Supporting Our Future!

One thing I try to always do is make the world a little bit better as often as I can.... So when my niece let me know that she has started a non-profit group to support kids who are being bullied I knew I needed to spread the word as far and wide as I could!

She is a wonderful young women that has been judged by her appearance so many times and has not let that her hold her back. Her and two of her friends decided to join together and give kids a place to share their story and know that they are not alone!

So please take a moment and visit their Facebook page and LIKE it...

F.R.E.A.K. (Free Rights and Equality Alliance for Kids)

These children are our future and we need to support them as much as we can in all the good things they are trying to do instead of ignoring them and allowing all of the negative!

DIY TU-TU!!

My niece Emma's 3rd birthday is coming up in a few months so I decided to make her a tu-tu. I was worried it was going to be hard, I have never made one before. So I wanted to get a jump start on it... little did I know I would finish it in one afternoon. It was fun and helped me get my craft itch scratched!

The Tu-Tu

Materials:

4-6 yards of Tulle(depends on the length you want)
1 package of Elastic Band

Needle

Thread
Scissors

Measuring tape

**And Maybe an extra hand for cutting the tulle while you cut it**

1. Pick your colors- I choose really bright cheerful colors; yellow, blue, purple, and pink with a sparkle. I bought 1 yard of each except for the yellow of which I bought 3 because I decided to use it to alternate it.

2. Decided your pattern- If you choose more then one color, you will need to decide what pattern you wish to do... do you want one color to be more pronounced then others or do you want it to be even. I choose to make my pattern Yellow Blue Yellow Purple Yellow Pink.

3. Measure, cut, and sew- Measure the persons waist you want the tu-tu to fit. Cut the exact length you measure(It will get a little bigger as you ad tulle to it from being stretched out). And then over lap the ends by about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch and sew them together. Remember to do multiple stitches so it holds tight! I did about 15.

4. Cut the tulle- This is the hard part. You have to cut the tulle double the length of the tu-tu you want to make. Tulle can be very blowy and hard to cut even at times. One thing I found that helps is if you cut a piece of cardboard 1/2 the length of of tulle you need(the length of the tu-tu you want to make) and wrap the tulle around the cardboard and then cut the tulle along one of the sides of the board. This will make all your strips pretty close to the same length which is what you need. The great thing about a tu-tu is it doesn't have to be perfect!

Now cut these pieces into 3 inch strips... I folded the piece evenly until it was 3 inches across and then cut the edges. Again it doesn't have to be perfect.

5. Find something to hold the tu-tu while you work- I used a big stew pot. You want it to stretch the elastic some, but not its full extent.

6.Assemble the tu-tu - Fold a piece of tulle in half long ways.

Fold the piece of tulle in half the other way.

Tuck the folded end under the elastic band.

Pull the loose ends through the folded end.

Pull it tight, but make sure that the elastic can still move under the tulle and that the band is not buckling under the tightness.

Repeat until you work your way around the band. Remember to take it off what ever is holding it, in my case the stew pot, to make sure it is staying stretchy and is not over done.

Towards the end, leave yourself a gap of about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch with no tulle on it. Then take the tu-tu off the holder and readjust the tulle to cover it and allow the elastic to contract a little bit.

And TA DA... You have a tu-tu!!

You can also make this with ribbon where you can tie it on to the person instead of them slipping it on.

I hope you try this for someone in your life... It makes a great gift for old and young!

Drunkin' Melon Balls!!!

Love this drink/party appetizer! Its a great recipe and it kinda helps break the ice. Please try this at your next get together or party! Just be careful because they go down really easy and pack a punch.


Drunkin' Melon Balls
Needed:
-Melon(s)
-Large Tupperware container with lid
-A bottle of Vodka(recommended: whipped cream)
-Melon Baller

1. Pick a melon or melons of your choice. You can use all one kind or mix it up!
2. Take a melon baller and ball out the the entire melon. Put the melon balls in the Tupperware container.
3. Add the vodka slowly to the melon balls, till it covers the majority of the balls.
4. Place lid tightly on the container and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
5. Open container and enjoy. Serve with a spoon(I tried to serve with tooth picks but it did not work for me).
Recommended: I love this with the Whipped Cream Vodka... its sweet and yummy! Also, try this as a nice desert... spoon about 4-5 balls into a martini glass and serve with a sprig of mint on top.
Hope you enjoy this great spring/summer time drink/snack!

Saving money!

Over the past few months my family has been going through hard times. My husband, our main source of income, broke his leg and has been out of work! So I have had to figure out cheap ways to feed our family. Here are a few thing I came up with.

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1. Roman Noodles- Now I know what you are thinking... yeah everyone knows about Oodles and Noodles but its not a complete meal! Well try adding some cooked frozen veggies(my fave is broccoli), and a little cheese(if you would like). And presto it is more of a meal then just a snack! Another idea if you are lucky enough to have chicken is to dice it up and throw it in!

2. Shop Before You Make a Menu- Look at what's on sale before you decide what to cook! This way you can make due with what you can afford.

3. Shop at a Discount Grocery Store- A lot of people live with in a 25 mile radius to a discount store and don't even realize it. Close to me is a store called Sharp Shopper and I go there about once every two weeks. I am able to save so much that it makes the 30 minute drive there worth it!

4. Re-purpose Leftovers- If you bake a chicken and have plenty of meat still on the bones, throw it in a stew pot and let it cook down. Remove the bones. Add some chicken bullion, frozen veggies, and some noddles. And there you have it Chicken Noddle Soup!

5. Buy Things Cheap To Replace Expensive Things- If you are in the mood for steak and can't afford it, change it up! I found if you buy what they call "Breakfast Steak" it is really cheap. No its not nice and thick but if you slice it up and marinade it in some with flavorful, then saute it... you have Steak Fajitas for a fraction of what it would cost you to buy t bones or NY strips or any other steak!

This can also be done with chicken... Instead of buying boneless skinless chicken breasts go to the tuna isle and buy the canned chicken (used mainly for chicken salad), drain it, rinse it, and add it to a casserole instead!

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I hope that this helps you to save a dime in times when dimes are hard to find!

Grocery Bag Wreath

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope everyone is having a great holiday! Here is a great decorating idea for the holiday season!

I made these all the time when I was little! They are easy and awesome! You can add your own little touches like changing up the color of the bags, or cutting them to fray the edges a little bit, or changing the shape of the wreath. Its a great craft for kids around 8 or older as well! And just think it keeps the plastic bags out of the land fill! Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Grocery Bag Wreath Help

Wine Bottle Torches!

This is one of my FAVES!!! Wine bottle torches just add a nice accent to any gathering or just you and your hubby sitting out on the patio!

I have made several of these and I use citronella oil in them to keep the bugs away and they work great. I also painted some of the bottles I used to match the decor! The best advice I can give in making these is to not have a closed mind about it! I wound up using something completely different to hold the wick. I would take what ever wine bottle you want to use with you to the hardware store and just play around with it!
 Also, be sure that the wick you use is long enough... if you have a longer neck bottle you may have to get a longer wick. A standard tiki torch wick works great for this if you are using a short fat bottle or even a beer bottle(we used a Corona bottle and it looked like we were burning the beer)! If you plan on making a bunch I suggest you order a roll of Tiki wick and just cut it to your own desired length!

Wine Bottle Torch Ideas

Just remember to have fun with it!

Carpet Cleaning

So last night we were vacuuming the carpets and they started to smell like burning dog hair! EEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!! At that point I went to the cabinet under the sink only to find we were out of carpet freshening power! Sad moment!

Thank god we had a quick fix! Medicated foot powder!! Just lightly sprinkle it over the carpet before you vacuum and it won't smell like you have a litter of sheep dogs stuck in a smoldering trash can!

Have a wonderful fresh day!!

Amy

*No dogs were harmed during the making of this idea*