Sunday Southern Days

Let Me be clear. I don't sew much. I don't make my own clothes or who up curtains in my free time (yet). This is a very basic tutorial on how a non-sewer can make very inexpensive pillow covers with an hour and some cute fabric. Here we go! First, you have to find a pillow form and the right fabric. If found this fun print at Hobby Lobby. You need the form first to know how much fabric to buy. Measure your pillow's circumference and add 6" for our seams and overlap. Iron your fabric so it's nice and flat before we begin pinning. First, we are going to pin the entire perimeter (all 4 edges), and run them all through the sewing machine to create the hem. Iron the edges again. Lay the fabric right side up and fold two of the opposite ends in toward the middle, overlapping them by 3-4". Measure the new width of the pillow case as it lays flat to ensure its within 1" of the pillow form's width. Depending on how ...

I was cleaning my kitchen this morning (Hello Saturday) and felt like the oven could use a little refresh. Hosting the holidays was tough on it and there we're plenty of drips and splatters needing attention.  I put together a little concoction using typical household ingredients and it worked perfectly: 1/4 c Dawn 1/2 c White Vinegar 1/2 c Baking Soda Mix in a large bowl, as the baking soda will foam up when contacting the other ingredients. Blend with a fork.  Spread a thin layer on the bottom of your oven and inside the open oven door. Thin is important, since you'll be wiping out all that Dawn later and it's not like you can hose out your oven.  Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes and wipe clean with a damp rag. I use a piece of steel wool to give the inside of the glass door a little extra attention.  No harsh chemicals or smells and the oven looks great. 

This recipe was inspired by the dinner party we are attending tonight -- Southern menu. So what better to make than bread pudding? Ingredients: 5-6 cups cubed Italian bread 7 eggs, beaten 2 1/2 c sugar 2 c milk Topping:  1 stick butter 1 c brown sugar 1 1/2 c crushed pecans Cube the bread and set out overnight to dry out. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Slowly beat in the sugar, then the milk. Pour this mixture over the bread and allow to sit 10-15 minutes.  In a medium mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add in the crushed pecans and brown sugar and blend together.  Pour the soaked bread and liquid into the prepared pan and top with the crumble topping.  Bake for 35-50 minutes, until the dish sets up. I like to use a glass dish so I can keep an eye on the bottom of the bread pudding and ensure it doesn't overlook on the bottom.  Serve...

As a new(er) mom, I sought out the advice of moms before me when my little one had her first cold. Of course, so many advice gets thrown at you, but when they're too little for medicine, here is the best combination of remedies to help baby colds and congestion: Of course, do not use this as a substitution for professional medical advice. This is just what's helped at our house, and I hope it can help at yours too. Stay fabulous,

This year, I decided to make a chicken Halloween costume for Toula.  So easy: 2 white feather boas 1 white onesie  Yellow tights Safety pins I started at the top of the onesie loosely wrapping the boa around the onesie in a spiral formation, pinning it on the inside every 6" or so. About half way down, I needed to start the second boa. Be sure to avoid the arm holes so you can get your little one in and out of it through the bottom snaps.  I had her wear an additional undershirt so the pins weren't against her body. She didn't put up a fuss at all! Such an easy, inexpensive costume that no one else had at the party (sorry Spider-Man and Elsa). Stay fabulous,

I know I am not alone in receiving an onslaught of "artwork" sent home from school. Aside from a Rubbermaid bin, I'm running out of display ideas. Today, 6 Halloween pieces arrived in my daughter's backpack, too cute to toss. So I got to work with a 5 minute craft: School Art Banner 1.0 I popped two holes in each piece to thread through a ribbon, creating a little display garland for my kitchen.  Here is the final product: Stay fabulous,

As my journey on the 21 Day Fix continues, I'm all about tools to make my life a little easier. So I've created this printable PDF for menu planning. I just keep a stack of 20 or so on a clip board and pop one off when I need to plan the next day. Click here for a downloadable PDF If you are interested in trying the 21 Day Fix or have questions about the program, contact me anytime at  kyrapoulos@gmail.com  or visit:  https://www.facebook.com/beachbodykyra . I'm always posting progress, inspiration, Shakeology receipes, and more.