It's amazing what you can do with Peanut Butter!

This has been one crazy winter here in Texas. Once again it's 70 degrees on New year's Eve. We were under freeze warnings for 3 days, thunderstorm watch and now sunny skies with no breeze and warm enough to be outside so that's what we did! The grass is dead our trees are confused and haven't she'd their brown dried up leaves. The birds flying around looking for food and I habe no clue if they are even finding it, so we thought we'd help. What you're gonna need! Peanut Butter (creamy)is Cardboard toilet paper holder or paper towel cardboard holder cut in half. Bird Seed Ribbon. Grab you a spoon or knife and spread peanut butter. Completely cover the roll. Grab the burd seed and either pour it out on a towel or bounce it up and down in the bag. (I prefer the bag) Grab your Ribbon and cut a piece off and slowly slide it through the cardboard hole and tie it. Go hang it on a tree . That's it and extremely easy and quick to do with the Littles..

It's almost over!

Christmas... You know I'm not that big of a fan. I love seeing my daughter excited though. Her face light up and watching her open her presents. As you get older though, Christmas just isn't there anymore. That feeling disappears. It totally sucks. I try every year to be happy or completely excited but I can't. I watched polar express and The Grinch. Now I feel like the Grinch.. just blah. I used to love singing Christmas songs and now I avoid them. I absolutely Loathe the sappy holiday love stories they play on tv. It's just not a happy holiday. The start of a new year sounds interesting though. The fact that maybe next year will be better and I can lose the blah attitude and hopefully enjoy all the holidays. Anyways. Here are pics of my adorable daughter.. She's extremely happy. I'll be back soon with a new craft and recipe for humans and dogs... maybe cats too!

Just Keep Swimming

So Christmas Break is in FULL swing here and my Sweet P is having cabin fever already. I have literally been searching everywhere for something easy that can keep a toddlers attention and be interesting. I have figured out that keeping my child's attention is quite simple as long as she has something healthy to munch on. Apples, Mandarin Oranges, Peaches, Mott's Gummies or Sunkist (no artificial colors or flavors) or even a bowl of goldfish. That is when I found this amazing little craft that is just perfect for a Mommy/Daddy and kid(s) craft. I LOVE doing them with my daughter, great bonding time. So, what you're gonna need is 2 Paper plates, goldfish (any color, any size. We used Pretzel just because I LOVE them), construction paper, crayons, Glue (parent supervised super glue), Cherrio's, Saran wrap in blue if you can find it. Silver fingernail polish, crayons and hot glue gun, (Parent supervision of course) You begin by cutting a hole in one plate, grabbing those cherrio's and gluing them down onto the outside of the plate. Paint the oh's silver and set it to the side. This is where it get's fun! Grab the other plate. Grab your construction paper and start cutting out underwater weeds, and coloring on the plate to make it resemble the ocean floor. Don't forget it does NOT have to be perfect. This is a do it yourself and make it special project. After you get your plants and back ground done, grab those cute little goldfish (if you haven't munched them all gone) and starts gluing them to your paper plate. No specific order. Grab the Other plate and grab that blue saran wrap and cut a circle big enough to fit over the hole. Glue it down and make sure it's completely dried before you do anything else with it. Start adding your Plant Life on your plate and you'll see it's turining into your own personal porthole to the sea. After you secure your plant life down, grab your other plate and begin to secure it with your glue gun. You can add any type of hanging device. I wouldn't recommend you putting in the bathroom though. To much humidity might mess it up. I hope you enjoy this project. It's a complete blast to do with your child. I'm going to post a stock photo of it because Paislie's is down stairs and I didn't get a picture. It's extremly cold and I'm not getting out of my covers. I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Holiday break!

Picture Perfection

As usual I'm always snapping pics of my child. This day and age snapping pics is so eat and less time consuming so of course you can be walking around somewhere and see peyote doing selfies, tourist pics, family pics, and of course the mommy taking pics of her littles. Then they are either stuck on your phone or Facebook. I don't like using quick print places because I'm not a fan of glossy finish. If I'm gonna place my photo in a frame that already has a reflective surface why would I want a shiny picture? Anyway, this year I had the perfect pic for the Christmas Cards and of course I was to late to send them so I only ordered one so I could stare at how absolutely BEAUTIFUL it is. Tree quality is absolutely flawless! I swear I order everything from Adoramapix. I know their quality and I know it is always packaged correctly an in perfect condition even it gets here. I'm just obsessed. This Christmas card just makes me so happy even if I only have 1. It's ON the fridge like a child hangs their prized drawings! This is a prized card and I'm pretty sure I'll frame it and leave it up all year round. #Adoramapix #usfamilyblogger #igotitfree

I received this item to review. I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations.

Kid Crafts - Natures a friend

Sometimes during the holidays money is tight and it's pretty frustrating to have your kids home for close to 2 weeks repeating how bored They are. I know it used to drive my parents nuts. Here's a fun little craft that gets them outside (only if you aren't covered in that white fluff, I'll give you the same idea for an in home craft.) Here at this house we love nature. So get yourself outside and grab some sticks or twigs. When you get inside you'll want to break those twigs in 5 inch pieces and have a few 3 1/4th inch pieces. Put them in a rectangle shape and tie the overlapped corners with twine. Find some acorns or small leaves to Decorate it with and then spray with clear sealant. That's it! Let it dry and there is your new photo frame!

Pumpkin and Peanut Butter

As you can tell I absolutely love my dog. I hate buying over the counter dog treats. They smell horrible and they have very little healthy nutrient in them. It seems most of them consist of oils and crude fats. I care about my dog much more than that and have found some amazing recipes for natural dog treats that are simple to make and very easy to clean up. Today my daughter and I made Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Treats. We used 2 cups of wheat flour, 1 egg,1/2 cup of pumpkin and 1/3 cup of peanut butter, parchment paper, cookie sheet, cookie cutters and a rolling pin pre heat oven to 350... Do not use a mixer of any kind. This is a very dry mixture and I ended up using my hands to mix it. I really hope that you have a rolling pin because it's very needed with this. As soon as we got it all in a ball I started kneeling it more. It's so crumbly. I pretty much looked every where for a sturdy cup though and used it as a rolling pin. I grabbed my parchment paper and plopped that big ball down and started smashing it. Now I realize how weak I am. I couldn't even begin to get it flat. About a 1/2 in thick..It took a bit for me at first but I got it! Cookie cutters of course make it tons more fun. I do not make them in biscuit shape, it's so boring. We used lips, a dress, a high heel shoe, a heart and my favorite, Batman. We rolled and places and rolled and placed. After we places as many as we could on the parchment covered cookie sheet, we pipped it in the oven And set the timer for 40 minutes. We kept going though and just kept repeating until we used every bit of dough. I had a tiny quarter sized piece left so I flattened it and threw it on the extra cookies we needed to bake. I can't say to a human they smell great in the oven to human noses but it's not to bad. Over all, it was pretty fun to make. I think 40 minutes might be a bit long so check after 20 minutes. The 40 minutes was a bit crisp which I'm sure she won't mind. Anyway, enjoy making these and if you have littles let them help. This is a very easy mess to clean up.

- Dog Post- You're breath is gonna kill me!

I cannot believe how bad my dogs breath smells. It's completely unbelievable! I keep thinking brushing will help but it doesn't last and I'm not sure why they think bacon and cheese flavor is going to help. I thought humans have bad morning breath but that is a relief to smell compared to my dog. I have found the trick though. When I first started making these I was using dried products because I didn't think it would make a difference. Well it does and I completely understand it now. Dried takes out all the flavor and nutrients. While you still taste it in foods it's half the flavor than it was. As a matter of fact, I know completely understand why they put parsley sprigs on your plate at restaurant. This also helps with bad breath in humans too! Anyway, back to the recipe! I'm using ac stock photo for the moment because I haven't made them in a while. I will be making some this week and be posting them in this post. Anyway, enjoy helping your dog naturally freshen breath. No more buying the chemical stuff! --------------------------------------------- Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped 1 large egg (see tip below for dogs with allergies to chicken products) 1/4 cup of water, plus 1 teaspoon 3 tablespoons coconut oil (unrefined extra-virgin is best) --------------------------------------------- Directions: Preheat the oven to 325° F Add oats to a blender and pulse to a flour like consistency. In a large bowl whisk together diced parsley and mint, egg, water, and oil. Add oat flour and stir to combine. Knead dough a few times then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten dough to about 1/8″ thick. Using a cookie cutter or knife cut out approximately 40 (1-inch mints) mints. Place mints about 1/4-inch a part on a parchment lined or non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Allow mints to cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container. Tip: For dogs with allergies to chicken products, substitute one large egg with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.

Threenager Blues and cotton balls with glue.

I don't remember when I was three but when it was cold out I'm sure I wasn't happy. My sweet girl has cabin fever and I swear she is going crazy. I want so badly to take her somewhere and let her have some fun but there is nothing freev in life except the park and it's to darn cold. This Momma was thinking about a go find account just for my sanity! Luckily I googled and googled and found something for her to do yesterdat. Even though it required a lot of parental guidance. Cotton balls were my best friend, plates and glue helped out too! She was so proud of the turn out that she just had to shoe her Memaw and Pawpaw. Become the cotton ball queen with your little one today!

Pretty cute right! I totally get why my mom has a box of stuff I made as a Kid. I couldn't be more excited for Paislie when she was done. She looked so excited about her accomplishment. Anyway, there's tot a quick idea for a stuck in the house too cold day!

I Shall Tie No More!

I have to say that tying shoes is simple but you step on one lace and you're having to stop what you're doing, bend down and tie it hoping no one trips over you if you're in a busy place or that it's not going to make you late to an appointment. These things are also great for hiking and workouts, you never have to worry about tripping over loose shoelaces. Then you have toddlers who aren't old enough to tie their shoes and velcro isn't exactly the cutest (that's just my opinion.) With toddlers, as cute as they are, they are clumsy with their feet and tennis shoes are just a pain then you have to double knot and all that junk. There is a fix y'all! A fix really exists! These amazing little time savers are called HICKIES. They come in an array of colors, but mine are black and pink to match my shoes!

I have saved so much time! There are 3 different fits to them. Regular, Loose or my most comfortable, right. They fit all fit all shoe sizes too! I'm just in love with these and I feel like I should buy them for everyone in my family. My mom also tested a set in her shoes and they were all white. My mom actually has some issues with her feet. She has a heel spur and her foot cramps up quite a bit and swells then she has to sit down and adjust her shoelaces. Well not anymore, because of the elasticity of these little beauties, they stretch with her feet and she's able to go farther longer even though there are sitting breaks in between. Anyways, find them and buy them! I just I was able to get these free for my true honest opinion of the product. These are my feelings. #usfamilyguide #gotitfree #bloggerperks

Oh the snowman! How I love them! - winter craft, adult level

Here in Texas we don't get much snow but we get plenty of cold. I absolutely love snowmsnowmen and love to get as many snowmen crafts as I can. I'll be making one of these next week. I'm not going to have a lot to write about here until I make it, but I thought I would show you the idea! You'll need Terracotta pots Acrylic Paint Paper or Ribbon (I'm choosing paper and modgepodge to cover and coat) Anything else you want to add to a snow man! If anyone makes one please share it with me!

All for Tiny toes - winter craft

We have a tradition with my daughter that I absolutely love to do. She gets a little weird about paint being on her feet. She definitely does not like being dirty but after it's done she thinks it's really cool. V the first we do every year is her feet. It takes quite a bit of time since she moves quite a bit, I always end up getting my sister to help. So there are a few things you're gonna need. Canvas (I use canvas because it lasts longer) Acrylic Paint - white,light blue, black, pink, purple, red. Or you can choose your own colors.c Paint brushes - thin point, one you can squish with for texture, a wide one and a basic small one. Feet (those are really important) You can also do a family feet photo! My plan with these is that not only will I enjoy them in my old age but that she will cherish them in time after her teenage years. Lol!

Weekly Recipe - Rosemunnar (Swedish Thumbprint Cookies)

I swear the holidays bring trouble for me. I have a sweet tooth that you can't even imagine. It was a horrible time to start a diet, but I did anyway. I still sneak sweetd around though. I'm have to hide them from my 3 year old who seems to find them anyways. My favorite sweets are cookies. There are so many different kinds with so many amazing flavors. When I was a tiny for my grandmother used to bring home the cookie with the jelly in them on occasions and they were so amazing. It took me years to find out what they really were. I have decided to share this with y'all. It is the simplest cookie you will ever make with a tasty jelly Vetter and what makes this better is you can experiment with different jelly's to find your favorite. I totally recommend these for any holiday get together. I guarantee you'll be taking home an empty plate. ENJOY! _____________________________________________ Swedish Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose
1/2 cup any flavor fruit jam

Directions

Prep
40 m

Cook
15 m

Ready In
55 m

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour, and mix well.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets.
Imprint your thumb in the center to make a 1/2-inch indentation.
Fill with your favorite preserves.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Pups need love at Christmas Time - Recipe Inside.

Well it's that time of year. Sparkling lights, Christmas trees everywhere and quite a bit of giving. I love giving my dog presents even though I'm not sure she even has a clue what is going on. Either way I love doing it so I don't feel like I'm leaving her out. I'm not fond of store bought treats. Have you ever just put your nose to them and actually smell them. I'm not sure as a dog I would ever eat them. Anyways this recipe is cool proof and fun. If you have little ones, you can make these after Santa's cookies are made that way your sweet pup doesn't bother Santa while he's laying out those presents. No one wants our little ones awake. So, below is the recipe. Get creative with your cookie cutters and have fun! My sweet Piper is below! Don't forget to share the treats with other pup friends!
INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
(see note below for substitutions)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
***NOTE: if you want to make these wheat free, you can use rice flour of coconut flour***


Instructions

preheat oven to 350F
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and the egg.
Add peanut butter, water, honey and stir until you have stiff dough.
The dough becomes very firm and sticky.
You may need to use your hands, or the paddle attachment on your mixer.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. the treats barely spread and rise, so get creative with your shapes.Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.keep in an airtight container or give as gifts!

Notes:
Try to stay away from non natural peanut butter.
If you'd like to change the flavor,  pumpkin or sweet potato.