tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78274055181070867172024-02-20T13:32:26.370-05:00Health, Wealth, and Homehttps://twitter.com/brandivacation
https://www.facebook.com/brandivacationBrandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-17268623981182821592014-12-14T20:26:00.000-05:002015-03-01T14:08:05.498-05:00Cheesy Beef and Vegetable StewIt doesn't really get cold enough down here in South Florida for all of the soups and chilis that most people enjoy at this time of year but I was craving some sort of soup so I decided to try a twist on vegetable beef soup. This turned out awesome! It's so versatile that you can change out the ingredients easily without having to be a super cook. I'd love to hear about the changes you made to suit your tastes!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cheesy Beef and Vegetable Stew</span></b><br />
4 cups of chicken broth (vegetable or beef broth can be substituted)<br />
3 cups of wild/brown rice, cooked (I cook it in chicken broth for extra flavor)<br />
1 package frozen mixed vegetables<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
Leftover cooked beef<br />
cheese sauce<br />
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<a data-pin-board-width="900" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="120" data-pin-scale-width="115" href="http://www.pinterest.com/k7m5j3/healthy-recipes/">Follow Brandi Perkins's board Healthy Recipes on Pinterest.</a>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-43127897520558770372014-12-12T10:47:00.004-05:002014-12-14T20:21:57.118-05:0012 Days of Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsGZhaskhVMM5xFFNcqXtExjcuXuGgY80sFNOYlk2cFvxctwNsrA1FvJpBP63vr_JQlprF80oWX1g5ecXkoYwjCcOqTEkT4-oxYguqUI939-YQQoM-hBHYtvi2jpUDFudUrSGdepEyhI/s1600/P_20141027_213153_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsGZhaskhVMM5xFFNcqXtExjcuXuGgY80sFNOYlk2cFvxctwNsrA1FvJpBP63vr_JQlprF80oWX1g5ecXkoYwjCcOqTEkT4-oxYguqUI939-YQQoM-hBHYtvi2jpUDFudUrSGdepEyhI/s1600/P_20141027_213153_1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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We started a tradition a few years ago of doing things for the 12 days of Christmas. This has become our favorite time of the year! We spend time together doing fun things and the kids learn valuable planning and time management skills without even realizing it! Bonus for this homeschooling mom!<br />
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Our main 3 ingredients for our exciting 12 days are: Crafts, Movies, and Food. We have something we make or do together every day and watch a movie together. The kids are the main planners and I just help get it organized and buy the necessary items for all of our projects. <br />
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Check out my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/k7m5j3/winter/">Winter Pinterest Board</a> for some great ideas for food and crafts!<br />
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Here is a calendar to help you plan what you want to do for each day. You only need to print the first page so be sure to change the printer settings. I'd delete the extra 2 pages but I haven't figured out how yet.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYDIh--h7ORTUZyRUFPVjFsYU0/view?usp=sharing">12 Days of Christmas PDF</a><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYDIh--h7ORbktlSWQ3d0hzS0k/view?usp=sharing">12 Days of Christmas DocX</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDimmfRKzxo1zYhRYJ2ZVoZFE6LtFCXn2MU3ROHWkPE_anOCb50J9EHADH6HjKZJiO6LihVSvJf4rJiDrMqmiYpquiMaYwyEiUAD6rhuCIEvHyIYDG28UceEHokoGnJ7f3_AzY9OP8rbk/s1600/P_20141212_104802_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDimmfRKzxo1zYhRYJ2ZVoZFE6LtFCXn2MU3ROHWkPE_anOCb50J9EHADH6HjKZJiO6LihVSvJf4rJiDrMqmiYpquiMaYwyEiUAD6rhuCIEvHyIYDG28UceEHokoGnJ7f3_AzY9OP8rbk/s1600/P_20141212_104802_1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
Another thing I plan to do is to put all of my Christmas recipes in a binder (and crafts if we plan to do the same ones again) that will go in the Christmas storage boxes. I'm putting our Christmas movies in there as well so I don't have to hunt them down next year.<br />
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For menu planning during Christmas, I'm using this <a href="http://www.homemadebycarmona.com/menu-planner/">awesome menu planner</a> I found on Pinterest! <a href="http://www.homemadebycarmona.com/menu-planner/">http://www.homemadebycarmona.com/menu-planner/</a><br />
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Since you can customize the pages, I was able to easily create a Christmas page (or pages but who's counting).<br />
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I'll get pictures and more up soon but I wanted to get this out to all of you while you could still use it this year. :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://freehdw.com/wallpaper/winter-fun-snowman-91945.html">http://freehdw.com/wallpaper/winter-fun-snowman-91945.html</a></td></tr>
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<a data-pin-do="embedBoard" href="http://www.pinterest.com/k7m5j3/winter/" data-pin-scale-width="115" data-pin-scale-height="120" data-pin-board-width="900">Follow Brandi Perkins's board Winter on Pinterest.</a>
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<script type="text/javascript" async defer src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-57862486150240792972014-09-11T11:27:00.001-04:002015-02-11T12:51:21.051-05:00History Homeschool StyleI'm not a fan of our mainstream history texts; I don't think they give an accurate portrayal of US history and don't go into enough depth. This is my opinion and if you happen to share it, then read on if you want to find out what curriculum I've chosen to use to homeschool my children.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=5626">Liberty Classroom</a></td></tr>
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I ran across <a href="http://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=5626" target="_blank">www.libertyclassroom.com</a> last year and loved the history lectures! I hate lectures in general but I love learning and these teach. Some courses are free on here so you can try them out and even create your curriculum around the free ones! The lectures are given by different history professors with differing viewpoints but all are basically libertarian.<br />
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I have two children in high school so I use the lectures to keep track of their hours spent on history for their high school credits. I also count various field trips and anything else we do that is relevant to what they are learning. Luckily, we live near Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown so there is no shortage of opportunities.<br />
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I added geography in with <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/map-trek-book-and-rom/terri-johnson/9781932786422/pd/786422?event=ESRCG">Map Trek</a>. You can get creative with this or just go by the book. The map numbers I use correspond with the CD.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa2tO6vpZFkJV7RWlSUTcF6Lnr_llKijrF3G8UkLX6sAURmJr2yGl60ERgZxVt87bQuo7qfLuNKLbjvEbYiS5McpwmhcW5HMukonzzPDpMLMY3FJucmkJSCpwbaybLOq0cK7s_7OKPJs/s1600/786422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa2tO6vpZFkJV7RWlSUTcF6Lnr_llKijrF3G8UkLX6sAURmJr2yGl60ERgZxVt87bQuo7qfLuNKLbjvEbYiS5McpwmhcW5HMukonzzPDpMLMY3FJucmkJSCpwbaybLOq0cK7s_7OKPJs/s1600/786422.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a></div>
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I'm also a fan of IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) so I use their <a href="http://iew.com/shop/products/us-history-based-writing-lessons-vol-1-explorers%E2%80%93gold-rush-student-book-only" target="_blank">US History-Based Writing Lessons</a> in conjunction with the lectures to create a way for the information they've learned to stay with them longer by writing it down. You don't have to do this, of course, but it's what works for me instead of having them write about something else all year. (Try finding used, out of date, or imperfect copies through christianbook.com, ebay, craigslist, or local groups.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPBjSrCoz4q261dYjUDQw3WRP5AA3oUYaQ1lpKN4udsaOWh_KYsYE2ZZE293doT0b-ISb8wqlz4DPAGRgSDnCsXA28A348e-6cJVR_muq-MSHU9XmriWFsnvJNElT7XAVn28P7luMW5I/s1600/hbw-s_thumb_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPBjSrCoz4q261dYjUDQw3WRP5AA3oUYaQ1lpKN4udsaOWh_KYsYE2ZZE293doT0b-ISb8wqlz4DPAGRgSDnCsXA28A348e-6cJVR_muq-MSHU9XmriWFsnvJNElT7XAVn28P7luMW5I/s1600/hbw-s_thumb_0.jpg" height="200" width="174" /></a></div>
Another thing I have the older kids do is create a powerpoint while listening to the lectures. At the end of the year, they'll have documentation of everything they learned. I encourage creativity with this but don't force it.<br />
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Oh, I almost forgot. If you want to give quizzes or a final exam, keep a list of important people, events, and documents as they pop up in the lectures. This is also great for a course description if you have to write one for a high school transcript.<br />
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I use different history courses so they sometimes overlap. I prefer this since it gives the children extra repetition of the facts but from different views. You can skip the lectures that you feel are repetitive if you like. The easiest way to figure out which ones you want is to look at the powerpoint presentation for that lecture (located on each lecture page).<br />
*No, my kids do not copy from the course powerpoints. :-) Yes, they tried that option.<br />
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Here is my schedule; I'll update it as I go through the year for your benefit. When I finish, I'll create a document for download (<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzYDIh--h7ORbWNoYkFRbzlHQWc&authuser=0">Printable Calendar</a>). Until then, just copy the schedule into your planner. <a href="http://donnayoung.org/" target="_blank">donnayoung.org</a> has some options you can print but I decided to break down and pay for a planner this year and wish I had done it sooner. I bought <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-well-planned-day-homeschool-planner/rebecca-keliher/9780991133505/pd/133506?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">The Well-Planned Day</a> Planner and love it!<br />
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*Note: We did some US History lectures last year so the early ones aren't included. Feel free to add them in at the beginning.</div>
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*Note: You can spread this out over a year if you prefer. This is for a semester then we'll move on to the 2nd part of IEW History.</div>
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Week 1:</div>
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M-IEW Lesson 1</div>
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T-Map 28</div>
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W-IEW Lesson 2</div>
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TH-Map 36</div>
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F-Free/Finish Work</div>
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Week 2:</div>
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M-IEW Lesson 3</div>
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T-Map Jamestown</div>
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W-IEW Lesson 5</div>
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TH-Finish Work</div>
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F-Free</div>
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Week 3:</div>
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M-IEW Lesson 4</div>
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T-Constitutional History Lecture 1</div>
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Map 42</div>
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W-Lesson 6</div>
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TH-Map 58</div>
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F-Map 60</div>
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Week 4:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 7<br />
T-American Revolution Lecture 1<br />
W-IEW Lesson 8<br />
TH-Constitutional History Lecture 2<br />
Map 54<br />
F-Constitutional History Lecture 3<br />
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Week 5:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 9<br />
T-US History Lecture 7<br />
W-Map 70<br />
TH-Map 40<br />
F-Free/ Finish Work<br />
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Week 6:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 10 (Can combine Lessons 11 and 13 with this to lesson writing load)<br />
T-American Revolution Lecture 3<br />
American Revolution Lecture 4<br />
W-IEW Lesson 12<br />
American Revolution Lecture 5<br />
TH-American Revolution Lecture 6<br />
American Revolution Lecture 7<br />
F-American Revolution Lecture 8<br />
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Week 7:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 11<br />
T-American Revolution Lecture 9<br />
Map 74<br />
W-IEW Lesson 13<br />
TH-American Revolution Lecture 10<br />
F-Free/Finish Work<br />
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Week 8:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 14<br />
American Revolution Lecture 11<br />
T-IEW Lesson 15<br />
W-IEW Lesson 16<br />
Constitutional History Lecture 4<br />
TH-American Revolution Lecture 12<br />
F-Free/Finish Work<br />
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Week 9:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 17<br />
American Revolution Lecture 13<br />
T-American Revolution Lecture 14<br />
Map 76<br />
W-IEW Lesson 18<br />
American Revolution Lecture 15<br />
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Week 10:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 19<br />
American Revolution Lecture 16<br />
W-American Revolution Lecture 17<br />
TH-American Revolution Lecture 18<br />
F-American Revolution Lecture 19<br />
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Week 11:<br />
M-IEW Lessons 21 and 22<br />
US Constitutional History Lectures 5 and 6<br />
W-US Constitutional History Lectures 7 and 8<br />
TH-US Constitutional History Lecture 9<br />
F-US Constitutional History Lecture 10<br />
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Week 12:<br />
M-IEW Lessons 23 and 24<br />
T-YouTube Videos on Branches of Government/Bills (Schoolhouse Rock)<br />
F-Videos on Articles 4-7 of the Constitution<br />
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Week 13:<br />
M-IEW Lesson 25<br />
US Constitutional History Lectures 11 and 12<br />
T-US Constitutional History Lectures 13 and 14<br />
W-US Constitutional History Lectures 15 and 16<br />
TH-US Constitutional History Lectures 17 and 18<br />
F-US Constitutional History Lectures 19 and 20<br />
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Week 14:<br />
M-IEW Lessons 31 and 33<br />
Map Lewis and Clark<br />
T-Map 94 War of 1812<br />
W-US History to 1877 Jefferson and Madison Administrations Lectures<br />
TH-US History to 1877 Monroe Administration Lectures<br />
F-US History to 1877 Marshall Court Lectures<br />
Oregon Trail Game (Can be found free online)<br />
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Week 15:<br />
M-Lessons 32 and 34<br />
T-Map 100 (add trails)<br />
W-F US History to 1877 Age of Jackson Lectures<br />
Trail of Tears (whatever extra resource you want to use)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://letshomeschoolhighschool.com/">http://letshomeschoolhighschool.com/</a></td></tr>
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<a data-pin-board-width="900" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="120" data-pin-scale-width="115" href="http://www.pinterest.com/k7m5j3/school/">Follow Brandi Perkins's board School on Pinterest.</a>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-33487482994298139252013-06-06T18:38:00.000-04:002013-06-06T18:38:05.694-04:00Reading Mat Using a Sheet and PillowsQuick post here:<br />
I made a reading mat with a twin sheet and pillows. You know if I could do it anyone can!<br />
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Okay, the picture is sideways and I can't get it to not be sideways so it's going to stay that way. :-)<br />
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Quick directions:<br />
1. Buy a twin flat sheet or use an old one. (Walmart $5)<br />
2. Buy 5 pillows or use old ones. ($2.50 each)<br />
3. Fold lengthwise inside out so the right sides are facing each other.<br />
4. Sew the end rows together.<br />
5. Turn right side out (like it looks in the pic)<br />
6. Measure 19 inches and mark the lines.<br />
7. Sew a straight line at each 19 inch mark. (That gives you 6 lines total including the outside 2 you started with.)<br />
8. Stuff the pillows in the openings.<br />
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It ends up looking like 5 pillow cases have been sewn together. Don't mess up like I did. I sewed all of the lines while it was inside out then had to take all of the seams out except for the ones at the end. Oops. I'd love to do a project without messing something up. I usually don't make the same mistake twice though. I do learn. I'm just really good at finding out how NOT to do things. :-)Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-19238928977257306592012-10-04T11:47:00.002-04:002012-10-04T11:52:13.127-04:00An unorganized and health conscious person's foray into freezer mealsAs many people already know, I hate menu planning. I mean, I go onto Pinterest for a great recipe and get stuck there for the next hour and totally forget what I went on there for.<br />
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I've been putting my favorite recipes on my Cozi recipe box so they're all in one place. This has been a HUGE help! I highly recommend using Cozi or one of the other great sites for storing your recipes. I'd love to hear where you decide to store yours. Cozi has some drawbacks. The iphone app doesn't allow you to look at your recipes which I think is stupid. Also, it doesn't have any great way to organize your recipes except by tagging them. So I can put "Freezer" for a tag and then do a search for the recipes with that tag. It's not a bad way to do it but I think more options are needed. Still, for the ADD person, it does get your recipes in one place so you're not completely distracted by other things when you want to find recipes.<br />
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Now, I've always been a fan of making extra lasagna and putting one in the freezer but I've never been able to figure out what else works. I also never thought about deliberately planning a day to make a bunch of freezer meals so you can just pull them out later. I went through a bunch of freezer meal sites looking for ideas and recipes. This was an awesome idea!! It really worked out well! I know we saved a bunch of money on groceries by doing this. The initial bill was slightly higher but we skipped a whole trip to the store! I drive an hour to get to Whole Foods so this is a huge deal.<br />
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The first thing I did was decide which recipes I wanted to try and wrote them down along with the ingredients needed to do so. I could have used the computer and an app for this but any easily distracted person knows it's best to just go old fashioned on this part. :-) (I crossed them off as I made them so I didn't miss anything.)<br />
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After I made my list, I organized the ingredients into a shopping list. I know, more work doing it this way but this is what worked for me. It takes less time in the store when the list is organized.<br />
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This is what I ended up with! Not bad for a first timer! We've used most of it up and most of it has been really good! All of it has at least been edible so nothing was wasted here.<br />
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I didn't write down where I got all of the recipes since I added them to my Cozi when I found them. I did put "untested recipe" on the description until we tried it so I knew to either delete it or add my thoughts about the recipe. Remember, my Cozi is only for my favorite recipes.<br />
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<b>Freezer recipes we love!</b><br />
<u>Baked Chicken Nuggets</u><br />
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Ingredients</div>
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16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit sized pieces<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tsp olive oil<br />
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs<br />
2 tbsp panko<br />
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese<br />
olive oil spray</div>
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Preparation</div>
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Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.<br />
Put the olive oil in one bowl and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese in another.<br />
Season
chicken with salt and pepper, then put in the bowl with the olive oil
and mix well so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.<br />
Put a
few chunks of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat,
then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray
then bake 8 - 10 minutes. Turn over then cook another 4 - 5 minutes or
until cooked though.<br />
To freeze - Follow the directions given to
completion, baking the chicken nuggets. Allow them to cool and then
transfer them to a cookie sheet or large surface covered in wax paper
and flash freeze. Once they are mostly frozen (30 minutes to 1 hour),
place them gently in a freezer bag and freeze. To serve: Place chicken
nuggets on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or
until warmed through. OR microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
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*Cheat by cutting up chicken, putting in a bowl, pouring olive
oil over, mix. Take chicken a little bit at a time and mix with
breadcrumb mixture then layer on a pan. I don't see any difference when
coated with oil especially when it's getting frozen.</div>
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<u>Cookie Dough </u></div>
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Make your favorite chocolate chip cookies or other similar cookies. Put them on the cookie sheet like you're going to bake them but put them in the freezer. After they're hard, put them in a baggie (labeled of course) then thaw and cook what you need. This has helped us from eating too many cookies at one time and is great to pull out for unexpected guests.</div>
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<u>Lasagna </u></div>
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(I use the Betty Crocker recipe except I use Cottage Cheese instead of Ricotta and I always double the cheese. No, I don't count calories. :-))</div>
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*When frozen, just throw it in the oven and assume it's going to take around 2 hours to cook. I usually leave the foil on top for the first hour and put it back on later if I think the top is going to burn.</div>
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<u>Frozen Grapes </u><br />
The kids love these! A great healthy snack that's super easy! Just wash them and freeze them! We haven't had a problem with them sticking together; at least, the kids haven't complained yet.<br />
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<u>Terriaki Chicken </u></div>
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1 tablespoon cornstarch<br />
1 tablespoon cold water<br />
1/2 cup white sugar (or mix with brown sugar)<br />
1/2 cup soy sauce<br />
1/4 cup cider vinegar<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />
12 skinless chicken thighs</div>
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Preparation</div>
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*Double Sauce<br />
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold
water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black
pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and
bubbles.<br />
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).<br />
Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush
chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.<br />
Bake
in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for
another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush
with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.<br />
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*Since I doubled the
sauce, I used 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/4 c. white sugar. I lined my pan
with heavy duty foil then poured most of the thickened sauce over
bone-in thighs (skin removed) and some boneless breasts but reserved a
little. Cooked, covered with foil for 30 minutes, removed foil, poured
remainder of sauce over and bake another 20-30 minutes. Wow</div>
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<b>Freezer Meals We Like.</b></div>
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<u>Chicken Broccoli Bake (Even my broccoli hater husband liked this one!)</u></div>
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16 ounces frozen broccoli florets (or about 3 cups fresh broccoli florets)<br />
3 cups cooked cubed chicken<br />
pepper<br />
2 cans cream of chicken soup* (about 3 cups)<br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 teaspoon curry powder<br />
1/2 cup chicken broth<br />
paprika, optional<br />
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese<br />
1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked measurement), cooked according to package instructions (should make 4 1/5 cups of cooked rice)</div>
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1. In covered saucepan, cook broccoli in water just until tender, about 5 minutes.<br />
2.
In greased 9 x 13 baking dish, spread broccoli across bottom and
sprinkle chicken evenly on top. Generously sprinkle black pepper over
chicken.<br />
3. In mixing bowl, combine cream soups, mayonnaise, curry
powder, and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Pour over chicken.
Sprinkle paprika on top if desired.<br />
4. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees
for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Spread cheese on top and bake
5-10 minutes longer, until melted and slightly browned.<br />
5. While casserole is baking, cook rice. Serve the chicken and broccoli mixture over hot rice<br />
*For
Freezer: Put rice on bottom of dish and top with chicken/broccoli
mixture then freeze. No freezer directions so just add more time for
baking.</div>
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<u>Cooked Hamburger </u></div>
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ground beef<br />
green pepper<br />
onion<br />
shredded carrots</div>
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cook beef with finely chopped/shredded veggies. <br />
Freeze in freezer bags after cooled. Use for spaghetti, chili, sloppy joes, nachos, etc..</div>
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<b>Things that worked well but need recipe tweaking </b></div>
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<u>Southwest Chicken</u></div>
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<a href="http://www.keezasfreezermeals.blogspot.com/">http://www.keezasfreezermeals.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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*The salsa for this is great! The sauce on the chicken looks yucky after it's cooked and is just bland. I recommend changing the sauce and I added cheddar cheese on top for personal preference. I think it's a neat idea and I love the way she stores the salsa with the chicken. Just put the salsa in a bag and put it in the bigger bag that holds the chicken.</div>
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<u>Meatloaf</u></div>
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I have a throw it together style so sometimes it's great and other times it's too much. Here are the things I like to add:</div>
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Spike Seasoning (not too much, this is where I usually mess up)</div>
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Worcestershire</div>
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Ketchup</div>
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Milk</div>
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Eggs</div>
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Salt</div>
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Oats</div>
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and some other seasoning depending on my mood</div>
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*I tried squash in here once and it made it really moist. I had major objections to messing up their meatloaf with squash so if you're going to try to hide it, leave out the seeds. I forgot. :-)</div>
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<u>Cooked Chicken and Chicken Broth</u></div>
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This is a great idea and I hope to be able to use it in the freezer. I tried 2X and both times it all got used up before I could get it in the freezer. </div>
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We love to use cooked chicken for chicken salad.I put mine on lettuce and tomato for a great salad. This would be great for many recipes that use cooked chicken.</div>
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The broth left from cooking a whole chicken can be frozen. When you're buying MSG free chicken broth (that actually tastes good) this is a huge money saver. I flavor the water with Bragg's Seasoning and salt. It comes out SO good!</div>
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<u>Onion and Green Pepper </u></div>
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Chop it and freeze it! This is a great time saver for recipes!</div>
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<b>Things I learned!</b></div>
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*Label the bags with a sharpie including date, what it is, and cooking instructions. This allows anyone to pull out the bag and prepare the meal!</div>
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*I learned that I still have trouble figuring out what's for supper even when I have a freezer full of meals. That's just sad.</div>
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*It takes some of us longer than others to prepare these so ignore others that tell you it's only 4 hours to make them. I did take my time but it took me all day.</div>
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*Invest in something that chops veggies. </div>
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*If you hold your breath while cutting onions, your eyes don't water. Breathe through your mouth. You'll know if you forget.</div>
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*If you like a meat sauce with stuffed shells or lasagna rolls, go ahead and put it all together instead of just stuffing with cheese and freezing. I used the frozen cooked meat and a jar of sauce and I had to wait for the meat to thaw enough to mix with the sauce before I could pour it over the shells. I also had to shred mozzarella so that was just another step before I could get it into the oven. Since it was frozen, it was going to take a long time to cook anyway so this just added to the time. It would have been a better idea to just make it up ahead of time. </div>
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Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-9815573984067217042012-09-23T12:05:00.001-04:002012-09-23T12:05:25.560-04:00Plants: To Kill or Not To KillGreen thumb? Apparently not. :-) I'm going to keep trying until I find plants that are truly hard to kill. If I didn't kill it, you should be okay. Do you have any plants for me to try?<br />
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These two plants are the same thing. One is definitely dead, the other is still hanging on. Poor Areca Palm Trees! To be fair, I left them alone with the hubby for a month so it's not all my fault. I'm going to try again with these.</div>
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Indoor Lemon Tree. It's not totally dead yet. I never did get around to finishing potting it. </div>
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Snake Plant: AKA Mother-in-Law's Tongue</div>
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Can't kill this one!! I'm getting more of this!</div>
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Ferns: Well, they didn't survive my absence too well and I didn't do such a great job keeping them alive. They shed leaves like crazy. I think this one was a bad idea. The plant in the middle? That's the fake one. :-)</div>
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I had Ficus Trees in my bedroom but they had flies so got kicked outside. They've really been thriving out here. If you think it looks bad in this pic, you should have seen it a couple of weeks ago. I might get more of these if I can find some that can be guaranteed pest free.<br />
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This is supposed to be my herb garden with tomato plants. I need to add drainage, I think most of the plants drowned. The herbs are hard to kill. I think Thyme and Oregano are still hanging on with the tall Basil. See the lizard?Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-17820622736583408812012-06-21T10:10:00.001-04:002012-06-21T10:10:23.790-04:00Star Wars RoomWell, I got Kayla's Star Wars room finished finally! I haven't been able to get her to completely clean it yet but that's coming soon (with some loving help from mom). If you're like I was, you're searching for the perfect ideas for your child's room and how to create the different things yourself. I'll do my best to help make it easy for you. If you have any questions, please ask!<br />
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She didn't want all of her walls to be blue so we left this one alone and pulled the blue color in by stapling fabric over a cork board. I used the one sold at JoAnn's and Michaels that doesn't have any sides. Super easy to make! Cut fabric big enough to wrap around to the back (make sure it's in the right direction so that it doesn't end up upside down when you hang it on the wall). Then all you have to do is staple it and hang it! You can add ribbons and buttons but she didn't want them.<br />
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The shelves are just the ones from ikea. She's been collecting the comics and needed somewhere to put them.<br />
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The canvases were made using <a href="http://kimboscrafts.blogspot.com/2010/11/for-star-wars-fan.html" target="_blank">this</a> tutorial. I did the stars differently than she did. We put glow in the dark paint on the canvas first, then we temporarily glued stars on the canvas, spray painted it black, took the stars off. I didn't take pictures because I didn't think it would work but it was super easy and worked great! I suppose you could always just finish up with glow in the dark paint splatters for the same effect. (I used Elmer's spray glue that will do a temporary or permanent bond. The stars were the multi-colored foil type ones you can buy anywhere.)<br />
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We made the cornices using <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/205195326742535050/" target="_blank">this</a> tutorial. I'm planning on putting fabric on the middle of these using starch unless she changes her mind. (I doubt it. sigh.) If you're like us and have never cut crown molding, you may find <a href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20056482,00.html" target="_blank">this </a>video helpful. We nailed the cornice but glued the molding to the board. Nailing was a pain and caused a lot of problems. The glue holds just as well. You'll just have to do things in steps so the glue has time to dry. We just used wood glue but there may be something out there that will work better.<br />
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We used the cheap Walmart frames for the poster. We had an old one that was scratched up so we took the clear plasic from that one and sandwiched the poster in between the two pieces of plastic (it's been straightened out since these were taken). I just glued hangers to the back (wood glue works here, too).<br />
For the scarf (had to girly it up some) I just used some wooden tiebacks from the curtain section. You can use pretty much anything that can screw into the wall and stick out enough to drape something over it. <br />
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I know it's a crappy picture but the light switch is just mod podged fabric over the plate. You can just glue it. You can use paper or fabric to cover the light switch cover. It's super easy to do! After you cut your fabric (big enough to go around to the back), glue it, then just cut a small hole in the middle where the switch goes and tuck the edges under.<br />
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Here are the other two cornices along with the Star Wars cookie jars Walmart had at Christmas. The paint is just blue paint that matches the blue fabric. I just brushed a coat on in straight lines. It sure beat doing three coats of paint and it looks really cool!<br />
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And, of course, no Star Wars room is complete without the Wampa rug! If you cringe when you see how much these suckers are, you can make it yourself using my <a href="http://healthwealthandhome.blogspot.com/2012/05/diy-wampa-rug-star-wars.html" target="_blank">tutorial</a>.<br />
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I have a few more ideas that I might add later (after she gets that room cleaned!). I'm thinking about shelves to hold some of the Star Wars Lego creations as well as something involving an air plant thingy. Be sure to return for the update! If you need more ideas, I've pinned a bunch of stuff to my "Kids Decor Ideas" board.Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-18185279099719295302012-06-19T19:34:00.001-04:002012-06-19T19:34:07.921-04:00Trashbag for car<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I didn't care for the denim trash bag I made so when I came across a pin for another bag I decided to give it a try. The denim one was too big and I didn't like the way it looked. I'll try another one eventually. <br />
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I think this bag turned out really well; imagine what it would look like if I could sew a straight line! Here's the<a href="http://tinkerfrog.blogspot.ca/2011/01/ba-dunk-ba-dunk-or-where-to-put-your.html" target="_blank"> link</a> for the tutorial I based mine on (she takes better pictures :-)). I didn't have the cloth stuff she had so I made do with the cheap stuff. I also didn't want to spend more money for fabric when I wasn't sure if it would turn out. So, here are the things I did different:<br />
1. Since I used cheaper fabric, I put batting in between the fabrics.<br />
2. I have DVD players on the headrests so I didn't want the added bulkiness of tying so the strap is just one long piece.<br />
3. I wanted both colors on the strap so I just sewed an extra strip in it. (I should have sewn the straps on with the other side showing, oops.)<br />
4. I cheated and used one piece of fabric for each color instead of two. Worked fine and one less seam to mess up.<br />
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I'm not going to repeat everything since she did such a great job on her tutorial. I'm just showing the modifications that I made.<br />
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Here is the batting stuff I used. 11X22 worked well if you use the same sizes as the tutorial.<br />
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That gusset thing she did worked out great! If you're wondering why there's no bottom seam it's because I used one piece of fabric instead of sewing two together. I was able to use fat quarters for the blue and green. Luckily, they were both cut bigger than the measurements on the package said.<br />
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This is what the strap looks like before you baste it (sew it). Make sure it's straight when you sew it, use the sewing machine as a guide. I had a lot of excess length so that's why there's so much hanging off the top. It doesn't show when the bag is sewn so I just left it. I figured out the length I wanted and just drew a chalk line on the fabric.<br />
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This is what the bag looked like before sewing the right sides together. When the outside bag is inside out inside of the inside bag which is right side out (right sides facing each other), just pin the batting to the two seams so it can get sewn on as well.(Did you get all of that? :-))<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-3lv4allqk1Nc7xRBQirgVf9bSgERfSF7nhDPC1EW74WNqf1ReIaglIap8usCkDZSb0XC3lyeuSWwLFvo2FjxjR4rjMxqm7ZSBHQzdLrLkx6wtXb8rkuwQco6jJFtWTpgydr_v7-bGY/s1600/download-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-3lv4allqk1Nc7xRBQirgVf9bSgERfSF7nhDPC1EW74WNqf1ReIaglIap8usCkDZSb0XC3lyeuSWwLFvo2FjxjR4rjMxqm7ZSBHQzdLrLkx6wtXb8rkuwQco6jJFtWTpgydr_v7-bGY/s320/download-10.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ANOTHER PICTURE SHOWING THE STRAP IN BETWEEN THE FABRICS</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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To make the extra strip on the strap, just cut a piece of the fabric the same length as your strap, adding at least 1/2 inch to the width for sewing room. Just sew the edges together with right sides facing (both sides) then turn the tube right side out. I use a chopstick to help. <br />
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I know I'm going to have to wash these (which is why she used the other fabric) but I can always put a plastic bag inside for those times when the kids are going to have yucky stuff to throw away. These were pretty easy to make but I had already done most of my mistakes on the denim bag (see blog post). I hope this helps you make your own! FYI-if you don't want your kids to chose the fabric, better not let them know what you're doing. That's how I ended up with the space theme for the back of my car. :-)Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-61119486705141124622012-06-08T18:30:00.002-04:002012-06-10T11:28:28.815-04:00Cinnamon Rolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know, totally not healthy. I decided to be a good wifey and send some treats in to hubby's work since they were working long hours on projects.<br />
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These were the first batch I made. They didn't rise at all. The kids tried to make some rolls with the dough. Bricks. I used "Clone of a Cinnabon" on allrecipes.com for these. Many people have made those successfully but it didn't work for me. Maybe because I wasn't using a bread machine. IDK.<br />
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I moved on to "Cinnamon Rolls II" and loved the dough! I didn't change a thing! Since the directions were for bread machines on this one as well, I had to use guesswork in the assembly process. Super easy!<br />
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I'm giving directions here to make life easy on you but the ingredients came from allrecipes.com. I used the dough from one recipe, caramel from another, and frosting from a third. :-)<br />
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These are the rolls with the caramel and the frosting. I flipped the rolls upside down after they were baked and spread the frosting on them.<br />
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This recipe fit in my KitchenAid mixer when doubled. FYI<br />
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Cinnamon Rolls</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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Dough:<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
2 tablespoons butter<br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast<br />
1/4 cup white sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
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Cream Cheese Topping:<br />
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened<br />
1/4 cup butter, softened<br />
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
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Caramel:<br />
1/2 C Vanilla Ice Cream (or heavy whipping cream)<br />
1/2 C Brown Sugar<br />
1/3 C Butter</div>
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Preparation</div>
Dough:<br />
In
2 cup measuring cup, heat milk. Add water, butter, sugar, and yeast.
Let sit for a few minutes. It should foam.<br />
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Put mixture in mixing bowl.
Add salt and eggs, mix. Add flour, mix for a while. This will let the
mixer do the kneading for you.<br />
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When finished mixing, put a little bit of
flour on the counter and knead for a minute. It should be slightly
sticky. Put a few drops of oil in a bowl, put dough in bowl then turn
the dough over. This gets the oil on top so the dough doesn't form a
hard crust. Cover bowl and let dough rise.<br />
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Punch down dough then
spread softened butter, sprinkle cinnamon and sugar (I use brown and
white). Roll dough so it looks like a long log. Cut slices. Put in
lightly buttered pan to rise unless using caramel. Add caramel to the
pan before you put the rolls in if using caramel. Bake at 375 for 25-30
minutes (190 degrees in center roll).<br />
<br />
Add topping while warm.<br />
<br />
Cream Cheese Topping:<br />
Whip it all together, easy!<br />
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Caramel:<br />
Dump ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil for a minute, too long and the caramel will get too hard after it bakes.<br />
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*You can flip the rolls upside down after baking to keep the filling from coming out. I didn't have any problems but apparently others have.Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-67374433277097941102012-05-25T20:26:00.001-04:002012-06-22T13:37:58.569-04:00DIY Wampa Rug - Star WarsIf your child wants a Star Wars room, I'm sure you've come across the Wampa Rug. If you cringed when you saw the size and price of it then you're not alone. Feeling brave (or desperate)? You can make your own! I am totally not skilled with sewing and crafts. I can follow directions but things usually don't turn out as planned when I try my own thing (see my trash bag for the car post for proof). If I can do it without any help, you can do it! Hopefully, my guide will be helpful to you.<br />
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My total cost was $47 but if you have a JoAnn's near you then get one of their 50% off coupons and get the fabric there. Furry fabric isn't the cheapest stuff ever. Here are the quantities I bought:<br />
1/2 yard black vinyl<br />
1/2 yard grey vinyl<br />
1 1/2 yards faux fur (curly Mongolian white is what mine was called)<br />
1 1/2 yards wintry fleece (ivory) (or whatever you want to use if you want a backing)<br />
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1. Cut out fur and backing. I used my 9 year old for the shape. If you want the fabrics to match then cut them right sides together. If you use an Xacto knife you should have less cut fur around the edges. Since I was sewing the fur to the backing I didn't worry about it. <br />
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2. Sew the fabrics together with right sides facing in. Only sew to the lower sides of the arms. You want to be able to sew the claws in the hands. If you want claws on the feet, leave open space for them as well. (I know, the pictures are crappy. Sorry!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFnukfVuil-B5BhakEc3ITOFS06nQbI539KOeiTbOy_q47IFSho-vxkUaHpaub7KbscI3CUEaLtrDRw9ehHbXcnRYs5SLVN6ra87zDlvyR7mpyYlDGi2iUsy2sxQAzrqulcivz72YQhU/s1600/download-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFnukfVuil-B5BhakEc3ITOFS06nQbI539KOeiTbOy_q47IFSho-vxkUaHpaub7KbscI3CUEaLtrDRw9ehHbXcnRYs5SLVN6ra87zDlvyR7mpyYlDGi2iUsy2sxQAzrqulcivz72YQhU/s320/download-6.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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3. Cut the claws out of the black vinyl. Just cut long triangles. Sew the long edge of the triangles with right sides facing in. Turn right side out and fill with fiberfill or cotton balls (anything soft will work).</div>
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4. While you have the black thread in your machine (if you switched), go ahead and make the horn things. I just made one big C and fed it through two holes in the fur. Mine ended up being way too long so I used a rubber band to scrunch it up smaller in the middle where you can't see it. I cut mine too thin so I had to make two of them and sew them together. </div>
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5. With right sides facing, sew along the outer edge. Leave room at the end to turn it right-side out. You'll really enjoy that step. I used a metal chopstick to help. After you get it turned right-side out, fill the horn with fiberfill (or whatever you're using). Sew up the end. (I tried to use the sewing machine for this but the sewing machine told me, "No way.".)</div>
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6. Make the brains of the Wampa. Whatever you want to do that makes it puff out like a head. I used leftover fabric and just put rubber bands around it to keep it in a ball. </div>
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7. Sew the claws on the Wampa; 5 on each hand (I couldn't say for sure about the feet. We chose not to do the feet.). Your Wampa will still be inside out. When you sew the claws, you shouldn't see them sticking out. I wish I had made mine a little bit longer to give me more sewing room.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60I88v3pbU4_OhifXc6X1Ipg0VmDJx55_74eoRQ3MGBEALT2jUXoFGP3F1UFljPmUTEQQ-AUrFxa18BiwDcYnNjynSVcnVZR2qbtpka1CUzZF4RyBTlTTJtv3siMSeLC3AR1GzlZqRUY/s1600/download-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60I88v3pbU4_OhifXc6X1Ipg0VmDJx55_74eoRQ3MGBEALT2jUXoFGP3F1UFljPmUTEQQ-AUrFxa18BiwDcYnNjynSVcnVZR2qbtpka1CUzZF4RyBTlTTJtv3siMSeLC3AR1GzlZqRUY/s400/download-14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
8. Turn the hands right side out to check that you sewed them on correctly. Turn it back inside out.<br />
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9. Put the brain inside the Wampa (shove it down out of your way). Sew up most of the Wampa, leaving space to get everything right-side out. Turn it right-side out.<br />
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10. Sew up the opening. The sewing machine was okay doing this part.<br />
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11. Make the face. I just used heavy duty glue for this (E6000). Cut out the grey vinyl in a football shape. Cut out the black vinyl in a smaller football shape. Cut out some scrap fleece in triangles for the teeth. Glue the grey onto the black then glue the teeth onto the black. For the eyes, just cut out grey vinyl in whatever shape that's supposed to be and cut the black vinyl for the eyes. Glue the eyes onto the grey.<br />
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12. Glue the face onto the Wampa. Watch out for where you want the fur to be-under the face or in the eyes.<br />
13. Cut two small slits in the head for the horn then run the horn through the holes. I did put some Fray Check on the slits to keep the fur from shedding.<br />
14. Sew behind the head to keep the brains in place. I just did a few really long stitches through the fur and backing. <br />
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That's it! You should be done!<br />
See the <a href="http://healthwealthandhome.blogspot.com/2012/06/star-wars-room.html" target="_blank">Star Wars room</a>!Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-74480319464566201672012-05-18T21:05:00.003-04:002012-05-18T21:05:58.578-04:00Traveling With Older KidsI found a ton of tips on traveling with little ones but there is just not that much information on traveling with older kids. I guess people think we've already figured it out by the time they get in the double digits.<br />
So, a 9 hour trip with a packed car; No extra space and 3 kids squished into the back seat. I, of course, had to at least try to avoid the fast food stops I knew were coming along with the resulting delays and blah feeling from eating that crap.<br />
I don't believe in total deprivation but I do prefer to save junk food for special times. This makes it much more special for the kids and they get excited about the little stuff. :-) I'll call this a special time but it could also be in the "desperate times" category.<br />
I'll start with keeping them entertained. If you have any ideas, please add them!!<br />
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<b>What to do! </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNUfuu6f7P7BlQV5KLLeII1Z1xQOxMZ4Tb9MWqEoIe0HCo5fBLLM0IUmh-qyYsQ84vnhabThk59T3NJsxblyZGZ5DTAjGNjd2erQ_Wi2gvK2aUWPUzWilgY7ItsRk86OAxuXYRbH9uwM/s1600/download-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNUfuu6f7P7BlQV5KLLeII1Z1xQOxMZ4Tb9MWqEoIe0HCo5fBLLM0IUmh-qyYsQ84vnhabThk59T3NJsxblyZGZ5DTAjGNjd2erQ_Wi2gvK2aUWPUzWilgY7ItsRk86OAxuXYRbH9uwM/s320/download-3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Movie Time for One</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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*<span style="color: #351c75;">DVD Players</span> -(RCA Dual Portable DVD Player). These were great! I highly recommend them. I got a great price on them at <a href="http://www.shop.com/brandivacation" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shop.com</a>. They played everything except for our DIVX movies. I did have to get an amplifier because the sound wasn't so great with headphones. Did you know you can get amplifiers that are splitters as well so kids can plug up more headphones to the DVD player? That's one of those things I just never needed to know. :-)<br />
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*<span style="color: #351c75;">Car-friendly arts and crafts</span><br />
-sketching<br />
-pipe cleaners<br />
-origami<br />
-coloring books<br />
-mazes/trivia books <br />
-travel bingo (favorite for all of us)<br />
-etc...Take your kids to Michaels and let them pick some stuff out. They like it more when it's their idea.<br />
<br />
*<span style="color: #351c75;">Books</span><br />
-Find the latest book that they might like and bring it along. It's great to have during those times when they get bored during the vacation.<br />
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*<span style="color: #351c75;">Handheld Electronics</span><br />
-You know they can't live without them. :-) Is there a new game out? Peace in the car might be worth the cost (sometimes not, though).<br />
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<b>FOOD!</b><br />
<div style="color: #351c75;">
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Breakfast Burritos</span> -These were great in helping us get an early start! I just scrambled eggs and put them in flour tortillas. I threw them in the freezer in a pan with aluminum foil on top then just baked them as soon as I got up. I used the tried and true 350. If you don't have time to finish baking them (or start) just microwave with a damp paper towel. (Okay, mine were tacos but I got the authentic tortillas from the local Mexican restaurant/store.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XDLekyVWlxbR4XFOeQZ67b2357wo7uq5hQUVD_LQzhtIUKBK2UOh1JX84kHnKx5HsM9dD0wrUcwLe0zY0jwPgB41yqRrjnX7AtatKQYviyzFKWHP8_TDjhAgM9P-CaRaqHfxry1wKuQ/s1600/download-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XDLekyVWlxbR4XFOeQZ67b2357wo7uq5hQUVD_LQzhtIUKBK2UOh1JX84kHnKx5HsM9dD0wrUcwLe0zY0jwPgB41yqRrjnX7AtatKQYviyzFKWHP8_TDjhAgM9P-CaRaqHfxry1wKuQ/s320/download-2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast Burritos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.neatpins.com/2012/03/mason-jar-salads.html" target="_blank">Salad in a Jar</a>-These turned out great! They'll last for days and taste just as fresh as when you make them. I had the kids make their own so that they would want to eat it. I got thick slices of turkey from the deli for ours. Some delis won't do the really thick slices-Whole Foods did. (Get the bigger Mason jars with the wide top.) We put croutons in another jar so they'd stay crunchy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWC47lrPXtzqK__sD105HAnYchYbJ43BhuYgDIV9aE5gpfwgSbz07Cxwjot2QYhOOIvZe_hCpMHiwtBvvYnirkdLzb2XSpgTDszo_q-MqRp_7oYlwn2E3b9dMlAfqGyQBVZnLZG67zxU/s1600/download-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWC47lrPXtzqK__sD105HAnYchYbJ43BhuYgDIV9aE5gpfwgSbz07Cxwjot2QYhOOIvZe_hCpMHiwtBvvYnirkdLzb2XSpgTDszo_q-MqRp_7oYlwn2E3b9dMlAfqGyQBVZnLZG67zxU/s320/download-10.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad, Fruit and Nut Bars, String Cheese, Deviled Eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Sandwiches</span>-I made these the day before we left then put them in the freezer. Just make sure you put the meat on one side and the cheese on the other with the mayo and stuff in the middle to keep the bread from getting soggy. They fit great in a plastic shoe box (Target).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2ZkxW59BLmsK7ap581xG85gqn2tYlihr2dcXS0QrWb5IudCTCnSA6sStMmpUOtZFzcaxTxMGz6LIqz6CLHGrayKSGGvonGl9iDGfQogaMrgxETXS_Ut7R1i19qKOkTQTCrcrR37FzJ8/s1600/download-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2ZkxW59BLmsK7ap581xG85gqn2tYlihr2dcXS0QrWb5IudCTCnSA6sStMmpUOtZFzcaxTxMGz6LIqz6CLHGrayKSGGvonGl9iDGfQogaMrgxETXS_Ut7R1i19qKOkTQTCrcrR37FzJ8/s320/download-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandwiches, chocolate bars, yogurt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://thehealthyadvocate.com/2012/03/10/sausage-balls/" target="_blank">Sausage Balls-</a>The recipe calls for almond flour. I used 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 regular. I think I'll just use regular next time. They were good warm but I didn't care for them as much cold. The recipe is a good one, though. *Tip for the butter: Use a cheese grater for the butter.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Snack Bags</span>- I put each thing in a snack baggie then put the snack baggies in a huge plastic bag for each person. This worked great!!! No extra space needed for boxes, no extra trash everywhere, no having to share, no having to find things for everyone the whole trip!! Here's the list of what I put in but you can customize it for your tastes. I was going to add popcorn but didn't get around to it. I made up extra baggies for the return trip and just refilled everyone's bags when it was time to go back home.<br />
-M&Ms<br />
-Dried Apples<br />
-Twizzlers<br />
-Trail Mix<br />
-Dried Bananas<br />
-Sunflower Seeds<br />
-Vanilla Wafers<br />
-Fruit Rollups (simply fruit)<br />
-Envirokids Crispy Rice Bars<br />
-Nature's Path Peanut Choco Granola Bars<br />
-Yogurt Covered Strawberries<br />
-Gummy Bunnies Fruit Snack<br />
-Marshmallows-mini vanilla (great to have if hot choc. is a possibility)<br />
-Jelly Beans<br />
-Chocolate Wafers<br />
-Cheddar Bunnies<br />
-Graham Bunnies<br />
-Sour Cream and Onion Bunnies<br />
-Pretzels<br />
-Napkin with plastic utensils <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lBCbKmUVCMFwFwLt1RYv2poj20ZkC004Gioif8-06zGKLwttJNtjPbI0mea_tUGjEcnNtXIEcRJmg1gpn83FYps3FF4VcBbFYYQhlsnXS0KxdHWowPVme0VODv2ddUNLYCVvH6f__xQ/s1600/download-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lBCbKmUVCMFwFwLt1RYv2poj20ZkC004Gioif8-06zGKLwttJNtjPbI0mea_tUGjEcnNtXIEcRJmg1gpn83FYps3FF4VcBbFYYQhlsnXS0KxdHWowPVme0VODv2ddUNLYCVvH6f__xQ/s320/download-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snack Bags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="color: #351c75;">
Deviled Eggs</div>
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<a href="http://healthwealthandhome.blogspot.com/2012/05/fruit-and-nut-bars.html" target="_blank">Fruit and Nut Bars</a> (Larabars)<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Apples</span> (cut and wrapped with a rubber band-worked great!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DunIaZhHU4KjwPt95AJHOI5fTRhBdcBnaH8VEPwKPbI1YdN3jmBOtSEbjqxWudVNcjmfvwG8qZX9UFJEVOlgaBIEjdcECoeNSANBDZPhb820tnxe2qsoY_ADO9E_TAD_HV9tkRDZVYw/s1600/download-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DunIaZhHU4KjwPt95AJHOI5fTRhBdcBnaH8VEPwKPbI1YdN3jmBOtSEbjqxWudVNcjmfvwG8qZX9UFJEVOlgaBIEjdcECoeNSANBDZPhb820tnxe2qsoY_ADO9E_TAD_HV9tkRDZVYw/s320/download-4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apples-cut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Healthy Snack/Meal</span>-(container with the green lid, from Target)<br />
-Baby carrots<br />
-Grapes (paper towel under them will absorb excess moisture)<br />
-Diced cheese<br />
-Thick chunks of turkey <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN5RqG754crDbry33wpgdRsdpnUB76wFsUeufYuOZfY4pRdvEhBP_-jFpmoyqEzkAXZdSrPsS04u7d4ktZKor5_dyTbf8S-zTeRQ2K8Rn-_gwsG6MoAHWiksQDe5GHcpY7F2tV_Urpo0/s1600/download-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN5RqG754crDbry33wpgdRsdpnUB76wFsUeufYuOZfY4pRdvEhBP_-jFpmoyqEzkAXZdSrPsS04u7d4ktZKor5_dyTbf8S-zTeRQ2K8Rn-_gwsG6MoAHWiksQDe5GHcpY7F2tV_Urpo0/s320/download-8.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Healthy Snack, Apples</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="color: #351c75;">
String Cheese</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Gogurt</span>- I froze these before we left so they'd stay colder<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Chocolate Bars</span>-Froze them the night before <br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Frozen Waters</span>-These worked great! They stayed cold and kept the kids that drink too much (for the car anyway) from having bladder issues. Keep in mind that water expands when it freezes so prepare for the initial bottle opening.<br />
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*Note on the Coleman Cooler. I didn't think about this until it was too late to order one. It worked fine but I wish it would have gotten colder. It is able to plug into the car or the house so that was a nice feature. It fit in the trunk of the Honda Accord. I'm not totally thrilled with it, I think there are better options out there, but it does work. It beats using a bunch of ice.<br /><br />
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<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-30787976997966438122012-05-17T15:55:00.005-04:002013-06-04T08:18:14.062-04:00Homeschooling -"I could never do that!"When people find out I homeschool, one of the top reactions I get is: "Wow, I couldn't do that.". It truly ticks me off when I hear this because if it's something that's important to you or necessary for your kids, you WOULD. There would be no excuses or reasons stopping you.<br />
<br />
I'm no genius. I'm not organized. I'm temperamental. My kids aren't saints. We're not perfect. We made a choice and we make it work. There are many things that you don't know when you start homeschooling or start thinking about homeschooling. I'm sure there's someone out there somewhere that regrets homeschooling their kids but I've never met them or even heard about them. Everyone I know has been at peace with their decision to homeschool. They know that they made the right choice. No, I'm not saying everyone should homeschool and that it's the only way to raise your children. I'm talking about the ones that did decide that homeschooling was what would be best for their children.<br />
<br />
I think many times when people tell me that they can't homeschool their children, it would be more correct for them to say that they don't want to homeschool their children. That's fine, just don't give me stupid excuses about not being able to. It's much easier to go to work than to stay home with kids. There are exceptions, of course, but for most of us it's the simple truth. It's hard to get up and do the same things every day without someone on our backs to make us do them. When you have kids home all day, you don't just clean the kitchen, you have to continuously go behind the kids and either make them clean it or do it yourself. It's wearing to have to keep after kids to clean up their messes. It's wearing to keep after kids to stay focused on their school work. It's hard not having the adult interaction every day. It's hard knowing that you'd like to go shopping but you can't because the kids aren't finished with their school stuff yet. But we do it because it's what we feel is best for our kids. We do it because the rewards are so great that we couldn't imagine not having our kids home with us.<br />
<br />
The family dynamics change drastically when you start homeschooling, especially if your kids have gone to public school like mine did. I have a hardheaded child. When he was in public school, I would barely be able to hug him or have a conversation with him. That all changed when I started homeschooling. At first, he felt like it was a punishment until I explained that it would have been easier for me to just let him stay in public school. I had to explain that I love him enough to want him home with me and to make sure he gets a good education. (We move around a lot so they were getting behind in school.) I never knew that many of his problems were from emotional issues. He's still hardheaded but we have a great, loving relationship that we would have never had if I did not make the choice to homeschool. I wouldn't trade that for anything!<br />
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Homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive. There are many cheap and free options out there. You don't have to be a genius. There are many curriculums out there that are basically "For Dummies" and teach for you. I'm ADD and unorganized but I've managed to find curriculums that work for me as well as the kids. :-) You're not alone out there. There are groups of homeschoolers everywhere (even online) that are more than willing to help you with anything you need! We've all been there! We completely understand the questions and uncertainties. We know the struggle to find the right curriculum and teaching style that will work for your family. We are always here to help others be successful in their homeschooling.<br />
<br />
My organization has been the main struggle for me. It's not getting organized to get school done or anything like that. It comes down to getting meals organized. If I can figure that out, I'll be good to go. People are usually shocked to hear that I'm not organized. I've had a lot of help getting that way. FlyLady helped me with keeping the house clean and DonnaYoung helped me with getting my other stuff organized. I'm working on the meal thing. I'll write about that later when I get it figured out.<br />
<br />
The bottom line is that most people CAN homeschool. There are always exceptions and extenuating circumstances that would make homeschooling difficult if not impossible but most people simply chose not to homeschool. That's okay! There's nothing wrong with sending your kids to public or private school if that's what you feel is best. There are some great schools out there. There are some good things that schools have that I can't offer my kids. You don't have to explain your decisions on how you've chosen to raise your child to me and I don't expect to have to explain mine. What if I responded with, "I could never send my kids to public school!". Think about it. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschooler.html" target="_blank">The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List</a> - Things we're thinking but are too polite to say.<br />
<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-59248836905714272722012-05-08T18:29:00.000-04:002012-05-08T18:29:02.012-04:00Toothbrush Toothpaste HolderI cannot believe I didn't think about doing this! What a great way to keep toothbrushes and toothpastes neat and organized! This took about 10 minutes to make the two holders. I hope all of this preparation makes things easier while we travel. All I did was sew lines on a washcloth and sew on ribbon.<br />
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<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-50775113504007405602012-05-08T17:12:00.002-04:002012-05-08T17:12:47.694-04:00Fruit and Nut BarsHigh Fiber and High Protein! You know I'm all over it! The whole family loves these easy to make bars (or whatever shape you want). Thank you to the person that pinned the bars that somebody blogged about making from those expensive bars in the store. :-)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRz69rIl8ZugPYTjMLLJ-wyYCuEr4PQWSgakLJHTYt1W_4PdNJU_Qf4Ryq2fwkfevKP7J0Y91KDVOKY5csN1S8Z-TbHtCRlHQn4EDbThbyibFDYIc_u3MAg9OYcL4SNTzf_lPGmC8YaQ/s1600/download-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRz69rIl8ZugPYTjMLLJ-wyYCuEr4PQWSgakLJHTYt1W_4PdNJU_Qf4Ryq2fwkfevKP7J0Y91KDVOKY5csN1S8Z-TbHtCRlHQn4EDbThbyibFDYIc_u3MAg9OYcL4SNTzf_lPGmC8YaQ/s320/download-27.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Ingredients:<br />
1 Cup Nuts<br />
1/2 Cup cherries<br />
1-1 1/2 Cups Dates<br />
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Chop the nuts.<br />
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Add the fruit.<br />
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Mix it.<br />
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Form it into your preferred shape.<br />
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Let the kids help! My kids love this project and they're more likely to eat it if they help make it. Let them choose the ingredients. The dates are a must have. I haven't found anything else that holds it together like they do. Fresh is better but the ones in a bag worked okay. I use almonds (raw slivered worked best) but you can use another nut. I don't recommend peanuts simply because they're inflammatory but they'll work. Get creative and add chocolate chips (they have all kinds of flavors now) or something else fun. I keep my bars in the fridge. I can't tell you how long they stay good because they don't last beyond a few days.<br />
Here's the link to the blog I mentioned. She has a link to the bars so you can see the flavors they came up with.<br />
<a href="http://sometimesiveg.com/2011/07/homemade-cherry-larabar/" target="_blank">http://sometimesiveg.com/2011/07/homemade-cherry-larabar/</a>Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-80702365966737376452012-05-08T15:03:00.002-04:002012-05-09T17:00:30.546-04:00Denim Bag For CarIn preparation for our upcoming trip, one of the major things we are going to need is something to hold the trash. I needed something on a larger scale since I'll have 3 kids throwing crap away for 9 hours. This isn't the prettiest bag out there but I couldn't find a tutorial that would do exactly what I needed. I had to have it on the back of the seat due to lack of space in the car but I also had to have it go under the DVD player.<br />
My sewing is so bad that I had to use the manual to figure out how to get that bobbin thread picked up. So, the way I figure it is that if I can throw something together, anyone can. I'll bet yours will look better. I'm putting all of my oopsies in here so you won't mess up these little things like I did. I don't recommend making it as big as mine. I may fix that later.<br />
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1. Get some old jeans and cut out all of the seams so you just have 4 pieces of fabric. I cut out 3 pairs since I didn't know how much I would need but only used 2. You can use just one if you want. I wanted the contrast of colors. I saw it coming out much better in my head. :-) Iron the fabric.<br />
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2. Sew the strips together however you want to get one piece of fabric that will be the front and back. Most of my problems came from trying to keep the pockets. There isn't a lot of fabric left over the pocket to work with. Sew the right sides of the fabric together so that the strips are facing the same direction. <br />
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3.Cut a strip off of the unused part of the jeans so you can form the handle in whatever length you need. Fold it in half lengthwise with right sides facing and sew along the edge. You'll have an inside out fabric tube. You have to turn it right side out. I used a chopstick to help. Then iron the strip with the seam in the middle (unless you want the seam to be on the side).</div>
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4. Sew the sides of the main piece of fabric together with right sides facing. After you do that, you can make life really simple and just sew a hem along the top (fold the top of the fabric while it's still inside out enough to give you something to sew-about 1/4 inch). Then you could just attach the handle. Keep reading if you want a liner.<br />
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5. Cut a piece of fabric about the same size as your jean fabric. My fabric is folded in half. I ran into the problem of needing more fabric over the pockets at the top so I cut a strip of fabric, sewed the ends together so it was a circle as big as the top of my bag and sewed it to the top edge of the bag with the right sides facing. <br />
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6. Here's one of my mess-ups. Make sure you sew the handle on in the right direction. Picking out the seam is not fun. Notice how I've sewn the lining to the bag (same as the last step, just put the lining inside the bag so that the right sides are facing. The lining will be inside out and so will the denim fabric.Look at the pic after step 5.) When sewing the lining in, you have to sew the handle in between the two fabrics. The first picture is how it looks when you're doing it wrong. You shouldn't see the handle, just the ends like in the second pic. You can put the handle wherever you want. Most people put it on the back side. Just measure from each side so both ends are the same distance from the sides of the bag. Important note: When sewing the liner to the bag, don't sew all of the way around. I forgot this part and had to take out more seams. You'll have to turn the bag right side out through the opening in the seam. Make the opening on the back side so it's not visible from the front. After you turn it right side out, iron the edges in to make it easier to sew the sides together. Then you only have one seam showing. <br />
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7. I added a snap to the middle to hold the bag closed. You just use a hammer to get those together. You could do velcro as well. I may add something like a dowel rod to the top edge of the back to make it more defined.<br />
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Here are some super great tutorials from people that actually know how to sew. I wrote mine just to give people another idea but if you look at the different tutorials, you'll find just about everything you need to know no matter how beginner you are. Used jeans are free, just try it!<br />
<a href="http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2009/04/trash-bag.html" target="_blank">Trash Bag-Car</a><br />
<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/07/17/how-to-make-a-simple-reversible-totebag/" target="_blank">Reversible Tote</a> -Just change where you put the handles.<br />
<a href="http://threadingmyway.blogspot.com/2012/05/fabric-basket-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Fabric Basket</a> - Great tip for sewing the lining. Leave a hole in the bottom seam so you don't have to have one at the top edge. Wish I saw this one before I made this!!<br />
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<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-20187461911333800352012-05-04T12:33:00.005-04:002012-05-04T17:30:08.453-04:00Fruit SmoothieHigh Fiber and High Protein Fruit Smoothie-YUM!!<br />
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This is the recipe that I recommend for my weight loss clients. The vanilla shake mix I add is part of the weight loss program but is great for anyone needing a healthy snack or meal replacement. It's important to make sure meals have both fiber and protein. The combination of these two nutritional elements help you feel full longer, increase your energy, and stabilize your blood sugar.<br />
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<u><b>Ingredients:</b></u><br />
1/2 banana<br />
1 scoop <a href="http://www.marketamerica.com/index.cfm?action=shopping.wpGoShopProducts&skuID=6390&parentCategoryID=563" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vanilla Shake </a>(serving size is 2 scoops so add more if you want)<br />
Favorite frozen fruit (Handful)<br />
Water (about 8 oz)<br />
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Throw it all in the blender. I use the liquify setting. The kids prefer to use the Magic Bullet. I've found out that I like a little bit of pineapple in mine, I can take or leave the banana, and I don't care for blackberries in it because of the seeds. So easy, so healthy!<br />
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<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0Florida, USA27.6648274 -81.515753524.0675669 -86.569464500000009 31.2620879 -76.4620425tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-69446604249461846622012-05-03T14:44:00.000-04:002012-05-16T19:30:00.048-04:00Build Your Own ToyboxBuilding your own toybox will save you money and will allow you to customize the size and shape that best suits your needs. The ones we build ended up costing around $35 each. Similar ones (but smaller) sell for around $100 each. We built 5 of them so I'd say it was well worth it to get the tools out and build it ourselves. It took us around 30 minutes to build each one. The painting is what took forever. :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toy Box in Front</td></tr>
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Having the right tools makes the job go so much faster with less frustration and mistakes. It took me years to come to this conclusion but I've finally realized that the man was right. (THAT HURT!) I've called him Tim the Toolman for years. It seems like every time we have a project, he needs a new tool for it. For this project and many others, one of the best tools he's bought has been his Paslode Finish Nailer. This tool is fast and it's fun to use!<br />
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<a href="http://www.shop.com/Paslode+Cordless+16+Gauge+Straight+Finish+Nailer+902000-623139281-p+.xhtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlvKbNc1zsB2vBodQ17rpyEODSnBimNGZU1IhM6diHfBnnMAitpw1-IqH-Pwx7VgU7qU8By30iSU8NuVCwhEMjkIi5sS9gpJIc3WYVapf6fi6WWcCoJYb8HkaVjR84AeKimCN24ibWnw/s1600/small+cordless+straight+trim.png" title="Paslode Finish Nailer" /> Paslode Finish Nailer</a></div>
<u><b>Materials Needed For Toy Box</b></u><br />
(3) 16X4 3/4" MDF<br />
(2) 12X4 3/4" MDF<br />
Saw<br />
Hammer or Nailer <br />
Wood Glue<br />
Nails<br />
Square <br />
Damp rag to wipe excess glue<br />
Spackle or wood putty<br />
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If buying MDF somewhere that will cut them for you, you'll need (1) 12X4 stripped to be 8X4 and (1) 16X4 to be cut in 3 16X16 pieces. We cut our own since we have the right tools to do it and because we could measure before cutting as we went along.<br />
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<u><b>Instructions </b></u><br />
1) Cut (1) 16X4 MDF board into 3 16X16 sections. Make sure they're as close to perfect matches as you can get. These will be the sides and the middle section.<br />
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2) Now you need to measure your angles.<br />
*Bottom side -make a mark at 14" (In picture, closest to the shirt).<br />
*At the bottom corner (near his hand and ruler) measure 8" up from the bottom corner up the side and make a mark(near the corner of the square). Draw a line from the first mark to the second mark.<br />
*Top side-make a mark at 11" starting from the same side you started the bottom side. Draw a line from the top side to the 8" mark. <br />
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3)After verifying your measurements and that the angles are correct, cut the boards along the lines. We clamped all of them together most of the time and just cut through all 3 boards at one time so they would be even. I'm sure there are other ways to do it but that's just what worked for us. We did have to move the boards around to get them cut since we don't have the saw that would have been better suited for the job. :-) (I barely held him off on that purchase!) If you cut all three at once, make sure they stay together.<br />
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4) Glue and Nail (2) 16X4 pieces of MDF together perpendicular to each other. This forms the base and the back of the toy box. In this picture, the toy box is laying on its back. Glue and nail the two end pieces to the 16X4<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span> pieces. Make sure it's all square and even. Make sure you have the sides the same as the picture before nailing. We glued them wrong once (oops).<br />
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5)Find the middle of the toy box and mark so you know where to put the middle section. Glue and nail the middle section so that it matches the sides. It's easier to find where to nail if you use the square to draw the line where the nails go. Make sure the middle section is square.<br />
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6) Glue and nail the 12X4 board to the top. It should fit over the back and side pieces pretty perfectly. You may need to cut the length a little or you can just make the overhang even on both sides. Just check it before you glue it. <span style="background-color: yellow;">You might want to check the length of the 12X4 board while you're still in the store to make sure it isn't shorter than the 16X4 boards.</span><br />
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7) Now for the front panel. It should fit perfectly along the bottom and front edges. If it's a little bit off, don't worry about it. The main thing it needs to do is hold the toys in the box. If it's off and bothering you, you can wood putty or sand until it gets to where you want it. Paint hides many flaws. You'll notice that there is a hole on the sides at the bottom. Just fill it with spackle, wood putty or caulk. If you use real wood on this, you'll need to get a wider board so you have room to cut the angle needed to avoid that hole. Since it was all getting painted, it was less work to just fill it in instead of messing with another cut.<br />
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8)Fill in the holes and sand. We used that pink spackle stuff. For the paint, we used a self-priming semi-gloss. It took 3 coats for complete coverage using a paintbrush. You may want to consider sanding between coats for a smoother finish. <br />
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I hope this tutorial was complete and helpful! If anything is unclear, please let me know so I can fix it! Don't forget about the cure time for the paint. I'd say just figure on a month and you should be good to go. You can test it with your fingernail. If the paint isn't super solid, think about waiting longer. My plan is to use the boxes to form a square so the kids can play in the middle of the square. It should make cleanup a breeze since they just have to sling toys in the right box. Since this will be in the middle of the room, I didn't want any high walls getting in the way. I'm considering making some cushions to go on top of these. I'll have to see if they want to use it for seating or for displaying their Lego creations. I'll update this when we get the area set up. I haven't painted all of the boxes yet so it's going to be a while. Happy Building! If you make modifications, please let me know! I'm always on the lookout for cool ideas!<br />
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Still plenty of work to do in here but the play area is usable now!<br />
<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-4321635882208579852012-04-20T13:32:00.000-04:002012-04-20T13:32:08.535-04:00Moving TipsSometimes I feel like a military wife with all of the moving we've done. Yes, I was a military wife at one time just not long enough to have to move. Here are some things I've learned. I'll probably forget to add things and everyone has a different experience so please add your own helpful tips!<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>It's going to take longer than you think. </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Seriously, when you're moving EVERYTHING takes longer! Give yourself extra time to do things. If you get lucky and finish on time, use the extra time for relaxation or whatever else you may want to do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Moving Companies</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">If you're using a moving company, you need to be aware of some things.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">1. Are you the only one on the truck? Better make sure.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">2. Is your stuff coming off of the truck before it gets to your destination? Not a good thing. Things are</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"> more likely to get broken or lost.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">3. Check the paperwork for the arrival date. Make sure it's a specific date if that's what you need and </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"> not a </span></span></span></span>range of dates. I picked up that tip the hard way.<br />
4. Every moving company we've used has underestimated how much stuff we have. This means that<br />
things don't always fit on the truck and they don't always bring enough boxes. Just be aware of this<br />
possibility and have a plan ready if these things happen to you. I don't know about the cost if they<br />
underestimate so if you're paying for this and not a company, you might want to verify that you<br />
won't get stuck with extra expenses. I have no idea about that part.<br />
5. Drawers (especially kitchen)-Little things get tossed in a big box with dishes and whatever else. It's<br />
a pain to dig through the paper for these items. Get some gallon sized baggies or something else<br />
that will fit everything so your drawer items stay together. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Trash and Clutter and Mess</span></b><br />
<span style="color: black;">If you have trash, moving companies will pack it up. They work like robots (so don't be embarrassed about them boxing up your bathroom) and don't pay attention to what's being boxed up. They're focused on how to box it up so it gets to your destination in the same condition it was in when it got boxed up. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">If you have clutter and mess, it's going to follow you!! You really, really do not want to have to deal with this when you're busy unpacking. </span>As soon as you know you're going to move, start spring cleaning! Get organized and get rid of clutter! If you need help, I highly recommend <a href="http://flylady.net/">FlyLady</a>. Start with "Baby Steps" and "Zones". <br />
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It's much easier to figure out where everything goes in a new place when you know what you have and it's where it should be. If you don't organize it ahead of time, all of those brown boxes look the same! Don't assume that because 2 things are next to each other that they're going to end up in the same box. If you want them together, you had better attach them in some way. Don't forget about the stuff in the fridge and freezer.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Essential Items</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">You are going to need some things as soon as you get to your destination. You'll probably be exhausted by this time so the last thing you want to have to do is dig through boxes to find stuff. Get a tote or a box or something that you can easily spot. Gather together everything you would need if you were going away for a few days and put it in this one place! Make sure they don't put it in a box that looks like everything else. :-) Here's a quick list of things you might need. I'll probably forget something but I'll do my best.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">*Clothing for everyone (don't forget the socks, underwear, nighties, swimwear if needed, coats, etc..)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">*Toothbrushes and other "condiments" to keep you clean</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">*Sheets and blankets and pillows (yours at least so you can sleep in your bed!)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">*Paper and plastic eating supplies</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">*Snack items </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Kids</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">If using movers, younger kids get in their way. There's just no way to avoid that. If you can have them somewhere else during the move, everyone will be happier. I usually didn't have that option so it's okay if you can't or don't want to. Just something to think about.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">If your kids are going to be with you while things are getting packed and moved, they are going to get bored!! Make sure all electronics are charged with all necessary parts. Make sure they don't get packed up. Books, paper, crayons, bubbles, etc.. You're going to want things for them to do while moving and when you reach your destination. Maybe they could help with packing essential items and play items. Hopefully, someone else will have some great ideas for making the move easier with and for kids. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Friends, Family, and Mail</span></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Make sure you have contact info for everyone you want to stay in touch with. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Make sure your mail is being forwarded.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Magazines won't get forwarded; Go online or call them and get your address changed.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Anywhere you shop online or get things automatically shipped, make sure you change your address with them. I always forget to do this and get boxes sent to the old address!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Get pictures of you or the kids with favorite people before you go.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Don't worry if you can't do lunch or say goodbye to everyone. Sometimes it's just not possible.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Cleaning</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">You'll probably need to do some last minute cleaning after everything is out. You can hire someone to do this or just keep out some paper towels and windex and a broom. If you've already spring cleaned then there shouldn't be too much to worry about. Under the fridge and behind the washers and dryers are usually needing a little extra love.</span></span><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></b> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;">Okay, I'm sure I'm forgetting some things. What do you know or what do you need to know? </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></b> </span></span></span></span><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></b><br />
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<br />Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-15340722151719387192012-03-06T20:19:00.000-05:002012-03-06T20:19:14.899-05:00Chore Charts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-YiqNnSd4EV6Qn7mDJIJ6QX-cA1zQZ5Mpvuyt0Xbu3CrtzFOKyWIUiCAayg3qHKJfzBO1SdhQWJ5nRbRfhjGXrY2xBXfKKN0uxQ4QqIYMfHKhPfLD4K6kwZNxz6izhswCUqXS2DbfsE/s1600/download-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-YiqNnSd4EV6Qn7mDJIJ6QX-cA1zQZ5Mpvuyt0Xbu3CrtzFOKyWIUiCAayg3qHKJfzBO1SdhQWJ5nRbRfhjGXrY2xBXfKKN0uxQ4QqIYMfHKhPfLD4K6kwZNxz6izhswCUqXS2DbfsE/s320/download-3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was so easy! I'll admit, since the hubby was available I did have him drill the holes for the ribbon. I found the burner covers at Dollar General. I didn't need to paint since the color on the sides was fine for my needs. I got the idea from <a href="http://www.madiganmade.com/2011/01/magnetic-memo-boards-made-from-dollar.html">Madigan Made Simple DIY Ideas</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBOgwPedL4vyYKXMHYwybYCYr9eKv3kOv0RJECPdmM9_gXb3yVX0U3gqpHAHgeCbR71U5Y9GtpCXm_3QSh_RoxpvC_qMewO7x0m9_DPHdV7UuIVJ72esR582iHAAZGVV4tioFXVwTNUs/s1600/download-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBOgwPedL4vyYKXMHYwybYCYr9eKv3kOv0RJECPdmM9_gXb3yVX0U3gqpHAHgeCbR71U5Y9GtpCXm_3QSh_RoxpvC_qMewO7x0m9_DPHdV7UuIVJ72esR582iHAAZGVV4tioFXVwTNUs/s320/download-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the top of the cover then put the scrapbook paper on top and smoothed it out. (I flipped the burner cover over and used it to draw a circle on the back of the paper to get the size right.). I added a coat of Mod Podge to seal the scrapbook paper but I'm not sure it was necessary. The metal is sharp on the inside where the holes are drilled so you may want to think about filing or sanding that. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43zV1JBp5_EUvI5Z8qiMImvmsIJTF3h7eJCgkrXo6iNK5so1i_4PlxWvYlVeo-sBXKx-S_WigGdguSopWPYd7Ntg980z5CDfCG3mDtJYvzVX1Q5bXfWbISHobmN4uVsTMziMLeqSrCHs/s1600/download-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43zV1JBp5_EUvI5Z8qiMImvmsIJTF3h7eJCgkrXo6iNK5so1i_4PlxWvYlVeo-sBXKx-S_WigGdguSopWPYd7Ntg980z5CDfCG3mDtJYvzVX1Q5bXfWbISHobmN4uVsTMziMLeqSrCHs/s320/download-4.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Each of the kids picked out their own paper. I let them choose a scrapbook book so they would have the same colors. The bigger circle is where they put the magnets when they have done the chore. I may change these and put the paper on the inside instead so the sides will catch any stray magnets. We'll see. Maybe I'll do a Christmas theme on the inside.</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;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hmPcDhXLVKPu8dpvwc8Z8OTdxoKZx-mOtsxM2gVMfeLaIrDwB3ERuDvV1CpkUtUesOfcUP5ZXlSQRW1HpJnNJ21Y-b8N_MeT0_ZFZQ1ymN3DJpRalDLuVDLQlZuBGkvIyCuR2SZjAv0/s1600/download-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hmPcDhXLVKPu8dpvwc8Z8OTdxoKZx-mOtsxM2gVMfeLaIrDwB3ERuDvV1CpkUtUesOfcUP5ZXlSQRW1HpJnNJ21Y-b8N_MeT0_ZFZQ1ymN3DJpRalDLuVDLQlZuBGkvIyCuR2SZjAv0/s320/download-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>They each have their own color on the magnets. See my previous blog for that info. I can't wait to get in the new house so I can put these on the wall!Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7827405518107086717.post-26711510859650497982012-02-23T12:01:00.000-05:002012-02-23T12:01:49.627-05:00Magnets for Chore ChartI can't be the only one finding all of these cool DIY ideas on Pinterest. Are your boards as full of projects as mine are? Well, I tried my first project and it was a success! Yay! I now have glass magnets for chores and school. No more constant questions breaking my concentration they can find the answers by checking their magnets.<br />
I bought the supplies from a <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/CandyTiles2">seller</a> on Etsy: Diamond Glaze, E6000, glass tiles, and magnets<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnlGJVC5DmzhIXnX54wpnbgy5W7F_-AOy6sDRWrTbva_EyxCs_My7ARHCuoYUwvDsBrLYU9a83sUBir1b2B8mG3MPjhLD77tixQ62QV9dtEyjc-nG_1PknpeGpSMuFxw7hBKiagEQ3jY/s1600/tn-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnlGJVC5DmzhIXnX54wpnbgy5W7F_-AOy6sDRWrTbva_EyxCs_My7ARHCuoYUwvDsBrLYU9a83sUBir1b2B8mG3MPjhLD77tixQ62QV9dtEyjc-nG_1PknpeGpSMuFxw7hBKiagEQ3jY/s320/tn-3.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I used a straight line paper cutter for the squares. It worked out best when I printed the grid along with the words. <a href="http://www.onlinelabels.com/OL5425.htm?search=ol5425&st=s">1X1 Grid Template</a> Just download to Word and type in whatever you want or use pictures instead. I recommend figuring out what you want on the tiles before buying so you know how many you need. (Yes, I learned that one the hard way.) If you use thin paper, make sure you don't use too much glue or you'll end up with discoloration. There are great directions <a href="http://notsoidlehands.blogspot.com/2009/09/cute-glass-magnets.html">here</a>. Now, to figure out what I want the magnetic board to look like. The kids have already picked out their scrapbook paper for it. You'll love it. :-)Brandihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13572313887411782638noreply@blogger.com0