Housewife Eclectic

Giveaway: Petite Lemon Alphabet Poster, Perfect for Your Nursery

2013-05-20T07:53:00.003-06:00

A little while ago, I needed a baby shower present. I had looked everywhere, but I was stumped. I wanted to give something that was cute and the baby wouldn't grow out of immediately. That is when I discovered Petite Lemon.

Petite Lemon offers cute big brother or sister shirts for maybe announcing a new arrival and they offer my absolute favorite product, the personalized growth charts and alphabet posters. The growth charts are a darling, portable way to keep track of your little one's height and the alphabet posters are current favorite nursery decor. They offer girl and boy posters as well as some more gender neutral options.

This particular poster, only available for special promotion, is perfect for slipping into an 8x10 frame and displaying in your nursery. The retail value of this poster is $25, but today I am giving away this darling poster to one lucky reader! Looking for something different in the shop? Use the code BLOGGERLOVE15 to get 15% your purchase. Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(I received a copy of this poster in exchange for my review. All opinions are 100% my own.)

Creative Showcase: Creative Features and Link-Up

2013-05-19T12:47:00.001-06:00

If you follow Housewife Eclectic on Instagram, you can see that this week has been a crazy one. Signings with three different authors, lots of baking and some dumpster diving for pallets. What can I say? I have now officially jumped in a dumpster for a craft project. I think that is an important milestone. ;) On to some great features today!

I am sucker for Biscotti and cinnamon, so putting them together seems like a perfect solution. These Cinnamon Biscotti Dunkers from Lemon Tree Dwelling look divine.

Small confession. Pizza is probably my favorite food. Ever. This Dessert Pizza from Rae Gun Ramblings, literally has my mouth watering. My favorite food combine with my favorite candies? Score!

I am completely in love with this Owl Birthday Party from Strawberry MommyCakes. It is darling and pretty affordable to pull together!

SomeCrafty, shows the transformation of this bed from plain to A Bed Fit for a Princess.

Now to this week's Creative Showcase. Want to be featured? Link up below!

Some guidelines for linking:

Become or be a Follower of Housewife Eclectic

Visit other links

Link back to Housewife Eclectic with a button or a link.

Link your favorite posts

What have you been creating?

Dried Framed Wedding Bouquet

2013-05-16T08:44:00.003-06:00

After I was married, my mom took great pains to hang my wedding bouquet so that it would be preserved for me to display in my house. She gave it to me when we got home for our honeymoon and I promptly put it in a box and forgot about it. Every time we moved across the country, I would find the box, make my husband swear it would reach our destination in one piece, and then forget about it again.

When we moved into our townhouse, I finally had some room to craft and I swore up and down I would finish all of the projects I always said I would get to. This was one of the first projects on my list. Originally, I had wanted to use a shadow box, but I didn't love how expensive they were and I decided I really wanted the bouquet to stand out, not be enclosed. This is what I came up with.

You will need:
Your Bouquet, or another bundle of dried flowers
a frame with a cardboard backing, big enough to display your flowers
satin or another shimmery fabric if your choice of color
paint, to paint the frame
white vinyl
thin wire
hot glue, scissors

Take the cardboard out of the frame and lay it on top of your fabric. Cut around the cardboard, leaving about two extra inches on all sides.

Fold the fabric over the back of the cardboard and hot glue.

Cut the corners off on a diagonal, so they will lay flat on the back. Glue them down.

Paint your frame. I painted mine navy blue, my wedding colors were navy blue and silver and my roses are wrapped with some blue ribbon.

Add vinyl to the opposite corners from where your bouquet will lay. Pick any saying that relates to you. If you are a Harry Potter fan like me, "Always" is a great one. It is my way of being slightly nerdy without everyone knowing.

Thread your wire through the bouquet, preferably through the ribbon as well, to give it more stability. My bouquet is secured by wire in two places, but if your bouquet is really heavy, you might want a third place.

Put the cardboard back in the frame. Lay the bouquet across the frame and poke holes in the cardboard where the wire hits from the bouquet. Thread the wire through the holes and twist them behind the cardboard. You are basically using the same concept that holds a Barbie doll in her package. So twist, the wires nice and tight.

I am thrilled to finally have a way to display my bouquet and next time I move it across the country, my husband can't grumble that I have never done anything with it. ;)

WotW: Learn Photography Basics Without Feeling Stupid

2013-05-15T07:05:00.000-06:00

Being married to a photographer, I often feel ridiculous when she hands me her digital SLR. It has a gazillion settings and I panic whenever it migrates off the auto setting. I understand the basics of photography, but for some reason I forget them all when I get a camera in my hands.

Perhaps you're like me in knowing a little about photography, but would like to improve your skills. Today, more people than ever before are taking pictures. Unfortunately, this also means the number of truly terrible pictures has increased exponentially. This is especially true when I see more and more people buying digital SLRs because they are pretty affordable. The problem is, most people don't know how to use them.

While I can't claim to know everything about cameras, the good folks at Canon can. For most photographers, there are only two names in the camera business: Canon and Nikon. Personally, my wife and I like Nikon, but Canons are dang good cameras too. And the brilliant minds at Canon have found an easy way to help people understand how to use a camera.

The site Canon Outside of Auto provides a very quick and easy to understand overview of the basics of a camera:

Exposure - the amount of light a camera captures when a picture is taken.
Aperture - the size of the lens opening.
Shutter Speed - how long the shutter stays open, allowing light to pass through to the camera sensor.
ISO - available light settings.

Photography all comes down to light, and understanding how your camera interacts with light is key to getting good pictures. By going through the quick tutorial, I was able to review the basics in less than five minutes.

Once you feel good about your knowledge, Canon lets you test it out with a virtual camera.

Here you see a moving image through a camera viewfinder. Then you can mess with your aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure meter settings. You see how adjusting one setting affects the others and the outcome of the shot. You can take a number of shots and get a feel for it.

Once you really get good at it, you can participate in the photo challenge.

Hopefully you'll be as surprised as I was at how fast I learned the concept. It felt good to get nice shots too. While I still don't think I'll be quite as lucky with a real SLR, at least I have a bit more confidence in my photography skills. Give it a try!

9 Fabulous Books that Deal With Tough Subjects

2013-05-13T22:17:00.003-06:00

I love a funny, uplifting book as much as the next person, but life isn't always funny and uplifting. Sometimes it is hard and heartbreaking. Sometimes it is agony and unfair, but it is overcoming that makes life so sweet. Here are 9 of my favorites books that deal with hard subject matter. Linking up with The Broke and the Bookish.

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Would you sell your soul for youth? This classic by Oscar Wilde touches on the innocence and the evils of the soul. I love this commentary on human decision.

Dark Triumph- Some people have stories so tragic, you wonder how they can keep moving. The heroine of Dark Triumph, Sybella, is that way. She has suffered tremendously and still finds love and friendship and the strength to face her demons. This sequel to Grave Mercy is one of my favorite books and even with its dark subject matter it is beautiful.

The Fault In Our Stars- The life and love of Hazel and Augustus, both teenage cancer survivors. I cried through the last half of this book, but I often laughed through the tears. It was healing and beautiful.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer- Mara Dyer has just been in a terrible accident. She may have walked away, but her best friend did not. Now Mara faces PTSD and other psychological traumas. This series is one of my absolute favorites. It is so different from anything I have ever read.

I am Regina - Regina's life changes forever when her family's cabin is burned to the ground and she is taken captive by Native Americans. This story based in the 1700s, is about Regina adjusting to her new life, in a new culture, mourning her family and wondering if any of them are still alive. This historical fiction book is perfect for the middle grades and older.

The Upstairs Room- Annie is 10 years old when she and her sister must go into hiding from the Nazis. The Upstairs Room tells the story of growing up when your aren't allowed to leave a small room or even take a chance for a little fresh air. It is a juvenile fiction book that I read when I was younger and still love now.

The Glass Castle- This is a story of family dysfunction and children having to fend for themselves. It is a story of a sometimes drunk father and flighty mother, but it is also a story of family love, determination and overcoming obstacles.

The Secret Life of Bees- After accidentally killing her mother as a child, Lily deals with an emotionally abusive father until she decides to run away. She makes her way to the May Sisters, good friends of her mother who keep a large hive of bees. This coming of age book, is difficult in some moments and hopeful and enlightening in others.

Okay for Now- An emotionally abusive father, a brother who's a bully, a new school and another brother seriously injured in the Vietnam War. This middle grade book by Gary Schmidt, is sad and frustrating but uplifting and hopeful. The main character goes through more in one year than some do in their whole life, but he grows and learns and strives to be better. This is a pretty fast read and worth the time.

Creative Showcase- Creative Features and Link up

2013-05-13T08:15:00.002-06:00

Phew.... running a day behind this week. For some good reasons and some bad. My cute little brother came home from two years of living in England this week and it is so good to see him. We also lost a close family member this week unexpectedly. It has been a week of ups and downs for us, but I am glad to be back to blogging and creating. Here are some of my favorite link-ups from last week's Creative Showcase.

I have always wanted to try a gel manicure and there is a great tutorial for it from the Warfield Family.

Look at this cute Light Weight Infinity Scarf from Mama To The Max.

I love the idea of using a Pallet as a Garden Trellis. So creative! This idea is from Fablifyit.

This Make Your Own Chalkboard Art tutorial from Being Spiffy, is perfect for the beginner.

I love Amy from Ameroonie Designs and this week she has created an amazing tutorial for Custom Roman Shades. I needed this one for my house!

Now to this week's Creative Showcase. Want to be featured? Link up below!

Some guidelines for linking:

Become or be a Follower of Housewife Eclectic

Visit other links

Link back to Housewife Eclectic with a button or a link.

Link your favorite posts

What have you been creating?

Show Mom Some Love this Mother's Day and More

2013-05-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

Mother's Day is almost here. It is a time of reflection for me each year. I reflect on how much I love my little girl and especially how grateful I am to have my mom in my life. I can't imagine how I would live my life without her guidance and love. She truly is the perfect mom for me. My mom isn't one for huge displays of love and affection, the simple things have always been her favorite. This year, although I will be able to spend the days before Mother's Day with my mom, I won't actually be able to be with her on the day. I want her to know that I am thinking of her, even though we are apart, so I am planning on send her a little e-message, so she knows that I wish I could be with her.

Show Love, new from FamilyShare.com is a free service that lets you design sweet messages for your loved ones. First you write your note.

You can select an image to go with your note. You can pick from their image gallery or chose one of your own. I LOVE this option. My mom thinks everything is a little bit better with a picture of her grandchild attached.

Type in their e-mail and it will send you Mom, or any other loved one an e-mail to let them know where to see your message. The perfect way to let someone know you care.

ShowLove is a new feature of FamilyShare.com, a site that is dedicated to strengthening families. It includes articles on practically every subject applicable to the family and it has groups with forums and boards so you can connect with people who are dealing with the same things you are. There a groups talking about emergency preparedness, some talking about raising kids and others about strengthening marriages. Within just a short time of looking around I found other like minded people who understood my values in life.

I think my favorite part of Familyshare.com are the articles. They seem to have an article on everything and stories submitted by members filling in any gaps. I was able to find help on some of the struggles our family has been having lately. TV always seems to turn into a battle in our house, this article 8 Tips To Break Kids' Bad TV Habits. Did you know that some school-age kids are spending almost as much time with electronics are adult with full-time jobs? Crazy, right?

I also found a great article about Dating on the Cheap. Sometimes I am scared being silly with date night will make it lame, but I loved the ideas in this article. I love knowing that other couples do silly things too.

I think sometimes all we need is the chance to see that we aren't alone in our situations. FamilyShare gives everyone an opportunity to do that, to find like minded individuals and get the resources we all need to be better parents, siblings and children. It helps to show a little love too and who doesn't need a reminder every now and then?

(This post was sponsored by FamilyShare.Com, All opinions expressed are my own.)

Mail Organizer from a Cereal Box

2013-05-08T06:04:00.000-06:00

Mail has the tendency to get scattered all over our house. It has never been a problem before, until we got slapped with a late fee because I never noticed that a certain letter was actually a bill. After that, my husband insisted we have a central location for the mail. I wanted something simple, something that I could change easily as my decor changed. After thinking about it for awhile, this is what I came up with.

You will need:
a cereal box
a piece of sand paper
scissors
paint and scrapbook paper in coordinating colors
Mod Podge
Chalkboard Labels
Poster Strips (to hang the box)

This is a really simple project. First thing you need to do is cut off the flaps of the cereal box up at the top opening. Then cut the front part of the box off about halfway down.

After you cut the box, take a piece of sand paper and lightly sand the cut edges of the cereal box. This will give you smoother edges to work with. Trace the front and side pieces on the back of your scrapbook paper and cut them out.
Paint the inside of your cereal box. Paint as few coats as possible to avoid warping the box. After the box is try, coat the front and sides with Mod Podge and apply the scrapbook paper, trim off any excess and add another coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper to seal it.

Add a chalkboard label (you can find them here,) to the front of your box and prime the chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk all over it before writing your mail label.

I was worried that this little organizer wouldn't hold up very well, but it has held up great to daily use. It is the right size and shape for the mail and if I ever decide I want it to be a different color, all I have to do is finish off another box of cereal.

Decoboards Unlimited- Finally A Cute Whiteboard

2013-05-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

Last summer, my parents redid their house. New carpet, new tile in the bathrooms and kitchen, paint and even new pictures and wall hangings for each room. My parents are pretty much out of their kid phase and my dad wanted the house to reflect that they weren't worried about marker on the sofa anymore. The one snag came when my mom wanted to hang a whiteboard in the kitchen.

A whiteboard has hung in my parents kitchen for as long as I can remember, it is a place for the shopping list, notes saying we are at friends houses and other important information. All my mom could find was a plain metal whiteboard, which my dad hated and didn't want to hang in his new kitchen. Until we found Decoboards Unlimited.

Photo Courtesy of Decoboards Unlimited

Decoboards Unlimited are custom magnet or whiteboards that you create with their Build-a-Board generator. You can choose a frame to put around your board as well choose or upload an image for the background.

Photo Courtesy of Decoboards Unlimited

When I received my Decoboard in the mail, I was determined to replace the plain whiteboard that is currently in our family command center. My husband was impressed with how nice it looked and suggested I instead use it as a place to keep my thoughts and to do list straight in our bedroom. I hung it in my room and I absolutely love it. It keeps me organized and lets me write down reminders right before bed. I love that it is functional, but it doesn't feel out of place with the rest of the decor.

The people at Decoboards are offering a discount code for all Housewife Eclectic readers. Use the code DJH2013 at checkout to receive 10% off the board of your choice AND free shipping. The code is go through May 31, 2013.

(I was given a Decoboard to review in exchange for my honest opinion and I LOVE my Decoboard.)

Massage Envy Utah Giveaway!

2013-05-05T22:40:00.000-06:00

Have you linked your projects up to this week's Creative Showcase yet?

I never thought I would be the kind of person to get a massage. I have personal space issues and letting somebody into my bubble didn't sound appealing. I finally agreed to go after a friend bought me a gift certificate and it completely changed my opinion. Now, I absolutely love massages. There is nothing more relaxing and pain relieving than a massage. I can walk into my massage with tense locked-up muscles and a headache and leave feeling like a new person.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I spent one day last week at Massage Envy learning about all of their massage techniques. I wasn't sure how I felt about going to a massage therapy chain, but they made me a believer. Their therapists are knowledgeable and efficient. Their new foot scrub add-on is to die for and I am seriously thinking I might need a massage membership now.

Today I am excited to be able to giveaway a gift certificate for a 1-hour massage at any Wasatch Front Massage Envy location. The gift certificate needs to be used by May 31st, so it is the perfect excuse to pamper mom for Mother's Day.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A few of my favorite bloggers are giving away massages too, head to their blogs to enter.

ORGANIZE AND DECORATE EVERYTHING

KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH ME

FABLIFY IT

NITE OWL CREATES

THE VOCAL SOKOL

Creative Showcase Features and Link-Up

2013-05-05T12:54:00.001-06:00

What an amazing week! Have you entered the giveaway for TWO Cricut Expressions and your choice of TWO Kitchen-Aids or TWO DSLR Cameras? It is pretty fantastic. Enter here. I loved all the link-ups from last week's Creative Showcase. There were some amazing ideas, here are just a few:

I kind of love Almond Joys. I might actually have a secret stash of them. This Almond Joy Popcorn from Lemon Tree Dwelling looks amazing! I am going to have to make it!

Wow! Can you believe this dress used to be a shirt? I love how this darling Cinderella Dress from Rae Gun Ramblings turned out!

I have been loving the color blocking trend and I am thrilled with this tutorial from Warfield Family for these Diagonal Color Block Shirts. She takes some pretty simple shirts and turns them into something amazing. LOVE.

These Paleo Gluten-Free Muffins from Cranberry Morning are just the ticket. I always head to her blog when I am looking for something Gluten-Free.

I love this Cupcake Crochet Dishcloth Pattern from Being Spiffy. Crochet dish clothes are my very favorite ones to use. I want to try these ones out!

Now to this week's Creative Showcase. Want to be featured? Link up below!

Some guidelines for linking:

Become or be a Follower of Housewife Eclectic

Visit other links

Link back to Housewife Eclectic with a button or a link.

Link your favorite posts

What have you been creating?

April Showers Bring May Flour Giveaway Winner

2013-05-04T16:21:00.002-06:00

Wow! What a phenomenal response! I feel so lucky to have been able to work with some amazing bloggers and these incredible sponsors.

And without any more delay... Grand prize winner is: #3386 Lisa J. - YAY!!! She's also a fellow food blogger at Cooking with Curls and I can't wait to see what she does with the Bosch! And our 2nd prize package goes to #6129 Savanna L. a Rafflecopter giveaway
(the winners have 48 hours to contact us or we pick new winners)

Doctor Who "The Silence" Shirt

2013-05-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make. I am a huge Doctor Who fan. If you know me in person, it isn't much of a secret. As I sit here typing this I am wearing a Tardis sweatshirt over a t-shirt that proclaims that "Bow Ties are Cool." All of this is being watched over by the army of Doctor Who Lego figures that sit by my computer. It is a little bit of an obsession, that involves slipping into a British accent and wishing I had Converse to wear. My husband doesn't understand the Whovian side of me, but he politely tolerates it and only slightly rolls his eyes when I make another Doctor Who shirt.

In my opinion, The Silence, a religious order of an alien race and enemy of the doctor, are one of the creepiest Doctor Who villains to ever grace the screen. Who isn't a little scared of an enemy that you can't remember after you look away from them? With the help of a marker and some tally marks, you will at least remember you saw something and now you can wear your tally marks proudly. I made this shirt more than a year ago and it is still one of my favorites, it always makes me smile when someone makes a comment about it when I am out and about. It is super easy to make and you only need a few supplies.

You will need:
a t-shirt
black fabric paint
a black fabric marker
a sponge brush
freezer paper
an iron

For this shirt, I used a freezer paper stencil. They are one of the easiest ways to get a design on the shirt. You can cut your stencil one of two ways. I traced the Logo in my Silhouette Software and then cut the freezer paper that way. You can also trace the print the logo and then trace it straight onto the freezer paper with a pencil and cut it out with an utility knife. The shiny side of the paper needs to face down as you trace and cut your logo.

Weed out your logo, for this particular project, you need the negative image. Place your shirt on your ironing board, make sure to put some cardboard in the inside of the shirt to keep the paint from seeping through. Place the freezer paper, shiny side down where you want it on the shirt and iron it in place.

When the freezer paper is secure, take a foam brush and blot the paint over the stencil. You don't want to use long strokes, this can get some paint underneath the edges of the stencil. Allow the shirt to dry and then peel the stencil off.

To finish the shirt take your fabric marker and draw tally marks all over the shirt, giving it "The Silence" look. Make sure to draw some tally marks bigger and some smaller, it will give the shirt a more interesting dynamic than if they are all uniform.

Now you can wear your Doctor Who love on your shirt and help yourself remember The Silence are out there...

Crazy Huge Mother's Day Giveaway!

2013-04-30T09:55:00.000-06:00

Today I am thinking about my Mother. Every year I spend hours trying to come up with the perfect gift for my mom. To try and show just a little bit about what she means to me. I have come to the conclusion that even with a million dollars I wouldn't be able to show my mom half of what she means to me.

My mom went without year after year, so my siblings and I could play sports, take music and dance lessons and just have money to see summer movies and go to the pool. My mom is the most selfless person I know, she serves everyone around her and blesses everyone that meets her. She is my biggest cheerleader and loves my little girl so much that it brings tears to my eyes. I know that I am not the only one blessed with such an incredible mother.

This year, I have teamed up with a bunch of other bloggers, to try and help you show your mom how much she means to you. This giveaway is special in that it gives you a prize for yourself and a duplicate one for your mom. How amazing is that? One winner will win a Cricut Expression 2 for themselves and their mother, and if that isn't fantastic enough, they can then pick two DSLR cameras OR two stand kitchen mixers to split with their mom too. Wouldn't it be fun to surprise your mom with such amazing gifts?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received.** This promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.** To qualify to win, you must fill out the Entry. See Rafflecopter for complete rules. This giveaway is compliant with Facebook Promotions Guidelines. Must be aged 18+ to enter & win. Valid only in the United States. Void where prohibited by state or national law.

Spray Painted Doily Canvas

2013-04-30T09:16:00.002-06:00

The other day I was out an about scouring thrift stores for some interesting pieces of art to decorate an upcoming event. I came home empty handed and frustrated. Thrifting is like that. Sometimes I hit jackpot and other times I waste a whole day. The deadline was approaching and I needed to pull something together quickly and so I did what I usually do when I need a project fast, pulled out the spray paint. . I began playing around with spray paint, canvases and random objects. I ended up with some funny looking canvases to paint over later and a few that I loved. This was one of my favorite results. It is simple, and can be finished in just the time it takes for paint to dry.

You will need:
Spray paint in two different colors
a canvas, this one is 11x14
paper doilies

First, spray paint your entire canvas the color you want the doilies to be when the whole project is finished. Let dry.

Lay the doilies on the dry canvas. I taped the doilies down on the edges, but not in the middle of the canvas because I didn't want to leave tape spray paint lines.

Spray paint over the doilies. Hold the spray paint 6-8 inches away and spray the canvas directly. Don't spray at an angle, or you increase the chance of getting paint underneath the doilies. Let dry. Peel the doilies off the canvas.

Quick and easy, this would be a great project for older children that could be trusted with spray paint.

Creative Showcase Features and Link-Up

2013-04-27T22:35:00.001-06:00

Creative Showcase has been making me hungry lately. Terribly hungry. Here are a few of my favorite recipe link-ups from the past few weeks.

Lemon Pie Bars with a Gluten-Free Alternative from Cranberry Morning. These look divine. I have a lemon obsession.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from Lemon Tree Dwelling. We are really getting into Quinoa in our house. It is a the perfect ingredient to replace unhealthy alternatives with.

Easy Lasagna from a Mouse in my Kitchen. Who doesn't love some yummy lasagna?

I can't wait to get cooking!

Now to this week's Creative Showcase. Want to be featured? Link up below!

Some guidelines for linking:

Become or be a Follower of Housewife Eclectic

Visit other links

Link back to Housewife Eclectic with a button or a link.

Link your favorite posts

What have you been creating?

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2013-04-26T08:58:00.000-06:00

When I left for college when I was 18, I had a goal. To never eat beans again, ever. I decided I was an adult and nobody could force me to eat them. I quickly found myself on dates where I had to eat beans or look foolish, so I ate them. When I got married, I reaffirmed my desire to never eat a bean again...then we moved to South Texas where beans are a food group. The first time I ordered a plate with no beans, the waiter acted like I shot him. So I started taking slow nibbles and I discovered that I actually love black beans.

I still never want to eat another bite of chili, but I LOVE black beans. In light of my discovery, my husband has used black beans in everything. This particular recipe is one of my favorites. We loved to eat it with grilled chicken. Yum.

You will need:
2 cups of corn
3 tablespoons black beans, drained
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 a green pepper, diced
1 tablespoon green onion, diced
olive oil
dash of salt
dash of cayenne pepper

Spray a cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, spread out the corn in a even layer. Roast the corn in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Saute the beans, green onion, tomato and pepper in olive oil until heated. Add the corn and season with salt and cayenne. Enjoy!

April Showers Bring May Flour Giveaway! (Grand Prize Includes a Bosch Mixer)

2013-04-26T00:05:00.000-06:00

A lot of times it seems like I live in my kitchen. Whether I am cooking dinner for my family or whipping up a treat, I spend a lot of time there. During that time I have found somethings I just can't live without, my mixer, a great apron, fresh herbs, good quality chocolate. They all make such a difference and I definitely have my favorites. I was talking with some other bloggers and we decided we wanted you to be able to try our favorite kitchen products for yourself. Myself and 15 other bloggers have come together with some amazing companies to bring you this incredible giveaway whose prizes include a Bosch Mixer, Shirely J mixes, fresh herbs from Gourmet Gardens and Decoboard Designer White Board. Now introducing the grand prize!

If that wasn't enough, another lucky entrant will receive the 2nd prize package below.

WOW. Look at all of those amazing products! I just want to say thank you to all of the sponsors who made this possible!

To enter this amazing giveaway, just follow each of the bloggers below on Pinterest, by clicking on each of the images. After you do that, come back and fill out the Rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Labeled Kids Art Supplies Buckets

2013-04-25T09:40:00.002-06:00

I live in my craft room. Seriously, I do. I would say I spend at least half of my waking hours in that room each day. Whether I am blogging, sewing, painting, or creating something completely random, it is all done in my craft room.

When I was first planning my craft room, I had so much I wanted to fit in, a sewing table, my computer, fabric, there wasn't a lot of room to spare, but I know I needed a kid's corner. As much time as I spend in my craft room, I really wanted my four-year-old to be comfortable too. I didn't want to spend all of our time while I created, so I created a corner of the room where she can create too. It is a place that she is allowed to draw, paint, play Play-doh and let her creative mind work.

I will reveal her awesome kids' corner in greater detail in a feature post, today I just want to focus on this buckets for her art supplies. They sit on top of her desk and hold her basic art supplies. What I absolutely LOVE about this system, is that she knows exactly where her own supplies go and she can clean up after art time on her own. Her area stays pretty neat and tidy because everything has a place.

These cute buckets came from Ikea. I found them with the plant supplies and they were .79 cents a piece. You can find them online here, but they have to be purchase in store. Vinyl of any kind would work to label these buckets, I personally used permanent vinyl. I wanted something with staying power if I was going to be using it around my child AND art supplies. I cut the vinyl using my Cricut, but you could always trace a print out of the words you like and use scissors to cut them out, or ask a friend with a craft machine to cut them for you.

The buckets have held up really well. She has drawn on them a few times with markers, but I just used baby wipes to wash them clean again. I really love these cute little buckets, they hold all of her supplies, keep them organized and she can put them back herself. To me, that is the perfect combination.

10 Ten Books I thought I would Like More/Less

2013-04-22T23:30:00.000-06:00

Have you entered the MyMemories Giveaway yet?

This was a hard topic for me. I always feel bad when I don't like a book. An author poured all of their heart and soul into a book and I just don't like it? I know I can't love every book I read, but I geniuely don't think I have ever completely hated anything, I always judge my feelings of a book off of whether or not I want to buy it and read it again. Here are five books that I will never read again and five books that I was surprised to find I like. Linking up at The Broke and Bookish.

5 books I thought I would like more:

Wicked: I wanted to like this book and it some ways I did, I liked the original take on the typical Wizard of Oz story, but I honestly had so many unanswered questions. I often get asked if I recommend this book, and I just don't, especially to anybody sensitive, it can be graphic in parts.

Eragon: I am sorry to everyone who loved this book. I had to pull myself through every page. It had the recipe for me to love it, its execution just left me wanting.

Julie and Julia: I won't lie, I read this book after I saw the movie. Which is something I usually avoid at all costs, I hate going into books with preconceived notions. I spent the whole time I read this book wishing she was less whiny and more like sweet Amy Adams and it totally ruined it for me. Full Review Here.

Always Looking Up: I really did like parts of this book. The parts where Michael J. Fox delved into his life and talked more about his personal struggles were fabulous. The other parts....not so much. Full Review Here.

The Lovely Bones: Everybody raves about this book. I found it, well, kind of creepy. It just didn't strike a chord with me. Full Review Here.

Even though I didn't love any of these books, I own all but one of them. A little sad, right?

5 books I thought I would like less but ending up enjoying:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: So this is a total kids book. The kind you hand to your elementary aged reader. It was recommended to me by a teacher friend, and I liked it. It isn't earth shattering and on my favorites list, but I thought it was pretty clever. Full Review Here.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on a Imperfect Science: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor. Somewhere down the road I discovered that I get pretty squeamish and that career was out of the question and usually medical books. I really love this book. It is non-fiction, and an insider's view of surgery. It made me feel better in some aspects and nervous to ever go under the knife in others. Full Review Here.

Speak: Speak is about such sensitive subject matter, that I wasn't sure I would like reading it. I really love this book. It is raw and thought-provoking. It is such an important book. Our choices have consequences for the people around us. Full Review Here.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle: This book based around the murder of almost an entire family wasn't something that would normally appeal to me. I read it because a good friend suggested it and it was the perfect creepy read. Suspense with a dash of crazy. Full Review Here.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns: I wasn't so in love with the premise of this book. An arranged marriage in a far away land to a less than interested king, didn't sounds like the makings of a great book, but this one and especially its sequel is on my lists of favorites. Full Review Here.

DIY Little Girl Dress from Adult T-Shirt

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

I usually consider a t-shirt the most boring thing in my wardrobe, sometimes I try to dress them up a little bit, but usually they are what I wear just around the house. Who knew with a little bit of sewing, some ric-rac, and the new heat transfer from Cricut, a simple t-shirt could become the perfect dress for your little girl?

You will need:
A t-shirt to transform (this one is an adult medium)
2" Grosgrain ribbon, large ric-rac and a smaller grosgrain ribbon
Cricut Heat Transfer
1/4" elastic

The first thing you need to do is cut the neck and sleeves of the shirt off. Don't discard them, we will use them later. Make sure when you are cutting the collar, that you just cut the collar. You want to leave the material on the back, or it will dip down just like the front.

Cut a length of elastic, so that it will fit around the neck of your child comfortably. Sew the elastic into a loop.

Turn the shirt inside out and pin the elastic evenly around the neckline then stretch the elastic out as you sew it around the neck. It will make the shirt bunch up, which is exactly what is supposed to happen.

The neck should look gathered after you sew the elastic on.

The arms holes will be way too big. Try the shirt on your child and make a nice size arm hole for them and then put a pin in that location, separating the arm hole into two part. Sew a simple seam down in the extra arm hole area. This will make the shirt go out to a point, don't worry we will fix this later.

Now with your new smaller arm hole, repeat the same steps you followed for the neckline, using a piece of elastic that will fit comfortably around your child's arm.

The basic dress is now finished and ready to be embellished.

Cut the pockets from the leftover sleeve material. You want to cut the pocket with the seam at what will be the top of the pocket. This saves sewing later.

Cut out your pockets.

If you want to add ric-rac or ribbon to your pocket, this is the place. Sew the ric-rac onto the top of the pocket, making sure there is enough to wrap the ric-ric around the edge when you sew the pockets onto the dress.

Fold in the edges of the pocket and iron.

Pin the pockets onto the dress. For me, I have found the best way to do this was to pin the pockets on while my daughter was wearing the dress. I pinned the pockets without it on her the first time and I had to unpick and resew because they didn't hang in the right spots when the dress was on. After you pin your pockets, you are going to want to add your heat transfer design. I did this before I sewed the pockets, so I could make sure the heat transfer and pockets were where I wanted them in relation to each other.

I used my Cricut Mini and the new Cricut Heat Transfer to cut the crown and the word princess. Make sure if you are printing words to flip the images before you cut them. Each sheet of heat transfer has two part to its a plastic sheet and the actual heat transfer. In this case the heat transfer is pink and gold, this is the part you want face up on your cutting mat.

Cut the images and then weed out the excess vinyl. Set your iron to the highest setting and preheat the area of your fabric you want you image to adhere to. Place the image vinyl side down on your fabric. Using a a piece of fabric or dish cloth, cover your image and plastic sheet. Iron the image for about 30 seconds with medium pressure. Flip you project over and iron the back of the image for another 30 seconds. Allow the project to cool and then peel the plastic sheet off.

Sew on the pockets and then sew on the ribbon at the bottom. The largest piece of ribbon should be sewed right about the hem of the shirt. The next piece of ribbon just above that and the last piece just above that.

Now here is where we fix the weird points on the sides of the dress. Take a length of ribbon, long enough to tie a bow and, fold the unfinished edge over and then fold one more time, so the edge is hidden inside. Pin to the area of the dress that comes to a point and sew. Repeat on the other side.

This will create a tie in the back, that can be used to help the dress fit better and hide the points from the sleeve holes of the shirt.

The finished front and back of the dress.

Honestly, once there was a clear vision of what this dress was going to look like, it came together pretty fast. Sewing on a knit t-shirt, is pretty easy compared to most materials, just make sure you take into account the shirt will stretch when pinning on embellishments.

A special thanks to my best friend Lorene of Just Lu, who helped make this dress happen!

I love the end result and my little girl does too. She asks to wear it absolutely everyday. I absolutely love the new gold heat transfer from Cricut. My little girl can't stop talking about how her princess crown actually glitters. Love the new heat transfer too? You can buy it one of two ways right now, get $15 off the vinyl bundle here or with a machine and tool kit, at an incredible discount for only $199, regularly $319. Seriously, an awesome discount.

(I was given some heat transfer from Cricut to try for this post. All opinions are my own)

10 Activities for Earth Day and Creative Showcase Link-up

2013-04-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

April has flown by around here. I wish it had brought more spring instead of more snow, but I live in Utah, so I can't be picky. Earth day is coming up, so I thought I would share 10 fun crafts that involve the Earth or recycled materials to make this week.

Can you believe this darling wreath is made from egg cartons? This Egg Carton Wreath is from Homemade Serenity.

I love this Upcycled Plastic Bottle Cap Mosaic from BluKatKraft. Seriously how creative!

I absolutely love how simple these Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeders from The Moffat Girls is.

Recycle those plastic waterbottles into Homemade Lava Lamps from Momma's Fun World.

Isn't this Tissue Paper Earth from What to Expect just perfect for Earth Day?

This Robot Pencil Holder made out of recycled items by Plaid Kid's Crafts, is just cute!

I love these Toilet Paper Roll Cars from Tpcraft.

This tree is on my to-make list. I think it is so perfect for Earth day. Tree Craft from I Heart Crafty Things.

I know I already featured a bird feeder, but I can't help but love these shaped Bird Feeders from HelloBee.

I think any kid would love to make this Stained Glass Planet Earth from Mom On Timeout.

Now to this week's Creative Showcase. Want to be featured? Link up below!

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What have you been creating?

Not Your Typical 5K, Run The Color Run (Coupon Code)

2013-04-20T10:26:00.001-06:00

It has been years since I have run a 5K, bad health has always stopped me, but not this year. I am feeling great and I finally in condition to run again. What better 5K to make my running re-debut than The Color Run complete with colorful chalk to change your white shirt into something much more fun!

The Color Run 5K event is coming to Salt Lake City, UT on August 24th of this year. What I love so much about this race, is that it is less about how fast you can run the race and more about having a great time with all of the other runners. Runners are covered in different colors at every kilometer with a huge colorful party at the finish line.

Registration is limited, so if you want to participate, make sure to register here, sooner rather than later. The best news? The graphic at the top of this post has a coupon code that will get you $5 off you registration fee for the SLC race, making it that much better.

This race is truly for everyone, the fast and the slow because who doesn't love a little color in their life?

Ghosts, Dreams and Past Lives- Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan

2013-04-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

(I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)
Daisy may go to an ordinary high school, but she is anything but ordinary. She has the ability to manipulate electronics of any kind. Unfortunately, this normally means frying them instead of something more useful. It has led her to live a chaotic life, moving from school to school after she creates problems and accidentally sets electronic fires. She is working to control her "gift" and fit it in her new school, but all of that changes when she befriends a fellow student who tries to commit suicide and starts have frighteningly real dreams about the murder of people who lived more than 100 years ago.

Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan was a hard book for me to figure out. For most of the book it seemed like there were too completely separate story lines going on, one that centered on the main character's abilities and the other that focused on the crazy life-like dreams she was having. The two story-lines didn't come together until much later in the book. The jumps between the two were kind of confusing, but eventually the parts did become a whole.

I liked the characters, but the author left one of the most fascinating characters, Vivi, just off in the sidelines. I wish there had been a bit more about her. The oddest thing about this book was the sudden genre shift in the book. In the beginning I felt like I was reading a typical paranormal YA book and by the end it felt more like I was reading a thriller novel. I don't typically read thriller type novels, so I wasn't overly fond of the switch, but I felt like the author played it off well. It was creepy, without being overtly horrifying.

Overall, I did like this book, but I don't think it is one I would ever read again. I recommend it to young teens that like a book that is fun and little bit scary.

Housewife Eclectic

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