DIY Ear Cuff

I have found the perfect tutorial on how to make a simple ear cuff. I tried it and it is the easiest,yet awesomest homemade ear cuff ever! I did change one thing;I used a mini paperclip instead of wire.

Sorry about the horrible picture.

They are great, and I can't wait to wear them. Just follow the tutorial below, and yours will be even better than mine! Good luck!

Simple Ear Cuff Tutorial 

How To Have A No Phones Dinner

Almost everyone has a smartphone. When you are out to dinner with your family, you probably don't want everyone on their phones, checking Facebook or texting everyone on the planet. So, if you want a technology free meal, read on.


I was at a burger restaurant in town and a nice waitress told us about a table she had last week. Here's what they did. First, they had everyone put their phones in the middle of the table. The rules are the first to reach for their phone(I mean c'mon, it's an instinct) has to pay for dinner. I thought it was a great idea. You can play it down a bit and whoever reaches for their phone first has to do something small. I also hope everyone's back-to-school seasons are going well. Bye for now!

My Favorite School Supplies

  Since school is starting so soon, I thought I would share with you my favorite school supplies.

Pens:

Papermate Profile Pens
The motto says it all. "The World's Smoothest Pen"



 Pencils:

Mechanical:

 
Papermate Mechanical Pencils
These are pretty costly, but I love them. They look great and write nicely. Plus, they come with extra erasers and graphite. The only problem is the clips come off pretty easily.



Papermate Write Bros Mechanical Pencils
Sorry about all these Papermate picks, I just like their products.These are cheaper, but they are worth it. They come in so many colors, and they fill them with three long pieces of graphite! The erasers aren't cheap either!



Regular:

Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils
These are my absolute favorite regular pencils because they sharpen easily. I also like the soft erasers and points.




Folders:

Mead Five Star Folders:
I like Mead folders because they have so many designs and different types too.


This is also my favorite color.

Highlighters:

 Sharpie Accent Hiqhlighters
Highlighters can be hard to find. Some tips break off and some run out of ink easily. I like both the liquid and regular. The liquid highlighted really well, but you have to be careful not to soak your paper. 




      

I also thought these were cool:
Foray Erasable Highlighters
Found at Office Depot only, these were so cool! They only had one problem, one you erased that spot on the paper, you couldn't write there again.

    

 Crayons, Colored Pencils, and Markers:


I go Crayola on all of these usually. I like Crayola's thin tipped markers and their 24 pack of crayons especially though.


Well, these are some of my favorites. I hope they helped make your back-to-school-shopping easier.

P.S, I thought I would help you out and feature another great link to help you with finding the best back-to-school deals.Passion for Savings

My Day in Seattle,Washington

I just came back from Seattle,Washington. I love this city. Though,I was only there for a day, yet I saw and did lots of things. 

1. Ride The Ducks of Seattle

(90 minutes)

My family and I went on this land/water tour of Seattle. Our guide was very energetic and told us lots about Seattle. We went on Lake Union and saw a beautiful view of the city. 

2. Seattle Monorail

We thought it would be cool to ride the famous monorail, since we were already heading that way anyway.

3. Pike Place Market

This huge public market was full of unique foods, local tourist stores, and vendors. A must see if you are in Seattle. Beware, it is very crowded though.

4. Gum Wall

Yes, disgusting.My mom was totally against this, but I really wanted to see it. A wall full of chewed gum. Tip- Don't wear your nice shoes, as some gum lands on the Post Alley floor. You can even add a piece, if you want to.

5. Saw the Original Starbucks

Seattle is home to more than 400 Starbucks. That's a lot of lattes. I wanted to get something from the original Starbucks, but the line was out the door. I ended up getting Starbucks later on in the day, at a regular Starbucks.

6. Shopped Downtown 

We shopped around. I must have see 1,000 different keychains,magnets, and t-shirts. Tip- I noticed some things were more expensive at one store, than the same item at another store. But, some stores close really early, so if you take the time to shop around, it might be closed when you come back.

The locals were very nice. One came up to us and offered to help us find a restaurant. It rains a lot in Seattle, as you might know if you live on the west coast. When we were there it rained, but not too much. We also snacked at a cupcake/ice cream shop. Seattle is a great city; I wish I could've spent more time there. Check it out, there is bound to be something you like there.  

This is the t-shirt I got in Seattle at a place downtown called Seattle Shirt Company for only 7.50! 

There was a ton of shirts to choose from and reasonably priced.

Ivory Soap Science

In the mood to do some fun science? Well grab a bar of Ivory brand soap(only Ivory) and a paper towel. Do not use aluminum foil.

Heat up the Ivory soap in the microwave, and you will see it puffing up like a cloud.

If you are worried about it making a mess, it looks like it will be wet, but I found myself comparing it to the texture of a dry paper towel. I put it in a bowl and played and molded away. Caution: If you do not "puff" it all the way in the microwave, it will have solid, HOT piece on the bottom.

Since it is dry, it can chip off and make a big problem. If it get everywhere, don't wet it. It will stick. After I was done playing with it, I smushed it down to a flaky powder.

I then decided to make it into soap again.

I added water to it and molded it into a sphere. I put it in a different open container and let it dry for a few days. If you want to get creative, here is an awesome link on how to make it into shapes and color it! Click here for link.  Bring out the inner kid in you and try it!

Breakfast Burritos

I recently went to my sister's house and she taught me how to make delicious breakfast burritos for a quick meal. I can't  wait to eat them in the morning for a good breakfast, after all, they do say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make a few on the weekend and  enjoy them for an easy, on-the-go breakfast. 

You'll need:

(Makes 1 burrito)

-meat(I like breakfast sausage the best)

- cheese

-2 eggs

-additional adds

-bowl

-spatula

-2 pans

-tortillas

First, cook your meat well. Let your meat cool. Then, in a different pan, scramble eggs.  Then mix meat and eggs. Prepare your extras, I personally like to add crispy sweet potato fries.  Roll your ingredients into the tortilla. Eat! 

Mixing the eggs and meat together.

My sister wrapping the breakfast burritos.

-If your want to eat them later, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge. 

Enjoy!! Huge thank you to my sister for sharing this recipe with me.:)

My Summer Bucket List

I know it is a little late, but here's my summer bucket list. If you are bored and don't know what to do, read this list. Maybe you'll want to do something on it.

1.S'mores

You can do it the traditional way, or try it the indoors way,in the microwave. Just take graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow and make into sandwich. Put on microwave safe plate and heat on HIGH for 15-20 seconds or until mallow puffs. I already got my supplies:

Safeway brand.

2. Make ice cream

If you don't have an ice cream maker sitting around, make it in a bag, super easy and good. To find out how, click here.

3.Game night

Have a family game night! Play Monopoly, Uno, or any other game.

4. Make a fort inside.

Blankets and chairs are my favorite ways to build a fort.

5.Water park

6.Pick berries

7.Movie night with themed dinner

Click here for my most popular post

8.Picnic

9. Star gaze

10.Breakfast for dinner

 Click here for a great idea for breakfast for dinner.

11. Snowcones

Either make your own or pick some up.

12.Make sundaes

13.Watch sunset

14.Go to the beach

15.Spend a whole night watching movies

16.Shopping

17. Pajamas Day

18. Homemade cookies

Here is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar.

19. Try to can fruits

20. Flubber

Click here  for my other post on how to make flubber.

21.DIY Popsicles

Put 'em in a popsicle container and let 'em freeze. 

22.Farmers Market

A great way to support local businesses and products. 

23. Finish a puzzle

24.Blend fruit smoothies 

Click here  for a cool website with a ton of smoothie recipes.

25.Sidewalk chalk

26. Make fresh fruit salad

27. Go to a fair

28.Roast marshmallows 

29.Aquarium 

30.Visit a different state

31.Go to a national/state park

32. Nature bracelets

Wrap a piece of tape sticky side up and go for a walk. Collect things like little pebbles, leafs, and seed to go on bracelet.

33.Make lemonade

34.Play minute-to-win-it games

35.Take a hike in nature

36. Sleep till noon

37. Go out to dinner

38. Learn something new

39.Eat barbecue 

40. Read more.

(If possible)

I hope you try some of these things. Some are so common, you will do them anyway. Some aren't, maybe you are dying to try some.

How To Make Flubber

I just saw my niece yesterday and I wanted to make flubber with her. That's exactly what we did. Flubber is a rubbery, squishy substance that is fun to play with. 

What is needed:

-2 medium sized bowls

- 3/4 cup cold water

- 1/2 hot water(not boiling)

- 1 teaspoon borax(found in laundry aisle)

-food coloring

- 1 cup liquid white glue( I suggest Elmer's)

- 2 spoons

How To Make:

1. Mix cold water, glue, and food coloring together well. Set aside.

2.Mix hot water and borax together till borax has dissolved.

3. Slowly pour glue mixture into borax mixture together and mix together well.

4. Pour off excess water and enjoy.

I was surprised at how well it turned out and how easy it was. Below are some tips for dealing with flubber.

- If flubber gets on your clothes and dries, soak it in water for 12 hours and then dry. If you use Elmer's glue, it will come out.

-If you drop flubber on the tile, it will come off easily. 

- To preserve flubber, put it in a Ziplock bag with minimal air. Leave it out at room temperature.

- You can write on flubber, but when you fold or stretch it, it won't stay. The color will combine with the other color.

- I used an old cookie pan for a place to play with the flubber.

I thought I would take pictures of how much fun the flubber was.

I made this collage with the app Pic Collage(awesome app for picture collages by the way)

We had so much fun with this and it was on my summer bucket list...which will be in one of my blog posts soon. See you next time!

A Grape Lover's Summer Snack

It can get very hot in the summer, and isn't any fun to eat soup or a Hot Pocket on those days. I LOVE grapes. So when my mom goes to the store and buys a mega pack of juicy grapes, I don't want them to go to waste. I heard from my friend that you could freeze grapes. I tried it and I am in love. I keep extra grapes in the freezer so on a hot day, I take them out and enjoy them as a healthy snack. If you want to try them, don't leave them in the freezer for too long, as they can get freeze burn. This snack will keep your mouth cool on a hot day.

The Sunscreen Save

Here's a great tip for summer. BUY ALOE VERA!! I can't stress it enough! When you get a sunburn (whether small or big), rub aloe vera on the burn every day till it gets better. If you rub it on first thing you get it, it will get better sooner.

Tip: Refrigerate your aloe gel during sun season. When you put it on, it will cool your sunburn immediately when you rub it on.

Tip: You can even freeze it in ice cube trays for immediate relief.

They even sell it in spray form. "Aloe Spray" is available in stores.

So next time you get a sunburn from hanging out at the pool for too long, whip out your aloe to cool down your sunburn.

Dry Erase Marker Magic

I always love being creative, and I always hear about people writing on everything(okay, maybe that was an exaggeration). I was brave enough to pick up a dry erase marker and write on some glass. I thought, "Hey, if I can't get this off, I always have cleaning supplies! What could go wrong?" So I experimented a little bit and found you can write on glass and erase it super easily. Later, I was online and saw something about writing on vinyl. So, again, I tried it. It's a miracle, it actually works! I have this vinyl for covering windows or walls and I placed it on the wall and now it is like a dry erase board. It was a good addition to my room. I put things on there like lists, notes, upcoming events, and random doodles too. Window film is sold at Home Depot's,  click here.

Lovin' The Trends

They're a lot of recent trends I actually follow. I thought I'd share my favorites.

1.Mustaches.

I love mustaches! It has been a trend for about a year now. Mustache necklaces, shirts, and even duct tape are made. 

2.Wrist Hair Ties

Comfortable, useful, adorable. What more could you ask from a hair tie? 

3.Paint Ring Finger Different Color Trend

This is when people paint their ring finger a different color from the others. I love this because usually, I do my fourth finger  

glitter and the others a simple color, it's chic.

4. The In Color: Mint Green

I absolutely love blues and greens, this is a beautiful color!

5. The Other In Color: Coral Pink

This neon color is bright and perfect for summertime.

These are some of my favorite trends, also some of America's too.

Icebreaker Game

Ever in a new group and want to get to know the people in it? Buy a bag of glass pebbles from craft stores or even a local dollar store. They look like the ones in the picture below.

   

Things You Need:

-Permanent marker

-glass pebbles

-tape

 How To Make:

This is a very easy DIY project. Just write a subject with the permanent marker on the pebble: food, movie, game, weather, flavor, hobby, color, animal, etc. Now, tape over the ink to preserve the words, so they don't rub off. Cut off any excess tape hanging over the edge. 

Playing The Game:

Have each person take a glass pebble out of the bag. Whatever they pick, they have to say their favorite. Let's say they picked animal; they would say their favorite animal. It's that simple!

This game is perfect for elementary classes on the first day of school. This is a great icebreaker game for any group, so try it!

 

Simple Password Book

I know people have a lot of accounts in this digital world. If you are one of those people,read on. This is a homemade,easy,useful present for Mother's Day too. I made one for my mom last year and she loves it and uses it all the time. I suggest you make it, but make sure you keep it somewhere safe.

     

                   What You Will Need:

-1 piece of colored card stock 

-printer paper (around 10 pieces maybe)

-Sharpie

-stapler

First, line up the card stock and printer paper,card stock first.Next,fold the paper over so it meets the other side evenly.Staple.It should look like a folder.Decorate however you like. You  can print images out and glue them on,write a minimal amount,or just leave it blank to keep it a secret what it is. This is very useful,I assure you. Enjoy!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

I often get sudden urges to bake on the weekends. I love cookies and we had a gigantic bag of chocolate chips. Why not bake chocolate chip cookies?  Of course, we didn't have brown sugar in our pantry, so I had to compromise.  I searched for the perfect recipe, and, happily, it was found. Without futher introduction, here it is:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 oz. chocolate chips(optional)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/4 cups butter

     


        Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream the butter with the sugar and the honey. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Place teaspoon sized cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minutes or until golden brown.                                                            

   They were actually pretty good. I added more chocolate chips though. I actually modified the recipe a little bit but I got the idea from allrecipes.com. So here I am enjoying cookies while blogging. Try it!