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September 25th was a day my kids had marked off on the calendar and waited for with GREAT anticipation. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday, and it isn’t a holiday, but it was just about as exciting, for them. The release of Avengers on DVD was something they had been waiting for since they first saw it in the [...]
September 25th was a day my kids had marked off on the calendar and waited for with GREAT anticipation. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday, and it isn’t a holiday, but it was just about as exciting, for them. The release of Avengers on DVD was something they had been waiting for since they first saw it in the theaters, earlier this summer.
The night before my husband was to wake up and find himself unable to walk or stand on his own, he had taken our son and daughter to the movies for a fun night watching the new Avengers movie. I had other things going on and so hadn’t been able to attend with them. When they got home, they were excited and raving about how great a movie it was and how much I, a non-action hero or action-movie fan, was going to LOVE it and from that moment forward, the countdown to the DVD release was on. As it turned out for my husband, that night is a great memory of a time he shared with our kids, before he was sick; so recreating those fun memories was high on my, and our kids’, priority lists.
The Avengers Combo Pack with Graphic Novel
So, it was with a good deal of enthusiasm that my son, daughter and son-in-law joined me at 12:01 am on September 25th, to make that DVD purchase at our local Walmart. Walmart is the only store selling the exclusive Blu-Ray Combo Packs that included The Avengers Graphic Novel and that was our quest for this shop — that and some Walmart MarketSide Pizzas. It was time for family movie night AND pizza! Nothing fancy, just family, food and fun, sharing time together and enjoying our “theater” at home. For me, that’s the definition of heaven! :)
Since getting my first smart phone, this summer, I have loved the convenience of having the various shopping apps literally at my fingertips. The Walmart app is no exception. I love how easy it is to refill prescriptions, right on my phone, and to check the weekly ads for our local store, without having to have the newspaper in my hand. Another advantage is the built-in barcode scanner. If an item isn’t marked, as is sometimes the case, I can simply scan the UPC code/barcode area and find out the price.
I turn to this phone app, frequently, when refilling prescriptions for our family or checking out the prices in our local Walmart ad.
I had downloaded one other app to my phone, in anticipation of this shopping trip. The Marvel SuperHero Augmented Reality app was designed to provide a sort of “gaming” experience, right in the store, as we shopped and I knew my kids were going to LOVE testing it out, answering the trivia questions and taking their photos as a member of the Avenger’s team.
It was easy to download the app to my smart phone and there are versions for both iPhone and Android.
We searched throughout the store for the special signage and displays that would provide us with the pictures and symbols to scan, in order to use the Marvel SuperHeroes AR app. The first we found was at the end of the cart rail, right in the front of the store. Sadly, nothing we tried triggered any response when it was photographed or scanned through the app. We found Marvel Avengers apparel in various areas throughout the store and were eager to scan the tags with the app, but again, were greeted with no response. At the back of the store in electronics and toys we found a very large display that gave us renewed hope for our in-store Avengers adventure. It was covered in symbols, QR codes and large pictures.
This huge Avengers toy display renewed our hope to be able to utilize the Augmented Reality app and take the trivia quiz or get pictures with the Avengers.
Not even the pictures, symbols or QR code on the ends of the display activated anything when scanned with the app.
Unfortunately, we were never able to make any of the displays utilized by our small hometown store, work with the Avengers app. Though we were a little disappointed to miss that experience, in the store, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm for getting home with our new DVD and enjoying family movie night. We headed to the checkout and moved ahead with plans for our movie/pizza party.
Pizza - check!, Coke - check, Avengers movie - check! and milk for tomorrow's breakfast - check!
Trying to figure out why our son-in-law was dodging out of the picture with the speed, smoothness and agility of a Ninja. 
At home, the next night, we put our family movie/pizza night into action. Everyone got into their pjs while our pizza baked. The tremendous size of the MarketSide pizzas, as well as how generously they are topped made it hard to believe how inexpensive they were and we were anxious to sample them. Have you ever tried the MarketSide pizzas from the Walmart deli cases? In our store they are only $6.99 to $9.99, depending on the toppings you select. They are fresh, not frozen and you bake them up hot and cheesy in your own oven. They were a huge hit with our family and we’ll opt for this delicious and budget-friendly option, over takeout or delivery, every time. We purchase a pepperoni and an all-meat, but cheese, sausage, supreme and beef were also available.
Seeing the pizza in the oven will give you an idea of just how huge a 16" pizza really is. It covers the majority of the rack in our full-sized oven.
We enjoyed the delicious pizza and being silly about how giant the yummy slices were.
Once the pizza was ready, it was time for the main event and we all settled in with pizza and sodas to enjoy the Avengers movie. As predicted by my crew, I loved it! It was action-packed and sprinkled with humor. The super-hero characters are real people, not cartoons and you find yourself connecting with and rooting for them as the story unfolds and they learn to work, together, to defeat the villain. I know we will probably watch this movie, again and our kids have already read through the graphic novel that was included in the combo pack we purchased. They’ve even sketched a few pictures from it.
The Avengers Graphic Novel is incredibly colorful and printed on high-quality, heavy-duty, glossy paper.
This was such a fun time for me. The best part was just to be able to sit down and relax with my family — all of us together, sharing food, fun and laughter. We didn’t think about illnesses or hospitals, we didn’t worry about bills, jobs or doctor appointments. We shut out the world and just enjoyed each other’s company, reconnecting over a fun family activity. It was an awesome night and created a great memory!
Walmart stores across the country will have special Avengers Character appearances on Saturday, September 29. It’s only in select stores, so call your local one to see if you’re on the list. Be sure to find out more about The Avengers movie and DVD release, by checking out Marvel on the web, on Twitter and on Facebook. If you want to see my complete shop experience you can check out my Google+ album, too.
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Marvel. #MarvelAvengersWMT #CBias #SocialFabric
This last post for our Sears Grilling Photography Class at SFU is supposed to repost our ten favorite shots from the course. It’s hard for me, because I can see that I have actually learned a LOT from the lighting, perspective and angles lessons we have covered. On the other hand, I still see so [...]
This last post for our Sears Grilling Photography Class at SFU is supposed to repost our ten favorite shots from the course. It’s hard for me, because I can see that I have actually learned a LOT from the lighting, perspective and angles lessons we have covered. On the other hand, I still see so much room for improvement. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience to have this opportunity and gain some new tools and information that can help to improve my blog, long into the future.
I wanted to include this picture from the very first lesson. I was astounded at the difference it made when I learned how to use the levels and unsharp mask tools at pixlr.com. It was very encouraging to see that I could make progress, even from the very first lesson.
Our second lesson focused on path to purchase photo shoots and the way that we can take shots that are beneficial to our clients, in helping them discover how and why we shop, what inspires us to make a purchase and what we’re looking at, in the process. It’s helpful to have shots of signage and shelves where product is displayed. It’s also a good idea to get up close and personal, taking some good detail shots and showing features or products that really caught your eye. Also, showing how and where a product is displayed in the store let’s brands understand how retailers are marketing their products.
Lesson three focused on shooting a product in a natural setting, using natural light to our advantage and learning how to keep harsh shadows and highlights from overpowering the products details. I learned some fantastic things about perspective, lighting and angles.
This was the grill I brought home from Sears for our SFU Sears Grilling class. It's a Kenmore, 4-burner with an additional side burner and I LOVE it! The side shelves for storage were a key feature for me. This is after assembly and making it at home on the deck. Parts of this photo were darker than I liked, but I manged to edit it with pixlr.com and really did enjoy the "staging" on this one.
Aaaahhhh...the knobs. We won't go there. We've just accepted I have a problem. lol There is something about the isolation of the knobs, the angle and the focus sharpening and then diminishing as you move away, that I like about this shot. It's weird. I accept that.
This was from Lesson 4 and shooting REAL food! Same deal here. I like the angle, the tightening and then diminishing focus. Plus, those chops look so juicy, I sort of want one, now. Yum!
This beans shot is also from Lesson 4. I liked the tilted angle that invites you right into the pot. Plus, the contrast of colors by leaving the ingredients separate in the pan, made a much cooler shot, than after they were stirred up. Plus, now you can see everything that's in them!
This shot from above is also Lesson 4. I haven't used this angle very often, but almost always like the results when I do, so I need to remember to use it occasionally. It starts above the front of the subject and then, the camera is tilted up until the entire subject is in the frame. See how it sort of draws your eye up from the bottom of the picture to the top? It's called From Above with Perspective.
That was some juicy, delicious chicken!!! Getting tools in the shot makes the picture more interactive. Close-ups also give great detail and draw a viewer in.
Grilled peaches! Delish!
Lesson 5 was all about plating, food styling and making the viewer hungry! I loved this shot with our grilled chicken dinner and baked potatoes.
A year ago, if you had told me I would be taking pictures of piles of raw meat, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Lesson 6 really helped us fine-tune plating, lighting and angles in photographing party situations, from prep to finish. I actually really liked the lighting and detail on this plate of raw ribeyes. I ended up having two "parties" and staging pictures.
I never did get the focus quite right on this picture, but I still liked the color and symmetry of it.
I love how you can literally SEE how juicy and delicious these burgers were. I also like the contrast of colors and the being up close and personal with that yummy grilled sweet corn.
I know now, that I should have melted some cheese on that burger and dripped a little of the sauce or ketchup down the side to make it really inviting. There are so many things I've learned that I would do differently, but I DO like the diffused window lighting on this shot and how the white background really makes the food POP.
I've eaten more s'mores since taking this picture, than I have the entire rest of my life! I think I'm "going through a phase". I liked the lighting. I liked that you could see the melty, gooeyness of it. And let's be honest -- I liked the chocolate!
I’m so excited to have been able to take this class and so grateful to Sears and Social Fabric for all they have provided to make it happen. Most of all, I’m grateful to Stewart, our brave instructor. It’s not every guy who can organize and instruct a group of 20 women, who all have ideas, questions, different equipment and different goals. He’s been awesome!
So, next time I’m going to sign up for an SFU Math class, since there are clearly fourteen pictures on this page, rather than ten. I don’t know which one to leave out and which to keep in. I decided to leave them all, because I don’t feel that any of them were stellar, but they are a composite of ideas that I want to continue practicing to perfect in my future photographs. They also show a sort of progression and help me to see where I was and where I’ve come to. It will be fun to look back and compare again, a year from now!
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #CBias #GrillingIsHappiness. All photos and opinions are my own.
I spent most of Week 5 of my photography class in New York, meaning I had very little opportunity to grill and snap pictures, but I do have a few to share. And, after reading the lesson, I had many opportunities on my trip to contemplate the material we had covered about plating food and [...]
I spent most of Week 5 of my photography class in New York, meaning I had very little opportunity to grill and snap pictures, but I do have a few to share. And, after reading the lesson, I had many opportunities on my trip to contemplate the material we had covered about plating food and staging food photos, so that they would jump off the page and make you wish you could take a bite. I became acutely aware of the way food was presented to me, any time I ate out, thinking about the design-sense that went into plating it, so I was enjoying the food before I had even taken my first bite. In food photography, the “first look” is the only one we get, to draw a reader in and make them want to try a recipe or find out more about the food they are looking at; and presenting food in a photograph is NOT like setting it in front of a dinner guest at the table. It takes some specialized understanding of light, background, balance and symmetry, color and line — the artistic elements that draw someones eyes to anything beautifully portrayed. I have a pretty good handle on designing a plate to be appealing, appetizing and beautiful when I serve it to a guest. Translating that to a photograph is a skill I will have to continue to fine tune, even though I did pick up some great tips, this week.
Grilled chicken and baked potato with kale and tomatoes.
Just ONE little bite.
First of all, I will say up-front that photographing food that your family is waiting to eat, is difficult for a lot of different reasons, not the least of which, is that they’re HUNGRY. :) Most of us can’t afford to prepare separate food for no other purpose than to photograph it. We still need it to be edible when the pictures are done, so some of my favorite food photography tips for this week were the ones that showed me how to enhance the foods appearance without making it unpalatable at the table, later. For instance, it’s much easier to photograph cool or room temperature food. It can be made to look hot, by simply adding moisture and shine. Brushing with a little olive oil or misting it lightly with water can do the trick.
A little different angle.
It’s also really important to be very detailed and meticulous as you are prepping your food for a photo. Wilted, dried or shriveled anything should be discarded and the plate and area surrounding the food should be wiped clean of smears, drips or smudges. Think about the colors of your food as you prepare a meal and how they will compliment or contrast one another on the plate. It’s also fun to experiment with different backgrounds and props in your photos. Keep a “less is more” attitude about them, so they don’t shift the focus off your food, but it is definitely possible to add textures, colors and interest to your photograph with some carefully selected props, like silverware, glassware, candles and centerpieces, placemats, napkins, or wooden cutting boards. Fruits, vegetables and glassware can be misted to make them look dewy and fresh — appetizing. Shiny food looks more appetizing than that which appears dull and lifeless. Finding ways to add shine to the food in your photos will make them even more gorgeous.
I grilled both the cod, and the corn tortillas, for these delish Grilled Fish Tacos. The secret ingredient is my Spicy Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. I'll be sharing that recipe soon!
It was my first time grilling fish AND having fish in a taco. The cod was fabulous!
Lighting is probably the most critical factor in achieving great food photos. It doesn’t require expensive lighting and camera equipment, just some basic knowledge of how light affects your subject and, in the end, your picture. Photographing food near a window with natural light will result in more pleasing photographs than using a camera’s flash. The flash often washes out many of the details that will give your readers a sense of really wanting to smell and taste your food. But even natural light, if it is too direct, can be harsh and create unappetizing shadows and “glow” spots on your food. Softening the light, by diffusing it through a window or using a mirror or bounce board to reflect it back onto the food you are photographing will help you to define details without creating hard, sharp and unnatural shadows. The food will appear much more natural and inviting.
I am enjoying this class so much and am so grateful to Sears Grilling and Social Fabric for allowing me to participate. I’ve actually learned to grill, a skill previously mastered only by my husband. But, more than that, I am learning to take better photos of the food I prepare for the blog and there aren’t words to express how excited that makes me! I have so much to learn and practice, but I’m excited at the potential, now that I have solid resources and explanations of how to create the kind of pictures that will make you hungry. I’m definitely getting better and excited for a time when it will be second-nature to me to be able to take great food photos. In the meantime, I so appreciate all of you for patiently hanging in there with me and watching and encouraging, as I take these next photography “baby-steps”, toward a better looking blog. You rock!
If you’ve been following me through this entire photography class process and keeping track of all the tips, so you can practice them at home, my first four posts are at:
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I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #CBias #GrillingIsHappiness. All photos and opinions are my own.
Do you know how hot 6000 bajillion millionty thousand degrees is?!!! It’s HOT, baby! Good thing my new Sears Kenmore grill can ONLY hit 800 degrees! Of course, I very rarely need to reach that temperature; but even if you’ve never hovered precariously at the top of a step-ladder, teetering on the precipice of almost [...]
Do you know how hot 6000 bajillion millionty thousand degrees is?!!! It’s HOT, baby! Good thing my new Sears Kenmore grill can ONLY hit 800 degrees! Of course, I very rarely need to reach that temperature; but even if you’ve never hovered precariously at the top of a step-ladder, teetering on the precipice of almost certain combustion, while trying to achieve the “perfect shot”, you will still appreciate that 400 or 500 degrees CAN most certainly melt your face off. – lol– My loving family has enjoyed reminding me of such things, all week, as I have continued my quest to take better food pictures, and pictures in general, really, for the blog and for life. It’s a skill I have always wanted to acquire, and now, with the opportunity for these great classes from SFU and Sears, I am on an earnest quest to achieve my Better than Reasonably Acceptable Photography badge. :) And thus, the need for a step ladder — and a melted face.
- Would you eat this? Do you want a bite, right now? Me, too! That’s what I want ALL my pictures to do. These butterflied pork chops cooked in only minutes and were DELECTABLE! Moist, juicy and dripping with flavor. I’m starting to catch on to this grilling-thing. Hubs may have to give up his crown! P.S. This picture is another good example of a shallow depth of field, which I’ll explain, just below.
I’m excited that so many of the confusing aspects of photography and properly using the manual settings on my camera, are slowly becoming more clear. I still have a long way to go, but I am enjoying the journey and I really DO think my pictures are improving. This week we dug a little deeper into aperture, ISO and depth of field (DOF or f/stop). DOF was a simple term for me to understand, since it simply defines how much of the picture will stay sharp and have crystal clear detail, and how much will blur and fade into the background. The difficult part of that is deciding exactly how you want that to look in your photo and then setting your camera to achieve it. The most confusing part is remembering that the bigger the number, the smaller or shallower, the depth of field and the smaller the number, the larger or deeper the depth of field. (So a big number means a small DOF, while a small number means a large DOF. Way to be confusing, right?) The larger the number (f/28), the smaller the aperture (opening for light) in your camera, and the smaller, or more shallow, the field of focus will be. Meaning, the main subject that your camera focuses on will be crystal clear and focused, while everything around it will blur softly into the background. With a small number (f/1.4), your depth of field gets larger, so a larger portion of your photo will be detailed and in focus. And of course you can set your camera at many different stops, between those two ranges.
- This picture is another example of shallow depth of field. (Big number – small area of focus.) It’s more subtle than the picture above, but the smoker box and the right half of the second chop were the targeted subjects and because of the shallow DOF, they are sharper and more clear while everything surrounding them, blurs more and more as they stretch away from that focal point, in any direction.
- This picture of cod ready to be grilled for fish tacos is an example of using a smaller aperture, to achieve a larger, or deeper, depth of field. Nearly, every detail of this photo is in focus.
Another determining factor in depth of field is focal length (the amount of zoom). The more zoomed in you are, the more shallow your depth of field will be. The top picture of the cooked pork chops, is a good example of this.
ISO is a number, ranging from 100 up to 1600, on some cameras. It refers to how sensitive your camera’s sensor will be to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive the light sensor will be and the faster your camera’s shutter will close. So, in low light situations, you would want to use a higher ISO setting to get the sharpest image; while a sunny day would allow the use of smaller ISO settings. Higher ISO speeds are also used to capture motion without blurring. That’s a good thing to remember when shooting pictures at your kids’ soccer game, but for food photography, hopefully nothing will be sprinting across the plate, so it’s a good idea not to use a higher ISO than is necessary. If you leave it too high, it can result in grainy, “noisier” pictures.
I have to tell you the truth. I still don’t get white balance. I’m working on it and am determined to understand, but thus far, it is still a mystery. Basically, it has to do with the way lighting affects the “true colors” of what your photographing. Setting your camera to it’s perfect white balance for a particular situation, will allow you to achieve true color in your shot. My camera, and actually most digital cameras, have presets for different situations, like: Cloudy, sunny, auto, tungsten, fluorescent, shady, and flash. At this point, I am still selecting one of those presets, rather than customizing my own white balance. I hope to get better at being able to do that, because even the presets can’t always give me the truest color in the pictures I take.
- Imagine this Rule of Thirds grid over your photo. Some cameras have this grid built right into the viewfinder.
Understanding the Rule of Thirds and how someone’s eye is naturally drawn into one of your photos, is an important element of composing a good photograph. If you can imagine your picture broken into thirds, both vertically and horizontally, it will create a 9-square grid over the shot. Placing the subject of your picture so that it is within the four intersecting points of your grid, will help to assure a well-balanced picture. Of course, as with any creative pursuit, there can be no hard and fast rule, since other placement may create incredible visual interest. But, the Rule of Thirds is a good beginning reference point, since it is known that the human eye will naturally be drawn to the intersection points of interest, rather than the center of a picture. This skill of composing a well-balanced shot is another I continue to practice.
The importance of perspective and the many different angles we can use to achieve it, was the final concept we explored in class, this week. I tried to test out quite a few of them. It’s crazy how something as simple as tilting the camera one way or the other or getting down low or up high can make such a huge difference in your picture.
The Straight-On angle is pretty much cut and dried. You’re in front of the subject, center it completely and create a nice clean contemporary photo. I didn’t realize it until I did the pictures for this lesson that I don’t take many straight-on pictures. Weird!
The From Above angle was a pretty rare shot, for me, but I had a lot of fun with it this week. Pretty much, just what you would expect — directly above the subject and completely centered.
- Up on my ladder, leaning in over the grill, I was able to make this shot and melt a little lip gloss right off my face!
The Tilt Towards angle tips your camera slightly to the right, which ends up tilting the subject of the picture to the left in the finished photo. This angle is inviting the spectator in and pulls their eye into the subject of your picture.
- See, you are climbing right over the edge and into that pan of “Grillin’ Beans”. This was a cool technique!
The Above with Perspective angle was another one, I didn’t do as much with. It’s funny how you don’t notice that you favor one style of photography over another, until you start compiling a post like this. This angle starts out above, but in front of your subject and then you tilt the camera forward until the subject fills the frame. This draws the reader’s eye from the front to the back of the photo (or bottom to top, however you want to look at it.).
- I tried to use this technique to draw your eye from the front to the back of the grill in this photo. It would have been more successful from a straight on position.
The Diagonal angle is one that intrigues me and I love to play around with the field of focus on these pictures. The pork chop picture at the top of the page is a great example of this angle.
The Gentle Tilt angle allows the eye to travel freely through the image, stopping only at the focal point. Tilting the camera very slightly avoids having a straight horizontal line that divides the photo into sections and forces the readers eye to start, stop, start, stop, over each section.
- Taking this picture straight on, would have created a horizontal line of chicken breasts, that sliced this picture in half, causing the eye to stop and start in each section. Tilting the camera slightly, allows the eye to travel over the entire picture and gives you the opportunity to see not just the chicken, but the cool shot of the smoker box, puffing away.
Here are a few more of the pictures I liked, this week.
- The classic grilling food! We love hamburgers at our house!
- I got a lot out of this pork chops and zucchini photo shoot.
- This grilled cod was easier to prepare in the basket, and the fillets didn’t break apart. They made delicious fish tacos!
- I’m loving our new grill from Sears! This was some of the most delicious grilled chicken I have ever eaten! The family raved!
I never did get a very good shot of these peaches on the grill, but I liked this one and they sure were delicious!
I grilled these hotdogs and added them to our "grilled beans", above. Yum!
This has been a fun week, but I’m looking forward to next week, even more. I’m going to get to show you food on REAL plates — actually put together, like you might want to eat it! Yay!
If you’ve been following me through this process and keeping track of all the tips, so you can practice them at home, my first three posts are at:
And if you have, I’d love to hear how things are going and see some of your photos! Shoot me an email or pm me on Facebook. It’s fun to see how other people are using all the new info and we can learn from each other. :)
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #CBias #GrillingIsHappiness. All photos and opinions are my own.
Have you ever eaten Red Velvet Cake? Or baked one? As a Midwestern girl, who has been baking for more than 40 years, you would think that I would have run across one. But yesterday, I baked, and tasted, my very first. I read websites and recipes that claimed Red Velvet Cake for “the south”, [...]
Have you ever eaten Red Velvet Cake? Or baked one? As a Midwestern girl, who has been baking for more than 40 years, you would think that I would have run across one. But yesterday, I baked, and tasted, my very first. I read websites and recipes that claimed Red Velvet Cake for “the south”, but then there were some northern-folk who felt that their formula was probably the original. I never did discover where the idea actually started, but after a little research, their was no question people felt very personally attached to the memories Red Velvet Cake evoked and the recipes are handed down in families like a precious heirloom. Interestingly, they all come with their variations and quirks, making each unique and a custom creation. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I took bits and pieces from the different recipes I found and baked one for myself, which I think probably turned out to be pretty traditional, other than the fruity twist.
Red Velvet Cake with Raspberries
Isn't it gorgeous! This would be so pretty at Christmas time or add some blueberries to the raspberries and it would be perfect for the Fourth of July!
My interest was first piqued with the idea of baking a Red Velvet Cake, because of the new air freshener scents I received from Renuzit, this week — Chocolate Covered Cherries and Red Velvet Cake. I have shared with with you, before, how strongly I feel about certain scents and fragrances, (whether it be in laundry detergent, dish soap or air fresheners), to create a mood or set the tone in a home. Memories and experiences just seem to be so vivid and fresh when they are evoked by a smell that takes you back to the moment you experienced it. In my childhood, Chocolate Covered Cherries were the ultimate delicacy and the gift my dad received for every birthday, Father’s Day and Christmas. They were one of his favorites and if we were allowed to sample one — well that was just next to heaven. :) Cakes and cookies baking were common scents in our home, growing up, and a memory that I have spent years recreating for our own kids. I so enjoy being in the kitchen and expressing my love for my family through the foods I create for them there. Nothing is so welcoming, comforting and homey as a house filled with the smells of baking. These new Renuzit fragrances capture those warm, welcoming memories in deliciously extravagant scents. Check out Renuzit’s Facebook page to hear even more about their Tempting Indulgences air fresheners. You’re going to love them! And, when you smell them, and see these pictures, you’re going to want to eat Red Velvet Cake, too! But, I want to tweak this recipe some more. You can read about it in my notes, below. I just want it to be PERFECT for you and I don’t think it’s there, yet! Not a baking-fail, per se, but not yet, special. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out what I did and these gorgeous pictures!
It's amazing! The air freshener smells exactly like the cake I baked. It's uncanny how they can create those fragrances!
Since baking happens at our house on a very regular basis, I had nearly everything, on hand, that I needed to whip up a Red Velvet Cake; but, I was out of buttermilk. I decided to make a quick run to Walmart to get some and to grab a couple ingredients for some other recipes that were swirling and gelling in my brain over the last couple of days. It was going to be a quick “in and out”, so I did a very dangerous thing. (Insert crazy, sinister, oh no, not that, music here.) dun–dun–dun– I went in without a list! Please, do not try this at home! A trained professional navigated the store, without a list, and still came home with items not needed and neglected to purchase things they were planning to get. Actual dings were put in the budget in the making of this list-free shopping trip, both at the store and in the needed gas to repeat the trip for the unpurchased items. This is never a good idea for the family budget. So, don’t follow my bad example. Always shop with a list. :) If you want to see my entire shopping trip, check out my Google+ album.
Buttermilk. The original reason for entering the store and necessary for my cake. I bake with it often enough to need to keep it on hand, but not often enough to go through fresh buttermilk, every week. This powdered buttermilk is a fantastic option for me and always handy in the baking aisle.
I buzzed the air fresheners and end caps at our local Walmart to see if they were stocking the "yummy" new Renuzit scents. Not yet. 
If making this recipe, again, I would eliminate the vinegar and baking powder, (even though every Red Velvet recipe I found did use them.), increasing the baking soda to 2 teaspoons. Activating the baking soda with the vinegar, rendered it useless as a leavening agent, and seemed to contribute to the dryness of the cake. I prefer baking soda to baking powder in cakes, as I prefer very moist, dense cake. Baking powder creates more of a dry, airy, "box-cake crumb", in my opinion. I would also add an extra 1/2 cup butter, another 1/4 cup of cocoa and 3/4 cup of boiling water, as well as using all-purpose, instead of cake flour. . -- lol -- So basically, I would rewrite the recipe, again, and it would be nothing like a traditional Red Velvet Cake, but it WOULD be gorgeously red PLUS stupendously delicious. Once I have a chance to test those changes, and be better satisfied with the result, I will update this post with the new measurements.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 oz. red food coloring
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- fresh mint leaves
for the Cake
for the Frosting
for decorating and garnish
Instructions
- Grease and flour 3 eight-inch pans or 2 nine-inch pans.
- Sift cake flour into a bowl. Add cocoa, baking powder and salt to flour.
- Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time and then add the vanilla and food coloring.
- Add 1/3 of dry ingredient mixture.
- Mix in 1/2 of buttermilk.
- Add 1/3 dry ingredients.
- Last half of buttermilk.
- Last 1/3 of dry ingredients.
- Mix baking soda and vinegar together in a small bowl and quickly stir the mixture into your cake batter.
- Divide batter, evenly, between prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (May need up to 30 for 9 inch pans)
- Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean.
- Cool, in the pans, on a wire rack for about 10 minutes and then remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to finish cooling completely.
- Use your favorite cream cheese icing to assemble the layers and frost the cake.
- Decorate with raspberries and mint leaves.
- Enjoy!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/renuzit-captures-home-with-fresh-baked-aromas-plus-my-red-velvet-cake-with-raspberries/I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Renuzit. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the product. #TemptYourSenses #CBias #SocialFabric
The more pictures I take the more I realize how much I have unknowingly been wasting the potential of my camera AND the more determined I am to learn to use it well. I feel overwhelmed, and I have so far to go, but when I look back at some of the first pictures I [...]
The more pictures I take the more I realize how much I have unknowingly been wasting the potential of my camera AND the more determined I am to learn to use it well. I feel overwhelmed, and I have so far to go, but when I look back at some of the first pictures I posted on this blog, two years ago, I see that the learning curve is at least moving forward, even if it has been slow movement.
Our new baby. She hasn't been named, yet, so I suppose the floor is officially open for suggestions. The sun was brighter for this picture, though it had started going down. It still created more "glow" than I had wanted on the stainless steel. Maybe those are the unflattering "specular highlights" our instructor referred to, in class. Sorry, Stewart. :( I would have liked to lighten the picture, but then the steel looked eerily extra-terrestrial, all "burn out your retinas" kinda glowing.
This shot was done in softer, but also natural, light. It made it a little easier to show the details in the stainless steel instead of having them washed out in brightness. I still have not mastered this "lighting" business, but I am much more pleased with THIS picture.
In my Sears Grilling Photography Class, this week, we have been learning about my photographic nemesis – light – or at least ways to utilize and alter it to create the best shots. I am so incredibly intimidated by this skill and am weary from the struggle to master it, but I have finally completed my lesson for week 3. I hope as the lessons progress, I gain a better understanding of how to apply the use of aperture settings in my own camera. I experimented a little bit with a bounce board this week, too, attempting to bounce light into the shadows of my subjects. Let’s just say it’s a work in progress, when it comes to achieving a good result with that. I did take all these shots with natural light — no flash. Some were done a couple hours before sundown. Some were done in the bright sunlight, which I found to be too much against the shiny stainless steel of the grill. Oh! The grill. Let me tell you about our new baby!
This one was just for fun. I wanted to dress her up a little, but this is a good example of too much in the picture. It's feeling a little cluttered to me, now.
I've become so indecisive in trying to achieve the best lighting for a shot. This is a little lighter than the one above and I think the details are more distinct.
Here's the same shot, slightly over-exposed. What do you think?
Sears provided a new grill and accessories for our family; and for me to use in this photography class. We are over-the-top excited and so incredibly grateful for their generosity! I used the gift card they provided to purchase a Kenmore 4-Burner Gas Grill; and is it ever gorgeous! I love the open storage shelves on the side and am so excited about the side burner. David is in “grill-king heaven”! The hardest part has been that he suffered an injury on the 4th of July that has knocked him off his feet – literally. He is only now beginning to stand on his own occasionally, and sort of shuffle-step, with help. He is dreaming of the day he can fire up the smoker box in the grill and prepare a feast for the entire family. In the meantime, I’ll be manning the new grill tools and preparing the first delicious bites from our new Kenmore grill. (It should also be noted that I am THE most blessed mother-in-law ever. He doesn’t like his picture taken, but my son-in-law, Jason, is responsible for the assembly of my beautiful new grill! And, he was excited to do it.)
The side burner.
Our new veggie grilling basket!
The open storage shelving is perfect for the hickory and apple wood chips David uses in the smoker box.
For this lesson, I needed to take pictures of my new grill and accessories, using what I’ve learned about photo editing and lighting in the first three lessons. Some of the new tips that were shared this week were:
- Make sure the product is the main focus of the shot, using props with caution, so as not to distract from the product.
- Standing back and using an optical (not digital) zoom will allow me to fill the frame with my subject and create a softer, out of focus background.
- Photographing in natural light and “natural” settings makes better pictures. Photographing a grill on the deck or patio will be a better image than in the dining room or on a showroom floor.
- Soft lighting can be more flattering, and in the case of the stainless steel on the grill, it was almost essential in order to pick up any details instead of just harsh reflections.
- Fill light can be added to a picture using a bounce card. Bounce cards create fill light to bring out detail in the shadow of the subject. Hold white poster board or a tri-fold board just out of the frame of the camera, and you can notice the amount of light that is reflected. Be sure to keep the bounce card out of the photograph!
- I like that these are split grates and easy to move and clean!
Snazzy new grilling tools!
Yes, Ma'am. That meat fork DOES have a built-in digital thermometer!
Nope, this is not a strainer or a burger flipper, though it is sold in the grilling department at Sears and is Kenmore brand. I couldn't pass it up after I saw it hanging there. All I can say is those squirrels that have been digging up my flowers had better watch their backsides! This ladies and gentlemen, is a Kenmore Bug Zapper or as I like to call it, my electric fly swatter! No barbecue or picnic should be without one!
It’s a good thing digital photography was invented! I can just take pictures and erase them with no worry about cost. -lol- I’m enjoying practicing all the tips and techniques that are being shared in my class and I hope you will enjoy the photos and watching my progress. I appreciate all the tips and advice I can get, so be sure to chime in with your help. Thanks so much to Sears for sponsoring this fun class and providing the grill to use in my assignments, and to our fearless instructor, for being so patient with a novice!
Okay, now I know I'm just getting weird, but I have developed a crazy fascination with taking pictures of the grill knobs. No explanation. Sorry. Oh and that cool gadget on the grill handle, (with the big red dot), that's a swivel light for seeing inside the grill. Sweet!
I know. I need help.
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #CBias #GrillingIsHappiness. All photos and opinions are my own.
You all remember that my family had the great pleasure, recently, of being some of the first people in the country to taste the new International Delights Iced Coffees. They were a beverage sensation that even my kids couldn’t get enough of! The great news is that in only 3 more days, you’ll be able [...]
You all remember that my family had the great pleasure, recently, of being some of the first people in the country to taste the new International Delights Iced Coffees. They were a beverage sensation that even my kids couldn’t get enough of! The great news is that in only 3 more days, you’ll be able to share some with your own family! Beginning January 15, they will be available in the dairy cases at WalMart and Sam’s Club!
Delicious Iced Coffee from International Delights! You'll be able to pick some up for your own family beginning January 15! Three flavors to choose from -- Original, Mocha and Vanilla. My kids think we need Mocha on tap in the kitchen!
It’s always fun to receive a gift, but for me it’s so incredibly fun to give one — especially if it can be totally unexpected! Collective Bias and International Delights provided me with the perfect opportunity to do just that. As my family and I were enjoying our sneak preview of International Delights #Iced Coffee, I was given the opportunity to send the same package I reviewed to another blogging friend as a surprise gift. What a kick! I waited with great anticipation and then it happened! My blogging friend, Melissa Rheinlander, posted a message on a forum board I subscribe to, saying how excited she was to have received the package and wondering who had sent it. I love surprises!
Melissa’s blog is Keeping Up With the Rheinlander’s and it’s an excellent place to read book reviews, enter giveaways and be introduced to some excellent blogs through the blog hops she hosts there. She’s a stay-at-home mom with a passion for family and taking pictures, besides being a busy blogger; and my guess is that International Delights Iced Coffees will be as welcome a treat in her home as they were in ours. I “met” Melissa through one of the blogging networks that we are members of and have been so grateful for her encouragement and support as I have built my blog and learned about writing. She is a colleague and a friend. I hope you’ll stop by Keeping Up With the Rheinlander’s blog or Facebook page and say, “Hi!” Let her know that Busy-at-Home sent you.
Treat yourself or treat a friend!
Now, I know you’re excited about the creamy, delicious iced coffees that International Delights will make available through your local WalMarts and Sam’s Clubs on Sunday and I can’t wait for you to try them. They’ll be a perfect refreshing treat when you just feel like relaxing and unwinding at the end of a long day or for surprising guests when you’re entertaining. I think they would be awesome additions to gift baskets of homemade cookies and pretty glassware. Who do you know that’s having a birthday or that would enjoy a delicious pick-me-up surprise? Now, you have an idea for a wonderful, frugal gift!
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias I received product samples in order to test them and write this review. A positive review was not required. The views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
First of all, let me say that if you have a picture frame lying around the house, this cute and simple project will likely be less than $2! I spent $5 on a frame, used a few cents-worth of Elmer’s Double-Sided Scrapbooking Tape and added a dry erase marker; so I spent a little under [...]
First of all, let me say that if you have a picture frame lying around the house, this cute and simple project will likely be less than $2! I spent $5 on a frame, used a few cents-worth of Elmer’s Double-Sided Scrapbooking Tape and added a dry erase marker; so I spent a little under $7. I also purchased a pair of X-ACTO Precision Scissors, but since they will be used over and over again for many projects, it didn’t seem right to factor them into my cost for the dry erase board. I love that I didn’t have to go anywhere but my local WalMart to find what I needed. No unscheduled trips to the craft store in the city. Another big savings! Whether you spend $2 or $7, this is definitely an inexpensive gift option for something that will be decorative, personalized AND functional. You will also be able to substitute fabrics, papers and design ideas that fit your existing craft stockpile and the decor and personality of the person you are gifting the dry erase board to. The possibilities are absolutely limitless! I definitely won’t be leaving any old frames behind at garage sales any more.
This is the cute DIY Dry Erase Board I made. It's simple, inexpensive and totally customizable.
I started with the frame I bought, fabric and scrapbooking paper from my craft stash, double-sided tape and scissors, plus my big tub of colored pencils and crayons. Later, I grabbed some satin ribbon from my sewing box to finish things off. I opted for the double-sided tape because I wanted an adhesive that would not bleed through my fabric background and would not create bumps or raised areas under the fabric. The Elmer’s Permanent Double-Sided Scrapbooking Tape worked perfectly!
The "ingredients" for my DIY dry erase board - a picture frame, scrap fabric to fit the frame, scissors, double-sided tape, scrapbook paper scraps, colored pencils, white glue.
I opened the tabs on the back of the picture frame and removed the cardboard insert. Then on the back side of my fabric, I traced around the cardboard to get the correct dimensions to cover the cardboard. The X-ACTO Precision scissors were perfect for cutting that out.
Rectangle cut to the size of the cardboard from the picture frame.
Then I put double-sided tape all around the perimeter of the cardboard insert from the photo frame.
Double-sided tape applied to the carboard insert from the picture frame.
The Elmer's Double-Sided tape was easy to apply and easy to peel the backing off of.
Once I had peeled off the backing and exposed the adhesive on the other side of the double-sided tape, I simply laid the fabric over the cardboard and pressed it snugly into place against the tape.
Fabric applied to the tape, covering the carboard insert.
Next I wanted to create a design for the board that wouldn’t interfere too much with the actual writing area, but would add some personalization and help to match it to the decor of the person receiving the gift. I hoped that by utilizing some of my scrapbooking papers and cardstock I would be able to make it appear somewhat dimensional. I started with a scrap of light-brown, textured paper and sketched out a birdhouse shape. As you can see, there was nothing precise or skilled about it.
Birdhouse shape, roughly sketched out.
I used the birdhouse shape I cut out to trace the roof line on a darker brown paper.
Then I cut out the roof, cutting just above and then just below the line I had traced. The tracing line will disappear into the “shading” that creates a faux wood grain.
I fit the pieces together to make sure it was going to fit well, before shading and taping it together.
Once I knew everything would fit well, I shaded the roof and birdhouse, adding some colored pencil lines to give the appearance of wood planks or wood grain. Then I cut a small strip of the double-sided tape in half and used it to attach the roof to the birdhouse.
Attaching the roof to the birdhouse, after doing a little shading with colored pencils.
To decorate the birdhouse and add more detail, I used scrapbook paper and cut some flowers, leaves and a yellow swirl, along with a dark circle for the birdhouse door. I used colored pencils to outline and shade the flowers and bent the petals slightly upward to add some dimension. Then I affixed all of them to the birdhouse with dots of Elmer’s White Glue.
I added flowers and other decorations to the birdhouse, but I felt like it still needed something.
I decided to add one more element to the birdhouse. I used another piece of scrapbook paper and sketched out a circle, a slightly larger oval and two skinny hearts.
I sketched out the pieces for a bluebird, cut them out and put them together with a few drops of white glue.
The blue bird was easy to assemble with a few drops of Elmer's White Glue.
The blue bird put the finishing touches on the birdhouse.
To attach the birdhouse to the fabric background of the dry erase board, I used one strip of double sided tape and pressed the house into place.
One strip of the Elmer's Permanent Double-Sided Scrapbooking Tape held the birdhouse to the fabric background.
I found some satin ribbon in my sewing box and decided to “frame” the board with it. I used double-sided tape to attach it and tied a bow to add to the lower, left-hand corner.
I used double-sided tape to attach the ribbon to the board.
Once the ribbon frame and bow were attached, I inserted the entire board behind the glass in the frame and bent the tabs on the frame back in place to hold everything together. The layered paper and ribbon elements create dimension and a “3-d” effect and the glass keeps everything clean and protected. Plus, glass is a perfect surface for use with dry erase markers. I also discovered something called wet erase markers and I’m pleased to tell you that they work just as well. As a matter of fact, the wet erase markers don’t leave the gray residue film that is common with dry erase markers. Very cool! Now the finished board was ready to keep track of shopping lists, schedules or jot a note for family members. In this case, it’s ready for me to wrap and stick under the tree.
Easy, quick and affordable, plus a completely personalized gift idea - DIY Dry Erase Board!
This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #ElmersHoliday #gluenglitter #collectivebias #cbias.
Even though it’s hard to accept, summer is nearly behind us and the days when our family needs to be more structured and organized with their time are fast approaching. I used to be so good at that – juggling all the necessary “mom” hats and staying focused. The older I get, the more their [...]
Even though it’s hard to accept, summer is nearly behind us and the days when our family needs to be more structured and organized with their time are fast approaching. I used to be so good at that – juggling all the necessary “mom” hats and staying focused. The older I get, the more their seems to be to organize, though, (or maybe it’s just another attack of menopausal Jello brains!). But, believing that every word He breathes is truth, I know that the Lord will never give me more than I can handle, with His help. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. – Phillipians 4:13″. I LOVE that verse. It always calms my spirit to remember that I’m not being asked to figure it all out and do it in my own steam. If I’m called to do something, it is through Christ’s help that I will accomplish it. I decided to ask Him to develop my focus in the areas where I was falling short. I needed to quit just plowing through and trying to do anything and everything as fast as I could, as often as I was asked, and start letting the Lord show me the best way to organize my time, (Yes, letting. Isn’t it funny that we forget He doesn’t force us to do anything? We have to consciously and willingly give over our burdens and struggles to Him.) my family’s schedule for home and school and balance it with time for blogging, outside activity and a date night or two (remember those? to keep our marriage strong and us on the same track. ) What started developing in my mind was a calendar system that was large enough not to be overlooked and to have space enough to write EVERYTHING. It is still an evolving project and after I have shown you how I made it, I will share my plans for expanding it. The key to being able to be flexible within a plan is to first have a plan. Just doing whatever comes up, willy nilly, is not being flexible. It’s being burned out!
My finished scheduler/organizer board.
So I decided to get my Cricut Craft Cutter out of the box it’s been in since we moved and put it to good use on this project. (Remember, I shared my last Cricut projects with you, HERE.) Using it and an Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board, I was convinced that the organizer tool being laid on my heart was going to be a cinch to create. I was right! The end result was fantastic! I’m so excited to put it to good use. I hope this project can inspire you to invest in the best uses of your time for you and your own family.
The first thing I needed to do was visit my local Wal-Mart and get the Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board and a few more items on my list. You can view my ThisMoment slideshow about the shopping trip, HERE. Here’s how I assembled the Schedule Board/Organizer for our family, when I got back home.
Materials Used
- Elmer’s Tri-fold Board
- Elmer’s Dual Tip Glue Pen
- Cricuit Expressions Craft Cutter
- Cricut Cartridges: A Walk in My Garden; Plantin’ School Box; Tags, Bags, Boxes and More and Animal Kingdom
- various cardstock scraps, sheets and supplies I had on hand
- sticky-backed velcro dots and strips
- self-stick laminating pockets
- clear contact paper
Directions:
- I laminated my Elmer’s Tri-Fold Board with clear Contact paper. This board is going to get USED and handled. I wanted to protect it from sticky fingerprints and give it even more strength. It will be easy to wipe clean, now, if it does get smudged up.
Covering the Elmer's Tri-Fold Board with contact paper. I had to do two full-width strips and then a narrow strip across the top.
2. The next thing I did was make the Month Title Strips. To cut the shapes I used a pad of long cardstock sheets that I had. They were 12″x24″ and several different pastel colors. I loaded a green sheet into my Cricut Craft Cutter, used my Tags, Bags, Boxes and More cartridge and cut these strips.
I cut these title strips from green cardstock on my Cricut. I cut several from other colors, as well. I glued a green strip onto a slightly larger gold strip to create a "frame".
- To cut the letters for the Title Strip, I used some glitter paper I had on hand and my Plantin’ Schoolbox Cricut cartridge. I also cut slightly larger black letters to add a “shadow” to my glittered letters.
I cut the letters for the month name from colored glitter cardstock and black cardstock. The black was cut slightly larger to create a shadow.
I glued the glitter letters on top of the black letters to create a shadow and help them "stand out".
Here is the finished title strip. I covered it, front and back, with clear contact paper. This will make it durable and help to keep it clean, since it will be getting handled regularly. You can see I decorated it with some flowers. Those were cut with the A Walk in My Garden Cricut cartridge. I will make a different title strip for each month, decorated for the common season or holidays of that month, and be able to interchange them as the months change. One project with unlimited usefulness! I love that.
- For the Days of the Week, I used my Animal Kingdom cartridge to cut 14 small rectangles — 6 gold and 6 peach. I used the Plantin’ School Book cartridge to cut black letters. I glued the gold rectangles onto the peach and then centered the black letters onto the gold rectangles.
Creating the days of the week was pretty simple. I glued the two rectangles together so that the peach created a shadow, behind the gold.
I glued the black letters to the rectangles. These Day Titles probably won't get moved around much, but I still laminated them in the end, to keep them clean and increase durability.
- Next, I wanted to create individual “cards” that would represent each date on our calendar. I used the Tags, Bags Boxes and More cartridge in my Cricut and created the cards, then I cut the same pattern on the Cricut’s “window” setting and cut frames just slightly smaller than the cards. I used different pastel shades of cardstock to create the “cards”.
Inserting cartridge into my Cricut Expressions craft cutter.
I cut the card and frame from contrasting papers, to give them a little "pop".
I glued the frames to the cards and added a number to the top of each one. I made enough to have 31 days.
I had these self-sealing laminating pouches in my craft tub and they worked perfectly for protecting the cards. The added bonus is that they can be written on with a dry erase marker and then wiped clean, again.
I needed to lay out all the cards and establish some sort of random pattern before numbering and laminating them, so I would be pleased with the final "look".
Laminating the cards is easy. Lay it face down on the clear plastic. Then peel away the backing and lay the sticky side over the back. Press and rub the back to make sure there are no air bubbles and the edges have sealed. Then trim away the excess. I DID try using contact paper for this step, however, dry erase marker did not erase from it as cleanly, so the self-sealing laminating pouches were the best solution.
See how easily the writing erases. Perfect! This calendar/schedule board will last for years!
- Sticky-backed velcro strips to hang everything on the board were my next steps in this process. I want to be able to move the numbers around as the months change, as well as remove and replace the cards to write on or erase them. I added one strip to hang the Month names on and five strips to hang the numbered cards from. Once the strips were attached to the board, the Month and Day names and the individual date cards each got their own velcro strip on the back and everything was put into place.
The Month Name strip will hang from the top velcro strip
These five strips of velcro are to hang the numbered date cards from. I realized after sticking these down that I left out a row for the day names, so I added an extra strip directly above and below the top strip (They are actually touching). So, it ended up being one very wide velcro strip that the day names and the first row of numbered date cards attach to.
- I wanted the two side panels to be used for 1) the kids’ school assignments (Since we homeschool, this would be especially helpful.), 2) the kids’ chore assignments 3) my blogging schedule and 4) a personal schedule. These side panels are still a work in progress, with the ideas swirling and congealing in my mind. In the meantime, I wanted to create name title cards for each of the kids and give you an idea of how the side panels can be used.
- To create the kid’s name titles, I used my Plantin’ School Books cartridge to cut out the letters and shadows for the letters, for each of their names. Then I used the A Walk in my Garden Cartridge to cut a large flower border to put Larissa’s name on and the Plantin’ School Books cartridge to cut a big zigzag to put behind Michael’s name. I added a dark brown border around Michael’s completed name. Both name tags were covered in clear contact paper and had velcro strips added to the back.
Larissa's name tag before being covered with clear contact paper.
Michael's name mounted on the zigzag. I also added a brown border behind that, before I covered it with clear contact paper.
- I typed up an assignment sheet and a chore chart/ special activities sheet for each child, covered them in clear contact paper (This is how I found out dry erase doesn’t work on contact paper.) and mounted them onto the velcro strips I had placed on the two side panels of the Elmer’s Tri-Fold board.
I absolutely love the way this schedule/organizer turned out. It is reusable for as long as we want, because everything is laminated and easy to wipe down, not to mention extra sturdy. Each month, I can simply change out the month name strip and replace it with the next one, since they are all mounted with velcro. The numbered date cards will be easy to shift, as the month changes, on their handy velcro strips and I can erase and re-write our appointments and important dates on them as they arise.
The side panels are still evolving in my mind, but you have an idea of what you can do, now. Elmer’s Tri Fold Board was perfect for this project!
My finished board. This was an especially easy DIY project to complete using Elmer's Tri-Fold Board and my Cricut Craft Cutter.
A close-up of the side panel.
A close-up of the center panel with the fully moveable, changeable calendar.
…
This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Elmer’s #gluenglitter #collectivebias. As always, views and opinions about the products used are wholly my own.
