Learning to Use Ravelry

Back in 2009 I signed up for a Ravelry account to keep in touch with a friend, and to find some fun crochet and knitting patterns.... then I kind of lost interest and left my account alone.

I recently became active with my account again because of an old 4-H hobby I started when I was around 8 or 9... spinning!  I have been able to find a wealth of information on the site to cover all kinds of fun things from Crochet, Kitting, Spinning... Recycling Sweater Yarn (who knew???) and oh-so-many fun things!!

I recently got to be a crochet tester for a new pattern, which I love!!

Have you checked out Ravelry yet?  If not, take a peek, and if you have, send me a message on there - I'm wbarker on there :)

MyBlogSpark Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Prize Pack Giveaway - Making Homemade Pizza Easy (Enter thru 5/27)

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.


From MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury:

Spring means a fresh start for everyone, including your pizza! Get your pizza fix right in your own kitchen. With Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain, you can create any fresh flavor combination you like while getting 16 grams of whole grain per serving. Share your favorite recipes using fresh, local ingredients from your farmer's market or garden. Whether you like tomatoes or spinach, fresh peppers or onions, let Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust be your canvas. Look for it in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store.

Our family enjoys pizza year-round, and we especially love to let the kids make their own pizza's.  Most of the time this means a lot of mozzarella cheese, and a tiny bit of sauce on some type of crust (sometimes this means an English Muffin or even a tortilla).

I recently got to try out the refrigerated pizza dough by Pillsbury: Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain.  My favorite part?  It is a dough that is easily kept in the refrigerator and pulled out for spur-of-the-moment pizza making.  It bakes really nicely and tastes great.  The family had NO idea it wasn't one of our favorite crusts, but they did mention that it seemed fresher.

When I made our pizza, I made it with a light covering of pizza sauce and a thin layer of mozzarella.  I then added chunks of goat cheese to the whole thing (tip: I open one end of the cheese and use a fork to make small pieces chunk apart and fall on the pizza).  I like to add Canadian Bacon and chopped basil on mine, so I added that to some of the pizza, and then I added pepperoni, olives and mushrooms to part for my husband.

The best part is that the whole family enjoyed the pizza and it was easy to make!  Plus, if you visit Pillsbury, check out their great pizza topping ideas at the Farmer's Market Pizza page!

Some of you may know that one of our family FAVORITES is BBQ'd pizza.  I haven't tried to make a bbq'd pizza with the new Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust With Whole Grain, but I'm going to!

Want to make your own pizza? It is easy with this great prize pack from MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury:

Win your own great prize pack and get started!!

One winner will receive :

A VIP coupon for one FREE Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
15.5" Farberware Pizza Pan
 Food Chopper with Storage Containers
Silicon-grip Oven Mitt
Retail Value: $64

Enter daily between now and May 27th, Open to US residents, no PO Boxes


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Tagger Bags: Express Yourself In Style With Customizable Messenger Bags and Backpacks (Product Review)

I was really excited to learn about a revolutionary company called Tagger Bags, who specializes in providing customers a way to share their own style through the personalization of messenger bags, laptop bags, and backpacks.

You pick out the base color you want (main part of the bag/backpack), then you choose a strap color and a flap or front.  The straps are changeable, and the tops of messenger bags are held on securely with velcro, and the backpack fronts pip on and off.  You can update and change parts as often as you want - it is great! (Plus, it takes only SECONDS to switch the look of your bag!)

Tagger Bag Transformation - Takes only seconds to Attach and Snap Front Flap and Strap!!

The bags are made of PVC tarpaulin with a nylon core, which makes them strong and durable.  (The material is the same that is generally used on truck trailer tarps.  I've found them to be VERY easy to keep clean, simply using a damp rag will remove just about any dirt from the flaps and bags.

My Tagger bag has been invaluable lately - I took it filled with small books, water and snacks during a trip to Urgent Care for my 3 year old who split the corner of his eye open while playing soldiers with his big brother.  By keeping him hydrated, full and happily reading, we were able to keep him calm while the doctor patched him up with liquid stitches.  I also used it while setting up our community Easter Egg Hunt.  It was placed on damp grass, and cleaned up easily back at the car!

Note:  The Flow Messenger Bag has a zippered section along the inner back of the bag that is perfect to stow keys, money... anything you want to keep more secure or hidden away.

One of the best parts apart from the size - Flow - which I love, is that right now I have a pretty pink floral flap on, but when the boys go somewhere with Daddy (who loves how great the bag is for snacks and water plus a few extras), I can change the flap to make it less girly.  My Flow Tagger Bag has been going everywhere with me and the family lately, either as a girly pink floral (taking misc. things to and from the boy's school, carrying books to book club, transporting craft projects to get-togethers, or taking my Kindle and a few books for some quiet time), or proud and boyish with the American Flag (to the zoo, full of snacks, toting coloring books and markers).

Flow Messenger Tagger Bag: Easily holds 2 large waters, 4 snacks, 1 book, markers, coloring books and magazines

I'm actually planning to order another front flap, likely in white, because the boys want to customize their own bag with permanent markers and paint.  My guess is that after their artwork is added, I'll likely need to seal the artwork with a clear sealant to keep it safe.  I bet it will turn out GREAT!

Be sure to check out all the great things you can do with your OWN Tagger Bag!

Use the Code:  TAGGERBLOG to receive 25% off all orders over $50.00, now through April 30, 2013!

Tagger Bags   Fully Customizable  Messenger Bags, Backpacks, Laptop Phone Covers and MORE Find them: Facebook, Twitter, Photo Gallery
Edition Reviewed: Flow Messenger Bag Shown Above - Review copy received courtesy of Tagger Bags, many thanks for sending me a sample to review!
*Disclosure: I received a Flow Messenger bag and covers/straps from Tagger Bags so that I could share what I learned about it with you.  All opinions are mine.

Zinio - Making Keeping Up With Magazines a Breeze (And Expanding my Reading)

I have to share about my latest obsession - Zinio! Zinio is a digital magazine provider, that readers can access from their computer, smartphone, Kindle, iPad, etc.

I've been able to find most of my favorite magazines on their service, and get them at great prices (often they have wonderful sales that single issues and subscriptions REALLY affordable.

Something REALLY fun? I've found some great new international magazines I would normally NOT be able to subscribe to or find in my area. Some of my current favorites are Super Food Ideas (from Australia), Food Heaven (From England) and Hello! magazine (similar to US Weekly, but the English version - I love following Kate Middleton, so it is a fun read).

 Here is a peek at my current reading list:

I was really skeptical at first to move some of my subscriptions over to digital, but honestly, I like it better.  Fewer magazines cluttering up my coffee table, and I can take virtually all my magazines with me on my Kindle, anywhere I go!

One I was careful with was the first craft magazine I purchased.  I wasn't sure I would be able to follow instructions from my Kindle or my computer screen, but again, I love that I don't need to keep booklets open to a specific page - I can have a TON of fun projects ready to go on my Kindle without losing them or creating a mess.

Plus, I can print as many of the pages as I want and I can open them on almost any device I've got.

What's not to like??

Check out this wonderful looking salad from the April 2013 Edition of Super Food Ideas (I can't wait to make this one, and hope it is a family hit):

This great-looking salad is Thai Beef and Rice Noodle Salad, and can be found on page 40.

Have you tried out digital magazines yet?  If so, what are some of your favorites?


*Disclosure: I am a Zinio Blog Ambassador. :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I think it is safe to say that everyone has their own story of how they came to know the works of Dr. Seuss, and a few probably have yet to discover his stories.

For me, I can tell you I'm no expert, and my walk with Seuss has been short.  You see, I grew up WITHOUT the influence of Dr. Seuss in my life.  My family seemed to think that the books were nonsense, so it wasn't until a VERY heated discussion many years ago with my future sister-in-law and husband that I became intrigued by his books.  They brought up many examples of hidden meanings and we had a lot of fun with our discussions.

Today I am happy to announce that I am filling in our children's bookshelves with many of Dr. Seuss' books... it is with a happy heart and a smile on my face that I wish a VERY happy birthday to Dr. Seuss' memory.

Do you have a fun memory of Dr. Seuss?

Best Buy Has a Great FREE Recycling Program Available At All Their Stores

If you are anything like me, you've likely got a few old electronics sitting in the garage or in a closet because you don't quite know what to do with them.  In my case, I've got 3 really old laptops.  I never did anything with them because they had problems and were old... AND they still have personal information on them.

Best Buy has a recycling program to help us out!  They take all kinds of electronics, and it doesn't matter where you bought them.  TV's, DVD and Blu-ray players, DirectTV Rooftop Dishes, Tivo, Tuners, Home Theater Systems, Wall Mounts, Audio components, Portable Devices, All types of Computers and Laptops, Computer Accessories and SO MUCH MORE!

There is a GREAT list of items, and after looking over it, I found a few more things I'm going to be taking to our local Best Buy.

Their recycling program is available FOR FREE at EVERY Best Buy Store throughout Porto Rico and the US.

I thought this video was really great - it shows the process the recycled items go through - take a quick peak:


Technology has become one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, and as one of the largest electronics retailers, Best Buy wants to be part of the waste solution.

They will recycle your used electronics (check the list) no matter how old it is or where you bought it.

To show how effective their program already is, every minute their stores are open, they recycle an average of 387 pounds of electronics.

Some states have restrictions on what the stores can take, so make sure you check their recycling page for state specific requirements:  Best Buy Recycling Program Details

 So far, I've recycled one laptop and it felt great!  Plus, my Best Buy offered to remove the hard drive for me and let me take it home so I could save it in case I wanted the information at a later date, or I could destroy it myself.  I loved the feeling it gave me - that they valued my privacy and security enough to reassure me that my data would be safe.

Have you had a chance to use the Recycling program at Best Buy yet?  If so, what did you think?

If you will be recycling old electronics, keep in mind the great line of Energy Star Certified products that Best Buy has that can make upgrading and saving energy easy.

*Disclosure:  As a blogger/reviewer, I am being compensated in the form of a Best Buy gift card in exchange for sharing information about their Recycling Program.