At Home With K

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #52

2012-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

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WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves!

Here are a few favorites from last week's party:

Bench Makeover from A Simply Klassic Home

Macaroons from Creative Chaos

Herb Garden Gift Idea from Twigg Studios

Multicolored Zebra from Little House in the Big D

Painted/Duct Tape Crown Molding from Beauty 4 Ashes

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

How to Safely Clean Your Carpet

2012-02-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

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Okay, I must admit that I have NOT deep cleaned my carpets for a very long time.

I have a few excuses...

a. it's time consuming LOL

b. when I did clean the carpets the stains still didn't get out

c. I don't like cleaning my carpets with nasty chemical filled carpet cleaner

Well since starting using Shaklee products last year and cleaning this nasty spot in my son's room, I thought I would try this cleaning carpet job again. Plus I'm in the organizing and spring cleaning mood so I better do it now before I lose interest! LOL

I borrowed my mom's carpet cleaner machine. It's a Bissell and I'm sure she got it at Wal-Mart.

The first room that I tackled was the toy room. When we first moved into our house, the carpet in this room was full of stains and still is. Right before we moved in our furniture, I cleaned all the carpets and the stains never got out even with those fancy cleaners designed to clean carpets. So we have learned to live with the stains in this room plus the floor is usually covered with toys...

I went to my cleaning closet and pulled out my handy dandy Shaklee products. I love them because they have multi-uses. Really this is all I clean my house with!

This is what I used to clean my carpets:

1 Tbsp Basic H2 per gallon of water

1 Tbsp Basic G per gallon of water (to kill germs)

1-3 scoops of Nature Bright Booster and Stain Remover

Adjust measurements if you tank is smaller or larger.

After I shampooed the carpet then I went over the carpet again with plain hot water. Then vacuum after the carpet is dry.

And here is the carpet after! It smells fresh and looks better and brighter! And those stains that I couldn't get out with traditional cleaners are gone!

Now let's look at the before and after again! Bye Bye stains!

My boys spend a lot of time in here, especially my youngest. It's great knowing that the cleaners I'm using are not harmful to them as they are constantly playing on the floor. What I am finding out and constantly surprised is how powerful Shaklee products are and do an even better job than the traditional cleaners the old me was used to!

Is it time to spring clean your carpets?

And don't forget about the great Free Shaklee Cinch Sampler Pack offer! When you join as Shaklee Member and purchase $70 or more (member price) you will receive the Cinch Sampler Pack for FREE! ($100 Retail Value)

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #51

2012-02-21T05:23:00.000-08:00

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WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are a few projects that I would love to feature from last week's linky party:

Pina Colada Cake from Permanent Posies

DIY Herb and Greens Saver from Charcoal and Crayons

Zipper Flowers from School House Scraps

Burlap Rosette Frame from Laughter and Grace

Movie Date Night from Fun To Funky

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Valentine's Day

2012-02-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

Wow! I know this is late! But I wanted to share a few glimpses of our little Valentine Party last week.

Highlights

*Hearts on our Door Step

*Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

*Chocolate Almond Milk

*Gluten and Dairy Free Cupcakes

*Homemade I Love You's

*Trader Joe's Chocolates for Hubby

*Monkey Love

*Roses for Mom

* Vintage Pyrex Makedo cupcake stands

*Heart Slinkies

*Homemade Valentines-my favorite!

*More cupcakes

*Roll A Love Bug Game

*2 Very Happy Little Boys

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Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #50!!

2012-02-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Welcome to the 50th Terrific Under Ten Tuesday!

I'm so glad you are here!

This is where we share our creative and thrifty projects for $10 or less!

Here are a few projects featured from last week's party:

Funky Heart Door Hanger from Burton Avenue

Valentine's Day Jar Candles from Capernaum Home

"14 Reasons Why I Love You" Banner from Revamp Homegoods

Lace Scarf Tutorial by From The Bleachers...

Chevron Curtains from Craptastic

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

25 Random Things.

2012-02-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

1. I eat a gluten and dairy free diet because I feel so much better not eating the stuff. I have never had any testing done to prove any sensitivity. Just my choice.

2. I lost 10 pounds when I went dairy free. :)

3. I cheat sometimes and my body pays for it afterwards with a migraine or feeling very run down.

4. Autism has been a nightmare and a blessing.

5. It has opened our eyes to our own health.

6. ...And to Alternative Medicine. Our DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) Dr. is a saint! He has made wonderful things happen with our son.

7. The last few months has been a blast with our son. It's like meeting him for the first time. He's such a smart and beautiful little boy.

8. My hubby and I will fight to the very end for our little boy. No matter how hard and painful it is.

9. Or expensive it is...we spend an arm, a leg and a finger or 2 on supplements, Dr. and therapy visits.

10. But would do it in a heartbeat over and over again.

11. I love Christian Music. When our son was diagnosed, I want to push God away as far as I could. K-Love was there for me on the countless car rides to the Dr. and therapy visits when I felt so alone. I am forever grateful God stuck by me.

12. I also love talk radio. I remember my grandpa always listening to that junk on AM radio when I was little. Now I have turned into one of those people.

13. I'm a mini van mom now. LOL I used to make fun of you mini van driver moms! Now that I have one, I don't know how I could live without it! Opening the slide side doors with a push of a button is the best invention ever! :)

14. If I could work on crafts/my house all day, I would be a happy camper.

15. When I'm working on one project then the rest of the house becomes a disaster in a matter of seconds.

16. Do you think my hubby would get me a housekeeper so I can do my crafts? Yeah right...I know.

17. I wish I had the organizing gene in me.

18. I have spent the last few days organizing 8 years of art projects from my sons. What a mess! I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

19. I think I need to go to Pinterest Anonymous.

20. I can't stay away. But it takes me to a happy creative place.

21. Now I need to do just a small fraction of the 2100+ projects I have pinned. (You can follow me HERE!)

22. I'm getting the urge to pin...okay I just did, I feel better now.

23. I have project ADD. I start on something and then move on to the next and another and another without finishing. I have a few unfinished projects that need some addressing.

24. My hubby needs an award for dealing with my endless projects, thrift finds and wild ideas.

25. I'm extremely blessed with a beautiful family. I love my men to pieces.
Linking Up Perfectly Imperfect
and
Thanks to Because (I think) I Can for the Versatile Blogger Award!

Chevron DIY ART

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

I love the popular chevron art all over design and blog world. But I was kind of unsure for my home and style. So with our bright craft room makeover, I thought it would be a good opportunity to whip up a little art for our bright and cheery room!

I went to my wood stash and found 2 (approx. 7 inches wide) pieces of wood that are 26 inches long.

I connected the the 2 pieces of wood with 2 short firring strips of wood with just a nail gun. You could also use glue or screws.

I painted the front side only with white craft paint.

After it was dry, I used painter's tape to create my own twist to the chevron pattern. I didn't take a picture of that part because I did it more complicated than it should of been. LOL

I then stenciled my boys' names using their favorite colors.

After the paint was all dry, I sanded down the surface and edges with sandpaper to give it a worn look.

I stained over the paint and sides with Early American MinWax Stain, to look a little more worn. :)

I purposely didn't paint the sides of the sign, I like the look of the wood/paint contrast.

It looks super cool in our vivid turquoise craft/kid room!

I was about to pull out my hair creating the chevron pattern, but I love how it turned out. Adding a little fun design to our fun room!

And best of all, this project was free! Now who doesn't like free?!

Let's stay connected!

Linking up HERE

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #49

2012-02-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Urban Walls Giveaway is #63 Lisa!

(picked from the random number generator)

Congratulations Lisa!

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we share off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are a few projects featured from last week's party:

Dino Hoodies from Vixen Made

Project Valentine from Wine Country Mama

Lemon Crinkle Cookies from Making Home Sweeter

Child Decorated Burp Cloths by Helping Little Hands

Every Child Is An Artist Sign from Because (I Think) I Can

Recipe Holder from Poppies and Pinwheels

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Big News For Google Friend Connect Users

2012-02-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

Have you heard? The popular Google Friend Connect (“GFC”) is going away March 1^st for non-Google blog platforms like Wordpress, and the rumor is that it will be eventually phased out completely to be replaced by Google+. Now we are being asked to join Google+ but have found like many of you it can be difficult to navigate.

Bloggers know a good “follower” tool is really needed and we’d like to have one that is not tied to a million other services (seems like Facebook, Twitter and Google are linked to everything else on the Internet). One that we can use JUST to keep track of our favorite blogs!

Brent Riggs, the creator/owner of Linky Tools has created a FREE 'follower' system that is simple and reliable.

Introducing LINKY FOLLOWERS (http://www.linkyfollowers.com/)

There are many amazing options! You can group blogs by Favorites, Everyday and General and even Custom Groups. You can create a Blogroll that includes Blogs that DO NOT have Linky Followers but that you like to keep tabs on, and you can highlight a Featured Follower!!

Now the big question? Can my GFC followers be automatically moved over? NO. Google won’t allow access to those accounts but more importantly, YOU really shouldn’t sign up someone to a new service. They should voluntarily sign up themselves. You’ll need to ask your GFC folks (and all your blog readers) to follow you using Linky Followers but its easy, quick and did I mention, free? They’ll love the tool. It’s a cool way to organize and follow the blogs you love.

Click below or on my sidebar below Followers!

It’s very user friend and easy to manage all your blogging friends!
It’s available to everyone!

Join me and all my bloggy friends!

I'll be watching to be sure to 'follow back' friends who sign up to follow At Home With K. Just leave me a comment letting me know when your widget is up on your blog and I'll follow you back!

Remember you can also follow along by receiving FREE email updates to your email inbox, 'Liking' my Facebook Page or Pin with me on Pinterest!

Urban Walls Vinyl Decal Giveaway!

2012-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

I have a fabulous giveaway for you today!

Urban Walls would like to give one At Home With K reader a $50 credit to spend at their Etsy Shop! Wow!

Urban Walls has a wide variety of designs of vinyl decal to transform any room from drab to fab!

From creative sayings to cute designs, Urban Walls will help you create a look and feel that is perfect for your home!

Here are just a few examples of what Urban Walls has to offer:

Wonderful words to inspire you, like this ONE

You will find this Wonderful Decal and many others to dress up your kid spaces.

Decorate your space with this wonderful damask pattern

Chalkboards are everywhere! How fun to have a fun vinyl design to use for your To Do lists.

Personalize your space with a monogram

I would love this one for my office space!

Now here's how to ENTER!

Here are the RULES: (You need leave a separate comment for each entry.)

1. Be an At Home With K follower or subscribe (on the sidebar) and leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me that you're a follower. (This is the only mandatory entry.)

2. Be an At Home With K Facebook Fan and leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me that you're a fan.

3. Be an At Home With K Twitter Follower and leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me that you're a follower.

4. Visit Urban Walls and come back here and leave a comment telling me which vinyl decal is your favorite!

4 ways to enter the giveaway! Good luck!

The winner will be announced on Monday, February 6th!

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #48

2012-01-31T04:57:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we share off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are a few projects featured from Terrific Under Ten Tuesday and the Be Mine Bonanza Linky Parties:

Colorful Bench Makeover from Fab Rehab Creations

Kid's Pallet Table by Shabby Love

Melted Crayon Art from Helping Little Hands

Valentine Artwork from Paper, Ribbon and Ink

10 Things I Love About You Gift from Cup of Delight

Rosette Heart from What Meegan Makes

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza Recap

2012-01-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all my guest bloggers for joining me on the 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza this past week!

January 22 Kindra-At Home With K

Sweetheart Ornaments

January 23 Christina-Christina's Adventures

Valentine Throw Pillow

January 24 Heather-Summerstead

Love Letter Wall Art

January 25 Tiffany-Ladycrafter14

Felt Topiary and Free Valentine Printable

January 26 Sarah-All Roads Lead Home

Pendant Glass Valentine Necklaces

January 27 Michelle-Emerald Cove

Beachy Valentine Wreath

January 28 Gwen-Gwenny Penny

Valentine's Flag Bunting

Thank you for sharing your time and your outrageous talent with each and everyone of us!

I heart you all!

And thanks to all who linked up to the Be Mine Bonanza linky party!

I will feature a couple favorites this Tuesday at the Terrific Under Ten Tuesday linky party.

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 7-Valentine's Flag Bunting

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, everybody! I'm Gwen and I blog over at Gwenny Penny.I'm so glad Kindra asked me to be part of her Be Mine Bonanza again this year.Last year I shared my Painted Muslin Hearts tutorial.This year I have a Valentine's Flag Bunting tutorial for you...

I've made similar buntings over the past few years, one for Halloween and one for Thanksgiving. I decided it was time to add a Valentine's bunting to the list, too. And since I've never shared a tutorial for how I make these, this is the perfect time :)

Materials:

felt (I used gray for the flags and white for the hearts)

cotton fabric (I used two different fabrics)

3 buttons (I used 3/4" diameter)

embroidery floss

ribbon or twill tape - about 2.25 yds (I used 1/2" wide white twill tape)

disappearing or water soluble marking pen or pencil

pinking shears

scissors or rotary cutter

ruler

coordinating thread

needle

Instructions:

Step 1: Click HERE to print out the template for the flags. Print at 100%, no scaling. Cut out around the larger triangle.

Step 2: Trace your template from Step 1 onto your felt. Do this five times. Cut out your five felt triangles.

Step 3: Take your template from Step 1 and cut it down to the smaller triangle size. Trace this triangle onto your cotton fabric. You will need five of these triangles. I used three solid red triangles and two red and white striped triangles. You could make all five the same or all five different, too. Cut out these five triangles using pinking shears on the angled sides.

Step 4: Take one of your felt triangles and set it in front of you with the point toward you. Lay one of your cotton triangles on top of it, lining up the top edges of the triangles and centering the cotton triangle horizontally on the felt triangle.

Sew from the top edge to the point of the cotton triangle, about 1/8 - 1/4" from the edge.

Leaving the needle down, lift your presser foot and turn the triangles so that you can sew up the other side of the cotton triangle from the point to the top edge. Lower your presser foot and sew.

Repeat this step for all five felt/cotton triangle combinations.

Step 5: Now for some decorating. I drew a heart on a piece of paper and cut it out, but you could also do a Google Images search for a heart outline to use. My hearts are about 2.5" square. Trace your heart template onto your felt. You will need three hearts if you are adding them to every other flag like I did. Cut out each felt heart. Choose which flags you are adding your hearts to. Place your hearts about 1.5" down from the top of each flag and pin in place. Carefully sew around the edge of each heart, about 1/8" from the edge.

Step 6: More embellishment... Use embroidery floss to attach a button to the center of each heart. I just knotted mine on the front to hold them in place.

Step 7: Take your ribbon or twill tape and leave an 18" tail at one end. Line up the top edge of your ribbon over the top edge of your first flag. Pin in place.

Leave a 3" gap and pin your second flag in place. Repeat this for each flag, leaving a 3" gap between them and an 18" tail of ribbon at either end of the bunting.

Sew over each flag along the top edge of your ribbon, remembering to backstitch at the beginning and end of each flag. If you are using a wide ribbon, you may want to add a row of stitching along the bottom edge of the ribbon as well.

You're finished! Now hang it up :)

Don't sew? Use glue to hold all of your layers together :)

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. Please stop by Gwenny Penny for a visit anytime. I would love to have you. Thanks so much for having me here today, Kindra!

Thanks so much Gwen for ending our series with a bang! I just love the look of the grey with the traditional red and white. A festive banner to enjoy, that's for sure! I can't sew (yet...) but like Gwen said, I can use glue. :) Gwen is a very talented crafter that mainly focuses on sewing projects. If I lived closer I would be knocking on her door to get a lesson or 2 from her. You can find Gwen over at Gwenny Penny! Pop on over and say hi!

BE MINE BONANZA LINKY PARTY

I also want to feature you as well. Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party ends tonight at midnight.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 6-A Beachy Valentine Wreath

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

I am Michelle from Emerald Cove and I am so happy to be here again at the Second Annual Be Mine Bonanza!

I had so much fun last year with the pom-pom flowers.

This year since I am longing for the beach, and if you follow me you know how much I LOVE the beach, I decided to pull out my driftwood, shells and twine and create a Valentine wreath from the beach.

I gathered my materials:

Styrofoam heart

Twine

Shells (starfish)

wood rod

Driftwood

faux pearls

Before I started winding the twine around the heart, I though that it would be easier to place the wood rod in first.

A good idea, but be gentle when you are pushing it through and you might even find something sharp to get you started otherwise you wind up with a broken heart. :(

No worries though, nothing a little hot glue can't handle!

Once you have the rod through, you can start winding and winding...

and winding!

It does take a while but it is something that you can do while watching TV and when you are done it will look something like this.

I had to get creative with the points of the heart and unfortunately I don't really have a "correct" way to do it but I will say hot glue helps ALOT.

From there you can glue on your shells.

I used a starfish for the point of the arrow and clam shells for the feathers.

Then I adorned then with the faux pearls.

The final part was to just tie them to the piece of driftwood with twine and hang!

"If love was water, I would give you the sea."

I heart the beach! :)

Thank you Kindra for inviting me to join up again this year and hosting such a wonderful event, I am always so inspired by you.

xoxoxo

Thank you so much Michelle for joining in on the Be Mine Bonanza again! I just love the idea of using twine to create such a wonderful wreath. Adding the beachy feel is perfect to go along with the decor in Michelle's home. You can find Michelle HERE. She has one of the biggest hearts and it shines through her words and photography. Her projects are pretty awesome as well. Drop on by and tell I sent ya. :)

BE MINE BONANZA LINKY PARTY

I also want to feature you as well. Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 5-Pendant Glass Valentine Necklaces

2012-01-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I am Sarah from All Roads Lead Home. So honored and excited to be back for the 2nd annual Be Mine Bonanza! Thank you Kindra, this is such a fun event! My daughter Emily and I teamed up on this year’s Valentine craft. There is nothing better than creating with the ones you love. We had a great time and we would love to show you how to make these pendant glass necklaces for yourself or to give as gifts to your family and friends.

I will say that most of these supplies we already had around the house which is a great money saver, anyone that is a crafter is sure to have some of these items on hand too.

Here is what you will need:

Scrapbook paper. We had these from previous years. But I did price them and they are really an inexpensive item to purchase in individual sheets.

Aleen’s Paper Glaze. Super Glue. Ribbon or the ball chain on the spool which comes with clasps. An Xacto knife. Glass pendants in whatever shapes you choose. And the silver bails which will attach to your pendant for hanging.

Close up of the glass pendants and bails:

You will also need some jump rings if you choose to add charms like we did. Some of the charms we used didn’t even need a jump ring. Also pictured are the little clasps for the ball chain.

Totally optional fun embellishments are: Stamps, stickers and charms.

Here is the wonderful website where we found the supplies that we didn’t have on hand. The items we ordered were very reasonably priced. We didn’t need to order much, but they sure do have plenty of great options! Sun And Moon Craft Kits, check them out! Let’s get started!

Step 1: With your Xacto knife carefully cut around the image or design of your choice.

Step 2: You may need to tidy up the edges until you get a nice clean cut that fits under your pendant perfectly.

Step 3: On the backside of your pendant squeeze just a couple tiny drops of the Aleen’s paper glaze, spread out just a bit & place your scrapbook square design side down. Wipe off any excess.

Step 4: When turned over, there should be no paper showing over the edges on the right side of your pendant.

Step 5: On the back side place a few more small drops of the Aleen’s paper glaze.

Spread all the way out to the edges, don’t use too much, just enough to coat the back evenly. Smooth out any bubbles. Allow this to dry overnight.

Step 6: When it is completely dry place a small dot of super glue on your silver bail. Not much is needed here either. Just enough to secure it well.

Step 7: Attach in the center of your pendant. Again, letting this dry overnight. Super glue dries relatively fast, but overnight is best. And that is it! If you don’t choose to purchase the ball chain with the clasps, use ribbon. Such an inexpensive way to make a necklace and adds so much color too! Place it through the loop on the bail and tie it…so cute! Here are some of our finished products:

The letter E was done with an ink stamp, as well as the red pendant with the key and the heart. The letter S was done with a transparent sticker over scrapbook paper. I think the charms add just the perfect finishing touch. We had these on hand in our jewelry making stash. But they are available at Michaels Arts and Crafts store for $.89 - $1.99.

My daughter and I had a blast making these! She has already given some of them away as gifts. We hope you will try this project. You can personalize them in so many ways. We had plenty of ideas swirling around in our heads, there just wasn’t time to do them all. We wanted to make fingerprint hearts with our ink stampers, we also wanted to print out some black and white photos to use too. That will be the next time around. We WILL be making more! The possibilities are endless! Thanks so much Kindra for asking me to guest post today! There have been some fantastic posts already, I will keep tuning in for even more inspiration! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! ♥

Until next time, take care. ~Sarah~

Thank you so much for sharing your tutorial with us, Sarah! And I'm so glad your daughter was involved to help create these FAB necklaces! I have always wanted to try this craft out, so I need to get some supplies and make my own jewelry line. :) You can find Sarah over at All Roads Lead Home. She is a gal of many talents. She is super creative and is awesome at makeovers and decor displays. Go on over and tell her hi!

Be Mine Bonanza Linky Party

I also want to feature you as well. Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 4-Felt Topiary and Free Valentine Printable

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Guest Post from
Tiffany at Ladycrafter14

I just love decorating with RED!

Valentine's Day is so fun for me. I created a Free Printable and especially love the "1 Corithians 13:13" line that I embedded in the print.

Above you can see the faux red topiary... read on to see the "how to"

You will need a Styrofoam ball, red felt, scissors, straight pins, and a little bit of time... hence the beer:)

Trace around a cup or something to make a circle pattern on your felt. Then take your pattern and stack your felt 6 high, at least... hopefully your fabric shears are sharp. Cut approximately one bajillion circles... haha each topiary was about 1/4 yard of red felt.

To create your "petals" begin by folding a felt circle in half.

then you are going to bring in one-third of it

fold in the other one-third

next stick a straight pin through the corner

stick that sucker in your Styrofoam ball and continue

leave a circular bare spot for the ball to rest on a candlestick. You could also stick a dowel into the ball and create a slightly different look. I like the candlesticks... which were wedding gifts that I never knew what to do with because I'm not that fancy, but I love the look with the felt topiaries!

Up Close!

So Pretty!

The printable link is below.

Another use for this technique is to get a Styrofoam heart and create a wreath.

Happy Valentine's Day from Ladycrafter14!!!

Click Here to Download the Valentine's Day Printable for Free

Thank you so much for guest posting here today, Tiffany! My favorite color is red, so I was oohing and aaahing over this fun topiary. What a great pop of color it gives to her shelf arrangement! And thanks for the free printable as well! Tiffany is another Nebraska blogger that loves to create when she has free time from her 4 beautiful children. You can check out her wonderful blog HERE!

ALL WEEK LONG!

I also want to feature you as well. Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 3-Love Letter Wall Art

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Heather from Summerstead, and I'm thrilled to be a part of Kindra's 2nd Be Mine Bonanza!

Last year, I showed you how to make some pillow forms and pillow covers. This time, I decided to do something a little different. Thinking of the kinds of things I love (simplicity, all things vintage, history) and things that I don't particularly care for (lots of heartsy stuff), I came up with some wall art that is inspired by old letters, including a letter my great-grandpa wrote to my great-grandma during WWI.

Today, I'm going to show you how I created both versions above.

For the one on the left, you will need:

12x12 Scrapbooking Frame

12x12 Scrapbooking Paper

8x11 Scrapbooking Paper or Printer Paper

Tape

Xacto Knife and self healing mat

Ruler

Pencil

Printer

Embellishments

First, if your frame is black (like mine), but you want it a different color (like I did), just spray paint it. Decide on a poem or song that you like. I chose Etta James' "At Last" because that was the first song my husband and I danced to. Below, you'll find some links to PDF's for At Last, What A Wonderful World, I'll Be Seeing You, It Had To Be You, As Time Goes By, and It's Been A Long Long Time. Or type and print your own (font and template info found below). I printed mine on some textured card stock, and I love the way it turned out.

Take your 12x12 scrapbooking paper, measure and mark lines 2-3 inches from each side. I did mine at 2 inches, but I wish I would have gone with 2.5 or 3 inches.

I apologize for the poor quality photo - not a good day for taking pictures!

With your Xacto knife (or scissors), cut the middle out. Take your printed song, center it (it's okay if the words on the edges don't completely show), and tape it in place. If you have a little bit hanging over the bottom, just cut it off. Add any embellishments, attach your paper to the frame backing, and pop it all into the frame.

For the frame on the right, you will need:

11x14 frame with 8x10 mat

18" Baker's twine

Heat and Bond

Fabric
Paper, ruler, scissors, and pencil for making template

First, you will need to pick out your song that you want, then print and frame it like you would a picture. I printed mine on plain white cardstock. Now, the no-sew mini bunting. Cut a piece of paper at 1x3 inches. Then, mark the half way points on each side, and draw a diamond shape using the halfway marks as a guide, and cut the diamond out.

Next, cut (5) 1x3 strips of Heat and Bond. Iron the shiny/non-papery side of the Heat and Bond strips to the wrong side of your fabric(s) and cut them out.

Then, trace the diamond onto the papery-side of the Heat and Bond, and cut out your shapes. If you want scalloped edges like mine, you'll need to use pinking shears or a pinking rotary blade. With wrong sides together, fold your fabric diamonds in half, and iron the bottom half. Slip on to your baker's twine, and iron the rest. I spaced my mini pennants about 1/2 inch apart. Since the bunting is light enough, you can just tape it to the back of your frame.

I've already printed out the lyrics to some of my (and my family's) favorite songs that I plan to periodically switch out. I'll also change the background and embellishments in the first frame, and the bunting on the second one to fit the song and/or season!

Sources, Costs, and Notes:

For the printed song in the first frame, I used the "Justify" alignment, and knocked the margins down to .5. You may also have to adjust the header and footer (I set mine at .3)

Font - Jane Austen, free from dafont.com

12x12 Frame - Hobby Lobby, $19.99

12x12 Paper - Hobby Lobby, 59¢

8x11 Paper - Hobby Lobby, 39¢

11x14 Frame with mat - Walmart, $14

Baker's Twine - Bella Creationz, $8.95/160 yards

Fabric - my personal stash

Heat and Bond - Hobby Lobby, about $3/yard, I think
At Last - Vertical Horizontal
What A Wonderful World - Vertical Horizontal
I'll Be Seeing You - Vertical Horizontal
It Had To Be You - Vertical Horizontal
As Time Goes By - Vertical Horizontal
It's Been A Long, Long Time - Vertical Horizontal

Thanks again, Kindra for hosting this event, and inviting me to be a part of it! And, thanks to all of you for checking out this lil tutorial o' mine!

What a wonderful way to showcase a favorite memory or moment with lyrics. Now I need to put this on my to-do list to showcase my wedding song. And thanks Heather for the price breakdown and sources! Heather is a fellow Nebraska blogger and also a momma to 2 boys. She loves to create and is a very talented photographer. You can find her FAB blog HERE. Thank you so much for guest posting here today, Heather!

And Don't Forget

I also want to feature you as well! Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I am having a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 2-Valentine Throw Pillow

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Hey At Home with K readers! I'm Christina, and I blog over at christinasadventures.com . I am a mid-twenties wife and doggy-mom, who teaches children on the Autism Spectrum. I LOVE everything thrifty, and I'm in love with make-over stories!

I'm so excited to kick off Kindra's fun Valentines Day series! :) I am so not typically a "Valentines Day" girl - but I had a lot of fun making this pillow!

It all started when I saw this sweet pillow on Pinterest:

Source: diaryofaquilter.com via Christina on Pinterest

I figured I'd just put my own spin on it! To minimize the sewing, I used a thrifty placemat I got from a local discount store:

I used a seam-ripper to take out the seams on the right and left sides of the place mat:

Then I cut out some fleece hearts (it was a fabric remnant on a great sale) using a piece of piece of
folded fleece:

Then I lined up the hearts and just attached them temporarily with tape until I could sew them on:

Then I hand-sewed the hearts on using a contrasting thread:

Once I got them all sewn on, I sewed ribbon on between the hearts and did a little stitch in the middle of each heart as well. This was a little difficult, but I used a thick needle and some muscle and it worked :)

Then I stuffed it with some batting and hand-stitched the sides closed. And it's finished! :)

I think it's so cute - and I love that it doesn't have to be all pink and red, but it's still an appropriate decoration for Valentines Day! If you want to see more projects like this - come stop by my blog! It's a fun place to be :) Thanks so much for having me, Kindra!

Thank you so much for guest posting here today, Christina! I just love the idea of using a placemat for the pillow form. The details Christina added are perfect to have out for Valentine's day and even all year round. Christina and I are quite alike, we love to decorate and create on a budget! She even has a weekly linky party on Thursdays that are for projects made for $20 or less. Go check out Christina's wonderful blog for inspiration!

ALL THIS WEEK!

I also want to feature you as well! Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 1-Sweetheart Ornaments

2012-01-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza!

For the next 7 days, 7 fun Valentine Themed Tutorials will be featured here at At Home With K.!

I want to thank all the guest bloggers that are joining me for this event! I really appreciate you all sharing your time and talent with us!

I hope you all will be inspired to CREATE!

I have a confession to make, I'm totally copying this idea for the project I am sharing with you today. :) It's not from a blog or pinterest...but from my grandma.

When I was little she made several personalized ornaments of her kids and grandkids. As we all got older and more grandkids and even great-grandkids came, she stopped making them.

Here is one of mine from 1981 of my brother and I. The back is lined with felt and the edges are lined with Ric Rac Ribbon. It's simple and I add it to my tree each Christmas.

Today, I'm going to show you how to make your own Sweetheart Ornaments.

I am blessed with a house full of boys. It was fun to showcase my sweethearts with these keepsake ornaments.

Sweetheart Ornaments Tutorial

Supplies

Small Craft Mirrors 2x3inches

Paint Stripper

Paper Towels
Bug and Tar Remover

Razor Blade

Pictures

Pencil
Scissors

Burlap or Fabric

Ribbon

Hot Glue Gun

Other Options

Craft Mirrors come in many different shapes and sizes. I found mine at Hobby Lobby in a multi-pack for around $2.

Instead of Bug and Tar Remover, you could use Brake Fluid or Brake Cleaner.

Directions

Removing the Back of the Mirrors

1. There are 2 layers to the mirrors. For the first layer, you need to apply a small amount of paint stripper to the back of the mirror. Leave on for approx. 5 minutes.

2. You should be able to wipe off the backing with a paper towel. If not, use your razor blade. You will be left with a dull silver backing now.

3. I looked high and low on the Internet on how to remove the backing of mirrors. I couldn't find much without me buying some special solution...Ha! I'm a momma on a budget, so since I don't allow chemicals inside our house...I invaded the garage. With the help of my hubby, he gave me 3 car related chemicals. I tried all 3 and the Bug and Tar Remover did the best to remove the silver lining. But they all do work.

4. Put a small amount of the chemical of your choice on the back other mirror. Leave on for 5 minutes. The goal is to leave the mirror image around the perimeter of the mirror, so scrape the middle area only with your razor blade. I used a wide blade and scraped in the same direction so I didn't scratch the glass. As you scrape, you will see the silver lining start coming up and you will see through the mirror. Be patient with this part.

**I advise not to mix chemicals and use gloves**

5. After the centers of the mirrors are scraped off, I cleaned all the chemical residue off the mirrors with soap and water. And allow to dry.

6. Print photos or use photos you already have. Remember, you will be cutting up these photos. Don't use those special family photos! Make a copy instead. I made mine black and white and printed on tan cardstock to give the pictures a vintage feel.

7. Trace around the edge of the mirror where you want the photo to be placed and cut. Then glue the photo to the back of the mirror with small amounts of hot glue.

8. To make a more finished look, I added burlap to the back of the mirror. I glued ribbon first to act as a hanger before I glued the burlap on top.

9. I then took the same ribbon and glued it around the perimeter of the mirror. This hides the edge of the photo and burlap and gives it a more finished look. I used hot glue to do this, the hint is to glue small sections at a time.

Sweetheart Ornaments are a fun project to showcase your Valentines.

You can add them to your winter tree, hang on a cupboard knob, a pegboard, add to a gift...and so much more. It's a great way to personalize a space or gift.

This idea is also great to do to bigger mirrors and add photos. A fun twist to the traditional photo displays.

Linking up to HERE
Valentine's Day Link Party at Momnivore's Dilemma

Here is the lineup for the 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza this week! Be sure to come back to check out these awesome tutorials!

January 23 Christina-Christina's Adventures

January 24 Heather-Summerstead

January 25 Tiffany-Ladycrafter14

January 26 Sarah-All Roads Lead Home

January 27 Michelle-Emerald Cove

January 28 Gwen-Gwenny Penny

I also want to feature you as well. Instead of my Terrific Under Ten Tuesday this week, I will have a Be Mine Bonanza linky party open up all week.

Link up your Valentine projects.

You can link up as many posts as you like.

Please leave a link back to At Home With K in your post or on your blog.

The Linky party will be up until January 28th.

Thanks!

Art Display Board

2012-01-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

I have been busy adding to the details of our kid/craft room. My hubby has been an excellent helper as well. He helped me a great deal with this project I'm going to share with you today.

We had a large art display board in our mudroom area. Well now since the current mudroom makeover, we needed to move it to another area of the room.

The downside of our new craft room is 2 cement walls. The 'perfect' spot for the peg board was on a cement wall of course. :) I wasn't too keen on drilling a bunch of holes in the wall and neither was my hubby. So we decided to adhere the peg board the the wall using 1x4's.

We figured out the placement of the pegboard and we placed 1x4 wood pieces around the perimeter and also a couple in the middle.

We used Power Grab Molding and Paneling Adhesive. It is great stuff!

We allowed the adhesive to dry overnight before we added the peg board.

Before we attached the peg board to the 1x4 boards, we added plastic clothespins to the holes. These clothespins are actually magnets that I found at Office Max. They already had a predrilled hole in the back. So it was easy to add a screw to thread through the holes.

These clothespins were also clear when I bought them. I spray painted them with a primer and then a textured black paint.

To attach to the back, we add small washers.

We could of easily used peg board hooks, but I loved the look and function of the clothespins better.

We attached the peg board to the 1x4's using screws.

Now we could of been done after this but I wanted to add some trim to cover up the edge of the 1x4's peaking through the sides.

I went to my local salvage center and found 24 feet of lovely thick old molding for only $5!

I didn't even have to paint it. I love the chippiness and crackle of the old paint. We attached the old molding directly on the cement wall using the same Adhesive above.

And I didn't even bother to fill in the corners with spackling. I love seeing the mitered corners to match the imperfection of the old wood trim.

So with a little team work, we have a wonderful diplay board ready to fill with our boys' art.

Did you see our oops? It doesn't bother me now...but imagine my disappointment when I brought this lovely wide trim home to realize we calculated enough room between the peg board and ceiling for thinner trim. And the 1x4's were already glued on the wall. LOL I had no intention for the trim to bud up against the ceiling like that. And yes, the trim is exactly 5 inches wide, just enough space to squeeze in there. :)

So keep that in mind when you are shopping for all your supplies to allow room for everything. I just fell in love that trim so much that I couldn't pass it up!

When I originally did this peg board a couple years or so ago, I originally got it unfinished at our local home improvement store. Stores carry many different sizes, I really liked the 4 foot x 4 foot size. I painted the whole piece red and then added the white stripes using painter's tape. I also stenciled my boys' initials and some stars on it as well. I then sanded it all down and then added MinWax dark walnut stain to richin' it up a bit.

Our boys love arts and crafts (my 4 year finally caught the craft bug a couple months ago), so this space is going to be filled with creations and imagination for years to come.

Do you have a fun space to display your child's art?

Stay tuned for more craft room projects...

Kindra

Linking up HERE

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #47

2012-01-17T06:07:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are some features from last week's party:

Valentine Coupons Mini Clipboard from It's A Crafty Life

Dollar Store Activity Bags from Second Chances by Susan

Chevron Thread Holder by Craptastic

Baggy Hubby Sweater Turned Chic by DIY Home Sweet Home

Chocolate 'Mud' Playdough by Crayon Freckles

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Mudroom Makeover

2012-01-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

Do you remember our kid rec/craft room project?

We had a partly unfinished room in our basement that was used as my craft room when I did craft fairs. It then turned into a catch all room.

So we cleared it out.

I let my oldest son pick out the color. He picked 'vivid turquoise'. And he was so happy to help paint!

After we painted, we added a faux wood floor with peel and stick vinyl tiles.

And now I am finishing up the room with the details to make it complete.

This is a fairly big room. It's the first room we come into from our basement garage. So it was important to have a mudroom area in there as well.

Here is the before mudroom area.

We made a faux wall with old doors, that helped divide the room from my junky craft room area...but that didn't help sometimes because the catch all stuff was starting to overflow into the mudroom area. LOL

Above the bench we had a fun peg board that displayed our boy's art. I decided to move it to another area of the room that I will show later. I had another idea for this mudroom area. :)

Here is the mudroom today!
A much more fun and cheerful area to enter each day!

We took the faux door wall down. But I really wanted to keep a couple of the doors still in the room. I have a thing for old doors! And these doors I scored for around a $1 each from a family member. I got plenty on hand, that I don't know what to do with. But that's a good problem to have.

I thought they would make a great backdrop to the mudroom area.
They were at different heights so my hubby cut one down to make them 'match'. We had to remove the door knobs but made sure we kept the old hardware and hinges on them. They just don't make architecture like they used to. My hubby secured them on the wall making sure to screw into the studs in the wall.

When we made the door wall, I painted them a mustard color and I applied a dark walnut stain to give them an aged look. I think they really pop against my son's vivid turquoise.

The doors made it easy to hang hooks for all the coats, hats and bags.

I found the black hooks at Menards on sale for 89 cents each.

We also added hooks we already had on the side for easy key access by the garage door.

The black bench and cabinet I already had in the old mudroom.

The black bench is homemade that I bought at a craft open house a few summers ago for around $25.

A basket doesn't seem like it's complete unless it's labeled these days. :)

The tags were made from turquoise cardstock I had on hand. I cut them out, then added our initials to each basket with twine.

We have 2 K's in our family, so I gave my basket an 'M' for Mom. :)

The black cabinet was a $1 auction find a couple years ago. It was bright yellow!

I added beadboard paneling to the back of the cabinet and then painted it all red as a base color. Then I painted it black allowing some red peeking through. Then I added dark walnut stain (I love stain!). I found the baskets at Michael's for 1/2 off.

I added some new rugs to the area that I got for free with a rebate I had from Menards. So really for this makeover, I spent less than $7 for the hooks.

A fun area to our new room!

More projects for our craft/kid room to come. Stay tuned!

Linking up HERE

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #46

2012-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are some features from last week's linky party!

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread from The Crafterbug

Magnetic Play Sets by From Gardners 2 Bergers

Top 10 Recipes in 2011 from Whole New Mom

Under $10 Door Redo from Space 46

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza Announcement

2012-01-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting the 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza here at At Home with K starting in 2 weeks on January 22nd!

The BE MINE BONANZA will feature 7 Love Themed Tutorials from 7 Different Bloggers, including myself.

Last year's event was so much fun! Here are the projects just in case you missed them.

1. Button Wool Pillow by More Prim Than Proper (miss your blog)

2. Duct Tape Bouquet and Man Candy by Frou-FruGal

3. Painted Muslin Hearts by Gwenny Penny

4. Salt Dough Heart Ornaments by All Roads Lead Home

5. Pretty Pillows by Summerstead

6. Pom Pom Flowers by Emerald Cove

7. I Love My Husband T-Shirt by At Home With K

This year is going to be just as good!

Here is the lineup and schedule for the 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza:

January 22 Kindra-At Home With K
January 23 Christina-Christina's Adventures
January 24 Heather-Summerstead
January 25 Tiffany-Ladycrafter14
January 26 Sarah-All Roads Lead Home
January 27 Michelle-Emerald Cove
January 28 Gwen-Gwenny Penny

It's going to be a Crafty Love Time!

New Year-New You! Reading Labels

2012-01-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

Today we're going shopping and reading labels!

We do 95% of our shopping at Trader Joe's. They carry great quality of food plus it's very affordable. My friend finally went shopping there for the first time last month and she was so surprised by the prices. The store is small, mine only has 4 aisles...so shopping is much quicker than a traditional big grocery store. The staff is always walking around, very friendly and available for questions. They are very knowledgeable about the food and ingredients. Oh and they have daily yummy samples!

I have found that buying food that has natural ingredients tend to be 50 cents to $1 more than the foods that have chemicals and preservatives in them. Organic fruits and veggies can be 50 cents-$1 more per pound than regular fruit. And surprisingly you can find good foods the same price or even less!

I went shopping this week at Wal-Mart. There is generally a Wal-Mart around every corner so I thought it was a good place to show you how you can make simple changes just by reading labels on what is available in a traditional grocery store.

I really promote homemade if you can. But if you have to get processed food then read your labels! Let's check a few comparisons out.

When I'm reading labels, I always look at the Ingredients first. I also look at sugar and sodium, especially if there are more than one option to pick from.

Remember, if you can't pronounce the ingredient then don't buy it! Most likely it's a chemical or preservative!

Let's start with syrup. Aunt Jemima is a popular name brand.

As you can see it has high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring and it even has the word 'preservatives' written in the ingredients to take the guess work out for you. And I always think it's funny when I see they made the food with artificial and natural flavoring...why both? And who know what hexametaphosphate is???

This Aunt Jemima was $3.36

I chose Wal-Mart's generic version Great Value Maple Syrup. And look at the ingredients. It leaves out the guess work doesn't it?

This Maple Syrup was $6.48 but real maple syrup is very sweet. So you need very little to put on your pancakes and waffles compared to 1/2 the bottle of the artificial stuff.

Cold cereal is not the preferred choice for breakfast, even if it's 'healthy'. But if you like cold cereal like the men in my house do then read the labels!

Let's look at Kashi.

$3.54

When we look at the ingredient list, we can understand and read each ingredient. Plus they are organic!

So I looked at the Kellog's Special K section and they were all out of their strawberry cereal. So I took a look at the Wal-Mart generic. A big difference, right?! High Fructose Corn Syrup and a lot of chemical words. Put It Back!

This one was $2.50

So I thought well maybe Kellog's Special K ingredient list would be better. So I grabbed Blueberry. Oh look the cover says it has Artificial and Natural Flavors. Huh??

It still has chemicals and preservatives (BHT), plus soy and food coloring. Put it back.

This box was $2.98. So for 50 cents more you can get the healthy organic Kashi cereal.

Next up is Heinz ketchup for $2.66 (36 oz bottle)

As you can see, it has high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup in it.

Hunt's makes a better option and they put it right on their label!

This one is cheaper at $1.78 (35 oz bottle)!

Here's the label.

Heinz does make an organic version of their ketchup, which is the best out of all of them.

This 15 oz bottle is $2.28.

Smuckers Raspberry Jam for $3.38.

More high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup!

Smucker Simply Fruit for $2.48 (less ounces than above)

I can understand all the ingredients!

Skippy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter

Corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, soy and lots of chemical names.

Skippy Natural Peanut Butter

Ingredients: No Junk!

Price for each is the same price!

Now this is just an example of what to look for when you are comparing ingredients. Do this to all your food. After awhile you will know what products to by and what to stay away from.

I didn't even get time to look at breads and pastas. We all like those right? Try to stay away from Enriched Bleached Wheat or White Flour. These have been bleached and there is very little nutrition and fiber to them. So say no to white flour, white pastas, white bread and white rice.

Meat in general can be expensive in the first place. But when you get good quality organic meat, that can run you up to double the price of ordinary meat. To offset the price, I get the middle ground meat. Wal-Mart now has a brand of chicken that has no antibiotics, vegetarian fed, no animals by-products, and raised cage free. It is affordable as well. It is not necessarily the 'best', but it fits in our budget.

Other ways we save $ with high meat costs is we have meatless meals in the meal plan. I make sure to have 1-2 supper meals per week that don't include meat. My husband also hunts deer and that helps a great deal as well. (But I understand if not all your spouses hunt, my husband enjoys the sport and it's a bonus for us)

And also when I buy hot dogs, bacon and lunch meat, I look for the kind that have "NO Nitrates and Preservatives" in them. If the hot dogs can't be found in the cold section, then look in the freezer department.

I also look for eggs that are cage free and antibiotic/hormone free. If we drank milk then we would do that as well. I see that Wal-Mart now carries organic milk. More and more I am finding new items at Wal-Mart and regular grocery stores that are much more healthier choices! A nice surprise! If there is more demand then they will make more and with great prices.

You can make a huge improvement in your health and your family's health by being aware of the food you eat.

I hope this New Year-New You! Series has helped you in some way to help you or your family. I know it was a lot of information to tackle in one week. This is just the basics. There are several blogs and websites dedicated on healthy living out there that cover so much more. I encourage you to look around online and find your favorites to learn more.

As requested, I'll share more about supplements, more healthy tips and even recipes that our family enjoys in future posts. Our meals are gluten and dairy free but you can easily adjust them to your regular flour (hopefully not enriched white or wheat) and milk (hopefully organic).

If you have any questions or any more healthy post suggestions please leave a comment or email me!

Do you read labels?

Do you look at anything besides the calories?

If you missed any New Year-New You! posts, you can check them out here:

Our Story

My Weight Loss Story

Do you know what you are eating?

What's In Your Water?

Going Organic

New Year-New You! Organic

2012-01-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to briefly talk about going Organic.

Going organic and still learning all the ropes that go with classifying products "organic" is still a learning process for me. I just try to keep up to date on new policies and readings I come across about organic foods.

We try our best to buy the most cleanest fresh foods that we can provide for our family.

The advice I can share about going organic:

1. Support local.

Support local organic farms in your area. You will be surprised if you google organic farms in your state. I have 4 in my area and had NO IDEA! One is on the way to my hubby's work and they have a stand open almost daily to 7:00pm from May-October each year. So it makes it easy for people to grab some produce for the week. Ours also has eggs and meat.

Another great idea is tour an organic farm and see what they really are about. My family had the opportunity to do so last year and my kids had such a fun time! See how growing our food is supposed to be done. Great for our health and the environment.

Farmer's Markets are quite popular here. Even small towns in our area having weekly ones with local produce and goodies.

2. Grow your own garden.

We have grown a garden for the last 2 years. It provides us with some yummy meals in the summer and we still have many packaged veggies we froze to add to wintertime meals.

My goal is to learn to can produce this year.

3. Grocery Stores

We have 3 (that I know of) organic stores in the city I live near. I am very blessed to have such great resources nearby. But to be honest, I can't afford to shop at them a lot. So I love to go to Trader Joes for most of our shopping. I also shop at HyVee (which has it's own health market) and Wal-Mart for some staples. Look and see what grocery stores in your area that provide the best and affordable foods for your family. Ideally, I would shop organic everything 100% but I realistically can't. I just make sure I read labels and buy wholesome clean foods the best we can.

4. Learn on your own.

There are many books and resources on organic food. Do your research and make your own choice.

All I know is that chemicals are bad on my produce. Feeding animals feed full or antibiotics and GMO corn is not good. Why do they do this? So the animals get really big at a faster rate so more money is exchanged. How does this benefit me? Nothing. It's making my family literally sick.
Do your research and be your own judge.

5. Trade that Starbucks and McDonalds run.

I know what a lot of people are thinking when they think of organic. Expensive. Sure we all do. But what about that $5 cup of coffee you just bought at Starbucks or the $5 value meal from McDonalds (no! no! if you are even at that place! I'll come hunt you down! LOL). The same people that say this are sporting new haircuts, manicures and new cars and homes. Our priorities have switched over the past few decades. Material things and conveniences have taken over the way we buy food these days. There is not enough money to go around and we have to make a sacrifice here or there for the benefit of our health. I would rather pay more now on organic, clean food instead of paying later on hospital and doctor bills down the road. (BTW Dr. bills have been flowing in for the past 9 months with my son's diagnosis...)

The Environmental Working Group has put together a list of the produce that has the highest pesticide residues, aka 'The Dirty Dozen'. This is extremely helpful when you are on a budget and need to prioritize your organic purchases.

By the way, The Environmental Working Group has a wonderful website full of endless information about organic foods and chemicals in our food, products and environment. I highly recommend it.

Top 12 Produce with Highest Pesticide Residues in 2011

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines (Imported)

7. Grapes (Imported)

8. Sweet Bell Peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale & Collard Greens

**I have also seen pears and cherries on a different list**

They also mention to watch your milk, meats, coffee, wine and chocolate-all found to have high pesticide residues.

Buying organic is always a good choice for the health of farms and farm workers, regardless of the residue left on the end product. But if you must prioritize especially if you are on a limited budget, the EWG put together a 'Clean 15' list:

15 produce with the lowest pesticide residues:

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mango
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

**I have also seen Broccoli and Papaya on a different list**

One last thing for me to share with you today. Another documentary called Food Inc. Another wonderful documentary showing you where your food is actually coming from. This film really focuses on cattle and chickens. I found the full film on YouTube but it can also be found on Netflix. A great eye opening for you and your family to watch.

And I just wanted to share one more blog that I love to visit, The Healthy Home Economist. I am no where near the diet and lifestyle she has and promotes. I am taking baby steps and we are doing the best my husband and I can afford for our family...but I strive to be more like her everyday. I really enjoy her videos!

Thanks for visiting today!

Do you buy organic food for your family?

New Year-New You! What's In Your Water?

2012-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to this week's New Year-New You! Series

Please check out these past posts if you missed them:

Our Family Story

My Weight loss Story

Do you know what you are eating?

Today is all about:

Do you know what's in your water?

Turn on your faucet. Notice anything about your water? It may look clean, but exactly how safe is it?

The truth is, chemicals that can be harmful to your health can actually turn up in the water your family drinks. Chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals, industrial pollutants and pharmaceuticals. And did you know, up to 20% of human lead exposure comes from drinking water?!!

When we first started out with our holistic doctor with our son, he was very adamant about us getting a water filtration system for our home. Since we were removing chemicals from his diet, environment and detoxing his body...we didn't want anymore coming in and that also included drinking water.

To be honest, I never really thought about it. We live in a small town and every year we get a mailing on what tests have been done on our water. Everything looked 'safe' and it never crossed my mind. When I lived in a big city in my early 20's, I had a Brita water pitcher because I always head big city water was unsafe to drink and the water was tasted 'funny'.

So taking his advice, we got our water tested and found out that my small town water had just as many chemicals as the big city water. That was a big surprise!

We eventually got a Culligan water filtration system for our home. It goes right to our kitchen faucet and fridgerator for drinking and cooking. It's one less thing to worry about with our health.

I would highly recommend getting your water tested. Water companies provide free testing even. A quick and easy test to do right now is look at your ice cubes. Are they cloudy like this? They should be clear. This was our ice cubes before our water filtration system was installed. The cloudiness is all the crap that WAS in our water.

TODAY our water TASTES GREAT and our ice cubes are CLEAR!

So lets dig a little deeper into what kind of chemicals can be found in your drinking water.

Disinfection By-Products

Public drinking-water disinfection by water utilities is crucial for controlling waterborne disease, but the chemicals used can form by-products in our treated water that increase the risk of cancer.

Some of these include:

trihalomethanes

chloroform

dibromochloromethane

bromodicholoromethane

bromoform

Long-term exposure may cause liver, kidney, or central nervous system problems and can increase cancer risk.

Heavy Metals

Lead Exposure:

Up to 20% comes from drinking water

In infants and children, long-term lead exposure may cause reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and impaired growth

In adults, long-term lead exposure may cause kidney problems, nerve disorders, and high blood pressure

Other examples of heavy metal exposures are mercury, cadmium and copper.

Agricultural Pollutants

One example is:

Atrazine is one of the frequently detected pesticides in ground water, surface water and drinking water. It is runoff from herbicide used on row crops.

Long term exposure may cause cardiovascular and reproductive problems.

Industrial Pollutants

One example is Benzene

It is discharge from factories and leaches from gas storage tanks and landfills.

Long term exposure anemia, decreased blood platelets, and increased risk of cancer.

Pharmaceuticals

Tests have also shown that traces of pharmaceuticals can be found in drinking water. These included antibiotics, hormones, mood stabilizers, cancer treatment drugs and more.

As a nurse, our protocol was to flush meds down the toilet when we are properly disposing of them. Our protocol has since changed within the last year.

It can also be passed through other ways...but I won't get graphic.

To learn more about what's in your drinking water visit HERE

Well what about Bottled Water?

Unlike public water utilities, the bottled water industry is not required to publicly disclose of any contaminant testing it conducts.

Bottled water may not be contaminant free. The Environmental Working Group found a total of 38 contaminants in the water of 10 popular brands.

And not to mention it is horrible for the environment!

In 2007 is was reported that 1.64 million tons of bottled water packaging materials were produced in the U.S. And only 34% of those materials were recycled.

Also reported, it takes 1.5 million barrels of oil every year to facilitate the production of water bottles made for use in the U.S. That's enough oil to power 50,000 cars for a year!

So what can you do?

Learn more about how your city water is tested!

Get your water tested!

Eliminate your water bottle use!

And get a water filter system of some sort for your home!

The health of your family with thank you for it!

If you are looking into a water filter system for you home, Shaklee has Multipatented filter pitcher available!

This BPA-Free pitcher filtration system is certified by the water quality association to reduce up to 99% of lead (Brita and PUR do not), as well as dozens of contaminants that can turn up in your water and may be harmful to your health and your families health.

The Get Clean Water filter handles 80 gallons of water (twice as much as Brita and PUR) and each filter is made from sustainable coconut shell carbon using a zero-emission process. Plus it's the first pitcher with a refillable carbon-block filter system, so there's less waste going in the landfill!

You can check it out HERE

Do you use a water filtration system in your home?

New Year-New You! Do You Know What You Are Eating?

2012-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

Do you know what's in your food?

Today I'm going to show you what foods we avoid in our diet.

When we switched over to an all natural diet, it was quite overwhelming at first. Where to shop, reading labels...after awhile I got upset and still get upset that we even have such crazy food in the first place full of dyes, artificial flavors and preservatives that other countries outlaw. Unfortunately it all comes down to marketing and money. I can make post after post about what the government, FDA and drug companies don't want you to know. I have done my research on why my kid and other kids are being diagnosed with autism, allergies, obesity, diabetes, adhd, asthma, cancers and so much more...my best advice is to do your homework, maybe a learn a thing or 2 on what I share and do what you think is best for your family.

I chose to choose healthy choices for my family. I had no choice. My son was almost 4 years old and babbling when he tried to talk, flapping his arms and looking spaced out, not eating, sensitive to touch, light and sound and his behavior was out of control...I cleaned up his diet and those things got better or completely went away. It's not a coincidence. I'm not making this up. I did this and my 22 year migraines are gone. And my other son's allergies and eczema symptoms are gone.

Do you suffer from depression, anxiety, arthritis, fybromalgia or other autoimmune diseases? Maybe change up your diet and you can help illiminate these symptoms or even get rid of your meds...I think it's worth it, don't you? At least give it a try. I'll guarantee you'll lose a few pounds in the process!

Or maybe you are reading this thinking, I've been eating this food for years and I feel just fine. Great! But also think of the underlining problems, cancer is linked to many of these chemicals in our food.

One of the best books I read (and I have read many...) when we first started out with our new diet was The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien

This book is an excellent introduction to the dangers in our everyday food. It also gives you simple swap suggestions and easy recipes to try. I highly recommend this book. I found mine at my local library.

This is the new cover.

So what must Go?

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
This yucky stuff is found in processed and fast foods. It is made from GMO's (genetically modified organisms). In other words it's made in a lab to preserve our food. Yum, huh? The Mayo Clinic even identified health concerns that can result from the consumption of MSG:

Headache
Facial pressure or tightness
Numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas
Chest Pain
Nausea
Joint pain
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Asthma
Depression
And much more...
Plus it can make you fat!

With that being said, also stay from anything that is artificial. For example aspartame can make you even more hungry, depressed and give you a headache/migraines.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Also made from GMO's-there's that word again. HFCS has no real nutritional value, it's more than twice as sweet as regular sugar and causes a high spike in blood sugar when consumed. Not good for those kiddos with adhd and anxiety. It is known to contribute to obesity, heart disease and even Alzheimer's and memory loss. Are you hungry yet?

Artificial Food Dyes
Yes, I'm a sucker for colorful food just like the next guy. But not after I realize that these bright pretty artificial foods contain such toxic chemicals. Our government views artificial food coloring of having a small amount of toxic chemicals but are not harmful. The problem is that our bodies recognize these chemicals as toxic and tries to protect our vital organs from absorbing it. It makes us fat and also linked to autism/ADHD, infertility and some cancers. You will see artificial colors labeled on packages usually Red #, Yellow#, Blue# with a number behind them. Many artificial food dyes are outlawed in many countries because of the health side affects.

Soy
It is also a genetically modified organism. Unless, you come across non genetically modified soy. My Cinch Shakes are made from high quality Non GMO Soy protein.

To learn more about the items I listed above, please visit The Weston A Price Foundation.

Are you overwhelmed yet? Not to worry, our general rule is if we can't pronounce the ingredient then we put it back on the shelf. This week, I'll take you along grocery shopping and I'll show how easy it is to make simple swaps of our common everyday staples. It's not much extra work once you start learning which food products to absolutely stay from. If you have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in your area then that pretty much takes the guess work out of the majority of your food. They stock their food with mostly artificial/preservative free junk. But I know you all don't, so I'll be going to a regular grocery store to compare ingredients. And you will be surprised that the price is not that much different.

So what do you ought to give up?

Processed Foods
I know...what am I crazy? LOL I was born in the 70's when processed food was just booming...my favorite cereal was Frankenberry. I loved Twinkies. I drank Diet Coke. And loved Cheetos. :)
All I'm asking is that you take baby steps to try to illuminate processed foods as much as you can in your household. Make simple swaps. Instead of instant potatoes, make homemade. They are surprising easy! Don't buy boxed mac & cheese with bright colored powder, make your own with noodles, real cheese and milk. Simple little changes make such a difference.

Yes, I will admit we still use processed foods. A good rule of thumb is do the 80/20 ratio. 80% whole foods/ 20% processed.

Canned Foods
Try your best to stay away from canned goods. They can be filled with MSG, other preservatives and BPA is found in the lining of the cans. :( Make your own homemade soups. I just love cream of mushroom soup. I used to buy cans and cans of that stuff and use it many supper meals. Now I make my own that is healthy and more yummy! If you can't afford fresh fruits and vegetables, then skip the cans and head right to the freezer department, your second best option.

One last thing I want to share with you today is one of my favorite documentaries I have watched in the past year. I found the full episode on YouTube, so please if you have time, watch it and see what you think. Even better, watch it with your whole family. It's called Food Matters. It gives you the insight of the food and health industry. A real eye opener. My husband even said that this movie was a true awakening for him. You can also find this movie available on Netflix.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this information.

Does your family eat 'healthy'? What works for you?

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #45

2012-01-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

Here are a few projects that I would like to feature from last week's linky party:

Rosette Keychains from Vixen Made

Shabby EAT signs from Centsible Chic

Re-Purposed Advertising Magnets from Loopy Loop Creations

I had 3 link ups for natural remedies. So I wanted to feature each one. It's a great time to feature the power of food and it's healing remedies during the New Year-New You week here at At Home With K. We know first hand how well it works. :)

Simple Homemade Remedies For A Variety of Respiratory Illnesses by Frugally Sustainable

Chase Away Colds & Flu with Broth-Based Soup from Whole Intentions

Fight Colds and Flu Naturally from Gluten Free A-Z Blog

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

New Year-New You! My Weight Loss Story & Shaklee Cinch Special

2012-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2nd day of New Year-New You!

I first want to thank you so much from the bottom of my heart about ALL the supporting and loving comments, emails and facebook messages with yesterday's post. It took a lot for me to be really open like that. Even though it was hard to share our personal Get Healthy journey, I know if I can help at least one of you out there that is struggling with your health or your child's health then I know that "putting it all out there" was so worth it!

It makes me even more excited about the New Year-New You series this week! If you are just joining in, all this week I'll be sharing healthy changes my family did within the last year. You can read about our Healthy Journey HERE.

Today is a more fun post!

Do you need to lose weight?

Drop inches?

Get Healthy?

Feel Better?

Boost your metabolism?

Cut cellulite?

Increase energy?

If you answered “YES” to any of those questions, then I have great news! Shaklee is kicking off the New Year with an awesome opportunity to help you with your Weight Loss and Get Healthy Goals!

I started using the Shaklee Cinch products at the beginning of October 2011. My goal was to lose inches and pounds to feel better about how I looked in my current clothes. Never did I expect the results I got!

Let's start from the beginning.

This is me back in May 2011. My hubby and I just finished a 1/2 marathon that day! (13 miles) We had great intentions to run it, we started training in January and was on track when it all came to a hault with the diagnosis of our son's autism. I quit training and turned to food for comfort. I ate more and more and didn't realize how much of an emotional eater I was. Literally the day before the marathon, I decided to walk the long 13 miles. It shouldn't be hard, right? During that time, I ballooned to the biggest I had ever been besides my 2 pregnancies.

Power walking 13 miles with extra weight was no fun! At mile ten, my hips felt like they were going to give out. With the encouragement of my husband and friends, I made it to the finish line. My husband and I crossed the finish line together. It was a wonderful moment even during all of our sadness that we were going to Focus on Healing our son and get our whole family healthy! We were in this together!

Here you can see that I am round in the face and midsection. And I'm smiling through the pain. LOL

Fast forward to October 2011...I managed to lose a little weight with the change of our diet, but I hit a plateau.

Thanks to my then 7 year old for taking pictures of mommy. :)

My trouble spot was still my midsection.

So I started using the Shaklee Cinch Shakes. I replaced breakfast and lunch with a yummy Cinch shake. And I literally saw results right away!

In 2 weeks, I dropped 2 pant sizes and could fit in my pants I haven't fit in over a year!

Even though I little tight, I was so excited to fit in those babies!!

As the next 3 months continued, I had bumps in the road. At the beginning of November a great pain started in my behind and ran down my leg. I pulled a muscle and had a pinched nerve in my derrière . I literally had a pain in the butt! LOL So with that came rehab with a chiropractor and the workouts came to a halt. I have been on light duty for the last 2 months, with very little physical activity. Also the holidays and my son's birthday came around and with that comes extra food.

But you know what, with all that happening and working against me, I still lost weight!

Do you want to see me today?

Here I am in the same jeans and shirt I had on above. You can see my midsection and legs are much slimmer!

In 3 months, I lost 10 pounds and down 3 pant sizes!

Lets look again at the before and after of my 2011 weight loss journey!

I feel and look so much better! Not only is my self confidence up, my energy levels are the best they have ever been! And I have Shaklee to thank!

I have some exciting Shaklee specials to share with you today!

From now until March 31, 2012 when you join as a member and purchase $70 worth of products, you'll get the NEW Cinch Sampler Pack for FREE! That's over $100 savings!! What a way to start the new year!!

**Members get 15% off retail price for a lifetime**

The Cinch Sampler comes with the following items (valued at over $100!)

•An assorted Cinch Snack Bar pack

•A box of Pomegranate Cinch Tea
•2-week supply of Cinch 3-in-1 Boost
•Single sample of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Blueberry Almond Crisp Meal-in-a-Bars
•One Chocolate Shake Packet and one Vanilla Shake Packet

Want to maximize your dollar? Purchase Shaklee's Vitalizer multivitamins for $79.25 and get a FREE lifetime membership AND the Cinch Taste Sampler!

Another great Shaklee offer is the Cinch Transformation Pack!

This pack has everything you will need in a months supply to lose your unwanted fat!

Each order of the Cinch Transformation Pack ($299.95) contains enough Cinch products to last you an entire month! Not only that, but when you order Cinch Transformation for 3 consecutive months (on autoship), your 4th month is FREE!

The Cinch program isn’t just delicious – it’s easy to follow. Just replace two meals with your choice of shakes or meal bars, treat yourself to a snack and afternoon tea and take a metabolism booster with each meal. Add a healthy dinner and your day is complete. Just follow the plan.

This is guaranteed to work or get your money back!

Cinch is designed to help you keep muscle you have, burn fat you don’t want,
and lose inches you don’t need.
Clinically tested*.
Customer proven.
And at less than $3 per meal, you’re looking at a leaner body and a fatter wallet!

Hurry! These specials are for a limited time only!

Read Here for more Cinch Weight Loss Stories!

Want to learn more about Cinch products and what they can do for you? Join us for a free webinar Monday, January 2nd at 10pm Eastern/9pmCentral. Click HERE to sign up!

I'm also available for questions! Please email me at athomewithk(at)hotmail(dot)com

I will be happy to help!

What are you waiting for? Make 2012 the year for a Healthy New You!

New Year-New You! Our Story

2012-01-01T03:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Are you ready to start 2012 out right? Have you set any goals or resolutions for yourself? Losing those extra pounds? A healthier lifestyle? Getting out of debt? Better organization?

All this week here at At Home With K, I will be focusing on creating a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. As you know, I mainly focus on creating and decorating here...but to be honest if I don't take care of myself first then creating, decorating and blogging get put on the back burner. Like the saying goes "If momma ain't happy, no is happy." :)

Each day this week, I will be focusing on things that have changed my family's health and lives! My hope for you is to learn something new, pass on to friends and family and maybe incorporate some (or all) of the these suggestions into your lifestyle. I hope you enjoy this series. And as always, I enjoy your comments and feedback as well.

Today, I am going to share My Family's story.

We had to learn the hard way, but this was our wake up call to live a healthier life.

I am a mom to 2 beautiful boys. Kellon is 8 years old. He's always been my smart, quiet, well-mannered boy (for the most part). Our other son, Taran is 4 1/2 years old. He is complete opposite of his older brother. Very outgoing and spirit driven. We knew from a very young age he was going to be 'hand full'.

As Taran got older, it was harder to bring him to social outings. We couldn't sit in a mommy and me session at our local library because my kid would be the one running around and screaming. Church was a nightmare. He wouldn't sit in church for one minute and either hubby or I would have to sit with him in the nursery. So we pretty much stayed home, unless it was to the store or to an outdoor park. :) I thought this was going to be 'normal' for my strong-willed toddler. Never in a million years did I think something might be 'wrong' with him.

Taran was usually emotional like the picture below, especially in new places, being around a lot of people, being touched...

An elderly man called my son a brat right in front of my face when he was having a breakdown in a small store. I have gotten a thousand dirty looks from my misbehaved son...I'm sure they were thinking that I was a bad mom that didn't have any control of my kid. I even got advice from a stranger that I needed to teach my kid about 'stranger danger' when Taran was running away from me in a public place. But honestly I couldn't change the way my son was acting.

My son hated being hugged, touched, kissed. Being touched by a stranger on the head or shoulder was the worst. He would scream and run away. The person would then perceive to give me another one of those classic 'control your kid' dirty looks.

A lot of times, Taran didn't seem like he was fully 'there'. In another place maybe. We have a lot of these pictures of him just looking off into the distance.

Another quirk about Taran was that he was fascinated with certain objects. One time he loved my candles. He would line them up, smell them, pass them out to people, they always had to be by his side...he even went to bed with them. We thought it was quite cute at the time. Later on, the fascination changed to Easter eggs and then to a box of broken crayons. And anything with wheels was and still is his favorite. He loves to watch the wheels go round and round.

Bright sunlight bothered him tremendously. He would get emotional when adjusting from inside to outside light.

His speech was also different. He could say words just fine, but when he tried to say sentences, they turned into babble talk.

Taran was also a very picky eater, maybe only ate 5 different foods no matter how hard we tried.

Also when he was excited he would flap his arms and hands out. Sometimes down, sometimes straight up in the air. We would even chuckle because we actually thought it was kind of cute.

But like I said, we thought that was our strong-willed son and these were his little quirks.

Then one night in January 2011, while we were eating supper, I looked up at Taran who wasn't eating and there was something wrong. It appeared that he was fixated on the grain of the wood in the table, then he looked up in the air looking spaced out flapping his arms. I said his name and he didn't respond, like he was in a trance. After a few more times of saying his name, I finally got his attention. I cried right there at the table knowing that there was something wrong with my child. But what?

So to make a long story short, Taran was officially diagnosed with Autism in April of 2011. It felt like time stopped then and there. All the dreams I had for my child came to a halt. Life for Taran was uncertain at the time. Was he going to get worse? Stay the same? We had no idea. By April, Taran's hand flapping got worse. He was pacing around the room, mumbling to himself, even working up a sweat...It would occur almost everyday at that point, sometimes multiple times a day...it was heartbreaking to watch.

So needless to say, I got very sad. Right away, we took Taran to occupational and speech therapy and also to a child psychologist for behavior. The autism Dr. said early intervention was the key, so we followed his advice and started the therapies right away. Between the tears and therapy visits, I did a lot of research on my own about autism. What causes it. How to 'cure' it.

After many hours of reading book after book, site after site on the Internet...I turned my sadness into big old mad. Was the toxic environment making my kid sick? Was the everyday American diet making him sick? And what was this deal with gluten and casein possibly making Taran sick?? All my research was showing that the environment, diet and gluten/casein were linked to kids with adhd/autism.

But why didn't my Dr. mention any of this to me???

So I did what any mom would hopefully do. I was already one step ahead and removed most of the chemicals in our cleaning supplies, but not 100%. So I did that. Thank you Shaklee!

We took the dyes, preservatives, chemicals out of his diet almost immediately after he was diagnosed in April. Almost immediately we could see a difference in his behavior and speech. He was talking better sentences and he wasn't screaming and running off as much as he did before. And he was eating new foods! Trying vegetables that he had not eaten since he was a baby. We also noticed he was letting us hug him more and he was snuggling on the couch with us as well.

And this picture below makes me smile because this was taken at the end of May 2011 after I gave the boys haircuts. Taran sat there so nice letting me cut his hair without any screams or crying. That was a big milestone!

The next step was to remove the casein (which is mostly found in dairy products) and gluten (wheat, barley, rye...) out of his diet. In the meantime we also embraced alternative medicine. Taran goes to a wonderful holistic Dr. who has put him on supplements to help heal his body.

Week after week, Taran started getting better and better. People assume he is on medication. :)

Today, he talks so good, he's so happy all the time, no more sensitivity to the sun, eats better than his brother sometimes, loves preschool...

He loves hugs and kisses.

Snuggling up while reading books and watching movies.
He is even reading easy reader books now!
The hand flapping when he gets excited has reduced significantly. And he has only had ONE zoned out/hand flapping incident in the past 3 months. So much better than the every day, up to multiple times a day incidents. (Both of these are Taran's form of stimming...there are many different kinds)

And his new love is coloring and doing crafts. Oh I thought that day would never come. As his attention span was only a few seconds back in the day.

Taran has been through a lot this past year and he is definitely my hero. He is such a strong little boy that has grown so much. We are definitely proud of him and his progress. Will he be cured of his autism? We are unsure as they say there is no cure. But we will just keep working with him the best we can. We have been told by his Dr. and therapists that he is improving much faster than the 'average' patient. So we know with the removing of chemicals in our environment and diet and adding the right supplements have really helped in his recovery.

This past month has just been a very emotional time for my husband and I as we have been reflecting on this past year and what we have been through with Taran. Some days seemed so hard but yet so far away. We gave each other a pat on each other's backs for not backing down and fighting this autism's butt. We didn't give up and that's the most important thing.

As we went along with this journey with Taran this past year, we also learned more about the health of ourselves.

While Taran went dye, preservative and chemical free...the whole family did as well. Kellon has suffered from allergy/asthma symptoms and also eczema since he was 3 months old. They have linked these 'chemicals' in our food and enviroment to not only adhd/autism, but also allergies, asthma, eczema, cancers and other autoimmune diseases. Kellon also takes a multivitamin and probiotic daily. He has been the healthiest he has ever been! I can't remember the last time he was sick!

For me, I have suffered from migraines for over 22 years. As I got older I got them more frequently and almost a daily headache on top of that. I changed my diet as well and that helped tremendously! Then I was introduced to Shaklee supplements this past fall and that completely changed my life. My years of migraines and daily headaches are gone!

My husband also feels better with the new diet and is now taking the Shaklee supplements as well.

Taran's diagnosis was a real eye opener on my family's health. We had to learn the hard way and I hope you don't.

Happy New Year from our Happy and Healthy Family to yours.

While you are here, I hope you take the time to watch this short 3 minute video on the simple changes you can make to help keep your kids and family safe.

Thank you for taking the time to to read my family's story.

Are you ready to make a change in 2012?

My Favorites of 2011

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well it's that time to reflect on memories and milestones of 2011!

This year has been quite the roller coaster in my family's lives. Most of you don't know that I was pretty close of shutting my blog down just a few months ago. Blogging didn't seem so 'important' to me compared to what was going on in my personal life. I am so thankful that you stuck with me when I gave myself little blogging breaks when life was too hard...Today, things are really good! My family's health is the best it's ever been! And for that big and terrible bump in the road this year...I am thankful. Our lives will never be the same and for the better.

And I am so glad I didn't push this little blog aside! Blogging has been such a blessing to give me that outlet to create and escape when life is happy and sometimes not.

So lets look back on some of my favorites here at At Home With K in 2011.

January

Board and Batten Hallway Project

Little Touches to Our Hallway

In January, I also hosted the Be Mine Bonanza. It was a great time to feature Valentine related projects by 7 different bloggers. Stay tuned for the next Be Mine Bonanza next month!

February

Mirror Magic Door

Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays was born. A fun linky party I look forward to each week for creative and thrifty ideas for $10 or less!

March

Rocking Chair Makeover

April

Newspaper Easter Eggs

May

Jungle Baby Shower

June

Summertime Wood Plank Frame

July

American Wood Flag

August

$5 Kitchen Island

September

Ugly Dresser Makeover

October

Door Picture Frame

November

Christmas Tree Twig Art

December

Christmas Tour

You can check out these and many more projects in my past posts!

Thank you so much for visiting me, following along, commenting, linking up to Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays and allowing me to feature your wonderful projects!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2012!

Linking up HERE

Best of 2011-House of Grace

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #44

2011-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we show off our creative and thrifty selves for $10 or less!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend! I know we are all busy with the preparations, gift giving and gatherings that comes with the Holiday season...so I thank you so much for taking the time to visit today and even linking up!

Here are a few projects I would like to feature from last week's party:

Ice Cream Social in a Box from Michelle Paige

Pallet Cabinet from Shabby Love

DIY Artwork from Thrifty Decor Mom

Teal Dresser Makeover from Becoming Martha

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Merry Christmas-Last Minute Gifts

2011-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Holiday weekend with your loved ones!

I thought I would leave you a couple last minute gift ideas just in case you are still scrambling for ideas for those late Christmas get togethers.

We will be spending time in my hometown with my family. For the last few years, we decided the adults in my family each choose a name for a gift so that we don't have the stress and burden of getting each person a gift. It has worked great! This year is a little different, each gal gets a girl gift and each guy gets a guy gift. Gifts need to be $10 or less. Then somehow we will do a gift exchange.

Since some of my family might read my little blog here, I didn't post what I made to ruin the surprise.

So now it's safe to post, I thought I'd share my gift. It was easy and fun to make.

I decided to make photo coasters for the gal recipient of my gift along with some Shaklee Hand Soap. I couldn't forget the gift of health!

The photo coasters included my sons, my nieces and nephew and my cousin's son. On the 4th coaster I added some scrapbook paper and a sticker.

I got these cute tiles for super cheap at Home Depot. I cut the photos down a little smaller than the size of the tile. I applied modge podge directly to the tile and then I placed the photo on top. I then put a heavy book on top of the tile and photo while the modge podge dried. After it was dry, I applied 2 coats of modge podge over the photo...I allowed dry time between each coat. To have super durability, I gave each coaster 3 coats of Clear Spray Sealer. When all dried I added felt pads on all 4 corners on the bottom of each coaster.

The set probably cost around $2 to make. :) Tie with a ribbon and it's ready to gift! I wanted to keep them for myself. Good thing I have extra tile.

And one last gift I wanted to share was Christmas Potpourri in a bag. I got the idea from HERE. I made these for my co-workers. Super easy to whip together with items from your kitchen. Add a tag and a bow and your all set!

Merry Christmas!

Don't forget to come back for Terrific Under Ten Tuesday!

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #43

2011-12-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO TERRIFIC UNDER TEN TUESDAY!

Where we share our creative thrifty selves for $10 or less!

So many awesome links from last week's party! You bloggers are making my job harder each week and I love it! :) Keep it coming!

Here are a few links featured from last week:

The most viewed link was $0 Bedroom Makeover from Down to Earth Style

A lovely bedroom made over with vintage items from the garage!

Fresh Decorated Green Swag from Christina's Adventures

A great alternative to the traditional door wreath!

Teacher's Gifts and Brown Paper Wrapping from Helping Little Hands

Fun gifts to make for the teachers and other unrecognized staff at your school.

Personal chalkboards from Kammy's Korner
A great gift idea for Christmas or yourself!

Paper Fan Wreath from Simple Home Life

I remember fondly creating paper fans as a child. How about making some to adorn a wreath!

Wishes for Baby Tree by A Woman's Haven

What a great idea for a baby shower to show some baby love.

If you were featured today, please grab a button! Thanks!

Now it's time to link up to this week's Terrific Under Ten!

Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list. And I will not feature your project unless the linky button or a direct link to the party is on your blog.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Craft Room Peak

2011-12-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

We have one room in our house that used to be a real embarrassment! It's a partially unfinished room in our basement that I mostly used for crafts. It is also the first room that we walk into our house from the garage. So we put up this door wall to divide the room for an unofficial mudroom entrance and to block off the craft mess. :)

The half painted floor was driving me nuts as well. Whenever I came home, it felt like a big DIY project slapping me in the face every time I would come home. Not a good feeling to greet me.

Behind the doors is my craft area. I used to do craft fairs for several years so this space was perfect to create. I no longer do craft fairs...so the room was becoming a dumping ground with thrift finds and extra decor. Very embarrassing. LOL

So a few weeks ago, I said enough was enough! We cleared the room out. Now my garage is full and my husband can't park in there now... :)

But the room looks so much better and bigger with everything removed and the door wall down. Our boys had fun playing around in the big open space!

Our boys were also our big helpers for the day. They helped us clean the walls and floor for painting and floor prep.

We cleaned everything with, what else...Basic H2! Love this stuff!

This room is going to now be a kid rec room and craft room. My son got to pick the color. Vivid Turquoise! Him and his brother are so excited for their new room!

So here it is today!

We still have many more details to finish in the room. But this is what is keeping us busy these days. The floor is almost done, just a little to finish close to the walls.

Do you have a craft or kid room? Got any clever organizing ideas for all the supplies and toys?

Great Gifts Under $10!

2011-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas is right around the corner. Are you ready yet? I must admit I have a couple last minute gifts to get and/or make.

We have had a lot of changes in our daily health and lifestyle at our house this year. It was the best decision we made for me, my hubby and our boys. We are in the best health we have ever been in! And it feels great to enjoy every day life, my family and decorating/creating when I feel good. Makes a huge difference!

So to celebrate our 'health milestones' we are sharing our love of being green, being healthy and being strong (mentally and physically) with our family and friends this Christmas.

To us that is the gift of Shaklee.

Here are 10 Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas All For Under $10!

1. 2 Cinch Snack bars (any flavor) or a Cinch Meal-In-A-Bar wrapped in see-through colorful net or cellophane paper tied with a ribbon.

2. Shaklee Lip Treatment SPF 15 Only $6.70!

3. Keep Immunity high with new Shaklee Vitamin D3! Only $7.95!

4. Keep chapped hands dry with Shaklee Herbal Blend Multi-Purpose Cream. Only $7.75!

5. Every woman needs this!! Enfuselle Eye Makeup Remover is non-greasy and REALLY Works!! Only $8.50. Give with a small makeup bag or a make-up mirror. The Dollar store has great gift fillers.

6. Dentifrice toothpaste with a cute toothbrush. Only $6.90!

7. Soap Free Cleansing Bar with a pretty soap dish. Only $6.90!

8. Hand wash soap that also moisturizes and conditions your skin with Get Clean Hand Wash Concentrate. I got the Get the Hand Wash Dipensers to make easy gifts for teachers and helpers! Only $8.43 each!

9. For the kids stocking, give a Fiber Advantage Chewy Apple Cinnamon Bar. Each bar is about $2.

10. For those tough kitchen jobs or the man who wants to get bugs off the chrome when he is washing his car, give Shaklee Scour Off. Only $7.25.

You can find these and many other products on my website!

Today is the last day to order to guarantee your goodies get to you by Christmas!

**Reminder Members get 15% off all products for a lifetime!**

New Members get a special gift from me! Email me for the details.

Happy Shopping!

At Home With K

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #52

How to Safely Clean Your Carpet

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #51

Valentine's Day

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #50!!

25 Random Things.

Chevron DIY ART

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #49

Big News For Google Friend Connect Users

It’s very user friend and easy to manage all your blogging friends!It’s available to everyone!

Join me and all my bloggy friends!

Urban Walls Vinyl Decal Giveaway!

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #48

2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza Recap

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 7-Valentine's Flag Bunting

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 6-A Beachy Valentine Wreath

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 5-Pendant Glass Valentine Necklaces

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 4-Felt Topiary and Free Valentine Printable

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 3-Love Letter Wall Art

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 2-Valentine Throw Pillow

Be Mine Bonanza: Day 1-Sweetheart Ornaments

Art Display Board

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #47

Mudroom Makeover

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #46

2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza Announcement

New Year-New You! Reading Labels

New Year-New You! Organic

New Year-New You! What's In Your Water?

New Year-New You! Do You Know What You Are Eating?

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #45

New Year-New You! My Weight Loss Story & Shaklee Cinch Special

New Year-New You! Our Story

My Favorites of 2011

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #44

Merry Christmas-Last Minute Gifts

Terrific Under Ten Tuesday #43

Craft Room Peak

Great Gifts Under $10!

Christmas is right around the corner. Are you ready yet? I must admit I have a couple last minute gifts to get and/or make.

Here are 10 Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas All For Under $10!

It’s very user friend and easy to manage all your blogging friends!
It’s available to everyone!