looked closer, WHAT!!! she used some of MY stuff. Of course now I love it even more .
Here’s a peek:

What a cool idea…to take such and ordinary event and turn it into a fab layout. Someday it will be fun to look back and re-read the layout and remember what her daily life was like and what they ate. Or maybe I’m just slightly obsessed with that at the moment because of …

Last week in history we talked about the “earliest people*,” the “nomads.” We discussed foods they ate (plants, roots, berries, meat, fish, wild honey, etc.). After reading about it Ryan and I had this “great” idea to make a dinner of foods the nomads ate. He got REALLY into it and couldn’t wait to show/tell Jared all about the things he’d learned.
First we decorated the dining room with some “cave art.”

Then we talked about what we could make, made lists and a menu, and went shopping.

Then we set the table.

On our menu:

Meat (hamburger patties)
Fish (tilapia filets)
Grain (long grain and …

It’s Friday! Let’s celebrate with some FREEBIES!
First off, I have this new element pack, and coordinating freebie at Little Dreamer.

If you’re not sure about digital scrapbooking, but want to give it a try, Amazon is offering the Digital Scrapbook Artist software FREE today! (normally $49.99) There are limited quantities, so download quickly if you are interested. (Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!)

Amazon is also offering a (limited quantities) FREE download of the PagePlus Essentials software (normally $49.99). I haven’t tried either one of these programs, but I’m guessing (from reading the product descriptions) they would be good programs …

Even on a budget I love to decorate. My decorating style? Neutral with splashes of accent color, random perfectly-imperfect, and definitely funky junky. Lately I’ve been pretty obsessed with visiting the local flea market. It can be a bit overpriced and kinda trashy, but going there is always an adventure sometimes I can find awesome stuff.
Combine cool stuff with a bit of creativity and Wah-laaa! I give you:
Super cool vintage-y (and totally falling apart book):

Rusty iron star:

Using the pages from the super-cool-vintage-y-and-totally-falling-apart book plus scrapbook paper and old buttons:

Pages from an old etiquette book on table manners (modge podged …

This is my cute friend Aja.

(Stole this from her facebook page. Hahaha)
This is my cute friend Aja and me in April in at a homeschooling convention in Cincinnati.

(Pumped, rejuvinated and feeling like supermoms! And somehow we were so busy that’s the only picture we managed to take!)
And this is my cute friend Aja and me in August at her dining room table planning for the school year.

(Overwhelmed, and coping with Diet Dr. Pepper.)
Just in case any one wonders (’cause I get this comment/question all the time), nooooo, I’m not an incredibly patient saint–I’m just a …

Since Jared teaches college, fall is a new beginning for us and now that we are back from vacation it’s time to shake off the lazy summer days and get back into routine. We’ve found our kids crave structure and we have a lot less meltdowns when they know what to expect. They are also more obedient and cooperative when asked to clean-up toys, help with dinner, get ready for bed, etc. because they know it’s part of the routine. I’m not saying things always go smoothly, just that having structure helps us rein-in the tantrums and power struggles. …

Whoohoooa…If it seems like I dropped out of this world it’s because I feel like I did!
We have just taken a SIX WEEK road trip across the country, driving over 4,000 miles round trip to see family and friends and many amazing historical sites. I had not planned to take off this much time from blogging and designing but when having a good internet connection became an issue during the first few weeks I ended up just letting it all go and enjoyed my time off. But I’m ready to be home.
Just …

Welcome to Sneaky Snacks Tuesday where every Tuesday I share a healthier snack idea. Go here to read more about why I started Sneaky Snacks and go here to read about why I’m putting beans in these waffles!
We usually make waffles on the weekend for brunch or an easy Sunday evening dinner. A few weeks ago Jared said, “Hey you should come up with a waffle with BEANS in it!”
Well, you know I love a challenge so I played around one morning and came up with a recipe I was pretty happy with. Not …

Wow, if this challenge was like having a baby we’d be half way done! Crazy. Anyway, go here to read more about my 365 Days of Beans and Rice Challenge.
Week 20
Monday (Day 138) : Steak Fajitas, black beans and corn

Tuesday (Day 139): Orange Chicken over rice
YUUUUM. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you. It was sooooo worth it!

Wednesday (Day 140): Leftovers
Thursday (Day 141): Black Beans over rice, Garlic Bread, Salad, Brownies

Friday (Day 142): BLT Rice Salad, Garlic bread, fruit

Total experiement and I didn’t really like it. The flavors were …

I’ve always been a daydreamer.
I’ve been a faithful journal writer since I was about 12 years old and through my teenage years my journal was like a best friend. Don’t laugh, but I used to make cheesy doodley lists with colorful pens in my hardback journals of things I wanted to do when I grew up or things I wanted in the “perfect husband” someday.
When I was 12 I wrote a letter to my future self about things I hoped to accomplish, sealed it, put “do not open until 2000″ and then …