Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!


Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! I thought I'd share some facts and some jokes with you. Some of these jokes are really bad, but they will bring a smile to your face!

1. A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says,"I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this,"

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

2. What did the mama turkey say to her naughty son?
If your papa could see you now, he'd turn over in his gravy!

3. The pro football team had just finished their daily practice session when a large turkey came strutting onto the field. While the players gazed in amazement, the turkey walked up to the head coach and demanded a tryout. Everyone stared in silence as the turkey caught pass after pass and ran right through the defensive line. When the turkey returned to the sidelines, the coach shouted, "You're terrific!!! Sign up for the season, and I'll see to it that you get a huge bonus." "Forget the bonus," the turkey said, "All I want to know is, does the season go past Thanksgiving Day?"

4. What key has legs and can't open doors?
A TurKEY.

5.If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims!

6. Why did the turkey cross the road?
It was the chicken's day off.

7. Why can't you take a turkey to church?
Because they use such FOWL language

8. What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?
Plymouth Rock

9. Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
The outside

10. Why did the police arrest the turkey?
They suspected it of fowl play

11. What did the turkey say before it was roasted?
Boy! I'm stuffed!

12. Where did the first corn come from?
The stalk brought it

13. How did the Mayflower show that it liked America?
It hugged the shore


Fun Facts:

1. Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining.

2. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.

3. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held.

4. President Franklin D. Roosevelt restored Thursday before last of November as Thanksgiving Day in the year 1939. He did so to make the Christmas shopping season longer and thus stimulate the economy of the state.

5. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. But it was Thomas Jefferson who opposed him. It is believed that Franklin then named the male turkey as 'tom' to spite Jefferson.

6. Three towns in the U.S. take their name from the traditional Thanksgiving bird, including Turkey, Texas (pop. 465); Turkey Creek, Louisiana (pop. 363); and Turkey, North Carolina (pop. 270).

7. Americans eat 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving.

8. Only male (tom) turkeys gobble. Females make a clicking noise. The famous gobble is actually a seasonal mating call.

9. The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds.

10. The average age of the Mayflower passenger was 32. The oldest Mayflower passenger was 64.

11. The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day.

12. Each year, Butterball L.L.C. puts on Butterball University -- this year, five days of training for newcomers to the hot line that answers 12,000 calls on Thanksgiving Day alone.

Dozens of 3-inch-thick blue binders await trainees, all of whom are armed with degrees in nutrition, food science, or home economics. The binders are so stuffed with turkey information they weighed nearly as much as the bird itself.

Through the nearly three decades the Turkey-Talk Line has been around, thousands of people have called in frantic moments to ask its experts everything. These binders anticipate it all: cooking temperatures, thawing techniques, cooking times, meat thermometers, carving knives, turkey sizes, presentation tips, food safety concerns and the eternal question of how much stuffing is too much. Fifty-five operators are on hand as the hot line receives 100,000 calls.

Have a great one!! And, try not to eat too much!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Handmade Holidays #2

This is the second installment of Handmade Holidays, helping those of you that aren't able to make gifts from Christmas but still want handmade items.

This week's focus is on the hard to buy for male.

No more boring, plain tasting steaks with this Ultimate Steak Blend created by Kitchen Stories. This blend even comes with a recipe for the perfect steak! Yum!



Looking for a special, one-of-a-kind gift? Check out this custom made Necktie Wallet by Prix Prix. Send her your special, sentimental, or just plain awesome necktie and she will make a custom wallet for you! Makes an unique gift.



What male doesn't love chicken wings? No more "store bought" flavored sauce when you get this Wing Sauce by Game Day Eats. This is a sauce perfected over a 9 year period, finally achieving Wing Sauce Greatness!



No more boring ties if you get this Tie Tack created by Cuff Links. These make a great gift for any Star Wars fanatic! And, don't forget to get the matching cuff links!



Can you get more manly than this commando soap made by Swan Mountain Soaps? Perfect for the tough guy (with the soft heart) on your list ... this soap will battle dirt and dry skin while assaulting your senses with the awesomely superior Commando fragrance oil.



If you're looking for a super and practical gift, try a shaving gift set made by Shop Red Leaf.The Coconut oil formulation in the soap gives a clean shave and leaves even the most sensitive skin soft and smooth!



Got a grandpa wanting to show the world he's a grandpa? What a better way to let everyone know than this grandpa shirt from Branded. Don't worry mom and dad, they also have shirts for you too!



A BIG THANKS to the following ETSY shops for allowing me to post their items:-
Kitchen Stories
Prix Prix
Game Day Eats
Cuff Links
Swan Mountain Soaps
Shop Red Leaf
Branded

(I have no affiliations with these sellers)

Monday, November 16, 2009

Fabric Letters

I made these so cute letters for Jaiden for Christmas. I got the idea from
Oh So Happy Together. I did a few things differently, I used the same fabric on the front and back and I also used DLTK Crafts for my letter templates. Another thing I did different, I didn't make all of the letters of the alphabet because Jaiden already knows her ABC's. I am in the process of teaching her to read using word groups (cat, hat, mat, etc..), so I left out letters like Z and Q and I doubled letters like E, O, and L. I thought these letters would be more fun learning how to read instead of using flash cards.


Friday, November 13, 2009

Gift Embellishments

I'm really not sure what I am going to do with these yet! I got the Santa and polar bears off of a 12 pack of Coke. I thought they were too cute and something could be made from them. I thought maybe I could punch a hole in the top and hang them off of gift bags or use as a name tag on a gift.

On the Santa, I used Mod Podge on the beard and hat then I sprinkled it with white glitter. (Click on picture to make it larger)


For the bears, I did the same thing, only I glittered the small bear.


Anyone have any ideas??

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Handmade Holidays #1


I thought in addition to doing Homemade Holidays, I would also do a series of posts called Handmade Holidays. I thought this would be nice for all of you that are not able to make gifts for the holidays but still want the gifts to be handmade. So, every Thursday, I will be featuring at least 5 different handmade items that you can purchase for gifts.

This week's theme is handmade gifts for baby and the new mom.


First is this adorable personalized baby set by Sweet Stitches Shop This set comes with a Lovie Blanket, Bib and Burp Cloth; all color coordinated to match!



Next is this very handy diaper and wipe case to carry instead of a big diaper bag by Boogaboo Babies. In addition to their handmade items, they also sell their own original sewing patterns on Etsy and on their website www.boogaboobabies.com. Boogaboo Babies also has a blog: http://blog.boogaboobabies.com.



Be sure to check out these festive diaper covers by Rethink Crafts. These covers have a waterproof layer of PUL (polyurethane laminate) to minimize leaking with extra strong Velcro to keep the diaper secure.



Next up is a soft and cuddly baby blankie by Nibord. The blankie is 36"x36" and is made with 100% cotton flannel and 100% cotton batting.



Check out these super soft washcloths from The Posh Tots. These washcloths are backed with luxuriously soft french terry cloth and are perfect for cleaning baby's sensitive skin.

I think this is so neat! It is a wet bag that allows you to put wet clothes or diapers in made by Monkey Foot Designs. The bag features include a strap with a snap at the end that is perfect for hanging on your stroller or attaching to another bag and it is machine washable. Right now, Monkey Foot Designs is offering FREE shipping until November 15th!

These nursing pads from Sandistitches are a must have for any breastfeeding mother. They are made from a soft flannel and are machine washable.

And finally, be sure to take a peek at these super handy Belly Bassinets by Generations In Style. These slings have gotten so popular to carry your baby around hands free. They are machine washable and also reversible. Generations in Style also does custom crib and toddler bedding.

A BIG THANKS to the following ESTY shop owners for allowing me to post their items:

Sweet Stitches Shop

Rethink Crafts

Boogaboo Babies

Nibord

The Posh Tots

Monkey Foot Designs

Sandistitches

Generations In Style

(I have no affiliation with these sellers)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Homemade Holidays #1

If a lot of you are like me and trying do homemade gifts for the holidays this year, here are several links to give you some gift ideas:

1. Fish in a Bag Soap

2. Cookie Tin Purses

3. Crib Sheet Pattern

4. Lip Balm Cozy

5. Fabric Headband

6. Toddler Art Smock

7. Felt Doughnuts

8. Link to Felt Food Tutorials

9. Jewelry Mirror

10. Custom Calendar Using Your Photos

11. More Felt Foods

This is a new series of posts I plan on posting every week until December 21st. So, check back every Tuesday for new links so you can have a Homemade Holiday. Also be sure check out Thursdays for "Handmade Holidays".

Monday, November 9, 2009

Store Bought or Homemade?

Jaiden needed cookies to take in to school and I didn't have the time to make them from scratch, so I took store bought ones and gave them a homemade touch. I think these look and taste so much better than the store bought ones that come already iced!

All I did was to buy plain sugar cookies from the bakery at my grocery store. I got a canister of white icing and assorted sprinkles. I put the icing in the microwave for 30 seconds , added a few drops of red food coloring, stirred it well, and put it back in the microwave for 30 more seconds. I placed the cookies on a cooking rack with a pan lined with wax paper underneath. I took a spoon and put some icing in the middle of the cookie and spread it out to the sides. I then immediately put the sprinkles on the cookie. It took about 10 minutes for the icing to set back up so that the cookies were not sticky anymore.

They were very good! No one will know you didn't bake the cookies and make icing unless you tell them!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Pot Holder Extravaganza


I am making pot holders for some of the women in my family for Christmas and I thought I would share them with you.

Some tips:

1. Always be sure to use 2 layers (or more) of Insul-Bright no matter what the pattern calls for.

2. Always use a 100% cotton batting like Warm and Natural.

3. Always use 100% cotton fabric.

My grandmother bought some "puffy" pot holders at a craft show because she thought they were "nice and thick". When she tried to use them, they were worthless! The lady used a high loft poly blend batting with no Insul-Bright. The might have looked thick, but they did not protect her hands against the hot pan at all! "Puffy" and "thick" doesn't mean they'll hold up to the heat.

Here are some different links for making/using pot holders:

To make the finger oven mitt:The Idea Room

Pot Holder Purse: Sewabration

Vintage Pot Holders: Tip Nut

Pot Holder Pouch: All Free Crafts

Kitten Pot Holder: Craft Town

Crochet Christmas Tree: Craft Bits

Make Up Bag: Craft Blips

Quiet Book: Obsessively Stitching

Denim Pot Holder: My Recycled Bags

Christmas pot Holder: Crafts and Fabrics

Pot Holder w/ Binding: Imagine Fabric

Oven Mitts: Savvy Seams

Another Oven Mitt: Design Sponge Shop

Pot Handle Cover: Blair Peter

Hanging Pot Holder: Fire Flies & Jelly Beans

Crochet Pot Handle Cover: Dish Cloth Diaries

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Birthday & Halloween

Here are some pictures from Jaiden's birthday party. She had a princess party and had the kids dress up. All of the girls dressed as princesses and the boys as pirates. She had a lot of fun and got a lot of nice gifts! Jaiden asked Ryan to dress up as a knight to walk the girls to the door. I didn't want to pay $60 for an outfit, so I just made it.




Here's our Halloween pictures. We dressed up as a family of zombies, at Jaiden's request. It was so cold that I had to layer the girls to keep them warm.



This is my nephew, Kaiden sporting his Superhero jammies.


Tara (sister), Ryne (BIL), and Kaiden


And the favorite of the evening, my BIL Ryne dressed up as a hillbilly ballerina.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

But Mommy, It's a Blanket with Sleeves!!!

Shh, don't tell, Jaiden is getting a snuggie for Christmas this year! (Click Here to discover what a snuggie is...) Jaiden is a fiend for infomercials! She wants everything! Just yesterday, we "had" to watch one for the new and improved snack master. Of course, she wanted it!

Jaiden has been wanting a snuggie since they first came out. Now since Christmas is getting closer, the commercials are on every 15 minutes. She really, really wants one. She told me that you can even read and watch TV with a snuggie!

Oh, it gets better! I was telling my cousin, Lindsay, what Jaiden had said about the snuggie. Lindsay told me that if I find a pattern to let her know because her daughter, Olivia (7) wants one really, really bad. Olivia told Lindsay, "But Mommy, it's a blanket with sleeves!!" Well, I was telling mt friend this whole story and it turns out her son also is in desperate "need" of a snuggie. In total, I am making about 5 child size snuggies and 2 or more adult sized ones for Christmas.

I recently did a search for a child size snuggie and found a really good site with detailed instructions on how to make a child snuggie. I thought it would be too big for the kids, so I used the same directions, but I changed the measurements to fit the kids I am making for.

Here is the original site with the instructions: Child's Snuggie

These are the following measurements I made:
For the 2 younger ones (2&3 year olds) You'll need 1 1/8 yd of of 60" wide fleece
Cut 15" of the 60" width to now make the fleece piece 45"Wx40.5"L The cut the strip into 2- 15"x20" pieces. Fold in half vertically and sew to make a sleeve that is 15"x10". The arm holes are 8" from the top of the body of the blanket and 8" away from the fold (instead of the suggested 10"x12" measurement in figure 3) The size of the oval hole is 7"x4" (instead of the 8"x5" as suggested).

For the 3 older ones (5,6,&7 year olds) You'll need 2 yards of 60" wide fleece. Cut the fleece to make a 50"x50" square. Cut the leftover fleece into 2- 18"x20" pieces for the sleeves. The arm holes are 9" from the top of the body of the blanket and 9" away from the fold (instead of the suggested 10"x12" measurement in figure 3) The size of the oval hole is 7"x4" (instead of the 8"x5" as suggested).

The snuggies are really easy to make, they take less than an hour to complete one! I got my fleece at Walmart and paid $4.44 yard. These make an inexpensive. but very nice gift!

Monday, November 2, 2009

California Medley Soup

I am a big soup person and I think this is one of my favorite soups! One of my former bosses used to make this for me all the time and I forgot all about it until the other day. The veggies I used were leftovers from a relish tray I had from a football party! This soup is fairly easy to make and tastes great! And, it's great on a chilly day!

California Medley Soup

small head Broccoli, chopped
small head Cauliflower, chopped
10 baby Carrots, chopped
4 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 lb. velveeta cheese
1 can cream chicken soup

In a large soup pan, boil veggies with water and bullion, covered for 15 minutes or until tender on high. Drain most of the water and add chicken soup. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Slowly and while stirring, add velveeta. Continue to cook and stir until cheese is melted. Goes great with a baguette roll.