DIY Ironing Mat

**Would you believe I've had people ask me to make these for them? Which is a bit of terrific... I have listed it on Etsy if you're interested in your own custom mat!

First, a confession.  I have no issues with confessing this to you, my friends, because I know you won't judge me.

I'm having an affair.  His name is Canon.  He's a Rebel.  I found him on Amazon.com.  It was love at first sight.  My husband knows about him and is surprisingly supportive.

I got a new camera!  So now I'm learning about ISO (which, for those of you not in the know, is pronounced EYE-SO and has to be shouted because it's in all caps) and aperture and a billion other things that are completely confusing to me.

Ansel Adams, look out.

On to today's project!  I got an iron for Christmas and it's amazing.  It's also bigger than my head, not sure why.  But I don't have an ironing board.  More importantly, I don't want an ironing board.  They are large, bulky and have to be put away which is always a production.  So I found something on Pinterest that I thought would work great.

I got some fabric in two patterns, a yard of each, and a yard of Insul-Batting.  I also got some magnets and puffy paint which I did not end up using.

I measured the top of my dryer and pinned the fabric together, right-side out.  I cut the fabric using the measurements, making sure to leave plenty on the sides.

Once I had the measurements right, I grabbed a fat square of fabric and laid out my magnets on it.

I folded the fabric over and cut it.  I pinned all the magnets in place for sewing.

I hand-stitched around the magnets.  I didn't want them to slide around, so I made sure they were pretty snug.

Once that was done, I stitched the magnet ensemble to the wrong side of my bottom fabric.  I made sure to place it so that it would stick to the sides of the dryer.

I tested it out before stitching, just to be sure it would fit OK...

Then I laid the batting on the bottom fabric...

And pinned the top fabric to it, tucking the ends in as I went.

I enlisted the help of my super-awesome Aunt Lois to sew up the sides because she's got a black belt in sewing machine.  Sewing up the edges took her about five minutes.

And then I took it home and tried it out.  It is too cute and works great!

In a project for one of these that I saw, they used puffy paint on the bottom to stop the mat from sliding around... the magnets I got must be super-strong because the mat doesn't slide at all.  And I can leave this up on the dryer if I want to, it's so pretty!

Oh, and the whole thing cost about $10... I love when pretty is thrifty too!

**Would you believe I've had people ask me to make these for them? Which is a bit of terrific... I have listed it on Etsy if you're interested!

Linking up at...
 

Walgreens and CVS Deals for the week of 1/29/2012

Go buy yourself a paper today, there are some good coupons!  Also, you look pretty this morning.

Here are the deals for this week at your favorite drug stores:


Walgreens

St. Joseph Enteric Aspirin, 36 count, 81mg dose $2.00
Buy 1, get $2.00 RR
FREE after RR

Pur-Absorb Iron Supplement, 28 packets $10.00
Buy 1, get $10.00 RR
FREE after RR


Blink Tears Eye Drops, 0.5 oz. $8.00, On Sale thru 1/29
Use $1 off coupon from coupons.com!
Pay $7.00, get $8.00 RR
$1 Moneymaker after RR!

Mars Snickers Creme Heart $0.50, Regular Price
Use $1.00/2 Mars Valentine’s Day Product from RP 1/29
2 for FREE

CVS

Buy 6 Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick Antiperspirant/ Deodorant, 2.3-3 oz $1.99
Spend $12.00, get $6.00 ECBs when you buy Select Products, Limit 2
Use 3 B1G1 Free Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick, Excludes Trial Size, from SS 1/29 (exp 2/15)
Pay $5.97, Receive $6.00 ECBs
FREE after ECB

Buy 3 Hallmark Cards $0.99
Pay $2.97, get $3.00 ECBs
FREE after ECB

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bunny, Cadbury Egg, Reese’s Single Egg, 1.2 oz, Cadbury Mini Eggs, 1.5 oz $0.87, through 1/31 only
Buy 1, get $0.87 ECBs, Limit 1
FREE after ECB

Happy shopping!

Or-You-Could Lasagna

I think that most people have a lasagna recipe... lasagna is one of those staple meals that is included in most families' menus at least every once in a while.  My lasagna recipe is pretty easy, but for the purposes of this post, I have titled it:

Or-You-Could Lasagna

Since lasagna is so versatile, you can take liberties with the recipe to make it fit your family.  Behold, the Or-You-Could Lasagna.

Brown some ground beef in a skillet... or you could use ground pork... or you could use Italian sausage.

Add 15oz of tomato sauce, a small can of tomato paste and a paste can amount of water... or you could use your favorite marinara or pasta sauce.

Add a palm full of Italian seasoning... or you could use your favorite basil/oregano mixture.  Give it a healthy amount of garlic powder too... or you could use real garlic (be careful though, it can burn).

Stir it all together and cover, letting it simmer for about 20 minutes... or you could simmer it for 30 minutes.

Grab a box of no-boil noodles... or you could boil some regular noodles.

Mix an egg with a cup of cottage cheese... or you could use ricotta.

Put some of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan... or you could use 8x11.  Spoon the sauce in... or you could use a ladle.

Pour a little of the cottage or ricotta cheese mixture on top and stir it all together... or you could leave it.

Sprinkle some shredded mozzerella on top, about a cup... or you could use two.

Put your no-boil noodles on top... or you could use regular noodles.

Keep layering until you get to the top.  You could finish off with cheese... or you could do what I do and finish with the meat sauce/cottage cheese mixture.

Cover this with foil and bake for about 40 minutes at 375... or you could bake it for 45 minutes at 350.

Take it out of the oven and remove the foil.  Add another cup of mozzerella... or you could use two.

Bake for another 5 minutes... or you could bake it for another 10.

Good gracious.

Cut it up and serve it... or you could tell your family that it didn't turn out right, send them out for pizza, and eat it out of the pan with a fork.  Whichever.