tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52643473854112822092024-03-05T23:43:03.678-06:00The UNperfect FamilyReminding all the UNperfect families out there- You're Not Alone! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-45090800256048892372015-11-06T01:00:00.000-06:002015-11-06T01:00:00.939-06:00Feature Friday: Happy Science Mom<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Take the After School Meditation Challenge</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-10-07T01:40:35+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">October 7, 2015</time> by <span class="entry-author" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="entry-author-link" href="http://happysciencemom.com/author/sandi/" itemprop="url" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name" itemprop="name">Sandi Schwartz</span></a></span> </div>
</header><a href="http://happysciencemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Picture11.png"><img alt="Picture1" class="size-medium wp-image-24 alignleft" height="300" src="http://happysciencemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Picture11-213x300.png" width="213" /></a><br />
What’s
more stressful than trying to get the kids off to school in the
morning? It has to be that moment when we walk in the door <strong><em>after</em></strong> school.<br />
<strong>
</strong><strong>Does this happen to you? </strong><br />
Everyone is tired and grumpy. After sitting in the long, slow carpool
lines and battling traffic on the drive home, I am irritated and
impatient. My kids have a million stories about their day, competing
with each other to get a word in, while getting louder and louder. When
we get home I feel rushed to unpack the lunch bags and backpacks. There
are homework planners to sign, papers to file away, dirty lunch
containers to clean, and school flyers to read. And then the homework
hoopla begins.<br />
It feels so overwhelming everyday at this particular time. There has
to be a better way to ease into the school-to-home transition. What can
we do to make this time a bit calmer?<br />
I am challenging each of you to try making a huge shift in your
routine. Instead of succumbing to the chaos, take a couple minutes with
your children to decompress as a family. Create an after school
meditation moment.<br />
<strong>
</strong><strong>Try these simple steps:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Put the bags down and forget about them for now.</li>
<li>Sit together on the sofa or in a circle on the floor.</li>
<li>Ask everyone to close their eyes; you might want to hold hands.</li>
<li>Take 5 slow breaths in and out together.</li>
<li>Sit in silence for a minute, or a few minutes if your children can
handle it. They will build up to a longer meditation time the more you
practice.</li>
<li>Ask each child to mention one special moment of their day.</li>
<li>Take two more deep breaths to complete the meditation.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://happysciencemom.com/take-the-after-school-meditation-challenge/" target="_blank">READ THE REST OF THE POST HERE </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
About</h1>
</header><a href="http://happysciencemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4351-PURPLE-4x6.jpg"><img alt="IMG_4351-PURPLE-4x6" class="size-medium wp-image-39 alignleft" height="300" src="http://happysciencemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_4351-PURPLE-4x6-200x300.jpg" width="200" /></a>Welcome
to your toolkit for raising happy, balanced children. I am excited to
share tips, resources, and activities from the world of happiness
science to help you teach your children how to live joyful, fulfilled,
and peaceful lives.<br />
It’s a tough world out there and our children need our guidance.
Through my own battle with stress and anxiety, I have found ways to get
back to a balanced state of mind, body, and spirit. This is a life-long
project and there is always something new to learn.<br />
There are many experts specializing in one area of happiness or
stress reduction, but I am here to bring it all together in a simple,
convenient way for parents. Each month I will highlight one of the areas
in our toolkit, such as mindfulness, giving, optimism, loving kindness,
or gratitude. Please join me on this journey as we make new discoveries
together. I welcome your questions and comments along the way. Through
knowledge and a constructive exchange of ideas, we can lead the next
generation in making the world a better place.<br />
<strong>Bio</strong><br />
<br />
I am a freelance writer, editor, and researcher specializing in
wellness, environmental issues, parenting, and human behavior. I enjoy
analyzing everyday life using science, humor, and a passion to improve
the world. This blog is just one aspect of my work, as I am always
exploring new projects. I would love the opportunity to work with your
organization or publication. Please contact me at
info@sandischwartz.com.<br />
As a science communications specialist for over a decade, I focused
on environmental, transportation, and health issues. This work includes
freelance writing and research projects with a number of organizations
and publications, and positions with the National Academies, United
States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Cadmus Group, a
consulting firm in which I worked on EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and
projects addressing indoor air quality and asthma.<br />
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a Political
Science minor at The George Washington University and a Master of Arts
in Government with an Environmental Policy Focus at Johns Hopkins
University. My latest endeavor is learning about living a happy,
balanced life. In 2014, I completed The Science of Happiness course
through the University of California, Berkeley and served as a Community
Teaching Assistant.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://happysciencemom.com/" target="_blank">You can check out her blog here. </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-22618911381617000502015-10-30T01:00:00.000-05:002015-10-30T01:00:02.532-05:00Feature Friday: Dating Chaps On Apps<header class="entry-header ">
<h1 class="entry-title">
Say cheese!</h1>
</header>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="date"><a href="http://datingchapsonapps.com/2015/10/06/say-cheese/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Say cheese!"><time class="entry-date published" datetime="2015-10-06T16:24:09+00:00"><br /></time></a></span> </div>
Since I was ranting in my previous post about profile pictures I
figured I owed it to you to elaborate. For those of you who have
already dabbled in the online dating scene, you know exactly what I’m
talking about. For those of you online dating virgins, you are in for a
treat!<br />
The “illusionist” ! Sometimes their profile picture looks kinda cute
and you’re thinking….alright…here is some potential. Then you scroll
through the rest of the pictures and it’s bad news! Always make sure you
scroll through all pictures ladies! A lot of guys will also take the
brilliant approach to post photo after photo without a face shot, very
distant or blurry. For example: a ski shot, a wakeboard shot, a rock
climbing shot, an underwater scuba shot, random web images, etc…can you
visualize it? I’m sorry but if you don’t have a close up face shot
what’s the point? Let’s be frank, I want to see what you look like…am I
going to want to kiss you? It may sound shallow, but I call it how I
see it…initially it’s a physical attraction from the photo…then you read
on to see if you connect on a level other than physical.<br />
The “Where’s Waldo”! This is a very common profile problem. You
really have no idea which guy is the eligible bachelor because all of
his pictures are group pictures with about 10 other guys(usually doing
keg stands, dirt biking, mud wrestling, etc…). And I hate to say it,
but all to often it’s the unattractive man taking this approach which is
silly. I get all excited because there are hot guys in the photo, only
to find out it’s the one homely guy in the photo…ugh! I kinda want to
say, “yeah you look nice guy but …are your hot friends single?”<br />
<br />
<a href="http://datingchapsonapps.com/2015/10/06/say-cheese/" target="_blank">READ THE REST OF THIS POST HERE </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">
About</h1>
</header>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Hey Girlfriends,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This blog is solely about the dating world
after divorce. No advice here ladies! I will share my experiences
of being thrown back into the dating world 2015. My hope is to make you
belly laugh out loud, occasionally bring a tear to your eye and show
you there is hope, humor and fun to be had for all us single girls out
there.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I found myself single after being married a
very, very long time and frankly, anticipating a dating scene that
I quickly discovered no longer existed. The harsh realization that my
memories of being 20 something, carefree and hooking up with guys at
bars, parties or at work were long gone. I was thrown into 21st century
style dating. Meeting men online? Whaat? I had no idea what to do. I
was overwhelmed and kinda scared. After I mulled over the idea of window
shopping for a boyfriend online all I all wanted to do was jump in bed,
pull the covers over my head, cry and then hang with my rabbit-HA!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only had I lost my “A” game (did I ever
really have one?), I was starting over. Back when I was dating I didn’t
have a cell phone so texting, checking your matches on Match, swiping
to the right on Tinder, answering compatibility questions on E-Harmony –
these instant, virtual means of connecting and meeting people were
foreign and felt lame. This old bittie felt out dated!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://datingchapsonapps.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/jenn_sig2.png"><img alt="jenn_sig" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-146" height="147" src="https://datingchapsonapps.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/jenn_sig2.png?w=300&h=147" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://datingchapsonapps.com/" target="_blank">YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-5893778684188172062015-10-26T19:30:00.000-05:002015-10-26T20:28:19.627-05:00Thinking Of Joining My Team?<div dir="ltr">
You've probably heard me talk about It Works! I absolutely love this company, for several reasons. <br />
#1 the products are all natural. They list all of the ingredients for each product, and I can actually pronounce them all!</div>
<div dir="ltr">
#2 they don't test on animals. As an animal lover, I hate to think of animals being tortured for any reason. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
#3 the products work! <a href="http://theunperfectfamily.blogspot.com/2015/10/i-finally-tried-that-crazy-wrap-thing.html" target="_blank">You can see the photos of my wrap results</a>. I've loved everything I've tried so far, and can't wait to try some more!</div>
<div dir="ltr">
#4 they pay me. I loved the products so much, I signed up to be a distributor. And it's great! I can work in my spare time while still going to school and taking care of my family. I'm not making millions, but a few hundred bucks a month makes a big difference in our budget. And I'm sure if I tried harder I could earn more, but I'm content to just "work" a few hours a week. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
I was very hesitant to join at first, simply because of the start up costs. But in the end, it was worth it. For less than $100, I got a box of wraps, which I sold to make back my investment. I also received marketing materials, coupons, product samples, and more to help start my business.<a href="http://theunperfectfamily.blogspot.com/2015/10/business-builder-kit-it-works.html" target="_blank"> I had everything I needed! </a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Then I got a $120 product credit, which I used to buy supplies for a wrap party. You don't have to throw parties and you don't need to keep inventory. But I wanted to make some fast cash! 16 wraps, sold at $25 each, netted $400 in cash! That doesn't even include the bonuses or commissions earned! </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZALiXU7xA6g0XneaHm0z1xc5MieY_l4EC4T35yWeZGH_bJl8EElf70rozBZ6LhuxpSYeTzmby3qPlmErwGoAjtH1J5nqpU-5vtNeWkubp8hIlW2yp_Oea3AX-mk-OsKx2e3dXDQTXx4D/s1600/needextramoney.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZALiXU7xA6g0XneaHm0z1xc5MieY_l4EC4T35yWeZGH_bJl8EElf70rozBZ6LhuxpSYeTzmby3qPlmErwGoAjtH1J5nqpU-5vtNeWkubp8hIlW2yp_Oea3AX-mk-OsKx2e3dXDQTXx4D/s640/needextramoney.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
My initial goal was to make $500 in my first month to fund a car repair. It was so easy! I threw a party and invited several ladies from church. I shared free samples, sold my wraps, and enjoyed a night of socializing. I was able to sign up some loyal customers at the party and earn even more money!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFibLan-LxJYE6gxzIwFi8wWg4q3TZnAWaT8Sa4ec9_0rLlyeXqeUKNuVYsVZcdSUwIV-Eb_W1JR5MumT2IYuKv33DP2jWwGW42I4OqDwj4Y3aHNxHdi4mbS2NohSA0Wp0j57yuOSH1ob/s1600/500-guarantee.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFibLan-LxJYE6gxzIwFi8wWg4q3TZnAWaT8Sa4ec9_0rLlyeXqeUKNuVYsVZcdSUwIV-Eb_W1JR5MumT2IYuKv33DP2jWwGW42I4OqDwj4Y3aHNxHdi4mbS2NohSA0Wp0j57yuOSH1ob/s320/500-guarantee.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I had every excuse for not getting started. I was busy with school and family and my blog. I was broke. I was terrible at sales. My husband wasn't supportive. <br />
But I crushed those excuses! I took a leap of faith and took $100 out of savings. I booked a party in between exams and brought my kids along. I posted my personal results on Facebook and shared my excitement. I ignored my husband, asking him to just trust me. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
And I succeeded! I made back my investment, with cash profit and residual income. I looked and felt better from using the product. I was able to help out with the budget while still managing a family. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
And if I can do it, anybody can do it! So if you are wanting to earn some extra money, or maybe you're just interested in trying some products, let me know! Comment below or email me at theunperfectfamily@gmail.com</div>
<div dir="ltr">
I'm here to help and support you in any way I can. I'd love for you to join my team and crush all your excuses!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For a limited time only, if you sign up by Oct. 29, 2015 at midnight, you get a FREE box of WOW in your business builder's kit. That's an added value of $77! You can sell this product, or hand out samples and make even MORE sales! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-75708457629311568742015-10-23T01:00:00.000-05:002015-10-23T01:00:08.682-05:00Feature Friday: CreativWriting<h1 class="name post-title entry-title" itemprop="itemReviewed" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Thing">
<span itemprop="name">Screw Perfection – It’s All Relative</span></h1>
I’m a writer. I’m also a mom. And if you had to ask me which comes first, I would tell you hands down, being a mom.<br />
Raising a healthy and happy family is essential to my own happiness.
There is just no greater joy for me than seeing the happiness in my
children’s eyes through their play, activities and affection. They
represent the best and worst elements of myself and that of my husband…
and through them, I grow as an individual… watching myself in them.
Plus, they give me plenty of stuff to write about.<br />
It is because I’m a full-time mom (and time limitations) that I’m not
a perfect writer or even a perfect mother. If I had all the time in the
world to take writing classes or classes on how to be the perfect mom,
then I’d have no excuse. But the limitations of time and my own
perception of what is valuable keeps me from pursuing that level of
perfection.<br />
Today, my youngest has crazy hair and my toddler has a runny nose
with snot streaks across his face. We’re at the library reading and
playing dinosaurs. I didn’t pack a lunch because we’re going to go eat
horrible fast food as a treat. We’ll probably go shopping and miss nap
time. See, I’m not a perfect mom. I don’t have it all planned out all
the time and my writing sure isn’t perfect either. But as a mom, I get
the job done and at the end of the day, I’m pleased and happy. So is my
family. As a writer, my readers seem pleased as well. I’d rather embrace
my imperfections knowing that I can always improve but at the time,
remember with a loving heart how I spent my day being happy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.creativwriter.com/thoughts-about-writing/screw-perfection-its-all-relative/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<h1 class="name post-title entry-title" itemprop="itemReviewed" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Thing">
<span itemprop="name">About</span></h1>
Hi I’m Leah Hart!<br />
<img alt="" class="alignleft" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0984/0802/files/Leah_Hart_2_large.jpg?2527905828898396446" />I’m
the voice and writer behind the CreativWriter, and I’m so glad to have
you here checking out the website and maybe even picking up some free
ideas and eBooks. I’ve been helping writers (and businesses, too) behind
the scenes for several years now, designing covers, creating content,
doling out advice here and there, but most importantly, watching and
evaluating statistics on book sales.<br />
I’ve been in the business of writing and books since I first entered a
writing contest for National History Day on Benjamin Franklin. For 4th
grade, my writing wasn’t half bad. I got an honorable mention. Since
then, I’ve become a book lover, a book supporter (I buy a ton and
probably have a copy of your book), an avid creator of book covers and
an amazing (yes, I have my moments) writer of business-boosting and book
marketing tips.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.creativwriter.com/" target="_blank">YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-61631758806246865492015-10-21T19:51:00.000-05:002015-10-26T19:52:04.188-05:00Business Builder Kit - It Works!When you sign up to be a distributor with It Works!, you pay $99 for a business builder kit. This kit is risk-free, as it gives you all the products and materials to make your money back right away! This is what is included in the kit:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbApueD14HVdaTvZm42vCalIBd5y67vK9rV29qJhEJkJ-DfRAViPYaf6CFpfoXoHhGjvI_ekzuwU1gw2q_-TsjEp7R1lkjpbphOZj6h_0n6UVC4UYIgTliN-bw4TbQUYB_mG_-qU8xVz1z/s1600/499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbApueD14HVdaTvZm42vCalIBd5y67vK9rV29qJhEJkJ-DfRAViPYaf6CFpfoXoHhGjvI_ekzuwU1gw2q_-TsjEp7R1lkjpbphOZj6h_0n6UVC4UYIgTliN-bw4TbQUYB_mG_-qU8xVz1z/s320/499.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
50 Blitz Cards- your own personal coupons and business cards in one!<br />
4 sample bottles of Defining Gel. You can use these yourself, offer them as free gifts, or have people sample them!<br />
1 awesome It Works! Bracelet to help you promote your new business.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbI-50NGnlmn0rQ0bUWwjRDmdxXfZAHgqX5aVOUoO2BwUgpjlcZUpu3PvJR1mey5d2spsnIuDAj2FooncTGMxiIgsaL20L3R9wL57n4jUohMXG3kCRHMEZkX2NfVUNXaGyoXwq5uX35ez/s1600/500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbI-50NGnlmn0rQ0bUWwjRDmdxXfZAHgqX5aVOUoO2BwUgpjlcZUpu3PvJR1mey5d2spsnIuDAj2FooncTGMxiIgsaL20L3R9wL57n4jUohMXG3kCRHMEZkX2NfVUNXaGyoXwq5uX35ez/s320/500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
5 Product Catalogs to pass around to your friends and family<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyQ67OKmVg2bY3ALzmPL1fr8EHelL3s3xG3mMYhkvVfI7BSwqCbN7SXrqRZJhXuwWKin4ElJwnrxRrBgF0FbTCqf2vJGjkEm8UASoL8IT3vd8fyhTPwPczmXd6tSdXdzwLcqmE93juN96/s1600/502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyQ67OKmVg2bY3ALzmPL1fr8EHelL3s3xG3mMYhkvVfI7BSwqCbN7SXrqRZJhXuwWKin4ElJwnrxRrBgF0FbTCqf2vJGjkEm8UASoL8IT3vd8fyhTPwPczmXd6tSdXdzwLcqmE93juN96/s320/502.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
1 box of Ultimate Body Applicators (4 skinny wraps). You can use these yourself or sell them for $25 each and make your initial investment back!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Z17wLVjgAE7g69jVWQZIIfCd19-80gz39uWBwmm_NUS2exD4X6Q6lEu5osB3vJ_96NrDXQQwLJZWkrkUfLW_S5r0ZV2OJXkoKBnZAKAbKSRfyB7Vic2r4KwYgueu5jHc8otY7L7LPu2/s1600/504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6Z17wLVjgAE7g69jVWQZIIfCd19-80gz39uWBwmm_NUS2exD4X6Q6lEu5osB3vJ_96NrDXQQwLJZWkrkUfLW_S5r0ZV2OJXkoKBnZAKAbKSRfyB7Vic2r4KwYgueu5jHc8otY7L7LPu2/s320/504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
2 Party Pads, which walk you through the presentation and information for a wrap party. It also has a notepad section so you can take it with you and write down potential customers' information. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1 roll of Fab Wrap to help secure your body wraps in place when moving around.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIO8TpAbbsdaXMAJqht7jKr4-xLCNx5NXmSw18gQoFEC02tThTBkgA5nTaVFcdWcYLcZfTja7r-FSeWc96ZtNiiEzaVqoV_ZR9Cm-pnRWeczUhCFag8We-bxFKXaMvuAiElAQ7PW3GbZG/s1600/501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIO8TpAbbsdaXMAJqht7jKr4-xLCNx5NXmSw18gQoFEC02tThTBkgA5nTaVFcdWcYLcZfTja7r-FSeWc96ZtNiiEzaVqoV_ZR9Cm-pnRWeczUhCFag8We-bxFKXaMvuAiElAQ7PW3GbZG/s320/501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You will also get your own eSuite website, your personal back office to manage your business and customers. This website also offers free training, marketing materials, and all the information you need to run your business. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And, for a limited time, get a FREE box of WOW ($77 value) with your business kit. Again, you can sell this product, offer it as free samples to gain more customers, or use it on yourself! Sign up by October 29, 2015 to get this great deal!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JUrjOQORAbmJFs2QntYUy4hhrPzS3-F5rbPiG4phKS4Yx9TYmr4yyY-k8f3CRgwzgIfKqQ8Wa4pGW2UBIwauYUAO-B-mhCtGvfXc1C2BpvmDrephyphenhyphenvynj5WKUpOEk04-3A5-8fWR2xyG/s1600/wow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JUrjOQORAbmJFs2QntYUy4hhrPzS3-F5rbPiG4phKS4Yx9TYmr4yyY-k8f3CRgwzgIfKqQ8Wa4pGW2UBIwauYUAO-B-mhCtGvfXc1C2BpvmDrephyphenhyphenvynj5WKUpOEk04-3A5-8fWR2xyG/s320/wow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is an investment worth making and one that can change your life! If you would like more information about this business opportunity or if you simply have questions about the products, please email me at theunperfectfamily@gmail.com<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-54341228498805325852015-10-19T18:39:00.003-05:002015-10-26T20:22:48.126-05:00I Finally Tried That Crazy Wrap Thing!I debated for a while about posting this, as I do not feel comfortable showing my body. I frequently tell my kids "neck to knees and everything in between is for you, me, and Jesus". We are pretty modest.<br />
But I also wanted to document my results and give an honest review. My cousin sells the stuff, so I figured I would try it out. I told her it was her Christmas present.<br />
<br />
I will be updating this post throughout the week so you can see if I lose any weight, and, more importantly, if I gain it all back when I'm done wrapping.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here is my progress so far:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
My before picture. I put the wrap on at 5pm. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cvnuqrgbEGZvHn0Ar5qwAidUXA76nE7hqAnxM7BP25sm2QJttKQwgin5CbzHU5As01Be3Tv5M852czF_40RTqKiYQLtIJLthmgmW_DPo8Ky53MjKh4hGqyy4FGYOynOU7V5lmGkUfOOD/s1600/d09151d4-afc1-4045-a297-e84aff814722_zpsg6he0vlp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cvnuqrgbEGZvHn0Ar5qwAidUXA76nE7hqAnxM7BP25sm2QJttKQwgin5CbzHU5As01Be3Tv5M852czF_40RTqKiYQLtIJLthmgmW_DPo8Ky53MjKh4hGqyy4FGYOynOU7V5lmGkUfOOD/s320/d09151d4-afc1-4045-a297-e84aff814722_zpsg6he0vlp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAem_3omMMzgGWpRQ5eCRTZH004gajIkkYBDLNangs0SZevA7_7ZjQmpPTR7oEL7Md9HLaa2SmWldjM6GN0k4a9iKdv53NksaEoiI7rWiZOBcxLcm-bmeNA6y0QzuQYWkrzkcl8Vf0-TTs/s1600/d5c2a026-a7e0-479c-b2ba-1ad407755294_zpsbjeueq27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAem_3omMMzgGWpRQ5eCRTZH004gajIkkYBDLNangs0SZevA7_7ZjQmpPTR7oEL7Md9HLaa2SmWldjM6GN0k4a9iKdv53NksaEoiI7rWiZOBcxLcm-bmeNA6y0QzuQYWkrzkcl8Vf0-TTs/s320/d5c2a026-a7e0-479c-b2ba-1ad407755294_zpsbjeueq27.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<br />
I work the wrap for 5 hours at first. You can wear it up to 8 hours, but I was ready for bed. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q9Jr3DsdUJWS5e5aqJ99YXmS4fPY1avC4OiOiPjy_5i5kJQFKVz3aZScEpjMjdZcTHhMRz2lbs9diUMqt1OfyJ_NEoHgJxNCygmMUJDlBCPHTG9Rkb3DGuJYJ9Vj18Q3P3-k8mnHptFL/s1600/ae776d5b-576d-413b-a654-0bc29e1fc8d1_zpsxpm3korj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q9Jr3DsdUJWS5e5aqJ99YXmS4fPY1avC4OiOiPjy_5i5kJQFKVz3aZScEpjMjdZcTHhMRz2lbs9diUMqt1OfyJ_NEoHgJxNCygmMUJDlBCPHTG9Rkb3DGuJYJ9Vj18Q3P3-k8mnHptFL/s320/ae776d5b-576d-413b-a654-0bc29e1fc8d1_zpsxpm3korj.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQv2lQkFJAXz-_nl9QwVMJSU78Xem4Y-HlwOO7aCBltJSlODEKXMd5SlbL7dy_h070rlBv745x9WXnurc7LcY6YqBNyLq2v8UN8t4BGc_TLK8aIqjrQQN_U7jW988scTC6NOo-jCvGJZM/s1600/1e6a2846-a4be-4dff-8649-14c6cc36656e_zpsqmkdd75r.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQv2lQkFJAXz-_nl9QwVMJSU78Xem4Y-HlwOO7aCBltJSlODEKXMd5SlbL7dy_h070rlBv745x9WXnurc7LcY6YqBNyLq2v8UN8t4BGc_TLK8aIqjrQQN_U7jW988scTC6NOo-jCvGJZM/s320/1e6a2846-a4be-4dff-8649-14c6cc36656e_zpsqmkdd75r.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Not bad for 5 hours of sitting around doing homework! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is day 2. The wrap can work for up to 72 hours, so this is still resulting from the night before. I confess, I did have fast food and soda today. Oops! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdPy0sFVBYLxKD70d7zw_Dp7ujC_zSjrzfKmmqagq6oNRxghNV160dKfH0V7Eeuh20wZXgSCWaFagn1uJawrUgmKFZpqalHVJRc3qRGM2rJ_WRvQMVirkxVs-UtE8meEdLVg04jt-aiXA/s1600/63a5cd79-de1a-45f8-9902-9979f8c1887b_zpsmzfmvgdj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdPy0sFVBYLxKD70d7zw_Dp7ujC_zSjrzfKmmqagq6oNRxghNV160dKfH0V7Eeuh20wZXgSCWaFagn1uJawrUgmKFZpqalHVJRc3qRGM2rJ_WRvQMVirkxVs-UtE8meEdLVg04jt-aiXA/s320/63a5cd79-de1a-45f8-9902-9979f8c1887b_zpsmzfmvgdj.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu2L8_iowUis0DEKZBq57r1_jVEA3mm7i2XjqwRukKfeBoP-CHUnX1Mwo_dnAkCUGphv0JxRPjeajmNt23kNh_5FOqMvY8LDYDQj72rf7j2aY0o4G1GfnjtBbI15EoEYb21mSqpp5SUzf/s1600/573a776f-bb75-43fa-b67e-1d7c0fdb2e89_zpsrjabh1gz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu2L8_iowUis0DEKZBq57r1_jVEA3mm7i2XjqwRukKfeBoP-CHUnX1Mwo_dnAkCUGphv0JxRPjeajmNt23kNh_5FOqMvY8LDYDQj72rf7j2aY0o4G1GfnjtBbI15EoEYb21mSqpp5SUzf/s320/573a776f-bb75-43fa-b67e-1d7c0fdb2e89_zpsrjabh1gz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Still a little bloated from my fast food binge, but still much better than I was before the wrap.<br />
<br />
<br />
I will continue updating my progress the rest of the week.<br />
<br />
<br />
UPDATES<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpCL9RNPT9GwpkgdgdhriFSkS0ELPzXaQ6d2r_ZhQiAJTZFzS19PLc53BYmdb1KCI-Vn38tDFdChX8wbZc2NYDnXQtlEMrLbnJteuq8qGcdTWRYnF1gN2KFp4AwtPrBZ7hVQ3yLd7Unqa/s1600/1ea50b5a-f32c-409a-aa20-83cf55f92a43_zps3khs5vtu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpCL9RNPT9GwpkgdgdhriFSkS0ELPzXaQ6d2r_ZhQiAJTZFzS19PLc53BYmdb1KCI-Vn38tDFdChX8wbZc2NYDnXQtlEMrLbnJteuq8qGcdTWRYnF1gN2KFp4AwtPrBZ7hVQ3yLd7Unqa/s320/1ea50b5a-f32c-409a-aa20-83cf55f92a43_zps3khs5vtu.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-R0Ri_7mi6Gn0wYP2XD_2g2V6LoMsFn_cazhjHqel3-PcxU3Y0wJHeDnxVhIDZhPU8mEHz3d3sb8BgirRP1ba6rqXzSb4LrN-WbKWNzbLOIwz1SfzNX7nAzMOOq-MUyP5b-zC7IFjFqWh/s1600/9825e989-83e4-4399-b0fe-c7542209ca88_zps4u67nyff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-R0Ri_7mi6Gn0wYP2XD_2g2V6LoMsFn_cazhjHqel3-PcxU3Y0wJHeDnxVhIDZhPU8mEHz3d3sb8BgirRP1ba6rqXzSb4LrN-WbKWNzbLOIwz1SfzNX7nAzMOOq-MUyP5b-zC7IFjFqWh/s320/9825e989-83e4-4399-b0fe-c7542209ca88_zps4u67nyff.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GMpL9-YYG2U44h68wsAJjcKY-MDbmd_YAHdscObCN4l9o55dU4MeLRbxBp_O8YU7hco9o8rW_0SAJo079yXAv1Vp9jvN5D-p-l-49lcMmgUapVnVN0B7QsfIFEZM4ey8Ukfz-mOnl_8-/s1600/day7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GMpL9-YYG2U44h68wsAJjcKY-MDbmd_YAHdscObCN4l9o55dU4MeLRbxBp_O8YU7hco9o8rW_0SAJo079yXAv1Vp9jvN5D-p-l-49lcMmgUapVnVN0B7QsfIFEZM4ey8Ukfz-mOnl_8-/s320/day7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfExramMY1e_d8fCgQpm_lb7GAyBIyPjQAoE6v_5FGXuNCqgig6gPBA7bhPItLdNNJo5jei1-fhnG3iGLYZOZgXLD2iX2LPzEujs7xExGKO9NMuUH4jJ-00n5hjGo_XahnagUIHghyphenhyphenq8-/s1600/5357020b-63a4-42d3-83e9-acd69b897a50_zpshf0n6f6f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfExramMY1e_d8fCgQpm_lb7GAyBIyPjQAoE6v_5FGXuNCqgig6gPBA7bhPItLdNNJo5jei1-fhnG3iGLYZOZgXLD2iX2LPzEujs7xExGKO9NMuUH4jJ-00n5hjGo_XahnagUIHghyphenhyphenq8-/s320/5357020b-63a4-42d3-83e9-acd69b897a50_zpshf0n6f6f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
BEFORE: AFTER:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOW8ATVY_-lbRsXGXgnp6JEyAHZm3DZNFnmBhOiyFXgfnubaQdenATTkkggTZ6T489gTuC96-ldydrebchEUcUVZsiIk-hObVvD5gfbb_p773QUmV6bftizxcWVTnpthirYQfpkmIsvPl/s1600/d5c2a026-a7e0-479c-b2ba-1ad407755294_zpsbjeueq27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMOW8ATVY_-lbRsXGXgnp6JEyAHZm3DZNFnmBhOiyFXgfnubaQdenATTkkggTZ6T489gTuC96-ldydrebchEUcUVZsiIk-hObVvD5gfbb_p773QUmV6bftizxcWVTnpthirYQfpkmIsvPl/s320/d5c2a026-a7e0-479c-b2ba-1ad407755294_zpsbjeueq27.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6qoFIljJlPxhoKeT5D4ji7D38uRa8UN4duVFyoTMfeJXPQDo2-i60N6x0im_wSFwYFi75bSzpzoign8qIlAOsZR8K2IieGYlf5CKS2F_SpYkMw_YIlhZIsjlPCzPcnQjAqfdMEvZQqBc/s1600/day7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6qoFIljJlPxhoKeT5D4ji7D38uRa8UN4duVFyoTMfeJXPQDo2-i60N6x0im_wSFwYFi75bSzpzoign8qIlAOsZR8K2IieGYlf5CKS2F_SpYkMw_YIlhZIsjlPCzPcnQjAqfdMEvZQqBc/s320/day7.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://theunperfectfamily.blogspot.com/2015/10/thinking-of-joining-my-team.html" target="_blank">Want to join my team? </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cgaither.myitworks.com/" target="_blank">By some products for yourself?</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-2199631772521228002015-10-16T01:00:00.000-05:002015-10-16T01:00:01.594-05:00Feature Friday: Here Wee Read<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
7 Ways Reading Has Made Me a Better Mom</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-08-18T17:14:30+00:00" itemprop="datePublished"></time><span class="entry-comments-link"><br /></span> </div>
</header>
Growing up, I didn’t have a nightly ritual of snuggling up with my
parents while they read books aloud to me and my sister. Instead, I
read books on my own when I was old enough to read. I always wanted to
have someone read me bedtime stories so I vowed that whenever God
blessed me with my own children I would read to them every night.<br />
Since becoming a mom almost three years ago, (I seriously cannot
believe “Sparkles” is almost 3) I’ve managed to stick to my plan of
daily read aloud time with the kids. The only times I’ve skipped our
read aloud sessions are the few times when I traveled out of town for
work. Other than that, I’ve been very consistent squeezing in 15-30
minutes of reading time each day either in the morning or at night.<br />
Perhaps you can relate, but I believe reading aloud to the children
over the past three years has made me a better mom. Here’s how:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/hereweeread.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/reading_book.jpg"><img alt="reading_book" class="alignnone wp-image-697 size-full" data-frizzlyindex="1" height="266" src="http://i1.wp.com/hereweeread.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/reading_book-e1439917747760.jpg?resize=400%2C266" width="400" /></a></div>
<strong>1. It Calms Me</strong><br />
Reading calms me and makes me feel productive. It’s also a great stress
reliever for me as it allows me to escape even if for just a few
minutes. This is a win-win for my entire family because when mommy’s
happy, everyone’s happy.<br />
<strong>2. It’s Boosting My Vocabulary</strong><br />
By reading books, magazines and blogs daily my vocabulary has increased tremendously. Also, now that I’m <a href="http://hereweeread.com/2015/08/our-latest-obsession-song-school-latin.html" target="_blank">learning Latin</a>
I’m gaining more knowledge and insight of how words were formed in
English, Spanish and other foreign languages. The kids will benefit
from this directly because I’ll be able to pass on what I’m learning to
them.<br />
<strong>3. It Makes My Children Happy</strong><br />
I love seeing the look on the kids’ faces when I sit down to read to
them. They’ve come to expect that reading books will be a part of our
day and whenever I say it’s story time their eyes light up and they run
and go grab the books they want to read. Love it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hereweeread.com/2015/08/7-ways-reading-has-made-me-a-better-mom.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>About the author:<br />Charnaie is a Computer Programmer by day and a wife and mom 24/7. She
has over 15 years of experience in the Information Technology field.
She has both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer
Science/Information Technology. She blogs over at Here Wee Read, (<a href="http://hereweeread.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://hereweeread.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com</a>)
where she shares the books that she reads aloud with her two children
as well as the books she reads. Charnaie makes no claims to be a
parenting guru who has it all figured out. Instead, she likes to refer
to herself as a perfectly imperfect mom raising two children the best
way she knows how.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i> </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-51214483929109468582015-10-14T02:00:00.000-05:002015-10-14T02:00:00.035-05:00Laundry Room OrganizationOrganizing a laundry room can be a challenge for many families. The biggest issue is having enough space. When I sat out to revamp my laundry room, I took to Pinterest. I quickly became disappointed as everyone seemed to have giant laundry rooms. Our old house had no laundry room, just the washer and dryer set up in the kitchen, with no doors or even a way to hide it with a curtain. When we moved here, I fell in love with the laundry room. It seemed very spacious, was tucked away in a corner, and had a door to hide all my dirty clothes.<br />
Then I started putting stuff in the laundry room. It got smaller by the minute.<br />
<br />
Finding a good inspiration for my laundry room was nearly impossible. Everything was either for tiny laundry closets or what seemed like laundry mansions. I had to get creative.<br />
<br />
As with all my projects, it started with a list. What did I absolutely need to have in there? What would be nice to have? What were my problem areas that needed a little help? Once I figured out a general idea of what I needed and wanted, I set out to find products to fit my needs.<br />
<br />
I knew I wanted more storage, but finding something to fit in the space was a challenge. I ended up getting an old dresser and cutting a piece of the back corner off so it would fit properly. I had originally just stuck it between the washer and dryer, but then inevitably stuff would fall behind it and I would have to pull everything out to reach it. Cutting it wasn't my first thought, and certainly not the prettiest solution, but without the help of my husband or power tools, it got the job done. Now it serves a purpose without creating more hassle for me later.<br />
<br />
What exactly to put in each drawer and how to organize it required a little thought, but I went back to my list and assessed my needs and wants. Suddenly I knew just what I wanted to do.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcjrkq2EhdI5fDClgWinfWFl_cc-O5IMLdabOrbpmVna0kS12W6rPR_l710W56vMbBcEAXe1KUD4q9LfoNhtP5h3ZekXV0fg_9iVM9bIMplMvSCHTMeuXt5LJjMGyg6hoEdL1x70BVLJn/s1600/DSC01921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcjrkq2EhdI5fDClgWinfWFl_cc-O5IMLdabOrbpmVna0kS12W6rPR_l710W56vMbBcEAXe1KUD4q9LfoNhtP5h3ZekXV0fg_9iVM9bIMplMvSCHTMeuXt5LJjMGyg6hoEdL1x70BVLJn/s320/DSC01921.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufd_NAXPZzeiAOk7SG4zBlaeXdTTsc5aonOQlahnnhnjI7GIQWHh-QYg7u2VYGB2rY0mfbMX_YZT4DXtSs9Ix5JkstN8LNsCtZTMh5UHzAexJ4M5rsmffpyuaI1VNwTx-lEvJvvjwq-sc/s1600/DSC01923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufd_NAXPZzeiAOk7SG4zBlaeXdTTsc5aonOQlahnnhnjI7GIQWHh-QYg7u2VYGB2rY0mfbMX_YZT4DXtSs9Ix5JkstN8LNsCtZTMh5UHzAexJ4M5rsmffpyuaI1VNwTx-lEvJvvjwq-sc/s320/DSC01923.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYOvpW_sAbjHpsGT9EvxN-_M2HUbzVUOR-BYvd3qOlvqLRMqnSQsEyr05H6W7nKS2krwp16MBo39E-2EQh9PZLIwl3xPRV1ao_lD2mshOj1rP9PxBC_-thok-NhV5qCeztvJgE5fiEcmg/s1600/DSC01922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYOvpW_sAbjHpsGT9EvxN-_M2HUbzVUOR-BYvd3qOlvqLRMqnSQsEyr05H6W7nKS2krwp16MBo39E-2EQh9PZLIwl3xPRV1ao_lD2mshOj1rP9PxBC_-thok-NhV5qCeztvJgE5fiEcmg/s320/DSC01922.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Laundry Supplies. Between making my own laundry detergent and dryer sheets, and all the various products we keep around, I needed a place to store them all without piling them on my valuable shelf space. The top drawer was the perfect place to hide everything but keep it accessible.<br />
<br />
Cleaning Supplies. Again, I make my own and have a plethora of products on hand. All those little items needed a home, but I needed them in reach of my kids. Now when they get ready to do their chores, they don't have to hunt for the right supplies or ask for help to get them down from the shelf.<br />
<br />
Dog Supplies. We don't have a ton of pet stuff, but the extra leash, training pads for car rides, and grooming supplies needed a home. Half a drawer was plenty of space, and she couldn't get to it to chew on everything.<br />
<br />
Cleaning Rags. I love rags. I have tons of them. Microfiber for cleaning, larger ones for kitchen messes, and a giant pile of perfectly-12-by-12 white rags for hygiene and grooming. I also like to keep them separate. Now all of my cleaning rags are together, and near the cleaners, for easy access and use.<br />
<br />
Outgrown Clothes. I've used many different systems over the years to deal with outgrown clothes. When my oldest son outgrows something, I keep it for my younger son. But when my younger two outgrow things, I pass them on to friends. Giving them one shirt at a time doesn't make much sense, but having piles of old clothes around isn't ideal either. A drawer in the laundry room was the perfect solution. Once the clothes come out of the dryer, they get sorted. When I see something that has been outgrown or was looking a little too tight last week, I fold it and put it in the drawer. When the drawer gets full, I move my son's clothes to keep to a tote in the garage, and the others I give to a friend. Now I have an empty drawer and can start all over. The clothes are handy (which is great for when our friends come to visit and need an extra change of clothes or jacket on cool nights), but out of the way and organized. Everything is clean, folded, and ready to go. I think this is my favorite part of my laundry room.<br />
<br />
Then comes the actual laundry. There are six people in my home. Two adults with very messy jobs. Three kids who love to get dirty. Two kids who still wet the bed. A dog that has a mind of her own. And a Mommy who has to clean up after it all. We have a LOT of laundry. We used to spend hours sorting everything before we washed, only to have it ruined when the clean clothes piled up because I hadn't had time to put them away. Now, everyone has their own dirty AND clean laundry basket. My roommate keeps his stuff in his room, so his laundry doesn't end up mixed in with everyone else's.<br />
<br />
I opted for one of the laundry sorters with a hanging rack. This makes the entire process much easier. I can hang dry items as needed, and I have a place to hang up clean clothes when I folding and putting everything away. My ironing board is mounted to the back of my laundry room door, so it's easy to hang up freshly ironed clothes. Each person has their own basket, and of course, everything is labeled in the correct color. We have a "house" basket for towels, sheets, and blankets. We have tons of towels and they really needed their own place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHl3ittcT4IenZqziBiGPKejaZxKqfILQxt4JwDcBTAASRCKrWLHiD34dKf6uaGU9bc-pm3kaGqEtMD7Glyk8Udz98dqydHNyQBI30da33WO8Ou4RGzHg5AksGQGi5lmLWuvrMZU7Kp7-/s1600/DSC01914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHl3ittcT4IenZqziBiGPKejaZxKqfILQxt4JwDcBTAASRCKrWLHiD34dKf6uaGU9bc-pm3kaGqEtMD7Glyk8Udz98dqydHNyQBI30da33WO8Ou4RGzHg5AksGQGi5lmLWuvrMZU7Kp7-/s320/DSC01914.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYXjXHr7pJ6FxAxyvSMZDM-I2pw1U_ozATZQs0JJTEDb6TMmEODpAvvxnrjolQUlZyrfxv_Ay_0HQ-pOm-hW15kzCvwHGaw8MxlrDTqWNd3KFGJ2g1-HfdW1ZwZBDreAQtF9TEOTmc0Ds/s1600/DSC01909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYXjXHr7pJ6FxAxyvSMZDM-I2pw1U_ozATZQs0JJTEDb6TMmEODpAvvxnrjolQUlZyrfxv_Ay_0HQ-pOm-hW15kzCvwHGaw8MxlrDTqWNd3KFGJ2g1-HfdW1ZwZBDreAQtF9TEOTmc0Ds/s320/DSC01909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH06zJbxjBvaC7cKurG4k4-IdNwz6F7LuOJInDtIbyv5VUbMcF7YpobiKc8pCpkpgl_N0cHZbs39Fqh2B5O7P9vaB5TbbOS4RreNKlQNf_juMXPOAszXtb4NQAc9IPlpshLvYwkylnMIb/s1600/DSC01912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNH06zJbxjBvaC7cKurG4k4-IdNwz6F7LuOJInDtIbyv5VUbMcF7YpobiKc8pCpkpgl_N0cHZbs39Fqh2B5O7P9vaB5TbbOS4RreNKlQNf_juMXPOAszXtb4NQAc9IPlpshLvYwkylnMIb/s320/DSC01912.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkk5x8eF6LpQjQyOnMUavzlvTZz3l0SqUuOCNEFb1vagkkIqfR8v0LUBelnlWPqjKhp4xIP4JpzZDtHXz2hXWmiOLyO7tBdTq2flMuhScobEJWrhibNRjAz_Sssfn84zLjpINuTIgYw0n/s1600/DSC01917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkk5x8eF6LpQjQyOnMUavzlvTZz3l0SqUuOCNEFb1vagkkIqfR8v0LUBelnlWPqjKhp4xIP4JpzZDtHXz2hXWmiOLyO7tBdTq2flMuhScobEJWrhibNRjAz_Sssfn84zLjpINuTIgYw0n/s320/DSC01917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE3KA-vGHrF_3NjnWcqKDxc57GhdvDs23RlryJOip1qQJEPADKXAHPY9XTZnZS2qtPRvRByV7hDWPIzXBMjOkMj-OLY4bnxN1yGA7CI2JIj02H8nXN7SplKA88x4WnRqDOF10i3TNVAUM/s1600/DSC01918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFE3KA-vGHrF_3NjnWcqKDxc57GhdvDs23RlryJOip1qQJEPADKXAHPY9XTZnZS2qtPRvRByV7hDWPIzXBMjOkMj-OLY4bnxN1yGA7CI2JIj02H8nXN7SplKA88x4WnRqDOF10i3TNVAUM/s320/DSC01918.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
(Almost) everyone puts away their own laundry. My youngest needs a little help, and I take care of mine and my husbands. My oldest son and I take turns with towels and blankets. This system makes my life so much easier. Everything is sorted before and after washing, which makes finding mates to socks and the right person's underwear much simpler. When it's time for clothes to be put away, each child takes their basket to the living room where they can spread out, and they hang up or fold all their clothes and get them put away. The clean baskets go back on the frame. I have an extra bag or two in case one tears or needs washing. I keep my hanger holders next to the baskets in the laundry room, so there's no running around and hunting for anything when it's time to work- everything is at hand.<br />
<br />
Limited shelf space. This is a problem in most laundry rooms, I'm sure. I have one really long shelf, which is wonderful at times. But it's not very deep and one bottle of laundry detergent is about all you can squeeze on there. I keep all my detergent on one side, then the occasional bottle of bleach or fabric softener in the middle. My big boxes of detergent supplies hide in the corner, since they only get used every few weeks. This is where I utilize the top of the dresser. I keep a small trashcan for lint and the inevitable stickers my daughter puts everywhere. I have a small bin for found items in the dryer or pockets, belts, and other items that shouldn't go through the wash. When the laundry is done, I move belts and clothing items to clean laundry baskets, and have the kids return the other items to their proper homes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguPqecg_Gzyud7eyB0noc9o4VncOlhGlCR1mDhK3PBnxRnfOeRMRSaIe2oegTyOhGlqekBzwkX_Bsqh-jyFzfCslD27gGajoEPxNxTLIKsyHzk8yS4kTTWkV2tNfCgBGPLDWYpEkoB2L5/s1600/DSC01517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguPqecg_Gzyud7eyB0noc9o4VncOlhGlCR1mDhK3PBnxRnfOeRMRSaIe2oegTyOhGlqekBzwkX_Bsqh-jyFzfCslD27gGajoEPxNxTLIKsyHzk8yS4kTTWkV2tNfCgBGPLDWYpEkoB2L5/s320/DSC01517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYQSe3qvXyLkKfsBiFRBYIy3I8yThqkfyQ4xOrNEmKznFct-pl6XD_38eUX8q2anlYxYRKUMgTAh5ixZOYAYg1qWoFxXcC3w-sO1EHvTTpu-ViPTbFUoXPYULlicP4G1wkrSm6sMld0wW/s1600/DSC01518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYQSe3qvXyLkKfsBiFRBYIy3I8yThqkfyQ4xOrNEmKznFct-pl6XD_38eUX8q2anlYxYRKUMgTAh5ixZOYAYg1qWoFxXcC3w-sO1EHvTTpu-ViPTbFUoXPYULlicP4G1wkrSm6sMld0wW/s320/DSC01518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Finishing touches and little details. I wish I had more space to add decorations and make it look nicer, but you work with what you've got. I keep a measuring cup hanging by the washer for detergent, along with a list of instructions and sizes for when somebody is helping out, like my son or husband. A couple "plants" in the window, okay, just pretty pots with some dead grass. I have a black thumb and none of my laundry room plants survived. I use a marker to label settings on the washer for my son, it comes right off with a magic eraser when I clean the machine. A hook for the giant lint-trap cleaning brush. A small set of tools for quick fixes. One of these days I'll make some decor to tie it all together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSniJqZRcsKvQDDgyYtY6x6x2r5WuQ1vHclI3f5763-PH5PaRt-9-Jgtkk5b100uE2Sdy8NrqPM5A9eIOmfwGUCZRrhvGxXVC2bpW_FqlEnkiv_-4qz6ilaq8vgxlKzV8mvZEUaRjd2p1X/s1600/DSC01924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSniJqZRcsKvQDDgyYtY6x6x2r5WuQ1vHclI3f5763-PH5PaRt-9-Jgtkk5b100uE2Sdy8NrqPM5A9eIOmfwGUCZRrhvGxXVC2bpW_FqlEnkiv_-4qz6ilaq8vgxlKzV8mvZEUaRjd2p1X/s320/DSC01924.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTcxg4x35W5f7tsSiVUy1llZvhCzN9XzKw64g9z0T2GS5ABPXVhBU8ELMw7U_Vl3znUm_mSOrfILpSyWYTvZ6AEq49Lwi6itLE39ibly1wkVlRIOdgqihQyy63Wo1kwX4KcR3qDwe7Ae1/s1600/DSC01925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTcxg4x35W5f7tsSiVUy1llZvhCzN9XzKw64g9z0T2GS5ABPXVhBU8ELMw7U_Vl3znUm_mSOrfILpSyWYTvZ6AEq49Lwi6itLE39ibly1wkVlRIOdgqihQyy63Wo1kwX4KcR3qDwe7Ae1/s320/DSC01925.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2ofrrzCPB24I7REUB3JyP5kefgqpxf2s0WYGBTK_z7ftIvsZt1rWz4zZ2ZCdfl3saQYE3da_eypbOSUUOeUWdSCWV20D7hpX0y3vNbEWWPMeZjd8Nn_zd_ssForiGbk7CY-ouDN_VTOZ/s1600/DSC01926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2ofrrzCPB24I7REUB3JyP5kefgqpxf2s0WYGBTK_z7ftIvsZt1rWz4zZ2ZCdfl3saQYE3da_eypbOSUUOeUWdSCWV20D7hpX0y3vNbEWWPMeZjd8Nn_zd_ssForiGbk7CY-ouDN_VTOZ/s320/DSC01926.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
And that's it! An organized laundry room with everything I need to keep my family clothed. Do you have any tips to add? Is your laundry room in need of some help or is it more like those laundry mansions on Pinterest? <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-743623189199354082015-10-09T01:30:00.000-05:002015-10-09T01:30:01.781-05:00Feature Friday: Cherished Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHAOsPiIIOXU7vvhnOniCAHlFgrQrcJtPsgrklKB9pDK9cbC8-gnnzxeWqzTPKRKX02cJRyKKg0BUFmmjxvK3sQHqwSNWWBEfMHbqJ6S1bJZsBEzkZ96pMXYXvJOzWG2WM18b4vZR2MA_/s1600/Getting+Past+the+Worry+of+Not+Getting+it+Right.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHAOsPiIIOXU7vvhnOniCAHlFgrQrcJtPsgrklKB9pDK9cbC8-gnnzxeWqzTPKRKX02cJRyKKg0BUFmmjxvK3sQHqwSNWWBEfMHbqJ6S1bJZsBEzkZ96pMXYXvJOzWG2WM18b4vZR2MA_/s1600/Getting+Past+the+Worry+of+Not+Getting+it+Right.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
As I began to try to decide what I was going to share with you guys over at The Unperfect Family
I found myself in tailspin. Maybe this, no that, could this idea be better. I sort of had give
myself a shake to pull me out of the tail spin of worry. I realized I was worried about "not getting it right".<br />
<br />
Now...if you think about it...it is sort of ironic.
I'm writing for a blog called "The Unperfect Family" but yet I am worried about well...being perfect, getting it right. It's not the first time.<br />
There have been many times in my past that I have done nothing instead of trying something because I might fail.<br />
<br />
How about you? Afraid to fail? Ever worry about not getting it right? Has fear crept in to the point you
can't move forward?<br />
<br />
Here is what I do to get through when I find myself in these situations. I grab my journal and try to
figure out what is really stopping me or to see the situation from a new angle.<br />
<br />
Grab your journal and answer these questions:<br />
<br />
1.What are you really afraid of?<br />
For example, the first time I was on a microphone in front of people I was ready to run from the room.
After some thought and journaling, I discovered I was really afraid of forgetting what I wanted to say.<br />
<br />
2.Is there something I can do to help lesson the fear?<br />
For example,when I speak, I use visual aids and notes to keep me on track.It helps me to have it and lesson the
underlining fear of being in front of people.<br />
<br />
3.Ask yourself,"Do I really feel that I am suppose to do this and why?"<br />
If you answer "yes", then write this down in your journal.
I am meant to do _____________, so I'm going to do __________ afraid.<br />
<br />
I hope that helps you. I decided to do a quick journal sheet that you can print out and work through the
next time you find yourself in the paralyzing thought process of "I can't do this. I don't know if I can get it right".<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1lP5MFi4R2W-B4C6ngUmhic-VXnB9hVmKfBzq42gk3dotyTMUUMdgi_UJX12-9M4Eb6rvlwoSuLUxBPuJVXOkCKBlyLm07naRLPGKdQ0CV1DsEcbLWQ2A01nDaAKLnpL4S3xoq-LsmrA/s1600/Cherished-Magazine-October-2015-Magazine-for-Christian-Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1lP5MFi4R2W-B4C6ngUmhic-VXnB9hVmKfBzq42gk3dotyTMUUMdgi_UJX12-9M4Eb6rvlwoSuLUxBPuJVXOkCKBlyLm07naRLPGKdQ0CV1DsEcbLWQ2A01nDaAKLnpL4S3xoq-LsmrA/s320/Cherished-Magazine-October-2015-Magazine-for-Christian-Woman.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
Just hop on over the Cherished Magazine's Cherished Everyday Fall Tour Extravaganza and get your printable.<br />
You are chosen, cherished and loved!<br />
PS - I just also wanted to let you know there is special pricing for
Cherished Magazine during the Cherished Everyday Fall Tour Extravaganza.
<a href="http://cherishedmagazine.com/cherished-everyday/cherished-everyday-fall-tour-2015/" target="_blank">Get your journal sheet and information on the pricing here.</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jJvm4WaLlNVKBsNY0SxGMVUkhx5i2KX_TdHGPaz9nxfiAtJmrDFBQVq4SJBuvmd3QkOCLuX-ZARsI4_bj5lPV3z4dmgI_aRZC9hOaTP2pRrgiY11mERtthRy0w3k7xvLP4zVuQ-fO-p9/s1600/Cherished+Everyday+by+Cherished+Magazine+A+Christian+Women+Magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jJvm4WaLlNVKBsNY0SxGMVUkhx5i2KX_TdHGPaz9nxfiAtJmrDFBQVq4SJBuvmd3QkOCLuX-ZARsI4_bj5lPV3z4dmgI_aRZC9hOaTP2pRrgiY11mERtthRy0w3k7xvLP4zVuQ-fO-p9/s320/Cherished+Everyday+by+Cherished+Magazine+A+Christian+Women+Magazine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-53468651808729098882015-10-02T01:00:00.000-05:002015-10-02T01:00:04.723-05:00Feature Friday: A Splendid Messy Life <h3 class="" itemprop="name">
9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping
</h3>
<div class="">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying
"shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my
weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means
less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to
help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned
this year.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. </b>Bye
bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my
Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I
clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like
following the <a href="http://instagram.com/chaptersindigo">Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed</a>, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Tell a friend about the item. </b>This trick I do often with my
friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so
great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell
others about it.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Don't buy for "sometime." </b>I often find gifts and think, "Oh
this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift
for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and
don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I
need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift,
I won't buy it.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Use up what you have.</b> Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are
all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the
things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of
a cow in my freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Brown Bag It. </b>I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own
lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out
and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him
so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob
tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then
still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really
work.....<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>6. Use the library. </b>Buying a <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ereading/">Kobo</a>
has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are
little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books
from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my
Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I
also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just
disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over. <br />
<br />
<b>7. Make a universal wish list. </b>I have <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbairos/wish-list/">a Pinterest board </a>that
serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm
coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the
list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase. </b> Check out<a href="http://helpsavemydollars.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-making-a-purchase/"> this article.</a>
The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in
10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term
profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In
10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a
third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass
of wine when watching a movie with a friend.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> 9. Sell your stuff. </b>I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through
our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give
things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other
times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something
is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2
online consignment stores I use:<br />
<br />
i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/">Trend Trunk</a>. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/JenniferBairos20276">Trend Trunk Closet</a>
if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an
app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them
to the store.<br />
<br />
ii. For baby stuff, I've used <a href="http://www.babypreloved.ca/">Baby Pre-Loved</a>.
This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about
this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they
will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed
either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer
this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional
consignment store. <br />
<br />
So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!<br />
xo<br />
J </div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
<h3 class="" itemprop="name">
About Me
</h3>
<div class="">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-6750858388635880572" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QxpKmHqRtfdxwCVrjbLI88tr0vrUKQT4oV7hwaBlmNnb3Cl9LvxC4A3UG7yaG4rfBI7iJzjQQZZK5o7XbpN0QAXi2805JZ0MeTw6f-nnJoMoh63HF9II1Z8dFlMlVKYrfYOpaXTZFRV_/s1600/DSC_2994.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QxpKmHqRtfdxwCVrjbLI88tr0vrUKQT4oV7hwaBlmNnb3Cl9LvxC4A3UG7yaG4rfBI7iJzjQQZZK5o7XbpN0QAXi2805JZ0MeTw6f-nnJoMoh63HF9II1Z8dFlMlVKYrfYOpaXTZFRV_/s1600/DSC_2994.jpg" width="640" /></a><b><i> </i></b><br />
<b><i>This is a blog where these things matter: women, moms, friends, family, having
fun, experimenting with life, plus a few DIYs from Pinterest that may or may not totally fail. </i></b><br />
<b><i>Here is where I hope to share bits and
pieces of my life with you. </i></b></div>
<br />
A Splendid Messy Life is a mommy and lifestyle blog written and edited
by me, Jennifer Bairos. I am a working mama living in Toronto with my
husband, Rob, our son, Sebastian, and our cat, Lily. <br />
<br />
Both the journey to get and stay pregnant, and then my first year of
motherhood weren't easy roads. It helped me to connect with
others and read stories about how motherhood didn't always look like
walking with a sleeping baby in the stroller while drinking a Starbucks
latte. (I don't know why, but for some reason I thought I'd be doing
this every day as soon as Seb was born).<br />
<br />
When I was on maternity leave, I started to follow a few blogs and loved
hearing the
voices of these women sharing their tips, tricks, and thoughts on
motherhood. I was, and continue to be, inspired by these women and
wanted to join them by sharing my experiences with others too. I write
about books and toys that are loved in our house, things we love to do
in Toronto, resources I've found that have made life a little bit
easier, or just my thoughts on parenting.<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LoSuYbW5kq7QE1LLG0i9dYeizhIjjtEJo2aV4rVURFJCejANMXHhOmRusPm_9MgY92o3J67iXrLPuWoBCye41hLED4oWrEXWjx8_9OxnXbaqREX2C69jOfa4efSIOsWtgvuN0GUrgaFw/s1600/DSC_3090-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LoSuYbW5kq7QE1LLG0i9dYeizhIjjtEJo2aV4rVURFJCejANMXHhOmRusPm_9MgY92o3J67iXrLPuWoBCye41hLED4oWrEXWjx8_9OxnXbaqREX2C69jOfa4efSIOsWtgvuN0GUrgaFw/s1600/DSC_3090-3.jpg" width="351" /></a></div>
<br />
I
don't write exclusively about motherhood, however. I also love to share
wonderful and fun things I've found that I think any woman would
love. I call them <a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/search/label/Les%20petits%20plaisirs">les petits plaisirs.</a> <br />
<br />
If you'd like to get a taste of what I've written, a few of my most popular posts so far have been:<br />
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/03/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-and-balance_17.html">Breastfeeding, Bottle-feeding, and Balance</a><br />
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/08/instagram-vs-real-life.html">Instagram vs Real Life</a><br />
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/01/chemo-angels.html">Chemo Angels</a><br />
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/08/non-cheesy-anniversary-gift-ideas-for.html">Non-Cheesy Anniversary Gift Ideas for the First Five Years</a><br />
<br />
Thank you for stopping by, and welcome to my blog :)<br />
<br />
"She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it.)" Lewis Carroll<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<i><b> </b></i></h3>
<h3>
<i><b>Frequently Asked Questions</b></i> <i><b> </b></i></h3>
<i>Where do you find the time to blog?</i><br />
Usually during nap time. Most of the year I work full-time, so I will
write a post during naps on the weekend or maybe work on a post over a
few evenings during the week when Rob and I are binge-watching something
on Netflix. That's why Seb will nap until he's 18 and off to his next
grand adventure. I don't know when I'll write when he stops napping!<br />
<br />
<i>How do you keep your house so clean and seem to have your life all together?</i><br />
Ummm....I think you have the wrong blogger. Refer to the picture below and <a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/04/having-it-all-together.html">this blog post</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z7XGOiojltsPv2q8Fen-lER9uUB5kb1G6mNQone5XSnogiMTYL8d6iIBBs6zbNQ-pK6KMsEfMHCahpRjfPD733LzvWIb1a0VFJm_G3vrafPUrBm-Rw6QXkvr2_qqZMKp7JXt9lg0Yt3q/s1600/jenn_out.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z7XGOiojltsPv2q8Fen-lER9uUB5kb1G6mNQone5XSnogiMTYL8d6iIBBs6zbNQ-pK6KMsEfMHCahpRjfPD733LzvWIb1a0VFJm_G3vrafPUrBm-Rw6QXkvr2_qqZMKp7JXt9lg0Yt3q/s1600/jenn_out.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i>Tell us some of your favourites.</i><br />
Sure thing!<br />
Books:<br />
<a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2FPrayer-Owen-Meany-John-Irving%2Fdp%2F0062204092%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1413651267%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Da%2Bprayer%2Bfor%2Bowen%2Bmeany&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2FBook-Negroes-Lawrence-Hill%2Fdp%2F1554681561%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1413651299%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dthe%2Bbook%2Bof%2Bnegroes&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2FHelp-Kathryn-Stockett%2Fdp%2F0425232204%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1413651332%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dthe%2Bhelp&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">The Help by Kathryn Stockett</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.ca%2FSpilling-Open-Art-Becoming-Yourself-ebook%2Fdp%2FB003TO5OFK%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1413651357%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dspilling%2Bopen&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Spilling Open by Sabrina Ward Harrison</a>, and I posted earlier how I love pretty much <a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/03/i-like-my-entertainment-binge-style.html">any kind of trilogy</a>.<br />
You can check out my reviews of the books I've been reading recently <a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/p/books.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
TV Shows:<br />
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/01/les-petits-plaisirs-downton-abbey.html">Downton Abbey</a>, The Mindy Project, The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Suits, and Orange is the New Black <br />
<br />
Beauty products: <br />
<a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=227267664&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Jurlique Calendula Moisturizer</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=343247870&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=2742068&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">NARS Blush in Orgasm</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=340773450&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=2741699&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Stila Lip Glaze in Guava</a>, and Essie nailpolishes (usually in <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.target.com%2Fp%2Fessie-nail-color-wicked%2F-%2FA-13249381%23prodSlot%3Dmedium_1_1%26term%3Dessie%2Bwicked&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Wicked</a> or <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=442699870&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Mademoiselle</a>)<br />
<br />
Stores:<br />
<a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home/">Chapters Indigo</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jcrew.com%2Fca%2Findex.jsp&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">J Crew,</a> <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gapcanada.ca%2F&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Gap</a>, <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2F&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Sephora</a>, Etsy, and <a href="http://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anthropologie.com%2Fanthro%2Findex.jsp&pid=uid4201-23857101-69">Anthropologie</a><br />
<br />
Shoes:<br />
9 times out of 10 you can find me in either <a href="http://canada.roots.com/WesternRidingBootTribeLeather/WomensShoesandBoots//16020158,default,pd.html?cgid=shoesWomensBoots&selectedColor=024">these Roots boots</a>, black <a href="http://us.havaianas.com/women-sandals/top.html">Havianas</a>, or a pair of <a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/07/current-shoe-fetish-tieks.html">Tieks</a>.<br />
<br />
Blogs: <br />
<a href="http://themomedit.com/">The Mom Edit</a>, <a href="http://www.rookiemoms.com/">Rookie Moms</a>, <a href="http://www.thehonesttoddler.com/">The Honest Toddler</a>, <a href="http://theaveragegirlsguide.com/">The Average Girls' Guide</a>, and <a href="http://www.girlmeetsbox.com/">Girl Meets Box</a> <br />
<br />
<h3>
<i><b>Small claims to fame</b></i></h3>
Guest posts for The Rookie Moms: <a href="http://www.rookiemoms.com/my-year-of-rookie-mom-challenges/">My Year of Rookie Mom Challenges</a> and <a href="http://www.rookiemoms.com/baby-activities-in-toronto/">Baby Activities in Toronto.</a><br />
Guest post for The Ruralist: <a href="http://www.ruralist.ca/try-finding-a-small-town-within-a-big-city-guest-post/">Finding a Small Town Within a Big City</a>.<br />
Contributor for VoiceBox: <a href="http://voiceboks.com/why-im-not-having-a-birthday-party-for-my-3-year-old/">Why I'm Not Having a Birthday Party for my 3 Year Old.</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><i>A few comments about posts (and comments) </i></b></h3>
I do not collect or share data (other than traffic stats) from my readers. <br />
I believe in honesty on this blog and would never promote a product or
service that I did not totally love and think you would love too. Any
compensation provided will also be fully disclosed in the blog post. A
Splendid Messy Life does include affiliate advertising links in posts
and can earn a very small referral commission from these links. This
blog is written and edited by me and all opinions are my own.<br />
A Splendid Messy Life reserves the right to remove any comment that is
offensive in nature, self-promotional spam, or in any other way not
related to the post.<br />
<br />
<br />
Feel free to email me anytime at asplendidmessylife@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you! <br />
<br />
xo<br />
J </div>
<div class="" id="post-body-6750858388635880572" itemprop="description articleBody">
</div>
<div class="" id="post-body-6750858388635880572" itemprop="description articleBody">
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/p/about-me_3.html" target="_blank"> </a></div>
<div class="" id="post-body-6750858388635880572" itemprop="description articleBody">
<a href="http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/p/about-me_3.html" target="_blank">You can read more of A Splendid Messy Life here. </a></div>
</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying
"shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my
weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means
less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to
help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned
this year.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. </b>Bye
bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my
Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I
clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like
following the <a href="http://instagram.com/chaptersindigo">Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed</a>, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Tell a friend about the item. </b>This trick I do often with my
friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so
great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell
others about it.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Don't buy for "sometime." </b>I often find gifts and think, "Oh
this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift
for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and
don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I
need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift,
I won't buy it.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Use up what you have.</b> Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are
all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the
things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of
a cow in my freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Brown Bag It. </b>I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own
lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out
and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him
so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob
tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then
still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really
work.....<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>6. Use the library. </b>Buying a <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ereading/">Kobo</a>
has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are
little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books
from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my
Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I
also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just
disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over. <br />
<br />
<b>7. Make a universal wish list. </b>I have <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbairos/wish-list/">a Pinterest board </a>that
serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm
coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the
list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase. </b> Check out<a href="http://helpsavemydollars.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-making-a-purchase/"> this article.</a>
The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in
10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term
profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In
10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a
third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass
of wine when watching a movie with a friend.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> 9. Sell your stuff. </b>I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through
our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give
things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other
times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something
is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2
online consignment stores I use:<br />
<br />
i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/">Trend Trunk</a>. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/JenniferBairos20276">Trend Trunk Closet</a>
if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an
app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them
to the store.<br />
<br />
ii. For baby stuff, I've used <a href="http://www.babypreloved.ca/">Baby Pre-Loved</a>.
This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about
this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they
will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed
either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer
this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional
consignment store. <br />
<br />
So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!<br />
xo<br />
J
</div>
- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying
"shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my
weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means
less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to
help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned
this year.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. </b>Bye
bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my
Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I
clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like
following the <a href="http://instagram.com/chaptersindigo">Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed</a>, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Tell a friend about the item. </b>This trick I do often with my
friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so
great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell
others about it.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Don't buy for "sometime." </b>I often find gifts and think, "Oh
this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift
for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and
don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I
need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift,
I won't buy it.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Use up what you have.</b> Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are
all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the
things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of
a cow in my freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Brown Bag It. </b>I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own
lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out
and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him
so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob
tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then
still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really
work.....<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>6. Use the library. </b>Buying a <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ereading/">Kobo</a>
has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are
little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books
from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my
Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I
also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just
disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over. <br />
<br />
<b>7. Make a universal wish list. </b>I have <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbairos/wish-list/">a Pinterest board </a>that
serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm
coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the
list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase. </b> Check out<a href="http://helpsavemydollars.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-making-a-purchase/"> this article.</a>
The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in
10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term
profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In
10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a
third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass
of wine when watching a movie with a friend.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> 9. Sell your stuff. </b>I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through
our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give
things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other
times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something
is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2
online consignment stores I use:<br />
<br />
i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/">Trend Trunk</a>. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/JenniferBairos20276">Trend Trunk Closet</a>
if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an
app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them
to the store.<br />
<br />
ii. For baby stuff, I've used <a href="http://www.babypreloved.ca/">Baby Pre-Loved</a>.
This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about
this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they
will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed
either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer
this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional
consignment store. <br />
<br />
So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!<br />
xo<br />
J
</div>
- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-140733207409352603" itemprop="description articleBody">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2qkaKqmkddWAabA5xWs8WsvHfR-KZUAYt5JDorvVeW6ECJ21re5NNiCFGbBIfJtjz2LFi8x51aj7ebRl8FzNV2lg8hJhjkX7gtoPx1bH92n3MhyphenhyphenDmgHJtL0_IzGngorGv5Dhb19GFMNt/s1600/image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying
"shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my
weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means
less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to
help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned
this year.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. </b>Bye
bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my
Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I
clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like
following the <a href="http://instagram.com/chaptersindigo">Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed</a>, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Tell a friend about the item. </b>This trick I do often with my
friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so
great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell
others about it.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Don't buy for "sometime." </b>I often find gifts and think, "Oh
this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift
for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and
don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I
need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift,
I won't buy it.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Use up what you have.</b> Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are
all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the
things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of
a cow in my freezer.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Brown Bag It. </b>I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own
lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out
and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him
so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob
tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then
still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really
work.....<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>6. Use the library. </b>Buying a <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/ereading/">Kobo</a>
has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are
little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books
from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my
Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I
also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just
disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over. <br />
<br />
<b>7. Make a universal wish list. </b>I have <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/jbairos/wish-list/">a Pinterest board </a>that
serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm
coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the
list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase. </b> Check out<a href="http://helpsavemydollars.com/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-before-making-a-purchase/"> this article.</a>
The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in
10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term
profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In
10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a
third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass
of wine when watching a movie with a friend.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> 9. Sell your stuff. </b>I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through
our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give
things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other
times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something
is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2
online consignment stores I use:<br />
<br />
i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/">Trend Trunk</a>. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my <a href="https://www.trendtrunk.com/JenniferBairos20276">Trend Trunk Closet</a>
if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an
app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them
to the store.<br />
<br />
ii. For baby stuff, I've used <a href="http://www.babypreloved.ca/">Baby Pre-Loved</a>.
This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about
this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they
will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed
either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer
this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional
consignment store. <br />
<br />
So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!<br />
xo<br />
J
</div>
- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-60235053485417888322015-09-28T12:03:00.001-05:002015-09-28T15:26:37.268-05:00Tonight I'll Hold Her Hand<div dir="ltr">
Tonight, I'll hold her hand</div>
<div dir="ltr">
My daughter has always been spoiled. She's the youngest child, and the only girl. My husband and I have the only kids in the family, so she's the only granddaughter as well. Being the baby of the family means she got held a little longer, cuddled a little more, and coslept well beyond when my boys did. I had my tubes tied when she was born, so we always knew she would be the last, and we tried to cherish every moment. And she got quite spoiled along the way. Not with material things, but time and attention. She was this perfect little angel we just couldn't get enough of. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuETiKCWVu3nEuUuZ6szkQagLJj5vyenRzwpD35U9DPON-OO4c3OAQJOgRpT1-snoywPaWevjMJ_-zFUDx6vji0C-fsSZB1UCYtNkRvGQrQTVMSly58Qtz-O_7S2CcR1wJswHVqq6qMPox/s1600/9497_10152944631067246_1643010221904714740_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuETiKCWVu3nEuUuZ6szkQagLJj5vyenRzwpD35U9DPON-OO4c3OAQJOgRpT1-snoywPaWevjMJ_-zFUDx6vji0C-fsSZB1UCYtNkRvGQrQTVMSly58Qtz-O_7S2CcR1wJswHVqq6qMPox/s320/9497_10152944631067246_1643010221904714740_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>But, eventually, we wanted her to become a "big girl" and do things on her own. Like sleeping. She started kindergarten a month ago, and until then, had nearly always slept with us. She has her own bed, and most nights she would start out there. But she always found her way to our room, and we didn't put up much of a fight. Since starting school, she has grown so much. And now she stays in her own bed all night. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
With two dogs and a husband, my bed was anything but empty. Yet I found myself missing those late night cuddles and sleepy smiles. I dare not wake her, though I often slipped in the doorway to watch her sleeping peacefully alone. I knew I would miss cosleeping, just as I had when my boys outgrew it. But this was so...final. She was my baby, and now was happily sleeping, going to school, and enjoying life without my constant aid. I was proud, though sad, at her budding independence. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Then tonight, I got a little piece of my baby back. I was lying in bed and heard crying doen the hall. She had a bad dream and was frightened, needing her mommy for reassurance. And I happily obliged. I picked her up and carried her to my bed, where we talked it out and calmed down and cuddled for a while. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
She took her place beside me in the middle of the bed, and grabbed my hand. She clung to it as she dozed off, and held on tight even as she snored into the night. And I put up no fight. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
My arm was asleep, I lay in a terribly awkward position, and I cared not. My child needed me, and I needed her. And we were at peace. Many times over the course of motherhood, I've read articles and blog posts that tugged at my heartstrings and made me grateful for every moment with my children. I would hold them a little tighter, and remember how lucky I am to have them. <br />
Then, after only a few hours, I would lose my new found appreciation. Tossed in the throes of parenting, I would lose my patience and quickly forget everything I was so thankful for. But not tonight. Too often we get wrapped up in the daily grind, and lose sight of the magical journey we are on, together with our children. They are learning to grow, and we are learning to let go. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
So tonight, I will not pull away. I will not worry about my aching body and numb fingers. I will not stress over her independence or my lack of personal space. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
Tonight, I will hold her hand. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
*disclaimer: I typed this one handed from my tablet, please excuse any typos*</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-32043428145822804592015-09-25T01:00:00.000-05:002015-09-25T01:00:04.085-05:00Feature Friday: Stephanie Dube<div class="post-header">
<h2 class="post-title">
<a href="http://blog.stephaniedube.com/recipe/gourmet-baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/" rel="bookmark" title="Gourmet Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe">Gourmet Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe</a></h2>
</div>
This Gourmet Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe is for those
times when you want something that reminds you of a simple comfort food,
but with an adult, more complex-tasting twist. It’s a delicious creamy
meal with three types of cheese, artichoke hearts, garlic, olives, and
capers. The unique mixture creates a delicious taste. Of course, this
recipe is completely modifiable, so you can add or subtract any
ingredients pretty much!<br />
I used to make a plainer baked mac & cheese a lot when I was
younger. But the dish always tasted … well … plain. Today I had some
free time and I loooove to de-stress by cooking, so I decided to
experiment, throw a bunch of ingredients together, and see what
happened. What resulted was pure deliciousness!<br />
<div class="bctt-click-to-tweet">
<span class="bctt-ctt-text"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=This+Baked+Mac+%26amp%3B+Cheese+comes+with+capers+and+olives.+YUM%21&via=StephanieDube&related=StephanieDube&url=http://blog.stephaniedube.com/recipe/gourmet-baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe/" target="_blank">This Baked Mac & Cheese comes with capers and olives. YUM!</a></span></div>
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_2554.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Gourmet Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe" class="alignnone wp-image-1335" height="535" src="http://i2.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_2554.jpg?resize=535%2C535" width="535" /></a><br />
<br />
To make this concoction, you’ll need the following. (And don’t
forget, there’s a recipe card at the end of this post where you can
print or save a simple recipe version!)<br />
<h1>
<strong>Ingredients</strong></h1>
1/4 onion<br />
5 garlic cloves (to taste — add more or less)<br />
Olive oil (3 to 4 tablespoons, however much you need to saute the onions and garlic)<br />
1/4 cup green olives with pimento<br />
1/4 cup artichoke hearts<br />
1/4 cup capers<br />
2 to 2 1/2 cups of penne pasta (I use whole wheat penne, but you can use macaroni or whatever pasta you like)<br />
2 cups 2% or non-fat milk<br />
3 tablespoons flour<br />
2 tablespoons butter + a little more<br />
1/4 cup white wine<br />
1 “dash” of dijon mustard<br />
Garlic powder to taste<br />
1 dash of red pepper flakes<br />
Salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning to taste<br />
1/4 cup each of feta, extra sharp cheddar, parmesan<br />
Panko<br />
<h1>
<strong>Instructions</strong></h1>
Preheat oven to 350.<br />
First, chop the onions and garlic cloves. Saute in olive oil on low
to medium-low until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic
towards the end of this process, so it doesn’t get burned. Chop the
olives and artichokes and add to the saute mix, sauteing with the onion.
Add the capers too. Keep on low while you’re cooking the penne and the
sauce.<br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Baked Mac and Cheese - Saute" class="alignnone wp-image-1331" height="478" src="http://i1.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender-2.jpg?resize=500%2C478" width="500" /></a><br />
Boil the penne according to instructions. Set aside.<br />
Make the sauce. You’ll start out by creating a “roux” with the flour
and butter. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on low. Then mix in the flour
until it’s all congealed. Then slowly add the milk, with the burner on
low to medium-low so you don’t burn the mix. This will take awhile. Keep
stirring periodically and keeping a close eye on the sauce. Let it heat
and stir until the mix sickens to a mac-and-cheese sauce consistency.
Add the white wine. (You may need to add a little extra flour if the
wine thins out the mixture too much.) Add the mustard (3 quick
squeezes), garlic powder, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and Italian
seasoning to taste.<br />
Make sure the sauce is really hot, and then add the cheese. This will
further thicken the sauce. Stir and stir until the cheese is completely
melted into the sauce.<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="The sauce for baked mac and cheese" class="alignnone wp-image-1332" height="465" src="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender-1.jpg?resize=500%2C465" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Pour the saute mixture into the sauce and mix it up well.<br />
Now, pour the penne into a baking dish. Pour the sauce on top and mix it all up really well. It will look like this:<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe" class="alignnone wp-image-1333" height="485" src="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/FullSizeRender.jpg?resize=500%2C485" width="500" /></a><br />
Sprinkle Panko on top and then either pour a little melted butter on
top of that or spray some “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” on top.<br />
Bake in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. You’re done and ready to eat a delicious meal!<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_2555.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Gourmet Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe" class="alignnone wp-image-1334" height="500" src="http://i0.wp.com/blog.stephaniedube.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_2555.jpg?resize=500%2C500" width="500" /> </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="widget-content">
<h3 class="widget-title">
About This Blog</h3>
<div class="textwidget">
I
went through numerous iterations picking a name for this blog. I
considered "Trial and Error," something about cats, something about
sparkles... "A Blog by Dube" pays homage to my old blog, Dube's World.
It's also my nickname. :) You'll find writing advice, recipes, lifestyle
tips, and articles about women and TV here. Enjoy! </div>
<div class="textwidget">
</div>
<div class="textwidget">
<a href="http://blog.stephaniedube.com/" target="_blank">Check out StephanieDube here </a></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-9097561924785198682015-09-18T01:00:00.000-05:002015-09-18T01:00:05.477-05:00Feature Friday: A Fresh Start On A Budget<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
How I motivate myself to get things done</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-06-10T07:00:02+00:00" itemprop="datePublished"></time>By <span class="entry-author" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="entry-author-link" href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/author/blogging/" itemprop="url" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name" itemprop="name">Karissa</span></a></span> <span class="entry-comments-link"><a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/#comments"><br /></a></span></div>
</header><div class="entry-content" itemprop="text">
<div class="shareaholic-canvas shareaholic-ui shareaholic-resolved-canvas ng-scope" data-app-id="8006602" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/" data-summary="" data-title="How I motivate myself to get things done" id="shr_canvas2">
<div class="ng-scope">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-container shareaholic-ui mini " style="top: 15%;">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-wrapper shareaholic-ui">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="shareaholic-canvas shareaholic-ui shareaholic-resolved-canvas ng-scope" data-app-id="8006602" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/" data-summary="" data-title="How I motivate myself to get things done" id="shr_canvas2">
<div class="ng-scope">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-container shareaholic-ui mini " style="top: 15%;">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-wrapper shareaholic-ui">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="lazysocialbuttons" data-backgroundtype="light" data-buttons="google,twitter,facebook" data-fbhideflyout="false" data-float="left" data-shareurl="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/" data-twshareurl="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/" data-twtext="How I motivate myself to get things done" id="lsb56163" style="height: 20px;">
<div class="lazysocialbuttons" style="float: left; height: 20px; position: relative;">
<div class="lsbfbbox" id="lsbfbbox-lsb56163" style="display: inline-block; float: left; height: 20px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 78px;">
<div class="fb-like fb_iframe_widget" data-colorscheme="light" data-href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/how-i-motivate-myself/" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-sfid="lsb56163" data-show-faces="false">
<span style="height: 20px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 78px;"></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Do you have trouble getting motivated to put ideas into action?<br />
Such
a great question and I’d answer it this way. If I want something and
it’s important to me I will be motivated. To be honest I like to make
myself happy and that’s ok. So if I want it the motivation is there. The
struggle comes when I need to do something that I don’t really want to
do and then I have to figure out how to make myself motivated to do it.
So really quick I want to share my little tips to doing things I don’t
want to do and finding motivation. There are plenty of days I just want
to do nothing and on those days I have to push myself a little harder.<br />
<a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/motivation.png"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img alt="How I motivate myself to get things done" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5743" data-frizzlyindex="1" height="1000" src="http://i0.wp.com/afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/motivation.png?resize=650%2C1000" width="650" /> </span> </a><br />
<br />
1.
Switch off the tasks with someone: If I really don’t want to do
something then I try to find something my husband needs to do and
doesn’t want to and see if we can trade. That way things still get done.<br />
2.
Break into time chunks. For me this is the best way to get myself
motivated to do big tasks around the house. I will do it for 20 minutes
then I get a break and then another 20 minutes and so on. During the
breaks I do something fun like read or go online to relax and then get
back to it. Most things don’t seem so bad if I break it up like that.
Even things I dread like cleaning Bella’s room or putting away laundry.<br />
3.
Get what’s most important done. Not everything is going to be
accomplished in my home but not everything is a priority to me either. I
focus on what is and that takes some of the pressure off which
motivates me to get things done.<br />
4. Make a list. I use to write
them before my hand stopped working but now I keep lists on my blog and
in evernote on my ipad and phone. It’s great motivation to mark stuff
done. Especially when I make them private like on my <a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/rough-week-last-week-good-week-coming-dos-69-616/">weekly to do post</a>.<br />
<br />
5.
Going public about projects as well as lists. If I tell someone that
I’m going to do something that is great motivation to actually get it
done. I know I will get asked about it either online or by people in my
real life. So I want to make sure to work on stuff so I can say what
I’ve been working on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
About Me!</h1>
</header><div class="lazysocialbuttons" data-backgroundtype="light" data-buttons="google,twitter,facebook" data-fbhideflyout="false" data-float="left" data-shareurl="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/2120-2/" data-twshareurl="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/2120-2/" data-twtext="About Me!" id="lsb40680" style="height: 20px;">
<div class="lazysocialbuttons" style="float: left; height: 20px; position: relative;">
<div class="lsbfbbox" id="lsbfbbox-lsb40680" style="display: inline-block; float: left; height: 20px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; width: 78px;">
<div class="fb-like fb_iframe_widget" data-colorscheme="light" data-href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/2120-2/" data-layout="button_count" data-send="false" data-sfid="lsb40680" data-show-faces="false">
<span style="height: 20px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 78px;"></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_1632_edited-1.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img alt="IMG_1632_edited-1" class="aligncenter wp-image-5622" data-frizzlyindex="1" height="895" src="http://i0.wp.com/afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMG_1632_edited-1.jpg?resize=519%2C895" width="519" /> </span> </a><br />
I’m
Karissa and you’ve found my blog, let me start out by saying how glad I
am that you are here. I love my blog and even more than that I love my
readers. Since you clicked over to this page then I guess you want to
know about the women behind the blog. So I’m in my early 30’s, I’m a
wife of 11 years to my high school boyfriend, I’m the mother of a
wonderful 8 year old daughter named Bella and hope for more kids one
day. I am a San Diego native and am a part time blogger hoping to go pro
in the near future.<br />
<a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_0243.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img alt="IMG_0243" class="aligncenter wp-image-4207" data-frizzlyindex="2" height="606" src="http://i2.wp.com/afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_0243.jpg?resize=808%2C606" width="808" /> </span> </a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Here is my family!</div>
My
blog is a positive and upbeat place, full of tips and advice. The
reason I started my blog was because I was in a bad place. I was 25 and
had a stroke. My recovery was long and isolating so I got into reading
blogs. This lead me to want to try writing my own. I discovered that I
had a love of writing and that I love the blog community and readers.<br />
So
I have wanted to create a place of helpful advice and encouragement to
other women and bloggers. I also host a weekly blog link up full of
positive and motivational quotes to help my readers start their week of
right and also to help create a place for sharing our posts and
supporting each other.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/" target="_blank">You can check out A Fresh Start On A Budget here. </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://afreshstartonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/june.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> </span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-17947708418008517302015-09-11T01:00:00.000-05:002015-09-11T01:00:04.082-05:00Feature Friday: The Life Jolie<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Blueberry Buckle</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-06-15T00:07:48+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">June 15, 2015</time></div>
</header><strong>I love blueberries</strong>. Seriously. They’re so<strong> healthy and incredibly delicious</strong>.
When I was a kid, I would eat them like they were going out of style.
Some things never change, this is still the case. While I’m normally
quite frugal, I will pay big bucks to have them around to snack on. And
one of my favorite ways to enjoy blueberries is in a Blueberry Buckle.<br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Blueberry.png"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3165 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="0" height="1046" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Blueberry.png?resize=699%2C1046" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="699" /></a><br />
My sweet <strong>Grandma Eve has been whipping this up for as long as I can remember</strong>.
Looking back, I can think of many a happy summer gather ending with
this simple confection, on a warm night around my parents kitchen table.
If I was lucky, my parents might even allow me to have a small second
piece!<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4960.jpg1_-e1433861042656.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3166 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="1" height="466" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4960.jpg1_-e1433861042656.jpg?resize=740%2C493" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="700" /></a> <a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5094.jpg1_-e1433860914516.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3173 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="2" height="900" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5094.jpg1_-e1433860914516.jpg?resize=600%2C900" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="600" /></a> <a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4962-e1433861031260.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3167 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="3" height="466" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4962-e1433861031260.jpg?resize=740%2C493" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="700" /></a><br />
<strong>This is the quintessential summer dessert. It whips up super
quickly, making it an excellent candidate for that last minute get
together. The results of this simple dessert are moist delicious cake,
bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel
topping to add a bit of crunch. I like to enjoy this at all hours of
the day, if it lasts that long!</strong><br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5066.jpg1_-e1433860954379.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3171 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="4" height="466" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5066.jpg1_-e1433860954379.jpg?resize=740%2C493" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="700" /></a> <a href="http://i2.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5056.jpg1_-e1433860967146.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3170 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="5" height="466" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_5056.jpg1_-e1433860967146.jpg?resize=740%2C493" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="700" /></a> <a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4970.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3169 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="6" height="466" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4970-e1433860983507.jpg?resize=740%2C493" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="700" /></a> <a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4966.jpg1_.jpg"><img alt="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." class="aligncenter wp-image-3168 size-full" data-jpibfi-indexer="7" height="899" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_4966.jpg1_-e1433861006217.jpg?resize=600%2C899" title="This Blueberry Buckle whips up super quickly. This moist cake is bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping." width="600" /></a><br />
<strong>Blueberry Buckle</strong><br />
Source: Eve Repp<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>3/4 of a cup of sugar</li>
<li>1/4 of a cup of softened margarine (I used butter)</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1/2 of a cup of milk</li>
<li>2 cups of flour</li>
<li>1 tsp. of baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. of salt</li>
<li>1 cups of blueberries, rinsed and well drained</li>
</ul>
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.<br />
Grease and flour a 9″ x 9″ square pan (I usually only grease it).<br />
Mix sugar, butter and egg thoroughly. Add milk and mix to combine.<br />
Whisk together dry ingredients and add to the sugar mixture. Mix
until everything is combine and stir in blueberries. The dough will be
sticky (somewhere between a batter and a dough) and not seem wet enough
but it is just as it’s supposed to be, so don’t add any more liquid!<br />
Spread the batter carefully to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with
the streusel topping (recipe below) and bake for 45-50 minutes.<br />
<strong>Streusel Topping</strong><br />
Source: Eve Repp<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 of a cup of sugar</li>
<li>1/3 of a cup of flour</li>
<li>1/2 of a tsp. of cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 of a cup of soft margarine (I used butter)</li>
</ul>
Mix all ingredients thoroughly until it gets to be a crumbly
consistency. Serve warm (though this is also delicious once it has
cooled!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
About</h1>
</header><div style="text-align: left;">
Hello there. Welcome to The Life Jolie. This is my place to document living this Pretty Life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>What is the Pretty Life, you ask?</strong>
It is an idea that drives me. The idea is quite simple; life is
beautiful. It’s ups and it’s downs and everything in between are so very
pretty. We are here for such a short time, and often times we focus on
the stressful, negative things. I’ve certainly been guilty of this all
too often in my life. No more.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This blog, this place, is a call to action
for me to celebrate this Pretty Life that we live. To find the joy in
the little, every day things that present themselves. To see the
positives and the blessings in each day. To document the various parts
of this Pretty Life, in an honest way. And most of all, to be grateful
for all aspects of it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>Who am I? </strong>My name is
Jessy. I live in Western New York with my husband, Justin. We have a
daughter Alice and a dog Macie. We have a house that we purchased in
2013. It’s not large or fancy, but it’s our home and we love it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Q21A0915.jpg"><img alt="Q21A0915" class="alignnone wp-image-38 size-large" data-jpibfi-indexer="0" height="426" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.thelifejolie.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Q21A0915.jpg?resize=640%2C426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
J and I enjoy a simple life. I love
spending time with our friends and family, working on our home,
traveling and now exploring our new journey of parenthood. I have a
sense of humor that can be dry, sarcastic, and a bit raunchy at times; I
love a good laugh. Cooking and food are a passion of mine and a
favorite way to show my love. I try to be crafty and the results are
definitely a mixed bag. I’m also trying to decorate our home, slowly.
It’s coming together.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Grab a seat and stay a while.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.thelifejolie.com/" target="_blank">You can check out The Life Jolie here.</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-4518330187387930762015-09-04T01:00:00.000-05:002015-09-04T01:00:07.548-05:00Feature Friday: Homestead Wishing<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Simple Tips for Natural Cleaning</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2014-07-26T12:43:38+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">July 26, 2014</time> by <span class="entry-author" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="entry-author-link" href="http://homesteadwishing.com/author/kristi/" itemprop="url" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name" itemprop="name">Homestead Wishing</span></a></span> </div>
</header><div class="entry-content" itemprop="text">
<div class="shareaholic-canvas shareaholic-ui shareaholic-resolved-canvas ng-scope" data-app-id="11173300" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://homesteadwishing.com/356/simple-tips-for-natural-cleaning/" data-summary="" data-title="Simple Tips for Natural Cleaning" id="shr_canvas4">
<div class="ng-scope">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-container shareaholic-ui badge-counter " style="top: 15%;">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-wrapper shareaholic-ui">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-heading ng-scope">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="shareaholic-canvas shareaholic-ui shareaholic-resolved-canvas ng-scope" data-app-id="11173300" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://homesteadwishing.com/356/simple-tips-for-natural-cleaning/" data-summary="" data-title="Simple Tips for Natural Cleaning" id="shr_canvas4">
<div class="ng-scope">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-container shareaholic-ui badge-counter " style="top: 15%;">
<div class="shareaholic-share-buttons-wrapper shareaholic-ui">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Vinegar:</h2>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
White Vinegar Spray: 1 part vinegar, to 3 parts water</h4>
<div>
This is what I use on my stove top. It is a wonderful degreaser!
You can also use it to remove hard water stains. I put some in my
dishwasher to clean the build up off of the coils! I basically use
vinegar for almost everything. Not to mention that it is only a few
bucks for a gallon! Then I also dilute it. I save lots of money by using
vinegar to clean! Here is a list of ways I use it to clean in my home.</div>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_1602" style="width: 400px;"><img alt="natural cleaning " class="wp-image-1602 size-full" height="311" src="http://homesteadwishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Cleaning.jpg" title="Natural Cleaning Tips, how and where!" width="400" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="http://www.rgbstock.com/photo/nmPjYjM/Cleaning+products" target="_blank">Photo credit</a>: Artist Sumodaz</figcaption></figure>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Natural Cleaning List:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Toilet bowl -Add a little vinegar and a little bit of baking soda</li>
<li>Countertop – spray on and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then it wipes clean with minimal scrubbing</li>
<li>Stovetop – same as countertop instructions</li>
<li>Fabric softener/odor remover – Put 1/4 cup vinegar into your washer to soften clothes</li>
<li>Bug repellent – I am currently working on a recipe that works (I will share when completed!)</li>
<li>Dog bed cleaner – My dog is extra stinky. I take the inserts from
her bed spray with my vinegar spray and lay in the sun to dry. Works
great!</li>
<li>Vegetable/fruit wash</li>
<li>Clean dishwasher – Fill a small bowl halfway with vinegar and run a full cycle</li>
<li>Wood floor cleaner – Vinegar 1/p to water 3/p plus 1/4 cup of olive oil</li>
<li>Microwave – Fill a small microwavable bowl with vinegar, and cook
until the vinegar boils. Do not open the door, let it sit there for 5-10
more minutes. Then wipe clean!</li>
<li>Walls/baseboards/door handles/light switches – I just wet the rag
with the vinegar spray and wipe away. For spring cleaning add some soap
to your rag.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bathtub Cleaner – 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup soap, 1 quart water, 2 TBSP baking soda</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://homesteadwishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cleaning.jpg"><img alt="natural cleaning" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2491 shareaholic-media-target-hover-state" height="400" src="http://homesteadwishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cleaning.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<h3>
Other cleaning tips…</h3>
<strong>Coffee Pot</strong> – Old school hack ~Clean that decanter
with Ice, salt and lemon! Swirl it around for a few minutes let it sit,
swirl it around again. Repeat until stains are gone!<a href="http://homesteadwishing.com/357/homemade-laundry-detergent-recipe/" title="Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe"> </a><br />
<a href="http://homesteadwishing.com/357/homemade-laundry-detergent-recipe/" target="_blank" title="Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe">Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe</a>.<br />
<div>
<strong>Kitchen sink</strong> – I like to wash with soap and water, but for a deeper clean I will put some baking soda in the sink and scrub it really well.</div>
<div>
<strong>Bathroom odor control</strong> – If you place just a little
of baking soda around the bottom of the toilet. Just on that little lip
where the bolts are. I have all boys and lets face it, they MISS!
Baking soda not only deodorizes the pee smell but it also soaks up some
of the miss. When I clean the bathroom I just sweep it off clean it up
and apply more. I know it is gross. That is life with boys.</div>
<div>
Well, I sure hope that this helps you. I am super happy to not be
using really strong chemicals. I have been cleaning for many years, and I
swore by the nonsense of harsh chemicals. I really thought that was the
only way to really get things clean. I wish I had known about vinegar
and it’s magical powers then!</div>
<div>
Thank you for stopping by!</div>
<h4>
Do you have any favorite natural cleaners you use?</h4>
<h4>
<a href="http://homesteadwishing.com/" target="_blank"> </a></h4>
<h4>
<a href="http://homesteadwishing.com/" target="_blank">You can check out Homestead Wishing here. </a></h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-69027702537128145542015-08-28T01:00:00.000-05:002015-08-28T01:00:01.080-05:00Feature Friday: Through The Lens<h1 class="entry-title">
{Gluten Free, Sugar Free} Peanut Butter Cookies</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="cat-links">
Posted in <a href="http://throughthelens-blog.com/category/recipes/" rel="category tag">Recipes</a> </span>
<span class="byline">
by <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://throughthelens-blog.com/author/throughthelenshannahdiane/" rel="author" title="View all posts by Hannah Diane">Hannah Diane</a></span> </span>
</div>
Happy Monday, everyone! Did you know that last Friday was national
peanut butter cookie day? Seriously! So, of course I needed to make some
pb cookies! But….I’m trying to stick with my Trim Healthy Mama plan for
the rest of this pregnancy. I decided I would make this (almost)
THM-style!<br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pb-cookies.jpg"><img alt="PB Cookies" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1177" src="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pb-cookies.jpg?w=640" /></a><br />
Yum! Don’t they look delish?<br />
<hr />
Ingredients:<br />
1 cup no-sugar added peanut butter (or other nut butter)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup stevia (or other natural sweetner)<br />
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips<br />
Directions:<br />
Preheat oven to 375. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl.
Shape into balls, and slightly flatten with your fingers. Press some
chocolate chips on the tops of each cookie. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let
cool before moving them. Enjoy!<br />
<hr />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pb-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg"><img alt="PB Chocolate Chip Cookies" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1178" src="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pb-chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg?w=640" /></a><br />
Did you enjoy peanut butter cookies on Friday?<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Hannah Diane<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">
About</h1>
</header>
Hey there! I’m Hannah Diane. I am married to my best friend, Luke. I
have a horse, and we have two kittens. I love my Saviour, Jesus Christ,
and have a love relationship with Him first and foremost. I am a book
lover, and a lover of all things simple and old-fashioned. I wish I
lived in the 1800s. I love blogging about my life….fitness, healthy
living, recipes, DIY projects, horse training, what the Lord is teaching
me in my life, and being a wife. I hope to make many friends along this
journey…won’t you join me?<br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/engagement.jpg"><img alt="Engagement" class="aligncenter wp-image-279 size-full" height="960" src="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/engagement.jpg?w=640&h=960" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/wedding.jpg"><img alt="Wedding" class="aligncenter wp-image-280 size-large" height="960" src="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/wedding.jpg?w=640&h=960" width="640" /></a><br />
That there is my Handsome Man, Luke. He’s the best. He’s my best friend,
encourager, leader. He’s so sweet and such a hard worker. I don’t know
what I would do without him. We met when I was 15 and he was 19. We
started courting when I was 17 and getting ready to start my senior year
in High School. He proposed on Christmas Eve when I was 18 and we got
married the day before our two year anniversary.<br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/eating-healthy.jpg"><img alt="Eating Healthy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-281" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/eating-healthy.jpg?w=640" /></a> <a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/fruit.jpg"><img alt="Fruit" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-282" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/fruit.jpg?w=640" /></a> <a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/nitros-and-running.jpg"><img alt="Nitros and Running" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-283" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/nitros-and-running.jpg?w=640" /></a><br />
I love working out and eating right. Wow! I never thought I’d say that.
My struggle with being healthy and at a healthy weight has been
life-long. But I seriously love working out! Lifting weights, biking,
running and yoga are some of my favorite things.<br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/ameera.jpg"><img alt="Ameera" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-284" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/ameera.jpg?w=640" /></a> <a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/christmas-with-ameera.jpg"><img alt="Christmas with Ameera" class="aligncenter wp-image-285 size-large" height="853" src="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/christmas-with-ameera.jpg?w=640&h=853" width="640" /></a>I
love my Ameera. She’s amazing. We’ve had our ups and our downs. Being a
horse owner and training your two year old filly from the ground up can
be difficult, frustrating, fun, exciting, but always rewarding. I’ve
had Ameera for over two years now and we’re finally to the point of
riding. I learn something new every time we work together.<br />
<a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/reading.jpg"><img alt="Reading" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-286" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/reading.jpg?w=640" /></a><a href="https://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/devotions.jpg"><img alt="Devotions" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-287" src="http://throughthelenshannahdiane.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/devotions.jpg?w=640" /></a><br />
And my favorite….I blog about life. My relationship with Jesus Christ.
What He has taught me and what I am learning. He’s my all in all. I
would be nothing without Him. He took my dirty, nasty rags of
self-righteousness and traded them for His spotless ones so I could have
a relationship with my Father. To Him, I owe my life.<br />
I hope you grab a cup of coffee (or water) and stay to chat. Let’s get to know each other, okay?<br />
~Hannah Diane<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://throughthelens-blog.com/" target="_blank">You can check out her blog here. </a><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-1016460724071110552015-08-21T01:00:00.000-05:002015-08-21T01:00:04.005-05:00Feature Friday: Whole Food Bellies<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Brunch Bowl</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-06-04T10:00:22+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">June 4, 2015</time> by <span class="entry-author" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="entry-author-link" href="http://www.wholefoodbellies.com/author/mdonna13gmail-com/" itemprop="url" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name" itemprop="name">Whole Food Bellies</span></a></span> </div>
</header>
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like at300b" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><div class="fb-like fb_iframe_widget" data-action="like" data-font="arial" data-href="http://www.wholefoodbellies.com/garlicky-quinoa-and-spinach-brunch-bowl/" data-layout="button_count" data-ref=".VX7_cgKtelN.like" data-send="false" data-share="false" data-show_faces="false" data-width="90">
<span style="height: 20px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 78px;"></span></div>
</a>
</div>
For those of you who
don’t know; we moved this weekend! It was a bit of a process, but we
made it, and we are now all settled in our beautiful new home. It’s so
lovely!<br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-3-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg"><img alt="Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1017" height="544" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-3-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg?resize=700%2C560" width="680" /></a><br />
Now, I thought I was well prepared for the big weekend, as I had made lots of snacks for the kidlets, and I had packed all the <em>necessary</em> cooking
utensils in an easy to access box. The best laid plans huh….I forgot
my kids have bottomless pits as tummies, and that moving is hungry work
for mum and dad too. So the snacks didn’t last long. I also forgot to
tell my husband that the box needed to be accessible…so it was only
found and unpacked last night.<br />
Ahhh, thank goodness for takeaway <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" height="15" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="15" /><br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-1-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg"><img alt="Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1019" height="515" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-1-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg?resize=700%2C530" width="680" /></a><br />
Now we are (somewhat) unpacked, I have gotten back into the swing of
things, and our fridge is full of real food again. Yay! I find it so
hard to make good choices if I haven’t prepped for the week, so it was
all falling apart for a while there.<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-2-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg"><img alt="Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1018" height="533" src="http://i0.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-2-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg?resize=700%2C549" width="680" /></a><br />
This meal is delicious. I have had it for <del>second breakfast</del>
brunch twice this week already, and my husband requested a double
batch, so he could take some to work again today. My husband requesting
spinach…unheard of!<br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-4-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg"><img alt="Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1016" height="544" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-4-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg?resize=700%2C560" width="680" /></a><br />
It takes a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare (if you have pre-cooked
your quinoa) and it really packs a punch flavour-wise. The perfect dish
to serve up for brunch as it looks quite fancy and cafe-ish with a
perfectly poached or fried egg on top, but is a cinch to prepare. I do
make it quite heavy on the garlic, so adjust up or down depending on
your preferences.<br />
Hubby has suggested it would be perfect with a nice piece of fish
nestled on top. I wholeheartedly agree, and will be trying that out this
week <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" height="15" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="15" /> How would you eat it?<br />
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-5-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg"><img alt="Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1015" height="568" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-5-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg?resize=700%2C585" width="680" /></a><br />
I would love to hear what you think! <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="er-top-box">
<div class="ERSSavePrint">
<span class="ERSPrintBtnSpan"><a class="ERSPrintBtn ui-button ui-widget ui-state-default ui-corner-all ui-button-text-icon-primary" href="http://www.wholefoodbellies.com/easyrecipe-print/1012-0/" rel="nofollow" role="button" target="_blank"><span class="ui-button-icon-primary ui-icon ERSPrintIcon"></span><span class="ui-button-text">Print</span></a></span> </div>
<div class="ERSName" itemprop="name">
Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Bowl</div>
</div>
<div class="er-recipe-details">
<div class="er-half-width er-float-left">
Rating <span class="er-ratings-block" itemprop="aggregateRating" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/AggregateRating"> <span class="er-ratings-outer"> <span class="er-ratings-inner" style="width: 100%;"></span> </span> </span> <br />
Prep time: <span> <time datetime="PT5M" itemprop="prepTime">5 mins</time> </span><br />
Cook time: <span><time datetime="PT5M" itemprop="cookTime">5 mins</time></span> <br />
Total time: <span> <time datetime="PT10M" itemprop="totalTime">10 mins</time> </span><br />
</div>
<div class="er-half-width er-float-left" itemprop="nutrition" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NutritionInformation">
Serves: <span>2 serves</span><br />
</div>
</div>
<div class="er-photo-details">
<div class="er-photo-container">
<img height="446" itemprop="image" src="http://i1.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Garlicky-Quinoa-3-@wholefoodbellies.com_.jpg" width="558" /></div>
<div class="ERSSummary" itemprop="description">
Fragrant
garlicky quinoa with wilted spinach and lemon zest - fantastic for
brunch, with a perfectly poached or fried egg on top. Or make it for
dinner and serve with a nice piece of fish.</div>
</div>
<div class="ERSIngredients">
<div class="ERSIngredientsHeader ERSHeading">
Ingredients</div>
<ul>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">4 cloves garlic, finely chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 cup chopped spinach (or whole baby spinach to make it even quicker)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tsp lemon zest</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 cup cooked quinoa</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">2 poached or fried eggs (optional)</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">Salt and pepper to taste</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="ERSInstructionsHeader ERSHeading">
Instructions</div>
<ol>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Heat
cooking oil of choice (I used avocado oil) in a medium sized saucepan
(with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add in the chopped garlic. Cook
until fragrant</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Add in the chopped spinach and lemon zest, pop on the lid and leave for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Add
in the cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Cook until just heated
through and remove from the heat (I added in about a tablespoon of olive
oil here to keep things from drying out)</li>
<li class="instruction" itemprop="recipeInstructions">Serve up, salt and pepper to taste, and add a perfectly poached or fried egg to the top. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Meet Donna</h1>
</header>
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
<a class="addthis_button_facebook_like at300b" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><div class="fb-like fb_iframe_widget" data-action="like" data-font="arial" data-href="http://www.wholefoodbellies.com/about/meet-donna/" data-layout="button_count" data-ref=".VX8AAykLsFU.like" data-send="false" data-share="false" data-show_faces="false" data-width="90">
<span style="height: 20px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 78px;"></span></div>
</a>
<a class="addthis_button_pinterest_pinit at300b" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span class="at_PinItButton"></span></a>
<a class="atc_s addthis_button_compact" href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span></span></a>
</div>
Food was not
something we worried about in our house when I was growing up. Don’t get
me wrong we definitely ate plenty of it and we ate as a family as often
as we could but food was, for the most part, something we ate just
because we had to. Except for special occasions….and Friday nights. My
parents weren’t into health or nutrition in any big way so food just
wasn’t that big a deal. I remember helping my mum bake in the kitchen on
the odd occasion, but it was always for a special treat, not something
we did often.<br />
My school lunches were filled with rubbish (sorry mum). Not literal
rubbish of course but I’m talking chips, chocolate, a carton of juice, a
ham sandwich and a wee piece of fruit. Mum wasn’t doing anything
unusual, in fact, pretty much all of my friends had a similar packed
lunch. I do remember having one friend who would come to school with
these little homemade pork pies, salads and raw veggies and every time I
saw her lunch I would thank god it wasn’t mine!<br />
I moved out of home for university at seventeen and not much changed.
The first couple of years of my degree were fuelled by 2 minute
noodles, bake at home rolls with melted cheese and mashed potatoes. I
can’t even claim the ‘poor student on a budget’ excuse as I worked a lot
through uni and always had money….I just preferred to spend it on beer
and music – priorities guys!!!<br />
Then something happened…I met a boy (who would have guessed). He was,
in my naive opinion of the time, the ultimate foodie. He had been one
of those ‘weird’ kids who had been eating raw veggies and hummus for
lunch and had eaten McDonalds maybe once a year. He cooked, he knew
about all of these foods I had never heard of (wonton soup?) and food
really excited him!<br />
He cooked for me an embarrassing number of times before I finally ran
out of excuses and was guilted into cooking for him. Having never used
the internet for food research purposes I was way out of my depth in
that field and ended up having to borrow a bloody cookbook for the
occasion! Needless to say it was pretty average and being the
competitive person I am I decided I was going to have to figure out this
cooking thing.<br />
Anyway we travelled the world and ate everything in sight and my
foodie horizons broadened beyond my expectations. I became a little bit
obsessed with all things food and spent a lot of time mastering my
culinary skills. I thought I was pretty awesome….until I had my babies.<br />
As soon as I became pregnant and suddenly responsible for the health
and nutrition of someone other than myself I had to re-evaluate
everything I knew about food! Sure I could cook all these lovely meals
which I would never have dreamed about a few years back but they still
contained a fair few ingredients I couldn’t in good faith give to my
little people. Plus a lot of my lovely recipes called for a couple of
hours in the kitchen….haha as if thats going to happen with two kids!<br />
Overnight I became the women in the shop who scrutinises every label
before putting anything in the cart, the women who literally dreams of
ways to make favourite unhealthy foods into healthier and better
versions…I am now even that mum who supplies the ‘weird’ food in the
playground! But I will have you know that <em>weird</em> food is so
yummy and popular my daughter has to guard her snacks very carefully
(she is 2 and she literally guards her food – it’s pretty cute)! Plus I
need to be able to make them while wearing one baby and entertaining the
other. Oh how life has changed.<br />
My foodie dream in life is to make sure our bellies are beautiful things filled with lovely whole foods that taste amazing <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" height="15" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.wholefoodbellies.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="15" /><br />
Happy eating!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wholefoodbellies.com/" target="_blank">You can check out Whole Food Bellies Here </a><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-90993387341180373332015-08-14T01:00:00.000-05:002015-08-16T18:07:50.717-05:00Feature Friday: Up Parenting Creek<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">
A Father for Feminism </h1>
<div class="entry-author">
<div class="entry-author-avatar">
<a class="vcard" href="http://upparentingcreek.com/author/alan/"><img alt="" class="avatar avatar-96 photo grav-hashed" src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/934d373a2bf9e7a17c7bc0dad317ab02?s=96&d=identicon&r=g" height="96" id="grav-934d373a2bf9e7a17c7bc0dad317ab02-0" width="96" /></a> </div>
<div class="entry-author-byline">
by <a class="vcard fn" href="http://upparentingcreek.com/author/alan/">Alan Stewart Carl</a> </div>
</div>
</header><a href="http://i0.wp.com/upparentingcreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A-Father-for-Feminism.png"><img alt="One Father's Desire for His Daughter's Equality" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-964" src="http://i0.wp.com/upparentingcreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/A-Father-for-Feminism.png?resize=400%2C400" height="400" width="400" /></a><br />
I have made that joke about the shotgun. You know, someone says to
the father that his daughter is beautiful or that she’s growing up fast
or that she’ll be a heartbreaker, and the father smiles knowingly and
says, yeah, he’s already shopping for shotguns. He’ll spend his
daughter’s teenage years sitting on the porch and cleaning the sucker
all day, just to make sure every boy who comes by sees him.<br />
Because, of course, a daughter is a father’s property and he needs to
protect his property from being stolen and potentially defiled by
another man.<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_957" style="width: 620px;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/upparentingcreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/shotgun.jpg"><img alt="by Gabriel Amadeus © 2012" class="wp-image-957 size-large" src="http://i1.wp.com/upparentingcreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/shotgun.jpg?resize=620%2C411" height="212" width="320" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">by Gabriel Amadeus © 2012</figcaption></figure>
Not such a great joke when it’s put in those terms, is it?<br />
But I’ve made the joke. Multiple times. Because I don’t always think
before I try to be funny. And because, while I want my daughter to grow
into a strong woman who loves deeply and who experiences life fully, I
am afraid of the men who will, indeed, attempt to treat her like
property.<br />
Almost every culture throughout the world oppresses women. Our
culture is not nearly as bad as some but that doesn’t mean our culture
doesn’t have a lot of work to do. American fathers don’t make jokes
about needing a shotgun when their sons come of age. We assume our sons
will be mostly fine. I want a world in which we can assume our daughters
will be mostly fine too.<br />
I have a strategy for this. And a metaphor.<br />
Fathers: Feminism is our shotgun.<br />
<a href="http://upparentingcreek.com/a-father-for-feminism/" target="_blank"> Read the full post here. </a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<section class="builder-section builder-section-prev-gallery builder-section-text builder-section-next-text builder-text-columns-1" id="builder-section-1400219165733">
<h3 class="builder-text-section-title">
About Up Parenting Creek </h3>
<div class="builder-section-content">
<div class="builder-text-column builder-text-column-1" id="builder-section-1400219165733-column-1">
<div class="builder-text-content">
As parents, sometimes we find ourselves in a tough situation. We
don’t always have the tools we want or think that we need. Sometimes it
feels like we are up the creek without a paddle.<br />
So what do we do? We get creative. We ask for advice. We brain storm.
We talk with other parents. Most of all, we keep our sense of humor!<br />
We are parents who are still working on figuring out this crazy job
of raising kids. Join us, if you want to share the ups and downs of
parenting, work, marriage and life.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://upparentingcreek.com/" target="_blank">Check out their blog here. </a></div>
</div>
</div>
</section>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-71024491343354055932015-08-07T01:00:00.000-05:002015-09-28T15:33:48.958-05:00Feature Friday: Sequins In The South<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
DIY Painted Mason Jars + Giveaway</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<time class="entry-time" datetime="2015-06-14T00:16:36+00:00" itemprop="datePublished">June 14, 2015</time> by <span class="entry-author" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="entry-author-link" href="http://sequinsinthesouth.com/author/admin/" itemprop="url" rel="author"><span class="entry-author-name" itemprop="name">Laci Carlson</span></a></span> </div>
</header><a href="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-mason-1-1.jpg.jpeg"><img alt="image" class="aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="0" src="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-mason-1-1.jpg.jpeg?resize=721%2C400" height="177" title="mason 1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Hey y’all I had so much fun
painting these Mason Jars !! It’s so easy ! I will show you how step by
step with explanation + a chance to win a set!</b></i><br />
<span id="more-1264"></span></div>
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-mason-what-u-need-2.jpg.jpeg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone size-full aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="1" src="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-mason-what-u-need-2.jpg.jpeg" height="103" title="mason what u need-2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Jars.</b></i><br />
<i><b> Paint.</b></i><br />
<i><b> Glitter (if you want).</b></i><br />
<i><b> Spray glue for glitter.</b></i><br />
<i><b> Sand paper to make it rustic a little bit.</b></i><br />
<i><b> Sponge brushes.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>That’s all !!!</b></i></div>
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_194045.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="2" src="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_194045.jpg?resize=570%2C544" height="305" title="IMG_20150613_194045.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>1) Clean off the jars and make sure they are dry.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>2) With the sponge brush, paint the jar. (Repeat this for about 3 coats. Wait 20-30 min in between coats.)</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>3) Using sandpaper or a sanding block, distress the words and areas that would seem to get naturally scuffed.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>4) Enjoy ya’ll it really
was that easy !! I know the directions seem small and they are but it’s
easy so you can do it !! Just try a few tips to look at down below.</b></i></div>
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_155624.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="3" src="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_155624.jpg?resize=221%2C294" height="294" title="IMG_20150613_155624.jpg" width="221" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>I did this whole set in less than
2 hours. At the end i did spry with a clear coat just to seal them you
don’t have to but i wanted to protect the glitter.</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Now a few tips & tricks that helped me along the way:</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– A lot of people say paint the inside of the jars I did NOT do this I did’y find that it was needed.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– I simply put my hand in
the jar it wouldn’t go all the way in i just put it enough to paint the
whole thing and move it around a bit as needed.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– When adding glitter to
the rim if that’s the style you want don’t spray the glitter on it gets
all over. I sprayed my sponge brush with the glue then applied where
needed. and then sprinkled the glitter.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– The longer they dry between each coat the better.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– When applying the 2nd
coat you will notice a but of paint “peeling” don’t stress it’s okay
cause on coat 3 it covers it up & then when you distress with the
sand paper it looks like it’s supposed to be that way.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– I used three different paints two were satin finish and one was matte the matte one honestly looks and works better.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– All my pictures will show my setup and what all i used as well.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– All you need is a tiny piece of sandpaper… go over the words and a few areas around the jar VERY lightly.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– Anytime i post a DIY craft you can ALWAYS ask me questions if i’m not clear on something <img alt=":)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" height="14" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="14" /></b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>– If ya’ll like these as much as I do you can enter the giveaway at the bottom to win a set.</b></i></div>
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_155521.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone size-full aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="4" src="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_155521.jpg" height="322" title="IMG_20150613_155521.jpg" width="429" /></a><br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_160243.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone size-full aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="5" src="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_160243.jpg" height="573" title="IMG_20150613_160243.jpg" width="430" /></a><br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_160709.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone size-full aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="6" src="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_160709.jpg" height="322" title="IMG_20150613_160709.jpg" width="429" /></a><br />
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_190217.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="7" src="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_190217.jpg?resize=343%2C457" height="457" title="IMG_20150613_190217.jpg" width="343" /></a><br />
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_192514.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="8" src="http://i2.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_192514.jpg?resize=395%2C296" height="296" title="IMG_20150613_192514.jpg" width="395" /></a><br />
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_191803.jpg"><img alt="image" class="alignnone aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="9" src="http://i1.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_191803.jpg?resize=329%2C439" height="439" title="IMG_20150613_191803.jpg" width="329" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_162637.jpg"><img alt="image" class=" aligncenter" data-jpibfi-indexer="10" src="http://i0.wp.com/sequinsinthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wpid-img_20150613_162637.jpg?resize=322%2C428" height="428" title="IMG_20150613_162637.jpg" width="322" /> </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://sequinsinthesouth.com/" target="_blank">You can check out her blog Sequins In The South here. </a> <br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck. - See more at:
http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Me Me Me</h1>
</header><br />
<div class="entry-content jpibfi_container" itemprop="text">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
XOXO LC<br />
♡●♡●♡</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Me Me Me</h1>
</header><br />
<div class="entry-content jpibfi_container" itemprop="text">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
XOXO LC<br />
♡●♡●♡</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Me Me Me</h1>
</header><br />
<div class="entry-content jpibfi_container" itemprop="text">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
XOXO LC<br />
♡●♡●♡</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Me Me Me</h1>
</header><br />
<div class="entry-content jpibfi_container" itemprop="text">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
XOXO LC<br />
♡●♡●♡</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
<br />
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<br />
<header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="headline">
Me Me Me</h1>
</header><br />
<div class="entry-content jpibfi_container" itemprop="text">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Hey Yall !!<br />
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be
creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically
correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry
sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being
said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I
have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles
would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me
more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis.
Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that
how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does?
But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame
and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest
Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane
maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to
contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a
bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the
Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me
and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan
tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind
let’s have fun and raise a little heck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
XOXO LC<br />
♡●♡●♡</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-11584390514176593592015-08-03T01:00:00.000-05:002015-08-03T01:00:01.074-05:00How To Clean Kitchen Tile GroutUntil I moved into this house, I had no experience with tile floors. I had bathroom tiles, but they were always sealed and easy to clean. This new flooring presented a very big cleaning challenge: keeping the grout looking nice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1VB8Et7L3O6s5bvqCCo-id97_n-5n3_FW1pcsShrpYyQwZbJw0ddRYXT3aCQkpqs3NxgMUs8tHAj4pfbMDy3eBk223lluUXYToiD6o7nmD_M6b-DW8ynAfX6AAAsPJrG-a1-1yOTODZa/s1600/DSC01879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1VB8Et7L3O6s5bvqCCo-id97_n-5n3_FW1pcsShrpYyQwZbJw0ddRYXT3aCQkpqs3NxgMUs8tHAj4pfbMDy3eBk223lluUXYToiD6o7nmD_M6b-DW8ynAfX6AAAsPJrG-a1-1yOTODZa/s320/DSC01879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGXwPJE4x5GUIijKUApoLMSLY7gJCCclRRimQLgXKN6d5Bc-2MSi0klKQLbfcJOfwQsfeFtmbrDxu5NF_r6rcBjEREDBeDcxGC-yb85vX6aVPyFCaZgWR4vE2hYiVcjMU-Blat513hyHY/s1600/DSC01881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGXwPJE4x5GUIijKUApoLMSLY7gJCCclRRimQLgXKN6d5Bc-2MSi0klKQLbfcJOfwQsfeFtmbrDxu5NF_r6rcBjEREDBeDcxGC-yb85vX6aVPyFCaZgWR4vE2hYiVcjMU-Blat513hyHY/s320/DSC01881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I've tried a multitude of cleaners, both commercial and homemade products. I'd even tried using straight bleach to get the grout back to its original color! But nothing seemed to work. I was resigned to scrubbing it by hand with rags and special brushes, and never truly getting it clean.<br />
<br />
Until, on a whim, I decided to try toilet bowl cleaner. I don't know why- I was desperate. And it worked! It was wonderful! It cut my cleaning time in half and did a much better job than I ever had. I'm a true believer now, so I'll share with you how I do it.<br />
<br />
I've tried several different types and brands of toilet bowl cleaners, and by far the best has been the Target brand generic cleaner.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0wl_A09EjsPycnzNB9Ym9qpi3Qot_Dd46EwyWuTvYHJivpEbC1NOlKXzXyEn1e6h_lNxE-9qWBc6Jo2KxvK5nHQt614UtIOsA3uZ_M4R8gG6QA3gm0oKixnnP0Y7OduftDZ6fqaRzXHG/s1600/DSC01855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0wl_A09EjsPycnzNB9Ym9qpi3Qot_Dd46EwyWuTvYHJivpEbC1NOlKXzXyEn1e6h_lNxE-9qWBc6Jo2KxvK5nHQt614UtIOsA3uZ_M4R8gG6QA3gm0oKixnnP0Y7OduftDZ6fqaRzXHG/s320/DSC01855.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The process is pretty simple. Squirt the cleaner directly into the grout. If you get some on the tiles, it's fine, but the floor will be slick until cleaned off, so be careful.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU64YnNEIVvy-MpekcCUqHN407b7DVEG5MjZCquXHiUGPBs4PPSie5rca2ieyvoKyxTmrlaERwcTw5tYrN-lpCGo-who3olax2sFQGpMHnEd2rT8re4IOud6s_ihvy2EqJAP9P0UfVtgxB/s1600/DSC01856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU64YnNEIVvy-MpekcCUqHN407b7DVEG5MjZCquXHiUGPBs4PPSie5rca2ieyvoKyxTmrlaERwcTw5tYrN-lpCGo-who3olax2sFQGpMHnEd2rT8re4IOud6s_ihvy2EqJAP9P0UfVtgxB/s320/DSC01856.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8C78NWi84fvz9hELKSSZ4Po_khNEs2yOa-Sb8HhBvIJIxB4UUTAmnjfVszlOMsl89ed1zdMRCBGLayJkTlYLfmlkO4LhbhgpQI2bgWY1UpMIOi2dIb9ox5H-XH8ys0a3ms7gCiqM_TCm/s1600/DSC01868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8C78NWi84fvz9hELKSSZ4Po_khNEs2yOa-Sb8HhBvIJIxB4UUTAmnjfVszlOMsl89ed1zdMRCBGLayJkTlYLfmlkO4LhbhgpQI2bgWY1UpMIOi2dIb9ox5H-XH8ys0a3ms7gCiqM_TCm/s320/DSC01868.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVERaEpfDlZmgNdsXn8G2X_cPU2p-92IodN2a9rZig8GZZE97oID7u2TlOw6TTcOw0mvfBU6nMMpbm-_xH-vSEcIWDapRKb8DlAeiNc-kkxZ016KmTCEfkMoVawgx-l5GzQImMtzkcIn1e/s1600/DSC01867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVERaEpfDlZmgNdsXn8G2X_cPU2p-92IodN2a9rZig8GZZE97oID7u2TlOw6TTcOw0mvfBU6nMMpbm-_xH-vSEcIWDapRKb8DlAeiNc-kkxZ016KmTCEfkMoVawgx-l5GzQImMtzkcIn1e/s320/DSC01867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rM2xXt2W1LkKpbiz-p7xeu247reNzVJLbFzJ5B0Hz2eDXiYeFCl70fOQGc7642J-bVoTcvhQZ1EtD4qeYGXrpSmKgqAxQNteQBR5RnV0hK6ooexAdCix8_9RMrdYQuWwsMra3dqNii1L/s1600/DSC01857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rM2xXt2W1LkKpbiz-p7xeu247reNzVJLbFzJ5B0Hz2eDXiYeFCl70fOQGc7642J-bVoTcvhQZ1EtD4qeYGXrpSmKgqAxQNteQBR5RnV0hK6ooexAdCix8_9RMrdYQuWwsMra3dqNii1L/s320/DSC01857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Cover all the grout you wish to clean. I don't have the patience to do my entire kitchen at one time, so I split it up into sections and work on it over a few days. I like to leave the cleaner on for at least 20 minutes, so I wait until the kids go to bed and get to work. I just cover the grout in the area I'm working on, then go take a shower or put away some laundry for a while.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegHoW2K9TD4vNR0emSloWPUU9WTbQxyNCkOyDMDhaRohtY0q8yfPWK8TSqLTjDHgxNmfJmgwUzoDDdqPgs3_bkkN1JVhnm1SEvn2FKAqNAyXAc7sQIZg-dBWochIZotmzDXs1xZGnf628/s1600/DSC01863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegHoW2K9TD4vNR0emSloWPUU9WTbQxyNCkOyDMDhaRohtY0q8yfPWK8TSqLTjDHgxNmfJmgwUzoDDdqPgs3_bkkN1JVhnm1SEvn2FKAqNAyXAc7sQIZg-dBWochIZotmzDXs1xZGnf628/s320/DSC01863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOXahrOTQMBncw6S0DfgAX9HWYm3M3TLHHvYSkWeV226NTXK1J8aMOAAygoHpDloQG2Fvpz-5a03TAjjQDOBIMZbsF0wFzXjtZ-_XuiQDXzRxofrAEDNjceohJsIplrkIwb56vjzvr9wH/s1600/DSC01866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOXahrOTQMBncw6S0DfgAX9HWYm3M3TLHHvYSkWeV226NTXK1J8aMOAAygoHpDloQG2Fvpz-5a03TAjjQDOBIMZbsF0wFzXjtZ-_XuiQDXzRxofrAEDNjceohJsIplrkIwb56vjzvr9wH/s320/DSC01866.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
You can see the cleaner start to bubble as it works out all the dirt. Because the grout is very porous, it holds onto dirt and crumbs. This bubbling really helps dig it all out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdnLFBnjMeP3hB6AfVeRdSyj4lbX9lFzzng3UV9eq23zvfkEOBMNf6MPvQ3U24dDB63Q5p1rm85cgKdv6zzfYNaEX3MlfClBaS4_UweIIe03PfPjjjcewjP_RFk4OQt8S28nWlbypZZwO/s1600/DSC01871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdnLFBnjMeP3hB6AfVeRdSyj4lbX9lFzzng3UV9eq23zvfkEOBMNf6MPvQ3U24dDB63Q5p1rm85cgKdv6zzfYNaEX3MlfClBaS4_UweIIe03PfPjjjcewjP_RFk4OQt8S28nWlbypZZwO/s320/DSC01871.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAfrzetIlmL3ue8rQN-55kkyAOyY6Dw0uddM8vnhDssHrElM6CxIORvVUV0RmVzxjqxjgP2lfjSfyjab_-Ek7MvmlYXSDxdbP1Em-1xpeHZaXsvpQengGZf9gg7LnhkfiQFzLMFfBi4i2/s1600/DSC01872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAfrzetIlmL3ue8rQN-55kkyAOyY6Dw0uddM8vnhDssHrElM6CxIORvVUV0RmVzxjqxjgP2lfjSfyjab_-Ek7MvmlYXSDxdbP1Em-1xpeHZaXsvpQengGZf9gg7LnhkfiQFzLMFfBi4i2/s320/DSC01872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Next, I just take a towel and wipe it off. You'll be amazed at the dirt and grime it picks up!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgW9GnDJOjviRK6IdylYHPS_Y7mQJZcaksbnPwkFmnoJB3zb79GwcWygtZQOpbbOZ7I2_UMc0oUr1LzupFHz-7NA2RJTl8cYRcQWWQLW_1IjGSztKhpWPbnG71fOzuo4d2p5UYGQiXVFZ/s1600/DSC01885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgW9GnDJOjviRK6IdylYHPS_Y7mQJZcaksbnPwkFmnoJB3zb79GwcWygtZQOpbbOZ7I2_UMc0oUr1LzupFHz-7NA2RJTl8cYRcQWWQLW_1IjGSztKhpWPbnG71fOzuo4d2p5UYGQiXVFZ/s320/DSC01885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKi_4M8QGYfAQIynWTkXem9DzqZHJtqh7Ytxjjxq3H7_AdmAWO5a24Fwntdp_wHi4-qY5Lu1mWSnazAqO434jU5bJ_RzDv_VHa5WGrvWFNIK8giLag3ggO6ge1gaeXPWzrf176UJnOsb1/s1600/DSC01886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKi_4M8QGYfAQIynWTkXem9DzqZHJtqh7Ytxjjxq3H7_AdmAWO5a24Fwntdp_wHi4-qY5Lu1mWSnazAqO434jU5bJ_RzDv_VHa5WGrvWFNIK8giLag3ggO6ge1gaeXPWzrf176UJnOsb1/s320/DSC01886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7vz9AhzwOdYrDqxMPtGSW76T7M88mntz5Pzz-uHo5uou0x8f92hQCcBENoT8yOH9anigR2rPZj6qa4_xYvrdjRY2FjJHINOE6w6JSLuIIFLlcJrO86V2C5VyKSRatll8NwmVw1vO9rj3/s1600/DSC01887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7vz9AhzwOdYrDqxMPtGSW76T7M88mntz5Pzz-uHo5uou0x8f92hQCcBENoT8yOH9anigR2rPZj6qa4_xYvrdjRY2FjJHINOE6w6JSLuIIFLlcJrO86V2C5VyKSRatll8NwmVw1vO9rj3/s320/DSC01887.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9yJcrjRPna5DK23GwwD5Hob0oQpstQ0kD2fyFvYTP1xXoWHvTmEerxsVrfmcMlXu2b6sUt6tw8eSAnAPW6LsS6XwIDnxKJRowYqdLusy9piz00Wsq3JExkgrNq2cAxSGkrQQFf1lW5P1/s1600/DSC01888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9yJcrjRPna5DK23GwwD5Hob0oQpstQ0kD2fyFvYTP1xXoWHvTmEerxsVrfmcMlXu2b6sUt6tw8eSAnAPW6LsS6XwIDnxKJRowYqdLusy9piz00Wsq3JExkgrNq2cAxSGkrQQFf1lW5P1/s320/DSC01888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
While the grout is still wet, it will appear darker. But rest assure, it's much cleaner! If you are worried about residue on the floor, or have pets and toddlers who eat off the floor, a quick rinse with a wet rag or sponge mop will clean it up.<br />
<br />
Behold, your now clean grout!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfh_zc2tfYqKBNtQ2wbSswy4eZBB3tcqQan2kzyi1yCGGbQyihthyg8Y_KWl4pyF-In32gJ-bRWag_sVD4CD-Wt31mOKolbG_ikcAASYxrgmvL72ARwZLRrqIOyUJLubg4fS-EoUVGW6S/s1600/DSC01878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfh_zc2tfYqKBNtQ2wbSswy4eZBB3tcqQan2kzyi1yCGGbQyihthyg8Y_KWl4pyF-In32gJ-bRWag_sVD4CD-Wt31mOKolbG_ikcAASYxrgmvL72ARwZLRrqIOyUJLubg4fS-EoUVGW6S/s320/DSC01878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6PKyuYQcBrCfiQg_bIiMwycoi8D1IzgDDU0wsFWUAsqQJoJX8f7dovaNYJGHIEgMlI9127ESBTA-0q8tNFroZkpOFOKL64lvWdlIJKvl2fIkn-iLL1JTWFpafs7FsQmFdbc7dJY2ig2N/s1600/DSC01884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6PKyuYQcBrCfiQg_bIiMwycoi8D1IzgDDU0wsFWUAsqQJoJX8f7dovaNYJGHIEgMlI9127ESBTA-0q8tNFroZkpOFOKL64lvWdlIJKvl2fIkn-iLL1JTWFpafs7FsQmFdbc7dJY2ig2N/s320/DSC01884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-3778133605427121722015-07-31T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-31T01:00:01.293-05:00Feature Friday: Pure Living Space
<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">
Six Things Cooking Geeks Know About Cooking Oils That You Don’t</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
</div>
</header>
<a href="https://purelivingspace.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/olive-oil-bottle-cooking-oils-101.jpg"><img alt="Cooking Oils 101" class="aligncenter wp-image-917" height="424" src="https://purelivingspace.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/olive-oil-bottle-cooking-oils-101.jpg?w=285&h=424" title="Cooking Oils 101" width="285" /></a><br />
<br />
Argh! Why is it so confusing to pick the right oil for sauteing,
baking or frying? Why is there so little consistency from one source to
the next?<br />
<br />
There’s so much conflicting advice. Some say to use palm oil while
others tout coconut or safflower, and many proclaim the ills of butter.
And then there’s the countless smoke point tables, and none match!<br />
<br />
You are confused. Heating oil in a frying pan seems fraught with problems, and, of course, everything causes cancer.<br />
<br />
But, if you rely on experts who really know their stuff – the real
cooking geeks, you’ll be able to saute, bake, broil, braise, fry and
roast with confidence.<br />
<br />
Here are six things cooking geeks know about cooking oils that you don’t.<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Cooking geeks understand the difference between Refined and Unrefined Oils </strong><br />
Refining oil raises its smoke point and lengthens shelf life; it
creates a bland flavor and color which can be desirable for some dishes.<br />
You may have heard that refined oils are unhealthy. A study that
looked at the health benefits of vegetable oils concluded that there was
little evidence to suggest that refining adversely affects the health
benefits of vegetable oils.<sup>[1]</sup> The one exception noted by the
study was olive oil. The study found that unrefined olive oil had more
health benefits than refined olive oil.<br />
So, based on this study, you can feel good about refined oils for
high temperature cooking and your health. And you should use unrefined
olive oil as a dressing or drizzle while reserving refined olive oil for
cooking.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Cooking geeks know that smoke point tables are wrong </strong><br />
Yep, the smoke point tables are wrong. You shouldn’t believe the
hundreds of smoke point tables in cookbooks and online because every oil
is different depending on how it was refined, and the cultivation of
the raw materials. For instance, some extra virgin olive oil makers list
their smoke points from 200 to over 400 degrees.<sup>[2]</sup><br />
You can use some helpful guidelines though. Oils with high free fatty
acids tend to have lower smoke points because the free fatty acids burn
easily. On the other hand, refined oils generally have reduced amounts
of free fatty acids and as a result, have higher smoke points.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Cooking geeks know the ill-effects of oils above smoke point </strong><br />
The smoke point is the temperature that causes oil to start smoking
which produces toxic fumes and harmful free radicals–all things you’re
trying to avoid.<br />
If you’ve set off your smoke alarm, you’ve definitely reached the smoke point. Turn up your exhaust fan and open the windows.<br />
By the way, always try to use your exhaust fan since cooking can
create some unhealthy fumes, and your place will simply smell better.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Cooking geeks know the effects of reusing or long heat times on oils </strong><br />
The longer oil is heated, the more free fatty acids are formed
causing the smoke point to drop which is why you want to limit deep
fryer oil use to once or twice. Prolonged heating also breaks apart
unsaturated fatty acids and produces acrid and toxic compounds.<sup>[2]</sup><br />
Neither is desirable.<br />
<a href="https://purelivingspace.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/infographic-cooking-oils-101-v3.jpg"><img alt="Infographic Cooking Oils 101" class="alignright size-full wp-image-920" src="https://purelivingspace.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/infographic-cooking-oils-101-v3.jpg?w=440" /></a><br />
<br />
<strong>5. Cooking geeks know which Oils are high in Omega 3 & Monounsaturated Fats (both good) </strong><br />
Looking for ways to increase your intake of Omega 3? Try Unrefined Flax Oil (for cold use only) or Hemp Oil.<br />
Here’s your list of the oils with good fats – the monounsaturated oils.<br />
<ul>
<li>Safflower</li>
<li>Hazelnut</li>
<li>Olive</li>
<li>Almond</li>
<li>Peanut</li>
<li>Pecan</li>
<li>Avocado</li>
<li>Sunflower</li>
<li>Macadamia</li>
</ul>
<strong>6. Cooking geeks know the oils best suited for high temperatures and medium temperatures</strong><br />
Here’s the list you’ve been waiting for. The oils to use safely for cooking without the misleading smoke points.<br />
<ul>
<li>High Temperature Oils (searing, browning, roasting, and deep-frying)
<ul>
<li>Almond</li>
<li>Avocado (Unrefined/Raw)</li>
<li>Sunflower (High Oleic Refined)</li>
<li>Olive oil (Refined or “Light”)</li>
<li>Hazelnut (Refined)</li>
<li>Tea Seed (Not to be confused with Tea Tree)</li>
<li>Apricot Kernel (Refined)</li>
<li>Safflower (Refined)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Medium Temperature Oils (sauteing, baking, oven cooking or stir frying)
<ul>
<li>Macadamia</li>
<li>Canola (Organic)</li>
<li>Peanut</li>
<li>Coconut (Unrefined good for baking) avoid Hydrogenated</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
You <em>can</em> lightly saute in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but you’re best bet is to save the good stuff for dressings, dipping and drizzles.<br />
So, who are these cooking geeks that you can trust?<br />
<ul>
<li>A Chemistry Professor who wrote “What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained” (seems knowledgeable right?)</li>
<li>The Author of The Cooking for Engineers website and about 100 of his contributors (engineers analyze the heck out of everything)</li>
<li>The Executive Chef from Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute along
with several dietitians (he should know what he’s talking about)</li>
<li>A Researcher from the Center for Advanced Nutrition Study – Utah State (this guy conducted a large study of vegetable oils)</li>
<li>A Registered Dietitian – Eatingrules.com (this guy has an MS and RD and writes about food for a living)</li>
</ul>
<strong>Do you feel better (wiser, calmer, happier) after reading this article?</strong> <a href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/home.html#signup">Sign up for the Newsletter!</a><br />
Why?<br />
1. Your life will be easier – it’s guaranteed. Twice a month, facts will arrive in your inbox with useful stuff.<br />
2. You’ll be entertained – you’ll find bits of humor sprinkled throughout some of the weightier topics.<br />
3. Your fellow readers all report significant increases in life
satisfaction as a result of subscribing (okay, maybe this is going too
far…)<br />
So, go ahead and <a href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/home.html#signup">sign up</a>. You’re email is safe with us.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
1. <a href="http://www.ilsi.org/NorthAmerica/Documents/DIETARY%20LIPIDS/Health%20effects%20of%20commonly%20used%20vegetable%20oils.pdf">Health Effects of Commonly Used Vegetable Oils</a> by Michael Lefevre, Center for Advanced Nutrition Utah State University<br />
2. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500398_pf.html">Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Fryer</a>:
The Washington Post by Robert L. Wolke Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
University of Pittsburgh and author of “What Einstein Told His Cook”<br />
3. <a href="http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2014/10/heart-healthy-cooking-oils-101/">Heart Healthy Cooking: Oils 101</a>: Health Hub Cleveland Clinic by James D. Perko, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef for Cleveland Clinic<br />
4. <a href="https://eatingrules.com/Cooking-Oil-Comparison-Chart_02-22-12.pdf">The Cooking Oil Comparison Chart</a> by EatingRules.com and Andy Bellatti, MS, RD,<br />
5. <a href="http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/50/Smoke-Points-of-Various-Fats">CookingForEngineers.com</a>: Smoke points of various fats and general discussion<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="wsb-element-navigation" data-type="element" id="wsb-element-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000532541125" style="z-index: 10000;">
<div class="wsb-nav nav_simple nav-text-left nav-horizontal nav-btn-stretch nav-equal-width wsb-navigation-rendered-top-level-container" id="wsb-nav-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000532541125" style="height: 40px; width: 1202px; z-index: 10000;">
<ul class="wsb-navigation-rendered-top-level-menu ">
<li class="has-children" style="width: 16.6666666666667%;"><a data-pageid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000585113291" data-title="Learn" data-url="learn.html" href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/learn.html" target=""></a><ul class="wsb-navigation-rendered-top-level-menu nav-subnav" style="display: table; left: 200.333px; top: 23px; visibility: hidden; z-index: 10000;">
<li><br /></li>
<li class="has-children"><br /></li>
<li class="has-children"><br /></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="has-children" style="width: 16.6666666666667%;"><a data-pageid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000585116251" data-title="Product Reviews" data-url="product-reviews.html" href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/product-reviews.html" target="">Product Reviews</a></li>
<li style="width: 16.6666666666667%;"><a data-pageid="" data-title="Shop" data-url="http://shop.purelivingspace.com" href="http://shop.purelivingspace.com/" target="">Shop</a></li>
<li class="active" style="width: 16.6666666666667%;"><a data-pageid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000003633245" data-title="About Us" data-url="about.html" href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/about.html" target="">About Us</a></li>
<li style="width: 16.6666666666667%;"><a data-pageid="00000000-0000-0000-0000-000466882527" data-title="Blog" data-url="blog.html" href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/blog.html" target="">Blog</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wsb-element-image" data-type="element" id="wsb-element-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000324880820">
<div class="wsb-image-inner ">
<div class="img">
<a href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/home.html" rel=""><img alt="" src="https://nebula.wsimg.com/a5f0539f732b0555b62eb335327e4644?AccessKeyId=E7DB7208562BBA3F682B&disposition=0&alloworigin=1" style="height: 94px; vertical-align: middle; width: 587px;" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wsb-element-image" data-type="element" id="wsb-element-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000324769988">
<div class="wsb-image-inner ">
<div class="customStyle">
<img alt="" src="https://nebula.wsimg.com/089010ee9f677b4480109a2e7273f7a3?AccessKeyId=E7DB7208562BBA3F682B&disposition=0&alloworigin=1" style="height: 336px; vertical-align: middle; width: 395px;" /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="wsb-element-htmlsnippet" data-type="element" id="wsb-element-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000324626028">
<div class="wsb-htmlsnippet-element">
<h1 style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;">
ABOUT US</h1>
<div style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 100%;">
<strong>MISSION</strong></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Helping people find the safest, healthiest home products and services quickly, easily and with confidence.</div>
<br />
<div style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 100%;">
<strong>BELIEFS</strong>
</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Reducing chemical exposure in homes is critical to good health for
all and not just for chemically-sensitive people or young children.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
It shouldn't be exhausting or time consuming to find and purchase safe home products and services.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Creating a safer home requires a trusted source of information.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
It is not all or nothing. Any step toward a cleaner, safer home will contribute to your health.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Carol & Kelly Trimmer<br />Pure Living Space</div>
<br />
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 100%;">
<strong><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ourstoryanchor" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;">OUR STORY</a></strong>
</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Four years ago, Carol suffered a concussion. It would have been an
amusing story if what followed hadn’t been such a nightmare. Carol’s cat
liked to ambush her much like Cato and Inspector Clousseau. One day,
while bringing in groceries, the cat darted from behind her and tripped
her on the stairs. What happened next changed Carol's and her husband
Kelly's lives. Months later, she was still trying to recover.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
The concussion had triggered a downward spiral that seemed bottomless.
In addition to headaches, vertigo, fatigue and brain fog, she began to
suffer worsening chemical sensitivities. In the past, only certain
smells seem to cause problems like wallpaper, fabric and tire stores.
These could be easily avoided.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Now, fragrances, car exhaust, paint, new upholstery, cleaning products,
new carpet and even inkjet printed materials were causing problems. The
first step was to remove all fragrances from the house including
perfume, scented candles, air fresheners, dryer sheets and laundry
detergent. It took some time but Carol and Kelly were able to find good,
non-toxic alternatives. She also traded in her make up and skin care
products for chemical-free alternatives. So far so good.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
On the advice of her physician, Carol began drinking filtered water to
avoid tap water contaminants. Since bottled water is not ideal, they
began investigating water purification options. At this point, they
realized that there was a need for simpler resources after spending days
and days researching water filtration systems including pitchers,
faucet, shower and whole house. There was so much conflicting and
incomplete information. For a while, they were so overwhelmed they did
nothing. Why did it have to be so difficult?</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
Then came other needs. Purchasing an organic mattress, safe cookware,
effective home air purifier, non-toxic paint and chemical-free furniture
all resulted in long, laborious research projects.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
As they researched, they were shocked to discover the vast array of
chemicals, many known to be toxic that were in so many things they
owned.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
At this point, Carol and Kelly's friends began asking them for advice
and information for a healthier home. That's when Carol, now vibrantly
healthy, decided to launch Pure Living Space to help others create a
safe and healthy home environment quickly, easily and confidently.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
<a href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/home.html" style="color: blue; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 100%; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Sign up</a> for Pure Living Space newsletter.<br /><br />
Please follow us on Facebook and Pinterest.</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 90%;">
<a href="https://www.purelivingspace.com/home.html" target="_blank">You can check out their blog here. </a></div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-62885694238918718812015-07-24T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-24T01:00:02.618-05:00Feature Friday: So So Mom
<div class="blog-post" id="blog-post-938673641721902622">
<div class="blog-header">
<h2 class="blog-title">
<a class="blog-title-link" href="http://www.sosomom.com/3/post/2015/05/spring-cleaning-tips-from-a-messy-disorganized-person.html">Spring Cleaning Tips from a Messy, Disorganized Person</a></h2>
</div>
<div class="blog-separator">
</div>
<div class="blog-content">
<div>
<div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-thin" style="margin-left: 0; margin-right: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><img alt="Picture" src="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/1775529.jpg?1430862918" style="max-width: 100%; width: auto;" /></a> </div>
</div>
<div class="paragraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So
here it finally is, my first spring cleaning post! My blogging
schedule is just as haphazard as everything else I do, so it is fitting
that my spring cleaning post lags a solid month or two behind everyone
else's and implementation of this plan will run well into the first
month of summer.<br /> <span></span>I have finally figured out what
almost, kind of, works for me sometimes and might just work for other
people because it is more about figuring out yourself than following
someone else’s plan. Guessing you have picked up on my lack of
confidence in this post, I am going to begin with a ‘my advice likely
won’t work’ disclaimer. Please be aware that this advice comes from a
woman whose children’s bedrooms currently look like this:</span> </div>
<div>
<div class="imageGallery" id="302917485603203272-gallery" style="line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0;">
<div id="302917485603203272-imageContainer0" style="float: left; margin: 0; width: 49.95%;">
<div id="302917485603203272-insideImageContainer0" style="margin: 5px; position: relative;">
<div class="galleryImageBorder" style="border-width: 1px; padding: 3px;">
<div class="galleryImageHolder" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 0 0 75%; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<div class="galleryInnerImageHolder">
<a class="w-fancybox" href="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/6476023_orig.jpg" rel="lightbox[gallery302917485603203272]"><img class="galleryImage" src="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/6476023.jpg" style="border: 0; left: 0%; position: absolute; top: -39.13%; width: 100%;" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="302917485603203272-imageContainer1" style="float: left; margin: 0; width: 49.95%;">
<div id="302917485603203272-insideImageContainer1" style="margin: 5px; position: relative;">
<div class="galleryImageBorder" style="border-width: 1px; padding: 3px;">
<div class="galleryImageHolder" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 0 0 75%; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<div class="galleryInnerImageHolder">
<a class="w-fancybox" href="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/3505410_orig.jpg" rel="lightbox[gallery302917485603203272]"><img class="galleryImage" src="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/3505410.jpg" style="border: 0; left: 0%; position: absolute; top: -39.13%; width: 100%;" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="302917485603203272-imageContainer2" style="float: left; margin: 0; width: 49.95%;">
<div id="302917485603203272-insideImageContainer2" style="margin: 5px; position: relative;">
<div class="galleryImageBorder" style="border-width: 1px; padding: 3px;">
<div class="galleryImageHolder" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 0 0 75%; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<div class="galleryInnerImageHolder">
<a class="w-fancybox" href="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/1420966_orig.jpg" rel="lightbox[gallery302917485603203272]"><img class="galleryImage" src="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/1420966.jpg" style="border: 0; left: 0%; position: absolute; top: -39.13%; width: 100%;" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="302917485603203272-imageContainer3" style="float: left; margin: 0; width: 49.95%;">
<div id="302917485603203272-insideImageContainer3" style="margin: 5px; position: relative;">
<div class="galleryImageBorder" style="border-width: 1px; padding: 3px;">
<div class="galleryImageHolder" style="overflow: hidden; padding: 0 0 75%; position: relative; width: 100%;">
<div class="galleryInnerImageHolder">
<a class="w-fancybox" href="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/4750433_orig.jpg" rel="lightbox[gallery302917485603203272]"><img class="galleryImage" src="http://www.sosomom.com/uploads/3/5/8/0/3580129/4750433.jpg" style="border: 0; left: 0%; position: absolute; top: -39.13%; width: 100%;" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="clear: both; display: block; height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"></span> </div>
</div>
<div class="paragraph" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, on a scale of 1-10 my ability to <em>keep</em> a house clean is negative one. However, most of my advice concerns <em>getting</em>
a house clean, which I do much better due to the ample practice seven
children provides. Every year, I start cleaning the kids' bedrooms
during the last month of school and then they help me with the rest of
the house once school is out. This may sound backward, but decluttering
kid rooms is best done with out the hoarder, I mean child, present.
Keep these tips in mind when you tackle a whole house cleaning overhaul.<br /> <span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pick your own neurosis, but only ONE.</span><br /> <span></span>Mine
is laundry. I have an excellent routine, and I make sure that whatever
else I am cleaning does not interfere with that. In other words, don’t
mess up something you are already doing well, in an attempt to do
something else better. However, if you’re <em>un</em>like me, and there
is more than one thing you keep up with well, just pick the one that
supplies you with the most ‘sane’ feeling. After all, cleaning is
mostly about maintaining sanity. Weeks that I fail to complete my usual
laundry routine are not pretty weeks for anybody!<br /> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t be afraid to make a gigantic mess when you are cleaning.</span><br /> <span></span>For
example, if the entire contents of my closet are on my bed, I have
motivation to keep working. I have emptied the entire contents of my
sewing room and storage room into the adjacent rooms and then completely
started over organizing. Each project took about a month, but those
rooms were beautiful for awhile after that! If this sounds completely
horrifying to you, go check out <a href="http://www.flylady.net/" target="_blank" title="">the fly lady</a>. She
would be horrified too, so maybe she would be perfect for you. Also,
be prepared for your husband to have a strong dislike for this method. I
remind mine that he is welcome to take over anytime and that pretty
well ends the conversation. It appears that my house gets messier and
messier as I clean because I pile things to get rid of or take to other
parts of the house, out in the open as much as possible in order to
reduce the chance they get tucked away somewhere and forgotten.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Use large totes or boxes to throw things into as you go to avoid getting distracted.</span><br /> <span></span>There
needs to be a place to put absolutely everything right near the area
you are working. Running stuff all over the place is a gigantic waste
of time and very distracting. I know that if I run something to the car
and then come back in, I will completely forget what I was doing.<br /> <br /> <span style="color: #8c48b7; font-size: medium;">My Cleaning Totes</span><br /> · <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Things That Belong to Others<br /> <span></span></span>What
ends up in mine? Grandma's endless supply of tupperware because my
family is the garbage disposal of left over holiday food, softball
uniforms that were supposed to be turned in 10 months ago, baby
paraphenalia I borrowed that the baby has outgrown, the toddler pants I
borrowed from a friend because I had an inadequately packed diaper bag,
and the five things the last kid who spent the night left behind.<br /> · <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Things That Belong on a Different Floor</span><br />
This is very important because if I send a child to take something
upstairs, they will not return for an hour and then when I finally go
hunt them down, I won’t return for an hour, and then a different child
will have disappeared, and well, you get the picture. Mommy ends up
angry.<br /> ·<br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Things to Sell or Donate</span><br /> <span></span>I
am considering renting a u-haul to replace this tote. I struggle to
fight the good fight against sentimentality and the what-if-I-need-that
scenarios, but we all have to try.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Missing Parts, Pieces, and Mates</span><br />
This tub started when I found 7 mateless shoes in my storage room and
this year I am extending it to include mateless gloves, pieces of toys,
battery covers, and any other stuff I know goes to a something that I
can’t currently find. Why the special mention of battery covers, you
ask? I honestly don't know, but they are everywhere! And, yes, the
batteries too.<br /> · <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Crap I Can't Decide What to do With</span><br />
Secretly I also use it for stuff I just don’t feel like dealing with
properly right at that moment, but don’t tell my kids. I don't let
them get away with that. This is a brand new idea this year and I am
loving it so far. I used it when I cleaned my office. As you saw in
the picture, the name was slightly altered. A child took offense to
some of its contents being referred to as crap. You know what I used to
do with things when I couldn’t decide where to put them? First, I
wasted time thinking about what to do with them. Then, I stuck them in a
random place that <em>was</em> all neat and tidy before I stuffed some
random junk there. If this sounds like you, I highly suggest a crap
box. The real beauty of it is; it can just stay in there if you never
decide. Just guard it well so a toddler doesn't dump it out and refill
it with blocks and then freak out when you dump out those blocks. Or
does that stuff just happen at my house?<br /> <span></span><br /> Now, here
are my two tips for my renewed effort to keep the house clean (er) when
we finish the big spring cleaning project this year:<br /> <span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Figure out what you (and your kids) actually do day-to-day that makes the mess and work with it.</span><br />
I used to buy lidded basket to hide stuff because they are much
prettier than open baskets. The problem is no one in this house,
including myself, will take the two seconds to open a basket. Result?<br />
Pretty basket with a pile of crap on top of it. Those baskets are
mostly being converted to longer term storage purposes rather than day
to day use. I am resigning myself to piles of shoes, which is less
irritating than piles of shoes on top of baskets. Now I am going to
think about the places where we tend to throw stuff and create a mess
and think of a solution that we might be more likely to use. For
example, there are usually jackets and bags mixed into the
aforementioned pile of shoes, so I am putting up more hooks.
Amazingly, four of six children who are old enough, will put stuff on
the hook instead of on the floor under the hook. Those are excellent
odds here. I tried to limit the hooks because I would rather the
kids each keep only one bag and jacket on one hook and take extras to
their bedrooms. Hahahaha, I know, like I said, more hooks.<br /> <span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Don’t lie to yourself about changing habits.</span><br />
I have insisted to myself for fifteen years that I am going to start
putting my shoes away properly, but I've been lying to myself. I could
also tell myself that I am going to make the kids tidy up the basement
every single week, but I would be lying to myself. I could vow to hunt
down every child every time they threw a something on the floor that
didn't belong and make them pick it up right away, but I would be lying
to myself. My new plan for my closet is an <em>open</em> shoe basket
just outside for the most-worn shoes. I finally realized it is just
stupid to line my shoes up neatly on the floor of my closet twice a year
just so they can end up in a pile in front of it within two weeks. My
kids will be outside as much as possible after the house is clean.<br /> <span></span><br /> <span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Pick a very teensy, tiny simple habit to change and schedule it.</span><br />
I am terrible at changing habits, but I know it is possible. Instead
of lying to myself about changing a whole slew of them, I am carefully
comtemplating one to change. I haven't come up with it yet; I will keep
you posted. When I do I am going to use my phone to remind me to keep
it up.<br /> <span></span><br /> <span></span>I know you are wondering how
and when I am going to implement all this. That is next week's post,
well, my next post anyway. I have 17 days to finish cleaning all the
bedrooms. In the meantime, what habits are <em>you</em> lying to yourself about? Do you have any habit change suggestions for me?<br /> <span></span><br /> <span></span></span><span style="color: #8640ae; font-size: medium;">Love this? Try this:</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a class="wsite-button wsite-button-small wsite-button-normal" href="http://www.sosomom.com/3/post/2015/04/hey-organized-people-quit-taunting-me.html"><span class="wsite-button-inner">Hey Organized People, Quit Taunting Me</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="wsite-button-inner"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="wsite-button-inner"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2 class="blog-author-title" style="text-align: left;">
Author</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am the mother of seven children ranging
from teens to a baby, living out in the middle of nowhere, USA. I aim
to hone the craft of giving advice without pretending to have this whole
mom thing figured out. I am Christian, but not the really nice kind
that is good at it. I am also conservative, but I promise not to be in
your face with political agendas very often. I like to infuse humor
into my writing, so don't freak out if you are offended or appalled by
what you read here. It might me a joke!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.sosomom.com/" target="_blank">You can check out her blog here. </a></div>
<span class="wsite-button-inner"> </span> </div>
<div>
<div align="center" class="wcustomhtml" id="683938869881555219" style="overflow-y: hidden; width: 100%;">
<div class="fb-share-button fb_iframe_widget" data-href="http://www.sosomom.com/3/post/2015/05/spring-cleaning-tips-from-a-messy-disorganized-person.html" data-layout="button_count">
<span style="height: 20px; vertical-align: bottom; width: 86px;"></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-8868883963310481342015-07-17T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-17T01:00:01.128-05:00Feature Friday: Mrs. Sheets & Co<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
Banana Nut Muffins
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br />Ingredients:<br /><br /> 2 cups all-purpose flour<br /> 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br /> 1/2 teaspoon salt<br /> 4 overripe bananas<br /> 1 cup brown sugar<br /> 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br /> 2 eggs<br /> 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br /> 1/2 cup pecans, chopped<br /><br />Directions:<br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br /><br />In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br /><br />Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes.<br /><br />Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.<br /><br />Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
ABOUT:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hi! I'm Randi Sheets<br />I am the Chief Organizer, Housekeeper & Chef for the Sheets' household. I can work a drill and an evening gown. I have created a blog to share everything I love from crafts, DIY projects, products, recipes & of course my experiences. Please check out some of my favorite and sometimes my not so favorite things.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">You can check out Mrs. Sheets & Co. here </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Banana Nut Muffins
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard">
Posted by
<span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/114067492836084257801" rel="author" title="author profile">
<span itemprop="name">Randi Sheets</span>
</a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4332858833455336957" itemprop="description articleBody">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s1600/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Kh4wrjtcCIENJIJYFSTjQ-2wFBIWnaMQ5s48FepFglWTwnF0bcS57CtQn9IRxeEVo4SkOsxQ9247TjWtFHvG3nEPHqZmz_FO8-tlGt9VnW4XRnszsb5lhFkH73_Z1rj65mX3vaiVG5gd/s320/2015-05-14+09.11.21.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 overripe bananas</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1/2 cup pecans, chopped</li>
</ul>
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.<br />
<br />
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a
bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip
the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3
minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s1600/20150514_083744.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvREe5_bZuGr7gw2l6I3fZ7JT1uv1zt6-ZBYSdRRzgtuqh2h7Ec8oygXU9CiUuHltPhgKtZur47Ql1ecpO-APbK2Py-dH-hkKKOXtRh9r25nJoq4D-M3tJciKeV3gfyV-b8AIuEEOvIC8i/s320/20150514_083744.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and
the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the
muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter
to get any air bubbles out.<br />
<br />
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the
muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes
before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s1600/20150514_090526.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtp81uTiAMOVEBp6c_l1CK9tWsjHXqAj4CwopWNKUDTr1Qo4Ph0BPABHqEsmSD9it4oIXppUFYMc3_KGJDxBchDPjkwu6Y4YQurbgv5V7PELsGMl2ph55eiYgySuEX1756Ogx30qqFUKOh/s320/20150514_090526.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
- See more at: http://mrssheetsandco.blogspot.com/2015/05/banana-nut-muffins.html#sthash.ndZn4qpm.dpuf</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-39723665000962279102015-07-10T01:00:00.000-05:002015-07-10T01:00:07.235-05:00Feature Friday: The Ham and Cheese Of It<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Food In Review: Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes
</h3>
<h2 class="date-header">
<span>Friday, June 12, 2015</span></h2>
<div class="date-posts">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJYQFJup0jL4ycPLVfqVB46crWNZZZSY79z7fYdq166KJisqad4LpQvLBIZQNlBnmpVwqWcHyMSNxuaXzYsWW3tigkx99KNuyyQH-8KGmRNNxzhyphenhyphenkHxWFdjstHpwB7Cx9pmsw41aw1Pi4/s1600/Cupcake+Title+Page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJYQFJup0jL4ycPLVfqVB46crWNZZZSY79z7fYdq166KJisqad4LpQvLBIZQNlBnmpVwqWcHyMSNxuaXzYsWW3tigkx99KNuyyQH-8KGmRNNxzhyphenhyphenkHxWFdjstHpwB7Cx9pmsw41aw1Pi4/s640/Cupcake+Title+Page.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know you've probably heard me talking about the most amazing cupcakes
ever to walk on the face of this Earth. I am not kidding. I am a
glorified cupcake snob. I have asked for refunds on cupcakes after
taking one bite to find them dry, stale or for false advertising.
I despise it when cupcakes aren't what the bakers say they were. I mean
if I wanted a pancake cupcake with a bacon flavored frosting I want it.
Period. Anything less than cupcake perfection, to me, is a deadly sin.
Especially, if I am going to fork over $5 for one. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
But, my dear friend, April over <a href="http://www.sweet-madness.net/2015/05/cookie-dough-filled-cupcakes-with.html">Sweet Madness</a>
likes to use me as a taste tester. Which, personally, I am not mad
about it. Even if my waist line is. A few months back, at the beginning
of May, she said she wanted to try her hand at baking. I was all for it!
Especially, when she said she wanted to get crafty with her baking. Her
plan was to create amazing cupcakes for her daughters first birthday.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWkRiQizytdM7LLuysuVAHtE0LGTmJbNmgchN3fEeNGdzKaXAdJtnAtAqAcmZFa3UvczNf0ay0lQrXQneVAy2D7vTNCTpTG-lqqk1zk2wQsr6nzXP1nDLg7cFpDa82RWAoolsz0Fu2Xln/s1600/cupcake11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWkRiQizytdM7LLuysuVAHtE0LGTmJbNmgchN3fEeNGdzKaXAdJtnAtAqAcmZFa3UvczNf0ay0lQrXQneVAy2D7vTNCTpTG-lqqk1zk2wQsr6nzXP1nDLg7cFpDa82RWAoolsz0Fu2Xln/s320/cupcake11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I personally think she succeeded in not only raising my cupcake
expectations, but she also mastered the art of creative cupcakes. The
center is a perfect bite of chocolate chip cookie dough. The icing and
cupcake breading isn't too sweet either. Because, nothing screams
wastefulness when you have scrape half the icing off simply because it
is as if liquid sugar had been injected into it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jjd14WIDiymoeQ5wtZXuw_VSF5ofsAFOkpxUfsMiUPwz-RtME2I-f3Jg9GDHQPxMjsRH9L48pFPiqg-JeNv8RQMwOqQIeeztTezNL7TBau3Vfb4LTI_-kPeqmWHBETr2RGWGxaPslVYp/s1600/cupcake8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jjd14WIDiymoeQ5wtZXuw_VSF5ofsAFOkpxUfsMiUPwz-RtME2I-f3Jg9GDHQPxMjsRH9L48pFPiqg-JeNv8RQMwOqQIeeztTezNL7TBau3Vfb4LTI_-kPeqmWHBETr2RGWGxaPslVYp/s320/cupcake8.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now to make these AMAZING cupcakes. April uses multiple recipes from
different sources. She then combines them to create these wonderful
cookie dough filled cupcake. For the cupcake itself she used the recipe
from <a href="http://www.midgetmomma.com/2013/05/21/how-to-make-a-box-mix-taste-like-a-bakery-cake/">Midget Momma </a> to
create a more soft and less sweet cupcake that wouldn't be overpowered
by the heavy sweetness of the chocolate chip cookie dough. I was
surprised when reading the blog on <a href="http://www.sweet-madness.net/">Sweet Madness</a>, that Midget Momma, uses sour cream in her batter! How neat and creative is that?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEids9HHKid0n1TvbtZV1SGRVsooHEZkjL6JXYB5oWxsiv2SBoBu5AiaHd2wPN1FX7a5a6sfvZFed6fCv2uTxO0OYGx-9J32KtE2JtcQXS6v7vYmj-siCtI94jhHWUsBXNDD3_h9ojTALo_Z/s1600/cupcake7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEids9HHKid0n1TvbtZV1SGRVsooHEZkjL6JXYB5oWxsiv2SBoBu5AiaHd2wPN1FX7a5a6sfvZFed6fCv2uTxO0OYGx-9J32KtE2JtcQXS6v7vYmj-siCtI94jhHWUsBXNDD3_h9ojTALo_Z/s320/cupcake7.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am happy to say that, when it came to the cookie dough portion of this
recipe, she used my FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie recipe. This <a href="http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/the-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies/">William-Sonoma Recipe </a>is
by far the best I have ever had. I personally use this recipe nearly
every week. In fact not only do I have four rolls hidden in my freezer
but I even did a<a href="http://www.thehamandcheeseofit.com/2015/04/the-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html"> Food In Review</a> of the recipe itself. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now I am happy to say that the chocolate buttercream icing is of her own
creation. The icing is the perfect touch to these handcrafted pieces of
deliciousness. My taste buds aren't over powered by the sweetness of
the icing and it always leaves me wanting just one more bite! April's
ability to include my favorite cookie recipe and include my horrible,
bad addiction of cupcake eating has left me beyond satisfied. Or as
Marie Antoinette was falsely accused of saying, "<i>LET THEM EAT CAKE</i>!" as she stuffed another one down her throat. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eHVYLuyhu-znK3DY5ebZbapcIZMOsjwljeSX6EYLz_BrVOj_23hPdUGjjQL3sVf2D723TMCL7vmoAksw2Xv9L_FoEvtr26NlVN5DEbR2kBHkNWlIJMHOto9GZk8zrwV4rnlrVlZdHh3M/s1600/Cupcakes4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eHVYLuyhu-znK3DY5ebZbapcIZMOsjwljeSX6EYLz_BrVOj_23hPdUGjjQL3sVf2D723TMCL7vmoAksw2Xv9L_FoEvtr26NlVN5DEbR2kBHkNWlIJMHOto9GZk8zrwV4rnlrVlZdHh3M/s320/Cupcakes4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you would like the full tutorial on how to make these cupcakes please check out April's blog at <a href="http://www.sweet-madness.net/">www.sweet-madness.net </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
About Me
</h3>
<div class="date-posts">
</div>
<h2 align="center" style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi! I am Trisha!</span></h2>
<h2 align="center" style="border-image: none;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yfpnZyJG5oo/VQ5dzWKhQvI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/9sp7OZfyaJ0/s1600/image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiXBEq0acUs7JGD9KMAg0OWleQtBaKp4YgDWyuMdd73WV28QpccyVOJoeqUx_k3iyHw9sOeJt4tjT-eC6gRUYlSZPBm5dsDrm6PUyI2qTjiKNgQz0wK1QLHH_0q6YYi66-dxGespO6Ok-/s1600/easter+Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiXBEq0acUs7JGD9KMAg0OWleQtBaKp4YgDWyuMdd73WV28QpccyVOJoeqUx_k3iyHw9sOeJt4tjT-eC6gRUYlSZPBm5dsDrm6PUyI2qTjiKNgQz0wK1QLHH_0q6YYi66-dxGespO6Ok-/s640/easter+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello New Friend! I am
so excited that you took the time out of your busy day to come by The
Ham & Cheese Of It. It fills me with such joy to know that you took a
moment to read, share, comment or like my blog. It's such a wonderful
feeling to know that you and I are going to be the best of friends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, <i>New Friend, </i>let
me take a moment to tell you a little bit more about me and my blog. I
know you're just dying to know the girl that wrote that recipe or posted
that VERY interesting blog post. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To start off let me tell
you that I am newbie stay at home mom to the most wonderful little girl
in the world. Everyday she shows me exactly why my mother always used
to say, <i>"</i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">just you wait until you have a daughter of your own</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"</i>. She's a handful and a half and I wouldn't have it any other way. She makes every day exciting and new.</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKZ_SJF3entOn2f9L5_kGpo0GAbDH9BUS_K9ESVuIRWbjvKf3In5VJ3NIIDrZuA3WhWEwH0RZKG2O1Kx6YzJXxR3VxcIGv4rX0-FVvAidh834jvfZpapACb-94pH8BeiE_fDk0bcz8QEA/s1600/easter+pictures+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKZ_SJF3entOn2f9L5_kGpo0GAbDH9BUS_K9ESVuIRWbjvKf3In5VJ3NIIDrZuA3WhWEwH0RZKG2O1Kx6YzJXxR3VxcIGv4rX0-FVvAidh834jvfZpapACb-94pH8BeiE_fDk0bcz8QEA/s640/easter+pictures+4.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Originally my little
family is from North Texas. A beautiful, wonderful place where you can
go to Walmart at 2 o'clock in the morning for whatever you might
possibly need. A place where there is a Sonic Drive-In on nearly every
major street. Texas, the land of endless comforts. Sigh. I miss Texas.
It will always be our home. But because of my husbands job we get the
pleasure to live around the world. You probably are trying to figure it
out. What kind of job is that? I want a job that lets me live around the
world. Where can I sign up? Well it's pretty easy. Join the Air Force.
They're always looking for new recruits! Yes, we are a military family
living the military dream. Currently we are stationed in a small
province of Tokyo, Japan. However, in November of 2015 we are uprooting
our family to Germany.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M514ksT5FtU/VQ5d48zVlWI/AAAAAAAAAHs/6rGtBZAdvjE/s1600/image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M514ksT5FtU/VQ5d48zVlWI/AAAAAAAAAHs/6rGtBZAdvjE/s640/image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These last few years in
Japan have been amazing and I can't wait to share my experiences that I
have had here with you. I also can't wait to share our next big
adventure with you as well. It will be so wonderful sharing everything
that I learn in Germany and the surrounding countries with you, new
friend. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV6P65i6-xCyk5YdZb-CNmtnCQS9zaI2ZokXhuCB_9QRGhvmAmM71iTsaQOhr_qOKwHFYWBpt2TsgDuJJCCsC5BhFNNuhvpLrWX90E26f2Bw_FTwG-_VD8mybO6KkfL_8VhbO95ySPS1m/s1600/Dogs2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhV6P65i6-xCyk5YdZb-CNmtnCQS9zaI2ZokXhuCB_9QRGhvmAmM71iTsaQOhr_qOKwHFYWBpt2TsgDuJJCCsC5BhFNNuhvpLrWX90E26f2Bw_FTwG-_VD8mybO6KkfL_8VhbO95ySPS1m/s640/Dogs2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the last three
years my husband and I have adopted two crazy labs. Bo, is our oldest
and most well behaved member of our furbabies. He's actually a mix that
my father adopted for me back in Texas from our local animal shelter. He
was this scrawny five month old border collie/lab mix puppy that just
wanted to hide in my hair. But now he's a very well behaved three year
old who loves carrot/ peanut butter dog treats and snuggle time. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Su7oUKes4PcpHBrw7a8PYpFE60HAZAKUlKfo7CY28koDLxKp_j0GF-2AhQQDHc81BwCHacDVTVMTvVXsvF3X0dr25-tsgE0tYPgl3z-dmGLUXV4RbS8jcChyWJgdED-besjZr5cOoTH5/s1600/Dogs3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Su7oUKes4PcpHBrw7a8PYpFE60HAZAKUlKfo7CY28koDLxKp_j0GF-2AhQQDHc81BwCHacDVTVMTvVXsvF3X0dr25-tsgE0tYPgl3z-dmGLUXV4RbS8jcChyWJgdED-besjZr5cOoTH5/s640/Dogs3.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our youngest furbaby and newest house hold addition is our pure bred chocolate lab O'Hana. Her name is Hawaiian for "<i>Family</i>" and sometimes I glad she's named that. I always need a good reminder that she is, in fact,"<i>family</i>"
and I can't just leave her at the fire station. Still being a young
puppy and adopting her here in Japan, O'Hana has been... well very much
like Marley from Marley and Me. She's slowly turning in to a very well
behaved dog. But it's sure is taking some time! She loves digging into
water (no idea why water) and eating everything she can get her mouth
on. Especially my husbands work socks (<b>GROSS</b>). But we love her obnoxious self all the same.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi0jj6wteipzmOVzPD-RXDixXIUIJagk-YNg6OUkR8DM6RQDq0zxIEb_ox2Y2aB7btzLYS985PEJOITyXtoWVcKBT7qlhB2sZeG08ZPR5cjLYlI6k3BJIjWAKU8LMOVEq_cT5NoGWIbvu/s1600/easter+picture+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi0jj6wteipzmOVzPD-RXDixXIUIJagk-YNg6OUkR8DM6RQDq0zxIEb_ox2Y2aB7btzLYS985PEJOITyXtoWVcKBT7qlhB2sZeG08ZPR5cjLYlI6k3BJIjWAKU8LMOVEq_cT5NoGWIbvu/s640/easter+picture+6.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just so you know friend,
I love to cook. I LOVE it. It's the kind of art that can leave a
lasting impression on some one for years. Food, with it's sultry beauty,
can leave a person in so many different states of self. When I was
younger my Grandmother used to make the best spaghetti sauce. The kind
that would cook all day and make the house smell like bay leaves and
love. Now, twenty years later, whenever I smell bay leaves or her
spaghetti sauce I am immediately taken back to those childhood days
spent running around her house. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food is a reminder of
happier and joyful times. Food is a comfortable embrace that is always
waiting for you. I love food. That is why I write, post and create food
to share with all of you! At the end of the day, food, will always be
there for you.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlR3MeVvas1X3u8pNYoHj5d0BBzTc8fupXjKHQ9UIaA1eJwRNp9OhGKVRQzklS0y6NsU1GTYI_8Pkqe1fXuP6hdpEAxKFpBqhv3QbFbkJDH0bFtuiqgklGHiLOjDekWcuqgth90MacDEU/s1600/cupcake6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlR3MeVvas1X3u8pNYoHj5d0BBzTc8fupXjKHQ9UIaA1eJwRNp9OhGKVRQzklS0y6NsU1GTYI_8Pkqe1fXuP6hdpEAxKFpBqhv3QbFbkJDH0bFtuiqgklGHiLOjDekWcuqgth90MacDEU/s400/cupcake6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also, seriously enjoy
trying out Pinterest recipes, and seeing if they really work or if there
is something about it that can be changed. Because sometimes I don't
need <b>THAT </b>much cream in my pasta when Greek Yogurt will work just
as well. If you want to check out my pinterest recipes that I have
tried and that do work, check out my <b><u>pinterest page here. </u></b>Now,
dear friend of mine, if you have tried something different than what I
or the other blogger did please let us all know! I love feed back and
always want to know your thoughts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AsYxUQXu4MQ/VQ5d2_NYVWI/AAAAAAAAAHk/lJuMdGxwthY/s1600/image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AsYxUQXu4MQ/VQ5d2_NYVWI/AAAAAAAAAHk/lJuMdGxwthY/s640/image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as a reminder this
blog is in general a place for me to collect my experiences. Either it
be by traveling the world and trying out new recipes. Sometimes this
blog will be about trying to become a healthier me, sometimes it might
be about my family or my dogs. This blog is about my crazy, crazy
wonderful life. I can't <b>WAIT </b>to share my adventure with you friend!</span></div>
</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5YjbN1NBsw/VQ5d7TWVk3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/_UZ0XGZXgo0/s1600/image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5YjbN1NBsw/VQ5d7TWVk3I/AAAAAAAAAIA/_UZ0XGZXgo0/s640/image.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thehamandcheeseofit.com/" target="_blank">You can check out her blog here. </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5264347385411282209.post-73450232850692366142015-07-08T06:00:00.000-05:002015-07-08T06:00:03.528-05:00DIY Craft Table Remodel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
My husband had been talking about getting me a craft table for months. We scoured Craigslist and thrift stores but couldn't find anything to fit our space and budget. We finally stopped looking and decided to just put the idea on hold.<br />
<br />
<br />
A couple weeks ago, as I was sprawled out on the bedroom floor painting, we decided I needed some kind of work area.We had very little available space and even less room in the budget. So I went hunting in the garage for extra pallets, spare parts, anything I could turn into a small table. Then, I spied my old nightstand. It was close to twenty years old and had seen better days, but was small enough I could squeeze it into my bedroom corner. It would have to do.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMM5wBXVERJsJMSXC32_-nJuQZiv3ExeYvQyZsvQtV0jvBvl1-htzT3JMjno40ZDqNHtq9L10DCEv18mLHSdqtZnZCTNCFo0zXTBIFH9jgzhY40rfObIinjVvAL60wkRNBkxkTzcIm17X/s1600/DSC01539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMM5wBXVERJsJMSXC32_-nJuQZiv3ExeYvQyZsvQtV0jvBvl1-htzT3JMjno40ZDqNHtq9L10DCEv18mLHSdqtZnZCTNCFo0zXTBIFH9jgzhY40rfObIinjVvAL60wkRNBkxkTzcIm17X/s320/DSC01539.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhGJG4ytgV3BHr3AeBWslg95k14mICHBYQNZx1gMwUY959oVbydi_iUKz4frvmubHCB1Q_LNd4-iyC1oZiqqo0VygSs6GWjnXGRdcit3Z54x2kFAU6yQbwusODoV08mStnS6DKWrJG8Xa/s1600/DSC01540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhGJG4ytgV3BHr3AeBWslg95k14mICHBYQNZx1gMwUY959oVbydi_iUKz4frvmubHCB1Q_LNd4-iyC1oZiqqo0VygSs6GWjnXGRdcit3Z54x2kFAU6yQbwusODoV08mStnS6DKWrJG8Xa/s320/DSC01540.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwm6fyXpwTWfnqpNDQYyVgzJe-aI72DZ1cOnfNfVcpvwvDRWeAdcL-AGzS0PhUkmZiumiYHO10Hnk89K9QjRpnHeTE96mMbH6JYscZniUM8b8jP0C-tTo7gAEVd3STu_goAfGR76tA_khU/s1600/DSC01538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwm6fyXpwTWfnqpNDQYyVgzJe-aI72DZ1cOnfNfVcpvwvDRWeAdcL-AGzS0PhUkmZiumiYHO10Hnk89K9QjRpnHeTE96mMbH6JYscZniUM8b8jP0C-tTo7gAEVd3STu_goAfGR76tA_khU/s320/DSC01538.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Hubby sanded it all down, stripped the hardware, and smoothed out the edges. We used a couple cans of spray paint we had from another project, and gave it a couple coats of clear sealant.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzGx2PbBJEtwp0Cm10jcy0QTaVjmI7KC44vwIRC_ySb-8XxvNipykgUCg_Kg5nbGVqQbvI7YlPi_8UWcpCm638dB8BTXCDE1ojUtM9Eiy-hxVqjh6muJ-SanlpwKzPnyznTNtQ8Zni-48/s1600/DSC01522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzGx2PbBJEtwp0Cm10jcy0QTaVjmI7KC44vwIRC_ySb-8XxvNipykgUCg_Kg5nbGVqQbvI7YlPi_8UWcpCm638dB8BTXCDE1ojUtM9Eiy-hxVqjh6muJ-SanlpwKzPnyznTNtQ8Zni-48/s320/DSC01522.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1Y9RC2BTde-c4oOXbql9BqLXcDR07a-8OU7Feonzeq_Su8X9smgnwPLNhd6ROfnGCapBU4jAvbn0_4TWFXgJNHNjwzha9FcsLTQrN8NJZQo1hLjTFifEhr66NO9FYDPz7qbPfDhB-Ixv/s1600/DSC01526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1Y9RC2BTde-c4oOXbql9BqLXcDR07a-8OU7Feonzeq_Su8X9smgnwPLNhd6ROfnGCapBU4jAvbn0_4TWFXgJNHNjwzha9FcsLTQrN8NJZQo1hLjTFifEhr66NO9FYDPz7qbPfDhB-Ixv/s320/DSC01526.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vkrkPXg6m_qESwAmZjoVIGjAHulLQf8Rv2ByIw0bj6sC7WPB9_vQbq-W0N0C-Vj0ocppuL5iVFZPGhi7hl_xLEKLRmnaLODzpj5DmZXbDZv29fWVby4kx-yYspCOjudVGGaiv8Wcudo8/s1600/DSC01524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vkrkPXg6m_qESwAmZjoVIGjAHulLQf8Rv2ByIw0bj6sC7WPB9_vQbq-W0N0C-Vj0ocppuL5iVFZPGhi7hl_xLEKLRmnaLODzpj5DmZXbDZv29fWVby4kx-yYspCOjudVGGaiv8Wcudo8/s320/DSC01524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJCr-rg5Q_Dlgt6mCDMhyykB9c2FuOV9phSMLX8Byd08v8Dnd1gj7DTJ-REgUt99ATuUi-QgS14u0FsBTuoA2GOGMtNqpCFX32nN-lB7G-QNv0bclWVSnUD2To6e1ByOxFnpZuYq87Y_y/s1600/DSC01528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJCr-rg5Q_Dlgt6mCDMhyykB9c2FuOV9phSMLX8Byd08v8Dnd1gj7DTJ-REgUt99ATuUi-QgS14u0FsBTuoA2GOGMtNqpCFX32nN-lB7G-QNv0bclWVSnUD2To6e1ByOxFnpZuYq87Y_y/s320/DSC01528.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
It was perfect, so easy, and very cheap. We cleaned out a corner in my bedroom and pulled up a chair. I now have a small surface that matched my decor and can house most of my craft supplies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvr4n6PPlbi93AdLFUDRHWyE5DdviELTLGTSeb1Uk08YxRrsuvYCdNvf3ZyDKkmYRt2cLGFhWlJUJSZFMj4Vx7M7_WPSwsA8FBd1ue87E4UyNwpd_2kmKY0VNTB4XTxqsEcQYZ_MUO9NL/s1600/DSC01539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvr4n6PPlbi93AdLFUDRHWyE5DdviELTLGTSeb1Uk08YxRrsuvYCdNvf3ZyDKkmYRt2cLGFhWlJUJSZFMj4Vx7M7_WPSwsA8FBd1ue87E4UyNwpd_2kmKY0VNTB4XTxqsEcQYZ_MUO9NL/s320/DSC01539.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtYecvBPQ0dcj2OBV-JYhkiME3ULPLNqHKiBt_9sqlQyjppO70U9x2qOrSmid8iofXNC8pkgQzexBSvusdNXPYi-CpzAAhxJrEMOoW9ypsTYnHU9wkZTR1QtmUr9QKI84a7RNcadFQ-Zd/s1600/DSC01537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPtYecvBPQ0dcj2OBV-JYhkiME3ULPLNqHKiBt_9sqlQyjppO70U9x2qOrSmid8iofXNC8pkgQzexBSvusdNXPYi-CpzAAhxJrEMOoW9ypsTYnHU9wkZTR1QtmUr9QKI84a7RNcadFQ-Zd/s320/DSC01537.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04809892166667542977noreply@blogger.com0