Customized Creations

Organizing Baby Clothes

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

When have a little one, you can accumulate a lot of clothes, many of which they will only wear a few times because of how insanely fast they grow. But what do you with all the clothes once your kids have outgrown them? Get rid of them is probably the best option especially if you're not having anymore. But if you're planning on having more kids? No one wants to go buy all new clothes again when what you have right now are perfectly fine. But what are some good ways to organize them and put them away til then? Here's what I do:

I shed a little tear (not really, but I am a little sad) when Jordyn moves up a size in clothes. She's growing up was too fast. So is Dylan for that matter. We know that one day we want another child, but just not right now, so it pains to get rid of all of Jordyn's clothes when I know another one is in the future. So, packing up her clothes and putting them is what I need to do, so I can hang on to them for Baby #3.

I started out by washing all the clothes I'm going to pack away and sort them by size. For today, it's her 9 months clothes, and a very few 12 months. She's starting to outgrow her 12 months clothes but I can still squeeze another couple of wears out of most of them. LOL!

After sorting the clothes by size, I start with one size, 9 months, and begin to go through them. I pull out anything that is stained or with holes (there are not many because I am crazy about getting Jordyn's clothes dirty. Ask TJ. It drives him nuts. lol). Any that I do find, will either go in the trash or in with scrap fabrics to be cut up for projects later. This goes for outfits that I know Baby #3 won't wear. Maybe a few outfits I just wasn't a big fan of.

I also look for anything that has meaning or that I want to keep for Jordyn's hope chest (the one I have been trying to convince TJ to build since Jordyn was 7 weeks old. lol). Those items are usually the ones that describe her firsts: her first Halloween, Christmas, and so on. And sometimes I keep a favorite outfit that I had to buy her. In that instance, it's this oh-so-adorable sweater dress! It's one of my favorites and I wanted her to wear this dress in our family pictures last fall but TJ said, and I quote, "That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It looks like a blanket my grandmother would make." First of all, is he implying that his grandmother makes ugly blankets, and second of all, he just has no taste. I mean, just look how cute she is in it.

At the same time, I'm sorting through the ones that are no good, that are forever keepers, I'm pairing up outfits too. Do you see all these piles? It may look like chaos, but it's organized chaos and will come together beautifully. LOL!

Once the initial sorting for me is done, I put those forever keepers away in their temporary home (man, I need that hope chest built. I wonder if I just go buy the pieces, will that get him to build it quicker. hehe) and put the no good clothes either in my scrap pile or the trash. Now I take all the clothes that need to be packed away and sort them into the type of clothing. All pajamas go together, matching sets together, pants, you get the idea.

I then put everything into a space saving bag keeping all pajamas together, all pants together, and so on. When the bag is full, I used my vaccum to suck the air out and I just labeled the bag with the clothing size. I have a few sizes that share a bag, because I either didn't have enough of one size to fill a bag or I had too much for just one bag so I had to put extras in another bag. After sucking the air out, I put the bags in a plastic tote and away into the closet until the tote is full, where I label the tote with the clothing sizes and name of whose they were.

Now, TJ can put the clothes in the attic until it's time for Baby #3.

A few things I will note. I have set a time limit on how long we keep these clothes. If Baby #3 has not arrived by the time Jordyn is 3, then I will get of all the clothes. Styles and your taste change, so some of these styles may not work for you and/or the new baby. If the next one is not a girl, then the clothes will go as well. We know after the next one, there will be no more, so there's no point in hanging on to something we won't use. Some of my favorite reasons for organizing Jordyn's clothes they I have are:

1. When Baby #3 comes, I will only need to pull out the bags that are neccessary for that time frame and will not have to go through all the clothes
2. If Baby #3 begins to grow out one type of clothes (pants) but not the rest, then I can pull out only the pants and they will all be together.
3. Do I know someone in need looking for specific clothing sizes? Fantastic! I don't have to go through everything to find the right sizes or items.
4. If I decide to sell them on Craigslist, or a yard sale, I can pick out which sizes I want to sell right away.

Organizing is a way to help make things in life run smoother and faster, and while this took a little bit of time out of my day, it didn't take as long as you might think and will save me time later.

How do you organize your baby clothes? Share it with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

St Patrick's Day Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is over and the next holiday is right around the corner: St. Patrick's Day! Here, in Savannah, St. Patrick's Day is HUGE! We're talking one of the largest in the country. We're talking 400,000 visitors a year large! Every year they have a huge parade including pipe and drum teams from around the nation, marching bands, floats, military, and more. The city turns green! It's green everywhere from people, animals, foutains, and beer. Depending on what part of the route you're standing, you could be watching a 3 hour parade. The parade is so big and there are so many people, that the county has to close the schools for the day because the buses can't get downtown with all the people and activities going on.

Two years ago, some of my friends went down for St. Patrick's Day (this was when I lived in Beaufort, SC). We had a blast and you can definitely meet some interesting people. For us it was a day trip, and we were not able to stay and enjoy the crazy night of St. Patrick's Day drinking that follows the daytime, more family oriented festivities. I have experienced the crazy night time festivities but that was four years ago. Here are a few pictures from St. Patrick's Day 2010.

We do not know this leprechaun but we just had to have a picture with him

Me in my St Patty's Day gear!

Even the horses get all dolled up.

All the fountains in Savannah, and there's a good amount are dyed green. The used to dye the Savannah River green but the EPA got involved and so now the city is not allowed.

OK, I guess that's enough for my trip (and apparent plug) about St. Patrick's Day in Savannah. The real reason you stopped by my blog today: a St. Patrick's Day craft. To help get in the St. Patrick's Day spirit, I decided a wreath would be the perfect project! I had seen this wreath over at The Idea Room and new I wanted to make a wreath like this. It was perfect for a St. Patrick's Day wreath. All I needed was green felt and a shamrock-shaped wreath form. I looked everywhere; in any store I thought would sell wreath forms, online, and even sent my mom in Atlanta looking and you know what we found: NOTHING! Big bummer.

After finally giving up, I decided it would still be cute if I made this wreath in the traditional (traditional sounds so much better than standard, don't ya think?) circle shape. So this what I set out to do. I will continue to search for a shamrock-shaped wreath form, or eventually try my hand at making my own.

Materials Needed

Foam Wreath Form

Green Felt (you can use any shade of green you feel is appropiate for St. Patrick's Day. I chose a Kelly Green, But I know some people feel a darker green is better. That choice is up to you. Also, it is probably more cost efficient to buy the felt by the yard. The fabric store by my house was closed when I went to by my supplies so I bought the pre-cut sheets instead, but next time I will definitely wait for the fabric store to open)
Scissors

Straight Pins
Circle Template (this can be anything: a cup, a jar, a can, a stencil, etc. I used a circle template that I already owned which made the process easier, but it's definitely not necessary. The link provides you with one very similar to what I have
Gold Ribbon

***Note: This can be a very time consuming project, so I chose to work on this after the kids went to bed to help complete this project faster. Pop in a movie, grab a glass if wine (or tea, coffee or whatever you want to drink) and get started

1. I started out by using my circle template and creating TONS ( and I mean tons) of 3" circles. I don't know how many I created but it was a lot. I used a green washable marker so that lines could wash out and were less likely to be seen.

2. After creating all my circles, I cut them out. This was definitely the most time consuming part.

3. Now that all the circles were cut out, it was time to put them on the wreath. I began by folding a circle in half.

4. Then I folded it in half again, so you have folded it into fourths

5. I then stuck a straight pin through the tip of what no looks like a pie piece.

6. Take your pin and circle and stick it into the foam wreath form, pushing all the way down.

7. Repeat steps 4-7 for each individual circle, placing each pin close together so it fills in any holes and gaps. I did not put any on the back, but I did put them on the top and bottom. I figured it make it easier to hang on the door without all the puffiness on the back.

8. After finishing the wreath, I took some gold ribbon, cut it the length I wanted and then attached to the back of the wreath with a few extra straight pins. You could also hot glue as well.

I LOVE how it turned out and I'm already wanting to make another for other holidays and/or shapes!

Have you made anything for St. Patrick's Day yet? How about any wreaths? Share it with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Organize It Friday: Grocery Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Paper, plastic or reusable? What do you choose? I try very hard to bring my reusable bags with me when I go shopping. Unfortunately, I forget them more than I remember them. I'm working really hard to remember them. One was I do that is by putting them back in the car and keeping them in the car so they are there when I get to the store. But since I have been forgetting them, we have been given TONS of plastic grocery bags. While I definitely know they aren't the most eco-friendly, and am working towards a goal of not using them, I still have them in my house and I do keep them to use a trash bags or a wet clothes bag.

I don't know about you, but my stash of grocery bags can get out of control. And then I saw this idea, where they were being stores in a baby wipes container. GENIUS! They can still be kept under the sink, but can be contained so they don't look so crazy. I love it! What makes this even better is that there is a way to make each bag comes out as you use one.

Materials Needed

Plastic grocery bags

Baby Wipes Container

1. Close the container, but open the part the allows you to pull the wipes through.

2. Insert one bag through the opening but leave the handles sticking out.

3. Take your next bag and straighten it out slip the end of it through the handles of the inserted bag.

4. Then push it down into the container, leaving the handles out for the next bag.

7. Repeat this until the container if full or until you run of bags.

Now you have condensed your bags into a container that is not so chaotic. And when you need to use one, just pull one out and another pops out a little waiting for the next time you need to use one. So simple and easy!

How do you organize your grocery bags? Share it with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Make It Monday: Tissue Pom Poms

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Oh, Martha Stewart, how I idolize you! OK, not completely but I do idolize her craftiness and home decor, just not the criminal activity. lol.

Browsing the Marta Stewart website, I found these tissue pom-poms. They are super cute and she shed some light on how easy they are to make. I immediately thought this would be a great decoration for Jordyn's birthday party.

Tana (you know the fabulous friend from this post and this post) was recruited to help me make these pom poms. She was the one suggested making a post about them (feeling frazzled about the party, it completely slipped my mind, so yet another HUGE thanks goes out to her)

Materials Needed
Tissue Paper in whatever colors you choose (for me I chose pink and green and you will need at least 12 sheets for each pom pom. Martha Stewart suggests using 8, but since Tana had previously made these she said to definitely use more than 8)

Floral Wire

Fishing Line (this is used to hang the pom poms up)

1. Line all of your sheets of tissue paper up so they are even.

2. You then want to fold your tissue paper about 1 1/2" over and continue to fold in accordion style.

3. Cut the ends in a round shape.

4. Once your tissue paper is folded, you then want to fold it in half.

5. At the fold is where you will wrap the floral wire, so that it keeps the tissue paper together. Twist the floral wire so that it doesn't come undone. I wrapped the floral round the center to secure the tissue paper more, but truthfully, you could probably just cut the wire.

6. Insert your fishing line (you can see I used curling ribbon that matched my pom poms. You can use any string you may have but the fishing line is fairly invisible so it looks as if they are suspended.

7. Then begin to separate your tissue paper pieces and fluff them out. Sometimes this is easier if you place your fingers in between the valleys of the folds to hold it still. No matter, be careful because the tissue paper does rip easily.

8. Once you have one side, flip it over and do the other.

9. When you are finished, flush the pom pom, trying to remove any gaps. You will probably have a gap on the tap but once it's hung, you wont see it, and on the bottom, just do your best to close that gap

10. Hang up your pom poms!

**Note: I don't suggest making these too far in advance, because after sitting on a table for a period of time they could start to flatten and the tissue paper on the bottom will fold. The night before would work, but if you can manage to do it in the morning before your party, you could make them and hang up them up right away.

Have you tried making these? How about any other party decorations. Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Show Me Saturday: Dry Erase Board Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I began my pinterest venture when I heard you could search for recipes, craft projects and home decor ideas. Little did I know you could also find fabulous cleaning tips on pinterest among many other ideas.

A few weeks ago, I shared this project on my very first Show Me Saturday from my fabulous friend, Tana. Well she's back, but with cleaning tip. And idea that came to her from, where else, Pinterest (Tana is also the one who introduced me to Pinterest).

Last weekend, Tana was at my house helping me set up Jordyn's first birthday, (stay tuned Monday for a party decoration project that she also helped make). I don't remember exactly how the conversation came up, but I ended showing her our dry erase board that TJ wrote on with permanent marker. Oops!!

Tana remembered a pin she saw about using hand sanitizer to remove permanent marker from couches and suggested trying it on our dry erase board.

RESULT..........

Clean as a whistle (where does that saying come from?)

Have you ever used a product in an unconventional way to clean something in your house? What did you use and how did you use it? Share it with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Organize It Friday: OrgJunkie's 29 Day Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:15:00 +0000

2012 has brought on brand new goals for me. One of the goals it to become more organized. It is definitely a work in progress for me and my entire family. I am quickly learning that if you don't get the family involved in helping that staying organized is extremely hard. My husband loves that I am in an organizing and getting rid of stuff kick. He doesn't help with the initial process mainly because he knows I like it, which is perfectly fine with me. The problem....he doesn't always help keep everything organized once it's done, which makes me often feel like I'm starting over. He's getting better but for him, he doesn't have the desire to organize, so it will naturally take him longer to get used to the systems I have put in place. I just need to be patient. LOL!

One area of our house that has not been organized since we moved in (and is NO fault to TJ's) is my craft room. I've never had a craft room before, so I've never had any furniture or storage for my craft room before. We are currently in the process of building a craft desk (be on the lookout for that post this month). That should be done soon in this week. And then the organization can begin! Nothing has really been taken out of boxes and what few items have just begin to pile up on my sewing desk and book shelf. I will definitely have more containers and storage items that I will need to pick up but my goal is to do organize the room with the smallest budget I can.

Browsing around some of my favorite organizing blogs, I spotted OrgJunkie's 29 Day Challenge. It started Feb 1st but it's not too late to join in! The Challenge is simple: you have 29 days to focus on decluttering and organizing one room in your house that deseperately needs help (and let's face it, almost all of us have at least one room). February 1st started with posting some before pictures (oops, I'm starting just a few days late. Well not really. I took the photos on the 1st but am just posting them today). If you're uncomfortable posting before pics, you don't have to do this post, but you will need them for the final reveal. Click here to see all the rules, link up dates and prizes (yup, there are prizes!) There is also a calendar you can download to help you remember the link up dates.

And now, for my dreaded before pics. Please don't judge me. HAHA!

Now that you've seen my before pics, keep coming back each Friday to see my In Progress pictures, and if you decide you want to participate in the challenge as well, let me know and I'll cheer you on along the way!

Make It Monday: XOXO Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

The Valentine's Bug has really hit. Last week I shared this with you. And this week, I have another Valentine's Day decor project. I first saw this post on Tatertots and Jello, which is a fantastic blog I follow. I loved the idea of three canvas pieces coordinating into one.

I knew I wanted to do something Valentine's Day related and I knew I wanted to attach them together. Using Tatertos and Jello's post as my inspiration, I created a piece of art to fit my style.

Materials Needed

Winsor & Newton Artists' Canvas 6 in. x 6 in. (qty 4)

Folk Art Acrylic Paint Light Peony

Folk Art Acrylic Paint in Lipstick Red

Folk Art Acrylic Paint in Pure Black
Flat Wash Paint Brush (you don't have to have a flat wash but I was told that a Flat Wash Brush is the best kind of brushes for large areas. any paint brush would work, but my husband has some
Cricut Expression Cutting Machine*
Scrapbook Paper

*This is another project that doesn't require you to own a Cricut but can use if you have one. The Cricut and the scrapbook paper is used to make a stencil for the letters I used but you can make your own stencils, buy some, or free hand the letters as well.

1. I began by painting two of the canvas pieces red and two of the canvas pieces pink.

2. While the paint was drying, I used my Cricut to cut out "X" and "O" stencils that were 5 inches.

3. I then taped the stencils down on the canvas using painter's tape.

4. Using a stencil brush, I applied the black paint.

5. I let the paint dry, and then I hung them up in our entry way!

They didn't come up exactly the way I wanted them to but I am new at stenciling, especially when it comes to painting them. Some of the paint leaked underneath and I need to find a way to prevent that next time. I figure with some practice I'll figure out the right technique. If you have any stenciling tips, I would definitely love to hear them. I'm all ears for any advice.

What kind of Valentine's Day decor do you have in your house? Have you made anything Valentine's Day related? Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Want to order all the supplies for this project? Order them from Amazon.

Organize It Friday: Media Organization (and my first FREE printable!)

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

My husband and I love movies. Our kids (ok mainly our son, our daughter is too little) like movies too. And the Wii. Over the years, our collection of movies, TV shows and video games has grown. It has grown SO much that we don't have enough room on our 2 (mismatching) DVD stands. While they are organized (and slightly categorized and alphabetized) the extras stack neatly on the floor next to the stands.

I love my husband but he can be cheap sometimes. I have been asking, no begging, for this for about 2 years. I love the color, I love the fact that it has doors so you can't see the cases. I love everything about it. He keeps saying no and coming up with reasons why not to get it. A few months ago, we moved from out apartment to a house and in that move, one of the DVD stands broke. Not heartbroken at all, I finally had an excuse to get me media cabinet. We had decided to wait til after Christmas since it wasn't an absolute neccesity. Besides, my parents had hinted that maybe they would get it for us for Christmas (they did not but us a freezer instead. WAY better). I had also decided that I wasn't going to pull the movies out of the two large boxes we have for two reasons: a) With only one stand, it would leave even more DVDs on the floor, and b) we have an adorable little monkey (aka daughter) who finds it absolutely entertaining to pull them off the stand and throw them on the floor and then mess up the ones stacked neatly on the floor (another reason to have a cabinet with doors). The holidays are over, and I still haven't gotten the cabinet. At $119, it's not to expensive, but my car needs new tires so the cabinet would have to wait.

I, on the other, can not wait even longer to empty these two boxes and have easy access to our movies. I needed to come up with another alternative that is cheaper, yet still organized and stylish. Where can I go for something that would work and be in my budget? Yup, Target!

Oh, how I love Target. And I should. I only worked there for 8 years. I was walking through the electronics department when I stumbled across these. I instantly knew it was what I wanted. Our couch is brown, the pillows have red on them, making the color coordinate with the room.

It has a lid making it hard for tiny hands and curious minds to throw them on the floor.

They also come with 40 double-sided sleeves per box, so they hold 80 dvds each. There is definitely room to add more sleeves just in case I don't have enough sleeves in the two boxes I bought.

Each sleeve is also numbered so that I can find them easily

Once I got home, I had my husband bring the two big boxes of movies into the living room and sat down and I got to work, organizing our DVDs. I know everyone has their own way of organizing (or not organizing) their DVDs. I tend to go a little overboard, as some people (ahem....my husband) may say, but I know exactly where every movie is and if we're missing one, which is a pretty grand feat if you ask me with all the movies we have.

I began my taking out the movies and sorting them they I wanted them. I find the sorting and orgainzing pretty easy, but my hubby thinks it's too much work, so he opts to sit back and watch. While it does take time, I love it. I separate my movies into 8 categories: Action/Drama, Comedy/Romantic Comedy, Kids, TV shows, Fitness DVDs, Wii Games, Nintendo Game Cube Games (yes we will have one and no they actual Game isn't played often but the games are played on the Wii, and Playstation games. I then alphabetize each category.

I sorted all these before putting them in the sleeves so I wasn't constantly shuffling them around and taking them in and out the sleeves. Yes, I am aware that every time we buy a new movie it will require some shuffling, but I'll worry about that later. It surprisingly didn't take me that long to sort them because when these puppies up, I packed most of them in order the best way I could.

After sorting the DVDs, I began to insert each DVD into a sleeve, while putting the cases back in the empty boxes (my husband agreed to this box system because: a) these were only $15 each costing me $30 instead of $119 and b) I agreed to keep the cases but keep them in the attic. He said we could not throw them away, so this was our compromise).

While inserting each DVD into the sleeves, I also wrote them down on this inventory printable I made each movie and it's corresponding number.

(click HERE to download this printable)

I printed a printable for each box and then when I was finished writing them down on the inventory sheets, I folded them up and inserted them into each box so they were with the DVDs.

Done! I am debating on if I should, or want, to store the inventory sheets somewhere else, like our home management binder, or something. What do you think? How do you organize and/or store your DVDs? Did you enjoy my very first free printable? Share your ideas with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Repurpose Wednesday: Painted Bobby Pins

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I have loads of bobby pins sitting around my house, and in almost every room of the house. I use them in hair a lot. They are great for pinning down stray hairs, or helping to complete your hairstyle.

But sometimes, they are just too plain for me. I couldn't help but think that there has to be way to doll them up and then it hit me: I could paint them! It's perfect! I could paint them in several different colors.

And this is such an easy and fast project.

Materials Needed

Bobby pins

Nail polish

Cardstock paper (or any paper could work)

1. I wanted something that allowed me to keep the bobby pins still and not have me touch them, so I chose to slip the bobby pins over some cardstock paper. It was thick and sturdy enough so the bobby pins wouldn't slide off.

2. Next, I got out some of my nail polish colors and painted the top of my bobby pins. Nail polish? I'm sure you could use paint but I chose nail polish because I already had it on hand and it had a small brush making it easier to apply.

3. Let dry!

Now tell me, how easy was that? I want to see your creations! Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

On The Menu: Green Smoothie:

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I made a personal New Year's resolution to eat healthier, and lose some weight. I know, I know, it's one of the most popular resolutions made every year; and it's one of the most failed resolutions as well.

I didn't set specifics seeing as that I thought I would most certainly set myself up for failure when something came up and I was unable to meet those goals. I simply wanted to overall eat healthier and lose weight. I do have a set number for that but that's my secret. I will say that as long as exercise more and eat healthier, then reaching that goal by the end of the year, will in fact be no problem at all.

I am definitely getting in more time at the gym and and a good friend of mine has decided to motivate me more and wake me up at 5 am with a workout wake up call. That is definitely getting me going. I don't want to disappoint her by not going and thinking she's calling for nothing! I owe her a HUGE thank you!

And in an effort to eat better, I have been looking at some healthier meal options. I was browsing around Once A Month Cooking when I found this Green Smoothie recipe. Even though, they mention it's great for toddler's and picky kids, I knew this would be fantastic for me. I love all the ingredients on the list but I seldom get the right amount of fruits and veggies in my diet everyday. I thought this would be great way to get some of those in.

And on top of adding in fruits and veggies, it's pretty healthy. I even substituted the plain yogurt for greek yogurt. And my favorite part, I can prep these ahead of time, so in the morning all I have to do is run each packet under warm water to thaw, throw it in the blender with some ice and done.

Ingredients Needed

3 cups of fresh baby spinach

1 cup of orange, peeled, sectioned and seeded

1 cup apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium banana

6 oz of plain yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

6 ice cubes

1. Put all ingredients, except for ice in a blender and blend until combined.

2. Add ice and pulse until ice is crushed.

3. Enjoy!

Serves: 4

***If you want to freeze it, it is suggested to pout the smoothie mixture into individual portions and then freeze. I wasn't sure if they meant before the ice or after the ice. I chose to freeze the portions without adding the ice. I felt that when I was thawing them, they may become to watery. So I poured the smoothies (no ice) into ziploc bags and layed them flat in my freezer to optimize space. When I'm ready for a smoothie, I'll just pop one out and run it under some warm water for a few minutes, pour it in the blender, add a few ices cubes and crush!

I had one of these smoothies this morning and it was delicious! You should try one!

Do you make smoothies at your house? What's your favorite smoothie recipe? Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Make It Monday: Valentine's Blocks

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I've never been very excited about Valentine's Day but this year I am. I don't know why. Maybe it's because my husband will be home for it this year, so this will be our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. With two kiddos, we won't be going anywhere, but we can have our own at-home Valentine's Day and tell each other how awesome the other is and how much we love each other. No, really, my husband isn't the mushy gushy type, so he'll probably buy me a joke card and candy in a heart-shaped box, while I'm at work on Valentine's Day and call it a day. HAHA! Gotta love him!

Valentine's Day is typically a holiday I don't decorate for, but I thought this year, why not. I love pink and girly colors and Valentine's Day can be the perfect excuse for decorating the house in these colors without TJ saying no. LOL! I wanted something fairly simple and after seeing these blocks I knew I wanted my own.

Materials Needed

2 x 4 wood cut into 3 square pieces

Sanding Sponge, or Sandpaper

Plaid Folk Art Paint in Light Peony

Plaid Folk Art Acrylic Paint in Lipstick Red

FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Titanium White

Foam Brush

Mod Podge

Cricut Expression Cutting Machine*

Scrapbook Paper

*You don't have to have a Cricut. This is for the letters that will go on the blocks. You can use stencils and paint them, or free hand the letters on and even cut your own letters out by hand, but as I have a Cricut, it's what I used.

1. While I was Lowe's on day, I had decided I would have them cut me 2 x 4 into some square 4 x 4 pieces knowing I would find a use for them at some point. They were very hesitant to do it because the pieces were so small, but they agreed since I said they didn't have to worry about it when they got the end and the piece was really small.

2. I took my pieces and sanded them down so they were smooth.

3. After sanding the blocks, I painted them all red.

4. Once the red was dry, I painted one of the blocks white, one of the blocks pink, and left the third block red.

5. I allowed the paint to dry, and then sanded the edges and corners to give the blocks a distressed look. Doing this will allow the red to peek through on the pink and white blocks

6. Using my Cricut and purple scrapbook, I cut out some words for each block.

7. After I had my words cut out, I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on each block, then laid the words out the way I wanted them.

8. Finally, I spread another thin layer over the block and letters.

9. Let the blocks dry and display your blocks!

What kind of Valentine's Day decor do you have in your house? Have you made anything Valentine's Day related? Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Show Me Saturday: Paper Tracing

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I am SO excited for my first Show Me Saturday! Today, I am sharing a project from one of my closest friends. Not only is she a wonderful friend; she's also a great supporter and reader of the blog! Last weekend, Tana needed to duplicate a picture she had. Not having a printer with a copier, she needed to come up with a way to replicate this picture. She thought back to when she was a kid and used to use sunlight and a window. Has anyone else done that? I know used to all the time. Unfortunately it was dark so that option was out. How could she recreate the sunlight and window idea? And then it her. She could use a clear plastic container and a small lamp. While working on this project, she knew it would be something I was interested in, so she took some work in progress pictures and sent me all the info so I could share this with all of you!

Thank you Tana for this fantastic tip and project!

Materials Needed

Paper

Paper or artwork that you want to duplicate

Light or small light

Pen or pencil

Clear box

1. Place your light under your clear container and turn it on.

2. Place your original on top of the box. You could tape it down if it's detailed or you're worried about it moving.

3. Place your blank piece of paper on top. Again, you can tape down the paper if you're worried about it moving.

4. TRACE!

5. Done!!! And now you have a duplicate!

This is especially great even if you have a printer but your picture is to large to copy on your printer.

Do you have an idea or project you would like me to share? Share it with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Organize It Friday: Lego Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:30:00 +0000

My 6 yr old loves Legos, so much so that we built him this. Dylan has collected quite a collection of legos and with that has come, at times, a lego disaster in his room. He has two buckets for his legos to go in but one is full and the other is almost full, so I needed to devise something else that would work and hopefully organize his legos. That's when it hit me.

My mom gave me some storage drawers a few months ago for my craft storage. I haven't used them yet but they would be perfect for Dylan's legos. It wasn't quite as awesome as Jen's lego storage from IHeart Organizing but we also don't have as many legos as her family does.

In any case, our legos needed to be organized, so that's what I was going to do. But first the storage drawers need to be painted. I didn't want to leave them unfinished. But what colors would I use? Hmmm.....

I've been wanting to do something with Dylan's room for a while. We're on a budget and buying new furniture like I really want to do is out. Buying new bedding at the moment is also out, but I decided to browse the internet for a something I like anyway. I figured once I found something I liked I could paint the drawers to match the bedding and then just pick up the bedding later. This is the bedding I like and want to get for Dylan's room. It's a bit more grown up then his current Toy Story 3 set.

Instead of trying to match the the darker gray, I opted for something closer to the lighter gray to compliment the bedding. I also knew I wanted a pop of color inside the drawers and settled on orange. Now, I have decided on my colors and it is time to get to work.

Materials Needed

Wooden drawers ( The ones my mom gave me were from Ikea but they are discontinued and if anyone finds something similar, please let me know. We could use more.)
Krylon All Purpose Primers white
Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Spray Paint, Satin Stone Gray
Foam Brushes
Mod Podge
Fabric of your choice
Frog (or Painter's) Tape (I suggest this if you're wanting to paint the paint of the inside drawer but not you're using fabric. More on that below)
Acrylic Paint

1. Before I began, I knew this was mostly an outdoor project. I grabbed an old sheet (I really need to pick up a drop cloth) and headed to the backyard to lay it out. I brought the drawers outside and seperated everything.

2. Then I got to work on the spray painting everything with the primer. My main reason for the primer was to seal any pores in the wood and to give my gray its full color when applied. I sprayed each piece everywhere. I was really concerned with the inside of the box since I knew it wouldn't be seen once the drawers were in place, but I did paint inside there as well.

3. After letting the primer dry, I got to work on the gray, spraying two coats on each piece, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second.

4. After both coats were dry, I placed a piece of paper inside each of my drawers, creasing at the "walls" of the drawers, to measure out and make a pattern for my fabric pieces. (I apologize for the lack of pictures on this part. I was in such pattern making mode, I was done cutting out the fabric before I realized I didn't take any pictures. Oops!)

5. After making the pattern with my paper I pinned it onto the fabric and cut out each piece for each drawer.

6. I, then, spread a thin layer of mod podge down using a foam brush.

***I originally wanted to paint the bottom of my drawers, but changed my mind after painting one coat and it didn't look the way I wanted it to, which is why you see the painter's tape on the inside. I do not suggest this if you are going to mod podge fabric on the bottom. It can pull the edges of the fabric up when you pull the tape off.

7. I then placed my fabric piece down in the drawer and spread another thin layer of mod podge on top to seal the fabric in.

8. Let it dry and done!

We still have to orgainze the Legos into categories. I'm in a dilema over this. I really wanted to orgainze by color, but I need 9 drawers for that instead of 8, so I will be coming up with another solution, but I can't think of anything. I know one bottom drawer will house the flat boards, and one will house the instruction books. I also know on of the little drawers will house the people, but that's as far as I got. It leaves me 5 drawers for the lego bricks. How to organize...hmmmm.

Do you have suggestions for categories? How have you organized your legos? Share them with me. You can upload your pics and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Thankful Thursday: Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Today, I am sharing my obsession with you: Pinterest!

I'm not just a little thankful for Pinterest. I'm a LOT thankful. Pinterest gives me SO many ideas for new crafts, recipes, organizing and home decorating. I love it! I'm on there almost every day seeing what new ideas I can find.

If you don't know what Pinterest is, it's an online pin board. You can "pin," or bookmark ideas you find on the internet. It can be anything from crafts, to favorite artists to recipes to places you want to go to tips and more.

It's a great way to store everything you want to bookmark but online. That way you can access it on any computer, and even your mobile device. And speaking of mobile devices, they even have an app for the iPhone. They don't have one for Android phones yet :( but I'm keeping my fingers crossed it comes soon so I can pin on the go too!

Take a moment to check them out and if you already have an account or make one, follow me here

Here are some of my boards!

Kids

These are just a few my boards. I have tons! Some for each holiday, one for babies, one for photography, blogs I follow and more. Come check me out!

Do you have Pinterest? What are your favorite things to find on Pinterest?

On The Menu: Hot Chocolate Spoons

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:04:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about winter is curling up and drinking some hot chocolate. Drinking hot chocolate when it's snowing out is even better. Here, in Savannah, that never happens but I can dream right? LOL!

What's better than plain ol' hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate with some pizazz! Adding marshmallows or stirring your hot chocolate with a peppermint stick definitely adds pizazz, but what I really love to add to my hot chocolate....Hot Chocolate Spoons!

These spoons aren't only cute and decorative, they definitely add pizazz and more flavor to your hot chocolate.

I don't have a lot of pictures of actually making them but they are so simple to make, I think you'll catch on.

Ingredients Needed

Chocolate chips

Peanut butter chips

Any other chips you decide to use (white chocolate, butterscotch, mint, etc)

Plastic spoons

Anything you want to use to decorate your spoons (crushed candy canes, marshmallows, coconut, etc)

Wax paper

1. Grab a few microwave bowls and pour 1-2 cups of chips into each bowl. I used chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

2. Microwave one bowl at a time for 15-25 seconds at time stirring the chips after each time until the chips are melted.

3. Once you have the chips melted, dip your spoons in the melted chocolate until the spoon is covered.

4. Decorate your spoons!!!

**Note: When I made our spoons, I melted one batch of chips, dipped and decorated before moving onto another batch, that way they didn't begin to harden. So I made all of our chocolate spoons before melting the peanut butter chips and making the peanut butter spoons.

5. Place your decorated spoons on wax paper and then stick them in the refrigerator to harden.

6. Once you make hot chocolate, just use your spoon to stir your hot chocolate. They will melt in your hot chocolate adding lots of extra flavor!

Mmm.....Enjoy!!!!

How do you like your hot chocolate?

What projects have you made? Have you used any of my posted tutorials or is it something new? Send me your photos and links (if you have a site) via email, the Flickr group, or on my Facebook page and you could end up on Show Me Saturday!

Repurpose Wednesday: Lego Table

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:08:00 +0000

I am super excited to share this project with you today! I found this project when I first joined pinterest. It's from a FABULOUS blog, Skip To My Lou. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should. It's great!

When I found her Ikea Table turned Lego Table I knew I had to make one for my Lego-loving 6 year old.

We don't have an Ikea close to us. The closest Ikea is 5 hours away in Atlanta. I know, it's horrible. I looked for the side table they used online but it is only sold in stores, so ordering online was out. Originally I was going to have my husband build the table, thinking it wouldn't cost that much to build the table. And it's not terribly expensive but more than I thought or was hoping it be. We instead found this Parsons side table from Walmart. Online it shows it for $18 but we paid $12.99. This was definitely cheaper than building the table ourselves. Plus we had already spent enough on the base plates. Those suckers get costly.

Materials Needed
End Table approximately 20" x 20" (click here to see the table we used)
1 Extra Large Gray Lego Base Plate
4 Regular Green Lego Base Plates
Contact Cement (this link is for a 3 oz bottle). We bought a 16 oz can from Walmart and barely used any so I say this is enough but I don't want to promise
Foam Brush
X-Acto Knife
Level or Ruler
Sharpie
Painter's Tape

1. Center the gray base plate on the table and secure with painter's tape. You can use all green lego plates and they will fit perfectly on a 20" x 20" table and you won't need to do any cutting.

2. Once the gray plate is secure, then place the green plates around the gray plate. You then want to get under the table to mark a line where you need to cut the green plates. We used legos to hold the green plates to the gray plate so they remained still.

3. Using a ruler or level, cut the marked line with your X-Acto knife. My husband didn't use a ruler and was still able to get pretty straight lines, but I say go with the ruler to make sure.

4. Once all the pieces are cut, place them on the table and secure them to the gray plate using legos. Make sure to carefully remove the painter's from the gray plate as you go.

5. Once all the pieces are connected, remove the now-giant plate.

6. We then used painter's tape around the edge of the table so we wouldn't get contact cement on the sides.

7. Using your foam brush, "paint" some contact cement on the top of the table. The carefully, and kinda quickly (TJ says the contact cement dries pretty quickly) place your giant plate onto the table making sure to place it correctly and push down. Within 15 minutes most of it was dry but to be sure, we place a few books on top and let it sit overnight.

8. The next morning, we checked for any missed spots. For us, it was two corners, but TJ reinforced all four corners with some super glue. You may not need to to do this step if you didn't miss any spots but we noticed we did.

DONE!!! It took surprising a lot less time than I thought it would. Our 6 year old wasn't home when we made this table. He was visiting his grandparents for the week, so we had surprise for him when he came home and he LOVED it. He told me after seeing it, "Thank you! I was just thinking I've been wanting a Lego table." Gotta love 6 year old talk.

Have you made a Lego table? How about a train table? Or any type of activity table for your kids? I want to see it. Submit your photos to the Flickr group and you could end up on Show Me Saturday. You can also post the pics on my facebook page too. If you have a blog, you may link your picture to it as well! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Welcome 2012!! I hope everyone has had a fantastic holiday. I certainly have. This last week has been crazy in the house, but a good kind of crazy!

With 2011 gone, and 2012 here, I, like most everyone else, have made some New Year's resolutions. I have several resolutions. Some are personal and some are for the blog.

This year, I have a goal to not just post more, but get you involved more. I want to see your projects. Getting you, my readers, more involved is something that I really want. I would probably say it's my #1 goal. Without you, I can't grow. You are what keeps me going.

I also want to hold some giveaways. Giveaways related to products I use and love. And we all know, people love giveaways.

Another goal I have is to have guest bloggers sharing some of their favorite projects. If you think you might interested in becoming a guest blogger, please shoot me an email. I'd love to feature you and your blog.

A HUGE goal of mine is learning to manage my time. With a full time job, raising a family and this blog, I tend to have a lot on my plate. This blog is my escape and my "me" time. In order for me to have more "me" I have to learn how to manage my time better so that I can spend time with my family and this blog. So here's to time management! lol

These are just a few of the goals I have. What are your New Year's Resolutions for 2012?

Great Grocery Budgeting E-Book

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:41:00 +0000

With 2012 right around the corner, people will be looking to make some resolutions for the coming year. I know I will and one of my resolutions is to save more money and follow a budget. I found this great E-book online from Budget 101. It talks about how you can get groceries for under $250 a month for a family of 4! That's fantastic. If budgeting is one if your New Year's resolutions, take a moment to stop by and check out
the 2012 Family Guide to Groceries Under $250 A Month!!!

Giveaway With A Bowl Full of Lemons

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:34:00 +0000

I follow this FANTASTIC blog, A Bowl Full Of Lemons. It's great! It is full of organizational tips, cleaning tips, decorating projects and ideas, and more. Not too long ago, I mentioned her in my Home Management Binder post, where she gave me my inspiration for that post.

And right now A Bowl Full of Lemons is having an unbelievable giveaway. She has teamed up with Jo Totes to giveaway the Bronze Rose Jo Tote. Check out her post here about the giveaway, and while you're there, explore her blog and check out how wonderful it really is!

Make It Monday: Christmas Card Display

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:11:00 +0000

I love Christmas cards and I love to display the cards we receive from our friends and family. But this year I wanted to display them in a different way than in previous years. I was looking around on the internet for some ideas when I came across an idea where a piece of wide ribbon was attached to their wall and then the cards were attached to the ribbon.

I like that idea but I need to change it around slightly. Having a long ribbon attached to the wall won't work in our house with a 10 month old who likes to get into everything. Yes, I could have made the ribbon stop just out of her reach, but the moment someone would pick her up get near the display it would be hers. So, where could I display my cards?

The kitchen cabinets! It's perfect! They are out of reach of little hands and my kitchen isn't usually decorated much for Christmas. What makes this display even better is how simple it is. Try it out for yourself!

Materials Needed

Wide ribbon

Packaging tape

Clothes pins

Paint (optional)

1. I painted all my clothes pin. This is an optional step you skip if you don't have time. Don't have any paint? Try decorating your clothes pins with scrapbook paper and mod podge.

2. While the paint is drying on your clothes pins, cut your ribbon so that is is long enough to wrap from the top of cabinet to the bottom of cabinet with the ends being taped inside the cabinet door

3. Once your clothe pins have finished drying, if you painted or decorated them, you can hang up your cards!

DONE!

Time for your thoughts, comments and suggestions! What did you think of my card display? Would you change anything. I'd love to see your card displays. Did you use my tutorial, or did you come up with a totally different way to display your Christmas cards. Submit your photos (and any comments about it if you choose) to the Flickr page and then look for your submissions Saturday. I can't wait to see yours!

Organize It Friday: Snack Baskets

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

Yesterday, I featured the I Heart Organizing blog as my very first Thankful Thursday post. I listed several projects of mine that Ireally love and also told you to be on the look out today for an organizing project of hers that I have tried out. Well here it is.

Now, this is not my first project of hers that I have completed. My first was the Schoolwork Storage project. There isn't a post on my blog about it (That project was done before I started my own blog.) but you can check out Jen's project here.

Browsing around one of my new favorite blogs I Heart Organizing, I found a new way to store our snacks seen here. I have been dividing out snacks into

individual portions for a while. That has made things really easy especially when we're in a rush to the bus stop in the morning. Dylan can just grab a bag and go and doesn't have to wait on me to fill one up. It also helps out with portion control for everyone, which is great for healthier eating. Previously I had been storing the snacks in a wicker bowl which was too small and it didn't make organizing the snacks very easy. Once I saw this plastic container, I knew it would look SO much better

After dividing our most recent purchase of snacks into individual portions, I then organized them neatly into the basket.

And here it is:

We don't have a pantry in our house so I have placed the basket on the counter so Dylan is able to reach it when he wants a snack!

I also made one for our refrigerated snacks (which was looking a little sparse today):

Thankful Thursday: I Heart Organizing

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina @ Customized Creations) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:38:00 +0000

My very first shout out post!

And no other blog deserves a shout out quite like I Heart Organizing. Jen Jones is the creator of I Heart Organizing and has created a blog full of fantastic organzing ideas.

I stumbled across the blog when I first joined Pinterest. There was a pin on how to organize all your child's schoolwork. I was curios to see what was suggested. I LOVED it! I began to see what other projects she came up with and instantly I fell in love. She has so many great projects and I want to do them all. Some suggest you pick up a few items, which Jen almost always tells you where you can find them and will provide a link to the product as well. She also has tons of projects that are cheap, or even better free!!! I hope one day to be as organized as Jen!

Some examples of her some of cheap/free projects:
Kid's Art Center Clips
Jazzing Up The Organizing Bin
Mailing Station
Organizing Receipts

Some of my favorite posts:
Tucked Away Toys
Schoolwork Paper Storage
Mod Podge Canister
Art Caddy

These are just a few of awesome projects. Browse around her blog and let me know what some of your favorite projects are and what you like most about her blog.

And be sure to check back tomorrow for a project inspired by I Heart Organizing! Which one? You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out!

On The Menu Tuesday: Thanksgiving Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:10:00 +0000

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. This year was our first Thanksgiving as a family. The past years, my husband has been away for the Marines so we haven't had a Thanksgiving together since we met. I was pretty nervous about making a turkey but I was definitely going to try. Since there are only four people eating turkey in our house (one being a 6 year old and one being a 10 month old baby that only had pieces) I knew we wouldn't need a large turkey. I bought a 3 pound turkey breast.

Thanksgiving morning I still wasn't positive how I was going to cook this turkey but I knew the basics. And then a segment on The Today Show popped up. They had Bobby Flay as the chef and he was explaining an easy to make the turkey. I followed his super simple and basic directions and our turkey turned out FABULOUS!!! It was one of the juiciest turkeys I had ever eaten. I don't mean to brag but I am very proud of myself. And I apologize for the picture, but the hubby was really hungry and started carving it before I could take a picture, so this is what I got. LOL!

Anyway, here's the "recipe." Well not really recipe so much as what I did.

Ingredients Needed:
Turkey
Butter
Chicken Stock
Seasoning Salt
Pepper
Dry Herbs

Place your thawed turkey in a roasting pan. (Honestly, I don't have a roasting pan and my turkey was so small I just put it in a 9 x 9 pan.
Brush softened butter all over the turkey with a basting brush.
Sprinkle seasoning salt, pepper and herbs all over the turkey.
Then pour chicken stock into the bottom of the pan. There is no specified amount but I poured enough to fill the pan 1/2" if that.
Stick your turkey in the oven and cook the turkey at the specified temperature and for the specified amount of time on the package of the turkey.

That's it! The chicken stock in the pan will soak into the turkey and also steam as the turkey cooks. The steam will also absorb into the turkey making it juicy.

Make It Monday: Glitter Tape

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:26:00 +0000

I'm so excited for you to join me on my very first Make It Monday!

Today's tutorial is super simple and takes just minutes. With Christmas only a month away, you're going to need wrapping paper with all those gifts. And with wrapping paper comes tape. Tape is so boring. Why not jazz it up with a little glitter. This glitter tape is SO easy and quick. All you need is double-sided tape and some glitter.

1. Apply your tape to your package. (You don't have to if don't want to use it now but I found it much easier to make the glitter tape as you and apply to your package first.

2. Sprinkle glitter over the tape.

3. Shake it off! DONE!!!!

It's simple and can jazz up any packages, letters and anything you're using tape for. Did this project interest you? How did yours turn out? Post your projects to our Flickr Reader Submissions Group and maybe you'll end up on Show Me Saturday!

New Changes: A New Format With Themes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:20:00 +0000

The holiday weekend is winding down and the holiday shopping season is under way and in full swing. I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and ate lots. You may have noticed it has been rather quiet around here. I have been trying to think of ways to have a more active blog. My first thought was to post more often. That is key! If I want to be more active, I must first take a more active approach. My second thought was to have guest bloggers. I'm new to blogging so I'm not exactly sure how this works but I will figure it out but figure again, I should be a bit more active first. While I have several other ideas, that have gotten me really excited, everything comes down to more posts. I wanted to think of a way to have new content all the time, but keep it interesting and different. I came to the conclusion to have a different topic/theme for each of the week. Here is what I have decided on:

Sunday: Shake It Up Sunday ~ This theme is going to a miscellaneous theme. It could have anything from tips, polls, an extra craft, places of an inspiration, contests (a definite must that will be coming), anything, you name it. With a variety of topics, we'll be "shaking it up" each week. I know corny, but I had to.

Monday: Make It Monday ~ Mondays will be the day I share a craft tutorial on how to make something from "scratch. When I say from "scratch" I mean it will be a project that is not made from anything repurposed. It's a project such as the tutu or baby blocks, or even the wooden wall letters.

Tuesday: On The Menu Tuesday ~ I am always looking for a new recipe. I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm learning. Each Tuesday, I'll share a recipe I tried out the previous week and let you know if it recieved a thumbs up or thumbs down from the boys in the house who have no problem sharing their dinner thoughts. And I know, it's not a craft but it is a creation.

Wednesday: Repurpose Wednesday ~ We all have items laying around the house that we don't use or need. I'll take those items and create something else out them. I'll make items like baby leg warmers, or lego head jars (be on the look out for that this week).

Thursday: Thankful Thursday ~ Thursdays will be dedicated to you, the readers, and other blogs and websites that have give me ideas and inspiration. I will be giving a shout out to certain readers who have been dedicated followers along with an interview with them. And I can't forget about the blogs and websites that give me inspiration and tips. I will give them the recognition they deserve as well. Do you want to be considered for Thankful Thursday? Do you have a blog or website that you would like considered? Click here for details.

Friday: Organize It Friday ~ I have always like to be somewhat organized but recently I have really gotten into it. Each week, I'll share my organizing tips and projects with you. You see my previous organizing projects here and here

Saturday: Show Me Saturday ~ Saturday is all about YOU! I want to showcase reader submissions of projects you have created this week. If you would like to see your creations on Show Me Saturday, click here for details.

Do you have any thoughts or suggestions? I'd love to hear them!