JoJo's Room

I have a girl, so naturally I want to decorate her room super fun and girly. On the other hand, I don't really have a lot of cash for decorating...so...time to be creative!
I think I posted a picture of her nightstand before. This was a $5 Craigslist find that I sanded, repainted, and distressed. With a fancy new knob from Anthropologie- it's a one of a kind cutie! I also love that it is nice, solid, American made wood.
This wicker chest was in my room growing up. It makes a great storage space for my daughter's stuffed animals and dress-up clothes. I just put a fresh coat of spray paint on it. I figured if I put a cushion on top, then she could also use it as a bench or reading area. I bought a 2'x4'x1.5" sheet of wood then cut it to match the size and curvature of the chest. I did the same with a 2" sheet of foam. Then I upholstered the top by stretching and stapling the fabric in to place. Then I secured the board by putting screws through the underside of the lid and into the wood. Admittedly this is my first upholstery-type project. I guess it turned out okay- about $20 all together. I'd like to make some matching pillows (I made these a couple years ago), but all in good time...

I found a 15 foot board in my in-laws backyard. It was already weathered and perfectly worn. My mother-in-law was glad to get rid of it. I just took it home and cut it with a jig saw and sanded the edges and surfaces to avoid excess paint chipping.

I took some photos of JoJo and desaturated them, printed them, then sprayed the backs with spray adhesive. After they dried, I sprayed the wood with polyurethane, drilled holes, and strung the ribbon for hanging. Total cost $3? (to print the photos) I did the same thing with this photo of the temple that I took, then painted the words on it. I have to say I loved this project! I wish I knew where to find more old scrap wood like this- anybody know of a place? I've done my share of crackling and distressing wood, but this was just SO easy and perfect!

When driving through a small town in rural Pennsylvania, we came across an old barn. The owners were upgrading the windows and getting rid of the old ones, so we picked one up for $5. After cleaning, sanding, and painting, I attached these pictures with glue dots (scrapbook item). Not only is it a fun and unique decoration, but I love being able to re-purpose old items and give them a new life.

One last item- JoJo's headboard. I found this on Craigslist. It was actually built out of fencing material. They just added the knobs on the top (are those called finials?). Again, I painted and distressed it to match everything else. The room isn't at all finished yet. Someday I'd like to make a comforter and curtains to match. When you're working on a budget and doing things yourself- it's all about time and patience.

Just in time for Easter!

Our chickens have been pretty busy since our "first egg" post. The first egg was very petite...but check out this line up.

The white egg is a standard large egg from the store. The egg on the right is the size of a first laid egg and the huge egg at the left is something we get every 3 days or so. It's gotta hurt coming out! It's usually a double yoker.

One of my favorite breakfasts as a kid was called Chicken in a Barnyard. You cut a hole in the middle of a piece of bread on a fry pan. Crack an egg into the hole and the bread toasts while the egg fries. Then, after you eat the toast and the egg, use the middle toast portion to sop up all the yummy egginess.

So now we get about 6-8 eggs a day! We have over 3 dozen right now. I think it's safe to start giving some away. Who wants eggs?

Oh, yeah, and we don't just grow food either. Check out these beautiful roses I cut from our rose bushes. A beautiful, fragrant centerpiece for our Easter table.

Finding Nemo

We like making sure that our children know where our food comes from: Apple juice comes from apples from trees, raisins come from grapes from vines, and bread comes from flour (and a few other ingredients) from wheat that we grind. We always talk about what meat we're eating and what animal provided it for us. On that note, Hubbies' latest fishing trip inspired a fishing day with the kiddos so that they could learn how to catch fish just like daddy.

We woke the kids up bright and early one morning to try out Riverview Lake (a man-made lake in the city). We fished for about 45 min before JoJo and Jeepers couldn't wait anymore.
There was a playground across the lake that they just had to explore. Later we found out the lake wasn't stocked yet anyway. Ha! Well, we didn't give up! Afterall, we paid good money for their new fishing poles!

Hubbies was determined to teach his children how to fish. Later that day, we drove up to Saguaro Lake and took a short hike to a secluded spot around the back side of the lake.

We fished off the rocky shore for an hour- in the heat- but Daddy had promised his children fish and by-golly he was going to make sure they caught a fish- EACH!

Then Finally!! JoJo caught a fish! Daddy let her real it in and she got to touch it and talk to it and then she threw it back in the lake.

But we couldn't leave yet! Not until Jeepers caught his own fish.

Thankfully, just as the sun was going down, Jeepers caught a sunfish!

They might be a little young for a real fishing trip, but they weren't too young to make some great memories! Now when we eat fish, they really understand where it came from and what Daddy had to do to get it.

Of course when we eat it, Jeepers calls out, "Nemo, Nemo!"

Here Fishy, Fishy

Hubby went on a fishing trip with my dad recently and caught fish... a lot of fish, specifically bass. It took us a few hours after he got back to clean it, cut it, and bag it. We got a vacuum sealer so the fish can stay fresher longer. I think he brought back about an 8 month supply if we have fish once a week! In case you're wondering, his shirt says "Trust me I'm a doctor." I've tried to throw it out, but it's his favorite. Aside from fishing being super fun for the boys, it's a great skill to keep handy, like gardening and hunting and sewing. I love being married to a man that can not only catch the fish, but fry it up as well. Doesn't he look so cute in his apron?

My dad likes to batter his fish, coat it in saltine crackers, and deep fry it, which is delectable. I like to season mine with dry mustard, season salt, dill, and pepper (or some variation of seasonings). After it's done, Hubbies drizzles honey over the top for some extra sweetness.

To make delicious fish tacos, shred purple cabbage and mix with freshly crushed pineapple. Melt some delicious Mexican cheese between two corn tortillas.

The last step is my favorite, combine the ingredients (add some extra cheese a little tomato and/or cilantro) and EAT! Ooh and when you go to the store to get your Mexican cheese, don't forget to pick up a cold, creamy horchata.

The kiddos actually enjoyed eating the fish too, not in taco form though. Jeepers gets excited and yells, "Nemo! Nemo!"

The Ultimate Homemade Breakfast!

This egg (plus two more from the next two days) as seen in AN EGG and anticipated in It All Started with Chicks ... Plus, wheat bread as featured in The Need to Knead ...

Plus this orange juice from So Much Juice ...

And including the delicious jam as seen in Strawberry Jam ...

All culminated into the much anticipated, highly delicious, all organic, and super nutritious...

THE Ultimate Homemade Breakfast!!

Now THIS is the way to start your day!

So much juice...

One of the wonderful things about living in Arizona is the access to fresh citrus during the winter and early spring. Like I've mentioned before, we have two small citrus trees. They're great for fresh fruit, but we don't get enough to store up enough juice for the year. However, between my parents and my in-laws, we were given PLENTY of citrus. I spent about 5-6 hours about 3 weeks ago just juicing, juicing, juicing...oh, so much juice. Juicing is pretty simple, but just remember to WASH your fruit first so it doesn't grow bacteria.

What do you do with all those citrus peels? Well, I mentioned in my Let's Play a Game post that you can throw those peels under the tree they came from to help fertilize the tree (or use it for composting). There are so many other ways to use up those peels. I've tried a few of them so far, but will try more and post them later on. I love the scent of citrus. It's so fresh, plus it reminds me of home. Instead of lighting a candle, consider simmering citrus rinds on the stove. It smells great, just keep checking that it doesn't run out of water. I kept many of the rinds in plastic bags and stored them in the freezer. If my garbage disposal starts stinking, I just throw a couple peels down there for a fresh, clean scent!

The children love orange juice popsicles. You can even add fruit- strawberries or pineapple- to the popsicles. If you make lemonade popsicles, add food coloring to make it fun! (we made green for St. Patty's Day) I also made flavored oils. I cleaned out and cut up orange, grapefruit, and lemon peels, placed them separately in small jars. Then I filled the jar with extra virgin olive oil. I let it sit for 3 weeks and just used some yesterday to make a salad dressing. I also used it in place of olive oil when I sauteed spinach. It added a little extra flavor. I wonder if I can use it to make scented candles?..

Of course, when life gives you lemons...you make LEMONADE! Jeepers did not appreciate tasting the lemons while we were juicing, but they loved drinking the fresh squeezed lemonade. I've heard about so many ways to use lemons in cleaning, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. Lemon is so powerful and we use it so rarely that I think we have a 3 year supply of it! I'll have to come up with more ways to use it.

Here's my freezer full of juice. Lemon, orange, grapefruit, and fruit cocktail. I ran out of jars, so I started filling gallon freezer bags which I've since heard that a lot of people use because it's cheaper and stores easily.

We're going to my in-laws today to get more citrus for juicing- one more time before the season is over. We won't be running out of fresh juice this year!