The Craft Patch

"To The Mothers in Zion" Free Printable

2013-05-21T19:32:00.001-07:00

Motherhood has been on my mind a lot lately. I suppose it's because I have another child on the way. I feel like I have just a few short weeks left to pull myself together before adding a whole lot of crazy to my very comfortable life. I wanted to print out some simple reminders of what I need to be doing to be the best mother I can be. And since I was already making it for myself, why not share? The quote comes from a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson, a past president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love the advice... it is exactly the type of mother I hope to be. Maybe reading it often will help me remember what's most important. I made these to fit into an 8x10 frame. Please feel free to share and enjoy!

DIY Wire Hangers for Doll Clothes

2013-05-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

I shared this a while back as part of the Dressing Up Dolly Series at Naptime Crafters, but I'm putting it up here on my blog too, for those of you who missed it.

A while back, my husband made this doll clothes closet for my little girl (read about it HERE):

It's basically just a box made of beadboard with hinged doors that open and a dowel for a clothes rod. The inside is lined with scrapbook paper.

Originally I had cut out cardboard hangers, but as time wore on, I knew I wanted to make something a little more sturdy and better looking. The Dressing Up Dolly series was just the motivation I needed to get to work. So I figured out a method to make doll-sized wire hangers and I'm going to share it with you today!

Here's what you need to get started:

1. A picture of a wire hanger (or you can draw it yourself if you are good at stuff like that)

2. A small scrap of wood

3. A few nails

4. A hammer

5. Needle nosed pliers

6. Wire. I bought mine at Joann's in the jewelry section. It was about $1.25 with a coupon and I was able to get eight 6 inch hangers from the 3 yd package. I chose 14 gauge, because that was the thickest size they made. And a bonus... it comes in lots of colors!

Start by drawing the bottom triangle part of the hanger onto your board. Put a nail or two into each of the three points of the triangle.

Next, unroll your wire and start wrapping it around the nails, pulling tight to get the straightest lines you can. Leave a little overlap at the beginning.

Twist the triangle together at the top part, using the overlap you left. Use the needle nosed pliers to make sure the end isn't sticking out. We don't want any snagged doll clothes or poked fingers!

Use a marker or glue stick that is the size you want to shape the curved top part of the hanger. Cut off any extra wire using the cutters inside your needle nosed pliers.

That's it! Look what a cute little hanger you just made!

Now your little one can hang up all her doll clothes on real wire hangers!

These work great for skirts too if you add two miniature sized clothespins. And seriously, are these not the cutest thing ever?

Easy Painted Pillow

2013-05-15T12:38:00.002-07:00

I'm gearing up to finish decorating my front room. It's been a work-in-progress since we moved in almost a year ago. The big hold-up has been waiting for warm enough weather to paint some furniture. Fingers crossed that it will finally happen this weekend.

But I do have a little sneak-peak project to share with you today. I painted a pillow!

It was so quick and easy. I just printed out the symbol I wanted, cut it out, and traced it onto a white pillow cover using a pencil. Then I used navy blue acrylic craft paint (the kind that comes in the little bottles from craft stores) and filled in the lines. Like this:

The last step was to heat set the paint so that it won't come off when I wash it. (Because in a house with kids, I guarantee this white pillow will need a washing very soon). To heat set, I just put a clean cloth over the dry paint and ironed it without steam for around 30 seconds, moving the iron the whole time. That's it! The whole project took me less than an hour, didn't cost me a cent, and I love how it adds a graphic punch to room.

Custom Car Seat Cover DIY

2013-05-14T13:02:00.001-07:00

This week I tackled a sewing project that truly scared me. A kind friend who is done having kids gave me her new-ish infant car seat. I am so glad I didn't have to buy one, but the old one was a little boyish:

And a little boring. And I just couldn't get the idea of recovering it out of my crazy pregnant brain. I remembered how you carry these car seats everywhere for the first six months or so. I tried to talk myself out of it. I was worried that I would get it all apart and not be able to put it back together, at least without many hormonal tears of frustration. I waffled back and forth for about a week.

But obviously I did it, because I'm posting about it. Ha ha. Here's how it turned out:

*SQUEAL*!! I did it! It worked! And it's so cute and cheerful and girly! Much better than tan plaid. Totally worth doing, and no tears were shed! I won't lie and say it was an easy project. It took many hours (we're talking 15+). My sewing skills were challenged and I learned a ton. I am even thinking about recovering the baby swing now.

If you are thinking about recovering a car seat, I would say go for it... as long as you are a fearless seamstress. This is not a project for beginners, just because there are so many complicated pieces and sewing techniques involved.

Reading Ashley's tutorial at Make It and Love It helped me get the main idea of what I needed to do. But there is no way to make a one-size-fits-all tutorial, because you have to use your old car seat cover as the pattern.

So you start by taking pictures and labeling everything. Can I just say how important this is? You think you will remember how things go back together, but you won't. You will need to look back at your pictures and labels. I wrote with a Sharpie right on the old car seat:

Be sure to get photos of all the tricky little areas where things come together or there are special sewing difficulties. Take pictures of how the buckles go back on too. Take more pictures than you think you could possibly need, from every angle!

Then you pick the entire thing apart. This part took forever and left me and my whole room covered in threads. I watched TV to help ease the monotony.

Then you use each of the pieces as a pattern to cut out new fabric. I ended up using about three yards total...a little less than two yards for the front and a little more than a yard for the back. Make sure to mark where things line up, where elastic bands are sewn on, which seams are serged, etc.

After you have all your pieces cut out, it's time to sew! I reused the batting from the original car seat. My car seat had tan fabric around the outside and plaid in the center. Originally I thought I would make it easier on myself and just make the whole thing out of the same fabric, skipping the maroon binding and second fabric. Then I learned a lesson that is worth sharing...you can't change things. They sewed it together a certain way because it had to be that way. In my case, that maroon binding around the center section holds a second layer of batting in place. Trust the professionals who put the thing together in the first place and copy everything they do.

That stinkin' center panel was the hardest thing to sew. This is how I had to sew the fabric together:

It seemed so backwards, but I just kept looking at the original and tried to get mine to look the same. And in the end, my pink binding didn't line up perfectly, but at that point I wasn't about to undo seams to fix it.

With two layers of batting plus two or more layers of fabric in some areas, I used my walking foot to help me sew things together. It helped me stuff all that bulk through my machine.

Did it turn out perfectly? No. There are little things that are puckery or crooked or whatever, but nothing too noticeable. And I may have used a teensy bit of hot glue in a couple places where sewing wasn't working out.

I still think it's pretty dang cute.

And it sure is an improvement! And I have just enough fabric left over to make one of those car seat canopy tent things. But I may not want to use it. It would cover up all my hard work!

Fabric and Felt Book Round Up

2013-05-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

I love making fabric and felt books, especially as gifts to my favorite people. They are just so stinkin' fun! Be warned, they are time consuming, but that's part of what makes them such a special gift to give. Here's a round-up of the books I've made in the past. Just click on the captions to see all the pages in each book.

Boyish Felt Name Book

Girly Felt Name Book

Another Felt Name Book

Felt Book of Favorites

Fabric Name Book

Fabric Quiet Book

Dexter's Quiet Book

Crafty Baby Gifts To Make

2013-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd share a round up of some of my favorite things to give as baby shower gifts. I love babies and baby showers and I love making something special and personalized for my friends when they have new babies.

Burp Cloth Bouquet

A burp cloth bouquet is a useful gift as well as a decoration. And a new mom can never have too many burp cloths.

Baby Beanie with Interchangeable Flowers

Want to try your hand at crochet? This pattern whips up pretty quickly and can be done by beginners. And you can make a bunch of different flowers to go with it so they can match different outfits.

Fabric Baby Shoes

Although these fabric shoes are pretty girly, you could easily make sporty boyish ones using the same pattern. Baby shoes are a weakness...there's something irresistible about them!

Baby Headband with Interchangeable Bows

I guess I really do love interchangeable things...all the hair bows were so fun to make.

Blankets are a staple gift at baby showers for me. Below are three different types, arranged in order from quickest to more time-consuming. They are all easy enough for a beginner to make.

Easy Flannel Blanket

Self-Bound Flannel Blanket

Rag Quilt

Last but not least, my all-time favorite thing to make for baby showers is personalized fabric or felt books:

Felt Name Book

Yeah, I am kind of obsessed. In fact, I love making them so much that I think they need their own post. Check out the fabric/felt book round up HERE.

What are your favorite gifts to make for baby showers?

Making A Rag Quilt (A Great Baby Gift)

2013-05-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is this baby season? Maybe because I'm pregnant, I just notice it more, but it seems like so many people are having babies right now! I've had this song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers running through my mind all morning:

All the hen-folk are hatchin'

While their men-folk are scratchin'
To ensure the survival of each brand new arrival.
Each nest is twitterin',
They're all baby-sitterin',
Spring, Spring, Spring!

Love that show. Anyway, back on topic...

When I was pregnant with my first, my sister-in-law made me a rag quilt. It was one of my favorite blankets to use. It was just the right size and weight to throw in the car seat or diaper bag or stroller. I loved that blanket! So I made one for a friend who is due just a few weeks after me.

Rag quilts are really easy to make. They are a great beginner project because they are very forgiving and there's no batting or binding to worry about. There are several good tutorials out there (like this one), so I don't feel the need to post a detailed one, but here are a couple of things I've learned:

1. Nothing ruins a rag quilt faster than accidentally snipping past where the seam is. You will end up with a hole in your blanket! Boo! So be very, very careful with those scissors.

2. Wash the blanket after snipping all the edges so that it frays up nicely. But be prepared to clean out your washer and dryer...they will be full of little threads! If you wash it with anything else, your laundry will also be covered in those threads, so make sure to wash it all by itself!

3. Don't underestimate the amount of time it will take to make all those little snips in the edges of the blanket. It takes forever and makes your hand sore! But it's worth making the snips close together. It makes the finished fraying look much cuter. I would suggest breaking this job up over a few episodes of your favorite TV show.

4. After you've washed and dried the blanket, you will have quite a bit of work left to do trimming loose threads and removing all the fuzz balls. I trimmed all the threads with scissors and then had my kids help me pick off the fuzz.

5. You can use any fabric you like, but I prefer flannel. It makes the softest blanket with the fluffiest rag edges. Joann's frequently puts their flannel on sale, so you should be able to get it for a good price.

6. This is true with any quilt, but cutting is where the battle is lost or won. Use a rotary cutter and cutting mat to cut your squares if you want them to be precise and line up nicely.

The back.

Luscious Lemon Bars

2013-04-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

To me, there's no flavor that screams spring like lemon. I just love this recipe for lemon bars. The crust is flaky and buttery. The lemon filling is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. They are ooey-gooey and downright delicious!

Luscious Lemon Bars
Crust:
1 cup melted butter
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 beaten eggs
8 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch

Gently mix the crust ingredients together and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Combine filling ingredients, adding cornstarch after all else is mixed. Pour on crust and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Place on a cooling rack and run a sharp knife or metal spatula along edges (they are prone to being very sticky where the filling cooks. If your knife is sticking, spray it with non-stick cooking spray). Let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into squares and serve.

Pinterest Tested: Brown Sugar Hair Straightener

2013-04-27T17:06:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Pinterest Tested! Ever wonder if that miracle cleaner is really miraculous? Or what about that homemade facial cleanser or delicious-looking recipe? This is the place to find out! I am testing Pins that catch my eye to see if they really live up to the claims made on Pinterest. It's like the Mythbusters of Domesticity!

Have you seen this Pin?

The caption claims that if you mix 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with a cup of water and spray it into damp hair, it will air dry straight. This is one of those Pins that sounded so wacky, I had to give it a try. Straight hair without heat damage? As a curly haired girl, that would be a dream come true!

So I gave it a whirl. Today was a work-around-the-house Saturday, so I knew it would be the perfect day to try it out. I imagined that I would have a frizzy, sticky, sugary mess to deal with, so I wanted to be at home to rewash my hair when things went south.

I washed and towel dried my hair, then sprayed in the brown sugar water. I brushed it, then left it alone to air dry.

I have to say, I am completely surprised by the results:

My hair is NOT straight. At all. But it's not frizzy or sticky either. It's super stiff and crunchy, like I went overboard on gel and hairspray. Weird! Not what I expected. I guess you just never know how something will work until you try it.

At least I didn't have to re-wash my hair. Of course, with all that sugar, I may be a magnet for bees. Or ants. Eek!

But one word of warning...my bathroom vanity and floor were covered in sugar-water overspray and got SO sticky! It sounded like I had suction cups on my sneakers when I walked in. I had to wash every surface down to remove all the stickiness.

Here's just a little comparison, in case you have forgotten how UNLIKE the original Pin my hair turned out...

Obviously this test is a bomb. But if it's ever the Zombie Apocolypse and I run out of hair gel, I guess I found an alternative.

Update the next day: Ew! My hair feels disgusting! Get this brown sugar off me!

Homemade Laundry Soap: Round Two

2013-04-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of all-time favorite finds from all of the Pinterest Tests I've done in the past. Homemade laundry soap is one of those. You can read the original post HERE. It is so much cheaper, lasts forever, is easy to make and works great.

After a year and a couple months, I finally ran out of the original batch. Yeah... I told you it lasted FOREVER! So I went to WalMart, grabbed all the ingredients (that were conveniently next to each other in the laundry aisle), and made up another batch. This time I opted to leave out the Oxyclean and used Zote soap instead of Fels Naptha. Why? Just because I wanted to try it. And besides, the Zote smelled good and it was pink. I thought about adding scent crystals, but in the end I didn't love any of the scents enough to make them worth the extra price.

This time I followed two tips I received from readers that made the process even easier.

1. I microwaved the Zote soap for about 30 seconds. Not long enough to melt it, just long enough for it to soften a bit. This made grating go a zillion times faster. It was like butter.

2. I dumped everything in my old laundry container, closed the lid tight, and shook it to stir. No horrible clouds of soap to choak me this time.

One of the reasons this laundry soap lasts so long is that for a normal load of laundry, this is the scoop I use:

It doesn't take much because there are no fillers or additives that I suspect they add to commercial detergent. If I have a particularly large or dirty load, sometimes I add more. But usually one scoop does the trick.

I love it when a Pinterest Test works out and changes my life (or at least my cleaning habits) for the better.

Saving Money on Dryer Sheets

2013-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've got a super simple tip to share today. It will cut the cost of your dryer sheets in half and takes maybe two minutes. Ready for it?

Yep! Two minutes with a pair of scissors and you have twice as many dryer sheets for the same price. And I haven't noticed a difference in my laundry at all.

And why stop with dryer sheets? Do you use those little cotton discs pre-loaded with face wash? Cut them in half and you instantly have twice as many for the same price! You could halve cotton balls, q-tips, paper towels... whatever floats your boat.

What do you cut in half? Anybody out there as crazy as me?

Paper Flower Mania!

2013-04-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! I am typing this out on my brand new computer! Woot! It has a 24 inch screen that is absolutely massive after years of having a laptop. Photoshop runs lightning fast. I can listen to Pandora and upload pictures at the same time. Ah, life is good!

The only thing that stinks is that we lost everything from the old computer. (No fear---we have an external hard drive for photos. Whew!) But all my fonts and Photoshop actions, my blog logos and banners, all the little things are gone. I've got a lot of work to do to get everything set back up the way I like.

But today I'm sharing what I did to kill time while I waited for the new computer to come. Remember I shared a few paper flowers I made for the nursery? Uh, I kind of went crazy. I warned you that they were fun to make...

I used two basic flower types---the paper flower tutorial and the accordion fold flower tutorial. It's pretty amazing all the variations I was able to come up with using just two basic ideas. Here are some close ups and hints on how I made each flower...

Basic paper flower. I cut many different sizes of rectangles to use as petals, then used decorative scissors to round the end of each petal.

Basic paper flower. Cut rectangles then rounded the edges. Isn't the alphabet paper perfect for a nursery?

The two flowers on the right are accordion flowers and the one on the left is one of the first basic paper flowers I made. I think the shape of the petals is so soft and feminine.

I hot glued a scrap of vintage lace around the outside edge of this accordion flower. Awww...I'm in love. It adds so much!

This ol' boy is huge. Each section is a 12x12 sheet of paper, to give you an idea of scale. I have to tip it sideways to get it through doorways. Seriously, it's that big. Originally it was just a big circle, but I decided to give it the petal shape along the outside edge and it took it from okay to amazing, at least in my book.

The pink paper was not quite the right shade of pink, but the closest I could find. I thought it would be okay, but it ended up really bugging me. In a last ditch effort to save the giant flower, I got out my pastel chalks, colored the paper with a little more yellow, and rubbed it in with a cotton ball until it was more of the warm pink/coral I was looking for. It actually worked like a charm! Yee haw!

And just a side note...we think we've settled on the name Kate for the baby, but if I change my mind before she comes, I could easily rip those glitter letters right off of there. Just leaving an out for the crazy pregnant brain...you know how it goes.

Another accordion fold flower with scalloped edges. Cut the edges before you fold it. It's much easier that way. I love how the scallop softens up the whole look. And by the way, most of the paper was purchased at Michael's on sale 8 for $1. The rest came from my embarrassingly large stash that does not get used often enough to justify it's size.

Okay, now. I'm pretty excited about this particular flower. I thunk it up and it actually worked! It's two sheets of paper cut with slits up to the last 1 1/2 inches on each end. I accordion folded the solid edges and this really 3D flower is the result. Cool beans!

I crinkled the paper on this flower and it totally changed the feel...it's very soft and antique-looking. It almost looks like fabric.

Although this flower has the same outside edge on the petals as the last flower, it has a totally different vibe---more nautical and clean looking. It's one of my favorites.

I love how vellum adds a soft touch to this flower.

This basic flower was probably the easiest to make. The petals are all rectangles I cut on my paper cutter! Super fast! I used a pencil to curve the edges and give it life. It's more modern and the ombre effect is pretty fun too.

I plan to hang these all across the wall above the crib in the nursery. I think it's going to be such a cheerful room! I need to kick the big kids out so I can start getting everything ready in there. Hurray for little girls!

Ye Old Laptop

2013-04-13T11:38:00.003-07:00

Well, I knew it was coming eventually...

Tuesday morning, (shortly after posting about the paper flowers I'm working on), our poor, overworked seven-year-old laptop finally kicked the bucket. I mean, it is so far gone there is no hope for resurrection. Dead as a doornail. Won't even turn on. Gone. Forever.

So pardon the silence for a few days while my amazing not-so-little-anymore brother builds me a new, deluxe, dreamy computer with a huge screen and mega amounts of speed and storage.

Eek! Can't wait!

Paper Flower Tutorial

2013-04-09T08:55:00.001-07:00

I am finally starting on the baby's nursery! The first project I'm tackling is wall art. I want to make a flower garden of sorts with all different types of paper flowers mounted on the walls. I experimented and came up with a really cute and versatile way to make a paper flower and I took pictures to show you how too.

Here's the finished product:

Fun, huh?! I'm seriously in love!

Ready for the tutorial? All you need to make your very own flower is scrapbook paper, scissors and a hot glue gun.

Step 1. Start by cutting out petals. You will want six each of three varying sizes. You can experiment with petal shapes and sizes to make all different variations of flowers. And just to give you an idea of size, my petals were about 3", 4" and 5" and the finished flower turned out to be about 11" across.

Two sizes of petals. (I had already used one stack when I remembered to take the picture.)

Yeah, um...can you tell my glue gun has been used A LOT? Ha ha.

Step 2. Place a small dot of hot glue at the bottom center of a petal.

Step 3. Press the petal together and pinch until the glue cools. Gently curl the outside edges so they are slightly rounded. Repeat with all six same-sized petals.

Step 4. Place a small dot of glue on the bottom right corner of the petal.

Step 5. Press the glue onto the left corner of another petal, lining up the corners with right sides together. Repeat until all six petals are glued together into a circle. Then do the exact same thing with the other sizes of petals. Each size will make it's own ring.

Step 6. Put hot glue on the back of the smallest petals and glue them to the medium layer. Glue the medium layer to the largest layer.

See how I spaced the petals so they overlap and aren't lined up perfectly? Remember that when you are gluing the layers together. You don't want the tips of the petals all lined up or it won't look right.

Step 7. Make something decorative to cover the center hole. I layered paper circles and added a stamped butterfly on this one, but the possibilities are endless....buttons, rhinestones, words, photos...there are tons of cute possibilities.

The last thing I did was to add a paper loop on the back to make them easy to hang up.

Just to show you how versatile this method is, here is another flower I made using the same technique:

It has a completely different feel to it! All I did differently was cut out rounded petals that were a little longer and skinnier. I also added pointed leaves in another color around the outside and a big yellow button in the center.

Some other ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

- Use glitter paper. Because everything is better with glitter!
- Try crinkling the paper before assembling everything. It will give it a softer, antique look.
- Ink/distress around the edges of each petal before assembling.
- Make two identical flowers and glue them back-to-back to make a flower that looks good from both sides.
- Try using vellum or embossed paper.
- Sew around the edges of each petal before assembling. The stitching would be such a cute detail!
- Make a jumbo flower with layer after layer of petals.

I think I need to make a hundred of these. They are so fun and the possibilities are endless!

Well, I was true to my word. haha. Check out THIS post to see all the different flowers I made!

Easy Homemade Granola

2013-04-08T15:14:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in my Cheap Eats posts how our family doesn't eat cold cereal. It's too expensive and it doesn't fill us up. Usually we have oatmeal, but sometimes I make homemade granola. It's a nice change when we're all tired of oatmeal and it's much cheaper to make than it is to buy.

My kids like their granola pretty plain...they only want corn flakes added. That's fine with me because it's cheaper! I love adding pecans, coconut and dried cranberries to mine. It's good eaten like cereal with milk poured over it. It's also really tasty on top of yogurt.

Easy Granola

5 cups quick oats

3/4 cup coconut (optional)

1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup honey or 3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup (I use cheap pancake syrup)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Extras: corn flakes, chopped nuts, dried fruit, wheat germ/bran, flax seeds

Mix oats, coconut and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir the oil, honey and syrup constantly until combined. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour liquid mixture over oats and stir until evenly coated. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for about 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. The granola will be lightly browned when it's done. Cool and add in any extras. Store in an air-tight container and serve with milk.

Often I make granola at night after the kids are in bed. I cook it to almost-done, then turn the oven off and leave it sitting overnight. Then in the morning, I just add the extras and serve it for breakfast before putting the leftovers away. I usually double this recipe.

An Easter Dress and A Matching Tie

2013-03-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Whew! I just finished my kids' Easter clothes, and with a day to spare!

The Girl really wanted a maxi dress and I wanted something with sleeves, so this is what we came up with:

The fabric is a bright grass green with a floral burnout pattern (so the flowers and swirls are sheer). I found it at WalMart for $2/yard and couldn't pass it up. Although it's not a traditional Easter pastel, I think it screams spring and summer.

I used Simplicity Pattern #3510 for the raglan bodice and added a long gathered skirt. Because the fabric is partly sheer, I lined it with plain white cotton.

The bodice has a pin tuck detail and I added flowers to one shoulder, just to perk things up a bit. The picture tutorial for making this type of flower is found HERE.

And last but not least, The Boy's tie. This is the first year I have made him something for Easter and he was so excited about it. And he loves that it matches his sister. He can't wait to show it off at church! I followed THIS tutorial, but made the tie a lot longer. And I found that if you follow the instructions for tying the tie, but do it backwards, it works better...then the skinny part of the tie ends up in the back where it's supposed to be instead of in the front where you have to twist it funny to get it to the back.

I had a great dress planned for myself, but I just ran out of time to get it done. So it will have to be a non-Easter dress. But I'm super excited to share it when it's done.

Happy Easter!

Pinterest Tested: Stainless Steel Sink Cleaner

2013-03-20T10:26:00.002-07:00

I pinned a link to a recipe from that claims it would make your stainless steel sink shine like new. The pictures looked promising. Since my sink was looking pretty scuzzy, I thought I had better investigate pronto!

Here are the materials you will need to round up:

Start with the vinegar and baking soda, then apply Goo Gone and end with an olive oil buffing. You can follow The Happy Home's step-by-step instructions found HERE.

But I know what you really want to see are the before and after shots, so here you go:

Well I'll be...that sink is shining like the top of the Chrysler building!

When my husband got home from work, he said, "Did you clean the sink or something? It looks really shiny!" That's when I knew that the test was a success. If the husband notices, it must be pretty obvious, right?! Ha Ha.

And since things in the sink area were looking so schnazzy, I decided to switch out my dish soap and hand soap bottles for something a little prettier:

They are olive oil glass bottles I bought at WalMart for around $10 for both. They are definitely a step up from the store bottles, don't you think?

I will definitely call this Pin a win, but I do wonder how long this shine treatment will last. Although the process was easy, it's not something I would probably do very often because it does take time. And let's be honest, the day old crumbs on the floor and the stack of dishes in the sink have to take priority over how shiny said sink is. I did do one load of dishes and the sink was still looking good, but I'll let you know in a few days how it's holding up.

Cheap Eats Week 5: 75+ Budget-Friendly Dinner Ideas

2013-03-19T18:36:00.002-07:00

This is the last post in the Cheap Eats series...because I keep forgetting to save my grocery receipts. And I feel like I've said what I have to say about budget shopping. :)

If you want to read all the posts in the series, click on the Cheap Eats tab at the top of the page or the green logo in the sidebar.

I hope you've been encouraged along your path to cutting your grocery bills. To go out with a bang, I thought I'd share my master recipe list, the one that hangs inside my cupboard. I still think that coming up with a weekly menu is the hardest part of all of this and hope that by sharing the meals we eat most frequently, you'll have a resource to help you answer that pesky question, "What's for dinner?"

Main Dish: Beef

Tacos (soft or crunchy)

Spaghetti

Sloppy Joes

Navajo Tacos

Red Beef Enchiladas

Shepherd’s Pie

Taco Salad

Hamburgers

Lasagna

Taco Rice

Salisbury Steak

Meatloaf

SouthwestBaked Spaghetti

CreamyBurrito Bake

Stroganoff

Tater Tot Casserole

Rigatoni

Taco Pizzas (like Taco Bell)

PorcupineMeatballs

Crockpot Roast

Main Dish: Chicken

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken and Penne

White Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Chili Enchiladas

Chicken/Mushroom Stuffing Packets

Chicken in Potato Baskets

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Four Ingredient Quick Dinner

Pot Pie

Phad Thai/ Thai Chicken Fettuccine

Chicken Manicotti

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Fettuccine Alfredo

Asian Chicken from a Packet

Chicken Bacon Ranch Calzone

Click HERE to see my post: 30 Recipes That Use Pre-Cooked Chicken

Main Dish: Misc.

Pork Chops

Pigs In A Blanket

Chef Salad

BBQ Chicken Salad

Sausage Rice

Ham Enchiladas

Burritos/Chalupas

Beans and Spanish Rice

Hot Dogs

Chili Dogs

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Tuna Casserole

Potato Bar

Kielbasa/Polish Sausage and Rice

Tin Foil Dinners

Homemade Pierogies

Pizza (Chicken, Alfredo, Mexican, Pepperoni, Sloppy Joe)

French Bread Pizza

Bombs

Pizza Potatoes

Spinach Bake

Twice Baked Potatoes

Sandwiches

BBQ Sandwiches

Ham BBQ (deli ham, ketchup, butter, sweet relish...it's a slightly-strange family recipe)

Monte Cristos

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Egg In The Hole Sandwiches

BLT’s

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

French Bread Sandwiches (any meat, any sauce, any cheese: broiled)

Hot Ham Rolls

Soup

Cheater Dumplings

Chili and Cornbread

Potato Soup

Taco Soup (chicken or ground beef)

Black Bean Soup and Tortillas

Minestrone Soup

Corn Chowder

White Chicken Chili

Zuppa Toscana

Beef Stew

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken Florentine Soup

Breakfast

Biscuits and Gravy

Pancakes

Crepes with Fruit Filling

Stuffing Cups

French Toast or French Toast Casserole

Egg McMuffins

Waffles

Breakfast Casserole (made with stuffing)

Quiche

Omelets

The Sad Tale of the Half-Finished Armoire

2013-03-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Last summer I found this big beautiful armoire at a yard sale for $5. I know, seriously. It was one of those get-out-of-sight-of-the-seller-then-squeal-like-a-crazy-chick moments.

I started out strong...removed the hardware, ripped off the outdated trim pieces along each side, patched up all the dings and holes, and primed the whole thing.

Then winter hit. And it has been way too cold to do any painting. So all winter this poor armoire has been sitting in my living room like this:

Doesn't it look so much better already, even in it's half-finished state? I was originally going to paint it aqua blue, but I have fallen in love with the white primer and I think I'll paint it white now.

But the best news is the hardware:

I wanted dark and sleek hardware that fit into the preexisting holes. This package of six pulls was $7! Seven! Can you believe it?! I found them at Target and even went to check the price because I was sure they couldn't be that cheap. Similar pulls at Home Depot and Lowes were $3-$4 each. Score! And this is the second time Target has delivered with hardware... I bought pulls there when I refinished a dresser a few years back. Thank you, Tar-jay!

The last of the snow finally melted out of my yard this week and I even have some bulbs peeking up in the flower beds, so I am hoping it will be warm enough to finish painting soon.

Painted Plastic Easter Eggs

2013-03-11T17:43:00.003-07:00

Easter is coming. Yay! I pulled out my decorations, which consist of a cool wooden bunny I found for a buck at a yard sale and a bunch of painted plastic eggs. Yep, that's the extent of the Easter decor, but it's enough to make me happy and to remind me that I still need to go buy a year's supply of Cadbury Mini Eggs. Mmmmm....

I wanted pretty eggs to go in my apothecary jars, but I did not want to pay what they were charging at the stores for fake eggs. I mean, they are FAKE people! They should not cost an arm and a leg!

So I took the regular old cheap plastic Easter eggs (come on, I know you have a ton of them lurking in a closet somewhere) and painted them with craft paint. I also added little speckles and stuff to make them more interesting. The only downside is that they have seams. So what? They were free! I can handle the seams.

I even stuck some up on my armoire...

I love that I could customize the colors. I mixed up the paint to make a variety of earthy pastels and I think they are a pretty great decoration for the price. Man, I love free!

Baby Dress and Matching Flower Hair Bow

2013-03-11T14:06:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning in the mood to sew. Maybe it's because I cleaned my craft room. Nothing like a clean desk to tempt me to mess it all up again. So I whipped up The Itty Bitty Baby Dress in no time. And the best thing about baby dresses is they hardly take any fabric, so I was able to find some scraps in my stash. I changed a few details from the original pattern... nixed the piping around the waistline and added a contrasting band at the bottom of the skirt and a little ruffle detail on the bodice. All together it was very simple to make and Rae gave very good directions.

Here's a close-up of the bodice and the adorable bow straps:

I made the little flower hair bow following a picture TUTORIAL I PINNED. It was also very easy, but turned out so sweet.

I really needed this project today. It reminded me why I love to sew. It's so fun to finish something! Now I just need to finish cooking this baby so I can dress her up in her new outfit!

Works in Progress

2013-03-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

I feel like it's been a long time since I've posted anything crafty. It's been all Pinterest Tested and Cheap Eats and recipes. I have been crafting, I'm just working on bigger projects that take a lot of time. So here's a sneak peak into what's been sitting on my craft desk:

I've been buying fabric for the baby's room. Remember the inspiration board? I was so excited to find a floral print that pulled all the colors together. I think the curtains will be the solid coral pink fabric and the bedding will be the floral with aqua binding. Maybe.

The big project I've been working on is this:

I'm knitting a hot pink cabled baby blanket (using THIS tutorial)! I am a newbie knitter and this project is taking forever. But I am learning so much and I think I'm finally getting the hang of knitting. Good thing Baby won't be here until summer!

Cheap Eats Week 4: Menu Planning

2013-03-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

First off, a big "I'm sorry" to those who have been following the Cheap Eats series...the last week has been crazy at our house with lots on the schedule and a nasty bout of sickness and putting together a post was beyond my ability. (Let's be honest, there were a couple of days there where taking a shower was beyond my ability. Ha ha.) It's been basic survival mode for the last few days. Anyway...excuses, excuses. Today's a new day and I'm back on track!

So...

Menu:
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff
Thursday: B.L.T.'s
Friday: Spinach Enchiladas **(see below)
Saturday: Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad
Sunday: Hamburger Hash
Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Tuesday: Potato Soup and Cornbread

Receipt:
2 gallons milk 4.14
frozen broccoli .78
frozen mixed vegetables .78
4 packages frozen spinach 3.52
sour cream 1.28
half and half .88
cream cheese 1.00
2 lbs cheddar cheese 5.48
margarine .78
bacon 2.48
brown gravy packet .28
country gravy packet .40
grape jelly 1/57
cilantro .42
red bell pepper .48
5 Roma tomatoes .78
2 yellow onions .46
2 loaves cheap sandwich bread 1.36
flour tortillas 1.88
3.33 lbs apples 2.60
iceberg lettuce 1.28
4 bananas .85
1 lb mushrooms 1.88
1 loaf good bread 1.57
Total after tax: 39.15

One of the keys to success with sticking to a food budget is meal planning. How will you know what you need at the store if you don't plan it out? A list and a plan keep you from wandering the aisles and grabbing whatever looks good. Some tips on meal planning:

1. Keep a list of things you need. If you use the last egg, write eggs on the list. This is especially important for staples like sugar and flour and for rare purchases like spices. I have a list that has a magnet on the back and I keep it on the fridge for easy access. If I don't write it down as soon as I think of it, the idea is gone forever.

2. Go through the fridge and see what needs to be used up. Leftover ham? A jar of sauce close to it's expiration date? Try to plan those things into your meals so nothing goes bad. Like my momma always says, "The most expensive food is the food that gets wasted."

3. Make a menu master list. Start writing down the foods your family likes. I keep mine taped inside a kitchen cupboard and I refer to it every time I make a menu. See? Here it is:

I think this is the hardest part of menu planning. It's the age old question, "What's for dinner?" But planning ahead of time is so much easier than having to ask yourself that question at 5:00 with whiny kids and an empty fridge. And keeping a master list makes it that much easier...ideas right at your fingertips!

4. Add variety. Obviously you don't want to have soup every night for a week. I try to think of a chicken/beef/pork dish, something meatless, different ethnic foods like Mexican or Thai, something easy for a busy night, a new recipe we've never tried, what starch/side dish it will be served with... you get the idea.

5. Balance the cost per meal. Sometimes I want to try something new that requires buying a lot of special ingredients. Sometimes I want a nice cut of meat. How can I buy those things and still stay on budget? If one meal is pricey, I serve a cheap meal the next day to make up the difference. One night we'll have roast, then the next we have pancakes. Then things stay under control. This week the splurge was spinach enchiladas (did you see how many ingredients I had to buy to make those?) and the savings meals were hamburger hash and potato soup.

6. Stay flexible. Have you heard that from me before? Ha ha. I don't assign a certain day to each meal. I just choose seven meals, buy what I need for them and eat them when the mood hits. If I decide I want something I don't have on the menu and I have the ingredients to make it, I just save the meal I skipped and add it to the next menu.

Oh, and I have to share my cornbread recipe. It is my absolute favorite!

Buttery Cornbread
2/3 cup softened butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and milk. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 22-27 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I'm starting a new running total since I didn't post last week. Besides, it's a new month, new budget. Right? When I did my February budget analysis, groceries came in at about $175. Under budget...yeah!

Monthly Budget: $200
Spent this week: $39.15
Money left for the month: $160.85

If you would like to see all of the posts in this series, click on the "Cheap Eats" tab under the blog header at the top of the page.

**Just had to add that the Spinach Enchiladas were disgusting. My husband stoically ate one. They were that bad.

Countdown Card

2013-03-05T16:01:00.003-08:00

I'm sharing something simple today. This year is full of big milestones for me. This summer, my husband and I will have been married for 10 years! I told him I loved him for the first time on his birthday ten years ago. So this year, I made him a special card:

It's pretty cool to see how many days, hours and minutes it's been since that night ten years ago. And guess what? You don't even have to be good at math to figure it out!

If you have a special day you want to count to or from, there's an online calculator! Here's the link:

ONLINE COUNTDOWN CALCULATOR

Just plug in two dates and it will tell you how many days are in between them. Kind of a fun toy.

I have 3 months, 28 days, 7 hours and 1 minute until my due date.

There are 9 months, 19 days and 13 hours until Christmas.

You could see how many seconds old you are.

See? I told you it was a fun toy. Enjoy!

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

2013-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

My husband recently had a birthday and requested an ice cream cake. When I saw Martha Stewart's recipe that included hot fudge and graham crackers layered with vanilla ice cream, I knew he would love it. Her recipe called for homemade hot fudge and real whipped cream. But I'm pregnant, tired and have had a horrible chest cold all week. Homemade hot fudge just wasn't going to happen. So this is the easy version of the recipe. And you know what? It was so delicious! It was a lot like a giant s'more with ice cream instead of marshmallows. Yum!

S'mores Ice Cream Cake
1 box vanilla ice cream
12-18 graham crackers
1 jar ready made hot fudge, warmed in microwave
1 carton whipped topping, thawed
cocoa powder for dusting

Line a 9x9 pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of extra draping over the sides. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften for 10-15 minutes. Don't let it get too soft or when it refreezes, it will get icy. Line the pan with a thin layer of ice cream, then graham crackers. Spread 1/3 of the hot fudge across the graham crackers and put the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat layers, ending with ice cream on top. Freeze for at least 4 hours. After making this once, I would try to make thinner layers of ice cream so there are more layers of hot fudge and graham crackers.

To serve, dip pan in hot water to loosen edges. Invert ice cream cake onto a serving plate, remove plastic wrap and frost with whipped topping. Dust with cocoa powder if desired.

If you want an even more S'mores-like experience, you could add layers of marshmallow cream into the mix. Oh, baby! Now that would be good!