There's nothing you can't do.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

An Easy Way to Clean Out Your Shower Drain

I have really thick hair, and my shower drain tends to clog fairly frequently. It's always best to keep it clean regularly, before it becomes a problem (unfortunately, I speak from experience on this). I used to struggle with bent wire clothes hangers, fancy plastic tools designed for cleaning out showers, plungers, and Liquid Plumr, but in my experience, none of these work as well as a thin barber's comb.


That's right! Remove the drain stop (or even work around it if yours doesn't easily come off), then use the skinny end to grab the clumps of hair (and slimy stuff) and pull it out. 



See? Yuck. But it works great. Be sure to dispose of the gross stuff in either the toilet or trash can - don't just wash it down the shower drain (again, I speak from experience). 

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

An Easy iPad Stand

I'm in the process of Ebaying quite a few supplies from  my Etsy shop. I like to sometimes have Netflix or Hulu running in the background while I work, and up until now I'd been leaning the iPad against boxes or stacks of things.

While preparing my plate stands for sale, I realized I was looking at the perfect iPad stand.


Awesome. I'm keeping this one for my iPad.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Creating Things is Essential to my Happiness

This is the single most inspirational piece I have read about the importance of creating, doing, and making. It doesn't really matter what I'm doing, creating, or making, as long as it adds value of some sort, for some one...anyone.

This is why it's always important to, "Make it your own," to quote the American Idol judges. Don't just sing it note for note. Don't just follow the instructions. Modify whatever you're doing to put your own spin on it: create something of your own. You'll be rewarded.

This is why household activities drive me crazy. Most often, they're a waste of time. What satisfaction can anyone possibly get from washing the same dishes every meal, making the same bed every single day, and washing the same clothes over...and...over? None. Zip.

If you perform a task or chore regularly (daily, weekly, etc.), ask yourself, "Can I do this less frequently, and still be just as happy with the results?" If you're mopping just because you've always mopped every other day, you're spending too much time mopping. If you're mopping because you can see dirt on your floor, then it's time well spent.

Sure, it's nice to have a clean house, and a filthy house is not an option, so I always go with the happy medium - and it is happy for me - I spend as little time and energy cleaning as possible. Which means I have more time and energy to create and do. And that is what makes me, and keeps me, happy.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Low Calorie, Yet Satisfying Banana Pudding (With Pineapple!)

I'm from the south, and down here, we just love our banana pudding. Few desserts are as comforting and sentimental for me. Now that I'm an adult and have to worry about adult things like my weight and health, I don't get to indulge in my beloved banana pudding as often as I'd like. So I went in search of a healthier alternative. This version is sugar free and gluten free, and believe me - it tastes divine and is oh so satisfying.




Pineapple Banana Pudding

Ingredients: 
2 fresh bananas
1 - 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (no sugar added)
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar substitute (I used Erythritol)
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice (drained from canned crushed pineapple)

Directions:

1. Open can of pineapple and drain the pineapple and reserve 3/4-cup of the juice.

2. Slice the bananas into 1/4" thick round slices.

3. In a large, lidded glass bowl or glass baking dish, slice one banana to create a layer of bananas.

4. Then add 1/2 the pineapple to create a pineapple layer.

5. Slice the second banana to create a second banana layer, then top with remaining pineapple.

6. Separate the eggs, being careful not to nick the yolks.

7. In a large sauce pan, mix corn starch, sugar substitute, and egg yolks until well blended.

8. Mix in milk slowly, stirring constantly.

9. Stir in pineapple juice.

10. Place pan on the stovetop and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

11. As soon as mixture reaches boiling point, reduce heat to medium, stirring constantly until desired thickness is achieved. Filling should be thick but pourable. Thickening will happen quickly. Due to the pineapple juice, the filling may or may not thicken before it reaches the boiling point, so pay close attention! I stirred mine on the stove top for a little less than 10 minutes before it thickened but everyone's results may differ.

12. Remove from heat as soon as desired thickness is achieved.

13. Immediately pour over banana/pineapple layers, moving the dish to ensure that filling covers all layers and there are no air pockets. Chill in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.



Makes 4 - 1 cup servings

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Banana Pudding
  4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories178.0
  Total Fat2.8 g
     Saturated Fat1.1 g
     Polyunsaturated Fat0.5 g
     Monounsaturated Fat1.1 g
  Cholesterol93.5 mg
  Sodium45.6 mg
  Potassium483.8 mg
  Total Carbohydrate59.5 g
     Dietary Fiber26.2 g
     Sugars24.6 g
  Protein4.9 g




Monday, January 14, 2013

Make Your Own Bows from Gift Wrap

Out of bows but still want to dress up your gift? It's easy to make your own using strips of gift wrap!

 First, cut a few strips from the end of the sheet of paper.

If the strips are more narrow, they'll be less bulky and easier to loop.


Start on one end and make stacked loops using the paper. Make a final loop on top, then secure everything using tape through the top loop. Use the tape to secure it to your package.


Make several of different sizes and place next to each other for a great three-dimensional look!




Thursday, January 10, 2013

An Inexpensive, Easy Gift for a 60th Birthday

We'll soon attend a 60th birthday party, and everyone has been asked to bring 60 things as a gift. This could work for any birthday, but for some reason, 60 seems to be the popular number to do this sort of thing. Sure, we could take a jar of 60 jellybeans, a bag of 60 buttons, 60 postage stamps, or any number of other things. But what's the fun in that? I chose instead to make a custom, framed print of 60 words that describe the birthday girl.



Luckily, I was able to pick up a brand new float frame from our local thrift shop. I have great luck with frames there and got this one for only $7. The best part of the gift is that if she doesn't like the print, she can just replace it with photos and it's still a nice birthday present.

To make your own, here's what you'll need:

-Poster board
-Markers or pencils (I used three complimentary colors and alternated them)
-Straight edge
-Razor or scissors for cutting a straight edge

First, you'll want to decide on the size of your print. I Chose to keep the print's edges a couple of inches from the frame because I used a float frame. If you have a mat, you may want to fit it to that, or you could fill the whole frame. It's really up to you and the size of your frame.

Once you decide on the size, measure and mark your poster board accordingly. I left the poster board width as is, so I only needed to measure up each side.


I then used the straight edge to draw a line to connect my marks.



I used my razor knife to cut across the line. You could also use scissors, just ensure that you're cutting right on the line.


Once my paper was ready, I searched for an easy-to-draw font that would look good in the print. This page has a wonderful font that I found easy to use and I liked the way it looked on my page.


I came up with a list of 60 words. Thesaurus.com is an excellent resource for this, but you don't want to forget others like Mom, Daughter, Grandma, etc., as well as the person's name, when you're making your list. I kept the font list and the word list open on my screen while I worked.


I found it helpful to lightly write each word in pencil before I wrote it in marker. Since my marker colors weren't all dark, it worked best when I erased most of the pencil prior to using the marker. If you're using dark colors, you may not need to worry about that, though.


I wrote 59 of the words around the page, then saved the center area for her name, written much larger. There you have it! I framed it, and now it's ready to give. I think it turned out great, and I enjoyed doing it.


I have to warn you, though - the fancy writing took more time than I'd originally expected. I spent about 8 - 9 hours total on it, but I spread it out over the course of a few days so that it wasn't too tedious.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

How to Look Younger - Instantly!

Smile. No, really...a big smile. With your lips open, show some teeth. You'll look more youthful, vibrant, and happy. It's a no-lose situation.

That's it! Works every time.

Saturday, January 5, 2013