Ella's Embroidery

This week Ella used her new-found sewing skills to learn how to embroider.  I bought this very simple embroidery kit at Sewn Studio in Oakley.  She finished it quite quickly and she was so pleased with herself.  I've always loved embroidery, and want to try my hand at it as well.  Penguin & Fish made this kit, and they have lots of patterns on Etsy, perhaps I need to invest in some more.  I know I have a huge collection of floss in the basement somewhere from the days of friendship bracelets. 

Adorable little hedgehog

merry christmas!

I showed you our holiday portrait out-takes a while back, well here are the winners from that photo session ;)  And for those who have asked, I took these pictures of the kids at George Rogers Clark Park on Riverside Drive in Covington, Kentucky.
We wish you a very Merry Christmas! 

this week...

this week...

we are getting in the holiday spirit,

I am feeling blessed that I have a husband that buys me flowers to make me smile, 

the boys have been engrossed in transformations,

ella learned how to play scrabble,

auntie annie took ella, max & me to the Nutcracker (amazing!),

henry & will went to the drive-in,

we saw the holiday trains at behringer-crawford museum,

and we all fine-tuned our holiday wish lists.

Zanzoe the Elf

Last year we had a visitor show up around Christmas time, the children named him Zanzoe.  He is our "Elf on the Shelf".  Have you heard of these elves?  They come from the North Pole to keep an eye on the children and report back to Santa.  It's really a rather clever idea.  I don't use mine as a threat so much (well, not everyday anyway), but it's our connection to the North Pole.  I love catching the kids whispering to Zanzoe about what gifts they are hoping for.  And it's fun to find little notes that Ella & Max have written to their favorite elf (one such note asked if he knew any Leprechauns).  And their excitement each morning in looking for Zanzoe is quite contagious.  Even Henry gets a kick out of finding the elf.  Last year Zanzoe's hiding spots were not so creative, but because of the kids' excitement this year, and because they are getting older and harder to fool, Zanzoe has been found in a bit more creative spots.  Sometimes.  Other days he's just sitting on the shelf. 

Hanging out with Harry Potter

Reading a good book (I hear it's one of the Game of Thrones novels)

Wheeeee!

And yes, one night he did make a mess...Snow Angels!  (Please note the cocktail in the back of this picture)

On the outside looking in.

What time is it? 

Isn't syrup one of the four main food groups?

This hiding spot seemed easy to me, but it took the kids two full days to find him.  Ella had even left him a note asking where he was. 

Do you have an Elf on a Shelf?  What are some of your creative hiding places?

the "special" book box

in our home we have a bookshelf or container to store reading materials in every single room.  sometimes two shelves in one room.  we have ALOT of books...books of all sorts.  in our living room, even though we have two bookshelves we also have a "special" book basket that holds the kids' library books, and any seasonal books we might have.  i like to pull out special books throughout the year, or go to the library to get special books pertaining to the season, holiday, or any other special event going on in our lives.  right now we have a big wooden box under the tree filled with all of our christmas books.  the kids get so excited about whatever seasonal books we have out, and it encourages them to pick them up and read because they are right there at their level in plain sight, and often times they are new titles that they have not read before, or haven't read in a long time.

this isn't just a handy thing to do for seasons & holidays, but for any special topic of interest that your kids are curious about.  this summer we took the kids to see the cleopatra exhibit at the cincinnati museum center, and it kindled an obsession with all things egyptian for a while, so our box was full of books about mummies, pyramids, etc.  and then after egypt their focus was on severe weather, so we stocked up on books about tornadoes, lightning and storms at our local library. 

i came up with this idea when i was teaching preschool, because we would rotate the books we had on our shelves and the kids seemed to love the variety and new titles.  

so get out to your local library and stock up on books that will satisfy your children's curiosities or tell them more about the celebrations you are attending.  and consider a book box of your own, the novelty of the book box might get your kids more excited about reading! 

Skillet Red Beans [Guest Recipe]

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks is the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook by Maggie Green.  There are so many delicious recipes in this book, but our favorite has been the Skillet Red Beans.  I make it quite often, and everyone loves it.  And, as an added bonus, it freezes well, so I can make a double batch and freeze some for dinner at a later date.  It's a perfect dinner for these cold winter nights.  I'm so happy to be able to share this tasty recipe with you today!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  And if you'd like to read more about the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook check out this post I wrote a few months back (please note - the giveaway in this post is CLOSED).

Skillet Red Beans

From the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook
By Maggie Green

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 cups diced fresh tomatoes or two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked, or two 15-ounce cans, red beans, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for two more minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with the juice, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Add the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the juices thicken. Serve over hot rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

*** I like to serve these beans with a wild rice mix and I also add browned cajun andioulle sausage to the mix.

This recipe was printed in it’s entirety with the permission of Maggie Green. Thank you for sharing Maggie! And as a note to my readers…if you do not have the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook yet, you should seriously consider adding it to your collection!

my little kitchen helper :)

ella's holiday skirt

I have not sewn in many months, and I was really missing it.  Even though I hadn't been sewing I had still been shopping, so I have quite a few lovely patterns I've collected with the thought of making them into skirts for Ella.  So this week I dusted off the sewing machine, which is new to me, so I had some re-learning to do (I'm a beginner anyway, so it was quite a task).  I spent two days making a skirt that could probably be made in an hour or two by someone a bit more capable.  I enjoyed every minute of my sewing time...with the boys asking constant technical questions, the baby cuddling on my lap (teething) and Ella by my side doing some handsewing of her own.  And in the end I created a cute little Christmas cupcake skirt for her to wear to our upcoming celebrations and gatherings.  I used the Oliver & S Lazy Day Skirt Pattern, it's free and it's simple! And now I'm itching to make some more skirts...so many cute fabrics ready to go!

ella's art show

last week we attended an art show at baker hunt in covington.  ella has been taking art classes there for several years.  Most recently she has been enrolled in BOSS which is described on their website as: Art on Steroids. This will be a collaborative studio effort with kids and adults encouraged to co-create. The final product will be a very large room size installation incorporating art, storytelling, sound and lighting.  Ella's fabulously awesome, creative & unique creations were on display.  she and her pal emma made some crazy cool stuff in the class.
 

this is the tree hotel ~ it has two pools with a very well-trained lifeguard, a hospital wing, lots of beds, a restaurant called "The Cook and Eat" where you have to cook your own food, a babysitter that sits on the kids, an underwater TV room, and much much more!

here's "The Cook and Eat" restaurant...the off-duty lifeguard frog is dining here tonight.

this is their "theme" lady - her theme is don't judge people by their looks.  that's her number one rule in life.  she is beautiful.

a close-up of their unusually beautiful lady

sam, my future art critic

ella, emma and their awesome art teachers lindsey and christian

lindsey's amazing kettle corn.  i joked that this was my number one reason for attending the art show.  i never liked kettle corn until i had lindsey's, and now we make it at home.

Baker Hunt is now accepting registrations for the Winter 2012 session!  I have to say, Ella and Max have enjoyed every class they have taken at Baker Hunt, and I highly recommend it for your creative munchkins.

menu plan monday ~ in reverse ~ december 12

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good. I cannot emphasize enough how much menu planning has helped me out. I'm spending less at the grocery store, we are eating out less, and eating healthier foods. I'm not as stressed out at dinner time trying to pull something together with whatever ingredients I have on hand. It takes a bit of time on the weekends to create our menu plan, but all week long I'm thankful that I took the time to get organized and make a plan! I look at my calendar for the week while menu-planning and figure out what kind of meal would be best for each day. Busy evenings call for crock pot cookin' while Friday night family nights are a little more relaxed and I can take my time cooking. Participating in MPM has also inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family as well!


What was cookin' at our house last week:
Beef Goulash Soup & Grilled Cheese on Multigrain bread (have you tried this soup yet?!?  you should!)
Taco Night
Skillet Red Beans with Rice (recipe coming soon!)
Spaghetti & Meatsauce
Carbonara
 
What's cooking at your house?!

henry & will

henry and will are cousins and are only a few months apart in age, and they love hanging out together.  they started hanging out together when they were very small.

we had the pleasure of having sweet prince william hang out with us this week.  and the boys got into so much trouble had so much fun together!

they played music together

they hung out with henry's papa

and believe it or not, they even rested at times

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama:  A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Beef Goulash Soup [Guest Post]

One of my favorite resources for tasty recipes is the Oven Light at the Vicky and Jen: What Really Matters website. My cousin Vicky and her friend Jen make up this dynamic duo. They don’t just have awesome recipes on their site, they have a blog, podcasts, fun things for parents to do with kids, and much more. Their goal is to share ways to make life simple and to help parents focus on what really matters. I find their podcasts so refreshing and informative (not to mention fun to listen to!). Today Vicky is going to share a very tasty recipe with us, it’s one of my all-time favorite soups that I make quite frequently during the colder months.

Beef Goulash Soup, courtesy of Vicky Thornton from http://www.vickyandjen.com/ :: Unfortunately, the name "goulash" doesn't do this soup justice. We should clearly re-name it with words like robust, simple, or just plain tasty! This has been a favorite in our house for many years, and most importantly, a quick one-pot meal that makes it to the dinner table with ease. Occasionally, I like to shake it up by substituting stew beef for the ground beef. You can even use your slow cooker for this recipe. Either way you serve it, enjoy your "Simply Robust and Just Plain Tasty Beef Non-Goulash Soup"!

Beef Goulash Soup
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1-2 medium Onions, chopped
4 minced Garlic Cloves
1 lb. Ground Beef
 6 cups Tomato Juice
3 1/2 cups Beef Broth
4 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Pepper
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 1/2 pound Red Potatoes, diced
2 small Green Peppers diced
2 small Red Peppers diced

1. Saute oil, onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add beef and brown
2. Combine with tomato juice, broth, paprika, black pepper, and potatoes - stir well.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in peppers and cook until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes more).

**Katie’s notes – when I make this I cut the potatoes into cubes rather than dicing them, and I say the more garlic the merrier, I’m a garlic addict. I’d also like to mention that if we have extra it freezes & reheats well. But we usually don’t have leftovers…it’s just that tasty!

Henry just LOVES this soup! 

time out ~ sam style

**please excuse the crazy messy room and the blurry video...we are still figuring out how to make good movies with the new camera ;)

upcycled can garland tutorial

My friends at Make Shop Live are constantly coming up with cool ideas on things to do with recycled materials...one man's junk is another man's treasure!  Their blog is full of fun crafty ideas for upcycling materials ~ check out their Tutorial Tuesday posts for inspiration!
Like this one, a tutorial on how to make this awesome upcycled can garland:

And if you like their creations be sure to enter my "Santa's Little Helper" upcycled ornament giveaway that ends this Friday (12/9/2011).

pretzels, anyone?

Mama did not have breakfast on the table quickly enough this morning.

menu plan monday ~ in reverse ~ december 5

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good. I cannot emphasize enough how much menu planning has helped me out. I'm spending less at the grocery store, we are eating out less, and eating healthier foods. I'm not as stressed out at dinner time trying to pull something together with whatever ingredients I have on hand. It takes a bit of time on the weekends to create our menu plan, but all week long I'm thankful that I took the time to get organized and make a plan! I look at my calendar for the week while menu-planning and figure out what kind of meal would be best for each day. Busy evenings call for crock pot cookin' while Friday night family nights are a little more relaxed and I can take my time cooking. Participating in MPM has also inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family as well!


Here's what we were munching on last week:
Slow Cooker Chicken Burritos
Taco Night
Whole Wheat Waffles
Chicken & Rice Paella
Steak Filets & Baked Potatoes
Truckstop Chili with Corn Muffins (best. chili. ever.) 

What's cooking at your house?

nana's fudge

 

I spent the day with my mama and sister learning all the secrets to making my nana's fudge.  I feel like I hold this awesome power now.  The fudge recipe has been handed down from generation to generation ~ it's our family's secret recipe for the holidays.  I can't wait to pass this on to Ella someday!

Santa's Little Helper Ornament GIVEAWAY CLOSED

CONGRATS to Maureen N. who said "My favorite holiday tradition is going to see the train display with my son. We started doing this last year and we all love it."  YOU WON the REINDEER ORNAMENT!!!
Email your address to me at: Katie@Cards-by-Katie.com
Thank you to all who entered ~ stayed tuned for more cool stuff in the coming weeks!
And consider Make Shop Live for your holiday shopping - they have so many cool things in their Etsy shop!
 
I know you are all probably sick of hearing me say this...but I LOVE etsy!  I have done quite a bit of my holiday shopping on Etsy.com these past few years, and I have found some very cool & unique gifts there! 
One of my favorite finds last year was a "Reinbeer" upcycled ornament for my cousin.  It was an adorable reindeer made out of beer can - genius!  It's environmentally friendly and a great conversation starter.

The ornament was from the etsy store Make Shop Live.  This Christmas KC from Make Shop Live is sharing one of her upcycled ornaments with me to give away to one lucky reader, and I'm so happy about that!
According to the description of the ornament on Etsy, "SANTA'S LITTLE HELPERS ORNAMENTS are Reindeer shaped ornaments made from recycled Soda Cans. Perfect for your "Root Beer" Lover or Soda Fan this Holiday Season. Makes a fun and lighthearted decoration for any holiday decor." 

To enter to win this adorable upcycled reindeer ornament made from a Retro Dr. Pepper can follow the instructions below.  Be sure to leave your contact info!  A winner will be drawn using Random.org on Friday, December 9th at 2pm.  The winner has 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn.  Thank you very much to Make Shop Live for partnering with me for this giveaway!  Be sure to consider them for your holiday shopping (they sell many more cool items...not just ornaments)!

How to enter:
1.  Leave a comment telling us about your favorite holiday tradition.
2.  For an extra entry show us some love on Facebook ~ Head over to the Make Shop Live page and the little things blog page and click the "Like" button.  Then leave a comment below telling us you did so.
3.  Share this giveaway with friends and then leave a comment below telling how you spread the word.


Good Luck!