Menu
0
0

Sweet and Spicy Pork Burritos

posted in food by Hanna on
If you haven’t had a burrito from Cafe Rio yet, then you’re probably one of the few and I can assure you, you are missing out! Basically drop everything you are doing, pack up the kids and go get some for dinner and if you don’t live near one, put it on your list of “places to eat” next time you’re in the area. It will change your life! Are you getting an idea of how much I love this?
Because I crave these burritos often I started my search to find a copy-cat recipe. After giving a couple recipes a try I found this recipe to be by far the easiest and best tasting. So let’s just jump right into how to make not only the sweet pork but all the fixings to make essentially you’re own “Cafe Rio” burrito from home.
Cafe Rio Sweet and Spicy pork
1 (2.5-3 lb) pork loin roast
1 can yellow El Pato sauce
1 can green El Pato sauce
1 can tomato sauce
3/4 c brown sugar
Put roast in a slow cooker with about of 2 cups water. Cook on high for 8-10 hours. Remove roast and shred with forks, removing any fat. Return shredded pork to slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Stir to combine well and heat through until warm (about 1 hour on high).
To Serve:
 
In a flour tortilla, add a layer of rice, sweet pork, and black beans. Roll up like a burrito and spoon green enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is melted. Top with enchilada ranch dressing, pico de gallo (recipe below), roman lettuce, sour cream and guacamole.
Here is the how to make the enchilada ranch dressing to go over the burrito. This was a concoction that my husband came up with and we ended up loving it so much that we make it every time now!
Pico de Gallo
 
– 6 roma tomatoes
– 1/2 red onion diced
– 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
– 1/2 jalapeao seeded and minced
– 1/2 lime juiced
– 1 clove minced garlic
– 1 pinch garlic powder
– 1 pinch cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Springtime Eyelet Blouse + Tutorial

posted in diy, sewing, tutorial, women's fashion by Sara on
To start out, I hope all you mommies had a wonderful Mother’s Day! I felt spoiled all week! My husband had the week off from school and did most of the cleaning and cooking… I didn’t even ask him too! It certainly made my days off much more enjoyable because I could simply relax with my two favorite people instead of having to stress out about housework. Truly it was fantastic, and I even got some sewing done over the weekend!
Maybe you’ve noticed the beautiful eyelet trend in all the stores this spring. I happen to love it! What I don’t love about it are some of the prices. While I would love to have any one of these eyelet blouses in my closet, I could never bring myself to pay $50+ for it. Having become a little more handing with my sewing machine, now my first thought when I see something in a store that I like but don’t want to pay the price for is, “I could make that”! So, that is exactly what I set out to do.

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/Collection/tops/PRDOVR~76799/76799.jsp Image Map
Here is what I used to make this top:
1 1/4 yard of eyelet fabric
1 yard of thin cotton fabric
1/4 inch double folded bias tape
7 inch closed bottom zipper
coordinating thread
I picked up this white eyelet material at Joann’s on sale for half price. They also gave me an addition 75% off of that because the very edge of the material was damaged. I think I ended up paying around $5.00 for a yard and a half!
Since I wanted a more fitted blouse I thought I’d stick to a pattern this time. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever used a store bought pattern, or one that I haven’t drafted myself… I was feeling a bit lazy. I really only used if for the basic fit of the shirt, then made a few alterations. Here is a FREE downloadable pattern by Colette Patterns that would also be a great pattern to use of a basic blouse like this. Once you have your basic pattern, here are the simple steps to follow:
Since I decided to line my shirt, I cut out both the front and back of the shirt twice. Once on the eyelet fabric and once on the lining fabric (illustrated above). I did not put a lining in the sleeves. I also added an exposed zipper to the back for embellishment.
I hope this tutorial was helpful and that you can away inspired. I can’t wait to see your creations!
Best of luck!

Linked to:
http://www.dreamalittlebigger.com/post/link-lump-37.html
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2014/05/11/sunday-best-linky-party-14.html
http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-diyers-61.html
http://www.persialou.com/2014/05/just-got-back-from-great-trip-to-orange.html
http://thediydreamer.com/from-dream-to-reality/117-link-up-your-projects/
http://ladybug-blessings.com/?p=4448
http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/2014/05/too-cute-tuesday-linky-par-tay-188.html
http://justagirlandherblog.com/hit-me-with-your-best-shot-18/

Friday Finds #10: Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

posted in crafts, diy, Friday Finds, inspiration, motherhood by Sara on
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, in fact it is in THREE days! If  you’re a last minute gifter like us, don’t worry, we’ve got some truly special Mother’s Day gift ideas for you that are sure to impress. This first idea is something Hanna and I put together that will provide your mother a peaceful day of relaxation. Who doesn’t love a good book and chocolate?! If that special woman in your life doesn’t like to read much, no problem, put in their favorite movie instead. The great thing about gift baskets is that they are completely customizable. Hopefully some of the ideas below with get the wheels turning in regards to what your mother would enjoy most. 
Once you’ve gathered up the items for your ultimate relaxation gift basket, you could deliver them in this beautiful DIY “Best Mom Ever” tote created by Jess over at Style Me Pretty. She has even included a FREE printable of the “Best Mom Ever” illustration so all you have to do is print it onto iron-on transfer paper, then iron it onto a canvas tote bag. How simple is that?! 
Below are a few other inexpensive Mother’s Day gift ideas that we absolutely adore. 
Mother’s Day Breakfast + FREE Printables |  by Jennifer at Hostess with Mostess Blog
Easy DIY Painted Flower Pots  |  by Bright Bold & Beautiful

Flowers seem to be a big tradition on Mother’s Day, so why not customize a flower pot to give the gift a little more meaning and thought. We love this simple color block DIY painted pot from Bright Bold & Beautiful!
We hope these easy ideas were inspiring and helpful. Happy (early) Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mommies out there who make this world a more wonderful and joyous place. Without a doubt, we would not be the women or mothers we are today without the loving example of our own mother and all the other influential women in our lives. We love you! 

Being an Intentional Family

posted in family, lifestyle by Hanna on

Majoring in Family Studies I was always going over research that had been done to see what keeps a family strong and close together. There were two main practices that often came up; one being traditions meaning things like those yearly family vacations or family traditions surrounding holidays. These are great things to be included in our family to make memories and have fun together, but the most important thing found in family research that keeps families strong and happy are everyday rituals or meaningful routines such as family mealtime, bedtime routines, working around the house together, or having a snack and visiting when the kids get home from school.

I’ve lately come to realize how truly important it is to make the everyday routines meaningful. I’ve also come to learn that rituals don’t just happen, rather I need to be intentional about going through the day’s routine and making it something my girls are going to treasure while helping us all grow closer together.

Having a husband who is gone for work just about every other week and sometimes two in a row we often find ourselves battling to find time to spend together and stay close. It got to the point where Eric was traveling a lot for work and was really busy and I had a lot of things going on myself. We seemed to just be tag teaming watching over the girls so we could get our things done while we let the demands of life sweep over our family. One day I realized how distant Eric and I were and how each day I found myself just going through the routines but not really making those simple moments meaningful. The issue wasn’t Eric’s job or necessarily some of the things I had going, it was that we were letting the demands of life be an excuse for not doing some of our family rituals and not taking the time to create meaning around things like our meals and bedtime.

Our main goal as a family is to create a place were everyone in it can feel safe, like they belong and to know that they can always have someone to turn to that love them no matter what. In order to achieve that goal Eric and I knew that we had to start working harder and try to be more intentional about the time we’re given together. Here are some of the things we came up with:

– Communicate more throughout the day. Even though Eric is often hundreds of miles away we still are able to stay close by sending text throughout the day and I try to send a couple pictures of the girls and some of the things we are doing as well. Eric will sometimes sent a video in the morning telling the girls good morning. Then in the evenings we video chat before the girls go to bed while often singing some of Mia’s favorite songs together or saying a family prayer. I’ve had to put a lot of effort into this as I’m terrible at communicating through text or the phone, but it has made such a difference since starting.

– Have at least one family meal together sitting around the table without any distractions. Eric and I both grew up doing this in our families and knew when we got married it was something we wanted to continue. We usually use dinner as our time to sit around the table together as a family and discuss our day, sometimes to teach our girls some new things and just laugh.

– Turn off all our electronics at dinner and keep them off until at least the kids go to bed. For most families the few hours between the end of work and bedtime is the only time the entire family can be together. When Eric is home we wanted to try and use that time to give our full attention to the girls and do activities together.

– Slow down at bedtime and use it as a chance to spend quality time with the girls. By the end of some days I am counting down the minutes to get the girl’s in their pj’s and stick them in their beds. However, as I’ve started to slow down I’ve been able to see small teaching opportunities or chances to giggle and laugh as they get ready for bed and as we snuggle close to read bedtimes stories. It’s also a great time to visit with your kids and let them open up to you about things that are on their mind.

– Work together around the home. Now that we own a house, Saturdays seems to be filled with things we’re needing to do around it. When we can we try to do it all together not only to teach our girls how to clean, but to spend more time together. Most often it makes the work load more enjoyable and satisfying in the end.

I can’t say everyday exactly emulates what’s listed above. Creating those meaningful rituals around our everyday routines takes effort and thought, but the point is we are trying because we know what kind of family we want to be. Perhaps if more marriages and families took on a more “intentional” approach to creating meaningful rituals we would have less divorces and families that are distant and broken as any kind of relationship takes constant effort and nurturing.

I would love to hear some of things you do in your families to make everyday things more meaningful so please comment!

Linked To:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-46/
http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2014/05/wow-us-wednesday-link-party.html
http://www.persialou.com/2014/05/the-makers-no-16.html
http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/2014/05/lou-lou-girls-fabulous-party-5.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2014/05/08/creative-inspirations-linky-party-83/
http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/05/friday-link-party-66.html
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/05/linkn-blogs-24-welcoming-new-co-host.html

Organizing with Metal Label Holders

posted in crafts, home, inspiration, organization by Sara on
This week I’ve discovered something amazing… Martha Stewart Adhesive Metal Bookplates. I swear, this woman thinks of everything! For a while now I’ve been looking for someway to organize and spruce up my IKEA baskets. I really wanted to add some sort of metal hardware to create a more industrialized feel, but have had a difficult time finding anything that I really like. I scoured the internet looking for some metal label holders, but I found nothing that I could easily use on my baskets. Then out of the blue I came across these adhesive metal bookplates at Staples. They’re genius I tell you! They’re easy to use, they’re inexpensive, they’re available in several different sizes, and they will stick to just about anything you could think of. I simply love the look and feel of these metal bookplates, so I bought several more packs to organize my office/craft space as well. 
  
 

There are so many different possibilities when it comes to these savvy label holders that I thought I’d share some of the creative ways others have used them too.

Friday Finds #9: Budget Friendly Party Ideas

posted in diy, Friday Finds, party, Pinterest Challenge by Sara on
 It has been a while since we have done a Friday Finds due to the Pinterest Challenge, but we wanted to bring it back this week for some more party fun! Today we’ve rounded up some budget friendly party theme and decoration ideas that would suite any party. You may remember us saying earlier in the week that we love to throw parties for all ages. We believe kid’s parties can have all the thrills and cuteness expected but with grown up touches. 
1.  Easy DIY Streamer Garlands |  by Oh Happy Day
2.  Streamer Over Hang |  at Style Me Pretty
3.  Party Thank Yous (filled with candy) |  by Make it & Love It
4.  Confetti Balloons |  by Ko-Jo Designs
5.  Breakfast Birthday Party |  by Thoughtfully Simple
6.  Colorful DIY Art Birthday Party |  by Studio DIY

For those of you who are wondering about the Pinterest Challenge, the final results will be up soon! Be sure to check out all of the other talented bloggers who join us in the challenge. They are:
These Cake Batter Truffles make by Stephanie would certainly be a tasty, mouth-watering addition to your party!
And this DIY Geometric Canvas Wall made by Amy would be a great way to add eye-catching color and pattern to your party’s backdrop!
And, dare I say, these totally chic DIY Animal Keychains made by Katelyn would make excellent party favors!

Confetti Dots Birthday Party

posted in crafts, diy, family, kids, money saving tips, party, sewing by Hanna on
There is NO shortage of cute parties that can be found scowering Pinterest so naturally I was having no problem finding ideas while planing one for my girl’s birthdays. However, when push came to shove I just couldn’t find something that was going to be easy, flexible and not over the top; meaning in money and time. Also since the girls are still so young I wanted to have a party for family and close friends to come celebrate with us so like Sara’s it needed to work for all ages.
My inspiration for this party finally came as I was wondering around Target and found some confetti, paper pails in the dollars section. I loved the idea of confetti dots and also the color scheme of the pails. So I grabbed a couple of those pails and ran with it, continuing on to the party section to grab balloons, paper lanterns and plastic table clothes. I walked out of Target with my party theme and most of the decorations for around $20. Thank you Target!
What I was able to learn from this experience is to not rely TOO heavily on things like Pinterest for my ideas and let the things around me by my inspirations. As a perfectionist, it became so much easier for me to create something new instead of trying to duplicate something someone else already did perfectly.
The invitations for this party were completely free as I made them myself on the computer and printed them from home on cardstock I already had. It also helped that we weren’t inviting that many people. I always prefer to have smaller and more intimate parties rather than huge friend parties for birthday’s which not only saves on the costs but makes for a little more meaningful and relaxing party.
 
As Sara mentioned in her post, I made this confetti dot, birthday banner for us to use for our party decorations. If you missed it you can download it HERE.
For the menu I wanted something that my girls really liked so of course we had Mac and Cheese; an all around kids favorite. However, since there were going to be mostly adults I put a “grown-up” twist on it and did a Mac and Cheese bar with different mix-ins. I used THIS recipe from Paula Dean but left out the eggs like most reviews suggested. It was a big hit with everyone young and old at the party! A Mac and cheese bar is also a meal that is very affordable and easy when feeding a crowd of people.
For dessert we had to have cupcakes since that’s all my daughter kept asking for whenever I asked what she wanted for her birthday. I made Strawberry Confetti cupcakes following THIS cake recipe by Heather Baird on her blog Sprinkle Bakes.
After stressing about the party and wanting it to look and go perfect, in the end I decided to just enjoy it and the people who came to share in the girl’s special day. So even though I couldn’t hold my party outside as planned and I didn’t get everything set up in just the right way I wanted I think it’s safe to say fun was had by all!
Lastly, if you’re wondering where I got Mia’s blue and white striped dress, I made it using the Sweet Simple Dress pattern by Allison at Freshly Completed. If you’re wanting to make a fun, summer dress for your little one then I HIGHLY suggest using this pattern. It only took a few hours to make, was super easy to follow and I’m just in love with how it turned out.
So here’s to a coming year with an adventurous 1 year old and a strong willed 3 year old. Should be fun…or at least interesting! Advice on how to survive these wonderful ages is always welcome. 🙂
Linked to:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-45/
http://www.tinysidekick.com/makers-link-party-15/
http://bloomdesignsonline.com/2014/05/link-party-71.html
http://craftdictator.com/2014/05/01/craft-frenzy-friday-37/
http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/05/friday-link-party-65.html
http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/2014/05/creative-collection-link-party.html