An organized pantry is a happy pantry!

I can finally check it off my list! I am not sure how great it will work, but I think I am onto something with my new and improved organized pantry!
Here is the before...Yikes!

The worst was the spice shelf, I could never find anything in there!

So I invested in an expandable shelf from Target for $11, 6 pretty colored $ Tree bins and we had some big tub things down in the basement.

                                       

                                                        Here is the finished product!

First I took everything out shelf by shelf and wiped it down. Then I threw away anything expired or that we weren't going to use.

Top shelf, tall stuff, cereal boxes etc. In the bins, oils, syrups etc and in the other bin coffee, tea and drink mixes and in the wire box (which we already had, dishtowels)

Middle shelf: on the tiered rack spices and baking items that are frequently used. In the bins, baking things, sprinkles, flour, chocolate chips etc.

Snack shelf: One bins has sweet snacks and candy and the other has salty snacks, chips, popcorn etc

Bottom shelf: You can't see it very well, but the back box is pastas, the front box is bread, bagels, tortillas. etc. The blue boxes have dinner stuff and mixes/side dishes. The cans, are, well stacked as neatly as possible on the side. I was going to get one of those can organizers but you can't see your inventory and our pantry is so small that I don't have many multiples. So it is, was it is.

That's it for now. I have visions of putting our dry goods, pasta and cereals in those nice, clear storage containers, but that will have to come later, I just don't see myself coming home from the store and putting everything away and in containers, Maybe when my kids have grown up and I have more time!

Busy summer bees!

This week has been SO remarkably productive! I was a little nervous about getting things done with both crazy kiddos, but alas, we have already done so much fun stuff! Tuesday was Callie's last day of school, now I have both of my little people home with me! I can't believe how much she has grown in a year!



                                        

First day and Last day, such a grown up girl!

We celebrated the last day of school with Sonic and making our annual school year notebook!

We have planted flowers and played at the water park, worked on VBS, worked on the yard stuff (kind of)...

Please don't mind the nasty rocks and weeds, it's a work in progress

Wednesday Callie and I went to the church to work a little and then we had some down time to kill before our lunch date, so we went wandering. We found the coolest antique, thrifty furniture store. It was not in a great neighborhood, but they had great things! I have been on the hunt for a set of dressers to refinish and they had so many pretty things, but nothing that seemed just perfect, so we will definitely be back again soon!

                             Later that day we had lunch with some of my favorite ladies!

If you notice there is a storm brewing in the background which later did this...

My trees may never have leaves!

On Friday night Callie and Brien had a backyard camp out. It looked like so much fun! But a storm blew in and their fun night was cut short!

They even had the tent all set up and Callie had made it beautiful inside!

S'mores! Yumm!

And these crazies have played and played! 

I would say we are off to great start!

       

Friday Favorites

Some of our favorite things this week have been...

                                               

Jamberry! My sister in law had an online party last month and Callie chose these ones for us to try. I have to say, they are a little tricky! Once we figured out how to use them and find ones that fit (I think we both have unusually fat fingernails or this "Mommy and me" set was unusually small) they actually came out pretty cute. They have really held up on our nails and we are not dainty girls. They have survived a week and half of playing in the sand, playing the garden to plant flowers and cleaning up the house. They are durable of nothing else!

                                                        

Criminal Minds! Our new Favorite Netflix show for the summer. Last summer we would stay up until like midnight watching Burn Notice, but sadly we "burned" through those pretty quick (hahaha) This show is pretty good, a little intense, sometimes murders and criminals are a bit much, but it has been a good go-to summer show!

                               
                                                     

Shopaholic to the Stars! Such a fun and super quick read. I had this for our Alamosa trip and pretty much finished it in a weekend. I got hooked on this series in college and it is still just as good as a grown up! I love Sophie Kinsella and her cute British writing, it makes me happy.
                                                   

                                                      
Non slip hair ties! Best things ever! We always used to buy the Scunci clear mini elastics, but I can't FIND them ANYWHERE, it's like they vanished off the face of the earth. They were the only things that help up Callie and I's fine, fine hair all day. Remember my rant about not being able to find your favorite things in the store! Un huh! This is what I am taking about! We have tried many a substitute, but after too many embarrassing hair failures (Buns/ponies completely snapping in the middle of the day, disasters) Enough was enough. While we were on our girls weekend we tried these 2 different kinds, the black ones with the gripp-y's and the thick clear kind and while they are not quite as amazing as our old ones, they; 1. Don't break and 2. Don't fall/slip out during the day. Winner!

                                                          

Orphan Train! By far the best book I have read this year. It is based on true events, where orphaned children were sent across the country on trains and basically given away in each town they stopped in. Some of them were lucky and we taken by good families, others were forced into hard labor on farms and factories as workers. All I could think about the whole time I was reading it was my sweet, beautiful children and my heart just ached to know this REALLY happened! Such a great book!

Pink Hair! I had my lady do some hot pink, just to try! I love it! It is super temporary hair color, I wanted to test drive it first and I think I am going to go back and get some more in a permanent color. Yay for summer hair!

Summer Bucket list

I have been at this vacation thing for a week now and I don't think it has really hit me yet that it's actually summer and I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Now that my house is in near tip-top shape, I feel like I can tackle some projects and some fun things too.

Callie has already decided that we are to stick to our "last summer schedule" as she called it...
Make something monday, Time to read Tuesday, What's cookin' Wednesday, Thoughtful Thursday and Fun Friday.

We already have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all worked out for this week and I can't wait! I have been scouring the house and Pinterest for ideas for us and I am wondering how we will pack it all in and afford to pay the bills, thanks a lot Pinterest.

                                              

I have got to get our pantry organized, it hurts my head!

I have been hitting Craigslist pretty hard for new bedroom furniture to finish so we can STOP wresting the dresser and closet doors shut!

Now that the weather is finally nice, I want to get the backyard in order ASAP. It also hurts my head!

Callie has also compiled a notebook full of recipes, experiments and projects she wants to try. She is her mother's daughter! I can't wait for the rest of our summer memories to take shape!

Adventures in Alamosa

This weekend a whirlwind! Thursday was my first day home with the baby-man, we dropped Callie off at school, visited with great-grandma, while he took a nap, I cleaned (some more) Then I met up with Brien at his office to drop off Kellen and then he was off on a fishing trip with his brothers. I headed back to town to get Callie and we started our girls weekend!

We began with a delicious dinner of Kraft mac and cheese (her choice) Next we cleaned the basement (my choice), then did our Jamberry Nails (her choice, more about that later) Then we watched Cupcake Wars (both of our choices)

The next morning we were supposed to head to Alamosa to see my student teacher's licensing ceremony and dinner reception, but I got a "bad news" call that for the dinner, there were no children under 16 allowed. WHAT?!? I was so disappointed, I was already a little anxious to travel across the state by ourselves that I almost changed my mind. But an emergency call to my darling husband encouraged me to go for it. He said it was already paid for, we might as well enjoy it!

So we packed up and headed south! It is a looonnnngggg trip to southern Colorado! I was a little nervous for 2 reasons; 1. we are two girls out on the road. 2. I have never been to Alamosa and I am terrified of getting lost, plus our mapquest lady ( We named her Susan, she is Siri's evil twin) has gotten lost more times then she has gotten us to our destination. After 4 hours in the car of eating terrible "road trip" food and talking in British accents, we made it!

After we checked in we immediately had to go test out the pool. It was a pretty nice pool, I was with Callie on that one!

 After she wore herself out, we decided to do dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant. Italian cream sodas, and chicken fettuccine, it was delish. Well played with the Italian, Callie.

 After super we needed some things from Target, but we found ourselves in Target-less town! What does one do here?! So, Wal-mart, it unfortunately was. We stocked up on shoes, snacks and hair ties.
Once back at the hotel, for, you guessed it...more swimming.

The next morning we were ready for some fun! We slept in a little, met up with my student teacher for coffee; Callie ordered and paid for an iced latte all by herself! Then we packed up our room and we were on the road again!

Our first stop was Colorado Gator Farms. A working alligator farm about 20 miles outside of Alamosa. It was SO fun! Most of the critters there have been rescued from irresponsible exotic pet owners. Callie even got to a hold a baby gator and we saw so many cool things!!

So Brave!

Those gators were HUGE!

Don't worry, just a skin. I tried to get Callie to stick her head in it for photographical purposes. She she said it smelled weird.

Albino alligators, they were creepy!

Callie though this sign was pretty funny...

Also, not alive!

After our trip to the swamp we headed to the desert. There are these mystical, magical sand dunes right on the edge of the San Luis Valley mountains. It is like you are in the mountains and there is a shallow creek bed and then-- Egypt. They just emerge out of no where. So cool!

 We played in the creek and froze and then we started hiking up the dunes and were so hot!

I love this picture with the snowy mountains in the background and Callie swimming in the creek! Oh, Colorado...

Some nice family took this picture for us, they said, "Treasure these memories!" They were at the dunes celebrating their daughter's graduation from high school and the dad said that they had the same picture taken when she was little.

Just like the real desert.

 We got about 3/4 of the way to the top and then we were just exhausted!

It was so far!! Here is the view from the almost top.

 We turned back and crept through desert, through the creek and back up the hill to the car. We were wiped out! I don't know how I made it on the 3 1/2 hour drive back to the city, but we did.

We had such a wonderful time and Callie has already been telling everyone how much fun she had. This girl has been to Disney Land and all over the country and she said this was the best trip ever. I am not so sure it was the best trip ever but we had a blast and I am so glad that we decided to go even with the hitch in our plans! I can't wait to come back and bring our boys!

What I wore Wednesday

Well, it has been a pretty sad dress code around here the past few days. It had been cold, so we have all been in "winter" clothes, blahhhh. I have also been trying to touch up paint and deep clean the house and let's face it, I am just not going to dress up for that.

But my house is almost  really clean and my baseboards look super white and nice!

I love this tee, but I washed it last week in cold water and it still shrank up pretty well and good, sad times!

Tee: 11th avenue

Skirt: Jane

flats: Old Navy

It was pretty chilly and I am waaaayyyy over boots, but cowboys boots don't count right?

Dress: Target

Cardigan: Old Navy

Bracelet: Jane

Boots: Shepler's

I really like this little kimono, but I just played with it all day, a little distracting for those with self diagnosed adult ADD!

Kimono: 11th avenue

Tee: Target

Jeans: Old Navy

Flats: Amazon

It looks like the weather is starting to warm up, Callie got in the car after school today and was complaining about how hot it was, y'all it was 68. I think we are in for a rough summer if she thinks that was hot! More next week!