Objects vs. Experiences for Mother's Day

I recently listened to a Stuff You Should Know podcast about whether objects or experiences make us happier. It was pretty conclusive that experiences win almost all the time.

So, with Mother's Day just around a day away, if you haven't found a gift for your mama yet, don't fret.  Craftsy is having a mondo sale this weekend.  Why don't you buy a new experience for you mom instead of another scented candle.

Craftsy has a wide variety of classes that you can take at your own pace.  Once you purchase a class, you have access to it forever so you never have to worry about it expiring or getting locked out.

There's a ton of topics available too at various skill levels. Whether your mom wants to learn cake decorating, knitting, quilting, or maybe something totally different, there's a Craftsy class to help her learn.  And this weekend, select classes are $20.00 making many classes super affordable- $25 or less.

I've taken several classes from Craftsy in the past, and have always been very happy with the results, I'm sure you mom will be too.

I am a Craftsy Affiliate, but only recommend companies I believe have true value.  All opinions are my own.

It's National Craft Month!

Did you guys know that March is National Craft Month?  I can see why March would be the choice month.  It's starting to finally warm up, so you aren't in a snow-coma anymore, but you can't really go outside and start digging in the dirt yet.  So March is the perfect time to try a new craft and Craftsy has plenty to choose from. Whether you want to try cake decorating, jewelry making, or something else, Craftsy is a great place to start.

I've talked before about how awesome I think Craftsy is, but if you haven't checked them out yet, there's no better time than now.  Want to know why?

1. Classes are at your schedule.  If you want to watch a lesson a day, a week, a month, it's your call.  There's no limit to how fast or how slow you have to go through the material.  You can also ask questions and help fellow students, or not.  It's your choice.  It can be as interactive as you want it to be.  Share pictures of your progress- or don't.  It's your call.

2. Access to your class never expires.  You can refer back to a video anytime you like, skip ahead to the part you're looking for, or rewatch  the whole thing- your call.

3. Try something new and don't worry about being bad at it.  Want to try your hand at sourdough bread?  Craftsy can teach you how.  And if your first batch is awful, no one needs to know.  :)  You learn in the privacy of your own home, at your pace.  You don't have to worry about sitting next to that ultra competitive person in class, because it's all online.

4. Craftsy has a satisfaction guarantee.  You have 30 days to try out your class, and if it's just not your cup of tea, they will refund your purchase.  I've never had to take them up on this, but it's nice to know it's there.

5.  And now is the perfect time because all classes are on sale!  But you have to hurry!  The sale ends Monday!  So if you've been wondering about Craftsy, now's your opportunity.  Give it a shot.  You got nothing to lose and so much to learn!

Note: All links in this post are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Craftsy's Big Fall Sale is Happening NOW!

Have you heard Craftsy's BIG Fall Course Sale is happening now? Learn from the world's best instructors in the comfort of your home, when you shop up to 50% off ALL online classes! Once you enroll you can watch your classes anytime, anywhere, forever. Hurry, offer expires September 22, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT. Shop Craftsy's BIG Fall Course Sale and save. 

I finally broke down and bought the Homemade Italian Pasta class.  It was half price and with winter coming soon, I figured it was the perfect time to learn to make pasta.  And I can finally try out that hand crank pasta machine I got at a garage sale this summer.  Hurray!

So if you want to learn a new craft, now is the time to enroll.  Learn at your own pace in a supportive community with great instructors.  Whether it's cake decorating, quilting, Thai cooking or something in between, Craftsy has a class for it.

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Note: As an affiliate for Craftsy, I do receive a commission for any classes bought through my referral links, but I only endorse products or companies that I myself would use.  I'm a big fan of Craftsy and highly recommend them.

Craftsy Sale is Ending Soon

Just a reminder that Craftsy's big sale runs through Saturday and then it's done!  So what did I find that I couldn't live without?  I managed to pass by all the fabrics, but I did enroll in two more classes.  I have tried my hand at knitting and crocheting without much success, so I decided to give the Craftsy beginner classes a try and enrolled in Crochet Lab Class and Knit Lab Class.  Both teach the foundations of their respective field and I'm hoping to get more proficient this winter when Wisconsin is buried in snow.  Both classes were on sale for only $9.99 each, so I think it will pay off since I seem to do better with video lessons than with books.

I love that I can watch the videos for class when I want, at my own pass.  My access to the classes never expire and the PDF handouts are super handy to refer back to without having to fast forward through the video.  So, just wanted to remind you all that if you were thinking of trying any Craftsy class, now is the time.  They're almost all on sale and Craftsy does have a 100% guarantee that you'll be happy with your class.  I've always been happy with everything I've gotten from Craftsy and I really think you will be too.

A Sale, a Win, and Making Progress

Wow!  This week has totally flown by!  First off, I want to tell you all that Zulily is having a special 72 hour web sale.  They're also giving blog readers an additional 10% off if you use coupon code SCRTSALE54.   There's lots of great brands on right now, like Clarks shoes,  Sistema containers for leftovers and food storage, Betsy Johnson sunglasses, a Pet Lover's collection, and a special kitchen section that's all priced less than $15.  Click the ad below to check it all out, and don't forget to use the coupon code for more savings!  The sale will end at 8am Sunday morning.

 

I got home from work last night and found an email from Simply Stacie notifying me that I had won the giveaway for month's supply of Seagram's ginger ale!  Super excited.  I don't drink much soda, but if I do, it's usually ginger ale.  Plus, a month's supply is six 12 packs!  72 cans?!  That will last me way longer than a month!

Lunch with my friend Lori was a great way to spend my day off.  I found some things for my Local Flavors swap partner, and also stopped at a store that sells bulk foods and got some bread flour and instant yeast for my bread making class.  We had a delicious lunch at this pop up restaurant we eat at a lot.   I got chicken Caesar salad tacos and they were so good!  Basically, just some grilled taco shells stuffed with Caesar salad fixings, but somehow they taste so much better than if I'd have made them.  We also went to the local libraries book sale and I found a lot of books that were like new for only $1 each.  And of course we had to hit up the thrift shop.  It was a good day. 

Then, it was my mom's birthday yesterday so we ran and did a little shopping before I had to be to work in the afternoon.  I bought some Christmas presents and found a few more things for my Local Flavors swap buddy.  It was fun, but I had to drink a lot of coffee to make it through a full day at work.

Finally, I have two six foot trellises on my deck with morning glories winding up them.  They haven't flowered or had a blossom or anything, so I was starting to think they didn't like the spot I had them in or something.  Then, Wednesday, I worked the day shift so I got home around 4pm and was watering my flowers and veggies on the deck, when I noticed my morning glories appeared to have flowered but they were already closed for the day.  Yesterday I got up early to go with my mom and I forgot to luck, so today I put my coffee on to brew and grabbed my camera and headed out.  And it finally happened!  One pot has four flowers on it.  So I snapped a pic.  Sorry for the brightness, but I'm not sure how long they'll stay open and I wanted to be sure to catch them.  So here's a picture of my beauties.

Three Flying Saucers and a white one- don't remember the name.

So anyway, I'm hoping to have a crafty weekend and get some more substantial things posted next week.  But, it was a very good week here, just busy!