Prayer Request {personal}

This is a very hard post to write. No crafts or tutorials, something that is so much more meaningful and important. I know so many of you who are good, faithful Christians, and I humbly ask for your help.

Today I got a call from my mom who was in tears. My cousin and his wife received some heartbreaking news yesterday. Their 6 year old son, Stephen Chow has been having horrible headaches for the past month or so. They took him to the doctor where he was given antibiotics, assuming it was some sort of a virus. The headaches continued. Yesterday, they took him into an eye doctor where they discovered that his optic nerves were very swollen. This prompted an MRI, where they discovered a brain tumor the size of a large orange. He will be having surgery to relieve the swelling. Please, keep them in your prayers, I know without a doubt that God hears them and He will answer.

In the meantime, hold your little ones. Don't waste time on meaningless things, and cherish EVERY moment you have. Keep the Lord at the center of your life and never lose faith, He is our Creator and is aware of our every need. Trust in His TIMING, rely on His PROMISES, wait for His ANSWERS, rejoice in His GOODNESS and believe in His MIRACLES. Thank you all! I love you!!!

For Stephen's surgery update, click HERE.

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

Woohooo! It's time for Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Ready....set...go!

1. Craft of the Week


How fun would it be to make a giant one of these for kids to reach into to get their Halloween candy at your house???


2. Cute Outfit of the Week

I love how simple and classy this outfit is! And...I have pretty much everything needed for this outfit...minus the ADORABLE lacy ruffle shirt...MUST.FIND.ONE.NOW.

3. Tip of the Week

Okay...maybe you already know this..but it was new to me! Most mason jars fit with your blender! So many possibilities with this!

4. Kid Friendly Craft of the Week

White shaving foam + food coloring= bathtub paint.
Now, that's a math problem I can actually handle.


5. Good Laugh of the Week



HAHAHAH! Love it. *this much*


6. Inspirational Quote of the Week

Sometimes we spend so much time praying for the things we want, that we forget that we can be the answers to OTHER'S prayers. Or, we just expect things to fall onto our laps. How much faster would our blessings come if we at least tried to meet God half way? :)

7. *DROOL* of the Week

I have a little love obsession with enchiladas. And these look INCREDIBLE.

8. Tutorial of the Week

Now that it's starting to get a little chilly outside (Well, here in Colorado, anyway...) it's time to start thinking about things for kids to do inside! How cool would this be for a reading tent, or even just for pretend camping trips in the living room? This is SO on my to-do list.

9. Hairstyle of the Week

Love this! Especially with the bump in the crown! Easy AND cute. Just my kind of hairstyle!

10. Home Inspiration of the Week


Okay, so this was originally posted into my "Good Laughs" page...but really. It's genius! I'm not kidding, I am doing this in my laundry room.


Annnnd, that's it for this weeks edition of Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Which one was your favorite? And, are you on Pintrest, too? I'd love to see what you've been pinning!

OH! *duh* and if you'd like to follow me on Pintrest, click HERE! :)

See you next time!

Peanut Butter Eyeballs

Today was a nice lazy day. We busted out Nightmare Before Christmas and I had this crazy craving for these Peanut Butter Eyeballs that my mom used to make with us around Halloween time. It's become a tradition with my kids and I, and today was the special day! I thought I'd share the recipe and maybe you can start the same tradition with YOUR family! :)

PEANUT BUTTER EYEBALLS

1 1/2 C peanut butter
1 stick softened butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 C powdered sugar
M&M's candies
White chocolate candy coating
black food coloring or chocolate chips

Mix the peanut butter, salt and butter well. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Shape into 1 inch balls, place on waxed paper. Then, put them into the fridge to harden.

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate coating on low heat (or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stirring) until melted.

Dip the peanut butter balls into the white chocolate and coat evenly. Place them back onto the waxed paper. Immediately press an M&M onto the top center of the eyeball.

Dip a toothpick in either the black food coloring or melted chocolate chips and put a small dot in the middle of the M&M to create the pupil.

Put it back into the fridge until the white chocolate is nice and hard again. All done!

If you're really feeling ambitious, you can dip a toothpick in red food coloring paste and make veins in the eyes!





P.S. Don't forget to check out my current giveaway for a mini nest necklace!



Linked up to:
Tatertots and Jello
Family Ever After
Sassy Sites
I Heart Naptime

{Mini Nest Necklace GIVEAWAY!}

How would you like to win one of my {ADORABLE} mini nest necklaces? I'm telling you, these things are HOT right now!

Well, now you can! It's giveaway time, baby! Entering is easy! Here's how to enter!

1. Follow NatSprat (I love my blog BFF'S!)
2. Follow me on facebook
3. Follow me on Pintrest
4. Tell me which of my tutorials/crafts is your favorite.

5. Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter or your blog.

Please leave me an entry for EACH thing you do! That's 5 awesome ways to enter! This giveaway will end at midnight on October 21st!

Good luck!

Linked to:
I Heart Naptime

Georgia Mud Fudge Ice Cream Cake {Tutorial}

Today is my WONDERFUL Mother's Birthday! (Hiiiii Mom!) I got the awesome job of making her birthday cake. I wanted to make her something special. I know she loves Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzards from Dairy Queen...so I decided to make her a Georgia Mud Fudge ice cream cake! Wanna know how I did it? :)

You will need:
1 1/2 tubs of chocolate ice cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1 box brownie mix
1 tub of Cool Whip
1/4 cup of milk
1 small box of chocolate pudding
1 bottle of Magic Shell ice cream topping (you know, that stuff that hardens in just few seconds after you pour it onto your ice cream?)
1 round spring form pan
a large star frosting tip and frosting bag

First step, make your brownie mix. Pour it into the greased spring form pan about 1/4 of the way to make a "crust" for the ice cream cake. Pour the rest into a square baking dish so it's about 1/2 inches thick. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until it's set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the brownie.

Meanwhile, while the brownies are cooling, take out your ice cream and leave it on your counter to let it soften to the point where you can plop it out and stir it. (Just NOT to the point where it's a melted liquid mess!)

Cut the extra brownies you made into little squares and put them into the freezer for a while to harden.

After the ice cream is softened, plop it into a large bowl and stir it up so it's about the consistency of a Wendy's Frosty. (Mmmmm.) add your chopped pecans. Get out your brownie chunks and throw them in. Then, take your Magic Shell topping and give the ice cream a good dose of it! Stir it up until things are mixed evenly.

Dump that into the spring form pan on top of the brownie crust and smooth out the top as much as you can. (I took a piece of wax paper and smoothed the top with it) Put it back into the freezer for about 3 hours until it's hardened again.

While it's hardening you can go ahead and mix up the "frosting". Mix your Cool Whip and the chocolate pudding mix and 1/4 cup of milk together. Get it nice and smooth and creamy and put it into the fridge until the cake is ready to take out of the freezer.

When your cake is set, take it out of the freezer and carefully run a warm knife along the edge of the inside of the pan to loosen the ice cream and brownie from the side. Take the spring form part of the pan off and smooth out the sides with the knife. You're almost done!

Next, put your "frosting" into your frosting bag with the large star tip and pipe it onto the top and bottom edge of the cake. (See the picture!)

BEAUUUTIFUL! Now, get your Magic Shell topping and drizzle it all over the cake however you want! It's so fun to watch the stuff harden...

Now, YOU'RE DONE!!! Carefully put it back into the freezer until it's time to eat it! :) To cut it, use a knife warmed in some hot water.

See, super easy and SUPER delicious!

Now...I wish the birthday party would start so we can break into the cake! The picture is killing me! hahahah!



Linked up to:
Tatertots and Jello
Lolly Jane
The Girl Creative
Nifty Thrifty Things
Pinkopotamus
Blue Cricket Design
Fingerprints On The Fridge

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

Wow, has it really already been a week!?! I don't know where the time went. But...happy October, everyone! Are you ready for my top 10 favorite pins of the week? I am! Here we go!

1. Craft of the Week

I just love these!!! I can just imagine putting them on bags...scarves...sweaters...headbands...AAAAAH! Cuteness overload!


2. Cute Outfit of the Week

Ooh, gray and turquoise together? Yes PLEASE!!! I'm seeing a lot of scarves on outfits lately...and I'm loving it.


3. Tip of the Week

Now really. How did I not know this? If you need to get those pesky sticky labels off of something and don't want the gooey, scummy mess left over, just heat it up with the blow dryer and it'll slide right off! *smacking forehead*



4. Kid Friendly Craft of the Week

With two little girls, I know this will be a big hit! I have to admit...I love sparkly things, too! :)



5.Good Laugh of the Week

No explanation needed!



6. Inspirational Quote of the Week

Okay...so this is funnier than the Jolie's Pitt's (get it? Jolie's armpits???) kids thing! BAHAHAHA! Maybe I should start carrying around water and sugar in my purse so I'm always prepared?



7. DROOL of the Week

You could make these so many ways! Cinnamon and Sugar...sea salt and butter....olive oil and Parmesan...green chili and cheese...I'm getting hungry....



8. Tutorial of the Week

Remember how I said I'm seeing scarves everywhere??? Well, soon you'll be seeing them on ME! And hopefully YOU!



9. Hairstyle of the Week

Now, this is actually for shorter hair. I imagine it will work with long hair, too. I love pretty AND easy updos...updoos...updo's...*gah*!



10. Home Inspiration of the Week

Sweaters aren't just for your upper half...they're for your couch, too! I know I have some sweaters who would LOVE to sacrifice themselves to have a place on my sofa. Or bed. Or both.

And this, my friends, concludes this weeks edition of Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Which one inspired you most?

Happy Birthday Whitney/Birthday Party for FREE

My Whitney is 8. I just can't even believe it! Where did the time go!?! Just yesterday she was a tiny baby who wouldn't let us sleep at night...and now she's a beautiful 8 year old! I don't know what I did to deserve such a special girl, but I am eternally grateful.

Just a few things about my Whitney:

She has a profound love of her Savior and the Scriptures. She amazes me.

She is kind and sensitive and shows a touching sense of empathy.

She loves animals and would have a million if she could. (I, on the other hand, am just fine with ONE cat.)

She loves to draw and paint or do pretty much anything artistic.

She's a little song bird. (which can get a little frustrating when you're waiting for her to finish using the bathroom while making a pit stop at a gas station and she's sitting on the toilet singing the third verse of, "I Am A Child of God")

She loves to tell jokes. I don't know how she remembers them all...but she's got a great selection in that brain of hers. (I'm positive she got that gene from both of her Great Grandpas...)

She wants to go to BYU. (att'a girl!)

She wants to grow up and be a mom, an archaeologist and a modest clothes designer. (she's going to be busy.)

And, right now she's into Barbies. I asked her what kind of a birthday party she wanted and she said, "Barbie!" And I said, "Okay!". But, when we got to the store to get party stuff my DH took one look at the Barbie decorations and said, "Oh, heck no." And then something along the lines of Barbie Lady GaGa...

And I giggled. He was right (minus the raw meat dress and metal underwear...) So, I figured I could just make my own decorations. I was thinking Barbie Fashion Fairytale...pinks and black and sparkly, oh my!

I made some of these Paper Accordions (Soooo easy and fast!)

And I took some big plastic gem things that I had laying around in my craft stuff and hung them from the dining room lights to make some sort of desperate attempt at a crystal chandelier. Hey...it was 3 a.m., cut me a break. ;)



Then I remembered I had some hot pink leopard print fabric laying around that was on clearance for $1 a yard...woo-hoo! The perfect fashionable table cloth!



Like the cupcake stand??? It's really just a little dessert plate stuck to a candlestick. Fancy, I know. (what you DON'T is that it's actually just sticking together with those double sided scrapbook sticker thingies...I was too tired to wait for the glue gun to heat up!) Ahhh, real life. I love it.

Oh, and the Eiffel tower? FREE. I've had that puppy sitting around since Girls Camp last summer! I'm so glad I held onto it!

So, the total out of pocket cost of decorations for this party:

tablecloth: Free (already on hand.)
cupcake stand: Free (already on hand)
crystal chandelier (don't laugh!): FREEEE (you guessed it, already on hand.)
scrapbook paper: $1.25 (okay...I lied. FREE...already on hand)
crepe paper: free....

So....what is the moral of this story? DON'T THROW STUFF AWAY!!! You will find a use for it...I swear. Unless it's like, a scary clown doll...do the world a favor and throw it away. Actually...smash it up first, burn it, and THEN throw it away. *shudder*

Last but not least....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY WHITNEY!!! I LOVE YOOOU!




Linked to:
Tatertots and Jello