Pick it up please!

With Christmas in the not so recent past, I had about had it with our playroom and the overwhelming number of toys that had made their way into our home. They were everywhere! I was beginning to feel the need to just sack everything up and toss it out with our weekly garbage. My kids would have not been too happy with that, or me for the matter. Thank goodness that I thought it through a bit more and came up with a plan. A little rearranging, a bit of purging, and buying one simple piece of DIY furniture my life feels much less chaotic.

 

(Ignore the empty middle shelf, the play dough container was being used at the time of this photo op)

It’s amazing how doing something so easy can warm your heart and bring such a peace to an otherwise not so peaceful room. Trust me, if I had taken a before photo, the floor was covered in hundreds of Mr. Potato Head pieces, play food, books, etc.. Aaaahhh!

I even was able to get my husband to hang the cork boards we’ve had hidden away for a year, and now there is a place for all of the artwork our children bring home from school. And since everything now has a place of it’s own, it’s so much easier to pick it up and put it away… even for my 2.5 year old. SCORE!

 

Check out more DIY projects at ASPTL.

Winter “One”derland Party Hats

Imagine a bunch of little kiddos wearing these adorable penguin hats at my daughter’s birthday party next weekend.

Does it put a smile on your face too?

Seafood Bisque

This soup is delicious. Seriously.

My husband and I took a bite and turned to each other and both said, “this has to become a staple.” We laughed for a minute and then my husband added, “even during the summer.”

Please try it and tell me what you think. I’m already looking forward to making it again soon!

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker.

Seafood Bisque

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 can (14 oz each) chicken broth

4 cups half-and-half

1/2 cup dry white wine or water

1/2 cup chopped drained roasted red bell peppers

12 oz cod fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 oz uncooked deveined peeled medium shrimp, thawed if frozen and tail shells removed

1/2 cup basil pesto

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. In 4-quart pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth, half-and half and wine (or water). Stir in bell peppers and cod. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in shrimp. Simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Stir in pesto, salt and pepper.

Can January really be almost over?!

With the rush of the holidays behind me, it felt nice to do absolutely nothing for a week. Well, I shouldn’t say that. I did do the piles of laundry that we accumulated through our travelling and I went to the grocery store to restock our empty fridge. But other than that, I tried to not let anything stress me out. I just wanted to chill.

Do you ever get that way?

Once that week was over, I realized that my daughter’s FIRST BIRTHDAY was only weeks away. The panic sank in and I’ve been going full force ever since. The theme is picked, the invitations have been sent and I’ve ordered the party favors. Phew. Unfortunately, my panic has kept me from blogging as much as I had planned. So, I’m starting my New Year’s Resolution over. I can do that, right?

Back to the birthday party. My daughter’s birthday is February 2nd and I’ve chosen to do the theme of a Winter “One”derland! I’m so excited… and yes, I realize that she has and will have no idea. Oh well, when she is 16 I can prove to her that she had a great time through the millions of pictures I’m sure I’ll take.

I’ve spent the last two weeks cutting out paper snowflakes during naptime and after bedtime. Ouch. My hands are probably going to be sore forever.

See. That is a whole lot of snowflakes. My husband actually asked me “how many do you need?” Well, of course my answer was “a lot.” I plan to hang them from an arch that separates our hallway from the living room (aka party room). The arch is approximately 14 feet wide. Therefore, I need a lot.

After counting, I realize that I have 110 snowflakes.

Hmm…. Is that enough?

Christmas Tree Decor from Around the House

Decorating the Christmas tree has always been a wonderful tradition around our house. When Michelle and I were little girls, our mom would play the Chipmunks Christmas record as we pulled out boxes of ornaments, lights and tinsel. One thing hasn’t changed since I was a little girl, and that is that it takes me FOREVER to decide on the perfect place for each ornament. Does anybody else move ornaments around until they are in the perfect spot?

Now that I have my own home, I take even more time to make sure that the tree is absolutely perfect. It’s always fun to see how another person decorates their tree. Everyone has their own interpretation and it’s fun to see what each other likes. The past few years I have chosen to decorate in all white and silver. Mostly because I like the way it looks like the tree is covered in a dusting of snow. It’s natural looking and is very calming after a long day at the office.

This year, I wanted to add a twist. Can you tell what I added this year?

Cookie cutters!

I already had these hidden away in my pantry. I haven’t yet decided if I’m going to make cookies yet this holiday season, so I figured I should use these in another fun way! They are definitely very subtle, but are such an unexpected twist to the usual ornament.

Have you added anything unexpected to your tree this year?

I had to show you my tree from top to bottom. Sorry it’s during the day…. I think there is way too much light in this picture. If I have time (and actually remember) I’ll take a better picture to post later.

Check out DIY Day.

Dasher? Dancer? Prancer? or Vixon?

I’ve already mentioned that I don’t like over the top holiday decor. I enjoy simple touches. Items that don’t scream Christmas. Items that don’t blink red and green. I don’t even want fake Santa’s all around my house. Although I have a few penguins out and about, reindeer are my favorite thing to showcase during the Christmas season! Here is what I came up with for my simple Christmas mantle this year. A few miniature Christmas trees and reindeer. That’s it. No lights, no glitter. Just a simple wintry scene. I love it. Don’t look too closely or else you may see some remotes hidden behind the trees. Ha!

Check out this post at DIY Day.

Christmas Penguins

These are the cutest Christmas decorations that I have ever seen.

Ever.

When I saw these guys at the store, I snatched them up because I fell in love immediately. Have I mentioned how cute they are??? Because they are!

They are the perfect greeting gang to welcome guests into my home this holiday season. I’m a very simple person and don’t like tons of gaudy looking decorations, so this really fits my home to a tee.

What is even better about these little guys are that their wreaths come off! I take the wreaths off after Christmas and get to enjoy the penguins for a few more months before Spring makes it arrival. Now that’s what I call efficient decorating!