Hair Bow Organizer

Little E has a lot of hair bows and headbands, and with another little girl on the way I really wanted to find a good way to store everything.

I was able to make this cute but practical hair bow organizer for less than $5!

I bought this frame at Goodwill for $2.99.

I removed the glass and mats and painted it white. I used the same paint used to paint the walls in our house. It was thick enough paint that it covered up the dark wood, although I still needed to apply a couple of layers.

My husband screwed in these Cup Hooks for me. I bought a pack for $1.99 at Meijer. Don't buy them at Michaels or Joanns I feel like they overcharge you. You can buy a pack at Target, Walmart, Meijer, Fred Meyer or any store that sells hooks.

I hot glued some ribbon to the back of the frame. I found that the thin ribbon didn't hold the ribbons, but I didn't want a ribbon that was so thick the ribbon would fold when the clips were attached. Min ribbon was about 2.5" long but chose one that works well for your hair bows.

Attach the bows in any order you want!

 

Hang up with all the bows!

Add headbands to the Cup Hooks.

Pizza Pasta Bake

This dish is delicious.  My family loves it! This is one of my go-to meals for when I need to take a meal to someone.  Especially if they have kids!  What kid doesn't love pizza or pasta?

I love that this meal works as a freezer meal, too.
One recipe is enough to feed my family of 4 for a night (with leftovers for Jeff for lunch) and enough to freeze a second pan.  It's easy to double if you have more mouths to feed and still want to get a freezer meal out if it.

With school starting again, make this easy dish to have on hand. It's always nice to have a freezer meal ready to go when your week gets busy!





To make this dish you will need; sausage, pepperoni, olives, spiral pasta, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.  If you like it spicy, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes.  Adding fresh basil on top after it bakes is also really good. You can add more or less "pizza toppings" if you'd like. Sausage, pepperoni and olive is my family's favorite combination in this dish, but it's fun to change it up every now and then.  Ham, green peppers, mushrooms, bacon, etc.  Have fun coming up with your family's favorite version!

While the pasta is cooking, add the cooked sausage, pepperoni, olives, pasta, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and pepper flakes, if desired, to a large mixing bowl.  Mix well.

Add the cooked pasta and stir gently.

You can bake this in a 9x13 baking dish or 2 8x8 baking dishes.  If I'm making this for my family I like to use 2 8x8 baking dishes so I can bake one right away and then freeze one for later.  If you just want to do a freezer meal in a 9x13 you can do that, too. Divide it up however works best for you! 

Spray a 9x13 baking dish or 2 8x8 baking dishes with cooking spray. If using the 9x13 baking dish, spread half the pasta mixture into the pan and top with 1 cup of cheese.  If using 8x8 baking dishes, spread a fourth of the mixture into each pan and top with 1/2 cup of cheese on top of each. 

Spread the other half of pasta over the cheese.  (if using the 8x8 pans, divide the remaining pasta between the two pans)

Top with remaining one cup of cheese.

If you are making a freezer meal, cover the pan with heavy duty foil (I generally double wrap freezer meals) and keep in your freezer for up to 3 months.  If you making this to eat now, bake it uncovered at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.  

Serve with fresh basil and enjoy!

Pizza Pasta Bake
Recipe by: Prescriptions for a Happy Home 

Ingredients: 

1 pkg. (16-20oz) Sausage, cooked and crumbled*
1 pkg.(8oz) Pepperoni*, cut in quarters
1/2 can olives, sliced
1pkg. (16 oz) spiral pasta, cooked and drained*
1 (28oz) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 jar (14-15oz.) pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese 
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional
fresh basil for garnishing, optional (but I highly recommend it!)

*Turkey sausage, turkey pepperoni, and whole wheat pasta work great in this, too! 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the sausage. While the pasta is cooking add the sausage, pepperoni, olives, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce and pepper flakes, if desired, to a large mixing bowl.  Stir well.  Add the cooked pasta and mix gently. Spray a 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans with cooking spray. 
If using the 9x13 pan: put half of the pasta mixture in the pan and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese and cover with remaining pasta and then top with remaining cheese. 
If using the 8x8 pans: put 1/4 of the pasta mixture to each pan and top with 1/2 cup cheese each, and then add another 1/4 of pasta on top of cheese.  Top each dish with another 1/2 cup of cheese.  
Bake at 350, uncovered, for 25-35 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with fresh basil, if desired. 

Freezer instructions:  Prepare the dish the same as you would if you were baking.  Instead of baking it, cover the pizza pasta with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, remove from the freezer 24 hours before using so it has time to thaw.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until heated through.  Cook time will vary depending on how well thawed it is.


Enjoy!

Family Picture Outfits

The outfits you choose for family pictures can set the mood for your pictures.  Even though it can be stressful, expensive and overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be! I am definitely not an expert on this, but today I am sharing a couple of tips that have helped me as I plan what my family wears for our pictures.   

Picking a color scheme
There are so many wonderful sites that can help you find what colors work together.  A couple of great sites are: 

• *http://www.kristendukephotography.com/inspirational-artist/ I love this one! This site gives you ideas of color schemes that go well together.   
• *http://www.kristendukephotography.com/category/what-to-wear/
• She also has some great posts that are organized by color so you can get ideas of what items to piece together.  
• *https://color.adobe.com/  Janey introduced me to this site! You can choose a color and it will show what colors compliment the color you chose. 
• *Pinterest is a great site to use! Pins like this one https://www.pinterest.com/pin/423690277422279448/ are great for giving you ideas of cute ways to wear the colors you choose.

Choosing Outfits 
Don't be afraid of using colors, layers and patterns.  They can all add great depth and fun to your family pictures!

I always look through our closets and pick at least one outfit that someone already has and then plan around that.  This helps you find a color scheme and also helps you save money. The first time Janey did our family pictures I already had a dress I really liked for little C so we used that and planned the rest of the outfits around it.  The colors were bright and fun! This was especially nice, since that particular fall the colors weren't super bright so we stood out with all of the brown. If the fall, had been luscious with color these bright colors may not have worked. 

For our most recent family pictures in May I was really liking the coral and navy theme.  I already had a fun coral necklace and I had a cute coral dress for little C. We had decided last fall that we wanted to do pictures in the spring, so I had a long time to look for color schemes and outfits.  I love to find good deals anyway, but for family pictures I always try to get good deals shopping clearance and sales.  It’s takes a little time, but in the end I always end up saving enough that it’s worth it!  It helps too if you pick your color scheme ahead of time. Plan a budget for your outfits and stick to it! With all the green at the park we went to, the colors we picked worked great and stood out. We love how they turned out!

Once you get your outfits all together, send a picture to your photographer so they can see what you’ve planned.  It can help as you plan where to take your pictures.  You want to stand out so location can be such a big part, since you don't want your outfits to clash or blend in with the background. The photographer can help a lot with this, but as you pick a location you will need to keep this in mind so there are a lot of places within the location to pose.

       

As Janey said in her post earlier this week, family pictures can be hectic, but they don't have to be.  Hopefully some of these tips we’ve shared will help you plan for your family pictures and make it an enjoyable experience!

5 Family photography tips

Summer and fall are some of the most popular times to get family pictures. Schedules are more flexible. The colors are beautiful. Weather is more predictable. Today, we are giving some helpful tips to make sure you get amazing family pictures!

(Note: I am not trying to endorse my work but I will use my photography to help show examples)

1. Chose a photographer that YOU like.
Every photographer has a different style and it's so important you pick a photographer that uses a style you like. A photographer can be a fantastic photographer but if they don't shoot or edit in the style you like there is a good chance you will not be happy with the photos. Extensively check out their portfolio. You can look at all of their photos but specifically check out the family photos (since that's the kind of pictures they will be doing). Many photographers specialize in a certain area and just because you love their newborns doesn't necessarily mean you will love their family photos. Make sure you check out the editing as well do they did to have warmer tones to their pictures or brighter or more vintage and make sure they do what you want.

You also want a photographer that has a personality you can work with. If your personality clashes with the photographer, it can be hard for you to communicate what kind of pictures you are wanting.

If there are certain poses you want, be sure to ask! Most photographers will be willing to try out some of your ideas to make sure you get what you want.

2. Chose a location best for your family.
Families often will ask me where they should get their pictures done, I hate to choose the location for people since I don't always know what they are looking for, but I often give them a few suggestions providing a couple of different types of scenery. It doesn't hurt to ask your photographer if they have any favorite locations to shoot at and have them give you a couple of places to chose from. Chose a location that you love or goes with the chosen outfits or something to help describe your family.

This couple wanted to take advantage of the beautiful falls here and we found a park with lots of leaves and multiple trees in different colors.

While some chose to use nature as their backdrop others prefer to show off their city.

Any location can be great, as long as it works with your family. A location with few distractions is often best to keep the family focused.  If you have little kids, try not to pick a place that is too distracting for them. Parks are great, but if it's right next to a playground you might have a hard time keeping your kids where you want them for the pictures. Beaches can work great for some kids, but for others they may just end up wanting to play and get wet and/or dirty.

It's also a good idea to have a location that will have several different backdrops. I love places that have a couple of "good" areas so the pictures can have variety without changing location.

3. Time of Day
Timing of the day is important to avoid shadows and squinty eyes. Obviously, a cloudy sky is best but since you can't plan your pictures around the weather the next best thing is the time of day. I like to shoot a couple of hours before sunset. Fortunately, you can google this and find out when sunset will be for your city and exact date. A couple of hours before sunset is ideal, since the sun is less intense and with it setting soon you get less sun in people's eyes.

If evening doesn't work, morning is also great. I try to avoid shooting between 11-2 since the sun is the strongest at this time. If you have to shoot during the late morning or early afternoon, find a location with a lot of shade  (enough shade that you won't have shadows).

But it's also important to pick a time of day where your family will be most happy! If your kids are cranky in the morning, morning may not be your best option. :)

4. Outfits
Kim will talk more about choose an outfit, but I wanted to point out that you can have great outfits chosen but if they don't go with the location you chose the pictures won't turn out as well as you hope. I generally like to go with bright colors for pictures, but if you have a location that has a lot of bright colors then neutral colors can look just as good.

This family went with grey and blacks but since there was so much color behind them it worked great!



This family went with white and lighter colors, but since the green was so vibrant it worked so well!



5. Have Fun!!
Let's face it, family pictures can be stressful. I always stress about finding the right outfits and location and then hoping my daughter cooperates for the pictures! But it's also important to be relaxed and have fun. I think the best pictures are the pictures where the whole family is easy going about everything and just having fun. The whole family is more relaxed, including the mom. This helps since there is less stress but you can also get some cute candid photos! Enjoy your time with your family and your photographer!

Burp Clothes

I love sewing and love being able to make baby presents for people. These burp clothes make great gifts, and I have gotten several compliments on them as well.

Download the patterns below for the burp clothes. I like to use the pattern on a paper bag since it's a sturdier material.

Buy flannel fabric (you can probably buy cotton but I like the softness and the absorbency of the flannel.) I generally buy 1/2 yard in several fabrics and then mix and match the fabrics, you will need at least 1/4 yard of fabric to make the burp cloth.

Cut your fabric.

Put right side fabric together.

Pin the fabric together.

Sew around the burp cloth, leaving enough of a gap that you can flip the fabric ride side out. Sew with a 1/4 inch allowance, or as close to the edge as you feel comfortable.

Once you finish sewing, flip the fabric ride side out.

At this point, you have two options. 

1. You can sew around the burp cloth, sewing the gap together, but also giving the burp cloth a nice finished stitch.

2. Hand stitch the gap closed.

For this project, I chose option 2.

 

(This is a good tutorial on doing a hidden stitch, and easier to see then from my pictures.)

Now you have a finished burp clothes. These burp clothes are seriously so easy to make and so practical.

Heirloom Tomato and Pesto Pizza

You've probably noticed from my last few posts that I love easy meals in the summer!  This tasty version of french bread pizza is a favorite of ours.  Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful and taste so good.  

You will need a loaf of french or ciabatta bread, pesto sauce, (homemade is best, but store bought works great too) heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 

Slice the bread in half lengthwise and spread the pesto on each half.  

Add the sliced tomatoes.  We love tomatoes so we put on a lot! 

Sprinkle with the cheeses.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Cut into slices and enjoy!

 Heirloom Tomato and Pesto Pizza
Recipe by: Prescriptions for a Happy Home

Ingredients:
1 loaf french or ciabatta bread
1 c. pesto (store bought or homemade)
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 medium size heirloom tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
Cut the loaf of french bread in half lengthwise. Spread 1/2 c. of pesto on each half.  Top with the heirloom tomatoes and then the cheeses.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Cut in slices and serve.