Sweet Easy Treat

If you have preschool or early elementary age kids at your house or in your life and you're looking for a yummy treat that they can help you with, then check this out:

Cinnamon Sugar Bread Twists

Frozen white/wheat bread dough, thawed and risen
Melted butter

Cinnamon and Sugar mixed to your liking

Frosting: 1/4 c. butter, 1 c. powdered sugar, about 1-2 Tablespoons milk

I gave each kiddo 2 balls of the risen dough, each about an inch and a half in diameter. They rolled the dough balls into 2 ropes with their hands or on the table. Next, we brushed them with melted butter and tossed them in a bowl of the cinnamon sugar mixture. To make the twist we simply pinched the ends of the ropes together and twisted the dough by folding the dough on the left side over to the right side and repeating until we got the end and pinched those parts together. The twists went onto a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and we let them rise (in our SUPER HOT classroom) for about 45 minutes. They baked at 350F for about 10-15 minutes, until the bread sprung back when poked. While they were still a little warm I mixed up the butter and powdered sugar, then added the milk until the frosting was thin enough to brush on with a pastry brush. We shared these treats with the kids' families on their attendance day celebration, and they were a hit!

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Get outta my belly!

Actually, I need my little booger ball to stay in there for another week or so to make sure he/she is done cookin', but that doesn't mean I can't be looking forward to that day right? We are at 36 weeks this Thursday and I have my next appointment Wednesday afternoon and then weekly after that (I feel like I've said this all before- forgive me if I'm repeating myself, I forget a lot of things lately). Anyway, thought I had better update with a belly pic since I haven't posted one since about 28 weeks or so I think. I'm just now beginning to swell a bit (not in my face- that's just the weight I've gained over these past few months), in my ankles and toes if I'm up on my feet for too long. Good thing today is the last day with kidlets- I'll get some much needed and appreciated resting time in my classroom as we clean and organize for next year :)

This was from my parents' home, we made our last road trip before baby for a shower my mom and sisters threw for me. I loved seeing everyone, and forgot how nice it is to see family and spend time with them. Thanks to all my fam who made it!

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Al....most....there.....

In a couple of different ways actually! We have 5 weeks to go until this pregnancy is "supposed" to be over and we can meet the little stinker butt who's trying to do full body stretches in this belly of mine. I noticed some stretch marks on the underside of my tummy just this past week and was DEVASTATED! I thought I had been doing so well and that my Palmer's belly lotion was actually a magic potion......but I am apparently not destined to ever wear a bikini again, I guess I'll take the trade off though, for a sweet little addition to the family :)

The end is also in sight for the school year-- and it seriously couldn't come soon enough! I have ze-ro energy to keep up with these kidlets anymore. My feet are sore, I walk like a penguin, and the sheer exhaustion of hauling around an extra 30-some odd pounds has definitely become more than noticeable. Plus, the kids are just DONE. Their little noggins checked out of school about 3 or 4 weeks ago and, with all the extra baloney the administration wants them doing besides exploring their world and learning to get along with other kids, I can't say that I blame them. They have them coming back for 1 stinking day after Memorial Day! I'm not saying I want them the whole week, I'm saying, "What's the point of coming back for 1 DAY?!" So, that's where we're at- 1 more student day for preschool and then a bunch of family visits and teacher work days until I can finally officially begin my summer vacation on Tuesday June 7. Ahhhhh.....I can't wait, I'm thinking a virgin margarita is in the works for that day :)

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DIY Nightstands

So I went to the library a while ago and picked up some Do It Yourself books and also started scouring the internet for different DIY ideas. I found some great stuff in the books I checked out and a new blog to follow, the writer goes by the title "Thrifty Decor Chick". Anyway, I was inspired to build nightstands for our bedroom. I was so tired of knocking over glasses of water that sat on the floor next to the bed and this in turn soaking my box of kleenexes or dousing my cell phone. I just wanted something simple, but I could not find what I wanted anywhere for less than $50 each nightstand. So after some thinking, planning, and drawing up a sketch with measurements I headed to the hardware store (a secret favorite place of mine) to pick up some MDF (medium density fiberboard), wood screws, primer, and spray paint.....

I forgot to take pictures of the process of cutting pieces. I used the table saw my dad bought for us to cut rectangular shapes from the MDF. To make the legs of the nightstands I used 2x4's that we had at the house, ripped them in half with the table saw and cut them down to the height I needed. This is, obviously, the priming process. Before I primed I had to fill in holes with wood putty and sand everything smooth. After everything was primed I began the spray painting process which WAS a prooooooceeeeessssss. It took forever, and once I got the tables in the bedroom I realized I actually missed a couple spots, but I haven't cared enough to fix them up yet.


This is one of the finished products and it performs its duties well. I just need to find some baskets to put on the bottom shelf so you can't see things like my Tums (for that middle of the night pregnancy heartburn).

This is one of 2 lamps that I found at the Goodwill in Urbandale. They were both brass lamps that had to be taken apart, primed, and spray painted metallic silver. I bought lamp shades from Target to complete the ensembles.

The 2 nightstands from afar (with the bed made!!). As you can see the lamps are not exactly the same style but I've been interested in the "same but different" style of decorating. You know, finding things that are the same color but different styles, or the same type of item (picture frames) and painting them different colors to incorporate all the accent colors in a room.

2 - 2'x4' 1/2" MDF - $20

5 cans black spray paint - $5

Wood screws - $2

Primer - $5

2x4 lumber - free at home

= about $16 per nightstand!!

I believe my hard work and stinginess paid off in this case :)

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Bi-weekly appointments

Can it even be possible that we are at the bi-weekly appointment mark in this pregnancy?!

I had my 32 week check up on Monday sans JB. One thing I find that I've been great at this whole pregnancy? Gaining weight :) Baby is doing well, heart rate was a little lower than the last appointments, but I hadn't felt any movement for a little while so I think the baby was sleeping and plus this little stinker is getting bigger and bigger, the doctor didn't seem concerned. She said that she couldn't tell exactly what position Little Brown was in, but that we're measuring about one and half weeks ahead. I'm interested to see if this growth rate keeps up and if it means a big baby or an early baby, or perhaps both??

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