Egg carton tulips and Herbs...totally dude.

Sounds far out, huh duuude?
Haha, just some Hannah 'humor.'
So I have started 'home schooling' Isabelle. 2 or 3 times a week we do school work that I have gotten from various homeschooling blogs and Pinterest ideas. We also are doing a craft at least once or twice a week. Too much t.v. in this house and Isabelle is just crazy as ever, (in a good way), so I am putting that brain of hers to good use. Her school work are simple things like learning her numbers 1,2, and 3. Each week we do a different shape, color, number or letter. The letter and number thing I am taking very slow. She's only 3. I find ways to incorporate that shape and color in her food, coloring, play time, etc...and she's having a blast with it.
So to get to these cool and simple Egg carton tulips. I got this idea from a book my sis n law got me.It has about a 100 projects that are eco friendly, and 90% of the items you have in your home.
So I kept my egg carton; STEP 1, and cut out each cup, then cut 4 notches around the tops of each piece to look like petals. (Some only needed 2 notches)
STEP 2 is placing one egg holder inside the other one and using a pen or pencil to poke a whole in the bottom. But not with out Isabelle painting the 'tulip' first. You could use crayons, markers, water paint (Iz used), finger paint, etc..
Next get your pipe cleaners out put it through one hole and back out the other. Twist the top of the pipe cleaner so it stays in the hole.
STEP 3, you can make a leaf for your tulip by folding another pipe cleaner in half and wrapping it around the stem!
Please note that this was done at 8 am, bed head, pj's, and all!





EASY PEASY Ya'll...and your lil one will love it. (Not to mention good Mother's day gifts.)
We then put some of her tulips in a vase for her bathroom.

Her Herb garden is beneficial to daddy's wallet, mommy's cooking, and just plain getting your finger's dirty for Isabelle fun.
She waters them with her teacup, her watering can she doesn't want to use. :)
We started small with chives and basil.
I will post another picture of them in a week or so, but as of yesterday she has basil sprouts!
The ceramic bowls and pink tray are courtesy of Target.

A work of art!

So, when all is quiet in the house. Just when you think you have mastered the 'art' of patience...
THIS happens!
































All I could do was laugh! Man oh man, she found the food coloring. After watching me use it a billion times...well she finally got those little hands on them and she clearly wasn't wasting any time on her 'art' as I have decided to call it.


Bath time came a little bit earlier that day. :)

Mommy and Izzy

So I am reading this book by Priscilla Shirer 'The Resolution for Women'. It's my third book by her. Somehow when I sign up for a bible study I seem to choose her book not even realizing it's her, again! God is trying to tell me something here. :)
Anyways...this book has really opened my eyes to understanding what God's calling is for me as mother, wife, and Godly woman. What he demands and desire's from us as Christian women. First and foremost it's helping me be 'mommy' (wife too) and all the struggles and good that come with it.
Now I am sure a lot of women wouldn't agree with this book, with the feministic society/culture we live in today. Or if they do wouldn't want to admit it out loud. Yea it's that kind of book.
I have been slowing down A LOT. And taking my time with my girl's, mainly Isabelle. Really appreciating the gift of being her mother and the importance of my time with her as a SAHM. It is my duty to teach her how to be a young christian women...and as of late that has been a big ole FAIL.
So I could keep preaching but instead I will share with you the little things we are doing these days.
Spring is here in Texas...and we have been taking full advantage. Even down to the isles at Wolly world and Pillsbury has done it this time! Ha, talk about sugar; Pink Lemonade cookies. Yep, that's right. Isabelle saw that box and was so excited. I had to get it. We have vanilla frosting (always) in the fridge so she also got to choose a sprinkle to put on top, and of course pink it was.
We then headed towards the frozen juice for some lemonade and tiny limes...
At home I let her crack the egg and put in the shortening (yes my dirty little secret is Crisco shortening vs butter!) Then she had fun making balls of the ever so pretty pink lemonade cookie dough. After they cooled and were frosted, she was able to sprinkle the hot pink sprinkles on. Talk about a mess. We cut little lime wedges, picked out a pretty color straw, put our cookies on a plate and enjoyed the outdoors and her jump ropes for a good hour or more.


(her sour face!)


(such attitude!)



The whole point here folks is that we are always in such a rush to get things done, or to do them 'right.' We always want more cause what we have isn't good enough. I am learning the beautiful secret that life is not about any of this. It's about spending the extra 5 dollars for pink lemonade cookies. It's about letting my kitchen counter and floor get full of sprinkles and raw egg and greasy shortening. Because let's face it, do I have anything better to do later, but clean it all up? To enjoy my daughter's delight in learning how to bake, how to sprinkle, and how to just enjoy being a little girl playing cracking an egg open and playing to her heart's content in the back yard with mommy.




I just love this sweet girl with all my heart!

Early riser

Jake took this picture of Isabelle Wednesday morning. Isabelle still till this day is up every day before 7. This particular morning she graced her daddy's presence just before 6 am. She came out of her room with this on.


Do you see how dark it is still? What a nut!
Nothing like getting the day started with princess Isabelle.

And of course, there's this chilled little girl. She fell asleep next to dad while he played video games this weekend...

Spring has arrived

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom down here. With these beautiful days we are having we just had to get out and do something.
So we decided to take the girls to the zoo.
Isabelle said the whole way there: 'Mom, Father, I am so happy!' Over and over, where does 'father' come from? Ha she cracks us up.





(isn't it crazy and sad how you can see the free way signs? poor giraffe's)



Its a pretty simple zoo down here...perfect for young children. Our visit at the zoo lasted almost 3 hours. Lydia didn't seem to phased by anything but the fish tanks. That caught her eye. Isabelle was in heaven at all the exhibits. The loan elephant was her favorite. Daddy liked the family of monkeys that had a new little baby. Such a tiny little thing swinging around.
My favorite was the giraffe's. They were walking all over and it was beautiful to see.
We came to the conclusion that Isabelle's never had cotton candy (correct us if we're wrong grandparents.)So she picked out the blue bag. She was sticky and in sugar heaven.
We have officially found a church! It feels good to say that. Isabelle has actually asked every time to go to Sunday school. We are still in awe. She loves her Sunday school class, and we are thankful to now have a church home. Praise God.
(The girl's after church. Isabelle picked out that outfit and dressed herself.I know, GASP!)

Our weekend went by too fast, all the fun one's do!

p.s. I have mastered fried chicken (using my dutch oven!)and my potatoes salad. My mom let me in on her secret, I did it and BAM! A great Sunday dinner to end a great weekend.

Oh Paula, my thighs say no more

Paula Deen is one genius. Saturday morning we made her delicious pancakes!
I added raspberries to mine, to TRY and make it more healthy. I also didn't use syrup.

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/chocolate_chip_pancakes_with_cinnamon_cream/

Above is her recipe...Isabelle helped me bake and we were all stuffed till lunch time.


After breakfast we went cowboy boot shopping. I found a pair but Jake is still looking. Isabelle yelled loudly at all 3 stores 'I am a cowboy' with different hats on. She was quite the center of attention.



For dinner we splurged on mozzarella sticks with panko bread crumbs. It was my first time cooking with them and I will never go back to regular bread crumbs. I copied this recipe found on Pinterest, and now I can't find the blog from which it originated...so here's what I did.

Low fat mozzarella, sliced. Or low fat Sargentino string cheese cut in half.
Panko bread crumbs
salt
oregano
1 egg (2, if your making more than 6)
Marinara sauce was left over from my pizza sauce

I sliced my low fat mozzarella into thick slices. Then coated each slice in egg then panko bread crumbs. I seasoned the bread crumbs with a dash of sea salt and oregano.
Bake them at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Delicious!

let's talk FOOD!

Bucca's is an awesome Italian family restaurant in Milwaukee, and I am sure there are some elsewhere...so in missing us some good food I mimicked one of their pizza's.

I used a can of organic, no sodium, roasted tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
2 flat naan breads
low fat mozzarella
fresh basil

Heat the oven to 400. On a pizza stone I warmed the Naan bread for about 7 min.
During this time I pureed my can of roasted tomatoes adding fresh garlic cloves.
Sat that to chill in freezer. Then I sliced mozzarella and tossed my fresh basil in a non stick pan with just a small drizzle of extra virgin o.o.
After removing the flat bread (naan) from the oven I poured a generous amount of sauce down, mozzarella, basil and then baked it.
(I did a little onion but that's totally optional.)