No Sew Kitchen Curtains

This lady can't even sew on a button, so when I needed curtains for my kitchen window I knew I needed a no sew option.  I didn't want anything fancy, but I also didn't want 80's lace curtains, which was all I could find at the stores.  I set out to Hobby Lobby and found this beautiful grey fabric that I knew would complement the living room drapes perfectly.  Here's my helper with the fabric I picked out.

 Next, measure how big you need both pieces.  I chose to make cafe curtains, so I needed two pieces the same size.

Now it's time to get the hems ready.  Iron the edges at the length and width you need for your window.  Having a crisp hem will help when adding the adhesive tape later.

Now to solve that whole I don't sew thing.  I went to the sewing section and found some iron-on hem tape - jackpot! 

Once all of your hems are made, it's time to hang your curtains!  I got my tension rod and hooks at Target for about $10 for all of it.

Here is my final project!  The little touch has helped make our new house feel more like home.  It's amazing what a little window treatment can do!  

DIY Chore Chart

Getting a little help around the house is always nice - getting help without always having to ask and nag is even better!  That's been my goal with the chore chart for my daughter.  I'm hoping in the next couple years to add a chore chart for my son as well.

Here's the chore chart I made:

I found the magnetic board from Walmart for only $7.  I used Washi tape to divide up the board and I ordered the chore magnets from an Etsy shop called Useful buttons. There were so many chores to choose from, and I was very happy with the quality of them.

One challenge I've found in the chore chart is initial consistency.  I would find us doing great with the chores one day, and then having a crazy schedule the next day and it wouldn't get completed.  I didn't want to punish her for us not being home and not completing her chores because of that, so I decided to focus on positive reinforcement to encourage the chore chart.

I ordered custom business cards from VistaPrint for about $8.  I customized them to look like a punch card and I was very satisfied with the outcome.  For each day she completes her chores, she gets a punch.  After 10 punches she gets a reward.  The reward is usually something like a girls' night, a special snack, later bedtime, etc.

It certainly doesn't mean that chores happen everyday, or that she doesn't need reminding but it's a start and I think it'll keep getting better. 

New Valentine's Day Tradition

February is a busy month for us.  Our kids' birthdays are at the beginning and the end of the month, so Valentine's Day normally gets pushed to the side and pretty much forgotten.  Not to say that my husband and I don't plan a romantic evening one night near February 14th, but I don't make this holiday nearly the event that other holidays are for our family as a whole.

 This year I wanted to change that.  In addition to a romantic dinner with my husband, I wanted to remind our kids that Valentine's Day is about taking a little extra time to remind everyone how much you love them.

Knowing that we were already going to be spending money on their birthday presents and parties, I decided to head to the fabulous Target $1 section.  I hit the jackpot for sure!  I found these adorable felt envelopes for only $1 each of course.  I punched holes in the top corners, and used some string to attach them to our dining room chairs.  I'm planning on writing cute notes, leaving pieces of candy, etc. for them throughout the week.  This is definitely going to be a yearly tradition.

I also added a simple centerpiece.  I love this mini chalkboard and the fact that it only cost $3 was even better. 

 With the light coming through the sliding glass door, I wasn't able to get a good, clear picture.  However, in person the banner looks super cute.  I got the whole kit at Target as well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Harry Potter Birthday Dinner

As the follow up to my post on mother's guilt, here is the Harry Potter dinner that came together following the guilt I felt over a rushed birthday morning.  I'm so happy with how everything turned out.  It was certainly never intended to be a Pinterest-worthy masterpiece, but it was cute, fun, cheap, and I threw it together in a day!  A little construction paper and some creativity go a long way.  Isabella opted for a trip to the American Girl store in Chicago instead of having any kind of party, but I still wanted to make sure her birthday dinner felt special and unique.  Here's what I came up with:

Platform 9 3/4!  Her imagination is always impressive - she loaded one of her doctor's carts with books and a stuffed animal on the top to travel through the magic "brick" wall.  

The main table included the sorting hat as well as letters to Harry Potter hanging from the light fixture above the table.  If I had more planning time, I would have used fishing line so that they looked more like they were floating, but hey!

Isabella thought the bathroom was hilarious, and even joked if her dad would really believe the Ministry of Magic was in the toilet.  I just used some red lipstick on the mirror to announce that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

Once I had the decorations down, it was time to move on to the food.  Isabella chose a variety of food for the evening.  We had turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, scalloped potatoes, and green beans.  I came up with clever names for the items.  Her favorite name was Gryffindor Guts.  

For her card, I made a Howler.  If you aren't familiar with Harry Potter, it's a card that looks like a mouth and magically talks the message.  I couldn't manage the talking part, but the card certainly looked the part.  It was a big hit!

The last activity of the night was our photo booth.  I made a wanted poster like the one found in The Prisoner of Azkaban.  The kids had a lot of fun looking like dark wizards.  Our dog Rudy even got in on the fun!

Isabella had a magical birthday dinner, and I had a lot of fun putting the details together.  She was so sweet in noticing all of the little touches that only a true Harry Potter fan could appreciate.  I can't believe my baby girl is already 8!

Mother's Guilt

We all have it: that feeling which leaves you wishing you could be everywhere and do everything.  Mother’s guilt if probably one of the biggest surprises of motherhood for me.  I expected to feel intense love and I expected my nurturing instincts to kick in.  I never expected the guilt.

I recently experienced an extra dose of guilt the other day.  It was my daughter’s birthday, and I had to leave early to go to work.  I have about a 45 minute drive, and Mother Nature had kicked up some fresh snow.  I knew I had to leave extra early, which gave me approximately 10 minutes to see my sweet birthday girl before she headed off to school with her dad.   There was a part of me that knew she didn't mind, and I knew that my husband was taking her for donuts before school for a special treat.  Logically, nothing was saying I ruined her birthday, but my mother’s guilt was saying “You should have stayed up half the night decorating, you should have woken up at 4:30 so you could have had more time with her, and you shouldn't be working.”

 All of these thoughts rushed through my head all morning, and by the time 1^st hour started I was practically in tears determined to redeem myself.  I knew I had already had a special dinner plan with a few Harry Potter touches, but my guilt said I needed MORE.  I began crafting during any spare minute I could find, and I was pretty impressed with what I accomplished. Check out how her Harry Potter themed dinner turned out here.

In this case, I suppose my mother’s guilt was beneficial.  I was able to give my daughter an extra special night.  She is old enough (8 ahhhh) to understand that her big birthday event is her trip to the American Girl store on Saturday, but I wanted to make sure this day felt special as well.

Do you ever feel mother’s guilt?  I tend to feel it whenever I take time for myself, when they’re sick and for some reason I can’t be there, and when my husband and I go away for more than an evening.  I know it’s good because it means I love them so very much, and value them and time with them above everything else; however I do need to remind myself that taking care of my own needs and my marriage is important to them as well.  We're only human, so we need to remind ourselves that we do have limits, we have needs, we are just one person, and that;s perfectly okay.  

Quick Dinner Pizza Roll Up

Busy mom looking for a quick, delicious dinner?  Here it is!  The easy pizza roll up is something I put together while we were snowed in over Super Bowl weekend.  I wanted to make something fun, different, and quick so that I didn't miss any commercials.  Here's all you need:

1. A roll of pre- made pizza crust
2. Your choice of cheese (I used mozzarella)
3. Your choice of toppings (I used pepperoni)

That's it!  You could also choose to have some pizza or marinara sauce to dip it in once it's cooked.

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Spray a cookie sheet with Pam
• Roll out the pizza crust
• Sprinkle with toppings and cheese to your liking
• Roll the crust back up, tucking the end to the bottom of the roll up
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the outside is golden brown

Here's my crust prior to rolling it up:

This is it all rolled up and finished cooking:

The gooey, delicious inside of the pizza roll up:

Enjoy!

Product Review: GlamGlow

Like every busy mom knows, finding a face product that you love that also doesn't break the bank or require a 45 minutes nightly routine is difficult.  I've been on a search for awhile and after seeing a few YouTube beauty gurus recommend the GlamGlow mud, I decided to give it a shot.  I received this set a Christmas gift from my husband this year (which means I bought it and he wrapped it)  and I could not be more in love.  All of these products are still available individually at Sephora, but now they are offering a different set that includes a newer version of the GlamGlow collection.  I'll be checking that one out too!

Blue Container: This is the GlamGlow THIRSTYMUD hydrating treatment.  This product blew me away!  It is the perfect winter skin treatment.  The first night I used it, I decided to put it on and go to sleep with it.  I was so dry, that I figured there was no such think as too much moisture.  When I woke up in the morning, my husband complimented me on how great my skin looked!  That was the moment I was sold.  My husband is very sweet and is never short on compliments, but he has never noticed a change in my skin from trying a product for only ONE night.  You will love this!

White container:  This is the GlamGlow SUPERMUD clearning treatment.  Fortunately, break outs aren't something I experience too often, but I did use this product when I got a few blemishes on my chin, and I liked it.  I'm not sure I noticed a huge difference since I really only had a couple blemishes that never last long, but I think if you break out often it would be worth a try.

Black Container:  This is the GlamGlow YOUTHMUD tinglexfoliate treatment.  This is another favorite of mine.  My skin needs to be exfoliated at least 3-4 times a week if not more.  I enjoy a strong face mask, but if you have more sensitive skin I wouldn't recommend this.  It does tingle to the point of slightly burning.  Again, I like this feeling but if you prefer a gentle exfoliate this product isn't for you.  I noticed my pores get smaller and my whiteheads disappear after just one use.  I can't get enough of this product!

The best thing about about Sephora  is that you can always ask for a free sample of any product, so try them out before you buy :)  I plan on getting a sample of the new GlamGlow POWERMUD dual cleanse treatment and I'll let you know what I think.