faucet deals

If you are in the market for a new faucet don't forget to look around online. See what's available at home improvement or plumbing stores and then search online for those same faucets at better prices. Today I purchased the snazzy faucet pictured above for the wet bar along with two faucets for reverse osmosis (one for the kitchen, one for the wet bar) and a shower faucet. I found exactly what I wanted at FaucetDirect.com, three of the faucets just happened to be on sale and I also found a promo code that saved me a little over $100! I saved even more because I didn't have to pay tax and I chose the free shipping option they offered since I don't need them for a couple of weeks yet. I'd say that was a pretty sweet deal. :) I did the same thing when we built our house 4 years ago and was able to save a lot of money.

wet bar

I talked to my mom on the phone last night and she wants to see more pictures of the basement. Here you go Mom! I really like how the wet bar turned out. The only things that are left to do in this area are - touch up paint where it got scratched during countertop installation, put the baseboard on, finish the plumbing for the sink and finish the wiring for the internet stuff.

The end of this basement project is in sight. I have been staining and polyurethaning boards and have a lot of it completed and ready for Scott to install this weekend. Next week I need to be sure to have all of my work done so that Scott will be able to finish all of the trim work next weekend when he gets home from his trip to Atlanta. Then carpet will be installed the following week. Woohoo! I'll show you the rest of it then. :)

a basement update

I am so excited! Progress is finally being made again on the basement bathroom! The ceiling and wall have been fixed. The ceiling still needs to be textured yet but is scheduled to be done on Friday. We were told that it would be done by Tuesday so I had the tile floor scheduled to get done today. Rather than move the tiling out again we decided to just go ahead and have it laid and then will put plastic down to protect it while the texturing and painting gets done.

Scott put a couple of heating mats down to keep the tile warm. We didn't do that when we finished the basement in the last place we lived and that tile was always freezing!

Here are the slate tiles installed! Tomorrow it will be grouted but I couldn't wait to post a picture. :) I love how it turned out and can't wait to see how the shower is going to look. That will not be done for a week or two though.

miracle cleaner

I am taking Shannon's idea for Works for Me Wednesday and sharing with you my absolute favorite cleaning product. It's called Sol-U-Mel. I have been amazed at the stains I have been able to get out with this stuff, and without a lot of effort too! This morning I just used it to get out a black marker drawing that I found on one of my couch cushions. I don't have proof but I'm pretty sure that this is the child that is the guilty artist -

Hard to believe with a face that sweet isn't it?! :) With just a dab of this product on a cloth the marker wiped right off the leather cushion. Other things that I have been able to remove are -

- oil stains in clothing....even after it's been dried in the dryer!
- sculpy clay oil residue. I didn't read the directions on the package where it specifically says to not use it directly on a wood surface. I would've cried if it hadn't came out because I had just bought the table!
- plumbers purple primer. This one I couldn't believe. My brother spilled quite a bit of this stuff on his good jeans while he was here helping my dad work on our basement. I treated the jeans with this stuff right away and put them in the wash and it came out completely!
- grass, mud, blood and other common stains

The biggest drawback to this product is that it can't be purchased in stores. It's only available through Melaleuca and it is pretty pricey if you are not a member. I have been using Melaleuca products for over 2 years now and love them but am not going to give you a sales pitch for them. I am not a distributor and do not want to be. I just know that if I ever decide to no longer be a member that I would willing pay full price for this one product to have in my arsenal of cleaning supplies.

Now I just need to find a miracle product to fix scratches in my table. This is the worst one and can be mostly covered by a bowl that sits in the middle of the table as a centerpiece at least. If you know of something I could try to minimize it or make it disappear I'd love to hear about it!

john adams

Scott first heard of the new HBO miniseries John Adams here. We signed up for HBO just so we could watch it and we have not been disappointed. It is excellent. I'll admit it is hard to watch at times because of war violence but brings history to life so much that you have a renewed pride in being an American and a new realization of what our forefathers went through to gain our freedom. I highly recommend it!

Click here to watch the trailer.

peanut buster ice cream dessert

This recipe is so, so good and is totally worth all the calories! I used to request this as my birthday cake growing up and now my kids ask for it. It is so easy and because it is frozen it doesn't have to be devoured before it dries out or gets mushy like other desserts....it can be savored. :)

1 18-oz pkg. Oreo cookies
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1 small jar fudge topping
1 small jar caramel topping
10 oz. chopped salted peanuts
1 8-oz. ctnr. Cool Whip

Grind the Oreos in a food processor (or place them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin). Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Save 1 cup of the cookie crumbs for the topping and press the rest into a 9x13-inch pan. Soften the icecream slightly and then put on top of the cookie layer. (An offset spatula makes easy work of this.) Next layer on the fudge topping, then the caramel and peanuts. (It works good to heat up the fudge and caramel toppings just a little in the microwave so that they are easier to spread.) Put in the freezer for several hours. When frozen, add the layer of Cool Whip and sprinkle the 1 cup of Oreo crumbs on top and put back in freezer till ready to serve.

When I make this I like to make it at least a day in advance so that everything has a chance to get frozen. Take it out 10 minutes before serving and it will be easier to cut. Enjoy!

more kid cuteness

Things that the kids have said that have made me smile....

- Thomas at Easter dinner...."Mom, this food is really good! Now we have to eat ham for every meal don't we?" He knows me well! :)

- I overheard Elle say to Ava...."Ava stop eating lotion. It's not food."

- "Hone!" Ava says this everytime she hears Scott's phone beep for a new email message.....and that's a lot of beeps let me tell ya!

- Ava often calls Scott 'Honey' now since she hears me call him that all the time. When she hears the garage door open she'll say "Honey!" and run to meet him.

happy easter

We got a fresh dusting of snow for Easter. I thought the kids looked cute all dressed up and in their boots. :)


The outside Easter egg hunt was pretty easy when all you had to do was follow Daddy's tracks!

This year for the kid's treasure hunt we had them all over the neighborhood finding clues. They enjoyed it and were happy with their treasure of candy, bubbles, sunglasses and a wagon for all of them to share.

Don't they look cool in their shades?!

Dinner this year was Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Orange Salad and homemade bread. Dessert was Thomas's request....Peanut Buster Icecream Cake. It's so good but makes you feel like you have to exercise after you eat a piece! So we decided to take the wagon for a spin around the lake.

Ava loved it!

homemade croutons

I often purchase a large loaf of french bread from the grocery store bakery but we usually aren't able to finish it before it would go bad so I like to use it to make croutons after we've had it for a couple of meals. It's so easy to do and these croutons are much more tasty than the boxed ones.

The first thing you do is slice and cube your bread into bite-size pieces. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Then take whatever seasoning you want and sprinkle it on. Any seasoning will work. I have a container of dipping oil spices that I like to use. Ranch dressing mix is good and so is just salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the bread cubes and get them lightly coated with the oil and spices. Place them in a 350 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes or so. Toss them around once during baking. Let them cool before placing in a container.

My kids are happy to eat a salad with croutons on it! And while you have the oven hot why not roast a few chicken breasts. Just sprinkle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about an hour or until juices run clear. Let cool then shred the meat. Portion it out and freeze for use in soups and casseroles. It really helps to have dinner on the table quick on busy days!

Visit Rocks in My Dryer for more Works For Me Wednesday tips. There are always lots of good ones!

science fun

We are using this cirriculum to study the human body this year in science. Right now we are learning about the digestive system. One of the suggested activities was to drink water through a straw upside down to prove that it is not gravity that pulls food into our stomachs but is actually involuntary muscles that do the work. The kids thought this little experiment was pretty funny.

Tomorrow we are making molds of their teeth using modeling clay and plaster of paris. I love this kind of hands on learning! It's fun and really helps them to 'get it' and remember it.

Visit Lara's blog to what everyone's talking about this week!

chocolate sheet cake

This recipe was given to me at my wedding shower. It is from a sweet lady that was known for bringing it to our church potlucks and it disappearing very quickly! All of the brides-to-be would receive this recipe as a gift along with a sheet cake pan. It mixes up so quickly, stays moist for a long time and makes a lot. We had it with a scoop of mint chip icecream after our St. Patrick's Day meal. Yum!

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Bring to a boil:
2 sticks butter
1 cup water
3 T. cocoa

Add to the following ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well. Pour into a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or done in the center.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 Tbsp. butter

Boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour on cake when hot.

the good, the bad and the ugly

The Good - This weekend we cleared out the utility room, scrubbed the floor and then painted it with epoxy paint. It looks so much better! Today I've been moving everything thing back into this room and getting it organized.


The Bad - Demolition of one wall in our bathroom. After the leak we called the guy who did our drywall and he said that we needed to get the insulation out of wall because it would never dry. Now we can get it repaired and hopefully get to tile work soon.



The Ugly - Our yard. Construction is not pretty!

my minnesota girl

what a difference a day makes

This was yesterday. Thomas and Elle got their bikes out and rode them around the lake. Ava pushed around her scooter and thoroughly enjoyed playing outside again. It felt like spring was almost here.


This is today. Back to winter.


I'll admit, the big, fluffy flakes were pretty cool. But I can wait until next winter to enjoy them. :)

Update: I need to give credit to Scott for taking that super cute picture of Elle touching the snow.

knitted newsboy hat

This hat was such a fun knit. I worked on it during the drive to Nebraska last week. It was a challenge for me and I had to make a phonecall while on the road to the lady that owns the yarn shop in town but after she explained a few things it went well. I already have the yarn purchased for another one for myself. I think I'm brave enough to wear it! I better hurry up though, it's feeling very spring-like here this week. The snow is melting and the sun is shining. The kids even asked if they could do their schoolwork outside at the table on the porch. :) It's not quite that warm yet!

To read more Talk About Tuesday posts visit Lara's blog. While you're there check out some of the adorable hats she has knit for her girls lately!

menu plan monday

This week we are finishing our study of Germany so we'll be making a German meal of Sauerkraut and Brats on Thursday. Hopefully it turns out ok. I'm not a fan of sauerkraut but am going to try a recipe that uses Reisling wine instead of brine. Thomas and Elle are going to make a cake this week after reading The Duchess Bakes a Cake. They haven't decided what kind they are going to make but that will be the dessert for the meal.

A couple of weeks ago we got a quarter of a beef from a friend of Scott's and it is so nice to have a freezer full of meat. Last night we had french dip sandwiches after one of the roasts cooked all day in the crockpot with a packet of onion soup mix. Tonight I'm making vegetable beef soup with the leftover meat and au jus. I'm sure there won't be enough left but another good idea to stretch that meal even farther is if there is leftover vegetable beef soup, serve it the following night over baked potatoes for a dinner of Beef Soup Spuds. I love those meals that can do double, even triple, duty!

Monday
B - Eggs & Toast
L - Pizza
D - Vegetable Beef Soup

Tuesday
B - Oatmeal
L – PB & J Sandwiches
D – White Chicken Chili

Wednesday
B – Orange Essence Muffins
L – Leftover Soups
D - Tacos

Thursday
B – Orange Essence Muffins
L – Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Snack – Homemade Soft Pretzels (These are a German food.)
D – German Meal – Bratwurst & Sauerkraut, Spaetzle, Cake

Friday
B – Eggs & Toast
L - Cheesies
D – Oven Baked Ribs, Baked Beans, Salad, Sweet Corn Muffins

Saturday
B – Cinnamon Rolls
L - Leftovers
D – Swiss Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Salad

Sunday
B – Cinnamon Rolls
L – Leftover Swiss Chicken
D – Cheese & Crackers, Veggies & Dip

nikki and john's wedding

Scott's sister, Nikki, got married on Friday. We had such a great time celebrating with them. Aren't they just the cutest couple?! Elle loved being the flowergirl and Thomas really tore it up on the dance floor at the reception. Check out that picture of him doing the donkey kick! Ava ate some dinner and a cupcake and then fell asleep and slept on a coat on the floor for most of the evening. She's such a good little girl. :)

10 years

Scott and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on Friday. Ten years already!! The best 10 years ever! I love you Babe!

drip, drip, drip

This afternoon when we got home from Nebraska I went downstairs to put one more coat of paint on the walls of the bathroom before tile work begins this week. When I got down there the bathroom floor was wet and water was dripping from the ceiling. Yikes!! Scott turned the water off right away and started investigating. It turns out that there is a pretty good size slice in our flexible water line that runs to our fridge. We are baffled how it happened because there hasn't been any work done in the ceiling for a few weeks now. Of course we wish it would've never happened but are so thankful that it happened now and not after more work was completed in that room and that the mess is only in that one room. We are not sure what we have to do in there now. We have a fan going in there to help dry it all out. Tile is definately postponed for the week though.



We were in Nebraska to celebrate Scott's sister's wedding yesterday. I'll be posting pictures tomorrow but right now I'm going to go drink the cosmo Scott just made me. It's sounding good after being in the vehicle with the kids all day and coming home to our surprise.

taking a break

I am going to take the rest of this week off from blogging. I'll be back next week!

another basement post

I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of the basement. This weekend Scott installed this wood floor in the wet bar area. He will be installing it in the bedroom that we will be using as an exercise room after the window trim work gets done and the electrical is finished. It was our bargain find at Home Depot a couple of months ago. We decided to stop in after church and take a look at what they had for flooring. This was our favorite flooring and it just happened to be clearanced out and there was just the right amount for our project. Love it when that happens!

This wall is on the opposite side of the wet bar and I decided to carry the same color over as an accent wall. An entertainment center is being built to match the wet bar cabinets. All of the other walls are going to be the same taupe color that I have throughout the rest of the house.

Are you wondering why you see an unfinished door there along with windows that still need to be stained yet when I said that I was going to stain before paint? That really was my intention and I did start but there just isn't time! Cabinets are being installed on March 13th so painting became a priority so that we could get the wood and tile flooring done before then. Carpet will not be installed before the staining and polying is done though so I still have motivation to get it done! :)

For those of you who don't know, when we built this house I stained and/or polyurethaned pretty much all of the windows, doors, trim, exterior cedar siding, and wood floor. Family did help me with it when they came up to help us and Scott helped on the siding when he could but he was plenty busy with other projects. There wasn't time to get all of it completely done before we closed on the house and moved in. I still have rooms in the upstairs where polyurethaning needs done....4 years later. Most people don't even notice that it's not done but I do so it's always on my to do list. To say that I am sick of staining and polyurethaning is an understatement and am so glad that I am getting closer to being done now!

This is Crazy Hair. She looks like a wild child except after a bath when her hair is super curly and cute. I think we are going to have to start putting some product in her hair to tame those curls! :)