Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient Substitutions
By: Julie DeHart

Inevitably, we find ourselves without an ingredient called for in a recipe. What to do?! Look no further. These useful ingredient substitutions should meet your need & keep you cooking & baking for a long time.

Apple pie spice, 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and dash ground cloves or ginger

Baking powder, 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Buttermilk, 1 cup = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes before using); or 1 cup plain yogurt

Catsup, 1 cup = 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons vinegar (for use in cooking)

Chili sauce = 1 cup catsup plus 1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish

Flour, self-rising, 1 cup = 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Half and half or light cream, 1 cup = 1 Tablespoon melted butter or margarine plus enough whole milk to equal 1 cup

Herb, dried, 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon ground herb

Herb, fresh, 1 Tablespoon = 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon dried herb, crushed

Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Milk, whole, 1 cup = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water; or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder

Poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon = 3/4 teaspoon dried sage, crushed, plus 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram, crushed

Pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sour cream, dairy, 1 cup = 1 cup plain yogurt

Tomato sauce, 2 cups = 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water


Julie DeHart is the mother of 5 and author of www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/ Visit her site for home organization & cleaning tips, parenting tips, conversation starters, cooking techniques and delicious, easy recipes. www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/ingredient-substitutions
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Homeschooling. . . . . .But Were Afraid to Ask. . . Part 1: Why Do You Do It?

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Homeschooling. . . . . .But Were Afraid to Ask. . .
Part 1: Why Do You Do It? I was watching television this morning, and there was a commercial where an adorable little boy made his busy mother a sandwich for lunch before he climbed onto the bus to go to school. The mom watched her little sandwich maker board the bus and ride away, but I was the one with tears in my eyes. I found myself thinking, “How can she bear to watch him ride away from her?” This is probably the most basic answer to the question I am frequently asked about homeschooling: why do you do it? There are as many answers to this question as there are homeschooling families. And honestly, my reasons are complicated. I was introduced to the concept of home education when my oldest daughter was 2. After attending a seminar on our Army post, I was excited about the idea. But life and family opposition intervened, and it would be ten years before I seriously entertained the idea again. By the time we made the bold move to pull our children from public school, our oldest was twelve years old, and the justification for homeschooling had changed slightly. Sure, the basic rationale remained: no one knows my kids the way I do, and consequently no one can teach them as well as I can. But during those years in the school system, we’d also learned enough to understand that there were more reasons to homeschool than we’d ever guessed. So while I can’t speak to why other families choose to teach their children at home, I can tell you why we do. First and foremost, I love my children. I’ll qualify that by saying that it doesn’t mean parents who don’t homeschool don’t love their children. I’m only saying that my love for them is the primary reason I do this. I never held them back from doing anything they wanted to do, but I hated each and every minute that the school system kept them away from me—hated missing all that precious time. When all the other parents were yahooing in joy at the end of summer, I was in a deep funk. I was depressed at losing the company of the people I enjoyed the most! And then some other things crept in, too. My children are all wildly independent, gifted and smart. While some teachers appreciated this, others were simply. . .putting in their time. Excellent behavior and considered school work meant nothing to them. It was discouraging. And at the same time, I began to see a disturbing trend in our schools. Where once the parents had been eagerly welcome in the schools, increasingly we were being asked not to “interfere”. I heard teachers telling students that they didn’t need to share everything that happened in the classroom with their parents. One teacher actually told me that what happened during school hours really wasn’t any of the parents’ business. I came from an extended family of teachers, and I always respected the profession. I was blessed to have some wonderful educators in my life. But this was crossing the line. There were some specific issues that caused us to make the final decision. In the long run, they don’t mean very much. What mattered was that we brought our children home, and it has been the best decision for our family. The closeness, time and irreplaceable memories make it more than worth it. So when someone asks me why we chose to homeschool, I don’t offer political, religious or social reasons. I say simply, “It’s the best choice for my family. It’s made me a better mom than I was when they were in school, and I know I’ll never regret one moment I spent with my kids.” And that’s the absolute truth.
Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel.

Back to Blogging- Better late than never...

I took a little time off over the holidays, okay .. a lot of time off butI really needed it. I've been really stressed. My sweet husband had time off from work and we've been spending a lot of time together as a family. It has been wonderful and I feel as if my soul has been renourished.I have spent very little time online and although I'm getting back into the swing of things, I intend on continuing to limit my online time, I have also cut back on play date with our friends, and trying to take a little time for me. I've been working on my "book" that I'm positive will never be published, but I'm writing it for me. I've even been exercising and I've given up caffeine, My one true vice, and all around me are still alive. I actually feel better and I've also cut back on my dairy resulting in a 5lbs weight loss. Only 5 more lbs to go.....
So I'm back, better than ever and so is this site.

Winner is!

We have a winner to our Cup cake Giveaway! Using random.org .... the Winner is......
Luisa Patterson!
Congrats Luisa, I'll be shipping these out to you this week :)

Three Ways to Plan a Frugal Christmas Your Family Will Want to Remember

Three Ways to Plan a Frugal Christmas Your Family Will Want to Remember
By: Denise Willams

Christmas has easily become one of the most expensive and stress-filled holidays we celebrate each year.

That's a little ironic considering Christmas all began with the birth of a Baby in a lowly stable, and was celebrated only by shepherds who were out in the fields with their sheep. Two thousand years later, we still remember that day and honor the birth of a Babe who owned few material goods yet whose life changed the world.

Is this the year you want to help your family put aside all their material expectations, and create a meaningful Christmas they will want to remember?

Here are some simple things you can do to remove financial considerations from your holiday, and focus on what's truly important.

1. Begin the Christmas season by having a frank talk with your family about the meaning of Christmas and your desire to change the emphasis of your celebrations this year. Plan ahead of time how you will express your thoughts and plans to your young children, older children and teens, or even the friends and extended family members you celebrate with.

Don't start out the conversation by saying, "We don't have the money for Christmas that we usually do..." Instead focus on your changing priorities. Christmas celebrations are not about money, but about the desires of our hearts. Speak to your loved ones from your heart, not from your wallet, about the kind of Christmas you want to celebrate this year. Otherwise, you're perpetuating the myth that Christmas is all about money.

2. Add a twist to your favorite traditions by using them to serve others. Do you fill your freezer with holiday baking each year? Go crazy decorating your Christmas tree? Maybe taking to the malls is an important way for you to get into the Christmas spirit each season.

You don't need to stop doing these activities that you look forward to each year. But now that you're planning a frugal Christmas that's not money focused, you can use these activities to serve others.

Instead of baking just for your family, share your baked goodies with shut-in folks and lonely neighbors, or hold a bake sale to raise money for a children's charity. Decorate a Christmas tree for someone who can't do it on their own, or for a homeless shelter. Instead of browsing the malls for piles of Christmas gifts like you usually do, remember those in need and buy them necessities that would make their lives easier. Contact a homeless or a women's shelter to find out what items are needed. These will cost you a lot less than buying extravagant Christmas gifts, and the joy you get from giving them will last a lot longer.

3. Plan ahead so you and your family won't feel deprived during the holiday season. Don't just write up a list of things you won't be doing this year. Make a list of all the new activities you'll be replacing them with.

If you usually spend Christmas Day opening your gifts and oohing and aahing over what everyone got, you will feel disappointed when there's not as much to open and nothing left to do on that day. Plan to fill the day with other things to keep your mind on the true meaning of the season.

Some ideas might be to hold an open house and invite everyone you know to drop by. Invite a senior who is home alone this year to come for Christmas Day. Serve a meal at a shelter. Think of ways you can bless others and then get the whole family involved in doing them.


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Would you like to enjoy a meaningful, peace-filled Christmas this year? Denise's Christmas e-book, Saving Christmas, has 30 Christmas ideas, tips and stories that will help you do exactly that, and comes with bonuses to share with family and friends all year long. Visit SavingChristmasBook.com to download your copy and start planning a Christmas you and your family will want to remember for a lifetime.

Freebies

Free Music From Sprout -
Tons of FREE Original Toddler music Downloads from Sprout
Here

Free Board Book!Just go to leapfrog.com/freebookparenting and follow the steps..it's easy and doesnt require any purchasing or cc information..completely free! It doesn't matter if you actually have the toy..all you have to do is select a leapfrog toy from the list they provide to link it..doesn't matter whether you actually bought it or not..

Carnation Holiday Recipe Guide
The holiday season is filled with fun and food to be had---from potluck parties to festive brunches to game day gatherings. Let CARNATION help you find easy and delicious ways to keep your whole quirky clan full of that holiday spirit.

With recipes as flavorful and varied as each of the family members and friends you can expect to see this holiday season, CARNATION makes all your holiday meals and desserts richer and creamier. Get it Here

Craft Project - Paper Pulp Snowball Snowman Head Ornaments

Craft Project - Paper Pulp Snowball Snowman Head Ornaments
By: Shelly Hill
This is a great project that utilizes some recycling...you will need a fast-food drink carrier or cardboard egg box to make your own paper pulp.

Ages: 8 and up with adult supervision.

Supplies Needed:

Cardboard Fast-Food Drink Carrier or Cardboard Egg Box
White Crafting Glue
Styrofoam Ornament Balls
Blender with tap water
Old Plastic Bowl
Foam Sponge Paint Brush
Strainer/Colander
Wooden Clothespin
White, Black and Orange Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
(optional) scrap piece of fleece fabric

Making The Paper Pulp - Rip your empty paper drink carrier or empty egg box into small pieces. Place the pieces into an old plastic bowl. Pour in just a little bit of tap water and let the pieces soak for 60 minutes. Once they are good and wet, Pour paper mixture into a strainer. Using your hands, squeeze out excess water. Place paper pulp into your blender container and blend on low speed so that it gets mushy. Pour the pulp back into your empty plastic bowl. Stir in some white craft glue so that you are forming sticky paper pulp. Mine is the consistency of lumpy dough.

Making The Snowball - Using a foam-style paint brush, lightly spread white craft glue on 1/2 of your Styrofoam ball. Using your hands...pat on the paper pulp dough so that you are covering the top half of your ornament ball. Repeat this process on the bottom half of your ball. Once done, hang the ball up via the clothespin so that it can dry and harden. (mine take approximately 16 to 24 hours).

Adding The Facial Features - Once your ball is dry, paint with two coats of white acrylic paint. Once that is dry, paint on black eyes, black dots for his mouth and finally, an orange triangular shaped nose.

Optional Scarf - We cut a piece of fleece measuring 1 1/2" wide by approximately 10" long and tied that into a loop and then glued it to the bottom of our ball to resemble a fleece scarf.


Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys quick and easy crafts. You can visit Shelly's online craft site at passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com/ for free crafting project ideas. You can find a photo of the completed project at passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com/2009/12/paper-pulp-snowball-snowman-head.html

Free Music - Mercy Me

MercyMe, the contemporary christian band that is putting out some of the best new music in this genre, has made their live album "10 Live" available for a free download.

If you go to http://www.mercyme.org/, you will give them your name and your email address, and they will email you a code for a free download of the album.

Crab and Corn Bisque - Hmmm Yum!

We eat a lot of soups during the Winter and this is one of my favorite recipes. I just made it the other night. One of my Favorite Recipes out of MY FAVORITE cookbook EVER! Seasonal Florida - A Taste of Life in North Florida. It has all of the recipes I've grown up with.

Ingredients you will need -
1 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of All-purpose flour
4 cups of Shrimp stock - (I used Clam juice and the juice from canned crab)
4 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob (or 1 can of corn, drained)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 lb lump crab meat (I bought canned)
Salt and black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't use fresh)
Dry Sherry if desired
1 cup green onions chopped finely

Melt butter in heavy-bottomed pot over low heat. When melted, stir in the flour. Stir constantly to remove all lumps, cook 3-5 mins. Do not let mixture brown. Stir in the shrimp stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 mins. Stir occasionally. Add corn, stir, and cook 10 mins. Add the cayenne and cream and heat through. Gently stir in the crab, salt and pepper. Remove from heat, taste for additional seasoning. Ladle into serving bowls and add a couple of gratings of nutmeg, sprinkle with sherry and green onions.

But I'm skinny!!!

Well Kinda.......

Sorry I've been away for awhile. I'm dealing with some health issues. We went shopping the other day & my sugar dropped, I was super anxious, it wasn't pretty.... my left eye was very blurry and I was extremely snappy! Oh the joys of Christmas shopping.

Apparently I also have hypertension. My blood pressure peaks. Truely I thought this was something that only struck people who were over weight and older. I'm only 32 and I'm 5'6" and weigh 121lbs, not exactly what I'd call "fat" but it seems I am a "fat" skinny person. What? Umm, yeah...

I carry a lot of fat on my skinny frame. So I have to start exercising and eating more. I forget to eat a lot which slows down my metabolism and I like to live on coffee which is no-no. Imagine that? I don't have to lose any weight but rather turn the fat into muscle and eat right. That really really stinks since this is my "fatter" time of year where I gorge myself with alcohol and goodies, oh and lots and lots of coffee.....

My sugar and hypertension came be easily controlled which is great news! I guess now that I'm not in my 20's anymore *sniff *sniff I need to start taking better care of myself.

Being Grateful

Being Grateful by Tawdra Kandle

As you might know from reading some of my previous articles, I am big into kids expressing appreciating and gratitude. I’m also very mindful of the fact that WE as parents are our kids’ first and most influential models. So in light of that. . .

I’m grateful. . .for parents who raised me lovingly and strictly. They didn’t try to be my friends; they were always my parents, and I knew and respected that. They weren’t perfect, but they were always present for me, and I knew that I had their unconditional love. I’m grateful that I had each of them for 63 years, and that they were able to know and be known by all of my children before they left us.

I’m grateful. . .for my sister, who was my first ‘practice’ kid. She has turned out remarkably well, mostly due to her courage, strength of mind and fortitude. She has the most loving, giving heart and she displays amazing patience with her wonderful sons, for whom I am also profoundly grateful. That patience and love is also shown by her husband, my brother in law, whom I appreciate more than he knows.

I’m grateful. . .for grandparents who shared history and tradition with me. My maternal grandmother was from the south, and for the first four years of my life she taught me that the Confederacy had won the “War of Northern Aggression.” She was also Catholic, and she shared those beliefs and traditions with me, her Protestant granddaughter. My paternal grandmother was a farm girl, raised a strict Methodist. She modeled for me a love of reading and writing, and she was steadfast in her love and support of me. My grandfathers were wonderful men as well, and they taught me the value of hard work and family ties.

I’m grateful. . .for a husband who has always recognized the value of my contributions to the household, even when it’s ‘only’ cooking, cleaning and laundry. I’m grateful that when I told him I wanted to homeschool our children, he set out to be as supportive and helpful as possible. I’m grateful that he is steady in a crisis when I am losing my head. I’m grateful that God matched us so that our strengths perfectly complement each other.

I’m grateful. . .for four healthy, happy children. For our daughter who is college, whose intelligence is matched only by her wit. She can make me laugh harder than almost anyone else. For our daughter who is a senior in high school, whose talents astound me continually and whose heart is so open and so full of grace. For our daughter who is in 8th grade, whose way with words, both spoken and written, leaves me speechless, and whose insight is remarkable, and whose capacity for kindness is boundless. For our son, who displays remarkable fortitude in the face of four women running his life, and who is sweet, loving and giving. His generosity is amazing.

I’m grateful for the rest of my family, for my many loving friends, for the freedom of the nation in which I live, for the roof over my head and the food on my table. I’m grateful that God has given me opportunity to share with those in need.

I have so much more I could write. . .but there are some Thanksgiving goodies waiting to be made. . .so you can be grateful that I cut it short here. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel.

We Love our Freebies here @ Taking Time for Mommy.

Amazon is Giving away a $3 credit towards any of their mp3s

Freebies from Amazon They also offer free music all of the time, just click the link above get your free music credit, then do a search for free music. You can find some great new artists!

As always a special thanks to our Freebie Queen LaQuita for finding this for us.LaQuita is the owner of EveryDayMoms , a site to connect moms.

Organize Regular ‘Dates’ with your kids & Discover what Makes them Tick

Organize Regular ‘Dates’ with your kids & Discover what Makes them Tick

by Claire McFee Author of Organize Your Life

It’s a novel concept to schedule dates with our kids, but one that can not only have immeasurable rewards for all concerned, but in today's fast paced society is increasingly needed to ensure quality time together. Time set aside with your children one-on-one is worth its weight in gold. You will create truly valuable experiences you will have getting to know your child, with lots of special memories to recount over the years and lots of stories to jot down for future reference. It’s more than worth the effort. Read on, then find the time and you will see what I mean.

We all have individual Passions that as children we are closely connected to, but as the years go by we get absorbed in school, study, friends, family, etc, and often lose sight of these things over time. Parents can help guide their children a lot in this area, by making sure they stay connected to each other and what we love doing as they grow up.

This us where scheduling time together or ‘dates’ comes in. Your child should get to decide what they want to do. Within reason of course! You might be surprised by what they want to do. Kids often just want you to play Lego with them, go for a bike ride, go eeling, visit the play ground, climb the local lookout, teach them a new skill i.e. how to cook etc.

Your child may need some help with ideas initially about what to do together, so get your child to compile a List of things that they would most like to do, so when it is their turn they can look over the list and choose something suitable. Be sure you allocate enough time so you are not rushed. Remember kids love time to just ‘be’ with their parents. Just be in the ‘moment’ with them whatever it is they want to do. Really listen to them and get to know them better.

Some questions you could put to your child to generate discussion;-“I’ve noticed you are really taking an interest in …..“What do you like about……“What do you think when you see someone doing that……“Do you connect with the people here or is it the activity that you like best…………“How do you see your future if this became your No1 passion………“Does this in any way link in with your interest in …..

Separately take note of your child’s interests as they tell you about them and what you observe. This will give your child the opportunity to look back over their desires over the years, so they ‘re-connect’ with their passion quickly if they lose sight somewhere along the way. This can also assist your child in their teens when deciding on subjects to suit their career path. It can be as simple as observing them and staying interested in what they are currently into – be it books, activities, TV, Super Hero’s, Documentaries, etc.

If you already spend a lot of family time together that is great, but there is a difference between this and separate ‘Date’ time – especially if you normally choose what you do. When the tables are turned it really empowers your child with decision making practice and feeling in ‘control.’ They will be less likely to rebel if they feel like they have a say, which I’m sure you’ll agree makes for a much happier household!

A good time-frame for your Date is once a month. Mum and Dad can take turns having time with the kids, without anyone else around. Set a time, put it in your diary and your child can plan the details. You can build anticipation and they will love the thrill of planning this special time together.

If you need to cancel your Date, make sure it is only ever for a really good reason or trust will be broken. If someone asks you do to something that clashes with your ‘date’ tell your child about it, and that you said “No, sorry I can’t because I have a date with the most handsome 8 year old in the world.” It will do wonders for their self esteem.

Have your child keep a Record of what you do together and when. They can draw pictures, add photos, write about what you both did and have it as a record of the love and time you share together.

Some Activities you may like to try are: Bike riding, Time zone 2-player-games, a gem show, couta boat display, cooking, board games, fishing, roller blading, skateboarding, swimming, walk at beach, getting a hot chocolate to savour together, going to a dog shelter or gardening.

Unexpected Conversations also often arise when you have uninterrupted ‘quality’ time with a loved one. This is especially the case for quieter children who take a while to ‘warm up’. My husband and I enjoy the occasional ‘sleepover’ with our children (9&6 yrs old). Emma and I have a ‘girls’ night as do Matty and Neil. We can hear each other across the hall talking about their respective interests – for Matty it’s Footy, Footy, Footy and for Emma it’s what’s going on with her friends. Since we started doing this I have discovered a lot more about Emma, and know that the kids really treasure this special time with us.

Lastly, ask your kids “If you could do anything knew you could not fail, what would it be?” The answers will vary enormously from year to year, but will give you invaluable insight into what really makes them tick. We all ultimately want our children to have a career that doesn’t feel like ‘work’, due to really loving what they do. They need to know that it’s possible and that their passion does not have to be just a hobby. After all “We should work to live, not live to work.”


To be connected with what you love is a fabulous feeling. Helping your child to think creatively about their passions with quality one-on-one time, can help inspire them to do better at what they put their hand to.

About Claire McFee

Claire is author of the Original Organize Your Life Organizer and co-Creator of the new Interactive Organize Your Life e-Organizers. Claire started helping people get more out of life by being better organized and improving their Mindset in 1999. Claire is also a Speaker and has been extensively showcased on TV and other mediums.
Check out her Blog HERE

A War Was Waged - Chore Charts

A War was waged. For quite awhile we were at an impasse. But my knight in shining armor came to save the day.

I must admit, I was the one who invoked this battle to begin with, this battle in which I speak? Myself against 2 little princesses, 5 & 3. I woke up one morning and realized I no longer wanted to be under their rule, I no longer wanted to be their subject. So I formed an uprising. Okay I didn't form much because it was just me, but I knew I needed to get a handle on their behavior before they got older.

My knight in shining armor? Chore Charts!!! Freed me from my slavery!!!!

Who knew rewarding them with stickers for things they should be doing any way would work? I even reward them for their behavior. It may sound like bribery BUT I'm rewarding them and focusing on their positive behavior. I'm teaching them about responsibility and they have so much pride. Did I mention I am no longer their personal slave?

I printed up our chore chart for free Here but you can use google and find plenty of sites.

I hope chore charts have a wonderful impact on your life as it did mine :)

Lovely Bones - A Book Review

My local book club is reading Lovely Bones for this month's selection. I wasn't exactly thrilled when it was picked due to the nature of the subject but boy was I wrong (you won't hear that from me much), this was a great book!

The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It's the story of a teenage girl who, after being brutally raped and murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.

This sounded very depressing to me and as a mother, the subject matter broke my heart BUT the book sucks you in as you see how the family deals with this tragedy and how life goes on. I say if you haven't read it yet, you need to pick it up.

This is also being made into a movie.

Visit the Official Movie Website Here

And We have a Winner!

We have a Winner for our Partylite Antique Bronze refillable candle holder (pictured above) AND the Bestburn Iced Snowberries Candle refill! Using Random.org our winner is
******************** Trishden!***************************
Didn't win? But want one anyway? Go shopping on Joyce's Partylite Site to find
This beautiful candle holder is only $15.95 & the best burn Snowberry candle refill is $9.95

Partylite has GREAT deals right now! Stock up for Christmas!





Mystery Candle set and Present Pack Here

Be sure to sign up for our other Giveaways!

Grubby Cupcake Candle Tutorial & Giveaway

    ******giveway over*****
This picture really doesn't do this craft any justice. These cupcake candles are so adorable and make great gifts for teachers, co-workers, friends, favors for baby showers, and more. These cute grubby cupcake candles are actually pretty easy to make too!

I know I should have taken step by step pictures but I really didn't think of posting about it until afterwards. I also didn't really measure much - opps, sorry again but it just shows you how easy they are to make :)

Materials -

Wax - you can use paraffin, or soy for these. At least get a lb. (For the bottom I remelted excess wax from another craft - you can even use the ends of melted candles)

Scents - I ended up using 2 different scents - Spice for the bottom & Vanilla for the top

Color

Double Boiler, a pot with water & a metal carafe to melt in, or I just used an old pot and slowly melted the wax

Candy thermometer

Wicks - you can buy these at any craft store, I used a big roll & cut it long so I could twirl it when the wax had set.

Muffin tin

Muffin baking cups

Hand Mixer

To begin with, I stuck the baking cups in the muffin tin to act as a mold. They don't fit perfectly but don't worry, it'll work.

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Next I melted some of the wax - Sorry I didn't measure - I started off with a little and added as I needed. I added colorant and scent. You can even use old crayons as a colorant if you are in a bind. Melt the wax never letting it get over 200 F. The wax you are melting is for the base of the candle. While you are melting you wax, you can get your wicks ready, dip them in the wax and stick them to the base of your baking cups. When you are ready, add the cooling wax to your baking cups and fill to the top. I usually have to use pencils to help prop up the wicks. I usually wait about an hour or more while the candles set. During that time I clean up. (You can put them in the fridge to let them set up faster.)

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Now the bottom is nice and hard you can move on the the next step. This is a little bit harder, you may have to melt your wax again until you get faster but no worries, that's the beauty of this easy craft. No mistakes!

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I add my wax, scent, and colorant letting it melt slowly. I make sure it's a different color than my bottom was. Usually something that would look yummy! As it cook it will get a skin to it, at that time I take my hand held mixer and mix making it "grubby". That's when I pick up my bottom & "Ice" my cupcake with a spoon. It's very easy! If the wax gets too hard too fast, just remelt it!.

You can add sprinkles to it too! When everything is all set I curl the wicks and sometimes even add a little bow. Dress them in Saran wrap and add to bow to the top for a quick and easy wrapping.

I should add - If you make these, take the wrapping off before burning!

****If you have any questions just email me @ time4mommy@gmail.com and I'll try to talk you through it.

****If you like this craft, please leave me a comment letting me know.

Do you want one but don't feel like making it? Win 2 of my cupcake candles by entering this giveaway!

How do you enter? So glad you asked!

Follow this blog and comment that you do.

For more Entries -

1. Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/time4mommy and come back & comment you do

2. Tweet about this Giveaway and come back & comment you do

3. Blog about this Giveaway and come back & comment with a link so we can check it out.

This Giveaway will end Friday December 11, 2009 at midnight. Open to Canadian and U.S. Taking Time for Mommy Blog Followers. Good luck!

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Twilight Saga Freebies

Most of the Staff here at Taking Time for Mommy are Twilight Moms and we are all giddy about the release of New Moon on Friday!

In the spirit of our excitement we thought we'd share some Twilight Saga freebies that LaQuita found for us.

Free Twilight Scrapbooking Template -

Blogger, As Designed by Kat, has graciously decided to giveaway this awesome freebie to us Twilight lovers.

This pack comes with -

13 papers

25 elements

Download Here

Another freebie is a Free Twilight Ringtone, you can download this from EveryDayMoms .

Edited - Adding ANOTHER Freebie ...

Twlight Bookmarks - Here

Eco-Friendly Etsy Finds

I love the idea of taking old items and making them into something brand new and use able. By reusing items you save money, reduce waste and it's doing something positive for the enviroment since these items won't end up in the land fill.

Here are some great shops I found that have done just that. They are "Upcycling" and have some really awesome gift giving ideas.

1. The first is Dr. Craze's shop with the Wine Wedge pictured to the left. All of their items are made from at least 50% reycled materials and most of the exposed glass items was collected from their local beach. This awsome wine wedge is only $25!

2. Next I came across V. On'Neill's Unique Fiber & Mixed Media Art Design shop. Reused Christmas Cards were made into these adorable little Tags. Only $6 for 25 die-cut and hand assembled tags.

3. I LOVE these recycled Scrabble tiles, they are actually easy to make if you can get your hands on the tiles. I found this beautiful "I Believe, Santa tile" at Jesse Jane's Shop. She has an array of different tiles for moms, teens, co-workers etc... they make very affordable gifts (Only $5.50 each!) and she offeres free shipping worldwide!

Freebies

Our Freebie Queen LaQuita found these great freebies for us!

Free Hello Kitty Printable Calendar 2010

Sign up for Hello Kitty's Sweet Happy News! and enjoy downloading this awesome 2010 calendar for your little princesses HERE

Free Kids and Nutrition Book

So a couple weeks ago we talked about Kids and Nutrition on the Everydaymoms Webshow. I ran across a freebie from The Cancer Project. They are giving away a booklet full of recipes and more on how to get your kids to eat a bit healthier.You can order yours HERE

Being Girl Sample Kit

Have a pre/teenage girl? This kit is perfect for her. The people at Being Girl is giving away this kit for young girls.Click HERE to order your kit FOR US RESIDENTS ONLY

Free Sunmaid Recipe Booklet!

Another free recipe book. This time from Sunmaid.Sun-Maid and Gooseberry Patch have teamed up to create a collection of 30 all-time Family Favorite Recipes that include Classic Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, Waldorf Stuffing, and Fruity Coleslaw.Books are only for US Residence, but for the rest of us we can still get it by downloading it on our compy's too!To Order or Download the book click HERE

LaQuita Bergeron is a mother of two beautiful spoiled children. She is a stay at home mom that works from home as a transcriber. She is also the owner of EveryDayMoms Social Network. I also call her our Freebie Queen! For more Great Freebies visit her site!