Baked Creamy Spinach Chicken Flautas

By Angela on August 12, 2016

When you need an easy dinner idea, a packable lunch, or a substantial snack, I’ve got your back. Here’s what I love about these little cuties: everything is hidden inside. Onions…check. Spinach…check. My kids didn’t even notice. Just bit right down and gobbled them up. Sometimes you have to be stealthy with the veggies.

Baked Creamy Spinach Chicken Flautas

1 chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic (or garlic powder)

2 cups fresh, chopped spinach

1 can, 4 oz green chilies

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cups cooked shredded chicken*

1 brick, 8 oz neufchâtel cheese

20-6 inch tortillas (I used flour, but corn works if you want to call them taquitos)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet saute onion and garlic until very soft. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Add green chilies, cumin, and chicken. Heat through.
Push everything in the skillet to the outsides, making a whole in the center. Put the neufchâtel cheese right there and stir it around until it softens and melts into a creamy liquidy pool. Then stir it into the chicken mixture.
Place 2 Tbs of the mixture onto the edge of a tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam side down on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve with dipping sauces like: salsa, ranch dressing, sour cream, or guacamole. For dinner add side dishes of tossed salad and cut fruit.

Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes

By Angela on August 11, 2016

At 3 pm everyone at my house gets the munchies. I’ve taught my kids to be self-reliant when it comes to food. It’s a habit of years of dealing with chronic illness. Now that I’m doing a bit better, I want to take back some of the kitchen control. I like my kids learning to cook and make do, but I’m not loving the mess they leave behind. It’s going to take some steady supervision to change the bad “clean up after yourself” habits I’ve allowed. In the meantime, I’m being proactive by preparing after school snacks. Rename these “muffins” and you can serve them for breakfast too :).

Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes are loaded with veggies, fiber and protein. You can choose how you want to sweeten them. I used a mixture of xylitol and sucanant. To get the right texture, you should include real sugar for at least 1/3 of the sweetener.

You can also be creative with the flour you use. I used fresh ground whole wheat flour, unbleached flour or a gluten free flour blend (if it has xanthan gum in it) will also work. If you are using an alternate flour option, add it gradually and stop when the consistency is cake batter right. Some flours (like coconut flour) absorb a ton more water than wheat flour and you will need quite a bit less.

Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbs vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a stand mixer, beat Greek yogurt with sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in Zucchini.
Add baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa powder, stirring well after each addition.
Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring just until incorporated. Do not add chocolate chips at this time.
Fill greased or lined muffin cups 2/3 full. (I like to use an ice cream scoop to measure it.)
Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with 1/2 tsp of mini chocolate chips.
Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes to finish cooling.

The Tryouts

By Angela on August 9, 2016

I try not to worry about my kids. With a God this big, why should I worry or fear? But I do, even when I pray and I think I’m not going to. We’ve done homeschooling, private Christian school, and public school. Last year I had 1 in private, 2 homeschooling, and 3 in public. This year we are transitioning everyone to public school and it’s a little heart wrenching for me.

Last week, my oldest boy, who homeschooled last year, who has been spending too much time in his room, wearing pajamas, and reading books, came out of his room early on Monday. Dressed. With shoes. He said, “Bye mom, I’m going for a bike ride.” I stared after him dumfounded.

Then Tuesday, he said, “Soccer tryouts at my new High School started yesterday, but it’s not too late to join. Can I go tonight?” My son has done little more than walk from his bed to the fridge in a year, partially because of his love of books, and partially because he has sore, swollen knees from Osgood Schlatters disease. I was happy he was out of his bed and interested in something. I found the medical forms he would need and we showed up.

I sat in the bleachers with one other mom. 52 kids and 2 moms. I had prepared 3 bottles for his practice: 1 with ice water, 1 with electrolytes, and 1 with recovery protein and glucose. I was terrified. How is a kid who lies around reading books all day going to handle high school soccer tryouts?

They did nothing but run for 2 hours. Greenies, 400 sprints, 800 sprints, more greenies, then more sprints. There was less than 60 seconds recovery time between each exercise. I thought he might throw up. I thought I might throw up. The other mom said, “this is exactly what they did yesterday.” I thought, “this coach is an idiot.” What happened to alternating active recovery days? He yelled at the boys, “If you think this is hard, don’t bother coming back tomorrow!” I yelled back, “You can do it, Caleb! Finish strong! I believe in you!” Every other boy on the field was either wishing their mom was there to cheer him on or really thankful that she wasn’t.

As soon as I got my boy home, I filled the bathtub with warm water, epsom salts and Blue Heat essential oil blend. I made another glucose protein shake. I iced his knees. I told him how proud I was.

He insisted on going back the next day.

The next day, his dad took him. I was singing special music at the testimony service for my brother’s priesthood call to elder. In our church no one can decide to join the priesthood. It’s not something you can earn, study for, or choose. The call comes through prophecy. It’s a big deal and kind of rare. While I sat and listened to the prophecy and confirmation testimonies I thought about my boy on the soccer field. Did his dad take protein and glucose and electrolytes? Would he cheer?

I beat them home and when he walked in the door, I knew things weren’t good. We had talked about worst case scenerios. If you don’t make the team, maybe they would let you come to practice and work out and get stronger. That night, Coach told him no to both.

The next morning the other mom in the bleachers sent me a text. “Cross Country meeting tonight.” Cross Country? If Caleb had sore knees, was this the best thing for him? But I asked him anyway. He said “maybe,” so we showed up. XC had started on Monday also, but would credit his running at soccer practice for the missed sessions. There were no tryouts. If you want on the team, you’re on the team. The coach was amazing. “We cheer everybody on, even the other team. Grades are super important. We are family.” They explained that even though they work out for 2 hours a day 6 days a week, they have an alternating active recovery schedule. Finally, someone with common sense.

Caleb showed up Friday for his first practice, we left the house at 5:45 am. One coach rode his bike moving between the front of the pack and the rear so he could keep tabs on the kids and their health. The 2nd coach drove a car, so he could pick up the kids that were in trouble. Caleb ran for 2 hours and when I picked him up, he was smiling. He did a jig and said, “How can I have so much energy?” I asked him how he did. He said, “I wasn’t at the front of the pack, but I didn’t have to get in the car.” I asked him to tell me the name of 1 kid on his team, he told me 2. Then it hit me, Caleb will start this HUGE school with friends, adults he can trust, and self-respect.

At that moment, the room started to spin, my knees went weak, my vision closed in on itself. I had just earned myself a recovery day or three–all from worry, sigh.

How about you? Is your family making big changes this year with educating your kids? How do you feel about it?

A few things: Living Room Update etc.

By Angela on July 19, 2016

I know I’ve been quiet lately. I’ve been enjoying SUMMER with a slower schedule and time with my kids. Here are a few updates.

The hardwood floor in our living room is all finished! I don’t have baseboards up and I haven’t started on the built ins yet. But I did move the furniture in place just like it would be with the built ins there. I want to live with it a little bit before I got through the expense and work of the built ins buy just to make sure I like the arrangement. So far I really do! You’ll notice there’s a rug down. It’s the one I bought for Darren’s office. We are a long ways away from being able to use it for his office and I may pick something else for him then, or move it down and pick something else for the living room. I love the rug and right now it’s the most affordable option since we already own it ;). Everything is centered on the room, but the angle I had to stand to take the picture makes it look wonky.

Before

Currently

Concept

(I’m rethinking the whole slip cover thing. I’ll have to cut the back cushions off my sofa to make it work and it’s going to be a lot of work. I still want to do it, just much later.)

2. I had a midlife crisis last week and bleached my hair patchwork orange. I don’t have pictures because it was too humiliating. But it was mostly yellow with squares of orange and brown scattered through it. My hair stylist’s son was having surgery that day so she couldn’t help me right away. I wore hats everywhere, even to a wedding shower and denied all requests to take it off. It was humiliating. On phase one of the do over, she got rid of the orange and brown and I was GOLD blond all over. It was horrifying. The next day I was asked to lead the song service for the all area branch meeting. I couldn’t say no because my hair was horrifying so I stood up there and sang away like there was nothing crazy on top of my head. Three days later after multiple keratin and biotin treatments she added ash brown highlights and toned it all over. We had to get pretty aggressive to get rid of the remaining brassiness and I was a little gray/purple for a few days. It has settled down a little bit and now I’m REALLY blond, in a good way. I no longer scream when I see a mirror, which is positive progress.

3. I have been healing up a lot over the last 2 months. My hair has started to grow. It has only been a week since the orange hair fiasco and I already have dark roots. While dark roots aren’t pretty, I’m going to take it and love it since it’s another sign that my health is improving. I started back to my Fit Yummy Mummy workout program, starting at the introductory level (the step before beginners….) and feel like I’m going to be able to finish this time. While half my family is away at summer camp and my chores are reduced, I’ve been prepping foods to help with my goals. I’ve made protein batter for pancakes and keep it in a jug in the fridge so I can cook a few fresh up in the mornings. I also froze protein shakes into popsicles molds. It’s just almond milk and chocolate flavored protein powder, but having it in a popsicle slows down my eating process and is really fun. And I made a 4 serving recipe of Thai Chicken Salad and divided it into recycled Chic Fil A containers.

If I make a family size recipe each time I cook something new, I can eat on it for awhile for no extra work. When it’s that yummy I don’t mind eating leftovers.

4. My new washer and dryer have been in service for about a week and I love them! They are HUGE. One load in the new washer is worth 3 in my old one. I used to do 3 loads a day and now I’m down to 1. It’s the same amount of laundry but I can get through it in 1/3 of the time.

The Other Budget Categories

By Angela on July 8, 2016

Our washing machine died yesterday and it isn’t an emergency. The Fisher and Paykel washer was 11 years old and after 3 loads a day (roughly 12,000 loads), we knew it’s days were numbered. Planning for this didn’t start last week, or even a few years ago. It started the day we bought it. After we became debt free with a fully funded emergency fund, we added some other budget categories to prepare for days like today. Every month, we set aside $10-30 in an “appliance fund” and since we know ourselves and needed extra accountability, the cash went into a real envelope and tucked into a combination safe (not into the bank account where we pay for other bills.) We also fund other bonus budget categories including a car replacement fund and furniture replacement fund. We set aside small amounts each month into these envelopes so that over the period of 10-15 years we can replace our items that wear out.

If I hadn’t had an appliance replacement fund, my day yesterday would have looked very different. I would have searched our local Craigslist for a working washing machine to limp by with until we could raise the money we needed. They had used machines about the age of ours ranging from $50-$150. I would have used part of our emergency fund or my home repair fund, to pay cash for the appliance. It’s not a bad plan really and if there hadn’t have been any good sales on, I might have done that anyway so we could wait for a better deal.

Instead, I had the cash to shop for the best rated machines I could afford. I looked at reviews online, drove to the scratch and dent outlet store to see their choices, and thanked my lucky stars that Independence Day sales were still going strong.

When it came time to make my final decision, I almost went with my less favorite, just to save a few hundred dollars. Then Darren reminded me that this machine should last us 15 years or more and that since we had the cash saved up, I should buy the set of machines that I wanted to use for the next 15 years.

Even though our dryer is still working, it is almost 18 years old. We decided to buy a matched set since the machines are visible from most of the main floor. I should be able to sell the working dryer on Craigslist to offset our costs a little.

I chose the Whirlpool Cabrio set because of it’s huge capacity, low resource use, and good reviews. I loved the idea of a front loader and would love to be able to build a counter over the top of my machines, but the whole mildew thing and needing to leave the door open discouraged me.

After searching the prices online of all the stores that carry this model of machine, We called Sears to order over the phone. I needed the dryer door reversed and that couldn’t be specified online. While I was on the phone the operator asked me if I had a coupon code I would like to use. I said, “oh! Is there one?” He put me on hold and we both searched for any available coupon codes. I was unable to find a coupon code that would work in their system, but his manager approved an additional 5% discount for us. The cool thing about this, is the 5% discount is the same we would have earned by using a sears credit card. As a rule, we don’t use credit cards and I was feeling kind of bad about missing the discount. Turns out, I didn’t have to miss it after all.

It may seem like a lot of extra little categories, but most people won’t miss the extra $10-$30 a month and over 15 years that fund will grow to be $1800-$5400.

An Archeological Dig

By Angela on June 23, 2016

Summer time is the busy time around here. As soon as school was out at the end of may, I headed to Yellowstone via Wall South Dakota as a tagalong on the Grandparent trip for my youngest 2 kiddoes. Every year for the last 4 years my parents have taken 2 of their grandchildren on a cross-country adventure. This time they felt Grant was too young to go without his parents, so Darren and I got to come along.

We were home for a couple of days, just enough to wash and repack everybody. Then I kissed Darren goodbye and took the kids to Lamoni, Iowa for reunion. I think other denominations might call it family camp or camp meeting. It was a week of living as families in University dorms. We had prayer and testimony service and classes every day, time for recreation in the afternoon, and powerful music and preaching in the evening. It’s a time to rest from the cares of the world and get a fresh perspective on our Christian walk. The leaders encouraged us to stay off the internet to keep apart from the influence and cares of the world. I had to get on a little to make sure the meal plans went out on time and take care of customer service issues, but for the most part I tried to rest.

The day reunion ended, I filled my mom’s car with 5 of my kids and all their stuff and sent them back home. My 14 year old son and I headed east to an archeological dig in Nauvoo, Illinois. He’s at the age where he’s trying to make some decisions about a career and education. At first he wanted to be a novelist, so we homeschooled his 8th grade year with the One Year Adventure Novel program. It was a great program but showed him that he prefers to write for a hobby and not to make a career of it. When he mentioned archeology as his next choice for careers, I used some connections to join the end of a dig unearthing an 1840’s home foundation and artifacts.

He’s still trying to unpack the experience and see if it’s a career option he wants to pursue, but it was super interesting to learn about all the different aspects of the dig.

Last year it took the team most of their month long dig to locate the foundation of the home. It was a lot of digging to find nothing and trying again to get just the right location. This year they were able to get started right away in the correct position and make progress. By the time we arrived they had found 3 of the 4 walls of the home and the 4th wall was uncovered while we worked.

We found things like flatware, scissors, square sewing pins, marbles, square nails, china and other earthenware, glassware, cast iron cookware, animal bones, teeth, fossils, buttons, and a cast iron trivet for a clothing iron.

Each 5 foot square was dug down 2 inches at a time. The diggers would gently scrape the soil to protect any artifacts that might be hidden beneath. The loosened soil would go into red scoops (we called them fire trucks) and sent over to the sifters.

Another team member (ahem–me, so hot and sweaty) would rub the dirt through a screen and look for smaller artifacts that might have been missed by the diggers. All artifacts were placed in a green scoop labeled with a sticky note to show the quadrant and soil level it was found in, then sent over to be washed with a soft brush and clear water.

Then the artifacts were carefully dried and sent to the head archeologist, Paul Debarthe who would identify and document each piece in a database.

Finally the documented pieces were sent to the restoration lab, where Synthia glued pieces back together for display. It is the team’s end goal to rebuild the home just as it stood in 1840 and display the artifacts inside.

It felt awesome to play a part in recovering history, but it was also a dirty, sweaty, exhausting job. Caleb and I only dug 3 days with the team. Most of them were there for a solid month!

The Perfect Father’s Day Gift

By Angela on June 7, 2016

Amanda was in full panic mode. Father’s day was just a few days away and she had no idea what to buy. She really wanted to show her husband how important he was to their family and make his face light up with delight. She wandered around the home improvement store, but buying him a new tool might be like him buying her a vacuum for a present. It would remind him of all the work he needed to do instead of telling him how thankful she was for who he is.

Next she headed to the sporting goods store. She felt dizzy looking at the vivid colors and meandering paths. The store had music playing plus shopping noises echoing throughout the place. Feelings of sensory overload and overwhelm creeped in. She didn’t know where to begin. She thought about a gift card, but he hated to shop. This was a no-win situation.

She couldn’t wait to leave and go to more familiar territory. At the department store, she looked at fresh smelling leather wallets, silk luxury ties, and crisp dress shirts. He would look so handsome in these, but he didn’t enjoy dressing up. He put on a tie for church every Sunday, and it came off in the car on the way home. It would get use for sure, but it wasn’t going to make his face light up.

Whatever gift giving occasion: birthday, Christmas, or Father’s Day, she always asked him what he wanted and he always said the same thing. A firey gleam would come in his eyes as he said, “You in a big red bow.” Then he would pantomime untying the bow as she blushed up to her hair roots. She would go buy something, anything, that he could open in polite company. No matter what she bought him, she never saw the look of pure delight she was hoping for when he opened it.

THEN, her favorite blogger told her about MELT. She had tried giving her husband a massage before, but to his disappointment her hands and neck would cramp painfully before 5 minutes had gone by. These PG rated videos promised to show her how to give a long lasting massage without hurting herself in the process. With instant access for life, it was an investment that would be reused over and over again, all for less than the price of one professional massage.

Even better, MELT had prepared in advance how to package the gift perfectly for Father’s Day with downloadable printables that she could stick in all the little places he was sure to find them. It was designed to build anticipation and curiosity with the final clue leading to a wrapped package of massage oil and his favorite chocolates to open.

She started to smile as she thought about the look on his face when he found the first note tucked in his shoe, then the next under his coffee mug and the next taped to his steering wheel. She wasn’t normally a creative person, but this was all done for her. It was perfect and easy and it was going to be really fun. Maybe this was the year she’d want that big red bow after all.

Click Here to get MELT for yourself

Keep in Mind

1. 60 day money back guarantee – if her hubby doesn’t like the massage, you can get your money back.

2. Online video access – instant access for that last minute panic gift

3. Monthly payment plan to fit in small budgets

4. Lifetime access to Melt – This is a win-win. When hubby is itching to get his hands on you, he can use the techniques too.

5. FREE foot rub videos included with each purchase of Melt. So hubby can return the favor later with an awesome foot rub. This ends on the 19^th of June – Father’s Day.

P.S. I’m using the video series for Darren’s father’s day gift and you are going to love Denis’s Australian accent and instruction style. It is very professionally done and easy to implement.

Trying on Area Rugs with Photoshop

By Angela on May 25, 2016

The electrician will be here in just a few hours. While we wait, my living room is in the virtual fitting room of internet rugs. For the before picture, I used a wide angle lens clipped onto my iphone to try to capture more of the space. It worked, but the lines are off, curved and wonky, giving the room a lopsided, tipsy appearance.

The room is 20 feet long AFTER the built ins are in place so there will be more enpty space to the left than the pictures show (I blame the angle of the sofa.) I’m not aiming for perfection though, just a hint of reality so I can choose a rug with confidence. It reminds me a bit of trying on clothes when I didn’t take time to put on my makeup, fix my hair, or wear enough spanx. It takes more imgaination :).

The room doesn’t have proper pillows or art and feels rather stark. I mounted some of our instruments on the wall to fill in blank space. I think we would play more often if they were easy to just pick up and play, and amazon offers wall mounts for almost any type of musician. While I wait inspiration to strike on the cozy details, I’m going to ignore the mess and see if a rug strikes my fancy. First no rug. This view works best with my budget, ha ha.

Then the blue rug that was overwhelmingly the favorite in the last poll.

And the colorful one that I find so energizing:

Here’s a new one that missed my search before because it’s WOOL. It’s loops instead of tufts which sheds a little less, but still stains with food coloring.

Or a similar medalion print in deep rich blue.

Here’s a different blue rug that I like better, but it’s not on sale and REALLY pricey ($1649)

Just for fun another pricey one ($800) in a herringbone greige.

And while I’m pulling crazy dresses off the rack, that I would never buy, but secretly wish I would…. HOT PINK 😉

and Terracotta floral

When I see the right area rug, it grabs me and I know. Sometimes it’s the 10th time I look at it, and sometimes it happens AFTER I’ve seen all the other options to be sure. While the expense of an area rug isn’t a trifle to us, I know if I make a big mistake, I can sell it on Craigslist, or trade it with a rug ina different room. I’m still waiting for that feeling to come. The Memorial Day sale is a really good one, but there will be a good one on the 4th of July too. I don’t mind waiting if that means I’ll make a better choice.

I made a little video for you, showing all the rugs in succession. Sometimes looking it at it like that makes it easier for me to choose!

Giant Feather Canvas

By Angela on May 24, 2016

A gigantic white canvas scares me. It is full of possiblities but begs me to choose just one.

I’ve been dreaming for years of what I would do when I got the nerve to buy a big blank canvas. I have a pinboard full of ideas simply for a big blank canvas, but I didn’t have the courage to act on any of them. Then my neighbor put a 30×40 canvas out at his garage sale. For just $10 I could own it, still in shrink wrap. So I bought it. Step one, Dream. Here I come.

I leaned it against the wall in my room and refused to hear it mocking me. I wouldn’t make eye contact. I wouldn’t let it see my fear. Dust came.

Cutting Edge Stencils invited me to look through their website and pick something to share with you. I chose the Feathers All Over pattern. Step two, Dream. Here I come.

I set a deadline. I told myself that if I hated it I could paint over it as many times as I wanted. The stencil arrived gently rolled in a triangle tube. The stencil was huge and sturdy. The packaged also included a high quality stencil level, brush and foam roller. I had everything I needed to begin. 1…2….3…jump….maybe tomorrow.

The deadline loomed and so did a fever. I took to my bed and slept amid sweat. My oldest daughter asked if there were anything she could do. I offered her the canvas. She and her friend mixed and striped the base with just one blue. Black made it darker and white took it the other way. I didn’t watch, I just let them do. “Don’t worry, Kids,” I reassured. “It wasn’t expensive. It’s just paint. If it’s awful we can paint over it.” I gave them the courage I didn’t have.

They laughed and chatted while they painted and timidly invited me to inspect their work. I ignored the splotches of paint on the sheet draped carpet. It was perfect. No longer white, the canvas didn’t mock. It invited and encouraged. I taped up the stencil and poured shimmery gold paint into a tray. It was runny and old and separated. I stirred it with the end of the foam roller until it looked uniform in the pan. Then I paused. This was too easy. I took down the stencil and measured and centered. I had it right the first time. With new confidence, I filled the roller, then matted it off on a clean part of the tray. Rolling over the stencil, the paint refused to cover the rich blue ombre. I rolled again, covered again. It twinkled and winked. I overlapped the stencil beside the pattern and rolled again.

Then it was done. A few minutes of labor and the dream stood before me in it’s flawed glory. The too thin paint, gone over too many times, stood in the gaps where blue should have been. My 8 year old son stood beside me and breathed, “It’s beautiful.” I pointed out the ooze and he said, “That’s why it’s beautiful. The flaws tell you a human being did this. It adds value.”

While my teenage son was away at Scouts, I snuck in his room to make ready the surprise. Armfuls of smelly socks and dirty dishes moved to appropriate wash stations. New sheets, fluffed up feather pillows, dusting spray and a vacuum cleaner, removed the stress of the school year. Two nails, measured with one eye, made a resting place for original human art. The canvas asked for one thing more, a ribbon or strip of wood to hide it’s stapled edge. I promised I would, but not yet. The boy would be home too soon….and then he was behind me, gasping his delight and approval. 100 plans came to his mind to tidy up more and decorate more.

The painting teens made a little video of the ombre backdrop. I tried to film the stencil rolling, but apparantly I turned off the camera when I thought I was turning it on. It really was just like rolling paint on a wall. I only wish I had used less paint, or thicker paint and let it dry between coats.

Nailing Down Some Living Room Details

By Angela on May 23, 2016

I have a really special art project for you tomorrow, that anyone can do, even without artistic flair. I’m partnering with Cutting Edge Stencils for the project and my kids helped make it. It’s not perfect, but we love it and can’t wait to show you…tomorrow ;).

Over the weekend I started using Excel to write up a source list and budget for my living room project and reality hit me full in the face. I have enough money saved right now to pay my workmen, and not much more. That means the coffered ceiling and my rug will have to wait. I’m listing some stuff on ebay and craigslist to see if I can earn enough for the wood for the built-ins.

I made a little video for you to show my process of setting a budget for a room:

The lack of cash doesn’t stop me from dreaming though! I like to have the ideas decided on, so when the cash comes available and the DEALS roll in, I’m prepared to take advantage of them. There’s nothing worse than a panic of “It’s on sale, but I don’t know which one I want!” I don’t like to be pressured into a too quick decision on something I might have to live with for years.

I’m looking for a new area rug for the living room since the old one has found a new home in my office. My first area rug was 100% wool. I chose wool, because it was natural and thick and plush. Plus my husband’s grandmother bought wool carpet for her home 60 years ago and it still doesn’t have paths worn in it like synthetic carpeting would. What I didn’t count on, was the SHEDDING. It’s like we have 5 cats and the fibers make dust bunnies all over the house. On top of that food coloring is permanent wool dye. So when the toddler came wandering in the room with an orange popsicle dripping behind him, there wasn’t anything I could do about the stain it left behind.

I’m shopping for a syntheic rug this time. I love the bold colors in the Albina Ritzy Retro Rug, but am not sure how long I will love it. I tend to get tired of bold patterns really quickly, but this one is tempting. It’s on sale for Memoral Day for just $245 for a 9×13. That’s a really great price for a huge rug.

My other favorite is the Aerial Decorative Plumes Rug. It’s a little pricier at $320 for a 9×12. But the more subdued color pattern might be a longer lasting favorite for me. There’s not much rug to show in this view of the living room, but here it is with the blue rug:

and with the colorful one:

I’ll see about making a different view of the room where more of the rug shows. I don’t think there’s enough here to make a decision about. BUT I love how the multi-colors work with the books on the shelves. And I equally love how calm the blue rug is in the room.

I found a tutorial at ana-white.com for bulding my built-ins! The original is 73 inches wide, and I need each of my units to be 48″ wide. I’ll only need to adjust the lengths of the horizonal boards and will use 2 doors instead of 4. Also, I’ll construct the cabinets as stand alone furniture like the plans suggest, but I’ll wait to add any trim or crown molding until it’s in place in the room. That way the baseboards and crown for the room can continue seamless around.

Here’s another version painted white with gray glaze. I plan to do mine crisp white.

Do you have a preference for which rug I choose? Is there another Rug that you think might work even better?

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