Getting Rid of Sunburn

Since I was at the beach this summer, I was ready to try this.  It's not like I tried to sunburn, but I just knew it would happen.

First I had to find black tea while on vacation.  Of course that means going to the grocery store.  Basically you put 3 bags of black tea in hot water and let it cool down enough to put the tea on your burn.

Website

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-single-most-effective-way-to-get-rid-of-a-sunb/?ALLSTEPS

Results

This didn't work for me.  Applying lotion with aloe is what worked.  I was hopeful for this one because I hate that it takes days to recover.  Well it seems as if that's just how it has to be.  There doesn't seem to be a shortcut.

I didn't want to take a picture of my burnt back so I'm using the picture posted on the website.

Packing Toiletries

I was just recently on vacation and took the opportunity to try some pins that I have.  This one suggests putting plastic wrap underneath the lids of toiletries to keep them from spilling.

Website

http://selectstudyabroad.com/2012/01/top-ten-tips-for-packing-luggage

I do think this worked because I didn't have any issues except for the one medication my daughter has that I didn't wrap.  That's because my husband packed it and didn't realize I was making a science project out of our trip.  I suggest doing this when you have to pack liquids!

Empire Waisted Skirt

I love making skirts since I bought a sewing machine.  I pin a lot that pop up on pinterest and when I get to it, I make them.  I guess I will have lots of skirts to wear to work.

Website

http://www.tripoverjoy.com/2010/07/diy-elastic-empire-waisted-dress.html

She actually makes a dress but I like to switch skirts out with other shirts instead of it being attached and I can only wear it that way.

Pictures 

(Warning: I'm looking frumpy because I'm not a model and not trying to be)

And now with the skirt pulled down to my actually waist

I know I look horrible in these pictures, but I really do love the skirt.  In person, it looks much better!  Start sewing!

Gathered T-Shirt

There's this picture for the pin that is a T-Shirt that's gathered on the one side and it's cute.

 So this leads you to believe this is a shirt that she made, but she bought it.  She tried to mimic it and I don't think it worked out so well.

From her directions, it seems difficult and I don't think that it looks like the original.

Website
http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2012/01/side-gathered-shirt-tutorial-mens-shirt.html

Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I love tortellini, so when I saw this recipe, I knew it was a score.  As weird as that sounds because the recipe calls for orecchiette pasta but it does have in parenthesis any pasta.  I did however make some other changes.  I like brussel sprouts but my family doesn't, so I substituted with broccoli.  I also just notice as I typed the title that it says chicken sausage which we eat pork sausage.  I guess I kind of made a whole other dish now that I write about everything that I changed.  WHOOPS!

This was a great dish!  I've actually made it several times because we all like it so much.  So whether you switch it up or keep it the same, give it a try!

Sorry I'm not going to post the directions here because it's detailed.  But here's a picture!

Website

http://gimmesomeoven.com/pesto-pasta-with-chicken-sausage-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

The Best Steak Marinade???

I'm really picky when it comes to steak.  It has to taste a certain way and definitely be medium rare.  I don't cook steak that much because I have trouble getting the right combination of flavor that I need in order to be worth cooking.  I figured what they hey, might as well try something else.

Website

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/03/steak-marinade-recipe/

Directions

What You Need

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Teaspoon of onion powder
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 Teaspoon of pepper

What To Do

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. I find this amount is good for 2 – 3 steaks depending on size.

Place marinade and steaks into a freezer bag and marinade ( overnight) or at least 30 minutes.

Throw away marinade after use. Cook steaks how you desire.

Enjoy  

Man that looks like a delicious marinade.  What would make me think this would taste good.  Aha!  It was so delicious.  It's the only marinade that I use now.  I eat twice as much steak in a sitting than what I used to.  I don't have a picture of my steak but I will use her's to appetize you!

Cleaning Rust Off Knives

I was starting to think it was time for new knives since ours had rust on them.  I'm assuming that's not the most healthy or sanitary thing to cut with.

All I have to do is soak them in lemon juice???

Website

http://sweetcourts16.blogspot.com/2012/06/lemon-juice-knives.html

Pictures

BEFORE

The knives soaking on the left

The finished product on the right (pretty darn clean)

Problem:

I had them soak for about eight hours because I wasn't seeing anything happen.  Then my husband says wow that really did work.  I thought he was nuts because I just looked at them and they had rust all over them.  He said you need to take them out of the juice and wipe them off.  That would have been good to know before they soaked for eight hours and me ready to call this one a dud.  So I'm not sure how long it takes, but go ahead and derustify those knives!

Summer Towel with Pillow

We are leaving for the beach soon so I really wanted to make this.  I mean its perfect, a pillow inside a towel that can roll up and have pockets on the outside.  Heaven!

Website Directions:

http://verydarkhorse.blogspot.com/2011/09/summer-series-project-2.html

This project was a mess.  I understand that I haven't been sewing long, but come on.  I was already questioning it when it said to stick velcro to a towel.  I thought it might rip some of the towel if you continuously did that, but I really wanted one.

So here's all of my problems:

1. As soon as I cut the towel to make the straps, the towel started leaving those fuzzy things everywhere.

2. I made the straps as instructed but they were so hard to turn inside out because they were skinny.  I probably could have cut them bigger, but I was trying to follow the directions.  So because of this problem, one of the strips actually ripped apart when I was pulling it through.  So I was going to have one strap and I still thought I could improvise.

3. Sewing the 2 towels together is tough because it's so thick.

4. I was going to use a pillow instead of fluff because there isn't any at my fabric store.  My pillow has trouble fitting.  See how the sides are the same all the way down the towels?  Well mine wouldn't sew like that because the pillow took up too much space.

My Pictures (I don't have a picture of the ripped handle because I got so mad that I threw it out)

If you find one on the market, I suggest paying for it.  It's not worth the frustration.  I think I'll just take a pillow to the beach and lay on the blanket that I already own.

Cleaning Baking Sheets

There's a blog that has 101 tips for around the house.  Of course I'm putting some of them to the test.  She got the ideas off of websites and claims she tried them.  I really wonder.

Her Website

http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/2012/07/tips-tips-and-more-tips.html

The Site About the Pans

http://diyhshp.blogspot.com/2012/04/make-your-pans-shine-1-simple.html

So I put the baking sheets to the test.  Apparently all I have to do is scrub tea tree oil on the sheets and they will turn out looking like new.  I was skeptical, plus have you ever smelled tea tree oil?  Geez my kitchen stinks now!

And now for the pictures!

BEFORE

AFTER

So as you can see, it is still scummy.  The only difference is the stench and it shines from the oil.  Don't waste your money, time, and nose on this project!!!

Magnetic Board

There's directions on how to make a decorated magnetic board.

http://www.brownpaper--packages.com/2011/09/just-love-jen.html#more

This sounds great if you love DIY.  The problem is that frames are expensive.  I bought the metal and was going to cover it.  The edges are sharp so it does need to be protected somehow.  I couldn't think of anything else but to get a frame.

So I went to Kohls and they had message boards for buy 1 get 1 for $1.  So I paid $26 for two.  This ended up being cheaper than making one.  So I need to return the metal to Home Depot.  Money and time were saved by purchasing something on my own.

This Annoys Me

I hate it when I pin something and go to check it out later, only to find there's no link to go to.  It's just a picture.  Well how am I supposed to make it or buy it if I don't know anything about it.  GRRR.

Soft and Silky Legs

There's a homemade scrub that is supposed to leave your legs very soft and silky.

Directions 

Scrub:
-2 1/2 Cups of Sugar (Yes, just normal sugar)
-1 Cup of oil (I used Olive Oil and of course, I smell a little like Olive Oil. You can also use Canola, Vegetable, Avocado, Coconut or any fragranced body oil you have).
-5 Tablespoons of a citrus juice. Preferably fresh squeezed. (I used Key Lime)

Bath Time:
-Draw you a warm/hot bath.
-Soak for about five minutes.
-Shave one leg.
-Take a palm full of your homemade sugar scrub and scrub that leg and then rinse off.
-Shave your leg again. Yes, again.
-Take a palm full of sugar scrub and scrub your leg again.
-Repeat on your other leg.
-After your bath, dry off and then lotion your legs. 

These directions come straight from the website at http://glutenfreenavywife.blogspot.com/2012/01/softest-silkiest-legs.html

Outcome

This is an amazing scrub and very cheap.  It's all ingredients that I already have in my kitchen.  I used lemon juice in a bottle instead of fresh squeezed because that's all I had.  I do agree with saving again.  There is a ton of gunk that comes off of your legs.  There was actually so much that I couldn't clean out my razor and threw it away.  This is definitely a keeper and I keep it in stock in my bathroom.  I also cut the amount in half because I didn't know if I would like it and I didn't want a huge amount of it sitting around.  I had a lot of oil left over so I added more sugar to it and lemon juice.  This was great since oil is the most expensive ingredient.  So go on and make this and feel like you stepped out of a spa!

Dryer Sheets Clean Baseboards?

Apparently dryer sheets take off all of the dust on your baseboards.  Of course I put this to the test.

Website

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/quick-cleaning-tip-keep-baseboards-cleaner-with-fabric-softner-165957

Time for a before and after

BEFORE

AFTER

And here's what the sheets looked like

This might have been a bad baseboard to use because the pictures don't look that much better.  They don't have just dust on them.  They need to be scrubbed.  That doesn't happen too much with a toddler.

I say give it a try.  It does work, but if your baseboards need more than a quick wipe, you better scrub them.

Baking Soda and Orange Juice Mask

This mask claims to get rid of blackheads.  I was skeptical.

Here's the directions (from the website)

1. Mix 1 tbsp real orange juice with 1 tbsp baking soda (I like to use a shot glass – ha!). Add more baking soda as needed to thicken mask.
2. Spread a thin layer on face. There should be enough for two applications, or one if you put it on your neck and décolletage, too, which I do.
3. Leave on for 20 minutes
4. Dampen finger tips and scrub mask in circular motions for extra exfoliate
5. Rinse

Here's the website

http://www.beautybets.com/2010/06/diy-baking-soda-face-mask/

This is a great mask if you have oily skin like I do.  It drys out your skin.  I do feel like I used a Biore strip when I use this mask.  Don't do it too often or your skin will get too sensitive and burn.  I know from experience.  I guess I get too anxious when those stupid blackheads come back.  Have fun with it!

DIY Halter Top - NO SEW

I thought this title was too good to be true, but it turned out pretty great.  I actually combined this project with the dying project, so the shirt will look familiar.

Here's the directions

http://wobisobi.blogspot.com/2012/07/no-sew-diy-tee-shirt-halter-2.html

I'm having you go to the site because they use pictures to show you where to cut and it would be too hard to explain.

Here's my shirt

My only complaint is that I feel like it is too loose in the back.  I will probably stitch up both sides to take it in a bit to make it feel more fitted.  Other than that, it's a really simple shirt to make.

Weekly Schedule

I needed a weekly schedule to keep everyone else organized.  I have a book that I keep everything in, but the others in the home weren't aware of what was happening and when.  I found the schedule on Pinterest but it did not lead to a website.  So I improvised again.  This one was simple to replicate.

This was a photo frame that I put scrapbook paper in.  It works as a great dry erase board.  I love it.

Grocery List Holder

I found this grocery list holder which I thought would be great because we don't ever use a grocery list.  This means I end up with duplicates all of the time.  Unfortunately when I clicked on the pin, it doesn't take me to a site about the holder at all.  So I improvised.

I found the board at Michael's and used scrapbook paper to cover it.  The roll is just calculating tape from Staples.  I used string to hold the roll onto the board.  And that's it!

DIY Dying T Shirt

I am in the process replicating this pin
http://www.lifeofcharmings.com/search/label/diy

I have already glued the design on the shirt and so has my step-daughter.  I experienced a problem.  She suggests to print a design out and use that to trace.  I printed mine in color because that's the way the picture was on the screen.  After I traced it with the glue, I let it sit to dry.  I noticed that there were 3 small spots that weren't drying.  Upon further observation, I noticed that the paper was actually glued to the shirt because too much glue soaked through.  I tried bleaching these 3 spots of red out of the shirt.  I got them to a really light pink but you could also see the bleach.

I dyed them anyway and they are now in the wash.  I'm very interested in how this will turn out!

This is such a pretty color!  I can't wait until they are washed and dried.

Ok they are finished.  They are lighter than the color in the picture above, but still a pretty color.

 

This is my step-daughters.

 

And this is mine.

Some of the butterfly on the back is a little messed up from where the red ink got onto the shirt, but it's hardly noticeable.

I would say this pin works!

Hello Everyone

I figured I would start this blog because I'm always on Pinterest looking for new things to try or make.  I've been inspired to DIY instead of buy.  I'll be documenting the things that I make or try and letting you know if it's worth your time.