Weekend Plans

I am so excited for this weekend, I can hardly contain myself! Seriously, this has been one of the longest Fridays in recent history; it's dragging just to torture me.

Not only are we having our first ever giveaway here on Happiness is Homemade {If you haven't entered yet, DO IT! Only one day left to score some sweet products!} BUT it is also
General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

I {HEART} General Conference!

Hubster and I at attending Conference in SLC last October.

General Conference is a world-wide meeting, held bi-annually, by the LDS Church with the purpose of instructing, uplifting, and edifying its members {and everyone else}.
For two days {Saturday & Sunday} I get to cuddle in my pajamas with my family and friends and listen to the words of true, living prophets.
-
“What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38)
-
Conference is such a powerful gift, given by a loving Heavenly Father, that allows us to reflect on His teachings and the life of our Savior Jesus Christ. Conference also provides us with principles, teachings, and suggestions for our dispensation. I often find answers to question or simple inspiration for improving my life while listening to Conference.

Since I was a teenager, I have kept special journals specifically for writing down inspiration or thoughts I receive during Conference, and love to reflect on what I learn. Here is a small sampling of my most favorite quotes:

"The Lord will shape the back to fit the burden"
Neil A. Anderson (April 2009)

"Pure hearts in a pure home are within whispering distance of heaven"
David O. McKay

Pray for love to see good in your companion; the love to make weaknesses seem small.
Henry B. Eyring (October 2009)

Happiness and joy are not products of circumstance but of faith and hope.
Wilford W. Anderson (April 2010)

We can struggle with our trials but we shouldn't resent them; they are preparing us for something great.

Often those who are lost don't need anything more than our determination to find them.

Isn't Conference inspiring?

The very BEST thing about General Conference is that it is for EVERYONE. Whether you are Mormon or not, I want to personally invite you to watch or listen to Conference. I promise that if you do, you will be inspired to be a better person and receive counsel on how to create a happier more hopeful life. {Especially a happier life at home; because we Mormons L-O-V-E families}

So, here are the de-tails about when and where to watch conference.

Sessisons {sub-meetings} of Conference are held:
Saturday March 31st 10:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. & 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. MST
Sunday April 1st 10:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. & 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. MST
{Yes, it is still entirely appropriate to use April fools jokes on Conference Sunday}

To participate in conference:
Locate your nearest meeting house here.
Find what cable/radio/satellite channel airs Conference in your area here.
Or watch conference online here.

Or. . if you're in the upper 435 of Utah, leave a message or comment and come watch it at my house! We have TONS of treats and quite likely some coloring books!

There are so many options for participating and no reason to miss out feeling the peace, hope and inspiration or General Conference!

For those of you with little ones, or big ones who act like little ones, here are some fun ideas, via Pinterest, for keeping them busy and listening:

15 Fabulous General Conference Ideas @ A year of FHE
10 Ideas @ A Little Tipsy
Conference Bingo @ Bits of Everything
Conference Center Board & Binders @ Our Family Blog
{I love these binders!}

Hugs,
Erin Kay


And. . just in case you need another reason to watch Conference, watch this:



Or sample the beautiful music of Conference here:

Our FIRST Give Away!

We are so excited to share this give away with you!   It has been almost {two months} since we started this blog, and we have had so much fun sharing smiles and ideas with you!  We are so thankful for all of our faithful followers, and we want to say {THANK YOU!}  

We have {TWO} prizes to give away:


{ONE}
Jewelry lovers come here!!  One lucky winner will win $15 worth of jewelry from Paparazzi Accessories!!    Paparazzi has SO many cute items!!

{TWO}

And for all you Disney lovers, another lucky winner will score this adorable Mini Mickey Mouse Album by Jenns Homemade Heaven.  Jennifer has lots of cute homemade crafts.  You should check out her Etsy store!

We are excited to share this give away with you, and we hope you will invite your friends!  We have a goal to reach 50 followers of Happiness is Homemade!  Thanks for your help!  Good luck all! :)

Be sure to click on KEEP READING to enter the give away!!!

Still Here...

Sorry about the lack of Monday Smile Challenge yesterday!  Check back tomorrow for our very first GIVE-AWAY!  Also, watch for a belated Smile Challenge.  :) 

See you soon!!

Homemade Granola Bars

I am in a recipe-sharing mood this week because I have another yummy recipe to share today.

Hubster and I are snackers and one of our favorite treats are granola bars. Unfortunately, store bought bars are both expensive and, if they are affordable, packed with preservatives; I am a firm believer that everything should eventually expire. Fortunately, I stumbled across a recipe for super easy homemade granola bars and have met with success every time I've made them. {Which is REALLY saying something for me}

Basically you take these ingredients:



And make these:


Ooey, gooey, yummy!

Since I'm not exactly Betty Crocker and I always need very detailed recipes, I've decided to include pictures so you can see exactly what your granola mixture should look like.


Ingredients:
4 1/2 c quick oats
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
1/3 c. brown sugar (more or less for sweetness)
1 c. choc chips (or whatever add-in you like)
2 eggs
1/2 c honey

Combine oats, flour, soda, vanilla, butter, honey, sugar and egg in large bowl; hand mix. (Literally, get your hands in there and mix) Add choc chips and lightly mix. We also like marshmallows, nuts, and, especially, crasins as add in ingredients. Let set 5 mins.

Your mixture should look like this:


Press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. I keep my uncooked bars about 1-2 inches thick because they will expand a little and are pretty hardy so a super thick bar could be too much.

Bake @ 350 for 18-22 mins. Let cool 10 - 12 minutes. Cut into bars or squares, wrap in plastic wrap or store in a plastic baggie and enjoy.

Honestly, I can't tell you the shelf life of these bars because they are always eaten up within a week.

Homemade granola bars - wife tested, husband approved!

Hugs,
Erin

Ingredients:
4 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c honey
1/3 c brown sugar (more or less for sweetness)
1 c favorite add-in (choc. chips, mallows, dried fruit, candy pieces, nuts)
2 eggs

Combine oats, flour, soda, vanilla, butter, honey, sugar, and egg in large bowl. Hand mix. Let set 5 mins. Mix in add-in. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350, 18 - 22 minutes. Let cool 10 mins. Cut and enjoy or store for later!

Budget Binder

Remember my Family Study Journal binder-style? Remember how I was raving about my other binders? Well, today I want you to meet my little friend - the Budget Binder. Blog friend meet binder. Binder meet blog friend :)

I have always been a saver. Hubster has always been, well, a little more spontaneous. So, finding a budget tool that caters to my need to have a 10-year emergency fund (this is only a small exaggeration) and his need to have a little spending cash and actually take a vacation was proving a trial until I came upon this binder idea from Carrie @ DittleDattle. I took Carrie's basic idea and simplified it to fit our income/spending needs, and I tell you, it has changed our lives.

The Budget binder is separated in three sections: (1) the front pocket, (2) sectioned tabs, and (3) cash envelopes.

Section 1
The Front Pocket includes some pretty basic things, pencil, eraser, pens, our checkbook (yes, I still use this), and two sets of envelopes.


The envelopes on the left are simply to keep track of payment receipts and bank transaction slips. The envelopes shown on the right are used to track expenditures for each pay period. Since Hubster and I get paid four times total per month there are four envelopes. In each envelope is a note card for each bill due that pay period. For example, in pay period one we have rent, Internet, health insurance, and Netflix due. So there is an individual card for Rent and Internet with a due date for each payment. Health insurance and Netflix are listed on an Auto-Pay card since they are automatic withdrawals, with the withdrawal date of each.

These envelopes are great because they keep us focused on that particular pay period without worrying about EVERY bill that is due, and having the card on hand makes it easy to transfer amounts to the Spending Plan sheet found in Section 2.

(That is a killer segway!)

Section 2
The tabbed sections of the binder make it so easy to track every single penny you are spending and, most importantly, SAVING!


Sorry the picture is so small, but on top we have the current month's Spending Plan sheet (more about that in 2 seconds), under the white tab are past month's Spending Plans, the blue tab holds Savings Records sheets, the yellow tab is a list of account info, and pink tab holds the Annual Spending Reconciliation sheet. Let's start from the beginning.

The Spending Plan sheet is where we actually figure out and record each months budget. Once we receive our paycheck, we sit down and plan out where to allocate our funds. We start with the total income on top and fill in appropriate amounts as we go using our pay period envelopes and any other foreseeable expenses. This allows us to see that the most important needs are met first. I don't know if you can see it, but some categories are followed by an asterisk. This means that we will use our cash envelopes (Section3) to pay for these expenses rather than a debit or credit card.

The purpose of planning out your Spending Plan should be to reach $0 in your checking account at the end of each pay period by paying necessary bills and depositing money into savings. On the second page of our Spending Plan Sheet there is space to record transfers into Savings for any cash left over after bills have been paid and groceries purchased :)

I customized this sheet to fit our needs. Because we don't have kids but do have tuition, fees, books, and other expenses I just added and subtracted categories and specific costs as I went. Do the same to your plan so it fits your family best!

{Download and print your own Spending Plan Sheet here.}

Continuing with our tabs.

The Blue Tab houses Savings Records sheets where you can track any deposits or withdrawals from your Savings Accounts. This is my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E sheet because it allows me to actually see our savings growing.

In our binder we have Savings Records for several accounts: $1000 Emergency Fund, Tuition Fund, Vacation Fund, Christmas Fund ($10 at a time really adds up and helps during the holiday), and 3-6 Months Fund. (Check with your bank about setting up sub-accounts so you can track specific savings needs.) Even if we only deposit $20 in an account each month, it is so worth it!

{Print your Savings Record sheets here.}

The Yellow Tab contains a list of our important account information. If you're like me, you are always resetting your password. This handy little list gives me a quick reference when logging in to pay bills. We also have a list of our credit card information along with emergency numbers in case of theft or lose - this is a MUST for any cardholder. If you choose to include this information in your binder, make sure you keep it in a safe and secure place and never record the sensitive answers to questions.

The Pink Tab is our Annual Spending Reconciliation sheet. Every few months we flip to this page and record what we paid in rent, tuition, health insurance, groceries, etc. Pretty much anything we'll need to record on our taxes or we want to really monitor for over spending.

{Print your Annual Reconciliation sheet here.}

Section 3
The final section - Cash Envelopes. Remember I mentioned how some of our expenditure categories on the Spending Plan had asterisks? Well, this is why. At the back of our binder, we have a super classy, high tech sheet protector that holds our cash envelopes.


If our budget includes any spending in these categories, we scurry over the bank, withdraw the exact amount and then distribute in the envelopes for use that month. Using cash envelopes has really helped us curb unnecessary spending. We are much more aware of breaking a twenty than we are of swiping our card.

If we have any money left over in the envelopes at the end of the month, we simply consider it when figuring next months budget or stash it away for a little cash-on-hand. This does not mean we keep a lot of money in the house; you have to actually have a lot of money to do that, right?

Hubster and I sit down, together, once a month and go over the Budget Binder. We consider monthly expenses, little extras, and things like gifts, school supplies, or adventures until we've worked through every penny. The Budget Binder has not made us instant millionaires, but it has made keeping track of our funds so much easier! Not to mention the surge of adrenaline I get every time I transfer $20 dollars into savings :)

{Download and print your own Spending Plan Sheet here.}{Print your Savings Record sheets here.}
{Print your Annual Reconciliation sheet here.}
Happy Budgeting!

Hugs,
Erin


P.S. Does the idea of budgeting have you down. Watch this. It will inspire all worry, doubt and pain away, but you will need a tissue!

P.S.S. If the links don't work or you would like the PDF versions, leave me a comment below and I'll upload them!

Monday Smile Challenge: Errands for Ethan

I know this Monday Smile Challenge post is a little late in the day, but I won't apologize because I've spent my day with Little Man!  There is nothing quite like the smile on your child's face when you get down on their level and play with them.  I love it:)

Today's Smile Challenge was is in honor of an amazing little boy named Ethan.  I did not know this sweet boy, and I do not know his family.  However, his story has touched my heart, and I want to share it with all of you.

{Your challenge should you choose to accept it}:

The Ellsworth family lost their amazing young son last year.  Please participate with us in "Errands for Ethan" by doing quiet acts of service to keep his memory alive! 

Here is the links to find out more about "Errands for Ethan" and how we can all join in making the world a better place one random act of kindness at a time.  Please take the time to read Ethan's story.

"Errands for Ethan"

 http://www.kimandmarcus.blogspot.com/

Keep smiling!

:)

Markers and a Mirror

Hubster and I have always been note writers. When we were dating, I would love to find a little message tucked under my windshield wiper after class, and I would always find myself jotting down love letters during especially boring lectures. Hubster has kept every note I've ever written him (even the 22 sticky notes I gave him for his 22nd birthday) because he's a romantic! However, when school season rolls around we find it more and more difficult to leave little notes. It sounds like a pathetic excuse but between school, work, homework, study groups, family functions, church activities, the gym, household duties, and, of course, March Madness, it's hard to even find time to scrounge up a pen and paper. And we don't even have kids yet. . . sign!

To remedy the lack-of-notes problem in our household I employed some dry erase markers and the bathroom mirror for weekly  {Mirror Games}.

We store three dry erase markers right next to the cotton balls, q-tips, and lotion on the vanity and use them to leave each other little notes or quick reminders in the morning or before bed, and challenge each other to a weekly game of cunning and skill!

Currently, we're embattled in a very intense round of Connect 4.   

Some of our favorite {Mirror Games} are:

• The Dot Game
• Hang Man
• 6 Grid Tic-Tac-Toe
• Connect 4
• Crossword

It's funny, but playing {Mirror Games} and leaving little {Mirror Messages} has given Hubster and I something to look forward to doing together, while apart, during the daily grind. It's hard to avoid the bathroom, even on the busiest days, and those markers are always there, just daring us to leave a note or make our move. I'm not going to lie, I frequently race to the bathroom on my lunch break just to take my turn, and we frequently stay up especially late, huddled in the bathroom, laughing ,. . . just to see who wins!

Hugs,

                                                                                   Erin  

The Love of a Father

I came across a father-son duo this morning that made me smile.  The video clip of these two is so inspiring.  I want to share their story with you, so the link for the video is at the bottom of this post.

Happiness is making the most of what you have been given.  Theodore Roosevelt said, "Do what you can, where you are, with what you have."  When placed in a less-than-ideal situation, we have a choice.  We can either waste time wondering why we find ourselves between a rock and hard place, throwing self pity parties and wallowing...or we can choose to take action, smile and "do what you can, where you are, with what you have."

Oftentimes, when faced with a challenge or difficult situation, we pray for the circumstances to change and become better.  However, sometimes these challenges and trying experiences don't just go away quickly.  I have learned in my life that if we pray for Heavenly Father to give us strength to persevere and overcome, then He will give us that strength.  He will help us create something beautiful from what seems like an impossible and hopeless situation.  Poetess Ella Wheeler Cox wrote,

It is easy enough to be pleasant,

When life flows by like a song,

But the man worth while is one who will smile,

When everything goes dead wrong.

For the test of the heart is trouble,

And it always comes with the years,

And the smile that is worth the praises of earth

Is the smile that shines through tears. 

^{{THIS VIDEO} is a touching and inspiring example of a father and son who have embraced their seemingly less-than-ideal situation, and welcome each day with a smile and a determination to make the best of their situation.  Please take the time to meet these incredible people.}  

^{"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you." (Doctrine & Covenants 68:6)} 

^Hugs,

^{Rach & Erin}

 

Monday Smile Challenge!!!

Can I share something that made me smile today?  I went couponing with my sister {who is AMAZING at couponing!} and our purchases retailed for around $80...we paid...$23!  We got eight 4-packs of Activia yogurt for...wait for it...FREE!  (well, .09 tax). SCORE!  $0.50 for a box of Fiber One cereal, and FREE Parmesan cheese!  SCORE!  Anyway...

After we unloaded our haul into the van, I took the shopping cart to the cart corral.  I thought: how awesome and thoughtful would it be if someone came and offered to put my cart away for me? 

And so...

{Your challenge should you choose to accept it}:

Offer to take a fellow shopper's shopping cart back to the cart corral for them.  Warning: you may receive an incredulous look from the recipient of this service.  They will smile once what you are doing sinks in. :)

We would LOVE to hear your stories!  This could be fun, and just think what a difference we could make if we all decide to do this.

The small things are the big things:)

St. Patty's Day Treats

Since it's not actually the 17th and since I don't cook or bake unless absolutely necessary, I haven't made any fun St. Patty's Day treats or meals. I know, I know. Slacker! But no good {St. Patty's Day} celebration is complete without fun and delicious treats! So, here are recipes for some fun treats that can be easily transformed into Leprechaun's bait!

Sugar Cookie Frosting 

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c margarine

2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Hot water if needed

Green food coloring

Cream together cream cheese, margarine, and sugar. Add hot water 1 tsp. at a time until you reach spreading consistency. 

Rice Krispies

1 c. margarine

16 oz. bag marsh mallows

13 c. Rice Krispies

Green Sprinkles or small candy

Melt mallows and margarine in microwave for 1 minute; stir. Microwave another minute and 15 seconds. Add Rice Krispies and candy; mix well. Press into cookie sheet and let set. When firm, cut and serve.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags Light Microwave Popcorn

3/4 bar White Almond Bark

Green food coloring

Pop corn and remove old maids. (It's important to remove all of the unpopped kernel) Microwave Almond Bark 30 seconds and stir; repeat until bark is thin and runny. Don't over heat as chocolate will become to stiff. Poor melted chocolate on popcorn and mix. Lightly spread popcorn on cookie sheet.

Melt another section of Almond Bark, add a few drops of food coloring and stir. Drizzle green chocolate over popcorn and let set. 

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Shamrocks

1 bag Twisty pretzels

1 bar White Almond Bark 

Green food coloring

Green sugar sprinkles

Melt Almond Bark 30 seconds at a time; stirring every 30 seconds until Almond Bark is thin and runny. Add a few drops food coloring. Dip pretzels into chocolate, sprinkle with sprinkles :) and lay on wax paper to dry. 

Once individual pretzels have dried, press three pretzels together with chocolate to form a shamrock! 

 Happy snacking! In green!

How to Catch a Leprechaun

This post is for all the kiddos out there (or those of you still young at heart:)  If you're like me, you have always wanted to catch a {Leprechaun}.  When I was little, I spent hours researching and looking for these little green men.  So, as part of Green Week here at Happiness is Homemade, I thought I would share some of my knowledge with you.  I hope this helps you with your Leprechaun hunting this year!

Before you begin your search, you must understand what a Leprechaun is.  A Leprechaun is a mischievous elf of Irish folklore who is believed to have a hidden pot of gold.  They are the shoemakers of the elves.  Leprechauns are very short and small, and they are very clever.  They are masters at eluding human traps.  These tricky little men love to wear green and they are attracted to anything green.  Leprechauns are wary of humans because they know that most humans who capture them are greedy and only want their gold.  Leprechauns are magical, mysterious and intriguing little creatures!

Tips for looking for Leprechauns I learned as a child:

- Wear as much green as possible (I had a green jumpsuit ... ya, I was into it!)
- Check the clover patch.  Leprechauns love clovers, especially the four-leafed ones!
- Leave tiny notes for your green friends (I wanted the Leprechauns to know that I was not looking for them so I could snatch their gold.  All I wanted was to be friends.  I let them know that!...I love the innocence of youth:)
- If caught, a Leprechaun will grant his captor three wishes
- Listen closely for the sound of tiny taps.  Leprechauns are shoemakers, and the quiet tapping of their hammers can often be heard.
- Leprechauns are attracted to gold and green.
- Watch for Leprechaun footprints...they will be tiny!
- Leprechauns are very fast, so you have to watch closely.  If you see a sudden flash of green, you are close to one of the little men!


You can set up all sorts of traps to catch a Leprechaun.  Be as creative as you like!  Here are a couple of examples I found from other Leprechaun enthusiasts:)  What ideas do you have?  Have you ever seen a Leprechaun!:)  Good luck!!

The Idea Room

 The Fickle Pickle

As sure as there are Leprechauns to make a wish come true, tis nothing but the happiest days I am wishing you.

Crafts of Green

Before the Month of Love had even ended, I was cooking up ideas for St. Patty's Day decor! I just love decorating with green, and since living with the grand-master-lover-of-all-things-March 17th,  Rach, in college, I have a new found appreciation for luck, leprechauns, and pots o' gold!

I also live in a small apartment, with limited decorating space, and an even smaller decorating budget, so I came up with some easy, DIY decorations to spread a little luck this March!

#1 - DIY Subway Art

There are so many cute subway art printables out there for every holiday imaginable, but after being inspired by a fellow-blogger I decided to make my own, frame-less sub-way art. I love the homemade and 3D look of the board, and  I've made a few of these but this is the first with an entire quote.

Materials:

17 x 11 inch board (use whatever size you want)
Green Paint
White Paint
Crackle
Lettering cut from assorted Card Stock
Glue Stick
Modge Podge (Matte Finish)

The process is pretty simple. I wanted a worn look for this sign so I decided to crackle the board. I started with a light coat of bright green paint; let that dry and then coated with the Crackle medium. After that was completely dry (usually 1-2 hours) I covered with a coat of white and sanded the edges.

Then I cut my lettering using my Silhouette. You could do your letters a multitude of ways (i.e. cut from stencil, die cut machine, buy a letter pack or stencil the lettering on with paint), and with any saying or collection of words! You could also use one of our free St. Patty's Day printables, print it to fit your board and modge podge it on!

After your letters are cut, simply arrange them as you want and start Modge Podging.
Modge Podge and I have a love-hate relationships. Every time I try to use the medium to stick my letters to the board I get bubbles, so I use a glue stick to actually stick my letters on, then I Modge Podge over the entire board to get a clean finish.

Ta-Da! One down, three to go!


#2 - LUCKY FRAMES

I was gifted a set of super cute frames that usually display our family name, but decided to give them a little holiday spirit.

Materials:

5 Picture Frames
White Card Stock
Several sheet for festive paper
Glue Stick

I simply used some white Card Stock to cut out the 'LUCKY' and then pasted them to 5x7 pieces of festive holiday paper. Slipped the letters into a frame and Wa-La - instant Luck!

# 3 -Green Greetings

A few weeks ago I had a nervous crafting breakdown and bought a bunch of cute 8x10 dollar store frames with lots of good intentions. Well, I forgot those intentions but now have lots of frames to use for holiday decorating. For St. Patty's day, I wanted something that actually said, St. Patty's Day so I pulled out one of my frames a came up with this.

Materials:

8x10 frame
Your favorite green paint
Card Stock in white and green

First, I painted the frame with my favorite shade of green. I only gave it one coat because I wanted to wood to show through. (Which you can't see well in the picture, sorry)

Using my Sillouette, I cut out the message on white Card Stock, popped the letter out and glued the "template" onto a green sheet of paper. You could do it the other way around as well and glue green letters onto white paper.

Stick the paper in the frame and you're done!

#4 - Clover Cubes

These are by FAR my favorite St. Patty's craft of the year!

Materials:

3 - 4x4 wood blocks
(At Home Depot you can ask for a 4 in. cut from a 4x4 and they should be able to help. Make sure the check their scrap pile before buying the entire board)
3 colors of paint
3 pages from a small book or a few pieces of newspaper
Glue stick
Modge Podge
Glue Gun
Fun embellishments

First, sand and paint your wooden blocks. If you're going for a more worn look, I would suggest only one coat so that the grain of the wood peeks through. Then sand the edges up real nice! I also took the sand paper to each face of my block for a little distressing.

While your blocks are drying, trace three clovers onto a book page or newspaper and cut then out. Warning: If you have OCD friends (like me) they will read the words on your block so make sure there isn't anything too outlandish.

After your blocks are dry, use a glue stick to adhere one clover onto each block, then cover with a thin layer of Modge Podge. If your clovers are cut from very thin paper you'll want to make sure you don't use too much Modge Podge or it might soak through the paper causing a hole.

Once the Modge Podge is dry, break out the hot glue gun or craft glue and start embellishing. I used some bright green cord ($1 bin at JoAnns), white embroidery floss, and a spiral of floral wire to jazz my blocks up a bit.

Blocks are super fun to make and can be customized for any holiday! My mother-in-law, sister, and I have already made three sets. Believe me, you can get a lot done during a basketball game!

Happy Crafting!

      Erin

P.S. You can make a few fun St. Patty's accents by filling a glass vase with dried peas and topping with a tissue paper ball, or wrapping decorative or Styrofoam balls with green yarn to cluster on shelves.

Green Week!!

Mr. Handsome is a small part Irish, and he enjoys {St. Patrick's Day}, but he had no idea what he got into when he married me.  Ever since I can remember, I have loved St. Patty's Day.  When I was a little girl I was fascinated with Leprechauns and Ireland.  So fascinated, in fact, that I spent a good amount of time researching Leprechauns, checking out books at the library about Ireland and even learning the ASL sign for "leprechaun."  I spent many hours searching for the little green men, building traps and writing notes.  My Leprechaun hunting adventures are some of my favorite childhood memories.

I remember one day when I was about 8 years old, my Dad said he wanted to show me something.  We got on the computer and he told me about this new thing called the Internet.  He said you could search for anything that you wanted and find pictures and information about it.  I was SO excited and amazed!  The very first thing I asked my Dad to look up on this new thing called Internet was...that's right, you guessed it...LEPRECHAUNS!  I still remember the excitement I felt as I saw the results pop up.  I knew with all this information I'd be able to catch a Leprechaun for sure!

I have been a huge fan of Ireland, Leprechauns and St. Patty's Day ever since, and throughout this week Erin and I will share our St. Patty's Day adventures with you!  We will help you prepare for the Green Day itself!  (March 17!)  Watch for green printables, green recipes, {St. Patrick's Day} activities, stories and fun!  To begin, here are some fun printables to get you excited for the big day!

Keep your eyes peeled...you might just see a Leprechaun:)

-Rachel

Please pin if you like and want to share!!!

Get your copy HERE

Get your copy HERE

Get your copy HERE

 

Get your copy HERE

{Tomorrow for Green Week: St. Patrick's Day crafts!}

Check out these fun Link Parties:

Monday Smile Challenge: Compliments

So, I can't lie, I failed miserably at last weeks {Smile Challenge}. I know, I know. Slacker. I'm sure you didn't follow my dreadful example and DID write a few Thank You notes this week. If so, please share! We would love to here how you bring smiles to those around you.

If you are joining me in slacker-ville, you're in luck, I've made this week's challenge easy. So, we can double up on the smiles this week, of course.


Because sincere, spontaneous compliments are one of my most favorite things to give (and receive) here is this week's {Monday Smile Challenge}:

{Your challenge should you choose to accept it}:

Give out some sincere, spontaneous compliments to anyone and everyone! It is especially rewarding to make a stranger's day by complimenting their intricate french twist, that you envy because your hair is too short, or tell them how totally sweet their new kicks look. (Substituting the word 'sick' for 'sweet' gives you more street cred but I would not use this on older women or doctors.) Throw the compliments around all week and just see if you don't get some SMILES.

Good Luck!

(Not that you need it)

Source

 In honor of St. Patty's Day and all things green

COMING LATER THIS WEEK:

- 4 easy and cute St. Patty's Day Crafts

- Super fun St. Patty's Day activities for the little leprechauns

- Some delicious, and green, treats  

Hugs!

 P.S. I do think that YOU are BEA-UTIFUL!