Path Publishing: Review and Giveaway!

Disclaimer: I recently purchased a blank recipe book to help me get organized. The publisher, Path Publishing, has also provided me with two blank journals for review: Happiness and Kidisms. Path Publishing is sponsoring this giveaway, in which you can win your own blank book of your choice, however, the information contained is purely my own opinion. There are several blank journals available, so read on for the details of the giveaway!


My home is filled with little scraps of paper on which I have written down assorted things that I need to keep track of for everyday life and future reference. I like to write things down so I don't forget them: recipes, cute things my kids have said, stuff that made me smile... Problem is, it's getting out of control. Sound familiar?

A recent goal during spring cleaning time was to get the paper clutter under control! (Even just a little bit of paper decluttering makes a HUGE difference for me.) One area of my life that was a complete disaster was my recipe organization (read disorganization). I had tried a couple different ways of doing this over the years and most recently, I had two overflowing file folders stuffed with loose papers of assorted sizes -- some were computer printouts, some were torn from magazines, others were on index cards, and still more were scribbled on any scrap of paper I had handy at the time. Chaos masquerading as "organization" because, hey, they were in folders, right?

Needless to say, this was not working very well for me. Yet I kept using this chaotic "system" -- rifling through each folder EVERY time I wanted to cook or bake, which pretty much meant several wasted minutes. EVERY. Single. Day. Who has time for that?!

{Recipe Book Table of Contents in Action}

I'm happy to tell you that this is improving! Here is my work-in-progress recipe book from Path Publishing. I've already transcribed 61 of our favorite family recipes (several days worth of work), and there's room for 43 more! This gives me plenty of space for those stragglers that are still hanging out in the file folder (I have it pared down to one much skinnier folder instead of two massive bundles!) and room to grow -- because I am sure to find more good recipes that I simply must save. (The desserts alone take up more than one page in the table of contents, and I don't see my love of sweets dwindling any time soon.)

The pages are just the right size for listing all of the ingredients and directions, even for my more complicated recipes. There is also a spot to note where you found the recipe. (I've already retraced my steps once since I accidentally omitted an ingredient, so this made it handy to find the website again.) My favorite part is that I don't have to rifle through a huge folder or check the Internet for a recipe. They are all contained in one book, organized the way I want them to be. Soups and stews are at the beginning because I look these up weekly for "Crock Pot night" (a.k.a. Wednesday, when Mia has dance class). Next, I listed chicken dishes and other family favorites, followed by those much-loved desserts.

{Recipe Book in Action}

Since it's a blank book, YOU make it completely personalized to your own preferred method of organization! I didn't alphabetize anything because I thought that would take too long, but maybe that's what works best for you. List your recipes and note which pages they are filed on. Put like items together, if you wish. For example, I wrote my favorite sugar cookie recipe on the left side of the book and a frosting recipe on the corresponding right side. This made it so simple when we wanted to make cut-out frosted cookies for Easter. However, you don't have to categorize your recipes if that's not your thing; just jot each one down as you acquire it. Do whatever works for you.

 {Blank Books from Path Publishing}

More Blank Book Options from Path Publishing:

• Kidisms -- All parents need this for all those cute and clever things the kids say. Give it as a gift, too, because what grandparent wouldn't love getting a journal filled with all of the funny things that the grandchildren have said? Write down the who, what, when, where, and why so that you don't forget! Normally, I write these all in my notebook and then do a blog post when I have several. (Lately, that is at the end of each month! Here's the most recent of my kids' quote posts.) This is quite entertaining to look back on. Now, I'm finding it convenient to keep this little green journal in my van, for when they say their little witticisms away from home! This would make a nice baby shower gift, too. (Those little booties and onesies only fit for so long. Eventually parenting becomes quite the ride, and you don't want to forget the goofy things they said along the way.)
• Happiness Journal -- This year, I've had the goal of writing down little things that I feel joy or gratitude about. Then, I slip the scraps of paper (more paper scraps, geesh!) into a small jar. Even though I don't come up with something every day (and truly, it seems like there is something to be thankful for each day), my jar is quickly overflowing, and it's only April! This journal is the perfect clutter-free solution to noting these small bits of happiness, and there is NO pressure to do it each day. It would make a nice gift for moms, dads, grads, and teachers.
• Gardening -- Okay, I will admit that this really isn't my "thing." I pretty much botch every gardening attempt. I like to remind my children that I don't sew and I don't grow, whenever they get the mistaken notion that Mommy can do everything. That said, if I do decide to get serious about gardening (because, after all, we only improve with practice, right?) this journal is just the thing for keeping track of what is planted in each location, when it was planted, where it was purchased, guarantees (if any), and notes on progress. That should help take away some of the guess work! And, if you're not much of a gardener (join the club!), this would be a very thoughtful gift for someone who is.
• Advice -- I love this idea! Give a blank book to the grandparents and have them share words of wisdom with your children. Or, take the time and fill it in yourself. This would make a nice gift for kids of any age, but I think it would be really special to give as a graduation present or as a baby shower gift -- offering all that acquired wisdom to people who really can use it!
• Usernames and Passwords -- Handy place to note all of those things that are getting increasingly difficult to keep track of. And it's certainly smarter than using the same password for everything! Perfect for the tech-savvy graduate on his way to college.

Now, here's what you've been waiting for...

Two Ways to Get Your Own Blank Books:

1. Head to Path Publishing right now and order one (or more)! With Mother's Day, Father's Day, and wedding and graduation season upon us, you probably need some gifts for all the important moms, dads, grads, brides, and teachers in your life. Surely one of these affordable blank journals will be just the thing for helping them keep track of all the important memories. You could even choose to fill them in yourself and make that part of the gift. For example, the recipe book would make a nice bridal shower gift!
2. Enter my giveaway! (For residents of the United States only.) For an entry to the giveaway, first check out the different blank book options on the Path Publishing site. Choose your favorite one and then come back here and leave me a comment on this blog post letting me know which one you like the best. For additional entries, please share the love by linking to your favorite social media sites!

• Share this blog post on your Facebook page. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you shared -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know you did this.)
• Share this blog post on Twitter. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you tweeted about the giveaway -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know that you did this.)
• Share this blog post on your own blog. Come back and leave a comment here letting me know that you shared on your blog -- for one additional entry! (Please make a separate comment letting me know that you did this.)

That's a total of 4 ways to win a blank book of your choice! The giveaway will run from Monday, April 21, 2014 through midnight (Eastern) on Monday, April 28, 2014. I will draw a winner on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 and share the results on the blog. Stay tuned for the results!

Homemade Peppermint Bath Salts

A while back we made bath salts at a MOPS meeting, which I thought were great! After getting the link to where the idea originated, I decided to make more of my own, some of which we are giving as gifts. I'm very happy with how this year's teacher gifts turned out. They look pretty, they smell wonderful, and most importantly, they have been test-driven and given two thumbs up by this mama.

To get started, I chose three different scents: peppermint, orange, and lavender, and I found the essential oils at a nearby health foods store. Why did I choose peppermint oil for the gifts? Well, it is currently vying as my favorite fragrance of the three types of bath salts that I made. Orange is on top at the moment, but peppermint seemed like the obvious choice for Christmas. Plus, it has lots of health benefits like alleviating muscle soreness as well as stress, improving circulation, helping ease congestion, and promoting energy and alertness. These are all the curative properties that I will personally attest to. Peppermint essential oil is also said to help curb appetite, just by inhaling the scent, so that may be an added bonus I have not noticed yet. At any rate, these bath salts are a perfect no-calorie indulgence during the crazy-busy holiday season.

{Easy Christmas gift idea!}

Ingredients: (Makes enough to fill 2 half-pint mason jars)

• 3/4 cup Epsom salts 
• 1/2 cup coarse sea salt 
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• food coloring (I used 10 drops of red.)
• essential oil (The original recipe calls for 8 drops, but I found this to be much too faint once I got into the tub, so I have doubled it for the gift batches.)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. (If making gifts for teachers, kids can help pour the ingredients.)
2. Add essential oil and food coloring*. (Kids may be able to help with this step. I helped Logan count out the food coloring, but I added the essential oils myself.)
3. Use a spoon or whisk to mix it all together. (Kids may help with this step, too as long as they don't stir to roughly.)
4. Store in an air-tight container. (It will clump together somewhat after time. This happens to store-bought bath salts as well, so I don't see this as a problem.)
5. Enjoy your bath salts or package them up and give as gifts. 

*Notes about food coloring:

• Food coloring is optional, and mainly just for presentation. 
• Once diluted in the bath, you don't need to worry about it staining your skin.
• When I made orange scented bath salts I used a combination of 3 drops red and 5 drops yellow to make orange. 
• For the lavender bath salts, I used 8 drops of neon purple food coloring. 

Notes on Where to Purchase:

• The best deal I have found for Epsom salts is at Sam's Club, but they are very reasonably priced and can be found near the first aid section of any grocery store.
• Coarse sea salt is found in the baking aisle. I have also used natural sea salt, which has smaller grains that don't look as much like the bath salts you might purchase, but it's a bit cheaper and it works the same.
• My essential oils came from a natural foods store, but you can also find them online.
• Lavender essential oil was the most expensive at $8.79 for a 0.5 ounce bottle, followed by peppermint oil at $8.29 for a 0.5 ounce bottle, and the least expensive was the orange essential oil, which was only $3.99 by comparison. (That may sound pricey, but since you will only use a few drops at a time, a bottle of essential oils will last a long time, so I look at this as a good investment.)

How I packaged my gifts:

1. First, I filled each half-pint mason jar with bath salts.
2. To make tags that read "Peppermint Bath Salts," I downloaded this free font. I put it in 24 pt. font, switched the color to red, and printed it so that I got 8 per page (in portrait layout). Then, I used plastic templates to cut them out, and then layered them on top of oval cut-outs of red card stock (which I made with another template.) I adhered the layers and then added a gold eyelet.
3. I used a glue dot to affix the bamboo spoon to the jar.
4. I cut a 21" length of red and white bakers twine, which I wrapped around the jar twice before tying on the tag.
5. Then, I added a red card stock circle to the top of the jar and topped it off with a cute peppermint button, which I bought a few years back from Oriental Trading, attached with another glue dot. 

A Charming Teacher Gift!

Well, school has officially ended for the year, but not before the presentation of teacher gifts. Mia took her teacher and the para-pro the gifts that we had made, birds nest earrings with handmade cards. We were down to the wire on this, too, because I didn't get her to write in the cards until yesterday. So they were not delivered until this morning, the very last day of school! Both of these lovely ladies thanked me at pick-up time, so I decided the gifts were a success.

But, what really surprised me was that her teacher, Mrs. Myers, gave ME a gift! It was completely unexpected, of course. I can't imagine too many teacher give gifts to the parents at the end of the school year when they already have so much on their plates. This is what makes it so special and so very sweet!

{My life is charmed -- a gift FROM the teacher!}

She gave me a bright pink Gerbera daisy, and told me that Mia had selected the color she thought I would like best. (Secretly, I believe that Mia selected the color she preferred, but that doesn't really matter. I do LOVE it.) Here's the really special part about the gift. It was completely personalized because Mrs. Myers, along with the entire kindergarten class, had stamped their thumb prints in various colors and then signed their names. (And, the teacher in me noted that every child's signature was legible, which is an accomplishment for many of them! Trust me, I can tell you this from personal experience, having sorted many, many papers over the past several months. This was the first time that there wasn't one or two I was unsure about, and I like to believe that my special education background has given me pretty good handwriting analysis!) That she would find the time to have the whole class do this for me was so thoughtful, and it completely made my day to receive this on Wednesday!

{Look how they've "bloomed!"}

It felt amazing to read these words, "Thank you so much for your support in my classroom this year! It's because if parents like you that we can do as much as we do with our little sweethearts!" (See, Self, it's not a waste of a master's degree to collate, file, and do other mundane classroom housekeeping tasks! Not that I miss doing these things in my own classroom one bit, thank you very much.) While it felt wonderful to be appreciated as a volunteer, it had me thinking that this would also make a very thoughtful gift FOR a sweet teacher, if you happen to be looking for ideas. The trick is just to find a way to get all the kiddos in the class to sign it in secret. I especially love the thumb prints, too, it's just a little something extra.

A "Tweet" Mother's Day Gift

I love when I discover that I can do something new. Don't you? I'd had seen this kit for making birds nest earrings (so cute!) in the Oriental Trading Company catalog a handful of times and each time I thought I really like those. I wonder if I could make them? But, why would I buy a kit to make 6 pairs? Then, I decided they would be perfect for Mother's Day gifts, so I went for it!

I'm glad I decided to give it a go. These were not at all expensive and both my mom and mother-in-law were impressed by them, saying, "You made those!?" Yep. That's me. I can make earrings, apparently. (I'm smiling while I type this because I am so pleased.) Each pair only took between 20 and 30 minutes to make, I think, and it took less time as I went along because I got the hang of it. All I needed to make them was a wire bending tool-thingy, which I already owned for some reason. (In case you couldn't tell from my lack of proper terminology for the tool, this is my first attempt at jewelry making -- outside of the little "class" I took at our library in the fall -- where I made a couple of necklaces that are sort of falling apart.) I'm pretty sure I bought this tool some years back when I was making beaded wire flower pot decorations in the shapes of butterflies.

How will I use all 6 pairs of earrings? Well, I made one pair as a gift for myself. Remember, I mentioned that Mother's Day this year also happened to be my birthday? So, of course, I needed a little something special for myself. The remaining three pairs will be perfect for end-of-the-school-year teacher gifts for Mia's kindergarten teacher, para-pro, and her tap teacher. Yay for advanced planning and having that taken care of! (I'm mentally patting myself on the back, here.)

I think the card turned out cute, too. I used some pre-made beige card stock cards. Ordinarily, I just make my cards from scratch, because I am cheap resourceful, but I found these on clearance and put them aside for when I needed a quick card. (Since this month is sort of kicking my butt with exhaustive things that I trying my best to keep up with, I was thankful for that foresight!) Next, I found a pretty bird-themed clear stamp in my collection and used my scrapbooking markers to ink the bird in teal, the branch in brown, and the leaves in green. I gave it a quick "huff" to add some moisture back to the pigment in case it had started to dry out while I was finishing my coloring, and then stamped it in the lower right corner of the card. I used my ProvoCraft Silent Setter tool (I got this a few years ago at either Jo-Ann's or Michaels, using a coupon, of course!) to make two holes in the front, using the smallest size punch tip. First, opening the card and placing the cutting mat on the inside of the card prevented me from making the holes go all the way through when I only wanted them on the front of the card. Then, I slipped the earring through the holes and added a small piece of tape to the inside to secure them. I scrawled a quick note, and the card was finished, wishing both grandmothers a "tweet" Mother's Day. I have since made 3 more quick and easy cards for the teachers with "a note of thanks" stamped in brown below the bird in place of the words "Happy Mother's Day!"

Nature is full of elegant designs. I just love the color of the robin's egg blue paired with the twisted silver wire. It's very organic and simple. Plus, I love the symbolism of nesting, which I thought was perfect for some of our favorite nurturing women. I think this makes a nice tribute to the moms, grandmas, and teachers in our lives, who deserve to have a "tweet" day on Mother's Day. I hope that you, too, had a "tweet" and restful Mother's Day.

Cherry on Top Cupcake Craft

Oooh... I must have really been in the zone, creatively speaking, when I came up with this idea for a Mother's Day card (or gift). I think these cupcakes could also be used for Valentines or for a birthday gift for a special little girl or even as a gift for sweet teacher.

{Cupcake by Mia, Age 5}

Materials:

• white paper (We used 8" x 8" scrapbooking paper.)
• colored cardstock
• paper crimping tool
• scissors
• glue
• shaving cream
• food coloring
• tray/plate/bowl to hold paint
• paintbrush
• red pom pom
• green pipe cleaner 
• picture frame (optional)
• black marker (optional)

Directions:
1) Take your cardstock and run it through the paper crimper to get texture like a cupcake wrapper. Cut into a trapezoid shape. I found this template that should work if you don't want to cut the shapes freehand. Have your child glue the paper trapezoid "cupcake wrapper" to the paper, making sure to leave enough room for painting the top of the cupcake.

2) On your tray (We re-used a Styrofoam meat tray), squirt a small amount of shaving cream. Add a few drops of food coloring (We used neon pink) and mix with a paintbrush to get the desired color. Have your child paint "frosting" above the paper trapezoid. Set aside to dry. This takes awhile, and varies depending upon how thick your painting is. Ours was still a bit tacky after 24 hours, so this isn't ideal for last minute gifts.

3) Once paint is dry, glue a red pom pom onto the top of the "frosting" to make the "cherry."

4) Cut a short length of green pipe cleaner, shape as desired, and then glue by the top of the pom pom to make the cherry "stem." (I realize that cherry stems really are more of a brown color, but green seemed prettier.)

{Another Finished Cupcake by Mia, Age 5}

5) Once the cupcake is finished, you can turn it into a card by writing a message with a black marker. My ideas are along the lines of "Hope Your Mother's Day is Extra Special with a Cherry on Top," "Happy Birthday to a Sweet Girl," or "Thanks for Being a Sweet Teacher." Or, you can write your message and then place the finished project in a frame and then give it as a gift. (Michael's has 8" x" 8 frames for $4.99 that are perfect for this.)

Other Ideas:

• Mix paint with the shaving cream in place of food coloring. (If you are worried about stains, have your child wear old clothing or a paint smock. You might also wish to protect the work area with newspaper before starting.)
• Add sequins or beads to make "sprinkles" for your cupcake.
• Add a flower embellishment in place of the cherry on top. (Try felt or silk flowers since paper may not hold up the best on top of the shaving cream paint.)
• In place of colored cardstock, consider decorative scrapbooking paper for cute cupcake wrappers.
• Or, you could try using actual cupcake wrappers if you wish. (I felt that once you flattened them they lost the proper shape of the cupcake, which is why I decided to make ours from cardstock.)
• If you don't have red pom poms, buttons would make cute cherries, too. (They just won't have the same 3-D effect.)
• If you don't have green pipe cleaners, try short lengths of ribbon or yarn to make the cherry stems. (The nice thing about pipe cleaners is that you can bend them the way you want and they retain that shape.)
• I think this would be cute for things other than cupcakes. I am imagining a triple decker ice cream cone with 3 different colors of shaving cream paint... or an ice cream sundae ... or maybe even a whole cake. There are lots of sweet possibilities.

Rudolph Treat Cup

While making Frosty the snowman treat cups as Mia's teacher gifts, I came up with this idea for reindeer treat cups to fill with home-made goodies and give to Logan's Early On teachers. This is a great way to use some of the tin cans that are taking up so much space in our recycling area, and they look pretty cute, too, especially with his little hand prints for antlers. Note: If using a hot glue gun, which I recommend, keep out of reach of children. Otherwise, you can substitute tacky glue so that older kids can do this project themselves.


Materials:

• tin can
• brown paint
• paint brush
• newspaper
• something to hold paint
• pen
• scissors
• yellow felt (or craft foam)
• red felt
• 2 googly eyes
• red pom pom
• black dimensional paint (or marker)
• gold sequins
• hot glue gun (or tacky glue)

Directions:     

1. If using a hot glue gun, first plug it in to warm up.
2. Cover work surface with newspaper. Pour some brown paint onto a Styrofoam tray (or whatever you are using to hold paint), and coat the outside of a clean, dry tin can with paint. Tip: Foam paint brushes work well for this. Set can aside so paint can dry.
3. On yellow felt, trace both of your child's hand with pen. Cut out the hand prints. Tip: If you don't have felt on hand, you can substitute craft foam.
4. Decide which part of the can will be Rudolph's face. I suggest avoiding seams. Once paint is dry, use hot glue (or tacky glue if you prefer) to adhere on hand print on the each side of your can to make Rudolph's antlers.
5. Finish Rudolph's face by hot gluing two googly eyes onto the can. Below the eyes, glue on the red pop pom nose. Draw a mouth with black dimensional ("puffy") paint (or use a black marker).
6. Cut a strip of red felt long enough to fit around the tin can. I cut ours about 3/4" wide. Glue near the bottom to make harness. Lastly, glue gold sequins around the felt to look like jingle bells. Tip: To make it look more finished, be sure the overlap of the felt is at the back of the reindeer.
7. Make sure that all glue is dry before moving or filling your Rudolph treat cup. Give as a gift or use as a decoration.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my book review and giveaway for Green Grandma's Vinegar Fridays. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14, 2011, so you still have time! This book has many amazing tips for cleaning just about everything including pet messes and crayon marks from the walls. There is something for everyone, so be sure to like Green Grandma's Facebook page and let her know I sent you.

Frosty the Treat Cup

Does anyone else ever have to get out of bed to write down craft ideas that pop into your head at night? I'm guessing this doesn't happen to that many people, but you're in luck because this is the result of the "visions of sugar plums" that were dancing in my head. I decided that it's a cute idea for a teacher gift so Mia's preschool and dance teachers will each be getting one of these snowmen filled with homemade goodies. Note: I'm labeling this as a kids craft, although I did most of the work. Mia chose the colors of the buttons for the eyes and mouths and also the colors for the pop pom/pipe cleaner ear muffs. Older kids could do more themselves, and if you substituted tacky glue in place of hot glue, I would feel more comfortable suggesting that. Hot glue guns should only be used by adults.

Materials:

• tin can
• white paint
• paint brush
• newspaper
• something to hold paint
• glitter (optional)
• buttons (for eyes and mouth)
• pipe cleaner
• scissors
• 2 large pom poms
• broken bit of orange crayon (or pom pom or button)
• hot glue gun (or tacky glue)
• felt (optional for adding a scarf)

Directions:

1. If you are planning to use a hot glue gun, plug it in to warm it up.
2. Cover work surface with newspaper. Pour some white paint onto a Styrofoam tray (or a plate) and paint the outside of a clean, dry aluminum can. If you want your snowman to be sparkly, sprinkle glitter onto the paint while it is still wet. Set can aside so paint can dry.
3. Cut a pipe cleaner in half. Take one half and bend it slightly to form a "u" shape.
4. Decide which part of your can will have the snowman's face. I recommend avoiding seams for this. Once paint on can is dry, apply hot glue to the inside of each end of the pipe cleaner and press down each end to make an arc across the top of the can. Apply hot glue to two large pom poms and then affix the pom poms on the ends of the pipe cleaners to finish the ear muffs.
5. Lastly, make your snowman's face. Use hot glue (or tacky glue) to adhere buttons for eyes and mouth. Hot glue works best if you are using an orange crayon stub for the nose. If you don't want to use crayon for the nose, tacky glue will work to hold a button or pop pom nose. Tip: If using a crayon, rub it down so that one end is relatively flat. This is the part you will attach to the tin can. For the other end, you can color with or use a sharpener to shape it as desired. 
6. We didn't do this, but you could also cut a strip of colorful felt and tie or glue it around the base of your tin can to add a festive scarf for you snowman.
7. Allow all glue to dry before moving or filling your snowman treat cup.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my book review and giveaway for Green Grandma's Vinegar Fridays. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 14, 2011, so you still have time! This book has many amazing tips for cleaning just about everything including pet messes and crayon marks from the walls. There is something for everyone, so be sure to like Green Grandma's Facebook page and let her know I sent you.