DIY Dog Treats
It came to my attention some time ago that the treats we have routinely been buying for our family’s 5 dogs are unhealthy, filled with additives and preservatives, and costing us a pretty penny. In my effort to be rid of unnatural chemicals from our diet and land and to live more frugally, I began considering making our own treats. Yesterday I twittered a request for good dog treat recipes, and God Love Twitter- I soon had a good amount to choose from. 
We made the first two kinds recommended:
Peanut Butter Nom Noms & Tuna Training Treats
Not only were both super easy and cheap to make- all five dogs LOVED them! The kids really enjoyed lending a hand in the process and it offered an opportunity for me to talk to them about dog nutrition… something I’ve never put much thought into before now, and no doubt will inspire them to be more conscientious dog owners one day.
I haven’t tried these other recipes, but I plan to so I hope you will bookmark them as well:
Frosty Paws Dog Ice Cream
Homemade Dog Cookies
Favorite Dog Treat Recipes
Doggie Stylish Dog Treat Recipes
Do enjoy! Also, Happy Hump Day!
Use #1001 for old Jelly Jars
Wicked Fascination, originally uploaded by Phae.
To catch wicked spiders in! 
Here’s a service based business idea for ya…
Ripping and installing one’s music collection on an MP3 player is a tedious, time consuming task. What if someone were to offer to complete this task for you? Would you pay for it? Teenagers- this might be something you can get away squeezing your elders for.
I have been adding my music collection to my MP3 player for a month now and I’m still nowhere near where I’d like to be on this project. I don’t think I’d pay for it at this point, but if someone would have offered in the beginning I’d have been happy to part with some cash.
Just thinkin’. Like always. Happy Hump Day!
Feel the urge to splurge?
I’m a heee-uge fan of Etsy. If only I could spend all day and night shopping for cool handcrafted goodies and things I can use to make my own cool handcrafted goodies.
Before the moratorium on spending was imposed upon me by my usually very generous husband I bought a bunch of stuff from great companies, so I thought I’d recommend them to you (so you can shop and I can live through you vicariously).
Check it out:
Jewelry
Gemini Design Jewelry – I bought a custom designed, handmade necklace for my mom made from gems that were left to me by my grandfather. My opals and fire opals were still in the rough, and this artist not only designed and created my jewelry using my gems, but she polished and finished my gems too. AND she threw in an extra ring with one of my leftover opal pieces! Amazing! I can’t wait to get the commitment bands she is making my husband and I with what is left of Grandpa’s fire opals!
Eclectic Monkii – I bought these earrings and these earrings from Eclectic Monkii and I LOVE them! I can’t put them on by myself, but my husband doesn’t seem to mind giving me a hand. It might just be because I’m a spazmataz.
birdzNbeez – I love the steampunk style necklace I bought from this little shop, and people notice it and comment on it all the time. The time piece reminds me to live my life in the moment, the wings remind me of freedom and flight- and the little pearl reminds me to cherish the things and relationships I love in life.
Patterns
ithinksew – I bought a wallet pattern from this shop that I found to be incredibly simple to make and the finished piece looks great. I would make suggestions to this company about how they present their patterns (less ink and pictures, actual size pattern pieces) but besides that it was very helpful and worth the $ I spent on it.
Keyka Lou – This little company is GREAT. I have purchased several patterns from them and every one was easy to understand, easy to make and helped me make lovely products. And delivery was nice and quick via email.
OhFransson – I bought a set of patterns to make various styles of my own cloth shopping bags. The patterns are easy to understand and were delivered promptly. If only all of us crafty women made everyone we know really cute cloth grocery bags, maybe we could really impact how much paper and plastic hits our landfills! Highly recommended.
Ali Foster Patterns – I really love the bag patterns I bought from Ali Foster Patterns. I bought a three-for-one set and am making a series of bags to hold my portfolio pieces for on-location jobs.
Bags
Ann Made Stuff – I got the CUTEST handmade embroidered pegasus tote bag.. the quality is great the prices are super low and I use it all the time!
DAMEcreations – I absolutely adore my OOAK (one-of-a-kind) vintage She-Ra bag I got from this company. It’s well made and holds quite a few skeins of my knitting yarn.
Camera Accessories
PhatStraps – So, I’ve had some time to test and enjoy my new camera strap from PhatStraps and it’s the BEST THING EVER. I got one with minky fabric on one side and no more chafing! It’s so comfortable to wear and looks so nice. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to buy another for my other camera. I’m actually matching all the aforementioned bags I’m making to this strap!
So, have fun shopping for me! I’m trying to be “good” until we’ve bought a home.. which might be very soon. (Dear God Please.) We are making an offer on a property tomorrow, as a matter of fact. Cross your fingers for us?
Photoblog Linky Love
I love photoblogs. Check these out:
Do you have a photoblog? I’d love to look! Leave a comment
Enjoy!
Artsy Craftsy Linky Love
I love artsy craftsy blogs. Oh, the ideas! In case you love them too I thought I’d post a buncha links for you to bookmark. Enjoy!
The Spark – A Challenge Blog For All Mediums
Modish – Design & Style Made By Hand
I know I should be adding lot’s more- but distractions abound and I’m being called away. So- if I forgot your crafty/inspiring blog or you know of one I should mention next time, leave a comment!
Tons of Resources for Wordpress
I get a lot of questions about how one can make their Wordpress install better and badder. So I thought I’d list a few of the resources I’ve come across. Some of which I refer to again and again.
Wordpress Extend – Themes, plugins and general info
Free GPL Themes To Modify & Make Your Own
Wordpress Plugins for Google Adsense
30 Excellent Wordpress Video Tutorials
100+ Killer Wordpress Resources
13 Free Premium Wordpress Themes
Online Training and Tutorials on Wordpress
135+ Ultimate Round-Up of Wordpress Tutorials
10 Tutorials for Working With Wordpress Comments
250+ Super Cool Wordpress Tutorials – Newbie to Pro
Help & Tutorials for Beginners and Experts Alike
Enjoy!
Five Family Favorites – Exploring California
I may not have a fantastically designed home, or crazy expensive toys… (I will one day, darn it!) but I have memories and stories and lot’s of them. My husband and I have made a conscious decision to spend our money exploring and giving the children experiences they can never trade in for any dollar amount. We are a budget minded family so we have to space out the expensive destinations. We try to take at least one day trip a month, but often sneak in more than that. I know lot’s of families who would love to do the same but don’t know how to make it happen. They don’t know where they might go that is: inexpensive, not too far away and isn’t a theme park. So I thought that I might list some of our favorite day trip attractions that are a hop, skip and a jump from our home in Central California.
Knights Ferry : Pack a picnic lunch and visit this neat park for a wonderful day of exploration. Boasting the only antique covered bridge in the area and ruins to explore- this park also has a small museum, clean bathrooms and lot’s of shady picnic tables. Make sure everyone wears good hiking shoes as there are lot’s of trails and rocky areas to check out. Don’t forget to take along a box of bandaids and lot’s of water! It’s a picturesque place, and no matter how many times we’ve been we’ve left some of the area unexplored and came home with loads of pictures to process. Also- it’s free to get in!
Columbia : This old gold mining town in the foothills above the valley is so much fun! Pack a picnic lunch and find a shady spot to eat and save your money for some sarsparilla and a visit to the candy shop, and you can have a blast without spending a fortune. Many of the purveyors are decked out in vintage clothing and there are usually wonderful performers on the street to enjoy for free. There are many displays to enjoy and interactive games for the kids to participate in. If you have the money to spare go on the carriage ride, but beware- you will be hijacked by outlaws and this used to scare the bejeezus out of my little one. Oh, and just up the road is Moaning Caverns- which is absolutely fantastic to explore if you have kids that won’t freak out about enclosed spaces and heights! Columbia is free to visit, but the Moaning Cavern’s tour is a bit pricey. I think it was around $6 a person last time we went. Now they have a climbing wall and all kinds of other stuff to drain your wallet. Best time to go: year round, but Spring is especially wonderful as all of the flowers are in bloom and the crowds are down.
Salt Slough Wildlife Reserve : Just up the road from us there lies a series of grassland/marsh wildlife reservations. Our favorite is Salt Slough, where you can see Tule Elk, hundreds of varieties of birds and almost always- coyotes. You can drive the entire route, and it takes at least a couple of hours to do so if you plan to get out and get your hands dirty here and there. I highly recommend taking the walking trail- it’s a gorgeous walk that ends at an observation tower overlooking the picturesque California marshlands.. and must warn you: don’t get out to check out the sheep! Mr. Sheepdog isn’t dangerous but he’s scary. At Salt Slough you will learn a lot about the history of California and it’s Indians and wildlife. Take a camera and lot’s of water!! Salt Slough is free to explore. Best time to go: early fall if you want to see the Tule Elk complete with their racks, and Spring if you want to see the Tule Elk bugle and incredible meadows of wildflowers. Don’t go in the winter as it’s closed for duck hunting season!
McConnell State Park : Located outside of Delhi, this park is great fun for the kids to explore. It’s overgrown, a river runs through it (take water shoes for everyone!) and it’s beautiful. I often take my photography clients here as there are so many nooks and crannies that are just spectacularly beautiful. Some area’s remind me of little fairy gardens. Make sure to pack a lunch and to bring the kids each a goodie bag they can use to collect clam shells and other interesting things. There are rarely crowds to deal with, and you can walk in any direction and see something new. It costs around $6 per car to go in. Best time to go : Winter – no mosquitoes! Spring – lovely spring flowers and no crowds. Fall – the area stays lush but the colors are fantastic. If you go in late spring or summer- expect crowds and take Off! The mosquitoes will carry you away!
Yosemite : The prized gem of California, this day trip will rock your socks. It does cost $25 to get in per carload, but it’s worth every penny and more. We go at least once a year, and always have the most amazing time. There is so much to see! And it’s completely elderly / child / disabled friendly. The main trails are paved well. We always take lunch and lot’s of snacks/drinks, good hiking shoes, a change of clothes and a good camera. You are guaranteed to see wildlife and spectacular views you’ll never forget. It is a several hour drive from our home in the valley so we make sure the kids take their DS’s and a book to read- load up the middle child with dramamine and enjoy the beautiful drive. You can’t see all of Yosemite in one day trip, so check out the information they give you upon entry to the park and stake out your plan for the day. If you get a chance to camp in Yosemite I highly recommend it- but I hear you must reserve your spot a few months in advance. Best time to go: Spring! I love Yosemite at any time of the year, but it’s so cool to go up there when there is a little snow on the ground and the animals are just waking from their winter slumbers- and wildflowers are beginning to bloom, and the falls are roaring with winter snowmelt.
Sometime soon I’ll tell you about some more of our favorite California destinations. When people tell me they hate California I shake my head in disbelief- I consider ourselves very lucky to have easy access to mountains, ocean beaches, deserts and so many historical destinations- all just a few hours away. I’m willing to pay the difference to have so many amazing destinations nearby my home.
It’s spring, have fun- even if you are broke!
Learn how to knit!
People ask me all the time to teach them to knit. Once, I agreed. It was an effort in futility. I suck at teaching knitting lessons. For one, I don’t have the patience. Or maybe, my pupil didn’t want to impose for too long. And if learning to knit requires anything more than some needles and yarn- it’s patience.
While learning to knit you will cast on a dozen (or maybe a hundred) times before it clicks. You will fumble a knit stitch another dozen times before it looks just right. Want to purl? Yeah, another dozen attempts. Binding off? Schminding off. At least, that was my experience. And then there’s getting the tension just right. And learning all those acronyms.
Not that I would like to discourage you from learning! You can learn, and benefit from your new hobby in many ways.
For me knitting is relaxing. And rewarding: the finished products of my few minutes of knitting here and there are so soft and beautiful and functional. My family sure appreciates my hobby. But it did take me a while to get it down. Time well spent, in my opinion.
So, you still want to knit, and for me to help you learn? Here’s how I did it:
1) Visit knittinghelp.com and watch the free knitting videos. Pause, attempt a technique and repeat. This site taught me the basics.
2) Buy Stitch ‘N Bitch : The Knitter’s Handbook
Tips:
Use wood or plastic needles to learn- once you are knitting with some speed you might prefer a more slippery set of needles (I frequently use metal) but until then it helps if your needles have some friction to hold the yarn.
Don’t try to learn to knit with a ball of furry yarn. You need to be able to see your stitches and the pattern they create. Choose a light, soft yarn to start with.
Own good hand lotion. Some yarns will draw moisture from your skin and before you know it you’ll have chapped, raw hands.
Don’t expect to be a perfect knitter right away. This craft does take some time and practice to learn. Like anything, if you really want it you’ll achieve it. I think I watched the casting-on and basic knit/purl stitch videos a dozen times each before I made my first stitch. I still wear my first projects: a scarf and a hat- but the scarf isn’t the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and the hat is three times too big. I often use the hat to cushion my camera when I travel with it in my shoulder bag.
Have fun! Can’t wait to see your first projects!
Tuesday Tutes
Everyone loves tutorials, right? I know I do. Here are a few I’ve collected recently:
Adobe Illustrator
How to Draw Your Own Vector Wings
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects
Design
10 Tips for Effective Icon Design
12 Useful Techniques for Good User Interface Design
11 Tutorials for Business Card Design
Enjoy!
What I Want
