Top Ten 2013 Projects

Earlier this week I shared the Top Ten Recipes of 2013. Since this is more than just a recipe blog, I just couldn't leave all my projecting out of the 2013 wrap up. After all, they would be so sad and lonely to be left out.

We can't have that!

I had a fun time going through and seeing what you guys (and Pinterest) made the Top Ten Most popular projects. Several of these little projects were my favorite of the year too. So I am kind of super happy you like them too.

Let's start the recap shall we!!

10. Faux Bow Tie Tutorial

 I love a good bow tie on a handsome little man. I actually have previous tutorial for a

Dapper Little Man Bow Tie. So this is my second bow tie tutorial. 

I just can't seem to stop the bow tie love.

9. Tornado in a Tube

 My kids loved this activity.

8. A Funny Valentine

This was one of my favorite projects this year.

That insanely adorable face doesn't hurt either.

7. Star Wars T-Shirt

Speaking of cute faces. This little man might

have been the wearer of my other favorite project this year...

Spoiler alert...he is going to appear in pretty much all my favorite projects.

6. Oven Hard Boiled Eggs

Tips and tricks were big this year.

5. Better Smelling Towels

 

4. Batman T-shirt

Here is my most favoritest project this year. 

Go and see how cute this shirt looks on my glasses wearing cherub.

3. Nacho Average Valentine

I had fun with Valentines in 2013!

 

2. Have A Kool Summer Printable

Just one of the many projects that I used PicMonkey to make.

I heart PicMonkey!!

1. A Charlie Brown Party

The number one viewed project this year, was this Charlie Brown Birthday Party.

Who doesn't love Charlie Brown?

I took last year a lot slower, with a lot less projecting and blogging. I felt like I didn't do much last year, it was fun to go back and see the tad bit I did do. Made me feel a little more productive.

Thanks for a great year! I hope you will continue hanging out with me over 2014.

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Top Ten Recipes of 2013

Time for the yearly post recap.

2013 was a big year for recipes. You the reader (and also the pinner...lots of love to Pinterest), really seemed to like the recipes posted here on Just Another Day in Paradise. In fact, that is two years in a row that the majority of the top ten most viewed posts are recipes. I always contemplate changing over into a recipe blog after I compile these lists. However, I just love the sewing projects, DIY, holiday, party, and all the other lifestyle aspects of this blog too much to say goodbye to them. So for now I will continue to be a general lifestyle blog.

I would love your input though, so feel free to let me know what you think.

As I was compiling my Top Ten Posts list for 2013, I realized I might need to do two lists. A recipe list and a project list, since like I just said, I also like all that projecting stuff.

Today, though we will stick to the recipes.

So here for your drooling...er...uh...reading and pinning (aka feel free to pin the heck out of these recipes) delight are the Top Ten Recipes of 2013 from Just Another Day in Paradise starting at number 10...

Drum roll please...

10. Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Pasta

9. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

8. Hawaiian Sliders

7. Dutch Oven Artisan Bread

6. Slow Cooker Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice

5. Slow Cooker Buffalo Mac and Cheese

4. Cheesy Spanish Rice

3. Taco Soup

2. Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

1. Shredded Chicken Tacos

Are you hungry now? 

I am.

Did you notice the love for the slow cooker? I really need to dedicate more time to Slow Cooker Saturday don't I? I promise I will, just for you.

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who reads this blog. 

Thanks for sharing and pinning what you read.

 I appreciate it just so stinkin' much!

Our Christmas Fancies and Merry Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas full of family, childlike excitement, love, giggles, and quiet moments of reflection on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I had planned to wish you a Merry Christmas a little sooner than December 30th, but we were happily wrapped up in Christmas festivities (Not to mention not-so-happily experiencing momentary illness...which by the way, did it seem like almost everyone you knew had some form of illness around Christmas?).

So here it is several days after and I am hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas.

One of my favorite days leading up to Christmas is Christmas Sunday, i.e. the Sunday just before Christmas. The absolute best is when Christmas falls on a Sunday. I love celebrating the birth of Christ through sacred hymns and inspirational messages of His birth and life. I love that we dress up just a tad bit fancier than normal. I love that the congregation is busting with visiting family and friends, even if they aren't ours.

I just love it all.

This year, I didn't really get the boys anything new to wear to church, specific for Christmas anyway. I pulled together a few things we already had that looked fancy and "Christmasy".

My wardrobe rummaging explains how this precious little Christmas lumberjack look came to be.

My blue-eyed handsome boy is still just a tad too small for a suit. However, he happily wore this black and red flannel with a black paisley tie I made for the boys two Christmases ago.

The other boys all wore their normal Sunday suits, spruced up with a bit of red in their ties.

It is killing me with how old Oldest is starting to look!

Middle, my stoic handsome one as always.

Then there is Little, always photogenic and always too cute for his own good.

We didn't have mistletoe, but that didn't keep us from smooching it up in front of the Christmas tree. Oldest got it all on camera.

This particular Christmas Sunday, we were miraculously ready quite a bit early for church. So that means I got to snap a lot of pictures...okay, as many as my rowdy boys would allow.

A Christmas hug for dad.

A cute little Christmas "cheese".

A little extra pose, which he came up with all by himself.

I really feel blessed to have this family of boys. I am lucky to be the lone lady amongst all these gentlemen.

I hope you had a warm and wonderful holiday season, and that you continue to feel that warmth into the New Year.