Sunday Snapshot-Greatest Show on Earth

We took the kids to the circus on Saturday night, so instead of one snapshot I have several.

 

 

 

It was a pretty incredible show.

Kitchen Update- Painting Cabinets

This weekend was spent priming and painting our cabinets.  Ick. I forget how much painting cabinets stinks!  Mitch spent Saturday morning sanding, filling holes, and doing more sanding.  I was able to help a little bit between shuttling the kids around.

 

Then we spent the rest of the afternoon priming.  It took us a good 3 hours to get everything primed.

 

 

On Sunday we were able to get our first coat of paint on.  It turns out that this is definitely a two person job so Mitch didn't get anything else accomplished this weekend.  It just seems like it should go so much faster than it does.   We will put a second coat on next weekend.  We are using an oil based paint, which takes forever to dry.  Then Mitch needs to build the drawers so that we can put a countertop down.  I am excited to have more space to spread out.  I might even start moving some things into those cabinets once everything is dry.

Two Zip Hipster Bag

I finally found time to finish my Two Zip Hipster bag. 
I saw How About Orange's review of the pattern and knew I had to make one for myself.
I have found that if I break it into small manageable steps, I am more successful finishing projects.  I cut out the pieces one night.  Then interfaced the pieces the next night.  Then I completed the front piece with the pocket.  Then put the bag together.  It took all week to finish, but didn't seem like I spent hours slaving over it. 

The pattern is very detailed and easy to follow.  I love the front zipper, plus the top zips close so I can keep all my belongings nice and secure.  It is even big enough to hold an iPad, but doesn't feel huge when you are carrying it.  It even has an adjustable strap.  I would highly recommed this pattern. 

Here's a link to the fabric I used in case anyone is interested.

Silent Cinema

This week I am hoping to put together a baby quilt.

If you get a chance check out Sewcanshe.com today, she is featuring my Snack Bag Tutorial.

 

 

 

Sunday Snapshot- Playing in the rain

I found these crazy kids playing outside in the rain.  I can't believe it is the middle of January and the kids are able to play in the rain without freezing to death.  

Kitchen Update- Cabinet Progress

 

 Mitch has been spending every free minute working on the cabinets.  He has the bottom cabinets and upper cabinets finished and installed.  Now he has to make the drawers and doors.  Then we need to paint everything.  We decided to wait until we have everything painted to get the countertop.  The garage is already overflowing with wood, so no need to add to the clutter. 

I am really looking forward to organizing everything in this space.  We should have plenty of storage space now.

 

It is so strange to see the whole wall full of cabinets.  I should be able to start priming and painting next weekend while Mitch works on the doors and drawers.  

Meal Planning Again

 

 I have successfully planned our meals for the last 2 weeks.  Woohoo.  I am on a roll.  It makes life so much easier when I don't have to think about what I need to cook for dinner.  I have been making some meals on Sunday so that we have food for lunch and good snacks to eat during the week.  I have also been making dinners ahead of time to cover the nights we have Tae Kwon Do.  It is definitely more work, but it is worth it to have healthy food to eat.

Here's what I planned for this week:
Snacks
Sunflower Oat Bars
Raisin Seed Balls
Ancient Grain Banana Breakfast Bread
Sunflower Seed and Cashew Cheese
I made all of the recipes above this weekend.  I can tell you they are all winners.  The kids love the raisin seed balls and the sunflower oat bars. I used peanut butter for the oat bars.  The breakfast bread is also very yummy and also almost gone.  The sunflower and cashew cheese is great on crackers or could work in a wrap with veggies for lunch too.

Lunch
Dilled Egg Salad
Sweet Potato Hummus
Avocado and Bean Burritos
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Confetti Salad
I made all of these except the burritos this weekend too.  The sweet potato hummus might be my favorite.  It is really, really good. 


Dinners
Cashew Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Wild Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Lemon Asparagus
Coconut Dal with Broccoli and Wild Rice
Sesame Crusted Sole, Kale Chips, and Quinoa
Kale Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Rice
I also have some chicken and tofu that will get thrown into the mix too for the kids.  Harper refuses to eat fish.  She was traumatized back in August when we went trout fishing. We ate the Lettuce Wraps Sunday night for dinner and the kids loved them. 

So needless to say there has been no sewing going on at my house.  I did manage to cut out and interface some fabric for a purse.  I also have a baby quilt to make.  So I promise there will be crafty things to show soon.

Orange Belt

 

Harper is still loving Tae Kwon Do.  She tested for her orange belt this weekend.  It is amazing to see the

dedication from all of the kids.  She was set to test in December, but she got strep throat the day before the testing.  She was so upset that she missed it.  She had to wait a whole month to test.  She was devastated at first, but eventually took it all in stride.  The extra month of practice made testing a breeze.

 

The testing took 3 hours, but she left with an orange belt. 

I am so proud of you Harper!!!!