My Top Ten Uses for Wooden Clothespins

I found these really cute clothespins at Michael's for a dollar a pack.  I thought they were so cute!  I was planning on decorating plain ones with washi tape or paint.  I couldn't find any washi tape at Michael's or Jaonne Fabrics,so I decided to buy these.

These are my top ten uses for clothespins:

1.  Use them to close snack bags such as crackers or chips.

2. Use decorative ones to close treat bags.  Here's a great example from Party Perfect.

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3.  Use them for lost socks in the laundry room.  This sign is from Decor-ganize.

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4.  Glue some on the inside of a kiitchen cabinet to hang towels and rubber gloves.

5.Put a magnet on the back and use it as a fridge magnet.

6.  String some inside a frame and use to hang pictures.  You can change them easily.  Here's one from It's Overflowing.


                                                              

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7.  Use them for cord sorters.  Label them and clip them onto the cords.

8.Use to keep your place in a cookbook.

9.Use to keep scraps of ribbon tidy from My Fruitful Home.

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10.You can use them as colorful bookmarks.

What are some uses you have found for clothespins?

Free Blogelina Blogging for Beginners Class

Blogelina is offering their popular 4 week blogging class for FREE!

This class includes:

• A class manual
• A free year of web hosting
• 4 weekly online class sessions where you can ask them questions
• Blueprints
• Step-by-step tutorials
• Networking with other bloggers
• Ways to montenize your blog

These classes are for a limited time only.  You can sign up sign up here.  It is free!

This post contains affiliate links.

Would You Like to Be Part of a Great Giveaway for a Keurig Coffee Maker?

Come and be part of these great giveaway

Giveaway dates:

July 1 to July 22

 Keurig K75 Platinum Single-Cup Coffeemaker  + Bonus 12 K-cup variety pack

Value $179

Available in 3 colors:

Midnight Black

Platinum

Mocha

US Only

Prizes will be ordered and shipped from keurig.com

Here are the details to sign up:

-Free Link (Twitter or Pinterest)  

The first 50 bloggers to sign up will get a link free with announcement. 

Announcement is require or you have to pay a waver fee of $5.00

Please get your announcement here.

(Please read the sign up form on the top to know if we still have free space available)

-Link/ or extra links $3.00 each (if the free spots are gone, to be part of this giveaway you will need to pay $3.00 for each link you want on the giveaway)

Announcement is require or you have to pay a waver fee of $5.00.

Please get your announcement here.

-Co-Host $15.00

The co-host get 2 host page.  

10 links on the RC.

No announcement require.

Please send payment to melisurveys1978@gmail.com as a gift.

Sign up here

Silhouette Cameo Giveaway!

  Welcome to the Silhouette CAMEO® Giveaway! I am excited to join Nap Time is My Time and several other amazing bloggers who made this great giveaway possible! One very lucky winner will receive a brand new Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool! In the box: A Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool, Silhouette Studio® software, 51 exclusive cuttable designs, Power cable, USB cable, 12" cutting mat, Cutting blade, $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store, and Basic Instruction Guide. Giveaway is open to US only. Prize valued at $300! This giveaway is open to US and ends May 31 at 11:59 PM EST. Come back everyday for more chances to win by completing our daily entries!

Spring Yarn Wreath with Felt Roses

I decided to try one of the pretty yarn wreaths I saw all over Pinterest.  I really like the color turquoise and thought it would be a pretty color for spring.  I like how the color of the flowers "pop".  I used a straw wreath as the base.  I think next time I'll use a Styrofoam base, so there are less bumps. I just looked up a tutorial for the flowers.  You can look here for the flower tutorial. 

Have you made your spring or summer wreath yet?

Learn How to Make a Tote Bag and the Perfect Pizza

I love the fact that you can learn so many crafting techniques online.  Craftsy offers lots of great classes from cake decorating to sewing.  Right now they are offering a few free mini classes.

The next 2 free Craftsy mini-courses I'm going to take are:

1.  Bag-making Basics

2.  Perfect Pizza at Home

My kids love pizza, and I would love to learn some secrets.  Sometimes I have a hard time stretching the pizza crust without tearing it!  I see so many cute zipper pouches for sale.  I would love to learn how to make my own.

Check out all of the other free Craftsy mini-courses by clicking here.

This post contains affiliate links.  To see my full disclosure go to this link.

A Mother's Day Giveaway

                                                                                             


In honor of mothers I would like to present to you a chance to win some lovely things.  I am teaming up with Mother of Pearl.  An organization that supports charities that help women and children.  You can learn more below.  

                                                                                                                                            

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother   of Pearl Mother’s Day blog series—a celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today’s best writers (Tricia Goyer, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Beth Vogt, Lesli Westfall, and more). I hope you’ll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother’s Day.

AND . . . do enter the contest for a chance to win a  beautiful handcrafted pearl necklace and a JOYN India     bag. Enter at the bottom of this post. The contest runs 5/4-5/13, and the winner will be announced on 5/14. Contest is only open to U.S. residents.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info, subscribe to our blog, and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith to help support Pearl Girls™.

And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

~

The Mom Who Gives Freedom by Christy Fitzwater


My mom is a reserved, quiet homebody who has lived in the same house for forty years. She has no ambitious career goals or desire for adventure.

She gave birth to me, an outgoing adventure-lover who has lived to take risks and put myself out into the world, in ways my mother would never dream of doing herself.

Yet my mother has always given me the great gift of freedom. She has never cast onto me her own fears of limelight or reservations about risk but has only encouraged me to do the outrageous things I have attempted to do.

When I received an award in high school that required me to fly, for the first time and by myself, from Wyoming to Atlanta, Georgia (only having talked once by telephone to the person who would pick me up), she sent me off with enthusiasm. (But her heart must have trembled to allow me to get on that plane.)

When that award landed me a full scholarship to a school in Texas I had never heard of (the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor), she rejoiced with me and did not hesitate to allow me to accept the scholarship. She then drove away from me in Texas, leaving me at a school where I knew no one, and only years later told me that was the hardest thing she had ever done.


When I called from Texas, at the end of my freshman year, and excitedly announced I had gotten a job and would be staying in Texas for the summer, she said it was wonderful and gave her approval.

Mom never filled me with doubt about what I could do. She never cast guilt on me for going on adventures that took me far away from her. She never poured her anxiety on my head but spoke only happiness and cheerleader words for me.

But now that I’m a mom, I know.

I know my risk-taking journey has always cost her something. I know every wild ride I chose required her to choose—either to build me up or to press me down. My mom handed me the scissors and, with a smile, allowed me to cut the apron strings and go far beyond what was comfortable for her.

This last week my son got his driver’s license, and now it is my turn to choose. Worry or a hearty smile—which will I give to him?

Let us stand in ovation to the mothers who give their children the ability to live freely.

###

Christy Fitzwater is a writer and pastor’s wife in Kalispell, Montana. She is also the mother of a daughter in college and a son in high school. She has an English degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Visit her at http://www.christyfitzwater.com.


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Great Cookbooks on Sale Now {and more!}

I love trying new cookbooks. I have a huge collection of them. My husband teases me about how many recipes I actually try. I do need to weed out some of the older ones I don't use. There are some awesome cookbooks offered as part of the The Ultimate Homemaking e-book Bundle.  I have Freezer Cooking by Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom.  I am just getting started with it, but am amazed at how helpful it is to have meals already prepared and waiting in the freezer.  I can't wait to try out  Crock On by Stacy Makes Cents.  I love using my crock pot!  I make beans, roasts, chicken soup, and so much more.  I'm starting to run out of ideas though.  I'm looking forward to trying many more!

I fyou work from home or blog then these are the books for you.  Your Blogging Business Tax, Talk and Tips looks useful.  Since my blog isn't very big yet I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to taxes.  I know that is something I need to do.  The Bootstrap Va is all about starting your own virtual assistance business.  Don't forget about all the e-courses and extra bonuses that come with this amazing deal.  The deal only runs until Saturday night.    If you liked to learn more visit my previous post.  This post contains affiliate links.