Back to School: Supplies and Crafts for Teacher

 My Little Man started Kindergarten last week.  Even though he's been in preschool for years, it was still a little emotional for both of us.  I loved shopping for his back to school accessories.  All our supplies were purchased through the booster club and delivered to his class, so that just left the fun stuff for us...backpack and lunch box.

His favorite color is purple, so the backpack was a no brainer.  I managed to avoid the character pack by enticing him with this fun backpack from MadPax.

I really want to move C from her Disney Princess to the hot little pink number.

L is so excited to bring his lunch to school, and I am really intrigued by all the new bento box systems.  L picked out the Planet Box system.  He loves the variety he get with the bento system.

At Meet the Teacher, we signed up for various items from the teacher's wish list.  I signed up for Prize Pencils.  I thought I'd make a fun holder for his teacher to hold the pencils.  I originally wanted to do this project from pinterest.

But that plan failed when I found out that these straw dispensers range anywhere from $75 - $100.  So we went with plan B.  These straw dispensers can be found on amazon for $12.

 I added their class name cut in vinyl and filled with personalized prize pencils...and voila.  Prize Pencils in a fun little container.

Homemade Laundry Soap

We take laundry very seriously in our house.  First of all, my husband is required to do all his laundry separately from mine and the kids.  Those gym clothes need to be at least 40 feet away the rest of the family's clothes at all times.  If we could have a separate washer and dryer for him, we would.  We follow a very strict laundry ritual, and rarely stray from the formula.  We only use Tide Sport with Febreze, Downy Fabric Softener and our new favorite, Downy Unstoppables.  This formula works, but it is a very expensive formula.

When I mentioned I wanted to try making our own laundry soap, my husband was less than thrilled.  I'm not sure he is on board yet.  But there were a couple reasons I wanted to give it a try.

1.  It's less expensive and one batch lasts for months.  
2.  You only use 1-2 TBSP.

3.  It combines multiple products into one.

4.  It is supposed to make your clothes cleaner, fresher and look newer longer.

After scouring the web for the right recipe for our family, I think I have mix and matched the perfect formula.  Many call for 3 ingredients, but I wanted to add the Baking Soda and Oxiclean for stain removal.  The Downy Unstoppables is simply for scent boosting.  I just can't part with them, but this recipe incorporates them into soap and uses less.  If you like, you can skip this step, save the money and make it sensitive-skin friendly.  

4 lb 12 oz box of Borax


4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda


3 lb 7 oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda


2 bars of Zote Soap, finely grated


3 lb container of Oxi Clean


1 bottle Downy Unstoppables - Fresh Scent

All the ingredients, excluding Downy Unstoppables, are available at Walmart.  Most grocery stores have everything, but the Zote soap can be difficult.  I also found the Zote at Home Depot.  You can substitute Fels Naptha for Zote, but I liked the smell of Zote better.  And it's pink.  If you use Fels Naptha, use three bars.

Start by grating your Zote soap.  One of the biggest complaints I've read about making your own laundry soap is grating the soap because they have to do it with a hand grater.  I am lucky to own a Saladmaster Grater from the 70s and my 3 year old grated the soap in about 5 minutes.  I used the fine grating attachment.

(This is actually cheese, but it shows how the soap should look.)

If you don't happen to have a lovely vintage Saladmaster grater, you can use a food processor or old-school it and grate it by hand.

Next, mix all the ingredients in a large container.  I lined a laundry basket with a large trash bag.  They kids helped and took turns dumping the ingredients into the lined basket.  I stirred it with a large kitchen spoon, then closed the bag and mixed all the ingredients.  Make sure it is well distributed so you get equal amounts of the ingredients in each load.  It makes about 3 gallons for $32.24 and should last about 6-9 months.  I put the final mixture in several large plastic containers.

Use 1-2 TBSP per load.  Place the powder directly into the drum, both on a top or front load washing machine.  You don't need any other products with the wash.  

My first load was towels and they came out very clean and smelled great.  So far so good.  I am having a few other brave souls test the laundry soap and we will see what results they have with their laundry.  I'll post again after the results from my little group of product testers, including my harshest critic with the most challenging laundry, my husband.

Happy Washing!

Glorious Golden Egg or Golden Hearts in my case..

 My co-worker brought the most amazing treat back from her lunch at Walton's Fancy & Staple, it was a pastry called a Golden Egg.  It is a nutmeg cake rolled in cinnamon and sugar.  I really didn't think I liked nutmeg, but this is HEAVENLY!  After sharing the one egg with three people, I decided I could eat about six more.  I scoured the web for a recipe, and found one lone version.  It was created by Gesine Bullock-Prado and featured in her book, Confections of a (Closet) Master Baker.  She just happens to be Sandra Bullock's sister, and that makes sense, since she and Sandra own Walton's and Bess.

I decided I must make them, and I must make them that night.  I was a little scared, because they are from scratch...like SCRATCH, SCRATCH.  No mixes, no shortcuts.  I had to use baking powder.  And the recipe is very detailed.  Butter must be room temperature.  Butter and sugar must be whipped for 10 minutes.  But I followed them exactly, while trying to let the kids help as well.  She uses an egg mold, but since I didn't have one, mine are heart shaped.  And while I am not sure mine are just as good, they are pretty darn close.

There are two places I found the recipe.  It was posted on Epicurious, but her book version is so much better.  She goes into detail on exactly how to make the "magic".  She also has a bake along on her blog.  I plan on reading her book as well.  It chronicles her journey from running her sister's production company, to following her true passion of baking.  Plus, it's full of little gems like this recipe.

Glorious, Glorious Golden Eggs

For the Cake:

• Nonstick baking spray

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2 cups sugar

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk

For dipping the eggs:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together in a small shallow bowl

Preheat the oven to 325°F. 

Spray your molds with nonstick spray (I, obviously, use egg-shaped molds. You can use a muffin pan or any other small baking molds, I used heart shaped muffin tins.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with either the paddle or the whisk attachment, whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

This can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your butter.

As you're whipping away, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated into the sugar.

You can't make magic without a lot of patience. So keep whipping and keep scraping.

Add the eggs one at a time, whipping after each one until the egg is fully incorporated into the batter.

Scrape down the bowl every now and again as well.

Add the vanilla.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing slowly.

After they are well incorporated but not overbeaten, take a rubber spatula and fold the batter a few times to make sure everything is evenly distributed and the batter is smooth.

Distribute the batter into your molds, filling each cavity a little less than halfway.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Baking time varies depending on the size of your mold, so check for a very light golden brown color and make sure the cake springs back when you touch it.

Unmold your little cakes and while they are still warm, dunk them quickly in the melted butter, then dredge them in the cinnamon and sugar.

From Gesine: "One warning: people are going to call you a stinking liar. They will not believe that these precious morsels aren't fried like a donut. But that's the cost of making magic."  

And she's not lying, they taste like little fried pieces of heaven.

My Favorite Things: Downy Unstoppables

Do you use Downy Unstoppables?  If you don't, you need to.  They are completely frivolous, since they are simply a scent booster, but they make your laundry, especially towels, smell so fresh.  And the scent stays much longer.  They come in two scents, Lush and Fresh.  We use Fresh because my husband thinks Lush is a little girly.  You just throw a cup of the beads directly into the wash, and it is safe for HE.  They can be a little difficult to find.  I haven't been able to find at Target or some grocery stores.  But Walgreens has it, and it's definitely worth the effort to locate.


Completely unsolicited endorsement, I'm just addicted.

I {heart} Downy Unstoppables.

Cooking for a Crowd: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 I have a short list of recipes for cooking for larger groups.  For company, I like to be able to make ahead and serve buffet-style.  Topping the list is Pulled Pork Sandwiches.  Sometimes people are a little leery, but once they have them,...it's true love.  I made them this weekend for Father's Day, and as usual, the recipe is requested.  And nothing could be easier.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 Pork Tenderloin
1 two liter of Root Beer (not diet)
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce (Salt Lick for us)

Place the Pork Tenderloin in the crock pot and cover with Root Beer.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Drain, fork to shred and add BBQ sauce.  How easy is that?  I serve with Hawaiian Rolls, sliced pickles and have guests make their own mini sandwiches.  My secret ingredient is the Salt Lick BBQ sauce.  It's a local BBQ place here in Austin and their sauce is sweet and heavenly.  It is available at the grocery store here, or you can order it online.

I served it with the Pinterest Corn on the Cob that is floating around right now.  That is my new favorite way to cook corn.  It definitely lived up to the hype.  You could also serve with baked beans, potato salad or cole slaw.  Even the kids are big fans.  So pull out the crock pot and order some Salt Lick.

Pinterest Project: Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers

 Yum.  So Painting with a Twist is BYOB and FOOD!  Megan brought the yummiest treat for painting.  I swear I had ten.  She said they were so easy, and I figured I could find them on her Pinterest Board.  And lo and behold, there they were, Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers.  So I pinned them and made them this weekend.

They are very simple.  Probably take about 7 minutes.  And everyone loved them.  The original recipe is from Something Swanky.

Rolo Stuffed Ritz Crackers

Place Ritz crackers on a cookie sheet, and top each with a rolo.  Bake in the oven at 350º for a couple minutes, or until they start to melt slightly.  Remove from oven, and top with another cracker.  Let cool, and serve.  So simple, so tasty.  

I bought the Ritz crackers in the Fresh Stacks Package so they would keep longer and I could have the ingredients on hand to make in case of an emergency dessert need.

Verdict: PINTEREST SUCCESS!

Girl's Night: Painting with a Twist

 To maintain sanity in the house, every mom needs a regular Girl's Night Out.  And I really have a hard time doing dinner and drinks.  I need an activity!  Luckily, so do some of my mom-friends.  Payton organized a GNO at Painting with a Twist.  It's advertised as Art Entertainment, because it is not to be taken seriously, and wine is strongly encouraged.

Here's how it works:  You check the local calendar for the featured artwork you want to create and gather your friends.  It's BYOB, so you can bring dinner, snacks, sweets and your favorite beverage.  An instructor walks you through the painting step by step.  You leave with a (shockingly) nice piece of artwork.

Before I left for the class, my husband went through possibly locations for the painting.  I was a little concerned we were setting our expectations too high.  I'm just looking for a good time and not to humiliate myself.  But, off I went, champagne in hand.

Our featured artwork is Austin Starry Night.  It's a twist on Van Gogh's Starry Night with the Austin skyline.  Here's the class sample, not mine.  

 We pop open the champagne and the instructor walks us through the painting in baby steps.  About halfway though, Aimee and I start worrying about our finished products and comparing ours to other attendees.  I swear, the guy behind us is a professional artist.  But, we are having a great time, so we just keep painting.

As we wrap up, I'm pretty impressed with my painting and think it might possibly find a place in the house.  I think all the paintings in our group turned out pretty good.

And we had a really, really good time.  I think Painting with a Twist definitely makes it on to the GNO rotation.  If you are not in Austin, don't worry, there are 63 Painting with a Twist locations across the country.  So to all the moms out there, be sure you're getting a healthy dose of Girl's Night Out.  And maybe try painting something.  Who knows, you may be the next Van Gogh.

Pinterest Project: Doritos Bake

Instead of just repinning into a black hole, I am actually trying to recreate some pins.  Recently I took on the Doritos Bake I pinned.  She called it Mexican Chicken Casserole, but I call it Doritos Bake...because let's call a spade a spade.  I was a little concerned because the poster listed it under trash food, because it has no nutritional value.  But I must say, it was a huge success at our house.  I made a few tweaks to the recipe, so here is my version.

Mexican Chicken Casserole via Jam Hands

2 c. shredded cooked chicken
1 c. shredded cheese (or more, you know you want too)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 oz. cream cheese
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (we used MILD for the kids)
1/2 packet taco seasoning
Bag of Doritos

1. Pre-heat oven to 350-f degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except doritos.

3. In a greased 2 qt baking dish, put a layer of crushed doritos (about 2 cups), then a layer of the chicken mixture. Repeat once more, ending with a layer of chicken mixture. Top with more shredded cheese, cover, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till bubbling hot.


The whole family loved it, and I even divided it and took some down to the neighbors.  All the men said it would be good to mix up the flavors of Doritos, maybe throw in some Cool Ranch.  So next time I think I will try to mix it up.


Verdict:  PINTEREST SUCCESS

The big move...

 About six weeks ago, we decided to test the market on our house and list it.  It sold in 18 hours.  Thus began the scramble to find a new house in the school district we wanted our son to begin kindergarten in the fall.  More specifically, the elementary school we wanted.  So we challenged our Realtor to find us a house in about a mile radius, in our price range, that we could move into in 30 days.  Good Luck!  Well, they did it and we moved this weekend, from a house we built 6 years ago, to an older, smaller home in our preferred district.

I am excited to move into an older home, because that means the projects and decorating are limitless.  So my journey begins to blog my projects.  Hoping to have more successes than failures, but I will set a goal to simply avoid being featured on CRAFT FAIL.

Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair.

If there is one thing Caroline knows, it's what she wants and she doesn't waiver.  Caroline has wanted a Rapunzel Birthday Party for six months, so Rapunzel is what she got.  It was actually a very fun theme for me, and I had plenty of time to plan since she never changed her mind. (Like my son who went from Mario to Star Wars to Rio...really, BIRDS...all in a month's time)

Also, it was my first time to use Pinterest in the planning process.  Hallelujah!  Wow, does that make it easier to organize my ideas and tutorials.  I knew I wanted to focus on the sun banners, Rapunzel's long hair and the magic golden flower.  So our color palette was light purple, dark purple, light pink and yellow.

I wanted a statement before you entered the house.  I wanted it to seem as if you were entering Rapunzel's Tower.  Luckily, the front of our house resembles a tower, so I had to take advantage of it.  With a string of lights and 20 yards of gold tulle, we created Rapunzel's golden braid and hung it from the second story.  

I added posters of Flynn Rider and Paper Lanterns made from paper bags.  They were super simple to make thanks to my friend, Martha.  The sun was cut using my Silhouette SD and the trace function with this image.

From Pinterest, I saw a party using twisted crepe paper to create a backdrop.  I used this concept in shades of purple behind the dessert table and Rapunzel's photo wall.  It creates an amazing effect at an even better price.  $1.99 per roll and it took one roll of each color, so a whopping $3.98.

Everyone needs a picture with their favorite princess. 

The cake pedestals were made from candlestick and melamine plates painted a deep purple.  The cupcakes were decorated with grass icing and artificial flowers.  Each princess received a purple whirly pop as a gift to take home.

Caroline was very surprised by Rapunzel's visit, but I must say that what three year old girls enjoy most at a party is coloring.

In the end, I think all the princesses had a good time.  They sure were cute all dressed as their favorite princesses.