Sometimes a girl just has to have her chocolate...

I had forgotten how much I loved making and EATING chocolate bird nests, until I saw Jodee's blog last week. This is such a fun Easter/Spring dessert.

Ingredients:
Chow mein noodles (you could also use chopped coconut or cereal too)

chocolate chips
Jelly beans
candy coated chocolate eggs
marshmallow chicks
wax paper

Put chow mein noodles in a large bowl. Melt chocolate chips or pieces in the microwave, or over low heat on stove, just until melted and stir.

Pour melted chocolate over chow mein noodles, mix together to coat.

Place mounds of chocolate/chow mein mixture on top of waxed paper. Form the mixtures into nests. Be sure the chocolate has cooled, but don't wait too long or it will harden!

Place candy in center of nests. To speed up the drying process, place in freezer.

YUMMY!!!

PS. I don't even want to admit how many nests the Momma consumed!

Floral fun...

I'm really not a vane person, but if you haven’t heard, Liberty of London has landed at your local Target store. Add my name to the list of people who have fallen in love with this product line. I just had to buy this adorable floral skirt for Emma.

Isn’t the tulle ruffle darling?

I think if they had this skirt in a woman's size, I just might need to own one (or two or three). I'm glad my eleven year old lets me dress her up with pretty girly fashions every now and then!

Love ya, sweetie!!

PS. On Saturday, we'll be on the hunt for dark pants for E's spring band concert which is next week. I think I might be in trouble locating a pair of dark pants in APRIL. As you can tell, I'd much rather shop for spring fashions. Oh well. Bring on the hunt!!

Happy 2nd Forever Family Day!

Today, we're celebrating our 2 year Josie anniversary.

The second year has definitely been easier...






And we wouldn't change a single moment.

We love your enthusiasm for life, Josie. You are one special little girl. We are so blessed to have two amazing daughters.


This is my absolute favorite video of the girls during our last day in Guangzhou, China.

The new half bath/laundry room unveil...

As much as I'd love to show off Emma's new bedroom, the cupboard doors aren't all installed yet. Measurements were a bit off and so we're still waiting for a few missing doors for her built-ins. However, the half bath/laundry room is officially done and we're ready to show it off.

Even though it's dreary and definitely gray outside, I'm pretending my new bathroom is at a beach house. If you click on the shelf picture to enlarge, you can probably figure out which state I live in.

I've never enjoyed doing laundry as much as I have recently. Going through all those weeks with the washer/dryer in the middle of my kitchen (and inoperable) made me appreciate the convenience of daily washing.

I've even used my new utility sink already...just because I can!!

We went from a full bathroom/laundry room to a half bath/laundry room. By reconfiguring our extra large bathroom into a half bath, we now have this kick-butt mudroom (someday we'll actually have hooks for our coats). Overall, we're pretty darn pleased with our construction project. I'm also very happy to be on the other side of it too. Goodbye drywall dust!!

***UPDATE ***
Karin from Our Treasurers from Afar won.
I've sent you an email.

PS. Tomorrow is our 2 year Josie anniversary. Get ready for pictures!! She's practically doubled in weight and size since March 16, 2008. Amazing what good nutrition and open-heart surgery can do. I still can't believe how far we've come with her physically and developmentally. She's such a blessing.

Chalk Paint Project

It worked!

But, I learned something. Keep reading.

I was going to wait and give the Easter egg chalk board to Josie in her Easter basket, but decided she should enjoy it now.

When I saw the wooden plaque at Michael's it reminded me of an Easter egg. It was in the same section of the store as the houses I've been making.

The most expensive part of the project was the chalk paint ($7.99) The plaque was $1.49.

The 40% off coupon for Michael's, made the chalk paint reasonable. I have all kinds of ideas for using the rest of my chalk paint, including pots for our eventual herb garden. The biggest thing about this project is making sure you look over the wood, especially the center to make sure it doesn't have any big dents or divots. I didn't do that and Josie's board has a pretty deep groove. It still works, but a flat surface is really key. She doesn't care and that's all that matters.

Don't forget to sign up for my Easter give-away.

Just leave a comment in this entry and I'll draw a random winner on March 15th at 8pm (EST - Eastern Standard Time). I'll even fill the container with some special Easter candy. I hope your weekend has been a relaxing one.

PS. Thank you for my beautiful bunny teapot, Staci. I just love it!!