Scrap Yarn Blanket

Hello, my name is Shelly Porter, and I have a yarn addiction.

Over the years, I have accumulated a large collection of yarn.  Yarn of all colors, textures, weights, brands, you name it.  Some were even brand new, never used, but collecting dust.  So, I finally decided to do something about it.

I put in one large box all of my yarn that was about the same weight and went to work. 

I started off with a basic granny square.  Each row I switched colors, but as the blanket got larger, I would purposely switch colors before the row ended to make it look more random. 

I still have some yarn left over, but was successful in using up all the random scrap yarn lying around and then some.

Now I have a warm blanket to cozy up in and . . . empty space in my yarn box to fill.

Happy crocheting!

Feels Like Spring!

I started my morning off prepping a few Greek Chicken lunches for the week, which I got from: http://www.eazypeazymealz.com/greek-chicken-bowls-meal-prep-easy/

I marinated the chicken over night and followed the recipe pretty close.  The only thing I changed was to add the tomatoes and red onion to the cucumber salad.  I also garnished each meal with a few Feta Cheese stuffed olives and sprinkled a little bit of Feta on the salads as well. 

Later during the day, the kids and I took a break from school to have a colorful snack.  Raspberries and mangoes sprinkled with sliced almonds and sunflower seeds.  I don't know what it is right now, but I cannot get enough mangoes.

After school, we went on a 3 mile walk/bike ride to enjoy our 40 degree temperatures.  Finally, after two months of constant snow on top of snow, our trails have melted off enough for my son to get out his bike and for me to put on my tennis shoes.

We had a pretty good pace going until Maggie wanted to get out and "help" push.

While we were on our walk, I had slow-cooker enchiladas keeping warm.  It has a little spice to it, so I paired it with lettuce and tomatoes. 

http://www.foodblogs.com/damn-delicious/2014/10/17/slow-cooker-enchilada-stack

Now that the day is coming to an end, my kids are happily whispering in their living room fort built from couch cushions and blankets.  Meanwhile, I'm dreading the pile of dishes waiting for me in the dishwasherless kitchen. 

Hope you had a good day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.  I had a wonderful day making heart shaped food for my kids, reading Valentine's Day books, and having a delicious family meal which ultimately ended in a tummy ache for my husband and I.  (Lobster in Montana will not be on the menu next year) 

I know a lot of people don't make a big deal over such a wishy-washy holiday (because it really is).  When I was  preppy for school last week, I decided my son and I would discuss the history of Valentine's Day.  It ended up being a very short lesson with a lot of information left unsaid and unknown.  Despite that, I still love a good reason to make my kids happy and to surprise them with tiny gestures.

 During school last week, we made homemade Valentine's Day cards for our family.  (picture above)

We had a lot of fun taking the pictures to create this illusion and it turned out super cute.  I just had both kids hold onto a piece of rope and then told them to scream at me.  That was probably their favorite part.  Then, I deleted the background in Photoshop and added the rest.  (Note to self: Next time I will take their picture on a bright green table cloth to make the deleting process easier)

For my husbands Valentine's Day card, I took pictures of the kids.  My husband always says, "I love you" by making the same hand gestures, so I thought it would be really cute to have the kids do it back for him.  

We ended the night with a yummy (not the unhealthiest) dessert, with berries and a cheesecake dip.  The dip consisted of Greek yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon, and powdered sugar.  I didn't get a picture of our dinner.  We scarfed it down too fast to get any evidence . . . which is probably why our tummies were not too happy with us by the end of the night.

Only 364 days until next Valentine's Day.  :)