March 31, 2013

EASTER "sort of" BASKET

Posted by Lori~

I had planned to post on Friday, but ended up getting sick!  Sinus Infection extended (#2 dose of Antibiotics).  This infection included a low temp and I felt MISERABLE!

Before getting sick, I did whip-up some super cute Easter Egg Cartons (for Mur-Man and the nieces and nephews).  However, our Easter plans changed...and they will have to get their Easter baskets later!

Empty out egg cartons (I even used 1/2 egg cartons)
Find filler:  I found these craft bird nests at the thrift store
for 10 cents each!  TOTAL DEAL!
Stuff your egg carton.  I used eggs, chocolate, peeps, candy, etc!
We added Pez dispensers to the top!
THERE YOU HAVE IT!
Mur-Man and Steve also found time to dye eggs!  THEY HAD FUN!







March 28, 2013

A Few Fun Fotos (#2 I think)


Posted by Ethne~

Taking pictures for the blog means taking A LOT OF PICTURES.  Here are a few fun outtakes.  As usual, most pictures of me are at my own expense.

Easy Mac's embroidered Easter egg shirt from Aunt Lori arrived in the mail!  She chose the outfit.
Evidently I smell my hair as subconscious habit when no one's looking, besides sneaky devil husband with camera.
In fairness, a nice one was taken that same day.
Easy Mac and KD as bunnies at Grandma and Grandpa's house
Melt my heart - KD is a cheerleader.  Lori and all the GT best friends were cheerleaders in high school.


March 27, 2013

PRETTY DRAWER LINER!

Posted by Lori~

This is a photo of a before kitchen drawer--complete with dirt and old drawer liner
from the previous owners (dirty and not cute!)  Time for an upgrade!
Mur-Man even helped!
$5.00 double-roll of shelf liner from TJ Max!





Newly organized "snack" drawer for Mur-Man!
SO MUCH BETTER!



Easter Cake Pops and other March madness.

Posted by Ethne~

This past weekend was the first of our family Easter celebrations, this time with Shaun’s side of the family.  Shaun’s parents always host, and it’s one of the times of the year when his extended fam comes together, including all the little cousins who are KD and Easy Mac’s age.  They are in hyperactive-hyperdrive (if you don’t know that reference, Toy Story obviously wasn’t your napping movie in college).


There were 17 of these shots total of the kids running, taken on my camera's speed mode - you get the idea.
I’ll back up to tell you that I had to make a last-minute modification to the girls’ Easter outfits.  I got them twirly dresses from Land’s End, which are totally cute.  Not the frilly things I put them in for Easters past.  These are a little more grown-girl (is that a fashion style?) but the skirt twirls out full to the waist when they spin – this is key.  The problem is that WEEKS ago, I bought them adorable pink flower sandals to go with the pink on the dresses.  Surely we would be able to wear sandals by March 24?  Nope.  So off to the store we went.  The caveat, Shaun recommended that I allow the girls to pick out their own shoes.  So I did, and they came home with black patent-leather kitten heels.  A-DOR-ABLE.  Shaun expected I was allowing them to pick out a new functional everyday shoe, seeing as they fight us every morning with their current selection, so we clearly were lacking in communication as to what type of shoes were being purchased.  Fortunately, since these children take after their mother, no broken ankles have yet occurred.  And they love their “high heels”… even at 5:30 a.m., on the wood floors, on Sunday.



You can see the heel in this one.  KD is a little diva.

So prior to shoe shopping, I prepared my dessert for Sunday’s feast, which was my contribution to the meal.  I received a cake-pop iron from my brother- and sister-in-law for Christmas.  They’re pretty simple to make, and you don’t have to buy the iron to do so – I’ve seen cake pop kits in the baking aisle at Target - but I haven’t tested the other options, FYI.  The trick is getting your sticks to stay in the cakes, and I think I know the secret – it’s the type of icing.  You gotta do the Almond Bark/Candiqwik, melted down per instructions with a tablespoon or two of white shortening and, in this case, a few drops of gel food coloring until I had the colors I liked.  Stir together till smooth, dip the sticks in first, insert stick, dip the whole pop in, then allow to cool, either standing cake up or cake down.  Sprinkle with candy or sugar sprinkles while the icing is still cool.
This is what happens when you don't do the right icing - bad.  Delicious, but bad.
 
I decided to make my cake pops into a little Easter egg hunt in grass on my pastel platter (which was broken yesterday BTW), so I dried them cake down so they would hide in the grass.  The grass is the plastic kind ($.50 from Target) because I didn’t want the paper kind to bleed onto my cakes, and I also had little candy eggs hidden in the grass too.  Special for Shaun, I hid a few black jellybeans.

Beautiful little Easter eggs

KD eating one of at least two

Didn’t they turn out just darling?

PS - you gotta check out Pinterest, You Are Drunk right now.  They've got an Easter special going on right now with the wacky stuff pinned.  It's pretty funny.

March 26, 2013

MEXICO RECAP

Posted by Lori~

Our trip to Mexico was AMAZING!  A much needed break from the ND weather.  I felt amazing, the weather was amazing, the company was amazing!  WOMS--we all need a get-a-way!  DO IT!  The following is a quick photo recap of our amazing memories. 

 
This is the view of the large pool (with swim-up bar)
 
 
Fresh fruit, cottage cheese, smoked salmon, and fresh bread every day!
My friend RENAE!



Iguanas EVERYWHERE!
 
Our Mayan Tulum tour-guide.
Steve and Brad worked up a sweat and played tennis everyday.
Renae and I sat at the beach and drank cocktails!

Thanks to Zully (our concierge) for our romantic surprise!
 
Let the swim-up-bar tour begin!
 
 
This is close to one of the finals swim-up bars during our tour (keep in mind, there were 12)!
 
THANKS "fast" Edy and Geoffrey for being our personal "drivers"
during the swim-up bar tour!
 
And the tour ends with dancing! 



March 24, 2013

MEXICO MEMORIES!

Posted by Lori~

Steve and I typically do not load up on souvenirs during a vacation, however we do have a few staples.  Here's a quick look at what we came back with (and yes, all of it came back in tact and without breaking on the plane).  

We decided to add a Mexican cross to Mur-Man's cross
collection in his room (one from his baptism, one from his great grandmother,
and now one from mexico!)  I LOVE THE COLOR and the price--around $4.00 (US).

The resort we stayed at had a pottery craft area.  I painted this Iguana (with
the help of the staff--including touch-ups and a glaze finish)
 
We saw LOTS of Iguanas everywhere!
Now he is sitting happily on Mur-Man's shelf.  
 


We continued our travel tradition by purchasing Christmas ornaments from Mexico.
We ended up with 2, but LOVE THEM BOTH!
Tomorrow, I plan to come back with a complete Mexico trip vacation re-cap!