How to Make a Monogrammed Coffee Filter Wreath

November 1st, 2011

When my book proposal went out in the literary world, I decided to throw myself wholeheartedly into two bedrooms that were both in need of a serious overhaul, to prevent me from thinking about the big decisions being made. All of that nervous energy turned into fuel into creating my daughter and son’s room into what I had envisioned their new big kid spaces to be.

Over the next few weeks, I wanted to showcase some of the crafts that I created and how I decorated their bedrooms on a budget. The first tutorial I wanted to share was for this easy monogrammed coffee filter wreath for my daughter’s wall.  I am not the first to create a coffee filter wreath and I know I won’t be the last. I read a billion tutorials for making these and then decided to do it my own way with a few tips from each tutorial. When you create yours, I am sure you will do the same on your wreath to create a masterpiece for your home.

These are a beautiful accent to decorate any room in your house. These would also make fantastic holiday gifts for your friends, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, or teachers and cost about $8-10 in supplies.

Let’s get started. You need a wreath or wreath form of your your choice (I found this flat Styrofoam wreath at Hobby Lobby), a package of 200 coffee filters, hot glue gun, glue sticks (you will need about six for this project), a screwdriver, a lightweight monogram letter of your choice, and a can of spray paint of your choice.

Fold your coffee filter in half as shown here.

Fold your coffee filter in half again as shown here.

On the tip of this you will apply your hot glue and then fold the tip a bit to apply it to the wreath. Secure the glued end to the wreath, flattening it a bit and adjusting as needed.

The top of your filters will look like this. That screwdriver can go into the center to help push the filter into the wreath and save your hands from getting burned. You can risk it and just burn those hands up, but I found the tip of the screwdriver really works to help prevent burns as you add those filters in. I wish I could take pictures of myself doing this as I am doing it, but, unfortunately, I only have two hands and no one to work the camera for me.

Start filling the wreath in with the filters all over. Anywhere that you see that wreath form sticking out should be covered with your filters. You can bend and twist them into the spots, securing these with hot glue. Catch up on all of your favorite shows since you need to do this approximately 150 times.

Please don’t judge me on my favorite show. A girl needs an escape when doing her billions of loads of laundry and other mundane tasks around the house. It makes me feel hip and chic, unlike the 33 year-old woman sitting on her carpet making a coffee filter wreath.

Keep on going around and around and around. Don’t worry if it isn’t even, just do the best you can.  You can trim it all up in the end and no one will ever know.

Once it is all filled in on top, we need to cover the sides of the wreath so we don’t see any of the wreath form peeking out. Fold the coffee filters as I showed you above and this time we will lay them flat against the side to cover the wreath.

Just keep overlapping this final layer to cover up the wreath form as I have pictured here.  This wreath will be very full and the little spots that aren’t covered won’t be seen, so don’t worry!

Once you flip it over, you will see that the back layer is a tad longer than the other layers. Trim those up with a pair of sharp scissors and cut them down so they fit in with the other layers on your wreath.

Once the wreath is all trimmed up, you can mount a monogrammed letter of your choice. I spray painted mine green to match my daughter’s room. I found this little letter at Michael’s back by the wooden craft supplies. This letter was just, $1.99. The key to this is to find one that is lightweight so it stays on easily. Hot glue the back of the letter and secure it in place on your wreath. You can then hang your wreath with ribbon or just hang it on a nail, as I did here, to keep things sweet and simple.

This wall in her room is making me very, very happy right now. It is the first thing I see when I walk up the steps and was so inexpensive to do.  I framed three of my favorite pictures of her, all printed in black-and-white.

The, “Will We have Rainbows Day After Day?,” printable was found for free printing on Making It Lovely.  I found a frame for this at Michael’s for half off and printed it on my printer at home.  It is so sweet and fits perfectly with her personality and color scheme.

I could not be happier with how this wreath turned out and definitely recommend making one or two for yourself or someone you love.

Don’t toss the rest of your coffee filters out after making this wreath. Next week I will show you how I made this bouquet of coffee filter flowers to adorn a nightstand. No one will believe these are made from this household item and it can be a fun craft to decorate any table in your home.

What craft projects have you been working on? Feel free to share any links to what you are working on! Access all of our craft fun on MomAdvice by visiting our Craft Section. Happy crafting, friends!

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An Apron Full of Giveaways: Big Windex Prize Pack Giveaway

November 1st, 2011

Redd Threadds, $30

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week,  here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Don’t forget to get those entries in for our huge Windex prize pack this week! I don’t want you to miss out on all of these great prizes as Windex celebrates their 75th anniversary!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Celebrating Family Traditions with Windex (and Windex GIVEAWAY)

November 1st, 2011

Sorry! This giveaway is now closed! We would like to congratulate our 5 winners in this contest. Congratulations to Kathy (#85), S (#83), Darlene (#24), Jo (#69), & Traci (#2) on winning this fabulous prize pack from Windex. Happy holidays, everyone!

When it comes to cleaning products under my sink, I always love products that can perform many tasks around my home with just one bottle. Windex® definitely does that for me. I can use it on just about everything around the house.  Every counter, surface and window gets a good scrubbing with this product and I have to say, the scent has the ability to transport me back to my own childhood on cleaning days at our family home.

With this in mind, I am excited to announce that I am partnering with Windex® as they celebrate their 75th birthday! Windex® is inviting everyone to share their tried and true traditions and shining moments in their lives and wanted me to share this fun opportunity to with you.

Of course, if you have been a reader of this site, you know that traditions are something that our family is very proud to have. Here are a few:

We have a long-standing pizza night tradition EVERY Friday night.

We have birthday traditions complete with a birthday wreath that hangs on our door announcing the birthday girl or boy’s special day!

Every Sunday we have a jazzy Sunday and make homemade waffles after church.

These are just a few of my own family traditions and shining moments that I think make our family so special and great.

You can help Windex® celebrate its birthday by visiting the official Windex® Facebook Page to learn more about the history of Windex® in America and share your shining moments and favorite family traditions.

To spread the word about this fabulous 75th birthday celebration, Windex® created the Windex® Shining Moms, composed of myself and friends Amber Johnson (MileHighMamas.com) and Audrey McClelland (MomGenerations.com).

To get the celebration started, we are offering five lucky winners Windex® Family Traditions Prize Pack featuring an array of Windex® product along with other items to help you and your families celebrate and cherish your family’s shining moments, including:

  • Windex® Original, Windex® Multi-Surface Vinegar, Windex® Original Glass Wipes, Windex® Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool and Windex® Electronic Wipes
  • $50 Gift Card to help carry out your family traditions
  • Video Camera to capture family traditions and create memories
  • A photo album to hold your cherished photos

To enter to win, leave a comment and tell me what special traditions your family has that have been either passed through generations or are new with your children?

GIVEAWAY RULES:

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT POST OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR, PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: Mom Advice Windex® 75th Celebration Family Traditions Prize Pack Giveaway (“Sweepstakes”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are at least eighteen (18) years of age.  Employees of MomAdvice.com (“Sponsor”), Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., and SC Johnson & Son, Inc. and any of their parents, subsidiaries. affiliated companies and their advertising and promotion agencies, as well as the immediate family (spouses, parents, siblings and children and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and household members, whether or not related of each such employee are not eligible to enter or win.  The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.  Void in Quebec and where prohibited by law.

2. Agreement to Official Rules: By participating in the Sweepstakes, entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to and accepts these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor which are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes.  Whether an entrant receives a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

3. Timing: The Sweepstakes begins on November 1, 2011 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends on November 8, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. PT (“Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter: During the Promotion Period, there is  one (1) way to earn an entry:  1. Post a comment under the Mom Generations blog posts made by Amy Clark describing what special traditions your family has that have been either passed through generations or are new with your kids.

All online entries must be received (comments posted) by 5:00 p.m. PT on November 8, 2011 to be eligible. Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address and per household, regardless of method of entry. Entries received from any person, email address or household in excess of the stated limitation will be void. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means and entries by any means which subvert the entry process are void.  All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. In the event of a dispute over the identity of an online entrant, entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the blog post and he/she must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized account subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses.

Entrants must comply with the terms and conditions or other guidelines provided for blog postings at MomAdvice.com. An entrant’s failure to comply with the terms and conditions and/or guidelines, as determined by Sponsor, may result in disqualification and all associated entries will be void.

Blog posting must (i) be entrant’s own original work and reflect the true opinions and experiences of the applicable entrant,  (ii) be in English, (iii) cannot be previously published or submitted in connection with any other promotion, (iv)  be in keeping with the Sponsor’s image and (v) not be offensive or inappropriate, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, nor can it defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights or any other  third party rights.  Sponsor reserves the right to remove any blog post and void the associated entry that it determines, in its sole discretion, is offensive or inappropriate, not in keeping with Sponsor’s image or that is otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules.

By posting a blog post, each entrant acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor may obtain blog posts under this Sweepstakes or have developed on its own or through other third parties’ ideas and material and blog posts that may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to others submitted under this Sweepstakes and/or other promotions sponsored by the Sponsor or submitted for other reasons on the website, and entrant waives any and all claims he/she may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any other blog post accepted, reviewed and/or used by Sponsor may be similar to his/her blog post.

5. Winner Determination: Potential winners of prizes will be chosen from all eligible entries received in a random drawing to be held within five (5) business days after the close of entries by Sponsor whose decision is final and binding in all matters. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

6. Winner Requirements: Potential winners will be notified by email on or about November 9, 2011.  Potential winners will be required to sign and return to Administrator, within twenty four (24) hours of date of issuance an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability & Publicity Release (unless prohibited by law). Failure to return all required documents within the specified time period, the inability to contact the potential winner within a reasonable time period, the return of the prize or prize notification as undeliverable or non-compliance with these Official Rules will result in forfeiture of prize.

If the potential winner is a resident of Canada, he/she must correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question administered by telephone without assistance or mechanical or electronic aid in order to receive the prize. If the selected Canadian potential winner cannot be reached within a reasonable time period (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion), he/she may be disqualified, and, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, the prize will be forfeited.

Winner, by acceptance of prize, except where legally prohibited, grants permission for Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, voice and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without further compensation, in all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide in perpetuity, without notice or review or approval.

7. Prizes: A prize package including a photo album, flip camera, American Express gift card, basket and Windex® product samples (Windex® Original, Windex® Multi-Surface Vinegar, Windex® Original Glass Wipes, Windex® Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool and Windex® Electronic Wipes). Approximate Retail Value of prize is $164.00 USD and will be given to five (5) selected winners for an approximate Retail Value total of $820.00 USD. Prize is non-transferable and no substitution or cash-redemption is permitted except by Sponsor, in its sole discretion, which reserves the right to substitute the prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. Winner is responsible for all federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) and any other costs and expenses associated with prize receipt and/or use not specified herein as being provided.  Prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsor. All prize details are at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

8. Release: Entrants agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor,  Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., S.C. Johnson & Son  and their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliate companies and advertising and promotion agencies and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, out of participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use or misuse of the prize.

9. Ownership/Use of Blog Posts: By submitting a blog post, each entrant agrees Sponsor shall own the blog post submitted (including all rights embodied therein) and that it and its designees (including S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.) may exploit, edit, modify, and distribute the blog post and all elements of such blog post, including, without limitation, the names and likenesses of any persons or locations mentioned therein (including the use of the blog post for promotional purposes in connection with this Sweepstakes and for the promotion of Windex® products, except where prohibited by law), in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity without compensation, permission or notification to entrant or any third party.

10. General Conditions: Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Sweepstakes, or any part of it for any reason, including if virus, bugs, worms, unauthorized intervention, or any fraud, technical failures or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  In the event of cancellation, Sponsor reserves the right to select the winner from among all remaining non-suspect entries received as of time as such cancellation. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or those of any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner and all associated entries will be void.  Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies (including attorneys’ fees) from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.  Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.  Twitter and Facebook are not affiliated in any way with the Sweepstakes.

11. Limitations of Liability: The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information in any Sweepstakes-related materials, whether caused by entrant, printing or typographical errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines, or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cable, or network/computer hardware or software, or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) technical, mechanical, network , electronic, computer, human or other errors which may occur, including any errors that may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the processing of entries or blog posts, the announcement of the winner or in any other Sweepstakes-related materials; or (5) late, lost, incomplete, misdirected, delayed, garbled, illegible, postage-due, undeliverable, damaged or stolen entries or blog posts or mail.  Released Parties are not responsible for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in, accessing or downloading information in connection with this Sweepstakes. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes.

12. Winner’s Name: Winner will be available after November 9, 2011 at MomAdvice.com. The winner’s name will be available until on or about January 1, 2012.

13. Sponsor: Amy Clark, MomAdvice.com,  Granger, Indiana 46530.


* This post is sponsored by Windex®, but my review and opinions are my own.

Happy Halloween from the Clark Family

October 31st, 2011

Happy Halloween to your family from ours!  I wanted to share with you a few of the pictures I took of the kids in their Halloween costumes. This year the requests were to be a Ninja and to be Rapunzel.

Last year’s fairy costume that we picked up from Cracker Barrel magically transformed into the perfect Rapunzel dress. After buying a terrible, terrible wig to go with it from the local costume shop, I found myself at the Disney store to pick up the authentic Rapunzel hair that she could play dress-up with all year long. She was so excited when she saw it and was willing to compromise on not having the official Rapunzel dress as long as she could wear a pink sleeved shirt underneath to make it look like the real Rapunzel.

The Ninja outfit I picked up at Walmart for  $12. Of course the only way I could get my son to agree to do pictures with his sister were in full Ninja attack mode.  After we were done with the photos, I couldn’t stop laughing and looking at them. I think my daughter has her mama’s flair for the dramatics. I wonder if I will be watching her on the stage like my parents watched me.

Not to be outdone by our children, my husband and I schemed and dreamed of costumes for months this year.  I don’t mean to gush, but it is moments like this when I look at my husband and think, “How did I get this lucky?” I have been with this man since he was fifteen. Our parents used to drop us off for our dates because neither of us could drive. We were high school sweethearts that really worked out, and I think I know everything a girl could know about him.  Then something like this comes up, and he surprises me.

In case you couldn’t tell from the pictures, we went as Marry Poppins and Bert from my favorite childhood movie.  We both wanted to make sure we got the look right.  The clothes we both already owned. The bow tie I am wearing was his  from our third prom together (I still had it in a box of mementos from our high school days). I tied grosgrain ribbon around my waist and grabbed the umbrella from my husband’s car. We found Ryan’s hat and gloves at Walmart and my hat from a local costume shop.  The broom was an inexpensive broom from Target that he took the stitching apart and spray painted with a $.98 can of spray paint from Walmart.  I got a sprig of daisies to weave into the hat and just took my giant purse that I use daily as my, “carpet bag.” We probably spent about $20 or so on the whole look, but had the best time making these outfits happen.

I did splurge and buy myself a tube of fancy red lipstick. I have always wanted to wear red lipstick, but never felt confident enough to do it.  I am hoping to wear this on a date night or two.  The color is Red Zin from Bare Escentuals and I am really liking it for a little something different.  Maybe this old girl can surprise her husband once in awhile too!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Have a safe and fun night with your family and friends this evening!

Hearty Beef Stew

October 31st, 2011

With the weather in cool weather swing in the Midwest, I have been adding a lot of hearty soups and stews to our menu plans. Beef stew is one of my favorite dishes to make because it is so richly satisfying with so many of the pantry and fridge staples that I already have on hand. I have tried many beef stew recipes and never found, “the one,” for our family…that is until now. In fact, this is the first pot of stew that I have ever even gotten my family to attempt eating, let alone beg for the leftovers the next day.

This stew is so rich and decadent,  because of the use of bacon in this stew. The bacon fat is what all of the vegetables get coated in for cooking and then the cooked bacon is set aside for crumbling on top of the stew once it comes out of the oven.  I filled the broth with red wine and beef broth, but the wine could be replaced with the beef broth if you don’t have that on hand. Either way, this soup is delicious and filling.

I know this dish might not be for the diet conscious, but it is for those nights when you want something comforting and satisfying on the weekend. I served these big bowls of stew up with bacon crumbles and fresh parsley. On each plate I nestled my easy Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins to round out the dinner.

I have discovered if those muffins are involved…

I can get my kids to try anything that might be put in front of them.

That is my secret to picky eating in my house.

Serve a muffin.

Recipe:

Hearty Beef Stew

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck

4 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped

2 Tbs. canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 yellow onion, chopped (I omitted because we don’t like onions)

3 carrots, cut into chunks

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch lengths

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

6 Tbs. all-purpose flour

4 cups beef stock or broth

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 1/4 lbs. red-skinned potatoes

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Cut the beef into 1 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon in the oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside. Pour the fat into a heatproof bowl. Return 2 Tbs. of the fat to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. In batches to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer the beef to a plate.

Add another 2 Tbs. of the fat to the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Gradually stir in the stock, and then stir in the tomato paste, the 1 Tbs. parsley and the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Return the beef to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Cut the unpeeled potatoes into 1-inch cubes, add them to the pot, stir, re-cover and continue cooking until both the meat and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes more. Season the stew with salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with parsley and the reserved bacon. Serves 6.

Variaton: Substitute 1 1/2 cups hearty red wine, such as Syrah or Zinfandel, for an equal amount of the beef stock. If you like, sauté 1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered, in 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes, and add them to the stew with the potatoes.


Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serving Size: 8

Recipe Source: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food


Amy’s Notebook 10.26.11

October 26th, 2011

These jack o’ lantern waffles are too cute (@ Random Thoughts of a Supermom)

These breakfast tacos look like a great way to start your day (@ Annie’s Eats)

I love this diamond tufted ottoman made from an old coffee table (@ Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss)

Is there anything more precious than this sweet Dear Daughter Diary? (@ How Does She?)

These oatmeal cookie pancakes look like a fun morning treat (@ Cheeky Kitchen)

I am in love with these ideas for DIY Halloween decorations (@ made)

How adorable are these DIY boot socks (@ Oops! I Craft My Pants)

This $4 t-shirt wreath would be a cute way to decorate for Halloween (@ tatertots & jello)

This pumpkin & apple cider cocktail sounds like a fun autumn drink (@ Serious Eats)

I need to make some of this DIY t-shirt yarn for some of my knitting projects (@ let birds fly)

I love these ideas for creating a budget-friendly craft space (@ older and wiser)

This cinnamon roll pumpkin vanilla sheet cake would be a fun treat to share with friends (@ Picky Palate)

This open pantry remodel is so inspiring (@ Small Notebook)

Watching Your Pumpkins Grow

October 25th, 2011

It was another fun day at the Pumpkin Patch this year. Some of us (ahem) may have had more fun than others. I finally have some photographic proof that sometimes I am a fun mom. Just sometimes.

Every year I take a picture of them doing the same pose at the same pumpkin patch so that I can see how big my little pumpkins are getting. Sometimes I forget how different they look from year to year. Seeing it all side by side… well, it makes me happy and makes my heart ache all at the same time. The differences are quite remarkable to me.

Try doing this at your pumpkin patch and see what results you find. Line them all up in a Picnik collage and marvel at how big your kids are getting. Those pumpkins grow so fast, don’t they?

All Knitted Up: GAP-Tastic Cowl

October 25th, 2011

gap-tastic_cowl_2

Last year was the year of the Ruffled Scarf for my scarf knitting. This year I wanted to try my hand at my first eternity scarf to keep me warm. I had asked for these super long circular needles last year for Christmas for my baby blankets and specifically to make an eternity scarf, but never got around to it with all of the other knitting projects on my needles.

I got the urge to crank this out after seeing this fun, free pattern on Ravelry. I happened to have two balls of chunky gray yarn in my growing stash of yarn (to which I must now sit upon to shut the tote in our basement, almost like a really scary yarn Jack-in-the-Box) and I thought I would put it to work.

I could not be more pleased with how this turned out, if I tried. It is the perfect accessory with your favorite fall coat and I spent less than $10 to create this Gap scarf knock-off.

Fall-Tastic Cowl

Pattern: GAP-Tastic Cowl (available as a free Ravelry download with your free Ravelry membership)

Needle Size: US  13 (40″ circulars work well for this project)

Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown USA in Dallas Gray (2 balls, purchased at Walmart)

Notes: This pattern is the perfect pattern to tackle while catching up on your favorite shows since it is a mindless seed stitch pattern.

I made my cowl 7” wide and cast on 111 stitches for this cowl. I had only a tiny bit of yarn leftover so I would think if you did the pattern as directed that you may need three skeins.

This cowl will loop three times when worn around my neck. Due to the bulk of the chunky yarn, I don’t think you need more than 7” width if you are planning to wear it snugly around your neck.

You definitely want the longest circulars you have for this one because of the amount of stitches and having enough space to knit this in the round. I used my 40” bamboo circulars, which worked perfectly for this type of yarn and project.

I am in love with this cowl and would highly recommend this cute pattern for a fun holiday gift or for a gift to yourself. I look forward to wearing this a lot this fall!

gap-tastic_cowl_3

gap-tastic_cowl_4

gap-tastic_cowl

Just to crack you up, it was a billion degrees out on the day that we took these pictures in front of my little house. The neighbors always seem amused by our family, but I had a feeling that they were really amused by this little photo shoot while they mowed their lawns in their shorts and tank tops.

It is hard to explain that a girl is working on her Fall/Winter calendar while it is still hot out.

cowl_comedy

Always one to draw attention away from myself,  we really started hamming it up for the neighbors. Under all of this fall loveliness was a sweaty mess.

Now that it is finally cooling down, I can’t wait to wear this fun and fashionable cowl all fall and winter long!

*******************

Disclosure: The links to the knitting supplies are affiliate links and are provided so you can locate what you need quickly and easily. Feel free to order your supplies elsewhere, but we always try to highlight the best deals when we see them.

What craft projects have you been working on? Feel free to share any links to what you are working on and be sure to friend me on Ravelry if you happen to be a knitter too! Access all of our craft fun on MomAdvice by visiting our Craft Section. Happy crafting, friends!

An Apron Full of Giveaways: Minute Maid OJ for a Year Closing

October 25th, 2011
Flapper Girl, $24

Welcome to our Apron Full of Giveaways! I hope everyone is having a great week this week! As we do each week,  here is our round-up of giveaways for our readers. We hope that this is beneficial to you and your family! Please let us know if you guys win anything- I love to hear the success stories!

Our  Minute Maid Pure Squeezed orange juice for an ENTIRE YEAR is ending on Thursday! Be sure to get those entries in so your family can enjoy free juice all year long!

Below are the contest links-if you are hosting a contest please link it up below. Sorry, we aren’t giving away the aprons just showcasing them! Please put your site name and then what type of contest you are hosting. For example, “MomAdvice (Kid’s Movies).”

Please let me know if you have any questions and good luck to each of you!

Weeknight Roast Turkey Sandwiches

October 24th, 2011

Few things say fall is here to me like the delicious flavor of roast turkey. While many think of roasting a turkey as only a routine done on Thanksgiving, I think of roasting a turkey as an easy weeknight dish that can be turned into delicious packed sandwiches for my kid’s lunchboxes and a lifesaver for busy weeknights when I don’t feel like cooking.

When I worked in Massachusetts, there was a tiny little shack of a restaurant that was situated just across the street from our complex where I worked. People would line up for miles and miles around this little hut and after eating one sandwich from there, I was able to see what the fuss was all about.

The owner would get up at 3 in the morning to begin the process of roasting turkeys for her customers. The turkeys were transformed into turkey sandwiches that were served smeared with a delicious cranberry spread.  The other turkeys were made into turkey salad sandwiches and delicious turkey-filled soups. It smelled like Thanksgiving every day there and, I can tell you, there is just nothing more distracting than a smell like that when you are trying to accomplish the day’s work.

This is my little replica of a roasted turkey sandwich that I have been missing since we moved away. We vary our toppings depending on what is in the fridge. These can be served with fresh veggies and cheese, served open-faced with a little gravy on top, or smeared with a little cranberry spread (should you be feeling festive).

The best part is that these are just as easy as roasting a chicken, especially since I love to buy the boneless turkeys at grocery local store (I buy the Kirkwood Boneless Turkey Breast at Aldi, $7.99 for 3 pounds).  To keep the turkey moist, I add a cup of chicken broth to cover it.

I guarantee that once you try this meat for your sandwiches, you will never want to go back to the processed deli meat.

And who doesn’t want to enjoy a little taste of Thanksgiving on an otherwise ordinary day?

Recipe:

Weeknight Roast Turkey Sandwiches

Ingredients

1- 3 pound boneless, white turkey breast (thawed)
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
Salt & Pepper
Poultry Seasoning
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Drizzle the skin of the turkey with olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning generously on the top of the turkey breast. Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth in the bottom of a roasting pan to keep the bird moist.  Roast the turkey at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Allow the bird to roast uncovered until the skin is crisp & golden. Cover with a foil tent after it has reached the desired color.

Allow the turkey to rest fifteen minutes after cooking before cutting.

Note: To store the meat, pour the other half of the can (one cup)  of chicken broth in a container to cover the turkey meat  and keep it moist.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serving Size: 8