Blueberry Muffins when in a hurry - Review of Dunan Hines Simple Moments

Sarah loves blueberry muffins and today while at the grocery store I spied a new Duncan Hines Simple Mornings Blueberry Muffin Mix.  Well, the box states "New"  but I think this mix has been around for over a year.  So, we gave it a try.  The box says no high fructose corn syrup and no preservatives - definitely a plus.  I added fresh blueberries in addition to using the very small (almost too small to see) blueberries they provide in the mix.  These were pretty good and definitely not as good as from scratch but definitely a thumbs up when you want/need something quick and want less sugar and you add fresh blueberries.

Always good with milk and of course the milk is served in vintage juice glasses

I love my vintage juice glasses

DIY Valentine Projects

This wraps up the posts for the month of February.  A month full of love, hearts, and special people.  I am a wanna-be-crafter and not having quite mastered the art of crafting here are three easy and simple do-it-yourself Valentine Projects.  

Yesterday on the way back from Michael's sarah said, "You are getting much better at crafting - no offense about before."  Well, there you have it - if an eight year old thinks I am getting better then it must be so.



This by far was my favorite Valentine Project.   
Garland made from book pages (a romance of course for Valentines),
black cardstock, ribbon, and heart stickers



It took me several tries to figure out how to make the pinwheel. 
I used a bread twist tie to tie the pinwheels together



On the backside is another piece of black cardstock and then you glue to the ribbon

 


Canvas Heart
Canvas, black ribbon, and heart buttons. 
Glued the heart buttons using Tacky Glue
(friend Becky P. said Tacky Glue is the best and I agree).
 This was not easy to make, next time I will use tweezers to place the buttons
My friend Ashely's turned out way better, but I do not have a picture of hers



Heart Wreath
white and pink yarn and red tule. 
Originally there was red yarn where
the red tule is  - I had a really hard time wrapping the red yarn
 at the points in the wreath and gave up and wrapped it
with tule.  The felt flowers were so easy to make.  Add ribbon to hang

Valentine Party

Our 2nd annual Valentine Party...

vintage invitation

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShyShirley

Scrumptious Valentine Cookies from Dough Girl Bakery
https://www.facebook.com/DoughGirlBakery

Sweet homemade cupcakes decorated by Sarah

Valentine Stamped wooden spoon



French square plastic drinking bottles (from Tomkat)  http://shoptomkat.com/
David punched a hole in the lid for the straws - worked out perfect
add bakers twine and heart tags made with red rippled card stock  all from Lola Loves a Party
and insert  heart paper straws
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LolaLovesAparty

more Valentine stamped wooden spoons

Yarn Lollipops decorate the table

heart shaped marshallows with Valentine stamped spoon.  The girls devoured these marshmallows

 

customized treat bags from Little Beane Botique
 http://www.etsy.com/people/LittlebeaneBoutique

 

games and activities included minute to win it, valentine bingo,
 a tower of valentine hearts, and crafts

Every Love Story is Beautiful... But Ours is My Favorite

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach

Elizabeth Barrett Browning


sorry, picture is really old

 How do you find the right words to sum up how much I completely love you and to tell you how thankful I am that YOU are MY Valentine Forever.   Our story to me never ever gets old or boring! You came into my life when I thought there was nothing.  My life began with you.

My 14 things I love the most……

1.    Your ability to build and fix everything and anything

2.    You standing in the driveway giving me your  “I Love You” sign language symbol each and every time I leave the house to go anywhere

3.    Your willingness to do anything I ask (you have only said “No” twice in our entire marriage and of course you were right!)

4.    Your accepting my weaknesses and faults and loving me just the same

5.    When you wrap your arms around my waist and kiss my neck

6.    The little notes and presents you live around the house and in my car

7.    The touch of your hand in mine

8.  The way you gently push my hair behind my ear

9.  Your total and complete goofiness that makes me laugh and smile

10. Your adoring love for our daughter

11. When I look up and see you watching me

12. Knowing I can depend on you

13. Telling me I am gorgeous and beautiful

14. How you take me in your arms and tell me that you are forever in love with me! 

Now for the post -- here is our love story……. I honestly didn’t know it would turn out this way…….my father told me no one would want to marry me….

   It seemed like a lifetime of waiting to find one another.   In High School we had similar friends and attended the same Ted Nugent concert but our paths never crossed and our existence of one another remained a mystery.    Somehow destiny brought us to the same place of employment.  Our first encounter would be in a class I was teaching on 7 Habits for Highly Effective People- he was one of forty participants and to me just a name on the roster.  It would be two years later before our paths would cross again and both our circumstances in marriage had changed.  While interviewing his staff for a Team Building Exercise he walked into the break room and began talking about his children and the weekend.  I looked up and said, “You are divorced?”   It would take him two weeks to get up the courage to ask me to lunch.  Our lunch date was at Houston’s (no longer open but we are still together).   I knew at lunch that we would be married.  He on the other hand wanted nothing to do with marriage and definitely no more children (he had two and I had three).   But I knew in my heart that one day we would be married.  Jump forward to a January warm day in Texas playing putt-putt golf – standing behind me he says, “would you marry me if I asked you?”  I pretended not to hear (I know that is so wrong, but I wanted him to propose).  Several weeks later on February 13^th (he wanted to ask me on Valentine’s Day but was too excited to wait) this wonderful and charming man on bended knee asked for my hand in marriage.   We were married on May 6th, 2000 (easy for keeping up with the anniversary). 

Our life would begin and for me a life of what seemed so natural as though we had been together for eternity.  But combining a family was one of the hardest things I have ever done (that is definitely another story).  There were many struggles, heartaches and disappointments.  Now that the kids are grown the differences and struggles seem so trivial.   As life would have it not all ended in a happily ever after but we made it through and intact as a couple.

Our biggest surprise was the birth of Sarah.   He was adamant about not having more children and I did not press the point.  However, on a quiet day at the same moment we both felt a sweet spirit was waiting to come into our family.  It was somewhat as a shock to us both.  Very quickly I became pregnant only to lose the pregnancy 12 weeks later.  The baby was to be born on his birthday and the loss hit us both very hard.  Shortly after the miscarriage I would become pregnant again only to lose the pregnancy at nine weeks.  Our hearts were heavy as we pondered whether to try again. 

While driving home one day from errands he would take my hand and say, “we do not have to try again, you have been through enough.”  In tears I said, “I would like to try one more time and see.”  It would be a year later before I got pregnant.  Our deadline was my 45^th birthday.  If there was no positive pregnancy then I would have my tubes tied.   Pregnant again!  This is also another story and quite remarkable but for another post.  I will jump to the end – Sarah is now seven and arrived healthy and has changed our lives forever. 

He is my one and only and holds my heart. He is my Happily Ever After.  

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

Family Conversation Jar - February Giveaway

As a Girl Scout Troop Leader - (never thought I would be this) --my girls do a variety of activities and of course we earn badges.   Last week we made Family Conversation Jars which the girls decorated.   

So, what is a Family Conversation Jar?  Take an ordinary Mason jar and paper (we used scrapbooking decorative paper).   Type or write questions, charade, riddles, etc. on the paper and cut the paper into strips and add to the jar.  Add a label for the lid and tag and you are ready to go.  Each night at dinner or anytime you are gathered as a family-   you pull a strip of paper out of the jar and answer the question or act out the statement.  The girls were very excited to get home and try out the jar with their family.   

What question would you place in your Family Conversation Jar?  February Giveaway is a Family Conversation Jar filled with lots of questions, charades, riddles, and of course Hink Pink Poems.  Leave your question by February 15th to enter for  a Family Conversation Jar. 

 

 

 

 

Paper from Michaels .25 each

 

 

 

Tag from SweetlyScrappedArt Etsy Shop

Happily Ever After - Young Women's Lesson

 

The lesson focused on .....

A week prior to the lesson I asked several young women to complete a journal exercise.  Each day they read a quote, scripture, or passage and then answered questions and captured their thoughts and feelings. On Sunday they would share their experience and perspective (if anyone wants a copy of the Journal Exercise let me know and I can e-mail to you).  We sat on the floor with this beautiful framed picture as our background and discussed the purpose of life, adversity, and creating your own Happily Ever After.  Keep scrolling to see Temple handout.   

The Accolade

 



Photo for Handout - My daughter and her husband on their wedding day



Handout