Turkey anyone?

With the {somewhat} onset of Fall, I have been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving. {Well, actually I've been planning for more than a month now, but I don't want you to think I'm TOO crazy.} It is one of my favorite holidays, since I love cooking & entertaining. Over the years I have developed some tried and true recipes for certain dishes, that I now refuse to do without. I won't even bother trying a new pumpkin pie recipe since I love the one I have so much. This year I won't be able to hostess because I will be waaaaaayyy too pregnant. I learned my lesson with baby #2 by hosting Thanksgiving while pregnant & that was for only 5 people total. So my {covert} plan will be to freeze a bunch of ingredients & side dishes ahead of time so that I can {casually} offer to bring those items for the big day. We are celebrating at my grandma's house, so when I tell her that I already have all the ingredients prepared, how can she refuse? Here are the dishes I really need to have to make my Thanksgiving "complete":

Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Zinfandel ~ I have been making this for about 5-6 years now. I tastes awesome on a {leftover} turkey sandwich too. I'm thinking this will actually freeze quite nicely already prepared. I will split this into two batches so that I can save some for Christmastime.

Slow Cooker Stuffing ~ My recipe is loosely based off of this one. I like to add Bob Evan's sage sausage and raisins too. I think I can freeze all the ingredients, including the bread cubes, then just toss it all in the crockpot on the big day. Maybe I will make extra to have for Christmastime as well.

Thanksgiving Day Pumpkin Pie ~ I'm not sure how I can make this ahead, except maybe to make & freeze the crust. It comes together so quickly that I really don't have to. Here is the recipe for it from Nick Maglieri's book How to Bake:

Thanksgiving Day Pumpkin Pie

Makes 1 pie

1 9” pie crust
1 ½ c. canned pumpkin
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2/3 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
¼ t. ground ginger
¼ t. freshly grated nutmeg
1 ¼ c. light cream or half and half

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place crust and arrange in pan. In a large bowl, place pumpkin and whisk in the eggs and yolks. Whisk in the remaining ingredients in the order listed, whisking smooth after each addition. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake the pie for about 1 hour, until the crust is baked through and the filling is set. Cool the pie on a rack.

Special Notes:

Sweet dough for pies: In processor pulse 1 c. flour, 3 T. sugar, 1/4 t. baking powder, 1/8 t. salt. Pulse in 4 T. cold butter until it looks like cornmeal. Add 1 egg & pulse 10 times or so until dough comes together. Knead 3 to 4 times on lightly floured board. Chill 1 hour. Roll.

How about a few websites for Thanksgiving inspiration? I have been reading the "Thinkin' Thanksgiving" forum over at Organized Christmas. I've also found a few nice ideas here. And here is some Turkey day food inspiration at Allrecipes.

Are you making Thanksgiving plans yet? What are the foods that say "Thanksgiving" to you?

P. S. White meat rules!!

Sew and Sew

Welcome to the latest edition of "Sew and Sew"! Since completing all these projects last week, my sewing has slowed down a bit. I have way too many projects that are only half completed, so this week's goal will be to knock some of those off my "to-do" list.

The Beast

I decided to make a diaper bag for a friend's baby shower. Yeah. Note to self: You better really {and I mean REALLY} love this person to take on a project of this magnitude. I recycled some fabric that started out as something else for the exterior & used some clearance fabric which I love for the lining. I *so* love the color combination. Very fall-ish. The problem arose when I tried to stitch through multiple layers of heavy fabric, batting, and interfacing while trying to turn corners, etc. I had to call my Personal Sewing Machine Repairman, a.k.a. Hubster, to my rescue. I actually messed up the innards of the machine by trying to do more than it could handle. {My sincere apologies, Ella (that's the name of my machine)!} After necessary repairs were completed, I was able to continue. I have not been able to procure more magnetic clasps from my {2} local JoAnn's stores, so I had to rip one out of a project that was in the lingering "to-do" pile. There are two bottle/sippy cup pockets on the outside & a patch pocket & zippered pocket on the inside. I altered the pattern by making two quilted side straps. After all was said & done, I got this: I am also proud of myself for making a matching wipes case holder. It will also hold two size 5 diapers. I added a grommet {my first one!} and a wrist strap for stylish carrying ability when you go to change your little one. The interior is lined & there is a contrasting exterior pocket on the back for some diaper rash ointment or lotion or whatever else mom might need. I *love* it! I will definitely be making one for myself {when I get around to actually making myself a diaper bag}.


For the Kitchen

Next up is an farmhouse style apron, which is reversible, made from Lotta Jansdotter's book, Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects . I am very happy with the fabric choices. I used the same fabrics to make a matching potholder, also from the same book.



Next time I will use two layers of batting with a layer of canvas sandwiched in between for extra heat-resistance. This potholder is only good for "quick" tasks.

I tackled my first tablerunner {more of a centerpiece actually}, sans pattern of course, and am mostly pleased with the results. I had a hard time figuring out the mitred corners of the edging, so will have to research that for next time. I was so bummed when I put the finished runner on my table, only to realize that the color of the edging blends in with the color of my table. DOH!! I used different strips of fall fabrics from the stash. {Sorry, for some reason I can't find the photos I took of this!}

For the Kidlets

Yet another tiered skirt, this time for the 2 1/2 year old. I have yet to tire of this style. It just seems so cute to me. I love that I don't need a pattern, can make it sized perfectly every time with just a little math & can just use my {new} rotary cutting set to cut out the necessary straight strips of fabric. I used some pumpkin patch flannel from the stash. {Come on, Fall!} The flannel seemed a little finicky to work with, but I made it obey.

Lastly is a bib for Jellybean:

I used a bib I already have & traced around it for a pattern. {I recycle all of my big brown grocery bags for pattern-making, by the way. Nice & sturdy!} This is more of a medium-large sized bib, so I cut out a few more smaller ones for when he is sloppily nursing or just starting solids. I love the fabric! There is a layer of terry cloth in the middle for absorption and the bib is backed with flannel. Now I'm off to finished some of those unfinished items ;>)

Not radically different....

....but just a little....pinker! I like all the slips of paper in the new header & my little pink notes that are stapled or tacked up along the sidebar. I'm lovin' the little pink bullets next to the sidebar links. I tried forever to add a background image behind the posts, but to no avail. If I don't stop fuddling now, I may never make any changes at all. Hope you like it ;>)

A New Look...

I am in the process of making a couple changes to the look of my blog, which is why I haven't posted in several days. I am so thankful for all my new {and old} readers alike and because of that I want to make this blog a happy, enjoyable place to visit. I consider my blog an extension of my home. If you were coming over for tea or lunch, I would make sure that everything is in order & not only that, but would try and add some beautiful touches, be it with food or otherwise, to make your visit more pleasurable. I want to do the same here. I will be deleting some old links or blogs I no longer visit & adding some of my new favorites. {The baby is bouncing around so much at the moment, it is actually making it difficult to focus on typing!} I hope in a day or two I can put the finishing touches on my new look. It kinda feels like getting a haircut, ya know? Thank you for continuing {or beginning} to share in life's adventures with me. Now back to the sprucing up.....

106 days

....until Christmas ya'll!! If you've been reading for awhile, you may remember that after last Christmas I planned to do a little Christmas in July celebration for myself, making some crafts, trying new Christmas recipes, etc. My how ambitious I can be when I'm not pregnant! As it turns out, I did start planning for Christmas last month though. Here are the things I accomplished:

• Downloaded free holiday planner to add to my homekeeping notebook from Organized Christmas. The planner can be found here. I printed out the Christmas Countdown complete with weekly checklists. The thing I like about it is that I will start on October 21 and hopefully have all my baking, decorating, shopping, cleaning, etc. finished in their 6 week timeline, ending on December 1st {just in time for my December 15th due date}.

• Updated my MS Word Holiday Planning File. I've had this file for years. It has my Christmas Card list, complete with names & addresses, Gift Ideas, and Gift Lists. I usually try to add recipes I come across or homemade gift tutorials as well so everything is all in one place.

• Began a set of five holiday stockings for my family. They're made from my new favorite material: FELT! You can see the preview of the set in my last post.

• Begun to think about more holiday crafts! I love these softie trees & can't wait to make a set for myself from the free pattern I got here.
  

• Started holiday sewing, namely an orange fleece pullover as a Christmas gift for the hubster. After I realized I cut out the pattern wrong, I kinda lost some of my motivation. I need to buy a bit of black fleece to use as contrast along the sleeve edges & bottom. I am so excited. I hope it fits! I am hoping to make some flannel pajama pants as gifts for my niece & nephews as well & maybe some for my kiddos as stocking stuffers.

• Started to think about possible homemade holiday gifts. Some of my ideas include: Sun Visor Organizers {for the men}, Lavender Vanilla Sheet Spray, Chocolate Lip Balm, Tote Bags, Fabric Notebook Portfolios, and Muslin Reusable Teabags {for loose-leaf tea drinkers}.
  

• In anticipation of their Winter issue, I signed up for a free subscription & downloaded my first copy of Seasonal Delights. One year subscriptions are free through the month of September. This issue is Autumn, so it includes seasonal recipes, crafts, books to read and poetry.

Any Christmas thinking on your horizon? Started shopping/crafting/creating yet?

Sew and Sew

Here are some of the latest sewing projects that have come across my machine, or my hands for that matter. The first item is:



















It is storage for all those plastic grocery bags {or bread bags} that I accumulate and usually just stuff under the sink. You just push 'em in through the top & pull 'em out through the bottom.

NEXT! These are embroidered felt hair clips I made following this tutorial.















I loved this project because they are so fast, fun, and easy to make. Plus they are portable, so I can stick the ones I'm working on in my purse if I am going to be sitting waiting somewhere {like the doctor's office or dance class}. They are cheap too! I think they'll make great little girl stocking stuffers. I also like making them to coordinate with certain outfits. It's all about the accessories!

NEXT! Here is a corduroy skirt I made for my 6 year-old.

It also has a matching beret & matching embroidered hair clips, like the ones above, that are currently unavailable for photographing . Of course as part of my learning process, I cut out the skirt improperly so that the corduroy welts run horizontal instead of vertical, but I don't think anyone else would really notice {other than me & the keen-eyed seamstress}.

Finally, here is a little preview of an entire set of projects I have been working on.
The elfette pattern can be gotten for free here.

Hope you have had an enjoyable weekend! I got lots of sleep last night {thanks Unisom!} so I am feeling ready for a productive day. Blessings!

Stay-at-Home-Mom vs. Homemaker

QUICK! Do you consider yourself a stay-at-home-mom or a homemaker?

Quite honestly, I would have always described myself as a stay-at-home-mom. After reading this post however, I will have to change my answer to homemaker, or as I prefer, domestic engineer. I encourage you all to read the post & let me know what you think. It just reminds me that there is so much more to my job description than childcare, and really, that is only just a fraction of what my duties entail. I agreed with so many points that were made about women being reduced to just child-care workers & being expected to work once the children enter school or leave the nest. I think a lot of elements of making of a home have been lost over the years {although I'm trying to revive the sewing aspect, y'all!} and I think many of these areas can be reclaimed by those of us who consider our homes as a sanctuary and a soft place to land for our husbands, ourselves, our children and others {how's that art of hospitality?}. What are we, as the new generation of homemakers, doing to rebuild the image of "home", especially as a Christian one where that applies? We can start by referring to ourselves as homemakers or domestic engineers, as opposed to stay-at-home-moms. After all, isn't the working mom {if her priorities are in order} just as much as a homemaker as a "stay-at-home-mom"? We are all called to be homemakers and I was reminded today that it is a title I should wear proudly and should actively look for ways to reclaim areas of this art that have been lost & to encourage the next generation {or even my friends } to do the same. I will leave you with this quote from the post I read:

Homemaking should become a respectable occupation for a married woman once again, whether she lives in the city or in the country, whether she has 1 child or 20 or no children at all.

Amen!

P.S. I only got 5 hours of broken-up sleep last night so please bear with me if I am not thinking clearly!

Party.....I mean, Potty Time

I feel like my life is in a little bit of a lull. I haven't been sleeping well, so I don't have a lot of energy for the things I used to. I am just starting a new survey for my part-part-time job, so that will be taking up more of my time. I don't have any big "first day of school" posts to share, like it seems everybody else does. Our first day of school was weeks ago & I guess, due to the nature of homeschooling, not very dramatic. No sadness. No milestone memory. No lunch to pack. No concern over whether she got a "good" teacher {LOL}. Just another day.

The only thing remotely exciting going on around here is Potty Training! I tried {although I wasn't very committed} on two other occasions to put 2 1/2 year old in underpants, but after 5 "accidents" before noon, I was done for. Last week, we had run out of diapers over the weekend {I did buy more, but didn't put them away where they usually belong}, so when Monday morning came and the little one went to get a fresh one, all that was there was a pile of ready-to-wear underpants. She brought me a pair & I just decided that it was "time". I decided that I would not leave the house until Thursday {last week} and if she didn't have "success" before then, I would just try another time. She did great! After about 2 tries on the "little potty", she refused to use it anymore & only wanted to use the "big potty" with it's Dora training seat. {What's up with this? I couldn't tell if she went or not unless I was sitting right there the whole time waiting for the tinkle. Grrr.} It took until the second day for things to click, but by the third day we were doing ALL our business on the potty. Of course we are still having accidents, but maybe only one or two a day. She also has been waking up dry after her naps & sometimes in the mornings as well. As a reward, she got a new package of Elmo underwear. I am so proud. I guess it doesn't come a bit too soon as tomorrow is the start of my third trimester. I am still in a bit of denial about being pregnant again, but that's another story!

Two Bags & a Little Monster

Here's what I've been working on this week. The first bag is from the book Hip Handbags. It's a really neat book because it gives you the templates for several different bags & then shows you variations on each one.

It's just big enough for a Bible, small notebook & maybe even a water bottle. I think I'd like it better with a pocket on the outside for your keys & pen or whatnot. I am *in love* with this fabric. It is so me. I actually went back to the fabric store to buy MORE. I have never done that before. I believe it is on clearance too for $4 a yard, plus it is a medium weight instead of a light cotton. Super!!


NEXT!! Here is a little picture story of the next bag:


1) Wal-Mart bag to be used as a template 2) Cutting the fused edges of the bag 3) Grocery bag in its own little storage pouch 4) Opening up the bag 5) The finished product!

Somehow I managed to follow this tutorial to make my own fabric grocery bag. These are becoming increasingly popular as they are a "green" option to using all those slow-to-disinigrate plastic bags. You could keep one in your purse or glove box for those little shopping trips or to use whenever you need a bag: library, thrift store purchase, farmer's market, etc! Maybe I can make a few as Christmas gifts. They aren't exactly high on style, but are high on practicality. This first one will be given to my wonderful sister-in-law who just donate a generous trash bag full of fabric to my stash. Sweet!

And finally....I saw this tutorial & knew I wanted to make one for my brother for Christmas. Even if he is 27 and married. It just cracks me up when I look at it & totally reminds me of him. I am so enjoying working with felt! It is so cheap too! So I made this little guy yesterday. Unfortunately shortly after I was finished, he was adopted by my 2 year old & named "Toonie". Guess I'll have to make another one.

How Far We've Come

I really need a T-shirt that says, "Please stop asking me when I'm due." It's actually not so much the question I mind, it's peoples' reactions when I tell them. Twice within the last week a stranger {one dance class mom & one Wal-Mart cashier} asked me when I'm due and reacted the same way.

Them: So...when are you due?
Me: December 15th
Them: HEH. HEH. WHOA! {As if to say: You've got a long way to go.}
Me: Well, it's only 16 weeks.
Them: I guess when you put it that way.......

This really got me thinking. I think too often we look at our own progress or at the progress of other people & think, "I've/You've got a long way to go." Instead, we should try and appreciate how far we've/they've come. If only those strangers knew how many weeks of sickness I endured or the two ultrasounds I've had with another coming in a few weeks or the concern over my placenta previa, they would instead be saying, "Wow! You're more than half way there!" Don't get me wrong, we should focus on how far we have left to go in whatever journey we're pursuing {our spiritual walk, journey towards healthy living, a more intimate marriage, pregnancy} so that we can guage our progress, but I also think that every so often we should turn around and enjoy the view towards the starting line to see how far we've come. So maybe today, despite whatever it is you're facing, you can take a moment to appreciate all the work that you've done so far. You've come a long way, baby!

What's for lunch??

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. Are all the children officially back to school now? After watching my sister-in-law pack my niece's lunchbox, I thought I would share some school lunch ideas. I am always looking for new recipes to try, ya know! Here are some that I scrounged up:

Lunchbox Ideas

Ideas from Family Fun

Kraft Foods Lunchbox Builder

Learn about Bento ~ a new trend in lunch cuisine

Knowing my affinity for once-a-month-cooking, I can’t leave out these great lunch ideas that can be made in bulk in advance! Wouldn’t it be great not to have PB & J every day or to have to worry about what preservatives or other unnaturals are lurking in the school cafeteria lunches? It’s also nice to have lunch already made for yourself if you are staying at home {either homeschooling or with other kiddos}!

Recipezaar Cookbook for Lunches

Some of our favorite lunches include:

Leftovers: Because it's easy on mom!
Homemade Lunchables: Basically just crackers, cheese, meat & fruit. Simple!
Grilled Cheese: I like to sprinkle my bread with garlic salt before I cook it ;>)
Cheese-y Noodles: I rarely ever buy blue-box Mac, I just boil my own noodles & add a couple of slices of cheese and a splash of milk and butter.

My favorite......
French Bread Pizzas: Homemade of course! I buy hoagie rolls at Sam's Club, add some homemade pizza sauce and shredded cheese, then freeze them. That way I can have lo-cost pizza anytime ;>)

If you are trying something new and creative this year with your school lunches or have other sites to add, please feel free to share with the rest of us!

Sew and Sew

I am still enjoying sewing. Kinda surprising due to my short attention span . Here are some of the projects I have been working on this week. This first one is my proudest accomplishment thusfar. I *love* it! I purchased the pattern, Liesl & Co Backpack Tote {her blog is here}, and the necessary hardware from PurlSoho. Hubster wasn't crazy about my eclectic fabric choices {his favorite color is grey and orange, though}, but it is totally me. Without much ado:
It has an outer buttoned pocket, a magnetic closure, and you can see the interior with its patch pocket and lined zippered pocket.

The neatest thing is that you can either use it as a tote bag over your shoulder or the straps pull together through the rings & it can be used as a backpack as well. So versatile. It's big enough to maybe use as a diaper bag, but I don't think hubs would be too thrilled carrying it around.

Next FO {finished object} is a tiered skirt for my niece's birthday at the end of the month.


I made it using the same tutorial as the one I previously posted about. The fabric is by Alexander Henry and is called "Mocca". I am very happy with how it turned out. I want to find a red {maybe sage green to bring out the green?} shirt to go with it to which I can add a few cute embellishments. I also wouldn't mind trying to make some matching felt hair clips to go with it, maybe something based on this.

Here is something else I whipped up, complete with before & after:

You can see a close-up of the fabric. It's a flannel with little fishes and other shapes. The fabric was in my stash & so was the velcro for the closure, so it really didn't cost anything to make. I wanted to try the technique before I plunked down money for some nicer fabric. Maybe once I decide on the theme of the nursery, I will make another one to match.

And my final project is something {after seeing how cute it is} I think every child should have. It's a little tooth pillow for placing the lost tooth in so the Tooth Fairy {or in our case the Mommy Fairy since we don't promote pretend figures} can leave the child a special treat. Six year old lost her first tooth this week {exciting!} so the Mommy Fairy left, in the new tooth pillow of course!, a tootsie roll and a handmade coupon to the donut shop. Don't forget to leave a little Mommy Dust {gold glitter} when you fill the tooth pillow!

P.S. If you are interested in a tooth pillow for your child{ren}, let me know. They are sew easy, I'd be glad to send one along!

Tightwad in Training

I heard a fellow mom mention the Tightwad Gazette as a good source for frugal ideas. I had never come across the publication before & filed it away in my memory bank. I finally got around to checking it out from our local library & I. AM. MOTIVATED. I can't believe the plethora of money-saving ideas. It truly is mind boggling. If you have never heard of it before either, the Tightwad Gazette was a newsletter, which was published for several years in the early '90s, promoting frugality as a "viable alternative lifestyle". These newsletters have since been compiled into a humungous book, which is what I checked out. I realize that frugality is a process and requires a balance between time, money, and a willingness of effort. There are ideas that are way beyond me right now, like washing my Ziploc bags in the washing machine for re-use {although I am saving the not-so-dirty ones}, but lots of other ideas that are just challenging enough for me {like weighing several 3# bags of apples to see if any of them were heavier ~ I got one that weighed nearly 3 1/2#s for the 3# price}! After reading {literally} hundreds of pages of ideas, I have come to several conclusions. 1) I am very wasteful! I throw all sorts of things away without a second thought. 2) New is not always better, although our consumer-driven society has conditioned us to believe that it is. 3) I am willing to change to make life simpler & less expensive for my family. Here are the things I am doing to try and not spend as much & be a better steward of what God has given me:

Make a Price Book: I have read before in different places how this will revolutionize my grocery budget. Basically, a price book lists all the things you typically buy along with the prices for each item at the different stores you shop at. That way you can always be sure to pay the lowest price and will know whether or not something is a good deal or sale. I have already started compiling some items and prices in a notebook. Meats are probably my weakest category. I don't really know what a good price for any cuts of beef or pork are. On my last grocery trip, I already began really analyzing cost per ounce and whether bigger bags were a better deal. I paid more attention to what brands I bought & really scoured the shelves to make sure there wasn't anything cheaper. I will feel so relieved when I know where to buy which items to save the most money! {If you are interested in my results when I am done, let me know or if you want to join me in my collaborative effort, we can price search together!}

Make more things from scratch: I already try and make many things from scratch, but will still be looking for more things to try. So far from the book, I've tried Homemade Wheat Thins & today I made my own spaghetti sauce {I was even able to price it out using my price book}!

Be more conscientious about food waste: We aren't really a "leftovers" family, which I realize is quite wasteful. I am trying to save whatever isn't eaten & use it in a new creative way. I saved some sauce from Chicken Cacciatore that I made earlier in the week & added it to my spaghetti sauce pot {along with some cherry tomatoes that got forgotten for who-knows-how-long in the back of the fridge}. I saved leftover Mac & Cheese from the kids' lunch & reserved it as a side dish the next day.

Keeping my eyes open: I will be just keeping my eyes open for new ways of using or reusing things. I have two sippy cups that have long since lost the valve that makes them "no-spill". We went to the park last week & lo & behold laying in the grass was the exact valve that fits my sippy cup. All it took was a run through the dishwasher and now one sippy cup is back to "no-spill" status. This may sound gross to some {and I was worried that hubster would think so}, but really that may be just because we've been taught to think so. Hubby thought it was genius by the way! I also stopped into a WonderBread outlet & found that I can get a loaf of good-quality whole wheat bread for 2 for $2.05 instead of 2 for $2.86 that I have been paying at my warehouse club. We go through a lot of bread, so this will be a great savings. {I'm not sure how much 100% whole wheat costs at Aldi, but maybe they are cheaper?}

Where are you in your frugal journey? Do you like to purchase whatever you can brand-new or do you get excited at the valuable yard sale discovery?

School Daze....

...oh, I mean days are back again! We "officially" started school two weeks ago, but have gotten off to a very slooooooow start. We completed 5 days in the course of two weeks, mostly due to a bunch of end of the summer sleepovers with cousins & grandparents {oh, and the teacher was struck with a terrible case of food poisoning that took several days to recover from}. Anyhow, since I know public school will be starting shortly for many families, I will be featuring some "back-to-school" posts to get us all in the mood for the new school year. My favorite back-to-school memories from my childhood would mostly revolve around shopping. I would get so excited to be able to buy new "school clothes" and supplies. There is a line in the movie "You've Got Mail" where Tom Hanks says,

"Don't you love the fall? It makes me want to go out and buy school supplies. And if I knew your name and address, I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils."

How romantic! {I *SO* love fall too!!} Those boxes of Crayolas with all the perfect unused crayons & fresh notebooks with so many pages to be filled......

So have you gotten your back-to-school shopping completed yet? Any good deals to share?

Restaurant Faves

Inspired by this post by Erin, here are some of my restaurant favorites. Being the foodie that I am, I am always willing to try someplace new, especially if it comes with a recommendation from a friend.

Top Italian

Biaggi's ~ When comparing it to Olive Garden, there just is NO contest. I love the more upscale atmosphere, the more flavorful menu, the different daily foccacia varieties, and the prices are comparable. I've enjoyed this place so much that I chose it as the site of my grandmother's 80th birthday party. As always, the food and service was great!

Other Italian places we've enjoyed include:
Nicolino's Italian Restaurant ~ McHenry, IL
Tuscany ~ various Chicagoland locations

Top Quick Service

I really enjoy eating at "quick-service" places as opposed to fast-food. If I'm going to spend $10 at the drive through, I rather spend a couple dollars more & get food quality that is significantly improved over the fast-food joint.

Noodles & Co ~ Obviously I somewhat biased since I used to work here, but I think I would enjoy their food & atmosphere regardless. There is a category of pasta for every palate: American, Asian & Italian. I *always* get the Trio now, which is a small salad, small noodle dish, and your choice of protein {chicken, beef, or shrimp} for $6.95. Great food for value in my opinion!

Panera ~ Again, nice atmosphere. Fresh menu with seasonal changes. Good value.

Top Fast Food

You've read my reasoning on quick-service vs. fast-food above, but when I do go for a drive through burger, it is almost always:

Culver's ~ There burgers are made fresh TO ORDER! {Need I say anything else?} You aren't getting a burger that's been sitting under a warmer for who knows how long. I like to add lots of veggies to mine like lettuce, tomato, and red onion {slices of onion mind you, not those little chopped pieces at the inferior fast-food joints}. I like the thick cut fries too. Their Garden Fresco salad is an amazing value. It is huge, with lots of toppings & only costs $3.99. Oh, and for the kiddies, I much rather have a coupon for a free custard than some rinky-dink happy-meal toy that ends up in the trash. If I'm paying for it, I rather pay for the custard. I save the coupons for later & then the kids can have an ice cream treat even if I'm low on cash.

Top Burger

Red Robin ~ Of course! So many burger options to choose from, not to mention appetizers, chicken sandwiches, wraps and salads. They have a reasonably priced kiddie menu as well. I love their thick cut {bottomless} fries. If you sign up for their e-club, you will get a "free gift" for signing up, plus a free burger on your birthday {frugal-ness here people}! Also worth mentioning is that after one of our first few initial visits I filled out a comment card regarding how I enjoyed the restaurant & our great service, etc. and got a letter in the mail thanking me for my comments along with $2 off my next visit. Nice!

Top Steakhouse

Sadly, I haven't tried enough of them to really have a good opinion. Has anyone been to Morton's? Or the Weber Grill? Or Gibson's? Since I haven't tried a big variety, the place we go to when I crave steak is:

The Outback ~ It's local. Hubs likes the cheese fries. I like the awesome blossom. It fills the need when we want a steak. Honestly though, if I feel like cooking I just go to our local butcher & pick up some ribeyes. I'll saute some mushrooms & onions or make homemade onion rings, combined with a good salad and......oh, yeah. This is supposed to be about restaurants......

I came across this Chicago Steakhouse Ranking that seems pretty informative. I am thinking I will call my dad soon & ask him to take me to one of the top four {maybe to celebrate the big 3-0 next year}. That's what dads are for, right?

In conclusion....
...I don't have any really amazing recommendations for Chinese {wish I did} or seafood or Mexican {um, yeah, we never go OUT for Mexican}. If I am going to recommend something it better be good all around. Some Chinese places have great dishes, but terrible egg rolls or fried rice. We went to Plum Garden a while back & I remember enjoying it, but not enough to rave about it. I can't wait to try Pappadeux's that Erin recommended. Seafood sounds so yummy these days! Here are a few other tidbits of my faves:

For a milkshake, I stop at: Steak 'n Shake ~ They're hand-dipped authentic milkshakes people. With whipped cream. And a cherry.

When I'm in the city, I like to order from: Leona's ~ I love the menu! Everything is so fresh, lots of great salads, huge grilled veggie skewers as a side dish, uber yummy sandwiches and pastas.

For a neighborhood bar & grill, I go to: Chili's ~ They're local. I know their menu {love the Boneless Shanghai Wings}. I have had lots of service issues though. I would say their consistency is spotty. Maybe I am getting the rookie server everytime, I dunno.

Best "Experience" Restaurant: The Rainforest Cafe ~ We just took the kids there recently & it was so much fun! I remember going there when I was younger & being amazed at all there is to take in. The food is great too {even if a little pricey}, lots of different flavor combos & options to choose from.

I think that covers a lot of it. This post is getting way too long as it is. I would also love to hear everyone's favorites, especially if you are local to me, so I can try some new places.

Urban Summer Skirt

I purchased these fabrics to make a bag for myself {which I created the design for & is in progress right now}, but when darling daughter saw the fabric being cut asked, "SOOOOOO, what is THAT fabric for?" She then informed me that she *loves* polka-dots and really would love a skirt for the next morning {today's} playdate. {Now isn't that a woman thing? NEEDING a new outfit for an upcoming event.} So, I proceeded to whip up this tiered skirt based on the tutorial at Kuky Ideas. It was sew simple, that I want to make a couple more, especially since it uses only fabric strips and a bit of elastic. I plan to make one for my niece for her birthday along with a matching appliqued shirt. I wanted the floral to be in the middle, but since I was using scraps there wasn't quite enough. But if she is happy with it & then so am I!

Super Secret ~ Revealed!

Here are some photos of my Super Secret Birthday project in action. The picture on the left is the "try-on" on the evening she received it. The other two are on party day. She looked....radiant. I mean, it really was amazing to see all my hard work, sweat, and tears finally come to fruition. The fit was nearly perfect. There is some room in the waistline & the dress was a tad long, so she would have to hike it up sometimes when walking around {truly princess-like}! All in all, my secret turned out great. Dear Daughter said it was the "best surprise she's ever had". That's good enough for me!

I *love* putting her hair in curlers! It's the best way to get it to stay curly. I remember MY grandma putting my hair in curlers when I was a kid. Do people even use curlers anymore? I guess in our day and age of needing instantaneous results, probably not. I did this for her dance photos & recital as well, and all the other moms were impressed. They were all planning on taking their girls to the salon. I figured for $10 I could make her hair curly as many times as I want.

So there ya go. I am pretty relieved that this project is over, although I've learned many things along the way. For example, if I ever get the urge to work with netting again, please do the humane thing & STOP ME!!

Now on to making more bags.....

Frugal Summer Purchase

I was so excited when I came across reusable swim diapers. With the kids swimming in our kiddie pool quite a bit, it seemed like I was going through quite a few disposable swimmies. I paid $5 on ebay, but I see that some of the infant/toddler swim accessories are all on clearance at Target now. So if you are in need of a reusable swim diaper {for the rest of this year or next}, they are available there for $4 a piece. No more wasting $$$ on disposables!

Super Secret Birthday Project

Before I get to the cause of all my hair-pulling details of my latest project, here is a neat quick little something I put together the other night. I don't remember where I saw it, but I think it was on another blog. They are bottle cap pincushions, using pop caps as the base.
I did made one extra, so if somebody out there is sewing or knows a new sewer and wants it, please let me know. They were sew easy to put together {something I desperately needed after some of the more "involved" projects}. Speaking of involved projects, I got the idea to make my almost-6-year-old a princess-like ballgown for her birthday. I figured it would be something totally out of the ordinary to receive as a gift & she really doesn't need any more toys that will get only occasional play. She actually picked out the pattern which you can see here. The one I picked is the style of the lavender dress at the bottom. {Somehow I feel like I've talked about this in a previous post. If I have, sorry, we'll just blame it on the pregnancy hormones.} She loves to look at the dresses on the outside & tell me which one she would pick for herself and which one she would pick for her little sis. Little does she know......Here is my progress so far:

The right picture is a close-up of the waistline. There is a sheer sash that goes around the waist and will tie into a big bow at the back. I completed the matching bolero in the third picture long ago, but still plan to add a rosette to the front for a little decor. Hubs took the kids to his parents today giving me the perfect opportunity to finish the task, but alas, it wasn't in the cards. I realized after wrestling like a mad-woman with 6 layers of fabric that I need a heavier-duty needle. Now my plan is to give the dress to her on Friday night, the evening before our family party. I was feeling really discouraged, like I undertook a project that is more advanced than my skills and is taking so much longer than my short-attention-span-personality can tolerate. After relaxing for a bit and seeing it on the hanger to take these blog photos, I am calmer and realize that I am so excited for my sweet daughter and hope she appreciates all the work that went into it. I hope she will feel like the princess that she is when she finally gets to wear it......

For your exercising safety.....

.....I know some of you out there are runners or are training to be runners or like to exercise. Yeah. We're so not related. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you about something I just ordered for Hubs. It's called Road ID. They come in several different styles like Wrist ID, Ankle ID, and Shoe tags and are engraved with your information like name, city, and contact phone numbers. It will give me a little peace of mind when Hubs is cycling at 20 mph with cars whizzing by at 65 mph. There are lots of testimonials featured on the website from people who have them. You never know when an accident will happen or if anyone will be around to tell the paramedics who you are. I googled for a coupon code and saved $2. Seems like twenty bucks is a small price to pay for your {and your loved ones} peace of mind. Just thought I'd pass it along!