High Five for Friday 8.31.12

This week just flew by! Here's 5 things I'm high-fiving this friday:

Today marks the last day of "No eating out" month!!! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. With just a little coordination and pre-planning we were able to go this entire month without stopping by for fast food or eating out. Definitely helped the checkbook and I was excited to get this one off of my 30 before 30 list :) I want to go for sushi but he wants a steak, we'll see!

The past weekend, I crossed another item off my list - GO CAMPING!! It was a blast!! We went with our friends and their 2 kids and though they stayed in a trailer and even offered us a bed, I figured I had to do the real deal - pitch a tent and sleeping bag! It was sooooo much fun, it's been nearly 2 decades since I've been camping and I am daydreaming of the next time we'll go!  The spot we camped at was perfect too, in the national forest, surrounded by beautiful evergreens alongside a creek. It was just wonderful waking up to the sound of the water trickling by in the early morning hours.

While we were camping, we we made our way to the top of the mountain to pick huckleberries!! We kept calling it purple gold because of how time consuming picking these little gems are and now I'm conflicted what recipe I should use them up on - huckleberry peach pie, jam, scones, tart??? Decisions, decisions!

Looking forward to a long holiday weekend. We don't have anything specifically planned, just catch up on little house stuff and relax. 
 
We are finally done with our deck staining! Well mostly, but for pictures sake, here's the before and after. I just love that it feels like a brand new deck :)

Happy Friday friends! If you want to play along, be sure to link up!

DIY Laundry Detergent

I've been wanting to try making laundry detergent for some time now, in hopes that we could save a little bit of money.  I did a search on pinterest and finally decided on these instructions from How Does She. So I went shopping and about $30 later (not counting the 6-pack of half gallon jars which was an additional $10) I got to putting together the detergent. I was really hoping to use Zote bars, but after looking at 6 different stores and not having any luck I just decided to go with Fels-Naptha. I'll definitely keep my eye out for the Zote in the future!  Also, I really wanted to use the gallon mason jars, but they were pretty spendy, and the whole point of this was to save a little money!  Plus I think the half-gallon jars will be easier to store on the higher shelves in our laundry room. 

DIY Detergent 

from How Does She 

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap (You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

2 (28 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener (You could double for extra softener and scent)

I started off by shredding the Fels-Naptha. Next, I layered everything little by little in a lined 5-gallon bucket for easier mixing and stirred it up until it was all blended. This makes your house smell really good, by the way!  Then I just funneled into the jars until I ran out.

I ended up with 5 half gallon jars of detergent.  You use 1-2 tablespoons depending on how big your load is. I'll give an update in the future to see if this is cost effective!

High Five for Friday 8.10.12

Happy Friday, and what a lovely one it is! Here's 5 things I'm high-fivin today!

 

1. Hubby just got his wisdom teeth out this morning and I get to pamper him all weekend! It was soooo funny when we were leaving - they had given him laughing gas before the surgery and as we were walking him out to the car, he says "woohoo, it's MILKSHAKE TIME, YEEHAAAW!!" I couldn't stop laughing!!

watching espn with bailey

2.  I've been working on a few of my 30 before 30 goals, one of them being "no eating out month", ack!  We tried this back in June but with several out of town trips, this was too difficult for us. So far, this month has gone smoothly, and meal planning has really helped!  I used this super cute calendar from Life After Breakfast to keep track of upcoming meals.  (She makes a new one for every month, keep your eyes peeled for them!)

from life after breakfast

3. My 5 week photography class ended recently with a fun night out shooting! This past week, Julia and I took an evening workshop with Chris Keating, he was hilarious! And it was great to get another person's point of view on the topic. It's been fun figuring out how to shoot in manual!

4. We spent all last weekend working on cleaning and scrubbing our deck for restaining. Wow, I didn't realize how much work it would be! My words of advice would be to not get discouraged when it doesn't look like the cleaner/brightener isn't working after hours of scrubbing - just wait until it dries and you'll really see the difference! I'll post before and after pics of the finished product!

before

5. Our dear friends Emily and Pat are in town for a few weeks before they head to Africa for a mission trip. They came over Tuesday night for dinner, rhubarb pie and the Olympics - it was such a blessing to spend some quality time with them before they leave!

Well that's it from me, hope you have a wonderful weekend! Be sure to play along and link up!

Huckleberry Pie

Have you ever tried huckleberries? They are a much tinier version of blueberries, usually grown in the wild, upper elevation of mountains. Last summer we hiked up to a location my boss had mentioned he'd seen a jackpot for huckleberry plants. And picking these berries are a true labor of love. They are so small, after an hour and a half, we'd only had about a gallon-size bag worth of berries.  So needless to say, I tend to be a little stingy when using them up in recipes :)

A friend had mentioned she'd had quite a bit of these little huckleberries stocked up in her freezer but had no idea how to make pie crust. I told her I had this incredibly easy recipe that makes 2 double crusts, so she came over and we baked this super delicious pie! Look how tiny those berries are!

Huckleberry Pie

Grandma's Pie Dough from Country Living

Filling from She-smoke

2 disks Grandma's Pie Dough

3 1/2 cups huckleberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoon corn starch
 

Heat the oven to 375°F. Roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, and transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Set aside in the refrigerator. 

Mix the sugar and cornstarch together, then carefully coat the berries with it.  Transfer to the prepared pie pan.

Roll the remaining dough to 1/8-inch thickness and use a scalloped pie cutter to cut dough into strips at desired width.  

Drape the strips over the pie and weave over and under each layer.  Trim the edges of both crusts, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.  Fold the dough under, lighting pinching to seal.  Crimp around the rim and refrigerate for 10 minutes.  

Bake on the center shelf of the oven until the crust is golden brown - 45 to 55 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

High Five for Friday 7.6.12

Happy Friday! I think this is my favorite day of the week! Here are a few things I'm high-fivin' today.

We are finishing up week 5 of half-marathon training. We've had to skip a run here and there but overall we are staying on track.  I have to admit, it has been so much harder than I ever imagined.  And not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well.  There have been many runs that I've completed and end up beating myself up for not being able to run faster, push harder, be better. Which I know is completely absurd considering I'm breaking my personal records by leaps and bounds!!! I am grateful for a supportive husband and great friends and family that believe in me and encourage me when I'm ready to throw in the towel.  This goal is supposed to be FUN!  I want to put the focus back on being proud of what my mind and body has been able to accomplish with hard work and dedication. 

We finally had all our dogs do a comprehensive session with a dog trainer.  My Riley Boy is getting a little too aggressive for his own good and we just wanted some direction on how to prevent it from getting any worse.  Hard to believe it with this adorable face, huh! She gave us some really great pointers for him and hopefully we can get him back on track!

photo c/o jenny j

This weekend, we will finally be close to hitting 100 degrees for the first time in a couple of years.  I'm thinking some cold and refreshing drinks are in order, doesn't this watermelon-lime cooler look delicious?

My sweet SIL sent us a Smash book for our anniversary! I'm so excited to put all our wedding cards in here, the ones that are currently being held safe in a ziplock bag :)

I'm going to savor the last few days of my stay-cation! I've been catching up on house projects, soaking up some sun, and have finished DIY stuff like this farmer's market bag! It's going to be hard to get back to it Monday morning!

 
What are you high-fivin today? Be sure to link up!

DIY Earring Organizer

Happy Monday! I took the week off and am hoping to get a ton of half finished projects around the house done! First on my list was an organizer for my jewelry. I have everything just thrown in random places - jewelry box, bathroom medicine cabinet, gym bag, etc.  I found this tutorial on an earring organizer that I thought would work perfect with a frame I'd found at a yard sale years ago. 

photo from kevinandamanda.com

It was a little hard to find picture wire hanger, but after a few stops, I found it in the hardware section at Walmart. Time to say goodbye to this guy in picture frame, he provided lots of laughs over the past few years!

One band-aid and 30 minutes later, this to-do was complete! 

It was a lot of fun to go through my jewelry and find long lost items I forgot I had. I'm hoping to make a necklace organizer too!

Do you have any fun projects planned for the holiday week?

Three Years

"Across the years I will walk with you -
in deep green forests; on shores of sand:
and when our time on earth is through,
in heaven, too, you will have my hand" 

-Robert Sexton

Happy Anniversary Babe!

One Sweet Day: The Evening Comes to an End

With all the dancing and cake behind us, our last few hours were spent enjoying our guests!  My little cousin joined in on some dancing with the bridesmaids and I! We even formed a little conga line around the group!

 

We had bocce ball set up for guests!  The guys were having a blast seeing who could throw the farthest distance.

College roommates enjoyed and savored each others company.

The cowgirls set out for a horse ride along the country side.

Family friends shared lots of laughs!

 

A touching, heartfelt speech from my dear sweet cousin.

Guests signed our Polaroid guest book.

Our best man's parents relaxed and soaked up the country sun.

 

Bridesmaid Andrea's husband had fun taking pictures of our photographer!

My cousin, the little stud posed for the camera.

My family huddled together to take a huge group picture, already making plans for the next get together! 

At the end of the evening, we hugged and kissed everyone one last time and thus began our journey as husband and wife.

all photos by Jenny Jimenez

One Sweet Day: Setting Up

One Sweet Day: My Fabulous Ladies Get Dolled Up!

One Sweet Day:Gifts for the Girls

One Sweet Day: Every Little Girls Dream Come True

One Sweet Day: First Look!

One Sweet Day: Couples Pics

One Swwet Day: The Ceremony Begins

One Sweet Day: Here Comes the Bride
One Sweet Day: We Get Married!
One Sweet Day: Family Pics!
One Sweet Day: Reception
One Sweet Day: Signed, Sealed, Delivered!
One Sweet Day: Cupcakes and Treats
One Sweet Day: Dances

One Sweet Day: Dances

Just as the sun was beginning to set, the time came for us to have our first dance as husband and wife. He picked our song, Lost in this Moment by Big & Rich.

The setting was so perfect, and when we danced, it felt like one else existed but he and I.

We reflected on how beautifully the ceremony turned out, and how much love and support we felt from the people in our lives so special to us.

Once our song was over, it was time for the Father-Daughter dance. My dad also chose this song, Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle.

Dad and I also talked about how beautifully the day turned out, how much he loves Steele and that he was so happy for us.

all photos by Jenny Jimenez

Just now stopping by? Catch up on our sweet day!

One Sweet Day: Setting Up

One Sweet Day: My Fabulous Ladies Get Dolled Up!

One Sweet Day:Gifts for the Girls

One Sweet Day: Every Little Girls Dream Come True

One Sweet Day: First Look!

One Sweet Day: Couples Pics

One Swwet Day: The Ceremony Begins

One Sweet Day: Here Comes the Bride
One Sweet Day: We Get Married!
One Sweet Day: Family Pics!
One Sweet Day: Reception
One Sweet Day: Signed, Sealed, Delivered!
One Sweet Day: Cupcakes and Treats

One Sweet Day: Cupcakes and Treats

We were ready to have some tasty treats which included cupcakes from a local bakery, and rice krispie treats and lemon bars made by his cousin and family.

 

But first things first, it was time to take care of business. I was up to serve him and I knew I was going in for the kill! He was laughing, saying "oh I don't think so!" 

But I got him good :) Happy dance!

When it was his turn to give me the first bite, I held onto his arm for dear life, fighting off the same cupcake smashing in return!

But he was good and didn't get me too bad!

A quick kiss and then it was time to share the goodies!

all photos by Jenny Jimenez

Just now stopping by? Catch up on our sweet day!

One Sweet Day: Setting Up
One Sweet Day: My Fabulous Ladies Get Dolled Up!
One Sweet Day:Gifts for the Girls
One Sweet Day: Every Little Girls Dream Come True
One Sweet Day: First Look!
One Sweet Day: Couples Pics
One Swwet Day: The Ceremony Begins

One Sweet Day: Here Comes the Bride
One Sweet Day: We Get Married!
One Sweet Day: Family Pics!
One Sweet Day: Reception
One Sweet Day: Signed, Sealed, Delivered!