My NEW Business

I'm excited to share with you my new business venture. 

Since I LOVE candy, my husbands' great idea led me to start making Candy Bouquets. 

Here are a few I have added to selling at the Creperie. 

I'm excited about the variety that I'll be able to have there.

Please check out my Website. 

I'm only selling/delivering locally at this time. 

[We do deliver to Boise/Meridian/Nampa area.]

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My BSU Spirit

Go BOISE State Broncos!

We do some concessions(selling pretzels & funnel cakes) at the BSU stadium. Tonight is another home game. Along with my painted fingernails, I made some things to wear to show my football spirit.

Ribbon Beaded Necklace.

I am using almost 3/4"  inch wooden beads(I found at the second hand store) to thread onto the ribbon(72" long).

 Put 1 wooden bead( I only did it on the orange ribbon cause the blue was too thick) then tie a knot. Thread bead. Tie knot.  Continue this process till it is the length you desire. Mine ended up being 28"  inches round.

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Meridian Spring Formal

My friend Cami is in charge of putting on this dance. You can go here to print the info.

In an effort to provide a prom where both the parents and students felt good about the moral climate, the Meridian Spring Formal was born. Our goal is to provide a formal dance for the teenagers of Meridian, ID where the dress, lighting, lyrics, music, and entertainment contribute to a wholesome atmosphere. Regardless of school and religious boundaries, all High School couples who are 16 and older, and are willing to comply with the dress and conduct code below, are invited to attend.

This special event will be held at:

Ten Mile Christian Church

3500 W. Franklin in Meridian, ID

which is on the corner of Ten Mile Rd. and Franklin Rd.

Cost of tickets is $30 per couple until May 5, 2012.

Cost will then increase to $50 per couple.

Cost includes admission to the dance, pictures, and refreshments.

Conduct Standards include:
*Must be 16 years or older and accompanied by a date
*No profane, vulgar or crude language
*No alcohol, tobacco, or drugs
*No full body contact, suggestive dancing, moshing, grinding, running, or sliding

Dress Standards include:
*Girls dresses should not be short, tight, sheer, low-cut in the front or the back and should cover the shoulders
*Boys should wear Sunday dress or tuxedos

Individuals not in compliance to these standards will either not be admitted or asked to leave by the chaperones.

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The Green Smoothie Girl... Have YOU Heard the Buzzz?

Have you heard of the GREEN SMOOTHIE GIRL??? I've been hearing a lot of buzz on Facebook and from friends about this, and I am completely intrigued! If you live in my town, there is a FREE class and demo THIS Thursday evening at the Nampa Civic Center at 7pm. I'm going for sure! Click HERE for details, and I'll see you there!

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Local Thrifty Find for Scout Moms

My friend, Maryann just told me about an awesome store called "A Scout is Thrifty" in Nampa, and I am SO grateful! (Located at 201 N Kings Road #102, Nampa, ID; Open M-F, 9am-5pm. Buy/Sell/Trade new and used scout uniforms.)

Everything at the Boy Scout (BSA) office store is OUTRAGEOUSLY priced in my opinion. At this {scout uniform} exchange store I was able to buy both my son and husband each a scout shirt for a total of $7!! They are used and not perfect, but these are scouts we're talking about here. A scout may be thrifty, but a scout can also be pretty rough on his attire!

Everything is used, so they have great prices for the more gently used clothing and clearance prices for the not-so-gently used.

I bought off the clearance rack. There's a little bit of Badge Magic glue on one of them and a tiny hole in the back of the sleeve on the other.

This place has racks stuffed full of scout clothing from boys' to men's sizes.

And they have a rack of women's scout leader shirts. They also have used kerchiefs and patches and other misc. items as well.

If only I'd have known about this place before paying $30+ on each of my boys' cub shirts at the BSA office! That is why I am trying to get the word out and save you all some money. If you are not from my town, you might Google "Scout Exchange" and see if you can find one of these places near you. I wish I would've thought of that sooner!
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Our {Crepe} Restaurant

What a journey our family has been through in the last 4 months.

My husband was let go with a local builder before summer hit. Thru the summer we saved as much money as we could, but didn't have a plan of how the bills were going to get paid this coming winter. We've been selling crepes at the downtown Farmer's Market (on Saturdays) & have had such great success. People wanted to know where they could get them during the week. That made think. . .

We looked in different areas of our town & found a place in the same complex as the Edwards 21 Theaters. The deal was too good to pass up & then we knew our prayers had been answered. This is how The Creperie came to be. We had a very small budget & we had to do 80% of the work ourselves(ceiling/walls/flooring/signage/cabinetry). We were blessed to find many things on CraigsList for a great deal and even got some free stuff.

Below are some pictures to showcase our hard work!


The "before" shell of a room.


Family on the scissor lift to paint the ceiling.


Me "fauxing" the walls.


The ceiling, walls and new stain on the concrete flooring DONE!


The back brick wall with a "faux stucco" face. [I really had a challenge with the brick wallpaper so I had to do this "faux stucco". I put up 1/4" wood on the wall then used joint compound to cover it then faux painted it-it was a happy accident.]


Pricing boards [doors & molding from a second hand store & made them chalkboard-MS formula]


CraigsList wall tables-before & after


The END result.

I'm grateful for this humbling experience. I know this will be a legacy for our children.

If you're in the Boise area please stop by & say "hi".

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Family Service Project Report

On Monday evening, we took our family to the Boise Rescue Mission warehouse to attend the "Toy Sorting Party". It was a blast! We went with some good friends of ours too, which made it even more enjoyable!

We actually ended up sorting food and decorating placemats and boxes (of food) for the homeless (instead of toys). Our husbands even got to take our boys with them and run a huge load of stuff over to one of the homeless shelters in [our friend's] truck.

The evening was a success! I DO recommend this service for families. It is a very family-friendly activity. We will definately be continuing this tradition in the years to come! My kids are now asking what else they can do to serve others. So we decided as a family, that we would take these last "12 Days of Christmas" and do a family service every day until Christmas. This is awesome!!

Click HERE for volunteering info in my area.

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{Where} is Heather??

Wanna know where Heather is right now?? She is with her husband, opening the doors to their brand new, amazing restaurant called The Creperie in Boise!! How exciting is that?

They plan to serve Savory Crepes, like Parisian, Thai Chicken, Mediteranean, Faux Vegan, and Le Cochon (cheddar cheese & bacon) as well as Sweet Crepes, like Le Arentine (dulce de Leche & powdered sugar), Nutella, Deux Fruits (strawberry, banana, brown sugar) and many, many more. To see the full menu you can go to their website.

I will let Heather share more, about her new restaurant, with you later. Just wait till you see pics of the place... WOW! It's definately been "Heatherised". I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into one (or all )of Heather's husband's amazing crepes!! YUMMMM!!

You LOCALS are in for a TREAT!!

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A Giveaway FYI for Local Readers

My friend Amanda, over at Don't Get Bored in Idaho, is hosting her first ever giveaway! If you live in my town, hurry over and leave a comment on her post to enter. She will be giving away FOUR FREE TICKETS to the Farmstead Cornmaze Festival and Pumpkin Patch on Friday, October 15th. You have until Thurs, Oct. 14th at midnight to enter. I'm going to leave my comment right now!
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Karate for Kids

I have a couple of kids that really enjoy the martial arts! They've been training in the Black Belt Club (TaeKwonDo) with the ATA program here in Idaho for the last year and are about half way to earning their black belts. This is such an OUTSTANDING program that has enforced many life skills in my children, such as SELF-CONFIDENCE, PERSEVERANCE, RESPECT, HONOR, INTEGRITY, and LEADERSHIP; just to name a few.

I would highly recommend this program to ALL families, children and adults alike! It's a great workout and provides wonderful mental results as well.

In MY town THIS WEEK our studio (in Meridian, ID) is hosting a BRING-your-BUDDY promo. Our friends can come try a class for FREE! They even have a cool deal for a 5-week trial for only $59 that comes with a FREE karate uniform and belt! FUN!! If you live in my town and would like to try this out, but do not have a BUDDY that goes to KARATE FOR KIDS in Meridian (Franklin/Linder) then just show up to a class and tell them you are friends with the CREATIVE HOMEMAKER. You can go HERE for a class schedule!!

Also, they have the best KICKBOXING classes around, as well as KRAV MAGA. Awesome studio. Awesome owners. Awesome instructors. Awesome workout. Just plain AWESOME!
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Best Children's Clothing Store In These Parts

And the award goes to...

I am pretty partial to this store, myself! 

Way to go OMB!!

(Other Mothers Boise)

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FIVE FABulously Amazing Women

I just wanted to pay special tribute today to five amazing women in my town. They are the FAB FIVE FruGALS from FABULESSLY FRUGAL. I've gotten to know Cathy (creator of FabFrug) a little over the past couple of years (mostly through blogging, facebook and emails) though we don't often cross paths in person, and she is truly an amazing woman. I don't know how she does it all... But she does!! And Monica (co-founder of FabFrug) is equally as awesome.

There are now FIVE of them contributing their time and knowledge on the site. I appreciate all of the TIME they spend keeping us informed and helping us SAVE MONEY and LIVE more FRUGALLY. Their site is always the FIRST place I go to find the latest DEAL out there.

This last weekend these FIVE women put on FabFrug's 2nd annual "Pay it Forward" benefit garage sale to help some deserving families in need. They reached out to our community and blog/websphere in a plea for help to make this event a success for these families. My parents had the privilege of helping in this event, and were touched by these FIVE FruGALS' sincere desire to serve others. My mom said, "They were all such neat girls!" ...and talked about what an honor it was to serve with them for such a wonderful cause.

You can read about the event here and here. Truly an inspiration! Love u FAB FIVE!! XOXO

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4th of July in the Treasure Valley

(The above photo was taken by me, Angela on July 4th 2008 at my parents' home in Nampa, ID)

Meridian Speedway
Storey Park
Ann Morrison Park
More
Treasure Valley Family

FamilyFun 4th of July Ideas!

HAVE A FUN AND SAFE 4th OF JULY!!! Pin It

Happy Summer!

Are you having a good summer? Our summer starts tomorrow (cuz of year-round school.) Since today is actually the first day of summer it's a great day to share some fun summer ideas for moms and kids...

First of all, have a PLAN. I like to see what kind of summer events/activities are happening in my town and write them all down on my calendar in RED (or other color that stands out). I do this whether or not we really plan to do it. Then at a glance I know what is going on out there.

ALSO as part of our summer plan, I like to involve the kids. So at the beginning of the summer we have a family meeting and write down some activities we would like to do as a family.

HERE's the link to a PRINTABLE copy of my Family planning sheet!!

Now for some summer fun... Here are some links to the FREEBIES...


Free Movies
KidsBowlFree.com

Check your local city parks and rec sites for FREE lunch programs

FamilyFun Website
Activity Ideas from SearchWarp
Creative Kids at Home Ideas
TheDollarStretcher Summer Ideas

{My Town} Local Links:
Don't Get Bored in Idaho (My friend, Amanda ROCKS!)
Starlight Mountain Theatre
City of Boise
City of Meridian Parks and Rec
Nampa Parks and Rec
Treasure Valley Family
Visit Idaho
Idaho Parks
Boise Museums
FREE LUNCH in the Park
FREE MOVIES
Friday Night Movie Schedule at Settlers Park

Have a FUN and SAFE summer!! Pin It

Summer {Reading} Program

So our children continue the habit of reading we have taken advantage of our libraries' Summer Reading Program.
There are 3 levels. Each level they read for 10 days & 20 minutes. When they complete it, they take their slip of paper and redeem it for some prizes. Each level the prizes get better(and more of them). Our kids are so motivated; makes me think I should do something like this during the school year. Pin It

My Fave Store (in Boise) Blowout Sale FYI

Other Mothers in Boise, ID is having their spring bi-anual blowout sale starting today through this weekend!! Hurry over today (April 7-8) for teen and adult stuff for dirt cheap, and all other stuff too on April 9-10.

I just had to share, for those of you from here! Have a great week. -Ang Pin It

{Homemade} Popcycles

I was playing around last night(after the kids went to bed) with some powdered milk I have. My uncle owns a Food Storage Store and they have lots of great products. I got some Strawberry and Orange Powdered Milk. I've made the milk but the kids won't drink it because they get flavored milk at school and can taste the difference. So I decided to make my own Homemade Popcycles.

I remember when I was little and my mom would make Homemade Fudge Popcycles(Jello Pudding: make according to package and then put in cups) and I usually couldn't get enough. My mom tried the other flavors but I stuck with the chocolate. YUM! Those are great memories!
To make the "Orangecycles" Fill 1 quart of hot water, 1/2 cup of orange powdered milk & 1/4 cup of sugar(you can add more if you want it sweeter) to dissolve. Then fill up to the 2 quart line with orange juice. After its well mixed, pour it into dixie cups and put popcycle sticks in. Freeze overnight.

After they are frozen cut a slit in the top for easy ripping.


Just rip the dixie cup off. Ready to eat!

For the Strawberry Powdered Milk you could add fruit juices like pineapple, apricot, fruit punch or even orange. I haven't tried this yet but I will have to soon. Our kids could eat ice cream & popcycles for every meal if I let them. With summer coming this is going to be a lifesaver.

{TIP: depending on your kids you might want to keep this recipe a secret.} Pin It

Mall Scavenger Hunt

Since it was raining today this was a perfect activity for the indoors. We went to the mall for a scavenger hunt. We divided up into groups each having 45 minutes to find the items on the list. At the end everyone received a prize(gummy bunny teeth) but the winning group got a little bigger prize (whole pack of "egg" gum).


I had all the boys so this army man was perfect!

Rules: All items were 1 point except on a few. Only 1 item per store.
List of Items: credit card application, perfume sample, mall map, store catalogue, sale flyer, discarded receipt, clearance sticker, hanger, hair salon price list, food sample, gift card envelope, disposable toilet seat cover, sample of lipstick, shoe box, business card-3 points extra if name is Jeff or Tim, shopping bag-3 points extra for the largest one, paper napkin-2 points extra if there is a logo, blue eye shadow-3 points extra if each member of the team is wearing it.
Bonus -10 points: sing "itsy bitsy spider" with someone walking around, take a picture of everyone wearing a hat or purse, all the kids in the group take a picture with a mannequin.

After we would find something on the list we would give them a little "Thank You token"(a piece of paper that says thank you with a smiley face).

FYI tip: Some of the stores didn't believe in us doing this and were a little rude. Let's hope they were just having a bad day.

We did get to see the Easter Bunny though-what a surprising treat! Pin It