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25 Recycled Tin Can Crafts and Projects

Happy Earth Day everyone! In honour of this special day I’ve rounded up 25 recycled tin can crafts and projects. I am amazed at all the incredible things one can do with a simple tin can! Take a peek at all these fun ideas!

Follow Rebecca – Simple as That Blog’s board Recycled Crafts + DIY Projects on Pinterest.

Simple things Sunday | Easter

Welcome back to Simple things Sunday everyone! I got back home Tuesday and it feels like I started making up for all the time I was away as soon as I stepped off the plane! 10 days is a long time to be gone. I’m so grateful to be back with my family and to be well on my way to feeling 100%!
We managed to squeeze in all of our favourite Easter traditions this week: egg dying, hunting for eggs, rolling Easter eggs, reading some of our favourite Easter books. We’re used to chilly temperatures and the occasional Spring snowstorm this time of year, so I couldn’t help feeling a little spoiled with such a beautiful Easter week full of sunshine!
The Easter Bunny comes to our house on Saturday morning and love that we can have Sunday to reflect on the life of the Savior and all the blessings we enjoy #BecauseofHim. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to watch this inspiring video about all that was made possible in my life and in the lives of countless others, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Wishing you all a wonderful Easter Sunday!
What simple moments are you celebrating this week?


-Share your photos with us on Instagram, Twitter, G+, even Pinterest by using the hashtag #SimpleThingsSunday. Stacy on Instagram // Rebecca on Instagram

–Post your photos on the Simple as That Facebook wall anytime! I‘d love to see what’s going on in your world!

-You can also link up here on the blog each weekend starting Saturday nights at 10pm CST!

What is Simple things Sunday?

This weekly photo share is all about taking time to photograph the everyday details that make your life unique, beautiful, and special. We gather here each Sunday to share our photos, to enjoy the beauty found in the ordinary and to be reminded of just how important the simple things truly are. Read all about STS here.


Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins

I’m so pleased to welcome the lovely Cheri, of Kitchen Simplicity to the blog today! She is sharing one of her delicious recipes with us! These carrot cake muffins sounds divine and I can’t wait to try them!   

Carrot cake. What is it that makes it so synonyms with spring? Is it the craving for fresh spring and summer vegetables? Or is it simply the fact that spring = Easter = bunnies = carrots = cake (because really what other associations do you need to turn a healthy vegetable into a decadent cake)?

This time around I decided to keep things on the healthier side by using carrot cake as inspiration for some tasty whole wheat muffins.

The base is fluffy and light, more the texture of a cupcake than a muffin, even though they are 100% whole wheat. And, rather than a thick layer of frosting, the tops are dipped in a sticky cream cheese glaze sweetened with brown sugar and maple. They are just decadent enough to feel like a treat while still being healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast.

If you’re looking for an Easter hostess gift, brunch potluck item, or simply a fun baking project to make with the ! kids, these muffins are perfectly suited for spring.

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins with Maple-Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Glaze

Muffins

  • 1.5 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1.5 cups shredded carrots
Glaze
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. In a separate bowl whisk together oil, egg, milk, vanilla, and sour cream. Stir into flour mixture just until evenly combined. Fold in shredded carrots. Spoon evenly into 12 paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400oF for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

For the glaze: beat together cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or beaters, until smooth. Beat in maple syrup and vanilla until well blended. Once muffins have cooled, dip the tops in the glaze, or spoon the glaze over. Store, covered in the fridge. To freeze: place on a baking sheet in the freezer until frozen, wrap individually in plastic wrap before placing in a large sealable plastic bag to store.

Makes: 12 muffins



Thank you so much for this yummy recipe Cheri! For more scrumptious recipes, meal ideas and beautiful food photography, be sure to swing by Kitchen Simplicity! Here are just a few more of Cheri’s recipes that caught my eye! 

Follow Kitchen Simplicity: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone! 🙂



Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Yogurt
Classic Cinnamon Rolls
Skillet Lasagna
Carrot Cake Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

Simple Things Sunday | At the Farm

It’s hard to believe the weekend is here already – time for Simple things Sunday again! 🙂  I’m still in Canada recovering from surgery. I’m feeling better and better each day and I’m happy to be on my way home soon. Staying at my parents place brings back lots of memories of growing up on the farm. I always loved tagging along with my Dad while he did chores. I still do. It’s been nice to go check on the new calves and feed the cows with my Dad and spend some one on one time with him this week. 🙂


What simple moments made you smile this week?

 We’d LOVE for you to share your photos with us! You can:

-Share your photos as they happen on Instagram, Twitter, G+, even Pinterest by using the hashtag #SimpleThingsSunday. Stacy on Instagram // Rebecca on Instagram

–Post your photos on the SAT Facebook wall anytime! I‘d love to see what’s going on in your world on the Simple as That Facebook page!

-You can also link up here on the blog each weekend starting Saturday nights at 10pm CST!

What is Simple things Sunday?

This weekly photo share is all about taking time to photograph the everyday details that make your life unique, beautiful, and special. We gather here each Sunday to share our photos, to enjoy the beauty found in the ordinary and to be reminded of just how important the simple things truly are. Read all about STS here.



April 2014 General Conference Printables

I look forward to Conference time throughout the year and this past weekends General Conference was as uplifting as ever!  I love jotting down my favorite quotes as I listen to the talks and this year I took a digital approach to note taking. I made some illustrations of my favorite quotes using Rhonna Designs  app on my iPad. You’ll find links to download digital versions of following quotes plus links to a few of my favorite talks. I hope you enjoy and as always, feel free to share with your family and friends!

“Today’s complexity demands greater simplicity.” – Elder L. Tom Perry

“Don’t assume that happiness is the absence of a load. The unique burdens in each of our lives help us rely upon the merits, mercy and grace of the Holy Messiah.” – Elder David A. Bednar

“We can choose to be grateful no matter what.” – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“As we arise each morning let us determine to respond with more love and kindness to whatever might come our way.”
– President Thomas S. Monson

“Gratitude is a catalyst to to all Christ-like attributes. A thankful heart is the parent to all all virtues.”
– President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Blame keeps wounds open, forgiveness heals.” – President Thomas S. Monson

April 2014 General Conference Quotes Printables. 
Click the link above to download the full resolution files. Printable PDF version coming soon.

If you’re looking for more LDS inspiration check out the brand new Pinterest Board: Live it! Love it! LDS. I’m excited to collaborate with an amazing bunch of LDS bloggers in sharing some of the best LDS inspiration out there! On this board you’ll find beautiful LDS themed printables, memorable activity ideas, LDS inspired decor, DIY projects and more! It’s a faith filled board where you can go to be inspired and uplifted.

Follow Jamielyn {iheartnaptime.net}’s board Live it. Love it. LDS. on Pinterest.

Simple Things Sunday | Smile


I’m keeping things easy for #SimpleThingSunday this weekend by sharing this photo I posted on instagram the other day. My husband writing a big exam and myself going in for surgery on the SAME day made for an interesting week. That sweet smile and darling little drawing made me pause in the midst of all the chaos and realize that there are so many things to smile about, even when life is hard. 🙂


“I’ve seen better days, but I have also seen worse. I don’t have everything that I want but I do have all I need. I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up. My life may not be perfect but I am blessed.” – unknown

What simple moments made you smile this week?

 We’d LOVE for you to share your photos with us! You can:

-Share your photos as they happen on Instagram, Twitter, G+, even Pinterest by using the hashtag #SimpleThingsSunday. Stacy on Instagram // Rebecca on Instagram

–Post your photos on the SAT Facebook wall anytime! I‘d love to see what’s going on in your world on the Simple as That Facebook page!

-You can also link up here on the blog each weekend starting Saturday nights at 10pm CST!

What is Simple things Sunday?

This weekly photo share is all about taking time to photograph the everyday details that make your life unique, beautiful, and special. We gather here each Sunday to share our photos, to enjoy the beauty found in the ordinary and to be reminded of just how important the simple things truly are. Read all about STS here.

Easter / Spring Journaling and Filler Cards

Last month, my good friends Crystal Wilkerson and Kristina Proffit, and I shared a fun set of St. Patrick’s  Journaling and Filler cards with you! We had so much fun creating them, that we decided to make this a regular thing! Every month on the fifth we’ll be sharing a new set of printable cards with you and the best part is….they’re FREE! You’ll find details for downloading this months cards below.

We went with an Easter theme for April and I can’t wait to get creating with this set! I’ve got a whole bunch of Easter photos from last year that are begging to be added to a Project Life® album ASAP!

Show us your projects using Freebies on the Fifth Cards:

If you complete a project using some of our #FreebiesOnTheFifth cards we’d LOVE to see! Share them on any one of our Facebook pages (Kristina on FB, Crystal on FB, Simple as That on FB), comment on this blog post with a link to your project or share with us on instagram using hashtag #FreebiesOnTheFifth. We’d love the chance to feature your beautiful creations on Pinterest or any of our other social media outlets!





Each of us contributed three cards, be sure to visit all of our blogs to download the entire set! Download the three Easter Journaling and Filler cards pictured above by visiting this link. Visit Crystal and Kristina’s blogs to download the rest! All cards are available in JPG and PDF format!

Crystal’s Blog // Kristina’s Blog

I hope you enjoy this fun freebie!! We love creating these cute little kits and sure appreciate you taking the time to share them on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! 🙂

Watch for a new digital paper pack from Crystal Wilkerson that coordinates with April’s cards coming soon. I’ll be sure to share a link when it’s available for purchase!

If you’re in search of more Spring + Easter inspiration, stop by my Spring Pinterest board where I’ve been pinning all kinds of fun stuff!

Follow Rebecca – Simple as That Blog’s board spring on Pinterest.

I’m linking up with I Heart Nap Time, Lil’ Luna, Somewhat Simple, Tatertots & Jello and Today’s Creative Blog for Link Party Palooza!

Funny Bunny Easter Hairdo

My girls and I have had a lot of fun doing silly hairdos for some of our favourite holidays! We did this Rudolph hairdo for Christmas and this Silly Spider hairdo for Halloween and we thought we’d continue the tradition with a fun hairstyle for Easter! We call this Funny Bunny hair and it really is so easy, just follow the steps below to create the look yourself!

We started with a simple ballet bun and a short list of supplies that we picked up at our nearest Michaels Craft Store! The bun itself isn’t anything fancy. I simply put my girls hair in a pony tail, then wrapped the remaining hair around the elastic, twisting as I went and securing it with bobby pins around the base.

Supplies you need to create this funny bunny hairdo:

Scissors
Large googly eyes
White pipe cleaners
Pink + White felt
Bobby Pins
Hot glue gun

How to make the bunny pieces:


1. For the bunny’s nose, we cut a small circle out of pink felt. 

2. Next we slipped the pink felt circle inside a bobby pin. 

3. Using a hot glue we glued the pompom to the felt.




4. For the bunny’s ears, we cut out two pieces of white felt in the shape pictured above. We also cut one piece of pink felt the same shape, but slightly smaller, to fit inside the white pieces.

5. We then bent a white pipe cleaner in the shape of the ears. With the ends sticking out the bottom slightly, we placed the pipe cleaner between the two layers of white felt and glued in place. The pipe cleaner is what will help the ears keep their shape and allows you to push the ears down into the hair bun.

6. We then glued two large eyes that we made using cardstock and a black sharpie to two bobby pins for the bunny’s eyes. You can also use extra large googly eyes for this.

7. Lastly, we cut 3 white pipe cleaners into 3 equal parts for the bunny’s whiskers.


Now that we had all the pieces for the bunny we were ready to put them in the hair. With the bun already securely in place, we began with the bunny’s ears. We slipped them in the top of the bun. The ears may need to be secured in place with bobby pins.


Next, we placed the bunny’s eyes into the top of bun, just in front of the ears. Then we added the bunny’s nose to the centre of the bun. We finished things off by adding the bunny’s whiskers sticking out either side of the bun. That’s all there is to it! 

I hope you have as much fun with this fun Easter hairdo as we did! My girls are so excited to wear their hair to school like this later in the month! For more Spring and Easter inspiration be sure to visit Michaels Stores on Pinterest!

If you liked this tutorial you might also like:

Easter Book Page Bunting















Tissue Paper Baby Chicks



















28 Kids books for Spring + Easter
















Spring Lei












Rainbow Color Mixing








Egg carton Bunny + Chick

April 2014 Visiting Teaching Printables

April is here and I’ve got another set of FREE Visiting Teaching printables for you. Today I’m sharing a few different sized printables focused on this months message, The Diving Mission of Jesus Christ: Savior and Redeemer. You’ll find the links to download them below.
This months quotes are available in 4 different sizes: 4×6, 5×7, as well as small gift tags and bookmark versions. They can be printed inexpensively at your local photo lab or they’re available in PDF format for easy printing at home. 

Some ideas of how to use these printables:

Print out a bookmark that your sisters can keep in their scriptures as a reminder of this months lesson.

Print the 4×6 or 5×7 version and put in an inexpensive photo frame (IKEA frames are great!) and your sisters can switch out the prints with each months new VT lesson.

Purchase an inexpensive mini 4×6 photo album for your sisters to collect their 4×6 sized quotes in each month. They will have a wonderful mini album full of inspiration by the end of the year!

Attach one of the gift tags to a small bag of Easter treats. I found some yummy DOVE Coconut cream eggs at Target that coordinated with the prints and I may have sampled a couple – they were delicious!)

Print the 4×6 or 5×7 version and adhere a small piece of magnetic strip to the back so your sisters can display the quote on their fridge throughout the month.




You can download the April 2014 Visiting Teaching printables here in the size of your choice. There are four subfolders, one for each size available. Click on the size you’d like, then click to download the PDF or JPG version as a zipped file. If you’re a quote collector like I am, you can find the February 2014 Visiting Teaching printable here and the March 2014 Visiting Teaching printables here. 

If you enjoy these quotes please tell your friends where they can find them by sharing via Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter! Thank you so much and enjoy! 

If you’re looking for more LDS inspiration check out this brand new Pinterest Board: Live it! Love it! LDS. I’m excited to collaborate with an amazing bunch of LDS bloggers in sharing some of the best LDS inspiration out there! On this board you’ll find beautiful LDS themed printables, memorable activity ideas, LDS inspired decor, DIY projects and more! It’s a faith filled board where you can go to be inspired and uplifted.

Follow the Live it. Love it. LDS. board on Pinterest.

Simple things | A Girl and her Bear

Over the past few weeks Alivia has developed quite an attachment to this little hand-me-down teddy bear. This bear has been with us everywhere we go – the grocery store, football practise, running club, the park and of course goes to bed with her each night! Preschool is on the horizon for this baby girl of mine and I’m feeling all too aware of how quickly time is slipping by. With my iPhone in hand, I cling to the smallest details of babyhood that still remain. I know I will treasure these photos of my girl and her bear, to help me remember this darling stage she’s in.

Welcome back to Simple things Sunday everyone! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be celebrating life’s little moments with YOU in 2014! If you haven’t heard about Simple Things Sunday, read all about it here and we invite you to come join the fun, however you’d like!

How to share your photos with us:

-Share your photos as they happen on Instagram, Twitter, G+, even Pinterest by using the hashtag #SimpleThingsSunday. Stacy on Instagram // Rebecca on Instagram

-I’d love to see what’s going on in your world on the Simple as That Facebook page! Just share your photos on the SAT Facebook wall anytime!

-You can also link up here on the blog each weekend starting Saturday nights at 10pm CST!

I’m so happy to be back on this journey to capturing the simple things in 2014 and I invite you to join us, it’s going to be amazing! #SimpleThingsSunday

I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who joined us for our very first LIVE Facebook chat this past week. It was so much fun connecting with all of you! We’d love to do it again sometime in the future we enjoyed it so much. If you want to see some of the conversations, read up on a few of the photos tips that were shared you can access that chat conversations here using hashtag #STS_FBchat.

Simple things Sunday is about slowing down and capturing life’s everyday details. Taking joy in the simple things is the focus and Sunday is the day we get together to reflect on our experiences from the week and share our photos with each other. You can share by linking up on mine or Stacy’s blogs, you can share on Instagram using the #simplethingssunday hashtag. You can even stop by the Simple as That or Kids Stuff World Facebook pages to share your photos with us! Whatever works best for you, works for us!

We want Simple things Sunday To Be:

A simple and easy way to share your favourite photos with others on a weekly basis

A place to find inspiration in photographing real life moments

A community of friends that gather together to share, encourage and uplift each other through a common love of photography

A collection of beautiful and inspiring photos

A way to encourage eachother to look for joy in each day and celebrate the simple moments in life

Follow on Instagram

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