Thanks for all the love!

Since a little picture of our Hand-Etched Maple Snowflake Ornaments was featured as the Instagram Favorite in this month's Martha Stewart Living, we've definitely been getting a lot of love!  I can't thank you all enough for the attention and orders you've given my little Etsy shop - thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Since then I've been a busy little bee working on all these awesome orders.  We had a little setback at first as the maples I cut took an eternity to dry for some reason - very frustrating when orders are piling up and you feel like you're just sitting there watching paint dry!  Thankfully we seem to be past that and our orders are getting turned around well within their estimated ship time.  

After the Christmas rush is done I have ideas for more wood products for the shop, including iPhone stands, wooden buttons, and wedding decorations - my favorite!  Can't wait to bring in lots more products in the New Year!  

Proud to say: As seen in Martha Stewart Living Magazine!

Pinch me, I must be dreaming... 

Honored, thrilled, and amazed to be able to say that a photo of our hand-etched maple snowflakes is featured in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine!  You can find us right on page 8.  

To celebrate, I'm offering 20% off everything in my Etsy shop through Nov. 24th, just use the coupon code MARTHA at checkout.  Please visit our shop and help us celebrate!   

Coupon code expires 11/24/14. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just be over here framing this magazine..

Have you seen what's new?

Have you stopped in the Etsy shop to see what's new yet?  I've added some more jewelry, a nursery print, and more options for our super-popular Hand-Etched Maple Snowflake Ornament.  

Our set of three ornaments is doing really well and I've been busy thinking of more ideas for ornaments for you all!  

New Etsy items - and a coupon code!

Today I've put a few more items up in my Etsy shop and will be adding some more.  Please check them out and let me know what you think!  
I've also added a coupon code to get 10% off orders over $25, just use this code:  10PERCENTOFF25

Thanks so much!  

Art Caddy

A few weeks ago my mom picked up this Longaberger silverware caddy for me from a yard sale for $1.  I couldn't find the exact item on their website, but a different style of silverware caddy is listed on there for $65.  Gotta love yard sales.  

I didn't really see myself using it as a silverware caddy though so I decided to ditch the fabric insert and use it as an art caddy on my little craft desk and I absolutely love it.  It's great for corralling brushes, markers, pens, and scissors - not to mention it looks really nice against the yellow walls.  I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this re-purpose!  

Pampers Rewards

File this one under "things I wish I started sooner..."

So our little one is almost 11 months old, and though I'd seen the Pampers Rewards numbers on her packages of diapers and wipes I never bothered to look into it ("Ain't nobody got time for that!").  

But the other week my sister-in-law was saying how she's been doing Pampers Rewards for awhile now and has been getting rewarded with photobooks and toys for free... that got my attention.  So I checked it out and signed up, it's pretty straightforward - make an account and enter the codes printed on packages of diapers and wipes.  Once you have some points you can redeem them for all sorts of things - everything from contributions to charity, to free credits at Shutterfly, to free toys.  And to make it easier there's even an app where you can enter codes on the fly from your phone (though I wish you could just scan the code instead of entering it.. now that would be easy!).  Consistency pays off too - if you enter codes every month without skipping a beat you get rewarded every three months with little gifts.  

Now if only I had started this when she was first born, then I'd be able to order all our Christmas cards for free!  

Tip:  Make sure to like Pampers on Facebook too - they periodically post free codes to help you boost your points!  

UPDATE (May, 2015):  Pampers updated their app so now you can scan codes with the camera on your phone rather than typing them in (hooray!).  As of right now this feature is a little glitchy, but hopefully they'll work out these bugs soon.  

Want to see what we've gotten from Pampers Rewards?  Check out my other posts:  

• Our First Pampers Rewards:  Free Gifts for Buying Diapers!  (Step2 Little Bakers Cupcake Set)
• Our 2nd Pampers Rewards:  Little Tikes Shopping Cart
• Our 3rd Pampers Rewards:  Potty Training Chart
• Our 4th Pampers Rewards:  Melissa and Doug Tool Kit

Please note items available from Pampers Rewards are subject to change.  

Craft Fair this weekend!

This Saturday we'll be at the LRGH Craft fair with the awesome Treacy Homemade, and we'll also have a few items for sale from The Little Snowflake!  Hope to see you there!  

5 Tips for Perfect Cookies - Every Time!

I always get told I make the best cookies, but making amazing cookies isn't all about the recipe - technique is what makes a good recipe great!  Read on for my 5 tips to make perfect cookies, every time.  | This post contains affiliate links |

5 Tips for Perfect Cookies

Sift

Make sure to sift all your dry ingredients. Doing this breaks up any clumps of flour or baking soda, combines everything evenly, and helps make your cookies light and fluffy.

Parchment Paper

Always line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, this is key to getting the cookie bottoms that perfect light golden brown. If you're planning on doing several batches of cookies make sure to round the corners of the parchment with some scissors first, as the sharp corners of the paper can start to burn after a few times in the oven.

Cookie Scoop

A cookie scoop is probably one of the best little investments you'll make in the kitchen and I don't know how I ever lived without mine. Using a cookie scoop ensures you get uniform-sized cookies every time and makes the whole process of getting your cookies ready for the oven go so much faster.

Time

Always bake your cookies for the lower suggested time.  Cookies that are just cooked all the way through make for the softest, chewiest cookies.  If they aren't cooked in the middle yet you can always put them back in for another minute or two, but it's best to start with the lowest time.  

Your Secret Weapon - the "Bread Trick"

Accidentally over-cook the cookies?  Forget to cover them on the counter?  Believe it or not, the magical solution for over-cooked or stale cookies is just a slice of sandwich bread and a big ziplock.  Put all the cookies in a gallon ziplock bag, throw in a slice of bread, seal, and leave for a few hours - the cookies will get softer as the bread gets staler.  Magic!  

Looking for a yummy new cookie recipe?  Be sure to check out my recipe for Grandma Dot's Apple Cookies!  

Alright, now go make some amazing cookies (and share some with me, please?)