Crafts

Keeping the Little Guy Fueled for Life’s Epic Adventures

0 · Apr 4, 2013 ·

Quaker's Epic Adventure // It's beginning to feel like everyday is an epic adventure these days. With four kiddos and a busy husband life is always full with a plethora of activities. Spring especially seems to get a little crazy after our winter hibernation. If you have school age children you know that your last few months after Spring Break are filled with all kinds of projects, assemblies and concerts. With all of these extra activities on top of our normal day to day routines it can become a little difficult to keep the family fueled and ready to go.

I especially have issues remembering that my little guy needs those little snacks to keep him happy and ready to roll on a moments notice…

Gage just turned three, and he's really good at it. If his tummy is rumbling, he's not a whole lot of fun to be with. The problem is, he's not quite old enough to know that when he's hungry, and he just needs to ask for a snack. It translates into a tantrum. The real issue here is that he is the caboose and has three busy older sisters so, sometimes his tummy needs can be forgotten about.

I've gotten into the habit of keeping some Quaker Chewy Granola Bars in my bag at all times to thwart of those lovely public tantrums that three year olds are famous for… Well, at least my three year olds are famous for.

I know that packed in these new BIG Chewy bars are not only the goodies that Gage adores, like a little chocolate… But, it also has some nutrition that can help him get through those middle school choir concerts, elementary science fairs and high school awards assemblies. That's an epic adventure for sure! Don't you snicker, we've all been there and you know exactly what I'm talking about!

I never know what my days will have in store for me and my family, so keeping Quaker® Big Chewy Granola Bars on hand help make sure we have the fuel necessary to get the day. Now the Quaker® Big Chewy Granola Bars have chocolate drizzled on top and are 60% bigger – perfect for my hungry family!

Share what activities you need fuel for everyday and see other stories on Everyday Health.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker®. The opinions and text are all mine.

How to Create Vinyl Chalkboard Art

147 · Apr 3, 2013 · 36 Comments

Chalkboard Art Inspiration Wall // Have you ever had a GREAT idea and then just couldn’t find the time to make it happen? I had this idea to create a chalkboard wall filled with inspirational quotes for my kitchen wall, about a million years ago… ok, well maybe five months ago when we first moved into our house here in Lincoln. I’ve been collecting chalkboards from Decor Steals for a bit, and had all the supplies, just none of the time to make it happen. Sadly we’ve lived with a naked wall for 5 months and last week I finally decided it was time, time to make this idea into a reality!

Will Vinyl Stick to a Chalkboard or Chalkboard Paint?

Yes! You have to get the right kind of vinyl so it will stick. You will also need to prep the chalkboard first. More on this later though. Just know that yes, vinyl will definitely stick.

Now here’s the deal… As much as I love chalkboard art like the fabulous pieces created by my friend Rhonna Farrer, I have NO talent when it comes to hand-lettered art, like none. I wish that I did! I can however design stuff on my computer, so I thought I would create my chalkboard signs with white vinyl and make it look like chalkboard art. Easy fix!

Well, not so fast… You need a few tips before you can make a successful vinyl chalkboard sign.

You need to prime your chalkboard. Here is a tutorial on how to prime your chalkboard.
You need to clean your chalkboard with a wet cloth to remove any chalk dust, you need to work with a clean slate. Any dust or chalk on the board will make it difficult for the vinyl to adhere to your board.
Cut your vinyl with whatever method or machine you like, I have a Silhouette CAMEO so that’s what I used. I also used Silhouette Premium White Vinyl for this project as well. Affix your vinyl to your board using the transfer tape method.
To make your chalkboard look like a chalkboard sign, you need to add some chalk to the board. You would think that drawing on the board with chalk would do the trick, it won’t. You risk compromising the vinyl. Here’s my super easy trick to solve this problem… Take a piece of chalk and place it in a Ziplock bag and crush with a hammer. Take a paper towel and load it with some chalk dust by placing it in the bag. Next, rub the chalk carefully all over the sign. Gently tap off the extra chalk and volia, you have a fabulous chalkboard sign. That’s all there is to it!

What Supplies Do You Need to Create Vinyl Chalkboard Art?

There are only a few things you’ll need and I’ve covered a little so far already. I’ll list them here so you can get your supplies!

Silhouette CAMEO (This is the bundle pack which is a really good deal!)
The right kind of vinyl so it sticks to the chalkboard
A chalkboard (if you don’t have it already)

That’s really all you need.

Chalkboard Quotes I Like

Here are the different quotes that I’ve been collecting for a while. Now that my girls are getting older {15,11 & almost 9} I wanted them to see something inspiring and uplifting each day before they head off into the world. Here are the quotes that I settled on…

“Choose your friends with caution. Plan your future with purpose and frame your life with faith.” This quote is from Thomas S. Monson the President of our Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “Always be kinder than necessary.” – J.M.Barrie

“You can change your future simply by changing your attitude.” This quote was suggested by Lil’Whip my 15 year old daughter Hales. I thought it was VERY appropriate. She’s not totally sure where she found the quote, so unfortunately I can’t give proper credit. “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile.” Again, this was from Lil’Whip’s Pinterest board, but we couldn’t find the person to give credit to, bummer!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know why the number 22 is my favorite number. Both my husband and I are born on the 22nd of two different months so of course, we also had to get married on the 22nd as well. It’s our number, so I had to add it to the board. The Thoming sign is from Signs by Andrea and I just adore it! I added the honeycomb graphic to go with the bee on one of the top boards. It’s to symbolize that, to have a successful family we ALL need to work together to create a successful home. I found the “Do small things with great love” quote from Lena Henzel.

I’m not totally finished with the project, I’m planning on adding some pops of color today for “Project Add Color” and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I’ll show it off again when I’m totally finished. I may also have the svg files for you to download as well for the quotes that I used. Soooo, stay tuned!

Tips and Tricks for a Great Steak Grill-Off

1 · Apr 2, 2013 ·

One of my favorite things that happens when the weather starts to warm up, is the grilling season shouldn't be too far behind. I LOVE grill season. I truly think there is nothing better than a good steak right off the grill.

My husband has become quite the grill master at our house and his steaks are by far some of the best that I've ever tasted. He just has a sense for when the meat is ready to turn and ready to rest. However, when we first married, we had a differing opinion as to how to prepare the lovely meat before we cooked it. I came from a marinade family and he came from a simple salt and pepper family. To be fair, he has a bit of a cattle background. His grandparents helped run a cattle ranch for several years when my husband was younger. So, he had learned this simple lesson, that it's better to season the meat with just a good crust of salt and pepper and let the natural flavor of the meat shine through. Bobby Flay the famed grill master has the same philosophy.

I, on the other hand, loved to marinade the meat in all kinds of lovely flavor enhancing goodies like olive oil, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. It gives the meat a nice rich flavor and has always been my favorite way to dress a good steak. But which way is better? The enhanced marinated steak or the rustic version? We decided to have a grill-off!

We each had a lovely premium ribeye steak from Walmart's meat department and went to town.

Just check out that marbling of fat throughout the meat, that's where flavor town resides. Always look for a steak with a fair amount of marbling, that's the kind of steak that is full of flavor and has a nice texture as well.

We actually used our indoor grill pan and finished the meat in the oven. It's a perfect alternative to an outdoor grill. Here's the secret though…

Preheat a oven safe pan (cast iron if you have it) in a 450 degree oven. Get you grill pan screaming hot on the stove top. Generously season your steak with salt and pepper and cover it with olive oil and place in the hot grill pan. Turn your heat down to medium high and grill on the first side for two to three minutes. Turn and do the same on the second side. Then place the steak in the preheated pan in the oven and finish your steak to it's desired temperature. This is how a good steak house generally cooks your steaks. You get some great grill marks and smoke flavor and then place it in the over for a good all over heat to finish the steak off.

We had the family give each steak a try and I will humble admit, that my husband and Bobby Flay are right. The rustic treatment of the meat with just a simple salt and pepper crust was by far the best!!

The steak was buttery and tender full of flavor that draws you in and compels you to want more. Our Walmart steaks were amazing and trust me, we've tried many different kinds of steak. The only thing I added was a pat of a garlic basil compound butter that just kicked the whole experience up a notch.

What about you? Are you ready to experience Walmart’s Steak-Over for yourself? Find out why you should choose your steaks at Walmart here. We shared our winning grilling tips – now tell us yours!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Friday Flair Link Party // Cement Easter Egg Edition

0 · Mar 29, 2013 · 30 Comments

Friday Flair Link Party // Happy Friday friends!! Things are FINALLY starting to warm up around here in Lincoln. I think it's because I finally started working on some new spring decor for the house. It was all those spring thoughts that I was sending out to the universe. I've started operation COLOR for our home. If you read yesterday's post, you'll know about my fear of adding color to my decor. I've stuck with a neutral palette for years becuase I was so afraid to add color. Well, in honor of SPRING, I've added a little color pop to the house and I'll share all the fun next week. I've been madly spray painting over the last few days, I can't wait to show it off. If you follow me via Instagram, you'll also know about my new chalkboard inspiration wall for my kitchen that I've been working on. My Silhouette CAMEO and I have been spending some quality time together and I can't wait to share that project as well.

Tomorrow I'm in charge of my Churches Easter Brunch so I will be crossing my fingers and toes and praying that the rain that is forcasted for tomrrow will hold off until after noon. PLEASE don't rain!! I can't wait for the fun Easter Egg Hunt, my kiddos just love that. How fun would these eggs be to find…

img source // cement easter eggs from camille styles

They would definatly add a little weight to your Easter Basket, but I think these cement eggs are too fun from Camille Styles!

Let's get the Link Party Started!!

Starting a New Chalkboard Wall and a Silhouette Portrait Winner

0 · Mar 28, 2013 · 3 Comments

Silhouette Portrait Winner // I know you are all waiting with baited breath to find out who won the Silhouette Portrait giveaway from earlier this week. Now don’t forget, you can still get a steal of a deal on a CAMEO or Portrait through March 31st! Yes, you can get a Portrait for $80 off!!

Click HERE to visit the March Silhouette Specials page to purchase either a CAMEO, PORTRAIT both with the Sketch Pen starter kit or a starter kit alone at a deep discount!

Now, for the WINNER of the Portrait…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Michelle! You’re going to LOVE your new Portrait!

I’ve been busy this week working on a project that has been on my “to do” list for some time. A chalkboard wall for my kitchen! I’ve been collecting chalkboards from Decor Steals and have finally found the time to start working on the project. I’ve been working on priming the chalkboards but I think they may look better if they’re not primed. Here are some Instagram photos of the process…

Don’t you just love the little footprints on the chalkboard on the right? The little guy was having fun playing hop scotch while I was working on the layout of the boards on the floor. Gotta love 3 year olds! I decided I didn’t love the color of the large “T”, so I busted out the spray paint and transformed it to Blue Ocean Breeze from Krylon.

I like it so much better now. I am actually on a mission to add more color into our home this year. I’ve had such a hard time adding color, and staying safe with a neutral color palette, but I think it’s time. Now, I just have to figure out what colors! Be prepared… operation add color is on it’s way. I see lots of painting projects in my future!

What have you guys been up to?

Crafts

Will Vinyl Stick to a Chalkboard or Chalkboard Paint?

What Supplies Do You Need to Create Vinyl Chalkboard Art?

Chalkboard Quotes I Like

Let's get the Link Party Started!!

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