Day 13 - T-Shirt Headband

More uses for old t-shirts.  Awesome!  No-sew...not exactly.  I hand stitched this project, but the instructions said you could glue it.  I wouldn't recommend that.  I thought this was a neat idea, could make a cute gift, and could come in handy those days you want a pony tail for running errands, but have some little baby hairs you want to keep out of your face. When I first pinned this, I was fooled by the "no-sew" promise and how cute the project seemed, but quickly learned otherwise when I clicked into the link.

Source: craftgawker.com via Erin on Pinterest

I found an old maternity shirt in a pretty light blue color and began to cut away.  5 strips per the instructions.

Then I hand-stitched them together at one end.

Then I stretched out the strips the same way I did for my t-shirt scarf.

Next, I started braid/weaving according to the instructions in the link.  It was pretty easy once I got going and could see the pattern I was making with the strips of fabric.

I stitched together the other end and joined it with the first end I stitched.  Then I looped another piece of fabric and hand-stitched it per the instructions.

The headband took me about 20 minutes to complete, not long at all. I think I need to get to a thrift store and find some old tees in fun colors to make some more of these and more t-shirt scarves too!

Day 12 - Homemade Carpet Cleaner

If I can find a way to get anything in my house cleaner without having to use harsh chemicals or things that cost more, I am all for it.  I have a board on Pinterest dedicated just to Tips and Tricks where I keep these kinds of ideas to try.  The carpet in our townhouse is atrocious.  It was disgusting when we moved in and it's been a struggle to clean over and over again. We're not terribly rough on our house either, so it's a testament to how cheap and nasty the builder-grade crap is that they install when you don't get the upgrade (Thanks previous owners!).

Source: pktaswegrow.com via Erin on Pinterest

The carpet in our basement is especially gross.  Especially, after last year I threw a birthday party for my husband.  We had a bonfire in our driveway and beers were spilled in drunken sloppiness.  This led to wet, ashen covered shoes making their way into our house to use the bathroom.  Gross.  Two cats, a toddler, beer, friends, movie nights...you get the idea.  We live in our basement, and the carpet is proof.

I thought I would try this Pin out at first and if I found success, I'll attempt bigger stains on a weekend when I have more time.  I would say I found success.

So I didn't really measure anything out.  I just poured some hydrogen peroxide in a bottle, squirt some dawn soap in it and swirled.  Then I took a beige sponge and went to work.

Here's the before...

Here's the after...

Needless to say, I'll be attempting this on larger sections of yucky cheap carpet.

Day 11 – Vanilla in….Your Oven?

Okay, I’ll admit it…this is the FIRST pin I’ve EVER done that I hated.  I don’t know why I even tried it really because I’m not a huge fan of the smell of vanilla, neither is my husband.  After a stinky fridge, a stinky kid, a stinky cat, stinky sink, and stink garbage all inhabiting my kitchen at once, I decided, it might be worth a shot.  Pinterest to the rescue!  Or…not….

Here’s the pin if you’re really interested.  And if you are a realtor reading this…I really hope you don’t do this in your clients’ homes….yuck. I don’t have any pictures to share, because it was just a mug with some vanilla in it.  I think you can imagine what that would look like.

                                                                 

Source: richestoragsbydori.blogspot.ca via Erin on Pinterest

Like I said, my kitchen did not smell the most desirable and I went in for a quick fix.  I thought “Hey!  Remember that vanilla pin! I’ll give that a shot!”  At first, when my husband saw me pull out the vanilla, a coffee mug, and a tablespoon he gave me a very strange look and asked what I was making.  I quickly explained “According to Pinterest, this is supposed to make your home smell lovely.”  I don’t think he believed me.  I took 2 tablespoons of vanilla (the Costco kind) in a big coffee mug, Tinker Bell if you really want to know, and put it in a 350 degree oven.  Then I waited.

About 10 minutes later, we finished up our dinner, I started cleaning some stuff, and all of a sudden I thought “grossums, it does NOT smell lovely in here.  It smells like I burned vanilla”.  I quickly looked over at my husband, and I could tell the icky smell was permeating his nostrils just then.  I said “Welp, this is an epic Pinterest FAIL!”  We both laughed as I took my bubbling vanilla out of the oven.   Please don’t do this in your house, it does not smell lovely, even if you enjoy vanilla, it truly smells like you were baking something with vanilla in it and burned it.  Not lovely at all.   Rather, find a pin that you can make smelly candles, or maybe that one about making Febreze works (I wouldn’t know….yet.)  Whatever you do, DO NOT put vanilla in a coffee mug in your oven….ever. 

Day 10 - Breakfast Croissant

I absolutely love making breakfast on the weekends.  Mostly due to the fact I have no time during the week to make a proper breakfast, and it is my favorite meal of the day.  I have been known to eat breakfast foods three meals a day before, that’s how much I love breakfast.  My husband on the other hand, is more of a lunch person.  He likes sandwiches a lot.  When he does indulge in breakfast foods, it’s usually the savory kind.  He also really loves bacon.  I knew when I saw this pin; it would definitely be a hit in our house.  It was, and it was also pretty quick and easy to make. 

The link to the pin is below.  I actually didn’t use the link in the pin, I used the link from the blog in the pin to make it because there were more pictures and it was easier to follow.  That being my experience, I decided I would document every step for you too.

                                                

Source: navywifecook.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

Here’s what you need:

A tube of croissant rolls, you can use the reduced fat kind

5 eggs, or the equivalent in Egg Beaters or any other Egg substitute product you like

1 ½ cups of cheese, any kind you like

8 pieces of bacon

I put my bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes to cook instead of using the skillet.  This was my husband’s idea and it is an excellent one because it’s easy, prevents grease burns, doesn’t make your stove top a huge greasy mess, AND you can make a bunch more at a time than you can in a skillet. 

While the bacon was cooking I scrambied my eggs and assembled my croissants according to the instructions.  Make sure you use parchment paper because it’s easier to get the croissant off the pan that if you don’t.  Once the bacon was done, I reduced the oven to 350 degrees for my breakfast ring.

When the bacon was finished cooking, I placed it on top of each of my croissant triangles like so.

Then I added my first layer of cheese.  The directions said a precise amount, but I like to eyeball these things to my liking.

 

Then I added the eggs.

 

Then I added more cheese.

Then I folded in my croissant.   Don’t worry if the bacon breaks, while you are doing this step, it probably will and it doesn’t hinder the results.

I put it in the oven for 17 minutes….and YUMMY!!!

Day 9 - Baby Hat Shadow Box

Ever wonder what the heck to do with that baby stuff that you just can't use, you can't scrapbook, but has significant meaning? How about a little shadow box?  I've had Remi's little hat from the hospital sitting in a drawer in his room for over a year hoping I would figure out something to do with it.  Then I found this pin.

Source: flickr.com via Erin on Pinterest

Hobby Lobby had a sale on their shadow boxes last week so I picked one up in order to do this pin. The 5 x 7 frame was normally $17.99, but I got it for half price. After completing this craft, I wish I would have gotten a little bigger of a frame. I think it turned out well, but a square box would have looked a little nicer, in my opinion.

The background is just cardstock cut to fit the frame. To make the little birth facts card, I cut the blue piece 3 x 2 and the white piece 2 x 1 1/2. I mounted the dark blue paper to the light blue paper with those clear dots that raise the paper just a little to give a little dimension. I also used those to attach the hat to the blue paper. Now...I need to find a pin for making photo collages/gallery walls so I can proudly display it!

Day 8 - Hospital Survival Kit

I wish I had found this before I had my son because I could have used the snacks and face wash wipes for sure after delivery.  I didn't get to go to the bathroom by myself until the next morning, so being able to clean up a little while in the hospital bed definitely comes in handy.

Source: jensownroad.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

I apologize for the lateness of this post, but I didn't want to take the chance the recipient of this gift was reading the blog.  :)  I found out at her baby shower on Saturday that she had been.  Good call on my part!

Anyway, the picture below are the contents of my kit and it seemed to be a hit with the Momma-to-be. I think this is a great idea especially from a Mom to a new Mom. There are lots of great ways to create this gift if you want to add your own little touches. I personally think the new Momma deserves a glass of sparkly after the birth to not only celebrate such a momentous occasion, but also cause giving carrying a baby for 9 months and giving birth is a lot of hard work!

Day 7 - Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Up until making this dish I never liked Quinoa, despite its healthy attributes.  I had it a few times when I belonged to a gym that had a café in it, and every time I was disappointed.  It turns out, it was because they were making it wrong!  It was almost always crunchy and just icky.  When I made it last night, it wasn’t crunchy at all, and in fact, was pretty tasty.  I always like finding comfort food recipes that you can make healthier versions of because I want the yumminess of having something I love but not with all the fat and calories. 

I found the pin below a long time ago and have never tried it.  Mac and Cheese is a weekly favorite in our house, but Quinoa or any new “super food” is always a gamble with my husband.  I decided that this challenge was an excellent excuse to make him eat it.  HA!  Our 13 month old absolutely loved it, which I was delighted by.  Quinoa will soon be in regular rotation in our house!

Source: aroundthetableri.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

So here’s what I did, I put some oil in a heavy sauce pan, heated up my broccoli.  Then I added the Quinoa and some garlic to get it toasty for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  I added 3 cups of water, but you can add chicken broth if you like for more flavor, and some Cajun seasoning.  During this time I pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees (the instructions said 350, but I was in a little bit of a hurry as our toddler needed to eat) and prepped my Pyrex with some olive oil.  I put a lid on my Quinoa mixture and let it reduce for about 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while.  I let it cool for 5 minutes.  During the cooling phase, I mixed ½ cup egg beaters to 1 cup of milk.  After 5 minutes, I dumped 2 cups of reduced fat shredded cheddar and the milk/egg mixture into my skillet, mixed it up, and poured it into the square Pyrex dish. I topped with Panko Bread crumbs and popped it into the oven for 25 minutes. 

Here’s the yummy goodness straight out of the oven. 

Reviews were mixed.  Remi loved it and ate a lot.  Mike said it was “Ok, but it’s Quinoa” whatever that means.  I thought it was a tasty, healthier option for one of my favorite comfort foods.  I think it’s worth repeating since it wasn’t terribly difficult to make and for the three of us it leaves some good leftovers for another night of the week when we’re busy but need a healthy option. 

Day 6 - Messy Bun with a Braid

This morning, I rolled out of bed and realized it was chilly in my house, too chilly for me to want to take a shower this morning.  A quick walk to the bathroom had me questioning that choice after seeing the state my bangs were in.  Pinterest to the rescue!

Here's the link for the Pin.

The link within the Pin has lots of hair tutorials, I followed the one with the front French braid and side messy bun.  My bun doesn't look so messy, but I took about 5 minutes to complete this hair style after watching the how-to.

Here is the result!

Day 5 - Pumpkin Wreath

Halloween and Christmas are my most favorite times of the year.  Both holidays let grown adults feel like kids again, and I truly enjoy the feeling of magic or mystical happenings.  With a toddler around, I’ve been finding my time has been going by much more quickly than it used to, so I have decided to try to get a bit of a jump start on Halloween festivities.  I found the following pin while doing a search for DIY Halloween decorations.  This pumpkin looks so adorable and it should really stand out on our “every other townhouse looks like this townhouse” exterior.

            

Source: erin--elizabeth.blogspot.com via Erin on Pinterest

This inspiration was actually pretty challenging.  I had trouble finding orange mesh in the size recommended in the pin, so I purchased a wider spool and cut it down, which took up some time, and also made doing this project in the presence of our son pretty difficult.

Once I got going here's the progress...

Here's my hook and latch canvas.  I attached it to the inner part of an embroidery hoop using floral wire.

Then I cut the canvas down to size.

Here's the  10" piece of mesh (4" wide) and pipe cleaner.  I later realized I needed to cut the piper cleaners in half.   

                                            

Roll up the mesh, bend the pipe cleaner around it as tight as possible.

Start looping the mesh into the hook and latch canvas.  You can make it as concentrated or loose as you want depending on how you want your pumpkin to look.

For day 5, this as far as I got.  Our son took his first steps today, which distracted me a bit from getting it totally completed.  I think I might have about another 45-60 minutes left on this, after spending roughly 2 hours on it already. It's a bit tedious, but I think it looks super cute.  I'll post more pictures later of how it looks on our front door.

Bonus!

Here it is...the bonus pin.  I have a cupcake challenge at work tomorrow and I hope these fair well! It's a wheat cupcake that basically tastes like a buckwheat pancake topped with a caramel maple frosting and a little slice of bacon because, let's be honest folks, bacon makes everything better.  The frosting was the only tricky thing about this recipe because I'm not very good with making caramel, but I think I did a decent job here. See below for the link to the recipe/pin.  And feast your eyes upon my tasty treat!

Link

Day 4 - Chicken Enchilada-Stuffed Pasta Shells

This activity should definitely benefit my family.  So for tonight's pinspiration, I decided to make some chicken enchiladas, but with a twist.  Instead of tortillas, I used pasta shells, yummy!

The link for the pin is also listed below.  I followed the instructions except for the protein.  The recipe called for ground beef or turkey, but I used ground chicken instead.  

First, I sprayed non-stick cooking spray, then poured about a 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.  Then I stuffed the shells with the chicken/re-fried bean mixture and added them to the dish.

Poured more enchilada sauce over the top!

Covered it with foil before baking.  This is important!  You don't want your noodles to dry out.

After baking the shells for about 25 minutes, I took the foil off and covered in a Fiesta cheese blend.

Baked for 5 more minutes.  Whenever I make anything with cheese on top, I like to broil it for a couple minutes because I like the cheese to be a little golden brown on top.

And there you go!  Chicken enchilada-stuffed pasta! I topped with fresh cilantro and sour cream.  The family really enjoyed it.  Our one year old gobbled up two completely on his own! It took about an hour start to finish and the end product was really satisfying. I would definitely recommend this recipe.

Link to the Pasta Enchiladas

Stay tuned...you may get a bonus pinspiration in the next 12 hours.....

Day 3 - Braided Updo

As any Mom can tell you, time to get ready in the morning, or ever for that matter, is precious.  No one likes a pony tail every day of the week though.  I've spent a lot of time looking for new hair tricks on Pinterest to keep from doing the pony tail thing 5 days a week at work, and found some really easy ones.  I am by no means a hairdresser, and oftentimes require some practice before I can go out in public with a new hairstyle. I really like the following braided style, and it's relatively easy to pull off without a huge learning curve.

My hair isn't as long as the girl's hair in the pin and I have a lot of layers, so some pieces stick out, but can easily be hidden with bobby pins and hair spray.  I also did not rubber band the top of my braids.  I tried it, but the end result was rubber bands you could see, not a good look.

Since my braids aren't quite as long as the pin, I opted to roll the center braid up, towards the top of my head, then I rolled the ends of my side braids toward the middle braid.  Once I figured out I didn't want to use hair bands at the top, this style took about 5 minutes to complete.  I would definitely recommend it as an alternative to a pony tail.

Day 2 - Pampering in a Jar

Today, I decided I would like to do something for someone I know is having a stressful week and may have a couple stressful weeks ahead of her. I love mason jars, and I love the idea of giving a little thoughtful gift in a mason jar.  So I decided to utilize the pin for creating a little pampering gift in a mason jar.  It was a quick, easy project and, I think, will make my friend feel appreciated when she gets it.

I already had some mason jars left from our son's first birthday party.  The rest of the goods I found at Target.  I got fuzzy socks, stress-relief travel lotion, Burt's Bees lip balm, and Lindt's chocolate truffles.  You could really put anything you think would fit in a mason jar if you like.

I gathered all my goodies together.

I added them all to the jar.  I will admit, this was a bit tricky to fit 4 truffles in there along with a lotion and socks.  I think in the future, I may find a different sized lotion or bubble bath to put in there, or possibly a bigger mason jar.  :)

Then I added a bit of ribbon. I tied around some ribbon I had, punched out a circle and fleur de lis from some pink card stock, and added them to the top of the jar.  I think it looks pretty cute, don't you?  I think this is such a great little idea for a friend, co-worker, or even family member when you know they might be having a little extra stress in their life.  It's simple, relatively inexpensive, and thoughtful.  I really hope it goes over well!! I'll post a follow-up comment when I find out.