Making Blackberry Preserves

I LOVE blackberry jelly, jam and preserves. Preserves are my favorite. I mash the berries and use every bit of them, seeds included. I think leaving the seeds in adds to the homemade quality of the finished product. I will post my recipe later, but for now I have a few pics of my finished product.

I made some extra for a good friend and decided to dress it up a bit instead of just handing over a plain jar. Anybody that knows me knows that I hate to give a boring present.

Fabric or Paper Covered Light Switch Plates

This is a unique and inexpensive project that the kids can help with. These can be coordinated with my paper or fabric covered boxes tutorial to create a personalized matching set for any room.

This would be a great craft for the kids for Father's Day! with that in mind, this project will be demonstrated using a more masculine printed scrap booking paper. You can use fabric or paper for this craft.

Let's go!

 Supplies Needed:

Mod Podge- Gloss Finish

New or Used Light Switch Plates

A Paint Brush

Scissors

Scrap Booking Paper or Fabric

Lay your switch plate face down on your paper, and cut a piece out that is about 1/2 inch bigger on all sides.

Paint the entire face of the switch plate with Mod Podge. Don't use too thick of a layer, or your paper will wrinkle. 

Paint Mod Podge onto the edges of the paper that are sticking out and fold over. Use your finger tips to make sure the paper is adhered to the little lip that is on the back of the switch plate. Press down firmly.

Repeat with the other sides. The back doesn't have to be perfect because it is not going to be seen. 

Using a nail or something comparable, poke holes in the paper where the screws and light switch will go. Fold the paper inward where the light switch will be, and secure on the back with a bit of Mod Podge.

 

Apply 2 or 3 coats of Mod Podge to each side of the light switch plate, making sure to let each layer dry before applying the next. If Mod Podge clogs the screw holes, just punch through it with a nail.

2 finished switch plates! I added rhinestones to the zebra print one for a little extra oomph. 

You can coordinate an entire room this way by applying this technique to empty metal cans, light switch plates, electrical socket covers, cardboard boxes, anything!

Paper and Fabric Covered Boxes

I LOVE Mod Podge! It's so versatile and inexpensive. Today's project is fabric or paper covered boxes. You can use ANY cardboard box for the base, and decorate it with fabric or scrap booking paper. For this project, I will be using scrap booking paper that I bought at Hobby Lobby for $0.25 a sheet during a sale. Here we go!

Supplies Needed: 

Cardboard Box (I have chosen a toaster pastry and snack cracker box)

Paint Brush or Painting Sponge

Mod Podge- Gloss Finish

Scissors

Scrap Booking Paper

Cut off the flaps from the top of the box.

Choose which paper you would like to use. For this box, I am using two different colors- red gingham checks and denim. Cut the paper so that you have a piece for each side of the box. Make sure that you the paper is about 1/2 inch wider on each side than the side of the box you are going to cover. You don't have to trim the top of bottom of the paper. That will be folded over later.

Coat one side of your box with the Mod Podge. Don't make the layer too thick, or it will cause your paper to wrinkle. You want just enough to make sure the paper sticks.

Place your hand inside the box, and press down firmly. You want to make sure that you press down everywhere. Especially in the corners.

Apply Mod Podge to the edges of the paper sticking out from the sides of the box, and fold them over. 

Turn the box upside down, and apply Mod Podge to the paper. Fold the sides in, and press down to adhere the paper to the bottom of the box.

Repeat on the other side, and then apply Mod Podge to the paper sticking up from the top. Fold the top edges of the paper down, and press so it adheres to the inside of the box.

Now for the 2nd color. Apply Mod Podge to the side of the box, and press it onto the paper just like you did earlier. DO NOT fold the paper over on the sides this time.

Using your trusty scissors, trim the excess paper from the sides of the box. Apply Mod Podge to the bottom flap of paper, and fold it over. Press so that it adheres to the bottom of the box. Repeat with the other side, then the top, just like you did earlier.

This is what it should look like so far. 

Use remaining scraps of paper to add a nice trim around the top, or cut out designs and use Mod Podge to apply them anywhere on the box you like. Next time I go to the craft store, I am going to pick up some more paper so I can add a few more decorations to my box.

Now, paint the entire box with a thin layer of Mod Podge and let dry. Apply 2 or 3 more coats, making sure to cover the edges. This will give your box a wonderfully glossy finish and make it sturdy. 

My finished boxes! since the snack cracker box is so shallow, I covered the inside with paper too. I gave the cracker box 5 coats of Mod Podge because I am going to be using it in the bathroom where there is a lot of moisture in the air. Mod Podge is a wonderful sealant. It can make your project water resistant, although not entirely waterproof.

Just imagine everything you can do with empty boxes!

Skin Brightening Brown Sugar and Buttermilk Facial Scrub

This is a very easy to make, skin brightening facial scrub. I use it 3 times a week, and receive tons of compliments on my skin. The two ingredients contain active ingredients to promote healthy, glowing skin without spending a fortune!

Brown sugar is full of glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid that is crucial for maintaining healthy skin and is usually a key ingredient in pricey products.

Buttermilk is natural pro-biotic, and is also rich in lactic acid.  Lactic acid is found in many expensive beauty products and is one of the best ingredients for facial peels that doctors choose for softening, brightening and exfoliating skin.  Because of it’s highly acidic and astringent nature, it fades age spots, freckles and can even tighten skin.

Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. full fat buttermilk, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Mix the two ingredients together in a small cup or bowl.

The consistency will be a tad bit runny. Cleanse your face, then smear this mask all over it, using gentle, circular motions. Let sit on your skin for a few minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

For extra skin brightening, use a cotton ball and dab pure buttermilk all over your face. Let it sit until it is dry , then rinse off with warm water.

 

Week 2 of Raising Our Easter Eggers

Our chicks are now 2 weeks old, and boy do they EAT! These little guys and girls are growing so fast. We have 18 total. I am keeping them in 2 brooder boxes (9 chicks in each) until they are old enough to be put outdoors. I will probably start them out in a small coop, then expand to my storage shed idea.

Because we have plenty of land, I want them to be able to roam a large area of the yard without being confined to a coop and a run. I have a nice sized storage building that I want to add shelving to and allow the chickens to use that as an over sized coop. The entire coop, plus a large amount of land around it will be fenced in of course, and I will install a cat door in the back of it so the chickens have access to come in and out as they like. It will, of course, need a bit more ventilation, and I will lay vinyl on the floor to keep it as water proofed as possible.

I had forgotten how much I missed raising chicks. They are adorable and loads of fun to watch. My little 2 year old, Gabriel, absolutely loves them. He leans over their boxes and laughs as they scratch and flap around.

 Because 2 of the chicks have discovered they have wings, I will have to make covers for the brooders today. They are going to be just simple pieces of hardware cloth laid over the top, secured with a couple of zip ties.

Time to post a few recipes for cleansers and such, but I will post an update on the chicks as soon as I get a few extra minutes.

No More Freezer Burned Ice Cream

To keep your favorite ice cream or sorbet from getting freezer burn, cover the open carton with aluminum foil before replacing the lid. The foil blocks out moisture so those annoying little ice crystals can't form.

Stop Avocadoes from Turning Brown After You Slice Them

If you only use half of an avocado, spray the other half with vegetable oil cooking spray, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. This seals off the exposed flesh, and prevents oxidation.

Who wants to see THAT in their fridge?

Keep Strawberries Fresh Longer

To keep strawberries fresh for around 2 weeks, wash them well in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water, then pat dry with a paper towel before storing them. Vinegar kills the mold spores and bacteria that sit on the berries and cause them to go bad.

Not a pretty site, right?

A New Use for Empty Tic Tac Boxes

If you're like me, you buy a new pack of bobby pins and lose all of them within a week or so. Those little cardboard cards they come on just don't last long. You can keep all of them together in empty Tic Tac breath mint boxes. I keep one in the bathroom and one in my handbag. Simply remove the label (may take some scrubbing to get all of the sticky off) and insert bobby pins.

The Best Homemade Glass Cleaner

 

 Ok. I have searched high and low for the best homemade window cleaner. It is amazing how many recipes there are out there. I have tried almost all of them, and have found the absolute best one that involves using a bizarre ingredient- corn starch. Yes, corn starch. I didn't believe it either until I tried it. I have never found a cleanser that can effectively remove hair spray from a bathroom mirror until I used this. It is so cheap and easy to make, plus it is safe and non-toxic so you can use it safely around children and pets.

I found this photo on Google, and will replace it with my own as soon as I can.

Ingredients: 

 1 c. HOT water 

2 Tbsp. vinegar 

2 Tbsp. rubbing alcohol 

1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Put the cornstarch and hot water in the bottle first, and shake VERY well to make sure the corn starch  is dissolved as much as possible. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Shake well and use! Give the bottle a shake every time you use it to make sure all of the corn starch is mixed in. 

Tip: You can also scrub your windows and mirrors with crumpled newspaper along with this cleanser to make them sparkle like diamonds!