Making Flip Flops with Interchangeable Bows

Don't ya just love little girls in flip flops?  I do.  I check all of E's clothes and my fabrics and try to get matching flip flops from Old Navy.  2 for $5!  You just can't beat that.  She does have a few cute pairs of sandals for summer, but we do love our flip flops! 

I have seen lots of cute flip flops with bows and embellishments on them that sell for as much as $35.  Seriously?  Um, I don't think so.  So, with a quick explanation how-to from my friend Teresa, I decided to make my own for E.  The best part is that you can change out the bow for different outfits. 

This is some of the fabric I got last week that I ordered from SewMamaSew.  I found this ribbon yesterday at HL and obviously the shoes are from Old Navy. 

I know some of y'all are really good bow makers.  I am NOT!  In fact, I'm pretty terrible at it.  I'm all thumbs.  So, just pretend that my bows turned out good.  There are many tutorials online for how-to or you can buy bows on etsy.  If you're on the hunt for cute bows, my friend Xazmin makes some really cute stuff.  Anyway, here is my bow with my alligator clip attached on the back.

The next step is to add the ribbon to the flip flops to attach the bow to.  This is where I just winged it.  It turned out alright, but I wish I had done a little research before I started this step.  I used 1" ribbon to attach to the flip flops and I used hot glue.  It turned out alright, but next time I'll follow this tutorial using smaller ribbon and E6000.  Maybe then I wouldn't have burned my finger. 

So, you wanna see?

I think they're pretty cute, even if I'm not a good bow maker.  I really love that they only cost around $4.50.  Flip flops were $2.50 and the ribbon is 50% off at HL this week so it was $2 and I didn't use much of the roll.  There is still plenty left for a hair bow.  $4.50 is much better than $35!  I'll show you the matching outfit next week. 

Have a great Thursday!

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I Have Spring Fever!

Okay, I have HAD it!  I am DONE!  UGH!  It's almost April, which usually means warmer weather in Arkansas.  Last week it was 85 degrees and this week the high is 57.  Right now it's 43 degrees outside.  I am SO OVER cool weather.  I got enough snow this year to last me a long while.  Now, I know I shouldn't be complaining, especially because I know MANY of you have been dealing with TONS of snow all winter.  In fact, some of you got snow a few days ago.  So to y'all, please ignore my mindless ranting. 

I have been bombarded the last two weeks with pictures of my friends' wonderful Spring Break trips to the beach. 

My skies outside look more like this:

Gloomy!!

How am I supposed to get excited about making E some cute spring clothes when it's all gloomy outside?  Not even to mention that I cannot seem to get excited about going to the gym in this weather.  ICK!  The good news is that starting next week there will be a new class offered at the gym.

Yes, Zumba starts next week.  I cannot wait to get out there and shake my groove thing.  I am totally excited about tripping over my own feet as I try to keep up with the ever changing moves.  I am delighted at the possiblity of making a complete fool out of myself.  woo hoo.  Although, I will say that if Zumba makes me look anything like

this chick - it would totally be worth being a laughing stock at the gym.  I don't even think I have those muscles under my fat.  Maybe I should get some spray on abs like this guy:

 

What do you think?  Have you ever done Zumba?  Did it work?  Do you have Spring Fever too? 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Y'all know I love me some mexican food, right?  Looove it!  It's my absolute favorite!  So, while I was searching for recipes the other day,  I came across this recipe at Our Best Bites, I was dying to try it.  My sister had seen it too and said her family loved it.  I made them the other night and I loved them so I thought I'd share it with y'all today.  After all, Cinco de Mayo is a little over a month away, right? 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa (I used regular salsa)

1T fresh lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t granulated garlic

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1 C grated pepperjack cheese



small corn tortillas or flour (I used both)

kosher salt

cooking spray





Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.



Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.  You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking (I heated mine up in a frying pan - about 10 seconds on each side). It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

You can see by looking at the first few I made (on the left), that I forgot to heat up the corn tortilla before I rolled it.  Therefore, they all cracked while baking.  Be sure and heat up your corn tortillas before you roll. 

Hubby and I really enjoyed this healthier version of taquitos.  I liked both the corn and flour tortillas, but I think the flour ones were the best.  Very yummy, even though I cooked them a little too long.  Of course, I served with my favorite guacamole.  MMMM! 

Don't these look good all plated up with the side of guac sour cream?  Nice, huh?  Yes, I totally stole borrowed Sara's (from Our Best Bites) pretty picture of her taquitos, served on her pretty painted plate.  Truth be told, my version was served on Bounty Paper Towel with a ginormous reasonable side of guac while sitting on the couch watching a movie with Hubby.  I didn't think that would make a pretty picture. 

Have a good day!

I Survived Spring Break

Well, Spring Break is OVAH!  I wish I was one of those moms who was saddened by my children going back to school, but I am not.  I'm gonna par-tay all week long!!  Just kidding...sort of.  Here's the truth.  I love my kids.  I adore them.  BUT, my 13 year old thinks I am here to entertain her at all times.  My 9 year old talks NON-STOP about Mario Brothers games.  My 6 year old is LOUD 24/7.  E is pretty good because she is used to being home with me.  On their own, their pretty good kids, but get them together and they bicker and argue constantly. 

The one trip to the grocery store with all of them had me stopping at the pharmacy and begging for some Prozac, even though I don't have a prescription for it.  I hate to admit it, but I became THAT lady at the grocery store.  You know the one I'm talking about.  The lady at the checkout surrounded by arguing or crying kids.  Her eye is twitching.  She is opening up packages of Goldfish out of the buggy in the checkout aisle to appease them and stop the crying.  She is taking things out of their hands that they have picked up "No, you don't need candy.  You haven't eaten lunch yet."  When she is just about to blow her top and spew a string of obscenities, she notices the people behind her staring and whispering.  She knows that they are saying one of three things:

1.  "Bless her heart!  We have all been there honey.  I am so sorry.  This too shall pass"  They also usually smile and occasionally give you a little wink of understanding.

2.  "She needs to control her children!  My children will NEVER act like that!"  This usually comes from someone who has never had children or has never taken more than one child to the grocery store.   

3.  "Thank God that's not me!" 

Now, I will say that before I had kids, I was one of those women who HATED it when mothers let their kids open packages of food and eat in the grocery store, BUT when you have a screaming autistic kid who wants a cookie and you know the only thing that will shut him up is a cookie, you can bet I'm gonna give that kid a cookie! 

So, needless to say, I didn't get much done this week.  I did laundry and watched the kids jump on the trampoline.  Other than that, I played referee all week.  So, I didn't have time to get very crafty.  My oldest, however, got very crafty.  Look at what she made this week.

She bought this book at GW last weekend when we went thrifting with my SIL and niece.  Didn't it turn out cute?  Wanna see the reason she bought the book in the first place?

She borrowed the exacto knife to hollow it out so she could hide her stuff in it.  Usually this is where people hide their guns or money.  Not my kid (she doesn't own a gun or have any money).  She hides her Altoids tin that she covered in zebra paper and her rock she painted like an apple.  C and my niece had a great time painting rocks while they were visiting. 

This is the matching magazine holder she made.  Can you tell by looking what she made it out of?  Yep, a Cocoa Puffs box.  She might should've painted the front of the box if she planned to cover it in see through paper.  HA!  But, it's cute anyway. 

For my bloggy friends who love fabric as much as I do, look what I got in the mail this week.

SewMamaSew had some of my favorite fabrics on sale.  $31 for 4 yards of fabric and that includes tax and shipping.  WOO HOO!  Score!  E is in desperate need of some summer clothes so I see some sewing in my future. 

Can't wait to see what all of y'all have been up to.

Relatives, Birthdays and Spring Break

So, did everyone have a wonderful weekend?  I did!  We had company. 

This is my BIL and SIL.  They were visiting us from Houston. 

We had a wonderful weekend with them.  My SIL totally gets my love of Mexican food. 

C and my niece M at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  MMMM Good!

We also had a great time hitting the local thrift shops and visiting with the in-laws and Hubby's Nannie who was also visiting from Texas. 

L lovin' on his uncle.

Today starts the kids Spring Break and it's also my big boy's birthday. 

This sweet little boy is nine today.  Happy Birthday J!!

So, my blogging may be few and far between for the next week.  The kids have big plans to

jump and play and

pick lots of these. 

So, y'all have a good week and I'll check in with y'all later.  I'm off to be the judge for the big high jump contest happening on the trampoline right now. 

Where In The World Do I Put These Chips?!?!

So, I've been trying to get a little organized around here in the past couple of weeks.  I cleaned out my pantry (post here) and here is the before picture. 

YIKES!  Notice all the crap stuff on the floor.  It's mostly chips.  We apparently eat a lot of chips.  Well, as you can see my pantry is teeny-tiny.  So, I racked my brain to come up with a solution.  Then, I changed up my shower curtain (post here).  So, I took out the big cream bin that used to hold rolled up towels outside the kids' shower and I repurposed it to hold my chips.

Hmmmm.  It needs something.  Enter my Cricut. 

Voila!  (I had to throw that in because of Richella's English teacher post yesterday)  Hee Hee.

So, is this a life changing makeover?  Well, no, but I love it anyway.  Have I mentioned how much I love my Cricut? 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

I'm linking up to:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  How will y'all be celebrating today?  Do you plan to drink lots of green beer?

Maybe celebrate by coloring your waterways green?

Chicago River

As for me, I think I'll don one of these and see if I can get some extra sugar from my Hubby. 

Okay, so I'm not Irish, but I'm pretty sure I'm Scottish  - that's close enough, right? 

So, I'm off to make E some green macaroni and cheese and maybe if I have time, I'll make some of this:

Rainbow Pudding.  Cute huh?  Find the recipe HERE.

Hope y'all have a great St. Patrick's Day.  In closing I would just like to say:

May the best day of your past,

Be the worst day of your future.

 




 
 

Birthday Cookbook

So, I am afraid of bugs.  I am afraid of crickets and spiders and things that are creepy crawly.  When I was a young, maybe 15, and I would find creepy crawly things in my bathroom, I would run to my little brother to come kill them for me.  He was about 7 at the time.  He did complain about what a big baby I was, but he always came and killed them for me.  He was my bug killing hero. 

My brother got his first motorcycle when he was four.  It was a tiny little motorcycle, just perfect for him.  I wrecked it the first morning he had it - ran it straight into the fence while nervously giggling.  He was so mad! 

One of my other favorite memories of my brother was yelling for him at his baseball games.  I would scream for him from the stands.  It was embarassing for him.  I can still see him rolling his eyes as he peeked out from under his baseball cap. 

Isn't he cute?  Y'all don't tell him I put this picture on here.  He'll KILL me!

These are the memories I have of my "little" brother.  Today, he turns 32.  Hard to believe.  Happy Birthday Little Brother!  Thanks for being my bug killing hero.

So, my brother "M" somehow got roped into taking care of the monthly birthday celebrations at work.  Keep in mind that my brother is a bachelor.  While he could easily just pick up a cake from the grocery store and have them put "Happy Birthday ____" on it for him, he decided to go a different route.  He finds out what the birthday people's favorite dessert is, and makes it homemade every month.  I'm not talking about buying a cake mix and canned frosting.  I'm talking about homemade Strawberry Cake and homemade Italian Cream Cake.  He has also started ditching the microwave meals and frozen pizzas he lived on in college in favor of Mexican Chicken Casserole and other dishes he makes himself.  He has often called mom, or my sister or me from the grocery store to ask us what he needs for a particular family recipe, so we decided to make him his own cookbook for his birthday and fill it with his favorite recipes.  Wanna see?

My brother is an Arkansas Razorback fan.  His kitchen is decorated with various Razorback cups, platters, etc., so I decided his cookbook needed to match.  I found that cute football scrapbook paper at HL.  I took one of the cupcake toppers I made and added it and cut out the letters for "Family Recipes" on my Cricut. 

Here is the inside and it's filled with some of his favorite family recipes. 

Here he is with his cookbook, our nephew "M" holding his new cake dome and his cool new Razoback grilling spatula my sister got him (it's on the table). 

Happy Birthday Little Brother!  Thanks for being my Bug Killing Hero!