Knitted Ear Warmers - cuteness! :)

So this is the first thing I've ever knitted and I have got to say, I think I may be addicted to knitting now! It was SO easy, ya'll!! Give it a try... you'll fall in love with it's simplicity and uniqueness! You get to make anything your little heart desires :)

Here are two links to youtube videos that taught me how to knit:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9hv44QwQ-A
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgwi3xgZzlk&feature=related

After watching those two videos I got all inspired and went to my local thrift store and bough multiple different sized needles for just 25cents, bargain? Yes! Luckily for me my thrift store has a craft section for used materials, I also bought about 20 balls of yarn for $2 (granted they weren't full sized yard they were smaller balls of yarn since they had been used) regardless, I got all sorts of different colors and I plan on making so many cute things out of them. As you can see, I first made my ear warmer and then I sewed on elastic to the ends to complete the circle and so that it would stay nice and snug on my head without sliding off. Easy peasy! Give it a whirl and tell me how yours turned out! :) If you need help or have questions don't hesitate to ask!

My Husband, Brian

So I know this has nothing to do with homemade items but I saw this on facebook and just had to share it because it is so true. My husband definitely treats me like a princess and he was definitely raised by a queen :)
I love my sweet hubby :)

Spaghetti Casserole

Scooter’s Spaghetti

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Scooter

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 10

Layered spaghetti casserole topped with french fried onions. A family favorite!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped green peppers (I usually omit or substitute red peppers)
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• French Fried Onions (small can)

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
3. Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft.
4. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.
5. Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order:
6. Thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
7. Spaghetti
8. Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
9. Spaghetti sauce
10. Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)
11. French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Notes

Make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze without the French Fried onions. Don’t forget to add them 5 minutes before casserole is finished cooking.

Found at: http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/scooters-spaghetti

Homemade Chalk Paint

Yesterday I showed you how to made sidewalk chalk paint... well today I found a way to make regular chalk paint to paint your walls with for kids! This clever craft only requires 2 ingredients!

Paint (any color or type that you want)
Non-Sanded Tile Grout

For every 1 cup of paint use 2 tablespoons of grout. Mix and paint :)

You can find the non-sanded tile grout at any home hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.). Have fun!!

Thanks http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/09/make-chalk-rocks-and-homemade-chalk.html for the clever craft!

Wooden Picture Decoration

For this glorious project all you need is:

gel medium (which can be found in the paint section at any craft store and probably walmart too)
block of wood
mod podge
picture on a regular piece of typing paper (printed from your computer is fine)
wet cloth for rubbing off residue
paint brush

Here is a youtube link that's only about 2 minutes long showing you how to do it for you visual people :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NjYbAAQ4vw

Take the block of wood and put gel medium on it with a paint brush. Then, place your picture face down onto the block of wood and let it sit over night. The next day, use the damp cloth and your fingers to rub away the paper. Once all the paper is off use a paint brush to apply mod podge all over the picture. Let it dry. Then YOU'RE DONE! :) Enjoy!

Here's a picture of one that someone did that I found on www.readymade.com

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Sidewalk chalk paint for kids!! How fun :)

I found this on www.erinlincoln.blogspot.com, so creative and fun! All you need is corn starch, water, food coloring, muffin trey, and foam brushes. Just add a little bit of corn starch and water and then pour your "paint" mixture into the muffin trey and add whatever color food coloring you'd like. Then, take it outside, give the kids the foam brushes and let them have at it! They can paint the town red if they'd like ;)

Don't worry, it dries just like chalk and will wash off with the next rain. So let them have a blast while they're still young. :)

Easy Way to Clean Microwave!!

Easy way to clean your microwave - heat a bowl of water and vinegar for 5 minutes, the steam will dissolve stuck on stains. Simply wipe off.

Sweet Potato Donuts!

Thanks to the delightful bog: http://leannebakes.blogspot.com/2011/09/spiced-sweet-potato-donuts.html I discovered these wonderful things! I simply just copy and pasted her recipe so that others can see how awesome this is! She goes into greater detail on her blog about these donuts and she shows more pictures, so feel free to check out her blog! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed sweet potato total (I used 2 medium-sized potatoes)

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup milk (I used whole)

2¼ tsp instant dry yeast

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1¼ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp vanilla

1 extra large egg

2 extra large egg yolks

3.5 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Prick the sweet potato several times with a fork and microwave for 8 minutes, until tender.  Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh out.  It will be hot. Be careful. Mash it up with a fork.

Melt the butter, and let it cool.

In the microwave (or a saucepan if you’re fancy) heat the milk to just below 105F. Any higher will kill your yeast dead.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, let the yeast and warm milk sit for 5 minutes until foamy.  Add the sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and whisk to combine.  Add the mashed sweet potato, butter, egg and egg yolks, and beat until well combined.

Change to the dough hook, and add the flour.  Mix at medium for 2 minutes, then bump the speed up to medium high and knead until a soft dough forms and the sweet potato dough pulls away from the sides and toward the centre, about 5-7 minutes.  If it doesn’t pull together, add a little bit more flour.

Dump the dough out, form it into a ball, and let it rise on the countertop for 2 hours (don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t rise all that much… it won’t).

Gently redistribute the yeast by kneading lightly, and then roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  ¾ of an inch works. (Or 1.5cm if you’re Canadian like me!)

Using a circle cutter, gently cut out circles and poke the middles to make holes. If you have a donut cutter like I did, even better! It will do the annoying hole part for you. Place the doughnuts on two parchment paper lined sheet pans, and let them rise for 2 hours, covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.   Bake the doughnuts in the centre of the oven for about 10 minutes, until ther have risen and are golden brown (they should be 200 degrees F on an instant read thermometer).

While the doughnuts are baking, make the cinnamon sugar topping by melting the butter in one bowl, and whisking the sugar and cinnamon in another.  While the doughnuts are hot out of the oven, toss them in the butter, then immediately toss in the cinnamon sugar.

Pumkin Spice Fudge

Feeling "fall"ish? :) Well here's a fun and tasty (but not healthy lol) thing to make! I discovered this on www.auntpegsrecipebox.blogspot.com and it's absolutely delicious! So have at it! :)

2 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

3/4 c. butter (no substitutions)

2/3 c. evaporated milk

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 (12 oz.) pkg. white chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar Marshmallow creme

1 c. chopped pecans or macadamia nuts (optional)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

 

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Combine the first 6 ingredients in a heavy saucepan: cook over medium heat until the sugars dissolve, then continue cooking until the mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly.  Boil until a candy thermometer reaches the the soft-ball stage (234 ~ 243 degrees). Remove from heat, stir in the white chips until they are all melted and mixture is smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Pour into prepared pan, and cool to room temperature. Cut into squares, store refrigerated in an air tight container. Makes approx. 60 pieces.
Note: The total boiling time is around 30 minutes.

Thanks Aunt Peg! 

Rainbow Rice for Replacing Play Sand

This is from www.shareandremember.blogspot.com and it's such a great idea for kids to play in!

Measure out the rice (4 cups) and put it in a Ziploc bag with about 2T of food coloring or liquid water colors (works great!) and 3T of rubbing alcohol. The kids can help mix the rice in the bags to spread the color. Put them on pans to dry in the sun. It all dried incredibly fast.

 Now remember, folks, this is probably the prettiest it'll be... once the kids touch it all the colors will be mixed together ;) haha but they'll love it!

Bloomin' Onion Bread

I came across this on www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com and it's delicious!!

1 unsliced loaf sourdough bread

12-16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely diced green onion

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through the bottom crust. This can be a little tricky going the second way but the bread is very forgiving.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Insert cheese slices between cuts. Combine butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Drizzle over bread. Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Unwrap the bread and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Swedish Baked Potatoes - Delicious!

Swedish Version of Baked Potatoes Method Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals. Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.


Thanks for the instructions and pictures www.foodgawker.com!! 

Recyled Coffee Can into Bag Holder

Here's a great way to keep all those crazy, loose, plastic bags in tact! I came across this today on another blog and loved the idea. Once you're done with your coffee (which shouldn't take too long if you're like me ;)), use your empty can, take a knife and cut a small slit on the lid. Then, stick your baggies inside and TA-DA it's done! :) Ps. You might wanna peal of the coffee label and decorate the tin a bit ;) or maybe that's just me being the crazy person that I am, haha. Enjoy!

Picture and idea by: www.creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com

Newspaper Gift Bags

Gift bags can be expensive but here's a fun and creative way to make your own out of newspaper!

Find a page that you like in a newspaper and cut it 14 inches long and 6 inches high. Then (as pictured) fold the triangular paper into 4 places (4.5", 3", 4.5", 3") and glue the two open ends together to make a 3d box. Then, just like wrapping a gift, fold down the edges and clue them together to create the bottom. Lastly, take a ribbon or sting and string it though near the top (be careful not to cut holes too close to the top unless it might rip). And you're done!


Discovered on: www.pinterest.com

DYI Outdoor Swing

Have a chair that has broken legs? Here's a splendid idea of what you can do with it! Just go buy some strong rope, drill holes in the chair, string the rope through the holes and tie the rope sturdily onto a strong tree.

Easy as pie!


Idea and picture by: www.poetichomes.com

Keep Bugs Out of Your Pantry

So as much as I hate to admit it, Martha Stuart does have some nifty ideas.... this being one of them. To keep your pantry a bug-free pantry try this little tip: try taping whole dried bay leaves to the sides and bottoms of your shelves.

It actually works! lol

Brought to you by: www.marthastuart.com

Funny Christmas Cookies

What you need:

Your favorite cookies
Marshmellows
White icing
Red and brown food coloring
A fun imagination

The rest is up to your imagination! Have fun!! :)

15 Natural Beauty Recipes from Natural Sources

Brown Sugar and Honey Facial Scrub

This is probably my favorite one. Brown sugar exfoliates the skin ridding the pores of all dirt, oil and dead skin cells causing blemishes. Honey is naturally antibacterial, so as the brown sugar cleans out the pores, the honey cleans out the sources for this build up to prevent future break outs.

Coffee Grounds in Conditioner

This one is really simple. Instead of throwing old coffee grounds away, toss them into your conditioner to make your hair extra shiny. That’s all it takes!

Replace Conditioner with Vinegar

To get rid of the usual problems with hair: build up, dullness and just lack luster, replace your conditioner with vinegar 1-4 times a month, depending on your own hair. Just use it as you need it. And don’t worry about buying the best stuff for the best results, common white vinegar will do the trick as well as any other vinegar.

Olive Oil as Hair Moisturizer

It’s easy to see how oil can moisturize your hair. It’s simple to use it as well. Simply cover your hair in olive oil and leave it in for 30-45 minutes. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from dripping and some believe it enhances the effect.

Lemon and Egg Facial

Have red splotchiness on your face? Soothe both symptoms away easily by mixing together one egg yolk and the juice of one lemon into a paste. Cover your face with it and leave it on overnight. If this seems like too much work, leave it on your face for an hour. You might not get the optimal results with this, but you will see a difference.

Replace Conditioner with Baking Soda

Want to be more like a guy and only use one thing to clean your hair? Then just add baking soda to your shampoo. It will remove build up and make hair shinier, and you can use it everyday.

Degrease Oily Hair With Lemons and Aloe

Mix together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera. Mix it together with a normal serving of shampoo. It will get rid of your oiliness in one shower.

Smooth Fizzy Hair With Honey

Add a tablespoon of honey to a litre of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with this concoction to tame your frizz.

Replace Face Wash With Skim Milk Powder

Switching face wash out with skim milk powder can make your face much softer and give you a smoother complexion. It’s also very gentle, so even the most sensitive can use it.

Moisturize Skin With Honey and Olive Oil

Honey holds moisture extremely well and olive oil hydrates well, too. Mix equal parts of olive oil and honey and add a dash of lemon juice if you’d like to create a pasty lotion. Rub it onto the dry skin and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. Your skin will be hydrated for plenty of time to come afterwards.

Soften Skin With Oatmeal

There are many concoctions and mask recipes that involve oatmeal, but you can use oatmeal by itself to help your skin. Ground up about 1 cup of oatmeal using a blender or coffee grinder, and add it to bath water to soften skin to baby-like quality.

Treat Choline-Damaged Hair

Mix together 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 of a peeled cucumber. Cover you hair with the mixture and leave on for 10-20 minutes. You’ll see your hair return to normal almost immediately.

Tone and Rebuild Skin With Avocados and Carrots

This recipe can work wonders. Combine 1 avocado, 1 cooked carrot, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of honey. Leave on for 10-20 minutes and then rinse. These ingredients add a multitude of vitamins, antioxidants and calcium to rebuild natural collagen, tone skin and remove age spots. There is plenty to read about the benefits of each of these ingredients, but all you need to know is that each natural element does more than any store-bought item can.

Lemons or Oranges for Fine Hair Hairspray

Use Lemons for dry hair and oranges for a stronger hold. Chop up the entire piece of fruit in a bowl as to not lose any juice. Boil the fruit with 2 cups of water until soupy or when the liquid has been significantly reduced. Strain through a cloth and put into a spray bottle. The citrus will hold the hair and not damage it due to the fact that there is no alcohol.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Cleanser and Toner

This eliminates dead skin cells easily, so you can use in lieu of expensive toner. That’s all

there is to it!

 

Brought to you by www.inspiringpretty.com

Homemade Dehumidifier

This is actually extremely easy!! Take a bundle of chalk and hang it in your closet. It will absorb extra moisture and keep clothing fresh and dry, and takes up much less room than an electric dehumidifier.

 Brought to you by Martha Stuart

Homemade Dish Washer Soap

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
What you need:
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup Baking Soda (or Washing Soda)
1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Citric Acid (You can purchase "Fresh Fruit" in the canning isle. It is a produce protector or you can puchase 15 packets of lemon Kool-aid, the unsweetened kind, and that works as well.)

Mix all ingredients in a container and voila! Dishwasher detergent! Use 1 Tbsp per load PLUS add some vinegar to the rinse aid portion of your dishwasher (this keeps the plastic from getting a cloudy look) and wash away!

Brought to you by crazycraftbugs.blogspot.com