Archive for the ‘Amy’s Notebook’ Category

Amy’s Notebook 10.02.08

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

I am loving this little study center (@ ohdeedoh)

I love these fringed flowers on notecards (@ craftstylish)

This kid’s art smock is the cutest thing ever (@ Don’t Look Now)

This dressed-up vase & reminder to personalize gifts is really good (@ Grace Violet)

These oven mitts would make a wonderful hostess gift for Christmas (@ Skip to My Lou)

I am going to have to do this puppet show theater with the kids (@ Crafty Daisies)

These photo letter frames would make the coolest Christmas gift (@ Michelle’s Messy Musings)

These Curious George Cupcakes would be so cute for a birthday party (@ justJenn recipes)

I would love to make a game with my son (@ SouleMama)

This chocolate chip pudding cake sounds divine (@ jane’s apron)

This Halloween bag is the cutest thing ever (@ Scribbit)

I love this sweet idea for relieving preschool anxiety (@ Parent Hacks)

It is official- I am now craving this chocolate pie (@ Homesick Texan)

I want to try this pumpkin spice granola (@ Annie’s Eats)

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We started a new giveaway this week for $25 gift cards to Shutterfly! This contest is to help promote their new Share Site service where you can create a free site for your family and share your pictures through their website. Head over here to enter today to win!

Enter today to win a 10th Anniversary Harry Potter prize pack. We are giving away beautiful boxed sets of the Harry Potter series and the new anniversary editions of, “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone” Please do not enter here, only entries over here will qualify.

Good luck, everyone!

Amy’s Notebook 09.25.08

Thursday, September 25th, 2008

I am going to have to work on some silhouettes of the kids (@ The Homespun Heart)

I must knit a pumpkin hat (@ Crazy Aunt Purl)

I think it would be fun to make a shopping bag from an old pillowcase (@ Psych Mamma)

This skillet baked cookie looks delicious (@ a tad bit prudish)

I am looking forward to following this paper pile makeover (@ Small Notebook)

It is never too early to start thinking about a cool Advent calendar for this year (@ Tatertots & Jello)

These burp cloths are darling (@ Paper Dolly Girl)

I love these window shade ideas (@ DIY Maven)

My daughter would love these doll diapers (@ Skip to My Lou)

I really like these cupcake decorating tips (@ Chica & Jo)

This reuse of the crib mattress is brilliant (@ ohdeedoh)

I want to make this color book (@ Make and Takes)

I want to try making applesauce in my slow cooker so I can smell it all day long (@ A Year of Crockpotting)

These Kermit cupcakes are adorable (Flickr via Craftzine)

This tomato sauce sounds like a winner (@ Soule Mama)

This candy cane sugar scrub would make a wonderful Christmas gift (@ The Natural Beauty Workshop)

I love this on-the-go knit kit made from a water bottle (@ Suite.Living)

These painted white pumpkins would really dress up my doorstep (@ A Soft Place to Land)

I love these mittens made from an old sweater (@ zakka life)

These brown sugar cupcakes would really hit the sweet spot (@ My Sweet & Saucy)

Who could resist this Chicken Parmesan recipe? (@ Divine Domesticity)

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make a Deep Dish Pizza?

Thursday, September 25th, 2008


Experiment: Can I make a deep dish pizza that the whole family will love?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 08.21.08

Materials Needed: Please see Chocolate On My Cranium for the full instructions on ideas for completing this task. I featured this recipe last week, but this week I tried something new with it. Instead of making the breadsticks (as directed), I mixed up two batches of the dough- one batch for breadsticks and one batch to be made into a pizza for the family.

For the pizza, instead of the 4 tablespoons of butter, I used two tablespoons and just used a pastry brush to brush the entire cookie sheet so the dough would not stick. I made my easy pizza sauce and then we topped the pizza with our favorite toppings.

Results: This dough makes a delicious pizza! I decided to bake the crust for ten minutes minus any sauce or toppings, to give it a good start on the baking. I then added all of the yummy pizza fixings and put it back in the oven for another twelve minutes.

Conclusion: This was a very easy way to make a homemade pizza for our Friday family nights together. I loved that I didn’t have to get out my rolling pin and that we had plenty of food for leftovers for lunch the next day. The entire family loved it, especially the family members who love a nice thick crust on their pizza! We will definitely be making this again and again in our house!
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I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Thursday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original crafster’s blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can’t wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Amy’s Notebook 09.18.08

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

These baked apples look delicious (@ little momma & co.)

I love this idea for creating your own crazy yarn (@ Craftzine)

This scarf made from thrifted goodies is so beautiful (@ Wise Craft)

I want to make some of these day of the week folders (@ design sponge)

I love this little round-up of bookmark ideas (@ Skip to My Lou)

These popcorn balls look like a fun fall treat (@ elsie marley)

These child’s art smocks would be very handy for messy crafts in our house (@ zakka life)

I want to make clothespin dolls with my daughter someday (@ plumpudding)

I love this memory jar idea (@ ohdeedoh)

These custom silhouette t-shirt would make a fabulous gift or fashion statement (@ Inhabitots)

This purse made from a sweater makes me want to get acquainted with my sewing machine (@ cindygert)

We aren’t in Netflix anymore, but I am loving this Netflix origami (@ swiss miss)

I am loving these baby shower decorations (@ Thompson Family-Life)

This fresh apple cake with caramel glaze looks sinful (@ Wise Craft)

These felted pictures look like a fun craft for the advanced crafters (@ One Crafty Mumma)

I love these ideas for freezing potatoes (@ Organizing Connection)

Vapor rub on pantiliners hack- only inventive parents could think of this (@ Parent Hacks)

Loved looking through the Knitty Fall ’08 patterns (@ Knitty)

I adore this fence with alternating board lengths (@ shelterrific)

This is a great recipe round-up of homemade pet treats (@ The Kitchn)

I love these tips for making good bread (@ Smitten Kitchen)

This creamy parmesan orzo looks delicious (@ Cheap Healthy Good)

These butterfly cupcakes are so sweet (@ My Wooden Spoon)

Amy’s Notebook 09.11.08

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Did you miss my notebook last week? Please say yes! Here she is back in her full glory again, with a fresh new set of linky loving for my sweet blogging friends!

Remember anything that you like out of the notebook can be added to our notebook experiments section each Thursday! Happy reading!

These homemade peanut butter cups look delicious (@ Have Cake, Will Travel)

I love these necktie glasses cases (@ Craftzine)

This chocolate mint icebox cake looks like it is to die for (@ Divine Domesticity)

I am loving this newspaper bunting (@ maya made)

I had never heard of this site where you could find local yarn shops (@ Craftzine)

I love this rug made out of a tea towel (@ knick knacks & ric rac)

I want to give this pumpkin spice latte recipe a try (@ Baking & Books)

I really love this little cupcake stand (@ Once Wed)

I am loving these felted rocks (@ resurrection fern)

I am always up for trying another banana bread recipe (@ Posie Gets Cozy)

I have wanted to know how to recycle yarn from sweaters and this post helped so much (@ Craft Leftovers)

I like these tips for seasoning your cast iron skillet (@ Joy the Baker)

I am going to have to keep my eyes peeled for a funnel pitcher for our house (@ Baking Bites)

This chocolate chunk coffee cake looks amazing (@ Genesis of a Cook)

These brownies in a mug might be a fun dessert when we are entertaining (@ A Year of Crockpotting)

I want to try tie dying shirts with the kids one day (@ Motherhood for Dummies)

I loved this post on what is an appropriate food budget for a family of four (@ The Simple Dollar)

I love these little princess crowns and I know my daughter would too (@ The Homespun Heart)

I will now know what to do with the wooden boxes from the Melissa & Doug toys that the kids get for Christmas (@ Parent Hacks)

I love this dinosaur feet craft (@ Problem Solvin’ Mom)

I have never tried cooking my rice this way, but I just might have to give this a shot (@ The Kitchn)

I love these fabric & button barrettes (@ belle & burger)

Amy’s Notebook 08.28.08

Thursday, August 28th, 2008


Another bread recipe that I would like to try (@ Polliwog’s Cakewalk)

I am going to have to make some word search greeting cards (@ DIY Maven)

This Tuscan Garlic Chicken recipe sounds delicious (@ Genesis of a Cook)

This Sloppy Joe recipe sounds so good too! (@ Simply Recipes)

I didn’t know that you could recycle your carpet– what a great idea (@ Daily Danny)

I want to try this recipe for lemon meringue pie (@ zakka life)

We need to do a family night at the park before the weather turns cold (@ my happy little life)

I love this cuddly cotton blanket– it would make a great baby gift (@ The Purl Bee)

This rolling pin printing is such a cool idea (@ whip up)

Another fun play dough recipe (@ Skip to My Lou)

I love these peanut butter & fruit sushi rolls (@ The Kitchn)

This list of baby shower ideas is great (@ Tip Junkie)

I am going to have to try making my own hot pockets (Everyday Food Storage)

A gentle reminder for the five things I have not been cleaning (@ Home Ec 101)

Notebook Experiments: Can I Make Wall Art?

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Experiment: Can I Make Wall Art?

Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 08.21.08

Materials Needed: Please see Simple Mom for the full instructions on this task (originally taken from Mt. Hope Chronicles). I had two places in my house that was in need of some art so I thought I would attempt this craft. I hit a local scrapbook shop and picked out some scrapbook paper for my project. I then headed over to Michael’s and picked up Mod Podge and the canvases to do the work on. I also splurged and purchased a circle punch so that I would have nice and even circles. I am lousy at cutting and this made the work go so much faster. I will use it to make our gift tags for Christmas gifts this year and banners for birthdays. See how I can justify any purchase as an “investment opportunity?”

Results: My husband & I put together our design and then I glued them onto the canvas. After gluing them and letting them dry, I used a sponge brush and brushed the entire canvas with the Mod Podge to create a smooth surface. I did two layers of the Mod Podge on top and this created a nice sheen to the pictures and made the project look more finished

I had a window that I wanted surrounded by art and these turned out great. The ones for our family room incorporated the reds in them, and had a little tribute to our favorite date nights together. Can you find it?


The one I created for my husband’s office. He loves anything to do with fonts and is a proud collector of them (can you tell I married a web guy?) so I made this one as a tribute to his font fascination.

Conclusion: I absolutely loved this craft and am thinking of all the other art work I could create for our walls. I often feel limited by my crafting abilities so this easy project was right up my alley. Thank you Simple Mom for the great suggestion!
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I am so excited to open our Notebook Experiments up to everyone and I hope that you will be able to participate this week or in weeks to come! I will be posting this each Thursday so please mark your calendars if you plan to participate. You can post your entries at any time throughout the week and then leave your entry in the links below.

We have this handy banner that you are more than welcome to use, but it is not a requirement! It is just something you can add to add a little sparkle to your entry.

Rules for Participation:

1. Choose anything from any of our notebook entries (past or present) to do with your family. We have hundreds of bookmarked links of crafts, ways to save money, and organizing ideas.
2. Complete an experiment from the notebook and share about it on your blog or website. We would love to see pictures of what you accomplished or a detailed description of how your projects turned out. Please include a link to this entry, a link to the original posting of the entry (at the original crafster’s blog), and (to help us relocate the project) the date or link of the notebook entry where you found it. You can use the same formatting as our entries or you can just include that information in your post in your own unique way!
3. Post a link below. Please include your name or blog name & a fast description of your project. Example- MomAdvice (WHO bread)

I can’t wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!

Reader’s Notebook Experiment: Burp Cloths

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Hi Amy,

Here’s my experimental submission for The Notebook Experiments. I have a little guy who has been a “spitter” since birth and have been longing for some cuter burp cloths. Came across the burp cloths in your notebook from Make and Take.

I used some scrap fabric instead of the cloth diapers. I cut rectangles and backed with flannel. I then used ric rac, like the site, to give a little cute flair.

This was fast and fun, and I think my baby will love these as much as I do!

Thanks for all the great info and inspiration.

What a fun contest!

Haley

Reader’s Notebook Experiment: Clay Dough

Monday, August 25th, 2008

It has been so great to see what everyone is coming up with for their notebook experiments. We have over twenty entries! Just remember that it is not too late to enter for our Flip Camera! The contest will be open until Tuesday (08/26) at 8PM and we will even accept reader submissions who do not have a blog.

Here is Katherine’s experiment- I think you guys will really like it!


Amy–

Thanks for letting us participate even thought we don’t have a blog. I found your blog a few weeks ago, and after both my kids wound up sick this week, one spending the night in the ER, I scoured through your notebook experiments to find something for my 4 year old and 2 year old to do. Clay dough which was in your notebook entry on 7/31/08 was perfect! It allowed them to do something fun and creative, and required a mandatory rest period (during drying) for my kids to rest and anticipate the next step.

My kids enjoyed each step, from measuring and mixing to watching the dough cook and harden in the oven. By far their favorite part was the painting. Now my son has a handmade treasure box which he took straight up to his room as soon as it was dry, and my daughter a little jewelry box. Instead of making beads (as was done in the original post) we also used cookie cutters to cut out little shapes which the kids painted for ‘decorations’. Now they each have a butterfly sitting on their shelf.

Thanks for giving us a great way to spend a sick day!
(And a chance to win the Flip Camera!)

Have a great day!

Katherine

Amy’s Notebook 08.21.08

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

I love this idea to get your kids mining to keep them busy (@ doobleh-vay)

I want to try Martha’s peanut butter cookies (@ Mad About Martha)

I love these little crocheted slippers for a gift in a jiffy (@ My Longest Year)

I want to try this recipe for homemade watercolors (@ Dim Sum, Bagels, & Crawfish)

I had never heard of joining a yarn club before, but it sounds awfully addicting (@ whip up)

This breakfast muffin tin looks like a fun way to start the day (@ Muses of Megret)

These homemade breadsticks look like a fun addition to our spaghetti dinner (@ Chocolate on My Cranium)

I adore this idea for a tooth fairy jar and just might have to steal it (@ Lost Button Studio via The Crafty Crow)

Using an egg carton to carry mini-cupcakes will make taking treats to school a lot easier (@ shelterrific)

I love this idea for adding a lazy susan feature to our board games (@ The Small Object)

This is a great list of tips for purchasing a sewing machine (@ shelterrific)

I love this mudroom made from a closet (@ ohdeedoh)

I want to try this recipe for Pat’s French Toast (@ 4 Reluctant Entertainers)

I hit my 30th birthday this year, but it is never too late to read this list of thirty books to read before you turn thirty (@ Marc & Angel Hack Life)

I needed this reminder to be more prepared for the emergency situations in life (@ The Homespun Heart)

These inexpensive art ideas might just get replicated over here! (@ Simple Mom)

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Join us in our Notebook Experiments and be entered to win a Flip Camera!