Shape Yahtzee...or something like that.

I had the blank blocks.  I added some colored shapes with a marker. Add a cup (this was my moms...her names engraved) and you have a yahtzee game for kids.

Upcycled bag.

And a happy little guy.

Right where we're supposed to be.

One thing that you may or may not know about me is I'm a worrier.  I worry about everything, anything and nothing.  It's quite annoying and I'm always trying to be better at going with the flow.  The purchase of this home/ having 2 kids under the age of two/going back to work combination was probably the most stressful trio of events in my life thus far, particularly since I haven't birthed two of the best sleepers on this planet. Thankfully, they have no clue how their mama stresses.

But, we're here, living in the home of my dreams, and it's almost been 6 months. 

We made it through the most expensive heating season of my life. 

 We still own two homes, which I cannot think about, as I worry myself sick. 

There's other things that I worry about on a regular basis...which really serves no purpose.

 I know that things will work out the way they are supposed to work out.  It's a frivolous thing, this worrying.
As I was watching my two little blessings, experiencing spring on this farm for the first time, watching them and enjoying them, it all feels so right.

Things have worked out just as they should, it feels like we are right where we are supposed to be. For that, I am most thankful.

Thrifted

I spy book.
Wooden tray for our play kitchen.
Dinosaur book.
American Girl Book.
Egg trays.
Two camping mugs (randomly decided I'd start a collection of these...keep your eyes open fellow thrifters!).

$5.00 exactly.

If you were a chicken...

If you were a chicken, do you think you'd want to live in our house, cared for by 'Farmer Adrian?'  You'd learn some songs, you'd read some books, you'd get a great pretend meal from his play kitchen, you'd meet animals such as elephants and go for rides in the 'farm truck' daily.  You'd just have to watch out for 'Predator Audra'.  She grabs heads and squeezes.

Oatmeal Cream Pies, A Jackie Original

Oh my.  You want these.  Yes, you do.  My husband ate 9 in 36 hours.  He said they were so tempting that he wanted them gone so he could go back to eating healthy.  Yeah, so that's one philosophy. 

 
It's basically my oatmeal cookie recipe with my whoopie pie filling.  There's whole wheat flour and oats.  Totally healthy.  I've changed up my whoopie pie filling in my other recipes to be more fluffy.  That's the way we decided we liked it better.


It's all sorts of yum.

 Oatmeal Cream Pies

The cookie:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, softened
1 cup brown sugar (I never pack)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp  vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups oats

Mix butter, shortening, sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Mix in baking powder, soad, cinn., allspice flax meal.  Add whole wheat flour and oats, mix.  Drop by rounded teaspoons on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

The filling:
 1/3 C. Shortening
1/3 C. Butter
2 1/2 c. Confectionery Sugar
1/2 small jar of marshmallow fluff
Splash of milk
Whip it.




Fill the cookies and enjoy.

And, kid approved. 

Porch living...

Our sun porch..love it.  It's been toasty warm out there.  We've been spending lots of our time enjoying it.

(He's going FAST, can you tell?!)

Seedlings are growing, baby girl is crawling.

And I finally got around to cleaning out this little corner that was filled with random stuff we moved and I didn't know what to do with.

 For now, I threw together a play zone...although I'm sure that will change knowing how I do things.

 The nice part is these windows change to screens. 

I visualize this as being our room of choice this summer. 
 

 Hope you're enjoying spring as much as us!

Hand stitched & Upcycled Snack Sacks

  My new line.  Can I call it that?  It makes me feel important.  

This idea has been brewing in my head for the last year.  All thought out and waiting for me to execute.    I did a give-a-way recently and was going to give away some of the labeled bags I make. 

The winner was a childhood pal.  I was going to whip some up in fabrics for each of her kids.When I asked her what her kids' faves were, she told me tractors, horses and cows...but she wasn't fussy and would take anything.  Her kids' faves exactly matched the ideas I had stewing in my my head for some time.

This is what she ended up with. (And if you didn't enter my last give a way on facebook, you're silly.  I keep chances of winning really low so your odds are good.)

My fave part is the double drawstring is upcycled...from old T cotton shirts. The fabric is new, but you could upcycle that from a woven clothing article or sheets.

 

Open/shut. Pattern by me (which I did take pics for a tutorial that I haven't had a chance to type up/edit.  Will do if there's interest).

 And the hand stitching...designed by me.

 
 And the insides are serged to last.

Someone thought they were for him.


Anyway, they were well received and appreciated.

 But I got out of control and made a few more.
They're just so fun to whip up! And I did a pig and chicken ones too.We don't need this many bags, so I'm may display them for sale at our local farm store.  First, I'll offer them up to you.  $10 a piece. $12 shipped. I'll even (gasp) take custom orders for the month of April.  I haven't done any custom work in a long time.



Anyway, let me know if you're interested. 

He doesn't want me to sell any, as he thinks they all should be for him. What a kid.

Order them up now, start stocking up for holiday gifts.  Or better yet, tell me to get cracking on the pattern/tutorial, steal my idea and whip some up on your own! :)