Monster Door Decor

I have seen this all over Pinterest, people decorating their doors for Halloween. I wanted to do this project but not make anything scary, just fun! So we made a silly monster! I hope it's not too hard to see with the reflection because we taped our monster to the glass screen door.

We started off measuring our door and rolling out a piece of white paper from our "roll" to fit! We used  both watercolors and acrylic paint in the next step!

First, we painted the circles on with watercolor.

Then we took many different shades of green acrylic paint and finger painted all around the circles! 

   

If you have kids, you know how much fun this step was for me and my daughter! 

I love the look it gave our monster...all of the different shades of green blended together!

Done Painting!

As our monster was drying, we drew our eyes on a separate sheet of white paper & also our mouth & teeth.

Then I had the kids cut them out.

We used crepe paper and curling ribbon to create hair at the top. We simply taped it on!

   

We used a glue stick to glue on the eyes, teeth, and mouth.

Once it's was all dry we just taped it up on our screen door!

The kids loved this simple project... such a fun way to get your home ready for Halloween!

The Perfect Side Dish: Peach/Mango Salsa & Cauliflower Rice

In the past few months I have had many conversations with different people and the Paleo Diet comes up. 

First of all, what is the Paleo Diet? 

It is a diet based on eating foods like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did during the Paleolithic era. These foods would be Fresh meat (preferably grass-fed or free-ranged) fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthy oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut, and flaxseed). They stay away from cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars, and processed foods because they weren't a part of our ancestral menu!

What is my take on this!?! I have to say, I LOVE this diet but I could never follow it totally because I'm still gunna eat whole grains. AND Let's face it, I LOVE CEREAL!!!! Not the sugary stuff....I eat stuff like "harvest grain" and oatmeal. 

However, I will tell you that I am now more likely to look up the "Paleo" versions of things I normally cook to see how they change things up! 

I'm so excited to share this post with you because it is SOOOOOO good! I just called it "the perfect side" because it will go with any chicken or fish you feel like preparing...Pictured below is Mahi Mahi that we simply marinated in olive oil, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and lemon juice! Baked for 20 minutes in 350 degrees! 

So here it is! First thing I am going to tell you about is Cauliflower Rice! I don't know how I'm JUST finding out about this because it's so good and so easy! I tried this thanks to my sister and I can't tell her "thanks" enough for introducing this to me! 

All you need is:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 lime
• 3-4 tablespoons of chopped fresh Cilantro 
• a pinch of salt

All you do is chop your cauliflower up into course chunks. Then add them to your food processor. Pulse until you get the consistency of little rice pieces. This only took about a minute. It goes very quickly! If you don't have a food processor, you can simply grate the chunks of cauliflower with a cheese grater! It will take longer but at least you don't have to deprive yourself from this yummy dish.

   

Simply cook on the stove in a pot with your coconut oil for about 15 minutes.

Pull away from the heat and squeeze your lime juice, stir in fresh chopped cilantro, pinch of salt, and serve!

Seriously, can you believe the picture below isn't rice!?! 

And you won't believe the taste.

This next side, Peach/Mango salsa, is perfect with the cauliflower rice because you also have the seasoning of cilantro and lime! 

What you will need:

• 2 peaches
• 2 avocados
• 1 mango
• 1 lime
• 3-4 Tablespoons Cilantro
• 1/4 an onion(or add more if you like onion)
• a little dash of salt
• *optional* Diced Jalapeño for a little kick

Simply chop up your peach, mango, and avocado in the chunks you desire and mix together in a large bowl.

Squeeze in your lime juice.

Then I added my cilantro a LITTLE bit of onion to a small food processor to dice it up. The friend I was having over hates onions! You can't tell they are in the salsa when you process them but if your family doesn't mind you can also just chop up the cilantro and onion.

Mix into the bowl gently!

There you have it! 

All I can say is YUMMMMMMM!

I don't know if you can see but in the back left corner of the plate is a little Jalapeño. My husband cut them up and cooked them in a little coconut oil.....We left it out of the main bowl so kids could eat it but we added it to the plates for the adults who wanted a little kick! It really added flavor. 

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

 I have started Homeschooling Kiki, Kindergarten. I just felt she was ready for more than Preschool. We are using "My Father's World" because a friend who is doing it with her 4 year old recommended it to me! So far, let me tell you I LOVE it! Kiki is still going to Kindergarten next year so there is no pressure on me but it really is laid out well and there are GREAT lessons!

This cute little puzzle came in our package!

I have been trying to think of other ways to use it and I came up with this FUN and EASY game!

I came up with The Alphabet Scavenger Hunt!

It's educational and gets kids on their feet too!

Kiki wants to play this several times a day!

When playing the Alphabet Scavenger Hunt all you need is a puzzle like this. 

ANY Alphabet puzzle will do!

If you don't have one, I've seen them in the dollar store so check there first!

This is seriously simple, all you do is pick one room and scatter the letters around, in plain sight!

You don't want to hide the letters to hard because it will make the game too tough and then it wont be as fun! Remember the letters are scattered so that in itself is complicated for a little one!

   

You let your child hold the puzzle or have it sitting in one spot in the room. Kiki likes to hold the puzzle. Then tell them that they have to find the Alphabet, in order. I say "Don't touch any other letters, just use your eyes to find the next letter in the puzzle and when you find it you can pick it up!" 

We have also played the game starting from Z and finding the letters backwards! 

This is great because it just helps them get very aquatinted to the whole alphabet!

This also helps with memory because they are going to come across letters and they will need to remember where they were!

Another thing we did was played a "two player" game, Brenden (my second grader) and Kiki worked together to find the letters. Then we switched it up and Brenden started with Z and Kiki started with A and they played till the puzzle was all there! You can, also, time them so they can try and beat their time as they play over and over! Brenden loved this game just as much as Kiki, so it's not just for little ones who don't know the alphabet!

Another thing that I am going to do is play this in our playroom, which is pretty large.... spread out the letters against the walls so they have to run back and forth to get to the next letter!

If you were to play this outdoors to get your child moving I would take two LONG pieces of duct tape and place them on opposite sides of the yard. Then I would place every other letter on the tape. This way they will have to run back and forth to fill up their puzzle in order! For Example, A, C,&  E are on the duct tape at the north end of the yard and B, D, & F are on the duct tape at the south end of the yard!

I hope this sparks ideas to make learning fun with your children!

If you have any other ideas please comment below! 

Bead Sun Catchers

 

These little sun catchers are so cute and so easy to make!

When Jean from The Artful Parent posted this project, I HAD to try it!!!

All you really need to make these are plastic Pony Beads!

We used a muffin tin and added the beads to make the designs we wanted. 

You can make these in other shapes, just use different pans. 

No residue will be left on the pan after cooling!

  

Here is what our beads looked like when we were ready for the next step..... MELTING!

Now, I have heard of the smell that melted plastic can make in your home so I didn't want to mess with it. All we did was put the pan on our grill outside for ten minutes. Watch over them, you will see when they are melted! If you don't have a grill you can do these in your oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. I would just suggest that you open windows and don't stay in the kitchen while they are cooking. There is also a suggestion to spray Fabreze afterwards, to get rid of the smell.

Here are our designs after the melting process. It literally takes a few minutes, they will start making a cracking sound in your pan as they cool and then they will be ready to remove!
They just pop right out of the pan!

They are SO PRETTY!

   

We used a small drill and put holes in each of them.... it's so easy your child could do it!

My son LOVED this part!

Here is where I added a step to the whole process....

As you can see, the side that was to the pan isn't shiny. It's kind of dull.

I wanted both sides of our sun catchers to be vibrant.

Therefore, we first hot glued beads on... the small beads, in the picture on the right, are glow in the dark which is a fun touch!

   

After adding the beads we put a little Mod Podge, Dimensional Magic, all over the surface. Just be sure not to cover up your drilled holes! The Dimensional Magic is what brings the dull side to life! It will give it the same glossy look that the front has!

   

 After the Dimensional Magic dried, we strung the sun catchers together with fishing wire. You can add beads between them if you want for added flare! The two pictures below show both sides of the sun catcher glossy and shining in the sun light!

I hope these will add a little color & beauty to a spot in your home!

Check out these links for more fun melted bead craft ideas!

Jean did some freeform experiments & even a stain glass window!

Also, you could make these for christmas ornaments to give as gifts to family or just to put up on your own tree!

*These are also a fun project to add to the the Kindergarten Curriculum of My Father's World, Unit 1 The Sun!

Help Erin & Mike! & Helpful Information On Termites

(Picture above used to be one SOLID piece of lumber)
My friends Erin and Mike (kept out last name for privacy since they didn't know I was doing this) and their two girls have recently found out that their roof and a lot of their home has been being eaten by termites for the last 5 years! Going into this, they were "getting their roof fixed"! After the layers have been pealed away they are having to replace walls, support beams, and EVEN FLOOR BOARDS!!!! Their Home Insurance won't help pay for it because they are saying it is a maintenance issue! They have only owned this home for around 2 1/2 years! And YES, it PASSED inspection!!!! Could you imagine this happening to you!?! How DEVASTATING!!!

As you can tell this is a HUGE financial burden for their family!

I wanted to give them a little money but I knew it wouldn't even take a dent out of what they need to pay for JUST the materials!!!
So, I thought that maybe if we all come together and give just a small amount we can help take some of the financial burden off of them. ANYTHING will help!

Even if you don't know Erin & Mike, just put yourself in their shoes and know that no matter what you give you will be helping LITERALLY put a roof back over their heads!!!

If you feel compiled PLEASE SHARE!!!!

THANK YOU for your generosity in advance!!!!

It's only with you that we can make this happen for them!!!

I set up a Wepay account so it is SIMPLE and SAFE to give any amount!!!
You can also click a box to be a private donor and print out the receipt for tax purposes!

CLICK HERE to donate!

Below are pictures my husband took last night of their home.
Sorry for the poor quality, he just used his phone and it was dark!
This first picture is of their doorframe, new wood next to damaged wood.

A picture from inside their living room.... The blue tarp is covering the house from being completely open to the outdoors!

This shows the roof along with the walls being removed to be replaced!

    

The termite guy has taken many pictures of the damage for his records because he said this is one of the WORST cases he has EVER seen!!! If I can get a hold of those pictures, I will post them here!!!

Here are two more shots that show the damage behind the walls!

   

Update from Friday August 23:
The new support beam just got to the house a little before 10am. It weights over 700 lbs!
I took a picture, standing in their living room, it's hard to believe I am INSIDE their home!!!

Here is the support beam that is being replaced.... 

Look at the support beam after it was pulled down!

They are blessed that the house didn't collapse with them in it!

Here is a post Mike wrote on Facebook about some of the things he has learned through this whole crazy experience with termites! It's very helpful information if you own or are planning on purchasing a home! I personally love #10!!! 

Termite-apocalypse

Some of you may know that Erin and I got hit with termites last week when we went to have some work done on our roof. Apparently last time the roof had work, about 8 years ago the previous resident/roofer decided to cover up the damage.

We had an inspection and treatment about 3 years ago, when we bought the house. We passed the inspection and there apparently was no evidence of termites or termite damage at the time.

When had a termite inspector come out on Tuesday, the first inspector still said there was not any evidence around or in the house. Then I showed him our rafters and walls that we had torn apart that had been consumed by termites.

I wanted to share a little bit about what he have learned through this process:

1. Standard termite treatments can take up to 6 to 24 months to kill all of the termites. If there is any settling and disruption of the soil around your house after the treatment, there is a gap in your protection and you're susceptible to termites again.

2. Termite Companies will only stand by their inspection and treatment if you renew their service every year. This can range from $225 and up per year. This will usually involve sending someone out to inspect your house and provide treatment if needed.

3. There is a treatment that will kill termites much quicker, but of course it cost more. Per the two inspectors we had, only a very few companies offer this treatment. So Bob the Local Pest Guy, may not have access to this chemical if you have active termites. Something you may want to ask or do your own research on.

4. There are dogs that can sniff out termites. Jason Wickersheim told me about this. His Realtor recommended this to him and his wife when they recently purchased a home. The dog found termites, that were not found by the person inspector. I am sure this service probably cost more, but was probably well worth it for them. I could see this being very useful if you have a finished basement where you cannot see into the deep corners because of finished ceilings.

5. If you have a person inspector, go with them and make sure they are pulling out the insulation in the deep corners and doing the job they are paid to do. I can't really recommend a company, because I was not overly impressed by either of the inspectors we had, but it was pretty fricking obvious we had termites.

6. We have some real amazing friends and families. From providing Erin and the kids a place to stay for the week, to making meals, watching the girls, stopping by and chatting a few mintues, lending me tools, helping me raise a 600 lb support beam, providing/donating building materials, donating money, phone calls, and text, it all has been amazing.

7. 1 in 30 homes has termites every year. Also next year is expected to be the worst year for termites in many years due to our recent weather patterns that have played into the termites hands. It may be worth having an inspection. Most person inspections are free, you just have to listen to their sales pitch at the end.

8. Alaska is the only state that does not have termites.

9. Helio with Innovation Construction is truly amazing. He was our roofer doing work and stuck around and demo'ed the house, framed it back in, and put a roof back over our head all in one week. He did a great job and never cuts corners. If anyone ever needs any roofing, please contact me, because he is the best and I would highly recommend him. I truly believe he is a dying breed of honest builders/roofers who will not cut corners for profits. He has walked away from jobs because bosses or homeowners wanted him to cut corners or do things that he knows are not right . Helio is a true friend and I owe a tremendous amount to him and the hard work him and Durango put in on our house. His wife Lilian is also amazing for letting him work on our house for a week. She made us some amazing meals during that time. They are great friends, who have huge hearts.

10. Colleen Wickersheim has some amazing recipes. I think she can literally work vegetables into anything she makes. This apparently includes cauliflower into cookies. I look forward to reading more of her blog and trying her recipes.

Once again thank you again to our family and friends, we couldn't have made it through this week without you. I will probably be calling a few of for some help in the next couple weeks as I put the inside of the house back together.

Simple & Healthy Banana Pancakes~ Gluten Free

I was on Facebook yesterday and my niece Taylor posted that she made these two ingredient banana pancakes for breakfast. Anything easy and healthy, with Banana, I have to try because my "picky" baby loves bananas!!! After trying this out and having my whole family scarf these down, I decided this is a MUST SHARE on my blog!

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 eggs
• *optional~ Cinnamon and coconut oil

All you have to do is peel your banana and mash it up!

   

 Add your two eggs and then mix again.

 Spread a little coconut oil, or whatever else you have, on a heated pan or skillet. 

I sprinkled some cinnamon on one side, very lightly, while they were cooking!

 Then SERVE....... Definitely "picky" baby approved!!!!! I think he ate 4 or 5 pancakes!

This is crazy because he normally doesn't like eggs!

I'm going to make a lot of these pancakes and freeze them so I can pull them out each morning.

 *Tip* make sure your banana is ripe. This will gage the sweetness of your pancakes!!

I can't resist, the next time I make these, I will probably be adding about 1/4 cup of carrot puree for added nutrition! Yummy!