They finally came in! [weight loss blog cont.]

Ok, so if you've been following my blog, you've read the one with my new weight loss goal and the products I was offered for free. I wasn't expecting them until at least Thursday, but the Amazon package was here first thing this morning! Here they are!

 I'm looking up recipes as I'm typing this, too. I'm so excited, I really hope it works!

It's supposed to have a sweet taste-like a light chocolate/molasses mix. If this works the way it claims, I'll be looking completely different before summer even gets here.

Now just to let you guys know, I don't plan on just using this stuff and not planning to exercise or anything. I do. 5-6 days a week twice a day like I had planned. You'd think that alone would be enough, but how many of you adopted the crappiest of crap metabolisms after having a baby? Plus this stuff promotes a healthy digestive tract (track?) and I really need that. Those of you who don't have any kids, you couldn't imagine how much having a baby changes your body. Mine is still recovering and Penny's about to be 7 months :[ That makes me a little sad thinking about it..she's growing too fast!

Ok, change of subject before I dwell on the thought. So I'm about to make some lunch and take my first teaspoon of the Yacon syrup. Wish me luck! I will definitely keep all of you posted. And with my next blog about my (hopeful) progress, I'll fill you in on my measurements, and where I'm trying to be and maybe even slide in a before picture, but we'll see. 

~Namaste~

My newest crochet creation!

As I promised from last nights blog, here is my latest creation.

I looked and looked so much for just a regular basket pattern I would be OK with making and that would be big enough for all my yarn. Then I saw a pin for hanging baskets and started looking at those. Still, after all of this looking, could not for the life of me find a pattern big enough for all of my yarn. I'm talking, size 3 diaper 144 counts diaper box overfilled with skeins of yarn. So I found one that by the looks of the picture looked big enough, and by the time I got to where it told me to pretty much start bringing it in, it was going to maybe hold 2 small balls of yarn. Nope. I'm done. I'm just gonna wing it and go with the flow! So I made up my own pattern that took me what seemed like forever, but turned out great! I'll just have to make a few more for the rest of it haha. 

**The one thing I ask of you-you can make this product for yourself or a friend, but please do not claim this as your own or sell the finished product. I worked really hard on this and am too proud of my work to let someone else call it their own. Thank you for understanding :]

And now to move on to my FREE pattern! I want to make sure before you start you know what you're getting yourself into. This took me probably about 12-16 hours TOTAL, not in one sitting. You'll need lots of time and of course patience. Trust me, it's worth it in the end!

So you have a better understanding about how big this will be, the dimensions are 14" in length and 18" wide. And very stretchy.

I used [almost] a whole skein of white yarn and a bluish turquoise.

11mm hook

Stitch markers

*Note: I worked in a spiral. Much easier than joining every row. 

Round 1- Ch 2. 6 sc in 2nd ch. (6)

Round 2- 2sc each st (12)

Round 3- 1sc in next st, 2sc in next. Cont. around (18)

Round 4- 1sc in next 2 st, 2sc in next. Cont. around (24)

Round 5- sc in next 3 st, 2sc in next. Cont. around (30)

Round 6- sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (36)

Round 7- sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (42)

Round 8- sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (48)

Round 9- sc in next 7 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (54)

Round 10- sc in next 8 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (60)

Round 11- sc in next 9 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (66)

Round 12- sc in next 10 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (72)

Round 13- sc in next 11 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (78)

Round 14- sc in next 12 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (84)

Round 15- sc in next 13 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (90)

Round 16- sc in next 14 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (96)

Round 17- sc in next 15 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (102)

Round 18- sc in next 16 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (108)

Round 19- sc in next 17 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (114)

Round 20- sc in next 18 sts, 2sc in next. Cont. around (120)

I know this seems like a lot, but trust me, this is just the base. We're just getting started.

Rounds 21-43- sc all the way around (120)

That should be the long haul. Now get yourself excited and give it all you've got because this is it! We're heading towards the end!

Read this before you start on the following rounds. I didn't have a stitch marker (still waiting on them to come in) so I'm sure I lost count a few times, and I didn't count these stitches around. Gives you a little wiggle room, too.

Round 44- sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog. All the way around

Rounds 45-46- sc all the way around

Round 47- sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog. All the way around.

Rounds 48-49- sc all the way around

Round 50- sc in next 4 sts, sc2tog. All the way around. 

Rounds 51-52- sc all the way around

Round 53- sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog. All the way around.

Rounds 54-55- sc all the way around

Now by the time I got to the last round, it was just one single row of the turquoise color.

For the strap:

Ch. 6. Sc in 2nd ch from hook and down (5)

sc2tog in next space (like you would be starting a ribbing pattern look)

Ch. 9, sc in 2nd from the hook and down (8)

Sl st up previous strip and connect together.

I also rolled the skeins into balls so it would look better. That took forever as well. lol.

And voila! I hope you enjoy this pattern and it was easy enough to follow. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

~Namaste~

New Hair and Weight Loss goals!

There's a couple new things I plan on trying and I just felt like telling all of you about it. One being my hair, two being my weight loss goal. Let's start with the hair. 

So I came across another blog going over using baking soda and vinegar to shampoo and condition my hair. I thought about it for a few days and finally decided to give it a try. Tonight was my first time trying it out and I can honestly say I feel like my ends are much smoother than before; almost like my hair has been repaired, but there was no damage to begin with. I also found an olive oil treatment that's supposed to make my hair grow faster...we'll see about that one. Here's what I did.

Shampoo::

-1/3 cup baking soda (or more if you need it)

*I put a little in my hair to start distribution, but started at my scalp and worked my way to the ends. Left in on for a couple minutes and rinsed it out. 

Conditioner::

-2 tblsp apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar)

-1 cup of water

*Mixed the two together and worked through my hair, making sure everything was covered. Also left in for a couple minutes before rinsing completely out.

I know some if not most of you are hesitant because of the vinegar smell. The ACV didn't have a strong smell to begin with, and now that my hair is dry, my husband said it feels, looks and smells clean, even though it doesn't have a scent. "Does clean have a scent?" he asked. lol. So in the conditioner you can add essential oils like lavender or peppermint. That's what I'll start doing. Ok, no for the olive oil treatment. This is where I found it. When it was on my head it felt similar to having it colored (it itched a little) but much much tamer. I'm going to keep trying these out and post progress pictures along the way :].

And now for the weight loss goals. 

I thought about it going over the different ways I'll be able to lose weight faster and more efficiently. Yesterday while browsing Craigslist I came across this ad and decided to reply. It explains about the Yacon root and how it works and yada yada. Supposedly you're supposed to lose a good amount of weight in a short amount of time. This is what it is. So when I replied about it, they reply back with that Amazon link and 2 more links for 2 other products saying that if I just wanted the Yacon syrup, I would just have to pay shipping, but if I got that and one of the other products, clicked on free shipping and entered the promo code given, it would all be free. And it was! Take a look below.

This was the other product I got, claiming the same kind of weight loss goal. Should get this all by thursday of this week. I'm excited to try it, I feel like I did a fair amount of research on it to go through with it. If you want to try it too, go to the link I provided for the Craigslist ad and do the same thing! 

I'm also planning on doing a 100 day challenge for myself. Every Thursday I have off, for two reasons. 1) My husband has band practice right after work and won't really have time during the day ((or find a sitter quickly)) and 2) because you should always take at least one day off from exercise. And for the 6 days I am, I will be doing so twice daily. I have a strong goal that I'm looking forward to. So Friday's, Sunday's and Tuesday's  when I go in the mornings, I'll do a cardio circuit training for a half hour, and then walk for about 30 minutes. The night when I go back, I'll just do one hour of cardio. Saturday's Monday's and Wednesday's I plan on doing one hour of cardio, twice daily. On top of all this, I'm setting a 1200 caloric diet for myself as well. I'm setting the standards high and goals in front of my face so I don't give up. 

Wanna give this a try with me? I'll update every week or couple of weeks to let you guys know what my progress is and also to let you know how one of those weight loss supplements work for me. I'd love to hear about your success, too!

~Namaste~

I'm back with a brand new recipe!

So today I started my new schedule getting up earlier, getting things done earlier in the day, so I can just relax later with my daughter. Husband left to go into work an hour early to get stuff moved around there, only to be graced with his presence 2 hours later because the floors that were being done, were still not done. So basically I've been lazy almost all day.

I wanted to try a new chocolate recipe, as my cravings have been kicking in pretty fiercely lately and I wanted to share it with all of you! Now keep in mind that I doubled this recipe to make brownie cupcakes rather than just brownies. So the timing for cooking is going to be different. You can find it at this site and follow it there if you get confused with something on here or would just prefer to do it that way.

So here goes!

-20 tbsp unsalted butter
-2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
-1 1/2 cup + 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 rounded tsp kosher salt
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-4 large eggs
-1 cup all purpose (unbleached) flour
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees!

Now keep in mind that all of that ^^ is doubled from the original.

                                          So first you want to gather all ingredients together.

For now you're only going to combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder and the salt in a medium heat-safe bowl.

**Note:: I didn't do this next part, I just melted the butter and mixed it in.

Add enough water to a medium pot so that it's 1 or 2 inches deep and heat until it's barely simmering. Now take the bowl with the ingredients you just combined and rest it over the simmering water. If the bowl touches the water, pour some out. You're going to stir until the butter is melted and everything else is pretty warm. Once this happens, take the bowl off and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. 

Don't be worried if the mixture looks grainy like this

Stir in the vanilla, one egg at a time, and then finally the flour, slowly. 

So this is where instead of putting this mixture in a greased brownie pan or on parchment paper, I decided to go with cupcakes! I had some wrappers I didn't think I'd ever get around to using, so I figured it'd be a good way :)

I can't stress this enough-this is for a doubled batch!! I don't want you to be disappointed with the outcome because I didn't clarify anything.

And this is what my batch looks like! I filled each cup just short of the top and baked these for a total of 45 minutes on 325, checking throughout.

**EDIT** If you're afraid of the top being too crispy, cover the top with aluminum foil for the majority of the baking time.

**Note::It was my first time trying this recipe. After trying one of these out, I will let you know that the top is pretty crunchy while the inside is wayyy softer and melt in your mouth. Also, regardless if you put this in a pan with or without a liner, or make cupcakes with or without liners, spray with cooking spray! Or a non stick spray. I had aluminum and paper cupcake wrappers and the paper ones seem to stick a bit too much for anyone's liking. 

Try it out and let me know what you think!

The perfect chili for a cold day :)

So today was a colder day than it had been in the last week or so, and I decided a big pot of chili would be perfect. I found a simple recipe on the McCormick website and made it my own. I can't remember which one it was (I'm pretty sure it was the american chili recipe) and followed it...a little. It said it would make for 5, 1cup servings. I decided, nah, we're broke and low on groceries, I'll make a big pot. What I didn't realize was how amazing it would turn out. This is how I made it.

In a big, tall standing pot, I mixed:

-1 box of mini (cooked, of course)
-roughly 2 pounds of lean hamburger (or turkey, or meat of your choice. And cooked.)
-5 tsp. of cumin
-3 cans of dark red kidney beans (mostly drained)
-3 cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes (28oz cans)
[The following spices I didn't measure, I just added as I saw fit. Add as much or as little as you want.]
-Italian seasoning
-Cayenne pepper (I didn't realize we didn't have chili powder)
-Onion powder
-Basil
-Garlic salt

I cooked this between a low and medium heat for roughly 30 minutes, mixing throughout. The amount of spice in there was absolutely. perfect. The cayenne pepper blended so perfectly I couldn't believe I had done so well. Especially with an upset stomach and headache from being sick since last Thursday.

Anyways, here's what my pot looked like, (3 bowls in) I just wish you could smell this, too.

And that's still half full! This will cover the next at least weeks worth of meals. I'm so glad I decided to do this. My husband really loved it, which of course made me happy. He told me not to give too much away so he can eat it, haha. If you try this out, let me know how you like it! I love hearing feedback from people trying out/using my ideas. It makes me happy to make other people happy.

I hope you all have a warm, good rest of your week!
~Namaste~

Starting with a bang!

I had/have no set new years resolution this year. I've decided to go where the universe wants to take me. And apparently it's a crafty little planet set up in our living room. So these blogs will be about everything that I do as a stay at home mom, a crafter, crocheter, seamstress, and recipes I create. To start off I'm going to list my crafty Facebook page, Twitter and Etsy shop. 

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/stitchesandweaves

Twitter- https://twitter.com/CrochetNook

Etsy Shop- https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchesandWeaves

Feel free to share any and all links with friends, family or fellow crafters. That's a big reason I started all of this, on top of the fact that my daughter has changed me into a mixture of Betty Crocker and Suzy Homemaker. So as I was saying, just doing a simple search for a beginner pattern is all it takes. I can't believe how addicted to this I've got. I love making things for my daughter, husband, other family members and friends. Actually it all started before I had my daughter while still pregnant, I started making baby slings and pouches to sell. My next step in Crochet World, amigurumi. They look like this:

It can simply be anything. Mostly cute, but can be anything. I'll always have new things up, seeing how I'm always keeping my hands busy. 

Keep in mind on my Facebook and Twitter page I'll start posting random contests and giveaways! So let anyone whos interested know. Share the crap out of my links. I've made a few loyal customers in a very short time, and I'll be more than happy to see that keep growing! 

Well, this is it for the beginning of a new chapter of my life. 

~Namaste~