How to Move Big Pieces of Furniture

Today is just a quick little tip for you!  If you're like me, moving furniture is not always something that you plan.  Sometimes you just get in the mood and need to rearrange.  I've been known to move dressers while very pregnant {probably not the best idea}, and oh, how I wish I had these little helpful things back then!

Bradley's parents gave us a little gift for helping out in their basement redo this summer, and we put it to use right after we got home.  Our Master Bedroom was the main project this past summer, and the last little thing we did was to rearrange some pieces in our room.

Our furniture is VERY heavy.  Instead of pulling muscles, we simply slid these handy little things under the legs of the dressers and the pieces just slid around the room easily.  I couldn't believe how well they worked!

These would be great to use as a stocking stuffer.

Instantly, we felt like moving the furniture around gave our room more the feel we wanted, with a separate sitting area off to one side.

There is still some work to do in here to get it 'finished' {will it ever be truly finished??}, but I'm enjoying what's been accomplished so far.


What are your best tricks for moving furniture?

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Our Weekend

Well, actually our weekend isn't over, thanks to the Veteran's Day holiday!  We still have today to enjoy having Bradley home, have fun, and maybe get a few things done.

On Friday night, my sister and brother-in-law arrived for a visit.  The girls waited up for them and were very wound up after a few minutes of wrestling with Uncle Caleb and being tickled by Aunt Sherri.  When Bradley finally put the girls to bed, Isabella said, "I like them because they always love us."  She can definitely pick up on what it looks like to be loved.

Saturday morning was spent talking, playing with play-dough, working in the garage, and getting prepped for a trip to the FAIR!  We had been driving by the fairgrounds {which are very close to our house} for over a week, and the girls knew we were waiting for Caleb and Sherri before we could go.  So, when the day finally arrived they were excited.

Kids could ride free from 12-1 on Saturday, so we packed in as much as we could during that time.  They handled being too short for the Ferris wheel like champs, and both had the opportunity to ride a few things.  We petted animals in the petting zoo, watched a shark show, and ate our annual funnel cake.  We had a blast!

Dinner was also yummy Saturday night {hang tight for the recipe} and we are so thankful for the time we had with Caleb and Sherri!  Thanks for coming!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Chocolate Dream Bars

One of my all time favorite cookies that my mom makes every year for Christmas are Seven Layer cookies.  True to its name, there are seven ingredients, all layered into a pan:  butter, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and nuts.

I've been wanting to change it up a little bit and finally got the ingredients I needed the other day.  Instead of graham cracker crumbs, I crushed up some pretzel sticks I had in the pantry.

Then, I omitted the butterscotch chips and used four different kinds of chocolate.  If you like chocolate, you'll love these.

Milk, dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips melt together to create a dreamy chocolate taste!  Even though I don't normally like coconut, somehow in these cookies it adds to the taste instead of overpowering.

The sweetened condensed milk gets evenly drizzled over the top, and then bakes for 35 minutes.  I try to avoid nuts as much as possible when baking, since my husband is not a fan, but you could definitely finish these off with some chopped pecans on top.

Make sure you have some milk in the fridge if you're going to make these.  You can cut them small and serve on a cookie platter.  OR, make the pieces a bit bigger, serve them warm, and place a scoop of ice cream on the top.  An easy dessert that is sure to please.


Chocolate Dream Bars

3/4 stick butter or margarine
3/4 cup pretzel crumbs {or graham cracker crumbs}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Spread butter or margarine on the bottom of 8x8-inch pan.  Sprinkle pretzel crumbs evenly over top.  Then, sprinkle chocolate pieces; top with coconut.  Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top, being sure to cover as much of the coconut as possible.  Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.  Cool before slicing.

This could easily be made in a 9x13-inch pan.  Just double all the ingredients and use on entire can of sweetened condensed milk.

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End Table Meets Paris Grey

This summer I visited Studio Eleven, near my parents' home, and purchased a sample size of ASCP in Paris Grey.  I knew I wanted to use it on an end table in our Family Room, but it's taken me just a few months to get around to it.

I had read that a small jar of this would definitely cover an end table, but I was still a bit skeptical.  You would be amazed at how far this paint goes!

I was able to cover the entire table, plus had enough left over for another project {will share with you next week}, and hopefully just enough for yet another small project.  One small jar is only about $13, which is not too bad for a table, let alone three project re-dos.  If you haven't tried ASCP yet, I'd encourage you to purchase your favorite color in a small size and just go paint something with it.  You'll be happy you did.

When I stood back to take a picture of the table painted, I noticed that I needed to do something to the inside of the drawer.  You can see from the photo below that the wooden color inside was standing out just a bit too much from the front.

It just took a little bit of paint to coat the inside edges of the drawer so that the front looks much better.

After the paint dried, I used some fine grit sandpaper to distress the edges and a few spots on the front and back.

I wiped off the dust quickly and then applied a coat of clear wax.  I've used rags and paper towels before to apply wax, but this time I used a cheesecloth.

This was the best method so far.  There are specific brushes you can purchase for wax application, but they are rather pricey, and the cheesecloth worked great.

I'm happy with how it turned out.  Paris Grey is a lovely color, and the wax really deepens the blue in it.

One of the best things about ASCP for me is the quick drying time.  My kids were down for a nap at 2, and by 3:30, the table was painted, sanded, waxed, photographed, and back in its spot by the couch.  You can't beat a nap-time paint project!

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A Few Book Highlights

We're less than two months away from the end of 2012, which means I better get working on my book list!  I've only tackled a little bit from this pile that I shared with you in January, but I added a few more along the way.  This is what I've been reading.

1. Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir , by Kelle Hampton, is a memoir of her journey through having a child with Down Syndrome.  Kelle's second daughter was born with Down Syndrome and this book is an excellent window into a mother's heart.  I sobbed my way through this book, but it was very healing for me as I handled the raw emotions of having a son with Down Syndrome.  Kelle also writes the blog, Enjoying the Small Things.

2. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are , by Ann Voskamp.  I've mentioned this book before, and it is a wonderful read.  A new DVD series based on this book will be released December 2, which will be an excellent companion to this book.

3. Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions , by Lysa TerKeurst.  I bought this book when I read a review by Ann Voskamp, and really enjoyed it.  It took me awhile to get into it, but after the first couple of chapters, she really started pulling out more Scripture and I found it helpful as I struggle with coming 'unglued' in my day-to-day life.

4. The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World , by Melissa Kruger, also one I've mentioned on my blog.  I have one chapter left to read, but it is an excellent book.  She talks about coveting and finding contentment.  It's amazing how I realized the things I covet, not just stuff, but coveting within relationships, circumstances, and getting at the root of coveting.  This is excellent to read on your own, or with a group, as there are discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

I'm trying to work my way through some of the ones that were on my original list, and we'll see how far I make it in the next two months.

What have you been reading?

*I am an Amazon Associate, so if you'd like to purchase any of these books, simply click on the title, and it will take you directly to Amazon.  I receive a small compensation for any books purchased through my affiliate account.  Thanks for any purchases! * 

Cajun Meatloaf

I recently purchased a cookbook from our women's group at church and it has not disappointed.  One of the recipes inspired me to create this version of meatloaf and it is delicious.

There's something about meatloaf that brings back wonderful childhood memories, but I can never make meatloaf like my mom's.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that no measuring is involved.


This meatloaf has some of the traditional ingredients my mom uses, but with a bit of a Cajun twist.

Just think of a gumbo:  sauteed veggies, tomato, Cajun seasoning, but it all comes together as a meatloaf instead.

I did discover that meatloaf is not photogenic.  Maybe it has something to do with my beginner level photography skills, but the photographs of the final product do not do the taste justice.

If you're looking for a new twist to your mom's meatloaf, this is the recipe for you.  Serve it up with some mashed potatoes and veggies, or even some macaroni and cheese and you'll be feeling the comforts of home within minutes.

Cajun Meatloaf

2 T butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons blackened cajun seasoning {mine was purchased at Fresh Market, but I'm sure any brand would do}
1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats

Glaze Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place butter in a medium sized skillet and melt over medium heat.  Add onion and pepper and saute until tender.  Add all the seasonings and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the milk and ketchup; cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.  Let cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, mix cooked sauce mixture, ground beef, egg and oats.  Stir to combine.  Form into a loaf and place in a greased baking dish.  Bake for one hour.

In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce to form a glaze topping.  Spread on top of baked meatloaf.  Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until bubbly.


source: adapted from A Taste of Redeemer cookbook

What's been happening around here....

I can't even believe that November is here already!  October seemed to fly by and now we're into some colder weather, leaves falling, shorter days {don't forget to set your clocks back tomorrow!}, and the holidays are just around the corner.

Here's a little of what was happening around our home in October:

Lots and lots of coloring.

Playing and teaching Mason how to play.

Spending time outside now that the weather has cooled down.

Playing around with my new camera!

Hiding from Mommy while she plays with her new camera.

Cooking up some new recipes.  Coming soon!!

It was a fun month!  Now, I'm gearing up for the holidays and looking forward to some fun times with family.

Happy Friday!