Happy Birthday to Cambree!

Yesterday was Cambree Jane's 4th birthday! And we had to start the day with our traditional, Birthday morning cinnamon rolls. If you haven't read our blog before, we always have cinnamon rolls with sprinkles and a candle on the morning of our birthdays! Usually this happens on a seperate day from their party day, but this year the party was on her actual birthday.



Our theme this year was "butterflies" and it was a ton of fun!
Cambree and I decorated this butterfly cake and it was so cute and I heard that it tasted pretty good too!



Here's Cambree with all her "loot" before she opened it all!


There was a lot of crafty things and clothes...she LOVED it all!





Her papa Jene got her a new motorcycle shirt and she told him, "That's funny, Papa!" I am glad, because now we can have a rotation!



Cambree blew out the candle on her cake...


...and then cut the BIGGEST piece of cake I have ever seen for a 4 year old!



And then she didn't even eat any of it! But she did drink a lot of punch!



Ate a little ice cream!



It was such a nice day outside that we spent a great afternoon outdoors playing in the sunshine with all our friends!

Cambree Jane, you are definitely one special girl! I am so very glad that I get to spend my days with you.  You remind me of myself in so many ways and I just love you more than you know!  At four years old you are already someone I am proud of...you are becoming a little lady right before my eyes.  You are smart and witty and never cease to make us laugh and smile.  I LOVE it that you are so crafty and love to spend time with me "makin' things."  I adore the sense of humor that you get from your dad.  You know that it's okay to be a strong person and hold your own, but you also know the importance of showing your affection.  I am just so proud to be your Momma and I cherish every single moment I have with you!  Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Butterfly Party Decor {long}

This post is about all of the details of Cambree's 4th birthday party!  When Cambree chose a butterfly theme, I had a hard time coming up with things to decorate with.  But over time and a lot of magazine browsing, blog stalking and nights awake, I came up with some cute things {at least I think so}!  So, here goes!
Straws with butteflies for each glass.


Cupcake stands with cupcakes.  I printed the wrappers and the toppers from my home computer.  I got the kit off the internet here.  The cupcake stands came from oriental trading.

Here's the dining room table all set for the kiddos!

The mantle above our corn stove...filled with pictures of the birthday girl, a coffee filter garland, and some other fun decorations that involved pages from an old church hymn book and lots of hot glue!

Our entertainment center was converted into gift central!  Those paper pom-pom flowers on top are what I was making when I lost the top of my finger!

The gift table. I made this tablecloth for Cambree's table and have since declared that I absolute will not be sewing wedding dresses, EVER! While this turned out pretty cute, it was a pain to sew together. Maybe I needed an extra set of hands to help manuever all that tulle!

This dresser by our front door held all sorts of goodies.

Flower pens for the "big girls" to take! Because, let's face it, the mom's always have the hardest part of getting ready for a party, whether it's your own or someone else's. {For those of you who didn't get one, I will make sure you get one next time I see you!}

Bubbles...which we were so fortunate to be able to use on a beautiful day!

And some candies, wrapped in more cute printables.

Jeremy's deer did not escape decoration! Cambree thought this was so funny!

The party favors! Bubble wands, butterfly nets and the little bags held butterfly gummies, a butterfly sucker, butterfly tatoos and pink gumballs! And the tags said, "Thanks for coming to my party! Love, Cambree"

Our drink station!

Rasberry Sherbert Punch! This is so yummy and so easy. One container of sherbert, one can pineapple juice and one 2 liter bottle of lemon-lime soda! Try it, your kids will love you and beg for it every birthday!


Strawberry Lemonade with frozen strawberries and lemons used to keep it cold!


WOW!! We made it through all the details. I have so much fun planning and prepping for the parties and it is evident from my kids reactions, that they enjoy it all as much as I do!

I can't bear the thought of getting rid off all these decorations, so if anyone would like to borrow them and have a butterfly party, just let me know; I would be happy to share!

Thanks for making it all the way through this long post.

Boys Room

Okay, I am home sick today...YUCK!  Preston brought the bug home from school on Monday.  Was sick Tuesday and Wednesday, but went back today.

Guess who has it now?!  Funny thing is that it is affecting me totally different.  Last night as I got up to put Westynn to bed I got dizzy, but thought I had just gotten up too fast.  But I sat back down and it wouldn't go away.  In fact, it got worse and before I knew it the room was spinning around {and I hadn't inflicted any wounds on myself this time!}.  I decided to go shower and see if that helped...well I ended up in a laundry basket of clean clothes while trying to get some jammies!

I managed to stay vertical long enough to get clean, but knew I needed to head to bed.  I was seriously hoping that some sleep would take care of it...but no such luck!  At 10:00 when Westynn was up hungry and wanting to play {a bad habit he is trying to start and we are trying to prevent!} I was still no better.  Jeremy even had to catch me to keep me from going down to the floor.

It was a long night.  Each time I moved, I felt so dizzy and that in turn makes my stomach feel uneasy.  I told Jeremy this morning that I constantly feel like I am just getting off a amusement park ride!  And trying to take care of my babies is not an easy task.  For one thing, I don't trust myself completely carrying Westynn, but I have no choice, because he can't move yet!  So, I have spent some time formulating in my mind how to fall and save W from harm...let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

Anways, I am doing a lot of blog hopping while I am holed up in my chair.  Yes, I am that mom today who has turned on the cartoons for Cambree and is pretty much letting her do whatever she wants....she even did her own hair!  It's GREAT!  As long as she isn't bouncy all over my chair I don't care much what she is doing.

For quite some time I have been trying to figure out what to do with the boys room.  Well I think I might have found it today.  Look here and let me know what you think.  I think it fits Preston's personality perfectly and Westynn will just have to learn to be an outdoorsman!  Plus, since he already has a deer hanging on his wall, this will be perfect.  I will definitely change some things up, but what I like are the canoe, the thermos, jar with rocks, the saying she wants to put on the wall, and the curtains!

So, I am sure the better part of today will be looking for more inspiration for their room!  At least I am getting one thing on my list accomplished...SINCE I AM GETTING NOTHING DONE FOR THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ON SATURDAY!!!

{I am trying not to get too stressed out about this, but my expectations are so high for this party and I have been looking forward to it for a month now!  I just want it to all go how I have it pictured in my mind.  And I know that it's not about the party, but it sort of is about the party when you have spent a month prepping and planning with your little girl and she is so excited about all the things you have done!}

DISCLAIMER: This post includes a story about an injury sustained to my finger. If you are as squeamish as I am, you may  not want to read!  No pictures though, only my words!


If you are following my 365 blog you know this is the same picture from Sunday, but it goes with the story of the day, today as well!

I am in the throws of getting ready for Cambree's big 4th birthday celebration on Saturday.  This is the state of my buffet right now...loaded down with creative things to make decorations out of.

I have seen these tissue paper pom-pom flowers on several different blogs that I follow and I wanted to give them a try and use them at CJ's party.  So yesterday afternoon while Westynn was napping I decided to whip these up.  They should have been really easy and quick to put together. 

The first one went together with relative ease.  It was a little tricky getting the edges rounded, but I managed.

I wanted the second one to be a tad bit smaller so I trimmed up one edge and proceeded.  When it was time to create the rounded edge, well, that's the time when it all fell apart.  Instead of going for my favorite pair of scissors I took the lazy way out and grabbed the closest pair from the desk.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but somehow I cut off the top of the knuckle on my left index finger. 

I'm not going to give details here, because frankly, it will make me sick!  Let's just say that God did not give me the gift of dealing with injuries.  I immediately grabbed a paper towel to soak up the blood and headed to the bathroom to get a bandage.  It was in the bathroom that the room started to spin and I started to get sick to  my stomach and things began to go black. 

Oh, and let me just mention that I had cupcakes in the oven at the time as well!!

So, being the smarty pants that I am, I stumbled to the chair and called Jeremy to come home and bandage me up!  Yep, right in the middle of the afternoon.  Once he arrived home, he immediately began to make fun of me....but he's always known that I don't do well with this sort of thing.  He kept referring to it as a "paper cut" but the skin on the scissors begs to differ!  Anyways, he got me all bandaged up and in the chair with a pail and a glass of water.

It took me about 30 minutes, but I eventually felt better and went about the rest of my day.  And I think it will heal okay, but it in right where my finger bends and it is going to take FOREVER!!!

But there is one more thing that I have to admit here.  Before all of the room spinning and such my first thought was that I had a perfect blog post....what would be the best thing to photograph!  HA!  I considered the skin on the scissors, making you guess what had happened.  I thought about taking a picture of the wound....which for obvious reasons would not have worked for me!  Ultimately, I just decided to tell you about it and spare you the photos.

Oh and the cupcakes.  Well the timer went off while I was waiting for Jeremy to get home, so I had to stumble to the kitchen and try to retreive the cupcakes from the oven AND remain upright at the same time!  Thankfully, the cupcakes were saved.  The only thing lost yesterday was a huge chunk of my skin!

Weekly Menu

Monday - Roast, potatoes, corn, rolls

Tuesday - Chimichangas, chips & queso

Wednesday - Beef-n-noodles, mashed potatoes, rolls, peas

Thursday - Biscuits and Gravy, Hashbrowns, Eggs

Friday - Meatballs, rolls, salad, green beans

Saturday - CJ's birthday party

Sunday - still working on it!

Sidenote: There are LOTS of party preparations to be completed this week, so I made my menu as easy as possible this week...roast in the crockpot, re-use the leftovers for beef n noodles, meatballs are in the freezer ready to go...At least this part SHOULD be simple this week!

We're Giving Up

Last night at the dinner table we were having a family discussion about what we are going to give up for Lent {which started yesterday if you don't know and goes through Easter...40 DAYS!}.

I stated that I was going to give up dessert, because I have just become too good of friends with it in the last 10 years and I knew it would take some serious mental skill to avoid it.

Jeremy, after many attempts to "give up" things that don't exist, like getting up in the night, eating breakfast, changing diapers...finally decided he would forgo pop for the next 40 days.

When it was Preston's turn to name something he would give up he excitedly replied, "I'm giving up my bedtime!"  Either taking lessons from his father or one smart kid.  Unfortunately for him, his Mom over-turned his decision.

Following her brother's example, Cambree declared, "I'm giving up bedgetables!"  {HUGE GRIN!}  Once again, over-ruled by mom!

We finished our dinner and continued the evening with our routine.  I called the kids in to help unload the dishwasher.  As Preston was sorting the silverware I heard him say, "I'm totally giving this up too!"  HA! He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, just making a statement.  I admit, I laughed out loud! 

These kids are good for some laughs that's for sure!


{A favorite picture from our trip to Miami last year...it just feels like spring to me, and I am craving spring now!}

You are gonna laugh...

I'm not kidding....this picture is going to get ya!

















So, I guess the tooth fairy should get off the computer and go find some money to leave under his pillow!

Monday Menu

Apparently the most interesting thing about my life right now is what happens in my kitchen.  But, that's okay, because it is one place I love to be.  Fixing a meal for my family is rarely a time I would rather be doing something else and it is generally relaxing and comforting to me.  There aren't a lot of gourmet meals planned or prepared in our kitchen, but hearty meals that soothe the soul and fill the belly. 

You might have noticed that I added a few new "pages" to my blog.  They are up under my banner.  One of them if for Retta Jane's and the other is for recipes.  I am working to include some of our family favorites and go-to meals up there.  I will also be happy to add any that I find while browsing the many {okay, there really isn't any word to describe the amount} other blogs I follow.

It has been requested that I post a sampling of our weekly menu.  So here's this week's menu.

Monday: Cavatini (recipe up soon), salad, corn, butterhorn rolls (another great recipe I will share)

Tuesday: Quick crescent Taco Pie, green beans, rice

Wednesday: Hamburger sliders, Mac & Cheese {not from a box}

Thursday: Steak, Fried Potatoes, Peas, Biscuits

Friday: French Toast, bacon, eggs

Saturday: no plan for today...will finish up the leftovers or something simple like grilled cheese

Sunday: Fellowship Dinner at church

So, that's the weeks meals. 

Mini Breakfast Bites

As you may remember, Friday nights are breakfast night here at the Stapleton house. This week I fixed a really tasty and easy meal. One I thought I would share with you.

Mini Breakfast Bites
The guest list:
1 can refrigerated biscuits
3-4 eggs
cheese - use what you have on hand
about 1/2 pound of sauasage, browned & drained


Shred some cheese into a bowl. I don't measure I just do it until it looks good!


Whisk up your eggs and scramble them in a warm skillet until they start to set, but don't cook all the way through. They should still look nice and shiny!


Mix the eggs in with the cheese and add the sausage.


Take your biscuits and cut each one into fourths.


Now, smash them out flat and try to make them somewhat circular.


Push one fourth of each biscuit into the cup of a mini muffin pan.


If you got a new Pampered Chef 1 tbsp. scoop for Valentine's Day from your Mom, then have your lovely miniature assitant scoop the egg, cheese and sausage mixture into the muffin pan.


If you didn't get the scoop, then just eyeball it.


Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 7 minutes or until biscuits are brown.
Let cool a few minutes before removing from pan and serving to your famished family!


We like to have these with a side of hashbrowns, some milk or O.J. and call it good!

Enjoy!

Ask Anything

Okay, I am admitting that there are times when I can't think of anything to blog about or just don't have the energy to think of something interesting.

So here's your chance. If there is something you want to know or a topic you want me to blog about, put it in the comments and I will address it in a future blog post!

Birthday Prep

If you don't know already, besides being the month of love, February is Cambree's birthday month.  We are in full birthday party planning mode around here.

Quite awhile ago, she decided that she wanted to have a "butterfly" party.  So I have been busy browsing the internet for ideas and combing magazines for any ideas that can be used or altered to match our theme.

I still feel like I don't quite have all the pieces together yet, but that has not stopped me from working on a few things.  This weekend I put together a cute picture frame to use for a picture of the birthday girl and it can easily be adapted for any theme, so I thought I would show you just how easy it was.

For this project you will need a frame with plenty of extra space on the mat, a paper punch related to your theme, patterned paper or cardstock and glue dots {or other adhesive, but this is my fav}.

Clean the glass of your frame, leaving it insde the frame.



Use your paper punch and punch out several designs from your patterned paper or cardstock.




Lay your punched designs out on the top of the glass in a pattern that appeals to you. I used a grid pattern, which you will see in the last photo if you want to scroll down and take a look.

Put a glue dot {I used the mini's} on the back of each punched design and apply directly to the top of the glass.



If you look closely you will see a shadow under each design and this is the reason I like to apply it on top of the glass. It gives it more dimension. And if you use repositionable glue dots, you can always remove them and use the frame for another project later.



And there you have it!



Now all you need is a picture of the adorable birthday girl {or boy} to display at the party!

{This would be cute with hearts for your Valentine this year!}