First completed Project!

I completed my first project of the year.  Jack has been asking for a minion hat.    The hat part has been finished for a few weeks, but I needed to figure out how to do the eye and mouth.  The whole project was completed using loom knitting.  Jack loves it!  

New Years Resolutions

So like a lot of people I make New Year's Resolutions and I tend to do a pretty poor job at keeping them.  I'm going to share my goals for the year and try to keep myself going by updating my progress weekly. 

1.  Lose 15 pounds.  This should be something I can achieve since it is only a little over a pound a month.  I'm going to achieve this by drinking more water and less diet coke.  I'd love to give up the diet coke completely, but I'm just not there yet.  I also will try to limit myself to healthy snacks.

2.  Save for a February 2015 Disney trip. 

3.  Finish atleast 12 craft projects  (stretch goal of 24). 

4.  Clean and declutter all closets in the house. 

Has it really been a year?

I thought life would settle down a little bit after our move last December, but it hasn't seemed to.  Carter started all day kindergarten in September.   He's loving it so far.  He's attending the same elementary school I went to.  Almost daily he will ask me if something he did was the same as something I did in kindergarten.  I'm just amazed how fast he's learning.
Jack is in preschool two days a week.  He also gets to ride the bus to speech class two mornings a week.  Every other Wednesday we have parent days at preschool.  It's really fun to see Jack interact with all his little buddies.  He loves all of the songs they sing and he sings them all the time at home.
Not too much new with me.  I'm still working very part time.  I've been looking for something more, but I haven't really found something that's a good fit.
I don't really have a craft space set up, so I haven't been doing to many projects.  I'm hoping the holiday will inspire me to get back to crafting.

Dinosaur cookies

Carter found a box of dinosaur cookie cutters when we were unpacking boxes a few weeks ago.  He's been  begging to make cookies since then.  There was no preschool today because of Presidents' Day, so I decide it was the perfect day to make cookies.  

 I pre-made the dough last night after the boys went to bed using this recipe.  I knew they wouldn't be patient enough to wait for it to chill.  I would highly recommend this recipe because it wasn't a sticky mess like some sugar cookie recipes tend to be.  The boys took turns helping me roll out the dough and cutting out the cookies.  While the cookies baked, the boys took a break to go play.
After lunch we decorated the cookies.  I adapted my frosting from this recipe, using butter instead of corn oil and doubling the milk to make the frosting easier to spread.  The only thing I would do differently next time is to give Jack his own small frosting bowls because the knives kept ending up in his mouth.  The boys loved it!

By this time tomorrow. . . .

we should be starting in to some of our projects at the new house.  I am so excited  (and a little nervous!) about this exciting change.  

New House Excitement

One of the main reasons Tim and I were so interested in the house we are buying is the almost half acre yard (which is not very common any more in the suburbs around us.)















Half of the backyard is fenced in, perfect for the dog we plan on getting next spring and for my small children that like to wandering off.  We plan building a huge sandbox


I'm excited to have all of this wonderful outdoor entertain space.  I really hope we have the money (and find a really good deal on)  some outdoor furniture, since we only have patio table and chairs.  I'm not really sure what I would pick out, even without a budget.  It looks like I'll have to scope out some ideas on pinterest. Any recommendations on where to find some fun pieces?  

The built-in fire pit is another exciting feature.   I can't wait to have our first party next spring.  

4 more days. . . .

Until we close on our new house!  I can't wait!  And then 13 more days until we move in completely.   It will go by fast.
One of our first projects once we move in is to take down the horrible wallpaper in the two upstairs bedrooms.  I wish I had pictures of the horrible 1980s floral loveliness.  I'll post some after we close.
The boys have decided that they would like to continue to share a room for now.  (Carter was concerned that Jack might get scared at night without him.)  I plan on painting the walls of their room blue, but I'm not exactly sure what shade yet.  I'm toying with the idea of a pirate- themed room, but I'm not 100% sure on how to make it cute, but not cheesy.
Choosing a master bedroom color is a much more difficult choice.  Our current bedding from when we got married 6 years ago.  The pattern is Calvin Klein Bamboo Flowers.

Tim and I both still like the design, but after six years the bedding is starting to show some wear.  I'd love to paint our bedroom something that works with our current bedding, but would be fine with what we might choose for new bedding.  Tim is extremely fussy about colors and patterns, so it's going to be challenge to find something we both like.