Just a Few Random Thoughts. . .

Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit. Find out how here.

How to make your own Sunscreen-- Oh if I had only seen this BEFORE we went to Florida!

Fine dining isn't always so "fine." Sometimes that delicious meal is tainted by overcooked meat, still-frozen food, caterpillars nestled in the greens or other surprises that ruin a perfectly good dinner. Read this article about The Etiquette of Sending Back Meals.

DIY for making dryer balls from wool yarn rather than the blue plastic PVC alternative.

Interesting Recipes-very frugal

Save 70% off of $25 Gift Certificates when you use code SEVENTY.Pay $3 thru 7/13/09 only at Restaurant.com.

Free envelope template here and here.

Free Birthday Pixy Stick Project. Check it out here.

Free CUTE Bookplate Template here.

Peach Streusel Crisp

Peach Streusel Crisp--a great way to use up those over-ripe peaches!

• 9 ripe peaches
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. vanilla
• 2 T. flour

Topping:

• 1 stick cold butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan or medium casserole dish. (Double recipe for a 9 x 13 pan!)
2. Peel and pit peaches, slice, and place in a bowl. Top with sugar, flour cinnamon and vanilla. Toss to coat and set aside while preparing topping.
3. Make streusel by cutting the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. This is easily done by hand, or use a pastry cutter, or by using two forks in a chopping motion until it has a course texture.
4. Put peaches in the pan, top with strusel, and bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and peaches are bubbling.
5. Top with vanilla ice cream!

Very Berry Crumble Bars

I am not sure where I got this recipe, but it's super simple and oh so wonderful!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup strawberry ice cream topping
• 3/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix the cake mix, brown sugar and oats together.
2. Add the oil and the egg and mix well.
3. Pat half of the dough into a prepared 13 x 9-inch pan.
4. Spoon the strawberry topping over the dough, and top with the blueberries.
5. Crumble the rest of the dough over the topping and blueberries. B
6. ake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Cool and cut into bars.

Marshall's GIft Card Giveaway from Coupon Princess

Check out this giveaway from Coupon Princess!

• Do you need some cash to shop?
• How about this, they told me to use the Marshall's gift card myself or pay it forward.
• So here is your chance to win a $25 Gift Card.

A Jillie Willie Travel Case for FREE?

Check out Frugal Girls Site. They are giving away a Jillie Willie Travel Case!

I had never heard of this site, but they have some CUTE stuff!

Have you heard of Jillie Willie? Jill Grover started Jillie Willie in the Fall of 2006. Not only is it a fun name, but it's an adorable online boutique with a wide variety of fun products! Jillie Willie sells:

• Aprons {for kids & adults}
• Bags
• Slippers & Shoes
• Groovy Gloves
• Accessories
• Books & More!

Fairytale Brownies Giveaway. Chocolate Lovers, Behold!

Here's a great giveaway from The Not-So Blog!


From the website of Fairytale Brownies: “Inspired by a treasured family recipe and a commitment to excellence, we created enchanting Fairytale Brownies. Our magical blend indulges your senses with fudgy chocolate goodness, taking you back to fond childhood memories.”

Do you want to win this necklace? Check out the details below!

There's a contest running over at the Coupon Queens of Laurel Run for a gorgeous necklace. It is from a company called Kennebug and the necklace is called Mother's Love Necklace .

It is beautiful and you should go check it out!

The Old Navy T-Shirt Deal is a hoax!

The Old Navy T-Shirt Deal is a hoax!
Bummer.

Old Navy Flag Tees $1 on Friday, July 3

On Friday, 7/3, visit your local Old Navy and get their flag tees for only $1.00 each.

There's no coupon necessary and there's a limit of 5 tees per person.

Visit early for the best inventory.

Thanks to "Cents" able Mom for the info.

Paint-Can Cubbies

Don't let your desktop disappear under piles of paperwork. Inexpensive, unused cans can be purchased at paint stores; lined up on a shelf and anchored in place with Velcro, they become organizing cubbyholes with a modern flair. Assign cans as storage spaces for bills, catalogs, and personal mail, or one for each member of the family. Label the shelf beneath to make sorting easy.

From Martha Stewart Living website.
Check out the directions here.

Housecleaners’ Best Friends: Baking Soda, Dryer Sheets and Hair Spray

Click here for a cool article from Mary Hunt @ Debt-Proof Living Online.

Photo Coffee Sleeve Tutorial

This Father's Day, or any day, help the Dad in your life wear his heart on his sleeve- coffee sleeve, that is!

Now when Dad's at work he can warm his hand and his heart every time he takes a sip!

Why not suprise Dad with this fun little gift along with a gift card to his favorite coffee shop!

Proud mamas- feel free to take advantage of this modern "brag book" opportunity as well!

Click here for this super simple looking project!

Pretty Free Printables

I have discovered a wonderful (new to me) freebie!

oh, hello friend

Oh, hello friend is another graphic designer with some wonderful free printables and a beautiful blog. She has a lot of followers, so I guess some of you probably already know her! I’m so behind the times:-)

Check out all of her pretty freebies…

Printable Labels

Cute blog buttons

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Lost Recipes Cookbook

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs

You’ll need a 16-cup tube pan or angel food cake pan for this recipe; if not using a nonstick pan, make sure to thoroughly grease a traditional pan.

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease and flour 16-cup tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk and vanilla in measuring cup.
2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Place cake in cold oven. Adjust oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake, without opening oven door, until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 80 minutes. This took 85 minutes in my oven, so it may take longer in yours also.
4. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cooled cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

For more recipes and ideas see Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

The Top Five

From Joy the Baker comes this delightful "top 5" recipes list. They sound delish!

Number Five: Peanut Butter Fudge Treats
Number Four: Red Velvet Black and White Cookies
Number Three: Pumpkin Pie Bars
Number Two: Lemon Whoopie Pies
Number One: Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Sour Cream Coffeecake Muffins

Sour Cream Coffeecake Muffins
Cooking Light, May 2006

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 3/4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice
• Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 400°.

1. Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.
2. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add egg substitute; beat 3 minutes. Beat in sour cream, water, and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture; add sour cream mixture. Stir just until combined.
4. Place 3 tablespoons brown sugar mixture in a small bowl; set aside. Sprinkle surface of batter with remaining brown sugar mixture. Gently fold batter 4 times.
5. Place 18 paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared cups. Sprinkle batter evenly with reserved brown sugar mixture. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes.
6. Combine powdered sugar, juice, and dash of salt in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle powdered sugar mixture evenly over muffins.

Calories: 182 (28% from fat), Fat: 5.7g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.6g), Protein: 2.9g

Carbohydrate: 30.4g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Iron: 1mg, Sodium: 176mg, Calcium: 53mg

WW Points: 4

125 Healthiest Supermarket Foods in America

It was amazing to me how many of these foods that I LOVE. I didn't even know I was eating well!

Ladies and gentlemen, rev your appetites—and steer your shopping carts toward the delicious staples of a healthy diet. We scoured the grocery aisles and chose the most reliable basics and the best secret ingredients that will improve your diet and take your cooking up a notch—all in one trip to the supermarket!

Click here to read more!

Why Frozen Food Is (Sometimes) Better

In 1924, Clarence Birdseye was working on the peninsula of Labrador in Canada when he noticed something about the way the Eskimos preserved their food: Quickly freezing food prevents the formation of the large ice crystals that damage the cells in fruits and vegetables. Birdseye's brainstorm led us to where we are today: standing outside a row of enormous industrial freezers, contemplating dinner.

Click here to read more about Frozen Food Goodness!

8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day

It sometimes seems as if the internal politics of the Middle East are easier to understand than the latest thinking on nutrition. With EAT THIS, NOT THAT!, you're armed with the info you need to make smart choices. But how can you crank it up a notch? How can you make good nutrition as certain as death, taxes, and The Fast and the Furious spinoffs? Here's the simple answer: Just eat these eight foods--along with a little protein such as salmon, turkey, or lean beef--every day. And relax.

Click here to read more.

Choosing a Melon

Not sure what melon to pick? According to Woman's Day, here are some guidelines!

Cantaloupe: Look for an indented stem end. This means the melon came off the vine at the proper time, not too early.

Honeydew: Look for a smooth rind that is white, yellow, or light green. A ripe honeydew should have a slightly fruity aroma and be soft at the stem end.

Watermelon: If it sounds hollow when you give it a good thump, it's ripe! Look for a firm, nicely shaped melon that has a creamy yellow underside where the melon has lain on the ground long enough to ripen.

The Easiest Egg Breakfast Ever...

Great post from Hungry Girl today. . .

• The Egg Mug Classic
• Egg Mug Florentine
• Egg Mug Burger-rama
• Egg McMuggin'
• Egg Mug Lorraine
• Egg Mug Mexicali