Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Use the stuff! (part 2)

The Mrs. here!  It has been nearly a week since we posted....we took our own advice to heart with some time honored traditions and spent most of our long weekend "unplugged".  It was wonderful!  But now, back to business:  What to do with all of the things you have gotten over Christmas?  This can be an even greater challenge if you have kids because they tend to bring home the most stuff.  Here are a few ideas that won't cost you a cent!
Simple way to use a small box from a
puzzle and an ice cream pail. These are the
perfect containers for all of those little
"random" toy pieces. Then they are
all in one space. :)

~Re-use any boxes or bags to organize the new (or old) toys that your kiddos have.  This is not only a great way to re-use boxes/bags, BUT it can teach little ones to read labels/pictures, and to be responsible for picking things up in a more orderly way than just throwing it all into a bin where everything disappears into a mis-matched mess!!!!  But I digress... ;)



A prime example from our house....I was
going crazy with all of the different
blocks laying around.  SO....I took
a note card and drew a simple picture and
label for the bin.  Then I put an old ice cream
pail inside for the smaller blocks, and
there was still plenty of space for
the big blocks.  Problem solved!

~Pack away some of the "old" toys that the kids are less interested in right now as they're playing with new toys and dolls.  When the new Christmas toys become less exciting, pack them away and pull out the old favorites!  Again, this doesn't have to cost you ANYTHING if you use boxes or bags from Christmas, or even storage bins that you probably have laying around your home.  My favorite bin lately has been the diaper boxes :)


~Teach your kiddos to be generous!  For all of the new toys, books, dolls, games, etc... they got, have them help you pick a few things to donate to those that are less fortunate!  Find an organization close to where you live, ask them about their policies for donations, and then enjoy the time as a family finding treasures that other little kiddos will LOVE!  Plus this will clear out more space in your home instead of just adding to the clutter.





Hope these tips were helpful...if you have anymore, we'd love to hear about them!
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!


Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas Vikings

The Mr. here.
Well I was going to wait till after the season to post something about the Vikings upcoming 2012 draft when we knew what position we would be in, but after seeing Indianapolis lose last night, I just couldn't wait!  This just got extremely interesting.  Here's some scenarios of what could happen in the upcoming draft as of right now.  All this could change even as soon as tomorrow if the Vikings beat the Redskins, but here we go…
Scenario 1:  Vikings Obtain the #1 overall pick in the draft. Option # 1: Vikings take Stanford QB Andrew Luck.  He's supposed to be the best draft prospect since Payton Manning.  If we take him, we immediately obtain a potentially high level QB.  Hopefully we can get some better Offensive Linemen either through the draft and/or free agency and building a solid line for him.  There is a risk of a bust, but EVERYONE is saying Luck is going to be a great NFL QB. 
Option # 2: Trade the # 1 overall pick to another team for a kings ransom for several high draft picks.  Many people are saying because of Andrew Luck, this years overall # 1 pick is worth a huge amount… Potentially 3-4 first round picks and 2-3 second round picks.  If (and that's a big IF), we could get several early round draft picks and trade down, we could build a team with talented players, and be in serious contention very shortly. 
Scenario 2:  Vikings Obtain the # 2 over all pick in the draft. Option # 1:  Take an Offensive Linemen such as USC's Matt Kalil because Andrew Luck will most likely be taken #1.  Here is another highly sought after player in this years draft.  He would be the equivalent of Andrew Luck, but for an Offensive Tackle.  We desperately need to upgrade our O-Line, and he would add an instant upgrade.  Move Kalil to Left Tackle, draft another guard, and move some personnel around, and our O-Line just got 10 times better.
Option # 2:  Trade down and hopefully get another 1st or 2nd rounder.  Washington has two first round picks this year (middle and late) and they would be potential trade partners to move higher to get a QB that they desperately need.  Hopefully we could still get an Offensive Linemen in the first round, and maybe another CB or D-Linemen.
Scenario 3:  Vikings Obtain the 3rd overall pick in the draft Option # 1:  Take LSU's CB Morris Claiborne if Luck and Kalil are taken.  Our secondary is in disarray, and Claiborne is the top raided CB this year.  This would be a huge upgrade to our secondary.  Antoine Winfield will be back next year but is approaching the wrong side of age 35, and who knows about Chris Cook (I have a feeling he'll be back).  Hopefully we can take get a Safety in free agency and/or the draft as well to help with our secondary needs.  We could also take an Offensive Linemen such as Iowa's Riley Reiff, or Stanford's Jonathan Martin.  Both are first round offensive linemen.
Option # 2:  Trade down and hopefully obtain another 1st or 2nd round pick.  Reiff and/or Marin should still be around.
Bottom Line:  We will have some top level talent coming aboard next year.  For the first time in a long time, we have all of our picks, and some compensation picks as well.  The Vikings front office absolutely cannot miss this draft.  It will be exciting to see what will happen!
Thoughts:  I still don't believe the Vikings will get the # 1 overall pick.  I think we win one or two more games and will end up getting the # 2, or at worst the # 3 pick and take either Matt Kalil (who I desperately want) or Morris Claiborne, or trade down for more picks.  However, if we do get the # 1 pick, I think we should trade it to a team who is willing to give up a bunch of draft picks.  I realize you can't pass up a QB like Luck, but I would also argue, you couldn't pass up an opportunity to obtain all those draft picks.  Remember Hershel Walker?  Ok sorry I brought it up, but you get my point.  I love Christian Ponder, and if we can build a team around him, he could be a great NFL QB and lead this team into the future. 
Let me know what you all think!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Use the stuff!

The Mrs. here!  As you finish up celebrating Christmas at the end of this week, you may be wondering what to do with all of the STUFF now littering your home.  I know that in America we are both blessed and cursed with too much stuff.  After Christmas is the perfect time to go through all of your clothes, childrens' toys, etc.... and donate (or sell) what you no longer use (or fit into after all of those Christmas cookies!).  But what about all of the other STUFF....boxes, bows, wrapping, etc.?  Here is a clever idea I found a few months ago on Pinterest,and now is the perfect time to do it: covereing boxes (or box lids) with fabric or paper to jazz up your wall!  I don't know about you, but I have a variety of sizes of boxes from gifts sitting in my home....so let's put them to good use!  Here's the before:

my basement wall...boring right?!?


...and after!

I varied a little bit from the original idea found on Pinterest and used both fabric (top L, bottom R) and scrapbooking paper.

A few tips from my attempt:
~Do this with a friend...preferably a very patient one! :)  Miss G, helped me out and we had fun just gabbing away while "wrapping" the boxes.  It made the job faster, and more fun!
~Personal preference, but I liked manipulating the paper more than the fabric.  Plus, it's WAAAY cheaper!
 ~Keep some extra sturdy boxes around that you can use to help with mounting the art when you're done!  A few of the boxes we had were a little flimsy, so we mod podged another piece of a sturdier box on the part that was hanging on the nail.

So simple, and a fun way to recycle those boxes and get a new look in your home after the holidays.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

time honored traditions

Hello all, it's the Mr. & Mrs. here for our first post together (awwww).

We truly enjoy the winter holidays and all of the rich tradition they carry for our families.  We've come to learn about the traditions both of our families implemented as we were growing up, and now we're trying to determine what our traditions will be as we raise little ones.  We often get carried away by the busyness (and let's be real, stress) that holidays can bring, but we try to bring ourselves back to the real reason we celebrate; what really matters most.  For us, much of it boils down to TIME.  Who we spend it with, and what we're doing while we are with them.  Are we constantly "plugged in", or do we dim the lights and just enjoy each other's company by the tree?  Are we rushing here and there to check too many things off our lists, or do we pause.......just long enough to realize that maybe, just maybe our holidays can be special without a few of those "things" so that we can spend more time with the ones we love?  Do we sit around wordlessly staring at a screen, or pull open our Bible to read the true Christmas story?  Don't get us wrong....we LOVE a good party, buying gifts for those we love, eating yummy holiday snacks, etc....  But among all of the traditions of baking certain cookies, visiting Santa, and singing Silent Night, we want to be sure that the traditions we keep with our family honor the time we have together during the holidays.  This is a special time of year that we don't want to rush through and miss.  How about you?

We think the Grinch really sums it up nicely: "'[Christmas] came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.' And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. 'What if Christmas', he thought, 'doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?'"

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Perfect Snack

The Mrs. here~
So....there are many things that I love about this special time of year.  One of those things is the snacks!  My 'lil sis has been making this "oldie but a goodie" snack for quite a few years now. She just made it again this week and it was so tasty and easy I just had to share it!  (OK, I'm sharing the recipe, not the actual snack because it's all mine!)

Seasoned Oyster Crackers
Mix: 3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
Dill weed and lemon pepper to taste

Pour over 1 bag oyster crackers and stir until evenly coated.   Lay across large cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 for 15-20minutes (until golden brown)

Enjoy them quick before they're gone! :)


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Something to Believe In

Hey sports fans, the Mr. here.

Well, the Vikings managed yet again to snatch defeat from the the jaws of victory.  Christian Ponder looked like he had no clue what was going on out there.  I'm chalking his performance up to a combination of a rookie QB letting his injuries get into his head and not learning from his mistakes.  I'm not ready to call this a QB controversy yet.  I still think Christian Ponder can be the QB of the Vikings future.  So as we wallow in the misery of the 2011 Vikings season, Minnesota has one professional team that is putting together a season that is nothing short of magical.  For those of you paying attention, the Minnesota Wild have absolutely dominated the competition this year.  I don't know about you, but it's been refreshing to see a team like the Wild do so well this hockey season.  This team has bought into Mike Yeo's philosophy and these young kids are not making any excuses about all the injuries that have taken place.  They continue to bring up young guys that have stepped up and made huge contributions.  I love what the Wild did during the offseason and the future talent of this team looks bright.  I also love our new rookie coach Mike Yeo.  His no-nonsense, no-excuses approach has this team believing they can go the distance.  Time will tell if they can sustain this amazing hot streek.  It's a long season, but I intend to enjoy this run as long as it goes.  It's time Minnesota gets back to being competetive again...The State of Hockey is back ladies and gentlemen!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

DIY wood candle holders

My wife and I made each other's birthday gifts this year.  I decided to make candle holders out of logs.  It took a little time but the end result was impresive if I do say so myself. :)

1.  Choose your wood. I used Black Walnut because it's a beautiful design and color once you get the bark off.  Most people use birch because you can keep the bark on, and it always looks good on a table or cabinet.  Even if you don't have the right trees in your backyard, you can find someone who does and wants to get rid of scraps, or is willing to cut off some thicker branches. (I found a guy on craigslist who cut down a Black Walnut tree in his yard because part had rotted out, but a majority was still good.) 

2.  Cut. Use a chainsaw to cut different sizes/lengths based on what you want and where you envision your candles.  It doesn't take a whole lot of wood to get what you want.....  One or two pieces depending on the size of the scraps. 

3. Remove the bark. (*this step is optional, depending on the type of wood you have, and what shape the bark is in.) This was the most time consuming step, mainly because I didn't have the right tools.  I used a sharp knife and just trimmed it off.  If you had access to a lathe, I think it would make the process way easier.  However, it's fun to have all the knots and different indendations in the wood, which would not be possible with a lathe.

4.  Sand and smooth edges and ends.  Use a miter saw to cut the ends a little bit to make sure they are flat and straight.  This brings out the full color and design of the wood.  Use a belt sander to sand off all the remaining peices of "under bark" if necissary.  Then use some fine sand paper and give your candles a quick rub down to make sure they are smooth.  Let them sit outside and dry up for a couple weeks if possible.  Wood tends to shrink after it gets cut down and the bark removed, because the bark keeps the moisture in. 

5.  Drill hole for candle.  Tea lights are probably the most common use for this type of project, and they are exactly 1 1/2 inches.  Use a 1 1/2 inch drill bit to cut your hole on the top of the wood.  Go deep enough, but not too deep to where the tea light would get stuck.  Then you can varnish, stain, or just leave them natural.
Enjoy surprising your loved one with these handmade gifts.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

DIY baby hat

The Mrs. here!
I've had a lot of fun over the past year getting "reaquainted" with my crafty side. :)  I don't know about you, but there's just something special about a homemade gift.  Don't get me wrong....I LOVE hunting down a good deal for the perfect gift, but this year I've tried to pair a store-bought gift with a homemade gift to add a personal touch.  We've had lots of little ones entering our life lately, and one of the gifts I've given most this year is this super cute, cozy, and simple-to-make baby hat!(tutorial and patterns on prudentbaby.com)
3 hats that I've given to little girls...I made the far left hat bigger for an older baby.
You don't have to be a master seamstress in any sense of the word to make these!  Another reason I have enjoyed making these is because I can re-use old shirts/fabric that I know I wouldn't otherwise use.  I've made hats for little ones out of tank tops, t-shirts, and odd fabric scraps.  They are perfect for any season because you can use thin, breathable fabric....and they're nice and stretchy! :)  What are some gifts that you have made recently?  Would love to hear from you!  

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Skol Vikings!

The Mr. here. 
We are still in the midst of the Vikings Stadium debate as the legislatures hold their final hearings tonight regarding financing options.  It will be interesting, to say the least, to see what transpires out of these discussions (debates).  Many opinions are being formed regarding this huge issue, all of which I'm sure are not taken lightly by the Vikings and the decision makers.  Many believe the Vikings and the Wilf's are holding MN taxpayers hostage by forcing our hand in not renewing the lease on the Metrodome.  I could go on and on about both sides of the debate, but I will just make one point here….. the Arden Hills site would be an amazing place to hold not only football games, but other events during all seasons and I fully support an Arden Hills stadium.  That site has been an environmental wasteland for many years, and now the Vikings want to help clean it up and invest in our state.  However, I'm more in favor of just getting a stadium solution done.  I believe "the" stadium will get approved, however, I'm not sold on it being approved in Arden Hills just yet.  I believe it will be in Minneapolis if (and that's a big IF) Rybak and his cronies can get their rear ends in gear and figure out a plausible plan, which up to this point, they have failed to do.  If they can do this, then I believe a new stadium solution will get done. I'm just not sure where or when.  The idea of giving the Vikings the Metrodome (or Metrodump as I call it) is not feasible.  The dome is the sole reason we are the lowest revenue generating team in the league.  The Vikings deserve a new stadium and should get a new stadium.  The simple reason being, if we don't do it, somebody else will, regardless of what you think about Zigi Wilf.  We would lose all that tax revenue and we lose an important part of our MN heritage.  I believe the upside outweighs the downside here, and the argument about not getting a stadium until they've shown they can win is SSSOOOO short sighted.  They HAVE shown they can win, and they do have the overwhelming support of a growing fan base.  A team's record should not, and does not, have anything to do with a new stadium approval.  If anything, fans should be excited about what the future holds for this team.  Sure we have growing pains right NOW, but we have to get through them because I think the young talent this team will acquire is going to pay big dividends.  Leslie Frazier will continue to develop as a coach, and Christian Ponder will continue to develop as QB, and will be a superstar in this league.  You can bet on that one. 
Yes, it is just football, and there are other things that are more important.  We are all so blessed to be able to live in a country were we can enjoy sporting events.  My wife and I both grew up huge sports fans and that's something we want to pass on to our kids, but I encourage all of you to continue the discussion and get involved and write your legislatures (as I have done) on what you think. 
Go Vikings!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Have yourself a thankful Christmas

The Mrs. here~
I have learned a lot this year about having gratitude....  I have been encouraged and inspired by several friends who have openly walked their journies of thankfulness, even in hard situations.  I also read a book with some of my sg peeps; one thousand gifts.  (*if you're looking for a thought provoking, inspiring, poetic, and transforming book this is a good candidate!*)  While I still have a long ways to go in being grateful, I have been more mindful of giving thanks as we head into Christmas.  I wanted to find a way to pass on what I've been learning to those that I love in the gifts I'm giving.  Here are a few things I've been making to fill the stockings, but also fill the heart with gratitude this Christmas.

i attached magnets to the backs of the clothespins so that they can hang from the frige.  these can be easily filled with pictures or written gratitudes....a simple reminder in the daily grind.

found this idea on Pinterest from  inchmark.squarespace.com.....fill a jar with memories/gratitudes throughout the year. read them on new year's eve the following year.  i added my own flair to make the gift a little more complete by adding a fabric cover on the jar, and including pre-cut slips of printed papers to write on throughout the year. (see picture below).



a graitude journal~ this gift is based off of the book i mentioned earlier...recording things that you're thankful for throughout the day.  the simple, mundane, even hard moments that often pass by with grumbling instead of gratitue.  i bought some packages of small, lined journals. then i wrote some excerpts from the book on the inside.  my lil' sis made the one on the left and modge podged some added decorations on the outside.
 At the risk of sounding too cheesy, gratitude is definitely a gift that keeps on giving.  That makes any of these gifts perfect for your loved ones this Christmas!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Taking small deer vs big bucks

This can be a very hot topic among vetran deer hunters.  I'm not a seasoned hunter, but I will share my two cents here.  There are many great points about waiting to only take big bucks.  A big issue with many people is preserving habitat.  If you only take older bucks, you preserve the population in the area you hunt by ensuring the doe's and young bucks breed together, thus keeping the population high and continuing to let those younger bucks grow.  Also, there is a sense of competition in every hunter that wants to take the "big one" and beat out all your friends. 

On the other hand there are those that simply love to hunt, and will, depending on your zone, take the "if it's brown it's down" mentality.

I can see both sides.  We just accuired some land, and my family and I have enjoyed our first year of deer hunting this past fall.  I began the season by wanting to only take a decent size buck in order to preserve our population.  Hearing several close shots all morning from other hunters, I let several nice size doe's go early Saturday morning hoping to see a bigger buck later that weekend.  Unfortunately the weather turned for the worst as the weekend pressed on and I ended up taking a small buck (we could take both sex's in our zone) Sat afternoon. 

When it comes right down to it, yes I'd prefer to wait for a nice buck, but you do not know what the future holds, and my feeling is, if you're out there, and have the opportunity, you may only have one chance to take it. 


Friday, December 2, 2011

wrap it up!

The Mrs. here!  I started wrapping some Christmas presents today...one of my favorite things to do! Gift bags are fun too, and I use them when I'm in a pinch, but there is something fun about strategically placing a gift in the just the right box, wrapping it, and placing a bow on top.  Christmas offers a unique challenge because you're usually wrapping several gifts for several people.  How to keep them all straight?!?  You can use the old school gift tags, which are nice, but here are a couple more fun ideas that you might want to try this year!

~Assign people in your family their own wrapping paper! My mom has done this for the past few years, and we always try to guess which paper belongs to which family member (only mom knows until Christmas Eve!).  You can use leftover Christmas paper from years past, or buy coordinating prints each year...whatever your budget allows! :)
~Use a simple monogram on packages.  You can write directly on the wrapping paper using big, bright markers. OR you can even make some fun gift tag.  I put a couple samples below...I used extra scraps of wrapping paper and some scrapbooking paper...simple!  You can use fabric, stickers, whatever--have fun with it!


Have fun wrapping!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

First Man Post!

The Mr. here.  I'll be posting many "manly" things on here so if you like the outdoors, sports, politics, and just good old man jokes, so stay tuned.  I'll be the voice of reason on here :)

Hunting tip that I learned this year:

If you like to build and discover new stands and hunting spots, make sure you mow a nice path into that spot from your entrance.  Also be sure to clear out leaves and trim brush and branches along the path as well.  When it's actually time to hunt, this will ensure a quiet entrance to your spot, and keep your rubbing on branches and trees to a minimum so you're not scaring up any deer, or anything else your trying to keep from scattering due to noise.  If it's a thick area, this can also create new travel areas for the wildlife.

holiday decorating

The Mrs. here!  One of the best parts of Christmas is putting up the decorations.  But if you're anything like me, sometimes it can be hard to come up with something "new" without buying anything.  I've gotten pretty creative with mixing and matching items around my home (even from other seasons) to decorate for Christmas.  Take a look at this centerpiece...

I used some of the ornaments off of my tree, some Christmas plates and candles that I already had, and some sparkly fillers in their original containers.  To elevate the red candle in my trifle bowl I flipped a Glade oil candle burner upside down, set the candle on top, then filled the rest of the bowl with the Christmas balls.  Underneath I used a cream placemat, and one of my winter towels.  This whole centerpiece cost me NOTHING to make because I used what I already had in a different way.  What have you created for Christmas using materials you already have?