Home

Farmhouse Chic Blog

Taking expensive ideas & turning them into my own ideas!

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Featured On
  • Media Kit

Skinny Oatmeal Banana Cookies

March 6, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: banana oatmeal cookies, cookies, healthy cookies, healthy snacks, kids snacks, snacks for kids 25 Comments

I love sweets and often have a sweet tooth, which can be a problem with trying to watch what I eat, but I have a great little treat to share today! These are super simple, quick and tasty cookies that are healthy! You will need 2-3 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup rolled oats and a small handful of unsweetened chocolate chips.

Begin by mashing your ripe bananas in a bowl until a smoother consistency. Add in oats and chocolate chips (if desired). You could also add raisins, cranberries or nuts. Mix all ingredients together until completely combined. Place in a pre-heated oven at 350 and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

I have to say, I was pretty excited at how simple, yet yummy these were and the kids just ate them up, literally!!

Sharing this project on these sites!

Set Your Price. Choose your Advertisers. Sign up for SocialSpark!

{ It’s a GIVEAWAY!!! }

March 6, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: chair covers, giveaway, sponsored giveaway, ViveVita, washable chair covers 4 Comments

Today I have a giveaway to share with you all from ViveVita! ViveVita is giving away FOUR  ViveVita Everyday Elegance Chair Covers (your choice of color!) to ONE lucky winner!! You can view the chair covers via Amazon, here.

I washed these for the first time yesterday, which I’ll be doing plenty of because nothing stays clean long with two busy little ones! I was SO pleased with how they washed and dried! There wasn’t one wrinkle on the fabric! They look great 🙂They’re easily washable, waterproof and super easy to use! They easily attach to your chair with Velcro, so they’re simple to take on and off to wash!

Winner will be contacted by email! Good luck 🙂

Also, be sure to visit ViveVita’s website, http://vivevita.com, for more great products!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easter Bunny Banner

March 4, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: DIY crafts, Easter, Easter banner, Easter bunny banner, Easter crafts, silhouette, social spark 33 Comments

My love for creating banners lives on… I wanted to create a cute, bold banner for Easter, and here’s what I came up with. First, I downloaded a black silhouette bunny from Google and saved it to my desktop. I had remaining blank tags from Christians Valentines, so I used those to print the bunnies on. I added a small amount of craft glue on the tail of each bunny and generously coated it with silver glitter. My own little Peter cotton-tail in the making! I started by threaded a yellow twine thru the holes at the top of the tags, but they didn’t lay right, so I ended up folding over the top and taping each into place. Finish by taping your banner into place, and tying the ends of your twine into a bow 🙂

Sharing this project on these fantastic sites!

Set Your Price. Choose your Advertisers. Sign up for SocialSpark!

{ MC: Preparing Your Preschooler for Kindergarten }

March 2, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: kids, Kindergarten, mommy advice, mommy panel, preschooler, school, The Mom Connection 1 Comment

I am part of an AWESOME mommy panel with Cassie from Two In Diapers and Julie from Naptime Review.
Each Saturday, we will bring you fresh new ideas and advice about motherhood.
If you enjoyed what you read, we encourage you to tweet about it!
Tweet
Coming on March 9th, we will discuss:
How do you speak to your kids about stranger danger?
Now on to this week’s topic!
How do you prepare your preschooler for kindergarten?
Here is what Mom Connection shared:
Black Dots page break divider
Welcome! I’m Julie over at Naptime Review. I am a mom of two wild, crazy and beautiful girls. My oldest just turned 4 and my baby is 16 months old. This is how I prepare my preschooler for kindergarten:
When Averie was 18 months old, she was a student in my in home preschool. Luckily, she knew the teacher so she couldn’t get kicked out. Oh she was a pain! We had more time outs than circle time. Now, she is attending preschool at a local church. She is learning so much! I am confident in all the early childhood education years under Averie’s belt. I know she will be prepared for Kindergarten.
As a former kindergarten and 1st grade teacher myself, I feel I am always working with my children. I try to incorporate learning into everyday conversations and experiences. We count and sort our food, we look for shapes while we drive, and we work on writing our name. We are always doing something. I guess that is the former teacher in me!
However, I realize that some parents struggle with knowing how to prepare their children for school. That is why I am really impressed with ABCmouse.com. Every night, before bed, Averie and I sit down at the computer and work on her skills. ABCmouse.com is preschool education for ages 2-5. The curriculum covers music, art, math, science, songs and reading. Each child has an individualized learning path. All we have to do is sit down and they do the teaching. They have over 1,000 lessons so we never get bored. Not only do I enjoy that one-on-one time with Averie, but I love to see her get the skills needed for Kindergarten.
So my advice for preparing your child for Kindergarten is enrolling in early childhood programs, using everyday conversations to help your child learn, and finding a fun and educational curriculum.
Black Dots page break divider
Hi! I’m Cassie from Two In Diapers, and I’m a mommy to three sweet babies, ages 4, 3, and 20 months. This is how I prepare my preschoolers for kindergarten:
Well, for one {obvious} thing – preschool. 🙂 My older two {ages 5 and 3} are both currently in preschool, and we are completely thrilled with their school. My daughter is already reading, and my son is learning tons of age-appropriate things in his class and just having a blast. They are both learning how to interact with their teachers and fellow students, and are learning all of the basics (and much more!) academically that they will be required to know in kindergarten. {I would like to acknowledge that there are plenty of children who never attended preschool and did fine in kindie, but I also think that kindergarten requirements have changed a bit in this age when most every child attends preschool, and many for multiple years}.
Emotionally, we try very hard to grow healthy, stable, confident, and aware children. Our kids have always been around lots of other kids {even our first – we did activities with other kids four days per week minimum!} and we demand love and respect towards their siblings and others as consistently as possible. I feel that everything we teach them from the moment they’re born – love, respect, manners, etc. – prepares them for kindergarten and beyond.
I also feel strongly that a good home base filled with lots of love will give them a stable place to go when they have those days where they struggle, thus giving them the confidence to push on and grow.
Black Dots page break divider
My name is Alexa from No Holding Back. I am the mom of Nayner Bug (male, 5), Jelly Bean, (female, 3) and Tiny (female, 1). This is how I prepare my preschooler for kindergarten:
I am going to be totally honest and say I didn’t prepare my son for Kindergarten. But his preschool sure did. He had the BEST preschool teachers! Their main focus was on teaching the child social behaviors: how to stand in line, how to follow directions, how to be quiet and respectful. Those are really the issues that will make or break a child in Kindergarten. As they said and I have found from watching him, children will arrive at Kindergarten with a variety of knowledge, from knowing all their ABCs to not recognizing any of them. They will all learn those things and be ready for 1st grade. But if your child cannot sit still and listen to directions, school is going to be very difficult. So, if you are getting ready to prepare a child for school, don’t stress over whether or not they can read or write (although I will say, it is VERY helpful if they are already comfortable using a pencil and writing some letters – that is certainly one area I lament not working more with him on) but do make sure they know how to wait their turn, follow directions, and interact with other children. (FYI, girls seem, generally speaking, to be WAY better at this than boys!)
Black Dots page break divider
My name is Fotini! I blog over at Glamorous, Affordable Life. I am the mom of (Isabella 21 months and Christian 6 years). This is how I prepare my preschooler for kindergarten:
Just the thought of sending Christian off to school scared me to death! I loved his pre-school, it was a small Christian based program, so sending him to public school was a big jump, for both of us! Not every day, but at least a couple times a week, we would review what they were learning in class. This way he would be familiar with working on schoolwork at home. I would aim projects we did to whatever it was he was learning in class, be it shapes, colors, etc. He wasn’t a messy kid to begin with, but I also emphasized organization. I think preparing them with organization at a young age is such a benefit in so many levels as they grow older. Just like any young child, he was constantly asking many questions daily which I did my best to answer in a way he would understand. I also think this is important in child development because it allows them to feel comfortable asking questions whether in school or another situation. As a parent, if you react aggressively towards the numerous questions kids can ask (no matter how annoying it can be!) I think it prevents them from wanting to ask more, especially if they’re truly confused about something, most importantly at school.
As pre-school came to an end, and it was time for kindergarten, Christian was getting really excited to being in a new school and meeting his new teacher. He had a really sweet teacher who kept in close contact with me via email if she had any concerns and vice versa. This really made me feel comfortable sending him off to school, even if it was only for a half-a-day. After the first few weeks of school, Christian began coming home upset and crying. As I began to ask more questions, he told me he was being picked on by not one, but two other kids in his class. This just absolutely broke my heart. Christian is such a loving, innocent boy who cares for everyone and he was so hurt that these kids were picking on him. After talking some with the teacher, she allowed me to volunteer with the class and help out for class projects when an extra helping hand was needed. After meeting the kids that were picking on Christian, it was clear to me that they probably didn’t get the love they deserved at home, so I just made sure to be as kind to them as possible. Every time I picked Christian up from school I would make sure to say “hi” to those kids, and after a little bit of time, they stopped picking on Christian. This was a hard time for both of us, and if you’re going through bullying with your children, I just recommend you do anything and everything you can to make it stop. Whether it is volunteering in your child’s class, introducing yourself to the bully and/or their parents, keep close contact with the teacher and make the office aware of the problem as well. For this to have happened in kindergarten I was shocked, but remember, unfortunately some of these children are raised in less than ideal situations. Be encouraging and supportive!

Black Dots page break divider

My name is Kristen from The Mrs. & The Momma. I’m the momma of three girls (ages 7, 5, & 3) and a little boy (18 months). This is how I prepare my preschoolers for kindergarten:
Where we live, if a kid isn’t at least on the verge of reading (if not already reading) by the time they start kinder…. they’re considered behind the curve. I don’t know if this is the case nation-wide, but for parents here, I think it puts a lot of pressure on us. I feel social and reading skills are the primary preparations for school. Two of my children are in school (1st and kinder) and we chose to put both of them in a preschool at the age of 3-4. Because of their differing personalities, we chose different types of preschool, but the main goal was to learn proper ways to be in a classroom setting and to learn how to play with various children (even those they may not like). I know preschool isn’t feasible for some families, so another great avenue is a co-op between moms (here’s a great curriculum). This serves the same purpose, and also may be more comforting to know the home and parents with which your child is spending time and from whom they are learning.
With all my girls (my son is still too young), we teach them reading readiness as soon as they are interested. My mother is a former educator, so I was able to draw from her wisdom and experience in teaching at home in those early years. There is a great list of things every child should know before kindergarten here. If you’re unsure if your child is on the right track, this is a great checklist for parents! Another great resource is this list of simple, everyday activities to prepare your child for kinder.
Education is of utmost importance to our family, as I’m sure it is yours…. however, preparing your child for that day they no longer are under your constant supervision….well, that involves a lot more than what I can write in a few paragraphs. But basically, it starts with loving parents.

Black Dots page break divider

Your Turn:

How do you prepare your preschoolers for kindergarten?
Leave us a comment; we love to read your tips and advice!
Need advice? Check out these previous Mom Connection topics:
Setting Goals with Your Children
Teaching Your Kids to Share
Getting your Preschooler Dressed
Balancing Blogging and Motherhood

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

March 1, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: cookies, Easter, Easter crafts, fashion, kids, Martha Stewart, milk paint, Pinterest, Spring Leave a Comment

1. {source}  2. {source}
3. {source}  4. {source}

1. How stinkin’ adorable is this Easter Bunny Canvas!! I just LOVE it! This would be such a fun projects to have the kids help with and use their imagination 😉
2. Have you taken part in the latest craze of milk paint yet? I haven’t, but plan to soon! I love the effect it has on furniture. It gives it a nice vintage, worn look and it’s eco-friendly! Visit Martha Stewards website here for a DIY recipe!
3.  Loving the relaxed look of this outfit! The mix of neutral tones with the denim and basic tee is the perfect combination for a casual Spring look!!
4.  Are these not THE cutest little cookies or what?! Super simple, yet darling! What a fun Spring afternoon with the kiddos! Click here for the recipe!

Are you following me on Pinterest yet? Click HERE!

{ Dresses, Just for You! }

February 28, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: bridal, dresses, Easter dress, eShakti, product review 5 Comments

Spring is near and Easter is less than a month away! Have you chosen your Easter dress yet? If not, I would love  to introduce you to a fabulous company, eShakti. eShakti provides a variety of dress styles, from casual to formal, including bridal! These dresses can be personally customized just for YOU! By simply entering your measurements, your choice of dress will be made to fit you perfectly! And of course you can simply choose from your standard sizing chart if your prefer.

I ordered a darling knee-length dress with warm neutral tones. I was so excited when it arrived, I just couldn’t wait to try it on! I played around with a few different looks. First pairing it with an ivory peep-toe heel, next with a black suit coat and strappy black pumps and even my favorite leopard loafers. The versatility of this dress is great! One of my favorite things about this dress is it has pockets!! I plan on wearing mine for Easter with my ivory heels, but I love the look of the black accessories for a girls night out! What do you think?
As if you aren’t already excited enough, here is a special discount code GLMRSBRDE exclusively created for my readers to get 20% OFF when you shop at eShakti – valid today thru 03/20/13.

* Disclosure: This is a product review and all opinions are my own!

Make Today Wonderful…

February 27, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: free printable, inspiration, inspirational quotes, printable, quotes, today 18 Comments

Here’s a little mid-week inspiration! I came up with this quote last week and loved it so much I made a printable to share with you all 🙂  I hope you enjoy!
Sharing this project on these sites!

Fresh Veggie Grilled Cheese

February 25, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: fresh veggie grilled cheese, fresh veggies, grilled cheese, healthy dinner, quick dinner, vegetables 38 Comments

Looking for something healthy, quick and delicious for dinner? You’re going to love this sandwich, it’s full of flavor! This is one I’ll be making again, and again!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

  • fresh spinach
  • ripe avocado
  • sliced red onion
  • rinsed and sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
  • lightly buttered bread slices
Pre-heat your skillet on low heat, rinse and slice your veggies. Lightly butter each slice of bread and cut thin slices of mozzarella cheese. Begin with layering cheese then layering veggies ( I did, mushrooms, red onion, spinach and topped with avocado) and remaining slice of bread. Turn the heat up to a low-medium heat. I have a gas range so I tend to keep it lower. Flip only once, browning to your liking for each side. Slice and EN-JOY!!! Even the kids loved this sandwich (minus the onions!)
Sharing this yumminess on these sites!

Homemade Dishwasher Tablets

February 18, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: all natural cleaning, diy, homemade, homemade dishwasher tabs 59 Comments

Have you ever thought about making your own dishwasher tablets? If so, I encourage you to! I made my own for the first time the other day and they’re awesome! Previously, I would use Cascade liquid gels which run about $12 for 60. For all the ingredients needed for homemade tablets, it cost me around $10 for 300.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

  • 2 gallon bucket
  • tablespoon measuring spoon
  • measuring cup
  • glass bowl
  • 2 ice cube trays
  • 1 55 oz box of all natural super washing soda
  • 1 76 oz box of borax detergent booster
  • 1 two pound carton epsom salt
  • 1 bottle 100% lemon juice
Grab your two gallon bucket and pour in the washing soda, detergent booster and espom salt, mix well. I used a two cup- measuring cup to measure out my dry ingredients into a glass bowl. Begin pouring in small amounts of lemon juice and stirring. You will want a smooth, but slightly clumpy consistency. For every 2 cups of dry powder, I used about 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Begin filling your ice cube trays and pushing down the mixture until full. I sat mine on top of the microwave, and it took less than two days for them to dry. I then popped them out of the trays and placed them into my dishwasher tab box I already had from before. If you find that your mixture is breaking easily, or crumbly, you haven’t added enough lemon juice. I encourage you to also use lemon juice in the rinse aid section of your dishwasher to prevent spotting on dishes.
You will have a lot extra to make as you need it! I placed mine in a plastic storage container. This is also great to add a small amount down the disposal, it smells wonderful!!
** Update: A good suggestion since doing these would be to fill the ice tray half way full, they will fit better in the dispenser!
** Also, if you’re having trouble with spotting and the lemon juice doesn’t help, try vinegar in the rinse aid department of your dishwasher.
Sharing this project on these lovely sites!

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

February 15, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: blog love, fab pins of the week, flowers, Pinterest, Spring 2 Comments

1. {source}  2. {source}
3. {source}  4. {source}
1. We will be re-doing our formal dining room furniture this Spring, and it closely resembles this large piece in this photo. I ADORE the two tone, yet sophisticated look of this entire design!!
2. This tub, oh my goodness!!! How absolutely incredible is it? Sure way to add class to any bathroom style! 
3. Really loving this combination of mint green, gray and gold! The accessories really make it for me! Love the chunky gold bracelet and necklace! 
4. My favorite part about Spring is the gorgeous flowers it entails! What a stunning bouquet of dahlias  ranunculus, lisianthus and brunia berries.
Are you following me on Pinterest yet? Click HERE!
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • …
  • 72
  • Next Page »
AntiqueFarmHouse

Archives

Hi! I'm Fotini! Welcome to Farmhouse Chic Blog, it's such a pleasure to have you here!! Let's get to know each other... Read More…

Fotini Roman, Farmhouse Chic Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
© Fotini Roman and Farmhouse Chic Blog, 2010-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Fotini Roman and Farmhouse Chic Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Enter your name and email and get the weekly newsletter... it's FREE!
I'm so excited you've decided to get the latest from Farmhouse Chic Blog right in your inbox!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.