Rex's Train Party On A Budget

With two in daycare full time.... living on a budget is an understatement!  But regardless, I set out to make Rex's Second Birthday Bash "Chu chu-rific."  Like any two year-old boy, he loves trains right now.  His big birthday gift from Mom and Dad was a train table.  So, I thought this would also make a perfect theme.  I skimmed all of Pintrest and Etsy and found the best ideas I could.  And here is what I put together:

The party invitation.  Purchased on Etsy for $6.00.  Printed at Walgreen's as a 4x6 for $.20 each.  (By the way, a 4x6 prints for $.20 and a 5x8 prints for almost $2.00????  So when you request your invitations with the Esty artist, request that the file come formatted for a 4x6.)

 

 

Outside I lined the steps with electrical tape (found in the garage for no cost) and recycled a piece of white card stock (found at work for no cost).  I cut the card stock in half and stapled it together (real advanced technique...only mothers with practice can accomplish this one!)  Then wrote with a sharpie "Rail Road Crossing" and taped my sign to the door. 

Outside decorations = $0.00

 

 

 

 

I recycled four weeks worth of oatmeal boxes and covered them with construction paper.  All four sides were the same colors, then I cut four black wheels for the sides with a long strip in the middle to create the look of the train wheels.  

I then lined these boxes with a napkins and they became my train serving pieces.  One held PB and J sandwiches, another had individually wrapped packs of gummies, another had cheese nips, and the last had napkins and forks.  Fruit in the front, juice boxes in the rear....

Train Serving Pieces = $0.00  Construction paper was from work also.

 

Coloring Station for the Kids.  I found the clip art of four different train images from online and printed them myself. 

Arts and Crafts for Kids = $0.00

 

I went to The Dollar Tree to find anything that was train related for the Party Favor.  I found these Sun Catcher Kits in the shapes of trains.  So, I picked up 7 for all of Rex's little friends and tied a simple bow around each one.

Party Favors = $7.00

 





Don't laugh....but spending $40 on a custom train cake was out of the question....So I made my own.  OK, so its a little lopsided!  Here is what I did: I bought two boxes of good quality, organic, yellow cake mix.  I made two round cakes per the box's directions.  I also bought two containers of cream cheese icing.  For the bottom layer I cut one round cake in half through the middle, then I spread on strawberry preserves for a fruit layer, and restacked the rounds.  I dyed some of the icing green and covered the entire bottom.  I saved all my leftover green....

Then I took the second round cake and cut into halves right down the middle, once again layered them with strawberry preserves, and then stacked these two halves on top of each other.  Then, I placed the giant half piece on top of my green layer and covered it with blue. 

With my left-over green, I added a little red dye and made black/brown.  I made the two openings into the "mountain side" then squeezed the rest into an icing bag.  I piped on the railroad tracks and Rex's name.  I then washed up one of his bathtub train toys and placed it on top.

Cake = 2 boxes of mix $6.92

2 jars of white icing = $3.38

Candle = $2.99

Total = $13.29

 

 

The Birthday Boy actually fell asleep on the couch waiting for his guest to arrive :)

 



Now the deal of the century....As a teacher, I know the cabinet teacher and I know some of the students, and I also know that some of them are looking for projects and the money to pay for the materials.  Well, I sent them an email with the Pottery Barn Kids Train Table dimensions....and look what I got for about $75.  Thanks boys, you have create a timeless family heirloom for us that will be passed on for years.  "WE ARE CARSON!"

 

Finally!!! The Spring Garden

What a long, hard winter!  I finally think it is safe to put some spring vegetables in the ground even though there is still to be some freezing weather again next week.  I planted these same vegetables last year, but a whole month earlier:

18 Romain Lettuce ( I was hoping my Dad would take some, but he didn't want them. I guess we will be loving some Cesar salad wraps this summer)

Here is the row of Romain and one row of Cabbage

18 Broccoli  (I plan on freezing at least three batches, maybe four, of broccoli cheddar soup for this winter.)
9 Brussel Sprouts (These are a hit or miss for me each year.  I either have enough to blanch and freeze or I get one handful to add into stir fry.)
9 Cabbage (Once again a hit or miss.  Two years ago I had enough to make my first batch of Sour Kraut and canned 4 quarts.  Last year I only was able to make cole slaw twice for BBQs where everyone had to bring something.)
and a handful of Spring Onions.

I have no idea what is in this bed.  Camilla was helping my dad plant and they are all over the place. I'll just have to let it all mature..."Surprise, I'm Broccoli."

My First Quilt

I decided that I wanted to make a quilt.  That's it! That's all it took!  Make up your mind to do something and do it! (Isn't that the case with most of life's lessons - make up your mind to do something, or to be somebody, and then have the courage to do it?) I rationalized that if women with no education could make quilts 150 years ago, I should be able to teach my self the same skill. 

1. I bought a book (Well, actually my wonderful husband who respects, honors, and encourages my hobbies got this for me as a Christmas gift about three years ago.)

 

2. Then I decided to practice with a T-shirt quilt.  That way if I failed, I didn't waste money on fabric. So I found a good Pintrest article.  These days with YouTube videos and Pintrest, you can teach yourself anything you set your mind to.  Here is the Pin I used for my T-shirt quilt:

 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/252342385342640497/

 

3.  I made a pattern by cutting the side off a 6-pack.  You could do the same with an oatmeal box:

 

4. Then I start cutting away at my old Carolina t-shirts.  I cut 27 squares.  I was able to three squares out of some of my shirts by cutting the front pocket image and then two images from the back designs.

5. Then I ironed the t-shirts on to interfacing.  This gives the t-shirt material more strength to be sewn together. 

6. Then I laid out all the squares and decided how they should fit together.  I laid out three columns of nine and sewed them together.  I chose a classic Carolina Blue ginham pattern to create a boarder of four inches all the way around.  Then I followed all my books and YouTube video's directions for layering the quilt together, quilting it, and binding it.  The binding took the longest time, but other than that.......it was actually EASY!  You all can do it with the mindset and courage to go for it.

I am so pleased with the quilt.  It is not large enough to be a twin coverlet, but its larger than a crib quilt.  I made it for Rex and flatter myself (flatter myself by assuming that it will not fall apart in 6 months) that he will grow with it and always have it on the foot of his bed.  By using all my college t-shirts I think it will actually be a "cool" quilt for him to have in his teenage years because all the t-shirts are Carolina Basketball shirts.  Some actually have Final Four dates.  One of the shirts has the Carolina Illinois score from the Finals. (That will be cool - right?  I don't yet know how teenage boys will react to a quilt, HA)

Here is Camilla, my resident camera HAM posing with the finished product:



 

 

Next project: Quilts for her new bunk beds!!  I'll keep you posted.

I got a Compost Bin for Christmas!!

This is exactly what I wanted.  I actually pick out a snap-together, plastic version at Big Lots for $60. (Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!!) Real easy to put together and I did it while Steve was at work - no tools, light weight.

 

Composting is the next phase to my domestic kingdom.  It all started slowly and methodically.

Year One - Summer Garden, water bath canning

Year Two - Spring and Summer Garden, first child born September,

Year Three - Added three apple trees, spring, summer, and fall garden, got a pressure canner

Year Four - Still waiting on my apples, spring, summer, and fall garden and a second child born

Year Five - Still waiting on my apples, spring, summer, and fall garden and now I'm adding my own compost to the mix.  I'm hoping I'll have some ready before the year six summer garden!

Where to place a compost bin:
Somewhere that you will never want to move it.  Full sun so it can "bake."  Far away so you don't smell anything.

What to place in the compost bin:
eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels, old bread, kitchen scraps, dead garden plants, raked leaves, grass clippings

What NOT to compost:
meat, dairy, other animal based products, weeds

Layer for a Hot Fast Compost:
Create a lasagna alternating between green and brown.  Green (grass, plants, kitchen scraps) and Brown (fallen leaves, twigs, wood chips, shredded paper) layers that you can turn with a pitch fork every other week will result in compost within three to six months.

How to start:
Start with a bottom layer of twigs or stems to allow air to flow up from beneath (I also trimmed back my rose bushes yesterday to start my bottom layer of old twigs). Keep it covered.  This plastic bin from Big Lots has a snapping lid that has slits in it to allow air and rain in but keeps out the raccoons and the neighbor's cat.

And the blessings continue.....

Most people don't know that about two weeks ago, Camilla (3 years-old) threw up in her car seat while we were searching for a parking spot at the YMCA.  I had to pull the car by the front door, yell at two women in the parking lot whom I knew to watch my car, and run into the front desk to announce that the spin class I teach was CANCELED!  Horrible night.

Well, I can now beat it.

This past weekend we loaded up the entire family and drove 3.5 hours to visit Steve's grandmother in Conway, SC (Myrtle Beach area).  We had a wonderful visit.  On Sunday, we pushed the kids all morning till about 1 o'clock with no nap to make for an easy ride home. We were about one hour out of Myrtle Beach when Rex woke up.  (For all of you who know that ride from Myrtle Beach out 501, once you leave the commercial areas, you are now in the sand hills of South Carolina.)

Rex (20 months-old) woke up and started throwing up all over himself.  Recalling the weather on Sunday, December 8th, it was raining, misting, and cold all day.  I can't get Steve to pull over fast enough into the only pull-off area possible - a private drive that leads off to three mobile homes in a field.  There we were, stripping Rex of all his clothes, in the misting, cold weather at someone's private street.  Fortunately since we were traveling, I had extra clothes for him.  But, all I had for cleaning supplies was a small, travel size pack of wipes.  We remove the car seat and use the wipes to "knock" the chunks into the road and wipe down the seat to the best of our ability.  Unfortunately this car seat doesn't have a removable cover (which is going to become a problem later when we try to clean it). We have a beach towel in the trunk to lay over the seat, thread the straps through, and buckle him back into his smelly car seat.  Away we go for another two and a half hours home.

As we are pulling into Kannapolis, Steve and I start putting together a game plan on how to clean and disinfect.  He is going to take the car seat into the driveway and wash while I take Rex straight to the bathroom. "Ready - Break." I stop by the washing machine on my way to the bathroom to strip him again.  Although they WERE clean clothes he has been sitting in vomit for two hours.  We go to the bathroom and start the water.  I make it a bubble bath so he would want to play for a while, getting water in every crack of his body.  As the tub fills, I take his diaper off, and he pees on the floor.  Well, that's nothing at this point!!  I'll clean that up any day!  Into the bubble bath he goes and I clean the floor.  Camilla walks by and sees a huge bubble bath, "Can I get in?"  "Sure."  So, with the two of them playing I move back and forth between the rooms cleaning and starting the laundry when I hear...
     "Here you go mommy," and she hands me a small brown rock.
     "What's this?"
     "Um, poop."
     "Oh really? Where did you get that from."
     "From the water."  I started to push the bubbles away so I could see the water....and yes....it was full of poop floating around.
     "Steve?????? Are you available???"
I grabbed Rex and he grabbed Camilla and we ran them both into our shower to be rewashed, and good ol' Steve who had just finished washing the car seat and placed it by the fire to dry, was now bleaching the shower.  "For life's bleach-able moments...."
Rex officially gave us the Triple Threat Sunday evening all within four hours - puke, pee, and poop.
But, if that is what it means to be blessed with wonderful, healthy children, well then bring on the poop, or pee, but I'd prefer to be done with my puke blessings. 

How Do You Bring It Everyday?

There is always a challenge in each day.  But, for some unknown reason...I wake up and face the challenges of education every morning with a new zeal and a fresh smile.  I BRING IT EVERYDAY!!!!

Why?  How? 
I have a couple of ideas for what works for me:

Drink a whole lot of coffee, read a little Kid President (@iamkidpresident), and listen to a little KLove.

Or maybe its just knowing that at the end of the day I have an employer who is greater than Rowan-Salisbury Schools and that is who I am trying to "work" for.


How do you bring it????


Leave your comments below.  

How to Cut a Pumpkin...or How to Cook with your Halloween and Thanksgiving Decorations

I can always justify spending $20-$30 on pumpkins at the beginning of October by using them in October, November, and then eating them in December.

This year I bought three smaller pumpkins and painted BOO (a Pintrest idea) and a larger pumpkin for my planter at the beginning of October.

Then, on November 1st, I turned the letters around and stacked them like a pyramid for Thanksgiving Decorations.

Today, I'm ready to decorate for Christmas and say goodbye to the pumpkins...but not really.  Now, I'll be eating them over the next two months.  But, the big challenge is not finding the best recipes, but rather, how to cut the pumpkin for cooking.  I already published a blog with recipes:
http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/search?q=pumpkin

Now, I enlisted my 3 year-old photographer Camilla to help me demonstrate cutting a pumpkin.  Warning - PHOTOS MAY BE A LITTLE BLURRY!

1. Cut off the top and bottom with a large chef's knife.

2. Then, carve off the sides with the same knife.

3. Then Cut the pumpkin in half.  Using a high tech cook's tool - an ice cream scoop - remove the seeds.

4. Slice the pumpkin longways into wedges like you would see a cantaloupe.  Then cube the slices for storage.





5.  Done.  Measure off for your recipes.  Steam or roast if you need to puree it.

The Creamy Pumpkin Soup recipe calls for 2 pounds of chopped pumpkin.  One of the letter 'O's was exactly 2 pounds:

 I doubled the recipe and cut up both 'O's: Dinner for tonight and two batches packaged up for later.  I like to scatter it out and thaw one in December and one in January so it doesn't feel like we ate Pumpkin Soup for two weeks straight. 



So, unless Steve reads this blog (which is highly unlikely) he will never know that tonight's fancy dinner came from decorations he has seen for the past two months! (The roasted Acorn Squash came from my center piece in the front room.)

The Journey of Two Whole Chickens from Sams Culb for $10.37: How to pressure cook a whole chicken.

The secret, and the key, to The Suburban Challenge is planning ahead - no doubt about it.  Cooking for a busy family while working full or part time often suffers from quick pre-made entrees full of preservatives, sugar, and enriched products - not healthy!  Yet, there is that burning desire to offer home made, nutritious, and budget friendly options that please the crowd.  "If only I had the time..." No one has the time, so I'm not even suggesting how to find the time - DON'T EVEN PLAY. I like to simply find ways to plan ahead, in order to make it work.
Objective: Casseroles and Soups with homemade chicken stock and roasted chicken.

Plan: I purchased two whole chickens at Sam's for $10.37.  Then I planned some menus for the fall: two batches of sweet potato soup that uses 8 cups of broth and 4 cups of chicken each, three chicken pot pies using 2 cups of chicken each, two chicken casseroles using 2 cups each, and two meals of chicken tostadas using 2 cups each. 
All I did was look through my favorite fall dishes and totaled up the chicken and chicken broth, then tried to get an idea of how many times I would want to eat that this fall.  Grand Total: 16 cups of broth, and 22 cups of shredded cooked chicken.  Written like that I might need more than two whole chickens.  But, we'll try.....

Monday after work: The First Chicken in the Pressure Cooker.
1.Clean the chicken, discarding the "middles" and cut into 4 large pieces. Lightly salt and pepper each side.
2. Brown each piece first. If using an electric pressure cooker, use the browning setting and work in batches.  I also cut the skins off of the chicken. If you leave the skins on, increase the cook time by 2 minutes.
3. Place all of the browned chicken back into the pressure cooker stacking the breast pieces on top.

 

 

4. Add 1 cup of water.

5. Cook on high pressure for 28 minutes.

6. Quick Release the pressure. (I then left the lid on and went to the YMCA for a spin class and the pressure cooker remains on the warm function.)

7. Remove the chicken and separate it from the bones.  The chicken falls of the bones making it difficult, but very fast.

8. This one chicken yielded 6 cups of shredded chicken. (I did this after I got home from spin class and then started the stock.)  So, I packaged it and labeled it for chicken pot pie, pre-measured into 2 cup servings.  Menu planning for the season, not just week, allows you to know the quantities you will need. Package the way you want to cook.

 ****Begin the way you want to end to make this whole process work.****

Stock:
1. Place the remaining fat pieces and bones into a large stock pot with 18 cups of water.  I also dumped in the leftover juices and water from the pressure cooker. Throw in some fresh herbs and leave them whole so that its easier to remove from the liquid when done. I love to use my stock pot with the steamer insert in the photo below.  When its all done, just pull out the insert and the stock is ready to package.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncover for 1 hour.
3. Package up in measured amounts to yield easy cooking.  I measured off 1 eight cup container for my soup recipe and then packaged the rest in two cup containers.

In one night: 1 chicken - 2 hours - 6 cups of shredded chicken - 18 cups of broth.  Cost $5.16

Repeat tomorrow night with the other chicken.

It's Over!!!!

Lets recap: The goal was to create a better flowing family area with sight lines from the kitchen sink to where the children are playing at all times.  Working within the limits of a 1800 square foot house with no option of going up or out, reworking our given spaces was the key.  We shrinked the size of the TV area, got rid of an unused and separate dining room, took down two walls......and created one large open area with kitchen, dining, and living area.

The painting finished up on Labor Day and we were able to finally bring back all of the furniture and hang the curtains.  So....here are the before and after pictures!

Standing at the Garage Door BEFORE....

and AFTER.  The wall came completely down so the kitchen could be bigger.

 

Standing from the middle of the house (laundry area) looking out BEFORE:

 

 

 

AFTER: You can see right out and can tell which two walls came down to open the area.

 

The large living area BEFORE:

 

 

After: Now is split into TV and dinning areas open to kitchen.

One more angle from the living room BEFORE:



 and AFTER:

 

 

MY FAVORITE DETAILS.

Some of the little stuff is not as noticeable as two missing walls and a large L shaped island, but it is what makes this small house feel large and functional for a wild family.

No room for a home office, but with custom cabinetry we were able to design a wall unit adjacent to the bar at the same counter height.  So, just pull over a bar stool and work on the computer while cooking or watching the kids play.

Before, there was a small door to enter the front living.  Opening it to a 48 inch French door lets in more light.  I plan on using the front formal living (that is never used) as a play area with train table, piano, and craft area.

No room for a mud room.  In fact our garage door opens right into the kitchen.  So, just steps away from the garage door I also designed a "mud closed" to house lunch boxes, shoes, coats, bags, broom, etc...  This was one of my strangest request to the cabinet man, but best ideas.  This is what makes custom cabinetry worth the extra money.  Much more expensive than stock cabinetry, but much less when you consider I was able to offset the need for two new rooms added on (home office and mud room) but working them into the cabinets.

I am so excited about having a new garage door that actually shuts when pulled!!! I found this vinyl sticker at the Dollar Tree.  This is the view from the garage.  Why not decorate the view from the garage that my family and I see 8 times a day? You can also have a little fun with this area since it is only seen by family members.  Maybe when I get around to it I'll recover the carpeted stairs up to it in a fun color and hand more hooks to the left for book bags.

Previously this was a single patio door.  I love my view out now with the double doors. From the sink I can see Camilla and Rex dumping potting soil all over the pavers.

 

BUDGET SAVING TIPS:

I sold many of the old materials on craigslist (old cabinets, old floor).

 

I was able to reuse my fridge, stove, and dishwasher.

 

I found porcelain tile for $1.98 a square foot that looks like wood.

 

Painted cabinets are more expensive than stained. So, I went half and half so I could afford my favorite - white cabinets.

 

Bought a floor model dinning room table for $199 and then found 6 chairs on Craigslist for $300.

 

Installed an expensive ceiling fan in the back living area ($150) with uplighting and downlighting to offset the need for new lighting above the dining area.  That would have gotten expensive and probably would have required some new wiring.

 

I got lucky at one of Queen City Appliance's sales.  We had budgeted $250 for a new faucet and found one for $75.  We had budgeted $250 for a new, basic microwave and found an upgraded model for $225.  We had budgeted $250-300 for a new stainless, undermount sink and found one for $100.  All in the same shopping trip to Queen City's warehouse in Charlotte.

 



Canning Recipe: Gumbo Starter Makes 4 pints

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 chopped onions
2 tablespoon minced garlic
small bunch of chopped parsley
2 diced green bell peppers
4 ribs of celery diced
1  quart water
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 tablespoon each salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 quart of sliced okra or 3 lbs.
10 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped

1.  In a large stock pot heat garlic in olive oil. Add chopped onions, celery, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes stirring often.
2.  Add water and bring to a boil.
3. Add seasonings, okra, and tomatoes.
4. Bring to a low boil and simmer for one hour uncovered.
5. Transfer to hot, sterilized jars. Process at 11 pounds pressure for 40 minutes.

To serve:
Make a Roux with 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour.  Add a pint of starter and bring to a boil (you can add1cup of water in you want a thinner Gumbo).  Add meat and boil until the meat is tender or fish is cooked. Remove from heat, add 1/2 teaspoon file and serve over hot rice. Serves 4-6.

Garden Picture of the Week

Out with the lettuces and in with the Sweet Potatoes!!



Two full weeks without a kitchen....

It has been a test of patience, no doubt.  Especially when there is no room for a one year-old to run around in.  But, it has been a week of the "unseeables."  The electric under the house, leveling ceilings, moving beams, framing doors, etc.....  Just waiting for the eye candy to start to arrive.

OH....and I have to can in the garage!  I was able to get 7 quarts of green beans and potatoes canned Wednesday evening.  (In the hot garage, with mosquitoes, and nothing but apps on my phone to keep me busy.)