Thursday, March 28, 2013

eggs, burlap and gmo's

this week in the krill household...

we were supposed to have easter dinner at my house but everyone had other plans so that's not going to happen (bittersweet. i don't have to clean!) but that didn't stop me: i made glitter eggs. they are gorgeous! now i know easter isn't about eggs, bunnies or brunch. its about the resurrection of our blessed Savior. period. but these are seriously awesome.



not as awesome as being cleansed from all my sin, not even a close second, but they are pretty. i can use them every year too b/c they are fake. no dying real eggs and then throwing them away/in my mouth. 



baby krill wanted to eat them. silly boy. 


this is all it took: modge podge, foam brush, toothpicks, plastic easter egg, glitter, paper plate. 


plastic easter eggs come with holes in them. mine did at least. pop a toothpick in, lather in modge podge and then sprinkle on the glitter. i actually kinda dumped mine on, over the paper plate. voila. you could separate the eggs and do it half by half but they were hard to put back together and i had to do some touch up work. also tried to mix the modge podge and glitter together and then lather. i wouldn't recommend it with this type of glitter. cost: ~$3 (i already had the brush, modge podge, toothpicks, plate. the eggs cost me 29 cents)


i also made this burlap wreath. oooo ahhhh. yes, i love this as well. i was going to use burlap on the table too but again, it just isn't going to happen (bittersweet. i don't have to cook!). it is really very simple. no glue, no sew, no adhesive at all. just 4" burlap and a wired wreath and two hands capable of looping, pulling and twisting. done and done. cost: $7. you could add different embellishments for different seasons/holidays. here is the tutorial i looked at (if you need one).



i had other decor plans that i probably won't do. except i got this shnazzy print from jones design company... for free! 


you can get it here if you want to subscribe by email. you do want to do this. it comes in a couple different colors and there are other prints as well. she is fantastic. here i am praising her and she has no idea i exist. someday i will change that. 

c.krill really is the best. wanna know why? look what he got me for an early (may) birthday gift:

Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover + Shams - White

(now all to do is wash and iron it. it had better look exactly like this.)

so in a previous post i mentioned eating more veggies to help eliminate the cost of meat. lets just say, winter sucks. i didn't buy meat this month (win) but we ran out of veggies at the end of week two (lose).

anywho, with all this change going on in the house, i've realized its hard for me to be balanced. what started with just eating more veggies has translated into researching supplements, vitamins, cod liver oil, chia seeds, organic vs nonorganic, in and out of season produce, grass fed beef vs not, gmo's. you name it... i've read something on it. i'm not talking research like look at one site and be done... i've looked at both sides. i'm also not talking about the research where you go the library and get books on the subject. psh. who has that kind of time? 

i think i am going crazy.

balance would say try to eat better, but when budget doesn't allow, or when you want a treat, don't beat yourself up. crazy j.krill would say, "curse all things processed, genetically altered and fried in sugar! hide yo kids!" i don't want to be crazy or unbalanced but i kinda have a history of this. i get too excited, too involved and i kinda just go all in (i.e. books, crafts, anything to do with the book of Revelation, babywise, house projects, etc.). its either that or i'm all out (exercise. insanity lasted for 2 weeks. it needs to start up again). sometimes i purposely stay all out so i won't go all in (make sense?). 

ask c.krill. he knows this better than anyone and he is always there to talk me down and balance me out. thank the gracious Father above for marriage. 

though my budget doesn't allow for all things organic, natural and glorious, i am happy that i have done the research and know what to steer completely clear of and other things that i am okay with indulging in once in a while. but i've just felt convicted about living in ignorance. i've put this off for far to long. ignorance is bliss right? not for me. luckily we don't have too many changes to make (my momma is a health nut), but sometimes change is hard even if it is little. 

*i am not cursing people who eat processed food. not at all. we'll still eat tortilla chips (can't go without my momma's salsa) and we love cereal (almost too much). i'll let my son have treats and eat cupcakes at a birthday party, holiday or just 'cuz.*

i want to be a good steward of the health the Lord has blessed me and my family with. so i am all in in that regard. the Lord has been opening my eyes up to area's of laziness and apathy in my life. this is one. this is my journey. you can agree or disagree. the Lord loves us both, just the same (maybe i'll shed some unwanted weight in the process. perk.).

lets see... what else?

we're going green on our cleaning products. cheaper and they smell better (supposedly. i'll let you know). ordered some stuff from that gem of a site, amazon. should get here next week. 

little krill is officially 18 months. he is picking up on words faster. cracker, pretty, hot, turkey (what?!?), please, this (as he points), pickle, tickle are some of the words in his arsenal. he is just getting better and better. he can jump with 2 feet off the ground and land it. i read somewhere that jumping was a milestone for a 2 year old. beat that (don't tell me that this is average if it is. i like thinking my kid is athletic seeing as i am not in the least). 

happy easter my friends and loved ones. happy resurrection day! oh happy day!



(here is a little nugget from my childhood)

Sunday, March 24, 2013

in the cage

w/ nic cage.

yes. i refer to certain snl skits... a lot. but only certain ones these days. most snl skits are just super crass nowadays. but the aforementioned skit is def worth watching.

my husband and i have a like/hate relationship with nic cage. i like some movies he is in, i.e. family man, con air, etc. c.krill just hates him. it may have to do with the fact that he just isn't a fantastic actor. you really can't compare him with a tom hanks or a russell crowe. i'm not hating, just speaking reality. c.krill hates that he shouts most, if not all, of his lines instead of speaking them. you haven't noticed this? now you will.

this post isn't about nic cage, believe it or not. this post is mostly about c.krill. you see, he agreed to watch jr for four days while i lived it up in colorado for babyfest (see previous post). this was over his actual birthday. what a guy. but where he doesn't really care for birthdays, i do. i am a BIG birthday person. all c.krill needs is a hug and a kiss, maybe a meal, and he's happy. if you get him chipotle then you have exceeded his expectations. i threw him a party a week before but that wasn't enough for me. so for his actual birthday, i had nic cage invade the home. c.krill has a pretty dry/sarcastic sense of humor so he could appreciate this:


can't see him?


there he is! on the back i taped a word that describes c.krill and then wrote a little something about him. he loved this. trust me people... husbands like to know that their work doesn't go unnoticed. i hung the rest up in places c.krill frequents the most. 


(a cup or ten of coffee anyone?)


(a little music goes a long way in this house...)


(please excuse the unfinished bathroom. we ran out of pallet wood :/ )


(if you needed a closer look in the bathroom)


(he sees you. he sees everything. a little accountability maybe?)


(rest and reclinement- not a word.)


i did all this while he was getting a massage. 

mad wife skillz right here. more like mad birthday skillz. besides the massage, this cost next to nothing. all you need is a creepy pic of nic cage, scissors, printer, pen, paper, tape and a husband you can say nice things about. that last one is important. 


also, i can't take credit for the idea of the creepy nic cage, though it fit right in with c.krill's and i's ongoing joke. i saw this on... you guessed it... the internet. i came across it while looking for a clip of in the cage with nic cage. sometimes i get on the internet so i can laugh. sometimes i need it. we ended the day with a date. it was needed and we both ate too much. that's life i guess. 

as i sit here writing a post, i notice the drooling monster getting into the maple syrup and strawberries i left on the table this morning. obviously lacking in the mad mom skillz this morning. excuse me, it's bath time.




Wednesday, March 20, 2013

babyfest

it's like the baby boom all over again.

there are so many babies! you're probably like, "awww, she is surrounded by babies, so that must make it hard b/c she isn't preggo yet." no? oh. well, i thought that for like a second and then God sent down His peace in a torrential rain. i'm doing good and having me some dirty martinis. 

back to the babies: there are an incredible amount of children in my family but there are 4 newer ones. i love my child dearly and deeply, but i also have a special place in my heart for all the gobs of nieces and nephews in my life. i have 4 sisters and 2 brothers. 5 of us are married and procreating. it's insane. 

my dear husband watched our own offspring this last weekend and i got to visit these new little lives and their precious mommies. at first i was anxious and missed my little guy but then i had a conversation with a sister without wrangling my own son. we actually got to talk and have a full blown conversation. she had her own share of refereeing, but when only one has to do it, it makes things much simpler.

check out this cutie:


it was fun to love on the other children without being hit by my midget (he gets a little jealous. he hits me though, and not the babies. that's something at least). 

and look at this hedgehog:


little chunk:


why is it we want to eat/squeeze to death things that are adorable? oh you don't? just me then, huh. i'll have to figure that out. just so you know though, all these babies are still alive and so is mine. don't turn me in.

the newest member:


we got together all the sisters, a couple cousins, and my mom (it's not a party without her) for a little shindig saturday night. oh how i miss these ladies. conversational topics ranged from contraception, hemorrhoids (what? eww), let downs (girl on fire anyone?), weight gains/losses to sacrificial living and Jesus. we don't play around. 

we also celebrated 2 birthdays:

(oldest and youngest. 11 or 12 years in-between)

and we all laughed. a lot. kristen wiig impressions were done. i do a mean kristen wiig. do yourself a favor and watch the playlist of her best snl sketches on hulu. look for gilly, surprise party... or just watch them all. sister #2 practiced using her new ipad by accidentally facetiming a friend who overheard our conversations. "can you see me? i can't see you!" the older generation is technologically challenged. she then proceeded to text me, "hello stupid." nice. 

the theme song of the night was the star trek theme song (the old one). apparently, it doubles as a lullaby, according to my eldest sister. my mom couldn't get enough of it and sang it whenever she could. sometimes she doesn't know when to quit. that makes her even funnier. between star trek and inserting "hot pockets" into as many sentences as possible (first made funny by jim gaffigan), the "made me laugh the hardest" award goes to her. did i tell you i have the best mom? she lives more fiercely and honestly than anyone i know. she should get that award too. and while we are on the subject...

marriage. my parents have been married 32 years. they should get a cake. there is a total of 66 years of marriage in the group of girls present on saturday night. 3 cheers for the sanctity of marriage. it isn't just a thing to do... it is a covenantal (yeah, that's a word) commitment. 




i highly recommend that if you have access to one of the ladies above or below, you get to know them. they are extremely talented, hilarious, beautiful, honest, God-fearing and they all make a pretty good cup of tea. that is a quality to be proud of.

i couldn't be more blessed by my family. 


and a quick shout out to an awesome husband who dealt with a teething child. he even said i could do this again. i'll be keeping this man. 

Monday, March 11, 2013

my mustache man

c.krill turns 26.

he is so old. ok, not really. but sometimes he acts like it. other times he acts like this:


we had a blast at his party, though i threw it a week early. i'm going to colorado this weekend (even leaving behind the offspring. eeeek) so i thought i had better get it done.

it was mustache themed. i know, i know, how uncreative (that's not a word). mustaches are everywhere and everyone is doing them. guess what? that is because they are awesome and easy and fun. i'll never get another chance to have facial hair again. maybe when i am sixty.

even jr liked them:

(actually, he liked the smell of the permanent marker)

so i made mustaches on a stick:



and mustache straws:



even tom selleck came to play:



there was amazing food, made by all:


(my contributions were homemade nanimo bars, angel food cake from scratch a.k.a pain in the ba-tootie, antipasto kabobs, homemade jalapeno poppers which are not pictured, cheese, crackers, nuts...)

especially this pizza:

(it was a culinary achievement made by a close friend)

we had a fun "name that 'stache" game. feel free to play if you can see it:


we actually had a guy who guessed all of them correctly, had a fun fact for each one AND got the two bonus points. amazing. (overachiever).

the best part about the night was giving c.krill his gift in private (no, not like that). he isn't a open-gifts-in-public person so we went to the other room and he opened it just with me:



this book was everything he wanted b/c he is kind of a hobby hoarder. this book contains secrets ranging from shearing a sheep to making your own cheese to who knows what else. he was ecstatic.

but the best, best part came after- he told me that this was the best birthday he has ever had. kind of warms a wife's heart, ya know? and i know he wasn't lying because he stayed up until 5am new time. memo to me: don't throw a party on daylight savings time. this encourages people to leave early. not some people, though. obviously.

here are a few more snap shots of the night:





(newly engaged. awwwww.)


(i actually made those burlap flags. hot glue. win.)



(i am so mad that this photo is photobombed. i hate photobombs. truly.)

i shoot with a nikon coolpix S4000 and my iphone... that's right, real fancy.

last but not least... i made this and stamped what i could:


all in all, thank you pinterest for a wonderful party. rock on.


Friday, March 8, 2013

brown paper packages tied up with string

these are a few of my favorite things.


i say a few because i really could go on forever with all the things that i love/like or am completely obsessed with. these things make me happy. i like to stare at them. some i do have, some i don't. some you could make yourself. 



1&17. tufted furniture w/ buttons: all i have to do is look at a button-tufted piece of furniture and i melt. how could you not? they are so beautiful, especially in mustard. i see something like this and i start rifling through my wallet, willing small piles of cash to start flowing out. when that doesn't work, i call my husband and get him to talk me into walking out of the store. its true. i do that. these, of course, are completely impractical for me. first off, they are probably a small fortune. i don't know where these specific ones are from, which is probably a good thing. secondly, they have buttons and small children like buttons. i happen to have a small, stubborn child who would work endlessly on tearing these buttons (and my heart strings) out one by one. luckily for me, we just purchased non-button-tufted furniture. pictures to come (later. my house is a mess and that is an understatement.).

2. monogrammed mugs: these are from anthropologie. if you have never seen these or you don't what anthropologie is then i truly feel sorry for you. these mugs started my obsession with monograms, back when my sister purchased some for my mom. not only do they hold a large amount of tea, they also make delicious cookies in a mug. try it. you won't be sorry.

3. north face down vest: i like this because it is warm and sometimes i just don't want to wear a coat. no i don't own one. my sister owns three. she should share, but she doesn't (i think its because we live in different  states. still.). i'm saving.

4. stay awhile print: i received this print for christmas and it is beautiful. its going in my entryway. i love hospitality and this couldn't speak better for me. i'd kinda like to add "stay awhile and i will make you some tea, lunch and offer you a nanimo bar or two and we can talk and reminisce about all things life." (please tell me you know what nanimo bars are.). you can find this print on etsy, here.

5. chalkboards: you either hate them or you don't. i don't. this is one fad that i will always love. i would consider chalkboard painting most things (walls, refrigerator, furniture), however, c.krill isn't a big fan (mostly for re-sale purposes. always a step ahead i tell ya.). so i am going to settle for a chalkboard. here is a simple diy from jones design company. i love her and i will be making this.

6. braids: love them. too bad i can't do anything past the plain ol' three strand braid. i should practice but i don't.

7. Jesus calling by sarah young: read this. i dare you. it is challenging, encouraging and biblical. its not some fancy, big worded devotional. it is real, it is simple, it is life changing. i often open it up and read exactly what i needed to hear. Jesus is real people.

8. striped throw: i love the couch too actually. that color is awesome. but i love the striped throw more because it is hundreds of dollars cheaper. it is from ikea and it would be a perfect accent in my tv room. here it is. if you feel led to buy me a gift while you're purchasing your own, i can send you my address.

9. billy balls: i can hear you say "what? ewww." well its a funny name but they are pretty. you can make them yourself too (easy and cheap). i made some for the sissy for christmas and i need to make myself some. i guess i should do a tutorial. later. these ones are from etsy though. here. 

10. pin tuck duvet from west elm: it was love at first sight. truly. i will own this someday (maybe in 10 years). other pin tucks do not compare. don't try to sell me anything else. this is the end all, be all in duvet covers.

11. ombre hair: whether or not i could pull this off is a fair question. another question i have: how bad would this ruin my hair? i still love it.

12. mercury glass: these knobs are also from anthropologie. they are eight bucks a pop though and so i am content to look at them from afar. i love all things mercury glass. so pretty. you may actually be the lucky one if you still don't know what anthropologie is. i could maybe buy a sock there, but i am a loyal person. still a fan.

13. teal, beaded plates: i actually own some of these from target. bought them on clearance too. score. they are pretty and heavy but awesome. and they are round, which is a big deal. c.krill didn't care about much when we did our wedding registry but he did care whether or not we got round or square plates. what? weird fella. no offense to the square platers out there, c.krill really has little to no taste in style and trends.

14. paper-flower hydrangeas: my sister makes these (have you caught on to how many sisters i have yet?). i'm trying to copy but they don't compare to this. you can find this and more of her stuff on her etsy shop: lovelee flowers.

15. tazo calm tea: this could just be nostalgia for me, but this is one of my favorite teas. c.krill made this tea for me after i popped out jr. i had quite a few cups. zero caffeine, too, so that was nice. i have since switched to coffee, but this still holds a special place in my heart.

16. the avett brothers: not sure how you pronounce that. c.krill and i both have our own ways. listen to them. they can be absolutely profound and then be ridiculously fun. i recommend the cd pictured above : i and love and you. if you happen to listen to their other stuff and run across something horrifying, do not blame it on me. i am not an expert on all their stuff, but i'd be surprised if you actually found something truly awful.

well, there you go. now you know me a bit better. and no, i do not get paid to endorse any of these products. i wish.

i do apologize for enticing you to spend money, though, self-denial is a good, sometimes agonizing, quality. i just helped you hone it; as iron sharpens iron. you are welcome.

what are some of your favorite things?


Monday, March 4, 2013

budget buster

groceries.

does that word stress you out?

why yes. yes it does.

but groceries are so much more than groceries. for instance: meal planning, lists, cleaning out the fridge, time, effort, coupons, self denial, (or rather, self indulgence), in-store diaper changes (not fun), thinking ahead, more self denial, tantrums, multiple stores, etc. but most of all groceries mean money. ugh.

sure, you could just skip all the aforementioned stress and just make a trip to one grocery store (that would be something.), get whatever you felt like at the moment (oreos. it's always oreos.), end up spending 700 big ones, and not even bat an eye. but, if you're anything like me, you don't have that kind of money. you can go ahead and slash that number in half, subtract a bit more and then you'd be in the ballpark of my grocery budget. (i know i have some 'krazy' coupon ladies out there who are like, "i only spend 2 dollars every time i hit up my local grocery joint, and my kids never go potty while we're out." yeah. this post isn't for you.)

here's my problem: no matter how long i scope out the weekly specials, how well i plan out meals, how much self control i practice, how efficiently i think ahead, i always (and i'm so very serious) go over my budget, and i always end up throwing food out. what?!? how does this even make sense?

lately i have felt really convicted about how much goes to waste in my house. i've actually been really diligent about having a leftover night (or two) over the last few weeks but yesterday, i opened up my vegetable drawer and i discovered a moldy tomato i didn't even know i had. don't judge me. i know you want to. i thought to myself "i have got to do something about this," and then i kinda forgot about the tomato. that night c.krill and i went over our budget like we do every week. it was staggering. now, we did give ourselves a little grace, after all we did just move into a new house. there are things you just gotta have- like light bulbs and tp. but the food section was what caught my eye. i won't say how much (c'mon, talking about money is rude) but let's just say it was 5 big ones to my budget ordained 1. does that even make sense? regardless, it was plenty over the budget and i even said to myself, "maybe i should start couponing." yeah. that's a big deal.

let's save:

a. a lot of people, myself included, think couponing is for people who eat processed food. we don't really do that. i try to make everything from scratch so naturally, i stayed away from couponing. then one of my close friends started acting a little 'krazy' and posting things on her status like "february couponing report: total saved 418.94." what? this girl is gluten free, healthy for health's sake and she lives in longmont, colorado. she gave me a pep talk today and i'm feeling slightly overwhelmed and a little giddy. so, yes. i will start couponing, but i will be honest, i probably won't blog about it. i don't want to coupon really, (because i am lazy) so why would i want to write about it? there are a bazillion other women blogging about couponing. but i am going to do it, for budget's sake.

2. another thing i plan on doing... using less paper towel. i busted out the dish cloths. it's on.

D. less meat. i think most people will agree with me when i claim that meat can get pretty expensive. sometimes it goes to 1/2 of my monthly budget. so i've decided to cut down the meat to a couple nights a week and do lots more beans, rice and veggies. c.krill isn't a huge fan of beans but he does like saving money. we'll see how this goes.

4. CSA vegetable baskets. we live out here in Ohio country which means we live close to the amish. score. not only do they have beautiful farms, they also share all their fruits and veggies! and on top of that, everything is organic! that's another score. c.krill and i have done the research and it looks like its gonna cost us 20 smackers a week. ummm? yes, please. so who cares if i don't know what next weeks basket is going to look like?

i am still coming up with more budget saving tips. here's another one i just thought of: eat your food before it goes bad! easier said then done, sure, but my mom always says to have a relationship with your refriderator. open her up and look through all her drawers (this sounds bad, it's innocent, i promise). get to know her and what she holds... like any relationship i guess. so thats #5 right there.

like i said c.krill is a huge fan of saving money and bless him for being so patient with me. he's my ba-in-marketing-works-as-an-it-consultant-should-be-a-personal-finance-advisor husband. he is the big picture guy. he spends a lot of his 'free' time researching how he can save money, make money and invest money. i'm pretty sure he re-works our budget every week and projects where we are going to be in 5 years. most of the books and blogs he reads are about 'early retirement.' wishful thinking? or could it be a legit dream? we will see! anywho, i think i am going to pass the baton to him once a month and let him share with you all a "budget saving tip of the month." he's better at it than i am (unless you mention chipotle.). fun? we will see.

that's all for now since its his birthday soon. i need to finish planning his mustache party, in honor of his awesome facial hair:

 
(this is from our honeymoon almost 4 years ago. we still look the same but maybe a little softer now. regardless, we are adorable.)
 
 
and if you are curious as to where i learned how to count:
 
 
 
 
 
gotta love buzz. period.