Learn it: how to raise children that love the outdoors

May 15, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 10 Comments

I am writing from the coolness of my living room after just spending time in the hot sun. If you follow me on Facebook you have heard me whine and whine about our winter here in Wisconsin. About a week and a half ago we finally lost the last of the snow. And then today…90 degrees. We are soaking in the warmth. Slathered in sunscreen. I’m a big sunscreen believer. I hear again and again and again…”you don’t look old enough to have a 15 year old” “wow, I wouldn’t think you are that old”. Okay, sometimes the remark about my age could have something to do with my immaturity rather then looks. But, often…it’s because I look young.

Mostly, it’s genetics. Thank you GG, Grandma, Mom….whomever. But, but, but!!! I also eat right, exercise, put great products on my skin, and…..USE SUNSCREEN. Always!! It’s in my moisturizer, foundation, lipgloss, and I slather on before going outside.

Actually, I’m kinda in love with the new spray ones. So easy for Levi. Ooh Ooh Ooh…and the new ones that can be applied when the skin is wet? Brilliant!!! Sooo was a mom that thought that one up. A mom that had to make her kid come out of the water, dry off, slather up, and then wait for it to set. Yeah, works real well with 2 year olds. But now….Spray AND Wet!!

Why can they still not come up with a better way to clean the shower? geesh.

Okay, off topic again…as usual. I am actually thinking what was I gonna write??

ah yes…

Ways to help your child enjoy the outdoors.

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Filed Under: craft for boys, crafts, Crafts for girls, Kids, kids crafts, Outdoor living, tutorials · Tagged With: children, kids, outdoors, parenting, photos

Make It: Fuzzy yarn embellished pillow

May 14, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 8 Comments

Are you ready for another easy peasy project?

I am.

I’m so over complicated. I mean…o-vah! I’ve been finding every way I can to save time and energy and still get the look I want.

Lately I’m a bit in love with the look of Grandma sweaters. The fuzzy, warm, cozy, and somewhat ugly kind. They are so wonderful. They are kind, and generous, and warm, and gentle, and beautiful…all at the same time. Even better are the vintage ones that you can imagine have stories upon stories from those that wore them. Sigh. I would love to hear those stories.

Which takes me off topic. Please tell me that you have sat down and REALLY talked with an elderly person. Please tell me you have. Oh the stuff you will learn. Oh the places you will go. Oh the sights you will see. If you truly let them talk. And you listen. Sure, it can be a winding road to get to a topic that makes sense. But, it’s worth it. I promise!! Be sure to bring cookies and milk and settle in for a long talk. Smile and nod, take notes, ask questions, and learn history at the feet of those who have seen and made it!

Back to the grandma sweater, fuzzy yarn embellished pillow…

Eight Things I Love About You

May 12, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 15 Comments

Dear Mom,

1. You’re really genuinely beautiful, Mom, in ways you can’t see. Your hair is really quite red, and I don’t want you to change it. It’s you. It’s quirky and pretty and confident. Your eyes are a blue color that Levi inherited, and your emotions kind of radiate out of them. Especially when you’re happy. Everyone tells me that I look like you, and though I don’t acknowledge it, it’s a compliment (I never said that!).

2. You can cook. Really, really well.Though Grecco’s serves delicious food that I’ve never tried before, I will never stop loving your gumbo or your butternut squash soup. You are, to date, the best cook I’ve ever known.

3. You’re effervescent. You are one of the most cheerful people I know. Even when you’re upset or in pain, you still give off this bubbly, happy air. That’s probably why everyone seems to love you.

4. You’re patient. This is really important to me, because I know what a handful I can be. Thank you for letting me vent to you about drama, and about things I’m annoyed with in the world. Thank you for being patient when my babies were peeing on everything, and thank you for being patient when I don’t clean up after baking.

5. You accept me. You put up with my weird obsessions with fictional characters, boybands, and attractive middle-aged actors. You didn’t mind when I had a Jonas Brothers craze, or when I decide to wear tutus. You’re okay with me wearing rainboots and carrying an umbrella when it’s snowing, and when I decide I want to buy a top hat. Though you probably mentally cringe, thank you for not bashing down the times when I wanted to try something new.

6. You introduce me to things, and help me try them. I never want to listen and I usually fight you on them, but they always end up being what’s best for me. Without your suggestions I wouldn’t have discovered my love for working at libraries, or that octopus isn’t really that bad. Now I’m (mostly) alright with trying new foods and new things, and I’m working on doing new things with other people, but I wouldn’t be doing any of that if it weren’t for you.

7. You’re strong. When everything is going wrong around you, you still look at it and laugh. I want to some day be able to do that as well, to be able to laugh at problems instead of breaking down in frustration. Though I know that some days you ask me to make cookies so that you can take a break from everything, you still push through everything and help Levi and I, and ignore the bad things.

8. You put others first. You ask Daddy for a coffee now and again, and sometimes you may need a bubble bath, but when any of your brothers or sisters ask for a favor you put it first. Not in a push over type of way, but in a loving way. It’s selfless, because you have a big heart and you care.

One day, I hope that I can do and be these same things.

Love,

Katie Jane.

xoxoxo

P.S. For those of you that aren’t my mother: she didn’t know what I was going to do when I asked her for her username and password to her blog.

Filed Under: mushy stuff, popular · Tagged With: about, i, love, things, you

Learn It: NellieBellie dishes on the goods.

May 10, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 12 Comments

Let’s do something fun today. It is Friday, after all and on Friday…fun is the name of the game!! (darn, I have that song stuck in my head. You know the one…it’s Friday, Friday. You are welcome ) Today, I’m answering 10 of your burning questions. A couple answers are answers to real questions. A couple, I just threw in because I felt like it.

P.S. Happy Friday. I’m glad you are here!

1. I’m NOT photogenic.

At all. Don’t get me wrong…I’m told that I’m cute (thanks hubby!). But, being cute doesn’t always make for a cute picture. And, I can take a good picture… if you take five hundred to get one decent shot. The headshot above is a good picture. But, in the same photo shoot…

You laugh and think I pulled one of the worst photo’s to make my point. I didn’t!!! I truly thought that I looked cute and sassy for the camera. Katie was like…”mom, what are you doing?”. I told her I wanted to be sure my readers saw that I was sassy. She said that I would just scare you. You aren’t scared, are you?

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Filed Under: fun stuff, mushy stuff · Tagged With: bell, naked, nellie

Eat it: lazy bakers Petit Fours

May 9, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 10 Comments

I’m lazy. No, I guess that’s not true. I can work my behind off if it’s something I WANT to do. Or something I think is worthwhile. But, if there is a way to do something quicker, easier AND better…I’m not stupid. Lazy. Not stupid. These Petit Fours are too darn smart. Just plain brilliant if you ask me. A must know kind of thing. That thing that makes you feel like Martha Stewart with the skills of Paris Hilton. Love that feeling!

These little squares of goodness are simple to make and taste delicious…perfect for parties! Or…just plain eating!

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Filed Under: desserts, recipes · Tagged With: cake, desserts, entertaining, Petit Fours, recipe

Make it: 24 Herb garden ideas

May 8, 2013 by miznelliebellie · Leave a Comment

Did you all know it’s Mother’s Day this Sunday? Hard to miss.

To my children…

IT’S MOTHERS DAY ON SUNDAY!!!

Okay, moving on. I wanted to give you some great last-minute herb garden ideas for mom or grandma for mother’s day. Plants are kind of the thing for Mother’s Day, aren’t they. I wonder who started that? Was it a garden company? Must have been.

To my children…

I DON’T WANT PLANTS!!!

Okay, to you that do want plants. Or want to gift plants. I have some great ideas for you. Not only do I have great ideas from here at NellieBellie but I am also sharing a clipboard of great herb garden ideas from the wonderful content at Hometalk. If you haven’t been over to Hometalk yet…do it!! Tons of great ideas for decorating, DIY, home repairs, and gardening. Search for a keyword and you’ll be amazed at the quality projects that will come up! Seriously, go check it out!

As an example of their awesomeness I want to share with you 19 great Herb Garden Ideas from Hometalk (click on the link to be whisked away to Hometalk and get more info about each project)…

Make it: easy t-shirt coasters. a great Mother’s Day gift!

May 7, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 4 Comments

Simple. Easy. Recycled. Best three words you can hear about a project, wouldn’t you agree?? Yes, these t-shirt coasters deserve all 3 adjectives.

Simple. Just 3 steps.

Easy. Cut, braid, twirl.

Recycled. Use up those old t-shirts that not even the thrift store wants!

Decorate it: planning my kitchen remodel with Electrolux.

May 6, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 15 Comments

This is a sponsored post. But, all opinions are mine. Always. Some links may lead to the sponsors social media and website. Just so you are informed.

Let’s talk kitchens for a day…shall we? My kitchen is getting an overhaul this summer. I want to create a sleeker, more user friendly, less busy, and more modern space. On a budget. Want to see my inspiration? Of course you do!

Here is my (gulp!) project list for the kitchen remodel…

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Filed Under: kitchen, sponsored posts · Tagged With: appliances, kitchen, mood borad

Learn It: The best jeans!

May 3, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 6 Comments

Hello fine readers! It’s time to reveal the winning jeans. Boy oh boy were there a lot of comments on the post asking for your opinion of which jeans I should keep. Opinions? You had them! And thank you so much for being kind and giving me compliments on the way I wear my jeans. You all make a girl feel mighty good about herself! It’s true, I didn’t post butt pictures of me in the jeans. And yes, the way your butt looks in jeans is equally as important as the way the front looks. But…I didn’t want to bog you all down with lots and lots and lots of photos. So, I’ve let Nate judge the butt. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to mine (insert cheeky grin)

The votes of which jeans looked the best varied so very much! I was amazed that almost every pair of jeans got a vote. or many. Either I have great taste in jeans or we are all very diverse in what we like. Either way, it’s a win win.

So…without further ado I give you the winners. It took me forever to weed through all the votes! There were 238 votes. Seriously?? Who knew you all cared so much about my lower half?

#1 —36 votes—Pair 1

Nine West Jeans

This goes to show you that you should try on lots of different kinds of jeans. These are NOT jeans I would usually try on. But, they were on sale and I gave them a shot. Best jeans ever!! These run about $60.00

#2—29 votes—Pair 4 [Read more...]

Filed Under: fashion, fun stuff · Tagged With: best jeans, jeans

Eat it: Hot Dog tasting party. with odd toppings you should try!

May 1, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 19 Comments

Hey there!! Happy Wednesday! You picked a yummy day to stop over to NellieBellie. Today we are all about hot dogs. Now wait, before you think this is a plain ol’ post about hot dogs you are WRONG!!! Really?!? As if. Nope, we are having a tasting party and YOU are invited. Okay, truthfully…they were all eaten before you got here and you don’t get any. But, still stay. It’ll be fun. Gah!! Now I’m feeling badly and all distracted…

hot dogs

the crazy toppings

tasting party

ah yes…the kids and I devised a brilliant plan to try some typical food combos out as hot dog toppings. I have no idea what sparked this moment of brilliance but, why fight it? We thought about some of the combos used often in other foods and put them on our hotdogs. Of course we made a big deal of it and had our own little hot dog tasting party with all the pretty decorations and soda and everything. I mean, who wouldn’t want a hotdog tasting party in the middle of the afternoon? [Read more...]

Filed Under: entertaining, fun stuff, Kids, main dishes, recipes, tablescape · Tagged With: entertaining, hot dogs, party, tasting party

DIY It: Watercolor Bubble Necklace

April 30, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 2 Comments

If you follow Positively Splendid (which you should!) then you’ve seen this project from me before. That’s okay, it’s a good one. And I bet there are alot of you that haven’t seen this at all! P.S. I’ll be wearing this necklace on the Hometalk Hangout this afternoon (info at the bottom of the post). One more thing…we are expecting measurable snow tomorrow night. Gah!!!!! I need to find a warmer climate!

What you need:

Sculpey clay
Acrylic paint in multiple colors
gold chain
gold jewelry rings (for attaching discs to chain)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: crafts, Crafts for girls, DIY, fashion, teen, Toot Toot Tutes, tutorials · Tagged With: clay, fashion, jewelry, necklace, tutorials

Make It: Vacation Journal/Bucket List with free printables!

April 29, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 3 Comments

It never fails. Ever. We go on a fantastic vacation that my kids love and adore and 2 years later…”remember that?”, “hey mom…what was that?’”, and “I should have” is being heard through out the land. We are great about taking photo’s, and those are fun to look back through and they are a sure-fire way of triggering wonderful memories. But, I still wanted this summer’s vacation to stick a little stickier to their memories. At their level. I thought it would be so special for them to have a journal of sorts that holds memories, momento’s, and notes about their trip from their 10 year old and 15 year old selves. Something that they could look back through and not only remember their vacation, but their child selves in that vacation. So, I’ve made them vacation journal’s/bucket lists.

Make it: bill organizer from jeans

April 26, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 11 Comments

So, I hurt. I have a pinched nerve. In my neck. Have you ever had a pinched nerve? Lots of you probably have. So, you know the drill. Tingly arm, lots and lots of pain…shoot me now kinda stuff. Seriously, I swear I should have a kid out of this deal. Not that I want another I don’t but the pain should produce SOMETHING anything! Today, today I have feeling in both hands…hallelujah chorus erupts… and it’s the best. thing. ever! So, I might rattle on. Cause, I can type. And say stuff. More then what’s necessary. sigh.

Okay, here’s the dealio. Last Friday I posted asking you all to help me vote on my collection of jeans, what to keep and what not to. YOU holy cow DELIVERED!! There were so many comments I’m still trying to get to answering all of them I will! I thought that today would be the day that I show you the keepers. I even have it in my editorial calendar…jean reveal. Yeah, well…plans change. Change is good.

But, keeping with the jean theme I have an organizer made from jeans. Now, one would think that I would have used a pair from last week. One would be wrong. I’m not POSITIVE that #9 is being thrown, all the votes aren’t counted yet. okay, so I’m pretty positive but I’m trying to play fair! But, never fear…I’m using a pair of Nate’s. And yes, he knows.

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Filed Under: 30 minutes or less, crafts, DIY, Repurposing, teen, Toot Toot Tutes, tutorials · Tagged With: how, jeans, organizer, repurpose, tutorials

Effie and I are besties.

April 25, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 7 Comments

Third time is a charm, right? Well, this will be my second time posting a DIY over at Elizabeth Banks (Effie) blog. It is up all day today. As in..ALL! So, if this is my second time then I can assume that next time which will be my third is the time EB ( as her friends call her) and I will be besties, right! Yeah, it’s perfectly logical reasoning. I’ve got my BFF necklace all picked out. It’s going to be awesome!!!

So, today I’m at my new Besties blog…Elizabeth Banks showing how to make these…

Earth-friendly, portable, recycle friendly, cute grill starters…

Seriously people, these are the coolest!

Okay, so last time I was at EB’s (see, I did it again…nickname!) a lot of you asked me who she was. After I told you you were like…OHH, I know who that is! Doh. But, just to save confusion and time Time is precious people, I’m going to make it super easy for you to know how cool my new Bestie is.

Think Hunger Games, What to Expect When You Are Expecting, Man on A Ledge, and Pitch Perfect. Got it?? Yep, that’s my new Bestie.

Anyways, Have a great Thursday guys!! Stop over at see me at EB’s. And be by tomorrow…I have organizer made from jeans. Gotta start getting rid of some of those jeans you all told me looked horrid on me!

Filed Under: fun stuff ·

Eat it: Homemade Bagel

April 23, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 12 Comments

Come in close, I’m gonna tell you a secret. You have to promise not to tell a soul. Pinky swear?

I love blogging. Yeah, yeah…that’s not the secret. This is…sometimes I make things I’ve always wanted to just because I have a blog.

Shew there…I said it. Got that off my chest.

Don’t get me wrong. Before NellieBellie I crafted, DIY’d, cooked, baked, all that stuff. But, I was a bit more efficient. A bit more aware of what was necessary and needed. I didn’t have time to waste on trying new recipes or ideas. I needed things that were tried and true. You get me, you are probably in that same boat.

Now that I blog and brands WANT me to try stuff…I get to try new recipes and ideas. If they fail, blah…I’ll put up a fail post. If they do well…yay!!! But, the joy of joys is that I am trying out those recipes that have long been in my head. Or painting that wall in chalkboard because I’ve always wanted to. Because now…now I have all of you that want tried and true. You want to know what works. So, I get to be the guinea pig! And I LOVE IT!! But shhhh, let’s keep it to ourselves. My family thinks that blogging is really, really hard work. (truly, it is.) I like to play the sympathy card sometimes.

Gosh, I’m chatty today. Let’s get to the point of today’s post…

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Filed Under: breakfast, recipes · Tagged With: bagel, baking, breakfast, homemade, recipe

DIY it: personalized garden tools

April 22, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 4 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot. Some links may lead to their site.

If you’ve been following along at NellieBellie this week you know that I’ve been getting ready to #DigIn for spring with Home Depot.

We made a list and a plan for our garden tool shopping trip to Home Depot.

We scored the items on our dream list (well, some of us…Nate didn’t bring home that lawn tractor) and I made a rolling herb garden to beat the Wisconsin spring. Spring in Wisconsin is code for 18 inch snowstorms. No joke! And as I write this we are expecting 8 inches this evening. Not funny anymore.

Then I gave you my 8 tips for having a great garden! Things like companionship, location, and food. Check that out…some easy and important tips!

Today, I’m closing up this series with a craft. and a video…yikes!!…

Make it: eyeglass case clutch or coin purse

April 21, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 9 Comments

I’ve been going through my closet these last couple days as my post- asking for help choosing my jeans- may I have indicated. Do you know how many strange things I have found in my closet? Well, over the course of these next few weeks you’ll probably be clued in. Eyeglass cases aren’t truly that strange. Finding it amongst my underwear…strange. I have no idea how or why. I was about to toss the eyeglass case into the trash pile when a thought crashed, tumbled, and halted in my brain. I had seen a coin purse recently and gosh darn I can’t remember where. Someplace cool. Anyways, I remember thinking…”don’t pay for that, you can make it”. Most of the time, I never do make the things I tell myself I can make. Mostly, it’s a way to keep me from buying random pretty things. Like, coin purses.

But, this time was different. I COULD make that pretty coin purse. I knew exactly how. And, how to take it one step further for you guys and make a chic and classy clutch. From an eyeglass case. Oh boy…

And for the record, if you scroll all the way down you’ll see the coin purse version I ended up with. It’s the same. Minus the handle.

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Filed Under: 30 minutes or less, crafts, Crafts for girls, DIY, fashion, Repurposing, teen, Toot Toot Tutes, tutorials · Tagged With: clutch, coin purse, repurposing, tutorial

Learn It: 8 tips for a great garden #DigIn

April 19, 2013 by miznelliebellie · 4 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot. Some links may go to their site.

Remember how we went shopping last weekend at Home Depot. And we all of our dreams came true, minus Nate’s. Well, I want to show you our must-have’s for a healthy garden…the easy way! I’m also going to clarify this by telling you my day-job really really is a native-plant supplier. Truly.

So, here are my 8 tips for a healthy garden…the (mostly) natural way.