5+ Easter DIY Ideas

Happy Thursday! I'm getting in the Easter spirit a little bit early this year. I'm so excited for springtime, and am anxiously awaiting our trees turning green again. I don't really have any Easter decorations, so I'm making it a goal to make some of my own this year. After scouring the internet (ie: pinterest), I've found several crafts I'd like to try out.

1. Burlap Bunny Table Runner from Eclectically Vintage

This runner is so stinkin' cute. This is one craft I will be SURE to make. I love runners on just about any piece of furniture, so maybe I will have to make more than one!

2. Easter Picture Frame Wreath from ACreativePrincess.

I already have barn wood frame very similar to this and would have never thought to use it this way. I like the idea of changing out the decorations with the holiday.

3. I'm really wanting to make a garland for our fireplace, hence why there are 3 different garlands I've picked out. I may end up making them all. Who knows. Which one would you choose?

Bunny Bums Banner from Pieces of Me.

Rustic Peeps Garland by The Country Chic Cottage.

Paint Chip Garland from Modern Parents Messy Kids.

4. Easter Egg Wreath via Etsy.

I couldn't find a tutorial on this wreath, but it looks easy enough. To tackle this project, I would grab one of those foam wreaths or the grapevine wreaths from the dollar store. Then I'd just hot glue the eggs on. Easy peasy.

5. He is Risen Printable by AKADesign.

 This is probably the easiest DIY. Just print out this beautiful free chalkboard printable and stick it in a fun frame for Easter!

So, what do you guys think? Do you decorate for Easter? It's a tradition I'd like to start out this year.
I hope you are all having a great day. Our linky party from yesterday is still going, if you'd like to link up a post!

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WWEW: Link Party & Create Your Own Pizza

Thank you to all those who linked up last week, every week Orchard Girls and Laugh Eat Learn will EACH feature our favorite recipe of the previous week. 

Link up your recipes down below. 

My pick from last week are these amazing looking...

Brown Sugar Pound Cakes by Sweet Joan

Don't those just look delicious - and how cute are her decorations?

Thank You for linking up! If you'd like, grab our party button 

(located in the sidebar) and post it on your blog!

Last week I bought the Walmart brand roll-out pizza dough, thinking it would just be a quick something to throw in the oven. What I forgot, was how much fun it is to make your own pizza! We made a night of it, Daniel and I had a lot of fun creating our own unique pizzas! All you need is the Great Value roll out pizza dough, and all of your favorite toppings! 

What did we do? We started by brushing on a bit of garlic and olive oil on the crust. Then for our toppings, we used a combination of sauce, cheese, green peppers, green onions, pineapple, bacon bits, Pepperoni, and leftover bbq pulled pork. Yum! It turned out great! Have you every made your own pizza? What are you favorite go-to toppings?

Its time to party!

Join the party by linking up any new or old recipes down below. We would love if you shared our button with your readers so we can continue to have success with this linky party! Don't forget to check out our co-hosts Alexis's blog, Laugh Eat Learn, to see her tasty recipe too!

Please use one or all the following links  to follow along with us!

Orchard Girls -  Facebook  -  Google +  -  Bloglovin'  - Pinterest

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No-Sew Walmart Scarf Curtains

Hello everyone, and happy Tuesday! I have been on the hunt for some neutral striped curtains/fabric for the nursery. I haven't been able to find anything I like... until I spotted these scarves at Walmart! I can't remember where I got the idea to start looking at scarves, but I had been trying to keep an eye out for anything special. These particular ones were $7 a piece, and I picked up two of them.

The scarves were a bit difficult to work with, as they are a looser knit. But, I persevered! I measured my window and then cut the scarves to the appropriate size, leaving 2 inches extra for the hem on either side. I just lined up all of the stripes and ironed on some new-sew hem tape.

Are they perfect? No. Do I love them? Yes. To attach them to the curtain rod, I just used some of those curtain clips that clip to the fabric and have a ring that goes on the curtain rod. I found them, and the acorn ended curtain rod at Joann Fabrics while they were 40% off, and I got the 20% off Military Discount! Score!

I'm so happy with how this little nursery is coming along. I have some more fun things I'm currently working on that I will be sharing pretty soon, I'm sure.

I hope you guys are having a great Tuesday. We will talk with you all soon!
Be sure to check back tomorrow to join our new Wednesday Linky Party!

Kenzie: Gender Reveal & Pregnancy Update

Hello everyone! I have exciting news to share! On Tuesday, I had my anatomy scan and we found out that we are having a LITTLE BOY! We could not be any more excited.

Since we're here, I figured I would do a little pregnancy update as well. Right now I'm 21 weeks & 5 days. I don't have a bump pic from this week, but here is one from 20 weeks.

 

How far along: 21 weeks & 5 days 
How big is baby? Since the doc said he's measuring a couple of days bigger than my original due date, he is probably at 1 pound now and nearly 8 inches.
Gender: BOY! So thrilled. I'm seriously in seventh heaven that we're even having a baby, so either gender would have just been icing on the cake.
Weight gain: 10 total. Though, 9 of those were just in the last 4 weeks! Guess I needed to catch up.
Maternity clothes: Yes. Maternity jeans & long sleeved maternity shirts are my go-to.
Stretch marks: Just a few very faint ones around my belly button.
Belly button in or out: It has been about to pop for the last few weeks.
Sleep: Not too bad. I wake up with muscle cramps & heartburn sometimes, though.
Best moment this week: Definitely the ultrasound. It's awesome to know that he is measuring and looks perfect. It was also so sweet to see him yawn during the ultrasound.
Worst moment this week: Hmm. No worst moment, everything has been great.
Miss anything: Nope.
Movement: Lots. Adam's been able to feel, too. 
Cravings: Not too much. Probably more sweets than normal.
Queasy or sick: Not anymore, thank the stars.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy! Things that I used to be able to brush off and have more patience with are getting to me quicker these days, though. Maybe a good thing, as I tend to be a bit of a push-over at times.
Looking forward to: Continuing to work on the nursery. Such a fun project!
Have you bought anything for baby yet? Oh dear. A crib, a rug for the nursery, a changing table, a rock & play sleeper, a breast pump. Some random other things and several onesies.

I hope you are all doing well and that you have a great weekend. I don't think we have anything big planned, just going to be relaxing at home, which sounds like just what we need. 

Talk to you soon,

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February Ipsy Bag Reveal

Good evening everyone! I hope you're all having a great week, it's almost Friday! Earlier this week I received my February Ipsy Bag! I have to say, I really enjoy receiving this fun, cute, little bag of goodies each month. Plus, I haven't had to buy as much makeup lately, because I've been loving, and using all of my ipsy bag products! Here is what I received this month....

1. Pink Mini Makeup Bag

     Super cute pink bag this month with a lighter pink "cheetah print" on the inside.

2. City Color - Be Matte Blush in Fresh Melon (Full Size)

     Available in 4 shades, this is a silky-smooth, pretty pigmented matte blush. It complimented and blended evenly. Extremely buildable to create a subtle or dramatic look. I opted for the subtle. I think this blush will last a long time, as well, because a small amount goes a long way. I love that we got a FULL SIZE amount.

3. Dr. Lin Acne Spot Corrector

     I haven't tried this yet, but look forward to seeing how it works with my sensitive skin. "Treat the first sign of a breakout and fade the red and dark marks left behind with this powerful spot treatment. Formulated with 5% benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria. Works on old and new acne marks to fade discoloration on all skin types. "

4. Zoya Nail Polish in Odette (Full Size)

     Looking forward to putting this color on this evening! "This season's Zoya Nail polish are full of pure pigment, intense color and modern complexity that are a perfect transition into Spring."

5. Eye Shadow Tint in Ambrosia

    I tried this base on this morning, and loved the feel of it. Didn't leave any creases and went on smoothly. If you want the color to really show through, you'll need to use a lighter, or similar color on top. But either way it works as a nice eye shadow base. "Say goodbye to creasing and fading with Eyetini Eye Cordial Shadow Tint & Base. Eye Cordial's revolutionary formula glides on beguiling creamy color and sets to a transfer-resistant finish that doubles as a wear-extending base under powder shadow. "

6. P.O.P Beauty Lip Gloss in Peony Petal

    I haven't tried the lip gloss yet, but here is the description: "This plumping pout perfector combines the high-shine of a lacquered gloss with the long wear of a stain and is packed full of lip-plumping peptides and avocado and jojoba oils. Lightweight, creamy texture immediately merges with lips & delivers intense glossy color for an extremely long-lasting finish! "

I am so impressed that I got all of this for only $10, when purchasing this all at retail value would be easily more than $20-$30! If you're interested in signing up for your own ipsy glam bag, you can follow THIS LINK and read more information. (I receive "ipsy points" if you click through and decide to subscribe) Either way, I would recommend checking it out! 

Do you receive ipsy bags and post reveals? Comment below so I can check yours out! :)

Linking up to these parties HERE!

WWEW: Link Party & Easiest Pulled Pork!

Good morning and happy Wednesday! Welcome to our third ever What We Eat Wednesday Linky Party! First, here is who I decided to feature this week from last week's link ups:

Willamette Valley Wonder Woman's Chocolate Peppermint Martini! Here is a link to the post.

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and can't drink, but this looks DELICIOUS!

Congrats, Melissa!

Last night we revealed the gender of our baby to our immediate family here on the orchard. I decided to make dinner and invite everyone over. I knew I didn't have a lot of time to make anything time consuming, so I opted for one of my favorite crock pot recipes. Pulled pork! It is beyond easy.

For the pork, you'll need:

-a pork roast of some kind, could be butt, shoulder, top sirloin...

-water to cover the roast

-seasonings, if desired (I added a few tablespoons of beef broth powder)

To cook:

-put all ingredients in your slow cooker on low for around 6 hours. Take roasts out and shred, remove most of the liquid in the pot. Return the pulled pork, and leave on low or warm. You can add any more seasonings or sauces at this point. Sometimes I mix in bbq sauce. But I didn't this time because I made a Pineapple BBQ sauce to put on top of our mini sandwiches...

Pineapple BBQ Sauce:

-1/2 cup bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original)

-1/4 cup pineapple juice

-a couple tablespoons of minced pineapple

Now, onto the PARTAY! Link up 3 of your favorite posts, and Alexis and Kayla will both select a feature for next week. Also, please follow us and Alexis over at Laugh.Eat.Learn!

Top 5 Toddler St. Patrick's Day Crafts

I hope you're having a great week! I noticed that a lot of you enjoyed our Top 5 Valentine's Day Crafts for Toddlers, so I thought I would round-up a few fun crafts for St. Patrick's day! Enjoy :)

1. Hand print Rainbow by Parenting Patch

2. Green Pepper Paint Shamrocks from Train Up a Child

3. Footprint Clovers by Fun Hand print Art

4. St. Patrick's Day Marshmallow Pops by Easy Preschool Craft

5.. Texture Collage Clover by No Time for Flashcards

These all look pretty easy, and I'd like to try a few with Adeline! I'll let you know how that goes...

Have a wonderful Tuesday :)

Linking up to these parties HERE!

Kayla: 26 Weeks Pregnancy Update

Hello, Happy Valentine's Day!! Have any exciting plans? I have a doctor's appointment, that's it for me. Lol. Daniel and I kind of did a 2 in 1 anniversary/valentine's getaway at the end of January. I can't believe I am already 26 weeks pregnant, it really has been going rather quickly. I am so excited to meet our little guy, however we still have plenty to do before he arrives, so I'm ready for the wait... hoping he feels the same way. If you're new to our blog - Thanks for stopping by - feel free to read my Q&A, sit back, relax and explore around our little corner of the web.

How far along: 26 Weeks (2/8/14)

How big is baby? They say the average size of the baby at 26 weeks is 14 inches and weighs about 1.68 pound!

Gender: We're super excited that we're having a BOY! You can see our gender reveal post HERE

Weight gain: I have an appointment today actually, but i'm sure i've gained a few since my last appointment.

Maternity clothes: definitely, yes - mostly sticking with comfy clothes these days!

Stretch marks: I think old ones may be reappearing...boo.

Belly button in or out: In

Sleep: my congestion finallllllly went away. I am back to getting up in the night to pee, which isn't fun, but for the most part sleep has been okay.

Best moment this week: I've just been enjoying feeling baby boy move around like crazy. I swear he is practicing flips already.

Worst moment this week: Hmm, I don't really have a "worst" moment. It's been pretty relaxed around here with all the snow we've been getting.

Miss anything: honestly, I don't think so.

Movement: oh yes!

Cravings: Nothing in particular, just eating everything in sight

Queasy or sick: Nada!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! Just recently started feeling a bit more tired lately.

Looking forward to: getting started on our baby boy's nursery and finishing up Adeline's new "big girl" room.

Have you bought anything for baby yet? I bought a onesie that says, "handsome like daddy" also a few pieces of fabric to make some blankets!

Click here for other pregnancy updates!

Thanks for stopping by, we hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

Linking up to these fun parties listed HERE!

Thrifty Nursery Finds

You guys know that I've been working on our nursery. I can't seem to get it off my mind! I tend to be a bit obsessive about these things, staying up at night thinking about furniture rearrangements. Anyway, I've been on the look out for some cute personalized things to spruce up the nursery, but haven't really been buying anything. I picked up a few things the last couple of days purely because they were a steal.

First I got this little wire owl from a local thrift shop for $2.99. He was just too cute.

From the same store, I found these natural wood frames (all brand new and wrapped in plastic). They were marked at $1.99, but they were 50% off today, so I only spent a dollar on each. I figured I could do a lot with these. My mom suggested staining them, or painting them. Who knows what I will end up doing. I quite like them the way they are.

And finally, I found a rug! I've been eyeing the rugs at Urban Outfitters, but couldn't spend the 70ish dollars just yet. Then, Kayla and I were at Ross and I came across this beauty! It is similar in texture to the Urban Outfitters rugs, and can be washed in your washing machine! BUT, this 5'x7' (shows up how small this nursery is) was only $27!

Looks like I may need to do a bit of ironing, and take the tags off! I did have to get some rug pads to go underneath this.

You can see that I have already rearranged the room since my last nursery post on Tuesday. Yep, thank you, insomnia.

I hope you all are doing well. Our snow is melting and we are in a big slushy mess right now. Hopefully the sun will stay out and dry it all up. Have a great rest of your Thursday!

WWEW: Snow Ice Cream and Link Party #2

If you're here for the party, thanks for stopping by! 

Please check out our fun snow ice cream recipe and 

then scroll down to the bottom of the post to link up your new or old recipes! :)

Good Morning! If you're one of the many, many people who have had the white fluffy stuff dump down, this post is for you! We recently got between 8-10 inches here on the orchard! It has been pretty fun. We haven't really ventured off the orchard, but we have ridden the 4 wheeler to my in laws a few times, which was kinda fun. I think Addie enjoyed it too! Daniel and Adam went sledding (Kenz and I sat out for that one) Haha! Anyway, Daniel suggested we make some snow ice cream. I thought it was a great idea so I looked up a few recipes and finally ended up with this.

This was very easy to make. Also, I ended up adding two crumbled sugar cookies, blue sprinkles, and a fun pink heart shaped marshmallow to each cup, then sprayed this pink food coloring that I had.I thought it turned out pretty yummay, Daniel said he liked it too. So if you're in the mood for some ice cream and you've got some fresh snow on the ground, give this a try and let me know what you think! :)

Now onto the party! Join the party by linking up any new or old recipes down below. We would be thrilled if you shared our party with your readers, so that we can really get this thing started!

I also want to give a special shout out to Amanda from Homemade Shenanigans for linking up her Buffalo Cheese Dip, thanks for linking up, Amanda!

Please be sure to check out our Co-Host Alexis's blog Laugh Eat Learn

 and follow along with her as well :)

PLEASE CHOOSE A WAY TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH US :)

As a part of the party, we would love for you to follow along with us - choose the most convenient way for you to follow along, by clicking the links below! :)

ORCHARD GIRLS--> Facebook  ---  Pinterest  ---  Google +  ---  Bloglovin'
LAUGH EAT LEARN--> Facebook   --- Pinterest  ---  Google +  ---  Bloglovin'

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Thank you for linking up! Be sure to come back next Wednesday at 8am to see who our featured blogger will be, it could be YOU! :)