Taking pictures or scanning of things you like in books or magazines is a great way to hold on to those ideas that you love without cluttering up your craft room with paper. If you actually subscribe the the magazine, which is perhaps the next step up, you can save just the ideas from the magazine that you’ll actually use. Tear out the pages with your favorite ideas and organize them in sheet protectors in a 3-ring binder. You’ll save lots of time and space by saving just what you need from the magazine to jump start your creativity.

Here are some samples from Card Maker Magazine that I photographed:

I love the rounded corners on just the opposite edges, both on the card itself and that little square piece on the surface. This kind of repetition is a very effective principle of design that helps your cards/scrapbook pages look more balanced and finished.

I liked the buttons and ribbon used together on this one. I don’t love the chicken or the paper pattern, but that’s okay because I’m just looking for little elements that I like and can apply in another way.

I love how the back side of the card is wider than the front and has a decorative edge. This is a fun idea that you can use in tons of different ways.

And I love this one. Little circles of paper in a tree shaped pattern - or you could just fill up the whole front of the card with circles of different colors and patterns. You could come up with so many different variations for this design.

See what I mean? Saving ideas you love makes crafting easy!

To take up close and detailed pictures like this you’ll need a camera with a macro setting. A digital SLR is the best because you can get the flash farther from the paper and avoid the glare, but a point and shoot will work also - you might just have a little glare from the flash. My Canon Rebel XSi is fabulous all around, especially when it comes to the macro mode.

My last tip is to take pictures of cards you make and love so you can remember the basic design to repeat on another card. Happy crafting!

{photos taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XSi}

• Scrapbooking Help
• Nursery Decor Project #1? Check.
• More Fun With Fabric
• Making Memories
• Pretty Clipboard

So yesterday I was talking to my good friend, (and blog designer) Jeri, and she said that blogging is her scrapbooking and she just gets it printed at the end of every year.

She told me about Blurb, a place where you can get pretty much anything printed, including blogs. You choose the size and format of the book, the type of cover, format your pictures and text how you want it, and they send you a book! I think this is a great idea for a Christmas present/tradition. With a blog, you can tell more of the story of your family and pictures than with scrapbooking, I think, and it’s just so much easier and more convenient for busy moms.

And I just decided that I’m going to do our wedding book with Blurb. We’ve been married over 4 years and still no wedding book…click here to see examples of all the different types of books you could potentially do.

I can’t wait to look through my Blurb book on Christmas morning!

• 25 Days of Christmas
• Blog Giveaway - Creative Memories & Gorillapod
• Day 6: Read a Christmas Book
• Scrapbooking My Way
• Spotlight: The Little Stamp Company

If you would be interested in being a guest blogger on Vanilla Joy and posting about something related to home, family, crafts, and/or kids, email me at kelsey[at]vanillajoy[dot]com and we’ll talk.

Thank you!

• WINNER!!! - Personality Plus Boutique, Fingers & Toes
• Winner!!! - Huggies Potty Training Success Package
• Cleaning Tips - by Guest Blogger Keri Garcia
• WINNER!!! - Scribble It, Simply Polished, Fall Down Tree
• 20 Finalists - MiniBox Giveaway

Anywhooo, the giveaways. We have two products to give away that would definitely be classified as yummy food.

1. Chex Mix Bars Basket of Indulgence

Oh my. Have you tried the Chex Mix Bars? I posted about them before Halloween because I thought they would make a great treat to give away. The box says granola bars, but I think they’re more like a healthy candy bar. With less than 150 calories per bar and 8 grams of whole grain, you can definitely have at least one a day. And a box of these Chex Mix Bars is probably less than a bag of candy, so there you go.

Included in the Basket of Indulgence are some really fun products. Along with the Chex Mix Bars, you’ll get chocolate candles, caramel lotion, a loofah, hand massager, nail brush, and spa towel. My hands and wrists get really sore from all the typing I do as a transcriber and also as a blogger, so this hand massager has been wonderful. It really gets that tension out with much less effort on the part of the massager. Aaaahhh. Who doesn’t love a hand massage?

Thank you Chex Mix Bars for this fabulous gift basket!

2. 12 oz. Package of KRAFT Singles (any variety)

Two people will each get one product voucher for a 12 oz. package of KRAFT Singles, perfect for making grilled cheese sandwiches!

KRAFT actually just came out with a new 2% Singles product that is made with milk from cows not treated with added growth hormones (I think it’s that rbST stuff). Cheese made with 2% milk is perfect for little ones who need all the extra fat and calories they can get, and now KRAFT Singles are more kid friendly without those extra hormones. My little guy loves cheese and especially grilled cheese sandwiches made with these KRAFT Singles.

___________________________________________________________

Blog Giveaway Guidelines:

1. To enter this contest, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight PST on Monday, November 17th.
2. One comment per person - if you’re new here your comment will go into moderation and will not show up immediately, but I will approve it so please don’t make multiple comments!
3. This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States…sorry.
4. The winner will be randomly picked and announced in a new post on Tuesday morning.

If you have a product you would like Vanilla Joy to review and give away, email me at kelsey [at] vanillajoy [dot] com. Thanks!

• Yummy Giveaway Winners
• Blog Giveaway - Huggies Potty Training Success Package
• Blog Giveaway - Huggies Summer Essentials Kit, Lil’ Rinser, Kraft Bagel-fuls
• Review: Kraft Bagel-fuls
• Blog Giveaway - Vinyl Wall Graphics by Single Stone Studios

My son and I discovered by accident what wonderful shakers/ noise makers those little packages of scrapbooking embellishments make. The little metal pieces, especially brads and eyelets, make different noises depending on the size and shape, and little hands love to shake and make noise!

If you don’t want your child shaking your embellishments, take them out of the packaging and fill the little plastic container with something else like beans, rice, small rocks, nuts, popcorn, etc. Experiment with different things to see what different noises you can create. Fill them up and wrap tape around the whole thing several times to prevent any explosions.

We like to have fun with our shaking by doing some of the following things:

• shape shaking - circles, squares, triangles
• directional shaking - high, low, in front, in back, right hand, left hand
• crazy shaking - while turning in circles, with your teeth, walk across the room with the shaker on your head

There’s tons you can do with these little shakers, but the best part is making noise! Shake away!

• Spice Rack Office Supply Organizer
• Cardmaking Ideas
• Product Reviews: Fingers & Toes
• Cupcake Pops Tutorial
• Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

• A Change of Pace
• Favorite Things 2008
• 25 Days of Christmas
• Scrapbooking My Way
• Happy Independence Day!

This is a very cute and short story about a little boy who is sent to the store by his mother with a list of grocery items to pick up. The little boy repeats all the things in his head so he won’t forget, only he gets them a little mixed up.

This story is funny and the rhyming is great. Rhyming is great for kids - those similar sounds help kids to relate words together and realize how similar many words are.

Pat Hutchins is a great author with many wonderful children’s books - you’re going to love this one!

• Book Talk: Snakes!
• Book Talk: Goodnight Moon
• Reading Series Part I: Reading TO Children
• Book Talk: Cold Sassy Tree
• Book Talk: The Read-Aloud Handbook

If your child is getting ready to learn to write, you should definitely check out The Little Stamp Company. They make personalized name stamps with water based washable ink that will help your child learn to write his or her name by tracing. You can completely personalize your child’s stamp with their name, your choice of font and print type (upper case, lower case, or dotted). Kids can stamp their own name on their coloring pages, books, and much more - kids like to see their names on stuff, and this is a great and fun way to let them label their things themselves.

One of my favorite features of this product is that the ink pad is built into the stamp so you don’t have to worry about your kids making a mess with the ink. My 19-month old can use the stamp himself and there’s no mess! He loves using the stamp and seeing his name magically appear.

My son isn’t ready for writing yet, but seeing his name in print will definitely help when the time comes. So much of reading/spelling is memorization, so the earlier we can start introducing him to the look of his name, the easier it will be for him to learn to read and write it.

Now you can help your child learn to print his name without having to manually draw the word for him to trace. Thanks to The Little Stamp Company, he can stamp the name and practice tracing it all by himself. With Christmas coming up, this would be a great gift!

The Little Stamp Company also has a blog, Big Ideas for Little Printers, where they talk about fun and easy early literacy tips and activities.

{photos taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XSi}

• Reading Series Part II: Reading WITH Children
• Reading Series Part III: Reading BY Children
• Learn to Read to Learn to Read to Learn
• Product Review: Personality Plus Boutique
• Free Tags and Labels

1. Make a double batch of rice crispy treats, using the recipe on the bag of marshmallows, and put them into a jelly roll pan/cookie sheet.

• Tip: A double recipe calls for about 10 c. rice crispies - mix only 8 c. into the marshmallow/butter/vanilla mixture. Pour the whole mixture into your cookie sheet. Spreading the sticky goo to evenly fill the cookie sheet is pretty tricky. My solution is to spread it out as best I can with a spoon and then sprinkle the remaining 2 c. of cereal onto the top. With the cereal on top, you can press down without getting your hands sticky and it’s much easier to get the whole mixture evenly spread throughout the pan.

2. After your rice crispies have cooled and aren’t sticky any more, cut out shapes with cookie cutters. If you don’t have the metal kind, you’ll need to go around the outside edge of the cookie cutter with a knife.

3. Prepare almond bark by heating it in the microwave according to package directions. Add a spoonful of shortening to thin the mixture. Dip one side of your shaped rice crispy treat into the chocolate. Lay on wax paper to dry.

These chocolate rice crispy treats are very sugary and perfect for a party or everyday dessert. They’re fun to make and your kids can definitely help. Let me know what you think!

• Yummaliciousness
• Cupcake Pops Tutorial
• Day 5: Goody Plates
• Homemade Circus Animal Cookies
• Special Halloween Treats

One thing I do know is that we will be getting a game for our family as an “Allivar” present. (When I was a kid, there were always a few presents under the tree for “Allivar.” Allivar is not a person, it’s just the label for a present that’s All of Ours. My mom is clever, huh?)

We love games at our house, especially card and strategy games. If your family loves games, here are our 3 favorites. These are for older children and adults, so if your family is older, these would be great family Christmas gifts.

1. Settlers of Catan, Catan Seafarers, and Catan Cities & Knights

This really is three separate games, but they all build on each other so they’re kind of like one… Start with Settlers of Catan and you will become addicted and buy the other two next year for Christmas. This game is so much fun if you like strategy games. The whole point is to earn resources and build up your own little village on the game board. The other players are trying to do the same thing, so land is scarce and you have to play quickly and be smart. You can trade resources with other players, earn double the resources, and get specialty cards that allow you to have an army, etc. Things can get pretty intense, so remember…it’s just a game. I want to play right now!

2. Ticket to Ride

This is another great strategy game, although it’s not nearly as intense and competitive as Settlers, which is a good thing. This is the North America version - we actually have the Europe version but have played both. The rules are a bit different, both are great games.

In this game, play begins with each person getting 3 “tickets” with routes between two different cities. Each ticket has a different route, and each route has an assigned point value. Longer routes are worth more points, etc. You have to keep at least 2 of these initial tickets, and throughout the game you will be building along your route with your train car playing pieces. Players get to draw cards each turn that allow them to build sections along their route. Once one player has used all their train cars, each other player gets one more turn. Then you count up points and see who won.

Like I said, this game is not nearly as cutthroat as Settlers, but it’s still a fun strategy game. Younger kids could easily play this game (maybe 10+).

3. Nertz

This is the best card game around, so if you don’t know how to play, you should definitely learn. Pretty soon I’m going to do a video tutorial on how to play, but for now, you can read the instructions here.

You can buy a special Nertz deck, but we just use regular cards. You can use regular cards as long as each person has a deck with a different design on the back. Nertz is the whole reason I began collecting cards (betcha didn’t know that about me!) and now have over 50 decks of cartoon, movie, etc. themed playing cards (my favorites are pictured above).

Tutorial coming soon!

Hopefully I’ve given you at least a few options for family Christmas presents. Games are a great family activity and will definitely get you spending more time having fun together.

• Favorite Thing #3: Ticket to Ride Board Game
• Day 21: Have a Game Night
• More Halloween Party /Family Games
• Old Fashioned Halloween/Fall Games
• Thanksgiving Games Tradition

• Day 3: Learn About Advent/Make Advent Calendar
• Organize with Baby Food Jars
• Product Review: Simply Polished
• Make and Takes Giveaway
• Alltop

First, my friend Jeri is doing a holiday card giveaway. Visit her blog, Etcetera Jeri, to enter for a chance to win 25 - 4×6 cards in the design of your choice. You can see all her designs here.

Second, Shade Clothing is having a huge sale. Everything in their store is 25% off, even the sale items. They have sooo many classy and beautiful items to choose from. These are my personal favorites:

I love their classy styles and colors! Hooray for 25% off everything!

• Winner!!! - Single Stone Studios
• Super Saturday
• Blog Giveaway - Interchangeable Watch by Which Watch
• Blog Giveaway - Lulubug Jewelry & Noggins Beanies
• Product Review: Personality Plus Boutique

1. Vado Pocket Video Cam by Creative Labs

Syeda Quadri, who said, “What an awesome way to wrap up the celebration of your blogversary. I mean the all the five giveaways are so out of this world. Thanks. I would love to win the Vado Pocket video cam. It would make it so much easier for me to capture by baby’s moments. Also like you mentioned I too have a tough time uplading a video on my computer. So, please pick me….”

2. Creative Zen Mozaic MP3 Player by Creative Labs

Sharla Carbine, who said, “I am drooling over the Video cam and Mp3 player and they’re both so cute in my favorite color too! I’ve been wanting both of those for a while now but how often do I ever buy stuff for myself? Pretty much never! Thank you so much for this chance to win! You have been so generous this month. Oh, and I’m so glad I found your blog, I love reading it every day. Thanks!”

3. Fantastic Firmers Mid-Thigh Shaper from Assets by Sara Blakely.

Stephanie Matteson, who said, “I only just found your blog a few days ago and have been devouring it. I took a break from blogs/blogging and was thrilled to stumble on yours with my return. Adding you to my own blogroll. Keep up the fantastic work, looking forward to the holidays with you!”

4. Shade Jersey Scarf

Misty Dowdy, who said, “WOWEE!!!!! I would love to win one of these things….esp the video camera! I need one that is easy to take with me. I feel like I have missed out on so much precious stuff because our video camera is just too burdensome to deal with daily!”

5. Thoughts That Stick Gift Card

Ginny Brewster, who said, “Wow, what an amazing assortment of prizes! They are all great for different reasons, very cool!”

Congratulations to all the winners. Email me at kelsey[at]vanillajoy[dot]com and I’ll put you in contact with the sponsors. Thanks!

• Giveaway Finale - Creative Labs, Assets by Sara Blakely, Shade Clothing, & Thoughts That Stick
• WINNERS!!! - Digital Scrapbooking & Tool/Storage Giveaways
• WINNER!!! - Jerilyn Photo Announcements & Yoplait Kids
• Halloween Giveaway Winners!!!
• Blog Giveaway - Set of 4 Puzzle Piece Frames by Hiccup Inc. & Set of 2 Handmade Books by Vanilla Joy

Go Away, Big Green Monster!, by Ed Emberley, is one of our favorite books. I have to keep it hidden because I don’t want Joel ripping the monster’s nose off, but he loves this book and wants to read it every day. I love how the monster starts out with just eyes and then each page adds another facial feature. Because of this, Go Away, Big Green Monster! is a perfect book for teaching/learning about parts of a face. Your child can point to each new feature on the monster’s face and then on his or her own face. The colors are bright and vivid, making this book a great resource for teaching about color as well.

This book is also great for giving kids a tool for banishing the monsters in their own imaginations - just make them go away one step at a time!

Last week I wrote about a fun craft to do along with this book on Blissful Kids. Enjoy the book and the craft!

• Book Talk: The Toddler’s Busy Book
• Every Parent Should Learn To Paint Kids Faces!
• Product Review: Personality Plus Boutique
• St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Ideas
• APRIL FOOLS!!!

Coloring is always fun, even for my 18-month old. I printed off our Halloween coloring page from this website, and there are lots of other great websites out there that offer coloring pages for all holidays and events. Here are two others I found:

• Coloring.ws
• ColoringPages.net

The important thing with all these kid’s craft and game ideas is that they getting you having fun together, which is one way to build and strengthen relationships in a family. I had a blast coloring along with Joel - I don’t remember the last time I colored an entire page with crayons. Crayons are harder to use than I remember… Joel mostly wanted to put the crayons “way”.

Beautiful! I highly recommend coloring this holiday season.

And another thing…

I tried the new Turtle Chex Mix Bars recently, and…wow. They’re pretty much like a candy bar, except they have less than 150 calories each and have 8 grams of whole grain per serving. So they taste like candy, but they’re much healthier. I was thinking these would be great to give out on Halloween to trick-or-treaters…I don’t know if they’ll last until Friday night at my house. I’m a real sucker for stuff like this. Anyway, they’re delicious if you’re looking for a new snack/treat.

…And one last thing…

Happy Halloween!

{photos taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XSi}

• Special Halloween Treats
• Only As Good As My Canon
• Free Fonts
• Cardmaking Ideas
• Day 14: Look at Christmas Lights

Here are some pictures of our evening:

They had trick-or-treating,

pony rides, scarecrows, a bouncy gym, paddle boats, rock climbing, and other small games.

We also had a yummy dinner of soup/bread bowl and salad. It was delicious! And one of my favorite things was the balloon artist from Balloon Guy Entertainment. The line was really long so we didn’t get Joel a balloon animal, but I videod Balloon Guy making an animal for someone else with my Vado. Amazing!

 So that was the Fall Festival. I can’t wait to go next year!

{photos taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XSi}

• Bruschetta and Summer Salad
• Halloween Giveaway Winners!!!
• A Healthy Snack for the Whole Family
• Old Fashioned Halloween/Fall Games
• Halloween Coloring Page & Trick-or-Treat Idea

Plastic bag ghost from Etcetera Jeri 

Halloween ornaments, decorated candles, and more from Mommies Magazine 

Egg cup treat holders from Kaboose.

Origami bats from Family Fun.

These activities should keep your kids busy and entertained and enjoying the Halloween holidays. Enjoy!

• Special Halloween Treats
• Halloween Coloring Page & Trick-or-Treat Idea
• Day 5: Goody Plates
• Day 3: Learn About Advent/Make Advent Calendar
• Book Talk: The Toddler’s Busy Book

Ghosts
Put a different item into about twelve white paper bags. Hang the bags up with a strong light behind them to create backlight. Turn out all the other lights in the room and give everyone a few minutes to guess what the ghosts are. Bags should not be touched.

Witchery
Each player is blindfolded and gets to touch three different objects placed on a table. Depending on what objects are touched, their fortune is told. Objects should be moved around before each person has their turn.

Objects include:

• A Tea Cup — means an old maid or bachelor
• A Saucer with Water — a trip abroad is in their future
• A Dollar Bill — a fortune will soon be inherited
• Deck of Cards — means business success
• Toy Car — A romance will begun during an automotive trip
• Pen — fame through writing
• Ring — a wedding or engagement
• Stone — problems will arise, but not difficult ones
• Cookie — will become successful as owner of a tea room
• Saucer containing Dried Beans — will indicate the size of the future family
• Bride Doll — indicates a second marriage

The Noose (this isn’t from About.com, but I saw a picture of people playing and thought it looked like fun)

Tie a string around one donut for each person and then tie the other end of the donut to a curtain rod. Have two people hold the ends up as high as they can so the donuts are dangling down at about the height of the players’ heads. Each player must eat the donut off the string using no hands. The first person to make their donut disappear wins.

Along with bobbing for apples and harvesting corn and beans, two games I posted about last week, you’ll have enough choices to fill an entire evening of fun and games for your family. Have fun!

• Old Fashioned Halloween/Fall Games
• Favorite Games for Christmas
• Favorite Thing #3: Ticket to Ride Board Game
• Family Game: Don’t Eat Pete!!!
• Bean Week

I announced the last giveaway of the month yesterday, so be sure to sign up for a chance to win one of 5 fabulous prizes. And I will be getting back into my regular posting about crafting, and family ideas, so check back to see what fun Halloween things you can find this week. Thanks!

• Blog Giveaway - Christine Kangas Jewelry, Jot it Down
• Winner!!! - Lulubug Jewelry and Noggins Beanies
• Deals
• Halloween Giveaway Winners!!!
• Blog Giveaway - Lillyella Jewelry, Pillsbury Savorings

We’ve had lots of winners and today I’ll be announcing more awesome prizes! To wrap up the celebration of my one year blogiversary, 5 people will each win one of the 5 following prizes:

1. A Pink Vado Pocket Video Cam by Creative Labs

We have a Sony video camera that I liked, but I haven’t used it once since I got the Vado by Creative Labs. It’s so handy to take around with you, which is probably why I use it all the time. I can keep it in my pocket and whip it out whenever I want. It’s totally inconspicuous too (except for the bright pink part…) so people won’t necessarily know you’ve got a video camera - it could be a cell phone or an MP3 player. Most of the best video footage, especially in your daily family life, is taken when people don’t know the camera is on!

My other favorite part about the Vado pocket video cam is how easy it is to upload the videos onto the computer. Our computer isn’t really good enough to handle actual videos from a real video camera, so I have to save up all my uploading and do it on my husband’s computer at work. I had to buy a firewire port to put in that computer, so it’s been a pain. Before, all my videos were several months behind because I had to wait until the tape was full to upload them.

The Vado plugs straight into your computer - the USB port is connected so you don’t ever have to worry about losing or forgetting it. And the videos are a naturally small so uploading them to Blogger or YouTube is quick and easy.

My family in Oregon is enjoying much more video footage of Joel since I got the Vado becaucse it’s so fun and easy to use! The winner will receive a pink Vado Pocket Video Cam by Creative Labs - a $99 value.

2. Pink Zen Mozaic 4GB MP3 Player by Creative Labs

I am a big fan of the Zen MP3 players. I use mine all the time, especially when traveling or just working around the house. I’m not a big music junkie, I mostly listen to audiobooks and things like that. The great thing for me about the Mozaic is that it has FM radio so I can listen to news no matter where I am! My Mozaic allows me to stay informed even when I’m not in the car.

I love the small design, the great built in speaker, and the long battery life. The battery seems to last forever without needing to be charged! Nothing bugs me more than a gadget that is constantly losing power (my cell phone, for example. GRRR!). Battery life is an important quality to me, and the Mozaic lasts up to 32 hours. And it’s pink!

The winner of this contest will win a 4GB pink Zen Mozaic MP3 player by Creative Labs. Lucky you!

Thanks, Creative Labs!

3. Fantastic Firmers Mid Thigh Shaper from ASSETS by Sara Blakely

Assets are Sara Blakely’s line of body shapers sold at Target stores, and they’re just as awesome as her Spanx line (don’t you love that name!). A great body shaper is a quick and easy way to feel thinner and more beautiful in your clothing. These body firmers really suck you in where you need it without creative those lines that scream, “I’m wearing a body shaper!”

According to the product description on the Assets website, here’s how they work: “A soft, power mesh lining firms your tummy, thighs, and rear, providing the best control where you need it most. The uniquely bonded leg band lays flat against skin and prevents thigh bulge to keep you looking sleek under your favorite fashions.”

I know when I’m wearing my firmer, I feel more together and like my clothes look great on me. Maybe I look the same to everybody else, but that’s not what it’s about, is it? If I think I look good, I feel great.

The Assets line is sold at Target, and the firmers are only about $20 each - they come in black and nude, so you can get one of each to wear with everything. The winner will receive one pair of Fantastic Firmers - Mid Thigh Shaper in the size and color of your choice.

Thanks, Assets!

4. Jersey Scarf by Shade Clothing

A fourth person will win this jersey scarf by Shade Clothing. These scarfs are made of ultra soft cotton jersey, so they’re very comfortable and will never bother your skin, and they’re easy to care for. They’re nice and long so you can double them up, tie them in knots or other funky fun ways - this Shade scarf is going to be my favorite this winter!

They’re $9.50 (totally affordable) and come in several beautiful colors: coal, cream, deep blue, golden, mulberry, and poinsetta (click here to see the colors). A scarf is a great way to spice up your winter outfit, and these colors are great for accenting.

Thanks, Shade Clothing.
5. $25 Gift Certificate at Thoughts That Stick

I know I said the Etsy giveaways were over, but I had to throw in just one more fabulous vinyl wall graphics artist. I love the designs of Thoughts That Stick so much, I wanted to share them with you.

As you can see from the above images, her designs are totally unique and she has something for every interest, hobby, and personality. I love the diversity of her designs - I’ve seen lots of dress form graphics before, but hers are by far my favorite. I love this design - wouldn’t that be so great in a sewing room? And for the traveler we have the Eiffel tower, a pirate ship for a little boy (she has several different versions of pirate ships), a little wishmaker for a girl, and lots and lots of trees, flowers, birds, and more for the nature/organic type.

She also has pages and pages of sayings. She is great with typography and everything else, so be sure to check out her store. The winner will get $25 to spend - so lucky!

Thanks, Thoughts That Stick!

These 5 giveaway prizes will wrap up the blogiversary celebration! Thanks for participating and I hope you’ll join me in getting back into my regular posting about crafty things, home, and family ideas. Thanks!

___________________________________________________________

Blog Giveaway Guidelines:

1. To enter this contest, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight PST on Saturday, November 1st.
2. You can earn additional entries for this contest. To learn how, click here.
3. One comment per person - if you’re new here your comment will go into moderation and will not show up immediately, but I will approve it so don’t worry.
4. This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States…sorry.
5. The winner will be randomly picked and announced in a new post on Monday morning.

If you have a product you would like Vanilla Joy to review and give away, email me at kelsey [at] vanillajoy [dot] com. Thanks!

• Giveaway Finale Winners!
• WINNERS!!! - Digital Scrapbooking & Tool/Storage Giveaways
• Blog Giveaway - Purple Cows, Sizzix, Creative Options
• Blog Giveaway - Christine Kangas Jewelry, Jot it Down
• Blog Giveaway - Lillyella Jewelry, Pillsbury Savorings

And the Pillsbury winner is Lisa F, who said, “I just love that first bracelet. So a’natural!”

Email me and I’ll put you in contact with the sponsors - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

And one announcement for you - I am a contributor on a new blog, Blissful Kids! Blissful Kids was recently added to Blissfully Domestic, a great place to find information and content on all sorts of topics for women and families. Marie from Make and Takes is heading up Blissful Kids, so the site is going to be great. I’ll be posting over there every Thursday, so head on over to read about a fun Halloween craft to do with your kids. Thanks!

• Blog Giveaway - Lillyella Jewelry, Pillsbury Savorings
• Halloween Giveaway Winners!!!
• Book Talk: Go Away, Big Green Monster!
• WINNER!!! - Vinyl Wall Art by Studio JK
• Special Halloween Treats

1. $35 Gift Certificate at Christine Kangas Jewelry Design

More beautiful jewelry, but this stuff is unique and original in its own way (just like all our other jewelry artists…amazing women!) Christine’s jewelry is refined and whimsical at the same time. She uses lots of glass and wood in her pieces, and mixes metal with beads, wire with fabric. She uses basic materials in very creative ways - you’ll have to take a look at her shop to see what I’m talking about. It’s wonderful!

I don’t know if you can tell from these pictures, but these jewelry pieces are made with fabric. All her jewelry is beautiful, but her fabric covered stuff is totally fresh and fun. Her designs range from classy to zany, and I love how she incorporates textiles into her pieces. I’ve never seen this before, so I’m totally impressed. I can’t put all my favorites here, you’ll just have to check out her store.

Best of all, Christine Kangas Jewelry Design is offering a 20% discount to Vanilla Joy readers, so find something you like and get it on sale. Thanks, Christine!

2. Shopping List Notepad from Jot it Down

Lately I have been spending waaay too long at the grocery store because I’m not very strategic about my list making. I go through the recipes I’ll be using during the week and write down things we need as I go. This means I end up with cream cheese right above pasta and below toothpaste (not for dinner, for the bathroom…). I wander around the store and almost always forget something. It’s so frustrating!

So when I saw the adorable Original Shopping List notepad by Jot it Down, I knew it could really help me out. I know I could make a list like this on my own, but it would definitely not be so cute and colorful. Besides, I love any product that increases my organization! With a son who does not like to shop, saving time is key, and this list will definitely help me get in and out much faster.

This is my favorite product from Jot it Down and is the prize for this giveaway, but she has other great list making helps as well like a menu planning chart, party menu, packing list for travel, and babysitter checklist. These would make great Christmas gifts for all your sisters and sisters-in-law. For $6-9 dollars each, you can afford to get one for everyone!

Thanks, Jot it Down!

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Blog Giveaway Guidelines:

1. To enter this contest, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight PST on Saturday, October 25th, and include your favorite item from these sellers.
2. You can earn additional entries for this contest. To learn how, click here.
3. One comment per person - if you’re new here your comment will go into moderation and will not show up immediately, but I will approve it so don’t worry.
4. This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States…sorry.
5. The winner will be randomly picked and announced in a new post on Monday morning.

If you have a product you would like Vanilla Joy to review and give away, email me at kelsey [at] vanillajoy [dot] com. Thanks!

• Blog Giveaway - Lulubug Jewelry & Noggins Beanies
• WINNER!!! - Christine Kangas Jewelry & Jot it Down
• Blog Giveaway - Lillyella Jewelry, Pillsbury Savorings
• Blog Giveaway - Vinyl Wall Art by Studio JK
• Blog Giveaway - Set of 4 Puzzle Piece Frames by Hiccup Inc. & Set of 2 Handmade Books by Vanilla Joy

Easy Minestrone

Serves 4 to 6

* 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
* 2 onions, chopped fine
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 cup pasta, dry (see above)
* 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen vegetables (see above)
* 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
* Table salt and ground black pepper

1. Bring broth, beans, and tomatoes to boil in large saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture and pasta and simmer until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in vegetables and basil and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional olive oil for drizzling.

We’ve had this soup twice in two weeks, we love it so much. Yum.

We’re having this next soup for dinner tonight, so I’ll post a picture later today. Check back to see how yummy it looks! I think I like it even more than the Minestrone, and that’s really saying something.

Wild Rice Soup

1/4 c. butter
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 c. flour
3 c. chicken broth ( I used boullion)
1 c. cooked wild rice
1 c. cooked white rice
1 c. diced ham
1/2 c. finely shredded carrots
3 T. sliced almonds
1/2 t. salt
Pepper to taste
1 pint half and half

Saute onion in butter. Blend in flour and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in broth and cook to a simmer, stirring. Add ham, rice, carrots, almonds, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 min. Add half and half. Heat to serving temperature.

Now you have 2 delicious new recipes for this winter. Enjoy!

• Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
• Meal Schedule for April 14-20
• Dinner in a Pumpkin
• Bruschetta and Summer Salad
• Yummaliciousness

The first gave was bobbing for apples, which is an old standard. If you haven’t done that in a while, pull out a bucket and some apples and watch your kids and their friends go at it. Make sure you have your camera because it’s pretty funny to watch. The youngest player in our family licked all the apples instead of biting at them. Another nephew nearly drowned himself trying to get an apple. Watching everyone play was so much fun and it will be an activity the kids remember for a long time.

We also played the toilet paper mummy game. You divide your group up into small teams of 3 or 4 people, and each group gets a roll of toilet paper. All the groups begin at the same time and use their roll of toilet paper to mummify one of the group members. This game has two winners - one for the fastest mummy and another for the best looking mummy.

My group won the fast award - I volunteered to be mummified and grabbed the end of the toilet paper and started turning myself in circles as fast as possible. I got sooo dizzy and was afraid I was going to hurt everyone, but I stayed on my feet. My son thought something bad was happening to me and ripped the toilet paper off, so I didn’t have a costume to show in the end, but we won the speed contest! Just a tip for the competitive spirits out there…

The last game, harvesting corn and beans, was my favorite. On a large white sheet in the middle of the floor, dump out a bag of popcorn kernels and a bag of raw beans (or two similar small objects/food items) and mix them together. Assign popcorn kernels to the boys and beans to the girls. Everyone has one minute to gather as many of their respective items as possible. The person with the most wins, but 5 points are deducted for each wrong kernel or bean.

The kids and adults both enjoyed this game. After that first time playing I figured out a pretty good strategy, so when I play again…watch out!

All these games are lots of fun for kids and adults alike. Your family will love an evening of old fashioned games, so set a date and do it! Happy Halloween!

{photos from jupiterimages.com}

• More Halloween Party /Family Games
• Family Game: Don’t Eat Pete!!!
• Guided Play: Pouring
• Favorite Thing #3: Ticket to Ride Board Game
• NCAA Championship and American Idol

Lulubug Jewelry - Elizabeth who said, “I love that oak tree necklace… all her jewelry is amazing. To think it’s made out of clay! It really looks like sterling. The beanies are cute too, especially the visor ones. I can see wearing one!”

Noggins Beanies - Maleen Cazier who said, “I love these beanies. I have had my eye on the visor ones for awhile. I especially like the flower ones for my girls. The jewelry is very nice as well. Thanks for the chance to win!”

Email me at kelsey[at]vanillajoy[dot]com and I’ll put you in contact with the sponsor. Thanks for participating everyone!

Oh, and in the giveaway post I forgot to show you our matching hats. Aren’t they so cute? I’m thinking about ordering one for the Mr. so we can all match.

• Blog Giveaway - Lulubug Jewelry & Noggins Beanies
• WINNER!!! - Christine Kangas Jewelry & Jot it Down
• Halloween Giveaway Winners!!!
• Winner!!! - Huggies Potty Training Success Package
• WINNER!!! - Scribble It, Simply Polished, Fall Down Tree

1. Silver Lotus Hoop Necklace by Lillyella: Uniquely You

This is the necklace the winner will win by Lillyella. Isn’t it beautiful? Many of our jewelry sponsors have been artists who create very organic jewelry, which I love. The lotus pendant on this necklace measures 1.25″ across and comes on a chain either 16″, 17″, or 18″ long. It is so feminine and unique, just beautiful! And it’s also available in brass, so you have lots of choices with this one.

These are three of my favorite pieces besides the lotus hoop necklace. Now you can see what I mean by organic, right? Her designs are just beautiful - completely original and each piece seems to have its own inspiration from something different in nature. Her names are beautiful as well - the left is called Brass Garden Branch, then Little Garden Earrings, and finally Into the Blue. I love how she uses beads mixed with brass, especially the branch and butterfly pieces. What an amazing artist!

If you like these designs, check out her store where you can find many more organic and beautiful jewelry pieces. She’s offering 10% off for Vanilla Joy readers - just mention the blog post in the checkout notes and the discount will be refunded to you. Thanks Lillyella!

2. Pillsbury Savorings Product Vouchers and Gift Bag

This contest will have three winners - two winners will receive two product vouchers for this new Pillsbury product called Savorings and a third winner will get a set of napkin rings and coasters (unfortunately, I do not have a picture, but I promise they’re great!).

This new product by Pillsbury is delicious and easy. The flaky outer bread covers your choice of cheese and spinach, mozzarella pepperoni, or buffalo style chicken fillings. In less than 20 minutes, you have a yummy snack or side that the whole family will love.

My favorite flavor is the cheese and spinach, but the other two are delicious also. I was lucky enough to get my fair share - my husband would have eaten them all if given the chance!

If you’d like to try the Savorings, you can find them at most major grocery stores. Thanks, Pillsbury!

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Blog Giveaway Guidelines:

1. To enter this contest, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight PST on Wednesday, October 22th, and include your favorite item from Lillyella.
2. You can earn additional entries for this contest. To learn how, click here.
3. One comment per person - if you’re new here your comment will go into moderation and will not show up immediately, but I will approve it so don’t worry.
4. This giveaway is only open to residents of the continental United States…sorry.
5. The winner will be randomly picked and announced in a new post on Thursday morning.

If you have a product you would like Vanilla Joy to review and give away, email me at kelsey [at] vanillajoy [dot] com. Thanks!

• Blog Giveaway - Lulubug Jewelry & Noggins Beanies
• Blog Giveaway - Christine Kangas Jewelry, Jot it Down
• Winner!!! - Lillyella and Pillsbury
• Winner!!! - Lulubug Jewelry and Noggins Beanies
• Blog Giveaway - Vinyl Wall Art by Studio JK