Why Didn't I Think of This?

Sometimes I just have a "duh" moment. Honestly, over the last few months, they're happening more and more. I know!! I'm just going to blame it on, adjusting to life with 3 precious girls.

Over the weekend, we had lots of time with our family. Which was heaven! My BIL and SIL have the most amazing Ranch. And they hosted our Labor Day events. Fun times people! Our big girls, got to have lots of pony rides. The guys played a game of baseball. And we ate. Boy did we eat!

Another thing that I enjoy, is that my in-laws always invite, all sides of the family. It's not just Mark's HUGE family. They invite my family, and all the other "in-laws." I'm telling you, we're just one HUGE and HAPPY family. It makes life so incredibly nice, and enjoyable. :)

Yes, this family has been a complete blessing. They haven't just taken me in, but my entire family. Then they spoil us all! Let me tell you, my SIL did not need any help with the food. She had a HUGE spread of amazing food. But we all still took some treats. I'm telling you, we're "trained." Family "get-togethers" just mean, bring family, food, and love.

My favorite treat though, were these little cookie bowls that my SIL made. Then she filled them with fresh fruit, and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Perfect to beat the heat!!



Just look at how she made them. Well, that's how my SIL told me she made them. She rolled out some dough, them placed it on a tin. On the "wrong side." And baked until golden. My SIL did say, if you're making chocolate chip, use the mini chips. And place your muffin tin, on a baking sheet.

She also made her fancy "cheesy bowls." I've seen her do this before. Essentially, she uses a small skillet. Melts cheesy in there, then lays it on a small bowl. Again, on the "wrong side." They harden as they cool. Then she usually uses them for salads.

Yes, my SIL is super creative when it comes to food. That's probably because of my nephew. When he was little, he didn't like to eat. So his momma would try and make it fun. It worked! Now he's a champ, at eating his veggies. I think a lot of that has to do with the training he does, for rodeo and baseball. But it definitely started with his momma.

So do you have any fun food tricks? I'm always looking for ways to make our food interesting. I'm always picking my friend and SIL's brains. Hoping to learn something new. A

Family Room Inspiration

Back in April, I finally signed up for Polyvore. I'm really enjoying it. And wondering why I didn't try it sooner. But I guess, it just takes me a while to warm up to these things.

One of the things I'm enjoying most, is the "Home Boards." So much inspiration! Mark and I have been wanting to "update" our "Family Room" for a while now. Something that is fun, full of color, inviting, and comfortable.

I've searched, downloaded pictures, and dreamt of so many things. But when I saw this picture, I was sold. And when I showed it to Mark, he was pretty excited too. Just look at it!



Our floors are already a nice dark wood. Something that we love. And don't want to change. I personally think, my husband is in love with this deep brown color. It reminds me a lot of Lola's Living Room. Especially with the white wood details.

This picture just inspires me, to get moving. This weekend, we're going to look at some furniture. And Lola, promised to help me with this project! In fact, she's already found us a rug, curtains, fabric for pillows, and some decorative touches. Oh, I can't wait! A

Just What She Needs!!

Life is getting a little less hectic. We seem to be in a good rhythm right now. I think, we're all on the same schedule. Tough to get 5 souls, on 1 schedule!! But somehow we did it. And now, we have a little more time, to work on fun things. Like crocheting!!

Elena and I, were searching for some patterns. Preferably, for food toys. She's been so excited, about "cooking" us food. Her kitchenette, was the best things we could have bought! My sweet girl, spends hours and hours, playing with it! :)



We found this pattern. And it was a score!! To us, they look like chicken fajitas!! Yum!! And Elena was just so happy about them. Hopefully I'll get some time, to start crocheting. This weekend. I know one little girl, who would welcome that! A

You Made What??

I recently found a new blog, that I'm in love with! If by now, you haven't noticed, I've got a serious sweet tooth! Oh boy do I!! I remember when Mark and I first started dating, my MIL was very concerned about this. Because I'd show up for dinner, and I wouldn't really eat. Then I'd see dessert, and I'd eat everyone under the table!!

Little has changed really. Except now, I really do try, to have a more balanced diet. I promise myself, that if I eat a salad, then I can have some cookies. I have to. Or else, I'd try and live off of sugar!! :)



But recently, I've been wanting salty and sweet, at the same time. And Grateful Belly is helping, in that way! It's a little crazy. Last night, after Elena and Ofelia went to bed, I got one of those cravings. It was consuming my entire thoughts!! That's when I turned to this inspiration.

I know. It sounds odd. Fritos dipped in chocolate. Then dipped in sprinkles. Oh boy it was a treat! A party in my mouth!! Mark looked at me a little strange. But he tried them too. And he really enjoyed this treat. Now I'm feeling a little guilty. Because we finished them off. Last night. Without sharing with our girls. Maybe that's an excuse, to whip up another batch!! A

Perfect for My Daughters!!!

I'm not going to lie, life has been so crazy!! But I'm still wanting to make time, for all my girls. I want our older girls, to feel special. And not left out. Because, let's be honest, Sofia needs me 24/7!!!

Today, when Sofia went down for a nap, I wanted to work on a special project. Just for Elena and Ofelia!! It's been a little hit or miss, whether all my girls will nap at the same time. But today, they all did. I swear, I heard angeles singing. :)



I remembered this project. I seen it, a few weeks ago. Before Sofia was born. And I "favorited it." Knowing, that I'd come back to it. Eventually! Today was the day. I've cut out, all the bunting pieces. I've got some sticks. And now, I just need to start tying. :) Hopefully by tomorrow, we'll have 3 buntings. For 3 perfect little girls!!! I can't wait. A

Happy Easter!!

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!! From our house to yours. We're happy to be home. Enjoying our new family of 4!! The Easter Bunny made his way to our house. And we're all happy. :)



Elena, Ofelia, and Mark are reading from the girls' new Easter books. Learning about Jesus. The entire sight, makes me happy! While Sofia and I, are just relaxing. Wishing that we had made this sign. For our house!! Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!! A

Lamb of God

I recently came across the blog, Dreams into Plans. Jen's blog is just amazing!! She shares such nice things. Things, that make my heart sing. And bring a smile to my lips. Like this printable.



The second I seen this, I knew that I had to print it out!!! Not only is it my style. With all the fun colors. But it speaks to my soul. Makes me think of my religion. And I just knew, we had to add it to our Easter decorations.

I printed this out out last night. And happened to have a pretty, Spring frame. A pink one!! That I put it in. And added this beauty, to our mantel. Go visit Jen. I promise you, you won't be disappointed!!! A

Making Memories

I'm a really big fan of Rice Krispies Treats!!! My mom can attest to that. I remember one day, hearing about them. And making her go to the grocery store. For all the supplies. I think I was in elementary school. :)

We made them that afternoon. And ever since, it's been one of those treats, that I just love! Since I've been married, I've varied my Rice Krispies Treats. Added things to them, like candy, nuts, dried fruit,various marshmallows. Lots of things!! And they are just too darn good!

At one point, I wouldn't allow Rice Krispies, marshmallows, or anything to do with my favorite treats, in our home. At the time, I needed to lose 10 lbs. And it just wasn't happening, with these bad boys in the house!!

I think last year, was the first year, that I heard about these eggs. It might have been 2 years ago. I can't remember. But I saw the commercial on TV. I kept saying, I'm going to try those. Well, it never happened. :(



Last week, I saw that commercial again. And I got an idea. Over the weekend, I just knew, that we had to at least try these. I picked up the supplies on last Friday. While grocery shopping. Yum! I was so excited!! And last Saturday, after nap time, we went all out!

Two hours later, we had a nice stack of eggs. I'll be it, Mark and I, made 99% of them. But that's our job. :) Elena and Ofelia were so excited, with all their hard work!! It was such a fun project. One that I hope, becomes a tradition in our family. :)

And all those Rice Krispies eggs, were happily eaten!! Not all by us. Although, we did have our fair share. But I took them with us, to my parents' house Sunday. They had us all over, including my siblings and their families, for dinner. It was super yummy!!

I'm hoping, to make these one more time. For Easter. But with my due date so close to Easter, I'm just not sure. We'll have to play it by ear. Maybe instead, I should whip some up today, during nap time. For our weekly Family Dinner. :) A

Our Inspiration

I don't think it's a shock, that I like purple, pink, and turquoise. I just adore these colors! In some way, I wanted to incorporate these colors into our daughter's nursery. I found inspiration here. In this fabric. In a more soothing, relaxing, and inviting color palette.



We've decided on lavender walls. White furniture. And Lola tells me, she's picked the perfect fabrics! I'm so excited to see them. :) But the nursery, will be off limits, until late March. Wow! But I trust my dear friend. I know, most of the nursery is going to be handmade. Many of the items going in, are going to be collected, over many different stores. I know, that Lola knows me well. And now, I'm feeling a sense of relief. We're going to be ready for our daughter's arrival! A

Making It Pretty

We're starting to think about Spring and Summer already. And gardening. My in-laws are big motivators in this department. My FIL, plants an amazing garden, every year. He encourages, all his grandkids to help out. Many times, he sends Elena and Ofelia home, with little plants. To plant at our house.

Mark and I, have been really good, about planting a little garden. Over the years, we've added some fruit trees, to our yard. All year long, we grow herbs in our kitchen window. I'd say, we're doing pretty well. :)

But we have a rather long driveway. It's a little boring. When we first bought our home, we planted trees along it. They are growing nicely. And it's a really nice look. But, you know there's always a but! Our driveway is lacking in color. Big time!

When you get to our house, we always plant pretty flowers. We've got roses, irises, and gladiolas. We add in annuals, for color. It looks so pretty, late in the Spring. But our driveway, is so drab! Then I remembered Lola. She planted these gorgeous roses. Along her driveway. And they grow nice and low. So I called her. :)



She pointed me in the right direction. And we just ordered 30 of these rose bushes. I told you, our driveway is long! I can't wait to see, what it's all going to look like. Imagine in 2 or 3 years! This just excites me. I also wonder, when our roses will get here. And if I'll be able to help Mark plant them. A

Something Fun!!!!

There has been some progress, on our daughter's nursery. :) Mostly being, the colors. We've decided on shades of purple. More lavender actually. I'm pretty excited about this. We also ordered the furniture! Slowly, but surely, we're getting there!



I did find something that I really like. And now, I must go hunt it out! What do you think of this mobile? I just think, it's so fun! We have a little bed. Something that's a mix between a crib and bassinet, that my parents gave us. When Elena was born. It's a piece that comes in handy, when we are spending lots of time outdoors. As we can bring it with us. And I think, this mobile will be perfect! Now I just need to find the person who sells it. :) A

Nursery Ideas....

3 months from today, is my due date! Where has the time gone? I swear, this pregnancy is flying by! And we're not really ready. I've managed to get the girls' baby clothes out. And washed. For the most part. I've made a little list of things, that we're going to need. As our babies, have all been born in different seasons.

Mark and I, did manage to buy the carseat today. We are completely OK with using "hand me downs." Just not with the carseats and cribs. I think those need to be repurchased every time. For safety reasons.

But we're stuck on nursery ideas. Lola and Lorenzo are incredibly generous! They've offered to cover the expense, of our baby girl's nursery. Such amazing Godparents! Lola has helped me in the past. She could have been an amazing interior designer. She is just a natural at it! And she helped design Elena and Ofelia's nurseries. And now, their "big girl rooms!"

Ideas? I'm lost on those. For the nursery. And I need some! Soon! As Lola has a very busy schedule. And I'd like to give her some ideas. Before much more time goes by. I've been staying up late, looking through so many nursery websites. Do you have any ideas? For our baby girl's nursery?



Where not much into "matchy, matchy" things. We like that "collected over time" look much better. Mark and I want something that our daughter can grow with. So not too "babyish." No cartoons. Something simple, girly, and inviting. I'd love to hear your ideas! Please! A

Etsy I LOVE You!!

I should tell you something. I spend way too many hours on Etsy. After my girls are fast asleep. I shop the clearance racks, to buy cute things on Etsy. I like buying things for our home, our girls, and to give as gifts.

Mark laughs, when he sees me, pull out my laptop. He knows, I'm going to be doing some shopping at Old Navy, eBay, or Etsy. Once in a while, I'm searching for crochet patterns. Between, don't you think, there are always better sales on Old Navy's website, than in their stores?

Well, I found a new shop. That I'm in love with!! Purdy Things. This shop, has the most amazing pieces!! And I want one of each. :)



Elena would just love this purse, to pieces!! Those are our favorite colors. And her love of birds, just makes this, an obvious choice. Let's not forget, she doesn't leave home, without her purse!!



Ofelia would look like a doll in this!! Perfect for our hot summer weather. I could see her, running through the sprinklers, in this little outfit!!



And I'd love this, for our new daughter. :) How cute would that be? The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is one of my favorite Children's books. This would be perfect, for newborn pictures!!

I restrained. I just added these, and about another 100 things from this shop, to my favorites. :) But I can't stop thinking, about all these beautiful things. I've got just over 2 months, to ponder these buys. I might just cave!! A

Sewing Inspiration

If I was more skilled, I'd make Elena one of these. For Christmas. She'd love a little house for her dolls. It would be so fun to play with! But I haven't been sewing long. It still takes me, a very long time, to make a simple dress. For my daughter. This will definitely go on my "make in the future" list.



Have you ever visited out Stacy's blog? It's so fun! Not only did she make this beautiful gift. She also sells the cutest vintage clothes! For kids. :) I go to Hart + Sew, when I need to smile. When I need a break. To just soak up all the inspiration, that Stacy puts out there! A

Did You Say ABC's?

Recently, I was searching through Project Nursery. For a little inspiration. We're still not planning out our nursery. But I was looking for ways, to update our Play Room. I don't want to do much to it. But add in, a few pieces, that will make it more fun. Something that will catch Elena's eyes. Since she's getting older, I feel like she needs something to challenge her.



I found this picture. I know it's a nursery. But I like these letters. The idea behind it, is so fun! And I want to try something like this. I was actually pretty shocked, when Mark liked it too! Because my fuzzy white rug, just got a weird look! I guess I better get to Hobby Lobby or Michael's. I really want to get started on this project! A

New Inspiration

I've gotten some new inspiration lately. You know, to blog more. Mostly from my SIL and Lola. I've never really been good at this. I was better at twitter. But somehow, I fell off that bandwagon too. Much like FB and MySpace. But I'm trying.

And I really want to be better at this. I think it's a good tool to keep in touch with friends and family. And a great way to record memories! That part, I really enjoy. :)

So I'm going to work on a little "blog" schedule. I'm going to try to post more often. Oh, and share my new love of crochet with the world! Thanks for teaching me Lola! I'm having so much fun! And my girls are really loving all their new toys. A

Beautiful

In love! I don't know what it is about this picture. But I'm in love with it! The colors are just perfect. And I've been looking for some inspiration. I'm redecorating my office. This picture is the perfect jumping off point for me. :) A

Garden Inspiration

It's still cold around here. But we're already thinking of Spring. And planting. My in-laws always have the most beautiful, and delicious garden. My FIL always sends us home, with fresh veggies. We all anxiously await the fresh peaches and pears. Oh, and the green chili! Just thinking about it, makes me want July to be here!!

For the last few years, Mark and I, have had a garden. Nothing like my FIL's. His is just amazing! I'm telling you, I don't think my in-laws buy veggies all summer long!! But Mark and I have been trying. And we've been relatively good at it.

This year, we have a newborn. And I just don't see myself, on hands and knees, weeding our garden. For 3 hours a day! But we still want to plant various things. After talking with my FIL and my good friend, now I know what we need to do.



Two words!! Garden boxes!! I've been investigating the situation. Mark and his brothers, are going to be building us 4 this weekend. :) This is a nice description/tutorial. I'm hoping, this cuts back on our weeding. But still allows us, yumminess all summer long! A

I'm Gonna Get My Craft On!!!

Last night, I got a little lost. In the world of YouTube!! Isn't that the way it works? YouTube just sorta sucks you up. And you lose hours of your time. I feel like it works like this. Anyway, I was catching up on all my favorite YouTubers. And I was so excited when I came to Jen's page!!



This is such a good tutorial. Honestly, I almost bought a wipe case, some burp clothes, and a little blanket on Etsy. It's still in my "favorites." I'm not going to tell you the seller. Because now that I think about it, $100 for this set....is just nuts!! The blanket is just a receiving blanket. With a little fabric letter sewn on it.

But I'm so excited about this discovery!! I'm not crafty. At all! But even I, can figure out how to glue some fabric, on a wipe case. Especially, since Jen does it all on camera!! Now I need to go buy a glue gun and some fabric. This is so exciting for me! I'm going to be making one of these for our baby girl!! :) A

Time for a Nursery!!

Since we now know, that we're having a girl, it's time to start getting her nursery ready. :) I've had a ton of questions, floating through my brain. I didn't know where to start. But Mark and I had some decisions to make.

Were we going to buy Elena new furniture? Did we need to buy new nursery furniture? What colors would we use? You know, all the regular stuff. That stressed out parents, waiting for their 2nd child.

When we bought Elena's furniture, we knew, we wanted something to last a while. We didn't mind investing in good pieces. And in pieces, that could change and grow with her. Her crib, can change into a toddler bed, then a twin bed. Eventually, a full sized bed. Her changing table, has another piece. That can be made into a large chest. It's a nice set. That one day, she can really grow into. We even bought the desk, for down the road!!

Elena loves her room!! And her furniture. Just after Elena's birthday, we made adjustments to her room. Changed it up a bit. A fresh coat of paint. Made it into a big girl's room. And we don't want to disrupt this. Elena loves her room so much.

That means, Mark and I, are looking for another set of furniture. In the end, we think this makes sense. Each of our girls, will have their own furniture. For their own rooms. It makes a bit more work for us. But in the end, I'm positive, that this is the best possible solution. Now I need some ideas!!



To be honest, I love this crib!! How fun would a round crib be? But, I just don't think, it's right. It won't "grow" with her.



I'm really in love, with this color palette!! The purple, is just a fun color. That bright pink, makes my heart smile. I really like this. :)



We could go with something completely different. Something very different from Elena's room. Yes, Elena has white furniture. But her bedding was bright and fun. We could go with a bit more "babyish" style. Something more traditional of a nursery.



How about dark furniture? I love this!! More of our style. But with pastel baby girl colors. :) Something a little different from the "expected" girl nursery.



This is more of our style. At least for our kids' rooms. I like the simple lines of the furniture. The brightness. The fun colors. I'm almost positive, that this is going to be our inspiration.

Next weekend, we're going shopping for furniture. And hopefully, we'll find some bedding. Although, I like that last picture, it's very similar to Elena's nursery. Pink, green, and white. I'm hoping to find something in peach, green, and white. Or even pink, turquoise, and white. No matter what, we're going to be picking up a rug like this. I've seen a similar white rug at Target. Perfect, for when our daughter starts crawling!! If you have any ideas, please leave us a comment. Or send us an email. A