ROCK THE VOTE

As you may recall i'm a Judge for Blogger Idol. Well its up to you now! Vote for your fav!

Blogger Idol: Week 1 Voting Starts NOW!

Organize

One of the many many goals i have for myself this year is to be more organized.  So far......not so much, but I'm at least thinking about being more organized.  Gotta start somewhere right?!

I've been thinking about my girls rooms lately.   They will eventually be sharing a room, and the rooms really aren't all that big, so I've been thinking of different ways to have space for all their junk. (i probably should just get rid of things and that would solve most of the problem right there.)

First off the closet.  They don't have doors, they were sliding ones, we took those off the second we moved in.  I didn't want to have to hear Evelyn playing with them in the middle of the night.

Next the beds.  To be able to eliminate a dresser for more space i think beds with storage would do the trick perfectly.

Okay this last one is a dream.  I know the girls would love it but i'm not about the spend thousands $$$ on my girlies bed that they will just destroy.  Sorry kiddos momma is not that nice and/or made a money.

Any tips on what i should do? 

I think i have too many projects/ideas for my house right now.  I need to stop, but i guess having a plan is better than not.

hello there.

I was in the mountains the last few days.  If i was a cool blogger i probably would have had some scheduled posts or something for you in my absents, but alas i am not.

I have many pictures to go through and edit so those will come soon.

To break down camp there was a lot of laughing, singing, dancing, and of course many other things, but mostly dancing.

It was beautiful, no sweaty 114 degree weather for us.
it was glorious.

I'll have many stories this next week, but for now enjoy us in our unicorn majesty.

unicorns

I've been really focused on one things lately

Yeah i just pulled out a unicorn in this post.  I'm loosing my mind right?

Naw, i'm just excited for my up coming adventure with Mandy, and our cabin of misfits all jazzed up on unicorns. :)

aka: i'm a cabin mom at a girls camp, and our cabin theme is unicorns. so its going to be pretty awesome.

there will be plenty of blog worthy pictures and posts this next week.

inspiration

so i was to start on my front room next, but i'm getting sick and tired of hating my family room.  its a big awkward space so i was having a hard time figuring out what to do, but i found some things online that i'm going to work from and hopefully get this room going.


this is were we obviously watch tv/movies, the kids play in here everyday, its are everyday room, you wake up and you go there, so its a high traffic room, so it needs to cater to everything we need.

so this is my family room layout right now, please also imagine toys, clothes, food, crumbs, baskets, boxes, & many other unknown items in this space and you've got it. :)

the first thing i really want to do is make a kids area.  which would be in there area of the room.

i really like the idea of having a chalkboard wall or something like that for the girls to color on.

i love the benches in this one.

extra storage and added seating for parties.

super cute!

one: i love the green & two: the wall of shelfs boxes

 I'll hopefully some how work those in while also making the other half of the room work with this play/kids area.

What do you think??? too much? too little?

teen girl squad

Let me introduce you to the funniest thing ever....okay some of you may not think its the funniest, but i sure love it.

the TEEN GIRL SQUAD!!!

my personal favs are episode 3, episode 6 & episode 10. but i think they are all so flippin hilarious.


Okay i have to throw im my favorite Strong Bad Email. 

I'm pretty sure after watching some or one....you're probably thinking i'm totally crazy, well........your right. :) If you like them too then you are SOOOOOOO COOL!!

so forgot about this....

I have a horrible memory, it doesn't help that i don't like writing myself reminders either.  So lets just say i forget a lot of things....like how i forgot about my 30 days of awesomeness!
oh lets just say i didn't forget and move on. yay kthxbyeeeee.

any way i'm doing two for you today, cause i'm feeling generous.



day 9 - something you're proud of in the past few days
-uhhhhhhh......i did some laundry?? :)




day 10 - songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

Okay this one is great....i love music. I will link the song i listen to the most with that artist. i pretty much love everything from these artist/bands :)

I pretty much listen to the same thing in any mood really. it always get me in the best mood ever to just listen and dance to anything. i'm serious i love random dancing & moshing! yesa! i've got a lot of song love.

Happy/Hyped/Bored/Sad: song: britney spears, JT, LMFAO, Kesha, BEP, Queen, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Weezer, Ace of Base, Taylor Swift, Beatles

the only thing i can think of that i possibly listen to when i'm mad is muse, but i listen to them all the time regardless, but they are probably considered good mad songs. :)
Mad: muse

oh my heck, AWESOME!

Seriously every time i look at the before and after i say "oh my heck"



i think the kitchen says a lot about a person or a family for that matter, its like the heart of the home....you know what i'm talking about right?!

You know what this kitchen says about me?

Hi my name is erica, i'm depressed, lame and boring! Please don't be friends with me cause i'm a duller!!

Seriously i can not believe i went so long with out making a change. I had a vision (that why the walls are blue) and its finally coming together! YAY!!



With out further ado, i give you the real me.  The i'm super fun for reals, and i am outgoing and funny and i love my life, and yes lets me friends!! haha

Seriously! OH MY HECK, AWESOME!!!!!

I smile when i walk in the kitchen now. its amazing what a few days and late nights and a few coats of awesome paint can do to a room and a mood!

phase one and two complete! now on to phase three decorate!

what do you think??

ps. i do realize there is a space with no microwave in it. it will be up shortly, i wanted to wait to put it up till i painted the cabinets! :)

captured

A couple of days ago to get Evelyn off my back about doing something, i handed her my camera and told her to go and take pictures. 

The girl loves taking pictures so she went and immediately started and i all i heard from the other room was lots of giggling. 

186 pictures later she said she was done.   i would love for you to see all of them but there is just not enough room.  So I'll just give you a preview of the theme of pictures i noticed.

more than half of the pictures were this.....

Yep the "pictures of the shows i'm was watching while taking pictures" pictures.  ice age, spongebob, icarly, and a few other ones.

There were quite a few "check out my awesome feet" shots.

The "random crap around the house worthy of picture taking" pictures.

Then finally the "amelia is up to no good, and check me out i look good" photos.


To see the eyes through a child, literally!

I hope you enjoy these as much as i do.  Have a super awesome weekend!

Pictures of the kitchen coming in the next day or two. i think I'm going to put some sort of stencil or vinyl on the cupboards to jazz them up a bit! can't wait!

yesterday

I've been really into the Beatles lately.  i just started singing yesterday by the Beatles just because i typed it. it is an amazing song, one of my favorites.

so where was i?   oh yes the fun things we did yesterday.

i took my girls to the library, there very first time.  accompanied by my sister and her children, and i brought along my niece too. 

The girls in the back.  I must say that conversations that my daughter and her cousin had while driving to the library were hilarious!  3 year olds are too funny together, and they are basically frienimies.  They love each other but they don't get along very well.
they did make for some super cute back seat cargo.

This one had a fun time running away from me.  She thought it was super funny.  This is her famous cheese smile.  She makes her eyes and mouth open wide. 

To top off all the fun things I'm wanting to do with my girls this week, i have also started painting my kitchen cabinets.  I'm insane right?!  Playing all day and working all night.  I am already giddy with joy how much better my kitchen is looking!!  I can't wait for Chris to get home and see the kitchen!!  haha surprise!  well i did tell him that i was painting but its still a shocker!



I seriously hate the wood, its even worse in person! so glad its gone now. can't wait to show you the after at the end of the week!! and I'm sure the after picture there will be a mess on the counter top too. that's just how we do it here. :)

naptime

can i get a hallelujah from the choir!!! 

all i can say is that naptime is an amazing time.

Are you an idol??

Or the right question would be do you want to be one?? 


Auditions for Blogger Idol 2011 has officially begun!

You're probably asking yourself... why would i want to audition for this??

well thank you for asking! i will gladly tell you why!

Reasons why you should try out for Blogger Idol 2011:


1. The chance to win great prizes.
2. Free exposure for your blog.
3. The chance to 'meet' new people.
4. Networking
5. Get constructive criticism on your blog from respectable members of the blogging community.
6. The chance to stretch your writing skills and become a better blogger.
7. It will be fun!

I am so excited and looking forward to judging! Oh yes thats right i'm a part of the amazing panel of jugdes!

Come on, Audition!! What do you have to lose????

NOTHING!! SO GO FOR IT!!!

You could be the Blogger Idol!!

last minute

So last night i had a last minute girls night with Darci of Page Traveler Tales. You should check her site and say hi!  She is super cute and writes really well, and of course an awesome momma.

We went and got pedicures.  What else would a girlie night consist of??  No I'm really asking, honestly i don't know.  I don't go on very many girl nights.  So if there is something you enjoy doing with your girls let me know cause i like going out, but would like some ideas to keep on hand. :) Cool thanks!  

Any who, it was a lot of fun.  I'm glad we decided to go, plus i haven't had a pedicure since the day before i got married, yeah coming up on 5 years people.

oh, remember when i mentioned in my 15 facts post about my fat toe??
you don't? well here is a refresher.

anyway proof i have a fat toe, but i'm just really showing off my pedi. you get a two for one. yeeeah.

i'm all about the hot pink, and yes i know my toes seem to be freakishly long. i have big feet people and half is in toe. :)

PS.

thanks for all the awesome idea's of places to take my kiddos!! I really appreciate it!! Y'all are the best!!

help!

HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY!! HELP!! NOT JUST ANYBODY!!!

Sorry, i'm just going super Beatles on you.  I do need help.

My hubster is going to be on a camping trip all next week. So i will have a mode of transportation for 6 days.  This doesn't happen often folks. I'm wanting to take my girls somewhere everyday, or at least try too, but of course i would prefer super super cheap or free things to do this next week. 

Any idea's???  I'm in good ol' Mesa, AZ

Some place you take your kids? Or just a place you like to go that sounds fun? Is there a place where you live that's fun? maybe they have it here too.

I'm open to anything. I can handle taking my kids out by myself so anywhere is up for grabs.  I seriously appreciate your help! thank you!

cookies

So i wanted to make my kiddos a special treat, but i didn't have any eggs. no car, so i couldn't go to the store to get any.  The thing i have an abundance of is peanut butter, so i thought i would make something with that.

two more behind these and two more on a lower shelf.

so a browsed the Internet and came across this super easy yummy peanut butter cookie recipe.

Behold i give you.....

Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (i used just regular ol' instant oatmeal)
• 5 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter

1.  Mix together the first three ingredients. Set aside.
2. Stir together sugar, milk, and butter in Medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally - full boil for ONE minute.
3. Immediately pour over oatmeal mixture and stir thoroughly but rapidly.
4. Spoon cookie size scoops (a heaping tablespoon) onto waxed paper or plastic wrap and let set until firm.

"cookin" in the fridge. They weren't setting fast enough for evelyn.

I've honestly have never made no bake cookies before.  They were excellent.  I would have added a little bit more oatmeal cause mine turned out a little too sticky and didn't set all that great.

Try them out. They are yummy. 

I do recommend though, if your running around with out a gallbladder like myself don't eat too many, you'll make yourself sick.   

"rain"

Yesterday was a pretty decent day, so i sent the girls outside to play.

awwww i love my white trash back yard.

my children's attire really does add a little something extra to this pic.

i did realize after taking this picture that this simply would not do.

so we all got our swim suits on and had a "RAIN" party.

we don't have a pool so the hose does just what we need it to.

we made rock soup.

later on we made some mud pies.

i was too messy to take a pic.

we played with water.

and we strategically planted sticks in the ground.

look at that concentration.

its always a big hit when we play outside with the hose.

plus its waters the grass while we play.

a win win in my book.

could i be any more redneck...geez.