An Easter Art Project How-To

We had another rainy and somewhat cold weekend here (SPRING WHERE ARE YOU?!).  While we did get outside a little bit – mainly to wait in line almost an hour for donuts!) we stuck pretty close to home for the most part.

I was running out of ways to entertain Lucas when I suddenly got the brilliant idea to make a hand-print art project to celebrate Easter.  I’ve done hand-print art for other holidays and think it’s a cute way to personalize holiday decorations.  Plus I’m looking forward to like 10 years from now when I’ve got a house full of kid art for each holiday!

I was actually brainstorming in the car when I came up with the idea of using L’s hand to make a bunny (his fingers would be the ears).  A quick search showed that idea wasn’t nearly as original as I had hoped!

Since L likes to play with the paint on his hands I’ve learned it’s easier to do these projects in pieces, so I’ve written out the quick and easy instructions for you.


Handprint Easter Art

What you’ll need:

Colored construction paper

White paint

Red or pink paint

A paint brush or foam brush

Paper plate

Markers

Wipes

Like I said, I do these projects in pieces.  While I clean up L’s hand I let what we just did dry a little.

First, you apply paint to the palm of the hand and press it down, firmly, on the construction paper.

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Next apply pain to the first two fingers on the left hand and place firmly above the palm print to make the first ear.  Then use the first two fingers on the other hand to make the second ear.

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I mixed some red paint with the white (since I didn’t have pink) I was going to use a finger to add the pink to the ears but Lucas was not feeling it so I just added it using a paint brush.

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After it dried, I used the markets to add the eyes, nose and mouth and to write a somewhat cheesy message!

Handprint crafts

Clean up was a breeze using wipes and then we were off to our next activity!

Do you do hand-print art for the holidays?  If so, will you be making an Easter Bunny or will you by trying something else?  Share your project in the comments!

 

 

 

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For The Record 03.28.14

It’s Friday again and time to share what we’ve been up to this week.  I am really enjoying the chance to document our weeks this way.  It will be nice to look back on them all some day and have these quick little snapshots of our life!

FOR THE RECORD FRIDAY

 1. Favorite Picture of the Week

As if we needed any more evidence Lucas really is my mini-me…he LOVE “helping” clean the floors!

Lucas Cleaning

2. What TV show are you addicted to right now?

The series finale of Psych aired on Wednesday and I thought it was a great ending to a great show.  I’ve watched every episode of Psych probably 4 or 5 times (thank you Netflix!).  It’s actually what I watched for the first 12 hours of my induction with Lucas.

3. What Book(s) did you read this week?

Okay, don’t laugh!  I started reading the YA series, Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson.  It’s a series that takes place inside Disney World.  The first book was a free Kindle download earlier this week and I just picked up the second book a the library.

4. Song you can’t stop listening too

The Legally Blonde soundtrack!  Oh My God, you guys…I’m addicted!

5. Something funny/awesome that happened was….

Lucas is really taking off walking.  He’s been taking a few steps at a time for weeks now but in the past few days he’s really gaining confidence and walking all the way toward me or Darrin or to something he wants.  He’s still not totally steady on his feet, but I’m guessing he will be soon.

6. Something not so awesome that happened was….

I’m pretty sure we’re moving to a one nap schedule now.  Lucas has been fighting his second nap for a few weeks now – it’s been taking me at least 45 minutes to get him to sleep.  I decided to try this one nap thing and it seems to be working out much better, so far!

7. Favorite blog post you posted or came across this week….

So I’m cheating a little – this is a “how to” not a blog, but I’m super excited to get a little herb garden growing this spring/summer.  I’ve found a ton of inspiring pictures online and can’t wait to put our together.

8. The best dinner you had this week was…

I made my Enchilada bake this week!  It’s a favorite in our house and so incredibly easy.  I’m making an Italian Chicken Bake tonight though and hoping it becomes a family favorite as well.

9. Plans for the weekend….

Darrin and I are thinking of making Saturday night a date night – it’s not definite yet, but it’s the closest we’ve been to get out just the two of us in a while.  We also tried out a new church last weekend and are looking forward to going back on Sunday.

How was your week?  Anything you’d like to put On The Record?  Leave it in the comments below!

Grilled Curry Mustard Pork Chops

We are big, BIG fans of the grill in our house.  I’m probably a bigger fan than Darrin because he’s in charge of the grill – which means I get a break from cooking dinner.  I hate January and February because it’s often a little too cold to grill out.  Now that we’re finally in spring our grill will be getting it’s fair share of use.

We eat a lot of chicken in our house, but every now and then I like to change it up with steak, pork or fish.  I have a go to recipe that I love for pork.  We tend to grill the meat but it’s just as good baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the chops!).

Don’t let the ingredients fool you, it’s really not a super spicy dish – I’d give it a 1.5 or 2 out of 10 and I’m a little wimpy when it comes to heat!



Grilled Curry Mustard Pork Chops

1lb of boneless pork chops

1/3 cup spicy mustard

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 TBSP curry powder

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

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In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, garlic powder and curry powder.

Stream in the olive oil, while continuing to whisk all of the ingredients together.

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Transfer the marinade to a gallon sized freezer bag

Season your meat with a little salt and pepper and place in the freezer bag.  Make sure you get all of the air out of the bag and seal it well.

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Refrigerate for at least four hours but no longer than 8, since pork can break down if left in marinate for too long.

Take of of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you’re ready to grill to take the chill off of the meat

Grill the pork chops over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

My favorite Grill Master!

My favorite Grill Master!

Allow to rest a minute or two before serving.

Grilled Curry Mustard Pork Chops

I tend to serve this with some sort of a potato and grilled brussel sprouts (we eat a LOT of grilled brussel sprouts!) but I also think it would be great with veggie fried rice!

What is your favorite things to grill?  Any tips that I can pass along to the man behind the grill at my house?.

A Cure All for an Upset Stomach?

…Oh man do I wish something like that existed.  The stomach flu is like the worst thing EVER in my mind.  I’m am literally terrified of it.  I run the other way if someone even THINKS they are coming down with something stomach related.

So imagine my horror when I woke up from a sound sleep last weekend and realized I was sick.  Now, I’m a mom, so sharing intimate details of illness seems totally normal to me.  This is probably not the case for most so I’ll spare you the yucky details.  All I’ll say is I had a lower GI thing going on and it was rough!

I’m still breastfeeding L so I always have to research what medicine I can and cannot take.  According to lactmed.com (which is a great resource for breastfeeding moms!) regular use of Pepto-bismal is not advised.  I decided I’d take one dose and see how I felt before doing anything else.

Well, that one dose didn’t touch what was wrong with me.  I was curled up in the fetal position on the couch while D gave L breakfast when Andrea, from Diva Goes Organic, suggested I try raw, organic apple cider vinegar.  At first I thought she was nuts – I mean, my stomach was already pretty tore up and now I’m supposed to drink vinegar?!  I was feeling so sick though that I was willing to blindly try anything, so I got in my car and drove to the store.  I brought a glass of water with me so I could mix it with the vinegar and drink it on the way home.

Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Now I’m not going to lie and say that it was the best thing I’ve ever drank, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad at all.  The best part, in about 30 minute I was feeling so much better.  Full disclosure…I was still sick for a few more days but drinking the vinegar and water mix really helped with the symptoms and made it possible to function.

Apparently raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (I used the Braggs brand by the way) has a bunch of great uses.  After it worked to help make my stomach issues manageable I started researching what else it could be used for.

Raw, organic and unfiltered apple cider vinegar has been used since biblical times and acts as an antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Here are some of the other things I learned in my research:

1. It can help lower glucose levels, making it great for diabetics.

2. Taking 1 TBSP in 8oz of filtered water can help balance the bacteria in your gut.  This is what helped “cure” my stomach issues.

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3. People also use it as a weight loss tool – it makes you feel fuller longer.  This is one that I’m not totally sold on!

4. It’s a natural way to relieve heartburn.  I know several people that used it while pregnant since it’s totally natural and safe for baby.

5. It can be used as a natural astringent to clear up a breakout.

6. It can help neutralize a sunburn, either by soaking in a tub with water and vinegar or applying compresses soaked in a mixture of vinegar and water directly to the burns.

The more I look into natural remedies the more I like what I find!  I will definitely be adding this to my “medicine cabinet” for future use.

Do you have any natural remedies you love?  Share them in the comments below.

For The Record 03.21.14

Happy Friday everyone!  I am really loving participating in this weekly round up.   Join us on the host’s blog, Little Us, and share what’s going on with you in this week’s:

FOR THE RECORD FRIDAY

 1. Favorite Picture of the Week

So we’re going to ignore my hair and disheveled work outfit for a second! Lucas and I make faces in the mirror every night after his bath and it’s one of the highlights of my day.  I never catch it on camera but last Thursday (yes, I know that means this picture isn’t really from this week but I wasn’t feeling so hot this week) I did!  This little dude really is my mini-me!

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2. What TV show are you addicted to right now?

Veronica Mars – okay, I know I’ve been addicted to this show FOR-EV-ER but the movie came out this past week and I’ve already watched it twice!  I’m about to break out season one on DVD and start from the beginning.  Also, can we just start the Kickstart campaign for the sequel already?!

3. What Book(s) did you read this week?

I used to be a fast reader, I swear!  I’m STILL reading “The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives” by Sarah Strohmeyer.  I’m close to finishing it though so hopefully next week I’m reading something new.

4. Song you can’t stop listening too

Roar by Katy Perry – Lucas and I may or may not watch the music video on repeat!

5. Something funny/awesome that happened was….

We participated in a breastfeeding photo shoot.  It’s rare to get those special moments captured on film and I was all in when I found out a local organization was doing mini sessions as a fundraiser.  Those are photos I will treasure forever!

6. Something not so awesome that happened was….

I had a stomach bug – it was awful.  I did find a really awesome, natural home remedy though that I’m really excited to share with you next week.

7. Favorite blog post you posted or came across this week….

This is a great reminder for those about to have another baby and a great lesson for first-time mommas! I’ll admit I’m guilty of thinking how much easier it would be to put the carrier on the top of a shopping cart but stories like this are enough to make me think twice!

8. The best dinner you had this week was…

It’s a toss up – I made an awesome Meaty Mac and Cheese bake a few nights ago that we loved.  I also made a Sheppard’s Pie for St. Patrick’s Day that was just Irish enough for me thanks to the bottle of stout I added!

9. Plans for the weekend….

Nothing!  Besides doing a few paint touch ups that is.  We’ve only lived here for a few months but already the walls are a little dinged so D promised we could get that fixed this weekend.

Alright, now it’s your turn.  Visit Little Us and go “On the Record” for the week.