Kids Craft - Handmade Play Dough

LOVE this handmade Play Doh tutorial from the Naughty Secretary Club

Handmade Play Doh

It is fun to make and fun to play with!

Stop by and check it out.

Chai Shortbread

These are one of my most favorite cookies to make. We usually only make them at Christmastime or for a special occasion because otherwise I would eat WAY too many of them. They are a healthier cookie so I guess having a few extra is not all that bad. 

They are very easy to make and we also had all the ingredients in the cupboard already so I did not have to go out and get anything special to make them with. They are excellent warm from the oven and just as tasty the next day.

I initially got the recipe from a Cooking Light magazine that I had picked up in the checkout line one day. They looked easy to make and I thought that they would be a nice change from the regular shortbread that we usually make.

We used our KitchenAid mixer to do the heavy work for us. We started by creaming the butter & sugar together and then added the dry ingredients and then the water.

The recipe I used for Chai Shortbread is here on the Cooking Light website http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chai-shortbread-10000001687677/  

Or you can click the link to follow it here Chai Shortbread

Grocery Shopping - Make a List

Want a very easy way to save time and money in the grocery store? Make a list!

You can waste a lot of time wandering around the store trying to remember what you needed and then trying to find it in the store.

Years ago, when I was grocery shopping with a baby in tow, I made up a grocery list to make shopping easier for myself.

I put all the items in categories, grouping similarly stored items together. Fruits, vegetables, frozen goods, canned goods, dairy, household items, etc each have their own category. I left a couple lines at the bottom of each category to add things that were not on the list.

I print out a stack of blank lists and keep them in the drawer. Evey week, I take a new one out and keep track of the things that we need on the next grocery shopping trip.

When I hit the grocery store, I start at one side and work my way to the other, while getting the items on the list. It eliminates wandering through the aisles trying to find what I need from a scattered list and keeps me from getting distracted and spending money on things we do not need.

I can complete my grocery shopping in about 30 minutes instead of 60 minutes or longer. Here is a copy of my Grocery List to print out and take with you on your next trip.

Project of the Month - November 2012

Another month - another project.

Several of our friends are expecting babies in late summer and fall this year. I love to make something special, and unique as a gift for a new baby. A keepsake that they will have while they are small and that they can hold on to as they grow up.

I decided to make sets with blankets, bibs and burp clothes, all backed with super soft minky, as gifts for all these new babies.

This is the before shot, a big pile of fabric

And this is the after - all ready for gifting!

Warm, snuggly blankets.

Completed sets with a blanket, 2 burp cloths, bib & a rattle football!