Small Fry & Co.

Microwave Salt and Vinegar Chips-Crispy, Crunchy and Zingy.

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 11:00:00 +0000

What is your favorite flavor of potato chips? Mine are salt and vinegar (and even as I type that I can feel my mouth salivating thinking of the perfect combination of sour and salt). I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. I don't even buy them because I just can't resist them when they are in my house.

What if I told you that you can make your own version of these sour and salty potato chips that are flavorful, and crispy and are made in your microwave oven. Well it is true (and not only can you make salt and vinegar chips but you can make pretty much any flavor you want). They are so easy and really, really yummy.

Here is what you will need:

Potatoes (I have used all different kinds-any seem to work) just remember that one potato makes a good amount of potato chips so it is better to peel and slice one at a time.

vinegar (white)

cooking spray

salt (I used a sea salt grinder)

saucepan

simple slicer (mine is a Pampered Chef brand)

and the most important piece of equipment A MICROWAVABLE COOKING RACK-I have found them most often advertised for cooking bacon. I bought mine at a thrift store but you can buy them at Wal-Mart and other stores.

1. Start by slicing your potatoes. I used the thinnest setting on my slicer. I love using a slicer to make sure all the potatoes are the same thickness which makes them cook very evenly. After slicing them put them in your saucepan and cover them with vinegar. Bring them to a boil and then turn down and simmer until the potatoes are starting to get a bit soft (about 8-10 mins). Let them sit in the vinegar to soak for about 20-3 minutes (the longer you let them sit the stronger the vinegar flavor will be). After you have let them soak drain them in the sink and rinse with cold water to remove the excess starch.

2. Arrange the slices on the cooking rack, trying not to overlap them too much. Spray the tops with the cooking spray and sprinkle with the salt. Now place the rack in your microwave and cook until light golden brown. In my microwave it takes about 5 minutes but if you do just regular chips that you haven't soaked it takes a bit less time (about 4 minutes). Every microwave is different so set your timer and then check the chips-they will become golden and crispy so if they haven't yet, then put them back in for another minute. Then you will be able to figure out about how many minutes you will need for each batch. Thicker chips need longer. The time is something you will have to play with but they will crisp....I PROMISE.

See I told you they would. The result is perfectly crispy, sour (but not too overpowering) and salty chips. Just be careful because if you try to make too many batches your microwave might go on strike (mine did.... it got too hot and shut down for a bit but luckily came back on). This method is not really practical if you wanted to make enough chips for a large party but it is perfect for making enough for a dinner, or a picnic, or a snack or for your kids lunch. My kids LOVE THEM. I simply can't resist them.

Want some other flavor ideas? I have done plain salt, I have done seasoning salt, and I have done salt and pepper. There are so many possibilities. If you try a different flavor, let me know. I would love to hear some other flavor ideas.

"What Does the Fox Say" Valentine Card and Other Forest Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Are your kids as obsessed with the song "What does the Fox Say" as mine are? They just had to listen to it on You Tube one night, so we found it and I was sure there had to be something disgusting and distasteful about the whole thing because otherwise it just doesn't make any sense at all. But it wasn't at all. It was just.....well....dumb I guess. But kids absolutely love it. So when I was thinking about what to make my kids for Valentines day I was searching for ideas online and happened to see a super cut fox craft and that inspired my idea for this card:

I am going to fill the card with stickers (since my kids love to put stickers on EVERYTHING). It is just silly, they will love it because we sing the song all the time at our house and change the words and the sounds. I don't actually know any of the words or sounds but as long as you know the tune you can pretty much fake it til you make it. I think any kid will get a major kick out of it. I found the pattern for the fox here. I resized it in my word program and then cut out the pieces and traced them on paper. I chalked the edges to give it extra dimension. I stuck it on the card with foam dots to make it raised. After making the fox my mind started racing thinking how cute it would be to have a whole set of little forest creatures to surprise my kids with on Valentines morning. So I adapted the pattern, changed some of it and added new pieces and created this super cute forest friends set:

Meet Raccoon.

And skunk.

And you already know Mr. Fox

I am not sure exactly how I am going to use them all yet but I just had to share them with everyone. They are really easy to make and so adorable. They would be cute for any time of year, not just Valentines day. If you would like patterns for the Raccoon and Skunk you can find links below.

Raccoon Pattern

Skunk Pattern

DIY Clipboard Christmas Countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I know that great bloggers would have had this Christmas project ready and posted the minute Halloween was over, but great bloggers would have also posted more than 1 post in the last 3 months-so I guess I am not going for the "Great Bloggers Award" any time soon. I actually have had my mind nearly completely focused on my in home preschool that I am doing and LOVING. I haven't even really had crafty thoughts for a while but my great friend and neighbor has been helping get out of that anti crafts slump and I am starting to dream in paper crafts once again. I decided that I wanted to put together a craft night for anyone in town that wanted to join. I got word that some wanted to make a Christmas advent. I needed to find something that would be fairly low cost, easy enough for even "non crafters" and could be completed before December. I searched quite a bit on the Internet and came across this (and now sadly I can not find it again to site the source-if you have seen it let me know):

There were no instructions but I loved the idea and figured that it could be something that could be easily made at our craft night. So I set out to create my own version. And I ended up loving it so much that I just had to share (I know lots of people like to get together and craft over Thanksgiving-maybe there is still time for others to gather the supplies to make one).

The project cost $13.00 for all of the supplies (and each participant had to bring their own Christmas paper). I found the clipboards at Walmart, and the hooks (in the hardware section by the towel racks and stuff). I bought the tags online from Ebay and got them for much cheaper than you could anywhere else. The stands were purchased from Michaels crafts (I had a 20% off your entire purchase coupon-you can get one by signing up for their e-mails). I was going to use letter stickers and number stickers but they were way out of the budgeted amount so instead I found an adorable printable number set (found here at Ziggles) and created my own tag that says "days until" and Christmas. Having them printed or copied some place is much more affordable than buying packaged stickers. We used spray glue to attach the paper to the clipboard and then spray glue and double sided tape to make the tags. I bought hangerless tags but we created our own using crochet thread (4 " pieces).

This is what the hooks looked like. These were attached with hot glue to the clipboard after the background paper was put on. I tied a couple of ribbons through the holes on the hook to dress it up a bit.

I created these "Days Until" tags that were glued to a double layered tag cut from cardstock.

The clip on the clipboard was disguised with bits of ribbon tied around it.

We used mounting tape to give the tags a raised look and I actually ended up using it on a lot of my tags.

Here is what it looks like from the side with the stand. I love the big lump of brightly colored tags. So fun and festive and exciting for the kids. I am going to put a little activity on the back of each one so we have something to do each day as we count down.

I started with a blank board and created my tags from #25 down to 1.

This is #25. I used the pattern that you can find here (to make a felt nativity) and downsized it and cut it out of paper.

I wanted to give you an individual look at all the other tags. I loved creating these. Some are simple and some are more complicated. After I made each one I said, "that is my favorite" but ended up loving the next one even more.

For #22 I cut the tag to the shape of the reindeer face (this is from an old Pebbles in my Pocket paper piecing pattern). I used the same idea only cut it a different size. I wrapped bakers twine around this antlers to give him a "tangled up" look.

For #18 I wrapped a long piece of yarn around the tag and tied it with a piece of bakers twine off center. #17 is made with a 3D sticker.

#16 came to me in my sleep. I cut the tag down the same size as the snowman.

#12 has 3D pom pom ear muffs and a yarn scarf.

#8 is made from a BUNCH of teeny tiny holly leaves I cut from green cardstock. The berries are small glue dots covered in glitter. #5 might be my favorite. I cut little letters out of chipboard (and after remembered that I had chipboard letters already premade) and sprayed them with spray glue and then wrapped them in mini bakers twine. I attached them with glue dots.

#4 has a scarf cut from a piece of an old t-shirt. #2 has 3D bows made from bakers twine and ribbon and #1 has a 1 1/2" piece of satin ribbon tied around it.

I am so happy with how it turned out. Making the tags was a bit meticulous but that is just because I had so many ideas that I wanted to do. You could make them much simpler for sure. I originally wanted them to all coordinate but in the end I love the variety and all the different tags. The kids will be so excited to see "what comes next." I can hardly wait until December 1st to put it to use. We are going to count from 1 to 25 but you could count backwards too, or just put one tag on at a time. I love the big pile of tags to go through and it will help the kids see that we are getting closer to Christmas as the pile gets smaller and smaller. Tis the season for major craft inspiration and wonderfully fun paper projects. Enjoy and please share.

Witch Hat Party Favors

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:00:00 +0000

These are a cute and easy party favor idea-you can adjust the size to suit your needs and fill them with anything you want. The only thing is if you plan to glitter them then make them ahead of time so they can dry properly.
To begin you will need:
Black cardstock (you can get one and half pattern pieces on one piece of 8.5x11 paper)
Double stick tape
Glue Dots
White glue
Glitter
Small Black pom poms
Thin wire
Pattern
1. Trace and cut pattern pieces

2. Run a piece of double sided tape along one straight edge of the witch hat (I have it hanging over the edge about half way so that it can't be seen when the cone is formed.

3. Roll the hat piece to form a cone shape and hold the sides together to adhere the tape. (This was a bit tricky and I felt like it was good to hold it with a paper clip for a while just to make sure it was stuck).

4. Adhere cone (top of the hat) to the brim of the hat with a bead of hot glue.

5. Embellish as desired. I found ric rac worked the best for laying nicely around the hat. Next we will make the spiders.

6. For these you will need one long piece of wire and 3 or 4 short pieces (about 1 1/2" in length). I made my spiders with 6 legs because I couldn't remember if they had 6 or 8 but then I found out it was 8 but mine were already made so oh well-in crafts it doesn't matter.

7. Take the long piece of wire and curl it around a pencil leaving 1 inch on each end uncurled.

8. Stick on end of the wire into the top of the hat.

9. Now stick a pom pom on a glue dot and pull up.

10. Stick your short wires to the back of the pom pom on the sticky glue dot (don't worry how they look-you can bend and adjust them after). Cover them with another glue dot.

10. Stick the spider in place catching the hanging end of the wire.

11. Lastly, run a bead of plain liquid crafters glue around the edge of the hat brim.

12. Dip the edge in the glitter to cover the whole edge.

TADA!!!!

12. Now if you want to put some treats inside then once the hat is dry stick the candy inside the hat.

13. Cover the opening with a piece of tissue paper (that way it is easy to get into to get the prize).

A perfect Halloween party favor for parties, birthdays, school or work.

Happy creepy and cute crafting.

Oh how the time flies; My little kids are growing up.

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 18:52:00 +0000

You have probably noticed my absence from Small Fry for a while. Well life is keeping me busy and I am trying to find as much joy in it as possible. Plus there is just a lot going on and my days are jammed packed usually. I might be absent from here a lot for a few GREAT reasons.

Reason #1: Small Fry starts Kindergarten next week. I am beyond excited to have a kid in school. I have loved school my whole life and now I get to experience it from the parents side and I know there will be ups and downs and joys and frustrations and I can't wait to have it all. I think I was born to be a school mom. I hope Small Fry and her school can keep up with my excitement. She is ready. I am excited to see how she grows over the year. Today she did all kinds of things she hasn't done before. She said, "I guess I am just ready to be a Kindergartener." I couldn't agree more. I know most moms are super sad when this day comes, and maybe I will shed some tears...I don't know but for now I am just excited.

Reason #2: My little pumpkin is going to get to be a part of mommy preschool. Our town does not offer the kind of preschool I want for my kids so guess what? I am doing my own. 6 little 4 year olds at my house a couple times a week for a couple of hours. I am thrilled to be doing this. It means I get to do all the fun things I want to do but would be too much work for only 1 kid. She is thrilled to have friends come over a few times a week and teaching preschool has always been a dream. Ever since I did my internship as part of my college degree (which is where I met one of my best friends and nearly changed my major) I have wanted to do something with preschool. Now I get my chance. It isn't anything super formal or fancy but it will be so fun. Can't wait.

and Reason #3: this little guy turns 1 in a few weeks, has started walking and is into EVERYTHING plus he loves to be held. He keeps me VERY busy. And he continues to bring so much joy to our family. If he is awake, mommy is not getting much done.

On top of all of that I have a booth for our local Melon Days celebration, a super fun "Handsome Monster" party to prepare for my little man's 1st birthday and my mom is coming to visit, not to mention tomatoes to can, pickles to make and a million zucchini's to use up. I am not saying I am done with Small Fry (because I am sure there will be cute things that I want to keep sharing), I am just saying if you don't hear from me for days or weeks at a time, there are many GREAT reasons for it. I am just busy living life.

Back To School Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +0000

My Small Fry is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks and we are both beyond excited. I am not excited because she will be gone, and I will only have 2 to wrangle most of the day (though that does have plenty of perks) but I am excited because I have ALWAYS LOVED SCHOOL. As a little girl I played school more than anything else. I even asked for a photocopier as a gift so that I could more easily make the assingments for my pretend students. I love shopping for school supplies. I always wanted to be a teacher and loved the 5 years I got to do it (well okay... let's be honest...I hated the last year because I was pregnant and miserable and didn't have my heart in it at all). I love the smell of new crayons. I love the idea of getting to be a SCHOOL MOM (which I know may or may not loose it's charm down the road). I can't wait to pack lunches, hang up projects, volunteer at school and prepare after school snacks. I am sure all you vetran moms are rolling your eyes thinking, "oh how fast you will get a grip lady" but for now at least I am just super excited about school. And Small Fry is too. She is smart and she loves friends and I think/hope she will just absorb every bit of new information she possibly can (and hopefully not drive the teacher crazy by correcting everything she says and does wrong).

Well I know that school isn't quite starting but the store shelves are being lined with school supplies and I can hardly steer my cart away from them and since we are in the midst of school clothes shopping and my husband, who teaches school, is getting his classroom ready, the energy of a new school year is in the air around here and I just had to celebrate by making a "Back to School" wreath for our door.

I did a lot of Internet searching for ideas for back to school wreaths but I wanted something really unique and not necessarily plastered with pencils, scissors and glue. After seeing a book page wreath I got the inspiration to use loose leaf (is that even still in existence...seems like such an antiquated word) as the background for this wreath.

What I did was used a embroidery hoop as my base and then balled up sheets of loose leaf. To hold them together I drizzled hot glue on the center of each sheet and then bunched it up (just like you would if you had made a mistake and were going to throw the paper away).

I then glued these onto the base. After doing one layer all around I decided that it needed more depth and added a second layer of loose leaf sheets. If you think about this, it is really inexpensive, especially right now with school supplies being on sale. And you can pick up an embroidery hoop at pretty much any thrift store if you don't have one already on hand.

Here is how it looks with 2 layers-I love it.

For decorations I wanted to keep it pretty simple. I used mini chalkboards to write the words on.

For the apples I got my inspiration from no biggie and made a pretty similar version of their paper apple except I used a piece of a tree branch for the stems (hot glued to the back).

I love how it turned out and it was so easy. Small Fry was so excited for a school thing on the door, except that she reminded me that she hasn't ever gone to school so how can she be going "back to school." Smart alec.

Just in time for school to start, you could totally whip this up in an hour or less. It would be perfect for your front door or for a teachers door for that matter. Doesn't it just put you in the mood for school?

Also shared here:

Get Your Crap Together Back To School Pattern Pack Review

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 05:30:00 +0000

I am happy to be a part of Get Your Crap Together's Back to School Bus Tour. Thanks for stopping by. Today I wanted to share with you some fun and cute back to school projects I made using the patterns from the Back to School Pattern Pack by Get Your Crap Together. I chose to make the backpack sack, the crayon roll and the snack bag but the pattern pack has 9 different easy patterns to make including a lunch bag, art kit, sandwich bag and pencil pouch.

For the crayon roll I used waterproof fabric from Wholeport. I made the crayon roll to hold our dry erase crayons and using the waterproof fabric makes it extremely easy to wipe clean. And because I used this fabric I made it a tiny bit different and didn't have to enclose any seams. I just pinked all the edges (though the fabric doesn't unravel). The pattern was really easy to follow and super simple. I made 2 in a matter of 10 minutes.

I did a church quiet book making party at my house and showed them all my wipeable crayon roll and every mom loved it.

I also made a snack bag using the same kind of waterproof fabric. It is also super simple to whip up. I wanted mine to have a very secure closure so I added extra Velcro to help it stay closed. There was also no need to enclose the seams on this using the waterproof fabric. Super Simple.

For the backpack sack I lined my sack to make it a bit more durable. We are going to use them (I made one for each of my girls) for church bags and there are usually a lot of books involved so I wanted them to be really sturdy. I love how the backpack sack has the outside pocket to help keep track of smaller items. And it is the perfect size for my girls.

I was really impressed with how fast and easy all of these projects were. They would be great for school, church, birthday gifts, sleepovers, and the list goes on. There are some really fun patterns included in the Back to School Pattern Pack. Thanks so much Get Your Crap Together

Want to check out what other crafty bloggers have done with the pattern pack, this Bus Tour link button will take you where you need to go.

"Sweet As...." The Girl Series of Up-Cycled T-shirt Bibs

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Lest you think that the only thing I know how to do these days is throw things way, I thought I had better put a crafty post up just to make sure that you know that I still know how to strut my crafty stuff. I just got finished with my girl series of up-cycled T-shirt bibs: The "Sweet as....." series. I love the bright colors. I love how they all turned out (you know how some things just look better when you take their picture). On these ones I sewed all the details in white because the appliques all required multiple layers and it would have just been impossible to continually switch the thread. Here is a closer look at each.

Cotton Candy

Chocolate Cupcake

Watermelon

Strawberry

Popsicle (cherry flavored of course).

In case you missed the first series (the "Hungry as...." boys series) check it out here for a tutorial on how to make these easy and adorable t-shirt bibs.

Now what little girl wouldn't look SWEET in these?

Also shared here:

http://whipperberry.com/2013/08/friday-flair-link-party-wocave-update-features-no-6.html

My Quest For Less: The Myth, "You can never have too many"

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I was a firm believer in the phrase, "You can never have too many___________". Extra plastic bags, plastic bins, reusable shopping bags, cardboard boxes, pencils, blankets, sheet sets, socks, girls headbands.....the list goes on and on. I was sure that you could never have too many of these things. Now as I am trying to minimize the amount of stuff I have I realize that, "you can never have too many_______" is a myth and a clutter creator. Here is how I learned that. On day 1 of my quest for less, when I was just fed up with stuff everywhere and had hit a breaking point where I was really ready to part ways with a HUGE amount of STUFF I had been storing, I realized as I got rid of a bunch of it, that while it is nice to have some of these things on hand, there will be plenty of opportunities down the road to find these items again. For example-reusable shopping bags. They are handy, I love them, I have a huge stash in the van to use when I shop and I have a huge pile hanging on a hook in the house and when I go to some thrift stores there is always a bin saying, "free" filled with reusable shopping bags. Why do I need to store 30 shopping bags? I will get one free when I stop and do the Pepsi challenge outside the supermarket. I will get one free when I sign up for insurance at the beginning of the school year. I can pick one up at the thrift store next time I am there if I really need one. I DON'T HAVE TO STORE A 2 YEAR SUPPLY OF SHOPPING BAGS. You most certainly can have enough shopping bags. The same goes for a shirt you are saving as a painting shirt. How many opportunities will come along to ruin a shirt and therefore turn it into a painting shirt. Do you need to have a drawer of, "ugly, no good shirts to use for painting?" NO!!! Socks; I thought a drawer full of socks was wonderful. But guess what, a drawer full of socks is a pain in the rear end. Folding and sorting and keeping all those things in their place. A pack of 8 pairs to use and wear out, followed by a new package of 8 pairs seems much more logical to me. I mean socks are easy to come by. The stores aren't going to run out of socks. My aunt gives everyone a pair of socks every time she sees them, we will have plenty of chances to get new socks. I don't need to personally store 25+ pairs of socks. Lastly, baby blankets. When I was pregnant for the first time everyone always said, "Oh you can never have enough baby blankets" and I believed them. I mean what did I know, and they are all so soft and cute and cuddly and I kept every single one I got. And guess what? You really can have too many baby blankets. What I ended up with was 2 baskets of blankets, a tub under the crib of blankets and the cute ones hanging on the sides of the crib. I was constantly juggling blankets. I felt like I had to use them all and so I was always swimming in blankets. Then I had another baby and I got MORE and then I had another baby and I GOT MORE. Believe me, you don't need this many blankets. They are so nice, they are thoughtful, they are warm and fluffy and cute. But too many becomes a hassle and overwhelming-rather than being helpful. And when you have a baby shower, guess what you are going to get? MORE BLANKETS. Now burp cloths, well I still believe you can't have too many of those-especially if you have a spitty baby.

There are some things that I think are nice to have in large amounts: ziplock bags, paper clips, hair elastics for kids, toilet paper and paper towels and paper bags (just cause I am a nut and love them) just to name a few. But I am now realizing that it is better to ask myself, "is this the only opportunity I will have to get this item or will the chance come along again?" And if it will come along again then maybe I don't need to have a bunch of it, just for the sake of having it. There are things that you can have too much of, just ask anyone who is trying to declutter.

My Quest For Less: Will I Still Feel This Way In The Morning?

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

So the first couple of days in the "quest for less" were pretty intense. When I unleashed the desire to get rid of stuff I couldn't stop. At the end of day 1 I dreamed all night about throwing things away. I woke up in the morning as energized to do it again as I was the day before...almost too energized. Day 2 was pretty crazy. I felt like a pitching machine-going through the house getting rid of things left and right. I kept saying to myself, "this is going to make us happier" but as day 2 came to a close I realized that I pretty much ignored my kids and grudgingly did all my other duties, because I was so focused on reducing. I had to reel it in a bit, or I knew that I was going to defeat our whole purpose of being happier. In the days since I worry when I wake up that the desire to reduce is going to be gone-that I will have peaked and fizzled out completely. But as I get up and get going and pray, I am happy to report that the feeling continues to come and I feel like it is okay to let go of things for another day (some days more and some days less).

Right now I have been tackling the "easy to get rid of" items. These are things, that for me, have been begging to be reduced long ago but I just haven't stopped and taken the time to do it. In one morning I eliminated 2-plus garbage bags of stuff to sell, donate or just plain throw away-that was an amazing feeling. Here are a few things I tackled first.

1. The fridge door. Seriously was begging to be organized but I thought it was evidence of me being in the midst of motherhood to have it covered in clutter. I tossed every tiny magnet that was useless to hang up anything, plus all the advertisement ones that I hate. I put all the announcements/invitations in one spot, took off all the old pictures and tossed the artwork that had been there for too long. It still is not bare but man it looks a million times better and seriously took 5 mins.

2. My drawers. Do you do this: I pull out a shirt, I put it on, I HATE IT, and then I put it back in the drawer (or closet). Then I repeat the same thing again later. I do this because I either think it will look good another day or I realize I don't have much to choose from and so I better keep it just in case. But I never wear it. So I quickly downsized a couple of drawers and got rid of those "never wear" items and a few old and worn out things that I was keeping for camping or outside work in the fall (like a chance to obtain another one of those kind of shirts will never come along again).

3. My kitchen utensils. Well that was long overdue too. How many wooden spoons does a kitchen need? I would like to know how many Martha has-probably way too many I am guessing. That was also a quick fix-save 4 favorites (in different styles and sizes) and donate the rest. Easy and less cluttered.

4. Trinkets and treasures. This category includes happy meal toys, the little handouts from library story time, dollar store items that were a reward for being good during a shopping trip, bits of paper, stickers...just the bits and pieces that kids collect. Man a good clean sweep of a few bins, cupboards and shelves and things look much better. The thing about this kind of ~~crap~~ stuff is that plenty more will come along so kids usually don't even know it is gone.

5. The kids play food. This was much needed. I had taken half of it away months ago because it was everywhere, all of the time. I finally decided to bite the bullet and separate it all into categories, keep some and sell the rest. It was a 10 min project and I went from a huge bag and 2 bins full to just 2 bins full, but not overflowing. When I spread it all out I realized how many duplicate items we had that were unnecessary and how many little trinkets had crept their way into the play food. We had way more than the girls needed. In the end when they saw the 2 bins they were so excited to see some of the food they had forgotten they had (cause it was in the basement for so long) and they didn't miss a thing.

There is still so much more to go. Sometimes I feel like, "this will just be so nice when it is over" and then I realize that reducing will probably never be over because stuff creeps in so fast. I have seconded guessed myself lots and fight feelings of guilt all the time but I feel so great about this goal that I don't want to stop. I am worried that I may be offending family (since not a single one...except my brothers wife, have commented in any way about the idea). I don't know if they are thinking that I am just throwing away things they have given me left and right or what, but I just want to say this isn't about throwing away gifts (and it doesn't mean that I don't ever want anything again). This is about looking at our life and deciding what things are going to help us and bring us joy and which things are no longer doing that, or taking up too much space or adding stress or clutter. And I guess if they don't like it then I will know when the next gift giving occasion comes around and they don't offer anything and I guess if that is the case we will be fine because I really am realizing that we can be happy with so much less than we have now.

My Quest For Less

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:42:00 +0000

A while ago (2009) I wrote this post about my need for less at Christmas and now here I am 4 years later to begin sharing my journey to less-and this time I am getting serious. I don't know if you would call it becoming a minimalist, or downsizing, dejunking, clearing clutter, super organizing or what exactly, but all I know is that I am on a mission to reduce. Like I wrote in the first post 4 years ago I have always felt this underlying desire to have less but to try and embrace a lifestyle of less is totally out of character for me. I mean I am a toilet paper tube hoarding, repurposing junkie. I can hardly throw an empty box away without visions of "what it could become" flashing through my mind. I am the daughter of a super frugal mother who saved every little thing and repurposed way before it was even cool. This is the woman who has a box in her basement labeled, "shirts to cut up as rags." I mean who needs to save shirts to cut as rags; there will always be shirts to cut up as rags. But that is just the kind of woman she is. I am the daughter, the niece and the granddaughter of a generation of wonderful people who were born and raised during the depression who never threw anything away and who never really had anything anyway. And now here I am feeling like chucking blankets, sheets, pillows, spatulas, plates, tupperware etc and I am not sure where that is coming from and I am not sure how it will resonate with my family and those I love but the feeling is there. I don't know what has suddenly brought on this desire with hurricane force, but I KNOW it is what I (my family too) need to do. I don't know how it will be manifested in my life, because I have a lot of very sentimental things and I have a lot of very sentimental things that I hope to inherit and I have a major crafting passion which comes with a lot of stuff and I love thrift stores and yard sales and the idea of transforming junk into treasures. So I don't know how it will all play out. But I am going to do it. I have a friend who's family is on a journey to becoming minimalists and I would read a few things she would post on Facebook and see stuff she was selling and felt so envious of her ability to get rid of unnecessary stuff. Yes, that is right, envious of someone who has less than me. I want that for us. I want to figure out how to effectively hold onto the treasures, to weed out the unnecessary, to get rid of the clutter and to avoid buying unneeded things. Everything was solidified in my mind last night when I watched my two girls splash in the newly formed puddle out front with a bucket of old measuring spoons. They didn't need a bunch of stuff to be happy, they are so happy with little things. This morning they have played for 2 hours straight with 4 spools of old thread I had bought at a yardsale and didn't have a use for. They have unwound every last bit and have it spread everywhere and they are so happy. And guess what, tonight after they go to sleep I will toss it in the garbage and feel free. That tells me that it is time and it is okay to get rid of some stuff (toys being on the top of the list). They are imaginative and creative and it is going to be okay. I was exhausted last night after an afternoon of gathering and downsizing and I slept like a rock dreaming only of getting rid of more. I was worried I might fizzle out today but the desire still burns strong and I downsized my wooden spoon collection by over half while the bacon cooked for breakfast. I love how this feels. This is going to be one wonderful and probably painful and frustrating journey.

Make Monday: Easy Peach Crescent Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I am going to admit that I pretty much hate having to make breakfast and lunch. Trying to figure out what to make, the time it takes, the dishes etc. The biggest of those problems is trying to figure out what to make. What I usually end up doing it making pancakes or waffles (again) because they are easy and I can't ever think of something else. Well, in order to combat that problem I decided to come up with a breakfast menu. Now I used to be one of those people that refused to use a menu because I felt like it was too restricting. "What if I don't feel like making that" or "what if it no longer sounds good?" But once I started using a menu for my dinner meals I found that instead of it being restricting it was actually very freeing. "What do I make for dinner tonight? Oh let me just look at my menu." So I decided that I needed to do the same thing for breakfast (and eventually for lunch). What I did was went through all my recipes, plus added all my usual stand by's and put them into a list. Then I got a calender and started penciling in recipes-a different one everyday (except cereal , muffins and omelette repeat). The plan is to go through my list of recipes without repeating until I get through all the recipes, then I will start again. Now when I start again-some of the recipes won't be repeated (cause they weren't that good) and I will replace those with something new.

So far this has been wonderful-no wondering what to make for breakfast. The only problem I have run into is that I am not used to prep work for breakfast so I don't always read recipes in enough advance to get things ready and then I am in a pinch to come up with something different. This recipe is the result of one of those mornings of lack of preparation. I was supposed to make apple pie fries (which I still want to make because they look so yummy) but I didn't have pie crust ready or bought and so I quickly created an equally delicious breakfast recipe using a can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls that I had on hand.

The recipe:

1 can Crescent Rolls

1 fresh peach

Cinnamon Sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

Frosting:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Begin by preheating your oven to the recommended temperature. Spray your pan with cooking spray. Peel a fresh peach and slice into 8 slices. Sprinkle the peach slices generously with cinnamon sugar. Open up crescent rolls and separate into 8 pieces. Place one slice of peach on the wide end of the dough and roll up. Place in pan. Repeat with each piece of dough. Sprinkle all of the crescent rolls with cinnamon sugar and drizzle with melted butter. Bake according to package directions (they should be nice and golden brown). Remove from oven and let cool slightly while making the frosting. The frosting needs to be thin enough to pour but not super runny. You may need to add powdered sugar or more milk (depending). Drizzle frosting over the crescent rolls. Serve while warm. These are sweet and a bit tangy from the peaches. The cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top give them a bit of crunch. Very, very yummy, warm and perfect for breakfast. A great way to dress up ordinary crescent rolls.

More Up-Cycled T-shirt Bibs

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I recently shared these bibs with you and love how many people have pinned them and stopped by to check them out (I would love it even more if some of those people clicked my "follow" box....but I am not going to be picky about it).

I just wanted to share a few more bibs I have added to the collection (this time I added an infant size):

And I also created these to sell at our local watermelon festival. These are also made out of up-cycled t-shirts. I am busy working on the girly set now so stay tuned.

Easy Sleeveless Dress Refashion

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 13:55:00 +0000

In our house we don't do sleeveless. I am trying to teach my children right from a young age to dress modestly, which in our home, means no sleeveless clothes. But we get a lot of hand me downs (which I am so grateful for) and often times they include really cute sleeveless sundresses and tank tops. I let my girls wear these with a t-shirt under them and I think they are so adorable. But I wanted to create a way to just add a t-shirt already to these cute sleeveless pieces to make them into an "always modest" piece of clothing. So I came up with a SUPER easy way to turn a dress like this:

into this:

What you need for this project is your sleeveless item and a t-shirt that coordinates. It is important to try and keep the sizes similar, so that they fit better. I found t-shirts that worked at our thrift store. You are only going to see the top and sleeves so it doesn't even matter if it has a design on it.

What you need to do first is place the t-shirt under the dress or top (how it would look if your child was wearing it). Pin this in place.

I pinned along the front of the dress and the back.

I pinned on the straps on top of the sleeves and under the armpits.

Next it is important to choose a thread that matches the stitching already on the dress or top. In this case the stitching was pink so that is what I chose. Now you need to stitch. I look for places where I can sew so that the stitches would be hidden. I stitched along the front just below the top hem.

Then I stitched under the armpits (only about 2 inches) again just below the hem. This keeps the sleeve from popping out.

Then I sewed along the back. This had a bit of gathering so I stitched just below the last row of gathering stitches. If your thread matches pretty close then it is really hard to even tell where you did it.

And lastly I sewed along the straps. I sewed along only one side of the strap (about an inch of stitching) because that is where the stitching was on the dress. I don't sew along the whole thing because I don't want to completely change the fit of the dress. Sewing just a few stitches makes everything lay the way it normally would if you were to just wear a shirt under the dress.

Lastly you will want to cut down the shirt under the dress. Pull out the t-shirt flat and

trim so that there are only a few inches hanging down below the lowest stitching that you did. Because you used a t-shirt then you don't need to worry about it unraveling. Knit is perfect for projects like this because it doesn't unravel.

And there you have it. A really easy, inexpensive fix. It takes only a few minutes and a sewing machine. It was so much easier than I expected. I was able to do this in about 10 minutes. It is not like it is that hard to wear a shirt under a sun dress or something but now it is a complete and modest outfit and my daughter was excited because it was like something "new" all over again.

These are the other ones I did quickly one afternoon:

Now there is no need to worry about an outfit that is sleeveless-you can easily turn it into a new, modest, fashion piece.

Hungry As A....Up-cycled T-shirt Bib Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Okay-these are my new favorite thing. If I could make a living off of making and selling these I would do it in a heart beat. They are so easy to make, the possibilities are endless and they are ADORABLE. I call this series my "Hungry As A..." series. I have another one in the works for a girl, "As Sweet As...." Stay tuned for those. To make these you will need 3 t-shirts (I only have 2 in my shot because I forgot I needed a third when I took the picture) and a bib pattern. I made mine up but you could copy one that you like or send me a message and I will send you a copy of mine. This size of a bib is perfect for a 1 year old-18 month old.

You want to cut out your pattern through both layers of your printed t-shirt first. and then through 1 layer of a contrasting shirt.

Sandwich the contrasting layer between the two colored layers. The colored layers should be right sides out.

Before you sew you will want to sandwich a piece of elastic (2 inches long) in between the layers on each side of the neck bands.

Now sew around the bib (catching the elastic when you sew over that part). Sew a second row of stitching just for looks.

Now pick any design that you would like to add to your bib. I search on the Internet for clipart that I can trace and turn into a design. I trace this onto Wonder Under (by Pellon) and then iron it onto the wrong side of another contrasting t-shirt.

Cut this out, peel off the backing paper (it is so simple) and iron it onto your bib. Then sew around with a contrasting color.

It just so happens that I picked THE HARDEST image to sew to use for my tutorial. If you are a beginner at applique-don't pick an alligator. Too many bumps. In the end it turned out great.

And that it is it. The bib is soft. It has enough layers that stuff won't just immediately soak through (though I am not saying it is totally mess proof). It is cute and totally cool and one of a kind. Like I said-I love how it turned out.

And here is the whole set:

T-Rex

Moose

Alligator

Bear

Wouldn't these look so cute on your hungry little guy?

Also shared here:

Make Monday: My New Favorite Pinterest Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 15:42:00 +0000

I feel like I should start by apologizing for the lack of content as of late but the truth is that I don't have anything to apologize for. My life is busy crazy and I just can't get everything done, so somethings get left undone sometimes. My blog has to take it's turn too.

Today I just wanted to share a few new favorite recipes. I am more likely to try a recipe that has been recommended by a friend than I am to try one that I find myself and since I hope you all consider me your friend, I hope you will trust my opinion and want to give these a try too.

#1. Biscuit and egg casserole. I know there are a million of these out there. I particularly loved this one and how easy it was. I made it overnight and it was a bit soggy so next time I would just make it the day of. It was delicious completely filled my 8x8 pan I might add. YUMMY.

#2. Chocolate zucchini muffins. They really are more like cake that you can get away with eating for breakfast because they don't have frosting (though it wouldn't hurt anything) and they are called muffins. Really yummy and they do bake up with these pretty domed tops.

#3. Baked pumpkin doughnuts. I had my hubby buy me a doughnut pan for the oven just so I could make these and they did not disappoint (and neither did the pan-you have got to get one if you don't have one and actually get 2 cause one is not enough). They have great flavor and texture-even a few hours later and the next day they were still yummy.

#4. Artisan bread in the crock pot. This was one of those, "shut the front door" recipes. Would it really work and would it taste good? You bet. Delicious and I didn't have to heat up my house. Seriously-2 hours on high in the crock pot and then a couple of minutes under the broiler and you have delicious bread that is super crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

#5. Mini BBQ chicken pizzas. I loved the flavor. I loved how easy they were. I loved crust. LOVED them.

#6. Eggless chocolate chip cookie dough bites. These were really yummy and a huge hit at a backyard movie gathering. I didn't have mini chocolate chips but it didn't matter. They are much easier than cake balls but just as pretty and so satisfying.

#7. M&M cookies. The recipe gives you lots of great baking tips and these are really the perfect cookie. They were soft and buttery but not greasy. So delicious. Made one batch and another the very next day. They freeze well too.

Have you tried a recipe lately that you found on Pinterest that was a big hit? Please share....oh and happy munching.

Dollar Store Recommendations Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

About 6 months ago I shared with you my list of dollar store recommendations specifically from the

Dollar Tree Store. Today I wanted to share a part 2 of that series because I keep finding great things that I love from that store. I also have a few at the end of the list that I couldn't find on the website but you might be able to find them in a store near you so don't just go by the pictures-check out the whole list.

1. Spray bottles: I honestly don't know what the going rate of a spray bottle is at any other store but when I saw these at the dollar store my only hang up was, "Do they work?" and I am here to tell you that they do work-GREAT!!

2. Microfiber Dish Cloths: These work great for mopping floors, washing dishes and as rags.

3. Printed Shelf Liners: I don't actually use this as shelf liners but use it to cover things (boxes, binders etc). I couldn't find it on the website but I have also bought the clear contact paper and it works great for at home "laminating".

4. Stor It Cover Ups: They are like little shower caps for your dishes. They are super handy, I wash mine so they can be reused and the box comes with 3 different sizes in one. I think it is a great buy.

5. Muffin Liners: Depending on sales and coupons you may find these for cheaper elsewhere. These ones are great too.

6. Hawaiian Punch Singles To Go: These are a fun "reward" for kids on long trips. We dump one into a water bottle and it seems to provide enough excitement to keep a kid happy for a while longer. And they are sugar free if that makes a difference to you.

7. Clear Decorative Rocks: I use these a lot to make magnets (decorative ones, or job chart ones etc.) Once in a while you find a dud but overall you get your moneys worth for sure.

8. Dry Erase Markers: I know these are one of those items that you would for sure wonder if it is worth it but I have some that I bought for my in home preschool and they work great. They last a long time, hold up pretty well (even when being smashed by a 3 year old trying to write) and the marker doesn't just immediately rub off of the whiteboard surface. I think they are a great buy.

9. Kid scissors: I particularly like these ones because they have a little spring that you can put in place to help kids first learning to cut. The spring helps the scissors spring back. We have had the same pair for 3 year and they haven't had a single problem.

10. Glitter Glue: To me this is one of those items that it doesn't really matter how good the quality is if you are getting these for little kids because they are going to think it is cool, squeeze out a whole blob on a paper and then repeat on a million more papers until it is all gone. $1.00 to entertain like that for a 1/2 hour is well worth it to me. I even found some in pastel colors: pink, yellow, green, blue and purple.

11. Flash Cards: I haven't bought these particular Sesame Street ones but I have bought flashcards from the Dollar Tree and I love them. They have so many kinds to choose from. I hole punch the corners and put them on a ring to keep them all together.

12. Bubble Bath Books: I use these for a teething baby; it's better than ruining a good book with baby drool.

13. Strawberry Shortcake Coloring Books: I am not sure of the going rate of coloring books at any store really but I love these ones and my girls do too. They are good quality and so stinkin cute. Makes me want to take up coloring again. Great for gifts too (just don't buy the crayons or colored pencils at the Dollar Tree to go with these :)

14. Bingo Dabbers: I use these for preschool.

15. Muffin Pans: I am not sure how great these are for baking (though I am sure they are okay) but I use them for gifts like burp cloth cupcakes, or cupcake onesies and also for preschool for sorting colors, counting objects, or holding supplies.

16. Foaming Hand Soap: They didn't have a picture of the foaming hand soap so I used this antibacterial hand soap picture instead but I really want to tell you about the foaming hand soap. It is awesome and I keep reusing the bottles by making my own hand soap to go in them. I have found a pomegranate scent, a coconut lime scent, and a fresh laundry scent.

17. Barbie Tooth Brush (not pictured): I just found these for my girls. A barbie tooth brush, with a little cover and a cute little case. They were in heaven. I mean if a new toothbrush can bring so much joy then I will be happy to stock up.

18. Boxed Milk (not pictured): The brand is Gossner. It comes in a tetrapack. I have not actually drank it just by itself but I am sure it is comparable to reconstituted powdered milk or better. I do however use it in baking ALL THE TIME. I would recommend this as something to have in your emergency storage-for those times when you run out of milk and can't get to the store, or an after hours baking spree in which you don't want to use up all the regular milk. I have used it on my girls oatmeal and they didn't seem to notice. It is easier to use than powdered milk and super handy to have.

19. Soy Sauce (not pictured): just saying that I have used it and it tastes totally normal to me and it is a decent amount for $1.00.

20. Stor It Jumbo Freezer Bags (not pictured): I just happened to find these when I was looking for paper bags one time in the store. They are freezer bags that are bigger than the 1 gallon size. I mean, how many times do you have something that is just a hair too big for a gallon sized bag? Happens to me a lot. These are perfect. I think there are like 10 to a box or something. Maybe I am just a sucker for a zip top bag, but these are great.

Ok, so there you have it and I will keep shopping so I can get back and post a part 3 (because they always get great new stuff).

Have you tried anything from the Dollar Tree store that you just love? Please share.

The LAShop and 1 Great and Affordable Photo Backdrop

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I think it is safe to say that everyone needs a place where they can buy something "unique" for that someone in your life who has everything. Or maybe you just want to give a gift that is different, quirky or one of a kind. Well The LAShop has got your covered. This is the online place to find all sorts of random items, things that are quirky, one of a kind and sometimes even a little wild. The LAShop contacted me a while ago to see if I would be interested in testing out one of their many photography items: a photo backdrop stand. My answer of course was YES!!!!. I have wanted one of these, I can think of many uses for one of these and now I am thrilled to be the owner of one of these. Before I go on, I just have to say that if you are into photography either professionally or as a hobby The LAShop has all kinds of great photography equipment and great prices and deals all the time.

Ok, now to talk about this photography backdrop.

First it shipped super fast. It came in this convenient carrying case.

When you open it there are spaces for the 4 main poles as well as two pockets for the actual stand pieces. One downside is that is didn't have any instructions, but after looking over each piece I figured out exactly how to put it together. One thing that I really love is how many ways you can change the size. You can make it taller, and you can make it wide or narrow depending on what kind of backdrop you need. It can be high and wide enough to fit over a couch (which you could then hide with a draped sheet or piece of fabric) or it could be wide enough to hold a sheet and project a movie onto. You could make it smaller to take individual portraits, or enlarge the whole backdrop and take a group shot. Lots of possibilities.

Here is a little look at it set up to take some pictures in my kitchen.

I don't have many things to use as backdrops right now, but now that I have the stand I will be investing. For now I tried a fleece blanket, and sheets. There are no clamps to hold the material to the stand either. I have been using clothes pins but asked my fabulous hubby for some C-clamps for my birthday coming up.

Ok so the disclaimer is that even though you may own some professional equipment, your kids will not behave any differently because of it and you still may not get great pictures. I did however luck out and get these great shots:

This one I did over my couch, so that my kids could sit on the couch while I took the picture. That was super convenient.

If you are looking for something to help with your photography hobby, or you want something that you can use occassionally that you don't have to break the bank to buy then The LAShop has got you covered. I also loved their photo tents and they have lots of background fabric options as well-seriously-everything you need. Check it out for yourself.

Coffee Filter Sunflower Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It is crazy and wonderful to me, where I get inspiration from sometimes. The inspiration from this project came from a kids craft at out local community center that I saw at a glance after I took a dance fitness class. I saw these cute little sunflowers the kids had made out of coffee filters that they colored with crayons and I saw this wreath in my mind. And I have to say it is even more beautiful than I pictured it. I love how it turned out-so perfectly cheery and welcoming for the summer.

For this you will need:
coffee filters-1 package will do
yellow food coloring plus a drop of orange (I actually used a combo of yellow food coloring and a bit of orange Kool-aid because I didn't have orange food coloring)
Brown terry towel material (an old towel would work for this)
Hot glue
Wreath Base
Something to wrap said wreath base in (I used some fabric scraps but burlap would look awesome too-I didn't have enough)

Step 1: Dye your coffee filters. Let me share a link to my post on how to do this the super quick and easy way using Kool-aid and your dryer. Once these are dry lay 3 or 4 or 5 filters on top of each other. I used a combination of sunflowers made from 3, and from 4 and from 5 on my wreath. Ones made with 5 filters are fluffier.

Step 2: Fold the stack in half.

Step 3: Cut to look flower like. I trimmed some of mine down before cutting the petals so that I would have a variety of shapes of sunflowers. They don't have to be perfect because you can't tell in the final product.

Step 4: Open up the stack and alternate the layers so that all the petals are not laying directly on top of each other.

Step 5: Put a dab of hot glue between each layer.

Step 6: Cut the flower centers from the terry towel and glue in place. I just roughly cut circles.

Step 7: Repeat....A LOT.

Step 8: Wrap your wreath if you haven't already and then begin gluing on the flowers. Alternate them so they aren't all just directly on top of the wreath, have a few to the sides.

And you are done. And it looks AMAZING. I just love how happy it looks. I love sunflowers except for the fact that they loose their petals so quickly and their heads droop. But not this wreath-these babies will last all summer long (unless you put this directly in the sun or where it gets hit with rain...then I can't guarantee how long it will last).

Happy summer everyone.

Also shared here:

Bed Sheet Pajama Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

When I was in college I had to take a parenting class in which we had to write a paper outlining our goals for our future family. Let me tell you that reading that paper now that I have kids is pretty hillarious. I was so clueless about what a real mom did. Most of the goals I set were completely unrealistic. One that I did write down, which I have actually had for a long time was under my "finacial" category. Under that category I said that I would live frugally, and could even make pajama pants out of bed sheets if necessary. I think I have been pretty good at living frugally and I finally crossed off the "making pj's out of bed sheets" goal. Think about it-what is more comfortable than a worn in sheet that keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Not all sheets are created equal but when you find a good one that feels soft and smooth and cool and comfortable you are doomed to want to just hang out in bed all day. Well why not just take the sheet with you? I didn't make these pants because we are too poor to afford regular pajama pants but because I was shopping at our thrift store and happened to find one of those "perfect" sheets that was soft, and smooth and cool feeling and I loved the pattern. I knew exactly what I had to do with it: pj's for my girls.

These are pretty much as easy as you can get. You will need 1 bed sheet (size doesn't matter if you are making kid pants but it might if you are making adult pants) and a pair of pants to use as a pattern (ones that currently fit the same way you want the bed sheet pj's to fit). You will also need 3/4" elastic and small piece of ribbon.

Start by placing one pant leg inside the other on the pair of pj's you are using as a pattern.

Fold over your fabric so that it will be slightly wider than the pj pants and then double it over (so 4 layers total) so that you can cut both pieces out at one time.

Put your pajama pants on the sheet (you should have 2-3 inches at least around the pants).

Pin your pj pants down.

Now cut around the pants. You will want to leave extra room at the top and the bottom to allow for hems (remember that you can always make pants shorter but it is pretty tricky to make them longer). The pants I used as the pattern were getting short on Small Fry so I left extra at the bottom. They were also a bit tight so I cut my pieces about 1 inch bigger all the way around. If the pants you are using for a pattern fit well then you only need to leave about a 1/2 inch around the "pattern" to allow for the seams.

Now open up your fabric and pin the pieces together (right sides together). If you cut them the way I showed in the above picture then the first 2 pieces will form one leg and the second set of pieces will form the other leg.

Stitch the shorter of the two sides seams together-the one on the side with the curved part.

Open each leg piece and place on top of the other-right sides together, matching all the seams and pin along the curve.

Stitch the section that you just pinned. It works best if you kind of lengthen out the seam by holding it as straight as you can like this:

Here is what you should have so far (and you are probably going to look at these and go "Oh geez, I totally just messed up" but you didn't...I promise).

Okay next you need to open these and lay them with one large piece on top of the other (and they should look like pants). The seam that you just sewed (the curved part) is the crotch seam (don't worry, it's acceptable to say crotch when you are talking about sewing stuff). I opened one section flat:

Then I opened the other piece and flipped it to be on top (right sides together) of the other piece. I will be honest and say it is kinda tricky (even looking back at these pictures I am not sure I really captured how to do it).

In the end it should look like this (so just mess around with them until they do):

Before you sew the side seams it is easier to hem the bottoms at this step while they are open and flat.

I serged first but that is not necessary. You can turn the hem twice and get the same effect. I turned mine up a 1/4" and then up 3/4".

Stitch along the top of the hem. Then sew the side seams top to bottom.

Lastly you will make the waste band. I used the pair of pants I used as my pattern to determine how big to make the hem for the waste (you could of course try it on your little model-mine was not home).

The same principle applies here as the leg hems-turn twice and sew once only this time leave an opening to insert the elastic (so don't sew all the same around...I leave a 1 inch opening). The best place to leave it is in the back of the pants. To determine which side is the back lay the pants flat and straighten out the crotch seam-one of the waste pieces should be longer than the other-they should not match up perfectly. The higher of the two is the back (cause it has to cover a little bum that sticks out).

Here is my 1 inch opening.

Measure a piece of elastic that fits around the waste comfortably without being stretched. Place a pin in one end and thread through the hem opening and around the pants waste band.

Pin the ends of the elastic together and stitch (make sure the elastic is not twisted any where in the waste band). Now before you stitch the opening closed, make a little tag out of a folded piece of ribbon. Tuck that in the opening and then stitch it closed.

And there you have it-super comfy and soft, comfortable pj bottoms; as comfortable as your favorite sheet.

Strawberry Shortcake No Bake Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:40:00 +0000

This is what I like to call "A delicious accident." I had company the other night and wanted to make these cake batter no bake cheesecakes that I found on Pinterest but as I got started I found that I didn't have all the right ingredients and then in the process of trying to substitute ingredients plus my common tendency to not read the recipe directions fully, I soon realized that I was not making the recipe anything like it was originally written and so in the process I created my own delicious version of a no bake cheesecake. Think of a moist slice of french vanilla cake with whip cream and strawberries; those are all the tastes that are packed into one little jar.

Here is the recipe: (this makes enough for 6- 1/2 pint jars)

Crust

1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers (this gives you enough to make a thick bottom crust-you can reduce this amount if you just want a thin crust)

1/4 cup butter-melted

2 tbsp sugar

Filling

3/4 of a package of whipped cream cheese (8oz size)

1/2 pint of whipping cream (whipped to stiff peaks with the addition of about a 1/4 cup of sugar)

3/4 cup dry cake batter (I used a french vanilla flavor)

Additional sugar if you want it a bit sweeter

Topping

1 lb of strawberries hulled and sliced

1/4 cup sugar

Start by slicing the strawberries and combining them with the sugar. Set these aside and the sugar will help to create a nice syrup with the strawberries. To make the crust, melt the butter and pour over the graham crackers and sugar. Mix until combined. Spoon into the bottom of the jars. I used another little narrow jar to pack down the filling. Don't bake-just set them aside. Whip the whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add in the sugar (1/4 cup) and continue whipping until it forms stiff peaks. Now to the same bowl with the whipped cream add the cream cheese and the cake batter powder and additional sugar. Stir until combined and smooth. Scoop into the jars. I used a small cookie dough scoop and then smoothed them out with a spatula. Then wipe the jar rims for a nice neat presentation. This makes enough filling to fill the jars 3/4 of the way full. If you are going to serve these right away, add the strawberries. But if you are going to serve these later refrigerate them first and add the strawberries right before serving. A dollop of whipped cream on the top would also be a nice addition. These don't make a huge serving-had I had enough ingredients I could have trippled the batch and eaten WAY more than a decent sized portion of these. This is just the perfect amount. These are not sickening sweet (unless you decide to add additional sugar to each step). They are creamy, they have that yummy cake taste and the strawberries with the simple syrup are the perfect finishing touch. A yummy and refreshing summer dessert. Add blueberries and you could make something really patriotic. Enjoy.

Oversized Window Screen Beach Bag Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A while ago I shared with you this tutorial to make a beach bag out of window screen.

Well I am back now with another window screen beach bag but this is the over sized version. The first ones I made were perfect for one person but I often times found myself having to take 2 or 3 bags to actually fit all of our STUFF when we went swimming or to play in the sand. My friend and I were discussing that exact problem on a day we had taken our kids to play in the sand and both said that we needed a bigger bag. So out of necessity I created the over sized beach bag.

For this project you will need:
Window screen ( I bought a whole roll at Walmart for around $6.00) Unroll the screen and then fold it over so that you can cut a piece that is 24" (wide) by 23" long on the fold. (This is just the size that I made it but you really can make it what ever size you want and then adjust all the other pieces-there isn't a right or wrong size).
Fabric for the gathered ruffle (mine was 6"x 60" long-I wouldn't go shorter than that but you could make it longer and have a more gathered ruffle. You will need 2 pieces this long.) I got this beautiful fabric from Wholeport (and I just have to say as I was browsing again through their fabric selection I fell in love with about 25 new prints in only a couple of minutes)
Fabric for the handle loops: 1 1/2"x 12"
Fabric for the handles: 24"x4 1/2"
4 shower curtain hooks

To begin you will want to cut or tear your fabric for the ruffle and sew a gathering stitch up each long side.

Pull on your threads to gather the ruffle piece. Pin it to each side of the bag piece (not folded over) and adjust the gathers.

Now sew along each long side over top of the basting stitch. Don't worry about sewing the ends to the sides of the bag because they will get sewn in when you sew the sides of the bag. Repeat with the other ruffle on the other side of the bag. Use the first one you did as a guide for matching them up or you could measure too.

With both ruffles sewn in place pin the sides of the bag together and stitch a 1/4" seam.

Notice how the ends of the ruffle were caught in the stitching. Now you can trim that part off.

And it should look like this:

Next you are going to make squared off corners. To do this you will want to make sure the bag is wrong side out and then pull the sides and bottom of the bag out to form a point like this. Line up one side seam directly over top of the other side seam when doing this.

Sew a straight line across the point to form a triangle. I sewed mine so that at the point of the triangle it is 2" to the stitching line. I find a spot on my machine that I can use as a guide when sewing these.

Trim off excess fabric and repeat with the other side.

Turn the bag right side out and it should look like this and you are almost done.

Now hem the top by turning under the screen twice. I did mine a 1/2 inch each time. Pin in place. DON'T IRON IT!!! Now stitch along the bottom of the hem.

Now you will make the handle loops. To do this take your 1 1/2"x 12 inch piece and press it in half (wrong sides together).

Now open it up and press each side in to meet the middle fold and then fold it again.

Now stitch up one side at an 1/8 of an inch.

Cut that piece into 4- 3" pieces.

Now for the trickiest part of the whole bag-placing the loops. The only thing to remember with this step is that what you do to one loop you need to do to all 4. So if you measure in 6 inches and pin the loop and then pin the other side of the loop in 7" (which is what I did) then just remember to do that on the other 3 pieces.

Stitch over the loop ends. I stitch back and forth at the top of my hem and the bottom of my hem to really reinforce the handle loops.

On to making the handles. To make these I took the handle piece of fabric and folded it (right sides together) and stitched a 1/4" seam.

Then I turned it right side out and pressed it so that the seam was in the middle.

Stitch up each side of the handle piece with a 1/8" stitch.

Fold the handle piece in half (first in half width wise and then lengthwise) and measure down from the middle 1 1/2" and mark it with a pin.

Stitch from pin to pin creating a narrower section on each handle in the middle. I find it rests on my shoulders a bit better when I do this. Repeat with the other handle.

Lastly fold up 1/2" and then 3/4" on each end and pin.

Sew along the top only of this fold. Repeat on each end of each handle

Now loop the shower curtain hooks through the bag loops and the loops on the handles and then snap closed.

And you are done. Now you have a cute and very functional beach bag that doesn't trap all the sand from the beach and also helps your wet stuff air dry a bit while it is in the bag. It isn't washable in a washing machine but you could easily spray it off.

And it holds A LOT of stuff.

This project is quick and easy and pretty inexpensive. And you should have enough window screen left over to make one for someone else too. A great gift idea for the summer as well or for someone lucky enough to use it in a tropical location.

The Mommy Comparison Trap-A Real Mommy Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I wonder if pioneer women ever experienced mom envy or the mommy comparison trap? What about the pilgrims or viking women? Do women in 3rd world countries ever compare themselves to each other? I wonder if it is a "woman" thing or just something that plagues our society? What ever it is and what ever the reason for it, I find myself doing it way too often and in the process I always feel like I fall at the bottom of the "good mommy" ladder. Now I am not writing this to solicit comments telling me that I am a good mom. I am writing this because it happens to me and I wonder if it happens to you and what do you do about it.

I love going out with my kids and visiting with other moms and letting my kids play but so often when I do I come home and think of all the things that I do or don't do that must make me not as good as the other moms. I love reading blogs and checking Facebook but so often when I do I find myself comparing my kids to someone else's kids or my lack of social activities to someones obviously more exciting social life and I compare the way that I do things with how others do them and short change myself too much. I mean being a parent is a tough job and since there is no correct manual and just a ton of "ideas" on how to do it, my best and someone else's best can be worlds apart and while neither may be correct it is hard not to compare. Am I a bad mom because I want to send my kid to public school and I let them watch tv and they often times choose something with sugar in it for a snack-multiple times a day? Am I bad mom because we eat processed food or something that comes from a can? Am I a bad mom because my kids cry and don't always share and often times forget their manners? I am not an organic buff, or an exercise buff or a gluten free buff....heck, I am not even buff. Does that put me in the bad mom or good mom category? My kids hate hair bows and flowers, they wear the craziest outfits sometimes and they don't match. Am I bad for letting them pick out their own clothes or am I a bad mom for making them wear something "nice" for the day? I mean the list goes on and on. Who is doing it right and who is doing it wrong? Does it matter how we each do it? With some things yes but with most things there is no right or wrong. The internet makes it seem so black and white, "How to end the meltdowns" or "How to stop whining" or "How to get your kids to listen to what you say" like as if all you had to do were these 25 easy steps and your life would be perfect. I read those lists and I try and do some of the things and then I get on Pinterest or something and find out there is a whole new list of steps to try and I think, "Good grief, now what am I not doing?" I have to say that before I had really good friends and it was just me and my two little girls and we did things mainly on our own life was good and now life is still really good but man it is much harder now that we have so many others to compare to. I know I am just doing the best that I can. And I know that every other mom is too. I continually tell myself, "No ones life is all roses, everyone has their thorns, you may not visibly see them but every mom has her set of battles," and the truth be told, if I had to choose between someone else's and my own battles I would probably always decide to just stick with my own. So really there is no reason to compare at all. I guess it is just human weakness-one that seems to affect me all too often. Does it ever happen to you and what do you do to keep from falling in the comparison trap?

A Few "Other" Uses For A George Foreman Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Do you have a George Foreman grill? I know-seems like they are very "1990's" or something. I think thrift store shelves are lined with them-not necessarily because they are bad but probably because people just didn't feel like it was something they used enough to warrent shelf space. I have never been a fan myself basically for only one reason-my college roommate. When I was in college I had a roommate that had one of these and she always left the little grease catching dish on the counter for days after she used it, filled with grease. Drove me absolutely crazy and smelled bad too. I swore I would never have one. And then I got married....and I inherited not only my husbands but we also got one as a gift. So I had to figure out a few ways to use it and guess what? I actually LOVE my George Foreman grill and I found out that there are a few different ways to use it. I know, random post, but I thought that in case anyone else has one of these and is not sure what to do with it now you will have a few more options.

1. Grilled chicken: I use my George Foreman grill to grill chicken for salads, pizza or tacos when firing up the BBQ would be silly to cook only 1 or 2 pieces of chicken. It is much more convenient to just grill it on my counter. I cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise to help it cook faster and more evenly and I always drizzle a tiny bit of oil on the chicken while cooking it because it helps to keep it from burning. The taste is excellent and it is so easy (especially if you don't feel like you are barbecue inclined.)

2. The next best thing to a fire roasted hot dog: A hot dog cooked over some form of flame is one of my favorite things. I like them slightly burned on the outside. Again, like with the chicken, when I am on my own with the kids I don't always feel like turning on the BBQ to cook 3 hot dogs and I certainly am not going to be lighting up a fire. But did you know that a George Foreman grill can cook a hot dog to a very nice slightly blackened state that is delicious? I put the hot dogs in the grill (3 at a time) and just rotate them every few minutes until they are cooked just the way I like them on the outside. You can even do this with frozen hot dogs. They cook so well. This is one of my favorite way to use my grill. No smoke, no smelly clothes and quick and easy clean up.

3. Pizza Panini's: I don't have a panini pan and I have seen plenty recipes that call for one but I honestly don't have room for another appliance. This week when I pinned a recipe for grilled pizza sandwiches I decided to try and grill it on my George Foreman grill and the result was EXCELLENT. The grill worked perfectly. The sandwich was toasted perfectly, crusty but not burned, the inside was melted and gooey with cheese and pizza sauce and I think I just found another new favorite and easy way to make pizza. I followed this recipe from Our Best Bites except that I brushed the outside of mine with olive oil.

4. Grilled Cheese: Since the panini's worked so well on the grill I figured that a plain old grilled cheese sandwich would work good too. The only thing you want to be sure of is that you use thick bread. Brush the outside with olive oil or melted butter. Olive oil results in a perfect crunch and has a very yummy taste.

My next idea: french toast. I haven't tried it yet but I will let you know how it turns out.

So in case you thought this little "lean, mean, grilling machine" was only for burgers now you know that there is so much more you can do with it. And if you don't have one and have the room in your house for another appliance pick one up at a thrift store just to have for these quick and easy ideas. You won't be disappointed. And I am not even getting paid to say that.

Baby Boy Ideas Galore at Blue Cricket Design

noreply@blogger.com (Small Fry and Co.) — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Need boy ideas? Blue Cricket Design has got you covered. Since she just had her own sweet little man she is sharing all kinds of ideas for boys from clothes, to books, to things to make including my tutorial for a "lil stinker" onesie.

Head on over to Blue Cricket Design and browse for a bit. There are lots of cute ideas.