Ode To My Garden Tub (Revisited)

As I've been sitting here for the past hour, yes HOUR, while my girls are playing in the tub I am again reminded of how wonderful it is. This morning I have done some on-line shopping, made my grocery list, planned our meals for the week, checked in on Facebook, Pinterest, Blogger and Craigslist, and caught up on the latest news on Whitney Houston. I've heard nothing but giggles and silliness. It truly is a magical tub and I will forever be grateful for it's presence!

Happy Sunday and I hop you find your magical moment!

K

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Ode To My Garden Tub

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Today you gave me 90 minutes...yes, 90 minutes of my children confined to one space! 

My girls think you are a swimming pool (I have the flood on the bathroom floor to prove it!).

You are big enough for two small girls to share without touching each other...this is VERY important in a tub!

For some reason in your presence all fighting stops...thank you! I love you for that!

You allow me to do the following:

• Read a book
• Use my laptop
• Fold laundry
• Put folded laundry away
• Tidy up
• Play Bejeweled 2 on my phone
• Cut fabric
• Look at a magazine
• Return phone calls
• Plan my weekly meals

(Of course all in the vicinity of my bathroom!)

You encourage imagination. Today's tubby included the following:

• Mermaids
• Dogs and cats
• Bakers who were cooking Talula Soup (I have know clue what that is, but they made it for 20 minutes)
• Tubby toys on parade
• Made up songs with their own synchronized swimming moves
• Being hairdressers
• Playing  mommy and baby (that one ALWAYS confuses me...they keep saying "Mommy" and I think they mean me but they don't and then the "baby" cries and I think someone is hurt...)

My girls will stay in you until their lips are blue and their fingers and toes are wrinkled and pruney!

I don't even care that we took 4 potty runs during today's session. I was all worth it...90 minutes!

(Stay tuned for the "Anti-Ode To My Ridiculously Small Shower"...it's sure to win the Pulitzer in poetry...)

Pappa al Pomodoro

It's no secret I L-O-V-E love soup! It just makes you all warm and cozy and goes amazingly with bread (I L-O-V-E bread very much too!). This soup is a triple threat, it's yummy, super easy to make and it has bread IN it! It comes from Rachel Ray's Express Lane Meals cookbook and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand so a quick soup is always a possibility.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of chewy bread, such as ciabatta
• 1/2 EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 spring fresh rosemary
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small onion
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
• salt and pepper
• Freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Chop about 2 cups (a couple of mounds) of the bread and reserve the rest to pass at the table.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of the EVOO, 4 times around the pan, then add the sprig of rosemary and the garlic. Peel and halve the onion and, using a box grater or other handheld grater, grate the onion directly into the soup pot. Saute the mixture for 5 minutes, then remove the rosemary stem. Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Add the bread chunks and stir until the bread has melted into the soup; the result is a soup-er thick consistency. Tear or shred the basil and stir it into the soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and ladle the soup into bowls. Top it with and extra swirl of EVOO, 1 tablespoon per bowl, and lots of shaved Parm or grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

That's it! You'll have a delicious meal on the table in no time!

Enjoy!

How To Make A Doll Bed (without spending a ton of money)

This past Christmas Lo received Lilly Anna as a gift. She came with a horse and quite honestly I thought she'd be way more int the horse than the doll. She's never really been a "doll girl." She is more into animals and has a bazillion stuffed animals in her room to prove it. That all changed when she met Lilly Anna. Since she opened her she has rarely left her side. She changes her clothes, takes her when we run errands and she sleeps next to her at night. One thing Lilly Anna was missing was her own bed. Lo was very insistent that she had her own bed. We have plenty of cribs, but as you can see Lilly Anna is a big girl and no longer sleeps in cribs. So the search was on for a bed, but most of the beds were ridiculously expensive! Why would I spend more on a doll bed than I did for my own bedding?!?!? I decided that I needed to make it myself. I started Googling and was beyond excited to find {THIS} tutorial. It was perfect for me. It only required two supplies and neither one was wood or nails. Also it only cost me $17 to make. SCORE! I showed it to Lo and she was just as excited!

How could you not fall in love with this beautiful bed?!?!

Here's what you need:

• A large basket (I got mine at Michael's for $14. Take your doll and metal border with you. It'll save you a return back to the store if the basket isn't big enough.)

(As an added bonus my basket was lined with fabric. This helped keep the metal border in place)

• Metal garden border (I found mine at Lowes for $3. It was in the outdoor section with all the paver bricks and edging. I highly recommend buying the metal piece first and then taking it to the store with you when you buy the basket.)

I started by spray painting the basket and the metal border. It's a good thing that the weather has been unseasonably warm. It make it perfect for spray painting. Once everything was dry I gently pushed the border into the basket. I used twist ties to keep it from moving around. 

Then I applied another coat of spray paint and a layer of clear sealer. I didn't take any pictures of assembling the bed so if you have any questions please feel free to email me and I'd be happy to help you any way I can.

Once the bed was made, the real fun began. The making of the bedding. I used {THIS} and {THIS} tutorial for general ideas and measurements. My bed was larger so I just adjusted as needed. 

For the mattress I wrapped a piece of foam insulation with fleece and fabric. You could also use foam or batting, but I used what I had on hand and I'm sure Lilly Anna will be just as comfortable on her foam insulation. I attached the "mattress" to the top of the basket with velcro. That way it won't move around easily and I can take it off if needed.

I used scraps of fabric that I had, and like the tutorial, used fleece in the middle. Instead of topstitching on each strip, I stitched in the ditch. It makes the quilt look fluffy and cozy.

It's even reversible.

Lo really loved the pillows and pillow cases. They were super easy to make and I love the coordinating border.

I think my favorite piece is the monogramed pillow. 

Lilly Anna loves it too!

She is super comfortable in her new bed.

I have to admit that I had a fab-u-lous time on this project. I'm sure if I had more time Lilly Anna would have a blanket, more pillows, a matching duvet cover and a bed skirt! I'm also thinking she needs some matching PJs too! The best reward was seeing Lo's face when she came home from school and saw it. She gave me the biggest smile and proclaimed, "Lilly Anna LOVES it Mommy!!!" 

Nothing better than getting high praise from one of your toughest critics!

Thanks for checking in,

Crafty Time For Mama and Giveaway Winner

I love that my girls love being crafty and we have a lot of fun when we do projects together, but there are times when this crafty mama needs to craft alone. For times when I don't need my assistants I make sure they have something else to keep themselves busy. I thought it would be really fun this year for the girls to make their own Valentine's Day cards. I came across {THIS} printable awhile back and used it as the inspiration for our cards. 

I headed to Michael's and found everything we needed...heart-shaped cards, foam Valentine shapes, stamps and stickers. I had purchased Valentine pencils at the dollar store a few weeks ago. 

Then I set the girls loose and let their creativity take over.

I love how focused they were, especially Logan. She really took her time and personalized each card. She spent a lot of time selecting the right design and wording for each person on her list. 

Noa was more into seeing how many stickers, stamps and foam shapes she could cram on each shape, but she loved every minute of it and I've never seen her focus on one project for so long.

They sat like this for over an hour while I worked on my Valentine's Day banners. No one yelled, cried, or said an unkind word. 

They were both so proud of their finished cards and they can't wait to give them to their friends.

 There's nothing better than a personalized card made with love!

And now for our giveaway winner....

Congrats to KATHIE she is the winner of our Valentine's Day banner giveaway!!! Please email your address to hangingonbyathread@live.com and I'll pop the banner in the mail today! Big thanks to everyone who entered!

Valentine's Day Banner Tutorial and Giveaway

Last week I was visiting a friend and she showed me an adorable Valentine's Day banner she had just received as a gift. I instantly fell in love and knew I had to make my own.

You like???

I just love it. Don't you? 

Want to make your own? Of course you do!!!

Here's what you need:

• Burlap (I used about 1/2 yard)
• Acrylic Paint
• Supplies from my freezer paper stencil tutorial
• Twin or Ribbon

Start by making a pattern for your pennants. 

Trace your pattern onto the burlap. I folded my burlap in half so that I could make two pennants at once.

Cut out enough pennants until you have one for each letter or shape you need.

You certainly can paint your letters freehand, but I like the cleanness that the freezer paper stencils provide. If you need a refresher on how to use freezer paper as a stencil click {HERE}. Use your iron to attach the freezer paper to the burlap.

Using a foam brush and your acrylic paint, paint inside the stencil. Make sure you put something down to protect the surface you are painting on. The burlap isn't very thick and the paint will bleed through. It may take a few coats of paint to get the color you want. Just make sure to let the paint dry completely in between coats. 

Once the paint is dry, gently peel off the freezer paper-this is my favorite part! (I may add a layer of Mod Podge on each pennant after painting to help prevent fraying)

You can use ribbon, bias tape or twine to string your pennants together. I used twine that I bought from Pick Your Plum.  Using a doll needle and a running stitch attach the pennants together.

Continue until all the pennants have been strung together, and happily hang up your new beautiful banner for all to see!

Our Valentine's Day mantle is coming together quite nicely! I still have one more project in the works that I'm hoping to share with you later this week. 

So what do you think? Do you want one? 

How about this one?

That's right! It's giveaway time!!!

You have 3 ways to enter. 

1. Follow this blog (don't forget to comment that you are a follower).
2. Share the giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, or whatever form of social media you crazy kids are using these days. Make sure you let me know that you spread the love. 
3. For a bonus entry, in honor of Valentine's Day, share the name of your first crush. (Mine was Jeremy and I was in kindergarten. Ah...young love...)

Pick one, two or all three. Just make sure each entry is a separate comment. Winners will be announced Wednesday morning and the banner will be mailed to you later that day so you can (hopefully) get it before Valentine's Day.

Good luck!

Make Over Your Monday

Happy Monday! It's time for another week and I've got lots of craftiness planned. I'm super excited to share some new projects with you, and we may (hint, hint) have a giveaway tomorrow so be sure to check back in. 

So how did your week go? Did you get a lot of teaching done? I had some fun teaching the girls some cheers from my high school days and how to do a Herkie Jump (which was quite comical for the hubby watching his pregnant wife trying to lift her big ol' belly off the floor).  We had a great time and I'm amazed that I still remember all the words and moves. 

This week's challenge is to learn and use someone's name. We come in contact with so many people each day, some of them on a regular basis and we never take the time to learn their name. So learn who pours your coffee every morning or the person who delivers your mail day after day. Let them know they mean more to you than just the service they provide. It'll make you both feel good, I guarantee it!

Have a wonderful and crafty week!

I ♥ Walgreens Even More

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last month I shared with you why I love Walgreens so much...their excellent customer service, quick photo printing for my newest obsession and that they're always well-stocked with my two favorite hair care products.

Today I'm reminding you that it's not too late to join  Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. It's such a great deal-I'd hate for you to miss out! For $35 for your family, which includes your spouse, all dependents under 22 AND YOU PETS, or $20 for an individual memebership gets you some amazing prescription coverage. Here's the cool part-it's totally risk free! If you don't save yourself at least the cost of your membership then Walgreens will refund the difference. I don't think you'll get any money back because the savings are HUGE! There are over 8,000 generic medications at an amazing price. 

For example:

We are a wheezy family here and it's pretty common to hear the nebulizer going all winter in our house. With The Walgreens Prescription Savings Club you get 225 vials of Albuterol for $12! That'll practically get the whole family through the winter wheeze-free!

Do you have allergies? Generic Claritin is $12 for a 90-day-supply. I doubt you find it cheaper anywhere else.

...and the list goes on and on...check their website for the complete lists of drugs in the program.

Not only will you save a ton on your medications but you also get savings on nebulizers, diabetic supplies, Walgreens brand products, and certain photofinishing services. 

Don't forget to "like" Walgreens on Facebook or follow Walgreens on Twitter so you don't miss any fab-u-lous deals!!!