Tuesday: How to.... DIY Blush

My normal blush on the left and my
DIY blush on the right (both go on about
the same color)

This is a pretty neat DIY trick. It costs just a few cents (Literally, maybe 1?), and leaves a very smooth, even color that blends incredibly well.

Materials
*water
*baby powder (buy it from the dollar store.....)
*red food coloring
-1-2 drops for light pink
-3-4 drops for medium pink
-5-6 drops for red/dark pink

In a bowl, mix your desired amount of food coloring with 3 tablespoons of water. Next, squirt baby powder in, 1-2 teaspoons at a time, and mix until smooth. Continue to add baby powder until the consistency of the mix is almost that of a soft clay and it is no longer all together, but breaks up easily into several pieces. Now, using your fingers, pat the mixture into an empty make-up container (I had one already empty from an old blush) until filled.

Ready to be stored!

To use: You can use it right away, but for best results, allow the mixture to air dry, then press a make-up sponge into the blush and apply to your cheekbones, blending until smooth.

If you feel creative, try mixing in a little yellow for a peachy color or a tiny bit of blue for a bit of a purple hue.
*Note: The color of the blush is MUCH darker wet than dry, so don't be worried if it looks red when you mix it.



UPDATE!
Thought I'd add some extra pictures with their corresponding recipes to help you figure out what works best for you and give you a better idea of how it turns out when finished (since the color is so much lighter dried than wet).

Blue Spoon	Pink Spoon	Yellow Spoon	Green Spoon
8 drops red ¼ cup water baby powder (until as paste)	6 drops red ¼ cup water baby powder (until as paste)	5 drops red 1 drop blue ¼ cup water baby powder (until as paste)	3 drops red 10 drops yellow ¼ cup water baby powder (until as paste)

Right after mixing- notice how dark they are?

After air drying for about 8 hours

Colors on my hand; in order, right to left
Pink spoon, green spoon, blue spoon, yellow spoon

Looking for more ways to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your beauty budget? Check out 5 Ways to STRETCH Your Beauty Budget!

Extras: Easy Chip Substitute

Do you have an awesome and delicious dip? But don't want to spend the calories on chips to dunk in it? Well, BOOM! Here's a win for you- and crazy easy. Buy a pack of uncooked tortillas, slice into 1/8s (little triangles) and fry them on both sides in a frying pan using just a bit of spray grease until crispy. A lower calorie (and arguably more delicious) alternative to plain old tortilla/potato chips.

Monday: A Word or Two on Failure

Failure. A word associated with:
*stress
*sadness
*depression
*heart break

The list can go on and on. However, I would like failure to be associated with
*success

Success: understanding love and being able to give something meaningful to your community while living a life that you can be satisfied with. If you have this, you can consider yourself a success.

The enemy of success is pride.

Pride will rob you of your understanding of love and your ability to improve yourself. If you believe, pridefully, that you are without flaw in any given area, you will cease work to improve yourself. If you stop trying to improve, your success will dwindle away and vanish.

If you fail something, really and truly, a harsh blow will be taken to your pride. Being left without pride, you have the choice to
*wallow
or
*press forward

Those that press forward will inevitably find themselves strengthened and ever-closer to success. If you allow your true failures in life to motivate you to change and strengthen yourself, then every failure will bring you to success.

Failure is not fun, enjoyable, pretty, cute, or any number of light-hearted words. It is, however, useful and necessary in becoming a success.

Do not wallow in your failures; instead, use them to elevate yourself. Learn to understand this, and then teach it to your children.

You will not regret it.

Extra EASY!

How's this for easy and up-cycle-ish? Put your plastic grocery bags in an empty tissue box to use it as a compact dispenser? I'm all over that!

Extras: SHUT UP!

One bird is really giving it to the other- SHUT UP!!!

Friday: DIY Garbage Can Freshener

Garbage STINKS! No doubt about it. But, as I previously mentioned, I'm all about a nice-smelling place. I do so much to try to have a nice smelling apartment... but that darn garbage can... it gangs up on me! So, what do I do? An easy, DIY air freshener for my garbage can.

Materials


*1/2 sponge (cheap ones are fan-freaking-tastic)
*1 tbs vanilla
*1 tsp cinnamon
*1/2 tsp all spice
*paper towels

To DO?
Easy! Just put the sponge, vanilla, cinnamon, and all spice into a bowl and use your fingers to press the vanilla and spices into the sponge. Next, put a few paper towels down on the bottom of your empty garbage can, then put the scented sponge on top of it. throw your usual garbage bag on top and use as normal.... and every time you empty your garbage, enjoy a sweet, homey, cinnamon-apple smell.

All done on the bottom of the garbage...

Friday: Simple Frosted Lantern

Have you ever finished a jar of homemade raspberry jam and wondered, "Hmmm, there must be something more I could do with this jar...." Well, with a few minutes and the spare change in your pocket, there is!

Materials
*Pint (or quart) size glass jar
*A flexible wire (11/2 feet in length should be sufficient)
*Pencil
*Spray frost (like spray paint, but it comes out as a frost)
*Star, circle, or other sweet shape of sticker
*Wire cutters

Step 1:
Apply the stickers you have chosen in a desirable pattern on your jar.

Step 2:
Using wire cutters, cut your piece of wire into a 6 inch length and 1 foot length. Wrap the 6 inch piece of wire loosely around the mouth of the jar. Next, wrap the 1 foot piece of wire around a pencil, giving it a loop shape, and then wrap each end around the piece of wire that you have twisted around the mouth of the jar. Twist the ends securely so that the piece of wire around the mouth of the jar is now tight and no longer loose.

Step 3:
Holding the wire handle you have attached, spray a fine, even coating of frost on your can. Allow to dry.

Step 4:
Remove the stickers; put a little tea candle in your jar and voila! Cutest lantern ever. Fun craft, too!

Extras: Challenge Accepted

Turtle Challenge Accepted: Via my hubby

Thursday: Awesome Garlic Cheese Crostinis

Ok. Look at these delicious cheese crostinis... wouldn't you say they look restaurant grade? What if I told you tasted restaurant grade? What if I told you they required no butter/margarine? Pretty good, right? Now what if I told you I made them at home.... out of HOT DOG BUNS?!?! Because I did.

Ingredients
*4 hot dog buns
*1/8 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese
*1 1/2 tsp minced, fresh garlic or crushed garlic
*1 tsp garlic powder
*1 tsp onion salt
*1 tsp Italian seasoning

Step 1
Spread the hot dog buns open and use a spoon/finger to spread a very thin, fine layer of the fresh, minced garlic on the inside of each bun.

Step 2
Sprinkle all seasonings on top of the buns evenly, then gently sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella on each bun.

Step 3
Lastly, put all of the buns onto an ungreased cookie sheet and put in the oven on broil for 2-3 minutes or until just toasted brown.

Step 4
Enjoy! Eat! Edible! Etc. Great for mopping up pasta sauce.

Wednesday: Need a Chuckle? Seems Legit...

Found this one while driving up the canyon today....

Tuesday: How to.... DIY Taco Seasoning

Know what's fun? WASTING MONEY!!! Wait.. no, that's not fun at all. Not unless you're a bajillionaire.... so for those of us who are NOT bajillionaires, here's a DIY taco seasoning that you can use to replace those taco seasoning packets.... save 1.19! (if you normally buy Ortega, anyhow....)

Ingredients
*2 tsp chili powder
*1 1/2 tsp onion powder
*1 tsp garlic powder
*1 tsp ground cumin
*1/2 tsp oregano
*Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Add LOTS of cayenne if you like it spicy.... Each batch here will replace 1 taco seasoning packet in your recipes. Make a lot and then just add 5 tsp each time you make a batch 'o' tacos! And, just for a little bit of extra zesty/deliciousness, throw in a can of mild diced chilies. YUM! Enjoy!

Monday: Miss Out

Did ya'll miss out on my Monday post for this week? Yeah, I didn't think so. Know WHY I missed out on that post? Because I was busy translating Japanese texts, loving my little baby girl, cleaning out my house, and getting ready for girl's camp. Did I mention I love girl's camp? Because I do. I am a sub-in leader (and for those of you not familiar with it, girl's camp is for girls from ages 12-18 who go up into the forest/woods/desert wherever and learn survival skills, both physical and spiritual) and get to go up her and there during the week. SO, yes, I missed out on my blog post. But do you want to know what? I didn't miss out on anything. Because girl's camp is exceedingly superior. (no offense, MyAmConf...) Because if you really understand the meaning in life... I was right where I was supposed to be. ;)

Extras: A, You're Adorable

I sing this to my baby all the days of her life....

Thursday: Oreoception. That Is to Say, an Oreo within an Oreo Cupcake

Are you ready for... OREOCEPTION?! Good. Because that's what we have for you. Not sure if I like Double Oreos, Oreoception, or Cupcake Oreos best, but... you can pick the name. (PS. Remember my hubby's favorite cookie is an Oreo? Sure hope he loves this....)

Ingredients
*Box white cake mix
*Box chocolate cake mix
*Chocolate frosting
*Oreos
*Eggs (as required by your mix)
*Oil (as required by your mix)
*Water (as required by your mix)




Step 1
In separate containers, mix up your white  and chocolate cake mixes, respectively, according to their instruction labels.

Step 2
Thoroughly grease muffin tins or line with cup cake papers

Step 3
(this is where the magic happens...)
-Spoon a very small amount of chocolate cake batter in the bottom of the cup- just enough to cover it
-Smush an Oreo into the middle of this cake batter (1/4 an Oreo if using mini-muffin tins)
-Spoon enough white cake batter on top of the Oreo to cover it and the chocolate cake batter completely


Step 4
Bake at 325 for 13-18 minutes (depending on pan size)

Step 5

I cut the Oreo in half on this one
and it makes it look like a very
angry cupcake..

Frost your cupcakes with chocolate frosting after your cupcakes have cooled (I made mine using milk chocolate and it was freaking delicious), then garnish with Oreo pieces, if desired.

GET IT? Chocolate cake bottom (Oreo cookie bottom), white cake middle (Oreo cookie frosting) and chocolate frosting (Oreo cookie top)- plus an Oreo inside.

No fail, fun, and (for my hubby's sake, I hope...) yum, yum, YUM!

Wednesday: DIY Rich n' Zesty Barbecue Sauce

Let me ask you a question: Why BUY barbecue sauce when you can make one, to your specifications, at home? Answer? Because you didn't know you COULD DIY a good barbecue sauce. SO, lucky for you, here is a simple and yum DIY barbecue. I'd call it Emily's Rich n' Zesty BBQ Sauce if I were marketing it for the masses....

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp cumin (awesome. I love this spice!)
1 tbs garlic powder/onion powder, mixed
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:
Mix it. Eat it. Braise with it. Broil with it. Baste with it. Bake with it. Fry with it. Grill with it. Whatever.

I have made this barbecue sauce a number of times for a number of different types of meat. This one is best for chicken and pork; if you are making a barbecue sauce for beef, I'd recommend taking out the cumin and putting in a teaspoon of crushed garlic instead. Whatever you make, enjoy!

Tuesday: How to Save Money on Groceries

I am a bargain hunter. Let's be honest. That 10 cents might make all the difference for me. Be it for good or for bad, I love a good deal. And since I have to go grocery shopping  so often, saving money grocery shopping can be an AWESOME money saver. But, I'm a little lazy and not willing to extreme coupon. These are what I do that helps my dollar to really stretch at the grocery store.

-Every extra trip to the store will cost you $20 and up-
Understand this. In shopping, minimize the number of trips you take to the store by:

*Making a List of What You NEED
Regardless of what you end up buying, if you come home without something you are actually in need of, you will end up going back to the store and spending another $20 on random stuff you find. SO, whatever you DO get, just make sure to follow your list of things you HAVE to have.

*Stocking Up On Freshies
Do you drink a gallon milk every week? Buy two. Do you eat 2 loaves of bread each week? Buy 4. If you keep a little extra on hand of the things you need fresh, you'll be less likely to go to the store again to replenish your stock. If you are out of cardamon, it's not likely you will run to the store that night to get some. IF, however, you run out of milk, you probably will.

*Plan Meals
This one is more time consuming and you really might not love doing it, but if you know exactly what meals you need to shop for, you will not buy extra things that you don't need- and it will save you big week to week.

-Get It Cheap-
Food keeps. It really, really does. Canned food is good for months and years. Cheese, unopened, is usually good for 4-8 months from when you buy it. Milk, meat, and many veggies/fruits can be frozen and then keep for months. You don't have to use everything you buy within a week from purchase. SO-

*Buy it Cheap, Stack it Deep
This is an old saying from when I worked at a grocery store- and it really works. Every store you shop at has sales. Do you need one can of green beans? It can cost 1.19. Get it on a really good sale, 2/1.00 or 3/1.00 and buy a dozen. Then, when you need green beans, just turn to your cupboard and retrieve that .33 cent can of beans, rather than running to the store and spending that 1.19 (plus the extra 20 you are liable to spend)

*Pick a Speciality
Divide up the groceries you buy into a few groups- this will be different from family to family
*Meats/cheeses
*Breads
*Canned goods
*Cereal
*Non foods (cleaning supplies)
*Baby (diapers, wipes, formula)
Use these groups one at a time to employ the 'buy it cheap, stack it deep' adage. Each time you go shopping, based on the sales at your grocery store, stock up 1-2 months worth of one of these categories, and then buy bare minimum for the rest of them. For example, if cereal is a $1 a box one week, buy a dozen boxes of cereal, but only the meat, cheese, bread, canned goods, and cleaning supplies (and, of course, fresh fruits and veggies) that you need to last you for a week. Do this for 2 months and compare it to the amount of money you spent for the 2 months before starting it. You will be surprised at what you save.

Shop Around
This doesn't take long and is not time consuming- just pull up an ad or two for local stores before you head out to the grocery store and then price match their front pages. The front page of any grocery store ad will most likely be where all the best steals are posted, so by price matching these few deals from local stores, you will be able to maximize your dollar by getting the best deals from each one.
(PS: Wal Marts and many other stores price match)

Many of these might be common sense, but if you haven't tried them before, I do hope they help!

Ariel Just for Fun



Favorite. Disney joke. Ever.

Need an EXTRA Disney laugh? Check out Lessons from Disney 1!

Monday: Waking Up in the Morning

Know how babies cry when they wake up? THAT is what I feel like EVERY morning.
And maybe it's just me- but mornings and I are not best friends.

Thursday: 5 Unbelievable Graham Cracker Crust Substitutions

There are literally thousands of recipes that require a graham cracker crust- and if you are like me, I would bet that there has been a time or two when you needed a graham cracker crust but didn't have one on hand- so here are a few substitutions for graham cracker crusts when you just need it for dessert.

The recipe methodology for each is the same, only the ingredients differ.

1/ 1/4 cups of __________, crushed (put in a double Ziploc bag and crush with your hands, a mallet, or a rolling pin until the consistency that you want- I recommend pea-size or smaller)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick butter/margarine, melted

Mix the three ingredient together in a mixing bowl and then form into a pie pan (or glass dish, if you are making lemon bars, etc.)

Your five options?

*Pretzels: almost ends up with a caramel flavor
*Saltine Crackers: ends up very close to shortbread
*Ritz crackers: also ends up similar to shortbread
*Chips-a-hoy: kinda ends up tasting like a cookie-dough crust
*Ramen noodles: yes, dried ramen noodles crushed up (VERY finely) turn out great. Also shortbread-esque, but worth trying just to be surprised at how well it turns out.

Wednesday: DIY Air Freshener

Sometimes you live in a basement apartment. And sometimes that basement is over 100 years old. And sometimes even when the entire place is clean, fresh paint and shop-vacced carpet, it smells old. And if you are me, this 'sometimes' is my daily reality. So, I have been on a constant mission to make my apartment smell nice!

This week's addition? A DIY air freshener. Not tough, and all made with what I already had at home.

Materials1 tsp essential oil (or 2 parts scented extract (vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.) to 1 part olive oil)
Cereal box/mac-n-cheese box etc.
2 print outs of the same cute image
New dish sponge
Glue
Needle and thread
Scissors

Step 1
Glue cute print-out (I did a lemon, since my air-freshener scent is lemon) onto the inside of a cereal box/mac-n-cheese box and cut it out.

Step 2
Cut your new sponge to the same size as the printout and then use your glue to apply the printout to both sides of the sponge (for this, I recommend super glue or a glue gun)

Step 3
Thread your thread through the top middle of the sponge/air freshener and tie the thread together to make a loop

Step 4
Using a dropper (or a small baggie with a tiny hole poked in one end), add your essential oil/scented oil to the sponge portion of your new air freshener.
Hang in your car/office/kitchen/baby's room wherever and just add a few drops of scented oil whenever the scent starts to fade!

All done!

BOOM! Easy! As always....

Tuesday: How to Use Bacon Grease in 5 Different Ways

Did you just make bacon? And end up with a lot of extra bacon grease? Well, lucky for you, there are actually uses for that bacon grease. And they just might surprise you.
Presto Powercrisp Microwave Bacon Cooker (good for getting the grease extra quick)


1. (most obvious) Replace your spray grease for your fry pans with just a dab of bacon grease. Take about 1/2 teaspoon of the solid fat and put it on a paper towel- then use the greased paper towel to coat your frying pan before burgers, steaks, eggs, you name it. The bacon flavor infused adds an extra level of taste and only will cost you 20 calories.


2. Use it to polish leather. Now, I'm not talking leather couches or any extreme like that, but a dab of cooled bacon grease on a rag is a great way to add back in the suppleness that leather loses over time. Good for boots, belts, shoes and the like. An inexpensive way to replace leather shoe polish.

3. Make your cracked heels smooth again. You'll have to accompany this procedure with a shower, but it is a great way to make you want to show your feet in public. Before bed, dab some solid bacon grease on the dry parts of your feet and put on a pair of socks. In the morning, wash your feet thoroughly in the shower and BOOM! Softer feet!

4. (most awesome) Non-toxic bug destroyer! Take your solid grease and mix in a little bit of vegetable oil to make the grease a little more runny and sticky. Then, just put it in a Styrofoam plate or a pie pan and leave out wherever you want flies, mosquitoes, and bugs to be gone! They will land in the grease and the sticky weight of the grease will hold them down, unable to get free- all you will have to do is throw it away once it is full of bugs!

5. (most time intensive) Make soap! For those of us with a little more time and skills, you can use your bacon grease to make soap! Here's great article on how to make soap using bacon grease easily.
http://tinyurl.com/d6y8jep

Enjoy your crisp, delicious morning bacon and make something useful from what's left over!
(Note: For the love of all that is good, DON'T use hot bacon grease for any of these.... wait until it cools and solidifies so that you don't burn yourself)

Monday: Teach Your Children to Watch the Horizon

When I was 16, I remember learning to drive with my dad. Still just out with my learner's permit, he took me out on the freeway. I really, REALLY didn't want to drive off the road, so to make sure that I would stay straight on the road, I watched the white line on the road and made sure that it passed by me in the same place in my window. I stared at that white line, making sure that it stayed parallel to me- and while I was busy staring at this white, painted line, my dad was busy staring at the cars in front of me. "Stop! That car is stopping! STOP!"

Yup. I almost hit a few cars in front of me before I realized that the place to focus on wasn't the white line right in front of me, but on the cars and the road in front of me. Once I learned to watch the horizon, I figured out where I was going and how to get there.

Now the tricky part.

Teaching my kids to watch the horizon.

And I don't mean when they are driving. I mean in life.

It is so easy to see the small things right in front of you:
*the pot of spaghetti sauce boiling over
*those 5 pounds that won't go away
*that bedroom wall color you hate
*that job that you don't want to go to
*that neighbor you can't handle

I know that you won't make it far focusing right in front of you- you'll just end up with a fender bender.

We really need to learn to focus on the horizon.

Like, where we are going. And who we can become.

Learn to answer these questions and then teach our kids.

So, when your little boy comes home and is upset because some other kids teased him for his clothes, you teach him that the clothes he is wearing might be right in front of him, but that what is on his horizon is far more important.

When your daughter doesn't do well in her piano recital, teach her that the bombed recital isn't all she is- it's not where she ends up- it's not her horizon.

I hope that I can be able to really teach my little girl not to focus on the trials and disappointments of the day, but to be able to look at her horizon, see where she is going, and know that there is more to life than the day-to-day.

But then again, every mom wants to teach her baby to grow up right.

Friday: Upcycled DIY 3D Dragonfly from Empty Paper Towel Rolls!

As part three of my using empty paper towel rolls/toilet paper rolls, I have this cute dragonfly that I used to make a card for my baby girl's grandma... (inside is complete with her hand and foot print 'signatures'. This is how to make your own!

Materials

*Empty paper towel roll
*Spray paint
*Needle and thread
*Piece of colored paper
*Stickers/markers to decorate with

Step 1

Smash the empty roll flat and then cut into 6 thin 1/8 inch wide strips

Step 2 

Spray paint to your desired color and all to dry

Step 3

Step 4- lay out flay

Take your sheet of paper and fold it in half (to make the card). Next, thread and knot your needle and thread and run it through the far end of each piece of the empty roll and knot it at the end

Step 4- Secure with stitch
on edge of each middle piece

Step 4

Lay out the connected pieces on your card in two sets of three, making it look like a dragonfly. Use your needle and thread to 'sew' the dragonfly on by securing it with a single stitch in the middle and on the far end of the middle wing on each side.

Step 4- Secure with middle
stitch

Step 5

Decorate as desired! You can probably make it look cuter than mine.... Either way, have fun with this idea! Make flowers, leaves, whatever! Makes a cute 3-D card.

5 Non-Window Uses for Window Cleaner

I don't want to pull a My Big Fat Greek Wedding on you, but here are some other uses of window cleaner besides plain old windows....

1. Clean bugs/sap from the outside of your car. Just spray on, allow it to sit for a few minutes, then wipe away! (some stuck-on bugs require multiple treatments)



2. Cleaning INSIDE your car. Window clener is great for inside your car because it is a light cleaner that won't damage your upholstery if it comes in contact with it. It is also non-greasy, so there is no worry of getting slippery cleaner on your wheel or shifter that can cause accidents.

3. Acne? Yes, if you use it on small areas of your face and don't have sensitive/dry skin. Spray a small amount on your bad breakout areas, let sit for a few minutes, and then wash your face with normal cleaner.

4. Oily surfaces in the kitchen. Sides of the fridge, wall, floor, around the oven... wherever you find greasy, oily surfaces. It gets rid of the greasy smudge and isn't a harsh cleaner. (plus, you can buy the knock-off at the dollar store for ultra cheap!)

5. Kill bugs! If you see ants, flies, bees, whatever, around the house and don't feel the urge to actually kill them yourselves... just spray window cleaner onto those little buggers until they no longer have the urge to bug you...

Friday: Upcycled DIY Name Hanging- with Paper Towel Roll!

As my second project in my DIY up-cycled projects done with empty paper towel rolls/ toilet paper rolls, I made this name wall hanging. Cute for bedrooms, nurserys, or grandma/grandpa gifts if you have your children help assemble them. What do you need?

Materials
*Wide ribbon
*Fun paper/black marker
*Needle and thread
*Empty roll
*White spray paint

Not a bad set of items, right? You probably already have all of it on hand. It's easy to put together!

1. Cut the empty roll on one side and then into 1/2 inch wide strips (1 strip for each letter in the first/last name) (the pieces should look like a C)

2. Spray paint these pieces white- allow to dry

3. Use your black marker and cute paper to make separate letters for the name

4. Tie each end of the wide ribbon into a know

5. Lastly, use your needle and thread and put it first through the letter, next, through the white 1/2 piece of paper towel roll, and then through the ribbon. Make sure to put a knot in the very end of the thread (bottom of the letter), a knot where you want the 1/2 piece of roll to stay, and again on the back of where you secure the letters. Repeat this with each letter, evenly spacing out each letter on your strip of ribbon

6. Hang your awesome creation on the wall! You can hang it vertically or horizontally- and depending on the paper and ribbon you use, it can be absolutely darling!

P.S. Make sure to check back each week on Friday for Freebie Fridays! (your chance to win!)

Friday: DIY Up-Cycled Paper Towel Roll into.... A Cute Flower Vase!

Maybe it's the kindergartner in me, but every time I throw away empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls, I feel like I should be saving them. So, I did some thinking and came up with a few ways to up-cycle your old toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls into something that doesn't suck. In fact, a few of them are pretty cute. Almost chic, even! The first project I will share is a simple flower vase. Perfect to make for a special occasion where you want to have vases that match perfectly to a theme, or for giving garden flowers to neighbors. What do you need?

Materials
*1 paper towel roll
*1 sheet cute paper
*Clear masking tape
*Glue stick
*Plastic baggie

Step 1

Step 2

Cut your paper towel roll to the length you want your vase to be, then push it flat (to create corners), and push flat on the opposite side (giving you a square shape).
Step 2
Next, take a plastic baggie and push it into your new square roll, so only the edges hang out. (I had zip-baggies, so I cut my zip-top off)

Step 3
Using your clear masking tape, seal the edges of the baggie to the outside of the paper towel roll.

Step 4

Step 4
Next, cut a piece of paper to be the same size as the paper towel roll (and maybe just slightly longer) and then glue it to the outside of the paper towel roll (gluing it on will make it easier to tape on later).

Step 5

Step 5: Adding small pieces
of tape to the edge of each
sheet of paper to secure it
to the edge

Lastly, use a few long strips of clear masking tape to cover the entire sheet of paper and make sure no paper is exposed. Then, just add a few small pieces of tape to each end (1 for each side, 4 on top, and 4 on bottom) to secure the edges of the paper onto the roll.

Now, you are done! You have an awesome (possibly chic) vase that you can giveaway or share! Check back later for my other up-cycled toilet paper roll/paper towel roll projects!





PS: Head back here each and every Friday for your chance to win something on Freebie Fridays!!

Thursday: Sweet, Simple Cran-Chicken Pasta Salad

This is an easy toss-together pasta salad that doesn't use dressing or mayonnaise.

Ingredients
*2 cups cooked pasta (rotini, bow tie, etc.)
*1 can chicken
*1/2 cup sweetened cranberries
*1/4 cup honey
*Juice from 1/2 lemon
*1/2 cup sliced celery
*1 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp pepper
*1 small can sliced mushrooms (optional)
I feel like the procedure is self explanatory- put all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix it. The end! I like the consistency, with sweet bites of cranberry, crunchy bites of celery, and the sweet tang of the honey and lemon together. Enjoy!