Mingle Monday - 10.1.2012


 Feel free to visit as many blogs on the hop as you want, and make sure to tell them you are stopping by from Mingle Monday.

 Please ONLY LINK UP FAMILY FRIENDLY BLOGS! No one really likes to read any of that other stuff... right!?! HAVE FUN!!!


Best Banana Bread Ever - Dairy and Egg Free Option

We buy bananas every week, sometimes twice a week. At times I think my kids are part monkey... they can go through a bunch of bananas in a matter of days! BUT, there are some weeks where the bananas hardly get touched. Then they get those brown spots on them and by the time my kids want them they refuse to eat them because they are "yucky!" 

That's where this little recipe comes in handy. Seriously... the best banana bread recipe I have tried.... and it's totally easy! It uses all of those pantry staples that you have laying around! Some grocery stores even sell their extra ripe bananas in bags so you don't have to wait for yours to get ripe.  


My son helped to make a batch of these this morning and between the two of us we ate 6 ....SIX muffins on our own! It made for a fantastic brunch! Then we packaged the rest of them up in a ziploc bag to save for breakfast tomorrow ... and to share with the rest of the family ... I guess... 


Is your mouth watering yet!?!? 

Here is the original recipe {that I used for a long time} -- followed by the egg and dairy free recipe that I now use. Yes, you read that right... an EGG AND DAIRY FREE banana bread recipe that is super delicious!!! 

{Shown in all of these pictures -- yep ... this is the dairy and egg free recipe!}



Original Recipe:
1 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbs buttern - room temperature
1 egg - beaten
2 ripe medium bananas - mashed 
{really, you can add more than this too, sometimes I use 3-4 small bananas}
2 Tbs sour cream {or milk with a couple drops of lemon juice in it}
2 c. white AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt



Egg and Dairy Free Recipe:
1 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbs dairy-free butter/margarine {I use Fleischmann's Unsalted} - room temperature
1 {egg} using egg replacer -- check your package for what to mix to make 1 egg
2 ripe medium bananas - mashed
2 Tbs of either Toffutti Sour Cream {I hardly ever have this on hand, but it's great when I do!} or rice milk -- or other dairy free milk -- with a couple drops of lemon juice
2 c. white AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt {I add an extra pinch since I am using unsalted margarine}




For convenience.... I use my Kitchen-Aid mixer to combine all ingredients. Cream sugar and butter together. Add egg, bananas, and sour cream; mix well. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Slowly add to banana mixture. Pour into a greased {or sprayed with non-stick spray} loaf pan or into cupcake liners.

Loaf Pan: bake at 375ºF for about 50 minutes. 
24 Muffins: bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. 

For both, check to see that they are baked all the way through by gently inserted a clean toothpick in to the middle. If it comes out clean it's done! 




Don't throw out those extra ripe bananas anymore.... just make some yummy banana bread. Oh, and trust me, once you try this easy recipe, you will never bake boxed mix banana bread again... ever!!

Enjoy!!

Mingle Monday - 9.24.2012

It's that time again! I hope everyone had a great week! We took the kids to the beach yesterday and I came home fried! BUT, I learned a trick about getting sand off.... rub baby powder on the sandy area (usually your feet) and the sand comes right off! AMAZING!!



Thanks to anyone who continues to come back week after week, and a big WELCOME to any new hoppers!! 

 Feel free to visit as many blogs on the hop as you want, and make sure to tell them you are stopping by from Mingle Monday.

 Please ONLY LINK UP FAMILY FRIENDLY BLOGS! No one really likes to read any of that other stuff... right!?! HAVE FUN!!!

My How Time Flies...


Seriously. Can you believe it's been two months already?!? Where has the time gone!? 


Just two months ago I was holding this precious little baby in my arms for the first time. 


Now she seems so grown up already! She smiles all the time. I LOVE waking up to a smiling face every morning! 


Not just that... but she is in fact... the BEST baby in the world! She takes two really good naps everyday. Then sleeps for upwards of 9 hours each night. Really, at two months... could I ask for anything more!?! 


Her big brother is just in love with her! He's going to be a great helper, a wonderful playmate, and the perfect protector for his little sister! 

Mingle Monday - 9.17.2012


Thanks to anyone who continues to come back week after week, and a big WELCOME to any new hoppers!!

Feel free to visit as many blogs on the hop as you want, and make sure to tell them you are stopping by from Mingle Monday -- so they don't think you are a weirdo blog stalker (haha!)

Please ONLY LINK UP FAMILY FRIENDLY BLOGS! No one really likes to read any of that other stuff... right!?! 

HAVE FUN!!! 


5 Tips for BUYING on Etsy

Etsy has become a worldwide phenomenon and a great place to buy one-of-a-kind hand made crafts as well as unique antiques. BUT, how do you make the most of your buying experience?! 


I've been both an Etsy seller and an Etsy buyer for a couple of years now. It took me a little bit of trial and error to learn the ins and outs of how to make the most of Etsy, and today I'm sharing my 5 tips for BUYING on Etsy. Hopefully it will be of some help to any of you who may be afraid to try Etsy, or who want to, but don't know where to start. 

1. Use the search box. Especially if you are looking for something specific. It is easy to get lost when you search only using the category listings on the left hand side of your screen. It is, of course, a great way to find items if you aren't quite sure what you want. 
 When you click on the "jewelry" category and you will see page after page of not only jewelry, but jewelry supplies, crafts with jewels on them, and lots of other things that you may not really be interested in. 

If you already know what you are looking for, find the search box at the top of your screen and type in the item you want. 

Before pressing "Enter" on your keyboard,you will notice that Etsy already gives you several options. For example: I typed in the words "turqouise ring" and a pop up menu showed under the search box for options to search for these words. You can either press "Enter" to search for your original item, or use your mouse to  click on one of their suggestions.


This is the easiest way to find EXACTLY what you are looking for without having to sort through several pages of miscellaneous items first. 

2. Check out the feedback. Once you have found a product that you are interested in, be sure to check out the feedback for that shop. Here's what you look for. It doesn't matter how many sales the store has had as long as their feedback is great. 


There are new shops that will sometimes have grand opening deals. Since they are new they probably won't have very much -- if any -- feedback. There are other shops that have been around a while and have only received so-so feedback. The amount of time a shop has been open doesn't always dictate how good their product is. To view the feedback that customers have left for that shop, click on the word "feedback" and it will open a window similar to this one:


Here you can view what customers have written regarding the products they have purchased. This is a BIG help in deciding if this is the shop for you! 

3. Look for coupon codes. You can do this several different ways. The first is by looking and the shops information/announcement. It can be found just under their header. 

When you click on the gray box it will open a larger box containing all of the shops written information/announcement.

A lot of shops will offer coupon codes but ONLY put them in their information/announcement (instead of in each listing). They aren't always well advertised, but I make it a point when I am shopping on Etsy to check out the shops announcements before purchasing. 

The second way would be to simple google "{the shop name} coupon code". A lot of shops will run giveaways and promotional codes on blogs. By searching for them you might just find one that isn't advertised on their shop announcement. 

Third, and lastly, you can always email the shop owner and ask if they are running any coupon codes, or special deals on any of their items. One of my favorite suppliers offers a 20% discount on orders over a certain quantity. BUT, in order to take advantage of the deal, you have to contact them first. 

4. Do some searching. Once you have found the item you are looking for, search around on Etsy for other shops selling the exact same thing. This is particularly helpful if you are looking for supplies rather than hand made products -- though it is great for handmade products as well. From your search results page, you can sort your results by: Most Recent, Relevancy (default), Highest Price, or Lowest Price. 


On the left hand side of your screen you can also refine your search result by category: All items (default), Handmade, Vintage, or Supplies.


Sometimes it pays to checkout a couple of shops offering the same item. You can compare prices, look for coupon codes, and see what the shipping costs are to find the best deal!

5. Checking Out. Once you have decided on your item(s) and the shop you are purchasing from, add that item to your cart then click on the cart icon at the top right of your screen to purchase. From here you can choose your method of payment. Some shops will only offer PayPal. Others will give you an option of PayPal or Credit Card. 


If you have found a coupon code, click on the words "Apply shop coupon code" and a box will open for you to enter in the code you have found. Be sure to enter it exactly as it was written. 


Some items (especially custom jewelry, paper goods, or anything that can be customized) will require information from you at checkout. This can be related using the "Notes" box. Here you can write a message to the shop owner to include such information as the size of the item you want, the color, or your wording. If you are like me, sometimes I write a thank you note to suppliers I regularly purchase from.


Once you have filled in your method of payment, and any coupon codes or notes that you need, simply click on the green checkout button and follow the prompts.

To keep track of what purchases of yours have shipped, find the "Your Account" words on the top right of your screen and scroll over it. Then click on "purchases". It will show you a list of all of your purchases -- starting with the most recent -- and they will be marked as shipped once the shop owner ships them. You may also receive an email and/or a message through Etsy letting you know once your order has been shipped.

I hope this helps any of you who may have hesitated to purchase from Etsy. I love all of the fun things you can find and the great prices!!! Happy shopping!!! 

Be sure to pin this if you have found it helpful!!

Minky Blanket Giveaway Winner ...

Thanks to everyone who celebrated along with me and entered to win a minky blanket!! 

I used random.org to choose a winner and the lucky winner was #7. 


"Sally SkulletteAug 31, 2012 10:58:00 AM
I'm a fan on Facebook and have been for awhile ;)"

Sally, you have 48 hours (starting now) to respond to me so that you can claim your blanket. If I don't hear from you a new winner will be chosen! 


Mingle Monday - 9.10.2012

Welcome to


Have you had a chance to enter the minky blanket giveaway yet!?! TODAY (Sunday) is the LAST DAY TO ENTER!! The winner will be announced tomorrow (Monday). 

Also, if you haven't visited my shop lately, you should! My coupon codes will expire on Friday!! Use NEWBABY for FREE domestic shipping OR you would rather take a discount on your purchase use code NEWBABY2 for 15% off your entire order!! 

I just started selling some yards of fabric, so if you are looking for a great deal... be sure to check it out. Right now I have the following colors of Riley Blake's Medium Chevron in stock.


Thanks to anyone who continues to come back week after week, and a big WELCOME to any new hoppers!!

Feel free to visit as many blogs on the hop as you want, and make sure to tell them you are stopping by from Mingle Monday -- so they don't think you are a weirdo blog stalker (haha!)

Please ONLY LINK UP FAMILY FRIENDLY BLOGS! No one really likes to read any of that other stuff... right!?! 

HAVE FUN!!! 


Tutorial: How to Sew a French Seam

Ever wanted to sew a project where the back seam might be seen!?! You could use your serger to create decorative stitching along the seam, or you could try and use a fancy stitch on your sewing machine to do it. 

BUT, it is so much easier to create a French seam instead. Especially when you are sewing a straight seam. 

WHAT is a FRENCH SEAM? 
A french seam hides the raw edge of your fabric in a seam so that you see a finished edge on both sides of your fabric. 


Pin your fabric WRONG SIDES TOGETHER!! I know you are used to sewing with right sides together, but this time, DON'T! 


Sew a straight stitch along where you have pinned leaving about a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end of your seam. 


When you are done, the front of your fabric will look like this. You will be able to see your seam and your fabric will look like it has a mohawk.


The back will look like a regular seam would look on the finished side.


Turn your fabric so that the right sides (the mohawk) is on top. Fold one of the fabrics back so that right sides are now touching and that mohawk is sandwiched between right sides of your fabric. Iron it in place along the seam. 



If you are more comfortable pinning your fabric then go ahead and pin along the fold. I don't always pin (as anyone who regularly reads my posts knows). This time you are going to use a 1/2" seam allowance. This assures that your unfinished seam edges are sewn into a "pocket" so that they aren't visible from the outside. Be sure to back stitch at both ends of your seam. 


Once you finish sewing your "pocket" for the unfinished edges the front of your fabric will look like this. Looks familiar, right!? Kinda like a regular seam!? 


BUT, the back looks like this. You can see the seam 1/2" from the fold.


Next, iron the "pocket down on one side of your fabric. I chose to fold it down over the fabric that would be on the bottom of my project so that the "pocket" is pointing down. 


Now on the right side of the fabric sew a top stitch to hold your pocket in place. For the particular project I was working on, I opted to have this top stitch be 1/8" from my finished seam. You can make this top stitch as far from the seam as you like BUT make sure that it isn't any farther away from your seam than the edge of your "pocket". 


Here is how your finished French seam will look. Be sure to iron your finished seam to set your stitches.


Here is a view of the front and back of the seam. 


Now, go much on a baguette, cook up some french toast, bake some french fries, put on your barrette,  and sew some French seams!! 


Mingle Monday - 9.3.2012

Welcome to another week! Did you see my minky blanket giveaway!?! Be sure you click over and enter to win a minky blanket of your choice like this one!


AND... Happy Labor Day!! We are visiting family and working on home improvement projects! I LOVE 3- day weekends!! Don't you!?! 

Thanks to anyone who continues to come back week after week, and a big WELCOME to any new hoppers!!

Feel free to visit as many blogs on the hop as you want, and make sure to tell them you are stopping by from Mingle Monday -- so they don't think you are a weirdo blog stalker (haha!)

Please ONLY LINK UP FAMILY FRIENDLY BLOGS! No one really likes to read any of that other stuff... right!?! 

HAVE FUN!!!