What I'm doing this Sunday night.

A little something for my baby's first Easter. 

If you can trace, you can do embroidery. 

It's addictive. As you can see from Elise's bedroom wall.

Insta-Friday #55 - Spring is here!

Our family is very happy Spring is here. It's been a long winter.

This baby loves to taste the fresh air. 

And so so happy when it's sunny and hanging with Daddy!

Family breakfast. 

(No make-up + so tired = sunglasses.)

"And I was like, sleep through the night? I don't think so mommy."

I needed a little Spring update. Trying out honey blond. I like it. 

Can't hide those bags under my eyes though. 

Shane's watching the baby. That's a pink permanent marker he's given her. 

The day Elise dressed as a sparkly mime for church. 

She rocked it. 

Just as cute dressed in a diaper and rock star hair.

(So proud she knocked the hoop down.)

Scrumptious. 

Something magical happened. My ENTIRE house was clean for an entire day. Every room. Every toilet. Every closet. Frames are dusted. Laundry is done. I even cleaned the garage. Shane was out of town this week, and I got it into my head that just once in my life I would like to be actually DONE. As a mom, that is an unheard of concept. But after working serious late nights, and occupying my kids with TV, I achieved it. I'm pretty sure I was never that tired in my entire life. BUT I WAS DONE. Then I had to go make the kids lunch.

The day Collin found out the chicken soup with rice was from scratch, and not from a can. 

Tell me why I try again?

 

Follow me on instagram @natssentiments

 

Ultimate Leprechaun Trap

It's Leprechaun Trap time! 

I don't know when this became a thing. But I can assume that soon our kids will have to make Santa Marie replicas on Columbus Day and paper mache W2 forms for Tax Day.

But, let's focus on this project.  I really needed to actually. Last year I forgot about this and Collin ended up taking a birthday hat I had propped up with a stick. It was sad.

Now, all those crafty Leprechaun traps with sequins and colorful paper and pipe cleaners are fine. But they all have the fatal flaw. Preparation. I prefer not to have to actually plan my child's project ahead of time. No. I like to wing it the day before it's due. That's when the fear gets you. And fear can lead to birthday hat traps. Or pure genius.

Hence we have this.....

It was pretty easy, fun, and free. 

Get a nice glass jar. This one originally contained overpriced lemonade from Whole Foods.

Break up a branch, make a ladder using a glue gun.

Head outside for a nature hunt with the kids. Sticks, feathers, shells, leaves. Fake flowers from the tacky neighbors lawn.

Kids instruct while mom wields the glue gun.

A little sign with burned edges stuck on a stick. Stuck in some moss.

The kids were close to tears that I had fire in the house. Over the sink. 

Put in a few gold(ish) beads that were hanging around the junk drawer.

Naughty Leprechaun sees gold, scales the ladder. No colorful paper to say "Hey! This is a preschool project!" Jumps in the jar to retrieve the gold.

Guess who can't get out of the jar.

This Leprechaun doesn't stand a change. 

And mommy redeemed herself! 

Happy St. Patricks Day! (Wearing green should be the only thing we do.)

6 months and ADORABLE

What do you do when you're stuck in the house with a sick 4 year old ALL WEEK?

You let said 4 year old watch a movie and have a little photo shoot with happy baby of course!

Check out how similar my two darling daughters were at this age.

I'm a lucky mommy.

Mardi Gras Dinner!

Ah, I miss the South. And I really miss Southern cooking. I remember the first time some friends made Shane and I crawfish etouffee. I thought I'd died and gone to culinary heaven.

This weekend I thought I would try my hand at a little Louisiana cooking in honor of Mardi Gras. Looks impressive, but was really easy. And seriously delicious.

Golden jambalaya stuffed peppers, haricot verts sauteed in caramelized onions, fluted cornbread and spring greens with red wine vinaigrette. 

I tried to use the colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green and gold. Notice the purple in the salad :) Golden stuffed peppers are a cinch if you use the Barefoot Contessa Saute dinners - Jambalaya. (This isn't a sponsored post. They are just really good. You can find them in the freezer section. Two packs filled 6 peppers.) I blanched the peppers in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then filled them with the prepared jambalaya. It takes about 10 minutes to saute the jambalaya straight of of the pouch.

I placed the filled peppers in a dutch oven with about an inch of water at the bottom. I used some of the blanching water. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the peppers are soft, but still holding their form. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Ooo, and maybe scallions.

Haricot verts (or very thin french green beans) are steamed until just tender. Then saute in a large pan of already caramelized onions and olive oil, lots of salt and pepper. I use garlic salt to avoid burning fresh garlic.

Cornbread for this meal should be barely sweet. Not the cake like stuff we get out West. I use this easy recipe and its always good. Fluted pan optional :)

For the salad I make a basic red wine vinaigrette with dijon mustard. It gives it a nice gold color that fits the theme.

I'm already planning a holiday version with red peppers! YUM!!!

Happy Mardi Gras :)