Christmas 2014 Recap

Christmas is over! I have a love hate relationship with the holiday. I love it once the tree and decorations are all set-up, but I hate tearing them all down. Luckily I have an awesome husband and he too down almost everything this year.

The kiddos had a great time with Christmas this year, and both of them enjoyed opening their gifts. R-man cared more about the paper, but C really got into the Christmas gifts.

On Dec. 20, we ventured to the Bruck family Christmas. We had a gift exchange with the siblings and their significant other and it was a lot of fun. The kids got a few toys, but mostly money for their college fund. Lord knows they will need it when they are 18.

The Bruck family, minus my sister Becky Kinney

Christmas Wreath for under $30

I have been wanting a Christmas wreath for our front door, but all the ones I have seen have poinsettias on them. I wanted something simple with a bow and Christmas ball ornaments. I decided to make just what I wanted and it turned out to be a lot cheaper than the ones I saw in the store.

Cost of items I used to make the wreath:

• 24" green wreath - $6 at Mills Fleet Farm
• Solid glass ball ornaments - $9.99 for two boxes at Michaels
• Bow - $3.99 at Michaels
• Gauge wire - $3.49 at Michaels
• Wreath holder with suction cup -$2.99 at Hobby Lobby
• Total = $26.46

We first assembled the bow to the wreath! I wanted a bow that was unique and luckily Michaels has a variety of homemade bows for sale. This bow was originally $7.99, but I had a 50% off coupon so it only cost $3.99.

Kids Update (November)

Here’s a quick update from this past month.

R-man is growing up right before our eyes. The kid is becoming very independent and absolutely loves the outdoors. Although, he isn't fond of the snow!

Thanks to Kari Bruck Photography for the great work!

Age:
R-man is 16 months 
Little-C is 2 yrs. 11 months

Stats:
R-man is:

• Weight: 22 lbs. 14 oz. (51%)
• Height: 32" (78%)
• Head: 19" (86%)

Little-C is 32 lbs.

Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza

Our entire household loves this homemade BBQ chicken pizza. It's extremely easy, cheap and tastes delicious! 

BBQ Chicken Pizza
1 pkg. Better Crocker pizza crust
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 c. Countryside BBQ sauce
1/3 c. sauteed onions, chopped
2 c. mozzarella cheese

Mix the Better Crocker pizza crust according to the directions. Flatten out on a pizza pan or stone. Place just the crust in the oven at 350 for 5-8 minutes. In the meantime, chop onions and sautee them with a little olive oil.

Remove the crust from the oven and top with Countryside BBQ sauce, add sauteed onions and cooked chicken. Then top with mozzarella cheese.

Cook pizza for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and cut into squares.

 

The delicious BBQ chicken pizza!

Pantry Organization

After only being in our house for six weeks, I thought it was time to organize our pantry since it was starting to look a little out of sorts! I hate it when things are just tossed in and you can't seem to find what you want.

 

Weekend Wrap Up (11.21-11.23)

We were hoping to cheer the Cyclones onto a win this weekend, but that didn't happen. Dave and I had a great time on Saturday as we headed up to the ISU football game. The kids had a great time as well with Jessica! It is so great to leave the kids with a babysitter we trust when we go out! Taking the kids to a daycare center allows for an unlimited number number of babysitters when our normal sitter, Sam is unable to watch them.

We were fortunate to get passes into the Jacobson Athletic Building. It was just a little walk from our car so we didn't even have to take our jackets. We had a great time and even managed to get on field passes during the third quarter. Janet also met up with a few of her co-workers who also had tickets.

Dave and I enjoying the balcony on the Jacobson Building.

Weekend Wrap Up (11.7-11.9)

This past weekend was about ME! I love spending time with my husband and kids on the weekends, but once in a while a Mama needs a day to herself!

I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning (5:40 a.m.) to get ready to head to Underwood to meet my lil' sister for a day of shopping. On my way home, I noticed the skies were absolutely beautiful so I pulled over for some quick photos. I had to capture the beautiful sunrise that was visible in my rear view mirror and the beautiful clouds as I headed west. I made sure to pull over where I knew I could capture a corn field in the background.