Uh oh! For the first time in over six years, Tipnut.com will be on an unexpected hiatus for a few weeks and won’t be back with regular content until the beginning of December! I know Wednesdays are a weekly highlight for many of you (and me too!) so I’ll make sure to have something new and interesting for you to check out during the break.

Why the hiatus? Mr. Tipnut has put his foot down and booked last minute tickets for us (including my son and his girlfriend) to a hot, budget-friendly, sandy beach somewhere south of Canada. Why? I need a break. It’s been years and although I wouldn’t admit it until recently, I’m burning out. This old gal still has a lot left to give, but needs a bit of TLC and a change of pace right now.

There are some possible changes to the site that we’ll be discussing as a family. This website has grown to such a size that it consumes a lot of my time (imagine the amount of emails I get from 2.5 million monthly visitors…impossible to reply to all but a fraction of them). Should I hire help? Can I even think of committing to that expense? We’ll also be discussing some opportunities/offers that I haven’t taken seriously until recently and start hashing out ideas for new (and feasible) ways to support even more [good] bloggers and websites out there on the wild wild web. I’d like as many people as possible to benefit from the good things happening here.

==> Do you have a suggestion? Do you feel there’s room for improvement here on Tipnut? Please let me know ^[1] what you think needs to be added/changed/improved on. You can also leave your requests/advice/suggestions in the comments area below but I will keep those private and for my eyes only in order to foil those determined blog stalkers who copy everything Tipnut .

There’s a lot going on that we need to discuss and mull over as a family and I hope we’ll have a long list to review from you too. I won’t be away the entire time but using the rest of the “break” to catch up on offline concerns.

Regardless of where I am in the world, the comments section will still be open (moderated as usual) and emails checked daily.

So no worries…the hiatus is drama-free, it’s a good thing for me and although the newsletter format for the next few weeks will be different, I’ll do my best to ensure that you will still have some creative goodies to check out until things get back to normal.

This Week’s Goodies

How it works: Each week I’ll highlight a dozen nifty websites/blogs, forums and maybe even a good-to-know tip or two that I’ve found around the web. None of these will be added to the project pages here on Tipnut so if you like something, make sure to bookmark it .

Before getting started, first up is this month’s vintage pattern freebie from my personal collection: Retro Service/Dishware Pieces {Cross Stitch} ^[2]. It’s from the 1950s – 1960s and features a set of 6 different designs, ideal for using on dish towels.

PS: Do you have a website or blog that you think Tipnut readers will enjoy? Please send it on in ^[1] and I’ll check it out. Thanks!

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homesteadsurvival.blogspot.ca

The Homestead Survival ^[3]: Spend hours browsing through featured items that highlight self-sufficiency, gardening, homesteading and more.

Wine Making Talk ^[4]: A forum for everything “wine making”, includes free tutorials, reference guides, calculators, wine logs and yeast charts.

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winemakingtalk.com

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craftsy.com

Free Craftsy Mini-Classes ^[5]: (free member account required) Bag making basics, creative quilt backs, know your wool, sewing machine 911 and more.

How To De-Stink Hockey Bags ^[6]: From one hockey mom to another, you need to know this. And no matter what hockey dad tells you, it’s not “bad luck” to wash the bag. Trust me .

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marilyn.ca

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fivegallonideas.com

FiveGallonIdeas.com ^[7]: You’ll be amazed at all the DIY projects you can make using these plastic buckets.

MrsJanuary.com ^[8]: A couponing site for Canadians. Do you know why Extreme Couponing isn’t that extreme in Canada? Answer found here ^[9].

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mrsjanuary.com

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quiltingtutorials.com

QuiltingTutorials.com ^[10]: Sections include Basic Skills, Projects, Product & Tool Demos & more.

Craft Critique ^[11]: If you like keeping tabs on all the latest tools and gadgets for crafting, you’ll find user submitted reviews here (and leave your own if you like!).

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craftcritique.com

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maryjanesfarm.org

Farmgirl Connection ^[12]: Whether you live in the city or the country, if you’re interested in self-sufficiency and homesteading, you’ll enjoy this forum.

Needle ‘n Thread ^[13]: Tips, tricks & resources for hand embroidery.

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needlenthread.com

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coffeegeek.com

CoffeeGeek Forum ^[14]: You’ll find everything you could possibly want to know about roasting and grinding coffee beans (and brewing too).

Vintage Knitting Tips (pdf) ^[15]: (from skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk ^[16]), here’s a free pdf ebook to download that will guide you on using vintage knitting patterns.

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skiffvintageknittingpatterns.co.uk

Next week I’ll also include a selection of Tipnut hits (oldies but goodies). Enjoy your week and I hope you found a new keeper in the site collection above!

PS: Did you miss last week’s update? You’ll find it here: November 7th, 2012 ^[17].