House Straightening Solution

I wish I were selling a self-cleaning house, but no such luck.  I have found a tool that makes straightening the house a lot easier.  If while cleaning, you tire of making many trips around your home, this is for you.

Here are your new best friends:  personal junk baskets.  They are placed in a high traffic area, and anyone straightening the house puts strewn items there.  Then, the basket is taken into the room where the junk can be unloaded.

I have been called a label junkie, yes, but this project needs labels.  They are personal baskets after all.  I needed to make some cute ones inexpensively.  The paper stock is the back of a colored index card.  I found packs of scrapbook style letters in the dollar bins at Wal-mart.  I gave them a "laminated" finish, by wrapping them in packing tape.  That's right, I'm cheap.

The baskets came from the Dollar Tree.  I like the look of them.  When my family is using them as we should, they function extremely well.  Even my four-year-old helps put items in.

I've wanted to make these baskets for a while, but another blogger beat me to the crafting punch.  I like the way she places them on the stairs.  Check out her post about the baskets and doggie-proofing the stairs at http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2010/05/tool-time-tuesdaypvc-time-again.html.  Here's a pic of her work.  Blessings!

DIY Booger Wipes...yes, really!

Grrr!  Colds!  Here, my darling son is showing frustration for his ailment.

If you're not yet a mom or grandma, save or pin this info somewhere.  It may come in handy.  My friend Amanda introduced me to the booger wipes you buy at the store.  They do a great job of breaking up the crusty noses that plague your little ones during a cold.  They're also a bit medicinal, for what bit of saline gets into the nose.  They're wonderful, and I love that they were invented by creative moms. I buy them to keep in the diaper bag.

The price tag is a bit of a budget buster, though.  At a local discount store, a package of 30 costs $4.38...!!!  I gave a lot of thought to how I might be able to create similar results at home.  So, I adapted this recipe for saline nose drops to create a formula for wipes anyone could make.  Disclaimer:  this is not quite as simple as pulling out a pack of wipes, which is why I recommend them for home use.

2 cups of warm water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baby oil

Mix the warm water and salt together until the salt dissolves.  Add in the baby oil and shake to mix.  You will need to shake/stir the mixture before each use as well.  Store mixture in the refrigerator.  And now to answer a few questions you may have...

Why do I need to store it in the refrigerator?  Saline sprays and wipes normally have preservatives to prevent mold and bacteria.  We're avoiding the use of those preservatives.  You may want to warm the wipe for a few seconds in the microwave before using it on your kiddo's face.  As wattage varies, please check the temperature of the warmed wipe before use.

What material should I use for the wipe?  You can use a baby washcloth, or a soft cloth cut to washcloth size.  I love flannel for this purpose.  Using old t-shirts would be a great way to upcycle.

What's the best way to wet the wipes?  This is a matter of preference, and mine is to put the mixture in a spray bottle, which is stored in the refrigerator.  I spray the wipe, hold it in my hand for a few seconds to warm it, and use.  Secondly, you can put the refrigerated mixture in a container like an old baby wipe tub.  But, this will require you to put your hand in that chilly water and wring out the wipe.  Lastly, you could wet and wring out the wipes and store the wet wipes in a tub in the fridge.  You may find this to be the most convenient.

These wipes are working well for my little ones.  They've had plenty of crust on their noses lately.  I am hopeful I'll soon be able to put this recipe away for a while.  Special thanks to my mom for her help with the photos.  Blessings!

Infuse Your Style with Some Aniston

Can anyone make a t-shirt and jeans look as good as Jennifer Aniston?  Not many.  She is over-the-top beautiful.  And I'm hard-pressed to find a pic of her which looks outdated.  Her taste is almost--and I mean this in the nicest possible way--a non-style.  Almost.  Her style is more than the clothes on her body.  How can one mimic this beauty-is-more-than-skin-deep magnetism?  Read on.
Photo source
Anniston wears casual classics almost exclusively.  She's a woman on the go, looking comfy as she moves.  A style that requires white tanks and jeans?  Awesome.  This is a particularly good look for full time moms and those in child care.  To keep it from looking frumpy, don't neglect your simple accessories.
Photo source
Speaking of accessories, Anniston proudly wears hers more than once.  I love this about her.  It's so refreshing to see a celebrity getting her use out of something.  It requires courage, since there seems to be some unwritten Hollywood law about not being caught in the same item more than once.
Photo source
Notice, too, that when Aniston dresses up, she sticks to classic, form-fitting pieces.  It seems to be her philosophy no matter what degree of formality or length of dress she's wearing.  This dress is surprisingly one of her most complicated looks, which isn't saying much.  Lovely.
Photo source
Most importantly to her look is the fact that Aniston takes care of herself.  She has a reputation for healthy eating and has reportedly said she works out seven days a week, according to fitsugar.com.  She is also an avid runner.  Fitness is certainly working for her.  I recently saw a quote that said, "Don't be angry for the results you didn't get from the workout you didn't do."  Yikes.  Well, this is clearly not a problem for a devoted Aniston.
Photo source
While Jennifer's highlights may not be completely natural, she doesn't appear be in any fights with her hair.  You know the kind I'm talking about...color so far from a person's natural color, or hair that is a far cry from it's original texture.   In so many ways she's using what her mama gave her.  Simple hair, lightly bronzed skin, and a beautiful smile make her seem approachable and like you'd like to be Friends.

Blessings!

Makeover the Leftover

When you're stretchin' that dollar, eating leftovers is a big help.  But, my family resists eating leftovers in the same form they were originally cooked.  Sometimes I honestly just let them tough it out.  However, I often use the leftovers to make a new dish as well.  This is one of my family's favorites, using leftover chicken.

You'll want to start with 1/2 to 1 lb. of cubed leftover chicken and a bag of Birds Eye Steamfresh Brown Wild Rice With Broccoli and Carrots.  On the back of the bag is a recipe for delicious Asian rice.  It includes the other ingredients you'll want to have on hand, like a little butter and soy sauce.

I cook the rice according to the recipe on the back, adding in my leftover chicken.  I also cook up an additional cup or two of plain rice to stretch the meal--and my buck--a little further.

Two ingredients in their recipe really make it shine.  One is toasted sesame seeds....YUM.  You have to keep an eye on these guys, so they don't burn.  Cook them at 300 degrees for about three minutes.  Give them the attention you would give bread under a broiler.  To cut down on mess, I line my pan with foil and cooking spray.

When mixed, the dish looks like this...

But, don't forget the green onions!  They make  many a dish, this one included.  And, as a bonus, they make it more colorful and appealing.  It's even tastier than it is pretty, though.





Likely the only ingredients you wouldn't already have on hand are the Steamfresh bag (often on sale for $1!), and the green onions (about 70 cents).  It's a recipe worth trying.  Here's a link to other recipes using the same bag:  http://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/steamfresh-veggie-rich-rice-pasta-blends/brown-wild-rice-with-broccoli-carrots.  I look forward to trying those, too.

Blessings!