Happy Easter!

I hope each and everyone of my followers have a joyous day today!  Today he rose!  I am forever grateful for the price he paid for me and my family!  The Easter Bunny and egg coloring has become our way of celebrating but I pray that the reason we do this is not forgotten!

Mark 16:6-7

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"

Happy Easter!  Love you all!

~Brandie

Candy Coated Pretzels!

In preparation for the holiday, the oldest son and I set out to make some treats for our family dinner.   This was something I intended to make for St. Patrick's Day, but the bag of pretzels I bought for it were mysteriously eaten by unknown persons in my home!

I bought Wilson's meltable candies in light pink and light yellow, Easter colored sprinkles, and big bag of pretzels (that I hid for four days to ensure they survived!).

I melted the candies in the microwave (a layer of circles takes about 1.5 minutes in my microwave).  We then plopped a pretzel in the melted candy, flipped it using a toothpick, and removed it from the melted bowl and placed it on wax paper.

We then sprinkles some sprinkles on them and let them harden.

The outcome was pretty decent and I gotta say....my 10 year is quite handy in the kitchen!

~Happy Baking!

Brandie

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"Happy Easter" Frame Art!

Here's yet another project from the FREE Cricut CraftRoom Easter 2010 Basic Cuts deal!

I made an 8x10 Frame Art for my mantel....that missing piece that kept me from posting a final picture of it!

I cut the "Happy Easter" phrase and it's shadow at the 4 inch standard cut.  I did the same for one of the bunny cuts (there are like four of them!).

I then cut two eggs at 2.5 in and did a custom size of the grass cut (I just "grabbed" the corner and pulled the shape out to the width I wanted).

Once everything was cut, I ran it through the sticker maker!

Then I went to building my shapes!

I love how it turned it out!

And how it makes the mantel look finished!!!

~Happy Decorating!

Brandie

Easter Cupcake Toppers!

YAY!  Cricut opened their Easter 2010 Basic Cuts FREE now through April 3rd!  I can't explain how excited I am!  Well...the amount of posts that are about to follow just might!

Here's the first completed project of the frenzy of cutting I have literally been doing ALL day! (no joke...my family had to eat in the living room because I had taken control of the kitchen table with paper crafts covering it!)

Cupcake Toppers!

One of my favorite things to do, so favorite, that they will be the first official "Midwest Moma Boutique" items to hit my Etsy shelves!

I, of course, used the Easter 2010 Free Basic Cuts in the Cricut Craftroom to complete this project.  All the cuts were made at the 2.5 inch standard setting except the "shadow" of the topper (cut at 3 in) and the cupcake wrappers (cut at 4 in).

Once everything was cut, I ran the top three layers through my sticker maker.  I used one the two layer egg shapes and the jagged circle cut.

I then gathered all the supplies I would need to complete the project.  This included the stickers I just made, the back piece to the topper and 12 toothpicks!

I then proceeded to build my toppers.  The time it took to build them was maybe a quarter of the time it took to cut them!

I used bold colors on these because I was in such an excited mood...I wanted my project to be just as exciting!

And, since the cut was provided...I also cut 12 cupcake wrappers in two different colors!

I can't wait to get cupcakes in these on Saturday!  I am getting excited!

~Happy Party-ing!

Brandie

"He is Risen" Sign!

Keeping Christ in the Christian holidays seems to harder and harder as the years pass.  For me, Easter is the most important Christian holiday that is celebrated.  It celebrates the moment that defines our religion, our birth as believers.

I do my best to keep Jesus in this holiday; this goes for my decor options as well!

Here is the Frame Art I made for 5x7 frame that sits on my mantel.  I used "Easter Blessings" Craftroom Exclusive Cartridge to cut these images with my Cricut Machine.

I cut the phrase "He is Risen" as well as the thorn halo.  I then ran the cuts through the sticker machine.

I built my layers....and then placed the images on my background!

I don't know the real story of the easter bunny and all this candy....but that doesn't really matter.  The story I tell my children works for us...and I will be sharing as we get closer and closer to Easter.

Watch for a couple more Easter Decor projects coming this weekend and the first of next week!

~Happy Decorating!

Brandie

Featured on "Inspire Me Please" Link Party {at} House of Rose

Crack Dip!!

During football season last year, my best friend hosted a couple of parties.  At one such party she made this amazing dip she found on Pinterest!  She shared the recipe with me and recently (like two days ago) I made.

We have deemed it "Crack Dip" as she couldn't remember the actual name of the stuff.  It's crazy good, crazy bad for you, but crazy AWESOME!

Here's the recipe!

16 oz Container of Sour Cream

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning

1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheese

(Optional:  Cooked Bacon chopped)

I put it all in a bowl and mix it until it's blended.  You, of course, need to keep it refrigerated.  I eat it with Wheat Thins (makes me feel better about it!).  You can use any cracker or chip that sounds good.

~Happy Eating!

Brandie

Kids Info Printables!

It's time for my second installment of the Home Notebook FREE Printables!

This installment is all about the kids!  Anyone with kids knows that as they get older, life gets busier, more complicated and hectic.  Add 2-3 more kids into the mix, and any good mom or dad could bat-nuts crazy if he or she is not careful!  I have four kids, the three older ones (all boys) have already spent years involved with sports and school activities.  My youngest and only daughter is speeding into joining her brothers in the craziness.  I have always keep an agenda to keep their schedules under control....but I always forget something...or someone at least once a season!

The Goal of the Home Notebook is to keep my life organized so that I can spend more time being their mom, having fun, playing catch and whoopin' butt in a game of tag!

I searched the internet and Pinterest and found TONS of free printables!  The problem is that most of them are geared towards my home schooling moms.  It takes a stronger mom than I am to homeschool multiple children and most of these printables didn't work for me.  I found three that did (see below) and then made the rest of what I felt like I needed!

The website I got the three useful one in regards to the kids is YourWay.net.  I actually use several others, but that is a whole other post (and will be coming soon!).

I use "Kids Info" to keep track of their favorite things, their best friends, and their basic daily schedule.  This is handy when the kiddos need to stay over with grandma or an aunt or uncle or even long term with a babysitter.

Find the Printable HERE!

I use the "Personal Info" to keep track of their doctors, dentist, and other such things.  This is key for those emergency situations where I can't be there....but my book of knowledge is!

Find Printable HERE!

I also use the "School Info" one to keep track of their library days, teacher contact info, and class schedules.  This is really for me....I am always forgetting emails and library days!

Find Printable HERE!

Now, we are an active, year round sports family.  I couldn't find anything that would help me keep track of schedules, contact info, and equipment info, etc.  So I made my own!  I also made one for every sport I could think of!

Here they are!

Baseball Printable HERE!

Football Printable Here!

Wrestling Printable HERE!

Basketball Printable HERE!

Tennis Printable HERE!

Hockey Printable HERE!

Track Printable HERE!

Generic Sports Printable HERE!

I attempted to think of every sport your child might play.  These forms have already been helpful (mainly because I can't remember what size shoe my kids wear!).  It's going to be super handy when family start asking me what their schedules are!

I will be sharing my party planning section next!  It's all coming together! YAY!

~Happy Planning!

Brandie

Lucky Banner! Free Printable!

Yet another piece for my St. Patrick's Day Mantle Decor!

I found this link on Pinterest to print a FREE "Lucky" Banner!  It can be found at the HGTV website with instructions to make their version.

Here is mine!

I printed the pages out, plus an extra of page 3 so that I had two shamrock pieces (the tutorial showed a page with two already on it, but it was not included in the download).

I cut each triangle out...

Punched holes on both sides at the top...

And strung it up with fishing line!

Normal people hand banners along the actual mantel....but I'm not normal and hung mine from the ceiling!

All I need now is some green flowers and the decor will be complete!

~Happy Decorating!

Brandie