Homemade Wheat Tortillas

Does anyone else think it's scary/gross that a bag of tortillas can last about a month before they go bad? It just doesn't seem right to me...and it's because they fill them with nasty preservatives! Same thing with bread and just about everything else we eat, but we'll save that for another post :)

For lunch I usually have a hummus and cucumber wrap, so instead of eating tortillas filled with junk I found a recipe to make own. I was worried these would be dry and wouldn't roll up nice---but I was wrong! They are SO good, and they only last a week in the fridge (which is a good thing).

                                                

Whole Wheat Homemade Tortillas

1 1/2 C. white flour

1 1/2 C. wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 C. oil (I used canola)

1 C. + 4 Tbs. boiling water

(Compare these ingredients to the list on the back of store bought tortillas--Much better for you!)

• Whisk (or sift) the flours, baking powder and salt together in a big bowl.

• Add the oil and mix with your hands until evenly distributed.

• Add the boiling water and mix with your hands--it will be hot so let it sit for a few seconds before you start (duh, I know...but I started mixing right after I poured the water in and it was not fun).

• Knead in the bowl until well combined then move the dough to the counter and keep kneading until its all smooth.

• Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit 30-45 minutes.

• After the dough is done resting heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

• Sprinkle the counter with flour and form a ball of dough the size of a tennis ball for 12 in., or the size of a golf ball for 6 in. tortillas. Roll it out into a 6 or 12 in. circle with a rolling pin--the thinner the better.

• Lay it in the skillet and flip when it has formed little bubbles. It's done when both sides are browned slightly.

• Store in a ziplock bag in the fridge for up to a week. :)

                                                 

Soup + Songs for a Rainy Day

Today we should all stay in bed, eat soup and listen to music :)

If you have not tried the Tortilla Soup from Qdoba you are seriously missing out. It's so yummy--and thankfully, they posted the recipe on their Facebook page. I am going to attempt to make it tonight, hopefully it turns out good! You can find the recipe here.

Also, this is my playlist for the day:

The Young Romans- Entire Tiger Child Album

The Lumineers- Entire Album (SO excited for their concert in May)

Blind Pilot- Half Moon & One Red Thread

Parachute- What I Know

Enjoy this rainy day!

Bake It: Candy Bar & Caramel Brownies

Jeremy and I get together with our friends once a month to have dinner and this month I am bringing dessert! I wanted something super chocolatey and gooey, so I am made candy bar brownies with my own twist--caramel! Here is what you need:

Brownie mix (don't judge me, it's better than homemade in my opinion!)

Hot Caramel (not syrup, BIG difference!)

5 Candy bars

+

All the ingredients that the box of brownies calls for

Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the box.

Pour half of the mix into your 9x13 (or 8x8 for thicker brownies) pan.

Lay the candy bars on top of the layer of uncooked brownie, do your best not to break up the candy bars, and don't go all the way to the sides.

Melt your caramel sauce and drizzle on top of the layer of candy bars.

Pour the rest of the brownie mix on top and bake according to the directions.

After they are done baking and have cooled completely you can put more caramel on top if you want.

YUM! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy :)

DIY: Painted Wooden Spoons

This is one of the easiest crafts I have ever done--it's almost silly to do a tutorial on it, so basically I'm just showing you the colors I used! :)

Here's what you need:

Craft paint (30% off @ Hobby Lobby)

Wooden Spoons

Paint Brush

Masking/Painters tape

Spray Shellac (optional)

Basically just tape off where you want to paint and paint away!

 If you are lazy (and cheap!) like me there is really no need to shellac these. I hand wash my wooden spoons anyway--plus I don't mind touching them up with paint down the road. The shellac will help the paint last but I don't want to fork out the $9 for it. ;) Also, after using my paintbrush for the first color I ended up just using my finger for the rest of the colors--much easier to clean up!

Much prettier :)

Remy Noelle:: Four Months Old

Sweet baby girl, our time together is flying by! It is so hard to believe you are already four (almost 5) months old. You are the sweetest gift in the world and your dad and I love watching you grow! Here are some memorable things from this month:

You chew on everything! If we put something in front of you, you immediately grab it and bring it to your mouth--sometimes you miss :)

You love to sit in your Bumbo and look around. You are always so interested in what is happening around you!

Nap time and bed time have been a struggle lately. You want to stay up because you're afraid you might miss something! We hope this is just a phase :)

You love your aunts and constantly watch what they are doing--you will annoy them so much someday! But for now they love making you laugh and kissing your cheeks.

You and I went on our first road trip last week for Alison's gender reveal party. You made it so easy! Youwere happy and smiled when people spoke to you, and you slept the whole way there and back.

You look for your dad whenever you hear his voice, even while you're nursing, which frustrates me but it's so cute I don't mind that much :)

You are growing and developing so quickly, and you are starting to get 'fluffy'--which we all love! All of your little quirks are starting to show and it is so fun to watch. We love you so much and look forward to the months and years to come.

-Mom

Buy It: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish

Best. Polish. Ever. Seriously, I love this nail polish. I have been using it off and on for 2ish years. It doesn't chip, stays shiny as goes on thick (in a good way). My go-to color is Polar Bare, but I also love Pink Slip. Both colors are really light but they actually show up on your nails in two coats unlike other brands that take 5. I can easily wear this polish for a week without it chipping--and I do dishes, baths, crafts etc. If you are looking for a new polish give this one a try. They have a lot of colors to choose from.

This is going on a week of wear!

DIY: Tufted Headboard

I have wanted a tufted headboard since we moved into our house--but at $300-$500 (on the low end) I couldn't justify purchasing one. Enter: Pinterest! My search results for a tufted headboard landed me at Little Green Notebook. This is the tutorial I used, but I didn't do everything exactly the way she did. 

There were no pictures taken of my process, so you just have to trust me when I say I DID make it myself :) (with my dad's help). Looking at the pictures on Little Green Notebook will help you a lot. Here is a list of the tools I used:

Pegboard

Convoluted foam mattress topper (x3)

Fabric

batting

Button Cover kit in the 5/8" size (28 buttons)

spray adhesive

wire or super-strong thin rope

long doll needle

1"hole saw drill bit (optional)

permanent marker

tape measure

scissors

staple gun

• For our queen sized bed I got pegboard that was cut to 3'x5', but you can measure your own bed and decide how big you want it. This size is exactly the width of our mattress.
• I decided on getting the three mattress toppers because I wanted it to be thick. I would not recommend getting foam less than 3" thick, otherwise it will not be comfy to lean up against! One other option for the foam is getting actual upholstery foam at Joanns. It ends up being about the same price if you can find a 40% off coupon (download the Joann Fabric app), but my issue with that foam is that it is not three feet wide, so I wouldn't have been able to have the entire headboard padded.
• I used 2 yards of fabric, and 2 yards of batting and had none left over.
• Covering the buttons takes some time and patience, but I think it is worth it because it makes the finished product look professional.
• If you don't have the 1" hole saw bit you can just cut the holes like the Little Green Notebook did, but the saw makes it go much faster! 
• I only had 28 tufts and that was plenty for me! :)

So here is the order I went in:

1. iron your fabric
2. cover your buttons
3. mark out your tufts on the back of your pegboard
4. use spray adhesive to attach the foam to the pegboard by circling the holes you plan to use (this can take some time to make sure they are even, this is the part that took us the longest! I have a rows of 6, 5, 6, 5, 6 for a total of 28 tufts. You can do more or less if you want, just make sure they are equal distances apart.
5. use the doll needle to mark your foam by pushing it through the back of the pegboard in each of your marked holes and mark the top of the foam with a marker
6. cut or saw the holes in your foam--you want them to be an inch wide so that the button can go all the way down to the pegboard--that is what makes your tufts look really expensive :)
7. lay the batting on top of your foam, then lay your fabric on top of that. you will be able to slide your hand along the surface and feel where the holes are
8. string your wire or string through the eye of the button and tie it--the Little Green Notebook makes it difficult in my opinion because she makes it so you have to go down through the hole and then back up, but if you tie the string to the button and then string it through your needle you only have to go through the hole once, it should look like this: 
   
9. Starting in the middle of your board and working your way out, start stringing the buttons through and staple the remaining string to the back of the board in all different ways, making sure it is snug. It helps if one person pushes down on the top of the button while the other pulls and staples.The tufts will naturally start to take shape, just gently coax them into the diamond pattern as you go.
10. when you are all done with the buttons, secure the remaining fabric around the outside of the headboard by pulling gently and stapling to the back.

That's it! It sounds like a lot, but as you go you will be able to problem solve and it should turn out great! I would not recommend using a fabric that has a pattern because it would be hard to keep it all lined up. Try not to use a fabric that has stretch to it,  I think that would make it harder as well. If you have any questions just let me know and I can try to help! :) Have fun--and be patient  It will all come together in the end if you take your time and don't rush through it. 

 

Makeup Favorites

I love makeup. There are always so many new products I want to try, and every time a commercial comes on promoting a new one I have to fight the urge to go buy it! Over the years I have steadily found my favorites. These are the products I have been wearing on a daily basis for about a year---and to me that is forever!

elf contour and blush set in St. Lucia
Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl eyeliner in black
Loreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara in Blackest Black
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Maybelline BB Cream in Light/Medium
Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer in Light

• I don't like to spend a lot of money on makeup, probably because I always want to try something new. The one thing I do splurge on is concealer. The Estee Lauder concealer is $20 at Von Maur. I feel okay spending that much because it lasts a long time and I want good coverage for under eye circles and blemishes.

• BB cream is awesome. You can get this at Target for about $8. I have never been one to wear foundation so this was a great alternative. It is definitely not full coverage but it does blur imperfections and makes your skin look more even. 

• I have already raved about the mascara in this post, so I won't do it again. :)

• The e.l.f. bronzer/blush duo is my best friend. It is $3 at Target. Seriously, you can't beat that, and the blush color is a dup of the super popular but expensive Nars blush. AND you get about the same amount for 1/10th of the price. Go buy this product!

• I use eyeliner every day, and this Rimmel liner stays put all day--even in my water line! It is technically waterproof which is something I shy away from since it's a pain to remove, but this isn't too bad. This liner is so pigmented and is super black, and it goes on really smooth. It was only $4 at Target.

• The Naked palette was a Christmas gift from my in-laws and it is wonderful, but it is EXPENSIVE! Like...ridiculously expensive for eye shadow. So, before I was gifted the palette I used this trio from Wet n' Wild. I know it sounds crazy because it's cheap ($2.99 at Walgreens), but these three colors are the exact dups of Darkhorse, Virgin and Sin by Urban Decay, and they are really pigmented and last all day---super great quality! If you don't want to spend a small fortune on eye shadow I highly, highly recommend this trio. You won't be disappointed!

So, those are the products I use on a daily basis, got buy them and have a great weekend!

DIY: Cute Burp Cloths

Anyone that has a child or has been around a child for any amount of time knows that a burp cloth is a must-have item. If you are like me you registered for the plain white cloth diapers because all the baby websites said they make for a good spit up rag.

Well I decided I wanted mine to be cute, so here is what I did:

What you need:

cloth diaper (or terry cloth)

fabric

sewing machine (if you don't have a machine and you are

patient you could use a needle and embroidery

thread to achieve the same result.)

scissors

Cut your fabric to the same size as the diaper.

Put the right side of the fabric facing the diaper.

Pin (or don't) and sew along the perimeter of your fabric.

Leave an opening at the end and turn your fabric right side out.

                                     

Sew around the top of the cloth to close the opening you left for turning, and I added another line for good measure (and I think it looks cuter too)

Stack them up and enjoy! These would be great baby shower gifts :)

DIY: Book Page Pleated Medallions

Today is cold and rainy so I decided to put the finishing touches on the collage above our bed. These medallions are a simple and VERY inexpensive way to add some 3d art to your walls. Here's how I made them:

Gather your supplies-

Glue gun

Scissors

Paper

Start with four pieces of paper that are the same size. You can use any type of paper, even wrapping paper! I used book pages because I use them for everything and I have a ton of old books around the house. Make sure you have clean edges.

Start folding like an accordion and then cut off the excess. Separate the four pieces and flatten them.

Fold one in half and glue together so it makes a mini fan.

Glue all of the mini fans together.

All done! I hope you like them as much as I do, they are so fun and easy to make. I think it would be so cute to make a bunch using pretty wrapping paper to hang in front of a window or above a crib. The possibilities are endless. :)