Tuesday, September 4, 2012

We don't need no stikning badges!!!

Unless they are my Munchkin badges!!!  

Okay, I wish that I could take full credit for this but sadly I can not.  A terrific lady Wild Olive had this idea and I took her advice and made some.  
Take a peek at  how it looked as I made the spur of the moment decision.


What you can not see is my wild attempt to find safety pins. Why do you have hand fulls of them when not needed and when you need just one there are NONE to be found?!?!  We can ponder this later.
  I was reciting For Want of A Nail the whole time I searched until I remembered that your Hubby's laundered shirts will have safety pins that they used to attach the ticket.  

I probably did not go about this the most efficient way but you do what is best... 

Ta Da!!!!  
These are so sweet like my little Munchkins and I finished them in plenty of time to pick them up from school and dash off to the Yogurt shoppe for a "you survived your 1st week of school" treat ^_^

These guys were so excited to get these patches and were quickly attached to their backpack straps as soon as we made it out to the car. 

And today I  made one of my own badges for Pumpkin.  She signed the schools Good Book on friday and she will be pinning this onto her pack today after school.  The Good Book you ask?  It is a book that the principle has in her office that any student can sign anytime a teacher finds a student being a good friend/ student during the year.  They also get a special pencil and lunch with the Principle.  A great treat and with this badge maybe my other two Munchkins will be extra good students to earn theirs as well.

Just something new we started this year and I hope it will become a great tradition as the years to along ~ I wonder if we can carry this all the way to graduation ?!?!

We hope your little Loves have a terrific year!

P.S. Do not forget to visit Wild Olive to get some inspiration to make goodies for them!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Monday, August 13, 2012

Music Monday ~ Remind Me Who I Am



BELOVED

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Purple People Eater Shrug


We have dubbed this my Purple Eater Reading Shrug ^_^ 

Open it up and....

Something warm and cozy for when I am up late at night reading.  Currently it is 101 here in TX that is the reason for the Hawaiian dress under the Purple People Eater but I am ready for when it gets chilly ^ _^

Now on to my next knitting project{s} wrap for my lovely Sister, baby blanket for a new addition to our family, and I might try my hand at a tunic dress for myself ~ bit adventurous that!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, August 6, 2012

Music Monday ~ I Believe in Love



This song has been requested daily since the Munchkins and I watched Mirror Mirror.  They loved the movie, which I have to admit I enjoyed a little myself.  

It is a fun little song that I hope will start your week off on a happy note!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^
 

Monday, July 23, 2012

Green light... GO!



Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Suprise find at the library

For Darkness Shows the StarsFor Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great read especially if you are an Austen fan. This book has parallels to Persuasion which is my FAVORITE Austen novel. If you are looking for something to pass the time for a young person not yet introduced to Austen this might be a great lead in to the classic novel.  It is a very easy and  quick summer read ~ I was able to finish this in one day.







Now I am not much on words but I love to read them so my review above for Goodreads may not be very glowing and would entice you to read this novel but you got to start somewhere right?!?!  So now I am back to my other projects and several fairytale retells that we picked up along with this gem.  Fingers crossed that we find another goodie. 

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Wordless Wednesday ~ Creativity



Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, July 9, 2012

Best birthday!


Last week Hubby had off for vacation and to top it off my birthday was right in the middle ~ reason for my absence from posting.  So what did we do?!?!  A whole lot of stress free family time and...
 

 A trip out to the Cheesecake Factory for a birthday lunch and cake ^_^

Who could ask for more?!?!?

Well.... more chocolate and money to spend at my favorite store.

Oh, and since it is Monday here is a little song that the girls have recently fallen in LOVE with .


We hope that everyone has a lovely week!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Stiches and Dodo's


I have been underneath this huge piece of fabric making my little Koi and flowers come to life while I slowly sweat to death.  Once all four panels are done I hope to have a personal touch to our living room ~ subtle pattern to break up a large color block.

The Eyre Affair is my little escape when the thread has knotted one to many times.  I have just started reading this book and so far so good.  ^_^ 
 Love the part that there is cloning and that the Dodo is no longer extinct and are now back in all of their glory!  It is part of a series of books by Jasper Fforde and stay tuned for a little review.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Friday, June 22, 2012

Brave

Look at those HAPPY little faces!!!  

Hubby took today off from work just so he could take all of us to see Disney 's new movie Brave.  We loved it {even Hubby} and would recommend it to boys and girls alike.  It is not your normal princess gets into to trouble, finds prince, falls in love, and lives happily ever after.  I will say that I found it to be a  terrific story about a daughter and her mother and that is all I am going to say so you can go and enjoy the movie for yourself. 

Have a terrific weekend!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Motivation


Knock knock...
Exhaustion? Are you home?

We are gearing up to do another round of P90X2 and I really needed this little motivational video and thought that I would share the good feeling.

I am one day closer to my goal than I was yesterday ;)

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Spa treatment Honey Cinnamon Mask

I am always on the lookout for something diy for skin or hair and I found another quick easy face mask/cleaner.  
 Look in your pantry and I am positive you have these guys just sitting there doing nothing until November rolls around for your yearly baking bonanza.  Lets see if we can find some use for them with a home treatment for your lovely skin.
The original recipe called for 2 Tbs of honey and 1 tsp of Nutmeg and Cinnamon.  I found that the combination of these guys created a very pungent aroma that I could not take after about 10 minutes.  The next time I just used 1 Tbs of honey and 1 tsp of cinnamon.

The honey and nutmeg are great for reducing redness and inflammation another plus is that they are great for soothing acne scars and preventing infection.  When you go to wash this off the cinnamon and nutmeg act as an exfoliate for your skin.

 Find a combination that you like and mix together to resemble a paste like mixture ~ looks like mine comes out a bit runny not sure exactly why and will use a tad less honey to see if it helps.

Me with the face mask on waiting the 30 minutes for it to set.  Now since it is a bit on the runny side and I am in a warm house it was a little drippy in the beginning so keep a towel close while you are waiting for this stuff to work its magic.
Our little Munchkins DO NOT like this mask!  Pumpkins cries for me to take it off ~ she says it is scary and her sisters wholeheartedly agreed with her.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Work basket ^_^



Start of a new embroidery project ^_^
Goofing around one day with the girls I sketched this cute little Koi fishy ~ thought he was cute enough to bring to life with yarn.  So right now I am doing a test on how the variegated yarn looks.  If we like it then I will transfer it on to panels for our new living room curtains.  

I have also started a little Shrug for myself since the Munchkins finally have their own.  The yarn was a steal  found a pound of worsted weight yarn for 70 cents!!!!  The color is a plum color and well I needed something other than blue or black in my wardrobe anyway.  Photos to come, promise.

What are you working on this week?

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, June 11, 2012

Music Monday



This is the newest song that the girls have been singing and dancing to.  I know it is a bit old for them and just a bit trippy to have Pumpkin our 6 year old singing ' here's my number ... call me maybe'.  Please do not think poorly of me, but it is summer and sometimes Mama needs a break from the kiddie radio ^_^

Hope everyone has a great week!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Kawaii!!!! Sock Bunny ^_^

Today I raided the Girls sock drawer to find all those lonely and holey socks to make little Sock Bunnies.  I do not have photos of our process since I used up all my batteries taking photos earlier this am while they played Beach ball tag ~ game they made up ^_^

But here are the end results and the Girls could not be happier with how their little Bun Buns turned out.  Plus they are extra special since they did the sewing and stuffing all on their own !!!

Hop on over to Show Tell Share to make some with your little ones ^_^

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi

Monday, June 4, 2012

Music Monday



This is absolutely beautiful!!! 

The harmony and the acoustics in the church are heavenly.

Have a terrific week ^_^

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi


Friday, June 1, 2012

Happy Friday ^_^

Close your eyes, lay back, and breath deep to find yourself on a beautiful little patch of white sand with calm clear blue waters.  At least this is what I am doing until I can get back to my beloved ocean.  

Have a terrific weekend!!


Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Squueeeee!

Yesterday the girls mentioned to me that they had their photos taken by the librarian doing this {arms up like you are climbing a rope}. I was not worried too much since the librarian is the official photo taker at the school and I could always ask her about it when I went in to do my last  shift at the library. 


I come in this morning and the wonderful school librarian hands me an envelope and out comes......

 Thank You  for volunteering your time in the library.  I enjoyed "Hanging out" with you!  

BEST bookmarks EVAH!!!!

Mrs. School Librarian made my day today and now I have wonderful one of a kind bookmarks for my summer reading.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Winner Winner! Chicken Dinner ^_^


Summer is beating on the door and with all the warm weather comes the desire to NOT be in the kitchen slaving over a stove.  Hubby and I decided that since our little brood of three girls can eat as much as three teenage football players we should try to grill a WHOLE chicken. Grilled Beer Can Chicken or  Beer Butt chicken has been something that I wanted to try out and the weather was perfect to uncover the grill and give it a go.  The biggest problem we had was deciding what type and how much beer to get ~ we were not able to buy just ONE so now we have a fridge full of beer ho hum ^_^. 


As usual I did not follow the recipe and kinda did our own thing....

Rinse and dry a whole chicken.  Sprinkle a little kosher salt all over, have Hubby drizzle olive oil as you turn chicken then rub in dry rub or herbs/spices to your liking. 

Drink about a third of beer out of the can.  At this point we went ahead and placed the chicken onto the can and carried it out to the grill.


 Place can with the chicken onto the grill and with indirect heat cook for about 30 minutes then turn 180 and cook another 45 minutes.  Now all good cooks would tell you to check with meat thermometer but we did not have one so we just made sure that the juices ran clear ~ in all honesty we after the second timer went off we just turned off the heat put the lid down and let the chicken wait out about another 10 minutes while I got the veggies all ready.

 This is our juicy golden brown chicken resting on the counter so I would not burn my fingers too badly while carving for our starving Munchkins.

This is definitely a keeper per our girls.  With the flexibility of this recipe to meet  several different combinations of seasoning and beer to try with it, I am sure it would be perfect for any family outing.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, May 28, 2012

Music Monday ~ What Makes You Beautiful





I am in for it in a few years ~ proof positive ~  Squirt ' I have to confess..... I do believe that they are all cute!'  Dear me!  It has started and she is only 9 !  

Oh, well.  The song is catchy and as long as the room is not papered with their images then I figure we are doing well.

Have a great week everyone


Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Friday, May 25, 2012

Today I will....



In the background you can hear Dora singing 'Just keep swimming...'

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Ja matta ne, 
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Summer Reading



The Munchkins have ONE week left of school so we are gearing up for our summer reading lists.

Squirt and Peanut will be reading the Sisters Grimm series this summer ~ we will see how many books they get through before school restarts.

Pumpkin and I will be doing a lot of Dr. Seuss {I LOVE Dr. Seuss}.  We have also signed her up for the summer story time at the local library and she is Uber excited to be attending.

Personally I have a varied list of books that are currently in my reading basket from the library that I am trying to get to before I have to return them.  None have stood out that I would sing its praises on the hilltop, but when I do I will be sure to rave about it.

What is in your reading baskets?

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day


No influence is so powerful as that of the mother.
~ Sarah Josepha Hale

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, May 7, 2012

P90X2 / Insanity hybrid workout


If something is important to you you will find a way.
If it isn't you will find an excuse.

This is soooo true!

Today Hubby and I are going to start a P90X2 / Insanity hybrid workout.  We have finished both programs and this weekend we were in the what now phase when we found a mash up of these two.  I am so happy that I am actually doing or trying to do chin ups and pull up on the crazy bar hanging in the door way.  Looking forward to this new routine and I will have to remember to get Before photos and measurements which is something that I have not done before.
What is your current fitness program or routine ?

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Mommy Hug Shrug


Yay!  Here is the latest knitting project that I completed ^_^
A happy little shrug for my Squirt to wear on those chilly spring morning to school and in class ~ she is always so cold!  I give it a squeeze before she put it on and she has a Mommy hug to take and keep with her all day until I can give her a real one once last bell rings.  I have two more to go and a Mommy sized one for me along with a LONG list of other items I would like to complete.  

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, April 30, 2012

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore



Here is a magical way to start the week for any book lover.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Purity Ring 3000



  Take a few minutes to watch this for a little bit of humor and thought for today.  Right now our girls are completely horrified of kissing a boy and I pray that it stays that way for a very very very long time.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Sunday Citar

 
 
"A child can always teach an adult three things:
To be happy for no reason,
To always be busy with something,
And to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."
 ~ Paulo Coelho

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, April 16, 2012

Monday Music


 HI!  
Here is a summery song with the kettle drums, island beat, and a singer that looks like Prince with dreadlocks ^_^ to get your week off on a lighter step.  The girls and I love this song and you should see those little feet dancing around while doing our 5 minute tidy!

Wishing all you Lovelies a wonderful week!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Happiness

The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts.  Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world.  And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.

~William Lyon Phelps

Friday, April 6, 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012

Hunger Games tribute... Dutch Braid


Katniss has started a craze with her braid and here is my little attempt with the dutch braid.
Hubby has voiced his wishes that I cut my hair.... extremely short but I think that I am inclined to leave it medium length just so I can have this cute little braid over the summer.   What do you think?
Oh, to find out how to do this style hop over to this tutorial.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunday Citar



But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.
~ C. S. Lewis

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Saturday, March 31, 2012

oUcH!!!!

Stubbing my toes onto something and holding in all the bad words and yelp only to look down and see ....



Crazy doodle pad hiding half under the table to trip unsuspecting adults!!! But wait!  Look at the words !!! How can you stay mad?!?!

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, March 29, 2012

NoW



Here is to a pleasant day for all you lovely ladies.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Goop ~


This is what followed me after school today when she started to chase me.... " Awww!  Come on Mommy!  Take Chances!  Get messy!  Make mistakes!"

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Yummy Nosh : Chocolate Eclair Cake

I was notified by Pumpkin that it was Buddy Bear's birthday which of course means a birthday party with CAKE ^_^.  With no oven an Ice Box cake was going to have to be it and with summer coming might not be a bad idea to try out a recipe to avoid the extra heat in the coming months.

Lets meet our main characters....


2 small {3.4 oz} French vanilla instant pudding
1 box of Graham crackers
3 Cups 2 % milk { whole milk is preferable and save the skim for your cereal}
8 oz Cool Whip Original
1 16 oz container chocolate frosting


Method... {sorry no photos with Spring Break and the Girls running around in the kitchen and my elbows in pudding did not want to risk dropping the camera}

1.  Grease a large pan with butter
2. Place a layer of crackers at the bottom
3. Mix the milk with the pudding for 2 minutes then fold in the Cool Whip
4.  Add half ish of the pudding mixture on the crackers
5.  Add another layer of crackers
6.  Pour in the rest of the pudding mixture on top of the second layer of crackers
7.  Top of with crackers
8.  Heat the frosting for 30 seconds in microwave then spread on the last layer of crackers going to the edges of the pan
9.  Cover and place into the fridge for at a minimum 4 hours {better the next day}


The Munchkins with the Birthday Bear  ^_^

Verdict...

Even Buddy Bear loved it! 
We hope you guys love this evil, I mean delicious creation.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Be Sweet

Source: google.com via Sasha on Pinterest
 
Being tender and open is beautiful. As a woman, I feel continually shhh’ed. Too sensitive. Too mushy. Too wishy washy. Blah blah. Don’t let someone steal your tenderness. Don’t allow the coldness and fear of others to tarnish your perfectly vulnerable beating heart. Nothing is more powerful than allowing yourself to truly be affected by things. Whether it’s a song, a stranger, a mountain, a rain drop, a tea kettle, an article, a sentence, a footstep, feel it all – look around you. All of this is for you. Take it and have gratitude. Give it and feel love.
Zooey Deschanel


   A little reminder that there is something beautiful all around if we just stop long enough to notice and more importantly say a heartfelt "Thank You" with intention. Also for my Hubby ~ I cry at a drop of a beautiful note or a passage in a wonderfully told story ~ that my soft squishy heart is just one of the many reasons why he married me.
Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^ 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Wordless Wednesday ~ Still Digging Deep!

background music.... I work out!  Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle ^_^


Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Monday, March 12, 2012

Monday Music ~ Safe and Sound



New song from the lovely Taylor Swift, which the girls absolutely adore.  I love this song it is a bit melancholy and sad but when you consider that it is part of the Hunger Games Soundtrack it's perfect.  

We hope that you enjoy this song and are wondering if you are excited about seeing the Hunger Game movie?   I am a bit curious to see how the movie will be compared to the book, I generally tend to like the books over the movies.

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi
^_^

Friday, March 9, 2012

Gray sky = trip to library


Getting ready to pick up ALL the Munchkin's from school to start our Spring break.  I use that term loosely considering it is gray, windy, and about 40ish degrees outside.   Which warrants a quick lunch out with my little Ladies then off to get lost in stacks at the library.  

Wishing everyone a great weekend ^_^

Ja matta ne,
Little Mochi