craigs list selling tips

I discovered Craig's List a few years back and I'm so glad I did! Lots of people know about Craig's List, but are nervous about actually using it. And who can blame them? Connecting with perfect strangers can be scary. However, after getting informed *on how to stay safe, it can open up all new kinds of home purging and DIY possibilities for you. Since my friends know I use Craig's List they often ask me how I sell things using it, this is what I tell them:

butterscotch brownies

These little golden bites of heaven were born out of desperation and necessity. Like all good treats, right?

My daughter needed to bring a treat for a youth group activity. . .at the last minute (literally, it was an hour before the activity). . .we didn't have any special ingredients. . .and there was no time to run to the store . . .

These chewy butterscotch brownies fulfilled all those circumstances deliciously.

 

brother {printable}

I just love this Marc Brown quote. It's perfect for my little boys' room.
This would be perfect framed for a baby shower.

Happy printing!

Click here for black

baby g

Baby G's mom asked me to take some newborn photos, and I was more than happy to spend to time with this peaceful babe.

new england ice cream stands

Despite the snow still on the ground here in New England, our favorite nearby ice cream stand is open and serving out stacked cones of ice cream.


Something we love about living here in New England are all the quint little homemade ice cream stands that dot the towns here. They're everywhere. And super yummy!

Kimball Farm
400 Littleton Rd. Westford, MA
1543 Lunenburg Rd. Lancaster, MA
343 Bedford Rd. Carlisle, MA
158 Turnpike Rd. Jaffrey, NH

Sully's Ice Cream Stand
55 Graniteville Rd. Chelmsford, MA

Hudson Creamery
418 Main St. Hudson, MA

The Happy Chocolatier
509 Nagog Park Acton, MA

Sullivan Farms Homemade Ice Cream
176 Middlesex Rd. Tyngsborough, MA

Parlee Farms
95 Farwell Rd. Tyngsborough, MA

Davidian Bros. Deli & Farm
500 Church St. Northborough, MA

Trombetta's Farm
655 Farm Rd. Marlborough, MA

Slopeside Bar & Grill

1000 Main St. Shewsbury, MA

Of course, there's more out. If you have a favorite, pass it on and I'll add it to the list. Because everyone should access to good ice cream.

beautiful daughter {printable}

I'm excited to share this today -a free printable! It's a first here. My daughter has this quote on a small tattered piece of brown cardstock on her bulletin board. She got it awhile ago and I thought it deserved a fresh makeover and a little bit more attention than it was getting, so I created this printable for her. It prints as on 8.5 x 11, sheet and measures approximately 7.5 x 6 inches.

There's five colors to choose from -just click on hue you like best.

Happy Printing!

Click here for blue

texas sheet cake

I was first introduced to Texas sheet cake in Indiana by a dear friend, however

Texas sheet cake is a national favorite.

Everyone loves Texas sheet cake! And why not? Its moist chocolately cake and almost fudge-like frosting combination is a winner. Plus, it's just so easy to make. It's a great dessert for large crowds or the casual potluck. And for good reason, one recipe make a lot of cake!

 

I don't always have buttermilk in the fridge, but the vinegar/milk substitute works so good, there's no reason to make an extra trip to the store.

This is also a great recipe to make with kids.

{chocolate} gingerbread bars

My littles love gingerbread -almost to a fault. On more than one occasion I have caught one of them nibbling on the annual gingerbread houses we make and decorate at Christmastime. Lots of times, the houses are created from my mother-in-laws yummy homemade gingerbread, but other rushed years, we have relied on the store bought kit-in-a-box. That's where the 'almost to a fault' incidents come into play -nibbling on the gross, cement like ginger grossness.

 

So that's why I was so happy to discover these chocolate gingerbread bars. The littles can nibble on these gingerbread bars, sparing the store-bought manufactured house variety.

f family

This fun family asked to take their family pictures this fall. This is a family that loves to have fun together, so it wasn't hard to capture their cute smiles.

12 Organizing Ideas for the Holidays

I recently taught a class for my Church's women's group. Since the holidays are almost here, I focused on strategies to help make the holidays easier.

Here's the 12 organizing ideas for getting through the holidays in one piece.

my favorite DIY tools

Everybody knows that having the right tool for the job makes the job easier.

Here's a run down of the tools that have made our DIYing much easier, and are versatile enough to make our favorite DIY Must Haves:




Top Four DIY Must Have Tools

seasonal snickerdoodles

Alright, these are in honor of my newest sister-in-law, Jen, the Jenerator. She loves snickerdoodles. According to her, she could eat the whole batch! She loves 'em.

One of my favorite things to do is to take a well-loved classic and adapt it up for the season. That's exactly what these seasonal snickerdoodles provide -a taste of the holidays.

With just a simple swap of cinnamon to pumpkin pie spice, these cookies are ready to hold their own against any fall and winter treat. . .

and leave you wondering why you never thought of this tiny tweak before.

chewy caramel butter bars

My mother-in-law understands my long-standing love of baking. A few years back she gave me this  recipe book which is wholly dedicated to baking ooey-gooey, yummy treats -and this little guy's number finally came up.

If you don't like caramel, shortbread, or nuts, this butter bar is not for you.

I love these  Gooey Chewy Caramel Butter Bars. They were easy to make and man, they were good!

top five {august}

I can't believe August is over already! It seems like summer just started. And with our late out of school date, it kinda did. But we managed to squeeze in lots of fun before we have to slip back into our school schedule!

Just in case you missed one, here are my top five posts from August:
1) Broccoli Salad
this make ahead side dish is yummy, easy, and perfect for fall while broccoli is in season!

2) Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
these cheesecake cupcakes are dangerously good!

3) Why I Got My Kids a Pet
learn about some of the benefits of pet ownership for children.

4) DIY Must Have Reference Books
have a home repair or improvement question? these books have you covered!

5) Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
this cheater's ice cream cake uses ice cream sandwiches, a gooey layer of chocolate fudge, and your choice of nuts or candy!

A special thank you to my readers! Thank you for stopping and reading my blog. I appreciate all your comments and for joining me on this journey as we take baby steps towards updating, renovating, and decorating our little yellow cape.

Thanks for reading,

What was your favorite post?

tween birthday party essentials

We just hosted a birthday party for my daughter and her friend. I already posted the easy to make ice cream sandwich cake that we served. Here are the rest of the fun details from the party.

hinged countertop

Ever wish you had more counter space in your kitchen? I do, everyday!  Well, we came up with a way to have additional surface space (just when we want it) with this hinged countertop.

This is such a simple and easy way to add surface space.

ice cream cake

I recently threw my daughter a birthday party, and this was the cake she requested -which I was pretty happy about because. . .

This seriously has to be the easiest cake to make, ever!

vacation

Hi Friends,

I'm on vacation this week with my family.

Before we leave, I'm hosting a double birthday pool party for my daughter and her cute friend. (Can you say twice the fun, half the work!) The girls requested this ice cream cake.

Then we're off to play in the pretty White Mountains. Handyman was just up a few weeks ago hiking Mt Adams and Mt Washington. I'll be back next week.

White Mountains, image source

In the meantime, you can stay in touch with me through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Have a good week,

reference books for DIY

Ever wonder how some people seem to know to DIY everything? Well, maybe they don't. . .or didn't.

Before we bought our current house our DIY experience was limited to cosmetic fixes, additions to our previous new construction home, and experience working alongside our dads.

Reference Books for DIY

print funtion button

Hi Readers,

I'm so excited to let you know that I've added a print function button to the blog. I wanted to make it easier for you to print out recipes, like these cookies and cream cheesecakes from yesterday.

Now there is a PRINT button on the bottom of each post. Here's a photo of what it now looks like on the blog page:

Print Button Location on Blog

This button will allow you to:

• print the post without any ads
• choose if you want to include the photo
• change the text size, that way you can fit it in your own recipe collection anyway you choose
• delete sections of text (I often linked up my recipes to other blogs, so this will allow you to print only the recipe part)
• email the post to anyone
• save as a PDF file

So many options now with this one simple button!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Printing,