Chore Chart DIY

Now that our daughter Emerson is officially THREE I decided it was time for a chore chart.  Really I probably could have made one of these a long time ago. 

 I have seen chore charts all over the stores and saw a few cute ones on Etsy but decided to make my own and save some money. 

 I went to Michaels and bought a magnetic board (pink because everything has to be pink right now), letter stickers, small adhesive magnets and small wooden tiles.  I already had modge podge and paint brushes at home.

I then measured the larger wooden tiles in the bag (about 1.5 inch square) and created an excel spreadsheet where each cell was the size of a tile.  I split the cells into two parts so I could have both words and an image for each chore.  I found the images either in clip art or online and did a simple copy and paste.  If you would like the template I used feel free to contact me and I will email it to you.  I printed the cells on card stock so it would be easier to work with and stand up to all the modge podge with less wrinkles.

I attached each image to a tile with a thin layer of modge podge and then after allowing that to dry I applied two coats on top so they would stand up to dirty little toddler fingers.  I want Emme to move each tile on her board as she completes them.

After the modge podge was dry on front I attached the sticky magnets to the back of each tile.  I used the glitter letters to put Emerson's name on her board as well as one side for "To Do" and one side for "Done".  I used a simple dry erase marker to draw a line down the center of her board.  I am deciding if I want to do that with a sharpie or use a cute border of some sort.

The finished Chore Chart!

How it works: 

Every day I will choose the chores I want Emme to accomplish and put them on the "To Do" side of her board.  The ones that do not need done that day I will just stick elsewhere on the fridge so we do not lose them.  Then as she accomplishes each task she will get to move the tile to the "Done" side of the board.  If all her tiles are on the right side by bedtime she gets to pick a treasure from her treasure box (also used in potty training) or get a treat from the candy jar.

We then hung it on the fridge tonight and added a few of Emme's favorite princess magnets to make it extra special.

 

Weighing IN

Well Monday came and went this week.

I know I said I would post every week how I was doing and I think I conveniently forgot to post this week because I had a bad week last week. 

 I want to explain how I had a cookie exchange, two birthday parties, and family Christmas but I will not because I do not want to make excuses. 

Instead I will just tell you the truth.

I gained.

Not a ton but I gained 0.8lbs.

I am now only down 10 pounds total when I was hoping to be down 15 for Christmas.

With Christmas this week I am a little nervous about gaining again but I am determined to lose the 0.8 I gained last week even if it means passing on my Mom's famous monkey bread.

Cookie Overdose

Warning: 

This blog post includes a delicious recipe that once you make these you cannot eat just one but will instead end up eating three the entire batch!

This week my Mom's family decided to have a little cookie exchange.  My grandmother, three aunts, mother, sister, brothers girlfriend and two of my cousins were able to attend.  Each one of us made roughly FIVE dozen cookies.  Yes you are reading that right...180 cookies each.  We then gathered at my Aunt's house and snacked on delicious appetizers and drank martinis and wine while swapping cookies and playing Christmas trivia. 

I am now stuck with a HUGE container of cookies on my kitchen counter calling my name and begging me to eat them.  While I allowed myself a few I have sworn them off and would throw them away if I thought my family would not kill me for it.

(this is what is left three days after the party)

I have to say that my cookies were my favorite ones there.  It is actually a recipe borrowed from a family friend.  Kathy used to make them for my Dad as they were his favorite Christmas treat and have now become mine.  They also freeze very well so they can actually be your favorite anytime of the year treat.  (thanks for the idea Kristin)

Jim's Favorite Christmas Treat Recipe:

1 package almond bark

1 Tbl. peanut butter

1 cup Rice Krispy Cereal

1 cup spanish peanuts

1 cup pretzel sticks (broken into pieces)

Combine almond bark and peanut butter in a double boiler and melt over low heat. 

 (you can also use your microwave)

In a separate bowl combine cereal, peanuts and pretzels.

Pour melted bark into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until well coated.

Drop by the spoon full onto wax paper and allow to harden.

ENJOY!

COASTING through the Holidays

I saw this brilliant idea on...you guessed it...PINTEREST. 

Since I have tons of family and friends I needed to buy a little something for I decided to try this and loved the results so much I have to share it.

Homemade Coasters

Supplies Needed:

White Tiles from hardware store ($0.16 each)

Cute scrapbook paper

 (I bought Christmas paper at Michaels for $10 for a huge pack)

Modge Podge & Sponge Brush to apply it

Cork for backing

(could also use felt squares) I got a roll of cork from Michaels. 

Spray Acrylic Sealer (I went with the Matte finish and they are still a bit glossy)

Instructions:

Cut scrapbook paper slightly smaller than your tiles. 

Tip:  Once you measure and cut one use it as a template and cut all your others.

Paint thin coat of modge podge on tiles and apply paper. 

Allow it to dry before applying a top coat to avoid any bubbling or wrinkles.

Apply 2-3 layers of modge podge to the top of tiles allowing each layer to dry in between.  If modge podge looks too streaky or if you get big drops you can lightly sand it with a fine sand paper.

Apply 1-2 coats of acrylic sealer again allowing it to dry in between coats.

Cut cork squares slightly smaller than tiles. 

Tip:  Again once you have one done use it as a template to cut all the others.

Use hot glue gun to adhere cork to back of coasters.

Tip:  Hot glue dries VERY fast so start on one end of coaster.  Apply one or two lines of glue and press down the cork.  Once set lift cork slightly on other side and apply hot glue working your way all the way around coaster.

A tip I learned the hard way...Do not stack coasters until the acrylic seal is dry.  I stacked mine up and they all stuck together.  I was going to toss them out but I just sanded them down a bit and redid the tops since the cork backing was already done.

End result:

I made two different sets with corresponding papers

Roasted Chicken

It's Monday...weigh in day and I am happy to announce I am officially down 10.8lbs.  I was so excited because on Saturday we celebrated my daughter's third birthday which included three desserts and the most delicious soup ever.  (More of that to come in a later post when I have all the pics from my SIL since I forgot my camera)  So I did indulge a bit and was a bit nervous this morning.  But after weighing in I was super motivated to cook something extra yummy and healthy tonight.  I made a delicious roasted chicken.  I had seen on Rachel Ray that you can roast a chicken upright in a bundt pan.  Well I could not find the bundt pan so I used the angel food pan.  You have to put a cookie sheet under it because of the hole in the center but it works great because then ALL sides get crispy and let's admit it...the crispy skin is the best part.  So here it is.

(Picture was taken halfway through cooking.  I forgot to take one after)

Recipe:

Remove innards from chicken and rinse under cold water.

Allow chicken to dry completely.  Any moisture will steam the chicken and it will not get as crispy.

Salt and pepper both the inside and outside of the chicken.

Stand chicken up on bundt angel food pan with cookie sheet underneath.  Tuck wings under so they do not get too crispy.

I then chopped an onion and stuck in down in the pan with the chicken for some flavor.

Around the pan I roasted some red potatoes (chopped), baby carrots, baby zucchini squash, and garlic.  You could do this on a separate pan but why make more dishes to clean? 

I drizzled the veggies with very little extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkled them with my favorite seasoning (Elite Eight) But you can use any seasonings you like or just sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast at 375 degrees until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165.  Cook time is roughly 20 minutes per pound and mine was about 7lbs so it took just over 2 hours.

Take chicken out and tent with foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.  This allows all those juices to redistribute back into the meat and prevents your meat from drying out.

ENJOY!

There is so much delicious meat left that I will have to think of something yummy to make with all the leftovers tomorrow night.  Maybe chicken tetrazzini?

Wrap Artist

Like all people I love the holidays but unlike most people I also love to wrap all the gifts.  Each year I pick out corresponding papers and tags and ribbons and love to sit on the floor in my living room watching the television and wrapping away.  My dream is to live in the Spelling mansion and have a room just for wrapping gifts.  One day!  Until then the floor in the living room works fine.

I think the reason I love wrapping so much comes from when I was kid.  My dad owned a greenhouse when I was younger and I remember all the beatiful trees and gifts and wreaths and snowvillage that was put on display every year.  I loved watching the teams putting together the displays and wrapping the boxes and making those beautiful huge designer bows.  Then as I got older my mom taught me how to make them too.  And believe it or not I actually had a job wrapping gifts for people when I was home for holidays in college.

So this year I decided to try something new.  I have to admit that again I saw most of these ideas on Pinterest.  I bought lots of brown craft paper at the dollar store and stocked up on red ribbon from Michaels.  I also used red yarn from a previous craft to make my own little pom poms for the packages. (Pom Pom Instructions)  While it is not as shiny or colorful as years past I quite enjoy the results. 

Pom Pom Instructions

How to make pom poms out of yarn...

Warning!  You will be covered in red fuzz when complete.

 Start with a roll of yarn and a 10 inch cut piece of yarn close by.

Put the end of the roll in between your fingers to hold it and start wrapping the yarn around either 2, 3 or 4 fingers depending in the size you want your pom pom.

The more times you wrap the yarn the fuller your pom poms will be.

Take your 10 inch piece of yarn and stick it between two fingers.

Take the other end and also pull it between you fingers so you can tie it.

Slide the yarn carefully off your fingers.

Pull the scrap yarn tight around the yarn ball and secure with a knot.

Being careful not to cut off your knot start cutting the loops of yarn into two pieces all the way around the ball of yarn.

Keep cutting.

Until you have something that looks like this.  Now you could leave it a bit wild and fluffy but I like to trim mine down.

Start giving your yarn ball a hair cut.  The shorter you cut it the fuller the ball will be.

I cut this one VERY short for a very small full ball.

Here are examples of the same ball just trimmed to different lengths.

You can then use your 10 inch piece you used to tie off the ball to tie it to a package or tie a bunch together for even more fun.

That's a WRAP

Today when running out the door to get the girls holiday pics (more of those later) I totally spaced grabbing a slim fast for lunch.  So after an insanely long amount of time at the studio I was starving!  Instead of cheating and grabbing fast food I decided to stop at Fresh Market and try to find something healthy and delicious.  I found the most delicious wrap and plan to copy it at home ALL the time.  I also grabbed some grapes and black berries to snack on.  I did cheat a bit and bought an Illy cappuccino in a can.  I so needed the caffeine after that exhausting photo shoot and the calories were so worth it!  So back to the wrap.  Here is the recipe so you too can make one of your own.

Garden Spinach Herb Tortilla Wrap

Lite Cream Cheese (you could any flavor)

Thinly Sliced Turkey Breast

Thinly Sliced Granny Smith Apple (leave peel on)

Brie (a few thin slices)

Romaine Lettuce

Instructions:

Open tortilla and spread lightly with cream cheese. 

Layer lots of lettuce then turkey, apples & brie slices. 

Roll up about 1 inch on one side of tortilla then turn 90 degrees and roll up.

Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Monday...Weigh In Day...Wish me Luck

Drinking Games

I LOVE to drink crisp cold diet coke from the fountain at the gas station with the little round balls of ice.  However, I know that even diet sodas are not great for you and with all the carbonation I feel bloated and gross.  So I had transitioned myself to Crystal Lite.  It was still diet but no carbonation and I enjoy the flavor so I can drink glasses and glasses a day of this.  At one point I was making at least one pitcher a day.  But I am now realizing I do not want all those fake sugars either.  While I know they are okay in moderation I am not sure that drinking a pitcher a day is the best for my body.  So I am trying something new.  It is a recipe from Dr. Oz.  It is supposed to help boost my metabolism among other things.  You can read more about it here Tangerine Weight-Orade.  I made my first pitcher of it last night then filled up my camel back so that when I left for bible study this morning I could grab it on my way out.  So far I am loving the flavor.  I am excited about it having no sweeteners of any kind and more excited about all the great things I am reading about green tea.  I highly suggest you give it a try.

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Okay, I will be the first to admit it..I am completely addicted to pinterest (among many other things).  You know how people tell you when they give up something they ALWAYS replace it with with something else.  Well since I can longer indulge in my addiction to chocolate I have replaced it with an addiction to pinning.  So today when by the grace of God, both my girls napped at the same time, I decided to make a few of the healthy recipes I had been pinning.  I had mixed results.

The first recipe I tried was homemade granola bars.  Mine turned out to be more like a little bit burnt granola that did not really bind together so falls apart.  But it still tastes very yummy and Emme will love them with her yogurt for breakfast.  I have seen numerous posts for homemade granola bars but did not have all of the ingredients to complete any one recipe so I decided to mix a few and make my own.  Probably why mine did not really turn out right.

Home Made Granola Bars Crispy Falling Apart Granola Bites

2 cups rolled outs

2 tbls. sesame seeds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tbls. milled flax seed

3/4 cup peanut butter (melted)

1/8 cup agave & 1/8 cup honey (because I did not have 1/4c of either of them so I mixed them)

After mixing these all together in a bowl I added in about half a cup of chocolate chips.

The recipe was VERY dry and not binding together at all.  It was like loose granola instead of bars so I pressed mine into mini muffin pans hoping to bake mini granola bites.  To help compress it I filled each muffin cup then packed it down using a shot glass.  I then baked them until they looked golden brown burnt. 

They taste GREAT but I will add more peanut butter for sure next time.

Other Ideas for Add Ins:
Chia Seeds
Any type of nuts (chopped)
Dried fruit (chopped)

My new motto...Nothing tastes as good as thin feels

Finally, I have joined the wonderful world of blogging.  I decided to finally do it to help hold myself accountable for my DIET.  The terrible ugly dreaded word no one wants to do.  To help you understand here is a short history if my dieting. 

 I have ALWAYS been overweight.  As long as I can remember I have known I was overweight.  But it was not until after I got married that I got REALLY overweight...okay I will just say it

 FAT.  YUCK!  I hate that.  

For years I have made excuses for my weight...stress, PCOS, too busy at work and then most recently pregnant.  But now I am out of excuses.  I am no longer working.  I am no longer pregnant.  I am no longer able to make reasons for my being overweight.  So here we go. 

I have started Slim Fast.  I chose Slim Fast for numerous reasons.  I had tried EVERY diet ever made.  I was successful with weight watchers twice but it is fairly expensive and unless your family is willing to do it with you it is difficult, at least for me.  I found it impossible to watch Dave stuff his face with ice cream while I sat on the other end of the couch eating my boring delicious apple and resenting him for being able to eat whatever he wanted.  But now being thirty Dave's metabolism is slowing down and he too wants needs to drop a few pounds.  So together we are drinking a shake for breakfast and then either having a shake or a meal bar for lunch.  Then I do my best to cook a deliciously healthy meal for dinner that even my almost three year old will eat along with my very picky twelve year old brother.  I weigh in every Monday morning to hold myself accountable.  Which may I say was the worst day of the week to choose.  I find it hardest to follow the diet on the weekends and I just want a few days into the week to work off those chips and salsa I ate over the weekend.  But I am not going to change the weigh in day because it is helping hold me accountable on Saturday and Sunday knowing I have to weigh in on Monday.  I do of course strip off most my clothes and make sure to pee before I weigh myself.  Every ounce counts folks.  I am entering the fourth week of this plan and I am excited to say I am down 8.5lbs.  My goal is my 30th birthday coming up in August.  I won't share my goal weight just yet but I would love to be the same weight as when I met Dave.  Let me remind you I was 16 at the time so while that may seem crazy I think know I can do it.