A Homemade Christmas Gift: Snow Day Survival Kit
How fun is this gift idea? Create a Snow Day Survival Kit for the recipient to pull out on a cold winter’s day. Find the instructions and printables over at The DIY Mommy.
Christmas Tree Bath Bombs
Bath bombs are easy to make and are always well received as gifts. They’re made of ingredients that will make your bath water fizz and smell delicious by releasing essential oils. These Christmas Tree bath bombs can be made in just a few minutes even by beginners. They’re also the perfect size for putting into organza bags to give as gifts over the holidays.
INGREDIENTS:
1 C. baking soda
1/2 C. citric acid
1 tbsp. coconut oil
Green food coloring
A few drops of essential oil
Spritz of water, as needed
Silicone Christmas Tree mold
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine the baking soda and citric acid.
- Add in water a little bit at a time and combine to mix using your hands. You want it slightly dense but not soaked through.
- Add in several drops of green food coloring and use your hand to thoroughly mix.
- Spoon the mixture into the Christmas Tree mold filling each cavity about halfway. Use your fingers to press down.
- Spoon the remaining mixture evenly into the cavities and continue to press down.
- Set the Christmas Tree bath bombs in a cool/dry spot for 24 hours to allow them to set.
*Makes 6 Christmas Tree Bath Bombs/Fizzys
To use them, just drop a bath bomb into your warm bath water. Watch as it fizzes and dissolves before your eyes while releasing the essential oil.
Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
This Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub is a simple and delicious smelling DIY for yourself or a gift idea for the holidays!
My daughter and I had fun over the weekend whipping up some delicious smelling pumpkin pie sugar scrub! It was such a fun and easy activity to do together. Then of course, once we were finished, we had to try it out! Our skin was oh so soft afterwards.
Want to pamper yourself? Here’s how you can quickly make a batch of Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub. Double up to gift a friend!
Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub
SUPPLIES NEEDED:
– 1 cup of white sugar
– ¾ cup of coconut oil (cold pressed, virgin coconut oil is excellent)
– 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie seasoning
– 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1. In a bowl, mix the coconut oil and white sugar. Simply mash it together with a spoon until mixed.
2. Add in the pumpkin pie seasoning and continue to mash.
3. You can now add in the brown sugar. Mix well. If you feel like your scrub is too dry, you can add a small dab of coconut oil to add some moisture.
4. Spoon the pumpkin pie sugar scrub into a glass jar and sprinkle the top with additional brown sugar. This not only adds a little more “scrub” to the scrub but makes it sparkle.
5. Cover with an air tight lid and store in a cool place for up to three days.
6. To use your pumpkin pie sugar scrub, simply apply to wet skin in a circular motion. Rinse with warm water and repeat if necessary.
How to Shred Meat in Under 30 Seconds
Looking for another valuable use for that KitchenAid stand mixer? How about shredding meat? It works so well to shred some cooked chicken breasts, boneless pork butt, or beef roast. If you have ever tried to “pull” a pork shoulder with forks, you know this can take a bit of time. With the stand mixer and the normal beater attachment, you can shred a pound of cooked chicken breast straight from the slow cooker in under 30 seconds! (Tip: You can also use a hand mixer!) Take a look at this handy kitchen hack:
Here’s how to shred meat in under 30 seconds:
1. Take your meat straight from cooking and toss it in the mixing bowl.
2. Make sure the beater attachment is in place.
3. Raise the bowl and hit a low power setting for about 30 seconds.
4. Enjoy your shredded meat!
So you no longer need to hesitate to make recipes like chicken enchiladas, pulled pork, or beef barbecue because of this tedious job again. If you don’t have a KitchenAid, here is another great reason why you might just want to take the plunge!
7 Creative Uses for Egg Cartons
Doesn’t it seem as though everyone has an abundance of egg cartons around the home? The typical family can easily go through a dozen eggs in a week, leaving you with an empty carton to recycle. But before you give that old egg carton the heave ho, take a look below at 7 creative uses for egg cartons that you can try! You may never look at egg cartons the same way again.
7 Creative Uses for Egg Cartons
1. Make seed starters.
Poke a hole in the bottom of each compartment, fill with soil, and add a seed. They are the perfect seed starters! If you use cardboard egg cartons, the cups can be planted directly in the ground when ready.
2. Sort office supplies.
Cut away the bottom half of the egg carton and use it to sort office supplies. The little cups are great for storing safety pins, paper clips, push pins and more.
3. Add them to sensory tables.
Cut the compartment into tiny cups and add them to sensory tables for kids to use as cups and pouring devices. They also work great in kiddie pools and sandboxes.
4. Sort your jewelry.
Cut the compartment half and use it to keep jewelry sorted. It is great for holding small pieces (such as earrings) and keeps them from becoming lost or damaged.
5. Make suet balls.
Mix some birdseed and bacon grease into a mixing bowl and spoon into the compartments. Press it in and freeze until solid. Pop the suet balls out and place outside for birds to dine on. They will love them.
6. Craft a sorting game.
Give children a variety of colored chips, marbles, or scraps of paper and allow them to sort the colors into the various compartments. You can also have them sort according to size or shape if you wish.
7. Save them for packaging cushion.
Foam egg cartons are great for storing breakable items such as holiday ornaments. You can also place the entire cartons in between valuables (for example plates, china, and other breakables) when packing.
Bonus: Use them to make egg carton flowers! This is fun for the kids and you! Take a look at all these great ideas I found on Pinterest!
Did you ever think an old egg carton could be so valuable? Give these tips a try for breathing a new life into your empty egg cartons and see how great they can be. Chances are, you won’t need to go any further than your own recycling bin. 🙂
How do you like to reuse your empty egg cartons? Let me know in the comments below!
A Homemade Christmas Gift: Curried Lentil Soup in Jars
After seeing the Curried Lentil Soup in jars my friend Leslie over at DefinitelyNotMartha.com put together for gifts, I knew I had to do it too! I think they’re perfect for spur of the moment gifts as well as a good idea for teacher gifts. I especially like the fact that the recipient only has to add water and the contents of the jar to enjoy!
I made up these quick labels for the jars if you’d like to use them when you put together the jars.
