Cookie Sheet To Do List Tutorial

Today I want to share the tutorial on how to create the to do list from my organization board.

I started with the items pictured below:

• cookie sheet size 9x13
• 2 rulers
• a role of wrapping paper
• a wooden rod or a hanger(just cut the bottom of the hanger off to create a rod)
• a pad of construction paper

All items were purchased at the dollar store. The final total to complete this project was $5.



Lets look at how to create your own to do list:

1. Start with your rulers. Make sure you purchase rulers that have a hole at the end. Or you can purchase rulers without holes. You will just need to drill your own holes into the ruler. I say take the easy way and get rulers with the holes.



2. Cut one of your rulers. My cookie sheet measured 9 inches across. I cut my ruler down to 8 inches. Although, I wish that I had cut it at about 8 1/2 inches. You may want to try that length instead. As you make this cut, make sure that those 8 inches of ruler don’t include the hole. You will need the hole in the next step.



3. Next cut the holes off the end of both rulers. I cut each of mine at 1 1/2 inches long.



My cookie sheet is about 3/4 of an inch tall. Whatever the height of your cookies sheet make sure that the ruler hole sits above the top edge of the cookie sheet. You are going to stick your rod through the ruler hole. You want to make sure that the rod sits above the cookie sheet so that it can be easily removed so you can replace your roll of paper when it runs out.



4. Cut your roll of wrapping paper. You want to cut it 1/2 an inch shorter than you cut your ruler length in step 2. I cut up my roll of wrapping paper into 7 1/2 inch pieces. I was able to cut my roll of wrapping paper in to three pieces. Now I have a roll for my to do list, plus two back up rolls for when I run out.



5. Next cut your rod. If your rod or your hanger is longer than your cookie sheet than you will need to cut to the correct length. I cut my rod down to an 8 1/2 inch piece. Just shorter then the width of my 9 inch cookie sheet.



6. Next I painted my ruler pieces white.



7. Once the ruler was dry, I glued it to my cookie sheet. First I glued the ruler ends with the holes to the top sides of my cookie sheet.



Then I glued the 8 inch piece of ruler to the bottom middle of my cookie sheet.



7. Next I took my rod and put it through one of the ruler holes.



8. Then I slid on my roll of paper, and then I pushed the rod through the second ruler hole.



9. Then I took the roll of paper and slid it down though the ruler. The reason for this being that when I need to cut off my to do list, I can scroll the paper through the ruler and rip it off with the sharp edge of the ruler.

Now you can create your own to do list with just a few dollar store items.

Dollar Store Organization Board

Incase you were not aware, Angela is competing in Season 11 of So You Think You're Crafty. Voting for week 2 is up. This week is thrift store week. Head on over to vote for your favorite project.

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Last weeks theme in the competition was Dollar Store Crafts. To be honest, before I received this theme I had never been into a dollar store to look for craft supplies. Mostly, this was the case because I did not think there were any dollar stores near my home. So I did a little Google search and found that there were 2 dollar stores within five minutes of my home. And one of those dollar stores was even within walking distance of my home. I was shocked as I kind of pride myself on knowing my city fairly well.

Now I must say that I have been turned on to a whole new place to go craft shopping. I think I may be addicted to dollar stores now. Ha! When I went into the dollar store for the first time I happened to be running errands with my mom and my son. We drove up to the dollar store just as my son feel asleep. I didn't want to wake him. My mom offered to stay in the car while I ran inside real quick. That was my plan. I said, "I'm going to run inside real quick, grab something, and then figure out what to do with it later." Well 20 minutes after entering the store, I get a phone call from my mother asking if everything was okay. Haha! I had so many ideas on what to do that I couldn't decide. So I picked the craft that would be the most practical. That is how the dollar store organization board came to be.

I started with a few frames in various sizes and colors. I also picked up a cookie sheet, a pack of rulers, a roll of wrapping paper, a pack of construction paper, a tin pail, and some hangers.

The “To Do List” is my favorite part of this whole board. Staying true to using dollar store supplies, I created this using a cookie sheet, 2 rulers, a roll of wrapping paper, a hanger, and some construction paper for decoration. I’ll share the tutorial on how to create this, tomorrow.

I created some printables to go inside each frame. I have a weekly menu planner. It sits in a 5x7 frame. I can write on the frame what we will be having for dinner each night. When the week is over I can just wipe it off and start over again. This frame was originally black. I used some white construction paper to cut out a scallop frame that I glued on top of it.

I also created a monthly calendar. It sits in a 8x10 frame. I can write in each box what will be going on each day. The frame was originally brown. I used yellow construction paper to create a border around the frame. I also made my own calendar for the month of April. Then one day while looking through Pinterest I found some calendars in the exact yellow and blue colors that I used. So to save some time creating a new calendar each month, I will just use the premade calendars that can be found HERE.

I also made a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning checklist. Each sit in a 4x6 frame. I left two of the frames silver. Then I covered the third frame in another white scallop border.

I was also able to find a pail in the perfect blue color to hold my pens.

There you have it. My dollar store organization board.

Are you interested in any of these printables? From now until the end of May we will be offering up the weekly menu planner and the daily, weekly, and monthly calendars on our Facebook page. The menu planner prints in size 5x7. The cleaning checklists print in size 4x6.

Are you not interested in the blue and yellow? We are also offering them in pink as well. You can download either version on our Facebook page. If you already like us on Facebook you download these by clicking on the Free gift box at the top of our page.

*Update these printables can now be downloaded from the printables tab at the top of our blog. 

Making Veggies Fun with Country Crock

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Do you have a picky eater on your hands? Are vegetables the last things your child wants to touch let alone eat? I have a fun solution to your problem. Country Crock has launched the Crock Country Chronicles a place where moms are excited to serve veggies because they fly off plates! The Crock Country Chronicle is an excellent resource for quick and simple tips and recipes to help make serving veggies fun.

Right now on the Crock Country Chronicles you can download the free recipe book titled A Very Veggie World by Clare Crespo. It offers 25 of the funnest, yummiest, and easiest recipes that will make veggies fun for you and your kiddos.

The Clare Crespo cookbook offers everything from Mushroom Gnomes to Bear Paws. Even Veggie Stoplights and Beautiful Butterflies. Take a look at some of their fun veggie ideas.

Today I get to share with you one of the fabulous recipes from that very cookbook. I chose to make the Veggie Pets for my son. 

The exact recipe is below...

Ingredients:

4 new potatoes
4 snap peas
4 kernels of frozen corn
24 fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp. Country Crock® Spread,
melted
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Bring 1-inch of water in medium saucepan to a boil
over medium high heat. Cut a slice off the long side of
the potatoes so they do not roll. Place potatoes, cut side
down, in steamer basket and place in pan.

Cover and steam for 10-15 minutes, until tender.
Carefully, with tongs, remove potatoes and add snap
peas to basket to steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove peas
and cut tips off to make hamster’s “ears.’’ Remove eight
peas from pea pods.

Using chopsticks or small knife, poke two holes into the
top of the potato. Insert snap pea pieces into top of the
potato for the pet’s ears.

Use chopsticks or a small knife to make three holes on
front of potato and insert peas for “eyes’’ and corn kernel
for “nose.’’ Use a toothpick to poke a few holes around
the nose and insert rosemary leaves for “whiskers.” Brush
pets with Country Crock® Spread and sprinkle with salt
and pepper.

I improvised with mine and used squash for the ears instead of snap peas. It was still just as yummy and just as fun. I wish that I had snapped a photo of the smile that was on my son's face as he ate his veggie pet. He thought this was pretty cool. Now I can't wait to try out more of the recipes!

 To learn more about Country Crock please feel free to visit:

           Country Crock’s Facebook page: Facebook

          Country Crock’s Twitter page: Twitter 

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Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun?

Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

Music While Exercising

Listening to music while exercising is a great way to help build the intensity.  Music is also makes exercising a little more fun. It helps increase the adrenaline you feel while exercising and makes time pass just a little faster. Try to chose songs for your workout that have a beat of 125 to 140 bpm.

Here is my current playlist to help get me going during my workout:

Club Cant Handle Me (Flo Rida)
Jai Ho! (The Pussy Cat Dolls)
Good Feeling (Flo Rida)
Thousand Words (Christina Perri)
Unstoppable (Kat DeLuna)
Sexy and I Know It (LMFAO)
Sorry for Party Rocking (LMFAO) (this one is my favorite right now)
We Are Young (Fun.) (This is a good warm up or cool down song)
Some Nights (Fun.)


Add some of these songs to your playlist to increase the intensity of your workout!

Happy Wednesday!

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Oh boy do I have a yummy recipe for you today! It comes straight from our mother’s kitchen. It is one of the best stir fry’s you will ever have. It is light and fresh and not greasy like a lot of stir fry’s that I have had. You have got to try this!



Ingredients:
· 4 teaspoons canola oil
· 3 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
· 3 garlic cloves, minced
· 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
· 1 ½ pounds medium peeled and deveined shrimp
· 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
· 4 scallions, chopped
· 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips
· 8 ounces snow peas
· 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Stir together 2 teaspoons of oil, 1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce, and garlic in a large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat.

Lightly coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet still over high heat; add ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then add mushrooms, scallions, bell peppers, snow peas and red pepper flakes and cook until vegetables are still crisp, but tender about 4 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and the remaining soy sauce.

Then enjoy!