On a dime - Gallery Wall

We have a rather large space/wall to fill in our living room. Rather than distance out our decor throughout the entire space I wanted a focal wall, so I created this Gallery Wall. 

I purchased items from:

Hobby Lobby

Goodwill

The other items I already had and repurposed to my gallery wall. 

Simple and easy project that gives a big space something to talk about and be the center of attention. 

Step one:

Find a color or a theme

Find accents pieces not just frames 

Use letters to make a pop

Add personal touches 

Make it your own! 

I laid out all of my pieces on the living room floor and arranged my gallery wall before adding it to my wall. I also found it helpful to snap a picture of it on the floor so I could reference it to remember my spacing between frames etc.

I LOVE how it turned out! 

Enjoy! 

*TFAMM*

Wooden Arrow Signs - DIY project

DIY project I decided to do for our new living room. 

Repurposed some wooden pallets. Cut into strips. 

Decided I was going to use these colors: 

Pavement grey

Admiral blue 

Dandelion Yellow.

I painted each slat and let them dry over night. 

Then I printed out our last name on the computer and mirrored the image. I then used a ballpoint pen to trace the letters onto the sign. 

I then traced our name with white paint. I free hand created the arrows around our name. 

I then free hand created the other two arrows on my pavement and admiral blue slats. 

The completed project! I am excited to display them! 

What wooden arrow signs have you created? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? 

*TFAMM* 

Magnet board - simple/inexpensive

My younger son loves magnets. They used to be all over the refrigerator until one day I found a simple yet inexpensive way to incorporate his magnet love into his own room. 

Things you need; 

Purchase a oil pan at Walmart for $12.99

Purchase Melissa and Doug magnet alphabet $19.99

Wall screw and anchor at Lowes $2

Additional suggestion; you can purchase spray paint and paint the oil pain to go with the theme of your child's room. 

Now you have yourself a child friendly magnet board. Now let the creativity begin.... 

*TFAMM*

DIY - Step by step

This page offers lots of step by step instructions on how to build many crafts. I have often times seen this LOVE shelf on Pinterest. I wanted to create it but could never find dimensions until I saw this page. Go and check it out!

http://craftingitmyself.blogspot.com/2013/06/love-shelf.html

*TFAMM*

Catalina Chicken

This a family favorite! 

Catalina Chicken;

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breast 

Catalina salad dressing

French onion soup mix

Whole cranberry (in the can) 

Mix 1/2 of the Catalina dressing, the whole can of the cranberry sauce and the entire French onion packet. 

Place your chicken in a 13x9 pan, then pour your mixture over the chicken. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

What's your families go to favorite recipe? 

*Stay tuned for my homemade fried rice recipe coming up later**

*TFAMM* 

Simple Stained Glass

I wanted to add some pop of color to my new kitchen. We have green countertops so I am going with the color scheme of a sunflower. 

I went to Michaels and got these clear soda bottles for 50% off.  I also purchased some modge podge. 

When home I mixed

3 table spoons of water (heated in microwave for 30 seconds) 

1/2 cup of modge podge

Then food coloring. Mix in the desired amount to achieve the color you are looking for. I chose Yellow. 

Make sure all the modge podge and food coloring have dissolved completely. 

Once your mixture is complete, pour a small amount of it into your bottle. Do not brush the bottle, simply swirl the mixture around until the bottle is coated. 

Let the bottle rest upside down, while the remaining mixture drains out. 

Bake at your ovens lowest temp, mine was 170 degrees. For roughly 20 mins. I let mine go longer. 

Once they have finished, this should be your end result! Now go decorate! :)

Parmesan crusted Salmon

Came across this recipe today. I am not a fish eater besides Tuna but I will be trying this recipe in the near future! Looks amazing..... 

http://addapinch.com/cooking/baked-salmon-with-parmesan-herb-crust-recipe/

Window & Mirror Cleaning Tips

I have small children and a dog. We recently moved out a house that only had 6 windows and now will be living in a house that has 20 windows (of various sizes) including three bathrooms, I am constantly cleaning. I found this recipe solution for a clear and streak free window and mirror cleaner. 


What you need is: 
 2 tablespoons ammonia 
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 teaspoon mild non-antibacterial dish washing liquid

Combined all those ingredients together and then use a funnel to pour the mixture into a rinsed spray bottle. Then spray it on windows just as you would glass cleaner for commercial grade, and wipe it clean. Look at those windows and mirror sparkle! 

*TFAMM*

2 ingredient Pancake

I've been looking for a healthier pancake for quick before school breakfast. I found this recipe and although I was skeptical at first they were delicious!!!

http://michigan.spoonuniversity.com/cook/make-perfect-pancakes-2-ingredients/

I added a little bit of peanut butter on top of mine and tad bit of syrup! Enjoy.

*TFAMM*

Ritz Chicken

My family loves this easy recipe! 

Ritz Chicken: 

What you need:

4-5 bones chicken breast 

Ritz crackers - you can use plain or any flavor 

Ranch or Honey Mustard

How to prepare: 

Crush up some Ritz Crackers 

Coat the chicken breast either in Ranch or Honey Mustard

Then coat the chicken with the crushed up ritz crackers. 

Bake on 350 degrees for 1hour or until cook through. 

We like to pair our chicken with

good wholesome country dinner fixings! Corn (or green beans), masked potatoes and biscuits! Enjoy!! 

Delicious Summertime drink....

Blackberry Lemonade

We went and  picked fresh blackberries from our neighborhood and mixed them up with a little sugar and some country time lemonade. Its a refreshing yet inexpensive treat for your family, quiet delicious I might add! 

Nice refreshing Summertime drink! 

*TFAMM*

Big 5 - Sporting good deals!

Came across this  useful coupon today! Thought I would share. 

http://www.big5sportinggoods.com/store/specials/Connect%20IMM1?utm_source=IMM&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=branded&utm_content=weeklycoupon&utm_campaign=08-AW

*TFAMM*

Minecraft Birthday - Potion Station

Minecraft Birthday fun..... 


For my boys combined Minecraft Birthday they wanted a potion station. 

Below is the my idea for a potion station, simple yet fun for the kids and a good way to keep them hydrated on a hot Summer day. 

 First step: 
Get some markers and white poster board from your local craft store, Draw a potion bottle for each color of potion, then look up what each potion means. Draw the meaning of each potion next to its coordinating color. 

Second step:

I asked my boys what color potion they wanted to make. (Orange, Green, Blue and Red) I then went to our local grocery store and found matching singles packets in the coordinating colors they had asked for. The Hawaiian Brand of singles are sugar free which made it even better. I also purchased mini water bottles and then removed the labels. 

Third step:

Take white paper and write the name of each potion on the paper, I drew a little potion bottle on the front too, to be festive. I wrapped those around my single packet boxes. 

Fourth step: 

Set up your station and enjoy! The kids really did enjoy getting to make up their own potion and they believed they were receiving the powers of the potion. 

*TFAMM*

Workouts, yes they can be fun!

Getting motivated for workouts is often hard for me, but I saw this and thought this could make workout fun! 
Everyday would be something new, and when you make them colorful that should just make you smile! Color to me equals joy! 

Visit this Pin for more ideas!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/414542340677044315/

*TFAMM*

Buy Local

This place is housed in a smaller community near my hometown. They have wonderful decorations to incorporate into your home. They reuse and recycle to make old things look new or add that special vintage touch to your home. Their page is worth a look at or even better go and visit their store. 

https://www.facebook.com/SherwoodCreativeSister?fref=ts


They offer unique one of kind decorations to complete that look  you are looking to achieve! 

**TFAMM*

Fantastic Page for Fantastic ideas!

I started following this Facebook page and I love her and the page ideas she shares! 

Go over and check out her page, you'll love it too!! 

https://www.facebook.com/PassionatePennyPincher?fref=nf

*TFAMM*

How to make a Art/Photo display

If your children's school is like my children's school they bring home artwork and of course they don't want anything ever to end up in the trash! I found this art/photo display hanger very useful. 

I first went to Michael's craft store Michaels.com; any craft store you have locally will work too. 

I have two boys, one is very into sports so I started with that one first. My oldest loves basketball, we picked up two already painted wooden basketballs, some sturdy heavy duty twine and some clothes pins. We got a few smaller wooden sports embellishments to add to our clothes pins.  

Once home we gathered our supplies,

2 Wooden Basketballs
5-6 Wooden Clothes pins
3-4 embellishments (for this one we used mini basketballs)
5-6 feet of our twine (longer if you'd like or have the space to hang it)
Glue gun
Glue sticks 
Paint (assorted colors) optional 
2 tacks and/or nails 

Step one:
Take your twine and tie two loops on each end

Step two:
Grab your wooden basketballs, hot glue one of the looped twine to the back of the Wooden basketball, repeat this step for your second basketball. Lay upside down to allow the hot glue to dry. 

Step three:
If you'd like to add a bit more color and fun to this project you can choose coordinating colors and paint your clothespin. 

Step Four:
Once your clothes pins are dry, if  you decided to purchase embellishments, grab your hot glue gun and decide where on the clothes pin you'd like to attach each embellishment. Allow them to dry and cool. 

Step Five:
Attach the clothes pins to your twine


Now your project is complete. Find your perfect spot to hang it and enjoy your child's art! 

*TFAMM*

Home buying, truths!

My husband and our two children recently sold our first home, although heart wrenching it was time to move forward. We now are living with my parents (yeah I know what all men think, who would ever want to live with their in laws). 

House hunting is fun right, said no one ever! You have this image in your head like they show on TV, you get a realtor, they show you the house of your dreams,  you and your spouse fall in the love with it at first site, right. You make an offer, its accepted and you move in. No fighting, no disagreements, not in realty folks! 

In realty, your husband will send  you several links to houses, I mean everyday. Doesn't he know you have a 4 and 7 year old to car pool around, feed and entertain. Its like he thinks I don't do anything all day but sit and eat Bon Bon's! ;)

Needless to say, there is fighting, there are disagreements, there are moments where words aren't even spoken. To place the cherry on top of the house sundae,  a link to a house with wall paper is sent to you?! Who still has wall paper, who wants a house they have to go into and its like a clown decided to decorate it, Or its's 70's bathrooms?! People its time to redecorate get into the 2000's! 

In the end when God directs you into the right path, it really is like the TV shows, you and your husband both fall in love, with the new house of course ;). You see pictures of the home, but once you both step foot inside its like all your worries, fighting and arguing ceases and you get the overwhelming feeling of a sense of safety, warmth, relaxation and just this release of all things tense and stressful, you've found home!