Live Fish

About a week ago I was outside grabbing something from my car when our neighbor asked, "Would you like some Bass?" Being a bit of a fish eater, and knowing that my brother was here too I said, "Yes, definitely!"

Now let me give you a little back-story: My neighbor has mentioned on occasion that her husband and his friend love to fish. In fact, their friend is a professional bass fisherman and travels all around the country to compete. So when she offered some fish, I knew it would be FRESH!

But how fresh?

How about a bag full of FRESH LIVE FISH!???!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! (yes, that was my reaction when it wiggled in the bag!)

So here I am....a bag full of live fish....knowing my husband wont be touching them.....as I walk inside, holding the bag ever so cautiously....I say, "Hey bro, have you ever filleted a fish before?", his reply, "ya once, why?"...... "GREAT!!! Here you go".....wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle.....

Ya...when he said "only once" he really meant it! We used youtube.com for a video and away we went......

Uncle scares niece with fish. Fish gets uncle back....who's laughing now???

 

 What have we learned here? When someone asks if you'd like some fish....ASK MORE QUESTIONS.

Planning Hanks 2nd Birthday

My baby boy is turning two this year and I swear to you it feels like I was JUST PLANNING his first! Seriously! (check out pics from Hanks First party on Kara's Party Ideas )

This year, since we are in our new home with a pool, I thought it only fitting we plan some sort of swim party....so of course BEACH BALLS came to mind. Right?! A beach ball is a signature representation for summer....RIGHT?!! YOU WOULD THINK!

Beach Ball Party

 Well besides "actual" beach balls I am at a complete lost at finding ANYTHING beach ball related....no material, no crafting paper, no ribbon, no clothing....nothin.....zip, zilch.....zippo! Seriously flabbergasted.....So where does that leave me? Changing my (I mean Hank's) theme? NO WAY JOSE!!! 

It leaves me to CRAFTING, CUTTING, PAINTING, and having a good old time, cluttering up the house....

Right now this is what our home looks like.....times like 13 and the colors of red, blue & yellow continue to flutter in :-) 

Wanted to give y'all a sneak peek of some of the goodies for Hank's 2nd Beach Ball Birthday Blast!

Beach Ball Plate Garland

My big helper Ali with all my projects :-)

Beach Ball Foam Ball Decoration

#MyAmazingMom Sweepstakes with World Market

This past week I had the {fun} and great opportunity to write up a post on Sugar Loco about #MyAmazingMom . World Market is hosting a sweepstakes paired with several bloggers telling America why their mom is amazing!

You MOST DEFINITELY need to check out my write up on Sugar Loco's website which you can see HERE.

But before then, lets check out a few pics from my experience :-)

SHOPPING AT WORLD MARKET

Check out these cute finds the moment I walked in the store....

Playing around with napkin rings to top off my apothecary jar....

And yes....Heaven on a shelf....love these jams

So to see my entire article, skip on over to Sugar Loco and read up on my blurb.

SUGAR LOCO WORLD MARKET POST

Throwback Thursday: Advent Calendar

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND :-) Thanks everyone who's been requesting this one

Original Post: December 1, 2011

You've all probably heard a handful of people say comments like "Remember the Reason for the Season" or "Keep Christ in Christmas" or something along these lines.

As a mother now of two little ones I am raised with the responsibility of teaching my children the true beauty of this season and the amazing gift and sacrifice our Father in heaven has done for us. He gave his Son, his very own, so that we all could be saved. I'm sure for many of you, this doesn't come into true retrospect until you have children of your own, as it did for me.

Well, as you've been following my blog, you know that although my main purpose is to focus on food and DIY, I just can't help myself but let you in on my world and what goes on in this house.

I've been dying to have an Advent Calendar for years now, but whenever I muster up the excitement to go to the store to purchase one, I always leave empty handed because....seriously .... this girl ain't about to spend $30 on a little box Advent Calendar that I look at and say, "I could make that", when in reality I still haven't made one! But still...I COULD!

Any-who, my daughter is about to turn two and is really just at the beginning of the excitement for Christmas. I want to make sure she is filled with the joy of this season; Christmas music, presents, hot cocoa- even if we do have to crank up the air conditioner here in AZ just to put on comfy pj's and bundle up with a cup of hot cocoa! But at the very same time, I want to teach her the reasons we gift give and praise the Lord for his blessings upon us.

I decided, what better way to share the story of Christmas but through our Advent Calendar...that yes, I made, and am looking forward to making it year after year.

As a child I remember getting little chocolates each day we opened the door to our Advent Calendar. There really wasn't any meaning in the calendar, other than the fact that I got a piece of chocolate and we were one day closer to Christmas. But really I want to make it our tradition to have the story of the birth of Jesus Christ each day our children open up their little envelope...



In each envelope I included one to two verses from the bible along with a little piece of chocolate to enjoy. I decided to secretly hang all of the verses on my little tree to take a photo for everyone to see, before placing them in their envelopes sealed with a kiss! I absolutely love the way they turned out and can't wait for my husband to come home tonight for him and the kids to open Day 1's envelope!

Have you made your own Advent Calendar? If so post some pictures on my facebook. I can't wait to see them.

Below I've listed the verses that are included in each envelope. Enjoy!

Dec 1: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel - Isaiah 7:14


Dec 2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from the old, from ancient times. - Micah 5:2


Dec 3: A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God" - Isaiah 40:3


Dec 4: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son - Hosea 11:1


Dec 5: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit - Matthew 1:18


Dec 6: But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" - Matthew 1:20

Dec 7: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. -  Matthew 1:21


Dec 8: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel" - which means "God with us". - Matthew 1:22-23


Dec 9: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. - Matthew 1: 24-25


Dec 10: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. - Luke 2:8-9


Dec 11: But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." - Luke 2:10


Dec 12: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. - Luke 2:11


Dec 13: This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. - Luke 2:12


Dec 14: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." - Luke 2:13-14


For Dec 15-Dec 24,  I continued with verses praising God's sweet love for us


Dec15: Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1


Dec 16: God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17


Dec 17: Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned." - John 5:24


Dec 18: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer - Romans 12:12


Dec 19: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13


Dec 20: The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. - Psalm 126:3


Dec 21: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! - Philippians 4:4


Dec 22: May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted." - Psalm 70:4


Dec 23: Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! - Psalm 32: 11


Dec 24: Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. - Psalm 100: 1-2

Phoenix Magazine - Reader's Choice Best Author Award

On Sunday as I was taking the kids into our church nursery, already a bit stressed about how the morning had gone (spending over 40 minutes trying to get my daughter to eat her breakfast, changing my son twice before loading both in the car, pouring my coffee and rushing off to church that is literally 2 minutes away that we always seem to be late for) when all of a sudden I was greeted with a smile from my daughters favorite nursery volunteer, David. (we tend to call him "favorite david")

David proceeds to say, "Hey I read about you in the Phoenix Magazine."

Looking around - "Who me?"

"Ya, in the Phoenix Best Of - you were named Best Author - Congratulations."

"WHAT???!!! Me?? HOLY SMOKES!! Really?? Are you sure?"

"Ya, you're Lora Roberts right? Just Kidding - no no, I know who you are, ya, you won best author. I saw it in the magazine"

Rushing off to the Lobby - Quickly calling my mom, "MOM! This guy at church just said he saw me in the Phoenix Magazine - QUICK - GO GET ONE!

Low and behold - Jaclyn Douma has won the 2012 Reader's Choice Award for Best Author in the Phoenix Magazine!!

Here is the direct link: http://www.phoenixmag.com/best-of-the-valley/media/reader

But quick - go grab yourself a copy - I'm on page 125!

Tell your friends too - you know cuz you know the "Best Author" and all.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VOTED!!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourfirstyear
Website: http://www.a-sugarnspice-life.com/
Sugar Loco: http://www.sugarloco.com/?s=jaclyn+douma

My daughter was born a baker...or maybe just a sugar-holic

My daughter is by far my most favorite little girl in the world! She has brought me ridiculous amounts of joy and laughter while challenging me every day to be a better person and mother. (i.e. driving me bonkers by making obscene request like her water not being cold enough or not giving her enough room on the couch....oh the joys...learning to be patient is an every day lesson....I'm learning...)

Well, lately I've been noticing more and more that this child is destined to be a baker! (That or have a personal baker that comes in every day and prepares anything her heart desires........kinda like a "mom")

 Whenever I bake I have always included her in every part of the process....even since she has just an infant...






....and I LOVE IT! She loves stirring the batter, rolling out the dough and on numerous occasions has come flying into the kitchen the moment she hears the electric mixer shut off!



(only joking......)

Well the inspiration of this blog was from a few little conversations I've had with little Miss Aliyah lately.

Conversation on Sunday:

Ali: Mama, I'm getting Hungry
Me: I brought you a banana...
Ali: I think I need some chocolate....




Conversation Today:

Ali: Mama I'm getting hungry
Me: Well that's good, I'll make you lunch...
Ali (said in a very toddler type way): I DON'T WANT LUNCH - I want butter!



Between the Chocolate and the Butter you can see where one would reasonably assume that this child is destined to be a baker! 

I love you sweet Aliyah Joy!

Throw-back Thursday: Three Little Pumpkins

First Published: Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Woo-Hoo Wednesday: Three Little Pumpkins...

In light of the beautiful month of October, I would like to dedicate this months posts to all highlight a little bit of fall. You may be asking yourself, "but why was yesterday's post about measuring flour?" And I have the answer -- because I didn't realize it was October already! Remember the sleep deprivation?  So from here on out we'll be focusing on OCTOBER!!

I absolutely love the month of October. First off, it hosts one of my very favorite holidays, Halloween. But mostly because I get to start transforming the house to feel like fall. I say feel because really, here in Arizona we don't necessarily get the changing of the seasons....we get BLAZING HOT YOU THINK YOUR SKIN IS GOING TO MELT OFF....and then we get the most beautiful weather you can imagine. Which this morning, as I type today's post, I am enjoying the "beautiful" part. Our french doors are open, windows all cracked, letting in the cool breeze of fall.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about Three Little Pumpkins. Our home is actually covered in decorations from floor to ceiling, that i have been collecting since I was little. (I seriously had a shed that I purchased when I was about 16 to store all of my *future* home decorations...I know my dad LOVED that one). Anyways, since I do my best to focus on cost effectiveness; shopping the discount stores, decorating with family heirlooms and always walking to the sale section, I wanted to show you 10 different ways you could arrange a centerpiece using just Three Little Pumpkins and some common pieces you may have around your home. As you will see, I used the same three pumpkins, the same strip of material, and same table for each of the pictures. What's so great about these ideas is realistically, you could change up your decorations all throughout the month (and even into the month of November) for no extra spending. Change it up and your friends will notice it each time they come to your home or even just rearrange for yourself. It's so fun and will keep you smiling all day long with just a few bucks from the grocery store.

#1


Using a green goblet that I have in my cupboard, I flipped it over and placed one pumpkin on the base of the cup. Then positioned the other two against the cup.

#2


Using one of my very favorite glass bowls, I displayed the pumpkins bunched together. If you wanted to spend a few extra bucks, pick up some flowers and position them throughout the display. (That or "shop" your home, I'm sure you have some extra foliage that will make it look like you brought the outside, in)

#3


If you take two glass bowls you can arrange your pumpkins in a number of ways, just have fun with it!

#4


I absolutely love candles, especially right now with the glow of all of my autumn decor. Place a few votive candles along with your pumpkins to make a long centerpiece down a table, over a mantle or in your entry way.

#5


By taking a few votive holders I was able to make a three piece centerpiece that I have fallen in love with! These cracked glass votives are at the top of my favorites list and can be found at pretty much any local craft store.

#6


Pedestals are also some of the favorite pieces that I own. I then paired it with a rice filled vase and voila! Beautiful centerpiece once again.

#7


I'm sure you've all seen hurricanes filled with pumpkins, squash or any other holiday decor. I think this would be so cute paired with little white pumpkins as well. But remember, we're sticking with the Three Little Pumpkins!





#8


Decorating with dried beans, noodles and rice have become a new obsession of mine and I think they compliment the fall decor so nicely. Search your pantry for your favorite noodles and some rice and you'll be adding those little accents that everyone will be talking about.

#9


If you have a small easel, decorating with plates is a great way to spruce up your kitchen table.

#10


And last but not least: Decorating with OATMEAL! I love love love it! I'm thinking these might make it to the Thanksgiving table next month!

I hope I was able to give you a little inspiration for fall. Remember, it's ok to take some decorations down (pictures, figurines, etc) and put them in your closet for a few months. De-clutter and then Redecorate!