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2015 Printable Calendar
The year is quickly coming to a close and before we know it, 2015 will be here. Yikes! Am I the only one who believes that time just speeds up as you get older? As a kid, it seemed like a year lasted forever, but now it is over in the blink of an eye. I guess that’s just part of growing up, right? So before December gets here, we are sharing our NEW 2015 printable calendar!
Get a jump start on filling in all of those important dates.
No worries. This calendar if for the full year, so you can plan out everything you need until next New Year’s Eve if you wish.
And there is plenty of extra white space to write directly on the calendar.
Click on the image below to download the 2015 Printable Calendar from Elizabeth Joan Designs. All of our printables are currently FREE for download, for personal use only. (View Terms of Use.)
Click the image below for the free PDF link. Please download the file and open with Adobe Reader to ensure proper print sizing. When printing, make sure that Page Scaling is set to “Fit Printable Area.”
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Fill In Grocery List & Menu 
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Thank You Cards -
Image Transfer Ideas
One of the things that we enjoy the most is trying to figure out how we can DIY something in different ways. Neither Emily, nor I, own an electronic cutting machine, such as a Silhouette or Cricut, so coming up with a way to do images transfers has always been a challange. However, it is one that we accept with open arms.
Lucky for us, our friend Jeanette, from Snazzy Little Things, has created a great round up of image transfer ideas (she is also doing a series on Image Transfers Made Simple.) Plus, many of these ideas would make a great idea for holiday gifts!
Chalkboard Lettering 
Cable Spool Clock 
French Lettered Milking Stool 
Chalk Cloth Map
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Crock Pot Pizza Soup
Something about the fall/winter seasons and crock pots just go hand in hand. Maybe it is the cooler weather, the shorter days, or my extreme laziness, but I often find that using a slow cooker makes my life a lot easier this time of year. One of the recipes that frequently gets requested is Pizza Soup, a simple, yet delicious, meal that can appease even the pickiest of eaters.
My favorite thing about this soup is that it can be thrown together in flash and is totally customizable based upon your own personal tastes. Love pepperoni, but hate veggies? Great! Despise the meats, but diggin’ mushrooms and peppers? You win too! The possibilities are endless. Here is how I made our soup this time.
First, I gathered all of the ingredients.
browned ground sausage / 1/2 cup quartered pepperoni / 1/4 cup grated parmesan /
one jar of four cheese pasta sauce / 1 cup chopped mild banana peppers /
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning / 1/2 tsp garlic powder / 16 oz. tomato sauce /
mozzarella cheese (not pictured) / water (not pictured)We’ve found that we love this recipe a bit spicy, but if you prefer less heat, feel free to reduce the amount of banana peppers or omit them completely. Heck, just throw in any of your favorite pizza ingredients and you will be sure to have a soup that makes your mouth water.
Next, I added all of the ingredients to the crock pot, except the mozzarella cheese. (After I emptied the jar of pasta sauce, I filled it with water and add that as well.)
Then, mix everything together. It may look a bit like hot lava, but at this point, will not burn your finger prints off when touched.
Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours. Add some mozzarella cheese to the top and watch it melt. Yum! Serve with a bread stick if you like.
Seriously, this soup is so easy to whip up and my family wolfs it down in no time. Plus, it can fix that pizza craving without us having to call a delivery man!
Crock Pot Pizza Soup from Elizabeth Joan Designs
Yield
12 servings (serving size: 1 cup)Ingredients
• 1 lb. ground sausage (browned)
• 1/2 cup quartered pepperoni
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 jar four cheese pasta sauce
• 1 cup chopped mild banana peppers
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 16 ounces tomato saucePreparation
1. Combine all ingredients, except mozzarella cheese, in crock pot.
2. Fill empty pasta sauce jar with water and add to crock pot.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, until soup is bubbling around edges. (Times my vary.)
4. Serve with shredded mozzarella cheese on top.____________________________________________________________________ You may also like:
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A Simple Desk Redo with Big Meaning
I have been working hard on transforming my oldest son’s room from nursery to a “big boy” room. I am so excited to share this desk redo with you and the meaningful story that goes along with it.
We grew up in a small town in Ohio. During the days when our parents were working and my big sister (Erin) was at school, I spent my time at an in home daycare. Lucky for me, it was also our grandparents’ house.
I have so many fond memories from this period of my life. One of my favorites is the time when my cousin Amy and I discovered where our grandfather kept his secret stash of chewing tobacco. The hiding spot was in the bottom, back of a drawer in his desk. In the exchange for our silence in not telling our grandmother, he gave my cousin and I our very own special drawer in that same desk to keep our drawings and art work in. Our Grandpa was definitely not someone who was afraid of conflict, but he always said “Grandma is the boss and don’t want to make Boss Nanny mad.” So we kept our silence and our drawer.
It has now been 25 years since then and our grandpa has passed away. The desk remains in pretty good shape and I am now the proud owner.
When I first inherited the desk, I opened each of the drawers and was hit with a very familiar smell. Tobacco. Ah, Grandpa. As I opened our special drawer, I saw crayon marks all along the walls of the it. The memories just kept coming back to me.
As much as I loved this desk as it was, it did need a little work. When trying to decided what to do with it, I thought about my grandpa and how back in 2010 he was in the nursing home, not doing too well. I was pregnant with my first son and he kept saying he wanted to see that baby before he died. He did end up getting his wish and I hope our grandfather would be pleased that my oldest son will be getting this desk in his room.
To spruce this baby up, I first sanded down the entire exterior.
Next, it was time for the stain. Using a natural brush I applied a coat of Minwax Special Walnut to the desk and drawer fronts. I made sure to wipe off any excess stain that did not soak into the wood with a rag.
Then, I used a synthetic brush and swept on three coats of Minwax Polycrylic. I love this stuff because it is water based and does not leave the surface looking yellow.
Finally, I added some new hardware, stood back, and admired my work.
I just love how it turned out and my little guy is pretty excited too. His one and only request was that we display a few pictures of our family on top of it. Do most four year old boys request pictures of their parents to have in their bedroom? I think it is so sweet. I found these fun art frames at Tiny Prints and they work perfectly for our needs.
It’s so wonderful to have this meaningful piece of furniture in my home. And someday, when my son gets older I will have the pleasure of explaining to him why his desk smells so weird. Haha.
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Upcycled Tripod Table 
Upcycled Corkboard 
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