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A DIY Gift Guide For Friends and Family: Part 2

A DIY Gift Guide For Friends and Family: Part 2

I get most of my gift ideas from Pinterest. I decided that instead of retelling all the ideas here, I would just lead you straight to the inspiration. This link will take you to my gift board on Pinterest. It has all of my gifting ideas ready for you to look at. I hope you enjoy!
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Christmas Traditions

I love Christmastime! (Who doesn't?) And I really want to start some new Christmas traditions. I don't really have any with my family right now, but I'm hoping once I move out I'll be able to make some new traditions. I've compiled a list of Christmas traditions that would be perfect for every family to do together.

DECORATING IDEAS




  1. Pick out a tree: Preferably a real tree. I've never had a real tree before but this seems like the perfect thing to do to get in the Christmas spirit.

  2. Decorate the house and tree: Even if you live in an apartment, you can still decorate. Sting some lights up and put a santa over there. Its not much, but work with what you have. (And if you want some decorating ideas see #4 under presents or #3 and #4 under decorating)

  3. String lights throughout the house: I keep my lights strung throughout my room up year round. But for Christmas, you could string them through the living room to make it cozy.

  4. Make DIY Decorations: Check out Pinterest for amazing ideas.



PRESENT IDEAS




  1. Wrap 24 books, CDs and DVDs: Put them under the tree and every night from December 1-24 unwrap one. Go to the thrift shop or dollar store and see if you can find some cheap picture books or maybe some Christmas DVDs. These don't have to be expensive, as there will probably be more gifts that you give each other.

  2. Make 1 DIY gift: DIY gifts are one way to show that you care and put some time into your gift. I've created a DIY gift guide if you would like some ideas.

  3. Open 1 present Christmas Eve: I think it would be cute to unwrap the DIY gift you make each one another, or if you are doing the book idea, you could give the book or CD or DVD that they have been dying to get.

  4. Buy each other ornaments: This one is really perfect for those couples spending their first Christmas together. Each year, buy each other one ornament to unwrap Christmas eve. Then put the ornaments on the tree together. Every year, you'll be able to look back and see all the ornaments you bought each other as you put them on the tree.



THINGS TO DO




  1. Make gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies: Or maybe a gingerbread house from scratch if you're feeling up to the challenge.

  2. Light Christmas candles: Check out the Bath and Body Works candles. They are AMAZING.

  3. Watch Christmas movies together: This would be especially cute on Christmas Eve with hot chocolate and cookies.

  4. Take a picture on Santa's lap: Once again this is perfect for new couples, or families with kids. You could use the picture as Christmas cards or make them into ornaments.

  5. Go iceskating: This is one of my favorite things to do.

  6. Have a snowball fight or build a snowman: (or BOTH!) You could only do these if you lived in snow, but I think it's perfect for winter and Christmas.


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A DIY Gift Guide For Friends And Family: Part 1

In the past, I have always felt the need to buy my friends gifts. Mostly, it's because it's so much easier than figuring out what to make them and it means a little more than a gift card. But this year, I'm going to try something new. I've composed a list of some of the perfect gifts for my friends and I thought I would share them with you. Most of these gifts I probably won't give out, just because I don't have that many friends. But I would probably pair some of these together because they're super easy to make and some of these would go great together.

Hand Painted Mug: This would be great for that coffee or tea fanatic in your life, or maybe someone who just likes hot chocolate. I would highly recommend giving this with maybe a few coffee or tea samples, or maybe a packet of hot chocolate mix. It's super easy to make this, and you can personalize it for the person your giving this to.

Decorated Picture Frame: This is perfect for family or friends that you have a lot of great memories with. It is also another great gift that is personalized and very easy to make. A twist on this would be getting a wooden box, like from Michaels, and glue the picture to the top. You can decorate the outside of the box however you want. On the inside, it gives the recipient a place to put whatever the want, maybe notes or other pictures.

Jar of Cookie or Brownie Mix: I say this is perfect for anyone who loves food or sweets. Basically all you do is find a recipe that your friend would like and put the dry ingredients into a mason jar. Then you attach a note of that other ingredients they need and how to bake it. Honestly it's not that hard and I would love to get.

Gift Baskets: Gift baskets have been around since the beginning of time and people make a ton of money selling them to people to lazy to put together their own. It actually very easy to do your own. All you need is either a gift bag, box, or basket, and the items to put in it. For girls, you could try organizing a makeup basket or possibly a basket full of items for a pamper day. For guys, (girls probably would like these too) you could try a basket full of their favorite foods, or maybe the items for a movie night. Or you could come up with your own idea, the possibilities are endless.

Stay tuned, I'll be doing more posts full of more great ideas!
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DIY Christmas Decorations: "Snow Jar"


DIY Christmas Decorations: "Snow Jar"




This is how you can create a very simple mess-free Snow Globe, or "Snow Jar".

To start off you will need:

  • Mason Jar

  • Fake snow, it is also called Plastic Snow

  • Hot Glue

  • Ornaments that will fit inside the mason jar, like Tree Ornaments or Plastic Toys.


The first thing you need to do is make sure mason jar is clean, especially if you have previously used it for something else. Then, unscrew the lid and place it in front of you. Hot glue the bottom of the  ornaments to the inside of the lid. When you screw the lid back on the ornaments should be hanging up side down, when the jar is upright.  Next, open your bag of fake snow. Scoop about 1 tablespoon-2tablespoons into the mason jar. How much you put in your jar depends on how big it is and how much snow you want in there. Finally, screw the lid back on and shake up your "snow jar".

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DIY Costume: Where's Waldo


DIY Costume: Where's Waldo
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#pinterestsunday DIY Cinnamon Baked Apple Chips

Cinnamon baked apple chips. Sounds good, right? They're a great snack any time of year. Not to mention they're good for you too. Kids and adults both love them. They're super easy to make, anyone can do it. I first came across them from this pin here, but the link to the source doesn't work, so I had to find different recipes on Google. What you will need is:

  • Apples
  • Cinnamon
  • Mandoline Food Slicer
  • Sugar (optional)
  • Parchment Paper 

The first thing you need to do is wash your apples, if you haven't already. Next you want to thinly slice the apples. The thinner they are, the easier it will be to get the liquid out of them. Of course you don't want to slice them too thin. I stuck to the 2 or 3 setting on my slicer, as I found 1 was too thin. Place the slices across a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.


Next, you want to get all the seeds out. You could either pop all the seeds out, or just cut the entire middle out. I found just cutting the whole middle out was easiest. Now, it's time to add the cinnamon and sugar, if you want. I just sprinkled some over the apple slices. How much you add is your personal preference.


To bake them, preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Bake for 1 hour. Then take them out of the oven and bake for another hour. When you first take them out, they may not feel crispy or crunchy, but when you let them cool for about 15 to 20 minutes, they will begin to harden and crisp.

That's it for this #pinterestsunday. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the next #pinterestsunday, please leave a comment below.
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#pinterestsunday Summer Activity Jars

During these long summer days, we are always looking for things to do. We always have all these great ideas of things we can do, but never make them happen. All those hours we have wasted in boredom are finally going to come to an end. This is an activity jar. Whenever you are bored or looking for something to do, just pick one out. The inspiration comes from this pin. This would also be great for crafts, date night ideas, quick outfits, pretty much anything you could need ideas for. What you will need is:

  • Jars or Cups
  • Pens
  • Popsicle Sticks or Paper and Scissors
  • Paint and/or a Sharpie
To begin, start by writing your ideas on either the popsicle sticks or the paper. I chose to do three categories: workout, chores, and fun. To see some of my ideas look at the image below. If you wrote your ideas on paper, now would be the time to cut them out.
Next write your category names on your jars or cups. I got a little fancy with mine and used paint and sharpie, but feel free to only use one. Once you are done, stick the ideas into the correct category. And that is how you make Summer Activity Jars! 
If you have any ideas for the next #pinterestsunday, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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#pinterestsunday DVD and CD Holder

So as I have said countless times, I have been on vacation, and I just got back. It was a long trip and I spent hours watching some pretty awesome movies. But I hated the fact that I had to take a bunch of big and bulky DVD cases. I'm a movie and music junky so I have a ton of CD and DVD cases. It can take up a lot of space, so I have decided to make a holder to store all the discs. This is great for DVDs, CDs, Blu-Ray, and any other discs you may have. A lot of the inspiration came from this pin, but I adjusted it for DVDs. What you will need is:

  • Cardstock or some other thick paper, 11" x 8 1/2"
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • DVDs
  • A Box, 6" x 6" x 6"
  • A Pencil
  • Ruler
To start off, measure out how you need to cut the cardstock. Lay your disc flat on the cardstock in one corner. You want to leave about a quarter of an inch on all sides. Use a pencil and a ruler to mark a square around your disc. This is going to be the back of your DVD sleeve. Fold the paper on both lines. For a better explanation look at the picture above. 
It should look like you have two big squares, and two smaller rectangles. Cut the middle of the paper so both halves have a square and a rectangle. One halve is going to be bigger than the one you measured. Line up both halves, the smaller one on top of the other. Cut the bigger halve so it is the same size as the smaller one. 
Now taking one of the halves, fold along the crease and tape the two sides. Write the movie title on the front and you are good to go. That is how you make a DVD sleeve. To hold the DVDs, put them in the box. And that is how you make a DVD holder.
I hope you enjoyed this DIY tutorial. If you have any suggestions for the next #pinterestsunday, leave a comment below or use the comment form on the left side of this blog.
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Summer Workout: Motivating DIYs

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You guys know I'm all about DIYs, so I thought today I would share with you some DIYs. I haven't done any of these DIYs. However, I might in the future. I really like all of these. But the purpose of these is to help motivate you workout. Working out can be hard to bring yourself to do and stick with, so I thought I would share these to hopefully help kickstart your workout. I hope these help you guys!
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#pinterestsunday DIY High Waisted Shorts

Last week I did a #pinterestsunday about DIY shorts. This week I thought I would give it a trendier update. We all love high waisted shorts, but who wants to pay $50 for 1 pair. Well I'm teaching you how to make your own. This is inspired by this pin right here. So what you are going to need is:

  • "Mom Jeans" or high waisted jeans, preferably from Goodwill and 100% cotton
  • Scissors
  • A sharpie
To start of we are going to use the post I made last week to turn your jeans into shorts. Click here to see the full post. 

 To start off, you are going to want to try on your jeans. See how they fit and see how long you would like your shorts to be.
 Once you know how long you want your shorts to be, move down about an inch or two. You want to have room to roll up the jeans to cuff them. Once you find the length to cut your jeans mark it with a sharpie.
 Take off the jeans and lay them flat on the floor. Fold them in half and make sure all the sides are equally lined up. It should look like you only have half a pair of jeans. Then cut right above the sharpie line.
Now instead of cuffing your shorts, we are going to fray them. You don't have to leave extra length to cuff your shorts, but I woud recommend it. You can always cut it later, but once you cut it, you can't go back.
Once your shorts are their desired length, we can start fraying. I used a hair brush to help start the fraying by just rubbing the bottoms of the shorts. You can also use your hands. Don't worry if it doesn't look like mine. Once you put them in the wash, and every time you wash them, they will continue to fray.
To distress the shorts, like mine, you will need your scissors. Cut straight slits into the shorts. Once again you can start to fray them, but the washer will do most of the fraying.
After you have done all this, put your shorts into the washer and dryer. They may not be as frayed and distressed as mine the first time, but they will continue to fray every time you wash them.
And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this DIY!
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#pinterestsunday: DIY Shorts

It's summer which means it's hot. And when it's hot, we like to wear shorts. But honestly, who has the money to buy more and more shorts each year? Well here is your solution. MAKE YOUR OWN! I always do this. I have no money to go out and buy new shorts, so I just make them out of what I already have. One of the many DIY shorts pins is here. It's not quite the same, but I think I might so something similar next week. You are going to need:

  • A pair of old jeans
  • Some scissors
  • A sharpie
 To start off, you are going to want to try on your jeans. See how they fit and see how long you would like your shorts to be.
 Once you know how long you want your shorts to be, move down about an inch or two. You want to have room to roll up the jeans to cuff them. Once you find the length to cut your jeans mark it with a sharpie.
 Take off the jeans and lay them flat on the floor. Fold them in half and make sure all the sides are equally lined up. It should look like you only have half a pair of jeans. Then cut right above the sharpie line.
Roll your jeans two times. Then try them on. Ta-da! Your brand new shorts!
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#pinterestsunday Sharpie Mug

I saw this a while ago on A Beautiful Mess and I have been wanting to do it ever since. I've come across a few other similar pins on Pinterest like this one. I thought it was about time I did it and here it is. This would make a really cute inexpensive gift for friends and family, especially around Christmas. What you are going to need to make this is:
  • A mug. I would use inexpensive ones, especially if this is your first time or you are giving this as a gift. 
  • A sharpie.
  • An oven or a microwave.
To start off, I got a plain white mug from Goodwill. You can also get them at the dollar store. Make sure to wash your mug of really well.

Next find the design you want to use. I liked the one from A Beautiful Mess, which is the picture above. I edited it a little since I don't like green tea that much.
Finally, preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 35 minutes. Or you could use the microwave and do it for 10 minutes. These aren't set times. I had to experiment with it for a while. I hope you guys enjoyed this DIY!
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#pinterestsunday Book Crate

As many of you might know, I have been reading a ton lately. I'm sure a lot of you out there enjoy reading too. Of course, we don't always have enough room on the bookshelf to store all our books, or we always forget what books we want to read next. The solution came to me through this pin. It is your very own book crate. The idea is actually really simple and I'm surprised I haven't thought of it before. This is a great idea for kids, just leave whatever books they or you want them to read in the crate, and they can just pick them up and start reading. This also doesn't have to be just for books. You can store anything in these crates. I'm thinking of making one for all the college brochures I get, maybe one for some art supplies, the possibilities are endless.

What you will need is:
  • A crate or box. I used an old shoe box. 
  • Wrapping paper or paint.
  • Scissors.
  • Tape or Glue.
  • Pages from an old book. (optional)
To start, if you have a shoe box, like me, you want to take of the lid. If the lid is attached to the shoe box, then tear or cut it off. If you are painting your box or crate, now would be the perfect time to do so.
If you are wrapping it in wrapping paper, like I chose to, then measure out the amount of wrapping paper you will need to cover the outside AND the inside. I chose to estimate the amount, but you could also measure out the wrapping paper.
Next you want to lay the wrapping paper flat with the box on top. Cut slits in the paper for each side so the wrapping paper will go neatly in to box. (See image above)
Tape the wrapping paper to the box. If your wrapping paper did not fully cover the inside of your box, tape left over pieces of wrapping paper onto the box, like I did.
This part is optional. If you would like this to be more decorative, cut out some letters in old book pages and tape or glue them to the front or your box. I chose to cut out "BOOKS". That's it! I hope you enjoyed this DIY. If you have any requests for the next #pinterestsunday, leave them in the comments below, or use the contact form on the side of this blog.
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#pinterestsunday Cookie Brownies

Today I will be talking about one of the most delicious cookie or brownie recipe EVER. Want to know what makes them so good? It's because it's both! I brought these to a party we had a school and they were a huge hit. Everybody wanted one. The pin I was inspired by is here.
Depending on what mixes you buy your ingredients will vary but I used Ghirardelli Cookie and Brownie mixes. I needed vegetable oil, eggs, water and butter.
To make this delicious treat, you want to prepare the mixes separately. Simply prepare the mixes according to the box directions. You should have 1 bowl of brownie batter and 1 bowl of cookie dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan lightly with a nonstick cooking spray. Pour in your brownie batter. Take "clumps" of cookie dough and disperse them throughout the pan. (See image below for more.)
Bake for 25 minutes. Then cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes. This will keep the cookies from burning since they cook faster. Of course things always cook differently, so feel free to adjust the time as necessary. 
This part is optional, I cut the brownies into little squares for my party, but you don't have to. I hope you enjoy them!
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#pinterestsunday Junk Journal

If you are like me, than you keep EVERYTHING! I want to remember every little memory. This also means I have a lot crap lying around. I thought, what better way to lessen all this crap than make a junk journal. The inspiration pin is here. Now you maybe asking, what is a junk journal? Well I'm about to tell you. It is a journal full of junk. To be more specific, a journal full of your pictures, stickers, brochures, memories, and whatever else you want to stick in your journal.

So what you are going to need is:

  • notebook or an old book, preferably with a hard cover
  • scissors
  • construction paper, card stock, or scrapbook paper
  • photos, brochures, magazine clippings, cards, stickers, etc. (basically anything you can find to fit in your journal)
  • glue, I recommend hot glue so it will stick better
To start off you want to decorate the front of your journal. Of course this part is optional. If you love the original cover there is no need for you to decorate it. I cut out some magazine letters and spelled Junk Journal with them. So now it looks like the Burn Book from Mean Girls.
Next, it's time to add your junk. I used a book, so if you want to cover the words with paper that's ok, but I chose not to because I like the words. Then I glued whatever I wanted to the pages. I didn't really do it in order because I wanted it to be really random and fun. However, if you did want to put it in order you could create little tabs for each section.
My pages consisted of pictures of my family, my friends, and me. I put some brochures and flyers from things we did together. There are also some of my favorite birthday cards in there. I also included doodles and sketches I have done, along with song lyrics I have written or ones that I really like. I decorated the pages with stickers, colorful card stock, glitter, etc. I haven't filled up the whole book yet, but I will in the near future. 
Alternative Options: You could also use this idea and give it to a friend or family member as a gift, and fill it with memories you have shared. This would also be a good senior year idea, so you would collect items from your senior year of high school. Great as a travel journal, you can take it with you and glue things in as you go, or if you prefer, you can wait until  you get home. 
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#PinterestSunday Idea Box



This idea isn't from a one pin. I've seen a lot of pins about idea jars and boxes. I remember there was on with Popsicle sticks and a jar for date ideas and another for workout exercises. I thought I would make my own variation on this by making a #pinterestsunday idea box. This is for all the DIYs and recipes and whatever else, that I would want to do as a #pinterestsunday. This would also be a great idea for restaurants, dinner recipes, kids activities, and crafts. 

What you are going to need is:
  • Scissors
  • A Pen
  • A Stack of Paper
  • A Box
  • Ideas!
  • Notecards and Tape (optional)

So what you are going to do is:
  1. First, cut the paper into small strips. They shouldn't be so small you can't write on them, but they should also be small enough to fit reasonably in your box. I got my paper from a paper cube and cut it into 3 sections. They are about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.
  2. Now it's time to write down all your wonderful ideas. Just take your pen and write away! (I got all of mine from Pinterest because I am doing this for my #PinterestSunday ideas. Feel free to collect whatever ideas, restaurants, recipes, etc. depending on what this is for.) 
  3. This part is completely optional. I decide that I wanted to keep all the ideas I had already done. I took 2 notecards and folded them in half, to create a divider for the box. Then I just taped them in place. I also wanted to create a section where I could keep the ideas I want to do next. I cut a notecard in half. Then taped one half on to the cover and taped the other half on top of it sideways, to create a little folder. (See the photo at the top of this post for a better understanding.)
  4. Finally, all you have to do is put your ideas in your box. You are now ready to start pulling out ideas and making them happen! Good luck with all your ideas and I hope you enjoyed this #PinterestSunday
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4 Ways to Use Coconut Oil

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We all know coconut oil has many benefits. But how do use it? Well I have the answers to your question.

  1. Hair Masks. One of the most popular ways to use coconut oil is by putting it in your hair. It adds shine as well as moisturizes. It also is said to help your hair grow longer. If you are looking for a great hair mask recipe check out Pinterest. These are some of my favorites: one here, another here, next one here, and the last one is here. If you do decided to do a coconut mask be warned, water will not get the oil out. I have to shampoo at least 2 times before all of it is out.
  2. Body Scrubs. I have just recently tried body scrubs and let me tell you they are amazing. They can also be very expensive to buy if you use them every week. So to save money just make your own. Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer. So not only are you exfoliating your body but you're also moisturizing it, when you use coconut oil. Again, you can find these on Pinterest but here are some: here, here, and I made my own DIY scrub HERE.
  3. Lotion/Body Butter. As I have mentioned, coconut oil is extremely moisturizing. So want not moisturize your skin? You can apply regular coconut oil to your skin, or you can create your very own body butters and lotion. One of my favorite YouTubers, Lisa Pullano, has great DIY recipes. Click here or here to see two of them. If she uses any other oil, you can always substitute it for coconut oil.
  4. Make Up Remover. It's time to stop using those harsh chemicals on your face. Instead try to go all natural. Use coconut oil to remove all your makeup, even waterproof mascara! All you have to do is put some coconut oil on your face and rub it all over, like you would do with makeup remover. I like to start with my eyes, and get all my eye makeup off, then spread it around to get my foundation off.
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#PinterestSunday Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is the perfect summer salad dressing. It's sweet and delicious but still healthy. The original recipe is here. I edited the recipe slightly, just to give it more taste and to adjust it to what I had at my house.
  • about 1/2 pint strawberries, cut up
  • 3/4 cups olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
All you have to do is put all the ingredients in a blender. (I used my Ninja Kitchen System) Blend until smooth. Pour into a container and put in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Feel free to edit this recipe to your liking. It's mainly based on taste, so once you try it, you can adjust it to your liking.
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