~ Twins And A Play Date ~

Today me and my gang got the privelage of hanging out with our friends Liz and Evie!
You see, Liz normally works M-F but since she had the day off she decided to come over so we could get the girls together for a long over due play date.

Well when Liz and Evie walked in the door you would never guess what happened....
Evelyn and Greta were wearing the exact same shirt!!!



Besides the khaki shorts they looked just like twins! From the light hair, to the pony, to the shirt. They just looked like 2 little peas in a pod!

It was great having them together! And they played so nicely! Since they are so close in age I think they just understood eachothers language and play style. They shared and played together very nicely. Of course there was alot of Nuk and sippy cup sharing as well! :) Gotta love germs!



Thanks for a great play date Liz and Evelyn. Greta was standing at the door waving bye long after you had left! I think she realized she was left with just her boring baby brother and she missed her friend! Haha.



Have a great weekend everyone!

~ Garage Sale Goodies! ~

So, I got up bright an early this morning to hit up some garage sales... and boy am I glad I did!
I actually was at my very first estate sale today! It was a little strange rummaging around a little old ladies house that had passed away... but she did have some good things stashed in her house, so I was so happy I forgot about feeling weird!

Little old lady who lived on Woody Lane... if you are reading this, or looking down on this... please know that I will take good care of your things and turn them into beautiful new "ditty's!"

I told you I would post pictures, so here are my goodies from the day....
I know they don't look like much, but give it time, and in the future I will post each and everyone of them in their new glorious state!




A whole table of goodies, 4 bags to be exact! For only $16.00



I am really excited about all the glassware I found! I just love old mason jars!



I have high hopes for this chunky, gorgeous frame! Of course, the picture will be going in the trash! - Sorry little old lady.



And these lamps were a steal!!! The lady running the sale saw me contemplating taking them home and so she says "Instead of $1 a piece... I'll give you BOTH lamps for $1 - SOLD!!!
I'm thinking once they are cleaned up, they might look super cute with a new shade all decked out in buttons and ribbon?!

Hmmm, so many projects and ideas.... so little time! :)

~ Garage Sale Shopping ~

I'm diving into the world of blogging full force and participating in my first ever "link party!"
I am linking up over at We Are That Family for WFMW - "Works For Me Wednesday"

Over the last couple of months I have really got into garage saling. I have always liked garage sales, I just either never had the time or kind of never thought about them much. Now... when I see a sign... I have to stop! Or at least do a slow drive by to check it out! (I have 2 kids you know! And if they are with it better be a good one for me to drag both of them out of the car!)

I think the problem I had with garage sales was I never knew where to find them. I mean do people just go driving around looking for signs? Do you look in the paper to find people who have put out an ad telling you about their sale? I guess I didn't (and still don't) know the TRUE secrets of a mad garage saler! But after doing a little thinking and research of my own... this is the plan or routine that I have come up with... hence, it Works For Me...

* I first start out by going onto Craigslist - under my state of course.

* Once I'm on Craigslist I click on garage sales and then refine my search at the top of the page. This is where I will type in my city or any surrounding city I may want to go garage saling in.

* After it pulls up all the garage sales in my city I will click on the ones that sound good and put together a list of the sales I want to go to.

* Once I have put together my list, I will quickly go through and sort them out by what time and days they are open.
For example: All the ones that open Thursday at 8:00am go in one column and all the ones that open Thursday at 9:00am go in another and so on and so forth.
I do this because I like to go first thing in the morning!

* After my list is sorted out by time I head over to mapquest and enter in the first address I would like to go to. (you all know how mapquests works)

* However here's the trick - after I have entered my first address, I will continue to enter in all the addresses to the garage sales I want to go to that day!
Mapquest will then start giving you driving directions from one sale to the next.
The neat thing about their site is that they have a tool at the bottom where you can choose to move an address up or move an address down on the list. That way you can effectively map out your driving route to the next closest sale!



* And there ya' have it! It takes about 20 minutes or so, but once you are done you will have your handy dandy mapquest directions and you can drive straight from one garage sale to the next. That is of course if you don't stop for other signs you see along the way! Haha, yeah right!



Not the most genius or inventive thing... but it works for me!
I hope this helps someone else get a time effective and organized grip on garage saling! - Good Luck!

I'll post pictures later tomorrow night or Friday and show you any goodies I may have found! Wish me luck!

P.S. - I hope you like the new addition of the header to Appleberry's Attic! I thought the red barn scene was oh so cute and the black and white pictures down the side are a great way for me to show of my pride and joys! :)

P.P.S - See, I told you we have been super busy lately! This is how all 3 boys in my house fell asleep last night....

~ Busy Bee ~

Wow, it's been a week since I blogged last! Is anyone still out there? Do I have any readers left?! You must really like me and my kiddo's to keep coming back to read about our crafting, chaotic life! - Good for you and thanks!

So like the post says... I've been busy! Busy as a little bee I tell ya!

FIRST:
I got a part time job! Yes, the exclamation mark is needed. I'm pretty excited! This whole endeavor started... hmm lets see... back on April 23rd! :) After having a second baby we quickly learned that our budget was tight. And when I say tight, I mean no eating out after church on Sunday, I can't afford a haircut, better box die my hair, and rent from the Redbox, kind of tight! So we knew we could survive but all our luxuries were stripped away and the future looked pretty bleak... and so did my hair!
So my wonderful, hard working hubby started the search for a part time job. After 2 months, 2 interviews, and a couple hopeful call backs... he still had nothing! So, that's when it hit me... as a female I could probably apply for a whole different field of jobs?! So I hit it full force! I jumped on Craigslist, (my favorite site) searched the part time job category, and there it was... the perfect part time job!
I called, we set up a time to meet, she interviewed me and 1 other girl, I must have been "cooler" because I got the job! - Go me!
And there ya have it. I am now the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) for a 34 year quadriplegic woman named Tara... and boy am I pumped! I will be helping her with every day things like getting ready, running errands, making her meals, and hanging out! If you're a believer like myself I would call this "divine appointment!" Just when we had lost hope and just about all our extra money... God came through, like He always does. The hours are perfect and the pay is just what we needed. Plus, Loren will not be losing any of his already limited time with our babies. It's a win win. Thank you God for always being so good to me. Talk about faithful!



SECOND:
I have been crazy busy stalking fellow bloggers! I know, I know, insert your joke or comment here. But I can't help it. I am so inspired and motivated by these other women's projects, planning, and parenting. I just needed a week or so to soak it all in.
I have started an idea folder. - A 3 ring binder that is broken down into different categories. - Then when I see a project I'd like to try or a kitchen that inspires me, I just print off the picture and file it in my folder! The attic in my brain is just to full of other things... like what we're low on in the fridge or all those catchy Backyardigans tunes I have to sing to Greta!
I am working on accumulating my 30 meals which is actually harder than I thought. Or maybe I am just feeling like the recipes I have are sad and boring?!
Speaking of that, my friend Chelsey is trying to organize a recipe night. A night where everyone brings a dessert, appetizer, dip, main meal, etc. and then shares the recipe. I am really looking forward to this night and hoping it will get me out of my "recipe rut!" However for all you other girls who read my blog... feel free to leave a favorite recipe of your families in my comment section. IF everyone who stops by to read this post does that, we could all grab a couple quality recipes... just an idea! :)



AND THIRD:
Mr. Appleberry and I have been working on painting and refinishing a little Craigslist find of mine! Have I told you how much I LOVE Craigslist?!
I was scrolling around the furniture section when I came across this gorgeous maple coffee table for 15 DOLLARS!!! I could hardly believe my eyes!
The legs were beautiful, the body was solid, and the corners weren't sharp... which would inevitably prevent one of my children from falling into it and needing stitches. She was perfect! So I sent Loren over in the truck to pick her up and bring her home!
We've sanded and painted her, now were' just waiting for the paint to cure so we can sand and rough her up a bit. Then a couple coats of poly and she should be finished. But for now... here is a taste of what she looked like when we brought her home....



I will post some more pictures of this coffee table once we officially get it done.
I've also been doing some little crafty projects, but again, they are birthday presents for a friend and I will post a couple of these cute ideas once she opens them!
So what do you think? Add this on top of laundry, work, dinners, cleaning, and kids.... I've been pretty busy!
Hope you liked getting caught up on our life. I have some things coming up and others in the works, so I should be posting more!

Hope you're having a great week!
~ And don't forget to share a recipe if you think of it!

~ Idea Overload! ~

Ever since I entered the world of blogging I have become a HUGE fan of some other gals blogs! Ok, ok... I'll admit it... I'm addicted!!!
There are so many amazing, crafty, talented, genius, and thrifty women out there! Honestly girls, I can't get enough!

So since I love to blog and I love to share... I thought I would combined the 2 into a post. Trust me, after you see some of these ideas you will be completely inspired to try one of them as your own little project! Who knows... you may start stalking these poor women's blogs like I do! *You've been warned! Haha!

NOTE: All of these pictures have been taken from fellow bloggers I like to follow. If by chance you see that I have posted your picture or idea and would prefer I not post about it, please let me know and I will have no problem removing it!

And now...... ENJOY!......

At the top of the list is my all time favorite blogger! She doesn't even know me, but I feel like we are friends! Well, at least kindred spirits! She is the post talented women/blogger I know. Here is a post she did about painting pine furniture. I love the blue color and her "no rules about it" approach to just about ever project she does! Ok, enough said... just go check out her blog... she's a decorating genius!

Here is another post from the Nester herself! In this post she literally gives you a tutorial or the 411 on how to cover windows. Fabric is a must and a great way to add color and texture to any room. I have been so inspired by this window "mis-treatment" post... I think you will be too!

This pot idea really grabbed my eye. They are cute, they are cheap, and they look easy to make. I have already done a small, slightly different, version of these pots with things I had on hand. I will have to take some pics and do a little post on them! But for now... here is where I got my inspiration!



Again, over at 320 Sycamore, Melissa has decided to paint her laundry room. But before she decided, she accumulated some ideas and pictures of some other gals laundry rooms. Go check out this post... I promise you'll be inspired by these ideas. OR... you'll want to change your laundry room, I do!

Check out this neat little magnetic refrigerator board! This is definitely an idea I am going to log away in my brain and do when I find the time!

This framed pear project is just tooooo stinkin' cute and not to mention, easy as pie! I think my kitchen needs a couple of these, don't you?! Maybe with some lemons or apples! Hmmm?!



Over at nannygoat they have come up with such a creative way to store all your favorite recipes! Their post on 30 meals is so fun and clever! Again... yet another idea I am going to have to put in the attic of my brain. One day I will get to this project for sure!



Ohh... and don't forget to check out the tutorial on how to make the refrigerator box to hold all the recipes from the above 30 meals!

Ok, so this is not so much a "project" you can do... but look at this kitchen! I absolutely love the style Layla uses over at The Lettered Cottage. For some reason this kitchen just makes me smile! And the idea for that bench is amazing!!! What do you gals think of all her pretties?!



And last but not least I would like to give a shout out to my real life friend... Liz! She found this tutorial on how to make an apron out of a pillowcase. She made one herself and it turned out great! Check out her page... she has the link that will get you right over to that tutorial!

Well girls.... I have a million more ideas and things I have found out in blog land but I only have so much time to dream! Like I said earlier... I will just have to store all these ideas in the attic of my brain and reference back to them when I have the time, the resources, and the kids aren't hanging on me!

I hope you all enjoyed all these little snid-bits and are super inspired to make any of these or even some of your own creations! Really, just dive in and make something that makes you smile, it's totally worth it!

~ A Little Bit of Paint ~

Over the weekend in my tiny bit of spare time, I got the urge to paint something! You see, I am not the biggest fan of our living room right now (it's super dark in there with the green carpet and brown couches and I just hate the wall color. Hmm, maybe I'll post some pics and a blog about that!) Anyways, so I am slowly doing little projects here and there to make it more like I want.
I have recently been inspired by a gal I know named Kurstin. She will literally paint and re-paint anything and everything in her home at least twice! If you want, go check out her recent paint project it's beautiful!
So with the goal of lightening things up in there and making it a bit more cottage/shabby chic... I decided to grab some craft paint and go to town!



Like I said, I only had a tiny bit of spare time so I decided to start out small and re-do some picture frames! These frames were all a sad brown or wood tone, and like I said, I just need to lighten some things up in my dark living room!
Even though these frames had a small shine to them I decided not to sand them. Now for a different surface like a table, bench, chair, etc. I would have done a little sanding. But for these, I just started painting......



I gave each frame 2 coats of paint and then let them dry completely. Once they were dry I took a palm sander and sanded down the edges, giving them a really nice soft, antique look. I think a little sanding definitely helps bring out some gorgeous detail on the edges.



And really that was it! A little bit of paint and some sanding can go a long way!
Here is what the shelf and frames looked like before......



And here is what the shelf and frames look like now, with a little bit of paint...... (see, the wall color definitely needs to be changed! It is so drab & dull.)


It is slowly but surely getting better in the living room. I still love the warm country feel I have goin' on but I would love to try some new things and incorporate a bit more cottage into our home!
It's possible I can mix those two styles, right???

It may be a long process but I have some ideas in my head that I think will make my living room more like I had imagined it!
Has that ever happened to any of you? You move into your house and have to make so many split decisions on decorating and paint that you end up going back and thinking... wait a second... "this is not quite the idea I had envisioned for this room?!" Plus I think in the last 3 years my style has changed just a smidge!

Well anyways, the moral of the story is... don't be afraid to make some changes by adding a little bit of paint to an existing object in your home. It might be that exact little change or "pop" you were looking for!

P.S. I've been inspired now to do a little blog on my living room re-do/re-model. Look for an upcoming blog about it... I may need your help and opinions!!!
Oh and of course this little re-model is also in the mix of the kitchen re-do! So I might have to post pics and some questions about that as well!

*Oh the joys of home projects and decorating! If only I was single, unemployed, and had no kids! Hahaha!

~ 3 Months Old ~

I know! How can this be?
Tucker is 3 months old today!

It's hard for me to believe that this much time has passed already. In just the last 3 months life has changed so much that I almost don't remember the days before Tuck. (I do remember thinking one kid was hard, ha! Boy was that ever a lesson learned!)

Tuck is no longer a peanut but a good solid boy! His legs are no longer chicken legs, now they are cute and chubby! His face is filling out, his eyes are focusing in on people... he is just getting so darn big!
Did I mention yet that he sooooo looks like his Daddy?!

So here I sit today... running errands, cleaning the house, making PB&J's, and watching Dora, and I can't help but think what a big milestone this is!
In just a few short months Tucker will be rolling over, sitting up, crawling, then walking. And again... this will all happen in the blink of an eye!

Well guys, my baby boy is gettin' big! I think I might miss this stage. Just maybe!

Tuck then......





And Tuck now......





Now if you'll excuse me... I'm gonna go give him some love!


P.S. - I did jinx myself! Tuck woke up for a feeding last night. Granted it was only one feeding but still... we broke our 3 night streak! Aggh.

P.P.S - Loren suprised me and rented "Bride Wars" before he came home last night. It's things like that that remind me how lucky I am! About time I didn't have to watch a stupid boy movie!
Thanks honey... I love you!

~ Hot Fudge ~

This is a family favorite that has been around since I was a little girl. It does not take long to make, it is the perfect addition to any treat, and the recipe only calls for 5 ingredients!

Trust me all you Hershey syrup enthusiasts... once you have tried this homemade hot fudge... you may never go back to syrup again!

I made it the other night and thought it was only right to share, so here ya go...

Ingredients:
4 T of Butter (half a stick)
3/4 C of Sugar
1/4 C of Coco Powder
1/3 C of Milk
1 t of Vanilla Extract



In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Once butter is melted add sugar and coco powder, mix together.
Whisk in milk.
(you can simply stir it in, however whisking helps reduce the lumps)
Once the milk is in and your mixture is runny go ahead and kick the temp up to high bringing it to a boil.
Once at a boil add your vanilla.
Let it boil for 1 minute.
(this will thicken the mixture to a fudgy/syrupy texture)
Remove from heat and let cool.
(you can transfer your saucepan to the freezer or fill up a sink full of ice cold water... this will help cool the fudge if you are in a hurry to serve it.)

Vaaaw Laaa! You're done! Homemade hot fudge!

You can use it instead of bottled syrup on your ice cream. Drizzle it over cakes and brownies for an extra topping! Or it's great as fondue for strawberries and other fruit.......



Sorry I didn't take a picture of my batch once it was done! Loren and I were just too excited to get it on some vanilla ice cream. This little tupperware is all we have left......



So go ahead, print this off and make some tonight! It just might become one of your family favorites!

~ And So He Sleeps ~

This calls for a drum roll please....... brrrbrrrbrrrppp
(excuse my online interpretation of a drum roll!).........

TUCK NOW SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!

"Amen!" - "Hallelujah!" - "Praise the Lord!"
I know, can you believe it? That is exactly what I was thinking!

My sweet baby boy, who is less than 3 months old, has now slept through the night 3 nights straight! And when I say slept through the night I mean, we put him down to bed at 9:00 pm and he did not wake till close to 7:00 am.

No more sleepless nights, warming bottles at 1 - 4 - and 7 o'clock! No more falling asleep on the couch with a bottle under your chin and a baby in your lap! We have paid our dues!
This is the day every new parent awaits, and Loren and I are finally here!

"What's the secret?" you ask?!?!
RICE CEREAL! - I honestly believe it is not a coincidence that 3 nights ago Tuck slept through the night AND had rice cereal... a first time for both.

Now 3 nights running... Tuck has had rice cereal about an hour before his bedtime bottle. After we lay him down in bed, he has peacefully snoozed till morning!
It's like a dream. I just hope and pray I have not jinxed myself and this sleeping through the night continues!

But for now, I will rejoice in the moment and catch up on 3 months of interrupted sleep!

Look at my baby... so peacefully perfect.



Thank you for being such a good boy Tucker! Mommy loves you. :)

~ Sunday Picnic ~

This past Sunday was just one of those really good days! It was full of fun, family, and relaxation! (ahhh relaxing, something Mom's don't get too often!)
After a great church service we came home, ate a home cooked meal and put the babes down for their naps. While Loren mowed the lawn, I of course did clean up, but then was able to have a small amount of "me" time to do some crafting!
*I can't show you my little ditty's because they are a birthday gift for a friend. However, I will post pictures after she opens them!*

It was such a gorgeous day, that once G woke up from her nap we decided to head to the park and have a picnic! So we loaded up the picnice basket and off we went......



Once we got to the park, Greta of course wanted to swing on the "wee"......



and poor Tuck, he just can't play quite yet! So he hung out in the stroller the whole time......



However, Walter was not going to pass up the chance to play! So he spent most of his time climbing and playing on the jungle gym......



Daddy also got in on the fun and decided there is nothing better than gettin' dirty before you eat supper! So Daddy and Greta got down and dirty in the sand box!
NOTE: Getting sand out of a child's hair is extremely difficult, time consuming, and usually ends with the child crying!
(Don't worry Grandma Debby... after her bath we gave her a snack to cheer her up!)


After everyone was played out and good and hungry, we got the kids back in the stroller and headed over to our favorite picnic spot.
It's not too far from the park but it is nice and secluded. Perfectly hidden from all the parks and paths. I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty perfect......



Once the blanket was laid out, our flip flops were kicked off, and everyone was settled in, we dove in and started eating!
Nothing better than a well balanced meal of PB&J, pretzels, fruit, and a mug of sweet tea!
My hubby's from Missouri which also means my children have a little bit of the south runnin' in their veins! Tea around our house is a must.



Greta, as you can see, was a big fan of the cherries......



and I was a big fan of spending time with my hubby!



I apologize but I couldn't resist posting this one! Hahaha!
*This is what love looks like after 3 years of marriage and 2 kids......



And my sweet little Tuck! :) He just enjoyed his time outside soaking up all the sun.



I would have to say, sitting on a blanket, on a gorgeous Sunday evening, hanging out with my family... life just doesn't get much better than that!



I hope you all had a great weekend and are getting back to the groove of the week!

Sundays verse of the day......

"I have set the Lord ALWAYS before me. Because He is at my right hand.
I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN." Psalm 16:8

~ First Time For Everything ~

So.... as you can see... I decided to start a Blog! Yay for me! And since you'll be reading it... Yay for you!

I got the itch while we were on the way home from our last Missouri trip. As we drove away, my in-laws standing in the driveway teary eyed and waving, I was sad for them. I started to realize all the little things they were going to miss before we saw them next. I decided keeping a blog about our life and the kids would definately help keep them in the loop!

However... you know my babies are not my one and only passion!

I love to write, I love a good home cooked meal, I love to decorate my house making it as comfy and cozy as possible, I love God and the growing relationship I have with Him, I LOVE crafting and doing projects, I love to entertain and cram as many friends and family into our house as possible, I love loving my husband, and I love life and the crazy journey it takes us on!

With all that said... I thought it was a perfect time to start a blog and share all these wonderful things with you as well!

So you might be wondering...
"What can I come to expect from your blog, Jen?"
Well, I'm glad you asked! Let me tell you! ....

- Stories about my kids and life as a Mom. : Giving and sharing tips and advice.
- Recipes for a yummy dinner I made or a delicious treat I think you should try.
- Tutorials or How To's on great craft projects.
- Question & Answer segments.... That's right, I may want your advice from time to time!
- Pictures, pictures, and more pictures! : Thats really the only way to give you a sneak peak into our lives, isn't it?!
- And really just the randomness of life and the things that make me happy!!!

More than anything, my hope for this blog is that you will follow and enjoy all I have to say and ramble on about! So... with out further a due... let me be the first to welcome you to....... Appleberry's Attic!!!