tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68774091079476645912024-03-13T12:27:55.662-07:00ScrappracticalMy crafting and rambling.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-25309134956106789872016-05-13T20:37:00.000-07:002016-05-13T20:47:16.377-07:00Lego Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As usual, I found most of the ideas for this party on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/wdiosa/lego-party/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. <br />
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The Lego face cups were made using a template I found online and a sharpie. The cake pops were fairly simple. Melting chocolate and black gel icing.The cake pop and sucker holders were made with Styrofoam blocks and card stock. I used some of the Lego confetti I made for the studs.<br />
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The large Lego bricks were made out of Styrofoam blocks. We spray painted them and used dollar store play-doh containers for the "studs". The suckers are covered with card stock and minifig heads I printed onto yellow card stock.<br />
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The Giant minifigure head was made out of a large cheese ball container.
I spray painted it yellow and sharpied on the face with a template.<br />
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I made the confetti with various sizes of hole punches and cardstock. The minifig heads on the straws were printed from a template I found online. The background, banner, and a few other decorations I found at Oriental Trading Co.<br />
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My hubby made this ramp for the kids to race their Lego cars on. I found the car kits in the Easter department at Target, half price!<br />
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-73157411951402693102016-02-22T17:05:00.001-08:002016-02-22T17:05:21.473-08:00Outer Space Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The little rocket favors came from an idea I found on Pinterest. I don't have the link :(. It was a printout that I wrapped around rolls of lifesavers. The tip is a Hershey's kiss. The hardest part was gluing the little black flaps on the bottom. My friend and I made the cookies and the cake was from Kroger. The space man and tablecloth I bought from Oriental Trading as well as the plates and napkins.<br />
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-12353795656664804342016-01-12T15:05:00.004-08:002016-01-12T15:17:23.375-08:00Minecraft PartyMy son's 7th birthday party was Minecraft themed.<br />
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I had this made at Kroger. I should have done it myself, but I just ran out of time. I wish they had made it greener. <br />
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Green poster board and black construction paper.<br />
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The buckets were from the Target $1 section, I believe. I used a sharpie to make the creeper face. I printed the TNT from a website (I'll try and find a link). I made the "diamond" bags and printed the image from Google. All together the favor buckets consisted of:<br />
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TNT box with candy inside<br />
Hershey kiss "diamond" bags<br />
TNT poppers<br />
Green Playdoh<br />
Personalized creeper bookmark<br />
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The games we played were:<br />
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Ghast shoot out - I put 3 weighted helium balloons on the floor and the kids used little nerf guns to try and shoot them. Below is a terrible picture, but it shows how I sharpie-d the balloons to look like ghasts. <br />
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Pin the tail on the piggie - I made a pixelated pig out of contruction paper and cut little strips for his tail. The picture below isn't terribly helpful, but hopefully it gives you the general idea. :D<br />
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Creeper toss - I made a creeper head out of a cardboard box and green duct tape. I made 3 little green bean bags. The kids tossed them at the creeper head. There were cut outs for they eyes and mouth.<br />
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The cupcakes were chocolate with white icing and bit-sized Twizzlers; to look like "cake" from the game. <br />
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I wasn't able to take a ton of pictures unfortunately. It was a busy party. :)<br />
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-50561057584552088452015-06-30T15:39:00.001-07:002015-06-30T15:39:21.443-07:00Wreath Ahoy! <br />
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Materials:<br />
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Styrofoam wreath<br />
Navy blue yarn<br />
White yarn<br />
Large chipboard anchor<br />
Red acrylic paint<br />
Brown cording<br />
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-2334861451211785572014-11-21T15:13:00.001-08:002014-11-21T15:13:54.552-08:00Skylanders PartyTwo years ago my son had a Skylanders themed birthday party. I am just now getting around to posting pictures on my blog. :) I can't believe it's been two years!<br />
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This is the food/favor table. There are white chocolate covered pretzel rods (Tree-Rex laser arms), smashed sheep cookies, TNT candy (Boomer), Fireball candy (Hot Head), Pop Rocks (Crusher), and treasure chest favor boxes.<br />
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I made the cake with buttercream frosting tinted to match the Skylanders Giants colors. The bottom is covered in grey sugar crystals.<br />
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I used a flower cookie cutter to make the shape of the smashed sheep. I then decorated them with royal icing.<br />
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Close-up of the food.<br />
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Another close-up.<br />
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Treasure chest pinata. I think I found it at Hobby Lobby.<br />
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Sheep toss game. I drew the chompy and cut out his mouth. I made the bean bags with the heads of the sheep.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qyci7jV5ZVI/VG_AYFgbb-I/AAAAAAAABXs/yi79EwwCL74/s1600/Sticky%2Bgrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qyci7jV5ZVI/VG_AYFgbb-I/AAAAAAAABXs/yi79EwwCL74/s1600/Sticky%2Bgrab.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a game based on the character Wrecking Ball. The kids all got sticky hands and they had to see who could pick up the most pony beads.<br />
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Maybe in another two years I'll get around to posting his Minecraft 7th birthday party! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-57060270862665982014-08-18T12:34:00.002-07:002014-08-18T12:45:45.405-07:00Second GradeLast week was our first official week of school. My little guy is a 2nd grader. I think Homeschooling makes the time feel more appropriate and less like a whirlwind. I don't say "Where does the time go?", because I know where it went. I have the lesson planners to prove it. :) <br />
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I am so grateful for all the resources I have found and won for homeschooling. I won $150 to <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/" target="_blank">All About Learning</a>, which I used to buy the <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling/" target="_blank">All About Spelling curriculum</a> 2-4. I won several virtual books and resources including memberships to<a href="http://www.shillermath.com/h2/WhatIsShillerMath.php" target="_blank"> ShillerMath</a> and <a href="http://americasmathteacher.com/" target="_blank">AMT</a>. I recently won a <a href="http://www.thebiblebookcase.com/" target="_blank">Bible Bookcase</a> and I can't wait to receive it. I also won curriculum from<a href="http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/" target="_blank"> Knowledge Quest</a>, two great books from <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">YWAM Publishing</a>, and a prize package from <a href="http://homeschooladventure.com/products/philosophy-adventure-pre-socratics/" target="_blank">Philosophy Adventure</a>. There were other things, but I can't remember them all. That sounds terrible, but it's not because I'm swimming in prizes. I am just so shocked when I win and then I forget to keep track of everything. I'll update if I remember anything else. I'm also going to try and do reviews for everything as well.<br />
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This is our first year of doing our own thing, so to speak. For K-1 we used K12 online school. It was nice to have everything provided, for free, but it wasn't a good fit for us. We felt so rushed and I never felt like DS was able to grasp everything before we had to move on. In contrast, our first week this year has been such a relief. We move at DS's pace and focus on things he's genuinely interested in. He doesn't beg to not do school. He enjoys it.<br />
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Outside of the resources I've won I have amassed a large amount of worksheets and such from online sources. I follow lots of homeschooling blogs and I live on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/wdiosa/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. You would be amazed at how many resources you can find online, free! Some of my favorite sites and blogs are:<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.teachersnotebook.com/home" target="_blank">Teacher's Notebook</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hiphomeschoolmoms" target="_blank">Hip Homeschool Moms</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/blessedbeyondadoubt" target="_blank">Blessed Beyond a Doubt </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/" target="_blank">Free Homeschool Deals</a><br />
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<a href="http://homeschoolgiveaways.com/" target="_blank">Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies </a><br />
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These are just a couple of the many resources I take advantage of. I have also found good deals from Amazon, local stores, an area Teacher store, and even thrift stores.<br />
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Overall I am so excited about this school year. I am praying that God will equip me with the knowledge to teach and instill in my son a desire and capability to learn.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-72491989907482358072014-07-10T12:35:00.000-07:002014-08-18T12:41:46.273-07:00 YWAM Publishing ReviewAs a part of the first giveaway I won, I received two books from <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">YWAM Publishing</a>. They are from the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series. They are biographies of George Muller and Gladys Aylward. <br />
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They are suggested for ages 10 and up. My DS is a little too young for them, so I decided to read them myself.<br />
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They were both fantastic. I didn't know anything about Gladys Aylward and a little about George Muller. After reading these two books I feel like I have a good knowledge of them both. The books are well written and kept my attention throughout. I honestly could have read another book full on each of them. <br />
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I am definitely going to buy more books from YWAM Publishing. I can't wait until my DS can enjoy them with me!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-84022260036960383602014-05-16T17:53:00.002-07:002014-05-16T17:53:30.617-07:00I won again!I was absolutely shocked to open an email today notifying me that I had won another homeschool giveaway! God must be trying to tell me to keep going down this path because I never win anything....and especially not twice!! :D<br />
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This time the giveaway was from <a href="http://www.jodimckenna.com/2014/04/all-about-learning-giveaway.html" target="_blank">Jodi Mckenna</a>. The giveaway was for an <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/index.php" target="_blank">All About Learning</a> $100 gift card! The first giveaway I won had a $50 gift card to All About Learning, so that gave me $150 to use. I could have cried!<br />
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I used the gift cards to buy All About Spelling levels 2-4 and the interactive kit. My DS is a great reader and speller so I skipped level 1. Now we are set for the next couple years on spelling curriculum. I went from being totally stressed out about where to even start on our homeschooling journey to having one curriculum totally taken care of! Praise the Lord!!<br />
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I can't think <a href="http://www.jodimckenna.com/" target="_blank">Jodi</a>, <a href="http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/" target="_blank">Jill</a>, and <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/" target="_blank">All About Learning</a> enough!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-20075420393703725202014-04-29T11:36:00.001-07:002014-04-29T11:37:45.313-07:00I won!I can't believe it! I actually won something. This is a rare occurrence, so I wanted to share it. A few days ago I received an email from Jill Craft of <a href="http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/" target="_blank">Blessed Beyond a Doubt</a> that I had won a huge homeschool curriculum giveaway. I was a little worried it might be a spammy/advertising thing. It wasn't. :)<br />
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I was SO excited. We are looking into doing our own thing for DS in 2nd grade and have nothing right now. This prize couldn't have come at a better time. Now we have a chance to get our hands on actual material without breaking the bank. It's a good opportunity to try out some of these materials too.<br />
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I received the e-books from <a href="http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/" target="_blank">Map Trek/Knowledge Quest</a> today. They look very thorough and have a lot of information. I am excited to go through them. I love e-books for the cost, especially; but I also love the ease of use and that fact that they save a lot of shelf space! :)<br />
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I cannot wait for the rest of the materials to arrive. Before this all happened I was really dragging my feet on researching curriculum and dreading getting started. This gave me the boost I needed to begin this new journey!<br />
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Thanks to Jill and all the sponsors of this amazing giveaway!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-62361793944757698542014-04-28T10:33:00.001-07:002014-04-28T10:35:18.565-07:00Our homeschool journey<br />
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Long before we had our son, we discussed schooling options for our future children. From the very beginning my husband and I both agreed that homeschooling would be best for our family. When the time came we decided to start with K12 OHVA. This worked well for Kindergarten. It was a little tough to keep up while trying to focus on things that my DS needed extra help with. I figured it would get better in first grade. Unfortunately it only got worse. We have struggled this year to keep up with all the work and requirements. The worst part is that I feel like we have to rush past things that my DS really needs extra time with. This has led to me looking into building my own curriculum and leaving OHVA. I loved having all the free resources, but in the long run I think my DS will do so much better if we can build a curriculum around him.<br />
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The biggest problem I am facing right now is the overwhelming amount of information and resources to filter through. We aren't able to spend hundreds (even thousands!) of dollars on materials, but we want to give our DS the best education we can. Praise the Lord for the dedicated and hardworking homeschool bloggers. I have found so much through them! Of course the challenge is going through it all and putting it to use.<br />
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My <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/wdiosa/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> page has exploded with all the homeschooling information!<br />
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Some of the best bloggers and sites I have found are:<br />
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<a href="http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/" target="_blank">Free Homeschool Deals</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/" target="_blank">Teachers Pay Teachers</a> (Plenty of free and cheap resources)<br />
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<a href="http://www.currclick.com/" target="_blank">CurrClick</a> (Some free resources)<br />
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These are only a few of the sites I use. I wouldn't have enough room to list them all. I tend to use these three the most.<br />
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I am overwhelmed, but hopeful. I need to start reading, sorting, planning, and most importantly; praying. It is going to be a long summer!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-35835301996236076232014-01-07T15:24:00.000-08:002014-01-07T15:24:48.232-08:00Minecraft Birthday PartySo, this year my soon-to-be 7 year old has requested a Minecraft party. This might be one of the easier parties I've done. Since everything is blocky, it's not too hard to make your own decorations and things. I've found lots of great ideas already on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/wdiosa/minecraft-party/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.<br />
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As I get things done I will post them. Here's hoping he doesn't change his mind before the end of February!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-46487732951496167832013-11-24T10:01:00.001-08:002013-11-24T10:01:30.454-08:00One craft fair down, three to go!My first craft fair of the year was a pretty good success. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to sell much. I ended up making a nice little chunk. Even though this was a very small event it was a good starting point. I have a better idea of what might sell well and how to better display my items. Space was tight so I couldn't display things quite the way I would have liked. Here are some pictures from the day.<br />
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Eventually I will get around to making individual posts about some of the items I am selling. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-26375318198341292052013-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:002013-11-18T07:10:03.809-08:00Slowly but surelyI am very slowly getting my craft fair work done. It has not been easy. Between working, homeschooling, cleaning, and trying to keep my sanity I have gotten a little bit done at a time. This is crunch time though. My first craft fair is Saturday. I actually have a lot of work to do. I don't have any one project completely finished. o.0<br />
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I am making cards, gift card holders, chapstick holders, cocoa sleeves, gift bags and toppers, mason jar Christmas scenes, notebooks, magnets, ornaments, and a few other things. I hope I can get a decent amount of each project done, but we'll see, lol.<br />
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I will post pics of each project as I finish them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-36882681146191226122013-11-05T07:28:00.000-08:002013-11-05T07:28:05.075-08:00Outlet coverI made this outlet cover a long time ago and posted it on an old blog of mine. Today while trying to think of craft fair ideas I remembered it and wanted to put it here so I could pin it on my Pinterest board. It was very easy to make and looks super cute. The possibilities are endless for the image on front. I am going to try using some Stampin' Up paper and stamps.<br />
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I made this one by painting a thin piece of wood with black craft paint and then stamping the image with red craft paint. I added the little crystal embellishments to the lights. Then I super glued the outlet cover to the back.<br />
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Cute and easy!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-83212657533871503122013-10-19T11:28:00.000-07:002013-10-19T11:28:02.175-07:00Stampin' Up!Stampin' Up was running a great promo recently to become a demonstrator. You could sign up for $25. I was a demonstrator a few years ago but wasn't able to keep up with it. I decided it might be fun to get back into it. I am mainly interested in being a hobby demo, which means I am really only signing up to buy stuff for my own hobby. :) I have a few friends who like to scrap too, so I will help them of course. I'm excited to get back to scrapping and crafting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-43445684469874642142013-10-18T09:04:00.002-07:002013-11-07T14:35:21.052-08:00Another great vacation!With a few exceptions (to be detailed later), we had an amazing vacation. We all had lots of fun and even a little relaxation. Just a little though. :)<br />
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Our trip had a rough start. About a half an hour into our drive our van started acting up. DH thought it might be a spark plug so we stopped at Walmart and he changed them. Unfortunately that wasn't the problem. The van gave up the ghost and stranded us in a parking lot at 1am. We had to call our mechanic to schedule a tow and then a cab to get us to a rental car company. The cab took us to the airport but we got there just as all the car rental companies were closing. >.<<br />
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Our cab driver took us to a hotel to see if they would let us sit in the lobby until 4:30. I am so grateful to the woman at Double Tree Hilton hotel. She was so super sweet and let us hang out there and even told us to go further down the lobby and there would be some couches we could try and get some sleep on. Then she brought us cookies! I'm pretty sure she is an angel. :) I regret that I didn't get her name. I was so out of it that I never even thought to ask. We ended up having to wait until 6am for the rental company we were going to use to open. We rented a van and very sleepily loaded it up.<br />
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So, the trip down was uneventful after that, other than continuous rain. Not a sprinkle either. A downpour almost the entire time. The rain didn't let up until we crossed into Florida. Finally, it tapered off and we got to our hotel in dry weather.<br />
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We had intended to spend a day in Orlando before moving on to Disney World. Our broken van changed those plans. We stayed in a little roadside hotel after we got into town. We didn't get much sleep, but it was nice to be so close to Disney. We spent our first day in Magic Kingdom.<br />
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We had spotty rain the first few days of the trip, which was ok. The second day of our trip was a complete wash out. We got out in it though. We spent too much on our vacation to give up a day. We wore our ponchos and spent a lot of time inside attractions. We chose to go to Epcot since it has quite a bit of indoor things for you to do. We rode the Figment ride for the first time. Super cute. I didn't take my camera that day because of the yucky weather. I should have, but I didn't think about all the inside stuff we would be doing. Oh well. :/ luckily the days got drier as they went on.<br />
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Our third day we spent in Hollywood Studios. I love that park! We tried some new cupcakes, saw some funny performers on the street, I rode my favorite ride (Tower of Terror), and we got some great character pictures.<br />
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Day 4 was Animal Kingdom. This is our least favorite park, but we still like it. I finally got to watch the Lion King show. It was absolutely amazing! I would to to AK just for that show!!<br />
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What day am I on now? For day 5 we went back to Hollywood Studios. Colson loved the Indiana Jones show, which kind of surprised me. He doesn't like loud noises and this had a lot. He really got into it. He was even upset that he didn't get to be an "extra". :)<br />
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Day 6 was back to Magic Kingdom.<br />
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Our next to last day, number 7, was spent at Hollywood Studios. I really do like that park. :D<br />
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Day 8 was our last day. We went to Epcot in the morning to snack at Food & Wine festival. That evening we went to Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Colson wore his Sackboy costume. Cast members kept asking if he was a zipper. -_-<br />
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The drive home was much better than the drive down; except for locking they keys in the van while at a gas station in Georgetown, KY. Luckily some local guys were able to help us out. We were utterly exhausted, but it was a great vacation. I can't wait for the next one!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-41358452699081916522013-09-14T18:49:00.002-07:002013-09-14T18:50:20.849-07:00Vacation!!We are so close I can almost taste the Wolfgang Puck Express!<br />
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We are leaving in 6 days for Disney World. This will be our third trip in a row. I think we enjoy it more than DS. I really need this vacation though. It wouldn't even matter where we went. I want to leave the state and not think about working, homeschool, cleaning, other people, and everything else that inundates my every day life. My only concern is our new doggie. We've had her for a few months and she is quite happy. I just hope she doesn't think we are abandoning her. She follows me everywhere I go. Even if I just walk into the next room. I love her.<br />
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So, in honor of our trip I tried her new Halloween costume on her.<br />
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<!--3-->Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-33162917865816284972013-08-31T04:52:00.000-07:002013-08-31T04:52:45.307-07:00The finished (I think) product!I was walking with a friend the other day and got the idea to finish Colson's costume with a baseball hat. I had seen lots of cute hats, but they were mostly felt or yarn. In 80+ degree weather, that would have been a little rough. Then the inspiration struck to use a baseball cap.<br />
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I used the grey yarn to make the stitches across the top of the hat and then added two big, black buttons for Sackboy's eyes. He was quite happy with it. The only thing I am unsure of now, is whether or not to add some red material to the brim to make his tongue. DH thinks I should, but I need to see how it would look first.<br />
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Here is the entire costume.<br />
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Now to find some shorts to match and I think it will be a pretty cool costume. I'm glad that went so easily. That is rare for me. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-43056373542719912772013-08-19T15:03:00.000-07:002013-08-31T04:48:09.729-07:00Little Big Planet Halloween Costume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My son's Halloween costume is nearly done! This may be a record for me. I never get stuff done this early.<br />
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DS wants to be Sackboy from Little Big Planet this year. Costumes from this game are not easy to come by. To further complicate the issue I need something that is relatively cool because we are going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this year during our Disney World vacation in September. Florida in September is still an inferno. <br />
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I set out to find a dark brown shirt. Luckily I found one at Wal-mart pretty early on. On clearance even! I then went to JoAnn's and got some silvery yarn to make the stitches. I also got 1/2 a yard of grey fabric to make the "zipper". All of this was pretty easy to do. I cut out the little triangles and glued them with fabric glue. The stitches I made using a yarn darner needle.<br />
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The hardest part was the zipper pull. I didn't want to just use fabric because it would bunch. So I set out to make it with cardstock. I lost count of how many layers I ended up using. I just kept covering one up because I didn't like the look. Finally I just printed the zipper on some grey textured cardstock I had and put contact paper over it.<br />
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To attach the zipper I used my Crop-a-dile and added a brad. Then I used the silvery yarn to attach it. Attaching it was easier than I anticipated.<br />
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To finish the look I am going to look for a plain, brown hat to sew two big black buttons on. I might add a little red tongue on the bill since that is a classic Sackboy look. (Since I'm such an expert). :D<br />
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The only other thing is his shorts. I don't know if I should bother with trying to find dark brown shorts or just let the shirt and hat do the job. Since I have plenty of time, I guess I can figure it out later. :) I may hold off and find brown jogging pants so that he can wear them for trick-or-treating here. Where it's very possible to be frigid.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-23069647285190972302013-07-25T10:57:00.001-07:002013-07-28T09:57:50.762-07:00Plastic Drink Container - Bird FeederMy hubby is an avid tea drinker. There is never a time in our house that we don't have at least 3-4 of the little plastic drink containers lying around. I've already used several for marker storage and I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what more I can do with them. They are decently sturdy and a good size, so I figure I might as well upcycle them.<br />
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Finally, I thought of something else I can do with them. (It only took 6 months). :D<br />
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<b><u>Supplies:</u></b><br />
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Plastic drink container<br />
Long pop stick<br />
Knife (I used a box cutter)<br />
Decorating supplies<br />
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1. Cutting out the holes for the stick. I used my giant Crop-a-Dile to punch the first hole in the lid. The bottom was trickier because the Crop-a-Dile wouldn't reach. I just used a box cutter and made a little "x". This way the stick fit pretty tightly too. Next I cut the big rectangle. (It was a hack job for sure.) I'm sure there are better ways to cut it but I was in a hurry and all I had was my box cutter. </div>
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2. Then I decided to jazz it up a bit with some Sharpies. I just drew some vines and leaves to get an idea of what I could do with it. You could do all kinds of things here. Draw a little diner, use the themed Duck tape, paint, etc. I like the Duck tape idea because you could hide any imperfections. Such as a hack job. :)</div>
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3. I used some wire I had in my scrapbooking supplies and wrapped it around the ends of the stick to make a hanger.</div>
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That's it. Super easy and full of possibilities. I have plenty more containers to work with. I might do this as a craft with the kiddos too. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/116/BA62BDF8185AA00E9CD5A6873DD45CAA.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-46622339388026268112013-07-24T08:59:00.001-07:002013-07-24T09:05:06.149-07:00Super Easy!I have seen so many cute ideas on Pinterest for making capes. I finally got a little spark of creativity and decided to try one. I didn't use a pattern, I just sort of eye-balled it. :D<br />
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I took about half a yard of fabric and hemmed it on the bottom and sides. I rounded the top and sewed it to finish it out. I used a round container to make the white circle and then sewed it onto the cape. The "J" is freehand and sewn on to the circle. <br />
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The ties are not very neat, but since this is for an 18 month old, I'm not too bothered by it. :) I just took two long strips of fabric and sewed them to the top of the cape. I spaced them by using my DS as reference.<br />
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I think it turned out pretty cute. I need to make two more now so the boys don't fight over one little cape. :) Considering how easy it was that shouldn't be a problem. Unless you are me. Captain Procrastination. :D<br />
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-11127078041863708442013-07-24T08:35:00.000-07:002013-07-24T09:09:12.899-07:00Super Soaker PartyAll the kids had a blast at the Super Soaker party. The weather has been a little "iffy", but it turned out to be a great day. Check out the <a href="http://www.houseparty.com/" target="_blank">House Party</a> web site for information on how you can host your own free party!<br />
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</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-57625565274774262512013-05-15T08:31:00.003-07:002013-07-24T09:09:37.973-07:00Game Night Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are the pictures from my <a href="http://www.houseparty.com/" target="_blank">House Party</a> game night. It really was a
blast and I am looking forward to the next one. (It's a Super Soaker party). :)</div>
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</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-9985110944847963122013-04-24T16:21:00.002-07:002013-07-24T09:09:58.791-07:00Birthday Game Night and a Few More Parties!I recently discovered a company called <a href="http://www.houseparty.com/" target="_blank">House Party</a>. You can sign up an apply for host spots for all kinds of different companies/parties. I was skeptical that I'd ever be selected, but lo' and behold, I was picked for one of my top choices. Game night!! This is even better given the fact that the party falls on my birthday. So fun!<br />
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I have scoured Pinterest for recipes and decorations. I settled on a menu of mini corn dogs, mozzarella meatballs, bacon cheddar dip, checkerboard sandwiches, apple berry punch, apple crisp, and apple cookies. If you haven't guessed by the drinks and desserts, I'm going with an apple theme since Apples to Apples is one of the games I was sent. (Free, by the way). I will post pictures of everything after the party.<br />
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I am so excited to be having a game night. It's been a long time since I've hosted one and I have missed it. The icing on the cake is getting to celebrate my birthday with such a fun party. Even my DH is getting into the party spirit. I am counting down the hours. I really hope it goes well. Not just for fun's sake, but in hopes of getting to host more House Parties too!<br />
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A week after game night I am throwing DH an 80's themed birthday bash. This one is a lot of work, but has the potential to be a really great event. I've got most of the decorations and a good idea of the food. Executing it all is the worrisome part. I wish there was some way to ensure that everyone you invite will RSVP. It sure would make things easier. I am starting to worry about not having enough chairs. I guess I could bust out some quilts and make it picnic style! :)<br />
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Last, but certainly not least, my sweet little man is graduating kindergarten at the end of May. We are going to have a little graduation party for him. Just family, so much less stress. I've found all kinds of cute ideas for that. It's such a bittersweet celebration. I'm so proud of my guy, but so sad to see him growing up so fast. So goes life. For every thing there is a season.<br />
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Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. :)<br />
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</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6877409107947664591.post-69329364833369703302013-04-03T17:30:00.001-07:002013-07-24T09:10:50.741-07:00Slow Cooker Beef StewI have always wanted to try to make Beef Stew. I don't know why I haven't. I guess I've always thought it seemed difficult. I was soooo wrong. I found a recipe for a slow cooker version on Pinterest. It was very easy and tasty. (I think I might skip the Bay leaf next time.) The link to the original post is in the recipe title.<br />
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<a href="http://www.soveryblessed.com/2011/10/19/crockpot-beef-stew/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beef Stew</span></u></b></span></a><br />
<ul>
<li>1 1/2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1″ cubes</li>
<li>1/3 cup flour</li>
<li>1 onion, chopped</li>
<li>4 cups low sodium beef broth</li>
<li>5 red potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes</li>
<li>5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces</li>
<li>2 tsp minced garlic</li>
<li>1 Tbs Worcestershire</li>
<li>1 bay leaf</li>
<li>1 tsp paprika</li>
<li>1/2 tsp seasoning salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>1 packet beef stew seasoning</li>
</ul>
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1. Put beef in crockpot. Sprinkle the flour in and stir to coat the meat.</div>
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2. Add all other ingredients. Stir to combine.</div>
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3. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve!</div>
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</div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12320275658425399656noreply@blogger.com0