Fabric covered summer journal

One of my favorite things to look at from my childhood is my old journals. I found quite a couple while cleaning my mom's house this summer and they inspired me to make one for my daughter. Her preschool teacher had her keep one during the year, so she was already used to the idea.

I simply took a composition journal and covered the front cover with fabric. In order to make the inside look a tad more polished I added some scrapbook paper. The ribbons are cutesy but also serve to close the journal. We brought this journal everywhere and she journaled at the end of the day before going to bed.

She's starting Kindergarten in a couple of weeks and I know we'll always treasure the memories from this last summer before school. Just this morning I got teary-eyed looking through it, I love how she interpreted the different things we did together.

Have a great week!

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Works for Me Wednesday: Tips for Building Outdoor Wood Swingsets

Image Source: Toys R Us

So you know these swing sets that are popular in backyards all around the country? When my kids outgrew the "baby" one they had, we decided to upgrade to one of these. My husband decided he wanted to put it together because according to him it was a "right of passage" for any dad. When we opened the numerous boxes we were amazed that none of the pieces were labeled. My OCD side came out and I decided to take matters into my own hands. I asked my daughter for one of her chalks and with my husband's help labeled each piece. It took him two weekends to put it together, he says it would have taken a lot longer had the pieces not been labeled. So, if you decide to buy your kids an outside wood set and you want to put together yourself... grab a chalk and label the wood pieces! You can also label the hardware, just write the number/letter on each bag with a sharpie.

Proudly linking to We Are That Family: Works for Me Wednesday.

Oreo Cookie Cake

This past week was my husband's birthday and we decided to celebrate by making him a cake in honor of his favorite cookie.

He had seen this cake pan at Williams-Sonoma last year and I had kept it in the back of my mind. I decided to get it a couple of weeks ago but when I started to look around the web I got worried. People weren't happy with the taste of the cake mix sold in conjunction with the cake pan. And the results with homemade versions weren't great either. Cakes were sticking and coming out without details.

I decided to go for it and used a Devil's Food cake mix. Because my husband is not a fan of really sweet frosting, I decided to try something new. This frosting was amazing! I'll admit to being skeptical while making it, but it was perfect for this cake.

My tips for this cake are:
1) Use a cooking spray that's specifically for baking
2) Sprinkle cocoa and shake off the excess
3) Use a cake mix that you love
4) After spreading the frosting on the bottom layer put the cake in the freezer so that the icing will set properly and not be squished when you put the top layer on.
5) Enjoy!

The details on this cake are what make it so amazing!

And the yummy taste doesn't hurt! I have lots of ideas for other variations using this cake pan. The kids are already thinking of the Halloween oreo cookie cake they want... with orange frosting in the middle!

Thanks for stopping by, have a great week.

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A Máma Angel

My life was turned upside down last April when I got a call saying my mom was in a coma. I immediately rushed to Spain hoping for a miracle. Some might say she never knew that I was there with her, but I would like to think differently. I spent our time together talking to her, giving her kisses & massages and telling her how much we all loved her. In the end she was too good for us and earned her angel wings mid-May.

There were many hard times to follow that dreadful day, but perhaps the hardest was when I had to tell my 5 year old daughter that her grandmother had gone to Heaven. I will never forget that afternoon, it was truly heartbreaking. We talked, cried and hugged for a long time. I wanted to make sure she continued to share her feelings about what happened, so the next day I planned a craft. We would make an angel to remember Máma.

While this angel might seem like just another recycled toilet paper roll craft, to us it was much more. While we gathered our supplies we talked about my mom. We recalled her beautiful hair, how she LOVED the color blue and what we both thought she'd be doing right now in Heaven. I won't lie and say it was a happy craft, but amidst the crying there were some smiles. And while it didn't bring her back, it allowed us to feel like we were close to her.

Thanks for being here, I'll get back to regular blogging soon.

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Easy Garden Soup

My daughter is obsessed with soup. This might seem like a harmless statement except that I really dislike making soup in the summer, and we live in a state where 10 months of the year are considered summer. Enter Knorr to the rescue. They have created these little tubs of concentrated chicken stock that are a life saver for this mommy. Each tub makes 3.5 cups of broth and are perfect for a last minute meal since they are easy to have on hand.

The way I make the soup is dictated by my daughter's tastes. She loves carrots and little star pasta, so that's what I add. However you could add all sorts of veggies and different types of pastas. You could even add beans for a protein kick. I put leftovers in the fridge and reheat as needed.

Easy Garden Soup
Serves: 4
Total cook time: 6 minutes

Two tubs Knorr Homestyle concentrated chicken stock
7 cups of water
1 cup frozen diced carrots
2 cups small pasta

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Allow it to simmer for 6 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Summer Reading: Getting to Happy

Happy summer! How are your summer goals coming along? I am really enjoying being a member of the BlogHer book club!

For the conclusion of my summer reading reviews I present you Getting Happy by Terry McMillan. You might recognize this author's name as she is the brilliant mind behind Waiting to Exhale. This is the sequel to that novel and you really shouldn't miss it! You can check out my review here.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed my book reviews this summer. I plan to continue to check out the BlogHer Book Club website throughout the summer to get more reading ideas! For me nothing beats reading a good book while sipping a nice cold lemonade on a hot summer day.

Happy reading!

Summer Reading: What Happened to Goodbye

I hope you are all having a great summer! I have really been enjoying the BlogHer book club!

My second selection for the summer is What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, which is one you should especially not miss if you have a teenager at home. You can check my review out here.

I have one more review coming up, I hope you are enjoying them! If you are looking for more reading ideas I suggest you check out the BlogHer Book Club website.

Happy reading!