My Happy House

Cilantro Lime Chicken Wraps

2012-02-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on Life as We Know It, and she found it, where else but, on Pinterest!

In a slow cooker, mix together:

One 24-ounce jar medium or mild salsa
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
One 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)
Add 4-6 thawed chicken breasts, cover with salsa mixture, and cook for 6 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.

You can eat the chicken plain served with tortilla strips and sour cream, but I chose to do it a little differently. I served the chicken on tortillas (I like to fry mine for about 10 seconds a side each in a lightly sprayed fry pan on medium) Add toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese and lettuce.
Top with sour cream/crushed tortilla chips to garnish.

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2012-02-10T11:39:00.002-05:00

{friday}
meal plan
fold and put away 2 loads of laundry
work on a new cleaning schedule (SAHM version)
go to the bank

{saturday}
run a few errands (Michael's, BBB,
do a little cleaning
do some work in the basement

{sunday}
grocery shop
have some friends over

{somewhere in there} I missed these last weekend!
spend some time organizing in our bedroom
clean Cam's bedroom- put away the 12 month clothes

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here , copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

My Happy Meals: Frozen Fruit Smoothie

2012-02-07T14:18:00.001-05:00

I love smoothies. Freaking love them. But I've never been able to create one I like at home as much as when I buy one. Until now. You should know I don't like yogurt based smoothies. I'm and ice and fruit kind of gal. If you share my affinity for ice and fruit smoothies, check this one out!

Ingredients:
3 Cups of your favorite frozen fruit- I use a Dole blend of strawberries, pineapple, mango & peaches
3/4 C Orange/Mango/Peach Juice- it's by Dole by the regular orange juice
1/2 C Water
1 Ripe Banana

Blend all the ingredients in a blender until you reach a smooth consistency. If you like it sweeter, use more juice, or less sweet, use more water.

Yield: 2 Smoothies

My Happy Meals: Baked Swiss Chicken

2012-02-07T10:09:00.003-05:00

(In an effort to make my blogging life easier, you'll be getting all updates through My Happy House now!)

Carl grew up eating Swiss Chicken. I had it for the first time a couple weeks ago. I'm a big fan of easy casseroles like this for busy nights. They come together quickly with little prep and can please all of the palettes. Serve it with some steamed veggies, and dinner is done!

Ingredients

2-3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3 portions (cut the thin section into one piece, and slice the larger section in half to create to two thin cutlets)
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 (6 ounce) package dry bread stuffing mix- I used Sage Stove Top
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Arrange chicken breasts in the baking dish. Place one slice of Swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast. Combine cream of chicken soup and milk in a medium bowl, and pour over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with stuffing mix. Pour melted butter over top.
Bake 50-55 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

adapted from

Menu Planning Monday

2012-02-06T15:05:00.001-05:00

Sunday: Super Bowl Party
Monday: Swiss Chicken (new)
Tuesday: Ground Beef Casserole
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Honey Sauced Chicken (new)
Thursday: Chicken Piccata with Homemade Rice Pilaf
Friday: Double Batch Baked Macaroni & Cheese (Half for freezer)
Saturday: Leftovers

Lunch: Ham & Swiss Sandwiches, PB&J, Potato Soup (from the freezer), bananas, pineapple, Goldfish crackers, Pringles, cottage cheese

Breakfast: Waffles, Cereal, bananas, fruit smoothies, yogurt

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2012-02-03T10:16:00.002-05:00

Do you ever find the weekend flies by and you wonder where the time went? Or how you got through the entire weekend without getting anything done? Give Weekend Planning a shot! It gives you goals to work towards and when you have a free moment, you can glance back at the list to see what you intended to do before Monday sneaks up on you!

{friday}
meal plan
fold and put away Cam's laundry
make a quick run to my sister's house
work on my current organization project (details to come)

{saturday}
wash, fold, put away 2 loads of laundry
run a few errands

{sunday}
grocery shop
Super Bowl party at our friends' house

{somewhere in there}
put some polish on my nails
spend some time organizing in our bedroom
clean Cam's bedroom- put away the 12 month clothes

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

While you are here, I'd love your vote!

Cam is 12 Months...

2012-02-01T08:31:00.001-05:00

It's all done. My baby is 12 months. Oh fine, he's a year old. And he's currently playing with old measuring cups and pushing a chair around the kitchen. I don't know why we buy toys!

I just want to do his quick 12 month recap though before I forget everything. Seriously, where did my memory go??

Cam has started taking more steps here and there, but is still too cautious to start walking. Either that or he just realizes that he can crawl much faster than these baby steps and he's in a hurry!

He waves when we say "hi" or "bye bye" but not always in public. He likes to keep his tricks for us, I suppose. He claps any time we say "yay." Even if he is in the middle of something, he will stop for some clapping.

We now get daily hugs and I know how to get them. You can't just ask, but if he stands up on his changing table, he leaps into a hug. The most awesome, tight baby hug you'll ever get.

Cam's favorite dinner is spaghetti, and he still thinks Gibson is the bees knees!

We spent Cam's actual birthday at the Hands On Museum and I don't think he wanted to leave. If his little eyes weren't closing on their own, we would have let him stay! Although, it's a tight race as to who was having more fun, Cam or Carl :)

The last month was filled with Cam's first Christmas, 1st New Years, all the last of his firsts. We're all done with annual firsts, but I have a feeling some of the "seconds" will be even better!

Cherry Nut Trail Mix

2012-01-27T22:09:00.001-05:00

Inside the party favors for the adults, or CAMp counselors if you will, were homemade hot chocolate packets (nothing new around these parts) and a packet of homemade trail mix. You can hardly call this a recipe, but I'm not really sure what else to call it. It was my first time coming up with a trail mix, and I just mixed it until I felt I had a good thing going on :) Enjoy!

This is just the basic ratio, but feel free to halve or multiply as needed.

3 cups peanuts
2 cups cashews
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup craisins
1 cup almonds
1/2 c dark chocolate morsels

Um, mix it together. Now you have Cherry Nut Trail Mix :)

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2012-01-27T10:12:00.001-05:00

We have the option of having a super busy weekend or a mildly busy weekend. We need the mildly busy one so we can get caught up around the house, but I am not 100% sure that's how it's going to role. :/

{friday}
clean kitchen
meal plan
finish up the week's laundry
run a couple errands

{saturday}
organize my coupons
do a couple returns

{sunday}
grocery shop
wish my sister a Happy Birthday :)

{somewhere in there}
have some fun on Pinterest :)

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Happy CAMper Birthday Party!

2012-01-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

MY baby. My BABY. My itty, bitty, teeny, tiny baby turned 1 yesterday. Yep. 1 Whole Year Old. I'll save the tears for my pillow, and instead share with you the celebration part. The part that helped this entertaining loving momma look past the fact that we were entertaining because my baby is now a toddler.

Months ago, I was trying to come up with a theme of sorts. I thought the whole "Winter ONEderland" thing was adorable, but probably better suited for a girl. Back to the drawing board, and it dawned on me. Let's have a CAMping party. And it began. I am certainly not the first one to have a camping themed party, because as soon as I started searching I was bombarded with tons of cute ideas. I do believe, as far as the Internet goes, that I was the first person to have a CAMping party though, and that is where my creative intellectual property ends :)

I will warn you. It's time for photo overload. I am going to keep the dialogue to a minimum or this will, seriously, be the longest post in Blogger history. Please feel free to ask any detail questions in the comments or the FB page! :)

The Menu

CAMping Chili
CAMping Corn Chowder
Baked Potatoes
Potato Bar
Fresh Cut Vegetables & Dip
Dirt Pudding Cups
Dirt Cupcakes
S'Mores Bars
Ants on a Log
Bug Juice (Punch)
Canteen Water (Punch)
Bottled Water
Assorted Beer
Coffee

Weekend Prior: All decor and favors were completed

Thursday Prior: Cupcakes were baked

Friday: Chili and Chowder were made and refrigerated. Dirt cups made and refrigerated. S'mores Bars made and refrigerated. Set up was started.

Day of: Cupcakes frosted, punch made, ants on a log made, all food was set up.

Kids received a "hiking bandana" with candy, homemade hot chocolate packets & Play-Doh

Adults received a take out box with homemade hot chocolate packets and homemade trail mix

I couldn't have been happier with how it all turned out. We had about 50 guests, and just to tell you how big our families are, that accounted for no friends...at least that aren't family. :) We are so fortunate to have had so many people come and celebrate with Cam!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2012-01-13T08:17:00.005-05:00

Oh gosh. It's Friday. That snuck up on me. I had a fairly busy week, so I know exactly where the time went, but I'm still questioning that it's actually Friday. Ah well. Here we go.

{friday}
take Cam to a play date- it's a new place we're trying out!
make chicken & dumplings for lunch
work on Cam's birthday projects
clean kitchen
make dinner
meal plan

{saturday}
organize my coupons
do a couple returns
go to Michaels for a few more birthday supplies
find something fun to do :)

{sunday}
grocery shop
return my library book
finalize everything for Cam's party so the planning part is done and I can begin executing it

{somewhere in there}
must.deep.clean.floors. I did some touch ups this week, but they really need it now.

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop,click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Laundry Room Update: Storage Storage and MORE Storage!

2012-01-11T15:07:00.004-05:00

A little while ago, I shared with you my newly improved pantry. Part of the reason I was able to improve it so greatly was due to some added storage. Storage. I love that word. Anyway, back to the laundry room. When we first moved in, it looked a little something like this:

But not really, because that is our stuff and we had already painted the walls. See that little wire shelf above the dryer? Yeah, that was my laundry storage, and to be honest, I didn't even think it was that bad. That is, until I wanted to redo the pantry and I realized a good 25%+ of my pantry was being used by cleaning supplies. Pantry =/= Cleaning. At least not to the amount I had in there. This was definitely one of those things that we kept thinking "Why didn't we do this sooner?"

We bought stock white cabinets from Home Depot, one single door and two double door.

(thank goodness for my cell phone. this was the only way i could get a semi-decent shot of the front)

We also looked for a laundry tub solution, but were not interested in spending $200+ for something we didn't love. And it's a laundry tub for crying out loud. And after a quick search on Pinterest, I promptly exited that window. Apparently some people just want a regular sink with a pretty faucet. Yeah, no. We DIY. We need a large ugly tub that functions when we are working on a project. Not another bathroom vanity. So DIY we did. Carl and his Dad worked on it, and oddly, luckily, his Dad had a lone cabinet door that would match. Between some melamine and that random cabinet door, they came up with this.

I still want to change out the floors eventually, and possibly repaint. Don't tell Carl. We'll also come up with some sort of countertop solution for above the washer and dryer so I can 1. stop losing things behind it and 2. use that space for a drink area when we have large parties. And then of course I'd like to make it pretty, so perhaps I'll venture back to Pinterest and just ignore the sinks.

Then lastly, I didn't show you this in the pantry reveal, but it is in the pantry. I needed a space to hang clothes to dry, and the regular hanging part of the pantry wasn't very functional. The wet vac and vacuum would get in the way. The solution was a hanging rack mounted above the door. Always using that vertical space I tell ya! The clothes hang up high enough so they aren't in the way, but I can also just use hangers for a quick item here and there.

Alright, that's enough for today. I'll be back later to show you how I organized the interiors of the cabinets, but this room is a pain to photograph so I'm taking a break!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2012-01-08T20:56:00.004-05:00

{Friday}
work on cam's birthday party details (it's coming together nicely, the invites went out yesterday!)
meal plan- below

{Saturday}
make a bunch of chicken pot pies- I got 4.5 done!
deep clean the floors they'll have to get done this week instead, we were busy working on the blue :)
date night!! we were able to get out for the night unexpectedly, so yay!

{Sunday}
grocery shop
enjoy the day!
had my brother and SIL over for dinner
did a little coupon shopping

{Somewhere In There}
find a fun valentine's project on pinterest- i found one, but i'm not 100% sold. i'm going to keep looking
clean the laundry room so i can show you the changes we made!- it's half way done. i'll be featuring it later this week!

{Meal Plan}
Sunday: Crockpot Horseradish Garlic Pot Roast & Salads
Monday: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Tuesday: Creamed Chicken & Corn Soup
Wednesday: Leftovers or Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday: Going to dinner at Carl's cousin's house
Friday: Panang Curry Soup & Spicy Thai Noodles

Lunches: Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Soup, Bananas, Cuties, Apples, Carrots
Breakfast: Waffles, Bananas, Hard Boiled Eggs, Cereal
Snacks: Goldfish Crackers, Oreos, Stove Top Popcorn

Making Changes for 2012

2012-01-07T10:47:00.002-05:00

I've come to a decision. After over a year of infrequent posting, I've decided to make Cam's blog private. I realized it's really just something for him, and not the entire world. But I'll be making this blog a tad more family oriented. I promise not to lose the integrity of this blog to baby related things, it'll just be more focused on the entire Happy House which includes Cam :) If you are a follower on My Happy Line, please don't take it personally! I'm appreciative of each of the followers, but hope you are either a follower here or will make the switch!

This is also to help me out. Managing 3 blogs is just too much, and I don't imagine it getting any easier. This means more time devoted to this blog alone and more frequent posts! Hopefully you guys won't mind!

To get you guys started with some family fun, the thing that has been consuming most of my free time lately is planning Cam's party. The theme is a Birthday CAMping Party. Here is just a little sneak peek at what is to come. I can't wait to see it all come together, I'm hoping my vision becomes reality, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous!

{invitation}

{birthday collage}
I can't wait to share some pictures after it's all said and done! Hope you are all having a spectacular Saturday!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2012-01-06T08:57:00.003-05:00

I have a confession. We have no plans this weekend. I am ridiculously excited. We have been going, going, going for the last couple months and I realized this morning that we have nothing planned! Now, I'm not saying we're not going to do anything (pshhh I wish!) but this weekend is on our terms and our terms only! Wooooop!

And now I will ruin that whole first paragraph by planning out my weekend. But I'll keep it simple, and maybe there will be a lot of blue on Monday!

{Friday}
work on cam's birthday party details (it's coming together nicely, the invites went out yesterday!)
meal plan

{Saturday}
make a bunch of chicken pot pies
deep clean the floors

{Sunday}
grocery shop
enjoy the day!

{Somewhere In There}
find a fun valentine's project on pinterest
clean the laundry room so i can show you the changes we made!

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop,click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

New Year: New Goals

2012-01-03T20:53:00.004-05:00

That's a lie. My goals are always the same. Clean House. Eat at Home. I don't like to call it a New Year's Resolution because then I am destined to fail. But each year, I try to be a better wife and maintain my home that June Cleaver would be proud of, and now I get to add "be a better mom" to that list. How fun?!?

Anyway, back to my goals. Clean house. I need to get back on track with my weekly cleaning. I don't like using my alternate schedule for cleaning now since the weekend is family time. So my other option is to focus on my daily cleaning. I'll be updating more on the Facebook page on a daily basis if you want to follow along or participate too!

Then there is the subject of eating at home. I think we are pretty good at it. We rarely eat out for lunch and will go out for dinner on occasion, but I'd like to even scale that back. We are usually disappointed when we go out anyway and then to have to spend $30+ on a meal for two is just wasteful. I'll continue doing my meal plans with the Weekend Planning, but I'll start listing out more detail- breakfast, lunch and snack information will be included as well as what meals I plan to add to my freezer for future use. It's mostly to hold myself accountable, but hopefully will also inspire someone else out there!

To get started on the right foot, we are taking down all the Christmas decor now, and starting on Monday, I'll be back on track with daily cleaning. And as for meals, I've got all my meal planning done for the week, and lots of prep work has been completed. (Peeled and cut carrots for snacks, prepped lettuce for salads, etc.) Since I've taken a vacation from WP the last few weeks, I'll give you my meal plan here.

Dinners:
Sunday: Tacos at a Birthday Party
Monday: Dinner at Carl's parents' house (dinner always tastes better when you don't have to make it!)
Tuesday: Sante Fe Chicken over rice
Wednesday: Chicken Nachos
Thursday: Leftovers (I'm solo for dinner, so it'll be simple)
Friday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup & Salad
Saturday: Chicken Pot Pies

Lunch: Baked Potato Soup, Ham & Swiss Sandwiches, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Salads
Snacks: Clementines, Apples, Bananas, Carrots, Goldfish Crackers
Treats: Cool Mint Oreos (OMG YUM)
Freezer Meals: Broccoli Cheddar & Baked Potato Soups, Chicken Pot Pies

If you do a meal plan on your blog, let me know! I'm always looking for ideas and great new recipes!

P.S. Weekend Planning will be back on Friday! Come link up YOUR Weekend Plans!

And Just Like That....

2011-12-27T20:35:00.003-05:00

Christmas is over. It might take me a moment to get in the blogging spirit again. I never feel quiet right the week after Christmas. It might be partially due to the fact that I will read other blogs, flip through Pinterest, etc. and think "Oh man!! I meant to do that this year!" So here I will share with you a few things I totally intended on completing, but forgot or ran out of time and I hope to do them next year!

Single Serving Pies in a Jar
(I even bought the stupid jars, just never got around to it!)

via

Make a Cute Holiday Breakfast
(Maybe this will be better next year anyway when Cam can appreciate it.)

via

Take More Photos on Christmas Day
(We had the morning covered, but nothing the rest of the day :( )

Stay on Track with the Advent Calendar
(I only missed a few things, but next year, my goal is to make sure we do it all!)

Now, this isn't to depress you, but I want to know what you wish you could have gotten done this year. Bonus points if it's a fun craft, recipe, or event that I can add to my list! Share the link in the InLinks below. I want to bulk up my 2012 list with your help! If you did it all, share your favorite blog post from the season instead! Make sure to check out the other links, you just might find a new activity for yourself :)

Merry Christmas from My Happy House

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

From Our Happy House to Yours....

On the 12th Day of Christmas....

2011-12-24T23:51:00.004-05:00

...the Happy House gives to YOOOOOOOUUUUUU!!!! A Christmas Eve table :)

I used cake stands to indicate where dishes would go. Elevating them off the table gave a little more space as well.

All ready for dinner:

And Cam says Prime Rib is nicely followed up by YoBaby.

Merry Christmas Eve Everyone! We can't wait to tear into these bad boys tomorrow!

On the 11th Day Again of Christmas...

2011-12-23T20:08:00.003-05:00

.....the Happy House gives to you....finished oodles of treats!

I want to share my Christmas Eve table with you, but I didn't get my pictures yet. So, instead, we're revisiting Day 11. Here are yesterday's treats all done up! (Recipes Below)

Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Almonds: 8 Cups
Cinnamon: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1 cup
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Water: 2 tsp
2 Egg Whites

So what do you do? It's easy! And you'll never pay $8 for the almonds at the mall again, promise!

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and lightly coat a large jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Whisk the egg white and water just until frothy. Dump in the almonds and coat them in the egg. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the almonds and toss to coat. Place them in the oven for an hour, flipping the almonds every 15 minutes. Allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container. (I like to use our vacuum saver for this!)

Hot Cocoa Mix

11 Cups Dry Non-fat Milk
1 Cup Dry Creamer
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Chocolate Drink Mix (Like Nesquik)
1/4 Cup of Cocoa

Mix all the dry ingredients together. The ratio is 1/3c mix to 2/3c hot water.

Santa Handprint Ornaments
I followed these instructions for the ornaments and painted with acrylic paints.

On the 11th Day of Christmas....

2011-12-22T22:01:00.002-05:00

....the Happy House gives to yooooooooou....a plethora of Christmas goodies!

I was busy in the kitchen tonight. I started with Gooey Lemon Cookies, followed up with salt dough ornaments and Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix and ended the night with Roasted Cinnamon Almonds.

My kitchen is no where near clean, but the dishwasher is running and everything is rinsed. I need to gear up for a busy day of cleaning and prepping for Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow so I'm d-o-n-e for the night!

On the 10th Day of Christmas...

2011-12-21T23:34:00.002-05:00

the Happy House gives to yooooooou....presents under the tree!

I'm not 100% done. I need to finish up tomorrow, but this is a sight that makes me smile for sure! I love love love giving gifts!!

And don't hate on my phone pics. You know you love them :)

On the 9th Day of Christmas....

2011-12-20T22:05:00.003-05:00

the Happy House gives to you...A Christmas Eve Dinner Menu :)

We are hosting Christmas Eve for the first time for Carl's side of the family. It will be a quaint, festive evening and I can't wait!

Getting Started:
Bake Brie & Crackers
Wine
Ice Water

Main Event:
Roasted Prime Rib
Smashed Creamy Red Skin Potatoes
Swiss Vegetable Medley
Yeast Rolls & Butter

Sweet Treats:
Holiday Pies
Chewy Lemon Cookies
Coffee
Hot Tea
Eggnog

I'm thinking I want one more appetizer that's cold so it can be ready right away. We are going to Christmas Eve Mass, so timing will be crucial! Now that the menu is set, I can breathe a little easier. But next big step is setting the table! So far the only elements I know I want are some fresh florals, an ornament feature on the chandelier like I did last year, and definitely candles! I'll be working on that tomorrow, but here is some eye candy I'll be using for inspiration :)

Have you created a Pinterest board with some stunning Christmas decor? Please do share it with me!!

On the 7th & 8th Days of Christmas

2011-12-19T22:48:00.004-05:00

...the Happy House gives to yoooooou...Cookie Party Details!

The 3rd Annual Cookie Party Plan

Lunch Menu:
Deli Honey Ham, Roast Turkey & Hard Salami
Whole Wheat and Honey White Sliced Bread
Mustard & Mayo
Cut Romaine Lettuce
Cut Vegetables and Dip (brought by my sister)
Baked Macaroni & Cheese (brought by my mom)
Assorted Soda
Ice Water
Homemade Hot Chocolate

Cookie Assortment:
Sugar Cutout Cookies
Swedish Spritz Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Tips for Planning:

Make Cookie Dough the night prior- can be kept in the fridge
Do all cleaning the night before- I always wait to do the half bath the day of
Have boxes available for guests to take cookies home
Don't bother cleaning the floors ;) A good sweep is good prior, the floor is a sprinkle magnet!
Use plastic/paper tablecloths. Frosting will get everywhere.
This is the perfect occasion to buy some cute paper plates and napkins. The kitchen sink and dishwasher will be busy with baking dishes. Keep the lunch dishes simple!

A Cookie Party Recap :)

I set things up just a touch differently this year. Something I've realized is we don't all actually sit down at the same time to eat lunch. We mostly focus on the kids so they can get to decorating. So my key was not to worry about having 20+ seats. I simply opened up the dining table, and we set up some tables in the basement for some extra seating. The kids like to play down there while they are waiting for the cookies to cool anyway!

I set up all the food on the dining table as well, it worked just fine! I only have a picture with the sandwich goods, I was too busy once everything else was there.
Simple. Not fussy. Not even a tiny bit!

The plates, napkins and silverware were on the sideboard. And I had cake stands all over the place awaiting the cookies.

The beverages were in their normal spot. I did cans this year, and it worked great! This was before the ice, but I just poured it over the cans. Don't forget to set a Sharpie out by the cups. 10+ kids will never remember which one is theirs!

And then the overview of cookie central.

Lastly, here is our newest ornament for the tree. My sister gets me an ornament each year to remember the cookie party. This one is perfect!

(and because I always like to take away a lesson or two at the end of any party)

Things Learned for Next Year:

Make 5 batches of cookie dough (instead of 4) and start baking the cutouts the night prior- will allow for more time to bake other types of cookies and no wait time for cooling cookies
Designate someone to take photos during the actual festivities. I really wish I had done this this year. I was way too busy in the kitchen, and as you can see, I only have the prep photos :(

Overall, it was a HUGE success. I got phone calls and emails from my sisters the next day saying how much they love cookie day. Can't wait for next year!

Monday Evening Weekend Round Up

2011-12-19T22:41:00.004-05:00

{friday}

Clean the first floor
Make like 18 batches of sugar cookie dough (ok...not that much, but a ton!)
Decide on the other cookies to make (I have a list, I just need to choose!)
Set up the dining/living room for tomorrow
Clean the laundry room
mail out the Christmas cards

{saturday}

get all the set up ready for the cookie party
enjoy the party!

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
file my "to file" papers
clean up from the party
do Cam's holiday craft

{somewhere in there}

do a little more decorating outside
Make Italian Wedding Soup (my first try at this!)

Other than Sunday, I wasn't too far off in my planning, and the soup got made tonight, so, now it can be green :) This week is going to be crazy fun- baking, gift wrapping and prepping to host on Saturday for Christmas Eve dinner! Let the planning and executing begin!

On the 5th and 6th Days of Christmas...

2011-12-18T22:13:00.002-05:00

...the Happy House gives to you... (I'm playing a touch of catch up!)

The Front of the Happy House:

The Back of the Happy House:

Doesn't it make your heart feel holidayish?? :) I still owe you one day, but I'll make up for it tomorrow! The weekend was a little crazy ;)

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-12-16T08:36:00.003-05:00

{friday}

Clean the first floor
Make like 18 batches of sugar cookie dough (ok...not that much, but a ton!)
Decide on the other cookies to make (I have a list, I just need to choose!)
Set up the dining/living room for tomorrow
Clean the laundry room
mail out the Christmas cards

{saturday}

get all the set up ready for the cookie party
enjoy the party!

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
file my "to file" papers
clean up from the party
do Cam's holiday craft

{somewhere in there}

do a little more decorating outside
Make Italian Wedding Soup (my first try at this!)

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop,click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

On the 4th Day of Christmas....

2011-12-15T21:01:00.003-05:00

....the Happy House gives to you, the rest of the family room! Here is the overview from the kitchen. You've seen the fireplace and the tree (for the most part) but here is the wider view. I bought the pillows on clearance last year after Christmas. (The day after a holiday is a great time to buy holiday decor for next year!)

Then there are the floating shelves. I had so much I wanted to share, so I just went with all of it!
I got the Christmas printable here. Otherwise, everything is ours, and other than photos, everything was from last year.

You know you want to come join me by the fire, just admit it! I'll have some hot cocoa waiting for you!

And because you know I like to keep it real, this is how it looks during the day when Cam is hanging out with me :) Laptop on the side table, Christmas tunes on the TV, gate putting the tree in a time out, and Gibson's bed which is virtually useless because Cam won't let him sleep.

Hope you're enjoying my very own little 12 Days of Christmas!

Tackle It Tuesday: Calendar

2011-12-14T23:37:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I updated our calendar system. Time for January. It's going to be an emotional month :) Let's focus on something else. Heeeeey Snowman! You're cute!

Snow snow snow! Share your Tackle It Tuesday link below!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas....

2011-12-14T10:29:00.004-05:00

I thought about this the other day when I posted the Christmas Tree. I was 12 days away from Christmas, but I didn't want to jinx myself. However, now I feel like I'm on a roll and it's more of a challenge! I'm going to try to give you a Christmas post (decor, entertaining, gift, etc.) up until Christmas. Let's see if I can fulfill my own challenge!

On the 3rd day of Christmas the Happy House gives to you...the annual DIY Fresh Greenery Wreath. I showed you how to make your own here, and then I also showed you last year's version here. They aren't all that different from one another, mostly because I like it to be really simple and unrefined.

This year, we bought a cute, little, leather reindeer with jingle bells. I can't wait to hear the holidays every time we open the door!

I haven't decided if I want to add a ribbon to hang it from as I've done in years passed. I might give it a try later today to see if I like it, but I'm kind of digging this extremely simple version this year! But of course I like your opinions...ribbon or no ribbon?

Cozy Festive Family Room

2011-12-13T16:04:00.003-05:00

Our family room is typically my favorite room in the house. It certainly is my favorite when it comes time to enjoy a cozy holiday evening. I broke this room down into two posts, because...well, I'm just going to be straight up honest with you. I have like 3 loads of laundry on my couch and Cam's toys are all over the place and I just don't have the energy to clean it all up and show you the other side. There. How's that for honesty? But I will show you the fireplace, which is my favorite part anyway!

Silver and Red....Silver and Red....

2011-12-12T16:41:00.003-05:00

That is the color of our living room tree :) For the last 3 years now, I've had "my" tree. We will always have our sentimental ornament tree in the family room, but I love the idea of a color coordinated tree too. It makes me smile every time I walk by it. We had a hand-me-down tree from my sister up until this year, but it's really just too big for the space. We took advantage of the day after Thanksgiving sales and picked ourselves up a 7ft pre-lit one.

I told you I would get you all caught up on my Advent Calendar, so we'll start here, with the tree!

I've got lots more to show you, so I need to hop to taking photos!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-12-12T10:46:00.003-05:00

I think I was a little ambitious. We didn't quite get to everything planned, but we barely relaxed, so it was seriously busy. I'm taking photos of all our holiday decor this week, so stay tuned to see how the Holiday Happy House is looking! It's important I get it all buttoned up because the cookie party is this Saturday. I'll also be giving all the details for that later this week! :)

{friday}

Make dinner- now that Carl will eat :) Chicken Piccata with Rice Pilaf. We haven't had it in forever! We ended up ordering pizza and having friends over last minute!
Finish, fold, and put away 3 loads of laundry
Do a little catch up on the Advent Calendar :/
Meal Plan
Get the wreath form so I can do the aforementioned calendar catch up
Clean the laundry room

{saturday}

Take Cam to see Santa with his best bud Ben
Get the living/family room shelves decorated- they are almost done!
Decorate outside

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
file my "to file" papers
Do some cleaning, organizing, get the house in order
finished outside decor
made a double batch of Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Meal Plan:
Sunday: Chicken Piccata & Rice Pilaf
Monday: Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Spicy Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry
Thursday: Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Friday: Italian Wedding Soup
Saturday: Cookie Party!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-12-09T10:33:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week! Carl is finally getting over this awful bug, and as of now, Cam and I escaped it! I definitely got a taste of what it's like to take care of multiple kids though :/ And my house is suffering because of it!

{friday}

Make dinner- now that Carl will eat :) Chicken Piccata with Rice Pilaf. We haven't had it in forever!
Finish, fold, and put away 3 loads of laundry
Do a little catch up on the Advent Calendar :/
Meal Plan
Get the wreath form so I can do the aforementioned calendar catch up
Clean the laundry room

{saturday}

Take Cam to see Santa with his best bud Ben
Get the living/family room shelves decorated
Decorate outside

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
file my "to file" papers
Do some cleaning, organizing, get the house in order...whatever hasn't been done on Friday and Saturday

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-12-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

Yeah, this weekend didn't go quite how I planned it, but at least with all my green and red I look festive.

{friday}

Make a full Turkey Dinner- you can check out the details here.
Finish, fold, and put away 3 loads of laundry
Clean up the Christmas Tree boxes and packaging
Decorate the family room- I need a few key pieces before I can actually finish it

{saturday}

Meal Plan
Grocery Shop
Take our Christmas Card photo
Make dinner for our photographers :)- Sort of, we had lunch instead
At home movie date night

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
clean the laundry room
file my "to file" papers
Grocery shopped
Finished the second tree

Meal Plan:

Sunday: Mostaccioli & Salad
Monday: Out for Sushi :)
Tuesday: Sweet & Sour Chicken with Stir Fry Vegetables over Rice
Wednesday: Pierogis and Salads
Thursday: Corn Chowder and Salads
Friday: Chicken Piccata
Saturday: Broccoli Cheddar Chowder

Don't forget to share your Monday Morning Round Up below!

My Happy House is #2 on Home Design! Help us get to #1!!!

Friday Friendsgiving

2011-12-03T18:43:00.004-05:00

As we were eating our 3rd, and what should have been our final, Thanksgiving dinner up at the cabin, I told Carl I needed more. Just one more turkey dinner, with all the fixings, and I'd be set. I decided to buy a turkey when we got home, invite a couple of friends over and enjoy Thanksgiving one more time!

I wasn't going to do anything with the table, but at the last minute just dressed it up a bit to welcome in the Christmas season. I just used things I had from last year and regular season items as well. Just goes to show you can entertain any time for any reason. It was a mix of fancy and casual and completely delicious!

The menu was seriously traditional:

Roast Turkey and Drippings Gravy
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Sweet & Savory Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Wine
Ice Water

My day went a little something like this:

2:30p start the stuffing and prep the turkey
3p: Start the turkey (8.5lb turkey to be done about 6:30p in time to rest and carve)
5p: peel and cut potatoes, put in water to keep from browning
5:30p put together green bean casserole
6p: set the table, wine in the decanter, ice water in the carafe
6:30p boil and mash potatoes, take turkey out and cover with aluminum foil, put casserole and stuffing in the oven
7p: light candles, guests arrive, carve turkey, get everything on the table

If you are hosting this year, here is my quick guideline for entertaining.

1-2 weeks out: Choose the Menu
2-3 days before: Grocery Shop
1-2 days before: Prep your table to be sure you aren't missing anything
1 day before: Do as much cleaning as possible
Day of: Start cooking early, be sure to leave time to get ready and enjoy!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-12-01T22:31:00.003-05:00

I took last week off, but we're back on track this week!

{friday}

Make a full Turkey Dinner (you know...because we didn't have enough Thanksgiving last week! I'm just in the mood for it again. Turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans and stuffing...can't wait!)
Finish, fold, and put away 3 loads of laundry
Clean up the Christmas Tree boxes and packaging
Decorate the family room

{saturday}

Meal Plan
Grocery Shop
Take our Christmas Card photo
Make dinner for our photographers :)

{sunday}

Take Gibson to see Santa Claws
clean the laundry room
file my "to file" papers

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

The Happy House Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T08:03:00.000-05:00

You know I like to plan, so why not plan out the whole month? We've got a busy December and this isn't even all of it! Check out how we are spending the month :)

Fun stuff right? Do a little web search to see what fun activities are going on around your neck of the woods. Today is December 1st, make it your daily goal to make your own Advent Calendar!

The Final Check In: Happy House Express Challenge PLUS

2011-11-28T10:51:00.002-05:00

(Sorry for the delay in posting this! I forgot I was going to my mom's house Wednesday and cut off my Internet usage for the holiday weekend!)

Stand up. Take a bow. You did it! You made it to the end of the Happy House Express Challenge PLUS! (If you didn't play along, that's OK, I'm sure you deserve to take the bow for something else)

Hopefully, you are enjoying your clean and tidy house, especially since that was our 10th task anyway! Let's do our final check in.

1. Make the Bed: 7/7
2. Empty the Sink: 6/7!
3. Clear the Clutter: 6/7!
4. Sweep the Kitchen Floor: 6/7!
5. Sort the Mail: 5/6!
6. Spray Your Shower: 7/7!
7. Write it Down: 7/7!
8. Organize Your Outerwear: 6/7
9. Clean the Counters: 6/7 (Kitchen was set 7/7, the bathroom got me!)
10. Relax and Enjoy Your Clean House: 7/7!!!

Challenge Plus
Week 5: Living Spaces (Family Room, Living Room, Den, Etc.)

Dust/Vacuum/Clean the furniture
Clean the windows/blinds
Deep clean the floors/Vacuum the rugs
Dust the lighting

Everything was clean and tidy for the Mock Thanksgiving, but I was a bit busy taking those photos and forgot to snap the challenge photos! The only thing I skipped was the deep clean of the floors. I'm saving that for this week. Now the house is somewhat of a disaster because we need to unpack and we are simultaneously trying to get Christmas decor out! So, no photos of the living spaces for now, but I'll have some festive ones soon!

Now, the challenge is over, but that doesn't mean we stop doing the 10 daily tasks. Hopefully these tasks have become routine for you. If not, press on, they'll become habit soon enough! And I'm hoping your house is holiday event ready now that we've cleaned top to bottom! Or at least you have a good jump start :) Did you miss out on the challenge all together? No worries, I have links to the regular version on the right side of the blog. Start your own 10 week challenge!

So, one last time, give me your results in the comments! Or better yet, share your own blog post in the InLinkz below! And if you could do me a HUGE favor and vote for us on Picket Fence Blogs, I'll love you forever. They did a reset last week, so votes make a big difference right now! Thanks!

Happy (day after) Thansksgiving!

2011-11-25T20:02:00.001-05:00

I'm eating up both turkey AND some much needed relaxing family time. I'm taking the rest of the weekend off of blogging and will be back on Monday! Hope you all had a spectacular Thanksgiving!

Dear Santa

2011-11-21T17:41:00.002-05:00

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-11-21T09:30:00.003-05:00

Hey there Monday! Nice to see you :/

{Friday}

surface clean the house
start set up in the living/dining room for the Mock Thanksgiving (MT)
finish up grocery shopping for MT

{Saturday}

make turkey and arrange beverages for MT
finish surface clean
make sweet potato balls for Sunday's recipe swap party (I had a great night Saturday, Carl and Cam- not so much. So we had to skip the recipe swap :( )

{Sunday}

clean up after the MT
attend a recipe swap party
attend a birthday party
meal plan
participate in the Dare to DIY Party with my Mock Thanksgiving...and here with a tablescape!

Meal Plan:
Sunday: Birthday Party
Monday: Broccoli Potato Chowder
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Out
Thursday: Thanksgiving!
Friday: Thanksgiving II!
Saturday: Leftovers!!!

We've got a very busy week ahead of us, so it's time to crack down and get working! I'm just a touch excited about Thanksgiving, so I keep losing my focus! I need an hourly reminder to stay on track...any volunteers? :)

The Weekend Planning Link Love is up, did your blog get featured this week? Be sure to check me out on Facebook as I sometimes give a hint as to which spots will get featured!

Thanksgiving Tablescape

2011-11-20T20:30:00.003-05:00

Since the only Thanksgiving I got to host this year was the Mock Thanksgiving, I didn't have a chance to do a formal table. I linked my previous post up with the Dare to DIY Party over at the NewlyWoodwards, but I wanted to take my challenge a step further and set out table. Had our group been smaller, it would have looked a little something like this...

Not that I'm complaining! I loved our big group, I just wanted in on the small group fun :) Did you set your table this week? Go share it at the Dare to DIY Party!

Mock Thanksgiving: Tips, Tricks & Photos Galore!

2011-11-20T13:54:00.004-05:00

What do you do when you normally don't host more than 12 people for dinner at a time and you realize you are about to host 18? You improvise!

I hosted a Mock Thanksgiving in 2009, then took a year off because I couldn't see my feet last Thanksgiving. This year, I wanted to bring it back in style! I invited 17 of my favorite ladies to join in a holiday dinner without the family politics :) Oh and all the mommas left the babies with the husbands. Including me. Carl took Cam AND Gibson to his parents' house.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Scene: Friday Night. Carl and I are in the living/dining room trying to figure out how to seat 18 people.

Our dining table and two 6ft folding tables later, we came up with a solution. In my head, I needed it to be symmetrical, so we created one long table. It was hard to photograph the whole thing, but I think we succeeded in 1. it being symmetrical and 2. it not looking like a soup kitchen (right Tricia?). I didn't buy anything new for decor, I just used what I had- a mix of decorative basket filler, stones, faux leaves, candles and ribbon seems to do the trick. The glass candleholders were bought for our wedding and I've used them countless times now!

I created little name cards for all the dishes being brought. This way, people knew who made what.

Drink Station + Tricia:
Hot cider (like we did for the game night party), seasonal beer, wine, liquor and soda.

The sideboard was prepped and awaiting the desserts:

I love cooking a turkey. I really, really do. But when it comes time to carve, I move myself as far away as possible and wait for a hero to step in. Today's hero: Tricia.

As the guests arrived, they just placed their dish by their name tag. Food!!!

I had to keep my pictures quick, because Jess was not pleased I was making her wait to get to all that amazing food!

So that's the Mock Thanksgiving. How about some tips and tricks?

Send out your invites at least 3 weeks in advance. I think we settled on a date about 5 weeks out.
Keep track of who is bringing what. I basically asked everyone to request their two favorite dishes, and then figured out who should bring what. We purposely had a couple duplicates, but otherwise, you can see the assortment was fantastic!
The only item I cooked was the turkey + the gravy. My efforts were better spent on prepping the house. I do enjoy the occasional event where my guests don't lift a finger, but this is not that kind of event. The best part about Mock Thanksgiving is seeing what everyone wants to bring, tasting different versions of stuffing and sweet potatoes. Everyone has a favorite recipe, let them share it! Just make sure you have a variety.
I highly recommend printing up food name cards. Not only does it allow people to see who brought what, but it gives you a good idea of how much space you'll need for food.
As always, do as much the night before as possible. I had everything set up as much as I could so Saturday was easy going. Just some light cleaning and set up, plus cooking the prized bird.
Don't be afraid to go big. Was this a formal get together? Nope. Not even close. But was it comfortable, relaxing and great to just eat some good food with a bunch of gal pals? YUP!
A pot luck, buffet style party can be just as fancy looking as a formal event. OK...maybe not quite as fancy, but light some candles and put extra touches where you can. I've said it before; little details matter.
Kick back and enjoy! What's the fun in hosting if you are hustling around trying to make sure everything is going smoothly? Tricia was my right hand girl the entire night. Designate someone to help out with answering the door and making sure people have drinks. Just because you want to be the hostess with the mostest doesn't mean you have to be a solo worker bee!

Enough tips for you? Are you ready to host a big event? Not so much you say. OK, start small! With the holidays fast approaching (seriously...Thanksgiving is 4 days away!), set aside a weekend night and invite some friends over. I promise you'll enjoy it :)

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-11-17T21:00:00.003-05:00

Is it seriously time to weekend plan already? I'm keeping mine short and sweet because I might give myself an anxiety attack if I actually think about everything we have going on this weekend.

{Friday}

surface clean the house

start set up in the living/dining room for the Mock Thanksgiving (MT)

finish up grocery shopping for MT

{Saturday}

make turkey and arrange beverages for MT

finish surface clean

make sweet potato balls for Sunday's recipe swap party

{Sunday}

clean up after the MT

attend a recipe swap party

attend a birthday party

Trust me, there is so much more :/ But we are avoiding the anxiety attack, so let's talk about YOU! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

The Big Pantry Reveal

2011-11-17T08:18:00.001-05:00

I've been slightly excited to show this to you guys. Maybe it's a bigger deal to me because I use this room multiple times a day, but still, hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as me! Up until just a few days ago, on a good day, my pantry used to look like this.

And while I loved my pantry just the way it was, I wanted more for that awesome little space. It truly is an extension of my kitchen, and since my kitchen is anything but large, maximizing the pantry is key. Oh and I wanted it to look pretty, am I asking too much? Perhaps, but that didn't stop me from trying. I'll save all my dialogue for the end. So if you want my tips and tricks, be sure to get all the way to the bottom!

How to achieve the pantry of my your dreams:

Really only stock the items you need. I ditched a few things I really didn't need and have a pile of stuff to donate.
Visually break up the shelves. A nice balance of baskets, containers, cookbooks, and serving platters helps big time!
Uniformity is somewhat key. I wasn't about to drop $$$$ on new baskets when I had quite a few I could repurpose. I actually like the variety there, but I wanted to have all the same containers for the most part. So I spent some money on those.
The wire rack on the side wall was one way to house can goods, but I needed a better solution for items I keep in bulk (diced tomatoes, chicken broth, etc.). Fridge bins work great for this! They are clear, so they go with whatever theme you have and are the perfect size since they are for soda cans.
Don't overfill the shelves. This one was hard for me to do because I really do need all the space in there, but I'll show you something I did later that really helped with this!
Make sure to use all the vertical space! The way the pantry was originally set up, there was a good couple feet above the shelf that wasn't used because I just didn't have that many tall items. We added the wire shelf up top, instant space. And notice on the left, where I have some serving pieces, those little "S" hooks. Again, vertical space. It still looks aesthetically pleasing by not looking crowded, but without those hooks, I'd lose an entire space for a basket.
When using that top vertical space, be smart about it. I kept all the canvas baskets at the very top light in weight. Linens, chips, cereal, etc. are easy to get down without fear I'll knock myself unconscious when I need to get them down.
Keep the color scheme light. The paint we chose was ~~some paint we had bought and weren't able to use~~ the perfect paint for the little closet space with no natural light. (Platinum by Ace) However, I'm pretty sure any paint would have been an upgrade from builder grade beige, and especially so seeing as the ceiling white came about 2 feet down the wall with a jagged line to finish it. Seriously builders?
The floor is still sad, but we want to tile it, along with the attached laundry room down the road, and we just aren't ready to do that yet. Don't worry floor, you'll be happy soon :)

And that's the big pantry reveal! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope even more that it gave you some ideas for your own pantry space! Keep in mind, it doesn't need to be a huge pantry to be organized and look beautiful! As always, hit me up with questions if you have any :)

Express Happy House Challenge Plus Week 5

2011-11-16T08:01:00.000-05:00

Guess what gang? It's the 5th and final week of this Express Challenge! But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Let's talk about last week. I definitely wasn't perfect. Not even close. I feel like I had 3 projects going at any given time and I lost site of my daily goals!

Make the Bed: 6/7
Empty the Sink: 6/7
Sweep the Kitchen Floor: 5/7
Clear the Clutter: 5/7
Sort the Mail: 5/7
Spray the Shower: 6/7
Organize Your Outerwear: 5/7
Write It Down: 7/7

See? Definitely not perfect, but my goal this week is to seriously hit every, single one of my ten tasks, every, single night!

Challenge PLUS
Week 4: Bedrooms (Start from the top and work your way down)

Clean all light fixtures/fans
Strip all bedding and clean (I actually didn't do the guest bedding, but will this week)
Dust all furniture
Organize closets
Organize drawers
Clean mirrors and windows
Vacuum and/or clean floors

I know you want photographic proof. I don't have befores for Cam's room and the guest room, but trust me, our bedroom is before enough for all three of them!

After:

Alright, NOW let's look at our last weeks' tasks! You're going to like this, I know it!

Clean the Counters!

This is my cheater task...I'm pulling a two for one....

Yep, that's the kitchen AND the bathroom. But it's such a quick task, that we can combine them. You use them every day, they see a lot of action. The counters in the kitchen and bathroom take a toll, so give them some love and wipe em down! It can also be a motivator to keep your counters cleared! Less clutter = Happier Counters. I swear! But brace yourself for our second task of the week, it's a doozy.

Relax & Enjoy Your Clean House!

Sounds tough huh? I think you can handle it though. What's the point of working hard to have a clean house if you can't sit back an enjoy it. So make sure to take a minute each day to appreciate all your hard work!

Before you kick back and do task 10 though, let's get our PLUS addition! It's the last one, and I'm thinking you might know what it is.

Challenge Plus
Week 5: Living Spaces (Family Room, Living Room, Den, Etc.)

Dust/Vacuum/Clean the furniture
Clean the windows/blinds
Deep clean the floors/Vacuum the rugs
Dust the lighting

Let's recap:
Week 1: Make the Bed & Empty the Sink+ The Kitchen!
Week 2: Sweep the Kitchen Floor & Clear the Clutter +The Dining Spaces!
Week 3: Sort the Mail & Spray Your Shower + The Bathrooms!
Week 4: Write It Down & Organize Your Outerwear!
Week 5: Clean the Counters & Relax & Enjoy Your Clean House!

So don't forget to either link up your own Express Challenge blog post or simply give us your results in the comments! I love seeing how everyone does, perfect scores or not! Really give this week all you've got! Thanksgiving is next Thursday, the day after our last check in! Let's roll into the holiday season with style!

Small Clothes: Big Organization- A Peek Into Cam's Room

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've received one question multiple times:

How do I organize Cam's clothing?

I've wanted to answer it for awhile, and finally got the kick in the butt I needed when my dear friend Elizabeth asked me to guest post over at her blog, Our Life. Go check it out and give her some love! If you've already been there this week, the following might be a repeat for you. If not, read on to see just how I organize all Cam's clothing!

Tiny clothes are adorable, but for some reason, at first, I was thrown for a loop when it came to organizing them. I finally got in a good groove, but I'll be honest, something about making the clothes smaller made them more daunting for me. What I've found that works for me is using his closet for the most part, but a good closet organizer is a must in my opinion! We bought the Rubbermaid System that is sold at Lowe's, and it was easy, or I suppose it looked easy to install. Carl does all the hard labor around here, other than the cleaning, and having babies I suppose.

First, let's get a reminder of Cam's room.

Full nursery transformation here

Now, onto the task at hand. I keep Cam's current size in the top middle section, and then the upcoming size to the bottom left. I like to do it this way because more often than not, it seems like he is bridging two sizes, especially depending on the brand of clothing. I also use two bins for his laundry. I wait until I have a full load, take the bin downstairs, and use it to carry all the folded laundry back upstairs. Sometimes I don't get the whole process done in one day, so I like having two :)

These two drawers are really useful for items that don't hang well. I've labeled it pretty thoroughly so no further explanation here.

Right now, Cam is able to fit in 6-12mo and 12-18mo, so I'm already having him rock the sleepers on the bottom left. One is a winter snowman one which is making me ridiculously excited for the holidays! Up top is one of my favorite gifts we've received. My sister buys each niece, nephew and her own kids one of these bags. My Godson/nephew chose the blue color. We use this bag all the time! It's perfect for 1-3 night stays.

Bottom right are storage bins. The bins of tears, because I cry when I have to put away itty bitty clothes when my chunka chunk moves up a size. We have a spot in the basement for these, but things are a bit of a disaster down there right now, so I'm storing them in his closet since we have the space. The shelf is where I store clothes that are further out, like a year+ down the road. I have issues with clearance racks. Really, really, big issues.

The only other clothing type storage we have is the Hemnes dresser from Ikea. It also doubles as our changing table. If you are looking for an all purpose piece that will grow with your little one, look no further! I love this dresser! And wait until you see how much it stores.

Oh, I lied. There is one other piece of storage. Carl and his Dad made Cam's crib. Yeah. I'm kind of lucky in the "the men in my life know how to build stuff and stuff" way. I requested a specific crib design because it had more storage. The crib sits on a base with two drawers.

We don't keep a lot of toys in Cam's room, but what few ones we do, we keep on his custom made built-in bookcase made, again, lovingly by Carl and his Dad.

Are you inspired? Is your closet, or maybe your little one's closet about to get organized? I hope this is the answer some of you were looking for, and if you need further explanation on anything, you know you can just ask!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-11-14T12:56:00.003-05:00

We made some major progress in the Happy House this weekend. It was non-stop around here! The pantry is done, so stay tuned for that reveal later this week!

Friday:

meal plan- below
make a grocery list
clean master bedroom- it's almost done
post the fitted sheet folding tutorial. oh yeah. you read that right :)

Saturday:

finish cleaning Cam's room (part of the happy house challenge +)
work on the pantry project
head to the mall
announce the winner of the Tiny Prints giveaway- have you entered today?

Sunday:

organize coupons
clean guest room (part of the happy house challenge +)
do some computer photo clean up- this is a surprisingly cathartic task
start looking for our holiday outfits so we can plan our holiday photos

Somewhere in There:

sort through all my holiday magazines
complete Fall Project for the Dare to DIY Party- Did you see it yet? Click here for the details!

Lastly, the Weekend Planning Link Love is up for the week! Come check it out and see if you made the list! And make sure to hop around and show some blog love of your own :)

DIY Rustic Thanksigiving Sign

2011-11-13T23:02:00.005-05:00

How cute is my little sign? Cute huh? After browsing around Pinterest and seeing tons of cute little holiday signs, I decided I needed to make my own. I especially decided I would be making it since they can cost upwards of $70. $70. I am not even kidding. I made mine for less than $17. I say less than because I have more supplies than I really need, and let's just say I have enough to make more signs :)

What you need:

A piece of plywood, cut to 18in x 11 1/4in
Antique White Paint
Colored paint of your choice
A foam brush
Small paint brushes
Carbon Paper

1. Give the plywood a light sanding, wipe off dust

2. Using the foam brush, paint the wood with the Antique White paint. Use long strokes and if you want the rustic look, don't worry about complete coverage. Allow that to dry for one hour.

3. Decide on a saying, font and placement of your saying. I chose "be Thankful." The "be" is Baskerville, font size 200. The "Thankful" is Edwardian Script, font size 288. You can easily download different fonts at websites like www.dafont.com.

4. Print the saying out, and cut it down to the word. It doesn't have to be perfect, just cut off the major excess.

5. Tape the saying on your board as you want it, (I just did one word at a time) and place the carbon paper, carbon facing down, under your piece of paper. Trace the outline of your word.

6. Remove the carbon paper, and paint your traced word.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 until your words are complete.

8. Give your words at least 2 coats of paint to really have full coverage.

I haven't given it permanent home yet, but I'm having fun trying it out in new spots around the house! I'll have to figure out where it will go before Saturday's Mock Thanksgiving though! So that's it. Are you going to make your own sign? Are you following my little sign's advice? Be thankful :)

I'm linking up at the....

Fitted Sheet Folding Tutorial Vlog

2011-11-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

The other day I posted this picture saying one of these sheets was the impossible-to-fold fitted sheet.

Does it even really matter? They both look lovely, right? Well, if it does, it's the top one. More importantly, how do you achieve that nice, crisp folded fitted sheet? No more shouting $%^& it, rolling it in a ball and throwing it in the linen closet. It's time to learn how to do the impossible.

If anything isn't clear, please just let me know! Making a vlog with a whiny, woke-up-from-his-nap-early, mobile, 9 month old isn't as easy as it sounds :/ Feel free to ask any questions in the comments, or for an easier reply, use the My Happy House Facebook Page!

Lastly, I'm always willing to take requests on tutorials! Just throw it at me! Except for ironing and hospital corners. Carl does his own ironing (shocking, right?) and he doesn't allow me to tuck in his side of the sheet because his feet need freedom at night :)

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-11-10T21:19:00.007-05:00

It snowed briefly today. Tomorrow is Friday. It's time for the Weekend Planning Blog Hop. My week is at an all time high right now. :) If you are new to these parts, Weekend Planning is all about setting some goals for yourself for the weekend. My goal is to do at least one organizing or cleaning task each day. Join in the fun and read about linking up below!

Friday:

meal plan
make a grocery list
clean master bedroom (part of the happy house challenge +)
post the fitted sheet folding tutorial. oh yeah. you read that right :)

Saturday:

finish cleaning Cam's room (part of the happy house challenge +)
work on the pantry project
head to the mall
announce the winner of the Tiny Prints giveaway- have you entered today?

Sunday:

organize coupons
clean guest room (part of the happy house challenge +)
do some computer photo clean up
start looking for our holiday outfits so we can plan our holiday photos

Somewhere in There:

complete Fall Project for the Dare to DIY Party
sort through all my holiday magazines

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links and comment to let them know you were there! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Express Happy House Challenge Plus Week 4

2011-11-09T12:04:00.001-05:00

Can you believe we are already at week 4? It might not sound like a lot, but out of only 5 weeks of tasks, we are almost at the end. That being said, take a look around. How are things looking in your house? Are you feeling like you are enjoying a cleaner, tidier home? I hope the answer is yes! As always, let's first take a look at my results.

Make the Bed: 7/7
Empty the Sink: 7/7
Sweep the Kitchen Floor: 6/7
Clear the Clutter: 6/7
Sort the Mail: 7/7 (I'm back to doing 7 instead of 6. I get the newspaper on Sunday so I have to sort the coupons and circulars)
Spray the Shower: 7/7

While our game night party had me too pooped to clear the clutter, it surprisingly didn't knock me down on emptying the sink. That is one habit I just will not allow myself to break. It's better than smoking, right?

Challenge PLUS
Week 3: Bathrooms

Deep clean shower/bath
Deep clean floor and baseboards
Clean all mirrors and glass
Clean light fixtures I just realized I forgot the guest bathroom fixture, I'll get that this week!
Scrub toilets including the base
Clean cupboard interiors/exteriors- discard unnecessary items
Clean counters and all items on counters

Between hosting on Saturday and tackling 3 bathrooms, I'm spent! And I hate to disappoint you all, but there are no before photos. Just know these are bathrooms, and so they were dirty :)

How did you do this week? Link up and/or tell me in the comments! I would love to see a bunch of 7/7s but the effort is what's key! So if you aren't boasting a perfect score, don't worry about it. You'll get there!

Now, time for new tasks this week. I'm a list freak. Love em. I think the reward of crossing off a to do just makes chores that much more fun.

Write It Down!

Tailor this one to suit YOUR needs. And it could change daily. But either in the evening, or first thing in the morning- give yourself a short to do list. What is the top one, two or three things you need to accomplish that day? Put it on paper, I promise you will feel accountable! By the way...have you liked My Happy House on Facebook yet? Now would be a great time to do it :)

Organize Your Outerwear!

It's simple. Have a home for your coat, purse, diaper bag, shoes, etc. Anything you take with you out of the house should have a place inside the house. This is an especially important task if you have little ones. Make sure they have a place for their things and you won't be tripping over them when they are home! So simple as that- put away your outerwear! Most people leave the house on a daily basis, so that's why this is a daily task. If you don't, it's a freebie and you can use that time to work extra hard on another task!

Challenge PLUS
Week 4: Bedrooms (Start from the top and work your way down)

Clean all light fixtures/fans
Strip all bedding and clean
Dust all furniture
Organize closets (Give yourself a donation goal and get rid of some unused items!)
Organize drawers
Clean mirrors and windows
Vacuum and/or clean floors

So two quick housekeeping items before we're done. First let's recap all our daily tasks and our plus items.

Week 1: Make the Bed & Empty the Sink+ The Kitchen!
Week 2: Sweep the Kitchen Floor & Clear the Clutter +The Dining Spaces!
Week 3: Sort the Mail & Spray Your Shower + The Bathrooms!
Week 4: Write It Down & Organize Your Outerwear!

But now it's your turn! Share your blog post link below with your results and your before and after photos! Don't have a blog? Tell us your results in the comments and if you have before and after photos, post them to the My Happy House Facebook Page! Can't wait to see how you all did.

Like this blog? One click is all it takes to vote!

Tackle It Tuesday: Anti-Procrasitnation

2011-11-08T16:08:00.004-05:00

Sometimes a Tackle It Tuesday isn't cleaning. Sometimes it's not organizing. Sometimes it's just a day where you have been putting something off for no good reason. Today's Tackle It Tuesday was to post Cam's 9 month post. Might seem lame, but it had been bugging me for awhile now and I just need to commit to it. It felt so good to hit publish! If you want to check it out, head on over! But if you are going, don't forget to link up your own Tackle It Tuesday before you leave!

Oh and did you see today's giveaway? It's a good one!

Tiny Prints Giveaway!

2011-11-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

These are popping up all over the blog world, but who doesn't want to win free Christmas cards? If you raised your hand, go sit in the corner! It wasn't long ago that I was raving about Tiny Prints new Christmas cards here. I've ordered so many cards from them and haven't been disappointed yet. I can't wait to order our FIRST ever Christmas cards from them. These are still some of our front runners, but I need to get our photos done first before making our final decision. Of course I'll be sharing the finished product with you, it will be my virtual card to all my lovely readers :)

Want to pick your very own favorite? Go to Tiny Prints and browse around. Then come back here and tell me in the comments which one is your favorite. You'll be entered to win 50 Christmas cards of your very own! There are lots of other ways to enter, just check out the details by clicking "read more" and following the guidelines in the Rafflecopter widget below.

Now, as if a 50 card giveaway isn't nice enough, Tiny Prints is also offering a free card from Santa to your children. On November 9th (tomorrow), visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page to find out how to personalize one of the following greeting cards FREE: Checking It Twice or Santa’s Scroll. Offer ends 11/9/11 at 11:59 pm (PT).

Giveaway: 50 Free Christmas Cards from Tiny Prints

How to Enter: Follow the Rafflecopter guide below. The first two entries are mandatory (leave a blog post comment and follow My Happy House), the rest are optional and some are DAILY!

Questions: Please direct any questions to me at myhappycasa@gmail.com

Entertaining: Game Night Style

2011-11-07T12:35:00.002-05:00

One of Carl's oldest friends said we needed a game night. Challenge accepted. I'll jump at any opportunity to host, especially with this group of friends. It's always a good time.

Appetizers:
Vegetable Plate with Dip
Cheese, Grape and Cracker Plate

Dinner:
Classic Beef Chili
Baked Potatoes with Loaded Bar

Dessert:
Apple & Cherry Hand Pies

Beverages:
Assortment of Holiday Beer
Hot Cider with Spiced Rum
Ice Water

Overall Plan

Friday

Come up with a menu and cleaning plan
Grocery shop

Saturday:

Clean
Prep, bake, cook all food

We kept this really simple. It was a game night, so obviously not formal. The focus was more on keeping the evening comfortable and low key. Which also meant my tasks were minimal since there was no table to make beautiful. But no worries, I still had lots of food spots to prep :)

The rest of the details are accompanied by photos, because I know that's what you actually are here for anyway, right?

Here is my to do list on the dry erase board of our Daily System. I just wrote down what I needed to do on Saturday so I wouldn't forget anything. It's also helpful for Carl to know what I need to get done in case he has spare time and can help.

This isn't the first time you've seen these appetizers. They are my go tos. They are diverse enough to make everyone happy and are always gone at the end of the night. Plus they are simple. No reason to not stick with what I know. But I have some entertaining coming up where I'll, hopefully, kick things up a notch, I'm excited for that!

Cheese, Crack and Grape Plate:

Assorted Vegetables & Dip with my Appetizer Plates in the background:

Assorted Beer which is Carl's job

Spiced Cider (with the option of Spiced Rum)- I simply added some cinnamon sticks to a slow cooker with apple cider. Gives it an extra kick and the hot cider really was a hit!

Baked potatoes were wrapped in aluminum foil, and cooked in the roaster at 400 degrees for 90 minutes. It kept them warm through the night as well. The chili cooked in the slow cooker. Both these details helped me get prepared throughout the day rather than a mad dash right before the guests arrived.

Baked Potato Add Ons- Chopped Green Onions, Chopped Bacon, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, and pre-sliced Butter separated with Parchment Paper.

Cherry & Apple Hand Pies. The "recipe" will be up on My Happy Meals shortly.

All in all, simple, tasty, fun and relaxing. We ate and then played games until well into the morning, especially since we gained an hour that evening. I'm not sure why we don't do this more often! Have I inspired you? Are you ready to entertain? Are you..."game"? ;)

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-11-07T08:27:00.003-05:00

Friday:

make a hosting plan for game night on Saturday with some friends (dinner, drinks, games)
meal plan (below)
make grocery list
clean master bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)

Saturday:

surface clean the 1st floor
clean the half bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)- it was cleaned but not deep cleaned, so I'll get on that today
execute hosting plan for game night

Sunday:

clean up the party mess
go to our city's Harvest Fest- yeah, read that wrong. It's not until the 20th :)
clean the guest bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)- it was cleaned but not deep cleaned, so I'll get on that today

Somewhere in There:

Pinterest project
work on the pantry project

Technically, my pantry project is a Pinterest inspiration, but it's not done yet, so I have nothing to show yet.

Meal Plan:
Sunday: Chili, Baked Potatoes and Salad
Monday: Ahi Tuna & Fried Veggie Rice
Tuesday: Chicken Kiev & Steamed Veggies
Wednesday: Sweet & Sour Meatballs with rice and veggie
Thursday: Chicken Cacciatore
Friday: Oven Baked Honey Chicken Nuggets, Fries & Salad
Saturday: Leftovers or Out

How did you weekend end up? Lots of green? You know I want to hear about it! And the new Weekend Planning Link Love has been updated. Check out the sidebar to see if you made it this week! And click around while you are at it, make some new bloggy friends :) Stay tuned and I'll be doing a recap of our game night party. It was so simple yet so much fun. Definitely would be a great entertaining party for those who haven't tackled hosting yet!

P.S. Before I go a quick question for you. When I do a project, would you rather see real time updates (i.e. the pantry in it's current state) or would you rather me wait until the end and do one big post showing the complete before and after?

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-11-03T20:38:00.006-04:00

Friday:
make a hosting plan for game night on Saturday with some friends (dinner, drinks, games)
meal plan
make grocery list
clean master bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)

Saturday:
surface clean the 1st floor
clean the half bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)
execute hosting plan for game night

Sunday:
clean up the party mess
go to our city's Harvest Fest
clean the guest bath (as part of the Cleaning Challenge +)

Somewhere in There:
Pinterest project
work on the pantry project

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Ask and You Shall Receive: Fitted Sheet Teaser

2011-11-03T13:15:00.002-04:00

One of these ~~wrinkly~~ sheets is flat and one is fitted. Check back soon to see which is which and how you can fold your sheets so know one knows which is which either!

Warning: I'm about to Vlog! Folding Towels Tutorial

2011-11-02T16:14:00.005-04:00

By request, I am showing you how I fold my towels. I learned from the greatest laundry folder ever, my Mom. She rocks....at folding socks. And anything else that requires folding. Anyway, brace yourselves. (Please note: the quality of this video is anything but stellar, but it worked for the amount of time I had. I do apologize in advance.)

So...yeah, my video debut in the blogging world. Not 100% sure how I feel about that. But I'll do just about anything for my readers! You better appreciate this Lindsay! And if you have a request for any other house tutorials, just ask! Your wish just might be granted :)

Express Happy House Challenge Plus Week 3

2011-11-02T10:36:00.004-04:00

We're trucking right along to week 3 of the challenge. That means we're two weeks down, 3 to go on our way to a Happy House! Is your home feeling cleaner? Tidier? A little more organized? I know mine is. I get started on the right foot every morning by making the bed and I come downstairs to a clean sink, floor and tidy family room. It makes me smile from ear to ear! And speaking of all those tasks, let's see how this past week ended up for me.

We were out of town, so my numbers are out of 5 since we weren't home at all on Wednesday and Thursday.

Make the Bed: 5/5
Empty the Sink: 5/5
Sweep the Kitchen Floor: 4/5
Clear the Clutter: 4/5

I was too lazy to do much of anything when we got home on Friday night, but otherwise, I was in pretty good shape. Are you new to the challenge? No worries if you are, just check out week 1 and week 2 and you'll be all caught up! It's never too late to join!

Challenge PLUS:
Week 2: Dining Spaces

Clean the furniture
Clean the windows/blinds
Deep clean the floors/Vacuum the rugs
Dust the lighting

Definitely easier than the kitchen, but I was selfish and did that on purpose since we were out of town and I had limited time! :)

And photographic proof, although our formal dining room never really gets cluttered...however when I went to take the photo I had to laugh. Carl didn't put away our liquor after making White Russians the other night, so there is some clutter :)

Before:

and

After:

and

Since we're all pros at those 4 tasks, it's time to add two more. I gotta tell you, I'm loving this two at a time business! Gets me all jazzed up!

Sort the Mail!

We all get it 6 days a week. Too often it just ends up in a pile on the kitchen counter. No more! No more unorganized piles of mail! If you need some tips on how to organize your mail, check out this previous post....although I need to update it, so keep an eye out for the new version coming soon! Just remember that this is about organizing the mail. It doesn't mean all the bills are paid that day or everything is filed, but things are in their place. It should either be in a "to do" area, "to file" area, the recycling bin or garbage. Once you've done that step, you can easily go back to it and do what needs to be done when you have the time that week!

Spray Your Shower!

Choose your favorite daily shower cleaner and get to spraying! I'm currently using the Method Daily Shower Cleaner. It smells heavenly! Just get in the habit of spraying it down after you shower, and this task is a no brainer. You do shower every day, right? Eh, if not, make your significant other do it! :) There are also lots of home solutions you can try as well. Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. It will help release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

Challenge PLUS
Week 3: Bathrooms

Deep clean shower/bath
Deep clean floor and baseboards
Clean all mirrors and glass
Clean light fixtures
Scrub toilets including the base
Clean cupboard interiors/exteriors- discard unnecessary items
Clean counters and all items on counters

So there we have it. Our two new tasks to add on to our tasks from last week and our Challenge PLUS. Let's recap, and don't forget, we aren't replacing tasks here, but adding!

Week 1: Make the Bed & Empty the Sink+ The Kitchen!
Week 2: Sweep the Kitchen Floor & Clear the Clutter +The Dining Spaces!
Week 3: Sort the Mail & Spray Your Shower + The Bathrooms!

But now it's your turn! Share your blog post link below with your results and your before and after photos! Don't have a blog? Tell us your results in the comments and if you have before and after photos, post them to the My Happy House Facebook Page! Can't wait to see how you all did.

Tackle It Tuesday: Laundry Oh Laundry

2011-11-01T21:07:00.003-04:00

Apparently I hadn't done laundry in awhile. Need proof?

Good news is, that is actually clean laundry, and one load isn't even pictured. I had about 6 loads to do and so I washed it all, and then proceeded to vacuum my couch so I could just throw it all on there. So I was starring at this mountain-o-laundry and not really wanting to fold it. But then I remembered it's Tuesday. Aw shucks. The Tackle It Tuesday bug bit me.

So about 30 minutes later, I had this.

And I can honestly say, it is all put away. And the bedding is back on my bed and just waiting for my arrival tonight :)

So, what did you tackle today? I know you did something! Blog it! Share it! And while you are here, check out the first ever Tackle It Tuesday: Mom Edition over on My Happy Line!

2011-10-31T07:37:00.001-04:00

Friday:

drive home from Chicago
get unpacked and start laundry
start tidying up the house
meal plan (below)
participate in the October Followers Fest

Saturday:

work on the pantry project- I have no photos to share quite yet, but they are coming!
make pancakes for breakfast- check out what I made here
clean the dining room furniture
clean the eat in area furniture
carve our pumpkins
ran a bunch of errands with Carl's Mom

Sunday:

grocery shop
clean the rest of the dining room
start doing some work on the next big event for the blog
coupon shopped
made a quad-batch of baked potato soup!

Somewhere in There:

Bake something fallish- I'll count the pancakes for this...
Make something from Pinterest- ...and this
Paint my fingernails and toenails- now this is just getting sad

Meal Plan:
Sunday: Baked Potato Soup
Monday: Roast with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken Apple Saute with Apple Dressing
Thursday: Chicken Kiev
Friday: Gnocci with Pesto
Saturday: Leftovers

Lastly, here is a photo from our Chicago trip. If you want to read a few details, check out Cam's blog by clicking the photo.

Share your Monday Morning Round Up here!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-10-27T20:00:00.005-04:00

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, then you know the Happy Housers weren't in the Happy House this week. We've been kicking it Chicago style. Carl had to make the trip for work, so Cam and I tagged along. The nicest part about it is that we'll get back just in time for the weekend!

Friday:

drive home from Chicago
get unpacked and start laundry
start tidying up the house- not sure of the state since we had our awesome dogsitters over
meal plan
participate in the October Followers Fest

Saturday:

work on the pantry project
make pancakes for breakfast
clean the dining room furniture {part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +}
clean the eat in area furniture {part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +}
carve our pumpkins

Sunday:

grocery shop
clean the rest of the dining room {part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +}
start doing some work on the next big event for the blog- it's for the holidays :)

Somewhere in There: (It's the same as last weekend. Since they were all red last Monday, I'm trying again!)

Bake Something Fallish
Make something off Pinterest
Paint my toes AND fingernails!

Same as last week, I'm tackling a little bit of the Plus portion of the Express Cleaning Challenge each day. Breaking it up into daily tasks makes it manageable and less daunting!

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

{How to Join}
If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog. Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

{Make it a Blog Hop}
If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

{Bonus for Joining}
As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

{Small Requirement}
All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Express Happy House Challenge Plus Week 2

2011-10-26T09:15:00.001-04:00

Week One Done! How did you do? Is your bed made? Is your sink empty? Quick...no one is looking- go do it now. Are you wondering what in the heck I'm talking about? Go here, it's not too late to join us! First off, your fearless leader will report in her results.

Week 1:
Make the Bed: 7/7
Empty the Sink: 7/7

Oh yeah, woo hoo, uh huh! 7/7 on both accounts.

And you didn't forget about our + did you? Or did you hope I would forget? Yeah, no luck there. Our Challenge Plus was to clean our kitchens. And I'll be honest, my kitchen has never been cleaner. And without this challenge, I would have stopped about half way through, or 3/4 of the way through, or even 90% of the way through, but I kept calm and cleaned on! And I also didn't forget that I promised photos, so let's get to that!

Before:

Ew.

The much MUCH better after:

Week 1: Kitchen

Clean out the cupboards- interiors and exteriors
Wipe down all appliances
Clean windows
Clean blinds/drapery
Clean out fridge- interior, check for expired items, minimize to make room for holiday cooking/baking products
Clean out pantry- check for expired items and donate items you won't use to a food closet. Plus it will help take inventory for what you need for holiday cooking/baking
Deep clean counters and small appliances
Deep clean floors and garbage/recycling containers

I got everything done except for the pantry because we decided on some new projects in that general area, so I'm waiting until those are done. Of course I'll be sharing those later! But I did want to show you something fun. If you have white cupboards and haven't invested in Magic Erasers, please, do it now. The right side is the before, the left side is the after:

Also, a life saving product for storing my pots and pans are these protectors. Mine are from The Pampered Chef, but I know you can buy them other places too. They are great and allow me to stack my pots and pans without damaging them, love them!

Now, of course, we need to add two more tasks, but you are all determined individuals, so I know you can handle it!

Clear the Clutter!

I'm not talking about your whole house, that would be quite a task. I'm not even talking about half of your house, simply one room. Pick one room a night to clear the clutter. It can even be the same room every night- your choice. But choose one room to get in tip top shape. I like to focus on the family room as it's the one that sees the most action and displacing of items. I usually have to put away my camera, cords, dishes, Cam's toys and whatever other items I was using for the day. Leaving that room in order before going to bed means you get to wake up to a perfectly clean space, ready for a day of action!

My main reasoning for this is that it forces you to give everything a home. This way, when you have guests coming over, it's not a mad dash to hide things under the bed, in the back of closets or who knows where! It's simply putting things back where they belong. If this seems like a daunting task, just spend 5 minutes a night decluttering until the space is in pristine order. Then it's just maintaining!

Sweep the Kitchen Floor!

This task honestly takes 2 minutes, but makes such a difference. I know with a dog, and a crawling baby, this one is important to me. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen throughout the day, which, inevitably, means stuff ends up on the floor. Sweeping the kitchen daily keeps that dust and debris from making it to other areas of the house. Just a quick sweep with a broom or a dry Swiffer type product is all it needs. If I use the Swiffer, I can easily just use the same dusting pad for the whole week. No need to use a new one every day!

Challenge PLUS:
Week 2: Dining Spaces

Clean the furniture
Clean the windows/blinds
Deep clean the floors/Vacuum the rugs
Dust the lighting

Hopefully the dining spaces is a little less of a task than the kitchen, that way if you have some ground to make up from last week, you are able to fit it in this week!

So there we have it. Our two new tasks to add on to our tasks from last week and our Challenge PLUS. Let's recap, and don't forget, we aren't replacing tasks here, but adding!

Week 1: Make the Bed & Empty the Sink + the Kitchen!
Week 2: Clear the Clutter & Sweep the Kitchen Floor + Dining Spaces!

But now it's your turn! Share your blog post link below with your results and your before and after photos! Don't have a blog? Tell us your results in the comments and if you have before and after photos, post them to the My Happy House Facebook Page! Can't wait to see how you all did.

And as always, if ya'll love me, one click shows it!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

Somehow this weekend felt completely productive and busy and yet I'm about to highlight a lot of red :/ I think my fingers were too fast for the amount of hours I had in the weekend. Ah well.

Friday:

1 load of laundry- cleaned, folded put away
Go to the Turkey Farm with my family
Go to the Apple Orchard with some Mommy Friends!
Put away all the remnants of my fall decor- boxes, totes, etc.
Meal Plan
Clean out/organize the pantry (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +) I got half way done, but we came up with some big plans this weekend involving the pantry, more on that later.

Saturday:

BIG Farmer's Market
Maybe breakfast out by the market...maybe with my grandma?
Clean the interiors/exteriors of the kitchen cabinets (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +) I got about half way done, but I am giving these bad boys a serious clean! Again, more on that later!

Sunday:

Grocery Shop
Nephew's Birthday Party
Clean all the kitchen appliances- large and small (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +)

Somewhere in There: (This is sad....)

Bake Something Fallish (trying again for this one!)
Make something off Pinterest (last week's worked well, we'll try for another!)
Paint my toes AND fingernails!

I made some major headway in the kitchen this weekend, but I've still got a ways to go before Wednesday. Plus, we have a big week ahead of us, so this is going to get interesting. But I'm not giving up yet!

Before I head out, two things. 1. If you shared your Monday Morning Weekend Round Up on your blog, link up below! 2. Want to see some super cute Camness and have the chance at winning a fun prize? Head on over here!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-10-20T22:06:00.003-04:00

All I know is that I am so happy Carl is home this weekend. Weekends don't feel the same when he's gone, especially when I have a near death experience down the stairs! Kidding. It was hardly near death, but still annoying as I'm continuing to feel the repercussions. Anyway! Weekend Planning is here, let's get to it!

Friday:

1 load of laundry- cleaned, folded put away, maybe 2!
Go to the Turkey Farm with my family
Go to the Apple Orchard with some Mommy Friends!
Put away all the remnants of my fall decor- boxes, totes, etc.
Meal Plan
Clean out/organize the pantry (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +)

(What am I thinking? I'm not even sure there are this many hours in the day!)

Saturday:

BIG Farmer's Market
Maybe breakfast out by the market...maybe with my grandma?
Clean the interiors/exteriors of the kitchen cabinets (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +)

Sunday:

Grocery Shop
Nephew's Birthday Party
Clean all the kitchen appliances- large and small (part of the Express Cleaning Challenge +)

Somewhere in There:

Bake Something Fallish (trying again for this one!)
Make something off Pinterest (last week's worked well, we'll try for another!)
Paint my toes AND fingernails!

Notice how I'm tackling a little bit of the Plus portion of the Express Cleaning Challenge each day? Breaking it up into daily tasks makes it manageable and less daunting!

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

How it Works: If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail of your most recent post! Plus- from the remaining link ups after the first 3, I'll pick 2 more at random to add into the sidebar Link Love!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

It Begins! Express Happy House Challenge Plus!

2011-10-19T10:47:00.003-04:00

This challenge will be run like the last Express Happy House Challenge. 2 new tasks added each week, for 5 weeks, totaling 10 daily tasks to keep our homes in good shape. BUT, since we are prepping for the big holiday season, we're going to add one more piece. Each week, I'll give you your two tasks, PLUS one room to deep clean. By the end of the 5 weeks, your family will be wondering if they are at your house of if somehow they've found their way to Martha's estate.

So, I know you are up for the challenge. And trust me, it's way more fun to clean when you have a bunch of blogging friends to join you. Really, it won't be the same if you aren't here every week telling me how great...or even how not so great you did. The effort is key!

Now, there is one more piece to this, if you care to join. It will be a Blog Hop Photo Challenge as well. We'll take pictures of our designated rooms showing the before and after. Then create a post to show all our hard work. It'll be a great chance to see new spaces (real ones- my favorite!) and make new blogging friends. And no worries if you don't keep a blog, you can share your photos on the My Happy House Facebook page!

So here is the process broken down:

1. Wednesday is the first day of the week for the challenge. I will assign two daily tasks and one room of the house to deep clean, including all the tasks that go with it.
2. (This part is optional) Take a photo of the designated room for the before. Throughout the week, give it the deep clean it so lovingly deserves! Then take your after photo some time before the next Wednesday.
3. Be sure to do the daily tasks each day of the week.
4. Check back in the next Wednesday and link up your post with your before/after photos or feel free to share them on Facebook if you don't keep a blog!
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until the challenge is over!

So simple! Let's get started shall we?

Make the Bed!!

Not much explaining here. Simply making the bed in the morning will get you started on the right foot and in a clean and organized mode. Forget to do it in the morning? No worries, do it when you get home. Trust me, even if it's only made for a couple hours, diving into a neat looking bed at the end of a long day is SO refreshing!

And...

Empty the Sink!

I'm a huge advocate of not letting dirty dishes pile up. Having a clean sink will instantly make the kitchen look cleaner. It's a great habit to get into. If you have a dishwasher, and more dishes that night than it can hold, just rinse your remaining dirty dishes and put them on one side of the sink. They can go in when you empty the dishwasher, and since they are already rinsed, it will only take a moment to do so rather than trying to scrape off leftover food from the night before!

Challenge PLUS:
Week 1: Kitchen

Clean out the cupboards- interiors and exteriors
Wipe down all appliances
Clean windows
Clean blinds/drapery
Clean out fridge- interior, check for expired items, minimize to make room for holiday cooking/baking products
Clean out pantry- check for expired items and donate items you won't use to a food closet. Plus it will help take inventory for what you need for holiday cooking/baking
Deep clean counters and small appliances
Deep clean floors and garbage/recycling containers

So there we have it. This week we are making our beds and emptying our sinks, PLUS really cleaning our kitchens. We'll check in next Wednesday to see how you all did. Did you make your bed today? If not, don't forget to do it now or when you get home! And also, remember to take your kitchen before photo!

We'll always end with our recaps.

Week 1: Make the Bed & Empty the Sink!! + The Kitchen!

Are you joining me? You might have committed in the previous post, but show everyone just how committed your are! Let me know in the comments if you are taking the challenge!

Tackle It Tuesday: My Confession (Crappy Cell Phone Photos Included)

2011-10-18T20:40:00.003-04:00

I'm going to make this short and sweet for ya'll.

Confession: I have yet to really get in a groove with my new fridge. See?

My Tackle It Tuesday was to get one step closer to that groove. Especially because I needed to grocery shop and make space for the new stuff and it had been far too long since I had cleaned it out. I try to do it once a week on Wednesday, garbage night, but I've skipped it a few times in a row.

Molly's Almost Got Her Groove Back:

One of the main issues I'm having is finding enough storage for taller items without eating up unnecessary space. My fix to that is to keep the top left shelf area clear unless I really need it. That way, I can flip it up for instant tall space.

Link up your Tackle It Tuesday below! But before you do, don't forget, tomorrow is the big day! The really big day!! It's the start of our Express Happy House Challenge Plus! Check back tomorrow morning for the first assignment :) Now, go on and have a great evening, and if you haven't tackled something already, hop to it! The night is young!

Oh and it's my weekly begging...because I love you all :) Just a few clicks please!

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Oh weekend. I am, for one of the first times in my life, not sad to see that you are over. Carl left on Friday afternoon. Cam does not do well when Carl is out of town. That made it difficult enough. But on Saturday morning, it got even crappier. Cam and I fell down the stairs. My foot slipped, and mommy instinct kicked in. I held on tight to Cam, but that meant I had no way to brace myself. My tailbone took 100% of the hit and I've been in pain ever since. So, it's no surprise that my "green" is limited. :/

Friday:

Meal Plan- below
Make progress on the living room and dining room fall decor
Make Double Decker Tacos (enough for leftovers to minimize cooking for the weekend)

Saturday:

Finish the living and dining room fall decor
Cider Mill with some ladies, babies and a puppy
Watch UofM wallop on MSU or vice versa. Doesn't really matter to me, but I'll be spending the day at my brother's house :)
Do 2 loads of laundry, fold and put away

Sunday:

Farmer's Market
Go down to my parents' house
Pick apples at a family friend's house

Somewhere in there I'd love to:

Bake something fallish
Tackle a Pinterest project- the center portion of my dining room table decor was inspired by Pinterest!

Meal Plan:
Sunday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Monday: Baked Potato Soup & Salad
Tuesday: Leftover soup & salad
Wednesday: Crab Rangoon & Veggie Fried Rice
Thursday: Chicken Kiev with fresh vegetable
Friday: Crispy Chicken over Creamy Italian Pasta
Saturday: Leftovers or Out

All in all, it wasn't terrible considering the circumstances. I'm definitely looking forward to Carl getting home though, and so is Cam. :)

Did you recap your weekend? Share it below!

Dining & Living Room Dressed Up for Fall

2011-10-16T07:25:00.000-04:00

I had the toughest time finishing the dining and living room fall decor. It was my hang up for the last couple weeks. I'd walk in there, rearrange, create, sit back, evaluate, raise my brow and walk out with no improvement from when I walked in there. It was this weekend that I decided enough was enough and I was finishing it. Well, I almost met my goal, but I suppose I have a little more time to finish before the weekend is over. The only area left to do is the sideboard. But I felt I should reward myself for at least getting the table and shelves done by featuring them this Sunday morning.

The living room shelves are where we focus on some family photos, but it's also a fun spot to decorate for the holidays :)

I'm just loving Indian corn. I took three ears of it, bound it up with some bronze ribbon and placed it in a square glass vase filled with our "important corks." They are just the corks we've collected from important events in our lives.

*Little tip on Indian Corn. If you want to manipulate the husks, just soak the corn for a few minutes, it will soften the husks enough to move them around without breaking. Just be sure to dry the corn out completely.

I just love this sweet little ivory pumpkin, so he gets a close up :)

Some simple decorative sticks and a rust colored ribbon dress up a rectangle glass vase.

Last close up: Pedestal candy jars each with a pillar candle, surrounded by natural pine cones that I snatched from my very own back yard :) Then I just used some raffia to attach the antique (right...) keys from PB.

I love Pinterest. It helped inspire the center piece to my dining table. The layers are split peas, mixed beans and some faux acorns, and then it's tied up with some twine from Carl's stash of... twine I guess. Then I just carried the twine over and added some faux leaves to embellish the simple ivory pillar candle holders. I wanted to keep this simple because I'm hosting a Mock Thanksgiving, and we're going to need lots of room for food!

That's it for now! I suppose I'll attempt to finish the sideboard and then perhaps I'll do a complete 2011 Fall Decor Round Up post to put it all together. Now...if the wind would slow down a bit and stop knocking over my mums and corn stalks!!!!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-10-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

It's the 10th Blog Hop for Weekend Planning! To celebrate, we've moved on up...to thumbnail links! Yay! Cam and I are flying solo this weekend again, so I'll be impressed if I make it to Monday. I'm going to aim high though, and we'll see what happens in the end.

Friday:

Meal Plan
Make progress on the living room and dining room fall decor
Make Double Decker Tacos (enough for leftovers to minimize cooking for the weekend)

Saturday:

Finish the living and dining room fall decor
Cider Mill with some ladies, babies and a puppy
Watch UofM wallop on MSU or vice versa. Doesn't really matter to me, but I'll be spending the day at my brother's house :)
Do 2 loads of laundry, fold and put away

Sunday:

Farmer's Market
Go down to my parents' house
Pick apples at a family friend's house

*New Section!*
Somewhere in there I'd love to:

Bake something fallish
Tackle a Pinterest project

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

How it Works: If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here, copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 5 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress! Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail and snippet of your most recent post!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Scentsy Giveaway Winner!

2011-10-12T10:36:00.002-04:00

In case you didn't see the Facebook and Twitter updates....

Julie L. you've just won your very own Scentsy Plug-In Warmer! If it were me, I'd totally go with the Red Snowflake one, but I don't get to pick. :) Enjoy your yummy smelling home!

Family Room Flip

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

We flipped the family room. Literally. What was on the left is now on the right. What was on the right is not on the left. See for yourself :)

This also gives you the overall view of the family room with the updated fireplace decor. And yes, I'm still loving it, in case you were wondering. :)

We swapped the coffee table with the ottoman from the living room. There might be more furniture swapping down the road, but for now I'm liking this change. You can also see that I didn't trash the round mirror that used to be over the fireplace. He just got a new home. :)

There were a couple reasons for the change.
1. I get tired of the same ol same ol.
2. I wanted to come up with a plan for Christmas

Here is the set up from Christmas last year.

But I didn't like how the tree wasn't a focal point. New plan:

With this plan, we can just remove the one side table, and there is plenty of room for our slim tree to fit between the couch and fireplace. Our big tree will still go in the living room.

Pros to the new layout:
1. Better TV viewing, since the main part of the couch isn't in a direct line with the TV.
2. The room just feels more cozy.
3. The ottoman is a safer piece of furniture than the coffee table for our not-so-stable baby.
4. As stated above, the Christmas Tree can now be a focal point

I'm not 100% sold on leaving it this way year round, but we're enjoying it for now, and will continue to do so at least until Christmas. Do you get the itch to move furniture around too? I know I'm not the only one!

Get Your House Prepped for the Holidays!

2011-10-11T09:42:00.003-04:00

(This post is text heavy and I apologize for that, but there is good info all the way through, promise!)

I've been talking about them a bit around here lately, and it's no secret that they are coming up fast. The holidays. Yep. We're talking about them now. Let's all just get used to it, k? One way to alleviate the stress of the holidays, especially if you are the host for any gatherings, is to keep up on your home's cleanliness so that when your big events roll around, you aren't frantically trying to clean your house from top to bottom.

Next week, we will be roughly 5 weeks away from Thanksgiving. You know what takes 5 weeks? Uh huh, the EXPRESS HAPPY HOUSE CHALLENGE!!! That's right folks! We're going to get our houses in shape before the holidays so that when the time comes, we can sit back and enjoy them knowing we have clean, happy houses!

This challenge will be run like the last Express Happy House Challenge. 2 new tasks added each week, for 5 weeks, totaling 10 daily tasks to keep our homes in good shape. BUT, since we are prepping for the big season, we're going to add one more piece. Each week, I'll give you your two tasks, PLUS one room to deep clean. By the end of the 5 weeks, your family will be wondering if they are at your house of if somehow they've found their way to Martha's estate.

So, I know you are up for the challenge. And trust me, it's way more fun to clean when you have a bunch of blogging friends to join you. Really, it won't be the same if you aren't there. So tell me, are you in? I'm giving you a full week (and a day) to get geared up for the challenge. We'll start next Wednesday.

Now, there is one more piece to this, if you care to join. It will be a Blog Hop Photo Challenge as well. We'll take pictures of our designated rooms showing the before and after. Then create a post to show all our hard work. It'll be a great chance to see new spaces (real ones- my favorite!) and make new blogging friends. And no worries if you don't keep a blog, you can share your photos on the My Happy House Facebook page!

Share the challenge button on your blog and inspire YOUR readers to join in the challenge. It's going to be a good one!

Just copy this link and add it to the HTML section of your blog!
<a href="http://myhappycasa.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img style="width: 231px; height: 230px;" src="http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee238/mjrotole/MHHChallengePreviewButton.jpg" /></a>

Monday Morning Weekend Round Up

2011-10-10T10:27:00.005-04:00

(Talk about cutting it close on being able to call this a "morning" round up!)

When doing my planning on Thursday, I sort of forgot about a major event, my nephew's Baptism. That's what I get for not planning by my calendar! So, things got switched around a bit.

Friday:

Continue working on our decorating project- It was the mantle project. If you missed it, see it here!
Fold and put away some laundry
Meal Plan (Details below)
Go be a chaperone for my nieces and their boyfriends. (Long story short- I wasn't needed, but it was good news. It meant my BIL got home from the hospital!)
Went out to dinner with brother and SIL and had them over for a bit afterward

Saturday:

Catch up on some magazine reading
Some light maintenance cleaning
Organize the basement a bit
Pumpkin Patch with Carl's cousin and his family (Photo Below!)

Sunday:

Farmer's Market (Photo below!)
Grocery Shop- I'll have to go today!
Organize Coupons- I got some, but not all of it done
Pumpkin Patch
Possible dinner with cousins
Nephew's Baptism

Meal Plan:

Monday: Chicken Caesar Salad
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken & Dumplings
Thursday: Baked Crab Rangoon & Veggie Fried Rice
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Double Decker Beef Tacos

*If you see repeats from the week prior, it usually means something came up and that item wasn't made the previous week. Unless it's Chicken Fajitas. Then it's really true.

The pumpkin patch was ridiculously fun! We got some great photos, you can check out all the details here on My Happy Line.

And then here are my goodies from the Farmer's Market. So many new things this week!

Apple Cider
Cauliflower
Blackberry Apple Jam
English Toasting Bread
Honeycrisp Apples
Concord Grapes
Brussel Sprouts

Now, link up YOUR Monday Morning Weekend Round Up here!!!

The Mantle: Complete Redo and Fall Decor

2011-10-10T07:10:00.002-04:00

This was quite the work in progress, and it's the second and last piece to my teaser post the other day. One of the main priorities we had when looking for a house was that it had to have a fireplace. Check. It was one of the first places I decorated. This was actually after a few changes had been made from the original design.

And this is the most recent look.

I was ready for a major change. Pretty much immediately after we put up the round mirror, I wasn't liking it. As Carl stated "it's a mirror for nothing." He was right. Sadface. But I dealt with it for quite awhile. That is, until now. I convinced Carl it was time for a change, and he finally agreed to go with it. I usually need his buy in because I make him do the hanging, patching, painting, etc.

So, this reveal is a seasonal reveal, for obvious reasons. It's fall people! It's all about the fall decorating right now! So with no further ado....I give you, the new My Happy House Mantle. Momma's in love :)

I'll break it down for you.

1. The mirror is down and the frames are up now. I decided it would be OK to have some family photos up now for a few reasons. The largest family photo we had anywhere was a 5x7 and a few 4x6s from our wedding. Now that we have Cam and have had some professional family photos taken, I decided it was time to display them in a significant way.

2. The candlesticks, tea light holders, and clock all carried over to the new design. I've liked all those pieces since we got them and have no plans to get rid of them anytime soon!

3. The last piece of "regular" decor that will stay season to season are the new sconces. The old ones served their purpose, but were a little more ornate than I wanted. I wanted something sleek with clean lines. We bought two pillar holder sconces from Pottery Barn.
4. Tied to the sconces, are ears of Indian Corn. This was part of the reason I wanted sleek, simple lines for the sconces. I wanted to be able to dress them up for the holidays. I just used some twine and ivory ribbon to affix the corn to the sconce. I also used flameless candles here, these ones are orange for the season, so I wouldn't have any "burning down the house with my decor" issues.

5. The leaf is just a basic leaf garland and the gourds are just that, gourds. Pretty simple.

That's the breakdown of the fall/updated mantle. I can't wait to see what I can come up with for Christmas. But I'm telling myself to be patient. You definitely won't see a change until at least the Monday after Thanksgiving.

We made some other changes in the family room, but I think this post is long enough so I'll save that for another day. Soon...but another day.

p.s. I didn't forget about my Monday Morning Round Up. I'll be back later today with that! And I'll be posting an InLinkz for all your round ups too, so get to writing :)

Landscaping Update & A Fall Porch Redo

2011-10-09T07:44:00.001-04:00

Time to stop being a tease on one front. Our front. The front of our house. And the back for that matter. We had some landscaping done back in 2009. After that, our exterior was pretty neglected. Carl does a nice job of making sure we have a sweet lawn situation, but otherwise, it was getting rough. I have a hard time paying for a service like this when I know we could do it ourselves. But seeing how much work we needed done, and the time it would take, we realized that just wasn't in the cards. Plus, we really like the landscaping company we use, so that helped make up our minds. Anyway! Pictures, I know, you want the pictures.

Before:

The front of the house. I love our Japanese Maple and the Birch, but they were getting out of control. That was one of the things we really couldn't have even done if we wanted to do it. It helped sway us to just getting the landscaper. The Burning Bushes had gotten insane. We tried trimming them back before, but those poor guys just couldn't keep their cool. And it's hard to tell, but our mulch was almost non-existent. The front of the house was pretty close to embarrassing.

This is the back of the yard. Just ignore the guys. I couldn't remember if I had a decent back yard shot and wanted to snag one at the last minute. They were already bringing in some of the materials. We planted the Evergreen and Fir in 2009 and they've done great! But we always knew we wanted more privacy back there. We really enjoy spending time out in the yard in the warmer months, and while our side privacy is pretty good due to other landscaping, the back was still pretty open.
AFTER:
Trees trimmed up, bushes hacked and TONS of mulch was brought into the front bed. They also cleaned up the edging. I should have got some better shots, it makes a huge difference. And you might be wondering what in the heck we're doing with those bushes. It was either this or pull them out. I chose this. I love those bushes and wasn't ready to get rid of them. It'll take a couple years for them to really bounce back, but they will look so much better when they do! They will start to bud up in the spring, so I'm anxious to see what happens with them!

And here's the back yard. We still have more filler plans, but for now, we're pretty stoked about our wall, or soon to be wall, of Arborvitaes.

And while we're outside, you might have noticed in the photos up there that the porch looks a little different than when I posted it the other week. I changed up the exterior a bit. This is one case where more is better. It gets me all excited for cool weather and Trick or Treaters!

So that's that. I'm still being a tease on my other photo, but that won't last long. I'm excited to share that with you too!

Happy Saturday: Teaser Edition

2011-10-08T10:27:00.004-04:00

I'm enjoying a cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee and a Cherry Buttermilk Scone this morning. Hopefully you are enjoying something just as good! Aside from my breakfast, this post has two parts.

Part I:
I'm going to tease you this morning. Yep. At least I warned you. I've been talking about a few things, but giving little details. Annoying, right? Well, I'm giving you the first piece of the puzzle.

We have two projects we're almost done with, and here are the before pictures.

The afters will be coming soon! I promise. What? I told you I was going to tease you :)

Part II:

Short and sweet. My Happy Line is part of Top Baby Blogs. They have a reset on votes a few times a year, and this is one of them. It gives new blogs a chance at a top spot. Currently we are floating around in the teens! Cam would love your vote if you can spare two clicks. Simply click this button, and then the owls on the left. That's it! (you can vote every 24 hours!)

If you are feeling especially clicky, you know I always appreciate your vote on Picket Fence Blogs for My Happy House!

We've had a change in plans for today, so it's time to get down to business. More details on that on Monday's recap! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Weekend Planning Blog Hop

2011-10-06T22:21:00.003-04:00

I can't decide if this weekend is going to be busy or not. Perhaps I should just start writing it out, and that will determine it.

Friday:
Continue working on our decorating project
Fold and put away some laundry
Meal Plan
Go be a chaperone for my nieces and their boyfriends. Ah 14 & 15 year old love :)

Saturday:
Catch up on some magazine reading
Some light maintenance cleaning
Organize the basement a bit

Sunday:
Farmer's Market
Grocery Shop
Organize Coupons
Pumpkin Patch
Possible dinner with cousins

Oh I'm sure there is more, but maybe my round up will be full of blue text :)

Now, more importantly, I want to know what YOU are doing this weekend! Let's get moving on to the hopping.

How it Works: If you haven't already, blog about your weekend plans. Maybe you have a bunch of projects you are going to tackle. Maybe you are attending party after party. Or perhaps you are laying low. Whatever it is, share it on your blog! Try to include at least one task to accomplish as that is the Happy House way ;) Feel free to use the "Weekend Planning" button in your post, the code is on the bottom right hand side of the blog.

Then, come back to this blog and link up your post in the link collection at the bottom of this entry.

If you want to participate in the hopping part of the Blog Hop, click here , copy the code provided and include it in your Weekend Planning post! The more people that participate, the further your blog will hop! :)

As a little extra incentive, the first 3 people to link up their Weekend Planning posts will be featured in the sidebars of both My Happy House and A Life in Progress!

*NEW THIS WEEK*- Check out the new format of the blog link love. It not only includes the link, but also a thumbnail and snippet of your most recent post! And to give it a boost, I'll do the first FIVE (5) blogs that enter their links this week!

All we ask in return is that you follow the two host blogs, My Happy House and A Life in Progress. Then be sure to comment and let us know if you are a new follower so we can follow you back. And of course, be sure to check out the other blog links! Simple, right?

Let's get to linking and motivating others to having a weekend with purpose!

Packing for Little Ones: Unexpected Uses

2011-10-06T11:47:00.002-04:00

When packing for Cam before our trip to Florida, I had laid everything out and was just starring at it. It's all so teeny.
And the suitcase, while I needed the space, looked so big! I was just picturing everything being a jumbled mess by the time we got there. Well, remember back in this post I said to look out for a different way to use the Ikea storage boxes?
Well, the light bulb went on, and I decided to make these functional boxes work in one more way for me! Of course I didn't take photos when I packed for Florida, thus the delay in posting this. I recreated it for our up north trip.

I put in the first layer of items, neatly organized into the boxes.

Then the rest of the items lay on top.

They kept everything in place, and I loved how it worked! We'll definitely use this format in the future. Have you found an unexpected use for an item? I'd love to hear about it! Share it in the comments or on the My Happy House Facebook page!

Nursery Feature!

2011-10-06T11:15:00.004-04:00

Hey ya'll, Cam's nursery has been featured on the Layers of Meaning blog spin off, Hello Jack! Go check it out, click here!

And if you can spare two clicks, My Happy Line is on the first page of Top Baby Blogs. Help keep us there, or maybe even move us up!

Wednesday Wound Wup?

2011-10-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

I realize I didn't round up my weekend on Monday, or Tuesday for that matter. I'll do a real quick one here.

Friday:
Pack :)

Saturday:
Relax

Sunday:
Relax

Meal Plan

Monday: Eat at the in-laws on our way back from the cabin
Tuesday: Cheeseburgers, Fries and Mixed Vegetables (in order to give myself a day to get to the store)
Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas (We're having some warm weather, need to sneak these in a few more times!)
Thursday: Classic Beef Chili
Friday: Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Saturday: Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Yeah, it's not difficult to relax when you are at the cabin. I'll have some photos to recap our trip shortly, but for now I'm still working on yesterday's Tackle It Tuesday. I've also got some things in the works including a new decorating project and possibly a new type of challenge. Stay tuned to see what's happening in the Happy Homestead!

Don't forget to enter in the Scentsy Giveaway, and if you love me, Cam, Gibson or just feel like clicking, My Happy House would love your vote! It just takes one click!

Scentsy Review & Giveaway

2011-10-05T10:15:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review a Scentsy Warmer, and of course I jumped at the chance! I've never used one before. Heck, I had never even seen one before, but I've heard a ton about them! And every time I've heard something about them, it's always a rave, so I wanted to check this out for myself. I received this warmer, Fizz, and the Pumpkin Marshmallow scent.

We are new friends. This thing is amazing. Let me tell you why.

1. The scent is strong, or soft. It all depends on how much of the scent bar you use, and I like that. Complete control...bwahahahaha!

2. It starts working almost immediately. A few minutes after I turned it on, I was smelling Fall. Awesome!

3. It's safe. The heat to melt the wax is provided through a light bulb. No open flame to worry about!

The cons? I suppose the only con is that I didn't try it sooner! But have no fear, I can help you avoid that con! Sandy Storck was gracious enough not only to let me review a warmer, but to give one of the Scentsy Plug In Warmers away to my wonderful readers! Check them out here!

You can enter 8 different ways, just follow the instructions through the Rafflecopter widget below. It's seriously easy, I promise. The first two are mandatory, but after that, it's up to you how many ways you enter. You can even Tweet about the giveaway each day for a week for a daily entry! The giveaway ends next Wednesday, so be sure to check back in and see if you are the winner.

Good Luck!