Sunday, September 11, 2011

Highchair Re-Do

Back before Kaypha was even a twinkle in my eye, we decided we wanted to get a high chair to have at home so that when our friends who did have kids came over for dinner their kids would have somewhere to sit. We were lucky to be able to get a highchair off of Freecycle:


It's used and while it's not super stylish, it did a great job. When my cousin moved to town, though, we let her take it and after a year and a half of daily use, it's falling apart. The vinyl is worn (that's not glare in the picture...the light spots are where the color has rubbed off), hard and crunchy and cracking.



It's gotten so bad that her daughter had to sit on top of a towel on the cracked cover to keep from cutting up or irritating her legs. That's no good. So I took it home and decided I'd try to make a new cover.  I think it turned out alright

The fabric is way cuter at any rate.  Here's how I did it:

Monday, September 5, 2011

Pro Tip of the Week: How to do Matts for Your Framed Art on the Cheap

I was cruising the entries for Crafting with the Stars (which you can enter to compete in through Thursday, September 15th....so make sure you crafty types go check out that link!) and saw this great tip from Kari over at The Sunset Lane.

She writes:
I love a good matted picture and frame, but sometimes they are so expensive!  I sometimes just buy a cheap frame and matte and spray paint them to black frames and white matte.  But, I had quite a collection of frames with no mattes. So, I made my own :)

You know what the best part is? You can buy the big posterboard you need to do this at the Dollar Store and it's enough for several frames. Which means you can matt your photos for about $0.33 (or less!) instead of for $5 or more that you'd spend on pre-made frames.

Check out Kari's tutorial here.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Be a Breakfast Time Hero: Strawberry Yogurt Waffle Stack Recipe

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's coming. The cool nights are setting in. The clouds are coming back. The corn stalks are drying up. Just this week you could start to feel the first hints of fall in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to all of the fabulous things that fall brings: deep jewel tones, scarves, crunchy leaves, the last of the fresh produce, warm cinnamon scents, beautiful scenery....I know for a lot of you, it's also bringing school: which in my house means a panic about what to feed everyone as life gets busy again.
This is the Blueberry 'fruit on the bottom' kind - yum!
This week I was given an opportunity to try Dannon's new Oikos® Greek yogurt. I'd tried a different brand of Greek yogurt at my sister's house a few months back, but this stuff was way better. It was super thick and creamy - like the yogurt equivalent of super premium ice cream. You know....the kind of thing that you're sure has a ba-jillion grams of fat and might make you gain 5 pounds just by thinking about it. What's amazing, though is that is fat free. I'm told that's because Dannon® Oikos® is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture. Straining out the extra whey is what keeps more milk solids and gives it that awesome texture without the fat. The texture reminds me of something that's a hybrid between cream cheese and standard issue runnier yogurt. The thicker texture also conveniently sticks to little spoons so my one year old with only budding silverware skills can eat it with way less mess.
Not only is this yogurt pretty fabulous by itself, but I think you could definitely go a long way with this as a recipe ingredient or maybe even a condiment. Oikos® is so thick and creamy, that you could spread it on your bagel instead of strawberrry cream cheese for all the flavor but none of the fat. And it was exactly that thought that inspired my recipe below. It is super fast and easy to make, is packed with protein and is low in fat. I personally think it would be a great way to start your day on your way out the door to work or school.


Dannon is also offering a coupon to try this yogurt for free! (we all know that's my favorite price). Head over to their Facebook page to 'like' them and grab the coupon.(update: It appears this current promotion was so popular they have run out of coupons. If you visit the page, you can still click the link to get a coupon for the Stonyfield Oikos and by liking the page you'll be able to find out about new coupon offers they have in the future)

Strawberry Yogurt Waffle Stack

Ingredients 
2 Frozen Waffles (I used multigrain waffles from Trader Joe's)
1 container Strawberry flavored  Dannon® Oikos® greek yogurt
2 or more strawberries, washed and sliced

How to be a Breakfast Hero in Less Than 5 Minutes

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Highchair Re-Do

Back before Kaypha was even a twinkle in my eye, we decided we wanted to get a high chair to have at home so that when our friends who did have kids came over for dinner their kids would have somewhere to sit. We were lucky to be able to get a highchair off of Freecycle:


It's used and while it's not super stylish, it did a great job. When my cousin moved to town, though, we let her take it and after a year and a half of daily use, it's falling apart. The vinyl is worn (that's not glare in the picture...the light spots are where the color has rubbed off), hard and crunchy and cracking.



It's gotten so bad that her daughter had to sit on top of a towel on the cracked cover to keep from cutting up or irritating her legs. That's no good. So I took it home and decided I'd try to make a new cover.  I think it turned out alright

The fabric is way cuter at any rate.  Here's how I did it:

Monday, September 5, 2011

Pro Tip of the Week: How to do Matts for Your Framed Art on the Cheap

I was cruising the entries for Crafting with the Stars (which you can enter to compete in through Thursday, September 15th....so make sure you crafty types go check out that link!) and saw this great tip from Kari over at The Sunset Lane.

She writes:
I love a good matted picture and frame, but sometimes they are so expensive!  I sometimes just buy a cheap frame and matte and spray paint them to black frames and white matte.  But, I had quite a collection of frames with no mattes. So, I made my own :)

You know what the best part is? You can buy the big posterboard you need to do this at the Dollar Store and it's enough for several frames. Which means you can matt your photos for about $0.33 (or less!) instead of for $5 or more that you'd spend on pre-made frames.

Check out Kari's tutorial here.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Be a Breakfast Time Hero: Strawberry Yogurt Waffle Stack Recipe

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's coming. The cool nights are setting in. The clouds are coming back. The corn stalks are drying up. Just this week you could start to feel the first hints of fall in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to all of the fabulous things that fall brings: deep jewel tones, scarves, crunchy leaves, the last of the fresh produce, warm cinnamon scents, beautiful scenery....I know for a lot of you, it's also bringing school: which in my house means a panic about what to feed everyone as life gets busy again.
This is the Blueberry 'fruit on the bottom' kind - yum!
This week I was given an opportunity to try Dannon's new Oikos® Greek yogurt. I'd tried a different brand of Greek yogurt at my sister's house a few months back, but this stuff was way better. It was super thick and creamy - like the yogurt equivalent of super premium ice cream. You know....the kind of thing that you're sure has a ba-jillion grams of fat and might make you gain 5 pounds just by thinking about it. What's amazing, though is that is fat free. I'm told that's because Dannon® Oikos® is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture. Straining out the extra whey is what keeps more milk solids and gives it that awesome texture without the fat. The texture reminds me of something that's a hybrid between cream cheese and standard issue runnier yogurt. The thicker texture also conveniently sticks to little spoons so my one year old with only budding silverware skills can eat it with way less mess.
Not only is this yogurt pretty fabulous by itself, but I think you could definitely go a long way with this as a recipe ingredient or maybe even a condiment. Oikos® is so thick and creamy, that you could spread it on your bagel instead of strawberrry cream cheese for all the flavor but none of the fat. And it was exactly that thought that inspired my recipe below. It is super fast and easy to make, is packed with protein and is low in fat. I personally think it would be a great way to start your day on your way out the door to work or school.


Dannon is also offering a coupon to try this yogurt for free! (we all know that's my favorite price). Head over to their Facebook page to 'like' them and grab the coupon.(update: It appears this current promotion was so popular they have run out of coupons. If you visit the page, you can still click the link to get a coupon for the Stonyfield Oikos and by liking the page you'll be able to find out about new coupon offers they have in the future)

Strawberry Yogurt Waffle Stack

Ingredients 
2 Frozen Waffles (I used multigrain waffles from Trader Joe's)
1 container Strawberry flavored  Dannon® Oikos® greek yogurt
2 or more strawberries, washed and sliced

How to be a Breakfast Hero in Less Than 5 Minutes

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Facebook Themes