DIY Tissue Paper Orbs

For a formal ball I helped organize and decorate I made these tissue paper orbs. So SIMPLE!
1. Blow up a balloon to desired SIZE. (I choose to keep the balloon shape as round as possible.)
2. With Modge Podge or watered down Elmers glue, hold the knot on the balloon and paint on a thin coat.
3. Apply tissue paper, one sheet at a time. I found it was SO much easier to cut my tissue paper sheets into fourths before starting so that I was working with smaller surfaces when I applied glue. The tissue paper will stick easily and in some spots SATURATE from the glue. No worries, this is a layered project and you'll have plenty of time to get the orb all covered up.
4. Keep this pattern going, glue and more tissue paper until you've reached consistent coverage on the balloon. I worked my top edges so that they'd be random and more like a tulip using the corners of the paper.
5. Tie up that balloon and let it dry. It only took about an hour. After it's completely dry, pop the balloon. Any parts of the orb that indent can be reshaped with no trouble and they look lovely.
6. Use an electric light! You can see the difference my larger and ticker orb made with the light verses smaller an thiner.

SAY no to SEEDS - and Yes to Turkey's!

I've decided to go a new direction this SEASON. The mess, the candles, the SCOOPING SEEDS, the deteriorating pumpkin carcass on my doorstep could take a SABBATICAL this year. I'm calling it the Going Green - recycle friendly option. We're painting them for Halloween and then SCRUBBING off the faces
so we can turn them into the cutest turkey's you've ever seen for Thanks Giving.


Am I anti-Halloween tradition you ask? Certainly not! We are painting our pumpkins this year and LOVING every minute of it. I have a new plan in store. Inspired by a trip to my local greenhouse I SNATCHED some pics of their cute painted pumpkins and went to town. The first picture is my masterpiece (ok STOP laughing, I'm really proud). The braces have SENTIMENTAL value...



I SWIPED this cute face idea for another project. Using my girls outgrown clothes, I STUFFED SCARECROWS and put them on the porch bench with painted pumpkins for the heads... it's cute, but a little SPOOKY to see my girls replicas with pumpkin heads on top. I found that the best idea was to use tights and turtlenecks for the body and then cover it up with a dress to mask any lumps and bumps in the STUFFING process.


Last year my girls had SUCH a good time making Turkey Pumpkins. We went on a walk and collected the prettiest fall foliage we could find to dress up our birds. We talked about the SEASONS and nature and holidays. This would work wonderfully for a Family Home Evening activity. Or you could do a SPOOKY night with flashlights SEARCHING for leaves, nuts, pine cones, sticks, you name it.


My kids love to paint so any opportunity for them to paint without tons of SUPERVISION is always a happy experience. I let them free paint the pumpkins first. Once they dried I got out the old Glue Gun and the art supplies we had on hand. We used Popsicle sticks and inserted them into the pumpkin with a beautiful leaf hot glued on the end to act as the Feathers. Pine cones for the head, some pipe cleaner and colored cotton balls all added to the experience. Put your own STYLE into it and SEE what SURFACES.

It's a guaranteed good time for the whole family and you'll have extended the life of your pumpkin purchase out another month .

That's SAVVY SAVINGS.






Might I just SAY... there is nothing I love more than a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard. Does it get any better than Fall????? I love the whole SEASON!!!

Here is the SECRET for the most STUPENDOUS window cleaning SOLUTION ever! I'm not kidding I read about this online while trying to figure out how to clean a mirror I have that I could not get STREAK free no matter what I did, and believe me I tried everything!!!

   1 Tablespoon of cornstarch to 1/2 Cup water and shake well...

THAT'S IT!

Cheap and your windows, glass, and mirrors will be SHOCKINGLY clean. I mix it in this proportion because you can't really STORE it or it gets freakishly STINKY. I learned that the hard way :D... I just mix it in a mini SPRAY bottle and go to town! The cornstarch will SETTLE at the bottom of the bottle so give it a SHAKE before each SPRAY. If you have a huge project ahead of you a larger batch would be 1/2 Cup cornstarch to 4 Cups water. Washing windows will SOON become your favorite chore!

5 STEPS to give you 5 STARS in 5 minutes!

I love having guests STAY at my house.  When they do I try to make them feel as SPECIAL as possible. Here are a 5 SECRETS for making my guest bed and bath rooms like a 5 STAR hotel.

#1. make your towles STYLISH! 

here is how to do it....

1. fold large bath towel in thirds vertically

 

2. fold in horizontally so the ends meet in the middle

    

3. Fold in half 

  

4. Lay hand towel about 1" from bottom of bath towel

    

   

6. flip the whole thing over and put 1 end of the hand towel inside the "hole" of the other

    

    

    

7. fold wash cloth in half and then fold back and forth like an accordian

    

8. put washrag just behind hand towel


You can display them on the floor (like I did at the top), in a basket, or over a bar. If you do it over a bar just place the bath towel over the bar after step 3 then continue with the steps.

    

#2. Make you guest (or you) feel pampered. Have a variety of SOAPS, lotions, bath SOAKS, bubbles etc. in coordinating colors. I got this whole set at Ross for $4.

#3. Have a plunger, extra toilet paper and air freshener in the bathroom to prevent any embarrassing inquiries.

#4. Make your guests feel welcome and wanted



Other than have a clean room and made bed, a plate of cookies or chocolates and a note will make them feel extra special.

#5. Have fresh clean SMELLING linens. We don't have guests very often SO when guests leave I wash the linens and remake the bed right then. SOMETIMES no one else will come for a few months. Rather than washing everything again my SIMPLE SOLUTION for fresh smelling linens is...

Dryer SHEETS!!!

I put a dryer sheet in each pillow case, and a few under the sheets a few hours before the guest arrive. Everything will smell clean and freshly washed. I like these bounce extended release ones, but if your guests are staying for a while, and they need a boost, take a hair dryer to them while your guests are out, and the heat will freshen the dryer sheets up!

 

Some of these things you can do for yourself and your hubby too, to help make your own bathroom more SPA like!

WARNING! Your guests will want to stay with you again if you follow these steps so use caution when choosing who you invite to stay! :D



SO heres the SKINNY on being SKINNY

I was recently talking with a Dr who specializes in weight loss... he told me a SECRET I was SURPRISED by... now I SHARE it with you... drink a glass of water with a scoop of metamucil (or any psyllium fiber) a half of an hour to an hour before dinner and you will lose weight! Now I'm SURE this wont work if you eat like crap the rest of the day and never exercise, but if you do this in conjunction with other things, it wil...
A. Give you a good dose of fiber (that most of us need)
B. Psyllium fiber expands with water so it will help you feel full and not eat as much dinner
C. Keep you regular and healthy from the inside out (if uyou know what I mean!) ;)
After looking into it a bit, I learned that a while ago Dr. OZ came out and said the same thing so the way I SEE it... Its a cheap easy way to possibly help you STAY on track and SHED a few unwanted pounds, SO why not!