MAKE: Celebration Banner.

I am definitely the most beginning of seamstresses.  I don't actually think I can use the word "seamstress" in association with myself.  "Sewer" perhaps?  

However, even though my skills are rudimentary, this was a project I could certainly handle!

I decided to make a celebration banner for my family.  I have seen many adorable banners of all sorts.  My original intent was to make a birthday banner.  I thought about creating it to say "Happy Birthday!"  But once I started thinking about it more, I realized I wanted to be able to hang it for many of life's other celebrations, not just birthdays.  

Since making it, we have hung it for every birthday, the birth of our sons, the homecoming of our newest baby, and many other great days.

And it was incredibly simple to make.  

I started with a long thick ribbon.  I wanted it to be long enough to hang across our door frame going into our dining room.  

Then, I found many complimentary scraps of fabric around our home.  I cut out the letters to spell "Hooray" and then cut out 12 triangles of fabric.  I sewed the letters onto the front of a triangle and then sewed the other side of the same fabric to the back to cover the raw back of the triangle.  Then, I sewed all of the triangles onto the ribbon.  So easy!  And my whole family loves it!

Hooray!!

NEST: Simple Packing.

I love to travel.

I love the spontaneous weekend getaway.  I love a long driving vacation.  And I love travel abroad.

However, as much as I love to travel, getting ready for a trip can often seem stressful and burdensome.  Between getting packed, getting your home ready to leave and tying up loose ends, travel can cause some anxiety.

Ash recently posted about finding your home while away from home on a business trip.  Finding comfort and a piece of home while on the road can reduce much travel stress.

Another way I have found to reduce stress while planning a trip is to have a good packing checklist that I always consult prior to leaving home.

Traveling alone I am often amazed by home much I need.  But packing for an entire family is a completely different story.  My children are all small and young, but it is amazing how much stuff they require to be away from home.

After our daughter was born, my husband had an away rotation for several weeks for his job.  My daughter and I would stay home during the week, but would pack up and meet him on the weekends.  After four weekends of travel in a row, I decided it was time to create my packing list.  It has been modified slightly over the years, but I have used it for every trip we have gone on since it's inception.  It was originally on a piece of paper, but after years of consulting it, I decided it was time to have an electronic copy.  However you prefer a checklist is wonderful!

I won't bore you with all of the items on our list, but these are the general categories that the items fall under:

Packing List:

For my husband and I:
Workout clothes
Dress clothes
Casual clothes
Sleeping clothes
Undergarments
Shoes (casual, workout, dress)
Camera
Toiletries

Adult Carry-On:
Ipod
Books
Purse with ID (I alwyas check prior to travel that it is present after one big mishap years ago!)
Cell phone with charger
Snacks

For the Kids:
Clothes
Pajamas
A sweater or sweatshirt for each child (regardless of how warm the weather is supposed to be)
Undergarments
Swim suits
Diapers and wipes
Sun hats
Washcloths
Stroller and/or baby carrier
Pack 'n Play
Shoes
Toiletries
Sunscreen
Cups/spoons
Baby monitor
Their lovies
Travel highchair

Kids' Carry On:
Books
Toys
Food and drinks

There are always several extra things that are added or deleted from this list due to the nature of the particular trip.  But I have found that I have not forgotten something crucial since I created our packing list.  It has given me peace of mind that I am not forgetting something vital and has made travel much more enjoyable!

Bon Voyage!

EAT: Simple.

There are many staples that reside in my refrigerator.

One such staple is any variation of a bean salad.

Beans are so delicious, so filling, so cheap, so good for you and so easy to work with.

You can vary this bean salad in hundreds of ways.  Here is the basic recipe I work with:

- 2 cans of beans, drained (my favorites are garbanzo beans or black beans, but any will do!)

- 2 cans of corn, drained

- a handful of chopped grape tomatoes

- a diced pepper (any color you prefer)

- the juice of half of a lemon or lime

- spices to taste.  I like to use salt, pepper, cumin and red pepper.

- a bit of olive oil

Mix it all together and chill in the refrigerator.

You can vary it in so many ways.  

Some additional add ins I love include:

- diced cucumber

- diced celery

- chopped carrots

- diced green onions

- chopped broccoli

- feta cheese

And you can vary the seasoning in many ways as well.

It is delicious with:

- olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper whisked together

- olive oil, red wine vinegar, a dash of tabasco sauce,  lemon juice, a few tablespoons of sugar and salt and pepper whisked together.

- italian dressing and salt and pepper

- salsa and salt and pepper

- a packet of taco seasoning

- or any other combinations you would like!

And I love eating this salad on it's own, topped on spinach, over pasta, in burritos, or even with chips.

It is a great part of a go-to meal and I hope you enjoy it!