Monster Knee Patch

A couple of years ago I saw this Monster Knee Patch and thought that it was awesome! Unfortunately I didn't have an opportunity to try it out because by the time Jer gets holes in his jeans, he has already outgrown them so there is no point in patching them up. It's kind of funny how disappointed I was that my son *didn't* get any holes in his good jeans. ;) It finally happened though! I hole appeared in a pair of jeans that hadn't turned into high-waters yet. So I surprised him with this fun monster patch and he couldn't wait to show it off to his friends at school. 

Simplify

That is my current motto. Simplify. While I am trying to keep this in mind with how I spend my time - my main focus at the moment is on "stuff". All of the crap sitting around our house that we don't really need. We started purging a couple of years ago and each time we get rid of a big batch of stuff our house feels so much lighter that it makes us want to get rid of even more! I swear, it is like a freaking clown car or Mary Poppins' bag. We keep finding more and more crap that we don't really need and it makes me wonder how we ever crammed all of it in to begin with.

Lately we have been talking about building a small house in the country and by small I mean that my latest sketches are less than 500 sq ft. Not only will a house this size be cheaper to build and maintain, it will also force us to evaluate our belongings and determine what we really need because there just isn't a bunch of extra space to store the useless junk. We aren't getting rid of everything that would be considered "unnecessary" we are just going through all of our stuff with a more critical eye than before and only keeping the things that we really enjoy or that are used frequently enough to justify the amount of space that they occupy.

If you have spent much time around here, there is one area affected by the purge that may come as a shock: 

Guest Post: Tetris-Chic Mirror Make Over

Hi Everyone! My name is Sarah from Sewing Parts Online and I'm thrilled to be sharing a fun and inexpensive home decor project. My fiance and I are moving into our very first home and, in true first time home buyer fashion, the budget doesn't leave much room for decorating. Let's be honest; it leaves no money for decorating. But, a happy wife is a happy life, and the old man agreed to a $10 'splurge': Thirft store mirror for $3 bucks and a tube of cheap ceramic tiles. Score!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The other day Shelby said that he was craving mashed potatoes so I decided to take a shot at some garlic mashed potatoes since that is always his favorite to order at restaurants. He loved how this recipe turned out! It is creamy and has a great garlic flavor that isn't overpowering. 

LEGO Heart Necklace

A few months back I saw this idea on Squidoo for a heart necklace made out of LEGOS and I knew I had to have one. Jer has been working on a giant lego village so we had the big box of parts out and it seemed like a good time to rummage through for the pieces that I needed. 

Pepper Jack Smothered Chicken

I was flipping through my recipe book the other day and came across this Pepper Jack chicken that I used to make all of the time but then somehow forgot about. I made it the other night and it was like discovering a recipe all over again. Originally it was pan fried and used packaged taco seasoning so I made it healthier by baking it and making my own taco seasoning. The result is juicier, healthier, and more flavorful. If you make the taco seasoning ahead of time, this chicken only requires about 5 minutes of prep too!

Taco Seasoning Recipe

I try to cut back on pre-packaged processed foods as much as I can. Not only are foods made from scratch better for you but they often taste better too! This taco seasoning is one of those things. So much better than the kind you find in the package.

Animal Head Pot Holder Hook

After months of fishing around in the drawer for a pot holder when cooking, I decided that it was time to add a hook above the stove. Of course I could have put up a simple hook from the hardware store but that's just not my style. ;) So instead, I put together this funky animal head pot holder hook! 

Baked Crispy Ranch Chicken

This super easy chicken comes out flavorful and juicy every single time. I have been making this about once a week since I first tried the recipe. My picky six-year-old even loves it! 

Slow-Cooker Beef Chili

This chili is so full of flavor that it instantly became a family favorite! My husband calls it "man chili" because it is so hearty you can eat it with a fork. :)