Affordable Professional Outfits for Library Workers 15 Feb 5:29 PM (2 months ago)

As an Amazon Affiliate I may receive a small commission when you click through my links, which cost you nothing.

I’ve worked in libraries over 20 years and I’ve always needed outfits that are professional and neat in appearance but allow me to bend, stoop, lift, push and stand on my feet all day while working in drafty or hot buildings.

I’ve always been a fan of cardigans for laying, but now that I’m older I’m embracing the
sweater blazer. I bought this sweater blazer in black, wine or burgundy and white. My mom liked my black blazer, so she bought one and we twinned on our trip to New Orleans!  

With coupons and promo codes, you can usually find this sweater blazer for under $30 and it comes in  colors like black, white, navy, grey, army green, pink, and red wine. 

If you’re a library worker looking for professional outfits, check out my Amazon storefront for more inspiration. 

 

The post Affordable Professional Outfits for Library Workers appeared first on udandi.

Queen Rides | Indoor Cycling with Peloton 18 Feb 2019 5:24 PM (6 years ago)

If you’re looking for Queen music on Peloton the indoor cycling bike and app, I’ve got a list of rides you need to try! The beauty of Peloton is being able to search through hundreds of rides and find an instructor or music genre that sings to your soul (and sole).

To note, three of these rides were released prior to the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, coming out but I’m hoping after Rami Malek sweeps about the Best Actor awards, maybe Peloton will celebrate with another Queen ride!

The Rides

Christine D’Ercole (@iamicaniwillido) 45min 6/20/2015
Steven Little (@stevenlittlenyc) 30min 2/12/2016
Jenn Sherman (@pelotonjenn) 45min 5/4/2017
Denis Morton (@denis__morton) 30min 11/2/2018

If there are more Queen rides on Peloton, let me know because I’ve taken these a couple of times!

Curious about how to use the Peloton app as an at-home rider? Read How to Create an Affordable Studio Cycling Experience at Home

Like this Post? Pin it for others to find!

The post Queen Rides | Indoor Cycling with Peloton appeared first on udandi.

Effortless Gourmet Holiday Appetizer with Stella® Cheese 24 Nov 2018 10:56 AM (6 years ago)

This post is sponsored by Stella® cheese but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Click to find Stella® cheese in grocery near you!

When it comes to celebrating the holidays, any way to make a gourmet appetizer effortlessly is the way to go in my book.

I’m always looking for recipes that present well, but are a snap to shop for and make.

This Christmas Crostini recipe made with Stella® cheese is the number one recipe for me.

I can pull together the items ahead of time and then the day of the party I can assemble, bake and plate without making a mess in the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
1 French bread baguette, cut into 24 slices
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 wedge of Stella® fontina cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup of diced almonds

Optional:
1 green onion, chopped
Sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS
Cut the baguette on a diagonal in order to get a larger surface
Place bread slices on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 8-9 minutes.

In a bowl, combine cheeses, mayonnaise, almonds, bacon, and salt.
Spread over bread – its easy to want to clump it on, but spread it out so it doesn’t bake off the bread
Bake until cheese is melted, 7-8 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.
Plate and serve warm.

Any way to prepare so I can save time at the holidays while not skipping a gourmet touch is the way I want to live my holiday season!

To find Stella® cheese in a grocery near you, visit their website. Also, check out their recipe section for more delicious and gourmet ideas!

Pin this recipe so you can find it next time you need a gourmet appetizer!

The post Effortless Gourmet Holiday Appetizer with Stella® Cheese appeared first on udandi.

My Best Tip for Staying Warm, Stylish and Comfy During Winter #LiveInLayers 12 Nov 2018 2:27 PM (6 years ago)

This post is sponsored by Cuddl Duds but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The worst part about working in libraries in the winter: the cold.

Either you’re at the desk near the doors which constantly open or you’re in some drafty back room sitting at a desk with little movement to keep warm.

My solution? Stay home on the sofa with Vince and a space heater.

Just kidding! I #LiveInLayers

Cuddle Duds makes a variety of products that can be worn as layers or not.

I paired the Cuddl Duds softknit leggings (think sweater) with the long sleeve tunic with a cowl neck and topped it with the fleecewear wrap on top because it’s warm and cozy and has pockets!

Those leggings work well as a base layer under a dress for work topped with the tunic or another shirt along with the fleecewear wrap and boots.

And works well for taking Vince on a lovely nature walk.

If you’re experiencing a cold workplace, do yourself a favor and find Cuddl Duds at Macy’s to warm up your winter #LiveInLayers!

In my photos, I’m wearing:
Softwear with Stretch Cowl Tunic in Black
Fleecewear with Stretch Wrap in Black
Softknit Leggings in Dark Charcoal

If you like this post, pin it for others to find!

The post My Best Tip for Staying Warm, Stylish and Comfy During Winter #LiveInLayers appeared first on udandi.

5 Reasons To Dine at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers #ilovefreddyscinci 14 Oct 2018 4:46 PM (6 years ago)

This post is compliments of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, but the calorie consumption and opinions are all mine.

If you haven’t tried Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, what are you waiting for an invitation? I cordially invite you to visit my favorite Freddy’s location in Amelia because my favorite employee always remembers my face when I visit and makes me feel welcome! But it’s not just me, I’ve watched her remember other customers, too!

5 Reasons to dine at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

1. Steakburgers

When a place has steakburger in the name, you can’t go wrong and these steakburgers are made to order so they’re hot and fresh when you get your order!

2. Patty Melt

There’s a lot more on the menu like chicken and hot dogs, but if you don’t want to stray too far from the steakburgers, may I recommend at the patty melt with Freddy’s sauce? Freddy’s sauce is for any burger while fry sauce is intended for the sides. Speaking of…

3. Fried Sides

You can’t go wrong with fries, onion rings or cheese curds. Better yet, dine with a few friends so you can try them all!

4. Limited Time Offers

This is the pumpkin pie concrete and what you can’t see is that there is a whole piece of pumpkin pie enveloped in vanilla frozen custard. This is a limited time offer only in the fall, but don’t worry any time you visit there will something tasty on the menu!

5. Frozen Custard

Again, frozen custard is in the name so you know it’s good! You can get the custard as a sundae, concrete, cone, shake, sandwich and more! The food is delicious, but be sure to save room for dessert!

There you go, 5 great reasons to dine at Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers so grab a couple of friends and head out for a delicious meal!

Giveaway

ends October 20, 2018
a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you liked this post, pin it for other’s to enjoy!

The post 5 Reasons To Dine at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers #ilovefreddyscinci appeared first on udandi.

Printable Subway Poster on the Cheap 7 Jun 2018 8:00 PM (6 years ago)

I like the idea of framing seasonal subway posters in my living room and here’s how I do it on the cheap:

1. Buy an 11×20 frame with mat for an 8×10 photo (don’t forget to use your coupons).

2. Upload the prints I like from Eighteen25 to my Shutterfly account.

3. When Shutterfly offers two 8×10 prints for FREE, select the prints and pay shipping. I’ve paid about $3 in tax and shipping per two prints.

3a. I have the Shutterfly app on my mobile devices with notifications activated.

3b. See image below (click to enlarge) to understand what settings to select so that Shutterfly does not auto-crop the prints

FREE POSTER DOWNLOADS

For every day display, I wanted a print that celebrated Cincinnati. This Cincinnati poster is being offered a free download for personal use, not resale.

My mom requested a fish fry poster since she hangs her frame in kitchen. The fish fry poster is also available as a free download, for personal use, not for resale.

I didn’t see a St. Patrick’s Day poster I liked so I made my own. Free download, for personal use, not for resale.

The post Printable Subway Poster on the Cheap appeared first on udandi.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers | #ilovefreddyscinci 28 Apr 2018 8:03 PM (6 years ago)

If there’s one thing I like to do with my parents, it is eat delicious burgers! They had never been to Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers so I when I had a chance to bring them as my guests I had to treat them!

We enjoyed our evening compliments of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, but this is my true love of burgers in this post.

You might drive by Freddy’s and think it’s a fast food place with a drive-thru, it is more like a good old American diner!

The steakburgers are fantastic on buttered buns with cheese, mustard, onion and pickle. Or you can get the steakburgers California style, which is a full slice of onion, Freddy’s Sauce, lettuce and tomato served on a toasted bun.

With picked up an order of fries and cheese curds to complement our steakburgers and I would be hard pressed to tell you which I like more so best to go to Freddy’s with a friend so you can enjoy both!

We topped off our evening with a frozen custard sundae! The have frozen custard in vanilla or chocolate and probably every topping your sweet tooth craves!

Next time you’re craving a delicious burger, give Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers a try! It might even be a night that they serve custard free when you make a purchase – double the yum!

The post Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers | #ilovefreddyscinci appeared first on udandi.

BEST: Bacon Egg Spinach Tomato Sandwich | recipe 18 Mar 2018 12:51 PM (7 years ago)

I used to be a faithful 5:45am spinning class participant. Working out before work energized me for the day, made me feel happy, and gave me time after work to do another type of activity.
Now, if I want to spin, I have to do it after work.

It has been an adjustment. It helps tremendously that I have a spinning bike at home and don’t have to keep to a limited class schedule, but it has resulted in eating dinner later than I’m used to and if I don’t meal prep on the weekends, I’m scrambling during the week.

I wish I had more time and organization, but when I don’t weekend food prep, my go-to dinner is a BEST sandwich – bacon, egg, spinach and tomato. Some prefer the BELT – bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato. Either way you do it, it’s an easy egg white recipe.

Just like everyone needs to personalize their workout activity, you need to personalize your meals to what works best for the nutrition you’re following.

I’ve taken to using AllWhites® 100% liquid egg whites because it’s 5 grams of protein with less than 1% carbohydrate content, 0 fat, and only 25 calories.

I get the benefit of ending my day with warm food coupled with vegetables while refueling after a workout. I don’t always eat it as a sandwich sometimes it’s more of a scrambled egg on a bed of greens without dressing because the tomato is enough.

BEST Sandwich Recipe
2 slices of bread, toasted
1-2 slices of tomato
pile of spinach
1/3c AllWhites®

Over low-medium heat, pour AllWhites® into a frying pan and let cook until no longer liquid.
Fold like you would an omelet, fold again.
Remove from heat.
Dress one piece of toast with tomato and spinach.
Add cooked AllWhites®
Top with other slice of toast.
Pair with another vegetable or fruit to serve.

Coach Vince likes to monitor what I eat! He is a BIG fan of eggs so I tend to make an extra serving so he can get them as his training reward, which we work on every night and finish with a bedtime walk.

Even though my workout routine has changed from a few years ago, it still requires a good source of protein to keep me satisfied and moving!

What activity are you using protein to fuel? Leave a comment and you’ll be entered in to win 3 Allwhites product coupons.

The post BEST: Bacon Egg Spinach Tomato Sandwich | recipe appeared first on udandi.

Friday Fish Fry | Cincinnati 10 Feb 2018 4:00 AM (7 years ago)

With there only being so many Fridays and too many fish frys around Cincinnati, one needs to assemble a good schedule during Lent to make the most of what’s available!

Here’s my pictorial tour around Cincinnati sampling a standard menu of fish sandwich, fries and slaw or mac.

Luckily, keeping a passport the last couple of years has been great for jogging my memory of the places I’ve been and what I enjoyed about each stop.

St. Vincent Ferrer (Kenwood) March 2017 $8 for the dinner and since they have one of the best menus, I included it. Side note: in 2016 one of their volunteers invited me to their fish fry, unfortunately the schedule never worked out. It’s my grade school friend’s parrish and her husband works the fryers, so I was happy I finally made it in 2017.

FOE #2289 (Batavia) This is my parents’ favorite fry and for $8 we get a big portion of fish, fries, slaw, mac and cheese, and a dessert. We if we have leftovers, my dad offers to finish them off on Saturday.

St. Francis Seraph at Moerlein Taproom (OTR) I picked this one because I thought a fish fry at a taproom what could go wrong? Bland mac and cheese that didn’t have cheese, but since it seemed homemade maybe someone just messed it up that week. $5 for beer, $6 for a fish sandwich, fries and mac n cheese, $2 for almond joy dessert.

Guardian Angels (Mt. Washington) Their sign said fried pickles and I was sold! $9.50 for a fish sandwich, crinkle fries, and pickles is kinda of steep in the fish fry world. Also, they had one of the longest payment systems and the use of one cash register really slowed down the operation.

St. Louis (Owensville) This was my second year at this fry and the price for a fish sandwich on a Blue Oven bun, fries, hush puppies, cookies and lemonade went up one dollar to $9.

St. Louis (Owensville OH) March 2015 I really enjoyed this meal and maybe it was because they offer a Blue Oven Bakery bun or because hush puppies were included, but it was a nice sampling of food with lemonade and dessert included for $8 in 2015.

St. Bart’s (Finnytown) March 2015 $6 fish sandwich with two sides so I carb loaded. The end of the night meant two desserts for $1 and half-price Krimmer’s Italianette cheese pizza.

Our Lord Christ the King (Mt. Lookout) March 2015 $10 for cod on a bun and all the sides – fruit, chowder, fries, cole slaw (ew), mac and cheese (meh). Despite the large menu, this meal was a general disappointment because of the unnecessarily long line. I never figured out what the hold up was and can only assume these volunteer organizers have never been to another well-oiled fish fry.

Nativity (Pleasant Ridge) In 2014 $3 Madtree beers was highlight to compliment a fish sandwich on a bun and mac and cheese. This is a well-run fish fry where the people in the parking lot are frying the fish, which is passed through a window to the kitchen and served.

I always say a big draw of the fish fry is the people you met, like this fella who told us he once played Santa and a girl died on his lap. Now seriously, if you have a fish fry story that tops that, I need to hear it.

St. Catherine (Ft. Thomas) March 2014 $7 for a fish sandwich, fries, slaw and cookie. The beer was by donation.

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Burlington KY) March 2013 Cod on rye, fries and homemade mac and cheese and great tartar sauce. They’re known for the grilled cheese cod sandwich, but I didn’t try it. I lived on the wild side and got a Mt. Dew.

Old St Mary (OTR) March 2013 The Friday of Bockfest, Old St. Mary hosts a fish fry from a tent on the parade route. There was limited seating indoors and no beer served. We attended Latin Mass afterward.

Knights of Columbus (Ludlow KY) February 2013 There was a sizable line and limited seating, as in our group had to divide and conquer. But we met a nice guy with a pitcher of Bud Light who shared with everyone! My fish was huge and served on white or rye with fries and slaw. Plenty of $1 desserts.

St. James (White Oak) March 2012 fish sandwich on rye, crinkle fries and applesauce for $6.50 with great tartar sauce.

St. Francis de Sales (Walnut Hills) March 2012 Large cod sandwich on rye with homemade delicious mac and cheese and slaw for $8. No beer is offered, but soda was only $0.75.

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Anderson Township Ohio) March 2012 $8 fish dinner with fries, mac and cheese, cole slaw. $3 beer. It was this fish fry that I learned about the churches having to file for liquor license to serve beer so each fish fry, night of their festival, bingo, men’s night, etc requires a liquor license, but each church can only get so many per year. Or something generally speaking.

Mary Queen of Heaven (Erlanger KY) February 2012 Fish sandwich with delicious battered fries for $7.75 and $2 beer.

I wrote a whole post on Mary Queen of Heaven when we kicked off #fffcincy Fish Fry Friday Cincinnati.

The post Friday Fish Fry | Cincinnati appeared first on udandi.

Get Started: Sewing Knit Apparel 11 Oct 2017 4:30 AM (7 years ago)

For 10 years I’ve had a sewing machine, but never made apparel for myself. I never liked the idea of apparel from woven fabrics and in ready to wear I tend to gravitate toward stretchy knits. I didn’t know I could get this fabric from places online since local fabric shops are geared toward quilters.

After seeing an Instagram friend share some of her knit apparel sewing, I set a goal for myself to sew a piece of clothing for myself by June 2017. With the ultimate goal of being able to customize a pattern to make clothing that fits me better than store-bought clothing.

This post is aimed at helping those who are like me: have a sewing machine, want to try sewing knit apparel, and need a little help getting started.

Getting Started

I’m going to assume you understand your machine, know you need to use stretch needles and a stretch stitch like zig-zag when sewing knits. If this is too much, you might start with a book about sewing knits.
I’m also going to assume you have a cutting mat and rotary cutter or fabric scissors, which are different from paper scissors.

If you’re using a large cutting mat, you’ll find you can place the paper patter on top of your fabric, weigh it down with soup cans, and use the rotary cutter to cut fabric.

Finding Patterns and Fabric 
Outside of Joann’s and the big four pattern makers are independent pattern designers and fabric retailer with websites and Facebook groups with a wealth of user generated information.

After joining Facebook groups to collect free* patterns and making lists of patterns I’d like to buy, I then joined Facebook groups for fabric and started buying knit fabric bundles and mystery packs. I also picked up some cheap fabric from Walmart to practice.

I had patterns in PDF and I had fabric, now it was time to make something.

Patterns
PDF patterns can be 30-some pages of printing and then taping together (helps to hang them on a big window to line everything up). Or you can send the A0 copyshop files to a place like PDF Plotting to have them printed on 36×48 size paper.
Quick Run Down
-Upload the file
-indicate the number pages (open the file to see)
-say center to page
-print at 100% (because if they don’t print at the correct size then your pattern size is wrong)
If you did anything wrong PDF Plotting will reach out (I think they’ve had a rash of first timers who get it wrong).

Results
*free patterns are available usually with code from the pattern designer’s Facebook group. Codes cannot be shared outside of the group, which is why you will not see them posted on websites mentioning they used said pattern. If you click through the links below and see a fee, go to Facebook, join the associated group, and look for the pinned post. 

I know, between free patterns and fabric sold through FB groups, a whole new underground world on Facebook has been opened up to me and maybe you too.

Deer and Doe – Plantain Tee*
This was the first tee I tried and I did the neckband wrong, so I wear a tank under the loose tee. I like the body of this tee because despite the photo, the profile doesn’t flare out as much as other patterns.

This tee taught me to do the neckbands 80-90% of the length of the neck opening depending on the fabric instead of using the pattern piece given with each tee.

Halla – Agnes*
This pattern is fitted at the bust and can be a shirt, tunic, or dress. I made it as a swing dress with short sleeves (scraps from the cardigan) and lowered the neckline.

Love Notions – Laundry Day Tee*
One nice thing about being able to sew my own clothes is that I can make a basic tee that is neither too short nor form fitting. This pattern has options for long sleeve, elbow sleeve, shirt, tunic, or dress length plus whatever info for hacks you find on the website.

New Horizons – Key West Tank*
I made my mom and I matching 4th of July tanks from this pattern. The blog has a hack for how to make an empire, gathered waist tank, which could also be a dress, but I haven’t tried it and like many patterns is on my list.

Itch to Stitch – Lago Tank*
I liked the look of this pattern on the model, but didn’t pay attention that it is somewhere between a full and racer back, so it has too much bra strap exposure for every day wear. Plus, the arm hole has some odd gaping that I fixed by wearing it inside-out and taking it in. Then, I had to mark it on the paper pattern.

Pattern for Pirates – Mama Bear Joggers
Despite the name and not being a mama, I love this pattern! It’s just what I needed — a casual pants pattern with pockets. The first time I made them as shorts I followed the line on the pattern for shorts without measuring the inseam – it might be 3” unhemmed so now they’re pajamas. Since then, I’ve made them as 9” inseam for shorts, cuffed capris, and pants. All with POCKETS, which is perfect for dog walking or any kind of activity that requires carrying keys and phone.

From Knitpop, I bought a bundle to participate in a joggers sew-along. Turns out I had the wrong joggers pattern so I couldn’t enter my finished shorts into the drawing, but I got 2 yards of the softest premium yoga fabric in blue and red, which became shorts and capris.

In search of similar fabric, I bought athletic brushed poly fabric from Zenith and Quasar in violet and black, which have become shorts, capris and pants.

Pattern for Pirates – Grandpa Cardigan
This was actually the first item I sewed with cheap fabric from Walmart, thinking if I really messed up no big deal. It’s probably too big because I chose the tunic length and I based it on my hip measurement, but it was before I knew about grading between sizes. Next time, I’ll grade out bust to waist to hip and then grade the sleeve down from shoulder to wrist for a better overall fit.

Pattern for Pirates – Slim Fit Raglan
With so many free t-shirt patterns, I figured a raglan was a worthy investment. My first time sewing this I tried a soft hacci sweater knit and then a double brushed poly. My sweater was meant to be a tunic, but when I added the extra deep band it looks like a dress. I’ll sew up some black leggings to wear with it. See? That’s what I like about this whole adventure, I need leggings and I’ll be able to make them from either the free Pegs (Patterns for Pirates) or Ninja (5 out of 4) patterns.

5 out of 4 – Ninja Leggings*
A couple places offer free leggings, but I decided to try this pattern first based on feedback from others and this one having a crotch gusset and I thought that might give more movement in that area.

Fabric
I’m going to list shop that I follow or have ordered from for those looking for resources.
So Sew English – their Facebook group will give a warning when posting bundles, which ship within a day or two of ordering versus shop inventory which can take 7-10 business days to process from California so you can see the appeal of snapping up a bundle. They also post stuff that’s not available in the shop so it’s a feeding frenzy it you want something popular.
Knitpop – variety of fabric offered, but the website doesn’t say much in terms of weight or use so you might be a little lost at first
Zenith and Quasar – athletic fabric needs
Sincerely Rylee – I’ve ordered $4.99 yards solids and a mystery sweater knit box
LA Finch Fabrics – the fabric I have from them is because I won it, but
Vinegar & Honey – Flat Rate Friday Mystery PFRE, which ship the Friday after you order
Phee Fabrics

The post Get Started: Sewing Knit Apparel appeared first on udandi.