How to make Fairy Wings

So Halloween is almost here and what better time to start planning for that party or costume then now. I went to the library today and got all kinds of inspired to have a party. So I have to start thinking about what the kids are going to be and what kind of decorations I can do for cheap. One thing that only cost under a dollar is Fairy Wings. I made them this year for my wedding but I'm going to re use them for Halloween for one of the girls and I might make more. You can decorate them any way you like. I think these are so much fun, no only can they be fairy wings but shape them right and they can be all sort of wings. Here is what you are going to need.

4 wire hangers (get these free or really cheap from a cleaners)

2 eggs of Nylon stockings (got mine at wal-mart for 33 cents)

electrical tape ( just steal this from hubbies tool bow)

Nylon thread

acrylic paint (what ever colors you want )

Ribbon or if you want to sew shoulder straps use fabric of your choice

fake flowers

And whatever else you can think of to put on these wings.

1. Start with straighten out your hangers into straight wire (well as straight as you can get it.. )

then form them into wing forms. This is were you can get really creative. When you have to

two ends meet, tape them up to make it easier.

2. Take one stocking per wing form and stretch it over the wing and pull kind tight to get the wrinkles and make it smooth. Wrap the nylon thread around tight so that it will stick to itself.

3. Now with the electrical tape, tape together the two sides together then tape in the middle to join the two sides. Now you have a blank canvas to paint a decorate. Dont forget to attach the shoulder straps to the wings.

I have found white and black stockings also if you want to get a little more into it you can order different colored nylons and make them pink, blue or purple

Have fun and I will post more on cheap Halloween tips.

I believe this might be a winner. I like how the little quinoa have a little crunch. I will have to try other recipes with it.

The Land of Quinoa

Well tonight I am taking a plunge into the unknown world of quinoa. So foreign to me the automatic spell check even thinks its wrong. I am following the directions as it says and going to put a zucchini, bean, tomatoes and corn with onion and garlic of course, over it. The real test is going to be if the kids like it. If Mikie likes it then I know it is a winner. I'm eager to try something new that is really good for you. Even though this stuff is a little spendie just think of it as replacing the meat for a min. Ok wish me luck. I have borrowed a friends camera so I will take a pic and post that also.

Exploding Velvet

So it was my daughter's 10th birthday today and so she asked for a velvet cake.. Well I like to make cupcakes and try to be creative and so I go on to a web site to make it from scratch.(with out having any knowledge of what makes velvet cake velvet cake lol.. ) So I jump in feet first like I always do. Everything looks fine and dandy with the batter a little thick but who cares.. I put it in the oven and about 15 min later I hear the kids yell "MOM!!! The cupcakes exploded!" Low and behold I look in there to see what its all about and sure enough half were big bubbles and the other half already sank after exploding. I didn't have enough ingredients to make another batch plus that one took 2 bottles of red dye lol. So I had to make a chocolate cake with the cream cheese frosting. So lesson learned is.. follow a cupcake recipe and not a cake one and also with red velvet, sense you have to add the vinegar and baking soda in the end don't fill the cups 3/4 of the way full :) . I would have taking pics but I have miss placed my camera for a bit.

All Purpose Cleaner

I use this all purpose cleaner for everything from the counter tops to the stains in my carpet. Its all natural so you don't have to worry about it with the kids. In fact you can get them their own little bottle of it so they can help you clean.

Ingredients:

Mix 2 tbsp. of vinegar with 1 tsp. borax.

Fill the rest of the bottle with very hot water to dissolve the borax.

add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil. I use lavender.

Now I have to tell you that this is the only stuff that will not cloud up my granite.

Living whole cheaply

I have kinda made it a mission of mine to try and cook whole foods without spending a ton of money and if you look in the right areas you would be able to do it. I can't afford to go to Whole Foods (even though I love that store) so I have found other ways to cook whole and healthy. All the meals might not be organic or natural but they are fresh. One way I have been able to save a little bit of money is to grow my own stuff. I have a very small garden right now but plans for bigger and better are in the works. If you only live in a apartment it is feasible to grow somethings. Granite you probably wont be living 100% off your plants but some things are achievable. One of the most common is tomatoes. They love the sun and can grow in a tin can if need be proven by Jamie Oliver on one of his shows. When you cant go out its lovely to go up. Beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes and if you are really crafty zucchini just might be able to also, Zucchini grows huge though but it also produces a lot. Herbs are also a nice thing to grow. I was in the store and I needed some fresh basil, well let me tell you what, I was not prepared to pay 3 dollars for a couple sprigs when that could buy me a pack of seeds and yield 100 times that amount. If you put basil in a big enough pot it will give you a ton as long as you cut it back and dry what you cut. I will try to put post up about individual herbs and what my experiences are with them. So if you can only do a container garden or a full blown acre what ever you do it will pay for itself plus more not to mention ripe on the vine is always better. Some people like to say "Well its just quicker to make hamburger stuff out of a box in reality you can make a full blown meal in just as much time. Last night I was roasting a chicken along with rice and zucchini well the chicken didn't get done in time and my bird were squawking at me so with my zucchini I threw in some fresh tomatoes, canned white beans a little seasonings and put that over the rice. I was surprised when they all said they loved it.(I do have two picky eaters) So I finished the chicken shredded it and going to make Sheppard's Pie with chicken and fresh vegg instead of hamburger.

Well I know this was all over the place there is so much I want to say and so little room or attention to do it. Until we meet again

Home made Laundry Soap

I have started to use my own homemade laundry soap. Its not only cheaper but there isn't a bunch of chemicals that are washing and sticking into your clothes. I was at Walmart yesterday and just for giggles I priced a big thing of liquid Tide and it was 20 dollars. As much as I would like to have got it but I'm a stay at home mom who has to make a penny stretch. There for I picked up the washing soda and borax along with the ivory soap. All in all it didn't cost me more then 7 dollars and I will get why more loads out of it then the Tide. If you cant find the washing soda I would suggest getting it online due to baking soda just doesn't work the same. I use washing soda for the dishwasher and cleaning carpets also. There are many uses for the borax as well.

Laundry Soap

2c. Washing Soda

2c. Borax

1 bar of ivory soap graded on a cheese grader

After you grade the soap crumble it up some more with your hands. This way they soap will dissolve faster in the washer. Add the other ingredients and put into a container. I use 1/4 c for every load. I do add softener to it to give it yummy smells.