Blog Stalkers ~ Issue #6

 Summer is here and many bloggers are blogging about it. We’d love to see what posts you’ve found so be sure to drop us a comment or share on our Facebook Page, we’d love to see you over there! And now for the fun part… our blog finds!

Hello Stephanie here your friendly neighborhood Blog Stalker… Lately I have seen a lot of people starting their own blogs which is AWESOME!!! I wanted to share an really great resource that can help with all your blogging needs. Keylime Digital Designs has a wonderful round up that gives all the important info you will need for a great blog. She covers everything from HTML to Social Media. This one is definitely bookmarked so I can always go back to it.

LINKS: 
http://www.keylimedigitaldesigns.com/2014/04/blog-tutorial-round-up-updated/

---

Hello! Crystal here and another month of crafty finds! Do you remember those Scratch Cards? Yes, those black covered pieces of paper, the wooden pen-type instrument, the few seconds it took to scratch off a design only to reveal the colors beneath? I loved those, so when I ran across a DIY post about making these, I knew I had to add it to this month’s finds! Babble Dabble Do is an amazing site that offers so many activities for kids. And if you’re like me andlove the DIY type projects, this is a site you’ll want to follow! But back to the Scratch Cards… this post offers detailed instructions on how to create these cards. Also, the author tells readerspros and cons to certain to suggested inks. You can check out the post here and I can’t wait to make these for my children!

LINKS:
http://babbledabbledo.com/
http://babbledabbledo.com/diy-art-material-scratchboard…/

---

Hello, Lisa here with a crochet blog find this month. I don’t know about you, but I have a bag full of scrap yarn. I can’t seem to part with it. Well thanks to Pinterest I found a pin to inspire me. Joy of Motion has a blog post titled “8 creative ways to use your yarn scraps” and I love all the ideas however, my favorite is the scrap blanket idea. It can take years to make but what a treasure to pass down. The blog includes several crochet stitch instructions perfect for beginners and she offers some beautiful patterns. This is a blog I will check in on too see what’s new. 
Blog: http://joyofmotion.no/
Blog post: http://joyofmotion.no/blog/left-yarn/

Follow the Blog Stalkers on Facebook – Blog Stalkers

Love

Crystal, Lisa, and Stephanie

Blog Stalkers ~ Issue 5

April sure brought some amazing blog posts! Spring is here and many bloggers are blogging about it. We’d love to see what posts you’ve found so be sure to drop us a comment or share on our Facebook Page, we’d love to see you over there! And now for the fun part… our blog finds!

Hi there Stephanie here one of your friendly neighborhood blog stalkers. Ever since I started following blogs I have been a big fan of How Does She! I find this blog amazing for families that are big on how to’s and DIY projects. She covers just about EVERYTHING from organizing to decorating, to cooking. She even added a section called How Does He where her husband gives some manly how to’s and DIY advice!!!! http://www.howdoesshe.com/

Hi Crystal here, I’m a mother of two energetic boys… and I really do try to keep up with them. Unfortunately, I can’t find any bottled energy in the stores so I settle for trying to keep life fun and interesting for them. A few weeks ago I ran across a blog post from Skip To My Lou and immediately wanted to build all 10 DIY toys she had listed on one of her posts. 10 PVC Pipe Toys for Kids is an amazing collection of just a few awesome things you can make with PVC piping!I plan on making each of my boys their own chairs with fabric of their choosing and the ball pit is just amazing!! I might even have to go in to play! And the pipe sprinkler, that’s totally awesome! Which ones would you do? You can find the original post here.

Blog: http://www.skiptomylou.org/

Post: http://www.skiptomylou.org/…/04/10/10-pvc-pipe-toys-for-k…/…

Lisa here, this past month I joined the homemade laundry detergent (soap) bandwagon and I love it. I had been reading posts and talking to friends for awhile about trying a batch. I opt’d for a dry version because I wasn’t sure how much the liquid would actually make or what to store it in. Then I couldn’t figure out the best place to buy all the ingredients. Online or local. Earlier this month I was walking through my local Wal-mart and not only did they have all the ingredients together on the shelf, they were about $3.00 each. SCORE!! I added the Oxyclean and spent about $13 for 6-8 Months worth of soap. Yep! you read that right. I gave 3 jars of it away for Mother’s Day gifts too. I ended up with about 16lbs of detergent when I was done mixing it. **Note- mix in a ventilated room. I have been using my soap for about 3 weeks now and loving it. One son has eczema and sensitive skin. Next time I may try the liquid. I found Wellness Mama to have the best information on the soap.

Blog – http://wellnessmama.com/Blog post- http://wellnessmama.com/27059/diy-laundry-detergent/

Thank you for following us and looking forward to next months finds….

Until next month,

Stephanie, Lisa, & Crystal

Blog Stalkers ~ Issue #4

April sure brought some amazing blog posts! Spring is here and many bloggers are blogging about it. We’d love to see what posts you’ve found so be sure to drop us a comment or share on our Facebook Page, we’d love to see you over there! And now for the fun part… our blog finds!

Hi there Stephanie here one of your friendly neighborhood blog stalkers. I have a family that is CONSTANTLY on the go and it seems that we are gone at least 4 days a week when the weather gets nice. With that we are almost always in need of certain items. My family has been doing this for years. And I wanted to share a blog post that I found that is great from the Tip Toe Fairy

http://thetiptoefairy.com/2014/03/create-a-health-and-wellness-necessity-kit/

My oldest son is a kindergartner. As a first time mom of a child in school, I want everything to be perfect! I want him to succeed, I want his classmates and teacher to love him, I want him to be safe…. as of right now, it’s off to a perfect start! And then there’s a holiday, a day in which a gift should be given to the teacher and I’m torn! I want my son to give something nice, something his AMAZING teacher would love and use… but what??? Year after year, students give teacher gifts… what would really stand out?? And there’s SO MANY blog posts on ideas, all of which are great… but I found the best gift of all, one I never would have thought of. We all like to be recognized for our hard work and our teachers have one of the most important jobs of all- teaching our children. What better gift to give than a letter to a principal or administrator explaining how amazing your child’s teacher is! Brilliant idea!! Read more from It’s Always Autumn and her post about the very best (and free) gift you can give your child’s teacher. And just a reminder- Teacher Appreciation week is May 4-8.

As we near the end of another school year, I have been looking for ways to tame the paper monster of drawings, stories, and report cards. I already take pictures or scan artwork and special project but then what? They end up taking up space on my hard drive. I need organization and inspiration so I turned to Pinterest. My blog find this month has met several of my challanges. Thirty Handmade Days has a plethera of binder ideas including a School Binder. It even includes a First Day and Last Day interview form to have your children fill out. They also have binder printable for the family. http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2013/07/school_binder_with_printables/

Thank you for following us and looking forward to next months finds….

Until next month,

Stephanie, Lisa, & Crystal

Blog Stalkers ~ Issue #3

March has come and gone. Spring is here and we all seem to be on the upside of the sicknesses.  We have some great blogs to share with you this week.  Don't forget to follow us on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/blogstalkers

"Hi there Stephanie here one of your friendly blog stalkers. WhenI first decided to start blogging I started following a blog called U Create. I found this blog to cover so much in the DIY world and better yet just about everything that comes out of this blog is bright, colorful, and inspiring!!!! Head on over and check out U Create for yourself!!!!!  http://www.u-createcrafts.com/

I love crochet, that's no secret! But crochet in my life is limited! What do I mean?? Well, I have a few hats, a few tops, and a few items that are not yet complete that are just for me but that's it! No crochet blanket, no slippers, no hot pads or scrubbies... so when I found this article from Moogly, I had to share it with you all! The post is about 10 FREE crochet curtain patterns. Love, love, LOVE #3 on her list... and #10!!! Hilarious!!!! One day, I will have crocheted curtains! What kind of crochet do you make for yourself?http://www.mooglyblog.com/10-free-crochet-curtain-patterns/

This months Blog find was one of desperation. Having 2 boys who both spend way to much time on electronics, I needed a solution. I wanted to incorporate a chore chart but not pay them for doing things like brushing teeth or making bed. Homework is a must but I would give time on tablets for doing it without whining (oh anything to stop the whining). I found lots of blog posts but the one I liked the most was yourownhomestore.com. I am still finding my way around the system we are putting into place but I am so excited for trying it out. So far my 7 yr old has chipped in more around the house and even has more completed that his 10 yr old brother. If you are finding yourself at a loss for finding a happy median between the tv, tablets, game systems, and just plain old legos, check out this blog post: http://www.yourownhomestore.com/family-store-and-chore-system/

Thank you for following us and looking forward to next months finds....

Until next month,
Stephanie, Lisa, & Crystal

Blog Stalkers Issue 2

Here we are at the end of February. The Blog Stalkers have been battling the sickies within each of their homes. Resulting in being a little behind on stalking blogs. However, we have some goodies for you. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/blogstalkers

"Hi there Stephanie here one of your friendly blog stalkers. So I am able to joke often about probably being America's worst cook. However I have found a blog that I love that is inspiring my inner cook (where ever that may be) I have a book mark list a mile long of recipes that I want to try from these amazing ladies. Have you tried any of their recipes? http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/

I'm a huge fan of It's Always Autumn! I love the variety of posts she writes, from holiday crafts to photography to food! After painting my home in preparation to attempt to sell, I kept all my pictures off the walls. I'm the type of person that love to have photos, art,

wording... anything that reminds me of the life I'm so grateful to have. So, this post by It's Always Autumn really caught my eye. I love how this instagram wall of photos looks and really want to do something like!

I also love that the photos can be changed easily. Swapping out photos is something I do regularly when my frames are up, but this would be easy! Check out her blog post to find out exactly how to accomplish this project by yourself!

Find me on Instagram here { https://instagram.com/crystalizeddesigns/ } Where can I find you??
http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/…/huge-diy-photo-wall-bullet

My blog post find this month is perfect for anyone running a home business. Fellow crochet designer, Thomasina Designs helps us all out with some great advice on "Keeping Accounts." She includes instructions on setting up a spreadsheet to track of your money coming in and going out. Now is the perfect time to get your own income/expenses in order and see how your "really" doing.

http://www.thomasinacummings.co.uk/keeping-accounts/

Thank you for following us and looking forward to next months finds....

Until next month,
Stephanie, Lisa, & Crystal

Blog Stalkers Issue 1

Welcome to our first ever blog stalkers!

What are we? Stalkers... only not the creepy kind! We're a group of 3 stalkers, taking the first few weeks each month looking for the perfect post we'd like to share with you! But these posts will be about a variety of things. Yes, that's right! The three of us love crochet but we won't be bringing you just crochet related things.

This month we've found some pretty interesting things! Check out what we found below. Found a post that you love? Share it with us in the comments! Be sure to check out our Facebook page and drop links to your posts or posts you love!

"Hi there Stephanie here one of your friendly blog stalkers. Normally I would share a particular post but I honestly love everything Esther writes. As many of you know I just had a baby this past October. I felt it so refreshing to read a blog about parenting and family life that was so "real". I think that anyone that goes to this blog and reads her stories they would be able to relate to at least one of them. Please take a look I promise you it is worth the read. http://www.storyofthislife.com/

"Lisa here with my Blog find for the month. This is a recipe post that I found while looking for the perfect pie to take to my families Thanksgiving Dinner. It is the Chocolate pie from Pioneer Woman. Since then I have made it for my husband’s birthday and probably making it for Super Bowl. Yes, it’s that good!

However, I do have a few tips to share on my experience.

The recipe is for 1 pie using 6.5 oz of chocolate baking bar. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Baking Bars come in 4ozs, so I doubled the recipe and bought 3 bars totaling 12 oz(I didn't add an additional ounce) . This made 3 pies as the single recipe gives you a pie and some extra. I used 2 bittersweet and one semi-sweet bar.

My only problem was in the directions she writes "The second it starts to bubble and thicken (note: It should be thick like pudding!) remove it from the heat." When it started to bubble I quickly removed it. Well..... it was not thick enough (it was sorta thick but I was more worried about "when it starts to bubble" part. I ended up putting it back on the stove after I had mixed it all to thicken more. So... since that first time, I let it bubble longer and I make sure it is "really like pudding" but keep stiring so it doesn't burn the bottom of the pan.

I hope you all enjoy and I would love to see your pies. Feel free to post the pictures on my Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/PinkSnailBoutique "

"Hey there!! It's Crystal! Crochet is my favorite craft but I also like to stay organized. I am very much a list person, you'll find them all over my house along with calendars, notes, scratch pads and much more. But this month I wanted to share with you a blog I found perfect for anyone that likes print outs. I know I do! Each year I print off one of Mom's Budget's Crochet Project Tracker and fill out what unfinished projects I have. Each year I TRY to complete those on the list. I add to the list throughout the year when I remember as well. Those projects that I have no desire to finish after a year, I decided to unwind them unless I really feel I will complete it... eventually! This site has many great print outs but also much, much more! Take look and let me know what you think!"

Until next month,
Stephanie, Lisa, & Crystal

Twas the Night Before Saturday

Twas the night before Saturday and all through our homes,
Pam, Lisa, Crystal and Stephanie were working on this poem.
Our Stocking patterns were designed with lots of love and care.
In hopes that you’d make them so your mantels would be less bare.

With patterns listed on Ravelry, and coupon codes ready,
Yarn and hooks all picked out, crochet fast, hands steady!
Papers flying, hooks wielding, the final product in sight!
Oh no! Weaving ends! Always gives us a fright!!

With our beautiful stockings hung up for all to see,
We can be so proud knowing they were “Made By Me”.
Staring out the window on this cold and blustery nigh,
We hold our hooks tight and give out a cry.

"Now Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!
Hung by the chimmeny! Hung up on the wall!
Now hook away! Hook away! Hook away all!!

And guess what RUDOLPH has joined in on the Reindeer Games...... 

The 4 winners from our Santa and His Reindeer Stocking Pattern Giveaway are.............

1. Viola P

2. Darlene M

3. Marjorie M

4. Patty K

Congratulations!!!!!!

Please contact one of the shops to receive your patterns. Each winner will receive a copy of each pattern For a total of 10 stocking patterns!!!! 

All the patterns are now available for purchase in our shops. You can find them list below

Twas the Night Before Saturday Sale -  40% off each  stocking pattern using

coupon code: STOCKING

(This code is good in our Ravelry Shops only)

in each store through this Sunday, November 23rd.

Sincerely Pam

Doner (Dylan Christmas Stocking)

Vixen (Victoria Christmas Stocking)

Smalltown Dreamz

Santa Stocking

Dancer (Snowflake Stocking)

Rudolph (Mini Me Stocking)

Crystalized Designs

Comet Stocking

Prancer Stocking

Blitzen Stocking

Pink Snail Boutique

Dasher Christmas Stocking

Cupid Christmas Stocking