Along my way

Yet another!

2011-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here's another one not connected with the SewMamaSew giveaways. There's been a lot of chatter on blogs lately about a well know designer designing for Joann's and from what I hear, the fabric is now hard to get. I would love to win some! I still can't get it into a link! Sorry, it's really frustrating me!

Www.sewitsmidnightmama.blogspot.com

Sew Mama Sew giveaway days

2011-05-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you have tons of time, it's SewMamaSew's giveaway days again. A great way to find new creative blogs, and hopefully win something too!
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/
(Sorry! For some reason, I couldn't put that in a link!)

Katie cupcake Giveaway

2011-05-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

There is a giveaway over on the Katie Cupcake blog.
http://katicupcakequiltingco.blogspot.com/2011/05/sugar-blossom.html
She has the cutest patterns! A couple are on my to do list for this summer!

Repro fabric

2011-05-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

So I have a serious fabric addiction, one that my budget does not support, so I can only dream and not buy (very much)! I see a lot of blog giveaways and don't enter very often, but I've decided to do it more in hopes of building my stash (and saving my budget). Usually you get an extra entry for promoting it on your blog, so get ready to see a lot more of these kinds of posts!
Here's one for some 30's repro fabric over at Twiddletails.

Dinner Plans

2011-03-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

I put this meal on the menu for next week. I'm guessing the weather these days is making me want soup! (The only problem is I really don't want to wait to try this!)

California Chowder
I have no idea if I've mentioned The Sister's Cafe Blog before (and I am too lazy to check through my previous posts), but it's a great place to find really good recipes. I've found lots of keepers from it. Next up I'm going to try the Strawberry Cream Cheese and Potatoes Dauphinoise .
(You may also find my new secret weapon recipe on there, but I love it so much, I don't want to share!
It may include truffles, and cream cheese!)

Triple Cheese Flatbread
Again, I think the weather is driving me to warm comfort foods. Just look at the title, need I say more?
(I'm going to try this Homemade Bisquick Mix)

Now the Spaghetti we're having for dinner tonight doesn't seem very exciting at all!

Mexican Chicken Chowder

2011-03-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

2 cups Shredded Chicken (can use canned)
1/4 cup Red Onion, minced
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 can Black Beans
1 can Cream of Potato soup (I use 1 cup of soup made from a dry mix.)
1 can Cheddar Soup
3 cups Chicken Broth
1 can (4oz) diced Chili Peppers
1 envelope Taco Seasoning
1 tsp Cumin
Cracked Black Pepper- to taste
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro (can add in soup, or use as garnish)

Mix all ingredients together and cook in a crockpot for a couple of hours on low, or bring to a boil and simmer 1/2 hour on stove top.

Mix 1 cup Sour Cream into a little bit of soup, then add it back in to the rest of the soup in pot. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

*I got the original recipe that this is based on from somewhere on the Internet a few years ago. I can't remember where it was, so I can't give proper credit for it.

I hope I win!

2011-01-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite quilt designers, Camille Roskelly, is having a giveaway on her blog. I'm blogging about it to earn an extra entry. I would love to win a copy of her book! I've learned a lot from reading her blog, and have even bought some of her patterns and fabric. Crossing my fingers!

Passing it on.

2010-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

I'm often overwhelmed with all of the tasks I have to do, and find myself avoiding them instead of confronting them, which only makes the problem worse. I read this article and this blog post today that gave me the answer I needed. I need to remember that just because I can't do it all, doesn't mean that I can't do something. I thought I'd share in case it's the answer you've been looking for too.

2010-09-17T22:40:00.000-07:00

OK- So I've got a lot to say, just haven't had time to post. Here are some random, but great ideas!

A new blog with some fun ideas: http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/

A few of my favorites:
How to paint little decorations on fingernails.
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/09/how-to-paint-fun-designs-on-fingernails.html
Personalized Face Plates
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/09/personalized-face-plates-she-kalleen.html
Lunch Money Bracelet- What a great idea! (Plus great directions for sewing in a zipper.)
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/09/lunch-money-cuff-tutorial-she-christie.html

I've seen this idea for cake stands around before. I think it's time to try it out. What a great way to give gifts of treats (instead of the paper plate like I usually do!)

What a fun Halloween Idea!

I think I will do this Wall Art idea. I have a couple of blank walls that I may do this on.

I don't think this would be hard to duplicate.

Here are a few recipes I've found that I'm looking forward to trying-

Donut Muffins

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Apple Pastries

I have so much more to share, but am out of time. I'll post more when I get a chance!

Genius!!!

2010-08-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

This falls under the "why didn't I think of that" category. I've been looking for Oilcloth or the new laminated fabrics but can't find anything local. I've found some to order online, but it's kinda pricey. I did find an Etsy shop that I may order some fat quarters from that seemed pretty reasonable. Recently on Grace Violet she mentioned that she uses the reusable shopping bags that you can buy from TJMaxx (they're sooo cute and only 99 cents) to make crafts that she'd use Oilcloth for. So smart!!! I feel a new obsession coming on. Here's a post where she made a lunch tote, and a follow up post with a few other ideas.

(I have used quilted throws, ((I get them for great prices on clearance at Marshalls and Home Goods)) and vinyl tablecloths for sewing/crafting purposes before, but have never thought to use those bags. Can you tell I'm excited?)

What have you found that you can repurpose in your creative endeavors?

2010-06-23T12:06:00.001-07:00

I recently bought a Cricut and am loving it. I have been using it for cutting the freezer paper for the "Freezer paper stencil" shirts. It makes the cutting part so much easier and it looks better. I just found a tutorial on how to cut fabric with it. That will come in handy for applique. Here's the link: http://expectmoore.blogspot.com/2010/06/using-cricut-to-cut-fabric.html

Summer Activities

2010-06-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again where I'm looking for ideas to keep the kids busy. This blog http://activitymom.blogspot.com/ looks like it has some good ideas that I'll be using.

New Tutorial Blog

2010-05-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

I caved and did a little blog surfing today. I found a great new site that is all tutorial and the most recent post is a bag sew-a-long. Couldn't be better!
www.totallytutorials.blogspot.com/

Crazy Mom Quilts

2010-05-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to discover that one of my favorite Quilting bloggers is back to blogging. She's at Quilt Market, where I'd love to go someday! Here's the post:
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fcrazymomquilts.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault

Quilts Galore

2010-05-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

If quilts are your thing, then you'll want to check out the current blog quilt festival going on here. (Another great way to find tons of ideas and new blogs to read.)

Its a good thing...

2010-05-17T12:03:00.001-07:00

...that my computer cord is messed up and if I move it, the computer shuts off. I leave my laptop in one spot all the time. I don't really spend very much time on the computer right now but, if I was able to sit in my recliner and blog surf all day long, I'd surely be entering all of the Giveaways on SewMamaSew today. Last time I won a little burp cloth. It was a great way to find new crafty blogs too. So if you have the time, check some of them out here http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/

New recipe to try- Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

This looks so good! I'm going to try it soon (and I'll let you know what I think).

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2010/05/parmesan-baked-potato-halves.html

Salads/Dressings

2010-03-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

I quit making salad regularly a while ago when found I just didn't have the time. Then I quit buying bagged salad because I'm never happy with it. I really want to get back into making it regularly and a segment with Jamie Oliver on GMA yesterday, gave me a little motivation. Here are the links to his salads and dressings.

Pancakes

2010-03-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

I'm not a fan of breakfast foods. I would rather wake up and have a dinner meal than breakfast, but since I'm responsible for feeding other people, I have to try to keep there preferences in mind too. In my quest to find a healthier pancake for my family, I tried this recipes for Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes last week. They all loved it and no one said anything about the whole wheat. Actually, when I was bragging about them being from scratch, and not from a pre-made mix, my oldest said, "They're not from scratch, they're from heaven!". (That kid's getting a bonus on his allowance this week!) I even ate some, and am making them for dinner tonight as per requested (of course I'm not a fan of breakfast for dinner either!). Try it, you'll like it!

If only I would have known!

2010-03-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular reader of Nie Nie, like I am, you are familiar with the homemade Oreos she keeps talking about. Her sister, CJane, revealed the recipe on her answers blog a few weeks ago. Today, Nie Nie mentioned that her friend is making the Oreos with a green frosting for St.Patrick's Day. This idea would have been handy yesterday! My daughter is having a green themed food party today in her class and all I could come up with was "Apple Jack's" since I was sure someone else would bring cookies or cupcakes. I did end up trying another recipe for the Oreos I'd already seen, and I used some (green) mint frosting I had leftover from another child's class treat, so now we have a cute dessert for our lunch date today! I hope I remember this for next year!

2010-03-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

I really don't need another bread-ish recipe. The weight that I've gained from learning to bake bread has been harder to lose than the baby weight. But... I tried this one for dinner and it was really good and soooo easy. It's a keeper! (Watch it closely though. In my oven, 15 minutes was bordering on too done. ) I may try it with a cinnamon/sugar version too.

Breadsticks from Favorite Family Recipes

Order

2010-03-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

This article, http://www.meridianmagazine.com/athome/100311life.html, speaks to what has been on my mind as I struggle to get the kids to cooperate with simple household chores. I was just thinking yesterday that I wish I'd known with my first, how important it would be to establish good habits early on instead of trying to retrain at an older age. We wouldn't need any of the rewards/treats/bribes/charts/threats etc. if we had just made it automatic from the beginning. I know, I know, it's not too late. Just would've been easier to start with 1 kid instead of 5!

Freshly Squeezed

2010-02-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

Isn't it weird that lemons are in season right now when we associate Lemonade with the summer? Just something I always think about when we're making Lemonade in the winter.

Fresh Homemade Lemonade is one of life's simple pleasures. I tried this recipe, that was good, and really like that it starts with a simple syrup so all of the sugar is dissolved.

In my search, I also found this one that looks good, but I haven't tried it yet. (Not sure how I feel about the mint but it doesn't hurt to try. Have any of you have mint in your Lemonade before?)

Time out!

2010-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

This post is speaking to me today because I need a break! I was just wishing I could push a pause button to give me a little time to re-group, find my center, etc and then hit resume and go back into the game refreshed and ready to go at it again. I guess as mothers, since we don't really have any luxury time to pause and refresh when we need to, we need to make sure we are doing it a little at a time. Consistently. That's why that post was a good reminder today.

Miracles

2010-02-01T12:35:00.001-08:00

I've mentioned before that a few years ago, my Dad requested we make charitable donations as his Birthday/Christmas/Father's Day gifts instead of just wasting money on something not really needed (though appreciated). For my Dad's Birthday yesterday, we donated to a family trying to bring home their Haitian children that they've been in the process of adopting for several years (mentioned in my post here).

I was a little uneasy this morning when I heard this on the news. While going through my list of daily places to check on the Internet, I came across this story detailing the efforts of the family. I'm not worried anymore. Wow.

Adding to my list...

2010-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

I've been avoiding a lot of my favorite blogs lately because I see so many great ideas for crafts etc. that I want to do, and then get frustrated that I can't do them all. I have so many projects on my craft table (diningroom table) that the only thing I have time to do is tidy it a little, then don't get around to the projects. Anyway I couldn't resist clicking on the Teach me Thursday link on Tip Junkie today.

These are the projects that I'm adding and will hope to get to sometime before 2015.
Easy Fabric Wallet
Welcome to the 'hood Book (I just like the book idea that could be used for another purpose)
Cupcake Baking Kit

Passing it on...

2010-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some people in need of help. If you have the opportunity, you can pass it on too. We may not be able to help everyone in need, but we may know someone else who can help in the times when we can't.

www.shopfeatheryournest.com
This cute online store is being closed due to the death of the owner's husband.
All purchases are 25% off so she can quickly liquidate her inventory.
(Found on DearCJane)

These people have been trying to get their 5 adopted children out of Haiti for 3 years. Due to the Earthquake they have now received permission to take them out of the country and bring them home. They are raising money to help with those costs.
(Found on Beginningsnew)

If you've heard of other people in need and want to pass it on too, please leave a comment with a link.

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”

Edmond Burke

Good Advice

2010-01-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

Partially credited to Mother Teresa (apparently she may have gotten some of it from someone else), via MckMama

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
succeed anyway.
If you are honest people may cheat you;
be honest anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the end, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

I'm not clever enough to think of a title worthy of this one.

2010-01-05T17:18:00.000-08:00

I can't even remember how I started reading BooMama, (I referenced her once for her "parade of dips"), but I find myself returning to it often when I need a little entertainment. Sophie never diappoints. If you have nothing better to do, check out this post. You WILL want to bookmark it so you can return to it. So funny!

Homemade Ornaments

2009-12-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking that I'm going to start using only sentimental and homemade ornaments on my tree. I'm not good at decorating so I don't have any Christmas Tree pride and I let the kids decorate it (and I don't adjust anything when they're done). I'm thinking it will create more meaning for me, and honestly, making something gives me more motivation. Here's a link to 12 days of tutorials for handmade ornaments.

http://kheaney-writeitdown.blogspot.com/

Christmas Service con't

2009-12-01T08:20:00.000-08:00

There are so many people in need. I can't help but think of them and want to help.

A quilt project to help flood victims in Ireland.
http://www.psiquilt.com/2009/12/irish-flood-quilts.html

A beautiful young mother, who is pregnant, who lost her husband last week. This is a link to an auction to raise money for the Memorial fund. http://adailyscoop.blogspot.com/ There are links in previous posts where you can read more of the story.

I think this is a really cute idea of how to spread the Christmas Spirit with a random act of kindness (it's actually done throughout the year).
http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/11/toy-society-drop_30.html

Give a Kid a Quilt

2009-11-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

http://giveakidaquilt.blogspot.com/

Anyone who likes to sew, quilt or craft probably has a lot of extra fabric and scraps around their house, just like me. This is a great way to help out this winter season, with a homemade touch. Make a quilt, or if you're not a quilter, just sew a top and mail it and it will be quited for you. What a great idea. I am definitely adding this to my to do list. A wonderful service with using something you already have! Love it.

NTOOD

2009-11-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if I can sqeeze this in tomorrow, but I want to so bad.

I just might have to do it next week. (Heard about it here.)

Letting it all out. Nothing fancy, just lots of links.

2009-11-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much time to blog lately but I have some things I've been wanting to share. So here's a very random post...

I have to avoid One Pretty Thing because there are always so many great ideas, it sets my head spinning and gets me frustrated that I can't do it all. Every once in a while I check in, and my to do list multiplies.

I made one of these receiving blankets. I used fabric that is not typically my style, but I love it! Make sure that you double check the mitered corners before you cut them. Of course, I learned the hard way!

I think this is a great way to wrap gifts.

Here's a way to do your own Rock Star toes for so much less than what you'd pay in a Salon.

I know I'm a broken record about reusable bags but... I love these Shopping totes. The bold fabrics are great!

I've seen some great quilt ideas using scraps so I've been working on organizing mine. At this point I'm just using Ziplocs with sharpie labels for each size scrap I need, but to organize them as I go is a good feeling. Ideas here and here.

Speaking of Scraps. Check out the projects from scrap buster month at Sew Mama Sew.
I look to reduce my use of toxic chemicals in my home/life wherever possible. I'm thinking of trying this long lasting hand sanitizer, this homemade version, and this natural disinfecting spray.
I know I've mentioned babysteals.com (I've order from them a couple of times now and have been happy with the items, quality and speedy shipping), but have you noticed that they now have kidsteals.com and scrapbookingsteals.com too?
Looking for handmade gift ideas for Christmas? Check out these spots. 1 2 3
This post from CJane made so much sense to me. I am a Warrior!
We are almost finished with the new Nursery. We did a girl version of this idea , inspired by her.

Here are the latest new recipes I've tried and liked.
Orange Julius We've tried it with different orange juice combinations and love it!
Jaden's Beef with Broccoli shared by PDub Pumpkin/Apple Muffins with Streusel So good!!! Lion House Rolls- Two thumbs up.

I have more things in my bookmarks that will have to wait since my kids are loosing it and I am being reminded why I don't post very often anymore!

***I have a few other posts that I composed a while ago, and never published because I couldn't get around to finishing them up. I'm going to post them anyway, in their rough unpolished state, following this post.***

Back to School

2009-11-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Composed 8/11/09
Here are the things that I am using/doing to get ready for the kids going back to school.
http://controllingmychaos.blogspot.com/2008/08/school-clothes-shopping-check-list.html

There's a great post on Thirty Handmade Days that has lots of ideas.

Car Seat Safety

2009-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Composed 6/4/09
I'm known by many as a Car Seat Extremist (is that really a bad thing?) I just think I'd feel pretty bad if one of my kids died or got badly injured in a car accident, and I could have prevented it. I just barely let my 10 year old ride without his booster because he finally reached 4'9", and weighs more than 80 lbs. I am also very frustrated that the laws and the safety recommendations say two different things. That's absolutely ridiculous to me! I feel bad for my kids that other kids make fun of them for having to still ride in a car seat when others don't. I'm not sure if it's a lack of awareness or what, but it's a big frustration of mine. Anyway, I was reading in my latest Parents Magazine about Car Seat Safety. Did you know that 4 out of 5 car seats are used incorrectly? There needs to be more awareness! Did you know that the handle of most infant seats should be down when driving? What about kids not being in the front seat until they are 12? Go here for their checklist to see if your seats are being used correctly. Go here for the seats that they recommend.

Posting Note- I have lots more information on this that I didn't have time to add to the post. If you have questions, ask me and I will get the info for you.
Also- For those who know me in person, this is not meant to offend, though sometimes I lack the skills to convey that.

Fabric Wallets/Holders

2009-11-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Composed 5/17/09
Wallet:
http://aspoonfullofsugargirls.googlepages.com/aspoonfulofsugar

Card Holders:
http://daffodilhilltoo.blogspot.com/2009/02/recent-projects.html
http://blog.christyscreations.com/?p=482

Tissue Holder:
http://whipup.net/2006/09/28/tissue-holder-tutorial/

Zippered Pouch:
http://daffodilhilltoo.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-projects-and-free-fabric-giveaway.html

Fabric Covered mini-album (for photos or recipes or whatever)
http://yougogirl.typepad.com/you_go_girl/2009/03/a-little-house-warming-gift.html

Book Cover http://marmaladekiss.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-first-tutorial.html

Reusable Ziplocs: (Retail site, not directions) http://www.reusies.com/

Also- Hopefully one day I will have time to make some Felt Food

Pillowcase Dress/ Refashioned clothes

2009-11-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Composed 5/17/09

http://zeahrenaissance.blogspot.com/2007/06/step-by-steppillowcase-dress.html

http://www.aroomsomewhere.net/2007/07/pillowcase-dress-tutorial.html

http://sewing.craftgossip.com/cool-idea-little-girls-dress-from-dads-shirt/2009/03/27/

Give a way.

2009-10-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Head over to V and Co. to enter a great give a way for 7 really cute patterns from Katie Cupcake. I will definitely be buying some of her Marabella when it comes out in February!

Soup's on! (So what if it's 100 degrees outside!)

2009-09-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I learned how to cut a leek. I'm so glad I checked how to do it first. I learned from this tutorial. Then I made Cream of Broccoli Soup. I can't remember which blog I got it off of though. I really liked the soup, it's a pureed version so it's healthier than a regular "cream of ..." soup. I, of course, had to stir in some grated cheddar and accompany it with some oven hot French bread from the grocery store (Don't you feel like you've won the lottery when you get there just when the baker is wheeling out the cart of fresh baked bread?).

So here's the recipe (I'll give credit where it's due, if I ever figure it out).

Cream of Broccoli Soup
6-8 cups broccoli, chopped
4 medium sized potatoes, cut into chunks
1-2 leeks, sliced1 onion (red), peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 cup heavy cream
water or stock
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper

Place broccoli, potatoes, leeks, salt and onion in a soup pot. Fill with water (or stock) until everything is just barely covered. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until broccoli is very tender.
Puree* until smooth. Add desired amount of cream. Add pepper. Adjust salt, if necessary.
*I'm going to get one of those hand blenders for next time. Using the blender was a pain, and messy.

My kind of post

2009-09-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

BooMama is hosting a blog carnival where people share dip recipes.

I love dip! Go over there and check it out.

Go cheap. Go Homemade.

2009-08-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year when school supplies are so cheap. I always stock up for projects. Sometimes, I even go to a store a couple times a day if they have a limit on an item. Here are some of my favorite projects to make with school supplies:

DECORATIVE CLIP BOARDS

GAK AND GLOW IN THE DARK SLIME

GREETING CARD KIT

DECORATIVE COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS

PURSE COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS

CRAYON SHAPES

SOME OTHER THINGS TO MAKE AT HOME:

CHALK PAINT

MOON SAND

FINGER PAINT

Random Things I want to share

2009-08-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

I saw these Finger Puppets in the June issue of Parents Magazine. For just $10/set they would make great Christmas/Birthday gifts maybe even for a baby shower. I'd probably include some type of book about bugs and make one of my gift bags out of bug fabric to put them in (then it could be used to store them in too!) Look at these ones that they can customize to match your family.

Some projects that I want to make:

Luggage Handle Covers

DOLL DIAPERS

Here are some useful ideas I've found-

FREEZER PAPER PATTERNS

LITTLE GIRLS UNDER SHORTS
I recently found this link for a site with a great idea. It's for shorts for little girls to wear under their skirts to cover their underpants. My girls are getting to the age where the skirts no longer come with shorts sewn into them. I'm constantly reminding them they can't do cartwheels etc when wearing a skirt. Though the name brand ones are a little pricey, I love the idea and have decided to cut off some of their old leggings(serging the raw edge) to use instead.

Today I'm very inspired by this courageous woman. I've followed her journey for the past year and have gained so much strength from her tremendous faith. Whenever I feel like complaining, I am reminded that if she can do what she does, I can handle my trials which are minuscule in comparison.

Recipes to try

2009-08-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the recipes that I've added recently to my "To try" list.(For those new to blogging- just click on the name to be taken to the link.)

SEVERAL COOKIE RECIPES

FRESH PEACH PIE

This isn't a traditional fresh peach pie. The crust is Pavlova, which I love. I think I may even try it today. This is from The Pioneer Woman's new site. Have you checked it out yet?

Tasty Kitchen is for people to submit recipes. I'm hoping for some good ones since I've already found a few from times when she's had submissions for contests etc.

***Edit- This was SOOOO good. I doubled the meringue part, and spread it on a cookie sheet (Don't forget to grease it because I did, and it broke when I lifted it off!) Then I tossed the peach chunks with a Glaze (let me know in the comments if you want me to post the Glaze recipe!) before spreaging them over the crust. Also-When I make this for guests or a special event, I'll use real whipping cream instead of the topping. I think it would be good with other fresh fruits too! ***

LASAGNA ROLL UPS

I've actually tried this since I started this post. My family loved it. It turned out better than when I make traditional lasagna. (Don't judge me but- I don't know what I do wrong, my lasagna never turns out right, I know that's silly since it's not very complicated.)

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

(Another confession- I ate almost a whole package of these today! Maybe I shouldn't make the pie, but I will. I have no self control when it comes to sweets. I blame genetics. We'll see if my parents check my blog anymore.)

MARINARA SAUCE

I really want to learn how to make a good pasta sauce to cut the cost as well as additives (our favorite is Prego- Traditional which has High Fructose Corn Syrup, why is this in everything?)

HOMEMADE GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

I'm all for supporting a good cause but $4/box is ridiculous.

HONEY POPCORN

APPLE STREUSEL CHEESCAKE BARS
You had me at Cheesecake. (Is that movie line over used?)

MAGIC ROLLS

A fun Family Night activity/treat.

Note- It's really annoying to me that the spacing when you create a post is not the same spacing when you publish it to your blog. Sorry it looks so bad.

Quiet Books

2009-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make a Quiet Book since my oldest was little. Well it's never happened. I keep collecting ideas just in case I ever get around to it.

Religious Theme, full tutorial.

http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/quietbook_church.asp

Another Religious one.
(The first link is for the directions, the next two are pictures of the completed pages.)
http://www.theideadoor.com/Printables/how_to_make_an_lds_quiet_book_by.htm
http://www.theideadoor.com/images/Quiet%20Book/1photoQBgc.jpg
http://www.theideadoor.com/images/Quiet%20Book/2photoQBgc.jpg

This is just like the one my Mom made for me when I was little.
http://www.quietbook.blogspot.com/

Here are some really cute ideas, like the name page. Keep scrolling down to her other posts for her other page ideas.

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/

This one is pretty basic.

http://www.makeandtakes.com/a-little-peace-and-quiet

Martha Stewart's instructions. http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.0e0eb51a2e6b5ad593598e10d373a0a0/?vgnextoid=689876ecfd22f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=also_try

I like the idea of using coloring books for your inspiration.
http://naptimejournal.blogspot.com/2009/04/quiet-book-ideas.html
http://naptimejournal.blogspot.com/2009/05/quiet-book-pagesyou-asked-for-them.html

More sites to get ideas:
http://www.tctwest.net/~dcdesign/quietbook.html#MotherGooseRhymes
http://www.time4felt.com/quiet-books.html
http://www.countryfolkcollection.com/category.php?category_id=59

Lost, lost tooth

2009-08-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

This is in honor of my daughter who lost her tooth then dropped it somewhere along her way to show it to me. We spent a long time searching for it and when I was trying to console her and suggested she write a note to explain what had happened to the tooth fairy, she said it was OK, we could just give her the money because her older brother had told her about the reality of the Toothfairy! (Then why did we spend all that time on hands and knees searching with a flashlight for it?---I still need to have a chat with the oldest child about what his role is as older brother.)

http://purlbee.squarespace.com/tooth-fairy-bags/

http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/02/tooth-pillow-revisited.html

http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2008/11/tooth-officer.html

New Recipes

2009-07-22T11:47:00.001-07:00

We tried a new recipe, Root Beer Cookies , last night. They are a little weird at first, but we ended up liking them. I would say they are in the molasses/ginger cookie family. I think they definitely need the frosting, other people in the family liked them without.

We also tried another new recipe, Chicken Nachos, from Rookie Cookie

They were really good and we will be making them again soon.

Here's the recipe (with the changes I made in red)

Chicken Nachos ( www.rookie-cookie.com)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used homemade)

1 large bag tortilla chips

1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded (I included Monterey Jack)

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 14 oz can corn, drained

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced (omitted)

Handful chopped green onions or cilantro (I used a bunch of green onions and included Cilantro too)

-Set oven to 400 degrees.

-Set a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add the chicken breasts. Boil until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from the water and set on a cutting board to cool. (I cooked mine in some olive oil in a skillet and sprinkled with taco seasoning and black pepper*, I don't like to boil chicken.)

-Once cool enough to handle, shred and put into a medium bowl.

-Pour salsa over the chicken and toss to coat.

-Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. (I used a 9x13 dish instead, next time I'll use the cookie sheet. The cheese on the bottom layers didn't melt all the way and some of the chips got soggy.)

-Add half of the bag of tortilla chips and spread into an even layer.

-Sprinkle on half of the shredded chicken, half of the black beans, half of the corn and half of the onion. Sprinkle on half of the shredded cheese. Repeat again, beginning with the rest of the tortilla chips.

-Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

-Sprinkle on green onions or cilantro as garnish. Serve with more salsa if needed. (I added these before baking.)

*I only use fresh cracked pepper. In my opinion- The stuff that comes ground doesn't even compare and isn't even worth using.

More kids projects

2009-06-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

I hope this isn't too boring, but keeping kids occupied is major in my priorities these days.

This idea peaked my interest because it's something older kids can do together with younger ones. http://www.tipjunkie.com/2007/06/dont-eat-pete.html

I think this idea could be used with other shapes, not just stars for the 4th.
http://www.bhg.com/holidays/july-4th/crafts/star-shaped-bubble-wands/

I have a ton of old magazines in a big stack in my room. Some I can't part with and want to organize them like this . The rest I have a hard time getting rid of because they seem like such a good tool for activites for kids. I let them make collages with the pictures in them. Sometimes I just let them do whatever they want, but I have also had them pick a theme to work with (letters, colors, people, food, plants & flowers, toys, holidays etc.)

Here are some more ideas I've found:

http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/green-ideas/green-ideas-magazine-mosaic-087483

http://iamblogginit.blogspot.com/2009/06/scrappy-paper-dolls.html

Here's a similar idea using construction paper.
http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/2007/12/paper-collage-house.html

Orange Quilts

2009-06-26T14:24:00.001-07:00

I wouldn't normally consider myself an orange person but, I am seriously contemplating making an orange and white quilt after seeing these ones.

http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com/2009/06/finished-orange-sherbet-quilt.html

http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2009/01/orange-quilt-dimensions.html

(I already linked to this one in a previous post on quilting. I love the colors so much, I couldn't help but mention it again.)

Great deals on baby gear.

2009-06-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of www.babysteals.com ? Every morning at 9am MST they list a great deal on some kind of baby item. Most of them are at least 50% off, and they are available until sold out. Check out their blog here for some of the items that they've sold, as well as frequent give-a-ways.

Marbleized Cards

2009-06-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

For Father's Day cards, I helped the kids make marbleized paper using an idea from Family Fun that I saw demonstrated on The View last week. I can't find the instructions online so I'll just explain it.
1.Using an old cookie sheet, or a tray, spread out some white shaving cream.
2. Next, place some dots of food coloring around on the cream, and marbleize it with a toothpick (after using the toothpick we tried a Popsicle stick which we decided spread the color around better).
3. Now lay a piece of card stock on the cream and gently rub to transfer the color to the paper.
4. The last step is to use a squeegee (like the one used for a glass shower door) to remove the shaving cream, and it helps to spread the color a little bit too. Then let dry.

I found that this project was OK for my 3 year old, but he got his hands stained from the food coloring, and it was a little stressful keeping an eye on him while helping the other kids. I think four and up would be a better age.

BYU Women's Conference

2009-06-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The archives are up from the latest Women's Conference @ BYU. I love looking at all of the ideas from the Sharing Stations and Workshops, reading transcripts from the talks (I didn't see 2009 yet), and seeing what they did for their service projects.

Sticker Magnets

2009-06-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

I get the feeling I'm going to be posting a lot about activity ideas for kids. The first link is about making magnets from stickers. The others are similar. The bottom line is you can take any sticker, or print anything on sticker paper, and turn it into a magnet. So many possibilities here. These are so great for travel, church, quiet time, party favors, stocking stuffers... I think older kids will enjoy being in on the making part of them too.

(Have you ever seen the magnetic primer that you paint over? I would love to do that in a kids room or play room. You could do the whole wall, or on some plywood and frame it with large recycled frame. That would even be great for FHE lesson visual aids instead of the old flannel board!)

Sticker Magnets

Magnet Activities

Paper Dolls

more Paper Dolls

Inspiration

2009-06-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Angie, from Bring the Rain, wrote this wonderful post yesterday about treating those around us kindly, and doing simple acts in our daily lives to serve others. I know I was inspired, I hope you will be too.

Hungry?

2009-06-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to skip dinner and go straight to this.

Summer Sanity

2009-06-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Along with all of the activities that I am planning to do with my kids, I've also been thinking about some ways to keep some structure in our schedule, so we don't all go crazy. I want them to have a fun summer, but I don't want all of the rules to be forgotten, just to have to retrain them all in August. I know I'm not the only one to think about this. Someone else has been thinking about it here. The checklist she's going to use is really cute. Reading about her plans has given me some more motivation in my planning.

Crafting/Sewing for Baby

2009-06-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here's my project list of baby things I want to sew. Click on the name to go to the tutorials. I'm sure I'll never get around to some of them, but at least I'll have the ideas for future Shower/Baby gifts.

Diaper Bag 1

Diaper Bag 2 (shown below)

Accessories to go in the Diaper Bag:

Wrist Sized Key Fob from this previous post.

(Wouldn't it be great to hang your keys on your wrist for when you don't have pockets, or you're making a quick trip without your purse or diaper bag? Also, it would help to avoid losing them amidst all of the chaos of loading/unloading kids from the Minivan!)

Of course a Zippered Pouch from this post.
(Actually, I might make a couple including one made out of waterproof material to use for dirty clothes)

Changing Pad and Wipes Holder #1
Another version, Diaper/wipes clutch #2 (pictured below)

Other useful things for Babies:

Baby Bjorn Cover

Seat belt covers
(I've read these are not safe to use in a car seat because the straps need to be snug,
but my jogging stroller has a 5 point harness that I'm going to use these for.)

Bib Clip
(Turn a napkin, paper towel, washcloth etc. into a bib)

No drop Bottle/Toy Strap

Cloth Shoes

Lots of other ideas
here.

Summer Boredom Busters

2009-06-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

I am so appreciative of my kids' teachers for keeping them entertained all year for me. I've been collecting ideas to keep my kids busy as Summer Break is rapidly approaching.

Here are some things that I've found.

Free Movies at Regal Cinemas. See the schedule here.

Keep your eye on One Pretty Thing for regular updates on kids crafts.

Cooking Lessons here.
Lots of activities here.
Tip Junkie has a post here with several links.
30 Days also has a post linking to ideas here.

Activities that correspond with each letter of the Alphabet.
Lots of links to Educational Activities here.

I like this idea found here, where she lists different activities and has the kids pick them out from a cute wire card holder. (Picture above from her blog)

See the Tutorial for this cute activity chart here. Also see her extensive list of activities here.

I won!

2009-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

I actually won one of the Giveaways from the SewMamaSew Giveaway Day. I am so excited, I've never won a Blog Giveaway before. My prize is a burpcloth from this cute blog, and while you're there, check out the darling items in her Etsy shop. The Tutu Onesies are so cute, and she has a great price on her nursing covers. (Now all those hours I spent entering the hundreds of Giveaways feels worth it.)

Rub a dub dub.

2009-05-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

My kids love bath time, but sometimes we don't get around to it until everyone is cranky. I usually have some tricks on hand to help us get through without meltdowns.

1. Little pellets from the dollar store that dissolve and reveal a little sponge creature.
2. Baking soda and Epsom Salt, otherwise known as "Bath Sugar" and "Bath Crystals". They create a chemical reaction when mixed with a little water. I haven't done it yet, but I'm going to try a drop of food coloring with this sometime.
3. Store bought tub entertainment like finger paints or tablets that tint the water color. Since these are usually a little expensive, I really don't use them all too often so they remain a novelty.
4. I read this idea here. Freeze little toys in water using ice cube trays, or small containers, and let the kids play with them as they melt.
5. I get cheap shaving cream and let the kids spread it around on the glass shower door. They draw things and make designs in it. This is great for when kids are learning the alphabet, or to practice their spelling words. (Of course this is for the kids that are old enough to keep it away from their eyes.)

What tricks do you use?

SewMamaSew Giveaway Day

2009-05-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Head over to SewMamaSew for their May Giveaway Day. There are tons of links to blogs who are giving something away. Usually a comment is all it takes to enter, and you'll find some great new blogs/ideas too!

Hand Prints and Silhouettes

2009-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've seen some wall art ideas around that use your children, and end up being wonderful mementos to add to your Family History. I'm going to use one of the hand print ideas, and include mine and my husband's too. They could even be turned into pillows or small quilts and given as Grandparents' gifts. (Click on the titles under the first two pictures to go to the tutorials.)

Appliqued Hand print

Embroidered Hand prints

Silhouettes

(Picture from here)

I first read about on these on NieNie's Blog . She re does them every year. I can't remember if she says what she does with the old ones but I would preserve them and put them in the children's scrapbooks or memorabilia boxes. I've seen a few ideas like this that I wish I would have known about when my oldest was young. Here are a couple of different tutorials that I found on how to do the silhouettes. This one is cute with the patterned paper as the background. Here is another one that I think is very clear and simple, this is the method I'm going to try.

Here is another great idea for preserving memories of your children. I'm going to do this one either at the beginning of each new school year, or on their birthdays.

Pan**a Bread Recipes

2009-05-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

I had a great salad from Pan*ra today so I tried searching for a copycat recipe on Google. It pulled up a link to where Pan*ra lists recipes. The one I was looking for wasn't listed but there are some good ones so check 'em out.

This is what I found for the copycat recipe. I can't wait to try it and am really hoping that it's close.

Fuji Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

6 cups mixed field greens (such as arugula, radicchio, curly endive, etc.)

1-1/2 cup cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken breast

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 oz. apple chips Tomato and onion slices

For Apple White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I'm going to try fresh instead.)

1/3 cup olive oil

*I added the astrix to try to cut down on traffic from search engines. I tried to disable it in my settings and it didn't help. Sorry if it annoys you!

Quilting Tutorials

2009-05-17T10:31:00.001-07:00

I've been searching for ideas for a new quilt to start, and have found lots of good information along my way. I'm too lazy right now to add pictures and make this post cute, please don't hold it against me.

Quilt-a-long: 6 week tutorial, start to finish
http://oldredbarnco.blogspot.com/

Squares:
http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-dana-wonky-log-cabin-block-tutorial.html
http://quiltsatcs.blogspot.com/2007/04/disappearing-9-patch-tutorial.html
http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com/2008/02/disappearing-9-patch.html

Quilt Tops:
http://www.purlbee.com/zig-zag-quilt/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/9918836/Colorful-Coins-Quilt-Pattern
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2009/01/orange-quilt-dimensions.html
http://quilttaffy.blogspot.com/2009/03/showered-with-love.html
http://kellymccaleb.typepad.com/photos/quilt_kit_instructions/index.html

Binding:
http://www.heatherbaileydesign.com/HB_QuiltBinding.pdf

Stippling:
http://www.thimbleblossoms.com/Thimble_Blossoms/Thimble_Blossoms_Home/Thimble_Blossoms_Home_files/StipplingTutorial.pdf

A very complete tutorial for a simple patchwork quilt, from start to finish.
http://tashahorsley.typepad.com/photos/patchwork_quilt_instructi/img_0243_2.html

Fabric Flowers Again!

2009-05-15T08:30:00.001-07:00

OK- I was so excited to see Tip Junkie do a post of Fabric Flower Tutorials today. I've linked to a couple already in my previous posts, but there are some new ones too. Check em out.

Home Dec.

2009-05-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for decorating ideas for you home? Check out this site where they are doing home tours every Friday. They've already done kitchens and living/family rooms, and next week is kids' rooms. I've found some great things I want to do.

If you are interested in other home dec. inspiration, (Like I mentioned before, I try, but I'm really not good at it, I really need ideas from others.) here are a couple of other good sites http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ and http://www.centsationalgirl.com/ .

2009-05-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

These are the ideas I've found today that I'm adding to my ideas file. They could both be used as last minute Mother's Day gifts (Grandmother's would love them too). There are lots of other great ideas on the rest of their blogs, so spend some time checking them out.

Simple Aprons:
http://crapivemade.blogspot.com/2009/05/apron-in-hour.html
Edit: My friend, Dr.T, made one using this tutorial. It turned out really cute, see it here.

Painted Glasses:
(Could be done on one of those Sweet Tea/Lemonade Jars too. What is the real name of those things?)
http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com/2009/05/last-minute-moms-day-gift.html

Gift Containers

2009-05-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

Look at this great idea for a Teacher Gift.

I think I may even use it as a hostess gift,

or as a welcome gift for a new neighbor. So cute!

I also found this cute container that would be great for party favors,

or maybe for classroom gifts for holidays.

Drawstring Bags and Zippered Pouches

2009-05-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

(These are some of the bags I've been making, you can click on the picture to see it bigger so you can see the details better. The top right is the All People Quilt, 2 tie style.)

I have been sewing drawstring bags like crazy. (It's my new addiction with all my spare time that I've found since starting to use Google Reader, and a great way to use my fabric stash.) I have been making the ones with just one tie, and also the two tie style like this (I mentioned them in the Earth Day post too, now I've actually tried them). I've decided I like the two tie style better. I think these are a great project for kids who are learning to sew.

I've been wanting to get away from using Ziploc bags in my organizing, mainly in the kids' rooms. I'm going to use the drawstring bags for anything that has pieces that I don't want getting mixed in with all of the other toys, or to replace broken cardboard boxes. Here's an idea of how to keep track of puzzle pieces.

I've also made a few as gift bags. It turns out to be part of the gift. I read about someone making cute bags to use when she gave away her homemade bread and jam. I would love to get a little care package like that! I'm going to make some out of strawberry fabric and give Homemade bread and strawberry jam as Teacher gifts for the end of the year. I think I may add a fabric flower on the ones for females. (A few other ideas I had for the gifts are: A big batch of cookies, an activity bag with a coordinating Crayon Roll or Pencil Roll and a coloring book, a boredom buster bag for kids who have a new sibling or are going on a long road trip, spa items for a new Mom, etc.)

I'm planning to make one of these laundry bags for when we travel. It will be fun to have something cuter than the pinkish/purplish one that we use from my husband's college days. (I do think they need some straps as well as the ties, since it will be pretty heavy when full.)

A different type of bag that I like to make is a Zippered Pouch (great tutorial here). If you are afraid of zippers, this easy project will help you overcome that. I use them for so many things, besides cosmetics, like in my diaper bag, or for teaching supplies for my church lessons (chalk, magnets). I even made one using a vinyl tablecloth for my travel bag so I don't have to worry about leaks. I saw an idea somewhere to place either a vinyl window in the front, or sew on a vinyl pocket for a label (again, something I'm going to use for the kids' toys). This too could be used as a gift idea, maybe a really feminine print with some lip gloss and nail polish inside for a little girls' birthday. I think maybe that's what I'll do for all of my nieces for Christmas next year (this year I did the Crayon Rolls, except I used some stamp markers I found at Ikea instead of the crayons).

Another handmade organizing item that I've seen lately, and want to try, is fabric baskets like these and these. I'm going to make some to replace the wicker baskets for my changing table. Search for "Fabric Basket" on Flikr to see tons more samples.

OK- That was a ton of ideas, now go forth and sew. Let me know if you do any of these projects.

Help for addicts.

2009-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

OK- for those of you who are blog addicts like me, I want to share a little something I've learned. I've just started using Google Reader to keep track of the blogs I read. It shows all of the most recent updates, and it saves so much time by not having to click on each individual site to see if they've updated or not. (It has cut down my computer time a lot, I don't really know what to do with all of this new found freedom from my laptop/recliner!) I know there's a widget similar to that in Blogspot, but I have so many more blogs bookmarked than I want to have listed on my sidebar. Try it, you'll like it. (I know there are other sites that are similar, this is just the one I've tried.)

Fabric Flowers

2009-04-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am loving the Flower Power Contest entries over on Sew Mama Sew. Here are some more links to fabric flower tutorials. Now I can attempt to make some hair accessories on my own like the ones that I ordered (and am afraid to let the girls use since they were a little pricey). I think I might add one on my next tote bag too.

Here's one of the winners from the contest, Boutique NutMeg Designs.

Other tutorials can be found on the Contests' main page.

While on the topic, I found this tutorial for headbands today.

Isn't it ironic, don't ya think? (Can you name that song?)

2009-04-23T11:54:00.001-07:00

I have some Doves making a nest on the fence outside my dining room window, where I have been sewing baby related items. Do you see the irony in that? It's actually interesting to see the male and female working together to gather the items and then weave them into the nest. I've also noticed that sometimes the male steps on the female to get to the other side. Also ironic. How often do we "step" on our spouse while involved in mutual projects? Anyway, enough of my "deep thoughts" for today (Can you name where I got that from? Just a little pop culture quiz for the day).

In the last few days I've read some really good articles on parenting that have helped to recharge me in my efforts. I think it's something we're all in need of every once in a while, even if you think you are the best parent ever (which is not me, just to clarify).

Here are the links:
http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/090420watch.html
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/books/090423trench.html
http://lightrefreshmentsserved.com/2009/04/21/discriminating-minds-wanna-know-say-yes-to-your-kids/

Cake Mix Cookies

2009-04-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a simple cookie recipe, that I got from my SIL, that is used often in my house since it's so simple and has so many options. It's also so easy that it's good for the younger kids to use when they are just starting to cook.

Cake Mix Cookies
1 box cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
Mix together and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

-Some of our favorite combinations are:
Devil's food cake with peanut butter chips (that's what you got Sharlene)
Lemon cake mix dusted with powdered sugar just after baking.
White cake mix with mini M&M's

Virtual Quilt Festival

2009-04-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

(This is a quilt that I made for my #4 out of his

receiving blankets once he was too big to use them.)

One of my hobbies is Quilting. I wish I had time to do more of it, but in the last few years I've only been able to complete a few quilts. I'm actually just finishing up the binding on one today that is based on this one. When I was in High School, my Mom taught me how to tie quilts, then in College my interest was deepened when I met my husband's Aunt S. Then I started doing pieced tops and hand quilting. Now I'm on to machine quilting (thanks to finally getting a walking foot) and have even had one quilted professionally with a long arm. I had a tradition of making quilts for all of my new nieces and nephews but then along with having my own children, I couldn't keep that up. I've used some store bought patterns but usually I just make them up from something that I've been inspired by. I have several ideas that I've found on blogs that have been bookmarked for future projects. I just found out about a Virtual Quilt Festival where people link in to show off their quilts. Just go to this post and click away on all of the links. I've looked at a few and hope to have more time soon to check out the others (there are currently 511 links). I'm excited about all of the new ideas I will find.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ...

2009-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of talk about the "R"s these days due to Earth Day. I'd like to say I'm a little "green", I try to do my part. One of my favorite green things is reusable tote bags. I have one that I made last year that I use often. It is made using a large plastic bag (I used one from Target since it's a good size) as your pattern. The directions are found here. I also want to try another pattern from here that I think is a little more stylish.

Easter Sunday Meal Con't

2009-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more recipes from our Easter Sunday meal. We had salad, homemade rolls, Twice Baked Potato Bites* from here, and a baked chicken that is a combination of two recipes, one here and the other, a recipe that I already had. What I liked about the potatoes was that I could bake and fill them ahead of time, then baked them the second time along with the chicken.

*In the potatoes, I added cream cheese and used cream instead of the milk. The filling was so creamy! While getting the recipe, make sure to check out the other ones on her site.

Here is what I ended up doing for the chicken:

Erynn's Anniversary Paprika/Parmesan Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved and trimmed
Butter-
1 1/2 cubes (3/4 cup) melted Butter
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 large cloves fresh Garlic, minced
Coating-
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
2 Tblsp. dried Parsley
Paprika

1.Combine Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and parsley in a large bowl.
2.Melt butter in saucepan, add minced garlic and simmer gently for a few minutes.
3. Turn off heat, add Worchestershire sauce, and let sit to blend flavors.
4.Dip chicken in melted butter.
4.Roll in crumb mixture until completely coated.
6.Place in baking dish or on a cookie sheet* and sprinkle with paprika.
7.Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes @ 375 degrees.
*When I bake chicken like this, I cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it with a little a non-stick cooking spray. This makes the clean up so easy!

I Scream, You Scream.

2009-04-15T12:43:00.001-07:00

No, the title isn't an expression of how I felt after the 2 year olds' meltdown at Kindergarten Registration this morning. For dessert on Easter Sunday we tried a new recipe for homemade Ice Cream and we loved it. I can't wait to make it again and experiment with new flavors. Usually I like to freeze homemade Ice Cream after it's done in the Ice Cream maker, since it melts into a soup too quickly, but this one is ready to eat right away. I really liked that it's supposed to be made ahead of time to allow the mix to chill. I made mine the night before which was helpful since I had a lot of other preparations to do for the dinner. I wouldn't go as far as to call it exactly like what you'd get at "Dairy Queen", but it was really good.

http://myrecipegarden.blogspot.com/2008/05/dairy-queen-ice-cream.html

Felt Easter Egg

2009-04-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here is another cute idea that I wanted to do this year and didn't get around to. Oh well, maybe next year.

Treat Bags

2009-04-11T08:22:00.001-07:00

Here is a really great idea for treat bags. Just put a different cut out on the front and it could be used for many different occasions. I'm going to use stickers to cut down on some of the prep time.

EDIT- Here are my bags. This was so easy to do and I think they turned out really cute. I didn't do the stitching on the flap, and I used stickers, but I was still happy with them. They were just simple yet elegant. I can't wait for the next occasion to make them (I think they'd be a great favor for a Bridal or Baby Shower).

Here comes Peter Cottontail

2009-04-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html

I think this idea looks really cute. I was going to make them for gifts for my kids' teachers but Wal-mart was all out of the spring M&M's. I didn't feel like stopping at another store so I scrapped it. There's always next year.

I also like this idea for a kids activity to do during Spring Break.

http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2009/03/jelly-bean-bracelets.html

A little explaination.

2009-03-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't heard of Etsy, it's for crafty people to sell their handmade things. It's kind of like Ebay but without the bidding. Even if you don't want to buy anything, it's a great resource for ideas.

While I'm on the topic, another good place for ideas is Flickr. This is a photo sharing site. Some people use it for personal family pictures but others show craft projects that they've made, I've even seen some tutorials on there.

Little Girls' Hair Accesories

2009-03-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

My girls love to have cute things in their hair but we disagree on what would be cute so they usually end up doing their own hair. Here are a couple of things that we found on Etsy that we all like (we'll see if they actually wear them once I buy them).

Little Lesiw

(They're having a great sale right now!)

billiebrand

(You can enter a giveaway for this shop here.)

Here are some do-it-yourself ideas I've found.

Headbands

http://foofanagle.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/best-band-ever/

http://www.kcquilts.com/blog/2006/09/reversible-fabric-headband-tutorial.html

http://thelongthread.com/?p=669

Soft Curlers

Instructions here.

Fabric Flowers

http://yoonie-at-home.blogspot.com/2008/09/peony-flower-felt-clip-tutorial.html

http://blog.betzwhite.com/2007/01/felted-brooch-tutorial.html

http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2006/03/fabric_flowers.html

--EDIT- I got my Little Lesiw order today. They are so cute and original. I even got it the next day. I will definitely order from her again.--

Such a crock!

2009-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

OK- so I was talking about Crockpot cooking with a friend the other day. She said her main issue with Crockpotting is that most of the recipes are very similar. I agree. My main use for the Crockpot is for my recipes that I already make, but adapt them for the Crockpot to make the preparation easier. A site that you could check out for new ideas is this one.

Here's one of my favorite Crockpot Recipes. It's a combination of a few recipes and I use it for Hawaiian Haystacks. I trim the chicken before cooking, then just shred it right in the pot. It makes it so quick and easy.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken
2 whole chicken breasts, trimmed
2 cans Cream of Celery soup (or Cream of Chicken or Mushroom)
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp lemon pepper.
1/2 tsp black pepper (I only use freshly ground. There is a huge difference!)
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours.

My tips:
I don't add salt to this because the broth has enough in it.
You can use the lighter versions of the soup and sour cream to help make it a little healthier.

Another thing that we were discussing was kids' eating habits. Dinner is a struggle at my house because my kids have inherited my picky tendencies. My friend makes a little buffet of salad ingredients and lets her kids assemble their own. What a great idea, and what a great Mom for being willing to put in that effort. It reminded me of the Muffin Tin meals that I've seen around on different blogs. One was this one. Google "Muffin Tin Meals" if you want more ideas.

Baby Burrito

2009-03-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

(This is not my baby or my picture, it's from the first site listed for directions below.)

One of my current projects is making swaddling blankets. I got some great fabric at Joann's that is a type of knit, not as stretchy as a t-shirt though. The directions are here and here. Basically it's a 45" square with the corners rounded. I'm just going to serge the edges. I love the suggestion of giving one as a baby shower gift along with a book about caring for babies.
(I tried one of the premade easy-to-use swaddle blankets with my last one, but it didn't seem like it fit right. I'm hoping that this will be better but haven't tried it out yet.)

Family Fun

2009-03-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

I love Family Fun Magazine. There are always tons of great ideas. I let my subscription expire but after flipping through a copy yesterday in my Doctor's waiting room, I thing I might
re-subscribe. I'm so glad all of their information is available on their website http://www.familyfun.com/

Here are a couple of things that I'm going to make.
Felt Flowers- (These would be great for Barettes)
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=12129
Paper Mache Piggy Bank (I'm thinking of trying out other Paper Mache crafts with the kids too. It's such a cheap project.)
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=12131

Salad audition

2009-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Today I made this Asian Chicken Salad for lunch. I had planned on making it for dinner but couldn't wait. It was OK. I have tried other recipes that I like better. Every once in a while my Mom brings me one from a local restaurant where they put Cilantro in the salad, that makes it really good. (I fried my own Wonton noodles for the first time for this recipe. They turned out pretty good. I did make the mistake of putting too many in the pan at once though.) While visiting the site today, I discovered that P-DUB now has her recipes indexed. This is very exciting because I've found lots of recipes of hers that I love, and I refer to them often. The index page is found here.

Make sure to check out her post with the entries for the Dairy Contest, I've found some really good recipes there too. Here are a couple of my favorites. (I'm pretty sure this is where I got these recipes, but I'm not going back through them all to double check.)

Sopapilla Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 cans crescent rolls
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 package crescent rolls in sprayed pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar (1-1/2 cups) and vanilla till fluffy. Spread over crescent rolls. Place second package crescent rolls over cream cheese mixture. Melt 1 stick of butter and pour over crescent rolls. Mix 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Can be topped with fruit topping or served warm with ice cream. (We like it best cold.)

Brushetta Chicken Bake- (Tastes just like pizza.)
Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I use the kind with the chilies added, and I puree it in the blender.)
1 pkg chicken Stove Top Stuffing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup hot water
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces or leave whole
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine first four ingredients in bowl and mix until moistened.
3. Place chicken in 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with basil and Mozzarella.
4. Top with Stuffing Mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.

Rainy days and Mondays

2009-03-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

I heard about a great site on the news this morning. It's called www.promotionalcodes.com When you are doing your online shopping, check this site for codes that will get you a discount on your purchase like a percentage in savings or free/discounted shipping. One that I'm going to use is 15% off at The Children's Place. It expires on March 8th. Just look under the "Baby Clothes" category.

I'm feeling sad today for a family that is getting ready to say goodbye to their little girl. I don't know them personally, but I've been following their blog for several months and have become emotionally invested in their story. Read about it at http://www.thegledhillfamily.blogspot.com/

Sew many projects, Sew little time.

2009-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am adding lots of crafty projects to my "To Do" list these days. I'm getting lots of inspiration from here and here.

I'm also working on a lot of these for all of the new babies that are on their way. (I use decorative towels or I add some ribbon on the edges with a ZigZag stitch.)

I really love this quilt. I'm not sure if I will tackle a big project like this but it's really cute.

And one last thing, Sew Mama Sew is featuring projects to make with Fat Quarters this month. A couple of good places I've found to buy Fat Quarters online are Fat Quarter Shop and Hancocks of Paducah as well as Sew Mama Sew's online shop.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

2009-02-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

Someone told me once that they had a family tradition of baking cookies every time it rained. That was pretty funny to me since I grew up in a Rainforest. We would have been baking cookies almost every day!

It's pouring today. I love it (however I do wish the kids could go outside to play). We already made Milk Dud Cookies yesterday though, so I thought I'd bake something else. I recently tried this recipe. It was good, but a little undercooked when following the directions. Next time I will increase the oven temperature. (I cut mine out with a cookie cutter instead of just cutting straight lines.)

Valentines Ideas

2009-01-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/02/valentines-day-craft-tic-tac-toe-hearts.php (My clever SIL, Kim, made Bean Bags for a V-Day class party last year and the kids loved them!)

http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com/2009/01/beanbag-tutorial.html

(I would do a decorative stitch like a ZigZag around the heart, it is more forgiving than the straight stitch.)

http://scraps-in-progress.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-sew-valentine-garland.html

http://sassypriscilla.typepad.com/photos/valentines_day_heart_garl/index.html

http://wisdomhastwoparts.typepad.com/wisdom_has_two_parts/2008/01/chain-of-hear-1.html (Same idea, just from a different site)

Good Eats.

2009-01-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

I really don't care about the Super Bowl, but I do like food. Check out this blog for some great Super Bowl Party recipes. The Rotel Dip looks really good.
http://favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

I'll also be trying this one from today's Rachael R. show.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/david-garrards-buffalo-chicken-dip/

Craft Ideas- 100 Tutorial Links

2009-01-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

http://thelongthread.com/?p=2021

Gone, but not forgotten

2009-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

I'll be back, hopefully sooner than later. Don't give up on me.

Barn Stars

2008-12-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

http://mcillecespot.blogspot.com/2008/11/barn-star-tutorial.html

http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/2008/08/toile-barn-stars-true-love.html

http://prettypaperbook.com/blog/2008/11/03/the-barn-star/

http://kari-youcanmakeit.blogspot.com/2008/08/paper-covered-star-christmas.html

Go here: http://zencrafting.blogspot.com/2008/12/origami-star-tutorial.html

to learn how to fold your own.

Garlands Con't

2008-12-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

I love this idea! It's a chain garland made from fabric. The best part is that the loops have Velcro on them so you can remake the chain as much as you want. The kids would love this. You could also use snaps or buttons as closures too. Also, such a great way to use scraps!

Directions here: http://www.filminthefridge.com/2008/12/01/time-to-decorate-a-paper-fabric-chain-tutorial/

Christmas Garlands

2008-12-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

I love garlands. This is one that I saved in my ideas folder last year. I can't find the link now, but here are some instructions on how to make yoyos (gathered fabric circles).
http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/how_to_make_a_yoyo/index.html
Layer the yoyo with a small felt circle and button on top, and link them all together.

I couldn't find where this was on her blog, but this was made by

http://creativebreathing.blogspot.com/

This would be great on a tree or a mantle.

http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2007/04/the_worlds_long.html

I've seen this banner done with Christmas fabrics. Here's a tutorial.

http://mikodesign.blogspot.com/2007/01/fabric-banner-tutorial.html
Obviously this is not a garland. Here's another link to a felt holiday scene for the kids, and it can be used as an advent too.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11305

Christmas Giving Continued

2008-11-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

I have found a few more ideas for ways to help others this Christmas.

http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html?zone=402
This site lets you choose a classroom in need of supplies. Teachers submit items that they are in need of, and explains what they will be used for. (Button on the side bar.)

http://www.50000shoes.com/index.html
This one is providing shoes for children. 2 pairs only cost $5. This would be a great one for children who don't have a lot of money to give, and is something even young children can understand. (Button on the side bar.)

http://shawnalynnkilbert.googlepages.com/
This one breaks my heart. This young mother (33) is dying of cancer. Her doctor wants her to try an experimental drug that is not covered by her insurance. Lets help to give her more time with her 2 little boys.
You can see a pictures of her family here http://jasen.bigfolioblog.com/
Look for the "Kilbert Family" post from Nov.2

Edible Turkey Crafts

2008-11-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

When I was in College, one of my roommates introduced me to Cookie Turkeys for Thanksgiving. I have done it with my kids a few times. It's another project to keep them busy while you are involved in Thanksgiving preparations.

I have found a few variations of it on the web this year.

http://www.momready.com/articles/content.asp?ID=67

http://familycrafts.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=familycrafts&cdn=parenting&tm=9&gps=394_620_1228_698&f=20&tt=14&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.kidsdomain.com/craft/eatturkey.html

http://gourmetmomonthego.blogspot.com/2008/11/silly-turkey-treats.html

http://www.overloadedlocker.com/gpage5.html

You can also Google "Cookie Turkeys" for more ideas.

A new website that I found recently is http://www.oneprettything.com/

She lists several links to tutorials everyday. She must frequent some of the blogs that I do because I've seen a few of the ideas that I've wanted to blog about on hers. It'll save me time if you just check it out.

Another favorite of mine is http://www.makeandtakes.com/

There are lots of ideas for seasonal projects to do with kids.

This is a great place to look if you need more Thanksgiving ideas.

*Sorry about this last section. Blogger won't let me put spaces in.

Felt Turkeys

2008-11-26T06:56:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple of ideas that will help keep kids busy on Thanksgiving.

http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/2008/11/felt-turkey-activity-in-action.html

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/11/21/turkey-finger-puppets/

I also really like this Thanksgiving Idea.
http://wheredidiputthat.blogspot.com/2008/11/bucket-filler_20.html

It gives the idea of having a Gratitude Journal each November that is filled in by family members as well as any visitors to your home during that month. I'm going to remember this one for next year. Read more details in the link above.

Are you lucky?

2008-11-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Do you like to enter blog give-a-ways? That's one of my favorite parts of blogging. I've never won anything, but it's exciting to enter. Laurie at Tip Junkie is continuing her giveaways. I also found a blog today that has a post where people linked to give-a-ways on their blogs. Check it out http://ablogofgoodies.blogspot.com/