Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day Four: Food

Published on May 18, 2008 in Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling and Food, Glorious Food. 1 Comment

Today’s sponsor goes by the pseudonym “Toblerone” (I’ve never actually had one of those chocolate bars…what a shame!) and is the founder of Simple Mom. I adore this website for its clean design and very very useful information. Not a single drop of filler to be found anywhere in her writing. She’s smart, witty, and entertaining to boot.

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You also must check out the rest of our talented friends if you’re up for some good reading.

Today is my favorite carnival day. I absolutely positively adore food, and I admire all of those people who passionately photograph and write out, step by step, the means it takes to create it. Get ready for some major tummy-grumblage.

Victoria from SugaDaily is always being begged for her recipe for Taiwanese Vegan Lettuce Wraps. You think she’ll make us some if we’re really really nice?

 

 

 

 

Stephanie from Stop the Ride has shared a recipe for the West Virginia-native pepperoni roll. In answer to the question she poses in the post, no I didn’t know what a pepperoni roll was…but now I do, and I want one! She swears it’s a great solution for those days when you’re out running errands and need something quick to eat without resorting to another lunch at Chick-fil-A. (Which, although very yummy, lightens the purse after repeated indulgences!)

 

In this post, Jennafer from the Land of Lovings (I just love saying that) introduces us to the afore-never-heard-of buttermilk pie. The photo at left is of the raw pie. My guess is that they’re so good they ate it all before they got a chance to take a picture of the final product!

 

 

 

Emily from Loria Family Dialogues overcame her fear of candy thermometers to bring us this beautifully illustrated post on how to make free-form lollipops. I’m sure her kids were thrilled, as are we!

 

 

 

Valeree from Cincinnati Locavore has put together a useful post about how to shop at a farmer’s market. I love ours, even if it is a bit small and out of the way. Do you shop at farmer’s markets regularly?

 

 

 

Emily has another fabulous post for us inspiring us to romanticize our waffles, Eiffel-tower style. I never thought about making waffles this way, but it’s such a cool idea!

 

 

 

 

Katie from Frugal Fabulous encourages us to bag our lunches and save a ton of moolah. And if you’re sick of eating (and making) pb&js, she’s got a great idea to spice things up.

 

 

 

 

Victoria again challenges our tastebuds with a sophisticated dish — Bahami Pineapple Tilapia. Inspired by a dish at the Tsunami Cafe in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, she concocted this healthy tropical combination. Mmmmmmmmmm.

 

 

 

I am quickly falling in love with Emily’s photography. I don’t know anyone who can use vivid colors quite like she does. But this is about the food. Oh yes! Have you ever endeavored to make your own fortune cookies? These look so much better than the stale versions from ye-olde-chinese-shoppe.

 

 

Nichole from A Call to Higher Places graces us with a recipe for Cappucino Punch. I’m not a coffee drinker myself, but what a great spin off of the traditional fruity punch party fare.

 

 

 

 

Michelle from North of the 49 gives us detailed instructions for making a tasty loaf of no-knead bread. I am such a bread lover, it is not even kosher. I can’t believe hers looked this great on the first try!

 

 

 

Vegan Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup. GeekyPoet shares a recipe that is decidedly different from most crock-pot recipes that I’ve tried in the past. Why different? It actually looks like something you’d get in a restaurant, and not from your mom’s kitchen. The mushrooms did it for me.

Food as a Ministry. Michelle from North of the 49 gives us some tips on how to use your kitchen to help your fellow (wo)man. Our friends have provided for us after we’ve given birth to our two children, and it was one of the sweetest gifts we’ve ever received.

What a fantastic lot of entries! I must say, I really am drooling at this moment. And the winner is…

Emily for her free-form lollipops! Thank you my dear for virtually fulfilling my sweet tooth today. Be sure to send me an email (sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com) so that I can send your prize package!

Be sure to visit again tomorrow for our entries on Green Living.

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day Three: Fashion

Published on May 17, 2008 in Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling. 1 Comment

Today’s sponsor is one who runs a website that I find EXTRAORDINARILY helpful. Laura from Organizing Junkie runs this incredible resource, and you absolutely must go there and get inspired to get your stuff in order.

I love all of her tips, tricks, and suggestions. Be sure to check out our other amazing sponsors, too.

Today we’re talking fashion. I have to admit, I’m starting to feel like I’m getting behind on my fashion sense. Yesterday I was out looking for sunglasses, and they were all so huge. I did not want to go out of there looking like a giant fly, so I just didn’t get any. I guess wrinkles due to squinting aren’t exactly cool either. Sigh. The following posts come from much more informed sources than I.

The things we must do to be beautiful. The money we must spend. But artist Jessica Gonacha has put together an article on how to make your own hand/body cream that will save you some money AND ensure that you’re using the best stuff for your body.

 

 

 

Ever wonder what kind of bathing suit you should get this season? Erin Quinn, writer for sheknows.com, has written an article on finding the perfect suit for your body type.

 

 

 

 

Craft or Fashion? This is one of those posts that could go either way. These adorable DIY Hermes Kelly bags can be crafted out of paper or more durable materials. Love ‘em! (And the patterns are free, so that doesn’t hurt!)

 

 

 

 

Need a floppy hat for summer? Anna from MarmaDaisy has a sweet tutorial that might be up your alley. I love the idea of using newspaper to draw your patterns out on.

 

 

 

 

Alana from Alana Lillie Designs crafts these beautiful photo necklaces that I just NEED to have. One for each of my children. I know Mother’s Day has already passed, but there’s always my birthday…or, ummm…Memorial Day. You get gifts on Memorial Day, right?

 

 

 

Kelleigh from Homemaker’s Haven has an excellent post on growing older gracefully. As you get older, do you plan on going “bo-toxic” or “no-toxic”?

 

 

 

 

Callie Micks‘ California-based company makes adorable, premium-quality kitchen aprons, such as the “Julia” pictured at left. The materials are extremely high quality, and the company pays its talented sewers a living wage, rather than utilizing cheap labor. Kudos to them!

 

 

Sam from Healthy Savings has found this solid perfume by Pacifica that is healthy for your skin, smells great, and costs a mere $8.95 (gotta love a bargain like that!).

 

 

 

 

Morgan from Running with Heels has put together a list of wardrobe essentials for your next warm weekend getaway. I love that pink ruched top!

 

 

 

 

Such fabulous entries today. It is always so hard to choose a winner! Yet we must. And the well-deserved winner is…Jessica Gonacha for her DIY hand/body cream! Thanks Jessica! Please send me an email (sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com) with your address so that I can send your prize package.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to get a glimpse of our next category…food. My FAVORITE!

Technical difficulties

Published on May 16, 2008 in Site Updates. 2 Comments

Hmmph. We’ve been having server problems all day, and several posts were lost and have to be re-done. The joy! Anyway, we will persevere. Our scheduled post will be moved until tomorrow, and we will be extending the carnival a day to compensate. Hooray!

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day Two: Eco-Fab

Published on May 15, 2008 in Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling. 7 Comments

Before we get into today’s rather serious post (can I ever really be serious? Come on now), I want to take a second to thank another fabulous sponsor…Heather and Ivy from Home Ec 101.

One day when I was feeling especially whiny and petulent, I wrote three blogger-idols to gain insight and information about how in the heck I was going to make this carnival work. One of them sort of kindly ignored me (who was I, anyway, but a lowly peon in blogland?). But Heather and Ivy took compassion on my tendency to blow matters completely out of proportion, and pushed me in the right direction. For that we are all grateful, aren’t we? So I’m sure you’re already visiting Home Ec 101, but if not, you should go there now. It will make you happy. And be sure to visit my other favorite people.

Moving on…

Eco-Fab is a rather confusing term, I admit. In this sense, I used it as “economical.” Basically, anything related to saving money or doing things on the cheap. Our picks for today are a little less illustrated with pictures…it seems all of those eco-fabulous bloggers don’t really need images to show that the cost of gas is going up, and cheese, and butter, and…everything.

We’ve all got to deal with the rising costs somehow (our employers sure aren’t doing their part…or at least mine isn’t!). Here are a few articles that especially caught our eye. (Entrants, forgive me if I’ve re-categorized your entry. It’s amazing how many categories some of your posts can fit in! But rest assured, it will be covered if you’ve gotten an email from me. Email me at sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com with any questions.)

Toblerone from Simple Mom has made me pine for carnations…a flower that I’ve never been particularly inspired by. Now I’m imagining all sorts of places I could stick them. On my nightstand! In my bathroom! Next to my dog’s bowl! (Yes, they really are that cheap of a flower.)

 

 

Frugal Wedding Present: Creating a Cookbook. Stephanie from Stop The Ride has put together a great idea for a wedding present — a personalized book of recipes. I would definitely have appreciated such a heartfelt gift at my wedding, and you can spend as much or as little time on it as you have available to you.

Eating Well on Your Budget Vacation. Sarah from The Eclectic Female has some interesting ideas that I’ve never thought about — going to a farmer’s market at your vacation spot, for instance. (Not that we GO on vacations, mind you. That sounds like something for the especially time-privileged at this point in our lives!)

The Use of Grocery Credit Cards to Save Money at the Supermarket. I can’t even type the phrase “credit cards” without grimacing. I haaaaaaate them. Hate them. They gobble up my money every month without ever seeming to slow down with their insatiable appetites. So if someone out there can actually get the better of the credit card companies by making money off of them, go for it. I have tried and failed numerous times. Perhaps this article from Money Blue Book can help you succeed at it.

5 Ways to Use Vinegar. As far as household products go, you can’t get much cheaper than a bottle of vinegar. Samantha from Some Healthy Savings shares 5 of its little-known uses.

Virtually Organized Giveaway: Mrs. A’s Coupon Organizer. I always get so flustered with my coupons in the check-out line. I can feel the people behind me boring their little beady eyes at me like laser beams. I sheepishly hand them to the cashier in a little wad and pray that I pulled the right ones. Oh please let there not be a problem! (I know, I have self-awareness issues.) I seriously need to enter this giveaway from Virtually Organized, in other words.

A Better Way to Organize Coupons. But let’s face it, folks. I rarely win anything in my life, and you probably don’t either. There’s hope for us yet! Nichole from A Call to Higher Places has put together a guide to creating a handy coupon book all by yourself. Yippee!

The Benefits of Line-Drying Your Clothing. The much-revered Amy Clark of MomAdvice.com has put together a thorough article convincing me that line-drying is definitely a good thing. And for those of us who sheepishly wonder the process of this quaint past-time, she even includes a bit of a how-to.

How to Live on Less: A Guide to Thrifting. Ivy from Home Ec 101 is a bit of a thrifting pro (actually, she’s kind of a pro at a lot of stuff). Her readers have also chimed in with a lively discussion on the topic.

The Debtor’s Toolkit: 12 Effective Tactics to Use when Tackling Debt. Debt can be a nasty opponent. (Believe me, it seems to always be winning in our house.) Trent from The Simple Dollar can help you get mean and nasty right back at it.

The Secrets Credit Card Companies DON’T Want You to Know. The title sounds like the title of a late-night infomercial, but it is all so completely true. Credit cards are truly evil. Here’s proof from Gather Little By Little.

And the winner in the Eco-Fab category is…

Amy from Mom Advice for her helpful and informative article about getting started with line-drying (And be sure to shoot me an email with your address so that I can send your prize package!)

See you tomorrow for the next installment!

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day One: Art and Craft, Part II

Published on May 14, 2008 in Art and Craft and Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling. 5 Comments

Our first carnival post was bursting at the seams, so I decided to follow it up with a second part so as not to overwhelm. Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out who won in the Art and Craft category!

Alex from Home Life Weekly has a set of free printable thank-you cards for us. The one to my left is my fave.

 

 

 

 

 

Anna from MarmaDaisy has graced us with another wonderful tutorial…this time one for a simple “mouse mat” (known here in the states as a mousepad). Because every little mouse needs its own pad.

 

 

 

Emily from Loria Family Dialogues has put together an apron tutorial that requires 20 minutes and $4 or less to make. So kitschy-cute…you have to love it.

 

 

 

 

Jennafer from the Land of Lovings shows us how to make our own anti-granny recipe box. Looking at Jennafer’s photo, I’m not sure I would eat anything that came out of there…isn’t the skull and crossbones the universal symbol for poison? That’s the fun, you say? Oh yes. Of course!

 

 

Anna from MarmaDaisy sure has been busy with the tutorials…she sends us another one that details how to re-cover a boring old lampshade. I have so many great fabrics I could do this with…my wheels are spinning…

 

 

 

Crystal from JewelFaerie Creations shows us how to pamper our pets in style by making them a pet bed out of an old vintage suitcase. I love the fabric that she chose for this project. I just wish my miniature schnauzer was more…miniature! I’m going to need a biiiiig suitcase.

 

 

 

When I first saw Anna’s tutorial for shoe fresheners, I thought, “Wow. How very useful!” I have a pair of stinky shoes that I just can’t wear socks or hose with. But they’re so adorable, and they just sit in my closet because of their smelliness. Now maybe I can break them out again after making these!

 

 

Awesome Mom has put together a hilarious step-by-step tutorial for making burp cloths. Make sure you read it all the way through…yes, she does manage to eventually finish them amidst the chaos of being a mom!

 

 

 

I just love this little afternoon project that Emily did with her family. Aren’t the little stuffed creatures adorable? Just love ‘em! I’ve nicknamed them stuffies.

 

 

 

 

So…is the anticipation killing you?! It is me! It’s almost time to disclose today’s winner. BUT FIRST. A little note about how I chose them: I just…did. I chose the one I liked the absolute best out of all of the Art and Craft entries. But you must know that I deem every one of these entries amazing, or they wouldn’t have made it into the Carnival in the first place! Next time, perhaps we’ll have a judging panel, but for now, it’s all me. I didn’t want this to be a popularity (or link-ularity!) contest, so that’s why I chose to do it that way this time around.

And the winner is…

Toblerone from Simple Mom for her easy-peasy artwork! “But,” you ask, “What about Heidi? Didn’t she actually come up with the idea in the first place?” Why yes, you’re right. She did. In fact, I think that’s a photo of her work that I posted (sorry for the faux pas, Toblerone! I’ll change that photo post-haste!). So in fact, today we have TWO winners, I am thrilled to say. Please email me your addresses so that I can get your prize packages in the mail (sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com). And CONGRATULATIONS!

(Oh yes, and don’t forget to visit some of our tres cool sponsors. We love them very much.)

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling Day One: Art and Craft, Part I

Published on May 14, 2008 in Art and Craft and Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling. 12 Comments

Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling

Hello beautiful people. Today is the very first day of the very first ever Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling…welcome! So much work has gone into this, and today I especially want to thank Jen of Bliss Homegoods.

Jen has been kind enough to donate time, shipping costs, and beautiful creations from her shop, and the winner of today’s carnival will be receiving a gift package that will most likely include something from Bliss Homegoods. Jen also blogs over at Welcome Home, so give her a visit! She has become one of my dearest friends in blogland, and I’m so grateful for her support. You should also check out the rest of our very spiffy sponsors. You’ll be meeting more of them throughout the week.

So on with the show! We had so many entries for this category that I’m going to split this up into two posts…the next installment is coming your way later today and will include the overall winner in the Art and Craft category, so don’t miss it!

Crystal from JewelFaerie Creations has turned a couple of old medicine cabinets (at least that’s what they look like to me) into some roomy, chic nightstands. Complete with tutorial!

 

 

 

 

Beth from Sunberst Illustration & Design has put together an excellent tutorial detailing how to make a linoleum print. Great starter project for anyone wanting to try their hand at printing.

 

 

 

I never intended to feature entire blogs as entries in this carnival, but what else could I do with Marichelle’s lovely homage to all things handmade? I am always marveling at the collages she makes with each and every post, and I wonder…where does she get the time? Regardless, Heart Handmade is an excellent blog featuring indie artists and crafters. The inspiration quotient is extremely high, so be warned!

 

With everybody wanting to get on the green train, reusable grocery bags are in high demand. The Charlie bag is an adorable free pattern from BurdaStyle that is really, really versatile. And with the lowest difficulty level possible, I bet even I could make it!

 

 

 

Anna from MarmaDaisy promises that these panties are oh-so-easy to make. I don’t know if I believe her (I always pride myself on my healthy bit of skepticism when it comes to such matters) but who can resist a panty tutorial as adorable as this?!

 

 

 

Kate Dixon, a finalist in the design*sponge 2008 diy contest, came up with this wonderful tutorial for do-it-yourself wall sconces.

 

 

 

 

 

Felicity Tepper, writer and frequent contributor to wikiHow, shares a podcast on One Minute How-To detailing how to choose embroidery fabric. Besides being a great podcast, I’m in it for the accent. You know how I love British accents (and if it’s not British, forgive my ignorance. I really am a stupid American sometimes.)

 

 

Toblerone (yes, that’s her real name! Just kidding) from simple mom has made up an example of this incredibly easy, cheap (and beautiful) artwork that you can do in an afternoon. Or even less! She got the idea from Heidi at Mt. Hope Chronicles. Love it!

 

 

 

Is your frumpy ironing board cover cramping your style? Well. We can’t have that. Condo Blues has an excellent tutorial about using your old ironing board cover as a pattern for a new, way cooler one. Or in this case, hotter.

 

 

 

 

Jennafer from the Land of Lovings (been there yet?) is apparently a very crafty one. She was able to update her beach chair by using the old fabric as a pattern. Love the blue…so bold.

 

 

 

 

Come back for the second installment later this afternoon for more entries and to find out who won!

Just around the bend

Published on May 12, 2008 in Site Updates. 2 Comments

You guys would not believe how awesome this carnival is going to be. I was so convinced that I had come up with this idea that was going to flop, and THEN…well, it has completely soared past my imagination! So yay!

I’m going to be quiet for just a few more days…Wednesday’s the big kick-off, so my silence until then will serve to amplify the excitement for everyone.

A couple more people who are rocking my world right now:

  • Toblerone from simplemom.net. Her site is just completely awesome, I am telling you. One of my new favorites.
  • MarmaDaisy is a genius with the sewing machine. She has tutorials that I can actually DO, too! What a concept!
  • Lisa from Condo Blues has tons of DIY projects for people who live in small spaces.
  • Debbie from Virtually Organized has so many professional organizing tips, you just might not have an excuse anymore.

See you Wednesday!

A few (more) people I want to thank…

Published on May 8, 2008 in Site Updates. 2 Comments

Laura from orgjunkie.com (Her site just plain rocks. If you want to get organized, you’ve got to click over.)

Emily from rozells.blogspot.com (Her family is the greatest)

Jennafer from atlantalovings.com (LOVE her site!)

Stephanie from stoptheride.net (so many fantastic ideas for simple living)

You’ll be seeing them again throughout the carnival (as well as the other lovely people who are making this whole thing possible!). If you’ve helped promote the carnival in some way and I don’t know about it, please shoot me an email at sarahjoy AT todayshomemaker DOT com. I’d love to thank you publicly.

Also, I’ve been attacked! In a GOOD way. There has been such an onslaught of people over the last week wanting to get involved in the carnival, and I’m so excited about all of it. If I haven’t gotten back to you yet, don’t worry. I will by Monday. My inbox is bursting to the brim!

Getting ready for the carnival…

Published on May 5, 2008 in Site Updates. 3 Comments

…and my son’s birthday is this week! And our family is in town! So many things going on. I’ll be in and out, but probably mostly out this week.

In the meantime, don’t forget to enter your best stuff in the first ever Carnival of Modern Home Dwelling. We’re getting closer!

Living Well: Five ways to live on “green” time

Published on May 2, 2008 in Living Well. 8 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be eco-friendly. It seems there’s always two sides of the coin to everything. Organic farming is better for us, but not necessarily for the environment (as far as land usage goes). Flourescent bulbs take less energy, but contain mercury. Ethanol and other bio-fuels are not mined from the earth, but they still require a huge production process and might leave a just as huge a footprint as other fuels.

Since my mind is spinning from so much conflicting information, I’m taking my thought process another direction today. I’m finding a deep need to “green” up my time.

What does that mean? Time is a finite resource, just as this planet is, and I want to make sure that I’m not wasting it away on things that might be “easy” or provide immediate pleasure but do not contribute to my (or my family’s) ultimate health and happiness. In other words, some of the best things in life take the most work, and I’m not going to sit here doing the easy thing while those opportunities are passing me up. So here are some things I’m going to work on:

  1. Get up when the sun does.
    Not only can we save electricity by going to bed earlier and utilizing as much of the sun’s light as possible, but getting up early has lots of other benefits, as well. I have always been a night owl, but I secretly long to be an early bird. At my ripe old age of 25, I’ve already given up hope of the possibility. But I truly believe that it’s the one thing that would change my life. At least I believe that now. At 6am, I don’t believe it one bit.
  2. Have friends over at least once a week.
    Believe it or not, I am not automatically a people person. But research has shown that all other factors being the same, people who maintain good relationships outside of their families live longer (and happier) lives. In fact, my pastor shared with us a study that suggested that it’s healthier to eat a Twinkie with friends than broccoli alone (In moderation, people…don’t go setting up nightly Twinkie binge dates with your friends. I know that’s what you’re thinking.)
  3. Limit computer/tv time.
    Egads, why am I listing all of these things that I have such trouble with! I would much rather list the things that I’m already doing, such as “Read 200 blog entries a day” or “Convince neighbors that pajama-wearing is the height of fashion in France.” But limiting “virtual” time automatically makes it easier to fit in actually living your real life. The struggle comes when you’re so in love with your computer that you just can’t imagine real life being any better. (Thanks a lot, Mac.) I think there must be a 12-step program for that. Call me if you find one. We’ll go together.
  4. Paint/garden/dance/create.
    Americans are consumers in every sense of the word. Even when we have down time, we’re consuming. We gobble up media like it was essential to life. We inhale articles on “How to do this” and “How to do that” but we never actually DO them. Sadly, information overload does not enrich our lives [pdf]. But it’s much easier to consume than to create. Fight consumerism! Make a gourmet meal. Plant a container garden. Learn how to sew. Creating is ultimately much more fulfilling than consuming, even though it’s the harder thing.
  5. Give, give, give.
    Sometimes there is so much information out there about war and poverty that we think we couldn’t make a difference even if we DID have an extra heap of cash lying around. But giving isn’t just good for the person who receives…it’s actually good for the giver, too. But you already knew that. What you might NOT know is that we don’t just need to give to the poor and needy. We also need to give to our friends and people who we come in contact with regularly. Give a card. Give a hug. Give a phone call. As a last resort, give an email. If you stay mindful of opportunities to give, you will open your life up to more joy than you might have thought possible.

So that’s my list for living on green time. I’m thinking of posting it on my inspiration board just to remind me of what my “good life” would look like. What does yours look like?