Recipe Manager

I want to take the opportunity to share one of my all-time favorite apps.  It started out as an iPhone/iPad app, but now it is available for Mac and Android devices as well.  Paprika is THE BEST recipe manager I have found.  I tried several out before I found this one, and I'm hooked.

What I like about it...

• Photo directory of all recipes
• Built in browser to allow you to save recipes from within the browser
• Search options that allow you to search by name, ingredient, or category
• Custom categories
• Support for the most popular recipe sites, but they usually add sites that you can request from within the app
• If a site is not supported, it is very easy to manually create a recipe from the data on that site
• Grocery manager/Shopping list - very intuitive
• Meal planner is wonderful
• Sync recipes, shopping lists, meal plans across devices

iPad

iPhone

Mac App Store

Google Play Store

Browser Bookmarklet

Great Sewing Resources

If you are new to sewing, like me, I encourage you to check out these sites.  They have patterns that you can purchase, some are free, but unlike the patterns at the fabric store, these patterns come with full directions and picture guides to help you through from beginning to end.

I will admit to being pattern reading challenged.  Maybe its just me, but I read a pattern and it seems like they skip steps, they assume that you know way more about sewing than I do (and we know what they say about those who ASS-U-ME), and they are just downright hard to understand.

So, here's where I find great patterns and tutorials.

• YouCanMakeThis - This website has a TON of free patterns, and not just for sewing.  They have crafts, knitting, sewing, and more.  Be sure to sign up for their newsletters.  They have a free pattern of the week email in their list of newsletters.  Also, by signing up, you'll get notified when they run a pattern sale.
• TipNut - This is an incredible site for those who like to DIY.  I have found everything from making your own laundry detergent, to removing crayon from the dryer, to sewing and craft resources.  They also have a weekly newsletter, but it really only serves as a reminder for me to go check out the latest stuff on their site.  The newsletter usually isn't very informative or useful.
• Etsy - While this site is mainly devoted to selling items that are made by others, it also has a lot of sewing patterns for sale.
• Pinterest - The great thing about Pinterest is that plenty of people before you have marked their favorite things, so it is a great visual tool for finding patterns and gaining inspiration.