JUNE GIVEAWAY - Rose Headband

Loyal Fans & Followers...

I believe it is time for a giveaway!  You could win your very own Rose Headband!  They look beautiful on girls of all ages!

TO ENTER:

Comment below.  You must leave your first name, your favorite color & some way I can contact you if you win (e-mail, shop link, fan page link, etc.)  Entries that don't include all 3 pieces of information will be deleted.

A winner will be chosen via random.org on June 30th.  If you win, I will contact you to get your size & color preferences.  Good Luck & THANK YOU for your continued support! :)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER.  CONGRATULATIONS TO NATALIE DEE!!!!

Tasty Recipe - Cabbage Vegetable Soup

This soup is VERY low in calories & is normally used by people who are dieting.  BUT it's very good for you, it's filling & quite tasty.  You could most definitely add stuff to it... meat, spices, more veggies... whatever you want.  If you follow the recipe as it's written, one cup of soup is about 50 calories.

1/2 head Cabbage
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes (you could also use chicken, or leave them out)
2 cans Diced Tomatoes
Green Onions (I used 8)
2 small-medium Zucchinis
1 Red Bell Pepper
3 stalks of Celery
salt & pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, Chop/slice all the vegetables, cover with water, add soup mix & bouillon cubes.
Bring contents of pot to a boil, then reduce to low heat for about an hour (or until veggies are soft, but not mushy).  Yields about 12-16 cups.

CROCHET PATTERN - Textured Soap Saver

If you've been following my blog for a while, or are a fan of my FB page, you've no doubt heard me singing the praises of these wonderful soap savers.  They're convenient, "green", money-saving, and comfortable.  They're great for ALL people... babies, grandparents, mommy... even my husband & his soldier buddies like using them! 

There are many free soap saver patterns available on CPC, and I took what I liked about a few of them to create my own.  It's a quick & functional project!  Enjoy!

Soap Saver Pattern


Materials: approx. 1 oz cotton yarn, H hook, yarn needle, scissors
Finished dimensions:  approximately 3" x 5"

Base
Row 1: Ch 10, HDC in 2nd ch from hook & across. (9 HDC)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, HDC across. (9 HDC)
ROUND 3: Ch 1, turn, SC across, work 1 SC in the end of each row, SC across unused loops of starting chain (and crochet over tail), work 1 SC in the other end of each row, do not join. (22 SC around)

Body
R1 – R10: Work 1 SC and 1 DC in first SC (you may want to mark this stitch), skip next SC, *Work SC and DC in next SC, skip next ST* continuously around for 10 rounds. SL ST in next SC. (If you want your soap saver longer, work additional rounds here.)
R11: Ch 2, DC in every ST around, join & fasten off. (22 DC)

Drawstring
Ch 35 – 40, fasten off. Use needle or hook to weave drawstring through the last round. Tie ends securely. Enjoy. :)

Battery Powered Bubbles: Genius... or Lazy?

I bought these battery-powered bubble blower wands for my kids.  You dip them in the bubble solution, push the button... and Voila!  Bubbles!  Hundreds of bubbles! 

My daughter is 19 months... so the "old-fashioned" bubble wands end up going straight into her mouth.  My son is 3 1/2 and can sometimes blow the bubbles, but most of the time he chooses to wave the wand wildly & flings soap everywhere.  These magic bubble wands are much less messy.

So, I'm thinking these magic bubble wands are genius... but then I started feeling like a bad mom.  Like I'm turning my kids into lazy little bums.  Sure, this is easier & the results are better... who doesn't love instant gratification??  But isn't part of the fun actually blowing them yourself?  There are so many other electronic toys out there... should BUBBLES be powered by batteries too?  Ugh.

Maybe I should just enjoy the satisfaction of watching them play outside instead of watching TV.... AND my golden retriever won't fetch worth a crap, but he'll chase bubbles all day long. 

More bubbles + more fun for the kids + more exercise for the dog = more quiet time for me. 

My vote = genius.  But what do I know?