Odds and Ends and New Things to Come

Yikes it's been awhile. I have been very busy lately. I have totally re-done the boys room to make room for lil Dub to have a real bed. He had a toddler bed that fit nicely at the end of the big boys bunk bed/trundle, but it broke, so he was using a toddler mattress on the floor. The only way to fit them all in their room was going to be to get rid of the bedroom set they had and replace them with two more compact metal framed bunk beds. What they had was a very heavy, bulky, wood bunk bed with trundle. Great furniture from This End Up that I have had and loved since I was a child. I really did not want to get rid of it so this was a big decision for me. Thankfully my mom took it to her house for visits from the grand kids. Yea Mom! I figured while I had the furniture out I should paint and clean the carpets and take down the bent up destroyed blinds and hang some curtains...specifically black out curtains! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE black out curtains!! I took out everything including the doors and light, and painted, hung new curtains (all by myself I might add, had to use the drill and molly bolts and everything), built a nightstand (again, by myself), built the two new bunk beds (Okay, I didn't do this part my incredible brother in law and sister in law did...THANKS GUYS!), hung a new light...that actually works! (Okay I didn't really do that part either, because it takes a step ladder and deals with electricity both of which I am afraid of...THANKS JC!) Hung the doors back up (also by myself and while I was talking on the phone...I am the multi tasking queen!) So the boys camouflage room is almost finished, just a few more little things to do. They are way excited! I will post pictures as soon as it is ALL complete.

I have also been super busy in the kitchen. So far this summer I have canned strawberry jam, orange marmalade, apricot jam, cherries and chicken.


I have made so many loaves of bread I have lost track. Worked on my dutch oven baking skills.


Baked cookies, cupcakes, muffins, graham crackers, blackberry pies, beef pot pies and cakes. Yesterday I did something I have always wanted to try...I made my own marshmallows! They were mmmm very tasty! I have had several people ask me about the marshmallows and how to make them, so I will tell you....just not today, because I would like to be able to SHOW you how. I am a visual learner so to help all of my visual learning peeps out there I will make more mallows tomorrow and have step by step pictures. I have decided my blog needs a make over, just not sure what I am going to do with it. I do want to add a step by step recipe section I know that much. For today check out this website for some easy, yummy, pancakes using your food storage wheat. Made them for dinner tonight...they were a hit!

I have also been busy with the three big boys outta school and Dub in school. We have been spending a lot of time swimming so I can keep the kids sufficiently tired out. By the way have I told you how much I LOVE black out curtains?? LOVE THEM!! I have been able to put my exhausted kids to bed at 7ish and have them crash out almost immediately because their room is nice and dark, even though it is still very much day light outside. It has also helped keep their room and the hallway where the a/c thermostat is like 10 degrees cooler! Now I just need to get some for my room.

So much more to do this summer...
My sister in law just brought me over a lot more apricots to jam tomorrow.
Going to the temple on Friday with two of my best friends (my mother in law and best friend/PTC VP)
Potatoes and Carrots to can on Saturday
Step by Step Tutorials to work on
Blog over haul
Two boys to teach how to swim
Collect all my recipes written on scraps of papers, napkins, post its ...and put them in the computer and print out a book!
More sewing projects than I will ever accomplish in my lifetime.
My nieces toenails to paint
The rest of the house to paint
Oh the list goes on and on. Right now I will start with making me a s'mores...priorities people, priorities!