Preserving Fresh Lettuce - Salad from a jar

I'm a salad-lover!

I could eat a salad every day,

and I usually do.

Yet I'm always throwing away

lettuce that has turned brown or wilted.

note: I don't actually throw it in

the trash bin, it goes to the chickens/compost.

Well, no more!!

(cue dramatic "ta-da"music here)

I now preserve my lettuce in canning jars

with my handy dandy FoodSaver vacuum sealer.

We purchased jar sealers for both regular

and wide-mouth. These use the accessory 

hose that comes with most FoodSaver models.

Here's how we do it!

We use a mix of lettuce, whatever

we're growing along with store-

bought.

1. Chop it into bite-size pieces.

2. Wash and DRY it really well

     in your salad spinner or with

     paper towels.

3. Pack your mix of lettuce into 

    mason jars. Push in as much

    as you can!

4. Place a lid* on the jar.

5. Place the jar sealer over the lid.

6. Attach the hose to both the jar

    sealer and your machine, hit

    the vacuum button.

7. When it is finished, DETACH 

    the HOSE from the jar sealer 

    first. You should hear a ping.

8. Then remove the jar sealer from

    your mason jar. Test the lid to make

    sure its sealed!

9. Keep your jars in the refrigerator

    for up to seven days. 

That's it.

* you can use new lids (and still use them for canning later) or

you can reuse old lids as long as they aren't too banged up.

Also, this works for quart or pint jars. 

I use a pint because that is a perfect serving size for me.

We have been doing this for well over a year now. 

You can experiment with different lettuce. More delicate leaves/spinach, I know just starts to turn by the seventh day. However, more sturdy leaves such as romaine will last longer.

This is a huge time saver during the week. For lunch, I simply 

grab a jar, empty it onto my plate throw on a few toppings and 

I'm good to go!

I have a friend that takes a jar with her to work each day, she puts

her toppings in another container; grabs both on her way out the 

door. 

I'm all about prepping for one day,

so I can eat for a week.

Do you have any prepping shortcuts

to share??

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DIY Notepad Cover - Recycle, Reduce, Repurpose

I am definitely a "SHE" - 

Sidetracked Home Executive (via Flylady)!

Stationery supplies make my heart happy; 

notebooks, journals, papers, pens, markers, 

file folders, planners, etc.

So when hubby & I went to some local 

yard sales this past weekend and I saw 

a fellow "SHE" selling a portion of her 

stash, I was like...

Then during a little crafty time, 

I created a pretty cover for one

of the notepads I had picked up.

These lovely papers are from Echo Park,

For the Record, they were in my scrap

box along with their stickers & trim.

However, the scraps weren't quite wide

enough to cover my pad so I pieced some

together. It worked out perfectly with a

little washi tape to hide things inside! (:

I even found a little 

resin flower to match!

I now have a pretty covered 

notepad for my purse...

I like when everything coordinates!!

check out the one

I created for my

Christmas list...

Are you a SHE?

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My TO-DO List Altered notebook - Bella BLVD

Happy Earth Day!

Here's a fun little recycle/upcycle - reuse

project I've been wanting to share.

I am an admitted list-maker, yep, it's right there

on my "About Me" page! Lists are a constant in

my life. 

My mind naturally works in lists.

When I have a project to do, I see the steps in

list form before my pen even hits paper.

So where does a prolific list-maker keep her lists?

Notebooks!

But I'm a crafter too, so they need to be

embellished notebooks!

I make one for each season. (:

notebooks - Summer '15 & Winter '16

Recycling or is it Upcycling?

I use the kids old composition books; they 

never use all the pages. Would that be 

recycling or upcycling?

Upcycling the kids old notebooks.
The used pages are carefully cut out and
the cover is joyfully altered.

Most notebooks have more than half of

their pages unused, in that case I just 

alter the cover. 

However, my current edition was pretty

much thinned out so I made a quick 

bookcover from kraft wrapping paper.

This will allow me to transfer my spring 

cover to another book when this one

is finished before the end of the season.

creating a kraft paper book cover

Ironically, some of Bella Blvd's winter papers 

were perfect for my spring notebook!

Bella Blvd Winter Wonder design papers were

used, earlier in the year, for both my winter notebook 

and my 2016 daily planner, I really liked the color scheme.

Winter '16  with Bella Blvd design papers

My 2016 daily planner using Bella Blvd Winter Wonder papers

spring 2016 To-Do list notebook

Are you a list-maker?
Do you keep notebooks of notes?



For more fun projects...

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Encourage your kids to Talk about their day!

"Tell me something awesome about today!"

That is a question I asked my kids 

at the end of every day when they

were young!

It opened the door to many wonderful

conversations and I was able to "see"

into the hearts of my precious little ones!

recycled cardboard box, Washi tape,
Echo Park papers (For the Record)
Joy's Life stamps (My Hero)

With school starting, this would be a great way to encourage your children to talk about their day with a positive attitude.

"Tell me something awesome about today."

Let them think for a minute, 'good thoughts,' then jot it down on an index card or let them write it out if they're old enough.  

(helping the teacher pass out papers, encouraging a friend, sitting beside a lonely child on the bus, etc.)

Date it (month, year) and file it under the number date (1-31). 

You'll be creating a beautiful memory file over the years!

Record a Day file box - divider cards

Using my paper scraps, I created divider cards with number stickers and my Joy's Life, My Hero stamp set; so many encouraging sentiments!

The file card box was made with a re-cycled beverage box!

How do you encourage a positive attitude 

in your children?

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From Cookies to Muddy Boots - DIY Drying Rack

My "About Me" page claims that I re-cycle, 

up-cycle and repurpose for the sheer joy of it. 

Here's my latest joy...

We've all seen the boot drying racks with 

pretty stones, rocks or pebbles in a pan on 

Pinterest, right?

So pretty, yes, however, every time you want 

to clean out all the accumulated mud & dirt you 

have to dump out all the stones, wash them and 

let them dry a bit before putting them back in the pan.

Not very practical for this country girl.

I needed something I could rinse off  easily 

with my hose and put back in place before 

the muddy boots started arriving again!

So here's my solution; old cookie sheet, 

cooling rack and pretty spray paint.

The cooling rack is easy to rinse & dry and 

allows maximum air flow for muddy/wet boots.

Honestly, I did not over think this too much, 

so it was a really quick project. 

I did not "prepare" the baking sheets in any way 

prior to painting. We've been using them now for 

over two months. Works perfectly! 

Have you used the pebble/stone drying racks?
Do they work for your family?

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Organizing Life - Brain Dumping!

Like my computer browser, at times, my 
brain can have too many tabs open!

There are so many things I want to learn, 
books and articles I want to read, sites I 
want to check out, crafts I want to make, 
people I want to contact, recipes I want to 
try, the list goes on and on. 

I'm a visual person, so trying to keep it all
in my head just doesn't work.

So...I use this little system I like to call
Brain Dumping!

brain dumping with my calendar and one of the kids old school notebooks.

I use my calendar & a notebook.
yep, it's quite old-school but it works for me.

It all goes down on paper, no more
cluttered thoughts. When something
comes to mind, I jot it down. I also sketch
ideas in my notebooks along with some
doodles to highlight certain entries.

I would say brain dumping is one of my
main keys to enjoying a simplified life! 

How do you empty your brain?

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Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest 

where I keep all my online finds!

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My Garden Journal

Good Morning Spring!

It may not feel quite like spring yet, 

but just the thought of those mild temps, 

sunny days and thawing soil makes 

my green thumb tingle!

Being a bit impatient to get this gardening

season under way, I popped into the dollar

store to if they had seed packets yet.

Startin' Seeds

They did!  

So I bought some of everything! I'm 

determined to fill every nook & cranny

in the yard with something edible!

But before I plant even my first seed, 

there is a very important task to be completed!

My garden journal!

Keeping good records is a key 

factor in successful gardening.  

Your garden journal will become your 

trusted companion. Noting important

details such as: 

• frost dates for your area
• lists of herbs & veggies you want to grow
• planting dates 
• garden bed designs for sun & shade areas
• correct spacing for plants
• soil maintenance
• pest control

You'll make note of your plans for plant rotation, 

companion plantings, harvest amounts and possibly

weather conditions.

Maybe even including some drawings or recipes

along with tips & advice given from more

experienced gardeners!

Of course, any notebook can serve as a garden

journal, but as a crafter, I needed to alter & 

embellish mine before starting it for the new

season!

garden journal using papers by
Echo Park (For the Record) and
embellished with washi tape & faux stitching

Need to know the last frost date for your area?

check here.

Are you excited for planting season?

Do you keep a journal?

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I'll be sharing @ DL.Art, Busy Monday, Project Inspired, Homestead Barn Hop

What's on Your Christmas List? - organization

I know Christmas is coming when the kids start emailing me their Christmas lists...complete with hyper links! 

(Gotta love having teenagers!)

Knowing the weeks ahead will be busy with shopping, planning & celebrating, I created a fun tablet to keep track of clothing sizes, store lists and purchases.

"Note to elf..." (Oh Christmas Puns)

materials used:

kraft cardstock, 

Christmas scrapbooking paper,

Marthat Stewart punches,

seam binding ribbon,

Stampin' Up ink,

and

Joy's Life stamps:

Wintery Puns & Oh Christmas Puns

Elf definition (Wintery Puns)

This is a super simple project.

You can make this with any size tablet. Use something you already have perhaps.

  

After measuring your specific tablet, cut cardstock accordingly, scoring the center to accommodate the height of your tablet. Embellish with pretty paper and a ribbon closure if you wish.

(comment below if you need specifics) 

I like to get my shopping done early so I can enjoy all the fun & festivities of the beautiful Christmas holiday!

Have you starting your holiday shopping yet?

Merry Christmas!

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I wrote this post while designing for JoysLife.com.

My Journal with Burlap Pen Holder

Whether you call it a notebook, journal or a Smash book we all need a fun way to keep track of our thoughts, dreams, adventures, experiences and yes, even our paint swatches.

you're more powerful than you know!

kraft paper book cover, scrapbooking paper scraps, Zva Creative bling,
Stampin' Up bird stamp (Nature Walk), button, initial sticker, burlap, 
sewing machine, re-purposed book and Joy's Life sentiment stamp (My Hero)

Here's my latest version!

I have so much fun making these, and this one has 

an added bonus...a pen holder.

When I saw Close to my Heart 

consultant Tresa Black's burlap pen holder

on Pinterest, I just knew I had to make one! No more

digging around my purse for a writing implement.

Yes, I'm a homeschool mom & yes, I should always

be prepared to jot down exactly what my children are

doing so I can 'count' it as school-time. But honestly,

I rarely can find a pen or pencil in my purse or 

anywhere in my house for that matter.

 They magically disappear!

So I'm lovin' this idea!

I ran my Martha Stewart punched border through my Xyron machine to securely affix it to the spine of my journal. 

My burlap pen holder was created with a scrap pc. of burlap leftover from one of my fall wreaths. It's a continuous piece that overlaps in the front than folds down to create a pocket. 

Be sure to checkout the Joy's Life design team blog all this week for more rustic inspiration!

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I wrote this post while designing for Joy's Life.

I shared today's project with -

DL.Art Thankful Thursday,

Project Inspired,
the Inspiration Exchange
Monday Funday,
Busy Monday