I have that “after 40″ eye problem that makes me hold newspapers at arms-length or wear reading glasses if I really want to see tiny details clearly.  It’s created a slight difficulty in applying makeup, since to see up close, I need reading glasses; but to apply makeup, I can’t wear glasses.  Still, this has worked out fairly well for me, since not being able to see them, those tiny lines around my eyes were easy to ignore.  Taking that closeup picture and seeing it full-screen was a real wake-up call!  And having had a new picture done, recently, I can see, even with makeup and from a distance, there is a definite change in the skin around my eyes.

I’ve been a basic soap and water girl for years, and if my skin felt dry, I’d use a little moisturizer.  I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t even been particularly brand-loyal.  Since it’s definitely time to get a little more deliberate about my skin care, it was a pretty exciting day when I received my Meaningful Beauty Test Drive Kit.

Meaningful Beauty just launched a next generation advanced skincare system which features the new Crème de Serum—a triple potency product that combines the power of a serum with the rich moisturizing effects of a cream, and is the new secret weapon in the Meaningful Beauty program.  This new anti-aging treatment combines three powerful ingredients: super-antioxidant melon complex, special peptides and hyaluronic acid in one unique delivery system. (It’s the one that looks all stripy and swirly and gorgeous in the kit above.)  Designed to help protect skin, increase hydration and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, the Crème de Serum provides the fresh, dewy look desired by women of all ages.

The active ingredients found in the Crème de Serum are suspended separately in a clear gel until the moment they are released. Then, with one pump, they instantly blend together and activate to provide the benefit of all three products in one:

• Orange Swirl – formulated to help provide protection with a super-antioxidant called superoxide dismutase (SOD) from a rare French melon (a hero ingredient seen throughout the brand’s most effective products)
• White Swirl – contains anti-aging peptides designed to  help to minimize the appearance of fine lines and deeper wrinkles

• Clear Gel – includes hyaluronic acid which helps hold in moisture   for a fresh, dewy look

The Crème de Serum is designed to be used in conjunction with the four other products in the new Meaningful Beauty skin care system to nourish skin and help protect against the visible signs of premature aging.

The NEW Meaningful Beauty® system is composed of 5 simple steps plus 2 bonus products:

1.)    Skin Softening Cleanser

2.)    Antioxidant Day Crème SPF 20 UVA/UVB

3.)    Crème de Serum (New)

4.)    Lifting Eye Crème – Advanced Formula (New)

5.)    Skin Brightening Décolleté and Neck Treatment SPF 15 (New)

6.)   Glycolic Treatment Pads (New – Bonus)

7.)   Glowing Serum (Bonus)

 You can get the perfect Meaningful Beauty kit for your own skin by visiting them online at MeaningfulBeauty.com or by calling 1-877-383-1212.

Meaningful Beauty also provided a second kit for me to share with someone “meaningful in my life”.  What great fun it was to surprise my 27-year-old daughter with it!  She told me that as she approaches 30, she has noticed changes in her skin and lines around her eyes, so she is excited to test the program with me!

I wrote this review, and will be posting a second with my updates and results, while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting, on behalf of Meaningful Beauty, and received a 5-step treatment kit to facilitate my review, a second 5-step treatment kit to give away to someone else, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

Neosporin Essentials products are formulated with ingredients that help attract, retain and lock in moisture to help skin to look healthy.  They also make use of botanicals that can help to soothe dry irritated skin.  Essentials is comprised of three products: Daily Body Wash, Daily Moisturizing Cream and an Anti-Itch Cream.  David actually used the products twice a day, morning and evening, with additional applications of the lotion throughout the day.  He loved the way his skin looked and felt immediately after using them.  He felt like the body wash actually helped to lift away the dry layers of skin that normally build up over the affected area on his hand.  After a day at work, his sore hand was ready for another treatment.  Since we were aware that there is nothing that can cure eczema, we were simply hoping for an improvement in appearance and comfort in the long-term.  Unfortunately, after a little over three weeks using the product every day, there really hasn’t been a significant change in appearance or comfort, other than within the first hour or so after use. The major benefit for David, was that there is less of a “build-up” of the dry flaky skin because it is easier to remove and wash away with the use of these products.  While his eczema still flares every day and the redness hasn’t really subsided, he doesn’t experience the cracking and bleeding that the dry “build-up” caused, previously.

Before and After Pictures of David's Right Hand. Lighting in the two pictures is slightly different, but it is evident that there is still substantial redness and a small amount of scabbing on the knuckle of his little finger, even after three weeks of multiple-times-per-day treatments with Neosporin Essentials.

So, I guess you could say ours is a mixed review.  While Neosporin Essentials didn’t provide long-term relief and change, it made some slight improvements in a severe eczema condition, immediately after use.  The lotion absorbed quickly and did not leave David’s skin feeling greasy.  The smoother, softer skin it produced lasted only a short while, however, before a new application was necessary.  Cracking was reduced, but redness and itching remained essentially the same.  In milder cases, with work conditions more conducive to healthy skin, it may well be enough to effect a dramatic difference.  It just didn’t work that way for us.

Neosporin supplied a trial pack of Neosporin Essentials, through Mom Central, in order for me to test the products and conduct this review.   I was provided a gift card to conduct the tests and write about my findings.  A positive review was not required and as with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

Our 19-year-old daughter has been battling PCOS and insulin resistance for almost six years, now.  Not only is it extremely rare for someone as young as she was to be diagnosed (We diagnosed it ourselves and after two years of cancer scares, CAT scans, ultrasounds and what seemed like gallons of blood work, the doctors finally came to the same conclusion.), but her symptoms would be severe and frustrating for anyone, much less for a child.  We all know the old adages about not judging a book by its cover and beauty coming from within; and I agree with all of them, to an extent.  I am also realistic enough to know that all of us develop some sense of worth and confidence from the way we feel about the way we look and from the way we feel OTHERS think we look.  For a teen, this is an even bigger struggle.  For right or wrong, good or bad, we all view ourselves, to some degree, by who we see looking back at us in the mirror.  Over time, maturity, wisdom and life experience temper the way we feel about ourselves and the rude comments of others.  We understand more fully the worth and value imbued in us by a loving and merciful God.  I’m so excited that our daughter has grown into a woman who sees her purpose and value through the eyes of her Creator.  She understands His will and purpose for her are so much more than appearance; and her devotion to bringing Him glory by the way she lives, serves and shares with others has developed her into someone truly beautiful, inside and out.  But, as a mom, when I’m given a chance to do something that may lessen or remove one of the symptoms of her condition, I’m anxious to try and do that.  Anytime she or I discover, through our research, something that may help, even in a small way, she makes that lifestyle change.

X Out is an acne treatment, developed by the makers of Proactiv, to fit the active, busy lifestyles of teens.  It’s one, simple, two-minute step to complete, PLUS it can be used not just as a facial wash, but as a mask or a spot treatment, when you need it.  Teens simply wash their face with X Out, in the morning and at night.  It contains prescription-grade acne medication, which is pulled into the skin as they wash their face.  That medicine goes deep into the pores and stays behind, even after rinsing, to fight acne bacteria all day long.  X Out contains a cleanser made from coconut derivatives, an exfoliant, ingredients to moisturize and smooth and that refreshing, invigorating feel, it is known for, comes from menthol.

At this point of just beginning our testing, the one feature of X Out that seems a little silly and unnecessary, to both my daughter and myself, is the purple square found on the package.  It’s a QR code.  Teens download the QR app onto their smartphones and then by scanning the code on their product, they have access to a daily video, exactly two-minutes long, that they can watch while they spend two minutes massaging the cleanser into their skin and washing.  So, far the videos have been perfectly harmless, and occasionally funny.  It’s not likely to be something our daughter will continue with, since she is perfectly capable of focusing on a task for two minutes, but I can see how younger teens might find it a fun distraction.

My before picture of our beautiful girl.

The testimonials and success stories for X Out are extremely positive and I’m excited to be given the opportunity for our daughter to test it for the next four weeks.  It was a nice surprise to open the package and find a body bar included as an extra gift, too.  Because the acne that is part of living with PCOS is so severe, painful and widespread, there aren’t any over-the-counter treatments we’ve found that come close to being effective.  Doctors have prescribed a variety of chemical medications and topical treatments that were also ineffective and created even more symptoms, besides having dangerous side effects.  Basically left to find solutions on our own, we’ve tried just about everything.  It’s why we have great hope for the prescription-quality medication in X Out and are looking forward to some positive changes in at least one of the difficult symptoms of living with PCOS.  So, just like with people, we’re not going to judge X Out by “its cover”, its simple one-step process, plain packaging and what may seem like a sort of silly marketing tool (the videos).  We’re going to take four weeks to get to know it and really get to see what it’s like on the inside.  I’ll keep you posted and let you know about the results at the end of our four-week trial.

I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of X Out and received an X Out product sample to facilitate my review, one to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Over 9 million children suffer from non-fatal injuries each year, and accidents are the leading cause of death for children. Additionally, dangerous weather events cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year.  70% of power outages in the U.S. are weather related. Numerous power failures are caused by natural weather phenomena such as lightening, rain, snow, ice, wind, and even dust.  The Center of Disease Control recommends having a kit ready in preparation for any emergency that may arise. They recommend the kit include food, water, flash light, extra batteries, medications, first aid kit, sanitation and personal hygiene items, copies of personal documents, and other necessities. It’s a good idea for all of us to prepare ourselves and our children for emergency situations that may occur.  But we can do even more, by helping agencies and organizations in our communities that serve children, to also be prepared in emergency events.

This past weekend was especially poignant for me and for many others in our community, members of my local church, specifically.  We held our first service in our “new to us” church building, Sunday morning.  I say new to us, because rather than starting from scratch when we began building to accommodate our growing congregation, our church purchased an old WalMart building in town and recycled it into the most wonderful house of worship.  I think you will agree with me that nothing about it resembles its former purpose.

After holding our first worship service, here, on Sunday, it's hard to beleive this was ever a WalMart!

As I decided what I wanted to do to help with child safety in our community, my mind was continually drawn back to this church and the hundreds of children it serves each week.  Cold weather and it’s dangers are very real in frigid Nebraska winters, but they are also something that all of us are so accustomed to, that preparation and safety are almost second nature here.  Our new building even has a back-up generator built-in, should we find ourselves without power for a time.  However, there IS one weather-related danger that even though we always expect it, when it will appear, and the speed with which it happens, requires quick thinking and preparedness to provide adequate shelter and safety.  It’s a summer-time weather hazard that Nebraskans know all to well – TORNADOES!

While you could doubtlessly find children being served on any day of the week, at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church, Wednesday nights there are hundreds of kids, from infants to 8th graders, involved in nursery, AWANA and youth group activities.  I was present on one of those evenings when a tornado warning was issued and all the children need to be moved to safety.  I decided that I wanted to design my Energizer Simple Service Project with Champions for Kids to help the church be well prepared to keep children in their care, happy and safe, and to know well in advance if tornado weather was threatening.  I will be preparing a “Light Up a Life Care Kit” for the children in our church.  Energizer has some great products that will be essential elements in creating it.

You can be one of the millions who help your community be a prepared and safe haven for children.  Getting involved with Champions for Kids Simple Service Projects is incredibly easy and so rewarding.  How will you engage your co-workers, community leaders or church members to provide safety kits for kids in your town?  Visit the Champions for Kids website to get fantastic ideas and support, to report on your project and to find out more about how important and needed your help is.  I can’t wait to hear how you bless the kids in your own town!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  #EnergizerCFK #CBias As with all Busy-at-Home posts, views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

Fiesta Bake! I created the filling in a skillet in the center of my kitchen counter, using the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop!

I was wandering through the boards on Pinterest, last week, and I found a pin that looked wonderful and it led me to Let’s Dish and the recipe for Cheesy Enchilada Casserole.  Danelle’s site is gorgeous.  Her food photography skills are over the top.  I could have spent hours just looking at all her pictures, except for the fact that I was now determined to make that recipe — sort of.  You already know this story.  Some of the ingredients, I didn’t have.  Some of them, my family didn’t care for.  And I had an idea or two to make this gorgeous dish with our own family flair.  So, here is our interpretation with many thanks to Danelle, for inspiring us to add what is a new family favorite to our meal rotation.  (On a side note, I think this dish would freeze amazingly well, too.)

As it turns out, the timing to give this a shot was perfect!  I had just received a NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop, from Hearthware, to review; and so I was able to prepare the filling for this yummy dish, right in the middle of my kitchen counter!  (You’ll see why that’s a big deal, in just a minute.)  Those of you who’ve been around Busy-at-Home for awhile, no that I cook on a Samsung Induction Range.  I absolutely adore induction cooking and would be hard-pressed to ever go back.

This is NOT your grandma's hot plate! It's a gorgeous 12" extension of your range! It cooks using induction heat and it's fully portable. The digital display and controls are simple to operate and I was cooking in just minutes after unpacking the box. I love that it comes with a nice little recipe book, too. It would be hard to go back to conventional cooking after using induction for the last several years. Adding the NuWave PIC to my kitchen equipment, has me even more convinced of that.

To pare things down to the bare facts for you, induction cooking uses an electromagnet to generate heat in the cooking vessel, not in the cooktop, itself.  Under the glass of the cooktop there is a copper coil, that produces a gentle electromagnetic field when electricity passes through it.  This starts the molecules of your pan vibrating, which creates heat.  The pan is heating up, not the cooktop.  Totally cool, right?  Your cookware needs to be stainless steel or cast iron (magnetic) in order for the range to work.  I can boil a saucepot of water in about 90 seconds on my stovetop.  The glass top doesn’t heat up (though it DOES get warm under the pot, where heat from the pot is transferred to the cook top), because all the energy goes directly into the cookware. It’s a much more even and consistent way of cooking and I don’t have any of the issues that come with typical glass top stoves.  For instance, spills don’t bake on.  Sprinkling sugar onto most hot glass-tops, results in a lifelong, baked on crunch or even small pits burned in.  Induction cooktops don’t have enough heat to melt the sugar, mush less burn it on.  Love, love, love that!  My grandbabies have stood on their tippy-toes and reached over the top edge of the stove and unless they directly touched the pot, I didn’t have to worry about a burn.  The moment that truly sold me was a demonstration where a skillet had been cut in half and then placed on the range.  The rep cracked an egg, half onto the skillet, and half onto the “burner” of the cooktop.  In a mere moment, the side of the egg sitting in the skillet was cooked through, while the half sitting on the burner was as raw as the moment he had placed it there.  Amazing!  Okay, so enough with my love fest for my induction range.  Now that you get how amazing it is and how it works, I want to tell you that there is one thing about it that annoys me profusely.  It only has one large burner.  The other three are terribly small.  In this family, that’s a problem.  We don’t cook small.  Hmmph!  A bothersome raincloud on my kitchen parade.

I’ve also told you, many times, that I am amazed at the way that God provides; and how I never cease to be delighted at the way He takes interest in and cares about even the small, everyday things in our lives.  In a strange twist of events, He provided me with a “big burner” through my association with Hearthware, the company that brought us that fabulous NuWave oven!  The NuWave PIC (Precision Induction Cooktop) is one of their new products and what a blessing!  I was fortunate enough to be asked to test it out and share my thoughts with you.  A girl never gets tired of “having her dreams come true”.    This was over-the-top perfect!  I am officially in “big burner” heaven! – lol

So, here’s how my first cooking session with the NuWave PIC went down, and the tasty recipe I created with its help!  As things sometimes go, my kitchen sink backed up on Tuesday (You thought this was going to be a smooth, dreamy kind of story, didn’t you?)  and we weren’t able to get a plumber until Thursday afternoon.  I did the essential dishes by hand, carrying them down the stairs to the laundry room, but I have to confess that most of them were left sitting on the counter, (next to the sink and my range).  Maybe you aren’t as weird as me, but I can’t cook if my counters are covered in dirty dishes or even in close proximity to the stove.  It just grosses me out and I have to stop to do dishes before I cook.  Since I couldn’t use the kitchen sink or the dishwasher, this produced somewhat of a dilemma.  NuWave PIC to the rescue!  I set the gorgeous “big burner” of the Precision Induction Cooktop on the bar, on the opposite side of my kitchen (with my back to the dirty dishes), and made this delectable supper for my hungry crew.  God is good!

Needless to say, I’m as thrilled with the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop as I was with the NuWave Oven.  You can bank on the fact that I am officially a hardcore Hearthware products fan and baby this is a TWO big-burner kitchen, now!

The NuWave PIC is a perfect option for potlucks, big dinners where you need an extra burner, a way to keep your delish fondue warm and beautiful or a myriad of other uses. If there is an electrical outlet, you can use it there! There's no open flame, not hot burner ring, and when you remove the pan, the burner shuts off! This eliminates the worry of fire hazards associated with other portable cooktops. Go check it out and invest in your own little "kitchen expansion"! You'll be glad you did!

What’s your family’s favorite winter-time comfort food — the one that’s so delish and they get excited about when they hear that’s what’s for dinner?  Did you change up a tried and true recipe and make it all your own?  I hope you’ll share it in a comment, below!

…

I received a NuWave PIC in order to test it in my own kitchen and conduct this review.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my own personal experience with the product.

The good news?  That doesn’t mean I can’t bake, and share, some delicious treats that will leave the youngsters (and the oldsters) at my house oohing and aahing and feeling pretty special, for Valentine’s Day.  Pillsbury has a super fun line of Ready-to-Bake Cookies that give me fresh, delicious treats, right from my own oven, in just minutes.  Their Valentine varieties have Disney characters inside a heart, centered in a round sugar cookie.  Your kids can choose from Mickey and Minnie Mouse or the Disney Princesses, Belle, Cinderella and Tiana.  The cookies come 24 to a package, so you have plenty to satisfy all the Valentine “sweet tooths” on your list.  Grab a package or two in the refrigerated case at your local grocery store, next to the other Pillsbury dough products.

It would only take a couple more seconds to turn those yummy cookies into over-the-top ice cream sandwiches or cookie pops and still net me that Becky Home Ec-ky award, too!  So, I’m off to the store to grab a couple packages; and I’m going to enjoy some fantastic savings using this high-value coupon, which I’m allowed to share with you!  You can print a coupon for $1.10 off 1 package of Pillsbury Ready to Bakes PLUS you can also enter the giveaway, below, to win a fun Pillsbury Ready to Bake Gift Pack!

For the mandatory entry, just leave a comment on this post, telling me how you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your family.  Click the DO IT button and then Enter.  You’ll unlock several more opportunities to enter.

I received a Pillsbury Ready to Bake Gift Set from Pillsbury, through My Blog Spark, in order to test the products in my own kitchen and write this review.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the veiws and opinions expressed are wholly my own.

The two fabric flower hair clips I made for our granddaughters to wear with their "Twirly" Skirts.

Here’s all you’ll need:

• fabric strip – 18″ to 22″ long and 4″ wide (Length depends on how full you want your flower.  I made mine 20 inches.)
• thread
• 1″ diameter circle cut from felt
• plain metal hair clip  (I’ll bet bobby pins would work for this, too.)
• hot glue gun or fabric/craft glue

To make the flower, I cut my fabric strip 20″ x 4″.

Fold strip in half, with right sides together (inside out) lengthwise and sew along one end and the long side, using a 1/2″ seam width.  This will form a long tube, open on only one end.

Trim seam to 1/4″ and use overcast foot to finish the seam (or if you don’t have an overcast foot, you can just zigzag the raw edge of your seam to help prevent raveling.)

I love being able to put that overlock finish on my seams to make them that much more durable!

To turn the tube, I fasten a safety pin into one side of the open end of the tube and then turn the pin, pushing it down into the tube, inching it along until it pops out the other end, pulling the tube right-side-out.

Once the tube is right-side-out, turn under about 1/4 inch (toward the inside of the tube) on the open end and stitch it closed, so no raw edges are left showing.

Iron the tube flat, being sure that your seam is along one edge.

Make sure the seam is along one edge, not in the center of your tube. Turn that raw edge to the inside and stitch close to the end. Then press it flat.

Thread a needle.  Knot the thread and begin making basting stitches about 1/8″ from the edge of your tube that has the seam.  (Basting stitches are longer than regular stitches and can be used to pull gathers into your projects.  They could be anywhere from 1/8″ to 1/4″ long and still work well for gathering.)  Pull the thread tight as you make your stitches and allow your tube to gather, as you continue to sew to the very end.

When you reach the end, make sure you have you fabric gathered as tightly as you like it and then tie a knot.  At this point, my thread was still long enough, so I continued working, from where I was, but if you need to, you could re-thread your needle at this point.  Run the threaded needle through the corner of one end of your gathered tube.  (Make sure it’s the corner on the edge with the seam.)  Now start winding your gathered tube, into a tight flower, stitching through the next layers, as you go, to hold everything in place.

Continue wrapping and winding the flower until the tube is completely rolled and you have stitched along the seam edge of the tube to hold each layer of turns to the next.  Tie a knot.  Your flower is finished!!  Fluff and shape it, then you’re ready to attach it to a hair clip.

You’ll need your finished fabric flower, a plain hair clip, the circle of felt and a glue gun (or fabric glue would probably work).  I used a glue gun because it dries so much more quickly.

I got the hair clips at WalMart, but any craft store should have them, too.

Using the glue gun, spread glue over the entire bottom of your flower (the stitched edge that has formed a tight circle).  Lay the TOP of your hairclip into the glue, so that the back end of the clip is about 1/3 of the way from the edge of the circular bottom of your flower.  Dot a bit of glue onto the back end of the clip and then press the felt circle over the back end of the clip and centered over the bottom of the flower.  The clip will have about 2/3 of its length sticking out from under the edge of the felt.  (You could definitely just glue the clip to the fabric flower, but the felt gives it a nice finish and makes a soft surface against your little one’s head.)

That’s an easy, frugal way to create adorable hair accessories for the little ones in your life!  Hope you enjoy and if you make some, be sure to share pictures!

See! It's easy! You can totally do this!

 If you haven’t entered our giveaway, yet, for the Brother CS6000i Sewing Machine, high-tail it over there, right now and ENTER!  It’s definitely time to get your crafty on! 

Rebecca at Maple Hills Farms is so pleased with all your comments and sends a big, “Thank You” to all of you who have already purchased.  She also wanted me to let you know, that it’s no problem to go ahead and purchase, now.  If you win the giveaway, she will refund your cost.  That way you can start reaping the savings, right away, instead of waiting for the giveaway to end.  The exclusive 10% DISCOUNT CODE for Busy-at-Home readers is Busy2012 and it is only active through February 14.  So, don’t miss your opportunity to save!  Put it in the discount code box at Checkout and your discount will automatically be subtracted from your order!  How cool is that?  Even more money back in your family’s budget!

If you haven’t had a chance, yet, I hope you’ll pop over to the Maple Hills Farms Facebook page and share a little “We love saving money!” love with Rebecca.  Thank her for the giveaway and the generous discount!

Hope you all are having a blessing-filled Friday and looking forward to a fabulously fun weekend!  I’m working fast and furious on a couple recipes I want to share plus my Twirly Skirt sewing tutorial.  Stay tuned and have a fantastic afternoon!

There’s no describing the happy dance that took place when the Brother CS6000i arrived on my front steps.  (No neighbors were frightened or scandalized in the performing of said dance.)  I’ve actually been using a Brother sewing machine for years.  This upgrade to a computerized machine has me inspired to take my sewing skills out of what I like to call the “utilitarian” range and really save money and get creative with some household decorating and new clothes.  (I’m making myself the cutest new top, right now.  Can’t wait to show you!)  I have a LOT of plans for new curtains, as well as bed and kitchen linens, for this spring.  I’m also going to try my hand at making Roman shades.  I feel so much more confident tackling these bigger projects with my new machine.  The range of features allows me so many more possibilities!

When I unpacked the box, I did a quick inventory of everything that’s included.  It was sort of like Christmas all over, again!

There was the machine, of course.

Plus tons of attachments and accessories! It came with a hard case, spring action quilting foot, a walking foot and a quilt guide for the foot holder! Also, look at that wide table attachment that can expand my working surface area for bigger projects, like quilts.

Close-up of the walking foot, spring action quilting foot and quilt guide.

The machine has a built-in free arm, so it’s easy to sew sleeves and cuffs.  It’s simple to set it up by removing the flatbed attachment, which has a great storage compartment inside.  When I opened it, I found this vinyl bag with more accessories!

Removing the flatbed attachment is simple and it's designed to store the vinyl bag all the cool accessories.

All the accessories and presser feet that come with the cs6000i! a buttonhole foot, an overcast foot, a monogramming foot, a zipper foot, a blind stitch foot, a button fitting tool, extra bobbin, an eyelet punch, a seam ripper, cleaning brush and screwdriver, as well as an extra spool pin, sewing machine needle set and a twin needle!

When you sew, do you find you are always reaching for your scissors to snip a piece of thread, but your scissors are on the ironing board or the cutting table or wherever the last place you used them is?  One of the things I love about the Brother CS6000i is something I wasn’t even aware it had.  There are cutting blades embedded safely throughout multiple areas of the machine!  Of course, there is the standard cutter mounted on the left side of the machine, but there are others, too.

The bobbin winder has two blades for cutting thread.

There is a cutting blade at the base of that upside-down U, next to the bobbin case. It's designed to, and perfect for, snipping off the excess bobbin thread when you are threading the machine.

I love the drop-in bobbin case and the fact that there is an automatic needle threader, which has really become an issue for these over-forty eyes.  Threading this machine is a cinch and no magnifying glass is required!    There are so many things I love about this machine, it will take many posts and demonstrations to share them all with you, but let me give you a short list of some of the best:

1. There are 60, pre-programmed stitches, available at the touch of a button!  Everything from stretch stitches and smocking, to applique, decorative embroidery and quilting stitches.  There are TWO different overlock stitches which I have been using with great excitement!  All my seam finishes make my projects look like they came off the rack at the store, now!
   

   So many choices! I'm incredibly excited!

2. The overlock presser foot!  I mentioned, above, that I have been putting a professional polish on my seam finishes and using the overlock stitch options on the CS6000i.  This is simple and possible because an overlock presser foot comes as part of the standard equipment with this machine!
   

   This is the specialty presser foot (overlock foot) that makes those seam finishes a cinch! The one-touch presser foot release makes changing out the feet quick & simple.

   

   See how pretty and clean the overlock finished seams are? Yay!

3. Low, medium and high speed slide lever!  Adjust your machine’s speed according to the project and the seamstress.  I am so excited that my beginning 4-H sewers will be able to work at low until their confidence and skill builds.  I also like that I can adjust this to better fit what I’m sewing.  No more accidentally sending the motor racing on small, tedious projects where I need to creep along at a snail’s pace.  But, when I am sewing curtains or bed linens with lots of long, straight seams, I can slide the speed to high and move along at a remarkable pace.  Whatever speed you select is the top speed for the machine, no matter how far the foot controller is depressed.  Genius!
   

   The slidebar allows me to control the machine's top speed. I love that selecting stitches is as simple as using the up and down buttons to bring the correct stitch number up on the computerized digital display screen. Reversing to backstitch a seam is so much easier when all I have to do is depress a button, instead of holding a lever down. Love! Love! Love!

4. The machine has a special zipper foot and zipper stitch.  Putting in zippers has not been one of my favorite things or strongest skills and this will make it so much easier.  Incidentally, that brings me to another thing I love about the CS6000i.
5. I don’t just have to just figure it out on my own, when there is an accessory or process I am not familiar with or confident about.  The manual included with the machine is detailed, clear and full of pictures.  It gives brief, precise commands that a busy mom can truly appreciate.  Attach zigzag foot ‘J’.  Select stitch #3.  Lower the presser foot.  Sew slowly without stretching the fabric.  etc., etc.
6. The CS6000i sewing machine has a 25 YEAR limited parts warranty!!!!
7. The machine is lightweight and incredibly easy to transport wherever I need to use it.
8. It’s a powerhouse of features at an affordable price whether you’re a beginner, a medium-skilled seamstress, like me, or a pro!  Brother’s MSRP is $349 and it’s worth every penny, but for all you budget-conscious seamstresses, I know you’ll love that Amazon has this beauty on sale for only $159.99 and FREE shipping!  It will be one of your best frugal investments!

Most of what I love about this very modern, computerized and super versatile machine is going to be so much easier to just SHOW you.  There will be several tutorials over the next days and weeks that will highlight and show you how to use some of the awesome features and accessories.  The first ones will be for these adorable “twirly” skirts, I made for our granddaughters (You don’t even need a pattern!) and the matching fabric flower hair clips.  You’ll love it!

One of two twirly skirts I made and its matching fabric flower hairclip. We'll do a full tutorial in the next day or two. You'll love how simple it is to make something so adorable! And you won't even need a pattern!

In the meantime, lets get this GIVEAWAY off to a good start.  The mandatory entry is simple.  In a comment, below, tell me the first thing you would make if you win the Brother CS6000i!  That’s it.  Then just click that DO IT button, then Enter and you’ll unlock all the other optional entries to increase your chances of winning the drawing.