Easy Bun

  This is one of my favorite go to hair styles.  I do this easy bun to finish a bunch of hair styles.  And believe me it is easy to do!!  … {Read More}

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Yummy Corn chowder

  I made this recipe the other day and it was super yummy!!  I put it in the crock pot and just let it go.  I know soups aren’t always … {Read More}

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Cheesecake

I LOVE me some cheesecake!!  Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!!  So over the years I have tried A LOT of recipes for cheesecake and here it is, the very best one … {Read More}

cheesecake 1_thumb[1]

How to color the tips of your hair

My girls recently had crazy hair day at school.  We decided we wanted to try out a temporary color on their hair.  By temporary I mean it washed out … {Read More}

rainbow hair

Free Printable…Valentines

It seems like forever since I have done a free printable. {really it's only been since before Christmas but that seems like forever ago} And since … {Read More}

valentines day printable

Most popular posts of 2011

Last year, before I started my blog I was an avid blog reader.  Still am.  One of my favorite posts was where bloggers listed their most popular … {Read More}

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Afters with no Befores

Do you ever get so excited to start a project that you jump in and forget to take pictures?  I do that all the time.  I know bad!!  So I have some … {Read More}

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How to get large prints for CHEAP!!

I have seen this around the blogosphere quite a bit so you might have already seen this tip.  But in case you haven't, it is too good not to … {Read More}

large cheap prints

Not your ordinary dye job

I know what you are thinking but you would be wrong.  No I’m not talking about hair but these: So now that we have that settled lets see if we … {Read More}

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It’s a crafty Christmas…

Every year, we have 32 people to buy presents for NOT including us and our children.  That’s A LOT!!  We end up with 8 family parties scattered … {Read More}

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It’s a crafty Christmas…lifesaver necklaces

We are making these cute little necklaces for my nieces and the girls friends.  It seems every time someone comes over to play and they see them … {Read More}

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My spring Mantle and pinwheel tutorial

I have a pretty dark mantle.  And that's ok because it is full of things I love.  But it wasn't very cheery.  It's perfect for fall but I wanted to … {Read More}

pinwheel spring mantle

Thrifted Desk Redo

As promised here is the tutorial for my red desk.  I love how it came out.  Here is what I started with: I got this desk at the thrift store for … {Read More}

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Flower bun with woven ribbon tutorial

To everyone coming over from Blogelina,  Grab a comfy chair and have a look around.  I would love it if you would sign up for my rss feed, … {Read More}

flower bun with ribbon weave
Feb 28, 2012

Homeade Laundry Soap recipe

By · 7 Comments

I have been making my own laundry soap for years now.   I always get asked for the recipe so I decided to post it.  Here are the ingredients you need:

One of the things to note when getting your ingredients is that Arm & Hammer Super washing soda is different from Arm & Hammer laundry detergent.  Make sure you grab the correct box.

These ingredients minus the fels naptha bar soap can last me well over a year.  When I run out of  laundry detergent, I just have to buy a new fels naptha bar.  It costs $1. Not bad at all.

Homeade laundry detergent recipe:

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super washing soda

1 cup Borax

1 cup baking soda

1 fels naptha bar

I use an old laundry detergent bucket and keep filling it back up.  One of these days I will make something cute but for now this works.

Measure and add the first 3 ingredients

Grate the fels naptha bar

Mix it all together and tada, you are done.

Use 1 TBS for normal loads.  2 TBS for extra dirty loads.

I have not noticed a difference from this recipe and the pricey detergent I used to buy.  They both clean well.  Let me know if you make some.

Thanks for reading

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Filed Under: cleaning, easy, family, tutorial · Tagged: , , , ,
Feb 27, 2012

Disney countdown

By · 8 Comments

Hey everyone. I know I have been posting a lot about Disney lately. That’s not going to let up because we are counting down to our first Disney cruise!! We are SUPER excited and are doing lots of crafty stuff to get ready for it.

I think a fun essential part to a vacation is the excitement and anticipation of it.  Our girls talk about it all the time.  We ordered the cruise planning dvd and watched that as a family.  We have also searched you tube and found tons of videos on the cruise.  It also helps that I am a traveling mom now.  One of my fellow moms is on the Disney moms panel and she actually is the Disney Cruise line mom.  She has given me tons of tips.  {My girls think it’s awesome that I know the person in the Disney cruise line videos.  She’s a mini celebrity to them.}

To keep the aniticipation and excitement high, we made a little countdown.

Here is a close up

{My youngest started calling it Mickey’s boat and it evolved to Disney boat from there}

I just cut up some vinyl and personalized it by using a Disney font and the Mickey shapes. I love having it on my chalkboard.  My girls like to change the days as the cruise gets closer.  {Thankfully this pic was taken a while ago so we don’t have that long to wait}

For us, this is a fun way to get everyone involved and excited for the upcoming vaca. But you could use a countdown like this for anything.  Birthdays, holidays, first day of school etc.  You can also reuse the countdown since it’s on chalkboard, just erase and rewrite what you are counting towards.

Thanks for reading!!

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Filed Under: disney, diy, family, travel, tutorial · Tagged: , , , ,
Feb 22, 2012

Cute Disney memories bracelets

By · 11 Comments

Today I am going to show you a cute craft I made for my girls.  We LOVE to travel.  I think it’s important to make memories with your family.  Spending time together away from ordinary life with your whole family, it bonds you.  And you look back on the vacations fondly over the years.

We recently went to Disneyland and while we were there I found the cutest beads.  I got a few and decided to make cute bracelets for the girls so they can remember the fun memories we made on this trip.

Here are my favorites:

Mickey’s Hand

Minnie’s Hair Bow

Tropical Mickeys

Squirt from Finding Nemo

Minnie’s Shoe

Tinkerbell’s Dress

Fantasia Mickey’s Hat

My girls absolutely love them.  And I love that as they wear them they can remember how much fun we had as a family.  And hopefully how much we love each other.

Do you guys have any special ways of building memories with your family?

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Filed Under: cute, tip, travel, tutorial · Tagged: , , , ,
Feb 21, 2012

Totally Tutorials Tuesday 2/21

By · 10 Comments
Can you believe Feb. is almost over?  Me neither.  But here it is the end of 2nd to last linky party of the month.  Can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!!
Totally Tutorials Tuesday

 

We are SO glad you are joining in on the fun.
Totally Tutorial Tuesday is a co-hosted linky party so it’s double the fun…double the exposure!!!
Party Etiquette:
  • DIY projects, crafts, recipes, decorating ideas only please. NO SELLING PLEASE!
  • Add as many links as you want. Old and new posts are welcome.
  • Link directly to your post not your home page.
  • Please take the time to comment on at least two links before yours.
  • Add our button or a text link to each post that you link up or to your homepage/sidebar.
    Totally Tutorials Tuesday

Be sure to check back Friday to see if you’ve been featured as one of our faves! You could be featured on Measured by the Heart or My World Made by Hand or both!! {By linking up you give us permission to feature your post on either site}

Until then…PARTY ON!



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Filed Under: blog, link, link party, totally tutorial tuesdays, tutorial · Tagged: , , ,
Feb 20, 2012

Free Printable for Presidents day

By · 1 Comment

President’s Day is a special holiday for me.  I feel so honored to live in this great country.  And to people all over the world who have freedoms to thank their nation for, I have made this printable.

To download your high quality copy, click on the image.

This printable is sized to 8 x 10.  It can be printed smaller but won’t look it’s best bigger.  If you would like a bigger size let me know.

As always:

Free Printables are for Measured by the Heart followers.  It just takes a minute to follow {look for the Linky followers gadget in my sidebar}  These are for personal use only.  Please do not resell, redistribute or claim them as your own.  If you are posting these on the internet you must link back to this page.  I hope you enjoy!!

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Filed Under: america, free, freebie, printable · Tagged: , , , , ,
Feb 17, 2012

Fun Feature Friday 2/17

By · 7 Comments

Today is my anniversary celebrating 12 years married to my best friend!!  I know without any doubt, that I could not have made such a happy life with anyone else!!  So I decided to pick my features today to go along with this theme.

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Swirly Heart @ ey to zee

Love embellished tee @ A Jennuine Life

A year of dates @ Repeat Crafter me

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Button Heart @ Finding my way in Texas

Monogram Wedding gift @ Diy kinda girl

Valentines cookies @ Broken Treasures

Valentine hoop art @ Casa De Luna Creations

You guys must be on the same wavelength as me because the most viewed this week was :

Monogram wedding gift @ DIY kinda girl

If you were featured please grab a button:

Measured by the Heart

<a href=”http://www.measuredbytheheart.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m522/measuredbytheheart/logo3-3.gif” alt=”Measured by the Heart” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

Don’t forget to stop by My World Made by Hand to see if you were featured there

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Filed Under: featured, link, link party, totally tutorial tuesdays, tutorial · Tagged: , , , ,
Feb 15, 2012

Oreo Surprise Cookies

By · 23 Comments

I saw this idea for an Oreo surprise cookie a while back.  Here is what they look like when done:

Looks pretty much like a chocolate chip cookie right??

The surprise is inside.

yummy oreo surprise cookies

That’s right, its an oreo inside a chocolate chip cookie!!

The first time I tried to make these cookies, it didn’t go so well.  I was trying to cover an oreo with chocolate chip cookie dough and it was a big sticky mess.  I ended up needing so much cookie dough to get it all covered that I could only make 5 out of a whole batch of cookie dough.  Then when they baked, they spread out and became huge flat cookies with a large lump in the middle.  So not what I was going for.

Enter the brilliant hubby.  He suggested we bake them in a muffin tin.  Genious!!

I put a scoop of cookie dough into the bottom of the muffin tin.  Then I squished it with an oreo.  I then put another scoop on the top and spread it out a little.  Make sure you spray your muffin tin first.

When they come out they look like this:

Wouldn’t know there was an oreo in there would you??

My hubbs took this to his last day of school.  {They had a potluck day since it was the end}  And everyone LOVED LOVED LOVED them!!  So if you need a new interesting pot luck idea {especially for a group of guys} try these!!  Or if you just want some yummy cookies, they don’t disappoint.

Thanks for reading!!

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Filed Under: awesome, easy, recipe, recipes, yummy · Tagged: , , , , ,
Feb 14, 2012

Totally Tutorials Tuesday 2/14

By · 6 Comments
It’s a Valentines Day linky party!!
Totally Tutorials Tuesday

 

We are SO glad you are joining in on the fun.
Totally Tutorial Tuesday is a co-hosted linky party so it’s double the fun…double the exposure!!!
Party Etiquette:
  • DIY projects, crafts, recipes, decorating ideas only please. NO SELLING PLEASE!
  • Add as many links as you want. Old and new posts are welcome.
  • Link directly to your post not your home page.
  • Please take the time to comment on at least two links before yours.
  • Add our button or a text link to each post that you link up or to your homepage/sidebar.
    Totally Tutorials Tuesday

Be sure to check back Friday to see if you’ve been featured as one of our faves! You could be featured on Measured by the Heart or My World Made by Hand or both!! {By linking up you give us permission to feature your post on either site}

Until then…PARTY ON!



[ Add your comment ]
Filed Under: blog, link, link party, totally tutorial tuesdays · Tagged: , , ,
Feb 13, 2012

Not just a chalkboard

By · 7 Comments

When we first moved into our house there was this space in our kitchen that was just a little off.  Let me show you what I mean:

It was this blank space next to the fridge.  I think it needed top cabinets.  But we had just put a sizeable amount down on the house and I wasn’t sure I could match the cabinets.  I also have this thing about redoing perfectly good cabinets{like painting them} so I decided to do something else.

I was thrifting and I found this awesome painting.

Isn’t it breath taking??  Ok seriously, I didn’t love the painting, it just wasn’t my style.  But I did LOVE the frame.  So I just painted over the painting using chalk board paint.

It looks a lot better having something in that spot.  I know everyone has a chalk board now a days.  I know it’s not anything original.  But my point in this post is look at the frames when you are thrifting.  Isn’t this one gorgeous??

Plus it is so fun having the chalkboard.  I sometimes wake up to fun messages like this one:

cute chalk board painting

That was done by my awesome hubby!!  Isn’t he talented??

So next time you are thrifting see if you can find an awesome frame.  There are tons of great things to do with them.

Thanks for reading!!

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Filed Under: awesome, paint, tutorial · Tagged: , , , ,
Feb 10, 2012

Fun Feature Friday 2/10

By · 17 Comments

We had some great projects linked up this week {as always}.

Rustic wood wreath @ DIY kinda girl

How to paint a tile backsplash @ Mominizer

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Heart Necklace @ Creative Passage

Learn to crochet @ Petals to Picots

Printable Valentines @ Raising Oranges

No mess spiky ball painting @ Lifestyles of the stay at home mom

The Most viewed link this week was:

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A heart necklace @ Creative Passage

If you were featured, please grab a button.

Measured by the Heart

<a href=”http://www.measuredbytheheart.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1130.photobucket.com/albums/m522/measuredbytheheart/logo3-3.gif” alt=”Measured by the Heart” width=”125″ height=”125″ /></a>

And don’t forget to stop by My World made by hand to see if you were featured there!!

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