March 25, 2020

Making a Valentine's Day Picture FramePaint a photo frame red and then decorate it with recycled CD hearts. Follow the link in the project for instructions. It makes a fun gift. Everything you need to know can be found on this site.

 

What Breed Is My Puppy?Puppies take a bit of growing before it they look like their parents' breeds. Here are questions and answers about all sorts of different puppies and what they might be combined with.

 

Instant Pot Bone BrothBone broth is an excellent soup base with rich flavors and nutrients from meat bones. The Instant Pot makes this recipe a snap but it can also be made in a slow cooker or stockpot.

 

3 Ingredient TrufflesThese delicious chocolate truffles are easy to make with just three basic ingredients. They make wonderful treats for Valentine's Day or Christmas.

 

Making a Chocolate FrostyIf you love to go to Wendy's and get their chocolate frosties, here's a way to make them at home. It will save you time and money.

 

Making Lamb and Eggplant DipStart with lamb, eggplant, and lentils to begin preparing this delicious Middle Eastern dish. It can be served as an appetizer or the main course.

 

Making Sweet Chili ShrimpSweet chili sauce is a staple for many Southeast Asian cuisines. Combine it with fresh aromatics to make these delicious stir fried shrimp.

 

Homemade Natural Shampoo and Conditioner Recipes for Color Treated HairIf you have color treated hair and want to make your own shampoo and conditioner from natural ingredients, here are some ideas. It's best to avoid harsh ingredients to prevent the colored dye from fading prematurely.

 

Making Garlic Parmesan Veggie MashHere is a delicious alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. It's an excellent way to use up leftover veggies and sneak added nutrition into a meal.

 

Healthy Peanut Butter Mug CakeMake this individual snack cake right in your microwave. It's great for an after school treat or for a sweet end to the day.

 

Making a Heart Sticks Valentine's Day ArrangementMake this decorated jar filled with twigs from your garden, adorned with foam hearts in various sizes and colors. It is a great project to work on with your kids.

 

Making a Valentine Hearts Kite VaseA clear glass vase or recycled bottle can easily be transformed into a bit of Valentine's Day decor with a heart shaped kite motif. The supplies you will need and the instructions can be found below.

 

Making a Valentine Gift JarDecorate a recycled jar to create you own handmade Valentine gift jar. We can show you how. Change the motif and it works for many occasions.

 

Making a Penguin Valentine's Card or CrownThis amazingly cute paper penguin can be used as a Valentine's Day card or become the decoration on a crown to add to your child's stash of play wear.

 

Making a Plastic Egg GarlandBrightly colored plastic Easter eggs are strung into a festive garland with twine. It's a nice decoration for your door, window or mantle.

 

Homemade Minestrone SoupThis soup is a favorite of all! A great vegetarian soup also. It is warming and comforting. I really don't know anyone who doesn't like Minestrone Soup!

 

Homegrown Mushroom and Asparagus RisottoI love growing my own mushrooms at home. It's easy to do and I love that they're not covered in unknown dirt. They turn out so yummy that they are a fantastic replacement for meat. Of course, if you don't grow your own mushrooms at home, use store bought ones when you try this recipe. You will love it either way!

 

Write Greeting Cards for Nursing Home PatientsJust like everyone, I am particularly dealing with this Pandemic due being quarantinedover a week ago due to my several medical issues. I decided to try my best to distract myself from the news, it was just getting me down. So I got out all my old cards and started writing friendly messages to people who are in nursing homes and now have been restricted from all visitors!

 

Working From HomeMany people are attempting to work from home during the current lockdown. Here are some tips for being effective without having to go into the office.

 

No-Gas BeansBeans are an inexpensive, healthy food. To eliminate most of the gas-causing enzymes, hot soak the beans before you cook them.

 

Help Your Neighbors During the PandemicThe old-fashioned "help your neighbor" has never been more important as it is now! I live in a complex living community! I have been blessed by real neighborswho are helping me since I have been quarantined. In return, I am taking some of the burden of of them by being a neighbor and helping with whatever I can do! We all have to work together through this difficult time!

 

Toddler Activities for Learning at HomeI got this awesome list from my dear friend, Hannah, who is a teacher. I got her blessing to publish this list of activities she sent out to friends who were looking for ideas of what to do with their kids during the COVID-19 school and daycare closures. Check out what great ideas she has.

 

CDC Guidelines for Using Bleach to Disinfect SurfacesBleach can be used effectively to clean and disinfect surfaces if prepared following the instructions on the CDC website.

 

Masking Tape Tupperware LabelsHere is a way to really save food and money. No more guessing what and when food was put in tupperwares. Simply keep masking tape and a permanent marker in the kitchen to make and date labels on containers. It has made a major change for me in maintaining food freshness, and a waste free kitchen.

 

You Don't Have to Kneel to PrayIt was the first of May and the Smiths, our neighbors that live across the field from us, were going on vacation for a week and asked if we could care for their chickens while they were gone. They have a dozen or so and I love doing it. It's a good walk over to their place and the two of us enjoy the exercise together.

 

Mini GreenhouseYou can cut a water bottle or if you need a larger greenhouse a gallon water jug. Cover your plant to get them stronger before planting.

 

Customizing a Cupboard ShelfMy kitchen is built for amazon ladies with no rotator cuff problems. So, today I decided to make some changes. Instead of so many dishes in the cupboards, I put some in drawers. Still out of site but much more handy.

 

Protection from the Birds and the SunWe added a conduit metal frame with side "curtains" and a "roof" to our grow box to prevent birds from attacking our plants and to prevent the sun from attacking our plants. It works well here in sunny Arizona where temperatures get up to 115 to 120 degrees in the summer.

 

Brody's Resting, You Should TooWhile sitting home with my doggy Brody, my nose is running and I'm sneezing. The reason I'm telling everyone is that we are in allergy season. If you're not in high danger areas or don't have a fever, don't get scared. Everyone's afraid it's the virus. It isn't but panic is not good for your health either.

 

Identifying Insect Eggs?What bug laid these eggs?

 

Repairing a Nelco Sewing Machine?My Nelco SZA 2211 needs repair after every project. I'm sewing simple surgical masks. But the wheel that advances the needle slips and spins. When the machine does advance it won't cross a simple bump of elastic in the seam. And the stitches bunch, and gather the fabric. Will a manual give me the information I need to repair this antique? Mine was lost years ago.

 

Value of a Conant Ball Drop Leaf Table?How much should I sell my Conant Ball solid maple drop leaf stand unusual style for?

 

Sewing Machine Stitches Are Loose?Everything works great on it, but my stitches are always loose each time I sew something I end up just doing it by hand. That as we know takes forever.

 

Identifying a Childhood Toy?It is a green dog with big plastic eyes, little orange freckles, a little white tongue, and a plaid scarf. At one point he had a hat. He has no tags and I can't find him online anywhere. He was a gift from my grandfather.

 

Is My Chihuahua Full Blooded?I was wondering if my Chi is full blood. He is kind of long, but I was told his mother and father were full. He weighs about 10 lbs too, which I thought was pretty big for a Chi. He's a year old.

 

Thread Bunches on the Top When Sewing in Reverse?I have a Kenmore model 385 17630. My big problem is that when I try to back stitch it gets big loops on the top. I've cleaned it, changed the needle, and have tried to adjust the tension for the top and also tried to adjust the bobbin tension.

 

Finding the Model Number for a Nelco Sewing Machine?Can someone tell me the model # for this machine? So I can look for the manual!

 

Using Frozen Cabbage?I went to get my cabbage out of the fridge and it's frozen! I'm making pan fried cabbage and noodles. Will this still cook up? I don't care if it soaks up the butter, just want to be able to use it.

 

Value of a Brandt Table?I am looking to see if anyone knows anything about how much this is worth. I can't find anything like it online. It was made by Brandt furniture from Hagerstown MD. It has a unique shape. There is a metal stamp on the bottom.

 

Determining the Value of Noritake China?My cousin has a set of this pattern. I think it might be the Claytonpattern, but the stamp doesn't match the ones I've found online. Could you help me with the identification, including age and value?

 

Recycling Hosiery?I have been unsuccessful in finding a company to which I can send unused nylon hosiery (still packaged pantyhose) for recycling. A couple of companies listed online no longer recycle hosiery.

 

Identifying Household Bugs?What type of bug is this and should I be concerned?