Snow Paint!

Here's an idea I got from my local MOPS group. I thought I'd share it with all you moms with children old enough to enjoy something like this.

What you need:
1 cup water
10-12 drops food coloring
1 small spray bottle

Pour water into spray bottle.  Add 10-12 drops of food coloring.  Replace cap on bottle and shake well.  Repeat the process to make a variety of colors.  Kids can create art in the snow!

Hooded Towels

I love this idea!  My sister-in-law had some of these and I had to share the idea with you!  I found it HERE.all!  This version uses a wash cloth, but clock HERE for another way to make them. 

Here's how to make them:

1.  You will need a regular sized bath towel, one wash cloth, matching thread, and a sewing machine.

2.  Cut the tags out of the wash cloth.  The wash cloth will be the hood of the final product.

3.  Fold the wash cloth in half, inside out.  Measure with your pointer finger on the folded edge.  This is where you will start sewing.

4.  Sew from that point, all the way to the corner, forming a triangle.

5.  Fold the triangle away from the front of the hood and sew it down along the edges.

6.  Do the same thing to the other side of the hood/wash cloth.

7.  Turn the hood right side out.

8.  Fold the towel in half.

9.  The center is on top of the red and yellow pin located in the middle shown here.  Fold about a pointer finger's distance to meet the inside, center of the towel.  Pin the towel in place and do the same thing to the other side.

10.  Lay the completed wash cloth/hood on top of the center where pins are located, making sure to center as well.    The front of the hood should be on top as shown.

11.  Sew all layers together, except for the front of the hood.

12.  It's best to finish the inside with a needle and thread to keep all the layers from showing, plus it will give the hood and towel connection some extra strength for durability.

See how much prettier that is now!

Her son modeling the finished product. 

Bed Bath and Beyond

So, I just learned some valuable information about Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Did you know that those 20% off coupons can be used even after they're expired?  The same with the $5 off a purchase of $15.  Although it's unofficial, all the stores do it.  ALL OF THEM.   And, may of the sales people will hand you a coupon if you forgot yours, AND they will also tell you that if you forgot your coupon (and they don't have one for you) you can bring back your receipt and they will refund you the 20% from your purchase, usually with store credit.

And, the best of all:  You know how I told you about getting seasonal Yankee Candles there for 25% off and using your buy-one-get-one free coupon?  Well, add to that a 20% off coupon of $5 off coupon!  Really!  You could get 2 candles for as little as $13.75 (with the $5 off coupon, or $15 with the 20% off) .  And they are originally $25 EACH! And, if you you don't like the scents they have on sale, bring them back later to exchange them for any scent you like!  Or take them to your local Yankee Candle store.  It's just that easy!

Restoring a Doll's Hair

She really is a sweet doll and Claire of course loves her!  Claire loves her long hair and drags her around the house, pushes her down the slide, rolls around with her on the sofa and sleeps with her!

As darling as she is, her long hair can get into quite a big mess.  

Like many dolls, she comes with some accessories to keep her looking in tip top shape! 

A brush...

A mirror...

Neither of these things actually work when taming a mane like Rapunzel's.  

After doing some internet research, we went to the beauty supply shop and got a wig brush.  Why a wig brush?  It has metal bristles with no little knobs on the ends.  This is supposed to glide through the hair with ease and no cause static that a plastic brush would cause.  

It costs about $3. 

I also ran across several sites that suggested using fabric softener as a detangler.  I didn't want to make Rapunzel's hair too greasy so I made a solution of about 2 TBSP of fabric softener and the rest water - this is a little travel spray bottle - it has now become Rapunzel's Magic Hair Spray.

Start slowly and spray lightly and it will start to look better.  Here is a side by side shot of Rapunzel's hair.  One side if done and the other isn't. 

Look how great she looks - back to factory condition! 

What To Do With Your Christmas Cards

Christmas Card Saver
By: Ashley Connelly for The Creative Place Christmas cards make great keepsakes! This homemade book will trim your trash haul and serve as a fantastic reminder of the holiday season. Now you can relive your favorite Christmas memories all year long.

Materials:
 Christmas cards
 Update letters
 Pictures
 Envelopes
 Glue or adhesive (I use Tombow rolling permanent adhesive)
 Scissors or a rotary cutter
 Ruler
 Cutting mat
 Hole punch
 Two pieces of Christmas-themed ribbon (several inches each, depending on how many cards you have) or two 1.5" jump rings (you can get these at Wal-Mart or Staples - if you have a ton of cards that need to go into the book, you can make two or more books or purchase 2" jump rings at Staples)
 Piece of 5"x7" chipboard to serve as a sturdy back cover, and materials to make a
front cover such as chipboard and embellishments (optional)
Instructions:
1.) Separate your cards into three piles:
- Pile 1: Cards that are one-sided and do not open (like photo cards or postcards)
- Pile 2: Cards that open and do NOT have writing or a picture on the inside left panel - we will be cutting these and covering up the inside left panel.
- Pile 3: Cards that open and DO have writing or a picture on the inside left panel - these are ones that you do NOT want to cut or cover up any part of the card. These will go into the book as they are.

2.) Take the cards in the second pile (that you do want to cut) and cut off the spine of each card, so as to separate them into two different pieces.

3.) Put glue (or rolling adhesive) on the back of each of the fronts of the cards. Glue this to the back of the card (once it is glued, you can see the writing and message on one side and the front of the card on the other side). So, you will have one single card piece now - below is the front and the back.

4.) Punch two holes in the left side of one of the cards - one hole about 2" from the top of the card, and one about 2" from the bottom of the card - both about 3/8" from the left side of the card.

5.) Use the card you just punched holes in as a guide to punching the holes in the rest of your cards. Since your cards are probably all different sizes, center the cards so that the holes are punched in the middle of each card.

6.) If you have a lot of update letters and/or pictures, punch holes in envelopes as well. You can then put the letters and pictures in there without having to punch holes in them.

7.) Now, begin putting the cards on the binder rings, or threading the ribbon through each hole. I did one of each in the picture as an example, but ended up using the ribbon because I liked how it looked so festive.
Finish binding.

8.) I made a cover for mine using a 5" x 5" piece of chipboard, a picture I had taken of our Christmas card display this Christmas and a tag where I wrote "Christmas Cards 2009". A cover is completely up to you, but it might be helpful to somewhere document what year the cards are from.

Find thousands of free projects, tips, tutorials and more at www.AllFreeChristmasCrafts.com

Tropical Rain Stick

Heavy cardboard mailing tube

2 plastic caps or duct tape to seal the tube

Nails hammer

Seeds, small pebbles, rice, or dried beans

Adhesive-backed shelf paper, wrapping paper, or ribbon to decorate.

1.       Hammer nails into the mailing tube 1/8 inch apart, using the spiral seam of the cardboard tube as a guide.

2.       Seal one end of the tube with plastic cap or duct tape.  Add several handfuls of assorted fuller material (rice, seeds, beans, etc.)

3.       Seal other end of the tube securely with plastic caps or duct tape.

4.       Decorate your tropical rain stick with ribbon, adhesive backed shelf paper or wrapping paper.

Check out more fun ideas from John and Danita Thomas, the Kid Concoctions Couple.

Make Your Own Face Paint (Great for costumes)

Face and Body Paint

2 T solid shortening

1 T cornstarch

4-5 drops of food coloring

Small make-up sponge

1.       Mix shortening and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth.

2.       Add 4-6 drops of food coloring .Mix until the color is evenly blended.

3.       Apply face and body paint to arms, legs, and face, using a small make-up sponge

4.       Remove paint with soap and water.

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

We go through a lot of taco seasoning in our house.  I've found an easy way to make it when you don't have it on hand, or if you want to save some money!

1 T onion powder

1 t salt

1 T chili powder

1/8 t cayanne pepper (I usually leave this out)

1 t oregano

1 T garlic

1 T cumin

You can add more or less of each ingredient to your own taste.  Enjoy!

Ice-Proof Your Car Windows

Ice-proof your windows...with vinegar! Frost on it's way? Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy mess!--nice to know.

Free Game from Redbox and Gifts to Grow Points

If you’ve got a gamer in the house, text GAMEKIDS to 727272 in order to receive a free Redbox video game rental code. The code is good through January 31. Now I just need to find a code good for one free kid rental so I can have them use my free code for me.

Code FB1MLK21AP6PD13 expires on Jan. 25 and is worth 10 free Pampers Gifts to Grow points. If you’re just now signing up, check out the HIF archives for older codes that might help bump your overall total. But if you’re already a member, here’s the direct login link.

Kitchen Tip

Kitchen Tips-Saving Money and Time

After cutting up celery sticks to have in the fridge, I always end up throwing so much away!  Look at all this that goes to waste!

 But my mother-in-law has taught me not to throw things like that away.  Use them!  So I chop them up into tiny pieces and freeze them!

And when I go to make soup (or stuffing), I just throw it in!  It makes making soup easy and quick!