DIY CRAFT read more PARTY DECOR read more PATTERNS read more RECIPES read more DIY CRAFT read more PARTY DECOR read more TRAVEL TIPS read more Party Planner and DIY Projects July 4th Glitter American Flag Kids’ ArtJune 27, 2022What says Fourth of July sparkler better than gooey globs of glitter? The weather is finally warmer and my family has been going through popsicles like they are – well, candy (but, aren’t they kind of like candy anyway?). Instead of tossing the sticks, I’ve been saving them for this holiday craft. Gather together a handful of popsicle sticks (or you can buy craft sticks if you don’t have any popsicles around) and get ready to help your child craft a sparkly patriotic flag. Although I personally am game for anything involving glitter and really don’t care much about the mess (well, I kind of mind picking sparkles off of the floor, table and my son’s clothes weeks later), prepping for this project means covering your work surface with something suitable to catch the teeny tiny shining specks. Use a garbage bag, newspaper or a sheet of scrap foam board. Here’s What You’ll Need: Cardboard – Reuse the side of an old box. Popsicle or craft sticks Clear drying school glue Scissors Red, silver and blue glitter A paintbrush Star stickers Here’s What to Do: Line the craft sticks up horizontally on the cardboard to make the flag’s stripes. Glue the sticks to the cardboard. Let them dry. Help your child to cut the cardboard around the sticks. Typically I prefer to have the child do all of the art-making for herself. But, in this circumstance the cardboard may be too tough for little hands to slice through. If your child is struggling, give her a hand with the cutting. Paint a layer of glue over the craft sticks. Have your child squeeze a few quarter-sized dabs of glue on the top left side, spreading it out into a rectangle shape. Sprinkle blue glitter over the glue. I find this best to do over a piece of paper. When your child is done crafting you can fold the paper and the left over glitter into a plastic baggie to use later. Paint glue over the rest of the sticks. Alternating red and silver, have your child sprinkle glitter over the stripes. Shake off the excess. Let the glue dry. Add star stickers to the blue area. Paint another layer of glue over the entire project to seal in the sparkles. You can use the artwork as a display piece for a July 4th get-together or even as coasters for cool drinks at a barbeque. Are you looking for more art activities? Follow Savvynana on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more ideas!... Read more...Easy DIY Patriotic 4th of July Table DecorJune 24, 2022Need an easy 4th of July decorating idea? This little idea is super simple and came up in no time! With just a few supplies (some of you might even have everything in your decorations/craft stash) and a few minutes, you can have some holiday patriotic decorations perfect for a quick table setting! Isn’t it cute? Super easy and cheap! It all happened because of our upcoming family reunion. When we got to Nebraska, I learned that the decorating department needed my help. No one wants anything special, just festive on the table. So I came up with this little idea. They are actually cuter than I thought! Hope they add a little fun to the family reunion! To make some, here’s what you’ll need: Tall Vase(s) Red, white, and blue tissue paper 2 small flags per container 1 pinwheel per container 3 small pieces of styrofoam (or floral foam) per container Directions: Start by stuffing some red tissue paper into the bottom of your vase. For these vases with such a small width at the bottom, we actually only used 1 sheet of red tissue for all three decorations combined. We just used the pinwheel stick to push the red tissue paper down. On top of the red, put one small piece of white tissue paper (not enough for a full layer). Then, stick the pinwheel and flags into small pieces of styrofoam. Wrap those with pieces of white tissue paper and stick in to fill out the white layer. This keeps the flags & pinwheel in place, while also hiding the styrofoam! Then, fill in the top with a piece of blue tissue paper. And, that’s it! You can get these done at about 5 minutes or less per centerpiece! Inexpensive, quick, simple, yet festive– that’s a winning combination in my book! Wishing you a happy & safe 4th of July!!! ... Read more...Tissue Paper SparklersJune 22, 2022Hi! It’s Nana from Homemade Ginger again, and I’m here to share the easiest party decorations you’ve ever made! These tissue paper sparklers are perfect for a quick and easy 4th of July decorating. But the good news is that you can make these guys for any occasion, even if you don’t live in the US! I don’t know about you, but now that I’m a mom, the fireworks are kind of driving me nuts. My parents used to live outside the city limits where fireworks are allowed. Every year we go to a giant fireworks tent and stock up on fireworks big and small. Then instead of watching the big fireworks show, we sat outside and filmed it ourselves. It was fun until everyone started having a lot of their own kids. Kids run around, firecrackers go off, and I have a heart attack almost every 4th of July. My parents recently moved back to town so our fireworks celebration will be more modest this year. However, I love these tissue paper fireworks because there is absolutely no fire! They look lovely in a mason jar and make a quick and easy centerpiece. Or kids can wave them in the air. They are super easy and affordable to create! These tissue paper fireworks can be made in any color combination, so they’re not limited to the 4th of July. Make a bunch for your next birthday party or even graduation! I was inspired by these tissues but wanted to try making a bigger version for a bigger impact! Tissue Paper Sparklers The full printable instructions are at the end of this post but here is what you will need: Tissue Paper White Glue Straws or Skewers Scissors These festive sparklers are the perfect craft for 4th of July! Experiment with all different color combinations! Tissue Paper Sparklers An easy way to celebrate the 4th of July this summer! ACTIVE TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 15 mins Equipment Pair of scissors Materials: 3 large sheets tissue paper (3 DIFFERENT COLOURS) glue 1 straw or skewer Instructions: 1. Cut each of the 3 colours of large tissue paper sheets in half. Stack each of the half sheets together. 2. Fold the stacked sheets in half, lengthwise. 3. Using scissors, make small vertical cuts into the bottom edge of the stacked and folded papers, stopping a few inches from the folded edge. 4. Apply a thin line of glue to the folded edge. 5. Place your straw or skewer onto the start of the glue and begin rolling it up, twisting the tissue around until the end. 6. Dab a small amount of glue to the seam and press to seal it shut. 7. Leave to dry, then fluff out the tissue paper to form your sparkler! ... Read more...Easy DIY Rustic USA Wood SignJune 20, 2022What do you do when you need a break? I like to build things! Not necessarily big things, those take too much brain power and concentration. When I need a break, I build simple decor things. Since I needed a break today after trying to get the kids to do their chores and I needed a little something more for my patriotic summer mantle, I decided to take the day to build this easy DIY Rustic USA Wood Sign and I love it! I knew I needed a plaque or sign on my mantle for summer. I have started working on a patriotic mantle, but so far I have only put up this printable 3D stars & stripes banner and this printable from How to Nest for Less. But I still needed a big WOW piece. I love the look of wood signs, someday I will even have a scroll saw so I can cut out all different letters myself. But for now I went for a super easy option and bought some 9″ wood letters from Michael’s. And since I have a few of the reclaimed wood boards I snagged from my parents dilapidated fence I knew I could put together a rustic wood sign for my patriotic mantle pretty fast. It was seriously so easy! The hardest part was being patient enough to wait for the paint to dry. If you want to make your own sign, it’s really easy! I only used two tools: miter saw and battery powered nail gun; 6′ of reclaimed 1×4 boards, 1 8′ 1×2 board, and the 3 9″ letters. I used a coupon to get my letters so the whole sign cost me less than $10! I started by deciding how big I needed to cut my reclaimed wood boards. My boards were 1x4s so they were about 3 1/2″ long. I chose to do 3 boards stacked horizontally so they measured just under 10 1/2″ total. Then I chose to do 24″ long on each board. After cutting the reclaimed wood boards, it was time to cut the frame. I had to use new wood to frame out my sign because I didn’t have any small reclaimed boards. But I made the frame out of a $1 1×2 board so I figured it was totally worth it! I cut the frame by cutting two pieces of the 1×2 at 45 degree angles on both ends with the center of the board being 24″ long and two pieces at 45 degree angles on both ends with the center being 10 3/8″ (the measurement of all three of my boards lined up next to each other). I dry fit the frame to make sure I cut everything right, and admired it cause it looked so good already! Then it was time to finish the frame. Since I was using reclaimed wood I didn’t want to finish the frame after it was all put together because the stain could get on my pretty reclaimed wood and that would make me mad. So I hurried and put a coat of stain on all the frame pieces. I used Minwax Jacobean stain for my frame. After I let it dry for a little bit (cause I am impatient and wanted to finish my project now), I started assembling the frame. I added wood glue to the corners and then clamped them tight while I used my nail gun to put three 1 1/4″ nails into the corner to hold it tight. After assembling 3 corners, I put the pieces of reclaimed wood into the center of the frame before I closed up the 4th corner because it was a tight fit (which is what I wanted). Finally, I used a few more nails with my favorite nail gun to put some nails on either side of the frame into the pieces of reclaimed wood to secure them. I was careful to make sure the back of the wood was flush with the back of the frame. I put 2 nails into each side of each piece of reclaimed wood. Now it was time to un-pretty up my letters. I wanted rustic, chippy paint letters not super clean, bright white letters. So I had to rough them up a bit. I started by hitting the edges a bit with my sander. The finish came off really fast with my electric sander. Then I used some Vaseline before painting like in this tutorial from Sincerely Sara D. Now I had to wait for the paint to dry. I hate waiting! And I didn’t wait long enough before rubbing off the paint over the Vaseline. But after a few tries, I did manage to get the paint to look cute and chippy. Then I just needed to attach the letters to the sign and frame. I used my trusty nail gun again (cause I really do love this thing) and carefully nailed the letters on from the back. I used 1″ nails so they didn’t poke through the front of my pretty letters. And then it was ready to put on my mantle for the 4th of July. The only problem… I am in the middle of a fireplace remodel trying to get ready for new carpet. Oh well, when the fireplace is done this week I will have my beautiful rustic sign ready, and it gave me the break I needed today! If you don’t have access to some reclaimed boards, you can make this sign with regular 1×4 boards too. If you don’t sand the boards, and put your stain on it will still give it a rustic look, just not as rustic as the reclaimed boards. So I had to take my cute new sign outside to get some pictures since my fireplace is under construction, but I think the tree in my front yard works well with the rustic look of the sign. And even though this picture doesn’t really show off my new rustic USA wood sign, I thought it was so pretty so I’m sharing it! Sometimes I just like pretty things So do you decorate for the 4th of July? If not, what kinds of decor do you like for the summer? ... Read more...4th of July Clothespin WreathJune 17, 2022I can already hear fireworks at night going off through the neighborhood, the colors red, white and blue are showing up everywhere and the planning of BBQ’s is in the air; this going to show that the 4th of July is right around the corner! Take if from me, it’s not too late or very hard to get festive. It seems like the last few days I have either been preparing for Sara and her family to come stay with us (cleaning, shopping, etc.) or working on up coming things for this blog. This has left the 4th of July as a major after thought! However, after seeing this clothespin wreath floating around Pinterest I knew I wanted to at least do that. I scoured Pinterest for the original link to the clothespin wreath and never found it so I decided to go ahead and make my own and share the exact “what ya need” and “how to” with all of you. The supplies for this project are pretty basic and cheap; all of which I was able to get a the one-stop-shop of Walmart. – 12 in wreath frame – 2 packs of clothespins (This wreath takes 60 clothespins to make but there are only packs of 50 at Walmart which are $1 each.) – Glitter Stars foam stickers – red, white and blue paint (acrylic or spray) – paint brush Start by dividing out your 60 clothespins. For mine I painted 15 blue, 22 white and 23 red. Next step is to paint them. I did it the hard way and painted each one by hand using acrylic paint. Surprisingly and a little bit to my embarrassment I didn’t even think about spray painting them until afterwards. It would have been MUCH easier. But if you are going to paint them by hand I’ll let you know what I did. I used the foam brush and painted everything but the back and part of the sides. Then I took a smaller brush to get the inside of the clothespin where it would show. In the picture above you can see kind of how I went about the “lazy” way of painting them. Once all the clothespins are dry stagger them on the wreath frame doing all the blue clothespins together then 4 reds followed by 4 whites. Lastly, at the foam stars to the blue clothespins and hang! To add a little more to my 4th of July decor I spray painted some stars on our front lawn using some white field spray paint and hung up our flag. See! Three very simple and easy ways to get in the patriotic spirit; all which can be done in an afternoon for under $20! Sara and I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July! We know we will be and are SO excited that we get to be spending it together!... Read more...American Flag Paint Stick ProjectJune 15, 2022Looking for a summer craft for the 4th of July? Head to your local craft store and pick up supplies to make a paint stick American flag. Designer Dawn is on our blog to show you how. Time: About 1 hour (without dry time) Level: Intermediate Here’s what you need: Glue Dots® Advanced Strength Dispenser or All Purpose Glue Dots® 10 old paint sticks (or 1/4″ board stock cut to size) Wood stars Acrylic paint (red/white/blue) Twine Saw Drill Sponge brushes (one for each color) Ruler Pencil Acrylic fixative if hanging outside Here’s what you do: Cut the handle end off of 3 paint sticks so that they measure 8″. Note: If you purchase the 1/4″ board stock from your local hardware store, most will cut your pieces to size for you. On another paint stick, drill two holes at 3″ and 9″ using a small drill bit. Arrange 7 paint sticks into rows, making sure the top one has the two holes drilled in it. Lightly sketch a pencil line at 4.75″ for the top 4 sticks. Use a sponge brush to paint this section blue. Let dry before adding another coat of paint. Using a sponge brush, paint the first stick red, then use a new brush to paint the next stick white. Allow each stick to dry before adding another coat of paint. Remember to paint along the edges, but do not paint the back. Continue painting the sticks until they are all painted with the appropriate colors. Use a new sponge brush to paint the stars white. Again, do not paint the back. When all of your pieces are dry, line up your flag and flip each stick over, as if you were turning a page in a book. Spread the sticks slightly apart. Three 8″ sticks will lay across the long sticks. Once everything is in place, use Glue Dots Advanced Strength Dispenser (or All Purpose Glue Dots) to adhere the sticks together, pressing everything firmly into place. Then, flip the entire flag back to the front. Use more Advanced Strength adhesive to adhere the stars onto the blue field in the upper left. Thread twine or sisal through the drilled holes and tie off to hang. *Note: If you are going to hang this flag outside, spray it with an acrylic fixative to protect it. Display with American Pride and have a happy 4th of July!... Read more...4th of July Yarn and Wood StarJune 13, 2022You know I honestly and willfully tried not to do another yarn craft. I truly did. But yarn is in my crafty DNA makeup and if I can wrap something with yarn I am just gonna. And honestly, I thought this was not going to make my heart as happy as yarn usually does because I don’t typically associate yarn with summer…but THIS SO WORKS. I needed something for the little wall area next to my front door since I can’t possible leave a spot un-decorated. I am thankful for a husband that lets me do this each holiday without flinching. All you need is red, white and blue yarn, 5 pieces of wood (mine are 1.5 ft long), small wooden stars, white acrylic paint, paint brush, hot glue gun, hammer and some nails. The first step is to take your five pieces of wood and arrange them into a star shape. Then I marked off where I wanted the blue yarn to start for the blue background and white stars. I wrapped the blue yarn first and alternated red and white yarn the rest of the way hot gluing the end piece on the back. You will end up with 4 wood pieces with blue on the ends with red and white stripes. The 5th piece will just alternate red and white. Once you are done, arrange them back in your star shape ensuring that all your blue pieces form the 2 left points. Using a hammer, nail all 5 points of the star together as well as some of the middle parts that intersect if you want it to be extra sturdy. Try to hammer each nail between the yarn strands so you can lift the yarn to cover up the nails underneath. If the nail is too long, bang it flat on the back. Like I did after realizing I nailed it to my craft table. Now for the little wood stars. I grabbed a bag of these at Joann’s and chose the smallest stars in the bag. The kids and I painted them white and hot glued them on. Obviously, it’s not 50 but just enough to cover the blue yarn portion of my star. Now hang it somewhere where it makes you happy. Hope y’all yarn it up with your 4th of July projects and other summer fun stuff. It works…I’m telling ya. Oh and I’m officially declaring yarn a year round craft medium. Not that I’m anybody but still.... Read more...Uncle Sam Decorations from Scrap WoodJune 10, 2022If you have some scrap wood around, you can make some Uncle Sam decorations for your porch or patio. This quick and easy craft kicks off patriotic Craft Lightning where we are going to share a week of 15-minute patriotic crafts that you don’t want to miss. We are starting with this wooden uncle sam decoration that will look great by your front door or even on top of your mantel. Supplies to make an Uncle Sam outdoor decoration: Scrap wood Paint in red, white, blue, black, and a skin tone Wood stars Paintbrushes Wood glue Nails How to make a wooden Uncle Sam decoration: Start with a large scrap board and cut a spare 1×1 or other small board to length. Glue or nail it on the front at an angle. Take some other small scrap pieces and trim them to be your eyebrows and nose. You can just glue these onto the “face” of your Uncle Sam yard decor. Feel free to draw on eyes with a pencil for positioning of your features before adding glue. Allow the glue to dry then paint your creation. Start with white and a skin tone. I painted everything white except for the nose, face, and hat brim. Be sure to use a paint that is rated for outdoor use if you will be using your Uncle Sam decorations outdoors. Don’t forget to paint your wood stars white as well. Allow the first coat of paint to dry then paint red stripes on your hat as well as a blue brim. Add on black eyes as well. Use additional glue to add your stars to the wooden Uncle Sam decoration once the paint is completely dry. Once the paint and glue are dry, your Uncle Sam outdoor decoration is complete and ready for display! So easy and oh so cute! Everyone could use a patriotic decorative Uncle Sam in their summer decor whether it is indoors or out. Those eyebrows and nose are what really make this one complete! Remember that this is a rustic decoration and a bit primitive so things like the stripes on your hat do not have to be perfect. Uncle Sam yard decor is a great way to use up any scrap wood you might have around your home and turn it into something completely useful. For me, that means adding this and my plywood American flag to my summer mantel. ... Read more...4th of July Firework BlocksJune 8, 2022I enjoy doing crafts but I am not the best at making them. I try to stick to quick and easy crafts. With having 4 young kids I need to be able to start and finish my crafts in a short period of time so I can do it without too much hassle from the kids. These 4th of July Firework Blocks fit my requirements and are super cute! I recently decided that I loved these block so much that I am manufacturing them to sell in a craft kit! Make it yourself: Red, White and Blue acrylic paint 3 paint brushes drill Firework Blocks Craft Kit (has everything else included!) In the tops of each block of wood drill a small hole about 1/2 inch deep into the block. This will enable you to easily place the wire “wicks” into your fireworks. Paint each block and the star the colors of your choosing. While waiting for the blocks to dry, take your wire and wrap it around a pencil 4-5 times to create the “swirly” tops. Once blocks are dry insert wire “wick”. Place star in the location you want it and then tie it onto the blocks with the twine several times. Tie a knot in the back to keep the twine in place. **TIP: To keep the blocks secure and in place you can glue them to each other. You can also glue the star where you want it as well.** Want to skip the hassle of buying all the individual supplies and having to the cut the wood to size? Buy my already assembled Firework Blocks Craft Kit here: I have a plethora of 4th of July crafts, recipes and fun so visit my 4th of July section. If you are interested in a quick and easy 4th of July craft FOR your kids, check out these Popsicle Stick Flag Magnets. Want to make a cute new sew flag shirt? Check out this tutorial. For more 4th of July fun, check out this Pinterest board for craft, recipes and party ideas! ... Read more...Red, White Blue Mason JarsJune 6, 2022A tutorial on how to make American flag red white blue mason jars. Did you ever invite yourself to a party? And I’m not talking about some coy, roundabout way of trying to pull an invitation out of someone. Listening with rapt attention as they regale you with tales of their past parties. Gasping and laughing and expressing with great enthusiasm about how much fun it sounded … … letting your voice trail off as you look longingly at the storyteller. Hoping an invitation would be forthcoming. I mean, you did laugh at all the rights spots, didn’t you … No, not that kind of inviting yourself. I’m talking about the brazen-put-someone-on-the-spot-with-a-direct-invitation-invite-yourself invite. Yeah. I did that. It was about seven years ago. At a party with the full extended family. And my husband’s nephew’s wife’s mother (got that?) and her family were talking about their annual Fourth of July bash. And all could think is that I needed to be a part of all that crazy fun. About how I needed to be included. So I did it. I asked if we could could get an invitation … And the rest, as they say, is history …. So in honor of our wonderful, annual Fourth of July hosts, I decided to make a appropriately themed gift to properly thank them for overlooking my rudeness and welcoming us into their family celebration … … with some red white blue mason jars. Of course. This time painted and distressed with stars and stripes. And put together to make an American flag. How to Make American Flag Red White Blue Mason Jars I started by painting two jars white and one blue using craft store acrylic paint (Americana Snow White, Primary Blue, and True Red) … Then I moved on to the stripes … Followed by the stars … And then I distressed them using sand paper. I also used an emery board on the smaller spaces around the raised lettering … After a coat of clear enamel spray paint … They’re ready to party! For more mason jar project ideas, check out my mason jar project gallery by clicking here … And for even more inspiration, check out my mason jar blog … ... Read more... Recipes, Parties, Crafts & Travel 4th of July Pulled PorkJune 23, 2022Cook: 4 hrs Additional: 8 hrs Total: 12 hrs 10 mins Prep: 10 mins Servings: 10 Yield: 10 servings I serve this to guests in the summer and it’s one of my favorites, especially if I’m feeding the crowds! On this page I use the recipe for BBQ Smokin! Ingredients 1 (8 pound) pork butt, trimmed 18 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed 4 teaspoons Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere’s®) 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons white sugar 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄16 teaspoon ground ginger Directions Step 1 Cut rows of deep slits into both sides of pork butt using a sharp knife; insert a garlic clove into each slit. Rub vegetable oil over pork butt. Step 2 Mix Creole seasoning, brown sugar, white sugar, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard, cumin, and ginger together in a bowl; coat pork butt with spice mixture. Wrap coated pork butt with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight. Step 3 Heat an infrared turkey fryer or a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove aluminum foil from pork butt. Sear all sides of pork butt in the fryer or hot skillet until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) is reached, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Step 4 Wrap the seared pork butt tightly in aluminum foil. Step 5 Preheat the roaster or oven to 265 degrees F (130 degrees C). Step 6 Place wrapped pork butt in the preheated roaster or oven until pork is easily shredded, 3 to 4 hours. Remove pork butt from aluminum foil and pull meat apart. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 455 calories; protein 40.3g; carbohydrates 4.1g; fat 29.6g; cholesterol 155.7mg; sodium 283.1mg.... Read more...You’re Never Too Old to Have These Things at Your PartyJune 21, 2022Who says that just because you’re an adult, you have to stop doing certain things? Sure, there are some things that are no longer appropriate, but you definitely don’t have to stop having fun. If you’re planning a party as an adult, making it a kid-themed party is a fun idea. You can have all of the classic birthday party elements for the ultimate nostalgic event that you can enjoy with your friends. And you can also add some adult elements, like some alcohol or some more grown-up music and entertainment to get the best of both worlds. Here are some of the things to make sure you include in your party. Cake with Candles No one is ever too old for a birthday cake. And if you want to top it with the right number of candles and force everyone to sing Happy Birthday to you, why shouldn’t you? As you get older, it does require a few more candles though, so you might want to limit yourself to some numbered candles to reduce the fire risk. You can choose to get a proper adult cake or you could pick your childhood favorite if there’s something that you have in mind. Fun Party Games Being an adult doesn’t mean you can’t play party games anymore. And there are lots of fun kids’ party games that are still fun to play as adults. Get yourself a party piñata so you can all have a try at whacking something while blindfolded (probably best not to mix with alcohol). You could fill it with candy or think of something else to put in there if you want to do something different. There are plenty of other traditional party games you could play and you could find ways to make them more adult if you want to. Party Foods Kids’ birthday parties are full of great finger foods and things that are perfect for children. When you’re having a party as an adult, you don’t have to have oysters and caviar. If you have good memories of party foods from when you were younger, you could use them to inspire you for whatever food you want to have. There are plenty of easy foods to do for a party too, such as pizza, hot dogs, or anything else that’s simple to cook and eat whenever you’re ready for it. Party Favors for Your Guests Sending your guests home with goodie bags is a fun idea, so why not make sure they have something to take home with them? There are lots of things you could give them, from birthday cake to bubbles or some candy. Think of things that they can enjoy that continue your childish theme so they can still experience the nostalgia once they go home. Or put together a hangover recovery kit for them so they can feel better in the morning. You might be an adult, but you’re never too old to have a fun and childish birthday party. Embrace nostalgia and set up a party that everyone will love.... Read more...Deviled Egg American FlagJune 21, 2022Level: Easy Total: 1 hr 5 min Active: 45 min Yield: 54 squares Show off your Stars and Stripes pride with this unpeeled classic deviled egg. Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 18 large eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 3 teaspoons yellow mustard 1 teaspoon hot sauce Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, finely chopped Paprika or cayenne pepper, for garnish Directions 1. Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a small round pastry tip Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat a 13-by-9-inch straight-sided baking dish (preferably glass) with cooking spray. 2. Separate the egg whites and yolks into 2 medium bowls. Whisk the whites until combined and just foamy, then transfer them to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake until they have fully set, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the baking dish. 3. Meanwhile, beat the yolks until smooth. Lightly coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the yolks, and scramble over medium-low heat until fully cooked and slightly dry, 4 to 5 minutes. 4. Transfer the yolks to a food processor. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and pulse until smooth and creamy. Spoon the yolk mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, or a resealable plastic bag with the tip cut off. 5. Put a platter on top of the baking dish with the egg whites and flip to turn them out onto the platter. With a long sharp knife, trim about 1/4-inch from the edges, including any browned outer edges, to make a neat rectangle of whites. Cut the trimmings into 1/4-inch cubes that will be used for “stars” (discard any with browned edges). Cut the large rectangle of egg whites into 54 square pieces: 6 rows across and 9 columns down. Straighten the eggs to keep the rectangle together. Pipe a heaping amount of the egg yolk mixture onto the upper left-hand corner of the rectangle (this will be the section of the flag that holds the stars). Use the rest of the yolk filling to generously pipe 6 horizontal stripes right over the middle of each egg (see Cook’s Note). Sprinkle the corner square with parsley and the stripes with paprika or cayenne. Top the parsley with the small dice “stars”. Cook’s Note There will be some yolk mixture remaining. We think it’s delicious on toasted bread or crackers with a sprinkle of cayenne or paprika. ... Read more...Raspberry LemonadeJune 16, 2022Level: Easy Total: 5 min Prep: 5 min Yield: 2 1/2 quarts Ingredients 2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 15 lemons) 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 10-ounce bag frozen raspberries Directions 1. Put the lemon juice in a pitcher. Mix the sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to make a syrup, stirring well until the sugar dissolves. Add the sugar syrup to the lemon juice and top with 4 cups water. Taste to make sure it’s sweet enough for you, then add the raspberries. (Keep in mind that the raspberries are tart, so be sure to sweeten enough!) Stir the lemonade, then chill in the fridge. 2. Fill mason jars with ice cubes and top them off with the lemonade. ... Read more...Awesome Pasta SaladJune 14, 2022This is the best pasta salad I’ve ever had and people often ask for it. This is a very easy, light side dish for a picnic or dinner. Cook: 10 mins Total: 40 mins Prep: 30 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 16 servings Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) package fusilli (spiral) pasta 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved ½ pound provolone cheese, cubed ½ pound salami, cubed ¼ pound sliced pepperoni, cut in half 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 (10 ounce) can black olives, drained 1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos, drained 1 (8 ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing Directions Step 1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Step 2 In a large bowl, combine pasta with tomatoes, cheese, salami, pepperoni, green pepper, olives, and pimentos. Pour in salad dressing, and toss to coat. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 310 calories; protein 12.9g; carbohydrates 25.9g; fat 17.7g; cholesterol 31.4mg; sodium 913.2mg. ... Read more...Mustard-Glazed Mushroom BurgerJune 9, 2022Level: Easy Total: 25 min Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef (85-percent lean) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 6 slices Swiss cheese 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces chopped baby bella or cremini mushrooms 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 yeasty buns Directions 1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. 2. Form the beef into 6 burgers; sprinkle with salt and pepper. To make the glaze, mix together the 3. mustard, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. 3. Grill the burgers until desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare, brushing the burgers with the glaze about halfway through. A minute before removing the burgers from the grill, top with the cheese. 4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. 5.Toast the buns and serve the burgers with the mushroom topping.... Read more...No-Bake Cheesecake Flag CakeJune 7, 2022Additional: 3 hrs Total: 3 hrs 30 mins Prep: 30 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 1 9×11-inch pan The fact that you can make this lovely, sweet treat without turning on the oven might be enough to make you think about it. In addition to the flavor and light mousse texture, I think your guests will love the signature stars and stripes design of fresh blueberries and strawberries. Ingredients Crust: 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup white sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 6 tablespoons butter, melted Filling: 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature 1 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅓ cup white sugar 1 ¼ cups cold heavy whipping cream 20 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, or as needed 24 large fresh blueberries, or as needed Directions Step 1 Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter in a bowl until mixture is thoroughly combined and crumbly. Step 2 Transfer crust mixture to a 9×11-inch baking dish. Press crust into bottom of dish until smooth and even. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Step 3 Mix cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into mixture. Step 4 Whisk 1/3 cup sugar into whipping cream in a separate metal or glass bowl until the cream is fluffy and forms soft peaks. Add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently whisk until filling is soft, fluffy, and well combined. Step 5 Spoon filling on top of the graham cracker crust, spreading and smoothing the top. Tap the pan gently on a work surface several times to settle the crust and filling. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours. Step 6 Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake, arrange strawberry halves in a horizontal line with the pointed bottoms of the strawberry halves pointing to the right. Start a second stripe of strawberry halves at the top right of the cake, arranging strawberries with the bottoms pointing right in a line stretching about 2/3 of the length of the cake. Step 7 Continue to make strawberry stripes, starting about 3/4 inch up from the bottom stripe and laying down 3 more stripes stretching the full length of the cake. Make 1 more line of strawberries beneath the short stripe to leave a square space for the blue field of stars. Step 8 Lay a line of blueberries with the blossom ends pointing up in the upper left square space. Continue to lay down blueberries in lines, berries touching the previous line, until the square is filled with blueberries. Cut cake into squares to serve. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 381 calories; protein 4.5g; carbohydrates 22.4g; fat 31.6g; cholesterol 93.8mg; sodium 181.6mg. ... Read more...Potato SaladJune 2, 2022Quick and easy potato salad recipe with lots of old fashioned potato salad flavors. This will be the recipe for a summer side dish. Best done the day before. Cook: 10 mins Additional: 6 hrs Total: 6 hrs 30 mins Prep: 20 mins Servings: 20 Yield: 20 servings Ingredients 5 pounds red potatoes, chopped 3 cups mayonnaise 2 cups finely chopped pickles 5 hard-cooked eggs, chopped ½ cup chopped red onion ½ cup chopped celery 3 tablespoons prepared mustard 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Directions Step 1 Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to empty pot to dry while you mix the dressing. Sprinkle with salt. Step 2 Stir mayonnaise, pickles, hard-cooked eggs, red onion, celery, mustard, cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Fold potatoes into the mayonnaise mixture. Allow to chill at least six hours, or overnight, before serving. Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 339 calories; protein 4.1g; carbohydrates 20.4g; fat 27.6g; cholesterol 53.5mg; sodium 538.1mg.... Read more...Star Spangle Layered DipMay 31, 2022Level: Easy Total: 30 min Active: 30 min Yield: 10 to 12 servings Directions 1. Evenly spread the refried beans on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread the guacamole over the beans and then spread the sour cream over the guacamole. Sprinkle with scallions and then the shredded cheese. 2. To make the shape of a flag, arrange the black olives in the top left corner of the dish. Sprinkle with a dusting of cotija cheese. Spoon salsa in stripe formation on the rest of the dish. Sprinkle the remaining cotija cheese between the salsa to create white stripes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with corn chips for dipping. Ingredients Two 15-ounce cans refried beans 2 cups guacamole One 16-ounce container sour cream 4 scallions, thinly sliced, light green and white parts only 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese 1/4 cup chopped black olives 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese 1 1/2 cups salsa Corn chips, for serving (I like Fritos scoops) ... Read more...Classic Potato SaladMay 26, 2022Potato salad is the ultimate summer salad recipe. It’s simultaneously creamy, crunchy and fresh (which is why we always go back for seconds). This easy, classic potato salad recipe is just like my mom used to make. In fact it’s her recipe, that I’ve lovingly adopted and have been making for more than 20 years. Believe me when I say, it’s the BEST potato salad recipe you’ll ever taste! There’s nothing like potato salad to conjure up happy childhood memories of sunny summer days. It’s the quintessential recipe for outdoor parties, potlucks and barbecues and perfect to serve alongside heartier mains like my Barbecue Ribs with Spiced Rum Pineapple Sauce, Beef Brisket and Honey Mustard Chicken. Many people have a family favorite recipe that’s been passed down generation after generation and that’s wonderful. But let me tell you why I think my mom’s recipe is the best. First, it’s not mushy. Many potato salad recipes actually resemble mashed potatoes. But that’s a little too soft for my liking. I think potato salad should have texture, crunch and a chunky consistency. Second, it’s not watery. It’s creamy without being soupy. And that’s because there’s the right amount of dressing for the right type of potatoes. Lastly, it’s not a bowl of monochromatic beige and yellow. This potato salad recipe is a delicious combination of red potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, radishes, spring onions, dill and mayonnaise. Loads of color and tons of fabulous flavor. HOW TO MAKE POTATO SALAD (STEP-BY-STEP) Now that you know why I think this is the best potato salad recipe, let me tell how easy it is to make: Boil the potatoes. After boiling the potatoes for 20 minutes, puncture with a fork to make sure they’re done. If you over cook the potatoes, they will make your salad mushy. Boil the eggs. To ensure the eggs are hard-boiled through, you’ll cook them for 12-14 minutes. Read my post on how to cook perfect hard boiled eggs. Place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. When they are cool enough to touch, peel off the shells. Place the potatoes in the fridge. See my tip below on why you need to cool your potatoes completely before making the salad. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. In a large bowl combine the celery, spring onions, radishes, mayonnaise and dill. Mix in potatoes and eggs. Once the potatoes and eggs have cooled, add them to your mayonnaise mixture and combine until fully coated. Salt and pepper to taste! PRO TIP: Make sure your potatoes and hard-boiled eggs are fully cooled before making potato salad. It’s important to place your potatoes in the refrigerator after you have cooked and drained them from the water. This will help stop the cooking process. Also, the hot potatoes will melt the mayonnaise if you mix them together too quickly. And nobody wants hot melted potato salad! WHICH POTATOES TO USE This potato salad calls for red or white new potatoes. But you could also use Yukon Gold potatoes. I used red potatoes because I just love the color that comes through in the mixture. These types of potatoes are creamy, lower in starch and hold together well after cooking. And the skin is so soft that you don’t have to peel them. Do not use russet potatoes, as they are more starchy and will fall apart in your salad. Save those russet potatoes for my Carne Asada Fries. SHOULD YOU CUT POTATOES BEFORE OR AFTER BOILING? I prefer to boil my potatoes whole, then chill in the fridge and cut them after they’ve cooled. It’s easy to slice through the potatoes and I feel they’re slightly less waterlogged this way. If you prefer to slice and cube your potatoes first, just remember to reduce the boil time to about 12-15 minutes. CAN YOU MAKE POTATO SALAD THE DAY BEFORE? Yes! It’s an excellent idea to make potato salad the day before. Or what I do, at a minimum, is prepare the potatoes and hard-boiled eggs the day before, that way everything is ready to be mixed the day of a party. Saves time too! HOW MANY DAYS DOES POTATO SALAD LAST? As long as your potato salad wasn’t sitting out during a party or BBQ for hours then it should last 3-4 days in the fridge. INGREDIENTS 7 red or white new potatoes, Yukon Gold also works 6 eggs 3 stalks celery, sliced 4 spring onions, sliced 6 radishes, grated 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tbsp dill weed 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp pepper INSTRUCTIONS 1. Fill a large pot with water. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Salt the water, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until a fork inserts easily with a little resistance. 2. Fill another pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low (so that there’s no bubbles breaking the surface) and use a skimmer to gently and slowly add the eggs. Cook the eggs for 12 – 14 minutes, then place in an ice water bath to immediately stop their cooking. For more tips, read my post on how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. Once the potatoes have finished cooking, drain the water. Fill the pot with cold water to cool the potatoes down, then drain again. 3. Place both the eggs and potatoes in the refrigerator to cool completely. While your potatoes and eggs are cooling, prepare the celery, radishes, green onion and dill. Add the ingredients to a large bowl along with the mayonnaise. Once your potatoes and eggs are fully cooled, peel the eggs and cube both the potatoes and eggs into 1-inch sized pieces. Add to your mixing bowl with the mayonnaise and vegetables. Stir gently until well combined. 4. Serve the potato salad immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days. LISA’S TIPS To make this salad even healthier, I use my homemade mayonnaise recipe (as I can control the quality of oil and make sure there’s no unnecessary ingredients). This is my favorite skimmer for making hard boiled eggs as it’s large and wide. NUTRITION CALORIES: 241kcal, CARBOHYDRATES: 15g, PROTEIN: 6g, FAT: 17g, SATURATED FAT: 2g, CHOLESTEROL: 108mg, SODIUM: 211mg, POTASSIUM: 550mg, FIBER: 3g, VITAMIN A: 210iu, VITAMIN C: 15mg, CALCIUM: 56mg, IRON: 4.4mg... Read more... Get Our Newsletter Success! First Name Last Name Email Subscribe Latest Posts July 4th Glitter American Flag Kids’ ArtJune 27, 20224th of July / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday CraftsWhat says Fourth of July sparkler better than gooey globs of glitter? The weather is finally warmer and my family has been going through popsicles like they are – well, candy (but, aren’t they kind of like candy anyway?). Instead of tossing the sticks, I’ve been saving them for this holiday craft. Gather together a handful of popsicle sticks (or you can buy craft sticks if you don’t have any popsicles around) and get ready to help your child craft a sparkly patriotic flag. Although I personally am game for anything involving glitter and really don’t care much about the mess (well, I kind of mind picking sparkles off of the floor, table and my son’s clothes weeks later), prepping for this project means covering your work surface with something suitable to catch the teeny tiny shining specks. Use a garbage bag, newspaper or a sheet of scrap foam board. Here’s What You’ll Need: Cardboard – Reuse the side of an old box. Popsicle or craft sticks Clear drying school glue Scissors Red, silver and blue glitter A paintbrush Star stickers Here’s What to Do: Line the craft sticks up horizontally on the cardboard to make the flag’s stripes. Glue the sticks to the cardboard. Let them dry. Help your child to cut the cardboard around the sticks. Typically I prefer to have the child do all of the art-making for herself. But, in this circumstance the cardboard may be too tough for little hands to slice through. If your child is struggling, give her a hand with the cutting. Paint a layer of glue over the craft sticks. Have your child squeeze a few quarter-sized dabs of glue on the top left side, spreading it out into a rectangle shape. Sprinkle blue glitter over the glue. I find this best to do over a piece of paper. When your child is done crafting you can fold the paper and the left over glitter into a plastic baggie to use later. Paint glue over the rest of the sticks. Alternating red and silver, have your child sprinkle glitter over the stripes. Shake off the excess. Let the glue dry. Add star stickers to the blue area. Paint another layer of glue over the entire project to seal in the sparkles. You can use the artwork as a display piece for a July 4th get-together or even as coasters for cool drinks at a barbeque. Are you looking for more art activities? Follow Savvynana on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more ideas!... Read more...Easy DIY Patriotic 4th of July Table DecorJune 24, 20224th of July / Corner / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY ProjectsNeed an easy 4th of July decorating idea? This little idea is super simple and came up in no time! With just a few supplies (some of you might even have everything in your decorations/craft stash) and a few minutes, you can have some holiday patriotic decorations perfect for a quick table setting! Isn’t it cute? Super easy and cheap! It all happened because of our upcoming family reunion. When we got to Nebraska, I learned that the decorating department needed my help. No one wants anything special, just festive on the table. So I came up with this little idea. They are actually cuter than I thought! Hope they add a little fun to the family reunion! To make some, here’s what you’ll need: Tall Vase(s) Red, white, and blue tissue paper 2 small flags per container 1 pinwheel per container 3 small pieces of styrofoam (or floral foam) per container Directions: Start by stuffing some red tissue paper into the bottom of your vase. For these vases with such a small width at the bottom, we actually only used 1 sheet of red tissue for all three decorations combined. We just used the pinwheel stick to push the red tissue paper down. On top of the red, put one small piece of white tissue paper (not enough for a full layer). Then, stick the pinwheel and flags into small pieces of styrofoam. Wrap those with pieces of white tissue paper and stick in to fill out the white layer. This keeps the flags & pinwheel in place, while also hiding the styrofoam! Then, fill in the top with a piece of blue tissue paper. And, that’s it! You can get these done at about 5 minutes or less per centerpiece! Inexpensive, quick, simple, yet festive– that’s a winning combination in my book! Wishing you a happy & safe 4th of July!!! ... Read more...Tissue Paper SparklersJune 22, 20224th of July / Corner / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY ProjectsHi! It’s Nana from Homemade Ginger again, and I’m here to share the easiest party decorations you’ve ever made! These tissue paper sparklers are perfect for a quick and easy 4th of July decorating. But the good news is that you can make these guys for any occasion, even if you don’t live in the US! I don’t know about you, but now that I’m a mom, the fireworks are kind of driving me nuts. My parents used to live outside the city limits where fireworks are allowed. Every year we go to a giant fireworks tent and stock up on fireworks big and small. Then instead of watching the big fireworks show, we sat outside and filmed it ourselves. It was fun until everyone started having a lot of their own kids. Kids run around, firecrackers go off, and I have a heart attack almost every 4th of July. My parents recently moved back to town so our fireworks celebration will be more modest this year. However, I love these tissue paper fireworks because there is absolutely no fire! They look lovely in a mason jar and make a quick and easy centerpiece. Or kids can wave them in the air. They are super easy and affordable to create! These tissue paper fireworks can be made in any color combination, so they’re not limited to the 4th of July. Make a bunch for your next birthday party or even graduation! I was inspired by these tissues but wanted to try making a bigger version for a bigger impact! Tissue Paper Sparklers The full printable instructions are at the end of this post but here is what you will need: Tissue Paper White Glue Straws or Skewers Scissors These festive sparklers are the perfect craft for 4th of July! Experiment with all different color combinations! Tissue Paper Sparklers An easy way to celebrate the 4th of July this summer! ACTIVE TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 15 mins Equipment Pair of scissors Materials: 3 large sheets tissue paper (3 DIFFERENT COLOURS) glue 1 straw or skewer Instructions: 1. Cut each of the 3 colours of large tissue paper sheets in half. Stack each of the half sheets together. 2. Fold the stacked sheets in half, lengthwise. 3. Using scissors, make small vertical cuts into the bottom edge of the stacked and folded papers, stopping a few inches from the folded edge. 4. Apply a thin line of glue to the folded edge. 5. Place your straw or skewer onto the start of the glue and begin rolling it up, twisting the tissue around until the end. 6. Dab a small amount of glue to the seam and press to seal it shut. 7. Leave to dry, then fluff out the tissue paper to form your sparkler! ... Read more...Three Tips To Follow As A Working MomJune 22, 2022Health & Fitness / Parenting TipsIt is not simple to be a mother. There are always a thousand thoughts racing through your mind, as well as even more chores to do. With all this responsibility, you may wonder how you can get some self-care into your regime. The truth is that your ability to exercise self-care is crucial not only for you but also for your entire family. Remember that your children are watching everything you do, and if you are kind to yourself, they will notice. As a result, you are setting a good example. Furthermore, if you do not exercise self-care, you risk being unduly stressed and burning out. This is not in anyone’s best interests. So, let’s take a look at some techniques to practice better self-care. Begin Saying No When it comes to our duties and not having sufficient hours in the day, there are numerous things we may do. Although some things are required, you can begin to eliminate the non-mandatory items in your life. To accomplish this, you must first begin to say no. It may be difficult to do this at first if you are becoming a bit of a people pleaser. However, you are not required to be unpleasant about it, and putting your own life over the lives of others is not selfish. It is a wise life decision. Especially if you are supposed to be taking care of yourself and going to chiropractic care after child birth or other medical appointments. If you are invited to an event on a weeknight and you know you are exhausted and don’t have the time, politely decline. When you begin to understand the advantages of having more time for yourself and your family, you will be more secure in declining goods and small favors in the future. Your Eating Plan Consistently consuming the wrong meals is not a healthy way to live. Eating the appropriate meals, on the other hand, can help with weight loss, avoid illnesses and diseases, and give you more energy. It is also a terrific way to teach your children how to eat properly. Substitute fruit for unhealthy snacks and be creative in the kitchen. Remember that it does not necessarily have to be extremely healthy. You can just learn to cook from home, which is the healthiest food. You can also prepare some delicious treats that the whole family can enjoy. The more you practice, the easier it will become. Consume More Water The truth is that not consuming enough water will cause significant harm to you. Dehydration can induce stress, headaches, confusion, dizziness, and low blood pressure, to name a few symptoms. It can progress into far more dangerous conditions over time. Drinking more water can give you more energy, help you lose weight, and lubricate your joints, so if you have ever suffered from joint discomfort or arthritis, you should drink more water as it may provide some relief. It can also improve the function of your organs. Following these three tips should help you to remain healthy as a busy mom, although there are others to think about too, such as exercise. Can you think of any other tips? Please share them in the comments below. ... Read more...How To Precent Falls In The HomeJune 20, 2022House Hold TipsOur homes are the place we feel safe, but they can also hide a lot of hazards that can cause us to trip and fall, causing injury. There are a lot of simple things that you can do to make your home safer for people of all ages. Think about the people in your home Do you have small children at home, or elderly relatives? Or is it just you? You need to assess the potential trip hazards from their perspective. For example, an older adult may not have excellent vision, and not be able to see things on the floor that are easily identifiable to others. Having small kids in the house is a recipe for finding new things to trip over every five minutes as they leave toys and clothes scattered around the place. Elderly or vulnerable adults might benefit from a fall alarm from a company such as Val-U-Care which specialize in this type of alarm installation. Fix your flooring Loose carpets, curled-up rug edges, and ill-fitting lino are all potential ways to get injured in the home. All flooring should be fitted well and not have any damage or raised areas that you can catch with your foot. If necessary, get them replaced. Use barrier mats It’s very common to have wooden, laminate, and vinyl flooring in certain areas of the house, especially if they are in areas of heavy foot traffic or are likely to get dirty such as entranceways, hallways, and kitchens. While these types of floors are easier to clean, they can also become very slippery if any liquids get spilled on it is brought in on shoes from outside. You can avoid this by putting mats down in entranceways and hallways to soak up any liquids before people slip on them. Make sure that they have a non-slip backing or pad as well so that they themselves don’t become a slip hazard. Clear up any liquids on the floor as soon as you notice them. Remove clutter Try and live in a clutter-free home if you can. Clear hallways and walkways of any unnecessary furniture or items that could be stored somewhere else. Secure cables It seems that everything has a charger or needs to be plugged in these days. That means there are a lot of cables snaking around your home. Make sure that all electrical leads are secured to walls or furniture and never have them across doorways or other areas where people walk. Clear up It’s not uncommon for someone to trip or fall on a discarded toy or item that has been left lying around. It could take years for your kids to grow out of this so you’re going to have to get into the habit of picking things up when you notice them so that they aren’t there for an unsuspecting relative to fall over. Key points Falling in the home can cause serious injury, or worse. While it’s not possible to prevent every fall, you can reduce the chances of it happening considerably.... Read more...Easy DIY Rustic USA Wood SignJune 20, 20224th of July / Corner / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY ProjectsWhat do you do when you need a break? I like to build things! Not necessarily big things, those take too much brain power and concentration. When I need a break, I build simple decor things. Since I needed a break today after trying to get the kids to do their chores and I needed a little something more for my patriotic summer mantle, I decided to take the day to build this easy DIY Rustic USA Wood Sign and I love it! I knew I needed a plaque or sign on my mantle for summer. I have started working on a patriotic mantle, but so far I have only put up this printable 3D stars & stripes banner and this printable from How to Nest for Less. But I still needed a big WOW piece. I love the look of wood signs, someday I will even have a scroll saw so I can cut out all different letters myself. But for now I went for a super easy option and bought some 9″ wood letters from Michael’s. And since I have a few of the reclaimed wood boards I snagged from my parents dilapidated fence I knew I could put together a rustic wood sign for my patriotic mantle pretty fast. It was seriously so easy! The hardest part was being patient enough to wait for the paint to dry. If you want to make your own sign, it’s really easy! I only used two tools: miter saw and battery powered nail gun; 6′ of reclaimed 1×4 boards, 1 8′ 1×2 board, and the 3 9″ letters. I used a coupon to get my letters so the whole sign cost me less than $10! I started by deciding how big I needed to cut my reclaimed wood boards. My boards were 1x4s so they were about 3 1/2″ long. I chose to do 3 boards stacked horizontally so they measured just under 10 1/2″ total. Then I chose to do 24″ long on each board. After cutting the reclaimed wood boards, it was time to cut the frame. I had to use new wood to frame out my sign because I didn’t have any small reclaimed boards. But I made the frame out of a $1 1×2 board so I figured it was totally worth it! I cut the frame by cutting two pieces of the 1×2 at 45 degree angles on both ends with the center of the board being 24″ long and two pieces at 45 degree angles on both ends with the center being 10 3/8″ (the measurement of all three of my boards lined up next to each other). I dry fit the frame to make sure I cut everything right, and admired it cause it looked so good already! Then it was time to finish the frame. Since I was using reclaimed wood I didn’t want to finish the frame after it was all put together because the stain could get on my pretty reclaimed wood and that would make me mad. So I hurried and put a coat of stain on all the frame pieces. I used Minwax Jacobean stain for my frame. After I let it dry for a little bit (cause I am impatient and wanted to finish my project now), I started assembling the frame. I added wood glue to the corners and then clamped them tight while I used my nail gun to put three 1 1/4″ nails into the corner to hold it tight. After assembling 3 corners, I put the pieces of reclaimed wood into the center of the frame before I closed up the 4th corner because it was a tight fit (which is what I wanted). Finally, I used a few more nails with my favorite nail gun to put some nails on either side of the frame into the pieces of reclaimed wood to secure them. I was careful to make sure the back of the wood was flush with the back of the frame. I put 2 nails into each side of each piece of reclaimed wood. Now it was time to un-pretty up my letters. I wanted rustic, chippy paint letters not super clean, bright white letters. So I had to rough them up a bit. I started by hitting the edges a bit with my sander. The finish came off really fast with my electric sander. Then I used some Vaseline before painting like in this tutorial from Sincerely Sara D. Now I had to wait for the paint to dry. I hate waiting! And I didn’t wait long enough before rubbing off the paint over the Vaseline. But after a few tries, I did manage to get the paint to look cute and chippy. Then I just needed to attach the letters to the sign and frame. I used my trusty nail gun again (cause I really do love this thing) and carefully nailed the letters on from the back. I used 1″ nails so they didn’t poke through the front of my pretty letters. And then it was ready to put on my mantle for the 4th of July. The only problem… I am in the middle of a fireplace remodel trying to get ready for new carpet. Oh well, when the fireplace is done this week I will have my beautiful rustic sign ready, and it gave me the break I needed today! If you don’t have access to some reclaimed boards, you can make this sign with regular 1×4 boards too. If you don’t sand the boards, and put your stain on it will still give it a rustic look, just not as rustic as the reclaimed boards. So I had to take my cute new sign outside to get some pictures since my fireplace is under construction, but I think the tree in my front yard works well with the rustic look of the sign. And even though this picture doesn’t really show off my new rustic USA wood sign, I thought it was so pretty so I’m sharing it! Sometimes I just like pretty things So do you decorate for the 4th of July? If not, what kinds of decor do you like for the summer? ... Read more...Taking Better Care Of Your Eyes In 5 Easy StepsJune 19, 2022Health & FitnessLooking after your eyes is one of the most important features of promoting improved general health. Not least because we use them from the moment we wake to the moment we sleep. Moreover, impaired sight can impact everything from social activities to your public safety. Everyone should give their eyes the TLC they deserve. But it is especially important if you’ve already been diagnosed with melanoma. Or any condition impacting your general eye health. Here are five top tips that can lead you to success. 1- Get an accurate prescription If you have anything less than 20-20 vision, it’s vital that you visit the optician or eye doctor on an annual basis. This ensures that you gain eyeglasses or contact lenses that are actively matched to your requirements. It is also the opportune moment to screen for other health issues. You will simultaneously be able to track any regression since your last examination. Wearing outdated eyeglasses that do not reflect your current needs won’t only limit their impact. It can also lead to the development of further problems. 2- Find suitable home treatments Protecting your eyes should be an ongoing daily occurrence. There are many different conditions and symptoms that you could experience. This is why finding something that is matched to your needs will be vital. A dry eye treatment, for example, can go a long way to adding comfort in your daily life. Otherwise, your eyes will regularly feel irritated. It may take a little trial and error to find the perfect daily care treatments for you. When you get it right, though, the benefits can be felt everyday. 3- Wear protective eyewear in various scenarios The eyes need protection from both sunlight and computer screens. Wearing blue glasses or reflective sunglasses can work well in those situations. You can find prescription eyewear if you need it, or find plain options if you do not. The right protection will reduce the strain caused on your eyes, as well as potential headaches and more. It is particularly important to consider blue light eyewear if you work on computers or look at screens all day. The immediate and future benefits will be telling. 4- Take regular breaks When your eyes are under a lot of strain, it’s vital that you give them a chance to relax. While a healthy sleep pattern will give you a solid platform to build upon, there are many other factors to consider. Taking regular screen breaks at work is vital. Likewise, finding balance in your life with ideas like outside exercise can have a very positive impact. You can also look to introduce a range of eye exercises, including eye yoga. As well as keeping your eyes well conditioned, it’s a chance to avoid damaging activities. 5- Eat well When dealing with your eyes, there are many different ingredients in the recipe for success. A balanced diet with the right nutrients is one of the central features. Omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E have all been linked to preventing eye problems. Finding foods that include those nutrients can work wonders. Like many of the other aspects above, calculated decisions will improve your general wellness as well as your eyes.... Read more...4th of July Clothespin WreathJune 17, 20224th of July / Corner / DIY Crafts / DIY Holiday Crafts / DIY ProjectsI can already hear fireworks at night going off through the neighborhood, the colors red, white and blue are showing up everywhere and the planning of BBQ’s is in the air; this going to show that the 4th of July is right around the corner! Take if from me, it’s not too late or very hard to get festive. It seems like the last few days I have either been preparing for Sara and her family to come stay with us (cleaning, shopping, etc.) or working on up coming things for this blog. This has left the 4th of July as a major after thought! However, after seeing this clothespin wreath floating around Pinterest I knew I wanted to at least do that. I scoured Pinterest for the original link to the clothespin wreath and never found it so I decided to go ahead and make my own and share the exact “what ya need” and “how to” with all of you. The supplies for this project are pretty basic and cheap; all of which I was able to get a the one-stop-shop of Walmart. – 12 in wreath frame – 2 packs of clothespins (This wreath takes 60 clothespins to make but there are only packs of 50 at Walmart which are $1 each.) – Glitter Stars foam stickers – red, white and blue paint (acrylic or spray) – paint brush Start by dividing out your 60 clothespins. For mine I painted 15 blue, 22 white and 23 red. Next step is to paint them. I did it the hard way and painted each one by hand using acrylic paint. Surprisingly and a little bit to my embarrassment I didn’t even think about spray painting them until afterwards. It would have been MUCH easier. But if you are going to paint them by hand I’ll let you know what I did. I used the foam brush and painted everything but the back and part of the sides. Then I took a smaller brush to get the inside of the clothespin where it would show. In the picture above you can see kind of how I went about the “lazy” way of painting them. Once all the clothespins are dry stagger them on the wreath frame doing all the blue clothespins together then 4 reds followed by 4 whites. Lastly, at the foam stars to the blue clothespins and hang! To add a little more to my 4th of July decor I spray painted some stars on our front lawn using some white field spray paint and hung up our flag. See! Three very simple and easy ways to get in the patriotic spirit; all which can be done in an afternoon for under $20! Sara and I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July! We know we will be and are SO excited that we get to be spending it together!... Read more... Shop Fun.com for Back to School supplies!