Easy skirt...

I have been wanting to make some skirts for Shannon for quite some time now but just hadn't found the right pattern/tutorial until now.  I found it HERE and it is so easy!  You will have to give it a try.  It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.  I modified it slightly to make it easier for me. 
*I used 1 1/4" elastic instead of 2.  (I thought 2 was just too much but that's just me)
*Instead of hemming the bottom I just used the overcasting foot on my sewing machine.  If you have a serger that works even better. 

It was simple, fun project.  Shannon picked out the fabric and spent all afternoon twirling around in her new skirt.  I am making several tomorrow with double ruffles.  I will post those when they are done so you can see the difference. 

 Refer to the link above for how to calculate and cut out the fabric for the circle skirt. 

 The is what overcasting looks like - very similar to serging.  I like this because it doesn't have the bulk or weight of a traditional hem. 

 Again, refer to the link for how to cut and adjoin the waistband.  Pin it to the skirt, then sew to attach.

 Here's the finished skirt.  Couldn't be simpler. 

Can't fail chocolate chip cookie recipe...

I have tried a lot of different cookie recipes and this one seriously never fails. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix and bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  After you take the cookies out of the oven, let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooking rack.  Another tip to making fantastic cookies is to make a firm ball of dough with your hands before putting it on the cookie sheet, then flatten them slightly.  Compressing the dough like this retains the moisture in the cookie so you have that delicious soft texture. 

You can trade out half of the shortening for peanut butter and they still work.  You can add chopped up candy bar, m&m's, the sky is the limit and they always work.  Have fun and happy baking!

Flourless - Sugarless Chocolate Cake...

Yes, you heard me right.  This cake is flour free and sugar free.  My husband and I have been living a sugar free, white flour free lifestyle for a while now and I have been creating recipes that help ease the transition.  This chocolate cake is rich, decadent, not too sweet and practically guilt free.

No Guilt Chocolate Cake:

1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar substitute of your choice
18 oz baking chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter - softened
1 TBS vanilla
6 large eggs

Baking instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease one 9 inch cake pan.
2. In a small saucepan over med. heat mix water, salt and sugar.  Stir until dissolved and set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
4.  Add chocolate to your mixer then add butter - beat well.  Beat in the hot sugar water.  Then slowly beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and mix.
5. Pour the batter into the pan.  Have a bigger pan to place the cake pan into.  Fill the larger pan with water until it reaches half way up the smaller pan.  (Water bath)  Place in the oven.
6. Bake for 45 minutes.  The cake will look undone but will set up as it cools.  Chill thoroughly. 
7. Serve with non-fat whipped topping and strawberries.

DIY Kiva ladder....

I must say that I am a Pottery Barn addict.  I love it when my catalog comes and use it as a mini guidebook to decorating.  I saw them use a kiva ladder like this and was determined to get my hands on one.  Unfortunately for me, they are VERY expensive.  In my backyard is a pile of old poles that were used to brace up our new trees.  They were rotting away and useless, bleached by the AZ sun and frankly, an eye-sore.  So, I decided to make my own ladder using these old poles.  Here is how I did it.  (By the way, you can buy these poles at Home Depot or Lowes for next to nothing).

 What is left of the ugly bone yard of poles in my backyard.  Still deciding what to build with these beauties. 

 I selected poles of the same length that had the least amount of damage.  I cleaned them and let them dry.

 Then I sanded them until they were smooth and stained them in a dark walnut.  The stain already had polyurethane in it but after it dried I added a coating of modge podge.  I have little kids and I really didn't want anyone to get a sliver. 

 I then drilled holes in each pole and screwed it all together.  Then I took twine and wound it around each joint.  Then I took wood glue and generously glued each joint.

 Here is the finished project.  Still trying it out in different places but I am loving it thus far. 

It was fun and other than the stain, free.  Gotta love that.  Give it a try. 

When to do what???

Cleaning Schedule....

A friend of mine was over at the house and saw my chore chart on the fridge and asked for a copy. I thought it might be helpful for others. As 'un'exciting as chores are, they must be done and for me it's a lot easier if I have a game plan. I made this little daily chore schedule for myself and I have to admit, when I stick to it, it works. I have tried zone cleaning and several other things and they didn't work as well as this for me.  You need to find what works for you. Hope this is helpful.

Rebecca's Weekly Chore Schedule

Monday:
Bedding washed and changed, Laundry done and put away, do grocery shopping for the week.

Tuesday:
Sweep and mop floors, playroom pickup, vacuum upstairs, prepare lesson for Sunday.

Wednesday:
Dusting, water plants, clean the office (sort papers, dust, basic pickup).

Thursday:
Bedroom cleanup, vacuum downstairs.

Friday:
Outdoor care - weeds, patio, mow lawn, laundry done and put away.

Saturday:
Bathrooms, make meal plan and grocery list for next week, prepare mail - birthday cards, etc.

Sunday:
Basic necessary pickup and kitchen, make next week plan of activities, get school things ready for children.

*Dishes, cooking, and kitchen cleanup are not included because they need to be done every day.

So there you have it. I sometimes have to deviate if there is a particularly bad area (the bathroom) and clean it additional times but this at least gives me a goal. I put it on the fridge because my hungry self tends to gravitate towards there often and my guilty self will make me do the chores. :) Good luck! Let me know if you have any good tips.

p.s. Certain chores that must be done are not included (garbage, bills, etc.) because they are part of the Mr's chore schedule. :)

Peppermint bark popcorn....

I make peppermint bark every year for Christmas and I wanted to try something different this year.  I decided to make peppermint bark popcorn.  I love anything salty and sweet at the same time.  This fit the bill beautifully.  We packaged it up and gave some to Shannon's tennis coach.  It was a hit.
Here's how:

 Pop any popcorn you like.  I used microwave, salted popcorn but you can use any you like.

 I  like Wilton Dark cocoa candy coating.  I think it's a little smoother than regular bark candy coating but that works too.

 Put candy canes in a baggie and crush them into small pieces.

 Melt the chocolate according to package instructions and now you are ready to begin.  Couldn't be simpler.  Drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn and stir.  While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the crushed peppermint over it.  Keep stirring until all the popcorn has at least a little of the coating.

 Now you're done.  Have a taste.  It's delicious!

 Package it up for a sweet gift.

Happy Holidays!

Grout.....

I have been battling my grout for a couple of years now.  It wasn't properly sealed after the tile was installed and shortly after we moved in, it started to get discolored.  I have been at my wits end trying to clean and restore it.  I have tried soft scrub, magic erasers, bleach, cleanser, etc.  Nothing worked.  I finally found something that seems to be working.  *Oh and NO, I am not being paid to endorse this.* Just thought I would pass it along, I'll let you know if it doesn't work in the long run. 

 I ordered grout bully.  It cost me ten dollars for two of these tubes.  I used both to cover all the tile my main floor which is about 1000 square feet. 

 You can see where I have done one line and not the other. 

My finished kitchen.  I have been happy with it thus far.  I have steam cleaned the tile and it held up fine.  If you are as desperate as I was, this is an inexpensive, seemingly effective solution.  Love that!

Distilled Water.......

Here's a little tip that I learned the hard way.  Always use distilled water in your small appliances like the iron or steam floor cleaner.  Have you ever noticed that sometimes you can get buildup on the bottom of your iron?  It can ruin your clothes and is almost impossible to get rid of.  To prevent this, use distilled water in the iron.  It's at every grocery store and is very inexpensive. 

Ham and Beans...

 This is a simple, healthy, go-to crock pot dish that we love.  Boil the white beans in a large pot for a few minutes.  Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let sit for one hour.  Then put the beans and 4-5 cups of water or chicken stock in the crock pot.  I save my ham bone from Christmas dinner and put that in.  Add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of liquid smoke, and chopped onion.  Let it bubble away and make your house smell heaven.

 About an hour or two before you want to eat, chop up some carrot and celery.  Add that to the crock pot and stir occasionally.  Remove the ham bone at this time. 

The white beans create a creamy, wonderful soup that is extremely healthy for you and your family.  Perfect for cold winter days. 
*Home Hint* - cook in your crock pot whenever possible.  You can throw the ingredients in the pot and go on to other things.  This is especially helpful when you have busy kids.  You can make gourmet, time-consuming meals after they have moved out.  :)

Simple Sheet Dress....

 Yup, you read that right - Sheet Dress.  I wanted to make a Christmas dress for Shannon but I didn't want to invest that much because, frankly, I wasn't sure I could do it.  I found THIS tutorial for the skirt and then traced the top of a dress she adready had for the bodice.  I used a red flat sheet that I had for the fabric and it turned out beautifully.  I purchased some discount satin for the sash and then buttons.  In total this dress cost me less than $5.00. 

 I ended up shortening the sash.  I lined the bodice with more of the sheet.  I cut the back panel along the dise of the sheet so that I didn't need to make a hem for the hidden zipper. 

 She loved it! 

 The skirt is a full circle - perfect for twirling. :)

This dress was simple enough, I am going to be making more soon.  You should try one.  I had a lot of the sheet left so I made some little ties for the boys so everyone matched at Christmas.  Love that!

Welcome!

After my Mom passed away I would go to do something that I know I had seen her do thousands of times and think, "Now how did she do that?."  I had never written things like that down.  I just assumed that I would know how to do it when the time came.  I was wrong.  I have had to re-learn so many simple domestic things simply because I didn't take the time to record them.  No more!  This blog is dedicated to my little girl in the hopes that after I am gone, she won't have to wonder what I did.  To all of you, I hope you enjoy the ride.  :)