TILT: Thirty-One Gifts Cosmetic Bag

There's something about finding a product that you love, then seeing the crafty people of the world (um, that wouldn't be me), come up with awesome alternative uses for that product that makes it even more valuable. My most recent multi-use purchase is the Cosmetic Bag by Thirty-One Gifts. Let me paint a little picture for you.

Mom and dad ushering three children into church like little ducklings. Dad is carrying one and holding the hands of the other two. Mom has her ginormous Bible half in and half out of her purse, as well as dad's. Additionally, she's toting the diaper bag filled with extra clothes and diapers and a coffee that she's trying super hard not to spill all over (herself). On the way back out of church, we have programs/sermon notes, Sunday school papers, registration forms, etc. This was pretty much the scene every Sunday for us. A balancing act to get in and out of church with everyone and everything, all in one piece. And, seeing as how I'm prone to klutziness, I usually end up dropping, leaving, or losing a thing or two along the way. I picked up one of these Cosmetic Bag in hopes that it would eliminate some of the "issues" I was having with all the stuff I carry into church. This bag fits my huge study Bible, as well as an iPad, my husband's Bible and all the notes I take during the service (that would be falling out of the back of my Bible on my way out of church had they not been contained in one of the super awesome pockets this bag has). There's a place for everything - and I love it! I'm no longer searching for pens, notes, forms, etc. It all has it's place. AND, all of this stuff fits nicely in the diaper bag so I can carry one less bag on my person - thus increasing the chances that I get to the pew with everything I originally brought in.

I love my Cosmetics/Bible bag and would highly recommend it!

PS.Did I mention this post is linked up to Things I love Thursday (TILT) at Maria Dismondy's Blog - Be the Difference? Go check it out and see what everyone else is loving this week!

PPS.   I am an independent Thirty-One Gifts Consultant and need you to know that the views expressed here at Tapestry of the Mundane are mine alone and don’t represent the views of Thirty-One Gifts.

TILT: Brinner is Better with a Griddle!

Our family LOVES having breakfast for dinner (aka Brinner). It's quick, easy, inexpensive, and the kids usually eat two platefuls each. We use the traditional Betty Crocker Buttermilk Pancake Recipe and, since I never seem to save it anywhere, I have to Google it each time. This time I pulled it up on Musings of a Housewife's blog (which I now subscribe to because her blog looks pretty awesome). The recipe she posted mentioned that coconut oil could be substituted for butter. Since we love coconut oil, I happily took that suggestion and tossed some in the mixing bowl. They were great that way! I also made some buttermilk, because we usually never have it. I also doubled the recipe (for our family of five) we had about four pancakes leftover. Musings of a Housewife also included some awesome tips for perfect pancaking including:

1.) USE A BUTTERMILK RECIPE.  

2.) Do not over mix the batter.  It WILL be lumpy. That’s okay. 

3.)  Make sure your baking soda is fresh. 

4) Wait until the bubbles are starting to pop before flipping — and flip gently. 

Above Suggestions from Musings of a Housewife: See Original Source Here

I followed all of the above suggestions and got restaurant-perfect golden pancakes. They turned out great and I bet these photos are making you want to have brinner tonight! Right? There is one other thing that you must know about in order to have a  completely painless pancaking experience - The Griddle. If there's ever a time that you are flipping food for a crowd (including French toast, pancakes, sandwiches, eggs, etc.) Get one of these things!
They are affordable (see Amazon link below for my recommendation), easy to clean, and make the whole food-flipping process a lot less painful. It heats quickly, and you can make a batch of whatever in no time. Pre-griddle, we used to flip pancakes in a skillet one or two at a time and it would take forever and a day to get through the whole bowl of batter. Now, we can make about six pancakes at a time and move through the process in just a few minutes. The best part is, the pancakes are all still hot when we are finished cooking. Let's hear it for dinner that's not lukewarm! 


PS. This post is linked up to Maria Dismondy's Linky Party - Things I Love Thursday. Go check it out and see what everyone else is loving today!

Attention Coffee Lovers! Homemade Mocha Cookie Frappucino

The Frappucino. It's the gateway drink that eased so many of us into being hardcore - no cream, no sugar - coffee drinkers. Though I drink regular old coffee  most often now, I still enjoy a good Frap from time to time. You know what I don't enjoy, though? Paying $4.00 or more for one at a coffee shop. With all the hype going on over a popular coffee chain's new cookie frap, I decided to create my own version. This is the first time I've tried to make a frap from home and I have to say, what I came up with was pretty delicious. I'm not going to pretend for a second that this is health food we're blending here, but it cost much less than $4 to make and I think it's comparable to something found in a coffee shop. 

Here's what you need: 

• Ice (about 1/2-3/4 cup)
• Milk (about 1/2 cup)
• Oreos (I used the Oreo minis and they blend well - however many your heart desires)
• Cold coffee (about 6oz)
• Chocolate coffee creamer (about 3T - You could use chocolate syrup, too, or chocolate pudding powder. If you use powder, add more milk/coffee).

Here's what you do:

• Throw it all in the blender and mix it up until smooth. I added the ingredients in the following order: ice, milk, creamer, coffee, oreos.

Easy, right? If you have whipped cream and some cookie crumbs to spare - that would just be an added bonus to crown this already delectable beverage.

If you try it, let me know what you think! If you have additional suggestions, leave them in the comments box below. I'd love to hear what you have to say! 

Just a reminder...if you haven't entered to win our coconut oil giveaway, be sure to do so. The contest closes on Friday and one lucky randomly selected reader will be sent a quart of Tropical Traditions delicious Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil ($30 value). Yum! Click here to read all about it and to submit your entry.

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Did I mention this post is linked up to Things I love Thursday (TILT) at Maria Dismondy's Blog - Be the Difference? Go check it out and see what everyone else is loving this week!

TILT: Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil

A few of my friends and family members hopped on the coconut oil bandwagon a few years ago. I didn't understand the fascination at first, but I soon gave in and decided to buy a jar from the health food store. It was more peer pressure and I still didn't know what I was going to do with it once I got it home. I remember taking my first jar of coconut oil out of the cupboard a few times and staring at it, unopened, like it was going to start talking and say, "hey, here's what you do with me." I put it back into the cupboard, still unopened, a fair number of times before I started Googling around to find that there are many, many uses for coconut oil. Soon after, I started including it in baked goods, spreading it on toast and waffles, and even using it to fry up veggies. I've used it in the kids' mac & cheese, too. I've been a believer ever since! Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't make everything taste like coconut. I would say it has a hint of coconut flavor that you may not even notice unless you know it's there. 

In addition to using coconut oil in the kitchen, I keep a jar around to use as a  moisturizer, too! I've used it on my own dry skin as well as my kids' cradle cap! 

So, since I'm a coconut oil believer, I was super excited when the kind folks at Tropical Traditions recently asked me to try out their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. I'd heard so many great things about them from my sister-in-law who loves their products and from my brother-in-law who claims to "eat it off the spoon." When my review package arrived, I tore into it made an excuse to use it right away. I slathered some on a piece of cinnamon raisin sprouted grain toast and - oh. my. word. It's by far the best coconut oil I've used. Tropical Traditions' oil seems to have a better solid consistency than others I've tried - it's very smooth and easy scoop out of the container. Much like the consistency, the taste is also smooth. It has just a slight hint of coconut, and is a welcome replacement in our house for butter. I really love using this gold label oil to sautee green beans, stir-fry veggies, on my waffles and toast. If you're thinking of giving coconut oil a try, please check out Tropical Traditions. Why not start out with the best?

I will be a loyal Tropical Traditions customer from now on. They really care about their customers - it's evident when you read about their production process - and they make a fantastic product.

To learn more about Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virign Coconut Oil, watch the video and click on the links below.

• Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil Page 
• Visit the Tropical Traditions Home Page

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Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
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Did I mention this post is linked up to Things I love Thursday (TILT) at Maria Dismondy's Blog - Be the Difference? Go check it out and see what everyone else is loving this week!

TILT: Dr. Scholl's - Jamie / Where practicality meets pretty!

I'm super excited to link up with Things I Love Thursday today so I have an excuse to tell you about my new favorite shoes. When my one of my good friends and fellow blogger came back from Blissdom we got together for dinner soon after. The first thing she says to me, "here...you have to try on these shoes." She procedes to flip off her shoes and push them toward me. Now...I would have expected, "check out these cute shoes I got at Blissdom" or "hey, these new shoes are soooooo comfy." But, no. She basically went all Cinderella on me and said, "put this shoe on!" Two seconds after having them on I knew I was getting a pair, too. After a couple weeks of looking around for the right deal, I managed to get $15 in DSW coupons plus a code for free shipping and ordered my pair of Jamies, which arrived just in time for me to test them out on a trek around Disney World.

Now, I suppose you want to know why they're so awesome, right? Right. First of all, they have an great massaging gel insert that loves on your feet while you walk (this is the best part). Second, they come in a ton of awesome color combos so you can look super cool while being comfortable. Third, with the neoprene stretch collar you can easily get them on without tying/untying (when you're pregnant that's really important!) Fourth, they have awesome traction and a lining that - according to their site - wicks away moisture. I haven't tested out that feature yet. Finally, they are just cute!! I love my Jamies and I'd recommend them to anybody. They fit my friend's little skinny foot and my foot that looks like it belongs to Fiona from Shrek. I think means they're universally awesome!


Now that I've given you a bajillion reasons to love these shoes, go getcha' a pair! Just Google "Dr. Scholl's Jamie" for lots of shopping options. 

Did I mention this post is linked up to Things I love Thursday (TILT) at Maria Dismondy's Blog - Be the Difference? Go check it out and see what everyone else is loving this week!