Housekeeping 101

Recently I read the following comment, "A lazy Mom makes her kids' beds!" Think about that one for a little bit....

So, I have been working with my girls to clean their rooms, keep their beds made and clean up their toys. This seems like an endless job. Well, this morning my oldest daughter said to me, "Mom, I'll give you some money if you clean my room!" Where do they come up with these comments?

Apron Girls

I made my girls their own apron. They each picked out their own fabric. Both ended up being so cute. I also managed to make myself an apron. However, it is hard to get a picture of me in it. Hopefully soon I will be able to post one. Aprons are so popular right now and there are so many fun fabrics to choose from. If you haven't noticed I have been in a sewing mood this summer! My newest hobby is checking out all the fun fabrics! You will have to stay tuned to see what I post in the future.

The Big Four

My baby is four today!! Happy Birthday my Sweetheart! She is so excited to be in a big booster seat. However, she is sad that she doesn't get warm milk in the morning anymore. We will be celebrating with some family and a yummy Costco Princess cake!

Cradle Restoration

A little over a year ago, my parents gave me my doll cradle from when I was a little girl. My girls have been playing with it and it has been on my "to-do-list" to re-paint and cover the form. Well, I finally finished it! Also, I was inspired by some doll quilts that I saw on line, so I used some scrap fabric and made a doll quilt. Actually, I'm making two, one for each of my girls. I'm excited that they are able to play with some of my old toys. Hopefully some day they will be able to pass this cradle on to their children.

Summer Sports

This summer I have been running my girls to swim lessons and soccer camp almost every day. I feel like I have entered into a new chapter of my life, SOCCER MOM!! Both girls are having a lot of fun and I think it is great that they are getting a taste of some different sports to try. However, I have mixed emotions about starting kids in organized sports at such a young age (will they get tired of the sport by the time they enter middle school, what about accidents like a torn ACL, and other concerns). For now we are just having fun and I'm thrilled the girls are learning how to swim.

Notice that my oldest daughter still wears pink - even when playing soccer!

A or B ?

I have mentioned before that I really like purses! So, for the last couple of years I have been making my own purses, either sewing or felting them. Last week I purchased some fabric and used some "scraps" that I had in my sewing room, to create two purses. I used the same fabrics, but I switched them up a little. So, now I need your help to let me know which one you like the best.

On another note, I have to share some of the funny things my girls have said and done recently.

Monday i was running errands with my girls and I had to use the bathroom at a couple of different stops (yes, I went before I left). Anyway my oldest daughter says, "Mom, I think you should only drink TWO cups a coffee in the morning!"

When talking with our next door neighbor, my youngest daughter says, "Mr. Mark, why do you have your shirt off?" (He was doing yard work and it was warm). He explained that he was working on his base tan before he went away on vacation. The next thing I knew Olivia started hiking up her shirt and she said, "I'm taking off my shirt too!" I had to put a stop to that one.

Last night I noticed some "dirt" on Olivia's blanket, I asked what it was. She said, "It's just probably some boogers!"

Salsa Garden

Last week I mentioned about some domestic activity that is happening at our home. I have been inspired with all this jam sitting around to do some more canning this summer. The hard part is that living in suburbia, we don't have a garden. So, here is my pseudo-garden - three tomato plants and three different pepper plants. I'm excited to make salsa,using the recipe that I use to make with my girlfriends.

Here is the recipe for great salsa:
1 quart peeled & chopped tomatoes
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped green pepper
4 hot chopped jalapeno peppers (according to your taste)
1 or 2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon each of oregano, cajon, pepper, cumin and cilantro

Cook until think 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Can for 30 minutes.

Just a little warning ,this process takes an entire evening. So, grab a couple of friends and a couple bags of tortilla chips!