tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62121827704825071002012-01-27T00:12:20.150-05:00One Mom's look at parenting, family, faith, homemaking, recipes, hacks, school, humor, love, life and anything else she can think of.amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.comBlogger7461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-36427692879912407452012-01-22T08:43:00.000-05:002012-01-22T08:43:09.686-05:00

I could eat dip all day. I could eat an entire meal of just dips. Wait, I HAVE eaten an entire meal of just dips! And I loved it. Here are some dips on my radar. (Click on the link or picture for the complete recipe.) Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip  as seen on Closet Cooking Creamy Stovetop Crab Dip as seen on Annie's Eats Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Dip as seen on Our Best Bites

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-33776487305750583022012-01-18T11:08:00.002-05:002012-01-18T11:08:37.749-05:00

It's time for another reminder that you, my dear friend, are not alone. Parenting is hard. Kids are difficult. Who am I kidding, sometimes kids are downright insane. My kids haven't been sleeping well lately. We snicker behind our hands when we take the scissors, tape, paper and crayons away from Hannah at 9:30 PM (because she sneaked them into her room after we tucked her in) and when

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-53035966078910521602012-01-10T16:34:00.001-05:002012-01-10T16:36:33.786-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted about StrengthsFinder but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about it and pursuing my certification. I've been enjoying my one-on-one and team sessions a lot! The more I coach, the more I learn. I found this list on the Clifton Strengths Finder Blog. It is taken from an article* written by Dr. Laurie Schreiner and Dr. Chip Anderson, Azusa Pacific

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-89244593731395316742012-01-09T13:13:00.003-05:002012-01-09T13:13:57.672-05:00

We really enjoyed the recipes from last week. The kids especially liked the chicken and dumplings, I liked the curried chick peas. We didn't get around to the fish, so I'm making that tonight. Also on the menu this week is... ABC Meatball Soup Portobello "Philly Cheesesteak" Sandwich Cauliflower Crust Pizza

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-52548416948368693542012-01-07T10:11:00.000-05:002012-01-07T10:11:55.101-05:00

Most of the time I'm a pretty confident person. I don't care much what people think of me. I'm not super insecure. Most of the time. One of my indulgences, in the I-will-stay-young-forever category, was getting my nose pierced after Hannah was born. I didn't care if people thought I was too old. I didn't care if no one liked it. I was even offered a job after I got it done and I told them I'd

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-61473945126388935262012-01-06T16:59:00.000-05:002012-01-06T16:59:16.888-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my awesomesauce friend Michelle and her battle with ovarian cancer. Since writing that post Michelle has started chemo and is fighting hard. She is staying positive and living out her faith in this difficult time. True to form, when her hair started falling out earlier this week, Michelle put on her big girl panties and sent out a text. "Hair is falling out in

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-69137761003588481102012-01-03T21:08:00.000-05:002012-01-04T08:02:23.488-05:00

Last year I started a series of posts called Out Of My Comfort Zone where I attempted to bake and cook with my kids. First we made Sugar Cookies and I confessed my extreme discomfort in cooking with children. In that post I also shared some tips for making kitchen memories a little less stressful. Then we tried Pop Tarts and Pizza, both fairly successful adventures. While I did invite the kids

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-37844558837547238872012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:002012-01-02T09:57:46.208-05:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to help my family eat healthy and fresh meals on a regular basis. I'd also like to get back into weekly menu planning. So, here's what we're eating this week... Chicken Rollatini with Spinach Apple Curry Chicken Salad Chicken and Dumplings Parchment Wrapped Fish Curried Chick Peas

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-40043329492807359612012-01-01T15:00:00.002-05:002012-01-01T15:17:06.247-05:00

Let's start this new year off right - with a delicious recipe I got years ago from my cousin Kate. When I first bit into this sandwich the tangy apples combined with the sweet and savory curry mayo begged me to take another bite! Fortunately this is a healthy lunch or dinner option; I make mine with olive oil mayo and plenty of apples. I usually serve this salad on a potato role but this time

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-48547742526490734282011-12-31T16:43:00.000-05:002012-01-11T09:41:51.971-05:00

Another year flew past the Flexible House. We started the year with an emphasis on serving others and ended the year serving our family and friends. It was a year of learning and loss with lots of fun and even more growth. As usual, nothing went as expected but looking back, I can see God's fingerprints all over the past 12 months. Here's how things went down... January With winter comes lots

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-57412494261213161222011-12-30T09:40:00.000-05:002012-01-14T13:36:22.832-05:00

I'm pretty sure this list is complete. It's embarrassingly short and lacking in quality. Goal for 2012 is more books with stronger themes! Favorites were definitely the Hunger Games trilogy, Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow and StrengthsFinder 2.0. Plus the re-reads are always fun! Strengths Finder 2.0 - Tom Rath The Sentry - Robert Crais Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins Catching Fire - Suzanne

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-65019649462464261442011-12-29T16:48:00.000-05:002011-12-31T16:48:33.748-05:00

On the day after Christmas we took an overnight trip to Williamsburg with Grandma Holly. The drive was long but DVDs in the car kept the kids occupied for more than six straight hours  (what a treat!). First stop: Busch Garden's Christmas Town! The whole park was covered in lights and decorated for Christmas! The kids enjoyed warming their hands by a huge fire. Singing Christmas carols

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-87863599730679108612011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T15:24:55.014-05:00

One of my more recent holiday traditions has been to undertake some harebrained scheme for a crafty gift that MUST be finished by Christmas morning (like Eva's quilt from last Christmas or pictures for my dad two years ago). This year it was pajama pants for all 11 cousins. However, since I couldn't decide on fabric for all of them it turned into 16 pairs of pajama pants. See, way back on

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-24211203232674567092011-12-27T21:06:00.000-05:002011-12-29T15:25:34.547-05:00

Our Christmas ornament exchange is one of my favorite family traditions. Here's what we added to our collection this year. Dave and Julie made Cat In The Hats out of pipe cleaners. Chris and Corinne made elves with pine cone bodies. Drew and Ping made fun foam ornaments. Our friend Theresa made glittery clay candy canes. And I used this tutorial to make pretty glass things. Here

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-39964776165955025232011-12-19T14:08:00.000-05:002011-12-19T14:39:43.713-05:00

My dear friend Michelle has been walking a hard road these last few months. An ovarian cyst turned led to a hysterectomy which lead to a stage 3 invasive ovarian cancer diagnosis. It has been a difficult time for us all; most of all for Michelle, her husband Josh and their five kids; but also for Michelle's extended family and friends as we do our best to support her in this season. Michelle and

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-67395333362358194552011-12-17T08:58:00.000-05:002011-12-17T08:58:37.487-05:00

Today I am excited to have a guest post from my friend Theresa. I love her and her kids a LOT! They live next door to my parents and often join us for weekly family dinner, holidays, parties and vacations. Her daughter Rebecca is one of our favorite babysitters! This is an essay she wrote a couple of years ago after participating in our ornament exchange. I love her honesty and it cracks me up

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-56089606073337045312011-12-16T11:21:00.000-05:002011-12-16T11:21:00.937-05:00

Hello Friends! Now that Blogger has changed their interface I thought it would be a good time for a How To Connect Your Email review. You like to comment on my blog; I like to receive comments. You like to communicate with me; I like to reply. When you leave a comment on my blog (and this is true of most blogs out there) I get an email from Blogger with your comment. If you've asked me a

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-26829996428783960152011-12-15T09:33:00.001-05:002011-12-16T07:45:03.804-05:00

Gorilla Bread - Monkey Bread's bold and savory big brother. Looking for a crowd pleasing appetizer to bring to a party? Every time I've made Gorilla Bread it's been inhaled in minutes and everyone asks where they can find the recipe. The long awaited recipe is here! Ingredients 1 XL pizza dough OR 2 cans refrigerator biscuits 1/4 cup melted margarine 1 bunch (6-8) green onions, chopped 2 cups

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-16116544609121169622011-12-06T10:38:00.001-05:002011-12-06T11:50:31.585-05:00

Today I received an email from a coworker that said, "I can't even explain how happy it makes me that you don't use the reply all button when answering something that only applies to you and that you do you use the reply all button so everyone knows that a response has been provided." This reminds me of all the other emails and conversations I've had with people about The World Wide Web and the

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-43657118362723282582011-11-30T06:53:00.000-05:002011-11-30T14:22:33.945-05:00

Hannah: Mom, I wish we had a limousine. Me: A limousine! Why do you want that? Hannah: So we could sit in the back and listen to music and watch a movie in the pool. Me: A POOL!! Hannah: Yeah, limousines have pools in the back. Me: Who has a pool in their limousine?! Hannah: Polly Pocket. Christopher: Mom, will you play Legos with me? Me: In a minute. Christopher: A real minute? Me: In a

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-25517653913621788502011-11-27T05:00:00.000-05:002011-11-27T05:00:02.898-05:00

Remember the cute little melted snowmen ornaments I made for our family ornament exchange last year? Here is the long awaited tutorial! Supplies: Hot glue and glue gun Tiny plastic top hats Black seed beads Orange oblong beads Red ribbon Twigs (I used the stem of a leaf) Foil Toothpicks A couple of words about the supplies. I had a horrible time finding tiny plastic top hats. I looked

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-39339048841526687442011-11-24T09:49:00.001-05:002011-11-24T11:07:14.732-05:00

Pie Night. The wonderful start of the winter holidays, and my favorite party of the year. This pre-Thanksgiving tradition goes way back and continues to be a wonderful time for our family to get together with each other and our friends to make pie, eat food and enjoy great company. Last year we missed out on Pie Night when, ten minutes after arriving at my mom's house, Christopher fell 9 feet

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-3512851513138955962011-11-22T18:46:00.001-05:002011-11-22T21:46:57.390-05:00

 Yes, we did just do this two years ago. But he's the birthday boy, so another Lego party it is! In preparation for the party I made marshmallow Lego head pops. They were super easy. Half a mini marshmallow stuck on top of a large marshmallow. Dip the whole thing in yellow candy melts and draw the face on with royal icing. (I tried food markers but they weren't cutting it.) Next up were the

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-44538065558996786712011-11-19T12:17:00.001-05:002012-01-05T06:53:23.434-05:00

Last summer we made a Summer Fun List chock full of all the fun things the kids wanted to do. I let them add just about anything they wanted and tossed in some extra fun things they wouldn't have thought of on their own. The only thing we didn't get to was Paint The Swing Set (and that was my addition in an attempt to insert some productive activity into our plans). Now that summer is over

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-82840772746335588342011-11-17T15:58:00.001-05:002011-11-17T16:16:09.989-05:00

While I was away last weekend with Ember, Matthew took Christopher on his very first Cub Scout camp out. I asked him to PLEASE document everything, because that's important to me. I have the greatest husband ever and these are the pictures I received, on my phone, while I was away. First of all, they stayed in a CASTLE!! How cool is that. And the playground was an enormous pirate ship.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-22336515024065388642011-11-04T14:43:00.002-04:002011-11-04T14:43:58.598-04:00

Christopher was playing with a magnet near my laptop and didn't understand why we made him stop. My husband said, "Computers don't like magnets." And Christopher replied, "Well, that's ridiculous Dad. Computers don't have feelings." I kid you not, this was the conversation, complete with large, exaggerated hand motions. Christopher: This is VERTICAL! Hannah: No, that is up and down.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-23250647487169593042011-10-31T22:50:00.000-04:002011-10-31T22:50:33.994-04:00

What an AWESOME birthday present this was!! Back in August there was an online deal for a sushi party. Corinne and I decided it would be the perfect way to celebrate our birthdays... well, Corinne thought of it and I wholeheartedly agreed. We each got to invite three people. I chose my husband, and my brother Dave and his wife Julie. Corinne chose her sister Marissa and two friends, Jen and

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-9633301903000981962011-10-27T17:25:00.001-04:002012-01-05T06:53:09.738-05:00

Sometime last month I saw an awesome painted pumpkin, probably on Pinterest. I wasn't planning on painting any pumpkins but I couldn't get the picture out of my mind. A couple of days later I was at a pottery painting shop for girls' night out and found an outlet for the painted pumpkin inspiration.   This is the picture that inspired it all. Want to learn how to make a henna pumpkin? Check

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-45426689344956131672011-10-26T11:47:00.002-04:002011-10-26T11:47:33.846-04:00

I just started a new pinboard called Pins I've Tried. I know, not a terrible exciting name, but at least you know what you're getting. (Better name? Leave it in the comments.) I'm going to keep adding the things we try and let you know how each one worked out. We've had a couple of Pinterest dinners around here and everyone has been pleased with the results! Here are some of our favorites. Click

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-14532555529297533052011-10-25T17:29:00.000-04:002011-10-25T17:29:32.874-04:00

A couple of miles from our house is a dam. The department of Something Governmental And Important runs the dam and the land around it. They decided to have a free family night and invite the Boy Scouts to build a bonfire. SO FUN!! There were all kinds of tables set up with fun and educational activities. The kids learned about how a water tower works (they ask me about this all the time).

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-36335983171968714292011-10-04T13:37:00.000-04:002011-10-04T13:37:40.278-04:00

My kids are all into arts and crafts lately. I blame school. The other day Hannah asks me, "Mom, can we play with buttons today?"  Confused, I asked, "Do we have buttons to play with?" Her genius idea? "We do if we take them off our clothes." Temps have been dropping in our neck of the woods. On the first truly COLD morning we walked outside and could see our breath. Hannah exclaimed, "Woah!

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-21871149396795442692011-10-03T10:37:00.000-04:002011-10-03T10:37:37.124-04:00

No-spill paint cups are expensive but this awesome idea for upcycled Starbucks cups are only as expensive as your last iced latte. - Muffin Tin Mom My kids really want a trampoline but I think they are an eyesore (and our homeowners association doesn't allow them anyway). Add in the injury risks and I am firmly against them. Or I was, until I saw this genius idea for a sunken trampoline.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-65172149241013423172011-09-30T10:40:00.001-04:002011-09-30T10:41:15.604-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in an amazing service-learning-awareness-raising-world-changing-social-action-relief project. And it was awesome. The organization Stop Hunger Now came to our church to help us with a food packing event. 900+ volunteers gathered over the course of about seven hours to package over 165,000 meals that were then sent to East Africa for

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-84590797034252098232011-09-22T19:11:00.000-04:002012-01-10T16:35:41.400-05:00

This week I have had the extraordinary pleasure of attending a Clifton StrengthsFinder Advisor training in DC. StrengthsFinder is a development tool. Similar to a personality profile CSF helps you identify your themes of talent and gives you steps on how to turn those talents into true strengths. My top five are: Input People especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-6522888911913049462011-09-16T15:04:00.000-04:002011-09-16T15:04:45.306-04:00

On Wednesday we enjoyed what will probably end up being The Last Warm Day Of The Summer. I am not in any way suggesting that it was the last warm day of the year, because everyone knows we'll have at least one fall heatwave. But since summer will be officially over next Friday and it was in the 40's here last night... well, you see where I'm going with this. We went to Grandma's pool. It was a

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-60119488416040525872011-09-15T10:14:00.001-04:002011-09-15T10:15:11.154-04:00

I've been making monkey bread (also known as Jesus In A Pan, because it tastes that good) for at least 15 years. Yesterday I tried them in a muffin tin. Genius. They were just as tasty and cooked much faster than my traditional giant pan of gooey goodness. And you have to have them with coffee. Because everything tastes better with coffee. Monkey Bread Muffins I never use just one tube

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-80598333544926148132011-09-14T22:16:00.000-04:002011-09-14T22:18:58.221-04:00

Wearing seat belts is kind of a big deal around here. The kids FREAK OUT if I move the car before they get all buckled in. If they're being slow I'll put the car in gear and start to back up and they snap those buckles as fast as they can. We were in a parking lot the other day and Christopher was messing around and not buckling. I backed up, pulled out of the spot and headed for the exit while

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-7043457405052226062011-09-12T15:12:00.002-04:002012-01-05T06:52:54.726-05:00

Saw something like this online a while back and decided to make one for my kids. They LOVE it! Here's a link to the printable if you want one for your house.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-61354871140300799312011-09-09T12:27:00.001-04:002011-09-09T12:27:05.561-04:00

Hello, my name is Amy and I'm a slacker. It has been 13 days since my last post. I have reached the point of having so many things to say and blog that I constantly feel like I'm playing catch-up. What's been holding me up, slowing me down, throwing a wrench in my works? The first day of school. Got a post on that one chock full of pictures and fun quotes. A trip to Dutch Wonderland. We had a

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-45057495880684600742011-08-28T10:24:00.000-04:002011-08-28T10:24:38.997-04:00

Last week my little girl turned FIVE! Craziness all around, I tell you. The best part of the day was Hannah telling everyone, "Now that I'm five I can ask Jesus to come live in my heart!" She's been asking since she was three and I've been telling her she's too young. For more than a year she's been praying, at least four times a week, to get her heart ready for Jesus. Needless to say, I have

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-86166634682523117012011-08-27T17:25:00.000-04:002011-08-27T17:25:47.277-04:00

This week we are mourning the loss of my father-in-law. He passed away on Monday, August 22, after a battle with leukemia. He was 72. I was at the beach with the kids and my family, and my husband was at home when we got the news. My mother-in-law called me and I called Matthew. Telling my husband that his father had passed away was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It turned out to be

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-84176602946053773672011-08-18T23:44:00.000-04:002011-08-19T00:15:53.986-04:00

Earlier this week I spent some time reading through my blog archives with Hannah. She loved seeing all the pictures of herself when she was a little girl, especially this post where she explains how to operate a microwave. Today's post is for the Hannah of the future. One day, in a year or two, we will sit down and read this together and she will love that each moment of the day was captured for

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-40160087965156020792011-08-17T09:23:00.000-04:002011-08-17T09:23:41.234-04:00

My SIL and I decided to take advantage of yesterday's beautiful weather and have a picnic with the kids. After lunch they picked up some sticks and I got these great shots. And they were just so cute!! I was reminded, once again, why I would make an awful professional photographer. If it's not candid, it frustrates me to no end! "Come on, just one smile, one little smile and this will be

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-63486022453000365842011-08-13T21:24:00.000-04:002011-08-13T21:24:04.878-04:00

Camp is OVER!! I have such mixed emotions. Sad to say goodbye to the staff and campers. Excited to be able to sleep in for a couple of days. Exhausted from working such long days for the past couple of months. Pleased at how well everything went. Proud, so seriously proud of our staff. It was a great final week. The kids had a blast, the weather was great, and I got to attend the Willow Creek

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-82873864633735423192011-08-06T20:43:00.000-04:002011-10-28T13:46:37.611-04:00

Week 4 was wonderful! The weather was beautiful, my kids are healthy and our camp staff brought their A Game once again! Last week was sadly missing Christopher pictures so I made sure to get a bunch this week. The water slide day was beautiful, temps in the low 80's and breezy... so basically freezing cold for the kids. I bribed Christopher with a Chic-fil-A milkshake to take three good water

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-29175633371499575132011-08-06T14:02:00.000-04:002011-08-06T14:02:57.761-04:00

I almost didn't post for week 3 because I don't have ANY pictures of Christopher! The sad news is that Christopher was diagnosed with strep and Lyme Disease this week. His fever climbed up to 103.9 and stayed there for most of five days. he didn't get out of bed and barely even watched TV. The up side to five days of a sick boy is that he wanted to snuggle and snuggle and snuggle... which I was

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-15965408410232222932011-07-25T16:31:00.000-04:002011-07-25T16:31:00.793-04:00

Last week had a couple of really beautiful days there at the end... not so much for week 2. A heat wave is rocking most of the US and we felt the brunt of things on Thursday and Friday with highs over 105 (pretty unusual for this area). Needless to say, we spent those days indoors playing games and having a talent show. Before the weather got bad the kids had a great time outdoors. Christopher

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-84690288690380970372011-07-24T16:21:00.000-04:002011-07-24T16:21:00.197-04:00

The first week of camp was AWESOME!!! The staff did a fantastic job and my kids had a lot of fun. If you are a facebook friend you can check out all the pics there. Here are some great ones of my kids. Christopher LOVES Battle Ball... even with a face covered in marshmallow fluff. Because we don't have a pool at camp we need to be creative in our water play activities. Here is Hannah working

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-83533020284398706092011-07-18T15:59:00.000-04:002011-07-23T16:21:39.743-04:00

My postings about camp would be sadly lacking if I didn't mention Training Camp. Our camp training this year was, by far, the best we've ever had. We had the staff take CPR and First Aid on their own, which freed up an entire extra day giving us four full days of prayer, worship, team building, planning and training. Some of our activities included... Flip The Carpet - a team building activity

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-3103223348429284182011-07-16T13:30:00.000-04:002011-07-16T13:30:19.141-04:00

Happy birthday blog! You're 7 years old. Maybe one day I'll remember to have a giveaway to celebrate. The 4th of July is always such a happy time for my family and celebrating with friends only makes it more fun. Every year we take a picture of Hannah, Ella and Christopher by this huge tree in my friend Michelle's back yard. It's amazing to see how much they've grown!! I'm sad that I can't find

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-34098117626843312382011-07-11T20:05:00.001-04:002012-01-05T06:52:34.294-05:00

The inspiration for this cake and cupcakes came from this post at Sugar Swings! Serve Some and this post at Martha Stewart. I bought the candy mold at the Lego store but you can find them online. To begin I put a handful of candy melts into a zip lock bag and melted them in the microwave. For most of the bags 45 seconds was long enough to liquify them but I mashed them around a bit just to be

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-52747855199361571252011-07-09T20:54:00.000-04:002011-07-09T20:54:07.272-04:00

There's no non-cheesy way to start off a post about the last day of preschool and the last day of kindergarten. (I know because I've re-typed this paragraph about six times.) My babies are growing up!! Hannah's last day of preschool. Remember last September? How about her first day of preschool? She was SO LITTLE!! Everyone got an honor roll award. Her teachers, Ms. Gail and Ms. Nicole.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-53930841894428896742011-06-23T06:52:00.000-04:002012-01-05T06:52:21.747-05:00

It's been a while since I last stepped out of my comfort zone to cook with my children. Using the same prep steps that got us through cookies and pop tarts, I decided to give pizza a try. Before inviting the kids into the kitchen I pre-measured the ingredients. Then they took turns adding things to the mixer. Have I mentioned that my Kitchen Aid is on its last legs? I have to unplug it to

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-38909430369188690202011-06-16T06:41:00.000-04:002011-06-16T06:41:37.826-04:00

Remember when I used to blog. Like every other day at least. Those were the days. Yesterday we had some school friends over to play on the new swing set. It was a lot of fun. (It's not really a new swing set, just new to our back yard. It's been in our neighbor's back yard for at least 15 years by the look of the wood.) Some days I want to quit all my jobs so I can stay home and blog and host

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-71096250089118775182011-06-07T09:37:00.000-04:002011-06-07T09:37:39.987-04:00

Now that the kids are getting older our days have less hilarious one-liners and more outrageous conversations. Here are two recent interactions. My kids are obsessed with heaven and dying and they talk about it all the time. We had the following conversation in the car the other day and Matthew and I could barely keep our laughter under control. Hannah: Mamma, if I died you would cry every day

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-73235198373713244802011-06-03T11:06:00.000-04:002011-06-03T11:06:13.824-04:00

If you've been reading with me this week you know that this is the third, and final, installment in a series about parenting a strong-willed child. I have been incredibly encouraged by all of your comments, emails, text messages and facebook comments. Thank you for reminding me that I am not alone, no matter how lonely I may feel. In Part-1 I wrote about my 6yr-old son, Christopher, and his

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-58761712608399515372011-05-31T05:00:00.004-04:002011-06-03T11:09:03.967-04:00

Yesterday I started writing about parenting my strong-willed son (read part-1 here). As your comments rolled in I was yet again encouraged to know that I am not alone. Don't misunderstand me, I am not happy to know that you're struggling, I'm relieved to know that someone understands my pain. I promised that I would talk about what I've been learning. Brace yourself, this will be another long

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-62696202397010135342011-05-30T10:13:00.003-04:002011-06-03T11:07:50.991-04:00

I've been mulling this post over in my head for more than a week now and it's begging me to write it down. I'm sure it is impossible to tell this story and not offend, I won't even try. I'm going to tell the truth of my life and pray that it encourages someone. If you don't understand, count your blessings. The title of this post was my facebook status one day last week. "Parenting a

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-27613967372142889802011-05-28T22:48:00.001-04:002011-05-28T22:49:10.036-04:00

I have so many events from the last six months just waiting to get up on the blog. Here's a service and adventure project that we did back in February. We started off with an adventure. A bunch of us met at a local thrift store and got into two-man teams. Then each person had to buy an outfit for their partner.  This was especially difficult for me because I'm a snob and squeamish about wearing

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-54734752759495335492011-05-21T11:37:00.000-04:002011-05-21T11:37:56.650-04:00

In an effort to focus and release some of my 6-year old's energy we once again enrolled him in a local spring track and field program. My dad takes him a couple times a week to one of the area high schools where he runs around the track and practices his long jump. Last week was the home meet. Since he's only six we don't travel all over the state to compete so the home meet is the big event.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-39880017614447679182011-05-18T21:18:00.002-04:002011-05-18T22:05:40.081-04:00

It's getting too warm to make sweater dresses so back to the thrift store we went. Hannah picked out this cute little (adult size medium) plaid tank for me to transform. The dress came together so quickly I didn't have time to take pictures.Basically I just took in the sides and moved the straps closer to the center. I think it looks pretty good. She wore it out to dinner and there were no

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-66105060249197532772011-05-16T23:10:00.000-04:002011-05-16T23:10:30.282-04:00

Lately I've been posting my funny kid stuff on facebook instead of blogging it. I realized that the stuff on my wall is going to get buried quickly and I'm never going to remember this stuff. And really, what's the point of writing it down if I can't find it when I get old and cranky. Sorry for the repeat, facebook friends! This one is for the memory books. I told Christopher, "I love you even

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-1060013352794761022011-05-14T16:57:00.005-04:002011-05-15T20:47:07.319-04:00

My husband and I were invited to a dinner party last week and I was searching for inspiration on my recipe pin board for something yummy to bring. (Side note: Pinterest is the BEST! My new favorite place to be. Better than facebook.) I found this Cheese Bread, originally from Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious magazine and reviewed on It's a Keeper where it got great reviews.(I've gotta give

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-59982606656661753362011-05-09T12:21:00.002-04:002011-05-09T16:20:07.886-04:00

On the way to ballet last week Hannah told me, "I'm not a very good listener in ballet." I was shocked! Hannah may not be a perfect listener for me but she rarely gets in trouble in any kind of class setting. Plus we picked ballet at the Y because it's super laid back and the teacher isn't hard core at all. She went on to say, "Miss. Sandra always has to tell me what to do in class and sometimes

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-90642371967231826142011-05-07T10:57:00.001-04:002011-05-08T22:40:57.041-04:00

It was the end of my work conference last week and we were cleaning up. There were two giant post-it flip chart pads that had gotten wet in an unexpected rain. We were going to throw them away when someone said, "Do you think your kids might want these?" I flipped past the first three ruined pages and found at least half of the pad in perfect condition. This morning I stuck one piece of paper

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-13853974598427606232011-04-26T17:31:00.000-04:002011-04-26T17:31:16.847-04:00

I'm headed out of town for work this week. It's been a crazy couple of weeks preparing and now it's TIME!!  So exciting. Matthew will be home with the kids. He's going to do a great job and not be stressed at all.  I have confidence. I'll be back to my regular posting in a week or so... just gotta get through this trip. Want something interesting? I started a list of books I've read in 2011 on

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-14791845787706196932011-04-24T15:01:00.001-04:002011-05-08T15:33:13.713-04:00

Last year I posted Easter In Pictures and I love looking back at that post and remembering our day. I trust I'll feel the same way next year about this post. Easter morning started off with the kids making a Happy Easter poster to hang at the bottom of the steps. They worked surprisingly hard on it considering they hadn't yet opened their baskets. Right after I took that picture I told the

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-41979545433492149482011-04-17T09:11:00.004-04:002012-01-05T06:51:53.401-05:00

I finally did it! I got a Nook! I am LOVING my Nook, although I've yet to give her a name (somehow "Nookie" doesn't sound quite right). One of the main reasons I went with a Nook over a Kindle is that Nooks read .epub and .pdf files so I can borrow ebooks from the library and upload my own .pdfs onto it. Genius! Plus, B&N has tons of free books so I've been reading up a storm! Of course, my

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-34104005029354660332011-04-16T16:49:00.002-04:002011-04-16T17:00:27.934-04:00

A while back I posted about how we are trying to give our kids meaningful serving opportunities. Ever since school began we've been taking them out, once a month, do do something significant. We've been having a great time serving with our friends. March brought us a gift of beautiful weather and a group of us traveled to Philadelphia to work with an organization called Neighbors In Action. We

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-51841487892584492362011-04-06T17:44:00.002-04:002011-04-06T18:21:59.541-04:00

My kids love to eat at Pei Wei because they serve Flying Pop-out Beans.  Ok, so on the menu they're called edamame, but I think Flying Pop-out Beans is a much more descriptive name.  Now that the kids are a little older and know that it's called edamame they like to call it eat-a-mommy.  And make monster sounds. Hannah gets in trouble all the time for climbing up someone's lap, settling in and

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-20191892223846642362011-04-04T21:00:00.004-04:002012-01-05T06:51:38.933-05:00

I've been thinking about sugar cookies a lot lately. Probably because I've been cutting back on sweets, so of course that's all I think about. But also because I've seen a lot of amazing sugar cookie blog posts lately. In particular, these rainbow sugar cookies on Mika's Pantry caught my eye and got me thinking that I'd like to do something similar.  So, when I ran across a package of pastel

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-19222257905131550092011-03-31T20:39:00.002-04:002012-01-05T06:51:24.528-05:00

My husband is a huge fan of stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut. I've always wondered how they made it (I've heard the stores receive pre-made frozen crusts with the cheese stuffed in by a machine) and wondered if I could do it at home. Well, wonder no more. I did it and it was incredibly easy and amazingly delicious.  Here is everything you need to know to make this tasty pizza. I started off

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-78902463036271267762011-03-28T16:33:00.001-04:002011-03-28T16:34:17.932-04:00

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred time: This blog is the closest thing my children will ever have to a baby book.  With that in mind this is what's going on with us right now. My kids are loyal to some things and fickle with others... I find no rhyme or reason for their allegiances.  Hannah's Likes: - Being a princess, watching princess movies, dressing up like a princess, playing

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-64454128300961555062011-03-27T10:00:00.000-04:002011-03-27T10:00:54.085-04:00

Good Morning Friends! Wherever you are, I hope it's warm. We had temps up in the 80's a week or two ago and this morning? Snow. Boo! I am ready for spring! Today I'm guest posting my buffalo chicken dip over at Bella Before And After. Click on over to see the recipe, pictures and step-by-step directions. While you're over there be sure to check out Bella's blog. She is a super encouraging

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-2808534110347271232011-03-25T10:34:00.000-04:002011-03-25T10:34:46.030-04:00

Check out this map. The dots indicate the locations of the people that have visited my blog in the last 24 hours. SUPER COOL!! So, whoever you are and wherever you are. Welcome! I'm so glad to have you here.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-28160516315199061962011-03-24T10:40:00.001-04:002011-03-24T10:40:21.201-04:00

Why is it that every time I try to lose weight I find such amazing dishes just begging to be cooked?  Check out these beauties. Orange Pull Apart Coffee Cake @Sweet as Sugar Cookies Rainbow Cookies @Munchkin Munchies Cinnamon Roll Pancakes @A Little Bit Crunchy, A Little Bit Rock N' Roll Little Lamb Cookies @The Domestic Sugar Bake Shop Ms. Cookie Monster Cupcakes @I Sing In The Kitchen

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-85231217764648167222011-03-23T16:22:00.008-04:002012-01-05T06:51:03.261-05:00

I just went searching through my archives to link up a past quilting post and, shockingly, I can't find one.  How have I never posted about our quilting weekends?  This post about Silas' quilt and this one about Eva's are the closest I've found.  Two to three times per year for the last 10 years the women in my family have met to piece quilt tops.  We started with a wedding quilt for my brother

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-35300221777325648092011-03-20T16:17:00.001-04:002012-01-05T06:50:53.294-05:00

Hannah picked a sweater out of the bag of things I was taking to donate and asked me to make it into a dress.  It started off looking like this... And ended up looking like this... She LOVES it. I'm not quite as thrilled.  The neckline of the original sweater was a little scooped on me, so on her it's really low.  We put a tank top under it and she insisted on wearing one of her hair

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-21965082889126179252011-03-16T12:19:00.000-04:002011-03-16T12:19:09.899-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we took a trip to Philadelphia with the kids and one of the stops on our sightseeing tour was Ben Franklin's graveyard.  We walked around for a while, me finding it interesting and the kids finding it pretty boring.  As I looked at the words on the headstones, many of which had worn away over the years, I was struck by how many children were buried there. One of my most

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-73001117265524408982011-03-11T05:00:00.001-05:002012-01-05T06:50:42.112-05:00

A couple of months ago I blogged about making cookies with Hannah and how cooking with kid is a huge stretch for me.  Not much has changed since then.  The kids still like to cook.  I still struggle with the mess and the touching and the mess and the touching.  Ok, pretty much just the mess and the touching. I've been wanting to make pop tarts since the summer of 2008 when I drooled over this

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-23331103043356870522011-03-10T11:57:00.000-05:002011-03-10T11:57:40.990-05:00

I've come across some amazing food on the internet this week.  Check out these tasty treats. Nutter Butter Cookie Balls: I'm a HUGE fan of Oreo cookie balls so these treats, made with Nutter Butter cookies and cream cheese and then dipped in chocolate, are definitely next on my to do list. Hootenanny Pancakes: The name alone makes these pancakes amazing!  Combine that with how cool they look

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-72813874447238342192011-03-07T10:02:00.000-05:002011-03-07T10:02:21.290-05:00

Christopher is in kindergarten.  Instead of daily homework he gets a homework journal and a calendar.  There are daily assignments and the journal is turned in at the end of the month. He got his journal back from February and was reading through the things his teacher wrote on each page.  I was in the kitchen listening with half an ear as he first read his words and then hers. "3+4=7... Great

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-64247801051181977712011-03-04T05:00:00.009-05:002012-01-05T06:50:31.235-05:00

A couple of months ago I posted an appleque tutorial.  My niece is finally big enough to wear the onesie I made.  LOVE!!  I'm so pleased with how these turned out... and Sadie is super cute. 

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-32965258074408871032011-03-02T05:00:00.002-05:002012-01-05T06:50:22.792-05:00

Do you know my friend Jen?  You should.  Her blog is hilarious.  Read it. I have the privilege of knowing Jen in real life.  Last month was her daughter's birthday party and Jen went with a beach theme.  I didn't get pictures of the sandbox in the basement or the kids banging away on the fish shaped piñata, both fun and brave indoor party events.  I did get some pics though, and my friend Aaron

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-4460156578781541792011-02-28T05:00:00.021-05:002012-01-05T06:50:10.523-05:00

We've been playing with our food this week.  We got sucked in by the sample counter at Trader Joe's.  The nice lady gave the kids a sample and I came home with a whole container.  They almost always get me at the sample counter. The kids made this game up on their own.  After dinner, on days I'm feeling nice and giving out dessert, I give the kids cookie letters that spell out a word. 

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-9323842659020605912011-02-27T21:12:00.003-05:002011-02-28T11:22:13.128-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a very well planned, super fun crafting night.  Ever since I walked in the door to that party I've been wanting to host my own. Yesterday my sister and I spent the afternoon at Hobby Lobby picking up all kinds of crafty things to do at home, not for a craft night, just to make some gifts we'd been thinking about.  At about 5:00 I phoned my SIL and asked if she

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-45560569616508147602011-02-26T11:32:00.001-05:002011-02-26T11:38:34.581-05:00

Hannah's memory is amazing.  It was a good six weeks past Christmas when she said, "You know that car we saw dressed up like a reindeer?  Well, if it was brown, and it had legs and God put his power on it then it would be a real reindeer and we could ride in it!!" Icing cupcakes with Hannah she looks at the butter knife we gave her and says, "Maybe I could do a better job if I had an off-set

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-92218841730816511122011-02-24T13:23:00.002-05:002011-02-24T20:55:58.406-05:00

I recently stumbled across this blog and I knew right away I wanted to share it with all of you.  iCandy Handmade is written by Jen and Autie.  They are both super crafty moms and their blog is full of tutorials and crafts that are creative, super cute and very easy to follow. I am especially in love with these pillowcase night gowns! This heart applique uses a technique I have never tried but

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-12009641137937251922011-02-22T05:12:00.001-05:002012-01-05T06:49:57.272-05:00

You'd think a hard core camp chick like myself would have busted out the popsicle sticks a little sooner in the lives of her children.  Alas, I have failed them... until now. In anticipation of a long, rainy afternoon I picked up a carton of 1,000 craft sticks at our local big box store.  Note to self: The box may look small but 1,000 is a LOT of craft sticks. I gave the kids as many sticks as

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-60674576844405364922011-02-21T09:47:00.000-05:002011-02-21T09:47:52.263-05:00

What is it with bloggers named Amy?  Something about kids born in the mid to late 70's and an obsession with blogging?  Whatever the reason, I'd like to introduce you to another great Amy and her blog Positively Splendid.  Her blog is full of amazingly great tutorials, crafts and recipes.  More importantly, it's well written and her pictures are fantastic! Check out these nursery wall hangings.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-71912543673356559272011-02-20T05:00:00.001-05:002012-01-05T06:49:41.890-05:00

My four year old daughter is in LOVE with the sweater dress.  I think they're super cute but always on the expensive side in the store.  In my never ending quest to make the things I would usually buy I decided to try to construct a sweater dress. Now, don't even for a minute think that I entertained the notion of knitting her a dress.  Not even in my wildest dreams.  We headed to the thrift

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-38756591412727243442011-02-19T09:32:00.000-05:002011-02-19T09:32:27.087-05:00

How amazing are these chocolate butterfly cupcake toppers?! Check out Everything Old for a fantastic step-by-step tutorial.  (And check out Em's About Me page while you're there.  I think we would be friends in real life.)

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-42211032529311889122011-02-15T21:26:00.002-05:002011-02-16T06:34:21.549-05:00

Last week I joined my sweet friend Bella in hosting a new kind of blog party. We don't swap recipes, crafts and projects at our party; instead we swap real mom stories. The less than perfect but always honest and super hilarious kind of stories. Here's my first list.  I called that post Mommy Lies, not because this mommy is a liar but because it is a lie that mommies are perfect.  It is a lie

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-2226966324271348852011-02-14T20:19:00.001-05:002011-02-14T20:21:49.234-05:00

We had a fantastic Valentine's Day!  It wasn't a perfect day but it was perfectly wonderful.  Read on for the highs and the made-me-cry low. These are the Valentine's Day cards we made based on this idea.  I took the pictures, the kids helped me decide what the text would look like, we had them printed at Target and they helped put the lolly pops in place. I made heart pancakes for breakfast.

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-88505897836308167852011-02-13T22:38:00.002-05:002011-02-14T08:15:57.892-05:00

Near my house there is a combination coffee shop/pottery painting place.  Weird, I know... but also WAY fun for a night out with the girls!  I've cropped out most of the appetizers and drinks that we managed to squeeze on to our table but here are some pictures of what we created. This is Michelle.  She painted a plate for her son Rylan's birthday (so no one show Rylan this post in the next

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-61329530975816346482011-02-11T23:30:00.001-05:002011-02-12T08:59:02.445-05:00

I started to do a feature on an awesome ice project I found online... but then I spent some time looking through Sweet and Lovely's blog and decided I needed to feature the entire thing!!  The photography is great and the crafts and recipes are really interesting. Here are two recent posts that caught my eye.  I absolutely LOVE this idea!  I almost love it enough to want one more snow so we

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-40235868575941451252011-02-09T12:23:00.000-05:002011-02-09T12:23:48.885-05:00

I've been awarded the Stylish Blogger Award by a couple different sweet ladies recently.  I have hesitated posting it because one of the "rules" is that you have to award it to 15 more people and that is totally overwhelming to me. So, instead I'm going to say THANK YOU and post 7 random things about myself.  You can find more random (and sometimes hilarious) things about me here and here. 1. 

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-26984659749271578902011-02-07T05:00:00.001-05:002011-02-07T08:12:07.943-05:00

Hey Friends!  Bella and I have swapped blogs today to tell you about an exciting new party.  Check out my post over here.  Read on to find out all about it! Hey everyone, I am so flippin excited to be here at FLEXIBLE DREAMS, chatting it up with AMY's readers,, he he. How awesome is that!!! Don't you guys just love this girl, yeah me too!!! My name is Bella, I blog over at Bella Before and

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-15391267550013994122011-02-06T20:16:00.002-05:002012-01-05T06:49:25.105-05:00

This treat was born out of the failure of another.  I won't get into that long and boring story except to say that I found myself in the kitchen with half an hour on my hands and already-melted red and pink candy melts.  I looked around for something to dip and found the Nilla Wafers. One dip in the candy melts and I knew what I had to make.  The candy looked like hair and the heart-shaped

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6212182770482507100.post-89116396767924003582011-02-02T20:47:00.005-05:002012-01-05T06:49:17.119-05:00

Here is the promised felt flower tutorial.  We made these flowers at the craft party last weekend.  I started with a pack of felt.  Like a rainbow... only soft. I went with pink and green... because it's going in Hannah's hair, not mine. Cut a flower out of card stock to use as a template. Use ballpoint pen to trace the template.  The first flower I traced incorrectly.  I drew the lines

amy@flexibledreamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206368426936653795noreply@blogger.com29