Synergy Mom

simple gift

2009-09-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for marketing gimmicks. Call me crazy, but I thought this football inspired Dr. Pepper was the cutest thing ever. I, of course, HAD to buy one for my hubby. Not becuase he loves football (go Cougs!), but possibly becuase he has a secret (very secret) love for Dr. Pepper. And I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to surprise him when he opened his lunch at work.
You'll notice I didn't go all out on a cutesy tag -- I've learned that cutesy is great, but not necessary with my husband. He loves the sentiment more than anything and he isn't likely to gush about all the work that goes into the tag. When you open the tag it says "Hope you have an absolute BALL at work today!! We love you!" I know, totally cheesy right? Sometimes though, a dollar soda and a handmade tag are just the trick to show someone you love them :D (got the soda at Walmart btw)

Homemade gifts as of late ...

2009-08-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

I've made a lot of homemade gifts lately. Unfortunately I haven't been taking pictures :) Here are a few I managed to capture before I wrapped them:

A scrabble-tile necklace for a little girl starting the first grade:

I let my daughter pick out the picture (in this case, a pink gerbera daisy picture that we found through a google images search) and we put it together on some stretchy fishing cord with some beads. Total project only cost me $2 in supplies since I already had most everything at home :) I love when that happens!

We paired the necklace up with some flower hair clips -- 6 is definetely not too old for some bling and bows in your hair!

My sister-in-law turned 16 this week. This gift was a challenge. Teens love storebought stuff (at least I did when I was a teenager!) and I didn't feel like I could come up with a jewlery/room decor gift that I was sure would fit her style. In the end I went for a "back-to-school" theme and used turqoise/lime green to pull it all together.

Here is a picture of all the goods:

I mod podged a clipboard, some binder clips and a mini notebook with matching scrapbook paper and then got some candy and pens/pencils to match.

I decided to bag everything up in cello bags so it would look less random ;) I think presentation is very important with homemade gifts. I wanted to put it all in a turqoise bucket/basket but I ran out of time, so I think the individual bagging and bag toppers helped :)

I'm working on Christmas gifts and more birthday gifts this month so stay tuned :)

Dollhouse Cakes!

2009-07-29T07:47:00.001-07:00

Hey dear bloggers! My friend just started the coolest business -- miniature cookie-cakes made especially for parties and special occasions and decorated to match :)
To celebrate her business she is hosting a giveaway, so all of you local Utahn's head on over for a chance to win some delicious (and pretty!) cakes for your next get-together :)

Dollhouse Cakes CONTEST!!

Personalized game

2009-06-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

I saw THIS tutorial for a personalized family version of Yahtzee and decided to give it a try. It wasn't that hard at all, and the directions she gives are perfectly detailed and so helpful. It made a fun gift for my game-playing sil.

I'm back.

2009-05-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Don't have a heart attack. Here are a few easy-peasy projects and recipes I've been up to lately:

These super yummy peanut butter balls. The original recipe is HERE. But I added chopped dried cranberries and followed some suggestions from of the recipe reviews to improve them a bit.

I made THIS banana bread into mini-muffins. I liked it even better this way. SOO good.

I finally mailed off my sisters very late birthday present which included this cute picture frame (found at the $1 store and then covered with fun paper), and a few idea notebooks, also covered with cutesy paper.

Remember those THREE sheets of paper that I bought that have since covered three picture frames and two sets of wood blocks for home decor?? Well, I'm not done with them yet. I needed some new magnets for the fridge so I whipped up some of the classic glass marble magnets. I don't think I'll ever get tired of those.

I wonder what else I can make out of that paper?? :)

Then my mother-in-law walked me through (i.e. held my hand and told me exactly what to do because I'm clueless) making a diaper/wipes holder for my purse or diaper bag. I loved this project and it was so fun to actually SEW something (rather than just blog about sewing projects others have done).

This is a picture of the holder with the changing pad. The changing pad was a pain -- we used plastic on one side and fabric on the other. I will never sew with plastic again! But it was worth it in the end:)

Here is the inside with the pockets and binkie holder:

And the finished project all ready to stash into my purse. Love it!

I still have a message board I'm working on and another birthday present in the works ...expect exciting stuff.

Why I'm lame

2009-05-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

No more excuses. Time to face the truth. I've picked up a new hobby and it's taken over my craft-collecting, recipe-writing time.
So even though poor SynergyMom is sorely neglected ... I'm still having fun :)
Check it out at www.jesseephotography.com

No worries ... I will be back ;)

Because I'm Lame ...

2009-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Since I'm being a blog slacker, I thought I would share a few favorite links ... of people who actually keep up with their blogs :)

Hope you enjoy, and find them as addicting as I do!

http://www.skiptomylou.org/

http://createstudio.blogspot.com/

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

Enjoy!!

Great things in the works ...

2009-04-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm on a healthy snack BLITZ. Of course I am out to share the love and I am taking photos and gathering recipes for an all-out round-up of the tastiest, healthiest treats you could ever make. It's been a yummy process ...
In the meantime, check out THIS BLOG for some ideas on a health(ier) Easter basket -- I especially love her cheddar crackers in the carrot bag ... too bad I HATE cheddar crackers.
In my family we also focus on healthy treats -- the type of stuff a bunny might eat right ? Usually I do something with trail mix, all-natural fruit leathers, individual juice drinks (like mini Naked drinks) and little treats you can get at the health food store. Since these are treats the kids don't have everyday they still think it is exciting and don't even know what they're missing :)

Spring has sprung (just not in Utah)

2009-03-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

Each spring I manage to put out a few simple, but colorful decorations. I'm not into fluffy bunnies or chicks so my "theme" has revolved around this bright green grassy stuff I found at the craft store :)
For a piano-top decoration I simply painted some miniature flower pots on fun spring colors, filling them with my grass.
I use the same grass as fillers on my candle holders that sit on each side of the T.V. Usually the containers have stones in them with the candles, but I always switch it up at the holidays. Usually I fill them with holiday candy (orange and black jellybeans at Halloween or red and green gumdrops at christmas), but pastel M&M's have proved too tempting of a decoration :)

The rest of my decorations are some simple miniature baskets with ... you guessed it, the grass :) I scatter some mini eggs and call it good :) Simple, but cheerful enough -- especially when I look out my window and see snow :(

Randomness...

2009-03-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Roundup time :) Here is a random sampling of some new fun crafts ....

I'm really enjoying this photograph wall calendar from Photojojo. I think it would such a fun date night with my hubby to go around town and take pictures of the numbers together. Perhaps we could make it a family outing and help my kiddos learn their numbers. Either way it looks like fun. Here is the LINK with some instructions.

I saw this wedding sign-in book on a wedding photography website. Sadly I have no clue which site it was :( If the photographer ever comes across this blog then I would like to publicly apologize for not giving them due credit!! The cover of the book essentially says "Choose a card and write your wish for the bride and groom" Those cute colored/shaped cards in the background are what you write your wish on. Then you put it in an envelope and seal it for the bride and groom.
I think this is the best idea ever! Much better than a book of signatures (whoopdidoo). We will definetly be doing this for whichever of my sisters gets married next! (Just think I can use my cricut to cut the cards and the envelopes! Sweet)

I realize this advent countdown is for Christmas .... but it has been sitting on my desktop for months. Time to just share it! Plus, you could customize this countdown for any fun celebration -- a family vacation, a birthday ect. This LINK has fabulous instructions and pictures.

And now for one of my favorite Martha ideas of ALL time. .. the pom pom decorations and gorgeous table luminaras. I am dying to make these (in this color scheme of course! it's my favorite!). Now I just need a baby shower/wedding shower excuse ... or perhaps my 3 year old will be having a very classy birthday party this year :D
Here is the link.

I LOVE

2009-03-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am loving this inspiration book right now! So full of ideas on every single page! Well except for the part about the clown room. That was just scary.
It sells at Home Depot for $20 but you can get it used for $5 INCLUDING shipping through Amazon.com. Or you could just beg your sister to buy it for you. That worked for me.

quiet bag

2009-03-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

My neighbor Nycole showed me this CUTE quiet bag she made for her son. She bought the bag at Roberts for $1.50 (go her!) and it is made of felt. She used clip art as the template for her letters and cute little scripture-reading boy. The bag isn't very wide and is perfect for holding little books, crayons and other items for church.

Homemade crayons

2009-03-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

So I finally tried out that homemade crayon tutorial that I posted on here months ago. It was a fun project though I definitely got sick of peeling the wrappers off of crayons!

Here is the before picture:
Notice my crayons did not cover the whole pan. This turned out to be a problem because the edges were too thin, so make sure you have enough crayons to cover the pan.

This is after they baked in the oven at 350 for a few minutes:
It was so liquidy all of the colors were shifting and swirling like crazy when I jiggled the pan as I pulled it out of the oven.

I let it cool for a bit until it was soft but pliable. I used my cookie cutter to make the shapes:

Once it was completely cool I used a spatula to start popping them out. As you can see I have a lot of left over crayon. I wonder how it will work to just remelt them and make some more?

Finished product:
I think I'm going to keep these in my church bag. Crayons are much more novel this way :)

Mod Podge time

2009-03-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

So I'm pretty sure I blogged these frames before:They were those simple wood frames, covered with scrapbook paper and paint. I made them last year in hopes of bringing more color to my home. After putting away the Christmas decorations this January I was sad to see so much color gone again, so I decided to start on another colorful project. Using those same three sheets of paper from the frames above I made two sets of word blocks:
You'll notice these "LOVE" blocks still need some finishing touches ... I wonder how many months it will be before I actually do that :)

My favorite part? Using some scrap wood, paint I had on hand and three sheets of paper I was able to make three separate projects for my home :)

homemade hairbow holder

2009-03-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

My niece celebrated her 2-year birthday this weekend. Rather than try to figure out what toy she didn't already have, or what outfit her mom would like, I decided to make something useful:) I have been meaning to make a cutesy hairbow holder for awhile so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I simply bought two pre-painted wood pieces (in this case I found the butterflies at the craft section at Walmart), a yard of ribbon and some hot glue. I glued the ribbon to the back of one of the butterflies and fashioned a nail-hanger from some extra ribbon, which I then glued to the back top of the butterfly. Then I simply glued the butterflies together, back to back. Throw on some cute hairbows and you're set! Easy huh?

photo crafts

2009-02-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

I am slightly obsessive about pictures so it only makes sense that I would love photo crafts :)

These first pictures are some valentines that a professional photographer made for her son to pass out. I love this idea. Not only was it great subtle advertising for her, but it is a fun and personal valentine as well. I think something like this would make a great party favor as well.

(LINK)
In this next photo you're going to have to get creative. Try to picture these jars (recylced pickle jars, canning jars, ect.) with cute pictures of children in them -- becuase I wouldn't put pics of these guys up in my house.

(LINK)
I think this craft would look absolutely adorable on shelving in my (future) red kitchen. Something about canning jars used as decoration seems so homey in the kitchen. Plus I'm all about creative ways to display photographs :)

Another new favorite for those with some photoshop/illustrator skills:

(LINK)
I love this idea and think it would be such a fun creative change over the painted wood letters name trend you see all the time (even though those are cute too :)

Help a fellow crafter??

2009-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies! Time for a little self-serving plea for help ;)
I'm entering a blog contest -- hoping to win tuition to an amazing photography class (perhaps my craft photographs will improve?! One can only hope!)
If you want to help a sister out, just click ON THIS LINK. It's that simple :)

You rock!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-02-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

I adore these pettiskirts!! They are everywhere in pictures and I know my daughter would look gorgeous in it. Now if I don't win I just have to convince someone with sewing skills to make one for me ...

A few of my favorite things ...

2009-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

So I had a few spare moments today so I decided to browse the Better Homes and Gardens website for some fresh craft ideas. I'm on a craft kick lately... well, a finding crafts kick ... the "doing" part still has yet to happen.
Here are my favorites from my web searching:

I love these adorable flowers. I've seen this idea used as a Valentine but I think they look SO FUN as a centerpiece! This would be great at a children's birthday party because they could double as favors. Granted I think what I really really love is simply the color scheme. I'm addicted to oranges, pinks and yellows combined .... think Rainbow Sherbet or a sunset. Anytime I see a craft in those colors I instantly love it ... so consider me biased.
Here is the link.

Ok... once again the project is in orange so I'm biased from the start. I actually just love the combination of pictures and craft paper. Usually when I see these letters they are done up in just paper, so adding the pictures makes it really unique. I think this would be a fun decoration even in a living room. Spell "HOME" and add family pictures.
Here is the link.
If you've been a blog follower for awhile you know I also love homemade wall art. I don't care how many times I see an example where they paste scrapbook paper on canvas I still LOVE it. Someday I will have more than one available wall and I will do this. I'm afraid I will go overboard and do it in every single room ....
Here is the link.
How cute are these valentines? So simple too! A little paper, a teeny bit of treats and a whole lot of matches left over.
Here is the link.
These just looked pretty to me. I think votives are one of the most versatile ways to decorate -- just check out Martha Stewart, she has a billion ways to dress up glass votives. I love them all.
Here is the link.
Remember what I said about decorating with candles? HOW COOL IS THIS??? You could use this idea for any color themed celebration. I really adore this idea. Someday, when I have an unlimited budget (ha) I'm going to buy a million votives and sprinkles in every color. Maybe not.
Here is the link.

calender o' love

2009-02-02T19:12:00.001-08:00

My friend gave me the neatest gift!! My very own February calendar made of wood blocks, paint and some festive scrapbook paper.

I imagine that most everyone has seen a calendar like this, where you position the blocks to show the correct date (the blocks have different numbers on each side). This turned out so cute. I would love to make one for each month!

'

YUM

2009-02-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love these health-IER chocolate truffles. Oh how I love chocolate and peanut butter. I adapted the recipe from a vegetarian cookbook I love -- who would of thought you'd find a yummy treat like this in a cookbook like that.
Here you go:
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 T. ground Flax seed
1/3 cup all-natural chunky peanut butter.

Simply layer all the ingredients in a food processor and blend them until smooth. Round them into balls and refrigerate until firm. These are SO tasty and really, not that bad for you ... right? :) If you and your hubby are trying to lay off candy bars and boxed chocolates this Valentines, I think these would still make a milder sweet treat to give instead.

homemade gift

2009-02-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

My sister made these pretty ornaments for another sister this past Christmas. These pictures turned out really lame -- I HATE taking still-lifes of crafts. Sorry :)
The ornament base is simply a clear acrylic stamp base. You can find them at Michaels in the DOLLAR section! Sweet huh? (If you don't know what I'm talking about just head to Michaels. They are about 1/2 inch thick and are used to mount those clear plastic stamps that are popular right now).
All she did was take some double-sided sticky paper, cut it down to size, stuck it on the back of the acrylic stamp base and then stuck on her picture (sized to 2x2 and printed on a regular printer). To hide the back where she attached the ribbon she simply glued on some cute scrapbook paper.
This would be an awesome Super Saturday craft -- very inexpensive and easy to make. If you had any talent in graphic design I think you could make a very pretty 2x2 saying (something traditional like "Families are Forever") and then use that instead of pictures.

Doesn't get much easier than this...

2009-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

My sister made these super cute valentines for a Visiting Teaching swap that I am in. I love the simplicity of paper covered Hershey's nuggets. It really is the easiest paper craft ever -- but look what a difference it makes to look at them wrapped up in pretty paper :)
I'll be giving some to my husband this year -- minus the cutesy clear box. He will love them just as much in a clear cello bag :D

Valentines anyone?

2009-01-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

There are a TON of paper craft ideas out there that could easily be transformed into a sweet valentine for a friend :)
Here are some of my favorites -- cheesy valentine sayings included.
(All pictures are courtesy of the sites I link to)

Valentine Treat

I think these are absolutely adorable -- and so easy!! These cute little treats are actually individually wrapped lifesavers. These would be great for a class valentine exchange.

Strawberry treat

I really like 3D projects. This one holds a few small treats. You could easily do a line like "Valentine, you're Berry Sweet" Also, the link has the template you can download to make them yourself. If you have Cricut DS software there is a cut file you can download :)

Party Hats

Ok, so I realize these are supposed to be witches hats. I was thinking they would make adorable party hats -- think party favors -- or in this case, Valentines. How about putting a saying (on the bottom) like, "Hats off to you Valentine," or "Valentine, you're the life of the party"

Treat Bag

These cute little bags would be incredibly simple to transform into a valentine. All of the instructions are on the link. If you happen to have Cricut DS software I have a cut file for a bag like this with a window in the shape of a heart :D

Chocolate Holder

I really like this 3D box -- the perfect size to hold three Ghiradelli chocolates -- yum! The instructions are kind of involved so it would make a great Valentine for a close friend or family member.

I resolve to...

2009-01-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

This year I decided to set a goal to seriously spice things up. Well, not a goal so much as instigate a new habit: New Food Friday.
My poor husband has been suffering from eating the same meals over and over again and it was time for a change. Each Friday I'm trying a new recipe for dinner. If it's good I'll share it on here.
Luckily tonight was OH SO GOOD. The kind that is 100% worth blogging about -- perhaps even dreaming about.

Tonight's recipe is .....
Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Now let me start by saying I used to be afraid of veggie burgers. Up until about 1 1/2 ago I thought they sounded terrifying and completely yuck ( I think I was envisioning a brocolli patty or something). Luckily my eyes were opened and I was introduced to the Gardenburger and it's been a regular in our home ever since. Unfortunately Gardenburgers aren't cheap and it's always a hit-and-miss if Costco will even have them in. Nontheless I've been intimadated by homemade veggie-burger recipes. Until tonight. It was sheer serendipity that I came across this recipe this evening. I don't know how it came up on allrecipes.com but I'm so glad it did :) It was easy, and delicious and healthy and inexpensive. Is there a better combination!? Either way that was my super long introduction to one of my (now) favorite meals:

*I added some changes to the original recipe based on users comments. You'll see here the exact recipe I used, which is not identical to the original online.

* 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce (optional. I did not use it)
* 1.5 cups lightly ground whole oats

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet. *** I used my electric griddle and set it to 375 degrees***
2. In a medium bowl,COMPLETELY DRY Beans. Then mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. COMPLETELY drain the chopped veggies of any excess water/juices. **I put mine in a strainer and pushed them down until the juice came out the holes.*** Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in oats until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.**mine made 6** I also stuck mine in the fridge for about 15 minutes at this point to allow it to solidify more.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Black-Bean-Veggie-Burgers/Detail.aspx

I also want to add that I think using an avocado or guacamole with slices of sharp cheese helped it to taste so moist and yummy.

Homemade gift ideas

2008-12-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's now after Christmas and I'm posting homemade gift ideas :) I received a bunch from friends and family and gave a bunch so they had to be kept secret. I still have several "New Year's" gifts to give this week -- my way of giving neighbor gifts that I wasn't on the ball enough to give before Christmas. Still, these ideas could be put to use as early as Valentines Day, and that's only a month and a half away ;) You would think it was sooner considering the fact that the stores already have their heart shaped boxes and stuffed bears on display. No joke. Who buys THIS EARLY for vday? Especially stuff like chocolate? Hmm... anyway, here are my favorite homemade gift ideas:

My friend Michelle gave me this awesome notebook. It is one of those black/white covered notebooks you buy for school. Well she totally jazzed it up with some glue and scrapbook paper and I totally love it. I am definetly using this idea next year ...

This is also from my creative friend Michelle. This is OFFICIALLY on my Top Ten of homemade gifts of all time. I don't know how she made it ... computer program or creative text genius? I dunno. But I absolutely love it. I also love that she used the word "sparkly" to describe me. I'm not gonna lie, that made my day. I was hesitant to post this because I want to make one for every sister and friend in my life now :)

This fun and adorable cookbook was made by another creative friend, Jasmine. She is absolutely incredible when it comes to computer/clip-art/printing type gifts. This fun cookbook was in full color with gorgeous photos and fun pictures. I can't wait to use it each holiday season. It also came with a super cute cookie plate which is a fun bonus :)

This is a gift basket I made for my in-laws. It was incredibly simple and inexpensive and hopefully fun and useful for my in-laws. I personally think that parents are THE hardest people in the world to shop for. They have spent a lifetime reading books, decorating their home, etc., so it's impossible to come up with something new or different to give them. This year I decided to simply make a gift basket of our "favorite things." Below you will see the gift tag explaining:

This is the whole wrapped package. Inside the basket was a muffin mix for our favorite muffins, a bottle of martinellis (the only actual purchase necessary aside from the ribbon and basket), some magnets you'll see later, a compilation of our favorite Christmas stories, an updated family photo for their wall along with a picture my toddler drew of them and some of our hand-dipped nuts that we always make. With each item was a tag explaining what it was and why it was one of our favorite things.
These are the magnets I was talking about. I hope my mom doesn't read this becuase I would like tomake her some for mothers day ;) They are flat business card magnets that are sticky so you can easily put a picture on top. I printed mine off my computer and then covered it with packing tape. You can't tell it is packing tape, it just looks laminated :)
This is a cute neighbor treat that I received in a paper craft swap. The tag says: I wanted to get the perfect gift for you, but couldn't decide just what to do! I almost sent you a dozen roses--instead here's a bag of reindeer noses!" Inside the bag were red M&M's and malt balls :) She used a Cricut to cut the reindeer and simple paper folding to create the container.
These super cute boxes were made by my sil Tammy. I love the paper she used and I think that a beautiful homemade box really gives a small treat/gift a special touch.
This is the gift that I gave my husband this year. I know you were all dying to see what I came up with right? Well, I bought a simple bed tray and put a note on promising him bed in breakfast every Saturday in 2009. I thought a gift of service would last longer than anything else I could make and I know that he loves to sleep in on Saturdays so I'm hoping he'll enjoy it. I think this is one gift that would be great for any husband -- and they are hard to make gifts for if you ask me!

These two clay pots stacked on top of each other are actually ......A garlic roaster! My girlfriend Amy wrapped this up with a cute bow and included the garlic and recipe on how to roast the garlic using the two clay pots! I thought this was so unique and a perfect gift for our garlic-eating family.
Here is a snapshot of some more neighbor paper crafts that I made and received as part of my paper craft swap. From left to right:
The cute little package looking treat is actually two Hershey's nuggets wrapped up using paper punches. To the right is a paper sour cream container filled with Hershey kisses. To the right of that is a simple Hershey bar wrapper made out of festive paper. Just below that is the awesome day planner that was made special with a customized scrapbook cover (slipped inside the plastic that housed the original cover). I loved that idea so much that I made them as New Years gifts for a few friends. To the left of that are some adorable York Peppermint patties sandwiched in between two scallop punches with snow men faces and finally, the cute tic tac holder that ties closed like a little book. SO CUTE. Thanks to my mom, sister and Delaina for the fun projects! Btw, if you want more instructions or links for any of these projects just let me know!

These are some of those handy glass magnets I made for my friend Amy. They are made with Rooster paper to match the theme in her kitchen.
I also made this handy-dandy FHE-in-a-jar kit for her family. Inside the jar are 54 slips with an opening song, scripture assignment, and topic for discussion. The tag on top explains how to use the gift and the tag underneath has a quote from the First Presidency about FHe. I got all of the materials from www.mormonshare.com so it was simply a matter of cutting and folding the lessons to fit inside the jar and making my tags. I also made the jar cutesy-and roostery so that it would match her kitchen. I figure it was more likely that the jar would stay out in the open to be readily used if it happened to match the decor :)

This super huge and awesome cookbook was made by my mil. She compiled family recipes and dedicated the project to her mother.
Each recipe is housed in protective sheet covers. I loved this gift -- homemade gifts really truly are MY FAVORITE. I could tell she had put a ton of time and effort in to this project and I can't wait to use it.

That's it for now!!! Whew! I hope you got some fun ideas for homemade gift giving in the new year!

homemade Christmas ideas

2008-12-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

I think most people are in the same boat as me: working on a homemade Christmas. With all the craziness in the economy our family is really trying to focus on being frugal this holiday season. It has been really wonderful actually -- aside from the part about coming up with a homemade gift for my husband :( I know, it's only 10 days until Christmas and I am STILL empty handed. It's a long story, but the gift I was so excited about turned out to cost $50 to make -- the same as purchasing it at the store. I don't know about you guys but I thought making something from scratch was supposed to be CHEAPER. I'm trying not to stress about that so if you have ANY ideas for a homemade gift for a man PLEASE let me know.
Anyway, this Christmas I have seen a lot of great homemade decorations and projects that can be made from paper. I love these ideas because paper is inexpensive and a lot of people already have craft paper lying around the house. So here are some cheap but fun paper Christmas projects:
This first picture is from my home. I have these three frames hanging in my kitchen. In the fall they have beautiful photos of pumpkins and leaves, in the spring it is berries and in the summer it is colorful vegetables. I purchase the photos through sites like istockphoto.com so they are gorgeous and make for really colorful decorations. Well, this year I didn't want to spend $10 on pictures for my wall :) Unfortunately I have NO skills in still-life/creative photography. Instead I went the cheap route and purchased some cream paper and printed pictures off my computer. The two trees are actually from a font I downloaded on dafont.com and the reindeer is from google images somewhere. I actually ended up liking the simple look and it was a quick and inexpensive project.

I saw these paper ornaments crafted on How About Orange (I am always stealing her stuff for this blog). I saw that a friend and her spouse had made all of their ornaments for their tree with paper so I thought I would post these cute ornaments. Click on THIS LINK for her detailed tutorial on making them. I think if they were blue and white they would remind me of snowflakes instead of flowers.

Love this idea from Martha. Really, if I had a mantle I would be making these tonight. Luh-Hove them. Wouldn't this look beautiful with that shimmery scrapbook paper they have?? Here's the link. Now go make some.

Now for the most genious idea of the night. Just kidding. This is my version of a tree garland made of paper links :) We have a tree made up of unique ornaments and mementos -- even the silly pinecone I made in kindergarten. As such, I can get away with a homemade garland to decorate it :) I love the look of ribbon on a tree but this year we decided to involve the kids and use up all of my red and green scraps to make a simple garland. I would post a picture of the tree but, well we don't have one yet. I know, do I sound SO unprepared for Christmas or what?! Hopefully we will fix that by tomorrow ...
Stay tuned, I have several easy crafts that make great neighbor gifts coming SOON.

gingerbread house tutorial

2008-12-15T21:15:00.001-08:00

Myy awesome friend Raven sent over another fun idea. Check out her detailed tutorial on making a real homemade gingerbread house:

Gingerbread House Making 101

Welcome to Gingerbread House Making 101! Here's everything you need to know to make a fun gingerbread house this holiday season.
Step 1: Find A Pattern
You are going to need a pattern to cut out the different pieces of your gingerbread house. If you are feeling ambitious, you can make up your own pattern. You could even try to make one that looks like your own home. However, there are also a lot of patterns available online. I used this one as my starting point and made my own modifications. I added a chimney and made the roof a bit longer so it would hang down over the house a little more. I also rounded the top of the door and took that same shape and used it to make a window on the back. If you add this window on the back, I would suggest making it a bit bigger. I didn't on this particular house, but I did on a later version of it and the bigger window is a nice touch. Also, on a later house I decided to cut out a round window right above the front door. This adds some extra interest to the front of the house. Your house can be as simple or as complex as you want. Coming up with your design is half the fun!

Step 2: Cut Out Pattern
Once you've found your pattern, print it (or draw it) according to scale and then cut out your pieces.

Make sure to label each piece with what it is and how many you need to make. For example, on a side piece I would write "Side (2)". To allow for the most flexibility, I cut out the basic shapes and then cut out separate templates for my windows and door.

Step 3: Make Gingerbread Dough

Ingredients
1 C Molasses (I use the mild flavor variety)
1 C Shortening
1 C Sugar
4 C Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Ginger
A dash of Cinnamon

Combine the molasses and shortening and microwave until the shortening is mostly melted. Add the sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Step 4: Roll the Dough Out
If you roll the dough out on foil and cut your pieces on the same foil (making sure to leave enough room in between pieces to allow for some spreading during baking), then all you have to do is slide the foil on to your cookie sheet when you're ready to bake. This is much easier than trying to move the individual pieces. Also, gingerbread rolls easiest when it is warm. So, if your dough isn't rolling well (cracking or not sticking together), try sticking some in a plastic baggie and microwaving it until it is warm.

Step 5: Cut Out Pattern Pieces
Once your dough is rolled out, it's time to take your pattern pieces and cut around them.

Remember to cut out windows and doors. If you want to make shutters for your windows, just take the dough that is removed when you cut out a window and cut it in half vertically. Ta da! Shutters! Make sure you allow enough space around each item when you bake it.

Step 6: Add Candy to Windows
One of my favorite tricks is to add broken up candy to your windows to give it the look of glass.

Have fun with your colors and don't be afraid to experiment. I sometimes like to combine two different colors in my larger windows.

Step 7: Bake Pieces
Bake on foil-covered cookie sheet at 375 for 8-9 minutes or until edges are brown.

Another suggestion is to bake your smaller pieces (chimney, shutters, door) separately from your big pieces. The little pieces won't need as long in the oven and this will prevent them from burning. Let the pieces cool completely.

Step 8: Make Royal Icing
I use royal icing to decorate my houses.

Just combine 3 C powdered sugar, 3 egg whites, and 1.5 tsp cream of tartar. Beat until the icing is getting stiff and isn't runny. I tried using meringue powder instead of the fresh egg whites (that's why it's in the picture), but it just didn't work for me. So, I would suggest sticking to the fresh egg whites.

Step 9: Decorate!
Here's where the real fun begins. You can use whatever you want to decorate your house. Get creative and don't be afraid to experiment! It's hard to go wrong with decorating your house. To pipe my icing, I used some cake decorating supplies (a piping bag, a number 3 tip, and a tip coupler). However, if you don't have these items, you can also just use a plastic baggie. Just snip off a bit of one of the corners of the baggie after you've put some icing in it.
With this house, I tried decorating all the pieces first and then assembling the house. This made the decorating part a lot easier, but it was a little tricky when it came time to assemble the house. In a subsequent house, I decorated certain elements (like drawing on the window panes), assembled the base of the house, finished decorating the base, assembled the roof and chimney, and decorated the roof and chimney. Just do whatever you find easiest.

When decorating, adhere your candy with the royal icing and don't skimp on it. A little extra icing around your candy just looks like snow, so don't hesitate to put plenty on! The possibilities for decoration are endless, so do whatever you think will look the best. You can pipe shingles on the roof like I did or cover the whole roof with red and green starlight mints--the options are limitless! I like to cut gumdrops in half vertically and use them as greenery around the house. Just adhere the cut side of the gum drop to your house. I've also heard of people taking inverted sugar cones and covering them with cut gumdrops to make trees. Just have fun!

Step 10: Assemble the House
As I mentioned before, you can assemble the house before you decorate, in stages as your decorate, or after you decorate. I assembled this house on a 10 inch round cake board. Cake boards are nice and sturdy and provide a simple base for your house. Some people like to bake a large piece of gingerbread and assemble the house on it. If you go that route, make sure this base piece is thick and sturdy and consider adhering it to a piece of sturdy cardboard.
Another of my favorite tricks is putting lights inside the house.

This really enhances the look of the candy windows and creates a nice glow. For this house, I used a strand of battery-operated LED lights. I bought them at the grocery store for $3.99 in the holiday aisle. Make sure to adhere the battery pack to the base (I used tape) and position it so that it will be easy to turn the lights on and off once your house is assembled. I put the switch right by the front door.
To assemble the pieces, I start with the front piece. Decide where you want it and then either pipe icing on the bottom of the piece or on the base itself. It's up to you. Use plenty of icing. This is your cement that will hold it all together. I do the sides next. Pipe icing on the inside of the front piece where the side piece will adhere and then pipe in a straight line back as far as your side piece is long. Place the side piece, making sure it forms a 90 degree angle with the front piece. Hold the two pieces together for a minute to make sure they are adhering. Repeat with the other side. Then, pipe along the back, just beyond the side pieces. Pipe along the inside edges of the back piece where it will meet the side pieces and place the back piece. At this point, adhere your front door (I like to leave it open--looks cosy and allows you access to your battery pack) and any window shutters. Next, it's time to put on your roof. I like to pipe a generous amount of icing along the top edges of the front and back pieces and the sides. Then, just place your roof pieces. Make sure to hold them in place for a minute or so to allow the icing to start to set. Finally, adhere your chimney pieces if you made a chimney. I usually do the front piece of the chimney, then the two side pieces, and then the back piece. You're done! The icing will get nice and hard and you shouldn't have any problems getting the house to stick together.

Although I usually make plenty of mistakes when I make a gingerbread house, all of the fun decorations help cover those up. That's the great thing about gingerbread houses--they almost always turn out looking cute, no matter how you make them!

Christmas decorations (fabric strips light garland and ornament ball wreath)

2008-12-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here are two home decorating crafts for your viewing enjoyment :) The first is a strand of lights, made by my mom. She simply cut strips of Christmas fabric 1 1/2 inches wide and about 6 1/2 inches long. She then knotted the strips of fabric along the light strand as shown below:

I love this garland and use it every year to line the entrance from my kitchen to my living room. One year I put it on the tree and it looked so pretty when I plugged the lights in :) It is a really simple project -- especially if you already have leftover fabric sitting around your house. I think my mom used about 5 or so different fabrics. You could get so many different effects with this depending on the type of fabric you use.
Next is the ornament ball wreath I made this year. I had made a similar version in years past but it involved a lot of glue and a straw wreath. It was a mess. This year I followed a Martha Stewart tutorial which involved wire and a wire frame wreath. SO MUCH PRETTIER. It does take quite a few balls so I would recommend catching a sale or an after-Christmas deal. I also reccomend using plastic balls so you don't have to worry about them breaking! Mine are glass but I've glued them in place once they are wired on so I'm hoping we won't have any fall and break this year. Also, if one does break, you can always simply wire a new ball into place.
Here is the link for the tutorial.

Feeling conflicted!

2008-11-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

I have found SO many great homemade gift ideas lately (thanks to blog surfing). The only problem is that I'm trying to finish the gifts I have already started, yet I want to take time to blog about these too! I seriously need more hours in the day. In the meantime, I will blog. And feel conflicted. Because I really really need to get some Christmas gifts finished!

These are to fun to wait! Here goes:

My daughter LOVEs play food. She can play pretend for hours with some play food and plastic utensils. I know she has a ton of plastic food toys but I couldn't help but fall in love with these FELT foodies. I think they are so cute!!! The picture and MORE ideas come from this blog. Check it out -- the felt Pop Tarts are so adorable :)

It all makes me want to buy THIS book -- oh and a sewing machine too :)

Next super fabulous idea:
Please tell me you love these crate slip covers as much as I do??? You know those cheapo plastic crates you buy at Walmart?? Look how beautiful they look with a slipcover! I can picture these in every room of my house with fabric to match. Love them. And hey, it can't be that hard right?
Picture and tutorial courtesy THIS BLOG.

Check out this fun idea:

I think these chef hats are so fun! My daughter and son love to cook with me and these would be such a special gift for them -- you know, if I could sew.
Here is the BLOG where she is selling the pattern for all you cooking and sewing gurus!

Homemade Ornament

2008-11-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying these sweet homemade paper ornaments! Check out Chick 'n Scratch -- she even has a video tutorial :)

LOVE THESE

2008-11-19T20:50:00.001-08:00

I'm all about cutesy treat gifts. I am in LOVE with these printable candy wrappers from Rachel Ray. It doesn't get easier than this :

Picture courtesy How about Orange.

Thankful gift

2008-11-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who is incredibly talented when it comes to gift giving. She LOVES to create small gifts and treats and I am always amazed at the wonderful things she comes up with!
Today she gave me this adorable gift:

A Thanksgiving pot holder filled with hand dipped pretzels and a poem. I love this gift for it's simplicity. Chocolate dipped pretzels are easy to do, yet look so fancy and gourmet when you are done. They also taste delicious -- she dipped hers in caramel, nuts, chocolate and then swirled some white chocolate on top. Yum!
I loved the poem so much that I'm going to post it here on the blog:

"Thank You, God, for Everything"
Thank You, God, for everything
the big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God”
the giver of them all
And all too often we accept
without any thanks or praise
The gifts God sends as blessings
each day in many ways,
And so at this Thanksgiving time
we offer up a prayer
To thank You, God, for giving us
a lot more than our share...
First, thank You for the little things
that often come our way,
The things we take for granted
but don’t mention when we pray,
The unexpected courtesy,
the thoughtful, kindly deed,
A hand reached out to help us
in the time of sudden need...
Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
of little daily graces
That come to us with “sweet surprise”
from never-dreamed-of-places
Then, thank You for the “Miracles”
we are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
of our many gifts from Thee,
And help us to remember
the Key to Life and Living
Is to make each prayer a Prayer of Thanks
and every day Thanksgiving.
By Helen Steiner Rice

This was such a lovely gift and such a neat way to show someone that you are grateful for them! I also love that this gift could easily be turned into a Christmas gift -- just change the poem and find a festive pot holder.

In case you are like me and absolutely love chocolate dipped pretzels, here is a recipe and instructions to help you on your way :

(instructions courtesy THIS LINK)

Ingredients
10 ounces pretzel sticks (Pretzel RODS)
12 ounces milk chocolate chips (or melting disks)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
candy sprinkles (optional)
miniature M&M chocolate candies (optional)
mini Reese's pieces (optional)
chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions
1Melt milk chocolate chips in double boiler or in microwave (be careful not to burn in the micro).2If you are using the white chocolate, wait until later before melting unless you can keep it over warm water.3Dip each pretzel rod about 2/3 of the way up in chocolate.4Lay on wax paper lined baking sheets, lining up the rods but leave a bit of space between them.5Allow to set a little, but not completely dry (while waiting, make sure your white chocolate is ready).6Dip a fork into the white chocolate and drizzle over the milk chocolate by gently swishing the fork back and forth over the rods but not touching them.7Place your sprinkles or candies on a paper plate and roll each pretzel rod in desired topping (or just sprinkle on).8Lay back on wax paper to set completely

Feeling grateful?

2008-11-18T21:02:00.001-08:00

My friend Raven sent over this awesome idea for sharing gratitudes:

(text and pictures courtesy Raven :)

We make a Thanksgiving Chain. It's a fun way to get children involved in recognizing all of the wonderful things in their lives.
Basically, you just create a chain out of paper links. I have a gift bag sitting on our dining room table with brightly colored paper that I cut to size, a pen, and a stapler. Having this bag on the table helps us remember to add to the chain and leaves us with no excuses not to add on.
Each evening, we pull out a piece of paper for each of us and we all name something that we are thankful for. As adults, it's fun to try to think up something new each evening. Although I try to encourage my two year-old to think of new things, she has a few favorites and that's all right, too. At her age, it's more the idea of the thing that counts. And she is loving this activity! Each night, she reminds us about the chain and is eager to share something that she is thankful for (this ranges from things like milk to family members like her cousins).
We started this chain mid-October and will continue it until Thanksgiving. It's gotten quite long and is a bright and cheerful addition to our home decor that reminds us that there are so many things to be thankful for.

Ding-dong-ditch

2008-11-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

I am dedicating this post to one of our regular holiday pastimes: Ding-dong-ditch. I think everyone is familiar with the activity which involves leaving treats on doorsteps, ringing the doorbell, and then running really really fast to not get caught leaving the treats.
Unfortunately my children aren't old enough to do the running part yet. My husband insists on driving the getaway car so it's always me who gets the adrenaline rush as I sprint from the doorsteps.
This year we've started two new Thanksgiving traditions that involve ding-donging. Both were inspired from this AMAZING BOOK:

Really, I love it.
The first involves purchasing or making a pie and leaving it on the doorstep with a note that says "Happy Thanksgiving, from your friend, the Pumpkin Pie Fairy." This one worked out great because our Albertsons was having a promotion where you could purchase 2 Sara Lee pies, and 2 Breyers Ice cream ALL FOR $6. Great deal huh? We ding-donged the pie and are enjoying the ice cream for ourself ;)
Here is how it looked:

Our next activity we're saving for Family Home Evening on Monday. We're going to make these super adorable (and easy) treats from FamilyFun:

I'm going to put two each on a paper plate and wrap them up pretty with cellophane and ribbon. Then we're going to attach a tag that says "We're grateful for you because ..." and then add the reason we're grateful for that person. We'll probably do about 15 homes that night so I should probably start training for the running event.
I'm excited about these traditions. Anything I can do to prolong the celebration of gratitude and thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday so you gotta make it last!

Continuing on with Ding-donging, here is a picture of what we did for Christmas last year:

Using my Cricut and some simple brown paper bags we put together The Twelve Days of Christmas for a family. The beauty about this technique is that you can pre-bag and label everything, put them in a cute box and deliver them all on ONE night. Much better then 12 consecutive nights of running in the ice and snow! Inside our bags was a peice of a nativity set and a scripture and hymn for each day.
Speaking of nativities, this year I made a TON of those wood nativities that I blogged about earlier. I'll post the results as soon as I get them finished! I'm also working on some really fun projects, but they are for Christmas gifts of people who read this blog! So I'll save those for January :)

Thanksgiving decoration

2008-11-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Wow. I am so excited to post this. Why? BECAUSE I actually made it myself. This is sadly a rare event ;) This year we started a new tradition in our family (now that our oldest is 3 she can participate in more traditions -- yea!). For our first Family Home Evening we made a list of 8 things that we were most grateful for this year. Our 3-yr-old contributed three, and we helped contribute the rest. I then took a picture of each of these "things" we were grateful for. Some of the pictures I already had -- like a family picture to represent being grateful for our family -- others I had to stage -- like a picture of my toddler with her favorite movies because she was grateful for them. I'm working on getting the photos developed, but once they are done they will be displayed in the clips you see on top of my 8 blocks. The whole project cost less than $5 :)
I simply had my hunksband cut the blocks, then sand them. I painted them brown and then used patterned paper to cover the front. I used my Cricut to cut the letters and then finished it off with the binder clips (which I covered with paper to match the letters). It was really quick and simple and the start of a fun way to display our gratitudes each year.

(if it looks like the paper isn't actually on the blocks, it's because they aren't yet. I have to go buy some spray adhesive. I didn't want to worry about any bubbles by using mod podge).

Homemade gift ideas

2008-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, I definetly have a bias. I have a thing for homemade gifts. I'm finally old enough -- haha -- to realize that Christmas is NOT all about presents. I personally do not want to spend my whole Christmas season in the store! I hope I don't sound like a grinch ;) One of my favorite ways to celebrate the Christmas season is to create homemade gifts. Some years I simply make small gifts for neighbors, and other years I make, rather than buy, gifts for family. I would LOVE to hear ideas from everyone on homemade gifts that you enjoy! In fact, I need ideas for THIS year!

Here is a couple quickies to get your brain juices flowing:
These are some hot chocolate buckets made by this gal. I really like these because hot chocolate is inexpensive but everyone loves it. This is another example of a small gift made GREAT thanks to beautiful presentation! Gifts like these would be great for the office or for neighbors.

This is such a fun and simple headband that would be great for children or adults. If you are good at sewing this would be really easy to whip up! This type of gift makes me think it would be great to give to a sister, college roommates or even a cute set for your little girl. I don't have sewing instructions, but here is the website where the cute creation came from.

Also, I think specialty chocolates look so beautiful at the store. Making special treats is perfect for the holidays. There are truffles, dipped pretzel sticks, homemade nut clusters, ect. Here is a recipe for chocolate covered marshmallows (yum...)

Dipped Marshmallows

Need:
1 bag large
marshmallows
(1 cup) milk
chocolate chips
(2 tsp.) vegetable oil
Assorted sprinkles colored sugar
coconut
crushed nuts

Melt chocolate chips and oil together over low heat (about 1 min. in microwave). Have your child dip each marshmallow into the chocolate (so about half of it is covered), then dip and roll in the sprinkles. Place on a cookie sheet to harden. Give away as gifts (if you know anyone who actually might enjoy eating something like this!) or enjoy yourselves.

Also, if you like doing those creative neighbor/office gifts here is a huge ol' list courtesty of this website.

A mug, a packet of instant soup and a card saying, "For a souper friend."
A box of muffin mix with the saying, "You're getting muffin for Christmas!"
A two-liter bottle of soda pop with a tag, "Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a great neighbor you is," or "The rest of the neighbors love you, and soda we," or "May your Christmas be merry and Sprite," or "We're soda-lighted to have you as neighbors."
Flavored popcorn with the saying, "Just poppin' in to say Merry Christmas," or "It may sound corny, but we wish you a Merry Christmas!"
A vegetable peeler with the tag, "Here's hoping your Christmas is appealing."
A box of Ho-Ho cupcakes with the card, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas."
A box of Ding Dongs with the tag, "Merry Christmas from the Ding Dongs next door!"
A can of nuts with the card, "From the nuts next door" or "From your nutty neighbors."
Homemade spice blends, such as cajun, Italian, Tex-Mex, cinnamon-sugar, etc. with a card, "Seasonings Greetings" and suggestions or recipes for using it.
A bag of potpourri with the saying, "Scenting you holiday greetings!"
Scented soap and a washcloth in holiday motif with the greeting, "We wash you a Merry Christmas!"
Ice cream with a note, "Have a cool yule!"
Candle and book of matches, "To a matchless friend, may your Christmas be bright."
Bubble gum or bubble bath, "May your holidays bubble over with fun!"
Mints, "We 'mint' to wish you a Merry Christmas!"
Snickers candy bar, "Don't snicker — just be glad you got something!"
Cookie dough, "Here's a little extra dough for Christmas."
A jar of jam, "Hoping your Christmas is jam-packed with cheer."
Veggies and dip, "Dip into the holidays and a healthy New Year!"
A bag of dried pasta, "Have a pasta-tively happy holiday!"
A hunk of cheese and grater, "To a grate neighbor from your cheesy friends next door."
A basket with cocoa mixes or bath items, with a poem, "When you feel like a basket case, take a break . . . and slow your pace."
Hershey's Kisses, "Merry Kiss-mas."
Oven mitt filled with treats, "We have to ad-mitt you're a great neighbor!"
Frozen cookie dough with cookie cutters, "We've done the mixing, now you can cut up in the kitchen."
Bag or box of Whoppers, "Have a "whopper" of a Christmas."
Jolly Ranchers candies, "Have a holly jolly Christmas."
Chex Party Mix, "Santa always Chex his list."
Joy brand dishwashing soap, "Here's wishing joy to someone who really sparkles."
Juice pitcher filled with candy canes, "We pitcher you raising a little cane during the holidays."
Measuring cup or spoons, "Wishing you a joy beyond measure!"
Oranges (or a chocolate orange), "Orange you glad we're friends."
Homemade divinity, "May your holiday be divine."
Homemade fudge, "Let's fudge a little on the calories and enjoy the holiday season!"
Cinnamon rolls, "Here's a sweet treat rolled up with warm holiday wishes! Merry Christmas!"
Cheese ball and crackers, "We don't mean to sound cheesy, we just hope you have a ball this season!"
A candle, "May your days be happy, your heart be light, your Christmas merry and the New Year bright!!! "

That's probably enough ideas for today. After all, it IS only November 1st :)

slacker time

2008-11-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been such a slacker. I didn't even do a Monday recipe this week! Lame, I know. I started this blog and then started some new hobbies and those other hobbies are taking my time now :)
Here is a recipe rundown of all the fun new recipes I've been trying lately. They are all perfect for this time of year:

Pumpkin Muffins. LOVE them. I can't get enough pumpkins from September
through November :)
I've tried a lot of whole grain pumpkin recipes and this one is my favorite -- probably because it has 1 cup of sugar which is more than any other muffin recipe I do :)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesuace
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup buttermilk (I've also used regular milk and it was fine)
2 eggs
1/2 c. chocolate chips, nuts whatever

Preheat oven to 400.
Mix wheat, spices, salt, baking soda and powder. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Mix them all together. Pour into muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

My other favorite recipe is my newly discovered 100% juice gelatin jigglers. Call me clueless, but I had no idea that you could make jigglers or jello or any of that fun stuff using good juice! This year we attempted to make halloween ones using apple juice. The juice looks orange in the bottle, but came out golden yellow in the jigglers. Also, I wouldn't reccomend using apple juice becuase the flavor is to subtle. Something like pomegranate cranberry would work great becuase there is a ton of flavor. This was fun though and a perfect way to use all of those jello molds I have! Oh, just don't wiki what gelatin actually is. It will make it less appetizing.

I would post the recipe here but that would be silly because it is on the back of the box of gelatin! Just go to the store and look in the Jello section for a box of UNFLAVORED gelatin. The brand we bought was Knox. It only takes 4 cups of juice :D

More small gifts ...

2008-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love this adorable idea from Chick'nScratch! These adorable little paper purses hold a Kit Kat inside! What a fun and simple gift for friends! It would be so easy to transform these for any occasion too.
Here is the linkyloo.

pumpkin party favors

2008-10-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

So here is the results from my paper pumpkins on a stick :) I think it turned out really cute and it was really quick to put together. I simply hole-punched the bottom of the strips of paper so that I could slip them over the sucker stick and then used a little hot glue to hold it together on top. Fun stuff :)

hooray for MONDAY

2008-10-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the recipe for today is simply another shoutout for www.wholegraingourmet.com. I LOVE their pumpkin bread. Really I love any pumpkin bread, but this one was dang good.

Here is the LINK, go enjoy :D

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

I can't believe she is giving away this costume. AMAZING. Hurry and enter!!

more giveaways

2008-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

The blogging world is full of giveaways people! I should share the love and come up with something to give away ... hmmm...
In the meantime check out THIS BLOG for a hairbow giveaway :) It' s a new blog started by some SAHM's looking to create some crafting synergy. That's my kind of blog ;)
Good luck!

It's not halloween yet I'm blogging Christmas...

2008-10-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know it's WAYY early, but we're starting to plan our Christmas Super Saturday for church so I'm already thinking Christmas crafts. And I have news so exciting it just couldn't wait :

You may have seen this ADORABLE nativity set floating around on the web, or at places like the Quilted Bear. The only problem is that this sticker set, by Me And My Big Idea (MAMBI), was DISCONTINUED. Sad stuff. Well, good news everyone! There is a website where you can purchase the clip art for this very same sticker set! For $5 you can download the clip art and print it on paper and use mod podge or print it on sticker paper and you're good to go. Awesome. I love having a lot of nativity sets around my home -- especially ones that my children can handle without breaking. So far I have 4 breakable and only one unbreakable -- the one made by Fisher Price! haha I'm excited to make these this season. Plus, they would make a really inexpensive gift or 12 days of Christmas suprise.
Here is the LINK for the clip art
Here is the LINK for the blog that shared the project.

halloween treats

2008-10-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

I love the halloween ideas on Martha Stewart. Here is a really simple idea for treat bags. Doesn't this make you want to host a halloween party for your kids?? haha ... maybe not.

Here is the LINK.

Easy halloween craft

2008-10-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new uses for scrapbook paper ;) Here is a really fun craft from Chic'n'Scratch that I really like:

Her version is really simple, but I bet you could have a great time with patterned paper, and a cute stem and curly vines :) Get creative -- even your kids could make a cute project like this. In fact, I'll be making a version of this around lollipops for church on Sunday, so I'll have to blog the results :) Enjoy!!

LINK HERE.

giveaway

2008-10-14T20:17:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I know my chances are always SLIM, but I don't mind entering a giveaway ;) My cousin blogged about this site
I was AMAZED at the talent of this sewing chic, but also that she would GIVE her amazing creations away. Wow. So check it out :D

Late recipe

2008-10-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year, even though it has been ridiculously cold the last couple of days, there is something so wonderful about it all :) One of our favorite side dishes this time of year is baked yams with apples. It makes your house SMELL like fall and warm apple pie. It tastes so good that we eat it a couple of times a week -- usually as a side dish with oven fries and gardenburgers (yes, yams and potatoes in ONE meal. YUM YUM CARBS).
Here is the easy peasy recipe:

1 yam
4 small apples
cinnamon
pancake syrup

Preheat oven to 425. Slice your (peeled) yam starting at one of the pointy ends, so you should end up with circle slices (about 1/4 inch thick). Cut your apples into halves or fourths. Spread yams and apples evenly on an pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. It doesn't matter if your apples are face down or sitting on their skins, you will still get the flavor to juice out and spread, but make sure to have them spread with the yams, not separated on different sides of the cookie sheet. Drizzle syrup over your pan, lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for about 15- 20 minutes. They smell amazing and taste great too :)

Giveaway time...

2008-10-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry so long since I last posted, I've been on a mini-vacation. I'm taking a break from all of my relaxing to mention another awesome blog giveaway!!! I love those don't you? I think it's so awesome when people giveaway great gifts for us bloggies :D

This blog is a hairbow site, and for anyone that knows me, they know I have a thing for hairbows -- comes with having a daughter I think :)
Here is the link: http://ajsbowtique.blogspot.com/

Enter by Saturday for a chance to win some adorable halloween bows for your little girls!

Happy Fall!!

2008-10-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this time of year. There are so many fun crafts to do for the holidays :)
Here is one of my favorites.

These super cute fabric pumpkins would be a great addition to your fall decor! If I knew how to sew, and if I had a sewing machine, I would totally make these today ;) haha.

Here is the tutorial.
(you'll have to scroll down just a tad).

Crafting retro-style

2008-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ready for some free crafting?? I love this retro paper doll set found on the Crafty Crow. I also love that she took the time to upload it and make it free for everyone to download! What an awesome crafter. Included with the cute doll is a set of lacing cards! How fun :)
I think I'll be saving this craft for those cold winter months that are approaching all too soon....

Here is the page of DOWNLOADS.

Cookies ... again ..

2008-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!
For today's recipe I'm going to share some yummy chocolate cookies. I made them a couple of weeks ago and loved them. Granted, I made them last night and they were dry and not as good :( Of course it was when I was bringing them to a family dinner that they didn't turn out!! Does anyone else hate that?? I'm bringing salad from now on ....
Oh well, I think the reason they didn't turn out right yesterday was because I was experimenting with a new sugar my health-conscious hubby had picked up at Good Earth. If you stick to the recipe you should have great results :)
Here is the LINK for the recipe.
Enjoy!

Monday time.

2008-09-22T21:02:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I was hoping to post a new cookie recipe. I was sure it was going to be tasty and it was a total BOMB. So if anyone has a tasty whole-wheat peanut butter cookie recipe I would love to try it. I hate making food that tastes bad!

Anyway, I'm done ranting. Here is my new favorite chili recipe (discovered in time for freezer meals last month). Has anyone else caught on to the fact that I love to bake and I love beans??
Btw, if you are opposed to using canned beans then this recipe would be a hernia for you ;)

Janes Vegetarian Chili (click on the title for the link to the recipe and the source of the picture).

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add 3 cups water and next 8 ingredients (through cannellini beans), stirring to combine.

Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir tomato paste mixture into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese, if desired.

She slacks again!

2008-09-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

So I'm seriously wondering if I should ever do a week theme again! Apparently I don't have the memory or dedication to blog every single day! Here (again) are two days in one of my love of paper!

This picture frame project was done by .... mE. I know, are you going to die of shock that I actually did one of the crafts that I'm blogging about? The whole project (including iron) cost less than $20! I purchased the craft paper to match my home, the $1 frames at Michaels Arts and Crafts (or maybe it was Roberts... they both have them) and then used some Mod Podge to adhere my paper. After the mod podge dried I painted the edges to match, "inking" the edges a little with the paint to blend the edges into the paper. If you look closely you can see that I am NOT a perfectionist and I did not sand my project to give the mod podge a smooth and finished look. My green one ended up with a few bubbles. I'm told you can pop those with a pin but I've never tried it and the bubbles aren't that noticeable. So there you have it ;)

Project Number 5 and the last for the week: Decoupage EVERYTHING in your home. Haha. Here is my example:

My daugher picked out this really really cheapo baby cradle (flimsy plastic) from the dollar store. It was covered in this beyond hideous pink and orange design which emphasized the cheap look. We grabbed some sparkly paper to match and covered up their nasty labels with some pretty paper and voila! a prett(ier) baby cradle for my daugher. This one was totally eyeballed so the lines aren't even that straight but she didn't care (and neither did I!) and I think it looks MUCH cuter now. So get creative! You never know what a little paper and mod podge can do!

For the Love of Paper Day TWO and Three

2008-09-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

Ooops... so it's only day two and I totally slacked.
Here we go with day two AND three of my paper obsession:
Ok, so remember how I said I'm in love with homemade wall art? Here is another example. This beautiful art piece was made using PAPER. Yep, craft paper. It doesn't get much easier than that people! Here is her TUTORIAL.

Ok, I know this idea is old-school -- weren't we all using watered down glue in kindergarten to make pencil holders for our dads on Father's Day? But with the explosion of beautiful and sophisitacated papers out there I think it's time to revisit this kindergarten craft and make our dest a more interesting place to work :)
The picture is courtesy our pal Martha.

For the LOVE of Paper Day ONE

2008-09-15T21:06:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is a little mod-art for me, BUT I think it could easily be transformed to match any taste. The best part? The materials are simply foam core board and paper. Yep, she actually uses sticky wall hanging-stuff instead of nails to paste this art peice on her wall. Don't be surprised if you see a ton of wall-art projects coming from me. I LOVE THEM. I think large pieces of art are generally wayy wayy to expensive, and it's so much fun to make something to fill up that empty white space.
There are so many ways this craft could be fun! I could def. see it in a dorm room or a modern living room.
Here is the tuturial.

Monday Recipe

2008-09-15T21:00:00.001-07:00

Well, there is no picture to go with this recipe and that is because "No-Bake" cookies look really barfy. In high school my girlfriend and I dubbed them "Poop Bars." Now perhaps that's not completely fair, but the name seemed to fit because I really didn't like how they tasted either.
Yesterday my husband had a craving for some good ol' no-bakes and I had never made them in my life. Since I had no recipe he called his mom and got her recipe. Well, wouldn't you know it was a Sunday and I was out of a couple of her ingredients. Rather than get daring with substitutions I decided to google a recipe.
The results provided a healthy and tasty version that even I could enjoy -- though they still are a little sweet to me :)

(the original site link)

Health-ier No-bake cookies
(** btw, the links in the recipe come from copy and pasting the recipe. I did not put the links there. I think everyone knows what "Skim Milk" or "Sugar" is. No link needed ;)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons skim milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/8 cup wheat germ (heaping)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground flax seeds (optional)
1 cup quick oatmeal

Directions

Heat milk, sugar and cocoa powder over high heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
Take off heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter; stir until peanut butter has melted completely.
Stir in wheat germ and oatmeal.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper or eat immediately.

Bring on an exciting week..

2008-09-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

Ok so I totally have no clue when I turned into such a blog slacker! Well... hmm.. it could be the fact that my children HATE me being on the computer :)
Sorry for the lack of a Monday recipe. To make up for it I'm going to dedicate this new week (monday through friday) to my LOVE OF PAPER. I personally think that beautiful paper makes the world a better place and I'm going to prove it to you -- one project at a time!.
Here is a sneak peak at the excitement to come:
Simple project made amazing using cute paper and Mod Podge. What's not to love??
(photo from THIS site)

How fortune-ate I found this craft....

2008-09-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

I love this adorable idea! I actually made them this morning as a surprise for my hubby. I happened to have a Chinese take-out style box and I put a tag on it that said "I'm so fortune-ate to have met you 5 years ago today!" The fortune cookies were really easy to make, though I didn't have cute patterned paper like the lady who made them in the picture. I used plain cream colored paper and they still turned out really cute. You def. need strong adhesive to hold them together though -- mine kept popping apart :)
Here is the simple TUTORIAL. ENjoy :)

dresser do-over

2008-09-05T22:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it is seriously too late for me to be up blogging ... but what harm will ONE post do right? Ok, so remember back in the day when I blogged about paper covered furniture? And remember how I couldn't find ANY good photos anywhere online? Well, luckily curbly.com came through for me!

Check out this fun and funky dresser:

Ok, so it is a little bright and retro for my taste, but think how fun this would look in a girls room! WIth pink furry pillows no less ;) Check out the link and see the impressive before and after shots! Hooray for do-it-yourself projects :)

Giveaways!

2008-09-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies, check out this week of awesome giveaways over at

http://pikespickles.blogspot.com/

If you're like me, and are a sucker for a good ol' blog giveaway, then check it out!

Photo holders

2008-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

What a fun craft!! There are so many possibilities with these **simple** binder clips-turned photo holders! For example, what if you spelled "FATHER" and put in pictures of your kids with their dad -- great Father's Day gift. How about spelling "Christmas" and displaying the Christmas cards you receive in the mail. How about spelling "Gratitude" (as a Thanksgiving decoration) and putting up photos of all the things you are grateful for this year. Fun stuff! I'm sharing this idea now because school supplies are on sale everywhere -- so hurry go make some and then e-mail me the photos! :) Here is the link for the instructions.

Early Monday

2008-08-30T14:52:00.001-07:00

Well, I intend to avoid labor on Labor Day so I thought I would post my recipe today.
So here is my favorite muffin recipe -- hooray for FALL and wonderful baked goods.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1c. old fashioned oats
1 c. natural applesauce
2 T. plus 1 t. oil
1 T. baking powder (ok, we've just learned about Rumfords Aluminum Free and it really does make a WORLD of a difference when you're baking! We bought ours at Good Earth)
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. rice milk (or reg. milk or soy, whatever!)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (by the way, I am trying to use up my hard red wheat and it has been doing fine for these muffins. Pancakes on the other hand ....)
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients by hand. Make a well in the center and pour in your applesauce. Add your milk and oil on top of that. Mix together until everything is moist. Pour into pre-greased muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes. Check and bake more as needed.

By the way, if you LOVE healthy cooking -- or simply want to learn more about it, check out THIS AWESOME BLOG.

What's today??

2008-08-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

I love this idea for a fun (and pretty simple) calendar! This looks like something you could easily make yourself out of wood without directions.
The great thing about this project is that it can easily be customized for any style -- manly for your husband's office, or girly for your craft room.
If you have a Cricut you could even cut your own vinyl letters so you don't have to do any stenciling (which I'm really not good at!).
The directions (as well as a "manly" example) can be found HERE. (photo and directions courtesy of Canon).

Ways to say "Thanks"

2008-08-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

I love paper crafts and I love simple projects that can be used as a "Thank You" gift. I have to bring a treat once a month for church as a reward for sisters who did the assigned reading before class, so I am always looking for simple inexpensive paper crafts.
I used this idea on Sunday and made a very simplified version of this project using paper I had on hand. I still think it turned out cute, though I used KoolAid over Crystal Light. I hate Crystal Light. Splenda taste makes me want to barf. Just thought I'd share.

Here is the link.

While this crafters' style doesn't necessarily match mine, I still love the adorable idea of using CD slips as cookie envelopes! I have a ton of those things (and I'm pretty sure they're cheap anyway), and this would be a really cute way to use them. Now if only my cookies looked as perfectly flat and round as hers ....
Ok, maybe I'll buy the cookies :) Here is the LINK.

Monday again??!

2008-08-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a busy week with a "mini-vacation" so unfortunately poor SynergyMom has been neglected!
The Monday recipe is one I tried for dinner tonight. I've been searching for the perfect imitation of Paradise Bakery's Fire Roasted Tomato Soup -- but to no avail.
I did find THIS recipe from the company that makes the canned fire roasted tomatoes. We followed the recipe exactly and it was tasty but not the same as P.B's. I think I would still make it again though because it has a lot more flavor punch than a traditional tomato soup!

Enjoy!

Monday recipe

2008-08-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

So, I made this recipe for a family freezer-meal swap. The dangerous part was that I had never tried the recipe before ;) I went off of my love for black beans and assumed it would taste good. Guess what? It does! We tried it tonight and I really liked it. YUM.

Hooray for cheap, delicious, filling, healthy foods :)

Beany Joes (that's what we're calling them. The recipe calls them "Black Bean Sloppy Joes")

1/4 cups olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2-4 tablespoons chili powder
1 green pepper, chopped
6 cups cooked black turtle beans
2-4 tablespoons Worsestire sauce (or however you spell that)
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cups tomato sauce
When ready to serve you will need:
10 slices whole wheat bread or rolls
Sandwich fixings such as lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, mustard

In large skillet or pan, saute onions and peppers in olive oil, and chili powder and cook until just fragrant. Add remaining ingredients, simmer briefly. Freeze in zippered plastic freezer bag. To serve, thaw overnight in refrigerator, heat through. Serve on bread or rolls.

If you google OAMC or "freezer meals" you can find a lot of delicious recipes you can stash in your freezer. I hate to say it, but I don't remember the site I got this from! It was on an OAMC vegetarian site ... sorry!

Go green :)

2008-08-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

What a pretty way to reuse old stubby crayons! I even think these would make a great birthday party gift -- just throw in a coloring book and you're set.
Check out the easy instructions HERE.
Also, sorry it has taken me so long to post this week. I haven't been in a blogging state of mind ;) I have SOO many cute gift-type crafts that I can't wait to share (though I might wait till Christmas time... can't decide), and I'm working on some fun projects myself! Hopefully they will turn out cute so I can blog them :) Don't forget, if YOU Have an awesome idea, or found something cool online I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you e-mailed it my way (I'm almost ready to resort to begging you people!) synergymom@gmail.com .

Recipe time!

2008-08-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I LOVE this recipe. It's simple, good for you, and SOOO easy to make. That basically makes it the best recipe EVER in my book ;)

So here ya go: (the recipe was found on the back of the bag of puffed wheat I bought at Good Earth).

3 cups puffed wheat (or whatever whole grain)
1 cup dried fruit (we did cranberries because they're tangy)
1 cup crunchy all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

Mix your p.b. and honey together in a bowl (we warmed them up a bit in the microwave to make them mushy for stirring). Carefully mix in your wheat and dried fruit. Pat into a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Let cool in refrigerator. Enjoy!

*We had to keep ours in for several hours because heating the ingredients up made them pretty mushy -- hence they fell apart easily.

Home decorating

2008-08-09T21:48:00.001-07:00

Here is another idea from my crafty sister Chelsee. She took a photo her hubby had taken of the temple they were married in and had Kinkos transfer it to a canvas. Two flower pics found online make the set complete. She is using the personalized canvas pics on the wall in her bedroom. I really love the look of canvas wall art I think it's very classy and it's even better when you can make it yourself! Btw, SORRY the pic is so dark. If you click on it you'll be able to see it better. Aargh.
Here is a blog that has helpful directions if you want to make some of your own.

Pretty game

2008-08-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

I think this is a beautiful memory game from THIS BLOG. What a great way to use some of your favorite scrapbook papers! You could even put pictures of family members on the opposite side of the tiles -- help your children learn the names of their relatives while playing a fun (and beautiful) matching game!

Tutus

2008-08-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my 3-year old dancing diva I was inspired to make a homemade tutu. My sister joined in the fun and made a mini version for her soon-to-arrive baby girl because we both agreed it would make a WAY cute picture.
These simple tutus cost $2.75 to make. TOTAL. You really can't beat a craft like that! I simply went to the Dollar Store and picked up a package of those elastic headbands (you know, the large kind that sporty girls wear to keep their bangs out of their face). Then we went to Walmart, picked out 2 yards of sparkly tulle and went to work knotting the 3 inch wide strips along the headband (which becomes the waistband on a toddler).
I initially tried a slip knot, but due to my VERY limited knowledge of knots, I didn't realize how unreliable that knot was. The tutu looked adorable because of the little loops it created along the top, but the knots quickly fell apart. So either I'm really bad at slip knots or they simply don't stay put. Either way I ended up doing a traditional shoe-tying knot (whatever that's called!). It wasn't as cute, but my daughter didn't care and she loves having another tutu to play in. She is starting a ballet class this month so now she'll have some dance-wear variety ;)

Here is my daughter in the finished product:
And here is the beginning of the green/blue one that my sister was making (see the difference the cute slip knots make? Oh well.)

Recipe

2008-08-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, I totally forgot about my recipe! We went to Seven Peaks waterpark yesterday and I came home so tired I simply went to bed early and didn't spend any time on the computer (that's a miracle for me).
Since I'm short on time (not only did I go to bed early but I SLEPT IN), here is a simple idea from this blog.
I think this looks delicious and hey, it's got to be healthier than an otter pop :)

I'm in love ... with a monkey

2008-08-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

I'm in love with this project. I love that I have kids young enough to appreciate it. I love that she has an incredibly detailed photo tutorial. I love that it only takes two socks and two buttons to make it. I love that it would make the cutest baby shower gift ever.

2008-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to keep your kids entertained? How about a colorful activity for FHE, OR a really random date activity?? Try this really easy and really fun puff paint that you can make at home :)
Here is the link, check it out.

The Loot

2008-07-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a pick of Trish's loot from winning the giveaway:
(sorry for the poor image quality. they're cooler in person; )

Well, since this IS a craft blog I figured I could actually make some of the prizes ;) Here are three of the larger binder clips that I've covered in craft paper. I think they look so cute (and they're so ridiculously easy. Gotta love Mod Podge)
A large circular stamp that says "Congratulations" that you can use for Card Swap. You know how much I looovve round stamps ;)
Glass magnets -- another mod podge favorite! This picture BITES, but the color is mauvey and brown with flowers, very pretty ;)
Woo hoo for prizes! And, since I was already making her loot I couldn't resist making some more binder clips for myself (and they look oh so cute on my planner I might add!)

button, button, who's got a button?

2008-07-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

Ok, I don't know WHY exactly I love these necklace charms so much, but I DO! My mom just received a TON of unique buttons from my grandmother and I'm already itching to go through her stash and make my own customized necklace. I guess they're unique enough that they look really .... unique to me ;) haha.
Here is the easy cheesy tutorial. Anyone want to have a button necklace party??

And while you're making your buttons beautiful, why not involve your kids and make these adorable button bracelets together:
The picture and TUTORIAL are courtesy our friend Martha.

Congratulations!!

2008-07-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my first attempt at giving away blog candy only generated two responses. But don't worry!! I'll have more contests in the future and if you forgot to enter you'll have another chance :) Lucky!
Either way, I was grateful for Chelsee and Tricia's ideas, and after drawing a name out of a hat TRICIA was my winner :) Congrats and thanks for contributing!!
I'll mail your package out this week, and as soon as I pick it up at the store I'll post a picture of it! haha.
Here are the helpful date ideas from my contributors :

-Start at your date's house. Before you get to an intersection, flip the coin. Heads you turn right; tails you turn left. Use this technique to decide where to go to dinner (you stop at the first restaurant as determined by the flip of a coin).
-Ice Cream Sculptures: You basically just get a heap of ice cream sculpt something out of it and you can use toppings to help out and then try to guess what the other had created.
- Homemade Ice Cream: This is one of our favorites although we don't do it incredibly often. We have a camping Ice Cream ball that you roll around to make the ice cream and you can choose how healthy you want it because you don't necessarily use cream--it has tons of recipes, you can even use just whole milk! it think it only costs about 10 dollars.
-"Gingerbread Houses": This is a different take on the gingerbread house, just use graham crackers or whatever and then create something different. I have made a barn and then I made a sheep and pig out of marshmallows and skittles. Get creative- we even have pictures of it cuz it looked so cool!
-D.I. Hopping: check out various DIs around Utah (our fav is now American Fork) and see what good deals you can find. I found a Roxy purse for only 1.50! And we had fun seeing how different cities live...
-Reliving the Mission: Dress up and Eat foods that are from your husband's mission. It'll bring up new stories (possibly) or allow him to share and re share his favorite spiritual experiences(more likely). If you don't speak the mission language you could even have him teach you a few words or have him talk to you (make sure he goes slowly!) and you try and translate what he said...who knows maybe your guy will pick up on the hint and say something romantic in another language! :)
-NICKLECADE! I love this place because of all the games and how cheap it is--you pay an entrance fee of like 2.50 and you can bring your own nickels to get rid of spare change around the house. We always spend more than we mean too here!
-Indian Trail Hike: Not the most beautiful, but we still like it because it's close and hidden so no one ever hikes it. To find it, go by the Riverwoods and you'll see this random ramp that connects up right before you hit the final light leading to the canyon, Turn right onto the ramp and then take the first left, the small park and trail head are on your left.
-Monte Bean Museum: I know everyone's prolly been there, but have you ever found the jedi mouse? Look for a stuffed mouse that is holding a stick like it's a light saber. See who can spot the weirdest animal, which one would you want to own and other questions like that.
-BYU plays! This year they are doing 'Throughly Modern Milly', 'The Giver', 'Houseboat Honeymoon' which is about a couple on a cruise for their honeymoon only to find that the in laws are on the same cruise and other cute and relatively cheap plays.
-Payson Fish Hatchery: They claim you are supposed to catch a fish every like...okay really often, but both times I've gone I've seen how long I can go without catching a fish (this usually involves praying) and I promise both times I've had to wait around for over an hour to catch one fish, much to the frustration of my husband who can't seem to understand why I don't catch very much:) It's actually really relaxing and fun to just sit and chat even if it's over fish carcasses.

Monday recipe`

2008-07-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, Monday has been a busy day and I'm sick of sitting in front of the computer. You'll just have to check back tomorrow to see the **contest winner** and some GREAT new crafts that I've found and can't wait to share!!!
In the meantime here is our fabulous Monday recipe.

Mexican Pizza
Ok, so you've probably seen this at restaurants, but have you ever made it? YUM YUM. We made a version using only what we had at home and my family scarfed it down faster than our traditional veggie pizza.
Here is a list of what we used -- feel free to get creative!

Naan bread (we buy this at Good Earth, it comes 5 to a package and basically looks like mini pizza crusts.)
Cheese
Fresh diced tomatoes
THIN sliced zuchinni (since I always have to disguise veggies whenever possible)
black beans
bean dip (we bought this AMAZING kind from Costco. I can't remember the name, but it is some organic brand that they package with fresh salsa. It has great flavor!)

We spread the bean dip on the bread, layered on our toppings and finished it off with cheese. I baked it at 375 for 10 minutes and they were perfect. I put a little salsa on to finish it off.
If I'd had olives I would have used those too :)

Picture perfect

2008-07-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun photo craft I found the other day:

A personalized photo cube that you can print on your own computer. I've been meaning to print one and then mail it to long distance family. I think it would be something fun and different to receive in the mail -- not to mention a fun way to display some up-to-date photos :)

Here is the link, check it out!

Napkin Pillows

2008-07-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have a really really hard time choosing colors to decorate your home? As soon as I pick something I'm afraid I'll change my mind and be stuck with accessories in my old color-scheme. On a simple budget that just doesn't work, so I love inexpensive ideas for decorating your home -- just in case you love teal one year and hate it the next ;)
This is an idea I've seen popping up alot and I'm ready to give it a try. This is a simple solution for decorating and is really really easy to sew (a definite bonus!). Simply buy two coordinating NAPKINS at your favorite retailer (Target always has gorgeous cloth napkins and you can usually find them on clearance) and sew them together! Voila! Instant pillows ready to be stuffed :)
This pillow below came from this blog and was made from a Target napkin.

This is an up-close pic from this blog showing how she chose to simply sew a seam, leaving the already hemmed edges of the napkins. How simple is that?

More lovin ...

2008-07-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

So, after my last post about dating, I decided to share this great gift idea from my sister!! (Btw, so far the only people who have contributed have been my sisters!! C'mon ladies, I know you're all craft-divas so share share! Even if it is a link for something you think is cool but have never done :)

My sister is into wine glasses -- I don't blame her, they're pretty and using them makes any dinner seem more special. She took her interest for wine glasses and turned it into a personalized gift for her fiancee (now hubby).

Using some simple rub-ons (that can be purchased at any craft store) she was able to personalize the glasses with sweet sentiments. To help the staying-power of the rub-ons she used a light coat of clear nail polish to seal them on. Inside each glass are slips of paper on which she wrote 50 different things she loved about her spouse. He loves to read them, and they have a beautiful set of wine glasses handy for special occasions requiring sparkling cider ;)
If you want to improvise you could write date-night ideas on the slips and take turns drawing an idea out to spice things up for your weekly date. The ideas are endless.
THanks for sharing Chelsee!

Love is in the air...

2008-07-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

Ok, so it's Wednesday and I have dating on the brain. It's my week to plan the date and I'm still clueless for ideas.
I would LOVE to know what everyone out there is doing for date ideas! Lets create some synergy and share ideas shall we?
I'll start, then you can leave a comment with your favorite date night activities. I'll even throw in an incentive. Post your ideas until Sunday night (I'm going out of town this weekend so I won't be able to check them all until then) and I'll throw everyone's name in a hat -- one slip for each idea. The person who is drawn will receive an AWESOME *surprise* from ME -- either by mail or in-person depending on the distance:) I promise it won't be any lame-o homemade cookies either :)

So here is my list:
My husband and I did homemade facials (definetly MY idea). We did the whole process, cleanser, toner, exfoiliate, mask and steam. It was so much fun and we mixed the ingredients for our masks and cleansers together with stuff from our fridge. While our masks hardened we ate chocolate (like any good spa experience) and watched a movie. Good times.
We went to a nearby out door mall (The Riverwoods) and window shopped and bought expensive and unique chocolates to taste as we strolled.
We've taken a tour of "memory lane" and visited all of the spots we went to while we were dating.
We've gone ice skating.
We've gone to church history sites and taken tours.
And that's all I can think of right now (aside from good ol' movie nights) ... So ladies lets share and enter yourself the chance to win a fun prize courtesy of me :)

No more s'mores

2008-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ready for Monday recipe? Check out this tantalizing feast:

Yep. It's just some chocolate chips shoved into a banana. But it tastes heavenly after you do this to it:
So here ya go:

Ingredients:
Bananas
Chocolate Chips
Tin Foil
Fire

Slice open your banana, shove in as many chocolate chips as you like. Cover with two layers of tinfoil. Lay on hot coals or the hot non-burning part of your fire pit (what the hey is that called?? The embers?? I dunno). Let it sit until heated through (no more than 5 minutes usually). Unfoil and enjoy your melted chocolate banana treat!! A definite PLUS over messy smores!

The last of the baby stuff...

2008-07-20T21:15:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this is the last of the baby stuff! For now at least ;)

Here is a pic of the diaper wreath that my mom and I made for my sisters shower. This is the third one that I've done before. It was definitely the most decorated, but we kind of made fun of the 80's retro look it had -- I think it was the gingham bow that did it. My girlfriend brought one to me in the hospital when I had my second child and it was the sweetest hospital gift! I hung it on the door and felt so special :) My sister and I made one for a shower she attended once, and they really are a fun, functional shower gift for a friend -- especially if it isn't their first child so they really just need diapers!

This wreath was for my sis-in-law. It was the first we'd made.
For a tutorial of this EASY project check out this LINK.

Now for the diaper cake. Here is the first attempt made with my girlfriend:
And another, made for my sister.
I love diaper cakes because I think they look great but are completely usable too. They're really simple, but I would recommend making them with a friend becuase it gets tricky holding all the diapers up while tying them together :)
Here is a helpful tutorial.

Not-so-Monday Recipe

2008-07-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being a slacker about my Monday recipe! My mom was here and I had too much fun away from the computer :)
Here is a recipe that my mom saw on Martha Stewart and then shared with me. It has a lot of healthy elements and then a HUGE dosing of marshmallows to satisfy anyones sweet tooth :) I had to make the recipe 3 times before I got the consistency I liked, so play around with it to see what works for you:

Non-stick spray
3/4 bag of large marshmallows
3/4 cup natural peanut butter (I think it does make a difference using the natural nut butter because it is more liquidy -- if that's a word ...)
1 box of puffed brown rice cereal (I used the Kashi 7 grain kind that has all different kinds of puffed grains)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup chopped cashews

Coat medium baking sheet. Melt the nuts and marshmallows together in the microwave until melted (try and use the 1 minute then stir method until fully melted). Add cereal and remaining ingredients, stirring gently to combine. Put in pan and let sit until cool. YUM!

BabyPALOOZA

2008-07-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a young mom, so I am understandably interested in BABY crafts. There are so many fun projects out there! Here is a quick rundown of some of my favorites!!

I Love this diaper and wipes carrier. Now that my kids are older I don't have to lug around a huge diaper bag, but I still need some diapers and wipes wherever I go. My diapers tend to get thrashed in my purse (which my husband refers to as "outer darkness" because once something goes in it never comes out ..) so I could use one of these! There isn't a tutorial on her blog, but if you have a two-sided placemat and a sewing machine it looks like it could be easily recreated!

Here is a similar idea wipes and diaper container from this blog.
I don't really like her picture, so here is one I found for sale online:

I've seen these cloth ones at the boutique, and with the right kind of fabric they are super cute! The only problem is that they look like they require sewing AND measuring ;) TOo much for a beginner like me.

Just in case you aren't tired of a wipes holder, here is ANOTHER! This is one that my sister received as a gift at her baby shower:
I had never seen this type before, but when we went to the boutiques on Monday I saw them all over the place. These are really simple because they require NO sewing. Just a hot glue gun and your materials. Gotta love that! There is sort of a tutorial here.
If you like this one you can check out her blog where she sells her products here.
She also got this adorable bow from the same crafter who made the wipes container. We thought it was so cute so of course we had to spend Monday making our own baby bows for Baby Sophie!
My sister got a lot of bright colored clothes for her baby shower so we went for a really bright korker bow:
And then a couple of the quickie flowers for the headbands:
(Both of these are pretty common crafts around here, but if you don't know how to make them and want to know how then just leave a comment and I'll send you the directions!)
Moving on, my last, and new favorite, baby craft are these adorable applique t-shirts from good ol' Martha (or, really, her creative team of craft divas).This is super simple, and (depending on the price of your t-shirt) super cheap. My favorites are the examples put together on this blog (again! I love her stuff), she gives some great ideas on how to get creative with the appliqués. I especially love the onesie with a tie because it is so hard to find 0-3 month baby boy clothes that would look cute for church! My sister and I already have plans to make some BYU applique shirts for the kids to wear to the homecoming parade so I will def. post the results!

Sorry for the blog explosion, but there are so many fun crafts that make great baby shower gifts, and I definetly had baby showers on the brain this weekend.

Paper pinwheels

2008-07-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies!
This fun paper crafting idea is courtesy my sister, Tricia. She is always on top of her game when it comes to paper crafts! She has more links, tutorials and ideas of anyone I know!
This cute little pinwheel would be perfect for party decorations (Martha puts pinwheels in white buckets along a table, very cute), or party favors -- especially since the stick is actually a pixie stick! Very simple and perfect for a summer bbq!
Check out the helpful video tutorial HERE.

Hot Deals!

2008-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hey crafters! Now is the time to buy GLUE. If you're like me, you're always running out of glue sticks and probably hate paying $1 for one measly stick (that doesn't last that long). Well, Walmart is (already) stocking their back-to-school products and have two packs of glues for ONLY .22 CENTS. So run, don't walk, to Walmart and stock up your years supply -- of glue :)

For all you seamstressess out there ...

2008-07-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, for all of you with a sewing machine (and a place to USE the sewing machine), I just want you to know that I have serious envy. I have a file stocked of ideas for when I have my own sewing machine -- oh yeah, and a money tree in the backyard that supplies the costs of cute fabrics :)
The idea for this blog was not to just post other people's ideas, but to post ideas I had actually tried, but let's face it ... that's just not happening YET.
So in the meantime, enjoy these pics from some creative geniuses out there. And if YOU try one of the projects, send me the results!

I am in love with these pillowcase ideas popping up all over the web. Probably because they are all for beginning seamstresses like myself (who am I kidding. "Clueless Seamstress" would be more appropriate ...) My plan was to fly to Ohio next week and spend my time sewing with my mom, but unfortunately that trip has been postponed until Halloween so my crafty bonding time has also been postponed. Here are the pics and links for the easy cheesy tutorials:

I don't love this fabric but I think the style of the purse is adorable. Especially for fitting my large day-planner, a fiction novel and diapers, wipes, snacks etc. etc. :)
Thanks Martha for yet another winning tutorial.

These are the adorable and supposedly EASY to make pillowcase dresses. I cannot think of a little girl who would not look precious in these! Whether you use a beautiful vintage pillowcase of fun patterned fabric I think it would make a fun summer dress. Here are several tutorials, check them out and if you try them, let me know which link you used:
Tutorial 1
Tutorial 2
Tutorial 3

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week

2008-07-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies! Every Monday I'll share a recipe of the week -- something that I, or one of you, have actually TRIED and enjoyed :)
Check out these Healthy Oatmeal Cookies on my new favorite cooking site, www.wholegraingourmet.com.
We made them for a Sunday snack and the flavor was perfect -- not too sweet and full of spice. It would be the perfect fall-time cookie with all of that Cinnamon and nutmeg (it had me dreaming about fall leaves, fresh apples and pumpkin patches .... ) I substituted Blackstrap Molasses for regular molasses and it changed the color a bit, but other than that I followed the recipe. I have to admit, my cookies do NOT look like her picture however. I followed the directions exactly but mine became flatter than pancakes. I'm still sharing the recipe because the flavor was so great that I didn't even care (in fact, while they were still hot and flat I picked them up and rolled them into Oatmeal Balls -- whatever works right?).
Enjoy!

Bracelets that sparkle...

2008-07-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

My daughter (3 years old) and I made these bracelets together for the Fourth of July. They were super easy and relatively cheap. All of the tubing cost around $5 and it made a TON. There is no way we could have used it all, so I'm setting the rest aside for a future birthday party craft. There are tons of tutorials online, but FamilyFun has a video tutorial so check it out :)
Btw, the inside materials are blue glitter, clear seed beads, and red micro beads.

Home decorating idea ...

2008-07-03T23:19:00.001-07:00

As soon as I have a home to decorate I am going to put this idea to work. I was waiting in line at Wally world and saw the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens special edition magazine, "Do It Yourself" -- which I seriously love! Granted, anything beats celebrity trash when you're at the checkout :)As I was flipping through I saw a project idea for using decoupage to adhere cute/colorful/trendy craft paper to the front of dresser drawers (or end table drawers). They used a bright plaid and the effect was so FUN! I loved it. I'm definetly going to do it in my kids rooms (someday in the distant future when they HAVE rooms ;).
This would be the perfect solution for old second-hand drawers, or simply for updating your room.
I searched the internet for a long long time and only came up with two weak pictures. These can give you a general idea of the project, but really the example in the magazine is still my favorite -- so check it out! Also, if you want an idea of a tutorialthe diynetwork.com has one (also love that site...)
Enjoy!

Fourth of July drinks...

2008-06-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person that is a sucker for advertising gimmicks?
I was at WalMart today and I saw the coolest drink for the Fourth of July:

Immediately I thought that I should buy those for my family to drink while we watched the fireworks. And then I noticed -- Mountain Dew -- YUCK. After discarding my initial thought of purchasing them, pouring out the nasty drink and replacing it with something tasty (and red, white or blue of course!), I realized I could save myself a lot of money by creating my own festive drink for our fireworks celebration.
Here are some of my favorite festive drink ideas for our upcoming patriotic holiday:

I love this idea from Martha Stewart This would be so simple and fun for a BBQ or personal family party. I on't think that I would ever attempt it unless I had kids old enough to help though! That would be a lot of dotting for one mom to do alone :) (Btw, all instructions and templates can be found on the M.S. website)

This is also from the Martha site. The reason I LOVE this simple idea (which I used at my daughters first birthday party/BBQ), is because you simply PRINT the colored template for the cute umbrellas, then fold and tape them on. Easy cheesy but super cute.

This last photo is from FamilyFun
The recipe is so simple and would be really popular with little kids -- in fact I think this is the one I will try this year! You simply freeze red and blue drinks in ice cube trays, put them in some sparkling water -- or in my case 7Up -- and watch the ice melt. Not only will it flavor your drink, but the bubbles from the carbonation will fizzle in red and blue -- what kid wouldn't love that :)
So friends, what fun foods will you whip up for a festive fourth?

Synergy Mom

simple gift

Homemade gifts as of late ...

Dollhouse Cakes!

Personalized game

I'm back.

Why I'm lame

Because I'm Lame ...

Great things in the works ...

Spring has sprung (just not in Utah)

Randomness...

I LOVE

quiet bag

Homemade crayons

Mod Podge time

homemade hairbow holder

photo crafts

Help a fellow crafter??

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

A few of my favorite things ...

calender o' love

YUM

homemade gift

Doesn't get much easier than this...

Valentines anyone?

I resolve to...

Homemade gift ideas

homemade Christmas ideas

gingerbread house tutorial

Christmas decorations (fabric strips light garland and ornament ball wreath)

Feeling conflicted!

Homemade Ornament

LOVE THESE

Thankful gift

Feeling grateful?

Ding-dong-ditch

Thanksgiving decoration

Homemade gift ideas

slacker time

More small gifts ...

pumpkin party favors

hooray for MONDAY

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

more giveaways

It's not halloween yet I'm blogging Christmas...

halloween treats

Easy halloween craft

giveaway

Late recipe

Giveaway time...

Happy Fall!!

Crafting retro-style

Cookies ... again ..

Monday time.

Janes Vegetarian Chili (click on the title for the link to the recipe and the source of the picture).

Ingredients

She slacks again!

For the Love of Paper Day TWO and Three

For the LOVE of Paper Day ONE

Monday Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Heat milk, sugar and cocoa powder over high heat until boiling, stirring constantly.

Take off heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter; stir until peanut butter has melted completely.

Stir in wheat germ and oatmeal.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper or eat immediately.

Bring on an exciting week..

How fortune-ate I found this craft....

dresser do-over

Giveaways!

Photo holders

Early Monday

What's today??

Ways to say "Thanks"

Monday again??!

Monday recipe

Go green :)

Recipe time!

Home decorating

Pretty game