Friday Favorites #7: Choose to See the Good Stuff

Maybe I should start calling this “Good Stuff of the Month” or something like that since I can’t seem to get it together enough to post regularly every Friday. What can I say, I have big ambitions but an extremely hard time sticking to task. Oh, well.

Here are my favorite things for this week, month, or whatever this ends up being!

via command.com

   I have a small, ok maybe somewhat large, obsession with Command Strips! I use them for everything from hanging pictures, wreaths, hooks, brooms, or whatever else needs to go somewhere that I either don’t want to be permanent or doesn’t have a wall stud behind it.

 

I used the Command picture hanging strips on the back of my mirror for my Fireplace Makeover back in March.

I love these little things because they are not only crazy strong, but they also don’t cause any damage to the wall. {Well, except for in my pantry where I had a nice innocent hook holding my broom and some big giant man with massive elbows dashed the hook to pieces and ripped a pretty little hole in the sheetrock. Gee, who could that have been?}

If you haven’t tried these yet, there is a Command hook or hanger for anything! If you are like me and you like to change things up, you need these.

 

   Caitlin Wilson Design

via Caitlin Wilson

Whenever I need a shot of happiness, I go drool over Caitlin Wilson's interior design blog. I love the way she uses big shots of color and mixes patterns. Every space she designs has it’s own personality and I LOVE that. If you haven’t seen her work, check her out. She is awesome.

 

   If you are an American Idol fan, you’ll probably remember the darling BROOKE WHITE from SEASON 7 of AMERICAN IDOL. She is my very favorite contestant that they ever had. I love her sound, her style, and her hair. Girl has gorgeous hair!

Here she is singing one of my favorite songs. Girl has gorgeous hair AND talent. I love it.

Speaking of her gorgeous hair, she did a crown braid tutorial over at LITTLE MISS MOMMA that I have been crushing on. I tried it last Sunday and did I mention I wish I had her hair? Needless to say, the Boho Crown Braid wasn’t as gorgeous on me as it is on her. But, I tried!

via Little Miss Momma

If you have long hair and are looking for an easy feeling updo, you should try it out. I adore it.

 

   Lastly, I found this little art print the other day on PINTEREST and fell in love with it.

via The Brave Girls Club

This past Sunday, my hubby’s grandma and another sweet lady named Fern, were honored for Mother’s Day.  Fern’s son talked about how his mother always saw the good. How she was fun, witty, and faced the challenges of life with a smile on her face and determination in her heart. He mentioned that everyone felt better about life after being with his mother. As I sat there, his words touched my heart. That is exactly who I want to be. More than anything, I want my children to remember me as someone who chose joy. I love this simple reminder from The Brave Girls Club to “Choose to see the good stuff.”

That’s my goal for the rest of the month.

 

Well, there you have it…some of my favorite things of the week…or month…or whatever.

**What are you loving right now?**

Angelina Jolie, BRCA Gene Mutations, and Me.

If you’ve stuck around here very long, you know that I carry a GENETIC MUTATION that gives me an extremely high risk for breast and ovarian cancers, among other things. I have talked about it HERE and more recently, HERE. It is something that is constantly in the back of my mind.

How excited I was this morning when I found THIS ARTICLE posted in the New York Times written by actress and activist, Angelina Jolie.

via People.com

What a brave, wonderful thing this woman has done! She has drawn attention to a topic that up until this point has been very hush hush. There are women around the world, who have a genetic mutation, who either don’t know or know but don’t have any clue what to do now. Because of her choice to have a double mastectomy AND maybe even more importantly her choice to share her experience, people are talking and questions are being asked. BRCA 1 & 2 are all over the internet, radio, t.v. and news! I am so happy I could kiss this woman! {Of course, in a “Mama is so proud of you” non- “I kissed a girl and I liked it” kind of way…}

I’m not saying that having an elective double mastectomy is what everyone with a BRCA genetic mutation should do. I’m just saying thank you, Angelina, for bringing light to the subject and opening up the discussion. In the end, we have to do what we feel is the right decision for each of us and our families. I still don’t know if I will chose to take this plunge or even remove both my ovaries, I’m still wrestling with that in my mind. It’s such a personal decision, and either way there are repercussions. But, I do know that the more we talk about the hard stuff the more answers we will find and the easier it will be to ask for help.

 

via komenutah.org

This past Saturday, my family and I participated in our 7th RACE FOR THE CURE. There is something amazing that happens in your soul when you find yourself surrounded by thousands of others who are fighting against the very monster that you are. There is this healing peace that comes from seeing survivors in pink shirts waving banners that say, “I kicked cancer’s butt and so can you!”

You realize that you are not alone.

That there is strength in numbers.

And, that life is a beautiful thing.

 

Thank you, Angelina, for not being afraid to open your mouth and share. Many people’s lives will be touched because you did. I applaud you and wish you all the best.

 

**Please ladies! Get your mammograms, do your monthly self-exams, donate to cancer research, talk, walk, support, share, love, have hope, and please keep fighting. We are all in this together... ok, now I sound like a Disney musical, but you know what I mean.

SOS Mix: Make Your Own Cream Soups

I’ve been trying to cut out canned cream soups this past year. Why? Well, first, because there are a whole lot of ingredients in that can…

INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN STOCK, WATER, VEGETABLE OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, CREAM (MILK), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, DEHYDRATED MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, CHICKEN FAT, YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVORING, BETA CAROTENE FOR COLOR, CHICKEN FLAVOR, BUTTER (CREAM [MILK]). Info can be found HERE.

Secondly, because as gas prices have risen, so unfortunately, has the cost of food. Feeding a family of 6 {including a 6’7” man with a bottomless pit or a stomach} gets more and more expensive every year. I’m finding that ditching the convenience foods and making meals from scratch really is a great way to extend your budget, not to mention eat a little healthier. Yes, cream soups aren’t that healthy even made from scratch, but at least the homemade versions doesn’t have MSG, man-made flavorings, and excess salt. So, in regards to health, I feel a little better about it.

The problem with cooking from scratch is it takes a little bit more time to pull out and measure the ingredients. As you already know, I am a horrible planner. I avoid planning like the plague. We just don’t mesh, way too much energy involved! So, needless to say, a lot of times I’m trying to put together a yummy meal in a pinch. Enter the make ahead mix!

I started out trying a mix called MAGIC MIX. I liked the flavor, but I didn’t love that a giant container was taking up valuable real-estate in my fridge. If you don’t mind a big thing in your fridge for months, then try it out. It tastes good and works great. But, because I was running out of space, I decided to go back and try a shelf stable recipe my grandma had given me years ago called SOS Mix.

  All you do is mix 5 ingredients together in a bowl and then store in an labeled airtight container in your pantry. So easy.

SOS Mix

Ingredients:                    

          2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk

          3/4 cup cornstarch

          1/4 cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium)

          2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes

          2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (optional…but yummy)

Directions:

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Store in an airtight container. Makes equivalent of 9 cans of cream soup.

To make cream soup:

          Combine 1/3 cup of dry mix with 1 1/4 cups of cold water.

          Cook and stir over the stove or in microwave until thickened.

          Add thickened mixture to recipe as you would a regular can of soup.

 

You can also add or substitute other dried herbs like basil, thyme, or a little bit of pepper. This is simple, have fun and play around with whatever your family likes.

*To make Cream of Mushroom soup, simply add a 4 ounce can of mushrooms or sautéed fresh mushrooms as part of the water in the recipe above.

*Cheese sauce? Yep, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheese after soup mixture has thickened. Stir until cheese melts.

I don’t use this mix for everything, sometimes a recipe just has to have a good old fashioned rue made with real butter, but this mix works great when I’m in a time crunch and hurrying to get a meal on the table. I can now cook homemade macaroni and cheese just as fast as I can make up the orange kind in the blue box. Pretty handy! Oh, almost forgot, it’s fat free which makes me happy!{However, there is cornstarch in it, which is a highly processed ingredient… I’m not sure if you could substitute flour or arrowroot powder. Maybe? Could be worth a try if the thought of using cornstarch bothers you. Please let me know if you do!}

Here is a link to a downloadable SOS Mix recipe pamphlet from the USU EXTENSION. {Go Aggies!} There are a lot of great ideas of how to use it from Alfredo Sauce to homemade hamburger helper. There are more recipe ideas in this AWESOME BANK OF MIX RECIPES that is also provided by the USU Extension. They know pretty much everything. I go to the Extension looking for answers to all my gardening, cooking, cleaning, and well, practically any question involving the home. They have incredibly knowledgeable staff and walls of resources to choose from. If you are in Utah and can’t find an answer on their WEBSITE, I highly recommend giving one of their offices a visit. You will be so glad you did. {Go Aggies! Wait, did I already say that?}

 

**I’m on a make a mix kick right now, so help a girl out! What is your favorite homemade version of something usually bought in a store? I heard homemade Taco Seasoning is fantastic. I’m trying that one next!**

Drop Cloth Curtains, Refashioned Finials, and Designer Fabric I’m Drooling Over

Remember LAST MONTH when I told you I was buying drop cloths to make curtains? Yep, I finally got them done. They sat in a heap on my sewing table for a few weeks until I got sick of it and decided to tackle them. They were super easy! All I did was wash them, measure the wall, make a single cut off the top, turn the edge, fold over about 4 inches, iron, and then sew a straight line. Fantastic! I don’t know why I put them off so long. I guess life just gets in the way.

 

 

Using that $10.00 off coupon code, I posted about in my  FRIDAY FAVORITES, I was able to make 6 extra tall curtain panels for right around $60 total!

 

I’m a little embarrassed to show you my living room, because I still have a ton to do. *blush* All I see in this pic are the pillow covers that still need to be made, the bench that needs to be found for under that big family photo, the empty little frame on the table… so, have pity, please focus on what I actually have finished, not what isn’t. 

I love these curtains!

They drape nicely, have a really great texture, and add light and brightness to a really dark room.

I ended up having to refashion the finials because of stupidity {aka I bought the wrong size last year when I decided to do curtains in there, let everything sit for a year while I tried to find the perfect affordable fabric, and then they were discontinued. Oopsies.} but they worked out.

Let me show you how I made do…

I got these cute finials from Ikea last year. Sadly, they’ve been discontinued and replaced by ugly cheap plastic crap but I’ll save y’all from that rant.

To make them fit my large curtain rod, I broke off the small bottom attachment piece.

Next, I used E-6000 to glue flat headed screws on to the finial.

I let them dry for 3 or 4 days in order to make sure that the glue had really cured. Then, I screwed them into the end of my IKEA CURTAIN ROD. Worked like a charm! Woohoo!

via Ikea

via Ikea…again

 

I’d really like to get some curtain ring clips to hang the curtains with, but that will have to wait for another day and a trip to the city. It’s not ideal, but this works for now.

By the way, I made these cute little covers for my wingbacks. But, the room is starting to look a little too creamy/white, so I took them off. Maybe after I make all those pillow covers and reupholster the ottoman it will feel a little less shabby and a little more chic?

Guess we shall wait and see.

I’m stuck on fabric for the pillows because what I really love, I can’t afford. See that gorgeous floral fabric below? The one with the funky floral print. *sigh*

via Ashlee Raubach Photography

It’s HOT HOUSE FLOWERS SPARK BY F. SCHUMACHER and is $137 dollars a yard.

*bigger sigh*

So, I shall keep hunting for something similar for about $130 a yard less. At this point, I’m having no luck. Dang expensive taste! Anyhoo, I’m rambling.

 

**Do you have any suggestions of fun non-designer priced fabric for a rusty orange living room?**

Homemade Air Freshener

Someday she will kill me for sharing this, but for now she is 8 so I’ll take my chances. My daughter has the stinkiest feet that any girl on this planet has ever had. She says it’s her way of honoring UNCLE RED while he is on his MISSION. Maybe she is on to something here, because other than my brother, I’ve never smelled anything quite like it! {Dude, Red, how did I get your daughter and would you kindly take your stinky gene back please? Girls are supposed to smell like sugar, spice, and all that, aren’t they?} Maybe it has something to do with my girl’s love of puddles, mud, and her disdain of socks. Whatever it is, the man and I are at our wits end!

Remember my awesome little MUDROOM PROJECT from a couple years ago?

 

Well, the overwhelming smell of stinky girl feet is overwhelming this room. As in, the smell has taken over and has started seeping into the garage and kitchen. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Desperately grasping at straws, I started searching Pinterest for air freshener ideas. I found THIS idea over at TIDY MOM and figured that since I had all the ingredients, it was worth a shot!

via Tidy Mom

I used an old 1/2 pint mason jar and instead of using decorative paper, I used a nail and punched holes in the top of the canning lid.

My 5 year old chose the star shape.

I used lemon essential oil because for some reason, lemon means clean to me. Well, let’s be honest, lemons are my favorite color, so that may play a factor in why I love them so much. Maybe. Back to the canning jar…

I don’t like the idea of fake air fresheners.

The thought of all the chemicals swirling around in the air landing on everything and everyone makes me cringe. So, this being baking soda and essential oils was right up my alley. Plus, it’s a lot cuter than those ugly cone things with the stinky fake flower wax inside!

Add on the fact that it was basically free, and I’m a happy mama!

Here’s hoping it helps combat the stink because I am THIS close to throwing away all her shoes and making her go barefoot to school. Wait, that’s not legal? Fine. Then I’ll make her shoes live in the garage with all the spiders then. Whatever.

Thanks TIDY MOM for the great tutorial and idea!

 

 

**We need all the help we can get, what are your weapons for battling stink?**

{Other than sending the kid back east to live with her stinky uncle…because that’s frowned upon…}