Charisa Darling

Archive for October 2015

Friday, October 30, 2015

Friday 5: Happenings from the week

5 happenings from the week. Cheers, we made it!

1. I started the week off without internet or TV service. Second time this month - woo hoo! Thankful that they came out and fixed the issue that day, but in doing so all of my recorded shows were erased. All those hours of Project Runway that I'll never catch up on...

2. The kids are off school today, so yesterday marked the end of Halloween lunches. I think enjoy doodling on the kid's napkins just a bit too much!

3. All of the outdoor decorations have been put up and we're ready for Halloween! Oh, except, pumpkins. Still need to get and carve those! Just when you think you're ahead...

4. Spooky Dinner is over! While I like to gross out the kids, I'm done with sculpting meat. I'll have to come up with something new for next year!

5. A few more steps closer to being done with the stocking! I finished the skirt, but had to improvise and do some recreating since the pink petals and the white belt weren't fitting the right way. Cue the uttering of bad words! Finishing the wand is up next.

Here's to a great weekend! Happy Halloween!!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

There's Still Time! Easy Cat Costume

Vaughn wanted a Halloween shirt to wear to school on Thursday, so I used the printable that I made last year and switched it up just enough to keep this project quick and to make her happy. (By the way, the cat shirt from last year still looks great despite her wearing it many times. This paint holds up!)

I followed the same instructions as last year, but used a black shirt and white fabric paint.

(Scroll all the way down for the link to the printable and instructions.)

It happens to the best of us. If you get a little bleed, just use a Sharpie :)

Because I add a little extra time and materials, I whipped out this cat ear headband to go along with. I used the same shape as the ears in the printable, but left more fabric down below. I wrapped it up around the backside and used hot glue to attach them. Not perfect, but it works!

Here's the link for the instructions and printable!

(Last year's shirt)

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Love to Cook, Hate to Plan: Weekly Dinner Menu (Week 17)

Week of 10/26 - 11/1

Happy Halloween Week! It's going to be a busy and fun week!

On Monday, I'm going to try Blue Apron's Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese. Macaroni and cheese never seems like an entree to me, but this one caught my eye because of the cauliflower and the kale mixed in. We'll see what the kids think of it! Salad to go with, and as always, whatever fruit the kids want to grab.

Taco Tuesday! Baked refried beans and guac to go with. Ole!

Quick BLAT's on Wednesday because of parent/teacher conferences at school.

Having thought the kids were done with "spooky" dinners, I didn't plan anything two Halloween's ago, and the kids were like, "WTH, MOM"? So, last year I made what I consider to be the scariest of all foods, meatloaf, and then I shaped it into a foot. (I use Barefoot Contessa's Turkey Meatloaf recipe.) They loved it and therefore, back by popular demand, is the Meatloaf Foot. Sides will be crescent roll bones, roasted veggies, cranberry sauce that I'll spice up with candy eyeballs, and Jello brains for dessert.

Pizza on Friday!

Something quick or leftovers on Saturday so we can get to Trick or Treating!

Sunday Salmon. Grilled, with a balsamic glaze. Jumping beans, or edamame, and baked potatoes to go with.

Hope you have a great week!!!

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Friday, October 23, 2015

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

Here's to celebratory donuts.

Any kid that wakes up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning and runs a mile long cross country course when it's 34 degrees outside, just for fun, gets all the donuts he wants afterwards. (Technically, this was from last week, but I still wanted to include it.)

Here's to couch-es. As in plural.

We finally have a full set! The love seat that had gone missing during shipping and then it's replacement was placed on backorder, has finally been delivered. Glad that this saga is now complete! Onward we go towards finding the right tables and lamps to go with!

Here's to decorating for Halloween in shorts.
After the cold snap last weekend, the weather is back to being glorious! All the color of fall, but none of the bundling up. It was around 80 degrees when I snapped this picture of the kids putting Mr. Bones outside. I'm enjoying every minute because I know it won't last. Fingers crossed for a warm Halloween night though!

Here's to new bathroom rugs!

I was worried that these rugs from West Elm wouldn't be soft enough for bathroom rugs (bare footsies!), but they're great! Plus, I love the pattern and the color, so score! (Psssttt...If you're needing new ones too, these are on sale right now!)

Here's to The Stocking.
Here's this week's progress. Slowly, but surely! See that little pearl bracelet? That silly thing took a ridiculous amount of time, so I nixed the second one that was supposed to be added. I never knew it was possible to get so mad at tiny plastic beads. Ugh! I know what you're thinking - the arms look upside down, but that's how they're supposed to be. It'll look better once she's holding her wand.

Hope everyone had a great week too. What's one thing you're celebrating over the weekend? Whatever it may be, cheers!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Around The House: Halloween

Here's a few of my favorite decorations from around the house this year.

I kept it pretty simple this year because of some work we're having done to the house, but all my favorites are accounted for. I love the ravens tucked here and there, the "old" books I made a few years ago are holding up well, and the kid's silhouettes always give off a spooky vibe. Mr. Skeleton gets moved all around the house by the kids - you never know where that spooky guy will turn up next!

My favorite decoration is this old pumpkin, which I wrote a little bit about last year. He always has a place on the kitchen counter and sadly, he's empty right now. He needs some candy, stat!

Halloween will be here before you know it! Hope you're ready!

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Sunday, October 18, 2015

How to Make a Letter Writing Kit for Kids

My daughter's friend just moved away, so we came up with this little gift for her.

FaceTime and Skype are always great options for keeping in touch, but there's nothing quite as exciting as getting a letter in the mail. Plus, it's a great way to practice those spelling words and handwriting!

I thought it would be nice to create a kit that keeps everything together in one place and fill it with fun things to make their letters more exciting. Because I wanted it to be semi-stress free for the little girl's parents, I threw in a couple of stamps too. (Postage stamps are hard to find when they're packed away during the move!) I found a sturdy photo box with a lid at the craft store and made sure everything fit inside.

Vaughn and her friend were a bit nervous about the unknown of addresses and contact info, so I took the mystery out of the equation, and typed it all out for her. I also made a cute label for the top, printed both out, cut them to the same size, and used glue squares to adhere the backsides together. I then used the same glue squares to stick the paper to the inside of the lid. I figured it would last longer that way.

I know how hard moving is for kids, so hopefully this letter writing kit will help keep the girls in touch and will make Vaughn's friend feel a little better too.

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made for kids

Love to Cook, Hate to Plan: Weekly Dinner Menu (Week 16)

Week of 10/19 - 10/25

Monday I'll keep it easy and pick up a rotisserie chicken and sauté green beans to go along with it.

On Tuesday, I'm excited to make Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese pasta. The recipe calls for bacon, but I leave that out. It's just as good! Salad to go along with.

Wednesday is a bit nuts for us, so I'll plan on making a pot of chicken noodle soup and everyone can dip in when they need to.

Thursday is Indian Night. Chicken in a curry sauce, brown rice, naan, and roasted cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli.

It's been awhile since we made pizzas, so that's the plan for Friday.

The kid's school has their Fall Fair on Saturday, so we'll plan on eating from the Food Trucks there.

We didn't get to do snacks for dinner last Sunday, so I'm carrying it over to this week.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Sharing with: the org junkie

Friday, October 16, 2015

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

1. Here's to kids that know how to rock a 'stache.

Mustaches were the theme for this week's half-day of school and I love that the kids were up for it! Could Vance's facial expression match that 'stache any better?

2. Here's to my favorite gymnast!

Vaughn's gym holds a mach meet every last day of the session and the kids usually get pins to celebrate what they learned. This time, medals were handed out instead, making Vaughn one happy little lady.

3. Here's to taking a technical step back in time.

For the first time ever, Vance brought an audio book home from his school library this week. I had no idea that they had these, nonetheless that they came with Discman's. I walked him through what a Walkman was and then told him about my first Discman, and boy, did he just want me to stop talking so he could get back to his book.

4. Here's to keeping leftover guacamole green.

It's not often that we actually have leftovers, but when we do it's nice to know how to keep it for an extra day, without it turning brown. The guac in the picture is 24 hours old and still looks pretty good. I've tried more than a few ways, but this seems the best by far. Just scoop it into a baggie and press all the air out. Easy!

5. Here's to The Stocking.

Well, another week has gone by and I'm still not done. In fact, I've hardly worked on it at all. My only advancement is getting the arms done, but they still need to be tacked on. But first, tiny pearl bracelets need to be added, because what's a sugar plum fairy without jewelry? I've been putting the whole thing off because the last steps are painstakingly tedious and it's hard to watch Olivia Pope handle things and sew tiny beads at the same time. (Any other Scandal fans out there?)

That was my week, what are you celebrating tonight? Whatever it may be, Cheers!

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Sunday, October 11, 2015

Free Halloween Printable Quotes

Whether you decorate a little or a lot, I think you can find a place for one (or two!) of these Halloween quotes. To add instant an Halloween vibe, just print and stick them in a frame, or on an easel, or pinned up in your cubical...the options are endless!

This quote is from one of my all time favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus. Love those Sanderson sisters!

Click HERE for the printable.

This quote is from The Fly II, which the only good thing I can say about this movie, might be that this quote came from it. (The Fly was great. I fully believe a sequel never should've been made.)

Click HERE for the printable.

Hope these Spook your Space! Hey, by the way, what's your favorite Halloween movie???

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Love to Cook, Hate to Plan: Weekly Menu Planner (Week 15)

Week of 10/12 - 10/18

This One Pot Spaghetti recipe looked easy, so I'll give that a try on Monday. I'll use chicken and sun dried tomato sausage instead of the ground beef because both kids will eat it. Easy Caesar salad to go with.

For Tuesday, I'm excited to try this Easy Green Minestrone soup. I think the kids will have a hard time with this one, so fingers crossed. I'll bake some bread so they have something to dip.

On Wednesday, I'll make this Parmesan Chicken Bake and green beans.

Thursday we'll have salads and baked potatoes. If I have time, I'd love to make these Twice-Baked Potatoes with Kale. It's been forever since I've had a twice-baked potato and the addition of kale sounds so good!

I'm thinking easy tacos and guacamole for Friday. Maybe even use the crockpot for chicken tacos? Not sure yet!

Kitchen is closed on Saturday! Going out!

We have a busy weekend, so I thought it'd be nice to slow things down for dinner on Sunday. The boys will want to watch football and I'll make appetizers to snack on. I'm thinking chicken wings, mini pizzas, kale bites (from Trader Joe's frozen section), and whatever else sounds good at the time.

What's on your menu this week? Hope mine gives you some ideas. Have a great week!

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Friday, October 09, 2015

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 simple happenings from the week worth celebrating.

Here's to no injuries on the 5th grade golfing field trip.

Since 5th grade is the senior year of elementary school, field trips focus on fun. The teachers put an educational spin to it, but we know what's really going on. The kids golfed, bowled, and hiked and had a great time.

Here's to baby giraffes.

Justin has been in Disney World all week (for a work conference) and stayed at Animal Kingdom, where adorable animals casually saunter outside, in view from your balcony. Every time he sent me a picture of something magical, I may or may not have sent him back a colorful gesture.

Here's to Vaughn. Love her.

Although the thought of "wacking" her up sounds enticing, I knew what she meant. She loves to read, write, and make books, but she's not the best speller. I'm amazed she got doorbell right! Progress!

Here's to this stocking.

I had told myself I'd be done by today, but I didn't quite meet that deadline. I'm close though, so hopefully by the end of next week I'll have it completed.

Here's to our old couches.

They have seen a lot of life in the past 14 years that we've had them and are still in relatively good shape. I'm hoping for a Toy Story type of ending for them, where they go to a good home and are appreciated for their comfiness. They're getting picked up by Salvation Army today, in order to make room for the new ones. We're still waiting on the love seat to be delivered, so our family room just got a bit bigger. Cartwheels, anyone?

What will you be celebrating this weekend? Whatever it may be, cheers!

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Monday, October 05, 2015

Soup Truth

Might be time for a new microwave.

Sunday, October 04, 2015

Love to Cook, Hate to Plan: Weekly Menu Planner (Week 14)

Week of 10/5 - 10/11

Busy week, friends! This week's menu is super simple because of it, but goes to show that dinner can be done when the busy gets going, thanks to a little planning...and eating dinner at 4:30 before rushing out the door.

Monday will be BLAT's. Sliced fruit and carrots, then out the door to soccer!

On Tuesday I'll make bean quesadillas and guacamole.

Wednesday we'll have Caesar salads and bread. Rotisserie chicken too, if I hit the grocery store at the right time!

On Thursday we'll have grilled cheeses and soup. Vance and I go for tomato, the others usually go for chicken and noodle. Either way, it's easy!

Pizza on Friday!

Chili on Saturday, since the weather is finally cool enough for it. My family prefers chili mac, so I make a pot of macaroni noodles too.

BBQ on Sunday! Beef for them, veggie - or possibly a portobello mushroom for me. Corn casserole, and Vaughnie's favorite, edamame, or as she calls them, jumping beans.

Hope this gives you some ideas! Have a great week!

Friday, October 02, 2015

Friday 5: Celebrating Simplicity

5 simple happenings worth a little celebration from the week.

Here's to the best part of apple picking.

While many look forward to the picking, I enjoy what comes afterwards - snacking and sipping with family until we run out of things to say.

Here's to a little put-put in the mornings.

Vance has always been an early riser. And by early I mean he has time to run a mile or two on the treadmill, shoot a few hoops outside, dribble the soccer ball, assemble the hockey goals and take a few shots, throw the tennis ball against the garage and catch it, ride his bike around the cul-de-sac, see where I'm going with this? Lately, he's been challenging me to putting contests and he's gonna need more practice if he wants to beat me!

Here's to good beer and thoughtful friends that brought it across state lines for me.

A reminder of when we lived up north!

Here's to Vaughn missing the grout. And the carpet.

Vaughn's nosebleed's have been out of control lately. I've been running the humidifier in her room at night and making sure she uses saline drops, but still her nose keeps on gushing. (Know something that helps? Let me know!) She usually wakes me up, but this time she didn't and didn't even remember going into the bathroom in the middle of the night. It looked like a crime scene in there! Despite all the blood drops and smears, she didn't get one droplet on the grout or the carpet on her way in. Good girl, Vaughnie!

Ladies and Gentlemen, here's to a couch.

One couch was finally delivered on Thursday, exactly 74 days after ordering. The other couch is still on backorder, but let's just focus on the positive. It's here, comfy, and no Vaughn, you may not use markers while sitting on the couch anymore. Happy to have #couchgate one step closer to being over!