CRAFT - Jellyfish!

So it's been very quiet on the blog, but not quiet at home! Now that I've returned to work, it is busy all the time. But today I wanted to quickly share with you this fun easy little project I did with the kids on weekend.

You'll need:

• Paper
• Ice cream lid/paper plate
• Scissors
• Glue
• Marker

Simply rip paper and glue to the plate or lid to make the body. Cut tentacles my creating spirals and glue them on the back. Create your face! It's that easy, but the kids loved every minute of it.

DIY: Make a Dinner Planner!

Having a dinner planner for the week has made things a lot easier! Here's why:

Planning

Everyone in the house knows what we're having for the night. It is quick and easy to pull something out of the freezer for defrosting. We have enough variety to cover a month so we don't keep having the same meals.

Shopping

Having a shopping list attached to your planner makes it so simple to get products required without forgetting anything! 

Save Money

If you shop for the week, you will be reducing trips to the grocery store and saving money! We all have impulsive buys, whether it is $1 or $20 - but if you added those up over a year, I bet you'd be shocked. If you eliminate the need to go to the shops every day, you will save a lot of money. Try it!

DIY

Here's a quick guide how I made mine. 

• I cut up a diaper box
• Spray painted the cardboard and drew flowers on the background
• Printed menu items, laminated and cut them
• Super glued mini pegs from Officeworks
• Used scrapbooking stickers to decorate
• Made a pocket out of paper for the menu items
• Super glued a pretty sticky notepad for shopping list

I hope this inspires you to get creative! :)

Remove Clutter - Before It Arrives!

Do you like to shop? Do you often buy new clothes or household items? Something for the kitchen? Another book to read? Well listen up because this one is for you! Lets look at how remove clutter, before it even arrives!

Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/715077

So you like to shop, love the feeling of new clothes, decor or making over a room. That's awesome! The only problem is, as you buy an item, it gets added to all the items you already have and can result into an out of control clutter problem.

Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/859634

The Trick

Here is the ultimate 'trick' to remove that clutter before it even arrives. Buy something, throw something. Now by throw, I don't mean it has to be tossed in the garbage. An item can be sold/donated as well. Lets put this into a scenario. If you go out shopping and buy a new top - awesome! But before trying to find room for it, find a top you haven't worn in 2 years, take it out and replace it with your new top. If you buy a new book to read, find a book that you have already read and won't read again and replace it with your new book.

If you are donating the item, you should try to do so the next time you go out. If you need to recycle it or trash it, then do so appropriately. If you plan on selling the item use a site like eBay or even social networking. Sites such as Facebook usually have a 'buy, swap, sell' site for your local area so check it out.

The aim is to buy something, throw something... do not hold onto it in another cupboard, in the to-do pile or garage. You are only creating clutter and more problems than necessary.

Start with Less

If you are up for the challenge, how about trying to start with less? It's great to implement the trick and replace items rather than add to the pile - but what's your house look like at the moment? Do you need to purge and get rid of a lot of items before you can truly de-clutter and use the method above? If you're someone who struggles with parting with possessions, try to use the mind-set "if a fire burnt all my possessions, would I replace that?". Be honest with yourself.

If you use this method, I promise the results will be worth it!

*Extra tip: when purging items, check the contents, check the pockets and inside items. You'll be surprised what you may find! (Money? Old chewy? Earrings?)

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DIY Pillow Bed Tutorial

Let's make a Pillow Bed!

I was recently inspired by some photos I saw around Pinterest on Pillow Beds! The only problem was that the company's that make these charges a fortune - $145+! So if you would rather DIY for free, or a fraction of the cost - let's do it!

FREE VERSION - Use an old doona cover, sheets or any decent sized fabrics that would be suitable. Use old pillows you have for the inserts

CHEAP VERSION - Buy material (I used 2 pieces of 2m x 1.2m on the small one and 2 pieces of 2.5 x 1.2m on the larger one). Buy pillows to insert! I bought cheap basic pillows from KMART.

OK, here goes. I am not fantastic on tutorials, so I took the time to draw a version and then created a 'mini' version (pinned not sewn) to try to make my explanation work!

and for the photo versions (remember this is a MINI version!) ...

If all went well you should have a wonderful Pillow Bed like so!

I made the head part just slightly wider to allow for 2 pillows.

Please comment if u have any questions or need clarification. Happy sewing!

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How to Tell If Your Beauty Products Are Expired

Here are a few tips I have learnt to help you work out if your beauty products (or even chemicals) need to be tossed. Using out-dated products can cause all kinds of nasty problems, mainly infections. This is particularly important for items like mascara which can cause serious infections within the eyes.

EXPIRY DATE

Some beauty products will have a picture (see below) on the back indicating the expiry. This picture below tells us the product will expire 12 months after first opening.

If your product doesn't have an expiry, use a permanent marker to write the opening date on the product. As a general rule, make up should be discarded as follows:

• MASCARA - 3 months. If the mascara dries out, toss it earlier. Do not add fluid to it.
• EYE PENCILS - Up to 2 years. Sharpening is the best way to keep these clean.
• EYE SHADOWS - Generally 2 years, but most eye shadow should be able to last longer if you keep your applicators clean and store the shadow appropriately.
• LIP STICKS/PENCILS - Generally 2 years as well, but sharpen pencils before use.
• BLUSHES/POWDERS - Cream blushes should be discarded after 1 year and powder 2 years.
• CONCEALERS/FOUNDATIONS - 1 year unless the product has dried up, in which case it should be discarded immediately.

TIP* If you have had an eye infection, cold sores or any type of open wound on your face - discard any beauty products you have used in those areas at the time. Make up is notorious for transferring infections. It can not only contain large amounts of bacteria, but it provides a lovely environment for the bacteria to grow and multiply.

CLEANING YOUR APPLICATORS

Makeup applicators should be cleaned on a regular basis. If you use makeup regularly - aim to cleanse your applicators at least once a fortnight, preferably once a week.While there are several fancy and expensive products on the market, these are unnecessary.

1. Put your applicators under running warm water. (Soaking may weaken and destroy them)
2. Use mild shampoo, baby shampoo, liquid soap or facial cleanser and massage through until all residue is gone and water runs clear.
3. Rinse thoroughly and if possibly air dry on a clean surface.
4. For items such as foundation brushes, your can shape these prior to drying.

Best of luck! I leave you with some before/after pictures of a 10 minute bathroom organisation. I hope this inspires you.

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Emergency Kit List and Ideas for Natural Disasters

Today I am going to share with you some handy information about organising your own emergency kit for natural disasters. Natural disasters I will focus on are cyclones, tornados, fires, floods and storms. This information may also be relevant for those at risk of blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.

It has been quite some time since I last blogged, but this post has been calling out to me since watching my beautiful country, Australia, burn and flood all in the one month. Whilst it is difficult to predict the devastation from a natural disaster, if you can have a plan in place - including an emergency kit - it will ease the burden and assist you in your recovery.

If you have any suggestions or feedback please feel free to leave a comment below.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS:

• Torch (battery powered)
• Portable radio (battery powered)
• Candles
• Safety Matches (I suggest placing these in a ziplock bag to avoid moisture spoiling them)
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Plastic ponchos (even garbage bags work great!)
• Important documents (birth certificates, immunisation records, passports, insurance policies)
• Hard drive (with a back up of your computer, digital photos and important files)
• Bottled water (1 gallon or 4 litres per person for 72 hour supply)
• Non-perishable food  (72 hour supply + can opener)
• Toilet paper (also best in a ziplock bag)
• Hand sanitizer
• Disposable gloves (this will assist in the clean up)
• Pet cages/leads/identification collars (keep in accessible place)
• Important medication
• Small amount of cash
• First aid kit
• Whistle (to signal for help if severely isolated)
• Local map
• Pocket knife

The essential list may seem long, but in the event of a disaster, you always wish you had packed something else. It's worth it!

ITEMS YOU COULD ALSO INCLUDE OR GRAB LAST MINUTE:

• 1 set of spare clothes for each family member (rotate as children grow up in size)
• Gumboots
• Blankets
• Life Jackets
• Deck of cards
• Baby essentials (if applicable)
• Spare car/house keys
• List of current medications and reasons for use
• List of allergies
• Phone chargers
• Pet food/water
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Paper and pen
• Glasses/spectacles
• Unscented household bleach for sanitation and water purification
• 
  

LUXURY ITEMS:

• Fire and Waterproof safe for important documents
• Generator
• Gas bottle BBQ
• Portable UHF Radio

BIG ITEMS THAT CAN HELP:

(These items could help an entire community in the recovery)

• Small watercraft
• Blow up raft
• Canoes
• Trailer
• Removals Trolley

INSURANCE POLICIES

If you have an insurance policy for your house and/or contents (please say you do!) please ensure you thoroughly read the entire agreement and that you understand exactly what you are covered for in the event of a natural disaster. Unfortunately in every natural disaster there is someone who finds out their insurance policy doesn't cover what they originally thought. If you are concerned or have further questions, contact them directly. Act out scenarios to them if that will help you make better sense of what you're covered for.

SUPER IMPORTANT!!

Go through your entire house/shed/yard and take a photo of every room and inside every cupboard/drawer. It may take you 30-60mins but it will be worth every one of those minutes. This is a lot quicker than trying to make an inventory of your items once they're lost in a disaster. Download a free program, such as Picasa by Google and create an online account with them. Set your photos as private. Upload all the photos of your house and sync them to your online Picasa. Make sure your username/password are easy to remember! Now those photos will be accessible by you, and only you, anywhere in the world that you have access to the internet and it will make claiming a whole lot easier. If you need help using this program, check out the Support for Picasa Web Albums.

I hope this information will help someone prepare and feel safer in the event of a natural disaster. All information and opinions are not professional and are that of my own. Please seek further professional advice if required.

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