Pinterest Challenge: Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rolls

I love dessert. And the best kind of dessert is the kind that is quick and easy to make. That’s why I choose these Cinnamon Cream Cheese Rolls to make for my Pinterest Challenge. The few ingredients used are items I always have on hand. Essentially they are fat, rolled in a carb, and dipped in butter – how can you go wrong?? Plus, you can make as many or as few as you need.

What you’ll need:
Bread
Cream Cheese
Melted Butter
Mixture of sugar, powdered sugar, cinnamon

The process is easy.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the crust off of the bread (I just peeled it off with my hands)
3. Flatten the bread with a rolling pin (again, I just used my hands)
4. Spread cream cheese over one side of each slice of bread
5. Roll up the bread and dip in melted butter.
6. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes

I let them cool off for a few minutes before taking a bite. They smelled and tasted delicious! I think you could easily live without the powdered sugar if you didn’t have any. Also, any type of bread should work. I used a whole wheat, high fiber version and it worked fine.

This is the perfect recipe to satisfy a sweet tooth when you haven’t planned ahead!

Em Signature
Posted in Baking, In The Kitchen, Recipes | Leave a comment

Pinterest Challenge: Bookshelf to Bench

I’ve been in a huge repurposing mode recently, bookcase to dog bed, pillowcase to infant dress, and what you’ll see today, a bookshelf to bench. I got my inspiration from this pin, which was pinned from Leidi Bird where she wrote a how-to on turning a cabinet into a storage bench.

So you can see that it’s a very boring, white bookshelf that we got a few years ago from Ikea. Unfortunately for the shelf there is no place for it in our new home. Lucky for the shelf I need a place for our daughter to store her toys in our basement, and extra seating space is always a bonus.
I picked up some bench feet at Home Depot and painted them white. Once they were dry I attached them to each corner of the shelf, now making it a bench! Exciting! I then modpodged fabric onto the back of each storage spot to give it some depth, and make it all purdy like.
Last but not least, I made the cushion for the tushes. I just picked up some cushion foam at our local craft store, and then sewed fabric around it. Ta Da! A finished product that is exactly what we need: a place to sit, and a place to put our daughters toys. Win win!

Mar
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Making Space in a Townhouse

My husband and I live in a three-story, four bedroom, four bathroom, two car garage townhouse with no yard and no real basement. What this means is that there is very little storage space. When we first purchased our home we figured the lack of basement and storage space wasn’t a problem because, well there was only two of us, how much crap would we need to store? Yeah, riiiiiiiight.

One of the first things that we discovered was that we have about a gabillion textbooks left over from college that neither one of us were quite ready to part with. But, we didn’t have any space to store them and didn’t want to take up prime living room real estate with big bulky bookshelves that housed ugly science textbooks. So we looked for alternative ways to store them. What we found was a completely unused space above the closets in our two small upstairs rooms. One room is the office, the other Natalie’s nursery. They both have a vaulted ceiling leaving empty space between the top of the closet and the ceiling. We found that this was a perfect space to store hide our currently useless textbooks (for future reference, we have all plans to get rid off all our textbooks when we move to our next house). I purchased some baskets to put on top of the “shelf” which effectively concealed our textbooks from sight. Not to mention the baskets provide another place to store items not currently in use.

The second place that we needed more storage was our laundry closet. When we moved in, all that was there was a single wire closet shelf. Not only did this not provide enough storage for our cleaning supplies, but it also a) was too tall for this 5’ shorty to reach anything and b) the wire shelf meant that bottles were constantly being knocked over and making the space look messy. So we went to good old Home Depot and purchased some white cabinets and put those babies up in an afternoon.  Now we have a ton of storage for all of our detergents and cleaning supplies, and bonus, I can actually reach stuff! Oh and for those top shelves, we just purchased a step stool (that I needed anyway for our other kitchen cabinets) and stored it in that laundry closet as well.

The next thing that was really grating on us was our lack of a linen closet. We had no place to store our towels and other things that you normally store in a linen closet. So we found a space to build one. Our master bathroom has a separate toilet closet, that when you open the door, there is just enough space between where the doorframe is and the wall to build a number of shelves. So that is just what we did. Fortunately for me, I married a man who was brought up doing woodworking projects and building things with his dad, YAY me! So with a little wood and a little white paint, we had pretty wooden shelves in our bathroom that could now hold all our towels and things.

My next advice to someone who is living in a small space, with little storage, is to look for furniture pieces that can fill a dual purpose. Storage ottomans like this one from Bed Bath and Beyond:

Photo Credit

It provides extra seating when you need it, as well as a place to store things like board games or blankets or anything else you can think of hiding in your living room. I purposely bought pieces for my home with this in mind. And so my end tables have a drawer where I can store our remotes or playing cards. I also purchased a piece similar to this one from Bed Bath and Beyond:

Photo Credit 

It fills up an awkward space between the stairs going up to the 3rd floor and the stairs going down to the 1st floor. Even my kitchen table has secret storage at its base where I can store serving platters (bonus points for it being low to the ground so I can easily put things away and retrieve them when necessary).

To sum up what we did to make space when there was no space:

1) Look up. Find unused space that can be used for a different purpose.

2) Rebuild. Take out low functioning shelves and replace with something better suited to the space.

3) Build something new. Maybe there is an empty space that you could build some shelves or put up ready-made         shelves.

4) Dual function. Choose furniture pieces that also have storage options.

I truly think that you can find space in any home that you can re-work to better suit your needs. It just takes a little imagination, and maybe a slave super helpful hott husband ;-)

 

Kitty
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Preparing for a Baby in a Tiny Apartment

Being in a relatively urban city in Europe, my husband and I live in a tiny apartment, of about 500 sq ft.  It has just two rooms: a “great room” that consists of kitchen/living/dining area, and a bedroom (also a little bathroom).  Coming from American style living where just a couple years ago we were in a cozy apartment in Midwestern US which had twice the space for half the rent of where we currently live, it has been a considerable adjustment to get used to such tight space requirements.  One of the key differences is that now, everything we own must have multiple functions, organization is always a top priority, and of course storage space is a prized commodity in our home.  After a little over two years living here, we had finally worked out a bit of a system for living comfortably in our home after such a large change, and I can say we are quite happy with our 500 sq ft. we currently call home.

But that was before I found out that we were having a baby!  We couldn’t justify the price (or hassle) of trying to move out and find a new place to live that would give us more room, and so in the end decided we will make do for the rest of our time here.  This had some definite challenges though.  How do we make a nursery? Where do we put all the baby stuff? What exactly do we really need, and how will we do this without feeling totally cramped??

The first task was the “nursery”.  Not having a separate room available, we decided to get rid of our clothes rack that we used to hang clothes on, packed away as much clothes as we possibly could to make a place for the ones that could no longer be on the clothes rack, and instead devoted that corner of our bedroom to the “nursery”.  My husband did some great rearranging of dressers and our bed to create a bit more space, and voilà – you can see in the photo above our nursery space!  Each piece of furniture was carefully chosen for space and function. Rather than getting a cute baby dresser, we just bought and assembled a normal large tall dresser to maximize storage space.  Our crib is actually a 3-sided co-sleeper that we are renting, which should help save space (and money) and give us time to adjust to our new lives as parents before we have to go out and invest in a real full sized crib, especially since we don’t know how much longer we will be living here.  And then there is the changing table – we looked for one with as much function as we could find, and settled on this one.

I liked it because of the large area on the top that allows us to fit more than just the changing pad so we have easy access to all of our supplies, and also the drawers and cabinet space could fit lots of things including our diaper trash can.  Because the table overhangs in the back, it provides space behind the changing table for storage – behind it to the left you can barely see in the image above that we have used that space to store our baby wash tub, and we were able to buy shelving to fit behind on the right to hold extra blankets and sheets, diapers, wipes, products, etc.

Now if only we could figure out some decoration to put up on our walls!  Given that we have cement walls covered in ceiling-paint style popcorn paint, it’s not the easiest to drill into or paint pretty scenes on.  Still figuring that part out :)

In our living room we managed to find a small dresser that also serves as a sofa-table, on which we could set our internet up and also a table-top fan (no A/C here!), so now with some open windows, we can help keep air circulating well throughout our entire apartment – this is crucial as during the hot summer months our place is blasted with direct afternoon sunshine.

The last “baby” item we fit in our home is the stroller.  Lacking a good place to put the stroller away, we’ve just decided it is going to have to become a regular feature of our apartment.  We chose a combination one that has both a bassinet or a seat for maximum function (hoping that we only need one stroller), and the 3-wheeled design will make it easier to maneuver down narrow city streets and inside stores and on trains as it isn’t quite as wide as other versions we looked at.  I also liked the large wheels, as many roads here are old cobble stones and paths in the parks are often gravel, so I’m hoping it will be more durable.

We’ve never been parents before so I’m sure we are forgetting some key important things, but well, like any new parents, those we will have to figure out as we go.  But I think we’ve got the basics covered and I’m excited to say hello to our new baby girl soon! As with every change in life we will adjust, and hopefully our choices will help keep life comfortable in 500 sq ft :)

**Note – After further reading we will be removing the bumpers that came with the crib in order to keep the crib as empty as possible.

Posted in Home Decor, House and Home, Life and Family, Motherhood, Pregnancy | Leave a comment

The Lilac Festival

Note: While writing this post, I came to the realization that I wish the internet had smell-o-vision.

Summer is just around the corner. I know this not by the weather (though it has been gorgeous here lately), but because it’s time for my city’s annual Lilac Festival. Rochester, NY is not only famous for the home of Eastman Kodak, but for this annual festival. Rochester, NY is home to the world’s largest collection of Lilac bushes. According to the official Lilac Festival Website, Highland park has over 500 varieties and 1,200 Lilac bushes. It is amazing.

The festival lasts 10 days and is is free to the public. There are plenty of activities for all ages. Daily, there are shows for kids, magicians, and children’s musical acts. Opening weekend, there is a craft show both days which always attracts crowds. The first Saturday morning there is a parade that is enjoyable for everyone (a local cable news station broadcasts the full parade for those who can’t make it down there). There is live music on the big stage every day, as well as plenty of other entertainment. Other than the Lilacs, most people make their way to the festival for the food. There are many local restarants that have food tents, but also vendors from out of town that are quite popular.

The biggest attraction of course is the Lilacs themselves. The Lilacs cover 22 of the 155 acres of Highland Park. The smell walking through the park is intoxicating. You’ll come upon many people just like my husband, nose right up to the flowers, inhaling deeply.

Unfortunately, this year, because of unseasonably warm weather early in the spring, many of the lilacs are past their prime. But that won’t deter people from heading to the festival. My husband and I will be going one evening after work this year, as we do every year, to have dinner and enjoy the music.  We’ll go for a nice walk through the park and enjoy what beautiful lilacs are left.

So if you’re ever thinking about visiting Rochester, NY in May, make sure you plan a visit to the Lilac Festival.  It won’t disappoint.

Photobucket
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Inexpensive Gardening

Gardening of any kind can be expensive and sometimes feel like it’s not worth it. For me, I have a hard time spending a lot of money on my flower beds because we rent, so I try to do it as cheap as possible. This means saving last years potting containers and reusing them year after year. I also do not buy from a greenhouse, all I do is get the seed packets at a local store when they are on sale. I try to do most of my gardening from scratch. Of course there are one or two things that I did purchase in the past, but I made sure to only purchase perennials. I also love to buy Naturalizing bulbs to plant in the fall; they come back every year and multiply as well.

My Butter Iris and Lily

Starting your own seeds can be demanding, but it’s amazing to watch your own work grow day-to-day. You can start your flower and veggie seeds ahead of time in your home. I bought a cheap wooden shoe rack to store my planters on while they were inside. Every climate is going to have a different starting range, so I would do a little research before you start. I start all my veggies at the beginning of April, and the only flowers I start are sunflowers since they take so darn long to grow.

Container Veggies, Herbs and Sunflowers

A great thing when you are starting a new flower bed is newspaper. My mom taught me to use it as a weak barrier a long time ago when she had a large veggie garden. You don’t have to go out and buy the expensive stuff, instead recycle old newspaper by laying it down in the area you are working (photo shown below). Then cover with soil, which I buy a 55 quart bag at Costco for $15.00-$16.00, and it goes a long way.

Rocks

When it comes to making your flower bed look amazing, you could go spend money on some fancy border or you could scout for and dig up rocks in your own yard. I have done this with my large flower bed, and I also redid a small flower bed this spring. I have found rocks from all over. The rocks that make up my flower beds come from road trips, along the roadside and my own yard. Keep in mind that some people might frown upon you ‘stealing’ them from the roadside. I don’t think people truly care if you do so in Alaska.

My Large Flower Bed

When it comes down to gardening, you have to make time for it. It’s a long process but so worth it in the end, especially if you are growing food for your family. I can’t wait to be able to make a yummy salad with all my fresh grown produce that I have tended to and loved all summer long. And knowing that my fresh flowers on my table came from all my hard work, it’s a remarkable feeling. I hope you make time to get out and dig in the dirt while keeping it inexpensive.

JULIANA SIGNATURE
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

You may have remembered from this post that I love cookie dough! There is something about the combination of brown sugar, butter, and chocolate chips that tastes so good. After reading about the cupcakes- brown sugar cake, cookie dough filling, and brown sugar buttercream- I was sold!!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Annie’s Eats blog

For the cupakes:

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:

  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish with mini chocolate chips and mini chocolate chip cookies

Directions for the cupcakes:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with liners.

2. Combine butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy for three minutes in stand mixer with paddle attachment.

3. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary,

4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl stirring together to blend.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.

6. Blend in vanilla and fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Divide batter evenly and bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for five minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Directions for the Filling:

1. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about two minutes).

2. Beat in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.

3. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up (about an hour),

5. Once the cupcakes have cooled and filling is firm, cut a cone-shape out of each cupcake.

6. Fill each hole with a good chunk of the filling.

Directions for the frosting:

1. Beat together butter and brown sugar until creamy.

2. Mix in powdered sugar until smooth.

3. Beat in flour and salt.

4. Mix in milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well-blended.

5, Frost and garnish cooled cupcakes as desired.

These cupcakes we so, so good! Each bite tasted so much like an actual chocolate chip cookie. I have been bringing in cupcakes for my department at school all year. They love when they see my red pan sitting on top of our file cabinets.  However, no type of cupcake has sparked more conversation than this one. I have repeatedly been asked about them and constantly been told how good they are. While I have several more recipes to try out on my coworkers, I know I will make these again before the school year ends because people loved them that much. Try them for yourself and see!

YOUR NAME SIGNATURE
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On The Way To The Corner Office: How To Prepare For An Interview

Getting ready for an interview can be intimidating. I spend a lot of time on the other side of the desk, interviewing hopeful candidates for a role in my organization.   I can say honestly that there are two factors which come across in interviews in which the candidate “does well:”  They are prepared and they come across as comfortable.  Prepared and comfortable can make up for a number of gaps in a fit for a role, but a perfect match of qualifications to role can’t always make up for a bad interview.

1)   Show Up Early.

If your interview is at the top of the hour, be sure to be there 10 minutes early.  And by “be there”, I mean in the lobby, checked in, however you’re meeting the person.  You’ve already arrived, found parking, used the restroom, whatever it is you’re doing before your interview.   While you’re waiting, read the newspaper on the table, or sit patiently and quietly.  This is not a time to use the phone, text your friends, read a book, etc. Remember that the receptionist can see everything you’re doing, and might get asked later on about how you carried yourself during that time.  Every moment counts. You’re already interviewing before you meet your interviewer.

2)   Dress Appropriately.

In most, but not all, cases, wearing a conservative suit is most appropriate.  In some cases, in hip/trendy/creative places, it isn’t.  Know your audience.  Just because the place is business casual doesn’t mean it is appropriate for you to be dressed that way on an interview.   Dress to impress.

But remember that it’s not a fashion show… unless you’re interviewing for a job in the fashion industry.  Make sure your accessories aren’t the headline (don’t let them be a distraction).  Best to downplay cleavage, avoid perfume/cologne, and stay away from anything that you might wear on a fancy night out (read: sequins or shiny fabrics).  Make sure your shoes are in good shape.

3)   Do Your Homework.

The best thing you can do to prepare for an interview is to do your homework about the company and the opportunity.  It’s so much easier to do with the internet than it was even 15 years ago.  Know the history.  Read the recent press releases.  Understand the key moments in the evolution of the company.  Research competition and challenges in the industry.  Spend a lot of time with the job description, if there is one, and try to figure out what the core purpose of the role is, and how it fits into the success of the company. Pretend it’s like you’re researching a car or a house you want to buy; research the heck out of it to make sure you know what it’s all about.

4)   Know Your Stories.

Some interview questions will be pretty basic: “What are your strengths?” “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”  Those kinds of questions you should certainly know the answer to, on the off chance they come up as literally as that.  But a lot of interview questions are behavioral, and start with something like, “Tell me about a time when you….” Those questions all require stories.  Think about your experiences and figure out what stories will work well for those answers.

Often, you can get clues by reading the job description, when they talk about different skills and competencies you need to have.  If they talk a lot about “team environment and collaboration”, it’s a good idea for you think about stories which would highlight how well you worked with others during difficult challenges.  If the description mentions, “dealing well with change”, think about examples in your past that illustrate that competency.

Once you think of your story, practice telling the story well.  A big part of interviewing is just about effectively communicating an answer and confidently making connections. Well prepared stories are a great vehicle for that.

5)   Bring Questions.

Most interviews will eventually get to the point where the candidate is asked, “So, do you have any questions?”  The answer should always be yes… but it also doesn’t have to wait until that point for questions to come up.  A great interview has some give-and-take along the way, where a question that an interview asks can lead to a follow up question that the candidate can ask to understand more.

Do you know what makes a good question?  The best questions are the ones that show that the candidate wants to understand more about the role and the company, not the ones in which the candidate is asking, essentially, “what’s in it for me?”

Some of the best questions can be geared towards learning more about what makes the company successful in the past, and the employees feel hopeful about the future.   Learning about what makes someone succeed in the organization, learning about the culture, and learning about challenges are all the best use of your question time.    It’s not about asking what the benefits and the pay are.

6)   Know How to Close.

I tell people when preparing for an interview:  “Know what the things are about you that an interviewer needs to know.   And figure out the best ways to make sure you get those points across before leaving that room.”  Some of that can come up in story-telling for answers, as I discussed above.  The rest, you need to use in your closing.   As you are ending an interview with final questions and points, you need to find a way to make sure you get any important point that hasn’t come up naturally in the interview that you think will make a difference in your candidacy…    It’s not always easy to do, but you only get one shot to interview, and you want to make sure you don’t walk away with regrets about what you left out.

Finally, bring copies of your resume, a notebook or folio and a pen, and have them out when you’re interviewing.  It gives the impression that you’re prepared to do some learning here.  You can even use it to take notes at points in time when you’re reminded of something you want to bring up in your answers, or if you want to write down questions you have (not ideal, but better than not having questions at all).

Good luck!

Kathy Sig
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What We Learned From Our Mothers…. A Tribute, on Mother’s Day.

We thought we’d take a moment on Mother’s Day to reflect on what we feel our mothers (and grandmothers) taught us, those big and small life lessons we carry with us always.  Thanks, Moms!

 

Shaina

My mom taught me to be independent, financially secure as a woman and that as long as I can balance my checkbook and measure a room for carpet, I would be ok. She also taught me more patience than I thought was possible. I’m so lucky I get to call her my friend as well as Mom.

Kitty

My mom taught me to always clean the kitchen before you go to bed. It’s much nicer to come down to a clean kitchen than the previous night’s dirty dishes. My mom taught me how to survive breast cancer. My mom taught me to be selfless and to put my family’s needs before my own.

Juliana

My mother taught me how to love. To love God, my family, my husband, my child and my friends. She may not have told me as often as she does now that she loves me, but I always knew she did because she showed me. I am a strong, loving woman, because of my mother’s love. She also taught me to be selfless, because that is what true love is.

Melissa

My mom taught me an incredible amount in the ten short years that I had with her. She showed me what an important career teaching is. She taught me to be strong when facing adversity. She taught me how to be the parent that I want to eventually become. Her final and most important lesson to me came after her death, which is to be independent. According to her favorite quote, she taught me that “love is forever.”

Jess

My mom taught me how to love unconditionally, to see the positive even in the worst of times as ‘everything happens for a reason,’ and less is more. She taught me how to be best friends with my child while still maintaining my parental role. She taught me how to have fun in life and to laugh. Because of her I have one of the greatest influences on how to be the best mom I could ever hope to be.

Summer

My mom taught me how to “find a way, make a way”. She never takes “that’s just how it is” for an answer and finds a way to make a situation work. She also taught me to be honest, even if it’s not what someone wants to hear. She was never one of those moms/women that said “oh that looks great, sweetie” if it didn’t and now I’m the same way. She’s taught me how to take care of myself and never depend on someone else to do it for me. She’s taught me to be strong but know when to ask for help. I’m thankful she’s my best friend.

Margaret

My mom taught me that you can make a friend no matter where you are, or what you’re doing. Every where we went while I was growing up she would end up having a conversation with a stranger. Most of the times as a teenager I was embarrassed by her friendliness. Now, however, I find it fascinating the types of conversations you have with the random people we meet along our life’s path. I am proud to say that I will now talk to strangers while standing in lines. Thanks, Mom!

Whitney

My mom taught me how to make whatever sacrifices you have to for your family. She taught me how to be responsible with money but save for some fun things. She taught me how you can be a best friend and a parent to your child. She taught me how far kindness to others and being open-minded can get you. She taught me how to be an amazing woman and I hope I can live up to her example.

Teresa

My mom taught me about patience, that the good things in life are worth waiting for. As a teacher, my mom illustrated that teaching isn’t just about the material you are presenting, but helping others discover the joy of learning. She pushed me to explore life, and always encouraged me to think creatively. I learned to be selfless, always putting others needs before my own. My mom showed me how to listen and she was always there to help me talk through life’s problems, both big and small.

Jessica

My Mom taught me to never be selfish, always help someone else out. She also taught me no matter what situation be the nicer person, it will get you a lot further in life. She’s also taught me how to love and nurture your family unconditionally.

Renee

What my grandma taught me: Always iron your clothes & if you want others to respect you, you need to respect yourself first.

Kathy

My mom taught me that a marriage vow is the most important promise you make, and, even when it seems impossible, you need to fight to protect that promise. She taught me that betrayals of trust — lying, stealing and cheating — are the worst crimes you can commit. And she taught me that cleaning my house BEFORE I go away on a trip makes coming home bearable, and I’m always glad I did.   

 

 

We all learned the same things from our moms and grandmoms:  How to be the women we’re proud of being, and that we all learn how to be better people, women they’d be proud of us becoming, every day. Each day, we all struggle with figuring out how to live those life-lessons we all mentioned: 

  • Finding Patience,
  • Loving Unconditionally,
  • Dealing with Adversity and Facing Challenges with Strength and Grace,
  • Achieving Independence,
  • Being Kind and Good to Others, making connections whenever we can,
  • Being a Great wife/mother/friend/influence in the lives of others,
  • Learning Responsibility,
  • Acting selflessly,
  • Respecting ourselves and; 
  • Taking Pride in ourselves and our homes 

 

And we have Mothers to thank for that!    Thanks, Moms!

 

Kathy Sig
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Pinterest Challenge – Fluffy Tissue Paper (Ice Cream Cone) Decoration

I decided before my daughter was born that her 1st birthday would be as small as we could make it with only close friends and family. Organizing her Christening reaffirmed that decision for me. It won’t be really small by any means but we are trying hard to keep it as low key as possible. That being said, I still can’t wait to decorate for it, and it wasn’t long before I was picking out a theme for this so-called low key 1st Birthday celebration.

My daughter was born on August 1st (she was supposed to be a July baby but must have inherited her mother’s stubbornness gene because she was born a week after her due date). I decided an ice cream theme would be really fun and of course, seasonal. Pinterest certainly gave me some inspiration. When I came across a tissue paper ice cream cone I had immediate flashbacks to elemetary school and learning how easy it was to create such a fun decoration. All you will need is some tissue paper, scissors, good ole’ Elmers glue (or similar), and large poster board or cardstock (I tried to match the color tissue I was using for that portion). Additions are easy to make with more construction paper. I hope to also make a sundae in a glass serving cup using this same method but as my aforementioned daugher keeps me quite busy, I will try to reign in my hopes for that.

First, I cut out the shape(s) I was going for. In this case it was a cone and the ‘top’ ice cream portion that would be fluffing up with the tissue paper. I decided on cardstock in the end to keep the project on the small side since I hadn’t done it in some time and I wasn’t sure how long it would take. I also picked out glittery brown cardstock for my cone, I thought that was so fun especially since I wasn’t going to be using the tissue there. I left a spike on the top of my cone to allow for someplace to glue my ‘ice cream’ to.

Second, I cut out square pieces of tissue paper approximately 1″ x 1″ in size. I did not pull out the ruler for this and allowed for different sizes, remembering that it would not hurt the final product if they were not exactly the same. When I first learned how to do this we used pencil tips but I’ve found that my finger is much easier to use. Just fold the square fairly even around your finger tip, add a dab of glue, then press down on your shape trying to keep the tissue ‘puffs’ as close as possible to keep it full looking.

Here is my final product. In total it took about two hours and my first few pieces did not go so well when I tried to use stick glue instead of the (liquid) Elmers. I think I will make a couple more and keep them on the smaller side after all. :P I did find the time to go quickly and it was super easy though it did take longer than I originally thought it would.

The glue does dry quickly and don’t fret if it goes through the tissue paper it won’t affect the end result, I promise.

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