ECLECTIC ELEVEN...

...ON ELEVEN/ELEVEN/ELEVEN.

in honor of today's fun date here are eleven, eclectic tidbits i feel like sharing.

in alphabetical order.

1) ALMOND JOY CREAMER

the bottle says this flavor is "limited edition" and i sincerely hope it's a marketing ploy. 

i'm heavily concerned for the day it cannot be found at the grocery store.

which would explain why there are three giant bottles currently residing in our fridge.

it seems i've become a hoarder. of almond joy creamer.

 the (rather large) splash of it in my coffee each morning is too good to be true.

when i'm feeling really crazy i double up and have it again in my hot chocolate at night.

2) BAGEL THINS

i have a dream...

that one day we will live in a neighborhood with a delicious bagel shoppe around the corner.

 until that day comes, thomas bagel thins are my breakfast of choice

(preferrably toasted and topped with whipped cream cheese and a bit of honey).

it's hard to beat tasty and low in calories too.

3) COMPASSION IN ECUADOR

 i am reading along as several of my favorite bloggers are in ecuador right now.

they traveled there with compassion international,

and you can read their posts here.

go ahead and get the tissues ready for these touching stories.

4) HALF-MARATHON FOR AS OUR OWN

it's coming up soon and i'm so ready for it to be here.

i'm thankful for the donations, prayers and really excited to walk for this cause.

the training is complete and now the countdown is on.

i already have my jersey ready to go!

5) THE HEAD AND THE HEART

this is my current, go-to, listen again and again, album.

i love it on my walks and really just about anytime.

at first this picture was slightly alarming to me each time it appeared on my phone.

now it brings a smile to my face because i know good tunes are ahead.

6) JOURNALS

my kids each have a quotable kid journal to record the classic ridiculousness of everyday life.

i have shared about these before, but since then the were discontinued.

i panicked that they would never be in print again,

and paid double what i did for adelaide's so graham would have one.

only to laugh at myself a few months later when they were back in print.

i vote you get yours now so you don't make the same silly mistake i did.

and this year we have also bought this gratitude journal.

our plan is for each family member to answer the daily gratitude prompts throughout november.

then we will pull it out again every november throughout the years to come.

7) KITCHEN SHEARS

if you were to peek in any bag of mine, you will most likely see a pair of scissors in it.

this is not a new thing. when i was a teacher i often had stray pairs wander in my school bag.

i usually didn't know they were there until we would fly somewhere

and airport security confiscated many pairs from my possession.

these days my scissors of choice have changed.

i bought several pairs of kitchen shears and stashed them in all our bags.

cutting food into bite-sized pieces has never been so fun.

it works especially well for pizza and chicken strips.

8) MEDICINE CHECKLIST

maybe everyone has done this since the invention of prescription medicine bottles, but i have not.

back when graham was heavy laden with ear infections,

i realized it was much easier to keep track of when he got his medicine directly on the bottle.

life-changing i tell you. i hope real simple lists this idea in their next issue.

because it's definitely made giving medicine at our house really simple.

9) PICTURES WITH LISA WOODS

we are more than glad to take a road trip to our favorite photographer but this year she came to us!

as always we love the beautiful way she captures personalities in a relaxed and fun setting.

it was great to have her take pictures of our family and some of my other favorites too.

more pics on lisa's website.

10) SKINNY TASTE RECIPES

summer vacation eating got a little OOC (out-of-control) around here.

so this fall we attempted to reign it in with healthier stuff.

skinny taste has come through big with many healthier versions of classic recipes.

so far our favorites are the baked ziti and loaded baked potato soup. 

here's a pic of the yumminess from her website.

11) TOMS

i know it still feels like summer most days but i feel weird wearing summery clothes in november.

so i traded in my flip-flops for toms and i'm loving every second of them on my feet.

our cousin carrie recently told us a neat story about their "one for one" promise in action:

i saw a sea of TOMS in mozambique. there was a drop point not far from the village

where i was living and it was so neat to see everyone from kids to 80-year-old ladies

(who can't even stand up straight) dancing around in church sporting their toms!

YOUR TURN.

what's one (or eleven) things you are liking on this fun date in history?

FRIENDLY ADVICE...

LISTEN UP!

i'm passing along some favorite tidbits my FRIENDS have shared with me recently.

they are too good to keep for yourself.

if anyone asks where you heard about these things,

feel free to say a FRIEND of a FRIEND told you about them!

WALL ABOUT YOU

my FRIEND TIFFANI found this jewel.
it's an iphone app where you can make your own personalized wallpaper,

complete with monogram and different backgrounds.

feel free to change it as often as you like.

it costs a lot less than a new phone cover.

BERRY GOOD

 several PINTEREST FRIENDS shared a way to keep berries from molding so quickly,

and it actually works!

i filled a mixing bowl with 5 cups water and 1/2 a cup vinegar,

next i dumped the berries into the bowl and swished them around.

then i rinsed them off and refrigerated, for berries that stayed yummy much, much longer.

NAARTJIE

my FRIEND AMY linked to this site awhile ago, and i'm so glad she did.

this store has lots of cute patterns and fabrics for girls' clothes.

i'm currently stuck on these pants.
they are matilda jane-esque,

for a fraction of the price.

BUBBLE GUPPIES

my friends KELLI and DEVON told us about this tv show that comes on nick jr.

super why is also highly ranked at our house,
but this one keeps both of our kids equally entertained for 30 minute intervals.

the characters are fun and the lessons are interesting.

plus, it's a big bonus that it isn't annoying to any adults in the room.

(source)

TARZAN

my FRIEND (and sister) SARA KATE let us borrow this dvd.
i know what you're thinking: 1999 called, they'd like this movie back.

but i just can't return it. 

our kids enjoy it from beginning to end.

and much like bubble guppies, parents don't mind watching it too.

SOUND SPA

my FRIEND SHANNON gives this for baby gifts, genius.

it's portable, small, plays continuously and a lifesaver for blocking outside noise.

this homedics "sound spa" has traveled everywhere with us this summer
and is a big part of how our family of four
has succeeded in sharing one room on our trips.

 NOW, WHAT'S YOUR FRIENDLY ADVICE?

i can't wait to hear some more good finds.

MONDAY MUST-SHARES...

from time to time, i simply can't resist passing along FUN FINDS.

i feel as though you NEED TO KNOW about the following items.

1) PUDDLE JUMPERS are genius.

these water floats can be found at amazon, target, academy, or wal-mart.

they are the only way i will go swimming this summer (with two non-swimmers).

i love how they provide support without being as bulky as a lifejacket.

i appreciate how the kids can still attempt to "swim" on their stomachs

and practice moving their arms and kicking while wearing them.

2) PIRATES AND MERMAIDS are awesome.

these pool toys aren't available online,
but they should still be in target stores on the "summer aisle."

my friend tiffani found them and i became slightly obsessed with how cute they are.
they are the perfect size for little hands to hold and fit easily in the pool bag.

we have the pirate set and my kids have been carrying them around for days in and out of the pool.

3) SHOPPING FOR MY LITTLE LOVES is so helpful.

the cuties pictured below are the shopping guru's children.

i insist you go to the "shopping for my little loves" blog.
while you are there i suggest you follow it to see her cute finds.
she has great taste for boys and girls items alike,
and shares her finds on a regular basis.

 4) GRACE AND GUMPTION is adorable.

i seriously love these headbands.

we have two of them at our house.

they look equally adorable on kids and grownups (if i may say so myself).

and to top it off not only are they a great price,
a great girl makes each of them by hand too.
i think they make the perfect addition to every summer outfit, from t-shirts to dressed-up.
you can order yours from her etsy shop: grace & gumption.

i hope one of the jewels ON THE LIST

brings some summer fun to your house too!

THRIFTY but TASTY...

i've already confessed i'm a shortcut cook. i love TIME-SAVING ingredients that don't have to be prepared from scratch, but i also love MONEY-SAVING tips for the kitchen. thank you mom and the internet for your help on those.

here are a few tricks i've been using lately:

plan meals for the week and get all the groceries at once.

this takes away the nightly pressure and stress of figuring out what we are going to have.

it also means that i should have the ingredients needed to make each dish. i definitely haven't mastered that yet, since evan gets called quite often on his way home from work to pick up whatever one ingredient i somehow forgot to get.

this plan helps save on groceries because if i am using a recipe that calls for spinach one night, we will use the rest of the spinach for a side salad the next night, etc.

of course inevitably things come up every week and we end up having less nights at home than dinners there are ingredients for. to stay flexible, i've started making sure one or two of the planned dinners each week are things that can easily be moved to the next week if needed (like pastas, etc. that don't include meats or perishables).

get new recipes.

when i am flipping through a magazine, and see a good recipe, i immediately tear it out and put it by my recipe box so i have it handy. when i stumble across a recipe on a blog or website i email it to myself to be printed so i will have it available when i decide to give it a try.

if we like a recipe, i glue it to an index card and add it to the recipe box. if we don't i trash it so i won't accidentally make it again!

half the recipe.

i don't know why it took me so long to start doing this. almost all my recipes make 4 servings, but most of the time there are just two of us eating it.

if i do make a full portion i try to do it on a night that i will be at home the next day, then i can eat the leftovers for lunches.

for a buttermilk substitute,

instead of buying buttermilk for recipes and hoping i use it all, i now just add 1T vinegar to just under 1C regular milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

if a recipe calls for an herb or spice we don't particularly love,

i simply leave it out and use something else we like or have in the pantry.

this might sound obvious but for too long i was buying things for one recipe, that wouldn't ever get used again.

obscure spices and herbs can easily be omitted, and/or substituted with any other flavoring you already have.

i add black pepper, garlic, or tony's seasoning to almost everything. growing your own pots of the herbs you use the most is also great.

pay attention to "sell by" and "use by" dates.

these often help me chose what recipes to make in order to use up ingredients that need to be used or tossed.

we tried a new real simple recipe last week that was immediately requested to be on the regular rotation. not only was it yummy, quick, and cheap it is also versatile.

it was wonderful made exactly like the recipe called for, but it would also be a good way to make a tasty dinner and use up whatever lunch meats, cheeses, or veggies are approaching their expirations.

SALAMI AND SPINACH STROMBOLI

ingredients

1 lb plain or whole-wheat pizza dough

(i used the pillsbury canned pizza dough)

1/4 lb sliced salami

4 C fresh spinach

1/2 lb thinly sliced provolone

olive oil

salt and pepper

directions

1) preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2) shape dough into a flat, rectangle on a greased pan.

3) place salami, spinach, and provolone down the middle of the dough.

4) if desired, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and other seasoning on top.

5) fold the sides up to the middle and press together.

6) bake for 15-20 minutes, or until dough is cooked through and golden brown.

what are your in the kitchen money saving tips? i'd love to hear them!

CON-GRAD-ULATIONS...

we are big fans of graduations around here.

i've enjoyed a couple of my own.

evan's had three.

i know our own kids' will come sooner than i think.

and my baby sister is somehow graduating this year.

i remember the day we realized she would be in the class of 2010.

it sounded so futuristic and so far away, but yet it's arrived.

and this year our fridge is full of those exciting announcements.

which means i've been trying my best to find the perfect gift for each and every graduate.

after lots of brainstorming, and lots of browsing,

here's a cheat sheet i've compiled to help you start shopping for every graduate on your list.

high school boy grad-

let's be honest, you definitely can't go wrong with cash, best buy, itunes, wal-mart or target giftcards. i know that's not all that creative or anything new, but it's tried and true for a reason. i firmly believe all guys also need clean towels and sheets. a duffle bag with his initials would certainly get used. my current top choice, is a giftcard to a restaurant in their college town. he can use it for a much needed break from dorm food or to take a new girl on a date.

high school girl grad-

i'm still using the dorm dishes i received more than ten years ago. think melamine bowls and plates from target, hard plastic cups, or cute, inexpensive (picnic style) silverware. there are so many fun options out there for that gift. i LOVED the simple white monogrammed pillowcase that had my name in cursive on the side stitched in my future college's school color. i knew which pillow was mine at a glance on road trips or while watching movies down the hall. everyone loves a nice, thick monogrammed bath towel for similar reasons. my current top choice, is the shouldah bin (click). not only is the name clever, so is the box. guaranteed to be the cutest laundry hamper around, or it could be used for countless other storage options too.

college boy grad-

i tend to just refer back to the same giftcard possibilities that i use for high school grads. i have to give credit to my friend kelli for this new-to-me idea that is my current top choice, a classic tie. this would be something he could wear to an interview. or a wedding. or a dressy sunday at church. and help him look like the grownup he now is.

college girl grad-

i'm a big fan of monogrammed anything (in case you hadn't noticed). some personalized options are a coffee mug (click), a bag (jon hart (click) makes some of my favorites), notecards or a notepad. other ideas include a fun new pair of pajamas, cute wallet. or maybe a delicious smelling candle (my scent suggestions- trapp's orange vanilla or tyler's fleur de lis, diva, or high maintenance). my current top choice, is grownup perfume (or a giftcard to go pick out some herself).

please pass along anything else you like to give or enjoyed receiving!

here's to the class of '10!

*disclaimer to any graduates reading this list:

i might have omitted a few ideas, so don't worry your present will still be a surprise.

HELLO, GENIUS!

i had a giftcard that i've been looking forward to using for about three months. today was finally the day! i loaded the kids up in the stroller and was on a mission to find a dress. i wanted to find an easter dress, that could also be worn to graduations, and maybe to a wedding or two. do you think that's too much to ask from one dress? neither do i.

but that's not really even what i'm here to talk about. the real find of the day was this:

(click here to see more colors

or order your own)

it's a reversible tank. hello, genius! it can be v-neck or scoop neck depending on what you need. and it's smooth, soft, and super fitted so it doesn't add bulk underneath. i'm in love with it already.

in case you need more convincing of how great this find is, let me introduce you to what evan calls "annalee math." the price tag says $24 but when you consider it's essentially two shirts i like to think it only costs $12 for each way you can wear it.

(photo source)

20 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT BEFORE CHRISTMAS...

(unless you are already preparing for christmas 2009 in which case there are 385 shopping days left until that christmas.) i have several talented friends who have websites filled with great shopping finds. i hope you enjoy shopping around. you can click on each of the links to learn more or place an order from them!



ADDIE'S SIMPLE BABY BOWS
natalie makes beautiful bows, bow holders, and my very favorite are her flower power clips. her products and prices can't be beat. i already ordered some as stocking stuffers for adelaide, shhh... don't tell!








CLAY MEMORIES
tricia and her mom recently started this business in the houston area with the motto of "ten little fingers and ten little toes, take time for memories as they grow." they make handprints and/or footprints into absolutely adorable keepsakes. i'm looking forward to supporting this business myself very soon!





FABULOUS K BLOG DESIGNS
you've probably heard of fabulous k already. she might even be the one who made your blog fabulous. my blog was touched when she waved her "fairy blog mother wand" and granted my wish of a cute header. then she gave our whole family the gift of designing a blog for witt. she is recently back in business! check her out.




NAPTIME CREATIVE
leah is creating custom-designed, hand-stamped pieces. i will be wearing this piece daily when it arrives. i'm in love! her products are made during her son's nap time and her creativity definitely flows. the products are just so personal and cute.






REDBUD DESIGNS
sharon has quite an eye for design as well. she makes adorable blog headers, invitations, and cards. she made our christmas cards this year, and i can't stop smiling at the finished product. i've been so impressed with her work that she's already been hired to design adelaide's 1st birthday invitation!




if you have a business about which you would like to share, or other great shopping ideas feel free to tell about them in the comments section of this post. happy shopping!