Lighted Trick or Treat Buckets are Here!

Looking for something new and different for Trick-or-Treating this year? These lighted orange buckets are just the thing! Your kids will be the coolest kids in the neighborhood this year! And it's not too late to get one. If you're in the Marietta/Atlanta Metro area, I can get one of these fun buckets to you in time for Thursday night!

Choose one of the 5 designs pictured above: ghost, spider web, girly spider (she has cute little eyelashes!), jack face, or black cat. Each bucket is $20; personalization options available for $5 more.

Buckets have LED lights on the INSIDE, and turn on and off with a small switch on the bottom of the bucket. Requires 3 AA batteries, which are included.

If you'd like to order, contact me ASAP via email: sugarplumdelights@yahoo.com. Credit cards and Paypal are accepted. Don't miss out! Questions? Don't be shy!

New Item: Ruffle Scarves!

I think I'm kind of late on these trendy scarves, but I just discovered them and I absolutely love making and wearing them! I had seen pictures of them and decided I wanted one, but instead of buying one, I went ahead and learned how to make them. It's so addictive! I've made three already, and figured I'd better start trying to sell them if I wanted to keep knitting. And I do want to keep knitting.

So, I'll be adding Ruffle Scarves to my shop later today! Right now I have the three colors pictured above (from left to right): Peacock, Canyon River, and Mambo. Mambo has some shimmer to it, but the others do not. They're all ruffly and so pretty. I wore a Mambo scarf to church the other day and got a lot of great compliments!

Be on the lookout; I'll be adding more colors soon!

President's Day Sale - Save 20%!

It's a sale! I decided that since I haven't run a sale in my Etsy shop in a while, that I would give out a new coupon code.

So, from now until Tuesday, February 19, save 20% in my Etsy shop using the code "FACEBOOKFRIENDS". Just enter that coupon code at checkout to receive the discount off of anything in my shop!

If you would also head on over to Facebook and "Like" the Sugar Plum Delights page, I'd appreciate it. I post more frequently over there: discounts, pictures, new items, and more. You just never know what might show up!

Go on, go shopping!

Happy...February!

So it seems I've been neglecting to update the blog a bit. Oops. Happy New Year! I know it's late, but it's still a new year, in my opinion. It is only the beginning of the second month. It still counts. So, Happy February! I noticed that I still get a lot of hits here, so I thought I'd better start posting some updates so people will know what's going on. If I list a blog on my business card, I should probably use it, right?

Here's what's been happening:

• Valentine's Day crafting is in full swing, however, the only Valentine-y things I've been able to get done so far are the Lollipop Lips and Mustaches. Holy cow are these things popular. For those that have already received their orders, I'd love to hear some feedback! If you haven't ordered yet, and are thinking about it, PLEASE get your orders in as soon as you can. If you need more than 12, please send me a message through Etsy, and I'll setup a private listing for you.

Aren't they fun? My kids love them.

• Tumblers are still out of stock, but I'm hoping to order more soon. I have some ideas for new designs, so look for them in early Spring!
• Monogrammed Cutting Boards are in stock and make excellent hostess, bridal shower, house warming, and birthday gifts! Give them something personalized and useful; you can't go wrong! I'm working on new designs for these as well. Again, if you need more than what I have listed in the shop, please just send me a message.

Square and round cutting boards/trivets are available. They measure approximately 8 inches squared/in diameter.

My current turnaround time is about 5 business days, but if you need something sooner, please send me a message. I'll do my best to accommodate! And as always, thank you all for your continued support of this newly staying at home mom. :)

It's ALIVE! Sort of...

So, here we are, once again posting on this blog. There was an incident over at the new blog, and I'm pretty sure that I just lost a year's worth of content. Oops. Since that happened, and since this blog is still getting a lot of traffic, I decided to bring this ol' thing back to life. Welcome back!

There have been a lot of changes in my life this past spring and summer, and I now have a little more time to make some good things happen here. Stay tuned and see what comes!

For now, my Etsy shop is open for business, and going strong. Hop on over and take a look!

I'll be posting new things that are going up in the shop, font samples, vinyl colors, probably some recipes and personal projects; there's just no telling what I'll get into. You'll just have to come on back and find out. :)

New Blog: Moonlighting Mama

Change is a good thing; it keeps us moving, and can inspire us. I had been thinking for a while that it was about time for a change here at Sugar Plum Delights. When I started this blog, it was mainly about my crafty side-business of the same name. My original goals for the blog were basically to showcase what I was working on for my Etsy shop and craft fairs and so on. But as the years went on, the blog started to evolve, and I was posting more than just crafty things. So, I decided to diversify and start a new blog: Moonlighting Mama.

With this new blog, I intend to talk not only about crafting, but to work in more cooking (see Freezer Cooking Fridays), a little design here and there, home stuff, and maybe even a little financial management. I wanted to broaden my focus and not be tied down to a certain topic, which is how I felt with the this blog.

So, please bear with me as I build this new site; fun things are coming! All of the old contect from right here on Sugar Plum Delights is there, including all of the great recipes and tutorials. More of that is coming too! Please bear with me on the design of the new blog; I'm still working on it.

And lastly, why the name Moonlighting Mama? Well, I have two children and a husband, I work full time outside the home, I have a crafty side business and a Scentsy business to maintain. Most of the work on my other projects happens after the kids go to bed, which is when the moon is up. So, I’m a mama, and I moonlight.

Thanks for reading!

Extra Holiday Cash Part 2: Sell it For Cash on Ebay

Looking to make some extra money for the holidays this year? There are multiple ways to do it, you just have to be a little savvy. This post is the second in my new series on ways to bring in some extra cash, most without dipping into your regular monthly budget. I'm by no means an expert on the matter, but who doesn't want a little extra cash here and there? Stay tuned over the next week or two as I list out more ideas to make your holidays a little less stressful on your wallet.

Part 2: Sell it for Cash on eBay

If you have some old stuff laying around that you're not using anymore, sell it for cash! If you have a lot of kids' clothes that are in good condition, but you don't need them anymore, put them on eBay and make a few bucks. This also goes for adult clothing. People are always looking for a deal, especially on kids' clothes and shoes, and even adult clothing. Brand names usually do better than generic store brand stuff, but you never know. Group like items (shirts, for example) together and sell them as a 'lot'. This time of year people are looking for gently used winter coats and boots and ski apparel. Take a few good pictures, list them, and wait. Of course there are fees associated, but they're minimal.

Household and electronics items are also popular, again, especially the brand names. This was more than a few years ago (my single days!), but one summer I basically supported myself by selling dishes on ebay. I would buy the dishes cheaply (clearance aisles at outlet stores!), then resell them for a profit. You just have to make sure that the brand name you're selling is what people are looking for before you start buying things. You don't want a pile of stuff you can't resell laying around taking up space!

If you don't have anything at home you want to sell, consider checking out yard sales and estate sales. Sometimes people just don't want the hassle of trying to make more than a few dollars on their used expensive items. That's where you come in: buy them out, clean them up, sell them on ebay! Thrift stores are another source, but you have to get there early. Find out when your local thrift store gets their shipments, or when they stock their shelves. Sometimes it's helpful to get know an employee or two. I once found a practically brand new Stephen Joseph child's backpack for $2. These bags retail for at least $20; more if they're personalized.

Again, unique, well cared for items generally do very well. Check your parents' attic or basement for the toys you had when you were a kid. Vintage toys in good condition could bring in more than you might think.

So take a look around! I have a bad habit of buying clothing that's a good deal, and then never wear it. Because of that bad habit, I'm about to start getting of some things myself! Good luck!

Want more ways to earn a little extra cash? Check back next week for tip #3. Don't want to miss any posts? Subscribe via email!

New Series: Making Extra Cash for the Holidays - Swagbucks

Looking to make some extra money for the holidays this year? There are multiple ways to do it, you just have to be a little savvy. This post is the first in my new series on ways to bring in some extra cash, most without dipping into your regular monthly budget. I'm by no means an expert on the matter, but who doesn't want a little extra cash here and there? Stay tuned over the next week or two as I list out ideas to make your holidays a little less stressful on your wallet.

1. Swagbucks - Swagbucks is basically a search engine similar to Google. In fact, your Swagbucks search results are pulled from Google, but you can earn points, or bucks, just for doing searches. It's totally random; just do a Swagbucks search anytime you would use Google, and your bucks will add up quickly. Swagbucks also releases Swag Codes every now and then to add even more bucks to your account. So what do you do with these bucks you're earning? Use them to buy rewards, of course! My favorite reward is the $5 Amazon Gift Card, which you can buy for 450 Swagbucks. If you use the search regularly and keep an eye out for codes, you'll get there in no time. You can also earn bucks from referrals, taking surveys, watching commercials, and even playing games.

I highly recommend downloading the Swagbucks Toolbar for your browser, that way it's right up there at the top of your page any time you want to do a search. There are many rewards available, including gift cards to loads of different retailers and restaurants like Starbucks, Travelocity, Restaurant.com, Alice.com, O'Charley's and Home Depot, as well as electronics, toys, home accessories, and more. Go on, check it out.

I'll be using my Amazon gift cards bought with Swagbucks to buy Christmas presents. Or maybe I'll just save them up to get that iPad I've been wanting. :)


Want more ways to earn a little extra cash? Check back later this week for tip #2. Don't want to miss any posts? Subscribe via email!

Holiday Entertaining: Start Planning Now with This Guide

Are you planning on entertaining this holiday season? Are you tired of trying to live up to all of the gorgeous pictures and ideas in those magazines at the checkout stands, and failing? Because, really, no one can recreate those tables and that home decor, except, of course, Martha herself.

If you're looking for ideas on how to beautifully decorate your home, cook a feast fit for a king, get the kids and the rest of the family involved all without losing your sanity and still keeping money in the bank, this guide is for you.

Erin Chase, also known as the $5 Dinner Mom, has created the perfect guide to thriving, not just surviving, this holiday season: The Holiday Entertaining Guide.

The guide includes:

• How to budget for your holiday meal
• What you must include and what you can leave out
• Getting the most value from your coupons
• A plan for cooking everything all in one oven
• How to turn the leftovers into more great meals

And best of all, with this guide you get 30 simple recipes. Now that's a deal.

The Holiday Entertaining Guide is available now in eBook format, but it's also available for your Kindle, Nook, and coming soon to your iPad and Kindle Fire. Get it now!

You'll also receive the following bonuses:

• FREE Holiday Planners
• FREE Holiday Treats - an additional 10 recipes for yummy holiday sweets!

Special Offer!
Get The Holiday Entertaining Guide now for 50% Off! Enter the coupon code THANKS to receive The Holiday Entertaining Guide, free printable planners, and free additional 10 treat recipes for just $1.99. Go get it!

To give you a little taste of what's included in the guide, here's a sample recipe:

Carmelized Onion and Blue Cheese Bruschetta

Two powerful and delicious flavors collide over toasted bread slices.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 white onions, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
16 slices baguette bread, thinly sliced
½ cup blue cheese crumbles

DIRECTIONS

“Balsam-melize the onions” – In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, then stir in the chopped onions, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. (The onions can be cooked up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the freezer until ready to assemble and broil.)

Meanwhile, slice the baguette bread, place on a baking sheet and run under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to toast the pieces some. Then add the “balsam-melized” onions and a few crumbles of blue cheese to each bread slice. Run under the broiler again for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese softens.

Serve Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Bruschetta.

Makes 16 appetizers.
 
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Doesn't this make you want more? Go here to get your Holiday Entertaining Guide now!
 
 
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Freezer Cooking Friday: Menu Plan 10/29

I know I skipped Freezer Cooking Friday for the last two weeks, but it’s back! It’s time for another round of cooking ahead and getting my freezer stocked up again. I’ll be heading to Sam’s Club on Saturday morning bright and early (if 10am qualifies as bright and early) to pick up some staples and meat. I’ll be buying one 5 pound pack of ground beef, and one large tray of chicken breasts. Then Saturday or Sunday afternoon – most likely during naptime – I’ll be whipping up some dinners to have later in the week.

Here’s the plan:

Ground beef:

• 2 lbs taco seasoned meat; I use Old El Paso seasoning, but I want to try to make my own using this recipe.
• 1 tray of Easy Beef Enchiladas, using 1 pound of beef
• 2 loaves of Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Chicken Breasts:

•  Cheddar & Cracker Chicken - I still haven’t made this even though it was on the plan a few weeks ago. It’s at the top of the list, now!
• Cheddar Beer Chicken in the Crockpot – Cheese, beer, chicken... I'm on it.
• Crockpot Salsa Chicken, Freezer Style - super easy, and so yummy. I also discovered this is a good mix for nachos! Just shred the chicken after it's cooked, mix it all together with cheese while still warm so the cheese melts, and dip or top chips. Yum!
• Crockpot Orange Chicken - can't wait to try this! Its cheaper than takeout, that's for sure.

So, that's the plan. Be sure to check back next week to see what I actually finished and have in the freezer! I'll also include reviews of any new recipes that we tried. Be sure to check out the rest of the posts in my Freezer Cooking Friday series!

Recipe: Easy Beef Enchiladas

I don't even know how I started making this recipe, but I whipped it up one time for my parents back in my single days, and it's been a hit in my family ever since. My kids even love these enchiladas, and that's saying a lot right there. The recipe has been adapted a little bit over the years here and there - sometimes rice and/or refried beans will be added - but for the most part it stays pretty basic. I hope you love it as much as we do.

Shannon's Easy Beef Enchiladas

Photos Coming Soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pack flour tortillas, small or medium, whichever you prefer - base it on your pan size
• 2 cups chredded cheddar cheese (I prefer Sharp)
• 2-3 small cans or 1 large can Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce (my fave) - amount depends on how saucy you like your enchiladas

Brown ground beef with onion until cooked through. Mix in taco seasoning according to instructions on packet. Remove from heat.

Pour about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of greased baking dish and spread around. I usually use a 9x13 glass dish.

Place one tortilla on a plate, and spread about a teaspoon of sauce around entire tortilla. Scoop meat and onion mixture on tortilla, then sprinkle with cheese. Roll, and place seam down in pan.

Continue with the rest of tortillas until you either run out of meat or space in the pan.

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, making sure all of them are covered. I also like to make sure the sauce gets down in between the enchiladas - if they're packed tightly in the pan, I just scooch (technical term) them aside a bit as I pour the sauce.

If you're freezing the enchiladas to cook later, STOP HERE. Cover the pan in foil, then wrap in foil again. If you're using a smaller pan, like an 8x8 foil pan, cover in foil, then slip into a freezer bag. Make sure you mark the package somehow that's Enchiladas. No one likes a mystery pack in the freezer! When you're ready to bake the enchiladas, thaw, remove foil, then continue the steps below.

Top entire dish with shredded cheese according to your taste. We love cheese in this house, so I usually use a full 2 cups on the top.

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until it's nice and bubbly and the cheese on top is melted. Tip: If you like crispy, or slightly burnt cheese, leave them in a bit longer. We happily discovered this one time when using an unfamiliar oven timer.

Dig in and enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is that it's easy to adapt to your tastes. The measurements aren't exact; use as much or as little sauce and cheese as you like. Add more vegetables, use chicken or turkey instead of ground beef if you like.



Recipe: Crockpot Salsa Chicken

If you're a crockpot nut like me, you're going to love this. The only thing better than throwing something in the crockpot in the morning to be ready that evening is just dumping the premixed ingredients out of a freezer bag into the crockpot. No fuss, no gathering of ingredients, just dump it, turn on the crockpot (a very important step), then go!

If you've been paying attention, I've started a series called Freezer Cooking Fridays right here on this blog. This series stemmed from my newfound love of Freezer Cooking, so I've been trying to combine Freezer Cooking and Crockpot Cooking. The results have been great so far! It's simple: take your favorite Crockpot recipe, gather ingredients, do any prep work needed, put everything in a freezer bag, and pop it into the freezer. Then when that busy morning comes along, toss everything from the freezer bag into the crockpot, set it, and you're done! You don't even have to thaw it out, which works out great for me.

So, are you ready to try it for yourself? Here's a perfect recipe to get you started with Crockpot Freezer Cooking...

Crockpot Salsa Chicken - Freezer Style

photos coming soon!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar of salsa or picante sauce (regular size jar)
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can of corn, drained, or about 2 cups of frozen corn

Combine ingredients in freezer bag, place in freezer. Done!

Night before Cooking Day: take bag out of freezer and leave in fridge overnight. If it doesn't thaw a little bit, you might have a hard time fitting the frozen chunk into the crockpot.

On Cooking Day: Dump contents of freezer bag into crockpot, and cover. Cook on low 8 hours or until it looks good. If ingredients aren't frozen, cook on low 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink.

Enjoy!

Blogging FAIL

So, remember back in the first part of October when I said I was joining the Ultimate Blog Challenge for the month of October? 31 posts in 31 days? Yeah. Well, it's still October, and let's just say I've failed this challenge miserably. I could blame it on the fact that I went on a bit of a vacation and wanted to "unplug" a bit while at the beach, or I could say that things have been super-busy at work (true), but really, I can't make excuses. I knew all of these things were going on when I signed up for the Challenge. I could have planned better and wrote posts to schedule for later. But I didn't. I got lazy. So now I'm owning up. I'm not going to hide from it.

Blogging FAIL.

But, I am planning to do things a little differently around here. I want to make more of this blog, attain a little focus, maybe change the name and add new goals for my bloggy-self. No more excuses.

Stay tuned!

Typography Tuesday on Wednesday - Subway Art

Subway Art, or Subway Sign art, has taken the crafty blog world by storm. It's everywhere. And you know it's a thing when Restoration Hardware picks up on it and is selling it, too. Or maybe Restoration Hardware started the whole thing, I'm not sure.

Anywho, Subway Art is certainly trendy right now. It's inspired by the vintage signs found in subway stations with the different routes/trains listed. Something a little like this:

These are reprints that are being sold be Restoration Hardware. I love the look of them; clean, simple, straight, and not much extra space (or "white" space).

If you check out their selection, you'll see these reproductions are a tad bit spendy. So, crafty people out there in blogland are creating their own versions of subway art, and some of them are quite nice, in my opinion. This type of art is being adapted to many different things: family rules, wedding invites, holidays, birth announcements, etc. Below are a few favorites I've seen out there...

A birth announcement I created (of course I had to throw in something of my own!)

Simple Crafter - Free Printable!

Saved By Love Creations 

Barn Owl Primitives on Etsy

Those are just a few examples of what my crafty friends are creating out there. If you have Photoshop and want to do this on your own, Saved By Love Creations has a fabulous tutorial. Check it out, and get creating!

Monday Update

Well hello there. I admit, I haven't been keeping up with the Ultimate Blog Challenge, and now I'm over a week behind in posting. That's just not good. I feel like I have a valid excuse though: I was on vacation. And who thinks about blogging when they're at the beach? Okay I did think about it a little bit, but I just didn't act on it. I didn't open Blogger one time while on vacation. I don't think I even did that much internet surfing, which, for me, is kind of huge. But it was vacation. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Now, however, it's time to face reality and get back into routine. Today was Monday, the first day back to work and school, and it wasn't so bad. Hopefully that trend will continue for the rest of the week.

Stay tuned for regularly scheduled programming! I have some recipes to post, some typography to talk about, and more.

Thanks for coming back!

Freezer Cooking Friday: Recipes to Try

Today's Freezer Cooking Friday consists of a list of recipes that I want to try, and those that we've enjoyed over the past week. I didn't do any freezer cooking this week, but we have been enjoying the fruits of my previous labors! I love having a stocked freezer.

Here's what we had in the last week:

• Monday: Enchiladas (recipe coming soon!) - this was the first time I tried my regular enchilada recipe for the freezer. It was a hit! They weren't soggy, or too dry, so I'll be making this one ahead again soon. Really soon. I love enchiladas.
• Tuesday: Hawaiian Chicken in the Crockpot, from Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. Another yummy one that's always a family favorite. It's so easy to throw everything in a ziploc bag to freeze, then on cooking day, just dump it into the crockpot. Dinner is done!
• Wednesday: Tacos - pre-cooked and seasoned ground beef, thawed, reheated in microwave. Such a timesaver.
• Thursday: Leftovers for me and the hubs, chicken nuggets for the kids. Also known as "cop-out" night.
• Friday: Typically our day to eat out, or dine with parents, which is the case tonight (spaghetti!).

The freezer stock is getting low, but we're on vacation next week, so I won't do another session of cooking/prepping for probably another two weeks. But I can still hunt down recipes in the meantime, and get a headstart on planning. Or at least, planning the way I plan - lists in notebooks.

Recipes I want to try in my next cooking session:

• Cheesy Rigatoni Bake, Daily Dish Recipes - Looks so cheesy! I love cheese, so I know this would be a winner
• Cheddar & Cracker Chicken, What's Cooking Chicago - This was on my list to try last time, but I ran out of chicken. Definitely doing next time. Again, cheese.
• Pepperoni Roll-Ups, Dinner with the Donnells - I love pizza, the kids love pizza, and who doesn't like crescent rolls?
• Taco Meat - a staple in our house
• Enchiladas - see above
• Crockpot Orange Chicken, The Pursuit of Happiness - this one looks really good, so I think I'll make it this go 'round.

Well, that's a start. Have you tried Freezer Cooking yet? Try it! You won't go back to those harried weeknight dinner times, I swear. Enjoy!

Pondering: Is A Cash-Only System the Way to Go?

I'll admit it: I'm terrible with money. I always have been. And even in spite of my attempts to manage my money better, I'm still terrible. Confession: I LOVE spending money. It doesn't even matter what it's being spent on, most of the time. I like to shop, I like to buy things, I like to have things. I'm sure there's some psycho-analytical reason for all of this, but I've never had it evalutated. Maybe I should.

When I was in college especially, I would say, "I'm too young to worry about money", and I would spend every cent my parents sent me. Then the next week when another check came in the mail, I would do the same thing.

Now that I'm older (wiser?) and have a dual-income household to manage, that way of life is long gone. But I'm still not managing things very well. I use my debit card for everything, and claim to keep a running tally in my head, but I'm really not that great at math. I've been burned living this way many times, and Wells Fargo is loving having me as a customer, I'm sure.

So where does that leave me? Pondering going cash-only, that's where that leaves me. But is that the way to go? I know there are more than a few financial "gurus" out there who claim that it is the only way to go, but will it work for me? Maybe I should challenge myself to not use my debit card for a month, and only use the cash that's in my pocket. That would certainly be an interesting blog series!

I'm thinking what I might try is this: pay bills out of each paycheck, then withdraw cash for everything else. Things such as groceries, gas, eating out, etc. would all be paid for with cash. I'll have to do more research on the Envelope system.

What are your thoughts? How do you handle your family's budget?

Typography Tuesday: Font Addict

I mentioned in my blog last week about how much I love Typography. Fonts, fonts and more fonts, I love them all. If you're a font addict like me, there are lots of great sites to get free fonts for you to have as your very own. Be careful, though. Make sure you read the terms for each font you download; I wouldn't want anyone to be sued for using and selling a product using a font that was only meant for personal use.

My favorite font sites:

• dafont.com - my #1 Go-To site
• fontfreak.com
• 1001freefonts.com

There are countless others, but you'll probably just get stuck on dafont.com for hours, so I won't make a huge list.

In order to use all of the fonts that I have collected over the years - and I really should count them - I've recently been trying to come up with new ways (for me) to use fonts. I've embroidered with different fonts, but I just don't have much time for embroidery these days, so I've moved on to die-cutting and print. I've been personalizing different items using adhesive vinyl and my Pazzles die-cutting machine. There are lots of other people doing this same thing, so I'm trying to make myself stand out a bit by using fonts maybe not everyone is using.

This font is Ziggy Zoe, one that I found out there on a free font site, and thought it would be great on water bottles. It is. I've sold a ton of these things! Now if I could only get them back in stock...

I've also ventured into print a little bit, inspired of course, by Pinterest. Last week I featured my "I Love You Because..." print, and this week I have a slight variation:

It's a good daily reminder of what you are grateful for, making you think of something new every day. I know I need to be reminded sometimes, and seemingly a lot more lately. It's dry erase, so that makes it easy to change it up each day.

So, I'm going to keep playing with my fonts, and looking for great examples and more inspiration. Be sure to check back next Tuesday and every Tuesday for more Typography!

Duh, Pinning.

It is true. I can't.stop.pinning. I pin at work, I pin at home, I pin on the go. It's ridiculous. I'm an addict. I can't help myself.

There is always new stuff on Pinterest, and I want to make sure I see it all. New recipes, new crafty ideas, new funny photos...the list goes on. My favorite categories are DIY/Crafts (obviously), Recipes, and Kids. There are so many great ideas and so much inspiration all in one place it's almost overwhelming.

Here are some of my recent Pinterest favorites:

I love Star Wars humor.

This original idea was for storing scrapbook materials (stickers, specifically), but I think it would be great to use in the kitchen, to hold all of the recipe printouts that I've found on Pinterest. A Spinning Cookbook. Oh, I better copyright that. Spinning Cookbook © <-- and I totally just googled how to make that symbol. 

Baked Penne Pasta. I had this for dinner just last night and it was yummy! I made it ahead as part of my Freezer Cooking Plan last week; took it out of the freezer yesterday morning and baked it for dinner. I liked it, the kids liked it, we'll be having it again!

So, that's what I've been pinning. What have you found lately?

A Day in the Life of a Working Mommy

My typical weekday looks a little something like this:

• 4:30am: Husband's alarm goes off; he's out the door in 15 minutes flat.
• 6:30am: Alarm goes off
• 6:39am: Snooze alarm goes off
• 6:45am: Feet hit the floor, and I'm up and running...or, sort of.
• 6:50am: Jump in the shower before the 2-year old wakes up, otherwise forget the shower
• 7:00am: Out of the shower, waking up children
• 7:05am: Getting dressed, waking up children
• 7:15am: Argue with 5-year old about wardrobe selections while trying to convince 2-year old to get a diaper change and get dressed.
• 7:30am: Tracking down shoes, while feeding dog, letting dog out and hopefully back in, getting snacks, juice boxes, and mommy-juice (aka coffee)
• 7:45am: Out the door, in the car
• 7:55am: Drop 2-year old off at school, try to avoid altercations in the super-tiny parking lot
• 7:58am: Convince 5-year old that Mommy's tired of the Backyardigans cd, listen to something else.
• 8:20am: Drop off 5-year old at different school
• 8:30-8:45am: In the office.
• 8:50am: Rest, enjoy the peace and quiet of the early morning office and coffee.
• 9:00am: Work, work, work.
• 6:00pm: Out of office, in the car
• 6:20pm: Pick up 5-year old from school
• 6:25pm: Car snacks and discussion of the day with 5-year old
• 6:45pm: Home
• 6:46pm: Routine tackle-hugs by 2-year old
• 7:00pm: Dinner (on a good day)
• 7:15pm: Convince children vegetables are necessary, and that we can't always have chicken nuggets (daily battle)
• 7:55pm: Cleanup
• 8:00pm: Kids Bath/Jammies/Cuddles/Storytime
• 8:30pm: Bedtime
• 8:35pm: Mommy/Daddy TV/blogging/crafting time
• 10:00pm: Off to bed to start all over again in the morning

Wow. I've never written it all out before Scary stuff. I'm fortunate in that I have a very flexible employer where I don't have to dress professionally everyday. If I had to fit in trips to the dry cleaner or finding matching heels and stockings everyday, I'd be in serious trouble.

What's your day like?