Simply Staci

Saturday Stumbles

2012-01-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Let's get right to it!

What teachers really want to tell parents
Could not agree more!

Tailg8 party
What a cute idea for birthday party if you're turning 8 years old!

This Is How We Met
A cute, new series starting February 1 where couples share their story of how they met. And if YOU want to be a part, check it out here.

Valentines Day Mantle
I love decorating and this is just classy and cute!

Come join us and link up below.

Saturday Stumbles

2012-01-20T22:00:00.001-05:00

We finally made it to the weekend! It's supposed to be a rainy one here but I'll take a rainy weekend over no weekend any day!!

18 Things I Did in Childhood My Kids Won't Experience
A fun list that'll really take you back!

Nerdy Baby
Science art and gifts for your baby or nerdy friends! Such cute stuff! The science teacher in me loves this!

Why The Grass Can Be Greener for Singles
A beautiful post from my friend Leigh addressing singleness.

Denim pocket organizer

photo source

I actually have 2 denim pockets that I've been dying to do something with. This may very well be it!

I'd love to see what you found stumble worthy this week! Check out the guidelines then link up below:

Saturday Stumbles

2012-01-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

Sorry I was a little late getting Saturday Stumbles up this weekend. I was up till midnight last night finishing up a cake for a friend's little girl's first birthday! Cute, right? A winter wonderland themed party!

Taming your doll's hair
For all you moms out there that battle the tangled mess of doll hair, this post is the answer to your question. Get your doll's hair in the same condition as it was before you took it out of the box!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
I made this last week and absolutely loved it!

Ways to build friendships
A great read on some practical ways to build new friendships or strengthen the ones you already have.

10 Things You Should Never Tell Your Kids
We probably all grew up hearing those phrases like "because I said so". This article makes you think about the words you speak to your kids. While I don't necessarily agree with every part of it, it just makes you think before you randomly say something.

50 Things to Write About When You Have Writer's Block
Love this list! Just what I need to get me out of my rut!

Now it's your turn! Link up below with what you stumbled this week!

Saturday Stumbles

2012-01-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2012! Thank you so much for your support over the past year. I appreciate you faithful stumblers :)

Content Theft on Pinterest
A very interesting article on the proper way to "pin" on Pinterest

5 Day Mini Menu
If you're into freezer cooking, then hopefully you've met Once a Month Mom! She is the freezer cooking guru. Now she's come up with a mini version of her once a month cooking. Perfect for a single gal, like me :)

10 Specific Comments to Give Your Children
Something every parent should read.

Your turn to link up to the first Saturday Stumbles of 2012! Link up below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-12-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year!

Christmas Card booklet
Finally something to do with all those cute Christmas cards!

Make your own garland
Reuse those old Christmas gift bags to make a festive garland.

New Years Eve activities for the kids
Fun and simple ideas to keep your kids occupied until the midnight countdown!

Stock up on Operation Christmas Child goodies
Now's the time to stock up on all those sales!

What do you have to link up with this last Saturday Stumbles of 2011?! Check out the guidelines then link up below:

Saturday Stumbles

2011-12-23T23:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season.

Here are a few last minute ideas to help make your Christmas weekend special:

Winter Snow Globe placecards

photo source

Last Minute Ways to Make Christmas Memories
Great and very simple ideas from my real life best friend, Oh Amanda!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake
I made this last year and got rave reviews about it! It's just deliciousness!

photo source

Christmas Book Bingo
What a fun thing to do while waiting to eat or waiting to open presents!

Link up below! Merry Christmas!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-12-16T22:00:00.003-05:00

How is it Christmas next weekend and my tree doesn't have one present underneath it??!! Yikes!!

Santa Cereal
What a great and simple treat for Christmas time.

Free Christmas printables
Such a cute and cheap way to decorate.

What makes someone leave a website?
Oh, I wish more would read this! Great tips!

She didn't know she would have a family
Wow. Just wow. I can't imagine the joy this young lady feels. Please take the 5 min. to watch this.

Ok, now it's your turn to share with us all the fun stuff you've stumbled. Link up below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-12-10T07:39:00.000-05:00

Let's get right to it!

The Christmas Conundrum
Wow! This one really makes you think about Christmas all together.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake
I made this last year...twice and I can't wait to make it for this year. Delish!

photo source

...and finally a shameless plug!
My Thirty One open house!
Need some Christmas gifts? Shop online at my 31 open house for some cute bags and totes! Anything ordered by Dec. 12 is guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas.

Link up below so we can all read what you found!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-12-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Good morning stumblers! How in the world did it become the first weekend of DECEMBER?! My oh my!

We are in the homestretch as far as Christmas shopping and gifts are concerned. Where are you? Are you finished with all your shopping? Somewhere in the middle? Or have you not even thought about it yet??

Homemade snow globes
This is one I'm gonna file away to do with my niece and nephew.

Scribble bows
Using your child's scribble scrabble as part of gift decoration. What a special touch!

Mercy House Kenya
My sisterchicks and I always exchange gifts based on a theme. This year we decided to do homemade and I love these homemade items made by the residents of the Mercy House, a maternity home for young pregnant girls in Kenya.

Black Friday prank

PLEASE tell me you've seen this video floating around on facebook. It'll make ya laugh out loud!

Now I want to hear from you! What did you stumble this week that you want to share with the rest of us! Check out the guidelines then link up below:

Saturday Stumbles

2011-11-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you had a wonderful time with your family. My Thanksgiving was very unique. I had been in Disney World with my family and we got home Wednesday night around midnight. We had actually planned on traveling back Thanksgiving day, but decided to head on home. My siblings did Thanksgiving with their in laws so we didn't really have anything planned. I literally stayed in my pj's all day and did nothing. Not. A. Thing.

Image via Wikipedia

Now, onto the stumbles...

Thanksgiving leftovers: English Cottage Pie
Need something to do with all the leftover turkey? This dish looks amazing!

Christian Pick Up Lines
Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious! I can appreciate these as a single, christian girl and although I would roll my eyes if anyone used these on me, I would be smiling inside!

Truth in the Tinsel.
I know I already linked to this last week, but I don't want you to miss out on this! It's a great (and easy) way to make the Christmas story come alive for your little ones.

Small Business Saturday
One of my dreams is to open up a cupcake shop. It will always stay a dream because unless I win the lottery it's really out of the realm of possibility, but to be honest, it's just too much work for me! But today is a day to support those that did scrape up the funds and have to work their tails off to support their dream.

Link up below!

Disclosure: Affiliate link used.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-11-18T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hey all! I'm excited to see what you all stumbled this week. We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving and and start of the Christmas season! I love it all...the busyness, the hectic schedule, the shopping...bring it on!

Grilled Cheese Rolls
These would go perfect with tomato soup which is one of my favorite meals.

Thanksgiving Day crafts
What a fun way to spend the day with little ones.

Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands
My Sisterchick and real life best friend Amanda is releasing her first ebook on Black Friday! If you've got little ones and want the Christmas story to come alive for them, THIS is the ebook for you.

photo source

I'd love to hear from you! Check out the guidelines then link up below.

Winner!

2011-11-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Kristen from Joyfully Thriving who won the Jessa Anderson CD!

You will really enjoy it!

Thanks to all who entered and go check out and see if Jessa is coming to your area!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-11-11T23:09:00.000-05:00

It's mid November...and I'm putting up my Christmas decorations!! Yep! It's a lot sooner than I would normally put them up, but I've got Thanksgiving plans and want to go ahead and get them up.

Part of my Thanksgiving plans involve a long road trip and I'll be looking for some books to pass the time. Here are few I've stumbled across this week!

Plan a Fabulous Party {without losing your mind}
My friend, Mary, just put out her first ebook! Party planning is something I LOVE, but it can definitely be overwhelming if you let it. Mary's got some great tips about to pull off those beautifully themed parties...without losing your mind!

Entangled
Although I've never met Amy in real life, I know we'd be friends. She has just launched her ebook Entangled. It's her story and triumph of an emotional affair she had with a co-worker. How brave is she!

The End of Molasses Classes
I'm always looking for ways to improve in the classroom and Ron Clark is definitely one to get some tips from.

Your turn! Link up below your stumbles from the week!

CD Giveaway!

2011-11-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

If you're driving near me on any given day, you will almost always find me belting out anything from Sandi Patty to Katy Perry.

You see, being a singer was always my dream. Albeit a distant dream...a dream nonetheless. But the fact that I'm a 6th grade science teacher tells you how well that dream turned out.

So I just live vicariously through all the singers that DID make it. And one of those is Jessa Anderson.

When I got Jessa's CD "Not Myself Anymore", I put it in and listened to the whole thing at once. She has an honestly raw sound not over powered by synthesized cords and notes. Mom to adorable toddler, Lorelei, and a full time singer/songwriter, Jessa knows a little something about a hectic life.

I got the chance to ask Jessa a few questions and I just know that we would be friends. Really, I just want to drink Starbucks and go shopping with her!

1. The one song I find myself humming around the house is "Everybody Has Those Days". I'm a single girl who's a teacher, so when I come home from one of "those days" I usually take a long bath and read a book. As a mom of a young one, I'm sure you have "those days" frequently. What do you to get through "those days"?

I definitely have enough of those days on my own, but having a curious toddler certainly increases my daily chances of having something go laughably off-course! I do my best to remember that the most important thing in life is the "life" part, not the things that get broken or messes that are made. Taking a moment to find perspective helps me pass by the frustrating moments and try to see the humor in them instead of letting them ruin my day (and me ruining everyone else's with my bad attitude).

2. How much was music/songwriting a part of your upbringing? Did you always know this is what you wanted to do?

My family is not very musical, however, it was obvious from a very young age that I was. I always gravitated toward music and drama and my parents supported that wholeheartedly and found opportunities for me to be involved. I always felt like music was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, whether that was professionally or in service to my church or somewhere in between!

3. What is the one thing you want people to walk away from your music knowing?

That Jesus Christ is at the core of love and that his love extends to all who believe in him. That the love of God covers our lowest moments and our finest ones, and although we won't have a pain-free life as a believer in Christ, our life is made complete in him. I aim to address and be honest about every facet of life and point people back to Christ as the ultimate answer in every scenario.

4. "Not Myself Anymore" seems to be a song out of the pages of my life! I hit repeat on it often! What encouragement/advice would you give to someone (ahem...me!) who's been through those relationships and waiting on the right one?

"Not Myself Anymore" is almost a cautionary tale. I got married at 19, but I still had plenty of time to get my heart broken before I met my husband. I want people to value themselves (we find so many reasons we are valuable in scripture!) enough to be careful with their hearts. That looks different for different people, but at the end of the day, you give some of yourself away with relationships and those are times you can't recover. With women especially, I see so many who are strong and amazing but feel like not being in a relationship or waiting for the right one lessens their worth, which breaks my heart! Ladies (and gents!), you are a wonderful creation of God just how you are and HE has a plan for your life that is more amazing than you can imagine, even if it differs from the plan you might have.

5. I imagine your life is pretty hectic! How do you balance your touring and performing with motherhood?

I am so, so grateful that it all comes together in a unique way. My husband Jordan, who is beyond amazing, handles our booking and management and coordinates our travel, which is a job in itself. He also writes and performs with me, so we really work and raise Lorelei side by side. Having my family with me motivates me to continue on in a career that can be challenging, because there's nothing we love more, and we realize how truly blessed we are to enjoy this lifestyle as a family! I have grown quite used to having Jordan and Lorelei with me 98% of the time, although every so often I leave the house for a few hours to shop or meet up with a girlfriend and spend a little time alone! Aside from taking time individually and as a family to fill ourselves with God's word and keep our priorities in line spiritually, I love to relax and recharge by having something chocolate and browsing blogs or Pinterest (I'm addicted!) after Lorelei goes to bed. It's a busy time, but as a family we feel like we are exactly where God is using us best and we see his provision in every facet. I believe that working toward the dreams God has put in my heart, rather than for my own gain or against them out of fear, is a huge part in keeping things balanced and seeing God provide.

[Now for a few fun, mindless questions:]

6. Where do you like to shop for clothes?

I am a serious bargain shopper, so I have the most fun checking out my favorite mall stores' sale racks and coming away with good deals. I love LOFT, Gap and J. Crew for pieces that are classic, but my favorite store is Anthropologie. The stores are so beautiful I always want to move in! I get super excited when I find a great deal at Anthropologie because it's a bit expensive.

7. If you had a whole day to yourself, what would you want to do?

I literally can not picture that happening, haha! I would probably get a drink from Starbucks and do some shopping, spend some time at the piano (I find writing easiest when I'm completely alone), then do a bunch of sewing and craft projects at the house that I just don't have time for on a usual day. If I could, I would also arrange for my girlfriends back home in Michigan to also have a day to themselves so we could get together without feeling like we're leaving our kids and husbands to fend for themselves! I treasure the time I get with them because it's pretty infrequent, but they keep me sane.

8. You've been given the chance to perform with anyone you want to. Who would it be?

I love NeedtoBreathe and I think their lead singer is phenomenal, and they are so musically creative! That would be a dream collaboration, although I would be so nervous. I am not easily star struck or intimidated, but they are so cool! This isn't a performance, but I'd love to sit down and pick Jon Foreman's brain about songwriting and convince him to co-write with me, haha. He is a rare talent.

So now I want YOU to experience Jessa's music! Her PR company provided me with a copy of her CD "Not Myself Anymore" to give away to you! What a great stocking stuffer this would be for your best friend, young teen, or just anyone who enjoys good music!

It's simple to enter. Just leave me a comment. Yep, that's it!

It's not an extra entry, but I know she would appreciate you liking her Facebook page.

I'll draw a winner on Monday, November 14.

I was provided with a copy of Jessa's CD to give away, but the opinions are all mine.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-11-05T07:53:00.000-04:00

Today will be slim in the stumbles department. School was crazy this week as we celebrated Red Ribbon Week (which I did win the door decorating contest!) and wrapped up celebrating MOYA (Month of the Young Adolescent). Last night and today, I'm working at the Creative Ministries Solutions Puppet Festival (that's a mouthful!) And finally, tomorrow I'm attending an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox party. I'm excited because I'll be filling 5 shoeboxes...one in honor of each of my nieces and nephews.

Whew...that made me tired just typing all that!!

But I am still gonna make time to see what YOU stumbled this week! So link up below!!

Day 31: Halloween cupcakes

2011-10-30T21:26:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's day 31 and I actually managed to blog ALL 31 days!! This was definitely trying at times and there were most certainly days where I wanted to just skip posting, but I managed to get past it and post something everyday.

This was something I needed to do. Not anything to do with blogging, but I needed this lesson in perseverance and willpower. I have really struggled with that lately and it has come across in my weight and in my relationship with the Lord.

[Wow...this just got heavy for a blog series about baking!]

Now I'm motivated to get into gear!!

Ok, now onto the baking! If you're in need of a last minute Halloween treat, these little cupcakes are easy peasy!

I used mini cupcakes, but you could also do full size cupcakes. I iced it with a round tip making a tall peak. If you don't have cake tips, you could also use a freezer bag. For the eyes, I used MINI-chocolate chips found in the baking section at your local grocery store.

You don't need Ghostbusters for these little guys! I'm sure they'll get gone in a hurry!

Thank you so much to those who followed me this month. I do NOT claim to be an excellent baker. I have just found a few tips that I want to share along with you. Thank you to The Nester for hosting the 31 Day Challenge.

Day 30: Crescent roll goodies

2011-10-29T20:39:00.000-04:00

I'm deviating a little from cake decorating today to share this simple treat that you could also use with any chocolate Halloween candy you'll get this weekend.

Unroll a crescent roll and put candy on the large end. Roll up, pinch dough together to seal in the candy and cook according to package.

Source: northerncottage.blogspot.com via Edie on Pinterest

Imagine the deliciousness of using cut up Reeces Peanut Butter cups?

Saturday Stumbles

2011-10-28T23:13:00.000-04:00

Are you all ready for Halloween weekend? I'm going apple picking with the family so that should be fun. Halloween seems to kick off the holiday season. I was in Target today and they've already got Christmas stuff out! I debated on getting a roll of Christmas wrapping paper, but I walked away.

Oven Fried Okra
I made this last week and it was delish! Such a healthier alternative to regular fried okra.

Monster Pudding Cups
An easy, last minute Halloween treat

Halloween Lunch ideas
A fun way to spice up your kid's lunch

Link up below with your stumble worthy goodies!

Day 29: Variation to Hi Hat cupcakes

2011-10-28T22:41:00.000-04:00

photo source

Hi hat cupcakes are something that I've always wanted to try, but they're a little intimidating to me because of melting the chocolate. Chocolate can be tricky and it just sort of scares me a bit!

So I decided to try something a little easier...candy coating. I've written about candy coating before to make chocolate toppers.

First melt the candy coating according to the package. I also dyed mine with food coloring. Next take your cupcake that's already been frosted. You'll want to make sure to use a pastry bag to give it a nice, high peak.

Then turn your cupcake upside down and dip into the candy coating.

Slowly lift it out. If you lift out too fast, this could happen:

Let set out to harden.

You could also decorate with sprinkles or other pieces of candy before it hardens.

Day 28: Disposable cupcake carrier

2011-10-27T21:26:00.000-04:00

The problem with cupcake carriers is they're bulky and hard to store. Another problem is that most of them only carry a dozen cupcakes. Who only takes a dozen cupcakes to a party?!

This little treasure is on my Christmas list this year. It holds 36 cupcakes...but talk about big & bulky!

When I came across this idea, I knew it was genius. A disposable cupcake carrier! Now, I can't take credit for this in any way, but I just have to share it with you:

Source: realsimple.com via Carleigh on Pinterest

All you do is cut X's in a gift box. It will hold about 8 cupcakes. Granted it won't hold as many as some of the other containers, but what a great fix that won't take up a lot of space in your pantry.

Day 27: Chocolate Dipped goodies

2011-10-26T21:09:00.000-04:00

This is for all you non-bakers out there and is a quick and simple treat.

Start with some snacks you probably already have in your pantry.

Then melt some candy coating according to the package and dip away.

Before it hardens you can embellish with sprinkles or other candies. Leave sitting out on wax or parchment paper.

These would be great gifts or teacher treats.

WINNER!

2011-10-26T18:10:00.000-04:00

Congratulations go out to...

JAZMIN WICKHAM from A Pretty Rock

She won because she tweeted the contest.

Thank you to all entered and I encourage you to go check out Mia's Pizza and Eats! This week they're featuring a loaded baked potato pizza!! YUM!

Day 26: Easy cake decorating ideas

2011-10-25T21:57:00.000-04:00

Excused the randomness of this post, but I just wanted to share with you some ideas I've used over the years that are simple enough anyone could duplicate.

Cake topper
This is one of my favorite things to use as a cake topper especially for wedding cakes. I like it because you can color it to match any color scheme and it can be a memento the couple can keep and use in their home. It's simply a wooden letter (about 4" or so high) that you can get at any craft shop. I just painted it and hot glued it to a dowel rod.

This was for my nephew's first birthday and the "1" could still be used as a memento.

Names on cake
I was really happy with the way this turned out. My family spent a weekend at the lake with 2 other families so I made a cake for us and I decorated it with all of our names. The names are written in cursive around the cake. Granted I don't have the neatest cake cursive writing, but I just love how you have to do a double-take to really see the names.

Chocolate mosaic
I used this for a friend's groom cake. It's chocolate that I broke into pieces and just stuck to the side with frosting. I also added chocolate shavings to the top.

What about you? Do you have any go-to cake decorating tips? I'd love to hear 'em!

Day 25: Rainbow/Tye Dye cake

2011-10-25T19:26:00.000-04:00

This is a fun trick that would work great for a tye-dye party, 60's-groovy party or even a rainbow or St. Patrick's Day party.

Divide your batter into as many different colors as you're going to use. I used 4.

Dye each container a different color using regular old food dye.

Then you just pour one container at a time into a prepared pan. There's no wrong way to do this!

Finally just bake according to the package.

It may look a little dull when it comes out of the oven, but this part will be covered in icing. The colors inside are beautiful! Here I cut off the domed top.

Can you imagine what a fun surprise it would be to cut into this cake?! Groovy, baby!

Day 24: Monochromatic

2011-10-23T22:37:00.000-04:00

Another easy go-to trick is to use a monochromatic color scheme. Here I used a cupcake so the liner, batter, icing, and embellishments (which are M&M's) are all the same color.

Here are some other examples I've found on Pinterest:

Source: None via Staci on Pinterest

Source: iammommy.typepad.com via Staci on Pinterest

Source: postcardsandpretties.blogspot.com via Staci on Pinterest

Source: theblushingbrides.blogspot.com via Staci on Pinterest

Day 23: Cupcake toppers

2011-10-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

This is one of my go-to decorating tricks. It's an easy way to really personalize your treats.

These were some I made for my cousin's wedding shower. I simply made the monograms on my computer, used a circle punch to get them perfectly rounded and then just hot glued toothpicks to the back.

I also used them for a birthday party.

I made the cupcakes, but not the toppers. These were made out of playing cards.

The nice thing about using a cupcake topper is that it doesn't really matter what your frosting looks like because the topper is the star. Yeah, you can buy the plastic-y type ones from the store, but making your own really adds a personal touch.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-10-21T22:49:00.000-04:00

This was a big week for me as I celebrated a birthday. We won't go into all the gory details of how old I turned but we'll just say it rhymes with mirty-jive.

With a busy week at work, birthday fun and being over half way finished with my baking series, I didn't stumble a whole lot this week, but here's a few things that caught my eye.

Junk You Can Toss
An article about what documents you can get away with shredding and which ones you should hang on to.

The MEAN Birthday Party
I'm all about a themed birthday and this one is super cute! (Psst...I just would've used a different song)

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
I hope it's as easy and good as it sounds!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies
What a fun treat for upcoming fall parties!

photo source

So what did you stumble this week? Please follow the guidelines then link up below.

Day 22: Large tip

2011-10-21T22:31:00.000-04:00

If you're somewhat into baking, then you've probably used, or at least heard of, pastry tips.

They are the metal part that goes in the end of the pastry bag that cause the icing to come out in different shapes according to the shape of the tip. Most of them are about 1 to 1 1/2 inches tall and most of them can do the trick.

But when I came across these bigger tips, it opened up a whole new world (cue Aladdin).

Here is what most homemade, frosted cupcakes look like:

The frosting is just spread on probably with a knife.

Some of you maybe get more ambitious and use a tip.

Better. But notice in both cases that the frosting is pretty much flat. The frosting is the best part...why not use more?!

Here's my trick. Use a large tip!

photo source

In this picture, it would be #171 or 190. The ones in the front are the standard size, regular tips, but the large ones are about 2-3 inches and allow for more frosting.

Now doesn't this look like one you'd buy in a bakery? And I promise that it doesn't take a whole lot of special baking skills to pull this off. Remember my post of pastry bags? Well, we've just added a tip to it. It's the same technique.

Don't let it scare you! Go for it!

Day 21: Piping gel (a real magic trick!)

2011-10-20T21:42:00.000-04:00

I learned this trick through a cake decorating class I took last year. For someone who can barely draw a stick person, this is THE answer!

I'll use the same cake from yesterday.

This is what I want to draw on top of the cake.

Ok, I realize this doesn't really go with the cake...in any way. In an attempt to find a flower of some sort, this is all I could find. You want to find a design that is simple and not too many details. Put a piece of parchment paper on top of your design. Then set up your piping gel.

Piping gel is a clear, thick goo like substance (like my technical terms?!) It is about $3- $4 at your local craft store. Tint it with food coloring the same color as your icing.

Put it in a pastry bag with a very small tip (number 1 or 2).

Use the pastry bag to trace your design on the parchment paper.

Next transfer the design onto your cake face down.

I used a small paintbrush to lightly apply pressure to make sure it stuck to the cake. Slowly peel the parchment paper off and then use your icing, trace the design made by the piping gel.

Umm...oops! Make sure you choose a design that, when flipped, is still the same orientation. I don't think Apple would approve of this!

But do you see the possibilities with this?!?! You can now add any design to a cake even with having no artistic ability!

Go out and buy some piping gel today!

Day 20: Swirl design

2011-10-19T21:45:00.000-04:00

One of my go-to cake designs is the swirl design. At least, that's what I call it. You don't have to be an excellent artist or cake decorator to do this and that's why I love it!

I'll be using the same cake I used yesterday. Start with making a blob. Like that for technical terms? There's no rhyme or reason...just a blob.

Then next to the first one, do another blob, and another, and another..

Finish off by piping (using a pastry bag with a tip) dots around the bottom. It really finishes off the cake.

Day 19: Smooth frosting

2011-10-19T06:29:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we did the crumb coating on our cake and then applied the final layer of frosting. Today, we're going to see how to get it smooth.

Here is our cake from yesterday:

Notice the little crumb...it's important.

There are a couple different ways to smooth out your frosting, but the one that I've found to work the best is parchment paper.

It must be parchment paper. Wax paper won't work. Rip of a piece about the height of your cake. Place it on the side and quickly rub your hand over almost as if you're rubbing the wrinkles out. The heat from your hand slightly "melts" the icing and smooths out the rough spots.

Here is the same spot on the cake as the first picture:

There's that little crumb! See...it is the same spot!

Another technique to smooth out the frosting is running your spatula under HOT water. Wipe draw and then lightly use it to smooth over the rough spots.

Spread lightly because you don't want to move the icing. You're just sort of flattening it out. Of course, with most of these cake techniques it will take a few trial and errors.

Happy smoothing!

Mia's Pizza and Eats

2011-10-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Pizza seems to be the universal food when you get a group of people together, but the problem is finding a pizza that's good quality, affordable and fresh.

Well, when Mandi from Cumming Local got a group of local bloggers together at Mia's Pizza and Eats, we certainly did not have that problem!!

photo source

Owners Mike and Clori treated us to a smorgasbord of their delicious homemade pizzas, salads, appetizers and desserts. What makes their pizzeria different from the rest is their commitment to using fresh and locally grown ingredients whenever possible.

Their dough is made fresh everyday. (They also have gluten free pies)
They don't use any precooked or frozen meats. All their meatballs, lasagna, chicken & beef is made from scratch.
Their salads are cut fresh...nothing from a bag!
Their bread loaves, bread crumbs and croutons are all homemade.

photo source

None of the other pizzerias can say that! And what was most impressive to me was listening to owner, Clori, talk about the passion she has for her restaurant. You can tell she wants only the best for her customers.

photo source

Mia's Pizza and Eats is also a great place for the family. They have a patio, video games, TV's to watch the big games, free Wi-Fi, Trivia on Wednesday nights and fundraising nights.

Join them during the month of October to celebrate National Pizza Month. This week, October 15-21 they are featuring Panzanella pizza and October 22-28 is Loaded Baked Potato pizza, which I can not wait to try! They're also having a pizza box art contest for kids and on Halloween, October 31, the first 40 kids under 12 who come dressed in costume and say "TRICK OR PIZZA" they'll get a free slice of cheese pizza!

Join them on Monday, October 24 for a Family Night Out event sponsored by Cumming Local. It's a free event but the first 40 families to register get a free swag bag with all kinds of goodies. Mia's Pizza and Eats will also be having a special discounted menu.

photo source

If you're not convinced now that Mia's Pizza and Eats is a restaurant you've got to put on your out to eat rotation, then maybe this will convince you. Clori gave me a $20 gift certificate to give to one of my readers!

There are several ways to enter. Just leave a comment for each:

Leave me a comment below telling me your favorite pizza toppings.
Follow Mia's Pizza and Eats on twitter
Tweet this contest: "I want to win $20 to @miaspizzaneats from @stacib"
Follow Cumming Local on twitter
Follow me on twitter

Contest ends Tuesday, October 25 and the winner will be notified by email so please make sure to leave an email address.

Be sure to find Mia's Pizza and Eats on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure policy: Mia's provided me with lots of delicious food (so much so that I almost had to be rolled out of the restaurant) and the $20 gift certificate to give away.

Day 18: Crumb coat

2011-10-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, there IS a right and wrong way to ice a cake. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not doing a crumb coat layer first. So, allow me...

The crumb coat is done to sort of seal in all the crumbs of your cake so they don't end up in your icing and show on the cake.

Step 1: Allow cake to cool completely. I typically bake my cakes and let them cool over night before I ever apply the first drop of icing. Right before I ice it, I put it in the fridge. This stiffens it up a bit making the crumbs a little less likely to break off in your cake.

Step 2: Apply a thin, almost see-through, layer of icing to your cake.

You will get some crumbs in your icing, but what's important here is to wipe your spatula off in a separate bowl from your icing cake. DON'T PUT YOUR CRUMBS BACK IN THE ICING BOWL. (thank you!)

Step 3: Put back in the fridge to let the icing set up. This means it will harden a bit and seal in the crumbs. I let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Now apply a thicker layer of icing. You want to try and cover up all the crumbs in your crumb coat layer. Put back in the fridge for another 10 minutes or so.

See the difference between this one and first one? No crumbies!

Tomorrow we're going to look at how to smooth out the icing.

Day 17: Cupcake sandwich

2011-10-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

We've already covered the cookie sandwich and now we're going to look at a cupcake sandwich. These would be cute as favors for a shower or party.

First, split your cupcake into two halves.

Then, put the bottom layer in a small container. I used the little Ziploc containers...like the little ones used for condiments. You could also use a clear plastic cup and then put some saran wrap on the top. Once the bottom layer is in, put your layer of frosting using a pastry bag and then place the top layer on top.

Finally, finish off with a cute ribbon or bow.

I know for a fact that these would make a great teacher gift, too! (hint, hint!)

Day 16: Using flowers

2011-10-15T22:35:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, one of my first ever real cakes I made (like, for someone else!) was a wedding cake! I can't figure out who was crazier, the girl who asked me knowing I had never done that before or ME for saying yes!

I still cringe when I see that cake because I see every little thing wrong with it. (Side note: the couple who this was for is no longer married...hmm...)

But I do like the flowers on the cake. Flowers are just pretty for any occasion, but can especially bring a charm and elegance to a cake. The problem is that you don't want to just stick flowers directly into a cake. It's not sanitary or healthy.

To get around that, I use flower spikes. I bought mine from my local Michael's, so I'm sure any craft store that carries cake decorating supplies would have them. If not, you can order them online.

photo source

They are tiny straws closed off on one end that you stick into the cake.

(please ignore the blue star...I've been reusing the same cake for most of my posts on this series, but this one has had all it can take. I'll be doing some baking this weekend!)

Next, you add a little bit of water into the spike to keep the flower fresh. I use a dropper to put the water in once I've got the spike in. Don't try to put the water in first, then the spike...a wet cake is no good.

Then you simply fill in with the flowers!

(You can't even see that blue star anymore, can you?!)

Granted this may take a little trial and error to get it to look the way you want. One tip, though, is to cut the stems of your flowers shorter than you need them because you don't want them to stick up too tall to where the flower spike is showing. And if your flower spike is taller than the cake (as is the case below) simply insert your spike at a slight angle so it will come to the same level as the icing.

What's great about using flowers is that you don't have to stress about doing an intricate design on the cake because the flowers will be the star of the show. Kind of like the lazy girl's way of cake decorating!!

Day 15: Ideas

2011-10-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

Today will be a combination of 31 Days and Saturday Stumbles...so welcome!

If I have to make a cake or cupcakes, one of the first things I do is scour the internet for images and ideas. Here are some of my favorites:

i am baker

My Cake School

And Everything Sweet

Bakerella

Cupcakes Take the Cake

Wilton

If you clicked through any of those you might be intimidated, but here's how you have to think about it: ya know how when you see a fashion runway show and the models come out wearing crazy stuff?

Well, cake and cupcake designs are the same way. For example, when I look at the model above I like the color combination of the green and red. I also like the ruffle texture...not necessarily on the whole entire outfit, but maybe as an accent. So when you look through these blogs, look for parts or colors that you could incorporate into your cake.

...and just for kicks, if you've not see Cake Wrecks, you're in for a real laugh! And you can read about how I met Jen, the author of the blog.

Read up on the guidelines and link up below!

Day 14: Travel tip

2011-10-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

Today's post will not exactly help you in the kitchen, but once you've made your lovely masterpiece, it will help you transport it to your grand event that will blow everyone away.

This is so simple but when I discovered this, it made my life so much easier and less stressful as I transported cupcakes, cakes and sometimes 3 to 4 tiered cakes. Being single, it's not like I've got a husband to drive me while I hold the cake nice and steady. Nope...I've got to set it on floorboard and pray for straight roads and light traffic.

This has changed that!

Cut out a piece of shelf liner like the kind pictured below. You can find it any where shelf liners are sold. It's kind of rubber-y. This doesn't have to be neat or measured.

Then, just place it on your floorboard and put your cake or cupcakes on top and you're now ready to take those curves at 80 miles per hour! Although I haven't tried it, I assume it would work for casserole type dishes too.

Day 13: Chocolate toppers

2011-10-12T22:13:00.000-04:00

Get ready to let your creative side come out! Nothing fancies up a cake or cupcake like chocolate flair.

Start off by melting some candy melts in the color and flavor of your choice. Melting directions are on the package.

Stir until there are no lumps. Spoon into a quart size freezer bag. I realize this is the most unappealing picture!

Snip off the very end of the bag.

Now's the fun part! Lay out some parchment or wax paper and start doodling!

Leave them sitting out until they harden. You could even stick them in the fridge to speed it up.

Once they've hardened, carefully lift off the design with a spatula.

And now, prepare to be amazed!

Remember cupcake wrappers?

I tried to copy something I saw somewhere using trees against a cake.

Eh...I don't know. Maybe if I spent a little more time on it.

This was so much fun! Just be careful because they are obviously very fragile. I broke a few along the way so I would suggest making extras of the design.

Day 12: Cake designs with cookie cutters

2011-10-11T21:00:00.001-04:00

If you're like me, then you can't draw. Really...I can barely draw a stick figure. So when I saw the cookie cutters sitting in my pantry and then saw all the sprinkles nearby, I put the two together and came up with this simple idea to use on top of a cake.

Place the cookie cutter on top of the cake.

Choose what color sprinkles you want and very carefully pour into the cookie cutter.

Be careful not to overfill. I try to fill in the middle and then use a small spoon (yes, it's a baby spoon) to pus it to the edges.

Then slowly lift off the cookie cutter. Perfection!

This might take a little practice. I've found that if you put too much sprinkles in, when you lift off the cookie cutter they spill over the side and can mess up your design.

Have fun experimenting!

Day 11: Simple cake toppers

2011-10-10T22:00:00.002-04:00

Just say thank you now.

When you see how cute and easy these cake toppers are, you're going to thank me.

The beauty of this is the simplicity of the cake. I used white icing and the spackling technique. The sticks are simply kabob sticks.

The red banner is simply scrapbook paper that I cut into diamond shapes,

then folded them in half,

and put a dab of glue on the inside while folding it over a piece of yarn.

This could easily be adapted for any holiday or color theme for a party or shower. The possibilities are endless!

The pom pom ball banner is just as easy. I just threaded pom pom balls on a piece of thread.

Day 10: Cookie sandwiches

2011-10-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today's little baking secret is sure to be a hit! Cookies and frosting...it doesn't get any better!

Simply bake a batch of your favorite cookies. No need to get all "homemade" here, just use break and bakes. Let them cool completely.

Choose 2 cookies about the same size and put a layer of frosting between them. In a pinch, the canned frosting works just as well as the homemade kind. Don't skimp, though, on the amount of frosting. When the cookies are sandwiched together you want it to stick out of the sides.

Next, pour some sprinkles out on a flat surface. I normally pour mine out on a piece of wax or parchment paper because then I can pour the leftovers back in the container. In the picture below, I put them on a plate because I didn't care about saving them...I was trying to use them up.

Then you just roll the edge of the cookie in the sprinkles. Be sure that all the frosting is covered with your sprinkles.

And the finished product is just as delicious as it looks! Such a great addition to any party!

Day 9: Pastry bag

2011-10-08T22:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a cheap way to make your cupcakes look professional...use a bag!

Of course you could go to a craft store and buy some, but you probably already have some in your pantry. FREEZER BAGS!

Freezer bags are stronger than regular ziploc bags. Put your icing in the bag and squeeze it down into a corner.

Snip off the corner.

Starting on the outside edge, squeeze the bag and work your way around the cupcake until you come to the middle.

Ta-dah!

You could add sprinkles or any other embellishment and people will think you bought them at the local bakery!

Day 8: Cupcake liners

2011-10-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we covered cupcake wrappers. If you're not into the cupcake wrapper craze, then let me show how to make your cupcakes look just as professional using liners.

I came across these a while ago online, but now they have started popping up in grocery stores and craft stores that sell baking supplies. These pictured are called Staybrite baking cups

They are cupcake liners, but they are lined. Here's what makes that so great:

regular cupcake liner

(notice how you can see the cupcake through the liner)

Staybrite baking cup

(notice....NO cupcake peeing through)

side by side

Doesn't that make all the difference??

Saturday Stumbles

2011-10-07T22:00:00.001-04:00

This week flew by! I just hope the weekend doesn't go by that fast. Here are a few things you need to check out:

Marshmallow Gun
Yep, you read that right. If you've got some PVC scraps and a bag of marshmallows, then this will keep any kid (or even adults) busy for hours!

Teacher & Homeschool Discounts
Who knew The Limited gives teacher discounts?? This site shares lots of places you can get teacher discounts.

Being Busy is not a Badge of Honor
The title says it all. What a great reminder for all of us.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
I just gained 5 pounds reading this recipe!

Now let's hear from you! Check out the guidelines then link up below with what you think we just have to read.

Check out the current series I'm writing 31 Days to Being a Better Baker!

Day 7: Cupcake wrappers

2011-10-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

Of course you've seen printed cupcake liners, but cupcake wrappers are all the rage now! They're very simple...they just wrap around your cupcake on top of your liner.

Below are some simple, cupcakes. They did not use any fancy tip or frosting technique, but look how much cuter they look simply by adding a cupcake wrapper.

When I couldn't find the western cupcake wrappers I needed, I just decided to make my own. If that idea scares you, DON'T let it!!

All I did was grab some random cupcake wrappers from the clearance section of Hobby Lobby and used them as a template. Then I found scrapbooking paper that matched my western theme and voila! After tracing them, cutting them out and using 1 small piece of tape to connect them, I was really happy with how they turned out!

Whatcha think?!

You can buy cupcake wrappers at any local craft store that sells cake & baking supplies, but remember you can make your own...and for probably cheaper!!

Happy baking!

Day 6: Airhead Fondant

2011-10-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love the look of a pristine cake covered in fondant?

Of course it's gorgeous! But that fondant is some hard stuff to work with! I've done a few cakes with it, but I try to avoid it if I can. Aside from being difficult to work with, it tastes awful! It tastes what I imagine play-doh would taste like. They say you can flavor it, but that just seems like too much trouble. I do, however, like to use it for extra touches on a cake like words, bows, or anything else I can easily sculpt.

And for those little touches, why not use Air Heads?

They taste much better than fondant and are about the same consistency. They're a little bit tougher to cut out with a cookie cutter because of their thicker consistency, but if you just nuke it in the microwave a few seconds, it softens it up.

This would not be ideal to cover a whole cake, but for little extras this would work great!

Day 5: Abstract Cupcake Characters

2011-10-04T22:37:00.000-04:00

One thing I am terrible at is drawing. I can barely draw a stick figure. This also applies to drawing with icing. I have a hard time writing and especially drawing pictures with icing.

But I know how to get around it.

I just use patterns and colors.

Don't understand what that means? Let me show you...

I had to do a party for my friend Amanda with a puppet theme. Of course some of the most famous puppets of all being Sesame Street! Well, there's no way I could draw Big Bird, Bert, Ernie and the rest of the gang. So I just used their colors and patterns on the cupcake.

Can you pick out the Sesame Street characters??

For Bert and Ernie, I used the stripes on their shirts, for Cookie Monster I used blue icing and placed a mini-cookie on top, for Elmo I used red icing and the spackling technique and then placed a jeallybean on top for his nose. Check out the whole post with more pictures and details.

More recently, I did another party for my BFF Amanda. This was a Toy Story 3 party. She wanted a combination of Woody/Buzz Lightyear. No way could I try Woody or Buzz, so I remembered what I did for the puppet party and did the same thing.

The top picture is the Woody cupcakes. I used the colors in this shirt by using yellow icing with red sprinkles on top. The boot is a chocolate candy I made by melting chocolate and pouring it into a boot mold I got from a local cake store. The wood looking wrappers around the cupcakes are just scrapbooking paper that I wrapped around. (don't worry...cupcake wrappers will be an upcoming post!)

The bottom picture is the Buzz cupcakes. Once again, I just used the colors from Buzz's costume and a silver cupcake liner to make it look more spacey. The helmet is actually a fillable Christmas ornament I got at Michael's. It splits into two pieces so I got 2 cupcakes out of one ornament. After I placed it on the cupcake, I just outlined the bottom in green and put 2 Skittles on the side.

So don't let characters scare you. Just google the character you're wanting to portray and look for outfit colors, accessories or other special features that you could accentuate instead of drawing the actual character.

Day 4: Cut out cupcakes

2011-10-03T22:15:00.000-04:00

I can take no credit for this idea, but you can bet I'll be using in the very near future. It's super cute, you don't have to be real neat or detailed and it can be varied for any holiday.

photo source

To get this simple but clever look, just slice off the top of a cupcake. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out a small design from the sliced off top. Put down a layer of icing on the cupcake then replace the sliced off top back on the cupcake over the icing. In the picture above, they also added more icing inside the heart after it was replaced by using a pastry bag (which is an upcoming post...don't fret) or a simple ziploc bag with a corner snipped off.

Simple.

Now, you've got a few options of what to do with the part you cut out. You could eat it! Or another simple idea is to just ice a cupcake the old fashioned way and put the cut out piece on top as a sort of garnish.

Day 3: Flavor your frosting

2011-10-02T21:27:00.000-04:00

So now that you've got the best buttercream icing down pat...you can flavor it and add a whole other level of deliciousness to it!

I was thrilled when I found this tip because it really changed up my usual vanilla cake/buttercream icing. All you have to do is make a batch of the buttercream icing. Next is to mix it with a can of filling. This is what I use:

photo source

I can easily find it at my local grocery store (Kroger, for those of you in the south!) It comes in all different flavors such as apricot, almond, cherry, strawberry, and prune (that is one I WON'T be trying!)

Once you've got your buttercream mixed up, just add the pastry filling.

photo source

I don't use the entire can. I find it makes it too runny. Start out by adding a few spoonfuls at a time, then mix. Taste it and add more if you'd like.

This is absolutely delicious and will impress people so much!

Day 2: Offset Spatula

2011-10-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

Once you've got your icing, you've got to have the right tool...and that, my friend, is the offset spatula.

photo source

It really is the key when icing your cake to get that smooth look. I actually have two of these 9 inch spatulas and one that is 11 inches that I use for larger cakes. It's much easier to get the icing out of the bowl with the spatula instead of a regular kitchen knife. You can also use the spatula to make patterns on a cake.

Here is a couple I did using what I call a spackling technique. (Sorry for the poor photo!) The best way I know how to describe this is to "slap" the spatula against an iced cake. This is great because you don't have to worry about trying to get it so smooth. Then just garnish with fruits or flowers.

I didn't do this cake, but this swirl technique is another easy one using the spatula. This one is actually make fish scales, but you get the idea.

photo source

I did not do this cake either. It was my cousin's wedding cake and I'm sorry I don't know the baker. I'm gonna call it the swipe technique (yes, very professional, I know). This is simple...just start at the bottom and swipe the spatula up going all around the cake. Just make sure to wipe the spatula off after each swipe.

You can get these types of spatulas from any craft store such as Michael's, JoAnn's, or Hobby Lobby.

31 Days to becoming a better Baker

2011-10-01T08:17:00.034-04:00

Day 31: Halloween Ghost Cupcakes
Day 30: Crescent roll goodies
Day 29: Variation to Hi Hat cupcakes
Day 28: Cupcake carrier
Day 27: Chocolate dipped goodies
Day 26: My favorite cake decorating ideas
Day 25: Rainbow or Tye Dye cake
Day 24: Monochromatic
Day 23: Cupcake toppers
Day 22: Large tip
Day 21: Piping gel (a real magic trick!)
Day 20: Swirl design
Day 19: Smooth frosting
Day 18: Crumb coat layer
Day 17: Cupcake sandwich
Day 16: Using flowers
Day 15: Cake links for ideas
Day 14: Traveling with cakes or cupcakes tip
Day 13: Chocolate toppers
Day 12: Cake designs using cookie cutters
Day 11: Simple cake toppers
Day 10: Cookie sandwiches
Day 9: Pastry bag
Day 8: Cupcake liners
Day 7: Cupcake wrappers
Day 6: Airhead fondant
Day 5: Abstract cupcake characters
Day 4: Cut out cupcakes
Day 3: Flavoring your icing
Day 2: Offset Spatula

I'm joining in The Nester's 31 Day Challenge to blog for 31 straight days about a topic. That thought terrifies me, but also excites me at the same time. I need something to break me out of my once a week posting.

After committing to blogging for 31 days, the next step was finding something to blog about. The problem is I'm not really good at one thing, but pretty good at a lot of things. I started by making mental lists to see if I could even come up with 31 posts about a topic and the one topic that I came up with the most posts was BAKING!

photo source

Ya see, I've been dabbling in baking for quite a while now and although I'm no expert, I do have a few tips and tricks that can make anyone look like a better baker than they really are!

So to start us off, the first thing you need is a good icing and I'm sorry to say that while the canned ones are cheap and easy, they just don't cut it.

I use the Wilton Buttercream icing recipe and have modified a bit because of a cake decorating class I took. Wilton is THE name in all things cake decorating. It's super simple and delish!

Although the Wilton recipe is delicious, I prefer this one because it doesn't have butter or milk in it so I can make a bigger batch and leave it sitting out (not refrigerate it). It's much easier to work with than icing that has been refrigerated because cold icing is stiff and hard to manipulate.

1/2 cup shortening
1 t clear vanilla extract (can be bought at a craft store, although vanilla extract will work too)
7-8 t water
1 lb (4 cups) of confectioners sugar

Cream shortening, vanilla extract and water together until well blended. Add confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time blending after each addition. Mix all ingredients together. At this point, you'll have to judge if you need to add a little bit more water or not. I find that I typically need to add a teaspoon or 2 more of water to make it more pliable and easier to decorate with.

Hope you enjoy!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-09-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's October 1!! How did we get here? I love October because of the promise of cool weather, pumpkins, fall colors, sweaters and boots.

Twelve days of Christmas
Oh I love this! Such a fun way to let someone know you're thinking about them.

Pumpkin Pie and Spiced & Sugared Nuts
These would make a great neighbor gift or a little something for the co-workers because you could make a lot of them.

It Is Real
Lauren took the words right out of my mouth! I know I get strange looks from people when I tell them I have "bloggy" friends that I've never met...but It.Is.Real.

On Friends
Do you have friends like this? I literally feel spoiled sometimes because of the great friends I have. They are the gems in my life.

So what did you find this week? Check out the guidelines then link up below.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-09-23T22:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the weekend! Hope you have something fun planned. I've got plans to see a very exciting soccer game on Saturday...my nephew! That's about the highlight of my weekend!

Are you ready for some stumbles?

Crockpot Potato Chowder
Fall weather brings about all sorts of good food and this is one I'm dying to try!

Color Scavenger Hunt and Nature Bracelet
I'm always looking for fun stuff to do with the kiddos and this is fun and educational.

10 Ways to Celebrate Worldwide Day of Play
Kids don't get outside and play enough. I think we can all agree on that. I love this list to help kids get outside and play!

Chicken Parmesan Skillet Pot Pie
Deliciousness in a skillet!

photo source

So what did you find this week? Link up below so we can all enjoy!

Top 10 Things Your Middle School Teachers Wants You to Know

2011-09-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

We are now a month into school and I'm already ready for Thanksgiving break. Is that bad??

Actually I have to say I really enjoy my kids this year. Some of them really make me laugh...like the one who told me he needed to go to the bathroom to do #2. Mind you I teach 6th graders. I'll have to remind of him of that in a couple years!

But while teaching itself can be exhausting, a lot of the time it's the parents who require more attention than the kids do. So I've compiled a list of things that your middle school teacher wants you to know.

1. Make your child responsible/accountable for their work
Middle school is the time to give your child some independence when it comes to their work. I hate to break it to you, but in the grand scheme of life, the grades your child makes in middle school won't make or break them. So it is a good time to give them some wings. Making a low grade (even an F) on a single assignment isn't the end of the world. Use it as a teaching tool and find out why they think they got the low grade. If the low grades become a pattern, then it's time for a conference.

2.Ask your child.
When I get an email from a parent asking about why their child got a certain grade, my first question is always "have you asked your child?" Remember #1 above? Yeah, well THIS is where that comes into play. I promise we don't roll a die to get a grade for your child. THEY should know why they got the grade they got. If you could get into the habit of asking them, then they will begin to see THEIR grades as THEIR responsibility.

3. Partner with us.
While we want your child to be accountable for their work, that doesn't mean you should take a hands off approach. Help us by reinforcing what we're doing in the classroom. For example, in my classes we're studying rocks. Do I expect my parents to be geologists? No way. But walk with your child out in the yard and let them talk to you about a rock they found. Ask them questions about it. The fact that they're talking about it is good for them.

4. You may have to help more than you're comfortable with.
If you have a special needs child or a child that needs more support than the average student, it may require more work on your part. I had a conference with a parent of a student who requires extra support. The parent basically told us that she only wanted to help with what was convenient for her. I really wanted to reach across the table and strangle them. I will help your child be successful in the classroom, but I need your help in doing so at home.

5. Email during the day.
If it's well after the school day, then I will not answer your email. If you need something immediately, email me during the school day or no later than an hour after the school day...because chances are I'm still there. But believe it or not I do have a life and responsibilities I have to get done once the school day is over.

6. Stock up
One of the easiest way to help your child be successful is to make sure they're stocked up with school supplies. I can tell you right now that one glue stick will not last the whole year. One of my favorite lines I hear is "Someone stole my scissors" [or insert any said school supply]. But the problem is that kids think once their stuff gets stolen (or more times than not, LOST) they think they don't have to replace it. I do not have enough supplies to stock up 105 students. Please make sure they plenty of what they need and replenish when it runs out.

7. Encourage us.
Everyone loves an "atta girl" or a pat on the back. Teachers are no exception. An email or a post-it note just to say "hey, my child loves your class or they talked about this fun thing they did in your class" would totally make my day. I actually have a folder in my Outlook that's just for those kind of emails. When I'm having an off day I go straight to that folder.

8. Label your child's stuff.
If you're going to spend $100 on a North Face jacket, then please put a name in it because it WILL get misplaced. If they lose stuff at home, they will certainly lose it at school too. Label jackets, pencil pouches, lunch boxes, binders, jump drives, etc.

9. Schedule smarter.
If possible, please, please, please, try and schedule appointments on teacher workdays or half days (if you have them). I know it's not possible sometimes, but the problem is that when kids miss a day or class in middle school they miss a lot. In elementary, they are used to making up a day's assignments by completing a worksheet. In middle school, though, there is so much they miss in class discussions or activities that just can't be duplicated. For example, tomorrow my kids are doing a simulation activity where they are acting out the rock cycle and all the processes that happen to a rock. There's no way a kid can make that up. They miss the discussion that will take place and I will have to depend on them to read about it to make it up. It just won't be the same.

10. Take notes.
I'm just putting it out there...Christmas break is only about 3 months away. Kids still give gifts to their teachers in middle school (and, yes, we like them!!). But when a kid can have up to 8 different teachers, it can be overwhelming. I've already written a couple posts on ideas you could be thinking about.

Please know that you the parent and I the teacher are on the same team. We both want what's best for your child!

Now I need to go finish grading some lab reports!

Linked to Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-09-16T22:03:00.001-04:00

Whew...I've been busy making cupcakes for a Toy Story birthday party. I'll have to get some pictures posted once they're set up at the party. They're pretty cute...if I do say so myself!

Moving on to the stumbles!

Witness to Apocalypse
Granted this is about a week late and I had every intention of posting it last week, but somehow it got by me. This is a collection of eyewitness accounts of the events of September 11. From people who were in the towers and got out in time to people who made one small decision that day out of their ordinary routine that altered their life forever. A very sobering read.

On a lighter note...
Cheese Stuffed Zucchini rolls

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Window Ornament Holder

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My parents moved out of our childhood home about 3 years now. Someone purchased the home and was going to move it off the lot. (Why anyone would want to buy a 31 year old house and transport it is beyond me) Before they did that, they let us see it and take some memorabilia. I got a couple of bricks, found some old birthday cards (from when I was TWO!) and a window. I have no idea what to really do with any of it but I know I like having a piece of the only home I've known. This, however, is something I'm thinking about doing with the window.

And one last recipe from my friend Jessie!

Parmesan and Herb Chicken Fingers

I've got chicken tenders I've been dying to do something with and this is the perfect dish!

I can't wait to see what you've stumbled! Read the guidelines and link away!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-09-09T22:00:00.001-04:00

Well, here we are! Another weekend! Time to share what you found stumble worthy this week.

Homemade ranch dressing
I just don't comprehend people who don't like ranch dressing. What's NOT to like? It's the sole reason I can down celery...well, IT and peanut butter!

Disney Bound
This is the coolest site that my friend Amanda showed me. This lady creates outfits based on Disney characters or movies. So cute!! Here are some of my favorites she created from one of my favorite Disney movies, The Little Mermaid:

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Freezable Foods

Who knew you could freeze cream cheese? Check out this list to find out what else you can freeze.

My stumbles were all over the place today. Just wanted to keep you on your toes! So check out the guidelines and link up below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-09-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope you get to enjoy a little time off and relax with friends and family. I'm celebrating my dad's birthday with the fam at the pool.

Pop-Tart Pops
Mini pop-tarts on a stick...doesn't get any better (or cuter) than this!

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Tin Foil Dinner
I've been looking for quick and easy dinners and this has so many possibilities.

Crockpot Sugared Pecans or Walnuts
I am definitely saving this for Christmas. What a simple and easy gift...packaged in a cute mason jar or box! I can see the cuteness now!

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
I'm thinking about making this for my dad's birthday. I could eat anything peanut butter!

Now it's your turn to link up! Share with us what you've stumbled this week. Read the guidelines and add your link below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-08-26T21:58:00.000-04:00

We're here at the weekend! Tonight was our middle school dance. Well, really it's more like a "run around the gym and chase my friends". No body really dances, so I'm glad to share some stumbles with you!

"The Kissing Hand" back to school tradition
Granted it's a little late for this, but you'll want to bookmark it for next year's school year.

Buffalo Chicken Nachos
I could eat nachos for the rest of my life, so this recipe doesn't disappoint!

All Single Ladies
I'm pretty sure that most of you that read my blog are married, but for the handful of you that are not, like me, this is a great reminder and encouragement. I don't know about you, but sometimes I just need to hear it from a stranger!

Now it's your turn to link up! Double check the guidelines and then share what you've stumbled this week!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-08-20T08:19:00.000-04:00

Whoa...Saturday has really snuck up on me. We are back in school and week one is done, but it has wiped me out!!

So unfortunately, I have no stumbles. However I can't wait to read what you have stumbled!

Forgive me...I'll be back to normal next week!
Link up below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-08-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it's here. It comes every year and every year, I secretly hope it can't find me, but it always does.

It's the end of summer. School starts back on Monday. And so begins another year of sixth grade science. While the beginning of the school year can be a lot of work it's also one of the neatest aspects of being a teacher...that you get a fresh start every 9 months.

But now on to the stumbles!

Hot chocolate bar
Yes, it's 500 degrees outside and hot chocolate is probably the last thing on your mind, but I will definitely be remembering this for later.

Summer tomatoes, Corn, Crab & Avocado Salad

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Now THIS is more appropriate for the weather we've been having. What a beautiful salad!

Desktop Diorama

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Such an inexpensive way to brighten up someone's desk.

Allright...time for you to link up what cool things you've found this week!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-08-06T08:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears that summer is officially over. I started back to work for pre-planning this week. The start of the school year is always exciting because it's always a chance to make a fresh start.

It's also a busy time. Unpacking and setting up a classroom can be overwhelming. On top of that, it's birthday time for my niece and nephew which means I've been busy the last few days making a cake. Oh not just any cake...a Rapunzel cake. I'll let ya know how it turns out!

Teacher Thank You gifts
This is something you'll want to bookmark for the end of the school year. Such a simple gift to get together. Definitely teacher approved!

Homemade peanut butter cups
There is no greater combination than chocolate and peanut butter. It truly is a match made in heaven!

DIY peppermint lip balm
I use chapstick more than I use lipstick so finding a recipe to make my own? I just might have to try it!

Join in the fun and link up below! Check the guidelines and then take a stroll around the other stumbles. Have fun!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-07-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

This time last week, I was chillin' at the beach. But now it's back to the real world. The summer just isn't complete without a trip to the beach!

Weekly baby photo
Not that I'm anywhere close to being able to do this, but I love the idea!

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Story in a Bag
This could be great for anywhere, but I like the idea of using it on a road trip.

Strawberry Champagne Sparkler Cupcakes
I want to throw a party JUST to be able to make these!

Overseas Care Package
There is nothing better than coming home to find a package waiting for you and I am loving this one using envelopes.

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Now it's your turn to share what you stumbled this week. Check out the guidelines and link up below.

Olive Juice Gives

2011-07-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

It's back to school time which usually means new clothes. I need you to go check out Olive Juice. [Go ahead. I'll still be here].

Does it impress you that their clothes have been highlighted on the Today show and in Parenting magazine?

Or maybe it impresses you that Sarah Jessica Parker's kids have been seen sporting their clothes?

But what impresses me is that they are doing something to help the almost 300 million around the world that don't have adequate clothing. You see, Olive Juice is partnering with Clothes4Souls.

With every item purchased on their new site “Olive Juice Gives” the company will give a piece of clothing to a child in need through Clothes4Souls.

What an easy way that we can help! Now, if you can afford to go to a third world country and hand deliver bags and bags of clothing to underprivileged kids, then send me a postcard! But if you can't, why not take advantage of this opportunity? Start shopping and changing the life of a child at the same time!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday.

Olive Juice provided me with an article of clothing if I would help spread the word about this opportunity. I am giving it to my niece for her upcoming birthday. Shhh...don't tell her!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-07-23T00:45:00.000-04:00

Whew! Saturday has snuck up on me! My stumbles are slim this week as I'm trying to cram as much fun and relaxation as I can into the last week and a half I have left of summer before school starts again.

Pizza Fondue

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This is one of the most delicious things I've eaten and so fun to do with a group of friends. Just have everyone bring a veggie to dip!

Laurel Wreath tutorial

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My bloggy friend, Jessica, is one of the most creative people I know. She has taken ordinary plastic spoons and made a wreath that could appear on the pages of Pottery Barn!

Link up your stumbles below so we can all read the great things that are out there!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-07-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

Well if there was any doubt it's summer, the temperatures have solidified that fact. The heat index is over 100 degrees down here. It is almost suffocating when you walk outside.

So onto the stumbles!

Coconut M&M Cookies

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Coconut is one of those things I could take or leave. I love the flavor of coconuts, but not necessarily the actual fruit...er...nut...what the heck is a cocunut? Anyways, THESE cookies look really good to me. One reason is the coconut M&M's. Have you tried them?? Coming from someone who's not a huge fan of coconut, they are really good!!

Homemade Goldfish Crackers
These are really, really good! I made some, although mine were sticks because I didn't have a goldfish cookie cutter. I used a lowercase L cookie cutter. Not quite as entertaining as a fish, but whatcha gonna do?!

Cute, simple packaging idea

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It really doesn't get easier than this, but the result is really cute!

What did you stumble this week? Link up below so we can share the linky love!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-07-08T22:00:00.001-04:00

Hope you all had a good week! Can't believe we're already into July!! So what did you find stumble worthy this week? I've got some good ones that I can't wait to share with you!

Camping Party

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This is pretty appropriate since I've been at Camp Rocks all week. I am just over the moon in love with everything about this party and I WILL do this one day :)

Homemade Microwave Popcorn
I love me some popcorn and this is so easy!

Coconut Drink cupcakes

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The cuteness is over the top in these little bites. They make me smile!

Paper bowls

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Such a simple and inexpensive craft that you could decorate for any holiday or party.

Now it's your turn! Link up below so we can all see the cool stuff you found this week!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-07-01T21:55:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July weekend! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with friends and family. If you're having a get together, here's a few things to make it stand out!

Patriotic Kabobs

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Flag Cake

If you're feeling really ambitious, this would be a showstopper!

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What a simple way to dress up your outdoor event!

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Strawberry Flags

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I hope you'll link up below! We all love to read what everyone has found this week. Have a great holiday!!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-06-24T22:00:00.001-04:00

My stumbles this week lean more towards the world of fashion. Oh, the world of fashion! A second home to me. I don't claim to have the greatest or tendiest fashion sense, but I sure do love playing around with it!

Nail art

Now this just looks like fun!

Feather extensions

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Feathers are all the rage right now and I think it's a fun accessory!

Necklace

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Such a cute and simple way to dress up jeans and a tee...my go to outfit!

Father's Day t-shirts
File this one away for next year, but the cuteness factor is off the charts.

So what did you find stumble worthy this week? Swing by the guidelines, then link up below so we can all enjoy!!

Social Media

2011-06-20T20:16:00.000-04:00

Thank you to BING Social Search for sponsoring my post about social media. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Raise your hand if you...

...get your news first from your twitter stream.
...are facebook friends with people in high school who you never talked to back then.
...log on "just to check email" and then realize you've been on Pinterest for 2 hours.

If you were able to raise your hand to one of those, then social media has had a huge impact on your life. While social media can, at times, be the biggest time vortex, it also has a way of making the world a smaller place and being just what you need it to be at the right time.

Two years ago, if you were to tell me that some of my closest friends would be online, I would probably laugh it off as being something for introverted people with severe social disorder issues.

But thanks to social media, it has brought me friends who have come to be near and dear to my heart. I realize that still may sound foreign to some people, and I used to be one of those people, but to that I would say "don't knock it till you tried it"!

While social media has, for the most part, been good for my soul, there have been some heartbreaks as a result of it to. I've had my fair share of online dating or reconnecting through Facebook. They usually start out great, but...well, I'm still single, so I guess that speaks for itself :)

So what about you? How has social media affected your life?

Winner

2011-06-19T22:43:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Leigh over at HopefuLeigh for winning the Sheila Walsh book "God's Shelter For Your Storm"!

Thank you to those that entered. It was heart breaking to read what's going on in your lives. I encourage you to pick up the book. It will be well worth it!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-06-17T22:25:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the weekend! I hope you've all had a great week. Looking forward to a great Father's Day weekend grilling out and spending time by the pool.

Let's get to stumbling!!

How to Fish Tail Braid
This is such an easy thing to do even though it looks very intimidating.

Pomegranate Iced Tea

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Iced tea is a staple down here in the south, but the twist of pomegranate just screams summer!

Zucchini Feta Cheese Chopped Salad

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These ingredients could easily be picked up at your local farmers market and be a light, easy lunch.

I can't wait to read what you found this week! Link up below!

God's Promises

2011-06-14T22:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever hit rock bottom in your life? Have you prayed for something or someone for so long but feel that God is just ignoring you? Is there a situation going on in your life right now that makes you question the very existence of God?

You're not alone.

This summer I am going to yet another wedding of yet another friend of mine. I am beyond excited for her because she truly has an amazing love story, but I will sit through that wedding with this thought in the back of my mind: "When's it my turn?"

God knows the one desire in life I have is to be a good wife. Not making tons of money, not to become famous, not even to have kids. Nope, I want to share my life with someone and serve with them in ministry. [And if kids DO come along, well don't think I haven't already picked names and nursery decor. Guess that's just the planner in me!]

But that is something I have been praying about for years now. Years. Lately I have come to a point where, honestly, I'm just tired of praying about it anymore. It's not that I don't believe in prayer at all. In fact for every prayer I prayed while dating someone that I wanted God to make him "the one", I know he saved me from heartache I'll never know.

It's more an exhausting feeling. You know, when you keep doing something over and over, eventually it just wears you down.

Now. That's the whiny part.

Am I a sad, mopey, whiny ball of mush that can't go on? Nope. Am I mad at God for not bringing me my husband the way I think he should come? No. Am I set on becoming a bitter old cat lady? No...if you know me at all, you know I think cats are of the devil!

Several weeks ago, I got an email from my friend Lori asking me if I wanted to read a book about God's promises and then tell you about it. It couldn't have come at a better time.

Here's the good part.

God's promises to me are the same regardless of my circumstances and in spite of how I feel. HE knows right where I am. He's not forgotten me. He loves me unending.

The book, God's Shelter For Your Storm, is so encouraging. Author Sheila Walsh points all of life's difficulties back to one of God's 3,000 promises. It's not just "feel good" writing, it's Bible based.

But don't just take my word for it. Hear from Sheila herself:

Through reading the book, I came across a very encouraging point.

God tells us that He'll give us peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

God tells us that He'll give us strength.

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

God tells us that He'll provide for us.

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35

Those, by themselves, are pretty encouraging, but let's re-read those again and here's what stuck out to me.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35

God doesn't give us sloppy seconds. He doesn't give us "Miss-America-World-Peace" or a watered down superhero strength or croutons for sustenance.

He gives us HIMSELF! HIS peace, HIS grace, HIS strength and He even offers His very self to sustain us! It really doesn't get more encouraging than that!

Do you need some encouragement? Is there someone who could use this book? I've been provided with a book to give away to one of you! Here's how:

-Leave me a comment saying why you want this book.

-Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did so.
-Like my fan page on Facebook and leave a comment saying you did so.

I will draw for a winner on Sunday night.

I was provided with the book to giveaway but the opinions are mine.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-06-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends! So excited for the weekend because I have NO plans! Well...maybe heading to to the pool. How's everyone summer going? It's been H-O-T here in the south. I think we're going on 13 straight days of temperatures over 90 degrees. I can only imagine what's in store for the rest of the summer.

Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies
Oh my word, this just screams GOODNESS!! (Please refrain from drooling on your keyboard!)

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DIY Cake Stand
These are great for cakes and cupcakes, but I also like how they use it for jewelry, too.

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Wallflowers
I know nothing about art, but this is something I would pay money for to hang on my wall!

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Rock Your Alphabet
This is all kinds of great!

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BBQ Chicken Polenta Cakes
I have to confess that I don't know much about polenta. Is it healthy? Is it easy to use? Is it like cornmeal? But for some reason, these just look so good to me!

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I'm excited to read what you've stumbled this week! If you're new here, be sure to check the guidelines then link up below!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-06-03T22:00:00.012-04:00

[So glad you found me! I'm having issues with my domain and am probably going to have to change it. Please help me spread the word so everyone else will know where to find us!]

Aren't things supposed to slow down when school gets out? Apparently I didn't get that memo. I'm finishing up a year long program at school to become certified to teach gifted students. It almost as intense as a masters program! Plus I have a training seminar for a summer camp I help direct, cupcakes for a bridal luncheon, and a church event where I'll be selling Thirty One products!

But enough of that...onto the stumbles!

Tile Coaster tutorial

Outdoor Color Match game

Outdoor Streamers

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No Mess Marble painting

Pom Pom Cupcake Topper tutorial

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Homemade whipped Cream

Tuna Melts

Check the guidelines if you're new here and then link up below so we can all read your stumble worthy posts!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-05-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Let the summer begin!! Friday was the last day of school...oh happy day :)

Now onto the stumbles.

Paperboard Mystery Message
What a fun message to receive in the mail!

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Marble Race
This will probably be making an appearance with my nieces and nephews sometime this summer!

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BLT Lettuce Wraps
I really need to just put myself on a diet of lettuce right now, but I'm thinking I like this lettuce recipe better :)

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Paper Quilled Earrings
These are made of paper! They are beautiful, but a little intimidating.

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Alright, let's hear it! What are your stumbles this week? If you're new, welcome! Check out the guidelines then link up below.

Pajamas for Kelly

2011-05-27T07:00:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, Kelly was your everyday mommy blogger: a frugal, vegetarian, natural and green living, PhD student, living in Mississippi with her husband and almost two-year-old son, Simon. When her vision started blurring, Kelly thought she needed some more sleep and less time at the library staring at a computer screen.

As her vision worsened, however, Kelly underwent medical tests and found out she has a rare type of brain tumor sitting on her optic nerve. She will travel to Johns Hopkins next week for consultation and surgery. In the best case scenario, Kelly will be in the hospital for five days and recovering nearby for two weeks. If the surgery is less successful, Kelly will lose her eyesight. She would need to stay in Baltimore at least a month to go to rehab and learn to live as a blind woman.

I have never met Kelly.

She is a friend of a close friend of mine.

But Kelly could be me.

She is 29 years old and has a toddler.

I can't even imagine what she is going through right now.

The Plan:

A group of us want to help Kelly have the most comfortable hospital stay and recovery possible. We're asking if you would consider donating just $3 by clicking on the "donate" button. The money will be used to fulfill Kelly's wish of having some wonderful, new, comfy pajamas for her time in Baltimore. We're hoping to have enough to throw in a gift card to Trader Joe's, so her husband can buy some prepared foods for their family that fit with their dietary preferences. Will you help by pitching in $3? We'll let you know on Monday how much has been raised!
Aside from the money we raise, there are several online businesses helping us out too. Moxie Mandie and Twiggie Makes are both donating portions of their proceeds to help Kelly.

Quick & Easy Teacher Gifts

2011-05-23T22:58:00.000-04:00

I'm just about to wrap up my 9th year of teaching middle school. That’s 9 rounds of Christmas & End of the Year gifts. Throughout that time, I’ve gotten some…um…interesting gifts!

These are merely some suggestions. Middle school presents a whole new set of circumstances. In elementary school kids have 1 or 2 teachers all day, but when they get to middle school they can have up to 8 different teachers! I know it’s overwhelming and can really add up…but it doesn’t have to!

Here’s a few tips to help you out:

* DON’T feel like you have to buy for every teacher. One option is to spend a little more money on those teachers you feel put a little extra effort into your child and something smaller for the rest of them.
* DON’T, for the love, give us a-noth-er mug!! (Oh, and filling it up with candy doesn’t make it any better!)
* DON’T give us a whole bag of candy or chocolate. Unless it’s a specific kind of candy or chocolate you KNOW your teacher loves, don’t assume we want to gorge ourselves on a bag of candy.
* DO consider a nice, handwritten letter. One of my favorite gifts I got at Christmas was from a parent who wrote me a note in a card about how much I helped her daughter ease into middle school and helped her self confidence in science. I treasure that validation as a teacher.
* For future years, DO study and take note of of your teacher … either at an open house, a parent-teacher conferences, or just volunteering in the class. If you’ve never seen her wear any kind of pendant or brooch, then don’t assume she’d love a cubic zirconium, purple bird pin. Does she wear bracelets? Bows or ribbons in her hair?

With the last week of school being this week, here are some quick and easy gift ideas:

1. GIFT CARDS
Honestly, you just can’t wrong with these. Ice cream card, gas card, grocery card, office supply card, iTunes, Target or Wal-Mart card. Honestly, any gift card you give will probably be spent on classroom anyways, so it’s an investment. My all time favorite gifts are Starbucks gift cards. Don’t feel bad for getting your teacher a $5 gift card. Chances are, someone else will too so they add up!

2. PAPER REAM
All teachers need paper. Why not spice it up and let your child pick out their favorite color.

3. KITCHEN GADGETS
Who doesn’t love kitchen gadgets? Why not put a bow on a nice grater with a note: Thanks for being a “grate” teacher.

4. EARRINGS
This one walks a fine line. If your child’s teacher is young and dresses fashionable, then a pair of earrings from Forever 21, Charlotte Ruse , or Charming Charlie would be a hit.

5. FLIP FLOPS
How cute would it be to dress up a $2 pair of flip flops from Old Navy with a bow tied at the top? I keep a pair of old, ragged flip flops under my desk for those days that I just can’t make it in my heels!

6. UMBRELLA
There’s nothing worse than walking out of the building after a long day, seeing the rain and realizing you’ve left your umbrella in the car! Between the carpool lane and the bus lane, we usually get stuck parking far away from the building, so on those rainy days it really stinks to forget your umbrella. A teacher would love to have a cute umbrella that she could keep in her room for such days.

7. HOMEMADE GOODIES ON A CUTE PLATE
You can get some really cute, cheap plates at Crate & Barrell or even Target.

8. MAGNETIC BOOKMARK
Don’t negate practicality. I got one of these one year and use it to keep my place in my teacher’s edition book.

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9. PENCIL VASE
I got one of these my first year teaching and still put it on my desk every year. Using colored pencils would be a cute variation, too.

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10. CLIPBOARD
Here's a great tutorial for making an ordinary (and cheap!) clipboard look worth much more than what you actually paid for it.

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I hope this helps and alleviates any stress or concern about those end of the year gifts. Honestly, we will appreciate anything you get us. I certainly didn’t go into teaching for the end of the year gifts! I love what I do and want to be the best teacher I can be. I won’t love your child any less if you get me a “World’s Best Teacher” mug filled with leftover Halloween candy…just don’t be surprised if you see it in a garage sale!

This post is linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-05-20T22:00:00.001-04:00

Here we are at another weekend! I've got my cousin's wedding to go on Saturday, so I'm excited about that! I'm making the groom's cake...red velvet.

My stumbles this week are all, once again, food. I'm thinking next week, I should stumble diets!!

Bloomin' Onion Bread - Think Outback's Boomin' Onion...only using bread. Yum!

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Strawberry Lemon Limeade - This just screams summer!

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Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wrap

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Cilantro Lime Black Bean Panini

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Are you hungry yet?

Link up below! New? Check the guidelines. Regular? Thanks. Browsing? Welcome :)

Saturday Stumbles

2011-05-13T22:42:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the weekend! I hope you came across some good things this week.

Fingerprint Jewelry

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What a great gift for a mom or grandmother.

Self Tailoring

It's amazing to me how clothes, even though they're the same size, can fit so differently. These are some great tips to fix those long pants or loose straps.

TRASHing the Birthday Party

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Now, I love me a good themed party, but I don't know if I'd have the guts to pull this one off, but I sure do love all the details that have gone into this.

Salted Chocolate Covered Fluffer Nutter Wafers

photo source

With a name like that, it's gotta be good, right?!

Fluffer Nutter cupcakes

photo source

I'm new to "fluffer nutter" and can't wait to try it!

Alright, let's see your stumbles! Check the guidelines if you're a newbie and if you're not...then welcome back! It's been kind of slow the last couple of weeks so let's spread the word and get all the stumbles we can!! Have a great weekend!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-05-06T23:04:00.001-04:00

My stumbling was pretty light this week because I was finishing up a major project for one of my classes that was due on Wednesday. Ugh! But now it's done!!! YAY!

I've just got a couple crafty posts for ya today.

Flip Flop back straps
Genius. Yet so incredibly simple. Too bad I don't sew.

photo source

6 ways to recycle an old t-shirt
I hate throwing old clothes out, but love the idea of reusing them for parts!

photo source

Alright stumblers, you know the drill. But just in case you ARE new around here, check out the guidelines then link up below.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-04-29T21:00:00.001-04:00

I hope you're hungry today because all of my stumbles are recipes!

Homemade Parmesan Potato Chips

photo source

Fiesta Lime Rice

photo source

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn & Blueberries

photo source

Tortellini Spinach Bake

photo source

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

photo source

Did you find stumble anything other than food?! I hope it's some exercise tips for my sake!! Just check out the guidelines then link away!!!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-04-22T22:00:00.001-04:00

I hope you enjoy a nice Easter weekend. Here are a few links to enjoy:

Alternative Easter Egg hunts
A few years ago I became the resident Easter egg hunt planner for my nieces and nephews. Knowing that they would get tons of candy, I wanted to do something where candy wasn't involved but just as fun!

Itty Bitty Cinnamon Roll bites
Oh the lovely deliciousness of these cuties are too much!

Photo source

Framed Necklace Organizer
A very vintagey cute way to organize my mess of necklaces.

So, it's a short list today, but what have you stumbled? Check out the guidelines, then link up below:

Saturday Stumbles

2011-04-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

It's a rainy Friday weekend and I just finished off a Billy Barou from Moe's. Perfect night, if ya ask me :)

And now I get to share with you all the fun stuff I stumbled this week...and read what you stumbled!

Showcasing kids' artwork
Much cuter alternatives to the ole fridge!

Creative wedding guests books
Amanda has come up with a list of some of the most clever things I've seen! These are so fun and a great way to commemorate your special day. If you know someone planning a wedding, you've GOT to show them this post.

Pillows out of placemats

Ok, this has got to be the easiest craft I've seen that looks the most expensive. Can you believe how expensive pillows are? I mean, really, I just can't bring myself to buy them because they're ridiculously expensive. But these look like ANYTHING I might buy in Target or Crate & Barrell...but so much cheaper!

Magnetic quilting
Ok, this one is interesting and one that I can see in my near future with my niece and nephew.

...and my token food stumble

Mock Frozen Yogurt

This looks delicious to me. My only question is where do you find Grade B maple syrup. Anyone know?

Now I want to read what you've stumbled! Read the guidelines then link up below! Have a great weekend!

Ultimate Blog Party WINNER!

2011-04-13T22:20:00.000-04:00

<---- "What! You too?" Is the part of the quote from this one.

The winner of the $100 Target gift card is Jacqui at Echoing Him.

Congratulations and thank you so much to all of you who participated!!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-04-08T22:00:00.001-04:00

The end of another week. I've been on spring break this week and it's been great not being on a schedule (in other words...being a bum!). The weather has finally warmed up and spring is here!

So my stumbles this week are celebrating spring in some way:

Spring cleaning
Real Simple is great at repurposing items and these are all storage items.

Spring Mason Jar
A lovely addition to any mantle.

photo source

A mossy vignette
I just love everything about this and the little bird's nest and eggs will be making an appearance on my mantle!

photo source

Easter countdown

You've probably seen this in christian bookstores, but here's how you can make your own Easter story using Easter eggs.

Alright, let's have it! What did you stumble this week that we've GOT to read? If you're new here, check out the guidelines and then link up below.

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-04-04T20:53:00.000-04:00

A few tried and true things I've used to occupy my niece and nephew.

1. Create their own drawing book
Get an ordinary spiral notebook and some foam stickers (can get at any craft store) to decorate the front cover.

2. Nature scavenger hunt
Write about 10 or so nature items (pinecones, rock, flower, clover, leaf, etc) on a piece of paper. I made a chart on Microsoft words and used pictures. We walked around the yard and crossed off the items we found. It was a hit!

3. Measure things
I pulled out a tape measure and showed my nephew (5 years old) how to use it making sure to line up the 0 with the end of the item, then we looked at what number it went to. He loved measuring all kinds of things.

4. Hide the Heart
On Valentines Day, I made these heart shaped bean bags with them. Then they hid them and I tried to find them and vice versa. This was a HUGE hit!

5. Bath
When all else fails, they love taking baths. A good way to burn about 20 minutes!

6. Photo session
Just taking pictures (maybe even having them dress up) is always a hit. I also use this at restaurants waiting on our food arrive. Or once I used it waiting outside a store for his mom to get finished.

7. Ball & slide
This is so simple but I was surprised at how much they loved it. We took an ordinary ball. Kind of like a mid size ball...bigger than a tennis ball, but not as big as a kickball (does that make any sense?!) Anyways, the goal was to roll it UP the slide and try to get it to stay at the top. The slide was similar to this one, so it wasn't as hard at it sounds.

Photo source

8. Baking cookies
I mean this one goes without saying. I just use the break and bake kind and let the kids put them on the baking sheet. They think they're "cooking"! Shhhh....don't tell them otherwise!

I haven't tried these two yet, but they are on the agenda for tomorrow while momma has a hair appointment!
9. Photo puzzle
I'm excited to do this with them!

10. Coke floats
A good ole fashioned coke with ice cream. I hope they like them!

For more Top Ten Tuesday, check out Oh Amanda

Saturday Stumbles

2011-04-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the week again, my Stumblers! What nuggets of goodness did you stumble this week? I have to be honest. I haven't done much. I'm swamped with life right now. One of my problems is that I'm a procrastinator, so when I have a major unit project due in a class I'm taking, hostess responsibilities for my cousin's wedding shower and an ever approaching deadline for some curriculum I'm writing, it makes for a pretty hectic week!

Teaching innovation and entrepreneurship
This is not something you would see everyday here on Simply Staci, but I was fascinated! The article is about teaching kids how to creatively solve problems, but what was captivating to me was the video almost toward the bottom. It's long. LONG. About 50 minutes, but I sat and watched the whole thing! It's amazing the creativity some people have.

Game Winning Homerun Turns Tragic
Another video, but this one will revive your hope in the human spirit. Especially about teenagers. This one brought me to tears. And it's only 5 minutes! Be prepared to be inspired!

Camping-Inspired birthday
I seem to be on a birthday kick, but this one was too precious to pass up!

Photo source

So now it's your turn to link up below what you found stumble worthy this week. Check out the guidelines and link away!

Psst! Want to win $100 giftcard Target giftcard?! Check out my Ultimate Blog Party post and contest!

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

2011-03-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

Welcome ya'll to the peach state. You've found your way down to Georgia. I'm a southern girl, born and raised. I love, love, love it down here.

This is my 3rd year partying at the Ultimate Blog Party and every year has been a blast!

I'm a single girl who loves her nieces and nephews, Starbucks white chocolate mocchas, shopping, Friends re-runs, getting packages in the mail, my friends, comments on blog posts, my family, flip flops, and the beach. By day I'm a middle school teacher and by night (or on the weekends!) I run a bloggy carnival, Saturday Stumbles, write curriculum for Core Essentials, a Thirty One gifts consultant, a contributing writer for Cumming Local, and I try to squeeze in time for friends and family.

As part of today's party, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite bloggy frirends, the Sisterchicks! There are 10 of us who each have a word photo included in their post. These words make up a sentence. We will each link you up to the chick who has the next word in the sentence—but keep in mind that I might not have the first word in the sentence!

Once you have the sentence, e-mail it to sisterchickies@gmail.com with “UBP11″ in the subject line. Each person with the correct sentence will be in a drawing to win a $100 Target gift card! The winner will be announced on all of our blogs on April 11 and the winner will be e-mailed. The winner has 48 hours to respond or we’ll pick someone else.

To find the next word, go check out my friend Jill of Diaper Diaries.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-03-25T21:47:00.001-04:00

It's been a beautiful week here in the south, but looks like our weekend is going to be wet. I brought papers home to grade. Did you ever play school growing up? If you didn't, then just let me fill you in that grading papers was the best part of it! Using that red pen and putting little stickers on the papers was every little girl's dream come true.

But let me tell you, now that I *get* to do it all the time... I HATE IT!!! If I could pay someone to grade all my papers, I would be in heaven! There's one week until spring break and the students AND I are so ready for it!

But in the mean time, here's what I stumbled this week:

Discipleship Starts At Home - A great post by my pastor's wife about how she trains her tween daughter to spend quiet time with the Lord. She celebrates her daughter's baptism as a "spiritual birthday". If you've got tweens, you've got to check it out!

Mary Poppins Themed birthday party - A friend of mine contacted me about helping her with her daughter's birthday party. She wanted to do Mary Poppins and shared this site with me. Such cute ideas and I think it's a perfect idea for a child's birthday party!

Photo source

Art Inspired party - Another birthday party idea for the budding artist. I just love all the details and how the theme is incorporated down to the food labels.

Photo source

Crafting with 2x4's - I love this craft and think it'd be perfect for a grandma with all her grandkids' names.

Photo source

Black Bean & Mango Chicken Salad - And because what's a Simply Staci post without a recipe! What a great, light lunch dish.

Photo source

And while you're at it, why not "like" Simply Staci on facebook.

Alright stumblers, let's hear it! What did you find stumble worthy this week? Check out the guidelines and then link up below.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-03-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

So here we meet again. Another week behind us and another weekend (and beautiful one here in GA!) upon us. What did you find stumble worthy this week?

I found some great birthday party ideas. I don't have little ones, but I love a good party...and a themed one at that!

Butterfly Vintage by with joy

photo by with joy

Through the Woods by From Passys to Parties

photo by From Passys to Parties

Fear Factor by The Nuthouse Five

photo by The Nuthouse Five

What is a parent's role in the education of their child? Ms. Paradise has some great advice!

...and just because it wouldn't seem right without posting a recipe, this Cookies & Cream Peanut Butter is just waiting for me to eat it up!!

So have at it! Check out the guidelines and link up below:

Life to the Fullest

2011-03-14T22:40:00.001-04:00

Who knew you could love so much about a plate? Well, you're getting ready to find out 10 reasons why I love this 16" Oval Platter from Dayspring

1. It's encouraging
   In the center of the platter, it has the verse "I have come that they might have Life, and have it to the full. JOHN 10:10 NIV". I have mine sitting out on my counter and it's a constant reminder that God wants my life to matter. He died so my life could be full!

2. It's a great conversation starter
   The next time you have to take an appetizer or dish to a get together, what a great way to encourage all the guests. They'll pick up your bacon wrapped jalepeno thingies and slowly unveil this amazing verse.

3. It matches my kitchen
   My kitchen opens up to my living room which is blue. It matches beautifully!

4. It's educational
   A plate? Really?! Yep...it features the word life in 15 languages! Some of those languages are Afrikaans, Italian, Croatian, Polish, and French.

5. It's dishwasher safe
   Frankly, that's the only way to go. If I can't put it in the dishwasher, then I don't need it!

6. It comes in another color
   It also comes in red if that's more your taste.

Photo from Dayspring

7. It has matching pieces
It comes from the Life to the Fullest collection. There are lots of other pieces that coordinate with it.

Photos by Dayspring

8. It's on SALE!!!
I mean, that should seal the deal right there!! It's regularly priced at $26.99, but during the month of March the whole "Life to the Fullest" collection is 30% off when you use the code LIFE30. That makes the platter only $18.89! What a great gift for someone...or for yourself!

9. It's a piece of art
If you didn't want to use it as a serving piece, it would look great hanging on a wall or propped up in book holder.

*****************GIVEAWAY******************

10. IT COULD BE FREE!

Dayspring has provided me with a $20 coupon code to offer to one of you! Leave me a comment about what living life to the fullest means to you. That's it! Of course, you could spend it on whatever you like :) I will draw the "lucky" winner on St. Patrick's Day!

This post is linked to Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday & Incourage Me

Disclosure: Dayspring provided me with the platter to review and the coupon code to give to a reader. Shipping charges do apply to order. All opinions are mine.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-03-11T22:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome Stumblers! I hope you had a great week full of lots of stumbles. It's been rainy and cold here in Georgia and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we are SO ready for spring!! (and I think some of my stumbles might reveal that!)

38 Kid Crafts and Boredom Busters from Tip Junkie

Sandwich idea from just imagine heaven
I'm always looking for variations to sandwiches because that's what I usually take to work.

Beverage Carrier gift tote from Positively Splendid
What a great (cheap) gift for a baby shower!

Photo by Positively Splendid

So now it's your turn! Check out the guidelines if you're new or link up below if you're a regular. Thanks for coming back week after week! I really enjoy reading all your finds!!

Saturday Stumbles

2011-03-05T08:06:00.000-05:00

I've had company come in this weekend from out of town and Saturday Stumbles has slipped my mind! But I still want to see what you've stumbled this week, so link up below! And if you're new, check the guidelines before you link up.

Hope your weekend is as much fun as mine has been!

My Family

2011-03-04T06:08:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed! I truly have the best family ever and I want to share them with you!

At the head of our family is my dad, Tom.

He is the epitome of a good dad. Everything you can think of that a good dad does, he is. Because my dad grew up with animals (he had a pet fox!), we always had animals around whether it be dogs, stray cats that used to climb the screen porch, hamsters, fish and horses. My dad loves jokes. At Christmas, us kids would usually get one big gift that we could all enjoy. He loved to wrap it or present it in a way that threw us all for a loop. One year we got a four wheeler. He wrapped up the helmet and told us it was for us to use on our trampoline. (Can you imagine kids jumping on trampolines with helmets?) We all knew that didn't make sense and we finally put it together and ran outside to see the four wheeler with a bow on it! On other occasions, I've gotten random messages on my phone. One time he called to let me know that the rapper Gucci Mane got arrested. (I've never even heard of Gucci Mane.)

Right beside dad is my mom, Cheryl.

Mom extraordiannaire. She was always an active part of our lives. I look back now that I'm an adult and can't believe all the events, practices, camps, games, festivals, shows, that she drove us to...and I never once heard her complain about it. And one thing I can say is that our house was always clean. Always. We were to make our beds every day. No exceptions. Even Christmas morning couldn't happen until our beds were made and our hair was brushed. She also taught me that to properly clean the kitchen counters, you had to bend down and get eye level with the crumbs. Then and only then could you really tell if you had gotten them all.

Second child born into the family (I was the first!) is my sister, Mandi.

We were your typical sisters who had our fair share of fights and arguments. I remember one time after a fight (don't really remember what it was about!) mom made us hug and apologize and then told us that one day we'd appreciate each other. There was lots of eye rollings going on, but oh how right she was. Mandi is my younger sister, but only in age. She got married first, graduated college first, and had the first grandchild. I look up to her so much. And, just like my mom said would happen, we are good friends now. Out of all my friends, she's the one I'd rather hang out with. One of my favorite things is when she gets laughing, she laughs so hard she squeaks and can't get a word out.

Rounding out us kids are my twin brothers, Matt and Clint.

I always thought it was fun being able to say "I have twin brothers". And it was fun growing up with them. We always had enough kids for games and could easily split into teams. At times they drove me crazy and in fact I believe it was Clint who drove me to say my first curse word. (Yes, I still vividly remember it) Matt is the prankster and always has us laughing at his latest venture. There was the time he tried to sell some old tires out in our front yard and just looped a chain through them and placed it around the fire hydrant in our yard. Mind you, the chain wasn't attached to anything...just laid over the hydrant. Or his most recent endeavor...raising goats. Yep, he's got about 15 goats. Clint, on the other hand, is infectious. His charm, smile and deep laugh are contagious to anyone he comes in contact with. He makes me laugh so much!

Those are the people that I grew up with. Our house was never dull. You could always count on an occasional flood in the basement, game of touch football in the yard, slamming of doors, smell of steak dinners on Saturday nights, hustle of trying to get all 6 of us out the door and on time to church, and a host of other things.

And I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Since then, our family has grown.

My sister's husband Pepper and their two kids, Megan and Evan.

My brother Matt, his wife Tera and their 3 kids, Blake, Brooke, and Bo.

Here's some extended family. My aunt Jean and cousins Raechel, Hannah and her fiancee Ryan. Also pictured is my brother Clint's girlfriend, Keri. (Psst...she will probably be more than his girlfriend!)

Then there's my grandparents, Mama-Lou and Ca-Ca. Yes, those are their legal names. No? Don't believe me? Ok, well, since I was the first grandchild, that's what came out and it has stuck for almost 35 years.

So that's where I come from.

My family.

and I love them!

This post is linked to Show Us Your Life.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-02-25T22:19:00.000-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Saturday Stumbles. Hopefully you have plans to relax and do something fun this weekend. I have exciting plans of baking 6 dozen cupcakes and grading 100 lab report papers. I know...it's really unfair that one person can have so much fun.

Here's what caught my eye this week:

Mysterious Strawberry Thread by Oh Amanda
It really baffles me that she has not written a book yet. She is a master of words and this post is just beautifully written...about some Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

photo by oh amanda

Oscar Party by Tip Junkie
Tip Junkie scores again with an Oscar party! Oh, how I would love to host this kind of party if for no other reason than those cute little hot dogs! And I don't really even care for hot dogs!!! But those are just too much!

photo by tip junkie

Veggie Rainbow Wraps by Healthy, Happy Life

I take my lunch to work everyday and am always looking for new, creative food ideas. This has my name all over it!!

photo by healthy, happy life

So now it's your turn! What did you find stumble worthy this week? Link up below.

Top Ten Tuesday - 31 products

2011-02-21T22:05:00.001-05:00

I've started a new business venture! Which, if you know me, is so weird because I am the complete opposite of a business woman.

I'm selling 31 products. THE cutest bags and organizational products and I wanted to share with you my ten favorite.

About Town Blanket $39

Great for picnics or for days at the ball field.

Key Fob $5

Large Utility Tote $30

This is great to leave in your trunk to put your groceries in to keep them from sliding around everywhere.

All in One Organizer $18

This has a TON of uses: holds files, diapers & wipes, cleaning supplies...and more!

Picnic Thermal Tote $28

This is one of their most popular items. It's a lined tote that could carry everything you need for a picnic.

Small thermal tote $12

A great little lined lunch tote.

Thermal tote $14

A lunch tote for grown ups! I've also heard of nursing moms that keep their bottles in it.

Organizing Tote $22

This is the one I use the most. I use it as my traveling file case. It holds all my 31 paperwork.

Wristlet Wallet $22

What a practical item! I carried this to the Blissdom conference a few weeks ago and was able to put my lipstick, camera, and phone in it. Love it!

XXL Tote $60

This tote is small enough to store a small child! (NOT that it was attempted) But it would be a great overnight bag!

See something you like? Leave me a comment and we'll get it for you!

For more TTT, visit Oh Amanda.
All photos taken from 31 Gifts Online. I am a consultant for 31 but all opinions are mine.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-02-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

Whew....I don't know about you but I'm beyond glad it's Friday! It's been a crazy week at work. But in spite of the madness I was able to stumble a few good posts.

Bake It In a Cake
This is the cutest thing! I tried it for Valentines Day but didn't have quite the same results. Just make sure you pay attention to the direction you put it in the cupcake and remember what that direction is once you pull it out of the oven. I didn't and instead of a heart, it was a line. Fail.

Photo by Bake It In a Cake

Glass Tile Pendant designs
What a cute and simply gift to make?! So versatile that the possibilities would be endless!

Photo by Mandy from Sugar Bee

Peanut Butter S'mores

It really doesn't get any better. There are no words that could do this justice.

Photo by Recipe Girl

Now it's your turn! Link up below with what you stumbled this week. For all the rules, read here.

Saturday Stumbles

2011-02-11T20:53:00.002-05:00

There's nothing more than I love than a good, lazy Saturday! And that's just what had on tap...until I started reading Kelly's Show Us Your Life about beauty tips. Now I have to run out to Ulta to try some of the tips and tricks below!

Here are some of my favorite:

Eye Brightener

Photo from Mommy 911

This is supposed to brighten your eyes. I've seen several bloggers recommend these and am dying to try!

Baking Soda...huh?
Yep, that's what I thought. But Mandy from Mommy Musings recommends using it every once in a while as a teeth whitener. Genius. And so much cheaper than those whitening strips!

Flat Iron Curls
Curling your hair with a straightener? I love how you can use ONE tool for different purposes. Granted I'm sure this would take some practice, but I think my long hair would love for me to try something new with it other than just straightening it!

...and because what girl couldn't use another super cute bag?

The jealously cute Gussy is giving away two $50 gift cards!
This is what I want:

Photo from Gussy

So let the sharing begin! For all the details, read here. Otherwise, link up below!!