Pinterest Equals Addiction

     I feel like if I confess it and put it "out there" that makes it all better, right?  Well I'm addicted to Pinterest.  Let the healing begin.  If you haven't heard about it, here is the jest of it.  Imagine having a bunch of bulletin boards to post all the recipe's, craft ideas, places you want to visit---just anything in general and you wanted them to have there very own bulletin board.  That is what Pinterest is.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it...  I have gotten tons of craft ideas from here not to mention countless recipe's.  So for today's post here is the recipe I'm going to fix Monday.
     My other love is the crockpot.  It just makes life so much easier.  This is a recipe from http://getcrocked.com.  I have also added her to my blog roll to the right.

 This is Crock Pot Maple Salmon.  Just click on it and you will be directed to the recipe.  I'll let you know how mine turns out!!


Today's Tip:  Pull out your Crock Pot and fix something easy for next week!!!  Planning your menu helps in so many ways..  Your budget will hug you and your family will love it as well....

Clean, Clean and more Cleaning....

     I am so grateful in this hard time of trying to sell my home that I have such a wonderful agent that keeps my house "out there"....   I have a showing on Sunday!  Yeah!!  The only kicker is that I will have to fly home from work tomorrow night and finish cleaning--well spot cleaning...  Oh, and there is Mac's room---I wish I could just hang a sign on the door that says, "Please Pardon this room---It belongs to a teenager and will be DEEP CLEANED upon the sell of the house".  Do you think that would scare buyers off?  I'm going to leave him a lengthy "to do" list tomorrow.. 

Today's Tip:  This one is from my new favorite  HGTV magazine, the question was asked, "Should I eat fruit without washing it?"  Answer:  NO!!!  That apple probably has bacteria, pesticides, and brace yourself, animal feces clinging to its skin.  NASTY!!!  Produce is a common cause of foodborne illnesses.   "You need to give fruit more than the typical one-second shake under the water," says Lauren Slayton, R.D., director of foodtrainers.net .  "Rinse produce for at least 15 seconds and you'll get rid of 98% of the bacteria." 
Maybe 20 seconds will get rid of that other 2%!!! 



Have a Great Weekend Everyone!!!!

Badge's and More Badge's!!!

     I have been busy, busy busy this morning!!  These are just a taste of some of the new badge's I have been working on this morning.  Twenty eight new ones in all.  Worked right up until I ran out of badge's.  I love the "Cat in The Hat" ones---so cute!!   I also did some bright, colorful spring looking ones.  Although, I'm not ready for spring just yet!!  I love my cold weather!

I am changing the price of the 2012 badge's...  They will ALL be $10.00 seasonal or otherwise. 

I hope everyone continues to enjoy them as much as I do!!


TODAY'S TIP:  I love reading First magazine for women and in their last issue there was an article about how soup melts away 10x more weight (article on page 32).  Well I love soups and was glad to read the following quote:  In a study published in the journal Obesity, participants who enjoyed two servings of soup a day lost 50% more weight than those who ate solid food--even though both contained the same number of calories.
Guess you know what I'm having for lunch!!!


    

Rag Quilts and More!

     I set several goals for myself this year.  One of them was to learn how to make quilts.  I can't wait!  I'm starting out with Rag Quilts (click on the link I have provided to see the easy instructions).  I learned about these amazing quilts from a friend at work and have been fascinated with them ever since.  The options and colors of fabric are endless.  My quilting class is January 13.  It's just a "101" class, however, from what I understand they are pretty simple for beginner's like me...
    Wish me luck!!!

Today's Tip:  I know we are four days into the new year, but a friend of mine told me about an app on the iPhone that I just had to share.  The app is called Project 365 Pro.  Now there is a free version called Project 365, however, I like apps without advertising covering them up---so I went with the .99 version.  It allows you to take the picture directly from the app, write a caption and even post it to various social media sites.  Pretty cool!!  Thanks Megan!!!

Changing Me---For the Better....

     In reading the Parade insert in Sunday's paper, I came across an article by Jessica Cassity called, "Make One Healthy Move a Day."  I thought to myself, "I can do that!"  Think about all that you do that is unhealthy in just one twenty four hour day---not exercising, soda's, one too many evening glasses of wine---wait, am I listing mine or yours??  Anyway, her list gave me serveral ideas...

• Create a list of five things that make you happy.  This could be anything from that laugh your child does to a bouquet of flowers.  Having that perfect cup of coffee to buying the person's coffee in the line in front of you.  Commit to at least one mood-boosting act every day.
• Cut Calories, Not Taste.  This we can all do.  Opt for the salad at lunch instead of the group thing with your coworker's.  Better yet, save your money and pack a healthy lunch!!  Two birds with one stone!
• Quit Waffling on Your Decisions.  This weighs you down and is unhealthy.  If you think you made the wrong desision, well it's done now.  As long as it didn't cause harm, move on.  Stress, exspecially in women, adds weight to your mid section.  Stand by your decisions and just move on.  Life is too short!!!
• Get Organized---about Everything.  My therapist hit it straight on when she told me to stop putting unnessary items on my kitchen table.  It is one of the first things I see in the mornings--and the clutter was basically depressing.  She was right!  I'm a stacker, clincally---but putting those papers where they belong as soon as you get them makes for a much happier your!!!

Today's Tip:  Strenghten Relationhips....  This will make you sleep well at night.  Always make sure to end with " I love you."  I always try to make sure those are the last words my son hear's from me at night.  He is a teenager and a computer nut---but he knows I am always here for him. 

Clean Freak---Or Not Enough?

     Do you think you clean enough?  I never think I do, and I'm just a little OCD--if you don't know that about me already.  However, in reading my HGTV magazine, I'm glad that I have some of those Lysol wipes upstairs!
     How often do you think you should clean the following items---your romote control?  The kids bath toys---I mean really, they are in bath water, right?  Your kitchen sponge?  How about your lamp shades?  Well here are the answers, I was a little suprised but I'm on it now for sure!!!

   That remote that you touch anywhere from twice to fifty times a day needs to be cleaned atleast once a month.  I would have thought twice a month, but ok...

Those bath toys, every two weeks!!  I would have thought monthly on this one.  But I guess that dirty water does it!!

Once a week!! Just think about what all you use that sponge on......

 

And finally, the lamp shades.  I dust them, but thats about all.  They need the Lysol wipes atleast twice a year. 



So there you  have it.  Are you ready to revisit that cleaning you did a few days ago?  No house is every going to be spotless, but things like this at least make you think when you are cleaning in those areas...


Today's tip:  To clean that kitchen sponge, you have three choices:  Put the sponge in the dishwasher for a full cycle, set on "heated dry"; microwave it on high for a minute (make sure the sponge is wet or it is going to give you something else to clean!); or you can soak it for five minutes in a mix of 3/4 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water... 
From Carolyn Forte, director of Home Appliances and Cleaning Products at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute.

Happy New Year!!!

     I hope everyone is off to a wonderful start of the New Year.  I'm still "tinkering" with the blog design, so remember it's a work in progress.
     I've decided to make this blog alittle about everything.  From my adventures in crafting to the patience I need from God in trying to sell my home.  So expect anything when you open it up!!  I am also going to start sharing tips and advice I find from the tons of magazines I read.  Maybe a tip each day if nothing else...  So there are a few of my New Years Resolutions....  Let's get started with my first magazine of choice!!

     If you haven't picked this one up at your local store yet, well, you are missing out!  It's a great magazine full of wonderful tips and it has my favorite decorator, David Bromstad in it sharing some of his secrets.  His show Color Splash is so cool.  I love how he paints a painting for each show he does and works it into his design.  Here is the link to the online version of HGTV magazine.  Enjoy!!

Tip for today from none other David Bromstad and the new HGTV magazine:
"Anyone can paint a canvas that's just a flat color with a simple stripe on it," David says.  "You can add glitter or Swarovski crystals--whatever's your pleasure!"