Where The Wild Things Are Kindergarten Play Night

The school year has gone in a blink of an eye and we come upon the last 5.5 days left!!!  I'm a little sad at how fast it has gone.  Caden has grown so much and he has been thriving in Kindergarten.  He is reading books all by himself and writing stories along with drawing me great pictures!  Our graduation will be next Friday so I'll try to hold the tears until then!  But I must be that crazy mom that shares some of the fun photos of our play "Where the Wild Things Go".  It only last about 10 minutes but the kids did great and where so proud of their hats they made all by themselves!

Sorry a little blurry didn't have time to download camera

you would think my iPhone did better pics but it never does :(

Hope you have a great day! 

And to any of my readers effected by the horrible weather my prayers are with you all!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner ... Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken And Rice

So this is not a pretty looking meal but it sure was a pleaser for the boys!  I found this Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice recipe on Southern Plate.  It was a super simple recipe to make throw it in the crock pot and go!

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

ALEXIS NOTES:   I put the chicken in frozen (because I'm lazy like that). I used the brown rice I buy in bulk instead of the Zatarain's rice.   I put my rice in my rice cooker and right before it was time to serve I added the rice so it didn't get soggy.

Another yummy and quick recipe for a busy night!

What's on your menu tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner ... Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

This was another simple recipe I made for the boys, it was just for the 3 boys and I knew they wouldn't be wanting left overs so I halved a recipe for Crock-Pot Italian Chicken on The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I even threw the recipe in my mini crockpot to have less to clean!  When it was all done I threw some spaghetti noodles on a plate and topped with the shredded chicken.  It smelled so good I wished I could have just a small bite, but I resisted (stupid diet .. lol).  So it's not the prettiest meal but packed with flavor.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing (Regular is fine but I like zesty better. Sometimes I use a packet and a half.)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low in the crockpot for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day. Once chicken is done you can leave the chicken breasts whole, cube it, or even shred it. I always cut the breasts into tenderloin size strips.
2. Once you have cut up the chicken, throw it back in the crockpot and stir into the sauce. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice.

Alexis Notes: I halved the recipe and used my little crock pot.  I put the chicken once it was cooked in my mixer and used the paddle to shred the chicken and put it back in the sauce and mixed it all up.  I served of spaghetti noodles.

Give this one a try it was so simple and you can even put the frozen chicken in and let it go!   You know me anything that makes my life easier is a winner!!  This will be one I make when I can eat real food again :).

What's on your menu tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner ... Slow Cooker Chicken Taco's

We had our dinner friends over the other week and I knew taco's are always a big hit with all the boys (her one and my two).  I bought Chicken on sale so we had a week of chicken recipes.  I didn't want to do taco's with ground beef, so I wanted to go with chicken.  BUT I didn't want it to be just plain chicken so I found a easy 3 ingredient recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Taco's on the Six Sister's Stuff. Looking for a way to spice up Taco night well you found it!

Ingredients:
1 envelope taco seasoning (I used reduced sodium seasoning and it was still delicious)
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 (16 oz) jar of your favorite salsa

Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray for easy clean-up. Place chicken in the bottom, pour salsa on top, and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.

ALEXIS NOTES: I buy taco seasoning in the bulk section at winco and store in my plastic spice bottles.  I again use the mixer to shred the chicken!

Hope you give this a try it I swear took less then 5 minutes to put it in the crockpot, then before time to serve I put the cooked chicken in my mixer with the paddle and shredded the chicken and done!

What's on your Menu Tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Suck it up Cupcake ...

Yesterday I stepped on the scale to be down 99.8lbs oh yes the scale is laughing at me just couldn't give me the .2lbs ... hehe!  I went and did a bonus exercise yesterday and step on the scale and nothing ... of course these last 14lbs are going to take their sweet time to come up.

I leave you with my new headband:

Isn't that great a nod to my bakerself and my old fluffy self.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Dad on the mend again ... We hope for good this time!!

A little update on my dad.  As many of you that have followed me for sometime know that August 2012 my dad was driving along one moment and then the next thing he remembers is a flash and waking up to someone trying to pull his door open.  Dad was in his F250 and a lady came straight at his truck from the oncoming traffic.  She hit him at such force she flipped his truck.  Fast forward to present time, dad has been having tremendous pain in his leg that had the broken femur that they put a rod in to replace and stabilize the bone that was broke (the largest bone in your body). 

Here's post about the accident

Yesterday he went back to the hospital to get his rod taken out since it didn't connect like it was suppose to.  They went back in replaced his rod with a larger rode in length and width.  It's going to be another 8 weeks of no weight on this leg.  But thank God this time he won't be hopping around on a broken foot on the other leg.

The surgery went well yesterday, a lot of pain but hopefully this will lead to him able to walk around with out being in constant pain.  Thank you for all the prayers and thoughts we appreciate it so much!

The old rod removed

We hope to have him home by Friday!  I'll keep you posted on his recovery.

Thank you again for your prayers & thoughts!

Teacher Appreciation Gift ... Thank you for helping us grow

Next on my list to do is actually one that I put together for our PTF president that is stepping down.  I wanted to do something memorable and something she could look back on years to come with a smile.  I saw several thumb print tree's for weddings but then I came across Plum Adorable that has a FREE printable if you don't want it personalized.  It is saved as a 8x10 but I took it to a print shop and had it blown up to a 11x17 since I wanted EVERY kid in the school put a thumb print on it.  We have 4 classrooms (K-8) around 80+ kids.  I gave each classroom a different color ink pad and then we had each kid put their init's below their thumb print.  

This is off her site, two colors to choose from.

This is the FREE non-personalized version

I also purchased one with that has Caden's Kindergarten teacher's name on it.  Plum Adorable was very kind and added a bible verse I wanted on there at no extra charge.  (I'll show this one later when I get all the Kindergartner's thumb prints on it).  

Supplies

Thank You for Helping us Grow Printable (Free or Personalized for $12)

Ink Pad

Pen to write name or init's

Frame and Mat (I found mine at Ross $14.99)

Steps

1. IF you don't buy the personalized one (which is mailed to you), you need to print the template.  As I said above you can blow up to a 11x17 with out it looking pixelated).
2. Press thumb into the ink pad and then press onto the tree, we stuck around or on the flowers so the thumb's looked like leaves.
3. Add name or initials depending on the # of thumb prints.
4. You can write a note on print or the mat if you would like. (optional)
5. After all dry, put in a matted frame.

This really is my favorite thing I've made!

I can't wait to see the kindergarten Class one done.


Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Teacher Appreciation Gift ... You've got the "WRITE" stuff!

For Cole's teacher I wanted to do something that was more manly ... LOL you can only give a guy teacher so many things for the classroom.  I found this easy vase glued with pencils on The Blackberry Vine.   She has a free printable that is so cute but I ran out of time when I was making this, I so wish I had printed it!  I also used ribbon I had on hand but her's is so much cutier but again I'm going with manly.  I filled his pencil vase full of snack size candy bars.

Supplies:

Glass Vase (Pick up Dollar Store)

2 1/2 boxes Pencils (Dollar Store - Around 37 pencils)

Ribbon (You can find School themed at Micheal's or plain at Dollar Store)

Wood Dye Cut School Themed (found at Micheal's)

Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

2-3 bags Mini Candy Bar's (Dollar Store has name brand candy, I've seen flowers and other things also.)

Steps:

1. Take a pencil and put a strip of hot glue on it and then glued it down to the vase.  (I made sure the pencil label was the glue side, also make sure straight mine was a little crooked).
2. Once all pencil's glued on tie a ribbon around it (I wish I used a thicker ribbon).
3. Hot glue down some wood dye cuts on the pencils.  
4. Fill to the brim with mini candy bars.

Another super easy Idea that is great thoughtful gift!


Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea ... Crayon Wreath

We celebrated Teacher Appreciation week about 3 weeks ago but I was in Star War's party mode and not able to post any of these.  I saw on Scrapping West a Crayon Wreath and just had to do it for Caden's Kindergarten teacher.  This was a pretty simple craft to make.  The only thing that I didn't do that would have been helpful was to line out the crayons to make sure I had enough.  I didn't have enough crayon's at first and had to open up another 2 boxes so I had to peel off a few crayons and that wasn't pretty ... lol.  I also skipped the embroidery hoops, I picked up a circle form they had at Micheal's that worked perfect and was so much cheaper too!  I ran out of town and didn't get to write her name on the wood apple I put on the wreath.  I may sneak into her room before the end of the school year and add it ... hehe.

Supplies:

• 1 -8" embroidery hoop
• 1 -12" embroidery hoop
• Alexis Note: I found a Wire Circle at Micheal's instead.
• 3 boxes of 24 ct. crayons (Alexis Note: my circle was larger I used 5 boxes)
• 1 roll of 3/8" craft ribbon
• 1 wide ribbon piece for the hanger (Alexis Note: I skipped)
• various die cuts ie Wooden apple cut out (Alexis Note: I found pre-painted one's at Micheal's)
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• paint pens (for name)

Steps:

1. unscrew the screw from both hoops and hot glue the ends together
2. paint the hoops desired color
1. Alexis Note: I used a wire circle that was already green so no unscrewing and no painting!
3. lay all crayons on the hoop in the desired color order. This helps with placement when you begin to glue them all down.
1. Alexis Note: I skipped this and regretted it, make sure to do it!!
4. glue down each crayon. Make sure that all crayons are facing the same way, makes it look nicer.
5. Thread craft ribbon in and out at the top of crayons and again at the bottom. Tie a knot behind the crayon to keep the ribbon tight.
1. Alexis Note: I skipped the ribbon looping in and out. 
6. Attach die cuts with hot glue. 
1. Alexis Note: I skipped but you can laminated if you want.
7. Tie large bow at the top making sure you leave a long enough loop to hang the wreath. You can add hot glue for reinforcement on the hoop.

This was a super easy project, just be careful you don't burn your fingers from the glue gun.  And let it set up before moving it!  I made this mistake and a few crayon's fell off! I had to do a quick re-glue and go!

Hope you all have a wonderful day and were able to relax some this weekend.

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Have a Wonderful Mother's Day

Well my weekend hopeful will be relaxing maybe I can read a book? LOL I know I'm laughing at that one too!  I'm just happy to be done party planning.  Well that is until next month, I had the brilliant idea to have a End of School Year Swim party at my parents lake propery for the kids and their classmates. I'm telling myself that I won't go over board ... hmmm may want to tell that to my crazy other side of my brain that created a Pinterest board for a summer themed party ideas ... teehee!

I can't help it check out these cute Cards I found & will make this weekend.

We get out of school crazy EARLY 5/31! YIKES

I found these awesome FREE Printables on Living Locurto Website!

Oh and then July is Caden's birthday party ... hmmm well maybe I can relax in August?

Since I can't hold it in I will also be working on these Cards for Caden.

Since his party is in July I need to make cards to give to parents BEFORE school ends.

I found this idea on Catch My Party (Just a picture but I'm sure I can figure it out!)

Hope all you Mother's have a wonderful day and also Everyone give a little extra love to the Mother in your life!

I so want to make this eCard found on Mecards.com

Have a Bless Weekend!