September, I'm Loving It

It has been a while. Definitely time for another list of my current loves.

1) All things pumpkin: No surprise here. I love that the people in marketing know America. And know that we have a big hankering for pumpkin. You can get pumpkin in everything from coffee to chips! But my love doesn't stop with eating pumpkin, I love to decorate with pumpkins too. Yay for fall!
2) My new DSLR!! (A used Nikon D3000) I am entering the world of manual cameras. Hopefully as my skills improve so do the pictures on this blog!! There is a learning curve for sure, but I really want to take better pictures especially for the blog and for my Etsy store.
3) Chromecast: We are Google fans in this house. So when Google announced that it would be releasing its own casting device we were excited. And while right now it only works with a limited number of apps, it as been fun playing around with it. Peachy calls it our new toy.
4) Leachco Snoogle Mini Compact Side Sleeper: When I was pregnant with Peachy I tried the full-sized Snoogle and it was just too big for me. This time around I have been using this mini version and really liking it. So far I haven't been having the hip pain I had in both of my previous pregnancies. I like that it is small enough that changing positions doesn't feel like wrestling a hippo during the night.
5) Way Better Snacks Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips: Seriously! I just picked up a giant bag of these at Costco and we had them polished off in a matter of days. They are so good. I don't know about being all that good for you. But hey, they have to be better than just plain old tortilla chips, right? And then on their website I saw that they have a seasonal flavor of Pumpkin and Cranberry? Seriously!!! I think I love this company!
Those are my September loves. What are some of yours?

Foodie Friday: Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

And the pumpkin hits just keep on coming! I can't get enough, I tell you! I recently made a different batch of pumpkin baked oatmeal and it was okay. (It may have had something to do with the fact that it was a clean eating recipe. I just don't think that clean eating and I get along. :o) This recipe, however, is really good. Like cake for breakfast good. And I am all for legalizing sweets for breakfast.
If you have never had baked oatmeal before, here is the beauty in it. You can make it up ahead and time and just toss it in the oven when you are ready to bake the next morning. It is kind of like a coffee cake, but with much less hassle and work. Since I had leftovers, I just have been heating up portions every morning in the microwave.

Head on over to Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom and get the Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal recipe. (That is if you like pumpkin and sweets for breakfast.) Oh, and I just served mine with milk instead of the whipped cream. I may like sweets for breakfast, but I do have to draw the line somewhere. If nothing else than for my figure. You know, my 20 weeks pregnant figure.

The Binder System

In an effort to stay more organized and on top of things here at home, I recently started up a binder system. There are plenty of examples all over the internet of binder systems. I didn't want anything too elaborate. I know I could have created my own calendar sheets, but I purchased this download from Etsy. I use one set of calendar pages as my own personal pages. I keep track of what I am going to blog about, what I am doing for my business, kiki b omi designs, what I need to do cleaning wise at home, and my exercise and water intake for each day.

Please visit SimplandStunning2 at Etsy to purchase.

On another set of printable sheets, I jot down notes on what I am going to do with the girls each day. I am trying to be more intentional on Peachy's preschool and other activities we do together.
I also keep a menu on the menu sheet and a to do list on another sheet that catches any extras there maybe on a certain day.

Please go to Bakerette.com for the full version.

As for housekeeping, I used this daily cleaning schedule as a guide form Bakerette. I have made a few adjustments, but it got me started in the right direction.
I have been following this system for the month now, and I proud to say that I have been pretty good on following it. I try to get things filled in on Sunday afternoon, but that doesn't always happen. Then I just sit down and fill it in as the week goes along when I get the chance. In the past I have not liked "being told what to do" on a certain day, even if I am the one telling. (Can you say authority and control issues???) However, I feel so much more accomplished at the end of the day when I have done all of the items in my binder. I stayed on top of the housework and girls schedules even with the craft sale and garage sale. Pretty good accomplishments for me.

When we had guests two weekends in a row, it was so nice to know that the house was essentially ready for company without having to cram a whole day of cleaning in before their arrival.
I am hoping to continue using this system. I am sure that there will be tweaks here and there along the way, but for now it is working. Why mess with success??

Number Shirts

A friend of mine who is expecting her fourth child asked if I would be willing to make number shirts for all of them when the baby is born. I loved the idea! And love how the shirts turned out! I decided to make the numbers inside of circles for something a little different.

I used my Silhouette to cut out the fabric with Heat N Bond Lite on the back.

After the numbers were cut, I ironed them onto the shirts.

Then I stitched around the circle and each of the numbers.

I think I may have to do this same project for when our little one comes!

How to Host a Garage Sale

This weekend I hosted my first solo garage sale. I have done them before as a part of a group, but this one was just us, just our stuff, and in our garage. There are advantages and disadvantages to both an individual sale and a group sale. With a group sale, you obviously don't do all of the work, you share any costs, and a group sale holds more of a draw for the customers. An individual sale is easier since you don't have to keep track of whose stuff is whose, you also only have your items there, so you have a better chance of selling your them, and you control the times and dates.

Before the sale, I gathered up the items I wanted to sell and put them all out in the garage. We borrowed tables from our church. It is huge to have plenty of display space. The more of your items that are out and able to be seen, the more people will buy them. I like to sort out clothing by sizes and have them labeled so shoppers can easily find what they are looking for. (You would also want to do this by gender if you have boy and girl clothing.) In addition to tables, you can also try to track down some clothing rounders. They obviously work well for clothing, but anything else you can hang on hangers. I think customers are much more likely to buy something that is clearly displayed that they don't have to dig through. Also make sure your personal items that you are not selling are tucked away. We put our tables a bit away from the back of our garage and had our items we weren't selling back behind them. It clearly showed shoppers that they were not part of the sale.

I then priced all of our items. I decided to price all clothing items in a lump category. I had children's tops for one price, children's bottoms for another, and so on. A blanket price allows you to avoid pricing each item. This probably wouldn't work at a group sale or if you have a wide variety in clothing with some being worth more than others. I buy mailing labels and print them with prices that I might be using. I also keep a page or two with blank prices so that I can fill it in. I happen to have my template saved with my initials which works out well with group sales.
I made sure I had plenty of change for the sale. I got one roll of quarters, $50 in ones, $20 in fives, and $20 in tens. This was plenty, but I always like to be prepared! Also make sure to have plenty of bags to put people's purchases into. This is never a problem around here as plastic shopping bags seem to breed in our house.

I placed ads in the newspaper, on Craigslist, and on some Facebook local sell sites. (Make sure when listing on Craigslist to use the different categories, not just the garage sale section. If you are going to have a lot of children's items, list it in the children's section as well. If you have antiques, list it in the antique section.) I also updated the Facebook sites during the day with different items that I had for sale. It was amazing the instant feedback I was receiving on there. All for free.
The day of the sale, we put signs out on the major intersections around our home. I just picked up generic signs at Menards that you fill in with markers. I have seen every variation of signs around here. In the end, you have to decide how much time, money, and energy you want to expend on signs.
We had things pretty much ready in the garage and opened our doors a bit early to start putting stuff in the driveway. People were already there waiting to shop. I let them start while we finished setting up. You could also make people wait until the start time or just not open your garage doors until the time.
Then it is time to sell, sell, sell. Be ready for people to try and make deals with you. I am usually open to reasonable offers, especially if they are buying multiple items. I have garage sales to get rid of items we no longer need, so in the end my goal is to clear out the items. The more people buy, the less I have to deal with at the end of the day.

While Mr. Cherry was home to watch the girls, they each took turns hanging out with me.

As I mentioned before, I had my tablet out with me and updated some sites throughout the sale. I made sure to check it when I had time to answer any questions anyone was posting on there. I know I had at least 2 sales of bigger items as a result of this continual posting.
During the sale make sure that you are friendly and easily approachable. Greet customers as they arrive and make some small talk. I would much rather buy something from a friendly, happy face than someone who is hiding out at the cash table.

We did pretty well at our sale, but we still had plenty left over. You need to make sure that you have a plan for the leftovers when the sale it over. I ended up taking some of the children's items to some different children's retail stores in town. While they won't be able to pay you as much as you were asking at the sale, they will give you cash for the items they can sell. Some of the larger or nicer items I set aside to try to sell online. I also took a load to a second hand store in town as a donation.
So, there you have it. My garage sale experience. If you made it this far, congratulations! And if you have garage sale experience, do you have anything to add?

Distressed Picture Frames and Silhouette Art

My friend Lori is moving away from me. (Insert very sad face here.) Lori is a very special person. She is thoughtful, always giving, and never expecting anything in return. I needed to do something special for her as a going away present. I settled on a little state project. After perusing Pinterest and Etsy, I came up with a plan. Using frames I already had on hand,

I did some sanding, painting, sanding, and paint wiping and came up with a great finished product. (I may have started a new hobby, just what I need. :o)

I hit the local scrapbook store, it may not be an Archivers, but it is pretty darn close. I picked out the perfect paper prints for the project and then sat down at my Silhouette. I cut out the state shapes and then used this file for the other picture.

After some cutting, double stick taping, and word writing, I was really happy with the results!

I just may be making a few more!

Foodie Friday: Baked Pumpkin Donuts

Do you remember when I made the purchase of a donut pan when I was pregnant with Cream? Well, the urge to bake has set in again! And it is even stronger with fall-like weather setting in. And when you are baking in the fall you must bake with pumpkin! (At least if you are like me and who wouldn't want to be??) When I was rearranging my Pinterest boards recently (what don't you do that?) and came across this recipe for baked Pumpkin Donuts, I just knew what I had to do. Go and bake some yummy fall goodness! Head on over to the King Arthur Flour site for the recipe. You will not be disappointed. At least we weren't!

What Peachy Wore Wednesday (X)

Wow! I haven't posted one of these since May. Either Peachy's sense of style is becoming more conventional or I have just gotten used to it!
Here are Peachy and Cream one day last week. I think I should title this picture, "Which daughter still lets me dress them?"

Here you will note that Peachy is not afraid to mix colors and patterns. Truly a bold statement. What you are not able to see in the picture is the hairstyle Peachy asked for me to give her. Three separate ponytails. Not connected! So that each side of her head could have one!
We went to playgroup this day and she was so proud to show her own outfit off to all of her friends and their moms!

Strider Balance Bike

After seeing one of our friends' 2 year olds in action on his balance bike, Mr. Cherry and I were really impressed. If you haven't heard of a balance bike, they are just like a regular two wheeler, but without pedals.

The theory behind them is that the child gets accustomed to balancing on a two wheeler and can easily transition to a regular two wheeler skipping over the training wheel phase. When friends and family started to ask what Cream wanted for her birthday, we gave them the option of contributing toward the purchase of a balance bike.

We did a little research and decided to go with the Strider brand of balance bikes. And even better, we were able to purchase it at a local store. Cream still has a way to go, but she enjoys trying her bike out. And really it is so cute seeing her out on her miniature bike! (Isn't that what a bike is all about?!!!)

kiki b omi Sale!

This great picture is courtesy of the event host Eco Chic.

I had another craft sale that I participated in this weekend. This is the same sale I had a booth at in June where it was freezing cold. This time it ended up raining! The poor people who plan this event!! And even though the weather wasn't real favorable for an outdoor event, the customers were there.

 This show brought a record setting attendance. You just have to love the hearty folks who live in these parts. I convinced my mom to come and help out again even after it was so cold last time. (That is what love is, isn't it!) I promised her it would be warmer. It was, it just was much, much wetter!

 I did pretty much the same set up as last time. Why mess with success? It must have been a good set up since I sold one of the baskets I use for display! I was bummed that the wet weather meant that we ended early and that I didn't get a chance to do much shopping.

I had my eye on a few pieces at booths around me, but I always try not to buy to much when I do a sale. I like to bring home some profit! I still have lots of great items that didn't sell. I have a few up in my Etsy shop already, but hope to get more up in the next week or two. I will make sure to keep you posted.

Foodie Friday: Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza

Peachy loves artichokes! Like, watch out if you have them on your plate, she may just feel the need to snatch one from you! You know we have a love for pizza around this house. We usually either make our own or get a take and bake from somewhere. Her favorite pizza to order from Papa Murphy's is the Chicken Bacon Artichoke. The other night when I was making pizzas at home, we had everything we needed for our own Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza. Here are the results:

I decided to try out the Pioneer Woman's pizza crust recipe this time, rather than my old faithful. I really enjoyed the results. It was a more fluffy crust. It does take an hour or two to rise, which worked out this time. I think I will keep and use both. I will use PW's crust for days I can start the pizza early, and my old faithful for days I need to expedite the process.

As you can see, the pizza did end up quite tall. I think if I were to make it again, I would roll the dough a little thinner and try to chop the ingredients a bit more.
The white sauce recipe I used was pretty good. I wouldn't have minded a bit more garlic, but Mr. Cherry liked it as he isn't a huge strong flavor person. You can find the recipe I used here or feel free to use store bought.

Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza

Ingredients:

• pizza dough
• white sauce
• diced, cooked chicken
• diced artichoke hearts
• bacon, cooked and crumbled
• diced green onions
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare crust according to recipe or directions and place on pizza stone or pan. (Make sure to use corn meal on stones and cooking spray on metal pans.)
2. Spread crust with white sauce.
3. Add toppings.
4. Top with cheese.
5. Bake pizza at 500 for 10 to 12 minutes until crust appears golden and cheese is fully melted and delicious!

Origami Owl Giveaway Winners

Thank you to all who entered the Origami Owl giveaway! The winners of the two $25 Origami Owl gift certificates are Laura and Natalie S.

Laura and Natalie, I have sent you an email. Please follow the directions to claim your prize. And everyone else, don't forget that you can still submit an online order through my party until Friday and Jenna will throw in a free charm with every $50 order! Just go to Jenna's Origami Owl page and select the Bowl of Cherrys Online Party from the Jewelry Bar pull-down menu when you place your order.
Thank you to Jenna for the great giveaway!

Dinosaur Dig!

Recently the girls were invited to a dinosaur birthday party. Unfortunately we couldn't make it. This is a real bummer because the pictures of the party look awesome! My friend Janet did some really cute things. The girls were however able to do a dinosaur dig from the party at our house.

Just look at the cute packaging!

Inside, she had the name of the dinosaur skeleton along with some facts about it.

The girls had a blast excavating the dinosaur. We even did it several times before placing the "fossil" and skeleton into the sandbox. You can get all of the details to the project at the Mallard Cove Mommy blog.

Pajamas and Pillowcase Birthday Present

Remember that darling girl that Cream got to share her birthday with? Miss W is is as cute as can be and a sweetheart to boot. We wanted to give her a super great birthday present. And you know me, I can't just get a gift at the store. I have to add a little something homemade. Its just my style. So, I nabbed some pajamas off of her wishlist and then made a little travel sized pillowcase to go along with them. (Cream loves her little travel sized pillow, so I know it is just the right sized for little heads.) I did my typical french seam pillowcase and got the measurements from the blog As Reasonable as Can Be. I bought my travel pillow from Target. (They happened to be on sale the day I bought it!) I have also purchased them at Walgreens in the past.

There you have it! A duper fun birthday gift for anyone, really!

September Garden Update

It appears that I missed updating you all on our garden last month. So sorry! :) While our lettuce and green beans are all done producing, this is an exciting time. Between the three tomato plants that we have, two are really producing right now. The larger variety has lots of green fruit on it, so it just needs time to ripen. (The joys of living in the north country.)

 The carrots are also doing really well. It is so nice to be able to go out to the garden and pull a few when we need them. Mr. Cherry has been pulling the onions as they begin to dry, so we are all set in that regard as well.

The geraniums in the front have made a come back and are back to blossoming. And the greenery just keeps on growing.

Unfortunately the wildflower bed is really past its prime. It really looked awesome last month. Peachy and Mr. Cherry harvested some seeds, so we will definitely be doing it again next summer.

How are your gardens growing?