Somewhat Simple

Think Ink for Fast Sugar Cookies

Ashleigh — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:05:30 +0000

Hello there! I’m so happy to be back here on somewhat simple. I missed you guys last month!

I thought I’d start the year off with a couple of tips for fast and easy decorated cookies.

Conversation hearts are just a necessary part of the Valentine holiday, which is around the corner! Never mind that they taste like chalk.

We still buy them, give them, and decorate with them. Because they’re cute.

So the sugar cookie version of conversation hearts should be no exception.

But if you don’t have a steady hand and mad piping skills, or a projector to provide a guide, never fear!

Just start with a basic iced cookie that has dried at least 12 hours.

You can reference recipes and tips for this part of the process over on my blog.

Then, you just need a little stamp set and edible ink pens. I had this set of stamps in my scrapbook stash, but they actually had no evidence of ever being used, (along with lots of my dusty scrapbook supplies). I used my americolor brand pens to ink the letters and stamped right onto my dry cookies.

Drying time is super quick and you can package them and wrap them up in a jiffy.

Wow! Did I just say jiffy? That may be a first here Steph! Sorry.

I even busted into a few other stamps. I found that the rubber stamps worked a little better than the acrylic stamps. However, with this postage stamp, the imperfection seemed to work.

Now for an even easier way to ink your cookies!

I can’t tell you how many people tell me how they don’t have the patience to do that much detail on something that will just be eaten. I totally get that it’s not everyone’s thing.

But there is a way to get a bit of a fancy look on a cookie in 3 seconds!

Meet color mist (think cookie spray paint). This stuff is readily available in most grocery stores. I have tried other brands of spray color, some work better but are more expensive and some I didn’t have any luck with at all. But I used this one because it is the easiest to find.

Just grab a paper doily, and use one finger to hold it in place while you spray.

No, they don’t turn out perfect, but the overall effect is pretty fun.

My kids were pretty proud of their masterpieces. Nothing like immediate gratification.

I also got out a greeting card I thought would make a cool design.

So there’s a little cheater way to make your cookies impress!

Just like a spray tan, it’s a lot faster than sweating it out as you lay there/frost for hours.

(Not that I would know, I’m as pale as they come. I just like to make analogies.)

If you are ready for more, take a look at my other Valentine cookies ~~that took longer to make~~.

And as always, thanks for letting me hang out on your blog Stephanie!

SYS Blog Link Party with Chinese New Year Ideas {Plus a Giveaway!}

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:00:05 +0000

Today’s Blog Link Party is sponsored by P.F. Changs

Find PF Changs on Twitter @PFChangs, or on Facebook (facebook.com/pfchangs) to share the Chinese New Year celebration excitement. Don’t forget to tell friends to join the fun, and be on the lookout for a fun Facebook application that will provide you good fortune for the New Year.

Prosperity, peace, happiness and longevity all symbolize the Chinese New Year, one of the most important and festive Chinese holidays. In this “Year of the Dragon” P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu want to ignite your good fortune and share the spirit of this holiday with you.

Did you know the Chinese New Year started Monday, Jan 23rd?

This is the year of the Dragon, and to kick off the celebrations, here are some fun, crafty ideas:

1. Paper Chain Dragons from Naturally Educational

2. Thumbprint Dragons from Handprint and Footprint Art

3. Paper Lanterns from Jelly Fish Jelly

4.”Longevity Juice” water labels from Kara’s Party Ideas

5.Cute Dragon ideas from a Ninja party from Life, Right Now via Kara’s Party Ideas

6.Cupcake Liner Fortune Cookies from Family Fun Go

All of these ideas and more were found on Pinterest.

See more ideas by clicking HERE or email me and I will send you an invite.

Do you know your Chinese Zodiac sign? It’s a fun thing to read about and see how close it matches your personality. I was born in the year of the dog, which at first sounded lame to me- I wanted to be something cool, like the dragon or tiger. But it could be worse- I could’ve been born in the year of the pig (Sorry if you are born in that year!)

AND according to the “stuff” I read, “The Dog is the most likeable sign in the Chinese zodiac” so, I’m pretty much loved by everyone. (wink)

It also says the Dog and Horse are compatible, which is a good thing ’cause I am married to a horse! Yet, his personality doesn’t match that of the Chinese Horse, so go figure.

Read about your Chinese Zodiac Sign here.

Red Envelopes filled with gifts are presented to family and friends during the Chinese New Year. The color red symbolizes good luck, and today P.F. Chang’s is here to help spread good fortune.

15 Somewhat Simple Readers will win their own Red Envelope filled with various prizes!

(yep, 15- that is not a typo!)

Here are the prizes…

ONE Grand prize, consisting of:

A $100 gift card to P.F. Chang’s Bistro
5 Full Value P.F. Chang’s Home Menu coupons
2 co-branded t-shirts

SEVEN Red Envelope Prizes consisting of:

A $10 P.F. Chang’s Bistro Bistro gift card

SEVEN Red Envelope Prizes consisting of:

A Full Value P.F. Chang’s Home Menu coupon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.F. Chang’s Bistro and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu provided me with gift cards and free product for this post, but these words and opinions are my own.

AND NOW FOR THE LINK PARTY

The ABC’s of What I Love About You

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:00:26 +0000

I’m a long-time customer of MyPublisher.com and I have made several of their classic hardcover books. Last week while working on my current project, I noticed an option for a book that I’d never seen before- they call it “My Mini” and what grabbed my attention was just how cheap it is- $2.49! It is a 20-page softcover book that is only 2.75″ x3.5″. Since my husband and I usually just exchange a card or something little on Valentines Day, I knew right away this little personalized gift would be perfect!

I got to work and decided to think of a characteristic I love about my husband for every letter of the alphabet and then I would look through our pictures and see if I could find some that would illustrate the qualities on my list. Once I had my pictures and characteristics, I worked a little magic on picnik.com (so sad they are closing, by the way!) by adding some text to pictures or collages.

Here are some of the pages I made:

(Title Page)

The fonts in picnik that I used were called Courier New and Bleeding Cowboys.

The color I used was 35BBB9.

When I went to order the book, I was excited to see a coupon in my inbox for 75% off, so this book only cost me 62 cents + 99 cent shipping- its even cheaper than a card I would have bought off the shelf at the grocery store, and its personalized so its way better!

I will try to update this post with a finished product of the book once it gets delivered to my house- it takes about a week, so if you want to create one for your sweetheart, don’t delay!

*I was not compensated to write this post in any way.

Baked Potato Soup

Larissa — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:13 +0000

One of the things I love about winter is that it gives me an excuse to make soup. I am totally a soup girl. While I am always trying new soup to add to my soup recipe box, you are more likely to find me making my favorites over and over and, yes, over again.

One of my favorites is Baked Potato Soup. This is a recipe I have used for years. This soup is pretty low maintenance ingredient wise. It comes together SOUPer fast…sorry I had to…This soup is also great as leftovers. Woohoo!

Today not only am I sharing the recipe for Baked Potato Soup, but I am also linking to several of my favorite soup recipes that I have shared previously on my blog.

Let’s start with the recipe shall we.

Baked Potato Soup

ingredients:

2 med. potatoes, baked

3 Tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup instant mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

1 cup half-and-half

garnishes-shredded cheddar cheese, bacon pieces, sliced green onions, sour cream

to make:

Melt butter in a stock pot. Saute onions in the butter until light brown and translucent. Add flour to onions and stir continuously while cooking for 1-2 minutes. Add broth, water, cornstarch, instant potatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out the pulp into the soup, letting it crumble into rough bite-sized pieces. Add half-and-half. Bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for another 15 minutes.

Serve with garnishes.

Enjoy!

Okay, now for some other delightful soup recipes that I have made and shared on my blog. I have enjoyed all of these and a few have become my very favorites…don’t worry I will tell you which ones those are!

I hope you are finding ways to enjoy this winter weather and I hope you find a new soup recipe to warm up with.

Slow-cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

a favorite

Chicken Parmesan Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

a favorite

Chicken Cream Cheese Soup in Homemade Bread Bowls

Santa Fe White Bean and Chicken Soup

a favorite

Oh and guess what? I have another soup recipe coming up on my blog on my Recipe Thursday this week. A new and instant favorite of not just me, but the whole family. Can’t go wrong there.

Stop on by, say hello, and get another fabulous soup recipe.

Quick and Easy Valentines Gift

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:00:17 +0000

My husband and I usually don’t exchange big presents on Valentines Day, but we do make the day special with thoughtful cards or something simple but meaningful. Last year, my husband came home to the following spread on and over his bed:

The kids and I made a trip to the grocery store and bought 12 helium balloons (4 red, 4 pink & 4 white).

Then, we each thought of 3 reasons why we love my husband and we wrote the reasons on heart-shaped construction paper.

Then we just placed them over the bed and waited for him to be surprised when he came home from work.

Simple, thoughtful and something for the whole family!

i caught santa

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:00:59 +0000

Last week I bought a fun deal from Social Spark for a personalized picture of Santa “in my home.”

My kids got a kick out of it, and it took literally 3 minutes to create!

Just upload a picture of your home, then get ready to create! There are several different Santa poses to choose from, and you can completely adjust the size and color of the image so it matches your picture.

If you’d like your own, take advantage of this deal:

$11 for 4 Custom Images and a Video of Santa in your Home! ($25 value, save 55%)

You get 4 separate codes, so you can keep one and then give the others to your friends or family members.

Click HERE if you are interested. Have fun!

All You Need Is LOVE Skirt

Simple Simon & Co. — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:42 +0000

I’m calling this skirt the “All You Need is Love Skirt” but it could be called “The World’s Easiest and Most Inexpensive DIY Valentine’s skirt”.

(It’s made out of a dollar store T-shirt and some scrap felt and took me less than an hour from start to finish.)

Here’s what you’ll need:

*A T-shirt

* Felt

*Embroidery Floss

*Liquid Stitch (optional)

*General Sewing Gear—a measuring tape, scissors, a sewing machine…the usual…

Here’s how to do it:

#1. Find out the needed length of your skirt. Do this by measuring your little girl from the waist to the knee (or how ever long you want the skirt to be). Then add an extra inch and a half to your measurements (the extra is to use for the elastic casing at the top).

#2. Now lay out your T-shirt, measure from the bottom hem up and cut. (I cut mine at 11 inches.) ***Notice that the bottom of your skirt is already hemmed for you from the T-shirt—nice huh? (I told you this was going to be easy.)

#3. Cut out your letters from the felt. I just free handed them with the scissors as I was cutting the felt scraps. But if you like you can draw the letters out on copy paper first, then cut them out and trace them onto the felt first. (I’m just not that technical—or perhaps I’m just too lazy…)

#4. Next I “Liquid Stitched” my letters down onto the skirt. I did this so they would stay in place easier while I was stitching them. But this isn’t necessary.

#5. Pull out your embroidery thread and stitch around the edges. (Since the skirt is for my 3 year old I wanted it to look kind of kiddish and silly so I didn’t worry about making sure all the stitches were the same size or perfectly straight and spaced.)

#6. Next I made the casing for the elastic around the top and inserted the elastic for the waistband. I know there are a million tutorials on how to do this but just in case you’d like more instructions on how to do this step you can click over to HERE.

#7. Enjoy—you’re all done. Easy Peasy.

Just make sure you don’t let slip who you’d like your Valentine to be…that can be pretty embarrassing!

SYS Blog Link Party with a Giveaway from Champion Me Books

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:22:41 +0000

Today’s blog link party is sponsored by Champion Me Books.

Champion Me Books creates highly customizable award-winning personalized children’s books.

I was sent a gift card to create a book and can’t even begin to tell you how cool this was!

First, name your character:

Then, choose a book.

(There are 4 different stories to choose from, and I ended up ordering one of each. I like them all!)

Now comes the fun part- Design your Character!

2 of my kids sat on my lap the entire time we were creating our books. They thought designing a character that looked like themselves was the coolest thing ever!

We made characters for all the kids in our family:

Before you order your book, you can preview it and see how the character looks:

This is when my daughter got critical- she didn’t like her nose and she decided she wanted curly hair and a different color outfit. Luckily physical changes in “Champion Me Book Land” was as easy as hitting the “back” button on your browser- no plastic surgery needed!

Then, you can add a special message to your book and choose whether you want a PDF file or a high-quality soft cover book.

I ended up ordering 4 PDF books- 1 for each of my kids.

My PDF’s were emailed to me about an hour or so after I ordered them. Then I just printed them off and added them to this $2 photo album I bought at WalMart.

Leah has taken it with her everywhere! It was especially popular at church in her primary class- kids love the concept of an adventurous book with them as the lead character! What a great idea for a birthday gift for all your kid’s friends!

The nice people at Champion Me Books would like to giveaway 1 $30 gift certificate to their site!

Here is how to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snowman Craft for Kids

Steph from Somewhat Simple — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:59 +0000

This was a cute idea my Kindergartner did with her class this year. Each student was asked to create a snowman using whatever supplies they had on hand and using the following legend:

Creating this craft for kids was simple and fun! (For both of us!)

We got creative with the supplies, using things like a headband with cotton pads as ear muffs.

Her teacher put all the snowmen on and around the bulletin board outside their classroom. The variety was adorable!

This would be a fun idea for a family night too! Have everyone make their own snowman and then display it in your home for the winter.

Have fun with this!

Love your Laundry Room

Todays Post — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:41 +0000

I’m one of those crazy people who actually like doing laundry – to me, nothing beats the smell of clean clothes or freshly laundered sheets. That said, in my current home the space for our washer and dryer leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of a room dedicated to this necessary chore, we have a closet. And no, not a nice big closet with lots of space like this one:

(image via The Redheaded Stepchild)

Ours is a teeny tiny sliding door closet with exactly enough room to fit our stackable washer and dryer. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m fortunate to have this luxury in my home instead of having to venture out to a Laundromat, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t dream about having the perfect laundry room.

While I might not have many options right now, I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the workings of an ideal laundry room and I consider myself somewhat of an expert. A few small changes are all you really need to transform your space and create a laundry experience that is a lot more enjoyable.

First things first, get organized:

If you have space to spare, placing three separate hampers somewhere in your laundry room will make the sorting process a breeze. If not, try sorting things from the get-go by using separate bins or divided baskets in your bedroom closet, bathroom or other shared space.

Store detergents, stain removers and other necessities in baskets or bins to hide clutter and add shelves above your machines or on a side wall for extra surface area to place them. Add hooks too if you can; you’ll be surprised at how convenient they are for hanging things like towels or laundry bags.

If you’re feeling extra creative, use glass containers or other storage jars for washing powder, clothes pins and more. They might require a little extra work but they add a really nice touch to the room.

(image via The house of Smith’s)

Add character:

Depending on the size of your family, there is a good chance you spend a good chunk of time in the laundry room. Add some character to the space by giving the walls a splash of color, adding some accessories like pictures or art, and removing unnecessary items including household cleaning supplies and storage. Wall decals are a really popular trend in homes right now and many are geared specifically towards laundry rooms! Not only are the sayings fun, they are super easy to apply and remove.

(image via Etsy)

Make it practical:

Keep in mind what this space is used for and try to make it as practical and efficient as possible. Storing things on top of your dryer might seem like a good idea, but if this is the only place you have to fold laundry you might want to consider another option. Do you hang things to dry a lot? Install one of these convenient and space friendly drying racks, made from an old ladder, window or chair backing. Kate over at Censational Girl has an awesome DIY tutorial for those looking for some extra help:

(image via Censational Girl)

Odd socks are the nemesis of a launderer. I can’t tell you how often I’ve searched for the lone sock that I’m 100% certain went into the dryer. Instead of wasting time trying to match a pair, set up a lost sock station and throw the lonely ones in there. Bonus points if you have the wall space to display them on a lost socks board like Stephanie did in this cute little tutorial:

As you can see, giving your laundry room a makeover really isn’t that difficult. Most people will never consider laundry the most entertaining of tasks, but taking care of business in a fun, stylish and efficient space will make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable. Devote a little bit of time and some creativity to the project and you’ll have a laundry space you’ll love before you know it!

Jessi is a passionate do-it-yourselfer who is dedicated to making her home a warm, organized and happy place to be. When she’s not busy dreaming about the perfect laundry room she works as a Community Coordinator for PartSelect, where she’s dedicated to helping other DIYer’s tackle home repairs.