The V Spot

A S'Mores Recipe Round-Up (since I can't wait for summer...)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:20:00 +0000

Ah, camping and summer vacations... Ah, S'Mores....
Ah, Pinterest.

We're starting to plan our summer camping trip and vacations. It's got me thinking about S'Mores. I love them, but sometimes they are hard to make, (or messy) or your vacation plans are taking you someplace that isn't good for S'Mores Making.

Pinterest has some answers for that...

These S'Mores Bars from Wingledings are made using cereal.

This amazing version is from Designed by Dawn Nicole.

What about these S'Mores Brownies from The Food Network?

I have made these S'Mores Cookie Bars from Lovin' From The Oven several times and believe me, they are da bomb.

These S'Mores Cookies from Baked Perfection look sure to please.

Food on a stick is always a bit more fun.

That holds true for these S'Mores Pops from Gimme Some Oven.

Want to elevate the S'More...? How about these gorgeous cupcakes from Spoon Fork Bacon?!

My sweet tooth is definitely ready for our camping trip. For more camping and vacation inspiration, be sure to check out the KOA Campfire Community.

Be sure to enter the giveaway for $50 to my sponsor's etsy shop! Today is the last day to enter.

This post sponsored by

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Keep herbs fresh longer, plus a guest post on Craft Gossip.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted a list of fresh fruits and vegetables and the best way to store them.

One of the things I also buy that go bad quickly are fresh cut herbs. We make our own fresh salsa and we go through a lot of cilantro.... We have found that the best way to keep them fresh is to treat them like flowers.

Simply make a fresh cut to the stems and pop into a glass of water.

You can keep green onions the same way, but you don't need to cut the ends. Just put them directly in water. The herbs keep for a few days and the onions keep so long that they start growing!

***Updated to add: I leave them on the counter, but I am pretty sure that you could keep them in the fridge too.

On another note: My friend Rose was just commenting that I've been all food and no crafts lately. Well, I actually just did a craft project, but it was for Craft Gossip. You can see it here. Here's a sneak peek at what I made for them using an ordinary flower pot and modeling clay.

Be sure to enter the giveaway for $50 to my sponsor's etsy shop!

This post sponsored by

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How to store fresh produce - From A to Zucchini. (And a handy printable.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

What's the best way to store fresh produce?
Do you ever buy fresh fruits and vegetables, toss them into the produce drawer and forget about them? Then a few days later you open the drawer only to discover that it's all spoiled? ('Fess up, because I know I'm not the only one....)

There's a proper way to store fresh produce, and as I am about to launch into a new work-out routine and a healthier diet, I thought I would finally determine the proper ways to store it all. I read up on it... I googled all over the place, and this is what I found.

It kind of comes down to which fruits and vegetables give off the natural gas, ethelyne.
Ethelyne can affect the other fruits and veggies that they are stored next to. (That's the premise of the Debbie Meyer Green Bags.) You don't need to buy special bags, but you do need to know which produce doesn't play nicely with others.

Apples - Do not wash until just before eating, keep them sealed in the plastic produce bag, in the refrigerator. They give off a lot of ethelyne gas, so don't store them next to anything else.
Avocados - Keep them at room temperature. If you need one to ripen quickly, put it in a brown paper bag along with a banana. If it is ripe and you need to slow the ripening process, put it in the fridge.

Bananas - They produce more ethelyne gas than any other fruit. Keep them away from other produce, on the counter-top, away from other produce. Once they are ripe you can stop the ripening process by putting them in the fridge, just be sure to put them in a sealed bag. The skin will turn black, but the fruit will be fine.
Beans (snap, string or wax) - Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.
Berries - You know when you buy berries and they look like they have a dusty layer one them...? That is called bloom, and it serves as a natural preservative. Never wash berries until just before use. Pick through them and throw away any berries that are bruised or molding. Store loosely in shallow containers, cover with plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.
Broccoli & Cauliflower - These need to be kept in their wrapping/packaging and kept in the fridge. Do not wash until just before using.

Cabbage - Keep in the fridge, in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using
Carrots - Whole carrots? Wash them thoroughly. If they have green tops, cut off all but an inch. Wrap them in a damp paper towel, seal in a plastic bag and store in the crisper drawer.
"Baby" carrots? I just discovered that I should stop buying them... but if you still do, you can put them in a plastic container, covered in water. Be sure to change the water every few days. (Note: this may reduce the flavor of the "baby" carrot.)
Celery - Give it a rinse, loosely wrap it in a paper towel, then tightly wrap the entire stalk in aluminum foil and keep in the crisper. It will keep fresh and crisp for weeks. (I actually have had celery that I bought to make stuffing at Thanksgiving still be fresh and crunchy for Bloody Marys on New Year's Day! Amazing!)

Cherries - Store in the fridge in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before eating.
Citrus - Since citrus fruits have thicker skin, they are easier to store. They'll stay fresh for about 2 weeks in the fridge, about a week on the counter. It doesn't matter if they are near other produce.

Corn - Husks on? Store loose and uncovered in the fridge. Husks off? Wrap in foil and store in the crisper drawer. It will keep for 1 to 2 days.
Cucumber - Store in plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not wash until just before use.
Eggplant - Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
Garlic - Store at room temperature. Whole heads will last 3 to 5 weeks, but once cloves are separated, they will last about 10 days.

Grapes - Do not wash until just before eating, as they also have a bloom. Store them in the fridge, in the plastic bags they come in, or poke holes in a plastic bag to allow for air circulation. They say they should last up to 2 weeks. (I have never seen them last longer than a week before getting shriveled up and gross...)
Jalapeno Peppers - Store in plastic bag, in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Kiwi Fruit - store at room temperature until ripe, then cover with plastic and refrigerate. Will keep for about a week.
Lettuces, Leafy Greens & Spinach - Wash, wrap loosely in paper-towels, then bag it... paper towel and all.
Melons - Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. They will keep for about a week.
Mushrooms - Do not wash until just before using. Pre-sliced? Store in the refrigerator in their original packaging. They will last for about a week. Whole? Store loosely in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator
Onions - Store in a cool, dry place that has good air circulation. (Store in the fridge if you don't have such a place.) They will keep for 2 to 3 months. DO NOT STORE WITH POTATOES. (If next to each other they spoil faster. Who knew?)

Pears - If they aren't ripe, store them at room temperature. Once they ripen, place them in a plastic bag and store them in the fridge. They will keep for about a week.
Peaches, Plums, Nectarines & Apricots - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in plastic bags in the refrigerator until ready to eat. They will keep from 3 to 5 days. Do not wash until ready to eat.
Pineapple - Store at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Potatoes - Store in a cool, dry, dark place that has good air circulation. They will keep for 2 to 3 months. DO NOT STORE WITH ONIONS. (If next to each other they spoil faster. Who knew?) Sweet Potatoes keep at room temperature for a week or in a cool dark place for about a month.

Tomatoes - Store them in a cool, dry place. Don't store them in plastic bags as the trapped ethylene will make them ripen more quickly. Once ripe, you can put them in the fridge to slow the ripening process, but let them come to room temperature before using them.

Zucchini - Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Do not wash until just before using.

Here's printable to tape inside your pantry or put of your fridge:
How to Store Produce

Did I miss anything? Do you have any great tips to share? Leave them in the comments and let me know.
Happy eating!

Be sure to enter the giveaway for $50 to my sponsor's etsy shop!

This post sponsored by

The Saavy Shopper 1

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Make "sun-dried" tomatoes in the oven.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

I love sun-dried tomatoes. In salads, in sauces, on sandwiches... seriously on just about anything.

We did NOT have a bumper crop of tomatoes this past year (bummer) but the little grape tomatoes frequently go on sale at the grocery store. I buy 3 or 4 boxes at a time. Sometimes I use them quickly... sometimes I don't. When I don't, it is easy to dry them in the oven.

Easy {Oven} Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Wash the tomatoes and slice them in half. Place them cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a few pinches of sugar, a dash of salt, and I use white pepper, but you could use any.

Next, take a small palm-full of dried basil. Rub it together in between your palms until it becomes a fine powder. Sprinkle that over the top of the tomatoes.

Pop the pan into the oven at 225 or 250 until they look shriveled and dried.

When they are done, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. (It should go without saying that you should always use really good quality, extra virgin olive oil...)

Toss them and make sure they are well coated in the oil. Store them in one of the many, many, many empty glass jars that take up space in your kitchen, because your husband insists all jars be washed out and kept on hand for the 5 times a year when he makes gravy... (ahem. sorry.)

Anyway. Put them in a jar.

Put the jar in the fridge. It should keep nicely for at least 2 weeks.

Need a good recipe to use up those nice sun (oven) dried tomatoes? This is my family's current favorite, which we got from Jen at Scissors & Spatulas. It. Is. Delicious.

Be sure to enter the giveaway for $50 to my sponsor's etsy shop!

This post sponsored by

The Saavy Shopper 1

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A quick, easy repair for shower liners. (And a chance to win some cool home decor.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Can someone please explain to me why boys are hard on everything? Everything they touch seems to get banged up, ripped, torn, rumpled, bruised or dirty. (Sometimes all at once.)

They can't even seem to open or close a shower curtain without destroying it. They are constantly pulling down on the curtain and the liner, and they rip the holes that the liner hangs from.

The first hole gets ripped, which puts more stress on the one next to it and so on and so on. I get tired of buying new ones. It's not like they're all that expensive, but at $20 a pop, they start adding up. (Plus they have that plastic smell for about a week when you first put up a new one. ew.)

You can fix the damage and extend the life of the liner, at least a little bit. Here are the tools you will need.

Yep. Clear mailing tape and a hole punch.

Bring the ripped seam together. Take a strip of tape and fold it over the top, so that it is taped on both sides of the hole. Punch a hole in the tape where the original hole is. Ta-Da. Free fix.

Click here to learn how to make this No-Sew Shower Curtain.

Want to win some cute shelves or accessories for your bathroom...? (Or any other room in your home?)

This post sponsored by

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The Saavy Shopper 1 is a cool etsy shop with lots of upcycled, repurposed goodness! Look at this creativity!

Want to win a $50 gift certificate to this fabulous shop?

Mandatory to enter:
Pop over to The Saavy Shopper 1, check it out, then leave a comment here, telling me what caught your eye.

Extra entries for:
Following The Saavy Shopper 1 on Twitter
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Giveaway closes for entries 1/27/12 at 5:00 pm PST. Winner will be announced Saturday 1/28/12. Please be sure your email is enabled. It would suck if you won and I couldn't contact you, right...?

UPDATED
************ Congratulations to Maggie at Midwestern Sewing Girl***********************

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Pinterest inspiration for a smaller butt.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Can you guess what this is...?

It's in my bedroom... ew. It's clearly something that hasn't been tended to in a long time... boo.

It's my treadmill. I finally opened it up yesterday to get my butt moving and was appalled to see the build-up of dust. Shameful.

I use Pinterest as a great source of inspiration for home projects, crafts, etc. Well, I've started a board for Fitness Ideas and Inspiration. Please feel free to follow along with me.

Gravity is not my friend. Neither is cheese.

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Wine marinated Beef Stew, served with a side of Funny. mmm mmm good.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Yesterday Giada De Laurentiis was on The Today Show sharing some recipes for comfort foods. One of them was for a Chianti marinated beef stew.

Sounded good. I didn't have the exact ingredients that she used, so I winged it. I used a Cabernet to marinate the meat instead of Chianti. Grant was watching the wine-marinating process.

Grant: "I haven't had many wines."
Me: "You're only 7..."
Grant: "Yeah. Next year, then."

There's nothing like a little humor to make cooking dinner a bit more fun... My abbreviated version of Giada's stew turned out pretty well.

Here's what I did:

1 lb of stew meat (I used lamb... 'cuz I had it)
1 lb of beef (I used blade steak... also 'cuz I had it)
1 bottle of Cabernet
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb of bacon, sliced (divided)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 stalk of celery, sliced
2 medium sized, unpeeled russet potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves of garlic (peeled, but whole)
1/2 tsp powdered sage
1 tsp white pepper
2 stems of fresh rosemary
4 cups beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes

Place the meat in a baking dish and pour the entire bottle of wine over it. (OK, have a little sip or two first, you know, just to make sure it's good.) Marinate the meat for about 3 hours, turning it over at the halfway mark. (Keep in mind that you could probably use any cut of beef or lamb that you have on hand...)

Remove meat from wine marinade and pat dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper. (Reserve the wine marinade.)

Heat oil in a heavy stock pot or dutch oven. Sear meat on all sides, making sure it's really browned. Remove meat from pot and set aside. Add half of the bacon to the pot, cooking until crisp. Add carrots, potatoes, celery and garlic. Pour in the reserved wine marinade and deglaze the bottom of the pot, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits of yumminess and flavor. Add the beef broth, rosemary, sage, white pepper and the can of tomatoes; mix and bring it to a boil. Add the meat back in, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 3 hours.

Fry up the remaining 1/2 pound of the bacon bits and set aside. Before serving, pull the meat back out of the pot, shred with forks and add back into the stew. Ladle stew into bowls, sprinkle a bit of the reserved bacon bits on top and serve with a crusty piece of bread or a roll. (And of course, a nice glass of wine.)

mmmm. A good, simple dinner for a cold night.

By the way? Everything tastes better if you eat your meals with a funny kid.

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Get meaningful with your Valentine's Day gift.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:55:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching, and I am wracking my brain to think of something sweet and meaningful for Handsome Hubby. And it has to be better, more original and more creative than the things he does for me. Yes, competition is one of the cornerstones of our marriage... why do you ask?

We do not go for the traditional box of chocolates and roses (although I wouldn't turn them down)... instead, we try to "one-up" each other. (Yes, we're mature.) I think his goal is to make me get all weepy and verklempt.

Here's a great example of one of the things HH did for me. (Even though it was a Christmas gift** one year, it would totally work for Valentine's Day.) He took an image that held significance for us and then hand-wrote a "mat" of memories, inside jokes and meaningful words all the way around it.

Here's the brief back story: Once upon a time, before we were married, Handsome Hubby flew up from CA to visit me in WA for a long weekend. It was a great couple of days and I was sad to drop him off at the airport on the last morning. We said our goodbyes and I sadly started to drive home, missing him already. About 20 minutes after I left, he called me to say that he had made a mistake when he was booking his flight and was scheduled to leave at 9:00 pm, not 9:00 am... So we got a bonus 12 hours together.

Years later, we saw a Jack Vettriano painting called Back Where You Belong and we were both reminded of the 12 hour gift we were given.

HH took the image, cropped it so that only the two lovers are showing, and hand-wrote all that sweetness around the mat.

The "Cherry Pits" that are referred to in the upper right corner? We were eating fresh cherries and ended up spitting the pits at each other and also to see who could spit them the farthest. I told you... we're super mature and not competitive at all.

I believe he has plans in the works to build a custom frame one of these days too.

It's hanging in my little corner of the kitchen breakfast bar where I work and blog, etc. and is one of the things that I would grab first if there was a fire or some disaster. I cherish it.

It never fails to brighten my day. (**The Christmas that he gave this to me, we each had a $25 spending cap and were trying to out-do the other and stay in budget. He came in at under $25 and made me cry. He totally won.)

But I need ideas, people! I must do something great and creative! Help!

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2012: The Year of the Chopstick

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:35:00 +0000

Little boys aren't known for their lovely penmanship. We have had an ongoing problem with little boys who don't hold the pencil properly and who write their letters from the bottom up instead of the top down. (Take a quick moment and draw an I, a T and an F for me... from the top, down... right?)

Anyhow, Grant is one of the worst offenders and easily has the sloppiest writing in his 2nd grade class.

You may remember this lovely example from my post on Thank You Notes....? Terrible, right?

So last week while having Chinese Food for dinner, Grant announced he wanted to use chopsticks instead of a fork. We didn't hold out much hope for success.

Boy, were we wrong.

All of us: "Grant! Wow! How did you do that on your first try!?"
Grant: "Um, I read the directions... helllloooo."

We asked Conner to read the directions too. He still uses the chopsticks like giant toothpicks and stabs the food.

I have it figured out... All I need to make a wrapper with illustrations/directions on how to properly hold a pencil. Grant can read them and maybe then he will start writing as if he has opposable thumbs, rather than as if he is using his feet.

Sound like a plan? (We've tried everything else...)

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Do you have a Word for the Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:15:00 +0000

I don't do resolutions... but I have heard and read about people choosing one word that they would like to focus on for the upcoming year.
I've decided that this one is mine:

Core.

It represents several areas where I could use some improvement and/or use a little contemplation. The core of my character... the core of my priorities... the core of my values... and the core of my body, which has been neglected to the point that none of my clothes fit me anymore.

I've got some work ahead of me. How about you? Do you have a Word for 2012?

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A simple, kid-friendly centerpiece.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:50:00 +0000

Should form follow function...? Function follow form...? Why not put them in the same bowl?

It's tangerine season, and we go through a 5 pound box of Cuties at least once a week around here. By adding the tangerines to a bowl of pine cones, I have a simple, everyday winter centerpiece and I not only don't care if the kids touch it, I actively encourage them to do so.

Sometimes I am almost embarrassed to post these things that are so simple, they're kind of stupid.
Almost.

Linking here:

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It's OK... I've seen worse answers from Miss America contestants.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Grant is the Superstar of the Week this week at school.
In addition to getting to be first in line for recess and to go to the lunch tables, he gets to create a timeline of his life, share trophies and favorite toys, etc.

He also gets to fill out a questionnaire about himself, by himself. It is posted on the wall for everyone to see.

bad cell phone picture, sorry.

There were several of your basic, standard questions along with expected answers.
There were also several of your basic, standard questions with unexpected answers. My two favorites:

What makes me special is:
I help my family and friends and clean up the world.

Really? He cleans up the world? I can't get him to clean up his room.

If I could change something in the world to make it a better place to live, I would:
Stop people from smoking and snoring.
Wha...? Grant snores.

Sometimes there's just no telling how your child views the world...
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Am I the meanest mom on Facebook...? (I am pretty sure there are others just like me.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:20:00 +0000

Before I get to Facebook:

I am thrilled that a panel of some of my favorite bloggers judged my Cowhide Dresser as one of the Top 6 entries in Not JUST A Housewife's DIY Projects of 2011 contest. There were almost 800 entries, so I am pretty darn excited about that!

click here for the tutorial

Now readers vote on the Top 6 to decide who gets the Top Spot. I'd love it if you would go over and vote. If you vote for my dresser, that would be awesome, but there are some Uh-Mazing transformations that I am up against. You can vote once a day, through Friday, January 13. Thanks!

On to Facebook: I received a lot of positive feedback on yesterday's post where I publicly busted my son for being on the site in the middle of the night. (He claims that he didn't think I'd be mad if he posted a quick status update before he went to bed... He has now been informed of my policy on midnight posting.)

I have often been ~~accused~~ told that I am a strict mom. I am OK with that. People sometimes frown at me when they hear about some of the ways we parent our kids... but you know what? I am OK with that too.

source

Take Facebook. A lot of our friends have set an age at which their kids can have an account, i.e. "Billy is 15 now, so he is old enough to have a Facebook account."

Uh, no.

Only two of our four boys have accounts. They do not have them because they reached an arbitrary age requirement, but because we felt that they were mature enough/responsible enough to understand the basic principle that the internet is written in ink, not in pencil. If you have any worries about your kid's discretion, don't let them get an account.

Even once the child is allowed to get an account, there are conditions. Our kids do not have any inherent right to privacy while they live under our roof.

Condition #1 - They must be "friends" with me. This helps me monitor what they're doing and when they're doing it. (As evidenced by yesterday's post...)

Condition #2 - I must know their password. This serves two purposes.

It allows me to easily revoke their Facebook privileges. Once Devin lost them for an entire semester because he blew off a huge project in one of his classes and his grade in the class dropped to a D. I took away all privileges (not just fb) until he brought the grade up. (It was a HUGE project that he neglected) Anyhow, I did this by temporarily changing his password. I restored it to the original once he got his grade up.
It allows me to know what's really going on and who they're hanging out with. When they signed up for the account, they understood and agreed to the fact that I will be doing "spot checks" on their Facebook accounts. I randomly have logged on under their accounts and checked out what they're doing and saying and, more importantly, who their friends are and what they are doing and saying. Some of those kids are little Eddie Haskell's. All nice and proper when a parent is around, but little trouble-making hellions when they're not. I want to know that kind of thing. I have told the boys they can (and should) disclose that their Mean Mother snoops around their account on occasion and does look at their friends, their friends photos, and what they post. There is no right to privacy on the internet, especially on these social media sites. If it's out there, it's fair game. Don't post anything that you wouldn't want your mother to see. Simple.

**Updated to add: I haven't had to revoke Facebook privileges very often, but when I did, I made sure my new, secret "Punishment Password" was something like totallylame1 or stupid-stunt When they finally got their account back, I gave them the secret password. They had to log-in as totallylame1 in order to reset it. heheheh.****

As a parent, it's my job both to protect and to teach... sometimes simultaneously. What do you think? How do you monitor your kids' Facebook activities? Or do you?

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Humiliation, if used correctly, can be a useful parenting tool.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Don't ya love it when your kids forget you are friends with them on facebook....?

Being friends with Mama is a requirement in order to get a facebook account around here. You want privacy...? Get your own apartment.

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I don't have anything against Las Vegas. (I just don't really have anything for it either.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

I just took my first trip to Las Vegas.
When people learned that I am 44, live close enough to drive to there, yet had never been; their reactions ranged from disbelief to pity to amazement.

It was just unheard of that not only I hadn't been there, but I wasn't chomping at the bit to remedy the situation. I was OK with that, I just didn't really have a desire to go. I don't have anything against gambling or gamblers, I just would rather waste my money in other ways... (Yes, yes, I've heard it all: great shows! great shopping! great food!) blah blah blah.

But when my BFF's husband planned a surprise birthday party for her there, how could I not go?

It was awesome! She was totally surprised.

Then she cried...

It was a really fun evening.

(*Updated with new pix)

Handsome Hubby lived up to his name...

Thanks to Lil Spitzer for the photo

It was a great party!

However, I didn't want to make a whole weekend out of it. We flew in for the Friday night party and flew home again on Saturday. I told Handsome Hubby the only thing I really wanted to see was the Chihuly installation in the lobby of the Bellagio.

Done.

(While we were there we took in the collection of landscapes in the Fine Art Gallery. That was awesome.)

OK, so I've been to Vegas. You all can stop riding me about it now.

(Happy birthday to my bestie! Love you tons! xoxo)

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I'm thinking of hiring a photographer for our next vacation....

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Let me explain why.

We haven't had any professional photos taken since Grant was an infant in 2004...

...so when Groupon had a great deal on a photography package a few months back, we took advantage of it.

We were way overdue. Obviously. (And I am in a bit of a white T shirt & jeans rut. Obviously.)

I'm happy with how they turned out. (Even Corsa was cooperative and looked at the camera. )

...And just look at my guys. Aren't they handsome...? Aren't they well mannered...?

Oh.... Wait.
Here's a more, um, accurate representation of our sons.

This was our Christmas card this year.

Speaking of accurate representation... although I love how these photos turned out, and we love the beach (who doesn't, right?) it isn't as "us" as it could be. "Us" would be wearing normal clothes and be taken someplace that we really love to be. If we really wanted to be accurate, we should have our family Christmas card taken in July, on our annual camping trip.

Something Turquoise showcases amazing photographers and photo shoots, and all that creativity is inspiring me to plan ahead for 2012's Christmas photo. I am going to look into finding a local photographer and seeing if it's feasible and affordable to do a quick photo shoot in our favorite place... the High Sierras. (By the way, the KOA Community is a great way to get vacation, camping and photography tips and ideas... you should check it out!)

(Whether or not I can get Handsome Hubby and the boys to stop with the camping and start with the posing for pictures remains to be seen... but a girl gots ta try.) I'm thinking that it might be better to do something a little unorthodox if it means a better result in the long run.

What do you think?

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The art of the Thank You note.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:50:00 +0000

As much as we have email, texting and instant messaging, I think there is just no substitute for a hand-written, snail mail Thank You note. I have always encouraged the boys to write Thank You notes, especially after their birthdays and Christmas.

You know what else there is no substitute for....?

Checking your child's note for spelling...

...for neatness...

... and proper etiquette and appropriateness.

Hey kid, just eat the candy already. oy.

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Simple, winter themed decor. (Using what you already have, of course.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I shared some of my tricks and tips for organizing my Christmas decor.
Just because I have un-decorated Christmas that does not mean that I am ready to start dragging out the Valentine's decor or spring anything. It's still winter, people!

So how do I decorate with a winter theme? First, I undo all of the color and sparkle...

... and add muted, natural elements.

I pulled away the candy canes (click here to see how I store them for future years), left the epsom salt and added in a few pine cones. The red ornaments are gone and a few glittered and natural twigs and sticks will tide me over until February.

See? Easy. Cheap. Happy sigh.

Click here to get the scoop on the jar of dated wine corks

If you are here visiting from Today's Creative Blog, thank you for coming over on the Best Day of My Life!

If you'd like to look around a bit, check out 2011 "Best Of" posts: Top 10 projects/tips or the Top 10 Grant Stories. Come back anytime!

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Easy ways to organize your Christmas decor and be ready for next year.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:40:00 +0000

Packing up Christmas always makes me feel a little sad. (Also a little tired, there is a lot to pack up.)
I have been asked how it is possible to change my color scheme every year... it's all about color coding and organization, baby!

It's so simple, it's kinda stupid. Store the decor by color. I put all the red decorations and ornaments in one bin... all the gold in another...

I don't really even bother with all of the little cardboard dividers anymore if I am just storing the regular ball ornaments. There are thousands of them, so if there are a few casualties each year, so be it.

By the way, that baggie on the left that says "Decoration Only - Do Not Eat"...? It's full of peppermint sticks and candy canes. I store them for years. No one at my house likes to eat them, but I love to put them in jars and use them as part of my Christmas decor for years when I use red.

It seems wasteful to throw them away. So I save them. (Make sure you add a packet of silica gel...)

While there are literally thousands of ornaments that I just sort by color and store in bulk, I definitely have treasured ornaments, and they receive First Class Storage treatment...

I also keep the ornaments for the kids' tree separate as well.

Lights can be a problem, so we avoid this:

...by simply putting each strand of lights in a plastic grocery bag, then putting them all in a bin.

Clearly labeling boxes helps Handsome Hubby each year as he is putting things away. Anything that is marked with Every Year is stored where he can easily grab it for next season.

Every Year includes the boxes with the Christmas toys, music and DVDs, as well as my fake garlands and wreaths.

Also? The color coding also helps HH know which boxes he doesn't need to pull out each year. I have already decided on my color scheme for next year, so as he's putting the red and gold boxes away, he will be sure to move the white, silver, blue and green ornaments towards the front.

So between the boxes sorted by color and the clear labeling, corralling all of my Christmas decor is much, much easier.

Now where is my Valentine's Day stuff....

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Recycle your Christmas cards into gift tags for next year.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Who doesn't love getting Christmas cards?
I love keeping in touch with people and seeing how big their kids have gotten and what they've been up to over the past year. Many send photo Christmas cards (we do) but many send a beautiful card that they sign... but no note, no photos.

I save all of the photo cards we get over the years and I have great aspirations to one day get them into a Christmas Album. (Maybe someday I will do this.) However, those gorgeous cards with just a signature can be enjoyed a second year with just a little time and a pair of scissors.

Turn these....

Into these...

For example, I thought this little card was beautiful.

It would be a shame to not do something else with it... so I cut off the front part of the card. Then I took my Cricut and some coordinating card-stock and cut out a tag shape that was slightly bigger than the Santa card.

Bit of a TANGENT:
When something has a an imperfection that I can't easily fix, I embrace the imperfection and just make it bigger. Sort of like PeeWee Herman. "I meant to do that."

In this case, the cutting blade on my Cricut needs to be replaced, so some of the paper tore a bit on the edges. No problem... I have a nail file. I meant to do that. If something is ripped or torn or smudged... rip it, tear it or smudge it even more. Make it part of your design.

I adhered the Santa card to the tag and added a ribbon.

Pretty, right? Free, unique, kinda green since I recycled it... those are good things.

If you don't have an electronic cutting tool, simple shapes cut with scissors or exacto knife work just fine. You can also get pre-cut letters and embellishments in the scrap-book section at your local craft store.

I cut out this Santa with an exacto knife and adhered it to a card-stock tag.

For this one I cut the Christmas card into an oval shape... cut another, slightly larger oval out of card-stock... add letters and a ribbon.

There is no right or wrong, just cut them up and recreate something. The ones I've done here are super simple, but you can always add embellishments like glitter, ribbon, rhinestones or beads...

Not feeling the Christmas right now? I get it, you want to just pack it all up and move forward? (I'm feeling the same way...) No problem.

Cut the images you want to keep, or even toss whole cards into a bag and pack it into the bin where you store your Christmas wrap or decorations (or whatever) so that when you unpack your decor next season you are ready to make some fun tags.

Happy crafting!

Check the bottom of the blog to see where I link this up.

Also

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Save your Christmas cards... (oh, and happy New Year.)

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Have a fun, safe evening and a blessed, healthy 2012!

Be sure to hang on to this season's Christmas cards...

I'll be back on Monday with a tutorial on how to recycle these lovely Christmas cards into gift tags for next year.

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Summer vacation.... now is the time to start planning for it.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:40:00 +0000

I know, I know, we're still digging out from underneath Christmas, and are trying to figure out what to wear/do on New Year's Eve...

...but it's just about time to start planning for summer.

I'm serious! Now is a great time to start looking for vacation package deals. Cruises, tours, hotels and airfare all are going on sale. It pays to be somewhat flexible with your dates and to book at slightly off times. Orbitz, Expedia and other bargain travel sites are great for finding good deals on travel. Living Social, Groupon and Jetsetter are all services you can sign up for and get daily deals sent right to your inbox. Flexibility is key for taking advantage of these deals.

If you want to save on hotel accommodations, I would highly recommend giving airbnb.com a try. Type in the city you're interested in visiting and check out all that is available and the amazing prices.

If you are a camper (like we are) make sure you know how far in advance you can make your campsite reservations.

We book our big camping trip at a California State Park. Their reservations can't be made any earlier than 7 months out... which means that we can't book our July trip until January 2. Our campground is a popular one and it fills up pretty quickly.

Knowing those dates helps to ensure we get the sites we want, when we want them. We camp with other families, so anytime you're trying to book a block of anything (rooms, campsites, tables....) it pays to do it early. Reserve America is easy to use for this, and there are lots of KOA Kampgrounds across the country as well.

Be sure to check out the KOA Campfire Community. It's a great resource for camping and outdoor enthusiasts. We'll be having a Live Chat about planning for your 2012 vacations on January 5th, 10:00 pm EST. Hope you'll join us!

Happy vacation planning!

How do you get to Carnegie Hall...? Through the front door of course. Duh....

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Mitch has been taking guitar lessons and is now playing in a band with a group of students at the music school.

Their instructor sets up little "recitals" around town... usually at coffee houses or in restaurants. The businesses like them because they come with a built in audience of family members and friends (all of whom buy drinks and order food). The students like it because they get experience playing in public.

My parents joined us when we went to Mitch's latest performance. Afterwards, my dad was asking him about the music school, the performances, and how all of this came to be.

My Dad: "How did you get in there?" (Meaning how did the performance get scheduled at this particular restaurant?)
Mitch: "Oh, there are a couple of entrances."

Hilarious.

Top 10 Tips, Tutorials and Projects from 2011... as ranked by you.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I posted my Top 10 Grant stories of 2011. I ranked them in order of how hard I laughed when he said/did these things.

Today I am counting down my Top 10 Projects and Tips for 2011 as ranked by readers' visits.

10. Mod-Podge Chair Tutorial

9. Spring Artwork Tutorial

8. Recipe for Apples Malloy

7. Wine-Cork Artwork Tutorial

6. Spray Painted Tissue Paper Pom-Poms

5. How to dry Hydrangeas

4. Cowhide Dresser Re-Do and Tutorial

3. How to turn plastic eggs into faux Robin's Eggs

2. Tip: using Silica Gel to control moisture

And by a landslide, (it had 50,000 page-views more than the #2 post!) the post that had the most page-views this year was:
1. How to clean stove burners using just the fumes from ammonia

Thank you for coming over to read whatever it is I ramble on about. This blog has been a great outlet for me and a real blessing... thank you for being a part of that. Many blessings in 2012!

Linking up here:

click here

The Top 10 Grant Stories of 2011.

noreply@blogger.com (Vivienne @ the V Spot) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Although lately I seem to post a lot more craft projects than I do stories about Grant, these little anecdotes are some of my very favorite posts. (Grant and his antics are the reason this blog got started in the first place!)

As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd share my Top 10 Favorite Grant Stories of 2011.

10. On Girls.

9. On building his own self-esteem.

8. The proper way to celebrate your new Buzz Lightyear pajamas.

7. On creative writing assignments.

6. On telling the truth when you're caught red-handed.

5. On fashion

4. On the state of the national economy.

3. Regarding website registrations and online activities.

2. On what to do with left-overs that are made with alcohol.

1. On finding loopholes in the rules.

I can't wait to see what 2012 brings! Happy New Year.