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DIY Glittered Glass With Glittered Duck Brand® Tape

This post brought to you by Duck Brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m so excited to share this easy DIY Glittered Glass project with you!  I’m all about organization, simple beauty, and being frugal, and this project envelopes all three of those things with the help of Duck Brand Craft Tapes.

I’m a girl who loves sparkle, but the mess of glitter projects make me cringe!  Thanks to Duck Brand® Glitter tape, I now can have my sparkle without the mess.  Duck Brand® Glitter Crafting Tapes give a cool glitter effect without flaking!  There is no paper backing to mess with as it is self-adhesive just like all of the Duck Brand® crafting tapes.  It comes in fun bright colors – Pink, Aqua, Silver, and Red.  
I chose the silver and aqua for my crafting project to match the colors of my bedroom.  The aqua is actually a soft blue.  I needed extra storage for my beauty items that I wanted on hand and ready to grab.  I am using my glittered glass containers to hold cotton swabs, fingernail files and my hand lotion, and one to add a touch of green plant beauty.

At the other end of my dresser, I used a glittered glass vase to hold a candle.  The candlelight reflection makes the glitter tape come alive when lit, which is really beautiful!
Here is all you need to make your own Glittered Glass with Duck Brand Craft Tapes.
~Miscellaneous glass containers
~Duck Brand® Glitter Crafting Tape
~Scissors
~Crafting knife
~Craft Cutting Board

I used the round shape of the Duck Brand® Glitter Tape as a stencil for my half moon shapes.  I love anything with a curve!

I simply stuck the tape to the cutting craft board and used the craft knife to cut squares, strips and triangles.
Then the fun part!  I stuck the shapes onto the glass containers, some random, some layered.  When you are working with sparkles you really just cannot go wrong!  Use your imagination and get creative with your shapes!  Get the kids involved and let them help you stick the tape on.
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If you love crafting tape as much as I do, make sure to check out the other types of tape from Duck Brand®.  The have Fabric Crafting Tapes, Prism Crafting Tapes and Washi Crafting Tapes! They can be used for so many things, from labeling to scrapbooking to home accents–creativity is never stifled by the Duck! 
 For tons more crafting inspiration, make sure you follow Duck Brand® Tape on Twitter at @DuckTape. 
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DIY/Crafts/ FUN/DIY

8 Easy & Creative DIY’s To Bring In The New Year

by Meghan Newsom {Health & Gluten Free Contributor}

Hello sweet readers! Oh how I’ve missed connecting with you guys over the past couple of months. I have had a crazy busy wedding season (my daytime job is a professional photographer:), and when I’m not shooting weddings I’ve been laying in bed recovering from them! Amy has been gracious to give me grace as I’ve been struggling to get through these past few months alive.

I’m taking a bit of a break from posting about recipes and healthy living this month, because I have been crafting like crazy (I get bored laying in bed!) preparing for Christmas. The majority of the presents I give every year are handmade because 1. I love making things, and I feel like it is such a special gift to give and 2. it saves us so much money!

As most of you guys have a bit of a break over the holidays, I thought It would be great to share some easy and fun DIY’s you can make as gifts, make with your family while they are home.. or make for yourself! ALL of them are extremely inexpensive and you might just have all of the supplies hanging around your house already! Simply click on the bold and underlined words to find the link to the tutorials.

1. Bike Taxidermy– This fun DIY is perfect for the bike lover in your family. It looks awesome mounted on a wall as part of a gallery!

2. Fabric Covered Letters- These letters are only .50 cents, and are so fun to make using fabric scraps you have around the house! A perfect gift for a kids room or a crafty friend of yours.

3. Felt Woodland Mask- What’s better than make believe? Playing make believe as a woodland fox! Kids will love dressing up as woodland creatures with these masks.

4. Potato Stamped Tea Towels– Make a batch of these guys and send them out as house warming presents, birthday presents, Christmas presents.. or just keep them for yourself:)

5. Acorn and Washi Tape Bunting- Bring a bit of nature indoors with this easy bunting DIY.

6. Driftwood Mobile– Making mobiles has become a favorite of mine. Use collected shells, driftwood, nuts and rocks for yours!

7. Terra Cotta Coaster- Let your imagination run wild with these easy (did I mention CHEAP?) coasters! Gift them with the tea towels for a beautiful housewarming gift.

8. Vine Wreath- Do a bit of forging for the perfect vine and turn it into a wreath that can be used all year long.

I would love to see what you guys do with these! Please share any projects you complete on my Facebook page!! Have so much fun:)

————–

Meghan Newsom
Health & Gluten Free Contributor
Meghan’s site: eat.live. make.
 You can follow her here:
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Christmas/ DIY/Crafts/ FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ Sponsored

Last Minute Simple But Thoughtful Christmas Gifts With Easy Homemade Gift Tags

I have so many sweet friends, but I only buy Christmas gifts for a select few of them.  Every year I try to come up with something simple but personal. This year I decided I could not go wrong with a coffee gift card — they ARE my closest friends after all, so of course they all love coffee!  I smile when I think about the precious time I have had with each one of them sharing our hearts over a cup of coffee.  
Another thing I know my close friends all love is chocolate.  Coffee + chocolate + a fun gift tag, “homemade” by the help of a kit and my love for Metallic Sharpies = a fun & simple gift!
Sharpies have always been my favorite brand of marker– by far!  I love that you can always expect them to work long and hard for you.  They are dependable, predictable, come in all types of point sizes & colors.  My new Sharpie crush is the Metallic Sharpies. Gold, Copper & Silver –they are so pretty!
Right now is a great time to purchase Sharpies.  Staples is having an amazing deal. They are selling the 12 pack of Sharpies for only $6.00!  I bought a 12 pack of black Sharpies and a 12 pack of multi-colored fine-point Sharpies both for $6.00, and a 4 pack of assorted metallic Sharpies for only $5.00.  
I store mine in mason jars (of course!) and they sit out on our art desk so I can easily grab a single marker or a whole set if needed.  My 10- year old Avery drew this amazing owl using the metallic Sharpies and some crayons.  She is crushing on the metallic Sharpies, too!
On to my fun project.  I stamped the tags with white ink, and envisioned how I could embellish them with metallic Sharpies just to make them a bit more special.  
I used the metallic Sharpies to add a bit of shiny & shimmer to my gift tags.  Just a touch here and there made a huge difference.  I also used metallic Sharpies to to write who the gift was ‘to’ & ‘from.’

I got out my ribbon and some jute, stacked the coffee card and chocolates, and tied the shiny gift tags to the gifts.

I had fun finding different ways to tie the gifts together and using different Sharpie markers to embellish and sign the tags.
So festive and fun!
Don’t you love how the gold Sharpie shines? I wish the camera could capture it better.  Take my word, it is PRETTY!
These little packages look so cute under my tree.  I cannot wait to give them to the special ladies in my life.  I hope it reminds them too, of our shared love of coffee and chocolate, and just how much they shine light into my life!  
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For a TON of fun Sharpie project ideas, make sure you follow them on:
Get inspired, then head to your nearest Staples this holiday season and purchase the 12-Ct multi colored pack of Sharpies for &6.00 and the Sharpie Metallic Assorted 4-Ct pack, as well as other Sharpie products for your holiday needs.  You will love them!
DIY/Crafts/ FAMILY/ FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ Parenting

An Imperfect Perfect Thanksgiving Day Pennant Banner

I am almost 2 weeks out from surgery, and I’m feeling pretty well!  I am sleeping great, off all pain relievers, and have just a bit of stiffness/soreness in my chest muscles and what used to be my right drain site. It is so great to feel good again.

Something I have learned from cancer and cancer treatment is how ridiculous perfection is.  I am a recovering-almost recovered- perfectionist.  Cancer takes the perfectionist tendency and really just steals it away.  That is one thing cancer has taken from me that I am more than willing to let it keep!  Nobody is perfect, and it is so freeing to just let go of needing and wanting things to be done just so.

This Thanksgiving Day Pennant Banner is just a small example of giving up perfection, and a great example of the rewards and sweetness letting go of perfection brings.

I was scrolling through my Thanksgiving Holiday Pinterest Board, and found this pin with the most beautiful Thanksgiving Pennant from View Along The Way. This was when I was still in a lot of pain from surgery, and knew there was no way I was able to make it, even though it is described as “easy.”  The old me would want it exactly how I saw in the picture.  Not so anymore, so I came up with a plan.

I have a very creative 10 year old Avery, who is always up for a challenge and loves to create.  I wanted a Give Thanks Pennant Banner for my living room/dining room, and I knew she would be the perfect person for the job.  I showed her the pin for inspiration, and told her to create one for me using whatever she wanted, as long as the colors were warm.  I told her to use any color that she would see in the leaves of fall trees.

I loved watching her gather her supplies.  She had pinking shears, markers, gold glitter, plain white paper, a book on how to make fancy letters, and some jute.  I knew I had picked the perfect person for the job.

The above banner is what she came up with.  I think it is the MOST perfect thanksgiving decoration in our home right now.  My heart melts every time I walk under it, and I’m so grateful I have learned to give up on perfection so I can experience what truly is perfect…my daughters sweet, creative love expressed in this beautiful pennant banner.

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DIY/Crafts/ HEALTH/ Natural Products

The Perfect Pain Relieving + Detox Bath

epsom salt & ginger

If there’s anything I’ve learned about you guys it’s that you love natural remedies for things. And I do too, so we are a match made in heaven! I recently received a box from The Homegrown Collective that came with fresh green tea leaves, fresh dried lavender and epsom salt. I was having one of those days where my pain flared up badly and I needed a way to calm that pain down. It was just what I needed! I added a few of my own remedies to the bath as well and it was heaven. 

 Since I know you guys didn’t get this glorious box in the mail, I wanted to share with you how I did my bath so you could do one of your own at home as well! 

 Here’s What You’ll Need:
– 3 Table Spoons Fresh Green Tea Leaves
– 1 Table Spoon Dried Lavender
– 1 Cup Epsom Salt
– 1 Table Spoon Grated Fresh Ginger
– 1 Table Spoon Pain Relieving oil from Lavender Anne’s 
– 1 muslim bag to hold dried leaves and lavender in

 Here’s What You Do:
 – Fill your tub with hot water- as hot as you can stand it. Place all ingredients in your hot water.
– Soak in your bath for AT LEAST 20 minutes.
– Bring a cup of cold water with you to the bath– you will feel very dehydrated if you don’t!

 This bath is perfect for those of you wanting to detox heavy toxins from your body as well as kick some of the pain you’ve been experiencing. It’s high in antioxidants as well as pain relieving substances such as epsom salt and ginger! I promise it won’t disappoint.

—————–
Meghan Newsom
Meghan Newsom
Health & Gluten Free Contributor
 You can follow her here:
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DIY/Crafts/ FUN/DIY/ HOME/ Homemade Gifts/ Homemaking

24 Best DIY Mason Jar Vases, Votives & Photo Holders

It is no secret I am a mason jar lover!  Here are some great links of vases, votives & photo holders using mason jars that I have collected at my Pinterest site.  Enjoy!

collection of mason jar pins from pinterest

Painted Mason Jars | Georgia Pellegrini

 Jars As Frames | Rikki Hibbert Photography

 Simple Daisies In A Mason Jar | RuffledBlog

Yarn Candles | Family Chic

collection of mason jar pins from pinterestz

Mason Jar Lanterns | Brown Dress With White Dots

 Vintage Votives With Lace & Twine | Annaboo’s

 Oil Preserved Photos | New Nostalgia

 Mason Jar Flower Vases | Always 

collection of mason jar pins from pinterest

Plain White Painted Jars | Gardenista

 Fabric Mason Jars | Fellow Fellow

 Mason Flower Jar/Chalk Holder | The Created Home

Mason Jar Polk Dot Lanterns | Knock Off Decor

collection of mason jar pins from pinterest

Christmas Mason Jars | Heritage Schoolhouse

Vintage Jar Hurricane | In The Fun Lane

 Table Runner Mason Jars | Perfect Country Wedding

 Spruce & Berry Filled Mason Jars | Iowa Girl Eats

collection of mason jar pins from pinterest

Chalk Paint & Sanded Mason Jars | Flea Chic

 DIY Instagram In Mason Jars | This Fashion Is Mine

 DIY Painted Mercury Jar | 17 Apart

 DIY Glitter Jars | Cake Papery


collection of mason jar pins from pinterest

Balloon Dipped Mason Jars | Brit + Co

 Tissue Paper Lanterns | The Mason Jar Addiction

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mason jar pinterest board from new nostalgia

For More Awesome Mason Jar Ideas, check out my Mason Jar Pinboard

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More Mason Jar Posts From New Nostalgia:
New Nostalgia: A Peek Inside Our Refrigerator & Using Mason Jars …
New Nostalgia: Easy Iced Tea Concentrate Made In A Mason Jar!
New Nostalgia: Mason Jars– Glowing Monster Jars
New Nostalgia: Mason Jar Love Affair Overload
New Nostalgia: Organizing My Pantry & Some Tips For a Efficient …
New Nostalgia: Pantry Organization #2
New Nostalgia: Homemade Gifts-Peppermint Stick Cocoa
New Nostalgia: 5 Reasons To Drink Lemon Water In The Morning
New Nostalgia: Iced Tangerine Mint Green Tea
New Nostalgia: Makes Me Happy-Wooden Clips
New Nostalgia: My Everyday Green Smoothie
New Nostalgia: Homemade Pesto
New Nostalgia: A Peak Inside Our Refrigerator + What We Ate That …
New Nostalgia: Cupcake Decorating Birthday Party

 

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Beauty/ DIY/Crafts/ Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME

12 Must- See Homemade Remedies To Save Your Health And Your Budget

So its been all over the news that they are finding parabens in the breast cancer survivors breast tissue.  My ears perked up with this because I have been in the beauty business for years as a cosmetologist, and parabans seem to be in EVERY beauty product.  I have also met way too many young hairstylists that also battled breast cancer, and it has made us all say “hmm.”

Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood.
Measurable concentrations of six different parabens have been identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors (Darbre, 2004). The particular parabens were found in relative concentrations that closely parallel their use in the synthesis of cosmetic products (Rastogi, 1995). Parabens have also been found in almost all urine samples examined from a demographically diverse sample of U.S. adults (Ye, 2006a).
Parabens are estrogen mimickers, with the potency of the agonistic response being related to the chemical structure (Darbre, 2008). They can bind to the cellular estrogen receptor (Routledge, 1998). They also increase the expression of many genes that are usually regulated by estradiol and cause human breast tumor cells (MCF-7 cells) to grow and proliferate in vitro (Byford, 2002; Pugazhendhi, 2007). Nevertheless, parabens as a class do not fully mimic estradiol in the changes in cellular gene expression nor are the effects of all parabens identical (Sadler, 2009).
    “Parabens are estrogen mimickers.”  This really made me pause, as my cancer and the majority of breast cancers are fed by hormones.  I had symptoms of estrogen dominance for years and I often wonder if this contributed to my diagnosis.
    As I have been trying to avoid parabens, I have been on a kick of making my own beauty products, and in my quest to avoid chemicals, I have also been back on track of making some of my own cleaners. There are some wonderful healthy products out there, but they usually end up costing an arm and a leg, so have been quite motivated to make my own.
    My inspiration comes hugely from my Pinterest Boards.
    Here are a few that have caught my eye on
    {wanna follow me there? Click here.}

    6 DIY Homemade product ideas

    1. Anti-Eczema Lotion Bars.
    My youngest deals with a few patches of eczema every once in awhile.  I like to have something on hand, and I usually buy it from our local health food store.  I compared the ingredients in these bars to the product we use and love and they are super similar.  Makes me happy as the one we buy is not cheap!
    Source: ehow.com 
    2.  Peppermint Oil Insect Repellent
    It is natural, smells good, and is green, too!
    3. Coconut Scalp Treatment Oil
    This post is by Destri at The Mother Huddle, whom I love.  She, too, is a licensed cosmetologist and knows what she is talking about when it comes to the scalp and hair.
    4. Instant Olive Oil Sugar Hand Scrub
    This one is also from The Mother Huddle.  Love that I can grab 2 ingredients in my kitchen and have soft hands within minutes.
    5.  Natural Wood Polish
    Equal parts olive oil and vinegar!  So easy.  So cheap!
    6.  Homemade Air Freshener–those store bought sprays are full of chemicals and can trigger allergies, not to mention the propellent in aerosol sprays!

    6-12 homemade cleaning products, cough syrup, gunk remover
    7.  DIY Super 40 Load Dryer Softener Sheet
    Take your favorite liquid fabric softener and soak an old hand towel or flour cloth completely with it. Wring it out and let it dry completely, then throw it in with your next load. This mega-fabric softener sheet should be good for at least 40 loads of laundry WHAT A GREAT IDEA!! (If you want to be super green, I have heard that vinegar in the rinse cycle is great for making clothes soft.)

    8.  DIY Organic Dry Shampoo
    This intrigues me.  The link has great directions on how to make it, just not how to use it.  If I make it, I will let you know what I figure out.
    Source: make-it-do.com 
    9. Spring Clean Your Mattress
    Use baking soda and essential oils.
    10. Goo Gone Substitute
    Coconut oil + baking soda. Gets the sticky off!
    Source: ekwetzel.com 
    11.  Bathroom Air Freshener
    Put a few drops of essential oils into the toilet paper roll.
    12. DIY Cough Syrup
    Frugally Sustainable has tons of awesome “make your own” ideas.  Love that site!

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