RECIPE BINDER FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS- AND A FEW AMAZON PRIME EARLY ACCESS SALE PICKS

This isn't a super cute project and I almost didn't post about it, but in the end I thought it might be helpful to some of you!  I've had the idea of making a recipe binder for a while since I saw Randi Garrett's that she shared on Instagram one time, but haven't got around to making my own yet.  However, both of my college students are completely off of a meal plan this year and cooking for themselves in their own kitchens, and I had the thought to put some simple recipes together for them to have on hand.  I remembered the recipe binder idea and thought it was perfect for them!  

The only supplies I needed were a 3 ring binder (one that has a clear pocket on the front is nice if you want to print out a cover sheet for it), some index dividers, clear sheet protectors, and copies of the recipes I wanted to include.

I gathered up all of the recipes from my stash that had simple ingredients, were easy to make, and that I knew were family favorites.  Some were printouts from internet recipes, some were recipe cards, some were from cookbooks.  

I made copies of all of them with just one recipe (or maybe two if they were in the same category and on a smaller recipe card) per page.  Then I slid each one into a clear sheet protector.  

The clear protectors are nice if the recipe is two pages because you can just slip them in the same sleeve and have the front and back displayed, or just have two recipes facing on different pages.  And they are easy to wipe clean if the cook gets a bit messy! 

I gathered like recipes and divided them into categories with the index dividers

then used Canva to print a quick cover sheet and slipped that in the front of the binder.  That's it! 

I think they were both impressed and glad to have it, and they've actually been using it, yay!

Now I need to get around to making my own and get that pile of recipes into some order- ha!  I really like this system because it's so easy to print recipes from online and just slip them into a new page in the binder.  And, with all of the current smaller recipe cards that I have printed from over the years I can just tape those onto a sheet of paper and then slip them into a sheet protector.  

I think that this would also be an awesome wedding shower gift packaged up with some ingredients for a favorite recipe or  with a few kitchen gadgets.  You could make a much prettier one and fill it with a few personal favorite recipes, then leave lots of blank sheet protectors for the couple to fill with their own recipes.

Lastly, there are only a few hours left for the Amazon Prime Early Access sale and I didn't spend too much time on it, but there are a few things that I thought are worth sharing with you.

Magnifying Travel Mirror- I've shared my travel mirror that I've had for years in the past but my friend had this one on our NYC trip, and we've both faced the fact that it's time that we need a good magnifying mirror- ha!  This one has a full magnifying mirror on one side (not just a small stick on one) and a regular mirror on the other.  It tilts so the angle is fully adjustable (something I didn't like about my other one), has 3 LED light modes, is rechargeable, and is lightweight and folds flat so it doesn't take up much room at all.  On sale plus there's a coupon attached, highly recommend!  

Men's Casual Dress Shoes-  My husband owns multiple pairs of this brand of shoes now, and just ordered two more colors this week.  He loves them!  They feel like a sneaker but look like a casual dress shoe.  He just got this gray mesh pair and this dressier black pair- he's wearing the gray ones today as a matter of fact!  He says they are true to size. 

LED Taper Candles- I've had these in my cart for a while and finally purchased with this sale.  I like the thought of tapers on the mantel for the holidays but the thought of an open flame up there always makes me nervous.  These are real wax, have a remote, and come in several different colors and styles. I'm excited to try them!

Teeth Whitening Strips-  I've meant to try these for ages but finally bought with this sale.  They have over 23,000 positive reviews, I'm expecting sparkling white teeth!  😁

Gingham Napkins-  I've shared these a lot but this sale price is awesome!  Set of a dozen 20" napkins for $12, or go a bit smaller and get a dozen of the 17" size for under $10!  These are stain resistant, super easy care and no ironing, the best for mixing and matching!

Straw Hat- I know we're moving into felt hat season, but this is the hat that I wore so much over the Summer and it's nearly 50% off.  Adjustable band inside for a good fit, several colors to choose from.

Set of Gold Frames with Mats-  If you'd like to create a gallery wall similar to mine, this frame set is a really good deal.  Generous 16x20 size with the mats included!

(More on this project here)

Reusable Tote Bags-  I desperately needed some new reusable grocery bags and got this set earlier this Summer. I have been meaning to share with you, but now's the time!  Amazing sale price plus an extra 20% off, I think they're cheaper now than when I bought them.  I love these because they are sturdy in the car and won't tip over like my old ones did, the longer handles plus the shorter ones on the ends make them super easy to carry, they hold a lot, and the bottom folds up to make them totally collapse flat and easy to store.  I've used these for groceries, toting decorations, taking meals to people... I honestly don't know what I did without them!