Nix9to5

Crazy Easy Christmas Crafts

// November 26th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Crafty Stuff

Here are a few more Christmas crafts that I made. They were all very easy, but not all of them turned out how I planned.  I figured I’d include even the ones I didn’t like so much, because maybe you could take my idea and make something better–or at least know what doesn’t work so that you can avoid my mistakes.

First up are a couple of floral arrangements.  I use that term pretty loosely, because I did not really arrange anything.  I just bought the artificial flowers and greenery and stuck them in the vases.  I guess the vases are really the “arrangement.”

Here is my “pinspiration”:

I didn’t want to glue candy canes to a vase, because I want to be able to re-use the vase year-round, so I hooked my candy canes to the vase and just tied a red ribbon.  I also used a square vase because it’s what I had–a round one would be prettier, I think, as above.  Finally, I didn’t use a pretty pot of roses, but some red flowers that were on sale for 80% off at Hobby Lobby because they were considered “Fall decor.”  My version isn’t as pretty as the original, but it literally took seconds to complete, and I like it well enough:

I wanted to trim the plastic ends off the bottom of the candy canes, but Hot Husband said to leave it.  Since he actually had an opinion, I left it, even though I think it would look better trimmed.

Next up is an idea that can easily be adapted for various seasons.  In fact, I did this will Fall flowers and candy corn for Halloween/Thanksgiving.  Now it’s cranberries and holly.  I simply put a skinny vase (clearance for $0.10 at Dollar General after summer) inside a fat vase and filled the space with cranberries.  The I popped some holly greenery (50% off Christmas at Hobby Lobby) into the skinny vase:

Beside the cranberry/holly vase is just a trifle bowl filled with ornaments.  The combined total time for completing both decorations was, like, 14 seconds or so.  The only thing that took any time at all was chasing cranberries I spilled.

These ribbon trees from Whipper Berry were my “pinspiration” for the next project, which didn’t turn out as lovely as I had hoped:

To make these, simply use styrofoam cones, ribbon cut in lengths ranging from 4-inches to 2.5 inches (or smaller, depending on the height of your cones), and straight pins.  On my larger cone, I did two rows of 4-inch ribbon on the bottom, then decreased by 1/2 inch every two rows.  On the smaller cones, I started with 2-inch lengths.  I didn’t do the “twist loop” as demonstrated above–I just folded my ribbons in half.  I’m not thrilled with how mine turned out, but I have some ideas for what works and what doesn’t as far as colors and toppers:

I’m okay with the tree in the first picture, but I’m not as happy with the two smaller trees in the bottom picture.  They have been banished to bathroom decor.  I’m thinking I’m going to add to the red “wrapped” tree.  I just have to decide what I want to do with it.

In the top picture, you’ll also notice another easy Christmas project.  Just take a plain ol’ cheapie pillar candle, glue cinnamon sticks around it, and wrap with Christmas ribbon.  Done.  I used hot glue, thinking the warmth of the glue would melt the wax a little and help the sticks stay, but no.  Hot glue is not the right glue for this.  It just didn’t hold.  The ribbon is really holding the cinnamon sticks on for the most part.  I’m not sure what glue would be best–Tacky glue?  Super Glue?  Just not hot glue.

I think that’s all the projects I’ve done so far.  Now I just need to finish decorating the house.

I do have a cute Advent activity calendar idea to share with you, but I need to get to work on other things for now.  Enjoy your weekend!

And So It Begins . . .

// November 25th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Crafty Stuff, Money Matters

As I write this, I am so full I could pop. My New England Maple Apple Pie was a huge success, if I do say so myself.  I was pretty impressed, but my favorite part was how Hot Husband, He of the Healthy Eating, raved about it.  I must admit I’m feeling a little proud of myself.  Bloated, but proud.  (Note to self:  In the future, do not wear skinny jeans to Thanksgiving dinner, m’kay?)

For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving is The Official Start of the Christmas Season.  I know I plan on starting the decorating right away, and though I avoid venturing out on Black Friday,  I know many of you enjoy this madness and are scrupulously developing a strategy for hitting all the best sales (and others are probably already back).  Too many years of working retail have sucked all the joy from that kind of shopping for me.  I’m more of a Cyber Monday kind of girl, preferring to do my shopping online, lounging in my fleece pajama pants and sipping a coffee flavored with one of the special edition holiday creamers (LOVE THOSE).

Speaking of sales, if you haven’t checked out NoMoreRack yet, now is a good time.  I’ve gotten some great deals there–my very, very favorite boots in the world I bought for less thann $30–and they started their Black Friday deals at midnight.  They offer electronics, clothes, accessories, shoes, lingerie, toys, beauty products, kitchen products . . . really, everything.

If you’re staying home and decorating, and if you don’t plan on spending your day perusing online sales, I want to share with you one of the Christmas decorations I made.  This is an easy DIY, and if you’re into instant gratification like I am, you can whip this out in no time flat.

First here is my inspiration from Craft Goodies via Pinterest (of course).

Cute, right?  I saw that and figured that I was smart enough and crafty enough to figure out how to make my own.  Now, sometimes (frequently) I figure that I’m smart enough and crafty enough and then realize I am not, in fact, either.  This project, though, was a success.

Here is my version:

Not as cute as the original, but not too shabby.  This project cost me less than the retail cost of the bell, which was on sale for 50% off at Hobby Lobby.

Here is what I used:

• Wood letters (Actually, mine were MDF.  You could use any material–I just went with what was on sale for the cheapest.)
• Wooden plaque to use as a base
• Large jingle bell (Mine was already decorated–bonus!  If yours isn’t, find some holly or ribbon or something.)
• Red and black acrylic paint (0r whatever colors tickle your fancy)
• Super strength glue (I used Amazing Goop from Eclectic Products)

That’s it.  I painted the base black and let it dry.  I painted the letters red and let them dry.  Then I did another coat.  I glued the jingle bell to the middle of the plaque and then glued the letters on either side.  I did have to kind of strap them down until the glue dried–about 24 hours before I was brave enough to remove the supports.

Done and done.  Without drying time, I’d say this took me less than 10 minutes and less than $10.  I probably should have sanded the Y, because it looks a little raggedy, but whatever.  Live and learn.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

Coming up, I have some other, even easier DIY Christmas decorations to share with you.

Happy Thanksgiving from Nix9to5! (with pie recipes)

// November 24th, 2011 // No Comments » // Cooking, Family

Ahhh, Thanksgiving.  It’s truly the kick-off to the whole holiday season.  I hope all of my Nix9to5 readers, friends, and family have a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones.  Since most of my readers are moms who are probably stressed to the max trying to make sure everything is perfect, I want to remind you all to stop and smell the roses pie.  Nothing has to be perfect.  Enjoy the time with your family–that’s what makes it perfect.  Take some time to reflect on the things for which you are truly grateful. Nothing calms and soothes like gratitude.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for a job that allows me to stay home with my child and lets me exercise my creativity.  I’m grateful that I have family nearby (Beela and Papa, Uncle Awesome and Auntastic, and The Bachelor Uncle) who can be a part of Bear’s life on a daily basis.  I’m thankful for you, my Nix9to5 readers, who stick with me even when I disappear, and who challenge and encourage me with your comments, ideas, suggestions, and more.  I’m also thankful for my MOM’s Group–a group of ladies I have had the privilege of meeting each week for the last couple of months, and who I’ve grown to look forward to seeing again every Monday morning.  Thank you for your prayers and support.

There’s no way I can include all of the people to whom I owe my gratitude and love, but I want to take a special moment to mention The Amazing Amanda.  We’ve certainly had our sisterly spats along the years, but I love this woman who is a part of me.  She has helped me out time and again, and she’s proven that she loves me unconditionally–as I do her.  I love you, baby sister!!

I can’t talk about The Amazing Amanda without thinking of her extraordinary cooking.  Since I’m thinking of cooking, and since it is Thanksgiving, I’m going to leave you with a couple of pie recipes.  These are not my own creation.  They are from an old cookbook* an aunt gave me for Christmas several years ago (Thanks, Aunt Denise!), but the pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite of all pumpkin pies I’ve ever had.  The apple pie I made for the first time last year, and it was delicious.  I’m in charge of dessert again this year for Thanksgiving Dinner, and I’ll be bringing both of these–along with a Mrs. Smith’s cherry pie.  I’ve never had any luck making cherry pie.  If you have a good cherry pie recipe or tips on How Not to Ruin a Cherry Pie, I’d love for you to post them here.

One special note about these pies:  I do not make my own pie crust.  I did it once, and it tasted fine, but was totally ugly and not worth the time or effort in my opinion.  Another thing:  Both of these recipes call for a 9-inch pie shell.  They do not specify deep-dish, but you either need to use a deep dish crust or it will make 1-1/2 pies.  I’d rather have one thick pie than a couple of thin ones, but to each her own.  Regardless, neither of these recipes will fit in a regular pie crust.  Get the deep dish.  Trust me.

Without further ado, here are the pies I’m taking for Thanksgiving dinner.  Enjoy.

Traditional Pumpkin Pie

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pastry shell
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin (2 cups)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

New England Maple Apple Pie

DailySteals.com’s Questionable Ad Strategy

// November 22nd, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Life in General, Work at Home

For those following Nix9to5 on Facebook, you’ve already seen a link to this story.  Earlier today, Amanda at Simple Saving Savvy linked to a story from Sunshine and Sippy Cups about the disturbing advertising copy being used by DailySteals.com (note:  I am not linking directly to Daily Steals because I do not wish to give them any additional free advertising.  If you would like to see the ads for yourself, feel free to type the URL in your web browser).

Daily Steals is a daily deal site which features toys, electronics, and more.  It also features a very questionable ad strategy. I can only guess that these product descriptions are an ill-conceived attempt at humor, but they are disturbing and not in any way funny.  For each product, the write-up is a little story.  The story does not mention any features or benefits of the product, but rather uses the product name somewhere in the story.  As far as I can tell, the majority of these stories are laced with violence, sexual innuendo, and references to drug and alcohol abuse.  These stories tell of kidnappers and creepy old men in toy descriptions, and mock depression and suicide in a camera description.  One alarm clock is marketed by a story about a boy at his grandfather’s funeral.

Here is an example of an advertisement for a remote control car:

What’s your favorite thing about kids?
Two men in their late thirties sit in folding chairs on a front year. The sun beats down and causes little droplets of sweat to accumulate on their faces. Children play in their view along the sidewalk. The men casually watch them, mostly getting wrapped up in a conversation with each other.

“That’s a cool thing he’s got over there,” Jeff, the shorter one, asks his friend, pointing to the boy in the Lil’ Rider Battery Powered Sports Car.

“Yeah, I bought that not too long ago,” Gabe responds.

They watch as Gabe’s son drives around the yard and the sidewalk.

“You know what the best part about it is?” Gabe asks.

“No, what?”

“This remote can control the car too,” he says, breaking out the remote and taking control of his son’s car. He drives the car straight over to the neighbor’s dog and runs it over. Tom Robinson, the owner of the dog, sees the whole thing and walks over to Jeff and Gabe.

“What did you do that for?” he demands to know.

“I didn’t do anything, that was my boy,” Gabe retorts. “He’s just a kid give him a break.”

Tom Robinson storms off to his own house in a huff and the two men sit back down in their chairs.

“You can blame anything on kids and get away with it,” Gabe says, laughing.

Running over a dog? Blaming the child? And this is one of the more tame “stories.”  I’m truly baffled by this strategy.  I would think the target demographic for the toy ads would be parents and grandparents–those who love children and who overwhelmingly desire to protect them.  To write an advertisement that uses kidnapping, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and pedophilia as a gimmick seems to go directly against good business sense.  Why alienate your customers this way?

As a Work at Home Mom, I write web sites, blog posts, and product descriptions for a variety of businesses.  None of my clients would think of accepting writing of such a poor caliber and in such poor taste.  Ads should appeal to the customer, not repulse her.

There are dozens of Daily Deal sites available:  Groupon, Deal Pulp, No More Rack, Save More, Plum District, and more.  Please consider giving your business to one of these more ethical, professional, and family friendly sites than to a site that tries to make a buck off the exploitation of children.

EDIT:  Though it appears as if Daily Steals is not responding to questions or comments about their ad copy, I have found at least one instance where they changed the text.  However, the change is, in my opinion, clearly sarcastic and patronizing.

Here is the original text:

And here is the text of their revision, now available on the site:

Everything was super happy and nice.
All the little children of the land got together to go on an adventure. Their destination was an enchanted forest to the north of the town where it was believed that an ancient spirit that loves children lived. The group gathered up their Disney Pix Click Cameras and headed off early in the morning.

They had the most fun they ever had taking pictures of the marshmallow bushes and licorice trees. They found a telephone shaped like a smiley face that they used to call their mothers. They told them all about the world they had discovered and that they wanted their entire families to move there. They said it was great because nothing could get in without the explicit permission of the people inside.

“Finally,” one of them said.

And everyone lived happily ever after with sugar and marshmallows and cherries on top with gigantic smiles that never fade.

I don’t know.  It looks to me like there is a copywriter out there who is actively trying to get fired.  If Daily Steals is looking for a work at home writer, I know someone who could do a MUCH better job than this.  Maybe I should send them my resume . . .

Toddler Fun: “Stained Glass”

// November 21st, 2011 // No Comments » // Children and Babies, Crafty Stuff

I was planning to write today about how to make liquid hand soap from bar soap, but right now, that project didn’t work out, and I’m busy Googling remedies to soap failure to see if I can salvage the project or if I have to start over with another kind of soap.  Instead, here’s a different kind of project that worked great.

The Amazing Amanda judges the success of any kids’ craft project or activity by whether or not the span of time during which the kids were entertained exceeds the amount of time she spent setting it up.  By that criteria, most of my projects with Bear are a Great Big Fail.  We do have fun–it’s just that I usually spend forever getting it ready and finding the materials, and he is entertained for approximately 37 seconds.  I get pretty excited about any project that gives us, as Amazing Amanda calls it, “Minutes and Minutes of Fun.”

This super-easy “stained glass” project was one that was a huge success.  Bear stayed busy and was having fun for quite a while.  I think his enjoyment had a lot to do with the fact that he got to rip things up without getting in trouble.

For this project you need:

• Construction paper
• Clear contact paper
• Tissue paper

Easy, entertaining, and I had everything on hand to make this project.  If you try it, let me know how it goes for you!

More Good, Clean Fun: Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

// November 20th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Crafty Stuff, Life in General, Money Matters

While I was busily making my own homemade laundry soap, I decided to go ahead and make some dishwasher soap as well.  I was a little leery of this project because (1) I’ve never been a fan of powdered dish soap, and (2) I’ve never really been crazy about any dishwasher detergent I’ve found.  I didn’t think that homemade dishwasher detergent would work very well, and was afraid I’d end up with a dishwasher full of cloudy, spotty, half-clean dishes.

I went ahead and tried it anyway, figuring that it couldn’t be worse than the last bargain dishwasher detergent I bought.  It wasn’t an expensive project, so if it didn’t work, then I could just throw it out and count it as experience.

Instead, I was really, really happy with how well this cleaned my dishes.  It makes a gazillion loads worth, and I didn’t do the price breakdown, but I’m guessing with as much as it makes, it’s well worth the time and saves a lot of money in the meantime.

I used this recipe I found from Being Creative (to Keep My Sanity) via Pinterest:

• 1 box Borax
• 1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 24 packages unsweetened lemonade drink mix
• 3 cups Epsom Salt
• Lemi Shine hard water rinse aid

DIY Homemade Laundry Soap

// November 19th, 2011 // No Comments » // Life in General, Money Matters

I was going to wait a bit to post this, trying to keep these activities in chronological order, but this topic got so much response on my personal Facebook page that I decided to go ahead and write about it now.

I’m kind of a closet hippie.  I mean, I would be a hippie if it didn’t seem like so much work.  Also?  I hate the smell of patchouli, so I’d never make a very authentic hippie (although it has been so long since I shaved my legs I may be a little closer to authentic than I would hope).

I’m also kind of a cheapskate.  I’m not a very good cheapskate, though, because sometimes, it’s a lot of work, too.  Finding sales, clipping coupons, driving from store to store . . . occasionally (lately), I’ve just paid way too much for stuff because it was easier.

I guess I’d be a better tree-hugger and a better frugalista if I were not so lazy.

Occasionally, however, I find a project that appeals to both the green side and the frugal side.  If it’s not too much work, or if it’s worth the savings, I’m all for it.  Homemade Laundry Detergent and Homemade Dishwasher Detergent happened to fit the bill.

I’ve been toying around with the idea of making my own laundry soap and dish soap, but I wasn’t sure how well it would work, and I wasn’t sure it would be worth the effort, and I wasn’t sure it would save enough money to make it worth my while.  I finally broke down and tried it, and I’m sold.

Now, I can generally buy laundry detergent for about $0.06/load.  One of the sites I looked at for homemade laundry detergent did the cost breakdown at $o.01/load.  As much laundry as I do, a nickel a load savings isn’t bad.  If it were a lot of effort, I might not be willing to make the switch, but it’s easy, and I don’t have to clip coupons or wait for a sale to get laundry detergent at a price I’m willing to pay.

Here’s the “recipe” I used for homemade laundry detergent (found on Frugally Green via Pinterest):

• 1 bar Ivory soap (the recipe says you can use 1/3 bar Fels Naptha or use Ivory, Octagon, or Zote.  I didn’t find Fels Naptha.)
• 1/2 c. Borax
• 1/2 c. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 6 c. water, plus 4 c. water, plus one gallon and 6 c. water

I washed several loads of laundry with this yesterday, and it seemed to work just fine.  If you prefer scented soap, I’m sure you could add fragrance, but I didn’t bother.  It just smells clean, which is what I prefer.  Also, thanks to discussion on the Nix9to5 Facebook page, I added 1/4 cup white vinegar to the wash to act as fabric softener and to brighten whites and any one of a million other things vinegar is supposed to help with–and no, it doesn’t stink, which is what I was afraid of.

Homemade Laundry Soap is a keeper.  I’ll definitely make it again, and it may be the only laundry soap I use from here on out.

Happy Birthday, Bear! (Godzilla Cake)

// November 18th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Children and Babies, Cooking

Just a few days after Halloween, my tiny baby Bear turned three, which is unbelievable to me.  It seems like just yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital and had a near panic attack as Hot Husband turned out of the hospital parking lot and onto the road and all those other cars were driving past at such high speed.  I mean, I knew I’d have to be the one to keep him safe, but I had never considered all of the outside forces that I’d have to contend with.

And now he’s three.  And I have to contend with forces like gravity and velocity.  And pee.  Lots and lots of pee.

That teeny tiny helpless baby can count, recognize his letters, spell his name, and know that only Tyrannosaurus has two fingers.

For his birthday, Bear wanted a Godzilla cake, which is fitting, since he shares Godzilla’s birthday.  I’m an inexperienced cake decorator, but I figured I’d give it my best shot.  Knowing that the mini panda cake for his first birthday took me hours upon hours, I figured I was in for a huge challenge, but I guess I’ve improved some since then.  It still took forever, but not as long and it turned out okay.

The first thing I had to decide was whether to try to sculpt a cake or get a molded pan.  It wasn’t much of a decision.  I bought this dinosaur pan from Wilton:

Bear didn’t even try to tell me it wasn’t Godzilla because of the number of fingers or spinal plates or whatever.

I figured using a molded pan would make decorating the cake much easier as I just followed the instructions and the features on the cake.  Unfortunately, step one of decorating the cake is to “frost the entire cake white.”

So much for features.

I then placed the pan liner alongside the cake for a visual and began following the directions, trying to get from White Blob to this:

Here’s my Godzilla cake step-by-step:

Look!  He even breathes fire!

“What do you think of your Godzilla cake, Bear?”

“I think pretty good.”

Happy birthday, sweet Bear!

Happy Halloween from Godzilla!

// November 18th, 2011 // No Comments » // Children and Babies, Life in General

I thought about pre-dating this post, but then I’m not sure it will publish to my Facebook feed or my Twitter feed.  Just pretend you are reading it two and a half weeks ago.

Bear loves Godzilla, an obsession which was handed down from his father, Hot Husband.  It just so happens that Bear even has the same birthday as Godzilla, and while this fact is very exciting to Hot Husband, I can assure you that it was NOT planned that way.  In fact, Bear was supposed to share MY birthday–he was due on my birthday, but came a few days before so that I could keep my own he could have his own.  But this isn’t the birthday post so I’ll move on.

Bear decided to be Godzilla for Halloween.  Of course, they don’t make Godzilla costumes for almost-three-year-olds–at least, not that I’ve ever seen–but they do make dinosaur costumes.  We found a great T-Rex costume and put it on Bear and told him it was Godzilla.

He said, “This isn’t Godzilla.  It only has two-fingers.  It’s a Tyrannosaurus.”

Seriously?  My toddler can tell the difference?  I thought I’d have at least a few more years of “close enough,” but there’s  no fooling this kid.

From thenceforth, he told everyone who asked that he was going to be “Two-Finger Godzilla” for Halloween.

And without further ado, here’s Two-Finger Godzilla:

Before the MDO Fall Festival

Ready to Trick or Treat

Trick or Treating

Trick or Treating at Beela's

And just for fun, here’s Bear singing the theme song to the Godzilla cartoon from the 1970′s:

So much to tell you about, so little time.

// November 18th, 2011 // No Comments » // Budget, Cooking, Crafty Stuff, Life in General

I just looked and realized that it has been almost a month since I posted.  And let’s be honest, I didn’t so much post as upload pictures of the Amazing Amanda’s birthday party for Super D (which was both precious and awesome all rolled into one).  Since that time, a lot has been going on that I’ve wanted to share with you, but I haven’t (1) had the time or (2) taken the time to sit down and blog it.  Since I last posted, we have had Halloween, two birthdays, and now Thanksgiving is about to roll in.  I’ve also accomplished some cute crafts and other DIY projects that I want to share with you, but now I have so much that I can’t decide where to start.  I guess the best way is to just start where we left off.  In the upcoming posts, you’ll see:

• Bear’s Halloween
• Bear’s Godzilla Birthday Cake (He’s three!!  Not a baby and barely a toddler anymore. He’s–dare I say it?–practically a preschooler!!!)
• Nothing about my birthday.  I’m the Chief Cake Maker (read:  Only) around here, and so there is nothing to show you.  Besides, I’m significantly older than three, so it’s far less exciting).
• The Wonder That is Zaycon Foods
• Easy “Stained Glass” art project for kids
• Homemade Laundry Detergent
• Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
• DIY “Miracle Mask”
• Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
• Cute and EASY Christmas Crafts
• A Giveaway Courtesy of SeenOnTV Express