Winner of Joseph's Grainery Giveaway!

The winner of the yummy gift basket from Joseph's Grainery including hard red wheat, hard red whole wheat flour, whole grain cookie mix, multigrain pancake mix, lentils and cracked wheat breakfast cereal is...

Erica {B is for Boy} who said,

"Mmm the whole grain cookie mix looks great."

Send me your mailing address, Erica, and we'll get you squared away.

By the way, that cookie mix rocks my socks.

Our family completely devoured our chocolate chippers in no time flat. You can find it and other yummy, healthy mixes, cereals and grains here.

You can find me at Sew Chatty today, sharing my tutorial for this homemade plush photo cube.

Stuff I Love: Amanda's Naturals

No. 1: I LOVE handmade items.

No. 2: I LOVE natural products.

No. 3: I LOVE foo-foo smell-ums bath and body stuff.

No. 4: I LOVE making up words like foo-foo smell-ums.

Amanda's Naturals sent me the most wonderful box of goodies and I can't get enough of this high-quality bath, body and home line.

{Whipped Body Butter}

 in Caribbean Dream

You will not believe how lush and silky smooth this is-- a little dab will do ya. In several weeks of use, I've barely made a dent in my can.

It's 100% all-natural and whipped until thick and creamy with grape seed oil, palm oil and olive oil.

The scent is clean and citrusy, very light and fresh.

{R & R Herbal Bath Tea}

with peppermint leaves, lavendar and 

chamomile flowers, oatmeal and essential oils

Genius! You place one bag under hot, running water as the bathtub fills and the bag literally brews.

We all need a little time to ourselves and this is definitely a treat at the end of a long day.

Minty and herbal, this scent is my favorite.

{Oatmeal Soap}

 in Energy

Sign me up for anything that can help out with energy. Mercy me, I need it. I think most moms can relate.

This week, my boys have been battling a stomach bug. Ugh. I'm exhausted and I cannot tell you how many times I've washed my hands.

After switching from an anti-bacterial liquid soap which left my skin itchy-dry, I am pleased to tell you that

this oatmeal soap not only smells wonderful and cleans with a nice, rich lather, but my hands are perfectly smooth and soft--even after many hand-washes.

It's a delightful body wash, too. The scent is orange and ginger, not too feminine or masculine, just natural and pure.

{Aromatherapy Room and Linen Spray}

 in Sleep Time

Can you hear me singing? I saved the best for last...

I am in love with this linen spray.

It smells HEAVENLY, a soft and delicate blend of vanilla and lavender.

But let me show you why it's a miracle-product in my book.

One light spritz in my baby's crib and he actually enjoys getting into bed for nap time. My four-year-old thinks spraying it on his own sheets before bed is extra special, making my life about 58 times easier every night.

I'm pretty willing to bet Amanda would sell this by the case if your kids happen to be anything like mine.

By the way, I use it as a room freshener and in the car, as well.

--Check out Amanda's Natural's--

Use coupon code SPRING for 10% off at check-out.

Our Texas Wildflowers

{reckless abandon}

{pure joy}

{laughter and memories}

{Every time I step outside this time of year, our primroses, Indian paintbrush, bluebonnets and Indian blankets remind me how great our God is.}

April Fool's Bumper Sticker for the Manly Man

How to Score Big as an April Fool's Day Pranksta

Step 1: Print this on card stock and cut it out. 

Step 2: Add stick-on magnets to the back.

Step 3: Attach your new bumper sticker to the manliest man truck you can find. 

{My dad got pranked last year!}

Step 4: Don't say a word.

Linked To: Tatertots and Jello

Guest Blogger: Wardrobe Update with "Sew Chatty"

Meet Elizabeth from Sew Chatty! She has a cute, cute blog and Etsy shop, and I am drooling over her spring/summer wardrobe that she's making for herself-- see her post below. I'm much too slow to make one new item a week, but she's definitely motivated me to start sewing some clothing for myself again. 

Hi there! My name is Elizabeth and I blog over at Sew Chatty.

I am thrilled to be visiting you all at In Between Laundry today!

A few weeks back I decided to challenge myself to create an item of clothing {for me} every week until I have a closet full of pretties for spring and summer!

It’s been such a blast to make basic, simple clothing items for a very low price tag! Here is a recap of what I’ve made so far…

Item #1…a “Farmers Market Skirt”

 

My first project was a skirt made with Simplicity Pattern 2609. I’ve had this pretty vintage sheet looking fabric in my stash for a while. Just needed it to tell me what it wanted to be. It wanted to be this pretty skirt. I made view D.

Here’s how I wore it on Sunday to church and Disneyland. Funky belt {to conceal the glorious elastic waist}, tshirt, cropped cardi, and cute flats.

Item #2…a simple spring top.

This was my second attempt at this top and I have to say things went much smoother this time!

Here is how I wore it…Brown Cardi-Target. Mustard Flower Pin-Made by Me and available in the shop. Rust Tank under top-Target. Skinny Jeans-Target. Flats-Target…I like Target :)

Item #3…Anthro Skirt Knock Off!

I like to browse Anthropologie’s website for inspiration and came across this cute little skirt and I thought to myself…pretty sure I could make that and avoid spending $88! I spent about $6.

How I wore it…Cardi…Forever 21. Mushroom Tank…Old Navy. Belt…Forever 21. Skirt…Made by me :) Tights…Vera Wang at Kohl’s. Boots…Christmas gift from the Hubbs. Necklace and bracelet…Forever 21.

Thanks for letting me pop in and share about my Wardrobe Challenge! Feel free to stop by Sew Chatty today to see the reveal of Project #4…another springy top!

Have a happy day!

Guest Recipe and GIVEAWAY with Joseph's Grainery

My family and I have been moving toward eating more whole grains lately, so I was especially pleased to open up my mailbox and get two wonderful mixes from Kelli and her family at Joseph's Grainery-- a multi-grain pancake mix and a whole grain cookie mix!

You absolutely would not believe the quality and made-from-scratch taste of their mixes. Wonderful! My mom, sister and I tried them out and were really impressed with how fresh and delicious (and easy) they were. The kids gobbled them down, too!

Make sure you check out Kelli's recipe below and enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Then go order some wonderful, nutritious products from these nice folks--who wouldn't feel good about eating well and supporting a family-owned business?

* * * * * * * * * *

Hi there!  It's Kelli (aka "MaMa" to Lil' Joe) from Joseph's Grainery and I'm excited (and honored) to share one of my all time favorite soup recipes with you today.

Me, Lil' Joe and My Dad - Joseph's Grainery

Over at Joseph's Grainery, I'm the cook and computer geek, my dad's the farmer and Lil' Joe is the "blogger".  ;)  I love coming up with family friendly, yet healthy whole grain recipes made with the grains from our family's farm.

So here's a recipe that you'll definitely want to file away for those times when you have to feed a crowd or want some left overs, and soup will fit the bill.  This is a kid-tested-and-approved yummy soup, perfect for a rainy spring evening!

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Get ready, cause this is like no Lentil Soup you've ever tasted before!

Sausage and Lentil Soup Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil

1 red onion, diced

4+ cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb mild Italian pork sausage (or more if you want)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 c Joseph's Grainery Lentils, rinsed

8 to 10 c beef broth

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

2 Tbs tomato paste 

1 c fresh spinach 

2 tsp rosemary, chopped

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  Saute onion in olive oil for several minutes in a big soup pot. 

Add sausage and garlic and saute until sausage is browned.

Add carrots and saute for several more minutes.  Then add lenils and saute briefly.

Add broth, tomatoes, paste and seasoning and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes.  When about 10 minutes remain, add the spinach and continue to simmer for the remainder of the time.  If it becomes to thick, add more broth or water.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy every bite!  We know you will!

* * * * * * * * * *

{{ GIVEAWAY! }}

Joseph's Grainery Gift Pack ($30 value)

 Joseph's Grainery Gift Pack let's you send the gift of whole grain goodness to your special someone.  This Gift Pack is the perfect sampler of our favorite and best selling whole grain products.  Included in the festively packed gift are the Joseph's Grainery Multigrain Pancake Mix, Whole Grain Cookie Mix, Cracked Wheat Breakfast Cereal, Hard Red Wheat Berries, Hard Red Whole Wheat Bread Flour, Lentils and Recipe Cards with some of our favorite whole grain recipes.  Everything your loved one will need to start cooking and baking with Joseph's Grainery!

To Win (1 entry for each):

1. Check out  Joseph's Grainery online and leave a comment here, telling us about your favorite product.

2. Become a follower of Joseph's Grainery and leave a comment here saying you did (or are).

3. Become a follower, subscriber or facebook fan of In Between Laundry and leave a comment here saying that you are.

4. Share this on facebook, twitter or your blog and leave a comment here saying that you did.

5. Place an order and leave a comment here saying what you purchased.

Giveaway ends promptly at 11:59 pm central-time, April 5th.

Winner will be announced on April 6th.

Alphabet T-Shirt

I've been traveling so much this month. 

Yesterday, I had a few minutes to myself for the first time in... who knows? 

So I spent a little time being creative. I need that. Do you know what I mean?

I'd stocked up on t-shirts I found at Target for $1.25 a pop a few weeks ago.

Using fabric paint and an alphabet stamp set, I created a fun little t-shirt.

This project was super easy and appeased my crafting itch.

When I showed my sweet boy his new shirt, he smiled that big smile of his and said,

"Oh, mama, I love it so much! It's my ABCs!"

{PS: That's the absolute best, by the way.}

* * * * * 

Thank you for stopping by my little blog, lovely readers.

I am so thankful and happy to get to know you when I have the opportunity. If you'd like, here's a link to my facebook page. That seems to be a brilliant means of "chatting" with y'all, which I've been known to love to do.

Linked to: Somewhat Simple, Fingerprints on the Fridge, The Girl Creative, Tatertots and Jello, Craft-O-Maniac, Sugar Bee Crafts, A Bowl Full of Lemons, ABC and 123

Guest Tutorial: Closet Tags with "She Wears Flowers"

My friend, Tammy, from She Wears Flowers is here today! Her blog is amazing--filled with beautiful pictures and wonderful crafts. She is even writing a how-to-sew series that you don't want to miss! 

So hurry over to her blog and get to know Tammy!

Hi! I’m Tammy from she wears flowers

and I’m thrilled to be at In Between Laundry today!

I blog to avoid the laundry—forget about in between! {haha!} I started blogging to document and share my crafting experiences. I like a whole lotta crafty stuff especially sewing. With three girls of my own, I keep pretty busy!

Here are some of my favorite projects. 

I hope you’ll stop by and see what I have going on!
I’m going to share a little organizing idea with you today.

It is super easy and quick—two things I love with crafts!

I have one darling daughter who is a little nUtTy in the mornings before school. One way to minimize the craziness is for her to have her clothes picked out the night before. That works until…she gets upset because she already wore something she actually wanted to wear later in the week. I only do laundry one day a week which created a problem.
So I created closet tags—a handy way to quickly sort and choose her clothes so she can plan it all out ahead of time! 

Whether you have a child (or you!) who needs a little organization each week or you want to sort clothes within your closet, these little tags can help in all kinds of ways. I wish I had made them when my twins were tiny (but not the same tiny size) and I had to keep sorting and resorting their clothes!
Let’s make these tags!

Materials

fabric – variety of colors

Heat N Bond Ultra (no sew)

ribbon – 9 inches per tag

pinking shears (optional)

scissors

iron

tag template

Instructions

Make a template for your tags. I actually traced around my phone and then made my tag a little bigger. My tags are about 3 inches wide x  4 1/2 inches tall. I rounded the corners, but it really wasn’t necessary since you can do it at the end with pinking shears.
Cut your Heat N Bond into rectangles that are a little wider than your template and as long as (or tall as for this picture) twice the height of your template. (My rectangles are roughly 3 1/4 wide x 9 1/2 inches tall, but I cut it a little close as you will see later—give yourself enough room to work.)

Adhere Heat N Bond to each fabric section following the instructions on the package.

Cut the rectangle away from your fabric so you don’t have any bulk.

Trace your template directly onto the Heat N Bond two times. Cut out. Peel off paper backing from Heat N Bond.

Fold one tag down the length to find the center.

Place the ribbon along the center on the side with the Heat N Bond with about 2 inches on the tag.

 The Heat N Bond will be just a little tacky and will hold the ribbon if you don’t move it around.

Place the matching tag on top of this with the Heat N Bond sides together. Iron both sides.

Repeat for the other tags, pink the edges with your pinking shears and you’re done!

The ribbon easily loops over the hanger

We have to deal with shirts or dresses, mainly, so it only takes one hanger, but if you need to loop over a few that works, too!
There is no day designated on the tag (although you could do that, too!) but at least I know there are 6 or 7 days’ worth of outfits planned for the week. I don’t press the issue on Sundays although she wears TWO outfits that day—church and play clothes! Since Monday is my laundry day, she usually has limited choices so it all works out!

I hope you find these closet tags useful, too!

 

Be sure to stop by she wears flowers and tell me what you think!

Thanks, Erin, for letting me share a project on your wonderful blog! It’s always so fun here!