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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie

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I'm a huge cereal fan, but I've been trying to find different, healthy ideas for breakfast that will help me feel more energized and feel better in general. I've got lots of healthy smoothie recipes written and pinned and have been working on trying them out.

One of my favorites is this strawberry banana smoothie. It's packed with vitamins, protein, and fiber. Even better, it's so convenient to throw everything in the blender. Very minimal work involved! Perfect for any meal, but a great way to start the day.

Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat strawberry banana or vanilla yogurt
1 cup quartered strawberries
1 sliced banana
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth consistency.
Makes one 16-ounce serving.

Fresh fruit works great, but I also think it's convenient to use frozen bananas and strawberries. I buy them in bulk, then peel and cut bananas, wash and cut strawberries, and freeze in a Ziploc bag for future use.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Summer Word Set

Friday, July 26, 2013

Summer Word Set

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I hate to admit it, but summer is slowly coming to an end. Soon everyone will be back in school, the weather will cool down, and the leaves will start to change color. Since I've broken my leg, I feel like I am missing out on all the fun things in summer.

Summer Word Set

Some of my favorite decorations are my Spring Word Set and my Believe Word Set. So, for some summer decor, I took my daughter to The Wood Connection to buy a Summer word set. I wanted to decorate my home a little bit more for summer, and I had some cute products from American Crafts that were perfect for this project. The bad thing was, I went out and bought all the supplies the day I fell and broke my leg... so I didn't get to start on the project as soon as I had planned. I also wasn't able to get step-by-step pictures of the process, but I did snap a few with my phone to share on Instagram.

Since I literally can't get up on my own and am stuck on the couch with my leg up, my family was so sweet to bring the supplies to me (when I was feeling a little better) to do some "couch crafting". I think this project will be a little sentimental to me because it was my first project I got to work on since my fall.

American Crafts Neon Glitter Cardstock & Apple Barrel Neon Acrylic Paint

Supplies:
Wooden Summer Word Set (from The Wood Connection)
Neon Glitter Cardstock (from American Crafts)
  - Orange, Yellow, Blue, Green, Coral, and Purple
Apple Barrel Neon Acrylic Paints
Mod Podge
E6000 Glue


First, I painted all the letters (except the fronts) with Apple Barrel neon paints. The paint is a little thin, so I painted 3-4 coats. I also painted the "straps" and the center flower pieces of the flip flop in pink and orange. I love how bright the paints are, and they match the American Craft neon glitter cardstocks and glitters perfectly!

While the paint dried, I traced the letters face down on the backs of the glittered cardstock sheets. I used scissors to cut them out, and used an Xacto knife for the smaller details. American Crafts also has some bright, fun, neon glitters and neon glitter glues I wanted to use, but I was afraid of making such a huge mess in such a small workspace (aka my lap and couch).

Paint a small - medium amount of Mod Podge on the unpainted front of the block letter. Too much Mod Podge can make the paper rumple and crease. Carefully place the paper cutout on top. Press all over, especially around the edges to make sure the paper is adhered to the block letter. I also added some blue glitter paper to the small flower pieces for the flip flop.

To finish the flip flop (used as the "U"), glue the orange circles to the center of the blue glitter flowers with some E6000 glue. Let dry, then glue the flowers to the pink strap piece. Then, attach the strap piece to the flip flop block. Let dry for at least a few hours (overnight is best) before standing it up for display.

Summer Word Set

Once dry, your summer word set is done! Bright, sparkly, and colorful to bring some summer fun inside your home!

I received product from American Crafts in exchange for this review. All opinions and photos are my own.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse

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Summer is the perfect time for crafting with kids. The weather is great to work outside (especially if your project is a messy one), and it's fun seeing what kids can create with just a few supplies. As far as supplie go, I have really loved using Plaid products with my daughter when we work on projects together. They are safe and fun for children to use, and most products are even washable - which is a definite must when it comes to kids' crafting!

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse & Trinket Box #PlaidSummerKids

Since I am laid up at home due to my broken leg, my husband took my daughter to the store to pick out a project. She chose a both a birch barn-style birdhouse and a small trinket box. It's so fun to see her use her imagination.

For this project, we didn't just use regular neon paints (though we've used them on some other projects you'll see soon). Plaid has neon glow in the dark paints!! Like a lot of glow in the dark products, I was honestly a little skeptical about the quality and amount of time the paint would actually glow. But after working with the paints and the Glo Away, I can definitely say that I am really impressed with the selection of glow in the dark products we received from Plaid. So much fun to use, and my daughter loved seeing her projects in bright colors AND glow so bright in the dark!

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse #PlaidSummerKids

Supplies:
Unpainted Birch Birdhouse
Unpainted Birch Trinket Box
Apple Barrel Neon Glow in the Dark Paints - Green, Orange, Pink, and Yellow
Glo Away
Mod Podge Extreme Glitter

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse #PlaidSummerKids

Zoey wanted the edges and the front sections all painted green, so we started by painting a thin coat in each section, and letting each coat dry before adding another. The paint was a little thin (which makes it easy cleanup if it spills or gets on clothing), so we needed about 3-4 coats for the colors to look extra bright.

Glow in the Dark Trinket Box #PlaidSummerKids

She wanted the trinket box to be all glow in the dark pink, so she painted 2-3 coats inside and out. Once it was dry, she added a couple coats of Mod Podge Extreme Glitter to make it extra girly and is now perfect to hold her rings and smaller treasures.

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse & Trinket Box #PlaidSummerKids

Once all the paint on the birdhouse was dry, we painted a thin coat of Glo Away on the parts of the birdhouse that didn't glow as bright. A coat of Mod Podge Extreme Glitter on the roof completed the look.

Glow in the Dark Birdhouse #PlaidSummerKids

Here's how the birdhouse looks in the glowing in the dark. It glows so bright and it's so fun to see my daughter so proud of her projects. We had a lot of fun working with these Plaid products and can't wait to create more.

Stay up to date with Plaid:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredByPlaid
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaidCrafts
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/plaidcrafts/
Blog: http://paintmeplaid.com/

See more projects made with Plaid products:
I wrote this post as part of campaign with Blueprint Social. All opinions are my own.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

30 Washi Tape Projects

Sunday, July 21, 2013

30 Washi Tape Projects

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30 Washi Tape Projects artsyfartsymama.com #washi #washitapeprojects

I love washi tape. There are thousands of colors, patterns, and sizes to choose from, and I love seeing all the different ideas bloggers have come up with to use it in a new way. Today I'm sharing 30 fabulous tutorials to get you inspired to use washi tape!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

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The hotter it gets outside, the harder it is for me to want to turn on the oven and heat up the house even more. I do a lot of slow cooker meals in the summer for this reason. This meal is really simple, and pretty much fool-proof. All you need to do is prepare the rice, potatoes, or pasta (and any sides) when it's time to eat!

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs beef stew meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup water

Directions:
  1. Add meat to slow cooker.
  2. Mix cream of mushroom soup, gravy packet, dry onion soup mix, and water in a bowl until combined. Pour into slow cooker over meat.
  3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. For best results, do not lift the lid at all during cook time.
  4. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Pizza Casserole

Monday, July 1, 2013

Pizza Casserole

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If your family loves pizza, and you love spending minimal time preparing a meal, then this pizza casserole is just what you need for dinner tonight! In less than 30 minutes, you have a delicious meal on the table.

Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cup Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
16 oz {2 cups} pizza sauce
Pepperoni
2 cups cheese

Pizza Casserole

Directions:
  1. Spray your 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
  2. Mix the Bisquick mix and the milk to form dough and split in half.
  3. Drop half of dough by spoonfuls into the pan.
  4. Drizzle dough with half of the pizza sauce, half the pepperoni, and half of the cheese.
  5. Repeat the dough, sauce, pepperoni layer and top with cheese.
  6. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes (or until dough is completely cooked)
This can also be frozen for a meal to eat later, or to take to a sick friend or neighbor.