Soxy's Diamond

Cranberry Eggnong Cake Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

This month's Improv Cooking challenge was to make a recipe using eggnong and cranberries.

What is the Improv Cooking Challenge? Every month the host gives you two ingredients you must use in a recipe and a date by which you have to complete your recipe and blog post. The goal is to see the many creative ways people combine the two ingredients and share lots of delicious recipes!

This was a little difficult for me because I absolutely loathe eggnong. I didn't want to miss out on the challenge though, so after much thought I decided to go with cake mixed with an eggnong buttercream to create cakballs. If you've never tried cakeballs (or cakepops) you absolutely MUST check out Bakerella's blog. She was the inspiration for these balls and no...mine look nothing like hers :)

Normally I like to try and make everything from scratch but this time I cheated a bit.

Cranberry Cake
The Ingredients

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries (i prefer fresh over Craisins but you could use those as well)

The Instructions

Chop up the cranberries using a food processor or something similar. I used my Vitamix
Mix 3/4 - 1 cup cranberries with cake batter and bake following cake instructions for a 13 x 9 pan
Remove cake and follow cooling instructions - it is OK if it crumbles as you take it out, because you'll be crumbling it anyway once completely cooled

Eggnog Frosting

The Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup eggnog (I used cinnamon eggnog)
pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt

The Instructions

Beat the butter in your Kitchen Aid or hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy
Slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until mixed well
Add the remaining ingredients and mix 1-2 minutes on medium

Cake Balls

The Instructions

Follow Bakerella's Instructions to form the cake balls but basically

Crumble the cooled cake into a bowl
Incorporate frosting
Roll into 1 inch balls
Place in the fridge to harden
Dip in melted chocolate

Pin It

Some thoughts - the cinnamon was a little strong. I prefer it that way, since I don't like the taste of eggnong, but if you make this you might want to use regular, instead of cinnamon, eggnog. The cranberry flavor was very mild, so add more if you want a stronger flavor.

I got lots of great feedback on these, as I served them as part of my cookie party the following day! I would have liked to decorate them and make them look a little more festive, but my chocolate dried too quickly. 'doh! Next time!!

Here are my recipes from the previous challenges:

October: Caramel Apple Trifle
November: Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Click on the Improv Challenge button below if you want to learn more, or participate in future challenges. Next month's ingredients are lemon and sour cream.

Visit the other challenge recipes below:

Christmas Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:36:00 +0000

I say this over on my friend Dawn's blog, and thought it would be fun to post. I hope you guys share in the fun!

1. Worst Christmas song?
Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
I know...it was made to raise funds and awareness about hunger in Ethiopia and while I 100% commend them on that, the song is just horrid. Bono kills me a little bit inside every time he sings "Well tonight thank God its them instead of you" *shutter*

2. If you were a Christmas character, who would you be?
Hmmmm - Tough One. I guess Clarice from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She loves Rudolph despite his differences and I think that's sweet.

Image Source

3. What type of decoration should stop being made?
Tinsel! Or no, wait....those damn LED Christmas lights that say they are white, but look blue! I hate those. I love their energy efficiency but hate the color.

4. Tastiest holiday treat?
Hot chocolate with peppermint, or Christmas cookies. Mmmmm cookies. Wait until I tell you about my cookie party!

5. Favorite pop culture Christmas icon?
Is it sad that I don't think I have one? I'll go with Buddy the Elf because he seems a popular choice.

6. Know how to make cookies/brownies/cake from scratch?
Sure do - and made a bunch of different types for my cookie party -- now I really need to write about it!

7. Ever cut your mouth on a candy cane/candy?
I don't think so...but can I tell you that I'm totally disturbed by candy canes right now? We were playing a Christmas trivia game and learned that the red stripes in candy canes signify the blood of Christ and the the white stripes signify that we should always be pure b/c Jesus died for our sins. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against people who are religious and believe strongly in these things, but somehow sucking on the blood of Christ grosses me out. And before you say anything, no, I'm not Catholic and don't take communion. Also, interesting to note that candy canes aren't meant to be shaped like a hook, like we commonly see them. They were intended to be in the shape of a "J" for Jesus.

8. What other country would you like to experience Christmas traditions?
Well, I have already been able to experience Christmas in Germany. I loved their Christmas Markets filled with traditional German gifts and many other wonderful things (like Glühwein made from mulled wine)

Image Source

So I think next I'd like to experience Christmas in Finland. Afterall that's where Santa Claus lives (along with our good friends) and I'd like to see some real Reindeer!

9. What kind of pattern/pictures do you like on your wrapping paper?
Depends on who I'm wrapping the gift for! I do have to tell you my recent favorite paper was one I found with vintage Strawberry Shortcake in a Christmas theme. Awesome!

10. Will you make a Christmas picture for your blog/Facebook profile?
Specifically? No.However we did have cards made and maybe I'll post it.

11. Three best things about Christmas?
Spending time with family and loved ones, finding the perfect gift for someone and seeing their joy when they receive it and Christmas lights/decorations (as long as they aren't before Thanksgiving!!!)

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:11:00 +0000

A Few of My Favorite Charities

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:19:00 +0000

Yesterday I wrote about a few ways you can pay it forward this holiday season.

One of the ways I like to pay it forward is by raising funds or personal donations to well-deserved charities.
When it comes time for charitable giving, it's often hard to decide where you should donate. For me, there are a list of charities I hope to always support (at least until there is no need for the charity any longer - that is my hope for many listed below).

I urge you to consider each one of the local and/or national organizations below when you are making a donation. Look for a future post on how to help when financial donations just aren't possible.

Compassionate Care ALS - In Sept 2010 my mother was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The cause of ALS is not known, and there is no cure. When my mother was given her diagnosis, I felt lost. I'll tell that story another time, but through the grace of friendship I was connected to CCALS.

CCALS doesn't work to find a cure for ALS. There are already many organizations out there raising funds to do so. It's not that those organizations don't need more money, they absolutely do, but CCALS takes a different approach. They focus on each individual patient and what their CURRENT needs are. They stand by each person during their ALS journey and provide advice, expensive equipment to make patients lives easier, medicine bags, and really ANYTHING you and your family need to make your lives even a little bit easier.

They have scooters to help patients get around, they know how to work with insurance companies, if they don't have something you need they know how to get it. They help pay for things like craniosacral therapy if that helps the person with ALS. They have support groups for caregivers. Really, what they do is limitless and a value can't be placed on their care and understanding.

Donations of any amount are always welcome and appreciated. You can make a donation in memory or in honor of someone. Any donations in honor of my mom, Carol M. are always appreciated!
American Heart Association - My grandfather died of heart disease in 2004. Prior to that he suffered strokes and had a triple bi-pass surgery. My father had open-heart surgery in 2008. He had to have an aortic valve replacement. My grandmother died of heart disease in 2009. Do you see where I'm going with this? Heart disease runs rampant in my family. The more that is known about heart disease, the better chance my family has of surviving. I haven't worked with any local heart associations, so I support the AHA and give a HUGE shout out to the Cardiovascular specialists at Cape Cod Hospital, in particular Dr. Robert Rizzo.

Andrea Holden Thanksgiving Race - My dear friend Heather lost her 7 year old sister due to a sudden illness in 1990. The family has held a race for the past 11 years around Thanksgiving to raise money for the health and well being of kids on Cape Cod. While the race generates the majority of their funds, you can donate here, year round.

Boston Terrier Rescue - There are many BT rescue organizations, but this BT Tea Party Rescue league is local to me. This league rescues Bostons and provides them foster care, permanent home placement and any needed veterinary care. My Boston is such a big part of my life, I would hope that if something unfortunate were to happen that he'd find an organization or family to take great care of him.
Liz Logelin Foundation - I didn't know Liz, nor do I know her husband (although I have met him at a Book Signing and conversed on Twitter) or ever met her daughter. However, I started reading Matt's blog in May of 2008 and was immediately drawn in. I read every single back post and started anxiously awaiting updates about his beautiful daughter, Madeline. I'd often cry/laugh/smile reading his posts and pass the computer, or a link on to my husband and friends to read. From horrible tragedy has come an amazing foundation set up by Matt in memory of his wife. The Liz Logelin foundation helps widows and widowers with young families.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - It's astonishing that a taboo topic such as suicide is so prevalent in today's society. It takes two hands for me to count the number people I know who have taken, or tried to take, their own lives.Suicide is 100% preventable. Arming yourself with just a little bit of knowledge can be a powerful thing.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society - My Aunt and an ex suffered from MS. I used to do the MS walk every year and raise funds from friends and loved ones. My Aunt belonged to a group called "Hopeful Wheelers" which was a bowling league for people with MS.

In addition, I try and support each one of my friends when they do a walk or run to raise money for something personal to them. What are some of your favorite charities?

Ways to Pay It Forward This Holiday Season

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:11:00 +0000

I try and be thankful for all I have during the year, but lets face it sometimes it's difficult to look outside of your particular situation and realize how much you have to be thankful for.

It's often this time of year I realize I haven't done enough giving - or volunteering - and it's something I hope to work on moving forward. I want to consistently give back to those less fortunate than my family, and support those I love.

Sure, money becomes tighter for many of us around the holidays, but as Samantha points out, there are many ways to donate without spending a lot of money.

Here are some ways I currently like to do to pay it forward, or ways I hope to start this coming year. I hope you will join me!!

Compassionate Care ALS - CCALS has become part of my family. In Sept 2010 my mother was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. As I wrote about earlier, I hope to start using my blog as a platform to drive awareness around ALS as I've learned most people don't know anything about this debilitating and invariably fatal disease. The cause of ALS is not known, and there is no cure.

CCALS doesn't work to find a cure for ALS. There are already many organizations out there raising funds to do so. It's not that those organizations don't need more money, they absolutely do, but CCALS takes a different approach. They focus on each individual patient and what their CURRENT needs are. They stand by each person during their ALS journey and provide advice, expensive equipment to make patients lives easier, medicine bags, and really ANYTHING you and your family need to make your lives even a little bit easier.

They have scooters to help patients get around, they know how to work with insurance companies, if they don't have something you need they know how to get it. They help pay for things like craniosacral therapy if that's something that helps the person with ALS. They have support groups for caregivers. Really, what they do is limitless and a value can't be placed on their care and understanding.

Donations of any amount are always welcome and appreciated. You can make a donation in memory or in honor of someone. Any donations in honor of my mom, Carol M. are always appreciated!

Look for another post this week talking about some more of my favorite charities.

Donations to your local Food Bank. Melissa gives some pretty staggering hunger statistics over on her blog. She decided to use her blog for good, and rent advertising space for three months. She will be donating 100% of proceeds to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. Here are some ways you can help:

Rent ad space from Melissa for three months to promote your blog, or small business (you can help others while helping yourself!)
Contact your local food bank and start a similar program to Melissa - using your blog to raise donations
Organize a canned food drive in your neighborhood and deliver to a local food bank
Volunteer your time to serve meals and organize food at a local food bank

Donations to your local Animal Shelter, Vet Office or Humane Society. It's no secret around here that I love my dog. We bring him to daycare every day so he gets lots of cuddle and play time while we're at work.

One thing I've learned is that shelters/vets offices/doggie daycare, etc always looking for old sheets, blankets and towels to use. When you're cleaning out your closets, put together a bag and encourage others to do the same
Contact your local animal shelter to see if they need volunteers to walk, feed and bathe the animals
Contact your local animal shelter to see what types of food donations they could use

Organize a Santa Gift Drive - One of the things I am most proud of is something I did many years ago. I contacted a local homeless shelter and had them gather a wish list of things the residents would like to receive for Christmas. I took the list and put each item on a star and hung it on a tree at my office at work. Employees would take a star, purchase the gift and bring it back to the office wrapped with the star attached. I grouped each gift by family and delivered to the homeless shelter. I also collected cash donations and purchased any remaining "stars" and donated the rest of the money to the shelter. I was so happy that I was able to provide a Christmas to people who otherwise wouldn't have been able to celebrate. It was also a great way to connect with co-workers and really feel the Christmas spirit.

Practice Random Acts of Kindness - This is something I started doing after reading some great blog posts about RAoK. I am going to start a portion of my blog to talk about each thing I've done throughout the year. It's not to brag about it, but because I when I'm feeling down I want to remember things I've done to bring a smile to someone face. I also hope to encourage others to do the same. I've already started on this task and love that sometimes when I do something SH will ask "Was that your random act for the day?"

What are some ways you like to pay it forward?

Hop On Over To Filling Our Bucket

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:38:00 +0000

Hey guys!

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and were able to celebrate with friends, family and loved ones.

Today I have a featured guest post on my friend Melissa's blog, Filling Our Bucket. I talk about holiday stress and how Pinterest has added to that stress, because now there are SO many things I want to do, it's hard to make a decision.

Hop on over and check it out - while you're there check out the rest of Melissa's blog where she talks about being a mom, struggles with PPD, home organization and more. She's also had some pretty fun giveaways in the past - including an iPad 2!!! I'm sure she has lots more to come.

Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Before I get to my recipe, I'd like to take a moment to say I hope that everything is OK with Sheryl from Lady Behind the Curtain. I'm not sure she'd ever see this, but you've been in my thoughts. And with that, I would also like to thank Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker for taking over the Improv Cooking Challenge.

What is the Improv Cooking Challenge? Every month the host gives you two ingredients you must use in a recipe and a date by which you have to complete your recipe and blog post. The goal is to see the many creative ways people combine the two ingredients and share lots of delicious recipes!

The month of November the two ingredients were pumpkin and cream cheese.

I made a Pumpkin Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cake Recipe
The Ingredients:
Apples

3T unsalted butter
4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and diced)
3T sugar
1t cinnamon

Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) room temperature unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream
2T granulated sugar
2t pumpkin pie spice
1t baking soda
2 eggs

The Instructions:

Apples

Melt butter in a large, nonstick, pan over medium-high heat
Add the apples and cook 5-7 minutes until the apples begin to brown
Add the sugar & cinnamon & cook another 3 minutes or so until golden brown
Set aside in a bowl to cool (and try not to eat it all!!)
Time saving hint: make the day before or substitute a large can of apple pie apples. Just make sure to chop them up a bit smaller and be careful not to get too much of the syrup. I strongly suggest making your own apple mixture, although I may be biased!

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a 9-inch pan, a springform would probably be best, but I didn't have one so I used a 9" square pan (I also sprayed some Pam after I buttered the pan which worked out well, because upon cooling the cake started to recede from the sides)
Combine flour, brown sugar, butter & salt into a mixing bowl and beat until crumbly
Set aside 2/3 cup of the mixture for topping
Beat pumpkin, sour cream, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda into the remaining flour mixture
Beat until smooth (there may be some butter lumps, that's ok) and then beat in eggs
Pour patter into the buttered pan
Sprinkle apples evenly over the top and then sprinkle flour topping over apples
Bake about 50 minutes, or until the top is brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean
Cool for at least 20 minutes
Try and ignore the cute begging puppy at your feet

Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

The Ingredients:

3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
3 oz cream cheese
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup (or more) heavy whipping cream

The Instructions:

Blend sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla in a blender/processor alternating between on/off (I used my Vitamix, it was perfect)
Blend in cream to form a thick, but pourable icing
Do not overmix

Pin It

My husband, who refuses to eat anything with a mention of pumpkin or cream cheese really enjoyed this dessert (fine, I didn't tell him what was in it ahead of time). I think I will make it again for a Thanksgiving dessert!

Check out the other recipes as part of this challenge below

Linking up to the following parties:

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 03:49:00 +0000

....but names can still hurt me. Even when those names aren't directed towards me specifically.

Today my mom told me a story that absolutely broke my heart. She was ordering a coffee at the drive through at Dunkin' Donuts. After taking her order, the employee must have left her headset on by accident and said "What is she, some sort of retard?"

My mother is not a retard.
My mother is brave.
My mother is strong.
My mother is beautiful.
My mother has ALS.

In September 2010 my mother was diagnosed with one of the most horrific diseases imaginable. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) has no known cause, or cure. It is a (usually) quick progressing disease that robs people of being able to control their motor skills and leaves to eventual death. Of course it is much more than this, and I hope to bring more awareness to the general public about ALS in future blog posts.

Image Source

There are two primary types of ALS. The less common is a Bulbar onset, and this is the type my mom has. What this means is my mom's symptoms have started with her losing control over the mobility of her tongue and she often times had difficultly speaking clearly and swallowing. Many times, especially when she is tired her speech is a bit slurred.

She just finished hosting friends from California for almost a week. That means she spent the week talking more than normal, engaging in more activities than she normally would and was all around just more tired. Let's face it, we're all tired after we have house guests, but for my mom it's a more difficult recovery.

So when my mom ordered her coffee today, I'm sure her speech was slurred. And the last thing she needed to hear was some drive through worker calling her a retard - even if it wasn't meant for her to hear.

I immediately went into a tirade saying she should have demanded to speak with the store manager. But my mother took another route. She looked the woman right in the face (woman, not teenager) and said "No, I am not a retard. I have a disease which affects my speech." and left it at that. She said the woman's face turned beat red and then she drove away.

The thing is, that woman may have felt embarrassed or bad for a few minutes and then I'm sure her day continued. But for my mom, I know those words will stick with her. And with me.

I'm definitely guilty of saying things I don't mean - or don't mean literally, however I've decided to make it a priority from this point forward to try and make a change. Calling people names, no matter how innocent, is not ok. You never know how it will be interpreted and who you will hurt in the process.

What about you? Have you ever been in a situation where someone called you a name that upset you, or inadvertently said something that hurt someone else? I'd love to hear from you.

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions Follow-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:36:00 +0000

About a month and a half ago I wrote about my sensitive skin and current acne issues.
I was excited about trying the Natural Skin Solutions products, and wanted to update you the staus:

I'm hoping it helps clear up my skin problems.

Well, this did not happen. My skin is as bad as ever, however I do NOT blame that on the products I tried. They weren't targeted to help clear skin, they are made to be gentle on sensitive skin and they ARE. I was impressed with how clean my skin felt after using the face wash and loved that they were scent-free

I love Burt's Bees® products. All of their products are free of phthalates, parabens and soduium lauryl sulfate. The Sensitive Skin line contains 99% natural ingredients like cotton (seriously!!), rice and aloe.

Yep! So true. You can learn more about their sensitive skin products here.

Plus, this stuff is less expensive than my normal skincare products so if it works not only will my skin be clearer, but I'll be putting less chemicals onto my body and I'll be saving money!!!

I'm also not entirely sure saving money would be the truth. The one thing I didn't like about the products is that I continually squeezed more out than was necessary. I went through the products in less than a month and that isn't typical for me. That would mean I'd need to buy more often, thus likely not saving money.

I have not ruled out using Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Care products in the future. I think I really need to focus on getting my skin back to a healthy state, and then introduce this product line. It's hard to find a good, environmentally friendly, sensitive skin care product and this definitely fits the bill!

Have you tried Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin products? What did you think? If not, what do you use?

Disclosure: I'm a BzzAgent and have been provided a sample of the Burt's Bees® products in exchange for sharing my experience with others. All opinions on the Burt's Bees® products are my own. If you are interested in a $1 coupon and single use of the Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream please let me know.

Chilly Sunday Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

We've sure had some surprised in Massachusetts this past week. When SHand I returned home from a work trip in NYC on Thursday night, we were greeted with snow. Then yesterday we had a Nor'Easter and got 3" of wet, heavy snow...all before Halloween!

I decided this morning that some warm comfort food was in order for the chilly football Sunday.

Chilly Sunday Chili

1 Medium Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
Celery Stalks
1 Green Pepper
2 Jalapeno Peppers
Olive Oil

3 lbs. Ground Turkey

1 14.4 oz Can Diced Tomato w/ Jalapeno
1 28 oz Can Crushed Tomato (No Salt Added)
1 15.5 oz Can Garbanzo Beans *you can add any beans, pintos are most common in chili

Chili Powder to taste
Season Salt to taste
Crushed Red Pepper to taste
2 tsp Cacao Powder

Dice your onion, celery, green pepper, jalapeno and garlic and add to a heated pan with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat. Cook until onion starts to get translucent.

Add the ground turkey and mix thoroughly with the vegetables. Cook until the turkey is almost completely cooked through and drain off fat. (While the turkey is cooking, prep your crock pot and turn the heat on low)

Mix the turkey with both cans of tomatoes and drained/rinsed garbanzo beans. Add the spices to your linking. Just remember, the longer you cook your chili, the stronger your flavors will become.

I didn't measure my spices, but I know I only had a couple teaspoons of chili powder left and I usually like to add 4-5. I compensated by adding some Paprika in addition to the spices listed above. I just sprinkled the spices until they covered the chili and mixed them in. This version was a little bit hotter than I would normally make, but it's cold out!

One ingredient you should always add to your chili is Cacao powder.

Why?

Well it adds another dimension of flavor to your chili. A rich, roasted flavor. The longer you let it cook, the deeper the color of your chili will become. Plus cacao powder is full of healthy antioxidants and the acidity helps tenderize your meat (so you should also add it to your next beef stew!)

I got this cacao powder in the Dominican Republic, but you should be able to find some at your local grocery store.

Let your chili cook in your crock pot for a minimum of 5 hours on low.

Top it with grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream or just serve as is. Eat it with crushed up crackers on top, Italian bread, or put it in a sourdough bread bowl.

And on this football Sunday, GO PATRIOTS!!!!!

Original Photo Source

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Caramel Apple Trifle

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Recently I was invited to take part in a fun Improv Cooking challenge from Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain.

Every month she gives you two ingredients you must use in a recipe and a date by which you have to complete your recipe and blog post.

The month of October the two ingredients were apples and caramel.

What I like about this challenge is that she doesn't try and trick us into combining two totally random ingredients like ostrich eggs and cow tongue, rather ingredients that compliment each other. The goal is to see the many creative ways people combine the two ingredients and share lots of delicious recipes!

Once I learned of the ingredients I got to thinking about my recipe.

One of my favorite desserts growing up is my (Great) Aunt Eileen's super-easy Black Forest Trifle. It combines three of my favorite things: Chocolate, Cherries and Cool Whip!! Stay with me, I know there aren't apples or caramel in a Black Forest Trifle, but I'm getting there.

I'm not entirely creative when it comes to creating my own recipes, but I realized I could use my Aunt Eileen's dessert as inspiration for a Caramel Apple Trifle (or as I like to now call it, New England Forest Trifle).

The Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package of vanilla-flavored sugar-free pudding*
1 21oz can of apple pie filling (I would have used sugar-free if I had found it)
Caramel ice cream topping
1 container Cool Whip Free (thawed)

The Instructions:

Bake the cake per the instructions on the box in a 19x13" pan and let cool
Prepare the pudding per the instructions on the box and chill in the fridge at least 1/2 hour
Once cake is cool, cut into cubes
Mix 3-4 TBS (or to taste) of the caramel ice cream topping with the chilled vanilla pudding
Mix 3-4 TBS (or to taste) of the caramel ice cream topping with the thawed Cool Whip
Layer the bottom of a Trifle Bowl with 1/2 of the cake cubes
Layer 1/2 of the apple pie filling over the cake cubes (I liked to cut my apples up into smaller pieces)
Layer 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the apple pie filling
Layer 1/2 of the Cool Whip over the pudding
Repeat Layers
Chill at least 8 hours (if you can wait that long!)
Drizzle caramel ice cream topping over the top of the entire thing
ENJOY!

This is an extremely easy, light and tasty dessert that is sure to impress friends and family. The best part is the dessert is entirely customizable.

I went the easy route and used a bunch of prepared items (which isn't usually my style). However, if you have your own cake and pudding recipes you can easily replace those. Of course you can sweeten your own fresh apples after a weekend of apple picking and the cool whip could be home-made whipped cream. It's entirely up to you!

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you thought of it. Here are some of the reviews I got this past weekend:
"OMG! What is this?!?! It is soooo good I cannot stop eating it!!!"
"Can you PLEASE send me this recipe? It's such a light dessert and tastes incredible"
"We absolutely LOVED that apple trifle"

*You may notice in the ingredients picture I don't have a box of pudding, rather pre-made Kozy Shack Gluten-Free Creme Caramel Flan. I do NOT recommend using this in your trifle. When I mixed it up it was lumpy and appeared rather unappetizing. Take my advice and used the boxed vanilla pudding instead!

Ten Words That Make Me Cringe

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Do you have favorite words? Or words that you just can't stand? Me too. Below is a simple list of 10 words from the English language that I just can't stomach.

Moist (Ewwwwwwww - I think most people will agree with me on this one!)
Cash (I like to have it, but prefer not to call it the "C" word!)
Tweak (And any form of it)
Chunky (Reminds me of vomit. Every. Time.)
Irregardless (B/C it's not a word!)
Caulk (Do you pronounce the "L" or no?)
Obvi (ously...this isn't a real word)
Totes (I don't like it whether it's an annoying abbreviation of "totally" or a "tote" bag - either way, no)
Vlog (Sounds like some sort of disease!)
Delish (Same with Presh and Yumm-O which is totally different, but I ran out of space!)

The worst part is every once in a while I'll catch myself saying one of these (Especially #1 which makes me cringe every time it comes out of my mouth. How else can you describe an exceptionally good cake or cupcake? You can't call it damp!! Help?!?!)

Linking up

Do You Have Sensitive Skin?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:14:00 +0000

Growing up I used to get many compliments from friends, family and even strangers on my skin. While once in a while I'd get the occasional blemish, I never dealt with acne issues (even during those awkward teen years.)

Lately it seems as if things have changed. To put it mildly...my skin is a mess.

See:

While the most noticeable area affected has been my cheeks, my chin has become ruddy and bumpy and my skin is extremely dry. I even have peeling issues around my eyelid area. I thought this was because of the dry air last winter....but ummm....right....it's been almost a year and no matter how much I moisturize it doesn't get better.

I've been dealing with other health-realted issues and thought they might be the cause. Because of those issues and some stuff going on at work, I've also been under an extreme amount of stress. These things combined could be irritating my skin.

My regular skincare routine obviously hasn't been working, so when I was presented the opportunity from BzzAgent to try out the Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin I jumped on it!

I'm excited to try out these products for a few reasons.

Of course the first one is obviously I'm hoping it helps clear up my skin problems.

The second is because I love Burt's Bees® products. All of their products are free of phthalates, parabens and soduium lauryl sulfate. The Sensitive Skin line contains 99% natural ingredients like cotton (seriously!!), rice and aloe.

Plus, this stuff is less expensive than my normal skincare products so if it works not only will my skin be clearer, but I'll be putting less chemicals onto my body and I'll be saving money!!!

I'll report back on my findings in a few weeks and provide a full product review. In the mean time, if you want to learn more check out the Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Website or Like Burt's Bees® on Facebook.

What do you use on your skin? I know many of my friends have turned to drugs like Accutane while others still swear on the same Neutrogena products we used in the 6th grade.

I'm hoping a combination of drinking more water, trying to eat better and using these new products will really help me out over the next few weeks. Fingers crossed!

Disclosure: I'm a BzzAgent and have been provided a sample of the Burt's Bees® products in exchange for sharing my experience with others. All opinions on the Burt's Bees® products are my own. If you are interested in a $1 coupon and single use of the Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream please let me know.

Updating Soxy's Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 01:58:00 +0000

Please bear with me as I start migrating my Blogspot blog to Wordpress.

I started making changes tonight and the site was down for a while, and hope you stick with me while I go through this!

Many thanks,
SoxyLady

Photo Source

Top Ten Quotes from Pinterest This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Here are ten quotes from Pinterest that really resonated with me this week. It's amazing how so few words can help comfort you during a difficult time - or help you realize how truly lucky you are.

Over the past week I've dealt with a lot of internal struggles and sadness, but from that came reassurance that I 100% am the luckiest woman in the world to be married to SH. It's not that I didn't know it already, just sometimes it's easy to take for granted how good things in your life really are and how strong a bond you share with the one you love.

Source: livetoinspire.tumblr.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: None via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: leilockheart.me via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: notonthehighstreet.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: img5.visualizeus.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: None via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: bellamumma.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: indierocket.com via Soxy on Pinterest

Source: None via Soxy on Pinterest

I linked up to the following parties today:

What I Want Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:33:00 +0000

The last time I did a "What I Want" was in January and just days later I ended up buying one of my wishes, a Vitamix Blender.

I decided I shouldn't do those posts because my "wants" become more like "obsessions" and I'm just not strong enough.

But thanks to Pinterest (and of course, Etsy) my wants/obsessions have multiplied by 100.

I think it will be interesting to track patters of the things I want at certain periods of time to reflect on who I am at that moment.

Or I just want someone to tell me to go ahead and get all of the lovely things I want (and then if you want to buy them for me too, that would be great).

I want a bird necklace from Tyra Hand Made Jewelry

The first time I saw the necklace on the left I knew I wanted it. I sent it to SH and he was all for me placing the order. But before placing the order, I ventured through Tyra's Etsy shop and absolutely fell in love with the necklace on the right.

What to do?! They are both so adorable. I think I'm leaning towards the one on the right but haven't fully decided. I do need to figure it out quick before one (or both) disappears!

I want another necklace but this one is coral and turquoise.

I found the necklace on the left on Pinterest.

I.Want.It.

It is from an old Etsy listing and is no longer available. I did some searching and found a similar necklace (the one on the right) but it's not exactly the same and I don't love it nearly as much. I really like the silver and the double chain.

My hope is to find all the pieces and re-create the original on my own.

I want to redecorate a room in my house with one of my favorite color combinations.

Turquoise and Coral, Turquoise and Lime, Purple and Lime, Pink and Grey

Before you ask. Yes, that is a picture of a nursery. No, there is no reason I have to decorate a nursery I'm purely looking at the color combination. Good, now that we've gotten that out of the way.

I'm not afraid of color or using it in our house. We have a purple bathroom, a cranberry red dining room and a slate blue bathroom with lime green accents. The walls in my kitchen are yellow with a purple accent wall.

When we bought our house every.single.room was seafoam green. We needed to quickly decide on new paint colors so we could have everything repainted before we moved in. I love every single color we chose and am still happy with them all.

The thing I am not happy with is pulling together these rooms and having them decorated in manner that makes my house feel like a home.

In that aspect I sometimes wish I could repaint some rooms...and maybe at some point I will. But for now I need to scratch this color itch. I think I'm going to start with our 1/2 bath. Since the walls are already purple I could add some lime accents in there and make a change.

I feel a project coming up......

If your project was featured here, please grab the button below!

I linked up to the following parties today:

Balsamic Bottom Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:36:00 +0000

We had a bottom roast in our freezer from a recent shopping trip and since I was home today and the weather was rainy I thought it would be a good night for a roast.

I'll warn you - my technique is sloppy. I've said it before, and will say it again, I'm not a cook I just {sometimes} play one on my blog.

What You Need

2lb Bottom Roast
5 Cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sauerbraten Spices*
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

What You Do

Rub the roast with some olive oil
Crust in salt and pepper

In a dutch oven combine balsamic vinegar, minced garlic cloves, sauerbraten spices and heat on a medium-high setting

add roast and brown 1-2 minutes on all sides

Move browned meat into a crock pot (fat side down), preheated on low heat
Remember when I said my technique is sloppy? Well it's at this point I realize I should be sticking my covered dutch oven in the oven instead of using the crock pot. The thing is I have no idea at what temperature, or for how long so I just stuck with what I know. The other thing is I can't really remember if the fat side is supposed to be up or down...if you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Pour the remaining balsamic reduction over the roast and make sure to scrape out all of the tasty bits
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours (this may have been a mistake)

This was not one of my better meals. The flavor of the roast was actually pretty darn good. The texture/dryness/toughness of the meat is what ruined it.

So master chefs out there...what did I do wrong so I can try it over again?

I ended up making a simple balsamic reduction to pour over the dry/tough meat so we were at least able to eat it for dinner. Sorry SH, hopefully next time I'll have better luck in the kitchen!

*I got my Sauerbraten Spice from the Spice House. In place of this particular spice a mix of spices such as mustard seed, juniper berries, allspice, dill seed, bay leaves, cloves, ginger, and peppercorns will work well. And really....just use whatever favorite spices you have on hand to make a flavor that works for you!

Spike on iBostonTerrier.com

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:25:00 +0000

Spike was featured on a new website devoted to Boston terriers, iBostonTerrier.com.

Head on over and check out the site and give it a +1 or share while you're there :)

http://ibostonterrier.com/photo/spike-pouting-because-of-the-rain/

If you have your own Boston head on over and submit a picture to have your own little ~~terror~~ Terrier featured!

A Night In The Life of Spike The Boston Terrier

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:32:00 +0000

Last week while SH was working in California Spike spent much of our time alone at home
1) barking at any little noise hoping his dad was home
2) pouting

My usual over-cuddly and loving dog wanted nothing to do with me the first two nights SH was gone. It was so sad because I was counting on him to keep me company.

He did, however, provide me with some entertainment during one of his pouting episodes. Every time I looked over he was in another position on the couch, each more pathetic than the last.

I really wish I could have gotten up to get my camera but any move on my part and he surely would have run barking to the door thinking his dad was home. Thankfully I had my craptastic phone to share the pout-fest with SH and, well, you!

I'm linking up to the following parties:

Best Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Over the weekend we went to a friends house for a little 4th of July celebration and I brought a Caprese salad (one of my favorites!). When trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight, I realized I had a lot of left over ingredients from the salad. I didn't want them to go bad, so I had to do something with them. Make another Caprese salad? No way, too simple.

I thought back to one of my favorite recipes, the Chicken Rolled with Prosciutto and Provolone and decided to try Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts. Some reason watching all of the cooking shows I do has inspired me to think I can cook. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

Let me tell you -- the pictures may not be nearly as good* but the recipe is just as, if not more, amazing! This is my new favorite chicken recipe. Ever.

What You Need

6 Thin-Sliced Chicken Breasts (or 4 regular chicken breasts pounded until thin)
Large Handful of Fresh Basil
About 1/4 cup Fresh Mozzarella
About 1/2 cup Fresh Tomato
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar + 3-4 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Honey or Agave Nectar
1/3 cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Toothpicks
Grill Pan (or Glass Baking Dish)

What You Do

Chop up the tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese and gently mix in a bowl. Add a pinch or two of coarse sea salt and 4T of balsamic vinegar (make this to your taste preference). Mix up and set mixture aside to marinate

To make the balsamic reduction boil 1/3 cup balsamic and 2T honey or agave nectar over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and cool to thicken (you may want to increase this depending on how much balsamic flavor you like -- again just increase to your taste preference)
Clean chicken breasts (pound if necessary) and pat dry

Brush chicken with olive oil, season with coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, then add a spoonful of the caprese salad mixture

Roll one end of the chicken over the mixture and continue rolling until you reach the end. Secure with a couple of toothpicks
Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and then added to a heated grill pan over medium heat and grill 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. Note: When I got to the side where the toothpicks were sticking out, I actually removed the rolls, added toothpicks to the cooked side and removed the original toothpicks. There is probably an easier way to do this, but I'm no cook, I just sometimes pretend to play one on my blog. (alternatively I'm sure you can add them to a glass baking dish and bake probably at 350 for 20 min or until cooked through)

Remove from heat, drizzle with the balsamic reduction and add your favorite side. We ate ours with rice (SH white, me brown) and scooped some of the leftover balsamic mixture on top of it.

The only thing left to do is ENJOY and let me know your thoughts (especially if you try it!)

I linked up to the following parties:

*Seriously I only had my point and shoot and really bad lightening. But I wanted to post some pictures so there you have it! At least people will be less inclined to steal these ;)

A Song(s) That Make You Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:04:00 +0000

So many of the songs on my favorite song list also make me happy, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to diversify! In no particular order, here are five songs that never fail to make me happy.

1. Dirty Water - The Standells

This song is played immediately following every Red Sox home win - that in and of itself is enough to make me happyv (I'm a huge Sox fan as well as a Red Sox Blogger). Add the fact I'm a Massachusetts native I just love singing out "Boston, you're my home!" *Note: It makes no difference to me that I no longer live in Boston and am actually closer to Providence, RI ;)

2. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphy's

I promise, not all songs on this list are going to have to do with Boston...or the Red Sox. This Irish-Punk Rock song has become a ballad for New England Sports, especially the Boston Red Sox as it is the entrance song for Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon. It came to be his song in 2007 when the Sox won the ALDS and Papelbon did a Irish Jig out on the field after the game....in his underwear. True story for you non-Sox fans. Previously his entrance song was "Wild Thing."


Image Source here

3. My Heart Goes Boom - French Affair

I lived in Germany 1999-2000 and this song was a huge hit in the clubs while I was there. I didn't meet SH until March of 2005 and at some point shortly after meeting him I learned he was also a fan of this song. I had never heard it played in America and was shocked he knew it. SH and I RARELY agree on music, so every time I hear this song, I'm happy.

4. Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me - Keith Urban

As I mentioned above, SH and I rarely agree on music. That led to many years of us listening purely to country music when we were together. I couldn't stand his techno/pop and he couldn't stand my grunge/rock. Country, that was one genre we could agree on. It was hard to choose one song that makes me happy (I'll Take That as a Yes, Dust on the Bottle, Sold, etc) but it is definitely one of my favorites. It's one that makes me happy thinking about days driving around in the convertible Corvette with my SH.

5. Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti & Spearhead

Really how can this song NOT make you happy?

See the original post on the 30 Day Song Challenge
Challenge 1: Your Favorite Song(s)
Challenge 2: Your Least Favorite Song(s)

A Mail Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:25:00 +0000

When I got home from work today I was excited to see I had some mail.

I mean I get mail every day, but that mail usually consists of bills, junk mail and other such unpleasant items. This piece of mail was personal, I could tell.

What could it be?

A bunch of hearts...with letters.

Fun! A Puzzle!

I called over SH to help me try and figure it out.

The first word I got was "hurts" - I have been in an IMMENSE amount of pain over the past week (that is a story for another day, maybe...) makes sense that word would stick out to me, but it wasn't right.

SH got "Thanks!" I think he's onto something....

He was! Puzzle solved....but the mystery had only just begun.

Who sent this adorable puzzle, and what had I done to deserve thanks?

We hosted a brunch last weekend (last minute) but I knew that wasn't it. SH thought it may have been...but the post mark from the "letter" was Providence and that didn't add up with the people who were at the brunch.

What's a girl to do, but turn to Facebook? I posted the picture and said "You're welcome, but who mailed this to me???"

A few hours later I got my answer and it was one of those "DUH! I should have known that!" moments.

Earlier this week one of my friends wrote a brave blog post on how she's going through postpartum depression and seeking therapy. She mentioned how she's seeking therapy for many reasons, but one of which she feels like a burden for venting to her friends (**she's NOT a burden!).

She said while she can pay a therapist to work through some of her feelings, she can't pay all of her friends unless they take payment in the form of cutout paper hearts.

I mentioned that I happened to love cutout paper hearts and so she sent them to me.

It was so incredibly thoughtful of her to send those, and they TOTALLY made my night.

It's been a crappy week (health-wise, work-wise, weather-wise, commute-wise, finding out my husband had to go away for a week for work instead of us going on vacation-wise, etc) and gestures like this really help put things in perspective and make me realize how lucky and thankful I am for the things I DO have.

Now I have to find a way to pay it forward :)

10 Reason's I Haven't Blogged This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:29:00 +0000

Join oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday Link Party

The best laid plans of mice and men....right?

I have no fewer than 10 posts cluttering up my brain, but none of have made it to the Internet just yet. Why? Well....

1. Work - My day job is busy and demanding and while I'm definitely not saving lives, sometimes clients and project managers don't understand that (or don't care). I'm not complaining*, I realize how lucky I am to have a good job.

2. Commuting - On top of my long hours at work, I also commute 3-4+ hours a day (round-trip). Until recently SH and I commuted together and that made it so much more bearable (especially b/c he drove!) but he got a new job** so now I'm driving myself and it's exhausting.

3. Quality Time with SH - Since we are no longer commuting together, we don't spend as much time together. It was nice having that "forced" time together on our rides to/from work. That way once we got home if we were both online/out with friends/watching TV/doing whatever we wanted we never felt like we weren't spending time together. Now it's an adjustment and I want to make sure we still get to spend quality time together so I'm not running in the door and straight to the computer.

4. Hockey - Oh.My.Goodness. Growing up I was a big hockey fan, but around the time I entered college (which was a lot of years ago) I started losing interest - football and baseball are my true loves. Once the Bruins started doing well in the playoffs I kind of jumped on the bandwagon a bit and started watching. I forgot just how STRESSFUL hockey can be! But what a run!!! Congratulations to the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins!!!


(Photo by Dave Sandford / Getty Images)

5. Sleep - Because of reasons #1, 3 & 4 I've been exhausted and I'm trying to make sure to get enough sleep. Now that I am not commuting with SH I actually have to drive myself to work in the morning and can't catch any sleep in the car.

6. My Brother's 30th Birthday - My brother turned 30 on June 18th and a lot of time was spent with his girlfriend planning and organizing a surprise birthday dinner for him. Unfortunately the plans had to be changed at the last minute because of #3. See, my brother's gf had gotten him tickets for the Red Sox game on the 18th. It was a day game. The plan was to meet at Foxboro Stadium (home of the New England Patriots) that night for dinner. Buuutttt....the Bruins won the Stanley Cup and had a parade in Boston the day of the 18th which moved the Red Sox game to the night. That meant our dinner plans had to be changed last minute and those last minute plans turned into brunch at my house on the 19th.

7. Brunch Planning - I love planning and hosting events at our house, but I tend to want to go overboard. I want things to be perfect. So I spent lots of time on finding just the right recipes and thankfully I succeeded! Here is a sneak peak of some recipes I'm hoping*** to share this week!!

8. Father's Day - The 19th also happened to be Father's Day. Both my father and my step-father were here for brunch to celebrate my brother's big day. But the day was also spent celebrating dad and I didn't log into the computer at all. After everyone left, SH and I snuggled down and watched movies and napped. It was a perfect day, but no blogging was done!

9. SoxyLady - As you can probably tell from this post, my family is really into sports. I mean my first word was "touchdown"**** My first big foray into blogging was a Boston Red Sox Blog. While I've been trying to get this personal blog up and moving, I have also been trying to revive SoxyLady. It's a lot of work and a bit overwhelming, but I'm committed to getting these two sites to where I want them to be.

10. Perfection - I know I'm not perfect, but that doesn't mean I don't try and do things as perfectly as I can. Perfectionist. It's a term that's often been used to describe me. Because of my visions of perfection I often don't do things out of fear. Fear of failure. I may be putting too much pressure on myself to get my blogs in perfect working order. Right now I'm trying to remind myself that it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

Image source here

What about you? Were there any things that kept you from blogging this week?

*OK maybe I am, just a little bit
** Congratulations honey, I'm SO SO SO proud of you!
***You know, so I have something better to share than the "10 Reason's I Haven't Blogged This Week"
**** Although it came out as "tutdown" according to all parties involved

10 DIY Home Projects and Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Join oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday Link Party

Growing up I was always crafty, maybe even a little artsy. I get it from my mom. But growing I was also the type who got easily discouraged when I tried things and they weren't perfect; who am I kidding? I'm the same way now. My mother and my brother are both more artistically gifted than I am...but that doesn't mean I don't have the desire!

Lately I've been addicted to Pinterest and it's been great b/c it let's me "pin" a bunch of crafty projects I see out on the blogesphere that I want to try. Here is the list of Top 10 DIY Home Projects and Crafts I want to try in the near future (with links to original posts)....rest assured if I do them, they'll be posted here!

1. Saving old letters, cards and postcards

Photo from this blog post, taken by Katie Clemons

I'm one of those people who can't throw away meaningful birthday/anniversary/just because cards from friends and family. I know they take up space and I don't ever really go back and look at them but they mean a lot to me.

Years ago when we had to move my grandmother into a nursing home I found an old scrapbook of hers. It was completely filled with old postcards. They were beautiful! It was so interesting to see the old designs and read the old notes. This would be my version of a card/postcard scrapbook.

2. Custom Dog Silhouette

Photo from this blog post

One thing I've been drawn to in crafts recently is silhouettes. What a great idea to make one of my dog, Spike and hang it on our (future) picture wall!

3. Tiered Cupcake/Dessert Plates

Photo from this blog post

Isn't this the most adorable thing ever? I'm in love with every aspect of it. And while this particular one has a spring theme, imagine the possibilities for all of the different seasons/holidays. That being said I honestly have no use for this. I'm not trying to be snobby but I already have beautiful serving pieces. However..what a fun gift this would make!!!

4. Ribbon Organization

Photo from this blog post

I know this isn't really a craft or big DIY project, but I need to do this. It's such a simple idea I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. I know every time I buy a new spool of ribbon, gift bag or roll of wrapping paper my husband dies just a little bit inside. Not because he doesn't want me to have these things, but because he will find them stuffed in bags/closets/drawers all over the house.

First step, hang ribbons on the pants hanger that we already own! The gift bags/wrapping paper will have to come next. Have any ideas?

5. iPod/iPhone Case

Photo from this blog post

I got a sewing machine this past Christmas. It's out of the box, and I even learned how to thread it. So far the only thing I've sewn are a couple of square dog toys. Hmph. I need to push myself to learn how to use it and this looks like a simple (and useful) project!

6. Paper Bird Painting

Photo from this blog post taken by Ashley Ann Photography

O.M.G. I am in love. Love.

I want this in my house, now. Only there is no place in my house to put it. I'll have to think, but while I'm thinking maybe I'll start creating. In addition to having a recent love of silhouettes, I'm also in love with birds and this may just be my first "bird" project.

7. Flip Flop Hanger

Photo from this blog post

Organization at it's finest! And without costing a lot of money!! The only problem is I don't think we own any wire hangers (Thank you, Mommy Dearest for my fear of wire hangers) but I'm sure we can find some. I have an ever growing flats and flops collection and this is such an easy way to 1) keep them off the floor 2) make it easier to find the matching pair!

8. Ribbon Trees

Photo from this blog post

I saw these in a circular from Michaels a while back and was gung-ho about making them to match the different seasons/holidays. Then things got busy and I totally forgot about them until I saw this blog post (yay!) It is a simple and adorable craft with endless possibilities.

9. Toilet Paper Roll Storage

Photo from this blog post

Simple. Affordable. Eco-friendly. Need I say more? On each roll I'll even label what the cord is for. No more guessing!

10. Elegant Family Tree

Photo from this blog post

I love this family tree idea. It's elegant and different, a real conversation piece. It's a great way to display (copies of) old family photos and it even fits in with my bird theme.

So that's it! What about you, are you a DIYer? It always amazes me the creativity some people have. Maybe once I get back into crafting I'll even come up with some of my own great ideas!

"Extreme" Couponing - Soxy Style

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah S) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:29:00 +0000

It's no surprise the interest in coupons has grown exponentially over the past few years given the rotten economy and shows like TLC's Extreme Couponing.

The chart above shows the rise in search interest in Google where you see it really took off in 2008 and has only continued to grow (the y/y spikes you see are around the holidays).

My interest in coupons started many years ago. My dad, in both an effort to save money and keep my brother and I entertained, used to make 'coupon clipping' a weekly family activity. When we got to the grocery store he would send me and my brother out on shopping "missions" where we'd have to find the item listed on the coupon. Dad kept track of the money saved using coupons and that money was put aside in a savings account. Every year we used that money on our family vacation in Ocean City, Maryland.

Photo Source

When SH and I bought a house I immediately subscribed us to the weekly Boston newspaper so I could get the coupon inserts. Sadly I very rarely looked at them. That is until I started watching Extreme Couponing and got annoyed that I wasn't saving us as much money as I should be. I always make sure to use my store loyalty card (which, lets face it, replaces coupons on a lot of levels) but was there more I could do?

Yes!

I got out my divided coupon envelope and got ready to clip...

SH doesn't share my couponing enthusiasm. He subscribes to the notion that coupons "make" you buy things you don't really need, or want. And his skepticism only heightened when on Extreme Couponing he saw the huge stockpile of items these women have (like the woman who has enough diapers to last months, but doesn't even have a baby).

So I've decided to make my own challenge...

Over the next year I am going to keep track of how much money we save* on groceries. I'm going to put that money away in a separate savings account and lets see, maybe we'll save enough to go on our own vacation ala my childhood.

I have NO intention of becoming an extreme couponer, but I do anticipate being able to save a good amount of money.

Here are the results from our first shopping trip today (combined from two grocery stores):

Booyah! A 34% savings!!

And before you say anything, yes, $228 is a TON of money to spend on groceries. We stocked up big time on meat to freeze and use throughout the summer. It likely won't last us all summer but it should last a couple of months. We hadn't been on a proper grocery store trip in well over a month so there were a lot of things we needed.

Sadly I threw away my bills before I could calculate what my biggest deals were on, but here are some I remember:

At Shaws if you bought 4 General Mills boxes of cereals you got an instant $6 savings, combine that with a $1 coupon and we basically got 2 boxes free
At Shaws 4C drink mixes were $3.99 each on sale 2 for $5 - if we bought two boxes we'd get a free 24 case of bottled water (about $4). We had one coupon for 4C for $1.00 of one type and another for $2.00 off a different type. So for $2 we got $12 worth of water and drink mixes...all of which we will use
At Stop & Shop we bought 3 different types of meat (pork ribs, roast and ground beef) and got 400 gas points (gas points means for every $100 we spend at S&S we get 10cents off/gallon next time we're filling up our car...considering the INSANE commutes we have and the more than $160/week we spend on gas this is important to us) -- our next trip we'll be saving a combined 50cents per gallon which is about $8.50 savings - so while this isn't calculated in the chart above it's a true win!

What about you? Do you coupon?

*Money savings will only be tracked at stores where groceries are purchased, the savings will be a combination of using store loyalty cards, coupons and refunds for reusable shopping bags.