Children's Play...Ziploc Bag Book

I have seen this posted a few times on different sites about making a Ziploc Bag Book for kids.  I like the concept and think it's a great idea..BUT.. I didn't like the idea of using Ziploc bags. Maybe it's the cheapie in me but wasting ziploc bags (yes I know you can get them at the dollar store now a days) just didn't seem right, and a waste of money and GOOD ziploc bags (wow I'm my mom!)  Plus for me I like things simple and easy and to go through sewing them shut etc. was to much effort especially since I'm sewing machine backward (and yes I do own one and plan on learning how to use it...sometime!)

So here is the Ziploc Book Bag link.  Here's a photo of what it looks like...

So not wanting to waste ziploc bags, and not having the talent to use a sewing machine to close them, I needed to see what I had sitting around so I can make one with the same concept.  Also I knew my little curious N would have this ripped apart in a second. Grant it, the one I make him he can probably rip apart to, but it may be a little bit more difficult.

So as I search my supplies I came across the following office supplies I had laying around. I have some scrapbook paper (the book I bought for 3.00 at a yard sale) and printed the pictures of my computer.  Same concept, but a different twist. 

So here is my "Ziploc Bag" inspired Body Book of N!

So here is what I had laying around. A folder with the clasps inside.

Ok I have no clue why this came out sideways because it's saved the right way but I digress.  So here I used sheet protectors, the folder, scrap book paper , and his pictures for the book.

You get the point. Every page is a different body part. I did; Face, eyes, mouth, ears, hands, arms, legs, feet. I cropped them in paint to get the body part I wanted.

N's cute lil nose!

TIP! Make sure you tape down the clasps. Because as you know, especially with N, he was more interested in the clasps then the book! (And for safety reasons to!)

Review:

So I took the concept of the Ziploc Bag and used what I had around (mostly office supplies etc) to make a version of the "ziploc bag." Now that's a little older (15 months) he was trying to pull the pages out of the top of the page protectors and playing with the clasps, however, he really enjoys looking at this book.

Whether you make it with a ziploc bag or the way I made it you can do this for numbers, animals etc..the list goes on and on. But PERSONALIZING it with your child (even family members etc) makes it a lot more special!

So this pinterest project, with a twist, gets a

HAPPY PINNING!



Nums Nums...Mini Pot Pies using Bisquick..Betty Crocker

When I look at recipes there has to be 3 criteria: 1) Easy to prepare 2) Less than 5 ingredients (approx) 3) EASY!     So when I saw this idea on Pinterest for making mini pot pies in a muffin tin I thought it was perfect. I'm all about the quick "mini meals" especially with a 1 year old...who for now will eat anything in front of him. Plus this meal has been "pinned" a number of times so it must be good right? 
So this morning as I got out of the shower, I quickly went into the kitchen to prep for the pot pies and little N decided he was up for the day.  So within 2 hours I got myself ready for work, fed N, and made this meal.  Like I said I'm not suzy homemaker so I didn't EXACTLY checkout the entire recipe, but had an idea of what I needed..and thought I had it all...


First, I'll take you to the link of the  Mini Pot Pie.  Seems easy enough.  Here's the pretty photo from my Pinterest.

So let's talk about MY version. As I searched the pantry for my items. I realized that I didn't have Bisquick but Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix which only added water. The above recipe calls for the pancake mix that uses egg, milk etc.  So I figured it wouldn't make that much of a difference. Pancake mix is pancake mix..what do eggs do to a recipe anyway?

Step 1:
Because I was only making one muffin tin of pot pies I only used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast chopped up and cooked per directions. The recipe invites you to add whatever you want so I added frozen peas and carrots, cheese with the chicken.
Tip:
After the chicken was done cooking I shredded it using a fork and knife in the pan before I added the peas, carrots and cheese.

Step 2:
This is what it looks like in the muffin tins, cute I think.  I just followed the directions from Betty Crocker (link above). 
Tip:
Even following above recipe, I probably could have used a little more filling in each cup. I'm sure this recipe has the freedom of adding a little bit more.

Step 3: THE RESULT
This is after almost 30 mins of cooking at 375 degrees.  It's hard to see in the picture but they aren't very fluffy. They are very flat, but they LOOK good.

REVIEW:

I had a few taste testers. It was a little dry because it didn't have the gravy consistency that a pot pie has in the middle. Because I didn't use Bisquick I'm not sure  how the result would be different. Because of the dryness I did add chicken gravy to them as I heated them up.  My 1 year old was NOT a fan. However my dad, and friends enjoyed it. So my suggestions that if you do make this use the bisquick recipe and add maybe a little more with the filling and I'm sure this will be a success.

This recipe is easy to follow, not very time consuming, and is inexpensive to make. Only because I didn't use the bisquick recipe, and because my 1 year old didn't like it I give it a half and half!

Please let me know if you have tried this recipe or have any other suggestions/comments!

Happy Pinning!

DIY...The Ultimate Menu Board..My Review

A popular "Board" on Pinterest is "DIY" (Do it Yourself). We all would like to think we have the creativity and most importantly the TIME to do our own projects. The myth, I believe, is DIY means anyone can be creative and it is cost effective (which I think is not ALWAYS the case). However, in this case it is.

So let's talk about the "Ultimate Menu Board."  First, as I mentioned I'm not your suzy homemaker. I cook, sometimes, and I NEED to follow a recipe. I also try to think I am organized, I am but more of a chaotic organized.  So as I was searching on Pinterest "DIY" projects I came across this Menu Board. Here is the blog it came from:  http://clairsfairytale.blogspot.com/2012/01/ultimate-menu-board.html

For someone like me this is a great planning tool. My husband thinks our kitchen is a restaurant. He will decide in the middle of the afternoon what he wants for dinner, and then expects all the ingredients to make the meal to be in the kitchen or pantry.  Then after a minor meltdown, he runs to the store to get what he wants and then ends up spending more than intended.  Now with a one year old who is eating table food, this is just not happening!  We don't cook every night because of his work schedule and like most families we seem to circulate the same recipes.  When we do try something different, and we liked it, the recipe gets lost and then we can't find it.  I like this menu board because it keeps things organized recipe wise, and if you shop weekly like we do it's easy to see what was already cooked or not (which is why there are two compartments).

So here is my version and yes it is cost effective! Minus the recipes which I have yet to do!

Total cost of project approx .$8.50
Frame: $1.99 Xmas Tree Shop
Pink Bins and Clothespins Dollar Tree: $3.00
Scrapbook Paper: $3.00 Yard Sale
Hot Glue Gun: Free
Elmer's Glue: .$50 Walmart

I put the scrapbook paper through my printer to get the letters I wanted
I think you can probably use any kind of paper to decorate the inside of frame: Scrapbook Paper, Wrapping Paper, Cardstock, Construction Paper etc.

Again, I ran the scrapbook paper through my printer to get the Days of the Week on the paper.  I then used Elmer's Glue to glue the paper to the clothespins, and then used the hot glue gun to glue the clothespin to the frame.

The Result!

I don't have access to a laminator. So laminating sheets will work for when I type out my recipes.

REVIEW:  This project is fun, quick, and inexpensive to make.  I think the most timely part will be typing out the recipes or however you chose to have them displayed. Quick note:  The pink plastic "holders" are from the dollar tree, hot glue does NOT stick well and peeled off. They are meant to be hung on a fridge so I put the hot glue on the magnet park on back and got a better stick. I ran out of glue so I actually used velcro strips to attach the bottom bin.

So this project gets :

Pinning My Way Thru Life..the birth of a blog

I never thought I would start a blog. I like the idea behind it but wasn't sure what I wanted to "blog" about. I'm not really an "expert" on anything, and to be honest I wasn't sure if I can commit to such a thing. I didn't want to fail myself or my "blogging" audience (if one shall ever exist) by having days or even months in between posts! Blogging about my life, I felt, would only interest myself and not anyone else. Saying that, my friend Shannon, writes a very humorous, loving blog about herself, her little girl Lena, and her husband Evan that is worth checking out ..http://3littlefishies.blogspot.com/2012/07/post-birthday-party-analysis.html.


So enough of the boring stuff, let's talk about how "Pinning My Way Thru Life" was born.  I, like most of America, have started a love affair with Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is, and have been living under a virtual rock, here is a little "how to"  http://pinterest.com/about/, but I digress.


I found myself however being somewhat of a pinning "whore". I would feverishly pin web pages, pin other peoples pins, follow pins, follow friends who pin, follow people I don't even KNOW who pin, make up "boards", organize my "boards and pins" and so on and so on, but I wasn't practicing what I "Pin."  I realized I haven 't tried ANYTHING that I was pinning. Not one recipe, DIY project, natural cleaning product, gardening oasis, drink, diet plan..NOTHING.


So one weekend when my little guy was napping I decided I would practice what I "pin."  It was a a grout cleaner using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.  Well it was a huge cleaning "FAIL" (I will get back to the"Pin" that started this blogging madness). Now I'm not suzy homemaker, so this can very well be me being a challenged housewife but I thought to myself "I should really tell my friends about this and tell them the challenges (or success stories) I have had with my "pins".  That is how "Pinning My Way Thru Life" blog was born!


So as I practice what I "pin" (and take you along for the crazy ride) I hope you can take a little something away from my "pinning" experiments. A little bit of humor and a little bit of "pinning" knowledge!


For those interested on following me on Pinterest...

http://pinterest.com/bebecka23/

Happy Pinning!

Rebecca