Library Book Tote

Summer is finally here!  One thing that I want to do this summer is to keep my kids reading.  So, the on last day of school, I picked them up and we headed straight to the library.  They really love it there, so I think we’re off to a good start.  We plan on signing up for the summer reading program as soon as it starts.  After the first library trip, I knew that were definitely going to need a proper bag to tote all of these library books back and forth.




I used my Silhouette to put this together. Here’s what you need to make your own:


I got a large empty tote at Joann’s for $5 or so. I also used the black flocked heat transfer from Silhouette, some fabric scraps that I had on hand and the clean cut fabric interfacing.

I started by cutting the wording out of the heat transfer. The font I used was My Own Topher (you can download it for free here).

Next I ironed on the wording.



I liked it, but I knew it needed some more embellishing. So I grabbed some fabric scraps and cut some flowers out.



For the flowers, I used shape 3d_ruffle_flower_C02598_1. The leaves were taken from shape 3d_flower_C01680_20509.

The easiest way I found to get the flowers on was to use good old fashioned hot glue.



Now we’re all ready to spend lots of time at the library this summer!




P.S. Did you know that I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest?  I’d love to have you follow me there, too!

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Super Duper Easy Kid’s Birthday Present

It’s been busy ‘round these parts!  I swear my two busiest “Mom” months are December and May.  But, school’s finally out, which means no more talent shows, programs, field trips, or graduations.  It’s been really fun, but I think we’re all ready for the lazy days of summer!  I’ve got some fun projects coming up this week, but I must spend a little bit of time cleaning up my craft room/office today.  In the meantime, here’s a great birthday present idea. 

A few months ago, my older kids were invited to three different birthday parties in the same weekend.  I took them to the store to let them pick out a toy for the present.  With three parties, I was thinking no more than $10 – $12 on each gift.  Even that was a lot when I combined the three.  I felt so bad when I kept telling my kids “no” on the toys they picked.  “I know that toy is really cool and your friend would love it.  But, it’s $35 dollars.”  All of the toys in the $10 price range were small and cheap looking. We spent almost an hour in the toy section and walked away disappointed.

Then, it hit me and I came up with the perfect present.  We’ve done it for birthdays ever since. We headed over to the Wal-Mart $5 movie bin.  I let the kids pick out any movie they wanted for their friend. Then we built a little movie pack.

 

$5 for the movie

$2 for the popcorn bucket

$1 for the candy

$1 for the soda

TOTAL COST = $9 for the whole thing!

 

This would be a fun wedding gift as well, just add one more soda and one more box of candy. Plus, you can totally “healthify” this by swapping out the drink and snack with something healthier if you prefer.

Stromboli

Hey Everyone! I’m over at Cups by Kim today guest posting about one of my favorite dinners {and it uses my homemade bread recipe that I posted earlier this week!}

 

Here’s the link: http://cupsbykim.blogspot.com/2012/05/guest-blogger-six.html

 

I would love it if you came on over to say “HI”!

My {Favorite} Homemade Bread Recipe

If you are a carb hater…look away.  Or, if you love carbs, but white bread give you the chills…you have been warned.  But, I’m telling you, this bread is perfection.  You’ll be sorry you missed out!  It’s soft and chewy on the inside with just the right amount of crust (not overly crusty like some homemade bread can be).  It is delicious with a bowl of soup or made into a sandwich.  To be completely honest, I hardly ever make this yummy bread because when I do, I tend to each way too much.




There’s lot of steps in this tutorial, but don’t let that scare you.  Making homemade bread is really pretty easy. 

Here’s what you need to make a couple of loaves of your own:



To get started, put 3 cups of flour into your stand mixer. (If you have a bread machine…stay tuned. I’ll include directions at the bottom with the recipe!)



Then add 1 Tablespoon of yeast, 1 Tablespoon of Dough Enhancer, and 2 Tablespoons of Vital Wheat Gluten.  If you’ve ever wondered the secret to really tall homemade bread, add Dough Enhancer and Vital Wheat Gluten! I got mine from the regular grocery store in the baking section, but if you can’t find it there, I know you can order them both online.  I add it to every homemade bread recipe I find even when they aren’t included in the ingredients list.



After adding those three ingredients, mix them together with the dough hook.  Then, just leave that part alone for a minute.



Meanwhile, you need to get the liquids ready. In a saucepan, add 2 1/4 Cups of milk.



1 Tablespoon of butter (Salted or Unsalted…it really doesn’t matter),



2 Tablespoons of sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.



Stir in the salt and sugar until it’s pretty much dissolved.  You’ll want to check again after you’ve heated it up to make sure there isn’t any left on the bottom of the pan.
Take the saucepan over to the stove and heat the milk up. Watch it closely to make sure you don’t over heat the milk.  You want it just scalded. It’s scalded when the edges just start to bubble. If you have a candy thermometer, you don’t want it to go over 120 degrees.


See how there is a the edge of the pan has some frothy bubbles and the butter has just started to melt?  That’s how you scald milk. Remove it from the heat and let the butter melt.  If you’re in a hurry, just stir the butter in and it’ll melt faster.


When the butter is all melted, add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with the dough hook.



Stir it until the ingredients are all wet and then set the timer for 3 minutes and let it do it’s thing.  Make sure there are no flour pockets stuck on the side or the bottom.  I usually scrape the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon periodically.



When it’s done stirring, add 3 more cups of flour.



Then stir again. This time, set the timer for 5 minutes. It really works your stand mixer, so I usually mix it on the lowest setting.



As it stirs (or really kneads) the dough, the gluten starts to get activated. That’s what makes the bread so chewy. When it’s done mixing, transfer the dough to a bowl. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the dough and turn the dough several times in the bowl to coat the outside. This will help prevent the dough from drying out while it’s rising.




Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise. It usually takes about an hour.



It needs to rise until double in size. When mine is done, it fills the whole bowl completely.  Do you want to know a trick to getting your dough to rise faster?  Preheat your oven to the lowest setting.  Turn it off as soon as it’s preheated. Then, put your dough in the warm oven to rise.
This recipe is enough for 2 loaves, so when it’s completely risen, divide the dough in half. Then, roll out each half into a rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. =)



Roll up the dough jelly-roll style.



And put it in a greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. I almost always grease the inside of the plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t stick as it gets larger.



Let your dough rise again. You want it to get really tall like this:



It will rise more in the oven, but you want it to do most of the rising before baking. When it’s ready, bake at 350 degrees  for 30 minutes. That’s another thing I do with all bread, no matter the recipe. 350 for 30 minutes no matter what. Mine always turns out better that way.


See how nice and tall it turned out? Just like store-bought bread. But way better tasting!


If you can wait, let it cool off. Then you can enjoy a slice with homemade strawberry freezer jam.

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE RECIPE (INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE THIS IN YOUR BREAD MACHINE)



P.S. Did you know that I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest?  I’d love to have you follow me there, too!

Linking up at: 
Sunday: Cups by Kim, I {heart} Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming, It's Overflowing, Nifty Thrifty Things, My 1929 Charmer, Simply Klassic Home, Positively Splendid,   Monday: Sweet Ann Designs, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Skip to my Lou, The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife, Craft-O-Maniac, Brassy Apple, C.R.A.F.T., The Gunny Sack, Polly Want a Crafter, Lines Across my Face,  Keeping It Simple, Between Naps on the Porch, Be Colorful, Homemaker on a Dime, Sumos Sweet Stuff, DIY Showoff, Making the World Cuter,  The Delectable Home, DIY Home Sweet Home, Home Saavy A to Z, Mad in Crafts,  Ask Anna, The Girl Creative,  Cherished Bliss, Southern Hospitality, The Southern Institute,   Tuesday: The DIY Dreamer, Pincushion Creations, The Winthrop Chronicles, My Favorite Finds, Ladybug Blessings, A Diamond in the Stuff, Today's Creative Blog, Home Stories AtoZ, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Sassy Sites, Coastal Charm, Vintage Wanna Bee, The Thrifty Home, Not Just a Housewife, Homework, Uncommon,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy, Crafty Texas Girls, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Newlyweds on a Budget, How to Nest for Less, Mommy by Day Crafter by Night, Chef in Training, I'm Topsy Turvy,Creatively Living, Tales of a Trophy Wife,  Wednesday: Cheap Crafty Mama,  Handy Man Crafty Woman, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, DIY by Design, Southern Lovely, Oopsey Daisy, Domestically Speaking, Sew Much Ado, Let Birds Fly, Junk in their Trunk, White Lights on Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting ,Vintage Gwen, Lil Pink Pocket, Dragonfly Designs, Trendy Treehouse,   Thursday: Quality Cheap Home, Loving this Crazy Life, House of Hepworths, Grits and Giggles, Shabby Creek Cottage, A Creative Princess, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Bear Rabbit Bear, Live Laugh Rowe, Michelle's Tasty Creations,   Friday: Just Us Four, Create. Craft. Love, Two Sasters, Happy Hour Projects,Tatertots and Jello, Homemaker in Heels, Little Inspiration, Craftionary, Little Becky Homecky. Family Ever After, 
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How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening fascinates me. It seems like every year I learn just a tiny bit more about how to have a successful garden, and every year I realize just how little I really do know. But I love it and I always come back for more.

This year, I found a really awesome gardening tool online called Smart Gardener. It’s a totally free garden planning tool.  {And I’m just telling you this because I think it’s awesome, not because I have any affiliation with Smart Gardener.} I think the biggest thing I learned about our garden was the size!  I knew we had a big garden, but I had no idea that it was almost 700 square feet!  It’s no wonder I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the weeds.

Another thing Smart Gardener taught me is that certain plants aren’t compatible and won’t grow very well if planted near each other.  Luckily, I haven’t ever planted incompatible plants next to each other, but Smart Gardener planned our garden layout so we won’t accidentally do that.
This is my garden plan this year:



We have five 4x8 garden boxes in front and the back one is 16x32.  Our little strawberry patch is on the far right and above it in the large box is our seriously struggling raspberry patch.  I’ve often wondered about abandoning the raspberries all together. I think I’ll give it a couple more years and see if I can figure them out.  The strawberries and raspberries are permanently there, but everything else changes from year to year.  We have a tricky gardening situation here. Southeast Idaho is in Zone 4 (with a final frost date of somewhere around the beginning of June. I’ve seen it listed on some websites as late as June 17th. And I have personally seen it snow several times in the beginning of June). In addition, we typically have strong winds come through our valley.  This year has been more mild than normal, but some years we’ve seen regular winds in excess of 40 mph.  That makes transplanting starts next to impossible!

This year has been a gardener’s dream.  The weather has been so beautiful and perfect. I normally don’t even consider planting until at least the last week of May, but earlier this week, we got a little bit of a head start. I always have the kids help with planting the corn and beans.



I really tried to follow the Smart Gardener plan. I even got the measuring tape out to make sure everything was going in exactly the right place.



Our dirt is like clay here. It’s not that it won’t grow plants, but it’s tricky figuring out how to water everything. And our garden is so big, there is no way I can afford to get the amount of compost the dirt needs. But, I did get some chicken manure and steer compost to mix in. Not nearly enough, but at least something.

I transplanted the artichokes, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Everything else I sowed as seeds in the ground.  Smart Gardener kind of laughed at me, in it’s own internet programming kind of way, saying that our growing season is too short to start the seeds directly outdoors.  I’ve had some years of luck and some not so much, so we’ll see how it goes.

One way help our fragile tomato starts is by building a little green house for them. These are so economical and simple to make.


We hammer in 4-foot pieces of rebar into the ground.


I put 8 in total. Four on each side of the garden box.

Then, hoop a 12-foot piece of PVC over the rebar. It reminds me of a covered wagon of sorts.



To keep the plants protected, we add painters plastic.  This year, I bought a roll that was 3.5 mm thick. If you get it too thin, the plastic will break down. Then we drape the plastic over the PVC hoops.



We use 2x4s and screws to secure the plastic down to the sides of the garden box. But, that is to keep it in place when we have torrential winds coming through. I know some people who just use rocks to hold the plastic down and that seems to work if you have less wind.

With this protection, the beautiful plants on the inside have an easier time growing. I usually leave the greenhouses up as long as I can. Sometimes I don’t even take the plastic off until the end of July. Then again, we are in Zone 4.



I’m excited to finally get our garden started! Gardening is one of my favorite things and I love all of the fresh veggies at the end of the summer. Here’s to hoping for a summer of mild temps and less wind (and hopefully a successful garden!).

Do you garden? Got any gardening tips or advice?



P.S. Did you know that I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest?  I’d love to have you follow me there, too!


Linking up at: 
Sunday: Cups by Kim, I {heart} Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming, It's Overflowing, Nifty Thrifty Things, My 1929 Charmer, Simply Klassic Home, Positively Splendid,   Monday: Sweet Ann Designs, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Skip to my Lou, The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife, Craft-O-Maniac, Brassy Apple, C.R.A.F.T., The Gunny Sack, Polly Want a Crafter, Lines Across my Face,  Keeping It Simple, Between Naps on the Porch, Be Colorful, Homemaker on a Dime, Sumos Sweet Stuff, DIY Showoff, Making the World Cuter,  The Delectable Home, DIY Home Sweet Home, Home Saavy A to Z, Mad in Crafts,  Ask Anna, The Girl Creative,  Cherished Bliss, Southern Hospitality, The Southern Institute,   Tuesday: The DIY Dreamer, Pincushion Creations, The Winthrop Chronicles, My Favorite Finds, Ladybug Blessings, A Diamond in the Stuff, Today's Creative Blog, Home Stories AtoZ, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Sassy Sites, Coastal Charm, Vintage Wanna Bee, The Thrifty Home, Not Just a Housewife, Homework, Uncommon,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy, Crafty Texas Girls, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Newlyweds on a Budget, How to Nest for Less, Mommy by Day Crafter by Night, Chef in Training, I'm Topsy Turvy,Creatively Living, Tales of a Trophy Wife,  Wednesday: Cheap Crafty Mama,  Handy Man Crafty Woman, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, DIY by Design, Southern Lovely, Oopsey Daisy, Domestically Speaking, Sew Much Ado, Let Birds Fly, Junk in their Trunk, White Lights on Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting ,Vintage Gwen, Lil Pink Pocket, Dragonfly Designs, Trendy Treehouse,   Thursday: House of Hepworths, Grits and Giggles, Shabby Creek Cottage, A Creative Princess, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Bear Rabbit Bear,   Friday: Just Us Four, Create. Craft. Love, Two Sasters, Happy Hour Projects,Tatertots and Jello, Homemaker in Heels, Little Inspiration, Craftionary, Little Becky Homecky.
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Teacher Appreciation Melted Crayon Art

I know Teacher Appreciation was last week, but we like to give our teachers an end of the year present. I usually don’t even let my kids take the gift until the very last day of school. It’s been fun brainstorming a gift this year. There is so much inspiration everywhere! I love all of the melted crayon art that pops up all over Pinterest. We wanted to do something a little more personal, so we made personalized Melted Crayon Art.



To make this, you need  a flat 11x17 canvas (I got them at Michael’s for something like $9.00 for a 5 pack) and a box of 64 crayons  (I got both Crayola and Cra-Z-Art – I wanted to see the difference).

First, line up your crayons how you want them to be on the canvas. I was going for a rainbow color blocking look.


After they are all lined up, get your glue gun ready!


I tried to put enough hot glue on the canvas to glue down 6 or 7 at a time. Pretty easy!


I was surprised at the difference in color range between Cra-Z-Art and Crayola. I think overall they are both good crayons, but I didn’t realize the colors were so different.


After they are all glued on, you need to melt the crayon. I’ve heard that you can do this with a blow dryer.  I happen to own a heat gun which gets way hotter than a blow dryer, so I used that. I love my heat gun! I found it at Harbor Freight for around $10 and it’s been worth every penny. There are so many uses (melting the end of ribbon so it won’t fray, shrink wrapping, melting crayon).


The heat gun melts it so fast. It took my less than 10 minutes to melt all of the crayons. I love the pretty crayon pool at the bottom.


After the crayon cooled off and hardened, I added each of the teacher’s names in vinyl on top of the crayon.


The difference in the crayon brands went way beyond color. The Crayola melted a little bit slower and thickened up sooner resulting in a more uniform look. The Cra-Z-Art has a more runny look but the colors are more vibrant.  I really love them both!



These were so easy (and inexpensive) to make. I think both of my kid’s teachers will love them!



P.S. Did you know that I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest?  I’d love to have you follow me there, too!

Linking up at: 
Sunday: Cups by Kim, I {heart} Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming, It's Overflowing, Nifty Thrifty Things, My 1929 Charmer, Simply Klassic Home, Positively Splendid,   Monday: Sweet Ann Designs, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Skip to my Lou, The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife, Craft-O-Maniac, Brassy Apple, C.R.A.F.T., The Gunny Sack, Polly Want a Crafter, Lines Across my Face,  Keeping It Simple, Between Naps on the Porch, Be Colorful, Homemaker on a Dime, Sumos Sweet Stuff, DIY Showoff, Making the World Cuter,  The Delectable Home, DIY Home Sweet Home, Home Saavy A to Z, Mad in Crafts,  Ask Anna, The Girl Creative,  Cherished Bliss, Southern Hospitality, The Southern Institute,   Tuesday: The DIY Dreamer, Pincushion Creations, The Winthrop Chronicles, My Favorite Finds, Ladybug Blessings, A Diamond in the Stuff, Today's Creative Blog, Home Stories AtoZ, Tip Junkie, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Sassy Sites, Coastal Charm, Vintage Wanna Bee, The Thrifty Home, Not Just a Housewife, Homework, Uncommon,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy, Crafty Texas Girls, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Newlyweds on a Budget, How to Nest for Less, Mommy by Day Crafter by Night, Chef in Training, I'm Topsy Turvy,Creatively Living, Tales of a Trophy Wife,  Wednesday: Cheap Crafty Mama,  Handy Man Crafty Woman, Lil Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style, Someday Crafts, Creations by Kara, DIY by Design, Southern Lovely, Oopsey Daisy, Domestically Speaking, Sew Much Ado, Let Birds Fly, Junk in their Trunk, White Lights on Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting ,Vintage Gwen, Lil Pink Pocket, Dragonfly Designs, Trendy Treehouse,   Thursday: Quality Cheap Home, Loving this Crazy Life, House of Hepworths, Grits and Giggles, Shabby Creek Cottage, A Creative Princess, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Bear Rabbit Bear, Live Laugh Rowe, Michelle's Tasty Creations,   Friday: Just Us Four, Create. Craft. Love, Two Sasters, Happy Hour Projects,Tatertots and Jello, Homemaker in Heels, Little Inspiration, Craftionary, Little Becky Homecky. Family Ever After, 
What's Cooking Love,   Naptime Delights,