I'm in heart with this...

So, you can't tell from my house right now, but I love to be organized. And I'm really good at it. However, I don't know why my house isn't up to "Devyn" par. I'm working on it. We are trying to finish the basement at the moment, so I guess I feel like I should wait until THAT is done.. or any progress I make NOW will just have to be reevaluated LATER. However, it's in my blood to be organized. I'm a list maker and a planner girl. I like to have a purpose (even if that purpose for the day doesn't get accomplished) Anyways, without devulging too much MORE about my failures in this department.. I wanted to share THIS---------->

I'm an Organizing Junkie!!!

www.orgjunkie.com

Oh my goodness! A website that follows my heart! I have been enjoying looking around and thought "Hey, this is a GREAT tool to help organize my life, and keep things simple.. THIS WOULD BE PERFECT for Sundae Secret Friends!"

THIS is the post that made me fall in heart with this website! Check it out.. grocery list print out that is organized into categories. I'm way excited to use it. It will be a lot better then how I do it now. Which is I mentally walk through the store and think of what I need so that my list is in order of where I will find things... So yeah.. this will be better. And then a weekly menu print out... AND MORE!

HERE is where she does product reviews and giveaways! Love this section and can't wait to explore more!

Anywho.. I hope you check it out and I hope that we can all become a little more organized this year so that MORE of our time can be focused on the IMPORTANT things!!

DARLING Cookie Bouqets

Our great friend Lora sent us this cute cute idea! And I fell in LOVE with these cookie boquets! Thanks Lora!!

I just got done making these DARLING cookie boquets and I thought I would share them with you! They are fun to make espessially with little kids, I have noticed that in the past when I let little kids decorate them, they come out WAY cuter!


Receipe for Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2/3 Cups Butter

2 Eggs

2 Tbls Milk
1 tea Vanilla
2 1/2 tea Baking Powder
1 tea Salt
3-4 cups flour (I usually use a little more so the cookies don't spread out so much).


Bake @ 400 degrees for only 6 minutes (if you bake them too long it will make them hard.)


Frosting
1 pound Powdered sugar
1/4 cup Light corn Syrup + 2 tbls
1/4 cup milk + 2 tbls

The frosting is pretty runny but with the corn syrup in it it makes it perfect to be able to place in a bag to make your boquet!

When I make the cookie dough, I roll it out pretty thick (because you are going to press it on top of a stick so you don't want to be able to see it.)

Then when I frost them I am pretty careful, because like I said the frosting is pretty runny...

Aren't those the cutest things you've seen in a while?

I also made sugar cookies yesterday. Mine aren't as creative, but I have to say that my recipes are delicious! So I wanted to share too :)

Soft Sugar Cookies

3 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Into a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Beat for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and half of the dry ingredients; beat 1 minute. Stir in remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Divide dough in half and roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place cookies on greased cookie sheets; bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Store sugar cookies in an airtight container.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2- 3 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened (or 1- 8 oz. is what I do :)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough remaining powdered sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency.

(Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting- Prepare as above, except substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 1/4 cup powdered sugar.)

Then, I like to separate my frosting and color it different colors before using :)I know, fun! Right?

I will also use that same frosting for my cupcakes that I make. I will post a picture here when they are done, just so you can see how cute they are :)

What is so great about sugar cookies is that your kids can help you with them. Rolling the dough out, using the cookie cutters, and eating them :) They will LOVE how the flour gets all over and the memories they are making with you! A family that COOKS together, stays together... right?

(Just had to share my love birds at the end...)

FHE: Work/Help in Home PLUS Super Cute "cHoRe" Charts

First, I want to start with the SUPER CUTE CHORE CHARTS! I got this idea from my friend Joni (I wish I could share,but her blog is private! Dang it!!) THANKS JONI! They were so much fun to make and even cuter to look at!

I decided that my 1 and 2 year olds were getting big enough to have "chores" around the house. I think they can have a little responsibility. I think it will help them learn that they need to start picking up after themselves. Which hopefully will be a life long skill they will develop!

Since they are so little, I thought of 5 easy things they could do (or already are doing) for their chores. 1.Make Bed 2. Get Dressed 3. Study (read a book/color) 4.Pick up Toys 5. Brush teeth & hair

Soooo... here is what I did:

1. Decide what you want your magnets to be. *they are the "check off" when a chore gets done. I picked flowers for Abby & Trucks for Jaxon

2.Glue flowers together with cute buttons (if desired) or assemble any other ideas that you have.

3. When your cute things are all assembled, glue a magnet to the back of each item. Let dry and tada they are ready.

4. Get together all the things you need for the board. A clipboard (Joni used a metal sheet, to hold on the magnets. I, however, couldn't find any at the store I was at so I got these for .94 and some magnetic strips), paper, mod podge, brush, scissors, etc..

5.Glue, using the mod podge, the paper onto the clipboard.

6. Then glue words/chores onto the paper using the same technique. (I think vinyl would work good too)

7. Next, mod podge over all the paper you just glued on to give it a nice finish. And so the paper won't get ruined in use. (Remember it dries clear)

8.Now, if you need, apply the magnetic strips for magnets in desired spots.

9. You are done! Put magnets on and admire your work!

So, when they complete a "chore" they can put up a flower/truck next to it to mark it off the list!

FHE

Now, I wanted to make this a family home evening, because I think teaching your kids to work and help out around the house not only is good for them, but it's good for the whole family's happiness.

I put together a lot of ideas for different lessons and stories, so that this can go into your FHE KIT and be a lesson that can change and work for you every time you use it! I didn't include an activity, because I thought doing some sort of cleaning in the house together as the activity would be awesome! For the files download below :) Happy Helping!!!