A little creativity ...

Its nap time! They are both asleep! Well I'm wearing one =) but still a huge accomplishment.
Any who I am realizing to keep my little ones (mostly Jyselle) minds nourished and my mind from exploding its going to take a little creativity. I really try to have our days as structured as I can and play time as creative and educational as I can but sometimes its hard and I get stumped as to what to do. Case in point.. we have really been into painting our nature finds these days ( but you can only paint a rock so many times lol) I planned "yarn crafts" today (playtime bonus I could get some knitting in ) but that completely blew up in my face n that turned into drumming lol because knitting needles clearly look like drumsticks =) Oh well I am learning that's part of the process. Back to the old drawing board or in my case Pintrest to find  ideas and mommy friendly blogs for more tips =)

painted nature...

doubles as cool home deco...

yarn crafts gone wild...

Quick go to non messy finger paint station awaits a napping toddler....

Pinning ....

Today started extra early. Like 6am early. My little ones must not have gotten the" mommy gets up early for a little time to herself" memo. Oh well our day was in full swing; breakfasts, meltdowns, Pilates, ( I'm trying to get back into that .. A Lil harder these days but that's another story ) potty training, crafts n I can keep going .. But while I have a minute n I do mean a minute ( attention spans n a care bare movie can only take one so far) I think it's the perfect time to share my favorite pins this week n pin a Lil more while I can!

A fall sangria I need in my life .. cailenascher.blogspot

great for nursing mommies milkfriendly.com

fun craft n my new favorite blog modernparentsmessykids.com

That butternut squash n bacon mac n cheese! browneyedbaker.com

Happy Snaps : Our Weekend

Friday Dinner out =)....

Daddy's little baller....

Carrot juice for two =)

Restarting an old hobby =)

Patrick's latest DIY

A brownie adventure...

Butternut squash bacon mac n cheese!!!!!

 And this was pretty much our little weekend! Happy Monday =)

LALALALA Jyselles World...

=) That was sung in my Elmo voice. What can I say this kid is 2 and every day she makes me laugh, makes me want to pull out my hair, and makes me so thankful I have her, because things just wouldn't be the same around here... more quiet yes... but not the same =) Here's some links to make you smile courtesy of Jyselles world lol. She loves these also if you get a chance this weekend watch The Muppets! I promise you will laugh, you will sing, you will dance, you will be happy.  Manima Na... dooh dooh dooh dooh dooh... Manima Na.

A little DIY plus a mini tour...

Ive been talking about how much fun we had doing little projects n things to make this space our own and today I am so excited to share! So let me just say that if your situation finds you in a cookie cutter apartment there is no reason why you cant think out of the box to make it your own! With the help of Pintrest ; ) my imagination, and my handy husband I think we did just that =)..I would like to call our style shabby chic =) Some of my favorite things we found at antique stores or we made ourselves. We love color and found ways to add it n not be evicted =) We are working on getting a better camera so please forgive the picture quality! We are far from finished and still have a lot of projects in the works to really put our little stamp on it but for now here's a little peak into the fun we had and some of our little nest we created...

Painting tables n cribs =)

Building our bar stools!! yes from scrap wood!!

Making a mirror..

the dining room ... with a custom bench by Patrick ; )

living room n my favorite corner...

kiddos room

little touches n some of my fave antique treasures...

Patricks man - cave ( aka the garage or "fam" cave) DIY projector screen..

painting pine cones

We are truly making the most of our new little place, ( I'll be sharing more on that soon =) ) while its not the farm life I dream of, its home now n I love it. Even though we are in an apartment there are beautiful trees all around , not to mention horses n ducks up the road. Jyselle n I were exploring and found a lil trail within our community gates aka our "backyard" and we collected pine cones, then for fun and a little "pre school" activity we decided to paint them. They came out so cute I think I may hang them in her room =)

Crock pot chicken Fajitas

This is one of my favorite Friday recipes. It's easy and delicious. Most of all it makes enough leftovers for Saturday and Sunday too! Make a big batch of brown rice n beans and you're good to go. We had chicken fajitas one night, chicken fajita burritos the next, and chicken fajita rice bowls for lunch Monday! Less time in the kitchen and more time for your weekend! Happy Friday :) **linked for another weekend potluck!

Crock pot chicken fajitas ( recipe adapted from Weelicous)
Family pack of boneless chicken breasts sliced thin strips( I use my kitchen shears! I hate chopping chicken)
3 bell peppers sliced into strips
1or 2 large onions sliced thin
1 packet of fajita seasoning n salt n pepper
 fajita size tortillas
a lil chicken broth or water (optional)
**lime, cilantro, sour cream, avocado..

*Place the onions n peppers on the bottom of the crock pot..
Then lay the chicken strips on top ...
Season with s&p n pour the fajita seasoning all over..
Add a lil chicken broth or water if you like n then cover n cook on low 3-4 hours or until chicken is cooked.
Keep on warm till your ready to serve.. squeeze a lil lime at the end too, yummy!

Pretty little chips

So we got the cutest purple potatoes in last weeks organic box. I must admit they sat on my counter for a few days while I wondered what to do with them. Then of course via Pintrest I saw purple potato chips! That recipe called for frying though ,which I really try not to do @ home for a lot of reasons =).. So I decided to use my favorite blog Weelicious's recipe for baked chips. Which is perfect because you can use any potatoes you have! In fact I made a second batch of chips using sweet potatoes and added a little pumpkin pie spice with salt.. yummy! These are great for a late night snack too and should keep a day or so but best right after baked for maximum crunchiness =) Enjoy! linked up for more fun @ weekend potluck

Purple Potato Chips
purple potatoes ( sliced super thin .. I used a handheld mandolin)
1 Tbs canola oil
Salt n any other seasoning you want try!

* Heat oven to 400..
Then add the potatoes, salt, n oil in a large zip lock bag and shake it up ..perfect job for little ones =) ..
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and make one layer of chips..
Bake for 10-15 min then flip  over and bake a lil more until  crisp (keep a CLOSE eye they burn fast!)
Enjoy!

Happy little extras

 We are settled in and easing into our new routine. Morning walks here are beautiful, and with the perks of our community (free coffee n music by the pool!!) a whole lot funner.

P.S...

With all the moving excitement I totally forgot to share! Our little diva Jyselle was featured on one of my favorite family blogs thebabyblackbird.com! Mini street style! She's growing more and more into this little person and I am in awe of her every day =)

Home Sweet Home

We are officially moved in and settling into our own lil place! This is the final piece in a puzzle of craziness =) I am beyond happy! Its been so fun to decorate and do little projects, personalizing our space, and I will be sharing them soon ( hubby is very proud =)...) Meanwhile I am enjoying every moment with my little family. Have a happy weekend!

Happy Snaps

This weekend was family pictures, ( I cant wait to see them!!) custard runs, and final shopping for our new place! We move Wednesday! I am so excited for everything to come together and to share all of the work my husband put into DIY'ing to make it our own =) Happy Monday!

Sweet veggie n sausage bake

I am really excited to share this recipe, it came about while I was browsing through Pintrest ( as usual). I had veggies and I had sausage and I was a little stumped what I wanted to do. I saw this recipe from dinneralovestory.com and got totally inspired. I decided to also combine a weelicious recipe and then magic happened. This sweet veggie n sausage bake was born. It was so good my sister and my niece even licked the foil clean and made it for dinner the next night! This recipe is perfect for fall and if you love it as much as we did make a double batch! Happy Friday! : ) ( Ive also linked up for another weekend potluck, check it out for more recipe inspiration!)

Sweet veggie n sausage bake
1package of sweet Italian sausage cut or chopped in large chunks
2 sweet potatoes peeled n chopped in large chunks
1 onion chopped in wedges
2 or 3 bell peppers of your choice chopped in large chunks
2 or 3 carrots peeled n chopped in large chunks
1 or 2 baking apples chopped in chunks
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs salt
*Combine all the veggies with the maple syrup, oil, n salt and marinate for an hour (or overnight too)..
Then heat oven to 425 spray a large foil lined baking sheet n place veggies n bake 25 min ..
After 25 min stir veggies and add sausage and apples (add a lil more maple if you like, i did )..
Then bake another 25-30 min or so till sausage is crispy n sweet (its ok if you forget like I did n leave it longer it just caramelizes everything even more =) Enjoy!