I have another student inspired tutorial for you today! We are nearing the end of school & one of my favorite projects I assign my kids this time of year is Teach Your Teacher Tuesdays…they have so much knowledge in their brains, and always have something to share. This is their big chance to have everyone’s attention, the kids love it.

This one project I really wanted to share with you because I feel like the possibilities are endless, and this is right up every DIYers alley! You only need a few supplies.

I used scrapbook paper, but you could also use regular copy paper or cut down wrapping paper. Here is a little step by step…

After you have the bottom of the bag created you only need to crease the sides to finish off the bag look. There are a couple of ideas I had for the top. For the train bag I folded over the top, punched holes, and used baker’s twine to tie a bow. You could also create handles like the striped bag. My last thought was to scallop the top like small polka dot bag, or you could add tissue paper. The possibilities are endless! What are you thinking…

Now, obviously you can’t put huge things in these handmade bags, but they are perfect for little treats, birthday & shower favors, or gift cards. Enjoy!

A few months ago I decided our bedroom was up for a new look. There were a few projects that had been on the to do list for a while and the time seemed right to knock them out. I’ll be posting about the transformation soon! I have one or two more projects to complete first! In our old bedroom we had this old window which I filled with scrapbook paper when I knocked of a Ballard design look.  I love how it looks over the dresser and I knew I wanted to incorporate it into the new room (just in a different way). 

Now stay with me for a minute as I digress….I want to be a scrapbook person. And when I was younger I was…even when III and I started dating I crafted the most fabulous 1 year anniversary scrapbook you have ever laid your eyes on. But as the years have gone by I have failed miserably. Now don’t get me wrong. I still save cards and ticket stubs, airline tickets and brochures….all with the hopes of one day gluing down our memories again. But for today they were all stashed away in a simple craft box that sits above III’s desk. 

Now, back to this scrapbook window. I have opened the box ladies and gentlemen. 

And I relived memories. We’ve been on some amazing adventures these last 7 years & I loved the trip down memory lane. I loved it so much I decided I wanted to be reminded more often. And so I got to work. 

While I loved the ticket stubs and trip memorabilia my favorite were the cards. We’ve given each other a lot over the years….even give a few of those cards twice. Each note inside brought a smile to my face….lots of lists were written (did you know the hubs and I email lists back in forth and have forever, might even be there original 18 things folks).

Each pane was the size of a piece of 8×11 cardstock, so I attached the cards in the arrangement I preferred to the cardstock. Then I taped the cardstock into the window panes.

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. Makes me smile every time I walk past it!

Man we LOVE our dog cards….so are you a scrapbook kind of person or do you store memories in other ways? Another great idea would be instagram pictures….maybe next time??

Sharing over at a couple of my favorite parties! Come and be inspired!

So are you prepared for Mother’s Day THIS Sunday? If not, you stopped by on the perfect day! I’ve teamed up with 13 of my favorite bloggers to save the day. We are giving away a $300 Visa gift card. That is right…..3 Bengamins! All week you can pin it to win it, then keep it or give it! 

What would you do with $300???

Complete the next DIY project on your list, buy that purse you’ve been eyeing, take your mom out for a spa day, or save it for a rainy day? It is TOTALLY up to you!

To enter all you have to do is complete the rafflecopter below by following us on Pinterest (these friends have some pretty AWESOME Pinterest boards, so prepared to be inspired).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner has been contacted.

Hey friends, I hope you all have been having a fabulous week. They are each going by so quickly as we count down the days to Summer vacation (only 3 more weeks of school!).

After a sweet email from a reader having trouble finding a printable of my that she found on Pinterest (created what seems like forever ago) I decided to create a post where you could find several of these creations in one place! And when I have the time to figure it out, I’ll maybe even create a page for them! One stop shopping.

 Hope you found one you enjoy! Please follow A Step in the Journey in some way before downloading.

Happy weekend! I’ll be partying with a few friends.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Kraft Foods #FreshTake #cbias #SocialFabric” 

. . . . . . . . . .

Are you ready for a FRESH take on an old dish? I am so excited to be able to share this simple Italian recipe with you today. I paired up with my friends at Kraft and incorporated their incredible Kraft Fresh Take meal kit into tonight’s meal. The Fresh Take does a great job of mixing breadcrumbs and cheese in a flavorful blend. My favorite part is they do all of the seasoning for you!

After checking out all of the incredible mix options I decided to go with Italian Parmesan as it would be the perfect compliment to the chicken Parmesan casserole I planned on whipping up.  

You can check out my Google+ Album of my shopping trip here. I also grabbed most of the other ingredients while I was a Wal-Mart. True one stop shopping!

This is where it get’s fun….here is the simple recipe I prepared.

The end result was absolutely delightful and we had so much left over! Since it was just the hubs and I eating not only was this meal dinner but lunch too. I usually don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking dinner so the Fresh Take was a perfect shortcut I needed to prepared something fabulous. III raved for days and didn’t complain at all for having to eat it for a few meals in a row. Max wished he could get in on the yummy action too! Fresh Take has so many varieties and I am looking forward to my next meal with their help!

Watch for the Kraft Fresh Possibilities Tour truck which will be making stops across the country from March through the end of July. To see if they are making a stop in your town you can check this website: Fresh Possibilities Tour: http://www.tryfreshtake.com/tour

I wanted to share a little bit of my heart with you today. As many know III and I traveled to Uganda this summer with Sozo Children to love on the many children of this country. We were blessed to be a small part in what Sozo is doing in Uganda. They truly are God’s hands and feet…living out the gospel with all that they are. They are making a better life for the children there. 

Sozo is not an orphanage. It’s a family. The house moms and dads LOVE each and every one of those ebony faces as it were their own flesh and blood. Sozo and it’s partners in Uganda are following God’s lead. And with his help they are giving hundreds of children a hope and a future. They are wanting to expand their ministry. They want to give more children the family they long for. But they need our help.

  Here is a little of their story. It all started with two 20something year old guys who knew something had to be done. 

The Village Project from Sozo Children on Vimeo.

Please share! 

 Want to know a random fact about me? I hate the “getting ready” process. The only think I like about it is the hot shower, well….and the clean feeling afterwards. But you see, I have thick, kind of long, hair & it takes FOREVER to dry. As in 15 minutes forever. Now I realize 15 minutes is not actually forever, but when you wake up at 5:15am every morning, every single minute counts. 

So it is for this reason, that I am going to admit to you, my friends, that I don’t wash my hair everyday. Anyone out there with me? 

Now, just because I don’t like getting ready, doesn’t mean that I don’t want to look presentable. I can’t go to work looking like I just walked off Survivor (any other fans out there?) and brought the greasy braided hair and unshaven armpits with me. So, I have a solution for those days where I choose to spend an extra 15 minutes sleeping instead of drying my hair.  And that my friends is my very own dry shampoo mix. I used to go the baby powder route, but when you have dark brown hair sometimes you just look like you aged 20 years and need to touch up your gray roots. So instead I use this formula perfect for dark hair!

 ”Ingredients:” 2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp cocoa, dash of cinnamon or a few drops of a complimentary essential oil

You can use liberty in your amount of cornstarch and cocoa….a little more cornstarch if you want it lighter, or more cocoa for darker. I had cinnamon on hand so I used that to spice up the smell, but I’ve also read after a little research that you can use a few drops of essential oil. 

To use apply a small about to a make-up brush, shake of the extra. Then tap right into your hair at the roots. Finally run a brush through and you’ll be looking like you spent those 15 minutes with your hair dryer instead of your pillow!

 Enjoy! Oh, and here is a recipe for my light haired friends…

Happy Monday! Starting the beginning of the week off right with a few of my favorite friends! 

Tonight’s dinner was inspired by friends at work…actually the past few nights have been. I’ve been trying to add new recipes to our dinner rotations and this slow cooker pulled pork is definitely here to stay!  This recipe is great for the summer, whip it up for your next bbq and people will be raving for years! You’ll always get the invite back (as long as you bring this pulled pork).

I’m so glad we have enough for leftovers!

Serving up at several fun parties! Hope all my friends at SNAP have a blast this weekend.

Let’s get personal. I teach 3rd grade…I think I mentioned that around these parts before. Any other teachers out there? I am on Spring Break this week & could really get used to the relaxation! Luckily summer is only 6 weeks away! 

So right before Spring Break we had an Economics Fair. We’d been teaching about producers, consumers, entrepreneurs, even talked a little Shark Tank (my new favorite show) with the student that brought it up as an example of entrepreneurship. So all of the kids were able to create their own “store” and sell 15 of one product that they created. The other classes came in and shopped with the 30 cents they had earned for good behavior. It is one of my favorite days of the year & the kids have so much fun and learn a lot about supply and demand! There were so many fun products this year including this tennis ball helper which sold out before I could stop by to make my own purchase!

However, one idea that the teachers & students alike were also all about was this simple pencil holder! Here is how it appeared when I splurged and spent 6 cents to make the purchase. 

Pretty awesome. Right? I talked with the producer of this item (one of my students) and got the rundown of how you can make your own. He assured me his dad played a big part in using the heavy machinery. 

Supplies: 2×4, drill, drill bit, saw

Instructions: Use a saw to cut the 2×4 into two inch pieces. Then using a drill and 1/4 inch drill bit drill your holds about halfway through the wood. Pretty simple, and fabulous.

After purchasing my very own pencil holder (because you know every teacher needs one) I brought it home to dress it up a little bit. Three sides god the washi tape treatment. Because in my opinion everything looks better with washi tape! Then on the fourth side I pulled out the wood burner. I had to do a little digging, but I found it in my craft drawer & it brought me much joy!

I wrote in pencil first, and then used the pointed tip to write over the words….create & inspire. This project has inspired me to use my wood burner more often…I’m searching the house as we speak to see what I can burn next!

So….don’t you think my third graders did a great job!! I have such a great class this year & I can’t wait to see what each and every one of them become!

We are headed to the beach tomorrow for the end of my Spring Break! I hope you all have a great weekend.

Linking up to share & gain inspiration with these amazing blogs! 

So as I’ve mentioned in the past few weeks, III and I are trying to do a little better watching what we eat. III grew up eating his fair share of vegetables, everything from eggplant and collard greens to carrots and corn! I’m not quite as much of an adventurous eater, but since we’ve gotten married I’ve been trying. Last night we decided in effort to eat better, we would make a “veggie” plate….Cracker Barrel style. 

On the menu: grilled asparagus, grilled corn on the cob, Simply Potatoes’ steakhouse diced potatoes, and cucumber slices.

Here is the run down of the quick and easy veggie dinner:

When brainstorming which vegetables we would both eat, III insisted corn be on the menu….I’ve heard him talk about eating ear about ear for a snack in high school, so I had to make sure my corn lived up to mom! I prefer corn to be grilled, so here is what to do:

First, shuck & rinse the corn (or you can buy it already shucked).

Then before wrapping the corn in aluminum foil add butter, salt, pepper, and about 2 spoonfuls of water (or crushed ice). 

Wrap up and grill on medium heat for about 30 minutes turning about halfway through!

While the corn is going I decided to get the potatoes going. Now I know potatoes are “technically” a starch, but for all intents and purposes, we’re going with a veggie. Now, what I loved about this package from Simply Potatoes is the potatoes are already diced & seasoned to perfection!

The asparagus takes the least amount of time to grill….I simply brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. They took about 8 minutes on the grill, also flipping half way through.

I was so proud when everything was ready at about the same time, just as III walked in the door! The corn looked absolutely beautiful.

I was a little worried we wouldn’t be full without any meat, but we were both pleasantly surprised. And I didn’t feel the least bit guilty when I had  Klondike bar for dessert )

What are your favorite veggies?

Serving up at a few awesome parties…..come hang out with us!