Where Have I been?

I am sorry for the lack of posts this week, with one of us down sick & my schedule crazy busy this week. Things have been a little slow going in the craft department.

This is a sneak peek at what we have been up to at the Hansen House

PINEWOOD DERBY

With Shane's ever changing military schedule, he is on nights this week. Unfortunately this means he gets to see the older kids for only about 15min each day, and that helping Mr. Zander with Pinewood Derby car goes on my to do list. I was nervous at first, I have no idea how to make a block of wood into a car. My son was more nervous than me he said "Mom, are you sure about this, I think we're going to ruin it." I think between me & Mr. Zander working on it while dad was at work, & dad help when he was home, we did a pretty good job.

Meet "The Boomerang" Mr. Zander & dad still need to work on the tires, but it is almost done.

It's Miracle Soup!!

We are still under the weather over here (the reason of lack of postings)

The other night for Dinner I made this DEVINE Chicken Noodle Soup My kids (including the Hubby) Felt almost instantly better. Its that type of soup. Packed FULL of Flavor!

Because I wasn't feeling any better then the rest of the clan I made a couple easy steps to it. Instead of cutting all the veggies I used frozen veggies and I didn't have any egg noodles or the energy to go to the store to get any so I used Quinoa (keen-wah). It was great! Everyone asked to have it for lunch the next day. My 5 year old told me that this soup is her most favorite ever and that she isn't sick anymore! IT'S A MIRACLE Soup!!!

I also love to freeze the extra broth for another day. Warm it up in a mug and you really do feel better! Thank you to the Chef of this fine Meal!!!

What meal warms you up?

Upcycled Oatmeal Container

Turn This

Into This

Recycling at it's finest

All you need is an

Empty Oatmeal Container

Scrapbook Paper

Adhesive of some sort

A Label

&

2 rolls of your finest TP.

I figured it was a pretty self explanatory project so i didn't do step by step photos

Do you have an awesome Upcycling project?

Calling in "Sick" Today

Growing up our Mom had a way to make our "Sick" days BETTER days. Almost to the point that we would forget that we were sick. She would make the couch up to be the most perfect and comfortable spot in the house (talking loads of blankets and pillows). Have a tray next to it with books, Hot water with lemon and honey in it, and a bowl of soup and crackers, and A tall glass of ice cold sprite, She would also make me my most favorite get well snack Tapioca. Then after she made sure I was comfy she would put in the Get Well Soon Movies...

For some reason Pete's Dragon and Pollyanna made us feel better.

So its my turn to follow Mom's wonderful example. My 3 kiddos are sick today. I have the baby napping upstairs and the girls each have a couch. They are nicely snuggled with their Blankets and pillows. And Pete's Dragon is playing!

What makes you feel Better?

Laundry Room Makeover

The laundry room in our house is the entrance to our castle, which means that is where everybody drops their stuff before going into the rest of the house. Shoes, backpacks, purses, socks, jackets & everything in between. I just don't like how messy it always seems to look even when things are put away, so i did a little revamping.

Starting with the shoes, I made this counter skirt to hide our basket of shoes (can I just say I love having a utility sink in the laundry room. This is the best when you cloth diaper. It also doubles as a great bathtub for the little ones)

These beauties are a gift from my wonderful hubby. I love the color, the fact that it has a steam option cuts way down on my ironing & I love the storage underneath. The Bins on top say Donate, Toss, & Put Away, I take them down when I am organizing a room or a space.

I also made a curtain for the shelving that was built into the house, I like that the curtains give it a much cleaner look. I also recovered the cedar chest with fabric to match the room.

Of course with my OCD the containers needed to match the room as well, I cut the side to make a template, I printed and laminated it on a sticker sheet so I could adhere it to the laundry soap containers.

Since we make our own laundry soap & fabric softener we will use these containers over and over again.

How to you organize the entry to your castle?

It a BiRtHdAy!

I have always been the un-tradional on in the family. I refuse to cook the Big Sunday Dinners (its a day of rest people!) I try to find the easiest way to do anything. (Like did you know that instead of cutting all the veggies like carrots, celery, onions you need for a soup base that you can find it pre done in the freezer section of the grocery store! GENIUS!!)

OK lets get back on track! I love Birthdays. I am 38 and I still count down to my day. I even make sure that no one forgets by leaving hints here and there. BUT I am not a fan of having the BIG 1 Birthday party. I know I am weird but here is why.... They don't really now what is going on and they end up getting really fussy and they don't really get to enjoy it! SO what we decided what we would do is have just a nice quiet 1st Birthday party with just us. We have a cake and we do let them go to town with it. But then here is the fun part for them, we give them a box of Tissue and just let them have the best time ever! It ends up being a great time for all!

AND we did however decide that we would have a party for the 5th Birthday! Its just as important for them at 5. They are a "BIG KID" now! They are going to start school soon and they are way more independent (as most of you already know!)

Here is my 5 year old! Happy Birthday Kiddo!!! She decided that she wanted a Tinkerbell Party. SO everything was done kinda woodsie and fairly like. (just so you know I like to make up words too!)

I have been pretty obsessed with making Banners lately (and I have some cute ones that I will post some other time!)

Love the twinkling lights. I even made the tulle and the leaf garland. I was in a very crafty mood for this day. For the tulle one I just cut pieces of tulle and bunched them together to make pom pom like balls and glued them to some Jute twine. Then for the leaf one I bought a container of leaves and also glued them to Jute. Looks pretty cool huh? I also went to the dollar store and got wings, tutus, and fairy wands for the girls. (we had 5 girls!) I know I have a pic of them just could locate a good one to share. All in All they had a blast!

Now for the fairy food. I found everything on a small scale. Anything that said Mini, I bought it and the girls LOVED it! As the "Fairies" were munching on their snacks they watched the New Tinkerbell movie that came out last fall. (Pixie Hollow Games)

She still talks about her BIG day! It was something that she will always remember

What do you do for Birthdays? What are some fun Traditions?

My New Obsession

OK this might be lame, but my new obsession is printing on 4x6 cards

They are cheap, and I don't have to cut them down to size. I print my recipes on them, make quiet books for my kids out of them, checklist for projects, and anything else I can come up with.

This is a Baptism book I am putting together for our Primary Baptism Preview
I use these photo albums from Wal-mart $1.00

And now you have a small book that can keep your kids quiet and busy.

Great 4x6 Printable's

Here

Here

&

Here

Something Saturday

What are you doing this fine Saturday?

I am a little undecided.

~ I could go clean some of the craft room. (you know that dead line I have the end of the month)

~ Could run to the post office and mail a package to my sister. (Which I still may try and do)

~ Could clean the Kitchen. (went on date with hubby last night and I didn't get it done before I left. Thankful for our AWESOME babysitter who attempted to straighten it the best she could with 3 toddlers)

~ OR and this is what I think just may help me start the day.... BUILD a house of Cards with my kiddos!

Fitness Friday: Mason Jar Salad

If you have been on Pinterest, I'm sure you have see these AWESOME little salads in a jar.

New year & new goals, I am sure in one form or another one of those goals for most of us is to be healthy. This is one of my favorite ways to get a little more veggies in my diet. This pint jar may look small but it could sure hold a lot of salad. We love to shop for produce at Costco and buy the ingredients in bulk. On Saturday's I chop all the veggies, fill my jars, and place them in the refrigerator for a fast easy and healthy lunch.

What are your ideas on how to become more healthy?

Something Crafty

Before we bought our house we went through 5 others looking for the perfect floor plan. We wanted a open and bright feeling, 4 bedrooms, and at least 2 bathrooms. House #6 was perfect. The second we walked into the house we were sold! It has everything on our list including....

A craft room!

Only it didn't look like this we when bought the house. And my excuse goes like this...

The day we moved in we had the movers put everything in this room with the intentions of me and my 10 month old going through boxes and putting everything gin its proper place. Hahaha! 1 month after we moved in I started feeling really sick and it was all day long. Why? Because I was pregnant with our 2nd daughter. So now I had a 18 month old and a newborn. Now nothing gets done. I want to nap with the girls. Well...16 months after my daughter was born, #3 a bouncing baby boy was born. SO needless to say the Craft Room was permanently put on hold!

UNTIL now! 4 1/2 years in the house and now I can unpack! The Kids are now 5, 3 1/2, and 2. If you remember from an earlier post this month I made a goal to clean it out this month! I have made good progress so far. I can now walk into it with out having to move something for me to get in.

My cousin came over last night and didn't even know that I had another room in the house. I had kept it hidden pretty well. I just may have to recruit her help so I can make my goal!!

I will post a pic of the finished project. (or at least show you my progress!)

Well Read Wednesday: Book Recomendation

Well were to start with this one, I guess I will start with my love for reading. I am the youngest girl of six children; I have 3 older sisters an older brother and a younger brother. Getting time with mom was not an easy thing at our house. My mom loved to read and when she did have down time she was reading. So I started to ask her about her books and what books she had read that she thought I might like to read. We would check out two copies of a book and I would read one and she would read the other and we would talk about what we were reading.

I loved it! I was hooked, I loved sitting with my mom reading.
Today I have been thinking of my mom a lot, not sure why today of all days I would melt into tears at those thoughts. Maybe it was that the stuffed peppers that I made for dinner last night tasted just like hers. Maybe it is because my son has her eyes and I see her when I look into them. It could be that I my hands look like hers minus the scars of her well lived life. My final guess would be it is because I have chosen adversity as my topic of study this week. My mom helped write the definition of adversity, some adversity was caused by her choices, some was because of the choices of others, and some was just a natural part of her life here on Earth. It brings me to think of our last serious conversation before she passed away. She called me to tell me that "I was not living my life", not the hello how is your day going kind of conversation. I laughed and said, "What are you talking about". She said "you’re not living life, you’re not making mistakes". I replied back, "So you want me to go out and sin?" She was exasperated that I was not getting her meaning and told me that "you’re not getting what I am trying to say". We then moved on to other, lighter subjects. I have often played that conversation in my head over and over again, trying to grasp at what she was trying to tell me.

Mom I finally see your meaning.

Adversity is what makes the weak become strong. You can’t learn and grow to your full potential sitting on the sidelines catching the occasional foul ball. You have to get in and play the game. As a teenager my bishop suggested I read this book, and I pass that suggestion onto you. Life is all about adversity. It is how we tackle the adversity that leads to growth in this life and opportunities in the eternities.

What helps you get through adversity?

New Toy..

My son has a blood disorder that requires him to have frequent blood transfusions. So we are at the hospital every 3-4 weeks. I have a huge backpack that is filled with toys, snacks, and books (for reading, coloring, writing, you name it!) So when Amazon came out with the Kindle it was instantly put on my "Wish List" It would take a load out of my bag. And let me tell you it has! Yep you read it right....





For Christmas my Hubby got me a Kindle Fire

I love it. I am still learning the in's and out's. I love that not only can I get books but that I can stream movies and games, TV shows, Magazines, Newspapers, WEB, and I am sure there is way more that I don't even know. I even have a directory app so I can input all my contacts. I have a notepad app so I can write all my notes or journal entrys while I am out and about. I am pretty much in love with this new "baby" of mine!

Now I just wish that I could keep it from my kids. Daddy had to put the Angry Birds App on it so they go crazy. (i do use it as a bribe at times)

I also have the Kindle 3G keyboard. A gift from my sister and her hubby for my birthday last year. I love how light weight and small this one is.

Do you have a Kindle? What is your favorite app? Do you have any helpful Tips that you would like to share?

Menu Monday: Snack- Homemade Microwave Popcorn

I don't know about you, but popcorn is a main staple at our house. Not only do we grind it up as corn meal, but we also use it for homemade popcorn. We tried the old fashion stove top way with some success. But there had to be an easier way without the purchase of yet another kitchen appliance, right? I found out how to make Homemade Microwave Popcorn Here We keep several of them ready to go in our pantry

This is one of my kid's favorite popcorn topping.

Hubby's favorite is my mom's Peanut Butter Popcorn

Peanut Butter Popcorn

2 bags popped popcorn

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Corn Syrup

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

Pour popcorn to large bowl (I try to remove as many unpopped kernels as I can)

Combine next three ingredients in small saucepan until sugar has dissolved almost a boil. Pour Peanut butter mixture over popcorn and stir until popcorn is evenly coated. This is best served warm, but you can store it in an airtight container.

If you want to see my favorite popcorn topping go here

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Kids Closet Oganization

Today's post is on organizing the kids closet, I found these AWESOME printables here. On the right you will see a list of folders the Printable daily clothes tag is in the 3rd folder just scroll down to Daily Clothes Bag Tags PDF Or just click the link below

I don't know about you, but I dislike Monday morning chaos.

When I found these I was so happy not only do they have so many colors including the ones I use for our kids (we call the Family Colors). But they also have a space for you to write things for them to remember, like library book, jackets, homework, or just to remind them that you love them. It may seem like a lot of work to do this, but come Monday morning you will be glad you took the extra time.

My other kids Colors

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3gne68v45ywe9oc

How do you organize your kids closet?

Organizing The Little Things

I guess since it is the new year I am on an Organizing Kick, and I wanted to share with you some of my Organizing Secrets.

Today I am going so show you my soap boxes ( I love these little things)

You can find these almost anywhere in the trail size section.

My favorites are the Wal-Mart $.97 (the color ones)

and the bigger white ones I found at the BX with a round toothbrush holder included for $.55

Of cours we use the round toothbrush holder to hold pencils (not shown)

I use them for so many little things. Here are some that go in our Church Bag/Pack Mtg Bag.

These other ones hold some smaller school supplies, & card games. My kids love to build card houses, but they either rip the box puting the cards away or lose it. You can put together a little boardom buster house of cards kit.

Just a deck of cards and a soap box.

I also have one in my junk drawer to hold all those little screws, washers, bolts, & nuts

Last but not least my favorite way to use these little soap boxes is to help keep my purse organized. I carry this one in my purse to keep my Iphone/Ipod accesories close at hand ond neatly put away.

I hope you have enjoyed my little rant. I'll get off my "Soap Box" now.