Top 10 Projects from Online Tutorials

In the last few years I have really gotten into sewing, baking and blogging. I owe almost everything that I know about these subjects to my fellow bloggers! I have used so many tutorials, ideas and recipes from free online sources that I thought it would be fitting to share some of them, and give the original bloggers some credit!

Tinkerbell Crayon Roll

1. Crayon Rolls from Skip To My Lou: I got the basic measurements and techniques from her tutorial, and have made several of my own version for friends, family and neighbors. They make great gifts, and come in very handy at restaurants and when travelling!

2. Zippered Pencil Pouch from Annie Get Your Gun: I used this tutorial to make a pencil pouch for my middle child. Never did get around to making one for my oldest!

3. Fabric Covered Art Journal, From Little Big Girl Studio: I forgot the extra elastic to hold it together, which was a huge mistake, but it's still functional. I also can't find the right size paper for the inside, but that's a whole different story!

4. Blueberry Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting from Naturally Ella: I friggin' LOVE these cupcakes. I use the vanilla cupcake recipe as my go-to cupcake. It makes 12 cupcakes which is perfect. Most recipes make 20 or more. This was my first attempt at filling cupcakes and it was so easy after following the tutorial.

5. Basic Tote Bag from Colorfool Creates: I have made a bunch of these, with all different types of fabric. I can't seem to find a picture of one of mine though!

6. Fabric basket from Pink Penguin: I love this tutorial. It is easily adjusted for different sizes, and you can make them with any combination of fabrics. I have one on my kitchen counter that holds my earrings and other things I leave laying around!

7. Fabric Wallet from Confessions of a Fabricoholic. I made this wallet on a whim, and I absolutely love it! I was so excited when I figured out the zippered pocket! I use this wallet everyday!

8. Fabric Key Chains from The Idea Room. I've made a few of these, but I haven't mastered the last step quite yet. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!

9. Shallow Basket from Coats and Clark. I made several of these, but my favorite is the one I made with Christmas fabric that hold cocktail napkins!

10. Mini Maple Pancake Muffins from Bakerella: Bakerella is known best for her cake pops, but the one time I tried to make them I failed miserably. I had a lot more success with these!!!

Thank you to my fellow bloggers for all their hard work in putting together these posts! I have a few tutorials in the works, but haven't found the time to properly put them together yet! 

My New Year's Resolutions for 2011

Every year I make the usual New Year's resolutions- eat better, exercise more, yell less...blah,blah,blah. This year, I'm really taking the time to think about what I want to work on in the coming year. Yes, diet and exercise are on the list, but they're not the entire list. So here goes...

1. Diet and Exercise. (Not like I was keeping you in suspense on this one!) I'd like to be a size 10 again, and that isn't going to happen with my current habits! I need to shift the focus away from convenience foods towards healthier options, and find the time to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Easier said than done, right?! That's why it's on the list EVERY YEAR!

2.  Make short term changes that will have a lasting effect. This one covers a wide variety of things, like the fact our debt is out of control and the bills don't pay themselves. It stresses me out! But instead of sulking and sticking my head in the sand to avoid it, I've decided to get a second job to get us back on track. We got ourselves into this mess, and we will get ourselves out of it! 

3. Getting organized and sticking to a schedule. I'm not one of those people who think my house has to be ready for company at all times, nor do I think clutter makes it feel more cozy. I do think that we can all benefit from some consistent organization (not just for a day or 2), and a schedule that includes chores! 

4. Spending more time on the floor with my 2 year old. My son is wonderful, and he entertains himself quite well. Unfortunately, I tend to take advantage of this sometimes, and spend far too much time at the computer when I could and should be playing with him! He's only going to be home with me for 2.5 more years, and I do love spending time with him. So I am vowing to get down on his level and play with his toys with him, far more often than I do now.

5. Listen to my kids. I mean really listen. Both of my older boys have  tendency to go on and on when telling a story. They get it from their father! I have been guilty of tuning them out, especially if I am at the computer (which is usually on the kitchen table). Then when they're done, I have to ask them to repeat some things because I'm lost! I know that if I want them to continue to talk to me as they get older, they have to know that I will always be there to listen. The stakes only get higher as they get older, and I want to be in the know! 

6. Appreciate everything that my husband does. I love my husband. He is a great husband and father. He does well beyond his share of the housework, and works full time. Sometimes I rely on the fact that he does certain chores, so even though I have the time to do them, I don't. It's bad- I know! Telling him that I appreciate him isn't enough though. I need to show him...and show him I shall! 

7. Spend less money. This one is a hard one. I work from home and have a lot of down time with the kids. The youngest one is only in preschool two days a week for 3 hours each, and the older boys are on a year-round schedule so they have 3-5 week breaks throughout the year. We typically spend that time going places and spending money. It's a lot easier to entertain them when we go somewhere. This has to change. See # 2 above. Unfortunately, this one means no Disney trip this year, which totally bums me out!

8. Focus on my blog and other social media. I started this blog is 2007 (I think), but it sat dormant for a long time, with only the occasional post here and there. I've reinvented the blog this year, and next year I want to really expand my presence in the blogging community. I've already started on this one a bit, joining BlogHer and The SITS Girls. I also created a Facebook page for the Cul de Sac Mom.

9. Learn to cook a few good "go-to" meals for busy nights that are both filling and healthy! My husband does a large share of the cooking at our house, and he is pretty good at it. We run into problems when he gets home late, or we have 2 basketball practices/games to get to, or he just doesn't feel like cooking. Right now our go-to meals are eggs and toast or pancakes-- both of which the kids LOVE! I'd like to add a few more non-breakfast recipes to my arsenal for the nights we need something quick and easy.

10. Find Balance.  I've been working on this for a while now. I saw the movie Eat, Pray, Love in the movie theater (by myself no less) and it really made me evaluate my life. It sparked my 52 Book Challenge and the blog that accompanies it, but more importantly it made me realize that I don't always put my focus in the right place. I worry too much about things that I cannot immediately change, and I get bogged down under the weight of the world. So next year, in 2011, I will strive to find the right balance between being a mom, wife, blogger, Realtor, and woman. Maybe it's because I'm a Libra that I feel the need for more balance. Who knows?! Regardless, I need to feel fulfilled as a whole person- not just a mother and wife. I need to figure out who I want to be, and how I'm going to get there, while maintaining my responsibilities and relationships at home. 

So there you have it! A little insight into my world, and how I want to make it better! 

Give Aways!

Before Thanksgiving I entered a few give-aways for the Silhouette machine. I didn't win, so it's now on my wish list for Christmas. I found out about the give-aways from Craftgossip and other blogs that posted about it. Today I entered a give-away for an iPad at Gourmet Mom On-the-Go. It's loaded with an app from Kraft Foods called Big Fork Little Fork. I'm intrigued. And I really want an iPad!





The best part about these give-aways though? I'm finding some of the coolest blogs, and having so much fun! Even if I don't win, I've still benefited! So what are you waiting for? Go check out her blog, and enter to win an iPad!

New Christmas Cookies

My husband took our older boys to the elementary school tonight for the holiday fun night that they go to every year. So that meant I was home alone with the little one (who would not have enjoyed the crowd at the school), who happily played with his brothers' Beyblades and watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I baked.

First I made the Toll House Recipe for chocolate cookies. Instead of the white chocolate chips that the recipe called for, I added Andes candy bits. I'd been having a wicked craving for mint and chocolate! The cookies came out fantastic and I was inspired. 

Next up: Candy Cane Kiss Cookies from Recipe Girl. I followed the recipe and her directions (almost) exactly. Instead of cutting up a bunch of Hershey Kisses to put in the batter, I used Andes peppermint crunch bits. I omitted the peppermint extract, and I was very happy that I did. The flavor from the Andes candies and the kisses were plenty! To be perfectly honest, the cookies are so good all by themselves, I'll be making them again just as sugar cookies!  

When it came time to put the kisses on the cookies, I made my first mistake. I had them all open ahead of time, but I took my time putting them on. Then I put them in the refrigerator instead of the highly recommended freezer. Huge mistake! My kisses ended up looking like this on the first dozen: 

So for the next tray, I put the Kisses on a little faster and put the entire cookie sheet directly in the freezer. What a huge difference it made! This time, they looked like this: 

Of course, because sometimes I just can't help myself, I had to try one more change. I didn't like how small the diameter of the cookies were in comparison to the Kisses. So after rolling them into balls and coating them in sugar, I flattened them with the bottom of a glass. This made much bigger cookies (with the same amount of dough), but they didn't look nearly as charming. I actually really like the cracks that are created when you squish the cookie with Kisses.

Festive cookies on a festive plate!

The recipe states that this recipe makes 2.5 dozen. I managed to make 39 cookies, and since I didn't chop up the Kisses for the dough, I had a few Kisses left over for my little munchkin to eat!

So all in all, these cookies were a huge success. They taste amazing, and they go quite nicely with my new Christmas platter! :) This recipe will be definitely be added to my repertoire!

Google Reader

The more I get into blogging, the more I read other peoples' blogs. I figure I'm doing my due diligence (to borrow a phrase from my real job) to find out what other people are talking about and how they are attracting readers. The problem is that it became increasingly harder to keep up with all of the blogs that I was following, so I usually was only checking each one about once a week. Then I read Marian Schembari's post The Ultimate Blog Checklist where she talked about a "reader." She didn't elaborate, but upon further investigation, I found this post, A Blog + A Feed + A Reader = A More Efficient You on BlogHer. It is a great tutorial on how to get started with Google Reader, which is free! I couldn't believe that this was right under my nose the whole time! It posts the newest posts for any blogs you set up a subscription to, all in one place! I got started immediately.

At first I was going to the reader directly. Then I realized that if I used iGoogle as my homepage, I could put the reader front and center, so I'd see all unread posts as soon as I open my browser, along with the weather, and other things. How cool is that? As a result, I'm keeping up with my friends' blogs, and getting information much sooner than I would have otherwise! I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out!

So thank you fellow bloggers for the help! I feel so much more in tune now!