Memorial Day Weekend {hello summer}

Memorial Day weekend AKA Summer Kickoff

We kicked the weekend off at the soccer field on Friday evening. Saturday started off rainy but cleared up the rest of the day so we ventured off with friends to The Dow Diamond to cheer on our hometown Great Lakes Loons. The Boyz enjoyed playing with their friends on the Playscape and of course the after game fireworks were top notch.

Sunday Brian cut the grass and got the boat ready. Avery and The Hubster headed out for a little fishing but were home within a couple of hours due to a rain out. The storms held off for us and we enjoyed a bonfire out at Nana and Papas. The kiddos hunted for frogs. Branson ended up with a toad and was pretty proud of it.

Monday morning it was so nice to sleep in a bit and it was great having the Hubster home to share the holiday with us. We headed off to the parade and later that afternoon sat in the front yard while the Boyz played on their new slip n slide. A little cookout on the grill and that's a wrap.

We are so very blessed and thank our veterans for their sacrifice.

Super Easy 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

This morning I was scrolling through Pinterest and found a pin for peanut butter cookies. The pin didn't take me to a site but the recipe was attached. So I thought why not? To my surprise, these cookies were quite good and I'm all about easy and convenient. It was also super easy to do with the Boyz! They love helping in the kitchen. So here ya go .... Your chance to knock out a dozen cookies in less than 12 minutes total!!

Preheat oven to 350.

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix by hand. Roll into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cross fork and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 7-8 minutes. Cool then enjoy!

Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. one little tweak I will do next time is cut back on the sugar a little. The cookies are really sweet.

Thank you, Pinterest!

{ Under the Kitchen Sink }

Under my kitchen sink was a disaster.  I keep everything under there.  Towels, scrubbers, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, even glass flower vases.  I was very limited on space and needed a place to hang wet towels to dry.  A $5 tension rod is all it took to help solve this disaster area.  I was able to hang my damp kitchen towels and even cleaner.  This frees up space and it's much easier to find exactly what I'm looking for!

{ Tackle Box Gone Battery Storage }

My husband was in love with this idea.  We can never find a AAA battery when we need one but not anymore.  I purchased a tackle box for under 10 bucks and sorted our batteries by type.  When selecting a box, make sure it's sturdy.  Don't get a cheap one.  I found one with a really strong handle and snaps.  You also want to make sure it's deep enough and will close to store your C and D cell batteries.  With this sleek design, it's easy to slide up against the cabinet wall under the sink.  Now, when we need batteries for the TV remote or for a toy, it's so easy to find.  This is one of my favorite organizers!!

{ Weekly Family Planning Board }

You will need an old picture frame with glass, fabric (I used a curtain panel), clips, glue, spray paint, and Mod Podge. Paint the frame, Mod Podge the fabric to the glass, glue clips to the board. I use this board to communicate messages to my family of activities we have for the week. I also use the board to post chores or to-dos and meal planning for the week. Total cost for this project was about $2.00 because I upcycled material I already had.

Pinterest Made Me Do It!



Follow Victoria

 Pinterest made me do it! I’ll go there, I’ll admit, I am addicted. I find myself taking my phone in the bathroom with me and sitting on the potty (don’t deny it … you do it too!) a few extra minutes just so I can browse a handful more pins in the DIY catalog. Or, I turn to my side and prop the pillow up to block the light beaming from my iPhone hoping not to disturb my husband when it’s well past midnight and I’m checking out wardrobe trends for My Style pinboard.


Pinterest is my way of dreaming. It’s where I create and decorate a home without having to foot the bill. It’s my collection of everything I wish was in my closet if I could really wear that or if I had an unlimited supply of moolah. It’s the place I become a professional landscaper and a gardner when I can’t even keep a house plant alive. It’s a place where I collect ideas for my boyz and honey do list for my dear hubster. It’s a place where I pin things from my bucket list or even dreams I don’t verbalize. It’s where I plan vacations and world tours that I most likely will never go. It’s my personal dream of owning a cupcake, candy, gift-wrapping and event planning business all in one. Pinterest allows me to be a wedding planner and a photographer. It’s where I collect food fun recipes and party planning ideas. It’s where the secret gourmet chef comes out it me and gives me ideas on being frugal and practical while living on a strict budget. Pinterest is where I often find inspiration through prints, posters, sayings and quotes. It’s my collection of some days and one days and if I get time, I just might. One thing that Pinterest has certainly done is sparked creative juices and helped me organize things I didn’t even realize were a completely disaster.

In my next post, I will share a few projects and quick organizing tips that are Pinterest inspired.

Follow Me!! See what I love and share the space I dream in!

Share your thoughts and comments. Do you have things that “Pinterest made you do?"

Mommy Moment | Branson Pees in a Cup

On Tuesday, Branson had an ultrasound which showed bilateral hydronephrosis of the kidneys. Basically that is fluid pooling in the kidney vs flushing. We’ve known since I was around 6 months pg for B that he had bilateral dilated renal pelvis (kidneys were dilated). His scan back in March of 2010 showed no pooling – but things change and now there is significant fluid in both kidneys, especially his right. So, this could be part of the unexplained fevers. His pediatrician is sending him back to the pediatric urologist at U of M and we’ll go from there. We know everything his gonna be just fine. Branson’s in good hands, afterall, God’s got this!

In addition to the ultrasound, they needed to run a urinalysis.  So, this is what went down:

Yes, Branson, you have to pee in a cup!!! Why? So the doctor can study your pee. OKAY!! Here we go, now don’t pee on my hand – pee in the cup! You’d think all the Cheerios he had sunk during his potty training days would certainly qualify him as a gold star expert aimer. Nope, not B. When it was all said and done and hands (and faces) were washed, he struts his stuff walking out of the lab, looks up at me with those baby blues and says “that was fun!” Boys!

Branson and his new little puppy from the ultrasound tech gave him for being such an awesome patient!  With help from Avery, B named the puppy "Slimer" after the slimy gel that was all over his tummy.

Meet the Merrows

The Merrow Family

November 2010

(photos by Beth Andreski at Charleigh Kade Studios)

Brian, Victoria, Avery, and Branson

The Merrow Boyz

Avery James

Branson Guyles

My Baby (AKA The Hubster)