Obsessively Crafting

Green Smoothies for 1 Week

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:27:00 +0000

I'm challenging some of my family members to drink 1 green smoothie a day starting Monday, April 22nd. I LOVE green smoothies! There are so many benefits from drinking green smoothies. Here are a few great sites for more details.

VegKitchen

Incredible Smoothies

Here are some sites for great recipes!

Green Thickies

Obsessively Crafting (Guest Blogger)

Rage Against the Minivan

The smoothies on Rage Against the Minivan have an ingredient called kefir. I don't know if anyone has ever heard of or even uses it. If not, use YOGURT as an alternative.

Also, I found these on Pinterest but couldn't find the original source.

A few of my own personal tips (and one not-so-personal)-
*FROZEN SPINACH CUBES!!! Changed my life!!!
*If your veggies are fresh, add them to the blender first. It seems like they blends better that way.
*Use fresh and/or frozen fruit, it doesn't matter. If you're using fresh, make sure to put a little ice in there to thicken it up.
*If you haven't had green smoothies before or very often, start with SPINACH as your veggie. You can't taste it at all! It just changes the color.
*If your can't get past the fact that you're drinking something GREEN, add blueberries. It turns your smoothie purple......This is how I trick my kids into drinking green smoothies.....

GOOD LUCK FAMILY!!! LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES AND FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR RECIPE SUCCESSES AND/OR FAILURES ON OUR FB PAGE!!!

Boba Air Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 05:20:00 +0000

I received the Boba Air last month to review. This is my second time reviewing a product from Boba. I love the company and their whole line or baby carriers.

Before I get into the review I wanted to share a story about how awesome the company is. Back in December of 2011, I had a chance to review the Boba Carrier 3G. See HERE. A little while after I posted my review, I noticed one of the snaps was missing. Because it was missing, I couldn't snap both sides of the sleeping hood up to the straps at my shoulders. I called Boba and explained that it was missing. They apologized and sent me a new one right away, no questions asked. I did send back the old one. Their customer service rocks!!

One of the main reasons I was so interested in the Boba Air was because of how COMPACT it is! I own the original Boba Carrier and have used it countless times! Because the Boba 3G is made with thicker material then the Boba Air, it's obviously going to be bulkier. I couldn't really stash it in my diaper bag while I was out and about. I had to keep it stored in the back of my car.

So when I opened up my new Boba Air and saw how small and compact it was, I was super excited! Not only is it compact but it folds up into itself, making storage quick and easy! Check out this video!

The Boba Air can be used as a front or back carry with children 15-45 lbs. It's made of 100% Nylon and is easy to clean and super durable. The fabric is a very lightweight and more breathable. It includes a sleeping hood and a large pocket to store you hood in when not in use. The hood can be used to protect your little one from sun or rain, or to provide a cover when they are taking a nap.

Here are a few other features:

Comfortably fits heights 5'0" – 6'3"
Waistband range: 27" – 55"
Elastic bands neatly roll up straps
Easily adjustable chest strap
Uniquely designed to "hug" your child
Body of carrier rises 16"
High quality military grade buckles

Because I've had a carrier since my son was born, he's totally used to being carried around in them. He loves them and usually falls asleep on my back. I took him grocery shopping with my new Boba Air and we both loved it. Even though the fabric is a lot thinner, my son feels very secure in it. They are made extremely well. They are very sturdy and take into account the fact that Moms are not made equally. It doesn't matter what size you are, the Boba Air has adjustable straps so you can adjust accordingly. My husband is a huge Boba fan as well so when he puts it on, all he has to do is make a few adjustments and BAM!!, he can carry our little monkey around and carry on with whatever he was doing.

And if your child is like mine, he/she probably follows you around all day wanting to be held. My little guy is my shadow. It makes cleaning the house very difficult. I only have one hand to do dishes, vacuum, makes beds, etc.. because he wants to be held all day. With him on my back (or front), I feel kind of like Super Mom because I'm a more efficient cleaner and my little guy gets to snuggle close to me all day.
Like I said in my other review, make sure you read ALL the instructions and guidelines that come with your carrier. Your baby is only safe if you know how to PROPERLY wear them.

New Weekly Cleaning List

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:13:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I read this great article online about family cleaning and, of course, I can't find it anywhere. It helped me realize that, although my previous cleaning system (see HERE) was fine, it wasn't quite working the way I wanted it to. My older two children, who are 6.5 and 3.5 years old, still have so much to learn about cleaning and specifically, how to clean properly. I can't just make up chores for them and expect them to figure out how to clean without any guidance. Now, obviously they have some "know how" from watching me and having me instruct them from time to time but I think they need a little more guidance. A few things I remember from that article I read that really impress me were:

1. Kids aren't born knowing how to clean their rooms or make their beds. They need to be taught.

2. Working side-by-side with your children during chore time helps them learn how to clean properly AND helps them learn to work as a team! I love that idea. That concept made me change things up. Plus cleaning together instead of alone is always more fun. ;-)

I've devised another cleaning chart that will hopefully help our family learn to work together and keep our house clean. The layout is mostly the same, my daily chores for basic upkeep and one designated room a day. *Every morning I unload the dishwasher and my husband is in charge of making sure it's loaded and running before he goes to bed. Love him!! The bullets are my chores and the starred chores are the ones I'm going to save for "family chore time". I pick my son up from school and we usually get home around 3:30. I want our "family chores" to be done before I start preparing dinner.

Another reason I'm so excited about this is because I feel like I don't get to spend as much time with my son, who's in first grade, as I'd like to. He's gone until about 3:30 and we have to squeeze in homework (which takes him FOREVER!), chores, dinner, karate and any other things like shopping, errands, etc.. before bedtime which is usually around 8. This just gives me an extra 20-30 minutes a day to spend time with him.

I know my kids can fold and put clothes away but I'm really OCD about stuff like that so I think I'll ease them and myself into laundry. For now, socks and shirts will work great for all of us.

We'll see how this goes. We've JUST started. I'll come back and give you all an update.

How do you organize yours and your kids chores? I'd love to know.

How do you keep your house clean and your sanity intact?

Juppy Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:04:00 +0000

This post has been long overdue. I apologize to the creators of the Juppy. I received their product a little over a month ago to review. Honestly, I was scared I'd be writing my first bad review. The Juppy seemed a little pointless to me.....until I put it on my son! Before I go any further, check out their site HERE.

I got the black and yellow Juppy with the carrying case. Go HERE to see their photo gallery. I cannot find the pictures I took of my son.

Now, onto the review!
The Juppy is brilliant!! Like I mentioned before, I was worried about it being a pointless product and I'd have to write about that. Once I received the Juppy, I noticed how sturdy it was. I liked that. If I was going to put my son in it, I wanted a high quality product. It was super easy to get on my little babe too. I just unzipped the back and put this legs through the holes then zipped it back up. My baby was already taking a few steps when I received the Juppy but he was still hesitant to walk. I noticed his confidence shoot through the roof with the Juppy on. He was literally trying to run as fast as he could. I think it made him feel safe. His face lit up as if it were a game. He would walk through the house (while I held the straps behind him) just giggling. I was holding onto the straps just slightly so that I could catch him if he lost his balance. The Juppy gave him the security and confidence he needed to learn how to walk. My older two children saw how much fun he was having in the Juppy so they wanted to try holding the straps as well.
The Juppy has adjustable straps so you can change the length depending on your own height. It's also super compact. The carrying case this comes with is super small and fits great in my diaper bag. You can also personalize them. When you're ordering, you have the option of adding a name to the front. It comes is a few different color options as well.
I really liked this product and know it helped my little guy learn how to walk while keeping my back pain-free. I was able to stand straight and follow him all the around the house.

Stkr.it Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:09:00 +0000

First I have to apologized to the creators of stkr.it because I took so long to share their product. But honestly, I couldn't decide what to make. I had SO MANY fun ideas for their product. Check out this video below to learn all about stkr.it!

Usually when we take pictures, we're also recording a bit as well. Now you can attach audio or video to your scrapbook! I'm pretty excited about this one. Stkr.it asked me to take a look at their newest product and blog it.
*All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stkr.it has created special little stickers you can attach to any scrapbook page that link to videos, audio and imagery that can be viewed directs from the web.

This is a scrapbook I made for my oldest son. I was able to go through the pages and add videos of him that were taken the SAME day the pictures were taken. It's so cool!! Stkr.it stickers come in a great variety of colors so you can coordinate the colors on your page to one of the stickers.

I'm excited to explore other ways to try stkr.it. I have family that lives far away and I think it would be fun to make them a card and have audio or video attach of our family saying hello! These are just simple ideas. There are so many other ways to incorporate stkr.it into any craft.

They also have a product called StoryPatches for fabric crafts. You can sew one of these onto a quilt!

Technology is awesome!

Halloween Door Hangers from YOU

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Thank you everyone for sending me your version of the Halloween Door Hanger. You are all so creative!! I loved reading your emails about how you made your craft. And I'm so grateful for your sweet comments! Take a look at all these cute door hangers!

from Harleymomma87

from Jenny

from Bernadette

from Caren

from Tiffany

from Kaylan

Aren't they adorable?!!! I LOVE them all!! Thank you again, ladies!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Kranich's Jewelers

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:42:00 +0000

If your husbands are like mine, you know sometimes they need you to point straight to something you want them to "surprise" you with. And that's okay. They need our help sometimes. If you are a fan of jewelery and would like to design your own, go check out Kranichs Jewelers. They have a section called Mothers Rings where you can design your own ring. You can choose from different ring or pendant designs, have as many stones put in and even have your children's names engraved on it. I was playing around on their site and it's so easy to pick what you want and see what it'll look like. I'm thinking I might just make my hubby surprise me with style 152 with my children's names and birthstones on it for Christmas.

Which one do you like?

And does your hubby need a big, blinking arrow to show him what you want sometimes?

Spooky Soap

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Here is a fun, quick craft for you to make for Halloween. I made them for my kids and they love them. I also thought they'd be perfect gifts for neighbors or your child's teacher (only with hand sanitizer). They are also SUPER cheap to make. It costs as much as a bottle of hand soap and a bit extra for the vinyl. Luckily I had black vinyl on hand.

This is what I started out with.
I think each one was about .98 cents.

After I tore off the labels, I noticed a sticky film on the Equate bottles.

You can just use some Q-tips with Goo Gone
OR.....

Lemon essential oil. I noticed the oil worked better but use what you have. After I got the sticky stuff off, I had to wait a while for the oil to dry up. Then I just free-handed all the faces, cut them out and stuck them on!
How easy, right?!

Keep your hands clean!
Happy Halloween!

Earring Holder

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 04:15:00 +0000

Now that school has started, I've gotten into a new routine that allows a tiny bit of free time during the day. Yay!!! I'm so happy to be back and crafting. I really need to re-organize my jewelry. It's currently (all tangled) in a gallon size bag. My hope is to make a few things so I can have easier access to my jewelry. First I started with my earrings.

I used:
Scrapbook Paper
Mod Podge (& sponge brush)
Acrylic Paint
Unfinished Wooden Frame (I used a 4"x6" frame but you can use any size)
Mesh Wire (I used an old window screen)

Flip your scrapbook paper over and trace your frame.

Paint the back and sides of your frame. While it's drying you can cut out your scrap book paper.

Once your paint is dry, apply a layer of mod podge (with the sponge brush) to the front of the frame. Carefully lay your paper down. Make sure to rub your fingers across the top for a minute or two so there are no bubbles between the paper and the frame. Let dry. Apply a thin layer of mod podge on the top of the paper and let it dry.

If you want to sand the edges of your frame, now is the time. Once the mod podge is dry, sand away.

(Sorry for the crappy picture)
Measure and cut your wire mesh to fit in your frame snugly.
Lay your frame facing down and lay your mesh down into the frame. Hot glue along the inside edge of the frame.

After your glue is dry, you can turn it over and add any kind of embellishments to the front.

Now add your earrings and there you go! A cute and inexpensive way to organize your earrings.

Thank you for stopping by!

Dear Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Dear Blog. Dear Friends,

I miss you! I miss crafting. I miss sewing. I miss fabric. I miss creating things. My life, at the moment, has changed a lot. I don't have any free time for crafts these days. I'm okay with it because I'm sacrificing something good for something great, my children and my health. My kids take up (literally) every second of my day and that's okay. I know they need me more than I need to craft or blog. I'm also trying to focus the milliseconds I get of "me" time to focus on my health. I have a personal trainer who is helping me learn how to eat clean and turn fat into muscle. It's been a major adjustment over the last month. Trying to find time for myself is hard. I know all you mommas out there know exactly what I'm talking about. I know it'll get easier as my kids get older and for now, I just want to enjoy them while they're young instead of complain that I'm not keeping up to date on my crafts. So please forgive me for my absence. I still think about you often and hope that if life grants me an extra second I will be able to post some crafts, ideas, thoughts, ramblings, etc... on here. I hope you all understand. I'm so grateful for all the sweet compliments and comments I've received. I don't consider myself a super crafty/creative person. I just love taking an idea from my head and making it into something real. I usually mess up a million times or it turns out totally different than I think it will but I love being busy in the work.

I will be back. Until then...Keep on crafting, kiss your babies or grand babies and remember what's most importart.

Copy-Kids DVD Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:39:00 +0000

I recently received a copy of Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables in the mail for review. Here is a little about it straight from their site, www.Copy-Kids.com.

A joy-filled video and an innovative tool for parents who want to get children to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables.

Copy-Kids is a media company producing video that encourages positive habits in young children, by watching and copying other kids. Copy-Kids unique content — DVD, online and TV — helps parents get their children hooked on healthy and positive habits.

The DVD features 12 x 7 minute chapters, one for each of twelve fruits & veggies:

bell pepper, bananas, oranges, carrots, strawberries, avocado, raspberries, tomatoes, apples, broccoli, cucumber, and blueberries.

I'm going to blog about my 3 yr old daughters experience. My son, who's 6, was not interested at all. Because he's not the targeted audience, I decided to let my daughter review it only.

PROS: She loved watching the video and thought watching the children eat was quite entertaining. She also expressed interest in trying some of the vegetables from the video she had never eaten (raw) before.

CONS: The video could have used a little narration about each fruit/vegetable and a few facts about them to teach the children as well. My daughter was only interested in trying the fruits/vegetables while watching the video. After it was over, she had no interest at all. She also didn't really express a liking to a new fruit or vegetable after watching the video. She still liked the same ones.

I would recommend this video ONLY if you're having a hard time getting your child to eat or try new fruits/vegetables. It's definitely worth a try.

Grand Expression Product Review-Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to do another product review. I love reviewing thing I know my kids will love and use. And these next products fit the bill. Grand Expression a great little site that sells boutique gifts for children at affordable prices. They have the cutest collection. From plush baby toys to personalized gifts, Grand Expression has something for everyone at a great price. I recently received a lunch sack and a reusable snack bag to review so here we go.

This little cutie is called the Vintage Alphabet Lunch Sack
Here is a small tid bit from their site about it.
Keep your lunch cold until noon and make a fashion statement at the same time! Washable, reusable, fully insulated lunch bag will fit a sandwich, chips and a treat. And it will stay cold for hours. You can also insert your child's name on the inside so it doesn't get misplaced. Easy velcro closure and nifty handle. Easy to wipe clean for a great everyday lunch bag. Measures 10 x 6.5 x 4.5 wipe clean, line dry. Non-toxic and lead-free.

We love this lunch sack. My son uses it and will be using it when he starts first grade. It's super durable and if it gets sticky or dirty, I can simply wipe it clean because its made of a laminated cotton canvas material.

As you can see, it holds its shape great. I need that in a bag. I'm a HUGE fan of sturdy bags, of any kind.

My son also thinks it's awesome/hilarious that there's a tag on it that says "Sugar Booger". He's a boy...
Conclusion: All in all, this bag is perfect for my little guy. It's durable, easy to clean and "cool" (his words). I love that I can clean it easily and quickly and that it can hold his entire lunch. This is a great product for the price. I highly recommend.
Oh yeah, if you don't like the Vintage Alphabet design, they have a few other really cute ones HERE.

Now to the Reusable Snack Bag..

This is called a Reusable Snack Bag-Dots
Here is a small tid bit from their site about it.
Great size for a sandwich or any snack. Try apples, pretzels, jelly beans, strawberries or gummie bears - don't worry, you just throw it in the washing machine and it is ready to be used again. Save on paper bags and good for the environment , too! Safe for food; use and rinse out for the next time or machine wash and dry! Make a statement with this fashionable dotted design pattern. Approx. 7”W x 6”L

I like this bag a lot because it has a long strip of velcro on the front. Depending on how big or small your snack is, you can adjust the flap so your snack fits perfectly.

My little 3 yr old daughter uses this and she loves it. She'll carry it around even when there aren't snacks in it. I've put wet snacks like oranges, strawberries and grapes in it and have been able to wipe it clean with a wash cloth with no problem. I haven't put it in the washer yet because of this.
It also doubles as a purse sometimes. My daughter will put her little trinkets in it and carry them around.
Conclusion: We highly recommend this little bag for the price. It's sturdy, easy to wash and very versatile. I also love that I'm not wasting a bunch of plastic bags for her snacks. There are more designs HERE if you don't like this one.

NO Soliciting Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 02:38:00 +0000

If you're like me, you ~~hate~~ dislike very much door-to-door salesmen. I've always wanted to put up a "No Soliciting" sign but I think they aren't very attractive. I threw this together and I LOVE IT!! It was super easy too.

I bought a Styrofoam wreath at the Dollar Store.
Cut long strips of fabric about 3 inches wide then
wrapped the fabric around the wreath and hot glued some spots to keep it in place.
Made some fabric rosettes and a simple flower and hot glued them on.
I printed (on carsdstock) the "No Soliciting" sign at Anything but Perfect and covered it with clear tape (so it'll last longer). I don't have time to go have it laminated so this was my quick, free alternative.

To hang it to the door: I took an extra scrap of fabric and looped it around the fabric on my wreath and tied a knot.

To stick the sign on: I stuck a thumb tack in the back of the sign so it'll stay on the wreath.
*Add some hot glue between the sign and wreath to prevent it from flying off on a windy day.

Bring on the summer salesmen!!!

Liebster Award

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Thank you SO MUCH to Lue Belle's and Upscale Treasures for nominating Obsessively Crafting for the Liebster Blog award!!! "Liebster" is German for "Dearest". The award is a "Share The Love arrangement", given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers.

Thank you again ladies!! I'm so grateful for the award!

The rules of the award are:

Thank the person who sent you the award and link back to their blog.
Copy and paste the award to your blog.
Nominate 3-5 other blogs and let them know by leaving a comment.

Here are some of my favorite blogs:

Janine @ My Journey to 365 Smiles

Claire @ Adventures of Lactating Girl

Beth @ Sunshine on the Inside

Organization Station

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:09:00 +0000

A while back, I was telling a few girlfriends about our cleaning system and they wanted me to show pictures so I'll put it on here for all to see. :-)

First let me say that I struggle with keeping a clean house EVERYDAY. I beat myself up about it daily followed by the little voice of encouragement in my head that says at least I try and to never give up. I have 3 young and demanding children who I usually take care of first and then if I can get to my house, awesome! The system I use really helps me clean everything, not just the stuff that needs done that day.

This is what we call our "Organization Station". It has my

Weekly/daily cleaning list

Our dinner menu (the whole month)

My kid's daily schedule

My kids chore charts

I'll go more into detail of each item below.

So this is my Weekly Cleaning Schedule and I LOVE IT!!! It has really changed the way I clean. I used to wake up every morning and make a list of chores that needed to be done that particular day. It was usually the things that were higher priority like dishes, laundry and front room. It seemed like that was all I was able to accomplish and the "not so important but still needed to be done" chores were never accomplished.

One of my daily chores is the 10 Minute Tidy Up -2x/day. This is probably my favorite chore. If I can't get all my chores done the day before, I'll use those 10 min tidy ups to finish those chores. I also have Saturday to finish chores that didn't get done that week.

As you can tell below, I've printed my schedules and put them in sheet protectors. I've also attached a dry erase marker to the corner of my sheet protector. As my day goes by, I'll check off the things I get done.

The calendar (on the right side) is my MONTHLY DINNER MENU. I have to thank my Sister-in-law for this one! Back in December, she gave me about a weeks worth of frozen meals as Christmas gift. One day I was telling her how much those meals have saved me because I was struggling with dinner. I had just had my baby and getting dinner planned and prepared everyday was very difficult for me. She told me to make my menu for a whole month and to go grocery shopping for 2 weeks worth of meals at a time so I was going shopping the beginning of the month and the middle. I'll still go maybe once a week for fresh food but it's been a life-saver for me. We saved so much money this way and random trips to the store because we forgot ONE INGREDIENT!! I also double some of my meals and freeze them so the next time we have it, It'll be that much quicker to prepare.

This is my KIDS DAILY SCHEDULES AND CHORES. The days I don't stick to their schedules (which are many) I seem to struggle so much more. It seems like my day is so much more chaotic and I'm arguing with my kids more. I love these schedules
.

Now onto the chores. As you can see, some of them are above and below their schedules. Every morning I'll take a few from above and put them below their schedules. Those chores are the ones they are in charge of that day. They have different chores everyday depending on what my daily chores are. If I have to clean the kids room as my daily chore, their daily chore will be something associated with their room. I try to involve them in every room of the house so they can slowly expand their skills; and it really helps me out.
I made their chore magnets by using clip art from Microsoft office or just googled clip art. I edited them in photo shop to change the size (if needed), add text and then printed. I laminated them and put a piece of Magnetic Tape to the back.

So there you have it! This is how I "try" to keep my house and life organized. If I stick to it, life is good. If I don't, my life becomes too chaotic for me to handle.

My Mid-Morning Pick-Me-Up Shake

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:16:00 +0000

Hello world!!! Yes, I'm still alive. I've had VERY high maintenance children lately and no time for myself.....Which is the reason for this next post. ;-)

My mornings are really crazy right now. With getting kids dressed, fed, chores done and putting my baby down for a nap before I have to take my kindergartener to school, I feel like I have NO TIME to sit down and eat. I eat breakfast before they get up and sometimes I don't get to eat again until after I take my son to school. And by then, I'm so hungry I feel sick to my stomach.

I started making this quick pick-me-up shake about a month ago and I'M IN LOVE!! It's basically a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie. I blend it in my magic bullet and just use that cup, throw in a straw and I'm ready to go.

One important thing I do to make the process much quicker is have my bananas sliced and frozen in individual snack sized bags.

Ingredients
1 Cup Milk (we drink 1%)
1 Banana (sliced and frozen)
1 Packet of Carnation Breakfast Essentials (CHOCOLATE!)
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

Throw it all in the blender.
Blend.
Enjoy!

Guest Post from Hailey Gomez~~GREEN SMOOTHIES

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:58:00 +0000

I've asked one of my besties to be a guest blogger. She's amazing! I've never made a green smoothie before. This sounds super yummy and HEALTHY!!

Green Smoothies 101
with Hailey Gomez

Here is a little info on me :) I'm Hailey Gomez. I've been married to the love of my life for almost 4 years now. We have a 7 month old baby whom we are just obsessed with! I stay at home with her everyday and I'm so grateful that I get to have that opportunity.

Shalamar and I have been close friends for a very long time. I think since Jr. high? Thats 12 years or so. WOW. We're old, Shal. I'm so grateful to have a wonderful friend like Shalamar in my life. She is truly an inspiration and such a joy to be around! I just love you, Shal!

On to smoothie making!

I have to admit, I'm a spinach lover through and through. In any way, shape or form. I just love it. Always have. My hubby, on the other hand, hates veggies. It takes a lot of work on my part trying to get him to eat his daily servings. BUT, ALAS! I have a winner. Hubbs gave me a two thumbs up for this little diddy!

Your taste buds are in for a treat! And your body with thank you for all of the nutrition you are about to receive.

Spinach Fun Facts.

Did you know that raw spinach has a ton of potassium and calcium?

Did you know that when you add spinach to a smoothie, you can't taste it?

Did you know that spinach is rich with Vitamins A and K? (which helps with eyesight, growth, and healthy blood flow.)

Lets Start!

You will need:

*Juice (any kind. I used a Tropicana brand for this demo. But I usually juice my own :))

*1 big dollop of vanilla yogurt.

*1- 1&1/2 cups of frozen fruit. I used a half cup of peaches and a cup of strawberries.

*1 packet of Truvia! 0 calorie all natural sweetener! MUST HAVE!

*2 big handfuls of raw spinach.

*And a blender of course.

Here are a few pics of the brands I use. I'm all about saving money, so Great Value is a staple in our home.

So to start off, pour 1 cup of juice into the blender and add a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

Then add your 1-1&1/2 cups of fruit and your two BIG handfuls of spinach.

Last, add Truvia. Its just adds that little bit of sweetness! And its 0 calories, so why not?!

Then BLEND!

Your smoothie should end up looking just like this. It looks a little funky, I won't lie. But I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Here is my 7 month old baby and I. She loves to eat anything and everything that I eat, so for me, it's very important to train her taste buds to like healthy food at a young age. It's crucial for her to know that eating healthy can taste good!

And here is my hubby and my baby enjoying their green smoothie. Those are real smiles!

See? She just loves it! I just love this little nugget!

I hope that you and yours enjoy the wonders of the green smoothie as much as we do! Keep in mind that you can use any juice or fruit that you like :) Just make sure that the fruit is frozen.

Drink up!

Thank you Hailey and company for showing us how to make a yummy, healthy treat!! Stay tuned for more posts from Hailey. She's a makeup and hair GENIUS so she'll be stopping by again with tips for busy, on-the-go mommas who still want to look stylish but don't have the time!

PrintRunner.com WINNER

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:25:00 +0000

CONGRATS HEATHER!

Heather hicks Apr 9, 2012 09:33 AM

Hello there! Your blog is super fun with tons of great ideas! Thank you! Yay stickers! Silverstarr1@msn.com!
Heather hicks with gray hawk photography

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Organizing!

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 03:58:00 +0000

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been so busy chasing 3 youngins around, I haven't had time for anything else. I wanted to quickly share this fun organizing idea. We had our home appraised a few weeks ago and while getting ready to do so I decided it's time to organize my refrigerator.

I started by taking everything down and wiping it down. I then organized all the receipts, coupons and "save the dates" and trashed everything else.

This is what I came up with. :)

The "save the date" area is for appointments and invitations.
I made these little containers using a 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 envelope.Score or fold each side about 1/2 inch in from the edges. Make sure you have a really good crease. Fold it back and forth a few times.

Cut in half.

Pop out the sides.

Glue the triangular tabs down.

Easy enough, right?

Oh and I just stuck magnets on the inside to get it to stick to the fridge.

PrintRunner.com Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:25:00 +0000

PrintRunner.com is an online printing service that offers a wide variety of products for a great price. PrintRunner.comhas allowed me the privilege of giving away

CUSTOM STICKER PRINTING!

I went to PrintRunner.com and played around with the online sticker design program they have and it was super easy to use. You can upload your own images. If you have any digital scrapbook stuff, you can literally create anything. I know what you're thinking...What am I going to do with 250 stickers?!

I've created a few different sticker ideas for you.

Create your own storage labels.

Or you can create any holiday treat/gift tags.

Giveaway Details

Sticker Shape: Standard Stickers
Flat Width: 2"
Flath Height: 3.5"
Quantity: 250
Paper: Premium Sticker Stock
Colors: Full Color (4 Color Process), Black and White
Proof: None
Ready to Ship In: 3 Business Days

***Giveaway is open to US Residents Only, ages 18 years old and above.

***GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 11TH, 20120

A WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED APRIL 12TH-13TH

How to Enter

Leave your email address in a comment below!!! That's it!

Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will also receive a set of stickers for hosting this.

Shabby Apple WINNER!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:12:00 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS

Alaine!!

Alaine88 Mar 9, 2012 11:21 AM

I follow via GFC

Thank you to all who entered! Stay tuned. I have another giveaway coming soon!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:49:00 +0000

I'm so excited to do another giveaway. This is one takes the cake!!! If you've ever heard of Shabby Apple, you know their product line is GORGEOUS!! From dresses to accessories, they have an amazing selection to keep you super stylish no matter what season it is. I was looking through their collection, trying to pick my favorites and I couldn't. They're all amazing. I have to say my top faves were 65, Inca Trail, and Roamin' Holiday. They have something for everyone! I have the privilege of giving away Shabby Apple's beautiful Ahoy! dress!!

Here are a few details of the dress:

Caribbean-cool turquoise cotton lawn dips and ducks into the nipped waist of this hollywood starlet-inspired summer frock. Perfect for a cruise, this ocean-colored double layer dress sports an under-bodice of green cotton voile with a bright turquoise bow belt. Pleats at the collar and waist finish it with an expertly tailored appeal. This delightfully done-up dress will take you from the upper deck to an evening stroll of the boardwalk in no time. This dress is made from a leightweight, delicate fabric and FITS GENEROUSLY on our fit guide.

How to Enter:

You have a few options to choose from:

Follow my blog then comment on this post telling me you have done so.
"Like" Obsessively Crafting and Shabby Apple on Facebook then comment on this post telling me you have done so.
Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page and include a link to Obsessively Crafting's Facebook page. You can put something like, "I hope I win the SUPER cute Shabby Apple dress from Obsessively Crafting." Come back to this post and leave a comment telling me you've done so.

RULES:
One entry per person
Winner must have a US shipping address
No exchanges for the winning dress
GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 29TH!!

****ALSO, if you use obsessivelycrafty10off you will receive 10% off any order in the next 30 days.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:42:00 +0000

Here is a new twist on a Pineapple Upside Down Cake! In January, I attended an activity at my church and they taught us how to make these. It was SOOO good, I wanted to share. It's a super easy dessert you can make with your kids.

First, turn your oven on to 350 degrees.

You'll need:

6 ct Hostess Glazed Donuts

Can of sliced pineapples (save the juice)

Brown Sugar

Butter

Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with cooking spray and place your donuts onto the sheet/pan.
Place a pineapple slice on top of each donut.
Put a few dabs of butter on each pineapple.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of brown sugar on top of each pineapple.
Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the pineapple juice over pineapple.
Bake for 15-20 minutes

After you pull them out of the oven, they look like this...Yum...!

Add Whipped Cream to the top
Enjoy!

Quality Glass Block Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:04:00 +0000

I was asked to do a product review for Quality Glass Block & Windows. They are a wholesale glass block supplier for professional builders and/or homeowners. They also have a CRAFTING SECTION on their site!! You can buy single glass blocks in different sizes and textures. There is also a page on there full of great ideas!

One glass block comes with an insert top and 3 different caps. One is a for coins, another for light cords, and the other is just a canister plug.

This was a really fun and easy craft to make. I had fun trying to come up with ideas for this block. These blocks are super sturdy and so versatile. With the different caps, you can put almost anything inside it. When I first got it, I was a little disappointed because the craft I had in mind wouldn't work because of the textured glass. I wanted to put something inside it but you wouldn't be able to see it very clearly. They do have a block that is smooth inside that would have worked better so make sure you find the right one. I spent a little time thinking and came up with a simple and SUPER CUTE decoration for my daughters room.

After finishing the project, I was actually REALLY glad the glass was textured because it made the glitter look awesome!

I figured I would share how I made this because it was so easy.

You'll need:

1 Glass Block from Quality Glass Block & Windows

Pledge floor cleaner

Glitter

Ribbon

Letter stickers (mine are Making Memories Velvet stickers)

First, pour some Pledge floor cleaner into your block. Shake it around so the liquid covers every inch of the inside. Pour out the excess. *Hold it upside down for a minute and give it a good shake. You'll want to make sure all the extra liquid doesn't pool at the bottom once you've flipped it right side up.
Pour your glitter in and cover the top hole with tape. Shake the block until the inside is completely covered in glitter.

Put the Insert and Cap on.
Add your sticker
Wrap your ribbon around and finish it off with a bow
Done!

Dishwasher Magnet

noreply@blogger.com (Shalamar) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:28:00 +0000

This was a super easy, quick craft I made for my dishwasher. Hubby and I are always loading the dishwasher, starting (or not starting) it and forgetting if they're clean or dirty. We usually wash them by hand then load them so it's hard to tell if the dishwasher was started or not. I've been thinking for the last few months about how I need to make something for my dishwasher so we both know if the dishes are clean or not. This was literally the EASIEST craft I've ever made! The only hard part was making the designs in Photo Shop. Lucky for you, I've attached the PDF file so you can skip the hard part. You're welcome! :-)

This is what you need to get started.

Click HERE for the printable. Print on cardstock

*I forgot to add the glue gun. You'll need one of those too.

Cut your designs out and glue them to the top of your lids with Mod Podge. All sour cream, cottage cheese, etc... lids are the same size so it doesn't really matter which ones you use.

After they've dried, trim around the lid so the paper isn't sticking out.

Place your magnet in the center and hot glue around the magnet. The magnet I had was about 1/4" thick. It was exactly the width of the lid edges. I got them at Wal-Mart in the craft section. They come in a roll of a bunch for a few bucks.

After your magnet dries, apply hot glue all the way around the inside edge of your lid. Stick your other lid down inside the edges of your glued lid so the lids glue together.

Now go do some dishes :-)