This is the Stuff...

...That Drives Me Crazy!

*Got out of bed 30 minutes early because all 3 boys got up early*

*Had a battle before school because of socks...and probably not why you would think*

*Dropped the boys off*

*Walked a couple laps with a friend, while Eli begged to go home*

*Burned my egg for breakfast*

*Quick trip to Target for a few weekend items*

*Browsed the Dollar Spot*

*Bought Eli popcorn and an icee...he is much a much better behaved shopper if he has food*

*Stole a few pieces of popcorn even though I'm still on my diet*

*Looked for sugar...Target was out of sugar*

*Browsed the little girl's section at Kohl's with my friend*

*LOST (like really lost) Eli when he ran off in Kohl's*

*Ran around like a crazy person trying to find my child who thought he was playing a game*

*Found him in the back of the store smiling and waving*

*Got a call that my grandma was in the hospital*
*Headed home to unload grocery and put Eli down for a nap*

*Showered...because I really needed it*
*Got ready to go the hospital and Jason left work early to pick up the kiddos*
*Got a call that everything was fine with my grandma and that she was probably going home soon*
*Looked for a video of the song that inspired this post, but couldn't find one*
*Listened to some music on the computer*
*Looked again and found a video to share with you:)*

This post was inspired by the song "This is the Stuff" by Francesca Battistelli and my SUPER fun Friday:)

This is the Stuff You Use!

Valentine Dish Towels and a Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed! Congrats to Kelly!

I spent most of the morning yesterday avoiding laundry working on these SUPER cute Valentine Dish Towels!

 I love having an excuse to make something pink and girly and ruffley! Plus this was the perfect first project for me to finally put my ruffler to work:)

 One of the best things about these dish towels is how easy they are to make....and it doesn't hurt that they are pretty inexpensive too. I picked up a couple different kinds of white dish towel/sack clothes at Walmart and Target a few weeks ago, and I found some really cute pink/red/Valentine fabrics and ribbons at Hobby Lobby. A few ruffles, a few snips with my pinking shears, a few straight stitches and I had some SUPER cute Valentine dish towels:)

 But the very best thing about these SUPER cute Valentine dish towels is that I am giving TWO of them to one of you!

To enter:Mandatory entry: Leave a comment telling me what kind of Valentine's Day decorations you have or plan to have at your house this year.
For another entry, follow my blog and leave me a comment telling me that you do.
For another entry, follow me on twitter, and leave a comment telling me that you do.
For another entry, tweet about this giveaway and include @SUPERMOM_Kelli and a link  http://tinyurl.com/4vrhmrg to this giveaway in the tweet.
For FIVE extra entries, subscribe to my blog via feedburner...click on the icon in the right sidebar by the facebook and twitter icons. Make sure to leave 5 separate comments.
Make sure to leave a comment for each thing that you do. This giveaway will end next Friday, February 4th at 10:00 pm. I will use random.org to pick a winner! Good Luck and thanks for entering!

Wordless Wednesday: Accidental Bean Soup

Just in case you weren't sure...the best way to make Accidental Bean Soup is to leave the lid of your dried bean filled sand table open during two days of rain:)

A Ruffle is a Ruffle is a Ruffle

This crazy contraption attached to my sewing machine is called a ruffler.

 Just in case you weren't sure from the name, it makes ruffles...and it does it's job really well I might add! After multiple failed attempts at making ruffles following some online tutorials, I asked for this little beauty crazy looking contraption for Christmas. It has taken me almost a whole month to figure it out, but I finally got a few SUPER cute ruffles made.

 As the {really loud} ruffler was working, my head was swirling with all the possibilities. The first project on my list was some pretty Valentine dish towels, then I thought I might move on to a ruffled camera strap or one of the cute ruffled clutches that I have seen on other blogs. But thanks to my ruffler and this broken needle:

...all those ideas will have to stay in my head until I find my replacement needles!

I think my sewing machine hates me!

Miscellany Monday

ONE:

We love Krispy Kreme...

 not only because their hot donuts are addictive and their sprinkle donuts are fun, but also because they are SUPER generous! Did you know that Krispy Kreme gives kids free donuts for making good grades! How cool is that:) For every A on your child's report card, Krispy Kreme lets them pick out any donut of their choice. We came home with 6 free donuts...and sadly this yummy sprinkle donut is the only one left. I think Henry is saving it for an after school snack:)

 We also LOVE Krispy Kreme because of their fun hats that seem to endlessly entertain two year olds. Eli has been wearing his hat nonstop since we got it yesterday after lunch...except when he was sleeping and it was sitting on the table right next to his bed:)

TWO:

Jason spent last weekend and part of this weekend working on a few projects around the house. If I can manage to get a decent picture of the tiny space that is our foyer, I will share the new moldings and 'board and batten' type woodwork that he added. And I also need some advice on the piece of furniture the currently resides in my foyer, so get ready to share your ideas for adding a little pizazz to an old wooden entry table:)

THREE:

Henry and Grant are both escorting girls in our elementary school's pageant in a few weeks. They weren't too keen on the idea at first, but then the promise of a few gifts made them change their minds:) I'm just hoping they don't get stage fright once the lights are shining on them!

FOUR:

It's Monday morning again...which means my house is a wreck! I'm not sure how it always gets this bad over the weekend...there is stuff piled up all over the kitchen, the playroom is a total wreck, the boys need clean uniforms for school tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure there is a layer of dust {some from the construction Jason has been doing} two inches thick in living room! I think I need a Monday morning maid:)

Sweet and Simple Valentine

I'm pretty sure the cashier at Walmart thought I was a little crazy when I loaded more than 50 Tootsie Roll banks onto the conveyor belt the day after Christmas. The thing is, I knew from the moment that I saw these 50% off beauties that they would make awesome Valentine's Day treats for my boys to take to school:)

 All I needed to add was some really cute Valentine themed scrapbook paper from the Dollar Spot at Target and little bit of tulle {left over from Christmas wrapping}. I measured my Tootsie Roll bank {fyi mine was about 3 3/4 inches tall and 8 1/4 in circumference} and then used my paper cutter to cut the paper to the right size.

 I used a little bit of spray adhesive to stick the paper to the Tootsie Roll bank. You could also simply wrap the paper around the bank and tape it in place. Here's another little tip: When I  use spray adhesive, I almost always put down an old sales magazine to catch the overspray. When you spray one page, simple turn the page and you have a fresh surface for the next time. I have literally been using the same sales magazine for almost a year!

 Wrap the Tootsie Roll bank with your paper making sure to cover as much of the original packaging as possible.

 Add some cute ribbon or coordinating tulle and a heart shaped name tag, and your kiddos will be ready to pass out their sweet and simple Valentine's at school!

A Little Treat

Such a simple variation on a classic snack....

Who would have thought that the addition of some red M&M could make our average Rice Krispie Treats extra yummy and extra 'Valentine's Day' special! 

Try adding something different to your normal routine today and see what fun happens:)

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*Check back later today for a fun twist on Valentine's for your kiddos to take to their friends at school!*

Adventures in Laundry

Alternately titled: The Joys of Doing Laundry with a 2 year old!

 Yes, that is a tinker toy in my washing machine. It was found after the washing cycle was completely finished!

 At least he does help sometimes:)

Apparently this is what happens to little kids clothes when you fluff them in the dryer a little too long!

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What kind of laundry adventures have you had lately?

Wordless Wednesday: The Older Two

Unoffical Review of The Cinch 5 Day Fast Forward

**Edited to add...I totally forgot I managed to get a few pics of our yummy food from last week. Scroll down a little to see:)**

Somehow I forgot that yesterday was a holiday...which meant that the boys were out of school, Jason was off work, and we {mostly Jason} spent the long weekend working on a few home improvement projects! That also means that I didn't manage to type up the post I promised on Friday! So here is my take on the new Cinch 5 Day Fast Forward diet plan.

**disclaimer**

The first thing I have to mention is that I didn't actually read the book {it is at the top of my shopping list though}, but I do recommend the book to anyone who is going to try this diet/cleanse. I watched the Rachael Ray segment with Cynthia Sass the creator of the Cinch plan, and then I did a little research online. I tried to buy the book, but my Target didn't have it in stock. Jason & I were ready to start last Monday morning, so instead of waiting for the book to be mail or searching all over town to find it, we just worked with what we knew and took it from there.

The Basics

This is a type of cleanse that allows you to eat 5 foods for 5 days, and the program promises that you will lose 8 pounds.

From Cynthia Sass's website:

"I selected these foods because each is filling, rich in detoxifying and health-protecting nutrients, and has been scientifically shown to specifically support weight loss. You’ll eat these five superfoods in specific combinations daily for five days to give your body, mind, and taste buds a fresh start and achieve the results you need to feel motivated and confident - up to an eight pound loss in five days."

The Food

The 5 foods that you can have on this program are spinach, eggs, almonds, raspberries, and plain yogurt. Jason and I bought all these things for the week, but we did end up modifying the plan to work for us. From what I researched you are allowed:

breakfast: one egg scrambled with one cup of spinach

berries and almonds

lunch: yogurt parfait with berries and almonds

dinner: large spinach salad with berries and almonds

boiled egg

snack: yogurt smoothie with berries

Again I have to say that because I didn't read the book, this is just what I have gathered from researching online. Jason and I ended up substituting blueberries for the raspberries because we aren't fans of raspberries and we also ended up mixing half flavored yogurt with the plain yogurt because the plain was a little to bitter for us.

The Results

At the end of the 5 days, Jason was down 8 pounds and I was down 9 pounds! A huge success if you ask me! During the week, I found that I wasn't nearly as hungry as I thought I would be. I actually ended up not eating all the spinach that was allowed per day {because I wasn't a big fan and because I really wasn't that hungry}. I highly recommend this plan to anyone who wants to see quick results but also to anyone who is trying to not just lose weight, but to eat healthier too! I plan on getting the book soon so that we can start the rest of the 25 days of the Cinch diet plan!

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If you have any other questions about the diet or just want to know more before you purchase the book, there is a great Q&A section on Cynthia Sass' website HERE!

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Valentine's Cupcake Inspiration

Last year I made the cutest heart shaped cupcakes...using marbles:)

Click HERE to see original post and the step by step!
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Today, Tip Junkie shared 8 really cute cupcakes including these SUPER fun cupcakes in a cone and these adorable cherry cupcakes.

Hoosier Homemade shared these yummy Raspberry Cordial Cupcakes.

Be Different, Act Normal shared a ton of yummy cupcakes that she had found at Cupcakes Take the Cake.

And I adore these Handwritten Cupcakes from the Martha Stewart website!!

And now that I've got you all drooling over these gorgeous cupcakes, check back on Monday for my very unofficial review of the new diet Cinch that I told you about earlier this week. FYI: So far it is awesome and I highly recommend buying the book and checking it out yourself:)
Have a great weekend...don't eat too many cupcakes!!

Valentine Hula Hoop Wreath

The supplies for this project are pretty simple...a hula hoop, some pretty fabric, yarn, and a little bit of cardboard. I picked up my hula hoops at The Dollar Tree for $1 each. They come in a few different sizes, and the smallest one that they have is the perfect size for a wreath....and a lot cheaper than most large sized wreath forms out there. I also picked up some fun Valentine fabrics at Hobby Lobby...30% off! You can use scrap fabric for this project too, but for some reason I have very few pink and red fabrics in my collection:)

You start by wrapping the hula hoop with yarn. I tied a knot in the end of my yarn to get it started and then held the end in place while I wrapped a few times. You could also hot glue the end down to make it a little more stable. Wrap the entire hula hoop with your yarn...it probably took me a little over an hour to do while I was watching tv.

The next step is to cut a heart shape out of cardboard. You can use anything you have around your house...cereal boxes or some heavy cardstock should work fine. I used a baby wipe box which is a pretty heavy duty cardboard. Punch a hole in the heart shape where you want to add your hanger. I decided to hang my heart a little crooked, but you could do it right in the center also.

Cut you fabric into strips. I did mine about a 1/2 inches wide and as long as my piece of fabric.

Fold the strips of fabric in half with the wrong sides together and then twist. Once you get them twisted put a small bead of hot glue around the outside edge of the cardboard heart and carefully put your strip of fabric on the heart.

Continue to add your twisted strips of fabrics around the heart shape. Be sure to leave the hole you punched earlier open so that you can thread a piece of fabric or ribbon through as a hanger. I also added a little tulle ruffle to the back of my heart. I simply added a little hot glue to the back and folded and glued the tulle in place.

To finish your wreath, take your completed fabric covered heart and tie it to your yarn covered hula hoop using a strip of fabric or some coordinating ribbon.
This is what two wreaths look like on my front door:

FYI...It is really difficult to get two wreaths perfectly level when the hook is a good 3 feet over your head:)

Wordless Wednesday: Mom's Little Anti-Helper

**In non-Wordless Wednesday related news**

Bonus points from Monday's post go to Amanda for being the first to identify the hula hoops in my picture, and to Mimi for being the first to guess that I was making a hula hoop wreath! Check back tomorrow to see the finished project:)

Miscellany Monday

I.
Monday blogging has become particularly difficult for me lately. I think mostly because I haven't been crafting or taking pictures as much as usual, which means I don't have any posts pre-scheduled. So on Monday mornings I feel a little pressure to be creative {or talkative} and post something while still trying to do the regular Monday morning mom routine!
II.
Jason and I are attempting a new diet/cleanse/torture treatment this week. I actually saw this on the Rachael Ray show and then I saw a book review on a blog. It sounds pretty easy....except not really! You eat the same five foods for five days and they 'guarantee' you will lose 8 pounds.
The 5 foods are:
Eggs
Spinach
Yogurt
Almonds
Raspberries
I figure I can torture myself for five days and hopefully see some results...though I have a feeling I am going to be starving by Saturday and I'm going to be sick of eating eggs:)
III.

 I picked up a few crafting supplies this weekend! I love having an excuse to make something fun and girly...and Valentine's Day is a great excuse for something pink! Because you know a mom of three boys NEEDS an excuse to make something girly every once in a while:)
*Bonus points to the first person who guesses what craft I'm working on and what materials are in this picture*
IV.
My SUPER awesome hubby spent part of yesterday working on some new shelves for our laundry room. We already had the bottom layer of cubbies, but we had too much stuff and not enough space....so he made a second shelf to add to the top. Now I just need to work on getting it organized and possible cute:) I love all the fun and decorated laundry rooms out there....and mine is SUPER boring! I'm hoping these new shelves inspire me to dress up my laundry room a little.

V.
Click on the button to check out everyone's miscellany Monday...plus Carrisa also has a giveaway going on today too:)