Signs of Spring from the #SCBH2015, Favorites from week 2

I have the pleasure of co-hosting the 2015 Spring Craft Blog Hop with an awesome group of bloggers. This round-up features entries that caught my eye that are linked up to the current hop (St. Patrick's Day and Spring), running through March 17th. Be sure to link up your relevant projects anytime for a chance to be featured in future round-ups!

We are another week closer to spring, and the projects keep rolling in! I hope this week felt a little more spring-like for the rest of you that don't live in California or Florida. We've had nothing but sunshine, and my sweaters are getting jealous of my t-shirts. I haven't hardly been outside to enjoy it this week though (the toddler and I have been feeling under the weather), but you can bet this weekend I plan to get out there!

Pumpkin Banana Breakfast Cookies

Breakfast in the Messy House often consists of my teenager grabbing something to eat on the run before heading off to school. I'm a chronic breakfast skipper myself, I settle down in front of the computer with a cup of coffee when I get back from school drop-off and work straight on through to lunch. I needed something that I could bake that would satisfy our needs, so we could all have healthier breakfast habits.

These Pumpkin Banana Breakfast cookies fit the bill! They are tasty, portable, and filled with whole grains and nutritious ingredients. These breakfast cookies are an excellent choice for a homemade treat anytime of the day.  These cookies are not too sweet, and their texture is chewy and almost muffin-like, gives them enough substance to feel filled up after one or two.

Fun Gift-wrapping Idea for a Preschooler's Birthday Party

March is birthday month in the Messy House! All 3 kids have birthdays this month, so there will be a lot of celebrating going on. March 2nd also happens to be National Read Across America Day, and Dr. Seuss's birthday, so why not start the celebration with the gift of some books? Right now, I am loving the idea of wrapping small gifts in a plan paper and decorating with ribbon and accents to make them special.

 

If you're like me and adore wrapping and decorating gifts before they are given, then I bet you'll love this project. This project is easy enough that even if you don't enjoy wrapping gifts, you will love the simplicity of this project. A bit of brown paper, some colorful ribbon, and a few pieces of scrapbook paper is all you need for this.

Oh, and books. Pick a couple of books your kids enjoy and would love to add to your collection. Stumped on what books your kids would like? Take a trip to your local library and take a look around! We've found many new authors and series through first borrowing a few of their books from the library to take them on a "test-run".

Meal Plan Monday - February #4

Some weeks are better than others when it comes to meal planning. We had a sick toddler all week, so going out was limited. A kid with a cold usually means a mom with a cold by the end of the week, and sure enough, by Thursday I was down for the count. That meant that by the time we were out of groceries (I shop Fridays) I was done cooking for the week. Thankfully, between leftovers and pizza on Saturday, we had enough for dinners to get us through the weekend. I'm totally bummed that I didn't get to try the lamb chops or the pork stew from last week's plan, but I have plans to try them in the future.

This week, the keywords for our meal plan is simple and kid-friendly, while still being somewhat healthy. The toddler and I haven't been eating much because nothing tastes good with a stuffy nose. Eating less isn't a problem for me, but for an active kid like mine, who has always been slim and on the underweight side (according to all the pediatric charts), it is frustrating. I'm hoping these dinners will tempt his taste buds, since I know that these are dishes that have been successful in the past.

Fabulous Friends and Finds Friday: Signs of Spring from the #SCBH2015, week 1

I'm back with another Fabulous Friends and Finds Friday! I have the pleasure of co-hosting the 2015 Spring Craft Blog Hop with an awesome group of bloggers. This round-up features entries that caught my eye that are linked up to the current hop (St. Patrick's Day and Spring), running through March 17th. Be sure to link up your relevant projects anytime for a chance to be featured in future round-ups!



Stitch Fix: February Fix Review and Reveal

It's that time again! My monthly Stitch Fix box arrived on Saturday morning. I tried waiting to open it until the day after Valentine's day, to no avail. That little brown box just tempted me too much! I have a little routine when opening up my Fixes. The interior of the box isn't brown at all, its this white and teal geometric print that's makes you feel like you are getting this exclusive gift. Your 5 items are wrapped in tissue paper, adding to the suspense.

 

 

Never heard of Stitch Fix?

Let me break it down for you: After you sign up for Stitch Fix, you choose how frequently you want your shipments (I'm on their monthly plan right now). Then, your stylist picks 5 fashions especially for you, and they get mailed directly to you, to try on in the comfort of your own home with your own wardrobe and accessories. Each piece gets sent with a style card with it, to give you ideas on how to wear it.

 

How much does it cost?

Stitch Fix tries to send you items in your price range, but the average price per item is $55, according to Stitch Fix. There is a $20 styling fee per delivery, which goes towards the purchase of any of the 5 items in your fix. Also, if you choose to purchase all 5 items, you get a 25% discount on your entire purchase.

This is not a sponsored post. I am not receiving any compensation through Stitch Fix or any other affiliates. All opinions are 100% my own. If you chose to sign up for Stitch Fix using the links in the post, you will be using my referral code, I will get a $25 credit when they send you your first box.

My February Fix

"Hi Renee! Welcome back! I hope you love opening your Fix as much as I loved styling it! Two birthdays are always the perfect excuse to get festive! Unfortunately, we are out of maxi at the moment, but I included this Gilli maxi dress in replace. This dress can be worn casually with some strappy sandals, or dressed up with an eye-catching necklace. Pair the Papermoon blouse with the DL1961 skinny jean for a festive birthday party outfit. Throw on a navy cardigan if you get chilly. The Loveappella top reminds me of the striped shirts I saw while browsing your Pinterest. The last striped piece had thicker stripes, so I thought thinner stripes might be more flattering on you! The Zad necklace is a nice everyday piece that will compliment any outfit! Have fun trying everything on! I look forward to your feedback! XO, Danise"

I love reading the notes that my stylist sends every fix. It really shows that they are putting in the efforts to try to personalize their selections to you. After my January Fix, I had asked for 1) clothes that were kids-party appropriate, 2) a pair of dark jeans, 3) a piece of jewelry and 4) a long skirt. To accommodate three out of 4 requests with only 5 items is pretty great! Danise hit the nail on the head with the first 2 pieces:

Rainbow Rolled-Brim Knit Hat

This post is part of the Spring Craft Blog Hop 2015, the second in a four-part spring craft blog hop challenge for the spring season! This hop will run from February 18 - March 17. We challenge you to create a craft project that reflects St. Patrick's Day, Palm Sunday, or a general Spring theme. Please join us in this challenge and link up your crafty creation to be seen on 20 blogs!

I love to create projects that can be gifted. In November, I re-taught myself to knit to keep my hands
busy, and to be able to create wearable gifts. I could spend hours at the knitting store or browsing online for yarns, thinking of the beautiful creations I could make. For a hat with a fun St. Patrick's Day twist, I created a rolled-brim rainbow hat that is made using 2 worsted weight yarns knitted together.

 

Using white and rainbow-colored ombre yarn knitted together creates this unique design in the knitting and makes a thicker, warmer hat that is perfect for cold weather. This pattern is simple enough for beginning knitters that know the basics. The whole hat is knit using the knit stitch (which creates stockinette when knitting in the round).