A Lil Bird told me...

Easy cupcake flowers...TUTORIAL

2012-02-14T08:13:00.010-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone gets to spend lots of time with loved ones. I woke up this morning to gobs of CHOCOLATE, and a gift card to a nail salon...loving cute, pedicured toes for SUMMER. What a WONDERFUL husband I have!!!

I wanted to share this great idea, my mom shared with me, for putting flowers on cupcakes.

You start with mini marshmallows and a pair of scissors. (Please wash your scissors BEFORE and AFTER) Cut your marshmallows in half~ corner to corner.

Next,gently push the sticky end of the marshmallow onto some pretty, colored sugar.

This is how the marshies look, when covered with the sugar.

Arrange them in a "flower" pattern on a frosted cupcake...

and, lastly, add a gumdrop to the center.

This was super easy, and we decorated 30+ cupcakes in less than an hour.

What do you think? Will you give it a try?

One Dollar Wednesday... Valentine's Day Tree

2012-02-08T10:51:00.012-07:00

I found this fun Valentine vase at the Dollar Store a couple weeks ago...

As soon as I saw it, I knew just what to do with it!

I gathered some old branches from my yard.

and sent them out to Spray Paint Place for a quick coat of white.

I arranged them in the little vase,

and cut out oodles of scrapbook paper hearts.

I used my large hearts as "ornaments" and sandwiched a piece of ribbon (also from the dollar store)between the layers.

I added my small hearts at random spots on the branches using my glue gun to attach them.

This is what I ended up with...(CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

I LOVE the whimsy it adds to this corner! (CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE)

One Dollar Wednesday...framed card

2012-02-01T08:41:00.003-07:00

This was, by far, my easiest One Dollar Wednesday project. I love it when I can find simple, inexpensive, little crafts to add to my home.

This one started with these darling Valentine's Day cards that I found at the Target Dollar Spot~~LOVE that place!

(please forgive this picture...every time I loaded it blogspot flipped it...but you get the gist)

I picked up a couple matching frames at The Dollar Tree, but knew their color had to be changed.

Out to Spray Paint place for a coat of primer....

and a couple coats of Fire Engine Red!

I framed up my cute cards, and ended up with this...

and this...

What do ya think? Easy, quick, and cute...can't ask for more than that!

One Dollar Wednesday...a weathered Valentine

2012-01-25T09:04:00.010-07:00

I was so excited when I found these heart "cut-outs" at my local Dollar Store. They have all the colors of my home in them, so I knew I would want to incorporate them into my Valentine decor.

I went to my hubby's scrap wood pile, and pulled a piece of lovely weathered plywood.
I measured around my hearts, and marked where I wanted to cut.

Then I pulled out the POWER TOOL! This was a little intimidating for me, but it cut like a charm.

I sent the pieces out to Spray Paint Place for a quick coat. I didn't prime them, because I really wanted to keep a weathered look.

Time for some Mod Podge magic....

Before I top-coated this one with Mod Podge, I decided to stamp the word "love" onto it.

I topped it off with Mod Podge, and a couple hours later, I was able to add these pieces to the hutch in my entry.

Here are a couple close-ups. I just love how the turned out!!!

Tidy Tips: Protecting Your Sofa

2012-01-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Having a toddler is doing major damage to my sofa. I finally decided to be brave and throw the cushion covers into the washing machine on the cold, extra delicate cycle. I let them hang dry and it took all the spots out, HOORAY! The only problem was that nakie baby in the background, we didn't want him ruining the cushion in the interim of the washing and hang drying process. My husband had a brilliant idea.......

He grabbed one of our extra crib sheets and it fit perfectly over the cushions. I loved the idea so much, I almost want one on there all the time, LOL! The sheet is from IKEA and it measures 52"x28". As for the spots on the sofa that I can't throw in the washer, I saw this post on Pinterest, great idea!

One Dollar Wednesday... it's all about FAMILY

2012-01-18T06:32:00.001-07:00

I have said it before, and I'll say it again... I have a plethora of picture frames. Yes, they are random as can be. Different colors, different shapes, and different styles. For today's project, I'm focusing on some that I picked up recently at the dollar store/thrift stores.

See~~random...

but, a quick trip out to Spray Paint Place, and they're starting to look a bit more uniform!

I selected some fun scrapbook paper (from my VAST COLLECTION), and proceeded to print out the word FAMILY. Each letter, on it's own piece of paper, and in it's own FONT.

I framed them up lickety split...

and laid them out on the floor, as I wanted them on the wall.

Here's the final product...adding a little color to this quiet corner of my kitchen!

One Dollar Wednesday...after Christmas sales!

2012-01-11T13:01:00.008-07:00

Wow~~it's great to be back after a LONG break! I think my last post was in April or May...wowzers. I had a wonderful Winter Break. I loved having my kiddos home with me.(I think 2 weeks is PERFECT...ask me again in the summer, when we can't spend any time outside, and I'll have a different answer for you.)

I have been busy trying to get all my Christmas stuff boxed up, but the "After Christmas" sales, keep pulling me away from my housework. See what I mean...This was taken just today :)

The problem is, I LOVE Christmas! I LOVE my Christmas decorations, and I hate boxing them away. I have made a wee bit of progress though, look at our bare tree... so sad!

Like I said, I have been enjoying the sales this month. I picked up 2 sets of this cute dinner wear for $1.00, which the kiddos can use through the end of the month. (Even though we don't get snow down here, this makes us feel a lil wintry)

Don't think I haven't indulged a bit for myself with Winter Clearance... I'm LOVING my new plush throw that I picked up for just $6.00. It has all the colors of my family room in it, and it's super cozy!

I love wrapping up in it while I'm reading this DARLING book... Vintage and Christmas two of my MOST favorite things~~Thanks Mom!

Have you gotten all of your Christmas boxed away? Any great sales still out there? Let me know, I love to hear from ya!

How to make a pool table out of cardboard

2011-12-29T13:25:00.004-07:00

Image via Instructables

Children can get tired of toys pretty quickly--especially, dolls, which seem to need a never-ending kaleidoscope of accessories to remain interesting. It's prudent to begin making a few of these components yourself. You can craft an entire dollhouse yourself, but start with just a few objects then work your way up. Follow this guide to make a pool table that dolls and action figures alike would be proud to rack.

Using sharp scissors, cut two strips of poster board two inches wide and four inches long.

Working along the four-inch side, create a fold every inch. This will turn your flat sheets into two square columns. Secure with masking tape. These will be the legs of your pool table.

Cut another section of poster board into a three inch by six-inch piece. This rectangle will be your tabletop. Paint it green or apply green felt with craft glue.

With the tip of your scissors, carefully poke holes in each corner of the tabletop.

Cut out four one by one inch squares of nylon stocking. Flip the tabletop over and tape the stocking square over the holes in each corner. This will create the pool table "pockets."

Attach the tabletop to the legs with the stockings facing down.

With colored clay, roll out 15 balls of even size. They should be small enough to fit through the pocket holes. The balls should be baked at 275 degrees to harden. You could also paint marbles, but they will likely be too big to fit in the holes.

To create pool cues cut barbecue skewers into three-inch sections.

Glue three one-inch pieces of skewer into a triangle. This can be used to "rack" the balls.

Your billiard room set will be the envy of every doll in the playroom, rack 'em up!

Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys spoiling her niece with homemade goodies. Danielle is particularly fond of needlepoint, working with pipe cleaners and the smell of a fresh box of crayons. Read her work at eatbreatheblog.com

Tidy Tips: Sealing Envelopes

2011-12-16T14:49:00.002-07:00

I know we have said it before, but this poor blog has been neglected. In my defense, I am pregnant and have been SOOO sick. That brings me to my next point. Because I have been sick and tired I am just now sending out my Christmas cards. At least they will get there before Christmas! Another thing with being pregnant is weird smells and tastes are out of the question, so there is NO WAY I was going to lick all those envelopes to seal them. I got a little creative instead.

No, I am not going to do my make up while sealing envelopes and this glass of water is not for drinking. You take the make up brush, dip it in the water, and use it to seal your envelopes.

Voila! A nicely sealed envelope with minty fresh breath!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-03T05:00:00.002-07:00

This poor little blog has been neglected lately, sad but true. Since we were much more on top of things last year, I thought I would link up some of our Christmas posts from last year.

It is only December 3rd, so you still have time for an advent calendar!!

Here is a cute gingerbread one....

Or the classic paper chain.
If you are needing some decor, here is quick and easy Christmas framed art.
Faux gingerbread cookies.
And snowman spoons. All of these crafts are super inexpensive, most using dollar store supplies.
If you need some neighbor gift ideas here are a few. Sand art brownies.
Homemade candied almonds.
Or, Have a "grate" Christmas!
Hopefully we will have more ideas to show soon!

Homemade Play Dough

2011-12-02T15:02:00.008-07:00

My husband took an internship this summer, and as amazing of an experience it has been, it has left us with no money. Since we are super broke this year, a lot of our friends and family will be getting handmade gifts. Play Dough is one that is fun to give cousins and it is just all around fun to make. My son really enjoyed the entire process, though when it came to actually playing with the play dough, he was a little confused. 19 months may be still a little young, oh well!

I found some fun Tupperware to put it in, I think a bow and a gift tag will make it extra cute. I am going to be using these gift tags this year, thanks Cierra!
Homemade Play Dough

(This recipe is from my sister, Shauna)

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 cups water

2 TBSP oil (I used Canola)

Food coloring (optional)

Spice for scent (optional also, I didn't use any, I really like the salty smell, I know I am a weirdo.)

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a heavy aluminum pan. Add water, oil, color, and spice.

Heat on the stove 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture pulls away from the pan. Remove from heat and knead immediately or put it in a bread mixer to knead. (Personally, I love kneading it by hand, it is VERY warm, but I like it.)

Store in and airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for several months.

Are you doing hand made gifts this year? What are you making? I have another few ideas to make, hopefully I will get them done and posted soon!

Upcycling Wine Corks

2011-11-10T14:40:00.003-07:00

Danielle from EatBreatheBlog is sharing tips of how reuse leftover wine corks. This is a great way to reuse them and a fun craft!

Put all Those Old Wine Corks to Good Use!

As the holidays approach, I certainly have gift giving on my mind. My goal is to make as many presents as I can this winter. One of my favorite DIY efforts is making crafts from leftover wine corks. After a friend made me some coasters using small squares of corkboard and Scrabble tiles, I was inspired to make my own set using wine corks that had just been collecting in a jar in my kitchen. The project worked out so well that I looked for other projects I could work on. Here are a few of my favorites.

Coasters/trivets

The best thing about making your own wine-cork coasters or trivets is that you can make the dimensions as big or small as you'd like. It's probably a good idea to have at least 25 corks on hand for trivets (around 10 for coasters). Arrange corks however you'd like – try a border of corks with the others arranged horizontally and vertically within. Glue to the base of your choice using wood glue. Another idea is to stand the corks up inside a frame that can be bought at craft store. It's important to remember that finished trivets and coasters have to be level so that hot pans and glassware don't topple over as soon as you set them down.

Jewelry box

Adorning a jewelry box with wine corks was quite simple and can be modified to fit any design I have in mind. I first put together a 'bare box' by hot gluing undecorated and halved wine corks onto the lid of an unfinished wooden box. I'd like to make the same craft using corks that have been cut in half lengthwise. I find X-Acto knives to be good for working with wine corks. They're sharp enough to precisely trim away cork bits and make things level. I next want to make a jewelry box with painted corks that have been sectioned into disks. I'm envisioning a celestial theme that will play off the lavender and deeper purple wine stains on the corks.

Bulletin board

A project that is both fun and useful, a wine cork bulletin board can go anywhere in your home. I've made a couple for friends, one who keeps his board in the kitchen for pinning up a grocery list. Another has hers up in her craft room and uses it as an inspiration board. You'll need a base like plywood, which should be cut to fit whatever project you have in mind. For instance, I used a 24" x 36" piece of board for the inspiration board. (Yes, there were a LOT of corks involved.) I picked up wire and picture hooks at a craft store and attached them before beginning the project. I glued the corks down and let the project dry for a full 48 hours – longer than the directions indicated, but I wanted to make sure the glue was thoroughly dry.

Ideas for wine cork crafts don't have to end there, but those are the projects I've worked on so far. Now I'm keeping an eye out for more ideas by watching home design shows. Upcycling is a great way to make crafts, allowing me to make presents from items that have just been hanging around my home.

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/2425801440/

“Wine Cork Trivet” By LollyKnit

Thanks for sharing Danielle! Don't forget to check out her blog,EatBreatheBlog. Lots of great information on health, wellness, and life.

Would you like to do a guest post on A lil bird? We would love to have you feature a project, your blog, or anything that strikes your fancy. Email us at alilbird3 (at) gmail (dot) com, we look forward to hearing from you!

How to Remove Hard Water From A Faucet: Tidy Tips

2011-10-27T13:23:00.009-06:00

So this tidy tip is courtesy of my husband, he did all the hard work! We have started to notice that our faucets were spraying all over the place. One look at them and you can see why, the gross hard water build up around the tap. Seriously looking at this makes me sick!

I have sold my husband on vinegar and it's many wonders and he thought he would put it to the test to try to remove the hard water from the spouts. Here they are in all their gross glory.....
He put the vinegar into a normal drinking glass, and stuck it in the microwave until it was boiling.
One he pulled it out of the microwave, he dropped all the parts in, and it was like Alka Selzer, the hard water started to bubble right off! Look at how amazing the difference is. Clean and shiny, good as new.
As you can see the water is now flowing freely without any crazy splashing going on.
Oh vinegar how I love you!

Lazy Halloween Post

2011-10-17T14:34:00.003-06:00

We have been lazy bloggers lately, it's true. In my defense I am buried right now, so blogging is at the bottom of the list. We listed our home for sale, and as many of you know, it is an intense, time consuming thing, trying to sell a home. I haven't done any Halloween crafts, honestly, sadly, I don't even feel like it is Halloween. That is really sad since Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

I thought I would share some of our favorite projects from last year, because really that is all I have time to do!

Halloween Pedestals

Milk Jug Skeleton

Halloween Dinner Ideas

Do you have any Halloween crafts or ideas that are cute and SIMPLE, since I have no time?

Giving Lamp Shades New Life

2011-09-28T09:04:00.008-06:00

Danielle from EatBreatheBlog is sharing tips of how to dress up your existing lamp shades. Great ideas to use what you have to change up your decor.

Creative and Inexpensive Lamp Shades
A lamp shade can set the mood for any room. A bland, plain lamp shade can set the tone of understatement and boring. Lamp shades should do more than just soften light in the room. It should be a reflection of your personality and style. It should also bring character to a room. There is no need to spend loads of cash on expensive lamp shades, when a personalized inexpensive lamp shade will do just fine. Purchase a plain light-colored lamp shade that matches the color tones in your room. Pick any of the following ideas, or come up with your own to personalize it.

Magazine Articles
Magazines are notorious for having gorgeous pictures. The pictures can be beautiful scenes, funny sayings, cartoons, creative shapes and characters. You can also put all of your to-be-recycled direct mail advertisements to use by cutting out letters and lifestyle images. Simply sort through your old magazines and direct mail postcards, and find pictures you like that suit your tastes and room decor. Cut them out and use

spray glue to adhere them to your lamp shade. Let the lamp shade and article completely dry for a few hours before handling it.

Creative Thought: For a toddler’s room, find a character your child likes and cut them out. Glue them to an inexpensive lamp shade. Let the glue completely dry in a well vented area. Should your toddler get a hold of the lamp shade, you will only have to spend a few bucks to recreate it.

Leftover Trims

Just about every sewing box has leftover trims and notions. Old buttons make great colorful additions to a lamp shade. For a classier look use any lace remnants you have. Simply hot glue the lace trims to the bottom and top rim of the lamp shade. In seconds you have transformed a plain lampshade into a personalized, gorgeous addition to your room.

Creative Thought: Embroidery floss can be used to make patterns on any plain lamp shade. Simply unroll a section of floss. Dip the floss in plain white glue. Use your imagination to create patterns with the floss. You can make swirls, free-form shapes, basic shapes (like squares, circles, triangles) or spell things out (like names, "go team" and more). Do one section at a time so that it can dry without sliding out of position due to gravity.

Flowers
Silk flowers can be found at your local dollar store or craft store. The great thing about silk flowers is you can find them in any color, size or style that fits your room and personality. You can accent a shade with a few flowers or cover the entire shade with blooms.

Source: http://rosyredbuttons.blogspot.com

Creative Thought: To soften a room and add a year-round, spring feeling, find pastel flowers to match your room. Cover the entire shade by clipping the bloom close to the base of the flower. Use a hot glue gun to glue the flowers in place. Add sprigs of silk baby's breath to soften the flowers. Finish by adding a touch of lace (as mentioned above) to the bottom rim of the lamp shade. During the winter try creating a shade using poinsettias.

Lamp shades can add so much character and warmth to a room. Do not settle for a store-bought rendition of what someone else designed, when it is simple to create your own. You will not only save money, but have a personal touch to talk about with guests.

Thanks for sharing Danielle! Don't forget to check out her blog,EatBreatheBlog. Lots of great information on health, wellness, and life.

Tidy Tips For Your Waistline

2011-09-26T08:17:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had some friends over for "Sundae Sunday". It was a fun night of cards games, talking with friends, and ice cream. Truth be told, I am not really an ice cream fan. I can hear everyone gasping now, but it's true. For years I wasn't really a milk drinker, and after working at Cold Stone Creamery through high school, I just didn't care for ice cream. I am more of a sherbet kind of gal.

That being said, I have a friend who brought the most amazing VANILLA ice cream I have ever had. Vanilla plain and boring, is one flavor I almost never eat, especially plain. That is, until I tried the Tillamook french vanilla. It is amazing!!

The problem with ice cream is that it's load of fat and calories in every bite, especially the good stuff. So, to help me eat the leftovers in a way as to not gain 5 pounds, I made a game out of portion size. I tried to find the smallest thing to eat my ice cream in. That happened to be my son's KALAS cup from IKEA. I almost used the bowl, but the cup was smaller and a more appropriate portion size. A 1/2 cup of this particular ice cream is 160 calories and 9 grams of fat. Can you imagine if I used a regular bowl? Eek!

I have been trying to do this a lot with my portions lately. Especially snacks. I eat my snacks out of small ramekins (usually around the 6 oz size). It really works well. My servings are usually less than 200 calories. Small is better.

Do you have any tricks to control your portion sizes?

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

2011-09-11T14:52:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago I helped with a baby shower for a neighbor. The neighborhood did it pot luck style and there was some yummy food! I made ham & cheese sliders, my MIL had made them for a shower a year ago, they are so yummy! There wasn't a real theme or anything, but the Mom to be said she was doing her nursery in red, brown, and cream, so I made a small banner in those colors for above the food table.

I also made this yummy punch. I got the recipe from Pinterest of course!
I was also in charge of the favors. Ever since I did this post, I have been dying to make some lips! I thought they would work for favors since it was a baby shower for a girl! They were a piece of cake, my Silhouette did all the work, I slid in the suckers and they were done.
Here is one close up, I will totally be using these as Valentine's some day.
I also found some cinnamon lips to go with the favors.
I made the Mom to be a small diaper cake, the flower is actually a headband for the sweet babe. I didn't use all the diapers, so I tied a ribbon around the rest.
It was a fun summer night to enjoy my neighbors, can't wait to meet the little lady in a few weeks!

Crafting With Tape Measures: Featuring Danielle of EatBreatheBlog

2011-08-29T09:55:00.004-06:00

Danielle from EatBreatheBlog is sharing a crafting tip using old tape measures. A great way to recycle!

Crafting with Tape Measures

I’ve long been interested in incorporating repurposed art into my home – that is, the sort of thing I could make myself out of found objects. I seized the opportunity when I moved to the New York City (NYC) area and moved into a home that needed a lot of attention. As the NYC remodeling expert I hired went through my home with her team, I found myself inspired by the tools of the construction trade and decided to use some of them in my renovated home.

The first room the crew worked on was a workspace where I could work on messy projects, like gardening. I tried to be artsy with screwdrivers and hammers but the result was nothing I was eager to display in my home. I found success, however, when I started working with cloth tape measures. I decided to make something small for a few rooms in the house, wanting to incorporate a design theme through my space. I had hung up photos that spoke to my interest in gardening and decided to replace the thin sliver of matting with sections of measuring tape. All I needed to do was section off the tape and glue it in place. Doing so gave the pictures a unique look and proved to be a conversation starter.

The remodeling crew also worked on the kitchen, which is where I decided to hang a dry erase/corkboard to keep track of coupons, recipe cards, and notes to myself. On the dry erase half of the board, I cut up a measuring tape to form a 1-10 numbered to-do list. I glued the individual numbers down and drew lines with a permanent marker to separate each list item. My initial idea was to use the numbers for a grocery list, but it didn’t take long to realize that would prove problematic when it came time to actually go to the store.

The final project the remodelers worked on was refurbishing a room with great natural light and turning it into a study/library. The crew assembled some bookshelves for me and I created my easiest craft – cloth tape measure bookmarks. My initial idea was to glue tape measure strips along the length of the shelves but doing so made my home’s design theme a little too overwhelming. (I’m glad I taped them in place first to see if I would like it.) For the bookmarks, all I used was a selection of measuring tapes, glue, and a sealant (I used Mod Podge) to protect them from getting grubby. Now wherever my books go, so will the bookmarks.

Ideas for crafting with tape measures abound. I’m glad I was inspired by the work crew that came to my home (and I’m still trying to make that screwdriver art a reality). Working with the measuring tapes was easy and fun to do, not to mention inexpensive. I plan to add a few more details to my home, but for now I’m happy with the projects I’ve completed.

Thanks for sharing this fun project Danielle! Don't forget to check out her blog,EatBreatheBlog. Lots of great information on health, wellness, and life.

50 Golden Years

2011-08-23T15:33:00.017-06:00

Thursday marks my parents 50th wedding anniversary! 50 golden years is a big deal, so a few weeks ago we through them a small party of family and a few friends to celebrate. We had to do it before school started so everyone could attend. I think it turned out well. I started the planning process at the beginning of the year and wasn't feeling super creative. Thankfully there are plenty of creative people out there sharing the ideas on the world wide web. The "theme" was gold, since it was a golden anniversary. The "50" photo collage was Martha's idea, that woman is amazing. I decided to do a mix of color and b/w photos, mainly because I was lazy and didn't want to change them.

My niece made this cute arraignment from pie tins. Isn't it so cute!! You can find the full tutorial here.
I saw this idea last year on Ohdeedoh and bookmarked it, I knew I would want to use it and this was the perfect occasion. Instead of a guestbook, we had everyone "leaf" their thumbprint. We bought a foam board from the dollar store and cut it to 16x20, my husband the artist drew the tree, and my sister in law made the names and date in vinyl. Here is the before.....

And the after. Once it was full we framed it and my parents now have it hanging in their home.
We had a small luncheon with sandwiches, salads, and desserts. I found this fun gold star edible glitter at Hobby Lobby. It was way cute, but since I made the cupcakes the day before it bled a little and wasn't as gold. Lesson learned for next time.
One of my other sister in laws made the cake. SHE MADE THIS.

It was so delicious, yummy red velvet, and an absolutely stunning cake.

I did a DIY favor bar where guests could take a little scoop of gold with them.

We put our projector to good use and my brother made a slide show of the pictures throughout the years. It was great, he had the photos set to songs from the decade they were in. I loved it.
For the centerpieces I found some wood letters at Hobby Lobby, with a little gold paint, and some super glue, they turned out really cute. We added "50" confetti throughout the tables.
These tissue pomanders were fun and inexpensive, but I am not going to lie, they took awhile to make. My sisters, sister in laws, and nieces had a craft night and it took all of us a good 4 hours to make 12 of these. We found the candelabras at the dollar store, and did 2 different sized to signify my Mom and Dad.
Overall it was a great party, it is always fun to get together with family, visit, and eat don't you think?

Tidy Tips: Upcycling Bread Bags

2011-08-18T14:31:00.006-06:00

Like many of my tidy tips, this is another one of those I learned from my Mother. Speaking of my Mother, last weekend I threw their Golden Anniversary party, and everyone said it turned out wonderful! I thought everything went well, as soon as I have pictures back I will share them! Anyway, for as long as I can remember my Mother has saved her bread bags. They get the most use out of them around Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is when my Mother makes her famous rolls, she always makes tons extra, because we all love them so much, and then sends us home with an upcycled bread bag full of delicious rolls.

Lately, finances have been SUPER tight around here, so I have been using my bread bags for lots of things, for example, I buy a big block of cheese at Costco, then put it in a bread bag with a bag clip to keep it fresh. My favorite use lately though, has been to use them for recipes. One of my favorite treats is Muddy Buddies, the recipe tells you to put the coated cereal into a gallon bag and shake it up with the powdered sugar. I just can't get on board with buying gallon bags, I can do sandwich and snack, but I can't justify the money or waste buying more bags. SO, I use my bread bags, it works PERFECT. I have also used them to make sweet potato fries, I found that recipe HERE via Pinterest.

Just so you know I am telling the truth, here is my example. Depending on what mood I am in, I will either just shake out the bread crumbs or sometimes I will wash the inside of the bread bags with hot soapy water. Today, it was the shake out method. Here is my bread bag, ready to go.

For the buddies, I do a cup of powdered sugar on the bottom of the bag, and the other cup on the top, it helps to evenly distribute a little better.
The key is to leave a bit of air in the bag to shake everything around, shake it up good! My son likes to help me with this part, even at 15 months, he does a good job!
Here is the proof, perfect muddy buddies.
These ones are actually lemon buddies, YUM! I found this recipe via Pinterest as well, I am addicted it is true! Now I LOVE LOVE LOVE lemon, I am talking if my dentist hadn't forbid me from eating lemons, I would eat them like an orange, I love them that much. That said, this recipe needed a tiny bit more lemon than the recipe called for. So to remedy my lemon addiction, I added a little bit more lemon juice on the top of the buddies after they were done. These are an amazing, yummy summer time treat! Don't worry I still love the good ol' regular ones too. You can find the lemon buddy recipe in its entirety HERE.

Happy Upcycling!

S more's Simplified

2011-08-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

It's August already, this summer has flown by! It doesn't help that it was in the 60's until the second week of June. I know a lot of people are complaining about the heat, but I love it! I am a summer girl and August makes me sad, it means summer is almost gone. Who doesn't love the grand summer tradition of S more's? We try to make some every chance we get. Saturday night we had a summer night of fun. Swimming, a BBQ, S more's, and an outdoor movie, it was grand. When I married my husband I learned a new way to make S more's. It is fun and a lot easier for the kids. I still love traditional S more's, but I have really taken a liking to the simplified version.

We started up the coals and waited for them to get just right...

Gathered the S more's supplies, yes you saw it right those are fudge striped cookies....
These babies are the way to simplify your S more's. The cookies act like the gram cracker and the chocolate is already there. Easier for the kids to manage, they don't have to worry about holding the chocolate on the cracker.

Once your mallows are perfect....
You slap them in between 2 cookies and you are good to go! Delicious!
What do you think? Have you ever tried S more's this way?

Something to think about Sunday...

2011-07-31T15:20:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to share an inspirational quote that I found. I prettied it up via Picnik, and found the GORGEOUS "Country Road" photo here. I would love to take a walk down that very road with my sweet husband. It's with him that I see my brightest future, and I'm so grateful for his love, support, honesty, and strength.

DIY Summer Movie Night

2011-07-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

I.LOVE.SUMMER. I love the heat, the outdoors, and all of the fun! Friday was the epitome of a great summer day. Swimming in the afternoon, dippy dogs for dinner, and an outdoor movie, it was too fun. My in laws own the lot next to them and have a sport court with a chain link fence. I had an idea that this would be perfect for an outdoor movie, but didn't know how to make it work, I didn't own a projector, and they are expensive. Luckily I married an amazing man, who is frugal, and with our powers combined, we made an amazing, inexpensive outdoor movie night.

This is possible for anyone, even if you don't have an empty lot, you could do it in your backyard or the side of your house. First chore is to find a projector. Since my husband is a student, he spends a considerable amount of time on campus, and has become quite familiar with what campus has to offer. One of the hidden gems on the campus of several Universities is their surplus and salvage. They sell all their "old" supplies at a huge discount since they initially bought it tax exempt. The real trick is patience, at our local University once the products have been on sale for 2 months, they go on DEEP discount. We got a fully functional Dell projector only 5% of its bulb used for SIXTY DOLLARS!!! It is a $1600 projector, you can't find a better deal than that! So the big task at hand was done. Most projectors hook up to a laptop, we used our Xbox, it worked great.

You will need a few extension cords for all of your plugs, my in laws have a bunch they use at Christmas time, with multiple outlets that were perfect. You will also need speakers, but just use whatever you have available. We have a surround sound system that we just packed up and took over, the quality was amazing.

The next task it the screen, originally we were going to buy this cheap sheet from IKEA, but my mother in law happened to have a bolt of white fabric, score! We sewed two pieces together to make our screen. To make the screen easy to set up, we sewed little strips on each corner and hooked it to carabiners.

The carabiners attached to the chain link fence and we were ready to go!
Here is the set up, the projector, Xbox, and speakers.
Since we had power outside I brought out the popcorn pumper for added fun!

We rented Rango from Redbox, here is my attempt at a picture with the movie going, not so great.
Everyone had a great time, don't forget bug spray!

We have had movie night twice already and plan on having a few more before summer is through!

Making Button Bracelets: Featuring Danielle of EatBreatheBlog

2011-07-20T11:32:00.005-06:00

Danielle from EatBreatheBlog is sharing a super fun craft today. Perfect for a hot summer day to break out of the boredom!

Crafting Button Bracelets

Button bracelets are a quick and easy craft. Even if someone isn't the crafty type with tons of supplies, they will certainly have a stash of buttons around the house. Some people even make a hobby out of collecting vintage buttons. Now it’s time to gather up those buttons and put them to good use while making a fun accessory. New buttons may be used too, and fabric and craft stores have some really interesting ones to choose from. They’re inexpensive, but with the right coupons, you can practically get a whole bag for free! Furthermore, the design and color composition ideas are endless.

For this project you will need only a few things:
1/4" or 3/8" thick white elastic
An assortment of buttons
Needle and colored thread

Pick a mix of colors and sizes of buttons that is pleasing. Mixing new and vintage buttons gives a funky look. Smaller buttons in pastel colors give a daintier, more feminine look. Use a repeating pattern or all one-of-a-kinds. Stacking smaller buttons on top of larger buttons gives you a layered look for added interest and texture. Pick a thread that matches or complements the color of buttons chosen. Use a pop of color or clear nylon thread that can blend in.

Wrap the elastic loosely around the wrist and place it where a bracelet would sit comfortably, making sure it is not too tight or too loose. Cut to size with 3/4" for overlap and mark the elastic right past the overlap point. Fold the elastic in half and mark this halfway point, too.

Lay the elastic flat on a table to use as a guide for placing the buttons. Take the buttons and figure out the desired layout and how many buttons will be needed. Make sure not to place the buttons past the end mark made on the elastic. The design looks best if the buttons overlap each other a bit, so remember this when laying them out. Reference the pictures for help in placement. After the layout is done, the elastic can be sewn together by hand securely to form the bracelet.
Starting in the middle of the elastic, sew on the buttons one at a time. Knot the thread after each button is attached to keep it secure. To make the knots, thread the needle up under the stitches, pull the string through and thread the needle through the loop that is made and pull tight. Do this a couple of times to secure the buttons. Make sure to have the buttons overlap each other so the elastic does not show through. Keep sewing on the buttons until the bracelet is covered. Adjust the layout if needed to get proper coverage of the elastic. Try the bracelet on for size and admire the handiwork!

Button bracelets are fun to make and the design possibilities are endless. These also make great gifts and items for craft sales. Grab those buttons and make one today!

Thanks for sharing this fun project Danielle! Don't forget to check out her blog, EatBreatheBlog. Lots of great information on health, wellness, and life.

Dippy Dogs

2011-07-10T21:13:00.012-06:00

Do you believe it, between all of the fun things we have been doing, I finally managed to get a post up! Woo hoo! Last month when I visited my parents in Southern Utah my Mom gave me this....

As my parents get older my Mom is cooking less and isn't needing all of her kitchen appliances anymore. I received the fryer and her popcorn popper, both of which I was super stoked about. I have to be careful, fried food isn't the healthiest, but I have some theories regarding it. First- I try to have good eating habits 90% of the time, the last 10% is reserved for fun, fatty, unhealthy food, because you can't miss out on life. Second- If you're going to have fried food, make it yourself. You know what is going into it, and no matter what it tends to be slightly healthier.

The reason my Mom actually gave me her fryer was because we were talking about must have summer treats. I was talking about feeling guilty for buying Otter Pops, and my Mom told me what I mentioned above. She was right, what is summer without Otter Pops, snow cones, and corn dogs. I was aching for a good home made corn dog, I am sorry, but the ones you buy in the freezer, YUCK! I am talking the good corn dogs, the kind you get on the pier in Santa Cruz, made fresh juicy corn dogs. Growing up, my Mom made everything from scratch, and corn dogs were no exception. Naturally, she had the recipe for me, we made them for dinner last night, and my husband loved them. He loved them so much he even talked about them on Facebook!

Dippy Dogs

1 1/2 Cup pancake flour.

(My Mom doesn't buy special flours, so here is how to make pancake flour: 1 1/4 C flour, 2 TBSP sugar, 1 TBSP baking powder, and 1/2 TSP salt. If you are using this instead of pancake flour, just use this formula instead of the 1 1/2 C, does that make sense? Use this mixture in ADDITION to the rest of the ingredients in this recipe.)

1 TSP sugar

1 1/2 Cup milk (I would actually recommend probably 1 1/4 Cup, I haven't tried it yet, but my batter was a little thin, I would like it thicker.)

2/3 Cup corn meal

1 TSP salt

Around 15 wieners

Mix ingredients until you have a smooth batter. The secret of making the batter stick to the wieners is to heat the wieners in hot water then remove from water and dry thoroughly with a cloth. Insert sticks into wieners, dip in batter, and fry in hot, deep fat. (I used Canola Oil, it worked perfectly.)

If you are going to make your own corn dogs, go all out, get the good stuff, none of the mystery meat. Get the 100% all beef franks. We LOVE the Hebrew National.

I used my kitchen aid mixer to mix the batter, worked like a charm.

I didn't realize until we started that we didn't have much oil. To solve that problem, I cut the franks in half, so they were mini dippy dogs.
I brought water to a boil and threw them in, sticks and all, for about 1 to 2 minutes. I dried them thoroughly with a dish towel.
Soaked them in the batter, nice and thick.

I placed them in the fryer using silicone tongs. Make sure you have silicone so they don't melt. Mine are these from IKEA. I set the oil on the 350 degree setting. It was perfect. They sat in there for about 3-4 minutes, just until they were golden brown. I would assume you could try this in a saucepan with oil, if anyone attempts it, please let me know how it goes!

Here are the finished dogs, they were sooooo good. I served them with fry sauce, I also like them with ketchup or mustard.
Nothing says summer like a good corn dog! What do you think!?!