Straw Dispenser Ribbon Organizer

I saw this over at allpeoplequilt.com and fell in love! What a great way to organize your ribbons! I have seen rack ribbon organizers before, but all I could ever think of was that the ribbon would get all dusty and yuck. The straw dispensers, however, keep the ribbon clean, and easily accessible... just pull up on the lid, and there you go! Not to mention that they look pretty!

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Big Mistake = Big Time Saver!

So, the kids and I went to Costco yesterday, and as they were helping me bring all the groceries in the house our neighbor came by and we got to talking. Long story short, by the time I got in the house the kids had finished bringing everything in and had put it all away!!

I have to say, my kids are awesome, and they really do a LOT to help me!

Anyways, I didn't realize until this morning that the kids had put ALL the meat in the freezer. Now, I do freeze the meat, and save it for later use, but what they didn't realize was that I seperate it into portions, and THEN freeze it.

So, I had a 6 pound block of hamburger meat! At first I thought this was a bad thing... then I thought about it a little more.

I thawed out the big block of meat, and browned the entire thing. Then I seperated it into portions... and refroze it. Now, I have 6 pounds of meat in the freezer already cooked, and ready to be added to whatever meal I plan to make.

Talk about a huge time saver for those nights when we have stuff going on, when my husband is out to sea, or for when I just don't really feel like cooking!

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Old Cutting Mats

If you have a personal cutting machine, you know the cutting mats are not exactly cheap. Here is a way to use your old mats that are still a little sticky, but not quite sticky enough to keep your paper in place while going through the machine.
Use the mat to organize all your little leftover embellishments or paper pieces. I recently painted about 50 sets of eyes, and needed to keep them paired up. So, I stuck the eyes to my old cutting mat, and covered it with the plastic cover to keep them dust free. I can now store it just about anywhere, and not have to worry about the pieces getting messed up.

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Memo Board with Rose Magnets

Oh, I love this! Maybe I would actually look at my calender/memo board if it was this pretty! You can get the complete tutorial over at On My Side of the Room.

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Family Meal Planner

I was perusing some of my favorite blogs this morning, and I came across this great meal planner at Brown Paper Packages. I am definitely one of those people that has a bazillion magazines and recipe books that I scan through everytime I plan my shopping list. This would be perfect, considering I only use a couple out of each book... though lately I have been expanding my repertoire.

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Recipe Box Redo

Hi All... I know it has been too long since my last post, but I'm here!!! You know how life gets super crazy and the next thing you know, it's two weeks later? Well, that has pretty much been my last two weeks. Busy is good though, right?

My son started Little League, and I volunteered to be "Team Mom"... what was I thinking???? Actually, I think it is going to be a lot of fun, but it definitely entails a lot more than I realized! One of those things is a gift basket auction... each team donates a gift basket, and the team mom (me) is responsible for getting the donations and putting it all together. So in case you were wondering why I am telling you all this.... we need donations!!!! If you have an online business you would like to promote (or if you have a business that happens to be in San Diego) and you would like to donate an item or gift certificate, email me and let me know!

Ok, now on to the fun stuff...

I found this great recipe box remake over at How Does She. Let me tell you, I definitely need one of these!

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Pretty New Cover

So, I needed a new mileage log, but they are not pretty, and something that I am going to be using almost every day has to be pretty right? Of course it does! So, I decided to pretty mine up! I know that not everyone needs a mileage log, but this would work for a pocket calendar, or any little thing that has a cover stapled on. It's very easy....

Remove the cover by taking out the staples in the center of the book. Measure the cover and cut a new one out of your desired cardstock or paper.... if using paper, make sure to give yourself a little bit of an overlap so you can trim to the exact size of the cover.

If you are using a cardstock, simply score the piece down the middle and decorate it. Now, just restaple it to the book and you're done!

If you want to use a paper like I did, there are a couple of extra steps. Paint over the cover with a white acrylic paint. This gives you a "primer" coat so the writing and graphics do not show through your paper. (You may need 2 coats.)

After the paint is dry, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface and adhere your paper to the cover. Turn it over, and using an exacto knife, trim away the excess paper.

Now, you can decorate it to your heart's delight. When you are done, fold it along the existing crease in the cover, and restaple it to the book. Voila! A new pretty mileage log... calendar... etc.

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Mini Calendar Magnet

Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, and a new calendar! I found these cute mini calendar magnets on Little Birdie Secrets. Click here for the complete tutorial!

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Inexpensive Storage for Small Embellishments

I don't know about you, but I had a TON of little embellishments shoved into a drawer. Once I opened the packages I didn't know what to do with the leftovers and they would end up getting lost or scattered around! Then I came across these little stackable pill organizers. They work great for rhinestones, brads, eyelets and lots more! I found some at The Container Store, and at one time I even found some in the $1 bin at Target. So be sure to keep your eyes open for these great little containers!

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