The Motherload Blog

Amy’s Notebook 01.23.13

source: the 36th avenue

These ice cream hearts on a stick look like an easy Valentine’s Day treat to create (@ The 36th Avenue)

Who knew you could make such beautiful party confetti? (@ Aunt Peaches)

I wish I had this how to turn tie shoes into velcro shoes tutorial when my kids were small (@ A Lemon Squeezy Home)

I love this chunky cable knitted hat (@ The Purl Bee)

This love nest breakfast would be a cute way to wake up your kids on Valentine’s Day morning (@ One Charming Party)

source: how about orange?

These heart-shaped origami bookmarks would be a cute craft to do with the kids (@ How About Orange?)

This diy ruffled no-sew burlap table runner is too cute for words (@ Liz Marie)

These heart-shaped donuts are so adorable! (@ Sugar & Cloth)

I want to try this recipe for soft batch style chocolate chip cookies (@ Picky Palate)

Who knew you could make your own diy american cheese (@ Brown-Eyed Baker)

 

I adore this tablecloth play tent for the kids (@ Centsational Girl)

I love these strategies for organizing the paper piles (@ i heart organizing)

I love this magnetic car mural for organizing your child’s toys (@ Honest to Nod)

These Italian Sloppy Joes look delicious (@ skinnnytaste)

I want to try this recipe for homemade chicken chow mein mix (@ $5 Dinners)

I can’t wait to read these recommendations for the best Bota Box Wines (@ Serious Eats)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

 

Amy’s Notebook 11.28.12

Source: The Idea Room

This DIY vintage Christmas crate is absolutely stunning (@ The Idea Room)

I love these adorable DIY sleigh bells to decorate a door handle (@ The Centsational Girl)

This good morning cowl is simply stunning (@ Pickles)

Source: tatertots and jello

I love this painted glass ornament advent calendar (@ tatertots and jello)

This pumpkin spice playdough looks like a fun recipe to create (@ Small & Friendly)

I adore this wooden LOVE sign (@ make it & love it)

I am bookmarking this basic hat pattern for every member in the family (@ the purl bee)

These Sharpie mugs would make fast, easy, and low cost gifts to give (@ infarrantly creative)

I am madly in love with these DIY instacards (@ say yes to hoboken)

These crumb topped cranberry eggnog muffins look absolutely divine (@ inspired by charm)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

Amy’s Notebook 11.07.12

Source: the idea room

This pumpkin spice sugar scrub looks like a wonderful gift to share (@ the idea room)

I am in love with this ribbed cowl pattern (@ The Purl Bee)

I am dying to try this chili recipe for an easy weeknight dinner on a chilly night (@ Design Mom)

I love this reminder to rethink the “stuff” in our lives (@ (in)courage)

This loaded baked potato soup looks heavenly! (@ A Southern Fairytale)

Source: Inside BruCrew Life

I want to try these Cinnabun Sugar Cookies (@ Inside BruCrew Life)

I love this idea for dressing up a pendant light fixture with polka dots (@ you are my fave)

I love this shadow box Thanksgiving printable that you can fill with a few of your favorite Fall nature items (@ no biggie)

This cinnamon sugar apple skillet looks like a delicious and rustic dessert (@ Joy the Baker)

Source: Lines Across

What kid wouldn’t love these adorable LEGO gift boxes (@ Lines Across)

This hearty chicken pumpkin soup looks divine! (@ Picky Palate)

This maple cinnamon cranberry sauce looks like a delicious Thanksgiving side (@ Family Fresh Cooking)

This spiced applesauce in the slow cooker looks yummy & easy (@ Can You Stay for Dinner?)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

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Knitted Coffee Cozies

The giving season is just around the corner and for those that make handmade gifts for the holidays, it is time to start our engines! Today’s craft project is for easy knitted coffee cozies that can keep your coffee nice and cozy during the cooler seasons. These coffee cozies are the best mindless-activity-my-kids-have-hours-of-sports-or-I-need-an-excuse-to-catch-up-on-t.v.- and-sit-on-my-couch-without-guilt type of knitting project.

Why should you throw this on your knitting needles? First, it is a great yarn stash buster. You know all of those tiny balls of leftover yarn that you don’t know what to do with? You now have the perfect excuse to use them up!

Trying to think of the perfect gift to give to your child’s teacher, principal, bus driver, hostess gift, postal worker, best friend, or your mom that will cost you $5 or less? Well, this is the perfect project for you.

Looking for a gift for the person who has everything? I bet they don’t have a cute sweater for their coffee!

If you know how to knit in the round, you can do this project.  If you don’t know how to knit in the round, YouTube and Knitting Help are your BFFs.

I do not love knitting on three needles and I have not mastered magic loop knitting yet so I like to knit on tiny 12′ circular needles.  This is the exact set I bought and they are what I use when knitting all tiny knitted projects like this. These are one of the best tools in my knitting arsenal and help keep me out of practice with double-pointed needles.

I found my coffee cups and individual packets of Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and Peppermint Hot Chocolate at our local Gordmans. If you don’t have one of those stores, I am sure you could find something very similar at Marshall’s or TJ Maxx.

Use more of your scrap yarn to tie your cocoa packets or make your own homemade hot cocoa mix or homemade vanilla chai tea mix to include with your gift.

This gift cost me about $5, but I’m not telling the recipient’s that. I love when I spend $5 and make someone’s day. I have a feeling this little treat is going to do that for a few of the special helpers in our lives.

Rest assured, many $5-10 gift features will be happening these next two months! In the meantime, be sure to visit my list of 36 handmade gifts you can create for the holiday season!

Don’t forget to friend me on Ravelry! It’s where I share all of my fun knitting projects that I have been working on!

 

Grab the free and easy pattern over here!

 

Disclosure: The knitting needles are an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate what you need quickly and easily!

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Amy’s Notebook 10.31.12

Source: Love Stitched

These s’more brownies look sinfully delicious (@ Love Stitched)

I love these adorable pumpkins made from book pages and twine for Fall decorations (@ Holy Craft)

I can’t wait to try a few of these dishes from this list of  fifteen pumpkin recipe ideas (@ the kitchn)

These barbecue meatball sliders look like an easy & kid-friendly weeknight meal (@ $5 Dinners)

I love these tips for capturing spooky Halloween photos (@ Simple As That)

 

Source: ellinee

I am going to have to download & print this beautiful Christmas gift giving planner (@ ellinee)

This kale and feta quiche looks like a fun dish to try for an easy brunch (@ The Perfect Pantry)

These cheddar rosemary cornbread muffins look like the perfect accompaniment to our soup or chili suppers (@ Two Peas & Their Pod)

I am going to have to try a few of these pumpkin beer recommendations (@ Serious Eats)

I am bookmarking this Disney World Binder Builder idea for our next Disney vacation (@ WDW Prep School)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

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Amy’s Notebook 10.24.12

Source: No Biggie

 

I love this easy party tassel garland made from plastic tablecloths (@ no biggie)

These pumpkin spice latte scones sound like the perfect Fall treat (@ Inside BruCrew)

I love these tips for making your home work for you (@ Centsational Girl)

I want to try this recipe for cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins (@ Smells Like Home)

Source: U Create

 

I am madly in love with this fabric thankful tree canvas (@ U Create)

I am in love with this little no-sew baby owl costume (@ Girl Loves Glam)

This bow topped sweater is so feminine and pretty (@ Love Stitched)

This ruched apron is beautiful for holiday entertaining (@ The 36th Avenue)

I want to try this hummus crusted chicken (@ gimmie some oven)

These gluten-free pumpkin donuts sound amazing (@ Gluten Free Goddess)

Source: Design Mom

These yarn pom pom bookmarks would be a great yarn stash buster (@ Design Mom)

I am so inspired to paint some curtains for a room in our house (@ infarrantly creative)

This Killer Bloody Mary recipe would make a fun Halloween cocktail drink (@ Mighty Girl)

These chai spiced cinnamon rolls sound divine (@ Joy the Baker)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

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Amy’s Notebook 10.17.12

Source: Half Baked

 

My kids would flip for this chocolate chip cookie cake (@ Half Baked)

I love this idea for creating a ghostly potato soup bar for a pre-Halloween meal (@ One Charming Party)

These are great vacation tips for traveling to Disney World (@ Home Stores A to Z)

I want to try this recipe for foolproof slow cooker Greek yogurt (@ One Good Thing by Jillee)

Source: the decorated cookie

I adore these monster cookie sticks (@ the decorated cookie)

I am in love with this homework tri-fold station for keeping schoolwork organized (@ Ucreate)

I am bookmarking these tips for how to soothe a canker sore (@ How Does She?)

 

Source: infarrantly creative

 

I am so inspired to make this chalkboard door in our garage entry (@ infarrantly creative)

I can’t wait to try a few of these twenty soup recipes for these chilly nights (@ the kitchn)

Source: Skinny Taste

 

I can’t wait to try this pumpkin spiced oatmeal for a warm breakfast (@ skinny taste)

This skillet eggplant lasagna looks so yummy (@ smells like home)

I love this tip for a DIY programmable slow cooker (@ Eat at Home)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

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Amy’s Notebook 10.03.12

Source: Wee Society

 

These paper bag costumes are too cute and a frugal way to dress up for the holiday (@wee society)

These black widow spider snacks would be a fun & easy Halloween treat to create (@ Mom on Time Out)

I want to make some of these adorable boot socks for myself this winter (@ infarrantly creative)

Source: I Heart Organizing

I want to create my own Instadesk with my Instagram photos (@ I Heart Organizing)

I love these DIY ombre tights for a fun nod to this trend (@ M&J Blog)

These witch’s hat cookies are also an easy assembly Halloween cookie to create (gingersnap crafts)

I love this tutorial for how to paint a bike (@ A Beautiful Mess)

I can’t wait to print out this handmade holiday organizer (@ giver’s log)

Source: The Purl Bee

I want to knit some of these adorable knitted candy corn hats (@ The Purl Bee)

I am bookmarking these twenty tips for making the perfect smoothie (@ The Kitchn)

I love these adorable chocolate icebox cupcakes (@ Two Peas & Their Pod)

I love the look of these DIY spray painted countertops (@ Southern Hospitality)

I am going to have to try making this microwave popcorn without the bag (@ One Good Thing)

I hope you enjoyed this collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. Follow me on Pinterest for daily inspiration!

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Painted Milk Allergy Mugs

In our family each family member seems to need to drink a different variety of milk. I wanted to create these painted milk allergy mugs for our family and wanted to show you this easy fifteen minute craft that might help your own family with the dinner hour.

Without going into an annoying list of all of our health issues these days, we have all had to make some dietary changes for our health and that means three varieties of milk in our fridge. I recently snapped a picture on Instagram (find me on there under momadvice!) and commented that our family doesn’t need an additional fridge in our garage for beer, but one just for all of our milk. It is a game of milk tetris in this fridge. I knew we weren’t alone, but it surprised me just how many friends commented that their fridge looked just like ours.

Pouring three varieties of milk each dinner hour can get confusing. One mix up could really ruin someone’s day… literally.  Since one of us would rather not spend the afternoon in belly pain if they grab a cup of whole milk instead of their almond milk, I thought it was time to make labeled cups for each of us. I had been dying to try out Martha Stewart’s new line of paints at Michael’s so I headed over there to grab the supplies and found some inexpensive glasses at a local discount store to complete the supplies for this project.

How to Stencil Your Glassware

1. Clean your glasses with soap and water, then rub with rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining residue on the glass.

2. Apply the reusable adhesive stenciled letters for your milk labels. If you have a shorter cup, feel free to substitute words like, “almond” or “coconut” with the word “nut,” to save on space.

3. Pour a small amount of paint on a disposable plate. Using your brush, apply a thin layer of paint, doing your best to stay within the stencil. If needed, apply a second coat.

4. While your paint is still wet, carefully peel off stencil.

5. Allow the paint to dry for one hour and then place the glasses on a cookie sheet.  Set the glasses in a cool oven.  Set oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes.  Glass must heat gradually with the oven to avoid breakage.  Do NOT place glass in a hot oven.  After 30 minutes, turn the oven off.  Allow glass to cool completely in oven.  Wait 72 hours before using.

6. Clean all stencils, rushes, and tools immediately after using them, before the paint has dried. You can use a stencil cleaner to clean. Let dry. Attach backing to stencils and then store for another use.

It’s that easy, friends! I hope it helps another family struggling to keep track of the milk cups! Of course, I can’t wait to do some other fun projects with these stencils! Have a great day!

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Amy’s Notebook 09.26.12

Welcome to my little notebook of ideas to help improve your life. This is a collection of gathered links to DIY crafts, food projects, and thrifty ways to spruce up your home. Nothing brings me more joy then to highlight other fabulous bloggers. I hope you will enjoy this weekly does of loveliness with beautiful links that are individually handpicked just for you!

This idea for paint organization in your craft supplies is simply genius! (@ Mad in Crafts)

This cloth napkin storage container is absolutely adorable! (I Am Momma Hear Me Roar)

These jack o’ lantern shade covers are such a cute way to decorate for Halloween (@ Easier Than I Thought)

I love this idea for creating a paint references chart (@ i heart organizing)

I absolutely love these ideas for fall decorating (@ eighteen25)

I love these tips for creating a vignette in your home (@ Home Stores A2Z)

These healthy whole grain freezer waffles look so good (@ Mary Jolley)

I am madly in love with this house and ideas for decorating with kids (@ Design Mom)

I adore this beautifully decorated fall mantle (@ The Lettered Cottage)

I love these monster cookies with a real monster spin (@ The Idea Room)

This Dollar Store Halloween village is such a cute way to decorate for the holiday (@ The 36th Avenue)

My kids would flip for these JELL-O jack o’lanterns (@ zakka life)

This pumpkin garland is too cute for words (@ tatertots & jello)

I am madly in love with these vintage camera bookends (@ Smile and Wave)

 

 

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