Home Remedies: Honey and Cinnamon

 

 

My grandmother used to make us hot tea with honey in it when we were sick but did you know: that a teaspoon of honey (raw is best) and a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon will usually knock out a cold within a day or two? Take twice a day for 3 days for best results.

 

I will have to try this the next time one of us is sick.

Glue Yarn Ball

http://www.makeandtakes.com/glue-yarn-ball-tutorial

 

A fun craft to do with the kids!  You can make these for Christmas decorations, Easter decorations, any holiday, or everyday decorations. 

 

 

Supplies for Yarn Balls:

• yarn
• a bag of balloons
• white craft glue

Step 1: Make a mixture of glue and water (avoid making it too watery).

Step 2: Slightly blow up one 5 inch round balloon.

Step 3: Pull out a big bunch of yarn from the yarn ball itself. It is helpful to wrap it around your hand holding onto the end as to avoid tangling of the yarn.  Dunk the yarn into the glue/water mixture making it all wet. Squeeze it out before wrapping.

Step 4: Begin wrapping the wet yarn around the small balloon. There is no method here, just wrap it in every which way.

Step 5: Once you have covered up a good majority of the balloon, cut off the yarn and tuck the end under.

Step 6: Roll the yarn wrapped balloon one more time in the water glue mixture, and then squeeze out any excess.

Step 7: Once all your yarn balls are completely squeezed out, let them dry with the balloons inflated inside overnight. This is an important step.

Step 8: In the morning of the next day, the yarn should be stiff and hard. If it is still damp, I would give it a second day. If it’s dry, you can pop the balloon! You should be left with a colorful decorative yarn ball.

That’s it! Now fill a basket or a large apothecary jar or even a big glass trifle bowl would be fun too!  You can also hang them from your Christmas tree.

 

 

Make Christmas Decorations using Balloons

 

 

I first saw this on Facebook.  In fact, that is where the picture came from.  I am so going to try this! 

Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids

When my kids were younger, there were time we had to make their costumes.  Now, we all know about turning a sheet into a "ghost".  How boring and original. Whether you're aiming to be scary, funny or ironic, these creative  Halloween costumes will give you inspiration.

                     Meatballs and Spaghetti

1. Cut a hole for the head in the center of a red-checkered tablecloth (or 1.25 yards of 45-inch-wide red-checkered fabric) so that it can be worn like a poncho.
2. Cut 1/2 skein off-white yarn into spaghetti-length pieces. With a hot-glue gun, glue them in swirls and bunches to a large, sturdy paper plate.
3. Paint 8 small Styrofoam balls with brown acrylic paint to resemble meatballs. Let dry, then glue 4 or 5 balls to top of spaghetti. Mix brown and red acrylic paint to make a tomato-sauce color; drip that over meatballs and spaghetti. Smear a little on the side of a small pot.
4. Glue the plate to the front of the tablecloth.
5. Glue remaining meatballs to tablecloth where you like.
6. Glue some strands of yarn to pot "hat." Tie under chin if needed to keep pot on head. 

.Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids - Easy Homemade Halloween Costumes - Parenting.com



http://familycrafts.about.com/od/cardboardboxcostumes/ig/Cardboard-Box-Costumes-Photos/Outhouse-Costume-Picture.htm

Outhouse Costume

Materials Needed

Cardboard

Cotton twine

Box tape

Bungee straps/cords

Pantyhose

House shoes

Long johns

Instructions

Cut box to size, add roof by lacing cotton twine through it. Add a box to hide your legs, attach the same way as the roof. Fill pantyhose with whatever you like (make sure it's light colored). Pin shoes on, then add bungee straps to secure box on your back.

Tips and Tricks

• Make handles out of cotton twine and putting a sponge on them. Add a touch light and a tree air freshener for laughs

 

 

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/costumes/a/blhalcpopcorn.htm

 

 

Popcorn Box Costume

 

Materials:

• Cardboard box
• Paint, red and white
• Balloons, yellow and white
• White tee shirt
• White sweatpants
• Scissors
• Glue

Instructions:
Take the cardboard box and cut off the top were you want your head to be; on the bottom, cut holes for your legs but not to big because we are goin to put the balloons in the box. Cut holes for you arms too ( on the side). After you have got the box ready for you to get in, paint the box red and white stripes. Then make a sign that says popcorn, and glue the sign to the box. Blow up the balloons and set them aside.

Put on your white tee shirt, and your white sweatpants, and step into your popcorn box, have someone fill the box with the balloons so they look like popcorn, and go trick-or-treating. This is a great idea that can be from the ages 10-12.

Suggestions by Michelle Scott: Make stripes on the box using red and white duck tape. Use a piece of blue poster board to make a Popcorn sign. Glue piece of popcorn to a white hat and also around the top of the box.

 

 

http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/halloween-costumes-for-kids#slide-1

 

Lego Costume

 

STEP 1: Cut off the bottom flaps of a box (ours measured 16"W × 29"H × 11"D) with a utility knife. Tape down the top flaps.

STEP 2: To create head and arm holes, trace a dinner plate on the top of the box and saucers on each of the box's sides, and cut out with the utility knife.

STEP 3: Lay the box flat on its back. Using wood glue, affix eight round 2"H x 4"diam. craft boxes ($1.19 each; bjcraftsupplies.com) — without their lids — in two vertical rows along the front, as shown. Make sure the bottoms of the craft boxes face out.

STEP 4: Once the glue has dried, spray-paint the entire piece glossy red. If necessary, coat multiple times for a brighter color, then let dry.

 

 

http://ideas.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/2012/09/21/easy-homemade-flyswatter-costume/

 

Easy Homemade Flyswatter Costume

By: Catherine Richardson From: Monument, CO

 

My son wanted to be something fun for Halloween and he always wants something homemade so we came up with a flyswatter costume where his face was the squished fly. I used white foam core board and cut it in the shape of a flyswatter, cut a hole through the middle and used silver tape to make the mesh of the swatter.
I then glued fly wings (kept from a past bee costume) and some black pipe cleaner legs around the hole. My son wore a black hood (again from the past bee costume) which already had antenna on it but added two half Styrofoam ball shapes with gold sequins for eyes. He wore all black and we added just a touch of fake blood on the swatter. The reactions we got were great!! And it was so easy to wear and take off if he wanted to. A hit for sure!!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/eyeball-costume.html

 

Eyeball Costume

By: Tamison Rose, as told to Laura Young

Difficulty: Average
Age: 7 and up

Parental supervision is recommended

 

What you'll need:

• White fabric (1 yd x 54"w remnant)
  
• 2 heavy-duty paper plates
  
• Black sticky-back glitter foam
  
• Red puffy fabric marker
  
• 4-6 plastic grocery bags
  
• Re-sealable plastic storage baggies & a straw or other light-weight filler
  
• Needle & thread
  
• 1 yard yarn, ribbon, or other cord
  
• Markers
  
• Hot glue gun

 

How to make it:

1. Cut a hole in the first paper plate large enough for your child's head to fit through. Test to be sure it fits before continuing.
   
2. Use the straw to inflate the re-sealable baggies. Fill the plastic bags up with the baggies.
   
3. Measure the distance from your child's shoulder to their crotch. Holding the paper plate upside down, hot glue the handles of the grocery bags around the perimeter so that they hang no lower than your measurement. Do this all the way around the paper plate.
   
4. Create 5-inch long darts along the long edge of your white fabric by folding over the fabric and hot gluing them in place. Keep doing this until you have gathered the fabric enough to circle the head hole in the paper plate. NOTE: You may want to pin and iron the pleats before gluing them down so they are nice and sharp.
   
5. Hot glue the gathered fabric onto the plate; leave a little extra to wrap down through the hole and glue to the other side of the plate so cut edge won't scratch your child's neck.
   
6. Hot glue the selvages together to form the seam down the costume back.
   
7. Have your child try on the costume so you can mark where the arm holes should be. Cut the arm holes and hot glue the fabric to the inside of the costume to keep the opening neat.
   
8. At the bottom of the costume, fold the fabric under and stitch in place a 1" hem, leaving a gap at the beginning and end of your stitch line to thread a cord through. No-sew option: Instead of stitching a hem, hot glue the hem in place.
   
9. Guide cord, ribbon or yarn through the pocket of the hem. Once the costume is on your child, pull both ends of the cord to gather the fabric and tie it in a double bow knot. Excess cord can be tucked up into the inside of the gathered edge.
   
10. On the back of the second paper plate, use several shades of marker to create the iris of the eye. Start with the lightest color toward the pupil and work outward to the darkest tones around the outside rim.
    
11. When the iris is complete, trim off about ½" of the plate and use the darkest marker to color in cut edge.
    
12. Cut a 4" circle of black glitter foam for the pupil and glue it in the center of the iris.
    
13. Find the center of the costume and glue the paper plate iris to the front.
    
14. Use the red puffy paint to draw squiggly "veins" around the iris. Allow plenty of time for the paint to dry before wearing the costume.

 

 

 

Use Baking Soda For Health

 

 

 

 

In Medical Terms

baking soda bak·ing soda (bā'kĭng) n.
A white crystalline compound, used as a gastric and systemic antacid, to alkalize urine, and for washes of body cavities. Also called sodium bicarbonate .

 

 

 

1.  Use it as an antacid.

2.  Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

3.  Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

4. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and  poison ivy irritations: use  3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Do not use on broken skin.

5. For Heartburn, take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

6.   For sunburns, saturate a washcloth with a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart water. Apply to affected area.

7.  Clean fingernails and toenails by scrubbing them with a nailbrush dipped in baking soda. This also softens cuticles.

 

Watch for more baking soda tips in upcoming posts.

 

Sedum

Photo by ALew Photography. Used with permission. 

 https://www.facebook.com/alewphotography?cropsuccess

 

 

Sedum

The succulent foliage of many types of sedum is topped by starry flowers in late summer and fall. Low-growing types are perfect for rock gardens, while taller varieties thrive in perennial borders.

Another common name is stonecrop.

About This Plant

There are numerous types of sedum, all of which have fleshy, succulent leaves. Low-growing varieties hug the ground and may reach just 2 inches in height, while tall varieties top out at 2 feet or more. Use the low-growing types as ground covers and in rock gardens; tall varieties command attention in the perennial border with their dense foliage and large flower heads. Flower colors include red, pink, gold, yellow, and white, and plants bloom in summer to fall, depending on the species. Well-drained soil is essential to ward off fungal diseases, especially during wet summers.

Special Features

Easy care/low maintenance
Good for cut flowers
Attracts butterflies
Unusual foliage
Tolerates dry soil

Site Selection

Select a site with full sun to light shade and very well-drained soil.

Planting Instructions

Plant in spring, spacing plants 6 inches to 2 feet apart, depending on the variety. Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the pot the plant is in. Carefully remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Carefully fill in around the root ball and firm the soil gently. Water thoroughly.

Care

Apply a thin layer of compost each spring, followed by a 2-inch layer of mulch to retain moisture and control weeds. Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. After the first killing frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above soil line. Divide plants every 3 to 4 years as new growth begins in the spring, lifting plants and dividing them into clumps.



Cleaning With Vinegar.

 

Besides all the reasons for using vinegar in your recipes, there are several other things vinegar can be used for: for example, gardening, cleaning, laundry and more.  Here are some ways to clean with vinegar.  There will be other uses to come in later posts.

 

 

Cleaning: 

 

1.  Make your windows sparkle!:   A quarter cup in a quart of water makes a good window cleaner. Use vinegar in your water to wash windows, dry with newspapers.

 

2.  No-wax floors:  To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water.

 

 

3.  Clean your Microwave with Vinegar:   In a microwave safe bowl, mix 2 cups of water and 1/4 cup vinegar, heat for 3-4 minutes, then easily clean grease and stuck on food.

 

4.  The Toilet:    Pour in a cup or two of vinegar and let it sit there overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

 

5.  The grill:   Spray white distilled vinegar over crumpled aluminum foil and scrub the grill vigorously with the foil.

 

 

Clean with vinegar  to get a naturally sparkling home without using toxic chemicals.

 

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK FOR MORE!