Spa Night Recipes

I decided on Friday to put some of my years of experience selling at Crabtree & Evelyn to use and try to make some natural beauty treatments of my own for our girls Spa Night. Using only what I had on hand in the kitchen I mixed up an exfoliating foot scrub, a face mask, and a citrus hand scrub. I apologize that I didn't use any exact measurements, but I just kind of mixed things up until they looked like I thought they should. (I'm NO scientist!)

Brown Sugar Foot Scrub

1/2 cup finely ground oats

1/2 cup coarsely ground oats (for the oats, I put 1 cup in my baby food grinder and took out half when it was coarsely ground. Then I continued grinding the second half...)

1 cup brown sugar

about 2 Tablespoons honey

about 2 Tablespoons aloe vera gel

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil~ with this I just added until the consistency was smooth

This was awesome,  and it smelled a lot like an oatmeal cookie!. The only thing I think I will change when making it again would be to add some vanilla or cinnamon.

Refreshing Face Mask

This was really simple. I took some organic Greek yogurt (choose a yogurt with live, active cultures) and added finely ground oats and a bit of honey. We applied it on the face and left it for about 10 minutes. Then we rinsed it with warm water and followed up by applying a warm wash cloth to the skin for a few minutes. Skin felt great afterwards!

Citrus Hand Scrub

1 cup granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Olive Oil to desired consistency

All of these recipes turned out better than even I had hoped! The girls loved them, too, and the pampering was good for everyone... I guarantee that I will be making these again, maybe even for the holidays, packaging them in cute jars or something. I'd love to know if you try them and what you think!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday! You know what to do... click the link above to join in the 'random musings'! 

{One} The pictures are of the kids making 'soup' in the birdbath last week. (I might think 'salad' would be a better name for their special recipe, but one never argues with the chefs!) Some sticks are required for the mixing, with plenty of dancing and singing thrown in... Celebrating cooler weather and these last days of summer sun at the same time.

{Two} This is kind of a cheat post because I am actually writing it on Saturday. We are in Indiana for the week hopefully relaxing while our parents spoil the little ones. We'll detox them from the sugar and spoiling next week...

{Three} I had a spa night with a few girls from our youth ministry on Friday. We had a ton of fun, and I'm proud to report that I stayed up later than everyone! (A record and shock, if you know me...) I mixed up a few face masks and scrubs (recipes tomorrow!), and we watched predictable romantic comedies until 2:30am. They're trying to keep me young, I think. And while I survived the night, I'll pay for it later, I'm certain.

{Four} I love this picture of my Curly Girl... so serious, concentrating on a bug we found. She's very focused and determined, this girl, and I wonder how that characteristic will serve her in the future. I'm certain it will be used to push my buttons... some days it already does. My sweet payback child... 

I hope you had a lovely weekend~ Thanks for sharing in the randomness of mine!

Friday Love~ Happy Thoughts

We have been watching a lot of Peter Pan here these days. And by a lot I mean once a day. Every day. Remy loves pirates right now, though I seriously question this movie... (Do y'all let your littles watch it? I worry about the concepts being outdated and not politically correct~ what to do?!) Anyway, we spend many minutes talking about our happy thoughts and what we might think about if it would help us fly. Rem's usually involve his dog, his bike, his super hero toys... you know, the usual little boy happy things. So for this installment of Friday love I thought I would list some of my happy thoughts for the week.

~This weather!!!! I finally was able to turn the a/c off and open up the house for a few days, and I love that cross-breeze.

~Halle-lujah spent a few hours one morning this week in 'big girl' princess panties. No successes in the potty, but I'll take a few dry hours. She's very interested in being like her big brother, and anything is progress, right?!

~This Domestic Diva fabric from So Fun Fabrics on etsy. I have yet to think of a project that I can justify buying it for, but I am in love with these retro prints and colors. What would y'all make with it?

~These verses from Isaiah 2.

     "Many peoples will come and say, 

'Come, let us go up to the mountains of the Lord, 

to the house of the God of Jacob. 

He will teach us his ways, 

so that we may walk in his paths.' 

The law will go out from Zion,

the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

He will judge between the nations

and will settle disputes for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

nor will they train for war anymore." (verses 3-4, emphasis mine)

I love these verses as they are usually used in references to non-violence and war. I believe in them that way~ that God alone will (should) be the one to settle disputes, and that we shouldn't take those things into our hands. But I also love the metaphor or taking swords and spears, things that have been used to cause violence and death, and turning them into tools that bring healing and life. I think specifically about our friend Brett and his ministry, Lambscroft, that we worked with in Nashville. Some of these men have known little but destruction for much of their lives and by pouring the word and work of God into them, they are being trained to be life-givers. Love that!

~Vacation! We are heading to Indiana for a few days next week to see Trace's parents and my mom. We'll only be gone for a few days, and I'll try to keep up... I'm hoping to fill you in on new shop stuff on September 1st!

Happy Friday! I hope you have a weekend full of people and things that you love!

Candy Brights

Usually this time of year I'm thinking more about traditional fall colors... browns, oranges, reds. But this year I am seeing brights everywhere and loving it! I even picked some bright, mod prints for some new pieces. (But don't worry, I mixed in some classics, if that's your thing!) Here are just a few images I've run into that I love.

Candy Fruit Slices Print by Sharon Welton

by Elsie Flannigan

Sprinkle Star Necklace by i sew cute

Not sure where I pulled this from... sorry! Who doesn't love a fresh box of crayons?!

What inspires you lately?

Pretty Maids All in a Row

I have found yet another use for my beloved clothes line! I'm busy getting these little beauties and heaps more photographed and ready to be listed in my new shop (info to come!)! 'Hope y'all are having a lovely week~ see you soon!

Easy Breezy~ Halle's Curtains

So I am almost ashamed to post this because it was sooooo easy, but I thought I would post anyway because I'm terribly happy with the results. I posted months ago that I had been working on curtains for Halle's room. I finished the curtains at that time, but we had only purchased one curtain rod. I spent the next months putting 'curtain rod' on my Target list, then promptly leaving the list on the table, or not finding the right rod at Target the one time I actually remembered my list. Finally last week I found it, and now I am happy to report that her room has curtains.

(I apologize for the poor lighting, it was very sunny. ) For the fabric, I purchased a full size sheet set that matched Halle's bedding. They were on sale, and this gave me a ton of fabric that matches all her pieces. Way cheaper than buying yardage, plus I have all this other fabric to use for something! I cut a rectangle the size of the window, adding enough for a hem on three sides and a pocket at the top. The I lined the whole piece with white cotton fabric to help it hang better and block the light a bit. (Her room is bright pink and on the sunny side of the house~ in the afternoons it glows!)

Then I just rolled it up and tied it with a pink polka dotted ribbon. I thought about doing something more elaborate, like a roman shade type thing, but after waiting this long to get rods up and curtains hung I decided to not push it and just get them on the windows. I know my limits...

Happy Tuesday!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday again! (Am I the only one who feels like it sneaks up on me every week?!) You know the drill~ I'm about to lay down my random bits and pieces... click on the picture above to check out Carissa's miscellany and to join in!

{One} Aren't these little goofballs precious!? Trace had to work several evenings last week, which left me as the lone ranger at bedtime. I felt like Remy looks in this picture and truly do appreciate that extra set of hands!

{Two} I have been on an incredible sewing binge over the last week and have an enormous pile of new goodies to photograph and list! Love, love, love that! I can't wait for y'all to see all the new stuff!

{Three} I tried Kraft's new Homestyle Mac & Cheese this weekend. (I think that's what it's called...) Sadly my littles preferred the regular old blue box. What is it about that powdered neon cheese?!

{Four} Yesterday I was listening to Remy tell Halle the Easter story. He was doing fine until he got to the part that went something like this: "Jesus and the Recyclers had a big meal to drink blood.". Then I stepped in. In his defense, 'Disciples' does sound like 'Recycles', and both are words that we use quite a bit around here. I think Jesus & the Recyclers might make a good band name...

{Five} I watched the movie Remember Me this weekend. Oh my goodness, that ending!

So what did y'all do this weekend?

Summer in Black & White

On the (long) list of things I don't like is most sports. Especially watching sports. So imagine my excitement upon hearing that our church would have a softball team. They called themselves the Leeches (because they suck!), and played in a league of 4 teams. Yes, four. We're not talking the majors here... But regardless of their skill or lack thereof, Remy was thrilled to attend anytime he could to watch Trace play. I love this picture of my little guy (in the middle), legs dangling, watching the game. He loved every second of every inning! Though I'm not a baseball fan or big on Americana, something about ball just screams summer to me. (Perhaps that is part of why I'm excited for summer to be over?!)

Have a great Wednesday! You can see more Summer in Black & White here at Scoutie Girl.

Making...

So after a few months of less-than inspired sewing (and busyness, which doesn't help!), my little machine and I are back to sewing at a maddening pace. Creativity strikes, and I can hardly get the pieces cut and sewn fast enough. I love that frantic feeling!

Just a few tiny peeks of things to come... This is the last week for the Clearance Sale in my shop, and then next week I plan to begin listing fun new fall items.

Lots of layers and ruffles, new prints mixed in with some older favorites, classic styles with some new twists. 

'Hope you have a lovely Tuesday!

miscellany monday

Happy Monday!  If you want to link up with Carissa's Miscellany Monday, just click the icon above~ she'd love to have you! Now on with the random musings...

1~ I am happily drinking good coffee this morning after about a week of drinking this nasty stuff that shall remain nameless. As someone who loves coffee, I should have known better than to buy an unfamiliar brand on sale, but I do love a bargain. So even after opening this particular brand and noticing that it smelled like feet, I was suffering through it because we paid for it after all. Trace finally threw it away, even after my protesting. And I am thankful.

2~ We went to the water park on Friday, and I didn't get a single picture. Not one. We had been promising Remy a trip all summer, and I happened to notice that the sign said that Saturday was the last day... so Friday I recruited a few students to go with me (I need all the extra hands I can get!), and we went for a few hours before nap time. It was great fun for everyone, though even my sunscreened babies got a little burnt. I'm thinking of writing a letter to the sunscreen people!

3~ I finally bit the bullet and decided to get a blog & shop makeover! With the holidays approaching, which brings with it mayhem and drama in my sewing area, I am ready for a change. So excited!

4~ I have indeed become one of those grannies who can't drink anything with caffeine after about 6pm. I never thought the day would come, and frankly I always thought people were just imagining it. But after several late nights lying in bed staring at the ceiling I have to admit it. I am old. There, I said it.

5~ We had a busy weekend, so I'm happy to say that Trace will be staying home today and tomorrow, which is delightful! I'm hoping not to push the kids off on him too much while I try to get some work done, but I can't promise anything...

Have a great day! Laundry has piled up long enough, and I need to get to it... 

Friday Love~ End of Summer

I must make a confession: I do not really like summer. Sure, it has it's merit... swimming and popsicles, cook-outs and fireflies, you know all the typical stuff. But it's just not my season. I don't like to sweat and dream about fall. I love the colors and smells and above all the clothing. I am an autumn, curl up in a sweater kind of girl. So while I have enjoyed the long, lazy days with my littles outside and getting tan without really trying, I am so ready for the next season. So I guess my 'Love' for the day is that I love knowing something else is on the horizon.

Okay, sermon over... We are taking advantage of these (hopefully) fleeting warm days, as I said we would. Yesterday we went to Riverfront Park in Peoria to get to know some folks from the area. There is a wonderful fountain there where kids can play (and the occasional adult, I suppose), and Remy & Halle took full advantage. Tons of fun! I managed to find my camera just before we left, and as I said I would yesterday, I snapped pictures. We practically had to drag them away when we were ready to leave, but that's the sign of a good time, right?!

'Hope your weekend is full of things you love!

4 Simple Goals (Inspired by *A Beautiful Mess*)

Elsie, from the gorgeous A Beautiful Mess, blogged about coming up with 4 simple goals to be attained before the end of the year. I thought I would jump on board, as with the changing of the seasons I am already in a mindset for getting new things on (then off!) my to-do list. Choosing just four might be the tricky part!

1~ Take more pictures and actually do something with them. I am not a professional photographer (as I'm sure you've noticed...), and I don't aspire to be. But I do feel like I miss a lot going on with our family for lack of knowing where my camera is, and then I download the pictures to my mac and do nothing with them. This one will take some more thought, as I'm not sure what I want to do with the pics just yet, but I'll let you know!

2~ Organize my workspace and make it pretty. I have a wonderful space to the side of our playroom where I work, but it is rather on the boring side. As organized as I am in my homemaking skills, my sewing area tends to get forgotten on the list and things pile up. I really need to spend some time filing paperwork (*dread*), then sorting supplies and making it all look pretty. I'm thinking of using some sweet old records I've collected as my inspiration jumping point, but that's as far ahead as I've thought. Now I just need to jump!

3~ Actually take a family holiday picture. Every year I dream of making this goal a reality, and in the end I chicken out. I do fear that my sweet littles will think that I was strangely absent from their childhoods, as I'm always behind the camera. I have made such huge strides in finding a balanced, healthy lifestyle this year, that I am hoping I can 'suck it up' and make this one a reality.

4~ Go on date nights. Ideally this would be every two weeks, I think, but for now I'm making my goal for once a month. This is something we have only done once or twice since having kids (Gasp...I know!!), and I really hope we can stick to it. One of the awesome perks of youth ministry is that we have a ton of wonderful teenage girls practically begging to watch our wee ones- we have virtually no excuse!

I could truly add about a dozen things to that list, but key for me is making it simple ('So it's not just a clever name.' Can anyone name that movie?!) and attainable. I hope to blog more about them as I accomplish them. Elsie encouraged having a reward upon completion, and I'm not sure what that might be... Hmm, something to think about. What are your goals for the next few months?

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday! Would love for you to join in the random with Carissa by clicking on the picture above... on with the miscellany!

~This weekend we had a garage sale, and it was a wild success. As much as I hate the preparation and execution of a garage sale, I love the end result and we made way more money than I thought we would. The only tricky part was managing the littles during the sale. Anytime another child would look at one of their old toys, Halle would say 'You not have that. It's Remy's.'. And Remy kept hoarding all the things he's 'been looking for forever'. Too funny.

~After much debate on the meaning of life and whether or not I wanted to keep the 2 sweet things shop going, I have decided to push ahead and prepare for holiday. I had lost my sewing mojo for a while, but I'm gradually starting to feel inspired again. (Buying some great new fabric can do that for a girl...) I am excited about making some fun new things for the shop, and until then I'm keeping my items marked down as clearance to move them out. I am also considering a sales platform other than etsy for various reasons. I would love any input you can offer if you utilize another retail site!

~Remy has been asking a lot of questions and making commentary about God & Jesus lately, and he never ceases to crack us up. Last week while in our pool he said 'Man, I wish I were Jesus because I would just walk on this water. God gets to do way cooler things than I do.' Then at bedtime on this weekend he asked me what planet Jesus is from. I offered an explanation about how God created the planets and the universe, and as I spoke he nodded and acted like he understood. Then when I had finished he said 'Okay, but what planet is he from?'.  Sigh.

~We're back in the gym this morning. It amazes me how easy it is to get off track. That week in Nashville set me off for not consistently working out (though I did get up early for yoga), and I haven't been on my game ever since. So the family is heading to the gym as soon as I hit publish. Should be fun! =)

~I looked back over my posts for the summer and can't believe how few times I posted. I am definitely ready to get back into my routine with fall approaching. Remy and I shopped for his school supplies last week, and both little ones got their check-ups, so it seems as though time is approaching. This lazy blogger should be back in action soon- I have tons of ideas in my journal for posts once my days return to 'normal'.

I guess I'm out of random for the morning... I had better get these crazy little people dressed and ready for the gym so I don't make an excuse. Have a great day!

Halle's Big Day!

So I've tried to narrow it down to just a few pictures, but it's so hard! On Saturday we celebrated our Hallelujah's 2nd birthday, Toy Story-style, just like she wanted. (If you remember, I really wanted a ladybug party, but Little Miss Determined knew what she wanted...) Last week upon receiving a Target gift card, Halle picked out what she deemed a 'party dress' instead of a toy, which was so cute. As soon as she woke up from her nap she was ready to put on her new dress and spin to her little heart's content. 

The Cake... 

I waited until the very last minute to put the top tier on, for fear that the whole thing would collapse. I knew what I wanted in the cake from the very beginning~ three layers. What I didn't take into account was that three layers would feed about 80 people. Seriously. The nearly 30 people at the Curly Girl's party only consumed the top layer and less than half of the middle, so the entire bottom layer went as a treat for our whole children's ministry on Sunday morning. Even funnier is that they didn't even finish it, and it made it's way to another family gathering of some friends. I love sharing the love!

Each layer was a simple chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling. The outside was iced in vanilla buttercream, and the cow spots (inspired by Jessie's pants) and clouds were made from marshmallow fondant. 

Jessie Hat cookies

These were a recipe that I used from Disney's website. They looked so cute all stacked up on the plate! I didn't get a picture of the entire spread, but I tried to have a western/Cowgirl/Toy Story theme without getting too country (totally not my thing...). I made a trail mix with a blend of Halle's favorite things (star marshmallows, pretzel sticks, m&m's, and Cheerios). Corn dogs were a huge hit with everyone (especially my kids because we rarely have them!).  Remy's favorite thing on the table was the 'Cactus Juice' punch we made by mixing green Kool-Aid, 7 Up, and lime sherbet. We weren't sure that he didn't believe it was actually cactus juice, and he must have had 5 glasses!

Here's she is trying on some of her new dress up clothes. The heels only took a few minutes of practice before she was marching up the stairs! Also among a truck load of gifts from our too generous friends was Slinky Dog, which is her favorite. She goes to sleep and wakes up talking about him!

All in all, it was a pretty amazing day. Halle was so buzzed on sugar and energy that it took her 90 minutes talking in her bed to finally crash. We are so blessed to have such an awesome group of friends who love our family and came to celebrate with us! I love that our little house gets packed, practically bursting at the seams with people who care about our littles~ that makes every stressful moment leading up the party so worth it. (Sigh) And while I am a little glad it's over, I would do it all again tomorrow... so thankful!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday! Join in the random by clicking the picture above... =)

~Trace put up our tent last week and had a camp out with Remy. He was in heaven!! But it did take him forever to fall asleep... he was just too excited. The kids have since spent every afternoon bouncing and playing the tent. It's too bad we aren't happy campers, because the kids would love a real camping trip... maybe someday. Trace also sent a picture text to my mom, who was on her way to our house for Halle's birthday, to say that her mother-in-law suite was ready. =)

~My sweet girl turned 2 yesterday! I will have another post about her party this week, but I had to post at least one picture. Her party was tons of fun with tons of friends, and she was happily exhausted at the end of her big day.

~Today I am getting back into the gym after an almost 2 week hiatus. With the Nashville trip and then preparing for Halle's party, I just haven't made the time. I'm not looking forward to how sore I will probably be after TurboKick, but I know it will be worth it in the end... must get moving again!

~I am super-excited that I have ordered Shane Claiborne's newest book, and it should be here in a day or two. Looks so good!

~This week I'm wrapping up the Summer Study with Living Proof Ministries on Ruth. It has been a great one, and I am kind of sad that it's ending. I always hate the last day of something good, but I'm so thankful that I stuck with it despite busyness and summer insanity because God had so much to show me! Even getting up before the team in Nashville every day proved well worth it, and I feel like I was better prepared for the days of our trip. God is good!

Have a great Monday! I'll be back tomorrow with pics from Halle's Toy Story Party- her cake nearly killed me but turned out so cute!