We Know Stuff

Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things

2012-02-23T10:14:06-05:00

Back in October, I was browsing through LinkedIn's New York Women in Communications group and I came across a post from "Betty Everything".

The name alone brought a wry smile to my face as I often feel like "Betty Everything" in my own home, and I needed to find out what the show was all about. Lo-and-behold, I met Suzanne and Lucia, two friends who met at a radio station in New Hampshire back in 2003 and became instant friends.

After watching all of their incredibly entertaining videos, I knew wanted to hang out with them some more. Luckily for We Know Stuff, Suzanne and Lucia found Daniele and I to be equally entertaining, so we decided to work together.

After tossing around some ideas, we decided to go with a discussion about "Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things". Daniele and I frequently use baking soda and vinegar in our homes and we thought that women everywhere would like to know that these dirt cheap products can clean a remarkable amount of things.

From crayon doodles on your walls, to ditching your Windex for vinegar and old newspapers, our "Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things" chat reminds us all that you don't have to spend a lot of money on household cleaners when so many common pantry items can do the same job.

To hear what Daniele and I sound like in real life, check out our laughter-filled radio interview with Suzanne and Lucia on "Betty Everything"!

Thanks for always supporting us,

Denine & Daniele

Winter Hat Giveaway: Ruby Webbs

2012-02-20T06:00:00-05:00

Striped Hat in Bubblegum Pink & Lime Green

At least once a week, I engage in some of my favorite "time suck" pleasures; one of these happens to be adding other people's creations to my Etsy Favorites. I was browsing online for some adorable winter hats for my little ones and I came upon Ruby Webbs.

Like most Etsy Artisans, Joni, the mastermind behind Ruby Webbs, is incredibly talented. Her store carries all sorts of beautifully adorned hats - from girls' newsboy hats, to cloche hats, to beanies - Ruby Webbs has it all. If you haven't seen these incredibly gorgeous, crocheted hats, you need to stop what you're doing and visit Ruby Webbs - right now!

Funky Chunky Pansy Hat

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Giveaway Spotlight: Joni from Ruby Webb on Etsy

Can you tell us a little bit about your Etsy store?
I created my Etsy store, Ruby Webbs, about a year and a half ago. I had been making hats for my
daughter, Ruby, when one of my friends said, "you have got to try selling these on Etsy". I thought it over and decided to go for it.

Can you tell us how you came up with the name Ruby Webb?
I named my shop after my husband's Aunt Ruby Webb; she unfortunately passed away about a
year ago at the age of 93. Aunt Ruby was spunky, fun, caring, and loved people. Our
daughter, Ruby, is also named after Aunt Ruby.

Alpaca and Wool Hat - Dark Lavender

How did you start making hats in general?
Well, I started crocheting very casually about 12 years ago, but it wasn't until Ruby was born that I literally became obsessed with creating little items for her to wear.

We live in northwest Ohio and we see sub-zero temperatures quite frequently throughout winter. I wanted to make some hats that would keep Ruby warm, and looking adorable, on those frosty winter days. What started out as a need to keep Ruby warm, turned into a hobby, and then landed me here.

You've taken kids' hats to a whole new level. I'm all for silly hats when my kids are feeling, well silly, but you're hats are just gorgeous! What inspires you?
My daughter looked so beautiful in the first hat that I made for her that I was inspired to crochet more. Each time Ruby modeled a hat for me, sometimes with a little chocolate cookie on her mouth (a bribe for modeling), I wanted to make more hats.

Newsboy Hat in Tomato Red

What types of yarn do use in your hats?
I enjoy using soft bulky acrylic yarn on many of my hats. I have found these hats to be very soft, warm, and durable. However, I recently created a new "natural fibers" line made from "Blue Sky Alpacas" alpaca and wool yarn. Many of the hats from this line are made from natural, un-dyed yarn. These are really terrific too!

How will you transition your store from the chilly winter months to the warmer spring months?
As we get closer to spring, I plan on using more lightweight yarns, such as organic cotton, to create floppy sun hats and newsboy hats.

New for Spring -The Ruby Sun Hat in Organic Cotton

What do you love most about selling on Etsy?
I absolutely love meeting new people on Etsy and working with my customers to design the perfect hat.

Well, Ruby is just adorable - and we can see why you kept making hats for her! But, what do you do when your not making hats?
When I'm not busy making hats and being a mom to Ruby, I also work as an ornithologist, or avian biologist, for an environmental consulting company in Ohio.

Where can we find you?
You can also find me at www.rubywebbs.com and in-store at M&I Trading Co., Ltd., in Fukuoka, Japan.

The Ruby Cloche Hat

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Want a beautiful handcrafted winter hat of your own?
You can purchase these lovely pieces directly from Ruby Webbs, or you can enter our contest below to win a beautiful crocheted hat!

Here’s how the Giveaway Contest works:
1.) Post a comment on two of our previous posts.
2.) Help Us Spread the Word: Retweet this contest, post it to facebook, email your friends, OR post it on your own blog.
3.) Leave us ONE comment below and let us know what you've done (please include a link, or bcc us on the email, so we can see how you helped us spread the word).

The winner will be selected on March 16th at 4:00 PM EST. Please let your friends and family know about this incredible giveaway contest!

Good luck,
Denine & Daniele

Last Minute Fudge

2012-02-14T06:00:00-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day Everybody!

Hopefully, you're better prepared than I am. You see, last week, both of my kids were home sick and in the hubbub of taking care of them, I forgot all about this festive little holiday. While Daniele was busy creating all sorts of Valentine's Day crafts, I was busy Lysoling the dickens out of every surface in my home!

So imagine my surprise, when I actually remembered that Valentine's Day was today! Usually, I give the kids a day full of (semi-healthy) chocolatey treats from morning till dusk, but this year, I'm not even going to be home.

Instead, I'll be in Albany for a Legislative Awareness Day where I will be speaking with our legislators about decisions that are being made that will determine what type of mental health services will be available to children, youth and families in New York state. So even though I'm sad to miss the day's activities with my family, I'm proud to know that I'm taking a stand with many other people today, and reminding our legislators that Mental Health Matters.

But, even though I know that Mental Health Matters, my little ones are way too young to understand. All they know is that Chocolate Treats On Valentine's Day Really Matters. Luckily, I have a super-fast Last Minute Fudge recipe up my sleeve and have made two batches of delicious fudge for my little gremlins.

If you're looking for a special treat, on Valentine's Day or any day for that matter, this fudge recipe will do the trick. It's fast, it's easy, and insanely versatile. Plus, it makes you look like a creative genius in the kitchen - even though it's not "real" fudge. Oh well...

OH MY GOD, I FORGOT IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY - LAST MINUTE FUDGE!
(Otherwise known as Carnation's Famous Fudge Recipe)

Ingredients:
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 2/3 cup evaporated milk
* 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups (4 ounces) miniature marshmallows
* 1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, optional
* 1/2 cup toppings, optional (chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, etc.)

Directions:

Step 1: Combine butter, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil stirring constantly for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 2: Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. (If using toppings, and/or peanut butter, incorporate these items now.)

Step 3: Pour into a foiled-lined 8-inch square baking pan. Chill until firm.

Note: My kids are super-picky, so I never mix any nuts into my desserts, muffins, etc, unless it's for adults-only. Instead, I opt to press the nuts and other toppings directly into the top layer. This way, the kids get half, and the adults get half!

Thanks for reading,
Denine