How to Paint a Wine Glass

Painted wine glasses make a great gift for any occasion. Most of the time the Dollar Tree has the extra large glasses for only $1, so they're really an economical gift also! Creating a custom, one-of-a-kind gift is easier than you might think - you can paint anything you'd like on the glass in just a few simple steps, even if you've never painted anything before!

This is the finished product, although I wish I'd taken a better picture of it. My friend is a nurse, so I painted her name, this picture, and, "Trust me, I'm a nurse. This won't hurt at all..." on the glass.

What You'll Need
-Wine Glass
-Rubbing Alcohol
-Pebeo Paints for porcelain or glass (I used the pens and paint but you could use either/or)
-Brushes (if using the paint)
-Oven
-Photo or stencil, if you don't want to draw free-hand
-Tape

First, I found a photo that I liked and printed it out. You could also use a picture from a magazine or other source, or something you drew yourself. For copyright reasons, you'd never want to use someone else's drawing if you plan to sell these, though.

I trimmed the photo and taped it to the inside of the glass, then prepared the outside of the glass by cleaning  it with rubbing alcohol. From there, I really just used my pens to trace the picture, and filled in the hair with my gold paint.

I added my text, then after the paint dried, I baked it in the oven at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes to set the paint and make it durable. That's it! The paint holds up well - in my experience, the Pebeo paints are the best for glass and ceramics. This technique will work on any glass or mug. I have a test mug that I run through the dishwasher regularly, and the paint looks brand new. I do recommend hand washing, though, just in case.

The recipient really went crazy for this glass - it was so much fun to make and give!
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How to Make Bath Tea

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I recently made bath teas to give as gifts. I made quite a few and plan to use them for a Grandmother gift for Mother's Day, Thank You gifts for a few friends, and Teacher's Gifts for Teacher's Appreciation Day (more Scent-sational Teacher gifts).

These were really easy to make, and I tested one out in the bath and it was very relaxing!

What You'll Need:

-Tea mix (from this recipe - I used dried lavender and jasmine oil for my scented ingredients)
-Scissors, thread, and needle OR stapler
-Coffee filters
-Fabric paint (optional)
-Printable business cards  (optional, for tags / labels)


Making the tea bags is pretty straightforward. First, place some of the "tea" into the center of a coffee filter. I learned quickly that less is more - if it is overfilled, the assembly is harder. Roughly 1 tablespoon worked well for me.

Make sure the tea is in the center of the filter, and start folding the sides inward.

Fold the top together. I also added a piece of embroidery floss so that the recipient can hang it from the faucet if she wishes, so that the warm water will flow through it.

Staple the top together.

Then fold the top and add one more staple (I just did this for a cleaner look and to make it more secure).

I then used the fabric paint to decorate them. I used flowers and other little symbols, but you could also include monogrammed initials, the recipient's name, or short messages such as #1 Grandma.

It was a fun project, and my work room still smells great! I think I'll save a few for myself.

How to Make an Easy Gift Container

I recently made some bath teas to give as gifts (more about that later), and I found myself in need of containers for them. Rather than using a ziploc bag or something similar, I thought I'd reuse a few plastic containers from our cabinet to create something pretty (and airtight!).

What You'll Need:

-Plastic container

-Paint (I used spray flat enamel for the white and tinted wall paint for the border)

-Ribbon or other decorations

-Sharpie / Marker

-Glue

This was what I started with - it once held cheese. It isn't recyclable in this area, so it feels good to dress it up and use it for something nice.

All you have to do is paint the lid, glue on your bow or other decorations, then write the recipient's name on the lid using the marker. I chose the font I mentioned in this post to fancy it up.

That's it! I filled it up, gave it, and the recipient loved it!

Another Easy Valentine's Day Dinner

Heart-shaped meatloaf, cooked in the crock pot. Just use your favorite recipe, but shape it into a heart. Doing this also gives you a good excuse to use a lot of ketchup.

A Creative and Easy Valentine's Day Dinner

Mashtinis!

These were so easy and fun to make! I used the following ingredients and layered them in a martini glass:

-Mashed potatoes (I microwaved potatoes until soft then seasoned and mashed with butter)
-Frozen peas (cooked in a bowl in the microwave with a little water)
-Gorton's Classic Grilled Shrimp, prepared in the microwave
-Frozen meatballs, prepared in the microwave
-Sweet Potato Chips

I garnished the shrimp mashtini with cocktail sauce and the meatball ones with barbecue sauce. I topped them all with a fresh cherry tomato. So easy!

I used extra large, plastic martini glasses, and they were more than enough for a meal. The plastic made them a bit top-heavy, though, so be sure to hold them steady if you use plastic.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What to Expect at The Price is Right Live Stage Show

Like most everyone else in America, I have always been a huge fan of The Price is Right. When I heard that they have a stage version, it's touring, and it was coming to a town near me, I couldn't have been more thrilled. I jumped on it the morning tickets went on sale, picked up a couple for my husband and me, and thus began my dreams of hearing my name followed by, "...Come on down!"

The big day finally came yesterday, and as the clock ticked down to show time, our excitement grew. Our tickets listed show time as 7:30 p.m., but registration for prospective competitors started at 4:30. Logistically, we weren't able to get there until almost 6.

That didn't matter, though, because we parked, we were able to quickly find the registration line, jump in, and proceed toward the doors.

The line was outside, so you'll want to dress for the weather if you want to get your chance on-stage. Luckily, the line moved quickly, so we never stood still for long. Our queue time came in right at 35 minutes, not too bad at all.

Once we got to the door, an usher asked how many were in our party, then directed us to a venue staff member seated at a table (there were plenty of tables and plenty of staff, which was why the line had moved quickly). We were given a form to complete and a blank, yellow name tag, and told that pens and markers were at the tables behind us. We proceeded there, where we placed our first and last name and DOB on the form, wrote our first names on the name tags, then dropped our name forms into a basket on the table.

We were directed back out the doors, where we re-entered the venue through the main doors to have our tickets scanned.

Note that the Disclaimer at the bottom of the show's official website includes the fact that no purchase is actually necessary in order to play, but you do need tickets to watch the show. So, if TPIRL comes to your town and you want to potentially play, but you don't want to buy a ticket, you should still be able to register to play but won't be able to watch the rest of the show.

Once inside, we found our seats and I noticed that most of the venue (an arena that is normally used for college basketball games, concerts, and other shows) had been curtained off, leaving one of the narrow ends available for seating. This made me feel much better about my chances for getting picked as a contestant! The host later said that 2,400 were in attendance, so those are pretty good odds.

When I first saw it, I was less than impressed with the stage, but thankfully first impressions aren't always lasting. While we waited for the show to start, most everything was hidden behind a large black curtain. Contestant row (4 slots) was visible in front center, and a Jumbotron sat on each side of the stage.

The announcer came onto the stage to introduce the show, pump up our excitement, and bring out the host.

The pace was great: the announcer helped the crowd practice our Ooooohs and Aaaaaahs, showed a few clips that demonstrated (from the televised show) the most entertaining ways to, "Come on down", and showed a video intro of our host.

No photos or videos were allowed after this; the curtain is pulled back. The colorful stage pops out and looks just like the one on TV!

The host came out, and the show was on! The announcer called down the first four contestants, and they made their way down with the house lights on.

From then on, the show was surprisingly similar to the televised show, with a few exceptions. Those in contestant row bid on items, and whoever came closest got to go onstage. The remaining three went back to their seats and received a T-shirt on the way back. If anyone bid the exact amount, he or she received an extra prize. This actually happened on the first bid: the winner received an iPad Mini for an exact bid!

The games played were like those on the televised version and included:
Cliffhangers
Hole in 1 (or 2, just like on TV!)
Plinko
Punch a Bunch
Any Number

4 new people were called up to contestant row each time, a change from the televised version of the game. But that's great for those of us in the audience, because it means we have more chances to compete! Also between games, five names were drawn and announced for a free T-shirt.

Like the TV version, there were two chances to spin the big wheel: one at mid-point and one before the showcase. Unlike the TV version, though, the wheel wasn't tied to the showcase. Three new people were chosen to spin the wheel each time, and highest without going over $1.00 was awarded $250. The winner received a $100 bonus and and additional spin if he or she got $1.00, and even more money awarded if the additional spin landed on the $.05, $.15, or $1.00.

Finally, at the end of the show, it was time for the Showcase. Unlike the TV version, one person was chosen to go onstage for a chance at winning the big showcase. It was a surprisingly nice group of items that included a Leapster, Xbox 360 with Gamefly subscription, HD TV, popcorn machine, and (of course) a car. Rather than ask the contestant to guess the total amount of the showcase, she was presented with the Price is Right game, "10 Chances", in which the price of each item must be unscrambled (and there is always an extra number thrown in to make it harder) in order to win each.

The Showcase contestant was able to guess the correct price for the Leapster and PS360, but she fell short when it came to the television, which meant she didn't win it or the car.

At the end of the show, the audience was given the opportunity to get in line to spin the big wheel and take a photo for $20. The host mentioned that this wheel had been used as a backup on the televised show, so it was indeed the real thing. We opted to not stay, though it would have made great photo!

Winners had to stay after the show in order to complete paperwork and prove eligibility, so be sure to take a photo ID with you if you plan to play!

Showtime was 7:30. It started around 7:40, ended around 9:20, which was the perfect amount of time to keep everyone excited about the games before they started to get tired of clapping and yelling, "One dollar!!"

All in all, it was a fantastic time. Even though we weren't called to, "Come on down," I had an incredible time just being there. While the prizes aren't always as glamorous as those on the televised show, and the tickets weren't free, expect a fun time if you go. Even if you don't get a car, a trip, or even a T-shirt, you'll come home with one of these fancy name tags. It's an awesome souvenir.

The Price is Right tour schedule can be found here. Don't miss it!

New, Improved DIY Powder Laundry Detergent

For quite a while now, I have made my own laundry detergent. I have been fine-tuning the recipe, and wanted to share my new, improved process.

Rather than grate the soap, I have found that if you turn it into a fine powder, it dissolves, mixes, and cleans much better. To do this, start with 1/2 bar of Ivory soap.

Unwrap it and place it into a microwave-safe pie plate or casserole dish (you want something wide).

Place it into a microwave and set the timer for 1 1/2 minutes. Watch it closely while the microwave is on - the soap will grow and expand, much like volcanic lava. When it stops growing, stop the microwave (mine usually goes for a little more than a minute).

Remove the soap from the microwave and let it cool. Once cooled, you'll be able to pull off pieces and crumble it into a fine powder, which you'll be able to easily mix with your Borax and washing soda.

It's also a fun project for kids - my daughter loves to watch the soap while it's in the microwave, and she helps crumble it afterward. Just don't let your kids inhale the fine powder, keep it down near waist level while working with it.