Easter Paper Craft

The sun is out today. 

Maybe spring will arrive after all.  Aren't these little egg animals adorable!

Good Housekeeping has these fun stencils to create these adorable egg animals.

Aren't they cute!
Download them HERE.

Go HERE for more egg decorating ideas.

(The silk ties are awesome.)

Tuesday Tip

Use ketchup to: Remove the tarnish from your brass and copper cookware. Just squeeze some ketchup onto a rag and rub it on your pots and pans. They should revert back to their original coppery color within minutes. Then rinse them with lukewarm water and dry them with a towel.

Use white bread to: Remove dust and dirt from an old oil painting. Using a slice of white bread to dab the surface of any oil painting will help to absorb grime and dirt.
Use oatmeal to: Thoroughly scrub super dirty hands. Just make a nice thick paste with water and oatmeal, rub your hands together, and rinse well.
Use rice to: Clean out a dingy thin-necked bottle or vase. First, fill the vase or bottle about three quarters of the way up with warm water and drop in a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Then cover the opening with you hand and shake things up for a while (letting the rice rub any interior stains away). Rinse things out and you’re good to go.

Use tea to: Scour your rusted garden tools. Start by brewing a few pots of strong black tea. Wait for it to cool and then pour it into a bucket or bowl. Soak the tools in the cooled tea for a few hours. Wipe each one with a rag to reveal their “new” look. Note: wearing rubber gloves will keep your hands from getting stained.
Use glycerin to: Get rid of dried wax drippings on candlesticks. Begin by peeling off as much of the wax as you can. Then dab some glycerin on a cotton ball and rub until the remaining wax is gone.
Use club soda to: Shine up any scuffed and grubby stainless-steel sink. First buff the sink with a club-soda dipped cloth and then wipe it dry with a clean cloth.

Use hydrogen peroxide to: Disinfect your germy keyboard. Just dip a cotton ball or q-tip in hydrogen peroxide (just a dab- not too much) and be sure to get into every nook and cranny that you can.
Use cornstarch to: Clean a daunting grease spill on the carpet. Just pour cornstarch onto the spot, let it sit there and be absorbed for fifteen to thirty minutes and then vacuum everything up. The grease should be absorbed by the powder and disappear once you vacuum.
Use rubbing alcohol to: Remove permanent marker stains from both solid-surface countertops and hardwood floors. It’s as easy as pouring rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and applying it to the stain.

• Use half of a lemon to remove tough food stains on light wood cutting boards.
• Add a half a cup of lemon juice to your laundry’s rinse cycle to brighten whites.
• Mop almost any kind of floor with a mixture of ¼ cup liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) and two gallons of warm water. If the floors are greasy, just add ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar.
• Add a few squirts of liquid castile soap to two cups of hot water. Use this mixture to scrub the stovetop and your stove’s vent hood to cut through all that gross accumulated grease.

• Pour equal parts of vinegar and water into the your coffee machine’s water chamber and switch on the brewing cycle. Halfway through the cycle turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for around an hour. Then turn it on again to complete the cycle and run several cycles with clean water to flush everything out.
• Clean drains and the pipes that they’re attached to by pouring vinegar down them. Then after thirty minutes flush them with cold water.
• Spray vinegar on moldy walls and rinse them and let them thoroughly dry fifteen minutes later.
• Pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of a showerhead, securing with rubber bands to combat mineral deposits. Let it soak overnight and rinse everything with water in the morning.

• Fill stained teacups and coffee mugs with with one part baking soda and two parts water and let them soak overnight. In the morning just rub them with a sponge to rinse ‘em out.
• To remove odors from upholstered furniture just sprinkle baking soda onto the fabric and vacuum it up.
• Erase crayon marks on scuffed walls by applying a baking- soda paste (equal parts baking soda & water) to white painted walls. Let it dry before brushing the mixture off with a clean dry cloth. Note: this formula may dull colored walls.
• Rub piano keys carefully with a damp cotton swab and a dollop of toothpaste to remove discoloration. Wipe dry and buff with a clean cloth.
• Place fake flowers inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake it vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust & dirt.
• If your dinner bubbles over in the oven pour salt on the spill to soak it up. Then once the oven is cool wipe it up with a damp sponge.

I got this tip from Cheryl Joy (private blogger) who got it from  

Young House Love via Real Simple .

Just In

Looking for a unique sibling gift or an adorable personalized gift? You must check out these adorable t-shirts and onesie. They feature a slightly more sophisticated design than the typical personalized shirt. Too cute for words, and available in a number of styles, colors, and sayings. The “Big Sister” or “Big Brother” Tee would be the perfect gift for an older sibling welcoming a new baby to the family.  

 Luna B Tees

 
Spice Up Your Wardrobe with Personal Splash!

 

Sister Shirt

We are still in the process of adding this great new line so check back often!

Preview of more to come:

Tuesday Tip - Lovin' Lemons

More Uses for

 Lemons!

via StrawberryGirlM

Natural Whitener

Tea and coffee stains can be removed from ceramic cups with denture-cleaning tablets. Just fill the cup with warm water, and drop in a tablet. When the tablet stops fizzing, empty the cup, and if it's still stained, repeat the process. To whiten cloth napkins, linens, and even socks, fill a large pot with water, and drop in several slices of lemon. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add the linens, and let them soak for about an hour. Then launder as usual. Many bathroom cleansers are gritty; they may be effective at cleaning grout, but they can scratch tiles. Baking soda is a safe and inexpensive alternative. First, wet the grout, and apply the baking soda to the stained area with an old toothbrush. Work on a small section at a time, and then rinse clean.aaaa

Happy Valentine's Day

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts

via Martha Stewart

Tip from Martha:

You may use any size heart cutters you like to make these shortbreads; the chocolate is optional. For the most beautiful cookies, don't reroll the scraps.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Makes 4 dozen 2 1/2-inch heart cookies

• 
  
  1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 
  
  3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 
  
  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  
  2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
  3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 
  
  1 teaspoon canola oil or pure vegetable shortening

Directions:

1.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. On slow speed, beat in flour and salt until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2.On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/16-to-1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.

3.Heat oven to 300 degrees with a rack in the center. Press the tines of a fork into each cookie to make designs. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 18 minutes. (Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.)

4.In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Stir in the oil. Dip half or one third of each cookie into the chocolate mixture. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to dry, or place them on a piece of parchment paper in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve.

Did you say eye candy?

.... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

these Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas

via Amy Atlas

Valentine's Day Desserts

Want to make some yummy valentine treats? I came across these♥ Enjoy! Valentine's Day Desserts

Sugar Cookies	Chocolate Cupcakes	Chocolate Brownies
These sweet and buttery cut-out cookies are always a favorite for not only can you tailor the shape of the cookie to the occasion but you can also dress them simply with granulated or colored sugars or make them very decorative by frosting them with royal icing. more	These beautiful chocolate cupcakes have a wonderful chocolate flavor and are frosted with a chocolate fudge frosting. more	Chocolate Brownies have a lovely deep chocolate flavor and dense fudge-like texture that are topped with a smooth and glossy Ganache frosting. more
Meringue Hearts	Chocolate Truffles	Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Since meringues pair so well with fruits and creams, for this dessert I have made individual heart-shaped meringues and topped them with strawberry cream and fresh strawberries. more	These rich and elegant, bite-sized round petit fours are made from a mixture of dark or white chocolate and cream to which various flavorings can be added: butter, liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried fruits. more	Chocolate Sugar Cookies are a sweet and buttery cut-out cookie with a mild chocolate flavor that are frosted with royal icing. more
Chocolate Hearts	Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate & Raspberries	Raspberry Truffle Tart
I don't know who likes these better; kids or adults. All you need to make these delicious treats is your favorite milk, dark, or white chocolate and Rice Krispies more	Shortbreads are a buttery cookie (biscuit) that taste absolutely delicious when sandwiched together with raspberry jam and grated white chocolate. more	What could be more enticing than a giant raspberry-flavored truffle set in a biscotti crust.This beautiful raspberry-flavored truffle tart is set in a delicious biscotti crust. more

This is only the beginning!

Go HERE for more.