Halloween Wreath

Cost came to around $9.50 and this project was a pain to figure out. Bought a wreath ring, which can be purchased in different sizes at most craft stores.  I bought this one at Michaels for $3.50+tax and the mesh fabric at Wal-Mart for .98¢ a yard. Came out cute but like I said, pain to make, took 3 hours.  After I worked out the kinks I think it would have taken a little over an hour.  Got the idea from here .  Good luck.

Autumn Flower Wreath

Did this Autumn Flower Wreath for our church Craft the Night Away.  Got the idea from Here but changed it up.  I didn’t like the flowers all over the wreath.  The larger wreath cost around $7.00, bought the wreath at Wal-Mart for $3.50+ tax and then the felt at Jo-Anns but you can buy it anywhere.  As for the smaller wreath, it was around $4.50, bought the wreath at the Dollar Store and used the same flowers.  If you need to know how to make the flowers go here.

Santa Key

I saw this idea on another blog but her file was too small to make my own so I made one for my family. It you would like a copy of the file go to my Etsy Shop here and buy it for $1.00.

"It’s the night before Christmas & we’re excited as can be. 

We’re leaving this out for you…it’s a very special key.

You can shimmy down the chimney, or tiptoe through the door.

Just use this key we left for you to find cookies, milk, & more!"

Noel

This came off better than I thought it would, I got the idea from here but I down sized it and it only cost about $12.00 but you can get the letters $3.00 cheaper at Hobby Lobby.  I glued the letters together first, 2^nd painted and last sprayed with Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer.  If I had to do it again I would have primed the press board letters before painting them, it took 3 coats of paint.

Mini Shepherd’s Pies

 

Mini Shepherd’s Pies

1- lb. ground beef or turkey

3- Tablespoons of chopped onion

½- teaspoon minced garlic

1/3- cup chili sauce or ketchup

1- Tablespoon cider vinegar

½- teaspoon salt

1 ¼- cups water

4-5   -cups of homemade mashed potatoes

4 to 6 oz. of Cream Cheese

2- Tubes of buttermilk refrigerated biscuits

1- .99¢ of potato chips, crushed  
Pre-heat oven to 375˚                 

1. In a large skillet, cook beef or turkey, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain and rinse, stir in chili sauce or ketchup, vinegar and salt; set aside.
2. Peel potatoes, chop and put in a medium pot, bring to a boil till tender and brake apart with a spoon. Drain; put in a medium size bowl with cream cheese and salt to taste.  Mash till smooth.
3. Press 1 or 2 (if you bought the small biscuit press 2 if you have the bigger ones just press 1) biscuit dough flat and press to the sides of a greased cupcake tin cup.  Fill with beef mixture. Place a large spoon full of mashed potatoes over beef and then sprinkle with crushed potato chip, press down light so they will stick to the mashed potatoes.
4. Place pan in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a golden brown.
5. Serve and enjoy.

The thing that I LOVE about this recipe is that it freezes wonderfully.  I usually make 2 batches and freeze whatever is left over, it is great for the days when I’m in a rush and can’t cook dinner.  Hope you all like it.

Yuk Guck

Yuk Guck

3 Large Bell Peppers (1 green, 1 orange and I red)

1 lb. Ground Hamburger

½ onion, minced

1 tsp. powder or fresh sage

2 cups of cooked rice

2 cups of canned or fresh (home grown fresh, not store bought) tomatoes. If you use canned drain them.

¾ cups of real butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash bell peppers; remove seeds and slice or cube. Cover with boiling salted water and simmer for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile thoroughly cook hamburger and onion, then drain and clean. Drain bell peppers; add to cooked meat and onion along with sage, tomatoes and butter.  After rice is cooked add to meat along with salt and pepper to taste.  It will look kind of like a soup at first but will thicken up after it has sit awhile.   

This has been a family recipe for over 50 years and we LOVE it.  Hope you enjoy it.

Soap Dispenser

We LOVE LOVE LOVE this, all you need is a Mason Jar with lid, find a pumpy thingy (you can buy pumps from a craft supply store or just take one from your lotion bottle after your done with it), hot glue and paint.  So cute, got the idea from here. I painted my lid to match the pump and to cover up the hot glue. I also Mod Podge the lid after the paint dried since it will be used around water.

Tooth Pillow

My mom made one of these for me as a child and when my kids started losing teeth I pulled out the old Tooth Pillow and it was in pretty bad shape, so I made up a new on for my little ones.  The cost was about 3-4 dollars per pillow. 

What you need is:

2 eyes

1 puff ball- for the nose

White Felt

Pretty easy peasy. 

Best Strawberry Lemonade

What you’ll need:

-1-can of frozen lemonade

-1-24 oz Wal-Mart brand of frozen strawberries w/ sugar.

-Sugar- to taste (I use ½ to 1 cup)

-Blender

-Large Pitcher

-Wire Strainer

-Spoon

 

Thaw the strawberries.  Blend strawberries, sugar and about 1 cup of water. 

 

Blending

 

Strain,  I do this about 3 to 4 times to get as many seeds out as possible, if you like pulp strain once or not at all.

 

I have to use a spoon to unplug the little holes; this will also make it go faster.  You should only have to do this the first time, which is when I get rid of the most pulp.

 

That is A LOT of pulp.

 

Use the pitcher and the blender to drain back and forth.

 

Mix in lemonade with water in a large pitcher. 

 

I add water to taste, keep tasting while adding water to get it to the way you will like it. My pitcher is usually as full as I can get it and end up with a little over a gallon.

Candy Poster Card

Made this for my AWESOME friend, it did take 3 posters and 30 candies. Had to change it up a bit, couldn't find 3 of the candies, but it still turned out cute.

Happy Birthday to my # U-NO Friend,
For your Birthday I wanted to give you a Trip to New YORK City for a shopping SPREE down 5th AVENUE with $100GRAND to buy a new diamond RING(pop) or a bunch of WHATCHAMACALITS!!! Maybe take in a SYMPHONY and hear a great SKOR!!! Maybe REFRESH (gum, I had to leave this line out, couldn't find this gum anywhere) at the spa. Or I thought about a FAST BREAK to MARS (believe it or not, I couldn't find this one) or an ORBIT (gum) around the MILKY WAY but that seemed NUTRAGEOUS. But the money slipped through my BUTTERFINGERs and my PAYDAY was ZERO. So instead I just want to TAKE 5 to say Happy Birthday!!!! Remember, today is your SPECIAL day and you deserve a FAST BREAK. There is no one in the MILKY WAY more important than you today!!!! You are a STARBURST in the sky. I wish you MOUNDS of EXTRA(gum) fun!!!! I hope this BIG HUNK of a candy card gives you some SNICKERS and CHUCKLES (couldn't find this one either)!!!!

Love your AIRHEAD, NERDY Friend

Behavior Chat

Made a Behavior Chart for both girls, we give them points for silly things like brushing your teeth without being asked, making your bed, cleaning your room, good behavior, helping out and so on.  Positive reinforcement, and when they are bad we take away a point.  Usually 1 point for every good and bad thing, unless they are hitting, that’s 5 points, for now (we have had a problem with hitting lately).  When a child gets 25 points they get to go on an Ice Cream date with either papa or mama, 50 points a date to the bowling alley or movies with their choice of parent, and 100 points they can have a little party with friends.  This has REALLY helped us out, the hitting has gone WAY down, the girls listen better and just feel like a better mom.  Love it.