Valentine Mason Jars::tutorial

I love doing mason jar crafts! There's so much that you can do with a mason jar. Lately I have made gold sparkly mason jars for my baby's first birthday and I made a snow globe in a mason jar for Christmas. Here are 3 different jars I quickly made last week that would be great for Valentine's Day or for the first part of February! 

Here's a quick tutorial on the jar in the middle:

What you need: 

jar

2-3 different colors of tissue paper

mod podge

I started by ripping my tissue paper up in different size pieces. There's no wrong way to do this! Just start ripping...small, medium, large pieces...anything goes. I used red tissue paper and white paper with red hearts. After I got a couple piles, I spread mod podge over half the jar. You could use a paint brush to do this but I just used my finger. After you have a thin layer spread out, start laying your tissue paper down and lightly press it on the jar. Once that half is covered, do the exact same thing to the other side. I let that layer dry about 5-6 minutes then added a layer on top of the first one. I spread a second layer of mod podge all over the jar and stuck another layer of tissue paper on. 

And there ya go! A valentine tissue paper jar! 

For the gold jar, I had spray painted gold jars for Isla's birthday party back in December so I just used one of those and hand painted a light pink heart on it. Easy Peasy! And for the other jar, I painted the inside of the jar pink and added a little scrapbook paper heart to the front. There are so many different little things that you can do with a mason jar! Have fun! 

2 ways to use essential oils around the house

A few weeks ago I noticed that our dishwasher had a yucky film on the inside walls and that it smelt a little musty. I had heard of some people using their essential oil, Thieves to clean their dishwasher and thought I would give it a try.

 I would much rather use something natural and safe instead of say bleach or a harsh cleaning product. I dropped a few drops into the bottom of the dishwasher, closed the door, and turned it on a short cycle. While it was running, the Thieves aroma started seeping out and filled the kitchen with its yummy smell. When the dishwasher was done running, the inside looked much better, smelled great, and was free and clear of germs! I have decided to do this once a month. Can't hurt, right?! 

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A few days ago I was reading an article where a girl mentioned that she occasionally put fresh lemon slices in her vacuum bag to make her rooms smell lemony fresh. What a neat idea! We didn't have any lemons but I did have Lavender essential oil and I love the smell of lavender. So I put a few drops on a cotton ball, dropped it in the dirt catcher container, and vacuumed away. 

Wouldn't ya know it...the soft scent of lavender filled each room that I vacuumed! It was a light scent but if you would prefer a heavier scent, you could just add more drops to your cotton ball or toss in a second ball. I used lavender but you could also use any other of your  essential oils that you love the smell of. 

Nashville Parks: Nature Play at Edwin Warner

There are many wonderful parks in Nashville and they all have a lovely uniqueness about them. If you're over on the West side of town, you must visit Edwin Warner Park! It's our families most favorite outdoor spot. There is kind of a hidden spot for kids called Nature Play. It's located behind the Nature Center. The Nature Center is located at the corner of Old Hickory Blvd and Highway 100( entrance is on Highway 100 ). 

 Nature Play is good old fashion fun! It includes 2 huge dirt piles, a large sand pit, numerous shovels, buckets, trucks, and a water spigot just in case your child wants to make mud pies( or wash their dirty hands off )! Nature Play encourages your child to get messy and really get their hands into the nature around them. This park of course is free to everyone. There are also hiking trails, a creek, and lots of green space to enjoy nearby. Kids of all ages will enjoy Nature Play! 

Nature Play does have a fence that encases the play area. There are also benches along the fence where adults can sit while watching their kids. One other thing included inside the fence is a small wooden cabin for kids to go in and play around. Lots of imaginative play goes on there! 

Nature Play is a great way to get some fresh air while letting your kids experience the joy and fun of the outdoors. 

If you'd like to check out more about Warner Park Nature Center, head on over to their Facebook page HERE.

2 must try recipes!

Brent and I got a couple new cookbooks for Christmas and we have been putting them to good use the past couple weeks. We both love to cook! 

So I was actually watching Everyday Italian last Thursday and saw Giada make these and I knew that I had to make them that night especially since Brent likes cheese and sun dried tomatoes. I also made her spring greens salad with Prosecco vinaigrette to go with the cigars.

  Find the recipe HERE!

These were super easy to make! They would make a great appetizer or a meal! We paired our cheese cigars and salad with lasagna! 

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We made this lentil soup tonight and it's so good!! Lentils are also really good for you. They have tons of protein and iron along with other great vitamins and minerals. Brent got a

cookbook called The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook which is where this recipe came from. Here's the recipe and ingredients:

{We didn't use wine and I think it turned out just fine...also, we used a large pot not a Dutch oven...also, perfectly fine outcome.}

Y'all will have to try these recipes out!! They are truly both very delicious!

December Pictures of Isla

Just catching up a bit...I know that I will LOVE looking back at all of these sweet Christmastime pictures of Isla next year and years to come! Here are collages of her from the month of December. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

December pictures of Rowen

Here are some collages of sweet pictures of Rowen from the month of December. We had so much fun together this month and I'm so glad to have lots of pictures of him during the Christmas season. 

Happy New Year{ and new years eve }

Happy New Year to all of you in blogger land and all of you readers of my blog too! 2015 has gotten off to a great start...yea, it's only the second day of the new year but still...a good start! It's been quite a mellow lazy start as well. We have just kind of hung around the house the past couple days which has actually been really nice. The few weeks before Christmas, Brent was traveling at least once a week and gone for up to 3 days at some points. So relaxing at home NYE and New Years day was just what he wanted to do. 

We started the day with donuts and ended the day watching football games and digging up pictures of last New Years day. 

::Donut Lovers::

Left: A year ago  Right: This year

My how much difference a year makes! 

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I started New Years Eve off with a trip to the mall...to spend gift cards! I actually love getting gift cards for Christmas. I had a little shopping buddy with me!

We didn't have plans to go out for the evening so we stayed in and  cooked a yummy dinner...

:: Grilled Italian Chicken, Dill Potatoes, & Roasted Beet and Basil Quinoa Salad

::Party Kids::

I bought some noise makers for Rowen b/c I thought he would like them...he did! He's still playing with them. 

Brent and I stayed up and watched Parenthood( We are on season 2 and are addicted. Love that show. )and then watched the ball drop before falling fast asleep. 

Happy New Year. May the new year bring you lots of laughs, much joy, and bring you closer to the ones you love!