Turning something old into something new...

I love giving new life to things. Trash to treasure is definately one of my favorite pastimes. However, I'm one of those people that has to wait until the item speaks to me. Sometimes, I find an item that I know has great potental, just not sure what it is. So I wait...and sometimes I wait and wait and wait...until it tells me what it wants to become. Sounds silly, I'm sure.

But trash to treasure inspiration struck this morning. Since midsummer, I've had this small weird stool hanging around the house. I picked it up at a garage sale, and I didn't pay much for it, becuase I could see lots of potential in it. I just didn't know what it was.

Well, I finally decided to turn it into a jewelery box for my niece for Christmas. I have some really funky fabric, so I have been decopaging the fabric onto the top in a mosaic kind of a thing. It is turning out really cute! I have only part of the top done, and you can't see the full picture yet, but it is coming! I can see it transforming before my eyes! I think it will ultimately be really, really cute! The before & semi-after photos above show the top. The center I've left open, becuase it will have a raised black fabric covered personalization on it for my neice. Now, I am just waiting for it to dry so I can get it on. Then I'll be off to getting the sides done and the inside lined. Then, being that my niece is only 4, I'm going to fill it with plastic "play" jewlery for her! I think it is going to turn out to be a great gift for her!

And, it has gotten me inspired to look around the house at what else I picked up this summer that still needs to be transformed into something new. I have an old 3 step ladder that needs some work. I am getting a new couch and love seat soon, and will be rearranging the living room. I am thinking about painting it in colors matching the living room, then putting "cushions" on each step, with just some thin batting, so we can still use it to put things on....hmmmm....I think I may have just found another project! Ha! I'm gonna have to go check out fabric for the cushions at the store!

My Favorite Holiday Traditions...

I have to say, even with the commercialism of the holiday season, it is still my favorite time of year. I love giving gifts, even if it is a bit contradictory of what I think about buying things you don't need, overpurchasing & overspending. But I think that is the challange. I spend time trying to find the perfect, useful gift for each member of our family and then trying to find it massively on sale. I never buy anything for the holidays that isn't on sale, so I always get a thrill about how much I am saving myself, when buying for others.

And I love decorating! The day after Thanksgiving is one of favorite days, because it is the day that I pull out all of my Christmas things and think about all the years gone by. When I got each ornament and where we bought it. It is one of our favorite traditions. I don't go out and buy Christmas decorations. Most of what I have, was given to me as Christmas presents or hand-me-downs. But each year, we go out and we buy one ornament that represents something significant that happened that year. The year we adopted our dog, we bought a dog ornament. The year we bought our house, a house ornament. And of course, a baby's first Christmas ornament for both of the kids. We are always sure to put the year on the back of each ornament, so as we pull them out we can look back at all the years gone by, since Hubby and I started dating! It is so much fun. We haven't purchased our ornament this year, but we have so many memories to chose from. Our son started first grade, we adopted our cat, we lost our third child when I was 18 weeks pregnant, and much more. So, I will have to spend some time narrowing it down and deciding what memory to signify this year.

Another one of my favorite traditions is my tree skirt. I made it when the kids were little. I cut out a red felt tree skirt, then each year, I have traced the boys handprints onto green felt, stitched their name and year on them, then stitched them to the skirt. It is one of my favorite things to bring out each year, and it is starting to fill out with handprints. I know it is something that I will treasure, when my kids are grown and living on their own.

Another favorite tradition, is our Christmas morning breakfast with our neighbors and best friends. When we moved into our house, almost 5 years ago, we didn't know any of our neighbors. They were close to us in age, and we had alot in common. But within a few months, we became fast friends and now they are our dearest friends, and I consider them family. Both of our families run around at the holiday season. We see our family, but we don't get to see our friends much. So, during our first holiday in our house, we invited them over for a small Christmas breakfast. It was wonderful. They get to see the boys open all of their gifts from Santa, which has been wonderful for them, because they hadn't started their family yet. So for them, it was a chance to tap into the childhood of Christmas again. I am so happy to say, that this year, they are expecting their first child in May, so I am sure next Christmas we will have another pitter patter of little feet at our Christmas breakfast table. But it gives us a chance to spend time at Christmas with those who choose to love (friends) and not just those we have to love (family).

I love Christmas and I am so happy that it is here! I am always able to manage the Christmas season with low-stress, and I think i is because I do the things that I enjoy and I skip the things that stress me out!

So, I say, bring on the Holiday Season....I'M READY!!!!!!

A Thanksgiving Treat...

You're thinking food right? Not at all! Thanksgiving with our families this year was such a treat! If you read my earlier post, you know all about my dread over family holidays. I love my family very much, but they tend to lean to the materialistic side, overdo things, stress out and can sometimes be generally mean! But this year was the exact opposite!

We started the day with hubby's family. We had a nice drive down, singing to all of our favorites on the classic rock station, which was fun for hubby and I...and I think we drove the boys crazy, which is funny, because it is total role reversal for us. Normally, they are driving us crazy in the car! We were in a happy, cozy silly mood, so as we passed the turkey farm on the way to see family, we decided that in the spirit of Thanksgiving...we had to stop and take a picture in front of the big sign! So we stopped on the side of the road (luckily, it was a country road without much traffic) put the camera on the truck, on a timer and took a great shot! I've added the picture, just for fun!

After that, we got back into the truck and headed off to Grandmother's house (well, grandmother-in-law for me). We got there, and got to see all of our nieces and nephews. The house was filled with 5 kids running around all between the ages of 4-6...let's just say it was totally loud and lots of fun! We got to see both of hubby's grandma's, his grandpas, his parents, his sisters & brothers-in-law and a few other family friends. We had a very nice visit with them, and normally they have TONS of food out, for appetizers and this year they skipped much of that, and just had coffee and cheese & crackers. It was so nice to see them paring it down, becuase they often go overboard!

Around "lunchtime" we hopped in the truck again, and went off to see my parents, and honestly...this was the part of the day that I was dreading! However, we had a really great time. My family didn't go overboard on food, we had some leftover's, but nothing obsene. My mother actually let others into her kitchen to help with the food (this is what normally causes her stress), so I handled taking the cranberry jelly out of the can (does no one trust my cooking? Although, this is a totally sacred job, becuase you have to be careful the jelly doesn't loose it's can shape), my brother made the gravy, hubby made the mashed potatoes, grandma made the pies, my boys helped set the table, dad carved the turkey, and my uncle followed up and washed the dishes. So this year, everyone pitched in, and it was a wonderful event. There was no arguing, there were no tense moments that normally occur at our family gatherings, it really was peaceful and happy. After that, we drove back to our home town, with the kids falling asleep almost instantly after getting into the car. Hubby and I sang silly Christmas carols (God, we sound like idiots, with all the singing in the car...we're not, really! We are just both horrible singers, so we are limited to singing in the car or the shower). And I came home and began decorating for Christmas, I don't think I could have asked for a nicer day.

Do I think it is sad, that it has taken me 28 years to have a peaceful Thanksgiving with my family...maybe a little. But I'm so happy that we had it, even if it took almost 3 decades to get here. Now, I just have to try to keep my hopes down...I can't expect Christmas to be this lovely, can I?

Ahhhhh, Thanksgiving

One of the most lavishly overindulgent days of the year, second only to Christmas. We stress about about the decorations, we stress about the food, and all for the family who loves us anyways! I don't personally cook Thanksgiving dinner, and if I did you can bet it would be a much simpler affair than what any of my relatives do. Do you really need a 20 lb turkey? A vat of mashed potatoes and gravy? Not really. No one wants to eat leftovers after the Saturday after Thanksgiving! We all get tired of them.

So why do we keep doing it? Tradition mostly, would be my first guess. But we as American's have a need to overspend and go overboard on everything from TV's, to fast food meals, to holidays. There is no in between for us, many of us try to do the best of the best from the beginning.

Now, I'll bet I sound a bit like a scrooge but don't get me wrong. I love the holiday season, in fact I started getting out Christmas decorations yesterday. I love to spend a few hours on Thanksgiving with my family and the hubby's family. I just wish, it wasn't a day trying to outdo each other with our fatty, high-calorie, high-carb dishes, and we could have a simple meal that we could all enjoy. Who says you have to have turkey on Thanksgiving? Apparently, my mother...who gets up at the crack of dawn on Thanksgiving to start cooking a turkey that she has been thawing for 3 days. The whole thing really takes at least a week of preperation. Well, if it makes her happy....but that's the whole thing. I don't think it makes her happy, I think she is trying to make everyone else happy. She gets so stressed about the whole thing, and in her opinion....no one ever helps her, even though I don't think she realizes that plenty of people offer to help, but she shoos them out of the kitchen, the minute they touch something. She ends up miserable and crabby, then takes it out on the rest of us with snide comments and rude remarks. I just thank God that my brothers fiance won't be there this year. I love her to death, but my mother makes her the target of the insults (behind her back, of course), when she is around and it just ruins any holiday/family coziness that I long to share on these days!

I just wish we could simplify these Holidays. Make it about family and not about who can make the biggest and best meal. I guess I have to be patient and wait my turn. For years, the gauntlet has been passed down from mother to daughter. For years my mother's mother held the familial celebrations, and then when my mother had grandchildren of her own, her mother passed the tradition down to her. So maybe, eventually it will be my turn...then I can start changing the overspending habits of America, one family at a time....starting with my own!

Losing the fat...

Literally! Hubby and I switched to a new eating style recently, and it is doing wonders! We switched over to a low-carb, higher protein meal plan, and the results have shocked me! I have never tried any of the low-carb diets before, but hubby has. A few years ago, he did Adkins, and lost some weight, but had a hard time sticking to it, because back then, the diet was in its early days and VERY rigid. They have switched some things up and now it is very easy to stick too. We are not doing any of the "actual" diets, simply keeping our carb intake under 25, and keeping our protein at .4 grams per pound of body weight. Which is what we've found to be the "ideal" amounts for healthy weight loss. Now, we are still watching our total calories and total fat intakes as well. I don't believe in Adkins, when they say not to watch the fat content. It may not make you fat, but I still believe that it will cause other problems within the body!

I have a SEVERE sweet tooth, so I really thought this diet was not for me. Not being able to eat sugar, is like amputating my right arm. But, I've found that with some creativity, I can still satisfy my sweet tooth with little calories & carbs! It's amazing.

My top two favorite things for desserts are;

1. Sugar free jello cups! ~ With 5 calories per cup, no fat and no carbs, they are ideal! They provide me with just the thing I need at the end of the night, to get rid of my sugar cravings!

2. Sugar Free Rootbeer Floats ~ Yes!!!! You read that right! In order to get the protein that we need each day, we have added a protein powder to our diet. Hubby is also a huge Pepsi drinker, so he has had to curb his pop habit and has been bringing home a variety of diet pops to try out and see if he can find one that he likes. He has found that he really likes Diet Sprite, Diet 7 up and Diet A&W Rootbeer. Because we can't drink milk, because of the carb content, I have been adding the protein powder to things other than water, to see if I can enhance the taste. On a whim, I added it to Diet Rootbeer and whala! The Sugar Free Rootbeer floats were born. One scoop of protein powder added to a bottle of diet rootbeer is amazing! With 110 calories, 2 carbs, and no fat...it is the best dessert I have ever found! We have already added 2 scoops of protein powder into our daily calorie counts, so we can add the rootbeer, instead of water and we have no added calories and a great snack/dessert! I'm so happy that I tried it.

We are doing really well, and I am proud of us. We ordered an elliptical machine, and it will be here within the next week. I am already starting to notice a huge difference in my body, with the fat coming off, I can't even imagine what is going to happen when I start using the elliptical machine!

I am tracking my weight & measurements and have also taken before pictures. If I get brave at some point, I may add some before and after photos for everyone to see! But I am still aways off from that! I only have 17 pounds to go though!

Going crafty for the Holidays...

Okay, so it has been a really long time since I have posted anything on this blog. But it is only because I have been so busy getting ready for the Holidays. I don't totally buy into the whole commercial aspect of the holidays...which makes sense, being that I am the "Simple Mommy". I would love to go whole hog into a "Buy Nothing Christmas" (BNC), and I have found tons of wonderful ideas on their website, but my extended family would probably have a fit, if they opened their gifts and found nothing of commercial value in them. To many of them, it wouldn't matter how much time or thought or effort was put into a gift, if it is under $20...they'd be insulted. Well, not everyone can be as enlightened as some of us, right?


That being said, I am purchasing one gift for everyone this year and trying to make it into something that they will really enjoy. Some will end up with giftcards, so I can save myself from shipping things across the country others will end up with things that I handpick for them, hoping that they are surprised and happy about how well I know what they love! I am really trying not to stress too much about purchasing the items for everyone. I have set a really strict budget that I plan to adhere too.


All the other gifts under our tree, will be handmade by me and the boys. I have started working on things and I also have a long list of ideas for everyone. Most people would think that this is totally stressful, but for me it has actually brought about a peaceful feeling. I have realized that I have lost touch with my inner artist. Taking on these projects has really brought out my creative side that I have lost touch with. And the funny thing is, even my hubby is looking at me differently. I finished a charcoal drawing today, and he just sat and smiled at me. I could see that my being happy and doing what I loved, made him a little bit happy too.


I thought I would post some of the projects that I have been working on:

These photos are a charcoal drawing that I finished today. This one isn't actually for the Holidays, this one I'll be keeping for myself! The original black and white photo was taken of my hubby's and first son's hands, when my son was a baby 6 years ago!

These are a few of the handbags that I have made for the ladies in the family. I have several more, but just thought I would post a few that I already had photos loaded for!

This project was done in pastels and is for my hubby's Grandma. She is a collector of Rowe Pottery and even has a Rowe Pottery border in her kitchen, so I thought this would be a fun one to do, and I thought it would go great in her kitchen!

So, there are a few of the completed projects that I have. I have many more in the works, and have a bunch that I plan to include the kids in...so I will be posting more as I finish them prior to the holidays!

Simplicity vs. Complicity

It is so easy to fall back into old habits. First off, I haven't written on this blog in over a month which shows just how busy we've been. The weekends come and go and while we get stuff done, we aren't slowing down and enjoying much of it, which was my goal in simplifying. I look at the calendar, and there is something scrawled across every day of the week. Most of the things belong to the kids. Welcome to being a mom of school age kids, right? I do limit what they do. I will put them each in 1 activity, my oldest chose cub scouts this year and my youngest isn't doing anything right now. But you add that to family nights at school, plus the many other things we have going on and it all piles up. But I also don't want to take anything away from the kids, becuase they only get 1 childhood and I want them to look back at it fondly.

So, I am recommitting myself to become a simplier person. I have one last push this week to reduce clutter in the house. We are having our garage sale this weekend, and while the garage is full, I still have plenty of house to go through to get things thinned out. I have started the boys clothes, but need to finish it. My youngest has gotten so big, that none of his summer clothes will fit him again next year. So those are going straight into the sale box. Along with shoes, coats and old halloween costumes that we will never use again!

So, I am recommitting myself to getting organized. Which I have to say, although I have somewhat fallen off the simplicity wagon over the last few weeks, I have become much more organized. I have been tasked with clearing out the garage, so hubby can use it for his own room, peace and quiet away from the kids and all. So, I have been reorganizing closets and trying to find spaces that we are using the wrong way. Like the linen closet. I had some towels, toiletries & TP in there and alot of empty space on each shelf. Plus, I also have the mohagany chest that is in the bathroom that sat empty forever, becuase I couldn't fit it in there well enough to open the doors to use it. I finally took everything out of the closet and put it in the armoire. It fit really well. Then I took all of the fall/christmas decor and camping stuff that had been cluttering up the garage and fit it all in the closet. It was a tight fit, but at least the space is being used up now and not wasted. Then, since I don't need to get in there often, I put the armoire in front of the closet door and it worked beautifully! So I just need to get creative with the space that I have and I know I can get really organized! Especially if I get rid of LOTS of our stuff!