New Year Giveaway!

My blog is almost to 5000 hits since our debut in September 2012!!! To celebrate I am going to giveaway a free download of my Super-Mom Weekly Planner to one of my lucky readers!! :) Winner will be chosen on the morning of January 1! It would be much more dramatic to announce the winner at midnight --- but let's be honest I will have been asleep for a few hours by then, so we'll just do it in the am! Good luck!

To enter the giveaway post your email in a comment below.

Friendship Muffins

Friendship bread starter and the universal muffin mix were meant to be together!! See how tall and gorgeous they turned out!! This is a fabulous way to use your starter on a regular basis and does feel like you are eating pound cake for breakfast. I feed my starter once a week and bake using 1 cup of starter the same day. When my starter batch starts getting too large I either bake a few loaves to give away or I ask around if anyone wants some starter. Enjoy this recipe and happy baking!!

Friendship Muffins
1 cup mature friendship bread starter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups muffin mix
1 cup mix-ins (fruit, baking chips, etc)

Mix well and bake at 400 in greased muffin cups for 15-18 minutes. Yield 12-18 muffins.

2013 Super-Mom Weekly Planner

As a mom of three (almost four) & a small business owner, having an efficient and well-organized planner is crucial to keeping my home running smooth! I have tried several apps on my smart phone, but in my opinion nothing beats being able to write it down and see the big picture at a glance. {Purchase a PDF download to print your own copy, including your choice of Super-Mom, at my etsy shop for just $9.99 or $35.00 plus shipping for a printed copy}

I designed this planner to be small enough to carry in my purse, but with enough space to write down notes for all that we have going on! Why superheroes? What mom doesn't need a boost of confidence everyday knowing that she has got it under control & that she is doing a fantastic job; saving the world - one diaper change, one story time, one carpool at a time!!

To accompany my planner, I purchased a mini set of markers and a 6" ruler to help me color coordinate each day and see who is where at a glance. Each person in my family has their own color which I use to highlight their activities during the day.

At the beginning of every month is a focus page that includes space to jot down upcoming birthdays and anniversaries as well as a place to set goals and focus on the month ahead. Also, too important not to be included is a weekly family schedule with columns for up to five family members. This is the pace where I can write down our schedule -- classes, sports, preschool and other fun things we have going on -- and see everyone's commitments at once. This helps me not spread myself out too thin and yet provide a variety of activities for our family.

The bulk of the planner is made up of fabulous weekly pages. To help save time the whole year has been pre-dated with major holidays included. Each page has two days that include a 13-hour daily schedule and room to make notes for dinner plans and a list of to-do's.

 After making the first few notes on my planner tonight, I am SO EXCITED to use it in 2013 and look forward to a well-organized yet fun to use planner at my finger-tips!!

Planning ahead for January 2013

All wrapped up in my fabulous ThirtyOne "Fold-And-Go Organizer"

Do you LOVE it as much as I do??? I love sharing the fruit of my labor with other moms who are also looking for a way to stay organized in a way that is fun but at the same time functional and highly efficient. Purchase a pdf download of the 2013 Super-Mom Weekly Planner at my etsy shop for just $9.99 or $35.00 plus shipping for a printed copy. (Personal use only, limit 3 copies per household.)

Graphics designed by CorazonDulce
{www.corazondulce.etsy.com}

Falling asleep on the job

Please forgive me! The idea for 30 Days of Homemade Gifts came to my a few months ago -- I thought what a great way to have fun doing what I love and making gift-giving more personal and heartfelt this year! That was all before I found out I was pregnant with my fourth child and quickly came to realize the overwhelming time and energy that it would take to create and blog about a unique homemade gift 6 days a week. Sigh! Needless to say, the first trimester and chasing after three boys has gotten the better of me. I have been going to bed right after the kids and spending any free time I have keeping up my home. So, I apologize for not continuing what was promised to be an amazing series. I hope to start blogging again once or twice a week starting in January. Thank you for understanding and Merry Christmas!! :)

Amish Friendship Bread

This starter has become a holiday tradition for us and luckily, starting a batch from scratch isn't hard at all! Once the starter has matured for 10 days you are ready to bake and start gifting!!

To make a brand new starter:
Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) yeast with 1/4 warm water (110 degrees). Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using all non-metallic bowls/utensils, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 cup milk. After 10 minutes add the yeast mixture and blend well. Pour into a gallon ziplock bag. Seal the bag - This is day 1.

To mature starter:
Day 1-4: Leaving the starter on the counter at room temperature...Mash bag lightly or swirl jar and release built up gases.
Day 5: Using all non-metallic bowls/utensils, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 cup milk and starter. *If using jars divide between 2 quart jars.
Day 6-9: Mash bag lightly or swirl jar and release built up gases.
Day 10: Using all non-metallic bowls/utensils, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 cup milk and starter.

Use 1 cup of starter to bake 2 loaves of Friendship Bread. Place the remaining 3 cups into separate bags/jars and pass along to friends with these instructions and your favorite friendship bread recipe. (Keep one for yourself and start over on day 1)

Baking the Bread:
1 cup friendship bread starter
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 full sized or 4 mini loaf pans. Combine ingredients adding 1 cup nuts or dried fruit (optional). Pour into lag pans and top with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes for small pans or 45-50 minutes for large pans or until a toothpick comes out clean.

***starter may be refrigerated or frozen to delay maturation process.

Custom Printed Jars

This is an amazing craft and would make a wonderful gift. Kristine from The Painted Hive has done an awesome job with her tutorial and even provides a free printable --- make sure this one gets onto your wish list!

Find the direct link to the craft {here}

Honey Oatmeal Mask

Oatmeal is an amazing natural moisturizer, gentle exfoliant, skin soothing element. To use as a mask combine raw oats that have been pureed into fine dust with olive oil, honey and water to make a paste. Apply to face and reswt under a hot towel for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off and enjoy a baby-soft face.

Ingredients for 1/2 pint jar:
1 cup ground oats
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp honey
~Combine until thick. Use immediately, or withing 5-7 days

Oatmeal Bath

My kids have very dry skin, and this is an inexpensive way to give them the luxury of having an oatmeal bath anytime they want. Great for those with eczema or sunburns too!

Supplies:
Quick cooking oats

Directions:
Place dry oats into a coffee grinder, blender or food processor. Grind until very fine & store in an airtight container. (6 cups of whole oats made 1 quart of oatmeal bath) To use in the bath dissolve 1/4-3/4 cup of ground oats in the bath water. Soak & rinse.

Bird's Nest Charm

These are easy to make and completely adorable --- perfect for mom or grandma :)

Supplies:
Thin jewlers wire
Small beads (birthstone colors??)

Directions:
1. Thread your first bead onto the wire leaving a 2 inch tail.
2. Add any additional beads.
3. Wrap the wire several times around the beads to create a "nest" appearance.
4. Secrure the beads by wraping it around the outside to hold the nest in place. Clip wire and tuck in loose end.
5. Use the 2 inch tail to create a loop at the top of your nest, then clip and hide the end.
6. Wear it on a neacklace, bracelet or keychain.

Kettle Corn

I have been told this is the "best popcorn in the world." Whenever I bring it to a gathering I always get requests for the recipe!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup popping corn

Directions:
1. Heat the oil, sugar and popcorn in a large pot on high.
2. Using hot pads hold the lid on while shaking the popcorn frequently. Because of the sugar - it is important to keep shaking it every few seconds or it will burn.
3. When the popping slows down - remove from heat and add salt to taste.
4. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. It will harden as it cools - toss it gently to loosen. Makes approx. 10 cups of popcorn or enough to fill 2 medium tins.

Family 5 Year Journal

This craft was inspired by a pin I saw recently - jot down a note about your day that year and enjoy looking back to see where you have been and what special things have happened over the years. This journal version is more compact and doesn't have the risk of being scattered across the floor or down the stairs when your kids get a hold of it. (Just keep the pens out of reach)

This would be especially neat for a newly-wed couple or for a new baby. Wish I had started one the year we got married.

 

Example of how it might look over the years...

January 1

2013 - Celebrated the New Year in Time's Square

2014 - Celebrated the New Year with our new baby

2015 - Sarah took her first steps today

2016 - Enjoyed the countdown at a B&B in Aspen

2017 -

(apparently this family I made up has like to travel, haha)

 

Supplies:

Spiral journal

Nice pens

Scrapbook stickers

 

Directions:

1. Decorate the front and inside covers with the stickers. On the inside of mine is our last name and the yeat we were married as "est. 2005"

2. Slowly and carefully write the date for each day of the year, equally spread out on the pages. Mine had 3/page and 7 lines between each date. I messed up several times and had to tear these pages out. If you make a lot of mistakes - count the pages to ensure you will have enough at the end.

3. Include a nice pen and an invitation for the recipient to jot down a note about each day noting the year on each line.