Easy DIY Envelopes

I want to make my envelopes for my thank you cards this year.  It saves money and gives a little personal touch to those who spent their time and money on me.  

To start you will need:

• Square piece of paper (I used scrap booking paper)
• Scissors
• Glue (I used Elmer's Glue)

Start with a square piece of paper.  Put your card in the middle and fold all four corners in, like the photos below. 

Remove the card you folded the envelope around.  Cut out the small creased triangles.  

See the photos below.  

  I think it looks like a pretty flower after cutting out the triangles.

Fold up one corner.  This will be the bottom of the envelope.  

Apply some glue to the edges.  Make sure it doesn't get on the inside of the envelope or it will seal it shut.  

Fold one side over at a time, adding a small amount of glue to the bottom edges. 

 Now you have a beautiful envelope made by you! 

 Put a stamp on the envelope and send the thank you letter on its way.
You may want to use a dark pen or marker for the mailing address.

My Pfaff 130 (a beautiful antique sewing machine)

 This is my amazing new Christmas present (along with my new camera! Thanks, Matt). My parents bought it from a guy who does Storage Wars.  It came with the sewing table, a light, and all sorts of parts such as; zippers, needles, scissors, and other fun treasures!  

My mom has an antique Singer and found a guy who is an expert at fixing up antique sewing machines.  It didn't need much fixing up but he made minor tweaks to make it work perfectly. 

If you need a sewing machine mechanic in the Salt Lake Valley, contact me and I can give you his info.  

 You can use the foot pedal or the thigh pedal to power the machine.  The photo below is the thigh pedal.  So fun! 

 The machine folds down to make a cute little table.

 These are all the machine replacements, feet and needles.  I love the old packages.  

  The Certificate of Guarantee

 The instruction manual.  I will be using this a lot for the next couple weeks! :)

  These are the fun treasures that came with the machine.  You can tell this lady loved to sew.  It makes me feel connected to her.  

 Check out the prices on these packages.  I wish we could still get zippers and binding for that price! 

 Look at these bomber pinking shears!!  Can't wait to use them. 

This is such a treasure to have and runs so much smoother and quieter than my Brother.  I am so lucky to have parents who care so much to find something this thoughtful.  

I will be using my Pfaff 130 for years and years to come.

 If you're now in the mood to sew,

check out some of my sewing post:

Yo Yo Mama

Dog bed made from a vintage suitcase

DIY baby slippers made with organic wool felt

Mast Brothers Chocolate

Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal (easy and vegan)

This quick, healthy oatmeal is perfect for breakfast any day of the week.

Oatmeal reminds me of my dad and going out to breakfast before one of his crazy far runs or bike rides.  He would always get oatmeal.  He says it sticks to your ribs, giving you energy for hours to come.  I have oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast now.  It keeps me full and keeps me on track with my weight.

If you want to make this delicious oatmeal, 

you will need:

• 1/2 cup slow oats (you can use quick oats, but they seem to be mushy once cooked)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy, almond, coconut, or rice milk  (I use soy since it has more protein than the other milks)
• 1/8 cup dried cherries  (I got my dried cherries from Costco)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's Brand)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon or more of maple syrup to add some sweetness
• 1/8 cup of pecans for crunch

Add one cup of water to a small pot and bring to a boil.  

Add 1/2 cup oats, cocoa powder, and cherries.  Turn the stove to low and let the oats cook for about 5 minutes.  The cherries will plump up and the cocoa powder will cook into the oats and cherries during this time.  

Take the oatmeal off the heat and add the maple syrup, soy milk (if desired), a pinch of salt, and pecans.  Stir and pour the oatmeal into a bowl.   

Let cool and devour.  

 Cherry chocolates have always been a favorite goodie.  

Now I get to eat it for breakfast! 

See more of my oatmeal and breakfast recipes:

Spiced Oatmeal

Potato pancakes

 Also, check out The Oatmeal for a good laugh.

Leftovers: Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes and Kale

This morning I whipped up sweet potato pancakes, with kale on the side, from my Thanksgiving leftovers. 

Ingredients:

 Sweet Potato Pancakes: 

1 cup mashed yams 

1/8 cup rice milk

3 tsp. egg replacer

4 Tbs. warm water

1/8 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

Kale:

2 cups kale

juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Whip the egg replacer and water with a fork, then set aside for a couple of minutes.  

Mix together the wet ingredients; mashed yams, rice milk, egg replacer, and maple syrup.  

Add to the wet ingredients; flour, baking soda, baking powder, Cinnamon, and salt.  

Stir all ingredients together and pour 4" of dough into a greased hot cast iron pan.  Let the pancakes cook on each side for 3-5 minutes.  

 Set the cooked pancakes aside. 

Add two cups kale to your heated, greased cast iron pan.  Kale cooks very quickly.  Add the lemon juice and cook down.  

 After the kale is done add the salt and pepper.  If you add salt and pepper before the kale is cooked down you may over salt the kale.  

 Put the kale and pancakes on a plate. 

 Eat up!

 See more of my sweet potato and breakfast recipes.

Burn Extra Calories On Thanksgiving With A Hike

This Thanksgiving morning, Dorothy (my dog) and I decided to go on a long hike to burn some extra calories.   I hiked for two hours, carrying Dorothy.  According to MyFitnessPal app, I burned 899 calories.  Not sure if that's true, but because of my beautiful hike, I am happier and can eat more calories.   

 The sun was shinning and the air was crisp and clear on the trails this morning.  

Dorothy is feeling a little under the weather today, so she got a free ride in my backpack.  She didn't want to get out of my pack at the end of our hike.  I think she had fun!

During my hike I passed a bunch of runners, hikers and mountain bikers.  Everyone on the trail had smiles on their faces and were really nice.  Just shows how much good fresh air, exercise and sunshine can do for you.  

Get outside, move, and enjoy nature this holiday season.  

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Top 10 Reasons To Workout In The Morning

I've always been a morning person.   As a child I had an internal alarm clock of 6:00 am.  I would roll out of bed with my PJ's on, put on my red cowboy boots, and go work in the yard with my dad.  

 I now work as an assistant to a general surgeon and need to be very focused all day.  A good morning workout is a necessity for my job and my sanity.

These are my top reasons for working out early in the morning.....

1-   You kick-start your metabolism early on in the day.  
2-   You are more likely to make healthy food choices during the day.

3-   You are more likely to loose weight and keep the weight off.
4-   Your workout is done before you even start the day.  Most the time I forget I worked out once I get home from work.  It's so nice!!    
5-   Waking up early is much easier if you do it everyday.  I now have an internal alarm clock of 5:30 am.  I get so much done during the day! 
 
6-   Falling asleep is easier, and the sleep is much deeper than working out at night.  Exercise increases your heart rate so its harder to get to sleep if you workout at night, rather than in the morning.   
7-   Feel good hormones and endorphins are released, making you happier and giving you more energy throughout the day.

 8-   Your mind and body is fresh and energized in the morning, allowing you to get a better workout and burn more calories. 

9-   You are done early in the morning so you don't have to worry about fitting in your workout during the day.    

10-  It's easier to stick with, and achieve your fitness goals.