You are here: Home / Archives for 2013

Archives for 2013

Get Crafty with Your Clothing for Spring Time

May 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

blue jans

You don’t have to be an amazing seamstress to use your craft skills to create something extraordinary with your existing wardrobe. Being crafty this spring and summer especially comes in handy if you’re getting tired of wearing the same outfits. If you’re in the mood to switch things up but aren’t sure where to start, there are always different creative activities you can perform on your tee-shirt or shorts, for example. If you need a break from scrap booking, accessory making, or whatever other activities you enjoy after your work day is over, here are some ideas to get you started:

Altering a Tee –Shirt
A tee-shirt is quite simple to alter, especially if it means cutting off the sleeves to make it into a tank top or creating a cut-out top that has several cut-outs on each side of the shirt. If you don’t have a shirt that you feel like cutting up with a pair of scissors you may want to consider purchasing a few inexpensive ones to experiment on. Also, if your experiment doesn’t work out start at square one and use coupon codes at Sidepon.com  to purchase a few affordable pieces of clothing.

Tie-Dyed Apparel
Anything can be tie-dyed; you just have to be careful where and how you dye your clothing because it will need to be washed a few times prior to you wearing it. If you don’t wash it a few times after you dye it, it could bleed onto your other clothing next time you wash it, so be sure to do your research and make sure the item of clothing will no longer bleed. If you’re unsure how to complete this fun summer project do some research on the internet and experiment on clothing you know you can live without. It will look amazing on a maxi dress, a pair of jean shorts, or even a guy’s tie if you are feeling bold!

Add Embroidery or Lace
Of course there are always iron-ons and transfers that you can use on clothing, but if you’re super talented and know how to do embroidery designs, that is always a nice touch to add to a blouse or special item of clothing. Lace can also be ironed-on or sewed on to a top or pair of jean shorts. It will be fun to use your imagination and create special pieces of clothing that you know you created all on your own. Don’t be afraid to experiment, but understand that not everything will go smoothly, if it doesn’t –  there’s always https://www.mypersonalisedclothing.com/

Filed Under: crafts, fashion Tagged With:

One Free Way Mothers Can Pull Off a Stellar Move

May 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

Packing up and putting down roots in a new place is exciting.

Moving rouses the imagination, prompting you to anticipate the people and experiences you’ll come across in your new home and neighborhood. And while it can be emotionally stirring (in a good way), it can also be physically and mentally exhausting — especially if you’re not prepared.

Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, your moving day will be stressful. With so many checkpoints to manage and coordinate, one can’t help but feel anxious. Don’t worry, it’s only natural. More importantly, you’re not alone in your angst. It’s widely accepted that moving is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. A fact to which we say: Don’t let it be! Especially when there are proven steps you can take to make it an easier, smoother and less demanding process than you ever thought possible.

It all starts with a checklist.

The pros at Coleman American Moving Services have put together a rock solid moving checklist that’ll help you stay organized while you track your progress and stay on schedule en route to one of the most important days of the year. Use it as you see fit, although it’s best to start earlier and work your way up to moving day. Handling important tasks one at a time will give you an uncommon sense of tranquility in the months, weeks and days leading up to your relocation. Now wouldn’t that be something?

Coleman American provides the checklist on its Huntsville movers page.

Filed Under: moving

Be an Agent of Change Using Your #SocialPower

May 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Social Power for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Social networking has made it so easy to connect with friends, family, and like-minded individuals.  It also gives a chance to let our voices be heard and make a difference.  Social Power is a new social media site that was designed with this idea in mind.  Are there issues that are important to you?  Maybe it is something as small as getting Starbucks to serve seasonal drinks year round, or maybe it is something more serious such as the cost of college tuition.  No matter how big or small your cause is, Social Power gives you the chance champion it and work to make the change.

Check out this video to see how it works:

 

I decided to create initiate an issue on the site.  I chose something completely unserious but something that I've discussed with people before and often wished for:  Fast food chains should offer delivery service.

I know it may sound sad to some people.  Getting fast food is already a major short cut.  All you have to do is go get it, and I'm talking about not even wanting to do that.  (Yes, it does sound bad when you put it that way!)  But sometimes you just don't want to get out.  Maybe there's bad weather; maybe you are sick. Maybe someone else in the family is sick, or maybe you are at work or somewhere else, and you cannot leave to go get food.  I know I've been in all of these circumstances at least once, and I would have gladly paid a delivery charge and even met a minimum order requirement in order to get food delivered.  And somehow I don't think I'm the only one out there who feels this way.

Once on the site, I just had to type in the issue to innitiate.  Basically you write a phrase or a sentence that tells people what your issue is:  Fast food chains should offer food delivery services.

Then beneath that you describe and explain your issue.  After this you can share the issue to Facebook and Twitter and try to get people to join your cause.  After 1000 people support your cause, a person or board at Social Power will take up the cause and try to get a resolution.

Here's a screen shot of my issue:

 


You can help support my cause for fast food delivery by clicking here.  Then join the cause and share it on your own social networks.

Then try creating your own causes that you want to change with #SocialPower.

 

Photobucket

Visit Sponsor's Site

Filed Under: Uncategorized

10 Easy Tips to Reduce Water Consumption with Pennington Smart Seed

May 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

Reduce Water Consumption

 

On behalf of myself and my readers I want to thank Pennington Smart Seed for sponsoring this two part series on lawn maintenance!  I also want to thank everyone who participated in our giveaway.  You guys shared some great lawn care tips here on the blog and on my Facebook page, which I’ve enjoyed reading.  By the way, one of my favorite tips came from Courtney.  She wrote, “Get your husband to help you out. Work goes by so much faster with 2 people!” Yes, I agree! Haha!

And for those of you wanting to know who won the $50 Amex giveaway. Your wait is over.  Please congratulate  our winner, Kimberly Bauer! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Home/Garden Tagged With: , ,

Banana Cake Mix Cookies

May 7, 2013 2 Comments

Banana Cake Mix Cookies

I love cake mix recipes, and I especially love cake mix cookies! Over the weekend I had a couple of ripe bananas that needed to be eaten, so I decided to look up a recipe for Banana  Cake Mix Cookies!  I used a recipe I found over at Best Ever Cookie Collection, making just a couple of slight changes.  And their recipe was based on one found in Cake Mix Cookies by Camilia V. Salisbury.

My cookies turned out absolutely sweet and delicious, and I’d definitely make them again!  If you love banana, you should give them a try too!  Hope you enjoy!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: cookies and candy, Recipe of the Week Tagged With: ,

Wood Staining Made Simple

May 5, 2013 1 Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Flood® Wood Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


 

Are you working on any staining projects this spring and summer?  Whatever project your working on, whether big or small, Flood® Wood Care has all the products you need to make your indoor and outdoor wood items look great.


To help you with all of your do it yourself projects, Flood® has a Staining Made Simple.  Simply choose the type of project you are working on: a deck, fence, siding, outdoor furniture, or playset.  And from there you will select the type of wood your item is made of: pressure treated lumber, cedar, redwood, hardwood.  Then select from there you will go through a menu of items, answering questions about the shape that your wood is in and what you want for your finished product to look like.  At the completion of the survey, you will be given a list of suggested products to use for your project.

My front door is actually in end of a good sanding and staining.  Here is what the outside of the door currently looks like:

 


And when stained, it should look something more like the inside of the door shown here:


Flood® is currently holding a Flood Better Backyard Sweepstakes where you could win a $1,500 gift card or one of 12 $10 gift cards given away daily!  All you need to do is like Flood® Wood Care on Facebook  to enter, and share the sweepstakes for more entries!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States of America and (D.C.) 18 years and older. Ends 5/17/2013. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions visit www.facebook.com/flood. Void in Puerto Rico and where restricted or prohibited. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Facebook.    

 

Photobucket

Visit Sponsor's Site

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Creating a Stylized Outdoor Space – Part 1 #Digin

May 4, 2013 3 Comments

THD Orange Logo
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

A few weeks ago I introduced you to The Home Depot Garden Club and The Home Depot Spring Blogger Campaign.  Throughout the month of May, bloggers from all over the country will be sharing how-to videos, tutorials, and ideas on everything from grills to gardening, and I am very excited to be a part of this project!

Be sure to follow The Home Depot on all their social networks so you can catch all their tips and all of the great blogger projects:  Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest |YouTube [Read more…]

Filed Under: Home/Garden Tagged With: , , ,

Friday Favorites – Week 165

May 2, 2013 20 Comments

friday favorites

Hello all! Welcome to Friday Favorites!  Don’t forget to enter my Pennington Smart Seed giveaway after you’ve linked up. You could win a $50 Amex Card!  And of course, I hope you enjoy these yummies from our friends! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Friday Favorites Tagged With: , ,

Freshen Up Your Home with the Air Wick National Park Collection

May 1, 2013 Leave a Comment

Airwick National Parks Fragrances

As I clean house, I love to freshen things up with a little fragrance.  I was recently contacted about reviewing some new limited edition scents from Air Wick. They have partnered with the National Park Foundation to craft fragrances inspired by the natural elements found in our national parks. The new limited edition scents introduced this spring are: Grand Canyon, American Samoa, Denali, Hawai’i, Virgin Islands and Gulf Islands.

Currently I’m using the American  Somoa scent in my kitchen.  Since coconut is one of my favorite scents, I really love this fragrance.  It is a very clean scent and has a tropical island appeal too.  And because it is coconut, that also makes it great for the kitchen, although I think it would be perfect for any room.

I’m also using the Denali scent in my main bathroom.  It has a fresh linen scent, and it really gives your bathroom a “just cleaned” scent.  Because it has cotton/linen scent to it, it would also be great for your bedrooms if you use fragrances in those.

And then I also got the Hawai’i scent.  I haven’t used it in the house yet, but I think it is going to be great.  It has a tropical fruit smell to it, almost like a Hurricane drink.  I’d probably use this in any room except the bedroom.

And then the Grand Canyon has a very sweet, floral fragrance to it.  It’s so nice!  And I think it would be great in an entry hall, bathroom, or living area.

For more updates and information, follow Air Wick on Facebook.

Photobucket

 

Disclosure: I received product samples for review. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: cleaning, Home/Garden Tagged With:

Accelerating Muscle Recovery So You Can Stay Active

May 1, 2013 Leave a Comment

stretching muscles

If you’ve recently started a rigorous workout routine and your muscles are already feeling fatigued and sore, you might want to take it easy. Research says that your muscles take more time to repair themselves if you’re not allowing enough time for recovery in-between strenuous workouts. Attending high intensity classes are excellent for your health, but they can be hard on your muscles. Allow enough time for recovery by eating the right foods, resting, and taking supplements such as L- glutamine and your muscles will be able to handle your workout routine in no time.

 Enough Time to Recover

Are you providing your muscles enough time for recovery in between each workout? If you’re not, this should be important, especially if your workouts are rigorous or you are feeling some extra tightness in certain muscle groups. Resting in-between high intensity workouts will allow your muscles time to heal, as opposed to causing an ongoing injury.

 Add L Glutamine to Your Supplement List

If you’re currently not taking L glutamine supplements now is a good time to add them to your daily vitamins. Since glutamine is one of the most common amino acids found in the body and more specifically muscle tissues, it is a pertinent fuel that assists with muscle contraction. Many sports trainers will recommend that you take L glutamine supplements before and after working out so that your glutamine levels don’t drop low. If your levels drop low this could mean muscle injury or not allowing your muscles enough time to repair. Add glutamine to your daily vitamin list and allow your muscles to recover daily.

 Stretch Sore Muscles

Another key to muscle recovery is stretching muscles that are sore. Most trainers will tell you that you should not stretch unless you have warmed up at the gym or wherever you are working out first, which is generally the case. Stretch your muscles after you exercise if you know some muscle groups tend to get tighter than others. Begin with shallow stretches and increase to a deeper stretch depending on how your muscles are feeling that day. Taking certain precautions daily will allow you to maintain a great workout schedule without causing injury to your muscles.

 

Sierra is a freelance writer who enjoys working out without causing harm to her muscles. She stretches and takes L glutamine so that she can stay in great shape.

Filed Under: health Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »

To the Top