Cosmo Cricket

Gift Containers and Yummy Recipes

I'll bet a lot of you, like myself, save your tins for altering. I happen to have lots from Hot Chocolate and Stroopwafels (Dutch Waffel Cookies). So, when I saw this photo in Martha Stewart Living, I knew just what to do.

I made my own log containers using the backsides of our Nutmeg papers and some dollar store Christmas items. Take a look. These are super quick, inexpensive and so cute!

The plain container.

I added glitter along some of the wood grain. Honestly, I thought it was really cute just like this, maybe it needs a bow, maybe not.

Now, with the Dollar items, it's really fun. I intend to stick a small gift like leggings or mittens in this and hide it in my tree for the kids to find on Christmas morning. The warm colors work perfectly.

But, other less-traditional colors are fun too. Here's my stroopwafel can.

Maybe you prefer to fill these up with goodies to take to the neighbors. Well, in that case, here are a couple of my favorite Christmastime recipes.

Aunt Anna's Butter Cookies

This recipe comes from my mother's aunt. She was a fine Dutch woman that, like myself, loved butter and almond. These are super yummy and probably have about a thousand calories per cookie.

1 lb butter
4 C Flour
2 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Powder
2 t Almond Extract

Press the batter into a 9x13 pan, no need to grease it, there's a pound of butter in there! Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Grandma's Ginger Cookies #1

This is my mom's recipe. I asked her for it when I was first married, then I lost it. When I asked for it again, I found they never turned out as well. One day, cleaning out my cupboards, I found the original. It was very different from the second one, which explained the difference in the cookies. Hence the name of the recipe. This makes a soft, rich ginger cookie.

1 C Shortening (I typically use butter)
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs
1 C Molasses
2 T Vinegar
5 C Flour
1 1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
1 T Ginger
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Ground Cloves

To make these, I simply spoon the batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Then, I take a glass and dipping it in flour each time, I stamp the cookies flat. Bake at 375 for 5-6 minutes.

If you like a crisper Ginger cookie, maybe you will like Grandma's Ginger Cookies #2. In my opinion, these are not quite as good; more like your average ginger cookie. I post this mostly so you can see the huge difference in the recipes. How could my mother have gotten so mixed up?

1 C Butter
2 C Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 C Molasses
3 Eggs
4 1/2 C Flour
4 t Soda
1 t Salt
2 t Ginger
2 t Cinnamon
1 t Ground Cloves

Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

Now, if you are in the mood to take something yummy, but don't want to bake. Then I have a tradition from Eric's side of the family.

Crazy Grandma's Chocolate Crackers

When Ethan was three Eric's mom took him for a treat. While they were out, Shirley was teasing him and being quite silly. Ethan told her that she was being crazy and she told him that was because she was his crazy Grandma. Well, the name stuck and my kids still differentiate her from my mom with this title.

In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. You can use either milk or semi-sweet.Then dip Ritz crackers into the chocolate. Place these on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Let cool, we like them frozen. They taste like a buttery Twix candy bar.

POP POP...FIZZ FIZZ!

 
  
As most of you know, every month www.scrapbook.com  has a scrapbook layout challenge. Novembers winner is Lisa Bastick, and as you can see, Lisa used my favorite collection this year, Early Bird. Great job, lots of detail!

Next, we appreciate very much all who commented yesterday with your fun ideas. Julie and I were talking this morning and I commented about all the comments and how helpful they were. Were going to dedicate a post in the next few weeks with some fun cookie recipes and some of the different things that our neighbors have given us. Here's an example, one year, someone brought us a 2 liter bottle of Soda pop that had a tag on it that said, " Pop Pop... Fizz Fizz....Oh what a good friend you is." That cracked me up!

We will be sure to share our list. I saw some ideas from you that I may use this year.

Last, so those who have been following my own little personal story about reuniting with my family, might be interested to hear that I visited for the first time ever by phone with my real father and his wife last night.

 They are very very good people and I wish it would have happened years ago. They are in their 70's and I'm glad it happened before it was too late. It was a great experience and I think they feel the same way.

 My real father started my telling me how sorry he was, and I said he had nothing to be sorry for. In life things happen. Some good some not so good. If things wouldn't have happened like they did, I probably wouldn't have been born, not having the family  and friends that I have. If born, not having a job in an industry that I love, and not having an association with each of you!

 They invited me to come to their house to stay and I'm planning to meet them sometime in the next few months. They are also planning a trip to see me and my family also. I advised them that it  was 7 degree's above yesterday morning and that perhaps they should wait until May.

This was important that this happened and I would encourage others to take the time, have courage, be humble, no hard feelings, have acceptance and understanding, take the plunge. If we can help, let me know. I'm serious you can email me your phone number at lindsay@cosmocricket.com, and we will see what we can do to help. I know....I have always said " I do comedy and I don't do drama". Okay maybe I do a little drama. This drama has been worth every minute of it.

If my family is reading this blog, I love all of you guys!

Oh no, I almost forgot, Two winners from yesterday. Here we go, the first is Rowena Barnard aka craftypagan, and the second is Be(e) at 12:34PM.

 All you have to do is email kristen@cosmocricket.com your name and address and she will send the goods your way. Congratulations and thanks to all of you for listening and for the great idea's.

Have a great weekend!

Lindsay
 

Debbie Olson project and I think we need to have a Fun giveaway!

The project above was created by none other than the world famous Debbie Olson. She is an extremely nice person and I'm a huge fan of Debbie. I value her talent so much that when we see her at a trade show I turn shy, my palms start to sweat, and I don't know what to say to her.

Look at all of the detail with this project. Is it me or does the tree and the bell on the card look like frosted sugar cookies? Yum Yum! Great presentation!

When I saw this project, I thought it would be perfect gift for neighbors and friends. It's a great alternative to taking cookies around the neighborhood on paper plates.

At my house we have done a lot of different things. Mugs with cocoa, Pop, with a note that says "may you days be Merry and Sprite", homemade caramels, etc.

Next, drop us a comment and let us know what you usually do for your neighbors and friends, for a chance to win $100.00 of Cosmo Cricket scrapbook products from Jolly By Golly, Nutmeg, Early Bird, and Earth Love.

There will be two lucky winners!

Have a great day and can't wait to hear from you!

 

Fun Advent and a Thrifty Christmas

My assistant, Tiffany, made this darling advent calendar. Wouldn't this make the cutest neighbor gift? Having multiple children myself, I love that you can fit lots of candies in each cup.

Yesterday I told you about my Black Friday shopping spree. What I didn't tell you is that I have a knack for doing things on the cheap...... I prefer thrifty!

I have four children and so Christmas and birthdays can get pricey. My son wants a watch like his dad's (a very nice watch), video Ipod, air soft gun and a desk and chair for his bedroom. This is just one child! Kate wants a laptop, cell phone, Bitty Baby, and small refrigerator for her bedroom. Abby wants an electric scooter. Jack just wants a present. They all need winter clothes.

I thought I would share with you how I will be able to afford Christmas this year. Here are my tips for saving money.

Tip #1. Tell them no.

I told them they will be getting three gifts aside from necessities. This cut the lists from the get go, especially considering Kate had 36 items to start.

Then I told them no again. I told Ethan I won't get him a gun because I don't like them. I told Kate she can have a cell phone when she is responsible enough to pay for the monthly plan herself. I told Abby electric scooters are not safe and exercise is good for her.

If they pull the, "Well, I'll just ask Santa." I tell them I am writing Santa myself and telling him not to bring it to them. I prefer to take the blame so that Santa can remain perfectly wonderful for them.

Tip #2. Buy used.

Last year, Santa brought Kate an old Bernina sewing machine that probably cost him $20 at a yard sale. ;) He also got her a sewing cabinet to put it in that was just like the one I bought at a school surplus sale, but painted green. She told all her classmates that she could prove Santa was real because he brought her a gift you can't even buy at a store. She believes the machine was probably one of his elves.

This year I found an item on Ethan's list on ksl.com (local classifieds) for less than half the price saving $125.

Tip #3. Recycle.

For Jack last year, Santa brought him a wooden play kitchen. Kate was the only one to notice it was just like one she had when she was little, but Jack's had different knobs and was red instead of white. She figures that it is the pattern Santa always uses.... gotta love Kate, at 10 years old, she is still a true believer!

Since Ethan wants a watch just like his dad's and since Eric rarely wears his, I think it will be very special to pass it down. We are going to take it to the jewelers and have some links removed so that it will fit. I'll save those for him to add back in as he grows up.

Tip #4. Make it yourself.

I am too busy these days to do too much anymore. But, my kids are at the point where they want to give things to friends. This can add up too!

I taught Kate how to sew a simple snap bracelet. She is making these for her friends along with fleece slippers for Ethan and a beaded necklace for Abby. Everything was made with things we had on hand. Abby is making flower headbands for her friends and she did a painting we cut into a puzzle for Jack. Ethan is in a pottery class at school and has made mugs for everyone.

Tip #5. Forget their lists.

I try to pay attention to things my kids really want throughout the year, making little mental notes all the time. I find that all the Christmas ads and catalogs tend to get them caught up in wanting things they really don't want. Kate had wanted a hair straightener for months, but has completely forgotten about it with all the excitement.

I am not afraid to make the decision for her, choosing to get her that in place of something she has asked for. It's considerably less than a small refrigerator, and she is going to love it considerably more!

Tip #6. Comparison shop. I love Amazon for the reviews, but often end up making my purchases elsewhere because of the prices. For my list, Shopko had some great deals as did Old Navy, but I am not opposed to shopping online at overstock.com, amazon, etc. I do tend to avoid Ebay because I am afraid I may be purchasing stole items.

Hope this helps you save some money this year. If you have other tips, let us know. I think everyone is trying to stretch their budget in this economy!

Jolly by Golly Layouts

I think some of our fans are in the Christmas spirit already, check out these fun layouts using Jolly By Golly.

By Lucy:

By Merdrey:

So, have you caught the Christmas spirit yet?

I have! For the first time ever, I hit the Black Friday sales. Eric and I left the house at 4:30 in the morning, fought the crowds and the craziness to save about $150 on presents for our kids. Would I do it again? You betcha...... it was a blast!!!

Here's the scoop. We showed up at the Shopko parking lot at 4:45. Being Black Friday virgins, we were totally surprised by the long line of people waiting to get into the store. I told Eric we should just wait in the warm car and we both agreed that if anything on our list was gone we were going to be "chill" with it.

While we were waiting, I saw our neighbor walking up to get in line. I called her over to chat and found out she had never gone to sleep that night. Because Old Navy was open at 3:00 she just stayed up until then and had been shopping ever since. As we were talking, we saw the line starting to move and decided to go up and get into it. However, on our way up to the line, we saw that there were two sets of doors. Both were open, but the line was only feeding into one set. We simply bypassed the line and went through the other doors.

My neighbor and I were both after the Littlest Pet Shop playset. We found it, but then needed to find the pet pack to go with it. By now, the whole crowd seemed to be in the toy section. We were walking down the aisle when I spotted it on an endcap just ahead of us. There were three left. I really think it was a Christmas miracle that I got the last two for us!

We gathered up the rest of the items on our list and after waiting in line for about 30 minutes we were done. All my Christmas shopping is done now. I do have a couple projects to work on, but that is what I love most about Christmastime!

Free stuff, Family, Falduto.........

Apparently, Julie's bracket from her braces, is sliding across the front of her teeth like a carriage return on an old typewriter. She has an orthodontist appointment this morning, so it's me.

Last week to me seems forever ago. Some of you may have forgot that we are having a drawing today. No worries we haven't forgot.

 Here are the three winners that will each receive two paper crafting kits of their choice:

Donna VW

Avital

April 9:59AM

Email kristen@cosmocricket.com to receive your cool prizes!

I want to thank each of you for all of your great comments about my family. This has been very fun for me. I owe Julie and Eric so much. We tease back and forth but I couldn't ask for better friends, let alone business partners. Eric and Julie if you're reading, Love ya lots!

 To give you an update,Thanksgiving day my wife, kids and I did a video chat with Greg, Lisa, Jen, and the kids. They got to meet my gang and my gang met their's. It was very fun.

This weekend I received emails from every family member including my father and his wife that I have never met. We're going to talk by phone this week. I can't express in words how much they mean to me. These are the very best people and have welcomed with me with open arms. They have gone out of there way to make me a part of their family. I love them!

If you guys want, in the future I'll blog about some of the things that me and my new found family have in common and the numerous coincidence's. I think you will be amazed how much genetics plays in our life.

(You're probably thinking, "Oh no, the world can't handle more than one Lindsay")

I was blown away, really! ( here's a little taste-when I was 18 I lived with my grandparents next door to my sister Jens best friend. I knew the neighbors well and Jen used to come over all of the time but i didn't know any different)

Most of us have some sort of story to tell. Some are funny, some sad, some very personal, some crazy. Thanks for letting me share mine with you and thanks for your support.

Okay, enough about me. Here's a terrific project from someone I refer to as only "falduto." She's amazing! Thanks Lisa for the project and for using Nutmeg!

  Life is complicated, challenging, but not without reward. Have a great day and a great life!

Lindsay

Happy Thanksgiving from Cosmo Cricket!

Just like everyone else, family and friends are at the top of our "thankful list." We hope you enjoy this true-story about ours.

Part one.

Part two.

Lindsay and his brother Greg.

Lindsay and nephew Evan.

Lindsay, his sister Jen, Jen's boyfriend, Lisa (Greg's wife), Greg

Greg, Lisa, Jen and Lindsay

Updates, Reminders, Giveaways

Take a look at our soon-to-be warehouse!

I am amazed at how fast it is being built!

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Just another reminder that your local scrapbook store is most likely having amazing sales for you the day after Thanksgiving. Call them up and see what they're planning. You may be surprised at what they have to offer!

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Check in tomorrow for our Cosmo Cricket Thanksgiving special. I am so excited about the story we are going to be sharing with you. You will definitely see a different side to Cosmo Cricket.

We had intended to do prize giveaways with this post, but after filming yesterday, we all agreed (even prize maniac Lindsay Moore) it's just too special. We don't want anything to detract from the spirit of it.

So, we are giving away prizes today!

Leave us a Thanksgiving thought. Maybe something you are thankful for, maybe someone you are excited to see over the holiday, maybe something wonderful you are planning. Whatever it is, help us all get in the "attitude of gratitude."

We'll announce three winners to recieve two papercrafting kits of their choice on Monday following the holiday. The contest will be open until then.

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For those of you that love layouts, check out these featuring Earth Love. The first is by Heidi Sonboul and the second is by our own Natasja Verbeek.

The New Challenge and Jolly By Golly Projects

For those of you that are longtime blog followers, you know that I am constantly trying to stay in shape and regain my youthful, pre-four-babies figure.

Well, just in time to completely ruin the holiday season I am at it again. It all started with this post on Facebook.

Well, after a phone call to Thom, we have decided on a company challenge with ourselves as the players. Here are the rules:

Start date: Today

End date: CHA Winter 2010

Trust: We will be honest because being dishonest is worse than being flabby.

Measures: We will use the same scale for every weigh in. We will use the percentage of weight lost. The person losing the highest percentage wins.

Other rules: No fads, or gimmicks. These include by are not limited to cleanses, pills, saunas, etc. Just good, old-fashioned diet and exercise. We want to be healthy!

Winner's Prize: The winner will see their new CHA line used in a layout done by the other and posted on the competitor's blog. (Thom thinks he is getting the better deal because we have a much larger blog following. What I didn't tell him is that I'm not a very good scrapbooker...... wait, maybe he isn't either.) The winner may also see their company shirt worn by the other at their booth at the show. We need approval from Thom's boss before promising this though!

Here's what I need from you all....... tons of support! I weigh a bit more than I did at Scrapfest, 5 pounds more to be exact. But, Thom weighs a lot more than me and he's a guy. So, I started a seperate blog, The Julie Diaries, for any who are interested in following all my ups and downs..... hopefully, their all downs! Go there and keep me motivated with helpful tips and encouragement, I'm sure I'll reward you with occassional prizes.

OK, enough of that! I love to get emails from Karola Witczak. I couldn't resist any of the Jolly by Golly project she sent my way. They are all delicious.....

 

 

 
 
 

Christmas Gift Boxes & Black Friday Savings

Your local scrapbook store is most likely going to have some AWESOME Black Friday Specials featuring Cosmo Cricket goodness! You will definitely want to check them out for amazing deals on everything from gift boxes to paper...... Jolly by Golly to Halfway Cafe..... giveaways to make and takes. Call your store and see what they are planning in your area.

You could get Blackboard boxes priced so you can make one for each of your friends. We had our design team make up several all with other products that we offered to stores for their Black Friday promotions. Take a looksie. I love the idea of the packaging being part of the gift!

By Debbie Olson

By Amy Parker

By Yukari Takanashi

By Natasja Verbeek

By Gudrun Loennecken

By Natasja Verbeek

By Gudrun Loennecken

By Laura Craigie

I even have instructions for this one!

1. Measure all the sides of the box and lid, excluding the front where you just want two strips for above and below the window, and cut out pieces of pattern paper to fit. Then ink the edges blue before adhering to the box.
2. Cut out a square of transparency, and glue all four edges, before slipping it into the box and adhering it to the inside front so no candy can get out the window.
3. Add snowman border stickers above and below the window cut out.
4. Draw white ticking marks directly on the blackboard around the window to make it stand out.
5. Wrap a green ribbon around the middle of the box, and tie a bow in the front. Punch two holes into a chipboard snowflake to make a button, and tie the button with hemp cord before attaching it to the middle of the bow.
6. Lastly cut out the woman in red from the Jolly by Golly Elements sheet, and glue her to the front of the box, along with the "For you" sign that's below her, which gets attached to the box lid.

Have a great weekend everyone. If we all get crafting now, maybe we'll be ready for Christmas..... maybe!