DIY Thank You Cards
by stephania 

What you need:           

• Plain greeting cards
• "Thank You" stamp
• Ink
• Washi tape
• Patterned card stock
• Circle paper cutter
• Modge Podge glue
• Cheap paint brush (for glue)

What you do:

1. Many Thanks - Apply a generous amount of ink onto your stamp and simply follow along and let the ink run out. Repeat until you've accomplished your desired pattern. Note: This could be really beautiful using different colored inks too!

2. Circle Thank You's - Using your circle cutter, cut out multiple sizes of circles from the patterned card stock. Make sure the biggest circle fits your "Thank You" stamp. Stamp the largest circle and carefully glue onto greeting cards.

3. Thank You Post-it - Stamp onto card stock. Cut and attach to greeting card using washi tape.

If You Need Me, I'll be with my Potato Soup

by essie reilly

What you need:           

What you do:

Melt 1 tbsp butter in soup pot and sauté onions & celery until soft. Add four cups warm water and vegetable and onion bouillon cubes to soup pot and stir to dissolve. (If the bouillon cubes are unsalted, add 2 teaspoons of salt and increase amount incrementally to taste). Add pepper. Put potatoes into soup pot and boil until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lower heat to medium low.

Remove half the soup and mix in a blender until you have a mashed potato broth (or use a potato masher in the soup pot). Don’t blend entirely— you want the broth to remain chunky. Add the mashed broth back to the soup pot and return to a boil. Add the cream. Spoon remaining butter on top of the soup and stir throughout once it has melted. Serve immediately or lower to simmer until serving. (Photo by Stephania Stanley).

Top with chives, sour cream, and or chopped bacon pieces. For a vitamin A boost, add chopped carrots when you add the potatoes to the soup pot. Make sure the carrots are chopped really tiny because they cook very slowly.

Serves 6-8

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Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Crispy Potatoes With Baked Eggs and Pesto Yogurt
Cooking With Elise: Vavos Stewed Potatoes
The Heritage Cook: Potato and Sweet Potato Gratin With Bourbon-Laced Cream Sauce
The Cultural Dish: Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
Thursday Night Dinner: If You Need Me, I'll Be With My Potato Soup
Feed Me Phoebe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries With Rosemary
Add a Pinch: Loaded Smashed Potatoes
From My Corner of Saratoga: Garlic and Herb Infused Cheesy Potatoes
FN Dish: Well-Loved Potato Sides

Happy New Year!  A new year means a fresh new beginning, and what’s more promising than that?  For the first time in a few years, I made a few resloutions.  I guess nothing changes unless we decide to make the change.  My first resolution is to simplify.  Mainly to focus less on the things and more on the people in my life; to de-clutter- physically and emotionally.  I had already been thinking about this resolution, but was sort of forced to start it this year.  The night before Christmas Eve, I slipped on the ice and broke my right arm!  In all honestly, you have no idea how much you use your dominant arm/hand until you can’t, use it that is.  Since I broke it 2 weeks ago, so much of my normal routine has been forgotten.  I can't really do my hair (which is horrifying for a hairstylist), I can only put makeup on with my left hand, no matter how cute my outfit is, it looks silly with my giant sling, and I have worn nothing but Uggs outside whilst reminding everyone to look out for hidden ice every 2 seconds.  It has made me realize that you can only control so much, then you just have to roll with it.

In trying to simplify my life, I decided to simplify my makeup bag.  I always think about getting rid of some of my old makeup; then I start to go through it and remember how expensive each item was.  And  maybe one day I’ll need that shimmery green eye shadow I bought 6 years ago (sadly, as I write that, all I can think is, “I do, I do really need that!”).  But since my makeup regime is currently lip gloss, it's the perfect time to start tossing things.  I did a lot of research to find out just how long we should keep all of our cosmetics.  Turns out, it’s not an exact science.  There are a lot of different opinions, so this is the average of the estimates.  Remember that makeup isn't required to have an expiration date, so even though it doesn't have one, it still does expire and can harbor all kinds of bacteria! I was amazed at just how overdue my makeup was for an overhaul- seriously, a year for nail polish??  I think I still have the polish I wore to my senior prom.  Seriously.  Here goes…

xo,

Megan

Should it Stay or Should it Go?

Eye shadow- 2-3 years

Powder and blush- 2 yrs

Concealer and foundation- about 1 yr

Eye and lip pencils- 2 yrs- sharpen them regularly to clean

Lipstick/gloss- 2 yrs

Mascara 3 months- when it dries out it can contain bacteria and won’t go on or stay on as well.  Also if you have an eye infection, throw it out.

Cleansers and creams- about 1 yr

Nail polish- 1 yr- look for separation, fading, and weird consistency

Clean brushes frequently with a gentle shampoo, replace shonges, sharpen your pencils to clean them, and throw away anything that dries out, changes color or smells weird.

Hair products sometimes have an expiration date stamp, but many don’t.  The general rule is about 2 years once opened- about three if unopened.  As with your cosmetics, if you’re unsure open it up, if it smells off or has a weird consistency, toss it.

Good Luck!!!!