Happy Friday

There is nothing like a gorgeous fire while snuggled in at home on a rainy cold Friday night!

HUGE Halloween party tomorrow night with the hub!  Definitely pictures to come!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful weekend!

Cheers!

How Pinterest-ing: Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

I am back with another Pinterest inspired recipe.  I decided to give a potato recipe a try and the one I chose looked good and didn't require any ingredients I didn't already have.

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I first cut all the potatoes in half.  Then melted the butter.  I forgot to take pictures of the process up until I put the potatoes in the pan.  Bad Blogger!

 

45 minutes later I had parmesan potatoes!

 

They were really good but if I make them again (which my husband said I must do) I will add more parmesan in the pan.  Some of them were not completely covered but they all tasted great!

 

Has anyone else tried a recipe from Pinterest?

Did you love it or hate it?

Halloween Mantel

I don't know about anyone else but I LOVE to decorate the house for holidays.  With Halloween coming up I have been slowing adding more decor around the house. I actually think I like having it out more then anyone else in my house!

I put up my Halloween mantel decor recently.  I try to change it up every year with something different so it isn't the same old same old year after year.  This year I strung the spiderweb material all over the mirror above the mantel to give it height so the rest of the decor didn't feel so small against the large mirror.  I hooked in a few of the spiders that came with the webbing.  They really do look real if you aren't expecting to see them!

 

I was snooping around Tuesday Morning this summer and came across a witch's hat in the 80% off section so it came home with me that day.  I love that new addition because it has built in lights that have two settings, flashing and not flashing.  I really didn't think that would work when I bought it because of it being extremely on sale so when it worked I was pleasantly surprised!

I have 2 metal Halloween houses I put out every year so I built them up with small books so they are  little taller.  The tree I bought years ago from Hallmark still sits proudly in the middle.  I added a few spider and pumpkin candle holders to add lower level detail.

 

The cat was a gift I was "booed" with at work last year.  Frankly I didn't know where else to put him so on the mantel he went.

I draped the whole mantel with some black spiderweb fabric that was meant to be a table runner but I think the width works perfectly on the mantel.

Does anyone else do up a Halloween mantel or any other scary scene in their house? 

I would love to see pictures!

 

 

Camping Cub Scout Style

I DID IT!

I camped a whole night out in the woods and didn't die!  We had such a great time and I was way more worked up about it then I needed to be.  I have to say I slept TERRIBLY but I wasn't the only one!  My sister came along and I think she definitely left with a new found appreciation for "Roughing it!"

 

Here is a photo montage of our wonderful 24 hours in the wilderness!

 

In his brand new uniform

My little scout
 



Saluting the flag during the flag up ceremony

Geology lesson from a real geologist



Finding rocks
(we planted them, quartz is not just laying around on the ground at a scout camp)

Our nature hike

This was where we had out camp fire on Saturday night. 
It really was beautiful!
 

Preparing to shoot a BB gun for the first time. 
Glasses are a must, safety first!

Looking like a seasoned marksman! 
This was his favorite part of the whole trip!

Ready for a "good" night sleep after a long day

 

We made it through and had fun doing it.  I have to say I am not dreading the spring camp out now.  I know what to expect and I know what to bring.  Other then the raccoon scratching at our tent in the middle of the night, I was okay with being in the woods.  The food was good, I was not cold at all, and I found a flushable toilet at the mess hall.  All was well for this girl when I found that!  I did this for my son and I will definitely do it again!

 

Has anyone else done something way out of their comfort zone for their child/children?

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Leaving My Comfort Zone...................Camping!

 

Well I may be crazy but making my son happy is my top priority so I am doing the unthinkable.......I am going camping with him this weekend for the Cub Scout camp out!  I know, everyone I have told has asked me what shoes I am wearing because I never wear anything without a heel except to workout so frankly I am asking myself the same thing!

 

I am not the type of person at all who would voluntarily go on an overnight camping trip.  To me camping includes a celebrity sized RV with cable and air conditioning! 

I wouldn't mind sleeping here!

Source: ssqq.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I remember rolling up to summer camp and asking my mother where the hotel was.  Needless to say the hotel was nowhere to be found! 

Source: someecards.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So when my husband was unable to make it to the camp out I said I would do it.  My son is sooooo excited to go and I am sure it will be a fun time once I get there. 

I have been preparing for the camp out for over a week.  I am the proud owner of a 4 person tent on the suggestion of a coworker who camps regularly.  I guess the 2 person barely fits two people and I need my space!  I bought sleeping bags, head lamps, bug spray, and hiking boots for my son.  I still need to make a trip to the store to buy myself some footwear that is appropriate for the great outdoors.  In all honestly I am a habitual over packer so I will likely be way too over prepared for one night in the wilderness but better safe then sorry!

The day and night are filled with fun activities for the boys.  I am definitely bringing my camera to capture the beauty of nature this time of year. 

 

Does anyone have any tips for a first time camper?  

Anything I must take with me?

I need all the tips I can get, wish me luck!

 

 

How Pinterest-ing Candle Cleanout

Has anyone else seen the pin on Pinterest where you can clean out every ounce of wax from a candle jar to be reused for other things?  Well I saw it and decided I had to give it a try because frankly those Bath and Body Works candle jars are gorgeous and I can think of a ton of things to do with them when it is cleaned out! 

 

Source: snapguide.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

 

I started out with a candle that was burned down to the bottom.  Why do they have to burn down through the middle leaving wax all down the sides?  Question for another day I guess!  I boiled water on the stove and poured it over the candle.  I had to put it in the sink because I was afraid what might happen to the glass.  Nothing did happen and I really should have considered the fact it is like a mini fire bowl when the candle is lit but better safe then sorry!

 

 

I stirred it around a bit to loosen all of the wax from the sides.

 

 

 

Then I let it sit until water was cooled down to room temperature. 

 

Once it was cooled down there was a chunk of wax waiting to be removed from the top of the container. 

 

I removed the wax and then dumped out the water.

 

I gave the glass a little scrub with soap and water to remove and residue from the jar and also took the labels off.  Which might I add came off rather nicely!

 



 

And here I have a clean lidded jar to do whatever I want with!

 

SUCCESS!

 

This was so easy I will never throw away another candle jar again.  I think I will use this to fill with Christmas candies and give as a gift.  Picture a beautiful bow on this baby and I will be all set!  I can also see etching a saying on it with my etching liquid.  Loose change jar anyone!

 

Again Pinterest has not steered me wrong. 

 

Has anyone else tried a project from Pinterest?

How did it turn out?