Big Girl Room on a Budget

January 20th, 2009


We are still getting Emily settled into her big girl room, but I thought I would share some of the ideas we have had so far for her new space.

First, Ethan’s bed was moved into Emily’s room and Ethan is getting a loft-style bed for his room with a desk underneath to make use of his smaller space. We had a bed fiasco, better left for another post, and he is now sleeping on the trundle part of this bed until his bed comes in.

We swung the daybed around so that the back of it becomes the side to keep her more secure. It is great because it still has the security of the crib, but has more space for her to sleep in. She has been in it for a couple of weeks now and hasn’t attempted trying to get out of bed by herself yet.

The room was already painted a cheery yellow and I already had the curtains which were a set of eyelet lace curtains from the Shabby Chic line at Target. The comforter has been in a chest in our basement since we first got married. This bed was originally our guest bed and I used this comforter for it. It was a tad too girly for Ethan so we put it away, in hopes we would be adding a little girl to our family someday. It was a steal for $19.99 from TJ Maxx and is a Tommy Hilfiger comforter. It is reversible with another pretty flowered design on the alternate side. The addition of this “Sweet Dreams” pillow was bought with some of her Christmas money from the grandparents from Target (also from Shabby Chic).


The art in her room is courtesy of her big brother. These were two pictures that Ethan made at school and donated for his sister’s room. I found these frames at the dollar store so these were the perfect budget-friendly decor for her new room.

We made a banner with her name on it for one of the walls. The color didn’t turn out very good in this picture, but it is a pale pink with dark pink polka dots. The scrapbook paper and ribbon came from my craft supplies and I had my husband pick a pretty font for it. I used my circle punch to punch out these circles, but you could also trace a drinking glass to make them all uniform in size.

We bought new rugs for each of the kid’s rooms. These are bamboo rugs that we purchased from Walmart and I absolutely love them. I have a fondness for bamboo rugs because they wipe off easily and are easy to vacuum or broom sweep. Underneath the bed is a basket of toys and a basket of diapers. We are hoping one of these baskets will be no longer needed…can you guess which one?

This set of table and chairs relocated from our playroom downstairs. Ethan was getting too big to sit in these so we put it in her room along with a basket of books for her to read.

This step stool holds an extra set of pink sheets for her bed. This stool used to be her brothers and it is one of my favorite little storage solutions for keeping a spare set of sheets.

This little lamp was also bought at Target and I used her Christmas money from her grandparents to buy it. I really wanted to bring the pink into the room and this was a cute little addition to her big girl space. You could implement the same idea with a basic white shade and a little grosgrain ribbon and some glue.

The perfect room for our sweet little princess!

What budget-friendly ideas are you proud of in your kid’s rooms?

Redbox Code 01.19.09

January 19th, 2009

Today’s Redbox code is K6W3G4. This code can be used all day until midnight at any Redbox location.

Side Notes:

– If you want to rent more than one movie for free, bring more than one credit/debit card. You can use the same promotional code, you just will need different cards to charge it to. The charge will be zero as long as you return your movie on time for the next day.

– When entering in your free movie code, you need to enter it FIRST before picking the movie. On the very first screen, click the, “Rent with Promo.” Enter in the above code and then make your selection- the amount should then total zero.

Emily’s Famous Sloppy Joes

January 19th, 2009

This famous recipe wouldn’t be from my Emily, but from another Emily who submitted her recipe to the AllRecipes Dinner Tonight cookbook. I figured if it was created by an Emily, it had to be good!

I really love my recipe for Sloppy Joes, but I am always looking to try new things. I really liked that this recipe used tomato paste instead of ketchup and was intrigued by the ingredient and spice combination.

I gave it some extra time to simmer while the hamburger buns cooled off, and the flavors were absolutely perfect. I loved everything about this recipe and really loved that it was made out of ingredients that were already in the pantry.

Emily’s Famous Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (omitted for our picky eaters)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder (I decreased this to 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the ground beef for five minutes. Add the onion and red bell pepper; saute for five more minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned. Drin. Mix in tomato paste and water, stirring until paste is dissolved. Stir in garlic, chili powder, parika, cumin, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue to heat for five to ten minutes or until mixture is thick. Yield: 8 servings.

Fast & Delicious Appetizer: Spinach Balls

January 19th, 2009


This was my appetizer dish for a New Year’s Eve bash that my husband & I attended. My husband absolutely hates spinach so I wasn’t sure how well these would go over. If you can believe it, he really loved them so even if you aren’t a spinach lover these are definitely worth a try. The chicken flavored stuffing throws you off from the spinach and because the spinach is fully cooked, the texture of these is so great.

I love any appetizer that you can pop into your mouth gracefully. The spinach between the teeth though…well, you may still have that problem. I am planning to make these often for future nights of board game fun because they are portable and come together in a flash. To save yourself from cooking on the day of an event, make these ahead and keep them in the freezer.

Spinach Balls

2- 10 oz packages frozen spinach
1 package chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
Salt & pepper to taste

Do-Ahead: Cook spinach according to instructions, drain in a sieve, use back of a wooden spoon to press the spinach against the sieve to get as much moisture as possible out In a bowl combine the spinach, stuffing mix,cheese, eggs, butter, salt& pepper Mix thoroughly& roll into small balls 3/4 to 1″ size. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.

Event Day: To serve place frozen balls on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned If you are doing them fresh or thawed only bake for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Yummy Sloppy Joes

January 18th, 2009

Yummy Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onions (I omitted these because I don’t like onions)
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

In a large skillet, brown beef with onions (make sure to drain or rinse your meat after this step). Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Add to beef and onions. Cook for 1 hour over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Serve on warm hamburger buns.

Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Muffins

January 18th, 2009

Simple Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine oats and milk (I used prepared powdered milk) and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin. Stir egg, oil, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pecans into the oat and milk mixture. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add oat mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Fill each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with the remaining brown sugar and pecans. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Amy’s Notes: I added a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the muffins.

Our Favorite Hot Cocoa Mix

January 18th, 2009

Hot Cocoa Mix

4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup non-dairy coffee creamer
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. If a finer consistency is desired, you can pour the mix into a blender or food processor and run it through that. Store in an airtight container. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (depending on your cocoa preference) of the mix to an 8 ounce mug of boiling water.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

January 18th, 2009

Braised Balsamic Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced (I omitted this)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used petite diced)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. heat olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken and add basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, approximately fifteen minutes. Serve over a bed of rice or spaghetti.

This would be delicious served up with a side of green beans and a big sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. The dinner comes together in about twenty minutes which makes it a great dish to entertain with or to throw together on a weeknight. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Frosting

January 18th, 2009

Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about five minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

Soft Sugar Cookies With Frosting

January 18th, 2009

Soft Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Stir in the eggs and the vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add these to the creamed mixture. Chill dough for one hour in a bowl covered with plastic wra. Roll dough into walnut size balls and roll balls in sugar (unless frosting). Place on an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake ten to twelve minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from sheets and allow to cool.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about five minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.