Fresh Fruit Cookie Bars

I'm posting the recipe for these yummy cookie bars over at Love Stitched today.

Make sure to stop by! :)

Easy Fourth of July Dessert Ideas

Happy 4th of July!!!

I love the 4th of July and I am so excited that it's here.

I was browsing around pinterest for some patriotic dessert ideas and came across these fun ones.  If you need a last minute dessert, these ones seem pretty easy: 

Chocolate dipped strawberries

(via)

 Mini Cherry Pies:

I couldn't find a recipe for this one, but I think it could be pretty easy.

Just use premade pie dough, mini pie pans, and fill it with your favorite filling.

Pudding, mousse, etc.

The best part is the gorgeous fresh cherries on top!

(via)

Patriotic Oreo Truffles:

Just crush up 1 large package of oreos and combine with 8 oz. cream cheese.

Roll into balls and dip in melted chocolate wafers. 

(via)

 4th of July Ice Cream Sandwiches:

(via)

Flag Cake:

Ok, this one doesn't look as easy, but it was too pretty not to post :)

(via)

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!

Balloon Launch

Every year in Provo, UT. they do a hot air balloon launch as part of the FREEDOM FESTIVAL.  I've never been before because you have to be there at 6:00 a.m.

I wasn't sure if anything was worth waking my family up at 4:45 a.m. so that we could leave at 5:15, but I wanted to try. 

I was so worried about sleeping through this morning that I don't think I slept at all last night.  Now I'm exhausted.  But...if anything is worth waking up before the sun, this is.

It was amazing!

Have a beautiful day!

New Designs

Hi Friends!

How was your weekend?

I have been insanely busy.

I think it is just because there is soooo much to do over the summer.

Baseball games, water-parks, swimming, hiking, gardening, boating, working on signs, etc.

The one thing I'm not doing enough of is sleeping.

There aren't enough hours in the day with so much to do :)

Play all day, work all night.

I've started to feel really exhausted.

So have my kids.

Dalton slept til noon today!

Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it?

I think I need to simplify my life.

But there are only so many things I can do.

I could quit my shop.

I could quit my blog.

But I'm not quite ready to do either of those.

But I definitely need to do something.

In the mean time...

I wanted to show off my two newest signs in my shop:

I painted this one for my sister-in-law, Joy, for her birthday.

I told her that I would paint anything she wanted and she picked this song.

I love it!

Now my mom wants one too :)

At church, I teach the 12-13 year old girls.

They are so much fun!

One of my girls turned 13 and I painted this sign for her: 

That's what we've been up to around here :)

And next week is already filling up with all of the fun things to do around the 4th...

Cobb Salad Recipe

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for Cobb Salad that I loved!

I had to change it to suit my family, but we make it all the time in the summer and it's still one of my favorites.

Here is is...

Summertime Cobb Salad Recipe

(adapted from Saveur)

Romaine Lettuce

Hard boiled eggs

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Bacon 

Pepper Jack Cheese 

(traditionally Cobb Salad uses Blue Cheese but my family doesn't love Blue Cheese)

Olives

Avocado

Garden Tomatoes (we leave them out because we don't like tomatoes)

Dressing:

3/4 cup Smart Balance Oil Blend

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 tsp. Sugar

1 clove of garlic

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

-put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until combined

I love salads in the summer, don't you?

 

 

WIWW - Rodeo

Last Thursday we took the kids to the Strawberry Days Rodeo.
I've learned, after living in Utah for several years, that rodeos are an occasion to dress up for.  If you have anything country...you wear it.

Unfortunately, it was also 97 degrees out.
I just couldn't bring myself to put on cowboy boots.
I saw tons of girls in skirts and boots (which would have been cute) but I knew I would be getting up and down a lot with the kids and figured I better go for practical.

I ended up picking:
White shirt - Charlotte Russe
Skinny Jeans - Target
Coral Flats - Target

 My kids however...looked AWESOME!
They were fully decked out in their cowboy shirts, jeans, boots, hats, and even belt buckles!
Bridger succombed to the heat and chose a shirt and shorts.
Can't blame the boy either...it was HOT.

 Lovin' my cute baby!

 Saxon LOVED the rodeo!

 Bridger thought I took too many pictures.

 Dalton just wanted the famous strawberries and cream.

 I love having a reason to dress up...don't you?

The things they learn...

 Do you every wonder where you kids learn to say somethings and then you hear it on their favorite movie?  

Or they repeat something that you say and it makes you think twice about the things you say in front of them...

My kids learned the word "idiot" from Disney movies.  Have you ever paid attention to how often that word is used in cartoons?  I never even noticed until my kids started calling each other idiots.

Speaking of Disney movies...my kids are sooooo excited to see BRAVE!

Anyone seen it yet?

There are seriously thousands of commercials and trailers on the Disney channel advertising for BRAVE.  The boys are going to wear their kilts and we are going to go see it with my Dad (who is in town this week) because he went on a 2 year church mission to Scotland.  We can't wait to all go see the movie.

If you've seen the millions of commercials for BRAVE, you will know where this came from...

Today, Bridger put on his kilt, came running out of his room and yells:

"Feast your eyes on this!" (in a Scottish accent)

and then he lifts up his kilt, 

flashes everyone, 

and then runs back to his room giggling.

We of course (being terrible parents) busted up laughing.

My cousin who was over said

 "taking them to this movie is totally going to backfire on you."

Well, it couldn't be any worse than the commercials, could it?

But really, how do you let your kids be kids (and not turn into one of "those" parents) but still teach them that they can't copy everything they see in movies.

I had a professor at BYU suggest that you talk to them so much beforehand about not being negatively influenced by media that they will be aware of it and then not as susceptible.

We'll see :)

Sweet Baby Brother

  (Brothers - Inspirational Sign by Cait. Create.)

An etsy customer just sent me this GORGEOUS baby brother photo from 
AJ Nick Photography.

Isn't it precious?
She had it taken just after baby boy #2 was born.
I LOVE seeing how customers use their signs.

Have a happy Thursday :)