Do you LOVE your job?

I can honestly say that I love my job. I really do love it.. I am happy to go it...when I have a break from it I miss it. I work at an elementary school in my community. We have around 300 kids and 2 of each grade level K-5. I work with a talented bunch of people who inspire me everyday. The best part of my job is the kids.
No I am not a teacher.. my official title is school secretary. I actually like to think of myself as school mom. I  I answer phones, take messages, get lost book bags where they go, dry tears, give hugs, encourage, supervise, take temps, hand out medicine, keep track of who is who and where they go, and that is just some of the stuff I do everyday.

One of my favorite things about my job is all the time it allows me to spend with my kids, since we are all on the same schedule, but then again the kids at school are pretty awesome too. I consider myself lucky to have this wonderful job.. it doesn't pay a lot it has its perks. Its a job I am proud to have, I feel like I make a difference, and I feel like the people I work with appreciate me. My job has taught me a lot about patience, kindness and empathy. So I guess in the end you really can't put a price tag on happiness. 

Frappe Anyone?

I just love those frappes that you get from Starbucks, McDonalds or wherever they serve them. I don't like how much they set me back though! So I set out to find a recipe make them. I used coffee, milk and flavored creamer.. no quite the mix I was looking for. Then found a recipe that got me kind of excited with hot chocolate drink powder.. fail! I finally decided to try out my own mix. I bought some half and half at Aldi's for $1.39 see I am already up a few dollars! I refrigerated my leftover coffee from that morning, ice and good old chocolate syrup. Many of the recipes I have seen call for STRONG coffee and suggest using double the amount of coffee to brew a pot that you normally would. I feel like the coffee I brew everyday is already pretty strong so I opted to use my "leftovers" ( I actually never have coffee leftovers) I combined all the ingredients added some sugar set my blender to "frappe" for a few mins. I left off the whip because I really don't care for it on my coffee anyway. It turned out yummy! I definitely will not pay $5 for one of these again! 

What did you make for lunch?

I have to admit that being off work since June 1st (I work at a school) I have had a lot of time on my hands. I have been putting on my wonder mom cape. Honestly when I am working and getting kids from here to there.. I don't normally MAKE the time for these projects. So today was lunch... I have seen many variations of this one on PINTERST.. I love all the ideas I can find here and I have had so much fun trying them out. So this one was one you could eat. I tried it on my kids. I used to Jiffy Corn Muffin Mixes and 4 all beef hot dogs. I mixed the muffin mix according the box directions, while I was letting my muffin mix rest I sliced my hot dogs up in small pieces ( I cut "slices" and then halved those slices).  I added a small amount of muffin mix to the pan (I made 12 muffins) then I added a few of the hot dog slices and topped with more muffin mix. I baked them at 400 for 20 mins. I served them with ketchup and mustard. My kids gobbled them up even Shelby who said she didn't like that (without trying them) ate one. I will definitely add this to my repertoire 

Mommy and Me Journals

Yet again I have found another pinterest project using my favorite scrapbook papers.. I had some leftover from my iPhone covers so in searching I found this idea http://howtonestforless.com/2012/06/14/scrapbook-paper-covered-journal/ So I went and bought some notebooks, ribbon and glue sticks at Dollar tree... 

I changed my journal a bit, the author of the blog where I found this idea used fabric and mod podge... I elected to just use paper and glue. I traced the notebook onto the paper and them cut the paper to size. I then used the glue stick to attach paper to note book.

Once I had the paper attached to the note book I added a ribbon.. I simply threaded it through the spiral of the notebook tied it to keep it secure then tied the ribbon in a bow. Easy Peasey! I think they turned out great and I think I will make more for gifts in the future.

So here is my finished product 

I love how they turned out. I plan on giving one to each of my daughters. We can exchange them back and forth and write our dreams, wishes, and whatever else comes to mind... I think this is going to make a wonderful keepsake in years to come! 

Nail biting....

I have bit my nails for as long as I can remember.. for almost any reason I would chew away at my nails and my cuticles making my hands a horrible mess. I have quit three times before this but have never lasted this long. Each time I have quit before was after the birth of each of my three daughters. For some reason this time feels different. I have been getting a bi-weekly manicure to encourage and reward myself. So here is my progress...

This was when I first stopped biting my daughter and Taylor painted our nails together... looks bad I know but it really was progress at the time.

This was after my first salon manicure! I really was feeling good about my nails the day I went to get this mani.. until the technician said to me.. "your nails are very short" ..

So this manicure was a little over two weeks from the first one I got. I am so proud of myself.. and I am really hoping I am officially done with this nasty habit of nail biting. Unfortunately I have passed the habit to two of my girls... but they have both been trying to give up the chewing habit! 

DIY iPhone Cover

So I have really been enjoying finding crafts and other projects on pinterest that I can actually do and come out with a half way decent looking finished product. I found this Iphone cover idea http://howtonestforless.com/2011/10/19/on-the-cheap-scrapbook-paper-iphone-covers/

So off to hobby lobby to find some scrapbook paper. My head was spinning and my 2 year old was screaming her head off so I only ended up with four or five sheets of scrap book paper. Give me 10 mins without kids and I could have left with a lot more! LOL 

So this was VERY easy I ordered plain plastic cases from Amazon for about 2.50 a piece. I believe there are some more protective cases out there, since this was a test run I decided to try something not so expensive. All you need is a pen or pencil to make your stencil, scissors, exact o knife and scrapbook paper. I trace around my iPhone, then cut that out, once I had it cut out I had to do a little trim work, once I had the paper fit in the case. I stenciled the hole for camera/flash then using an exact o knife I cut the hole out.. and PRESTO.. I have a new iPhone cover. 

To do or To don't ?

I have probably made a zillion of these list in my life time- 

I wish I could say that I finished a zillion of these in my lifetime, in fact I get so frustrated with to do list, the often become to don't list. I really do have good intentions of having a magazine worthy home.. spic and span clean from top to bottom. Spic and Span? Wow I am really showing my age! Do they still make the stuff? I prefer the "lick and a promise" clean! 

My life is hectic so if I don't make list I do often "forget things" 

I mean who I am I kidding, I am really a procrastinator! Since I am on summer vacation and don't work my job, I am home with my 3 girls 7,8 and 2 going on 12! So my summer consist of putting everything off til "tomorrow". I decided this summer would be different so I am proud to say that I have organized 3 rooms in my house plus a closet. I am currently working on the kitchen and my love nest (master bedroom)... It might be only 15 mins a day but I try to devote at least that much time to taking care of the to do list. I think it only took me a week to finish this one! 

Besides I have more important things to do like making memories with my 3 girls. :) 

Homemade Laundry Detergent/Fabric Softner/Oxy Clean

 After hearing of friends having success with homemade laundry products I thought I would try my hand at them... I started with this home made fabric softner recipe that you can use in washing machine or the way I use mine which I will explain a little further down. 
I found my recipe via Pinterest http://thefrugalgirls.com/2010/10/homemade-fabric-softener.html.
This is a fabulous blog with lots of ways to save money. They even suggest using coupons to get the conditioner for pennies or even free. I am not much a couponer myself, I am just not organized enough. 
This recipe was relatively easy.. so here it goes.... I strongly suggest using hot water or the conditioner will not dissolve. I put all my ingredients in a large jar and stirred then put the lid on and shook it for all I was worth. I have been using this for about a week now and I have to say the thing I miss is the smell. I think I will try using some of the new scent boosters out there.. since I am saving so much on these laundry products. I would say this costly me roughly 50 cents to make maybe even less. I do laundry almost every day so over time this will add to BIG savings. Maybe I will be able to get a new washer and dryer some day! I have been using this by soaking wash cloths in the mix and adding them to the dryer.. which I might add is a tad messy..

I'm cleaning out my closet literally.....

I know we all have one.. maybe your's is a drawer. Mine is a closet... and when you live in a two bedroom house with 3 kids... space is at a premium. I despise this closet... when I open it I cringe. I call it the catch all.. company coming? Great open the closet and throw this in. I have managed to put everything from Christmas ornaments to a jigsaw in there. I stuff and stuff things in there. It gets so bad that you have push stuff in just to get the door shut.

I had already taken out over half of what was in the closet to begin when I took the picture. The "stuff" was piled waist high and you couldn't see the floor.

At some point my 7 year old daughter wander in and had lots of questions about alot of the stuff that was in there. Lots of pictures, clothes that kids don't fit, that one shoe that we never could find, too bad the other one has since went to the shoe graveyard. Eventually I was able to remove everything from the closet. It felt so good to have it completely empty. My 8 year old daughter who is desperate to have her own room asked if she could make it her own room. Don't laugh but I did comsider it!!

Ok so S isn't getting a new room just yet! Now I all the things I had pulled out of the closet strung out all over the house. So I started going through all the piles and putting things in storage boxes which I had plenty of.. I parted with alot of things that I have been holding onto for no reason really. I feel so good about how clean the closet is now..

Now to keep it looking this way! I give myself 6 months! lol

Pinterest.. strikes again!

This really spoke to me. I have a teenage son. His dad and I are divorced and just recently after many "issues" between my son and I, he has chosen to live with his dad, I am not really happy with the situation, but I feel I have made the best decision for everyone involved. 
It has been really tough on me though he hasn't really wanted anything to do with me unless he needs something which was making me feel very bitter. It hurt my feelings that the only time he would call me was if he needed something. 
Then one day I was sifting through my pinterest "Words to live By" board, and I stumbled upon this. It spoke to me and gave me peace. 

My first pinterest project...

Last October I stumbled upon a website.. a virtual pin board.. I was overwhelmed. I spent hours up hours "pinning" to my pinboards. I could get lost and forget what time it was. There was a problem though... I wasn't bringing any of my ideas to life.

So.. enter this easy project.... I was at a local thrift store one day and stumbled upon these frames, on the 90% off table!!! I paid 50 cents for two frames!! I bought some twine at the local hard ware store and waaa-lah! I had this neat way to display pictures... but I still had one more frame.

I used the other frame as it was. I hung it on the wall I also hung a binder clip inside the frame. Now I can clip my children's artwork or school work.. and I can switch them out easily. My kids are always so proud to see their work hanging in this frame.

I actually bought 4 frames for a $1. So I still have two frames that I haven't used yet... although I do have a project in mind for them..