Baby's First Boo

I took Stella trick or treating for her first Halloween tonight. The weather wasn't ideal, but she still enjoyed herself. We went with her three buddies.

I may be a little partial, but I think she made one pretty adorable strawberry! :)

 

She may not be able to eat it, but she tried sneaking some treats from her bag!

 

 

 

This year was fun, even though I had to be the one collecting (and eating) her treats. I am looking forward to next year. I already have an idea for our costumes. :)

 

 



Trunk or Treat

I realize a 7 month (almost 8 month) old baby isn't aware of what's going on at a Trunk or Treat...however I'm kind of a nut when it comes to making memories and traditions. I don't care that she won't remember it, because the pictures will be there to remind her in 20 years. :) I am a firm believer in having fun and to me, it doesn't matter how old you are, dressing up for Halloween is fun. You can find me on October 31st dressed to match my two lovelies. I plan to do that as long as they allow me to. haha. This Halloween we went as the Bee family - Queen bee, baby bee and our trusty bee keeper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magnetic Pin Board

I like things to look nice and neat, so magnets and various invitations, pictures and appointment cards scattered about is not my idea of nice looking. So, I made a pin board for the fridge. It was super easy!

What you'll need is a piece of card board, craft foam or cork board, hot glue gun, fabric, magnets and push pins.

Since I couldn't find cork board, I just used thick craft foam and used about 4 or 5 pieces stacked on top of each other. (the foam I used was sticky on the back, so I stuck them all together, but you could use regular foam as well). I put the foam against the cardboard to make it sturdy and then I covered it with fabric and hot glued the excess fabric to the back of the board, hot glued magnets on it and it was done!

Toilet Paper Storage

Let's face it, toilet paper can take up a lot of room, especially when you store it in your cabinets or drawers, like I used to do. I finally came to the conclusion that I could be using that space for much better things. I found this metal basket in our linen closet and decided to use it to house our TP. Now, instead of stuffing our drawers full of toilet paper, we are able to use them for other things and we have this cute little basket that sits by the toilet, letting everyone know where a fresh roll is should we run out.

Ok, so I know there's absolutely nothing glamorous about a toilet, but I wanted to show you what it looks like sitting in its place. There's not a lot you can do to make toilet paper attractive, but I have to admit, I'm quite fond of this change. :)

Beautify-ing your plastic drawers

Obviously having clear plastic drawers in your bathroom that show the whole world all of your toiletries, isn't the most attractive sight to see. There's a simple solution - scrapbooking paper. Find a color or pattern that matches your bathroom (or whatever room is home to your plastic drawers) and tape them so that the pretty side of the paper is showing through your plastic. Simple and effective!

Festive Toe Nails

 

I may be a grown woman, but I love dressing for holidays. (Yes, that includes Halloween). :) So, I decided to paint my toes to go with the season. Check out my Frankenstein inspired toe nails!

 

 

 

They're cute and SUPER easy! I just painted a pattern of lime green and black on every other toe (making my big toe green) and with a nail polish pen I drew a "stitch" on my big toe. Easy, cute and festive!

 

 

 



Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients -

 

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp salt

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I use half a green and half a red)

12 flour tortillas

Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole – if desired

Instructions -

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt

Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.

Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

 

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Ingredients -

3 1/2 to 4 pound rotisserie chicken, shredded
10 ounce package of frozen mixed veggies
10.75 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tube (10 count) of refrigerated biscuits

Instructions -

Heat oven to 400 F

Combine the chicken, veggies, soup, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup of water in a large bowl.

Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil, cover the filling with the biscuits and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through. (About 15 minutes)

Tip - Rotisserie chicken is a big time-saver, however if you've got chicken breast on hand and you don't mind taking the extra time to cook it up yourself, it works just as well and tastes just as yummy!