Back-to-School Already?!

Can you believe summer break is almost over? Are you ready? My summer is already over. I'm back in the classroom after 8 years. I've been working around the clock putting together a preK classroom. I'm plumb exhausted. 
I thought I'd share some super cute back-to-school ideas/projects I found on Pinterest. Now, if only I had the time to actually make them.... 
Super cute, easy-peasy gift for the teacher for the first day of school. FREE printable on Simply This and That! 

A-DOR-ABLE door hanger for your new teacher. This looks so do-able! Maybe one of my students will make me one?!? Yeah, I don't think so either. I may just have to give up some more sleep and make one for myself. Thanks for the tutorial, Warm & Fuzzy! 

O-Mmm-Gee! Look at how cute these apple pretzels are?!?! I'm not linking it because the link is showing to not be safe. Sorry about that Bake.Bake.Celebrate. I think this could be recreated fairly easily without having directions. 

I know my kids would LOVE this. What a cute way to gear up for the beginning of a new school year! Check out the directions over at Pen N' Paperflowers. 

LOVE, love this idea of a back-to-school dinner night with the family. The decorations would be easy to put together. Check out the cuteness over at Our Family Blog. 

If you're going to have a Back-to-School dinner, you're going to need a Back-to-School dinner recipe. Here's one of my family favorites - Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops. Thanks to One Day at a Time for having a great picture with the recipe. This is recipe I use and I've shared, I just can't find my picture. Bummer. No worries. You'll find other great recipes over at One Day at a Time as well. 

Have you found some great ideas to kick off back-to-school?! If I had hours to spend, I could find so many things to make.... if I had time. {sigh}

When do your kids start back? Ours actually start on the 15th. I, on the other hand, have been working for a week in my classroom. I report for meetings on Friday. Life for this housewife is drastically changing. 

~Mrs. Alright

Wishing I could do it all, like.... 

Crafty Feet

It's been a while since I have brought a craft to The RHOK, so I think I will share a fun one that I haven't shared before. We all wear shoes, right? And I know we can all go purchase these glittery canvas shoes now in stores anywhere from $15-$60. But, if a craft opportunity presents itself at my house at a shoe cost of $5, materials I have on hand and creating memories to last a lifetime I jump at it.  I of course pulled another Real Housewife of the Internet* and used that beloved site called Pinterest to produce this idea. Take a look at this pin. If only I could have reproduced those. Here are the directions for mine.
You’ll need:

• a pair of canvas shoes
• 8 ounces of Mod Podge
• 1.5 ounces of glitter
• 1 flat foam brush
• small bowl or cup
• tape (preferably duck tape)
• rhinestone decoration
• heavy duty adhesive 

The cast of characters- as the Pioneer Woman would say!

Tape off the areas of the shoe that you do not want the glitter on- the sole of the shoe. You can't see mine, because all I had on hand was clear tape. You will mix the glitter and the mod podge together in the bowl/cup and then brush on to the shoe as seen above. Below you can see my daughter hard at work helping. She was a big help!

After the mod podge mixture dries, adhere the rhinestone piece one with the glue. I will be honest, mine did not stick well after wear, it would have done better had the end of the shoe been vinyl.

My daughter has loved these blinged out shoes. And to be honest. They have lasted so much better than the more expensive brands!

♥Mrs. Hart♥
who likes her crafts anyway and anywhere, just as long as she can get crafty!!

*What do you think about that name? I'm thinking of moving my personal reviews/giveaways over to a new blog and separating them from my family blog. Input please...

Warning: Deadly Pins Ahead

Source: pinfuriating.com via ShaRhonda on Pinterest

I have had an interesting seven days. Not only was my daughter admitted into the hospital with a concussion over the weekend, you can read about that here, but my husband also gave me a scare.He is my shower cleaner.The Clorox Clean-Up wasn't cleaning it fast enough and I hadn't got around to making him his favorite Dawn/vinegar solution yet. So not thinking, or thinking it might work faster he grabbed my vinegar and added it to the Clorox Clean-Up. Bad mistake. Chemistry 101.

Bleach + Vinegar = Chlorine Gas

Chlorine Gas + You = Chemical burns, potential death

I had taken my daughter to ballet at 6pm. The gas produced was horrendous and extremely overpowering according to him. He had to open the doors to the house and go outside a while. He was still coughing at 11pm when I decided to call Poison Control. 
1-800-222-1222
They told me to take him immediately to the emergency room. He was stubborn and didn't want to go. The coughing finally stopped about 2am. All I could think of was chemical induced pneumonia. Men. Here is some information I found on a blog called Pinfurating in case you ever do come into a situation such as this: 
“In case of skin contact: Chlorine hydrolyzes very rapidly yielding hydrochloric acid so that skin burns are like that from exposure to HCl. Flush affected area with copious amounts of water for 15 minutes. Seek medical attention immediately.

In case of eye contact: Chlorine is corrosive and irritating to the eyes. Flush contaminated eye(s) immediately with copious quantities of water for a minimum of 15 minutes. Seek medical attention immediately.

In case of inhalation: Chlorine inhalation may cause coughing, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness and difficulty breathing. It may also cause pulmonary edema (build-up of fluid in the lungs) which may be delayed by several hours and can be fatal.“

Source: someecards.com via ShaRhonda on Pinterest

Seriously how many pins are running around out there that are dangerous to us. Here's one and another. 

Do NOT try these!!!! 

My husband did not get his idea from one of my pins, but believe me I have made a few nasty recipes from Pinterest. I think I will even start a board titled something of that sort. 

I'm just saying. Be careful. Know what you are mixing when it comes to household chemicals. It really can be a matter of life or death.

Have you found any pins on Pinterest that are dangerous? Have you reported them?

♥Mrs. Hart♥ warning you of "pin" dangers like

Are You Pinterest Inspired this Christmas?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and I hear that in about a week it may even begin to feel like Christmas with some of the white stuff! I have to admit, it was very nice to have a full week of November between Thanksgiving and December though. I was able to party plan, prepare and clean without feeling too awfully rushed. 
Party?  Yes, I hosted an IRL Christmas Pinterest Party in my home Friday night.  I kicked off a 15 day meme on my personal blog yesterday called "A Very Pinteresting Christmas with The 4-Crow's". It will consist of food, decorations and crafts all inspired by Pinterest for the Christmas season. I would love to stop by some of your blogs to see what you are doing from Pinterest this Christmas, so please grab the button and link up!

<a href="http://the4crows.com" target="_blank"> <img src="http://i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu106/The4Crows/christmasblogbutton.png" /></a>

This week I am showcasing everything from the party. There was too much involved for one post so I decided to break it up into five days: introduction/snapshots, food, drinks, crafts & door prizes.  We had a ton of fun and have decided to continue these parties quarterly. 

Have you been to a IRL Pinterest Party yet?

♥Mrs. Hart♥

Elfing Around the House

Last year was our first year to play along with the frenzy known as Elf on the Shelf. My then four-year-old daughter really got into it. She was better behaved in the month of December than she was all the other 11 months combined. (Yes, I know how that sounds. Don't you judge.) You better believe we were going to continue with this little Elf tradition.  I'd like you to meet Mr. Fred Jack Tubbington...

Fred Jack made his arrival on Sunday and on Monday already had a special little project for my girls. My teen daughter loves the spirit of all things Christmas and is happy to play along to make things fun for her little sister. 

Fred Jack's letter to the girls with directions. 

Peppermint Hershey Kisses ready to plant in the sugar 

Camryn was completely enthralled by all of it. She couldn't stop looking at him for the longest time. 

She took the directions very seriously, as all good little girls should. 

Here she is "watering" her peppermint Hershey Kisses with kisses.

After all the planting and watering and kissing was finished the girls went to bed. When the awoke the next morning this is what they found... 

CANDYCANES

Does your family have an Elf on the Shelf? I'm really bummed they didn't have the girl elf last year because now I'm wanting her! Have you come up with some creative ways for your elf to interact with your kids? We'd love to know. If you've done a blog post about it, leave a link to your post in the comments and we'll be by to check it out. Also, one of our housewives, Mrs. Hart,  hosts an Elf on the Shelf link-up you can participate in. 

I wish I could take full credit for this fun candycane project, but I found it where else but, Pinterest! 

You can also find ideas on Instagram under the hashtags #elfontheshelf #elfingaroundthehouse . 

~Mrs. Albright 

Looking for creative ways to top Day 1, like a....

Pre- Holiday Clean Scene with Mrs. Hart

Thanksgiving is two weeks away housewives!!! TWO weeks, that's 14 DAYS!! Are your menus planned, house cleaned, travel plans made, Black Friday shopping strategies shaping up? Did I ask you if your house was clean yet? Not exactly sure yet if I am cooking or my MIL, but since the holidays are coming and my house is always in the need of a good cleaning... 

I have a gas stove. Anyone who cooks with gas knows that the grease, grime, burned on food on the grates and drip pans is nearly impossible to get off. I have tried Comet, Soft Scrub, my dishwasher, everything imaginable. 

During Fall Break, I even priced at Lowe's replacement parts. Yeah, that is not happening in the near future. The double drip pans alone are $12.99 and only come in black. Last Tuesday night, I found the following pin on Pinterest. I guess she just had nasty grates to contend with, not the pans. 

Source: pinchingyourpennies.com via ShaRhonda on Pinterest

Warning: What you are about to see is disgusting. I am ashamed, that I let the mashed potatoes last week boil over and hadn't cleaned it before now.

Supplies needed: 

1 gallon Ammonia- $2 

rubber gloves 

scouring pads 

 large sealable container, I used an ice chest 

well ventilated space- I went outside

Now, I must warn you when you start a Pinterest project such as this you will probably end up opening an entire stove clean scene. I mean really how can you have a clean cook top and the inside not be cleaned as well. 

You are going to put the grates and pans into the large container and pour the ammonia over them. Let them sit overnight. My burner covers and the left drip pan were clean within about six hours. During that time is when you will do the other clean scene.

Now, I am not going to lie to you, you still have to use a little elbow grease. At least I did. Some of the baked on black gunky mess, I am sure, had been on there for a good nine years. It is back wrenching, elbow using, grease and grime. I even felt it in my rear Saturday morning at the football games. Be prepared for some work, but be even more prepared for the shock that I am about to reveal.

"Whoa Mommy, did you get a new stove?", straight out of the mouth of my five year old daughter.What amazing cleaning secrets do you have or have found lately? Please share, so we all can have clean homes for Thanksgiving!

♥Mrs. Hart♥Who can RHOK an upside down cleaning mask like

P.S. I knew it was upside down, my glasses kept fogging up with it turned the correct way!

DIY Costumes and Halloween Showoff 2012 with Link Up

'Tis the day before Halloween and hopefully the greatest nightmare of all housewives with children has not occurred.  Did you forget to make, buy, or just can't find the right costume for you or your children?   I can certainly see where that nightmare might occur. And if it has, I can only hope to offer you some DIY costume hope.  I am also asking for our readers to link up to this post and show off your 2012 Halloween costumes! Inquiring housewives want to know.

My son: Greg Hefley the Wimpy Kid
My daughter: The Prissy Ghost
(All ideas inspired by where else?  Pinterest!)

Wimpy Kid

I originally got the idea for the Wimpy Kid from Living Locurto, but I just couldn't get the face to turn out the way I wanted. So then I moved on to actual Wimpy Kid sites and found these downloads! Score! Looks like we may all be a Wimpy Dad and Mom also! I just printed, glued it on black card stock and cut it out. I did not cut out the eyes. Then rather than put the mask on strings I duct taped it onto a Halloween pencil. His middle school is dressing up on Wednesday and he's not that into dressing up, so this was perfect for my almost 12 year old once paired with a white tee, black shorts and long white socks!

Prissy Ghost

This idea came from a pin that I pinned last year. It was off of an etsy shop, so it didn't come with directions. I just made it my own way. That's the fun thing about Pinterest. I made this costume for less than $5! Supplies needed: long sleeve white tee, one piece of 8x10 black felt, black ribbon and Liquid Stitch. Cut a template for your eye and mouth shape, pin it on before you Liquid Stitch and try it on the child, making sure its centered and looks right. Then Liquid stitch it on. In case you haven't figured out, Liquid Stitch is to me like butter is to the Pioneer Woman. Then make a bow and sew or Liquid Stitch it on. Pair it up with a cute white tutu and you have a prissy ghost! Now my daughter has a fun costume, one she can wear to school, and a shirt she can wear again next October! 

These are just a few ideas. 

I have an entire board dedicated to ALL THINGS HALLOWEEN if you would like to browse for other nightmare ending solutions. 

Now I know there are going to be lots of posts this week showing off your princesses, ballerinas, pumpkins, ninjas, and even a few of you will be sporting your own creative adult costumes. I've seen a few and I know our readers would love to see them. I also know that the BIG reveal is not until tomorrow night for some, so this link up will be open until next Monday!

♥Mrs. Hart♥

Wishing you all a safe and creative Halloween like

Mmm, Mmm, Din-Din!

Over on my personal Facebook page my friends refer to me as the Recipe Queen. Yes, I do post lots of recipes. No, I don't always make everything I post. One of the greatest inventions since the telephone is Pinterest. It is my go-to place for recipes. I still love my cookbooks, but Pinterest is MUCH more convenient for me. I can pull up a recipe on my iPad off of one of my many boards with a click of button. I'm always shocked when I come across someone who doesn't have a Pinterest account.
This past week I've made several new dishes I just so happened to find on Pinterest. I first made Easy Chicken Parm for my family and my in-laws. It's somewhat of a healthier version of Chicken Parmesan that is usually fried. This one is baked, but has a surprise crunchy to the top. It was a HUGE hit!  Go ahead, click on over to Food Wishes and watch his You Tube video on how to make it. SUPER EASY and it was very yummy. I had to cook mine longer than suggested because I used big, fat chicken breasts. The next time I make it, I'm going to flatten 'em down a bit. 

Another night, I made Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings. This recipe comes from Moms with Crockpots. I love, love, love their website. Again, this recipe was easy. I'm sure you are catching on to the fact that I love easy cooking. Who has time to make gourmet meals when you are taxing kids all over the place?!  My dad was in town and got to eat dinner with my family this night. This meal got the thumbs up! 
The most recent recipe I found on Pinterest and tried was from Witty in the City:  Man-Pleasing Chicken. Well, Holla! I like to please my man. =D  This pleased not only my man, but my aunt, both daughters and me! Yummy. Do I even need to tell you how easy it was?! =P 

Now, if you'll look closely at my picture you'll see some green beans. Those particular green beans have been made and eaten with all THREE of these meals I've shared with you. Those little boogers are.the.best.green.beans.evah! 

The recipe for these green beans is from Nancy Creative and they are actually called Arkansas Green Beans. The first time I made these green beans I followed her recipe almost exactly, with the exception being... I did not fry the bacon beforehand and I did not use as much bacon.  They were wonderful! The second time I prepared it, I forgot to add garlic powder, I only used about 4 pieces of bacon cut up and I used 7 tablespoons of soy sauce instead of six. It was STILL wonderful. The third time I made it, I forgot the butter AND garlic powder. Guess what?! It was still freaking delicious! Each time our company loved them and never knew I forgot anything. Every time our company ate them, they asked for the recipe. You obviously can NOT go wrong with these green beans. This last time I used the extra large can of cut green beans and 1 can of Italian green beans. I LOVED the Italian green beans in it. 

I hope you give these recipes a try. I am certain you and your family will not be disappointed! 

~Mrs. Albright Pinning and cooking the easiest meals, like...